Heiwajima Shizuo hated a lot of things. Those things made him frustrated and angry, and made him lash out and break walls or throw vending machines. If he were asked by someone to list all those things, it would be miles long. One of the things at the very top of that list would be the feeling of uncertainty.

Orihara Izaya. The flea, his nemesis, the absolute bane of his existence, was back. After over five years, he had finally returned to Ikebukuro.

In that moment, as he stared at the long-lost informant broker, uncertainty was all he felt.

Shizuo remembered when the news first began to spread that Orihara Izaya had disappeared. He hadn't believed it for a long time, and expected the flea to return with a flourish and laugh at all those that he had fooled and made worry about him. He was awful like that, he'd probably do it.

Time passed by, and kept passing by, and still there was nothing. He remembered the exact moment that he came to believe that Izaya really was gone. He had noticed that the air seemed cleaner, and had looked at the beautiful stars that could rarely be seen in the city.

It had been such a peaceful moment, but it immediately set off alarm bells. After his last job with Tom, he stormed all the way to Shinjuku and tried to break into the flea's apartment. Except it wasn't his apartment anymore, someone else had moved in because the previous tenant's lease had been up.

Even when the flea had taken off after their big fight, he had kept the stupid, fancy apartment and returned to it the instant he came back to Ikebukuro. After that it finally hit him, Izaya was really gone.

He had been elated at the realization. Izaya was gone, whether he ran off or was dead Shizuo did not care, all that he cared about was that his nemesis was gone. He didn't help Shinra search, and made sure his underground doctor friend knew that if they found the flea floating in Tokyo Bay, his reaction would be relief. He didn't care that it hurt Shinra's feelings, he was just relieved to finally be free.

As the years passed, he had expected to get the peace he had so dearly dreamed for, but life could never be that easy. His temper continued to flare, he continued to act on impulse and leave damage in his wake, even with his main problem gone. He had scoffed, even when the flea was gone he was still making life difficult.

Deep inside himself, he knew that Izaya wasn't the cause of his anger issues, those had been present long before he met the bastard, but it was much easier to blame something else than face those facts.

It was easier than telling the truth… That in a strange, twisted way he did miss the flea.

There were even times where he would glance around the city, searching for signs of a fur coat and annoying smirk. He missed the thrill of the chase, of a fight where he didn't need to hold back because the man he was fighting was just as good as him. He hated that he missed it, but he missed it all the same.

It made him wonder… In another life, in another timeline, what would have happened if he hadn't immediately told Izaya that he didn't like him? Was there a world where they didn't want to kill each other? Where they had been… Friends?

Shizuo didn't dare confront those feelings, afraid of what he might discover if he did. He locked them deep inside his heart, thankful that the supposed death of the informant broker meant he would never have to face those thoughts.

But now here they were, nearly six years after the flea's supposed death, and that lock had shattered into a million pieces. He was angry, happy, relieved, upset, hopeful, disgusted, and so many other emotions that he couldn't understand.

The mixture of emotions were flowing through him like a tidal wave, and he found himself frozen in place. He couldn't make his muscles work, his throat refused to make noise, and all he could do was stare at Izaya in a stunned silence.

Shinra had pulled the man over to the tense group, sat him down on the couch, and eagerly shoved a bowl and chopsticks into his hand. "Here, we can eat and talk, I bet you're hungry!" Shinra's face was gleeful, the happiest Shizuo had seen him in ages. "What do you want on your hot pot?"

Izaya furrowed his brows at the bowl, and glanced at the underground doctor. "Hot... Hot Pot? What is that?"

Even those suspicious of Izaya's arrival, like the Raira Kids, seemed surprised by that and glanced at the red-eyed informant as if he had grown a second head. Shinra, who was the most surprised, was also the first to recover.

"U-um, it's vegetables and meat, and we serve and eat it with sauce." Shinra calmly explained,"You always complained that it was a winter dish and that it shouldn't be eaten anytime other than winter, but I knew you secretly liked it a lot."

Izaya glanced at the bowl again. "Oh…" He still seemed puzzled, but returned Shinra's explanation with a smile. "Well, it does smell good! I'll take whatever you think is best!"

Kadota's gaze raked over the flea, analyzing as he asked,"So, you really don't remember anything from Earth?"

Shizuo had the exact same question, as he was sure they all did. It seemed too coincidental for Izaya to return without remembering all the bad things he did, it felt unfair. He wanted to grab the man, shake him, and make him remember his life. Make him remember the harm he caused-

"I don't…" The louse confirmed with a hint of sadness as he stared at the bowl of food. "I'm afraid the only thing I really knew for sure was that I was from planet Earth, and that's only because someone told me. Everything else, all my memories of this place, are gone…"

Celty moved from her defensive position near the corner of the room, placing a hand sadly over her heart as her other held out her PDA. [Now that you're here, will you be able to get them back? Your memories?]

For a single instant, Izaya's face changed. He tensed slightly, his expression darkening before suddenly bursting into a bright grin. The smile didn't meet his eyes. "Maybe!" He exclaimed, his voice filled with hope.

Shizuo felt his rage flare to the surface. He'd been the flea's enemy for a long time, long enough to know when the bastard was lying. He knew Izaya was lying. Lying about what? He didn't really lose his memories, did he? This is a trick, some sort of pity party to get us to trust him so he can hurt all of us again!

Then, the flea's expression grew soft. He lowered his eyes, and his cheeks turned a slight pink. "Either way…" He looked up and, this time, gave a real grin. "I'm happy to be back on Earth, because now I have the chance to make new memories with all of you!"

That was the final straw. His body moved without his permission, his hands gripping the edge of the table and lifting it above his head. People cried out as food clattered to the ground, but he didn't take the time to care. With an angry roar, he threw the table as hard as he could towards the evil bastard.

Izaya's eyes widened briefly before a determined frown covered his scarred face. He stood up, shoved Shinra behind him, and took a defensive stance. In an instant, a shimmering red glow surrounded his hands and the table. The furniture stopped its violent path instantly, floating harmlessly in the air.

Shizuo was too shocked to speak as the table was carefully deposited behind the couch, leaving the path between Izaya and Shizuo empty. When he looked at the flea again, his eyes were glowing red. It was different from Saika's red, it was passionate, powerful, and protective.

The flea threw one of his hands out, and Shizuo flew back against the wall with a yelp of surprise. However, instead of a barrage of knives, all Izaya did was hold him there. His feet just off the ground, his body refusing to move. No matter how hard he tried, he was trapped.

For a moment, the room was only occupied by shocked silence. Until Izaya took a few steps forward, and glared at him through those eerie eyes. "What the hell was that for?!" He yelled.

Shizuo flinched at the sound, surprised. They hated each other, that much was true, but Izaya always did his best to remain calm and look better than Shizuo. He'd never stooped down to a human level and showed real emotion, he'd never gone out of his way to protect someone like that… He'd never sounded so… angry.

The bodyguard felt the cold wash of shame, but it was too weak to wash away the anger. He increased his struggles, and growled. "What do you mean 'what the hell was that for'?! You fucking flea, you can't come back here and just 'forget' everything you did to us! How the hell is that fair?! You may trick everyone else, but you won't trick me!"

"Are you claiming I'm lying?" Izaya demanded,"Where is your proof?"

"You're IZAYA! I don't need any proof!"

Several emotions passed through the flea's face before the glow flared dangerously. "I don't care what you think of me." He motioned one glowing hand to Shinra, who was still standing where Izaya had moved him. "But how could you put people in danger like that?! Did you even think before you threw that thing? You could have gotten someone killed!"

"I'm just doing what should have been done five years ago, you louse" Shizuo sneered. "If I could finally kill you, I'd be doing everyone a favor."

Shizuo expected many things in response, familiar things. A smirk, a sadistic cackle, a glimmer of a switchblade. He got none of it. The flea simply let the glow he held fade away, dropping the bodyguard unceremoniously to the ground. Shizuo blinked wearily for a moment, quickly scrambling to his feet in preparation for a fight.

Izaya, however, remained impassive. He stood where he had been since the confrontation began, his anger replaced with a cold glare. "You piss me off."

His heart skipped a beat, his mind flashing back to all those years ago. Outside Raira, where Shinra introduced him to his hated enemy, where their rivalry began, where he had uttered the exact same words…

Shizuo's raised fists fell as a wave of apprehension filled him. He opened his mouth to say something, but all that escaped him was air. With his heart beating against his chest, Shizuo did something he'd never done before; He turned, and ran away.

He ignored Tom's calls and attempts to chase after him, his adrenaline fueling him as he hurried further and further away from the accursed apartment. He didn't know where to go, he didn't know when he'd stop. All the while, he cursed himself over and over.

What had happened? What has gone wrong? Izaya had to be lying, it was all an act, right? But if it was, then why didn't he take that chance? He tried to kill him, he nearly hurt Shinra in the process, he could have hurt so many people. Izaya could have turned them against him, he could have fought back, he could have called Shizuo a monster… But he didn't. He didn't. Why didn't he? Why? Instead, he…

He finally stopped, his lungs were begging for air, he stumbled and fell against the side of a building. His heart was pounding, he couldn't see, it was so hard to breathe, he couldn't breathe

How had he been reduced into a panicking mess so easily?

Four simple words, and Izaya had sent him spiraling.


Even after Shizuo ran away, the tension remained thick. Nobody spoke, nobody moved, and nobody even dared to breathe for what felt like an eternity. They all stared at Izaya, but he didn't pay them any mind.

He watched the doorway carefully, his head tilted slightly as he waited to see if his attacker would return to attempt another assault. He seemed to decide it was safe, as his shoulders relaxed and he turned to face Shinra.

"Are you alright?" Izaya worriedly asked, he moved to brush his stray bits of thrown food off of the man's lab coat, his red eyes checking for injuries.

Shinra, still feeling overwhelmed from all the action that had just occurred, gave his long lost friend off with a nervous laugh. "I'm fine!" He waved his hand casually. "I mean, it's not like that's the first time Shizuo has thrown my furniture around the apartment!"

His attempt at a joke crashed and burned when Izaya's expression grew more panicked. "It's not?!"

"Oh, no! Don't worry! I'm sorry!" Shinra quickly continued as he grabbed Izaya's wrists. "It's fine, I'm fine, see? Everything's okay, we're all okay."

Izaya didn't seem to believe him. His eyes glanced back towards the hallway where Shizuo had disappeared to. At Shinra's pleading expression, he let out a sigh, slumping his shoulders, and giving a small, understanding nod.

"Um…" Masoami's voice broke through the silence. They all turned towards the young man, who had raised his hand in the air as if waiting for a teacher to call on him. "Sorry to interrupt, but are we not going to talk about whatever the fuck just happened?!"

His question managed to break the tension in the room, which erupted in conversation. Erika rushed forward quickly, yanking Izaya's hand towards her with a high-pitched squeal.

"Iza-Iza has superpowers!" She bounced up and down in excitement.

"I've never seen anything like it!" Kadota whispered in awe.

"Like a real life Hanazawa Teruki!" Walker gushed, now holding Izaya's other hand.

[How in the world are you able to do that? Where did these powers come from?]

Izaya seemed slightly overwhelmed by all the attention, especially Erika and Walker's determined attempt to ignore the concept of personal space. He carefully dislodged himself from their grasp, and hurriedly moved to hide behind Shinra.

Feeling protective, Shinra quickly held up his hands. "Erika, Walker! I don't think you'll get any answers if you crowd him!"

"But Shinra!" Erika whined. "He has superpowers! Like a real life Tatsumaki!"

"And he can use those powers to fly back to his ship and-" Shinra paused to look back at his friend. "Can you fly?"

Izaya nodded slightly.

Shinra hummed in satisfaction, and continued,"He will fly back to his ship and never tell you anything!"

Erika let out a cry of despair. "No! I need to know! Iza-Iza, you promised you'd tell us everything when we brought you! You said you didn't want to explain everything twice, I remember! Please tell us about space, about your awesome anime powers!"

Izaya looked even more confused. "What's an 'anime?'"

The woman gasped, about to go off on a tangent before she caught herself, and took a heavy breath. "One crisis at a time, Erika!" She muttered, and then clasped her hands in front of her with big, puppy dog eyes. "Pleaaaaaase?"

The long lost informant broker rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I did promise, didn't I?" He was a thoughtful hum. "Although, I'm not sure where to start…"

"Start with your powers!" Walker easily answered. "How did you get them?"

The young man gave him an awkward shrug. "That is a hard question to answer…"

[Was it a freak accident? An experiment?]

"The organization that abducted me wanted these powers for themselves. But they didn't know how to transfer it from the original owner to themselves safely, so they used… Test subjects." He winced. "I wasn't one of them, at first. Then, I broke out of my cell, got past many guards, and almost escaped. I… shouldn't have done that…"

"Why not?" Mikado asked, confused.

Shinra, having worked with Nebula for many years, knew exactly why. "Because he showed them that he has potential… That's all they needed to see."

Izaya gave a somber nod. "Exactly. After that, I became one of their test subjects. I don't remember most of it, only the pain. I do know that everything they tried didn't work, and it never did."

"I don't understand…" Saburo frowned.

The young man held up his hand, letting a swirl of glowing red dance around his palm. "This power isn't something that can be taken, it can only be given. Hesper, the original keeper of this power, passed it down to me."

"Why you?" Masomi asked,"If she could have given it to anyone, why give it to you?"

Shinra winced, preparing for another fight between them. Thankfully, Izaya didn't seem to take the words too harshly. I mean, if he can handle what Shizuo said, he can handle anything.

Izaya let out a shaky breath. "It was before they wiped my memories. I don't remember, but she never forgot. Hesper told me that when I first tried to escape, I ended up in her holding cell. By then, it had been a long time. She should have died a long time ago, but they were using their tech to keep her alive. She couldn't die until they found a way to extract her power."

"She had already accepted her fate. When I walked in, she tried to talk me out of what I was doing, to give up. I told her I wouldn't give up, I would either escape or die trying. I couldn't free her then, but I promised her that when I escaped, I'd come back to free her too."

"That is… Surprisingly noble of you, Izaya." Kadota stated.

Simon didn't seem at all shocked. "In dark times, the goodness of people will always shine through."

Izaya smiled at Simon and his words, only for a wave of sadness to wash over him, his expression darkening seconds later. "But… I didn't save her. After they caught me, after they made me a subject, they wiped my memories." His eyes grew misty. "I- I couldn't remember my promise…"

Shinra could only give his friend's shoulder a gentle squeeze. It was hard to imagine the Izaya he knew showing compassion for someone, even if they were in the same situation. To know that his friend finally opened his glass heart to someone, only to lose that connection so quickly afterwards, was heartbreaking.

"But, on the bright side, Hesper took my words to heart. She was too weak to escape on her own, and they guarded her too close to try anything, but she didn't give up, she remembered our promise. When she had a chance, she transferred most of her powers to me. That way I would have the power to escape, and the power to find my way back to her."

[And you did, right?] Celty asked hopefully. [You know her name now, even though you said they wiped your memories. You must have found her again, right?]

Izaya's smile grew bigger. "I did. It was during my travels, I found an Earth trinket at a merchant stall. When I investigated, I found out that some of the workers of the organization that had taken me would sell abductees' things after they died to make some extra money."

"That's horrible!" Saki exclaimed. "Those poor people…"

A dark expression crossed Izaya's face. "I knew it was them, the ones who took me. I was so angry… I wanted to make them pay for what they did to all of us, I wanted to save anyone who could be on their ship. So… I stowed away on their ship."

"What?!" Shinra exclaimed in shock.

Celty shoved her PDA in Izaya's face. [What were you thinking, you could have been killed!]

Izaya gave a sheepish grin. "I mean… I wasn't really thinking… But, it wasn't my first near death experience in space at all. There were plenty before that."

"Somehow that doesn't make me feel any better…" Shinra groaned.

"How many other people have tried to kill you in space?" Kadota asked, though he seemed to be afraid of what answer he may get.

"Anyway, I got on their ship. It was a fight, but I was winning. I found the test subjects, but something was still calling me. I followed it for a while and… walked into a trap." He cringed. "I had no way of knowing… They created technology to negate Hesper's powers, turns out it works on me too. I was injured, cornered, and I didn't have any powers…"

Erika leaned forward. "How did you stop them from killing you?"

"They weren't planning to…" Izaya looked pale, like a single rush of wind might blow him over. "After all, I was a successful test subject. They couldn't lose that. But I couldn't go back, I would rather die than be their test subject again, so I…" He paused, his hand shakily tracing over his scars.

"No…" Shinra croaked.

"I used the tanks in the room and my gun to blow up that part of the ship." His skin was practically white, his eyes far away in some distant memory. Shinra could only imagine what his friend was seeing. "I survived, obviously, but not without some… Battle scars."

Shinra reached out a shaking hand to gently touch Izaya's scarred arm. "How far do these go?"

"All the way up and down." Izaya confirmed with a weak laugh. "Turns out those chemicals aren't good for human skin. It's alright, they healed."

"The body healed, not the mind." Simon calmly declared, his eyes also far away. "Battles like that, not forgotten easily. I'm sorry Izaya had to face a situation like that."

Izaya and Simon shared a look, one of people who had seen too much in their short lives. Though he knew little of Simon's background, Shinra could only imagine what he was thinking of at that moment. Hell, he could barely imagine the carnage Izaya had just described. How it must feel, knowing that your only way might be death? Izaya… I'm so sorry.

"After that… I found Hesper. She was in the room too, the explosion broke the test tube they kept her in. She told me everything, about how we met about the promise…" He hesitated, squeezing his jacket sleeve. "I called for help from a friend, but by the time they got to us… She was gone."

Erika's expression went from excitement to heartbreak. Tears welled up in her eyes and she lunged forward, wrapping Izaya in a tight hug. "I'm so sorry… "

Izaya took a moment before he leaned against her, accepting the affection. "I was able to find her planet and bury her there, but… I just wish we had more time. There are so many things I wanted to ask… So many things I wanted to say…"

Shinra gave his friend a gentle nudge. "I'm sure she knows how much she means to you, just as you know how important you were to her. And, in the end, you kept your promise, you freed her."

Izaya wiped his teary eyes and chuckled. "You sound just like her… But you're both right." He held up his hand again, and smiled. "And… In a way, she never did leave me. She'll always be part of me now."

He gently pulled away from Erika, and ran a hand through his shaggy hair. "I'm sorry! I feel like I've turned this party into a real downer!"

[Don't apologize!] Celty quickly snapped. [We're the ones that asked, and we appreciate that you are comfortable enough to share the story of someone important to you with us!]

The young man gave her a smile. "Thank you, all of you." He rubbed his eyes a bit more. "I'll have to tell you about my other friends later. Hifuld, Pezel, Lala, Lozo, stars above, I have so many stories about those two!"

"Wait, wait… stars above… stars above?!" Erika clapped her hands and squealed. "Space slang?! That's the coolest thing I've heard! You've got to teach it to me!"

Izaya's sadness finally seemed to melt away, and he let out a small laugh. "You seem to be excited by just about everything!"

Kadota groaned. "Please, don't get her started. We'll be here all night."

The insulted Erika harrumphed and crossed her arms. "Izaya, know any space slang for this situation?"

Izaya tapped his chin. "Hmm… Well…"

"Don't encourage her!" The beanie-clad man begged, but not even amnesia could get rid of the familiar look on Izaya's face when he felt like messing with someone.

The space man let out a happy noise. "Ah! I got it!" He leaned forward to whisper into Erika's ear.

Erika quickly pointed at her friend. "Even if I used the fastest way to search the galaxy, I'd never be able to find the place where I asked for your opinion!"

Shinra quickly covered his mouth to stop his laugh, but the others didn't manage in time. Even Celty's shoulders were shaking in amusement.

"For added effect, you could call him a nebula head or nebula brain. Nebulas are mostly made of gas and dust, so it's a good way to call someone empty-headed!" Izaya happily supplied, the cheeky smirk still on his face.

Kadota pulled his beanie off in defeat and buried his face in his hands. "I should have known that losing your memories wouldn't stop you from being a little shit." He grumbled. "After all, you're the one who cursed me with that nickname."

"What nickname?" Izaya queried.

Too late, Kadota realized his mistake. "Wait, no-"

"Dota-chin! Everyone calls him that! Everyone!" Erika happily supplied with no mercy.

"Ah! Dota-chin, I see! Perfect, thank you, Erika!"

Erika sent her own mischievous smirk right back. "The pleasure is all mine!"

The mood in the room returned to a happy one after that. Thankfully, there was extra food to serve. Izaya helped move everything back where it should have been, and Shinra happily enjoyed a meal sitting in between his best friend and his beloved wife.

Though he did feel a little bad for Shizuo, Shinra selfishly didn't pay too much mind to it. He finally had Izaya back, a chance for them to be friends again after drifting apart for so long. He wouldn't lose him again, not to anyone.


At the end of the night, after everyone had heard a few more space stories, Erika had learned more space insults, and the food was finished, everyone began to filter out of the apartment until it was only Izaya, Celty, and Shinra left.

Shinra was happy that Izaya now seemed to be on good terms with most everyone. The Raira kids, despite their past dealings with Izaya, believed him after seeing his reaction to speaking about Hesper. Kadota and his gang promised to visit again soon. Simon left with a big hug, giving Izaya handfuls of coupons for Russia Sushi in hopes to make him visit. Izaya's suggestion that, sometime soon, they should visit his space ship for a space-style feast was met with a positive reaction, and Shinra had to admit he was excited himself.

"Are you sure?" Shinra asked him again as he scrubbed another bowl and handed it to Celty to dry. He glanced back at Izaya, who was floating the last of the dishes over to him. "It's a lot of cooking for a lot of people."

Izaya nodded without a second thought. "I'm sure. It'd be impolite if I didn't." At Shinra's confused look and Celty's tilted helmet, he continued. "Ah, you Earthlings wouldn't know yet, that's right. Well, food is one of the most important and oldest parts of the Galactic System."

"Really?" Shinra raised his eyebrows.

[How come?]

Those mismatched eyes sparkled, and Shinra couldn't help but smile. Izaya had always been excited to share information with people, and it seemed historical information was now among that.

"The first two planets to contact each other were the planets Vinstarg and Lepnyt. It wasn't very far, they were in the same solar system, but it was still a milestone. Then, Vinstarg fell on hard times. A meteor hit their planet, and they were dying. In honor of their friendship, Lepnyt used their ships to bring meals to the people of Vinstarg. And when Lepnyt's planet was struggling through a famine years later, Vinstarg came to their aid right away!"

"Luckily, a much better trade system is in place now with dozens of planets in the Galactic System always sharing food. But, if you are given a meal by someone from another planet, it's become customary to return the favor with one of your own!" Izaya finished his tale with a smile.

[Oh, wow! How thoughtful! A Galactic System, trade routes, traditions! I never knew that space had stuff like that! All the shows on television make it seem like aliens want to invade our planet and steal our souls!]

"I don't know if Earth has our database yet, so I could lend you my history archives! There's a lot, especially with each planet added to the system! It has plenty to read and learn about!"

[I'd love that!]

Shinra found his smile growing bigger. After all these years, Izaya was the one who helped Celty get over her fear of aliens. Then again, he is technically part alien now, so I guess it took an actual alien to do it. Still, progress!

He found his own mind wandering as he dried his hands. What kind of medical technology did they have in space? He needed to ask, he bet Izaya knew, considering the man's penchant for trouble and those scars… Speaking of those, I need to see if Izaya would be comfortable letting me examine them. I know they're healed, but… I just want to make sure he;s okay.

His thoughts were cut off by the chime of his phone. He shook his hands off a bit more and moved to check his texts. Please don't be Shiki, I haven't come up with a good way to explain to you that Izaya is alive and technically an alien yet. Oh god, if it's dad he'll want to dissect him. Please don't be dad.

Thankfully, it was neither of them. Instead it was a quick text from Tom. (they had exchanged numbers about a month or so after Izaya was abducted, when Shizuo was getting in more danger than usual) He scanned the message quickly, and felt a worried frown climb onto his face.

Tom: Shizuo's not at his apartment, don't know where he could be. Any ideas?

He didn't know how long he stared at the message, thinking, before Izaya's voice snapped him out of his stupor. He turned around, and found both his best friend and his wife looking concerned. "Huh? Did you say something?"

[Is everything okay?] His beloved asked.

"You've been staring at that small communicator for a while now." Izaya continued for her.

Shinra felt himself freeze, unsure of what to do. A lie formed in his head, but he quickly cast it aside. Izaya, whether amnesiac or not, wasn't stupid, he'd figure out if Shinra was lying easily.

"Uh… Shizuo, t-the guy that threw the table at you… I guess he still hasn't gone home. His friend, Tom, is looking for him, but can't find him." He awkwardly explained,"He was hoping I might know where he went."

Izaya's red eyes seemed to scan Shinra's face for a moment, and he frowned. "I feel like there's something you're not telling me about me and Shizuo."

Shinra's face flushed. "W-well, it wasn't important! Or, at least, I didn't think it was at the time because he had gotten so good at controlling his temper and you were gone and-"

Celty gave him a quick jab to the ribs, cutting off his rambling. She pointed to Izaya. [He deserves to know. It's his past, after all.]

The underground doctor froze. "But Celty-"

[I know you're scared, especially since Shizuo already tried to attack him, but remember: Izaya didn't attack back.] She pointed out. [He's changed. Maybe it won't be like last time. You have to try. Because right now, if you don't, things may go the same way they did before.]

Shinra sighed. "Ah, my darling Celty. Why must you be both beautiful and smart! It's so unfair, it makes me want to just grab you and-"

She smacked him upside the head. [No stalling!]

The young man sighed, but nodded in acceptance. Turning to his best friend, he let out an awkward chuckle. "Well, basically… When you were on Earth. Well… You were kind of a major asshole."

To his surprise, Izaya responded to his declaration with a chuckle. "Ah, I could see that."

[Really? You accept it, just like that?]

The space man shrugged. "I had a feeling that was the case, considering the way a lot of you reacted when Kadota brought me here. You guys were about as obvious as a supernova explosion."

Shinra and Celty winced, and the underground doctor decided to quickly continue. "I was friends with Shizuo in elementary school, and you in middle school. We all went to the same high school, so I decided to introduce you two… You both hated each other the moment you saw each other. You slashed him with a knife, he tried to attack you, he chased you through the city, you got him hit by a truck."

"Stars above!" Izaya cursed.

[All on the same day!] Celty helpfully supplied.

"By the Andromeda, that was one day?!" The man croaked.

"After that, you guys were enemies. He'd try to kill you, you'd do the same back. You sent gangs after him, he'd chase you out of town. You got him fired from tons of jobs, he'd try to kill you again." Shinra shuddered,"Honestly, if you hadn't been abducted, I think the only way it would have ended was one of you killing each other. Shizuo despised you, and you saw him as nothing but a primitive monster."

Izaya's expression changed instantly at those last two words. His eyes flared red for a moment, and he muttered something in a different language. "I see now why he threw a table at me…" He joked, and then frowned even more. "It seems I underestimated your definition of 'asshole', sounds like I was just a horrible person."

"Well…" Shinra awkwardly began, but his wife didn't let him finish.

[You were.] Celty admitted easily. [I don't know if you had a genuine relationship with anyone in your life. You usually just messed with people for fun, and watched people fight amongst themselves in situations you created. You were awful.]

Izaya made a thoughtful noise, but didn't respond other than that.

Celty paused for a moment, and then held out the PDA again. [But, I can tell that's not you anymore. You've been through a lot in space, I know you have plenty more stories to tell. You're different, you're a better version of yourself. And, I'm all about second chances. Maybe this can be one for both of you.]

The long lost informant smiled at that. "I see, that is a lovely way to look at it, Celty." He grabbed his jacket from where he had set it aside, and pulled it back on. "Maybe I can aid in the search? It would give me a chance to speak with him."

Shinra cringed. "Are you sure? He's probably going to throw something at you again…"

"If he does, I can defend myself." Izaya motioned his hands in the air to emphasize his point. "Besides, we will never be able to get along if all we do is avoid each other. I should at least try, shouldn't I? I owe him that much."

It was a much more mature side to his friend, one he'd never seen before. The old Izaya would have scoffed at the mere suggestion of brokering peace with his nemesis, but it seemed his time in space, despite the hardships, helped Izaya grow into a mature person. Part of his heart hated it, wishing he could have been around to see his friend blossom. He quickly shoved those selfish thoughts away. The past is the past, at least you're here now, my friend.

Finally, Shinra allowed himself to nod. "You're right. It couldn't hurt to try… Just promise me that if you guys do end up fighting, you'll come here to get fixed up."

"Got it!" Izaya turned to exit the apartment, but stopped a few feet from the door with a thoughtful expression. "Um… Sorry, I'm afraid I haven't the slightest clue where to start looking. Do you have any idea where he could be?"

Though he hadn't moments ago, a little wriggling thought managed to make its way to the forefront of Shinra's mind. "You know, now that you ask, I think I know exactly where he may have gone…"