Hello! Mighty Authoress-san here. I'm sorry this is so late. I was going to work one it, but the same day I set out to do so, I was grounded from the computer. Long story... I don't quite know what happened myself. But I'm back, and I'm gonna work on this,

So here you are!

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The next couple of days at work were pleasant for Ritsu. Ayame had been in a good mood since he'd gotten back from his trip, and work was fun and easy.

But there was something nagging at the back of his mind. Why was he so glad to be working for Ayame? It wasn't just having a job; it had something to do with the fact that Ayame was such a kind boss. Ritsu couldn't describe it, but he felt different around Ayame. He felt... safe.

Suddenly, the front door to the shop opened. Ritsu scurried forwards to see who it was, and stopped dead in shock.

Shigure was standing in the doorframe, along with Hatori, Tohru, Kyo, and Yuki.

"E-eh!?" said Ritsu in shock. "Sh-Shi-Shigure-san? Hatori-san? What are you all doing here?"

"Aren't you glad to see us, Rii-kun?" asked Shigure, faking a hurt face.

"Of course I am!" said Ritsu. "Gomen for implying otherwise!"

Hatori's got a look of mild surprise on his face. Ritsu wasn't bursting into his usual fit of apology. Suspiciously, he looked around for the real Ritsu.

"No problem, Ristu-san," said Tohru, stepping inside the shop. "I hope we aren't inconveniencing you."

"No problem," said Ritsu. "I'll go fetch Ayame-kun." He turned and darted into the shop, disappearing from view.

Ayame turned as the door to his workroom burst open. Ritsu was standing in the doorframe, looking flustered.

"A-Ayame-san," he said. "Shigure-kun and Hatori-kun are here, and they brought Tohru and Kyo and Yuki."

"Yuki came?" said Ayame, perking up. "Really?"

Ritsu nodded and gave Ayame his shy smile. Ayame smiled back and put the dress he was working on right back, and then led the way to the front of the store.

"Shigure-Kun," he exclaimed. "Haa-san! What a pleasant surprise! And Yuki, Tohru, and Kyon-Kyon."

"Don't call me that!" shouted Kyo.

"Oh, Kyo. Feisty as ever, I see," said Ayame dissmissively. "But can you all really miss school today?"

"We aren't missing school. It's an off-day since the air conditioner in the school overheated and started a small fire," said Yuki. "We're looking at two or three days off of school, maybe more. It really depends on how soon they can repair the air conditioner."

"So you can stop by every day to see me!" said Ayame. "How lovely!"

"We only stopped by in the first place is because that damn pervert said that we could stop by the dojo," said Kyo.

"Would you like to come into the back and sit down," said Ritsu hospitably, wisely deciding that if a fight errupted, it would be easier to repair the sitting room than the front of the store.

"Thank you, Ritsu," said Shigure, gliding past him. "By the way, I see you're still dressing the same."

"Gomen ne!" said Ritsu rapidly. "I'm sorry if it offends you."

"I-iie," said Tohru hastily. "Shigure-san was just making an observation, I'm sure. It doesn't offend us. Right, Kyo-kun?"

"I don't care. If the snake wants to dress up like a woman, what business is it of mine? I just don't wanna be seen in here by anyone I know. Especially not that damn yankee. She'll never let me forget it," said Kyo bitterly, looking out the window testily. Crisis averted.

"Do you have a camera?" Shigure whispered to Hatori. "I'm suddenly in the mood for taking pictures of Kyo surrounded by frilly dresses."

"You're terrible, Shigure," said Ayame with a giggle. Ritsu raised his sleeve to his lips to hide his smile.

They entered the sitting room, and everyone chose a seat. Yuki looked like he was scanning the room for the exit, while Tohru was smiling and happily oblivious to the tension in the air. Ritsu remained standing.

"Do you need me to fetch you anything?" he asked the room in general.

"Sit down, Sit down, Rii-kun," said Ayame, waving his hand in the air. "If they need something, they can get it themselves." Hatori blinked. He was used to Ayame being the first to request something. He expected Ritsu to protest or insist that he serve the guests, but instead, he sank into a nearby chair without a word.

"Actually," said Shigure. "Could you grab me something to drink, Ritsu?"

Ritsu stood, and then hesitated a moment, his eyes darting around the room. Ayame opened his mouth to speak, but Ritsu himself beat him to it.

"There is a sink in the next room, Shigure-kun," he said clearly. "If you need something to drink, you can get some water from that sink." With that, he sat back down.

Silence reigned in the room. Hatori's eyebrows had risen dangerously high, and Shigure's jaw had dropped. Kyo looked disbelieving, but Yuki's face held a strange expression. Tohru was smiling.

As for Ayame, he was positively beaming at Ritsu. He had done it! Ritsu had stood up for himself!

"Aren't you going to get that drink?" Aaya asked sweetly, turning to Shigure. Shigure looked even more surprised. Hatori's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to figure out what was going on.

"U-u-uh... Hai," Shigure said, standing up and heading towards the next room. Ayame ignored Shigure's leaving as though nothing at all had happened.

"Now," he said, clasping his hands. "How have you all been? You look well! And Tohru, dear, Shii-chan has informed me that you're going to be in a school play! Is this true?"

The room was filled with pleasant conversation for a while, until the faint sound of a timer going off could be heard.

"That means it's time to warm up lunch," explained Ritsu, standing up and turning towards the kitchen. "It is my turn to prepare the meal. Will you all be staying?"

"Well... Now that you've asked...," said Shigure.

Yuki, who had mostly remained silent up into that point, stood up.

"I'll help Ritsu-san prepare the meal," he said. "That means we'll definetely be staying." Ignoring everyone's reaction to his assertiveness, Yuki stood up and headed towards the kitchen-area.

"Y-you don't have to," said Ritchan. "I can do it myself. It's just warming up a pre-made meal."

"Come on," said Yuki, ignoring Ritsu's feeble protests and walking towards the kitchen.

Preparing the meal wasn't hard. Ritsu took some frozen meals out of the cooler and began to warm them up in the freezer, Yuki was unnerving him, however, with his intense stare.

"So how long?" he asked suddenly.

"I-I don't understand the-," Ritchan began, before Yuki interrupted him.

"How long have you loved Ayame?" Asked Yuki bluntly.

The rice and beef container Ritsu was carrying fell to the floor. Ritsu looked like a deer trapped in the headlights.

"It-it's not really l-like... I mean... I d-don't...," Ritsu tried. Finally he resigned himself to a simple 'gomenasi.'

"Don't apologize!" said Yuki. "If you love someone, you shouldn't have to apologize for it! Ritsu, it's not like you've committed a sin." Yuki's eyes softened, and he calmed down a bit. "You really like Ayame-san, don't you?"

Ritsu bit his lip and looked intently at the floor. He couldn't match the Rat's intense gaze. He didn't understand his own feelings! How could Yuki make it seem like it was just so simple? What did he know, anyways!?

"Y-you don't understand!" He exclaimed. "It's not that simple! Ayame-kun treats me differently from everyone else. He acts like I'm a human being, when everyone else just thinks I'm stupid and crazy. Aaya-kun gave me a job when no one else would! He was so patient with me, and he didn't loose his temper when I made stupid mistakes! He gave me gifts 'just because.' I've never had anyone like that! No one cared what happened to me, and no one tried to cheer me up when I was sad. He's different. He's special."

Yuki looked surprised at Ritsu's outburst, but not angry.

"You're right," he said. "I don't understand. But you seem happy here, so I won't say anything to ruin that. If you really like Ayame-san, then I think you should say something to him."

"I-I can't," said Ritsu weakly. "What if he doesn't like me like that? It would be troublesome?"

"Ritsu!" said Yuki. "Ayame-san adores you. I can tell. Usually, he let's Shigure have his way if it doesn't involve him. But he didn't like it when Shigure tried to make you get him a glass of water. He was going to defend you, but you spoke up first. He gives 'just because' gifts to people he really cares about. Besides that, he looked so happy when you stood up for yourself." Yuki paused thoughtfully.

"You need to tell him, if that's how you feel. After all, he does like you a lot, Ritsu-san. You just can't see it," he said.

Ritsu was at a loss for words. He stood there, clutching the sleeves of his kimono, head reeling. Could Yuki be telling the truth? Did Aaya-kun really like him?

Yuki quietely exited the room.

'Ritsu, you're stronger than you think. If you care for him, then you have to say so. Happy endings exist. And one day, I'll find one with my special someone, too.'

Heya all! Okay, so it's over! Didn't take me long to write or to upload. So I bet you're all thinking, will Ritsu be able to tell him? Does Ayame really like Ritsu?

... You know, those are really good questions... I'm beginning to wish I could answer them. Hehe. ((sweatdrops.))