Chapter One: Case of Curious Kitty Onodera

The next few weeks passed without much incident. Sapphire's editor in chief still hasn't gotten around to even talking with Meiri or Takano like they had suspected...but that could be due to the fact that the cycle was now just starting to 'ripen'. And NO ONE wanted to be around the Emerald department near the end of their cycle.

"Gah...no wonder you guys start to look like crap at the end of every cycle...these authors are terrible!" Meiri said; terrible meaning they're awful with keeping deadlines and drag the editors every which way. Something in which she and other manga departments hardly ever had to face. Partially why people seemed to avoid the Emerald department around this time every month. "Are all shoujo mangaka this bad?" she continued to gripe. Meiri's appearance actually looked better than the boys'...though not by much. Her eyes looked strained and hair starting to look like she hadn't brushed it for a couple of days. She felt disgusting that she had to pile on deodorant and light body spray to cover the fact that she hadn't had time to bathe. Though...judging by the sad state of her other coworkers, neither did they... "I'm even having to sleep in the study...I can't go to bed with my husband like this," comical tears ran down her face. An equally comical vision came to mind as well: It would be of Meiri's husband with tears running down his own face trying to sleep in an empty marital bed while Meiri quarantined herself in the study. "It feels like I'm punishing him,"

"I'm sure he understands though, right?" Onodera consoled. He himself looking tired as fuck.

"I told him what I've heard, though I didn't think it would be this bad. I have to push him away when he wants to greet me with a kiss because I don't want him to smell me. But yes he understands. He made it through me being an author after all...though I was never THIS complacent..." she ground her teeth.

"How I would've loved to be your editor..." Hatori said slamming his laptop shut and shoving it into his bag. "You'd be far easier to work with than this lazy deadline breaking buffoon I have to watch over...Sorry..but I need to see to an urgent matter regarding said buffoon..."

"Take care," Takano called as he usually does when Hatori must storm away to attend to his troublesome author. "I need a smoke," he said getting up and heading to the smoker's break room. Seemed his intake of nicotine went up toward the end of cycles; though it was completely understandable for someone that took on a lot of stress despite it being sorely unhealthy. Takano made sure to ruffle Onodera's hair as he left, causing the newbie coordinator to snap back at him. Not that the editor in chief cared at all and continued on his way.

Meiri blinked at the small display before her. Onodera made it sound like he hated things like that, but the blush and somber look he had after fussing about it told her otherwise. Oh my... the yaoi mangaka smiled to herself. Perhaps working with the Emerald department might be a little more fun than she thought.

/(^x^)\

The past few days have been a little rough on Ritsu. His curiosity got the better of him and he managed to pick up the first 3 books of Meiri's most recent series. Going to Books Marimo to purchase them was even more nerve wracking. He felt far too awkward to ask for it from Marukawa's archive for very good reasons. Thankfully Yukina didn't judge or make a comment on Onodera's choices, though he'd really only met Yukina maybe once in passing.

He did find that Kisa was hanging around there a lot. Dawdling outside as if waiting for someone.

He was still there when Onodera left and even had a small chat. It turned out that he really was waiting for someone but didn't know who. Only when the conversation seemed to stall did Onodera take his leave. Still curious as to who exactly Kisa was waiting for, but since he wanted to hurry home anyway it wasn't the best time to find out.

Onodera really didn't to even sample a bit of his purchase even after he left the bookshop. Mainly because of what he heard of the content. It's not something you should be reading in public and he still had a train ride and short walk to go. He just thanked his lucky stars that Takano didn't have the pleasure of accompanying him home tonight. Being neighbors, going a night without the two of them walking home together was uncommon, but there was times like tonight when Takano would dismiss him early while he attended last minute meetings.

His curiosity nagged him the entire trip home though. Have I ever been so anxious to try a book out like this before? He pondered to himself. The feeling was similar to someone who'd bought a racy book or magazine and tried to hide that fact from his parents or roommates. Even though at 25, this feeling would be pointless, he still couldn't shake the feeling he was about to engage in something naughty. He ran his hand through his mouse brown hair and took his shoes off at the genkan. Normally he'd be found flat on his face about this time here. But for some reason tonight he was oddly full of energy.

He proceeded to take out a bag of cookies and pour himself a glass of milk. Seems this was dinner tonight. Sitting down on his sofa (after clearing them of his clean clothes), he took out the Books Marimo plastic bag with his new prize inside. Title was: Never Getting Older Vol. 1 with his new coworker's name, Uehara Meiri, adorning the front cover at the bottom. This ran for 3 years with it's last volume released just a few weeks ago. There were even some stickers pasted on the cover boasting Yaoi/BL of the year, Editor's choice, etc. He could understand how Meiri would be nervous about being able to put out another story that could top this one with all its notoriety.

Removing the obi, he began to read it. The tale was about two young men going to an all boys academy. Seemed rather cliché at first. Both boys had come from well-to-do families and such. The supposed seme was more a class clown that loved to pick on who appeared was going to be the uke. Going a little further realized the more feminine character was actually in love with his bully. He quirked a brow at the situation he was reading before him, Who'd fall in love with that jerk?

The next chapter would reveal why he's falling in love with him. Seems seme didn't always used to be like that. Also seemed this 'bully' really only gave so much attention to him because he was trying to deny his feelings for the uke, which led to his lashing out at him. But the uke saw right through him. Now it seemed they were in the library where all the barriers were finally broken; the uke, being pent up with such emotion, blurted out that he loved him trying to get the seme to acknowledge his feelings as well.

Wait a minute...Why do I get a sudden sense of deja vu? Onodera had this sinking feeling in his stomach. But decided to press on anyway. The last chapter of Vol. 1 was the one that made him light up like a red traffic light. Th...they're gonna...do it in the library? This was bringing back some rather daunting memories that settled in the far recesses of his mind until now. IS THIS A THING FOR STUDENTS TO DO?! LIKE A FANTASY OF SOME SORT?!

Of course referring to his own encounter in the library all those years ago. The parallels were uncanny. But now Onodera was getting a sense of what the other was thinking when they decided to consummate in the library. A feeling like, they couldn't hold their raw passion in anymore and he desperately needed the uke's comfort right then and there.

"She writes a desire that builds up to such a hot intimacy that means everything and not just lust...Sex that speaks of love, longing, and trust as if it were the greatest blessing between a couple," Kisa's words from the beginning of the month came back to him then.

"Could...could that have been...what Takano-san was thinking back then?" No...this was just in manga...right?

His heart then began to pound. It pumped so hard he could hear it in his ears. It was his own misunderstanding of Takano's true feelings that broke them apart ten years ago. He honestly didn't know how Takano felt, but now by just reading his coworker's most honored work, he sees into what Takano must've really been feeling back then. Granted their situations were much different, but it still drove the point all the way home.

He continued reading through this sex scene. A scene so full of passion through which it was brilliantly...drawn. Onodera could feel heat rising to his face and lightning surge down to his hips. He saw the seme pleasure his uke in such a manner that his own body began to burn. He reached a scene where the seme tweaked uke's nipples and Onodera could vividly picture the many times Takano did the very same for him. The places Takano touched him burned with even MORE fervor now. Seeing it clearly illustrated and spelled out for him like this made him resonate with the uke. Even down to the blush and losing all senses including common. Almost as if he could literally see himself in that manga.

Uh oh...this is bad... Onodera's heart couldn't stop its racing and pounding. It wasn't long before he realized just how excited he was. The vivid images were stained in his head and they began to go wild. "...I ...I should stop now," he said as he closed the book marking his place with a book marker. He was actually almost done with the first volume anyway. He couldn't understand it, but raw feelings were bubbling up in him after being dormant for a long time and this little first time manga editor was getting more than he bargained for. "Gah, enough...I'm going to bed..." he tried to shove everything back into the recesses of his brain.

It was only when he stood up did he remember there was a part of his body that was craving attention at the moment. "Great...," Onodera said bringing his hand down, shifting to make it more comfortable. A cold shower seemed far too painful to bear at this point. He then blushed at the only other option.

Onodera could hear his heart more clearly as he went to his bedroom drawer to acquire a bottle of lube. He'd never admit in a million years that he kept it there in the case that Takano decided to force his way into his home again. Peeling off his shirt and pants, his mind raced as he was reminded that it's been such a long time since he's done this by himself. His member sprang forth eagerly as he released it from its cotton confines. Taking the lube and warming it in his hands, he began to set to work rubbing out his little 'problem'.

The vivid imagery crowded his mind again. His head started to feel fuzzy. He was even being stubborn in trying NOT to think of Takano...but who else was he going to think about? It just wouldn't work any other way! It wasn't long before he gave up trying to fight it and Onodera's bedroom was now being filled with his sounds of ecstasy as he pumped. Small moans escaped him as now he couldn't do anything but think strictly of Takano and their time in the library. Then the image would shift to a memory of ten years later being sucked off in his own genkan...then making love in Takano's car. All these memories he tried to shove away as being bad and trying to forget them. But it felt too good to ever forget them right now. Not that he'd ever admit that of course.

"A-ah...Takano-san! Nnn!" he cried as he released.

/(^x^)\

Takano sighed heavily as he finally made it to the final steps leading to his apartment. He stepped into his door and put down his bag. He actually had something he had to tell his neighbor...even though said news could wait til morning. But this was Takano and he liked to have any excuse to bug Onodera. I'll just ring his bell once just to see if he's still awake, if he doesn't answer I'll leave him be...

With that he strolled down the hall to 1202. Before even touching the doorbell, he heard a yell come from within. "Onodera?" this made his heart jump and he hit the doorbell actually starting to gain concern. He then heard movement in the form of rushing about. "?"

When Onodera answered his door, he seemed out of breath. "I...I was just seeing if you were still awake," Takano clamored for his loss of words. "Are you okay?"

"Oh...um yes..." Onodera responded with what looked like a nervous look on his face.

"Are you sure? Your shirt is inside out...as well as backwards," come to think of it. It looked like he'd hastily thrown some clothes on from Takano's point of view. His pants were even undone.

"Eh? ...Ah!" Onodera shot as he looked down. "I...I was in the bath!"

"Liar, your hair is still oily. And you're not exactly wet..."

"Erm..um.." normally Onodera could respond with a snarky remark and try to tell him off. But he...just couldn't find it in him at the moment. Instead he gave a look that was reminiscent of the young, nervous, kawaii little bean that Takano once knew.

"Are you sure you're okay? I thought I heard you yelling..." Takano asked a bit more perturbed at this point. Why does he look so nervous? He's only talking to me... It was then all pieces were coming together. Unbuttoned pants, clothes look thrown on, face flushed, and that all knowing expression that exposed his true feelings for him. Takano closed the space between them putting an arm over Onodera's head against the wall.

"Oi, what were you doing without me?" Takano said in a sultry voice bringing Onodera's hand up to his nose as if to kiss it. This allowed him to catch a whiff of Onodera's essence and lube still lingering on his hand. "Mmm you were thinking of me, weren't you?" Takano said feeling the fire in his own loins.

Onodera had lost the will to fight him back in his own bedroom. He was swept away by his own damning thoughts of Takano. Before he knew it, Onodera was in Takano's bed having his body tenderly lavished by the man in his fantasies.

"Hm? Ah...hhhh…" What did that manga do to me?! I can't fight him! Not that he ever could fight him. The only difference was he had a head start this time.

"I should've gotten off early with you. If only I knew you needed me this badly," Takano's baritone voice purred into his uke's neck helping him back out of his clothes. Kisses going to suckling and back making Onodera tremble with pleasure.

Onodera may have had a head start, but just picturing his little subordinate pleasuring himself was sending Takano to meet him halfway. "You'd have to let me watch one of these days…"

"Sh….shut up…" was all the little blushing tsundere could muster up.


Author Remarks

I think I might be having too much fun here XDD Poor Ricchan! Though I've always wondered what would've happened if they all actually tried a Yaoi just like Nakamura-sensei's herself, don't you? But I suppose that'd be too easy and would probably cause an early end to the story ^^;; Next target might just be Takano! Let's see how many curious kitties I could make out of them! Stay tuned!