Disclaimer: I don't own Sekaiichi Hatsukoi because this really is too cute.

Ritsu can't remember the last time he's ever been so red. There was ten years ago, of course, and the crimson splotches that would appear on his pale cheeks whenever he saw his Saga-senpai. Oh, and there was accidentally seeing An-chan getting dressed when they were 15. That was very traumatizing; Ritsu still knocks at least twice on his childhood friend's door whenever they all get together for the holidays. But besides those two instances, he hasn't ever been as red as he is right now, standing outside the front doors of Marukawa and hoping against all hope that nobody would recognize him.

Takano stands next to him with half a cigarette burning in his mouth, his lips curved up into a smirk. He's having too much fun with this, the bastard. It was his fault Ritsu was in this situation anyways.

"Do I have to wear this all day, Takano-san?" Ritsu nearly whines—but no, he still has his pride, something that Takano thankfully hasn't completely destroyed yet.

Taking the cigarette casually out of his mouth and tapping it against the ashtray, Takano sighs exasperatedly. "You lost the best, Onodera; you have to keep up your end of it."

"I know, but…" Ritsu tugs at the pink, fluffy ears on top of his bunny costume. That's right. A big, pink rabbit outfit, and he has to wear it the entire day. Sometimes he really hates Takano. "It's so embarrassing."

"Ah…" Takano bends over to Ritsu's height. "But you look so cute with it on. Don't you think?" He brushes some of that brown hair aside and kisses his cheek. "I think everyone at Marukawa will really enjoy it."

If blood traveled any more to his face, Ritsu is sure he would pass out. He grumbles and pouts and sulks, but that doesn't change his fate at all. "Fine…there better be no pictures, though!"

Takano strolls into the building without waiting for Ritsu. "Mm…no promises!" He chuckles over his shoulder as he walks towards the elevator.

Ritsu scowls petulantly as he follows Takano inside, ignoring the confused murmurs and squeals coming from the women at the front counter and in the lobby.

Kisa looks up to greet them when they enter Emerald, only to gape openly at Ritsu's costume, making him blush even darker. "R-ricchan! That's…"

He laughs nervously and shuffles papers on his desk as he sits down like there's absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. "W-what is it, Kisa-san? Something on my face?" Ritsu forces himself to meet Kisa's avid gaze, and he almost cringes. Kisa looks so…there isn't a word for it.

"No, but…" Kisa moves his eyes up and down Ritsu's body, clearly taking in all of the pink fluff glory that is the rabbit costume. He looks back at Ritsu. "You look so…CUTE!"

Well. Isn't that just the best way to get everyone's attention? Hatori and Mino glance over at them as well. Hatori takes one look and quickly jerks away, an unusual light flush to his cheeks. Ritsu wonders what that's about. Mino still has that everlasting smile, though at Ritsu's costume, it grows just a bit more.

"Very cute, Ritsu," Mino says. Ritsu only reddens and faces down to his work, like it will swallow him up and let him leave this hellish place!

"Isn't he?" Oh great, does Takano really have to join in? Takano slides over smoothly and throws an arm around Ritsu's covered shoulder. "He was telling me this morning that he just had to wear it today to work."

Ritsu sputters, "That's a lie!" But nobody is listening to him anymore; they never do anyways. Such is the life of a newbie editor. He pouts again and stares burning holes into his work, ignoring the fact that Takano is still touching him inappropriately in the workplace.

Well, what he thinks is inappropriate, anyhow.

The others in the Emerald department gather around him, asking so many questions that have nothing to do with the actual costume itself and why Takano was with him that morning. Ritsu even catches one or two women from the BL Sapphire department lurking in the corners. What the hell? Don't these people have work? Apparently not, since they're all here in his personal work space! He feels another stomachache coming on.

Takano waves them off with a very not well-meaning smile. "Alright, alright, get back to work. We're very busy!"

Ah, thank god. Maybe everyone will forget about this by tomorrow if I play my cards right…

Yeah right!

"Takano-san." This the first time in at least ten minutes that Ritsu's spoken up.

"What?"

Ritsu gestures vaguely to where he thinks Takano's desk is at that moment. "Can you go away? I need to work." Right now, he's struggling to hold his pen, as his hands right now are covered in pink, fluff bunny paws, courtesy of the costume. He almost whines in frustration when the pen slips out of his hand again, but Takano is right there, so no….

"Ah, but…" And then Takano is leaning over him again. "It looks like you need help. Let me—"

"Takano-san, please! I'm perfectly fine on my own." No, not really, but he has to sell the position or his tyrant boss will never leave him alone.

Takano grabs his pen right out of Ritsu's hand and starts making marks all over the storyboard. "Here, here, and here. Would you have caught those rookie mistakes?"

Suddenly overwhelmed by the lack of control he has over this situation, Ritsu can only stare uncomprehendingly at the storyboard in front of him, brain turned off in a moment of extreme incredulity. "Uh…well…"

"Probably not, so it's a good thing I was here, isn't it?" Ritsu has no idea how Takano can sound so irritating and so arrogant at the same time—oh wait. He does. It's just in his natural personality. God, sometimes he really hates Takano.

Ritsu's already sweating in his costume and he's annoyed and stressed and he just wants to go home right now, so one can't really blame him when he stands up. "Takano-san, I really don't need your help! Now please, go back to work and stop bothering me!"

Other faces peer in curiously, but Ritsu isn't paying attention right now. He wants to strangle something; his hands clench together—as much as they can anyways—with the desire to wipe that damn expression off of Takano's face. And then Takano finally moves back to his desk with only an absent wave over his shoulder.

Mind racing and heart pounding with anger, Ritsu almost loses it when Kisa says cheerfully, "Wow, look at that red face, Ricchan! It matches your outfit!"

His head hits the table with a loud thump.

After work, Ritsu hurries out of Marukawa as quickly as he can without anyone else—Takano—seeing him as he exits the building—Takano. Takano needs to get out of Ritsu's mind. Glancing behind his shoulder, Ritsu breathes out a sigh of relief as he hops onto the subway right before the doors close. Thankfully this is the very last train of the night, so there aren't as many people as there usually would be.

He can almost breathe freely again until someone makes his presence known next to Ritsu and hell, why does he always pop up everywhere Ritsu goes?

"You know, you never thanked me for that earlier, Onodera."

His eyebrow twitches. "Earlier?"

"For helping you with that storyboard, and for fighting everyone off. It was turning into a battlefield back there," Takano replies indifferently.

Battlefield?! Like hell it was!

Ritsu lets out an aggravated sigh. "Thank you for your help earlier, Takano-san. Now can you leave me alone?" He leans back against the walls of the subway; right now he just wants to sleep.

Takano only leans closer to Ritsu. There really is no winning with him, is there? "Come over tonight."

"Hah? No thank you!"

"Then I'm coming over."

"Stop inviting yourself to my apartment!"

"You'll come over then?"

"Fine, if it'll get you to leave me alone!"

Ritsu immediately shuts his mouth when he realizes the mistake he's made. Takano's lips curl up in a triumphant smile. "Oh yes. And keep the costume on. It's not the end of the day yet."

A strange noise between a groan and barely-concealed rage makes its way out of Ritsu's mouth, but Takano only smiles even wider.

That night, Ritsu decides he REALLY hates Takano when he uses him as his own personal teddy bear.

Extra:

"Kisa-san, I'm h—!" Yukina pauses as he steps into the doorway, sleepover bag in one hand and keys in the other. For a moment, he can't believe his eyes. Because standing in front of him is his beloved boyfriend wearing what seems to be a bunny costume.

"W-welcome home…Yukina," Kisa mutters, fidgeting. His face feels like a stovetop.

There's no response. He looks up, put-out that he wasted so much effort, to see Yukina carefully examining him, as if he were some interesting specimen. Well…that wasn't what he expected.

Finally Yukina opens his mouth—his perfect, kissable mouth that should be on Kisa's right about now—only to say, "It's still not as good as that kitty costume you wore last month."

What? Embarrassed, and feeling oddly rejected, Kisa turns, ready to ignore Yukina for the rest of the evening. He only manages to take one step before he's drowning in warmth and fabric and that cinnamon smell that Yukina always seems to have around him. It's…sort of nice.

"Now let me be clear, Kisa-san," Yukina murmurs into his ear, pausing to stick his tongue in briefly. Kisa gasps softly. "No matter what you wear, you're still so utterly sexy to me. Ne?"

Kisa's only reply is dragging Yukina to his bedroom with a hard kiss.

A/N: LOL, I thought of the Extra scene when I re-read this for mistakes and came across Kisa's reaction to Ritsu wearing the costume. It was nice.

-ChemicallyEnhanced