Your relationship with Mei had always been a mix of her hands all over you—strictly for research purposes, of course—and your patience as she rambled on about her latest inventions. What started as you coming to her for adjustments to your outfit slowly turned into her making exclusive gear just for you, spending more and more time around you, sometimes even falling asleep in your lap after an all-nighter in the lab.

Then, one day, completely out of the blue, she asked you out.

“I figured, y’know, we’ve spent so much time with my babies between us, maybe we should just—remove them for a night. Just you and me!” she had said, her usual confidence shining through, but her cheeks just a little pinker than usual.

Now, here you were, standing outside a fancy little restaurant, only to be completely stunned when you see her walking toward you.

Mei Hatsume—grease-stained, unshowered, always-in-a-lab Mei—was dressed nicely. Her pink hair was still in its wild deadlocks but styled neater, and she wore a well-fitted outfit that actually flattered her figure instead of being cluttered with tools and gadgets. But what shocked you the most?

“I actually showered for this,” she admitted, rubbing the back of her neck with a slightly awkward smile. “Felt so weird without the smell of metal and oil, but—eh, figured you’d appreciate me not smelling like a junkyard for once. B-but don’t think I don’t shower, it’s just……weekly…”