-๑-๑ ๑- Chapter 11: Let me help -๑ ๑-๑-

-Shizuo´s point of view-

"My what?" Confusion spread across the raven´s features as he let the offer pass through his mind once more.

The man paused for a second as if he were hesitating to repeat what he said, but only for a split moment.

"Your bodyguard," Shizuo replied firm, no intending to take back what he said after all.

It was the most logical conclusion anyway- because he knew Izaya wasn't going to just let him stick around forever with no reason to. Well of course Shizuo had his reasons, but there was no way Izaya would let him stay because … because- hell he just wanted to make sure nothing else happened to him- at least anymore.

"Those assholes are still out there right?" the blond started, knowing that maybe it was stupid to talk about the topic directly like this and yet- "And they might still be after you, yes?" he needed Izaya to understand, to convince him that it would be better if he stayed here.

Literally here. Next to the flea at least for some time.

"Just give me one week at least Izaya. I bet you will have them by then."

To be honest he really thought so. With Izaya´s skills as an informant and his way of digging up dirt on everyone he doubted he wouldn't be able to find his… attackers.

Looking back up at the raven he met his hard gaze.

Izaya was amazed by how persistent the brute could be- but that didn't make his offer piss him off any less.

"Maybe you forgot it already Shizu-chan," he started, the words dripping like venom from his lips, "but you are working for Tom, a loan shark, you are his body guard you know."

He really wondered what was wrong with him.

Why was he mad at Shizu-chan? He was obviously trying to help and yet just the offer itself made him cringe.

"I'm on vacation anyway, Tom forced me to stop working for a while," the blond explained, trying to make his offer seem more tempting, but to Izaya it wasn´t.

"Shizu-chan what are you even trying to do? Don´t you see I don't need your pity?"

The blond frowned, his gaze lowering to the floor.

"It´s not pity." It was anything but that. He didn´t feel sorry for Izaya. That might sound weird- but that wasn´t even it.

He felt angry to say the least. Angry at those assholes.

And helpless, because he had no idea how to actually help Izaya.

"Oh really, then tell me why you are here," the raven demanded leaving the blond to blankly stare at the raven for a few seconds.

If he said what he was really thinking he doubted Izaya would believe him- nah fuck that, the flea wasn't going to believe him whatever he was going to say.

He already had his fixed opinion anyway- Shizuo wasn't up to deal with that right now.

Not when they were still in the hallways and Izaya seemed a though he was freezing his ass off with those wet clothes.

Wordlessly he reached out for the raven, making the informant blink in confusion.

"What?" he asked, slightly annoyed that he hadn't gotten any sort of answer- he already had so many arguments stocked up in his brain, so many things to say and now this?

"Key," the blond merely spoke, those fingers moving in a come hither motion. "You look like a soaking rat." The raven snorted, then frowned.

"And I would give it to you, because…?"

"Because I will fling you out of that window if you don't."What a solid argument. Was he being stupid on purpose now?

"Let me repeat that," the raven started, "you want to get me dry, but will throw me out of the window, into the rain if I don´t give you the key?" Shizu-chan´s expression didn't waver, nor did he seem like he was disturbed even in the slightest by his obvious exposure of stupidity.

"Yes" he merely replied, his sight not wavering once.

A sigh escaped the raven's lips as he let his head thud against the wall he was leaning onto.

"Doesn't make much sense if you ask me." not that he had expected Shizu-chan to make any in the first place.

"Never said it did." Letting his eyes travel to his apartment's door and back to the blond he wondered just what it was that the blond was trying to do.

What it was that made the blond even stick to him all the time like this.

They were enemies, no one would deny that. And he knew if anything the blond would prefer to see him rather dead than alive. At least that's what he had been convinced off for a pretty damn long time.

But now? Just what was it that suddenly made the blond stick to him like there was no tomorrow?

"What's your plan? Want to drag me into my own apartment?" the raven questioned, deciding wasting too much time on Shizu-chan´s reasoning would lead to nowhere.

"I can unlock it myself, and you can leave, thank you very much," Izaya announced, his stare resting on Shizu-chan´s eyes unwavering.

But he wasn't backing off. Not like before on the road when he tried to piss him off.

"I was serious when I said I would kill these assholes for you. And I´m serious now when I say I will stay until we got them."

Izaya didn't doubt his intentions. If there was anything he knew about the blond, then it was the fact that eh kept true to his promises. And yet-

"As a bodyguard?" he repeated Shizu-chan´s offer making the blond nod in return.

"You wouldn't let me stay as anything else would you?"

Heh, and there the protozoan's started getting perceptive at the worst moments again. Izaya had never liked pity, from no one, and if there was anyone he wanted to be pitied by the least then it was Shizu-chan. The brute had understood that much it seemed.

"Trying to analyze me?" Izaya questioned with the slightest hint of a smirk. He felt as though this was something he was comfortable with. Something familiar.

Beating the blond with words had always been child's play. It was assuring to feel that he was still the same.

"Nah, you are too complicated," Shizuo admitted with a frown. His hand found its way into his blond hair as he combed through the wet strains.

he had to think of Shinra's words. The doctor had told him to not force Izaya to anything or make him say or so things he didn't want to and yet- he just wanted to stay here for fucks sake.

Just make sure nothing happened to him at least until he found those bastards and killed them. Words were on the tip of his tongue, words that really shouldn't be spilt and yet he couldn't help but want to just say them out loud.

Tell the flea just what he looked like, how weak he seemed to be and how much this whole incident had affected him.

Tell him just how much he was able to see the fear in his eyes and the confusion obviously ruling the louse´s mind.

Tell him, that he needed him, or at least someone, anyone.

He told him before in the rain. He told him how he couldn't stay home alone because he just freaked out.

So why wasn't he accepting his help already? Because of their past?

It was then that the flea suddenly moved and got up from the ground making the blond snap out of his thoughts.

For a moment he thought he was going to tell him to fuck off again, tell him to just leave, but no- "Welcome to my apartment then." He was pleasantly surprised.

Izaya's hand slipped into his coat's pockets and drew a silver key out of it. Clattering and clanking it unlocked the door to his apartment. Without any noise the door swung open and the raven stepped inside.

A light switch was turned on. Shizuo followed him right behind. now he was here again. It wasn't the first time he was in Izaya's apartment and yet right now it was somewhat different. Different to the times he just rushed in here to beat him up or chase him away and different to today morning as well.

"What about you?" Confused by the question the blond rose an eyebrow at the raven.

"What?" the flea merely pointed at his own set of clothes.

Dark and cold the fabric clung to his skin.

"You are drenched too if you didn't notice." True.

After agreeing to help Izaya find those bastards he hadn´t exceptionally paid attention to the weather around them. Considering it had been raining ever since he saw him sit on that bench it was no wonder he was drenched as well though.

Well not that he minded.

"I will survive, haven't gotten sick even once in my life so far," he explained with a shrug only to make Izaya hum in response.

"Seriously? Sounds like cheating to me."

Was it?

"You are going to drench everything in here though if you keep running around like this," the raven pointed out further, and he didn't even need to point at the ground to make the blond look down and notice that he was really getting everything wet.

Water was clinging to his pants, leisurely dripping down onto the ground only to be left and form a small puddle.

A frown crossed Shizuo´s expression and he sighed.

"I'm not going to go home just for some clothes," he made clear, not intending to move from this apartment again. Who knew? by the moment he returned the flea could have changed his mind already about letting him stay beside him. or even worse, since he was so stubborn the flea might as well make use of the chance to just disappear altogether once he returned.

A vein popped on the blond´s forehead as he wondered if maybe this was exactly what Izaya was going to try now. but no.

"Namie is keeping some clothes for her brother in her desk, don't ask me what for I just saw her stuff them in there. They could fit you I assume." He had walked over to the woman´s desk and pulled out the mentioned pieces of clothes.

He wasn't trying to get rid of him again it seemed.

Catching the clothes being tossed towards him he watched the raven disappear into what seemed to be his bedroom. He had wondered the night before whether it would be wiser to let the raven sleep on the couch or whether he should move him to the bedroom. But Considering what had happened to the flea he had figured touching and carrying the flea round in his sleep with the chance of him waking up and not knowing what was going on wasn't exactly the wisest move and let him sleep on the couch instead.

Taking a look at the shirt and pants he had been thrown he deemed they were about his size, just as the raven had said and started undressing.

It took him merely a minute to get the clothes off and half more to get dressed again.

the flea seemed to take much longer than that though as the blond stood there- now changed as the louse had wished for, and waited.

The only sound giving him company was the clock hanging on the wall next to the door. Moving her arms steadily she gave of the familiar ticking sound he was used to hear from his own tiny alarm clock inside his bedroom at home.

Creaking the couch protested as he let himself slump down on top of it, deciding that he would just wait here.

This was the first time he was actually here… in peace. Sure he had slept here the night before, sitting on the couch next to the raven, but that wasn't the same thing. The flea had been asleep and Shizuo didn't move from his side the whole night.

But now that he was left to wander around like this… Getting up again he let his fingers brush along the books neatly placed inside the bookshelf.

It felt… somewhat lonely in this apartment.

It was only after what felt like years that the raven finally returned from the bedroom again.

"From flea to a rat though, did my status go up?" he asked right off the bat as he emerged from his room again, as if to try and avoid the blond questioning why he had taken so long in the first place.

But Shizuo didn't intend to pry anyway.

"Nah you are still an annoying little louse," he answered with a shrug.

It was only now that he actually caught sight of something he hadn't noticed before.

There was a phone- a broken one to be precise. Resting next to the door actually.

If he didn't know it better he would have almost thought Izaya might have just gotten mad and thrown it across the room- but then again that was only something Shizuo would do.

Izaya had noticed Shizu-chan´s stare as well- aiming towards one of the more recent outbursts he had had.

Hah, talking about outbursts…

Want to fuck me against my will too?!

Want to tell me I deserve it? What a good boy I am?!

Good boy.

Disgusting. It made him want to throw up and kill the guys at the same time.

Just what had he even been thinking before? Izaya was irritated, angry at himself for acting that way

Especially for acting that way in front of Shizuo.

"Shizu-chan about earlier-"

"Didn't know you were a bookworm, did you actually read all those books?"

Blinking the raven paused, looking towards the shelf, then back at Shizu-chan.

"Uh- yeah I did."

Did the blond just purposely avoid the topic?

"I see." Again silence followed.

It seemed like he really did. It relieved the raven. At least this topic he could forget.

"What now?"

The blond felt awkward to say the least. He didn't know what they should talk about and what not.

"... Well I will be heading to bed," the raven announced after a while- and it was only now that Shizuo actually read that clock he had been looking at. It was already past midnight. he hadn't noticed at all-

"Then I will stay here I guess," he answered in response almost glad for the break. he really wanted to help Izaya somehow, but only sticking around without knowing what to say or do it was sort of making him somewhat tense.

"Like a dog," the raven commented as he moved over to his bedroom once more.

"Shut up flea." The words were somehow hurting his own ears- he didn't want to treat Izaya like… this. He felt as though he was already kicking someone wounded and yet… it was how they always behaved, it was what they were used to.

And maybe that was exactly what Izaya wanted the most right now.

He didn't lash out, nor did he cry again so maybe, it was just this.

Familiarity. Behaving and interacting like they always had.

Disappearing in the bedroom the blond merely caught a glimpse of the flea before he was gone again.

Closing the door shut the raven let his head thud against the wooden material for a couple seconds. The idea of the blond sleeping in his living room- it somehow left him at ease. I

He hated to admit it, but it did.

It was almost as if he owned a dog, a bad dog, one that bit not only others but even its owner. The kind of stupid animal that would kill everything it saw lurking around inside his apartment at night.

It was assuring to say the least.

And so he let himself drop into bed. The lamp on his bedside table gleaming reassuring, painting the room in warm red and orange as the raven let his eyes slip shut.

Tomorrow was a new day. he would find them, Shizu-chan would kill them and then he could finally be at ease.

to be continued~

Ahhh I'm so so so incredibly sorry gosh- I know I took more than just ages to update this story TAT oh god it was 4 months... I´m so sorry TATATATATAT i'm really sorry for that omg- I just couldn't write on it gosh xD But now i rearranged the plot and thought of a new twist (which will probs surprise you all) and now I can write on it again xD

From now on updates will follow regularly again! big big promise! xD

Guest: -cries and hides- I know TAT god I can´t believe I took freaking 4 months to update omg im sorry T-T

Guest 2: ahh yes - gosh I hope I didn't lose my touch for this story ahhh it´s been so long since I wrote on it T-T I feel like this chapter is somewhat.. cringy too xD I dunno, I didn´t really get into the story, but in order to reach the plot twist I gotta move this forward somehow x'D naw yeah- ah right now Shizuo is pretty damn confused and unsure just what is actually okay to say and do- ahh but next chapter C: something- hmmm well, sorta "cute" will happen C: xD

Also, hey hey, peeps i started a twitter account xD I dunno if anyone of you has twitter, but if you do, i´m posting tiny lil spoilers for chapters and previews on pictures I´m drawing and hmmmmm lemme think, well just random shit in between I guess xD Oh and I'm also twittering about delays of chapters and stuff xD -hopefully those won't appear too often- -coughs- xD

Just search for "Shirohimesstories or Shirosstories", i dunno cuz one time twitter made me cut my penname short xDD

Anyway~ See you next chapter C:

That will be updated on 21st September C: for sure! :3

See you all~! C: