"It couldn't have been Izaya," Shizuo insists. "He wouldn't save anyone, let alone my brother. It must be a mistake."

"No mistake," Shinra chirps. "Celty saw it herself. You know how everyone's been saying there's a Kanto Izaya Orihara? Well, it's Izaya himself. He's been living there for a while."

"But why would he save Katsuka?" Shizuo persists. "He must be involved in some way. He must have been trying to weasel out of it."

Shinra shrugs. "Why don't you ask Kasuka himself?"

To his disbelief, Katsuka confirms it. Celty confirms it. Izaya Orihara saved his brother's life.

His brother didn't think Izaya had been involved. He didn't get anything out of it. He'd just been in the right place at the right time.

"I met Izaya a few years ago. He helped me out with something," Kasuka says vaguely, surrounded by gifts in his hospital bed, which he ignores. Shizuo's burning to ask, but he knows Katsuka will remain a closed book to him no matter how close they are. "I never told you because I know you don't like him. But I don't really have anything against him."

Shizuo's not impressed. "You do realise he's tried to kill me more than once?"

Kasuka turns almost bored eyes on him. "Did he? I thought it was a mutual thing?"

"Well, it is. Obviously." Shizuo struggles to remember his point. "But that doesn't mean you should be friends with him."

"I'm not," he deadpans. "He just saved my life."

Pacing in Shinra and Celty's apartment, Shizuo asks their advice on the unthinkable, because he can't stop thinking about it; calling Izaya.

"It's not like Kasuka can do it himself, he's still in hospital. And my parents don't really know him. Someone should, I don't know, thank him."

Celty and Shinra look at each other.

"Not that I'd want to," he adds. "It's just…I don't know, duty. Maybe that reporter who interviewed us has his number. I think he said he did. Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I think it's a great idea," Shinra says quickly. He becomes very interested in the TV. "Can't you get his number off Kasuka?"

Shizuo stops as if struck. "What?"

"Er." Shinra backpedals, realising what he's said. Celty looks like she'd be face-palming if she had one. "I - I just thought he might have it somehow. Silly me. No worries, I have it here." He starts digging around for his phone.

"You have his number?"

Shinra winces at his tone. "He's my friend, Shizuo. I got in touch after that reporter came and we found out he's alive. You can't expect me to just- oh, wait, my phone's on charge. Celty, do you mind?"

She hands over her own phone with what looks like a grimace.

Shizuo stares at it like it's betrayed him. "Did I miss a news flash? When did we all suddenly become best friends with Izaya Orihara?"

"Oh, come on Shizuo, be reasonable. His sisters live here, his parents work here and he has contacts here. He's obviously not going to disappear completely, not forever."

"Who? Who are his contacts?"

"We-ell, excluding Celty and I, there's Simon, Katsuda, Kida, Namie, your brother…" he tips his head back as he counts on his fingers. Celty kicks him to shut him up, and he straightens when he see's Shizuo's face. "I mean, it's just easier for everyone to get on with now he's not terrorising us. He's different. He's still nuts, of course, but he seems really happy in Kanto."

Shizuo isn't listening. He doesn't care if Izaya is happy. "If he has so many friends all of a sudden, then he hasn't - he hasn't been here, has he?"

"Oh, no, no, no, of course not," Shinra says. Celty wisely keeps mum. Shizuo waits. "I mean, he visited, but only – "

"He what?" Shizuo explodes.

"I - invited him, Shizuo," Shinra cringes as he says it. "Just to the apartment. He was here for a few hours and then he was right back on the train, I swear."

"When? How many times?"

"Well- "

"How many times?"

"The first time he just came here, uh, the second time a few of us went for Russia Sushi, the third time I missed him, I think he was with Katsuda. Or Namie. Oh, maybe it was four times?" He looks at Celty for help. She slides down the sofa like she's groaning inside. "Anyway, it's just that some people don't completely, 100% hate him the way they used to now he's not- "

Shizuo throws Celty's phone back at her in disgust. "So you've all been sneaking him in and out of Ikebukuro behind my back?"

"Well, he sort of insisted on you not knowing about it. I think you freak him out. I know we can go to Kanto, but he still really loves it here, so- ."

"I bet he does," Shizuo growls. He's thinking of all the chaos Izaya can wreak in just a few hours. Until something occurs to him, stalling the rage.

"What?" Shinra says, seeing his face.

Shizuo forces his scowl back. "He's – uh, not disabled then?"

"Oh, I better not talk about that kind of thing. He'd kill me."

Shinra practically jumps off the sofa as Shizuo comes towards him.

"He's uh, walking and stuff. I think. He's OK. Will that do?"

"I suppose…" he mutters. Like finding out Izaya was alive, it's better than nothing.

Shinra pats his arm, sensing him weaken. "He comes for a few hours when he's invited, he doesn't do any harm and he doesn't come near you. What's the big deal?"

Shizuo shakes him off. "Because, don't you see, this is how it'll start? First it'll be a few more visits, then it'll be for a little longer, and then the next thing we know he'll be here all the time, and nothing will have changed!"

Celty is shaking her head now, typing rapidly. She holds out her phone.

He really is different, Shizuo. I don't know if he's seeing someone or what, but he seems so happy. He's not interested in coming back. We had to practically bully him into visiting.

Shinra is nodding. "Though I can't think why. It's even rougher there than here. He'll have to really watch his back, after messing with the guys who kidnapped Kasuka. Not all of them were arrested."

"Whatever," Shizuo fumes. He leaves them without saying goodbye. Unbelieveable.

To his annoyance, Celty texts him Izaya's number. 'Just in case.'

Huh. He supposes he still ought to thank the flea, for saving his brother's life. He could maybe even scare the flea into staying away for good. Not that he wants to. The thought of Izaya scared of him is almost as unsettling as his coming back.

He paces his own apartment as he thinks on it. If Izaya's happy ruining lives in Kanto, then good for him.

He opens the contact again, after confronting it so many times. He presses call. Almost hangs up, but then it starts to ring, and he can't have Izaya know he called and wussed out. At least now he'll hear how different Izaya really is. Maybe now he can relax.

"Izaya Orihara."

His voice is just the same. Shizuo didn't know what he'd been expecting. It gives him a forgotten little shoot of adrenalin.

"Flea. It's Shizuo."

There's silence on the other end, as if Izaya's experiencing something similar. Then his voice comes evenly, that typical boredom, distaste, amusement, that he saves for Shizuo.

"Protozoan. What a surprise. It's been a long time. What can I do for you?"

Shizuo grits his teeth. He has to remember he called for a good reason. "I just wanted to thank you, on behalf of my family. For my brother."

"Oh." He actually laughs. "That's sweet. You didn't have to. I like your brother. How is Kasuka?"

"Why not visit and see for yourself?" He wants to know what Izaya has to say to the notion of visiting.

"They said its immediate family only allowed," he says airily. Oh, yeah. "Anything else?" There's a buzz in the background, like he's out. Someone saying something in quick-fire Russia. Why couldn't Izaya just emigrate there? That would solve all of Shizuo's problems. But the thought of Russia reminds him of Russia Sushi, of Simon.

"I heard you've been back lately."

There's another little silence. "So what?" he finally says, after Shizuo almost thinks he hasn't heard him. "I was invited. I didn't do anything."

He sounds as careless as ever, but Shizuo finds himself thinking on what Shinra said, that he freaks Izaya out now. The thought turns his stomach.

"I don't care if you come back, so long as you're not causing shit," Shizuo hears himself saying. He tells himself it's just because of his brother. He tells himself it's because it's the decent thing to do. "And you stay away from me," he adds.

"Thank you so much, Shizu-chan," Izaya drawls, dripping sarcasm that makes Shizuo's skin crawl. "But I'm quite happy here. Really. I even made myself a new enemy. He's far more fun than you."

Shizuo sneers at this. "You mean you found someone you can actually beat?"

"Let's just say he's much more interesting to fight and play with. Things have worked out for the best, haven't they? We couldn't go on as we were. I sincerely hope you find someone to replace me with soon. You'll feel much better once you do."

"I don't want to replace you," Shizuo snarls. "I hate you, I loathe everything about you. I don't want to ever see you again."

"The feeling's mutual, protozoan," he snarls back. "And don't worry. I'll be visiting again, but I assure you it'll be for the last time."

Shizuo wouldn't admit it for the world, but it's a relief when he finally sees Izaya. Two years and he's walking, he's moving with no obvious difficulties, he looks the same as ever. He's saying goodbye to Shinra, laughing, rolling his eyes. Then he spots Shizuo and freezes.

Shizuo's with Tom. He doesn't know why he's surprised; the two of them had always had the tendency to snap together like magnets at the best of times.

For a moment, they just stare each other out. Then Izaya grins at him.

"Surprise!" he yells. "I'm a vampire; you missed my heart!"

Shizuo scowls and looks away. "And they say he's changed."

"He's just showing off." Tom tries to urge him away. "Don't worry about it."

The flea was always fucking showing was stupid thinking for a moment that he'd change.

Shinra is also trying to tug Izaya away, shooting Shizuo an apologetic look as he does. "Are you nuts?" Shizuo hears him say.

"It's my last night here, Shinra, as if I care about that brute."

"You can't mean that. You must miss Ikebukuro sometimes."

"Of course I do. But Shizuo and I couldn't keep at each other's throats forever. I'm having much more fun now. It's great not having Shizuo and my sisters round every corner. No-one even knows Shizuo's name there. I can forget about him completely!"

"Shizuo?" Tom waves his hand in his face.

"Um, yeah," he says, keeping them in the corner of his eye as Shinra actually hugs Izaya goodbye (Shizuo seriously needs to rethink his friendships). He watches Izaya round the corner for the station. "We're done for the night, yeah?"

Tom blinks at him. "I thought we were going for drinks?"

"Er. Some other time? Sorry." He's already backing away.

Tom's face falls as he realises. "Shizuo," he warns.

"I'm not," he protests. "I'm just…" He shakes his head. Turns and takes off after the informant, knowing Tom won't follow.

It's deserted there, the last train almost due. The street lighting is poor, but he spots Izaya easily, who senses him coming from behind via telepathy.

"There you are. Your face when you saw me, Shizu-chan. Like I was the living dead."

Shizuo ignores this.

"If Ikebukuro is so damn bad, why did you come back?"

Izaya doesn't even bother slowing down. He keeps walking, turns a slow, eye-rolling circle to answer him.

"I told you, it's my last night!"

Shizuo stops, refusing to chase after him. "I don't care, god damn it! Come back twenty nights or for good for all I care, just stay away from me!"

Izaya starts walking backwards to yell at him. "I said I'm not coming back!"

"And I said I don't care!"

"Then why are we screaming at each other across the street?"

"I'm not- " He checks himself, realises he is near screaming. He's not sure why.

Izaya laughs like he can smell it. He throws his arms out. "Tonight's your last chance, monster, so take your best shot!"

Shizuo grits his teeth. He's not getting drawn into this. He's not.

"Go to hell, flea!"

"Is that the best you've got?" Izaya stops like he's disappointed, just stands there grinning, and Shizuo's running at him before he even knows what he's doing. He sees the flash of the knife before he gets to him, but Izaya's not as quick as he used to be. Shizuo has him by the arms before he can use it, has his back against one of the buildings, and his mouth over his.

The knife falls to the dirt. Shizuo keeps hold of his arms out of some kind of instinct, but he feels the other man straining closer with his whole body.

"You're hurting my arms," he pants.

He lets go.

Izaya is on him the moment he does, pushing him to the ground with his whole body. His cheek hurts where Izaya's struck him, his skull screaming from where it hit the concrete. Izaya is laughing at him.

Shizuo reverses their positions, away from the knife. "I hate you," he snarls. "What the fuck is wrong with you? How can you be laughing after what happened the last time? What are you so happy about?"

Izaya opens his mouth to answer him, but then the ground starts to rattle then, and he jerks his head up.

"My train!"

It is Shizuo then who almost laughs himself. Izaya looks down at him with distaste, and throws a handful of gravel in his face in retort. He knocks Shizuo back while he's still blinded.

Shizuo growls and snatches at his arms. "I am not doing this with you all night, flea."

"Then what do you want to do all night?" He smirks. "Why did you come after me?"

"Because you've been here four fucking times!"

"Been keeping tabs?" He laughs again. "And it's five."

Shizuo squeezes his arms hard enough to hurt, hopes it does. "I fucking hate you."

Izaya grimaces but he doesn't struggle. "You started it."

"Yeah, yeah, I always fucking start it." He gives up and pulls Izaya back down. Izaya lets him, melts into it. His eyes are gleaming when they pull back.

"Admit it, Shizu-chan, you've missed me."

"I fucking despise you."

"Oh, really?" His hand shoots free and grabs him through his jeans. "Keep despising me then, I like it."

"Izaya," he hisses.

"Say you'll miss me and I might think about coming back."

"Izaya," he half groans, half growls. "If someone fucking sees us like this- "

"I know, you'll have to live with these people forever. How embarrassing for you." He squeezes harder.

Shizuo struggles to breathe. "You won't leave."

"Of course I will. I've already left. I like Kanto."

Shizuo knocks his hand away, suddenly irritated. "Oh yeah, you like it so much that you keep coming back here, that you've been acting like an overexcited dog the entire time you've been back."

Izaya's eyes widen for a moment. The he smiles. "You're one to talk," he points out. "But I don't want to do this all night, either. Pass me my knife."

"No, I don't think I will."

Izaya rolls his eyes, gets up and gets it himself. Shizuo watches Izaya stand and dust himself off,and it occurs to him that he might really leave, just like that.

"Where are you going?"

"Shinra's." He sees Shizuo's face and laughs. "I'm going to your place, protozoan, where do you think? Unless you want to do it in an alley that may or may not have CCTV?"

It's not fair that Izaya can be so infuriating yet feel the way he does. That he looks the way he does. Shizuo hates him.

Izaya is cuddled up next to him like a cat, oblivious.

"I can't believe we never did that before."

Shizuo looks him over grudgingly. "I'm glad you're, you know, in one piece. After last time."

"I'm Shizuo-proof, you know that." He sits up and stretches, showing how Shizuo-proof and perfect he really is.

Shizuo snorts. "Yeah, it only took you two years."

"Just because I haven't been here doesn't mean I wasn't recovered."

"Bullshit. You can't keep away. Five fucking times."

"This'll be the last." He yawns, gets up to look for his clothes. Shizuo tries not to watch him. "I'll see myself out. I'm getting the first train."

"Whatever," Shizuo mutters. He stays in bed, pretends to be falling asleep until he hears the door close. He still doesn't sleep.

It's not like he expected to hear from the flea afterwards. Not at all. The flea hadn't changed one bit. The whole thing was probably fucking joke to him. Shizuo's prepared to put the situation out of his mind until he gets a call from Shinra.

"Hey," he says. There's an awkward pause. "I'm not accusing you or anything, but, well, you didn't have any trouble with Izaya that night, did you? I didn't walk him to the station, and I haven't heard from him since. No-one else can get hold of him either."

"No trouble." Shizuo swallows, feeling Shinra can read his mind. "Maybe he's – gone somewhere. Russia or something."

"Maybe. But he'd tell me. And he wouldn't be completely out of contact."

Shizuo says nothing.

"Well, shit," Shinra sighs. "I was really hoping he'd just had a bust up with you. There's some guy in Kanto he has problems with."

"Really?"

"Uh, well, not really problems," Shinra backtracks. "Don't let anyone find out about that. I, uh, guess he'll call when he can. Thanks, Shizuo." He hangs up.

Shizuo tries Izaya's number himself a few times, for the hell of it. It's not like he has anything to feel bad about. He told the flea he could come back. More or less. So if the pest is in some kind of trouble, it's not like it's on Shizuo's head if he doesn't so the smart thing and split.

There's a click on the other end of the line.

"'Lo?"

Shizuo nearly drops the phone in surprise.

"Izaya?"

"Yeah?"

Shizuo's shoulders let out with relief. "Thanks for finally picking up your phone, asshole. It's not like it's polite to call people back or anything."

"I just got home." His voice is a little off, like he's drinking, or just woken up.

"Call Shinra, flea. You know, your friends. Somehow you still have them. People who are worried about you."

"Oh." He sounds a little dazed. "Sorry."

This throws Shizuo off his coming rant. Izaya Orihara saying sorry?

"Izaya?" he says carefully. "You all right?"

"Yeah," he says. "I feel weird. What time is it?"

Shizuo glances at his clock. "It's 4."

"Oh. What day is it?"

"Saturday."

"The date, I mean, what's the date?"

"I don't know, the fifth? What's up with you?"

Izaya doesn't say anything for a minute. "4 in the afternoon, right?"

"Are you drunk?"

"No," he says. "Tired. I'm going back to bed."

"You said you just got home."

"Yeah. See you."

He hangs up.

Shizuo stares at the phone. He goes to call back but changes his mind, decides to call someone more qualified for dealing with nutcases.

He gets a text from Shinra the next day. Mild concussion. In a lot of shit. Might have to come back for a while.

Shizuo groans. He really hopes this is not because of his brother.

He's trying not to think about this when Izaya himself calls him.

"I think we spoke on the phone just after I hit my head," he says, with no preamble. "I don't really remember, but I might have been weird."

"Just a bit." Shizuo pauses. "Sounds like you're having a whale of a time over there. You go missing for days and come back with a concussion."

"I didn't go missing," he growls. "I was busy."

"Yeah, right," he taunts. "Someone's out to get you and you know it."

"No-one's out to get me," Izaya insists, but his voice wavers, like he's uncertain for once. "It's a simple misunderstanding."

"Sounds likely," Shizuo snorts. Then something hits him. He swallows. "Er, your concussion. Do you remember…?"

"That we almost did it behind the train station, then went to your place?" He laughs. "How could I forget?"

Shizuo steels his jaw at the laugh. He doesn't know why he even brought it up. "Shinra just wanted me to call and tell you to move back if you're in some kind of trouble. I don't- "

"-Care, yes, I think I got that part. But no need to worry, I wouldn't come back if you paid me."

"- I don't want your blood on my head," Shizuo corrects. "If you're in shit, just fucking leave. And you seemed happy enough here last time."

"I'm always happy," he snaps. "We don't all have to smash things to be happy."

"You don't sound very happy right now."

"Because I'm talking to you." He suddenly sounds pissed as hell. "I might have to temporarily relocate until all this blows over, but it's not like I want to. And it won't be Ikebukuro. If you must know, Ikebukuro is actually worse than Kanto for these situations, it's just that I – " He breaks off without finishing.

"You know it," Shizuo finally says for him.

"Yeah," he says, after a pause. "I know it."

Shizuo steels his jaw.

"Just come back, you moron," he tells him. "Move next door if you want. Don't bother me or start any shit and we'll be fine."

"There is no need for me to come back to Ikebukuro," he snaps again. "I'm not going near it. I don't need to. I have plenty of contacts and business elsewhere. This is all your fucking fault."

"My fault?"

"Well. Your stupid brother's."

"How is any of this Kasuka's fault? It's not like he asked for- "

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I am never helping anyone so openly again. I heard someone involved getting bits cut off them. I am seriously fucked."

"What? Izaya, why are these people mixed up with my brother?"

"Hello, your brother's worth millions. And I don't think it's just your brother, it's his girlfriend."

"His girlfriend?"

"Oh." Izaya's voice drops. "I thought you guys were close? Oh well, I guess he and I won't be friends for much longer now."

"What about his girlfriend?"

"I don't know. Ask him. I don't know anything. These people should have been arrested by now and they haven't. I have to get out of here. Like, tomorrow. So don't jump my bones if you run into me, it's not my fucking fault."

"Fine, whatever." It's bizarre to hear Izaya almost panicking. He swallows. "Wanna come over?"

"What?" Izaya bursts out laughing, and the swing in mood makes him jump. "You do miss me!"

"Don't be ridiculous," he growls. "But you, you know, you might as well."

"What a romantic proposition," he chuckles. "I'll think it over while I'm fleeing for my life."

"Huh?"

"Don't worry, I'll call you back if I need rescuing."

Shinra calls him later to give him a more accurate report, namely that Izaya has a broken arm, two cracked ribs, head trauma, 2nd degree burns and superficial injuries, whatever that means.

"Have you seen the news?" Shinra says now. "Apparently everyone involved has just been arrested, thank God."

Shizuo hopes so. He can hear Izaya yacking away in the background, presumeably to Celty, and he's relieved despite everything. He sounds fine. "It's embarrassing," Izaya complains. "It only happened because my left arm's still so weak. If I'd have known- "

He doesn't hear the rest over the TV.

"So he's staying here?" Shizuo asks Shinra.

"I don't know. He should, just in case. But you know what he's like."

"Yeah. He's nuts."

"Yeah. I've missed him."

Shizuo huffs. Then he wavers. "Er, Shinra, can I speak to him?"

"Uh, I guess. But can you not- "

"I'm not gonna terrorise him. It's about Kasuka."

"Oh."

He hears Izaya shut up as Shinra says something to him. A little gap, then what sounds like a door closing.

"Shizuo?"

"Yeah. Still alive?"

"Just." He sounds cranky, tired. "What do you want? Shinra made me come, it's not my fault."

"Yeah, yeah. You seen the news?"

"Yes. I'm so pissed, they would screw up and get caught the second I put a deposit on a new place. But don't worry, you won't see me. I'll be far enough for you to breathe easy."

"Like you'd be loads of trouble, with another broken arm."

"My left arm, so don't get any fucking ideas."

Shizuo clenches his teeth. "I don't know how many times I have to tell you, I don't, give a fuck, what you do, so don't jump down my throat."

"I'm in a bad mood, OK? Do you know how fucking long it took for my arms to heal the first time round?"

There's a little silence.

Then he coughs, speaks smoothly again. "Not it matters. It's a clean break this time. It'll be fine."

Shizuo swallows. "Come over then."

"What?" For a moment, Izaya sounds like he genuinely doesn't know what he's talking about. Shizuo's worrying about the concussion when he starts laughing.

Shizuo scowls at the sound. "I don't know what you're laughing at. You liked it, you know you did. Nobody forced you to come back to my place."

"I know," he says, no longer laughing. "But I don't think I can. My head hurts. How's Kasuka?"

"He's fine," Shizuo says, a little surprised at the question. "He's out of hospital."

"That's good. Give him my regards." He yawns. "Come over when I get the cast off, if you want. I'm not fit to be seen for a while."

He hangs up.

Weeks later, and Izaya is good on his word; Shizuo doesn't see him, doesn't even hear of him. He even wonders if Izaya may have gone back to Kanto after all.

Kasuka mentions him once, something about sending him a thank you gift. Shizuo just grunts. He doesn't say much on the subject, but he senses Kasuka sense something. They're like that.

"You really get on with him, Kasuka?" Shizuo eventually asks, in what he hopes is a casual tone.

"Yes," he says. "I can see why people think he's crazy, and a lot of other things, but he's OK. I don't think you need to worry about him any more."

"Everyone I know keeps telling me he's changed. He really, really hasn't."

Kasuka shrugs. "He likes this city very much. I think he likes you, too."

Shizuo snorts, turning red. "He doesn't act like it."

Kasuka says nothing.

Shizuo doesn't know if he does something, or if it's just coincidence, but Izaya calls him the next day.

"My cast's coming off soon," he says. He sounds almost annoyed. "Come over, if you want."

It's awkward. Naturally, they're not friends, they're not fighting, and they only fucked once, and that was weeks ago. Izaya appears to address this by being as passive-aggressive as possible. It's not how he usually handles people. Shizuo finds himself thinking on what Kasuka said, if Izaya might not like him after all.

"You haven't confronted Kasuka about the girlfriend," Izaya observes, as if reading his thoughts. "He's still talking to me."

"Mm. It's his life. But do I need to be worried?"

"Honestly, I have no idea. But I doubt it. Kasuka's no fool."

He has a point.

"And what's happened will serve as a wake up call, if anything funny is going on. What are you looking for?"

Shizuo's head snaps back guiltily. "I, uh, heard you had a wheelchair," he admits.

Izaya laughs at him. "It's in the bedroom. I have good days and bad days. Don't feel bad. It's mostly for good seats and jumping lines."

Shizuo relaxes a touch.

"These are all your books?"

"Of course not," he says dismissively. He seems slightly embarrassed about the chair. "The rest are still in Kanto. Another inconvenience of this whole fiasco. Tell your brother he can get me a book if he really wants to thank me. A good one. Tea?"

Shizuo looks at him properly then, at the arm clad in plaster.

Izaya sees him looking and extends it. "Want to write on me?" he offers. It's already covered in flowers and hearts, without much space. "Sisters," he explains, when Shizuo raises his eyebrows. "You're lucky you just have Katsuka. Can you open this?" He throws a glass jar, hard, at Shizuo's head before he can respond. Shizuo barely catches it before it knocks him out. Izaya whistles, impressed. "You still got it."

"For fuck's sake, Izaya," Shizuo snaps. "Did you invite me over just to throw things at me?"

"No. I invited you over to open jars for me." He waggles the cast meaningfully and laughs.

Shizuo rolls his eyes, starts twisting at the lid while Izaya hops onto his desk chair.

"Did you hear your brothers' kidnappers have been sentenced?" he calls from his computer. "I can't believe I ended up moving because of them. Amateurs. Puppies. I sicken myself."

"You sicken me too," Shizuo mutters, pulling the lid free with a grunt. He decides rather generously not to throw it.

Izaya barely glances at it when Shizuo places it beside him. "Oh, I don't want it. I just wanted to throw it at you and make you open it."

Shizuo growls. He's had enough.

"Shizuo." Izaya's laughing at him, throws his arms around his waist when he makes for the door. He's still in the chair, and it drags along with them a few steps. "I'm joking. I've missed your angry face, but calm down."

Shizuo scowls down at him. "You piss me off so much."

"I know, but why else would you be here, to help arrange my books?" His hands get hold of Shizuo's belt, working it open. "I just wanted my arm to heal a little first. Don't want you holding back."

"Get off me."

He pulls Shizuo round rather roughly to face him. "You're the one who wanted me back. Deal with it."

"I did not- "

He breaks off as Izaya gets his mouth round him, tipping his head back, grabbing what's available available – the chair, Izaya's hair – to steady himself. He jars Izaya's cast by accident and swears. "Sorry."

Izaya looks up and grins, unharmed. "It's OK," he says cheerfully. "I'm Shizuo-proof, remember?"