-๑-๑ ๑- Chapter 38: Choices - -๑ ๑-๑-

Izaya had always been close with the future doctor, but being hugged like his life depended was not exactly something that happened all too often.

"You can stay here as long as you want to. I don't mind a week or two or a year," Shinra suddenly announced, only causing the warmth spreading in Izaya's chest to triple as the hug tightened. He seemed almost desperate- as if hugging tight enough would cause everything to disappear.

Swallowing hard, the raven just let it happen, resting his chin in the doctor's neck, the brown hair tickling his cheek.

"Wow, a year? Careful there I might take you up on that," he joked softly, but appreciated the thought. He knew Shinra was serious, seeing how Shinra's father was gone most of the time and basically entrusted his son to live with his own decisions; it was certainly up to Shinra to offer something like this.

He was serious about it- and despite knowing in the back of Izaya´s mind that he couldn't take him up on that offer, it was just so comforting to have another option at hand.

"Of course you would have to deal with me being your roommate," Shinra finally said, loosening the hug and facing the raven again. His eyes held so many emotions. Care for Izaya, anger for his father, relief for finally knowing what was going on and worry neatly glazing everything up into a mixed cocktail of emotions.

"What a tragedy." Izaya found himself retorting, but somehow the usual bite to his jokes just missed. More than a joke it sounded like a hidden "thank you."

Letting go of the raven Shinra turned back to the living room table.

The air seemed kinda tight- the mood even more pressured than before. He obviously wanted to cheer them all up, but didn't know how.

Like his sister.

Especially Mairu would often start ranting about any topic that came to mind just to get some of his father's attention off the rave-

Eyes widened.

Blood ran cold.

Tomorrow.

"Izaya?" Shizuo questioned, noticing just how pale the flea had grown in what was barely a matter of seconds.

"I have to go home-" pure distress surfaced as those words bubbled from the raven´s lips like a stream of water.

Home?

"What? Why the hell would you-"

"Mairu and Kururi are coming home tomorrow!" And suddenly the raven shot up, "And mum too!" His coat was grabbed- "After what happened, what if he does something to them?" Pure horror reflected on his expression. "I can't leave them alone-"

It was the harsh tug of Shizuo´s hand grasping the hem of Izaya's shirt that staggered the raven in his steps.

"Are you crazy?! You want to go back right now?!" After everything that happened? After what that guy almost did to the flea? After breaking his wrist? After everything that bastard of a father had done?

Shizuo knew he should keep out of this, he knew even if he wanted to, he couldn't stop Izaya if he really wanted to leave, but the sheer thought of having the raven return to that place just set his veins on fire.

"You said tomorrow they will return right? So let's go tomorrow-" Shinra tentatively threw into the room, trying to sort this fight before hell would break loose. He understood why Shizuo didn't want to let Izaya leave and he supported that idea, but he could also see how the worry and animosity Shizuo´s attempt on stopping the raven to save his sisters flared inside the raven.

"Fuck off, Shizu-chan," Izaya hissed, tugging harshly at his shirt- but to no effort. "Izaya-" Shizuo had been about to yell at the flea, asking what the hell he even thought he could do against that bastard. If he had any plan, how he planned on executing it- how nothing he had come up with would work out if this situation had been going on for years.

All logical conclusions- conclusions that he didn't see why Izaya wasn't aware of them.

But he stopped. None of these words left his lips. And why? Because he noticed them. The tremors. Underneath his clothes the flea was shaking like a leaf.

His expression was pale, not to mention he had already been hurt before- this wasn't something the flea wanted to do.

He was scared.

Underneath all those layers of anger and hisses of hatred he was just scared.

Pulling the raven close the blond groaned.

How could he be so blind?

"What-"

"Not now," Shizuo repeated once more, "You are shaking like a leaf. There is no way I will let you go back to that man right now." Realization dawning on the raven he chose to stay silent.

Nothing changed, he still had to go back- but having the blond know just how afraid he was to do so just somehow blew the air out of him.

"Tomorrow I will go with you," Shizuo continued- of course not without striking the flea´s damned pride.

"I don't need you, I can just-"

"The hell you can. I will go with you if you want me to or not."

Silence occupied the room.

Shinra hadn't really said anything in the first place, but now even Izaya shut up. He knew it was useless to argue with the blond. Not with his strength and stubbornness.

Usually he would be able to argue his way out of a situation like this- but honestly? What kind of arguments did he have?

They were right.

Mairu and Kururi weren´t home right now. And returning there tomorrow morning alone would be stupid. He had no idea how his father would react- hell maybe he wasn't even there. The way Shizu-chan beat him up left the raven to wonder whether he was even still alive.

Same for- … that guy.

Nausea assaulted the raven for a moment as he remembered the stranger in his room. What he had tried- what he had said-

If Shizu-chan hadn't happened to pick the call up in time and even head over despite it being cut off right away-

Things would have turned out very differently.

Feeling his own hands tighten their grasp on Shizu-chan´s shirt the raven tried to keep those thoughts at bay.

It was quiet inside Shinra´s living room. Probably had never been this silent with all three of them present.

Nobody dared to ask. Nobody mentioned a word- but all three of them were thinking the same thing.

After they went to Izaya's house- what then?

"...okay."

Softly the word was spoken. Izaya was equally unwilling as he was glad about this outcome. Meeting his father right now ignited a certain kind of fear inside him that he had never felt before.

Same did the prospect of meeting him tomorrow.

Quickly nodding towards the futons Shinra had unrolled in the middle of the living room the future doctor scurried over.

"I think we all should get some rest now."

It wasn't like he didn't want to talk about what had happened, or for Izaya to be able to talk about what worried him- but rather that there was no sense doing so.

They weren't going to get any answers. No one could tell what the next day would bring- how the situation was going to turn out. For better, or worse.

And just sitting here, dwelling on the topic and letting Izaya´s thoughts spiral to the worst possible scenarios certainly wasn't an option Shinra wanted him to take.

to be continued~

YOO xD Sorry this time the chapter was a little short, I know, but I had to end the sequence right there xD Shit is going to get a bit more intense the following chapters hahaha SO fear not, next update will be just as long as usual, or maybe even longer xD They are visiting Izaya's house again after all C: Now, to sum those three´s thoughts up- what will happen there? C:

On a more serious note guys:

Apparently there are people on the internet pretending to be me xD This is not the first time, I have actually had my fair share of impostors and stalker before, soooo I just wanted to give you a quick shoutout. :3

I have one instagram account called "Shirohimesstories" with one of my cats as profile pic for now, whatsapp for all those who have my phone number, my gmail adress- Shirohimesstories . . gmail. com and of course the AO3 comment section and the fanfiction message option.

If I contact any of you then it's going to be via these media platforms/accounts. Anyone else is not me xD

Just wanted to mention that as my newest Impostor had like 400 followers on instagram with my actual real name and pictures from my school stolen from an old facebook account of mine and even managed to confuse a close friend of mine-

Just be careful guys, the internet is a nice, but also extremely weird place xD

Now with that being said see you next month on 1st of June~! :3

PS.: The new Story "Impostor" will also start with the next updates :3 I wanted to do so today, but time wasn't on my side xD Same for the next sotd update btw :3