Juuzou smiled, burying his nose buried in teal hair. His arms were wrapped around the woman tightly, and their legs were tangled. It took the young man a minute to realize that this was not a dream. He yelped and sat up.

Sen groaned and rolled over and began to rub the sleep from her eyes. She suddenly stopped, and then turned and looked at Juuzou, face beet red.

"I- I must have fallen asleep," she stuttered, sitting up and untangling herself from the sheets.

Juuzou didn't know what to stay, so he just stammered "Thanks for staying with me last night."

That made Sen smile a little, and then she pulled a white card out of her pocket and handed it to Juuzou. "No, thank you for opening up to me last night. My number's on here. If you want someone to call or text, don't hesitate to give me a ring. Or if you want to maybe meet up someplace or something."

"Thanks," Juuzou said, uncontrollably grinning.

"Well, I best be off. You'll be ok as long as you rest."

"Rest?" Juuzou said. "I have work."

Sen frowned. "Well, take it easy then. Are you sure you want to go in today?"

"Of course," Juuzou said, getting to his feet and smirking. "I've got ghouls to slaughter."

Maybe it was just his imagination, but Juuzou swore he saw Sen flinch as he said that. Maybe she's just sensitive to violence, he thought.

When the author left, Juuzou got ready for work, a smile on is face the whole time. He still fel t a little dizzy, but it wasn't nearly as bad as before.

On his way to work, Juuzou stopped and got a donut. Walking down the street with a sugary ball of dough in his hand and thoughts of Sen Takatsuki in his mind, he realized he felt much better than he had been the last week or so.

He reached the CCG office ten minutes late, and he crept inside, to avoid being detected by Amon. Just as he was almost to his cubicle and safe, he froze in his tracks.

"Juuzou Suzuya," a stern female voice said from behind him.

He slowly turned around, a guilty smile plastered on his face. Steal gray eyes burned into him.

"Hi, Akira!"

"Investigator Amon is waiting for you in his office," she said, and then walked away.

Juuzou swallowed hard. He knew he was busted. He did his best to compose himself and then walked into Amon's office.

The tall man was seated at his desk and was scrutinizing over some of the files on his desk. He looked up when Juuzou entered the room, and his green-blue eyes darkened.

"Take a seat," he said, gesturing to the other chair in the room and pushing away the files.

Juuzou flopped into the chair and tried to keep a positive demeanor.

"So," Amon said, clasping his hands on the desk. "I ask you to go out for coffee and work things out, and you both end up displaying reckless behavior in public."

"I wasn't behaving recklessly!"

"You hit your partner in the face with a gardening stake."

Juuzou just groaned.

"And you tried to deceive me."

"No I didn't."

"Yes, you did. You did not go to the hospital to avoid a report being sent over here."

"How'd ya find out anyway?"

Amon sighed. "Kiniko checked into the hospital. You broke his nose."

"He deserved it!"

"I'm done with you and Kiniko's bickering!" he yelled, slamming his fist down on the desk. The voices outside the office door hushed.

"I had good reasons for doing what I did!"

"And what would those be? That you're an annoying little prick who's messed up in the head because his mama was a ghoul?" Amon yelled.

Juuzou froze. No words would come out of his mouth,

"I'm so sorry," Amon said, realizing how hurtful his words had been.

"Don't worry about it. I know I'm messed up," Juuzou growled and began to walk out of Amon's office. "And by the way," Suzuya said, looking back over at his shoulder at Amon. "I was protecting a woman that Kiniko was forcefully trying to take advantage of."

Amon gulped, and Juuzou strode out of Amon's office, through the cubicles, through the CCG lobby, out onto the street, and all the way home. He didn't care if he got in trouble for leaving work. He just needed to be at home. So he went there. And he cried.

That evening, Amon lounged on his couch, watching the fire crackle in the fireplace.

"Rough day, Hm?" Akira said, sitting down beside him.

Amon looked at his girlfriend and the back to the flames. "He hates me now."

"He doesn't hate you," she said, placing her hand over his.

"I shouldn't have said that. It's not his fault."

"You got that right."

Amon rolled his eyes. "I just don't understand why him and and Kiniko can't get along."

"He told you why he broke his nose."

"And you believe him?"

Akira laughed. "Of course I do. That seems like a very Kiniko thing to do."

"What?" Amon asked, a little shocked.

Akira sighed and shook her head. "You don't realize because you're a man, but Kiniko tries to get with any and every woman he can."

"He's gone at you?"

"Yes."

"That little-," Amon grit his teeth.

"Relax," Akira said, smirking at him. "Don't get upset. We're still keeping us a secret for now."

"Remind me why," Amon said.

"Because I'm still your subordinate," she stated in a matter of fact way. "And you know the rules just as well as I do."

"Yes, I know."

"But nobody knows, so we're not going to let any rules get in the way of our time, are we?" Akira said, kissing him.

Amon kissed back stiffly. Akira broke the kiss and leaned back and sighed.

"You're still thinking about Suzuya, aren't you."

"I can't help it!" Amon exclaimed.

"Just don't be so hard on him. You don't know what's going on in his life."

"I guess," Amon sighed.

Somewhere in an abandoned building, Eto sat next to Noro and watched a blue haired boy cuss out a bawling man.

Ayato gave the blond a sharp kick to the ribs.

"Stop crying!" Ayato screamed at Naki.

"Boss!" Naki wailed.

Eto cringed; at least she had her bandages to block out some of the sound. But she could not help thinking about Juuzou, even through the racket.

Maybe… Just Maybe he'd call.