This has been in the works for A LONG TIME. And by that I mean like years. I started this back in 2011 I think and only just finished it out of the blue today. So uh... enjoy!

Izaya stepped off of the airplane and breathed in that sweet Japanese air. It'd been nearly 6 years since he'd last been in his home country. Unfortunately, Shiki sent him over to the States for a special mission that turned out to be much more intricate than originally planned.

As much as he had missed Japan, Izaya couldn't wait to see Shizu-chan again. A few weeks before his departure, the couple's relationship had sparked into one a bit more intimate. After 6 long years, Izaya was more than ready to pick right back up where they left off—perhaps even take it a bit farther, he wasn't sure yet.

Once he dropped his stuff off at his apartment in Shinjuku, he stopped over at Shinra's to surprise his close friend and significant other with his arrival. He walked up to the door and knocked a couple times.

Some voices were heard and after a few seconds, Shinra opened the door, "Izaya? Is that you?"

"But of course!" The brunet said with pride, "I'm finally back in the land of Ikebukuro!"

Letting the man in, Celty quickly joined the two and they all sat down in the living room.

[So was your mission successful?]

Izaya chuckled and shook his head, "Nope. It all turned out to be a wild goose chase. It surprises me that those idiots only took 6 whole years to figure it out."

The doctor smiled, "Well things have certainly changed here since you've been away."

"Oh really? How so?" A dark eyebrow was raised in interest.

"It's gotten a lot quieter around town with crime rates dropping like they have." Shinra listed a few examples, "And then of course there's Shizuo!"

The dullahan's body movements signaled a sense of urgency as her helmet shook back and forth in a rapid motion.

"What about Shizu-chan?"

[It's nothing. Don't worry about it.]

Shinra seemed to have come to his senses about the situation as well, "Oh yeah, it's not a big deal. He hasn't changed a bit!"

Red eyes glared suspiciously at the couple, "I think I'm gonna go visit him anyway. He lives in the same shitty apartment, right?"

Celty typed quickly, feeling defeated, [Not exactly. I guess it's better that you find out now rather than later. I'll give you his new address.]

When he got to Shizuo's new house, Izaya was questioning whether he had the right address. Not only did it look kinda nice, but it was really clean and… not damaged from rage-fits.

If this really isn't his house, the neighbors could probably just point me to the correct one. Izaya reasoned with himself.

He walked up to the small house and, after hesitating slightly, rang the doorbell once. It probably only took a few seconds for someone to answer the door, but for some reason Izaya thought it was an eternity. The person behind the door was definitely not Shizu-chan though.

"Yes can I help you?"

The long blonde hair was unmistakable, "Vorona? Is that you?"

"Izaya?" Vorona frowned as she picked up a small toddler and rested him on her hip, "What are you doing here? I thought your boss sent you overseas." She opened the door wider to let him inside.

The informant was unhappy with the turn of events but came on in anyway, "I'm finally done in the States and was just looking for Shizu-chan's house. Shinra and Celty told me he lived here, but they must've been wrong." The little boy sneezed, making Izaya flinch a bit, "Anyway, if you could just point me to the correct one then that'd be great."

The woman looked as if she was about to speak but got interrupted by another voice, "Who is it, Vorona? I thought I heard my name."

Izaya was completely blown out of the water when Shizuo poked his head out from the hallway and made eye contact with his enemy, "What the… flea? Why the hell are you here?"

Vorona saw the rising tension between the two and decided to leave the room. As she turned around, it wasn't until then that Izaya noticed she looked heavier than he remembered. Nonetheless, he plopped himself down on the nearby couch, seeing as he was in the right home after all.

"So Shizu-chan, long time no see, huh?"

"Yeah I guess so." Shizuo muttered, feeling a bit awkward about the whole situation.

"What is Vorona doing at your house? How did you even afford a house like this anyways? I thought you had a poor salary." He said, filled with questions.

The blond let out a long sigh, "Listen, Izaya, there's something I need to tell you."

"Okay, but can Vorona leave, so that we can be alone?" Izaya said, hoping the man would catch his drift.

"Vorona lives here, we both do."

"What?"

The air around them filled with even more tension, "Izaya…" Shizuo started, trying to find the right words to say, "I know why you're here, and I'm really sorry."

Crimson eyes narrowed, "What do you mean by that?"

"I can't do anything with you anymore."

"Sure you can! There was no problem 6 years ago."

"That's because I wasn't married then!" The bodyguard growled, losing his temper quick.

A heavy silence hung in the air.

"Excuse me?"

Shizuo ran a hand through his blond locks, "I'm married to Vorona, now."

Izaya's eyes widened in alarm, "You what? When did this happen?"

"About two years after you left. We have a son, Kanju, and Vorona is pregnant with our second."

The brunet stood up in fury, "Are you telling me that while I was gone, staying completely faithful to us, you go off and start a goddamn family?"

"There is no 'us'!" Shizuo roared, standing up as well, "There was never an 'us'!"

"Bullshit! That night we—"

"That night was a mistake! It never should have happened!"

"Mistake?" The life nearly left Izaya's eyes. This couldn't be right. He remembered that night very well, and there was no questioning the strong man's passion.

"You heard me."

Tears wanted to fall, but Izaya forced them back, "Was there ever a time when you loved me?"

A conflicted look came across Shizuo's face, as if his mind and heart were at war, "Well… I guess maybe back in high school when we first met. But any feelings I've potentially had for you have long since passed. I'm sorry, Izaya."

"You keep saying you're sorry. Why is it that I'm finding it so hard to believe you? Why should I believe you?" The brunet loathed how his voice quivered, but he had no control over it. He'd never felt so betrayed in his life.

Another sigh left the married man's mouth, "Because I know it's my fault."

Izaya was about to retort, until he saw the look on his old rival's face. A look that seemed… tired, docile, and tame. That look answered all of Izaya's questions, almost as if that single facial expressions solved all of his problems. It was as if a light bulb turned in his head. And with this new confidence, he did something that surprised even himself.

He started to laugh.

A laugh that he didn't know he possessed. Even when Shizuo looked up at him, bewildered at the turn of events, he just cackled on. Then finally, the cackles reduced to giggles, and then silence. It was only then, that the brunet finally spoke again.

"You know what, Shizu-chan? Keep your stupid family."

Shizuo tensed, cautious at this new man in front of him, "Excuse me?"

"Stay in your quaint little house, with your petite little wife, and your docile little life. I fell in love with a man that was dangerous, unpredictable, and monstrous. Unfortunately, that man is no longer with us. Instead, he's been replaced with the soft, typical family man I see before me. So no, I don't love you anymore, Shizu-chan. The new you disinterests me. I wish you all the happiness in the world, but know this: I'm keeping an eye on you. We both know this can't last forever. You're going to snap one day, and revert back to your factory settings. And when you do, I'll be there, watching and waiting. You'll come crawling back to me when your wife hangs you out to dry. Will I take you back? I'm not sure yet."

Izaya stood up, and began his short journey to the door, leaving a wordless Shizuo behind him, "We won't meet again, at least, not until we see each other on the other side."

And with that, he shut the door behind him. As he stepped off of the nicely manicured lawn, he began a new chapter. A chapter without Shizuo, but it's not the final chapter in this book known as his life. He knows there's a plot twist down the road, and when it happens, he'll be ready.