Disclaimer: I do not own Sekaiichi Hatsukoi, all rights belong to Shungiku Nakamura.

Thank you to dendodge for betaing.

Thanks to Miss Mysty, damons-hot-as-hell, mochiusagi, and 918lucy for reviewing! Thanks for all the story alerts and favourites!

Enjoy!

Chapter 5

Yukina's feet pounded against the tiled floor of Kisa's apartment complex as blood roared through his ears. He had to see Kisa; he had to talk to him.

He turned the corner to where Kisa's flat was, he saw a strange man outside. Yukina froze and watched as Kisa left his flat, holding out a hand in front of him and pushing the man away.

"Go away Ichimura, I told you I didn't want to see you again," Kisa said, pushing the man further away.

Ichimura smiled and ignored Kisa's warning. "But Shouta, think of that night. How great we felt. You belong with me."

"That's bullshit." Kisa had given up pushing the man away and was now leaning in his doorway, arms folded.

"Just once more, Shouta."

"I said no! Now leave before you cause a scene!" Kisa looked to his right and saw Yukina stood there, shocked. "Yukina…" he gasped. Using all of his strength, Kisa pushed Ichimura hard and tried to retreat back into his apartment. Yukina, however, saw this and ran down the hall. He grabbed Kisa's wrist and held it above his head. "Let me go!" Kisa protested.

"No! Kisa-san, you're going to tell me exactly what's going on, and you're going to do it now!"

"There's nothing to say!"

"I know everything…" Yukina told him. Kisa stopped struggling and stared up at him with frightened eyes.

"You… do?"

"Shouta, who's this joker?" Ichimura asked, joining into the conversation.

"I need to talk to this man right now, so it would be in your best interests to leave," Yukina warned, giving him a dark glare.

"Like hell!" Ichimura scoffed. "Shouta, what's going on?"

Kisa didn't have a chance to reply before Yukina pulled him into his own apartment and slammed the door on Ichimura. Kisa pulled away from Yukina's grip and walked deeper into his apartment, leaving Yukina by the door.

"Why have you been avoiding me?" Yukina asked.

"You know why. You told me you knew everything."

"Did you really sleep with that man?"

Kisa didn't reply, but instead looked out the window with a guilty expression.

"So I was right…" Yukina trailed off, looking at his shoes. "Kisa-san… Does our relationship mean anything to you at all?"

"Relationship? What relationship?" Kisa sneered. "We have no relationship, Yukina. All I wanted was a quick fuck and that's what you gave me. There has never been, nor will there ever be, a relationship between us."

Yukina's head snapped up and his once cheery smile distorted into one of hurt and confusion. "Don't I mean anything to you, Kisa-san?"

"Ugh! Get it through your head, Yukina. I sleep with men; I don't have relationships."

"You had a relationship with that man."

Kisa stood still for a minute. He faced Yukina who looked distraught and heartbroken. His stomach twisted uncomfortably. "You don't know anything about him and me."

"Kisa-san…"

"Look, Yukina, whatever put the whole us being in a relationship idea into your head was wrong, okay? We're not in a relationship."

Yukina didn't say anything after that but the lump in his throat refused to cease. When he did speak, it was quiet and strangled. "Whatever you say, Kisa-san." Yukina turned on his heel and stormed out of the apartment, making sure to the slam door loudly on his way out.

Kisa didn't move until he heard Yukina's car door slam shut and the engine roar to life. He sank to his knees and breathed deeply.

It was better this way… Nobody got hurt… right?

A day passed. The day turned into a week, which turned into a month.

Kisa was met with the deadline for the annual article about book recommendations for Valentine's Day. He was avoiding it as much as possible, because on the list of books recommended by both Ichinose and Onodera was Yukina's book. Kisa wished the ache in his stomach every time he saw his name would leave.

There was a knock at the door, which disturbed Kisa's gaze at Yukina's inked name. "Enter!" He called, trying to sound cheerful. Onodera poked his head around the door.

"Kisa-san, I have some gossip magazines to help you write your article. Ichinose said they tend to help when you're stuck."

Kisa flashed Onodera an honest smile. "It does. Thanks Ricchan!"

Onodera just bowed in response and left again. Kisa grabbed the first magazine off the pile. He suddenly wish he hadn't when his heart stopped at the title.

Hunk Author Dates Model

On the front was a coloured photo of Yukina holding a beautiful, petite model in his arms. Kisa suddenly felt worse than before. He swallowed and carried on through the magazine and landed on the article that describe Yukina and the model, Hayata Mai's, relationship. Words describing the couple as "made for each other" and "love-struck" stabbed Kisa like a knife.

What made the knife twist was Yukina's take on the relationship: "Mai has always been there for me, no matter what. Everything is perfect and we're incredibly happy."

Kisa threw the magazine onto the floor and ran his fingers through his hair in distress. That should be him Yukina was describing, not some bimbo model.

He swivelled around on his chair to face the computer screen and keyboard. He opened up the incomplete document and began to type the rest of the recommendations list, including Yukina's book.

It wasn't long until Kisa was returning into his old ways. He'd find himself at a bar and pick up the first attractive guy he saw. They would then go to a love hotel and have sex.

Kisa was sat at the edge of the hotel bed, staring at his phone. He'd missed a call from Morimoto and was now checking through the text she had sent him. Kisa's bed partner began to stir and Kisa snapped his phone shut and crawled back under the covers. The man with shoulder length blonde hair and green eyes looked up from the pillow.

"Morning," Kisa greeted. The man sat up and looked around. He then scratched his head and began to get out of the bed, searching for his clothes. "Looking for these?" Kisa asked, holding on his index finger a pair of striped boxers. The man took them with gratitude and began to dress himself.

Once he was dressed, he turned to face Kisa. "Listen… I don't know who this Yukina is, but after what you said last night, I really think you should talk to him."

Kisa's blushed and looked down. "It's too late now, anyway."

The man sucked in air through his teeth. "You won't know if you don't try. Anyway, thanks for last night." He turned on his heel and walked out the room, leaving Kisa naked and alone.

The café that Kisa stopped at was bustling with morning commuters getting a cup of coffee in before work. Kisa was amongst the businessmen and women standing in a long queue waiting to grab their coffee to go. It was then that Kisa got a phone call from Morimoto.

"Hello?"

"Shouta! Oh my God, I'm so glad you picked up. I've been so worried about you. After I read about Yukina-san and Hayata-san I had to call you to see if you were okay, but you didn't answer."

"Yeah… I was a bit busy," Kisa replied nonchalantly.

Morimoto paused for a second. "Well…be careful. Anyway, how are you coping?"

"With what?" Kisa asked as he put his phone between his shoulder and ear to tell the girl at the counter his order. "Black coffee to go please."

Morimoto ignored the order and continued to speak. "With Yukina-san!"

"What is there to cope with, Kana? We weren't in a relationship."

"I never said you were."

"You were implying it, though," Kisa accused as his eyes narrowed slightly. Morimoto sighed.

"Shouta, do you think you could meet me for lunch?"

"I don't know, Kana; I'm kind of busy today. I have 2 meetings to attend."

"You always have meetings."

"It comes with being an editor, Kana."

"I hate your job."

Kisa snickered to himself; he could tell Morimoto was pouting. "I have to go now, Kana."

"Okay, but call me when you get home. I have some important news to tell you, and I have to say it to your face," Morimoto said, her once sour tone now turning excited and happy.

Kisa smiled. "Sure thing." He flipped his phone shut. He accepted his coffee from the girl behind the counter with a dazzling smile. The girl merely smiled back, with a red tint dusting her cheeks.

When Kisa got to his office, he noticed something had changed. The drab bleakness had returned and the vibrant colour and life in the flowers had been removed. "Ricchan… Where did my flowers go?" Kisa asked Onodera, who looked up from typing his own article.

"They're gone?" He asked, his nose crinkling in confusion. Kisa smirked; he looked kind of cute when he did that. Onodera looked into Kisa's office and sighed in defeat. "The cleaners must've removed them. They'd been there for a while; they could've been dead… You did water them didn't you?"

Kisa shook his head slowly. "I totally forgot about them… Until now."

"It's funny how you don't realise what you had until they're gone," Onodera said absent-mindedly.

Kisa looked at him, eyes wide.

"What?"

"What did you just say?" Kisa asked in disbelief.

"It's funny how you don't realise what you had until it's gone?"

"You said 'they're'."

"Did I?" Onodera said looking puzzled. "My mistake, I meant 'it's'."

Kisa stared at Onodera for a short time before entering his office and closing the door. He leaned it against it for a moment, gathering his thoughts. He then took a deep breath and began to get back to work, hoping it would take his mind off of everything.

Kisa looked at his phone as he walked down the hall to his flat. It was ten past ten in the evening, and Kisa dialled Morimoto's number, holding the phone to his ear.

"You're late."

"I didn't leave until late, Kana!" Kisa muttered as he dug around his coat pocket for his keys. When he found them, he unlocked his door and entered his apartment. "What's this news then?"

"I told you, it's something I have to tell you face-to-face."

"Ugh, Kana!"

"Alright fine! We've set a date for the wedding."

Kisa's mood picked up slightly. "Yeah?"

"April 16th. Do you think you could get the week off?"

"Week?"

"Yeah, we're getting married in Rome."

"How did you fight for that?" Kisa teased as he kicked his shoes off. Morimoto snorted in response.

"You're lucky you don't have to know the pressures of planning a wedding!"

"Not until Japan legalises gay marriage, no."

Morimoto laughed softly. "Oh yes, something else. Bring a date with you."

"Why?"

Morimoto's tone turned a little more serious. "Yukina-san's coming."

"You invited Yukina?"

"Yes and he's bringing Hayata-san… I'm sorry, Shouta!"

"What for? It's your wedding; you do what you want."

"But Shouta-"

"Really, it's fine, Kana… I have a date anyway."

"Please don't let it be one of the men you pick up randomly," Morimoto pleaded.

"No… It's Ricchan from work."

"Oh! The cute brunette… Oh, I like him!" There was a cough in the background. "I-I mean, no man's a match for Kazuma."

Kisa rolled his eyes. "Well thanks for telling me the date, I'll write it down. I'll talk to you later Kana."

"Okay Shouta, goodnight."

"Goodnight Kana."

"Be your what now?" Onodera exclaimed as Kisa chased him down to the staff room.

"My pretend date for my friend's wedding!"

Onodera turned to face Kisa. "Why are you asking me?"

"Because… I value you as a good friend, Ricchan."

Onodera smirked slightly. "Really?"

"Yes," Kisa admitted. "Please be my pretend date, Ricchan?"

"We don't have to do anything weird, right?"

"No… Unless you wan-"

"No thank you," Onodera rejected the offer quickly. "But yes, I'll be your pretend date, Kisa-san… When's the wedding?"

"April 16th."

Onodera nodded and walked into the staff room. Kisa turned to the opposite direction and began to walk back to his office. The smile on his face never left throughout the day.