Roppi whipped his head around to see who had entered his home. He scoffed and returned to his television show. "Why are you here?" he seethed.

The venomous tone made Masaomi pause in removing his shoes. He silently walked over to the couch and went to sit next to his boyfriend. The man moved his legs onto the couch suddenly, so he sat next to Roppi's feet. "We agreed that I'd come today a few days ago. I can leave if you're busy."

The elder male didn't tear his eyes from the screen. "Leave, stay, do whatever you want," he said emotionlessly.

"Roppi, why are you acting in this way?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Masaomi cautiously removed Roppi's legs from the couch and moved closer to the man. He grabbed Roppi's hand. "Is this about what happened two nights ago?" He was given no reply. "I see… What about it bothered you?"

Roppi yanked his hand free and looked to the side, away from Kida. "You were clinging to each other, smiling, laughing, being a happy couple. We'll never be like that, Masaomi, and seeing that just made it clearer."

"Why can't we be like that too? I don't see why not."

Roppi turned his head, revealing teary eyes. "Because you don't love me! No matter how much I love you, you will never love me back. Even if you do, it won't be the same way you love him."

"Roppi—"

"I've tried so hard to make you love me, but anything I do is never enough. I'm not good with people. Anyone I've tried to get close to leaves because I'm weird or creepy or an attention-seeking whore. You're the first person I've truly loved, and I'm trying, I really am, but you don't see that. I can't compare to my younger brother. He's everything that I wish I could be."

"Please don't say those things. I don't love you right now, but I can feel myself slowly falling for you. You just have to give me more time. You aren't weird, creepy, or an attention-seeking whore, and whoever said that to you is cruel and a liar. You're a good person, and I'm happy when I'm with you."

"You're happy that you can help me. That's all I am: a charity case. You want to solve my problems and make me feel good about myself to the point where you can leave without hurting me too badly. That will never happen, so you might as well leave now."

"That's not true at all. I'm with you because you're funny, smart, and complex. I want to help you with your problems because I care about you, and I hate seeing my boyfriend look at himself and think he looks way heavier than he is; I hate seeing someone I care for put himself down for insignificant things like cooking incorrectly or accidently saying something moderately offensive. I want to help you because I love being with who you are behind the wall of fear and self-loathing. I'm not going to leave you."

"Not yet—"

"No, Roppi. I have no idea who I'm going to end up with—"

"Whom."

"What?"

"Whom. You don't know whom you're going to end up with." He caught himself. "I'm sorry. It was rude to cut you off like that. I'm such an idiot sometimes."

Masaomi smiled. "It wasn't rude. I don't mind if you correct my speech. It's a quirk of yours; don't try to change that. I like that quirk."

"Really?"

"Really."

Roppi's faint smile faded.

"What is it?"

"You should be with Izaya. He's better for you. All I do is drag people down into my depression. He lives a happy, healthy life, doing what he loves and being with the one he loves."

Kida chuckled. "Izaya isn't good for anyone. He's dangerous and maleficent. That's just subdued around me. If we're talking about the safe choice, it's obviously you. I won't be held hostage to lure you to your possible death or walk in to you torturing someone in your living room. You might look like Izaya, but you don't live too close to him, and he's relatively unknown in this area, so we can walk around without being stared at or run away from. You're the better choice, Roppi, and the fact that my relationship with Izaya has lasted longer and is stronger doesn't necessarily mean that I'll pick him over you."

"I think you should leave now."

Masaomi tilted his head. "Why?" He reached out to touch the man's shoulder, but the older male slunk away from the hand.

"I need some time to think things over. Come back tomorrow when I'm in a better mood."

Kida pulled the man's face to the side and kissed him before he could react. "Okay. I'll see you tomorrow." He moved to get up, but was pushed onto the couch. He reached up to grasp ebony hair as lips hungrily crashed against his. Roppi hadn't made a move on him in weeks, and he wasn't going to discourage it. A tongue slithered into his mouth when he gasped from Roppi's knee shifting to put pressure on his growing erection. "Hnn… Roppi." The man collapsed on him and was silent. "Roppi? Are you alright?"

"Please don't leave me," a small voice answered.

Kida rubbed circles into the man's back. "I'm not going to leave you."

Roppi perked up. "You'll stay with me?"

"Of course."

"You're really choosing me over Izaya?"

"Oh… No, that's not what I meant."

"Then you lied. You are going to leave me."

"Please don't make me explain it again. I haven't decided yet, but I will soon."

His voice rose as he moved to a sitting position. "You're just stalling the inevitable. Why are you still with me when you love him?"

Masaomi remained on his back, covering his face with his arms. "I know I'm being selfish. This is hurting both of you, yet I'm not doing anything to make the pain stop." A few tears escaped his eyes. "I just don't want to make the wrong decision by rushing. But there is no right decision, is there? I'd be happy with either of you, and the other would be hurt. I should choose you, I know I should, but… Izaya makes me happy too. I don't know what to do! I don't want to hurt you anymore! I just want all of this to end. But it can't. It can't end until I know for sure. But what if that time never comes? What if I'm never sure? This kind of thing isn't supposed to happen in real life. It's made for TV soaps and cheesy manga. How am I supposed to deal with this situation? 'Cause I'm sure as hell not handling it correctly right now!"

"Masaomi…"

The boy sat up and rubbed his eyes. "It's late. I should head home." He stood and walked towards the door. Before he grabbed the handle, he clenched his fists and looked down. "I'm sorry, Hachimenroppi. I'm really sorry for being so selfish. This isn't just about me, and I need to take that into consideration. I'll figure things out as soon as I can."

"Masa—" The door shut, and Roppi was left alone. He sank into the couch and petted his cat when she crawled onto his lap. "Why did he call me by my full name? Not even Izaya does that—only when he's really angry." He scratched his leopard's ears, earning him a satisfied purr. "I don't think he's going to choose me. But he did seem really upset about it. What do you think, Dai?" The cat, obviously, didn't answer. "Yeah, I'm not sure either. But I am sure about one thing: if I can't have him, neither can Izaya. Masaomi will be with me in the end, no matter the measures I must take. In that case, I'll need your help. Are you up for the job, Dai?" The leopard rolled onto her back and grabbed Roppi's hand, pulling it down to lightly gnaw on it. The man smiled. "I thought so. You'll always be my loyal darling girl."

The next night

Masaomi woke up and looked over the couch when he heard the door shut. "You said you'd be home by 20:00. It's 22:15. Where were you?" he asked groggily. He stretched out his arms and yawned. "I hope you brought ice cream to compensate for the worry you caused me."

"My apologies, darling. I'll get it first thing tomorrow." Izaya laid his coat on the couch and walked towards the bedroom. "I was sidetracked by the protozoan," he mumbled, ascending the stairs.

Kida bolted upright. The upper sleeve of the informant's right arm was torn, and a bleeding wound blemished his visible skin. He followed the man to the bathroom and grabbed the first aid kit. After sitting Izaya against the wall, he hastily opened it.

"Let's take off your shirt." He lifted it up, waiting for the man to raise his arms.

Izaya smirked. "I'm bleeding and suffering, but all you can think about is getting my clothes off?"

Kida frowned, unamused. "Just raise your arms." When it was removed, he examined his arms and abdomen for any other cuts or bruises that needed attention. He looked at the man's left wrist. There were purpling bruises in the shape of a hand. Izaya flinched when he touched it. "What did he do to you...?"

The raven pulled the kit towards him and searched through it. "Can we talk about it later? I need to tend to my arm."

"You can't do that yourself—not with your nearly broken wrist," he replied, concerned.

Shaking his head, Izaya gathered what he needed and picked up the disinfectant. "Yes I—hah! Alright... Maybe not."

Kida rolled his eyes. "You can't do everything, you know. Let me help." He grabbed the antiseptic and cleaned the cut.

Izaya watched with admiration at the careful, focused way the boy fixed his injury. When he finished, he delicately wrapped his bruised wrist. The blond returned the medical kit to the cabinet and sat cross-legged across from the male.

Izaya noticed Kida scanning him. Specifically, his eyes slowly analyzed his waist and neck. He touched the boy's cheek with his good hand. "Nothing happened."

Kida looked up. "I wasn't—"

The informant held up his hand, signaling for the teen to be silent. "He cornered me into the back of an alley. There's usually a trash can there that I can use to hop over the fence, but it was absent. I tried to climb it instead, but Shizu-chan grabbed my wrist and pulled me down. I cut my arm on something sharp when I fell. I was able to lose him right after, which is why I'm not battered anywhere else. Nothing happened—nothing will ever happen."

Kida scooted around to sit beside Izaya. He timidly slipped his hand into the informant's and leaned his head against the wall. "I didn't mean to accuse you. I know you hate him—it was an irrational thought. I just..."

"You love me," the raven finished. "Jealousy and slight suspicion are completely normal in a healthy relationship. You're allowed to be wary. Still, I will never be with anyone else—I don't want to. And I'm done with Roppi. I'm yours, and yours alone," he said softly, dropping his head onto the boy's shoulder.

"It would be hypocritical of me to keep you from seeing or...being with other people. There's a double standard here."

"I know, but I don't want to be with anyone else. Haven't you been listening to anything I've said?"

Masaomi sighed. "Then why have you accepted this...arrangement? It's been months, yet you rarely even show distaste. Doesn't it bother you that you're not the only one I'm with?"

"It bothers me to a great extent." Izaya scooted closer to rest against Kida's chest. He smiled, closing his eyes, when an arm loosely wrapped around his waist. "But this is about your feelings, not mine. I'm allowing it because I know how it ends. You'll choose me when the time comes, Masaomi."

The blond's breath caught at the last part. "How can you be certain?"

"Because you love me, and not him. Because no matter how well you know each other or the amount of time you spend together, it can't compare to what we have. Our relationship is complex. It began with fascination for each other, and then our emotions parted ways into loathing on your part and adoration on my part. Now you have returned my love, and we're happy together. Even if you grow to love him, you'll never be able to let go of me."

"I used to think that... But now I'm not so sure. It's not just about the sex anymore. I was humoring him with the whole boyfriend thing at first, but I like it now—I like him. I have feelings for him."

"You'll understand soon. That won't last much longer. We've been through so much—we built up my betrayal into trust once again; whether our arguments ended in tears or yelling or loss of contact for days, we pulled through. But there were even more good times: when we had sex for the first time; when you told me you loved me; those nights where we stayed up for hours talking. We're meant to be together, just the two of us. You merely haven't realized it yet." He rubbed the boy's hand with his thumb and shifted his head into the crook of Masaomi's neck.

"I can't leave him. If I did, he—"

"Might hurt himself?" Izaya finished calmly. "I'm aware of his instability. Roppi has many problems—including a significant fear of abandonment. Like me, you're the first person he's ever fallen in love with, which means he's become attached to and dependent on you. Leaving him could send him into a bout of extreme depression—"

"Is this supposed to make me want to leave him? Because it's doing the opposite," he interrupted. Those were the words that he didn't want to hear. He was constantly afraid that Roppi would do something reckless because of him—Izaya was confirming that belief.

The raven moved away to look at the blond. "I'll get to the point. Ending your relationship doesn't mean that you can't talk to and spend time with him. Sure, it might be awkward for awhile, but you're the best friend he's ever had. You and I are the only ones who truly understand him. If you want to remain friends, you can. Otherwise, you can gradually grow apart—ease him out of your friendship."

"But that—" Kida started. He cut off as he considered what the informant said—and his own feelings on the matter. He didn't love Roppi, and although he held onto the idea, he probably never would. He enjoyed his time with the elder Orihara, but he mostly stayed because he was worried about him—he wanted to help. "That...makes sense," he replied softly. "I'll talk to him tomorrow."

One corner of Izaya's mouth curled up. "Okay."

Masaomi leaned in and kissed him gently. He matched Izaya's smile after pulling away.

"What was that for?"

Kida shrugged. "I love you."

Izaya pecked his lips. "I love you too. Now let's get to bed."

The teen stood up and looked at the man, contemplating whether to offer his hand or pick him up. He held out his hand, only to watch as Izaya scooted away from the wall, fell onto his back with his feet in the air, and skillfully rolled forward and leapt into a crouching position, and then stood up straight. The informant took the still outstretched hand and pulled the shocked boy into a hug.

"That was impressive," Kida mumbled.

Izaya chuckled. "I can teach you another time. It's not difficult."

"Not for you, maybe. Normal people aren't on your skill level."

The informant tipped the boy's chin up and moved in. He breathed onto Kida's lips as he spoke. "So I'm abnormal?"

"Well, you're, um, above others in...many ways."

"Oh? Such as...?"

Masaomi swallowed nervously. "Um... You're strong and smart—and a good cook. You're handsome, really perceptive, and—um—amazing...in bed..." he stuttered. He wouldn't usually say those things, but he had a habit of blurting out whatever he was thinking when Izaya was close to him.

"Amazing?" He snaked a hand around Masaomi and grabbed his rear. "Allow me to put my skills to use," he whispered.

Kida swatted the hand away. "Not tonight. You're hurt, and I'm not in the mood to ride you."

"Aww, please?" Izaya pouted.

"No," he said firmly.

The informant smiled. "Laying down the law, hm? I like it."

"Quit that. You can sleep on the couch if you keep this up."

Izaya took a step back and crossed his arms. "You're no fun, Masaomi."

"For telling you not to engage in a highly strenuous activity mere hours after serious injuries? Then, yes, I'm no fun."

Izaya followed the boy to the bedroom and pushed Kida onto his back. He leaned on his good hand and kissed Masaomi slowly, delicately. A few minutes later, the boy's hand had drifted to his underwear—they'd removed their pants before entering the bed. Izaya pushed the hand aside. "I'm injured, Masaomi. Do you want me to get hurt?"

"You'll be fine," he mumbled.

"All you care about is sex, Masaomi." He rolled onto his back and winked at his young lover.

Masaomi caught on to what the man was doing. "You asshole."

"Goodnight, my love."

"Goodnight, bastard."

Roppi's stomach lurched. "What did you say?"

"I think we should break up." Kida reached for the man's hand, but he moved it away.

"Wh-why? What have I done wrong?" he questioned, holding back tears.

"You didn't do anything wrong. I can't keep leading you on when I love Izaya. I've finally realized that he's the one—the one I want to be with for the rest of my life. We've been through so much together, and—" Kida cut off. "I'm sorry that I have to do this, but it would be cruel for me to keep seeing you when Izaya holds my heart."

The eldest Orihara bolted to his feet and stood in front of the sitting boy. "This can't be. I can do better, Masaomi, I really can. It's him… It's him that's the problem. He always ruins everything—he's put me through so much pain. I won't let him take you from me!"

Kida successfully grabbed his hand. "Nobody is taking me from you. This is my decision, not his. I'm not leaving you completely. I'm severing our romantic relationship, but I still want to be—"

"Don't you dare say it," he hissed. "I don't want that. I don't want to be friends!" A few tears escaped his eyes. "I want to kiss you and tell you I love you; I want to fall asleep on the couch with you and go to bed with you in my arms."

"We can't do those things anymore, but I don't want to break contact with you. Please don't make this more difficult than it has to be."

"You aren't going to change your mind?"

"No," he replied softly.

"You're staying with him?"

"Yes."

"Well, there's only one thing to do, then." He pulled the boy off the couch and threw him onto the floor. "I'm sorry it has to end like this," he whispered. He whistled quietly, and watched as his leopard sat beside them, her gaze fixed on Masaomi. "Lie down." She obeyed. "Stay there. I'll only need you if Masaomi misbehaves." He hovered over the younger male as he pulled something out of his pocket.

Kida's eyes widened. "Roppi, what are you doing?" The blade in the man's hand slowly lowered. He dragged it flat across the teen's chest.

"Nobody else can have you. You're mine."

The blond's heart raced. "Think about this. Don't make a rash decision. I'll still see you, okay? I'll visit you all the time and we can eat and talk and watch movies. We'll be good friends. I won't abandon you—I care about you."

"Don't you see, Masaomi? We can't be together because you think you love Izaya." He stroked the boy's cheek and smiled. "But you don't really love him. You love me."

"R-Roppi, you're scaring me." He wanted to flinch away from the man's touch, but he didn't dare move.

Kida was the leader of the Yellow Scarves. He was clever and strong; he could easily take on Roppi—under normal circumstances. But the deranged gleam in the man's eyes, his twitching grin, told him that it would be best to talk his way out of the situation rather than fight. Besides that, he was fairly certain that Roppi had called over his exotic animal to take him down if he tried to escape.

"Don't be scared. We get to be together now. In the next life, Izaya won't be there to distract you. This is beautiful—something many dream of. You get to die in the arms of the one you love—we both do. We'll die together."

"I don't love you! Now let me go!" Despite his words, he remained still beneath his captor.

Roppi smiled. "Of course you love me, and you won't have to fight it anymore. We're going to be together forever." He kissed the boy briefly. "I love you, Masaomi." He pressed the knife to Kida's throat.

With a loud crack, Roppi's head twisted to the side. His limp body was tossed a few feet away. A low growl followed by an inhuman yelp and a thumping noise reached Masaomi's ears

Kida felt arms wrap around him, pulling him into a tight hug. He didn't have to look to know who his savior was; he already knew by his touch—by the way he was being held. Shaking, he climbed into the man's lap and clung to him. Kida finally allowed the built up tears to escape his eyes. He had been afraid, but couldn't let the unstable man see him weak.

Izaya petted his hair. "It's okay now. It's over."

"I-Izaya," he croaked. "I… I was so scared."

"You don't have to worry about being afraid anymore. I'll always be here to protect you. I will do anything to keep you safe."

Kida lifted his head to look over Izaya's shoulder at the motionless man lying on the ground. "You killed him," he whispered. "You killed your brother."

"He's not dead. I just broke his neck and knocked him out. He was trying to take you from me—permanently. I had no other choice." Izaya kissed his temple. "I will take out anyone who threatens you. No one will ever harm you while I'm around."

Kida looked behind him. "Did you kill her?"

"No. I shot her with a tranquilizer. I was afraid this would happen, so I followed you here, prepared to do what was necessary.

Masaomi pulled back and wiped his wet face on his sleeve, sniffling. He kissed his protector, running his fingers through the silky obsidian hair. The Oriharas valued family above all else, and Izaya had just snapped his brother's neck to save him—an obnoxious kid who occasionally showed affection towards his boyfriend—when the other initiated, who whined about insignificant matters, and barely expressed his gratitude when Izaya spoiled him. He didn't deserve Izaya. "You have so many reasons to leave me, but you don't. Why are you still with me? Why do you go to such great lengths to protect me?"

The informant took the teen's face in his hands and pressed their foreheads together. "Because I love you."

"But... Why? Why am I so special?"

"It's as if a part of me is missing when you're away; I constantly think about you; your smile brightens my day and your laugh reminds me everything will be alright because we're together. When you're with me, nothing else matters. I love you more than you could ever imagine, and simply thinking about a life without you is unbearable. Now that I've found you, I'll never let you go. I will love you for as long as I am living, and if there is an afterlife, I will love you then, too."

Kida started to cry again. Not for the first time, he wished that he could put his feelings to words as eloquently as his boyfriend. "I never want to be without you. I love you." He paused. "What are we going to do with him? Is he paralyzed?"

"No. I didn't break any of the vertebrae that can cause paralysis. If he's moved in a certain way, however, he may lose some control of his arms, so I'll have to be careful."

"What if he wakes up?"

"I gave him a tranquilizer, as well, after I broke his neck. He and Dai won't be conscious for hours. I'm going to call Shinra and make arrangements to get him there and figure out what to do with the cat. I'll be right back." He lifted the boy off of his lap and walked out the front door.

Masaomi crawled forward and sat cross-legged next to Roppi's head. Careful not to shift its position, he softly brushed through the dark hair. "I wish you hadn't done this, Roppi, because I love you. I don't love you in a romantic sense, but as one would love a friend. I really wanted to continue being friends."

He lay down on his side and grabbed one of the older male's hands. "You're a good person, and I hope you'll realize that one day. But I won't be around to help you figure that out because of what you've done." He moved the hair away from Roppi's face. "I want to stay by your side, but I can't. Izaya will never let you get near me again. But I'm afraid that you'll do something to hurt yourself since I won't be around anymore. I don't know how yet, but I'll find a way to keep you from hurting yourself."

"He's going to stay in a psychiatric ward for a while, under the care of esteemed psychiatrists and psychologists." Masaomi sat up to see Izaya sitting on the couch. "I'm going to get a court order to keep him there, since he is an adult, and could otherwise check himself out. He won't be there for more than a few months. I'm not going to alert authorities of what he's done, so he won't face any jail time. You can visit him when he's healthy enough in mind and body. The Oriharas do not abandon family members. Hachimenroppi is depressed and lonely; that's why he's done this. I hate that he nearly killed you, but I will not harm him, and I will eventually forgive him, seeing as you already have. He'll be in great pain once he comprehends that he tried to murder the one he loves; that will be enough punishment for him."

Masaomi wiped his eyes and smiled as he stood. He took a seat on Izaya's lap and kissed his boyfriend's cheek. "You know, you're more caring than I give you credit for."

"If it had been anyone else, they'd be dead. But Hachimenroppi is my brother. I would only kill him if it were the sole way to save you."

"I love you so much."

"I love you too."

Masaomi heard car doors shut outside. He sat on the couch and watched as Izaya delicately slipped a brace around his brother's neck and lifted him onto a gurney. He said a few words to the men, and then looked at Kida. "I'm not sure if I can find anyone who'll take care of a snow leopard. I could maybe give her to a zoo."

Masaomi knelt in front of the cat and stroked her soft fur. "She and Roppi have a strong bond. Before me, Dai kept him from being alone. I want him to have her as support when he leaves the hospital, so we can't sell her off." He looked up at the man with pleading eyes. "Can we take care of her?"

"In an apartment in a city?"

"There's a heavily wooded area a few kilometers outside of Shinjuku that we could take her to every once in a while. I've seen Roppi take care of her, and it isn't much different from having a house cat. Please, Izaya?"

Masaomi smiled, and Izaya sighed. He couldn't say no. "Only until Roppi is well enough to take her back."

Kida jumped to his feet and wrapped his arms around the older male. "You're the best."

Masaomi looked out the windows to the stormy sky and stroked soft fur. He glanced down at the purring snow leopard and smiled. "I'm not sure if I'll be able to give you up, Dai."

The cat's ears lifted when the front door shut. Masaomi took a deep breath as his boyfriend walked towards him. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"I can't abandon him." He stood up and grabbed Izaya's hand. "I want to see how he's doing and give him a chance to apologize."

"You're a kind person, Masaomi." He guided the boy towards their front door.

"I know what it's like to feel worthless and lonely. His grief drove him to do something he would never think of doing in any other situation."

Izaya waited for Masaomi to get in the car, and then took off.

"Izaya, why are you tense?" Kida asked, concerned.

"I'm afraid that he'll upset you. I don't want you to have high expectations only to see them struck down."

"Even if he does upset me, I'll have you to comfort me."

Izaya smiled. "Of course. I want you to always remember that I love you, and that will never change."

Masaomi matched the informant's grin. "I love you too." He stared out the window at the approaching hospital and kept his smile, knowing that, no matter what happened with Roppi today, Izaya would be there waiting for him.

Two truths held him together in the darkest of times. Whether he was crying, screaming, smiling, or laughing, these truths remained. The two truths were that Izaya would always love him, and he would always love Izaya.

Sorry for the lame ending. I suck at closing up stories, especially the last line. Anyway, that was the end! Let me know what you guys thought. As always, I have another IzaKida fic lined up. I'll post the first chapter in a week or two.

Thanks for all of you who read this crazy story to the end. :)