Izaya POV

Sipping quietly on the small tea cup in my hand, I paced around my office space, pausing at the windows. I stared at the sky for a few minutes before switching my gaze to the pedestrians walking below. The season was slowly changing, and everything looked…brighter. The sun was shining in a clear blue sky, and hardly anyone was wearing thick clothes anymore.

"Hmm…" I hummed, getting the slight feeling that I should go out somewhere. Despite everything that occurred, I felt a little better at that point. At first, the months felt immeasurably long, but the independent healing was what I needed.

However, it wasn't exactly everything that I wanted.

I sighed, sitting back down in my chair and having another sip of tea. Celty had no choice but to keep in contact with me due to her job, but it felt awkward. Our conversations were strictly business-related, but even that was difficult – for her and for me. As for her husband, I didn't talk to him, but I wasn't mad at him. In fact, I wanted to apologize for slapping the brunette – after all, he's really the only one I consider a real friend, not just another human.

However, Shizu-chan was a different story. Obviously, I was furious, hurt, and upset with him and the whole situation, but still…

In the days that followed, I could barely get him off my mind.

I would think about the period of time when he stayed with me when I was injured, or when he moved in with me. Some days, thinking about it would hurt immensely, yet other days, those memories seemed…comforting. Since so much time passed, I couldn't make heads or tails of what I felt anymore, especially for the blonde.

"Orihara,"

I turned to see Namie walking through the door with some books in her arms. I simply nodded towards her in acknowledgement as she went upstairs to the library. We hadn't really been talking much either, but then again, I pretty much stopped instigating the snarky conversations between us.

Eyeing her closely as she squared the books away, my cell phone started ringing on my desk.

"Yes?" I answered after flipping the device open.

"Hey, Izaya? This is Shinra!"

"Mm-hmm," I shifted, "Hi, how've you been?"

"Nope! We're not gonna talk about me!" the underground doctor replied, "I wanna hear how you've been doing."

I rocked a little in my seat, sighing, "I've been okay so far…and before I forget, I apologize for slapping you back then..."

"Oh, don't even mention it – now it only hurts when you touch it."

"O-Oh my…"

Shinra laughed, "No, I'm kidding, I'm kidding! It's all healed and of course, I forgive you, but either way, I didn't call you for an apology."

"Hmm?" I sat up, "What is it then?" I had a slight feeling that somehow Shizu-chan would be involved, and that was the last thing I wanted to hear.

I just…wasn't ready to see him.

"…As much as I hate to bring it up, I know that…everything that's happened must be still kinda eating at you…right?"

Releasing my contained breath, I answered, "Y-Yeah, a little…"

"Well…do you think you could let me make up for it?" the doctor begged, "I mean, Celty and I take just as much responsibility for this as Shizuo does. So, in short, you really should be punishing us!"

I chuckled, "Yeah. I guess I should be."

"…scary. Don't sound so happy about it, but whatever. You think you could meet me somewhere?"

I bit my lip. True, I wanted to go out, but…

"…I-I dunno…"

"I'll make it worth your while, I promise~" he pleaded.

I shuddered, "Don't do that - you sound like a desperate prostitute."

He groaned, "Well, can you meet this 'prostitute' at Russia Sushi? You won't regret it."

"…It's a little early to be eating sushi, don't you think?"

"Maybe, but you can eat as much ootoro as you want – my treat~"

I nearly starting drooling, "Okay, seriously, no more begging, I'll be over there. I…I feel like going out some anyway…"

"That's a boy! I knew I'd get you to come!"

"Bribery doesn't count," I rolled my eyes, "What's a good time?"

"Uh…doesn't really matter. I'm free whenever you are."

"Okay, I'll meet you over there in a bit…"

"Good!" Shinra chirped, "I'll get dressed now. See ya~!"

Sighing again, I nodded, "'Bye."

Putting my phone back in my pocket, I tiredly got up from the seat. Before I headed to the door, I took out my scratch pad and scribbled down a list of names and times that were scheduled for the afternoon. I didn't even bother to try and find my jacket since it was probably hot enough.

"Namie~" I called, "I'm going out. Cancel that list of clients' appointments that I just wrote down. The note's on my desk."

"Sure…" she called back.

Waltzing through the front door, I sighed once more.

I knew that the day was gonna be a struggle.

Shinra POV

[Shinra…please stop singing…Shizuo's having a nap.]

I couldn't help it – I'd been singing all morning because of my sugar-sweet plan to get Shizuo and Izaya to talk again!

"Oh, sorry, lovey-dove – I'm just so freakin' excited!"

[…Well, can you at least get down from the couch?] Celty looked exasperated, [I think we've been over this before…]

"Yeah, I know," I hopped down, "It does seem like a rerun of a low-rated TV show, huh?"

She typed, [Strange…comparison…but either way, I don't know if this plan will go any better than the last one.]

"Oh, Celty!" I hugged her tightly, "Don't be such a pessimist!"

[…I'm not – just a realist.]

"That was cold," I replied dryly, "But never mind! I've been planning this ever since the first week Shizuo moved in with us! It's bound to work! IT HAS TO!"

[Okay, okay – I get it!] she waved her hands, later typing again, [Why are your hopes so high on this one? I know it's been a while since they last saw each other, but I'm sure the situation hasn't completely blown past Izaya or Shizuo yet.]

"Oh, I'm aware of that," I said, "Sure, it may still be a little too early, but it's better than being a second too late. Now seems like the perfect time to try this – trust me, I've been marking up my calendar."

[Is that why you've been writing quick notes in highlighter…in what looks like German?]

"Recht hast du, mein Lieber," I said happily, "Right you are, my dear~ I couldn't have you or Shizuo reading my little plans and spoil the surprise, now could I?"

[…smart, I guess…]

"Danke," I nodded, "Now, let's go over those steps: 1) Give both Shizuo and Izaya a reason to see each other…without their knowledge~"

[Check.]

"Okey-doke~! Step two…Celty, what's Step two?"

Celty sighed, getting annoyed, [You wrote all your damn notes in German – how am I supposed to know?]

I ruffled my hair, shuffling to the calendar to check.

"…Oh, okay – 2) Tell them two different stories and all that…um, and make them sit and face each other."

[I hope you wrote 'Haben sie einen krankenwagen in der nähe.' on there.]

I looked at her in surprise, "I didn't know you spoke German."

[I don't – Google Translate and all.]

"…Damn that stupid app…" I growled, though I used it a little myself when writing those notes, "R-Remind me again what that means?"

['Have an ambulance nearby' because I'm sure you'll need one once they find out what you're doing.]

"Oh, worry not, my dear~" I swooned, "At this point, I'm willing to try anything to get those two back to normal."

[Even if it means resuming their street fights?] Celty asked.

I smiled warmly, walking to her and putting my hands on her shoulders.

"Yes, love. At any cost."

[Shinra.]

"I know that it's still bad if they are literally fighting again, but I can't bear to see this go on any longer. I know Shizuo's been yearning to talk to him for a while now – he just won't admit it. Now, it may seem biased because Shizuo's been staying here for a good while and we've been talking to him more, but I can feel that Izaya shares the same thoughts, too."

[What if your assumptions are wrong? What if they hash it out again and we're back where we started? I mean…the time has been so long…]

"…We'll just have to risk it."

"Risk what?"

I flinched as I saw Shizuo trudging out of the guest room. Stuttering, I tried to explain.

"Uh, er…a-a business idea that I had to…to…"

"To do what?" Shizuo yawned.

"Uh…t-to sell…can…dy?"

Celty gave off that "Are you serious?" aura, but I just kept fumbling.

"B-But it's really not that important – plus it'd cost a fortune!

The former bartender raised an eyebrow in sarcasm, "Yeah, candy is really expensive nowadays…"

I laughed nervously, "L-Like I said, it's probably not gonna happen, but…but y'know, I'm so glad you woke up~!"

He looked at me in confusion, slowly walking away towards the kitchen.

"O…kay…" he trailed off, "And actually, I've been awake for a while – you're damn singing kept me up from my nap."

I grinned remorsefully as he got the milk carton from the fridge, "Oh…sorry about that…"

"Ah, no problem," he said after pouring milk into a glass, "Couldn't sleep anyway…"

"OH?" I raised an eyebrow, winking at Celty, "What's the trouble?"

Shizuo took a small sip, keeping his eyes downward, "Nothing,"

"Are you sure?"

"…yeah…"

"Liar~"

"Oh, shut up, Mr. 'I-Gotta-Write-Everything-in-German'!" he shouted.

I threw my hands up, "Does everyone have that freakin' translate app?!"

[Shinra…] Celty gently pushed me behind her, [Just…be quiet for a second.]

I pouted, allowing the dulluhan to take over.

[Shizuo, do you think you're up for going somewhere with us today?]

"Huh?" he asked, "Like where?"

[Over to Russia Sushi, just to grab a bite or something.]

I groaned. As much as I loved that woman, she was a terrible liar, worse than I am. I knew Shizuo couldn't fall for something like that.

"Uh…sure," he simply shrugged, downing the rest of the milk, "A little early, but I've got nothing better to do."

[Good. I suggest you get dressed now. We'll be leaving in a bit.]

"Alright, no problem."

And with that, he walked back into the room to dress himself. I had to give Celty some credit – it wouldn't have been that easy if I was doing to the talking…

I patted her shoulder, "Not bad, not bad, not bad~ That was pretty easy, eh?"

She seemed to sigh.

[Let's just hope it stays that way.] she typed, [But with our luck, that's far from possible…]

I grinned, hugging her tightly, "Everything's gonna be fine,"

[How can you be so sure about those two?]

"…I'm not, truthfully, but even if it all goes to hell, regardless, it's gonna be fine."

She seemed confused but nodded anyway. I smiled and left her to change my own clothes. I had an idea of what I was doing – playing with fire, basically – but I was determined to have this problem solved once and for all.

It was now or never.

Shizuo POV

I followed behind Shinra and Celty as we headed our way towards Russia Sushi. I had no idea what brought their strange request on, but I wasn't going to question it. I'd been staying at their place for a while now, just for my own sake and thinking. I still worked, but Tom got very careful about taking up jobs that were closer downtown. Sometime before then, I told Tom everything that happened and my current situation with Izaya, so he made sure we collected debts mainly near the outskirts of Ikebukuro.

I doubted the informant was going to show up, anyway, but it was just a precaution.

"Ah~!" the doctor exclaimed as the tail of his lab coat rose, "Feel that breeze? It's fantastic~!"

I grabbed a cigarette from my vest pocket, "I guess…"

"Aw, c'mon – this is rare! You never get to experience that mother nature-like presence often in Ikebukuro. It's a lot better than staring at tall buildings and listening to cars all the time, huh?"

[That is true.] Celty nodded, [A LOT better than seeing police motorcycles…]

Shinra laughed, "I don't think Kuzuhara's gonna be around as much today. The only way he'd really get on you is if he saw that you were on your bike."

[Still…] she started trembling, [Those…those blue and red lights are simply terrifying…]

I chuckled a bit, inhaling more of the nicotine, "Unless you're a professional criminal, like a mob boss, I wouldn't worry about it. Besides, you're with us."

The brunette strutting beside her laughed again, "Yep~! We got the Strongest Man in Ikebukuro right by your side, plus an exceptionally handsome underground doctor who happens to be your loyal and faithful husband~!"

I rolled my eyes, "I wouldn't be in public saying I was an underground doctor either…"

He grinned, "A life of crime isn't such a bad thing – just depends on what you do."

Celty's shoulders dropped in disbelief.

[Just where did you learn that?]

"From riding a continental train in Manhattan~"*

"…So medical care…without a license isn't a bad thing?" I asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey, I've patched you up countless times and for no charge, plus I had hands-on experience from my dad – you gotta give me some credit."

I sighed, taking another drag from the cigarette, "From another underground doctor…who unfortunately is also a maniac…"

Shinra looked as if he was about to retort, but he suddenly stopped, peering into the window of Russia Sushi.

"Shinra?" I called, seeing only Simon behind the counter talking with some customers, "What's the matter?"

"Uh, stay right here with Celty for a second," he said backing into the doors, "I'll be right back~!"

I gave a confused look towards Celty, who looked quite calm.

[Don't worry.] the dullahan typed, a little hesitantly, [Everything's fine.]

She seemed a little unsure herself, but I just shrugged and crushed my cigarette on the ground.

The whole thing just seemed strange…at this point, I was sure that Shinra had planned something…

[Shizuo.]

I heard Celty typing out a message again.

"Yes?"

[…Before you go in, I should tell you something…]

Shinra POV

"Izaya~!" I ran over and hugged the informant, "You actually made it!"

The raven looked uncomfortable and squirmed, "Shinra, g-get off of me! You'll make a scene!"

I looked down at him and grinned, "Well, I'm glad you came just the same~"

He gave me a skeptical look, "For one thing, I hope that rhyme was unintentional…and secondly, I thought Celty was gonna be here too."

I gulped, "Oh…uh, s-she is. She's outside,"

"…Why is she 'outside?'"

"Um…"

He raised an eyebrow, "Are you not telling me something?"

"…w-well…"

Just by looking at his eyes, I knew there was no turning back now. Even when Izaya wasn't frustrated or confused, those crimson eyes of his always brought out my worst fears. At that point, my life was on the line, but I only had one shot.

"…I called you out on this…'occasion' because…"

He nodded expectantly. "Because?"

I sucked in a breath, "B…Because I wanted you and Shizuo to make up!"

"…Wha…what?"

I whimpered, cowering down in the booth with my hands intertwined tightly to stop them from trembling.

"I'm sorry – I know I should've told you in the beginning, b-b-but I didn't know how you…o-or if you w-were gonna-"

The look on his face was bewilderment, but it slowly turned to boiling anger.

"You brought me out here just to see Shizu-cha-" he stopped, shaking his head fiercely, "To see Shizuo?! Shinra, you-"

I nearly broke down in tears from what I thought he was going to do to me. I was already saying mental goodbyes to all the ones I loved.

I tried to grasp his hand, but he snatched it away. Gulping, I wiped some nervous sweat off my face.

Dammit! I see he's not gonna be easy…but I half-expected this. I thought to myself, getting another idea.

"Well, ahem, Izaya," I sat up a little, "I did say that this lunch was on me."

He scoffed, "I don't care – I'm going home,"

"And…as I mentioned on the phone, did you forget that I'll order you as much ootoro as you want?"

His eyes shifted as his shoulders began to relax, and I chuckled a little.

Got 'em~

"You said…as much as I want?"

I nodded sincerely, "You have my word~ Do this one little thing, and hopefully, this'll have a wonderful ending result. If it doesn't, that just means more fatty tuna for you."

Staying silent for a few seconds, the raven finally sighed in defeat.

"Fine…" he mumbled, "What's going to happen now?"

I cleared my throat, trying to hide the fact that I was extremely excited about our new plan finally being put into play.

"Celty's out there with Shizuo now, probably explaining the same thing to him, but basically, what's gonna happen here is that we'll sit you two down, and Celty and I will first share our thoughts about this…'healing period.'"

"Okay."

"And after that, both of you will see how the other's doing, ask anything you want, and at least try – and please, try – to get past all of this. Celty and I can't take much more of it, so I know you two are at your breaking points."

Looking downward, Izaya nodded.

I sighed, scooting closer to the table.

"Izaya, listen to me – I know that you can't harbor any bad feelings towards Shizuo anymore. It's been way too long for grudges, and besides, even though he's reluctant to admit it, Shizuo is ready to open back up again...especially to you."

The informant sat in silence again, this time biting his lip.

"…on a side note, I don't want you to do this for me – not at all – but do this for Shizuo and you, okay?"

Izaya stared at his hands in his lap, nodding slowly.

"…Okay."

I smiled warmly, "Good,"

Peering outside the window, I saw Shizuo and Celty chatting up a storm outside. I tapped on the glass a few times to make them turn around, seeing a bit of normal reaction on the blonde's face. Giving a quick sigh of relief, I looked to Celty and nodded. She then nodded back and motioned for Shizuo to follow her inside. With a satisfied grin, I got out of the booth.

"Let's get started, shall we?"

*Baccano reference - most of the story takes place in Manhattan, NY and most of the plot takes place on a train called the Flying Pussyfoot. For those who have not seen/heard of it, I would definitely recommend it, especially if you love Durarara! (both are made by the same guy)

I know, I know - almost two months and still get a cliffhanger, but school has to be my main priority since I have mostly college level classes. AP Gov is the hardest, but I try to think of Hetalia while doing some of the work, so sometimes it helps. To ease the blow for the people who have been waiting FOREVER for an update, I finally posted some pics from AWA on my Deviantart - I give the con an overall 100/10, and one of the best experiences I've ever had~! Link's up on my home page if I want a peek and feel free to comment. Thanks for hanging in there guys and please review~!