"Ah, what a lovely day! The sun is shining, the birds are chirping and I'm eating lunch with my two friends who are getting along well all thanks to my efforts! Now if only my beloved Celty was here with me!"
"I disagree, you had nothing to do with the success of my and Shizuo's relationship…Kishitani-kun."
"As mean as usual, Izaya-kun! And hey, I told you to call me Shinra!"
"What happened to 'Orihara-kun'?"
"That was in the past! It's been months since we've been friends after all so I can call you by your first name now!"
"Really? I don't recall having you as a friend, merely an unfortunate acquaintance whom I'm hard pressed to meet the few times that we do."
"Ha ha, your words are getting bolder, you know? You sure you should be speaking like that in front of Shizuo-kun?"
"What are you talking about?" Izaya gave a saccharine smile as he leaned against Shizuo's shoulder.
"Shizuo said he likes me just the way I am. He said I'm perfect the way I am. Right, Shizu-chan?"
"Huh? Yeah you're perfect the way you are," Shizuo said distractedly as he patted Izaya's hair, munching on his food.
"Even if I'm mean to Kishitani-kun?"
"You can be as mean to Shinra as you want, the bastard probably deserves it anyway."
"Wow. How harsh, though I can't say I disagree," Izaya said with a smug smirk at Shinra.
"See?"
Shinra didn't even look hurt at Shizuo's remark, instead he said with his usual smile, "You two really are close now, huh?"
"Hey Shizuo."
"Yo Kadota."
"Sorry," the boy with slicked back brown hair said as he approached Shizuo, Izaya and Shinra.
"I didn't know you had company. Am I disturbing?"
"It's fine."
"Dotachin can join us if he wants," Izaya said as he swiped a piece of meat from Shizuo's bentou.
"After all, if Kishitani-kun can be here, Dotachin can too."
"Right…" Kadota said awkwardly as he tried not to grimace at the nickname. He settled down next to Shizuo and took out his own boxed lunch.
"Dotachin! Your lunch looks delicious!"
"…Thanks?"
"Can I have some?"
"If you want."
Kadota said to Izaya who had suddenly appeared beside him. He inched away from the black haired boy who leaned over him to steal a piece of fish.
The boy with glossy black hair popped the fish into his mouth which broke into a smile.
"Dotachin! This is delicious!"
"Thanks I guess. You can have more if you want."
Kadota offered generously, and Izaya seemed to smile even more.
"Dotachin's so nice!"
"Right…" Kadota said as Izaya ate from his bentou. He sent a look at Shizuo which practically read, 'Why is he so friendly towards me?'
Shizuo shrugged his shoulders, munching on his own lunch.
Kadota sighed helplessly as Izaya sat beside him and ate from his lunch. He allowed him to do so even as Izaya was eating more from his lunch than he was, though he didn't seem to have any bad intentions.
"Shizuo?"
"Mm?"
"You sure this is alright?"
"Huh?"
Shizuo looked questioningly at him and Kadota gestured to the boy who was continuously leaning over his lap to constantly steal his food.
"It bothers you?"
"No, but you…"
Shizuo cocked his head as if he didn't get Kadota's meaning.
"He's…" Kadota said significantly, and Shizuo blinked.
"…Ah. I see."
Kadota nodded, and Shizuo shrugged again.
"I don't really mind."
"Really."
"Yeah. Why would I? Your food must be really good, Kadota. Izaya looks happy."
Shizuo said with a smile, looking happy himself as he gave Izaya a fond look. He then turned back to his own lunch, eating in peace.
Izaya's hand had paused when Shizuo had said those words. He took one last piece of Kadota's food then said, "Thanks for the food, Dotachin!"
"Yeah…"
Kadota said but Izaya was already gone. He shook his head and thought briefly to himself.
Can't he be more honest?
…Well, it's none of my business anyway.
"Shizu-chan!"
"Hm? Weren't you with Kadota?"
"Well, I'm with Shizu-chan now. Give me some of your food, will you?"
"What? You're still hungry?"
Shizuo said as Izaya didn't wait for an answer and was taking his food. "…For a small guy, you sure eat a lot."
"Here, Shizu-chan can have some too."
Izaya said as he offered Shizuo's own food to him. But Shizuo didn't seem to notice, he merely blinked.
"Open your mouth, Shizu-chan. Say 'aaah'."
"…Aaaah."
Shizuo opened his mouth obediently and Izaya fed him.
Shizuo looked content as he munched on his food, but he didn't look satisfied. His gaze went to the only untouched boxed lunch out of the four.
"Oi flea I wanna try your bentou too. You haven't touched it yet right?"
"Kishitani-kun's sudden presence distracted me, so nope."
"Let me have a taste then."
"Sure."
Izaya said then proceeded to feed Shizuo from his own bentou. Now Shizuo was looking satisfied as he munched on the food.
"Not bad. You made this yourself?"
"Yeah. Since my parents are overseas."
"Really. You should cook for me someday then. In fact, cook for me everyday, that's better."
Shizuo nodded to himself, as warmth touched Izaya's cheeks. He continued feeding Shizuo for a while in the silence, before he said –
"…Right. That's enough Shizu-chan, or I won't have enough to eat."
"Ah? Alright then."
Shizuo said acceptingly and returned to eating his own lunch. Izaya plopped himself against Shizuo's shoulder and ate his lunch in peaceful silence.
Kadota was minding his own business, though his expression looked almost fond. Even Shinra said nothing as he smiled and ate his lunch a little distance away from Shizuo and Izaya.
The rooftop of Raijin High wasn't an isolated place as before, for the blond whom it 'belonged' to had companions who were eating lunch together with him. Though he wasn't laughing and talking with them as friends were prone to do with each other, he felt content all the same, and his hand would occasionally reach out to run his fingers through the glossy black hair of the boy beside him, who seemed to lean into his touch when he would do so, which made a smile cross his lips.
Ahhh….
It's so peaceful.
Shizuo thought. He had finished his lunch, and he occupied himself with stroking Izaya's hair –
Which was soon messed up by a gust of strong wind, the black locks falling all over his eyes and making him blink. Shizuo laughed at Izaya's caught off guard look and busied himself with rearranging the other boy's hair.
"There," he said as he brushed the black locks of hair away from Izaya's eyes, tucking a stubborn strand behind his ear. "Better?"
"…Mm."
Izaya made a non-committed noise, his cheeks pink. Shizuo smiled at this and wrapped his hand around Izaya's head, letting him lean against his shoulder.
"…Shizuo, I can't eat like this."
"My bad."
Shizuo said and released Izaya so that he could adjust himself in a comfortable position. The blond smiled as their shoulders touched, touching Izaya's hair briefly before his hand trailed down to Izaya's shoulder, resting on it as Izaya leaned against his.
"How romantic." Shinra murmured in a loud enough voice for even Kadota to hear who coughed politely. Izaya gave him a look but Shizuo seemed oblivious, as if he hadn't even heard Shinra's words as his attention was on Izaya, the look in his eyes clearly one of infatuation.
Shinra cleared his throat and said, "Shizuo-kun, you sure are romantic nowadays!"
Izaya sent Shinra a glare but Shizuo only replied distractedly, "Really?"
"Yes, of course! Right, Izaya?"
Izaya's 'reply' was a blush which he couldn't hold back, and Shizuo blinked. He chuckled, shrugging his shoulders.
"You can't blame me when my boyfriend is this cute."
The blush on Izaya's cheeks deepened in shade and he hit Shizuo in unrestrained embarrassment, even as the one he looked like he really wanted to hit was Shinra.
Kadota looked uncomfortable and bemused at the same time and Shinra blinked in surprise as if he hadn't expected such an uncharacteristic response. He shook his head, then spoke.
"Well, I have nothing against it, though it is kind of gross since you're both guys. Still, my two friends are getting along well even though it's a bit too well, so I don't mind!"
"Ah." Shizuo said distractedly and Shinra could tell he wasn't even listening anymore. He sent a bemused look at the object of Shizuo's attention and affections.
Izaya finished his lunch and put the empty box aside. And then he let himself fall back onto Shizuo's lap and said, "Shizu-chan, stop playing with my hair." He flicked a lock of Shizuo's wild blond hair, "It's distracting and I want to sleep."
"Ah, alright."
Shizuo said and let Izaya lay on his lap, removing his hands from Izaya's hair as Izaya's eyes closed. He was still looking at the sleeping Izaya when he said, "Hey Shinra, go get me a drink. I can't move with him like this."
"I can go get it," Kadota piped up, "I was thinking of getting a drink myself. What do you want, Shizuo?"
"Strawberry milk."
"Right," Kadota said as he stood up, and went to do just that.
Even Shinra said nothing to Shizuo for he knew he would just be wasting his breath as Shizuo's hand twitched above Izaya's hair but didn't touch it. He wondered if Shizuo even realized he had touched someone without fear of hurting them, in such a casual manner.
That guy…
He has Shizuo completely wrapped around his finger, doesn't he?
Even his brother Kasuka-kun didn't get that kind of look from him.
Does he know that, I wonder?
"I'm telling you, now is really not a good time to piss him off."
"Like we give a fuck! You get that bastard to come down and face us, man to man!"
"Look, he's with his…boyfriend. He's with someone he really likes right now, and if you disturb him, even I don't know what will happen."
"Boyfriend? Oh that model student. Disgusting. All the more reason to beat him up!"
"Shizuo isn't the kind of guy you can beat up…"
"What's happening?" Shinra voiced once he realized Shizuo wasn't even hearing the quarrel that was going on.
Kadota stood at the roof door, holding his hands with packet drinks in them up. He turned towards Shinra, and said –
"These guys won't listen to me, they want to fight Shizuo right now."
He was blocking the way of a few delinquents who had followed him up the stairs to the rooftop.
"Ahh…" Shinra smiled wryly. He stood up and waved his hands in a pacifying manner.
"Kadota-kun is right, you guys should come back another time. See? Shizuo isn't even listening to you."
He gestured vaguely to Shizuo who had his back turned.
"Who the hell are you, glasses?"
"Like we fucking care!"
A delinquent guy scowled as he shoved Kadota aside and strode towards Shizuo. "Oi, Heiwajima you bastard!"
He received no reply which angered him further, "You bastard, ignoring me?! How about I beat your boyfriend up?"
"…Huh? …Who the hell are you?"
The guy who had beaten him up didn't even recognize him. The delinquent's face turned red in anger as he stomped forward.
"You bastard! I'll teach you a lesson!"
He brought the metal pipe down onto Shizuo, yet it was like he was hitting a solid wall. He stared as the black haired boy on Shizuo's lap made a sound and shifted and Shizuo narrowed his eyes, and spoke calmly.
"Go away. You're disturbing his sleep. I don't want to fight you now."
"W-Wha – you cocky bastard! I'LL MAKE YOU REGRET YOUR WORDS!"
The metal pipe was now aimed at Izaya, but it didn't even reach him as it was soon crushed by Shizuo's hand.
"…!"
"…I said…THAT YOU'RE DISTURBING HIS SLEEP, DIDN'T I?!"
"Hiii…!"
"YOU FUCKING COWARD, ATTACKING IZAYA WHEN HE'S SLEEPING, YOU WANT TO DIE, DOOOOOOON'T YOOOOOOOOOOOU?!"
"AHHHHHHHHH!"
The delinquent guy had lost all his bravado as Shizuo was swinging him by the bent metal pipe with one hand, which soon sent him flying over the fence of the rooftop with a panicked scream.
There was a thump, and gasps and then more shouting.
"W-What happened?"
"Where did he come from?!"
"The rooftop?!"
"He pissed Heiwajima off didn't he…?"
"Is he dead…?"
"Boss! Are you okay?!"
"Augggghh…!"
"He's alive!"
"HEIWAJIMA YOU BASTARD, YOU DIE TODAY!"
"COME DOWN AND FIGHT US, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"
"YOU BASTARDS ARE FUCKING NOISY! SCRAM IF YOU DON'T WANT TO DIE! YOU'LL WAKE HIM UP, DAMN IT!"
"Uh, Shizuo?" Kadota said, "Izaya is already awake."
Indeed, Izaya's eyes were opened as he said dryly, "I would be deaf if I didn't wake up from all that ruckus."
"…Sorry." Shizuo said apologetically, "But that bastard tried to hit you, so I was pissed."
Izaya sighed. "And here I was having such a nice nap…"
Shizuo looked guilty as Izaya drew himself up, stretching.
"OI, HEIWAJIMA!"
"YOU DEAF OR WHAT?!"
"OR SCARED?!"
Shizuo growled. Izaya looked at him then said, "Well, I'll be here when you get back, if lunch break doesn't end by then."
"Sorry." Shizuo said again. He placed an apologetic kiss on Izaya's cheek then stood up, making his way to the fence. "I'll be back."
And then he leapt off the rooftop, causing gasps to sound.
Izaya ran over to the fence and looked down at Shizuo who was surrounded by a gang with weapons.
Shizuo looked up at him, then turned his attention back to the gang.
"Oi you fucking bastards, let's take this elsewhere."
"You –"
"GAHHHHHHHHHH!"
"…!"
"I said," Shizuo said in an eerily calm tone as his foot pressed down on the fallen delinquent's shoulder, breaking bones and causing him to scream.
"Let's take this elsewhere. Or I'll break every bone in this guy's body."
"Y-You!"
"Don't make me repeat myself…" Shizuo's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"I won't forgive you if you make Izaya see my violence."
"F-Fine! J-Just, get your monster foot off him!"
Shizuo removed his foot, shoved his hands into his pockets, and followed the gang, to whispers and murmurs.
"Well," said Kadota on the rooftop as he joined Izaya and Shinra in looking down at the scene that was bound to make rumors spread. "Looks like I'll have to leave as well."
"What?" Izaya said.
"Shizuo is pissed." Kadota raised his hand to the back of his head. He sighed.
"He's really furious this time. I don't think he'll calm down even after he beats them up. I need to go make sure he doesn't kill anyone."
"Yeah," said Shinra with a grim smile. "I wouldn't be surprised if he did."
"Sorry about this, I tried to stop them but they wouldn't listen." Kadota said to Izaya. "Since Shizuo was with you and all, but they refused to leave him alone."
With those words, he turned and walked to the rooftop door, picking up the packet of strawberry milk on the way.
"…Hopefully this will calm him down a bit."
He muttered as if to himself, gave a glance at Izaya and left, leaving Izaya alone with Shinra.
He's angry?
Well of course he's angry but…
I didn't think he was that angry.
He looked so calm just now
But then he did step on that guy…
I don't understand.
He's angry to the point of Kadota believing something sweet won't calm him down?
How can Shinra and Kadota tell Shizuo is furious…
When I can't?
"Looking so deep in thought…what are you thinking, Izaya-kun?"
"None of your business."
"Well that's true, but I just thought it must be something big to give the model student of Raijin High such a disturbed expression…"
-…I look disturbed?
-Or is Kishitani just exaggerating as usual?
"See, you look even more disturbed now!"
"I'm disturbed by you. Why didn't you follow Kadota to where Shizuo is?"
"Why would I?"
"Because he's your friend?"
Izaya said as if he was beginning to doubt that fact himself. Shinra blinked, before his eyes widened –
"Oh yeah! He's my friend! So I should have, shouldn't I?"
Izaya showed Shinra a look that he was truly beginning to believe in Shinra's lack of sanity, but the other boy just continued on –
"But there's a few reasons why I can't do that. Firstly, Shizuo is pissed off and I don't want to suffer his wrath. Secondly, I'm not the kind of guy who can fight. Thirdly, I can't leave you alone – Shizuo would be pissed at me! And he doesn't show any mercy at all to me, you know? Not that he does to anyone, but he doesn't even to his childhood friend!"
"No actually, I would be happy if you left me alone."
"Would you? But that doesn't matter! Shizuo wouldn't be happy if he found out I left you alone! 'You bastard Shinra, you left Izaya alone, you want to be beaten up don't you?!' Or something like that. And then I'll be the one in trouble. I don't care about your feelings, I only care about Shizuo's because I don't want him angry at me!"
"So you're basically not even staying with me for the sake of 'friendship' for either me or Shizuo, but because you don't want him to get angry at you."
"Exactly, Izaya-kun! Don't worry, if Shizuo didn't care for you at all, I would leave you immediately! Actually, if I hadn't known Shizuo cared for you, we wouldn't even be friends now! I need to get on the good side of my childhood friend, you know? Since my beloved said I should treat my friends well!"
Shinra nodded happily as if it should all make sense to Izaya but it only made Izaya convinced that Kishitani Shinra was not of this world.
"What a twisted view of humanity you have."
"Ha ha. Are you sure you should be saying that…Izaya-kun? But then again, you're attached to Shizuo now."
…
This guy…
Just how does he view humans?
He said he has no interest in humans at all.
But how can he read them, including me, so well?
To have that kind of detachment from humanity even though he's a human himself…
…Just what is it he's looking at?
That 'Celty'…
…What is she?
…
And then it came to him.
All of a sudden, like an epiphany –
…
The reason why he even bothered communicating and paying attention to the guy he didn't like.
Why he was interested in him despite his own constant annoyance when around the other male.
- Humanity doesn't exist to him.
- When he said he has no interest in humans…
- It's not because there's nothing interesting about the people around him.
- It's because he never even looked at them at all.
- And so when he does finally look at them…
- He can see.
- …Maybe even better than I can.
- After all, the more you're involved with humans the less there is to see.
- But even I…can't possess detachment to such an extent.
- And, now that I'm with Shizuo…
- …I can't read him at all.
The realization hit him like a blow to the head.
- Exactly when…did this happen?
- When…did I get so involved?
He knew the reason why, but he knew also that it was not something he could rectify.
- It's like…
- …I've become a normal human.
- I'm so involved with him I couldn't even tell he was angry and why.
The image of the blond who looked at him in a way no one had ever looked at him before appeared in his mind's eye, and he could hear his heartbeat in his ears.
- But…
- …I can't give him up.
- Even though he's already a superhuman so he can't really evolve.
- No matter how hard I look, I can't see anything.
- …Why…?
- What's happening to me?
Izaya's fingers curled tightly around the fence as he lowered his head, his hair covering his eyes.
…
"…Hey…Shinra."
"What is it, Izaya-kun?"
Shinra spoke as if he had been expecting Izaya to ask him something.
"…What can I do to connect to Shizuo's heart?"
"…?!"
Shinra choked, coughing as he held his throat, his eyes wide.
"Forget I asked."
Izaya said in a deadpan manner, turning away and staring out into the distance.
"Well," said Shinra once he had gotten over his coughing fit.
"Aren't you already his girlfriend?"
"That was a serious question, Shinra."
"And that was my serious answer! If you think about it yours and Shizuo's relationship is like that of boyfriend-girlfriend!"
"I have the same thing in between my legs as you – that's the only thing in common I'm certain we share, for I believe even our brains are wired differently."
"How crude, Orihara-kun! But I didn't mean physically, I meant relationally!"
"…What do you mean?"
Izaya gave Shinra a serious look, and Shinra smiled.
"Don't you know, with your hobby of human observation?"
"I happen to prioritize humans' character over their romantic relationships."
Izaya said dryly, even as he wracked his brain for a possible logical deduction on Kishitani Shinra's absurd claim.
"What a pity. Relationships and love are the crux of humanity – just like my love –"
"Who isn't even human."
Shinra laughed as if to say 'you have a point', as Izaya drawled, "Enlighten me, Mr Romanticist."
"It's simple really. To sum it up – you make Shizuo insecure, like a girl would. Therefore, you're like his girlfriend."
"You chose to distance yourself from relationships so you wouldn't know – but anyone else would. Don't you always see couples like that? Or guys with crushes on girls. They get along well with their guy friends, but most of them turn into a nervous wreck in front of the girl they like, don't they? And even when he has her as his girlfriend, it doesn't really change. He'd always think he's not worthy enough for his girl…because she's beautiful beyond words."
Shinra said, a wry smile on his lips as he leaned his arms on the railing and stared, far away.
A moment of silence passed on the rooftop, before Shinra turned to face Izaya.
"So, it's the same thing isn't it? Kadota may be his friend but you're his 'girlfriend'. He may be more relaxed around Kadota but that's because they know each other well. While with you, he was always concerned on how you would see him, because he liked you even back then. He was just as insecure around you as you are with him. He wanted to make the best impression on you. Just like how I always want to give Celty my best impression, because I love her. And so I get nervous around her, not like how I'm relaxed with Shizuo because I don't care about what he thinks like I do for Celty."
"That's why, when he said you're perfect the way you are although I don't see how, he really means it. You're perfect to Shizuo, he's so infatuated with you that he does things even I never would have imagined him doing, like that time when he pulled you onto his lap and didn't see anything wrong with it. You give him the confidence he never had. He's happy just being with you. He's as honest with you as any boyfriend can be. He's willing to dedicate himself entirely to you."
"All these, are things he won't do for someone who's just a friend. You probably don't know since you don't really have any friends besides Shizuo whom you're now romantically associated with, but there's a difference between friendship and romance. A friend like Kadota can make Shizuo smile and laugh but you're the one who helps him to grow. Who helps him to discover himself through his love for you. You make him happy, and he wants to do everything he can to make you happy too. Getting along well isn't the same as getting together, you know?"
Izaya looked as if he had something new to think about with too many ideas running through his head he couldn't even voice a single one.
"Anyway, isn't Shizuo already the 'Last Boss'?"
Shinra leaned back against the railing and waved a hand flittingly as if he wasn't saying anything important.
"With his strength, he's the only superhuman around. He's someone you can't read, someone who always keeps you guessing. Someone who challenges you. Finding out how to connect to this human's heart – isn't that something you should figure out for yourself? Once you conquer him, your 'game' ends, so there's plenty of time."
"That's only if I figure out how to conquer him – which doesn't sound very plausible considering his childhood friend has declared me as his girlfriend."
Shinra just sighed and looked up into the sky. "Does it matter as long as you're important to him? Really, he cares about you so much, so what are you complaining about? I never thought you were one to care about such societal constructs."
"I mean if Celty wanted to be the man in our relationship I wouldn't mind being the 'woman'! Of course I've always wanted Celty as my girlfriend, but if my loved one wants to be dominant in our relationship, who am I to reject her? As long as she wants be with me, nothing else matters! She can be as manly as she wants! After all, we're not even in a relationship yet so the thought of it is just so…!"
"Right," Izaya said as Shinra seemed to have gone off into a world of his own.
"But our situation is different. I am actually in a relationship with Shizuo."
Shinra blinked and turned his gaze to him. Izaya's eyebrows furrowed.
"What is it?"
"…Nothing." Shinra said, but he was smiling as he met Izaya's eyes –
"It's just, I never thought someone like you would say those words. That you would admit you're in a relationship, when you've always kept others neither too distant nor too far. But I suppose even you can change, since you're just human as well."
"I'm surprised though. To change so much for him, and to be willing to change even more…you really must like him, huh? Or should I say…love?"
"…."
"But you know, it's good. Well, I prefer this side of you. Hmm…now that I think about it, it's probably a good thing that we didn't become friends, Izaya! Because if you were my friend I'd have introduced you to Shizuo and I have a feeling you two wouldn't have gotten along. Instead of love at first sight it'd have been hate at first sight! Haha! Well they say there's a thin line between love and hate, don't they? You'd have thought of him as a violent brute and he wouldn't have been partial towards you either since he'd have seen the unpleasant person you are."
"And then well, you two definitely wouldn't be in a relationship now! And the chemistry between you two would have turned bad. Also you're both stubborn so neither of you would relent. Ahhh, and then it'd have been really troublesome, if my two friends didn't get along well! How relieving that didn't happen!"
"Yes well, considering our conversation, it's indeed relieving we didn't become friends," Izaya said as if appalled at the very thought. "Do you have any useful information or should I proceed to erase the last ten minutes from my memory?"
"Hm, well, I do have a hypothesis of some sort – but it's more like 'criticism'."
"Is this an attempt at a joke, Shinra? My ears aren't delicate at all, which I thought should have been obvious as I've been standing here listening to your dissection of my relationship with Shizuo for the past several minutes – and this is the first time you've shown some tact."
Shinra smiled towards Izaya's sarcasm as if he had been expecting it and looked Izaya in the eye.
"You have a brittle heart, don't you?"
"….."
"You may seem the most confident, but you're actually the most insecure out of everyone else. Something like love, for someone distant like you observing humans…you've never known it before you met Shizuo. And so you don't know how to love, and for you who knows everything, that's something to fear. That if you let love enter your heart, it'll shatter, because it's never held that emotion before."
"And maybe that's what's happening now, don't you think? That's why you're so insecure whether Shizuo really loves you as you do him. Your heart can't take the burden of love which it never held before. But despite that, you want Shizuo so much that you continue to love. Honestly, I don't think much of you, but I'll say it's pretty admirable. You who's always been able to do everything, faces something he falters in, yet you don't run away but face it head on. You've accepted that you love Shizuo. To the extent of asking me, Shizuo's childhood friend, on how to connect to his heart. It's quite courageous of you."
The future underground doctor took steps towards his 'friend' as he spoke.
"After all, just like a vaccine, everyone is 'vaccinated' with care, concern for their loved ones, and these emotions will help prepare the human heart for the strongest emotion in the world, love. Everyone, except you. You thought distancing yourself was better, but actually it isn't. It made your heart reject that essential vaccine, and your 'immunity' isn't as strong against the 'disease' of love which takes over humans almost completely."
He stopped in front of Izaya, staring with a serene smile into his eyes.
"So when it comes, your heart doesn't know how to handle it and that's why you're experiencing all those negative feelings. In fact, your heart's weaker than that of an emotional female since she would at least have been 'vaccinated' since females are stereotypically more caring than males. So it isn't far-fetched to say you're like a girlfriend, really."
Shinra paused for a moment as if to let his words sink into Izaya's silent mind, before his smile widened.
"But, who knows? Maybe one day when you've loved enough, for long enough, your heart will change too. You'll become stronger with love. Even if it feels like it'll shatter now."
He said as he walked past Izaya, tapping his shoulder lightly as if in some form of encouragement.
"But you're lucky, you know? You have Shizuo to support you. And having been his only friend since elementary school, I'm quite sure Shizuo loves you. He would never pay so much attention to you otherwise, or be so comfortable around you. If that's how he reacts when someone disturbed your sleep and tried to hurt you, I shudder to think how he'll react when something worse happens to you, like if you actually got hurt, or god forbid, someone made you cry. He looks like he'd do anything for you. Haha! I bet even if you go out of character and asked him to hold you in his arms for no reason at all he would gladly do so. Don't you see? He accepts you fully."
"Really? Then, shall we experiment?"
"…Eh?"
It was then that Shinra realized there was the sound of footsteps.
By then Izaya had turned and the door was open.
Shizuo walked forward in his rumpled uniform, looking like he was about to say something before he was tackled by Izaya.
"Wha -?! Izaya?!"
"Shizu-chan…"
"What? What's wrong?"
Shizuo asked as Izaya wrapped his arms around his waist.
"…Nothing. Can you hold me for a while?"
Shizuo's expression was a mixture of confusion and concern as he brought an arm around Izaya's back, the other resting on his hair. Gone was the previous tension and traces of anger in his face, and his eyes held a softness reserved for his lover.
"What happened, Izaya? This isn't like you. Did that bastard Shinra do something? I'll kill him if he did!"
Shinra flinched as Shizuo's gentle demeanor disappeared and he once again looked like the delinquent he was in his school uniform messed up after a fight, his eyes flashing dangerously as he let out a growl.
"I-I didn't do anything, Shizuo! Really! Izaya was just asking some advice –"
"Advice? Advice on what?! Shinra you bastard, I swear if you did something to make Izaya like this I'LL BEAT YOU UP SO BADLY EVEN CELTY WOULDN'T RECOGNIZE YOU!"
"But I didn't! Really! Alright maybe I was a bit too direct but it couldn't be helped! Anyway he was the one who asked!"
Shizuo didn't look placated. Fortunately for Shinra's well being, Izaya took the moment to speak up as Shizuo held him protectively.
"Shinra…didn't do anything. He didn't harm me physically anyway."
"…But he harmed you mentally?"
Shizuo's voice was low. Izaya lifted his head from the blond delinquent's chest to meet his serious brown eyes.
"No…I just wanted to be in Shizu-chan's arms for a while…can't I?"
"Huh? Well of course you can…but you sure that nutjob Shinra really didn't do anything?"
"Yeah…he didn't."
I did this to myself.
Falling in love…with you.
"…Fine."
Shizuo scoffed after a last look at Shinra, his gaze piercing through the other male.
"Well," Shinra smiled nervously as sweat trailed down his neck at the glare sent his way by Shizuo. "I guess it's our cue to leave, right Kadota?"
"Yeah." Kadota said as he turned and made his way back, with Shinra following him quickly, still cringing from Shizuo's glare.
"Well, see you in class later!"
Shinra had taken the liberty to close the door, leaving Shizuo and Izaya alone together on the rooftop of Raijin High.
What is this…
That bastard Shinra was right.
How can he predict what Shizuo will do when I can't?
Just what am I missing that he has?
Besides years of knowing Shizuo.
But I can't make up for that, so…
"…Did I do something wrong?"
"No. Izaya said. "Of course not."
"…I see."
Shizuo said simply, and leaned down to place a kiss on Izaya's forehead, and the black haired boy raised his gaze.
…
…Does he really love me?
…
"Ahhh he really did it….even though I meant it as a sort of joke."
Shinra lamented as he made his way down the stairs with Kadota, who was silent.
"Hey Kadota-kun. What happened to those guys?"
"They're still alive. He almost killed one guy though."
"Haha. What did you tell Shizuo?"
"I said, 'Izaya wouldn't like to see you like this. Can you face him honestly after sending a guy to his deathbed?' That's what I said."
"Are you sure about that? What if Izaya-kun isn't as innocent as he looks?"
"…Maybe another time, another place," Kadota said, "But that boy right now is innocent enough for Shizuo's eyes."
"Shizuo…that guy, doesn't associate with just anyone. He's been harassed by bad guys all his life because of his strength, I'm sure he's able to tell for himself whether Orihara is a good guy or not. It's hard to get him to open up, yet Orihara makes it look so easy. Seriously, if that's not love, I don't know what is."
"So, you're going to watch over them? Such a good big brother figure you are, Kadota-kun! Hey, should we form a tag team to look over our friends?"
"No thanks, I have no interest in playing a lead role, I'm fine with being a background character," Kadota waved off with a wry smile.
They had reached the floor of their classrooms and he had turned and spoke to Shinra.
Then he shrugged his shoulders, walking away.
"See you, Kishitani. Try not to interfere in their relationship too much."
He paused, then decided to say –
"And…you probably already know but, watch what you say to Orihara."
Kadota muttered as he left the scene with those parting words to Shinra seeming as if they were addressed towards himself –
"…He seems like a guy with a volatile heart."
…
…
…
A lot of things happened. 3/4 of this chapter was written beforehand so I thought I might as well finish it up and post it. But, are there people still interested in the story?
