Chapter 11 – Gone crazy

Kuro had stopped moving, now sitting in front of him still on top of his couch table, glaring at him and waiting for his reaction. He looked at the game of Scrabble he and Kasuka had played earlier. The combinations of letters they had formed before were now wiped off the surface only a few particular remaining. Some neither he nor his little brother had arranged the way they were now.

Swallowing he stared at the black kitten before him, then letting his eyes drift back towards those letters, as if to confirm they were there and that this wasn't just his imagination.

No, written down there, was a name, only one person dares and is allowed to use on him.

SHIZU-CHAN

-o-o-o-o-

Kishitani Shinra was in a bad mood. He had planned on spending the rest of the day seducing his beloved fairy, but when Shiki-san called her for a job that was originally meant for his shape-shifted friend, Izaya, his overtures ended with a delicate, but strong fist to his stomach. Sure, since it was the couple's doing that the Awakusu-kai executive's favourite informant was out of business for the time being, Celty had agreed on taking over all the smaller jobs that would be coming for him. So knowing what a workaholic Izaya is, or better said was, he really should have expected the first mission coming in sooner rather than later.

While he was left lying on the floor, cradling his belly while the Dullahan left, he couldn't help himself but thinking about how cute she was being tsundere and all that. A big smile formed on his face.

Tsundere describes a person who his harsh or hostile towards the person they love, but then they show their warm, even love sick side, at least, that's what Shinra's research on this type of character had revealed to him.

Celty had punched him, she was harsh to him. So now he just had to wait for her to show her spoony side towards him.

"Soon, she'll come back and shower me with her love." he thought while grinning all over his face despite the pain in his stomach. So he waited… and waited… and waited… Until the clock hanging on the wall told him he was lying on the floor for almost an hour.

Only when his phone started ringing he decided on getting up again. Dusting off his white lab-coat he walked towards the kitchen counter, were he had left the noisy device on its own.

Knowing that it couldn't have been his beloved he looked at the display. An odd feeling formed itself inside his stomach as he read the name of his longest friend, like a premonition it felt. Nonetheless he picked up with his trademark care freeness.

"Hey, Shizuo. Why the call? Don't complain to me in case Kuro broke anything." Oh, how he wished that Izaya would hear him calling him by the new pet name the blond had unknowingly given him.

"Shinra, I need you. Now." came Shizuo's immediate order. The underground doctor stayed silent. "Shinra? You still alive?"

"Shizuo…" the brunette began. "I'm sorry, but my heart already belongs to my dear Celty." As if the fortissimo would be able to see him, he bowed in an apologetic way. A growl came from the other side.

"By the way…" he began while pushing his glasses up. "I thought your heart already belongs to Izaya. Why the sudden longing for me?"

A crash was heard from the other side of the phone followed by the beeping signalling the end of a call. Smiling to himself, Shinra tried calling back, in hope his childhood friend only dropped his mobile instead of breaking it in half.

-o-o-o-o-

He didn't know why exactly. There wasn't any explanation for it. But after witnessing the little feline he was taking care of instead of its comatose master, had written the nickname this certain master gave him, a sudden urge to call the annoying underground doctor came over him. After all, it was Shinra who asked him to take care of this kitten.

Shizuo wasn't thinking straight that time. Izaya, the man he was undeniably in love with, was in a coma of which he personally was the cause of. And then there was this small, fragile looking being that reminded him on so many occasions of his crush.

He just couldn't leave the little fur ball. He couldn't leave Kuro in the care of some crazy doctor who was asking the very first friend he had made if he'd allow him to dissect him, every chance he gets. Celty had her own job. She couldn't keep an eye on her loony boyfriend 24/7.

Sure, he may not be a genius, and if he hadn't had other things to constantly worry about during his school days, the bleach blonde's grades would have been better too. Probably even a little bit somewhere above the average level. Heiwajima Shizuo, wasn't dumb, he had very good instincts as well and in those he puts his trust. So reason enough to follow his gut feeling and call that lab-coat wearing freak he thinks of as a friend.

Though, not too long after Shinra had picked up he regretted it immediately.

Shizuo was frozen still. The grip he had on the device he was holding up to his ear was loosening. Resulting in it falling down onto the table, where Kuro was sitting before jumping away, it then clattered onto the floor.

"Mreoooow!" whined the black kitten in an angry tone, probably cursing the device for nearly toppling down on him. Maybe even the male who was to blame for this in the first place.

Anyway, Shinra knew.

But how? Who told him? He never told Celt, only Kasuka. Then again… The twins seemed to know about his feelings, so maybe others noticed as well.

The ringing of his phone, followed by Kuro's angry hiss startled him out of his thoughts. Crouching down to pick up the noisy device, he could read the bespectacled man's name on the display.

"Who told you?!" was the blonde's greeting as he answered the doctor's call. Face flushed a deep shade of red.

"Dropped your phone, huh?" He could hear the snickering sound at the end of Shinra's sentence.

"But to answer your question… You did, just now." There was only silence coming from Ikebukuro's strongest. In his head only one word repeated itself like a mantra. "Fuck!"

"I had my suspicion, but not enough to prove it to Celty. Thanks to you, my darling Angel has to arrange a date for me now."

This seemed to break him out of his mantra. "Wait!" he said. "You… had a bet running on rather I like the flea or not?!" This statement wasn't helping his already shortened fuse.

"She wouldn't believe my idea that you may feel the opposite than what you let on for Izaya."

As Shizuo was about to open his mouth again, another mewl got his attention. He was still crouching on the floor, while the cat was still residing on top of the couch table. They were eyelevel now and the kitten's reddish eyes seemed to throw daggers at him.

Swallowing the lump that was now building up in his throat he continued. "Shinra! Now get your ass over here before I have to come over to drag you all the way." he threatened.

"Okay, okay. Just have a little more patience with me. Celty is gone on business so it will take some time before I'm at your place. By the way… Care to fill me in what's wrong?" "You'll see when you get here." was all the answer he gave the doctor before he hung up on him.

He threw his phone onto the couch. Sighing deeply as he ran both his hands through the strands of his hair. Thinking back on everything he thought of a few possible explanations on how this little kitten that was probably still starring at him knew how to write his name, and his nickname out of everything. Maybe he's just missing Izaya so much that he's going crazy now.

Oh, boy! When Shinra gets here and hears Shizuo's tale he'll probably end up describing him some pretty strong meds.

He began to feel utterly stupid now. Why did he even end up calling him? There wasn't even a reason for it.

After reading "SHIZU-CHAN" he just saw the flea sitting before him in his mind's eye. But this was so stupid. Izaya is unconscious. He had seen the dark haired man's small body lying there in their friend's makeshift hospital with his own eyes.

"Damn Flea. You're making me crazy." he mumbled under his breath. Soon after, something akin to a snort was heard.

Blinking his eyes he lifted his head from the floor he had starred at up until now, to meet red ones with black slits as pupils. Kuro was looking at him.

"Did you… just snort at me?" he asked the cat. He really must turn into some mental case now.

Another similar sounding huff left the feline before a short meow left the tiny mouth.

Shizuo stayed silent, carefully eyeing the cat.

No, this couldn't be. It was just impossible… But maybe…

Deciding that since he turned out to be crazy anyway there was nothing to lose.

"Mewl twice." he ordered. Rolling his eyes Kuro did as he was asked. The bodyguard's eyes widened. "What's three plus one?"

As the cat before him meowed four times his feet automatically tried to jump away from the small animal. Instead of doing as they should, from his still crouched position, he ended up falling on his ass.

No! It couldn't be. It just couldn't all those tricks his mind had played on him over the course of time he had spent with the kitten. The nickname. He really must be losing his mind for even considering this.

"You can't be…" shaky words trembled over his lips. "…Izaya?"

-o-o-o-o-