A/N: For those who might have read my other work, there's a scene in this that has been taken from another fic, which I deleted to use for this chapter. I changed it slightly, but I thought it fitted better :)

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and thank you loads for your continued support!

Shizuo growled with gritted teeth as he shut the apartment door, hoping to lock it before a scrawny little flea could slip between the gap, but no such luck. Izaya knew what Shizuo was doing and huffed, but the blond paid no attention, and they walked in silence toward the stairs. Izaya thought that after last night there had been a small glimmer of hope, some sort of progression or shift in their relationship. Honestly, he didn't even say anything wrong this time, but Shizuo seemed pissed off about their last conversation. For once, Izaya stayed silent, and an audible sigh left his lips when he thought about how long the day would be.

Izaya followed Shizuo on the same route to his workplace, thinking about how the walk differentiated from yesterday. Izaya wondered if he should feel guilty even though he wasn't to blame. He was surprised to learn that Shizuo's preferences weren't limited to one gender, but the blond could be highly unpredictable. Izaya couldn't label himself with a specific orientation because he had never thought about it before, mainly because he held no romantic interest in anyone. Izaya's choices led him to avoid everything relating to friendship and love, causing his mind to subconsciously block out sexual attraction. It wasn't as though Izaya could be compared to a robot; he could tell when someone was attractive, but that didn't mean he found them to be. If Izaya were to label it, he might say he was asexual, but that could be due to his choices.

Izaya and Shizuo were crossing the street toward Shizuo's workplace when a shout came from the right. Izaya glanced over and groaned when he spotted his sisters running in their direction. Shizuo stopped walking to let them catch up and gave a small smile. It didn't surprise Izaya that Shizuo tolerated and treated them almost like friends while hating his guts.

"Mairu, Kururi. What's up? You're energetic and determined as usual."

Izaya clicked his tongue. Shizuo seemed to be back to ignoring him and conversing with people like he wasn't even there. For some reason, Shizuo conversing with those he knew without acknowledging him hurt more than it did with strangers. These girls were his sisters, so how could Shizuo just – Izaya scoffed, wondering why the hell he cared anyway.

"Did you hear the rumors?" Mairu asked enthusiastically, eyes sparkling with excitement.

Shizuo tilted his head. "What rumors?"

Kururi glanced down at her phone and then showed it to Shizuo.

Shizuo leaned forward and read what looked to be a conversation on that dollar's page. "The ghost of Ikebukuro? What's that about?"

Izaya's interest piqued, and he chuckled. Heh.

Mairu jumped a few times with her fists pumped. "It's the most exciting thing since Celty was known as just the black rider."

Izaya blinked in surprise. Wow, he didn't think it was that amazing. The sudden thought of becoming famous for good deeds sent a strange feeling to his sealed heart. Really now. He had only helped two people. Izaya didn't think helping Shizuo counted since he was sure that he still only helped the blond because he had to. Izaya would even admit that.

Izaya felt a tug on his elbow and turned to see Aya. She led him away from Shizuo's conversation, and Izaya assumed she was probably mad at him.

"How's it going?" Aya asked with a smile.

Izaya frowned slightly but sighed. "Come on, I know you already know the answer to that."

Aya shrugged. "I do, but I wanted to give you a chance to tell me yourself."

Judging from Aya's wide grin, Izaya knew she wanted to see if he lied. It was pointless to try, wasn't it?

Izaya placed his hands in his jacket pockets with another sigh. "Sometimes I think we're getting somewhere, and then he goes into one of his angry moods when I barely say anything. That brute seriously irritates me." Well, she wanted him to be honest, right? "I feel like someone has access to a fucking reset button who presses it at the end of each day just for kicks."

Aya blinked in surprise at Izaya's unusual hostility, and a wave of sympathy came over her. She could sense his frustration and couldn't blame him for the assumption. "Don't give up, Izaya. It might not seem like you've made any progress, but trust me, you have, and I can assure you, no one has access to a reset button."

Izaya knew she was probably teasing him with that one, but he couldn't help but feel relieved at the confirmation. "Was that all you came here for?"

Aya chuckled. "Why? Did ya miss me or something?"

Izaya rolled his eyes, and when she disappeared, he turned to face Shizuo, who walked past him. Shizuo couldn't see her, but Izaya figured she wanted to give him the feeling of privacy. What for? She can see everything I do anyway. Still, it was a nice gesture. Izaya continued to follow Shizuo to work in annoying silence. What a pain.

"I thought you hated them."

Izaya almost jumped at the sudden comment when Shizuo stopped outside the building. "What?"

Shizuo finally turned to face him, hands in his pockets, still looking pissed. "Your sisters."

Izaya casually glanced at the sky. The gloomy grey from yesterday was gone, replaced with an open blue, allowing the sun to shine brightly and dry the puddles. "I do."

Shizuo scoffed. "Couldn't have hated them that much."

Izaya regarded Shizuo with an annoyed expression. "What are you talking about, brute?" Ah. He had just used his only insult for the day, hadn't he? Providing those rules still applied, but Shizuo hadn't said otherwise, so…

Shizuo's frown deepened at the comment, but he continued. "This so-called ghost of Ikebukuro is obviously you. Mairu told me that she fell off a tree trying to save a cat but was instantly saved. In her words, she was floating. You saved her."

Izaya sighed and turned away, not wanting Shizuo to see why he was annoyed now. Damn his sisters. Izaya was fine with Shizuo knowing about his little fun escapades, but why did they have to tell him about that. "Whatever. They're still my sisters, so it was probably just some stupid brotherly instinct." That wasn't far from the truth.

"I wanted to tell them."

Izaya's eyes suddenly widened, and he couldn't hide his surprise when he turned to face Shizuo. "You didn't-" Izaya sighed relief when Shizuo shook his head.

"No, but I wanted to. If my brother had saved me, I'd wanna know about it."

Izaya chuckled. "Shizuo, our sibling relationships can't be compared. They're completely different to one another."

Shizuo scratched his head with a sheepish smile that Izaya didn't expect. It was the most normal thing he had ever seen Shizuo do. "I guess not. I'd still wanna know to-"

Izaya dropped his guarded expression, and a sad smile formed. "It's not like they could thank me, is it? I'm dead after all." Shizuo flinched slightly, which didn't go unnoticed by Izaya, but the raven ignored it.

Shizuo frowned. "What if – I dunno, if they knew you were around or something…."

Izaya shook his head with a small smile. "I appreciate the gesture, but they don't even know I'm dead yet, so maybe it's best to leave the rumor as it is."

Shizuo nodded. "Do you think they'll be sad when they find out?"

Izaya laughed. "Even I don't know the answer to that, but in my opinion, they might feel obligated to be sad like a sibling should when another sibling dies."

Shizuo seemed annoyed by that statement. "I don't think they'll take it lightly."

Izaya became amused. "Oh, you clearly don't understand our relationship. Besides, they might never find out."

Shizuo gritted his teeth, unsure why he was angry. "What does that mean? How do plan to keep it from them if you're dead?"

Izaya shook his head. Shizu-chan is so stupid. "No one else knows about it either, so it's fair to assume my body won't be recovered."

Shizuo stilled for a moment and clenched his fists. "Shut up."

Izaya laughed. "Why are you getting angry? It shouldn't matter much to you, ne?"

Shizuo clicked his tongue, and now he was angry because he was angry. Damn flea. "It's just stupid, is all." Shizuo walked toward the entrance, and a vein throbbed on his forehead when Izaya skipped beside him.

"Maybe it's because you wanted to see to reassure yourself that I'm really dead? I wouldn't blame you for that." Izaya shrugged, but this conversation affected him more than he let on. He'd rather not think about where his body might be, even though he craved to know how he died.

"Just shut up, flea. Stop saying disturbing shit."

Izaya jumped with a grin. "Aww, would Shizuo be sad to see me dead after all?"

Shizuo growled and tried to swat Izaya away like the flea he was, ignoring the disturbance he felt thinking about if he ever did see Izaya's body somewhere. "I hate you."

….

Thanks to Mairu and Kururi, the two seemed to be back on track, and Izaya continued to follow Shizuo around with Tom while the blond worked. He had yet to cook the promised dinner for Shizuo, so Izaya hoped it would gain him some points in Shizuo's eyes. Izaya wasn't much of a cook either, but he at least knew how to cook more than just instant noodles, and he had forced the blond to buy the ingredients. Just as long as he doesn't get drunk again. Izaya sighed when he remembered something Shizuo had said before passing out that night.

"Might regret this in – morning, but – I guess you're not so bad much…."

Shizuo had no recollection of saying that, but maybe it was for the best. Izaya would rather he admit that sober if only to help with their situation.

Izaya didn't know why he thought the clients would be better than yesterday and wondered why Shizuo did this job if it pissed him off so much. Why doesn't he just get a normal job? Izaya cringed then. Oh. Maybe it worked out for the best anyway. Despite how angry Shizuo got, the job seemed to suit him more since he couldn't get in trouble for his temper. Izaya doubted that Shizuo would ever see it that way.

"Time for lunch," Tom announced while stretching his arms up.

Izaya blinked. It was lunch already? Had he been in that much thought? Izaya followed Shizuo and Tom to their chosen restaurant, but when he realized it was Russia Sushi, he stopped. Since when do I have nostalgic feelings?

Shizuo noticed Izaya wasn't following and subtly glanced behind, asking the obvious question with a thoughtful frown.

Izaya waved his hand. "I'll wait around."

Shizuo realized it seemed to bother Izaya to be somewhere memorable and looked back at Tom. "Hey, Tom? Sorry to put you out like this, but d'you mind if we head to our usual café instead?"

Izaya's eyes widened. Seriously? The blond could not be that perceptive.

Tom tilted his head in surprise. "If you're low on cash this week, I don't mind paying your share…."

Shizuo shook his head with a smile. "Thanks, but that's not it. I just don't really feel like sushi today."

Tom nodded and shrugged. "It's cool. I don't care where we eat. We might as well see our next client since it's on the way."

Izaya walked slightly behind the two as they headed to the new destination. Shizuo's sudden gesture annoyed him, but he didn't know why.

"You should thank him," Aya said and appeared beside the brooding raven.

Izaya turned to her with a grin. "Two visits in one day? Are you sure it's not you who misses me?"

Aya clicked her tongue and annoyingly flicked him on the forehead like usual. "You know that I know when you change the subject. You're avoiding the issue I just addressed, and you're brooding about it."

Izaya huffed and straightened to prove his point. "It's not an issue, and I'm in no way 'brooding' about it."

Aya grinned. "Shizuo saw right through you this time, and isn't that why you're annoyed?"

Damn. Izaya couldn't hide anything from anyone these days, not even Shizuo. Gone were the days of his perfectly placed masks. Aya could read his mind, and Shizuo – well, he just had to be Shizuo, didn't he? Stupid brute and his instincts.

"I heard that."

Izaya flinched slightly and pouted at Aya. Sometimes he felt Aya scolded him like a parent. "Fine, I'll – acknowledge it." Izaya sighed dramatically. "You're so mean."

Aya grinned and pat him on the shoulder. "There's a good angel."

Izaya shook his head and jogged to catch up to Shizuo.

….

Izaya turned his attention to Shizuo from his leaning position beside their table. Tom had left to retrieve their lunches, so now was a good opportunity to talk. Izaya hoped that Shizuo wouldn't rebuke him for talking in public since that was a 'rule.' "You didn't have to change your choice," he said quietly, not that anyone could hear him.

Shizuo's eyes darted toward him to acknowledge the conversation without unnecessary attention. "You're talking to me in public."

Izaya frowned. "Even when I'm trying to show gratitude?" Izaya tried to keep the insults inside, but it was difficult when Shizuo acted like this.

Shizuo clasped his hands behind his head to discreetly look in Izaya's direction. "Ha. I bet your angel told you that. To thank me, I mean."

Izaya closed his eyes and lay his head against the wall. Damn. Time for honesty, I guess. How annoying. "She did, but to be honest, I was pondering it anyway. She only suggested it because I didn't know why I would even thank you." Izaya looked at Shizuo and was surprised to see a grin on his face. Well, crap. Izaya realized that Shizuo had tricked him into admitting something he never would while alive. Shizuo and Aya. "Tsk." Shizuo watched with a smug smile as Izaya left the restaurant. It certainly felt good to gain the upper hand on that flea for once.

"If something made you that happy, it's not fair to keep it to yourself," Tom said as he placed a food tray on the table.

Shizuo chuckled. "S'nothing. Just glad I haven't seen that damn fleabag for a while." If only that were true.

Tom nodded. "It has been sometime. I'm happy for you. Maybe he finally stopped messing with ya."

Shizuo snorted. "Yeah, when hell freezes over."

….

Shizuo hadn't seen Izaya since the restaurant and couldn't believe the raven might actually be sulking over their conversation. The hell should I care for anyway.

"Yo," a voice called from a short distance. Shizuo turned to see Kadota and held his hand up in greeting. Kadota walked toward him. "Long time no see."

Shizuo pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and slipped it between his lips. "Yeah, sorry about that. Busy working, I guess."

Kadota shrugged. The two were friends, but it wasn't as though they hung out regularly. "It's cool."

Shizuo lit his cigarette and politely blew the smoke away from Kadota. "So, what's new?" A casual conversation between his friends always seemed to calm him down. Usually, Celty was at the receiving end of them, but Kadota was a good friend to him in his high school days, and it was rare to see him without the others around.

Kadota leaned against the street sign. "Not much. Something did happen to Erika the other day, though."

Shizuo looked at him with a slight frown. "Is she alright?"

Kadota smiled and waved his hand. "Don't worry, she's fine. I mean, it's weird, but it's only thanks to a freaky coincidence that she's alive."

Kadota told Shizuo about the incident involving a sleeping driver and how the car almost hit Erika before something or someone saved her. Shizuo blinked in surprise. "The ghost of Ikebukuro?"

Kadota nodded with a soft smile. "Yeah, I guess everyone knows about it now. I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it, ya know? But I'd be crazy not to given the kind of people I know. No offence."

Shizuo took a drag and blew the smoke toward the sky. "None taken." Did Izaya save Erika too?

…

Izaya glanced up when Shizuo came into view, waiting for him outside his apartment building. Shizuo narrowed his eyes, wondering why he was annoyed that Izaya had ditched him for the rest of the day. "I thought staying with me was mandatory for you," Shizuo said when he reached the entrance.

Izaya shrugged. "I don't have to permanently stick to you." He grinned. "But if it makes you feel better, I watched you from afar."

Shizuo raised an eyebrow. "How's that work? So you're telling me that you can fly but you can't pass through walls?"

Izaya rolled his eyes and followed Shizuo into the building and upstairs. "That's not what I meant. Never mind." Was Shizuo numb to his sarcasm now too? Truthfully, Izaya hadn't gone far and looked out for the blond without him realizing. It was easier to watch Shizuo when he didn't know. Izaya left Shizuo alone only when they reached the office, and it wasn't to make sure no one jumped him again. Nope.

…..

Izaya sat on the kitchen countertop, grinning at the small little patio set in the kitchen center that the landlord offered Shizuo while the blond waited for his new table to arrive. Izaya watched Shizuo try to secretly enjoy the meal he had somehow managed to cook. Izaya thought about cooking it himself, but when he eventually left this world, Shizuo would have to do it himself, so he opted to 'teach' him. Surprisingly, Shizuo didn't get angry half as much as Izaya expected, and the apartment didn't catch fire. The food didn't look half bad on the first try, and Izaya praised himself for his teaching skills and patience.

"Stop staring at me," Shizuo growled with a mouthful of steak.

Izaya grinned slightly. "Just making sure you don't choke. You are shoveling food in your mouth quite uncivilized."

Shizuo glared at Izaya. That was not the case; it was just nice to have a real meal for once. "Shut up." Shizuo continued eating. "Besides, sorta feels weird eating this stuff and you can't – you know." Shizuo frowned at his guilt. Where did that come from?

Izaya chuckled and swung his legs. "I'm just happy you didn't cause a fire!"

Shizuo huffed. Poof. There went the guilt.

After the meal, Shizuo retrieved a small glass of sake at Izaya's insistence, a pudding cup, and retreated to relax on the couch. A frown formed when he looked at the spot where his tv used to be; Shizuo didn't use it often, but sometimes it was nice to chill with.

Izaya watched Shizuo sip his drink for a moment from his position on the armchair. "I have a question," he said when some time had passed.

Shizuo sighed and unwillingly gave Izaya his attention. "If I don't like it, I might change my mind about our situation, so ask wisely, flea."

Izaya frowned and clicked his tongue. Honestly. "I didn't say you had to answer it." Izaya slid off the armchair to the comforts of the couch. "When we were arguing in the kitchen the other day-" Izaya cut himself off when he realized that their arguments seemed to always occur in the kitchen. Huh.

Shizuo frowned. "Which time, and what about it?"

Heh. Shizuo noticed too. "The day I saved you from inedible noodles." Shizuo glared at him, but Izaya chuckled lightly and continued before Shizuo got angry. "I asked you why it was so hard to show gratitude about saving your life. Do you remember what you said?" Shizuo inclined his head in thought. Izaya looked up. "Is the answer on the ceiling?" Izaya grinned when Shizuo tensed in anger and growled at him. Izaya lifted his hands. "Sorry, sorry. Carry on." When Shizuo didn't reply, Izaya grew impatient. "Sometimes, I think you might have selective memory," he sighed. Izaya laughed but could sense that Shizuo was close to snapping, so he continued. "You implied that I was a hypocrite. A hypocrite is-"

Shizuo growled and stood up, crushing the empty glass in his hand. "I know what it means, you condescending asshole!" Izaya opened his mouth to reply but decided against it when he saw Shizuo's anger. It seemed as though Shizuo was angrier at the memory than Izaya's comment. "You know what, I'm done with this shit."

Izaya frowned and stood up. It was a simple question, and he said that Shizuo didn't need to answer it. Why was he so mad? Izaya reached for Shizuo's wrist, but the blond yanked it away and turned to face him, eyes burning with hatred. Izaya swallowed dryly; now, he really wanted to know. Izaya curled a hand into a fist, convinced someone had a reset switch. One step forward, two steps back. "What did you mean?" Izaya wouldn't let this go. They had made progress! It may be small and insignificant, but it was something.

Shizuo tried to calm down, but the memory made it hard to obey his mind's command. "In high school," he gritted out.

Izaya was prepared for a list. Even then, he caused Shizuo a lot of trouble. "Something specific? Or all of it?" Izaya sighed inwardly at his big mouth, but then he frowned. Wait. Shizuo had called him a hypocrite, hadn't he? So would that imply – Izaya's eyes widened.

Shizuo had saved him somehow.

The school bell rang, signaling the end of the day as students rushed out of their classrooms. A young Izaya, aged almost seventeen, walked out with his hands in his pockets, grinning as he glanced at the people anxious to get home. Once the halls were cleared of students, everything became quiet.

The cocky teen waited for Shinra in the IT room and switched on a computer with a grin. Izaya logged into the school's newspaper bulletin. Every student had a username and password, which they used to post their own stories. Izaya sent a text to Shinra with a chuckle. Apparently, messing with Shizuo wasn't quite enough to satisfy his boredom. 'I'm in the IT room AB. Come find me when you're done.'

….

Izaya turned to the doorway when Shinra finally appeared. "What were you working on?" The bespectacled boy asked.

Standing up and turning off the computer, Izaya placed a hand on Shinra's shoulder with a grin. "You'll find out tomorrow!"

Shinra looked at him suspiciously; knowing that grin, Izaya was up to no good. "What did you do?"

"Nothing," Izaya lilted and skipped out of the room with Shinra following close behind.

The next day.

Haru, an eleventh grader with a bulky figure and short brown hair dressed in formal attire, walked through the school gates, followed by three friends. Everyone hushed when they stepped onto the school grounds, and it became eerily silent. Their eyes were met with accusing stares. "What's going on? Everyone is acting like someone died or something," one claimed.

"Maybe someone did," Haru replied. "There's Orihara, let's ask him, he probably knows." His friends nodded as they headed over to speak to the raven.

Izaya smirked at them as he leaned against the wall by the entrance. So clueless. Secrets are so much fun.

"What's going on around here? Everyone is acting weird."

"Not a clue," Izaya sang and walked into the building without another word.

Shinra entered the building and found Izaya by his locker. "What did you do?" Shinra asked immediately when he stopped beside the boy.

Izaya chuckled. "Not read the school news bulletin this morning?"

Shinra eyed him suspiciously and scanned over the front page when Izaya handed him a paper. His eyes widened as he did so. "Seriously? Haru's dad is a Yakuza? How the hell did you find that out? Whoa, no wonder everyone is on edge this morning. But, posting it in the school newspaper? Are you sure that's a good idea? What if he sees this and sends someone after you?"

"Tsk. If you keep your mouth shut, no one will know it was me. I didn't post my name on it."

Shinra smiled. Izaya's idea of fun was dangerous, but he was smart enough to get away with it. "Heh, Nakura, right?"

Izaya smirked. "Nothing gets past you, does it, my little nerd friend."

"Watch it!" Shizuo shouted when a kid almost bumped into him, running into the school with a newspaper. Shizuo's eyes directly locked onto Izaya once he reached the lockers, and he gritted his teeth because, damn it, it was way too early to start a fight.

Izaya gave him a sarcastic wave. "How's it going, Shizu-chan?"

Way too fucking early. "Don't talk to me, we're not friends!"

Shinra laughed nervously, and Izaya clapped him on the shoulder, his attention remaining on Shizuo. "Like I want your friendship, you overgrown brute." Izaya clicked his tongue before directing his next words to the boy beside him. "See you later, Shinra." The raven left them alone, and Shizuo's anger faded.

Shizuo growled. "What's that know-it-all brat up to anyway?"

Shinra smiled and shrugged with a small laugh. "Nothing you wanna know about."

"Tsk, same shit as usual then."

…..

It was quiet outside, and Izaya was sitting on the bleachers, fiddling with the switchblade in his hand while people watching from the school grounds. Izaya sat up when he noticed someone walking in his direction. "I know it was you!" Izaya expected this confrontation and smirked with his legs dangling over the bench.

Izaya feigned a hurtful expression. "Accusing someone is a very harsh thing, Haru."

"You're the only one in this school that could have found that out!"

Izaya shrugged because what would be the point in denying it now? Izaya laughed. "I'm sorry, were you keeping that a secret?"

Haru's eyes darkened. "I'm going to teach you what happens when someone underestimates me."

Izaya shook his head and clicked his tongue. "Scary! But do you think I'm scared of you just because your dad is Yakuza?" Izaya pointed his knife at Haru, but three others stepped out from the shadows within seconds. Izaya stood up, arms outstretched with a firm grip on his weapon. "Are you sure you want to do this here on the school grounds?" Izaya already knew the answer and jumped off the bench before slicing Haru across the chest. Izaya laughed at the surprised expression on Haru's face and ran.

"Get him!" one of the three shouted.

"Wait!" Haru called. "Two of you run that way."

Izaya ran toward the back of the school and was surprised when he realized they had trapped him. Izaya stepped back and held up his knife threateningly. Haru and his other friend soon caught up to them. Izaya spun around and slashed one of them in the leg, ducked quickly when a punch from another came his way, and sliced him across the shoulder with a chuckle.

Haru gritted his teeth, surprised to discover how quick Izaya was. "Just grab him!"

Izaya sidestepped two of them but was too late to dodge the rest. They grabbed his arms and pulled him away, shoving him against the wall. Izaya seethed when the back of his head hit the hard bricks.

Izaya grinned at Haru, making the boy nervous and aware that his threats were not convincing. Haru suddenly threw a punch across Izaya's face, able to draw blood, and a kick to the stomach followed. Izaya grunted at the impact but laughed. "I'm somewhat disappointed, Haru. You're a Yakuza's son, and you can barely throw a punch." Izaya freed one of his arms by kicking one of the guys in the shin. Haru growled in anger and quickly threw his head against Izaya's, hitting him above the eye, allowing his friends to recapture him.

"Come on, Haru!" one of them shouted. "Your dad is a Yakuza, so live a little." The friend picked up a broken piece of pipe, causing Izaya to narrow his eyes.

Haru spoke slowly, his nervousness returning. "Let's not go overboard, Akiba…."

Akiba grinned and swung the pipe in one swift move. The pipe struck Izaya's right leg, and the raven bit back a scream. "Wanna laugh now, punk?" Another strike against his ribcage, and Izaya dropped his knife when he felt an instant crack.

While Akiba continued his attack, Haru retrieved the knife to throw it, and it clinked against the metal railing with an echo. Haru turned his head suddenly. "I think I heard someone coming." The two released their hold on Izaya, who slumped against the wall, clutching his side as he gazed in the same direction.

"Fine, let's get out of here." Akiba turned and swung the pipe against Izaya's head.

Izaya hit the ground with a low yelp, his ears resounding from the collision. Fuck, he couldn't blackout here.

The four ran off immediately, passing Shizuo without a fleeting glance. Shizuo watched them run with a suspicious frown, clicked his tongue, and continued his search for Izaya, but when he turned around, he froze. "Shit."

Great, just my luck. Izaya lifted his hand weakly to haul himself up, but his injured leg wouldn't let him. Izaya watched with blurred vision when Shizuo walked toward him slowly, but he seemed less threatening than usual. "Shizu-chan….Sorry, but I can't….play today."

Shizuo narrowed his eyes. "What happened?"

Izaya flinched away when Shizuo touched his shoulder and hissed when pain shot across his side. "For once….can you….just leave without attacking me?" Izaya saw the eye roll Shizuo gave him and wondered why Shizuo was acting calm, even though he still looked angry.

"Do you want my help or not flea?" Izaya's eyes widened at the gesture, and he tried to focus his gaze on the blond. Why? "Wait here, I'll get Shinra." Seeing Shizuo about to walk away, Izaya stood up to quickly reach for Shizuo's shirt.

"Don't leave," Izaya said weakly, causing surprise to etch across Shizuo's face. Izaya couldn't explain it, but right now, he wanted Shizuo with him. "Don't leave me...Shizu-chan…" It was a plea, and Izaya knew it, but he didn't care. Izaya's eyes drooped, and Shizuo's voice became distant. "Don't fall asleep, flea!" Izaya could barely discern the concern in Shizuo's tone and slumped against him. "Izaya!"

An hour later.

"Where am I?" Izaya asked hazily and turned his head to the side when Shizuo stood up. Izaya gave him a weak grin. "Shizu-chan, what are you doing here? Come to watch me suffer?"

Shizuo blinked at him. "You - you don't remember anything?"

Izaya sat up slightly, holding back a pained groan. He would not show weakness in front of Shizuo. The nurse entered the room with a smile when she saw that her patient was awake. "It'll take some time for you to recover," she told him.

Izaya sighed. He had seriously underestimated Haru. "Is anything broken?"

"I'm afraid so. You have a fractured rib and a broken leg, but I'm pleased to say there is no permanent damage to your skull. What's the last thing you remember?"

Izaya glanced at Shizuo, wondering why he was looking at him expectantly, and held a hand to his head when he looked at the nurse. "Pipe..."

"Anything else?"

"No." Turning his attention back to Shizuo, he laid back slightly. "If you haven't come to watch me suffer, then why are you here?"

Shizuo growled at him. "Don't get defensive, flea. Shinra sent me to see if you were okay. Personally, I don't care." Shizuo then stormed out of the room.

Izaya frowned after him.

Shizuo narrowed his eyes, and Izaya knew that he could see the recognition on his face. "Shizuo…." Shizuo growled and stormed into the kitchen. Izaya could only stare in shock. Izaya walked into the kitchen to find Shizuo leaning over the sink, probably rinsing the blood off his hand from the glass. "Shizuo, about that day…."

Shizuo stilled and turned off the water. "You," he gritted. "After what happened, you still continued to make my life hell."

Izaya frowned. "Shizuo-"

Shizuo turned sharply. "I hate you! Get the fuck out of my apartment!"

Izaya glared at him. "It was seven years ago, and I-"

Shizuo stepped forward, anger swelling within him. "Get out!"

Izaya closed his eyes when he felt his control slip, and his sudden emotions surfaced. Izaya looked at Shizuo as tears burned angrily in his eyes. "Shizuo, I forgot!" Izaya slammed his hands on the small table. "I forgot, okay!" He remembered now. Remembered how the secret got him into trouble that day, and if Shizuo hadn't appeared, Izaya would have come off worse. Shizuo had saved him, stayed with him, and carried him while finding help. Izaya's memory was sharp, and he was surprised to find that he had forgotten about that day. The pipe to the head was probably a big cause of it. Maybe being dead caused earlier memories to surface. Izaya doubted Shizuo would believe he had forgotten, but what else could he say? For once, it was the truth.

Shizuo's anger faded slightly. No way. No way was that true. "You – you really forgot?"

Izaya gritted his teeth, eyes still burning, but he refused to let them fall. He hadn't cried in front of anyone since he was seven, and the last time he even shed tears was when his grandfather died. Shizuo would not see him cry! "Izaya…."

Izaya huffed a laugh and lowered his head. "God, I'm so pathetic. I really hate you, Shizuo, you know that?" Izaya heard Shizuo approach him, but by now, he was used to the fact that Shizuo couldn't harm him and simply ignored him. "I'm not lying, though. I really did forget." Izaya looked up at him and was surprised to see Shizuo's hand out toward him. "What?"

Shizuo stepped forward. "Must have been a while since you had any kind of human contact, right?" Izaya glanced at the hand and back to Shizuo. "S'not a big deal or anything, I just…."

Izaya smiled. The irony wasn't lost on either of them. "Is this your way of saying that you believe me?" Shizuo didn't reply, but Izaya could tell that he did and exhaled slowly before raising his hand. Izaya couldn't stop the small gasp when his hand lightly grasped Shizuo's. Shizuo didn't think so, but this was a big deal. It was the first time they had gestured any form of touch without physical harm if you didn't count what Izaya had forgotten. Shizu-chan's hand is warm. Izaya shook his head and pulled his hand back. "Heh. I remembered that day, but I can't remember how I died. Maybe I have selective memory," he joked.

A frown appeared on Shizuo's face, and Izaya tilted his head at the sudden switch. Why did Shizuo look guilty?

Shizuo sighed and sat on the fold-up chair. "Izaya, I think there's something you need to know. I didn't tell you before because it seemed like you didn't wanna know, and to be honest, I wasn't sure it was even significant to your situation."

Izaya's heart started racing. What did that mean? "Shizuo, do you know something about my death?" Shizuo flinched. He always did that when Izaya mentioned it, and the raven sensed he was about to find out why.

"Not exactly."

Izaya gripped the opposite chair. "Enlighten me."

Shizuo scowled and looked up at Izaya, trying to be angry, but he couldn't. After what happened moments ago, Shizuo didn't want to tell him, but even Izaya deserved to know. "I was there."

Izaya's eyes widened. "What?"

Shizuo shook his head before Izaya got the wrong idea. "Not when you died, but – before. There was this party, I guess. I was collecting a debt with Tom from some kind of weapons dealer or something. Anyway, when we found him…."

Izaya's breathing grew heavy while Shizuo continued, and his hold on the chair loosened as he stepped back. The auction party, the weapons dealer, collecting a debt…. Shizu-chan must have seen me at the party while I was working. Izaya gasped. "You blew my cover," he said quietly in shock. "It's your fault…."

Shizuo grasped his head. "I didn't realize….but the look on your face….it must have been obvious to that guy then. You ran, but I don't know what happened after that." Shizuo growled at his stupidity. He didn't know! At the time, Shizuo didn't care, but now he knew it probably caused Izaya to lose his life…. "Izaya, I'm sorry." When Shizuo looked up, Izaya was gone.