It was just like any other typical workday.

Wake up, brush my teeth, get dressed, get orange juice, and breakfast at the convenience store on my way to work. Get to work. Crack my knuckles to look cool and start typing.

I was so close to the typing part, I had even just finished cracking my knuckles. But before I even began my breakfast bagel made its way into my mouth, but before I could chew, I stared in surprise at a certain vice captain in uniform... talking to my boss.

I quickly ducked behind my desk, bagel still in my mouth. I had gasped so hard that I had to hold my breath the prevent me from coughing. It must have been quite a spectacle for my coworker, Himari.

She watched me quickly duck behind the chair and snickered when she found herself doing the same thing. "What are we doing?" she asked, taking the bagel out of my mouth and taking a bit of it for herself.

Yoshida Himari. She and I got hired in the same week. We've been working for the community branch of The Tokyo Times newspaper for three years. She's seen me at both my best and my worst work moods, and we've discovered we both enjoy going to conventions. We go to three conventions a year together because we both never had anyone else to go with. She's also my number one karaoke partner.

"Hiding," I replied bluntly, truthfully.

Himari's head peeked up over the counter of our desks before she made herself comfortable with me on the floor. "Hiding from the people who saved your life this week is crazy." She shrugged her shoulders, taking another bite of my bagel before handing it back to me.

"I get that, but also remember that guy I told you about?"

"Oh! You mean sex so good you couldn't think right for two days, guy?" My face changed to hint at the fact that he was here. "Oh....OH?! Wait, but which one?" She asked, hand up to her mouth in awe and a sparkle in her eye from the new tea arriving first thing in the morning this workday.

"Which one? What do you mean-" I looked back over the desk and noticed that he wasn't the only one in our office today, but a handful of other defense force officers filed into the large workroom, introducing themselves to the big boss. One girl and six gentlemen, all wearing their suits. "UHggggg," I groaned out. Just what did the boss have planned for this month's article? "Vice captain..." I mumbled.

"What?" she asked, a hand raised to her ear to hear me more clearly.

"That one-" I was about to point him out when the boss called me.

"(L/n) (Y/n)." I jumped and looked up. My boss was standing over my desk, looking down at both me and Himari. "What is it this time?"

He was very familiar with me and Himari, often scolding us for loud giggles or stupid questions asked on purpose. Himari stood up." Don't worry, sir! We are just expressing creative freedom to get the brain cells working nicely for you today." She dragged me up to a standing position by my arm. Bagel in my hand as I was actively avoiding eye contact with the vice captain.

"Yes?" I asked delicately as I knew he was going to be in a rather stricter mood today.

"You are to assist me in interviewing our defense force visitors today, while you send the recordings to Himari to write out. My body shivered.

"Uhm, okay." I couldn't even hide it; I was nervous. I couldn't help by allow myself to give glances in his direction. Each time, I would make eye contact with myself, but I would get scared and dart my eyes off in some other direction.

"You'll be assigned the vice captain, Hibino Kafka, and Reno Ichikawa while I handle the newer big shots, Shinomiya Kikoru, Kagurari Aoi, and Izumo Haruichi. Can you do this?"

"Of course, sir, no problem." But of course, there was a problem. There was a big problem. I reached for the clipboard the boss was handing me while he politely asked Shinomiya to enter the first interview room. I sighed as I made unavoidable eye contact with the vice captain. Without even saying anything, I ushered the Vice-Captain into the second interview room while his remaining four cadets spoke excitedly amongst themselves for their first interview for the news.

I stared at the clipboard of questions while holding the door open for the interviewee, pressing the record button built onto the table. "Why did you join the defense force?" I started with the top question.

'To save people. Like you," he coughed up the second part of his sentence, and I sent a glare his way. He could only grin in response.

"Okay, question two. In what way do the defense force officers you train protect our community?"

He laughed, "That's a good question. Well, people would think all we do is kill kaiju and make a mess of the city for the clean-up crew to deal with. We have community days where we open the training grounds for everyday citizens to actually view what we spend all our time doing. As well as having assigned community days to clean up the city or give donations to other important organizations."

I sighed and turned off the recorder with a beep. "Didn't even give me the chance to meet me at the bar yet. You said next week, not 'oh let's go into her workplace today'"

"How was I supposed to know you work here? I haven't given you my number yet." He adjusted to get more comfortable in his chair, his eyes not leaving mine. "Can't wait to taste those pretty mouth of yours again." As if he was waiting for the moment right when we had the space alone, by ourselves. "Oh wow, that's a face I haven't seen yet."

My jaw dropped at the audacity of the man. " Any kind of relationship we have will be strictly professional," I proclaimed, crossing my arms, setting a boundary.

"Professional?" He tilted his head in amusement, clearly enjoying our interaction thus far. He tossed a bottle of water up into the air before he decided it was time to unscrew the cap and take a drink.

"Yes, professional." I wanted to stomp my foot down to really emphasize how serious I was, but I figured that would be doing too much.

He sat back in the chair, crossing his arms. He was enjoying this. "I see well what does professional mean?"

"You're not allowed to sleep with other women," as I said this, he snorted the water he was drinking

Coughing, he said, "So what you want is exclusive."

"No, not exclusive. You can date whoever you want." I had to give him a little breathing room to explore.

He chuckled low. "That doesn't work for me, princess. I don't do dates."

"Well, I'm not trying to get an STD."

"You have a fair point." Both of us sat in silence, thinking of what to say next. Finally, he sat upright with both his hands under his chin, looking at me, "I can do exclusive."

"But we aren't dating."

"Friends with benefits.

"We aren't friends either."

"Let's be friends then," he grinned.

"That's not a very enticing offer, sir. You work a dangerous job."

"Then let's go to dinner?"

"What happened to 'I don't do dates?'"

"I can make an exception for you." He winked at me, looking like he was making himself laugh.

"You've probably used that like on other women before." I scoffed.

He smirked, "Why are you jealous?"

"No, I just don't want to get into something I'm going to regret." He blinked at me.

"You're the only woman I've been with in a year he chuckled while using his hand to push his hair back. He almost seemed ashamed to admit it.

"Well, I guess that makes me feel a little better," I say, taking a small breath of relief.

"Imagine how I felt not seeing any kind of ring on your finger." He sighed as if remembering the moment of relief briefly.

"How did you know I was single in the first place?" I look at my hand, of course, no rings, but also I could have had a boyfriend.

"Whoever would date you wouldn't be stupid enough to not put a ring on your finger right away."

"So you're saying if you don't marry me tomorrow on a date, you'll be stupid."

"Did you want to date me?" His eyebrows raised at the intention of my conversation.

I threw my hands up in success. "Yes, thank you for asking!"

His mouth hung open as he pushed himself back in his chair, surprised. "You sly fox, you tricked me!"

"I should pat myself for swindling a vice captain." I cackled.