The Emerald department was in a complete disarray the next two weeks with planning for the book fair and for the new author contest with its story submissions. Takano-san had protested fervently against the placement of the latter on the calendar, but everyone else had insisted that this schedule was right after testing season and so it would encourage more young candidates to apply.

Most everyone on the meeting room floor heard: "If they aren't willing to write manga even when it's inconvenient for them, then they can fuck off. I don't want any slackers."

And then he had been vetoed by Isaka-san with a shit eating grin.

He sighed as fished some coins out of his pocket for a cup of coffee. He slid them into the vending machine, recalling the drink stolen from Onodera a while back. After this five minute interlude, he would have to go to yet another meeting. He was certain that despite his other responsibilities calling him away from his department, there would be no relief: there would be a pile of work that could only be completed by him on his desk.

Most irritating of all: the most he got see of Onodera was his profile as he was pulled past his department by hurried board members. There was the familiar look of complete concentration on his face, his green eyes scanning the papers before him with his brows knitted and his back hunched over.

That slight glimpse was all he had, nothing more, let alone getting to touch him and confirm his theory about mind reading. He blinked, coming back to the present before following his squawking superiors back to the meeting room.

"Oi. Yokozawa. Yokozawa!" Takano-san called.

The blue eyed man turned with an exaggerated frown, his head tilted in up in disdain and annoyance. "What do you want, Masamune?"

"Hey. I'll buy you a drink and another polka dotted apron, so side with me on the organization of the booths at the fair."

"Fuck no." His blue eyes narrowed as he felt his forehead wrinkled in irritation. He planted his feet down, crossing his arms.

"Two polka dotted aprons?" The man deadpanned.

"You're banned from visiting Sorata for a month."

Takano-san shrugged, playing innocent. "I'm joking. Can't you take a joke, grizzly bear?" The nerve of his friend sometimes, Takano sighed. Sorata was technically his cat - though with the way Sorata would cuddle up to Yokozawa now, it seemed questionable - and at least Takano-san wasn't trying to give the cat type 2 diabetes.

"No. Look. Your idea about having the booths scattered is a complete pai-"

"I said have their booths set by alphabetizing their names."

"Do you know how much harder that'll be for advertising and sales to do when we have to run everywhere?! It should be spilt by shoujo and shounen, and with the most popular authors scattered more heavily in the back!"

"There'll be a map, so you can plan the shortest route." The shoujo department head insisted. "A map. If your subordinates can't read a map, then maybe you need to reevaluate them."

"At least my department isn't avoided like there's a plague there." He snapped back. "Sakurasou's plan makes sense. Unlike yours. Did you hit your head waking up this morning?"

"If you have the names alphabetized, then it'll be much more interesting." Takano-san crossed his arms as wells, the frown on his face evident as their voices both got louder with each response.

"What'll be more interesting?" A low, curious voice intruded.

Takano-san stared his friend down and noticed his slight flinch before he turned his calculating stare to the interjector. He bowed slightly in the way of a hello.

"Kirishima-san." Yokozawa's demeanor visibly softened even as his eye twitched. "Takano-san, here," He sneered, but it didn't have a bite as he rolled his eyes in amusement and was snorted at in return, "thinks we should alphabetize the booths, instead of splitting them by section. The sales department has everything organized by department. It makes the most sense."

"..." Kirishima-san raised and eyebrow before patting Yokozawa-san on the head, a faint smile on his lips, even with the slightly irritated look in his eye. Takano-san had to shove down the urge to squint. Was the man jealous? Of what though. And had Yokozawa just let him pat him on the head? Takano-san had gotten elbowed in the stomach that last time he'd tried.

It had been years ago in college and had been over a bet with one of his friends/fuck buddies. She had been pretty daunted by Yokozawa at first, but after a while, the two of them had teamed up against the burly man to raise his blood pressure and pop a vein. She was married now...with some guy from engineering...

Takano-san blinked.

College felt like such a long time ago despite it having been only been half a decade before. Maybe it was because he felt like a different person. It was difficult to remember his way of thinking as a kid so long ago. The brat he had been hadn't really known much until he had gotten a job with a shitty boss and dealt with real world problems, coming to the conclusion that he had been a rather insular child.

"W-what?!" Yokozawa growled in indignation, flushing slightly as he shoved the older man a little further away. He glared.

"C'mon don't be swayed by the shoujo department here. Spend some time trying to get the shounen department to bribe you too." There was almost a faint whine in the guileless tone of the older man's voice. Kirishima-san shoved his hands into his pockets, a winning and devious smile on his face, the corners of his eyes crinkling.

Takano-san smirked, "So is that a yes to the polka dot apron?"

Both men stiffened, but before Yokozawa could blow his top, Kirishima, stepped in, smiling. Takano-san was given a wry, amused stare, "We can talk about this at the the next meeting. It's only in an hour. You two did just get out of one didn't you?"

Yokozawa pushed tried to step in front of Kirishima, a frown in the making. "Yea but-"

"Oh sorry, I gotta run. I have to make sure I finish most of my work early so I can go see my daughter's play." At that, Kirishima stared pointedly at Yokozawa who squirmed slightly under his stare. He tugged at his tie.

Ah. Takano-san blinked. He was jealous of Yokozawa. And his friend had even said he shouldn't trust his intuition. He didn't hide the grin that spread across his face. Yokozawa seemed happy. There was no doubt Yokozawa deserved it.

He was given a suspicious stare from blue eyes in return.

"Me too. You should stop lazing around Masamune!" Yokozawa finally said.

The two younger men stared each other down before Kirishima slid his hand to the small of Yokozawa's back and pulled him struggling away, turning back only to say, "By the way, Isaka-san said he wanted your department's noob to come to the next meeting."

That was the best thing Takano-san had heard all day. He raised his eyebrows and nodded in acknowledgement. " ya, Yokozawa! "

He waved a hand back at the protesting salesman and walked off. Takano-san shifted some files in his hand and looked down the hallway, planning on how to get a rise out of a certain green eyed co worker.

Ritsu squirmed in the plush seating of the conference room chairs. He didn't understand the flamboyance of the seating, and as a rich kid, he could identify the genuine leather and the brand name chairs. He had heard a rumor while at his parents' for New Years that Isaka-san's private assistant had complained about his back after a long meeting and then overnight, all the chairs were magically changed. Not that he should be thinking about rumors at the moment. Especially not when Takano-san was feeling him up.

(Yokozawa should stop arguing. If he thinks I'll back down, he's insane.)

But the man's face, as usual, was inscrutable to him and he resigned himself to shoving his hand off at each opportunity while hearing the man's thoughts, and Ritsu would be lying if he wasn't irked by the thought that Takano-san was so calm. Or at least he would be. If he couldn't feel the underlying satisfaction and amusement as well as faint arousal in the plethora of thoughts.

Although, Takano-san did stop although his thoughts did become more strained. He was irritated. Ritsu couldn't comprehend why though. It seemed like the rest of the members of the group were leaning towards Takano-san's reasoning: it's more fun for them to see a variety and if they're in a good mood after getting so lucky as to get manga signed by their favorite authors and get extra stories, well then, wouldn't they also feel like they would get lucky with the next interesting seeming story that they see?

That kind of organization was different, definitely unique, and it made Ritsu sweat a little at the thought of the risk, but at the back of his mind, he knew he trusted Takano-san's abilities. The fact was that if you had enough skill, you could pull it off. And Takano-san undoubtedly did.

As Takano-san, just when Ritsu thought the man had given up, squeezed his thigh, he felt another wave of irritation.

It could be directed towards him but he felt uncertain about it. It was mixed with a variety of positive and negative emotions. Ritsu bit the inside of his cheek as he forced himself to concentrate on the meeting. He honestly had no idea why Isaka-san wanted him here though.

His father couldn't have said something...would he have? He groaned and after that thought, struggled to pay attention to anything else said. Not that he had retained much except possibly a burn mark the shape of Takano-san's hand on his thigh.

Finally the meeting was over and Ritsu waited for his superiors to stand and for them to exit first before trying to leave, but was pulled back by a hand on his shoulder. The rest of the chattering businessmen left, oblivious, and the door swung shut by itself while Ritsu considered pulling the nearby fire alarm.

(He's nervous. ...I shouldn't be taking this out on him, but I thought...) There was the feeling of resignation even as Takano-san forced Ritsu to face him.

Ritsu open and closed his mouth like a fish, fully aware of the fact that he was blushing from head to toe. He knew this wasn't about work but...Takano-san really seemed upset and Ritsu couldn't bring himself to run away again. Partially due to his pride but...

Takano-san stared at him coolly, his face almost painfully indifferent despite the emotions Ritsu could feel coming off of him. He opened his mouth and then blinked, letting out a long sigh as he crossed his arms and leaned against the long table, his brow knitted as he considered something.

Ritsu felt a stifling silence come upon him and he realized he couldn't hear Takano-san's thoughts anymore and wasn't sure whether he should be more relaxed or not.

On one hand, he didn't have to to feel so guilt.

On the other, he was walking blind into a dangerous position.

Takano-san slid his hand through his hair, pushing his bangs back slowly, giving Ritsu goosebumps and his stomach did cartwheels inside him.

(I can't exactly ask him if he's been reading my mind, Can I?)

Oh Fuck.

Ritsu swallowed and focused on Takano-san's voice in his head again, fingering the dog eared corner of a paper. He trembled slightly, meeting those gold eyes in pure shock and holding them from inertia and confusion.

(...I thought it was contact that let me read his mind, but...even all those times he shoved me off directly with his hand, there was nothing. I couldn't have been dreaming that yesterday happened...) "Onodera, how was that brownie you had yesterday? I bet it tasted better when I fed it to you."

Ritsu had trouble gathering his words together as he repeatedly ran those words through his mind over and over again, ramming through any other emotion besides disbelief, horror and embarrassment as he mumbled, "I- no. horrible, really..."

He flinched. Took in a breath. Tried not to throw up.

What had Takano-san heard then? If he - if it was about yesterday when Takano-san had been kissing him-and before Ritsu eyes, he saw Takano-san's doubled over figure, his thick trench coat cascading over his bent legs and and and...Ritsu took a step back, blushing.

All those times, in the rain, right before sensei's call, at the New Year's party, all those times and this was how Takano-san heard it from him.

Or maybe he hadn't.

Hopefully.

Could Ritsu possibly deny everything?

But Ritsu was reasonably certain that with the way his train of thoughts seemed to run, Takano-san would've seen it clear as day. And oh god, he had been staring at Takano-san and the mental commentary and - shit.

Takano=san had to actually hear it when Ritsu realized that he didn't want to be in love, didn't see the value in it when two men could hardly get married or have children and now Takano-san had been eavesdropping on his thoughts.

He shoved the hypocritical indignation down and then spun around to start running back to his desk, his leather soles slapping on the glossy tile.

He took in shaky breaths as he ran, his heart thudding, thinking that everything was horrible. That...that Takano-san would think what Yokozawa-san had been saying all along: Ritsu was just stringing him along, toying with him for fun when Ritsu knew he loved Takano-san but refused to say it. As if he was scared of commitment. As if, at the best opportunity offered, he would jump ship for someone more convenient. His words about solely being intent on furthering his career seemed ludicrous now.

Should he explain? Takano-san deserved to hear it from Ritsu's own lips after all, but...

(He just ran out. What? Something ridiculous must be running through his mind right now. Though that's the pot calling the kettle black.)

Ritsu shook his head, running back to the Emerald department.

[He doesn't know right?! I didn't act too strangely? No! Onodera. C'mon. Don't think about him. Don't think about how much you want him. Don't think about it. There's no point. You love your work. You-aggh get out of my head Takano-san!]

Takano-san chuckled, surprised.

Maybe it was the lack of sleep, but Takano-san would take what he could get. Because it was all too real, and Onodera was acting all too suspicious.

(Really you want me out of your head?)

[Yes! Get out! Crap. Wha-]

Both men froze. ([ Well shit.])