A/N: Hello wonderful readers, how have you been? Is all well? Is the pandemic under control in your country? I sure hope so! And I hope you are safe, happy and healthy. Other than that, how was your holidays? Did you have fun on Christams day? Do you celebrate Christmas or are you following another religion? It's all good, no matter what, I hope you had fun.

But enough chit chat.

I am here to bring you something I wasn't planning on...a holiday special. Yay! It's going to be a two-parter, not too big; maybe three. So, have at it, hope you enjoy and tell me what you thought of it in a review. Love to hear from you, always. Here it goes.

Title: Serendipity
Genre: Romance, Humor, Meet-cute on repeat
Alternative Universe: Modern day, holiday special

It was a rainy day that day; chilly, too. Cold had crept up on them actually, for one day it was fine-with-a-heavy-jacket and then became at-least-a-coat-and-a-scarf weather. Today was the latter. She had underestimated the cold, too, this short woman standing in line front of this storefront, one in a lane of many. She had thought she'd be on her feet all day, she wouldn't stand still for too long; boy was she wrong. She did have to run to places but once she got there, she'd wait forever. Busy days, busy streets, busy people; but worse, busy shops. Pastry shops included.

She sighed.

She must have been waiting in this particular line for about ten minutes already and she didn't see anything coming out of it for another ten. Well, not that she could have seen much, anyway, given the man in front of her must have been the tallest person she had seen this entire month, nay, year! Dude was easily a head and a half taller than her and although he did look on the lean side, his coat, because of his broad shoulders, blocked everything in site. It didn't help the guy kept his hands in his pockets, too. And he wouldn't budge, he just stood ramrod straight, periodically changing his stance to alleviate the ache from standing in one place for too long.

She craned her neck to look inside, see if the people in there were dwindling, see if the line had moved and didn't realise, but nothing.

She sighed heavier. This is what she got for having cravings and committing to them. Now she's going to suffer. And there was nothing happening to entertain herself...she refused to call someone for idle chit-chat, she wasn't weak; but if someone could call her, that'd be great. Or maybe a fight broke out and she could finally have something to watch.

Just then, a ringtone captured her interest; it came from directly in front of her. And the tall guy simply took out his hand from his pocket, in which was the cell phone, and answered in a clipped tone: "Saitou speaking."

Huh; his voice was calmer than she would have thought.

"Oh, hello mother; yes." And just like that, she started eavesdropping on his phone call. "I am well; at a pastry shop. What, I'm not allowed because I'm not a woman? Get off my back, what do you want?" A small silence. "No, I managed to get the leave, I told you yesterday." A shriek even she heard came from his earpiece, causing him to wince and take the cell phone away for a moment. "I...I am glad you are so excited, please calm down. Yes, I know. No, mother, it hasn't been a year and a half."

He heaved an impressive sigh that caused her to carry on his sentiment by blowing out in succession. She knew that feeling—mothers complaining their kids haven't been there for an eternity. Her mother was exactly like that, too.

"I'll only be over for three days anyway, relax. Sure, I'll get you all the decorations down from the attic. I promise I won't answer a single work-related phone call. Uh huh...why? Why would you want to know that?" There was silence. "Mother, no. No. Mother...no. No."

After that, the conversation devolved into him arguing with her or repeating that small sentence over and over again. Oh ho, ho whatever it was, it must have been interesting. It was a shame she couldn't hear the other end. She would shake her head or try not to laugh at what she heard from time to time – her saving grace was her huge bright red scarf, covering half her face – and would generally get the gist of it, but it was unfortunate he couldn't be more articulate about his plight.

And it went that way up until the got inside the store. And then, she finally heard it: "mother I am a full grown man; I will not be treated like that."

Ooooooooof...like hearing my own mother!

And then it was his turn to order. "Just give me a moment." He was irritated; suddenly, he turned about and looked at the person behind him, her, and – surprised his eyes didn't meet the person right away and had to look lower – he hurriedly asked "do you mind if we switch places? I haven't finished this phone call yet."

Caught red-handed, because there was no way he missed how she jumped when he talked to her, to try and hide the fact she was listening, she nodding furiously and went before him. Scarlet, she ducked her head and by-passed him. The other person was still paying, so she had some time to gather her wits and decide what she should purchase.

"Listen to me, if you dare do that, I will leave immediately. And I mean the exact same second. I mean it; I'll turn around and walk out the door. You hear me? I am not joking."

Ah shit, she was still listening in on him; damn, she couldn't think properly of what to get, not like this! Though, same; her mother had been giving her a hard time too; she could relate to him so badly...!

"I have said all I have to say about this subject; l I warned you. Don't force my hand. Have, have a good day mother—stop complaining. Have a good day. Bye."

And click. Ooooh boy; that was really something. Saitou, a little edgy now, cracked his neck after putting the phone back into his pocket. He looked beyond the short woman in front of him and in the displays, to spot what he wanted...only to see there was only one left. But there were six before! Ah shit, the phone call had distracted him too much and he gave up his spot for nothing. Their chocolate mousse was the only reason he was queuing on the first place! He furtively looked at the woman in front of him, trying to gauge what she was leaning towards. To his dismay, her scarf was too high and fluffy to see her eyes properly.

"Miss, are you going to order?" the man behind the counter asked her a little wary.

She clicked her tongue. "I'm trying to decide...the eclairs are all gone and the profiteroles are going to be restocked in an hour; I can't wait that long..." And she hoped it didn't show how red-faced she was because of her shame—she had to ask twice about the damn profiteroles because the first time the man's "don't force my hand" line distracted her.

Oh great, she was one of those people, Hajime idly cursed his luck. "The chocolate pie is pretty good," he suggested from behind her, trying to speed up the process. Maybe giving her options would help. "The brownies are particularly moist, as well."

Surprised, she turned to look at him. She said nothing though, simply turned around again.

Okay, that was weird.

"How about this caramel one?" she asked.

"If you like caramel, it's pretty worth it; otherwise you get too much," Saitou answered naturally.

Her smile was hidden behind the scarf, but Hajime could tell it was there when she said "I was actually asking the man who works here, but it seems you know a lot about their sweets."

He looked away, as dignified as he could. "I am a usual."

"Okay then, now about these finger-chocolates?"

"Those are better suited for a party, not if you're taking something to eat all by yourself. What are you gonna do—take four pieces?"

"Huh...then how about some oreo cake?"

"If you don't like originality, I guess it's great?" She scoffed with laughter at his absolute response. "Maybe you should get that red velvet cake—it's a filling portion but still pretty light."

"Have you tried everything in here?" she asked incredulous, failing not to giggle, while the employee there looked just as impressed.

"Not everything; I hate orange."

She did laugh then. "Okay...so what's your advice to me?" She put her on hands in her coat's pockets, mirroring him. "Stay away from the chocolate mousse?"

He drew a blank. "Pardon?"

"You think I haven't noticed how you try to get me looking away from there? Whenever I mentioned something close, you always counter-suggested the furthest thing from it. But you obviously like chocolate..."

Why the hell was this woman so observant? "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Is that so?" Her eyebrow raised; he shrugged, uncaring. Oh so it was a challenge? Alright. She turned to the man who was still holding the box in his hand. "Give me a naked cake and half a kilo of those cinnamon-apple cookies; and that chocolate mousse and that's all."

The look of absolute betrayal on his face was priceless; she tried to contain herself to a brief smirk. Without even looking back at Saitou she asked "are you maybe wishing you hadn't given me your spot by now?" overconfident to which he swiftly replied "yes".

"Can you please make the mousse to-go?" she quietly asked as he was ringing her up, while Saitou behind her, glared her to death.

When her order was ready, she thanked the clerk, reached for her bags with flair and turned around to see a defeated man. "Thank you for giving me your turn...you big baby."

She shoved the small, smooth, black bakery box with the chocolate mousse in his hands and walked away.

He was just left standing there, blinking.

"Happy holidays!" she called out from the crowd, as she weaved herself through it and out of his sight.

He tried to call back, but she was already gone. Like a fish, he opened and closed his mouth several times, looking from the box to where she disappeared to. Stricken, he turned to the employee who was trying hard not to chuckle. "So, what will it be sir?"

"...I got what I wanted." A pause; but it felt wrong to leave without getting something. He sighed. "Give me a kilo of those truffles you make for the holidays."

"Right away, sir."

Feeling a little numb, he paid and left, looking all around him, trying to spot her.

But nothing.

He clicked his tongue; how hard could it be to find her? Her scarf was an in-your-face red ball of wool wrapped around her head while her plaid coat a matching shade with beiges and browns to break up the eye shore. Not to mention her shoes...! And he still lost her. Thinking back on it, chances were she was, much like him, he had already shopped whatever she wanted—could have a car or someone waiting to pick her up. It felt a little underwhelming, to be honest, but what can you do? Taking his haul home, he made for his car, still secretly hoping and trying to catch a glimpse of her.

.

"This is ridiculous; he's my partner!"

There was a short man, same height as the nurse in front of him in her very wrinkled uniform – looking mighty displeased at his antics – and he appeared to be angry, not at her in particular but the system in general. Yes, he knew why these rules and regulations existed, yes, he respected them, but he was basically a regular in this hospital! Granted, he hadn't spoken to the certain middle-aged, no-nonsense nurse before, but he had been in this hallway at least five times this past year. How could the rest of the staff not recognize him—he recognised them!

"The only reason I wasn't with him in the freaking ambulance is because I was too busy detaining the asshole who stabbed him! So please." Suddenly, all fight left him, feeling too tired and wronged for anything other than begging. "Please let me see my friend. Or, at least, tell me how he's doing..."

He had guessed correctly, after all, for the woman seemed to soften at that desperate tone he deployed. But, other than serious – and haggard – the nurse was smart because she saw some blood on the man's casual suit, on the shirt in particular, in ways that spoke of him not being the perpetrator, but the one to stand close to the victim—and maybe the one stopping the attacking guilty party.

She considered. "If you give me your name, I'll ask him if he'll have you."

"Thank you!" He almost cried, almost hugged her. "My name is Okita Souji, please tell Saitou I'm here. Oh!" He stopped her from leaving but then his voice dropped significantly. "Please make it perfectly clear to him I haven't told his mother yet." The look she shot him was dubious. "No, really, he'll appreciate it. We are part of police, sort of; trips to hospitals have been...frequent past couple of years. And we promis—never mind, just tell him."

"I will," the nurse assured, trying to discern if it would serve as a threat or motive, but when she saw the man sigh in relief simply shook her head, slightly alarmed.

Feeling the weight of the world lifting from his shoulders, the man dragged his feet to the seats lining the hallway on the right, outside the ER. There, a woman he hadn't noticed before was seated, looking anxious but not too scared. Heh. Good for her. He shared a small, tired, but genuine smile with her.

"Hope you're here for something less serious," he wished her and the way her smile turned kind let him know she appreciated the sentiment.

"I heard, the stabbing. I'm sorry about your partner. Are you together for a long time? You sound like you two are very much in love."

After a split a second of confusion, a weak laugh escaped him. "Oh if Saitou could hear you...!"

Huh. Why did that name sound familiar to the woman?

"I do love him very much, but not in a romantic way; we are partners at work—police; special forces."

A long "oh" escaped the woman. "And here I was wondering how could such an unassuming person detain someone who stabbed someone."

Okita laughed again. "Oh yeah; unassuming is right. I'm lethal." He sighed. "Saitou is the one you look at and you can just tell what he does for a living." A chuckle. "That's why he got stabbed. Another unassuming bastard saw him, remembered what he generally looked like during a raid, despite the gear and the goggles and everything, and played it off like he was an old acquaintance and then STAB. He took the knife out before either one of us noticed—talk about unassuming today."

A strangled laugh from his end tugged at her heart. "The most ridiculous thing was, Saitou fought him off, actually. I couldn't do much, because they were struggling and would only make it worse. But then he basically threw him off of him and I rushed to pin him down for good, making sure he couldn't use that knife of his. We were with another colleague who called the ambulance and rode with him. But he had to leave for work and ugh."

"It's okay, you're a good friend."

"Thanks..."

"Want me to cheer you up?" The look full of doubt but hope could kill her. "I came to the ER today to pick up my sister and her husband." Just as he was about to wonder how in earth that could cheer him up, she went on. "They were trying to be adventurous in the bedroom and both ended up with sprained limbs. Safe sex gets a whole new meaning now."

Okay, that was funny. He laughed. And just as he was beginning to shake with mirth, she wiggled her eyebrows and his chest couldn't hold it in; the emotions burst out of him and he almost slid off his chair as the negativity was finally seeping out of him, little tears of laughter washing them away.

"And, naturally, they were too mortified to call our or his parents and I am the one sibling who certainly wouldn't judge—but will happily make fun of them once they come out."

"Ah, thanks for that."

"You're welcome."

"Oh, Okita; Okita Souji."

"Hi, I'm Tokio."

"Thank you for that, Tokio-chan. Hope they get better soon."

She sniggered but it died down. "Hope so does your friend." Whose name, for some reason, sounded familiar.

And then the door to the ER opened wide and she snapped at attention, thinking it was her sister and brother-in-law...only to be greeted by none other than the mousse guy. Oh, oh dear Buddha, it all made sense now! Saitou was the name of the mousse guy, from two days ago. Oh, oh no...he was stabbed. She felt horrible. He wasn't even wearing proper clothes—he still had his trousers, but he was only wearing a black tank-top and was carrying a jacket.

Of course, mousse guy, as she had dubbed him hence forgetting his actual name, wasn't alone. He was being hounded by the nurse his friend was previously begging for access. She was very upset and scolding, like a mother with an unruly child.

"Sir, I told you before, I'm telling you again, you need to stay for another half hour at least; please go back to your bed."

"And I'm informing you the doctor let me know I could go whenever I wanted once the ten minutes were over."

"I don't know how you came up with that time-frame—"

"This doctor has been stitching me up for two years now; when I got tired of waiting an hour about a year and a half ago, he told me. Okay? Will you relax? I have already signed your waver."

"But this is about your health."

"Hence, I know better my own body than a stranger."

"Now look here—"

But her threatening tirade was interrupted by Okita, who jumped out of his chair and reached him in record time, once everything sunk in.

"You bastard! You can walk!"

He promptly hugged his taller friend and then punched him on the arm. "I was so worried! But it looks like it's nothing serious."

Mousse guy – Saitou – agreed by nodding. "It's very serious," the nurse interrupted and by the look on her face, she really wanted to punch his arm, too "he had a lot of stitches."

"Only a couple of dozen."

"Twenty four stitches are a big deal!"

"Eh, I've had about one hundred this year. It's nothing."

"It's not nothing," Tokio interjected from the seats, actually standing by the sheer ridiculousness of what she was hearing "it's a big deal!"

The way he looked at her made her feel self-conscious but the surprise on his face upon recognising her overpowered everything else. "Mousse girl?"

Okita's mouth became an "o". "That's mousse girl? Oh boy, was he pissed at you!"

"Hey! I bought you the mousse, how come I'm mousse girl? Besides, why would you be mad about it? Anyway, I just couldn't help but overhear the conversation. It's ludicrous to think of twenty four stitches as nothing. Ludicrous. But that's none of my business."

"You're right it ain't. What are you doing here anyway?"

A chuckle escaped Okita; she almost mirrored him. "I am waiting for my sister and my brother-in-law."

"What a good sister. Let's go, Okita."

"The woman is right; you should wait another hour until the doctor comes back."

"The woman is nosy" her offended "hey!" went ignored "and you are overbearing. I am going. My ride is here." and pointed at Okita.

"I informed you he had arrived so he can visit, not take you away."

"I can walk, I can complain, therefore, how hurt am I, really?"

"But you must be in pain," she tried to reason.

"Pain is not the same as in need."

"Maybe we should wait," Okita seemed to be thinking it over "get you some prescription medication and what not."

"It's just pain and not that terrible to begin with. I'm fine. It's not like I'm going back to work before New Years anyway."

"...yeah..."

Saitou turned to the nurse for a final time. "The only reason I didn't leave before the ten minutes were up was because I didn't have a ride and he," pointing at his friend with his thumb "had all of my effects."

"Hey, tough guy," Tokio snubbed then "you're still moderately bleeding. Check your shirt. It may be black but you can still see it, right?"

Everyone looked at his top; she was right. There was moisture there.

"I can't feel it," he confessed, a little concerned for the first time, to his friend and then the nurse. "Why?"

"Go back to your bed immediately," the nurse ordered in a very professional tone "I'm paging the doctor right now. And you," she turned to Okita "go with him, in case he loses consciousness."

Both nodded and headed back inside; just as they disappeared behind the doors, the nurse turned to Tokio and huffed a big sigh as she started paging the attending. "Thank you, madam. Thank you very much. It's probably just the stitches, but I didn't want to tell him that."

She waved her away. "No problem; felt a little wrong to watch someone treat themselves with so little care and be a part of it."

The exhausted nurse gave a small bow and followed after the two men; Tokio deflated in her chair. Somehow, it did feel a little bit bad to watch him trying to act tough, not because he was putting on a show but because he truly believed what he said. How sad. She decided to do something selfish then. Smirking, she turned her data on and found the flower shop she passed by the entrance when she was coming in. She quickly commissioned them a bouquet; her request was: make me something that screams "get well soon, you petty bastard" in a colorful way.

Then she received a phone call from them, to make sure she hadn't misspelled anything. With a bigger smirk, she assured them that was indeed what she wanted. Her next line, made even the man on the other end smile: "spare no expense; I just want my message heard." Oh and if it could be done ASAP with the so and so nurse's cooperation. The person on the line did laugh this once and assured her the recipient would undoubtedly get the flowers. She forwarded them her contact info then, to send her the bill.

When her relatives emerged some ten minutes later, she was all too ready to make fun of them, just as she had planned and was very pleased to find they were so easy to poke fun at, just as she had hoped.

"You know, there are ways to excuse this to mother," she had said then "just tell her you were trying to reach somewhere very high to clean, you had lent your ladder out and so, Shigeru had to help you up...and you both lost your balance and fell. I mean, it's no secret you both are extremely clumsy."

Just then, she watched as a row of people came in, each holding a different...part of something flowery. With shock, a little disbelief and absolute glee she realised what these people carried were parts of an arrangement that read out her exact words in flowers.

"Hah! At least we're not the ones receiving that," Shigeru "comforted" his wife once the line of people was gone, who was starting to rue the moment she called Tokio to come pick her up "so how bad is your sister really? There's that person."

She couldn't hold it in, the rambunctious laughter that escaped her.

.

"This is Takagi Tokio speaking, how may I help you?"

"I am the person with the one-of-a-kind-bug smart TV."

The voice sounded distant; he must have been on speaker.

"Oh! The gentleman they told me about! Hello, I am very glad you called us. I am the IT Head Department for Development."

"Huh; kinda high up the ladder for a simple glitch."

"Well, under normal circumstances, yes, but I have a feeling you won't be the last person with this problem and it is quite a unique one. I should know; I wrote the code this model needs. So, I am both satisfying my curiosity and tending to future problems. Two birds with one stone." He chuckled. "Plus, it's for research, too. Not to mention, I will need your TV on my desk and I would like to have your permission. Naturally, we shall provide a substitute smart TV for you, same model, too but I will need to keep it as is for some time, with maybe some of your private information on there. Maybe it was created by the way your Netflix account, for instance, was processed in the motherboard—you never know. I want to eliminate any possibilities after all, that is why I want it physically in front of me."

"I see. No, I don't mind you taking it; it won't pose a problem if I put my Netflix account on this one, too, will it?"

"No, you can have it on as many devices as you like," she said through chuckles, realising this person is either not tech-savvy or has never needed to put another person in his Netflix account. "So, I shall need your identification and contact information at some point, as well as to set up an appointment for the exchange to happen."

"I can do it today."

"Ah, perfect! Then please give me your address so I can find the closest dealership or certified vendor in your area."

"Yes; I live in Nishikujo Shimamachi."

"Hm...I think the closest one to you is an hour long trip; where did you buy it from?"

"I was in the capital visiting family when I bought it."

"I see; sadly, you can only give it to certified vendors or our official dealerships. Maybe, if it's alright with your schedule you can make the hour-long trip tomorrow or some other day? Otherwise I'm afraid you'll have to pay transfer fees."

"I can make the trip there today it's still morning."

"Oh; oh that's fantastic! Um, then just give me an estimated time of arrival and I will talk to them; once I make sure they have the certain model in stock, I will let them know of your situation and when you're to be expected. Nothing should be amiss, but in case they make a fuss just call me on this number again and I will sort it out. So, give me your name and contact info now."

"I will be there, latest, at six, but I plan on being there around four. I'll email you my details on the address it shows when I call."

"Perfect."

"And the name is Saitou Hajime."

She blinked; then, she froze. This could not be happening. It could not. Nope, no way. It wasn't happening. And yet, here he was, calling her about a faulty smart TV only two days after he got out of the hospital—if he had left the hospital that day after all.

"I see you've emailed me the details; I'm going to call the store right now. Wait for news on my end."

After she took the necessary steps, she called back. "You're one lucky guy," she started once they dispensed with the formalities "those TVs are very big and take up a lot of space for a regular car; and I doubt you've kept its box."

"No, I threw it away," he admitted "but why a I lucky?"

"Because, on account of you being willing to do this in such a short notice and taking into consideration your injuries, as well as the fact your TV must be delivered to me, I managed to convince the people at the shop to drop off the new one at your place and set it up for you and then bring me the used one."

It was his turn to blink; something didn't quite click, but he didn't notice yet. "...really?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Well, it'd be a shame to ruin your stitches again, Hajime-san, by trying to lift up a 75 inch smart TV all by yourself; so. this way, you won't have to."

"My—."

That was that. Realisation came and he went silent for a full moment. "I don't believe this. Really? Is, is that you?"

"You as in, me, Takagi Tokio, or me, mousse girl?"

"Are you serious? Do you...do you know I had five people walk into the ER with flowers in formation!?"

That same rambunctious laughter as that day took hold of her again and didn't let go for a long time; even as he kept complaining on the phone, going as far as to say they even put music to it as they paraded in formation, to get the message across, and for the life of her she couldn't breathe properly anymore. At least now, hearing his recount of events and actually learning his reaction, was worth the extravagant price of forty thousand yen.

"Laugh all you want but do you know? Okita won't stop telling everyone and anyone we know and consider friends and I'm the laughing stock of the entire unit."

"G, good to hear..."

"Takagi," he spoke her name like an insult "if I ever see you again, expect retaliation."

"Was it just the stitches, at least?" she asked somber in the end.

"Yes, thankfully; I couldn't feel anything other than the wetness because of the shot the doctor gave me—it hadn't worn off yet."

"That's good; be healthy, Hajime. Let the men who bring the TV put it in place, especially if you have some sort of on-the-wall installation, okay? They are already paid for and everything."

"Did you pay them?"

She was astounded by how offended he sounded. "No, but I am, like you yourself remarked early on in our conversation, really high up the ladder. I said they should do it so they shall. They are salary anyway and this is within working hours. It's fine. Just accept my little get well soon present."

"Enough of those from you for a life time," he snubbed.

She still chuckled. If she was being honest, she didn't know why she had chosen to mess with the poor man, but seeing he got a mousse and a new TV for free out of it, she felt justified. "I don't think we'll meet again, so, under that assumption, it's a promise."

"Goodbye, Tokio."

"Goodbye, Hajime."

.

Tokio took a deep breath, before she went out on stage and then stood behind the black podium. It had but a single microphone on it and a place to put her usb drive, which was connected to the enormous screen behind her. She wasn't a lecturer, but liked giving little lectures of sorts, organised by Sony, for beginners programmers and children who liked this sort of thing. She never did it in front of seasoned developers, knowing how empty her words would sound, as well as the petty feuds that would spawn for no reason.

She loved having these little events and the entrance fee was nearly non-existent, made so that everyone who was interested could attend. So, she went up there and started talking; the first segment was her presenting things; second was "applied science"; third was Q and A. It was during this part that she found out a child, no older than ten, who was very keen and smart. He made insightful questions and she enjoyed answering them. There was something very sharp behind those eyes of his.

With that child in mind, as well as a twenty year old woman who seemed to take notes of everything that left her lips, she stepped down, informing everyone there were beverages and snacks for everyone and that she would stay behind to "mingle", too. And, quite on time, both approached her, just as she'd hoped. First came the woman, with whom she had an interesting conversation for maybe ten minutes; she thanked her and left. Then came the child, bouncing on his little feet, excited to get to talk to the "smart woman on stage" as she'd heard him call her. Whoever this kid was though, kudos to him and his parent, because, despite standing there waiting for more than five minutes, he never interrupted. So, finally, she turns to the child...only to be left speechless when she saw his chaperon: none other than the injured Saitou Hajime. She was about to gawk, but managed not to, just in time.

"H, hello," she managed in the end, smiling at the kid regardless. "And who may you be?"

"I'm Mishima Eiji and this is my uncle! He brought me to the lecture because he knows I love computers and such."

"Aw, how nice," she furtively glanced at him, all meaning. "And what do you love about computers exactly?"

"Everything!"

"Be a little specific," his uncle advised him with humour and the relatively tall kid for his age, started thinking.

"...I like watching them work; and I like taking them apart. I like knowing how things work, too!"

"I see; is that why you are interested in programming languages?"
"You mean, Java and C++?" She nodded. The kid nodded back, only ten times more excited. "They are so cool! I've looked them up on the internet and I know many things about them already! Not everything; but a lot. I know enough to know what you showed us wasn't part of any of those languages."

"Huh." She was impressed. "Smart kid," she both thought and spoke "very mindful, too."

Beaming with joy, he nodded repeatedly. Seeing she was egging him on every turn of the way, Eiji would ask her all sorts of questions time after time after time and she would tirelessly answer. There came a moment when other people felt like talking to her, too and his kid was so intuitive, he would stop, make room for others and once they were gone, he'd start asking again. Hajime, to his credit, made no comment to side-track the conversation and simply stood there dutifully.

"I'm thirsty," Eiji declared after a long rant "can I go get some juice, uncle?" He nodded affirmatively. "Great! I'll be right back. Oh, do you want something to drink uncle? Tokio-san?"

She shook her head no. "Just go," Saitou urged and actually pushed his back towards the stand, but shifted his weight and posture so he could keep an eye on him.

"Uncle Hajime, huh?"

He rolled his eyes, always keeping that ramrod straight back. "If I had known you're the speaker, I wouldn't have brought him. I mean, yes, I saw the poster and told my sister, but I wouldn't have agreed to take him myself, had I known."

"Oh is that so?"

"Yeah; now you actually appear a little dignified and I hate that."

She laughed, heartily. "Sourpuss."

"Well, good thing is you sound like you actually know what you're talking about, so he definitely gets something out of it." A beat of silence followed, during which he took the time to assess her appearance: black slacks, burgundy shirt with black details and a matching black jacket, quite fashionable. Her hair up on a simple ponytail. "So, a programmer, huh? And in Sony, too."

"Quite right."

"Lucrative post?"

"You bet."

"Huh." Another beat of silence. "You do this often?"

"Once a month, if I can help it. I like talking to children; I like helping inexperienced programmers, too." She shrugged. "No one helped me, when I got my start. I wish someone who knew the business had talked to me about certain things. I try to do that which was not afforded me."

Hm...he hated to admit he appreciated her a little more for that.

"How is your health, Hajime-san? It's only been a week since you were in the hospital."

If he was not looking at his nephew constantly from afar, he'd have looked all around him to make sure he hadn't heard. He turned to look at her, almost furious, but then he noticed, she too was looking at his nephew and only said it because he was away. Huh...he looked to his nephew again. "Don't say anything in front of him, no one from the family knows; but I'm well. The men carried the TV for me, so I didn't do any heavy lifting, either." He spared a look for her with the edge of his eyes. "Thanks for that, I suppose."

A small smile graced her lips. "You're welcome."

"Thanks for not charging me, too, I suppose."

She chuckled. "That's fine; I'm getting somewhere with your glitch, too so I'm happy."

"Did you log out?"

"Of your Netflix? Don't worry, I didn't go looking into your Recently Watched...though I did see your Continue Watching list by accident." Her pause caused him to look at her. "Trust me. You don't need to finish La Casa de Papel."

"Actually, I liked it a lot; already finished it on my new smart TV."

"Pfff, no taste."

"Who has no taste?" Eiji inquired just as soon as he came back.

"Your uncle honey; he was just telling me about a series he watched and liked."

"Grandma certainly agrees with you; she says uncle has bad taste in women, too!"

Her eyes grew large and her grin enormous; Hajime immediately glared him down, but Eiji only seemed to get encouraged by his uncle's ire. "Says uncle's almost-wife was a horrible woman who did him a favour when she returned his ring."

Ooof, Tokio related to that struggle—the romantic part, not the they-gave-me-my-ring-back one. "Eiji, we don't talk about family matters with strangers," Hajime cut him off before he said anything else.

Just as he was about to refute him, the quiet ire on his face, so determined to have his way, made the boy look down. "Sorry uncle."

"Don't fight now," Tokio tried to bring the peace "this is a fun outing for you, yes! So, if you apologise to your uncle and if he stops looking so severe, I will give both of you a reward!"

The boy perked up; Hajime gave her an annoyed look. "Really?"

"Really!"

"S, so if I say I'm sorry, uncle won't be mad?"

Saitou's hand on his head told him all he needed to hear. "I'm not mad."

"I'm sorry."

"I know you didn't mean anything by it."

He still hugged him; Saitou kept his hand on his head, maybe petting his hair from moment to moment. "It's okay."

"So, for your reward..." Tokio baited the kid, or she feared he'd forever hug his uncle out of shame. "How about I take you both to Sony Headquarters for a day?"

"What?"

"What?"

One was said with excitement; one with warning.

"I can definitely do that! An all-expenses-paid, two day trip to Tokyo where you'll get to explore all of the Sony Headquarters. I can pull some strings and make it happen right after Christmas, as a gift to little Eiji." She winked at him; he blushed but, honestly, he was bursting at the seams with excitement.

"Can we go? Uncle, uncle, can we go?"

"I can't decide that for you, Eiji; it's something your parents have to agree to."

"Oh; but you'll be the one taking me, yes?"

"If you're working again or plainly don't want to come or have something else scheduled, the invitation is open for a parent or another chaperon, of course," Tokio interjected, trying to make sure she was only trying to pull Saitou's leg and was not trying to force him into anything. "It's mostly for you," she booped Eiji's nose. "The adult may vary."

"And this really isn't my decision to make. Should your parents accept and neither one can take you, I gladly would; but they have to say yes, not me."

"Oh." He considered. "But if you tell them it's a good thing, they'll say yes easier, right?"

Tokio laughed. "Look at that; really smart, aren't you? Now I want them to say yes even more. Try hard Eiji; you try hard, uncle, too."

"I'd talk to them anyway...Eiji, do you mind go talking with that other kid you got along? I have to ask Tokio some further questions to make sure I have all the information for your parents."

He needn't telling twice.

"What are you offering exactly?"

"Train fair and accommodations, all paid for; three meals, too. Any souvenirs or visits to famous shrines or temples, they are out of pocket. I come with you to Headquarters and give you the grand tour; if Eiji wants me to, I can be with you on the ride from and to Kyoto as well, to ask me whatever he wants. We leave after lunch, you settle in, go sight-seeing if you want, have another mean, turn in; next day you visit Headquarters, do some more sight-seeing and go back home after lunch. The end."

"And that's going to be on the 26th?" She nodded. "Alright; I'll explain it. I hope one of them can make it."

"You really don't like me, do you?" she joked.

"I don't care for you," he teased, smirk almost there "but they are his parents. Sounds like something they should share with him."

"Hmm, I see..."

"But I don't think sister or Tooru would say no. They were very happy I found him this lecture."

"You have my number, Hajime-san. Call me once you arrange it with your sister." He nodded. "Perfect; now, if you'll excuse me, I have to leave. I'll go say goodbye to Eiji and I'm gone."

He nodded once more; she shook her head. No goodbye or anything, geez... Eiji still appreciated her effort, though, and thanked her about five times for the trip. What a cute kid.

A/N: I just love having Eiji around, though for the sake of the story he's now his nephew and not an adopted sort of son. No matter. Tell me what you thought!