Tsuki sat on the bench outside of the surgery room, elbows rested on his knees, hands clasped together, and head down between his forearms. His foot tapped sporadically against the ground as the red light with bold letters saying 'surgery' glowed above the door.

Someone sat down by him but he didn't bother to look up.

"You're brother is strong and dexterous. A simple stab wound wouldn't kill him."

Tsuki didn't answer.

"I bet you're blaming yourself. Thinking 'If I had never sought after Roppi none of this would have happened.' Delic wouldn't have gotten stabbed. Takashiro wouldn't be bothering us. You wouldn't be eaten alive by your guilt."

Tsuki's hands shook.

"Curious that your parents haven't called. The doctor notified them of the situation. Considering they're all the way in Chiyoda, I wouldn't expect them to rush over. But they haven't even called. Haven't even tried to get a hold of you. I heard the doctor say the call went straight to voicemail."

Tsuki clenched his fists.

"I also heard that your parents disowned Delic when he came to Ikebukuro. So I guess it's not a surprise they wouldn't care if he lived or died—"

"SHUT UP!"

Tsuki didn't sit up. Didn't move from his spot. But his voice rung out loud and clear.

"Don't talk as if you know us! You've never even met our parents so just shut your trap!"

"Um, excuse me. But this is a hospital." a nurse said. "Could you keep your voice down?"

Tsuki clenched his teeth. He was going to yell at her 'don't tell me what to do' but he didn't want security to throw him out so he bit his tongue.

As the nurse walked away, Tsuki finally looked up at Izaya.

"What do you want?" Tsuki asked. "Why are you here?"

"I came to see if Delic was okay. Besides, I'm a patient here, after all."

Tsuki didn't answer, looking back at the ground.

"This is mostly Roppi's fault anyway so I'll compensate you two for the hospital fee."

"This isn't Roppi's fault. Don't you dare blame him."

"If this isn't Roppi's fault then it obviously isn't yours. Roppi's more guilty than you are in this since he's the cause."

"Just shut up."

Izaya stared down at him and chuckled. Then stroked his hair.

"It'll be okay, Tsuki." Izaya said. "Your brother will pull through. Probably."

Then Izaya stood, slowly, painfully, holding his stomach.

"Get some sleep, Tsuki. Call Celty to come get you if you want to leave. It's not safe for you to walk to Shinra's alone."

'I'm not leaving. And no one will make me leave.' Tsuki thought, aware that it was 2:30 a.m.

As Izaya walked away, the surgery light above the door flickered off. Tsuki jolted and stood, waiting for a doctor to come out. But one didn't arrive until ten minutes later. Once he did, Tsuki rushed over to him.

"Is he...Delic-Nii...?"

"You brother is fine. We'll be giving him a room once everything is cleaned up."

Tsuki let out a sigh of relief.

"But...there is some bad news..."

"Eh?" Tsuki looked up at him. "What...kind of bad news?"


6:45 a.m.

Roppi hadn't slept a wink.

How could he?

Takashiro was going to return and Roppi had to know if he had hurt Tsuki or not.

He couldn't live with himself if Tsuki died because of him.

He just couldn't...

As the clock struck 6:50, the door finally opened. Roppi sat up quickly, for once thankful for the light that shined in and illuminated his captor.

His eyes stretched wide in horror.

Takashiro was covered in blood.

Blood was soaked into his shirt, splattered on his neck and his pants.

'No...' Roppi's insides turned to ice. 'So much...so much blood. And it's all Tsuki's?'

Takashiro stared at him with a look of irritant before he turned and walked into the bathroom.

'Tsuki...Tsuki...! No no no no!' Roppi tumbled off the bed, sitting huddled on the floor with one hand digging into the opposite arm while the other was pressed over his eye. 'No, no, no! Tsuki! This can't—no!'

Roppi fell away into sobs.

'This is all my fault. I'm so sorry, Tsuki! I'm sorry I dragged you into this. I was so selfish and thought of my own happiness over your safety. I...'

"Roppi?" Takashiro knelt in front of Roppi—most-likely hearing Roppi's fall and returned to check on him—looking down at him with concern.

"Why...?"

"Hah?"

"Why did you kill him?" Roppi sobbed, looking up at the murderer while tears streaked his cheeks. "I told you he was nothing to me. Why didn't you listen to me?"

Takashiro's eyes widened at Roppi's expression as the used-to-be raven began to shake and weep.

"Roppi, I—" He reached out to hold him.

But Roppi batted his hand away. "Don't touch me!"

Roppi didn't know what expression he had on. He felt like he was glaring at him but the agony he felt inside was most-likely twisting his features. Takashiro, on the other hand, looked like he had just seen the most heart-wrenching horror he could have ever imagined.

'Why does Tsuki have to die while I live? It's not fair. I deserve it more than he ever would.'

"How many more people are you going to kill, Takashiro?! Don't you understand that these killings are absolutely fucking meaningless!"

'I deserve to suffer and live in my own personal hell. Tsuki doesn't! I...'

"Don't you understand," Roppi's crumpled into tears. "Don't you—don't—*hic*"

Roppi hid his face in his hands as his sobs began to rack his whole body.

"This is all my fault..." he muttered.

"Wha-what?"

Roppi tilted his head down and tried to wipe his eyes, but it didn't do much as more just replaced it.

"What do you mean, your fault?" Takashiro said, a crooked, half-hearted smile on his lips. "I'm the one who's killed, Roppi, come on. Don't say things like that."

'Trying to escape is pointless now. After the damage I've caused, I might as well just stay here and suffer by myself.'

"...If I didn't exist none of this would be happening."

Takashiro's eyes widened in horror. "N-no. No no no. Roppi, no! Don't you—"

The madman grabbed Roppi by his biceps and shook him until the albino looked up at him.

"Don't you dare say that! You cannot say that! My Roppi would never say such things! My Roppi was so-so strong! And untainted! It's not your fault they died, I killed them. Me! For you! So that we could be together forever. It was all me, Roppi! So don't you dare start thinking such impure thoughts!"

'Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Together forever won't be bad. I'll just stay here and be a used toy. Beat me and abuse me, Takashiro. Give me what I deserve so that Tsuki will have some revenge for his death.'

Roppi let out a dry chuckle and lolled his head back. "Untainted? What the fuck is that?" he muttered.

A single tear rolled down Roppi's cheek, the last he would shed as his insides became numb.

'I guess this'll be my existence from now on.'


"Hey, Takashiro?"

"Hm."

"Why were you born?"

"Hah?"

Roppi stared at the wall, his bare back to Takashiro. The older man rolled over to look at his white hair.

"Why was I born? Not many know that answer. Why do you want to know?"

"...Never mind. Forget I asked..."

Roppi reached for the blanket.

As the albino grabbed the edge of the covers, Takashiro reached over and grabbed Roppi's hand. He pulled the blanket up with Roppi as he pulled his love to him, hugging him tightly.

"I think I was born to love you. To be with you till one of us dies, and maybe even after that."

Roppi didn't answer as Takashiro kissed the back of his head.

'What a joke. He's so disillusioned to think people are born to love?'

Takashiro nuzzled against him.

'But maybe that is what he was born for. Then does that mean I was born to be this? A toy for him? For anyone that wants me? Or something for others to blame their grief onto?'

Roppi jolted as Takashiro's hand slunk between his legs. But that was the only reaction that man got. He wrapped his other arm around Roppi's neck, holding his shoulder and planting a kiss on his neck.

'It probably is.'

Roppi let out a heavy sigh.

'But...'

Takashiro rolled Roppi over so they were staring at each other.

'Even if that is the case, I know one thing that'll happen that a toy wouldn't think about.'

Roppi reached up slowly, hands poised to grab Takashiro's throat.

'I'm going to kill you. Then myself so that Tsuki can have his justice.'

Takashiro grabbed one of Roppi's hand and kissed his palm, then leaned down closer. The albino wrapped his arms around the murderer's shoulder.

'You and I can play out your sick fantasies in hell where we belong.'


Tsuki let out a heavy sigh.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN I'LL NEVER WALK AGAIN!"

This had been going on for a good five minutes, the doctor pussyfooting around the issue until he finally came out and stated it.

Now Tsuki could hear loud and clear what the blond said, even though he was sitting in the hall.

And not long after, the doctor came running out with a box of tissues following after him.

"YOU BETTER HOPE I CAN'T WALK CUZ I'LL KICK YOUR ASS WHEN I DO!"

Tsuki watched the doctor go before standing and entering the room.

"Um, Nii-san..." Tsuki started, staring at the fuming Delic who looked out of place in a hospital yukata. "They said that physical therapy could help—"

"Does it look like we have the money for physical therapy?"

Tsuki didn't answer to the biting tone.

Delic let out the loudest of sighs as he laid back on the bed.

"You are very loud, Delili. I'm all the way down the hall and I could hear you."

"Piss off, slut."

"Waaah, so mean." Izaya padded in, walking up to Delic. He curled around the bed and pushed the blankets up, grabbed Delic's toes and playing with them. "So, you need physical therapy? Hey hey, can you feel this? Can you?"

"Stop touching me!" Delic leaned forward and swatted at him.

"Hm, you were only stabbed. From the front, right? So it's not your spine that's injured but the muscles around it. So therapy will help you immensely."

"Fuck off, you—"

"Well, I already told Tsuki I'd compensation you for the hospital fees. So go sign yourself up for the next session."

"Eh?" Delic and Tsuki stared at him, wide-eyed.

"Just call the nurse and schedule yourself." Izaya turned with a wave. "Bye-bye bee!"

And with that he was gone.

The two blondes sat dumb-founded.

'Is that all he came to say?' Tsuki wondered.

Then Delic snorted. "Like hell I'll be indebted to him."

"Nii-san, you said it yourself we can't afford it..."

Delic's expression soured noticeably.

"Dammit." he clicked the red button by his bed.

"Yes, Kishitani-san?" A nurse apprehensively walked in.

"How do I sign up for physical therapy?"

Tsuki smiled a little, but under that smile, guilt began to eat away at him.

'I'm sorry, Nii-san. I know you want to blame me. But you'll never say it aloud.'


"So," Shizuo looked at his phone then up at the house. "This is where Takashiro lives?"

"It's what Delic said." Tom looked at the name plate." Nishimi Kou. This is the right place."

"It looks too nice to be that shady bastards."

Tom was silent as Shizuo cracked his knuckles.

"Um, Shizuo, remember what Orihara said?"

"Yeah, I remember. And I remembered what you said. We'll go in and snoop. Nothing else."

Tom smiled. Then reached forward and knocked on the door.


Takashiro exhaled in ecstasy as he gave a final thrust into his silent albino.

Roppi clenched the sheets tightly, closing his eyes tight in pain. But he refused to make a sound as Takashiro filled his insides.

The two slumped, Takashiro wrapping his arms around Roppi.

Then they both froze and their eyes widened as someone knocked on the door.