▸ ‘ & Ritsu ;

            Heaving breaths claimed his whole being for a moment or two, the utter
            SHOCK  of it all was enough  to get his mind reeling.  Now dizzy with it.
            That didn’t happen ; he did not  just let himself be taken  advantage yet
            again by the other. His mind hadn’t been filled with thoughts of nostalgic
            yearning at the feel of his LIPS on his own, had not been thinking about
            the sheer familiarity of such a feeling that he certainly did not miss. No,
            absolutely not. 

            Thoughts of BITTER denial insisted, practically took over him, head bow-
            ed and eyes adamant to not meet that particular pair of brown. He wasn’t
            sure what would happen if he was to look properly at Takano right now… 
            What sort of expression would he find if he was to look up? What sort of
            emotions would be readily AVAILABLE to him, solid and genuine and too
            palpable to be simply ignored? 

                                                    “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

            He has successfully moved on, damn it. He was well over it. Truth be told,
            he wanted nothing else other than an APOLOGY from the man despite the 
            revelation that the past had been a huge misunderstanding. Ritsu still deem-
            ed it right he should at least get an apology in turn, and not THIS. 

             What ever this was. 

                                                      “Don’t flatter yourself, its been ten years.
                                                       You’re my boss and we work together.
                                                       That’s all there is to it…
                                                       So please, stop harassing me.” 

              Could Takano not see this was for the best?

                                                “…”

               _{SILENCE. Takano couldn’t find the words to mend Ritsu’s jaded idea of him and his true intentions. Pain ached throughout his heart; fists tightly clenching the other’s shirt before dropping them to his side. The numbness took over his body as he swallowed back the urge to break down. Ten years of wallowing in lust and alcohol; ten years of waiting and searching; TEN YEARS to finally get back on his feet, only to be teared down once again. The walls that he worked so hard to build were all torn down just with one look; his mind going crazy as he continued to fall for the other once more. Averting his eyes away from the other’s, the editor found himself staring at the ground; his body remaining stagnant as he sat in silence. Ritsu’s words were like daggers as he spoke, and Takano took each knife with open arms. He was afraid to face what the other had to say; his worst fears now coming to life. He could slowly feel the other slipping through the spaces between his fingers as the silence grew between them. It didn’t matter what Takano would say to him–hell–he would honestly go to hell and back just to convince him that his feelings were true, the editor knew there was little to no hope in even trying. With his head facing away from Ritsu, Takano parted his lips to speak; his voice low enough for the other to hear,}

                        “…Then just report me. Tell Isaka,
                         and let my career fall. If I’m really
                         doing that to you, then just reject
                              me. Right here, right now.”

                          _{Vile rose up inside of his throat as  the man spewed venom towards the other before him. Regret and anger laced themselves in his words as Takano tore himself apart mentally. Pieces of him were being thrown out as he spoke; his mind spiraling back into nothing. All hope he had was now slowly receding back into the depths of his heart, and all he could do was just sit back and take whatever Ritsu had to offer him.}