Chicken Noodle Coddling

Chapter 3

One Month Later

"Uh oh," Akane murmured.

"What is it, ojou-chan?"

Sitting at her desk in the main office of her department, she slowly turned to her companion with a weak smile. She was alone with Masaoka-san as the others had left on a mission. Since they weren't all required for the task, Ginoza had told her to stay behind with their oldest enforcer. Perhaps it was a good thing which ultimately worked in her favour because she could feel sudden chills racing up and down her spine.

"… I don't feel so good," she informed him.

His eyes widened in surprise and he was beside her, scooping her out of her seat before she could even say anything. When she was about to protest, she received a stern stare for her efforts. As a result, she had no choice but to wrap her arms around his neck as he made his way out. She didn't have to ask to know where he was taking her; she was just grateful there was someone around when it happened.

Forty-five Minutes Later

Making their way back to the office, Kagari was the first to enter the room with Kunizuka behind him and Kougami behind her. When he stopped abruptly, Kunizuka ended up bumping into him, resulting in a frown. She was about to protest when Kougami ran into her and his heavier mass caused the other two to stumble in. Even so, Kagari easily steadied himself, surprisingly making no complaints.

"What was that for?" Kunizuka demanded.

"… Where is everyone?" asked Kagari, ignoring her question.

When they glanced around the place, it was to find it completely abandoned. Neither Masaoka nor Akane were anywhere in sight. Though they were given a break for the day, not required to go out into the field, they knew to be on the alert in case something happened. For both of them to disappear, it wasn't like them at all. Kougami approached her desk to find that her latest report was left open, still half finished.

"Weird."

"For both of them to be gone? Definitely," Shinya said.

They glanced at each other, trying to determine a plausible cause, but they came up empty-handed. They were still pondering about this when Masaoka returned to the room a few minutes later. To their surprise, he was alone. Even as he stepped in fully, Akane wasn't behind him as so often was the case; that she was hidden from view because of her small stature.

"Where's Inspector Tsunemori?" asked Kunizuka.

"Mm… Earlier she said she wasn't feeling well, so I had to take her to the medic center. It doesn't look good."

"What?!"

"It seems she caught what the two of you had," Masaoka explained. "I left her with the nurses since I didn't want to abandon the place."

"Eh? Tsunemori-chan is sick?" Kagari exclaimed.

"Isn't that what I just said?"

"… Then someone needs to take care of her," declared Kougami. "She shouldn't be home alone where there's no one to watch her."

"Then obviously it should be me," Shuusei announced. "She looked after me, so I need to return the favour."

"What?! Of course not you! I meant me!"

"She looked after me first, so of course it's me!"

"Well I'm older than you, and more responsible," Shinya argued.

"Then if that's the case, it should be Shion since she's a physician which neither of you are," Yayoi pointed out.

Both Kagari and Kougami turned to glare at her, obviously not agreeing with her statement. Quickly vetoing her rational suggestion, they turned back towards each other, continuing their argument. As he watched the unfolding drama, Masaoka had a difficult time holding back his laughter. He never imagined this happening when he made his announcement, and yet, he should have expected it when it came to their young inspector. Each of them, himself included, was protective of her in their own way.

After stopping by the chief's office to give her a quick update, Ginoza returned to his own office. As he was about to step through its doors, he found himself greeted by a bizarre pandemonium. For reasons unknown, Kagari and Kougami were bickering like children, to the point that they were grabbing at each other's shirt collars. On one side, Masaoka was tightly gripping the back of his chair, looking like he might bust a gut at any second. Even the lips of the calm and aloof Kunizuka were twitching.

"What the hell is going on here?" he bellowed.

The shouting stopped as all four turned to glance at him, quieting for a moment as he looked like a demon lord come alive out of a picture book. Then Kagari and Kougami started talking over each other. He assumed they were trying to tell him what had happened, but he couldn't make out a word they were saying. Finally, he had to shout at them again, to make them stop.

"One by one, and be quick about it!" he snapped impatiently.

"Tsunemori-chan is sick."

"So she needs someone to take care of her."

"Which is what they're arguing about," Yayoi added. "Since she already did for them once."

"That's it? Then she can stay with me."

"Eh? No way!" the three of them exclaimed.

"W – What?" he replied, stunned by their outburst.

"Definitely not you! You can't because you're the only inspector available right now."

"Besides, you're not exactly nurturing," Kagari accused. "Tsunemori-chan is bound to get worse if she stays with you!"

Suddenly, the two had joined forces to attack Ginoza for his outlandish idea; that he could even imagine offering himself as a solution. Harassed by his two enforcers, he was put out of sorts and it showed clearly on his face. He couldn't even get a word in edgewise as he was barraged on both sides. It was just too much and finally, Masaoka couldn't take it anymore. He laughed and laughed like he never had before, forced to sit down because he didn't have the strength to stand.

"What's so funny?!" they demanded as he had drawn their censure with his callous behaviour.

"Oh… You two are just too hilarious."

"How so?"

"It's not funny. She needs someone to take care of her!"

"Which she has," he struggled to get out. "She has already been placed in her own room where the nurses can monitor her at all hours of the day. You didn't seriously think they would let one of you do that, did you?"

"Then why didn't you say so earlier?" Ginoza demanded, annoyed he had faced all that for nothing.

"I would have, but they didn't give me a chance."

Five Hours Later

Leaving the office, Shinya headed directly to the medic center rather than his room. Ginoza had forbidden them to go visit Akane, but who the hell cared what he thought anyways? Besides, he was off shift now. He could do whatever he wanted and he wanted to check on Akane. There was nothing Ginoza could say or do to stop him.

When he arrived, he was forced to inquire which room was hers. One of the nurses showed him there, but informed him that she was not to be disturbed because she was still resting. He was already that close, he wasn't going to back down now. She shouldn't have shown him in the first place if that were the case.

His insistence was met with a frown, but he kept persisting until she reluctantly agreed with an extracted promise that he would stay quiet. She let him in, and then left to resume her duties. When she was gone, Shinya entered the room and waited for the door to slide shut behind him before he slowly approached the bed.

Asleep beneath the covers, she seemed smaller than usual as he could only see part of her face poking out. Her cheeks were flushed a rosy colour and she seemed to be resting easy, considering her condition. Spotting a stool off to the side, he went to retrieve it and silently placed it beside the bed so he could sit and watch her.

Up close, he could see that her breathing was slightly laboured. It wasn't like her at all. As a result, he questioned if he was the cause for her illness. Usually she was so proactive about maintaining her health, it was the only reason he could think of. After all, she had spent more than two weeks caring for him, and even cared for Kagari prior to his sickness.

Despite realizing the truth of Masaoka's earlier comment and knowing that she was in the best hands where she was, he still wanted to be the one to care for her. Unfortunately, it wasn't a freedom allowed to him in his current position. If he were still an inspector he could, but then he recognized the absurdity of that thought. If he were still an inspector, he never would have met her in the first place because he would still be partnered with Ginoza. She would have been assigned to a different team entirely.

As she lay there struggling with each breath, she looked as fragile as she originally seemed. He didn't like it one bit. Without thinking, he reached out to brush her sticky bangs away from her sweaty forehead. His gaze softened as he gently stroked his fingertips across her flushed skin, mentally willing her to get better because he needed her.

Unbeknownst to Shinya, he was being monitored in the analytical lab as Shion had pulled up the screen for Akane's room. They were all watching as he sat by her side. If he had known, he would be thankful that they couldn't actually see his face as he was gazing at her with his sense of longing clearly written across it.

Though Ginoza frowned, he didn't give voice to any of his thoughts. It was Kagari who made a noisy outburst, threatening to go down there and tell him a thing or two as Shinya had done what he himself didn't have the courage to do. Though he had been about to dash out of the room, his actions were halted by a firm grip around his upper arm.

"Let me go, Masaoka!"

"Not this time," he replied lightly. "She needs to rest. You'll only disrupt her."

"I think that's enough of the show," Ginoza added harshly. "He might be off duty for now, but the rest of us have work to do."

Since he was staring at her for being the instigator, Shion clicked the screen closed and turned back to her work. As for the rest of them, they were herded out by Ginoza to the main office where Kunizuka eventually left them because her shift had actually ended the same time as Shinya's. She had only stayed around, expecting something would happen.

He had no idea how long he had sat there, calming himself as he stroked her face repeatedly. Eventually, he noticed her eyelids beginning to flutter and he released the breath of air he didn't realize he had been holding in. Though she was awaking, he didn't pull his hand away, still needing the comfort of her proximity. Instead, he waited for her to open her eyes fully, so she could see that he was right here beside her.

"Kougami-san," she whispered.

"Hello. How are you feeling?"

"A bit better. That feels nice."

"Hm?" he asked. "What does?"

Since she started shifting around, he helped pull the blanket down from her chin to give her some breathing room. Poking out her arms, she latched onto his hand that was hovering near her face. Taking it between hers, she pressed it against her cheek before sighing softly. Her eyes closed briefly, and then opened as she glanced at him once more.

"Your hand is so cool."

"It's normal. You're the one who's feverish," he said.

Her only response was a tiny smile before she closed her eyes, still holding him captive there. She didn't speak or move for the longest time, he almost thought she had fallen asleep when she shifted his hand down onto her neck. Then she was staring at him, clearly asking for something, except he didn't know what it was that she wanted.

When she reached her hand out to him, he offered his free one and she smiled. Taking it into her possession, she pressed it against her other cheek. She was enjoying the contrast of their body temperatures. As she closed her eyes once more, he realized she wasn't tired yet because she had only woken up moments ago. He could spend a few more minutes with her.

"Did you eat already?" he inquired.

"Earlier, some time. Your favourite broth."

Smiling as she could still tease in a situation like this, he let the subject drop. Instead, he updated her on their latest finding from the case they had been working on. She asked a few things here and there, but mostly let him speak. He kept going until he saw her yawn which was when he cut short his visit, knowing she needed rest.

"We can speak again tomorrow," he told her.

"Mm… Alright."

She released his hands and he tucked the covers snuggly around her shoulders. As he stood, it was to see that she had closed her eyes, obediently following the directions provided by her body. He stroked the back of his fingers lightly against her cheek and she smiled softly. Though he wanted to stay, he knew he had to go. Already he had stayed longer than he should have.

"Kougami-san?" she called when he reached the foot of the bed.

"What is it?"

"Mm… Thanks for visiting."

"Not a problem. Now get your rest," he answered.

The Next Day

Akane was awake in bed when the door slid open to reveal her two visitors. What she didn't know was that her fellow inspector had received a reprimand from his father; that he could be so heartless as to forbid them from visiting when everyone was worried about her. As a result, he was able to come with their young enforcer who was eager to see her. At the same time, the others had been filling his ears with lies; that he was the cause of her current predicament.

"Hello," she greeted, startled to see the subdued enforcer who was usually so carefree with a ready smile for her.

"Hello ojou-chan."

To her further surprise, Masaoka had to nudge him before Kagari would even look at her. Obviously something had happened during her absence to cause such a drastic change in him. Unfortunately, she had no idea what that might be. Poking out her hand, she motioned for them to come closer. It was difficult to have a conversation when it sapped her energy as she practically shouted across the room.

"Come sit with me, Kagari," she said.

As he went to comply with her request, Masaoka took the opportunity to ask about her well-being. She assured him that she felt much better after a good night's rest. She even predicted that she would make a speedy recovery. After all, the nurses were on hand to monitor her condition and provided any assistance she required. Satisfied with this visit, Masaoka excused himself from the room.

"So, what's wrong?" Akane asked gently as Kagari was behaving strangely out of character.

"… I came to apologize."

"Eh? For what?"

"For making you sick," he explained. "It's my fault."

"What?"

"Everyone is saying it's my fault because I was sick first and you had to take care of me."

Stunned that anyone would say that, she stared at him. Finally she laughed, a gentle breathy sound, as that had to be the most ridiculous thing she had heard. He was sick nearly two months ago. If she was going to catch it from him, she would have shown symptoms much earlier than this.

"Don't be absurd," she said. "It's not your fault, it's mine."

"It's not?" he questioned slowly.

"Of course not! I was being careless the other day when I felt like taking a shower after work. I should have dried my hair properly and dressed warmly, but I was distracted… So I was sitting around with wet hair and flimsy clothes for hours before I caught my mistake."

"Oh… Oh! So it's really not my fault?"

Akane nodded her head and watched as a brilliant smile transformed his face into the one she had come to recognize as characteristically Shuusei's. The mischievous glint so typically found in his eyes had returned. Why the others would make up such a story, she didn't know, but she preferred him the way he was now – teasing and relaxed.

"So… Then I can feed you your meal?" he asked impishly.

At this, she could only laugh before nodding her head in consent. Eagerly he jumped out of his seat and went to hound the nurses regarding her next meal. She should have known from the start that he was up to no good. He wouldn't be Kagari if he wasn't. Though he didn't bother to ask if she was even hungry, she supposed it wasn't a big deal. An hour early was nothing and she could just buzz one of the nurses if she became hungry later.

Two Days Later

The door to her room slid open and in walked her least expected visitor. Akane's eyes widened in surprise. Her fellow inspector had made an appearance when she wasn't expecting him at all. All the others had already visited for varying lengths of time. Kunizuka had come briefly – stared at her for a while and then inquired about her well-being. When she answered that she was improving, the female enforcer gave a curt nod of her head and excused herself.

Karanomori had come visiting with Kougami, and Akane found herself being assaulted by the pillow softness of Shion's breasts; she was hugged tightly to her chest to the point where she couldn't breathe. Such a flamboyant display of affection seemed out of character for their analyst, but Akane was touched. In actuality, it was a calculated move on her part – a fact Akane didn't realize.

Her affection for Akane was truly genuine, but her flashy show had been performed for Shinya's sake; flaunting the fact that she could get close to Akane in such an intimate fashion with no repercussions while he was left to sneak around as he didn't have that luxury. His glare had been drilling through her back the entire time, until she finally let go and stepped away from her.

Her most frequent visitors were Kagari and Kougami, who both seemed to have the same idea – she was not well enough to eat on her own. When she pointed this out to Kagari, he only grinned, ignoring her before declaring that he didn't care; he was going to feed her anyways. As for Kougami, he rewarded her with a firm stare before blatantly dismissing the notion as untrue. So, considering the fact that she was nearly recovered, she thought Ginoza would be much too busy to even bother coming.

"Hello Ginoza-san," she said.

For some reason, he seemed discomfited as he promptly pushed up his glasses and fixed his tie. She understood that this type of visit wasn't like him at all, but she only assumed he had something critical to relay to her. Though their personalities were different, vastly different, they were still partners. Ginoza had always shown concern for her; just in his own way and in a way she never understood…

"Inspector Tsunemori," he stated tersely.

"Yes?"

"I…"

Words failed him as he managed to get one out before pausing. More uncomfortable shifting and rearranging of his clothes took place. Perhaps it was the fact that she was staring, but she couldn't help it. This was definitely not the Ginoza she had become accustomed to; stammering and shaking when he faced her of all people. A snippet of one conversation with Kagari flashed through her mind, but she dismissed it as a potential cause. The others would never be able to trick Ginoza into thinking her current absence was somehow his doing.

"I…" he tried again after taking a few steps forward.

"Mm?"

Though she prompted him to continue, he didn't. She couldn't possibly imagine what he wanted to say; he was behaving so strangely. He kept fussing with his tie, and then his glasses, and then his suit. Suddenly, all the fussing stopped as a thoughtful expression came onto his face. It lasted for a brief moment before his usual mask was in place. The only difference this time was the way he ran his fingers through his hair, dishevelling it; a stark contrast for the neat and tidy Ginoza; his clothes looking so proper they belonged on a mannequin while his hair poked out in odd directions.

Stifling a laugh, Akane tried her hardest to keep a straight face as she continued to watch her companion. She rather liked this look on him because it softened the harsh lines of his face which remained impassive. It made him seem more human and approachable. With no awareness of his altered appearance, Ginoza fixed his tie one last time and set his glasses firmly in place before clearing his throat.

He didn't speak, but rather approached the stool which was a permanent fixture beside her bed. Countless times it had been occupied by the bottoms of enforcers, but it was about to have its first experience with an inspector. Primly, he seated himself on it before scooting right up to the edge of her bed. Yet still he didn't speak, only gazing at her earnestly.

"Ginoza-san?"

"I have something I wish to say to you," he stated.

"Oh alright."

"… What is the status update for your condition?"

"I'm recovering on schedule," she answered, amused and unsurprised at his formal manner of inquiring about her health.

"Excellent. When you are given clearance, you must return to your post immediately where your presence is much required. Am I understood?"

Slowly, she nodded in response and Ginoza was pleased with that, except she wasn't finished with him yet. He was completely taken aback when her expression softened into a warm smile. What was that to mean? Once again uncomfortable, he began fixing his glasses. He couldn't understand why she was looking at him that way when he only came to convey orders; or why he couldn't stop gazing at that smile of hers.

"Looks like you're very popular, Tsunemori-chan."

The spell was broken by the entrance of a nurse, carrying her lunch tray. Both inspectors glanced at her, but when he glanced at Akane out of the corner of his eye, Ginoza was relieved she looked normal. Perhaps he had been imagining things. After all, he had been pulling long hours to cover for the fact that she was unwell; he himself was starting to feel unwell.

"Here you go. Just don't spill any on the blankets," the nurse said as she placed the tray in Ginoza's hands.

"Eh?"

"I'll be back for it in thirty minutes, or you can bring it out when you leave."

Before he had a chance to ask what she meant, she was already gone. Flabbergasted by the food tray in his possession, Ginoza could only stare at it. Why was the tray given to him when the patient was Akane? It wasn't like it was his. Presumably, he would have continued staring at it, but his concentration was broken by the sound of her giggles. Offended by her reaction, he sharply glanced up at her, only to be startled by the gentleness of her expression.

"What is this for?" he managed to ask.

"It's my lunch."

"Yes, I realize that, but why was it given to me?"

"… Because you're supposed to feed me," she replied, struggling to keep a straight face.

"What?!"

He jumped up off of the seat, sloshing the contents of her bowl all over the tray. Realizing what he had done, he seemed like he would hurl it across the room if it weren't for the fact that it wasn't his. Already he had lost some of her meal when it didn't look like much to begin with. Guiltily he sat back down, but he looked tormented by the news that he was supposed to feed her.

"That's what Kagari and Kougami insist on doing when they come," she explained after chuckling softly. "She misunderstood and thought you had the same intentions since you were sitting here."

"… Kougami and Kagari?"

"Yes."

That information gave him a pause; he actually glanced back and forth between her and the reduced portion of her meal. To her amazement, he was pondering on the next action he should take when she thought he would place it aside and let her eat on her own; a task she was fully capable of doing. Unbeknownst to her, an impish voice – Kagari's voice – was taunting in his ears; that he was neither nurturing nor capable of caring for her as she needed.

"Very well, since you are a patient," he replied, regaining his customary calm.

Bewildered by his sudden agreement, Akane could only wordlessly obey as he asked her to open her mouth. He even did everything properly; cooling the liquid as he gently blew on it before he delivered the spoon to her. Neither of them spoke as Ginoza was diligently carrying out his appointed duty and Akane had no clue what she could say without making this awkward. One thing she knew for certain; she would never forget this day of her life for as long as she lived…

Another Two Days Later

Making his way to the medic center, Masaoka grinned to himself as he had one-upped the rest of them. Akane was finally being released! Since he was the one to bring her there in the first place, they had asked him to come pick her up. This role was his to play since he never had the chance to feed her while she was sick; a task even his uptight son had somehow been convinced to perform.

Kagari and Kougami had protested when he informed them of where he was going; complaining that they weren't called instead. As for Nobuchika, he pretended that he didn't hear a word they said, still working at his desk. Easily ignoring the younger enforcers, Masaoka quickly made his escape after giving them a smug grin; the final victory was his.

When he reached Akane's room, it was to find her buttoning up her blazer. The nurses had returned her cleaned clothes as she had been in hospital garb during her stay. She smiled when she saw him and he languidly returned it, leaning against the wall while he waited for her. It didn't take her much longer to get ready, joining him.

"Hello ojou-chan. Ready to get back to work?"

"Definitely," she replied heartily. "I can finally understand why Kougami-san insisted on going back even though he wasn't fully recovered. It's maddening how slowly time passes when you have nothing to do. I didn't even feed myself the entire time, treated like a complete invalid."

"It's their way of showing concern for you," Masaoka answered with a grin. "But everyone is glad to have you back on the team."

"And I'm glad to be back. At least I was kept up-to-date with everyone's visit so it won't be difficult to fall right back into the routine of things."

The moment Masaoka was gone from the room, Kougami and Kagari started whispering between themselves regarding their returning inspector. Since the inspector present didn't comment on their gossip, Kunizuka could only roll her eyes as she was forced to listen to the entire exchange. It wasn't that she didn't like Inspector Tsunemori because she did. She was just amazed, astonished and annoyed how a simple sickness could turn men, usually so capable, into quivering messes as they fought over the simplest thing. It would be great to have Akane return; to re-establish the status quo.

"Eek! What are you doing, Masaoka-san?" they eventually heard Akane ask.

"I'm helping you to the room."

"I'm not sick anymore!" she complained.

"You just recovered. Better to be safe rather than sorry."

This was the last thing they heard before they actually appeared, their voices growing louder as they neared the office. As Masaoka stepped across the threshold, the three men jumped up out of their seats in protest. Their lovely inspector had her arms around his neck as she was being carried princess style, which was a step up from all that they had done.

"Put me down, Masaoka-san," she urged. "Everyone is staring."

"Why? I already carried you once like this."

"That was when I was sick and I'm not sick anymore."

"You were only released five minutes ago," he stated, like that explained perfectly why he was behaving this way.

Since he showed no signs of releasing her, Akane could feel colour touch her cheeks. Kagari, Kougami and Ginoza were staring at them. Unconcerned with their reaction, Masaoka sauntered across the room and carefully deposited her at her desk. As if that weren't enough, he fussed and fiddled, making sure she was comfortable. By the time he was finished, Akane just wanted to sink into a deep, dark hole – she could still feel the others staring.

Finally, he turned to make his way back to his desk. A small sigh escaped her lips before she glanced at the list of items on her to-do list. She hoped she never got sick again; everyone on her team behaved bizarrely, not to mention how much work it was to get caught up. Shaking her head in disbelief, she smoothed down her blazer and noticed something in the process.

"What are you doing?" Kagari asked as she had jumped up out of her seat.

"I forgot something at the medic center. I'll be right back!"

Before anyone could stop her, she dashed out of the room. This allowed for the release of pent-up tension; a tension she didn't recognize was present. Kagari and Kougami turned to Masaoka with baleful glares at how he had orchestrated her return. First he was the one to escort her and upon their return, he was needlessly carrying her; a fact she revealed had already happened once before.

"What was that for?"

"You did that on purpose!" Shinya accused.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Masaoka replied, enjoying his moment of glory.

"She's perfectly fine or they wouldn't have released her. There was no reason at all for you to carry her!"

"So you say. It's a long walk and I was the one to escort her."

Kagari frowned at him while Kougami let out a soft growl. He was tormenting them on purpose, using every instance to rub it in that they were not the ones contacted regarding her release. Shinya though the biggest nuisance was Kagari, but little did he know, until now, that the most devious of them all was actually Masaoka – who managed to get away with much under the guise of a fatherly figure.

"You're not to do that again," Shinya hissed.

"Who are you to tell me that? I'm not the one who purposely made myself sick for attention."

"What? I thought it was suspicious that you suddenly became sick!" Kagari exclaimed. "How could you? And you tried to blame me that I was the one who made her sick!"

"Exactly. If it weren't for the fact that ojou-chan recovered smoothly, I would give you a sound thrashing," threatened Masaoka. "You're the one who has no say at all."

Since his secret was blurted out to the rest of the team, there was nothing Shinya could say. Even so, he glanced at Masaoka mulishly. Both Ginoza and Kunizuka were also glaring at him, along with Kagari. All the while, Masaoka sat back with a satisfied grin, indicating he clearly thought he had won. He hadn't said anything when it happened, so why did he have to say it now?

"How could you?" Kagari accused again. "It's your fault she got sick in the first place."

"You were sick first," Kougami retaliated, not about to give into Kagari since already, he couldn't fight back against Masaoka.

"Yeah, but I wasn't sick on purpose. I would never put Tsunemori-chan at risk like that on purpose!"

Shinya would have said more, but he was finally put in his place with a steely glare from their only female enforcer. The words died on his lips as she smacked Kagari on the head with her hand. He protested and was treated to the same cold gaze she had given Kougami. This was not their usual Yayoi and he obediently fell silent.

"Both of you are idiots," she snapped. "If you have had enough fun with disrupting the peace, then get back to work. I'm sick of hearing your complaints and frankly both of you are at fault. From now on, no one is to get sick and if you do, I'll make sure Tsunemori is kept busy so she doesn't have time to look after you. Do I make myself clear?"

It was a rare scene where she lost her temper and both of them had nothing to say. Admitting defeat, they slowly turned back to their computers. Catching the attention of Masaoka who was grinning at her, she treated him to the same stern glance the others received. He had purposely provoked them which made him just as guilty as the rest for disrupting their normally quiet environment. They were busy enough as it was; they didn't need the chaotic office drama to go along with it.

When the enforcers all turned back to their work, peace was restored by the most unexpected quarters. Generally, she was content to stay in the background; which made it that much more terrifying that they had provoked her to that point. Even so, Ginoza was glad that he didn't need to step in to break up the unnecessary fighting. Though Masaoka had been aggravating with his high-handed treatment of the situation, the most important fact was Akane's return itself – something he was eternally grateful for.

"Amen to that," he finally muttered to himself, in full agreement with Kunizuka's statement regarding future sicknesses and the lack thereof.

AN

haha, and that's a wrap! A little uh fanservice for every "pairing" I guess... XD

You know what they say. "Beware of the quiet ones..." Lol, I can seriously imagine Yayoi suddenly freaking out on everyone.

That's all the ideas I had for this one... So until next time! Hope you enjoyed it :)