A/N: What? A Chapter?

Surprise! Happy first of October! I finished this mostly for Kanra but I guess the rest of you can enjoy it to...

I'm kidding! Namirona for everyone! Adorableness for all. I'm in a dopey mood, talking to Kanra does that to me. Also I have a fever so I'm delirious~

ENJOY!

You know that feeling you get when you already know something bad is going to happen and you're dreading it because you really really don't want it to happen, but at the same time you wish the world could just get on with it already because the stress is killing you?

Well, that was about where Namie was at that moment.

Currently she was holled up in Izaya's Ikebukuro apartment, staring at the piles of notes she'd collected while burying her fingers in her long brown hair. It was a sign of stress she didn't commonly show. Usually, she liked to appear pulled together, leaving the volatile mood swings to her employer.

She'd been elated that morning after talking to Murra the Witch Doctor, but after talking to Shinra, her enthusiasm was somewhat lacking. He'd been pretty clear about what he thought Izaya's chances were with the Witch Doctor. Despite how little Namie trusted Shinra, she knew that he knew what he was talking about. So I sent Izaya on a pointless trip that's only going to result in further disappointment, this is just peachy.

But that was fine, right? She'd be just fine.

If this doesn't work though, the problem's only going to get bigger. And now Namie had to face the fact that at some point, she could get looped into this crazy as well in a much more alarming way. That's stupid, I don't have a soulmate. Izaya and Shizuo, that I can understand. Me and someone else, no.

Namie didn't have time for a soulmate. Besides, she reasoned, if she'd had one, it would have already shown. After all, if she was tied to Izaya by strings of fate, wouldn't those strings be pretty strong at this point? Ah, what twisted webs we weave… A tired and rueful smile crept over the woman's lips at the thought.

It was at that moment that her phone rang.

At first Namie ignored it. Her head was already too full to deal with yet another phone call, another person who needed something done. But after a moment more of procrastination, Namie sighed and grabbed for her phone from across the old table.

Without even looking down, Namie put it on speaker phone. "Yagiri Namie speaking, what can I do for you?"

"Namie, yes wonderful, I wasn't sure you'd pick up. Not that you wouldn't seeing as that would be stupid." At the sound of that voice, Namie sat bolt upright. Oh shit, Murra…

"Murra-san," Namie said slowly, staring straight ahead, her body ridgid. "Dare I ask why you are calling me? I do believe we already sorted everything o-"

"See here's the thing," There was the sound of someone yelling in the background, followed by Murra's yell to shut the hell up you old hag! Namie decided she had better things to do than question it. "I got a feel for what I was looking at, worked some magic and… Well…"

Gritting her teeth together, Namie pushed out in a falsely calm voice, "What?"

"Well, they're both unconscious."

Taking a moment to unpack that loaded statement, Namie put a hand to her temple. "Okay, back up, both? Who else is there, I though I just sent Izaya."

"His soulmate tagged along. Or rather forced Izaya to let him come. Probably the second one."

Someone in the background yelled "It's neither you fool!"

Letting that information sink in, Namie just listened as Murra recounted, "He's so wonderfully honest, why couldn't Izaya be more like him? Your idiot is just a mess."

"He's not my idiot," Namie corrected sharply, disliking the idea of having any sort of responsibility for Izaya. Or at least, any more responsibility than had already been foisted upon her. "He's Heiwajima idiot. I don't want him."

"Who would?" The voice in the background screeched again. "He's just a bundle of angst!" Whoever was talking, Namie had to agree with them. But she had a duty to her employer to figure out what the hell was going on so she decided to do her job.

"What does that mean, them both being unconscious?" Namie asked slowly, praying that it wasn't actually, as she suspected, some terrible sign of everything failing and going to shit. "You're calling me so I have to assume it's bad."

"That is an understatement!" Murra said joyfully, as if Namie's and Izaya's collective suffering was the best thing he'd seen all day. "It's simply terrible, but there's nothing you can do so I decided to call. You should probably prepare yourself mentally."

"Just tell me what the hell is going on!" Namie snapped, unable to keep herself from burying her fingers in her hair in frustration. "Is Izaya okay?"

"Oh he'll live. He's just unconscious," Murra reassured her, though it didn't sound particularly comforting. "I'm just saying, the magic didn't work. If it had, he'd just be strung out, not out period."

"That is just so relieving," Namie deadpanned while inside she groaned. God, now I've got to find something else, shit. I thought I had this one. Damnit! "I'm glad he's not dead. I'm simply a little irritated. You said it would work."

"Ah but you underestimate the power of their bond," Murra pointed out as if she should have known this from the beginning. "This sort of thing does not simply vanish Namie, not when it's this bad."

"What the hell is that even supposed to mean?" Namie barked, unable to stand Murra's rambling way of speech for a moment longer. "So it didn't work, so what? I'm just back to square one."

"That would be nice, but there will be repercussions after my meddling. It's only natural. Fate and Karma are friends Namie, they like to go hand in hand." As if he were deliberately trying to wind her up further, Murra hummed delightedly. "Of course they'll have a bit of a breather, fate is not always cruel, but I would give up while you can."

Ignoring the second part of Murra's statement, Namie softly ground out, "Okay, so what exactly are these repercussions?"

"Another symptom will likely appear within the next twenty-four hours and I have little doubt that it will be a powerful one. The fluctuations messing about in his soul are too great to have any other effect." Murra took a breath before adding, "Oh yes, and you should really be ready for the worst."

"Wait, what?" Namie demanded, clutching at her phone tightly as if she could wring this irritating Witch Doctor's neck through it. God, I'm acting like Izaya's boyfriend. Forcing herself to loosen her grip on the unassuming electronic device, Namie took several deep breaths. "Please Murra-san, I wish to know what exactly you meant by me getting ready for the worst."

"I'd expect a symptom to show up any moment now," Murra commented as if this was routine. "Your life is about to become very hard Namie, but trust me, you'll get through it in one piece. Izaya, eh, debatable."

"Y-you mean I have a soulmate?" Namie managed, before laughing weakly. "Now you see Murra-san, that's a good one. But you're wrong. I don't have a soulmate and I never will." She said it with such conviction, she almost believed in herself. He's just trying to trick me into thinking things are falling apart, I won't let that happen.

"While your denial was expected, I'm disappointed in you Namie," Murra said with a sigh. "You'll find her quite agreeable I'm sure, definitely not the type to manipulate you or throw a vending machine at your face. Consider yourself lucky."

Namie was about to open her mouth to protest but in the end, she couldn't help but find herself agreeing with this much. No one can be quite as horrible as Izaya and probably Shizuo. But she had a soulmate and suddenly, any sense of calm was shattered.

"Lucky?" Namie's laugh sounded strangled. "No, you see this is the opposite of lucky. This is actually pretty horrible why are you even telling me this at all?!" Taking several short breaths that were supposed to be deep and calming but in reality only left her more stressed, Namie muttered, "You have to be wrong."

"Ahah, nope, never been wrong before," Murra said jovially. "Not since Eighty-Three and you really can't blame me for that one, Isabella had the sniffles." Completely ignoring Namie's stunned silence. "So excluding that disaster, yes, I am absolutely certain you have a soulmate. Don't panic though, that tends to exacerbate the problems."

Oh hell, Namie thought weakly. I knew I shouldn't have helped that bastard. This'll teach me to be soft. It's okay, just remain calm, just stay calm- "I thought you were supposed to be the one maKING THESE THINGS STOP!" she shrieked, unable to stop herself. "YOU SAID THAT THIS WOULD ALL BE OVER!"

Murra tutted at her as if he were in a position to do so. "Now now young lady," he chided reprovingly, his tone level, if still maniacal. "I said there was a high probability of it all being over. I can't guarantee anything." There was a loud, long meow from the other end of the line. "No Feathers, go bother Isabella!"

"CAN YOU STOP ARguing with your bloody CAT and pay attention!" Namie demanded, getting to her feet so she could pace over the tiny kitchen. Modulating her voice and almost succeeding in doing the same with her breathing, Namie continued, "So I, apparently, because I'm suck in this godforsaken world and also happen to work with that bastard Izaya, have a soulmate. And she, you did say she didn't you?" The secretary decided to worry about this small detail later. "Is not as bad as Izaya or his wonderful 'oh Namie-san, don't be ridiculous, I hate him, there's no way we'd ever date'. Am I getting this right?"

"Pretty much," Murra agreed cheerfully, as though he was somehow beginning to enjoy this. "Now I'm going to hand the phone over to Isabella because I need to make sure these two aren't dying. Gil and Munk don't seem to think they're dead but then, they've been wrong before!" Before Namie could say anything to this, another voice came crackling through the speakers.

"You're panic and fear is transferring through the cell signal, calm down," complained the voice of Isabella, presumably. "I've heard falling in love is completely normal, not that I would know of course."

"Shut up hag, you were head over heals for me!" Murra yelled, the phone picking up his voice. Namie just kneaded her temples with her free hand and took steadying breaths. This can't be happening, I don't need this.

"Excuse me, if you could pause your matrimonial discord for a moment," Namie began, her voice strained. "Isabella, please, what exactly is going to happen?" Nevermind that she'd rather believe that it was all a load of horse crap, Namie knew better than to disregard this sort of thing. Look at what had happened to Izaya after all…

"Finally, some manners." Isabella sounded pleased. "Now that we can have a civil conversation, you want to know exactly what's about to happen? Well, it's not going to be even half as bad as what's happening to Izaya here. You'll only have one symptom, though it will likely be something annoying. Thankfully, you should know within the next half hour."

Absorbing the information and stowing it away so she could freak out later, Namie carefully asked, "What can I do about it? Or is there nothing to do but just accept it." She didn't want a soulmate, didn't even know how someone like her could have one but if push came to shove… Namie groaned internally. No, she was kidding herself, she didn't want to have to deal with this.

"I heard that!" Isabella crowed. "You can try and do the same thing the idiot you set to us tried to do but I already know you don't want to risk it." Namie blanched because that had been exactly what she was thinking of. Before her mind could even begin to go down another path, Isabella made a loud sound. "And don't even bother trying to find something else because you know as well as I do we're the only ones."

Frustrated with how easily this woman apparently read minds, Namie growled, "So what do I do then? Just let it happen? Put my life on hold while I run around, trying to find my soulmate?" The thought alone made her grind her teeth in annoyance. She didn't have time for that, nor did she have the patience.

"Oh you won't have to," the old woman reassured, her tone bright like she was happy to be handing to Namie what felt like a death sentence. "Trust me, she'll find you just fine. And what you choose to do is up to you. If constant denial is your thing have at it."

"But…" Namie prompted, sensing the unfinished nature of the sentence. Yup, why not make it worse for myself…

"But you won't, because fate doesn't hate you as much as your friends over here," Isabella told her, as if this were supposed to be comforting. "It'll all turn out fine, or it won't! Far be it from me to tell you how best not to screw up horri- MURRA I'M THIS CLOSE TO KILLING YOU, DON'T DO THAT!"

"YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE ME WOMAN!" Deciding that she'd gotten all the useful information she could out of the two, Namie simply hung up. Exhausted, both physically and mentally at this point, the woman simply slipped the phone into her pocket before letting out something that sounded like a laugh and a sob.

After everything that she'd done, after how much she'd gone through simply to do the right thing and not laugh as Izaya was entirely destroyed by his own bad luck and sheer fate, Namie had been taken down by the same problem. I'm not supposed to be dealing with this, this isn't supposed to happen to me…

But no, instead there was a girl somewhere in Ikebukuro or the surrounding area that just so happened to be her soulmate. Namie took a moment to think about the fact that it was in fact a woman she was bonded to and not a man before deciding she didn't care. She'd only ever been attracted to one person in her life and that had ended in unmitigated disaster and eternal embarrassment. Even if she had been oppressively straight, this would have still been a step up.

So at some point in the future, I'm probably either going to have an unsolvable problem or a girlfriend. Oh this is so not the time for this… Because whether or not she really wanted a relationship was besides the point, heck, it wasn't even a point she'd thought through in the last year, Namie just didn't have time! She still had Izaya's issues to think about, plus the rest of the city, which was also collectively losing its goddamned mind.

And all that aside, what would a relationship like that entail because Namie sure as heck didn't need someone showering her with roses. God, it's probably some intolerable ditz who I'm going to despise. If it was possible to despise your soulmate, thus far Namie hadn't exactly had the best selection of role models. Izaya claimed he hated Shizuo but honestly, who believed them anymore?

But returning to the original problem, Namie was screwed.

And just like that she was back to panicking!

I have a soulmate, this is just peachy! I'm so screwed. I'm so entirely and totally and completely-

Hold on, remain calm, is probably not so bad.

Unsure why her own mental dialogue now sounded Russian but entirely willing to believe it was a symptom of working around crazy for so long, Namie prayed for more patience or possibly just a swift and painless death. Yes it is that bad, she thought tiredly, not even caring how useless arguing with herself was. I have a soulmate.

Ah, soulmate! Though familiar in part, perhaps it could be explained a bit better.

Well, she had to agree with herself, thinking it through logically again would probably help. So it's like this, she thought, resisting the urge to say it out loud because come on, she wasn't that insane yet. Having a soulmate really just means you have an intense bond with a single person. Most people would call it chemistry or a spark, but it's actually just fate.

Just fate, Namie's mind agreed, still with that Russian accent because apparently why the hell not? But connection is singular to potential relationship.

More like inevitable relationship or otherwise, lots and lots of pain and agony. At least, that's what I've heard. But as she thought it, Namie felt herself calm down because this whole soulmate epidemic was proof enough that plenty of people had the same problem and never suffered once. Apparently, going entirely insane and talking to oneself had its benefits.

So if one has soulmate, one would manifest signs? Namie nodded along to the question, almost managing a smile. Man, for a voice in her head, that oddly stilted japanese was adorable.

Yeah, she agreed, feeling her body loosen as she continued to think it out. Signs. Symptoms if you will. Different things that that connection causes to help point you in the right direction. Usually, both soulmates will show the sign simultaneously. Like everything that had happened to Izaya, most of which was still stressing Namie out. No, don't think about it!

Does no good to stress over irritating man. He has Shizuo-senpai guarding over any less than optimal decisions. Well, Namie couldn't argue with herself there. It did confuse her to hear her own mind refer to Shizuo as Shizuo-senpai but she wasn't going to question it. Besides, she was tired of stressing over Izaya constantly. What happened had already happened and whatever was going to happen wasn't going to not happen because she worried about it.

Sorry, Namie thought, never once questioning the sanity of apologizing to herself. Izaya's the one who started all this. I was just trying to help him but I guess it all backfired in the end. Feeling yet another headache coming on, Namie sighed. That'll teach me to play good Samaritan.

Actions were admirable, unfortunately, world is not kind, that Russian voice comforted. Namie wondered briefly why she couldn't have always had an understanding Russian narrating her thoughts. It was definitely a lot better than her usual fatalistic inner dialogue. But returning to soulmates…

Oh yeah, symptoms, right. Closing her eyes and leaning against the counter, Namie took a deep breath, despite not having said a word of this aloud, and continued. So there are lots of these signs to tell if you're soulmates with someone. Some are more powerful than others though. The less intrusive ones are things like your watch freezing at the moment you meet your soulmate or finding their name written in glowing letters on your wrist.

But others possess potential danger plus undeniable inconvenience. Namie smiled ruefully at that, remembering Izaya's panicked yells that Shizuo had almost pulled him off a building. Because Namie is having soulmate, chance for negative consequences is present.

Yeah, pretty much, Namie agreed tiredly with herself, even as she felt her heart finally return to normal.

Except possibly, nothing bad will occur? That brought Namie's head up because if she was being honest with herself, she'd been thinking worst case scenario since she'd received the news of her soulmate. But the voice in her head was right, chances were it wasn't going to be that bad. Sure she had a lot to deal with and not much time to go talking to her one true love but that didn't mean she was going to suffer for it.

That's a fair point actually. Most soulmate cases don't turn out like Izaya's and Shizuo's. And I'm only going to get one symptom. Heck, I even know what it is already. Her spirits kept rising as she thought it through. So already all the things that make other situations so nerve-wracking are things I don't even have to deal with!

Proudly, almost as if something great had been accomplished, the Russian voice purred, I am much pleased, was worried you would remain in turmoil. Is calm not better? Laughing despite herself, Namie bowed her head.

It's a lot better.

Excellent, is good that radio in my head is happy. Would have been most unfortunate to have a panicked radio, does not make for happy existence.

Namie's blood froze and her mouth dropped open as the dawning realization hit her like a tank.

Oh shit.

But wait, that voice that Namie was forced to admit didn't make any fucking sense to be in her brain echoed in confusion. Was calm mere moments ago. Is Namie radio distressed for separate reason?

Oh shit.

Please, let us not return to panic, it increases volume by magnitudes. A headache will be inevitable unless peace is achieved.

Oh SHIT!

Namie's heart sped up until it started to hurt because shit shit shit that woman had as good as told her that she'd be cursed with mind reading and that kind of thing happened to work both ways and oh yeah, what had she said about it being worse with stress? Frantically, Namie ran back to her computer and tried to access her files on this symptom even though her hands were shaking.

What is wrong? The loud voice of god knew who echoed in Namie's brain, making her head flair up in pain. Must stop panicking, is causing me much concern. Please, what is at issue here?

We're soulmates. The thought was a weak one but it was all Namie could muster. Drawing her hands back away from the keyboard, the woman shook her head and let out a soft, disbelieving laugh. We're soulmates. Do you understand what that means? We. Are-

Soulmates? The Russian woman on the other end of the bond that Namie was forced to accept existed sounded confused. Is not possible.

Oh you had better fucking believe it, Namie thought, her mind strengthening as the fear was replaced with something approaching frustration at the universe. We're soulmates and I don't have any time for this because I have things to do. But we can't change it so you had better get used to it. Glaring at her computer screen like it had personally wronged her, Namie forced her hands to steady.

I did not realize being soulmates with radio in head was possible.

Namie's mouth dropped open for the second time in as many minutes before she snapped it shut and decided to roll with it. You know what, yes, I am the radio in your head. You can call me Namie or something. She'd put the woman straight once she'd dealt with the rest of the world's problems. Or possibly found a solution for her own.

Hello Namie, is pleasing to make acquaintance. I am Vorona. I have never spoken with radios before. If she'd had more space to think about it, Namie might have thought about how goddamned adorable that slightly clueless yet ever so stoic voice was. But she had more important things to do, including possible damage control after what happened with Izaya had been messed up and just generally figuring out what the hell to do next. She could think about the voice in her head later.

"Vorona," Namie said aloud, only just barely sparing the brain power to realize that this was the name of the person she was fated to be with for the rest of her life. It's nice to meet you Vorona.

Damnit, she needed more than a pay raise for all this, she needed a vacation.

~•~

Shizuo's head hurt.

The last thing he remembered was some cold shit that glowed like Izaya being smeared on his eyes before everything went hazy. Shit, shit shit shit, that was to make us not soulmates anymore, wasn't it. Fuck, FUCK! Resisting the urge to hit something, Shizuo tried to peel his eyes open. He failed.

So it worked, didn't it? I don't hear Izaya… Except he couldn't see the man either and more importantly than actually figuring out what the hell was going on, he wanted to make sure Izaya was okay. He tried to hear Izaya's breathing but all that was audible was an intense ringing in his ears.

And then all he could think about was the last thought he'd heard from Izaya. Eager to be rid of me? It hurt because even though Shizuo currently felt like his limbs were made of lead, like his eyes were glued shut and like his ears were turned off, all he wanted was to make sure Izaya was okay. Because it took everything ending for Shizuo to realize how much he didn't want it to stop.

Fuck, he wanted Izaya to stay his soulmate, if only so they'd have to stick around each other. He didn't want to have to deal with never seeing Izaya again. The thought hurt and Shizuo wasn't even completely sure why. He cared far too much and now he was being forced to wonder if it was more than just simple concern for Izaya's well being. This is better for him. And even though the thought hurt, Shizuo clung to it.

Expending more effort than he probably had before in his life, Shizuo dragged open his eyes. Instantly he was met with a face full of cat. As if trying to help, the hairless monstrosity, who currently had its claws hooked into the front of his uniform, licked at his eyes. Oddly enough, the horrible scratching feeling seemed to free up the thing that had been keeping him from opening his eyes previously.

"gOOd!" That annoying voice was Murra's. "Finally, you've woken up. And here I thought it would take forever." Carefully pushing the cat off of him, Shizuo looked at the man.

And realized that not only was everything still bright red, but Izaya was laying over the arm of the couch, body tensed and eyes rolled back in his head till only the whites were visible. Sweat was visible on his brow and now that he was paying attention, Shizuo could feel Izaya's body shaking. Despite this, the man didn't move, like he was frozen in agony.

Though it might have been redundant, Shizuo saw red.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO TO HIM?!" Shizuo surged off the couch and had Murra pinned to his wall by the neck in less than a second. Bric a brac and junk galore fell around them, making an unholy din that did nothing to compare to the roaring in Shizuo's head. The more he woke up, the more conscious on the muffled screams on the fringes of his mind Shizuo became. Izaya's in pain, he's in pain and it's the fault of this piece of shit!

"Now now, don't get your panties in a twi-" Shizuo didn't let the man finish, he just slammed him against the wall again. They'd come to get fucking fixed but nothing, as far as Shizuo could tell, had chanced. Except for Izaya who looked like a fucking torture victim. "Oh hey," Murra mumbled, his eyes looking a little unfocused. "That hurt."

"DAMN RIGHT IT DID," Shizuo thundered, his blood pumping so hard he almost couldn't hear anything else. "FUCKING FIX HIM!"

Though he was likely suffering from a concussion at this point, Murra held up his hands. "Don't be so unreasonable Shizuo, there's nothing I can do!" Shizuo wanted so bad to just crush the man's windpipe right then and there. If he couldn't do anything to help Izaya, then why fucking not, huh?

"HE'S IN PAIN!"

"AND HE WILL KEEP BEING IN PAIN UNTIL YOU CALM DOWN AND STOP STRANGLING MY HUSBAND!" At that shriek, Shizuo actually paused. Fury and terror and pain was still coursing through his system but he still managed to turn his head to find Isabella standing in front of him waving a melted spatula. "IS WHAT I'M SAYING GETTING THROUGH TO THAT NEANDERTHAL BRAIN OF YOURS?"

Breathing heavily, smoke almost literally coming out of his nose, Shizuo stared at the woman, still not putting Murra down. "Make. Izaya. Stop. Hurting," he demanded in a murderous voice. Almost like he really was the monster Izaya had always made him out to be. "Make him fucking wake up, right fucking now!"

"The only reason he's in that state is because of you!" Isabella snapped. Those words, uttered in such a cold and furious and above all certain tone almost stopped Shizuo's heart. Fuck. Without it even managing to be a conscious decision, Shizuo let go of Murra. The battered man fell to the floor where he lay retching among his fallen trinkets.

"There, that wasn't so hard," Isabella commented. "The only reason that boy is in so much pain is because you and your skill at hurting him, inside and out, managed to make the process painful." She shrugged at that point and tapped her arm with her spatula. "Well, that and he's rejecting the magic."

"So it was your fault!" Shizuo growled, attempting to ignore the guilt tearing him apart from inside because fuck, she was right, when had he ever done anything but hurt Izaya? "You're shitty Witch Doctor crap fucked him up!"

"Oh calm down!" she demanded, her craggy face screwed up in a scowl. "Look, he's doing better already." And, true enough, when Shizuo turned around, he found that Izaya's body had relaxed and his eyes had closed properly. There was still muffled whimpers of pain at the fringes of Shizuo's mind, but Isabella was right, he was no longer in agony. "See, he's fine. If you'd just not flip every single time he sniffles, we'd be doing a whole lot better."

Torn between taking his frustration out on the wall, yelling at the Witch Doctors some more and running to Izaya, Shizuo just stood there, still furious. "I'm not-"

"Oh yes you are!" Tottering over to where Murra was still recuperating on the floor, Isabella said, "You see you old bird-brain, this is why you don't antagonize the strong ones."

"I didn't antagonize him you witch," Murra hacked out. "I told him the truth and you're an idiot if you think this is my fault. He's the one who lost it just because his soulmate was in a little agony."

A little fucking- Shizuo took a calming breath. "When is he going to wake up?" he demanded, finally drawing the attention of the two Witch Doctors once more. Reaching out for Izaya's mind, Shizuo was at least partially relieved to find that he was no longer in pain. That being said, the Blond could physically see the tremors still wracking his body. "When is he going to stop fucking shaking?"

"Eh, a few minutes, give or take an hour," Isabella assured him. "But I've got to warn you boy, nothing has changed. If anything, your symptoms are going to get worse. A lot worse." Closing her milky eyes, the woman leaned back against the fireplace next to Murra. "And I don't think you're ready for it."

Feeling his stomach drop, if only for Izaya's sake, Shizuo clenched his fists. "You mean there are going to be more symptoms." God, Izaya's going to freak out. Shizuo knew it was true, Izaya wanted nothing more to do with Shizuo, had thought that he was getting out of this unscathed, but he wasn't. Fuck, I feel responsible for this.

"You should feel responsible for it!" Isabella told him without opening her wizened eyes. "It's your fault he was in pain and it's definitely going to be your fault if the next several days cause him pain. Knowing you, Izaya won't survive it."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Shizuo growled, hating that he felt lost and useless. If Izaya had been awake, he'd have been able to understand all the hidden undertones of their words. Shizuo just felt like he was floundering. Like a mouse dropped into a bucket of water, all he could do was swim or drown. "What do you mean he's not going to survive it?"

Isabella's expression went stony. Getting to her feet, leaving her husband to take slow, deep breaths, the woman walked closer to Shizuo. "Sometimes, I don't think you understand just how precious and valuable the light you've been given is. Izaya is more fragile than you'll give him credit for and stronger than you can believe. When he's fine, he's impenetrable, but when he cracks, he shatters."

To Shizuo's ears, her words sounded prophetic. "I'm tired of breaking him, I don't want him to shatter," the man said, voice bordering on desperate. "I'm sorry I threw off the spell because I didn't want it to end as much as Izaya, I never-"

"That part wasn't you," Murra croaked from the floor as he finally stood up. "The magic wasn't going to work anyway, I could tell from the moment I clapped eyes on you. The dullahan that activated your connection might have had some strong magic, but the bond between the two of you is thicker than most." He waved his hand dismissively. "You two were already screwed."

Shizuo ground his teeth together. "He's still going to be upset. I just want it to stop hurting him."

Isabella snapped her fingers. "Then you listen to me and you listen to me well, Izaya needs your patience, he needs your sympathy, but above all, he needs to know that he isn't somehow worth less than you."

Shizuo gave her a confused look at that. "I'm pretty sure he already knows that."

"Don't you give me that," she ordered sharply. "If he tells you to get on your knees then you damn well better do it and if he's kneeling at your feet then I want you there next to him as well. Never leave him alone, not unless you're still there. He's your light to preserve so don't mess it up!"

Taken aback by the veracity of her tone, Shizuo nodded, swallowing hard. "He's not going to want to ever see me again," he told her, unsure why he was arguing with a blind Witch Doctor but feeling very much like he had to. "He's going to run."

"Then you run after him," Murra supplied before Isabella could jump in. "And when he keeps running you run until you catch him. And if he tries anything stupid, you had better say your prayers because you do not want to know how this turns out if he dies."

Blood chilling, Shizuo grit his teeth together against the horrifying images. "I won't let him," he promised, finding just how much he meant it. "I really fucking care about him, even if he doesn't want anything to do with me."

"You'd be surprised how conflicted he is," Isabella told Shizuo offhandedly, walking back to her caldron. "The tables are going to be turning before you know it. Or maybe they won't, maybe you really will screw it up." Cackling at that, she dipped her melted spatula back into the pot and began stirring once again. "But how would I know, I'm just the Witch Doctor."

"Ignore her," Murra scoffed. "He'll be waking up soon by the way. And it'll probably still be painful, and you know, you should probably be there for him when he wakes up. Or whatever it is that soulmates do these days."

At those words, Shizuo was instantly beside Izaya. With careful, gentle hands, Shizuo lifted the man back onto the couch so he wasn't slumped over so drastically. As if awakened by his touch, Izaya made a soft groaning sound and started trying to blink eyes that Shizuo knew from experience wouldn't open right away.

Struggling to keep his mind blank, to not overreact over Izaya when he was acting so fragile and vulnerable, Shizuo waited patiently. He could hear Murra muttering something to Isabella but he ignored them in favor of sitting down beside Izaya and carefully holding the man upright. A moment passed, then two. Finally, Izaya opened his eyes.

Blinking hazy red orbs that glowed like the sun, Izaya softly managed, "Shizu- Shizu-chan…" He couldn't deny it, just hearing Izaya's voice made him feel better. He was fucked, Shizuo realized. Well and truly fucked.

Then Izaya's eyes widened and Shizuo instantly knew why. He didn't even have to see inside Izaya's mind, he just could tell. Though he knew it was going to cause a torrent of pain and emotion, Shizuo also knew that he had to tell the man what was going on at some point. Drawing a heavy breath, Shizuo attempted to pull himself together so he could think, It didn't work.

He was expecting anger. He was expecting sorrow. He was expecting fear, panic, and a whole host of other negative feelings to come pouring off of Izaya the moment the thought left him. Instead, all Shizuo got was a blanket of relief. Unable to understand, he just stared at the man for a moment.

"I… It figures," Izaya said softly before turning away from the Blond. Except Shizuo still could see his mind and Izaya was far from calm. But it was something other than the agony of depression, no, Izaya was almost… happy. "So," Izaya muttered, turning to Murra. "Tell me what happened. Because I'm still seeing in gold and I can still hear Shizu-chan's thoughts."

"You want the short answer or the long answer," Murra quipped, still rubbing at the red marks around his throat. "Because I can give you an essay, or I can give you the abridged one sentence version."

"I want the truth," Izaya told him, his eyes hard. "Why do I hurt everywhere?"

"Well, the long and the short of it is," Murra shrugged. "It failed."

And there was the disappointment. Not as intense as Shizuo would have expected but still it trickled in like water through rocks. "So we're still soulmates," Izaya said slowly, his breathing purposeful as if he were trying to keep himself steady. "And still showing symptoms."

"Well you tell me princess," Murra grumbled. "And make sure to ask your prince over there too while your at it because he almost put me in a damn coma." Glancing sharply at Shizuo, Izaya tiredly thought, What did you do to him?

I reminded him not to mess around with you, Shizuo thought back, hardly sparing a moment for the little spike of surprise that came from Izaya. Especially since you were catatonic and twitching in pain. He tried to suppress the horrible feelings of anger and fear that had jumped at the idea. Damnit, I couldn't just sit here and do nothing!

Unexpectedly, Izaya shifted. With a slow purpose in his movements, he leaned his weight against Shizuo. It wasn't anything big, but it made Shizuo's heart to uncomfortable flips in his chest. Calm down you beast, he thought softly. I've lived through worse. Aloud, he said, "So give me the long version, why didn't it work?"

With a great huffing breath, Murra crossed his arms. "The magic is too strong, your body rejected it. All I've done is leave everything going on with your fate a mess. It's probably going to get worse."

Again, Izaya didn't react as expected, he simply nodded. Yes he felt defeated, but Shizuo felt him press closer to him and all that tension just seemed to leak away. Izaya, what's this supposed to be? I thought you wanted nothing more to do with me… Blunt and to the point, but there was no need to be beating around bushes, now was there?

Well it's not like I'm going to be getting away from you now, is it? Sparing the Blond a rueful smile, Izaya tilted his head. "When you say worse, how much worse are we talking?"

Murra, who seemed pleasantly surprised by Izaya's calm, scratched his chin. "I'd say several powerful symptoms. You'll wake up with one tomorrow, I can guarantee that." As he spoke, Izaya simply hung his head as though he wasn't even going to fight it anymore. "There could be other repercussions, there might not be. You might get some fluctuations of certain pre-existing symptoms but you'll live."

"It could be much worse," Izaya agreed. "Is there anything else you can do?" It was one last ditch effort, Shizuo could tell, but he almost hoped that there was something. Because he hated seeing this defeated expression on Izaya's face but by the same token, he could do nothing to change it.

"Sorry but there's nothing," Murra told him frankly, shaking his head. "I suggest you get used to it. Before it kills you or worse." Then, after a moment's silence, the man announced, "Now out with you! We're done, there's nothing more to do. I have things to fix after your soulmate decided to destroy them."

Taking a deep breath, Izaya nodded and slowly got to his feet. Shizuo saw the unsteadiness coming before Izaya and caught the man deftly before he could fall back to the couch. Trying to ignore all those simmering emotions, both his and Izaya's, until after they were out of the Witch Doctor's house, Shizuo carefully guided the man towards the door.

"Thank you," Izaya called behind him.

"Oh stuff it, you won't be thanking me tomorrow," Murra promised before slamming the front door behind him.

It was only once they were out that Izaya's perfect mask crumbled. Shizuo could feel the despair leaking out over the edges as Izaya simply let out a growl and moved. He couldn't even track the knife as it came out of the man's sleeve and flew straight at the opposite wall where it stuck, ridgid. Then he drew a shuddering breath and started walking away.

Hurrying to keep up, Shizuo muttered, "I'm sorry Izaya."

"No, shut up Shizu-chan," Izaya's voice was tight, but inside, he was just a ball of emotions. Shizuo tried to sort through it but all he managed to do was get himself hopelessly mired in Izaya's feelings towards the situation. "It's fine, the chances of it working anyway were slim." Except Shizuo could feel his disappointment as strongly as if it were his own.

They walked for a while in silence, both too deep in their own personal miseries to care. Shizuo wanted to feel bad about the whole thing but fuck, he was glad he was still around Izaya and that just made him feel worse because this was Izaya and the man was already suffering enough. He hated that he was selfish enough to want this mess to continue but Shizuo couldn't see any other way. How could he protect the man after all if he were a city away, how could he keep him from doing something else stupid?

Never mind that it was his fault all this stupid shit kept happening, he was worried damnit! He didn't want to watch Izaya break any more than he already had. All Shizuo wanted to do was keep the man safe. He cared.

I care.

I know you do. Looking guiltily up at Izaya, who was still walking ahead of him like nothing was going on, Shizuo felt his spirits sink again. He didn't even know why he was so upset about the whole thing.

I had a reason for wanting to get away. He didn't mean to let that thought escape but it did anyway, getting away from him before he could stop it. Instantly he felt Izaya's mind scramble and didn't miss the way his step faltered. Needing to explain himself, Shizuo decidedly pushed on. Aloud.

"I can't keep being around you like this Izaya, not in this way, not without losing my mind," Shizuo said softly watching Izaya's back with a strange mix of bitterness and tenderness. "Maybe I'm just fucking weak because I can't stand these symptoms anymore, not when they only seem to bring me closer to you."

Izaya stopped. Shizuo wondered if the man could hear his heart pounding as they both stared at the bridge, the place where this whole damn mind-reading thing had started. "I know Shizuo." No pet name, no fancy words, just raw, unadulterated emotion. Turning to face the Blond, Izaya murmured. "I get it."

His face was twisted with a thousand different feelings all trying to escape through a pinhole. Shizuo wanted to make that look go away but he knew it was being mirrored on his own face. What has become of us? He wondered. What happened to us being bitter rivals to the end?

I think we're finally coming to grips with the fact that we were never enemies at all. Slowly meandering towards the bridge, Izaya leaped up at sat on the railing, just staring at Shizuo all the while. But now we're stuck like this, ne? He sounded so fucking tired, it broke Shizuo's heart.

I think we are. Walking towards Izaya, Shizuo stood there before him, unsure how close he could get before he'd get to close. The Raven's foot brushed against his hip as Izaya kicked his feet out before letting them fall back to rest.

"I'm glad it didn't work," Izaya said suddenly, like it was a weight coming off his chest. "I…" I don't want to lose you Shizu-chan. I don't know what that means yet but I'm trying to figure it out, I promise. Unable to even pretend those words didn't make him happy, Shizuo drew closer.

You don't have to rush it Izaya, I can wait. And Shizuo found that he could, would wait for Izaya to figure it out. Because truth was he didn't understand it yet and even though he wanted answers, he wanted to see Izaya start to feel better more. "But we have to stop running, okay?"

Slowly, Izaya nodded. Shizuo could feel the emotions on the edges of his mind and he knew instinctively that Izaya was close to just breaking. He'd been through so much recently, it was a wonder he wasn't broken already. "I know Shizu-chan," he murmured, voice trembling ever so slightly. "I know."

And though he knew he probably shouldn't, Shizuo took that last step and wrapped his arms tightly around the idiot Flea, willing him to just feel better already, if even a little. As thin arms snaked around his back, Izaya buried his head in Shizuo's shoulder and just… Cried.

Tightening his hold on the man, Shizuo just let the man sob, knowing that it wasn't sadness, merely stress. He's being forced to be closer to a person he doesn't even like, it has to be hard. Gripping the back of Izaya's coat, Shizuo tried to smother the thoughts.

But it was too late. I don't not like you Shizu-chan… Izaya's mind was sluggish, the tears still pouring down his face, but Shizuo was still hanging off of every one. It's been hard, I'll admit, but… Maybe it was all inevitable. Maybe I'm not just suffering from some sort of weird Stockholms syndrome. After all, it's you.

Feeling his heart almost stop, Shizuo drew back. "I thought I hated you five days ago."

"Ditto," Izaya mumbled. The tears were still coming, but they were no longer accompanied by soft, yet still heart wrenching sobs. "It's been a long week, and I know it's only going to get worse but… I'm tired of facing this alone."

Hearing him say those words, it made Shizuo's shoulders relax. "Me too. I'm sick of watching you leave, knowing that you're going to come back in more pain than before." Lifting a hand, Shizuo rubbed calloused fingers over Izaya's cheeks, clearing some of the tears. He wasn't sure were this clear overstepping of their boundaries was coming from, but he didn't care. Shizuo was sick of pretending like he didn't want to be closer to Izaya.

You sound like an idiot.

Just for you, shitty Flea.

Smiling, Izaya bowed his head. "I'm still… It's still going to be hard. But I'm going to figure it out. We will figure it out." Fuck if that didn't sound wonderful.

"But for now," Izaya pushed Shizuo back lightly but the man moved all the same. "I really just need some time to sort this all out. Alone." His mouth turned down at the corners and Shizuo didn't even have to peer into his mind to see the somber notes in his eyes. "It's a lot and I'm tired."

"Yeah, I get it." Drawing back, Shizuo helped Izaya off of the railing, even though he didn't need the assistance. Izaya, for his part, didn't complain. "I think I need some time away from it as well," he admitted, smiling ruefully. "My head fucking hurts."

Looking up at the sky, Izaya laughed. "It's hardly noon, funny how these things work, I feel like I've been gone all day." Shizuo let out a bark of a laugh and Izaya's familiar smirk returned. "I'll see you tomorrow?" Izaya asked, looking momentarily uncertain.

Yeah, of course Izaya. Tomorrow. Experiencing Izaya's spark of relief as clearly as if it were his own, Shizuo watched as the man turned and walked back down the bridge, melting into the crowd in a matter of moments. And though he couldn't see him anymore, Shizuo still heard Izaya's voice echoing in his mind.

You don't have to worry Shizu-chan, I'm done running.

With a tired smile, Shizuo thought back, We both are.

A/N: I'm going to remind you once more, DON'T FORGET TO VOTE! Because very soon, you're going to find the fabled chapter upon us. Will it be collared Shizuo or collared Izaya? Chose wisely because this is going to seriously affect the story (duh)

Other than that, thoughts? Did you like it? Did you like Namie freaking out over having a soulmate? Did you like Shizuo being super worried about Izaya?

OR DID YOU HATE IT BECAUSE I'M A TALENTLESS HACK?

Laters~!