"My bad."
"By the way, your condoms are boring. Get some with grooves or something next time."
"So we'll be doing this again."
"You're not a bad fuck. And make sure you keep on smoking, each cancer stick brings you closer to death."
"No mellowing after sex? I suppose it'd be weird if you got all sentimental."
Izaya laughed.
"I don't get sentimental."
For all the talk of sleep they were both very much awake.
"And that's a good thing?"
"It would never do if I gushed 'emotion' just because of sex, now would it?"
"Guess not."
"I don't come rainbows either."
"Didn't think you did. Too salty."
Shizuo chuckled and rolled until he was lying on his back, eyes half closed.
"Do you have any more questions for me, Heiwajima-san?"
Shizuo had quite a few but overtiring Izaya might not be for the best.
"Nah, not right now. You should rest some more."
Izaya lifted an eyebrow questioningly and slipped into slumber despite having every intention of staying awake. Shizuo was not surprised. But he did not expect Izaya to cuddle with a pillow and smile contently in his sleep, speaking freely without the bypass of mental defenses.
"Ah, if Shizu-chan died I'd be so happy…happy Izaya…no one would stand in my way, I'd be unchallenged…then…everyone would go to my nabe party. Kobe beef…no, Mishima beef…for my sisters…only need Shizu-chan to die…keep on smoking…"
Shizuo shook his head. It was wise of Izaya not to actually sleep with his lovers otherwise he might end up fessing all of his ever so treasured secrets. But Shizuo suspected that this sleep talk was a byproduct of exhaustion not much different from his fever induced words. And every bit as insightful.

Izaya made sure to down a glass of milk at breakfast. A very late breakfast it must be said. Having been woken up by Shizuo at the absurdly early hours he claimed to still be too sore from sex and proceeded to laze around in bed. Eventually he called room service and was now happily eating a piece of toast without having bothered to budge from bed.
"See how obedient I am? Drinking milk and all!"
Shizuo could tell that Izaya was fully recovered.
"Good for you. I got a question for you."
"Everyday is Twenty Questions day. Ask away."
"What's the more important human invention to you?"
Izaya mused for a while, thoughtfully chewing on a slab of buttered toast.
"Hmm…that actually is a very good question. I am not sure I can narrow it down to a single one."
"Narrow it down to three, then."
"Writing, electricity and contraception."
"Not the internet?"
"Electricity – and I mean artificially generated electricity – allowed the development of the internet so it's covered. Writing attested to a level of development that allowed for knowledge to be better preserved and transmitted. As for contraception, it revolutionized the world in more ways than one."
Shizuo rubbed his chin.
"Like what? I mean, in what ways?"
Izaya was vague precisely because he liked being asked to go into specifics. He stretched a condom.
"When people think of 'man against nature' they think massive dams but this little piece of rubber is a much more impressive candidate. It might have done more for gender equality than all the feminist rhetoric put together. If women are baby machines then they cannot have a voice in decision making at a social level. But it goes beyond that. Our culture would simply not be the same without contraception, it separates 'sex' from 'reproduction'. If Malthus knew that such an invention would come about then I'm sure it would have spared him many a headache."
"That makes sense."
"More, if the biological drive is for passing one's genes to the next generation at all cost then controlling that and even avoiding it altogether is absolutely brilliant. I'd go as far as say that it represents the true emancipation of our species."
Shizuo turned it over.
"So you haven't got any kids."
"You thought I did?"
"Not really. But there's this kid that's been hanging around 'bukuro. He reminds me a lot of you. Same creepy smile."
Izaya narrowed his eyes slightly then shrugged dismissively.
"Ah, Aoba. So you've met Shark Boy. I know math is not your strongest point but you should know that I could not possibly have fathered someone as old as Aoba."