(( Hey guys! Guess who's back with another installment in the saga (lol) of everyone's favorite gay cops! I feel that within the next couple chapters, this fic will end, but when it does, you can bet you'll be getting more SIH fics from me! ))

Masamune practically sprinted to his desk upon arriving to work the next morning. He had to see Ritsu. He had to apologize. He had to explain. Masamune was, of course, confused when he noticed Ritsu hadn't arrived at work yet. He had said yesterday at work that he would come in early so they could have more time to work on the case. But as the day wore on, Ritsu still hadn't arrived. Masamune sent him a "Where are you?" text, but Ritsu didn't answer. When Kisa ambled by, on his way to the lab, Masamune stopped him. "Kisa. Did Onodera tell you anything about not coming in to the station today?" Kisa laughed nervously. Something about Masamune made him feel uneasy just then. "Uh, yes, actually, Takano-san. Read it for yourself." Kisa fished his phone out of his lab coat pocket and pulled up his recent messages. He passed the phone over to the detective.

Text from: Ricchan

Friday, Nov. 18. 6:55 am

Hey Kisa-san! I'm not coming to the station today. Just not feeling it.

Text from: Me

Friday, Nov. 18. 6:57 am

okey dokey, ricchan. you're not sick or anything, right?

Text from: Ricchan

Friday, Nov.18. 6:58 am

No, I'm not sick. Just a lot of thinking to do.

Text from: Me

Friday, Nov.18. 7:01 am

oooh! thinking about you know who? ;)

And that was where the messages ended. Masamune passed the phone back to Kisa and eyed him quizzically. "What was that last part? 'You know who'?" Kisa glanced at the phone screen. He looked perplexed at first, but his countenance soon changed to one of shock and alarm. "Oh… oh, shit! Yeah, please pretend you didn't read that. I'm gonna go." Kisa stuffed the phone back into his pocket and hurried off to the lab. That Kisa. He has all the subtlety of a chainsaw. Masamune scoffed and tried to get back to work.

But he had trouble focusing. He had wanted to explain everything to Ritsu the night before. He wanted to say "I'm sorry I kissed you." But the trouble was, that would be a lie, and Masamune was no liar. If anything, he was honest to a fault. He was not sorry, per se, because saying sorry implies that you regret what you've done and will endeavor not to repeat what you've done. And Masamune most certainly did not regret the feel of Ritsu's lips against his own, however brief the sensation, and he would absolutely love to have the chance to kiss him again. What he did regret, however, was that his actions had seemingly driven Ritsu away. The guy didn't even come into work today. Does he have any idea how much work has to be done once a murder investigation has been opened? Masamune scowled absentmindedly and began tapping aggressively on his laptop, warranting looks of concern and/or fear from passing clerks and cops alike.

Masamune had wanted to knock on Ritsu's door that previous night, he had wanted to, desperately. But he knew that he had better go to sleep, lest he do anything else rash and reckless and push his partner even further away.

Masamune attempted to recall exactly when he first noticed himself falling for Ritsu, but was unable to. There was no eureka moment where he had said to himself, "Ah, yes, I do believe I harbor homosexual feelings for my coworker." He had fallen, slowly but surely, not noticing until he was long past the point of no return. In the beginning he had definitely enjoyed flirting with Ritsu and teasing him. It was enjoyable, although the sentiments expressed were hollow. Masamune had taken pleasure in watching his attractive new partner squirm and blush at his comments. But in no time at all, he found himself with undeniable feelings of affection for the newbie detective. Masamune would be lying if he said this was the first time in his life he'd gotten a schoolboy crush on Ritsu. At least the first time, he'd been an actual schoolboy.

And in that parking garage, on that freezing November night, not even 24 hours prior, Masamune had to confront said feelings, or, rather, the young man he had said feelings for. In the crisp night air, their breath had hung in soft gray clouds when the two men exhaled, the vapor combining just over their heads before quickly dissipating. And when the eerie quiet of the garage was pierced by their laughter, Masamune swore that he had experienced few things in his life that were half as lovely as the twinkle in Ritsu's eye as he laughed, or the way the pleasant sound reverberated through the near-deserted structure. All resolve melted. The moment had seemed so right, Masamune wouldn't have been able to stand himself another minute if he didn't let Ritsu know how he felt.

What complicated this situation even further was that station romances were prohibited. Participating in one and being discovered by your superiors was a sure means of penalty, transfer, or even dismissal. Having a romance with a relatively unaffiliated coworker was grounds enough for trouble, but having one with your partner, that was a big no-no. Back in his training days, Masamune was informed of how such a relationship was a danger in the field. It clouds your judgement. It's a safety concern. He could still hear the sergeant's words echo in his head. He had assumed back then that he would always heed that sage advice. But presently, he had no intention of doing so.

Holy shit, Masamune. Don't get ahead of yourself. Onodera didn't come to work today so he wouldn't have to deal with last night. You shouldn't think that he would-

"WHIIIIIIRRRRRSKREEEEKRSHHHH!" The screaming of the ancient copy machine, crying in agony as it malfunctioned yet again, startled Masamune rather abruptly from his quite extensive train of thought. Now back from his pondering, he noticed that a novice female clerk, the same one whose hand had brushed Ritsu's the day before, was frantically pushing every button on the machine, trying in vain to retrieve her photocopies. Masamune glided up behind the young lady and tapped her lightly on the shoulder. She spun around with a start and blushed, naturally, at the sight of the handsome head detective. "May I?" Masamune asked, gesturing towards the wheezing, sputtering appliance. The clerk nodded, and took a few steps back to accommodate him. With moderate ferocity, Masamune banged his fist thrice on the top of the copier, before giving the bottom part a swift kick. Sure enough, the death cries of the copy machine ceased, and it resumed its usual state of barely-functioning. Nearby members of the force clapped appreciatively, and the clerk took her photocopies and skittered off. Masamune took a second to notice how fast she could retreat in high heels, before sauntering back to his own desk with a sense of smug self-satisfaction.

"Thank you for your will get in contact with you if we need to." Masamune shook the witnesses' hand, and gave him directions for leaving the building. Masamune turned away to check the time on his phone. Shit, when did it get so late? Can't get any more witnesses to come down here at this time of night. Might as well go home. Masamune stuffed his phone back in his pocket and walked purposefully through the lobby. He gave the receptionist a half-hearted wave.

He walked briskly through the cold, with hands fisted deep in his pockets and a determined countenance. Masamune boarded the subway. His train car was nearly empty of humanity, as to be expected so late at night. He sat and pensively stared into space. There was so much he needed to tell Onodera, since it was apparent that his partner didn't remember everything about the night they met ten years ago. The night did not end with Ritsu sick in Masamune's front yard. The night took a very different tone. There was so much to discuss. This fucking subway stop can't come soon enough, he thought, nervously wringing his hands.

Masamune stepped out of the elevator and over to apartment 1202. There was light coming from under the door. It was now or never. He knocked on Ritsu's door and waited for a reply.

There was the sound of footsteps, and the door opened to reveal Ritsu clad casually in a t-shirt and jeans. Ritsu's eyes were like dinner plates when he saw Masamune in his doorway. "Takano-san", he whispered, glued to the spot.

"Can I, um, can I help you?" Ritsu did not make eye contact, instead choosing to stare down at the bottom left corner of the doorway. Masamune sighed and attempted to look Ritsu in the eyes. That floor must have been very interesting, because Ritsu did not look up.

"Onodera, we- hey, look at me." Ritsu glanced up slightly, through his eyelashes. "We're adults, Onodera, we're professionals. We need to talk about what happened. Let me in." Masamune's voice was gentle, plaintive.

Ritsu inhaled sharply and backed up into the apartment. He opened the door wider and gestured Masamune to come inside. "Can I get you something to drink?" Ritsu asked quietly.

"Coffee, if you don't mind. I think we'll both need it." Masamune laughed softly, seating himself on one end of Ritsu's couch.

Ritsu nodded sheepishly and walked over to his kitchen. Masamune stole a brief, appreciative glance at Ritsu's behind as he went. These jeans are doing him more favors than those suit pants, Masamune thought. He took a once-over of Ritsu's kitchen and living room area. The layout was identical to his apartment of course, save for the fact that Ritsu's was very sparsely decorated, even for a bachelor pad.

On the windowsill sat a depressed and half-dead cactus. In the corner was a positively overflowing old bookcase that held books of every size and genre. On top of the bookcase was a single framed photo, which Masamune craned his neck to see. In the photo, a middle-aged couple posed, a stone-faced and balding man in a formal police uniform with several pins and accomodations stood on the left. On the right, a woman in a chic dress with large diamond earrings with a smile both demure and smug. Between them stood a teenage boy in a suit who looked like he'd rather be anywhere else.

"That's our family photo", Ritsu said. Masamune turned to look at him. Ritsu walked back from the kitchen, a piping hot mug of coffee in each hand. He placed one down on the coffee table by Masamune, then walked over to the other end of the couch and sat down.

"So that's your family photo from… which occasion?" Masamune began, taking his mug in hand.

Ritsu took a sip of coffee, and it was apparently too hot because he fanned his mouth for a few seconds before he answered. "Oh, that's just our family photo in general. The one and only." Ritsu said nonchalantly, looking away, towards the kitchen.

There was silence for a minute before Takano began, "So, I know we started talking about this last night, but, how much do you remember from ten years ago? And I mean, really remember."

Ritsu turned towards Masamune and looked as if he was about to say something, but then he turned away again.

"Look, Ritsu", Masamune started. Ritsu got goosebumps at hearing Masamune use his first name.

"Ritsu, after you ran outside, I followed you. I needed fresh air too, I guess. And I sat down next to you, after you puked. And you apologized for making a scene, and I said it was alright. And you listened to me. All night long people had been asking me questions. But for the first time all night, hell, for the first time in my life, someone actually listened to me. All throughout the case, everytime I had to come back to the station for some new thing, you were there to talk to. I would've gone nuts without you, Ritsu. Do you remember how we'd loan each other books and stay up to ungodly hours talking about them? There were all these times we called each other in the middle of the night." Masamune sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.

Ritsu finally faced Masamune, his countenance confused. Masamune inched a bit closer to Ritsu and continued.

"Ritsu? You… you showed up to court a lot, for the trial. But then the trial ended, and we didn't keep in touch. And then I moved to Shikoku to live with my grandmother… came back here for college and the police academy. And that's that I guess." Masamune took a big swig of coffee and set the mug back down.

"Listen, I don't know a lot of things right now. I don't know why we didn't keep in contact, I don't know why I couldn't forget you no matter how hard I tried. I don't even know the moment I first realized I had a crush on you back then." Masamune scooched even closer to Ritsu, sitting next to him then. Ritsu was beet red, nervously tugging his hair. He looked like he wanted to crawl under the couch and hide.

Masamune took off his glasses, folded them neatly, and placed them on the coffee table. He leaned towards Ritsu and took the other man's hands in his and looked at him pleadingly. "Please, Ritsu, please. Please tell me you remember me. Please tell me that what our friendship or whatever it was, what we once had, tell me it wasn't all in my head." He implored, staring deeply into Ritsu's eyes, and held his hands a little tighter.

Ritsu looked down at the floor but did not let go of Masamune's hands. "Takano-san… I remember, it all hit me last night. I was lying in bed and I couldn't sleep and everything hit me. The things that you don't know, that you mentioned? I might have answers for a couple of them."

Masamune chuckled softly. "That's vague, consider my interest piqued", he said, leaning forward. "Well, I'm all ears."

Ritsu slowly withdrew his hands from Takano's grasp and folded them in his lap. "After you moved away, I kept my disctance from everyone, and I was barely there to begin with. I didn't answer my phone, I didn't sleep, and I sort of became, well, a ghost, I guess. I was told I'd been through some kind of trauma, and I spent all my time trying to forget, trying to remove myself from the pieces of me that hurt. I felt selfish, that something that shouldn't have been my trauma to have was, you know? It wasn't my father who passed. So why was I so scarred?" Ritsu fidgeted with his hands and intensely observed his mug on the table. Masamune looked at Ritsu and felt his heart crack a little. He took a moment to formulate a response.

"You can't -and don't- have a monopoly on grief. Yeah, we went through parts of the same ordeal, but it got to us in different ways. The trauma you underwent took nothing away from my mourning and experiences." Masamune felt his suit jacket pocket to see if he had a pack of cigarettes in there. He was definitely going to need a smoke later. "Frankly, I feel sorry either of us got into that mess in the first place. But I think two good things can be said of all that. I found my calling, and I met you."

Ritsu shivered despite the warmth growing in his cheeks. "There isn't anything for you to be sorry about, Takano-san." He whispered, placing a tentative hand on Masamune's shoulder. When Masamune shifted to look at the source of the touch, Ritsu withdrew his hand as though he'd just placed it on a hot stove. Masamune held in a laugh. Things are still pretty weird between us, but at least we're getting somewhere, he mused.

Despite the unfortunate circumstances that had brought them together, as teenagers they had formed an odd friendship spanning just a few months that had resulted in each leaving an imprint on the other's heart, an inexplicable and indelible mark. Everything had progressed so rapidly and they had been separated unceremoniously. The hadn't the time to explain, to confess. But here they were again, brought back together by the invisible thread that bound them. It would seem they had more time now than they did in adolescence, and perhaps there was something to be said about that.

"And, well, about one other thing. Uh…" Ritsu was trying to make eye contact with Masamune, with little success. Masamune reached out and tipped Ritsu's chin toward him, essentially forcing him to look Masamune in the eye. Ritsu swallowed the lump in his throat and continued with trepidation. "I, I did like you too, like that, um, before."

Takano's look of surprise quickly turned into a warm, genuine smile. "And what about now?" He asked, moving his hand to cup Ritsu's cheek. Ritsu forget to breath for a moment, entranced by the man touching him so gently. And the way Masamune looked at him, like he was the only person in the world that mattered. But he soon remembered himself and promptly shouted and retreated to the other side of the couch, nearly falling over the armrest.

Takano rolled his eyes. "Well regardless of that, as amazing and talented a detective as I may be-"

"Don't be an egomaniac!", Ritsu spat from the far end of the couch, without the will or desire to devise a more biting or witty insult. Besides, he knew that Masamune was right. He was skillful in his trade and Ritsu would not be the one to deny it. Rather, he would be much more likely to defend Masamune, should anyone ever doubt him.

"As I was saying", Masamune countered, raising an eyebrow. "As good a detective as I am, I can't do this alone. The department needs you. I need you. So what do you say, Detective Onodera?" He held out his right hand. "Partners?", he asked with a twinge of hopefulness.

Ritsu closed his eyes momentarily and nodded. He shook Masamune's hand. "Partners.", he concluded.

((Author's note:

Oh boy, that was a lot. After an absence of over 2 years, I'm back, kids! The main delays in this fic were that I got caught up in a new fandom for a while, school, and frankly life in general. I've grown up a lot these last couple years and as such I feel my writing style has changed with some significance. With that being the case, I am sorely tempted to edit and rewrite the hell out of the first five chapters and turn them into something else, but at the same time, pardon the cliche, I don't want to mess with the artistic integrity I had cultivated for myself. When I started this fic I had a very clear vision I wanted to execute and I was proud of the fruits of my labor. I feel like to basically overhaul this fic might get rid of some of its charm. While I still have that vision of mine, it has changed a bit, and with new aspects of canon to explore and perhaps introduce, I refuse to cloud my vision, I resolve to evolve it.

That last paragraph may have been a little corny, but this one won't be much better, I'm afraid. I'd like to thank everybody who stuck with me for this little project, and for everyone who believed in this story -and by extension- me. Even when I wasn't actively working on this story, once in a while I'd drop by and reread all the nice comments and it really made me feel better at some low points. Now, not to get too ambitious, but I've got some ideas for future stories waiting in the wings. Perhaps an offshoot or two of Tokyo Blues? *insert thinking emoji*

Have a wonderful day, folks, and feel free to PM me here or on my Sekaiichi Hatsukoi sideblog on Tumblr, sih-adventures.

-Ronnie))