Takano leaned his head back against his pillow for a long minute and then sat up again. Sleep wouldn't come for him any time soon. He needed a promise, some kind of guarantee before he sent Ritsu off to the dangerously handsome Usami and the world of literature. Takano could handle losing his most promising editor. He'd always known that literature was the better fit for Onodera anyway. He couldn't handle losing Ritsu. They weren't even properly a couple this time, but if Ritsu left again it might seriously kill him. He probably wouldn't care if it did.

Usami obviously had Takahashi. Then again, god-like genius millionaires weren't incredibly well known for their faithfulness. Hadn't Takano himself thought, when Takahashi and Onodera had both looked up at him yesterday with wide-eyed surprise, that they made a rather intriguing matched set? Such a passing whim was nothing to be concerned about, but what if Usami had the same thought? Ritsu had made it abundantly clear on more than one occasion that he considered them nothing more than sex friends, which meanthe didn't have any obligation to say no to other offers. Unacceptable. Takano would have to extract some kind of concession from Onodera.

It took three phone calls and a couple of idle threats before Ritsu actually made his way over to Takano's apartment. He wondered, not for the first time, if his first girlfriend's vitriolic wish that he end up with someone as stubborn as himself hadn't doomed him for life. Ritsu had showed up not too long after that rather dramatic break-up, after all.

"This better actually be about work."

"Of course it's about work. You're all day with Usami-sensei tomorrow. I need to know if Takahashi is ready." That much actually was true, of course.

"He'll be alright. He's great at all the photo-composition stuff, very quick and precise. He's no genius, but his instincts aren't bad. And Isaka was right, he's a natural with the authors, especially the ones who need extra encouragement. Anyway, I'm only going to be out a day and a half each week."

"For now."

"Right. It's just a temporary project." Onodera's expression was quizzical.

"Right." Takano muttered. "I wish you didn't have to spend so much time with that guy, though."

"Who, Usami-sensei?"

Takano nodded, knowing that like all his begging, this wouldn't likely amount to anything. "Just give in and be my boyfriend already. I want to know that if he tries something, you'll have a reason to say no."

"What?!" Onodera clearly found the idea that such a thing might happen patently ridiculous. "It might be news to you, but some people actually can separate their work and personal lives. I worked with Usami-sensei for three years without anything of the kind ever coming up. Besides, he's been living with Takahashi since I've known him, I think they're. . . you know . . .involved."

Takano couldn't help laughing. "Obviously."

"No, they're boning. Definitely. I gave the kid half a smile in our meeting on Monday morning, and I thought Usami was going to kill me."

Onodera scowled. "Well, I don't know for sure. Stop pretending like you do. He said 'roommate' but I always thought that seemed kind of unlikely. Why would a notoriously reclusive millionaire have a roommate? For a while I really thought I must be mistaken. He's cute as button, but Takahashi doesn't seem to have much to offer in that relationship."

"Oh?" Takano wanted to know where this was going. It would be good to know what Ritsu thought made a good match.

"Well, Usami is Usami, and Takahashi is kind of ordinary."

Takano decided that wasn't an incredibly comforting answer. "Okay?"

"After spending the week with him, though, I kind of get it. There's something about Takahashi."

Definitely not comforting, so Takano wasn't about to let himself get side tracked. "So you told me he won't try to seduce you, not that you won't say no if does."

"Because he's not going to!"

"But if he comes on to you what will you say?"

"He's not going to! Just drop it already. You're not tricking me into saying we're together over something that doesn't even have a remote possibility of occurring."

Takano decided he'd better change his tactics. "I'd rather you love only me, but can you at least promise that if he tries to seduce you, you'll tell him we're a package deal?"

"WHAT?!" Ritsu was really sputtering now. "This conversation is not happening. You have finally cracked, Takano-san."

Takano grabbed Onodera by both wrists and trapped him against the wall. "Promise. Me." He said punctuating each word with a stolen kiss.

"No!"

"I'm not letting you go until you do."

Several hours later, Takano pressed his forehead against the cool glass of his window and watched the moon complete its westward journey across the sky. Ritsu never had promised, and Takano ultimately couldn't resist him long enough to actually force the issue. At least he'd confirmed nothing had happened between those two in the past.

Takano was probably just being paranoid, but he couldn't let it go. Maybe because In the back of his mind, he knew that Usami was probably a better match for Ritsu. Hell, Usami was such a prince, Onodera's family might favor such a connection, even with a man. Takano would have to be on his guard, especially since Ritsu clearly didn't see the need for caution.

Takano decided he could be benevolent and offer some one-on-one instruction to help Takahashi's career along. He could find out what kind of threat Usami was along the way.

Onodera rolled over, found himself settled against a deeply slumbering Takano and nearly jumped out of his skin. He'd done it again. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing or a sign of stupidity that his nerves hadn't yet adjusted to the fact that nine times out of ten if he was waking up in an honest-to-goodness bed, it was probably his boss's. His habit of passing out wherever he happened to land was as bad as ever, but Takano usually maneuvered them to bed well before that point, or carried him in later.

It seemed inordinately lucky that he managed to wake up before Takano. He usually didn't get to escape their morning afters quite so easily. When he caught sight of the clock, he suddenly felt a lot less lucky. "Takano-san! Wake up!"

"Don't wanna."

"It's almost ten."

"Shit."

"Exactly."

Despite the mad scramble to get showered-together was definitely not faster-and then dressed, Takano seemed to be in a much better mood this morning. In fact, the dazzling smile he gave Takahashi when they spotted the young man getting out of Usami's car was enough to make Ritsu just a bit nervous. The tension blossomed into inexplicable dread when Usami left his gorgeous car double parked in a rather precarious position and strode over to them.

"Onodera-san," He was saying, "I think I'd prefer to work from the office after all today, but why don't we go for coffee first." Ritsu decided that he could maybe understand why Takano had been a bit on edge. Usami really could be quite charming when he chose to be.

"Of course, sensei." Ritsu nodded and settled into the passenger seat of Usami's car. He glanced at Takahashi, but he seemed to be entirely wrapped up in whatever Takano was saying to him. As much as Ritsu actually did enjoy his work with manga, he had been terribly excited about doing a literature project. Somehow, now only felt an inexplicable sense of foreboding about the whole endeavor.