He's here. When I opened my eyes I was in Takano's arms. Last night I was pathetic. Holding that knife, killing those men, confronting Li, was terrifying. More so since I felt nothing. My whole body was numb that night. The moment feeling came back to my body was when Takano kissed me. It made me want more and led to last night's passion.

As he slept I relished the feeling of his warmth. I never wanted it to end. Right then he woke up. "Good morning." He brushed his hand across my cheek. My cheek tingled from his touch. "Did you sleep well?"

I nodded and looked down. He kissed my forehead. "I'm worried about you Ritsu. You've been acting so strange lately."

"Everything's fine." It did not sound so convincing. "We have to work soon."

I tried to move but he would not let me. "Work can wait. Who was that man last night?"

Oh right, he saw Li. "A family friend."

"Why was he here?" Enough with the questions. "I invited him over but decided to go grocery shopping before. Then I tried a shortcut to the train station and that's when I ran into the men who tried to mug me." At least my skill of making up stories on the spot came back. "Did he say anything?"

Takano tensed up before burying his head in my neck. "Nothing." I did not believe that. Li better not have said anything idiotic. "Ritsu, you can trust me." Don't say that. "I will always be here and I am never letting you go anywhere."

"I have nowhere to go." I mumbled. It is not like I wanted to go anywhere. I did want to be with Takano.

Work was crucial. I do not even remember much about it. One minute I was asked to write a proposal for a new manga and the next Hatori and Mino were saying good work and leaving. Kisa had already left and Takano had gotten up and followed another editor somewhere. I took this as a chance to leave before he questions me again, gathering all my stuff. Get a hold of yourself Ritsu. You will fall behind in work if you keep worrying.

I walked out and was greeted to Li. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I can't give up on you." He started following me. "I want you to readmit yourself as an assassin. I want my partner back."

"You can get others. I want you to stop harassing me, stop calling me, and stop coming near me. I want nothing to do with you Li." He grabbed my arm and pulled me through the street. "What the hell?!" We made it to the park we first met at when he let go. "What the hell do you want from me Li?"

He glared at me. "I already told you. I want you to rejoin the S.E.A. Last night proves you still have your skills, as rusty as they are. It won't be long before you are the great assassin you were."

"Just leave me alone. I have no intention of going back. Stop harassing me or else."

"Or else what? If you go to your dad I will bring up the four men you killed and then the time you came with me on that job. Your father will take that as you wanting to come back and he will take you away like he did when you were 15. Face it Oda you are trapped. There is no other way to go other than to rejoin."

I growled. "NO. I will not go back. Not to that pain, not to the killing, not to anything. You do not know what I had to go through. What they did to me that month I said I wanted to leave. They were trying to kill me. I know it. My own father wanted me to die." I was shaking now. Even after two years I could still remember the pain as if it happened yesterday. "But I did survive and then dad tried to control me by getting me a job at his publication. But then it took people talking behind my back to realize that he still had a hand on shoulder, ready to manipulate me when he needed to. I wanted me own life. There is nothing that will make me go back."

"I'm sorry you went through that but that is standard assassin rules; your father had no choice but to follow. And the rest was partly my fault. I left for two months and could not be there to help you. This time it will be different. I won't leave you again." He grabbed my hand to pull me closer. "Never again."

"Li—." I was cut off when he placed his mouth on mine, shoving his tongue in my mouth. He pushed me up against a tree and pressed his whole body against mine. His leg moved between mine and I stifled a moan when his knee rubbed against my cock. "Knock it off." I gasped as he started nibbling at me neck. "Not here."

He looked me in the eyes. I could see the lust. "Then let's go back to your place." No. It felt wrong. All I could think of Takano. We were not in an actual relationship but he was the only one I wanted to touch me. "GET OFF OF ME." I kneed him in the stomach and pushed him off of me. "Stay the fuck away from me."

"You can't fight this Oda. Deep down this is what you want."

"You don't know me."

"But I do." I did not want to see him again. I turned to walk away. "You can't just leave Oda. Oda! Ritsu!" He kept screaming but I ignored him. I just wanted to get home.

I faintly heard him cuss and then next thing I heard was a gunshot, followed by a pain in my arm and the coolness of the concrete.

TAKANO

Damn Ritsu. Got away from me again. I came back from helping another editor to see Ritsu gone. He must be avoiding me now. I gathered my things and headed down into the lobby. There I noticed a boy leaning up against the wall with a questioning face. He looked lost. "Do you need something?"

The boy looked up and the first thing I thought was foreigner. His blonde hair was up in a ponytail and hazel eyes were wide, almost innocent. He did not look old, maybe in his late teens, early 20's, and I was easily a foot taller. He was more like Kisa's height. He wore a jacket that looked baggy on him. In his hand was a jar filled with buttons. He sighed and shook his head. "I thought someone I knew was here but I guess he left." His voice was gentle, almost like a girl's, and sounded English. "Have a good night." Before I could reply he ran out.

First there was the Chinese man from Ritsu's and now this English kid. Was it just me or was I starting to see foreigners?