Keigo woke the following morning to the smell of pancakes and coffee. He groaned and sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Morning, sleepyhead."

Keigo looked up as Hanako offered him a mug of coffee. "Thanks."

Hanako smiled, then went back over to the kitchen to finish making breakfast. "How'd you sleep?"

Keigo drained the coffee within a few gulps and sighed with content, feeling the caffeine slowly taking its hold. "Not too bad; sorry I passed out on your couch, though."

Hanako chuckled. "It's alright. You looked like you really needed the sleep." She set out a couple of plates- each laden with pancakes, bacon, hashbrowns, and eggs- then went about setting the rest of the table. "Breakfast is ready, so come get it while it's still hot."

Keigo forced himself to his feet and drudged his way over to the dining table, sinking into one of the chairs. "This smells and looks amazing."

Hanako smiled, pouring him more coffee. "I bet it tastes just as good," she teased, then sat next to him. "Go ahead and dig in."

Keigo didn't have to be told twice and started off with the pancakes, tasting wheat and barley mixed together with a touch of cinnamon and a few other spices mixed into the batter. That paired with the subtly sweet apricot syrup felt like his tongue was tingling with deliciousness.

Hanako watched him wolf down the pancakes and giggled. "I'm glad you like it."

Keigo nodded, sipping his coffee to wash down the rest of the pancake. "Those pancakes were so good. What'd you make the batter with?"

"Wheat and barley flour, sifted together with cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg, then a little bit of brown sugar."

"I know you and your brother came from a family of bakers and cooks, but this is impressive."

"Why thank you, Keigo." Hanako gave him a wink and took a bite of eggs. "I must say, it is rather nice making breakfast for someone again. I've missed it since Shihei passed away."

Keigo stood mid drink at that, lowering the mug and looking at her with concern. It had been about six months since Shihei's death and he knew that Hanako would still be hurting, but he just didn't know how deep that wound still went.

Hanako noticed his look. "Don't worry, I'm alright, I promise. It's been an adjustment, but I've been managing just fine."

Keigo continued to watch her for a few moments, wondering if he should say anything.

"So, any plans for this weekend? You did give everyone the weekend off, but I'm getting the feeling that you weren't planning on doing the same." Hanako said, changing the subject.

"I should still be on call, at the very least, but I don't have anything planned." Keigo looked at her quizzically. "Why, did you have something in mind?"

"They have a group deal at the Fukuoka Zoo and Botanical Garden this weekend, four or more people get in for half price. Kana and Ryushi invited me to join them today, and I thought maybe if you weren't doing anything that you could come be our fourth person."

"Oh? So like a double date?" Keigo teased, chuckling and handing Hanako a napkin when she spit her coffee. "That sounds like fun, actually. I can't remember the last time I went to the zoo." He looked down at his clothes and sighed. "I should, uh, probably go home and shower first, though."

Hanako's nose burned from the bit of coffee that shot up there, but she ignored it as best she could. "Might not be a bad idea."

"Are you saying I stink?" Keigo teased again, mocking indignation.

Hanako laughed at that, grateful that she wasn't drinking anything at that time. "Not at all, but you are still wearing the same thing from yesterday and you do have some major bed head going." She reached over and ruffled his more than usual messy hair, her smile growing. "As cute as it is, you wouldn't want to give the wrong impression, now would you?"

"And what kind of impression might that be, I wonder?" Keigo leaned towards her a bit, smirking when he saw it catch off guard a bit.

"That you're a lazy slob who doesn't care what he looks like?" Hanako mused aloud, doing her best to ignore the way he was making her feel at that moment.

"Oof, ouch, that one stung!" Keigo feigned hurt feelings and sat back, earning himself a stuck-out tongue from Hanako. "What time did you plan on meeting them?"

Hanako took the last few bites of her breakfast, then washed it down with the last of her coffee. "A few hours from now, so around 11 am-ish?"

"That'll give me time to get home, shower and change, then come pick you up."

Hanako stood and took her dishes to the sink. "You could just meet us there if you'd like. I can just take the bus." She turned to go back to the table, but Keigo was right behind her with his own dishes in hand.

"I don't mind, unless you do?"

Hanako shook her head. "N-No, I don't mind. I just don't want you to go through the extra trouble for my sake."

Keigo sighed, but he smiled softly and reached forward to squeeze her hand gently. "Hanako, you're worth it- always."

Hanako's heart was pounding, but she returned his smile and nodded. "OK."

"Good, now let me help you clean up before I leave, OK?"

"Alright."

It didn't take long to clean the dishes and the table after breakfast and before long, Keigo was out the door and on his way home. When she closed the front door, Hanako immediately called Kana- freaking out.

"Hello?"

"Kana, it's Hanako, you got a second to talk?"

"Sure, what's going on?"

"You aren't going to believe this."

Hanako filled Kana in on everything, pausing only when Kana squealed with delight. "So what do you think?"

"I think you two would be totally cute together, for starters, but come on Hanako, don't you see that he likes you too? He walked you home with groceries, he stayed for dinner, he stayed for a movie and felt comfortable enough being around you that he passed out. Between that and all the flirting, it's a wonder you two haven't kissed!"

"He even asked if my asking him to join us today for the zoo trip was going to be like a double date," Hanako added. "I mean, he was teasing me for sure, but still!"

"What'd you do?"

"I spit my coffee, that's what I did! It caught me completely off guard!"

"Oo, ouch, that sucks."

"Yeah, and it went up my nose and everything. It was super embarrassing."

"Hehe, I bet. Lemme ask you something, alright?"

"OK?"

"Do you want this to be a double date?"

"Kinda, I guess? I don't know, Kana, I really like him but he is still our boss."

"Well, then let's treat this as a sort of trial run. See how you feel about doing something like this, something that is totally normal date type stuff and go from there?"

"I guess."

"You need to wear something super cute, too."

Across town, Keigo stood in the large shower and rinsed the soap from his back near the base of his wings.

'She's cute when she gets flustered like that.'

As he finished in the shower and stepped out to dry off, Keigo wondered why it was that he enjoyed teasing her so much. The way that he and Hanako interacted was so different than how he interacted with any other woman, even the women he had taken to bed. There was just something about Hanako Itami that drew him in from the moment he first saved her life.

Slipping into a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a jacket, Keigo made his way over to the front door and he grabbed his wallet and phone before pulling his shoes on. He left his apartment and took to the skies, smiling with excitement as he flew back over to Hanako's.

Hanako stood in front of her mirror, brushing her hair after deciding to leave it down for once. She had chosen a pair of dark gray leggings, a white short-sleeved tee, and a lighter gray cardigan tunic. As she set down her brush, she heard a knock at her door and went to answer it- finding Keigo waiting outside in the hallway.

"Ready to go?"

Hanako was surprised to see him in just regular street clothes, but he looked great. "Yeah, I just need to grab my purse and shoes."

Keigo waited for her in the hallway and smiled when she came out to join him.

"Let's go."