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ஜ Chapter 24: Cozy, cozy~ ஜ
-Izaya´s point of view.-
Wiping a few pearls of sweat from his forehead the raven let himself lean against the doorframe for a second.
Fatigue was starting to take a toll on him- it wasn't like he hadn't gotten any rest- considering they had had quite the peaceful night after their incident with the nightly creatures he had actually had a good night's sleep for once in a while.
But upon waking up he had already noticed just how exhausted he actually was- and it only grew over the duration of time.
Letting his eyes travel over the now fairly different appearance of the library the raven found himself almost looking forward to their stay here. Especially since he had something planned ahead for the tired blond.
He knew Shizuo was just as exhausted and fatigued as he was, so leaving him alone to do all the work was out of option. Sure the monster definitely had more strength but still-
He knew it wasn't smart to keep straining himself like this, but considering what was waiting for them outside in the dark by the time the sun set, a certain degree of anxiety was layered thick in the air that just didn't allow Izaya to stay put.
At least not yet.
Taking a deep breath he exhaled slowly- not much longer. They were already save- maybe it was exactly this knowledge that made him feel so sluggish. Because deep down he knew they were safe and he could just rest already, or let´s say at least his body seemed to know that.
Walking in with yet another one of the boxes Izaya had prepared in the chemics room, Shizuo paused for a moment in his steps glancing at the raven.
"You okay?"
Sometimes Izaya hated how quickly the blond could ascertain things. Pushing himself off the wall he smiled at the blond and waved him off.
"Of course Shizu-chan, is this the last box?"
But the frown that appeared on Shizu-chan´s face made the raven realize that his attempts to act to the blond were becoming more and more fruitless with each day that passed.
"Stop walking around." Towering in front of him that blond had walked up to the raven.
Shizuo didn't like seeing Izaya walk around so much, he knew if he said something about that matter the flea would simply respond by acting even more careless, just to prove a point, but he just would have to keep him from doing that, right?
"Why? We still have to secure a few more of these boxes you know. Can´t have those creatures come in here and destroy everything during the night." the raven informed and even though it pissed the blond off, he knew he was right about that.
Gruffing a bit the blond shoved the box he had been holding onto in one of the now empty bookshelves.
While he had mostly been doing the hard work like carrying everything up the stairs, getting a desk and chairs from the first floor the flea had mostly spent his time in this still illuminated room, throwing out books from the shelves and collecting everything they needed in boxes he found in the classroom next to the chemic´s.
By now the library looked more like a flat than a library. Most of the book were gone, except for those in the two cupboards they were going to use to barricade the door and window with.
Boxes, food, band aids, everything they could possibly need was now resting in the shelves.
There was a huge desk opposite to the window now- the blond had gotten that one from the principal's office. He even carried the swivel chair over, having a feeling the raven would like that one better to work in. Another table had found its way into the room right next to it.
Two chairs were placed left and right, facing each other- Izaya even made him get dishes from the school cafeteria- surprisingly they also had edible food left in there, which was also resting in the shelves.
Smelling the nostalgic scent of stew in the air the blond glanced for a second to the third and last desk in the room, right below the bookshelf that contained their food. Izaya had burnt one of the books and placed it inside a pot, while using one of the chemic´s weird looking instruments to make another pot dangle above it.
The flea had opened the window for the smoke to escape and to let the sun shine in.
Shizuo could see it start to lower itself towards the horizon in the distance, but that would only be due in two or three hours.
Of course the stew cooking in there was only from cans, but that didn't make it smell any less delicious.
Now if he were hungry, the meal cooking over there would surely make him drool- but he wasn´t.
All in all he felt way to tense to let his guard down.
Izaya was exhausted, and still injured which worried Shizuo- the zombies were waiting for them outside, and they had yet to see if they really wouldn´t get in here during the night.
What's more, he hated this building. He didn't even know why, and he had no logical reasoning for it, but he felt as though he should keep a really close eye on the flea.
Maybe he was starting to get paranoid from everything that happened so far, but he couldn't help feeling that way.
"You have to rest, Izaya," he wasn't going to let the flea off the hook this easily.
"Do I?" the raven hummed as though he didn't even listen and walked on- what he didn't expect was a hand latching to his wrist holding him back.
Turning around the raven looked at the blond, that didn't seem like he was joking.
"Want me to make you?"
A moment of silence passed. It made the blond wonder if the flea was going to be stubborn for much longer, and how he would be persuading him to just rest already, but then the flea sighed and turned around.
"Alright, I got it," pleasantly surprised he let go of the man who turned to face the couch instead that Shizuo had dragged up here. It was a rather simple one, moveable too, it could be folded or spread open into a bed like it was right now. He suspected it had been used for short naps during breaks.
The nursery in this school had only consisted of one fairly small room- apart from being filled with medical supplies there were no beds for students there like he knew it from Raira.
Feeling the tension fade a bit the blond sighed as well, letting his hand brush through his still damp hair.
The showers they had, had only cold water left, but it was better than nothing. Rinsing their bodies off had had both a comforting and exhausting effect on both of them he suspected. And while Izaya had gotten himself a black shirt and pants from a stores window across the street, he had stuck to some plain pants and a white shirt that they found in what Shizuo supposed to be the lost and found basket for sports clothes.
Sitting there on the couch like this, the coat still on and the dirt washed off his face Izaya looked just like he used to. Maybe a bit thinner and pale, and injured, but still, it felt as though none of this shit had ever really happened in the first place.
"What else do you want to get anyway?" the blond questioned, sitting down next to the flea. After all from what he could see they had pretty much anything they could possibly need in here already.
The raven merely shrugged.
"Nothing. I just wanted to look around," he informed the man, letting himself slump back on the couch.
Taking in the sight of an exhausted, not smirking, not playing or plotting louse the blond found himself thinking just how much their relationship had changed in these past days.
When he spotted Izaya on the streets, only minutes after Kasuka and Tom died, he really wanted the flea to just drop dead.
And now he wanted to use his strength to do nothing but make sure he wouldn´t.
It had been two days since he operated on the flea- honestly speaking it was a miracle he was still alive, not to mention walking around. The stitches had to have reopened the night before as well- but with Izaya running off in the morning to fix himself up he had no idea how bad it really was.
"Are you still hurting?" The glance Izaya cast at him seemed as though the raven wanted to say something, but bit his tongue.
Izaya knew Shizu-chan was worried about him, and he had been about to say he was fine just as usual- but now that he thought about it, the blond wasn't going to believe him anyway if he did. Hell he got operated on and got into a car crash yesterday, no one would believe him he was fine. So for the sake of the blond to stop worrying, wouldn't the truth be better?
"Yeah, but it's bearable." Being honest struck him as the right option. He wasn't going to fill the blond in how much exactly he hurt and what he was feeling like, but at least this much honesty was something Shizu-chan deserved.
Deeming he had given the right answer as Shizu-chan´s expression relaxed the blond got up from the couch again and moved over to the bookshelf next to the door.
Grasping the object left and right the blond moved it slowly, but steadily, making the raven blink as he let himself flop over on his side.
"What are you doing?" he asked, propping up one elbow to lean upon.
The bookshelf protested with a creak as it came to a halt, making the blond let go of it and returned.
"Closing this up. We aren't going to leave anymore today anyway, are we?"
True. Honestly speaking they had everything they could possibly need. From the chemicals and instruments necessary for creating the antidote, to less important things like dishes and a blanket, they got everything they needed.
"Now the only thing left to do is survive and create the antidote~" the raven chirped, sprawling on the couch, one leg propped up the other dangling down on the side.
Sinking in just a bit the couch shifted as Shizu-chan took his seat below his legs.
A soft hum of approval left his lips in response to his remark, but somehow it was missing enthusiasm.
"Why are you so tense? You should relax," Izaya hummed, sitting up straight again in order to read the blond's expression better.
"Says the one that kept running around for hours with an injury."
Good remark.
"Well but I'm resting now, aren't I?" Izaya protested, knowing full well that the blond was just avoiding the topic. Namely him. "You should too," shifting on the couch left and right he tried to find a good position that would cause the least strain on his waist. "This couch mightn´t be the sturdiest one, but hey, it´s more than what I hoped for~"
No reaction.
Glancing at the blond he followed his gaze, leading to the huge window. The sun was still up for at least an hour or two. There was nothing extraordinary that caught his attention either. Just the city. A few buildings, light- well Izaya knew it wasn't really the scenery Shizu-chan was looking at. His eyes were too distant for that too… too deep in thoughts.
"What's bothering you Shizu-chan?" He knew something was just from glancing at the blond. Funny, considering he had never quite been able to read the blond at all before.
"The zombies from before," Shizu-chan started mumbling, shifting his gaze to his hands, folded in his lap instead.
Izaya cringed softly at the vocabulary he used to describe the creatures with but didn't comment on it.
"What about them?"
A strained sigh left the blond's lips as he lifted a palm shortly to brush through his blond hair.
"That kind of thing might happen again, won't it...?"
Confusion scribbled across Izaya's face as he tried to make out what exactly the blond meant. It wasn't like they had only encountered these assholes once by now so the options of the situations he could be talking about were fairly vast.
"What exactly?" he tried further, hoping the blond would specify what he meant.
The hand in his lap tightened to a loose fist the other finding its way to Shizu-chan´s forehead.
"Them attacking us. You getting injured and…" the blond let himself slump on his back, arm covering his eyes as if to try and block out all the shit around them. "that woman was right wasn't she? With what she said about your injury, and surviving."
A slight frown appeared on Izaya's expression as he realized what the blond was talking about.
He didn't like this, it was almost like Shizu-chan was losing hope. Sure he hadn't been the optimist between the two ever since he met him on the streets, but with how Shizu-chan had tried to cheer him up when it had been Izaya who felt as though everything was useless it had been more than nice to have someone tell him everything was going to be okay.
Even if it was an empty promise.
"Was she?" the raven asked, rolling over and to Shizuo's mild surprise right on top of him. Propping one elbow up on his chest while using the other arm to keep his balance the blond followed Izaya's movement.
He couldn't help but notice how warm and comforting it felt just to have the flea this close to him.
"Listen," the flea started, obviously not noticing what he did with his action, "we are safe here." he rose his hand, gesturing around the library, "they can't get in here. Do you remember the hospital?"
Almost flinching at the reminder of that deadly place the blond frowned deeply. Nodding to himself in confirmation the raven hummed, "Of course you do. You see, the door was busted from inside out, but, the only thing that secured the door was a stick shoved between the handles of the wing," the raven explained, only confusing the blond as he didn't know what he was even trying to say.
"You see, it was bound to break sooner or later, and lucky as we were we came just at the worst time," the flea continued, only making Shizuo´s puzzled expression grow worse.
"How is reminding me of that going to make me believe we are safe here?"
The raven grinned as if he had been waiting for that question.
"Because of the stick. Look, these creatures are strong, right? But not that strong. If they couldn't break the wooden stick that kept the door closed for so long, then there is no way they will get in here when the door and window is barricaded with a bookshelf so heavy even you had troubles moving."
…
Oh.
The confusion finally lifting the blond realized what Izaya was pointing at.
"I dunno if you forgot it," the raven continued, "but you are pretty much the only human I ever saw that possesses this kind of strength. I highly doubt any of these creatures could ever match you."
A surprised blink followed on Shizu-chan´s part and the flea wondered for a second if he had ended up confusing him more.
That was until Izaya himself was left to blink.
"Did you just call me human?"
Of all the nicknames, from Shizu-chan to monster, beast, protozoan, amoeba and brute, the only thing that Izaya had always declined on calling him was being humane. He did so to a point Shizuo actually thought the flea truly thought of him as a monster.
And seeing how the raven seemed at a lack for words he probably had done so without noticing as well.
"Well," the raven cleared his throat quickly, "compared to the monsters inhabiting Japan you are probably the most humane living creature out there," he quickly said, trying to explain his slip up.
But too late, he could already spot a soft smile spreading over Shizu-chan´s lips.
"The most humane creature? What about you?" Ah well, fuck it, if it made Shizu-chan happy then so be it. He had been trying to cheer him up after all.
"Oh, I'm a god Shizu-chan, I don't count," the raven chirped with a grin, only causing the blond to snort.
"The god of what, mischief?"
"How rude, I was more thinking about intelligence and strategy there." The blond laughed and just let his head tilt back for a second, closing his eyes.
Somehow what the flea had said had helped ease his worries a bit. He could literally feel the tension leave his body the longer that louse talked.
It might be due to how warm and soft the skinny flea felt against his body like this, but no matter what it was definitely Izaya's presence that made him feel better.
As long as Izaya was around everything was gonna be alright somehow.
He felt as though he had come to the same conclusion a second time- but he just couldn't help but feel that way.
Opening his eyes again to glance at the flea on top of him the raven hummed.
"Feeling better?" he asked with a grin, "Less tense?"
The blond couldn't help but snort at the question.
"Yeah."
A sudden clap being made by the raven's two palms startled the blond and the flea got up.
"Okay then I have something for you~!" Confused the blond blinked, wondering what the hell the flea was up to now.
"But you have to do me a favor and close your eyes~!" the raven added suddenly, spinning around once more- one would think the louse should be hurting and resting, but no. It hadn't only been once that Shizuo found himself thinking that the louse had to be a masochist of some sort the way he kept straining himself without a care.
"Huh? Why?"
"Aw Shizu-chan, please you are ruining the fun. Just do it please."
Reluctantly the blond nodded with a sigh.
"… I swear if you are doing anything weird I will kill you." Letting his eyes slip shut the blond concentrated on his hearing instead.
"I´m not. Just keep your eyes closed alright?" he heard the raven say and he could swear he could hear that grin on his face.
To say he was curious was almost an underestimation. On one hand he almost expected Izaya to just annoy the hell out of him and pull a prank just for the heck of it. But on the other hand-
…
No scratch the other hand the flea was totally gonna pull a prank on him.
"Don't open them until I tell you to~!"
He could hear the flea rummage in the cupboards, heard him swear once too and run around. He had the urge to squint through his lashes and catch a peek of what he was doing, but he kept his eyes closed.
Instead he tried to just enjoy the moment- until whatever the flea had prepared was probably gonna ruin it. But like this right now, he just felt cozy. And he had to say that bad gut feeling about this place was fading as well.
A sudden odd smell infiltrating his nose made the blond frown.
"Are you burning something?"
A snort was heard and a short: "Maybe?"
"Maybe?" the blond repeated now actually kinda alerted. What the hell was the flea doing?
But his curiosity was going to be satisfied as the flea finally spelled the anticipated words.
"Okay, now you can look~!"
To be continued~
xDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD Lmao I can imagine your face xD
Ahahahahahaahahahahah lol what do you think the flea is doing? x'DDD just let me say, this chapter was a bit cute, BUT the actual cute part that is waiting for you still hasn´t happened ho ho ho C: C: You will have to wait and see what Izaya is doing first ho ho hoho ho xDDDDDDDDDDDDD
Lmao I have way too much fun ending the chapter like this x'DDDDDDD
I love ya all xDDDD
Guest 2: xDDD indeed he is xD daww, haha well this time was still not the cutest part, but I guess it was cute too eheheeh lmao and you are right xD Izaya probably loved school while Shizuo hated it xDDD haha the fluffyness, the fuffyness C: it´s approaching, almost there xDDD ahhh geeez it will be so dawwwwwwwwwwww xDDDD you will see C': xD
Well then, the next chapter will be up on may the 13th C':
As for the other updates, Sns and SD, well the sex is taking longer to write then I thought and for Sns I barely found time xD I'm getting Australian fat tail geckos and was way too busy getting everything prepared for the two sweethearts ho ho ho ho -squeals in joy-
And I´m writing on two surprise fics so whelp xDDDDD Not to mention the end of ast x'DDD ahhh does everyone have troubles writing the last chapter of any story or is it just me? xDD lmao, anyway, see you in 14 days~! *^*^*^*
PS.: Happy birthday sweetie xD I´m two days late but ahhh I hope you can forgive me C':
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