A/n: Ok, this is my first romance/love fic. Please keep in mind that I've never experienced true love or have done anything romantic (until today that is). If it seems stupid, I apologize for being hopeless (especially on Valentine's Day). Anyways, I hope you'll enjoy this as much as I do (Even though I think it has problems).

Disclaimer: ^_^ I do not, I repeat, do not own Durarara in any way, shape or form. This is just a figment of my imagination about another person's figment of imagination.

The fire alarm was beeping, heavy black smoke enveloped inside the apartment. A dullahan in a white apron tried to salvage what was left of her lunch. There, she knelt, almost as if she were crying, wishing she hadn't left the stove unchecked. A man in a lab coat used a fire extinguisher, a goofy smile on his face, against the hissing fire. The first thing he could think of next, should have stayed inside his head.

"Well...this Valentine's Day started out more interesting than I expected..."

The dullahan looked at the stove, embers left over as she tried to bash her head on the wall. For a moment, she had forgotten who she truly was. An immortal being, with no trace of emotions for others to understand, no head, and yet, the man next to her knew what she was feeling. She faced herself away from the stove, not wanting to see the damage she had caused. Usually, Shinra claimed she was a wonderful cook, but she really doubt it. And since today was a special day, she got nervous, really nervous. He put the fire extinguisher on the kitchen counter, and helped the dullahan to her feet.

"C'mon...Celty...It wasn't that bad of a fire," he assured her.

Her shoulders tightened as the man brought her into a warm embrace. Nothing felt so sweet, having the man that she loved...holding her this close. Calming down, she brought her neck down on his shoulders, not caring at all anymore of the burnt lunch. If her head had been with her, it probably would've shed a tear. Celty broke away from the man slowly, not wanting to go any further from him. She grabbed her PDA from the counter, typing in a simple and innocent question.

"Shinra, even though I don't have a head, why do you love me?"

His gaze did not falter, but somewhere inside his heart, it felt like it's been one too many times. Celty, for all intent and purposes, hoped she knew his answer. She just wanted to reassure herself, hoping that no one will ever take him away from her. Shinra went towards the couch, trying to dig something up between the cushions. An old notebook, dated 20 years ago in pen with her handwriting, appeared in his hand. Celty felt confused, her memories from Shinra's childhood were faint, but she knew they were enjoyable...and warm. He held it out for her, smiling. Tracing her handwriting, Celty's hand had made contact with Shinra's, almost glad that she can't blush in front of him. Her smoke betrayed her, puffing out in the shape of a heart. Her skin may have been cold, but she could still feel Shinra's warmth...maybe even his love for her. The taps from her PDA broke the silence between them.

"How long have you kept this?"

No answer. Instead, Shinra opened the notebook towards the middle. Celty couldn't believe what she was seeing. If only she had her head, she might have been able to shed a tear. Inside the notebook was an old photo of Celty, in a beautiful black dress, and Shinra, who looked no more than seven years old, wearing a white T-shirt, blushing and hugging her on the right. Celty didn't know what to say, let alone type. As Shinra gently pulled her hand away from her PDA, he noticed that there were imprints from the other side of the page.

"Celty, it looks like we missed something. Maybe you should take a look first."

Celty, hesitating, moved halfway to the next page. She shouldn't have any fear going through her mind, so what was the problem? Was it because their love might be a sham? He'll grow old and die while she'll live on forever. So why can't she enjoy her time with him while she still can? Maybe it was because she didn't want to fall in love with him in the first place. She knew what would happen if she did, so she tried to lock away her feelings. Shinra calmed her nerves as he hugged her from behind. Finally, Celty gained enough confidence to read what it said on the other side. It was all in her handwriting, but strangely different. Memories came flooding back, but Celty can feel like it happened just yesterday.

Flashback

A flash was heard, both Shinra and Celty just took a picture. While she waited for the photograph to show up, Shinra ran around in the living room.

"Hey Celty, I bet you can't catch me," he said.

Sitting down, she scribbled quickly as the young Shinra tried to sneak a peek, only to find that she's playing keep away. Shinra tried again, but Celty repeated the process over and over. His curiosity got the best of him as he climbed on her lap, attempting to see what she wrote. Her arms locked around Shinra's waist, confusing him. He tried to wiggle his way out, only to find that himself in an even more of a predicament. It was only when Celty dropped the notebook that Shinra finally read what she wrote.

"Gotcha"

For a moment, Shinra stopped moving, trying to figure out what she meant by it. Realizing she won the game, he let out a small giggle. Then, he started to laugh. He knew what as happening. It was their terms of surrender when each of them lost a game. Celty knew, and was acting out the very thing they both agreed to...tickling of the sides and belly.

"Haha Celty, haha you cheated haha," Shinra gasped.

It wasn't long before Shinra launched a counterattack of tickling as well. He couldn't hear her, but he knew she was giggling from the inside, noticing her twitch every time he poked her on the side. Celty finally managed to put her hands up in a T, indicating a time-out from their tickle-to-the-death. Shinra reluctantly ceased, letting out an "awww". Celty grabbed the nearest pen and started to write. Poor Shinra, his first instinct was to take a peek again.

"Aww, c'mon Celty. What are you writing?"

Instead of showing him, she waved him off, holding up a finger. Shinra understood and grumbled a bit, walking off slowly. Just about what any kid would do, he waited a couple of minutes and felt like he was going to explode. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. He marched right up to Celty with authority and snatched the notebook right out of Celty's hands. Celty did nothing, except drum her fingers across her lap. She couldn't place his emotions as he read it. She just hoped that he'll understand later than now.

Dear Shinra,

I'm sure you're wondering where I am now. Well, the truth is that these last few years with you were great, but I think it's for the best that I leave. I already discussed it with your father, so he'll come back later tonight to take care of you. I want you to know that I'm not leaving because I hate you, but because I need to find my way in this world. Thank you for trusting me, I'll never forget you.

Celty

Once Shinra had finished reading, he dropped it and had tears emerged from his eyes. It wasn't that he was hurt for Celty's leaving, but because he'd be losing a very close friend. Celty tried to comfort him by lifting him up to her lap, but he only cried even more. She couldn't bear to see him sad. Sobbing, Shinra couldn't see anything as Celty grabbed her notebook from the floor. As she wrote, a sniffling Shinra was finally allowed to see what she was writing.

"If you want me to stay, then I will...for your sake."

Shinra wiped away the remaining tears from his eyes, almost as if he just woke up. He didn't believe her, he knew Celty would never change her mind so quickly. Not unless his decision weighed in upon hers. His heart heavy, he asked the most heart-wrenching question any kid would ask, clinging to her for dear life.

"You're not going to leave me, are you? Please tell me you're not going away! I don't care if you'll never have your head again! Just promise you're not leaving me!"

Celty was at an impasse. She needed to leave him, just so that he doesn't become attached to her and he can live his own life. Not only can she NOT do that, but she grew closer to Shinra than she intended. She knew what to do, and picked up where she left off on her writing. Shinra started to get sleepy, but he's determined to stay awake. When she finished writing, Celty had to shake him up a little. Shinra's eyes slowly read the message, from beginnig to end. And as he closed his eyes, he whispered, "Thank...yooou...for keep'n...yourrrr...prrrommmiiiisshhhhe..."

And with that, Shinra fell asleep in Celty's arms. Celty took a minute to check her spelling, making sure that she didn't miss anything important. Let alone if she broke her promise to herself, she just can't break one with a boy full of love.

"Shinra, I promise to never, ever leave you alone. I don't know if you'll ever understand this, but if leaving you for my own reasons put you to grief, then I don't want to leave you at all. I'll watch over you as you grow up. When you're older, I imagine you'll be a fine young man for a very lucky girl."

She carried him over to the couch, laying down with him on top of her. She pulled up her fingers and a black blanket emerged. She covered herself and Shinra, who was pulling the blanket closer, and decided that she dozed off as well.

End Flashback

"You've kept that promise for so many years, that I fell in love with you. And all because you were a very close friend of mine, not because you didn't have a head."

Shinra didn't want to stop hugging her, but Celty broke away from him. Her resolve was different from his, but she developed feelings for him just the same. An idea struck her as she searched her PDA, trying to type something for him. Shinra, after so many years of growing up, couldn't resist. His interest peaked, déjà vu as it seemed, when Celty hid the message from him in the same way years ago.

"C'mon Celty, you know you're gonna show me anyways. What does it say?"

She turned her back on him, making sure that he can't see it. After confirming her suspicions, she put one hand to cover the message. Shinra grew slightly conused with Celty, fingering him to come closer...closer...closer. Suddenly, Celty wrapped her arms around him. At first he didn't know what to think, except read her message.

It read, 'Ready to surrender?'

This time, he smirked, a little too identical to a certain information broker, but enough for a statement. For some reason, Celty liked this part of Shinra, being all devious. Shinra poked her on the back, making her twitch towards Shinra's chest. For the first time in years, he had finally taken charge.

"Never, but I think we should do this somewhere else."

He lifted Celty off her feet, surprising her. She had almost dropped her PDA, trying to respond. but was too busy looking into his eyes. So, she decided to leave it on the coach. Celty snaked her arms around Shinra's neck and pretended, just for a second, that she kissed him on the cheek. Shinra said nothing as he carried her into their bedroom, but his cheek did feel warm. She could wait...after all...this is the kind of love anyone might have wanted...well...not a headless kind...but it's still love without a head.

Okay, okay. Maybe this isn't as good as I thought it would be. For the most part, when I wrote the flashback, I was sleepy, but that does not excuse my apparent failure at this kind of romance. I'm sorry for filling in the hole of why he loves her without a head, but I couldn't think of anything. Anyways, HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY 8D.