How I love. Feeling. Jealous.

Disclaimer: bleh.

Stop talking to him. A brushing back of hair. Stop it. A hand on his shoulder. He has no interest in you. A tone that was too flirty. Stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it—

"Um. Ricchan?" Kisa asked cautiously, sending a worried glance at his co-worker as he tried to strangle his red pen to death.

Why are you still here? Shouldn't you be working? Are you blind, you stupid bi—

"Ricchan!"

Said male managed to escape his tunnel vision enough to pay attention to Kisa, who was jostling him a little bit. "Yes?" he bit out, cursing to himself when he realized he sounded too harsh.

"Are you ok?"

As Ritsu took a breath to answer that question, the despised object of his focus finally exited their department to her own on the 2nd floor, where she belonged and should stay. The rage boiling within his stomach lessened, but he could still feel its poisonous tendrils creeping up within him.

"I'm fine, Kisa-san," was his eventual reply, turning so his bangs covered his face and the other could not see his strained smile.

By noon, all of his previous ill-will had slowly drifted away like grains of sand, and Ritsu sighed glumly on the way down to the lobby as he rubbed his aching stomach. Feeling that way really wasn't all too good for him, especially with his health. The elevator door dinged its arrival, the young editor preparing to step out into the cloudy spring day for a spot of lunch, something that he hadn't had the opportunity to in a long time.

His body tensed when he heard conversation near the door, and he stayed silent as that—censor here—lady from before—he didn't bother learning her name—was apparently trying to get Emerald's Editor-in-Chief out for lunch. Ritsu's appetite immediately left him.

"How about it, Takano-san? Just this once. I promise I'm not bad company," the she-devil crooned, shifting the bag on her shoulder and smiling up at him.

The man himself laughed—politely or not, Ritsu still could not tell, but he hoped so—and returned the smile—again, hopefully politely. "Is that so? Well, it wouldn't be a problem—"

Sick with this conversation, Ritsu cleared his throat, interrupting them, and strode forward, grabbing Takano's wrist and tugging him out the door. "Takano-san, you said we had to look over my author's manuscript over lunch, how about we do that now?" he said in a rush, thinking up an excuse on the spot.

He didn't even bother apologizing to the woman standing there, surprised and put-out. Breathing heavily for some discernable reason, Ritsu tightened his grip and didn't bother looking back to see the same shocked expression that must be on his boss' face as well.

"So," Takano said once Ritsu slowed down a few blocks from Marukawa, hand still wrapped about his boss' wrist in something that was close to a death grip. "What was that about?"

Burning with embarrassment and shame, the younger male bit his tongue and carefully pried his fingers off. He winced when he could see red fingerprints on the surface of Takano's pale skin. "What…do you mean?" Ritsu tried to say calmly, hands trembling as they smoothed the front of his coat, adjusted their grip on his bag.

Takano breathed out through his nose, and for some reason there was a note of…pride in it. "You mean to tell me that you weren't blindingly jealous of that woman when she tried to ask me out?"

Ritsu shook in mortification. He'd been…so obvious, hadn't he? Anybody with eyes could see it. How could he allow himself to fall prey to his anger? And in front of his boss, to boot? "A-ano, Takano-san."

"Hm?"

"S-sorry, about that. I don't know what came over me." Idiot, idiot!

"Ah…" There was a sudden weight over his shoulder, and Ritsu found himself being herded through the glass door of a sandwich shop, the bell tinkling lightly above his head. "No need to worry about that, Onodera."

"What…?" Ritsu stopped in front of the display, turning to face the man who always seemed to defy his expectations. He couldn't help but feel…relieved.

Sharp eyes scanning over the array of sandwiches, Takano shrugged. His lip curled into a lopsided smile. "I guess I should feel flattered."

"Hah? You?"

His smile turned into a teasing chuckle. "I mean, that I must be important enough to be able to get that reaction from you."

Ritsu attributed his red cheeks to the cold outside. Of course you are.

Stupid. That was so stupid of me, why did I do that? Ritsu thought later, currently trying to avoid who he was so je…jealous over. It's not jealousy, it's…indignance. That's the same thing, Onodera. He groaned to himself, scribbling all over a scrap of paper in the hopes of letting out his frustration and irritation. It was still embarrassing no matter what Takano reassured.

His mouth thinned into a line as he took a moment to ponder over what he had been feeling today. Mostly anger, some type that had him blind to everything else except that feeling and the overwhelming urge to hurt something—mostly that wicked temptress—if hitting girls wasn't breaking his morals and frowned upon by society. He was Japanese. Unfortunately, this meant he couldn't—and wouldn't—hit a female. Oddly, the other emotion he'd felt for a period of time was unbearable…self-righteousness. During his "lunch" with Takano-san, in which they actually ate somewhere and talked about something that wasn't work—places to go on vacation—Ritsu could only feel smug the entire time. Like he'd won something by stealing Takano's attention for himself.

What a ridiculous…idea… the thought trailed off as he remembered the feeling of haha, he's mine settled deep in the pit of his belly, spreading all over his body and engulfing him in warmth and satisfaction whenever he managed to make Takano even so much as smile. How…weird…

His uncomfortable musings were cut off by something smacking the back of his head. With a grimace, he patted the back of his head for a bruise—not that there would be one, considering the thing that had hit him was a very thin magazine—and aimed a piercing glare at the one who'd thrown it. Who else—Takano—would do this—Takano—in the office—Takano—anyways?

To his bewilderment, his boss only leveled him with an indecipherable stare before clicking his tongue and going back to…whatever he was doing beforehand.

This is what I was so jealous over? As if! Brushing off all those emotions from earlier as a momentary lapse, Ritsu went back to work.

This had to be the worst he was feeling. Some people could not take a hint, could they?

It was an almost exact replica of what had occurred earlier at lunch, except now it was dinner, and the man-stealer was bolder with her invitation. Lip gloss touched up, hair brushed back into waves, top two buttons popped open from her blouse.

She blinked prettily up at Takano and smiled. "I know a great place for a late dinner. Not too expensive, casual. So?"

What was this? What was this roaring, burning feeling in his chest? These spiteful thoughts whirling around? He couldn't be…that jealous, could he? Possessive, his mind whispered to him. You're possessive of Takano-san, you don't want him to be with anyone else, going out to eat with anyone else. Isn't that how he feels for you?

If that's it, then…Yokozawa-san…

Yokozawa-san is already out of the picture. What's stopping you?

The question echoed. What's stopping you, Ritsu? What's stopping you from taking what is yours?

What is…mine. What's mine. Takano Masamune is mine. He's mine. Mine.

His blood seethed in his veins, and he didn't know what kind of expression he must have been making when he marched right up to that infuriating man and snarled out a, "MINE," before jerking him forwards to smash his lips against his. It was kind of brutal, but Ritsu didn't care. He only cared that that damn woman respected her boundaries and knew that she wasn't wanted.

Pulling back, Ritsu turned dark eyes on her, and somehow succeeded in saying evenly, "Please stay away from Takano-san for the rest of your life," before yanking aforementioned man out the glass doors of the lobby, ignoring the lady's stuttered protests behind him.

In their apartment building, Ritsu only got as far as into his genkan before turning around and shoving Takano against the closed door, taking his lips for a searing kiss, grabbing at the front of his jacket. He stood on his tiptoes as he deepened the kiss, capturing the older man's tongue with his and conquering it.

Removing his lips only enough to bite at Takano's ear, Ritsu hissed out, "If I ever catch you with anyone else again, your pride won't be the only thing that's hurting. Got it?"

He felt a little bit better when Takano wrapped his arms around him to return the passionate kiss and murmured with a small smile, "Wouldn't dream of it, darling."

A/N: I HONESTLY LOVE JEALOUSY FICS. They're just so good. This had me curling my toes in satisfaction.

Also, I added in that tiny part in the middle since I thought it was needed.

-ChemicallyEnhanced