Warnings: Slight mentions of different anime-mangas like: Shiki, Toradora!, Beelzebub, KatekyoHitman Reborn!, Akuma to love song (Devil and her love song), Darker than Black and Sasamekikoto (Whispered words).
Recap:
"Who are you?" Shizuo asked, trying to control the rising heat produced by an inexplicable rage.
The man didn't turn, but said loud enough for Shizuo to hear, "I am Orihara-san's friend."
Shizuo wasn't convinced.
The man stopped and turned lightly, half of his face darkened by the position of the light. "But who are you to Orihara-san?" With a cold smirk he asked, "Are you anything at all?"
•Gentleman (?)•
Izaya felt heavy and light at the same time. His body ached. His legs were tangled in his bedclothes, and pillows were spread all over the bed's surface. Something fluffy moved over his head. It rubbed against him again and again. Izaya groaned, lightly pushing the thing off. After a couple of minutes, the thing rubbed against him again. Izaya curled, trying to escape from it. Afterwards, a hand was pushed onto his forehead. Izaya flinched lightly from the unexpected touch.
The thing kept rubbing against him, purring.
Macha was demanding attention.
"How do you feel?" a voice asked him softly.
Izaya fought to open his eyes. He half-looked at Tsugaru. That blank stare said how miserable, how awfully annoyed he felt.
The man chuckled. "How troublesome you are, really."
Tsugaru moved, turning the lights on.
"Here is some water. I think you should go to that doctor friend of yours. Your cold seems to be worsening. Or would you prefer if I called a doctor to come over?" Tsugaru said as he poured water into a glass.
Izaya half stared at him from his current position. His bed was too comfortable to move from. Macha jumped on top of Izaya's stomach, and as a reflex, Izaya grabbed her and she took advantage of it. She purred contently and used her claws on Izaya's shirt. Oh purrfeect~
"She's spoiled," Tsugaru pointed out while he sat on the edge of the bed.
Izaya didn't answer, he just kept holding her.
Tsugaru hovered over Izaya. "Hey, cat got your tongue? Say something."
Izaya barely glanced at him.
"I am going to get angry," Tsugaru smiled.
Izaya gave him a "like I care" look.
Tsugaru smile widened, and he crawled on top of Izaya. In a quick movement, Tsugaru caught Izaya's arms, pinning them above his head. "You can't be obedient, can you?"
Izaya didn't resist at all, and didn't utter a word; he gave Tsugaru a blank stare. However, he was sweating a lot and his vision was blurry. Defenseless. Tsugaru pressed himself more on Izaya, until a "MEOW!" sounded from below him. He shifted back and Macha scrambled away from them.
Tsugaru said "Sorry" and Izaya coughed.
Since his arms were restrained, he had to look away. Izaya was a well-mannered man who would never spit into someone's face. Not without a purpose, that is. Soon after, his arms were released and a handkerchief was handed over by Tsugaru.
Tsugaru sighed. "I can't properly play with you like this. This is unfortunate, very much so." He jumped off.
Izaya watched as Tsugaru disappeared from his room. He sighed.
'Thanks for the cold comfort…' Izaya thought grimly.
Macha jumped on Izaya's bed again, rubbing against him.
'I don't want to move…Maybe I should call Shinra to come over…' With an enormous effort, Izaya managed to stand up. His cell phone was on the nightstand beside the bed.
It looked so far away…
Izaya walked with heavy steps, reaching his device, and soon after he collapsed on the bed.
He dialed the number, then waited and waited.
[Hello?]
Izaya opened his mouth to speak, but no sound was emitted.
[Izaya? Are you there?]
Izaya tried again, but something happened to his voice each time he wanted to speak. He ended the call and decided to text.
[Shinra! I can't speak! D:]
Izaya sent the text and waited for the reply.
[Izaya…? Is it really you? What happened?]
Izaya texted back: [Of course it's me! I'm sick! I caught a cold! :'( Help me!]
Shinra took his time to answer. [Izaya, I'm sorry but I can't go over there right now. I'm going to do a medical procedure in a few minutes. You can wait for me, but I don't know how much time this is going to take. Look, for now, you have to drink liquids; stay hydrated. From the looks of it, your cold had infected your larynx, so when I have the time, I'll pass by and give you antibiotics. Or, you can go to a normal doctor~ :) It's up to you. See you~]
[Traitor! What if I die? !]
Izaya didn't receive a reply. He groaned.
He felt exhausted, so it was unlikely that he could take a train or a cab to go to Shinra's, without mentioning that Shinra wasn't there… But to go to the hospital… ugh…
'There's no other way.' Izaya was resigned to his fate.
He rose from the bed, just to stop when two shadows loomed in the room.
"Orihara-san, I brought assistance." Tsugaru smiled… or was he snickering?
Izaya turned paler and paler.
Macha watched the scene from atop a shelf; she was amused.
•••••
Shizuo stuffed food in his mouth, chewing it angrily.
"I am Orihara-san's friend."
'Friend my ass… Friend he said… yeah right,' Shizuo thought, and kept on munching. 'Arrogant bastard…'
Shizuo was in a rather heavy mood. The encounter with Izaya's 'friend' had been quite disturbing. To think that Izaya had a friend…Shizuo was in denial, he just simply couldn't think that a bastard like Izaya would have someone to take care of him. Though Shizuo had to admit that the way that man acted with Izaya wasn't normal. Not that he would ever think that one of Izaya's supposed 'friends' would behave normally. For instance: Shinra.
Anyhow, why did he care about that man's words?
Shizuo had never attempted to analyze their relationship, if it could be considered a relationship…
Hate.
That was all. Hatred and ire.
It was the only thing they had.
"But who are you to Orihara-san?"
'An enemy,' Shizuo thought, gritting his teeth. He was annoyed, angered, pissed.
Somehow, that man's words were irritating him.
"Are you anything at all?"
Crack. That was the sound of the cup when it died.
"Ahh dammiiit…" Shizuo looked at his palm in dread, the vestige of the cup smeared on his palm.
Simon went over the counter and handed him a full-deluxe plate of caviar… Very expensive caviar…
"Enjoy!" Simon said.
"…" Shizuo began to eat quietly.
The Russian Sushi was a very interesting place. Many unique characters went to eat there. Underground doctors, gangs' members, monsters, assassins, fighting freaks, psychos, etc...
The place was frequented by normal people too, but on this day in particular, it was maintained half empty. Because of Shizuo's dark aura.
But the newcomers didn't know that.
The door opened and a very complex and difficult conversation enchanted the place.
"The chapter was disappointing. I can't stand the way this manga has turned. The story has degenerated into fanservice. Not that I don't like to read something like that from time to time, but seriously, making it kind of BL, just because all the characters are bishies…"
"What is wrong with that? Hm? I think the author has made a great job shipping them~! Ahhh~ Bliss~! 1827! 2700! 8059! R27!"
"No! It's Blasphemy! The story is shonen! There must be only friendship and hot chicks! The moe-moe rule! I shall only accept clear displays of yuri! Nothing more!"
"Aww! Stop that! Why can't you accept that everyone in the world can be paired? Look, for example Thouro x Natsuo, they're meant to be together!"
"Argh! They are only best friends! Friends! And it doesn't count, since Thouro has already declared his love for nurse-chan! So, how can you explain their 'love' then, I dare you!"
"Because of Thouro's transformation to Shiki! His feelings were crumbled to ashes. Sad, but that's the explanation~"
"Nonsense."
"Is not. Shounen, shoujo and seinen have their doses of BL. Beel's series are other examples."
"Karisawa-san-what? Who with whom? No wait, I take it back!"
"There are plenty of pairings! Ogai x Furuchi, Tojou x Oga, Tatsumi x Miki. The latter is canon!"
"How can you say it's canon?"
"Miki showed his love under arduous training just to be by Tatsumi's side!"
"He was just training to become strong!"
"Oh, also there is Furuchi x Bathin…"
"That's sick!"
-And gross…
"How can you call pure love sick?"
"That's not love! Real love is something more moe! Only pairings like Ryuuji x Taiga! That little lady is so moe~ Oh! There's also the physiological Megu x Maria pair! The angsty relationship between Hei x Yin~"
"Indeed, they are good together."
"Oh! Murasame x Kazama~ Moe~Moe"
"So two girls can be in love and that's called true love... But two guys can't. That's what you are saying, right? Shame on you, Yumakicchi, shame on you."
"What? I didn't-"
"Cut it out, you two! Take a seat at once!"
"Okay, Dotachin~"
"Sorry, Kadota."
Kadota scolded them for their public display of… creepiness. Kadota noticed a grumpy blond sitting in the corner of the restaurant.
Kadota went to greet him.
"Yo, Shizuo."
Shizuo glanced at him and nodded.
Kadota noticed his troubled face and decided to not pry. However, Shizuo had other plans.
"Do you think that you could call someone a 'friend' when he pins you against a wall and looks at you menacingly?"
-Ah?
"…No… I don't think so…"
"Hm, that's what I thought."
"…So, how are you doing?" Kadota sat next to Shizuo, trying to make conversation.
"I mean, it's impossible for him to have a normal friend. Yeah, that bastard probably just wanted to piss me off, so he said that to me."
"…Erm… What are you talking about?" Kadota asked, sweat dropping in a comical way.
"An arrogant bastard I met yesterday said that he was friends with Izaya. That's a lie, don't you think?"
'I do not know what you are saying, really…' Kadota wanted to say.
•••••
Shizuo hummed. He felt much lighter after his talk with Kadota.
With lights steps, Shizuo walked to his apartment. He knew a shortcut in an alley to his right. Only dim neon light cleared the way in the narrow passage.
"Achoo!" And then a sniff.
Shizuo halted and turned to his right. There was the wall. A bit downward, there was someone sitting on the ground. Shizuo focused his sight to see better.
"Achis!" A sniff and a groan.
"The hell?" Shizuo crouched down. He reached for the hood of the person in front of him, and uncovered him. "Flea?"
"Hi… A-Achoo!"
Shizuo backed away a little, still crouched. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Sniff… I ran away."
"Ah?"
"Sniff-sniff. Dr. Frankenstein… is in my house…" Izaya's voice sounded dry and he looked pale.
So he was still sick.
"I really don't get what you're saying." Shizuo scanned his face: red (more), puffy eyes and a runny nose.
"…A doc is… in my house… He's crazy… I'll… probably die… if I stay… there…" His breathing was heavy too.
"And you think that it's better to be outside in the cold…?"
"I don't want… to drink weird… stuffs… dead fish eyes… ugh." Izaya visibly shuddered and sneezed again.
'Weird stuffs? Medicine… maybe?' Shizuo thought.
A ring sounded and Izaya answered his cell phone.
"…Drop… dead…" Izaya said, after sniffing.
Shizuo raised an eyebrow.
"Don't care…"
Shizuo watched as Izaya tried to insult the person on the other line.
"Thanks…but no thanks…" Izaya ended the call, dropping his head against the wall behind him.
"Is it that friend of yours? That arrogant bastard from yesterday?" Shizuo asked. It was a gut feeling; that's why he asked.
"You… sniff… misunderstood… He and I aren't… friends… sniff… and yeah… he is an arrogant… bastard…"
Shizuo's inner-self grinned in victory and said "Aha!". However, his normal frown was in place.
"So… what are you two, then?" Ahem, it was just curiosity.
"Sniff… dunno…" Izaya blew his nose with Tsugaru's handkerchief.
"…"
"Sniff."
"…What are you doing here, again?"
"Going to Shinra's," Izaya said simply.
'Yeah, you are going there by sitting, right?' Shizuo thought, and said, "Two blocks from here."
"Yup."
"What are you doing sitting there, then?"
"Recharging…A-Achoo!"Izaya sneezed, cursing his allergies.
Shizuo growled lowly and turned around, receding to Izaya's position. He put his arms behind him, finding Izaya's torso in the process. Shizuo pulled Izaya by his clothes, gripping them.
"Wha-choo! Sniff… What're you doing?" Izaya said, when his body was yanked forward. His forearms were resting on Shizuo's back.
"I'm not low enough, like you, to leave a person here to die," Shizuo answered, ushering the smaller to climb onto his back.
Izaya moved lightly. "I thought… sniff… that you wanted me… dead."
-That's right.
"Yeah, but I want to kill you myself. A cold can't win."
-That's right.
"…Sniff… whatever. I… accept the offer…."
Shizuo was standing and Izaya's tights were on his hands.
Literally.
The ride-erm, the walk was quiet until a question popped up.
"How much do you weigh?" Shizuo asked, lightly tilting his head towards Izaya to hear.
"That's none… of your concern…" Izaya mumbled, he was tired.
"Oh?" Shizuo grinned. "Are you a girl or what?"
'I knew this wasn't going to be free…' Izaya thought and sighed. He didn't want to deal with this right now. "Fine… 58 kg…"
Shizuo frowned; he was expecting a bit more of fighting.
"I never thought you'd say yes so quickly," Shizuo said as he adjusted Izaya on his back.
"...That-," Izaya sighed, nuzzling lightly against Shizuo. "would've been… the same if… I refused… in a way or another… I'd be dying…"
'At least I'm comfortable like this…'
"Hey, it's just a cold," Shizuo said, frowning.
'You are contradicting what you said before,' Izaya thought, but said instead "…Yeah…"
Shizuo felt little by little as the weight on his back lessened, as Izaya fell asleep.
It was weird.
Right now…
The silence was disappointing.
•••••
"I never thought that this day would actually come. Celty, honey! Please call the funeral home!" Shinra yelled to his love, and Celty rushed to the front door.
[Huh? What happened?] She typed.
"Idiot, he's not dead, he's just asleep," Shizuo said through clenched teeth. Argh, if only his hands were free, he would do something very bad!
[Shizuo…Is that Izaya?] In a piggyback?
"Yeah, I found him and he's sick. I think he was hallucinating."
"Oh."
[Oh.]
"Okay, let me make a quick check."
Shinra checked Izaya's temperature, who frowned, turning away from the intruder's touch. He was okay with just Shizuo's warmth. Izaya nuzzled him a bit.
"Oi, wouldn't it be better if you checked him over there?" Shizuo gestured to the couch.
"It isn't necessary. Answer me, does he have a throaty voice?"
"Yeah."
"Puffy eyes?"
"Yeah."
"Runny nose?"
"Yeah."
"Allergies?"
"Yeah."
"Tiredness?"
"Yeah, could you cut it out already?" Shizuo said when he decided that it was stupid to be holding Izaya in the corridor and entered the apartment.
While Shizuo walked over to the living room, Celty typed on her PDA. [I have a job to do. Will you be alright?]
"Yes, don't worry, my love~ Okay, give me a goodbye kiss!" Shinra sang.
Celty smacked the front of her helmet on Shinra's face.
When Shinra entered the living room, he saw how Izaya was sleeping on his couch and how Shizuo was sitting next to him, watching TV.
'Hmmm, am I in another dimension…? ...Um... Nah, it can't be,' Shinra thought as he walked in front of Shizuo.
"Don't worry, it's just a normal cold. And it seems that he took something before, that's why he doesn't look so bad. Though, I'm guessing that he was a lot worse in the morning," Shinra pondered.
"First, I'm not worried about him. Second, when he gets better, I'm going to kill him, and third, step aside. Your flesh isn't transparent." Shizuo gestured at Shinra to move out of the way of the TV.
"Yes, yes," Shinra said as he stepped aside. A moment later, his cell phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Shiki. Oh, I see, I see. Well, I'll be there in a minute." Shinra hung up. "My duty is calling me. I'll be back shortly… Mm, you can stay if you want, but just don't make a war in here, okay?"
Shizuo spoke without tearing his eyes from the screen, "I'm not promising anything."
Shinra sighed, taking hold of a bag. "I mean it, Shizuo. Well, see you later."
The room suddenly felt odd.
Shizuo glanced at his side, where Izaya was sleeping. It would be so easy to break his neck in two. Ahh, the temptation... Izaya was fast asleep, quiet, calm… kind of adorable. Not that Shizuo would ever admit it. He turned the TV off.
Shizuo looked up to the ceiling, stretching a little. 'When the flea gets better, I'm going to kill him... Yeah…'
Something soft grazed Shizuo's hand. He looked down and saw Izaya's hair, strands of shiny black hair on the back of his hand. Shizuo moved his hand, fingers touching the light hair. Silky. Shizuo yawned, laying back further into the couch.
Soft breathing was the only sound in the quiet room.
Shizuo didn't mean to fall asleep. But he felt some sort of peace.
Also, he didn't mean to comfort Izaya by allowing him to rest against him, nor did he know that he would find comfort holding him.
It happened because…
…it felt good.
•••••
Love is often gentle, desire always a rage. -Mignon McLaughlin
•To Be Continued•