Gees, I feel like I'm spamming my own fic tonight! Oh well, blame the 3rd OST. I love this one…
She didn't love him, per se.
That was, if love was being swept away, wanting to give yourself to a person forever – happily ever after – chocolates and flowers. She almost smiled at the thought of Batou, a dopey grin on his face, trying to hand her a bouquet of roses.
That grin was there, though, when he handed her a disk of info, pulled from one of their suspects. "All decoded," he said proudly, "they didn't stand a chance against me."
She shook her head, amused. "Don't get cocky," she warned.
"Who? Me?" He asked innocently, and waved as he sauntered to the break room.
As she sat down at the computers and loaded the disk, it occurred to her that he would never even consider getting her something traditionally romantic. He had always treated her with reality and respect. He always managed to keep up with her; did his work fast as he could, as well as he could. Like this info, intricate as a flower's bloom.
She smiled; maybe he couldn't get her growing flowers, but he could give her a digital rose.