A/N: I really hope you guys enjoy this final chapter of the keepsake arc, followed by the very final chapter of Ghost Hunt Club.Once again, I want to thank each one of you, you guys have been my absolute support and inspiration.I couldn't thank you enough for all your reviews over the time I have been writing this story.I decided to post the last two chapters at once, since the last one is quite short. I really hope the ending does it justice.
Thank you again!
Izaya opened his eyes slowly, looking up into light brown eyes that were gazing down at him softly. The raven froze for a moment, his body felt different, light and – wasn't he sick? Yeah, he was sick, feverish and exhausted; but he didn't feel any of those things right now, and his heart fluttered ever so slightly, just from that gaze on him, hands reached up to grasp his arms lightly. Izaya opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out, he wanted to apologise, he wanted to hold this person close to him and tell him how much he cared, how much he had missed him.
This person meant so much to him, and he couldn't even tell him so. "Shizu-chan…" the moment that name rolled off his tongue, he frowned slightly, because recognition became clear then – no, not Shizuo, someone that looked like him for sure, but it wasn't him. Izaya's hand lifted to cup the blond's face, he glanced at it, it was smaller wasn't it? his hand, more – feminine. Something did finally pass his lips, but he didn't have any control over it, and it was then that he realised this wasn't his dream, it was a memory, someone else's. "He'll see us together, he'll be angry." His voice was feminine too, no surprise there, he was aware that he was reliving a woman's memory, and if his assumptions were true, it was the woman in the old man's photo, his late wife. Izaya had no control over what happened in these memories, and even though he had grown accustomed to them, it didn't make them any less surprising, nor any less terrifying. Izaya could feel her emotions within him, could feel her fear and – and her love. The love she felt for the man standing in front of her, it was so strong and so real; yet, he felt trapped, because she belonged to another, quite literally it seemed.
The blond wrapped his arms around him – her, embracing her tightly, stroking her hair. "It'll be all right, I won't let him harm you, just leave him, he's no good for you."
Her hands came up to grasp his shirt, shaking, tears falling from her face. "I'm so afraid, he won't let me leave, he won't let me ever leave."
There was a click behind them, it drowned out any other noise around, so loud, so – chilling. She turned around when she realised the blond's attention was ahead of them, her eyes widening at the sight of her husband, whom was a few feet away from them. The handgun poised in their direction, his eyes shone with hatred and Izaya couldn't help the fear that ran through him, he looked at her with a great deal of passion, but it was combined with possessiveness. "I love you my dear Keiko, you belong with me, til death do us part, right?"
A hand pushed her to one side, the blond's eyes glared angrily as he raised an arm in front of her protectively. "Leave her alone."
The man grinned, a crazed look caught in his eyes for a moment before softening. "I love her, she's mine, and if I can't have her, no one can!"
The woman's eyes grew wide and she reached her hand out, a scream tore from her lips. "No don't!" raising her hands up either side, she stood before the one she loved, and a bullet tore into her chest, her mouth opened in a silent cry of pain. Both men too shocked to react at first, the blond fell to his knees, cradling her body as she smiled up at him. "I'll protect you, always. I love you."
Izaya gasped loudly as he shot up in a sitting position, a hand clutching his chest, gritting his teeth. "Shit…." His body shook and he could feel his clothes sticking to his skin, his hair was damp and – something trickled down his cheeks, was he crying? His chest felt tight and there was a numbing pain ebbing around where he had felt the bullet pierce him. Izaya whimpered and fell backwards, he could barely hold himself up, he was so weak.
"Izaya?" The raven opened his eyes again at the sound of his name, he glanced to the side, Shinra and Kadota were knelt beside him, looking incredibly concerned. He shivered when a cold cloth was wiped over his face, yet relieved at the same time, his skin was burning. "What happened…? We came to check on you and found you unconscious, Izaya, we should really call an ambulance."
Kadota startled when Izaya gripped his wrist, he looked up at him and tried to smile, taking firm hold of his arm. "It's okay, we're here." Izaya had never looked so weak and frightened before, to him at least. He's really sick. "Izaya, Shinra's right, we have to get you to a hospital."
Izaya shook his head, another whimper escaped him when that caused his head to throb. "No… it's not…I'm not sick…"
Shinra frowned then, dipping the cloth back into the water and repeated his actions from before. "Izaya, you – you're sick, you need help, you're getting worse by the minute here."
Izaya smiled at him, though it was only for a few seconds. "No…. crystal, it's the crystal…" he pushed himself to sit up, barely leaning on his elbows, his two friends both reached out to clasp his shoulders. "The crystal… in my room…. it's making me sick… cursed."
Kadota still held Izaya's arm as the raven stubbornly swung his legs over the couch, he shook his head, wondering how his friend could have little care about his health. "What do you mean by that? what crystal?"
Izaya let out a shaky breath, it was taking everything he had to remain sitting like this. "We got it wrong…. so wrong, the spirit isn't the threat… it's the owner…. he killed her, his wife, he couldn't stand her being with someone else…. he did everything he could to keep her with him…. and when she died, he sealed her spirit quickly, out of fear of what she might do…." Izaya gritted his teeth when dizziness consumed him for a moment, his hand came up to grasp his head. Shinra and Kadota looked at one another in concern, they believed in what Izaya had told them, because they knew he was usually right about these situations. "I had another dream…. he shot her…. it was supposed to be for the one she loved… but she saved him…. the man then told the police that he did it."
"How – how do you know all this? I mean the dreams sure, but – did you find anything else that would help?"
Izaya looked at Kadota, only then realising that his hand was still wrapped around the teen's wrist. Izaya gently pulled his hand back, favouring gripping the cushion instead. "I found a news article in my search, of course…. it had nothing to do with Egyptian myths at all, the story was true, but it was muddled and – and it was them. The man used the story to throw me off…. and the crystal to – I don't know, keep me unfocused, or probably hoped that it would get rid of me…"
Shinra gaped in disbelief, he didn't know what to think, what to say, he all but stammered out his next words. "So, all that rage she had, all that, 'Shizuo is mine.' She was really trying to protect him?" Izaya nodded slightly. "From you?"
"I think she must have been confused, trapped in that box for thirty years messed with the memories she had. She must have thought that I was the threat, the man that forced her to stay with him, the man that tried to kill the one she loved. She thought I was trying to harm Shizu-chan…."
"She asked if you and he were together before, then she got angry and started saying that stuff about Shizuo being hers."
"I'm not sure whether Kimori's emotions might have mixed in with hers, I don't know how spirit possessing really works. It's possible, she also spoke the phrase, 'If I can't have him, no one can.' It was what led me to believe that she was the threat, it threw me off, but I guess it might have been because that was the last thing she heard."
Kadota sighed, this was certainly unexpected, he moved to sit on the couch, they should really tell Izaya what was happening right now, but as he looked at him, his concern for Izaya's health outweighed his concerns for Shizuo. "How do we lift this curse thing that's gotten hold of you?"
Izaya shrugged a little, because what he said next sounded so simple. "Smash it."
Shinra blinked in surprise. "That's it, just – smash it?"
Izaya nodded at him, even he thought that sounded ridiculous, given how sick he felt. "Yeh… that's it… the curse should lift… though it might take a while for me to return to full strength," Izaya chewed his lip when another thought crossed his mind, and it scared him. "I – I might have even noticed it too late…"
Shinra frowned and grasped his wrist, gaining Izaya's full attention. "No! don't ever talk like that!"
Izaya blinked at him, fear was clear in his friend's voice and he couldn't help but feel guilty. "Sorry…. I was just – thinking out loud, because it's a possibility."
Shinra sighed and let his wrist go, he knew Izaya was right, the raven looked so pale and fragile. "So, she latched onto Shizuo to keep him safe, was it a coincidence that she happened to choose him? or was it because the person she possessed was already with him?"
Izaya chuckled lightly, Shinra hid his concern poorly. "I think it might have been both, you wouldn't believe it but – the person she loved, looks a lot like Shizu-chan…." Talking about him directly caused Izaya to frown. "Where is he by the way?" he looked down at his lap, a slight tinge to his already flush cheeks, grateful for once that he had a fever. "Not that I expected him to – well, never mind, where is he?" Shinra and Kadota shifted awkwardly, Izaya looked at them, his frown deepening as he directed his question at Shinra, knowing the bespectacled man couldn't lie to him. "Shinra, where is Shizu-chan?"
Kadota sighed heavily, Izaya was going to freak out. "Shizuo took the girl to the owner of that store, along with the box."
Izaya's eyes widened. "Why?"
"I guess he was thinking that he could ask him to seal her again or something."
Izaya clenched his fists, anger mixed with worry flooding through him. "Why didn't you stop him! they're both in danger!"
Kadota glared at him, though he could see that Izaya was worried. "As far as we knew, it was the spirit that was the threat, not the old man!"
Izaya stood up quickly. "I have to stop him…" Shinra caught Izaya as the raven fell against him.
"You're not going anywhere Izaya! you can't even stand, you're in no position to do anything right now!" Kadota was shouting now, but Izaya knew he was just concerned, and he had every right to be, Izaya didn't even think he could walk on his own anymore. The teen turned to Shinra, a determined look upon his face. "You need to find that crystal and smash it as much as you can before it's too late."
Shinra tilted his head and then glanced at Izaya, holding out his palm. "Tell me where your apartment is and give me your key." Izaya looked like he was going to protest, but he couldn't be stubborn anymore, if they were to save him and Shizuo, they needed his trust. "Please Izaya."
Izaya nodded and pulled his key out from his pocket. "It's a small apartment, on Gekijo Dori, it's on its own, kind of hidden behind some trees. You should be able to find it, it's opposite a football pitch."
Shinra nodded and took the key from his friend, holding it tightly in his palm. "You'll be alright, Izaya."
Izaya smiled at him. "Maybe…"
Kadota sighed in relief, he had thought it was going to take some convincing. "I'm going to see if I can catch up with Shizuo, I'll give him a call on the way."
Izaya tried to push Shinra off, he took one step and collapsed, Shinra grasped his body tightly. "I'm coming with you…"
Kadota gritted his teeth, frowning at the sheer stubbornness from his friend. "I said you weren't going anywhere; you'll only make yourself worse and we might not be able to save you."
Izaya hissed when his legs tried to buckle, but Shinra had a firm grip on him. "Please… Dota-chin… I have to…." Izaya looked at him pleadingly, Kadota could see how much Shizuo meant to him then, how much he was willing to sacrifice. "It's Shizu-chan… I can't lose him…"
Kadota was surprised by the blunt confession, but he slumped in defeat, who could argue with that? "All right, but you can't even walk, so I will carry you, no excuses, you need to save whatever strength you have left to survive, okay?"
Izaya grinned weakly at him. "Deal."
….
Kadota looked over at the passenger seat with grave concern, Izaya was in and out of unconsciousness by now, barely speaking, he was just getting worse. Kadota feared that they really were going to be too late, he looked ahead at the road again, frowning as he slowed down once he neared the museum. Come on Shinra, hurry up.
Shizuo looked at Kimori – or was it the spirit he was looking at? Either way, she was calm, and he felt guilty that he had brought her here, didn't she realise why that was? Didn't she recognise the museum?
He thought about it, and she probably wouldn't, Kimori would have, but Shizuo had this feeling that the spirit possessing her was more in control now. Her hand linked with his own and she smiled happily at him, it made him feel even more guilty. He couldn't quite understand it, but he had this feeling that something wasn't right, that he shouldn't have brought her here. Then he remembered how sick Izaya looked in the corridor and he frowned, clenching his fist. She caused that, she made him sick.
They turned into the gift shop, Shizuo was thankful that it was empty, though that struck him as odd, and now that he thought about it, the entire museum looked empty. It couldn't be closed, because the doors to the entrance would have been locked. The bad feeling, he had was slowly getting worse, Shizuo looked over at the paying counter, the old man was there, he appeared to not have noticed them yet. Shizuo felt her hand tighten around his own for a moment as they walked toward Roji.
Once they got closer, the old man noticed them, he smiled kindly and clasped his hands together as he stepped out from behind the counter. "Ah! You're that student from before, your friend told me about you, I know you didn't have anything to do with the item that was stolen, he made that very clear, he cares a lot about you, you know."
Shizuo shifted uncomfortably, not quite sure how to reply to that statement, after what had happened between him and Izaya, how could the raven possibly still care about him? Shizuo shook his head, it wasn't what he should be thinking about right now. "Speaking of the stolen item, I think it's only fair that you have it back," Shizuo took the box from his bag. "But before I give it to you, I was wondering if you knew of some way to seal the spirit that was inside before. Izaya told me the story about the Egyptian merchant; it was accidently set free and now it's – well, it's possessing my girlfriend." It killed him inside to keep referring to Kimori as his girlfriend after what she had done, but he needed them both to believe that he was still ignorant in all this, though he wasn't supposed to admit that he knew that a spirit possessed her.
The girl looked at him, Shizuo couldn't help but worry, she looked – betrayed. But hadn't it been her idea in the first place to return the box? Or had that been Kimori talking for that moment? It was very possible that the spirit lost control for that length of time, even if it was for a split second.
"I do indeed," the man's voice brought them back to his attention, he held out his hands. "I will help you, give me the box and I'll drive the spirit out of your girlfriend. I won't even notify the police that she stole from me."
Shizuo blinked in surprise, how oddly kind of him, he frowned slightly when he pulled the box out of reach for a moment. "One more thing, if this was so dangerous and you knew there was a vengeful spirit in here, why keep it out in the open for it to be ignorantly taken?"
Roji chuckled, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "Izaya might tell you, I'm not as young as I used to be, I didn't even know I had such valuable items in the shop." He tapped the shelf behind him, and Shizuo glanced over at the samurai he had been looking at, now behind the counter. "Had no idea it was worth that much, perhaps I've been here too long, heh."
Shizuo relaxed, he could believe that, given how the store was laid out.
"To be honest, I thought my story was nothing but a myth, until Izaya came to me and convinced me otherwise, that's why I didn't feel the need to lock it away, even though it wasn't for sale. Of course, that could be put down to old age too." Roji laughed lightly and then held his hands out again. "I don't know a great deal about the seal, but I'm positive I can help."
Shizuo nodded and as he held out the box to the old man, a voice startled him from behind.
"Don't give him the box!"
All three turn their attention to the doorway of the gift shop, Shizuo tilted his head in confusion and his hand retracted slightly. "Kadota, what are you doing here, I thought you were with Izaya?" Shizuo stepped forward, expressing concern. "Is he alright?"
Kadota frowned. "No, he's not, he's got a lot worse Shizuo."
Shizuo's eyes widened upon hearing that, he didn't think it was that bad. "Where is he?"
"In the car, he was unconscious when I left, but before that he told me to come and make sure you don't give him that box."
Shizuo looked at the item in his hand and then back to Kadota. "Why?"
"Izaya is sick because of a curse, a crystal was given to him and it made him ill. The reason Izaya is so sick is because of him," Kadota pointed at the old man and Shizuo turned to face him with shock. "He gave Izaya the crystal to stop him from finding out the truth, was probably hoping it would kill him. Shinra went to his apartment to destroy it, Izaya said that by smashing it, it'll lift the curse or something, if-"
Shizuo turned back to face him, anger rising within. "If what!?"
Kadota frowned in concern. "If it's not too late."
Shizuo felt his chest tighten, too late? What the hell was he saying? Could Izaya – could he die? Shizuo shook his head, no, the raven couldn't die, he – he just couldn't; something Kadota said caught up with him then. "The truth about what?"
Before Kadota could reply, the girl stood in front of Shizuo, eyes glaring at Kadota. "I don't care if you want to seal me away! You won't harm him!"
Shizuo blinked in confusion, he was so lost now, he didn't know what to believe. Kadota walked forward, his hands held out in front of him. "We don't want to seal you away, we're here to help, we know the truth, we know what he did to you."
"Who did what?" Shizuo was getting angry, he turned to the old man, was Kadota right, was this senile old man the reason Izaya was sick? "If he dies, I will kill you." Shizuo gritted his teeth and grabbed hold of his shirt. "You bastard, what have you done to him!?"
Roji looked at him with fear and shook his head. "I haven't done anything, the spirit, that's the cause of his illness, not me."
Kadota reached the girl and grabbed her wrist. "We're here to help."
The girl's eyes flashed angrily, and she shoved against him. "No one will harm him!" Kadota was flung into a display shelf, Shizuo whipped round and ran over to his friend.
"Kadota!"
….
Shinra rushed into the apartment, it took him longer then he thought to find the damn place. He prayed to god he wasn't too late, he frantically looked around the small room. "Crystal, crystal…. where are you, damn it, Izaya you could have told me where it-" Shinra's eyes lit up when he spotted something glinting in the sunlight. "Yes!" he ran over, grabbed the crystal from the window seal, and with all his strength, he raised it above his head and threw it to the floor.
The crystal shattered as though it was glass, fragments scattered across the floor, some small, some large. Shinra just hoped it was enough to stop the curse from taking his friend away from them.
…..
Roji grinned down at the fallen box and laughed as he held it firmly in his grip. He looked at the girl with a manic glint in his eye. "My dear Keiko, it's so good to see you again, we shall be together forever, I won't let you out of my sight again, I promise."
Shizuo looked at Kadota as the teen stood up, the blond followed suit. "Kadota, what the hell is going on?"
"We have to stop him from using that seal, there was no Egyptian story, it was them all along. He killed his wife, blamed it on the one she fell for and sealed her spirit away so they would never be apart."
Roji opened the box and swiped his hand through the air. "Shisha no seirei, koko de watashi wa anata o shōkan shi, watashi o odokasu seishin o tojikome, kanojo ga kaku katachi o fūin shimasu." (Holy spirits of the dead, here I summon thee, entrap the spirit that threatens me and seal away the form she portrays.) Roji repeated this several times before he realized it wasn't working. "What is happening!? That seal worked before!" he looked at the box and then at the girl. "What have you done to it!?" the man repeated the same mantra again.
"Na man Kusa na maan basu ah don sin ah ma sa oro ta ra atah ka maan-"
The old man looked behind the woman and his eyes widened. "You!"
Shizuo and Kadota glanced over, gasping in surprise, it was Izaya, a glow of spiritual energy cast around him as he chanted. "Izaya – what the-" Shizuo didn't know what was happening, but whatever Izaya was doing, had stopped the seal from working. Izaya's breathing became heavy and he collapsed to his knees, the glow of his mantra energy disappeared. "Izaya!"
Kadota frowned in annoyance, Shinra might have made it in time, but Izaya was still incredibly weak and to try something like that while recovering – it was the most idiotic idea he had been witness to. "Izaya, are you okay?"
Izaya shook his head, no, no he wasn't, the raven looked up at the girl and the old man. She frowned at him and ran toward him, Izaya stumbled to his feet. "I'm not a threat! I know the truth; I know what he did. It's not me, I'm not going to harm him, I would never do that…. I – I care about him just as much as you…. but, take a good look, he's not the man you fell for…" the girl stopped in front of him for a moment before she swiped a hand across the air. Izaya was knocked off his feet, he pushed himself up, struggling to move. "Just look…. it's not him…. and - and the man who trapped you and forced you to stay with him, he's right there, he's the threat – he took you away from the one you loved…."
The girl froze and slowly turned to look at Shizuo, the blond stared at her as he stopped his attempts to get to Izaya. "It's not you…."
Shizuo didn't reply, he didn't want to get her upset, not when she was so close to Izaya.
"Keiko," Izaya spoke softly as he got to his feet. "I promise…. I will protect him; you don't have to worry anymore…. he's – he's safe now, I'm not going to harm him, the one you love is waiting for you…. forget your revenge and be with him…. finally."
Keiko looked at the old man, her eyes shone with hatred, Roji opened the box again.
Izaya gritted his teeth, he didn't have the strength to perform that mantra again, it would probably kill him if he tried. Shizuo clenched his fists, he wanted nothing more than to smash his fists into that old man's face, he was so angry, at him, at himself – he looked at Izaya, wondering whether what he had said to Keiko/Kimori was true.
Roji began chanting the seal's words, but before either Izaya or Shizuo could react, the man was knocked off his feet by a perfectly well-placed punch. Both teens stared in surprise, Kadota glared down at Roji, anger displaying in his eyes. "Don't ever mess with my friends, old man or not, I will beat your ass." He then laid eyes on the box and raised his foot above it.
Roji reached out a hand – "No!"
Kadota's foot smashed the box, splitting it in half. "Tch."
Izaya huffed a laugh and glanced over at Shizuo when he noticed the blond's gaze was on him, the raven gave him a brief smile.
Shizuo sighed, damn, he almost lost the flea – he'd never been so terrified.
Their attention was pulled back to the girl, Izaya looked at her, she smiled and said, "Thank you." Izaya looked up toward the ceiling when a dark blue aura lifted from Kimori's body and disappeared. Kimori was left frozen on her feet, and Izaya wondered how she was still standing.
Roji stood up quickly. "You can't have her, Keiko is mine, if I can't have her, no one can!"
Izaya's eyes widened at the sight of a gun, the same one as before – he froze, as if he was being consumed by the memories from his dream. He tried to say something, tried to shout that the spirit had left already and only Kimori remained. He couldn't speak, he couldn't move his legs, his body was exhausted and – and then –
The sound of the gun shot snapped him out of it, he dashed forward and skidded on his knees in front of Kimori, grasping at Shizuo's shirt. The sound of the blond's name tore from his lips in a cry of anguish, Kadota on the other side of him, reaching for his phone to call an ambulance.
Kimori could only watch in confusion and horror at the sight before her feet.
Tears fell from Izaya's eyes as he pressed his hands to Shizuo's chest. "Don't die…. stay with us…. Shizu-chan…" Izaya screwed his eyes shut. "Shizuo!"
…
Kadota looked up from his seat in the waiting room of Taito hospital, he smiled lightly when Shinra burst through the door in a panic. "I came as fast as I could, is he – is Shizuo okay?"
Kadota sighed and swiped his hand through his hair. "Dunno, doctors are working on him, not sure how long it's been."
Shinra slumped; when Kadota had called him and tried to explain what happened, his heart sank, and he feared for his friend's life. How the hell had Shizuo got shot? They were paranormal investigators, not superheroes! What was he thinking? Shinra's eyes scanned the waiting room and he frowned when he didn't see a certain someone there. "Where's Izaya?" panic flooded him for a moment, because Kadota had mentioned him and he didn't even know if smashing the crystal had even worked. "Kadota…. he's okay, isn't he?" Kadota nodded but he didn't reply with any words. "Smashing the crystal worked?" another nod. Shinra huffed, he pulled out his phone, the nodded answers hadn't ceased his panic, and a horrifying thought crossed his mind. If Shizuo had been shot and if – if he didn't make it, he feared what Izaya would do. "I'm calling him."
Kadota looked up upon hearing this, he stood up and grabbed Shinra's wrist, stopping him from doing so. "Shinra, he's okay… I mean, he will be… after the ambulance came, and the police took our statements, he took off."
Shinra frowned. "Where?"
Kadota then smiled, as though it was something to be happy about. "He went home."
….
Mairu and Kururi were giggling hysterically as they chased each other through the hall and up the stairs. Kyouko shouted after them to calm down from the bottom of the stairs, hand on her hip, she glanced into the living room, half annoyed that Shirou hadn't said anything and wasn't helping. She rolled her eyes and was about to continue prepping dinner when the doorbell rang. Sighing, she adjusted her apron and unlocked the door, sliding the bolt across and opened it. A gasp escaped her lips and she dropped the kitchen utensil she was holding.
Izaya looked up at her, chewing his lip, his eyes were red, and tears were still clouding his vision. He tried to smile, but his heart wouldn't allow it, he was in shock from Shizuo's accident and he didn't know where else to go. "Hey…. Mom…. I – I'd like to come home now…"
Kyouko's eyes watered and she dashed forward, Izaya gasped in surprise when her arms wrapped around him tightly. "Oh sweetheart, I've missed you so much…"
Izaya wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her shoulder, sobbing lightly, he didn't care. "I'm sorry about what I said…. I'm so sorry…"
"Shhh, it's okay, it's okay." She pulled back and wiped his tears with her apron, she smiled sadly at him. "We heard about Shizuo; do you know if he'll be okay?"
Izaya clenched his fists, he hadn't even gone with them in the ambulance, he didn't even know if Shizuo was alive! "I don't know…. I just – I couldn't… see him like that…" Kyouko pulled him in for another hug when she noticed Izaya couldn't stop himself from crying.
"He'll be okay, you'll see…." She then turned her head and led Izaya into the living room.
Shirou turned his attention halfway from the television to the doorway. "Who was at the-" his mouth fell open, his attention now fully asserted on the person beside his wife. "-Door… Izaya, that's you right?"
Izaya nodded, still shaking slightly and stepped into the room. "I want to come home…."
Shirou smiled brightly and quickly stood up, his arms raising to embrace Izaya tightly. "We missed you! you are always welcome here, don't be stupid, I'm so happy to see you."
Izaya wrapped one arm around his dad's back, he truly hadn't expected to be welcomed back so quickly and openly, it was overwhelming. "I'm sorry."
Shirou shook his head as he pulled back, clapping a hand on Izaya's shoulder. "We're the ones that should apologize, we should have told you sooner… we were just trying to protect you."
Izaya frowned lightly, he still couldn't forget what they said, but he understood why they kept it from him. "I just – I just didn't know where to go…"
Shirou placed his hand on Izaya's head. "You're home, that's all that matters."
Kyouko smiled and turned for the hall. "I'll call the girls."
Izaya turned around and stopped her. "It's okay, I'll go up and see them."
Mairu and Kururi were in their room, laughing as they jumped up and down on the bed. Izaya stood in the doorway to watch for a minute, he had missed his sisters so much, and he couldn't help but think they looked slightly older, even though he hadn't been gone all that long.
"Mairu, we shouldn't touch the floor, it's poison water!" Kururi made a face and pointed to the carpet.
Mairu nodded enthusiastically, happy to play along. "Okay!"
"I guess you need someone to get you across to the other bed then."
The girls immediately stopped jumping on the bed, they froze in their movements, looking toward the one that spoke, instantly recognizing the voice of their brother. They both hurried off the bed and ran into Izaya's arms. "Iza-nii!"
Izaya bent down and wrapped his arms around them, pulling them close. The twins sobbed against his chest and Izaya felt his heart clench, guilty for leaving them the way he did. "Shhh, I'm here, it's okay, don't cry…"
"We missed you loads!" Mairu gripped the back of his shirt and tried her best to sit on his knee.
Kururi looked up at him through her tears. "Iza-nii coming home?"
Izaya smiled at her and nodded. "I'm coming home…"
…
Five weeks later.
Shizuo chuckled lightly as he was handed cards, presents and oddly enough, flowers; he guessed they were probably from a girl at their school or one of his friend's parents. Shizuo's recovery had been slow, he had been unconscious for a few weeks since the operation and spent the last two being examined and monitored. He rarely had visitors due to the heightened circumstances of his injuries, but his friends had come by when they could. This was the first time however, that he could have a full visit, and was overwhelmed by the happiness that he was okay. The gifts and cards received weren't at all what he expected, and he couldn't help but feel so grateful. Even though Shinra and Kadota were talking to him as much as possible, there was someone he wanted to see, but always seemed absent whenever they dropped by. He glanced over at the table beside the window of his room, it had a squared shaped box on it and looked as though it was still wrapped. "Who's that from?" he was sure he'd opened all the gifts.
Shinra smiled slightly and retrieved the item, he handed it over to Shizuo and said, "It's – it's from Izaya, he dropped it off about an hour ago."
Shizuo blinked in surprise. "He was here?"
Shinra nodded, his expression solemn though. "He didn't want to come in though, he just told me to give this to you and tell you that he's sorry."
Shizuo frowned, staring at the gift that was wrapped in plain blue paper. "Could have just said that himself, still running away."
Kadota sighed, he understood why Shizuo was pissed, after what had happened, Izaya owed Shizuo a face to face apology and the two seriously needed to talk. Though he could also see Izaya's point of view, knew that the raven had blamed himself and even though he had gotten so sick, he had done everything he could to keep Shizuo safe. "He'll come around, give him time, he was pretty shaken up."
Shizuo nodded, he didn't want to get angry, he just wanted to see him, talk to him and tell him how glad he was that he was okay. Shizuo took the wrapping between his fingers and tore it off the box, he lifted the lid and peered inside. A small gasp escaped his lips. His two friends tilted their head, a questioning gaze on their faces. Shizuo pulled the item out of its box and revealed the Samurai figurine, the one from the museum's gift store. "I can't believe he – how did he know?"
Kadota chuckled. "He is rather perceptive, he must know you like swords, he probably overheard and saw you look at this one from the field trip, the owner went to jail, but they replaced him."
Shizuo looked at the figurine in awe, his fingers tracing its detail delicately. Izaya.
A knock on the door brought their attention toward it, Shizuo frowned, she was not who he wanted to see. Kimori stood by the door's entrance, looking at him with a somewhat shameful expression on her face. Shinra and Kadota stood up and allowed the two some privacy. The blond placed the Samurai carefully on his nightstand and glared over at her. "I don't have anything to say to you."
Kimori flinched at his tone, never having heard it directed at her before. "I just – I know what I did was wrong, and I'm truly sorry-"
"Are you?" Shizuo clenched a fist. "I don't believe a single thing that comes out of your mouth anymore."
Kimori nodded, understanding why he said that. "I just came by to see if you were okay, and – and to thank you for saving me, Izaya explained some things that had happened because I couldn't remember even going to that store with you."
Shizuo looked at her in mild surprise, some of his anger fading. "Izaya did?"
"He did. He hates my guts, and yet he still wanted to keep me safe, you – you saved my life, I just wanted to thank you." she turned for the door.
"I had fun too." Shizuo gritted out the words, but he meant them. Kimori turned to him with surprise. "Before all the shit you pulled, I had fun, and it might have worked out, maybe."
Kimori smiled and shook her head. "I know you never stopped caring about him, deep down, and he never stopped caring about you either. Whatever happened between you two, I'm sorry for my part in it."
Shizuo snorted, still not believing that she really was sorry, and yet – "Izaya wasn't completely innocent in all this, he screwed up first, a lot."
Kimori shrugged. "Anyway, I'm glad you're okay, see you around, Shizuo."
Shizuo nodded and then she left. He glanced over at the Samurai and sighed, he hoped Izaya came by soon.
…..
Three weeks later.
Shinra and Kadota were stood by the desks of their homeroom window, it was their first day back after summer vacation and yet – it wasn't going to be the same again. Shinra sighed sadly, chewing his lip, he looked at Kadota who hadn't said anything since they'd arrived. "Should we have gone with him?"
Kadota shook his head. "I don't think he's the type for mushy goodbyes."
"I'm going to miss him."
"We all are."
Izaya stepped into the classroom and quickly located his friends, well, two of them at least. He looked around the room for the other and frowned when he couldn't see him anywhere. Shrugging, he walked up to the other two with a small grin on his face, they looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "What?" Shinra shook his head, though he frowned slightly, wondering why Izaya could grin like that right now. "Shizu-chan forgot about school starting up?" Kadota and Shinra gaped at him and then shared a concerned glance. Izaya frowned at their silence, he began to worry. "You said he recovered, right?"
Kadota nodded, he couldn't be sure, but he had a feeling Izaya didn't know. "He's fine."
Izaya clenched his fist. "Then what aren't you telling me."
Shinra couldn't believe it. He really doesn't know. "Izaya, did he not tell you?"
Izaya's heart sped up, he didn't like the sound of that. "Tell me what?"
Kadota spoke next, he was slightly annoyed now, he knew that Shizuo had tried to contact Izaya several times in the last week to tell him. "Izaya, he's leaving."
Izaya's eyes widened and he fell back against the desk behind him. "What…?"
"He tried to call you, he's leaving, he's been called home, his brother came to see him and said that his father is ill, wants Shizuo to take responsibility of the shrine, or something like that."
Izaya's hands shook as they gripped the desk, Shizuo couldn't leave him – he couldn't just go without – Izaya frowned. "When?"
Kadota blinked. "Huh?"
Izaya became angry. "When does he leave!?"
Kadota gritted his teeth. "Soon, about half hour I think, he's already at the train station."
Izaya turned to run for the door but was grabbed by Kadota. "Let go! I have to stop him!"
Kadota grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him in. "And say what!? Sorry I didn't come to visit, sorry I was such an asshole before, for always hiding away and breaking your heart!? For fucksake Izaya, if you really care about him then you better be prepared to admit it, if you can't deal with this without hiding away all the time, then going after him is pointless!"
Izaya's anger disappeared and he was left feeling small, he clenched his fists. "I'm not – I'm not going to hide away, I don't want him to leave, but – I need to tell him myself, I have to stop him and try, that's all I can do."
Kadota let him go and sighed heavily. "Okay, I'll drive you."
Izaya looked up at him in surprise. "You will?"
"Just don't screw it up."
Izaya grinned. "I won't." he then looked over at Shinra, his grin disappeared and was replaced by a guilty expression. "Shinra… I-"
Shinra stepped in front of him and smiled. "It's okay Izaya, I know you never felt the same way about me, it hurt, but I'll be okay, I'll move on. I know that if Shizuo leaves though, you won't, so go after him, and forgodsake tell him how you feel, okay?" Izaya nodded and then wrapped his arms around his best friend, Shinra smiled sadly unseen and pushed the raven back. "Hurry up."
…..
~ The next train arriving at Ikebukuro station will arrive in ten minutes, please stand clear of the yellow line and we hope you enjoy your travel.
Shizuo looked at his watch and glanced up at the scheduled times, he pulled his phone out and stared at the number that was Izaya's, his thumb hovered over the delete button, something he had been debating on for the last few hours. He shifted his case onto his other shoulder, standing by the wall as he waited for his train. Shizuo didn't want to leave, he had made progress here, he had made friends and – and he fell in love, but he couldn't stay around him, knowing how he felt. He came from a shrine temple, even despite what his parents had done, it was still his responsibility as their son, wasn't it?
~ The next train arriving at Ikebukuro station will arrive in five minutes, please stand clear of the yellow line and we hope you enjoy your travel.
Shizuo pushed off the wall, and just as he was preparing to wait by the line with the other passengers –
"Shizuo!"
Shizuo turned his head and spun around, his eyes widened at the person running toward him. "Izaya?" Izaya ran toward him and stopped abruptly, frowning and breathing heavily. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Izaya grabbed his arm. "Stopping you from making the biggest mistake of your life!"
Shizuo yanked his arm away. "The biggest mistake!? You think this is the biggest mistake!? You want to know just what that is! The biggest mistake of my life was telling you that I loved you!"
Izaya stepped back, he clenched his fists as a sorrowed expression appeared on his face. "You can't leave…."
"Oh, I can't!? you just decide this now? I've tried several times to talk to you, I wanted to tell you! I wanted to get you back, but as usual you didn't want to listen – you hid away, again!"
Izaya bit his lip, he frowned up at the blond, eyes glistening. "I know! I know that! I – I can't change any of that now, but I'm here and-"
"It's too fucking late Izaya! You can't just – I don't know how to deal with you anymore, it hurts me that I can't help you, because I always get angry and I can't stay with you because you don't know how to accept what I feel." Shizuo's eyes were clouding over now as the two stared at one another.
"Why are you leaving!? Because of me, is that all it is?"
Shizuo clenched his fists. "You're the main reason, and I have a responsibility to my parents."
Izaya glared at him. "Like hell you do! They don't give a shit about you, you're a tool to them! What they did to you was unforgivable and I can't let you go back to that! You belong here with us, they don't need you, we do – I do…"
Shizuo's anger faded slightly, his fists unclenched. "Izaya, give me one good reason I should stay."
Izaya looked at him, he opened his mouth and the words were on the tip of his tongue. "I-" suddenly, his throat closed, and he couldn't find it in himself to talk anymore. Why was this so hard? Why was it always this hard for him? he knew what he felt now, he knew what it was he wanted to say, but – he just couldn't.
Shizuo sighed and gripped his bag tighter. "Yeh, that's what I thought… goodbye Izaya."
There was a whoosh of wind whipping past them as the train screeched to a stop.
~ The train has now arrived, please step carefully when boarding the train and have your ticket ready for inspection upon seating, enjoy your travel.
Izaya stared in disbelief as Shizuo turned away from him and watched as the blond stepped beside the other passengers. "Shizu-chan…. don't leave." Izaya's vision clouded for a moment before clearing as tears fell down his cheeks. "Shizuo!" Shizuo didn't stop to listen anymore, he stepped onto the platform and was two people away from boarding. Izaya's breathing quickened, he stared at the ground, willing himself to fucking open his mouth and say something before he really was too late. How could he allow Shizuo to go like this, he wouldn't be coming back, and he was going to leave without him knowing how he really felt.
Kadota watched from the van, his fist clenched, he wasn't going to say anything, because Izaya had to do this himself. He knew how hard it was for him, Izaya was so stubborn and so afraid of letting people in, but Shizuo wasn't just anybody now, and Kadota knew the truth about how he felt. Dammit Izaya, just say it, say it.
Izaya frowned, he needed Shizuo with him, he wanted him to stay. He cared about him more than he had done with anyone before, they had always been there for each other, Shizuo protected in so many unexplained ways, and Izaya had found his equal. Shizuo balanced him, kept him grounded, in a completely different way to Shinra. I need him. Izaya looked up and shouted, "Shizu-chan! I love you!"
Whoosh!
Izaya felt like his heart had just ripped out of his chest, taken by that train as it left the station.
He was too late.
Izaya clenched his fists, tears falling down his face, he wiped them away angrily. He swiftly turned around and ran, leaving Kadota to stare after him.
The teen looked at his friend from the van, his heart aching for him. "Shit."
….
Izaya couldn't face going back to school, couldn't face Shinra's sympathetic expressions. He had walked around the city for an hour to clear his head and decided to just go home and shamefully cry himself into a sleep. His parents were at work by now and his sisters were at school, so he'd have no interruptions.
Izaya unlocked the door and toed off his shoes, he felt heavy as he ascended the stairs, still wiping away stray tears from his eyes. He sighed and pushed open the door to his bedroom, he froze suddenly, his heart skipped a beat and a choked sob rose in his throat. "Shizu-chan…?" Shizuo smiled at him from where he sat on the bed, on his bed, and Izaya couldn't quite understand how this was possible. "I thought – I thought you left…"
Shizuo stood up and walked toward him. "I did, but I heard you at the last second, I got on the train and – and I quickly left again from the other side. You didn't see me, so Kadota drove me here. Your mother let me in before she left for work."
Izaya couldn't believe what he was hearing, what he was seeing, Shizuo was standing in front of him and – and he suddenly found himself unable to move. "You heard me…"
Shizuo nodded and smiled as he pulled Izaya to him. "I did."
"Shizu-chan…. I'm – I'm sorry…. I didn't mean-"
Shizuo pressed his finger to Izaya's lips and then replaced it with his own. Izaya gasped against the kiss and wrapped his arms around the blond's neck. The kiss became deeper and Izaya kicked the door shut, they stumbled backwards and fell on the bed. They removed their jackets quickly and Izaya scooted up the bed, pulling Shizuo with him. Shizuo's mouth was on his in a second, his tongue darting out and Izaya moaned, opening his mouth to allow Shizuo's tongue to massage his own. Shizuo's mouth left his to trail kisses down his neck, his hands coming up under his shirt to caress his stomach and sides. The blond picked at the fabric and gently pulled it up and over Izaya's head, Izaya grinned up at him and pulled him down for another kiss. Shizuo leaned up and took his own shirt off, Izaya's hands came up and slid over his stomach.
Shizuo's mouth came back to kiss him and then he gently nipped down Izaya's neck, Izaya let out an appreciative moan when Shizuo's tongue began to lick over his chest. Shizuo pulled away and Izaya looked up at him through half lidded eyes, he tilted his head in confusion. "What's wrong Shizu-chan?"
Shizuo almost blushed as he spoke his next words, but it felt right, so he shouldn't be embarrassed. "I'm ready to – if you want to…"
Izaya smiled knowingly. "Me too." Shizuo leaned down and captured his lips before continuing where he left off, his tongue pushed against Izaya's nipple and took it in his mouth. Izaya arched when the blond sucked and then moved over to give the other the same treatment. The raven moaned loudly as he felt himself become hard, felt Shizuo's equally hard member against his leg. Izaya reached for Shizuo's belt and quickly unbuckled it, Shizuo shimmied his legs and kicked off the fabric. "I want to feel you against me, Shizu-chan." his boxers were also removed in a haste, smiling at Izaya before proceeding to help with his.
Shizuo removed Izaya's pants and boxers, releasing him from his restrictions. Izaya gasped when he felt Shizuo press himself against him, his hands came around to clutch at his back. Shizuo kissed his lips, his mouth, licked his nipples and then one hand slid down to wrap around Izaya's hard cock. Izaya arched off the bed, moaning loudly at the sudden touch to his sensitive area. "Izaya… I don't really know what I'm doing…."
Izaya chuckled lightly at the bad timing of Shizuo's admittance. "Me either…. but it feels right, we'll work it out together, okay?"
Shizuo nodded and continued to stroke Izaya in a slow pace, the raven moaned again and leaned forward to kiss Shizuo's shoulder blade, gently biting it and then sucking. He did it again against the crook of his neck and Shizuo groaned low. Izaya pulled him in and captured his lips, he then took Shizuo's other hand, Shizuo watched him curiously when Izaya kissed the tips of his two fingers before closing his mouth over them. Shizuo gasped quietly at the sensation and was all too aware of what was going to happen soon. He didn't want to hurt Izaya, he wasn't so naïve, he knew their first time was going to be difficult, and the thought of causing him any pain was unnerving. Yet, as he watched Izaya suck on his fingers, producing as much saliva as possible, he couldn't help but tense in excitement, the raven looked so – fucking – hot, just so confident and there was absolutely no doubt in his facial expressions, he trusted him. Izaya took the fingers out and gave him a small grin before kissing him.
"I trust you, Shizu-chan, make me writhe underneath you, make me moan in pleasure."
Shizuo's cock throbbed at Izaya's bold words, did he not worry about the pain it might cause? "Damn it Izaya…" Shizuo breathed out a sigh as Izaya lifted his leg up over his shoulder. Shizuo took his coated fingers and brought them to Izaya's entrance.
"One at a time…. okay?"
Shizuo nodded, he slid his index finger in first, surprised at the tightness and yet – he slid it all the way to his knuckle. Izaya gasped and clutched at Shizuo's shoulders, Shizuo looked at him for any signs of pain as he slid the finger in and out. There were no traces of pain in Izaya's expression, just moans of pleasure. "I'm going to add a second finger…." Izaya nodded, Shizuo took that as consent and as he pulled his index finger back, he slipped in his second. Izaya arched and a loud moan escaped him, his fingers dug into Shizuo's skin as the blond's filled him. "Izaya…. are you okay?"
Izaya's breathing wasn't heavy, he panted and coaxed Shizuo to move his fingers like before. "More…"
Shizuo pushed his fingers in and out, right to the knuckle and back out, he did this several times before he then opened them. His fingers scissor inside him, widening Izaya's entrance, the raven gasped in pleasure, no cares for his loudness. Shizuo suddenly felt something, he dared to push against it and curl his fingers slightly.
"Ahh!" Izaya could barely contain his cry of pleasure, Shizuo was so shocked that he pulled his fingers out.
"Shit, Izaya… are you okay? What the hell was that?"
Izaya panted and managed to huff a laugh. "It's okay…. Shizu-chan… you – you found my G-spot…" Izaya grinned at him, though his face was flush. "Good job…. if I came though, I would have been pissed."
Shizuo blinked in surprise and then he laughed, shaking his head. "Idiot."
Izaya smiled and then wrapped his legs around Shizuo's waist. "I'm ready… Shizu-chan."
Shizuo frowned, not quite believing that was true. "Are you sure, I don't think that's enough…"
Izaya smirked. "Aren't you suddenly full of yourself."
Shizuo growled down at him, though he was blushing now. "That's not what I meant Izaya!"
Izaya chuckled and leaned forward to kiss him. "I'll be alright, I'm ready, okay?"
Shizuo still wasn't entirely convinced, but the look Izaya was giving him told him not to argue. "You'll tell me if it hurts, right?"
Izaya nodded, he wasn't that stupid. "I promise, now take me Shizu-chan…" Shizuo shifted down slightly, he took his pre-cummed member in his hand, stroked it a few times and then positioned it at Izaya's entrance. "Don't worry so much, it's okay."
Shizuo pushed the head of his cock inside as gently as he could, Izaya winced and clutched his hands around the sheet's underneath him. he let out a small whimper of pain when Shizuo pushed his cock further in, Izaya pushed against his shoulder for a moment. Shizuo stopped immediately, he looked up to see Izaya's face somewhat painfilled. "Izaya?"
Izaya swallowed back his sob and released the breath he was holding. "S'kay…. just, give me a second… hurts…"
Shizuo frowned at him. "Maybe we should stop."
Izaya shook his head, he'd be damned if he let Shizuo back out now. "No…. I'm okay now, go slow, okay?"
Shizuo nodded and pushed further in, he tried to caress Izaya's legs and then stroked him lightly to take his mind off the pain for a while. When Shizuo entered him fully, he didn't move, he waited until Izaya had adjusted, watched him carefully for signs of discomfort. There was some, but not enough to cause massive concern. Izaya looked up at him, smiling and beckoning Shizuo forward. He gasped as Shizuo leant over him and moved inside him the slightest bit, tears sprang to his eyes, but he didn't voice it. Shizuo kissed him softly and then wiped away the raven's tears with his thumb. "I love you…"
Izaya smiled at him, legs keeping him close encase the blond decided to pull out. "I – I love you too…" Shizuo smiled back and gently thrust inside, Izaya winced for a moment, but Shizuo was gentle and slow. The blond lifted Izaya's leg slightly and pushed inside him again, still slowly, a few more thrusts and Izaya's pain ebbed away more and more. "Shizu-chan…. feels good…."
Shizuo grunted and pulled back just the slightest bit and then pushed back. "Izaya…. so…. tight…. so good."
Izaya kissed him and his tongue licked across his lips, Shizuo granted him access and continued to thrust into him. Izaya moved his lips to Shizuo's ear and whispered. "A little faster… make me feel that pleasure again."
Shizuo raised himself up on his palms and began moving inside, thrusting his hips and taking Izaya deeper. Izaya cried out, both in pleasure and a hint of pain, he fisted the sheets and Shizuo moved faster. "Izaya…. are you – are you okay?"
Izaya bit his lip as Shizuo took him again and again, slowly and then fast, softly and then harder. He couldn't focus, he was becoming overwhelmed with the abrupt changes in Shizuo's movements. "Shit…. fuck…. Ahh!"
Shizuo shifted slightly and pulled out half way before pushing back inside and Izaya couldn't stop the cry of pleasure from escaping him as Shizuo hit that same spot from before, it drove him crazy, he gasped loudly and raked his nails across Shizuo's back when the blond continued to thrust against it, relentlessly so, Izaya's mind clouded over, nothing but pleasure assaulted his body now. "Izaya, I – I think I'm close…"
Izaya gritted his teeth. "Touch me… take me harder…. make me come…. Shizu-chan." Shizuo thrust harder and began to pound into him, hitting that same place, over and over. He reached down and wrapped his hand around Izaya's cock and stroked him fast. "Yes! Yes…. that's it…fuck! I can't – I'm going to come – fuck me!"
Shizuo took him hard and pushed himself deeper and then felt himself tense and – "Izayaaaa!" he came, hard and fast.
Izaya threw his head back and came with the cry of Shizuo's name on his lips.
Panting heavily, the two collapsed against each other, Izaya winced when Shizuo pulled out and lay to the side of him. he moved to lean against his elbows, damn he was sore, he could barely move. Maybe we overdid it a little. He then flinched at the spots of blood that decorated the sheet. We probably did. Izaya shrugged, because it had been worth it for such a pleasurable experience, yes it hurt, but he knew that first times were supposed to. Izaya shifted and lay his head on Shizuo's chest, listening to his heartbeat as it continued to race. "There's a little blood…. but don't worry, it was to be expected, we just got a little carried away, that's all."
Shizuo's arm wrapped around his small frame, tightening his hold. "Are you sure you're okay?"
Izaya nodded, kissing the blond's chest lightly. "I'm sore, but I'm okay…. that was – pretty amazing."
Shizuo chuckled a little. "It was…."
Izaya shifted slowly up to Shizuo's face and captured his lips softly, tears sprang to his eyes again as he said, "I love you…. I'm sorry that it took me so long to realize it…"
Shizuo pulled him close and kissed the top of Izaya's forehead. "I'm sorry I almost left you…."
Izaya grinned at him. "Does that mean you're staying?"
Shizuo rolled his eyes. "After what we just did, you think I'm still going to leave?" Izaya shrugged, and even though he was joking, he buried his face in the crook of Shizuo's neck. Shizuo embraced him tightly, huffing a laugh. "I'm not going to leave, I'm staying right here, where I belong."
