Ghost hunt club

by thedollars666

"My name is Izaya Orihara, I'm fifteen years old, and I can see ghosts. Heh, maybe I should start from the beginning." AU. This story has been revamped as of 10/05/22 ready for the long overdue sequel. Shizaya. Shinzaya.

6. Transfer student

One week later.

Izaya tried not to think about the incident in the building, but sometimes, he couldn't suppress his fears long enough to get any sleep. Izaya started to lose concentration at school due to lack of sleep and was vaguely aware of his friend's concern, but why bother burdening them? It didn't happen to them, so what was the point? Izaya knew it wouldn't be long before Shinra backed him into a corner and forced it out of him; that first night when they came back from the death trap was the first time Izaya had ever cried in front of someone other than his parents, and although it angered him, Izaya came to realize that Shinra was his emotional security blanket.

Apparently, almost getting buried alive took more than one day to get over.

Izaya gasped for air immediately after waking, and his hands shot out on instinct, hitting something that wasn't there. Izaya turned and switched his bedside lamp on. He resisted the urge to keep it on; his mother would suspect something was wrong if he did.

Izaya reached into his side drawer and pulled out his flick blade…..

Izaya was on the school's roof during one of their Phys ed classes. He was extremely tired and lay across the bench to simply watch the clouds change their shape, mingling into one another as a soft breeze blew across his hair. Izaya began to doze off, and before he could fight it, sleep overcame him.

Izaya jolted awake with a yelp and slid off the bench, forgetting where he was, and on instinct, withdrew his knife from his pocket, raised his sleeve, placed the metal against his skin and-

"Izaya! What the hell are you doing!"

Izaya froze, eyes wide as he stared at the blade unmoving. Shinra ran toward him, and his grip on the knife tightened, but he didn't move it. "Leave me alone!"

"Are you crazy!" Shinra yelled, grabbing Izaya's wrist to pull the knife away from his other arm.

Izaya yanked it away, eyes glaring as he stepped back from him. "Go away! This isn't your concern!"

Shinra narrowed his eyes, following Izaya's steps, causing the raven to move further back. "Like hell it isn't! What were you thinking!" Shinra grabbed Izaya's wrist again, wrestling the knife out of his hand, and it clattered to the ground, causing the smaller male to snap.

Izaya shoved Shinra backward so hard the bespectacled boy fell with a thud. Izaya jumped on him and raised his fist. Lashing out was Izaya's desperate way of asking for help, and Shinra wouldn't deny him of that, even if it meant he had to fight him to do it. Shinra could barely throw a punch, but his need to help his friend caused adrenaline to rush through him. Shinra reached up and grabbed fists full of Izaya's shirt and pushed him off. Izaya scowled and quickly stood as Shinra moved toward him. The angry raven grabbed Shinra's jacket and shoved him against the fence. "You can't help me! You can't understand!"

"I would if you let me!"

"Fuck off!" Without thinking, Izaya brought his knee up, and Shinra doubled over. "I don't need your help! I'm dealing with it my way, so leave me alone!"

Shinra coughed. The blow hurt, but he didn't care because Izaya needed him. Shinra ignored the pain and punched Izaya in the mouth, shoving him against the fence, reversing their positions. "I know you've been having nightmares, Izaya! You're always tired, you barely say anything during our conversations, and you skip classes like Phys ed, which I know you love. What happened to you is something you can't just get over, so stop hiding and let me help you!"

"I'm not hiding, Shinra! Get off!"

"No! I'm not going to stand by and watch you kill yourself, knowing I could have done something to help."

Izaya's eyes widened. Shinra thought he was going to - oh, now he understood.

Izaya laughed, his eyes hidden behind his bangs, soon turning bitter and dark. Shinra frowned. "Thought you had me all figured out, did you?" Izaya grinned and tilted his head back. Shinra released his hold, not liking this side of his friend. "Coming up here with your bold actions, acting like you know everything, wanting to be my 'savior,' talk me down and all that bullshit. You don't know anything. If you believe that you're always there for me, always trying to burden yourself with my issues, it'll stop you from seeing how much of a loser you are. You're pathetic."

Shinra clenched his fists and tried to ignore what Izaya said, but his heart tightened painfully with every word coming from his mouth. "Izaya-"

"Don't come to me with your friendship, claiming how much you want to help me, when all you want to do is make yourself feel better."

"That's not-!"

Izaya shoved him away, stormed past him, picked up his fallen knife, and pocketed it. He sneered at Shinra before giving him a slight smirk that disappeared quickly as he said, "We're no longer friends. From now on, you're just someone who goes to the same school."

"Izaya!" Shinra watched him disappear behind the door, tears threatening to fall. "I won't give up on you. I may not understand what's happening with you, but I know one thing, true friends don't just quit on each other."

Kadota watched Izaya leave their last class without a glance at them. He looked at Shinra, who frowned at the empty spot where the raven had been sitting. "What's going on with you two? Ever since you skipped Phys ed today, you and Izaya have barely uttered a syllable to each other. And you never told me how you got that bruise on your cheek or about the cut on his lip. Did you two get into a fight?"

Shinra sighed. No way could he tell Kadota what he'd seen on the roof. Izaya was already not talking to him. "Sort of."

"What the hell happened?"

"It doesn't matter. Please, can we drop this?"

Kadota shrugged. "If you want."

Going home was awkward. Everyone else had already left. It was just the three of them now. Izaya sat down furthest away from them as he swapped his shoes over. He opened his locker, placed the other pair inside, grabbed his bag, and shut the door. Without a word, he headed for the exit. "Oi, Izaya!" Kadota shouted out, looking at Shinra, who stared sadly at the floor and ran to catch up to the raven before Shinra could stop him. "Izaya, wait up!" Kadota grabbed his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. Izaya yanked away, frowning up at him. "What's going on? Why are you and Shinra acting like this? What happened?"

"Just leave me alone. Don't talk to me anymore. We're not friends."

Kadota blinked at the sudden hostility. Izaya didn't even use his annoying nickname, and he found himself wondering what he'd done to cause Izaya to act this way toward him. "I don't understand-" Kadota frowned. "It's about what happened, isn't it? You've not been yourself since, but shutting us out won't help. We're here for you, Izaya."

Izaya grinned and held out his arms. "And I'm just expected to embrace you both in a hug and pour out my feelings just because you say you're here for me?"

Kadota snorted with a small grin of his own. "Hardly. Something like that I expect from Shinra."

There was a slight change in Izaya's cold stare, almost like he wanted to smile at the comment. "Tsk. So, wise Dota-chin. What's going through your head right now?"

"Are you asking me what I think?" Izaya didn't reply, so Kadota took that as a sign to continue. "I think that whatever you're going through we can't possibly begin to understand, and I'm not going to try either, but whichever way you chose to deal with it, I'm sure only you know what's best."

Izaya didn't know how to respond, so he simply grinned. "And nothing short of suicide crossed your mind?"

Kadota snorted at the assumption. "What the fuck? No, who the hell would think that?" Izaya's eyes flittered over at Shinra by the lockers. Kadota turned in Shinra's direction and sighed, looking back at Izaya. "That's why you guys are fighting."

"Partially. No need for you to worry about it. He'll get over it. Besides, he has you now."

Kadota blinked in confusion. "Seriously? That's it? You're just not friends anymore?"

Izaya rolled his eyes. "He doesn't need me. He just needs someone. It doesn't matter who it is, just someone to make himself feel better. I'm sure hope you've got some issues for him to solve."

Kadota shook his head. "Izaya, Shinra isn't your friend to make himself feel better. You know damn well that's not true. People make mistakes. You made a mistake by lying to him, and what did he think? The same thing you're thinking now, remember? He said the exact same thing to you, and after you explained, he forgave you. Don't you think you owe him the same response?"

Izaya narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. "He - thought - I - was – suicidal."

Kadota scratched the back of his head. "All right, that is worse than lying to cover up your psychic ability."

"I'd say a lot worse."

"Yes, it is, but enough to end a good friendship?"

"A few months is nothing."

"Izaya, creating the friendship that you have in just a couple of months isn't nothing." Kadota smiled. "Friends like Shinra are hard to come by, and to be honest, I was pretty bored before I met you two. What was it you said? 'I like having you two as friends,' or something like that."

Izaya looked away from him, unable to keep his cold façade up. "Forgiveness takes a lot of effort."

"And it's easier to break it off, right?" Izaya seemed to shuffle his feet. "What makes it effort in the first place is if it's only one sided. I bet Shinra is willing to do anything for your forgiveness. You can say or do whatever you want, but you know he won't leave you alone. The only question is, are you really willing to end your friendship?"

"What if I am, and what if I don't care?"

"All right, then answer me this. What if Shinra hadn't forgiven you? What if he was still mad that you lied to him? Would you accept it? Would you be willing to give up trying so easily like you want him to?"

Izaya shoved his hands in his pockets. "Maybe."

"Oh, yeah, that was very convincing." Izaya glared at him. What did Kadota expect? He didn't like being interrogated like this. The boy was scolding him like a parent! Kadota sighed. "Look, I don't know what led Shinra to believe you were suicidal in the first place, but I know it had to have been a damn good reason. Shinra wouldn't come to that conclusion on his own like that. Don't you think he deserves an explanation? I know you trust him with things like this, more so than me." Kadota then teased. "Not at all offended." Izaya rolled his eyes, and a small smile of amusement finally showed itself. "He's the one person I know you trust completely, so I don't know why now you're choosing to hide."

"I'm not-"

"Fine, you're not hiding, but whatever it is you're doing can't be good. Shinra's worried about you. He wants to help, and not because it'll make himself feel better."

"Wise Dota-chin indeed." Izaya grinned.

"Shut up. How'd I end up becoming the wise older brother in this triangle?"

Izaya shrugged. "We didn't ask you to."

"Yeah, well somebody has to keep you both out of trouble." Izaya chuckled. "So am I right in thinking since you said we, that you're willing to forgive him?"

Izaya turned on his heel and walked away without saying anything. Kadota smiled, watching him go; it wasn't a yes, but it wasn't a no either.

Shinra stood up when Kadota walked back into the building. "He hates me," Shinra said with a slump. Kadota frowned and smacked him on the back of the head. "Ow!"

"Do you ever think before you speak?"

Shinra rubbed his head with a pout. "What do you mean?"

"Izaya told me."

Shinra looked up. "Huh?"

"He told me that you thought he was suicidal."

Shinra winced and looked down at the floor. "Oh."

"What were you thinking? I know what he went through was awful, but he's not going to just launch himself off a building. Even I know that." Shinra almost laughed. "I know there's a lot of ways someone can end their life, but since I know you're not going to tell me what led you to your assumption, it was the first thing I could think of."

"He didn't tell you?"

Kadota shook his head. "You know he won't, and I don't think he hates you."

"Really?"

"I think he's just a stubborn idiot."

Shinra laughed. "You're right about that."

"I know you won't, and I think he knows it too, but don't give up on him."

Shinra shook his head. "I never planned to."

Izaya looked at his phone, sitting on his bed, staring at the incoming call from Shinra. His thumb hovered over the green before skimming past and pressing ignore. Izaya threw his phone beside him and placed his head in his hands. Izaya raised up his sleeves. Some cuts had begun to scar now, and others were still sensitive to touch. It wasn't a solution to his nightmares at all! All he did was cover it up, just like his cuts. His phone pinged, and he groaned at the message. 'If you won't answer me, I'm coming over.'

Izaya didn't bother even replying. Shinra would come over whether he answered or not. Would it solve the problem if he told Shinra what was going on? Izaya brushed a long scar on his right arm with his fingertips. If his mother saw these, she'd freak and probably pay for a therapist. Izaya laughed. "Like that would work anyway." There was a sudden knock on his door, and Izaya quickly covered his arms when the door opened, and Shinra's head poked round. "Go away."

Shinra shook his head and closed the door behind him. "Your mom let me up."

"I don't want to see you."

Shinra ignored him and climbed on the bed to sit opposite him. "Then close your eyes, because I'm not leaving."

Izaya glared at him and snorted. "Smart ass."

"Izaya, I'm truly sorry about what happened on the roof. I was just in shock. When I saw the knife - I just-"

Izaya sighed, cutting Shinra off. "I get it now. I know it probably looked that way, but I was angry at you for being too damn inquisitive, for jumping to conclusions, and I was angry at myself for getting caught."

Shinra frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I-"

Shinra noticed Izaya's hesitation and shuffled closer, knowing the other raven couldn't back off. "Izaya, talk to me." Izaya bit his bottom lip, wincing when his teeth grazed the small cut there. "Sorry about that."

Izaya smiled. "Well, at least I know you can throw a punch if you're angry enough." Shinra showed Izaya his knuckles, and the teen laughed. "Well, almost." Shinra looked down at the bed, avoiding Izaya's gaze. "About what I said…."

Shinra shook his head. "I deserved it."

"Let me finish." Izaya leaned over and flicked him on the head. Shinra pouted at him. Izaya grinned before he became serious once more. "I know you don't think that you just want to help for your own sake. So for that, I'm sorry."

Shinra smiled. "Everyone says things when they're angry."

"Tsk. Don't act like your feelings weren't hurt. That's my trick, and you suck at it."

"Mean."

"It's true. You're extremely transparent."

"Fine. But - I shouldn't have assumed, so I probably did deserve it."

"I think anyone would think the same if they found their best friend with a knife to his arm."

Shinra nodded before a wide grin spread on his face. "Best friend?"

Izaya whacked him on the shoulder. "Shut up."

The two were silent, a sure sign that things between them would probably be okay. After a while, Izaya spoke again. "It happened without thinking - the first time, I mean."

Shinra jumped at the break of silence. "Okay?"

Izaya brought his legs up to his chest, his chin leaning over his knee. "I have been having nightmares. I have them almost every night. I can't sleep when they occur, and to be honest, I don't really want to. Sometimes I'm in the coffin, sometimes I'm buried, and sometimes I don't even get found. The first time was around four weeks ago. I awoke really shaken, and I couldn't get myself to calm down. I reached for my knife, and before I knew what I was doing, there was a large cut down my arm." Shinra didn't know what to say. "I came to realize that it actually calmed me down. The initial pain brought me back to my senses - in a matter of speaking. By the fourth time, I had full control over it. It's my way of getting my brain to realize I'm alive." Shinra opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. Izaya tilted his head back and laughed ruefully. "You know what's worse? I don't think I can stop it. Getting caught by you made me realize that. What if it had been someone else who saw me? Like a teacher." Shinra noticed Izaya's hands begin to shake. "I can't stop it…. I can't stop the nightmares, I can't…."

Shinra quickly shuffled forward and forced Izaya into a hug, pulling him close. "Shh… calm down. It's okay. You're not alone." Shinra rested his hand on the back of Izaya's neck. The raven pulled away slowly, looking into the other teen's eyes with tear-stained cheeks.

"Shinra…"

"You're not alone, okay?" Izaya's lips moved to reply, but he leaned forward instead, and their lips pressed against each other's. Izaya's hands moved and grabbed Shinra's shirt to pull him closer. Shinra leaned over him and lay his hand on Izaya's small waste, and Izaya switched their positions. "Izaya…"

Shinra bolted upright, his heart hammering against his chest, a hand coming up to cover his mouth in shock. "What the hell!" Shinra turned and pressed his face into his pillow, blushing profusely. "This cannot be happening!" His was voice muffled by the fabric as he punched the bed.

That was so not how it ended.

Shinra quickly shuffled forward and forced Izaya into a hug, pulling him close. "Shh…, calm down. It's okay, you're not alone." Izaya pulled away with a slight laugh, wiping at his eyes. Shinra frowned. "Can I see?"

Izaya looked at him and avoided his gaze as he slowly raised his sleeves. "I know it's not really helping, but…I feel like it does."

"I won't even try to understand. I just - there's so many already." Shinra raised his hand to touch Izaya's arm, and Izaya flinched away. "I can't believe you've been dealing with this on your own this long. I'm sorry."

Izaya frowned. "It's not your fault. I didn't know what to do. I thought you might think I was insane."

Shinra grabbed Izaya's hands. "I would never think that."

Izaya sighed. "How do I stop this Shinra? How do I stop the nightmares?"

"I don't know about the nightmares, but first things first." Shinra let go of Izaya's hands and held his palm out. "Give me your knife."

Izaya looked at him like he'd grown an extra head. "W-what?"

"I'm serious, and don't think I'm treating this as though you really are suicidal because if that was true, I'd be taking away a lot more than just your knife."

Izaya tried to joke with him. "How will I defend myself? That is the reason I have it in the first place."

Shinra continued to hold his palm out. "You're a fast runner. You can defend yourself easily by simply dodging."

Izaya snorted. "That's bold."

"Shut up. Now give me it."

Izaya stared at him, and Shinra thought he might get thrown out. Izaya turned, opened the drawer, and handed him the blade. "If I get beaten up now, it's your fault."

Shinra shook his head. "Don't be dramatic. You'll be fine. I'll give it back once I know you're okay."

"Will I be?"

Shinra smiled. "Without a doubt." Shinra raised his finger. "In fact, I have an idea. What if you slept with a light on for a while?"

Izaya clicked his tongue. "I already thought of that, and my mother will get suspicious."

Shinra tapped his chin in thought, then clicked his fingers. "I haven't slept over here before, have I?"

Izaya blinked. "No."

"Okay, so my next idea is - a school break starts tomorrow after school, which gives us a whole week off. What if I sleep over and we tell your mom that I can't sleep without a light?"

Izaya couldn't help but laugh. "Are you serious? You're sixteen. She's not going to believe that."

"Oh, come on. Anyone can be scared of the dark. Not just kids."

"Shinra, my sisters aren't even scared of the dark, and they're six."

Shinra chuckled. "Come on, she'll believe it," he grinned. "She's met me, right?"

Izaya laughed. "You're actually willing to throw your macho-ness away to help me?"

Shinra puffed out his chest. "You think I'm macho?"

Izaya snorted. "Hardly."

"I don't care anyway."

"You're really going to tell my parents that you're Nyctophobic?"

"Sure."

Izaya sighed. "If that's what you want."

"The important thing is that I'll be here, so I can help you when you have a bad dream." Izaya nodded. Maybe Shinra being here would be good for him. "In any case, your sisters love me."

Izaya chuckled. "That's because they think you're a climbing frame. And you let them."

Shinra grinned.

Shinra groaned when he heard his alarm and looked across the room at his premade rucksack. He would be spending the week at Izaya's, dream be damned. He wouldn't break his promise. "Just a dream anyway. Doesn't mean anything." Shinra looked at Izaya's knife sitting on top of his alarm clock. "I'm going to help him."

True to his word, Shinra spent the next week at Izaya's. Izaya still had nightmares, but Shinra felt that his stay had helped. They messed around during the day, Kadota came over a couple of times, and they spent those days playing with the twins. At night, Shinra would wake whenever Izaya did and talk to him for hours until he felt calmer. Shinra didn't care about the lack of sleep; the nightmares became less frequent each day he was there.

When the week was over, Izaya seemed to revert.

Izaya was better, and he promised Shinra that he didn't have nightmares as often, and his urge to cause himself harm was slowly dwindling, but Izaya was still not himself. Shinra was worried; what if his friend never fully recovered from this? What if this was the calm before the storm? What if Izaya fell into a depressive cycle?

Shinra and Kadota wanted to believe their friend would recover, and their hopes were raised when a new student piqued Izaya's curiosity the very next day.

"All right, everyone, settle down please," Koshima told them sternly.

Shinra cleared his throat and stood up. "Stand," he said to the class, and the students rose from their chairs. "Bow." They took a respectful bow and returned to their seats.

"Before you all head off to your classes, there are a few announcements I need to make. First off, there's no social club today after school since the teacher is absent." Two of the students within the class quietly cheered and high-fived the other. "Secondly, a new student is joining our school late, and he should be here any sec-" just then, a tall, slender young male with blond hair walked into the room, a rucksack slung over one shoulder, dressed in the school's blue blazer uniform. "Ah, there he is. Right on cue. Please stand once more." The students stood up. "Class 1A, this is Shizuo Heiwajima. He recently moved and transferred from Kitano high school in Osaka."

Shizuo's eyes scanned the room with a scowl on his face. This was ridiculous. Since the term began, he'd gone to three different high schools and wondered why they bothered with the introductions anymore. He looked at the teacher, who smiled at him; he was sure the man thought the same thing. He'd probably be out of here soon anyway, but…. Shizuo sighed inwardly. He promised his brother he'd try his best with this one.

"Why are you transferring so late? Get kicked out or something?" Shizuo's grip on the handle of his bag tightened, and he snapped his head toward the student who spoke.

"Got a problem with that!" he growled loudly. The boy shrunk down in his seat, quickly shaking his head. The teacher blinked at him, and Shizuo avoided the accusing stare. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"Um, Heiwajima. Please, go ahead and take your seat. There's a space at the back near Reika." Everyone took their seats again and watched Shizuo make his way to the back of the classroom, slumping down in his seat. He dropped his bag by the table, making the girl next to him jump slightly. Shizuo sighed. New school, but nothing changed.

Izaya, Shinra, and Kadota watched him grumpily cross his arms over his desk. "Hasn't he got a temper," Izaya teased with a grin.

"Who wouldn't be angry after that sort of comment," Shinra replied.

Izaya looked at him. "You."

"I would too."

Izaya laughed. "You would not. You'd just laugh it off and agree."

Kadota chuckled and said, "Not like he didn't deny it."

Shinra nodded. "Do you think he really got kicked out?"

Kadota shrugged. "Not our business. He didn't sound so happy about it."

"Maybe it's the opposite. Maybe he doesn't care," Izaya said. "Maybe he's proud of being a delinquent."

Kadota rolled his eyes. "Don't be an asshole."

Izaya chuckled, and his two friends returned their attention to the teacher.

Shizuo could feel a set of eyes on him and turned to find raven black hair and a skinny frame. What the hell is he smirking at? Asshole.

Shinra and Kadota walked into the library, and Shinra pointed over in the computer's direction. "There he is." They walked over to meet Izaya and saw him grinning at something on the screen. "What are you so upbeat about?"

"Just fishing for some dirt on our new classmate," Izaya replied as he gently spun around on the chair.

Kadota sighed and took a seat next to his friend, and Shinra took the other. "Why?"

Izaya shrugged. "Bored."

"What makes you think there's anything interesting about him?"

Izaya's grin widened. "Because there is." He clicked on a URL link posted on their school's website.

"It's only been half a day and people are already talking about him?" Shinra asked, pushing up his glasses.

"Actually," Izaya replied, "some of the students at the school already knew about him. He has a reputation. They claim that he's a monster, and that his temper is nothing short of extraordinary."

"What's that mean?" Kadota asked.

"Watch," Izaya said as he clicked play. Shizuo appeared in view, raging outside a school on the grounds, picked up a goal post, and flung it halfway across the pavement. A few students approached him, but he grasped the field lamp, dragged it out of the ground, and swung it at them.

"Whoa!" Shinra gasped. "That's incredible!"

"That's not possible, this can't be real," Kadota claimed in shock.

"I think it's real. Look where the link originated," Izaya said as he pointed at the bottom of the screen.

Kadota leaned in closer. "Kinato. Holy crap."

"How the hell does he do that?" Shinra said.

"I'm more wondering how he doesn't collapse," Kadota said. "He doesn't even look like he works out or anything. He can't be no heavier than me."

"Looks are deceiving," Izaya said. He scrolled down and clicked on another page. "Someone also said that he's been to at least three other schools before this one since the high school term begun."

"That's crazy. He got kicked out of them all?"

"Apparently."

Shinra leaned back in his chair and said, "I wonder if there was some other reason about why he rages like that. We don't know his side, and he can't just be angry for no reason."

"Other than being a monster," Izaya commented.

Kadota nudged him with a frown. "Come on, you don't really believe that do you?"

Izaya shrugged and stood up. "Whatever. I'm hungry, let's get food."

The three made their way out of the library and began up the last flight of stairs. Izaya spotted the familiar blond hair turn into a room and called up to the others. "I'll meet you there." The two shrugged, and Izaya skipped down the corridor and stepped quietly into the room. He ducked behind the wall when he realized the blond was on the phone.

"Yeah, it's kind of the same. Nothing changes. They already know about me, or some do anyway. Huh? No, don't worry. I promised you, didn't I? I won't damage the school, and I won't lash out. Anyway, thanks for checking on me. Bye, Kasuka."

Izaya grinned. Interesting.

Izaya made his way toward his friends, and Kadota shifted across the bench to make room for him. Izaya sat between them and immediately picked out the fatty tuna from Shinra's bento box and lay his head on his lap and his feet across Kadota's. They didn't really mind since they'd become used to it by now. Shinra shook the images of his dream from his head and narrowed his eyes curiously. "What's with that knowing grin on your face?"

Izaya looked up at him, unable to shake off the grin. "Nothing."

"What did you do?"

Kadota looked down at him with a raised eyebrow, and Izaya chuckled. "What?"

"You know, you've been a little more upbeat since that Heiwajima student showed up this morning."

"Think so?" Izaya sat up and reached out for a salmon roll, but Kadota whacked his hand with his chopsticks. Izaya pulled a face, rubbing his hand.

"Don't give me that look. You should bring your own food."

"Why bother when I can steal yours?" Shinra chuckled and picked out his salmon roll, holding out his chopsticks. Izaya turned with a grin and opened his mouth, and Shinra shook his head when Izaya took the sushi without hesitation. "See! Shinra wouldn't let me starve!"

Kadota rolled his eyes. "That's because he's too nice."

Izaya grabbed the teen's shirt, leaning on him with feigned hurt. "You would let me starve, Dota-chin?"

Kadota shoved him off his shoulder. "Shut up. You do that enough on your own already." He sighed, picked out his fatty tuna, and handed it to Izaya. Izaya grinned and happily ate the sushi.

Izaya laughed and wrapped his arms around Kadota's neck. "Naw! Dota-chin does care!"

"Stop calling me that." The door behind them suddenly opened, and the three grew silent as they watched Shizuo make himself comfortable on the bench, placing his bento box on the ground. Kadota tilted his head as he observed the quiet individual. Doesn't seem all that bad to me. People are just assholes. Kadota got up. "I'm gonna go introduce myself."

Shinra nodded and watched their friend walk toward the newbie. "Be careful."

Izaya laughed. "Watch out! He might throw a bench at you!"

Shinra slapped him on the arm, replying with a whispered tone, "Izaya! That's not what I meant."

"Yes, it is."

Shizuo gritted his teeth, clenching his fists. He glanced over; now, he could place that annoying, arrogant voice with a face. The smug face from his homeroom. Asshole. Shizuo looked up when he noticed someone else approaching him. The boy didn't seem like he was there to start anything, and Shizuo thought how strange it was for someone to approach him with a friendly gesture and not an attack.

"Yo," Kadota greeted, hand raised. "Name's Kyohei Kadota. I'm in your homeroom."

Shizuo sat up straight when Kadota stretched his hand out for him to take. "Oh, right. I'm not very good at remembering names."

"S'alright. You're Shizuo, right?"

"Can I help you with something?"

"Just came over to introduce myself. Was gonna ask if you wanted to join us."

Shizuo scowled suddenly, and his eyes flicked over to the others behind. That asshole was still fucking grinning at him! "Not a good idea, but thanks."

Kadota tilted his head in confusion and turned to his friends, knowing exactly who Shizuo was glaring at. He chuckled and turned back to the blond. "Don't let him get to you. He's a good guy on the inside, you just - you have to get to know him, I guess. His name is Izaya Orihara, and he's a good friend of mine actually, along with Shinra Kishitani."

"Tsk." Shizuo lay across the bench, arms behind his head. "Who the hell would wanna be friends with someone like that, but I guess that's your call."

Kadota smiled. "Well, Shizuo, good talking to you, I guess. Are you sure you don't-"

Kadota looked up to see Shinra grabbing Izaya's hand, obviously trying to stop him from coming over.

"Izaya, don't," Shinra whispered.

Izaya turned to Shinra with a grin. "What? I'm just going over to say hello."

Shinra frowned at him. "Be nice."

Izaya laughed. "I am nice."

"To us."

Izaya chuckled. "What are you talking about? I'm nice to everyone." Shinra sighed. "Can I go play with him now?"

Shinra let go of his hand and pointed a finger accusingly. "Be nice."

Izaya waved a hand dismissively. "All right alright." Izaya bounced over and jumped onto the bench next to his friend and the blond.

Shinra smiled. Kadota's right. Izaya seems to be livelier since we saw Shizuo this morning. I wonder if it's because of Shizuo's uniqueness.

Izaya balanced himself and walked across the thin bench, grinning as he spun around toward the two. Kadota shook his head, warning Izaya not to say anything annoying with his stern glare. Shizuo sat up upon seeing the raven, not trusting him while he was this unguarded. Izaya smirked his way and jumped off the bench, hands in his pockets. He tensed a little when he remembered that Shinra had his knife but brushed it off. "So~" Izaya splayed out his arms. "What brings you over to this neck of the woods, and so late in the first term?"

Shizuo growled. "You know damn well already!"

Izaya chuckled. "I just wanted to give you a chance to say for yourself. So, it's true then."

Kadota tried to smile at Shizuo, steering the conversation in another direction. "You into sports?"

Izaya laughed. "Javeline, shotput..."

Kadota winced and glared at Izaya, but the raven smiled innocently at him.

"The hell does that mean, runt!" Shizuo yelled, clenching his fists.

Izaya grinned at him, picked up an invisible object, and pretended to launch it. "Of course, you prefer much larger objects, like goalposts and field lights."

Shizuo's eyes widened, and he sneered before looking away. "You don't know anything!"

Kadota sighed sadly and walked into Shizuo's line of vision before kneeling down. "Sorry, Shizuo, there's a post on our school website, and it shows you kind of-"

Izaya interrupted, "Projecting rather large objects at students. Tut tut. Those poor people didn't stand a chance."

"It wasn't like that!"

Izaya stretched his arms up behind his head. "Sure looked that way to me."

"Get out of my face, before I launch you across the roof!"

"Why don't you then, Shizu-chan."

Kadota closed his eyes in frustration. "God dammit."

Shizuo's eyes widened in rage. "The hell did you just call me!"

"Just ignore him Shizuo," Kadota told him.

Izaya laughed. "You don't like that name?" He smirked. "Would you prefer monster instead?"

Kadota spun around. "Izaya!"

Shizuo leaped from his seat and lunged out for Izaya, and the raven jumped back behind the other bench. Kadota grabbed hold of Shizuo before he could reach Izaya. "Get the hell off me! I'm going to pound his face in!"

Izaya chuckled but was somewhat startled by the sudden angry blond. "So violent! Don't you have a promise to keep or something?"

Shizuo's body stilled in Kadota's not-so-tight grip. "Were you spying on me!"

"Not really. I just overheard you on the phone. So, if you pound my face in, won't that mean you broke your promise? As I understand it, and I think I got this right, you've been kicked out of three different schools, let's say for the same thing, and now, fourth time transferring, you made it a definite promise to keep with this one. To not lash out or damage the school. Is that close?"

Shizuo growled, yanking away from Kadota and stalking up to Izaya before the other teen could grab him again. Shizuo got right up against the raven's face, towering two inches above him. "Stay – away – from - me. I will not hesitate to beat your ass, promise or not."

Izaya grinned up at him. "I think your promise means more to you than that. What would Kasuka think if you did?"

Shizuo twitched, his fingers aching to wrap around Izaya's neck and strangle him. "If you want to live, then I suggest you keep your distance." Shizuo stormed away, and the two other teens caught the last phrase he muttered before leaving them alone. "Everyone else does."

Izaya sighed; his hands were shaking, but he hadn't been this excited in a while. "That was fun."

Kadota glared at him and pulled him over the bench by his shirt. "Are you crazy! Are you trying to get the shit kicked out of you! I don't even think I was really holding him back! You're lucky he has good self-restraint."

Izaya clicked his tongue, and Kadota let him go. Izaya brushed himself down and shrugged. "Relax, I can handle myself. He wouldn't touch me. Not if he wants to keep his promise." Kadota shook his head. "I overheard his phone conversation. Someone named Kasuka. Probably a good friend, but most likely a brother."

Shinra came running up to them. "Izaya~" he whined, "I said to be nice!"

Izaya grinned. "He came at me, and I didn't do a thing."

Kadota snorted. "Firstly, you called him Shizu-chan. then you asked him if he preferred monster. I actually thought he was going to kill you."

Izaya chuckled and jumped on his back. "Naw! Dota-chin wouldn't let that happen because he's so protective!"

Kadota growled up at him. "Hey! Get off."

Shinra laughed along with Izaya as the two began to tease him.

Over the next week, the three teens had noticed Shizuo was in most of their classes. Kadota had begun to approach him more, trying to mend some bad first impressions that his nuisance of a friend had created. He and Shizuo shared Math together.

Shizuo had become accustomed to Kadota and Shinra, and they seemed to be the only two who approached him without trying to annoy him. Shizuo knew they were trying to be friends with him, so he didn't mind. It was a nice change. However, they tried to get him to see a better side of their other friend, and it was hard to ignore them. Shizuo found himself thinking maybe they were right. Shinra would often tell him the story of how he and Izaya met and that the raven had protected him from his bullies. Shizuo responded to that and decided not to retaliate the next time Izaya got on his nerves. Unfortunately, it seemed like Izaya had made it his life's goal to intentionally get him angry enough so he would break his promise, and Shizuo didn't know why, but he refused to rise to the bait.

Shizuo was sitting in his chair, trying his hardest to pay attention to what the teacher was talking about. His chosen subject was art. He wasn't particularly fond of the history, but an extracurricular was always good to have for grades, and it was the easiest to understand - most of the time. Luck was not on his side. Of all the classes! Why the hell did he have to choose the same one as Izaya. Of course, Shizuo knew it wasn't really Izaya's fault since the blond had gotten here late.

"Art is a lie, and that makes us realize the truth. Who can name the famous artist that said such a quote?" The teacher spoke as she peered down at the register. She should know everyone's names by now, so Shizuo knew she was looking for his. "…Let's see. Heiwajima?"

Goddammit. How the hell should I know? Shizuo gritted his teeth, trying his damn hardest to ignore the constant kicking thudding the back of his chair.

"Shizu-chan," Izaya whispered. Shizuo clenched his fists; he was so going to punch him soon. "Shizu-chan." Shizuo closed his eyes. "Want some help?"

Please, just let me get through this class without dropping my desk on his fucking head.

"Shizu-chan~"

Shizuo shut his eyes. Don't rise to it, stay calm, and don't lash out.

"Heiwajima!"

Shizuo's eyes snapped open, and before he realized who had called his name, he yelled, "What!"

Izaya smirked.

"Excuse me?"

Shizuo blinked. "Err…sorry. I didn't mean to - I don't know the answer, Ma'am."

"Another outburst, and you will serve detention."

Shizuo relented. "Yes, Ma'am."

Once the teacher moved on, Shizuo gritted his teeth and turned in his chair. "That was your fault," he whispered.

Izaya smiled innocently at him. "What did I do? I was only asking if you wanted some help."

Shizuo narrowed his eyes. "You knew damn well what you were doing."

Izaya sighed. "Lighten up." Izaya smirked again when he kicked the back of Shizuo's chair.

"Kick the back of my chair again, and I will throw you out of the window."

"Fine."

Shizuo turned back to the front to see the teacher handing a pile of papers to each student along the front row. "Pass one of these sheets to the person behind you and fill out the questions." The sheets were passed down, and Shizuo slammed the next sheet behind him on Izaya's desk.

"Thank you, Shizu-chan. If that were me, I'd have kept yours." Izaya chuckled.

"If I had my way, I'd have made you swallow it."

"Too bad."

Silence ensued in the room.

Izaya glanced up at the clock with a grin. Ten minutes to annoy Shizu-chan some more. Izaya was about to throw an eraser at Shizuo's head, but something stopped him. Shizuo seemed to have difficulty with the sheet, judging by the hands clutching his head. Izaya rolled his eyes, not understanding why he suddenly wanted to help the blond. "Shizu-chan," Izaya whispered.

"Don't talk to me." Izaya sighed and kicked his chair harshly, Shizuo gritted his teeth and whipped around, his eyes wide with anger, and it took all he had to keep his voice down. "What?"

"Give me your sheet," Izaya said calmly without rebuke.

"What, why? So you can sabotage it?"

Izaya smirked. There's an idea. He shook his head. Maybe another time. "I was going to help you."

"Right. Sure. Cause you're all about that."

"I'm not going to sabotage it. Do you want my help or not?" Shizuo reached over, grabbed his worksheet, and placed it on Izaya's desk. The raven looked down and raised an eyebrow. "You haven't answered any of them."

Shizuo let his head thud against the back of his chair. "The names confuse me, and I get mixed up between the different types of art."

"Well, maybe if you stayed put more often you might actually learn something."

Shizuo growled and snatched the paperback. "Maybe I would if dickheads like you stopped pissing me off." Shizuo glared at him before turning back around.

But it's so fun. Izaya couldn't believe how much he enjoyed their little interactions. Izaya knew he was an asshole sometimes, but Shizuo was too short-tempered to see anything else. In the short time that they'd spoken civilly,Izaya wondered if maybe they could become friends. The bell rang to signal the end of class, and Shizuo thudded his head against the desk. The teacher moved quickly to gather up the student's sheets. She stepped in front of Shizuo, and before the blond could say anything, she scooped up his worksheet.

"Wait-"

The teacher nodded her approval as she wrote his name on the paper. "That's great work, Heiwajima. More than makes up for your outburst earlier." Shizuo blinked up at her in confusion.

"Wha….?" He had no idea what she was talking about, but he was off the hook, so he didn't care.

The teacher took the sheet from Izaya's desk and frowned. "Is there a reason why you didn't even answer one of these questions, Orihara?" Shizuo suddenly became even more confused. He could have sworn Izaya had answered every single question. Shizuo's eyes widened.

Izaya smiled up at her. "Ne, sorry. My hand was irritating me, and I couldn't hold the pen properly. I was going to inform you, but I didn't want to bother the other students."

Shizuo rolled his eyes. You're so full of shit.

"I can answer the questions now since I have a free period."

No way is she going to go for that.

"Well, I know your hands were in bandages a few weeks ago, and you are one of my top students in this class."

"So, just answer me the last one and I'll let it slide."

Izaya glanced at the question to refresh his memory. "An art form is an interplay. The way poetry, sculpture, music, and painting relate to each other. They wrote poems in response to paintings."

The teacher smiled, satisfied with his answer. "I expected nothing less. It seems you and Heiwajima have similar knowledge of this lesson. Perhaps you could learn from each other." The teacher walked away, and Izaya stood up.

Shizuo followed after him as they left their class. "Oi, why did you do that?"

Izaya turned around to meet his gaze in the corridor. "Do what?"

"I know you switched our sheets."

Izaya laughed. "I can't believe I switched with someone who couldn't even answer one question. It's a good thing I'm smart."

Shizuo frowned. "You don't have to be an asshole about it. Besides, I didn't ask you to."

Izaya shrugged. "You're welcome," he said with a smirk and walked away.

"I didn't say thank you!" Shizuo glared at his retreating form. "I hate him."

Phys Ed. End period.

Shinra, Kadota, and Shizuo were stretching, and several other students spread out in their preferred group of friends. "I've noticed that the flea doesn't show up here, but I'm not complaining."

Kadota laughed. "The flea?"

Shizuo chuckled. "Oh, yeah. Well, I figured he's annoying, and something you can't get rid of easily, or ever. So…" Shizuo shrugged. "Flea."

Kadota raised his arms up and curled one down over his shoulder. "Well, to be honest, Izaya used to come to the class all the time, and it was probably around four weeks ago that he stopped coming."

"Izaya has his reasons for not coming here," Shinra said with a smile as he sat on the grass, stretching out his legs.

"I gotta give my personal opinion on something," Shizuo said.

Kadota smiled. "I wouldn't bother trying to rebuke their friendship if I were you, Shizuo."

Shizuo twisted his body from side to side slowly. "Not my style. But it is about him."

Shinra leaned on his palms. "What do you wanna know?"

"It's not really a question, but more like an observation. And if I'm wrong, then my bad."

"O-okay."

Shizuo looked at him, legs crossed. "Do you - like him?"

Shinra suddenly choked on the water he'd started to drink. "What?"

"I think you like him, and not just as a friend."

Kadota suddenly laughed. "Finally! I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that. Can't believe it, but I didn't think Shizuo would notice. No offence, but we've only known you for a week."

Shizuo shrugged. "Just something I picked up on."

Shinra paled. "You two are crazy! Izaya is just a good friend. I'm not even - Kadota, how long have you thought this?"

Kadota shrugged. "Not really all that long. Around two weeks, I guess."

"Two weeks!"

"Around the time you guys had that argument. Although, I had my suspicions before that."

Shizuo didn't know what they were talking about, but he shrugged. "S'not a big deal. I don't care if you're that way. Though I gotta be honest, you can do a lot better."

Shinra pouted. "Hey!"

Shizuo laughed. "Deny it all you want, but if I noticed, it's gotta be true. I'm not all that observant."

"But-"

"Shinra, it makes sense," Kadota said. "You always smile when he's around, you let him eat your food. Your eyes get all excited when he walks into class, and you spent the entire school week break at his house."

Shinra raised his finger. "That last part doesn't count. I had to be there, and you know that."

Kadota nodded. "All right. Maybe so, but all the other stuff counts."

Shinra shook his head vigorously. "Not true."

"So, what's with him not coming to this class anymore? Does this have something to do with his hands?" Shinra and Kadota blinked at him. "Today in art, the teacher mentioned something about his hands in bandages. I thought maybe he was injured during class."

Kadota shook his head. "Not even close. I actually don't know the reason."

Shizuo looked at Shinra. "I bet you do."

Shinra smiled but shrugged. "I do, but I made a promise not to say anything."

Shizuo nodded.

"It's too bad really," Kadota said. "Izaya was a good athlete. He'd outrun anyone here."

"Is there anything that flea doesn't excel in?"

Kadota laughed. "You shouldn't be jealous."

"I'm not jealous!"

Shinra flinched, still not used to Shizuo's temper, often wondering if he might throw something at them. "His personality could use an adjustment, that's for sure," Shinra joked.

Shizuo snorted and grinned as he lay across the grass. "Can say that again." A breeze overtook the field, blowing through the blades of grass. "You know, before I got kicked out of my last school, they tried to get me to pursue my athletic stamina. I don't know whether they were just teasing, but they always used to say I was a fast runner."

"Is that so?" The three teens turned at the voice. Izaya was dressed in a long-sleeved navy-blue shirt and knee-length white shorts with two blue stripes on either leg.

Shinra couldn't help but jump up, happy his friend was here. "Izaya! You showed up today! That's great." Shinra ran up to him, embracing an arm around his shoulder. Izaya ignored him, staring intently at Shizuo, but didn't pull away from his friend.

Shizuo stood up, glaring, wondering what Izaya was up to. "I thought you didn't come here anymore. It was one class I was actually happy about attending since you weren't in it."

Izaya shook his head. "That's not very polite, is it? After all, I saved your ass in art today." The raven smirked at him, and Shizuo clenched his fists

Kadota and Shinra looked to him for an explanation, but Shizuo ignored them and bellowed back at Izaya. "I didn't ask you to, asshole! Now, tell me why the hell you're here!"

Izaya chuckled, finding Shizuo's short-temper highly amusing. "I was curious actually. Someone of your 'unique' abilities, might be interesting to watch."

"I'm not a damn freak show!"

Izaya shrugged. "I didn't say that. I said it might simply be interesting to see your skills. You're the one putting words in my mouth."

Kadota sighed; why did Izaya have to get him angry all the time? He stepped between them to stop what might become a fight on the field. "Knock it off. What happened in art?"

Shizuo growled and turned away from them, arms folded in an attempt to hide his anger. "Nothing."

Izaya chuckled. "Something."

Shinra looked between them and sat down again. "What happened?"

"We were given a work sheet and," Izaya began.

Shizuo whipped round. "All right!" he interrupted. "I had difficulty with the questions, and I couldn't answer them all."

Izaya raised a finger. "Correction. You didn't answer any of them."

Shizuo glared at him before explaining what had happened to his new friends.

"Whatever. I couldn't let someone that stupid be seen with me."

Shizuo clenched his fists. "You arrogant-!"

Kadota stepped in his way. "Wait!" Shizuo halted, glaring daggers at Izaya. "He's joking, Shizuo. Honestly."

"You're so dead, flea!"

Shinra sighed and stood up. "Izaya, you know that's not true. Shizuo, he really is joking. Izaya doesn't belittle anyone else's education."

Izaya rolled his eyes. It was hard to tease Shizuo when Shinra and Kadota were there. Spilling my true personality. How rude of them.

Shizuo didn't falter in his anger but made no other attempts to advance on the raven, so Kadota backed off. "Why the hell did you really help me!"

Izaya just smirked at him. "Because I knew you'd think I had an ulterior motive. Teasing you is fun, and I want to know how far I can push you before you snap completely."

Shizuo yelled angrily. "I hate you!"

Izaya clicked his tongue. Shizuo was so quick-tempered. "All right, let's make a deal," he suddenly said.

Shizuo folded his arms. "Why would I make a deal with you?"

"Because you ill-tempered monster, it will benefit you."

Shizuo narrowed his eyes and tensed at the name. "Spit it out, and if I don't like it, you're dead."

Izaya rolled his eyes. "Tsk." He walked past Shinra, and Kadota stepped to the side. Izaya stood right in front of the blond, grinning up at him. "There's a 400 hundred metre track from here. If you can beat me in a race, I'll stop trying to get you kicked out."

Shizuo unfolded his arms. The offer was incredibly tempting. Shizuo scowled. "And what if you win?"

Izaya laughed at the blond's hesitation. "Don't look so worried."

"I'm not worried!"

Izaya grinned. "If I win, you tell me the real reason why they call you monster."

Shizuo clenched his fists. "That's your deal? Hell no! I'm not telling you something else for you to piss me off with, or use against me."

Izaya's smirk deepened. "Then you better not lose."

Shinra and Kadota could only watch the conversation take place. Not having Izaya provoke their new friend every five minutes would be nice. If Shizuo won. They knew the raven would keep to his word if Shizuo did win, but why would Izaya want to know that about him?

The two stood beside one another inside the running track. Izaya and Shizuo knelt down, positioning themselves in a runner's pose.

"All right students, enough warm up, lets-"

"Whoa, coach look. Orihara and that Heiwajima guy are racing," a student said before the teacher could finish.

The coach looked up with surprise. "Izaya's back?" He watched as both the students ran with amazing speed. He knew Izaya was fast, but damn, the raven was even better when competing. The coach smiled. Shizuo was almost on par with him. Pretty soon, everyone stopped to watch the race, cheering and shouting.

Shinra and Kadota watched with awe. The two of them were awesome. "He's totally back, isn't he?" Shinra said with a huge smile on his face.

Kadota looked at him, shaking his head with a smile. Shinra really did like him. Kadota nodded. "Yeah, I think so."

"Izayaaa! You're not gonna win!"

Izaya laughed, glancing behind him to see Shizuo inches away. He grinned and pushed himself forward until he crossed the finish line, Shizuo seconds after him. They could hear the cheering in the distance behind them but ignored it. Izaya leaned over, hands on his knees, breathing heavily. Shizuo sat down and collapsed on his back. "Damn it, you're fast, flea."

Izaya laughed breathlessly and sat down. For a moment, it felt as though they were actually friends. "I knew I'd win." Izaya leaned back on his palms, the wind cooling his skin. Shizuo snorted and sat up, looking at Izaya, who looked at the sky. "I won." Izaya looked over at him. "Why do they call you monster?"

Shizuo narrowed his eyes. Damn it, now he was angry again; how could Izaya switch him like that in seconds? "Is that all you care about!"

"A deal's a deal, Shizu-chan."

Shizuo stood up with clenched fists. "Don't call me that! And don't call me monster, you fucking louse!"

Izaya stood up calmly, unfazed by the blond's anger, and simply grinned. "You would have expected me to keep my part of the deal, no?"

Shizuo growled. "Yes, but doubtful you would."

Izaya shrugged. "Think whatever you want, but you lost, so you'll never know anyway. You might as well tell me."

Shinra tilted his head. "Any idea what they're saying?"

Kadota scratched his head. "I can tell Shizuo's yelling, but no punches thrown yet."

"What do you think Izaya meant by his question?"

"If you don't know, then I have no clue."

Izaya's hands were on his hips, and he slumped in defeat. "Whatever." He walked over toward a bench, a large drinking fountain at its side. Shizuo glared at him, followed his movements, and stalked after him. Izaya ducked his head under the faucet, splashed his face, and drank some before coming back to meet the blond's gaze. Shizuo held out a towel to him. "You're articulating a nice gesture?"

Shizuo clenched his hand around the towel, resisting the urge to strangle him with it. "Just take it already."

Izaya chuckled, took the offered material, wiped his face, and sat on the bench. "You know, Shinra and Dota-chin are right. I'm not all that bad."

Shizuo snorted but sat down next to him. "Then stop being an asshole."

Izaya smiled at him. "You just get angry too easily, and it's too much fun not to piss you off."

Shizuo looked away from him, trying so damn hard not to get angry. "Shut up."

Izaya laughed again. "Honestly. you should try and lighten up. Dota-chin just takes it with a pinch of salt. He'll get annoyed and most of the time he'll ignore me."

Shizuo snapped his head back. "I can't do that! It's not my fault!"

"Shizu-chan. Haven't you ever had friends before? Friends tease each other. No need to get so angry about it."

Shizuo ignored the friends' statement, refusing to believe he could ever be friends with Izaya. But…. Shizuo looked down at the ground. "I've not been near anyone long enough to make friends."

Izaya looked at him and chuckled. "If it makes you feel any better, Shinra and Dota-chin are the first real friends I've had."

Shizuo looked up at him, somewhat surprised Izaya had admitted that but not all that surprised by the statement. He laughed. "Well, that doesn't surprise me."

Izaya frowned at him but caught the grin and realized it was Shizuo's attempt at teasing. "So, you can bite back without looking like you want to murder me after all."

Shizuo sighed. "I don't want to kill you, Izaya. It's just a figure of speech. I do want to kick your ass sometimes, but that's about it. You shouldn't piss me off so much."

"Like I said, lighten up."

Shinra stepped forward. "Class is over, don't they realize that? Maybe we should let them know." Kadota grabbed Shinra's wrist.

"Leave them. For once, they're getting along, and we should let them talk."

Shinra looked at Kadota and back at the two in the distance. "Think so? I mean, Shizuo was yelling earlier."

"And now he's not. Don't worry about it. Let's go, we'll see them tomorrow."

"But-" Kadota grabbed Shinra's collar and dragged him away toward the school.

"You still haven't answered my question," Izaya said.

Shizuo hunched over, his hands dangling between his knees. "Doesn't matter anyway. You're gonna piss me off to the point I'll get kicked out, so that should be enough."

Izaya frowned. Shizuo really didn't trust him at all, did he? Not that he'd given him a reason to. The raven sighed as he stood up. "All right, forget the race."

Shizuo looked up. "Huh?"

Izaya turned to him. "Answer my question. I won't do anything to get you kicked out."

Shizuo frowned. "You've got to be kidding, right? A deal's a deal. You said so yourself. I lost."

"Didn't I just say to forget about the race? I won't sabotage your promise. Other people might, but it won't be me."

"It doesn't matter. I lost anyway, so I don't have a choice."

Izaya turned to leave. "Then don't tell me. Good race." Izaya waved a hand behind him. "See you tomorrow, Shizu-chan."

Shizuo watched him walk away. It was strange to have a conversation that didn't get him pissed off. Shizuo didn't trust him, but now Izaya had given him a choice, and for some reason, he wanted to tell him. "Izaya, wait!"

The Raven stopped and turned to Shizuo when the blond ran up to him. "What? I do have a home to go to."

Shizuo looked down at the ground, shuffling his feet. "About being called a monster. It's because…." Shizuo clenched his fists. "You're going to think I'm crazy."

Izaya folded his arms. "There's not a whole lot you can tell me that I'd be surprised about."

Shizuo looked to the side. "I'm possessed."

Izaya blinked. "And I was wrong."

Shizuo looked up at him, eyes narrowing. "It's true! A demon possesses me! I didn't believe them at first, but they're right…. I'm cursed. I'm a monster."

Izaya didn't say anything; his arms unfolded and remained at his sides. He really believes that a demon possesses him. Izaya suddenly burst out laughing.

Shizuo growled. "Stop laughing! You have no idea! I'm not lying! I knew that by telling you, you'd just treat it like a joke." Shizuo stormed away.

Izaya calmed his laughing, wiping away tears of amusement. "Shizu-chan! I wasn't laughing at you!" When Shizuo spoke, he just couldn't help himself. "Shizu-chan!" Izaya sighed with a grin. No use catching up to him now. "Absolute moron."

90