Chapter 3
And Kadota was wrong.
Surprisingly.
After that brief exchange, the two of them had gone their separate ways. Shizuo sat on the couch, which earned him an annoyed response from Izaya but it was quickly put to rest, and turned on the TV. He turned it on to boxing and sat silently for a good three hours. Kadota had followed Shizuo's example, except he got up every once in a while to refill Izaya's coffee cup. At first, the carpenter had let Izaya do it but after his second empty cup within an hour, Kadota decided he'd refill it for him so he could keep working.
Neither the blond nor the carpenter knew what Izaya was doing on his computer. But he was on it well into the night. Even ignoring his growling stomach—which Shizuo and Kadota had both heard—until he finally grabbed his phone and reached into his draw to pull out some menu pamphlets for different restaraunts. Once there, the raven had turned and asked his guests what they wanted and named off that there was Chinese, American, Italian, or Japanese cuisines. Kadota said he'd eat any of it and Shizuo chimed in with American. To which Izaya replied with "Chinese it is." and began dialing in the call. That earned him a growl but the blond bit his tongue.
However, when the food arrived, Shizuo was pleasantly surprised with a plus-size cheeseburger and french fries while Kadota got a Chinese cuisine with Izaya.
Even while eating, Izaya was still on his computer. Every once in awhile he'd put his food down to type and at this point of the night he had on a pair of pink-and-white over-the-head headphones. But other than that, his eating went uninterrupted.
Kadota and Shizuo decided it would be best not to bother Izaya. Neither one knew what he was doing on his computer and, honestly, neither of them wanted to know. They'd rather not be guilty by association of something illegal because they were too curious.
It was only when midnight started rolling around that the two agreed to chime up.
"Hey, Izaya-kun." Shizuo said loud enough to get the raven to take off his headphones.
"Yeah?"
"It's getting pretty late. We should head to bed soon."
"You two can go to bed. I still have work to do."
"Well, we can't, actually." Shizuo glared at him. "You'll keep us up with your keyboard clacking."
"Shizuo." Kadota interjected. "We're a guest in his house."
"No, it's fine." Izaya said. "The monster's got a point."
Shizuo glared at him while the raven stretched.
"Why don't you two take my bed then?"
"Eh?" Shizuo cocked a brow.
"I'm not tired and, again, I still have a good amount of work to do. So you two can take my bed. I'll wash everything on it in the morning to get the monster stink off. It's big enough that you two could share while not touching so you don't need to worry about 'no homo'."
Shizuo was a little confused by that statement of 'no homo' but didn't question it. "Are you sure?"
"Yes, yes. It's fine."
The two men looked at each other in uncertainty. After all, the point of them staying at Izaya's place was to keep an eye on him when he sleeps. If they fell asleep while Izaya stayed awake, there would really be no point in them staying there.
And Izaya knew that. So the raven rolled his eyes and said: "Leave the door open if you want so you can hear me."
Kadota hesitated then said: "I can sleep through noise so I can stay down here."
"If you can sleep through noise then you're less likely to wake up to anything throughout the night."
"No, I do. I can fall asleep to noise but if it gets quiet while I'm sleeping, any noise will wake me up."
"...Well, if you're alright with it. It's up to you." Izaya shrugged. "You can use the bed if you want."
The raven turned back to the computer. Shizuo glowered at him and opened his mouth to say something.
"Did anyone switch out the laundry?" Izaya said first.
Their eyes widened in realization.
Izaya looked up at them and automatically understood that expression. "Really?"
"...Shut up. You forgot too." Shizuo said.
"Shut up." The raven stood.
He sighed heavily as he walked around his desk and headed to the kitchen. With the raven's back to him, Shizuo leaned back over the desk to look at the computer screen.
"I guess you can use the covers on the bed. Decide now if you're moving them down here or not."
"You should just go to bed, flea." Shizuo stated.
"I told you—"
"It's bullshit that you have work and we all know it. You just don't want to go to bed."
"Hah?" Izaya turned around so fast and casted Shizuo a glare of hatred. "What right do you have to call me a liar—"
"You're watching Youtube, you damn flea! Work my ass!"
Izaya opened his mouth to reply but stuttered. That made Shizuo grin, which made Izaya's glare fill with even more hate.
"Shut up." The raven finally said. "Whether I go to sleep or not is none of your concern."
"It is, actually. The insomniac needs to sleep. And the stalker would only show up while you're asleep."
"So you plan to use me as bait? Classy, Shizu-chan."
"Well, how else are we supposed to catch the guy?"
"Again, it's not a stalker!"
"You're just in denial!"
"No, you're in denial!" Izaya squared up to Shizuo. "The monster doesn't like that thought of other monsters encroaching on what's his."
"What the—you're not mine—"
"You blatantly said that you were going to be the one to kill me, right? So if another monster takes your kill, you'd be pissed, wouldn't you? That's the only reason you're even here. To make sure the 'stalker' doesn't kill me first."
"That is not why!"
"Yeah, sure."
"Guys, guys." Kadota pushed in between them despite his better judgement to stay out of it. "Calm, okay? Izaya, you don't want to have to buy new furniture, I'm sure. And I doubt Shizuo wants to spend the night in jail. So let's just calm down."
The rivals huffed and backed off. Kadota let out a sigh of relief.
"Just go to sleep. We'll keep an eye on you." Shizuo growled as he crossed his arms and turned away.
"Yeah, like that's what I want. One monster watching me sleep is more than enough, thanks."
"JUST GO TO BED, YOU BASTARD!"
Izaya only chuckled to the yell, scorn and maniacal happiness burning in his eyes. The raven then huffed and turned away.
Shizuo heard the flea walk away and quickly looked over his shoulder to see what he was doing. Izaya was heading to the door.
"Hey, where are you goin—"
"I'm locking the door, you neanderthal."
Shizuo blushed. "Sh-shut up."
Izaya just rolled his eyes and did as he said he was going to do. Once done with that, he turned and went into the kitchen. The two men watched him and that was when they noticed Izaya had baby locks on all the cupboards and drawers. The raven double-checked to make sure they were all properly locked. He then went to the bathroom door and locked that, pulling on the knob to make sure.
He sighed and turned around. "You two don't have any blankets. You realize that, Shizu-chan?"
"They're not dirty, are they? We can handle stale blankets."
Izaya glanced at Kadota, who just nodded in agreement. The raven just rolled his eyes and went back over to the closet. "Fine then."
He pulled out two blankets. They were smaller than the ones Izaya had tried to wash. He deposited them on the couch, grabbed two pillows, did the same to them, then turned and walked away. He put the bathroom key on the coffee table as he walked past the two.
"Night." Izaya said as he went up the stairs.
"Aren't you going to turn off your computer?" Shizuo growled.
"It's on sleep mode." Was the raven's only reply before he shut the door, ending the conversation immediately.
Shizuo snorted and rolled his eyes. "Stupid flea."
Kadota sighed as he walked over and turned off the lights. "Good night, Shizuo."
"Night, Kadota."
Shizuo opened his eyes with a groan. He was still laying on his back on the couch, one arm dangling off the cushions. It was still pitch black in the room and with a turn of his head he saw it was only 3:31 a.m. Seeing that only made the blond groan more. He rubbed his eyes then rolled over to try and go back to sleep.
As he closed his eyes, he finally realized why he woke up.
There was a repeated banging happening behind him.
He sat up slowly, seeing Kadota do the same by the shift of shadows on the other couch. The carpenter grabbed his phone off the coffee table and flipped it on. He turned on the flashlight and shined it around the room.
Both their eyes widened when the beam of light focused on the source of the noise.
Izaya was down in the living room with them, walking straight into the bookshelf. He kept taking a step forward, hitting his forehead on the books that sat there. Some books were lying on the floor around him. He took another step forward, hit the bookshelf again, and a book fell off and hit Izaya on the shoulder. The raven let out a small groan but continued to try to walk forward.
"What the…?" Shizuo whispered to Kadota, extremely confused.
Any other time, Shizuo probably would have laughed at this display. After all, it's not everyday the blond gets to see Izaya be clumsy and hurt himself. But this wasn't funny, this was extremely creepy and weird. The way Izaya was acting was not amusing in the slightest.
Kadota stood. The carpenter casted Shizuo an uncertain look before he started over to Izaya.
"Izaya? You awake?"
Izaya didn't answer. Shizuo stood, taking slow, tentative steps as if heavy footfalls would wake the raven and make him violent.
"I'm going to turn on a light." Shizuo said in a soft voice.
"Okay."
The blond stepped over to one of the many nightstands by the couch and turned on a lamp. With the room relatively illuminated, Kadota turned off the flashlight on his phone and put it in his pocket.
Izaya continued to walk into the bookshelf. With the lights on, Shizuo could see his eye were indeed closed.
"Izaya." Kadota called, softly.
"Izaya. Hey." Shizuo also called.
The two quietly walked over to the raven until they were standing right next to him. The raven was completely oblivious to their presence.
"Izaya." Shizuo reached out to touch him.
"Wait, Shizuo." Kadota grabbed his wrist. "You remember what Shinra said? Waking him up could cause a heart attack."
"...Yeah, but that's just a superstition. It's never been proven, right?"
"...I...Don't know." Kadota didn't look convinced with Shizuo's statement.
And the blond noticed. "What do you want to do then, Kadota?"
Kadota was silent for a moment. "Well, if he's having a nightmare then we shouldn't let him suffer through it...Maybe we should lay him down then wake him up."
Shizuo nodded. The blond turned back to Izaya. "Hey, Izaya…"
The raven continued to bang his head.
Shizuo reached out and placed his hand on Izaya's forehead. The raven didn't register the touch and still tried to walk forward. But the blond's hand acted as a guard so Izaya didn't hit his head. With reassurance Izaya wouldn't wake, Shizuo put his other arm around his shoulders and turned him. The raven followed without resistance.
"Come on, let's lie down."
Kadota followed closely as Shizuo began to lead him to the closest soft surface—the couch.
Halfway through their journey, Izaya began to get uncooperative. He began to pull away, trying to push Shizuo from him. His face started to contort in a scowl as he tried to move himself backwards.
"Izaya." Shizuo held onto him, gripping with a bit more force to keep him in place.
Izaya didn't reply. Instead, his mouth opened to in a pant as he continued to feebly struggle.
"Izaya, come on." Kadota came on IZaya's other side and slightly pushed the raven's back to get him moving.
Izaya took a forced step forward.
"Sto…" Izaya began.
"Come on, Izaya." Shizuo gave him another pull. "Come lay down."
"No...no…"
"It's okay." Kadota said.
"Hel—no. R-run. Run…"
"Sssh. It's okay, Izaya."
"Coming. They're com…"
"No one's coming. It's okay—"
Izaya screamed.
The two men jumped, Kadota pulling away and putting a hand over the ear that was closest to Izaya on reflex. Shizuo's grip on the raven only tightened. Izaya jerked in the blond's hold, attempting to pull away.
"No!" Izaya screamed, thrashing wildly. "No, let me go!"
"Izaya!" Shizuo yelled. "Stop! It's okay!"
"Get away from me! Don't—no!"
"What should we do?!" Kadota looked at Shizuo, seeming to be dumbstruck from shock.
"Get away...don't...hurt me anymore! Let me go~! Plea—please!"
Shizuo grabbed Izaya and turned him so they were facing each other. "Wake up!"
"Shizuo, don't!"
Shizuo ignored Kadota in favor of shaking the screaming raven. "Wake up, you damn flea! WAKE UP NOW!"
"No~ no…"
"WAKE! UP!" Shizuo's shaking went from attempts of gentleness to violent. "NOW!"
"Shizuo, stop it! That's not going to help!"
"WAKE UP! WAKE UP! STOP FUCKING DREAMING!"
The raven's eyes flared open. He looked up at Shizuo and instantaneous swung his arm up. Out of peer reaction, Izaya collided his fist into Shizuo's cheek. It didn't hurt, didn't even make the blond flinch, but it made Shizuo let the raven go in pure shock.
"What the hell, flea?!"
Izaya didn't answer as he took shaky steps back. He was gasping loudly, shaking horribly, and holding himself tightly. He was barely standing, his knees closed together to keep him supported while he bent forward.
"no no no no no" Izaya's voice was small and desperate, barely audible as he repeated the same word over and over and over.
"Izaya…?" Shizuo asked, cocking a brow.
"no no no no no no no no no"
Liquids was drizzling from his eyes and mouth before he fell to his knees, sitting huddled on the ground.
"no no no no no no no no no no no no no no"
"Izaya." Kadota walked over cautiously.
A pungent scent filled the air while Izaya started to rock. Shizuo was confused by where the scent was coming from and why it suddenly came out. Then the blond realized he recognized it. It was the scent of urine.
'Did...Did Izaya really…?'
"no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no"
"Izaya." Kadota now stood over the raven. "Izaya." Kadota reached down and touched his shoulder.
The raven jumped and quickly looked up. The terror in his eyes were evident before they widened in realization.
"Ka…dota…"
"Yeah, it's me." Kadota knelt down, carefully putting his hands on Izaya's shoulders. "You're okay."
"I'm...back…?"
"Uh-huh. You're home. Safe. Where no one can hurt you."
"Safe…"
"That's right. Come on, Izaya." Kadota held his hands out to the raven, still kneeling. "Let's get you cleaned up."
"Wait!" Shizuo called. "So did he really—"
"Shoosh!" Kadota casted him a glower.
Shizuo fell silent.
"Come on, Izaya." The carpenter turned back to the raven, gripping his arms to try and help him stand.
The raven leaned against Kadota heavily, barely standing on his shaky legs. The carpenter wrapped an arm around his waist in support.
"Shizuo, can you clean that up please?" Kadota asked kindly, but the look he casted made it obvious the man was saying, "You caused this, you clean it up."
The blond understood the message but said nothing as Kadota led the raven away. Shizuo turned around and went to one of the closets.
'I didn't sign up to clean up a grown man's piss.'
Once the bedroom door closed, Shizuo let out a heavy sigh.
'This better not be a reoccurring thing. I might lose my patience and punch him if I can't get any sleep.'
