Izaya skipped out the door and grinned at the vein throbbing on the blond's forehead as he locked the door and started down the corridor. Shizuo shoved his hands in his pockets with another growl, and Izaya chuckled at the fearful look a resident gave him as they passed. Izaya almost waved at the tenant before remembering they couldn't see him and lowered his hand with a sigh. I wonder if I'll ever get used to it. Izaya lifted his head and jogged forward when he realized Shizuo was ahead of him. Izaya assumed they were heading to Shizuo's place of work and couldn't be more grateful to get out of the apartment. Honestly, taking away his ability to zip between walls was just cruel. She's so mean. Izaya glanced at Shizuo, who was doing a tremendous job of ignoring him, and the raven huffed in annoyance. There was a light growl, and Izaya rolled his eyes at the angry blond, wondering if there was any other mood to him. When the light growl sounded again, Izaya realized it didn't come from Shizuo's throat. Izaya blinked, and before he could say anything, Shizuo cut him off.

"Not a damn word, flea."

Izaya grinned sheepishly, but the smallest part of him felt bad because Shizuo had thrown away most of his food last night, and although Izaya couldn't exactly be blamed for it, the part of him that felt bad felt responsible. "I told you to get a takeaway or something to sate you."

Another growl, but it certainly didn't come from Shizuo's stomach, and Izaya clicked his tongue. "I said, shut up."

Izaya huffed and continued to follow in silence until they reached the entrance to the apartment complex. Shizuo turned to face the man holding keys beside a metal box and held his hand up with a smile that rarely ever showed in Izaya's presence. The smile made Izaya cringe. "Hey, thanks for helping me out with the power yesterday, and sorry for the trouble," Shizuo said with a somewhat soft tone despite his usual rough voice.

The man Izaya assumed was the building owner returned the smile and dismissed Shizuo's apology with a wave. Izaya couldn't help but feel annoyed; even though Shizuo's poor temper constantly caused trouble for those around him, they didn't bat an eye. Brute.

"With the bad weather last night, it was bound to happen sooner or later, don't worry about it too much. Besides, I wouldn't get half my tenants rent on time if it weren't for you," the man replied with a chuckle and waved as Shizuo left the building.

Izaya quickly followed Shizuo onto the streets of Ikebukuro. The weather had calmed since the night before, but a light drizzle caused Shizuo's shoulders to hunch in what Izaya could only assume was annoyance, or it might be cold. Izaya looked at the sky with a thoughtful frown. If it was cold, he wouldn't know, and it still baffled him why he could touch objects but couldn't feel a simple rain pour. Izaya wondered if it might be because the rain wasn't solid. With a shrug, since he didn't have time to contemplate the scientific circumstances of his situation, Izaya focused on his main task. Izaya fell in step with Shizuo and almost laughed when Shizuo growled at the way he occasionally skipped.

"Cut it out," Shizuo hissed as they turned a corner. "Can't you fucking walk like a normal person?"

Izaya chuckled and calmed to a normal pace. "So, are you working today?"

Shizuo sighed in frustration. "Yes, now go away. I don't want your annoying presence distracting me." Shizuo could have sworn he saw the pout on Izaya's face, and it almost made him smile with amusement before he remembered how much he really hated him. This whole situation was extremely irritating. As if Izaya didn't piss him off enough when he was alive, now he was twice as insufferable.

"Nope, I can't. You're stuck with me." Izaya followed Shizuo toward a tall thin three-story building. "Think of it like this. I need you to forgive me so that I can move on, and you need me to accept you and stop hating you so that you can finally live the peaceful life you always wanted without me, so we might as well work together to achieve that, don't you think?"

Shizuo tried to ignore the raven as they crossed the road. "We could if I actually cared enough to try." They reached the other side and were only a few minutes away from the thin building.

Izaya stared blankly at Shizuo's back and continued to follow. "I think you just missed my point entirely," he said in frustration. Izaya glanced around; there weren't many people around them, and a few that were seemed too busy to notice, so Izaya stepped in front of Shizuo, halting him from his destination.

"Izaya," Shizuo growled out.

Izaya sidestepped when Shizuo tried to avoid him. "You can't honestly tell me that you'd rather have me constantly with you when I know damn well how angry that would make you. Besides, you already agreed to give me a chance last night."

Shizuo tried again to step away from the annoying pest, but Izaya persisted. No surprise there. Shizuo growled when a few people stopped to stare at him, but they scattered away when he glared at them. "You already failed. You insulted me, and you called me that ridiculous name."

Izaya frowned; was the blond serious? "You can't hold those against me before you even set the rules." Izaya watched a small grin form on Shizuo's face and became concerned. "What?"

"Actually, you called me Shizu-chan when you knocked the noodles out of my hands, you said 'Is it that hard to understand,' when the expiry date was brought up, both of which happened after I set 'the rules.' Also, you're talking to me in public."

Izaya's eyes widened slightly, and he was so shocked that he failed to stop Shizuo this time when the blond stepped past him. "You can't be serious…." Who knew Shizuo's memory was that good? He can't even remember his own birthday! But that he remembers. Izaya stopped for a moment. Actually, when it comes to me, Shizu-chan remembers a lot. Even my birthday. Huh. Izaya sighed and jogged to catch up with Shizuo. "Okay, let's forget what happened last night, and my chance starts today. I think that's fair." Shizuo gritted his teeth and stepped inside the alleyway beside the building. Izaya tilted his head and followed, leaning against the wall opposite.

"You make me want to throw up. I really don't wanna help you, and knowing you're stuck here relying on me more than makes up for it. I also know that you would get extremely annoyed eventually in my presence if you haven't yet, so piss off already."

Izaya glared. Fucking brute. No, he would not give up, no matter how many times Shizuo told him to leave. "Do you have any idea who you're talking to? As you already know, I can be very persistent. I don't want to be stuck here with you as my only contact, and I certainly don't want to go to hell, so I'm not leaving until you forgive me and I can finally see you as something other than – well, you know how I feel about you."

Shizuo clenched his fists with a glare. "You wish," he gritted out.

Izaya's expression lost some of its glare, and a smile formed. "Does that mean my chance starts now?"

Shizuo left the alley without a word and turned into the building. Izaya watched him enter and decided to wait outside for both their sakes. "We'll see who's more stubborn."

Izaya leaned against the wall to people-watch while waiting for Shizuo to return, no doubt with Tom. Izaya knew he had his work cut out for him, but there was almost no obstacle he couldn't overcome.

"That bartender bastard and his stupid friend took all of my paycheck last week."

Izaya's ears perked up at the word bartender, and he slowly stepped away from the wall to shuffle closer to the two conversing beside the convenience store across from him. Izaya could stand right next to them without a care. "Tell me more," Izaya joked.

"Me too! I mean, sure, I borrowed money but come on! It's not fair that I have to pay it all back so soon. I'm just a part-time shelf stocker in college."

Izaya rolled his eyes. "You really have no business borrowing any money in your position." Izaya chuckled. "It really is typical of a human to get greedy, especially when it comes to gambling and loans. You think the world owes you something because of how you live, and those loans you receive aren't a gesture of goodwill. You expect them to go easy on you just because of your situation when really they're just doing their job like everyone else. You think they're to blame for your misfortunes when really it's your own fault for borrowing money that you can't possibly repay in the first place." Izaya blinked in surprise at his words and looked down to see his hands were curled into fists. Izaya didn't think he felt angry, but apparently, his body thought otherwise. "Whatever."

"I spoke to a few friends of mine, and they came up with an idea."

Izaya stayed to listen to this 'amazing' idea, genuinely curious. "The bartender and his friend will get a few good collective debts today," Izaya clicked his tongue; these idiots didn't even know the blond's name. "So I say we wait around, and a gang of us will jump em and take back our money." Izaya was honestly surprised by their courage to just take on someone like Shizuo, and they weren't even gang members or street thugs. "You in?"

The other male nodded enthusiastically.

When Izaya was alive, he would have jumped at the chance to encourage the two college idiots and even told them the best places to attack, but now it just annoyed him because everything that affected Shizuo fell back on him. "Annoying." Izaya watched their attention shift and turned to see Shizuo and Tom exit the building. He chuckled in amusement when the two beside him quickly avoided staring and acted like they didn't notice. "I suppose I should find a way to warn him somehow," Izaya muttered before jogging to catch up with them.

Izaya watched Shizuo immediately tense once he was near and huffed. He supposed Shizuo wasn't yet used to his presence and knowing he couldn't do a thing about it. "Shizuo, can I say something?" Izaya asked as they stopped outside a small apartment.

"No," Shizuo snapped loudly, causing Tom to face him in surprise.

"Shizuo?"

Shizuo looked at Tom and realized his friend had asked him something, but he had unknowingly answered. "Oh, err, sorry. What was the question again?"

Tom gave him a puzzled expression but shook his head with a chuckle. "I asked if you wanna take this one while I settle with another that's only one floor up."

Shizuo sighed and nodded. "Sure, no problem. Be careful." Tom smiled, pointed to the right door, and left to collect the other debt. Once Tom was out of sight, Shizuo turned to glare at Izaya, who grinned at him, but Shizuo was too annoyed to notice the grin wasn't malicious. "Stop talking to me!"

Izaya raised his hands in mock surrender. "I'm sorry, I just wanted to say something, and you said not to talk unless it was absolutely- Shizuo!" Shizuo looked confused by the odd sentence before Izaya grabbed his hand and pulled him forward, making Shizuo crouch in time to avoid the swing of a bat.

Shizuo growled at Izaya but noticed the raven's attention had shifted above them. Shizuo glanced up and turned quickly to grab the bat aimed again for his head. For now, he ignored that Izaya had saved him again in favor of teaching the person stupid enough to attack a lesson. Izaya watched him snatch the bat from the now terrified male and snap it in half. Shizuo lunged forward and grabbed a fistful of the other's shirt before shoving him against the wall.

"I'm sorry! You just startled me is all!"

Izaya rolled his eyes at the pathetic excuse and peered inside the apartment. He probably should stop Shizuo from pummeling the poor man but instead took the opportunity to enter the apartment.

"The hell kind of excuse is that! Did you think you could get away with it!"

The man was shaking, and Shizuo glared angrily. "If you don't want me to launch you off this building, you better pay up. I gotta a long day and I don't need you delaying our schedule!"

The male closed his eyes with a fearful whine. "I'm sorry, I don't – I don't have it right now…I promise, I can get it tomorrow."

Shizuo shook him fiercely. "Not the agreement!" Shizuo noticed in his peripheral vision Izaya stepping through the door and halted his movements. Izaya looked at him and shook his head in what Shizuo assumed was judgment for his actions, to which he just growled. Like he needed acceptance from a flea like him.

Izaya grinned and held up an envelope. "You can put him down, Shizuo. I have the money he owes. I checked the amount, and it's all there to the Yen. It looked like he was planning to double it on tomorrow's horse race because it was next to a betting card with a pamphlet on last week's odds." Shizuo's anger disappeared, replaced by surprise as he dropped his client. They watched him scamper away into his apartment and slam the door. Shizuo held his hand out, and before Izaya gave him the envelope, he said, "Now can I say something?"

Shizuo tried not to get angry again since he was still aggravated over the client. "Just give me the money, flea."

Izaya frowned and huffed. "Seriously, it's important."

Shizuo scoffed. "I doubt that."

Izaya rolled his eyes and handed the money over. "Fine, brute, have it your way."

Shizuo clicked his tongue and turned away to head for the second floor. "By the way, that's your free insult for the day."

Izaya stopped walking and narrowed his eyes. "Shit."

The second client was a thirty-two-year-old woman who tried her best to seduce Shizuo into 'paying another way,' which Izaya found incredibly funny but was surprised by how calm Shizuo could be around women. Eventually, she paid the money but not before slapping him across the face and accusing him of calling her ugly. Izaya laughed his ass off for about ten minutes.

The third client surprised Izaya. It was a short elderly woman waiting for them outside her house. Izaya was curious about her story, but he would fail if he asked Shizuo such a simple question. Shizuo couldn't understand how irritating it was for someone like him who spent their days learning a human's way of living but couldn't interact with them anymore to find out. The neighborhood was quiet, and Izaya noticed the tension in Shizuo was gone. Shizuo was even smiling. Must be a regular client. One who pays on time.

"Good afternoon, Mrs Katayama," Tom greeted with a wave as he and Shizuo stopped beside her.

Izaya perched on the garden wall to watch the exchange, locking eyes with Shizuo occasionally when the blond glanced his way. Izaya watched the elder explain with a regretful sigh why she couldn't pay the money she owed and looked for signs of deceit, but the woman seemed genuine. Izaya looked at Shizuo and saw anger starting to form but supposed he had a good reason. As much as Izaya loved all humans, good or bad, stealing from the elderly was really low, even he knew that. The elder was given an extension due to her good history with them, and they moved on.

Izaya was bored out of his mind. Shizuo had forbidden him to talk during the day, and nothing eventful had happened since the woman's attempt at seduction. Izaya glanced down at the people busily rushing around from the client's apartment building. Even though he was bored, he had no idea how frustrating Shizuo's daily life was. Almost every client refused to pay on the day the debt was due, and Izaya found it incredibly tiresome. Izaya was surprised how Shizuo hadn't killed anyone yet since he did this for a living. The weather had been gloomy all day and what little sun they did have now shifted behind the clouds as the evening began.

"Come on! I know you're in there!"

Izaya turned to the door. This was their last client, and by now, Izaya wasn't surprised when the client refused to open the door. Izaya looked at Shizuo when he turned to face him and could see the restraint on his face. The restraint of not busting the door down. Shizuo stepped closer to Izaya, facing away from Tom. "Go and see if he's in there," Shizuo told him, causing Izaya to raise an eyebrow. "Well?"

Izaya huffed before leaning against the rail with a grin. "I thought I wasn't allowed to speak to you in public?"

Shizuo gritted his teeth and punched the rail. "Izaya, I swear, I'm this close to losing it, so if you care about our situation at all then-"

"I can't," Izaya cut him off.

Shizuo glared at him. "Don't lie to me."

Izaya frowned and stepped away. "I'm not. I can't zip through walls."

Shizuo continued to glare before shifting his attention to the door. "What kind of useless ghost are you if you can walk through anything."

Izaya huffed. "I'm not a ghost. I'm an angel. Your guardian angel, to be exact." Shizu-chan doesn't need to know that Aya took that ability away from me. What a pain. "It's true. I would if I could." Shizuo sighed and stepped in front of the door with a raised foot, but someone called out to them before the blond could smash the door down.

"You looking for Iwato?"

Tom, Shizuo, and Izaya turned their attention to another male walking toward them from the stairs with a grocery bag. "Yes," Tom replied. "Do you know where he is?"

The man unlocked his door. "Sorry to say that he was arrested last night for pirating movies."

Tom inclined his head with annoyance and flinched when Shizuo smashed his fist against the wall. "Alright, thanks," he told the man. "Man this sucks!" Tom turned to Shizuo. "Let's go. I guess we're done for the day."

…

It was dark when they reached their office building, and Izaya searched for the idiots from this morning but frowned when he couldn't find them close by. I wonder if they backed out. Izaya didn't know whether to praise them for their common sense or berate them for acting tough and not following through with their plan. Suddenly, five males, including the two Izaya saw, rushed at them from the alleys beside the building, holding bats. Shizuo glared at them with a loud growl before quickly telling Tom to get inside with the money they had collected. Shizuo sent two of them flying with a punch to their face, spun around, and kicked another into a trash can. He grabbed the fourth and swung him around into the fifth, sending them sprawling to the ground. Shizuo breathed deeply and glanced at Izaya to see a somewhat surprised expression. "What?" Izaya stepped forward but didn't respond; it was almost like Shizuo expected to be jumped. "Happens almost every week," he said, knowing what Izaya wanted to ask. "Thanks for tryna warn me, though."

Izaya watched Shizuo walk away and then realized. Izaya pursed his lips and grew annoyed. "Couldn't you have at least said something?" Shizuo ignored him, and Izaya reluctantly waited outside. "Unbelievable."

…

The more time Izaya spent with Shizuo, the more he learned that Shizuo wasn't as dim-witted as he once thought. Izaya walked beside him inside a grocery store, watching Shizuo place different items in his basket and replace the items he had thrown away. Izaya shook his head in dismay. "What now?" Shizuo said, surprising the raven with the sudden indication of conversation.

"Nothing."

"Then stop judging my shopping." Izaya grinned and continued to follow, trying not to show his happiness to finally talk. Shizuo noticed it, but for once, he didn't mind. He had seen the bored expressions Izaya gave while he worked and figured it must have been frustrating for him to watch him interact with other people. Shizuo decided Izaya deserved some kind of reward for his efforts today.

"Why don't you get some real food? Don't you eat steak or fish or something?"

Shizuo scoffed and walked purposely past the butcher's display and headed down the dry-food aisle. "Too expensive, and I'm not much of a cook." Izaya huffed and fell silent while Shizuo picked up some noodles and rice packets.

Izaya ignored the no-touching rule and stepped in Shizuo's way before placing his hand on the blond's chest. Shizuo frowned, and before he grew angry, Izaya said, "With the kind of day you had, you should treat yourself."

Shizuo raised an eyebrow. "Was that admiration in your voice just now?"

Izaya grimaced and removed his hand. "Don't flatter yourself. Just go buy a steak and potatoes, and maybe some sake too."

Shizuo growled. "I'm not rich you know."

Izaya rolled his eyes and pushed Shizuo forward back to the butcher's display. "You're not poor either, so just do what I say for once, and stop complaining."

Shizuo gritted his teeth as Izaya continued to usher him forward. "Everyone is staring," he hissed.

"Shut up. Pay them no mind."

…

Shizuo stormed out of the grocery store with Izaya following behind. "That was so embarrassing. Even the fricking clerk knew that I never buy this stuff. He must have thought I had a date."

Izaya grinned and skipped beside him. "Well, technically that's true."

Shizuo stopped and glared. "That's not funny. If I had a date, then it most definitely wouldn't be with you, or even someone remotely like you."

Izaya grasped his chest in mock hurt. "Ouch." Shizuo continued to walk fast-paced. "Perhaps with the woman who tried seducing you today?"

"Shut the hell up. What did I tell you about talking to me in public?"

Izaya huffed. "I've noticed you only say that when it's a conversation you don't like."

"Then take a hint."

Izaya and Shizuo stepped into the apartment. "Anyway, I hate women like that," Shizuo said once they were alone and had locked the door.

Izaya hopped on the countertop in the kitchen while Shizuo packed away his shopping, rolling his eyes at the still insistent stack of noodles and pudding cups. "Maybe you prefer much older women like Mrs Katayama."

Shizuo scrunched his nose. "You're sick."

Izaya laughed. "Okay, that one was a joke. What if Shizu-" Izaya caught the blond's quick glare and instantly corrected himself. "O," he smiled. "What if Shizuo has no preference of gender?" Izaya's eyes widened when he saw the small blush Shizuo tried to hide, and a wide grin formed on the raven's face. "Oh! How interesting!"

Shizuo slammed the refrigerator door. "Fuck off, flea." Izaya watched him leave the kitchen and jumped from the counter to follow. Shizuo stopped before the door to his bedroom, and without turning around, he said, "My preference of gender doesn't matter. Because of my cursed strength, I'm better off alone. No one would possibly wanna be with someone like me."

Izaya stared in shock and left Shizuo alone. He had never expected to hear such a confession and always assumed the blond didn't care about it. Izaya assumed that Shizuo had grown accustomed to being alone and thought he preferred it, but he was wrong. Izaya leaned on the back of the couch. "I guess that makes two of us."