Two chapters in a day, damn I'm spoiling you guys XD (In all honesty I just made chapter 6 too long so now it's two chapters) But THIS is now the last chapter before the reunion, so I hope you all enjoy it! Now I can finally post that new story and write
Once again, thank you GateBreaker and Alex for helping me write this story!
Enjoy!
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Three Weeks Later
Work started back up again, and Izaya somehow managed to convince the children to stay. He didn't know where they were from still, when he offered to take them home or to the hospital to check on their wounds the older and younger quickly refused. Obviously it was a touchy subject, though he wanted to broach it at some point.. Especially if it meant helping them.
Parking his motorcycle outside, he huffed calmly, going into the building and to the locker areas. He stashed his helmet inside, and turned to leave when he came face to face with Dazai, who was walking down the hall. The second their eyes met, they both blushed brightly, and quickly passed each other. Izaya hadn't been able to find the courage to talk to Kanade or Dazai as of late, after he started thinking about some of their behavior around him and towards each other-
"There you are!" Shouyou said excitedly, running out of the offices. "Izzy-senpai! The boss said he needs you in his office, right away, you're getting an assignment!"
Izaya smiled. "Oh, thank you Shouyou," He told the younger man, looking the teen up and down. "And good luck on your first assignment, I know you'll pass"
The raven walked to his boss' office, finding him not alone. There was a couple in the chairs in front of his desk. Their boss, Yukichi Fukuzawa, looked relieved to see him. "This will be the agent assigned to your case," He said, motioning Izaya over.
Izaya smiled kindly towards the couple, bowing forward. "First class investigator, Orihara Izaya, at your service ma'am," He said professionally.
The woman, a younger, large lady with light brown hair and a small pair of glasses. She seemed to be trying to fit in a dress three sizes too small for her body. She sneered at Izaya, turning back to Yukichi. "Isn't there a more.. Qualified officer we can talk to?" She whined.
Izaya stood straight, keeping his face neutral, while his boss moved to his side. "Ma'am, I'll have you know that Orihara-san will be promoted to Associate Special Class Investigator sooner than later with his intelligence and pace, he's more than qualified. All our other investigators already have assignments, it's either Izaya or you go find another company to help you," Yukichi countered.
Both her and the lanky, scrawny older man next to her looked annoyed, before sighing. "Fine," The woman grumbled, sitting back in the chair. Izaya moved next to the desk, and calmly asked,"What can I do for you today?"
The woman then pouted her lip out, sniffling like she was going to cry. "Oh," She stuttered,"Our foster children, they ran away on December 15th and we haven't been able to find them, we're simply worried sick!"
Izaya frowned, narrowing his eyes. She did not seem worried, she seemed angry. The lanky man next to her wasn't showing any emotion at all. He found himself growing suspicious. "They went missing a month ago and you're just now asking for assistance in locating them?" He asked.
"Well, the agency was closed then-" The lanky man began, trying to save himself. But Izaya shook his head. "Our agency didn't close for winter until December 20th, and even then you could have gone to the police," He chastised.
The two spluttered for a moment, before the woman snapped,"Alright! We get it! Are you going to help us or not?!"
Izaya felt a strange new emotion in his body, the emotion that told him to push these poor excuses for parents out of the open window nearby. "Of course I am, that's why I'm in front of you right now, attempting to give you advice on how to be less of an idiot doesn't mean I refused now, does it?" He snarked, quickly continuing,"Do you have any photos of the missing children?"
"Not missing, runaways," The woman hissed, digging through her handbag and pulling out a file. "This is their file when they were put in our care," She said.
Izaya pulled the file closer, flipping it open, and his eye widened, heart skipping a beat. It was Naoya and Shuuya, though in these photos they looked much healthier. Something was wrong.. These papers said that they were put into their care in October. These pictures were recent, if they truly only ran away on the 15th.. They couldn't have thinned out that quickly.. So then-
The woman cleared her throat, causing Izaya to jerk up. "Well?" She demanded,"Can you find them?" Izaya wanted to shake his head, turn and tell his boss something was wrong, but he merely smiled. "Of course, I'll keep you up to date on information I find, thank you for your time," He said emotionlessly.
The couple left, grumbling all the way. Izaya waited until the door closed, turning to face his boss. Yukichi stared at him intently, waiting for a few moments before he closed his eyes and nodded. "I looked at the files, I know what you're going to say," He confirmed.
Izaya nodded the slightest bit, and Yukichi calmly declared,"That's why I gave you this case, I knew you would catch it. Search, find something. I know they're hiding something from us, do what you have to do"
"Yes sir," Izaya replied thankfully, leaving the room with a quick bow. He pulled open the file again, seeing the frowns on the children's faces, how little information there was on the children. Not even background information. The foster parents' names were in there, but he didn't know whether to believe them or not. Aiko and Sanae.. He knew something was wrong with this whole picture, but what?
Walking past the bathroom, he saw the lanky man. Sanae. He closed the file, trying to walk by quickly. "You know, I'm not really into men, but I wouldn't mind you," Sanae said, causing Izaya to freeze in surprise.
"E-excuse me...?" He asked, turning to face the lanky man, red eye wide.
"Your hair, and your body, all very feminine. You're sexy, I wouldn't mind fucking you all day and night in a nice hotel," He flirted, moving closer.
"Y-you're married!" Izaya cried out.
"So, you honestly think she's anything I want?" He sneered,"You're more attractive than lots of bitches around here" His hand went to Izaya's cheek, which the raven promptly pushed away.
"Stop that, you're disgusting!" Izaya snapped, turning and quickly going down the hall. Dear god, was that what some poor women went through daily? What was this man's problem?! He was married, to a woman no less! And to flirt with the detective in charge of locating his children, in a public work place?! Ugh, he needed to wash his brain with soap.
He got to his desk, running a hand through his hair before pulling the file forward. He pulled up a database, typing in their full names. Of course, nothing came up. He was right, those names were fake. Even if they'd never committed any crimes (which he seriously doubted) then their names would still be in here with a clean slate. There was nothing.
Now he already had them down for one crime, fraud. But, Izaya needed more information before he really went after them. Sure, it could be just a case of fraud. But he doubted it. If this truly was just a worried couple looking for their foster children, why were they putting fake names on their documents?
No, there was something more sinister going on here. He was going to get to the bottom of it, he was going to keep Naoya and Shuuya safe, no matter what it took. But to do that, he needed more information.
The first place he went was the Child Welfare Agency nearby, where he got in touch with some social workers. Under the rouse of looking for the kids, he asked if he could look at their past files.
"Of course sir, come back with us, we'll get started right away," The gray haired one named Koushi told him.
He went to the back, looking at the computer with the man. He typed in the information and Izaya looked at the papers printing, pulling them in front of him.
First he read Shuuyas. He was put into the system at 2, and the kid was 4 now. Apparently his mother died in childbirth and his father didn't want to keep him for long. Poor kid..
Naoya seemed to have an even worse past. His parents died in a car crash when he was 4, and then his relatives passed him along until all his inheritance was in their hands before dumping him into the system. He was passed from home to home up until 12, when he ran away from an abusive home only to be placed into Aiko and Sanae's home. Poor kid.. No wonder he had trust issues.
"Do you have information on Aiko and Sanae?" He asked hopefully. The man's face changed, the kindness it once had was suddenly darkened.
He nodded, turning back to the computer and typing in some letters. "Yes.. They've been.. Fostering children for eight years," He said with a false calmness in his tone.
"You don't seem to agree with your own words," Izaya observed calmly. The man sighed sadly, resting his cheek in his hand.
He shook his head. "I don't. I don't trust them at all" He frowned, looking left and right before motioning Izaya closer.
"They've fostered 20 children, but they've all run away. Everyone else seems to believe them.. I do not. Something's wrong. It's one thing to have a few children run away, but all of them? And now the two children they took in recently are gone? Something isn't right," He worriedly said, chocolate eyes staring at Izaya sadly.
Taking Izaya's hand in his own he shakily asked,"You know something is wrong too, don't you? Please, stop them. Figure out what's wrong"
Izaya nodded gently, and said,"I promise" He looked back at the computer, and then asked,"Do you know where I could learn more about Aiko and Sanae"
The man looked thoughtful for a moment before he nodded, opening his mouth to speak.
Izaya stared at the building in front of his suspiciously. It was large, a club of some kind. He saw the guard at the front, it was one of those clubs you needed permission to enter. It seemed that this case was getting more and more difficult. The one strand of yarn that represented the case had frayed at the ends and then continued rolling, there were more things he had to find. This wasn't just an abuse case anymore.
He watched from his motorcycle, eating his rice ball and sitting calmly. People showed a card before getting in. There was membership, which meant there was no way in hell he was getting in, there was no way he could get membership either. If this place was the cesspool of criminals that Koushi informed him it might be, they weren't going to let a detective in. He needed a strategy.
Looking closer, he noticed that all these men seemed to have some type of woman clinging to their arm. These women more often than not extremely dressed up, and some didn't show a pass. Suddenly, an idea passed through Izaya's mind.
Stuffing the rest of the rice ball in his mouth, he put his helmet back on, speeding to his old apartment complex as fast as he could. He had a very good idea, but if he was going to do it, he would need some help.
To say Manami was confused would be an understatement, when nearing ten o' clock at night there was a frantic knock on their door. Opening it, it revealed Izaya in his black biker suit, hair a mess, as he exclaimed,"Manami-chan! Do you have a dress that would fit me?"
"What thefuck?!" Manami spluttered, going to slam the door shut, but Izaya stuck his foot in the doorway.
"Wait wait let me explain!-" Izaya tried to talk, only to push his way in as Manami ran from the door.
"The first thing you do when you come back from winter break is ask if I look like a monk; and now you're asking for a dress?!" She demanded,"Did you take something over the break!?"
"Manami wait! Please let me explain!" He repeated loudly, trying to stop the blush of embarrassment that was climbing onto his cheeks. "It's for a case!"
"What goddamn case causes you to need a dress you can fit into!?" She demanded,"What the absolute fuck!?"
Izaya grabbed her hands. "Listen. I need to get into a club in the city, it's for my investigation. But it's a membership. But some men can get some women in with them without having membership. It's important I get in, if that means I have to pretend to be a girl then so be it," He said calmly.
Manami saw the determination in his eyes, and sighed. "Fine," She said, before grabbing his shirt. "But we're doing this together. It'll be safe than going in alone, got it, partner?"
Izaya blinked in surprise for a moment, before smiling and nodding. "You got it," He said happily.
Now, they were getting somewhere.
It was two days later they put their plan into action. Izaya had gone home to check on Naoya and Shuuya both nights, they still stayed. Naoya didn't talk to him much, but Shuuya was curious, wanting to know where Izaya was going all day.
"I'm catching the bad guys," Izaya had explained,"Making sure that they can't hurt anyone ever again"
Shuuya was in awe at his words, and then excited. Izaya felt that feeling again, it told him to protect these two forever, even if that meant they stayed here forever.
After those two days, Izaya and Manami found the most reasonable time to go, and got dressed up.
Manami was wearing makeup, and had switched out her glasses for contacts. Her hair was down for once and curled slightly. Her dress was a ocean blue, as well as her gloves that went to her elbows. Around her neck was a feather boa, a white color.
She helped Izaya dress himself, and he found himself not very embarrassed about it at all. He was wearing a fancy red gloves and a red dress which was open on the sides, revealing his feminine legs. She put lipstick on his lips, gave him a nice eyepatch instead of his usual medical one, and fixed his hair to look curly, with a red headband with a bow in his hair. He had a black feather boa, and honestly he looked like a woman, if you didn't know any better you would have fallen for it.
They then went back to the club early, trying to quench the nervousness in their hearts. They had to be very careful, any mistake could lead to their deaths. Their only allies in this club, if they managed to get in, would be each other. They couldn't let their cover be blown.
Some of the men arrived with woman, who sneered at the two of them. But other men ogled at them, not all of them. Manami moved forward first, flirtatiously leaning against one man. "Hello there~," She purred in a flirtatious voice, trailing her finger up and down the man's suit. "What's a big handsome man like you doing all alone?"
"Waiting for a sexy girl like you," He flirted back, wrapping his arm around Manami, who giggled in response and hugged his arm, following him to the front door.
Izaya nervously shuffled in his heels, looking around. He wasn't sure what to do, he was worried he wouldn't be able to flirt without messing it up completely. He needed to do this, but how could he?
"You're awfully nervous," A voice said, and he turned to look quickly. Shyly, in a higher voice than normal, he replied,"W-well, I um.. I've never done something like this before, i-it was her idea and.."
The man in front of him was tall, with choppy black hair to his chin with side bangs that turned white at the end. He wore a long black coat reaching to his knees, black fitting pants, and black dress shoes, with a white dress shirt that had ruffled, layered fabric, and a white cravat. He had a slim build and was very pale, with amethyst eyes that stared into Izaya's soul.
"I see.." He replied emotionlessly to Izaya, tilting his head,"You seem.. Different than the other women who come through here.. You seem weaker, act weaker, but I feel like that is not the case"
He held out one hand, taking Izaya's in his own. "Come with me, I'm safer than most the men here, I have no will to use you," He said in a voice that reminded Izaya of himself when he first woke up from his coma.
They walked into the line, getting closer quickly. "What is your name?" Izaya asked softly, unable to help himself.
"Akutagawa Ryūnosuke," The man replied. Izaya tilted his head confusedly, wasn't that the name of Dazai's cat? Akutagawa looked at him, waiting for a response.
Izaya blushed at the gaze, and said,"I'm.. I'm Ogiwara Izzy, but please just call me Izzy"
They had reached the front, it seemed that the second the guard saw Akutagawa he simply let them in. Inside of the place, it was much bigger than it looked, and seemed more like an elegant ballroom than a club.
He looked around, seeing Manami nearby. She seemed to be gaining a nice audience, they all seemed slightly tipsy. She gave him a look, she had it under control. Akutagawa led him to a fancy area, where they took a seat.
Izaya didn't know what to say at first, staring at the wine glass that was placed in front of him. Akutagawa motioned to the glass, waiting for him to drink. He picked it up, too suspicious to really drink it, so he placed it against his lips, faking. The raven across from Izaya continued to stare at him, his hand over his mouth.
"You are different than the other women here," Akutagawa said again,"You are not trying to take money, you are not trying to gain a reputation. You seem much more intelligent, Izzy. What is your occupation?"
Izaya idly wondered how this man seemed to turn a talk in a club into what felt like a job interview. "I'm a social worker," He lied,"My friend I came with.. She says I've been working too hard and I need to go out for the night with her"
Akutagawa seemed to buy his lie, and nodded calmly. "Working hard? Is your current job difficult?" He asked. Izaya noticed that he hadn't given his own occupation.
"Yes, two children ran away, I was supposed to help find them. But then I checked the parent's records, they've had twenty children who all ran away. Doesn't that seem suspicious? So I've been trying to rescue the kids and get the parents license removed so they can't take in any more children," He said, trying to keep his voice from rising as he felt anger about the subject.
Deciding to test the man in front of him, he firmly said,"They even used fake names too, Aiko and Sanae, what kind of fools do that?"
Akutagawa's finger stopped swirling the wine for a second, but it was enough. He knew something. "Yes.. How tragic," He said, without any emotion in his voice.
His amethyst eyes met Izaya's one red one, and they kept contact for several seconds. Then, Akutagawa hunched forward, coughing violently into his hand. Izaya jumped at the sudden sound, before the man sat back up, breathing hard.
His eyes went back on Izaya, as he kept his hand over his mouth. "Come with me," He suddenly said, and took Izaya's hand. They walked away, and down a hall. Izaya suddenly felt nervous, it was as if those names had sparked something in the man.
They went into a room nearby, which was just as elegant, but something felt wrong. Akutagawa shut the door and then pushed Izaya back, pulling a knife out of his sleeve and placing it against Izaya's chest, and glaring at him.
"You cannot fool me," He replied firmly,"What is your true motive on asking about those two?"
Izaya stared back at him, letting his voice come back to it's normal pitch as he spoke,"So you do know them? That makes this easier then"
Akutagawa's eye twitched, anger breaking through the facade as he realized how much he had been tricked. "You will not live to tell this story, I will remove the threat you pose to me," He said calmly.
He moved forward, as if to slash at Izaya's throat. But the raven was ready. Pulling his boa off quickly, throwing it at Akutagawa. The man dodged, but Izaya stumbled away, reaching into his dress and pulling out his own knife, glad he thought ahead. Akutagawa glared, attempting to slash at Izaya, who caught it with his own knife.
"You are no social worker I've seen," The pale man snarled, slashing at Izaya again who backed away quickly, but did not watch where he was going. He cried out as the back of his knees hit the coffee table, making him fall over and hit his head against the wooden couch.
Akutagawa moved to stab him, but Izaya pushed his feet to the end of the table, pushing it forward to that it hit his knees, knocking the man backwards. Izaya stumbled up, trying to stop the spinning in his head. Akutagawa sat up, tossing his weapon quickly, which embedded itself into Izaya's shoulder. He grunted, but was unaffected other than that.
Akutagawa looked shocked for a moment, but couldn't react in time as Izaya jumped on top of him, panting as he sat on Akutagawa's legs and held his arms down. They stared at each other for a moment, Akutagawa not saying anything.
Not that he could, he found himself too shocked to. Akutagawa was someone who believed wholly in Social Darwinism, he respected strength. He had foolishly thought that this wom- man's plan was one only weaklings tried to pull off. But he fought back, he didn't even flinch with the knife. Akutagawa suddenly felt a newfound respect for this man.
"Aiko and Sanae," Akutagawa explained calmly,"They are in charge of a division of the Yakuza that buys and sells people on the black market. Mostly children. Their real names are Yuno Gasai and Yuno Ryu"
"Why are you telling me this?" Izaya demanded. While he was happy for the information he was wanting to know why this man was so open with this when he was trying to kill him a moment ago.
Akutagawa coughed loudly for a few moments, unable to cover his mouth. "They are more trouble than they are worth, I'm afraid. Too many close calls, including this one. I think you'll find that they aren't very careful. Easy to take down," He continued,"I have a file on them"
"Where?" Izaya demanded, staring at the man with suspicion.
The black haired male beneath him stared still, before he finally said,"I have them on my computer, release me and they'll be sent to you within the end of this night"
"What do you want in return?" Izaya demanded calmly, not about to let himself be tricked. Akutagawa stared for a moment more, they seemed to be doing a lot of that.
Finally, he said,"For you to not come back after you've taken them down. This is the one time I will let you go. And, your real name"
Izaya did not say anything, he just nodded. Getting off the man, he stumbled back and grabbed his boa. He pulled it over the knife wound, hiding it the best he could. He watched Akutagawa carefully as he went towards the door. "Izaya," He calmly said,"That's my first name"
"You know," Akutagawa began,"You would make a good addition to the Yakuza, Izaya-San"
Izaya almost instantly smiled in a sad way. "Sorry," He said simply,"But I'm never going back to a life like that, not after I got shot in the head the first time"
The door was shut, and Akutagawa watched it idly. He felt respect, but something else. He wasn't good with emotions.. But after all this he felt like he was.. Attracted to Izaya. He didn't know, how could he when he'd never felt anything like this before?
The only thing he knew for certain was that, if he was going to understand these feelings, he needed to see Izaya again. He wanted to see Izaya again. No matter what.
True to Akugawa's words, by the end of the night the papers found his way to him, passed to him from some person after he and Manami left. Izaya was thankful that his plan worked, even if it wasn't the way that he expected it to get into his hands.
He went home next morning, changing into only some pants, the white bandages over his wound easy to see. He looked over the files calmly. Yes, this was perfect. It was enough information to get these kids away from them and put these people away for a long time.
As he was gathering the files into one folder, his phone rang. Pulling it to his ear, he answered,"Orihara Izaya speaking"
"We haven't heard anything from you in four days, investigator! Are you looking for the kids or not!?" Aiko- no, Gasai's annoying voice snarled through the speaker.
Izaya sighed angrily; trying desperately to keep his cool. "Madam, you must understand that these children could have gone anywhere. You have me only faces to look for an no indication on where they could and could not be-"
"Excuse me, Orihara-San? Can I ask something?" The tiny voice of Shuuya rang out as he walked in the room, Bread being carried in his arms. Izaya felt his heart seize, why did he have to come in right now?!
"What is that noise? Is that a child, why do you have a child where you are?" The nosy woman questioned.
Izaya held up a finger to tell Shuuya to be quiet, worried that Gasai would be able to figure out who it was. "That's my son," Izaya said simply, hoping she fell for it.
"Son? Aren't you a little young to have children?" She snarled in an annoyed tone. Izaya frowned.
"My personal life is my business, and I am working on your case already. I'm afraid you pestering me is not going to make me find them any faster. So please, let me work, I'll call when I find something," He firmly declared, turning off the phone quickly.
Shuuya looked like he was about to cry when Izaya turned around. "I-I'm sorry.. I didn't mean to- to.. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be bad!" He stuttered out, tears coming down his cheeks.
"Shuuya," Izaya whispered gently, moving over and hugging the child. "It's okay, I just want to keep you safe, okay? Don't be upset, you're an amazing kid. But I need you to remember to knock before coming into a room, okay?"
Shuuya sniffed and nodded, burying his face into Izaya's chest and nodding. Bread whimpered at the scene, lying her head on Shuuya's knee in a form of comfort.
After a few moments, Shuuya looked up at Izaya again. "Y-you're not mad?" He shyly asked. Izaya smiled in return. "Of course not, Shuuya-Kun," He gently replied, his voice soothing.
"And you're not going to hit me?" Shuuya asked worriedly, his eyes red rimmed and puffy. Izaya quelled the anger that threatened to surface towards Gasai and Ryu, and ruffled the boys hair. Izaya shook his head, and then firmly declared,"I would never hit you, Shuuya"
Shuuya looked very relieved, relaxing immensely. Then, a playful smirk came across Izaya's face as he exclaimed,"But I can do this!"
He jumped forward, beginning to tickle the child. Shuuya squealed loudly before he began to giggle, falling over. "N-n-no!" He panted through his laughing. "Bread! S-s-save me!"
The corgi puppy threw herself up, barking loudly as she charged into Izaya's side. Izaya released a fake cry of pain. "Ah! I've been defeated!" He cried. The Raven flopped onto his side, and began to laugh, Shuuya joined in, giggling happily as he reveled in feeling like a child, something he hadn't been able to do yet.
Naoya watched the scene from the doorway, his mismatched eyes filled with an unreadable emotion. He couldn't hate Izaya, not when he was making Shuuya so happy. He saved them from the streets, protected them.
Naoya felt a warm emotion in his chest, like the one he felt back when he had a.. A family. He felt hope, could they possibly.. Would Izaya want to be their family?
He felt that warmth swelling in his chest even more, as a soft smile crawled up his face. Maybe, just maybe he would. Naoya didn't know how to ask, so he could only hope.
Izaya delivered the information to his boss the next day, taking him the copy of the files he made while the originals were at his house. It was all enough to get them behind bars for a long time.
"So are we going to send someone to arrest them?" Izaya asked hopefully. Yukichi nodded, a smile of pride on his face.
He declared,"Yes, and now we can finally destroy one of the most horrible branches of the Yakuza, all thanks to this. Go home and relax that shoulder, you've earned it"
Izaya nodded, bowing politely. He left afterwards, but he felt suspicion crawling up his chest. Not at his boss, but at everything else. It seemed too easy.
He walked outside to his motorcycle, when he got the feeling of being watched. He looked around, pretending to be looking for an item on the ground. Nearby, he saw a white van just creeping around the corner of the building.
Izaya frowned, climbing onto his bike and driving down the street. He drove in circles and a random pattern for a while, hoping to lose his followers. Nothing seemed to be working.
With an angry group, he sped and joined the traffic, heading home as fast as he could. He could only guess who would be following him and why, but he had a sneaking suspicion.
Driving into his house, he leapt off his bike while grabbing the key. He pulled off his helmet and dashed up the stairs, sliding his door open. "Naoya! Shuuya! We have to leave now!" He exclaimed, but there was no response.
Mimi suddenly galloped in the room, whimpering loudly, looking at him, and then running back into the hallway. Izaya followed after her, running into his office.
On the floor was the other copy of the papers, the ones he had left on his desk this morning. They were thrown around the room, but he saw which papers were in the middle of it all. The papers about Naoya and Shuuya. He fell to his knees and picked them up.
They thought he was going to take back..
Izaya felt panic, he threw the papers in rage and then got back up, running out to the front door. Mimi barked loudly, following after him as fast as she could. The car was gone, he could only assume the worst, he had to find them, he had to protect them!
Naoya was running, as fast as he could. But he had Shuuya with him, who was panting weakly as he tried to keep up. "Nao-nii! Please! Why are we leaving!?" He cried out, his little limbs having a hard time with the sudden exercise.
"We have to leave, Shuu!" Naoya said. Shuuya would not just take that for an answer, as he angrily wrenched his hand away.
Naoya turned to face him, rage swelling at his brother's defiance. "But why!?" Shuuya yelled, stomping his foot. "There's no reason!"
"We just have to-" Naoya tried, but Shuuya grabbed at his messy locks, yelling,"NO! Izaya was nice to us! He saved us! He got me medicine, he got us clothes! We could have stayed forever-"
"HE WAS GOING TO GIVE US BACK!" Naoya yelled, ignoring the crack his brother cringed at the loud noise.
Tears began to fall down Shuuya's cheeks as he yelled back,"THAT'S NOT TRUE! Izaya would never do that! He's nice! He saved us!"
"I saw the papers, Shuuya!" Naoya yelled back,"He was going to give us back! Nobody in this world wants to help you, nobody cares! GROW UP!"
Shuuya released another choked sob, before turning and running back the way they came. Naoya suddenly realized what he said, as he yelled,"No! Shuuya! I'm sorry!" He chased after his brother in a panic
He caught up fast, but as both of them reached the corner, a van screeched in front of them and sending dirt into the air. Naoya screamed in terror, recognizing them right away. The faces in the front, Gasai and Ryu. The side opened and two more athletic looking people jumped out.
The two children turned, trying to run, but were grabbed instantly by the men. Shuuya screamed and flailed for help, while Naoya struggled even more violently and bit into the man's arm. "Fucking brat!" The man yelled, throwing Naoya into the back of the truck with rage.
"HELP!" Shuuya screamed loudly,"HELP US IZAYA! HELP US PLEASE!" His cries were cut off was the door was shut, and he was thrown onto the hard metal floor of the van.
"That fucking Detective won't help you anymore," Gasai snarled,"I should have known he was lying, hiding you all along! You thought he'd keep you safe forever, but we caught onto him"
Somewhere in his pain addled mind, Naoya registered the fact that Izaya really hadn't been planning to take them back at all.
"Home?" Ryu asked. But Gasai smacked the back of his head. "No, you idiot! And give that Izaya a chance to find us!? We're going right to the warehouse"
Naoya and Shuuya began to sob, about to accept their fate, when the car suddenly screeched. Lurching them forward. The two children looked up with a gasp, and saw a very familiar motorcycle in front of the van. "Izaya!" Naoya and Shuuya yelled in happiness.
"Shit!" Ryu yelled,"What do we do!?" Gasai went to grab the wheel. "Run him over!" She screeched.
Ryu seemed to freeze up, but then the car lurched again, driving as fast as it could. Izaya sped out of the way, pulling out two switch blades and throwing them into the tires as he passed. They hissed loudly as the air escaped, the car now leaning to one side.
"You bastard!" Ryu yelled, slamming open his door and getting out.
Izaya didn't respond, and it seemed to make the man angrier. "Say something before I beat the fuck out of you!"
"Big talk coming from a man who can only kidnap kids," Izaya snarled back, seeming to only make the man angrier.
"Damn you!" He yelled, running forward. But with his skinny and gangly body, he could only do so much. He threw a punch, Izaya ducked, bringing his own fist up and and punching the man straight in the mouth.
Ryu backed up and groaned, coughing up blood and pieces of teeth. Izaya merely pulled his fist back, shaking his hand out. The man was clearly not built to fight, as Ryu fell to his knees and just clutched his hands over his mouth.
"D-do something!" Gasai exclaimed to the two men, who slid the door open and jumped out. They ran forward and Izaya got off the motorcycle, going to fight. The man was smart, and the three didn't attempt to attack each other for several seconds, and then both of the men lurched forward at the same time. Izaya ducked one, tackling another by the stomach.
They tussled on the ground, and Izaya got on top, attempting to subdue him. The other man ran forward, about to stop the struggle with his knife when a loud snarl was heard. A blur of brown and white galloped forward, leaping at the man with powerful jaws and taking his hand into her mouth.
The man screamed as Mimi kept her grip, tugging on the arm and making the man struggle. Izaya now underneath the man, used his feet to propel him against the side of the car, where he slammed his head.
He stumbled still, shakily going to punch Izaya. Izaya turned, grabbing the man's fist and flipping him over his shoulder. This time the man didn't get up.
The other man had kicked Mimi, making her let go of his bleeding hand. He tried to run but she jumped on his back, biting into his shoulder and shaking it around. The man screamed in pain. "STOP!" He yelled,"Mercy!"
Izaya moved, grabbing handcuffs and taking the man's good hand into it, connecting him to the fence by the sidewalk.
By this time, Izaya heard the clock of a gun. He reached to his side, pulling his own out. Gasai was out of the car, a shaky grip on the gun. Izaya pointed his own at hers, they stared at each other, nobody moving.
"Don't make me sh-shoot!" She declared. Izaya stared silently, before saying,"Let my kids go, come quietly, don't make me do this the hard way"
"Y-your kids!? They're not your kids! I OWN them!" She snarled, taking a step forward.
Izaya seemed to be getting angry. "You do not own them! You are no parent! You are a MONSTER! I'll make sure that you get the justice you deserve and they'll get the happiness they deserve! I will personally tear down your little yakuza branch until the only thing that remains of it is the memory of what happens when you fuck with the ARMED DETECTIVE AGENCY!"
In response, the dog galloped forward, sinking her teeth into the woman's flabby leg. The woman screamed, throwing her gun up in the air and shooting. Izaya ran forward, slamming his bad shoulder into her chest, sending her stumbling backwards with a cry of shock. She slammed her head against the side of the fence, and slumped down. Izaya took a huge breath, yanking the gun from her hand, and tossing it away from anyone's reach.
Shuuya and Naoya, whom had watched the whole thing with their ears plugged, suddenly realized the worst was over. Naoya moved forward, running towards Izaya and hugging him tightly, breaking into sobs. Shuuya was not far behind, hugging Izaya's waist and burying his face into Izaya's stomach.
Izaya felt relief overflow him like a broken dam, wrapping his arms around the two children and rocking them softly. "Shh.. It's okay, it's okay," He promised,"I'm here now, everything is going to be okay. I promise, I'll never let anything happen to you again"
And that was a promise he intended to keep, forever.
The police and Yukichi arrived soon after the battle, arresting the four and taking Izaya and the kids to the hospital. Naoya had a broken arm from the struggle and Shuuya was luckily left with only a minor concussion and some scrapes. Izaya had some bad bruising and bleeding scrapes and his knife wound busted open again, and Mimi was taken to the vet for a check up, but it could have been a lot worse.
Izaya was released the same day, but the children needed to stay for observation, Naoya especially. The two children were resting now, in the hospital beds while Izaya sat in the room, head against the wall. As the doctors had taken away his eyepatch to check for health, both eyes were visible.
Yukichi walked in, observing for a moment, and then turned to look at Izaya. "Do you think you'll be fit enough to take down the warehouse with us?" He questioned with concern.
Izaya nodded, tilting his head. "Did they reveal where it was?" He asked calmly.
Yukichi nodded in return. "It seems that they realize they aren't getting out of this easily, so they may as well lower their jail time by a few life sentences," He joked, though his face remained neutral.
The man then looked at the children. "We're going to need their statements, both of them," He declared.
"Only when they are ready," Izaya firmly stated, eyes filled with a protective glow. Yukichi nodded.
Running a hand through his gray hair, he then said,"After that, they'll be put back into the system"
Izaya's posture instantly tensed. Turning towards his boss, his eyes narrowed. "I think the fuck not," He hissed,"You're not taking them away"
"Izaya," The boss said,"They have nowhere to go, they're runaways. You know that'll always be on their record, they ran from you-"
"Because they were scared!" He snapped, too angry to care he was yelling at his boss. "They ran the first time because it was the safest thing to do, they ran the second time because they saw my papers! They thought I was taking them back, it wasn't their fault!"
Yukichi didn't say anything, so Izaya continued. "You really think sending them to a new place they don't know is going to help! Yukichi-sama I didn't just meet them, I've been keeping them safe in my home for a month! They're used to me! If you take them away from me and put more stress in their lives than they need anymore, I will never forgive you"
"Then what are you suggesting, Izaya? That you adopt them?" He asked calmly. Izaya's eyes grew even more determined, and he nodded.
Yukichi saw that look, it was the look of a man who was willing to do whatever he had to if it meant protecting the people he cared about. Despite being a strong, influential man, he had seen that look many times. He knew what it could hold.
"I'll have the paperwork sent to you tomorrow," Yukichi said,"To apply for adoption. But you must do the rest of the work from there, understand?"
Izaya's look softened, and he nodded happily. "Yes sir, thank you sir," He said happily, returning to the calm and docile man Yukichi knew him best as.
Yukichi returned the gratitude with a small smile, before leaving the room, giving the three some privacy.
"Izaya..?" A tired voice whispered, and the raven in question turned around. It was Naoya, though Shuuya was awake too.
"Yes?" He asked gently, reaching out with his good arm and placing a hand on the metal railing.
"Do you mean it?" Naoya asked hopefully,"Are you.. Are you really going to adopt us?"
In that moment, Izaya saw Naoya's mask melt away. He saw the real Naoya, the young teenager who wanted nothing more than a family to call his own. To feel happy and safe, and Izaya wanted to give all to him. To both of them.
"Yes I am," Izaya declared honestly,"You can stay with me now, I'll be your guardian"
"We don't have to leave?" Shuuya asked hopefully, sitting up in his bed. "Never?"
"Never ever," Izaya repeated strongly. Shuuya smiled, before tilting his head. "Never ever ever?"
Izaya grinned again. "Never ever ever," He repeated even stronger.
Shuuya smiled back this time, and nodded, tears threatening to fall. "Thank you," He said happily, lying back down,
Izaya looked at Naoya, who seemed unsure how to react. "Naoya, are you okay?" He asked worriedly.
"I just, I don't know how to react.. I haven't had something like this.. In such a long time," He admitted Softly.
Izaya hummed in understanding. "Well, how about this?" He said, leaning forward. "Is there something you've been wanting to do, have wanted to do so bad since all this happened, but never got a chance to? Whatever it is, we'll all do it together as a family"
Naoya stared at nothing for a few minutes, but then an idea popped into his head. Yes, he did have an idea. He knew exactly what he wanted to do.
March 20th
Spring Equinox
It had been three months since the incident, and everything was finally settling down. Izaya had officially been able to adopt the children after two months of being evaluated and checked out, he was officially the parent and guardian of Naoya and Shuuya, both of whom took his last name.
Naoya and Shuuya revealed the thing they'd been desiring the most in the world, and Izaya instantly agreed, which was why they were where they were now, in the Chūbu region. Walking through the blooming cherry blossom trees, holding some bags of things.
At the bottom of the steps, there were gravestones. The three moved towards a certain area of gravestones. There were others there as well, but nobody really bothered each other. Izaya took a broom from the small building below, sweeping the area around 3 certain graves. Naoya and Shuuya began placing flowers on the three graves happily, before gaining Izaya's help in polishing them
This is what they had always wanted, to be able to visit the graves of their parents. Naoya looked down at the red apples he had in his hand, and began placing them on the graves. "Mom always loved red apples," He said softly,"We had a tree at our house, we'd pick them all the time"
Izaya nodded to his words. The three of them were dressed traditionally in yukatas, by Shuuya's request, since every picture he had seen of his mother was her wearing a kimono or yukata of some kind.
Once everything was set up, the candles and incense had been lit, Izaya was about to move away and give the kids their privacy. However, Naoya shyly moved over, grabbing his and Shuuya's sleeves and pulling him to his parent's graves. He closed his eyes, taking a breath.
"Hey mom, dad," Naoya began,"I'm sorry I never came and visited you, I never was able to. I just.. I want you guys to know that I really miss you. I haven't had the chance to see you, to tell you what's been going on. I don't wanna talk about it much, but I do want you to know that I realize you would want me to find another home, another family. So.."
Taking another breath, he pointed to Shuuya. "This is my little brother, Shuuya," He then turned and looked up. "And this is my dad, Izaya"
Izaya's heart skipped a beat, before a smile crossed his face, but he did not say anything, he would not ruin this moment. Naoya smiled back, before turning back to the grave. "So I wanted to tell you that, and promise that I'll be visiting a lot more," He said happily.
Naoya finished, and looked up at Izaya. "I'm sorry for taking so long to say it, dad, I just wanted it to be special," He admitted, and Izaya nodded in understanding, ruffling his hair.
Shuuya suddenly jumped excitedly,"Nao-nii! Let me introduce you to my mommy!" Naoya smiled, being pulled away from Izaya easily by the excited child. The raven watched them with a melancholy smile. Looking at the grave, he bowed to pay his respects, before softly saying,"I'll take good care of him, I promise."
As if to respond, a gentle breeze of wind flowed through the area, cherry blossom petals floating into the sky. Izaya smiled once more, as Shuuya called,"Daaaaad! You have to come here too! Mommy wants to meet you!"
"Okay, I'm coming," Izaya happily called, joining his sons where they were waiting for him. They spent the rest of the day together, as the children enjoyed what they had missed for so long, and Izaya enjoyed being with them. They were a happy family, and they wouldn't have it any other day.
The raid of the warehouse that Gasai and Ryu ran was very easy to do with the information they got. Many of the workers in there were so untrained that the second they broke in they panicked and dropped their guns. Nothing really interesting happened, until the end.
Izaya was walking through the halls, checking for anything they missed. That's when he found a door, and blinked curiously, opening it slowly. Inside the room, there was a woman with long brown hair hanging in her face, her black dress was torn, bare feet, and a shredded black cap.
Izaya gasped, moving behind her and finding her hands chained. He circled, tapping her cheek gently. "Hello? Can you hear me?" He asked worriedly,"Ma'am, please, if you can hear me say something"
Her face scrunched up, and she groaned, turning her face to the side. "Mmm.. Dota-chin? Is that you?" She asked. Izaya didn't know who that was, but the woman was talking.
"No, I'm a detective, I'm here to rescue you," Izaya said back,"Do you know where the keys are?"
"Key.. Boss Key.. Big Key.. It's um.. Behind you.." She slurred, and Izaya turned. There was the key, just out of the girl's reach. He grabbed it, turning and unlocking the chains. She instantly fell forward, He caught her in his arms, before shifting her into a position so he could piggyback her out.
The girl seemed to realize she was being saved, and hugged her arms around his neck. "What's your name?" He asked gently,"So we can contact someone"
"Erika Karisawa," She softly said, as they walked through the front of the warehouse. Dazai saw him coming and nodded, going out to inform the ambulance of another victim. He took her to the gurney, about to leave when she grabbed his hand. "N-no, stay.."
Izaya looked towards Dazai, who was staring at him lovingly. When Izaya caught him, he jumped and then nodded. "Go ahead, I'll tell Manami and Kine," He said calmly, a blush crawling up his cheeks as he ran away.
Izaya went with the ambulance to the hospital, glad he rode with Manami instead of taking his motorcycle. Erika got taken in to be given surgery, as the paramedics already found she had a broken leg and left arm. He waited there, watching her go, before three very disheveled looking men came into the hospital as fast as they could a few hours later. Strange.. Why did they seem familiar to him?
The one with a beanie interrogated the nurse at the front, who told him that Erika was not out of surgery and they would have to 'wait with the detective over there'. They stared at him for a moment, before going over to him.
"You're the one that saved her?" The man in the beanie asked. Izaya nodded, calmly. Pulling out his badge.
The three looked at it, obviously looking for a name. "Ah, I apologize, in the middle of an investigation like this one, people on the case aren't allowed to give out their real names. Call me Izzy, I'm an Associate Special Class investigator," He explained.
They seemed to understand, and Izaya then pulled out a notebook. "Do you guys have any ideas on what happened to her?" He asked.
The man with the beanie softly said,"Um.. We think it might have been the Blue Squares that gave her to them, but we aren't sure. We're just happy to have her back"
"I understand, don't worry, any information is helpful!" Izaya replied happily, putting away his notebook as the doctor came out.
The blonde one instantly asked,"How is she doing?" The doctor looked down at his clipboard, happy to reply,"She's doing just fine. She's pretty injured, but it's mostly bruises and the two broken limbs. She needs to stay a few days to recover, but she's mostly fine. You can go visit her if you want"
The four men stood up, following the doctor and going into the room. The second they walked in, the blonde one sighed in relief and whispered,"Erika!" He moved forward quickly, hugging her tightly.
"Walker.." Erika responded happily, hugging him with the one arm not in a cast. "It's okay, I'm safe now"
Walker continued to hug her, while the other two moved over, their postures relaxed. "Dota-chin! Saburo!" Erika exclaimed happily. Izaya watched them with a smile, glad to see they're all reunited.
He turned to leave, when Erika saw, and exclaimed,"Wait a minute!" Izaya stopped, turning back around. "You saved me, how can I ever pay you back?" Erika honestly asked.
Izaya merely smiled. "There's no need to, it's my job to help," He said simply, before sighing. "Though I would enjoy if you made sure to stay out of trouble from now on"
Erika giggled and then replied,"I like you! We should stay in touch!" Izaya blinked in surprise, before tilting his head. "Um.. I mean, if you really want to?"
Izaya and Erika exchanged numbers, and Erika managed to find his instagram, the only social media sight he had since Naoya decided he needed one.
"Well, I have to go soon, schools are about to get out and I still have a statement to write," Izaya told her softly, waving to them as he left the room. "Bye bye!"
Kadota watched the man go, wondering what it was about him that was making that feeling chew through him. The man seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He just looked so much like-
"Aww! Dota-chin! Look at his photos, he's so cute!" Erika squealed, unable to help herself as she stalked his pictures. No bragging or stupid photos were found on them, it was literally almost only pictures of dogs. Four dogs to be exact. Sometimes he was in the pictures, in some random location with them, others were of them in a traditional looking house. Other images included a baking montage, or pictures of him and two children hanging out at restaurant, at a park (with the dogs of course), just a happy family.
"Whoa, he looks a little young to have kids that old," Saburo said calmly. Walker shrugged in reply, and asked,"Maybe he adopted them?"
Erika let out a small squeak. "Aww! SO cute! It's like Usagi-Drop or Amaama to Inazuma!" She squealed happily.
Kadota chuckled, letting those thoughts of suspicion float away. This man, Izzy or whatever his real name was, was too kind to be who he thought he may be. He was a happy and innocent, nothing like him. Kadota let those thoughts vanquish away, deciding he had no need to think about it anymore. He saved Erika, and there was no way he could be him anyway. After all, Kadota saw him die, how could it be him?
It just wasn't possible
When he walked out of the hospital, someone was waiting for him, someone Izaya didn't expect to see again.
Turning the corner, he bumped into someone's chest. "Ah! I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was-" He looked up and gasped at the amethyst eyes.
"Akutagawa!?" He exclaimed, and the man nodded.
Akutagawa took Izaya's arm and said,"I wanted to see you again"
"But I thought we agreed to not-" Izaya began, only for Akutagawa to cover his mouth with his hand.
"Only at that club," He said,"Besides, I needed to see you again. I wanted to spend time with you"
Izaya tilted his head. "Oh.. Okay.." He awkwardly agreed. Akutagawa nodded, continuing to walk without releasing Izaya's hand.
"We're getting ice cream," He said, taking Izaya to a stand, and ordering his own. Unsure of what else he could do, Izaya ordered his own chocolate ice cream, while Akutagawa got vanilla.
They sat on a bench nearby, Akutagawa still clinging to Izaya's hand like a lifeline. Izaya looked at him nervously, eating his own. "Umm.. Why are we doing this?" He asked awkwardly.
"Isn't this what people normally do on a date?" Akutagawa questioned, causing Izaya to sputter in surprise.
Looking at Akutagawa, he stuttered,"A d-date? Why would we be on a date?"
Akutagawa looked at him so innocently as he said,"Because I love you"
"What?!" Izaya asked,"But we've only met once before-"
Akutagawa shook his head, and declared,"That does not matter. I saw your strength and bravery, it was very attractive, I respect and love you for it. You also don't look very attractive in a dress"
Izaya's eyes widened, and a blush crawled across his face. He quickly licked at his ice cream again, trying to avoid conversation. Akutagawa watched him, as his face started to heat up. He looked away, coughing for a moment.
"What else are we going to do?" Izaya asked curiously. Akutagawa pulled his face up, looking confused.
"What do you mean? Is there more to do on a date?" He asked calmly.
"Have you never been on a date?" Izaya asked, and Akutagawa shook his head. "Well how did you know about taking me out for ice cream as a date?"
Akutagawa shyly looked down and then said,"I googled it" Izaya giggled slightly, making Akutagawa frown. "What?" He said angrily,"What am I missing?"
"You can't just ask someone on a date and not talk to them, that's not how you get someone to fall far you," He explained,"You need to get to know them and understand each other, that way you know what you love about them and why you care for them"
"And if we do that, then you'll become my boyfriend?" Akutagawa asked, making Izaya blush even more.
"I um.. Maybe. Depends how I feel about you afterwards," Izaya responded calmly.
Akutagawa went silent for a moment, he said nothing, but then looked at Izaya. "What are some things you like?" He questioned.
"Hm.. I like my job, I like nature," Izaya calmly said,"I like taking care of my kids.. Ooh! And I really like dogs"
"Dogs?" Akutagawa said thoughtfully, and looked at Izaya. He then grabbed Izaya's hand, standing up and throwing away their empty cones, and then taking them down the street.
He led Izaya into a shelter, and pushed him in. "Here, pick a dog, I'll buy you it," He said calmly.
"What?!" Izaya exclaimed,"Akutagawa, I can't do that! You can't buy me a dog!"
"Why not? You like them," Akutagawa questioned,"And I like you, and want you to like me"
"But.. I don't know how I'll be able to repay you, I owe you for giving me the information three months ago and for this too?" Izaya asked worriedly.
Akutagawa placed a hand on his shoulder. "If you accept this gift from me, then you won't owe me for that information," He said simply,"Pick the one you want, I'll buy it for you, okay?"
Izaya decided that he probably wouldn't get out of this, though he would eventually try and find a way to pay him back. The people at the shelter almost instantly recognized him. "Izaya! Good to see you, here to pick up dog food?" They asked.
Izaya giggled, and said,"I just might have to, I'm here I'm getting a new dog"
The woman behind the counter giggled. "Another? Aren't you drowning in dogs already? You may have to start your own rescue home soon!" She teased, making Izaya chuckle and shrug. Maybe she would have to.
Akutagawa suddenly seemed protective of him, maybe he had gotten jealous, because he took Izaya's hand and led him towards the dogs quickly.
They were many puppies and dogs, barking and running around. None seemed to catch Izaya's eye, until they were near the end. It was a white german shepard, who was curled in the corner, seeming uncaring of anything around him.
"Aww.." Izaya said softly, feeling sadness for the dog. He reached out for the paper, pulling it up to his face to read it.
The dog had no real name, he was brought to the shelter after being locked in a tiny cage since he was a puppy. He was seven years old now, and not the strongest dog. They were trying to get him to feel better; but he was just so upset, wouldn't eat, wouldn't move. Nobody wanted to adopt an old dog so nobody wanted him.
Izaya knelt down, clicking his tongue to try and gain the dog's attention. Akutagawa seemed indifferent, and kind of angered by Izaya's choice.
The dog looked up at him slightly, before lowering his head and laying back down. Izaya frowned slightly, and clicked his tongue again. "Here boy," He said in a gentle voice,"It's Okay, I'd just like to meet you buddy"
The dog slowly inched over, sniffing Izaya gently before nudging his nose against the fence. Izaya gently smiled at the dog, releasing gentle cooing noises as he scratched the dog's nose the best he could.
"Can I get to know him better?" Izaya asked the worker who followed them, who nodded. They grabbed a leash and went to wrap it around the dog's neck gently. The German Shepard looked confused while they walked, as if not understanding why he was finally being chosen.
Akutagawa seemed just as confused, but followed him into a room anyways. Inside the room, the dog grew more hopeful. He circled Izaya, whom then knelt down and rubbed the dog's head. The neglected animal instantly leaned into the soft touch, wagging his tail happily.
The dog got more excited, crouching low and barking loudly. Izaya chuckled, crouching to meet him, and ruffling his head playfully. The dog barked again, leaping up and knocking Izaya to the ground. Izaya laughed, hugging the dog as he licked Izaya all over his face.
Akutagawa stared silently, his heart warming at the sight of Izaya being happy and the sound of his laughter. But he was still confused. "I.. Do not understand," He awkwardly said,"Why would you choose an old dog that will die sooner? Why wouldn't you choose a younger one that will be more useful?"
The dog looked at Akutagawa as Izaya did, who sat up and frowned a bit. "You know, Akutagawa, everyone deserves a chance to live and be happy. He's been through so much neglect already, he deserves a chance to have a home," Izaya explained.
"But he's weak," Akutagawa said with a frown, eyeing the dog's easily visible ribs. "Not because he wants to be, Akutagawa," Izaya chastised in return.
Akutagawa tilted his head much like a dog. "But then how will he serve you?" He questioned again.
"That's not what dogs do, Akutagawa. They're man's best friend, we care as much about them as they do for us, they're not an item or a weapon, they're a companion, they love you and you love them back," He explained gently.
He then stood up, taking Akutagawa's hands and leading him to the dog. Akutagawa nervously tried to back up, but Izaya kept moving and placing Akutagawa's hand against the dog's head. The dog stayed still, seeming to understand what Izaya was doing.
Akutagawa slowly pet the dog, trying to understand what Izaya was telling him. The dog moved forward, nuzzling against the male and making him freeze in surprise. Suddenly, a warm feeling filled his chest, the same feeling he got with Izaya. He smiled a bit, and began to scratch the dog behind his ears. The dog got more excited as Akutagawa continued to pet him, and the man softly said,"Good boy, you're a good dog!"
Izaya smiled, and then tilted his head softly. "You know, I think you're a dog person," He said calmly. Akutagawa stopped petting the dog for a moment, looking up at Izaya with thoughtfully. "Yeah.." He said softly,"I guess I am.."
By the time they left the pet store, Akutagawa was now the owner of a black Kai Ken, who was affectionately named Rashoumon, while Izaya named his new dog named Chance. They left together, and Izaya was explaining some things to the other man. "And if you ever need to ask about anything regarding dogs, call me okay?" He asked, handing Akutagawa his phone back.
"You're giving me your number?" Akutagawa asked,"Does that mean we're dating now?" Izaya blushed bright red, before turning away quickly. "Um.. Maybe we should go out a few more times before we say something like that.."
Akutagawa nodded calmly and said,"Okay, we'll do that soon" They walked down the street for a bit, until Akutagawa stopped by his own car. Turning to Izaya he softly said,"Thank you, for today I mean"
"Thank you, Akutagawa," Izaya returned, then shyly looked down. "I um.. I had fun.."
Then, Akutagawa took his free hand and lifted Izaya's cheek, they stared into each other's eyes for a long moment. Then Akutagawa leaned in, taking Izaya's lips in a gentle kiss, to which the other kissed back.
Akutagawa pulled away after a bit, a blush coating his cheeks. "I'll see you soon," He promised, moving quickly to the car as Rashoumon jumped in with him.
Izaya watched them go, once again bringing a hand to his lips with a blush. What was he doing!? Dazai and Kanade, now he was adding Akutagawa!? Not that he meant to of course, but he didn't know what to do anymore.
Looking at his phone, he cried out in surprise as he realized the time. He was going to be late to pick up Naoya and Shuuya. "C'mon Chance!" He called, quickly running off. He would worry about it later, right now he had a surprise for the kids.
3 Months Later
"Whoa! It's so pretty!" Shuuya exclaimed excitedly, staring at the ocean in surprise. Today was Shuuya's birthday, and the thing he had wanted more than anything in the world was to go to the beach with his family. So they drove out there, and now they were there together. Shuuya was wearing his brand new purple swim trunks with penguins on them, Naoya had on black ones with green stripes, and Izaya's hair was in a braid while wearing a simple pair of purple trunks. The dogs were with them, all with their collars on and bandanas.
Izaya smiled happily, and said,"Yeah, it is isn't it?" He unleashed the dogs, who all galloped to the water, barking excitedly. Shuuya giggled excitedly, running after Bread and the Saint Bernard, Mocha, who were already biting at waves that came by.
Naoya was calmer, waking to the shore and beginning to search for seashells. Izaya smiled, following him and kneeling down to help.
"You know, I heard that if you find a conch shell and put your ear to it, then you can hear the ocean," Naoya said excitedly, looking around curiously. The brunette tended to get excited about small things, things that he'd never been able to enjoy with his upbringing. Izaya didn't mind, he encouraged Naoya's happiness and curiosity. The boy was shy, but this was helping him get out of his shell.
"Oh?" Izaya asked,"I've never been to the beach before, I guess we'll just have to find one, huh?"
As if answering his words, the waves splashed forward, and then pulled away, revealing a beautiful conch shell. Naoya let out an excited noise, grabbing it and putting his ear to it. "They were right! Dad, you can hear the ocean!" He exclaimed loudly.
Pushing the conch against his father's ear, Izaya listened closely. "You're right!" Izaya returned happily. Naoya pulled it away, running to Shuuya, who was following a hermit crab curiously. Shuuya listened too, and was jumping up and down excitedly.
The day continued great, just a good relaxing day for all of them. The dogs got soaked, but they had fun. Shuuya and Naoya took one of their towels to collect shells, filling it to the point it was too heavy for them to carry.
They stopped a bit to eat, and Shuuya was excitedly chattering. "The ocean and is so awesome, dad, swimming is too!" He exclaimed,"I wanna be able to swim a lot!"
"You know, if you want I can sign you up for swimming lessons or classes," Izaya suggested, and Shuuya gasped loudly, nodding and exclaiming,"Yes! Yes! Please!"
It was late at night when they headed home, the kids exhausted but proud and happy from the day. The dogs all slumped on the trunk together. Izaya carried them both inside the house, tucking them in before making sure the dogs and the seashells got inside.
Izaya didn't mind not remembering anymore, not when he'd already made so many memories. The world around him was perfect, he was happy, and there was nothing that he wanted to change.
But things couldn't stay that way forever
Izaya's perspective changed one day, when at work, as they were bringing in a criminal. He had not been on the assignment, but he was at work that day, researching his own assignment. Kunikida and Dazai were leading a criminal through the hall when he walked out, and waved. "Dazai-san, good work," He said gently.
Dazai blushed slightly, and nodded. "Thanks Izaya," He shyly, but the criminal's dark eyes widened. He stopped, and whispered the ravens name. In the distraction, he yelled, yanking himself from a surprised Kunikida's grasp and tackled Izaya onto the hardwood floor, sending papers flying into the air.
Izaya was taken by surprise, but recovered quickly. He placed his hands on the man's shoulders and pushed him back, Kunikida pulling from the back. They slammed the man against the wall, while Dazai ran over to Izaya. "Are you okay?!" He asked worriedly, as Izaya was grabbing the back of his head. Izaya nodded.
The man was struggling violently, and yelled,"You bastard, you absolute fucking bastard! I'll kill you, I swear it! It's all your fault you monster!"
Standing up, Izaya tilted his head. "Eh?" He asked, one red eye filled with confusion. The man was angrily struggling, but Kunikida made sure to pull him away from the wall and towards the interrogation room. Dazai had knelt down and picked up Izaya's papers, handing them to him.
"Maybe you should come to the interrogation room with us," Dazai gently suggested, and Izaya nodded. They followed after Kunikida slowly, Izaya rubbing the back of his head as they did.
In the room, the man was handcuffed to a table, and glared darkly at Izaya. The three men sat down after the door was shut, and Izaya decided to ask his questions first so that he could leave and they could continue prosecuting.
"How do you know me?" Izaya questioned, and the man barked out a laugh. He seemed to think Izaya was joking, but when the raven didn't smirk in return, he stopped. "You don't remember?" He questioned in confusion, Izaya shook his head, and the man asked,"You don't remember anything?"
Izaya shook his head again, and the man laughed out loud again. Leaning forward, the man smirked. "You," He began,"Are the most evil, psycho, monstrous bastard of a person I ever knew! You ruined lives, you ruined everyones, even mine! No one loved you, everyone hated you, everyone wanted you to die! You hurt everyone you met! If only you died that day, you monster!"
The raven felt his heart constrict with guilt. Maybe he wouldn't believe him if he hadn't already heard a few things from Kine and Manami, and what he deduced when he first woke up.
Nodding calmly at his two companions, he walked out of the room, hiding his guilt. He hugged himself, and went back to his office. People noticed, but they didn't dare say anything. It was near the end of his shift that Dazai told Manami what happened.
Izaya wasn't foolish, he knew Dazai would. He was sitting in front of the building on a bench, frowning at the ground. Manami came over and sat next to him silently. Kine on the other side.
"Manami-chan, is what that man said true?" Izaya asked softly,"Was I.. Was I really that horrible of a person?"
Instead of saying yes or no, Kine responded,"You.. Weren't a good person. You were an informant broker that sold information to gangs in Ikebukuro, but you also would cause chaos and send false betrayals through gangs. You sent the city into a huge chaos, you'd talk girls into committing suicide, you were always behind everything, and you enjoyed it all"
Izaya had turned to stare at Kine as he spoke, before looking back down. "Oh.." He whispered,"So I really was a monster.. No wonder I got shot.."
"But," Manami said, taking his shaking hand in hers,"That's not you anymore, Izzy. You're a good person, you're an associate special class investigator, you've saved hundreds of lives, you adopted kids, you took down a whole branch of the fucking Yakuza for god's sake! I promise you, you've become a much better person, you were given a second chance and used it well. I'm proud of you, Izzy, we both are. Don't be sad, you've changed, you're much better than you used to be before"
Manami smiled at him, and Izaya smiled back, sighing and slumping back again. For several moments, nobody said anything. Izaya had closed his eye, but then he opened them again. "Kine, Manami," Izaya began, making the two look at him.
"I'm going back," He said firmly, and they froze. Kine turned to him. "Going back? Going back where?" He asked, his heart squeezing with fear. Izaya looked back at him, standing up and moving in front of them, his eyes were determined.
"I'm going back," He declared again,"I'm going back to Ikebukuro"