Ritsu walked out of the train station with a sigh, completely worn out from the day but happy that hell week was over. It was already dark and all she wants to do is sleep the moment she gets home, hopefully she won't pass out in front of her door again. She walked down the same street she takes to get home, set on her goal to conk out after her another tiring day.
Suddenly, she felt as though she was being followed, making her growl in frustration thinking it was her ex/boss Masamune following her as she turned around to yell at him. But the moment she looked behind her, there was no one, just a deserted street save for a couple of people either standing outside or leaving the local stores.
'That's strange. Could've sworn...' her thoughts trailed off as she looked around, trying to find something out of the ordinary. She turned back around continued her walk home. She wasn't even a quarter way home when she felt like she was being hunted again. Stopping in front of a bakery window, she rummaged through her purse and took out a hand mirror before opening it up and angling the reflection to see what's behind her. Her stomach lurched when she saw a familiar looking man she glimpsed earlier when she turned around standing just several feet behind her looking at something in the store windows.
Closing the mirror before putting it back in her bag, she resumed her walk home, subtly increasing her walk, not enough not to draw attention to herself, but enough to lose the stalker. Her heart pounded in her ears when that hunted feeling increased, meaning that he was still following her. When she spotted the convenience store she frequently visits, she quickly made a mad dash toward the entrance, passing through the automatic doors and coming inside.
Once she was safely inside, she let out a shuddering breath in an attempt to calm herself before she glanced out the front window, hoping she lost him. How wrong she was that same man walked past her, his eyes glanced at her at the corner of his eye, and a small predatory smirk coming onto his face before he walked across the street to the shop across from the convenience store. Ritsu watched like a trapped animal as the stalker enter the store and pretended to browse a section, all the while sneaking a glance at Ritsu.
Ritsu never felt so scared in her life as she slinked behind one of the aisles away from his view. She placed a hand on her chest to calm her rapidly beating heart that was about to explode. How she wished she bought a taser, or even a pepper spray for protection. But no, she didn't listen to her conscience and worry about her safety.
She walked between the aisles, occasionally looking out the window to see if he gave up and left, but he still remained across the street, waiting for her to come out of her sanctuary. Ritsu clutched the strap of her bag so tightly it looked as though she was trying to strangle it.
'This is ridiculous, just leave already, please.' Ritsu thought desperately, fearing for herself as she felt her panic rising.
"Onodera?" Ritsu stifled a scream as she whipped around to see her boss standing behind her. She breathed out a shaky sigh of relief, "It's just you." she said, managing a small anxious smile on her face.
"What are you doing here?", Masamune asked as he took in her appearance, noting how tense and shaking she looks, and her eyes were filled with fear and anxiety.
"Um, I'm shopping because that's what you do when you visit a convenience store, ya know." Ritsu couldn't understand why she lied to Masamune. Her eyes glancing out the window, seeing the stalker still in the same shop.
Masamune caught her glance and followed her gaze, his eyes catching sight of the man subtly watching her behind a magazine. He glared before turning back to Ritsu, "Is he bothering you?" he said, his protective and possessive instincts rising to the surface at the sight of that man watching what was solely his.
Ritsu tensed at the tone in his voice, her grip on her bag so tight her knuckles turned white. Looking down, she told him the truth, "He's been following me since I left the station. I tried losing him earlier, but he still followed me so I ended up hiding in here." she said, feeling afraid as she felt the stalker staring directly at her.
Masamune clenched his fists at the sight of Ritsu shaking from head to toe at the thought of some stranger following her home.
"How long have you been here?" Ritsu looked up, "Um, five...ten minutes?" she answered, unsure just how long she has been inside.
Masamune was silent for a moment before taking her hand and pulling her with him. Ritsu stumbled a little, but quickly found her footing as Masamune grabbed a couple of items and brought them to the counter to pay for.
"Takano-san?" Ritsu enquired, her hand still in his as the clerk gave him the plastic bag filled with stuff.
"Just don't leave my side when no matter what." Masamune instructed as he lead her out of the convenience store. Ritsu tensed up when she caught the stalker's stare, instinctively burying herself to Masamune's side.
Masamune wrapped an arm around her in response and kissed the top of her head, glaring at the stalker as they walked away. Ritsu looked up at Masamune, "Is he still there?" she asked, afraid to see that man following them.
Masamune looked behind them and saw no one, his instincts on high alert in case any predator dared come near. "He's gone." he said, keeping his arm around Ritsu as she let out a shuddering breath of relief, but kept her guard up.
Masamune rubbed his hand up and down her arms in an attempt to reassure her that she was safe. "Thank you. You can let go of me now Takano-san." Ritsu said, but Masamune merely responded by bringing her closer to his body.
"Um, Takano-san?" Ritsu looked up at him when he refused to release her. "This is the only way for those stalking perverts to know you're already taken." Masamune said rather possessively as they walked home to their apartment building.
"You know you're a pervert and a stalker yourself?" she said, glaring up at him before he smirked, "You really want to be saying that, Oda?" she blushed deeply, "Never bring that name up again, and I wasn't a pervert! " she exclaimed, feeling utterly embarrassed for that phase in her high school days when she stalked her crush.
Masamune chuckled at her blush as their building came into view up ahead, "You're staying at my place tonight, and we'll be coming and going to work together from now on." Masamune said suddenly, ignoring Ritsu's affronted expression, "What? No way." she shook her head, knowing all too well what will happen if she stays the night at his place.
"I need to make certain that pervert doesn't come near you." Masamune said as they got closer to their home.
"Look, I'm grateful to you for helping me out of that situation, but that was only one man, he's probably lost interest in me already." Ritsu said as they entered the building before coming into the elevator.
"You really are naive." Masamune said, "You don't know how beautiful you are to most people." he held her to his side, his fingers caressing her arm through her jacket. "Someone has to protect you, and no one but me is going to do that." he said, making Ritsu blush as the elevator reached their floor before the door opened before Masamune guided them toward his apartment door.
As Masamune fished out his key, Ritsu glanced at her own apartment door and contemplated her chances of escaping into her home. Those hopes were dashed when the door clicked and she was pulled into Masamune's apartment. Ritsu then found herself locked inside an embrace as the door closed shut. Her bag fell to the floor as she squirmed in Masamune's arms, "Takano-san, I can't breathe." she squeaked out before Masamune loosened his grip slightly, but didn't release her.
"Onodera," he whispered into her ear, "I won't let anyone hurt you. No one is allowed to touch you." he said posessively, firmly holding her to his person.
Ritsu gasped when he nuzzled her neck, "T-Takano-san..." she felt herself shiver as Masamune lightly traced the tips of his fingers through her coat along her spine.
"The next time you feel as though you are in danger, just call me and I'll help you." He said, lightly kissing the spot on her neck that made her tremble and go weak in the knees. "Besides," he lightly bit her ear, making Ritsu gasp before she felt him smile, "I'm the only one who can stalk you." Ritsu blushed at the implication before he gave her a deep kiss then was suddenly picked up and taken to his bedroom where he had his way with her.
Ritsu glared up at the wall as she touched the tender spots on her neck, "Did you have to maul my neck so much?" Ritsu growled, holding the blanket close to her chest with Masamune on his side, holding her back to his chest as he touched her skin.
Masamune chuckled at her disgruntled expression, "Best way to let those stalkers know you belong to me." he said, feeling sated after an hour of passionate sex, even as the scratch marks on his back stung.
Ritsu growled lightly in her throat as Masamune held her securely to his front, cutting off her chances of escape once again. Though at the back of her mind, she enjoyed this, loving these moment where he just holds her like this, as though to tell the world to stay away.
Placing her hand on top of Masamune's she relaxed as she nuzzled her pillow, "Takano-san," she whispered, her body feeling tired as her eyes began to droop, "I don't like being stalked, but...as long as you don't make a habit of it, then I'm okay." she said, admitting to him and herself that she didn't mind as long as it was someone familiar like Masamune.
Masamune smiled tenderly down at Ritsu before placing a kiss on her head, "Goodnight, Ritsu." he said before they drifted off to sleep.