Heads Will Roll

by Manake

Celty continues searching for her head, while struggling to keep up with her relationship with Shinra and her jobs with Izaya, leaving little to no time for Shizuo. When she does finally find time to hang out with him, he decides that he wants to help Celty look for her head, since she is coming so close. (Warning: Rated M for language and sexual content.)

2. Chapter 2

A bright sun peeks through the blinds in Shizuo's living room window. Celty stirs, and immediately notices the light. She grabs her PDA from the floor and checks the time. "8:45?! Oh, crap!" She was about to bolt upwards and rush out the door, but then she realized what was under her was not just a couch cushion, but a body. Shizuo's body, to be exact. "Oh right...I kinda fell asleep on him. Oops..." Not wanting to disturb him, Celty slowly rises and picks her helmet up from the floor and sets it on her neck. Before turning to leave, Celty catches a glimpse of Shizuo's sleeping face. She was struck with a feeling of awe, noticing something that was never present on his expression while he was awake – a sense of peace. Usually whenever she saw him, he wore a scowl, or just a blank expression, and then there was the occasional smile whenever she was around. But even when he smiled, it seemed that he was always tense or irritated. Now, in his slumbering state, all of his muscles were relaxed, and he looked peaceful and at ease. Celty already thought Shizuo was quite handsome, but at this moment, he looked more handsome than ever before. She took a moment to just look at him as he slept, almost certain she would never get this rare opportunity again. She leaned against the arm of the couch and studied him closely. She noticed everything – the even movement of his chest as he breathed, the sound of him inhaling and exhaling, the occasional twitch of a finger or a toe. Then she looked to his eyes, and watched as his lids fluttered as his REM state took place. "I wonder what he's dreaming about?" Celty wondered. It must have been something nice, given his peaceful demeanor.

Celty had to practically force herself to look away from him, then she stood up and wandered into the kitchen before she left. After finding a pen and a napkin on the counter, she wrote Shizuo a quick note informing him of her departure and stuck it on the fridge, then tiptoed over to her shoes, slipped her feet into them, and slipped out the door without a sound. Celty trotted down the three flights of stairs to the front door of the building, then once outside, she retrieved Shooter from the alley. Breathing a sigh of relief seeing that he survived the night alone, she mounted her steed and sped off for home.

Shizuo's eyes shot open upon hearing a familiar whinnying, and sighed heavily to see Celty had left. "Didn't even say goodbye," he grumbled sleepily. He stretched his body out for a moment, then trudged to the kitchen for a glass of milk after picking his sunglasses up off the floor. Upon reaching the fridge, he finds a note neatly scrawled on a napkin. Shizuo smirked slightly, knowing who it was from.

Shizuo –

Thank you for a great time last night. Even though we didn't talk much, it was still nice hanging out with you again. Sorry about not saying goodbye, I didn't want to wake you. Anyway, I'll text you later when I get time. See you soon.

~Celty

Shizuo's smirk spread to a full smile as he read Celty's note, and read it over several times as he poured himself a glass of milk and chugged it down. He continued reading it as he moved into the bathroom to commence his morning routine. When he glanced in the mirror briefly, he caught his reflection and he couldn't help but laugh. "You better stop grinning like an idiot, or people will think you've gone soft," he told himself. Then, after scanning through the neat cursive once more, Shizuo folds the napkin neatly into fours and tucks it carefully into his vest pocket, not wanting to wrinkle it. He continues through his morning ritual normally – shower, shave, breakfast, getting dressed – but all the while, the thought of having the Dullahan asleep on his chest last night wandered into and out of his mind. He had to admit, even though that was the first time having company while he slept, especially company of the opposite sex, he was beyond glad it had been Celty. He felt more rested and refreshed after a night's sleep than he ever had before, and he supposed he had Celty to thank. As he changed into a clean set of his usual bartender clothes, he made sure to remove the note from the dirty vest and tuck it into the chest pocket of the clean one. Shizuo caught himself smiling again and held his hand over his chest for a moment, pressing the note as close to his heart as he could. It wasn't fair, what the Dullahan was doing to him, but he would never complain. So long as he could make her happy, he was happy. In fact, after all this time, he figured it was official:

"Shit...I'm in love with her." He laughed at the very notion that he, Shizuo Heiwajima, strongest man in Ikebukuro, whom everyone had come to know and fear, was in love. However, he was not going to deny his feelings anymore...at least, not to himself. If anyone else found out – especially Izaya – he would never live it down. So for now, he would have to keep up his usual angry, violent facade for as long as he lived in this city. Although, just for today, perhaps being in a good mood for once couldn't hurt.

As he made his way outside onto the busy city sidewalk, he breathed in the fresh air and basked in the sun for a moment. He could smell and feel the slight chill of autumn in the air, which he would usually complain about since he preferred the warmer seasons, but today, everything just seemed right with the world. He walked a little taller than usual as he went to meet Tom at their usual spot, and smirked to himself every now and again whenever he remembered Celty's note nestled comfortably in his pocket.

Celty arrived home in record time, even having to deal with morning rush hour traffic. She opened the door and snuck in as quietly as she could, but apparently it wasn't quiet enough. As soon as the door clicked shut behind her, she was greeted by a very enthusiastic, eager doctor.

"Oh, Celty! My dear, dear Celty, there you are! When you didn't come last night, I was so worried! Are you alright? What happened?" Shinra wrapped Celty in a tight embrace, then looked her over to make sure she was uninjured and in one piece.

Celty sighed and pulled out her PDA. "I should have known this would happen," she thought to herself. [Yes, Shinra, I'm fine! I stayed at Shizuo's last night and forgot to call.]

Shinra looked at the screen with a puzzled look. He shifted an eyebrow and replied, "You...did? And he...let you?" As far as he knew, Shizuo was a rather private guy, and never had people at his apartment under any circumstances. The fact that he allowed Celty to stay was a bit strange to him.

[Of course he did! Why wouldn't he?] Shinra simply shrugged in response, and Celty began to type once again. [When I got to his place, we talked outside for a bit, then went up to his apartment because it was cold out. Then we watched a movie and ended up falling asleep during it. I'm sorry I worried you. Next time, I promise I'll call.]

After Shinra read through the message, he smiled and wrapped his arms gently around Celty. "It's alright, Celty. Just as long as I know you're safe." He released her and smiled, then asked, "So...if you don't mind my asking, what did you talk about?" He was always curious about what they talked about, since Shizuo was never the talkative type. He wondered what it was that made Celty different from everyone else in the blonde's mind.

Celty shrugged. [We mostly just caught up on recent events. Although, he did kind of promise me something sort of insane...]

Shinra tilted his head to the side. "Oh? And what was that?"

Celty hesitated slightly, but eventually answered, [He promised to help me find my head.]

Shinra was at a loss for words. He had no idea they even talked about that, and he was practically appalled that Shizuo would make such a promise to her. He had to wonder... "Celty...I'm not sure that's such a good idea. I mean, this is your problem, isn't it? Why would you be roping other people into helping, especially your friends?"

Celty was enraged by what Shinra had just asked. If he knew her at all, he would never think she would "rope other people into helping." She typed out a new message furiously, her fingers clicking the keys at rapid speed. [Hey, I didn't ask for him to help! He offered, and I declined, but he was insistent on helping me. It wasn't my fault, alright?!] Before Shinra could reply, she typed something new. [I'm going to take a quick shower. If anyone calls, answer it, alright?] Shinra replied with a single nod, then Celty removed her helmet and tossed it onto the sofa. She slammed the bathroom door behind her, still angry with Shinra for making that assumption about Shizuo. However, she wasn't going to let it ruin her day. She turned the water on and stripped her tight, black riding suit off and tossed it aside, then stepped into the shower and sighed as she let the hot water run over her body.

In the living room, Shinra heaved a heavy sigh and collapsed onto the couch. He looked over at the yellow helmet beside him and shook his head. "Oh, Celty. What are we going to do about this problem of yours?" This constant talk about her head was starting to get on his nerves, and he wished she would just give up already. However, he knew how stubborn she was, and knew that she wouldn't stop until the damn thing was in her possession once again. He always feared for that day. Shinra always feared the day Celty would find her head and that everything would change after that. What if she changed completely and no longer became the headless beauty he had grown to love? What if she remembered everything about her past and no longer wanted to stay in Ikebukuro, and moved back to her homeland? What if Celty finding her head meant losing her forever? No matter what thoughts passed through his mind, he saw no good coming from Celty growing closer to her prize.

Celty's PDA suddenly started ringing, and Shinra immediately recognized the number. He answered the call and said, "Celty's PDA."

A lazy, smooth voice sounded over the other end. 'Shinra, is that you?'

"Yes, Izaya, it's me."

'I had no idea Celty had made you her personal secretary.' Izaya chuckled softly, then continued, 'Speaking of Celty, is she there? I need to speak with her.'

"No, she's not," Shinra replied, "but whatever you need her for, I'll let her know."

'Just have her stop by my place in an hour. I have another job for her.' The line disconnected and Shinra looked at the PDA screen for a moment. He sighed and shook his head.

"Damn it, Izaya; give her a break, won't you?" Shinra then stood up and moved toward the bathroom. He knocked on the door and called, "Celty, Izaya just called. He wants you to meet him at his office in an hour." He returned to the couch and turned on the television, waiting to see if he would need to be called in for work today as well.

Celty groaned in frustration to herself. "Damn it! Work, work, work, that's all he has me do now! I'm so sick of him!" She drew a deep breath to calm herself, and in the meantime tried to enjoy the rest of her shower. She lathered up some soap in her hands and rubbed it all over her body. As she spread it over her chest, she allowed her mind to wander and her imagination to take over. Celty imagined a pair of hands other than her own caressing her skin, running their fingers all over her curves, practically dancing over her stomach, her hips, her breasts; a pair of big, masculine hands, connected to two strong, muscular arms. Those arms led up to a set of broad shoulders, and a toned, broad chest. Connected to the shoulders was a neck, on top of which rested a handsome, peaceful face with a beautiful smile, brown eyes, and a head of tousled bleach-blonde hair. The lips which were upturned in a smile kissed and played across the cool skin of her neck, and every now and again a tongue would dart out and lightly lick her neck and shoulder, making the Dullahan shiver with delight. Celty quickly shook the image away, finding herself a bit surprised that she wasn't fantasizing about Shinra – her boyfriend – but...Shizuo. "What brought that on?" she wondered. She had never thought about Shizuo that way before, nor did she ever think she would, so why now? Then she thought back to seeing Shizuo asleep on his couch and remembered thinking how handsome he was...but that was different, that was merely observation. Celty had been fantasizing about him just now, right out of the blue. Perhaps it was because, subconsciously, she had deeper feelings than friendship for Shizuo that were finally emerging after hiding for god knows how long? The thought of this frightened her a bit, since she was still so in love with Shinra. However, in recent days, she felt that she and the doctor were drifting apart, and the reason for that was obvious: her head. She knew he didn't want her to find it, and it was clear he was upset that Shizuo had offered to help. Well no matter what Shinra said, she was still going to look. She was so close, and nothing was going to get in her way.

Celty shut the water off and stepped out of the shower, then dried herself off with the towel she had hanging on the rack on the wall. Once she was completely dry, she changed back into her riding suit and hung her towel up to dry, then emerged from the bathroom, steam spilling out behind her. She appeared behind Shinra and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, reaching for her PDA.

Shinra gasped softly at Celty's touch, not quite expecting the hug. "What's this for?" He smiled as he ran a hand up her arm, then he handed her the PDA when she reached for it.

Celty replied, [I'm sorry for getting so angry earlier. It's just that Shizuo is my friend and I didn't like that you were saying all those things about him.]

Shinra nodded and took her hand in his, kissing the back of it lightly. "I know, and I am sorry for that. I didn't mean to sound so insulting." He looked at the clock on the wall, then back at Celty. "You'd better get going if you're going to make it to Izaya's on time."

Celty raised her hands in a flustered manner. [Like I care. He can wait.] But, Shinra was right. If she was late, Izaya would make sure his transporter never heard the end of it. She stood upright and grabbed her helmet from next to Shinra. [I'll be back later. Don't wait up.]

Shinra gave a halfhearted smile and replied, "I know. I'll see you later, Celty. Try not to work too hard."

Celty nodded. [I'll try. See you later.] With that, she turned to the door and exited the apartment, then rode down the elevator with Shooter. Once at the bottom, she rolled him out into the street, climbed onto his back, then they took off for Izaya's.

The ride to Shinjuku, where Izaya lived, seemed longer than usual. Celty took all the same roads she usually took, but for some reason the trip seemed to drag on forever. Every once in a while, Celty would get a vision of her fantasy of Shizuo in the shower, and she would have to shake the thought away to concentrate. After the third time it happened however, she allowed the image to stay. Then, past memories with her and Shizuo began to play through in her mind. She recalled all of their trips to the park, where they would sit and talk for hours on end. She remembered the incident with the Slasher, when Shizuo got mad when the Slasher attacked her, and then when Shizuo took on the whole Saika army by himself. He was so brave then, and he didn't flinch even once. Then she remembered the gloves she made for him right before the fight, and wondered whatever became of those. Her memories traveled back to last night, when they sat on his comfy red couch together, with his arm casually draped around her shoulders, and her body leaning against his. Celty remembered how good that felt, sitting there with him in perfect silence, with his arm around her...his protective, strong arm...which held her as she slept...

Before she knew it, Celty had almost driven right past Izaya's apartment. She slammed hard on Shooter's brakes, which resulted in a gruff, displeased huff from the steed. "Sorry about that," she said as she patted his side when they came to a stop. She swung her leg over to dismount, then entered the building and took the elevator up to the top floor, where Izaya awaited in his office. She always hated coming here, but she never really had a choice in the matter. Celty knocked on the apartment door, then was promptly greeted by the Info Broker himself.

"My dear transporter, I was wondering when you would get here! Please, come in!" Celty entered the apartment and sat down on the large, black leather sofa, which she always found to be very uncomfortable. She always wondered how Izaya tolerated sitting on it for so long. Izaya took a seat at his desk and spun his chair around once, then turned to face Celty, his hands folded neatly under his chin. "So, I bet you're wondering why you're here."

Celty sighed silently and thought to herself, "You've gotta be kidding me." Meanwhile, she typed on her PDA, [Shinra said you had more work for me.]

Izaya snapped his fingers and leaned back in his chair. "That I did! Now, the job is very simple today, but quite important, so pay attention." He pulls out a white envelope from a drawer in his desk and holds it out for Celty. "First, this needs to be delivered to my friend here in Shijuku – the address is on the envelope. Then, he will have a package for me which I need you to bring back here. Think you can handle it?"

Celty stands up and takes the envelope from Izaya. [No problem.]

Izaya grins and lets out a soft chuckle. "I knew I could count on you, Celty. Now go, you don't want to keep our clients waiting!~"

As Celty heads for the door, she thinks to herself, "Anymore of this crap and I'm gonna get a headache." As soon as she puts her hand on the doorknob, she gets that familiar chill up her spine. "No...it can't be..." She only ever got a sensation like that when her head was close by, and this time, it was really strong. Celty wanted so badly to follow the magnetic pull, but there was one thing standing in her way, though ironically, he was sitting.

Izaya looked at Celty, puzzled, when she freezes in front of the door. "Celty, is everything alright?"

She nods, then she exits the apartment. Once in the hallway, she leans against the wall in utter disbelief. "I don't believe it. Could it be...that it's been here this whole time? Has...has Izaya of all people been hiding it from me? How could I not have noticed it before?" She had been to Izaya's apartment several times, and not once had she felt the presence of her head in there before. Well this time, there was no doubt about it – her head that she had been searching 20 long years for was hidden somewhere in Izaya's apartment, and she had to tell Shizuo right away. In the elevator, on the way down to the first floor, Celty sent a very excited text message to Shizuo which read, [I know where my head is!] She was unsure of what he was doing right now, but she knew he would get the message eventually and answer back as soon as he could.

"I could just kill him!"

Celty was absolutely furious as she tore along Ikebukuro's back roads. The "simple" job Izaya had given her had quickly turned into a wild goose chase all around the city, fetching things for various clients in exchange for other things, though none were what Celty actually needed for Izaya. She knew she would find it eventually, but the last thing she wanted was for the job to ultimately last all day, even though she had already been out and about for approximately 2 ½ hours now. "This is the last time I believe him when he says a job is "simple"! I just...RRRAH!" Celty revved Shooter's engine and he let out a loud, long whinny, notifying everyone within a two mile radius of their approach.

Meanwhile, Shizuo, who was out to lunch, heard the haunting call of a certain spectral horse belonging to a certain Dullahan. "Uh oh, that ain't a happy sound. I wonder what's wrong?" he asked himself. Usually Shooter never sounded like that unless Celty was upset about something, and he hoped he would be able to talk to her before she took off again. In the distance, Shizuo saw a dark silhouette quickly approaching him, and waved in its direction so it had time to slow down.

Celty continued to speed and weave her way in and out of the cars on the road, when a short distance away she saw a figure dressed in black and white with a mess of yellow on its head. Even from where she was she could tell it was Shizuo, but her assumption was confirmed when he started waving at her. Celty hit the brakes and little by little Shooter began to slow, then she finally came to a halt in front of the bode guard on the sidewalk. She busted out her PDA and typed out, [Boy, am I glad to see you! Got a minute to talk?]

Shizuo smiled, promptly climbed onto the back of her steed, and rested his hands on her hips. "For you," he replied, "I got all the time in the world."

Celty froze up for a moment when she felt Shizuo's hands on her hips, and her mind went back to what had happened in the shower this morning. Those large, warm hands of his made her yearn for more of his touch, as did feeling his body against her back, but she tucked those thoughts back into the recesses of her mind just as she tucked her PDA back into her pocket. Celty then revved Shooter's engine once more, and the pair took off for their usual chat spot in the park. She had a bit of time to kill before she was to report to the next pickup location, so she figured a good talk with Shizuo would be good for taking her mind off of a particular info broker whom she'd like very much to strangle. During their ride to the park, they stayed completely silent, while Shizuo's hands remained holding tight to her hips, but Celty wasn't the only one fighting her own urges. The blonde was doing his damnedest trying to keep his hands from wandering elsewhere – rather, everywhere – on the Dullahan's body. He died to have his fingers travel along her curves, across her stomach, up and down her arms, legs, and back, and of course, that chest of hers was just oh so tempting. His hands longed to feel those soft, supple breasts beneath them, to squeeze and play with them for as long as he pleased. Shizuo's grip on Celty's hips tightened slightly when he noticed a certain something in his trousers getting a bit...stiff. He shifted back in his seat a bit so Celty would not notice, then took a deep breath to get himself under control, but kept his hands where they were, not wanting to release their hold on Celty.

They finally reached the park and quickly dismounted the bike. This specific spot was where they always came when they wanted to talk for a bit. It was nice and secluded, so they would not be disturbed by other people, and it was well shaded by a pair of cherry trees. The trees in question, which erupted with gorgeous pink blossoms in spring, were now turning red and gold with the autumn season advancing quickly. Celty and Shizuo took a seat on the wooden bench, then Shizuo spoke first as he lit up a cigarette. "So Rider, what's got your suit in a twist?"

Celty typed on her PDA quickly, clicking furiously at the keys. [That damn Izaya, that's what! I've just about had it with him!]

Shizuo laughed and took a long drag from his cig. "You and me both. So what'd he do this time?"

[The job I had today was supposed to be easy, he told me, but so far it's been anything but! He gave me an envelope that was supposed to be delivered to one guy, who supposedly had something else for me to give to Izaya. But, the package was actually to be delivered to a different guy entirely, so I had to give it to that guy and just guessed that he had the package for Izaya. But no! His package was for someone else, as was the one after that, and the one after that! I still haven't delivered the most recent one yet, but who knows when I'll actually get the package I'm supposed to deliver to Izaya? I honestly wish I did, this day has been driving me nuts!]

As Shizuo read the last bit of Celty's recollection of her day so far, he took another long puff of smoke and breathed it out. "Damn, sorry to hear your day's not goin' so well. I really hope it gets easier for ya."

Celty nodded as she heaved her shoulders. [Me, too. So anyway, did you get my message from before?]

Shizuo shook his head. "I haven't gotten anybody's messages today. I kinda forgot my phone at home." He scratched the back of his neck, slightly embarrassed by his mistake.

[Oh, I see.]

"Yeah. Anyway, what did your message say?"

Celty perked up a bit when Shizuo changed the subject. Her fingers danced across the keys of her PDA as she replied, [I know where my head is!]

Shizuo coughed as the bit of smoke he was breathing out got caught in his throat. He thumped his chest a bit to try to clear it out, then replied raspily, "Really? That's great, Celty!" After fully clearing his throat, he continued, "So, where is it?"

Celty hesitated a moment at Shizuo's question, then typed slowly, [There's a catch...I'm pretty sure it's somewhere at Izaya's.]

Shizuo grit his teeth, coming dangerously close to biting into his cigarette. "You sure about that?" he asked with a prominent tone of irritation in his voice.

Celty nodded. [Yes. While I was there, I got the strongest feeling of attraction, stronger than any feeling I've had before. My head is there, I know it.] She looked to him intently, hoping he would still help her look for it now that she has revealed its potential location.

Shizuo let out a frustrated huff as he smoked the last of his cigarette, then snuffed it out. The last place he had expected it to be was at that flea's apartment, and usually he wouldn't even think about setting foot near that place. However, Celty needed his help, and he did kind of promise he would assist her in any way possible...and he always kept his promises, especially to her. Shizuo huffed again, then said, "Alright, I'll go with ya."

Celty was elated by his response. [Really? Oh, Shizuo thank you! I owe you one, big time!]

Shizuo chuckled. "Nah, ya don't. It's my pleasure, really." But in his head, he thought, "Damn straight, you owe me! You're lucky I like you so much, Celty." "So, when do we start?" he asked her.

[I'm not entirely sure. We'd obviously have to wait until he goes out, but I'm not sure if he will or not. To be sure, I guess we'll have to keep an eye on him, then we'll slip in while he's gone.] Celty shuddered slightly at the thought of attempting to break into Izaya's apartment. She had no idea what kinds of security measures he took. Although, she could just check that out when she went back there with the package. Thinking of that, Celty looked at the time and saw that she only had a little bit of time left to deliver the most recent package to its recipient. She quickly stood up and said, [Well, I have to get back to work. I'll come find you when I'm finished, alright?]

Shizuo nodded once. "Yeah, sounds good. I'll wait here for ya if you want. Guess I'll see ya then."

[I guess you will. And Shizuo...] She left the message as it was for a moment, then leaned down and wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. [Thank you so much for your help. I really appreciate it.]

Shizuo smiled and hugged Celty back, replying, "It's no trouble, really. Now go, before you're late."

Celty nodded and mounted Shooter once more, then she drove eastward after waving goodbye to her friend. She wished they'd had more time to actually talk, but she had a job to do for the time being. At least her bad mood was gone now, since the thought of finally finding her head later tonight was right at the front of her mind, and stayed there for the remainder of her job. After retrieving and delivering two more packages, she finally was given the one addressed to Izaya. With the box safely secure, she took off for Shinjuku. When she arrived at Izaya's apartment, she surveyed the whole building, making sure she and Shizuo would be able to sneak in and out of the top floor without any issue. In the elevator, she drummed her fingers impatiently on the top of the box as the shaft traveled slowly upward, wanting to finish this job as soon as possible. Finally the bell dinged and the doors opened, and Celty walked across the hall and knocked on Izaya's door.

"Come in!" Izaya called from inside. Celty turned the knob and entered, slightly surprised to find it unlocked.

"I wonder if he keeps it unlocked all the time?" she wonders. "It might prove helpful if he did."

Izaya looks up from his computer screen and grins when Celty enters. "Ah, Celty, you've returned! I was starting to get worried you weren't coming back." Celty would have rolled her eyes if she could, then approaches Izaya's desk, making sure to check for any kind of security alarm or anything that could jeopardize her plan, and hands him the package. Izaya takes it from her gratefully. "Thank you, my dear. I do hope the job wasn't too difficult for you."

Celty clenched her hands into fists, then grabbed her PDA and typed, [I was running all over the damn city delivering other people's stuff! Yours wasn't even with the guy you said it was with!] She held the screen close to his face and leaned on the desk as she did so.

Izaya held up his hands defensively. "Hey, hey, it was an honest mistake! I am sorry I inconvenienced you so, and I promise it won't happen again. As for now, you're free to go. I have no more work for you to do. Until next time, Celty." The Dullahan stood up straight and let herself out, returning to the elevator.

"'Mistake' my ass! I bet he planned that from the beginning!" On the way down, she thought to herself, "So Izaya keeps his door unlocked and has no kind of security system? That's so odd. But, that does make things easier for me and Shizuo." Before she reached the bottom floor, Celty decided to text Shinra to let him know she wouldn't be home for awhile. [Hey. I'm finished with work, but I'm spending the day with Shizuo. I hope you didn't have anything planned.] The elevator doors opened just as she sent her text, and received Shinra's reply as soon as she was outside and near Shooter.

[Sure, that's no problem. Have fun, I'll see you when you get home. Love you.]

Celty's smoke swirled amorously beneath her helmet when she read the latter sentence, then she eagerly replied, [I love you, too. See you later.] She mounted Shooter after putting away her PDA, then took off in the direction of the park where she hoped Shizuo was still waiting for her.