Title: The second chance
Rating: K
Pair: Shizuo x Izaya (this story contains signs of male x male relationship)
Disclaimer: I don't own Durarara or any of the characters.

So, this is story I wrote for one fanfic contest, topic was BL. Since I like to rant, I want to mention that I won the 1st place. Yay.

Since the limit of story was limited to certain amount of letters, I somehow had to rush the end. Buuuuut, I was thinking about turning this into longer series and I would like to hear your opinion whether it's worth it. The premise for story is good according to me, but if nobody will read it, I'm not sure if I want to spend hours writing it.

So let me know, ne~? I'll be really grateful to you, my lovely readers.

[24th May 2014] Thanks to one sweetheart called Lynn Jones (aka Lynn-chan~) that checked the grammar in this story, you can enjoy beta-ed version now~

"Oi, Shizu-chan, what are you doing here anyway?"

"You should know the best," Shizuo lit a cigarette, "shouldn't you, Izaya?"

In his voice there were no traces of the anger which usually seized him anytime he found himself near the infamous information broker. In fact, the words sounded somewhat bitter, with a hint of sorrow.

"After all I'm here for murdering you..."

Shizuo woke suddenly from nightmare which haunted him every night ever since... His whole body was covered in cold sweat. He sighed and rubbed his tired face with his hand. Hazel eyes shifted to the bunk above him. He made a notch on it for every day spent in this hole. "Fifteen..."

Izaya, sitting on the bunk bed in the small prison cell, gave him his trademark smirk."Uwaaa, was that supposed to be a joke? Even a monster like you has sense of humour, he~? I'm so proud of you, Shizu-chan~" the informant chirped sarcastically.

A flaccid smile crossed Shizuo's face. "Unfortunately, I don't have such a sick sense of humour as you do, flea..."

"Twenty-three..." Soon it's going to be a month from the moment when Izaya... The blonde rolled over to the other side and tried unsuccessfully to get rid of the constant thoughts about the informant. Vivid images flashed through his mind. Dark harbor. Canisters with petrol. Burning car... They identified him just by dental records. At least that's what he heard during the trial.

"Why did you fish in troubled waters, idiot..."

"I don't know who you are calling idiot, idiot." Shizuo couldn't stop the grin that appeared on his lips while he watched the now-huffy Izaya. But the informant almost immediately summoned a devilish smile.

"What if it was just a plan to get rid of you for good, Shizu-chan? As far as you know, I can be enjoying the sun somewhere in Okinawa, while you're rotting in this...cozy facility,~ " He cooed wryly.

The blonde stared into the auburn eyes in front of him. "Honestly...I wish it was the truth..." But he didn't find enough courage to say it aloud and so he just shook his head.

In fact, that was the first thing that came to Shizuo's mind. That this was that damn bloodsucker's newest master plan to destroy his life. But when Shinra confirmed that those remains that were discovered really belonged to Izaya, the blonde had to accept the reality. Izaya was dead and it seemed like nobody cared much for the fact that Shizuo was innocent in that matter. It was as if some people were actually happy that they killed two birds with one stone. And so just one week after accusation he was sent here. And people say that courts work slowly. Obviously not, when the city wants to get rid of him. "Twenty-nine...Why the hell isn't time going faster?" In frustration he hit the wall with his fist so strongly that it created a few meter-long cracks.

"You can't really blame them, Shizu-chan," Izaya shrugged. "These last few years you cost the city treasury more than earthquakes and other natural disasters..." With a smirk he looked around the room. "Ne, do you feel comfortable here, Shizu-chan? After all, beasts like scabby dens, right?"

"Beast..." his lips curved into smirk when he remembered the police intervention. They really arrested him like some animal. When that morning special police forces invaded his apartment, they had to shoot him with sedatives so they had a chance to pacify him. Before he fell unconscious, he managed to disable half of them.

He engraved another line with his nail. "Thirty-two."

And the lawyer told him that he should be happy that he didn't get a death sentence. According to him, if Izaya was more law abiding citizen...

"Tch, as if those snobs from the city government weren't using my services. But you turn your back to them just for a second and..." Izaya faked anaggrieved expression and shook his head. "Ungrateful well-heeled bastards," his typical smirk appeared on his lips as he shrugged. "Eh, let's say that I really am dead, theoretically." He waved his hand nonchalantly. "Who killed me? Why? And why they accused you of it?" Izaya clicked his tongue in distaste. "As if such a primitive creature as you could accomplish something like that...Who could believe that?"

Shizuo let out forced laugh.

"You would be surprised, but everybody..."

Indeed. Only those who knew him well believed in him. But even on their faces he saw signs of suspicion in some moments. No wonder he was convicted, thanks to the amount of evidence found near the crime scene, such as Shizuo's DNA and his fingerprints on a lighter lying next to car. There were even some witnesses, who swore that they saw him in the harbour that night... He thought a lot about who could frame him like that. Probably some yakuza group. Izaya dealt with them for a long time and if they needed to get rid of him by any chance and made someone suspicious of that crime, person who hated informant the most was wise choice, especially when their mutual animosity was well-known throughout the city. Shizuo felt like the rage started to bubble under his skin.

"When I get out of here, I'll go and find that scumbag who did it and...I'll kill him."

All of sudden, he started to laugh, but it was a sound full of bitterness. "Isn't it ridiculous? I'm more pissed off because of the fact that someone killed you than that I was arrested for it... Who would guess that my life goal would become a vendetta for you, flea... I bet you're having fun in your grave."

He found talking to Izaya absolutely natural at this point, whether he was sleeping or not. Prison started to affect his mind, but there was no wonder. Boring days merged into each other. He avoided contact with people. He had nothing to do. And thoughts containing theinformant haunted him all day and night.

Izaya was watching him suspiciously.

"It's really hard to believe that I passed away, when you look so depressive, Shizu-chan... Do you know how many times you shouted after me that you're going to kill me?" He chuckled. "After one hundred and forty-ninth time I stopped counting...and it was still back at high-school~" He observed Shizuo's reaction with amusement. "I'm finally pushing up the daises, just as you wanted, ne~? So why aren't you full of merriment and joy, Shizu-chan?"

"Since you already went to hell, you could at least stop using that fucking nickname," Shizuo growled and he prayed in his mind for Izaya letting the conversation drift away from that forbidden subject.

"Shizu-chan is Shizu-chan," simply replied Izaya, playing with a patience of his favourite toy. But Shizuo just sighed in resignation and slid down past the wall to sit on the floor.

"You didn't answer my question yet, Shizu-chan."

"Persistent little louse," Shizuo retorted snappily, what made Izaya laugh.

"Ne~ Is it possible? No...Or yes?" Izaya was on the edge of crazy fit of laughter. "You miss me, isn't that so, Shizu-chan? After all those years of hate and swearing that you're going to send me to the afterlife, you would give anything right now to see me appearing in front of you in a flash, out of nowhere, just as usual...Am I right?" Izaya jumped off the bunk and curiously peeked into Shizuo's face. The blonde got goosebumps from theunexpected proximity.

"I...don...nt...u...ead..." He mumbled incomprehensibly averting his gaze from face full of expectations, while his heart was beating loudly somewhere in his throat.

"What? You have to translate it to normal speech, Shizu-chan, because even when my talent is indisputable, I haven't learnt Neanderthal language."

Shizuo angrily looked into his face and almost shouted.

"I don't want you to be dead! Do you have any problem with that?!"

Izaya lifted his hands up in defence and shook his head.

"Not really, Shizu-chan, not at all...I don't have any problem with that. Because I don't really have any problems anymore, with anything, did you forget, Shizu-chan?" Izaya put one hand on Shizuo's shoulder and showed him sad smile. Wave of pain ran trough Shizuo's body all of sudden. And even when he was already hurt so many times during his life, he never felt the pain similar to this. He had a feeling like his body was decaying from inside. Izaya bent to him slowly until his cheek was touching Shizuo's and whispered into his ear. "But it seems like you have a problem with it, Shizu-chan."

Shizuo opened his eyes harshly panting. His whole body was in spasms. In his ears yet echoed that quiet Shizu-chan and the thought that he will nevermore hear that stupid name said in that cocky playful tone made him feel nauseous. He breathed deeply to overcome the shock. It was like he lived in some delusion till now. As though, if he waited, that informant's really going to jump out from behind the corner and everything's going to be like during the old times. But right now he realized it'll never happen. He will never ever see that ridiculous coat lined by fur as it flutters in the wind in front of him. He will never again throw any vending machine and Izaya won't dodge it with laugh. He won't chase through narrow aisles of Ikebukuro that man, who dared to provoke him again and again, anymore. The man who called him monster but was the only one who never feared him.

No matter how much Shizuo shooed him, Izaya was coming back like a boomerang. They knew each other for so many years already...all eternity. And although Shizuo's only desire was to remove Izaya from his life so he could live normal peaceful life, never ending bickering with the informant had incorporated into his routine to the extent that Izaya, without Shizuo consciously realizing it, became a constant in his life. Someone who was always there and who was supposed to remain there, even when it should have been just so he had someone to blame for everything bad what happened in his life. A vent to which he could release all that rage which used to overpower him so perfectly.

And suddenly it occurred to him that after Izaya died there remained a hole in his life, which couldn't be patched by anything. And what shocked him the most was fact that the hole was almost tangible. Emptiness, which he felt inside him, was at the same time cold as ice and hot as flowing magma. He was overwhelmed by a feeling that made his heart skip a few beats. It was a feeling that he lost something precious.

He really had a problem.

He just realized a terrible thing, which turned his entire life inside out. Does he really miss that flea? Why on earth... After all those years of hate and after all the things Izaya ever did to him, he should be glad that he finally has peace of mind. But the only thing he really wanted was to see him again. To hear him again. He sighed. Is it possible that as the years were passing he started to like that damn bastard somewhere deep inside?

What a ridiculous idea. But that pulsing dull pain spoke for itself. He caught his chest, which didn't want to stop hurting no matter what.

One often realizes what he has and what's important for him only after he has lost it. Why didn't it occur to him earlier? If he realized it sooner, he could try to forgive him. He could try to get to know him and understand him a bit. They could be...what exactly? Acquaintances? Friends? Or maybe... Shizuo shook his head. It was worthless to think what could have been. It was too late to change anything, too late for everything. Because Izaya wasn't here anymore. And he's going to spend the rest of his life in this hole...

He looked up and started to count the cuts. He needed to occupy his mind somehow, because otherwise there was a chance that he will either get into destructive rampage or he will go crazy.

"Thirty-eight..."

...xxxXXXxxx...

Down the corridor, silent as cat, was walking a young man in the uniform of a warden. The prison was relatively silent, only here and there he could hear snoring. He looked around with disgust. Even when he looked self-confident as usual, that place frightened him. When he imagined what would happen to him, if he was thrown into prison with the highest security...He wouldn't have any chance to keep the situation under control. Different qualities than he possessed were important in this hell... Instead of gloomy images he rather focused on his action. At least that he didn't have to worry - in a matter of safety, that is - about the person to whose cell he was heading to right now. If there was anybody who was able to take care of himself and grounded all those nutty murderers around, it was for sure this person. Or monster. Whatever you like. Young man smirked and quietly continued his walk through the prison.

As he approached his final destination, he could hear quiet muttering. He perked his ears.

"Thirty-eight...How many remain till twenty-five years?" Short silence. "Seven times...hmm, fifty-two? Times twenty-five...uh." Growl.

The man, who was listening, ostensibly horrified, drawled: "You will never reach exact result like this, Neanderthal. Stop raping such a gentle science as math with that basal ganglion which keeps you alive, or your head will explode, ne~?"

The man in the cell froze for a second as if he didn't believe his ears and then jumped to his feet.

"If you're really interested, till the end of this luxurious stay you still have nine thousand eight hundred and twenty-three days, Shizu-chan~"

"I-Izaya?" the blonde gasped while reaching with his hand through the cell bars.

The informant tightened his muscles as he prepared himself for the possibility that the strongest man of Ikebukuro will grab his neck and probably will try to harm his health. But instead of hitting him, to his immense surprise, long fingers gently touched his cheek and tenderly stroked it, as if they were scared that he will disappear under their touch.

As always you act completely unpredictably, Shizuo.

"I'm also glad to see you, Shizu-chan~" snidely stated Izaya, effectively hiding behind his carefully created mask. "Just no tear-...eh?"

Shizuo grabbed his collar all of sudden, pulled him to himself and before Izaya had a chance to react somehow, he held him in tight hug. Even when information broker wouldn't admit it, not for the price of his own life, strange feeling of calmness flooded his body. And although he had wrapped around himself arms of super-strong monster, he hadn't feel so safe as he did in that moment for weeks. He couldn't remember when someone showed such a dear gesture to him, if ever. Maybe when he was a kid? It was nice to feel warmth radiating from blonde's body. That is, if cold bars didn't dig into his body.

"You're going to break my spine, idiot," he hissed, not letting embarrassment show on his face. Shizuo immediately let him go.

"You're not a hallucination," he declared after short moment of silence.

No, really? Don't say?~ And how are you going to explain that hug, Shizu-chan?

"Orihara Izaya, alive and well, in all his glory~" Izaya cocked his head to indicate a bow. His trademark smirk was shining on his lips.

Shizuo smiled at him, but it was a smile, which Izaya had never seen on his face before. It was a warm friendly smile. Izaya felt like his heart start to beat faster.

"I'm glad you're okay, Izaya."

What the hell...

"Eh~? You underwent a lobotomy here or something, Shizu-chan?"

Shizuo shrugged and rubbed back of his neck with his hand. There was strange expression on his face and Izaya couldn't explain it exceptas embarrassment.

"I had a lot of time to think."

I'm really curious what the result of that is.

"Whoa, I didn't know you're capable of something like that, Shizu-chan."

Shizuo's brows twitched and Izaya smirked. This seemed much more like his favourite monster. But blonde's expression immediately turned into calm and relaxed one. Izaya couldn't grasp what's going on.

How come you're not angry at me, Shizu-chan? Why haven'tyou accused me yet that I got you here? Why don't you ask me anything? Why that kind gaze?

As if Shizuo actually heard his thoughts, he leaned against the wall and asked: "So, what actually happened?" Simply like that. Without a trace of anger, doubt, or hate. Izaya, even when he was significantly confused by Shizuo's strange behaviour, continued in his risky plan, which he prepared so carefully.

You wouldn't believe, but I really don't enjoy doing this, Shizu-chan. Maybe if you acted like always and not so nice, it could be easier. Even when...

"Someone is trying to kill me, Shizu-chan. Last time they almost accomplished it." He lifted his shirt and showed his bandaged body to blonde. "Fortunately they didn't hit anything important." He fixed his outfit.

Shizuo just watched him silently and waited, wondering what would come next. Izaya pocketed his hands. It was childish, but... He crossed forefinger and middle finger on right hand.

If I told you the truth, you would never help me.

"The plan was to fake my own death, disappear somewhere to safety, gather the info and then turn the life of that bastard who is after me into living hell," he spoke uninterested like if he was talking about weather. "But it wasn't me who framed you, Shizu-chan. I just got a corpse that reminded me, changed dental records so everybody would think it was me and then I disappeared."

He withstood Shizuo's probing look and added: "I didn't get you here, Shizu-chan. I assume it was that bastard, who's after my life. I have no idea why he did it, nor who it is or why he wants to kill me."

Shizuo after a moment of thinking nodded. "I believe you."

Did you go crazy or what, idiot? Why do you believe me so easily? Why do you act so unexpectedly?

Izaya coughed into his hand as he tried to hide his uncertainty. In the end he managed to recover from his surprise pretty quickly. He had to finish what he started. He was too young to die like this. Shizuo was his last and only chance.

I know you hate me and you want to kill me, Shizu-chan...

"Well, I don't deny that almost lifelong stay in this luxury is for such a Neanderthal like you very tempting outlook into future, but maybe you would like to reconsider it?"

But you would use that brutish strength of yours, you wouldn't use nasty tricks and traps...

"What do you say, Shizu-chan? I bet such a monster as you craves for running freely, enjoying his freedom, ne~?"

And that's why you're the only one who I can ask for help...

"I have business proposal for you, Shizu-chan."

You're the only one who I can trust...

"I believe we can help each other."

I'm scared, Shizu-chan...

"Because someone is trying to kill me..."

I need you...Shizuo...

"Therefore I need a bodyguard and you momentarily don't have anything better to do, ne~?"

"Fine." Without hesitation. With that smile that was melting Izaya's heart.

"So we're leaving~" Izaya opened door of the cell with a card and set blond free. Without anybody noticing they dissipated in dark corridor and Izaya's heart almost jumped out of his chest, when Shizuo caught his hand and leaded him towards the freedom. Izaya felt pleasant warmth spreading inside him. He wanted to enjoy every second of it, but a memory popped out in his mind.

It was dark. And cold. Perfect night for dying. He pulled out a body from trunk of the van and dragged it into the car. He went back to van, took canisters with petrol and carefully spilled them over the car. He made a step back and satisfied with his work he pulled out a sack from pocket of his jacket. He took out box of matches, lit one of them and threw blazing flame on car. It immediately burst into bright flame.

He flipped the sack and let a lighter and cigarette butt fall onto ground. He stared at them for a moment and then hid in shadows of harbour. He patiently waited until few curious people gathered near burning car and spread among them a rumour, as he saw here the well-known Heiwajima. That thought rooted in people's minds and when later police found out, who was the victim in the car, everything was clear to everybody. Heiwajima finally killed Orihara. Some people then swore that they saw a blond man in bartender uniform wandering around the harbour that night. People can be manipulated so easily...

And so, hand in hand, with pounding hearts and slight blushes hidden in dusk, one with biting conscience and other thanking to gods for a second chance, they ran away together towards the uncertain future.

~THE END~

(Or maybe not...)

Let's meet next time again, I have many many Shizaya stories in my head~