Something snapped inside of him, and whatever it was had priorly been working very hard to establish some semblance of composure. It wasn't Onodera's fault, really, that there was an unquellable fury burning in his chest at the mere thought of him. He removed Onodera's hands from his face and wrapped his palms around each wrist, holding him there so that he'd have no choice but to look him in the eye as he asserted, "You… have the demeanor of someone who's already been held by a man."

This was neither confirmed nor denied, but Onodera was writhing either way. "A-Ah, wait… I…"

He was coherent enough to understand that this situation was getting dangerous, at the very least, but Takano was not backing down. The little monster in his mind that enjoyed tormenting this perfectly innocent person would not desist. He ran his tongue along his neck and bit down on a spot that was easily visible.

"T-Takano…!" he turned his head and unwittingly provided better access. His efforts to escape were futile and clumsy to begin with. Like he didn't really want to.

Is it because anyone is fine? Even if it's me.

His blood boiled and he stuck his tongue in his mouth out of spite, greedily drinking up his moans and slurping at his beer-dipped tongue. The taste was quite literally intoxicating, to the point where he wondered if he hadn't consumed too many beers, himself. This judgment of his was certainly ailing after all.

"Mm… Nn, T-Taka...no…" was his only cry of protest and it was evidently half-hearted.

He'd let go of his wrists, nearly urging escape. Knowing he wouldn't stop unless he were slapped right here, but nobody hit him and Onodera was growing more and more tantalizing as a consequence. Boldly, he helped him slide his shirt over his head and made several marks around his chest, dragging his tongue across his stomach until he reached the dip in his waist.

Takano looked up and for a brief moment, Ritsu held his gaze. "I'm going to make you forget about your ex." He didn't give him enough time to look confused; he grabbed him by his hips and raised them, ushering his pants and boxers off quickly.

Naked, flushed and hard, the sight of his pretty coworker underneath him rendered any further restraint he may have exercised utterly useless. Thereafter every movement he made was perpetuated not by thought, but the animalistic behavior that overcame him whenever he crossed his mind.

He took Onodera's member into his mouth and sucked it carefully. His tongue was masterfully captivating all of his senses, and he knew this because of the way his toes and fingers curled with pleasure. There were several desperate moans of pleasure that followed before he gripped his hair, tugged it and begged, "N-No more… Please… I'll come… Hah…!"

He pulled away from it and began to work on the zipper of his own pants, lowering it all below his waist so that his cock slipped out and practically dripped with anticipation. "I don't have any lube… So you'll have to use your mouth."

Onodera struggled to his knees, eventually able to lean forward and hold Takano's arm in an effort to steady himself. He was drunk, but surely aware of what those implications were; it confirmed one creeping suspicion that he'd had: this was not his first time being held by a man.

"Oh…" he dumbly gripped the shaft with a red and frustrated face. As if debating whether this was even possible, so Takano helped him along. He firmly gripped the back of his hair and urged his mouth around his dick in one quick yank. "Mmf-! Mm...Mn...H-Hr…"

His hesitation melted away, by the looks of it, because soon enough his tongue was swirling around the length of it, licking and sucking away at it clumsily. He wasn't skilled, but the way his head began to bob indicated that neither of them would last much longer if this kept up.

Takano waited for a long moment, clenching his hair tightly as he caught himself in the heat of near-climax. Quickly, he pulled Ritsu's head away and pushed him down, laying right on top of him. His head was right next to his ear. He bit the lobe and swirled the tongue around it, while his hips pushed against his with utter want.

Onodera wanted it, too, by the looks of it. He was gripping his shoulders tight, holding him close and shifting his hips in a way that intensified the friction between them. "Shit…" he griped in his ear as he felt his climax approaching "You want it…?"

The answer was obvious, his eyes were tearing up with overstimulation and practically begging. Nonetheless, Takano stubbornly stilled their hips until he was given what he wanted.

Ritsu, who eventually caught on, was forced to concede with a nod and a pitiful moan of neglect. "I...I want it...Please…" his legs were unconsciously spreading "Put it in…"

He sat up, needing no further encouragement and positioned himself at his entrance. He grabbed Onodera's arms and gripped his elbows, steadying him so that his ass was pressed right against Takano's hard-on; a final, necessary tease before he pulled his hips back and penetrated him in one merciless lurch.

He tossed his head back in a way that was just too cute, too familiar as he tried to come to terms with the pain and the pleasure coursing throughout his body. "Ah-! Ahn… N-No… Too...big-"

Though he said that, he was tightening around him nicely. "Relax… Hah." he took a deep breath; staying composed was hard for him, too. "It's not even fully inside you, yet."

"I can't… I can't…!" he resisted the grip on his arms, likely trying to cover his face but it was no use.

Takano had no intentions of letting him go until they both were milked dry. He waited for a long, agonizing moment; it took a bit, but Onodera eventually adjusted and accepted more of him, inch by inch. But he was an impatient man.

With one harsh thrust, he was fully sheathed inside and the boy beneath him was suffering from lewd protests, and the way he was squirming certainly didn't help. "Hah..! Tak..ano…"

"Keep doing that," he urged as he settled into a torturously slow pace, entering him fully and then removing himself until the tip remained; just to snap his hips and get inside him again.

"M-More…" came his shameful plea, "I want...to cum...Please, let me…"

What kind of person would he be, to deny a cute and honest request like that. "Alright, here you go." There was a slight smile on his face, he was smug.

Every thrust became sharp and deep. The bed creaked with every rock of his hips and Onodera's body could only desperately feel it, as he was held so firmly in Takano's grasp that he couldn't even reach for the sheets. Takano, as well, was so overcome with pleasure that his nails were digging into his wrists and bruising them. It wasn't like him, to be so rough.

Then again, he'd never been particularly gentle, either. And given the way Onodera kept moaning, wrapping his legs around him and moaning like a slut with every thick movement, it seemed like he didn't mind being held this way.

They were both pent up, so it seemed. Neither lasted particularly long, but Onodera came first, across both of their chests and by the end of the orgasm, though he'd tightened up uncontrollably, the rest of him was absolutely limp. Takano didn't mind, though. Because even though he hadn't cum yet, the feeling of his greedy hole trying to stay fucked was more than satisfying.

"Oh…" he groaned as he neared his climax, still taking Ritsu's limp body, 'til his stomach knotted up with the promise of release. "Hey… Lift your head."

He couldn't, really. But Takano was kind enough to help him out, though he had to forfeit the hold on his arms that'd granted him an odd sensation of dominance. He held the back of his head and urged him forward.

He flushed immediately at the sight of where they were connected and shut his eyes eyes tightly. This was expected, and Takano pulled out before he could fully understand what was going on—

—Takano had his release, of course. All over his face and chest, but Onodera seemed more interested in collapsing from exhaustion than yelling at him. In fact, he fell asleep rather quickly- which was almost a shame.

Takano remained awake long enough to stare at the mess he'd made and criticize himself for being so ruthless, for no good reason other than some type of childish agenda to demean and humiliate his coworker in every conceivable way. Moreover, he'd even made the effort of degrading his face when using the sheets would have been fine.

He couldn't bring himself to stay til morning, although that would have been courteous. Then again, if he were courteous he would have adhered to Isaka's warning in the first place. But with a bit too much pride, he'd made Onodera cry after all. In his place, he left a note on his end table, next to that precious framed picture of his where he would most likely see it.

Thinking crudely of himself, he quickly dressed and left the room. This guilt of his wouldn't go away… but neither could he bring himself to regret his actions.

"If you don't want the whole company to know that you'll sleep with anyone who gets you drunk enough, come to xx tomorrow night."

Perhaps it was because of his rotten upbringing, but he was really resenting the part of himself that wanted so badly to snuff out this person's innocence.

What formulated in the passing months was something along the lines of a sex-friend situation, rooted upon a bit of blackmail. Or more accurately, an empty threat.

It was ludicrous to consider seriously blackmailing the guy, after all, and he was sure that Onodera was aware of this. He had to be. But he never really brought it up, never reported it to anyone who would have surely had Takano fired in a matter of minutes. Yes, he was certainly capable of this…

Yet, he was there when he called, they often ate together and had sex afterwards, sometimes before. It was more or less an established routine at this point, that neither of them complained about. Perhaps because they were both benefiting from this type of relationship.

Now, however, was one of the rare occasions in which Takano had gotten impatient. After a particularly racy dream (those popped up more frequently nowadays) he'd called Onodera and although his apartment was farther than was convenient, he arrived and they ate breakfast together. Then he fucked him from behind and their plans after that were still up in the air.

He pulled out of Ritsu, stalling momentarily as he admired the shape of his back. Everything about him was captivating, down to the skin, the bruises from being held a bit too much and the remnants of their 'fun' dripping down the inside of his thighs. It was quite a sight, really.

Onodera always needed a bit longer to recover. He was panting heavily, so Takano courteously offered a glass of water.

He nodded, before immediately turning to lay on his side as his legs trembled. "Thank...you." His voice was slightly hoarse.

Takano was modest enough to dress his lower half as he retrieved the glass of water and brought it back, urging Onodera to sit up as if he was sickly and needed the help. "Are you busy today?" Predictably, he was swatted away.

He took several long swigs and wiped some sweat off his brow. "I promised I'd meet Nao for lunch."

He was irritated enough to remark, "You're awfully confident in your ability to walk after this."

"Shut up…!" he mumbled with his lips pressed against the glass. He downed it quickly and let out a refreshing gasp. Then he wiped his lips and retorted, "I'll have to deal with it either way, thanks to someone."

"So? Just cancel." he took the glass and held it, dutifully awaiting the request for a refill.

"Nao asked first. He shouldn't be inconvenienced just because you're impulsive, asking me to come here this early in the morning..."

"You didn't have to come."

"You would have complained."

That was true, but he digressed. "You let me push you around too much, y'know that?"

"You'll do it whether I 'let you' or not, right?" he pointed out, and was probably right. "Ah, I'm going to use your shower." he got off the bed and hit the floor.

"Idiot…" Takano helped him up, though he was being assaulted in the process with protests of 'I can do it myself!'

Still, it was worth it, seeing Ritsu red-faced and dumbfounded. So he helped him into the bathroom until he insisted he could do it on his own, convincingly as he actually managed to stand on his own two feet.

Takano left him and prepared breakfast for two, deciding he was entitled to at least one meal with the idiot. As he fried their eggs, he wondered briefly if Nao was aware of the relationship they had, and just how deeply he'd gotten to know Onodera as of late. He almost wanted him to be aware of it, though it was just that childish part of him lashing out again.

What is this relationship, anyway? It was still unclear. They weren't quite lovers, and while 'sex friends' was the most applicable term, it seemed inaccurate.

Onodera wasn't the only sex friend he'd ever had, but he was the only sex friend he saw and played with on a consistent basis. He was also the only one he'd ever bothered to eat with and get to know on a somewhat personal level, though there were still boundaries that they didn't cross.

He never asked about that person in the frame, for example. Partially because he was wary of the answer, and Ritsu just looked so damn infuriatingly sad when he looked at it. Whether it was someone he still missed or not, he just didn't want to know.

Otherwise, he'd learned all sorts of little things about him that he never would have cared to know if he were just a sex friend. Like his birthday, his favorite subject, his shoe size… Oh, he had anemia. Something he'd learned the hard way. He'd also learned that Ritsu had been assaulted some time before transferring to Marukawa, by an attacker whose face he could not remember. The scars were still on his chest.

Sometimes his chest ached a little too.

The shower stopped running. By then, the meal was ready and plated, so he brought it to the living room and waited for Onodera who stepped out not long after, fully clothed but limping. "Thank you for… Huh, you made breakfast already?"

Something bugged him. He scooted back on the sofa, so that there was a wide, open space in front of his legs and he patted the available cushion.

Puzzled, Ritsu got closer. "Uh, what are you…! Hey-!" He was promptly pulled into the seat, the towel he'd strewn around his neck was seized and immediately used to dry out his hair.

"You should learn to do this shit yourself." he suggested, though it probably wouldn't have satisfied him anyway.

He wasn't being fought, but Onodera did remind him, "Your breakfast is getting cold, let go!"

He spitefully wrapped his arms around him and held him there. "I made you a plate, too. So stay and eat with me."

"I told you… already…!" he squirmed "I can't stay here all day, so…!" it didn't help him though.

"I know. You can leave after breakfast… Or are you the type of person who just wants me for my body?" he accused, feigning disbelief.

If he were strong enough, he would have turned around and hit him. He settled on the most straightforward method of escape instead. "Alright! I'll eat with you… But I'm not canceling on Nao!" he was released with a clumsy 'drop' that found him face-first on the floor.

"Wow, what a clutz…"

"I'll choke you-"

As promised, he let him go once they'd shared a meal and talked a bit about their progress at work. Soon enough, Ritsu was scheduled to transfer to the literature department, might even work under his team, but this was still to-be-determined, according to Isaka. Part of the reason he'd been given such an entry-level position in the first place was because of his weak constitution, so Takano's spartan-paced work ethic was intimidating.

It wasn't as though he'd allow him to work himself to death, though… And frankly, it was irritating, watching Onodera underestimate his capabilities because of a little physical weakness. Watching him in general was irritating, because he caught himself doing it more often than what was appropriate for their relationship, or lack-thereof. But it was addictive.

This was addictive.

For that reason, he called Onodera again that afternoon to ask him if he was busy. He wasn't.

He paid him a visit at his place, though it required navigated a minefield of garbage. Takano was polite enough to prepare dinner beforehand so that they could eat together, and Ritsu complained, "I'm going to collapse if we keep doing it twice in one day, like this…!"

"Huh? That's not why I'm here." he washed out a few dirty dishes so that he could plate the food, "Besides, why do you think I feed you so much? Can't have you fainting again…"

His face flushed red at the memory, "Th-That's why you feed me?!"

No. But it was better if he believed that was the reason, so he kept quiet. "You know… Your place is a dump."

"It can't be helped! Nao hasn't been coming over lately, so…" he compensated for the lack of cleanliness by kicking his mess into one corner.

He wouldn't comment on how happy that made him, and instead settled on bringing the meal to him. As he set it down, he heard something rather unexpected.

"Oh… your birthday is coming up soon, isn't it?"

He was surprised because he, too, had completely forgotten about it. "...I guess so." he took a bite of his rice.

"I… Ah…" he stammered for some time, it didn't take a genius to pick up on what he was trying to insinuate.

"Leave that day open… We'll go for a drive." it wasn't much, but it was far more than he'd expected to get out of that pitiful waste of a day.

"S-Sure! I'll try to stay available," he had a bad habit of scarfing his food down when he was nervous. Then paused, unconsciously gaping a bit. "Ha… That reminds me…"

Takano watched him and waited.

"O-Oh, nothing!" he corrected himself quickly. "I was just reminded of something that happened a few years ago."

"What happened?"

"Huh?"

He set his plate aside, then passed a look to Ritsu that essentially demanded a bit more common sense from him.

"...Ten years… No, eleven years ago? I was...in a bad accident."

His eyes widened. He recalled that rumor floating around, but had never given it much attention. Hearing it from the horse's mouth actually gave him a reason to listen. "You were what?"

"Like I said, it's nothing! It was so long ago, I can barely remember it." he lied, and it was obvious that he was lying.

"Geez… How the hell are you alive, you idiot…?"

There were so many loaded questions floating around in his head that he couldn't bring himself to entertain his appetite. Things like "what if he hadn't survived" and "what if it happens again", things that he really didn't want to think about.

It became apparent to him that this was the type of person who faced a lot of obstacles. With his diet, his anemia needed to be taken seriously. Because he was a little spoiled rich kid, allowing him to walk around at night could lead to disaster. And he was accident prone so it was best to hold him on a tight leash at all times, especially among traffic. Furthermore…

"That person in the picture… Is he your ex?" he'd tried on more than one occasion to bring it up, but his answer was dodged every single time. Or rather, the answer merely felt incomplete.

Onodera nearly spit out his food. "N-No! I told you… Haitani was just… a very good friend of mine."

There was that face again. That stupid, forlorn look of his that kept the full story under wraps. Like he didn't deserve to know. "I don't know too many people that look like they want to be held by their friends."

It was his turn to be irritated. "Huh?! It wasn't like that at all…! And anyway, it's none of your business!" he brought his plate to the sink, unknowingly inciting a fire.

It burned inside of Takano, who had just been unwittingly reminded of his position in this man's life. He was not a 'friend', he was someone who demanded sex.

"...Fine." he conceded and rose to his feet "It's none of my business."

Without thinking, he grabbed Onodera's arm and led him to the bedroom, in spite of his protests. He tossed him on the bed and climbed on top of him.

"T-Takano! Cut it out, what's your problem?!" he asked as his neck was being ravaged. It didn't feel good, it just hurt, like Takano was just trying to bite him out of spite.

"Sex is all this is to you, right? It's just an order from your future boss." he began to undress, 'helped' Ritsu out of his clothes by roughly yanking his shirt off over his head.

They'd done it rough plenty of times, but something about the way things were going at that moment felt different. Takano knew he wasn't in full control of himself, that it was best to stop. But he was addicted, just kept touching Onodera and holding onto his cries of pain as he bit into his chest over and over, challenging each scar with a mark of his own.

"Takano… Slow down.." he pleaded "W-We've already done it, today…"

"Don't worry." he cupped Ritsu's face. What should have been a sweet exchange was ruined by his condescending words. "I'll be sure to give you a promotion after this. Just like you wanted."

The look of hurt that crossed his face was fleeting, and almost immediately replaced with rage.

He slapped Takano across the face. It resounded throughout the room with an unpleasant noise that stilled them both, but Ritsu was the first to speak. "If that's what you think this is… Leave!"

Their expressions were equally unreadable as neither of them could bear to look one another in the eye for that instance of fury.

What passed was a long and tense moment of silence, before Takano pinned him down and made him look "I don't care if you're still in love with your ex."

Instead of fearful, he looked confused. "Wha…?"

"I said I don't care." he snapped, "No matter how close you were. He shouldn't be the reason for that fucking pathetic look in your eyes whenever you think about him. Stop saying his name in your sleep like you miss him, stop looking so lonely every time we eat dinner together. Like I'm someone else in your mind."

Ritsu couldn't find the words to speak. He wasn't given the chance.

With a gentle caress, Takano threaded his fingers through his hair. "I'm the one you're eating with… I'm the one having sex with you. So think of me damnit! Nobody else… If you're going to be in love with anyone, then let it be me!"

He'd never seen him more passionate than he was at that instant, yelling at his face with a clumsy confession like that… He was still at a loss for words, and couldn't stop Takano when he got off of him and left the room, pausing at the door in order to add his final declaration, "And by the way… Whether you're still hung up on your ex or not. I'm going to make you say that you love me."

Takano slammed the door on his way out.

Ritsu was left to sit there on his bed and seriously consider his confession.

... As if he needed to.

Tears fell down his face, and frankly he was glad that Takano wasn't there to see this, because it would have been very hard to explain, why he was sobbing over a promise that he couldn't even remember making. It couldn't be helped, though. Because it's not as though these were tears of sorrow,

He was just amazed that his heart could continue beating like this, rapidly longing for someone he'd never really parted from, and could never get enough of.

He rubbed his eyes and stifled a smile. "You idiot…!"

1 year later

It wasn't uncommon for these dreams to come around.

He was back to his youth, sitting in his hospital bed and from the looks of the amount of IV drips and medical tools required to keep his body functional, he supposed that this had taken place not long after the accident. But true to his insatiable desire, he was reading.

He couldn't remember what he had read, as the words were a mere blur on the page and the book was set aside. As he looked up, he wondered about a few things; like where An was, how his parents were doing and when he'd be able to leave this place. If he'd heal faster if he did exactly as the doctors said.

The best part about being on the third floor was that it had the best view of the street, and his bed was fortunately near enough to the window so that he could watch everyone pass by. If he were lucky enough, they'd leave the window open and permit a slight breeze, which was one of the most calming sensations he could afford while reading.

Today was one of those days, so it seemed. And the window wasn't just cracked, it was wide open. Japan was amid the prime of Spring, flourishing with its abundant cherry blossoms. It was, perhaps, the worst time to be hospitalized. If only because watching the students mingle down below made him long for the days in which he could return to school.

There were plenty of people out and about today; couples, too, holding hands and flirting beneath the trees. Admittedly, he wasn't interested in experiencing this sort of thing with An, but…

If just one day, he could be selfish enough to experience Spring with someone he loved, then he would be perfectly content for the rest of his life, anemic or not.

As the people down below notably began to fidget, some girls holding down their skirts, he realized that a particularly strong gust of wind had passed through.

He hadn't expected it to reach him of all people, but it did. It blew through the window, carrying a symphony of cherry blossom petals in its Spring parade. His eyes widened as those small blossoms landed in every conceivable place, leading him to believe that the doctors would have quite a fit later on. The nurse would be so flustered, trying to sweep this mess up, and probably comment on his big smile that had been so elusive since the accident.

He didn't mind at all, though. Even if he had to spend the rest of his days picking petals out of his hair.

Onodera awoke, wrapped in blankets and a gentle breeze. Furthermore, he was pressed against someone who was warm. "Where… am I?" he wondered.

It took a moment, but he realized that they were at Takano's apartment, as his place was had a much better view of the street. It was Spring again, and the trees were in full bloom. Something he never grew tired of seeing, though it was a shame that they never lasted long.

As he continued to sit up and stare out the window, he spotted his apartment door in the distance. It was surreal, to see it so close by.

"Still, I never thought he'd move into the complex across the road-"

His waist was grabbed and he was pulled back down into the bed, by someone who was very much awake. "Don't get up."

"I wasn't getting up..!" he argued.

"Liar."

He'd grown used to spending his mornings this way, waking up in Takano's arms, mostly to a childish argument of some sort. "I'm not…!"

"I'll make breakfast." he sat up tiredly, his chest was bare. It was quite eye-catching, and there were times in which Ritsu still had to stop himself from staring.

He was caught nonetheless. "You know… You'd get used to it if you'd just move in with me."

This was something they'd discussed on many occasions, which Ritsu mostly approached with apprehension because he wasn't quite sure how to explain moving one crosswalk away to his parents. Even so, lately it seemed that the benefits were beginning to outweigh the cons.

It's not as though he ever really went home that often nowadays… But it couldn't be helped.

He considered it again, with a faint smile on his lips. He couldn't quite explain why he'd woken up in such a good mood, nor why his gaze was stuck on the trees outside and the people that walked between them, friends and lovers alike. Perhaps it was selfish, but he decided he would wait until breakfast to give Takano his answer.

A particularly strong breeze passed through the trees, startling the people outside, but the window was wide opened and Ritsu was more than willing to watch the influx of blossoms as they traversed the apartment.

They did cause quite a mess, and Takano even cursed about what a pain it would be to clean it all up. However, before Takano could find an excuse to get out of bed, he turned over—

—and laughed. Because several petals had landed in Takano's hair, which he proceeded to absentmindedly pick out. As they shared a kiss, Ritsu decided that it would be best to deliver his answer over breakfast. Because if they were going to surpass another milestone in their relationship, he wanted to do it while sharing a meal, as proper lovers.

End.

A/N: Wow! I can't believe this is the end... Please, feel free to let me know what you'd think. I've written many multi-chaptered fics before but I feel like this one has turned out to be the best in terms of quality. And I actually really enjoyed writing this, so much so that not having to do it anymore is going to feel very empty.

Honestly, I was thinking about turning Takano's side into a sequel. But I figured I'd be merciful and make things short and sweet? And I think it turned out alright. See, I'm not so cruel as to stick you guys with a bittersweet cliffhanger forever.

Anyways, if you have any questions, feel free to ask! There were plenty of things that I feel as though I didn't get the chance to address since they weren't really necessary to the main plot. Although what happened with Haitani and Ijuuin may potentially be addressed in a future fic if I ever feel like writing it, please feel free to ask me about anything that stuck out to you!

Otherwise, thanks for reading! And thank you to everyone who left comments, those are like speed to a writer. I hope to write for you all again soon!