Starts off light. Will get a plot later (maybe).

Summary: In which Nobuchika, after the ending of the Makishima case, finally gets around to getting a girlfriend. Even though Akane's his boss doesn't mean anything, right?

But how does one act like a boyfriend even?

Notes: Follows canon, contains OCs. Happens about a month after Makishima's death.

A Matter of Intimacy

For all his nine years out of University, Ginoza Nobuchika had never gotten a proper girlfriend. So when he had begun dating his former-coworker-technically-boss-okay-who-cared-damnit, he had no idea on how to, well... act like a proper boyfriend.

So before their first date, Ginoza decided to ask Shion for dating advice. (He had a feeling he would eventually regret this, but Yayoi would give him the look, Usomine would ask for money, and Rokujou was practically married to the job.)

"Eh? How to act on a date?" Shion rasped, having just finished a cigarette. "Why? Did you and Akane-chan finally get together?"

Attempting to keep his old poker face on, "Yes. Now please answer the question, Shion-san."

The lab analyst snickered, "So I was right! Yayoi owes me some fun time now for losing our bet." Seeing his momentarily greenish expression, "So what do you want to know? She probably isn't going to end up in the same bed with you anytime soon, so-"

"I just wanted to know how to act on a date, but I think I'll be better off asking someone else," he interjected before running off.

Shion pouted as the doors closed. "I was just going to tell him how to tell whether she was in the mood or not," she sighed. "I feel sorry for him not knowing when a woman is on her monthly or not."

Shion was out. So who was he to ask now? As he entered the office, the inhabitant of the desk next to his (Kogami's old one, he remembered briefly) looked up. "Hi Gino," the newer Enforcer greeted, head still buried in her arms as she tried to take a nap.

"Rokujou, if you're going to sleep, please go to your quarters," he stated with a sigh as he sat down at his father's former desk.

"I don't want to be ambushed again," Hound 3, Rokujou Akito, mumbled.

"Fine." Ginoza went to work.

"... Please kick him out if you see him."

"Usomine is already going to do that," then a thought occurred to him. "Rokujou- could you tell me something that I need to know?"

The ambiguously-dressed Enforcer looked up. "Whut. Do you want to know where to take the Inspector out on a date or something?" she questioned sleepily.

"How the hell did you and Shion know so fa-"

"It's the only feasible reason why you would go to her to ask something."

Was it really that obvious that he liked Tsunemori?

"You should stop referring to her by her last name. It's too formal."

Was she reading his mind?!

"No, your thoughts are just really obvious."

He sighed. "I tried asking Shion. She wished to teach me the... more explicit information."

"What was the question?" now Rokujou was sitting up entirely, leaning back in the chair and facing him.

Ginoza grimaced and rubbed his face. "How... How does one be a... boyfriend?"

"Are you a virgin or something?" she asked blankly.

"That's not part of the question-"

"Do you love her?"

"... Yes."

"Be nice to her, try not to yell, don't be a jerk, make sure to make her feel loved, make sure you don't run into her parents in the middle of a date, and hold hands and hug her. Kissing can come later. And beds much much much later."

"... How do I... hug and hold hands?"

Rokujou slammed her forehead directly on her desk.

"ASK HER OUT ON A FLIPPING DATE FIRST AND THEN IT'LL COME NATURALLY!" Hound 4 yelled, having been listening in.

"Usomine, shut it!" Rokujou roared back, irritated after her nap being interrupted. Turning to face her fellow Enforcer. "Just take her on a date. Ignore Usomine. I heard she likes animals... so a dog park maybe?"

"I'm an Enforcer. I can't go out without an Inspector," he deadpanned.

"Screw the rules, you can convince her to pick you up and it'll all be legal," she snapped, "I'm attempting to help you get a date, you know."

Then there was a familiar flash of red hair near the door and Rokujou dove under her desk and Ginoza went back to working and contemplating the crossdressing woman's advice.

He needed new coworkers.

"Hey, hey, Gino. If you pay me I'll give you a concrete plan on how to date Akane-san," Usomine Kei offered, spinning in his chair.

"Don't you have enough money? And no."

He really needed new coworkers.

"Inspector Tsunemori, have you seen Akito?" one of the Enforcers from Unit 2 asked the moment she was in the hallways of the MWPSB. She sighed, shaking her head.

"Sorry, Teritsukeru-san. She's probably hiding from you again," Akane answered, much to his disappointment. The redhead drooped and ran off, probably to look for her again.

She smiled awkwardly at his eagerness to find Rokujou-san. It was something she was getting used to, with this new batch of Enforcers. As Akane approached the office, she mentally compared Kagari, Masaoka, and Kogami to the newcomers.

Rokujou Akito, 24, took Kogami's place as Hound 3. She wore men's clothes and a black trenchcoat on a regular basis, with black hair tied in a ponytail like Yayoi's. She had a tendency to pat people on the head, and generally managed to make people feel like they were talking to an older brother. (It was weird, but it was true). Rokujou-san had a habit of acting perfectly emotionless when absorbed with a task or case. It was hard to get her to talk about something other than criminology or various branches of weaponry unless you needed advice. And her advice wasn't that bad. It just wasn't... safe, usually.

Usomine Kei, 22, was eerily similar to Kagari in some ways. He had wild light-brown hair and had an obsession with games... that is, gambling games. Usomine was infamous with the other Enforcers for his swindling habits, online information network, and being practically married to money and coffee. Often he would be seen juggling some figures of an unknown subject, and he admitted to having been working at the Ministry of Finance before the riots. Then the helmet riots had happened and his Crime Coefficient had never recovered.

Then Ginoza-san. Hound 1. Masaoka-san's old number. It was so weird to walk in the office without him at the other Inspector's desk, already at work and his glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. But he was an Enforcer now, and took after Masaoka more than Kogami-san (he could never be replaced. No one could. The replacements may hold the same legal position, but never the same in her heart), including the metal hand and somewhat-guiding attitude towards Rokujou-san and Usomine-san. The Makishima Case had changed Unit One forever.

Upon entering the office, she discarded the thoughts. "Good morning, all," she greeted. Rokujou-san was hiding under her desk from Teritsukeru-san again, Usomine-san was counting money bills, and Ginoza-san was working as usual.

Everything was the same routine.

Not. "Ah, Inspector, a word please," Ginoza asked, not making eye contact with her.

They drifted out to the hall as she nodded, but before he could continue, she commented, "Ginoza-san, you shouldn't refer to me as 'Inspector'... It seems a bit... distant?"

"Then what am I supposed to refer to you as?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

She chewed her bottom lip. "Akane would be fine. We have known each other for a while, and we have gone through many things together," she muttered.

"Then, Akane-san?" he tried. The woman nodded. "Ah, I wished to inquire about Dime." Dime was his pet husky. Latent criminals were not allowed to own pets, so he had given Dime to Akane, knowing that he would be taken care of.

Akane perked up at he mention of the dog. "He's good! He is healthy, though I know that Dime misses you. I found him looking at the group picture of us and whining."

Ginoza rubbed the back of his head anxiously, "Would it be okay if you and I went to the dog park this Saturday? I'd like to... take Dime on a walk like old times." He glared through the glass, having seen Usomine fall off his seat laughing, most likely because of his ridiculously good hearing.

Yes, he was using his former dog to ask Tsunemori out on a date, but it could work- "Of course that would be okay with me, Ginoza-san. He would love to see you," she answered.

(See, it had worked)

"Ah, then how about 8 in the morning? I used to walk him in the mornings, and neither of our shifts start until 12. I could pay for lunch, if you'd like-" he shut up at the sight of Usomine bursting into laughter again, and Rokujou slamming her head against her desk.

"Sure, that would be fine," Akane answered obliviously. "I'll be here by 8:10 at the latest."

His jaw nearly unhinged, but he managed to keep a steady voice and say, "That's all I wanted to talk about. Thank you, Akane-san."

And then they had walked back into the office and Rokujou passed him a note that read: 'Dog walking?' and had a doodle of- he crumpled up the note and shot the Enforcer a glare.

"Usomine, you owe me five thousand yen!"

Up in heaven, Masaoka cried tears of joy that his son had finally managed to ask a girl out on a date.

Hahaha Yeah it's a new story sorry sorry sorry. This should be pretty short, less than ten chapters.

I'd love to hear ideas for their date and the kinds of things that may happen O w O

Also, Rokujou doodled a picture of Akane in a bridal gown walking next to Gino. Yes, she managed it in five minutes. Somehow. it wasn't very detailed-

Review?