A/N- It's been so long since I wrote these characters, I had to look up the Sekaiichi Hatsukoi wiki article to make sure I didn't mess anything up... Oh, well, I think it turned out okay. It better have, at least, since I took so freaking long to update again. I'd apologize, but I update so slow now that I don't think you guys would accept my apologies... oops.

Also I'm pretty sure I disregarded most of the anime's plot completely... Double-oops.

Ah, well, I hope you guys enjoy! ^^

35. Competition (Chiaki x Yuu)

"Hey, Chiaki, I think this volume's turning out really well." The brunet looked up from the page he was currently drawing to glance over at Yuu, whose amber eyes glinted in the last rays of sunlight shining through the window. It was early enough in production that there was no terrible rush to finish, so Chiaki's other assistants had gone home a short while before.

"Oh, really? It's ending up okay, I guess, but I still feel like it could be better." Chiaki turned back to sketching in the long, flowing hair of the manga's main heroine, taking extra care with the detail since it was the illustration for the cover of the magazine his manga was serialized in.

"Huh? You mean there's still parts you're thinking of changing?" Chiaki shook his head, running his fingers through his hair before leaning back in his chair a bit to take a quick break and hold a proper conversation.

"Well, no, but it just seems like the romance is really... stale, y'know? Like, there's been so many months of buildup and character development, and then they finally acknowledge each other's feelings, but their confession just seems fake and boring and I don't know how to fix it."

Yuu had, in fact, noticed the dullness of the supposedly-dramatic shojo manga, but hadn't been planning to point that out; it was Hatori's job to do that sort of stuff. And anything that might make Chiaki frustrated with or turn against Hatori was okay with him- better that Chiaki get into an argument with the competition, than himself.

"I guess I see what you mean- it's alright, really, but it just seems like it's being drawn from the perspective of someone who hasn't ever experienced the kind of innocent, heart-wrenching, soul-crushing true love that the protagonist is feeling, y'know?" Yuu's expression was teasing, but there were definitely more serious undertones in what he was saying. Chiaki frowned slightly, his eyebrows drawing just close enough together that a faint line appeared between them.

"O-of course I've loved people!" he spluttered, scrambling to defend himself. "I mean-" apparently he didn't seem to know exactly what he meant, because he didn't continue, lapsing into silence instead.

"Is that so?" Yuu smirked, sounding more doubtful than playful. The atmosphere had turned surprisingly serious, somehow, and Chiaki couldn't help but feel he'd said the wrong thing.

"Well, yeah- hasn't everyone? High school first love, that seems so important at the time that you might just die if the subject of your affection doesn't notice your feelings? It's just a bit hard to portray that feeling on the page, especially considering it's been more than a few years since I was in high school." Chiaki smiled, but it was clear to Yuu that he was half-serious; it had been a long time since high-school first loves, and unless Chiaki was better than expected at keeping secrets, the mangaka had been single almost consistently since then. He wouldn't be single if he just noticed how I obviously feel about him.

Yuu was almost tempted to admit the feelings he was secretly harboring right then and there, but he bit his tongue and held back; he didn't want to risk messing something up and ruining any possible future they might potentially have. However, a small voice in the back of Yuu's head warned him that if he didn't speak up soon, Hatori would definitely snatch Chiaki away from him.

Since there weren't any deadlines for three more days, Yuu assumed he was safe from Hatori stopping by for any 'surprise checks' on the manga's progress. If he was going to ever confess how he really felt for Chiaki, now was as good of a time as any, right?

The setting sun had all but vanished, but it just light enough that it wasn't worth getting up to turn on the ceiling light. Chiaki's profile was slightly shadowed by the glow of the small work lamp on his desk, as he had dutifully turned back to the drawing he was working on.

"Hey, Chiaki-" Yuu cut through the silence, "We've known each other for quite a while, haven't we?" Chiaki nodded without looking up, mumbling affirmatively.

"Yeah, since junior high, right? Why?" Yuu shrugged, getting up from his desk and moving across the room to the extra chair near Chiaki's desk.

"I've just been thinking, it's normal for people who've known each other for so long to have close relationships, right?" Chiaki finally looked up, meeting Yuu's eyes with an expression of confusion.

"Well, of course... You're my best friend- you and Hatori- and I'd trust you guys with everything. But, what about it? You seem really anxious." Yuu sighed, working his hand through a small tangle in his hair.

"Well, it definitely seems like you've been 'trusting' Hatori a lot more than me, lately. I don't mean that in a bad way, but... we should talk more too- I care about you a lot, and it hurts to see you spend so much more time with him." Chiaki tilted his head a bit to one side, confused.

"Yuu, are you... jealous?" Yuu tried to shrug it off, replying with,

"No... Well, actually, yes. You spend so much time with him- and when you're not with him, you're talking about him! It's almost like he's more than just an editor or childhood friend to you." Yuu knew that this was, technically, the case- but the expression of shock on Chiaki's face before he attempted to feign surprise was priceless.

"A-ah, well, I guess- I mean, I spend a lot of time when I'm with him talking about you, too, I suppose, and it's not like we're more than friends... I mean, I've known him for so long that it would be weird to be dating or something, right?" Yuu's eyes narrowed.

"I never said anything about dating. But I know you guys basically are, or- well, what I'm trying to say is that I think you should choose me. Not him." There. Although Yuu could think of a thousand ways he could have phrased it better, at least now his feelings were out in the open.

"C-choose? What do you mean, Yuu?" the lighter-haired man rolled his eyes at his friend's complete obliviousness.

"I mean I like you. No, scratch that- I love you. And it's really become rather problematic, considering I know you'd never see me as anything more than a best friend, and further complicated due to the fact that you and Hatori are sleeping together, whether you admit you're dating or not." Chiaki's eyes widened as though he thought it had really been a secret.

"It's not like that! I mean..." Yuu stood up, slamming his hands onto Chiaki's desk.

"What do you mean, 'it's not like that'? You think I'm oblivious, Chiaki? You think I don't notice how you look at him when he stops by? How you guys talk? Do you think I'm stupid? Or do you just think it doesn't matter if I notice or not, like if you just ignore me and my feelings long enough, it'll solve he problem?" Chiaki shrank back against being yelled at, but Yuu didn't step down. Instead, he stared at Chiaki expectantly, waiting for a reply.

"I didn't... Yuu, I never knew. I know I'm stupid and helpless and oblivious, but I never once thought I was hurting you. I mean... I guess what I mean to say is that I hope you haven't been seeing this as a competition or something, waiting for me to choose a- a winner- because if this whole mess is a contest, I didn't even know I was the judge. Alright?"

Yuu was conflicted- a part of him wanted to hit Chiaki for being a hopeless idiot, but the other part wanted to kiss him, let him know just how much he had been anticipating the moment when he could vocalize his thoughts; wanted to press his lips to Chiaki's, claiming what wasn't his, making a vow that one day he would possess it.

The second part won, of course.