A/N: I wrote this years ago, but never got around to post it. I hope you like it :)


Takagi looked at his watch again. In a few minutes it was time for lunch break and he had asked Satou to spend it with him. Despite his stuttering and blushing, she had agreed to go to a restaurant with him.

Takagi couldn't be happier, but he was still nervous. He not only wanted to give her the rose, that he had hid under his desk, but also something more special, his heart. The decision to tell her his feelings had taken a lot of courage and he could only hope that it wouldn't leave him the moment when he stood in front of her.

"Ready to go, Takagi?"

The voice of the woman, who he had just thought about, brought him back to reality.

"Y-Yes...of course, Satou."

The female officer smiled at him and he could feel the angry eyes of his other colleagues on him.

When they went through a park, Takagi stopped. This was far enough from prying eyes and he hoped that the setting was romantic.

"Is something wrong?" Satou asked surprised.

"There is something I wanted to tell you for a while now, Miwako."

At the mentioning of her first name, Satou looked more closely at Takagi. He was blushing and only now she noticed that he was hiding something behind his back.

"I love you." Takagi said and hold out the rose for her to take.

He had maintained eye contact with her while confessing, so he saw the moment when her eyes widened in shock before she looked down.

With her bangs covering her eyes, she said the words that he had feared.

"I'm sorry, I can't."

She had whispered these words, but Takagi felt like she had shouted them and now everybody was looking at his.

When she turned around to go back to the office, he felt his heart shatter. Slowly he sat down on a nearby park bench and let it sink in. Her words repeated over and over in his head and he was glad that his break was still long enough so he could deal with this alone before going back.

Shiratori knew that something was wrong when Satou came back almost immediately after leaving and without Takagi none the less . Her eyes were hidden by her hair, but he could almost feel the sadness surrounding her. Having seen the rose under Takagi's desk earlier, he could guess what had happened.

Sighing he went up to Satou's desk.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?"

She looked confused at first, but then nodded.

When they stepped out on the corridor no one was in sight. Their colleagues were either still on their lunch break or already back at work.

"Why did you reject him?" There was no need to beat around the bush.

"W-What? How-"

"It's obvious. So why?"

Satou looked to the side, her eyes sadder than ever before.

"Don't you understand? You were there three years ago. I can't risk it."

Shiratori knew immediately what she meant, but she was wrong. Even if he still had feelings for her, he wanted the best for her.

"Do you remember what I once told you? That you deserve to be happy?" She looked up at him and nodded slowly. "I mean it. Even if your heart doesn't belong to me but to him, you deserve to love and be loved in return. I know that he wouldn't mind you being happy."

His words touched Satou deeply and she realized that Shiratori was right. She had made a big mistake in rejecting Takagi.

"Thanks, Shiratori." She kissed him lightly on the cheek, grateful for his help, before leaving.

Shiratori looked after her, shaking his head. He knew that he had just helped his biggest rival, but he made Satou happy and that was what was important. However that didn't mean, that if they would ever break up, he wouldn't be right there to ask her out.

It didn't take Satou long to get back to the park and see Takagi sitting on a park bench looking in front of him. The red rose, that was lying next to him, looked almost as sad as he did.

The female officer immediately felt remorse for rejecting him earlier. How could she have hurt him so much? He was always so sweet to her and she had broken his heart because of her own problems. Slowly approaching him, she hoped that it wasn't too late to set things right.

Takagi hadn't moved since Satou had left. He was looking on the ground in front of him as suddenly a familiar pair of shoes entered his line of vision.

"Takagi."

When their eyes met, Satou could see the deep sorrow in his and her heart squeezed painfully at the knowledge that she had done this to him.

"I never meant to hurt you.." She began.

To Takagi it felt as if she was explaining her rejection and his heart began hurting even more. He couldn't take it anymore.

"Please stop. I know that you don't feel the same way. Don't make it any harder for me than it already is by explaining why."

Satou's eyes widened. He was getting the wrong idea and she had to fix that immediately. Going with what her heart told her, she encircled her arms around his neck and kissed him with all the feelings that she had suppressed for so long.

At first he didn't respond, too shocked from this development, but then he returned the kiss wholeheartedly.

When they finally pulled away, Takagi was still a little bit confused.

"Either that was the nicest rejection ever or this means-"

"Idiot. I love you too."

The young officer smiled brightly at her before closing the gap between their lips again for a passionate kiss.

An officer's heart is a strange thing. It experiences a lot of pain seeing the tragedies of the world, but once filled with love it's the strongest anyone could ever have.


A/N: Please review and tell me what you think :)