Raijin Academy was still extremely familiar to Shizuo, even long after it had been merged and renamed to Raira Academy. Despite the changed name, there was still the same entrance, the same buildings, and the same, painful memories.
This is where everything started. This was where he met the bane of his existence, the one who would make his life a living hell: Orihara Izaya. For nearly a decade afterwards, all the bastard seemed to do was torture him. He'd get him in trouble at school, ruin his already slim chances to go to college, send gangs after him, get him fired from countless jobs, and so much more.
His constant struggles with the man almost made Shizuo leave Ikebukuro entirely. He was so desperate to escape, to live in peace, that he had genuinely considered running as far away from the city as possible. Two things stopped him from leaving: Not only did he have no idea if Izaya would truly leave him alone even if he did run away, but he also didn't want to give the stupid flea the satisfaction of winning.
Shizuo had always had trouble with his temper, but Orihara Izaya had been the only person he had ever truly wanted to kill. He knew killing Izaya would make him become exactly the monster the louse claimed he was, but he also knew eventually that Izaya would cross the line, and Shizuo wouldn't have the strength left to care about the consequences of that choice.
The flea played with people's lives like they were puppets, he didn't care about anyone, and would do whatever it took to get his way. There had been times where Shizuo had been scared. Not just for himself, but for his friends and family. When would they become targets? How far would Izaya go to get what he wanted?
He had always feared the day that question would get answered, and what destruction the bastard would bring along with it. It was like watching a bomb without a timer, desperately hoping it would never go off and at the same time feeling petrified, waiting for the inevitable explosion…
That day never came.
Shizuo remembered with a stark clarity when it had all stopped. His brother had been doing some interviews in Ikebukuro, looking for the cutest couple or something cheesy like that. A deranged man had interrupted the story with a knife, planning to kill his little brother for some insane reason Shizuo couldn't recall, because he had been too focused on making sure that didn't happen.
Once his brother was safe and Shizuo had dragged those annoying twins away from where he was, he realized what had happened. A man who just happened to hate Kasuka, who just so happened to have a knife, and just so happened to know where to find the actor on that specific day? There was no doubt about it, the flea had led a maniac right to his little brother.
He could feel the rage boiling to the surface. That was the last straw, he was finally going to kill that flea. He waited for the informant to show himself, after a stunt like that he knew the bastard would. Izaya always liked to make sure Shizuo knew exactly who was responsible for his misery.
But he never showed up. There was no phone call, no disgusting smell in the air, no knives flying through the air, and no sadistic smirk shining on that bastard's face. There was absolutely nothing.
Shizuo couldn't believe it at first. Izaya wasn't the type to do something like that and then disappear. He thought about running to Shinjuku and breaking down the stupid door to that stupid fancy apartment, but he shot the idea down soon after. He couldn't leave Kasuka alone now, there was no way to tell if the louse had something else planned.
That plan never came, because Izaya was gone. For five long, happy years, the flea had vanished, it was like he had never existed in the first place… It had been so peaceful.
He suddenly scoffed, hating himself for thinking back to that time again. He'd already ran through those memories in Shinra's apartment just a few hours ago, while staring at the very man he was still thinking about even in this moment, after he had run all the way to his old high school.
The thoughts wouldn't stop, and neither would the intense beating of his heart. Izaya was back, he was alive. Shizuo had been so sure he had died. He had a lot of enemies, there was a slim chance someone had finally killed the bastard. There was no way the Izaya he knew would disappear for so long so suddenly.
Except he wasn't dealing with his Izaya anymore. The man he had faced hadn't dodged or taunted. He had faced Shizuo's attack head on, he had attacked back with a protective fury, he had been angry.
"You piss me off"
Shizuo scoffed again. Having those words, ones he had said so long ago thrown right back at him was like a cold slap to the face. His mind threatened to spiral, and the panic now bubbling at the surface threatened to drown him once again. It was all too much.
Maybe that was why his legs had carried him to Raira. He hadn't even realized where he was going until he had finally stopped. He sighed, pulling himself fully out of his thoughts as he looked back up towards the school.
"Orihara Izaya…" He tested the name on his tongue, but the rage he remembered wasn't there. Instead, all he felt was overwhelming confusion. "Of course you can't just come back in a way that lets me hate you, you have to make me feel like this. Stupid fucking flea…"
He reached into his pockets, taking out one of his cigarettes and lighter. It took a moment, thanks to his shaky hands, but he eventually managed to get that familiar buzz of nicotine he had been seeking.
As he went to take his second inhale, someone cleared their throat behind him. His nerves already wound up, Shizuo quickly whipped around to face the danger. The sight of glowing red eyes made his heart race even faster. Saika! His fist rose up, prepared to fight the horde of monsters all over again.
Then, a familiar voice broke through the blood rushing in his ears.
"Wait, wait, wait! I'm not here to fight!"
The voice caught him off guard. He faltered and the blackness of his vision gave away, revealing that the very person who housed those glowing red eyes was the man that was plaguing his mind. The bodyguard's heart finally began to calm down. He lowered his fists, but didn't say anything, instead taking the momentary silence as a chance to examine the man in front of him.
Izaya looked nervous, his hands raised in a defensive position, but there was no sign of the strange red glow that he had used to attack Shizuo earlier. He hadn't said anything, either, likely not wanting to cause either of them to descend into a fight as they had earlier.
Shizuo still felt his instincts cry out within him, wanting to find the first heavy object he could and throw it at the man. He quickly shoved the urge away, knowing that Izaya was perfectly capable of stopping his carnage before he could get a good hit off. (And maybe, just maybe, he didn't feel like starting a fight right now).
He glared towards the flea, then looked down towards where his cigarette had fallen on the floor. "How'd you find me?"
"Shinra told me this is where you might have run off to."
The reminder of the flea's supposedly lost memories made his face twitch. He stomped on the cigarette to put it out, then turned his attention back to Izaya. "Why?" There was no reason for the flea to come after him, especially if he really didn't have his memories. If that were true, then why chase after the man who attacked him. It was confusing, and just made him angrier. "Did you come here to gloat? Is that it?!"
Izaya had the audacity to look insulted by this assumption. "Why in the stars would I want to gloat?" He asked, incredulous.
"Oh, I don't know, because you've made it your life's goal to make mine a living hell?" He questioned, clenching his fists in anger. "All you've ever done is make me miserable!"
The Returner's expression softened, but his mismatched gaze didn't deviate from Shizuo's angered glare. "I.. I know. Shinra explained it to me. He told me about the fights, the jobs, and the gangs. He said I called you a monster…"
Shizuo shuddered at the word, but barely noticed as his mind was more focused on the tone rather than the word. Izaya spat the word like it was poison, the usual disgust aimed at Shizuo was replaced by anger at the word itself. Why is he so upset about that?
Izaya straightened slightly, and then dipped his head. "Which is why I wanted to apologize to you. I treated you horribly for no reason, it was cruel and inhumane. There was no excuse for that behavior, and I'm ashamed I acted like that. I'm very sorry."
It was so sudden and so sincere that Shizuo felt his heart nearly leap out of his chest in shock. I'm sorry…? It's something he'd never heard come out of Izaya's mouth, not even in jest.
Izaya was too prideful for that. He manipulated and lied, he made you think you were the reason for all the bad things that came your way. It's what he had done to Shizuo for ages.
"Of course I want to kill you Shizu-chan, you're a monster."
"Monsters can't be human"
"You'll hurt everyone around you and be left all alone. Monsters always are."
Once again, he looked at Izaya, really looked. There was still no sadistic smile, no signs of trickery or hatred. All he saw was remorse and sincerity from the man who had hurt him for so long. Izaya's words were real, he genuinely cared enough about Shizuo's feelings and his past actions to apologize for them.
It was everything Shizuo had ever wanted… and yet, at the same time, it wasn't.
With tears building in his eyes and frustration burning in his chest, Shizuo let himself slump against the high school's brick wall and slide down. He sat down, his knees raised to his chest, arms placed on top of them.
"Don't bother, flea. It doesn't matter anymore anyway." He muttered.
Izaya tilted his head like a curious cat, those irritating red eyes too sharp for their own good. "Oh? It seemed to matter to you a lot a few seconds ago."
Shizuo let out a small growl, but was too exhausted to try and be angrier. "It still does matter to me, it always has. But…" He sighed and rested his chin against his arms. "You don't remember that stuff, right? So why do you even want to apologize for something you don't remember doing?"
The flea didn't say anything at first. Instead, he crossed over to the wall where Shizuo had slumped and slid down next to him to sit down as well. "Just because I don't have any memory of that stuff doesn't mean it didn't happen. It did, and you had to suffer because of me. You still went through hell because I saw you as a monster. That's reason enough to apologize."
The bodyguard felt the burning frustration in his chest melting away, and stared at Izaya in surprise. He really seemed to care about Shizuo's experiences, to the point that he was willing to take responsibility for his actions, actions he didn't even remember. They mattered to Izaya, because they mattered to Shizuo.
Shizuo nearly scoffed. Of course, even without his memories, Izaya proved to be annoyingly unpredictable.
Despite this, Shizuo still felt his doubts creeping up again. He turned his head away and let out a pained sigh. "I… appreciate your apology. But I don't know how long it'll be a real apology." He glanced back at the flea. "When you get your memories back, you'll probably just hate me again."
Then, Izaya gave a tight smile. "I doubt getting my memories back will change anything." He sounded like he was trying to comfort Shizuo, but he barely noticed. He was too focused on the way Izaya's expression had shifted.
The smile became a little more forced, his eyes seemed guarded, and his posture stiffened just the slightest bit. It was exactly how he acted in Shinra's apartment, it was this exact change that pushed Shizuo to attack him in the first place.
Shizuo felt his finger's twitch, a small part of him still prepared to launch into a vicious attack without an explanation. But the reminder of Izaya's gentle smile and kind words made him hesitate. He realized, as he replayed the apology in his head, he didn't want to get into a fight with Izaya.
Still, even with that realization, Shizuo couldn't let that kind of change slide, not with Izaya's old reputation. He wanted answers, and he was stubborn enough to make sure he'd get them.
"You're lying about something." He declared.
Instantly, Izaya's guarded expression was broken by his surprise. He seemed shaken by Shizuo's blunt words. To his credit, he didn't try to deny it. All he did was give a defeated sigh, and ask,"How did you know?"
Shizuo shrugged his shoulders. "I just do. When you were on Earth, I was always able to see through your bullshit. You never were able to trick me like you could with everyone else."
His brown eyes stayed firmly locked on the flea as he continued,"You did the same thing at Shinra's apartment. That's why I attacked you, I thought your 'stolen memories' thing was a trick. I want to believe you, but you just did it again. Why?"
When Izaya didn't respond right away, he pushed further. "What are you hiding? Do you really still have your memories?"
Finally, the raven haired man let out a sigh. "No, I wasn't lying about that. It… it's something else." His vulnerable red eyes met Shizuo's brown. "If I tell you… Can you promise not to tell anyone?"
"Depends what you're telling me." Shizuo instantly replied.
Izaya let out an amused huff. "Fair." He conceded without argument. Then, he seemed to shrink in on himself. He pulled his legs against his chest, and rested his chin on his knees. "You're right, I am hiding something… It's just… Hard to admit, especially out loud."
Shizuo said nothing, he doubted he would be able to encourage the flea much considering he was the one forcing him to admit whatever it was he was hiding. In fact, he was starting to feel a little guilty. Whatever it was, Izaya seemed very tormented by it.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the raven seemed to have found his strength. "T-the truth is, I… Will never get them back. My memories are gone for good. They'll never come back, no matter how many familiar things I'll see or how long I'm on Earth. They're gone."
The bodyguard felt himself reel at the declaration. He went back to that moment, remembering how both times Izaya had started lying when someone had suggested getting his memories back. It wasn't that he was hiding something, he was hiding what he didn't have.
"Gone? Gone how?"
Izaya winced. "I… don't know. The abductors don't really share with us how they wipe our brains. All I know is that they don't just block things, they destroy them. It's permanent. Even if I wanted to remember, I can't. There's nothing there." He shuddered, turning pale. "I only have bits and pieces of… what they did to me. When I think of Earth… there's nothing."
He brought his hands up to his eyes, wiping away tears. "I… I didn't want to tell Shinra that." He threw his hands up. "You all said he's my best friend, he's so happy that I'm back… How am I supposed to tell him I'll never remember him? All those years were taken from me…"
"I spent ages in space just thinking. Trying to imagine what I might have left behind. I didn't know if I was alone or… If there was someone out there looking for me, who would never know I was okay." He furiously wiped his tears away again, but they kept falling.
"And now I'm back, and there are people who love me, but I don't know why, I don't remember these connections and I never will. What am I supposed to do? I… I'm not the Izaya you all knew, I never will be. Those bastards shattered me. I… I'm just a piece of what was left." He voice cracked at the end and he looked down, his red and black bangs hiding his eyes from Shizuo as he tried to calm himself down.
Shizuo's own heart was ready to shatter at the sight of those tears. He had never seen Izaya so vulnerable. The man was shaking like a leaf, tears falling down his cheeks as he admitted such an awful truth to the man who hated him. Shizuo couldn't help but feel guilty after hearing all that.
Without thinking, he reached out and clasped a hand on Izaya's shoulder. The flea jumped and quickly turned to face him, the sight of the red rimmed eyes only making the bodyguard's guilt flare up even more.
"I… I'm sorry…" Shizuo managed to force out. "I shouldn't have made you tell me all that."
Izaya sniffled and wiped his eyes on his flight jacket. "It's okay…"
"No, it's not." Shizuo quickly snapped. "You were a dick to me, but that doesn't mean I should be one back. Forcing you to admit something awful like that to me, when you weren't ready to tell everyone. That's not fair, and not just because you don't remember being a jerk. I shouldn't stoop down to your level. Well, your old level."
The flea listened silently, and then nodded his head in agreement. "That's a good point." He let out a shaky sigh. "It does feel nice to get that off my chest, even if it's only telling one person."
Shizuo could only imagine. Selfishly, he thought it was best that Izaya didn't remember the way he acted. The way he was now, as a Returner, seemed loads better than how he used to act. What if he remembered and decided to return to his old ways? No matter how nice he seemed now, Shizuo didn't want to take that chance, and was guiltily relieved he never would have to.
But it's still not fair to him. Shizuo forced himself to admit. Sure, he was like ninety-nine percent terrible, but there was that one percent of people who cared about him and the happy memories he had. Shinra, his family, his sisters… He'll never get those memories back. That's awful.
Shizuo felt himself jump, and hurriedly turned to look at Izaya again. "Do your sisters even know you're back?!"
Izaya's mismatched eyes widened in surprise. "I have sisters?!"
The bodyguard wanted to facepalm. Shinra, you seriously forgot that? Seconds later, he realized that he couldn't blame Shinra for forgetting. Izaya was his best friend, he probably still wasn't over the shock of their reunion yet. But, still!
"Y-yeah, you have two little sisters. They're twins, Mairu and Kururi, and they're almost twenty years old." Shizuo described,"They were obsessed with my brother, Kasuka, who is a famous actor in movies. A movie is a-"
"I know what a movie is." Izaya rolled his eyes with a smirk. "You think we don't have media in space? We're not space cave-men!"
Shizuo bristeled, ready to snap at Izaya for acting like an asshole, only to stop at the look on his face. Instead of the usual, sadistic look that he held when insulting Shizuo, it was merely a teasing smirk.
Oh, he's making a joke. Shizuo realized after a moment of pondering. I guess, in a way, he is still a little shit.
Unable to find a good retort, the blond simply grumbled and continued. "But, yeah… You have sisters. They used to annoy me all the time, said that they wanted to meet my brother. I told them that if they got you killed, I'd let them meet him." He smirked. "It was a good bribe, they were never able to kill you."
Though he thought it was funny, when he glanced at Izaya again he saw the flea looked rather downtrodden. He placed his head on his knees and sighed. "So even my own sisters hate me?" He asked in a sad, quiet voice.
Shizuo felt himself panic, and quickly backtracked. "I-I don't know about that! I mean, siblings fight all the time! Plus I never actually meant it, it was just an excuse to get them to leave Kasuka alone! Sure they did attack you a few times, but I don't think they ever really wanted to kill you."
Izaya still looked unconvinced by his ramblings. The sight of the sadness in those glowing eyes made Shizuo feel guilty all over again. So he thought harder, tried to remember something in particular that painted their relationship in a better light. After a moment, it hit him.
"And… When you disappeared, everyone gave up pretty fast on looking. A lot of us didn't like you, and you had such a dangerous job, we all figured you were dead. But Shinra and your sisters searched the longest, even after you were declared dead, they never stopped looking."
A memory popped up into his mind. "I remember them telling me it was just because they wanted to see my brother, so they needed to make sure you were dead. But, that was a lie. I ran into them the day you were declared dead, with Simon. They were crying, and he was trying to comfort them but it didn't work. They were really sad, Izaya, they missed you."
"I know you three had a bit of a rocky relationship, but deep down I know you all loved each other. You practically raised them, and they were one of the few people who could really annoy you." He sighed. "I know it's not much, but… I know they did care. In their own, twisted, Orihara way."
Izaya didn't say anything at first. He took a few moments to process what had been said. Then, he lifted his head a bit, giving Shizuo another smile. "Thank you, Shizuo." He whispered. "I… Really needed to hear that."
Shizuo nodded, relieved. "I… I could give you their number if you wanted, so you can call them tomorrow and-" He paused. "Shit, do space phones work here?"
Izaya let out a surprised laugh. It was unlike his usual laughter. It was bright, and gentle, like the gentle ring of a bell. "No, our communicators don't work with Earth ones." He waved his scarred hand. "Don't worry, Shinra wants to spend time together again tomorrow, I'll have him help then."
Shizuo hummed thoughtfully. "I'm surprised he let you leave at all. He's missed you so much, I expected him to lock you away in his apartment and wrap you in bubble wrap."
The flea laughed again, and Shizuo felt his heart skip a beat at the sound. "Somehow I don't doubt that! I know he wanted me to stay, but I convinced him to come visit my ship instead. That's probably the only reason he let me leave to come find you."
That sounded reasonable. Although, Shizuo was sure that Shinra was just waiting for Izaya to let his guard down so he could lock him away and give him a check up. The man probably wouldn't be satisfied with Izaya's claims of health until he cleared Izaya himself, especially with those gnarly scars.
"Is that where you're going now?" Shizuo asked.
Izaya nodded. "Yes, If we're done here, I think I will. I need some rest." He chuckled tiredly and stood up. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you that it's been a very eventful day."
Even though Shizuo had been involved in the very eventual day, he could still only imagine how Izaya felt. In fact, part of him was still registering that it had been less than a few hours since Kadota had found Izaya and brought him to the Hot Pot Party.
Shizuo forced himself to stand up, his legs like jelly after sitting in such a position for so long. "I guess I should leave too. I still have work tomorrow." He paused, and an awkward silence fell over them.
It was like there was an invisible rope binding them together. It was held together by a single thread, but neither was sure how to break it and escape. They stared at each other for a long while before either of them found the strength to even blink.
"I…" Shizuo felt his mouth moving on its own, a desperate courage pushing him forward. "I don't know if I can forget everything that happened, but… I do accept your apology. You didn't have to give me one, but you still did. Thank you…"
Izaya looked surprised, and then returned his awkward stare with a gentle smile. "I know we hated each other, and I know our second first impression didn't go very well either… But, I can tell you're a kind man. Thank you, for listening to me, and letting me listen to you. I… I hope we'll see each other around."
The last part was almost inaudible. Whispered, like a hope that he held close, like even a gentle gust of wind could sleep it away. Whether or not he was meant to hear it, Shizuo wasn't sure, but he still did.
"Yeah… Me too."
Shizuo turned to walk away, through the quiet, empty streets towards where his small, dark apartment was waiting for him. He only made it a few steps before he felt himself stop. He tried to put his foot forward, but it didn't seem to want to listen to him.
He frowned and stared down at the road, annoyed by the strange feelings building up inside of him. He tried to imagine going home, and finally getting to rest after a long day. Instead of peaceful dreams, all his mind could dredge up were bad memories. He saw the Saika zombies, his fights with Izaya, and the fear on the face of everyone around him. The darkness of his small home was suffocating him, even when he wasn't in it.
Something pulled him back from the shadowy thoughts that plagued him. He felt his head turn, and he looked back at Izaya. The flea hadn't left either. Those mismatched eyes were staring up at the sky, a small smile on his face.
After a few seconds, Izaya seemed to realize he was being watched. He glanced at Shizuo with a curious, innocent expression. "Is everything okay?"
Shizuo felt his heart race wildly, and his mouth moved without his permission. "Can I go back to your ship with you?"
Izaya raised his eyebrows in surprise, and then tilted his head thoughtfully. "Y-You do?" Confusion flowed off of him in waves. "Why is that?"
The blonde's heart was banging against his chest, and internally he was screeching at himself. Stupid! Why did you ask that?! Where did that even come from?! What is wrong with you?!
It was too late to take it back, Shizuo wasn't even sure if he could. He took several deep breaths to try and calm himself, and give himself time to think. "I keep thinking about the past, but I don't want to right now. My apartment is full of memories of back then. I don't want to think about that stuff right now… I… I don't want to be alone right now."
It sounds stupid, it sounds pathetic. There are billions of different explanations whirling around in his mind, why did he choose that? He wanted to bury his face in his hands and disappear forever.
There was silence for several seconds. He expected Izaya to either refuse or just start laughing at him, neither of those happened. Instead, the flea returned his stumbling request with a nervous smile. "I wouldn't mind the company."
Shizuo felt himself let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, and smiled. Then, realizing how embarrassing he was acting, he quickly readjusted himself, getting rid of the red blush on his face and trying to look more nonchalant about it all. "R-right, well… Lead the way, then."
Izaya chuckled, the same gentle sound accompanied by that unfamiliar smile, and then began to direct them towards his ship. As they walked in a comfortable silence, Shizuo let himself ponder things. Why was he so relieved? Why did he want to spend time with the flea?
It didn't make sense, but he decided at that moment he didn't care to think about it further. Right now, he would focus on the present.
Izaya's ship wasn't what Shizuo had expected. The old flea was obsessed with his appearance, even in his apartment. Everything was sleek, fancy, and obnoxiously expensive.
The spaceship was nothing like what he had pictured. While the paint on it seemed fresher, it was still obvious to anyone looking that it was an old ship. It was bulky, awkward, and looked like it had been found in the middle of a junkyard.
Despite its appearance, he noticed that the flea looked on his ship with nothing but pride. They climbed onto the flight deck, standing in front of the hangar.
"Welcome to The Andromeda! My ship!" Izaya announced excitedly. He placed his hands on his ship with a proud grin. "Fixed her up myself, she's my pride and joy!"
Shizuo didn't find it hard to believe Izaya had a hand in building the ship, he had always been annoyingly good at working with technology. Sure, most of it was hacking and research, but the idea that Izaya could evolve past that and learn to build a ship was impressive, and entirely possible. The flea was a fast learner, he had to be in order to dodge everything Shizuo threw his way.
Izaya led him inside, past a smaller ship that he described as a zipcraft, through a strange hallway, and into an area that reminded him of a living room. It was a large room with a high ceiling, displaying the many pipes in the ship. There was a larger area on the floor with seatings and what looked like a big computer, and then two elevated platforms with stairs that lead to different areas.
Shizuo glanced around the room curiously. He could see several crates, some slightly open, against the couch. There was a crumpled pile of clothes, a small fridge-like container, and a few books stacked in front of the big computer. "It's kind of messy here." Shizuo bluntly declared, and then cursed himself. That sounds so rude, why did I say that?
Thankfully, just like all the times that Shizuo had purposefully tried to insult the flea, Izaya took it in stride. He chuckled and gave a small shrug. "Well, I was sent expecting guests. But, you make a point. I live here, so I should try and keep it a little clean."
"You live on your ship?" Shizuo registered in surprise. At Izaya's nod, he scrunched up his nose in thought. "You don't have a fancy space apartment or something?"
Izaya made a face and hummed. "Well, technically? Being Head Ranger means that I have living quarters provided to me at the Galactic Council Capital, but I only ever stay there when I have to be there for meetings and the like. But, it's not really the same. My real home is my ship."
"I see…" Shizuo glanced at the flea again, his curiosity still getting the better of him. "Head Ranger?"
Izaya brightened again. "Yes! I'm in charge of the Galactic Ranger Program. We travel to planets, to study and document our findings for science. We also work to protect the planets, whether uninhabited or uncontacted, from smugglers and abductors."
Shizuo raised his eyebrows, surprised. "So you basically just go and do whatever you want? You can travel anywhere in the universe?"
"Well, there are rules in place for Rangers. If I have an assignment, I have to assign someone else one, or if I'm called for a meeting that always comes first. But, most of the time, I'm left to my own devices." He smiled. "That's why I like the job so much. I get to learn so many things, and travel to so many places."
Shizuo couldn't help but chuckle. "Information gathering and running all over the damn place, definitely sounds like the louse I remember."
Izaya made an insulted noise. "Hey, no fair! I can't tease you back when I don't remember anything!"
Feeling rather satisfied, Shizuo just smirked. "Consider it payback, flea. Who knows, maybe I'll throw some of your furniture around, too."
The flea smirked back. "Jokes on you, everything here is bolted down anyways. By the time you rip it out of the floor, I'll already have you pinned. Then, you get to pay repair costs for my lovely ship!"
Shizuo scoffed. "As if that's a punishment. I bet my cigarettes cost more than your dusty old furniture."
Izaya made an insulted noise and dramatically placed his scarred hand on his forehead. "You wound me!" He sent a challenging glare back. "But you must be an expert on buying furniture, huh? Do you often play catch with your couch, Shizuo? Or is furniture-throwing reserved for Shinra's house?"
Shizuo, realizing he was outmatched, quickly held up his hands in surrender. "Yeah, yeah, you're hilarious." He grumbled in a good-natured tone.
"I am!" Izaya responded without hesitation, looking very proud of himself.
Shizuo chuckled at their banter, and Izaya joined in. How strange. He thought. It was painfully similar to the insults they used to hurl at each other, but so different at the same time. If we had never been enemies, could we have had this?
The bodyguard opened his mouth to continue their teasing, only to be cut off by a yawn. It was only then that Shizuo remembered just how tired he was. "Maybe it's time to get some rest…"
Izaya nodded in agreement, looking rather tired himself. He used his hands to motion around. "You can sleep right here, or in one of the rooms I set up, anywhere you want really."
"Well where are you sleeping?" Shizuo asked, and then immediately panicked. "I don't mean it like that! I just mean that, I asked to come visit you so suddenly, it's not fair for me to take your bed or anything."
Izaya chuckled. "Don't worry, I understand what you meant. I'm actually planning to sleep on the bridge tonight."
"The bridge?" Shizuo questioned, still feeling embarrassed. It felt like all he was doing was stumbling over his words or asking stupid questions.
Again, Izaya didn't seem annoyed by his questions. He merely motioned for Shizuo to follow him. They went back to the strange hallway, and then through another circular door. After climbing a ladder and walking through a circular hallway, they made it to the bridge.
The bridge was lined with large double windows and circular frames. On the front of the ship was a large window that jutted out slightly, with three smaller windows that curved out from it to create a U shape. On the ceiling were large windows as well, with a pile of pillows and blankets right below them. This must be where Izaya was planning to sleep. He moved closer, the windows calling for his attention. When Shizuo looked up, he felt himself gasp.
The view from where the ships had landed was beautiful. The stars were bright and displayed their beauty proudly. Shizuo hadn't left the city in a while, he was used to the nearly empty sky, not this beauty. It must look even more amazing when you're actually up there. He realized, a gentle feeling of longing tugging at his heart.
The feeling drove him to look back towards his host. Izaya had followed his gaze, looking up at the stars too. The stars seemed to light up his eyes, making them sparkle as he turned to look at Shizuo. "They're beautiful, aren't they?"
Shizuo stared at him. "Yeah… Beautiful." He whispered.
Izaya settled down on the floor, his eyes never leaving the stars. "After everything I've been through, I spend a lot of time like this. The stars, the planets I've visited, the people all over the Universe." His smile grew. "It's amazing that there's so much beauty all around us, and there's still so much out there to see."
The blonde sat down next to him, leaning against the glass, and watching the stars with him. "I'd never really thought about it like that." He tended to lean towards pessimism after all he'd dealt with. How was it, after getting abducted, tortured, losing his memories, losing his life on Earth, and seeing the worst the galaxy had to offer, Izaya still could have such a beautiful outlook on life?
It was a huge question, one that Shizuo wasn't brave enough to ask just yet. Instead, he simply asked,"Are these stars… The same ones you see in other galaxies?"
Izaya quietly descended into an explanation to his question, and Shizuo listened for as long as he could. Eventually, the gentle voice helped to melt away his shadowy thoughts, the anxieties and stress of the day, and allowed himself to relax for the first time in a while.
Before he knew it, Shizuo fell into a peaceful slumber under the canopy of the stars.