Ishimaru sat hunched over his desk and stared blankly at the completed autopsy reports for victims 1, 3, and 9. He couldn't concentrate on anything. What time was it even? It wouldn't surprise him if he had just sat through lunch in his office. He looked at the digital clock on his desk. In white, it glowed 12:03 PM. If he ran out right now, that would leave him exactly 36 minutes and 23 seconds to eat and come back. He considered the current pace he was taking and decided to head out.

Maybe a bite of artificial, fast-food chicken would perk him back up to working condition. But when he exited out the main door, he discovered that someone had already been anticipating his leave.

Mondo Oowada—for the umpteenth time this week.

"Ishimaru! How are you? Do you have a second?" If Ishimaru wasn't mistaken, he sounded quite eager.

Ishimaru blushed. He had been receiving so much attention recently that it kind of made him re-question everything he's done in the past week, which amounted to nothing. He hadn't done anything out of line…?

"If you're busy… well, I would leave," Oowada said as he stuck his hands into his pockets and shifted his weight to his other leg. How cool.

"N-no," Ishimaru replied. "Please ask for what it was you were initially wondering."

Oowada lit up. "Wanna go grab a bite with me. It'd be my treat, of course, because I'm inviting you, and all."

Ishimaru rolled back the edges of his lips for a second. Well, he was free—and Oowada looked so endearing with his hair slicked under that… hair band and the signature eyeliner he always wore and… What was going on? God. That wasn't what he should be basing his decision on.

Ishimaru took out a pocket watch and replied in an even tone.

"I have about 34 minutes left before my lunch break ends. If we can return by then, by all means."

"Yes!" Oowada said to himself. "Score."

"Excuse me?"

"Va-va-voom. Let's go, hot stuff—

"I mean, Ishimaru," he corrected himself.

##

They were seated on opposite ends of a slim table that's rim touched the wall. Ishimaru became increasingly aware of the silence between them.

"Have you been here before?"

"Of course I haven't been here before," Ishimaru mentally replied. He never came to these more public looking restaurants because he only ever ate out on business occasions. Even more than that, he solemnly left his house to go out alone, or invited people to tag along.

"No, I haven't. This place certainly has an utmost jazzy layout." The rest of what he was going to say, regarding his more personal life, stayed lodged in his throat.

Oowada nodded. "I like it too. I've been here a few times before, and man—breadsticks."

Ishimaru glanced at the appetizer basket on their table.

Breadsticks. Incredible.

"Sorry, that must have come off as strange, but hey," he managed to say as he stuffed one in his mouth.

"Yeah."

…

"So, Ishimaru, did you do anything special of college or, yeah, college? University. Spit it out."

Ishimaru adjusted his chair. "I went to Hope's Peak University on a full scholarship for a couple of years until I graduated. It was a nice school. Did you attend any?"

That was actually kind of amazing. Well, more than amazing. Oowada regretted asking the question. He forgot in which direction it was supposed to lead.

"Nothing near a full ride, but I did."

He would never say he only attended one class before he decided school was for losers. Never. Or mention that he later went back with his gang, and all, for those business and beauty classes. At least, not yet.

Ishimaru nodded. Should he ask the next question so the conversation keeps flowing? Or make an observation? He thought. Was there anything he wanted to know about Oowada. "Why have you been talking to be lately? Why do you run a small business now?" That was too… he didn't know—but they weren't appropriate to ask.

He looked over. It was just best to 'roll with it.'

"I like your shoulders," he said with confidence, "because of their shape under your cotton tee."

Oowada touched his left shoulder for a brief moment, like he had never acknowledged its existence before. What the heck. That was kind of a cute thing to say?

Maybe Ishimaru had a thing of shoulders? Oh. Maybe he liked hugging and piggy-back rides. Oowada found his tendency to think at a PG-rated level when he thought about Ishimaru humorous. Deep down, he accepted that his date was awkward, and he 9-out-of-10 didn't mean anything other than what he said. Oowada smiled and tried not to over read it.

"Thanks. I like your tie. How many do you have?" To be fair, he'd only seen Ishimaru maybe 3 times in forever—but still.

"Do you really like this one? You can have it if you want, because I have 2." He smiled at him. "I've never kept a record of my purchases, so I fear I don't have the exact number, but I could most likely go a month straight without reusing a single one."

They continued chattering about different subjects, and gradually became more open with their answers and questions until it was time to leave.

Ishimaru wouldn't back down from paying half of the bill.

##

"Thanks for inviting me, Oowada." He felt a bit of embarrassment.

"I—" Mondo felt his phone vibrating in his pocket. The caller-ID said it was Chihiro Fujisaki. "I have to take this call," he said. They continued walking as he answered it and placed it next to his ear.

"Hello?"

Moments passed.

"Hello? Chihiro?"

"He's dead."

The line cut.

Was this a joke?

Oowada stopped walking. Ishimaru pulled him by the shoulder over to the side of the walkway so they wouldn't inconvenience anyone else.

No. That was impossible. The meeting was set for tomorrow. It was Thursday. Unless Chihiro had decided to act himself. But that was impossible too, because he had asked for help.

"Oowada?"

He quit spacing out, and sighed. Ishimaru looked at him quizzically.

"Is there something wrong?"

"I have to run."

Oowada grazed his hand passed Ishimaru's cheeks and to the notch between his neck and ear before leaning forward and pressing against his lips.

"I have to run."

"And I probably won't come back," he mentally added.

a/n:

Breadsticks ((I'm crying)) ((I'm kidding))

I'm sorry for not updating in so long. But to be fair, I did attempt to write this 9 other times. I have no excuses other than my laziness((coughs and my inability to weigh this in with everything else I have going on)). I hope you enjoyed reading this! Hopefully I'll be able to update faster next time! I think we're a little over half done? I'm still sorting out everything. Please leave your wonderful suggestions and comments! I'd love to hear them because chances are I misspelled or misused something.