A/N: Hello again! So the second chapter didn't come out as soon as I had wanted but I did manage to get it out so that's an accomplishment! Not much to say here except enjoy~!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot


Same day, that afternoon

Heiwajima Shizuo blew out a breath of smoke and watched it disinterestedly as it curled slowly before dissipating into the air. He removed the cancer stick from his mouth and twirled it between his fingers, ignoring the ash falling to the ground as he did so. He should quit smoking. He knew it was bad for him, but achieving such a thing required a certain amount of self-control—which was something he knew he lacked if the unconscious men sprawled around him and the uprooted street signs lying at his feet were anything to go on.

"Tch. You guys piss me off sometimes, you know," he said to the men around him. He knew they couldn't hear him at the moment, but that was okay. "Because of you I can't quit smoking." The logic didn't come out of nowhere. His whole thought process had been along the lines of that if he was going to quit smoking, then the first thing he needed to achieve was control over his own violent temper. He was right, but putting all of the blame on the guys who decided it was a brilliant idea to try and rob him was a bit too self-serving. Oh well. "I really don't even think a couple rolls of bread were worth it in the end. Next time just go get stuff yourself instead of trying to take it from someone else." These were Shizuo's departing words as he walked away from the scene, the clear bag of rolls dangling from his left hand while he smoked with the other.


Shizuo unlocked his apartment door and stepped inside with a tired sigh. It was the type of sigh that one made when they were glad to be home even though the day had not necessarily been a bad one. After removing his shoes, he tossed his keys and bread on the old brown coffee table and headed over to the fridge. It was when he had opened it that he realized something was off. The sensation that something was different wasn't a bad one, but it still caused Shizuo to be on guard. First off there was strawberry milk in his fridge. He had not had strawberry milk in over a week and while the treat was appreciated it also left him confused. He looked around himself and surveyed the rest of his little home.

Everything seemed to be neater than when he had left it just this morning. The blanket he had left on the couch in the front room had been neatly folded and placed over the armrest. The miscellaneous magazines and papers on the coffee table in front of the couch had also been stacked neatly. The small kitchen with the single table and two chairs had also been cleaned off. He wasn't going to check any of the other rooms because he had a feeling they would all be in a similar state.

"What the hell…?"

"Welcome home Shizuo onii-chan!" The answer to his question flew at him on small legs and crashed into his abdomen in an enthusiastic hug. Shizuo stepped back to regain his balance since he had not expected such a small and frankly adorable attack from the little girl who now grinned hugely up at him.

He returned her smile with a happy, but perplexed one of his own. "Akane? What are you doing here?"

Awakusu Akane was the granddaughter of the previous head of the Awakusu-kai. Long story short, her grandfather had been murdered and power changed to the current head that was regarded as nothing but a merciless tyrant. Shizuo had a couple of other choice words concerning the guy but that wasn't important. While she had lost the bulk of her power from being directly connected to the head, Akane still had a fair bit of sway over other members simply because she was still part of the family, but more importantly because she was well liked. Many of the higher ups and executives had ample opportunity to talk with her and even care for her when she was a baby. She was an adorable little girl with a likeable disposition and it was what kept her alive.

"Kishitani-sensei said he needed special time with Celty-san. So I came here." She stepped back to give Shizuo some room, a happy smile evident on her face. She loved to visit Shizuo and Shizuo liked for her to stop in for a visit. He didn't like many people simply because they stressed him out, but there were a select few—like Tom, Celty, Akane, Vorona, Kasuka, and occasionally the Orihara twins and Shinra—that he liked to be around. These people tended to avoid pissing him off, though Shinra was an exception and the twins when they acted far too much like their brother.

Akane seated herself onto one of the chairs, looking as comfortable as could be. Shizuo had to smile at the mental comparison he was making between the little girl before him now and the one he had first met. Their first encounter had been rather interesting. The first words she had ever spoken to him had been a very determined "Die!" followed by jabbing him in the abdomen with a specially altered Taser. Obviously this had not gone over well with Shizuo, but he had handled himself well and simply taken her—well he had never actually "taken" her anywhere since she had forced herself onto his back—to Shinra's place. After the attack she had been absolutely terrified of him and it had hurt. Nobody wanted to see they scared a small girl to the point of cowering in a corner. Their relationship had changed after he had rescued her from kidnappers and now they were on the best of terms. Shizuo had quickly found he rather liked her company because she didn't push his buttons—on purpose or otherwise.

"What an asshole," Shizuo said in reference to Shinra kicking Akane out to spend time with Celty. "This place is dangerous now." Really Shinra should have at least made sure that Akane had someone with her before he sent her away.

"Not to worry, Shizuo onii-chan. I've been taking combat classes. I can take care of myself."

"Still," Shizuo grumbled with his hands in his pockets. He peeked back over to the open fridge and then back to the little girl. "Did you get me strawberry milk?"

"Ah, you noticed? I did, because I know Shizuo onii-chan likes his milk. I also tidied the place up a bit. You should take better care of your home," Akane scolded. "This place was a mess." She also wanted to mention that Shizuo should cut back on smoking because the copious amount of cigarette butts in the trash cans made her worry; however this was a subject she would not touch. She had seen people smoke all her life and it was no business of hers what people did with their bodies. The excess smoking was probably due to the fact that he was stressed and with times like these it was no wonder.

"I will." Shizuo merely said this to please the little girl since he knew that his housekeeping habits weren't going to change.

"Ne, Shizuo onii-chan, can I ask you a question?" Akane's tone changed to match the more serious expression on her face and it caught Shizuo's attention.

He nudged the refrigerator door closed with his hip and leaned against the appliance, staring at the little girl curiously. "Sure. What is it?"

"Are you happy with things right now? Do you want them to change?"

The question had come out of the blue considering to whom he was talking to, but Shizuo answered the girl honestly. "I can't say the current guy makes me happy. He pisses me off actually. I don't think Ikebukuro is a city that should be held in chains like this. I do want things to change, but if anything I'd rather things just went back to normal." He stared at the little girl with a raised eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because I want things to change, too," she said. "I came here not just to spend time with you, but to follow my own ideals." Shizuo tilted his head to the side, even further confused by this.

"You see, there is a revolution forming that has plans to take back Ikebukuro and I was wondering if you wanted to join with me."