Katsuko and Genma beat them to the coffee shop, but not by much. When Ryouma and Kakashi slipped inside, nondescript in civvies, Katsuko was leaning up against the cash register with a tall coffee in one hand and a sparkling smile for the woman behind the counter. The bartender, a slim redhead with a pierced eyebrow and tattooed wrists, was smiling back.

Well, that explained why that particular bartender never seemed to remember Ryouma's name.

Genma had achieved a booth with a good view of all the exits and was still occupied in trying to stow his crutches without tripping passers-by. Kakashi took over wordlessly, balancing the crutches atop the long back of the booth before he slid in opposite Genma. Ryouma lingered in the aisle. "You ordered already, lieutenant?"

"I asked Ueno to get me a large coffee with soy, but she might have been distracted enough to forget." He flicked an amused smile back to the counter, where Katsuko had succeeded in winning a laugh.

Kakashi folded his arms on the table and rested his chin on his stacked fists. "Do they do tea here, or just coffee and first dates?"

"I've never gotten a date here," Ryouma said. It was one reason he kept coming back; there was no awkwardness to avoid. "What kind of tea? Do either of you want food?"

"Green." Kakashi slid a glance across the table at Genma and conceded, "And anything savory."

Genma smiled in lieutenantly satisfaction, and nodded toward the bakery case. "How about a few of those salted yolk steamed buns? Enough for all of us. We need to get the taste of the meeting this morning out of our mouths."

"If enough for all of us includes Katsuko, we're gonna wipe them out. Green tea, soy coffee, every pastry they've got. Got it." Ryouma nodded briskly and struck off before Genma could make good on the beginnings of a wallet-grab.

The bakery case had suffered from the ravages of an early morning clientele, but there were still plenty of savory buns mixed in with sweet bread and cream cakes. Ryouma lounged up beside Katsuko and smiled sunnily at her new conquest. "Do we get a discount?"

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