The hot oil sizzled as Hei threw the chopped onions in it, filling the small apartment with the smell of fried onion and garlic. He tossed the wok a few times, the hefty weight of the pan a familiar comfort in his grip. He lowered the heat of the burner when a flash of blue caught his eye, dancing in the glass of water on the windowsill.

"I'm making something small." Hei opened the refrigerator and took out a package of chicken, the last one he had. He made a mental note to stop by a store tomorrow morning. "I have work soon, and it's a long shift."

The specter swayed, inquisitive.

"Someone asked me to cover their shift at the liquor store for them tonight, in addition to mine. I didn't have a reason to say no." Hei sliced the chicken, tearing the cold flesh into thick chunks. He glanced up at Yin's specter, and saw she was still asking: Why?

"I'd rather pass the time minding an empty store than staying home all day," he added. "Besides, it's been a while since we've heard anything from the Syndicate."

Her specter quietly watched him for a moment, before lowering slightly into the glass. She was happy with that answer.

Hei tossed the chicken into the pan and watched it cook, the hot oil instantly coloring the edges of the meat a rich, caramel brown. He glanced up at Yin's specter again, studying how she watched him.

"Yin…" he started, then halted. The specter rose a little taller, waiting.

Do you regret choosing to stay here, instead of returning to your old home with that man, he wanted to ask. But how could he when it wasn't any of his business? She called him her partner, and he called her his when that man had asked. Doesn't that speak to the choice she made, the same one he did once, a long time ago?

"I'm glad to have you on our team," he said instead.

The specter stayed elevated, watching him add day-old rice and soy sauce to the pan. She bobbed a bit, dipping back below the rim of the glass, and then back up to look over the edge.

Yes, she said. Me too, she meant.

There was a light jingle from the open window in the main room, followed by a gentle mrrp. Hei didn't need to turn to see who it was. "Mao."

"Aw, is it really that obvious it's me? And I've worked so hard to sound like a real cat." There was a note of annoyance in Mao's voice, but it was fake, barely hiding the smile behind it. "Hello, Yin."

Yin rose in the glass in greeting before turning back to watch the stove.

"We have a job tonight," Mao said, dipping into a serious tone as he stepped into the kitchen.

Hei heaped a portion of rice into a bowl, then poured the rest of it into a plastic container. He left the lid off to the side, allowing the freshly cooked meal to cool. He planned to leave the leftovers at Misuzu's later, to spare her husband from subsisting on convenience store meals while she's out of town. "Where?"

"Lower Ikebukuro, near Sunshine City." Mao followed Hei as he walked into the main room. "Additional details will come later. For now, your orders are to be on standby in the area until told otherwise."

Hei scowled. He hated these kinds of jobs, sitting still all night with no real objective. Waiting for an unnamed threat that could appear from anywhere. These jobs tended to leave him more exhausted in the morning than chasing down contractors all night. "There's no other information at all?"

"Nope, nothing. Just a wait-and-see type situation."

Hei sat down at the small table in the corner of the room, warm air flowing in from the open window to his right. He set his bowl down, followed by the glass of water that held Yin's specter. It danced a bit as the water sloshed around in the cup. Hei heard Mao groan slightly as he stretched behind him.

Hei crossed his legs under the table, wincing slightly as he brushed his heel against a bruise on his shin.

"How's your leg? You landed on it pretty hard the other day."

Hei thought Mao sounded almost concerned, but that couldn't be right. Mao was as rational and unfeeling as any other contractor. "It's fine," Hei answered. "It's not broken. I finished the mission, didn't I?"

"You did," the cat agreed. "Oh, speaking of – the meteor shard successfully made it into the Syndicate's hands. You did good work on that one, Hei."

Hei took a bite of his food. His back felt warm in the early morning sunlight that poured in from outside, and his mind wandered to his laundry and his wet coat to be hung inside. His meandering thoughts were interrupted by a small, gentle pressure against his hip. Hei looked down to see a small black paw resting against him. Mao had stretched out in the sunlight, a quiet purr rising and falling as he breathed.

Hei continued to eat, savoring the quiet din of the city and his companions.

~*~*\~0~/*~*~

Misaki rolled her eyes for what felt like the fifth time in the last twenty minutes. She heard Kanami huff on the other end of the phone. "Don't roll your eyes at me."

Misaki held back a sigh. "I didn't. I just don't understand the point of this. A mixer? At your apartment? Isn't that just a party at that point?"

"No, it's a gathering with the intention of meeting someone. Trust me, there's a difference."

"I already told you I'm not interested in seeing anyone right now." Misaki swerved around a pedestrian as she walked down the crowded Shinjuku sidewalk. "Work takes priority for me, you know that."

"What I know is that you have been using work as an excuse for the last two years, and work has to let up at some point."

"Well, my work doesn't." Misaki glanced down at her watch. She had about 3 hours for her dinner break before she needed to be back on patrol, and she really didn't want to spend it arguing with her friend about something as insignificant as a house party.

"Would you be more interested if I said that cute kid from the hotel was coming?"

Misaki stopped abruptly, causing a tourist to collide with her shoulder. She bowed her head in apology, face flushing pink, and stepped into an alcove by a store entrance. Her friend's laughter sounded distant, as though she pulled the phone away from her face.

"Well, I guess that answers my question," Kanami said finally, still giggling under her breath. "Sorry, he isn't actually coming tomorrow. But clearly you want him to. Why haven't you asked him out yet?"

"Who, Li?" Misaki tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, frowning. "I barely know the guy."

"He helped you survive a life-or-death situation. Sounds like exactly the kind of guy you would like."

Misaki glared, inadvertently meeting the gaze of a passerby before they shuffled away. "What does that mean, exactly?"

"Oh, you know what I mean," Kanami said. There was a hint of affection, tinged with a bit of sadness, or even pity. "You can be kind of intense when people first meet you. But it sounds like this Li kid wasn't intimidated at all; he even stepped up in the middle of a gunfight! It seems like he'd be a good match, is all."

Misaki hated to admit it, but Kanami was right. She did want to ask Li out, try a real date with him. She had only met him once or twice, but it was hard to ignore that fact that she was attracted to him. It was true that he was cute. His soft smile that seemed so lonely, yet infectious to those around him. His brown eyes that were so dark they looked black and endless. And of course, the fact that in the face of real danger, he chose to help her escape rather than leave her to die and save himself.

Despite all that, she was scared. "I don't want to try and then he leaves once he realizes that my job will always come first," she admitted aloud. "That's what always happens."

There was silence on the other end of the phone. Misaki shifted her weight as she leaned back a bit to rest against the glass of the window. "Kanami… I appreciate being thought of. Really. But I just don't—"

"Look, don't think of it as a mixer. Just come, spend time with me, maybe meet someone interesting, maybe don't," Kanami offered. "Spend some time with people other than your team and the contractors you arrest. Please."

Misaki sighed. She could hear the plea in her friend's voice, the less-than-subtle note of desperation coating her words. This was important to her, Misaki could tell that much. She relented, "Okay."

Kanami gasped, "Okay?"

"Okay!"

"Yes!" She could practically hear Kanami's fist pump. "Ok, great, you can pick up the wine then, I'll make sure we have the right number of people… It's gonna be great, Misaki, I promise!"

She glanced up at the window she was leaning against. Based on the advertisements plastered to the glass, it was a liquor store. That was convenient. "How much wine should I get then? A bottle?"

"Try three." Kanami's voice softened, "Look, I've gotta go. But seriously, thank you for saying yes."

"Yeah… but you owe me for this."

~*~*\~0~/*~*~

The longer she stood staring at the rows and rows of bottles before her, the more overwhelmed Misaki felt staring at the brightly printed labels and colorful glass. Misaki wasn't picky when it came to alcohol. She was fine with most spirits, especially in mixed drinks, and considered a whiskey or bourbon a fun change of pace. But Kanami… Kanami had preferences. She said wine on the phone, but which wine? She could never remember which types her friend liked, even after that wine-tasting tour Kanami dragged her on last summer.

Misaki tried to recall what little she knew about wine. Was white wine sweet? Or was it dry? Oh, dry wines are good with fatty foods. Was Kanami going to have fatty foods at the party? She hadn't even thought to ask what was on the menu. Maybe she should get a variety, just to be safe.

There was a movement in the corner of her eye, and an arm reached forward to pick up a bottle from the shelf in front of her.

"I hear this one is particularly good for formal dinner parties." Misaki turned around at the sound of the familiar voice. Li was looking at the bottle in his hand, turning it over slightly, his dark hair falling loosely in his eyes. He smiled gently as he looked up at her. "At least, other customers seem to like it."

His dark eyes peered at her, and she could swear he was looking right through her in that moment. "Ah… well, I'm not sure formal would be the right word," she said, looking away. She found it was hard to keep eye contact with him, especially when he looked at her like that.

"Oh, well, in that case…" He reached past her again, replacing the bottle and selecting a different one a few spots to the right. She could feel the heat from his arm against hers, his bare skin brushing against her hand that was resting on the shelf. Her face grew hot. "This one might be better. It's cheaper than what you've been looking at, but it has a similar quality. Er, again – that's what I've heard other customers say."

He showed the bottle to her with a soft embarrassed laugh. She found herself unable to hide her smile. God, even his laugh was cute. She glanced at a nametag on his apron. Li Shengshun.

"Wait, do you work here, Li?"

Li blinked at her. "Ah. Yeah, I do. After the mess at the hotel, the catering company let a lot of people go."

Misaki tensed. The hotel. Alice… "Right, that was… I'm sorry that happened." She took a deep breath, ignoring the bitter taste on her tongue. She exhaled. "But this job is all right?"

Li looked at her, his eyes locking with hers for a brief moment, before looking back down at the bottle he was holding. "Yeah. It's all right." He shrugged as he added, "Just something to do, I guess."

They shared a beat of silence between them. Misaki was sure he knew what she was feeling, what she was remembering. She was sure he was, too.

"I never got the chance to thank you for that night," she said at last. "I'm not sure Saitou or I would have made it out without your help."

Li was shaking his head before she finished her sentence. "No way. You both would have been fine, you're police officers! If anything, I was just in the way."

"That's not true!" Misaki snapped. Li recoiled, his eyes widening the slightest bit. She grimaced, pinching the bridge of her nose. "That's not true," she said again. "You were really brave, Li. I don't think you understand how few people would have had the courage to do what you did, especially with how risky it was for you. If you had run away instead, I would have completely understood."

Li hesitated, looking away again. He spoke so quietly, she almost missed it when he said, "How could I have run, knowing they were going to kill you if they found you."

It wasn't a question as much as a statement. A fact. Misaki understood then that he truly couldn't have brought himself to leave her there; he'd never have been able to live with himself. She felt her chest tighten at the realization.

Misaki turned back to the shelves of wine and grabbed two more bottles that matched the one Li had selected for her. "Okay, I think I'll follow your recommendation," she said. "You had better be right about these."

When she turned back around, he was smiling again, as though they hadn't just been discussing a traumatic shared experience.

"Don't worry, we take returns if the bottles are still sealed," he laughed.

Misaki followed Li to the front register. A second employee stepped out of the way, carrying a case of liquor to restock the shelves with. She waited as he rung her up, fidgeting with the strap of her purse. She saw him glance at her hand, then quickly back to the wine he was scanning.

She swallowed, steeling herself. "So, um… Li. Are you free later?"

Li looked back at her, brow furrowing slightly. "Maybe… Why?" he answered carefully.

Misaki could feel her cheeks growing warmer as she asked, "Would you… like to get dinner?"

Li blinked. He looked at the register, then back at the bottles. There was a moment of hesitation before he began placing the wine in a paper bag. Misaki's stomach fell. She crossed a line, she knew it. She barely knew Li, she told Kanami as much when she was on the phone with her just now. Why would she ask that?

"47,000 yen."

Li's hand was resting on the counter, indicating a small tray for her to place her payment in. She dug around in her bag, searching for her wallet, willing this interaction to be over. Her hand closed on the small billfold, and she placed the required bills into the tray. She was careful not to look up at him as she did. She wasn't sure she could handle the embarrassment.

Misaki heard the crinkling of the bag as Li shoved it towards her. She reached for it, but paused when she felt a warm touch graze her fingers. She looked up at him, bracing herself for the look of disgust on his face. Instead, she was surprised to see him smiling.

"I get off in fifteen minutes. Is okonomiyaki okay?"