Ok I am sorry about the delayed release. I suffered a little writers block... Not sure if you can call it that though. I mean, I knew what I wanted to write, I just couldn't write it. :P

Disclaimer; "I NaturesShadows do not own Durarara. If I did, Izaya would suffer some more, and he would be cuter, and he would get sick... And much, much more would happen. XD"

Anyway without further ado onto the next chapter.

Shizuo was surprised to say the least. His flea passing out, his reactions to such a socking situation, the way his pale informant laid upon a bed tossing and turning as Shinra tried to calm the storm. Izaya was having nightmares, nightmares so bad reality seemed to be slipping through his fingers…

'Has Izaya always been this human, this vulnerable.' The debt collector didn't know how to preserve this truth, the fact of his flea being unconscious for days stuck him as odd, terrifyingly so.

He claimed to have stayed to assist Celty and Shinra; he knew they were both concerned for the flea, he wanted to provide them some comfort (mostly for the Dullahan), but there was another part of him that stayed for the sake of Izaya.

It was strange to see him thrashing around on the pale sheets of the guest bed in Shinra's house, it was even stranger to witness Izaya's tears, but the thing that hurt the most was when it got to the point of Izaya injuring himself in his sleep. When Shinra and Celty worked together in subduing the crumpled form, all he could do was stand in horror, bystander to something he never wanted to see again. It was because of those reasons that Shizuo Heiwajima was happy (ecstatic even) to hear from Shinra's lips, "Izaya is awake, and seems to be alright, a bit shaken, but alright."

Really he had never been so relieved in his life. 'Stupid Izaya playing with his feelings again.'

Later that day with some encouragement from both Shinra and Celty, Shizuo was standing outside of the guest bedroom, trying to work up the courage to enter and talk (like a civilized person) with his enemy. He knocked twice and waited until he heard a quiet, "Come in."

He stepped past the entry way, as Izaya looked up at him, at first his expression was surprise, but it quickly morphed into amusement. So quickly Shizuo wasn't sure if he was seeing things. He nodded his head towards the flea, then pulled over a chair so that he could sit beside the bed. Then in a calm and reasonably hushed tone he asked "So how are you feeling flea?"

Izaya was stunned. What was Shizuo going on about? Why was the Protozoan still here? Why did Shizu-chan seem so… So concerned. Or maybe he was reading that flicker of light in Shizuo's eyes wrong… Maybe it wasn't worry. Well whatever it was, he asked a question, Shizu-chan wanted information; information only he could provide.

Izaya couldn't help the small smile spreading over his lips. "What's wrong Shizu-chan? Are you worried about me?"

Shizuo frowned. He could tell that Izaya's teasing lacked him normal lustre, but they still pissed him off.

Izaya began giggling, which made Shizuo's frown turn to surprise, his eyebrows raising on his forehead.

He sighed. "Yeah. So what if I am? You're acting weird… Weirder than normal. You collapsed Izaya! You were unconscious for days. We all saw it… We all saw you like that."

Shizuo's voice had started off guarded, strong… Then it faded to a softer more shaky tone. The sound both surprised and shocked Izaya. He had never heard the beast sounding so vulnerable, and his weakness was none other than Izaya himself.

'Shizu-chan...' Izaya's mind was playing with him.

He felt strange. Tipping his head down, Izaya began whispering words, communicating thoughts he never expected to speak. He told Shizuo about the strange mirror, the weird nausea, the peculiar poem written on the back of the glass shards, told him about the strange sounds he had heard in his apartment, how he felt frightened, he told him about the nightmares, then he told Shizuo about his reflection in the mirror and how it had broken him in ways he never thought possible. Throughout informing Shizuo about all these events, Izaya had kept his head down; as though serenading himself to his vulnerability. By the end of it, small drops were landing 'plop' onto the white bed sheets. His face was flushed, in both humiliation and hope as the tears flowed.

Shizuo took everything in stride. He didn't question why Izaya had opened up to him. He didn't question whether Izaya was lying or not; he knew he wasn't, he had become quite good at reading Izaya's truths and lies. Shizuo did however, reach over to Izaya and pull him into a hug. Shizuo knew Izaya needed the comfort… And he was willing to give it to the flea if it would help him calm down, if it would assist in dulling the fear, if it would stop those tears.

For some reason it hurt to see the informant so broken. Then he took it one step further, he gently put his hand in Izaya's sleek raven hair and began running his fingers through it in a relaxing motion. Shizuo began whispering words into Izaya's ears. "It's okay… Let it out. You're alright. Everything will be fine now. It's okay… It's okay."

"Open your eyes,

You are not who you think you are.

There is someone else within you,

Causing torment, he loves your suffering.

He is me. But I am you.

A memory of the times you've forgotten.

Now that you are breaking have you become aware?

Of the beating heart within you.

Of those who seem to care.

I have lost. Lost everything, even my life.

But you remain, so I am not dead yet.

I need you…

I need you to wake up…

Wake up Izaya."

Izaya's eyes began to droop, the emotion stress and exhaustion finally getting to the fragile body of his flea. Shizuo just sat there, hugging him, trying to provide him comfort, and warmth. Then when he felt Izaya's form slump against his own. Gently pushed him back onto the bed and tucked him back under the sheet. He stood from his seat, walked to the door, glanced back at the peaceful figure laying on the bed, then he smiled and exited the room.

'Thank you… Thank you Shizuo. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Thank you.'

Please leave a review, your comment speed up my inspiration and create wonderful opportunities to finish this story. Without them I die. :'( You don't want me to die do you?