Kida touched the burning forehead and took him by the arm, closing the door behind them. Izaya was too weak to offer any resistance as Kida dragged him to the bathroom, began to run a bath and shuffled through the medicine cabinet.
"Don't you have aspirin or something?"
"I told you already, you're fired. Just leave already."
Kida sighed.
"See, this is why people don't like you. You've got an awful attitude."
"Not you too. Mikado has been harping that I'm 'leading you astray' or some other shit. It's not my fault everyone's against me."
Izaya was very aware that he sounded terribly pitiful but he also did not care.
"Orihara-san, you're old enough to take care of yourself properly. Okay, the water is fine, hop in."
Izaya had some snappy retort or another ready but it was too much of a bother. So he sat in his oversized tub, arms wrapped around his knees.
"I know that everyone hates me. I'm not that bad of a person."
"Right…anyway, you can't just go disappearing like this just because you're having a bad day. What was it now? Heiwajima-san again?"
Izaya sank until he was blowing bubbles on the water.
"Fine, don't answer. When you don't answer your phone I'm the one who gets calls from angry clients. And what am I supposed to tell them? 'Sorry, Orihara-san is just depressed right now. His crush just doesn't like him so he's all sad.'"
"Watch your tone, Kida."
"So you're getting mad at me now? Hey, I'm not the one being a jerk to you. I'm probably your only ally. If you want to get angry at someone it should be Heiwajima."
"Only I get to talk shit about Shizu-chan."
"Glad to see you're becoming your old self again. I'll go fix some tea and try to appease your clients…somehow."
As if on cue Kida's phone rang loudly. Kida walked out of the room, his voice dimming as he walked away.
"Orihara-san is currently busy. Yes, we will take care of your request very short. Tomorrow at the latest. No, you don't need to get another informant. I assure you that Orihara Izaya is the best one in town."
Izaya tried to unwind. It was so comfortable here that he nearly fell asleep. He was rather groggy and about to slide under water when he was shaken rather forcibly.
"I leave you alone for one second and you nearly drown on me?"
"Stop acting like you're my mother."
"Gladly, as soon you stop acting like a kid. Tea's ready, here get dressed."
Kida handed him some clothes. Izaya put them on and sat down on his plush sofa that was not big enough to clutter the spacious living room. He sipped some warm tea while Kida stared at him intently.
"So, are you going to tell me just what happened to you?"
"It's none of your business anyway."
"What you do in your private life is all on you but when it affects work then it becomes my business. Where's your cell? Left it at Heiwajima's?"
"I threw it away."
Kida jumped out of the sofa.
"You did what? Where? Around his apartment?"
"Don't really know. Some alley."
Kida threw his arms into the air and then pointed dramatically at him.
"Orihara Izaya, this will not do at all. You've got all of your contacts on your cell's card. Imagine if someone picks it up!"
"You're too loud, I have a headache and-"
"Tough. I'm the one that has to look for the damned thing now! Why did you remove the GPS device!"
"Because I don't like you knowing where I am 24/7."
"Fine. Whatever. So where is it, Ikebukuro? Can you narrow it down at least a bit?"
"It should be in 'bukuro…maybe not. I walked back home-"
"You walked all the way from Ikebukuro in the rain? Are you insane?"
Kida's phone rang. He glanced at the screen and said,
"Shit, it's Mikado. You answer it."
"He's your friend, you talk to him. He'll just blame me for every thing that's wrong in the world. I bet global warming is my fault too."
"…I'll put the call on loudspeaker."
Before Izaya could object Mikado's voice was already booming,
"Kida-kun, where are you? I hope you're not with that guy. Just come back!"
Izaya put a pillow over his ears as Mikado went on and on. At length he snapped.
"Try Disneyland, Mikado. Try Disneyland!"
"I knew it was your fault. Give me back Kida!"
"He's all yours. For your information I just fired him but he's not going away. Please come collect him."
