Just kidding~! It's not over yet~! :]

Actually, it was over, but I got A LOT of complaints. I am usually not one to be swayed by bad reviews, but this time, they made sense. I'll leave in the sad ending, for the readers that liked it, and continue writing.

Breakdown

As Shizuo knelt there, tears burning his eyes, he suddenly felt a soft beating against his chest. It was too weak and slow to be his own heart, but he knew that anything else was impossible. No, it had to be his imagination.

Shizuo wiped his eyes and looked down at Izaya, who still looked like a pale, broken doll, then he slowly leaned over and pressed his ear against that thin ribcage. At first he didn't hear anything, but then there was just the barest whisper of a heartbeat. Shizuo jerked back like he'd been burned.

Izaya was still alive?

Shizuo didn't stop to question the how or the why; he just scooped Izaya off the pavement and ran as fast as he could towards Shinra's.

xxx

Shinra was setting the table as Celty made breakfast when the door to their house was kicked in and Shizuo burst inside holding a limp and very pale Izaya.

"You have to help him!" Shizuo panted. "He was hit by a truck!"

Shinra put the plates down roughly and rushed over. "Lay him on the floor," he ordered. Outside, he was calm, but inside he was panicking. Trauma, broken bones, internal bleeding, ruptured spleen, fractured skull, collapsed lungs...and a ticking clock. "How long has it been since he was hit?"

"I dunno. A few hours."

Shinra cursed under his breath as he began checking Izaya's pulse, lifting up his eyelid, touching his neck with expertly gentle fingertips as he searched for a ridge in the even line of vertebra. A few hours was too long. "Celty, darling," Shinra called, his voice flat and professional, a complete contrast to his words. "Get my medical kit and bring it here, please. And hurry."

When Celty raced back with the kit, Shinra took out a pair of scissors and used them to cut off Izaya's shirt. He carefully pressed and prodded Izaya's stomach, looking for any telltale discoloration that might indicate he was bleeding inside, then turning to watch Izaya's still face for a flicker of pain that meant an organ was damaged.

Celty and Shizuo stood back and let Shinra work, watching as he methodically checked over Izaya from head to toe. After nearly an hour, Shinra sat back with a quiet laugh.

"Fuck, Izaya," he muttered. "You've got to be the luckiest guy in Ikebukuro! No, make that the luckiest guy in Japan!"

"What does that mean?" Shizuo demanded. "What's going on?"

Celty nodded vigorously, also wanting an answer. Shinra grinned and wiped his forehead on the sleeve of his lab coat.

"He's just stunned."

Shizuo blinked. "That...that's it?"

"Yeah," Shinra said, nodding. "Like I said: Lucky!"

Celty gave a great, silent sigh of relief and leaned against the wall. Shinra got to his feet and rushed to her side.

"Oh my dearest," he said gallantly. "Were you worried? Here, let me hug you close and–OW!"

Shizuo tuned out the sounds of Shinra's pained gasping and looked down at Izaya. Stunned? Stunned? It was inconceivable. It was unbelievable. It was...

It was just like that fucking flea to make him worry for nothing!

Shizuo growled and clenched his fists. "Izaya!" he snarled. He started forward, but both Shinra and Celty caught his arms and held him back.

"No, Shizuo!" Shinra pleaded. "Izaya can't fight back right now! And you'll ruin Celty's and my lovely home!"

"Kill kill kill kill kill kill..." Shizuo chanted in a low, dangerous voice. He didn't seem to hear Shinra at all. Celty quickly typed one-handed and held her PDA in front of Shizuo's face.

[Please calm down, Shizuo!] she'd typed. [Killing Izaya like this wouldn't be fair!]

Fair? Fuck that! Shizuo wanted to snap that damn flea's neck for making him think he was dead. He had never felt a pain so bad in his whole life, and he wanted to return the favor! Now that would be fair!

But Shizuo, knowing he would regret it later, managed to restrain himself long enough to light up a cigarette so the familiar bite of nicotine could cool his temper. Shinra looked like he wanted to protest, but Celty shushed him. If a little smoke was all it took to keep Shizuo from murdering Izaya, then it was a small price to pay. Besides, they'd just replaced the refrigerator from the last time Shizuo and Izaya both came to visit.

Speaking of the refrigerator...

Celty suddenly sprinted back into the kitchen. She turned off the stove, but it was too late. Breakfast was charred black. Her shoulder slumped.

Shinra, who had gone after her, smiled and reached out to take a piece of food. It was so black that it was unrecognizable, but he popped it in his mouth anyway. "Delicious as always, sweetest," he said as he chewed. He swallowed and reached for another bite. Celty hit him on the shoulder, but it was much softer than usual.

[You don't have to eat it,] she wrote. [I'm sure it tastes awful.]

"Certainly not!" Shinra replied, giving her another sincere smile. "It's perfect!"

Celty knew she was a bad cook to begin with, not being able to eat without a head, but Shinra never complained. He always ate with gusto and complimented her. Now, watching him devour the ruined mess, she felt a sudden rush of affection. Shinra nearly choked in surprise when she gave him a hug.

[Thank you.]

Before Shinra could hug her back, Celty was already out of his arms. "Where are you going?"

Celty paused and turned. [I'm going to keep an eye on Shizuo. He might change his mind and decide to strangle Izaya if they're left alone too long.]

"Just as smart as you are beautiful, my amazing Celty."

Celty shook her head at him, then she walked into the hallway and froze. There, on the rug right in front of the door, Shizuo was kissing Izaya. Just on the forehead, sure, but it was still enough to send Celty's smoke billowing out of her neck. She staggered out of sight, then ran for the kitchen. Shinra turned when she bolted in.

"Celty? What's wrong, my love?"

[I...I just saw Shizuo and Izaya KISSING!]

Shinra blinked. "Ah."

[You're not surprised?]

"Hmm? Oh, not really. Izaya's had a crush on Shizuo since high school."

Celty's shoulders hitched in alarm, then her fingers flew across the keyboard of her PDA. [He has? I never would have guessed...]

"Yes, well, Izaya has gone to great lengths to keep it a secret."

[Then how do you know?]

"Oh, sweet Celty, I'm fairly sure that most of Ikebukuro suspects that Izaya and Shizuo have feelings for each other. Otherwise, why would they keep fighting?"

Celty seemed to frown. [I thought they fought because they hated each other?]

"It's easy to get hate and love confused," Shinra admitted. "I'm guessing that even Shizuo and Izaya themselves didn't know which it was half the time."

Celty sighed and shook her head. [Humans are confusing,] she wrote. Then she remembered the tender look on Shizuo's face as he kissed his hated enemy, and she remembered Shinra eating her blackened breakfast with such happiness, and she gave him one of her smiles. The special kind that only he could see. [But humans are wonderful, too.]

"Careful, dear," Shinra warned with a grin. "You're beginning to sound like Izaya."

The rare, touching moment was ruined as Celty's elbow slammed into his stomach.