A/N: If you're curious as to what Nanami looks like or just want to see some Overhaul fanart, I posted some on my tumblr Tsipasce. Let me know what y'all think, and thank you for the comments (Pink9571 I loved getting a play-by-play as you read through each chapter :') ) I really appreciate them! Anybutts, hope y'all enjoy this next chapter~

Overhaul rose from his seat, walking behind his desk to retrieve some keys, noticing Nanami was still seated.

"When I said 'let's be quick about it' I thought it was implied that we'd both get up and leave. You can finish pouting when we get back." She looked up at him, annoyed. He'd usually return the irritation, but realized he preferred this infinitely more than seeing her upset.

"You never miss a beat, huh? Let's roll, bird brain." She said in a huff, now marching towards the door.

"If anyone else spoke to me that way they'd be dead by now."

"Well I'm not just anybody, now am I?" she responded, equal parts confident and oblivious.

"… No. You're not." He paused, unsure how to process the thought. Or was it a feeling? Shaking it off, he continued, "The car is this way."

"R-right. Right behind you." She stammered; grateful he was in front of her as she tried not to think too much about his response.

They continued through the base until arriving at the garage as she spotted a familiar, blacked-out car. They hopped in and began the drive to her place, Nanami glad to be seated in the front this time. It was silent except for the hum of the engine as Nanami stared out the window, becoming lost in thought. She'd decided to tell her work she'd be taking a last-minute vacation and to tell Hitomi she'd be too busy at work to make their date. Before she had time to wonder just how much more lying she'd have to do, they arrived. Exiting the car in silence, Overhaul followed close behind as they made their way up to her apartment. As she was getting her keys out of her purse, he moved in front of her, putting his hand out for them. He took a cautionary glance inside before letting her know it was ok to enter.

"You've got 10 minutes," he warned.

"Bu—"

"10. Minutes."

"Saying it slower is not going to make me mo- "

"9 minutes."

"Uuggghhhhhh" She groaned dramatically, but briskly walked back to start packing. It was especially difficult considering Nanami was a notorious over-packer. Without fail, she brought enough outfits for a fashion show and packed underwear as though she'd shit her pants every day. Better safe than underwear-less~

"2 minutes."

"Ok, your counting down is NOT helping." She yelled to the other room as she finished packing, emerging from her room in a huff. Plopping the bags on the ground, she stood triumphantly, waiting for his response as his brows began to furrow.

"That is… not the correct amount of bags for two weeks away."

"What are you the bag police?"

"You know that's not a thing. Take half of the bags you have and let's go. The more time we waste here, the more likely we are to run into them, again."

"Fine." She abandoned what could have easily been twenty pounds in luggage, hefting the others towards the door. "Wow, you're not even going to help me?"

"No. You shouldn't have packed so much if you weren't able to carry it by yourself. Consider it your strength training."

Groaning yet again, Nanami was reconsidering if it would really be so bad to be abducted by a different and possibly more polite yakuza.

The ride back was as uneventful as the first before the grumbling of Nanami's stomach cut through the silence. She hadn't been able to eat all day, having abandoned her plans for brunch with Hitomi earlier and spending the better part of the afternoon packing for an involuntary vacation. Her eyes widened in embarrassment as she became determined to keep them glued to the window. Through her periphery, Overhaul turned towards her as they had pulled up to a red light.

"Where should we stop?"

"What?"

"I haven't eaten today, give me suggestions on where to go."

Is he… trying to be,- dare I say it—nice? Nanami thought both surprised and intrigued. Not wanting to waste the golden opportunity, she tried her best to play along," Well, SudohBucks is pretty good."

"SudohBucks? A frappuccino does not count as dinner."

"Um, they don't just serve coffee—they've got pastries and some pretty solid paninis." His eyes narrowed as though he wasn't fully convinced, "If you don't like it we can always stop somewhere else, there's plenty of other places nearby. So whadya say?"

"I'd say what the hell is a panini?"

"You don't know what a—oh my gosh, well it's a toasted sandwich—usually on Italian bread—but really you can put anything on it. They're warm, flavorful, and packed all neat so the ingredients don't spill all over the place."

"They're 'neat'? Hmm..."

"Of course that's what you got from my illustrious description..."

"You've convinced me."

Finding the nearest store with a drive-thru, Nanami ordered for them, earning a hum of approval when she correctly guessed he'd like the chicken artichoke. Salty people enjoy salty things, who would've guessed. She thought before reaching into the bag for her sandwich.

"Don't you dare eat in this car."

"Eat in the—just who do you think I am?"

"Dr. Watanabe; you've got hands steady enough to suture a grape but will undoubtedly still find a way to spill panini all over my car."

"Ok, firstly, it's impressive how you can insult and compliment me at the same time. Secondly, thank you, but also kiss my ass. And lastly, I'm not some savage that would try eating in a car—the food smell just seeps into the leather. I'm simply checking if they got the order right."

"… Close it as soon as you're done." He relented, rolling his eyes, eager to ignore the smug look on his passenger's face.

Nanami 1, Overhaul 0 ~.

They drove past the spot where her car was parked, only to find it empty. "Where the hell is my car?"

"It's trackable, we had to burn it." He replied simply.

Her eyes shot wide as she turned to him, seriously considering fighting him then and there.

"That was a joke."

"Stick to your day job."

Ignoring her, they pulled into the garage, her car now there and the sun almost ready to set. Getting her bags from the trunk, he took the heaviest one before she could grab it. Too tired to fuss, she accepted the help as they made the long trek to… Where exactly am I going to stay, anyway… She hadn't thought of it specifically before, only defaulting to the cell she was sure he'd made when he first tried to abduct her, except slightly more hospitable. Realistically, she knew it wouldn't be a cell, but still hadn't an inkling as to where they were going, the path they took ceasing to be familiar a couple turns ago. Just as she was about to ask, they came upon a set of stairs that resembled those at the main entrance, but she could tell they were different, the steps having much less wear on them. He paused a moment in front of her, but she couldn't see his face to tell what he was thinking. After an audible exhale, he continued up the steps, opening the door at the top of the passage with a code he didn't bother to hide this time.

The light was blinding as her eyes tried to adjust to the change. Blinking hard, she was now able to see a traditional home with minimalist, modern décor. It was cleaner than most operating rooms she'd seen and just as sterile. She would have assumed it was a model home no one had lived in before if not for the pair of familiar shoes in the doorway. Examining the room, she could tell they were in the kitchen and the secret passageway they came from had been in a large cabinet. On the island was a singular vase that had been repaired using kintsugi while the counters were clear, save for a kettle and tea bowl. Before she could look further, a glass door closed them into the space.

"Hold your breath."

"Wha—" Just then a mist was blasted from all sides. She was about to panic, but she saw him standing there, relaxed as though this happened regularly. The mist stopped and the door opened once again as he casually took off his shoes and waltzed out the pseudo-cabinet. Finally connecting the dots, it hit her. "Is this… is this your house?"

"Yes, now take off your shoes or I'll leave you in the silo."

"You don't have guests over often, do you?"

He turned to her, his finger hovering threateningly over what she assumed was the button to lock the cabinet door.

"Ok, ok. Just gimme a second." She hurriedly took them off, placing them neatly next to his, the sight causing her heartbeat to quicken. She'd never stayed in a man's house before, and the thought made her nervous. Don't make it weird. Don't make it weird. Don't make it weird. She thought to herself, hoping to regain objectivity. Just lab partners being bros, staying in the same house for a couple weeks to avoid being kidnapped for a bounty. No big deal. As she continued her inner monologue, she glanced up to see he was close, a confused look on what she could see of his face.

"What is it?"

"You didn't hear a word I said."

"That I did not."

Sighing he began walking out of the kitchen and down the hallway. Willing herself to move and not wanting to be stuck in the mini decontamination silo, she sheepishly followed, setting the food down on the kitchen counter. At the second-to-last door near the end of the hallway, he stopped, opening it and turning on the lights.

"This will be your room." He said plainly, gently placing her bags on a bench near the closet.

Among the questions now racing through her head, a singular one stood out. "Ok, not to sound ungrateful, but why can't I stay in a guest room in the main base? I mean I highly doubt having anybody in your house is pleasant for you."

He paused thoughtfully before responding, "The distance from here to the main base is much farther than you think; the passageways run for miles. If there was an attack, you might be dead before I could reach you. Here, you're a room away. Having anybody else in my house does repulse me… but as you said earlier, you don't fall into the category of 'just anybody." They were looking at each other fully now, Nanami swallowing harshly at his last statement coupled with the fact that she was now alone with him, in his house. Before her heart could race any faster, he quickly continued, breaking the now too-intense eye contact, "You're an ally. Strategically, being near makes the most sense as your offensive capabilities alone won't be enough to fend off the reinforcements they'll send. At any rate, I have a meeting to attend."

She felt a small pang of disappointment at his response but was both unwilling and unprepared to address it. "Oh, I see. Makes total sense!" She said through a half-hearted, awkward laugh, "Very logical. Well, I'll just settle in and uh look through some paperwork of my own. I'll see you later then, partner!" Facepalming inwardly, she quickly took her bags, turning away from him to place her things on the bed. She kept her back turned, now very invested in unpacking.

After a couple seconds she could still feel him in the doorway and cautioned a glance over her shoulder to see what he was doing. She saw him attempt to begin a sentence but stopped, a conflicted look in his features as he turned away, leaving her alone with her thoughts. This is gonna be a long week.