An empty bottle of sake sat on the counter. Two women seemed intent on working their way to the bottom of the second that sat between them. Kanuka felt her face pleasantly warm, and Kumagami's cheeks had a bright flush as well. "And here's to us getting off on a better foot this time," Kanuka toasted and drank. "Right," Kumagami said, lifting her drink in answer. After she had swallowed, she shook her head slightly. "What the heck was our problem in the first place?" "Alpha wolf, I think," Kanuka said simply. "There's only room for one." She watched Kumagami's reaction carefully. Would the other woman have read something more into it? "Mmm," Kumagami agreed. "I'm trying to be a little less competitive these days." She smiled ruefully. "Life with the Second Division will do that to you." She toyed with her glass, then said, "I had a chance once, to head a new division." "But you turned it down?" "Yes." The Japanese woman spun her glass around and around in her hands. "I haven't had any other offers." Kanuka was silent. It wasn't surprising. The Second Division was known as a kind of dumping ground for Tokyo police misfits. You got one chance to get out – or none at all. If you missed your chance, well, then you had no one to blame but yourself. Kanuka poured herself another drink, finding it hard to think of something to say. She was, as many people had noted throughout the years, a "quiet" drunk. She pulled into herself, allowing others to carry the conversation. With Kelly it had been easy, her ex-lover being a garrulous and talkative soul. But Kumagami seemed as withdrawn as Kanuka did and as host, she felt obliged to do something about it. "Do you," she took a deep breath, trying to clear her head, "Do you think you'll ever leave Second Division?" Kumagami looked up sharply, her dark eyes meeting Kanuka's. Kanuka could feel a thrill run down her spine and shook herself physically to stop the sensation. "Why?" Kumagami asked, her voice edgy. "Why what?" Kanuka wasn't sure what the other woman was referring to – did she somehow sense what Kanuka was thinking? "Why do you think I'd leave?" Kumagami wasn't looking at Kanuka anymore, there was something in her tone of voice, something…homesick, that made Kanuka want to reach out and touch her. "I just wondered if you wanted to," Kanuka began, then paused. Suddenly she banged her glass down on the table with a sharp noise. "Lieutenant Kumagami," she barked in Japanese, "how interested are you in anti-terrorist Patlabor use?" Kumagami straightened in her chair and responded quickly. "Very interested, sir!" she barked. "May I inquire why?" her voice softened, probing for something she hoped she heard. "You may not, lieutenant." Kanuka said, a slight grin passing quickly over her lips. "I'm invoking my right to be mysterious and change the subject." "That's not fair," Kumagami said, then waved the bartender over to order another bottle. "In which case I'm suspending my responsibilities as guest until you tell me." "I can't, really." Kanuka said. "But, maybe, let's just say that there's a slight possibility that if my new project gets off the ground, then maybe you might hear from me again soon." She stressed every qualifier in the statement. Kumagami's face flushed a darker shade. Kanuka watched with fascination. Was that flush personal or professional? Kanuka rebuked herself for her fancy. It was nothing more than wishful thinking and sake' talking in her head. She knew perfectly well that Kumagami was more interested in her Patlabor project than in her. Kumagami was speaking, but Kanuka hadn't been listening. She asked the other woman to repeat herself, and Kumagami's eyes fell to the table. "I'm sorry, I'm probably presuming. I just thought that, since you weren't presenting tomorrow, we could take this last bottle back to my hotel room." Kanuka stopped breathing for a moment. Was she…? Kumagami laughed. "I'd normally never be so rude, but my feet are killing me in these new shoes and I long to change into my slippers!" Kanuka's body relaxed, but her mind raced. She was being ridiculous. Kumagami would probably be mortified if she knew what Kanuka was thinking. She'd better get herself under control and fast. This was definitely behavior unbecoming an officer. "Sure," she found herself saying. "That's fine. I'm not presenting at all tomorrow, and you must still be suffering from jet lag." She waved away Kumagami's attempt to pay part of their tab. "Come on, we'll walk, as long as your feet hold out. The fresh air will do us some good." The night was exquisite. Music seemed to pour from every restaurant door and the sounds and smells of the streets screamed "New York!" at them. Kanuka was amused and pleased at Kumagami's reactions to her streets – her people. She found herself grinning at the Japanese woman as they walked uptown. "I'm glad you came for the conference. It's nice to know that we can both lighten up a little," Kanuka said with a grimace. "I felt like a heel after the first time we met." Kumagami nodded. "I did too." She reached a hand out and took Kanuka's fingers in a brief clasp. "Thank you for showing me around your city." Kanuka's heart sped up a little as she squeezed the other woman's hand then pulled away.
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