"Hi, Celty." Shizuo waved his hand at the blackrider who was sitting on a bench, her light-absorbing suit looked as black as always under the sunset light.

[How was your work?] asked Celty while she stood up against Shizuo.

"First time—well, technically it wasn't my first time, but that's not the point—didn't go as I've expected. You know, I've thought people wouldn't be that stupid, but turned out they really are. Some people are just so annoying. They get on my nerves." Shizuo sighed.

[Some people really are annoying, ne.] Celty replied shortly. What made them so close to each other was that their opinions were alike. They have the same description of nice people and troublesome people. They shared the same interests: Living in a peaceful, serene place, and to talk only when needed.

Unlike some people who talked too much.

The image of a certain raven popped in Celty's head.

[By the way, how is it going with you and Izaya?]

Shizuo couldn't help but to blush when he remembered how hot the kiss he shared with him before he went to work.

"Nice."

[I'm relieved that you're okay.] Celty showed her PDA to the debt collector. [At first I was so worried that Izaya would do something nasty to you. But it seems you're as healthy as ever.]

Shizuo chuckled. "Actually…" he rubbed his nose sheepishly; he could feel his cheeks heating. "I sorta… fell in love with hi—"

Before Shizuo could even finish his sentence, black shadows were already scattering, as if in extreme shock, from inside Celty's helmet, and there was a sound of PDA falling down onto the concrete pedestrian. Shizuo looked to Celty, only to find his friend fidgeting here and there as if she just ate a bowl of wasabi.

"Oi, Celty." Shizuo called for Celty. "Celty! Snap out of it!"

Shizuo even had to shook Celty's body until the latter regained her consciousness.

"Geez, what's wrong with you? Don't you know it took me a lot to say that?" Shizuo grumbled while picking Celty's PDA, giving it to her.

[NOTHGIN IS WRNG WITHNME! ITS YOU!] Celty didn't even double-check her sentence, shoving the PDA right on Shizuo's face. Before Shizuo could even read the sentence properly, Celty pulled the PDA and typed some more.

[IT/S IZAYA! YOU HJATE HIM!]

"Look," Shizuo rubbed his temples. "It's all in the past, okay?"

Celty looked so flustered, but she finally typed something more readable for Shizuo.

[You have no idea what he has done to you? I didn't tell you about it at first because never in my wildest dream you would love him, but…

[He framed you several times, you've lost your jobs, and he lured many people to pick fights with you! There was nothing nice about him.]

"He doesn't look like a sincerely honest person, I know." Shizuo patted Celty's shoulder. "But… I'm not an angel, either. To have someone accepting me despite my powers…

"Someone that helps me… to become stronger. Strong enough, to control this monster within me." Shizuo smiled to Celty.

[But… if you want to love him, you should know… his bad side too, am I right? I don't want you to fall for him, but remain oblivious of the fact that you were enemies.] Celty showed her PDA, this time far more careful as she didn't want to hurt Shizuo's feeling. [I just don't want you to blindly love him.]

"You're a great, great person, Celty, do you know that?" Shizuo smiled widely.

"Someday when I regain my memories…" Shizuo mumbled to himself.

[I heard if you have contact with things that are involved in your past, it will trigger your forgotten memories. But… are you ready for this?]

Shizuo gulped. He was unsure of this. He was already so comfortable with what he has right now, a peaceful life, along with someone he loved, but Celty got the point: He didn't want to blindly love Izaya.

He didn't want to live in a lie, either.

What burdened him right now, those times when his mind told him to exact opposite of his heart regarding Izaya… He wanted to know the truth behind them all.

"Then, Celty… Help me regain my memories."


Izaya perked up when he heard the sound of door opening. His heart started thumping when he found the handsome blond walking inside and smiled to him.

"You're late," Izaya said, hiding his panicking self deep inside. Everything went more tangled after that kiss in the morning. He didn't know how to react to Shizuo: To act as cold as he ever was, or to act all nice and loving like a true lover.

And then Izaya realized that being loving to Shizuo was the mask he decided to wear from the first time he met Shizuo at the hospital some months ago.

But right now that he loved the ex-bartender, acting like he loved him suddenly became the most difficult thing to do. Because he really loved him. He had never fallen in love with anybody else before, and despite knowing what humans should do to their lovers, he was completely clueless when the matters were about his own true feelings.

"I met Celty after work." Shizuo said bluntly. "She helped me showing stuffs that might help me recover my memories."

Izaya's eyes widened in an instant. Then he regained his composure again and said, "Why would you want your memories back? What an idiot."

"...and I talked a lot with Celty today, and Tom-san too, and found some things about me." Shizuo ignored Izaya completely. He looked to those crimson orbs with his own hazels sharply.

"Tell me the truth, Izaya…

"We weren't lovers, right?"


: : EARLIER THAT DAY

"It's no news for everyone here that lived here long enough, that Izaya Orihara framed you for something you've never did." Tom Tanaka said briskly while he and Shizuo were on the way for dinner.

"I guess..." Shizuo mumbled.

"Hahaha. You don't believe me, do you?" Tom chuckled. It was only normal for this oblivious Shizuo to doubt everything he said, because it wasn't normal. Heck, his life was never normal.

This 185 cm strongest man in Ikebukuro... with all his inhuman strength himself...

Wasn't normal.

But Tom knew that deep inside all the monstrous, destructive, unwanted powers, lied the purest, peace-loving man who just wanted to protect everyone he loved.

Tom smiled wryly to himself as he recollected how hard the life Shizuo has. How painful he should felt when he watched how useless his strength was despite how strong it was.

"Ever wonder why your hair is blond?" Tom asked his junior. He wasn't expecting for an answer, though, as he added, "It was me who suggested that, so no one would never pick fights with you."

"You did?" Shizuo looked genuinely surprised.

"It didn't last long, though. Because as soon as you entered senior high school, you met him and ever since were sworn enemies. I've lost count on how many times you were fighting, trying to kill each other. You hated him to death."

"Celty said the exact same thing too. Guess I have no choice but to accept the fact, huh." Shizuo barely smiled. "Then why did... he has to lie to me?"

Tom smiled sadly. He wanted to tell him that Izaya was Izaya, and being the manipulative person he has ever been, it took no brainer that he couldn't be doing what he did for charity.

But such a thing; after all, should be left for Shizuo himself to find out.

"Shizuo, this," Tom patted Shizuo's upper arm, feeling the toned and powerful muscles underneath the white shirt, "This," Tom pointed on Shizuo's forehead. "And... this..." Tom placed a palm to his own chest.

"These are your true strength. Maybe you haven't heard this coming from me, but... you're the... you're the... strongest person I've ever met. I learn a lot from you.

"You can go through this just fine. Trust your heart. Your instincts."


Izaya tensed for a split second before showing off a cold smirk. "Were we? Lying is one of my hobbies, unfortunately for you, I don't see myself changing it anytime soon, though."

"Why did you lie to me?" Shizuo could feel anger bubbling inside.

"Because I hate you." Izaya replied, his voice squeaked involuntary, to which the raven blamed his thumping heart.

'What a bad liar,' the blond thought to himself. Strange, he just realized that the voice that kept telling him to stay away from the man before him has stopped appearing.

"I hate you so much, I want to break you from the inside, since I only could do so much on damaging your body." Izaya added some more.

'This flea...'

"You're going to hate me now? Seems like next time I really should land a meteor onto your house."

"Keep talking, you know you love me." Shizuo walked closer towards Izaya.

"Oh, rephrase. You fell for me... just recently." Shizuo whispered to the cornered flea, trapped between his strong arms and towering body.

'Even when you're at your most vulnerable, I still couldn't beat you, huh? You're still as unpredictable as always.' Izaya still managed a composed smile despite cold sweat dripping down from his chin.

"What are going to do now? Kill me?"

"Nah. I love you too much to even think about it." Shizuo said bluntly, sending heat straight into Izaya's cheeks.

It was when Shizuo landed his lips on his own, Izaya gave up on putting on his masks. Those never worked, either.

Izaya moaned involuntary when Shizuo's slippery tongue slid on his teeth, as if asking for an entrance, to which the raven permittedly without a second thought.

"Shizuo..." Izaya whispered the blond's name. 'If, if you eventually regained your memories, would you hate me again like you used to?

'Would you start trying to kill me again?

'Despise me so much you wish I have never existed?

'And stop loving me?'

Those are the questions he wished he was brave enough to ask. This was the first time he ever loved someone. He still couldn't gather his courage to listen to Shizuo's rejection.

Izaya knew ever since his childhood that he was different. No one has truly accepted him for who he really was.

But here was Shizuo, his arms, around his body, hugging him tightly, as if not letting go.

"I want to do it with you..." Izaya said it like a wishful whisper.

"I'll just hurt you..." replied Shizuo, despite his body yearning for more.

"Heheh. Hurt me? As I got killed with all those vending machines hurling towards me." Izaya chuckled. "Let's be honest here. I'm rich, you're not. I'm a genius, you barely have a brain. And... I don't have the power to lift a truck, but you have it."

Shizuo knotted his eyebrows in confusion. Izaya's words were always so hard to understand. "...Okay?"

"Don't you get it, Shizu-chan? We complete each other." Izaya let out the smile that truly came from his heart.

"And you're back with that horrendous nickname."

"Alas, you can't change something that has lasted for more than 10 years, can you?"

Shizuo rolled his eyes. "Talking with you is like talking to a wall. Next thing I know we end up talking all night long over a coffee."

Then Shizuo carried Izaya without further ado, earning him a girlish yelp from the raven, and walked to their bedroom, while his lips continued on kissing Izaya.


As soon as they arrived in the bedroom, Izaya was about to peel himself off of Shizuo but the blond kept holding him tightly, ravishing his mouth with deep, slobbery kisses like there was no tomorrow. It wasn't like Izaya didn't want his touches, though, so Izaya gave up giving it a second try.

Shizuo landed Izaya softly on the bed, kissed him for some seconds, and finally broke the kiss as he stared at Izaya's face: Flushed and sweaty, with that expression, God, that expression. Shizuo wished he could just melt with him.

"Shizuo…" Izaya whispered breathlessly as he stroke the sweaty skin of Shizuo's cheek.

"You're so irressistible, you know that?" Shizuo leaned into the stroke, but his eyes kept watching Izaya's eyes, all hazy and dim, filled with lust and love.

Izaya pulled Shizuo into him and nipped at the blond's neck, licking on the surface before nibbling on it playfully. His hands were holding onto Shizuo's blond hair on the nape possessively.

"Never in million years I would've imagined doing this with you…" Izaya whispered while kissing Shizuo's jaw, tracing the sharp lines with his wet lips.

"You pretended to be my lover before, shouldn't you have anticipated this before?" Shizuo asked, his eyes closed, feeling good at the ticklish traces Izaya left all over his neck area.

"Mmm, I did," Izaya answered before pulling out and looked at Shizuo's content expression. "I thought I would be all seductive and lure you… But the thought of doing this…" Izaya bit his lips, he was embarassed and afraid to continue.

He continued anyway, as Shizuo's expectant and gentle expression soothed his worries. "Doing this with… love… It never crossed my mind…"

Shizuo kissed Izaya again. The raven's flustered face and his honest confession were enough for him to lose control. Without the second thought he dragged Izaya's shirt to reveal the raven's torso; something he had never seen before.

Despite having the urge to tell Izaya to eat more because he could clearly see his ribcage jutting out, he shrugged it anyway because somehow it looked sexy on him. Despite of that, he made a little note to himself to keep watch on Izaya's meals from now on.

He touched a nipple, to which the raven moaned involuntary, toes curling. Shizuo smiled smugly before kissing the other nipple, licking on it for a good measure, before nibbling on it like it was a sweet candy, while the other nipple kept being turned and twisted with his hand.

"Aaahhh… Haaa! Shi—Shizuo…" Izaya couldn't hold back his moans, his hands scrapped all over the bedsheet, searching for something to hold on to. The silk sheets didn't give him the leverage good enough for him though, so he ended up holding Shizuo's head instead, fingers curling through the blond roots.

Shizuo's lips went down, tracing the flat stomach, and landed on the navel. He swirled his tongue deviously, drinking all the moans that escaped from the raven's sultry mouth.

Izaya closed his eyes as he felt Shizuo's lips touching the surface of his member. He breathed heavily as his throbbing cock was finally inside the blond's mouth, the heat creeped under his skin, as if it scattered all over his body through the bloodstream. He could feel Shizuo's raspy breaths along with the nips and licks of that sinful mouth, both climbing him onto the climax.

Izaya was about to come before he widened his eyes in surprise as he felt a digit went its way into his bottom.

"N—no!" Izaya whined in fear as the finger inside him wiggled deeper, trying to widened the muscles.

"Shi—Shizuo! Don't!" now Izaya's hands were on Shizuo's head, his fingers scrambled around the golden locks in panic.

It was when Shizuo looked upwards, his glare shot through Izaya's scarlet eyes, Izaya stopped squirming.

"I—I've never… done this… before…" Izaya whispered, half of embarassment and half of relief that the finger finally stopped moving.

Shizuo raised an eyebrow. He figured someone like Izaya would have done sex be it with a man or a woman before, since, well, it was Izaya he was dealing with.

"My mind has been too preoccupied with other things more interesting than sex. It's not like I had anyone worth enough to be my partner, so…" Izaya looked away.

Shizuo chuckled before kissing the pale skin of Izaya's temple. What made him happy was the fact he was actually the first one whom Izaya let to touch him.

"I know I might be too strong for you, but…" Shizuo whispered gently. "I want to feel you… Izaya…"

"Idiot."

"I know," Shizuo smiled. He started to put the second finger, this time while raining Izaya's lips and face with kisses to keep Izaya relaxed. He stopped immediately when he saw tears falling from the raven's dewy eyes, and continued gently when Izaya told him to continue. It was when the third finger could make its way inside Izaya, Shizuo thought the preparation should be enough.

Izaya swallowed a lump as he watched Shizuo's cock slowly dipping into him. He couldn't stop himself from gritting his teeth and curling his feet, as the pain was indeed, very painful. But he tried to bear the pain by squinting his eyes and focusing on Shizuo's tender kisses that apparently really made it less painful.

But it was still so painful.

"Aaaah!" Izaya screamed when Shizuo's cock has fully buried deep inside him.

His fingers trembled as he felt his bottom quivering in pain, alongside the arousing throbs of Shizuo's cock inside him.

"Shi—Shizuo…" Izaya called Shizuo's name. "It's okay… Ngh… To move…"

Shizuo smiled as he kissed Izaya's lips, his hips slowly thrusting, his cock felt so good being in and out of Izaya's insides.

"Izaya…"

He thrusted harder as the pace built up. He could feel a little bit of pain as Izaya's nails scrapped around his broad back, but he held on as he understood that it must be far more painful for the petite Izaya to take his big cock inside him, not to mention his monstrous power.

When they felt their climax was near, Shizuo kissed Izaya's lips while working his hand on Izaya's cock, stroking it sloppily while keeping his pace thrusting into Izaya.

He couldn't take it anymore when Izaya's hot cavern throbbed and tightened, engulfing his cock like a glove.

It was then Shizuo jolted as he poured out his sperm inside Izaya, his mind blank and his mouth agape, calling Izaya's name loudly.