Here is chapter 20! This is a longer chapter and contains yaoi, so be warned! I would recommend listening to "Latch" by Disclosure. It helped me write this chapter and I can no longer picture this chapter being separate from it. Hope you enjoy! Please review, thanks for reading!

Chapter 20

Latch

He could have sat there for hours, maybe days, leaning into Shizuo's warm embrace. It was actually a little funny. In all of their years fighting each other, having the bodyguard's arms wrapped around him was one of the last things Izaya ever wanted to happen, especially since it would be coupled with his spine snapping and possibly being crushed to death. Instead of receiving that crushing feeling that he worked so very hard to avoid, the arms around him were gentle and caring, the opposite of what he had come to expect from the blond. They really had changed a lot, hadn't they? And all within the course of a few days…

With a small grunt, he snuggled closer to the bodyguard's chest, creeping his arms up Shizuo's back and hooking his fingers on the collar of the bodyguard's shirt. He swore he could feel Shizuo tense at his touch but the tension in the blond's shoulders disappeared as quickly as it had come. The gramophone crackled in the background, signifying that the record had reached its end, filling the silence with static. After a good few minutes, the silence became a bit uneasy. Usually, there was a lot more yelling involved whenever they were within five feet of each other. Silence, especially for this long, was a foreign concept.

"How long was I out?" Izaya asked, deciding to break the silence. It was his forte, of course.

"A good five or six hours," Shizuo mumbled from above, his grip loosening ever so slightly. "I lost track of the time…"

The informant opened his eyes and searched the room, landing on a clock near the doorway. It was past one, most likely in the morning due to the lack of sunlight that would have been filtering into the room if it were the afternoon.

"What happened after… after I died?" he asked, not taking his eyes off of the clock.

"We got you here as fast as we could," the bodyguard explained, his fingers absentmindedly twisting in the informant's hair. "Got you in here and I said I would stay until you woke up."

Izaya snorted, rolling his eyes. Leave it to Shizu-chan to give him the footnotes version of what happened. Regardless, he was on target with his earlier assumption; Shizuo had chosen to stay by his side. He felt his face flush at the thought and he quickly tried to change the subject, choosing to focus on the terrible wallpaper that surrounded them.

"It was very nice of you to put me in a room with such terrible wallpaper, Shizu-chan," he snorted in Shizuo's grip. "Were you hoping such a garish combination of colors would keep me unconscious until we got to the Netherlands?"

"You think it's shit too, huh?" the blond chuckled. "France actually insisted you stay in here. He said you would 'appreciate' it."

Izaya clicked his tongue and buried his face in Shizuo's chest again, sparing his eyes. "Probably did that on purpose, just to spite me I bet."

"How do you know?"

"Maybe I've been here before and have always hated it," the informant shrugged. "Either way, it's ugly."

"Hm," from above, Shizuo sounded almost amused. "Well, you're alive." He released his grip on the informant and got to his feet, brushing away Izaya's arms from his back. "I should probably tell everyone else that you haven't kicked the bucket quite yet."

As he went to leave, Izaya reached out and grabbed his wrist, dragging the bodyguard back a step. "Wait."

"What is it, flea?" Shizuo sighed but his tone didn't hold the same note of contempt that it tended to. He didn't even turn around to glare at him; that was a first.

"There are quite a few things that you and I need to talk about," Izaya stated evenly, eyes focused on the bodyguard's back. "And don't even try to say you don't know what I'm talking about. You know damn well what I mean. Besides, everyone else is probably asleep by now."

He heard a low sigh come from the bodyguard and Shizuo turned towards him, expectant. "What is it then?"

"You know as well as I do," Izaya countered, looking up into big brown eyes. "Something has changed between us. I'm sure you've noticed."

Shizuo only nodded in response. It was true; he had noticed. Their encounters lacked violence and they could actually have civil conversations for the first time in their lives. Of course the flea still got on his nerves but his responses had become subdued. He no longer ripped up the closest object just for tossing at the informant. He was now in the position of protecting the flea but that no longer weighed on his mind. It was actually getting easier to be around Izaya, almost as if he were getting used to the other man's presence. And the shot of fear he had felt when the informant had laid dying in his arms…

It was all very different. Maybe he was starting to genuinely care for the flea. Maybe that was why he insisted at waiting at Izaya's bedside, despite all the offers and reassurances from the nations. He sat there for hours, waiting for some sign of life from the informant, until drifting off to sleep. That wasn't something he would have done normally, especially for the man that had tried so hard to destroy his life.

"This is… different," he said, after clearing his throat. "You normally don't want to talk and if you do, there are usually strings attached."

"Maybe that shows how much we've changed," the informant sighed.

"I think it really started to show through when you took a bullet for me," Shizuo looked down at the informant, crossing his arms over his chest.

Izaya could feel those hazel eyes boring into his skull as he lowered his eyes, focusing on the carpet below. "There is that…"

The blond let out a large sigh and scratched the back of his head, casting his eyes to the floor. "Look, flea, I know we've never gotten along…"

"That's an understatement."

"Will you shut up and let me talk?" Shizuo glared at the informant, effectively rendering him silent. "You just wouldn't do that, in all the years we've known each other. So, yeah, a lot has changed."

Silence fell over them once more. The air became tense as the unasked question hung between the two of them- what did this all mean? Where was their relationship going from here? It remained unspoken as the informant sat, chewing at his lip and staring down at the ground, while the bodyguard looked at his feet. The ticking of the clock echoed throughout the room.

"What did you want to talk about?" Shizuo asked, breaking the silence this time around. "You said there were a few things…"

Izaya nodded. "I doubt you can't guess what my first question will be."

He could have sworn that the blond tensed again but just like before, the moment was fleeting and created the illusion that nothing in the bodyguard's demeanor had changed. "I can't stop you. Go ahead."

"What happened that night?" Izaya asked, clearing his throat. "In Italy."

"You really want to know?" the bodyguard sighed, taking a seat on the bed.

"I think I deserve to know."

"Is it that important?"

"I don't know, Shizuo," Izaya snapped, clearly frustrated. "I was only blackout drunk and something happened that I should probably know about, but hey, it's not that important!"

Shizuo let out a long sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "You're that serious, huh? You wandered into our room, drunk off your ass, and jabbered on about nothing for a few minutes."

"Like what?"

"Nothing important," Shizuo snorted. "You kept blabbering on about my hair and my muscles, I think. I don't know, you slurred all your words together. It was hard to understand."

"Ah…" Izaya stuttered, feeling his face turn red. He scooted closer to Shizuo, now a little more than flustered. "Any… anything else?"

Shizuo was quiet for a minute and suddenly the air felt very tense and heavy, much worse than it had been before. "We… you…" he balled his hands into fists, kneading the bed sheets underneath. "You… planted one on me…"

Izaya knitted his eyebrows together, mulling the phrase over, and then spotted how red the other's face was. He wasn't kidding, was he? Then again, why would Shizuo joke about something like that in the first place? He felt the heat rush up to his own face and had to take a few seconds to regain his bearings. "I… um… oh." He placed a hand over his mouth and propped his elbows on his knees, rocking back and forth. What should he say to that? Should he apologize? Should he confess his newfound attraction or just heckle Shizuo instead in an attempt to get things back to normal? Instead, he was speechless, too many options to choose from.

Instead, Shizuo broke the silence. "And then you threw up on my shoes."

Izaya snorted in laughter and to his surprise, he heard the bodyguard chuckling next to him. He turned to see a small smile on the blond's face, his brown eyes twinkling with mirth.

"Sorry about that," Izaya grinned, eyes softening at Shizuo's expression. He didn't see him smile very often. He looked very nice that way…

"For what? The kiss or blowing chunks all over me?"

Izaya flushed at the mention of their kiss. "Vomiting on you, of course. I'm surprised you didn't bitch about it earlier…"

"So does that mean you don't regret it?"

Izaya froze, suddenly feeling like the walls were closing in. Shizuo stared back at him, brown eyes quizzical and… there was something else, something gentle. His mouth flapped open and closed a couple of times before he finally realized that no sound was coming out. After clearing his throat once more, he managed a "Do you?"

Shizuo turned his gaze downward. "I… I'm not sure… Everything has been different lately. I don't know what's normal anymore."

"Our entire world has been turned upside-down, hasn't it?" Izaya chuckled, a smile on his face. It didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Is… that a bad thing?" the blond asked quietly.

The informant slid his eyes back to his bodyguard. His posture had changed dramatically. While he normally slouched, he at least kept the image of being big, strong, and tall, towering above everyone else. Now, he was almost trying to curl into himself, his long arms wrapped around his body. His eyes, normally focused, were distant and confused. His face was flushed beet red and he kept avoiding the informant's gaze. Izaya inhaled deeply, taking in the meaning of what he was seeing.

"It doesn't have to be."

Izaya inched closer to Shizuo, sliding his hand closer to the blond's. He had been battling with his feelings for so long and now, he was finally getting a confirmation of what it all meant. Everything he had felt during this trip, concerning Shizuo, all pointed to one thing. If it were a snake, it would have bitten him a long time ago. His slim fingers inched closer to Shizuo's hand and he slowly curled them around the other man's hand, causing his heart to rocket into his throat. The bodyguard turned to face him, cheeks flushed. Izaya swallowed hard, fighting against the rock that had formed in his throat, trying to muster up the right words for what he needed to say.

"Shizuo… I…"

Before he could say anything more, Shizuo leaned in close, cupping the informant's face with his other hand, and pressed his lips against Izaya's. Izaya blinked once in shock and then relaxed into the kiss, wrapping his free arm around Shizuo's neck.

When they broke apart, both quite breathless, Shizuo looked Izaya dead in the eyes and said, in a deep sultry voice, "Yeah… Me too."

Izaya wasted no time after that. He wrapped his arms around Shizuo's shoulders and pulled him back into a kiss, this time around being a little more needy and passionate. Their lips clashed together, hot and wet, and they both moved close together, Shizuo pulling Izaya's waist closer so that the informant was almost in his lap. Izaya clutched at the bodyguard's shoulders and deepened the kiss, allowing his tongue to enter Shizuo's mouth. The blond seemed to jerk in surprise but followed suit, wrapping their tongues together as his hands traveled from Izaya's waist to his face. Fingers ghosted over the soft fabric of Shizuo's usual bartender uniform and eventually found the edges of his shirt collar, drifting over exposed collarbones. He then focused on the vest as well, sliding it off of the other man's shoulders as the blond took an opportunity to nip at his bottom lip.

He clutched the collar of Shizuo's shirt in order to pull him closer as they parted ever so slightly for air, breaths coming out in short and labored puffs. In response, Shizuo wrapped his hands around Izaya's waist, copping a feel for just a microsecond, and plopped the smaller man onto his lap so that Izaya was straddling him. Now this was new. Never in a million years did he ever expect to be locking lips with the fortissimo of Ikebukuro. But now, contact with the bodyguard heated the blood flowing under his skin to a boil and the fingers clamped around his waist were like hot irons pressing against his skin, driving him to go further. Releasing Shizuo's collar, Izaya let his hands wander down the blond's shoulders and to the buttons of his dress shirt, undoing them one at a time.

Hands suddenly enveloped his. "Stop." He looked down at the blond, who had moved his hands away from his shirt. Izaya looked at him for a minute, perplexed, until Shizuo raised a finger inches away from the informant's nose. "Let me."

Not breaking eye contact, Shizuo unbuttoned his shirt, fingers moving slowly as if they were caressing a lover. Once completely unbuttoned, he shrugged it off of his arms and tossed it behind them, where it landed on the headboard of the bed. Following suit, Izaya pulled his own shirt off over his head and tossed it away before crashing his lips against Shizuo's once more. Teeth clacked together and hands ran across tender flesh, searching and grabbing, caressing with upmost care. Shizuo broke away from their kiss and peppered Izaya's throat with kisses, earning a sensual moan from the informant. He eventually settled on the crook of Izaya's neck, kissing and sucking at the flesh. A small gasp fell from Izaya's lips and he pressed himself closer to the blond's body, digging his nails into Shizuo's back. Shizuo then went for a bite, nipping at the pale skin and causing Izaya to arch his back, eliciting another moan.

Izaya pushed at the blond's neck, forcing him to meet his eyes. Shizuo's brown eyes were glassy, pooling with passion. Maybe he could get used to this strange new side to Shizuo, the one that looked at him with a gentle and loving gaze- he certainly looked much more attractive with that face. One large hand stroked Izaya's raven hair, gently running through his locks, as their noses touched. Their breath intermingled as the blond stared into Izaya's eyes. Of all people, it had to be the flea, the only person that actively sought him out. The man that usually blinded him with rage now made his head swim and touching the informant's bare skin caused his entire being to ache for more. Once his hand reached the nape of the informant's neck, he pulled him into another kiss, his other arm encircling Izaya's waist. Izaya ran his hands down Shizuo's chest, tracing every inch with his nimble fingers. His fingers surveyed the entirety of the blond's body; his pecs, his ribcage, and his strong abs. After brushing his fingertips over Shizuo's abs, he ran them lower, hooking his fingers under the bodyguard's belt.

The blond jolted at the touch, his hands immediately grabbing Izaya's. The informant broke away from their kiss and eyed him, cocking an eyebrow.

"What's wrong?"

"I…" Shizuo paused to catch his breath then turned his eyes to look up at Izaya. "How far do you want to go?"

A sultry smile spread across Izaya's face and he leaned in closer, ghosting his lips over the blond's. "As far as we can, Shizu-chan~."

Shizuo grabbed the other man's shoulders and pushed him back, looking him straight in the eye. "Look, I…" he paused, face suddenly very flushed. "I haven't done this before, okay?"

Izaya cocked his head to the side, eyes blank for a second. A wicked grin then broke out on his face. "Shizu-chan's a virrrgiiin~"

"Shut up!" Shizuo snapped, giving the informant a firm shake. "I'm not sure what to do when we get to that point…" His eyes were downcast now and his face was flushed, now leaning away from the informant. Of all of the people to admit that to, it had to be Izaya. "Look, we don't have to, especially if you're going to be like that…"

"Awww, don't be like that, Shizu-chan," Izaya pouted and inched closer, his lips teasing the blond's earlobe. "That's not a bad thing." His tongue flicked out along the shell of Shizuo's ear. Underneath him, the bodyguard tensed. "Please?" he pressed a kiss to the blond's jaw. "Come on, Shizu-chan." Another kiss, tracing Shizuo's jaw line. "One more try?"

Shizuo pushed him back a little and glared at him. The flush across his cheeks, however, softened the ferocity of his gaze to plain embarrassment. "Alright but…" he paused, his face turning a deeper red. He hated admitting vulnerability to that stupid flea but those lips against his skin… "I might need… help."

Izaya reached out, tilted the blond's chin up, and placed a small kiss on his nose. "Just follow my lead. You'll know what to do."

Shizuo nodded, face still flushed red, and pressed a trail of kisses along Izaya's jaw line and down to his neck as the informant returned his fingers to his belt, undoing the buckle and loosening the bodyguard's slacks. As he surveyed his work, his crimson eyes settled on the bulge forming in Shizuo's pants and a mischievous smile graced his lips.

"Well, what do we have here?" he mused aloud and cupped the blond's erection, rubbing it through the fabric.

He felt a puff of air against his neck as Shizuo gasped, stiffening at the touch. Arms tightened around him as he began to run his hand up and down the shaft, pumping as slowly as he possibly could. As he ran his fingers down the length, he couldn't help but smile at how big Shizuo was. He had his suspicions but damn, was Shizuo holding out on him. A strange sound came from the bodyguard's lips, as close to a whimper as he could possibly emit. Izaya raised his eyebrows at this; he never knew Shizuo was capable of making such a sound and it seemed to go straight to his own crotch, increasing the size of his own erection. Nevertheless, the thought made him grin wickedly. Shizuo was going to be putty in his hands and it would only take a few more pumps to do so.

He slid his hand up and down the shaft a few more times and the sound came forth again, this time followed by Shizuo's hips bucking into his own. The sudden movement nearly threw Izaya off-balance; he had almost forgotten about Shizuo's Herculean strength. In order to counter-act this, he slid closer to Shizuo's hips, squeezing their thighs together so that he could hold on. The blond's hands gripped tightly onto Izaya's shoulders and his hot breath spilled out onto the informant's back, letting out a low moan as Izaya kept going.

"Faster," he moaned into Izaya's collarbone and bucked his hips harder once the informant complied.

As Izaya picked up speed, Shizuo tilted his head up and captured the informant's lips in a sloppy kiss, his teeth clinging to Izaya's bottom lip. Izaya wrapped his arms around Shizuo's shoulders and their hips crashed together, erections rubbing against each other. They both moaned into each other's mouths, now completely overtaken by boiling blood and surging hormones. Shizuo's hands traveled down to Izaya's slight waist and slipped into his jeans, squeezing the soft flesh of his buttocks. Izaya responded by fingering the zipper of Shizuo's slacks, sliding it down and trying to push them down past the other man's thighs.

"Hold on," Shizuo murmured and wrapped an arm around Izaya's waist, lifting him up and laying him down on the bed beneath.

Their lips melted together once more, Izaya's hands clutching the sides of Shizuo's face as their tongues wrapped together. The bodyguard reached down towards his slacks, tearing the fabric off of his legs as if it were on fire. He then went to work on Izaya's jeans, unbuttoning and unzipping them, rubbing the erection underneath every now and then as he tried to peel the jeans off of the informant's legs. Izaya inhaled sharply at the touch and moaned when the blond kept alternating between rubbing and stripping. With trembling fingers, he reached down and helped Shizuo pull down his jeans, the fabric soon flying down to meet the rest of their clothes on the floor. Now, they were clad only in their underwear, hips grinding together in their heated passion.

It came to be Izaya's turn to buck violently into Shizuo and he made sure to grind against him as slowly as possible, hoping to hear that strange sound again. This time, the blond merely moaned and lowered his hips against Izaya's, beginning to thrust up against the smaller man's clothed opening. The informant thrust back, matching Shizuo's rhythm perfectly, but still let out a large moan when Shizuo's speed increased.

"Oh… oh God…" he moaned, wrapping his legs around Shizuo's waist as he arched his back at the touch. "…Fuck me…"

The bodyguard paused, panting and flushed. "Wh-what?"

"I said fuck me," Izaya panted. "Get inside of me and fuck me."

"I…" Shizuo swallowed and licked his lips, noticing how dry they were. This was exactly where his expertise on the subject ended. "Do we need anything? Like con…?"

"Do you have anything? Diseases of any sort?"

"No…?"

"I don't either. Great!" Izaya exclaimed in mock excitement. "Now take off those damn boxers and fuck me."

While it was tempting to go along with Izaya's whims, Shizuo found himself hesitating even though every nerve in his body was screaming that he do otherwise. "What if I hurt you…?" That was only one question out of many that were running through his head. Should he even be doing this? Where on earth would this even go…?

Beneath him, Izaya blinked in surprise. Now, of all times, Shizuo was worried about hurting him? But the worried and slightly ashamed expression on the blond's face struck a chord and he couldn't help but reached out and cup the blond's cheek in his hand.

"If I can take you tossing whatever detritus you can grab at me, then I can handle a little sex," he purred and started to slide his other hand down Shizuo's stomach, his fingers sliding beneath the waistband of his boxers. "Let's keep going. I know you want to…" The shuddering breath that tumbled from the Shizuo's lips once his fingers wrapped around the blond's member was confirmation enough. "Shizu-chan~"

That sultry voice erased any worries that he had. Upon being released from Izaya's grip, Shizuo nearly tore his boxers off and pitched them over his shoulder, as if he were throwing them out of existence. His fingers then hooked into the band of Izaya's briefs and he peeled them off, revealing the informant's erection which was standing tall and proud against his pale stomach. From below him, Izaya looked almost like a fragile porcelain doll, his skin looking pale and breakable. It nearly made his hands shake. The multiple scars from his days as a nation looked like cracks in this particular doll, marring his beautiful skin. Shizuo bowed his head and kissed them, from the top of Izaya's sternum to just below his navel. The informant let out a shuddering breath, fingers curling into the bed sheets as his back arched once more. The blond brought his head back up to Izaya's, their noses touching, and melted their lips together. Izaya's arms came up to wrap around Shizuo's neck, clinging onto him.

The gasp that Izaya made when Shizuo finally slid into him was inevitable.

"You… okay…?" Shizuo asked between labored breaths.

"Fine," Izaya whimpered. "Just… whatever you do, don't stop."

The bodyguard complied and began to thrust, starting out rather slow and building up speed as they went. With every thrust, Izaya clung tighter to Shizuo and moaned louder and louder. Shizuo's thrusts grew stronger and faster, turning Izaya's moans into shrill gasps, only leaving his mouth with every thrust. The bodyguard was now lost to his instincts, the smell of sex driving him onward. He panted like a dog in heat and his fingers tore at the sheets, digging into the mattress below. He was so close, the euphoria far too intoxicating for him to stop. Izaya, almost breathless, clung to Shizuo's neck and buried his face into the bodyguard's sweaty shoulder, near to be unable to contain himself.

The last two thrusts did them in. Shizuo climaxed with a loud gasp, releasing his load into his partner's insides. Izaya arched his back with a strangled moan and he came as well, splattering Shizuo's stomach with sticky fluid.

Out of breath, Shizuo pulled out and rolled over to lie next to Izaya, who was still trying to catch his. He propped his head up with his elbow and smiled wryly at the informant.

"Not too bad for… a twenty four year old virgin… huh?" Shizuo panted and Izaya swore the bodyguard gave him a quick wink.

Izaya let out a soft snicker. "Yeah, not too bad at all…" He wasn't sure where this new, fun side of Shizuo had come from but he wasn't going to complain anytime soon.

"Was that a compliment? From you?" the bodyguard feigned disbelief. "Maybe I literally fucked your brains out."

"I'm pretty sure I'm all together here," Izaya patted the top of his head. "No leaks."

"Smartass," Shizuo chuckled as the informant rolled over to face him full on.

They locked eyes for a few minutes, chestnut brown on crimson. Shizuo's expression had turned almost tranquil, his eyes soft and loving and a small smile on his face. Izaya smiled too until he saw the look in those eyes, a look that was completely foreign to him. He blinked a couple of times, thinking of the implications, and cast his eyes downward, purposefully avoiding Shizuo's gaze. He had just had sex with Shizuo Heiwajima; this was the furthest thing from normal, even when they were wrapped up in this nation mess. This man was normally his enemy but now he looked at him with love instead of burning hatred and deep down, it shook the informant to his core. The scariest part? He didn't even care about "normal" anymore.

"Damn, I'm exhausted," the blond yawned, shaking Izaya out of his inner monologue. "Is this how it's like every time?"

"Pretty much."

"Hm," Shizuo grunted, and turned his body towards the headboard. "Well, I guess we might as well get some sleep so we don't look completely trashed tomorrow…" He stopped, staring straight ahead at the headboard.

Izaya followed his gaze and his eyes fell on the headboard, which was now completely demolished. He smirked and let out a low whistle. "Damn. You are good."

Shizuo, on the other hand, looked completely mortified. They hadn't heard the crack of wood at all but given the intensity of the situation, it wasn't surprising. There was also a shallow dent in the wall where the headboard should have been, indicating that it had been smashed to pieces against said wall. "Oh my god," he groaned and turned to Izaya, clearly worried. "I… I didn't hurt you, did I?"

Izaya blinked, unused to this level of concern from his bodyguard. "No…? I'm fine."

"I'll have to pay for that, won't I?"

"More likely than not."

Shizuo let out a sigh of defeat but crawled underneath the covers regardless. "I'll worry about it tomorrow. Too tired."

Izaya eyed the headboard suspiciously but followed Shizuo's example anyways. "Fine, but it's your fault if I get a splinter in my ass."

Shizuo let out a low chuckle and cuddled close to his partner, wrapping an arm around his waist. He took Izaya's chin in one hand and gently pressed a kiss against his lips. This kiss wasn't rushed or driven by lust; it was slow, tender, and caring- genuine.

He pulled back with a smile. "Goodnight." He pressed a kiss to Izaya's forehead and wrapped himself around the informant, his chin resting on top of Izaya's head, right in the middle of the silver streak.

Izaya pressed himself against Shizuo's body, head resting on the blond's chest. He glanced up at the bodyguard's peaceful face and then cast he eyes downward, chewing his lip. He then just opted for snuggling close to Shizuo, at least until morning came.