Holy crap, she's updating more than twice in a year, RUN! Haha well I'm surprised myself. I'm not good with sticking to stuff or updating. XD;; But I had some time and some motivation to do some writing! I just got done with a move and was without internet/phone for a week! So before I left I promised my best friend, Seth-oftheUnderworld on DeviantART, that I'd start and finish a fic on Shizuo getting sick ;u; We always RP Shizaya and it came up so that's how it was born!

Not too keen on this one as it was typed up while guys were unloading boxes and me huddled in a corner out of the way and getting warm (and hot cocoa-less BI). Hope you enjoy this! 3

"Achoo!"

"Bless you…"

Shizuo rubbed his nose and sniffled. "Thanks…"

Tom nodded. It was currently fall in Ikebukuro and while the heat of summer was still lingering, the cold was coming in fast. Light, long sleeves were mandatory in the weather. For Shizuo, his clothes that his brother gave to him were the right length and perfect for the slight coldness in the air. But right now, even the former bartender was feeling just a bit nippy.

"It's going to be a cold winter this year, eh?" Tom said as he counted the money he just collected from debtors. "Hopefully these guys will get in less trouble with holidays and festivals soon. But then again...they'll be in major debt from shopping afterwards."

"Bastards will have tons of excuses too." Shizuo gruffed out. He took a cigarette from his coat pocket and lit it up, also lighting his boss'. The wind blew a chilly one making Shizuo shiver just a bit. He ignored it though and continued to do his job the rest the afternoon; shoving idiots against the walls, threatening them, maybe one or two of them were thrown out of a window. It was the usual day. And when the sun started to set in the west, it was time to head off.

The two waved each other off and went their separate ways. Shizuo stuffed his hands in his pockets and tried to make it home without getting irritated or catching any "fleas". He never did like living right in downtown Ikebukuro. There was too much going on and too much noise. The walk home was annoying as well. It usually took him a 15 minutes to walk back home. Sometimes he was lucky and his rounds with Tom would end close by but most of their work was more in the business district part of town. This would leave the blonde more likely to catch the eye of Izaya Orihara. That was something he didn't want to do today, tomorrow, or any day.

Especially not today. For the past day or two, he wasn't feeling 100%. Normally he didn't get sick as his immune system was pretty strong. That and well he as physically strong but he didn't know if he had anything to do with that. All Shizuo knew was that it was rare for him to fall ill. It was probably just the sniffles, something the wind did. Nothing much. He'd get over it in a day with good night's sleep. But still, he didn't want Izaya to find hi-

"Well look who we have here! Did the zoo let you escape again, Shizu-chan~?"

"Shizu-chan" froze. He turned around. And there was that informant with a big grin. His usual coat was trimmed with fur, perfect for the weather. Shizuo glared, clearly not amused.

"The hell are you doing here, flea?" He growled. He hoped that maybe showing him that he wasn't in the mood, he'd leave. That would never happen though. He always wasn't in the mood to deal with the informant so there was no change there.

"Awww I just was walking in the neighborhood, enjoying the autumn air, till I saw you. I guess I'll be enjoying a good, clean run though now, huh Shizu-chan~?"

Was chasing him around in this weather and in his condition worth it? Not really in this cold; he didn't feel like it. Plus the fact that he was getting more of the sniffles was a factor. "You ruined my walk home, you asshole! Now I'll have to think about your ugly face when I get home!"

"You have a home? Oh, I forgot that you call that measly hole in the ground a home. Really Shizu-chan, if you actually learned to not throw temper tantrums, you'd still have a /real/ job. Maybe even upgrade that home of yours to shack level~"

"IZAYAAAAA!"

"Well I'd hate to ruin /my/ walk anymore so I shall go and leave you be, Shizu-chan." Izaya shrugged and turned around on his heel. Shizuo grimaced at missing the chance to start a fight. He couldthrow the nearby trash can at the other while his back was turned but…it just wanted to go home at the moment. Right as he was about to turn back around himself, a voice stopped him.

"By the way, Shizu-chan! I'd wear something more than just those drab garbs your sweet, little, brother got you. Your nose is so red, it matches your boiling rage~" With that Izaya laughed and run off, leaving the unnatural blonde alone on the sidewalk.

"Tch! He's just saying shit…not that cold out." He walked home, muttering that and some curses, hoping to get home and wake up so much better. He sneezed and rubbed his nose as he trudged home.

xXxXxXx

"Shit…."

Shizuo groaned at he looked at the thermometer. When he woke up this morning, he felt worse. His nose was all backed up, his chest was heavy, his head hurt, and worse of all, he was sore all over. He never felt sore, not even when he was physically injured beyond comprehension. His legs didn't want to move and when forced, they just weren't working. He had a terrible cough as well and that just made his chest pain worse.

What was he going to do about work? He couldn't go out like this at all. Even if he could move, he was sneezing and coughing everywhere. There was no way he'd risk Tom getting sick as well. He couldn't do that to him. That and Vorona was working today so he'd possibly get her sick too. What did he have anyway? Was it the cold or the flu? He didn't even know the differences between the two. Either way, he was still sick and had a fever of 101 degrees. He'd have to stay home and call in sick.

"Man…this will be my first sick day ever…." He said to himself as he lay in bed. He never was absent from work. He needed the money and couldn't afford to miss a day. If he didn't do his job, he wouldn't get money. And if he didn't get money, he couldn't pay rent or buy food. And if he couldn't even pay those, he couldn't pay for cigarettes. And then he'd have to burden Kasuka as he knew that his brother would make room for him at home.

Also if he couldn't go to work then Tom wasn't going to get protected. Yeah Vorona was there but what if something happened to her? She was good, real good, but he didn't want his apprentice to bear the weight. That and she wasn't as forceful like he was. Hopefully Tom would get some easy guys today and not have to rely on someone to beat the money out of them.

Slowly, Shizuo sat up in bed and tried to reach for his cell phone. It was only six something; maybe if he took a hot shower and some pills, he'd get better? Yeah, that'd do it. He wouldn't have to miss work if he felt better. Even if not fully up to health, it was better than sitting in bed and not getting a pay check. He didn't have to meet Tom today till nine so that'd give him at least three hours to shower and get better. He could do it. He'd just have to remember to call Tom after a while to check up and call in.

The sick blonde got up and strolled out of bed with a grunt. A hot shower would really do him good. Didn't know how it did it but it always cleared up his nose and made it a lot easier to breathe. He normally didn't use a lot of hot water so he'd have to pay more at the end of the month for his water bill. It'd be worth it though as working would mean that he'd have the money to pay for it. Just couldn't use that left money he usually had to buy sweets or the good kind of milk; stuff he wanted, not needed.

After waiting for the water to heat up finally, Shizuo stripped and stepped in, automatically sighing in relief. The hot water that cascaded down and hit him was like an instant stress reliever. It pounded into his back muscles and took the tension away. The steam that trapped itself in the bathroom helped his nasal passageways clear up. He leaned himself against the wall and let himself get soaked in the heated water.

"Yeah….just a few more minutes of this and I'll be good in no time." He muttered to himself. "I'll go to work after this…."

An hour later and he was still in the shower. The hot water hadn't run out by some miracle but now the bodyguard was sitting on the tub floor, feeling the same as he did before, just wetter. The steam and heat did clear him up a bit but he was still achy and sick feeling. He didn't get it at all. He was supposed to get better; the shower always fixed things up. Shizuo reached over the ledge of the tub to get at his cell phone.

"Dammit…it's already almost eight. I was supposed to call Tom by this time…Fuck…fuck it all." Shizuo threw his phone across the room and grumbled. He kept himself leaning on the ledge and hung there, tired. "Can't believe I have to take a sick day…."

He was going to just hang there if he didn't hear a knocking on his front door. That was probably Tom! Or worse, Vorona! Oh god, that could be Akane too by some odd coincidence! She always did come at weird times. Whoever it was, he was not suitable or well enough to go answer it. Maybe if he was lucky, it wasn't important and they'd leave. It's not like he ordered anything big in the mail to be mailed directly to his door. Kasuka wasn't here either. But whoever it was kept banging on his door!

Shizuo listened intently from his spot in the shower, hoping that by will and thought alone that the knocking would just cease. The water was getting cold now he just realized and he shivered. Even if it continued to rain down heated on him, it's not like it was going to help him now. Now it was just being an inconvenience and risking him getting sicker. The blonde tried to lift himself up to get out but his body just ached and shook, physical gift seeming to be nonexistent right now. He quit after a while and just sat there, resorting to turning off the water instead.

"This whole situation is just too much…so tired too. I blame the shower and this stupid sickness…" He thought. He gave a rough wheeze and groaned. He couldn't take a nap here. He needed to get out of here and into bed. And dry off and take pills. And call Tom to tell him he wasn't going out today; so many things to do and so little energy and strength to carry any of them out. Same with keeping his eye lids opening it seemed. Whatever he had to keep himself awake was slowly fading away.

He yawned just a bit. "Just a…tiny nap…"With that last little thought, Shizuo's vision started to dim. The last thing he could sense was the sound of a door opening.

xXxXxXx

"-wake?"

"Seems to be the case.

"Good, good! That is good news!"

Shizuo groaned at hearing disturbances. Where was he? Who was there? How many were there? What time was it? The blonde slowly opened his eyes but immediately shut them tightly. Why was his light on? Wait…he was in his room? Wasn't he in the…he was! Again, he tried to open his eyes and allowed himself to be acquainted with the light of his surroundings. His vision was still a bit blurry but he could make out some stuff.

He was in his room and lying in bed, no longer flopped in the tub. He was also dressed in some nightwear he had hanging around. There was a slight weight on his head and it took a while for him to realize it was wet rag that was draped across his forehead. There was also two faint figures by his bed side and why he didn't try to figure out who was in his house first was beyond his comprehension.

Towering over him was Simon, smiling like he always did and in his uniform. There was also somebody else but right as he looked at him, he turned away, walked behind the big, black, man, and exited the room. Just who was that? His thoughts would have to wait as the worker of Russia Sushi bellowed his voice out louder than his inner mind could.

"Shizuo! You sick and hanging over tub! Lucky for you Simon was not a busy man and could help out. You do not look so well, friend. Maybe sushi be good for you, yes?" The large man stood over his bedside and smiled. His shadow seemed like it could overpower him in an eerie way. Despite looking fierce, even the sickly blonde knew he was just being Simon and that Simon wasn't vicious.

Shizuo gave a cough and cleared his throat. "Si-Simon…" Another wheeze escaped him and he rubbed his sore throat. "How did you…?"

"Ah! You want to know reason for me being here, yes?" Simon's eyes lit up. Shizuo could sense a long story coming up. And he was right as the Russian pulled up a chair and sat down upon it, resting his hands on his knees.

"I was advertising coupons for Russia Sushi when I get call. He was urgent so I dropped all of coupons to help. And then I see you in tub not moving. Shizuo, you looked dead. If you in Russia, you'd be sorry. But you sleep and now you are fine."

"That's nice and all but…" Shizuo tried to sit up in bed but was quickly pushed back down by the other. "J-Just let me up a bit, Simon." He tried again but was, again, pushed back down. "Dammit, Simon! Let me up!" What rage Shizuo had was slowly starting to ooze out and risk leaking all over.

The dark-skinned man shook his head. "Shizuo needs to stay in bed. In bed, you stay!" Another smile appeared on his face. Seriously, Shizuo thought, does he not know how to stop smiling?

"At least tell me who called and who else is in my house?"

Simon thought for a moment then shook his head. "I am only one here, Shizuo."

Shizuo was starting to feel a bit of his anger rile up. He /knew/ there was somebody else in his house. He also heard them. Besides, Simon said somebody called him about what happened. That would have to mean that whoever it was found him before Simon even knew. It just had to be the same guy. Was it Tom? Vorona?

"Simon, tell me if it was Tom. Did Tom find me? Is Tom here now?" He certainly hoped it was his boss. That would be the best person to find him. That and if he was the one who found him and who was currently in the other room, that would make explaining why he wasn't at work today so much easier.

"Nope. It is only I."

Okay…wasn't Tom. If it was then there was no reason to lie. Had to be somebody else then; was this a guessing game now?

"Vorona?"

"Just me."

This was really not doing wonders for Shizuo's condition or his temper. If he had a gauge, his anger would be pretty much filled 50/50 now. Each guess was making him angrier and angrier.

"Dammit! Simon, tell me who else is in my house!" Shizuo actually managed to sit up but that was mostly because of the energy his rage gave him. Now why couldn't have this energy or motivation to get up when he really needed it? It would've saved him a whole bunch of trouble in the end.

Simon kept a straight face like nothing was wrong. "You want coupon? Russia Sushi got new shipment of good, delicious, fi—. "

The gauge automatically filled up to the brim.

"IF YOU DON'T' TELL ME WHO THE HELL IS IN MY HOUSE, I WILL TAKE YOUR THROAT AND-!"

"My, my! Somebody has such a temper~"

Shizuo gritted his teeth and turned his head to his doorway to see who the hell got into his house, found him sick, and had the guts to stick around.

Only person who that could be was Izaya.

The informant shook his head and gave a light laugh. "Tsk tsk. All that anger is not going to make you any better, Shizu-chan. If you don't cool down, you're temperature will skyrocket~"

He couldn't believe it. Izaya was the one who found him sick? Izaya was the one who called for help? The hell? While the fact that Izaya broke into his house wasn't that surprising, him calling for help certainly didn't match up to somebody who he chased and threatened every day. And he stayed too. What was his reasoning to do all of this? Did he stay only to watch him suffer? That had to be it cause he couldn't think of any other reason.

"Hmmmm?" The raven stood by Simon and shoved his hands in pockets. "Shizu-chan's so awed to see me that he's speechless~" Shizuo just remained silent, too shocked and stunned to talk. "Oh come now~ You look like a deer caught in headlights with your eyes like that. Hehe, well you aren't human so that can be excusable."

"Y-You…." Shizuo found his voice that lost him and tried his best not to rip the sheets currently clenched into his fists. "Why the hell are you here? And why on Earth did you break into my house and call Simon here?" He was so mad, he could break something. Like that flea's neck! How dare that insolent man come into his house and act like he cared about him. He was only here to please his sadistic pleasures. There was no way he was going to let him get away with breaking into his house.

Izaya sighed and looked to Simon, not amused. "Simon, if you please?" The black man nodded and stood up once more, looming over the sick, bed ridden man. His face didn't hold a smile now but something serious. A frown actually went across his face and it was directed down upon him.

"H-Hey! Simon! What are you doing? Q-Quit that!" Big, deep brown, arms reached for him and Shizuo panicked. He was in no shape to fight back if he was being attacked. Only thing he could do was scrunch up. He felt him reach out to him and after just a bit of pain…all was black again once more.

xXxXxX

Eyes shot open as Shizuo woke up with a start, sitting upright in his bed..

What happened? He was still sick right? He wasn't in the tub but still in his room. Maybe this sickness was making him delusional. Yeah…maybe everything including Izaya and Simon was all a dream. And the tub too! It was all something of pure fantasy. He sighed in relief as he laid back down on his mattress.

"Have a good nap, Shizu-chan?"

Shizuo nearly shot up again at the sound of the familiar voice right next to him. Sitting on a pulled up chair was Izaya, legs crossed and engrossed in a book. He looked quite relaxed sitting there. Like he didn't care he was in Shizuo's room, right next to the man who could snap his body in half. He didn't even look up from his book as he addressed him; only turned the pages of his novel.

Shizuo tried to calm himself down. Last time he got angry, he was out the next moment. No doubt he was pissed that the other was in his house and had the gall to sit near him. He had to try to control his anger though, for his sake, not for Izaya's.

"What are you doing here, flea?"

Closing his book, the raven gave a light laugh. "Why, I am being a good citizen and taking care of one of the city's most prized celebrity's~" He got up and sat down on Shizuo's bed, certainly not caring that he was sitting on the later's legs. "Shizu-chan just looked so helpless in his tub that I had to tell somebody."

"Like your gang friends and the media?" The blonde gruffed out, trying not to cough and appear weak even more in the sight of the other.

A laugh just sounded out. Izaya shook his head. "If I called Shiki about this, then well…" He trailed off as he laid at the foot of his bed, still stretching out over the other's legs. "You would not be alive right now. Or would you? You surely seem so immortal, Shizu-chan~

"But no. I only called Simon who was more the happy to lend a hand. You should be thanking me, you monster. I could've just let you rot there and die of pneumonia. I can picture it now~!" Izaya reached his arms out and smiled widely. "Shizuo Heiwajima: Immortal to everything but the common cold!" He laughed widely as if that information was just the funniest thing in the world.

Shizuo growled and tried to lift his legs to move the other off him and his bed. But alas, he did not have enough strength to kick him off of him. "Then what was that you got Simon to do to me earlier, huh? You dam flea, you don't care about me at all. And why the hell were you in my house in the first place?"

"Pressure points."

"Huh?"

Izaya sat up and grinned. "Pressure points! Surely you should know all about them. Your martial arts movie collection is quite large…." He droned off but shortly snapped back to the conversation. "You were being such a bad boy that I had to get Simon to calm you down. Seems your little nap paid off~" The raven reached over to pat the blonde on the head. Shizuo still had some energy left and moved his head out of reach.

"Don't touch me! And that doesn't answer the question about why you were in my house earlier!" Shizuo eyed his lamp on his nightstand next to him. He'd be ready to chuck it at any moment.

Izaya gave a hum and kicked his legs back and forth. "Ah, well you see, I have no reason. Well, not one that you would find agreeable." The small informant got up off the bed and sneered down at the bodyguard. "I just wanted to bug you to death, Shizu-chan."

"THE HELL YOU DID!"

Despite being ill, Shizuo easily tossed his lamp at the other. Naturally, he missed. And for the rest of the day, Shizuo chased Izaya around his house, out of his house and into the streets of Japan, his illness long forgotten it seemed by the rage that took over his body instead.

"Just as planned; best remedy for Shizu-chan is to sweat it off~"

Review~? ;u;