Please be courteous and don't comment if you don't like a ship! :)

Even though Fenneko and Manumaru had a lot of chemistry there's really not a lot of them together, and I wanted to write something of them together. Their attitudes really work and they just seem like they'd be a fun couple :)

Thank you to eiidolons!

Fenneko hates mornings. It's made even worse that there is a mandatory 2 hour meeting today, and she couldn't blow it off.

She's had a long night of watching her and Retsuko's favorite drama and scouting the web for any kinds of interesting tidbits. She had something of an advantage over all her co-workers because of her sleuthing know how of monitoring all their social media.

If anyone made a slip up online...ha! She had leverage.

Just last week she'd dug up some dirt on Ookami, and for a month, she would blackmail him into doing her work. The deal? She wouldn't rat out that he was leaving work early to enjoy activities of another, more sensitive nature.

Haha.

As she trudges down the hall headed for the staircase, a voice suddenly calls out to her.

"Hey, Fenneko!"

She turned around and was surprised to see a stocky feline hurrying towards her.

"Manumaru?" She asks, uncertain.

"Hey, hey!" Manumaru grins, raising one of his hands in a waving gesture. "Long time no see, Fenneko."

Fenneko smiles. The last time- and only time- she'd spent time with Manumaru had been a few weeks ago at a company mixer, but he was impossible to forget. Truth be told, he'd passed in her thoughts a few times lately- especially since she'd been so stressed out trying to make things work out with Retsuko and Haida.

"Not long enough," she says in her deadpan voice, but a smile tugging at her lips.

"Aw, don't do that!" Manumaru says, his loud voice pretending to be hurt. "And here I was, going out of my way to wish you a good day."

"You're really adorable when you scrunch up your face," Manumaru teases.

Fenneko blushes. Even though her meeting with the feline had been short, he'd left a strong impression on her. She had gone in to the mixer expecting it to be a complete disaster, but because of him, she'd found herself enjoying it.

"Singles parties are the best thing ever."

"So, what was it you wanted?" Fenneko asks, trying to hide her interest.

"Wanna go out with me tongiht?" He asks, plain and matter-of-factly. "Drinks are on me."

Fenneko pauses, shocked a little.

"Wow, that was direct," She says.

"Well I'm not one to beat around the bush," Manumaru says grinning. "So? What's your answer?"

Fenneko considers for a second. "As long as you're paying," she smirks.

"Alright!" He fistpumps. "I'll meet you right outside the building at the end of the day, then, Sanrio?"

Without waiting for an answer he turns and walks away grinning with his arms crossed.

Fenneko looks after him for a moment, confused for a second by the new nickname and feels a rush of excitement. She couldn't remember the last time she'd been on...a date. Was that what this was?

She goes into the meeting room with a smile, and hardly absorbs a word with her mind elsewhere. More than once Retsuko nudges her, but she can't keep her mind straight.

As the rest of the day ticks away, Fenneko was thinking.

Just who was Manumaru anyway? He took the time to ask her out...did he like her?

Hahaha...She laughed at herself at the idea. Maybe she's just overthinking this.

She looks over her shoulder and takes out her phone, logging into her social networks.

She types in: "Manumaru".

Several results pop up, but none of them were the same person she knew.

Hmm...weird.

She snaps her phone shut when she saw Ton and Komiya prowling around and heaves a sigh. Just a few hours to go.

When the day was finally done, Fenneko starts to the entrance of the building. She doesn't dawdle, but doesn't exactly rush, either. She doesn't want him to think she's hyped for this, or anything!

Manumaru is leaning against the wall and waves.

"Hey!"

"Hey yourself," Fenneko says and comes to his side.

"So, the place I want to go is this bottomless beer place that has all kinds of meat specials. We can split a roast chicken! You like beer, right?"

"You know I do," Fenneko grins. "But...I'm not really big on chicken."

She had never liked the dish, and it had more than once made catering a little difficult because of her picky tastes.

She glances at Manumaru to see his reaction.

He pauses and then grins again.

"That's ok! Doesn't have to be chicken! We can look at the menu when we get there, and you can pick whatever you want! Honestly, I'll eat anything!"

Fenneko internally sighs relief. So he was cool with it.

"C'mon, I'll introduce you to my girl," he says, leading her over to the parking garage.

"Y-your girl?!" Fenneko asks, taking a step back. Wait, what?

"Check her out," Manumaru runs his hand down the hood of a sleek convertible. "Fixed her up all on my own. Drives like a dream."

"Oh-ho-ho," Fenneko chuckles, a drop of sweat on her temple. "So that's what you meant."

They get inside, and Manumaru sets the car in motion. "Let's get going before happy hour is run dry."

Bump, and they get onto the open road.

Fenneko casts a glance at Manumaru and then opens up her phone. She still had time to do some digging.

"The Working Company" she types in the name of her company. A list of hundreds of users employed by the company pop up, including herself. Retsuko, Haida, Kabae, even the CEO...

But as she scrolls, she doesn't see Manumaru anywhere on the list.

She groans quietly. How can a person be invisible?!

Unless...he wasn't on a social network?

"I think you're gonna like this place," Manumaru says as they drive into a big crowded lot.

There's a bar and restaurant packed to the top, filled with the smell of alcohols and food cooking.

"My usual!" Manumaru waves to the man at the door, who smiles and ushers the two of them to one of the nicest free tables.

"You a regular here?" Fenneko asks and sits down.

Manumaru nods. "I helped the place when it was just starting out, so they treat me like family. What can I say? I'm a good guy." He laughed loudly and passed her the menu.

A server comes by and he orders a beer.

"You?" asks Manumaru. "Or would the little lady like a martini?"

Fenneko grins. "One beer!" She says to the server. "You watch what you say, I bet I can drink just as much as you."

Manumaru's eyes narrow. "That so? I'll take that bet."

The man left and the two are left staring at each other. Manumaru watches her with his big round cat eyes and smiles confidently, and Fenneko blushes a little and rolls her eyes.

"Uh, how was your day?" She tries to make light conversation.

"Alright," he says bluntly. "Well, 'til now that is." He flashes her a winning smile and she blushes again, and she tries her best to not show it.

Plop! Then two beers were set down.

"Your order?"

"See anything you like, Sanrio?"

Fenneko chuckles at this unique nickname. "How about the we split the teriyaki tofu bowl?"

"So you really don't like meat," Manumaru muses. "Well! That's fine! I tred it before but I like trying new things."

He takes a huge swig of beer. Fenneko smiles at his compliance and takes a big sip herself, and they both drain their first mug in under a minute.

Already a heavy buzz is coming over her.

"Downed like a pro," Manumaru chuckles. "Bartender, another two beers!"

Fenneko looks. down at her phone as discreetly as possible, tempted to try that search one more time. How could someone so socialable not have an online presence?

It was bothering her. Was he hiding some deep dark secrets? Just who was he?

Normally this would be an easy game of sleuthing, but she couldn't dive into his personal page and find out...

"Something on your mind?" he asks, sensing her quiet as another beer is set down.

"No, no," she denies, quickly taking a hug sip to hide her awkwardness. Oohh...the room is spinning.

He follows her and drains his mug like a sponge soaking up water. He belches.

"Pardon me."

"Heh," Fenneko laughs.

Right then the food reaches their table and they began to eat, along with drinking a new set of beer mugs.

By this point, Manumaru is getting buzzed, and Fenneko who is about 1/5 his size is all out drunk.

"So this is tofu," Manumaru observes, chewing the meal before him. "You know I never would have guessed this isn't meat. It's good. Real good."

"This shit is great!" Fenneko says loudly, banging her fists on the table. "You don't know how awesome it is to find someone who knows what good food is!"

She lets out a little burp herself. And they laugh.

"Nice one," Manumaru says with a grin.

A good 20 minutes later they finish the tray of food, and Fenneko is excitedly describing the cliffhanger that had been on the latest episode of Gorillaw and Order.

"Hey- hey, another drink here?" She asks a passing server, clumsily waving her hand in her seat.

"God, you're adorable," Manumaru purrs. "But I think you had enough." He looked at the empty mugs on the table and chuckles. "Why don't you let me take you home?"

"No way!"

"Come on, Sanrio."

Fenneko teeters on her feet a little and Manumaru helps her balance, helping her out of the crowded bar.

"Geez if I knew you would go down so fast, I wouldn't have encouraged you," he says sounding genuinely worried.

"I'm fine! " Fenneko denies, louder than intended. Somehow he leads her to his car, and she plunged into the seat with a sigh. Her head is already starting to ache.

He pulls out carefully, and asks gently, "Where's your place, babe?"

"Uh...the apartments down that way."

Fenneko pulls up her phone and input her address, setting up the directions, so she wouldn't slur over her words.

He smiles. "You're a wiz with your phone, Sanrio."

"Oh, this is nothing," Fenneko says with a sly grin.

"Let's be real though.." Manumaru says as they hit a red light, and he looks her dead on. "You've been trying to dig up info on me online, haven't you?" He smiles knowingly.

"Wh-what!" Fenneko blusters, panic seizing her.

How could he know-?

"You're not very subtle", he says. "Maybe you don't remember but at the mixer you showed me an impressive selection of comments you'd made to your other coworkers. Said something about them being...blackmail."

"Oh, God," Fenneko groans. She didn't have any memory of that, but if she had, she must have really been trying to impress him...in her own quirky way.

"Hah!" Manumaru laughs, looking at her with softness in his eyes.

"No, it's cool. I mean, it's natural to want to know about an enigma like me, am I right?"

He suddenly puts his huge paw on hers.

Fenneko blushes brightly.

"You..big dummy..." She manages, unable to meet his eyes.

The lights change and the car starts again and for a few minutes they drive in silence, but Fenneko can hear the sound of her heart echoing in her ears.

When they finally reach her block, she snatches her phone back.

"Here is fine," she says, feeling hot.

"Hey, I didn't freak you out did I? He asks, looking ashamed.

"I brought it up because I thought it was cool. You're like...a little detective or something. A cute little detective."

He puts his massive paw on hers again.

"It's just you couldn't catch your prey this time. I have no chains. What I'm saying is ..if you want to get to know me, for real, then ...you'll have to let me take you out again."

He raises his eyes at her, blush bright on his cheeks. He wanted to spend more time with her, she intrigued him so...so cute and small, and huggable...and yet a little spitfire.

Fenneko isn't sure if it is his touch, the word cutie, or his inclination at getting together again, but she blushed b

"You really are a jerk."

Not thinking, she leans upward and plants a quick kiss on the cat's fluffy cheek.

Manumaru's eyes widen and shine brightly.

Carefully he puts his big paw on her shoulder and kisses the top of her head.

Fenneko's tail starts to wag, beating gently on the car seat as she tips back her head to brush her lips on his.

They hold for a minute, then she pulls away.

"Wow. So is that a yes?" Manumaru asks eagerly.

Fenneko laughs, not her regular deanpan laugh but one filled with good humor.

"Maybe," she says, and she crawls out of the car.

"I'll see you around, big guy. Thanks for tonight."

"Sleep tight, Fenneko!" He shouts, waving, and then he drove off.

Fenneko shakes her head wondering just what this whole night had been. Then she sighs and heads up to her apartment, knowing she would have a hangover in the morning.

Whatever. She'd sleep in.