When the noon sun became too much, they continued on in the cover of trees. The shrubs and ferns were scattered along their path, and the loose dirt was easier to tread over. They had been going at a steady pace since the last building, and Izaya was getting uncomfortably warm under his jacket. He was just feeling the warmth around his neck when Shizuo, to his left, said, "we're stopping."

It was probably a good thing none of the men understood Japanese because Izaya didn't want Shizuo calling the shots. He also didn't want to be seen as weak. "It's either that or I'm carrying you."

A small grin worked its way through, and Izaya stopped it from spreading. "Ah. That won't be necessary," Izaya said. He switched to English. "Stop. We're taking a short break." He said the same thing in Russian. Izaya settled against a tree and then watched what everyone else did.

Wang Lei was massaging his feet. His white slippers were stained brown and green. From his earlier conversation, there wasn't much Izaya could gather from the man. All he managed to get out of him was where he lived and why he was on the island—which was unclear but definitely had something to do with a money dispute.

Henri Vespucci, the man they encountered in the second building, was fanning himself with a leaf. He was from Napoli and all the questions that Izaya had asked him were answered with well-practiced lies. He was as much of a wooden craftsman as Izaya was. His hands didn't have the signs for it, nor did his forearms that were scrawny. He apparently also had no idea why he was on the island, but out of all of them he looked dressed for it with cargo shorts, a green polo shirt, and cheetah print rimmed shades.

The most recent of the buildings they left had contained two men: a Russian man by the name of Kirill Gannibal and another Chinese man, Tan Boon. Kirill was wispy, pale, and gangly with eyes that were so dark, it was as if his pupils were larger than normal. Apparently, he had excellent aim with firearms and hunted game frequently, but none of that mattered when he didn't have any of his rifles with him—and it was, to Izaya's understanding, a sizable collection. He was sharpening the end of the wooden spear he had fixed.

Tan Boon was young, possibly in his early twenties, and looked like he was more fit behind a desk with a tricolored pen and a notebook than anywhere else. He spoke hesitantly and didn't maintain direct eye contact for too long. When they had found him, he had been hugging his legs and sobbing. He naturally gravitated towards Wang Lei and he was standing awkwardly above the man.

There was one other man that they had found, but Shizuo had refused to free him. It must have been something to do with the hard look the guy had, testing and vicious. But Izaya had been in agreement of Shizuo's judgment and let it pass.

These men they found were fodder for the game, easy and dispensable numbers, and none of them would survive the first two days. They looked like they didn't have much experience fighting beyond that of a back alley scuffle. But that was the point. What mattered was that their fear made them predictable. They were desperate and in need for someone to lead them out of this hell, and it made them easy to manipulate.

Izaya knew very well that there was a high probability that they would betray him, later when it suited their interests. There were consequences for his interference, and he speculated how the game creators would try to stop him. Already he was changing the outcome. If he could convince enough players to refuse to go by their rules, or better yet, sabotage their game, then he would be the one in control.

And even if that didn't work, if all these men turned on him, then Izaya could still work with that. It would mean that he'd ruined the viewer's fun and thus they too would become predictable and distracted from what he really wanted to do.

He'd also be better then. He could outmaneuver any of these men even now in his current state. He doubted anyone would really be dumb enough to try to take on Shizuo. Maybe they'd try in numbers then be tripping over themselves to run away.

Shizuo might even start lashing out at them early, judging by how increasingly irritated he appeared whenever anyone got too close to either of them. Maybe this was what it was like to be Tanaka Tom and have a bodyguard like Shizuo.

His eyes trailed over to Shizuo; Izaya grinned slightly and hid it behind his mouth. Ah, what would everyone back home say if they knew this? They'd probably think that he had blackmailed or tricked Shizuo. But here he was doing this in the hopes that it would give Shizuo a reason to like him.

Izaya knew very well that none of the conventional methods to get Shizuo to like him would work. Flattery would piss him off. His looks probably meant little. Money didn't matter here and even if it did, Shizuo wouldn't want it. And Shizuo sure as hell didn't give a damn about his wit, intelligence, or his charming personality.

Which left Izaya with not a lot to work with, but if he could get Shizuo off this island, then it had to count for something.

Except that there was always a big chance that Shizuo would just end up hating him even more. Especially since they had to babysit these men and it might just be more trouble than it was worth.

They better start becoming useful then. "Kirill, we'll need your knife soon. May I see it?" Izaya said in Russian.

Kirill stopped carving and he nodded. The handle was warm when Kirill handed him the utility knife. It was obviously not meant for throwing, and the blade wasn't as sharp as his own, though it would be good enough to cut skin. He handed it back. He went and got the Swiss army knife and the lighter.

"We'll take out the keys now," Izaya said first in English then in Russian. "Maybe you'll be lucky, or maybe not. I have a sewing kit when you're done."

He passed over the lighter and the knife to Tan Boon, who looked at the tools with worried lips and wrinkled, thin brows. He inclined his head then turned to Wang Lei.

Henri had his own lighter and he was sterilizing Kirill's utility knife. It was rather dull watching as they peeled off their shirts and took turns working the knife in each other's backs. They used their clothing to staunch the bleeding. They tried the keys but there was no match between any of them, not even Kirill or Tan Boon who had been in the same building.

While the men sewed up their cuts, Izaya thought about what would have happened if his and Shizuo's keys hadn't matched up. If at those last seconds as he put the key in Shizuo's collar, and nothing had happened. Even just thinking about it made his throat tight and his hands weak. There was no mistake that a full dose of poison would have killed Shizuo. Izaya doubted that he'd have tried to find a key with only an hour left to live. They would have died. All because he had wanted to take Shizuo down for petty reasons.

And then it'd been stupid afterward to try to run from the emotions that he refused to deal with. It had only made the infection worse to the point where death had been his own harsh breaths growing faint in his ears as his mind fought to stay awake. He wouldn't make the same mistake.

Why Shizuo still even bothered with him after all that had happened was something Izaya had yet to fully understand. Shizuo didn't owe him anything and he could leave the island whenever he wanted. It was hard to believe that he was willingly staying here just for him, but that was what it seemed, and even so, Izaya wouldn't fool himself into thinking that Shizuo was keeping him company because he was actually interested in him— not while his body language said otherwise. Whatever his reasons were, it probably wouldn't make a whole lot of sense, and it'd most likely be a mix of a misguided sense of loyalty and stupidity.

Izaya put a hand on his forehead. He still had that headache since the morning and it was getting annoying to ignore. He put his hand down as one of the men approached him. The knife that Tan Boon gave back to him was sweaty. He didn't say anything and just stood there.

"Yes?" Izaya asked.

"What's in the case? Wang Lei wants to know." He looked increasingly uncomfortable while being stared at. "Sorry, if you don't mind me asking." He said in a rush so that Izaya had to think for a moment if he heard him right.

"Ah, that?" Izaya pointed at the metal briefcase by Shizuo's feet. "Just a gift I got from someone watching us." He grinned. "Maybe I'll show you later."

"Okay," he said slowly and nodded. "Later then, thank you." The wound on his back was thinly trailing blood, and Izaya for sure didn't care enough about any of them to offer his medical supplies.

When Henri was finished sewing up Kirill's back, Izaya figured that their break turned out long enough. They needed to get water soon as the plastic bottle was already empty. Finding a water source though wouldn't be easy. They weren't familiar with these parts. It would be easier to split up.

"We will need to find water so we'll have to split up in groups," Izaya said in English. Their faces didn't look all too pleased as they looked around.

"Water?" Henri said loudly. "Why don't we just find some coconuts on our way?"

Izaya sighed and put a hand on his forehead. "Don't pick any coconuts if you find any. It's mostly only shell and it's really not worth the effort. So, Wang and Tan, I want you two to go search for water in that direction." Izaya pointed to their left. "Kirill and Henri go in that direction." He next pointed further into the forest. "If you all walk for forty minutes and don't find anything, come back. If you find anyone, tell them about the collars. Got it? Shizu-chan and I will wait here."

They knew safety of numbers, but splitting up had them looking uncomfortable. Just to be clear, he spoke to Kirill in Russian. Kirill was the easiest to handle. He didn't question and he didn't bullshit around. He and Henri left first.

Tan Boon waited for Wang Lei to stand before they got closer. Both of them tried not to look at Shizuo who was glaring them down.

"You won't leave, right?" Tan looked uneasy as he asked. He gripped the spear in his hands tightly and brought it closer to his chest.

"We'll be waiting. The killers out there won't hesitate." Izaya warned. "So look tough."

If anything Tan looked even more uncertain as he craned his head in the direction that Izaya had pointed and looked like he'd much rather sit here.

"Take this." Izaya handed Wang a utility knife. The man took it and worked the small blade out and ready. He nodded before heading out and Tan looked gingerly through the trees. They spoke together quietly and soon their voices faded out.

"See they can be useful," Izaya grinned. Shizuo tsked, grabbed the case, and stepped closer.

"Let's go," Shizuo said curtly. "Before they come back."

"What? Shizu-chan? We're not leaving. I've got this under control."

"I don't like any of them at all. I don't trust them. So let's just go."

Izaya frowned. "This is important, okay. I need to get them to pass on information for me. They won't be with us for long."

Shizuo ground his teeth. He looked down at his fists then away. "They give me a bad feeling."

Izaya shook his head. "But Shizu-chan, I give you a bad feeling, too."

This got Shizuo's attention. He frowned and lifted his eyes. He looked annoyed and tired, but oddly Izaya could tell that he wasn't the source of it.

This close, he tried to guess the color. He'd always just thought Shizuo's eyes as brown, but they were darker than that, somewhere between brown and grey, taupe like his kitchen counter.

"No. You don't." Shizuo said with complete seriousness. It was his tone and not the words that Izaya was more surprised about. "Not since coming here."

Izaya stopped his musings. "Oh, is that so?"

"Yeah." The word was slow and drawn out, deep like an exhale from a cigarette.

"Hmm? And why's that?"

His response wasn't immediate as he grimaced. "Because," he began. "Shit happened."

"Ah." Izaya looked up. It wasn't the answer he wanted and the small genuine smile that had been threatening to show stopped. "That's true."

As Shizuo had nothing else to say, a disappointment took Izaya quietly, and he wanted to believe that it was unwarranted and thus unnecessary. The clouds that passed overhead cast them in shade momentarily.

"And I already told you," Shizuo said abruptly. "You're not nearly as bad as I thought you were. Yeah, sorry about calling you a bastard, or whatever I called you the other day."

"Hah! But, I did deserve that! You know I'm the same as I was before all this. Possibly even worse."

"You're not worse, but then again, I was wrong about you before."

"You're wrong about a lot of things, Shizu-chan." Izaya picked at the dirt on his cuffs. His words weren't harsh at all. "And then you're spot on when I'd least expect it. I think it's a frightening ability you have there."

"Hmm." He sounded skeptical, and Izaya grinned as his mood had much improved.

"It'll only be a few more days until we leave. Try not to beat the men too badly. I need them alive."

Shizuo didn't respond, but his shoulders tensed and the annoyance was clear on his expression. The tree that he was leaning against creaked as he shifted.

Since they were alone, it would be best to clean his wound now. When Izaya peeled the bandages off from his hand and examined the stitches and raw looking skin, he thought that it was looking better. From the briefcase, he used the saline solution to douse the inflamed area, the ointment to apply a thick layer over it next, and then sterile bandages to cover it once more which Shizuo silently offered his help in.

He eased his jacket from off his shoulder and there were small purple bruises where the shots had gone. Injecting it by himself before had hurt a lot more than it should have. The needle was by his shoulder when Shizuo took it from him.

"You're going to hurt yourself like that. Let me do it."

He could have been stubborn about this as well, but Izaya inclined his head and allowed Shizuo to lightly pick up the muscle in his shoulder. He barely even felt it, but the warmth was there. He watched carefully as the needle pricked through his skin and the clear liquid went into his arm. There was no blood when Shizuo withdrew the needle and gave him another shot.

"Thanks," he said when Shizuo let go. "Do we have anything for headache relief in there?"

"You still have one from this morning?" Shizuo asked.

"Yeah." He put a hand on the side of his head that hurt the most.

"Huh. I don't think there is any. Maybe we should wrap your head again?"

It was better not to. He didn't want to wear that. He was probably just dehydrated and he said as much, though he knew a large part of his current pain had been from all of the beatings he had gotten. Shizuo didn't look convinced but he dropped it as well.

In the shade of the trees with the soft ferns to sit against, they waited. Izaya flicked away the bugs that crawled over his pants. It was close to peaceful and while he could have struck up a conversation, Shizuo's posture had begun to relax. The tension in his own body was losing its hold on him as well.

He was discreet as he watched Shizuo, only looking his way when his focus was obviously distracted. Shizuo looked to be in thought, and occasionally something annoying would cross his expression, but it went away quickly. The sunlight flitting through the trees moved in lazy patterns over their skin. Watching him calm down like this while they shared the same space made him feel good and more at ease. His headache was beginning to lessen. He seriously considered for them to leave these men to fend for themselves. Ah, but he couldn't do that. Not yet, at least.

He was quietly stretching his legs for the third time when two sets of footsteps approached. Shizuo immediately stiffened and he focused on where the noise was coming from. It was Kirill and Henri who walked briskly their way.

"We found water," Kirill sounded pleased. "Not a thirty-minute walk from here."

"Good work," Izaya said back. They sat close by to where Izaya was. Their hair and clothes were damp. Henri fanned himself while Kirill continued to speak about what they had seen. As the two got comfortable and relaxed, they had no idea just how close they were to getting beat up.

Henri noticed Shizuo's death glare first. He kicked Kirill's foot to get his attention and to get him to shut up. When Kirill saw Shizuo, he clammed up immediately, apologized, and readjusted his clothes nervously. They probably could both remember how Shizuo had broken their chains with his hands and yelled at them in a language they couldn't understand. They had successfully been avoiding him so far, as any man would be in a presence of a frightening thing, and they periodically glanced back at Izaya to assure their safety. It was good they knew not to cross Shizuo, and better yet, that there was someone who Shizuo listened to.

They were watching with sidelong glances when Izaya got up and sat closer to Shizuo.

"Are you hungry, Shizu-chan?"

Shizuo grumbled something that sounded like not really, and he finally stopped glaring to actually look back at him. Izaya tipped his head and smiled.

"What? I still can't convince you to catch a tuna for me?"

His face first looked unamused, then his lips pulled tight together. He looked away for a moment in annoyance, but there was a tiny half smile that he struggled to contain.

"You never give up, do you?"

"I was close before. You were in the ocean and picked up a shark."

The pissed off look was almost completely gone. "I bet you don't even want the tuna, right? You just want me to get it for you."

"What!" Izaya gasped. "I don't want the tuna? You know I still have that 50,000 in my wallet just for you. Don't tempt me to triple the offer, because I won't take no for an answer!"

"Tough luck then, and I still don't believe you." Shizuo further relaxed against the tree.

"Heh. I guess you know me pretty well then." His grin was more sly now. "How will I ever get you to catch me a tuna now?"

Shizuo tsked and picked at the leaves near him. Izaya didn't expect Shizuo to say anything else, but the other did half a minute later.

"Russia Sushi," Shizuo mumbled like he was regretting what he said even as he said it. "We'll go there when we get home, only once though," Shizuo grumbled a low curse and became even more uncomfortable. "And you're paying."

Izaya was floored. He hadn't expected this outcome and a giddy feeling squeezed him with anticipation. He should pester Shizuo more often. "But I want to see you catch a tuna. We'll have to go to the beach then. Make it a day trip. Maybe a weekend just to be sure."

Shizuo snorted. "I can't just go to the beach and catch a tuna. People will stare. And don't you need a boat and a fishing pole or I don't know a net? I've never fished before."

"No, it's with your hands, silly. That's the only way. Or you know what? If you don't want to go fishing, I could settle for something else. But it has to be good."

"Hah? Why does it feel like I've somehow agreed to something else entirely?" Shizuo muttered. "All I said was Russia Sushi."

"Okay, all right," Izaya said quickly so that Shizuo couldn't take it back. "That's also acceptable for now."

Shizuo frowned as he was probably considering what he had gotten himself into.

Izaya figured he shouldn't let Shizuo think so hard about it. "Anyway, it's about time that Tan and Wang came back."

"Who?"

Izaya shook his head. "You know who I'm talking about. At least try to remember their names."

"Whatever."

Izaya was about to say something more when he heard the hushed tones of the two men. He couldn't hear what they were saying, though he knew it was about Shizuo and him. He wasn't imaging the conspiratory way they were talking either. When they too realized they were being watched, they quickly turned their attention to the oddly shaped rock to their right. But that wasn't fooling anyone.

It wasn't like he had forgotten that they were there, just that he had been talking to Shizuo and...

He frowned, leaned away, and ignored the flush of warmth that he attributed to the sun. It took awhile for a new set of footsteps to head their way. He was turning when Shizuo saw them first.

"No fucking way."

There, pushing back a large fern and wiping the sweat from his forehead with his long red scarf, was the same man who they had encountered before.

His eyes widened in delight. "That's a motherfuckering dick in my mouth!"

"No, you fucking don't!" Shizuo yelled. He stood up and immediately tore down a slim tree by snapping it at the base.

"Hold up, hold up, stop! STOP! Honey Python-sama, please stop!"

Shizuo's words were probably heard a mile away. "That's not my name!"

"Please hear me out! I must apologize for my previous lack of respect! You just mean so much to me, I got a little excited. I had to find you again." By mere centimeters, his head missed being clobbered in with a tree. It became apparent he was rather good at sidestepping hurtling trees.

Tan and Wang were cowering behind a tree. Izaya felt his headache throb, and Shizuo continued to try to take down the man.

"Shizu-chan!" Izaya called. Shizuo was getting reckless with his swings, and the trees were tumbling like dominoes. He'd kill someone for sure. "Hey, Shizu-chan!" Shizuo was ignoring his name. The ground shook and splinters fell like prickly raindrops. Finally, Izaya managed to get in Shizuo's line of sight as he dodged the tree as skillfully as he could any hurtling object. "Shizuo!"

Shizuo was breathing hard and he lowered his weapon. "Are you crazy?! I could have hit you!"

"Shizu-chan, would it kill you to ask questions before you start hurtling things? Jeez."

Thankfully the tree fell down. "I don't want to ask any fucking questions!" Shizuo pointed at the man in the pirate costume with cowboy boots. "Say dick one more time, really just try me, 'cause then it'll be your dick in your fucking mouth!"

"Of course! Censorship is good, too. It evokes a sense of mystery. My favorite scene in—"

"You're this close," Shizuo said as he put his fingers together with just a smidgen of space. "This close to knowing the meaning of a loose dick."

"All right. I do need that very much, thank you. Now as I was saying. I lost my cellphone and I was in a big mess of tears. And I just had to do something. I knew that if I found you two, then we could team up, not as a threesome, of course, y'know unless—no, I mean not like that! But I could offer my expert assistance to you. I'll literally do anything you say and I mean literally."

"How about you literally fuck off somewhere else, huh?"

"Shizu-chan, just let me deal with this, okay."

Shizuo complained a bit but finally relented. The others began to come out of hiding now that they knew Shizuo had calmed enough to not start swinging things.

"So what's your name?" Izaya asked.

He smiled as he spoke. "It's AC."

"AC?" Izaya said blandly. "What's that? An air conditioner?"

"Well, actually it's Eishi, but AC sounds cooler."

"And so you'll do whatever we ask of you?"

"Of course, and I really don't shy from anything."

Yeah, that wouldn't be hard to believe. He thought he could work with this. "Okay. Then I need you to spread a message to as many people as you can, specifically to the newcomers still in the buildings. Think you can do that?"

"I'll make my way through the island faster than a dick–tionary with legs."

"Okay..." Izaya said as he glanced back at Shizuo who was trying real hard not to throw a tree at the guy. "Then I want you to tell them there is no antidote, but there are keys in everyone's back to open someone's collar. But if the guy is obviously a murderer, trying to kill you or what not, then maybe it's best to not tell him. He might just go on an even worse rampage. So can you do that?"

He touched his own collar then felt along his back to his billowing white shirt. "There's a key in me?"

"Yes. So can you spread this around? Also, if there are others who want to join me, they can help by passing along this information or trying to find me. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I got it. Look for newcomers and tell them there's a key in their back. Ask them to tell others. Anything else?"

"Sure. Tell them the next tasks are a joke and I'm working on a way to end this game. That should be all."

"Wow, I didn't expect this. My sharpened instincts are never wrong. What would be the chance that I'd find my all-time hero!?"

Shizuo grumbled something and Izaya didn't think his resistance would last.

"You better leave quick, because Shizu-chan is very serious about his threats."

"Shizu-chan?" He turned to Shizuo. "You mean Honey Python-sama?"

"Never call him by that name again. It'll only piss him off."

"Oh. Okay, I think I understand where you're getting at. Secret identities and all. Awesome. Though I have one small condition!"

He was really was pushing his luck. Depending on where this went, AC could very well die. "What is it?"

"His autograph please." He rolled up the cuff to his pants and from a slim belt attached to his calf, he pulled out a black pen. "It's really important to me. I always carry a pen just for an opportunity like this."

Izaya looked over at Shizuo who was crossing his arms. The vein throbbing at his vein couldn't possibly get any bigger or else it'd erupt.

"So," Izaya asked coaxingly. "Think you could sign his arm?"

"I'm not touching him!"

"You'd be touching his pen."

"Yeah, that just made me feel a lot better, thanks." Shizuo snapped.

"Just do it!"

Shizuo grumbled as he went over and waited as AC rolled up his sleeve. "Great! I want you to write: To AC, my biggest fan, it's all in the hips. Love, Honey Python."

"I'm not writing that shit. Give me the pen." With it in his hand, he nearly stabbed AC's forearm. He wrote:

Go fuck yourself. S

"There done." Shizuo capped the pen and tossed it back. AC hurriedly checked his arm and read the message.

"Wait...is this your new signature? That's just a drawing of a snake."

"Close enough. Now leave."

AC bowed deeply, thanked Shizuo profusely, and finally left grinning wide. Shizuo wiped his hand on a leaf.

"I hope we never see that ecchi bastard again." He cursed a few more times. "That guy reeks worse than a shit that took a shit."

Izaya agreed on the first account. "Well, good thing he lost his phone this time." If he had his phone, Shizuo might have tried to kill him for real. The others were still hanging back, wondering if it was safe.

"All right. We're going. And Wang and Tan, next time don't let suspicious individuals follow you. That includes giant naked men."

"What was that all about?" Henri asked as he ventured out first.

"He was someone we met earlier, but you don't need to concern yourself with it."

"He seemed...what's the word? Ugh! It's right there on my tongue...strange? No, that's not it. Crazy?" Henri frowned as he scratched his chin.

"The less you know the better," Izaya said. "Let's go before he decides to come back, right?"

They went in the direction of the water. Kirill and Henri were at the front, with Wang Lei and Tan Boon following them closely. Shizuo took it upon himself to walk a little behind Izaya. No one said much, though Henri tried to engage with Kirill in simple English. The ground became softer the closer they got to the source of water.

"It's here." Kirill motioned with his hand as he spoke to Izaya. It was a wide creek with shallow water and large rocks. The water was clear as it flowed lazily by.

Izaya took a handful and washed his face and neck. It was pleasantly cool as droplets rolled down his skin and collected in his sleeves.

An idea came to him, which he realized that he should have done earlier. They could fill up the empty IV bags with water. He stepped over to Shizuo who was scooping water over his shoulders.

"Hey, do we still have those IV bags?"

Shizuo frowned as he clicked the briefcase open. They weren't there. "I think we left them in the cave."

"Oh, okay, thanks."

Shizuo closed it. "We don't have to go back, right?"

"Oh, no it's fine. It doesn't matter really." They could follow the creek here as far as it would go inland, all the way to the source.

Shizuo nodded his head. They both looked to their right at the sound of a lighter. Henri had a long cigarette between his fingers and he took an easy drag from it. Shizuo abruptly stood and stalked over.

"Your cigarettes," Shizuo said, and Izaya found himself catching up. Shizuo was pointing at the carton in Henri's hand. "Give me them."

Henri smiled as he tapped the carton and a single white stick poked out.

"I said all of them."

A sudden apprehension seized Izaya. Seeing Shizuo ready to snatch the entire carton, and most likely smoke an entire pack, sent a cold swell of unease through him. He quickly got in front of Shizuo. "No. Don't give him any." Izaya said curtly to Henri. "Shizu-chan, you don't need it. The poisonous gas could still be circulating in your veins."

"I feel fine," Shizuo grumbled. "Now hand them over."

"It's not good for you. You're better off without them."

"I'll feel better with them," Shizuo said lowly. "Give them."

"Don't. Don't give him any." Henri looked between them, wondering who to listen to. He then shrugged and was about to hand them over to Izaya, but Shizuo roughly snatched them before the carton could be confiscated. Henri backed away with his arms up.

"You don't need them, Shizu-chan," Izaya repeated. "Don't smoke."

Shizuo raised his voice. "I said I was fine."

"Is that really fair? When all the time you're hounding and telling me what's good or not for my health? Now you won't listen when I tell you the same?"

"Shut the fuck up, flea!" Shizuo was livid in his anger with his teeth mashed together, a vein throbbing at his forehead, and his eyes livid just as Izaya had witnessed so often on the streets of Tokyo when he pissed him off. It had been some time since he had seen Shizuo give him that look. "I need this!"

It hurt in a way that Izaya had never experienced before.

"Then do what you want." Izaya turned and put his hands in his pockets, schooling his features and not allowing anything to show on his face. He bit his bottom lip and ignored how the other men were watching intently. His neck was hot at his collar and the headache pounded at his temple. It was true that the cigarettes wouldn't harm him, it was just the memory that made his limbs weak and his heart beat faster.

Shizuo cursed loudly and a second later a tree cracked and shuddered violently. Izaya looked back in time to easily dodge broken fragments from hitting him.

The entire carton of cigarettes was smashed in the bark and the force had the tree snapping. Shizuo stood there breathing hard.