Izaya set down the last box with a happy sigh, bringing himself back to a standing, and stretching out his sore muscles. "Finally!" He exclaimed,"I had no idea I had that much stuff."
"Maybe you're just a secret hoarder," Shinra teased, sitting down nearby and waving plastic keys in front of Haru. "Hope you don't pass that on to Haru!"
[Most of his stuff was books, Shinra] Celty replied, holding Haru against her with one arm and showing her PDA with the other. [At least Izaya can read, when was the last time you picked up a book?]
"Why, just last night, Celty!" Shinra replied, placing a hand over his heart. "Elizabeth Barrett Browning; Such a perfect representation of my feelings for you! Let me recite it! How do I love thee, let me count the ways-"
Before Shinra could continue, black shadows wrapped around his mouth, completely silencing him. Izaya simply chuckled at their antics, having grown used to them during the weeks he stayed with them, and turned back to the boxes.
It had taken longer than Izaya had realized to pack and get rid of things he didn't need. He had actually gotten rid of quite a bit, considering that he wasn't planning on being an informant broker anymore… Honestly, he didn't know what he would be doing instead… But, he didn't mind. Actually, he was happy! Haru and him would be a lot safer now, especially since he was able to get rid of a lot of his dangerous files and materials and just hand them over to Shiki.
One thing that worried him, however, was that Celty's head suddenly vanished from the apartment while they were packing. Considering that Shinra didn't panic when Izaya told him, the raven guessed he had something to do with it. He decided to stay out of it, mainly for Haru's sake. That head had caused a lot of trouble (Although Izaya was usually the one behind the strings starting it.).
Celty's PDA pulled him out of his thoughts, making him turn his scarlet eye towards the screen. [So, when is the housewarming party?] She asked.
"Housewarming party?" Izaya echoed curiously, taking Haru from her other arm and handing him some plastic keys.
Shinra somehow managed to escape Celty's shadows and came over as well. "Well, duh!" He said,"You moved to Ikebukuro, close to us too! And Shizuo hasn't tracked you down and killed you yet!" Celty smacked his shoulder at his mention of the blonde bodyguard, so Shinra quickly changed the subject. "We wanna celebrate and welcome you! Don't forget Kadota mentioned it too!"
Izaya smiled, thinking of the beanie clad man. "Oh yeah, I remember him hinting at that! Although, I think he just wants to hold Haru again. Did you see his face when he held him for the first time?" He asked.
[Well, Children can change people in amazing ways] Celty pointed out, teasingly poking him. [You'd be the perfect example of that, Izaya]
The raven blushed, unconsciously shifting the baby closer against his chest. "I guess," He muttered sheepishly, while letting his mind wander. I've never had a party before… But then again I've never been invited to one, not that I ever gave anyone a good reason to even think about inviting me. Maybe hosting a housewarming party could be fun!
He smiled, lifting up his son. "What do you say, Haru?" He asked,"Wanna host a housewarming party?"
Haru's blue eyes sparkled with excitement, a squeal escaping the child's throat as he reached out towards Izaya, happily yelling,"Yeah!"
Shinra released a noise of shock and anger, jumping to his full height. "Seriously? You couldn't learn to say that the whole time I was babysitting you?!" He demanded, pointing his finger accusingly at the baby.
As if Haru knew what his uncle was referring too, he quickly burrowed his face into his father's chest, releasing a peal of giggles as he did so.
Shinra then mock pouted, slumping his shoulders with a large sigh. "So I guess I'm just everyone's punching bag?" He morosely questioned, voice shaking.
"I'd say so," Izaya replied.
"Yeah!" Haru agreed.
[Pretty much, yeah] Celty finished.
The brunette gasped, dramatically throwing his head back and leaning against the nearby wall. "You all are just a bunch of jerks!" He sobbed.
"Yeah!" Haru replied once more, causing the three adults to descend into their own peals of laughter.
Mikado and Anri shared a look of amusement as Masomi sadly drug himself back over to them after being rejected once more. Of course, the first thing Masomi does during their school break is try and flirt with college girls.
"Masomi, I thought we were going to go shopping, not watch you fail at flirting," He teased.
The blonde let out a cry of agony, draping his arm over his face. "Oh, Mikado! I don't understand it!" He exclaimed,"How can I be denied over, and over, and over?!"
Anri then quietly stated,"I think it was the part where you opened by telling them that you're only sixteen…"
Masomi froze, looking out at them from behind his hand and then crying again, leaning against Mikado further. "OH! I was a fool! A FOOL!" He yelled, wrapping his arms around Mikado and sliding towards the ground.
The teen blushed deeply, looking at Anri for help, and then back at the gawking crowd. "Masomi, w-what if we go look inside the shops nearby? Maybe you can find someone in there while we shop!" He suggested.
While Mikado knew that his friend would probably just flirt with more people and cause more attention to be put on them, there would be less people in a store to stare. Please say yes, please say yes-
"Hmm…. You know, you're right!" Masomi declared, leaping back to his feet. "Onward! To the shops!"
Anri and Mikado exchanged another look before quickly following after him, hoping the day wouldn't get any weirder.
Just as they predicted, Masomi instantly started flirting with people again. It was normal for them by now, and they simply followed him though the store from a distance.
But the day took a turn when they heard a familiar voice down in the baby aisle…
"Hey, hey! Dota-Chin! What do you think about this?" Erika's cheerful voice caught their attention, followed by a rustle of fabric.
They then heard Kadota seemingly choke. "Oh my god Erika, don't you dare buy that," He threatened.
Masomi was the first to speak. "Well well, let's go say hi!" He said,"I feel like we haven't seen them in a while!"
He's right! We haven't! Mikado realized, almost unable to remember the last time he spoke with the quartet. He and Anri quickly followed after Masomi again (this time at a closer distance), excited to say hello-
"Awww! But why not!? Iza-Iza would love it!" Erika suddenly said, making the three stop in their tracks.
The teens all exchanged looks of shock, their eyes displaying the same question. Are they talking about who I think they're talking about?
Kadota's response only served to confirm it. "You can if you want, but don't say I didn't warn you when Izaya burns it," He said,"In fact, I might help him."
Masomi suddenly moved forward so fast, Mikado barely noticed the action. "Wait!" The black haired teen tried to whisper, but it was too late as Masomi was already calling out a greeting.
Mikado and Anri got around the large store rack and saw Erika holding what looked like an adult sized kangaroo onesie. The woman looked up from it, smiling towards them with her usual grin.
"Oh! Hey you guys!" She said,"How's school break treating you?"
"Good!" Masomi replied, and then switched the subject. "So, what's all the talk about Izaya for?"
Kadota didn't look surprised, as if he'd seen Masomi's question coming. "Well, that's easy," He answered,"We're going to his apartment to party, and Erika wants to buy gifts."
Masomi's previously frown became much more visible, as did the tension in Anri's shoulders.
"Why…. Is he having a party?" The blonde teen asked,"And why are you going?"
"Well, Izaya moved near Shinra and he invited us to the party, so why wouldn't we go?" Walker answered as if it was the easiest thing to understand, although Mikado thought he wasn't telling the whole story.
Izaya moved to Ikebukuro!? Mikado thought in shock. What will Shizuo do when he finds out!? What is Izaya planning?!
Masomi seemed to be thinking the same thing, but he was a lot more open about it. "Why would he move here? And why are you hanging out with him?" He demanded.
"That's easy, because he's our friend!" Erika said, before turning to show the onesie to Walker. "Do you think a matching color would work best?"
Anri finally gained some courage. "I thought you didn't like how Orihara acts… Why be his friend now?" She questioned.
Kadota merely smiled. "I know you guys haven't seen him in a while, and there's a very good reason for that," He explained,"And, Izaya has changed. He even quit his job as an informant broker a while ago."
Shock went through all three of the teen's hearts, and suddenly they were overwhelmed with even more questions but Saburo didn't let them speak.
"You should come with us!" He said,"I know you're not fans of him, but I think you'll have fun and it may be nice for you to see how different he is now!"
Although Anri was still on the fence, Mikado and Masomi had already made up their minds. They were going… But for different reasons.
Maybe Izaya really has changed! Mikado thought. I knew it was possible! I'll go and see him, it'll be nice! I wonder what changed…
This is so bullshit, there's no way that bastard is anything else but a slimy fucking snake! Masomi declared. I know him better than anyone. I'll go, and I know I'll see that same stupid evil smile and that same monster in his eyes! Nothing could change that monster!
That was what led them to standing beside Kadota and the gang in the apartment building a few blocks down from Shinra's. The mahogany colored door with a light silver handle somehow already seemed less intimidating than the dark, steel door at Izaya's old place.
Kadota knocked on the door and then stood back. After a few painful seconds, the door opened up and pulled inward.
"You guys!" Izaya's surprisingly cheerful voice said,"It's so good to-"
The raven stopped himself, looking at the three teens with his one eye curiously. He then turned to look back at Kadota and his gang, who all looked surprisingly bashful.
"I um- We told them they could come…" Kadota sheepishly said,"They were curious… I didn't see the harm… I-If we need to get more stuff for the hotpot, I can."
Izaya took in what Kadota said and then looked back at them. For a moment, Mikado thought that the man was going to refuse to let them in. But, to his shock, the raven gave a small smile again.
"I don't mind, they can come in," Izaya said kindly, and then went back inside the apartment.
Why does he have an eyepatch on? Mikado idly wondered, turning towards Kadota to give a confused look to the man.
Kadota saw the questioning look in the teens' eyes and merely motionined for them to follow. "You'll see," Was the only explanation he got.
The teen looked at his two friends, who shrugged back at him. Deciding they had nothing to lose, they followed the quartet into the apartment.
The first thing Mikado noticed is that this new apartment was much brighter and more homey, it felt warm and safe. The walls were a soft cream color while the floor was a chocolate hardwood. On the hardwood floor, Mikado also noticed several toys. Toys? Why does Izaya have toys?
As if to answer his question, the laughter of a child suddenly rang through the hallway. Erika then squealed, running past Kadota.
"Haru! Guess what! Auntie Erika is here!" She cheered,"Happy birthday!"
Haru? Auntie? What's going on? Mikado thought again, quickly turning into the living room to try and understand what was going on. His eyes widened at what he saw.
Erika was holding a small child that looked to be about one year old, and chatting excitedly to him. The child's blue eyes were filled with excitement, and he babbled back just as happily.
The living room and dining room of the apartment were decorated with purple birthday decorations, there was cake on the table along with some hot pot, and nearly everyone was wearing birthday hats. Celty, Shinra, Akabayashi, and Namie were sitting around the house, while Izaya was leaning against wall by the hallway, smiling towards the child.
The teenagers frowned, sharing confused glances again before looking around again. Erika and the baby were now in front of them, and the young woman lifted up the baby. "Mikado, Masomi, Anri, meet Haru! He's Izaya's son!" She declared.
The three teens gasped, whipping around to look at the raven. To their surprise, he was smiling towards the child and his one eye was filled with warmth; There was no evil schemes or sadistic glee in that gaze.
"No, no way. No way," Masomi suddenly exclaimed, shaking his head and slicing his hands through the air. "Who the hell would have a kid with you?"
Izaya didn't seem surprised by Masomi's outburst. He raised a hand and replied,"First of all, watch your language around Haru. Second of all, I didn't have him with someone. I adopted him."
This only served to confuse the group even more. Anri's frown deepened, and she softly asked,"But why?"
"It is a little weird, huh?" Izaya remarked,"I never thought I would have kids either. But I found him abandoned in an alleyway before the snowstorm a few months ago and we ended up getting snowed in. I was going to take him to the orphanage but… He grew on me."
Haru's babbling stopped when he heard Izaya talking, and he quickly turned towards the raven and held out his hands. "Dada! Go to Dada!" He squealed.
Erika made a move to hand Haru to him, but Izaya shook his head. "Let him walk," Izaya said,"He's getting a lot better."
The young woman quickly nodded and placed the one year old on his feet. Haru took a few moments to adjust his feet, and then looked up at Izaya with a grin. He quickly toddled over to the raven while releasing peals of giggles, finally reaching Izaya's legs and raising his hands. "Up!" He declared.
Izaya smiled even wider, grabbing the child and raising him up high. "Good job Haru!" He cheered,"You're walking so good!"
Haru cheered back, clapping his hands and then wrapping his arms around Izaya's neck, resting his head on the young man's shoulder. The three teenagers could only watch the whole seen with dropped jaws and wide eyes, unable to think of anything to say.
After a few more seconds, Haru brought his head back up, looked around the room, then turned back to Izaya and asked,"Kitty?"
Izaya gave the child a curious look, examining the room as well. "Hmm… Where is kitty? Let's go find him, okay?" He said, taking the child and going back down the hall.
Kadota then smiled, turning towards the three teens. "See?" He asked,"Izaya it a different person now, just like I told you."
Mikado managed to close his jaw, growing a little happier as he realized Kadota had indeed been telling the truth. "That's great!" He said,"I'm glad he was able to change for the better! It'll be nice to get to know him!"
Anri seemed a little hesitant about what Mikado was saying, but she softly whispered,"Things will be a lot more peaceful now, at least."
Kadota and his friends looked relieved, and quickly invited them to join everyone else in their seats.
Masomi still seemed conflicted, as if he wasn't exactly sure what to believe. He looked around to room and then backed away into the hallway.
He looked around for a moment before he found the one open door. Inside, Haru was toddling around the room and searching for something while babbling. Most of it was unintelligible but sometimes the teen could hear him say 'kitty'.
Izaya, meanwhile, was sitting close nearby and had his eye right on Masomi- Oh shit.
Masomi's eyes widened and he almost scurried away, but he forced himself to stay strong. Izaya didn't do anything for a few moments, as if he was studying the younger. Then he patted the soft carpet next to him, inviting Masomi in.
The teen sighed nervously, pushing the door open, and kneeling down next to the raven. He didn't sit down, just in case he had to make a quick exit.
Both of them kept watching Haru, as if neither were able to broach the subjects that floated around them. Masomi wanted to badly to yell, to scream, to ask all the questions he desired answers for. And what do you expect to get? He asked himself. He'll probably laugh in your face.
"For what it's worth, I'm sorry," Izaya suddenly said, causing Masomi to look at him in surprise.
The teen narrowed his eyes and leaned back a little. "Sorry? Sorry about what?" He asked.
"Everything. The yellow scarves and blue squares, Saki, everything," He said.
The mention of the young woman he loved suddenly overwhelmed the teen with anger and confusion. He jumped to his feet, pointing right at the raven. "Why!?" He snapped,"You- You never we're sorry before. You never changed no matter what happened! Why now?!"
Izaya let him rant, not a single emotion appearing on his face. Then, he reached up and pulled the eyepatch off his eye. Instead of the usual red orb that Masomi was used to, there was only a mass of scar tissue and what resembled a closed eyelid.
"One night, after I finished some work for Shiki, I came home to my apartment being broken into," He explained,"Namie was unconscious, and he attacked me too. I nearly died and he nearly killed Haru, and I felt so… So helpless."
His fingers went to trace over the missing eye. "And when I woke up, I realized that… That was exactly what I put you and her through. I did horrible things to you two and so many others. I was a monster," He whispered,"I know words don't mean much, but I'm sorry. I regret all of it, I wish I could take it back."
The raven then took a few seconds in order to slide his eyepatch back on, and continued,"If you never want to see me again, you won't have to worry. My days of messing around with Ikebukuro are over. If you want to leave, I understand too. You are under no obligation to stay here and tolerate me after what I did."
Masomi's eyes were wide once again and his throat was completely dry, he couldn't figure out what to say. He didn't know what he could say. How did one respond to hearing such a heartfelt apology from the person you hated?
Well… Hated is a strong word… He told himself. I was skeptical… Still am, but it's obvious he's changed. Even though I don't think I can completely trust him yet, I'm gonna give him a chance.
He slid down into a sitting position and stretched out. "Nah, I'm gonna stay," He said as casually as he could. "I want the free food."
Izaya chuckled in response, shaking his head. "Well, I guess I see what you think I'm good for," He teased back, but Masomi saw the thankful shine in his eyes.
Masomi let a small smile climb up his face, the tension that he was holding before starting to fade away.
You know… He thought to himself. I think things are going to be a lot better around here now.