Disclaimer: I don't own Sekaiichi Hatsukoi because I'm too busy digging a hole.

I've been in a really foul mood lately, so here's a great representation of how I feel.

He's really getting on my nerves was the thought that constantly went through Ritsu's head as he irritably crossed out an entire scene from his author's storyboards, red ink shining like a beacon on the white paper. There wasn't anything really wrong about that part, really, but to Ritsu at the moment it seemed boring and quite possibly the worst scene that he'd ever seen in his entire life. Mutou-sensei could fix it easily anyways, though the deadline that had seemed far off was now way too close for comfort…as Takano so clearly reminded him each and every single time his boss passed by Ritsu's desk!

Ritsu knew he was always running low on time whenever the Cycle came to a close, but it was the same for everyone, and did Takano ever breathe down the others' necks? No, so why did he always do it to Ritsu? Was it that he was afraid Ritsu would do half-assed work or there would be one day when he would finally push the printers' patience too far and not get anything issued for that month? Ritsu would quit his job before he let that happen, but Takano's annoying presence kept making itself known around him.

Pressing down on the paper a bit too hard and letting a blot of red ink appear on the page, Ritsu pushed his storyboard away with a long exhale, running his hands through his disheveled hair. He lay back in his chair and stared up at the ceiling, wondering if that light he was sitting under would come undone from its wires and finally kill him. He felt like that kind of mood right now, to be honest.

"Ricchan?" Kisa, the co-worker who sat next to him, inquired, looking at Ritsu with something not unlike concern and sympathy. "Are you okay?"

Ritsu knew his friend was just looking out for him—yes, he considered them friends—but he couldn't help but his irritation only grew. "It's not your business," He snapped, glaring. "Leave me alone." Ritsu pointedly turned away from Kisa, clenching his fingers and wanting to strangle someone—namely Takano.

Kisa didn't say anything after that, but Ritsu could tell he was frowning at him, his eyebrows turned down in that worrying expression that he saved for Ritsu sometimes. He didn't need his pity. What he really needed was for Takano to go fuck himself and leave him the hell alone with his impromptu declarations of love and assaults. Frankly, they were getting to the point that Ritsu couldn't even bother with it anymore. Though, that could have just been his bad mood saying that.

Feeling the other's anxious stares at the back of his head, Ritsu pushed away from his desk and hurried out of the room, not wanting anyone else to see how irritated he was for fear of receiving their pity as well. Ritsu didn't need their damn pity; he wasn't some puppy on the side of the road that needed saving. He was his own person. He was independent. Why couldn't anyone understand that, especially his damned boss, Takano? Ritsu rushed into the thankfully empty break room, wanting to punch something but not wanting to break his hand. He wasn't that stupid.

"Oi, Onodera." Fuck, there was that irritating voice. Why is he here? Ritsu pretended to ignore him and paid more attention to the peeling wall paint across the room. "Onodera, what're you doing here? You realize that you have a storyboard due and there's still plenty of work to be done. If you wanted to half-ass it—"

"Shut up!" Ritsu had turned around and slapped Takano before he even knew what happened. With an icy glare that could have rivaled Yokozawa's—and his was already pretty fierce—Ritsu stood there, fuming, his hands clenched into fists before he could do something else reckless, like punch Takano's nose in.

Takano only blinked, shocked that Ritsu would do something so…wild, so uncontrolled. The hand mark on his cheek was still bright red, throbbing with what must have been unbelievable pain—but Ritsu didn't care. He was tired of hearing Takano say his work was half-assed and that he never tried hard enough at anything he did. He had enough of this abuse with his father when he worked for him at Onodera Publications; he didn't need this crap from someone who hardly knew him, even if they had dated ten years ago.

Ritsu panted with exertion, body trembling with barely-contained rage. It wasn't often that he lost his temper so suddenly like this; he could count on one hand how many occurrences it happened, actually. But this person, this man who had Ritsu in the palm of his hand and could be so kind to him then so cold the next moment…he knew exactly how to push Ritsu's buttons, and Ritsu hated that. Hated that the only person who could really get him angry was someone he used to revere ten years ago and yet someone whose orders he had to follow now in the present. Hated that no matter what Ritsu did to push Takano away, he always made his way right back into Ritsu's mind, into his heart, his body.

Suddenly feeling the fury drain out of him, Ritsu sighed tiredly and rubbed at his eyes. He didn't want to deal with Takano anymore. He just wanted to work and go home and live his life without this guy mucking his emotions up.

"Onodera," Takano said quietly, and just like that, all of Ritsu's attention was on him once more, his gaze leveled steadily with that of the man in front of him. Fuck. The older editor didn't say anything but slowly reach his arms out and pull Ritsu into a hesitant embrace.

Embarrassingly, Ritsu crumpled right into Takano's arms, feeling the stressed tears come to his eyes after so long of keeping them inside. He was so tired. He wanted to stop fighting Takano, but…he couldn't. No matter what, he just couldn't, he always had to defy in some way, always had to shove Takano out of his mind, out of his heart before the other man always squirmed his way back inside.

"Why do you always have to do this to me?" Ritsu complained, his voice muffled by Takano's shirt. "I was doing so well until you came along and forced yourself into my life and telling me my work is half-assed all the time and making me feel all these—"

"Wait, what?" Takano interrupted, pulling Ritsu away just enough to look down into his eyes. "Is this what you were so annoyed about? Me telling you what you're doing is half-assed?"

Ritsu glared through his wet eyes, punching Takano in the chest weakly. "You think it's stupid."

Takano couldn't help but let a small smile come to his lips, masking how much he wanted to laugh inside. All this…just for that? "Yeah, I do." Ritsu was about to protest again before Takano shushed him with a finger. "I do, but not because it's not something worth getting annoyed about. I say all that for a reason, you know?"

"Well that reason must be stupid," Ritsu muttered, collapsing once more against Takano's chest.

Letting out a long sigh at this stupid, stupid boy, Takano kissed the top of Ritsu's head and stroked his back comfortingly. "Maybe you might think so, but I say it to keep you motivated. If I hadn't, then you wouldn't have the potential to become a great editor."

"You…you think I can be a great editor?" Ritsu asked uncertainly. There hadn't been any evidence from Takano so far that he could be anything but mediocre at best, so why should Ritsu believe him now?

"Wouldn't have said it if I didn't think so," Takano replied easily, feeling Ritsu's body relaxing somewhat in his arms. It really was so easy to please Ritsu. He should do it more often.

A pause. "It's—"

"Hm?"

"Nothing."

"No, tell me."

Squeezing his eyes shut, Ritsu flushed and said in a rush, "I don't like it when you suddenly assault me in your apartment or here at work because I…because…"

"Because…?" Takano raised an eyebrow, surprised but not really shocked at hearing this.

"Because the more you do it, the more you push yourself on me, the more I draw into myself and hide away in a hole," Ritsu whispered, his heart turning heavy in his chest. "I can't—keep up."

Takano didn't say anything for a moment, then tugged Ritsu away from him.

"Takano-san, what—"

"May I kiss you?"

Ritsu stared up at Takano see if he was joking, but there was only a firm determination in those copper-colored eyes. Part of him wanted to say no, just for the principle of it. But the other part of him, the part that was slowly gaining control, wanted nothing more than to lose himself in this man forever. So he nodded, not knowing what else to respond with at this point.

Takano leaned down and slowly kissed Ritsu, slowly molded his lips to Ritsu's. In this kiss, Ritsu could feel every single one of Takano's jaw muscles working, steadily burning a path right into his heart. He trembled, feeling his every fiber racing with electricity, his heart chaining itself to this man, to this maddening, exasperating man who could affect Ritsu in so many ways.

This was part of the reason he couldn't find against Takano, Ritsu thought. The other man was infuriating and arrogant and relentless in everything he did, but there were times when Ritsu had a lapse in judgment and thought Why not? Why not let this man into my heart? Why not let myself love him? Ritsu knew he was just fighting a losing battle, he knew, but as Takano continued to hold and kiss him, Ritsu found that he didn't quite mind.

A/N: I have no idea how I came to this ending; I was going to do a really undecided ending in which Ritsu storms off after ranting at Takano and there's no lovey-dovey hug or kiss, but eh…listening to my playlist on YouTube always does this to me.

I love writing out my anger.

-ChemicallyEnhanced