(( Hey folks! Ronnie, your humble author here! I was up to my ears in summer work, but now that I've started school again, I have some resemblance of a regular schedule, so I can keep making regular updates for you guys. The reviews you guys leave are a huge inspiration for me to keep working on this story, so thanks a lot! ))
Masamune pulled into the parking lot of Kisa's apartment building. He double checked the address from the text message before heading inside. Onodera sure finds himself in a lot of sticky situations, doesn't he?, Masamune thought to himself while waiting in the elevator. Kisa lived at one of the top floors of the building, so it took time for the elevator to reach the right floor. He knocked on the door loudly. "Open up, Kisa!" Masamune clearly did not care that it was now past one in the morning and many of this building's residents were asleep. A very obviously still intoxicated Kisa opened the door wide. "Heeeeey, Takano! My buddy, my pal, my chum! How's it goin'?" Masamune marched straight past Kisa into the living room, where Ritsu still lay down face first, ass up in the air, on the carpet. "Y'know, me and Ricchan were just talkin' about ya? You wouldn't believe what he told me about you!" Kisa chortled and plopped down on his couch. "I wouldn't, huh?" Masamune smiled lightly and scooped up Ritsu like a sack of potatoes. Damn, he was deceptively heavy. Without so much as a goodbye to Kisa, Masamune carted Ritsu off to the elevator. He glanced over at his cargo, sleeping blissfully and smiling. He's kinda cute when he's asleep. A lot less annoying, too. Masamune's arms gave out in time for him to buckle Ritsu into the passenger seat of his car. "This idiot smiles in his sleep." Masamune mumbled. He pulled out of the parking space and headed home.
Ritsu was fast asleep and showed no signs of stirring. Masamune was tempted to wake him and make him walk into the building on his own. But Masamune felt a twinge of guilt at the thought, and decided to just carry him in. He half-carried, half-dragged Ritsu into his own apartment. He considered dropping Ritsu into 1202, Ritsu's apartment, but he felt that'd be something like invasion of privacy, especially with how he would have to fish in Ritsu's pocket to find his keys. So Masamune hung up Ritsu's coat, and left his shoes by the doorway. He dropped Ritsu onto the couch. He was still sleeping. Damn. A freight train could run through his bedroom and the guy wouldn't wake up. I can't just leave him here, though. The heat doesn't work as well in here and I don't want the poor bastard to freeze to death. Oh well. I guess it can't be helped. So Masamune scooped up Ritsu again, and he carried him to the bedroom. He put Ritsu on the bed and pulled the blanket up over him. Damn this guy. I always sleep in the nude, but 'cause I have company I gotta sleep in actual pajamas. Masamune went to his bureau and started undressing. He swore he heard Ritsu shifting in the bed behind him. He put on his pajamas and crawled into bed. Masamune stole a look at the sleeping man next to him. Onodera looks so cute when he's asleep. ...Should I? What's the harm, eh? Masamune brushed Ritsu's hair off his face and gave him a peck on the forehead. He watched him for a moment. I know that I know him from somewhere...but where? He drifted off into a deep slumber.
Masamune had the most intense dream that night. The dream was recurring yet infrequent, usually, but in the past month he was having it with increasing wasn't any ordinary dream. Oh, no. He had to relive the night of his father's murder. It was a weeknight and Masamune hadn't been home for very long. He chose to spend the evening reading in his room instead of dealing with his parents who were bickering loudly downstairs. He heard a door slam and then total silence, so he assumed he was alone. Masamune descended the stairs and peeked around the corner. His father stood in the living room with his back to the large picture window. His father had one hand on his hip and the other held a cordless phone to his ear. "She said she wasn't coming back, and that this time she meant it. But she didn't pack or anything." Masamune silently prayed that his father wouldn't notice his eavesdropping, for he had a knack for knowing whenever Masamune would be in the corner, silently listening. Just then, a mass of bullets came piercing through the window, like a swarm of vicious bees, forcing his father to succumb to their lethal sting. Masamune pried the phone out of his quickly dying father's hand and used it to call an ambulance. He was too in shock to be phased by anything. The paramedics arrived, and the police with them. Not long after the officers arrived, an important looking fat man showed up with a scrawny, mousey boy that Masamune recognized from school. He was an underclassmen. Pretty cute. Masamune noticed the other boy staring at him, and stared back out of curiosity. An officer approached him and started asking questions, but Masamune was still watching the boy. The fat guy said something to the boy. The boy looked from Masamune's dead father, to Masamune, and back a few times. He watched that scrawny kid run outside, and had a pretty good view out of the now mostly-shattered picture window as the boy threw up in the bushes.
The golden early morning light spilled through his bedroom window and woke Masamune. His eyelids flickered open and he glanced over at his alarm clock. He still had another twenty minutes of sleep. So he lay there, half asleep, thinking about how warm and cozy he was and… Oh. Shit. That's right. Onodera's here too. Masamune turned to look over at Ritsu. He admired the way his chest rose and fell with every breath, and the placid look on his face. I know I flirt with him sometimes, but its usually just to see his flustered reaction. But know that I've worked with him for a month and I know him a little better, I'm starting to wonder if I have feelings for Onodera. I wonder if I have a chance. Ritsu must've felt he was being watched, because he woke up abruptly and let out a loud "AAAAIIIIIIIIIIEEEE!" before launching himself backwards off the bed. Masamune stifled a laugh. "Good morning, sunshine. Sleep well?"
"How the fuck did I get here?" Ritsu asked, standing up off the floor.
"I carried you back from Kisa's. You're welcome." Masamune sat up in bed and yawned.
"Why?"
"Kisa asked me to get you. So I did."
"I meant, why the fuck am I in bed with you?"
"Look, princess, it was either I stuck you in bed with me so you wouldn't be a human popsicle out in the living room, or I stick my hand down your pants to get your keys to put you in your apartment." Masamune got up and walked over to Ritsu.
Ritsu blushed and rolled his eyes. "Reminds me of those questions kids would ask each other back in elementary school; 'Would you rather jump in a pool full of sharks or a pit full of alligators?' "
Masamune chuckled and got closer to Ritsu. "So what did you pick? The sharks or the alligators?"
Ritsu started down the hallway. He turned his head so he could answer Masamune. "I prefer to stay away from carnivorous predators if I can help it." The door closed softly and Ritsu was gone. Masamune couldn't help but smile softly to himself.
Back in his own apartment, Ritsu sighed heavily and sat down on his couch. He flipped on the tv to check the news. A pretty young woman in a sunny yellow pantsuit was standing in front of a train station. His train station. He could see caution tape and the flash of lights from police cruisers. The woman stated, "Due to unforeseen circumstances, this station will be closed until further notice. Stay tuned to-" Ritsu turned off the tv. Great. The other train station nearest to him was half an hour away on foot, so Ritsu decided to use his own mode of transportation. It was just as well, Ritsu was still terribly embarrassed from his encounter with Masamune, and he'd just about die if he had to endure the long, awkward train ride with him. So Ritsu began his morning routine. He showered, picked out a business casual outfit, made a quick breakfast of a bagel and coffee, grabbed his equipment, and headed for the parking lot.
And who should Ritsu run into in the elevator but the one, the only, Takano Masamune?
"Did you hear about the trains? I'd be more than happy to give you a ride." Takano smiled devilishly.
Ritsu flinched. Something about that smile… "No thank you. I have my own way of getting to work."
"Oh, you drive?" Masamune asked with genuine curiosity.
"Nope." Ritsu replied, staring blankly ahead at the doors of the elevator. The remainder of their ride down was composed entirely of awkward silence, and felt like the longest of Ritsu's life.
The two men each went towards their individual rides. Masamune reached his car first, and stopped by the driver's side door, watching Ritsu to see which vehicle he would get into. Masamune's jaw dropped when he saw his goody-two-shoes partner straddling a shiny, black, motorcycle. Ritsu put on his helmet and revved the engine twice. He kicked up the kickstand and coasted over to where Masamune stood, bewildered. Ritsu put his leg out to stabilize the bike and lifted up the visor on his full-face helmet. Ritsu smiled. "I told you I didn't drive." And with that, Ritsu slid his visor down and took off for work. Masamune got into his car and started it up. There certainly is a lot we don't know about each other. And for the first time in a while, he felt excited to go to work.