The streets of the city were busy. To say a lot of people were present would be an understatement. Everyone passing by bumped into one another. Many apologies and pardons were sounded from the bumping people. A number of them, in fact, did not notice a certain pair walking through the streets. With their hands locked together, Tsubaki led Ragna through the streets, in search for a decent restaurant. She spoke up, loud enough in hopes to filter out the noise around them. "I'm glad we could finally go out like this."

"Yeah, sure is nice of the damned Rabbit to let us go out." Ragna agreed. "Bitch is almost never agreeable."

"Your language is something I definitely need to work on tonight. Please try to restrain yourself." Chuckling a bit, she decided to go for a jab. She teased, "Though I must admit, I'm also surprised Rachel was so vehement about not wanting us to go. I mean, if anything, I thought she would want you away from her as much as possible."

"Yeah… Hey!" Ragna's expression slipped when he heard the last of her comment. He shot her an accusing look. "The hell is that supposed to mean?"

Tsubaki met his eyes with hers, burning with passion. "Nothing…"

Before Ragna could reply back, Tsubaki stopped for a moment to rise on her tiptoes and plant a quick, soft kiss on his cheek. The feeling of her soft lips on his cheek halted any more objections from Ragna. He glanced down at her joyful face, and smirked. Without any words needed, he let go of his girlfriend's hand, immediately draping his right arm over his shoulders.

Tsubaki smiled as she drifted closer to his firm body. She coiled one of her arms around his waist. Ragna continued, "But yeah, it is nice that we can do something… uh, couple-related. Didn't really have much time at the bunny-leech's mansion."

"It's called a date. But yes, it really is nice." Tsubaki mentally wished she had something nicer for the outing. However, to be safe, she and Ragna both stuck with their usual clothing. She had only left her eye cap back. Deciding best to forget what she looked like, she gave him an inquisitive look. "So, is there anything in particular that you want to eat?"

"I'm kinda craving some Chinese food. Know any restaurants?"

"No, I don't. Unfortunately, we're in a city I've never been to before. I'm sure that if we keep walking, we'll find something." Tsubaki's stomach growled- a reminder that she was hungry as well and was telling her that right now, anything would be of satisfactory. The pair wandered the streets for the next couple of minutes, looking anxiously for any restaurants. At last, Tsubaki sighted a building with unique architecture. The russet roof curved upward with red pillars held the structure upright. A decorative fountain of a jade stone dragon stood at its center.

Tsubaki stopped and tugged Ragna's arm, prompting her to look at her direction. The blissful aroma of spices and fried food drifted in the air. Soon, they were both looking at the restaurant. The sign above was titled The Tempestuous Den. Ragna was the first to speak. "Wanna go there?"

"Why not, we've been walking around a lot, have we?" And with that, they walked onwards an across the street. As they entered through the open doors, they took their surroundings. Two circular cuttings from the left and right wall were present. They also realized that many bewildering eyes fell upon them. Ignoring them, they walked forward.

The maître stood against the wall behind a desk with the cashier, a bowl of fortune cookies, and a cylinder of toothpicks astride the furniture. Ragna called out, "Hey, think we could get a table to eat?"

The maître was no doubt shocked at the presence of the Grim Reaper in front of him. And he was asking for a table. Cautious, he nonetheless nodded. "Of… course, sir. Please follow me."

He grabbed two menus from inside the counter and strode along. Ragna and Tsubaki followed in suite. Ragna was the first to sit down at the small table, consisting of only two chairs across from each other. The server set down the menus and waited for his customers to get settled. He pulled out a tiny clip pad and pen and asked, "Is there anything you would like to drink?"

Ragna nodded at his girlfriend, letting her select first. "Tsubaki?"

"Oh, um, I suppose I'll have the houkui tea, please."

"Thank you. And you… sir?"

Ragna closed his eyes in thought. "Eh. I'll just take the oolong tea."

"Very well. I will be back shortly to take your orders."

Ragna waited for the waiter to fully be out of view. When he left, Ragna gave Tsubaki a look. "Doesn't really have an accent, does he?"

"I suppose so." Tsubaki nodded, also finding it quite strange that a typical man with no background worked in such a place. Oh well, no point dwelling on it. Setting aside the thought, she chuckled and smiled at him. She peered at the laminated menu on the table. "So, what do you think you'll have?"

"I saw an interesting picture of a bowl of some noodles. Um… oh, here it is. I might have the dan dan noodles, here. Wanna split the eight-piece dumplings?" Ragna's mouth began to water just from the look and the short description given. He had the presence of mind to not let his mouth hang open for saliva to spill.

"Definitely. As for me… the kung pao chicken looks good. Hmm… the dan dan noodles are quite spicy, though. Are you sure that's-" She fell silence as she looked at Ragna's hungry face. Tsubaki's smile curved into a teasing smirk. "Careful. I don't want you drooling, now."

"I'm fine. I can take it." Ragna huffed, shutting his mouth, and closed his eyes. However, the small smile etched on his lips gave him away.

Tsubaki chuckled at his childish-like behavior. Okay, time to start to have an idle conversation with him. Her mind rambled about things to ask him. Finally, she inquired, "So, what kind of things do you enjoy in? We could shape this around interests."

Ragna thought for a moment. "Mainly cooking; although it's hard to do it a lot, now. I also…"

Ragna's answer slowed to a stop as he noticed the waiter coming back, holding two steaming pots and matching small cups. He set the dishware on the table and took out his pad and pen. "Are you two ready to order?"

"Yes," Tsubaki replied. She looked back at her menu, double-checking the entries. "I'll have the kung pao chicken dish. He'll have the dan dan noodles, and we'll both take the eight-piece dumplings to share. Is that right, Ragna?"

"Yup, that 'bout clears it."

"Thank you very much. Your meal will arrive in due time." And with that, the waiter left, leaving the couple alone once again.

"So," Ragna started. "Why… um, did you join the Wings of Justice?"

"Oh…" That had been one of the last things Tsubaki expected him to ask. She didn't expect him to ask of her past occupation. Well, the question was already asked. "After graduating from the Academy, I hoped to work in the same division as Jin. That obviously never happened. Afterwards, I requested the position in the Zeroth Division. I believed it was the best way to help preserve justice and order, but…"

After taking a sip of her drink, she looked down at her hands on the table in shame. "And now I realized that I've been doing just the opposite. Now, seeing what the organization had done… just staying in it didn't at all maintain my sense of justice."

Ragna's eyes softened. He hoped to get her out of her sorrow state. As he drank from his teacup, his mind replayed something she had said earlier. He leaned closer and smirked. "So, you got a justice fetish, huh? Why?"

"It's not a… fetish." Tsubaki sheepishly smiled as a blush spread across her cheeks. "It's just, I've… always idolized the Six Heroes. For them to stand up against such a monster, they really inspired me."

He let out a puff of a laugh and teased, "The Six Heroes, huh? So, you're what they call a fangirl."

Her blush darkened as she joined him in his laugh. "I suppose so. Have you ever met any of them?"

"I didn't tell you?" Ragna gave her a questionable glance. Deciding to omit discussion of Hakumen, he turned his expression into a wry smile, eager to see what her reaction to his next statement would be. "After the shit that happened at my home, I was actually found a bit later by Jubei. He was my master for years."

Tsubaki was silent for two minutes. She let his words process and repeat in her mind. Ragna was trained by…? He was trained by Jubei. That Jubei of the Six Heroes. Without warning, she pressed her hands to the table and leaned in as far as she could. Her eyes held hysteria as tried to minimize her squeal. "Are you serious? You were trained by… Oh my God, that must have been…! You were trained by the Jubei of the Six Heroes?"

Sure enough, her excitement got the better of her. It was all Ragna had to do not to hold a goofy smile out. "Yeah, the old cat trained me for about half of my life. Taught me mainly just how to control my right arm."

"Control your…" Tsubaki came to realization. "You… never did finish your story about what happened after the Terumi incident. How did you get your arm back?"

"Well, my arm isn't 'back'." Ragna sighed as he held up his right arm. He pushed his jacket and shirt sleeve back enough to reveal some black obsidian-like material. I knew I had to tell her eventually. "This is the Azure Grimiore, or what some people say 'the strongest grimiore that ever existed'."

Curiosity gripped Tsubaki and reached out to gently hold his arm. It felt strange, though. "This… substance. I've only heard legends of the Azure Grimiore, but…"

Lost in her verbal thoughts, she hadn't realized she had been running her hands down his limb. When her mind caught up, she let go and laid her hands on the table once more. "Oh, excuse me. Um… do you still have your sense of touch, though?"

"Don't know how this shit does it, but somehow I do." And just to prove it, he extended his arm forward only to lightly grab one of her hands again. He smiled at her.

"Please, your language needs to be watched tonight." In spite of the tone in her voice, Tsubaki blushed and returned his smile as they held their hands for a little longer. A question burned in Tsubaki's mind, and excitement got the better of her. Although nervous, she practically begged. "Um… would it be alright if you could arrange an introduction with me and Jubei? Please? I would very much like to meet another member of the Six Heroes. Please?"

Ragna smiled at her exuberance and nodded. "Course you can. The cat shows up from time to time, so I'll make sure to introduce you next time I see him."

"Thank you so much!" Tsubaki made a mental note to herself to hug and kiss him later; as such actions were not possible, given their current position at the table.

Soon after, the waiter walked in, pushing a cart filled with multiple steel pots. Two heavenly large plates with each of their meals were served first. They both could smell the deep fried and cooked meal, holding in the patience until everything was laid out. The waiter put a small rectangular plate with two columns of four steamed dumplings. He also put different glass dishes for the condiments. "Enjoy."

"Thank you." Tsubaki immediately set to work. She poured vinegar into one of the small glass dishes and took two of her share of the dumplings. Ragna began by taking his chopsticks and dipping them in the bowl. They came back up grasping a couple of noodles and he plopped them in his mouth. Afterwards, he watched between Tsubaki's chicken and herself closely. As soon as the latter's eyes closed in pleasure, he lashed his chopsticks towards her plate, and helped himself with a couple pieces of the meat. "What… Hey!"

He suppressed a chuckle in response and watched her slightly gaped face as he bit down on part of her dinner. He said nothing, but only offered her a small wink with his left eye.

"Shit! My mouth is still burning!" Ragna complained for the third time that night. He heaved out heavy breaths and coughed. All that on his mind was to get something to cool it off as soon as possible.

Tsubaki giggled like a schoolgirl at his ongoing antics as they walked through the street. She couldn't help but give him a knowing look- one that said 'I told you so'. "I specifically told you it was spicy, Ragna. You don't get to whine. And besides, I thought the Grim Reaper could handle a lot more."

"Tch." Ragna huffed and rolled his eyes. What's with her and teasing me so much tonight? Although, it is kinda cute. He offered her a contented smile. It's also nice to see her happy like this.

Tsubaki laughed and hugged his arm, getting as close she could with him. "Oh, don't be like that."

For emphasis, she rose on her toes and pecked him on the cheek, much like before their meal. Ragna continued to walk, looking for anything else to do before the Rabbit had to warp them back to the mansion. An ice-cream stand, ran by an aged man, caught his attention. He gave her a nudge and pointed. "Want some ice cream?"

"Yes, please. It could sooth your dying throat, as well."

Ragna just rolled his eyes for a second time and they trekked closer to the stand. He glanced down at his girlfriend. "I'll pay for it. What flavor?"

"Definitely chocolate." Tsubaki answered without hesitation.

Shortly after, the pair sat together at a park. Not many people were present, something Tsubaki was grateful for; she did not want any civilians to see and/or report sightings of the Grim Reaper. Sitting in his lap, Tsubaki insatiably ate her dessert, licking her scoop off of the cone. She moaned in pleasure at the wondrous flavor. Chocolate.

Ragna, who had long finished his dessert, and currently had his arms coiled around her, merely watched as Tsubaki attacked her treat. In fact, the cold treat had helped with his scalding throat. He said, "Slow down, the ice cream's not going anywhere. You're gonna get sick."

"I can't help it. I haven't had chocolate since forever."

Ragna only just grinned at her. Taking his silence as a sign to continue, Tsubaki reminisced, "I… I remember how Jin used to advise me to stay away from chocolate. He said it was too unhealthy, but at some times, I didn't listen."

"Heh, guess that little prick did show to have a heart at some point, eh?" The duo remained silent for a few more minutes. Tsubaki had almost finished her dessert, now starting to munch on the cone. A fun little idea came to mind. She dipped one finger in her cone and turned around in his arms. At his questioning glance, she swiped her tainted finger through his face, smearing ice cream on his nose. Ragna, taken by surprise, asked. "Why'd you do that?"

"So I can do this." Tsubaki answered. Before her boyfriend could say another word, she leaned her head up and kissed his nose. Her tongue flicked and licked the chocolate clean. She moved her head back and gazed into his eyes.

Ragna smirked when she ended the brief affection. He raised a teasing eyebrow when he looked at her lips. "Oh, yeah? You got some ice cream on your lips, there."

"Oh?" Tsubaki raised an eyebrow. She would not let this opportunity pass. "Would you mind getting it for me?"

"Gladly." Ragna tilted her head his way and pressed his lips against hers. The taste of chocolate on her plump lips only served to turn him on more.

As Tsubaki reached over to wrap her arms around his neck, she dropped her dessert. Her eyes closed with delight as she returned it. Ragna, lost in ecstasy, leaned back on the ground, urging her to climb on. Ragna's hands roamed along her back and to her head, where his fingers stroked strands of her red hair.

Tsubaki obliged without hesitation. She moaned in pleasure and parted her lips, letting her tongue stretch into his mouth. Ragna groaned as he met her tongue with his. His roaming hands managed to slip under her shirt and his fingers traced patterns on her smooth skin. After a few beautiful moments, Tsubaki, breathless, pulled back. She gazed into his eyes with a longing passion.

She held him and thought about how much he had changed her life in the course of two weeks. How much care he had shown for her, and vice versa. Him doing everything he could even when they were supposed to be enemies. The amount of affection they had given and returned to each other. Tsubaki voiced three simple words, quiet enough for only Ragna to hear. "I love you..."

Ragna gasped as he was taken back. Mind swirling, he replied, "Uh… yeah, you too."

"What's wrong?" Tsubaki asked with a worried tone. Did I… say something to make him uncomfortable?

"Nothing." Ragna answered, a little too fast. He eased her concern with a small smile while he petted her head. "It's just… it feels kinda weird for me to say it. Don't get me wrong, I feel the same way."

He gave her a timid glance, fearing that she would mad.

He heard her say with an understanding smile, "I understand; it is a bit of a heavy phrase to throw around. We'll just have to work on that, then."

Ragna smiled at her choice of words and understanding. He cradled her head and pecked her lips once and smiled. "Yeah."

Author's Note: Now that the first three drabbles are done, it's time to move on to the others. Remember, even though they will not take place in the Crimson Camellia storyline, Ragna and Tsubaki will already be together in them.