The next four days were quite a pleasant haze. Chikage's place was no bigger than Shizuo's but it was filled with more furniture—a couch, a plush chair, and two or more futons. Izaya offered to sleep on the couch but Chikage insisted for the raven to sleep on the bed and he take the couch.

Izaya had gotten to know Chikage quite well over those four days. He was apparently the leader of the Tonomaru—quite a popular bike gang—and actually had more than one girlfriend. But it was an open relationship so they all knew about each other and they were actually really friendly to one another too. Izaya had been surprised when the three came over bubbly and giggly with each other. He had been expecting jealousies and competitions. Chikage was quite the ladies man too. He was pretty good at making Izaya blush and feel special, even though the raven was also male—although he was still unsure of his sexual orientation.

Izaya had explained to the biker that he had lost his memory—which Chikage exaggerated with extreme surprise. That he had been living with Heiwajima Shizuo since he released himself from the hospital. After giving that tidbit of information and giving his full name, Chikage exclaimed, "Wait your Orihara of Shinjuku, one of the strongest men in Ikebukuro? I heard you were a complete asshole!"

"I'm famous?!" Izaya had responded, too shocked to take offense.

After that Chikage had laughed heartily and told Izaya not to worry.

Izaya also explained his plan to go home and find any possible memories he may trigger—excluding the part where he would have to sleep with Shiki as payment.

"So, there's not guarantee you'll remember anything, huh?" Chikage had said.

"Yeah. Hopefully something will trigger a memory so I can live on my own, at least, but there are no guarantees."

Chikage hadn't asked why Izaya couldn't live on his own in the first place. He figured the asshole Orihara Izaya much of made some pretty powerful enemies.

"Well, you're welcome to stay here for as long as you want." The biker had offered. "Just promise me one thing: if you get your memory back, don't be an ass to me, okay?"

"Yes, of course. You've done so much for me."

Chikage had smiled broadly then.

Over the course of the four days, Izaya explained a lot to Chikage. He felt guilty for making Chikage his personal counselor but the biker didn't seem to mind by much. He explained how Shizuo had deliberately kept facts from him, how he had pretended not to know Izaya very well, and how he believed the conspiracy was also in Shizuo's friends. How the only one who had been honest was Shiki, who had no friendship connection to them. And after he felt he could truly trust Chikage, he even told him about the physical relationship he had with Shizuo, how Shizuo left the bruises on him and how possessive the blond was.

Chikage didn't react in disgust like Izaya had expected. He had taken it all in before making a decision on the epidemic. "What a fucking asshole! So, he couldn't have you when you had your memory so he pulls all that shit when you don't even know who he is and traumatizes you in the progress. He's a fucking idiot. Plain and simple! You don't sneak around to try to confess to someone!"

After that, the rest was pretty supportive.

Like Shizuo, Chikage had work. He would leave Izaya alone for hours on end but he didn't order Izaya to stay here or not to answer the door when someone knocked. Izaya liked that quite a bit. He didn't feel so entrapped like he had with Shizuo. But Izaya didn't go out much. He was scared he would meet up Shizuo on the street and an onslaught of trashcans would come hurling from the sky. So, he stayed in. Difference was that Chikage had a working television and plenty of games and paper for him to write and draw.

On the fifth day, Chikage gave Izaya a ride to the Sunshine Building on his motorbike. They had passed Celty on the ride over but neither of the two noticed each other due to Izaya wearing a helmet and having his face pressed into Chikage's shoulder blades.

Chikage pulled over and let Izaya off.

"Do you want me to wait with you?" Chikage asked.

Izaya shook his head. "No. Thank you, though."

"Here." Chikage gaze Izaya a piece of paper. "That's my phone number. If you need anything, give me a call, okay?"

"Okay. Thank you very much, Chikage-san. For everything."

"No problem. Good luck."

Izaya nodded.

Chikage smiled at him reassuringly, then drove off.

Izaya watched him till he was out of sight then sat down on the guard rail and waited.

As Izaya was checking the now vanished bruising on his neck with a foldable mirror case not long after Chikage left, Shiki showed up. The black limo pulled over in front of Izaya—the raven shoved the mirror in his pocket—and the door opened.

"Punctual." Shiki said. "The old Izaya would have made me wait."

Izaya looked at him as doubt was beginning to swirl inside of him. But telling himself he came this far now so he shouldn't back out, he climbed in.

Shiki offered Izaya a drink, which he took, then filled his own cup and took a gulp.

"So," Izaya said, holding the alcohol tensely. "How does this work? I mean, do we…do it first or…um…"

Shiki chuckled at Izaya using a teenage term for sex. "We'll go to your place first. I'd rather savor you on a bed then being rushed in a car."

Izaya blushed. "I-I see. Right."

An hour passed of awkward silence—the only conversation that was started was Shiki pointing out the bruises were gone, which didn't last long at all—and they soon pulled up to a tall building. Izaya was awestruck.

"I live here?"

"Surprised?" Shiki chuckled.

Izaya was a ball of excitement as they entered the elevators. Shiki smiled at the child-like giddiness of the usually serious information broker.

'What kind of place will it be?' Izaya wondered. 'Will it be elaborate? Dank? Droll?'

Izaya was pleased to see he was on the top floor. And even more pleased that he remembered where he kept the spare key.

Izaya was awestricken when he saw the huge living room and kitchen. He loved that the whole side of the building was a window wall and that the whole left wall by the door was nothing but book shelves. It was plain and a little dark, with black furniture and a glass coffee table in the center, but it all looked extremely expensive so it was fine if it was plain.

"This is all mine?!" Izaya said in amazement.

Shiki chuckled, shut the door, and sat on the couch.

Izaya didn't care that he was supposed to prostitute himself to Shiki. He just wanted to explore. And Shiki was okay with that. He didn't mind waiting.

Izaya spent the next twenty minutes exploring the rooms. Nothing triggered a memory, but he didn't really care about that. He recognized the bedroom from his dreams and was sculpting a mental map layout of the whole apartment. He checked all the food in the pantry and fridge, throwing out the expired milk and other products that have staled or rotted. And like a giddy child, he was extremely excited when he found a garbage chute in his apartment. Not down the hall and in the referral room. So he just had to toss the small but full garbage bag down it and listen to it disappear.

Shiki was extremely amused that Izaya's child-like mentality was still intact, but in a much cuter way.

Izaya decided not to explore the computer just yet, he'd save that for last. He wanted to look through the books first.

He wasn't really surprised that he had been a reader of heavy level books. As an information broker, it shouldn't be unnatural that he read a lot. But he sat and wondered why he had so many bibles and books on The Genesis. He never thought of himself as a Christian considered he had supposedly screwed over that gang but, of course, anything was possible when you don't remember.

As Izaya replaced a bible back onto the shelves to pull down a book next to it, something caught his eye. A beacon-like thing was hidden behind some of the books.

He pulled the books out and placed them on the ground then stood on his tip-toes and looked the beacon head on.

Izaya's eyes widened. It wasn't a beacon but a capsule filled with green liquids.

And floating in the liquids was a woman's head.

Izaya's eyes didn't widen to the horrendous sight. They widened as memories upon memories flooded through his head. His brain was pushed into overload. A headache erupted in his frontal lobe and he slammed his face into the palm of his hands with a groan of pain as he fell to his knees.

"Oi, Izaya." Shiki walked over to the raven, and crouched down. "You okay?"

Izaya didn't answer, his hands dropping to his side as he sat slouched on the ground with his head drooped.

"Hey…" Shiki reached to touch Izaya.

Izaya turned on him. Wrapping his arms around Shiki's neck, he planted his lips over the executives.

Shiki's eyes widened and he fell back to have the raven straddle his hips, lips still attached, grinding their crotches together.

Finally, the raven separated, a string of saliva attaching their lips before it broke.

"Neh, Shiki-san." Izaya said, a grin crossing his lips. "Did you miss me?"

Shizuo let his feet lead him, not even thinking of where he was going, just blindly following Tom around town. Izaya had been missing for four days. He hadn't gotten much sleep since the raven vanished, worst case scenario's playing through his head of the raven's disappearance. The images couldn't leave his mind, haunting his sleep that Izaya had been kidnapped or killed or sold off to some pervert rich man and it had been Shizuo's fault. If only he hadn't had been so stubborn. He had a responsibility to keep the raven safe and his own jealousy had blinded him. Now Izaya was gone. And he knew that if the News announced his death, he would never be able to forgive himself.

He had tried everything to find him short of going to the police. Looking into every gang and scumbag that had owed them money, he had pulled them aside for interrogations but none of them knew anything. He had done as much research as he could on the Shiki, Shinra telling him that he was the executive of the Awakusu-kai. He said they were a legitimate business but Shizuo couldn't believe that. He had tried to get more information out of other people—not wanting to admit to Shinra that he had fucked up and possibly got Izaya in danger. He had left a thread on the dollars site about a man missing, giving Izaya's description and real name. Lots of reply's came back like, :Orihara Izaya is missing?! O no!:,:Wait, he was missing? He never comes to Ikebukuro anymore. I assumed he was doing shit in Shinjuku.: And ambiguous messages like that.

But one in particular caught his attention. :I saw him! Orihara is with that bike gang Tonomaru. He was riding with the leader.:

The message was received on the second day, and for the next two Shizuo tried to follow up on this statement, looking about for the biker gang. Either he missed them or they weren't coming out and no one in dollars could tell him where the raven was staying.

On the fifth day, something strange happened. Someone posted on Shizuo's thread, a person named Kanra saying, :Don't worry anymore, guys. That person you're looking for is safe, safe, safe ^_-:

'Hmm?'

:What do you mean?: Shizuo had typed.

No reply had come back. Instead, he got a call from a number that wasn't recognized in his contacts. His eyes narrowed. He started to think that maybe Izaya had owed the Tonomaru money, so they were holding him for ransom. Shizuo was the only one Izaya knew so they would most-likely call him—if that had been the outcome of Izaya's disappearance.

Apprehensive, he answered it and put it to his ear.

"Moshi—"

"Ah an!"

Shizuo's eyes widened when he recognized the voice.

"Ah, oh, not so…rough, ah! Uhnk ah!"

Shizuo felt his body tremble.

"Shit, so tight." A different male voice said. "Izaya, loosen up."

"Uh, oh, I'm-I'm gonna cum! Oh, ah I'm cum—cumming! Cumming! Hyah AHHH!"

Shizuo didn't even notice he had just punched a chunk out of the side of a building until someone screamed. But even then he didn't care.

"Shizuo." Tom said, a little hesitant. "What's wrong?"

Shizuo looked down at him and hung up the phone. "Sorry."

Shizuo continued walking.

Tom was confused but continued, as well.

As day turned to dusk, Shizuo's irritability only grew as the air began to take on a foul scent.

As they walked, something caught Shizuo's eye. An ebony-haired man in a white fur-trimmed black coat.

"Izaya?" Shizuo pushed through the crowd.

"Shizuo?" Tom called out.

"Izaya, hey!" Shizuo reached out to touch the man.

But his fingers fell out of reach as the man ran.

"Hey, wait! Hey!" Shizuo gave chase.

The man continued to run, swerving and swiveling past people to escape. Shizuo followed the best he could, constantly bumping into the people the slender raven had dodged.

The man turned around to duck around someone, letting Shizuo see his face.

And there was no doubt about it.

It was…

"IZAYA!"

Izaya laughed manically as he ran away from the blond.

"Izaya, wait! Come back! IZAYA!"

Izaya turned behind a building and when Shizuo turned the same building, Izaya was gone.

'Where has he been all this time? Why did he run away from me? Why…?'

"IZAYA!"

Shizuo returned home a little past dark. He was glaring at the ground and his forehead hurt from crinkling all day long. Tom had attempted to send Shizuo home early, saying he could take the rest of the day off. But Shizuo refused, saying that he was fine and taking a small portion of his anger beating up a man that said he didn't owe them anything because his friend was some high class politician. A really small portion. It just appeased him enough to keep him calm around Tom.

Upon entering his home, he tossed of his shoes and brushed his hair back. He didn't bother to look up as he entered his home.

"Welcome home, Shi~zu-chan."

Shizuo's eyes widened. His head shot up to see the missing raven-haired man sitting at the table at the end of the hall.

"Izay—"

"You took so~ long, Shizu-chan. I was about to fall asleep. I made dinner but since you took forever, most of its cold by now." Izaya grinned maliciously. "Come eat."

"What the hell?" Shizuo stormed into the house. "Where have you been? Do you know how worried I had been?! I looked everywhere—"

"Ew~~! Shizu-chan? Was worried about me?Sorry, but I don't believe that." Izaya's smile never faltered as he leaned his chin on his hand with his elbow rested on the table and eyes closed. "I think you were more worried about the fact that you now had no one to have sex with with me gone. After all, no one else would willing sleep with a monster like you. Of course, I technically never consented into the act in the first place. And even if I had said no, am I really to believe you would actually stop?"

Shizuo's eyes flared with anger. "What the fuck is that?! What's gotten into you?!"

"Pfft! You really can't tell?" Izaya opened his eyes and looked at Shizuo, a sadistic glint in those red-brown orbs. "I guess I gave you too much credit. I should have known a simple-minded protozoan like you wouldn't notice unless I tell you, huh, Shizu-chan."

Shizuo's eyes widened as it finally seeped in. "You're…back to normal."

"Oh! The monster actually figured it out! Not as dumb as I thought, neh. I was mistake for a moment."

Izaya took a bite of the food that sat in front of Shizu-chan's spot.

Shizuo stared down at him, his hands beginning to shake. 'How the fuck did this happen? How did he suddenly remember everything in five days? I was really worried about him and he was having the fucking time of his life with that piece of shit Yakuza fuck. Now he's gone. The Izaya I love has turned back into this condescending worthless flea!'

"You better eat, Shizu-chan." Izaya said, smiling back up at him. "Don't worry, I didn't poison anything. I used your ingredients and you don't have any poisonous things like bug killer. Think of this as a farewell party for Nakura, since now that I'm back, you won't have a lover anymore."

Shizuo clenched his shaking fists. 'He's taunting me! I established a relationship with the innocent Izaya because I loved him, you fuck! And now that you're back…you rub it in my face that I can't love him anymore.' His teeth tightened into a snarled. 'You worthless shit! I won't forgive you! I'll…'

"Neh, Shizu-chan—"

Shizuo rushed over to Izaya and grabbed the raven by his shoulders. Izaya eyes widened then they screwed up in pain as Shizuo slammed Izaya face down into the table, scattering the plates, bowls, and silverware. Izaya exclaimed loudly in pain and lied in a surprised, pained daze as Shizuo shifted himself behind the flea.

"What—"

'I'll make you suffer, you worthless fuck.'

Shizuo reached under Izaya and grabbed the raven's belt.

Izaya's eyes widened. "Wait—"

Shizuo unfastened the belt and proceeded to pull Izaya's pants down. Izaya gasped and grabbed Shizuo's hand with one hand and his pants with the other.

"H-hey, Shizu-chan—"

Shizuo bit the back of Izaya's neck.

"Ow! Sto—"

Shizuo rubbed his crotch against Izaya's ass. Izaya's eyes widened even more when he felt a distinct bump.

"Stop!" Izaya yelled and began to squirm.

He managed to flip himself over and was pushing against Shizuo's shoulder with all the strength he had. His back arched painfully against the edge of the table but he was more worried about the potential threat Shizuo was creating.

In the back of Shizuo's mind, there was a voice. The voice was his conscious, telling him this wasn't right, that he couldn't hurt the person he loved like this. But the blonds mind was filled with rage and lost. Rage that this little flea had the audacity to act like he had with the face he loved and the voice he loved. And lost that that face and voice would never return to him in the innocent, blushing manner as it had before. The voice grew smaller and smaller as more and more rage and lost filled his insides, making his blood hot and pumping fast—filling his cock to its hardest.

Izaya squirmed down the table and managed to pull his pants back up to his hips. He slammed his feet against Shizuo's thighs, pushing the monster back while propelling himself to the table. He leaped to his feet and jumped on the table and was on his way over it, his aim the door down the hall, only for Shizuo to grab his ankle and pull. With a yelp of surprise, Izaya slammed into the table hard, winding himself as Shizuo pulled him towards him. Shizuo flipped him onto his back and his hand automatically fastened around Izaya's neck. Izaya's eyes widened and he gagged, grabbed the powerful wrist as his legs kicked and kneed Shizuo in his hips, sides, and thighs.

"Sto—akh!"

Keeping a hold on Izaya's neck, Shizuo pushed himself forward so his hips were touching Izaya's crotch and lifted the raven by his throat so he was slightly sitting up. He hooked his other arm under Izaya's ass and lifted him up. Izaya continued to kick and squirm, starting to see stars from the pressure that cut off his air supple. He coughed and gasped for air only for non to enter his lungs. His grip was weakening. Shizuo tossed him onto the bed.

Izaya gasped in air, rolling on his side to hack, holding his throat, his pants around his upper thighs. He was lightheaded and dizzy. He knew he needed to be alert and escape. He could see the window in front of him on the other side of the bed. But too much blackness and stars obscured his vision and he wasn't even sure if he was moving his legs like he thought he was.

Shizuo joined him on the bed, looming over the stunned raven. He pushed down on Izaya's shoulder so the raven's front was pressed against the bed and couldn't raise his chest from the mattress. He planted warm lips against the side of the informants' neck, sucking on it hard before biting in and drawing blood.

Izaya gasped in shock, Shizuo's hands moving in an almost loving motion as he trailed them to Izaya's biceps and gave a lustful squeeze. "Stop, Shizu—"

Izaya's words turned into a loud exclaim as Shizuo reached one arm under the raven's hips and forced them to rise. Izaya's pants caught against Shizuo's, causing both his pants and underwear to slip down his rump where they pooled around his knees. Izaya blushed, the lightheadedness fading and his ability to be alert returning.

"Stop!"

Izaya tried to raise his chest but Shizuo refused him and when the raven went to lower his hips, the blond refused him yet again. Izaya heard Shizuo's belt unclip.

"Stop it! Shizu-chan!" Izaya looked over his shoulder at the blond with scared, wide eyes. "What are you thinking—"

A pressure built against Izaya's hole. Sheering pain racked Izaya's body as Shizuo's hips moved forward. Izaya didn't realize he was screaming until he was out of breath. Izaya's hand dug into the bed, one arm tucked under his body while his hand clamped by his face and the other was outstretched, gripping the blankets by the edge of the bed as if he had been trying to reach out for something—or to pull himself away.

"Stop it! Stop—Shizu-chan!"

'Why should I?' Shizuo thought, glaring down at the raven. 'Because you finally feel remorse since you can't escape. Shallow fuck!'

Shizuo thrust.

"Ah, no, stop, let me—let me go!"

Shizuo pulled out suddenly then flipped Izaya over and threw his hips back in.

"AAHH! Stop! Hurt—Shizu-chan, I can't-can't breathe!"

Shizuo raised Izaya's legs so they were hooked over his elbows and planted his hands by Izaya's side, the raven's lower rump and lower back raised off the bed. Izaya pushed against Shizuo's shoulders hard, slamming a fist down on his clavicle—feeling a thick liquid seep down the cavern of his ass cheeks and drip onto the bed—but it did nothing to the monster.

"Stop! It! Shizu—"

Shizuo thrust.

"Stop!"

Izaya buried his hand in his pocket and a moment later, silver flashed by Shizuo's face. A cut appeared from the side of his eye to above his brow. Shizuo flinched away thought it didn't' hurt.

With his hips back onto the bed, Izaya pushed against Shizuo's hips, trying to separate them—his knife still in his hand—but Shizuo didn't budge. Izaya brought one on his legs up, making his entrance tighten, and pressed the length of his shin against Shizuo's torso, trying to push him away while pushing himself away.

Shizuo's cock head was the only thing buried inside before the blond leaned down. He pushed Izaya's leg out of the way and pressed his body over Izaya's so the raven couldn't move. With his torso pressed against the ravens', he reached back and hooked his arms back under Izaya's knees, spread them, and thrust.

"Ah! Stop!"

Izaya buried his knife into Shizuo's back, twisting it to create a gaping wound. Shizuo didn't respond as blood seeped through his black and white clothes. Instead, he unhooked his arm from Izaya's legs, grabbed the raven's hand and pinned it to the bed, intertwining their fingers so Shizuo could press down on the blade.

Tears streamed down the side of Izaya's face. He grabbed a handful of Shizuo's hair over his temple with his free hand, trying to push him away.

"Get off of me, you fucking beast!"

Shizuo's eyes widened with rage. He grabbed Izaya hands and pinned it in the same manner as the other.

"Stop it, Shizu-chan! Stop!"

Shizuo glared down at him, hatred fueling his insides. Then his eyes widened. The face he loved was crinkled into an expression of utter pain and confusion. The eyes he loved were flooded with tears. The voice he loved was becoming raspy and ragged from sobs and yelled.

'This…this isn't the person I love though. I love the old Izaya. The cute Izaya. The one that wasn't condescending. The one that would make me smile with his innocence. This isn't the Izaya I love. So I shouldn't feel guilty. I shouldn't be disturbed by this sight. I should be happy. He stole my Izaya away from me! I shouldn't…'

Shizuo leaned down and buried his face into Izaya's shoulder. He didn't want to see the face he loved give him that expression. In his mind, he knew Izaya deserved this. He definitely deserved. He wouldn't allow himself to sway from hurting the man who stole his love.

'Dammit…'

Shizuo thrust.

Izaya screamed.

Izaya lied in the feeble position, holding himself with his knees to his chest to try and give himself a feeling a safety. His whole body was trembling with disgust, pain, and gentle sobs, white and red seeping out his entrance.

Shizuo sat on the edge of the bed, smoking a cigarette, glancing over his shoulder at the flea.

Izaya didn't move. His body hurt too much to move. But he wanted—needed desperately —to move. He wanted to leave. He couldn't stand being around Shizuo. So many scenario's had played through his head of what could happen when he returned to the apartment one last time. Rape had been one of them but he dismissed it because he thought the fact that Shizuo loved him would be enough of a safety net.

He had been so wrong.

And the feelings of affection for this man were being buried deeper and deeper in his heart.

'He hasn't said anything.' Shizuo thought.

Guilt swirled around in Shizuo's stomach. He would have never that that Izaya would actually lie in the feeble position. Normal people take that position after a rape. But Izaya wasn't normal. He would have thought that Izaya would have ran out the first chance he got. But the raven didn't stir, holding himself for the security that was taken away from him. And it allowed Shizuo to let the feelings he had been holding down through the act burst forth and twist him organs like putty.

He put his cigarette out in the ashtray on the nightstand, then turned.

"Izaya." He touched Izaya's shoulder.

Izaya automatically jolted up, the feeling of safety that had slowly been accumulating dissipated in that one touch. Shizuo retracted his hand, his eyes widening.

Izaya sluggishly pushed himself to the edge of the bed. His legs were trembling and numb and when he went to stand, hot, burning pain shot through his hips, causing him to fall to the ground with a scream and a loud thud.

"Izaya!" Shizuo crouched down to the raven and reached for him.

Izaya batted his hand away. Shizuo's eyes widened at seeing tears in the raven's eyes yet again. Still a disheveled heap on the floor, Izaya reached over and grabbed his pants and underwear. He propped himself up with one arm and pulled them on. It was slow and difficult but he finally got them around his hips and buttoned them. Once they were on, he didn't move, resting his head on the floor. He wanted to sleep. Just moving the little amount he had had hurt and exhausted him so much. He just wanted to rest.

The guilt inside Shizuo only grew at seeing the raven so drained.

"Izaya, you shouldn't move—" Shizuo touched his shoulder again.

Izaya eyes flared open to the contact and he rolled over and on his back so quick it caught Shizuo by surprise. Izaya's hand came in contact with Shizuo's cheek, earning him another cut on his face from the ring on the raven's index finger and his knuckles. Shizuo's eyes widened.

Izaya didn't mean to slap him. He just wanted to bat his hand away. But now that he had provoked the blond again he needed to leave as soon as possible. Shizuo might get angry again and strip him of his security for another round.

Izaya grabbed the edge of the bed and pulled himself up. Pain shot through his body but he didn't let it cripple him. He pushed himself away from the bed and stumbled to the hallway.

The shock of being slapped by the person he loved finally dissipated and he realized the raven wasn't next to him. He was leaning against the wall next to the hall for support, looking like he would pass out where he stood.

"I-Izaya." Shizuo stood and walked over to him. "You shouldn't move. You're hurt."

Izaya didn't say anything, the voice of the man who had violated him making his eyes snap open. He had honestly started to fall asleep. He leaned against the wall heavily and slowly made his way to the door. Putting his shoes on was a slow agony but he couldn't allow himself to sit down and correct them with his fingers. If he wasn't moving, he was sure he would faint.

"Izaya. Really, you shouldn't move, okay? You don't have to worry, I won't hurt you again, so just stop and—" He touched Izaya's shoulder.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

Shizuo leaped away as if Izaya had just punched him in the gut. The shrill, desperateness of his voice made Shizuo's blood turn to ice and his stomach and heart drop to his feet.

Izaya opened the door and stumbled into the apartment hallway.

"I-Izaya!"

Izaya closed the door—and Shizuo—behind him.

"Izaya!"