Ritsu yawned as she sat at her workspace in the apartment. Her body and mind screamed at her to get some sleep, but her persistence to finish the edits before the deadline prevented her from doing so. She got up to refill her coffee when the doorbell went off.

"Misaki?" Ritsu wondered as she made her way to the door with her empty mug in hand. She quickly looked through the peephole and saw her neighbor on the other side. With curiosity, she opened the door to greet him, "Takano-san?"

"Hi, is Takahashi-san here? I need to go over some edits with her." He stated as he held up a stack of papers of manga drafts.

"Sorry, she's currently having dinner with her family." Ritsu informed him as she leaned against the door frame.

"Do you know when she'll be back?" He asked curiously as he eyed Ritsu from head to toe, but she was too worn out to notice.

"Late evening if her brother keeps her any longer." Ritsu answered as she glanced down at her empty coffee mug.

"Is that so?" Takano stated then noticed the bags under her eyes.

"Haven't gotten any sleep?" Takano asked as he leaned closer, surprising Ritsu when she realized that he was in front of her face. She almost dropped her mug as she took a step back.

"I'm fine, I just have a few more pages to edit." Ritsu said stubbornly and rather rudely.

"Have you eaten anything healthy lately?" Takano said worriedly when he noticed how pale she looks.

"I said I'm fine! Seriously, what's with the interrogation." Ritsu exclaimed crankily which brought a slight migraine.

Takano narrowed his eyes at her. "Takahashi-san mentioned how you would ignore your own health and forget to eat whenever a deadline came up." He stated as he remembered how during lunch his coworker would talk about Ritsu's tendencies to work herself into a coma.

Ritsu blushed in embarrassment, "She told you that?"

"Yeah, she worries about you."

Ritsu looked away guiltily, her terrible habit of being a workaholic is one of the very few things they argue about, especially when it comes to her health.

GROWL

Ritsu went red at the sound that came out of her intestines.

Takano sighed in frustration before he plowed his way into her apartment.

"Hey, what are you doing? You can't just invite yourself in without permission!" Ritsu exclaimed as the front door closed before she followed Emerald's chief editor into her home.

"It's annoying when an employee doesn't take proper care of themselves." Takano commented as he made his way into the living room and set his stack of edits onto the coffee table.

He made his way into the kitchen and started looking for ingredients. "Why are you in my kitchen?" Ritsu demanded, ready to throw her mug at him.

"Making you dinner." Takano stated as he found a pan. "Since Takahashi isn't here to make you something, I'll be here instead to keep you alive."

"I can make myself some food, thank you!" Ritsu fumed angrily at him.

Takano smirked, "Don't take this the wrong way, but your wife always said how terrible you are in the kitchen by yourself."

Ritsu felt a tick mark appear on her temple as she clenched her fists tightly. 'Misaki, how could you reveal my weakness to this turd!'

"I'll have dinner ready in an hour, try taking a small nap before we eat okay?" Takano ordered her as he gathered the ingredients on the kitchen counter and turned on the stove.

Ritsu gritted her teeth in frustration before she stomped off back to her workspace and furiously continued to make edits, completely ignoring her wife's boss' suggestion for a nap. By the time dinner was on the table, Ritsu was almost beat by the time she begrudgingly sat in her chair.

"You didn't get some sleep." Takano commented as he set her plate full of food in front of her weary form.

"I have five more pages, then I'll rest." Ritsu answered as she yawned heavily.

"Gotta admire your commitment, though your lack of self-care leaves much to be desired." Takano said as he sat across from her.

"You're really making it hard for me not to hit my wife's boss." Ritsu growled as she directed her glare at him.

"You can hit me after you eat." Takano said as he took his chopsticks and waited for Ritsu to pick up hers.

Ritsu picked up her chopsticks and picked up a piece of her food and placed it in her mouth. She froze at the flavor that hit her taste buds and was teary eyed. "How can something so good come from an annoying person?" Ritsu exclaimed as she ate more of her delicious food.

Takano smirked in satisfaction, "Your welcome. Don't eat too fast, you'll hurt yourself." He chided as he ate his food at a more sedate pace.

Ritsu ate every morsel on her plate at Takano's insistence before she made a beeline towards her work with the vengeance. This in turn left Takano to clean up the dishes, which he didn't mind since it gave him some quiet time before he spoke to the stubborn woman again.

Ritsu dropped her pen and released a tired sigh. "I...win." She slumped face down against the couch.

Takano came over and patted her back, "You emerged victorious."

Ritsu shakily pumped her fist in the air with an unenthusiastic, "Woo-hoo."

Takano chuckled as he knelt beside her. "Takahashi-san wasn't kidding about your tendency to work yourself into an early grave."

Ritsu moved her head until her cheek was in the cushions. "What else did she tell you?" She asked as she stared at Takano who has yet to remove his warm hand from her back. Normally she never lets anyone keep their hands on her for a prolonged period of time, yet for some strange reason, his hand felt familiar and comforting.

Takano took a seat in the arm chair close to the couch. "Let's see, you're childhood friends, you were raised together when her parents passed away, and you used to work at Onodera Publishing. You're the daughter of the big boss there. So why's a princess like you in a different kingdom?" He asked as he leaned his head in his fist.

Ritsu glared at being called a princess, to her it sounded demeaning. "First of all, don't ever call me princess. Secondly, does it matter where I came from?" She scoffed as she moved to lay on her side with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Not really, I'm just curious, figured you were more comfortable at your old work place." Takano stated as he watched Ritsu's irritated expression.

Ritsu sighed, "I want to prove myself." She scoffed, "The people at Onodera Publishing think I got the best authors due to my father's connections. I overheard them one time, and that really pissed me off."

"So you quit and decided to come to Marukawa to spite them." Takano said as Ritsu nodded.

"I want to create a best seller on my own merits, not because I'm the boss' daughter. That'll show them." Ritsu grumbled as she shifted in her spot on the couch to get more comfortable.

"Hm, that explains your commitment to your work." Takano said, a little impressed by Ritsu's drive to exact her own kind of vengeance on her former coworkers.

"Wouldn't you do the same thing?" Ritsu asked as she looked up at Takano, her eyes squinted as his image changed into someone she vaguely remembered. She blinked as her vision returned to normal. 'That's weird. Why did I suddenly...?' Her thoughts trailed off as she felt herself getting drowsy, but kept herself awake out of respect to her guest.

Takano looked like he wanted to say something, but changed his mind. With a sigh, he got up out of his chair and picked her off the couch and carried her bridal style. Ritsu gasped in surprise as she wrapped her arms around his neck on reflex. "Hey what are you doing?" She exclaimed as Takano carried her to the hallway.

"Where's your bedroom?"

"Huh?" Ritsu blushed red.

"So you can get a proper night's sleep." Takano explained when he caught Ritsu's blush.

"Oh, um, second door to the right." She directed him to the slightly opened door which Takano pushed open with his foot. He carried her to the two person bed and laid her down on it. Since she was already in her comfort clothes, Takano threw the covers over her.

"Um, Takano-san?" Ritsu blushed at his touch when he tucked her in like she was a small child.

He covered her eyes with one of his large hands. "Get some sleep Onodera-san, and don't come out of bed until morning."

Ritsu opened her mouth to argue, but the warmth of his hand, sent a calm feeling over her exhausted body. She closed her mouth and nodded, her mind drifted away into much needed sleep rather quickly.

Takano removed his hand and watched her peaceful face. She looked so serene and beautiful that he had to fight every instinct that wanted to claim her body and soul. He knelt down before her and caressed her left cheek then lowered his face until his lips came in contact with hers. He pulled away before she could wake up from that touch. She shifted, but didn't rouse from slumber.

"You said you loved me. Yet you were cruel enough to forget about me." He whispered, sadness and anger seared through him. "Why can't you remember me?"

His phone vibrated, he opened it to see a text message that warned him about Misaki's arrival. With a quiet sigh, he stood up to leave, but not without giving Ritsu's forehead an affectionate kiss. "I swear, I'll make you fall in love with me again." He whispered before he leaned away from her and silently left her room. He picked up his manga edits from the living room and exited the apartment just in time for Misaki to arrive on their floor.

"Takano-san?" Misaki said, surprised to see her boss come out of her apartment.

"Hello, Takahashi-san." Takano greeted his coworker, noticing how disheveled she looked and the redness that dusted her cheeks.

"Um, why were you in my apartment? Was there something you needed sir?" She asked when she noticed the stack of papers under her boss' arm.

"I wanted to talk to you about the edits for Mutou-sensei's book, but I'll wait until tomorrow instead." Takano answered as he smelled another person on Misaki.

Misaki sighed in relief, "I see, sorry for the trouble."

"The only trouble I had tonight was convincing Ritsu to finally get some sleep."

Misaki's eyes widened slightly, "Did she at least eat something?"

Takano smirked, "Don't worry, I made her dinner, she ate everything on her plate."

"Really?" Misaki asked, surprised at her boss for taking care of Ritsu.

"Why are you surprised?" Takano raised an eyebrow at her.

"It's just that you're my boss, and it feels a little awkward having my superior cook for my wife." Misaki explained before she bowed to him in gratitude, "Thanks for taking care of her tonight, I owe you one."

Takano smiled at his underling, as angry as he was at the idea of his Ritsu being married to someone else, he's glad that it is Misaki who watches over her. He stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Just continue doing what you do and keep taking care of Ritsu the best way you know."

Misaki was at a loss for words, but nodded nonetheless. Her boss removed his hand from her shoulder and walked towards his apartment. "Have a good night Takahashi-san. I'll see you tomorrow." He said as he unlocked his apartment door and disappeared behind it.

Misaki was left alone in the hallway staring at her boss' door in confusion. She shook her head before she walked into her apartment, emotionally and physically exhausted from dealing with her so-called mate. She kicked off her shoes and dragged her feet towards hers and Ritsu's room. Opening the door, she was happy to see her wife in deep slumber after pulling so many all-nighters.

She shrugged off her coat and found her pajamas before she crawled into the space beside Ritsu whose hand laid palm up on top of the pillow. Misaki's own hand reached out to grasp Ritsu's, something she's done since they were children whenever she felt scared or insecure. Holding Ritsu's hand is the only way she can steady herself whenever she felt the ground shaking beneath her.

'Doesn't matter what the mating laws says, I'm safest with Ritsu, and she's safe with me.' Misaki thought to herself as she felt Ritsu instinctively squeeze her hand in return. This caused her to smile, 'As long as I'm with Ritsu, Usami-sensei can never claim me. Even if we're not in love, at least we're free.' Her eyelids became heavy as she followed her wife into sleep.

Takano exited the apartment building and walked down the street until he found the red sportscar waiting for him. He opened the passenger door and took his seat beside the driver smoking his cigarette.

Akihiko blew out a puff of smoke as he leaned back in his seat. "So, how'd your date with Ritsu go?"

Takano smirked with his arms crossed, "It went quite well all things considered."

"Did you tell her?" The novelist asked as he glanced at the manga editor.

"No, I'm gonna bide my time. Can't have her running away from me like yours did." Takano said with a slight smile.

Akihiko chuckled, "Maybe, but I do love the chase."

"Seduction requires patience, even a full-blooded incubus should know that." Takano snidely stated to the author who didn't look the least bit insulted.

"Matehoods also require honesty." Akihiko shot back before he took another drag of his cigarette.

"I'll tell her in due time, I just...want her to remember me first." Takano said as his smile disappeared when he felt the bitterness of being forgotten.

Akihiko blew out another puff then sighed, "She'll remember, no one truly forgets their first love after all."

Takano felt some comfort in those words then asked, "What about you, how'd family dinner with Takahiro go?"

Akihiko chuckled, "Turns out I'm gonna be a Godfather to their first child."

Takano smiled at the news, "Congratulations."

"Misaki was quite excited by the news, she'll make a wonderful aunt." Akihiko said as he remembered that joyful smile his mate had upon hearing about her sister-in-law's pregnancy. He wants that smile directed at him every single day.

"Speaking of Takahashi-san, I smelled you all over her. But you didn't go all the way." Takano said when he recalled the scent that came off of her.

Akihiko smirked, "I merely gave her a taste of matehood."

"Shameless as always." Takano said, not surprised given the incubus' personality.

"It also helped me confirm that she's still a virgin." Akihiko said as he put out the cigarette in the ash tray.

"Yes, I figured that was the case. I was just in their bedroom, and I never caught a one scent of intimacy." Takano informed him with an amused smile. "They're not even lovers."

"Or lesbians for that matter." Akihiko chuckled as his eyes glinted in amusement. "It's cute how they try to escape their fate."

"Yes, but they're smart. A marriage to prevent a mating. Gotta give them credit for pulling the same-sex marriage farce." Takano said, scratching the back of his head.

Akihiko nodded, "Well, now that we've confirmed their little farce, we move on to the next step."

"And wait for just the right moment. Good thing I kept the truth to myself. It makes earning Ritsu's trust much easier." Takano added as he came up with strategies to win this love game.

"Good. Keep me informed about anything that revolves around Misaki." Akihiko said, his violet eyes gleamed like a hunter anticipating its prey.

"I expect the same thing when it comes to Ritsu." Takano requested as he opened the car door.

Just as he stepped out, he turned to look at the novelist again. "Have a good night...Aniki." He said before he shut the door and made his way back to his apartment.

AN: That little surprise at the end really got you. I always intended for these two to come together with the common goal of getting their mates back and to have some blood connection between them. Thank you all for being patient, and for reading this story.