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.

7. Hate Mondays

Kadota walked toward the school with his hands in his pocket.

Everyone hated Mondays because they had to wait so long for the weekend to come again. In Kadota's opinion, Mondays were a fresh start to the week. Whatever happened last week or over the weekend didn't matter. That's how Kadota felt. He glanced over at his friends. Izaya and Shinra were quiet, pondering their thoughts about what was said or done the Friday before. Clearly, the same couldn't be said for them. Monday's were not a favorite of theirs either. Kadota could make a guess about what Shinra was thinking, and he had to laugh. Shizuo hit the nail on the head with that one. Kadota didn't have the heart to tell him what he thought, but Shizuo? Ha! He didn't care whether people wanted his opinion or not. In all honesty, he wondered if Shinra was even aware of his crush or whatever feelings he had for their raven friend, but he certainly did now.

Izaya was staring at the ground, one hand holding his bag slung over his shoulder, the other in his pocket. Kadota had no idea what he was thinking about, but that small smirk on his face told him he wouldn't like it. As they neared the school's entrance, Kadota spotted their other friend and raised his hand to catch his attention. "Shizuo!" he shouted. The blond stopped and gave him a smile and a wave, but he noticed the shorter male in the group and growled. Izaya smirked at him, and Shizuo gritted his teeth and stormed into the school. Kadota blinked at his sudden retreating form and looked over at Izaya. "What was that about?"

Izaya chuckled, knowing exactly why Shizuo avoided them, or rather, him. "I have no idea, but then again, it's not all that surprising. One minute he's calm, and then the next he wants to crush you with a heavy object."

Kadota sighed irritably, shoving Izaya's arm. "Don't be a dick to him. I thought you guys were getting along after that race on Friday. Did something happen after that?"

"He's not so easily won over. Besides, who's to say I even want his friendship?" Izaya opened his locker, switched his shoes, and placed his bag inside.

The trio started up the stairs.

"Does this mean you're still trying to piss off Shizuo so that he gets kicked out?" Shinra asked as they made their way to homeroom. "Because, you know, that's really not very nice."

Kadota placed his hand across the doorway, stopping Izaya from entering. "He's already been through enough crap. He wants to make this work, so don't antagonize him."

Izaya looked at Kadota; the boy was serious, and the raven suddenly laughed. "Naw Dota-chin, you don't have to worry about me, I know how to take care of myself."

Kadota groaned in annoyance, his face slightly befuddled. "I wasn't - I was talking about Shizuo!" Izaya waved his hand dismissively and ducked under Kadota's arm, entering the classroom. "God damn it."

Shinra laughed. "He knew exactly what you were talking about you know."

Kadota looked at him, removing his arm from the doorway and slightly stepping to the side to allow other students to enter. "Figures. I suppose on some level I was telling him to be careful. We don't know the extent of Shizuo's strength, but in any case, Shizuo doesn't deserve Izaya's taunts. He's a good person."

Shinra nodded. "I know, but I don't think he'll try and get him kicked out anymore."

Kadota snorted. "He tell you that?"

Shinra shook his head. "I could tell. Izaya has a way of telling people the truth by steering it in another direction. Like how he just said you were worried about him, even though that's not what you said."

Kadota blinked. "I'm not even going to pretend to understand what you just said. I'm just going to take your word for it."

Shinra nodded with a smile. "Okay."

Shizuo glared as Izaya smirked at him from his seat. He'd done nothing but that since the start of the school day. I knew I shouldn't have said anything. He thinks the whole damn thing is hilarious! But I'm not joking around! He wouldn't think it's funny when I suddenly snap and kick his scrawny ass!

Kadota and Shinra took their seats next to Izaya, and Shizuo's seat was on the other side. "Izaya, would you stop grinning at him? You know how annoyed he gets," Kadota said; his friend was insufferable sometimes.

Izaya laughed. "But it's so fun."

Once homeroom was over, the students made their way to their designated math classes. Shizuo sighed in relief. One of the only classes where that annoying flea wasn't with him. "One day, I'm going to punch that smirk right off his face," Shizuo muttered loudly, verbally expressing his thoughts.

"Huh?" Kadota grunted as they sat down in their seats. It was then Kadota knew who Shizuo was talking about and sighed. "You really shouldn't let him get to you. What exactly happened after we left? I mean, I know you lost the race, but does that mean you told him about this whole monster thing?"

Shizuo nodded - like he had a choice - wait, no, he did have a choice, didn't he? "Actually, he said I didn't have to. That it was my decision. He also said he wouldn't try and get me kicked out anymore."

Kadota blinked in surprise. "He did?"

Shizuo snorted. "Like I believe him. If that's so, then why is he irritating me so damn much!" Shizuo slammed his hand on the desk, and a few students jumped in fear.

Kadota placed a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down. Did he really say that?"

"Yes, but who the hell knows why."

Kadota looked down in thought. "So, despite the fact that he called the bet off, and gave you a choice whether you told him, you chose for yourself to tell him?"

Shizuo nodded. "Yes."

Kadota smiled. "Then he probably is telling the truth."

"What do you mean?"

"You trusted him of your own free will, Izaya was probably testing you."

Instead of feeling relieved, Shizuo got more annoyed. "Are you kidding me!"

Kadota wasn't fazed by Shizuo's sudden anger, and he found that doing so was what caused Shizuo to feel unapproachable in the first place. Kadota smiled. "I know, it's his way of determining someone's friendship."

"I don't want his friendship! Who fucking does that!"

Kadota tilted his head with a slight chuckle. "Izaya."

Shizuo growled and clenched his fists. "He played me."

"Whoa, I doubt that's what he was doing. Don't overreact about this. Izaya obviously knew something was up, and for you to tell him must have meant you trusted him on some level. Izaya is - he's got - let's just say he has a great deal of intuition. I know a lot of people call you monster, but he knew there must be another reason. What was it? You can tell me you know."

Shizuo sighed sadly; he wanted to, but he didn't want to be laughed at again. "Sorry…"

Kadota shrugged. "It's cool. You don't have to. I guess it's pretty hard to talk about, but you told him, and if you're worried about him using that to get to you, you don't have to be. He'll respect that because you trusted him."

Shizuo looked at him, something akin to hope in his eyes. "Is that really the truth?"

Kadota nodded. "If I know him as well as I think I do." He laughed. "Well, I know him enough. Not as well as Shinra does."

Shizuo chuckled. "The hell does he see in an asshole like him anyway."

Kadota shrugged and leaned back on his chair. "Their friendship is pretty impressive. Shinra is the only one Izaya will truly open up to."

"He doesn't strike me as the type to let his guard down like that."

Kadota smiled. "That's because all you've seen is the annoying side of him. Truthfully, he's a good friend, and he gets scared, excited, angry… all the normal things he doesn't let just anyone see."

Shizuo stared toward the front of the class. The teacher finally showed, and they stood up, bowed, and returned to their seats. Should I give him a chance?

Shizuo's thoughts were on Izaya all through math. He had no reason to doubt Kadota's words. His new friend had been nice to him and treated him like he was normal, unlike Izaya. Even though that thought sent him raging, Kadota and Shinra had done nothing but defend Izaya, and maybe he should try to see the side they saw. He might be less inclined to beat the shit out of him if he did. Kadota said he wouldn't use what I told him to mess with me, and maybe he's right.

After Math, the four teens were back in the same class for history. Shizuo didn't mind history so much, but like with art, the dates and names confused him. He growled angrily, but not because he was annoyed with his work, they were just reading for now, but he'd read the same passage three times due to distraction. Who was distracting him? The person who kept flicking paper balls at his head, kicking his chair, and poking his neck. Before it could happen again, Shizuo reached over his head and grabbed the hand before it could poke him again. He grinned when a little surprised squeak sounded behind him. Shizuo turned around, hand still in his grip as he stared intensely at the cause of his distraction. Izaya Orihara.

"Shizu-chan, mind letting me go?"

"Not a chance. Stop kicking my chair, flea."

Izaya grinned, shifted his foot, and kicked hard. Shizuo's chair actually moved slightly. Izaya laughed but winced when Shizuo's grip tightened. "Ow. Shizu-chan, let go."

"Stop – kicking – my – chair."

Izaya couldn't stop his grin. Shizuo was just so funny. "You know, my fingers are going numb."

"Poke my neck one more time, and I will break your fingers."

Izaya smiled innocently at him. "Okay."

Shizuo glared at him but eventually let go.

Izaya flexed his hand, getting the feeling back in them. Shizuo turned back to his textbook, and Izaya was about to lift his foot again when a ball of paper landed on his desk. He opened it up. 'Stop annoying him, or I will let him beat you.' Izaya glanced over at Kadota and huffed with a pout, placing his foot back down under his own chair. Spoilsport.

Shizuo growled angrily. He was so pissed off. That whole lesson was incredibly frustrating! Izaya just wouldn't leave him alone! What the hell was his problem? What was his game if he didn't want to get him kicked out of school? He would lose it sooner or later…. he didn't want to, but damn it, the raven knew how damn easy it was to get under his skin. Shizuo clenched his fists. He promised Kasuka. Calm down, he thought. I just need to calm down. Muling over Kadota's words to him in Math helped whenever he was angry at Izaya. Shizuo promised himself he'd try, but he didn't know how since every time they were in the same room, Izaya found some way to annoy him. Maybe it would help if they were alone? A slither of the side that Shinra and Kadota were talking about slipped out when they were alone after Phys ed ended. Maybe he just acts out when there are more people around? Maybe he gets nervous if other people are there to see what kind of person he really is. Shizuo could relate to that in a way. Shizuo was always afraid people would see him for who he truly was, except his true self was a -

"Possessed demon." Shizuo blinked when a voice interrupted his thoughts. He was hidden behind a wall on the roof and listened closely. "It's true. He's possessed by a demon, someone told me about it. It makes sense. That crazy strength of his - what a freak."

"Wow. Scary. He should go to an exorcist or something."

Shizuo's blood boiled with rage with every word coming from their mouths.

"Hahaha. It's just a rumour, I suppose, but it could be true. He's a possessed demon freak!"

Shizuo clenched his fists, his mind going black as he saw red.

"Who told you anyway?"

"It was-"

"Izayaaaa!" Izaya, Shinra, and Kadota stopped walking and turned to the loud voice in the corridor. Their eyes widened when Shizuo stormed toward them, a wooden desk held over his head. "You're so fucking dead!"

The other students in the corridor scrambled away into the nearest classrooms. Kadota stepped forward slightly, holding out his hands. "Whoa! Shizuo! Wait, calm down! What's wrong?"

Shizuo growled loudly and screamed, "Ask him! I knew you couldn't be trusted!"

Izaya sneered. "What are you talking about, monster?"

Shizuo grew even angrier and swung the desk. Kadota ducked out of the way, and Izaya pushed Shinra away and jumped to the side. The desk hit the floor and splintered apart. Kadota knew he was in no shape or form to stop him now and shouted, "Izaya, run!" Izaya glanced back at Shizuo; the blond was fuming, but he could see the glare of tears in his hate-filled eyes. Shizuo stormed after him. "Run, dammit!"

Izaya didn't have a clue why Shizuo was so angry with him. What had he done? Izaya ducked into an empty classroom and jumped onto a desk, spinning around to see a chair come hurtling toward him. Izaya jumped off the desk when the chair smashed into it. "Shizuo!" Izaya shouted, trying to get through. He jumped away when another desk came his way, and it smashed into the wall behind him. "What the fuck is wrong with you!" Izaya dodged a fist and skidded across the floor to keep his distance from the blond. He crawled across the floor and slipped under a desk, pushed the desk up, and managed to smack Shizuo in the face with it. Shizuo stumbled back for a moment, which gave Izaya time to get to his feet. Shizuo clenched his fists, grabbed a chair, and swung it for Izaya. The raven's eyes widened, and he ducked the oncoming chair before it smashed through the window.

Shinra and Kadota watched in horror, unable to do anything to help, knowing full well they'd get caught in the crossfire. "Izaya! What did you do!" Kadota shouted.

Izaya glanced over to his friends. "I don't know!" Shizuo jumped over a fallen desk, reaching to grab Izaya's shirt. Izaya jumped back and weaved between the undamaged desks until he reached the wall. He spun around, his back turned, and was cornered. "Shizuo! What did I do!" Izaya was frantic now; he hadn't seen Shizuo this angry at him. Shizuo picked up a desk, holding it above his head. Izaya stared up at him, fear evident on his face.

Kadota and Shinra stared in shock. "He really doesn't know," Kadota stammered and ran into the classroom. Izaya clenched his eyes shut when Shizuo brought the desk down toward him. "Shizuo, stop!" Shizuo's eyes widened, and he stopped inches from Kadota's face, breathing heavily.

"Kadota?"

"This isn't worth anything! Whatever he's done isn't worth breaking your promise over!"

Shizuo growled. "He's a fucking liar! He's manipulative and can't be trusted!"

Izaya frowned, leaning against the wall. "Shizu-chan-"

"Don't fucking talk to me! I hate you!" Shizuo threw the desk to one side. Despite his anger, he couldn't hurt Kadota to get to Izaya. "Don't ever come near me again, or I will hurt you."

Izaya narrowed his eyes, standing straight, and moved to stand beside Kadota. "You want to kill me? Fine, but tell me why."

Shizuo clenched his fists. "I told you something personal because for some reason, I thought it might help! I thought for a tiny second you could be trusted! I was wrong! You told people for your own amusement!"

Izaya clenched his fists. "What if I did."

Kadota twitched and turned to Izaya. "You did!"

Izaya sneered and grinned. "What did you expect? We're not friends. Why would I keep anything he said to myself?"

Shizuo grabbed Izaya's shirt, pulling him in and raising his fist, and this time, Kadota didn't even want to stop him.

"Heiwajima! Orihara! What the hell is going on in here!" Shizuo snapped out of it, and they turned their attention to the door to see their principal. Shizuo shoved Izaya away, and the raven glared but straightened himself. "You have got some serious explaining to do after School! Heiwajima, I'm very aware of your destructive behaviour, and I would have thought by now you would have learned some restraint!" Shizuo clenched his fists, glaring at the floor. That was it. He'd broken his promise…. "You will be here in this room after school and clear up all this mess!"

Shizuo snapped his head up and blinked. "I'm… I'm not expelled?"

The older man frowned. "I should expel you, but Kishitani has come to me with an idea, and I'm giving you one more chance." Shizuo felt relief flood through him. He looked behind and saw Shinra smile. He owed him for this. The principal turned to Izaya. "And you, Orihara. I expected a lot better from you. Your grades are one of the highest in the school."

Izaya became defensive. "I didn't do anything! This fucking monster attacked me!" Shizuo glared at him, clenching his fists.

"You're still involved, and whatever reasons you have for not getting along, I don't care. Don't do it in my school! You will join Heiwajima here after lessons and help clean this room until it's spotless. Understood?"

Izaya frowned and looked away, somewhat defeated. "Yes, sir."

Shizuo stormed out of the room before he did anything else stupid. Kadota frowned and glared at Izaya, "I guess I was wrong about you." And then he left. Izaya sighed and glanced over at Shinra.

Shinra looked at him, unsure what to think. "Did you really do that?" Izaya frowned and pushed past Shinra. "Izaya, wait!" Shinra looked saddened as he stared after him. "Izaya wouldn't do that… he's not - he's not that cruel."

Shizuo, Shinra, and Kadota were on the roof having their lunch. It was odd that Izaya wasn't with them, and Shinra found himself staring down at the fatty tuna. He glanced at Kadota, and the boy looked his way thinking the same thing when he looked at his own lunch. Shizuo felt the tension and stood up. "Sorry," the two blinked at him. "He should be here with you, not me. He was your friend first, and as much as I can't stand him, I can't be the cause of breaking your friendship. If he's not going to come near you because of me, then I should be the one to go."

Kadota smiled and stood up, grabbing his arm. "Don't be ridiculous. That's decent of you, Shizuo, but you're our friend too. It'll be difficult, but we'll make it work somehow. It's not your fault."

Shinra nodded, still looking at his bento box. "He's right. Don't be so hard on yourself, Shizuo."

Shizuo had never had this kind of friendship before, and he smiled. "Thanks." The door to the roof opened, and the three glanced behind when two other students walked over to the benches, talking rather loudly. Shinra shifted nervously, and Shizuo looked at him. "What's up?"

Shinra smiled sheepishly. "It's okay. They're two of the bullies from my old school. You know, the ones Izaya messed with to stop me from getting beat up."

Shizuo tensed with anger at the raven's name but looked over at the two anyway. "Oh."

"So, did Orihara really tell you that story? About you know who being possessed by a demon?" one of them asked the other.

All three friends tuned in to the conversation at the mention of their missing friend, and Shizuo gritted his teeth. Fucking flea.

The other student laughed. "No! I mean, not exactly. I overheard the conversation between him and the demon on the field last week."

"How come you said that Orihara told you directly?"

The boy smirked. "I said he would pay for messing with us. I watched the demon go up on the roof earlier, so I knew he was there. When I told you guys it was Izaya, I figured Heiwajima would hear and go berserk. He'd go after Orihara, and we wouldn't have to lift a finger."

"Oh, that's awesome!"

Shizuo couldn't believe what he was hearing. A vein began to show on his forehead, and he clenched his fists so tightly they turned white.

Kadota and Shinra shared a glance and looked back at the other students. They felt incredibly ashamed that they had believed Izaya betrayed Shizuo's trust. Shinra placed his head in his hands. "I can't believe I could even think that," Shinra groaned. "I'm the worst friend ever!"

Kadota sighed, clapping a hand on Shinra's shoulder. "You're not the only one who thought it. The question is, why the hell didn't he deny it?" Shizuo growled, and his eyes never left the two across from them, and up until now, they hadn't even noticed him. Shizuo began to make a move toward them. "Shizuo? Oi, leave it, don't get in trouble."

"Bastards!" Shizuo shouted, and the two suddenly paled and scrambled to their feet.

"O-oh…shit. He heard us," one of them said.

"I didn't think he was up here," the other replied.

Shizuo grabbed one by his shirt and pulled back his fist, smashing it into his nose. The boy yelled out in pain and was thrown into the fence. Shizuo glared over at the other and punched him halfway across the roof. The blond snapped his head back to the other as the boy got to his feet and tried to sneak upon him. Shizuo ducked the feeble punch and head-butted him straight in the jaw. He grabbed the boy's collar and pulled him in. "You picked the wrong person to mess with. You better scramble away now before I really lose my temper. Believe me, I'm extremely close to launching you off this building."

The two students shook with fear, half ran, half limped to the exit, and disappeared. Shizuo screamed with rage and smashed his fist straight threw a bench. Shinra and Kadota ran up to him. "Damn it!"

Kadota lay his hand on Shizuo's shoulder. "Whoa, calm down."

Shizuo gritted his teeth. "I'm – so – pissed – off."

Shinra looked toward the exit and back to his friend. "At least you didn't kill anyone," he laughed nervously.

Shizuo glared at him and slumped with a sigh of frustration. "Because of them, I lost it. I could of - damn it, why the hell didn't he say something?"

Kadota assumed they were talking about Izaya now. "Would you really have believed him if he simply said it wasn't him?"

Shizuo looked at him. "Honestly? No."

Shinra looked down at his feet. "That's probably why he just went along with it. There wasn't really any proof it wasn't him so…."

Shizuo growled again. "I could have seriously hurt him!" Shizuo kicked the broken bench.

Kadota sighed and motioned for them to head back into the school. "Why don't you talk to him later. You both have to clean up and fix that room at the end of the day. So you can talk to him then."

Shizuo looked away from them. "He's not going to want to talk to me after what I did."

Shinra replied, "You didn't manage to hit him or anything, so that's a good thing."

"But I know he was scared. I could see it on his face."

Kadota made his way to the door, and the other two followed. "You did go pretty nuts at him. You can only try to talk to him. He might surprise you. I don't think we're exactly innocent here either, so he's probably pissed at us too for thinking he would do that."

"I didn't mean to cause any friction between you."

Shinra shrugged. "It's not the first time we've butted heads due to assumptions."

Shizuo chuckled, wondering how he'd managed to find such understanding friends. The three began to make their way toward their next class. "Hey Shinra, I forgot to ask. How did you talk the head into giving me another chance?"

Shinra grinned. "I'll tell you once you and Izaya sort things out."

Shizuo rolled his eyes. "If we ever do."

"Well," Kadota began, "you are both pretty stubborn, but you do have one thing in common."

"What's that?"

Kadota smiled. "The friendships you have, you take pretty seriously."

Shizuo smiled knowingly. "Good to hear. Since you guys are my first real friends."

Shinra chuckled. "Something we all have in common!"

Izaya kept his eyes to the front and hadn't once spared them a look. He knew it was childish, but he was pissed at them. They were in social studies, which seemed ironic. His mind reeled back to Shizuo's rage in the classroom, and his hand shook slightly as he tried to write his answer down. He could have fucking killed me.

Kadota glanced at Shinra, who looked down sadly. Izaya was clearly ignoring them, but he didn't really blame him. Shizuo hunched his shoulders. He felt extremely guilty. Not only had he made a mistake with Izaya, but he might also have cost the three their friendship too. Kadota smiled at him. "Stop blaming yourself."

"Sorry."

At the end of their lesson, Izaya gathered his books and left without a word. "You'll have better luck at the end of the day. He won't have a choice but to listen to you," Kadota said as they made their way out of class.

"I guess. We have our chosen subject now so I could try talking to him there."

Shinra nodded. "Worth a try, but he might not even show up to the class."

Shizuo rolled his eyes, waved goodbye to his two friends, and made his way toward his art room.

"How did you get the head to give him another chance?" Kadota asked as he and Shinra walked into their biology class.

Shinra chuckled. "It's a surprise."

Kadota shook his head; nothing made sense when it came to Shinra.

Shizuo's leg jolted up and down under the table. His fists clenched. I can't believe Shinra was right! He actually didn't show up! How am I supposed to talk to him when he avoids me! Shizuo wasn't even listening to the teacher, too focused on Izaya. I swear, he better not skip out on cleaning that room and leave me to do it all cause I will beat his ass.

Shizuo stared at the mess in the room, feeling guilt rise within him. Desks and chairs were split in two, there was broken glass everywhere, and the wall had large dents from the impact of his throws.

Long wood panels were set to the side by the window with a box of nails and two hammers. Shizuo guessed they were temporarily for the window.

There was one problem, and it was made Shizuo grow extremely annoyed. The raven was nowhere to be seen. "He's gravely mistaken if he thinks he can skip out on helping me with this mess." Shizuo turned and stormed back out of the room. "I'll find him and drag him all the way back he-" Shizuo's sentence was cut short when he spotted Izaya heading his way. He frowned, unable to keep the anger out of his voice. "Where the hell have you been! I was beginning to think you tried to weasel out of this."

Izaya stopped for a moment before looking at him as he passed. "Are you going to throw another table at me?" His tone was sarcastic, but Shizuo didn't notice, too focused on something else.

Izaya walked into the classroom, slightly stumbling, and Shizuo followed after him.

Shizuo stared at him, not quite knowing what to say.

Izaya could feel Shizuo's eyes on him, and he glanced over in annoyance. "What?"

Shizuo blinked at the sudden question. Still, he couldn't focus on replying. He could see them now, and it made his blood boil. Izaya had bruises. There was a light one just under his chin. His lip was split into two places, and it looked like it was still bleeding. There was a larger bruise forming just under his left eye. Shizuo looked down and noticed the grazes on Izaya's knuckles, and his clothes looked scuffled.

Shizuo stepped forward. "Izaya, the hell happened to you?" This couldn't have happened no more than an hour ago, two at most.

Izaya's eyes narrowed. "It's not really any of your concern. I showed up, didn't I?" Izaya turned around and picked up a broken chair to start clearing the mess. Shizuo watched him drag it over to the door and throw it outside, beginning a pile of broken wood. Izaya started to pick up the fallen desks that survived Shizuo's rampage and huffed before glaring at Shizuo. "This is your mess. I don't see why I have to help you." Shizuo looked away from him and started picking up other broken desks.

"I was wrong."

Izaya looked over at him as he bent down to lift another desk. "About what?"

"I know it wasn't you who told them."

Izaya snorted. "I could have told you that."

Shizuo spun around. "Then why the hell didn't you say something!"

Izaya frowned. "You wouldn't have listened, and I was too busy trying not to get crushed by furniture."

"You didn't have to agree though! Why the hell did you say that?"

"I told you, you wouldn't believe me, so why bother trying." The raven pushed the desk up with a slight hiss and leaned on the desk before dragging it over to the back wall.

"Oi. Tell me who did that."

Izaya chuckled. "For someone who just tried to kill me a few hours ago, you seem awfully concerned."

Shizuo clenched his fists, picked up two broken chairs, and threw them outside onto the pile. He knew this wasn't going to work; he was trying, but Izaya was so damn irritating. When Shizuo saw the bruises, anger swelled within him. Whoever was responsible for that, Shizuo would make them suffer. He suddenly had this extremely overwhelming feeling of protectiveness. Why the hell do I want to protect an asshole like him?

They finally cleared all the broken furniture, placed the undamaged ones to one side, and grabbed a broom to start sweeping the debris off the floor, taking one end of the room each. "Will your parents freak if they see those bruises?" Shizuo grimaced at his lack of communication skills, but he just wanted to break the silence.

Izaya sighed; he had no desire to talk to Shizuo, but the blond was probably trying to apologize somehow. "I don't know. I suppose so. I don't usually get into fights, but I seem to have gathered a little reputation ever since I came here. It was Shinra's fault. I had to save his ass once on the roof from his middle-school bullies. Pretty soon, the whole school was talking about it." Izaya swept his pile of debris to the middle, and Shizuo met him there with his own pile.

Shizuo smiled. "You have no idea how many times Shinra has told me that story."

Izaya raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Shizuo chuckled. "I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but he and Kadota have done nothing but talk about you since I got here. Trying to get me to see the side of you that they see."

Izaya rolled his eyes. "Is that why you're talking to me now?"

Shizuo shook his head. "No, well, maybe. I really want to apologize. I haven't snapped like that since my old school. I admit when I'm wrong."

Izaya shrugged and moved to get the dustpan from one of the desks. "Whatever."

Shizuo frowned. "You know, you didn't exactly help the situation either."

"That's because I don't care. It really doesn't matter. We weren't friends to begin with, so an apology isn't really necessary."

Shizuo growled, and his grip tightened on the broom. "Are you kidding me!" The two flinched when the broom snapped in half. Izaya rolled his eyes at him, sneering a little as he bent down to sweep the large pile of debris. Shizuo watched him with narrowed eyes and threw the broken pieces of broom outside. Once Izaya was done, he stood up but swayed and stumbled backward. Shizuo grabbed his hand before he fell over. "Maybe we should take a break."

Izaya glared at him and yanked his hand away. "The quicker we get this done, the quicker we'll be out of each other's way." Shizuo let his hand fall at his side and moved over to the window.

"There's a load of panels here. I'll border up the window, if you take care of the wall."

Izaya looked over at the wall, several dents marked it, and frames hung off by loose nails or embedded into the cracks. Izaya clicked his tongue. He held a hand to his side for a moment, glanced over at Shizuo trying to hammer the panels in, and lifted up his shirt with a grimace. Several dark purple bruises splayed across his abdomen and upper ribcage. Shizuo was probably right; his parents would freak out when they saw him.

"Let me do that," Izaya said, pulling his shirt down so that Shizuo didn't see his other bruises. Shizuo turned to him, mid-holding a panel and hammer. "You'll only make it worse with your strength."

Shizuo frowned at him and threw the hammer to the floor. "Fine."

Izaya watched him cross the room as he walked over to the window. "You know it's true."

"Shut up. I'm done trying to talk to you."

Izaya grinned a little. "Good." Izaya took the panel and placed a couple of nails between his teeth as he started to hammer them to the wall to block off the large gap.

Shizuo watched him and turned to his task, chewing his lip with annoyance. He hadn't meant to cause this much damage. Shizuo couldn't help but feel relieved that Izaya escaped unscathed. Shizuo glanced at him. He managed to escape my rage, but who gave him those injuries?

"Stop staring at me, it's very annoying."

Shizuo glared. "Is that so, and you don't find that staring at me with that damn smirk of yours is annoying?" Izaya turned to grin at him, and Shizuo realized the raven was actually teasing him. "You - tsk. I hate you." Shizuo turned back to the wall and pulled out a few broken frames. The bent, loose nails scattered to the floor, followed by more wall debris.

Izaya huffed. "Can't you do anything without causing more mess?"

"Fuck off!"

Izaya chuckled and returned to his task but again became dizzy and dropped the panel.

Shizuo turned quickly, eyes trailing to see Izaya leaning against the wall for support. "Izaya?"

Izaya straightened himself and shrugged it off. "Just go back to your wall."

Shizuo clenched a fist. "Why don't you just let me help?"

Izaya chuckled. "I'm fully capable of nailing wood to a wall, Shizu-chan."

Shizuo snorted. "Yeah, if you can even lift it off the ground in the first place."

Izaya glared at him, picked up the panel again, and raised it above his head, and a gust of wind suddenly blew into the room. Izaya closed his eyes to prevent dust from catching in them. They heard the light patter of rain against the other windows, and soon, it became a heavy rain pour. "You've got to be kidding me," Izaya muttered, holding the wood still, but found he couldn't move his arms, not to mention. Shizuo stormed over, snatched the hammer from Izaya, and began hammering the nails in. "Shizu-"

"Shut up. Just hold the damn wood still, stubborn flea."

The two were soaked, but Izaya held the last panel in place, and Shizuo reached down for another nail, patting his hand around. "Anytime today."

Shizuo huffed angrily. "We're out of nails."

Izaya groaned and put the panel down. "There's probably more in the supply room down the hall." He moved forward, but his hand was grabbed.

"I'll go. I don't trust you enough to come back."

Izaya gave him a small grin and placed his hands up. "All right. See if there are any spare gym shirts while you're at it, preferably long-sleeved."

Shizuo nodded. "Good idea. What size, little kid's?"

Izaya rolled his eyes. "Just get me a shirt."

Shizuo chuckled. "Whatever. Skinny flea."

Shizuo came back with a bag of nails, two light-blue shirts, and a green box, placing the shirts and box on the front desk. The two boarded up the last panel quickly, and Shizuo sighed in relief when no more rain came through. He grabbed the two shirts and threw the long-sleeved one at Izaya. "Here, the smallest I could find."

Izaya tutted, then mumbled, "Thank you." Before he could change his mind.

"It's just a shirt."

Izaya huffed; Shizuo was so simple. "Idiot. I was talking about - never mind."

"Oh. You're welcome." Shizuo peeled off his shirt clinging to his body, and Izaya glanced away, feeling slightly awkward. Shizuo sighed in relief again when the dry fabric-covered him with warmth. "Didn't expect a storm today."

Izaya had no idea how Shizuo was now so calm around him. He didn't understand him one bit. "Weather is unpredictable." Izaya proceeded to take his rain-soaked shirt off, but then - he stopped. The scars on his arms…. Izaya hadn't known Shizuo long, but he got the feeling the blond was extremely protective, and given his rather short temper, it just added fuel to the fire. Izaya didn't know why that was directed at him suddenly, considering the two had done nothing but bicker and fight since they met. Still, Izaya was willing to bet Shizuo wanted to beat the crap out of those responsible for his bruises. "Turn around."

Shizuo had to laugh. Is he seriously shy? "You're joking right? We're both guys, what does it matter?" Izaya frowned at him, not budging. "Fine." Shizuo turned his back.

Izaya lifted his top, slung it to the floor, and pulled the dry sweatshirt over his head while watching Shizuo. The blond-headed for the front desk. "You done yet?"

Izaya almost chuckled. He suspected Shizuo thought he was shy. "Yes, I'm done." Izaya liked to keep people guessing, especially Shizuo. It was so amusing. Shizuo wanted to hate him, yet he tried so hard to get along with him, trying to figure him out. Shizuo turned around with the box and walked over, dragging a chair. Izaya watched him curiously.

Shizuo placed the chair in front of him. "Sit."

Izaya looked at the chair and then at Shizuo, grinning slightly. "Why?"

Shizuo seemed to get annoyed again; why was it so easy to get him angry? "Just sit already. It's a simple fucking request, Izaya. Why is everything so difficult with you?"

Izaya couldn't help but laugh. "It's not me who's difficult. I only asked a simple question. You don't have to get so angry." Izaya continued to laugh, and Shizuo clenched a fist, grabbed Izaya's shoulder, and forced him into the seat. "So rough. All you had to do was ask." Izaya was full-on grinning now, and Shizuo glared at him.

Shizuo gritted his teeth. "I – did."

Izaya chuckled. "Demanding and asking mean two different things."

Shizuo growled, trying hard not to fling the chair across the room. "Shut – up." He opened the box and emptied its contents harshly onto the floor, and Izaya watched him with amusement. Shizuo took a few supplies from the floor: antiseptic, tongs, and cotton wool. "Hold out your hands." Izaya blinked; he knew what Shizuo was doing, but it was still surprising.

"They're only grazes, Shizu-chan."

Ignoring the nickname this time, Shizuo poured some of the liquid onto the cotton and pinched it with the tongs, completely ignoring the raven's subtle protest. "Dunno if this might sting or not. Just try to keep still."

"Are you listening? This isn't necessary. Why the hell do you even care? You didn't cause this."

Shizuo tensed and stopped his advances for a moment. "I know. If I had, it'd be a lot worse than some bruises and a few cuts."

"So why the sudden hospitality treatment?"

Shizuo glanced up at him, then back to his task. "Because I made a mistake. I don't like losing control when someone deserves it, let alone when they don't."

Izaya chuckled and leaned forward, hands resting between his knees. "I've annoyed you quite a bit. Are you sure I didn't deserve it? Perhaps you're angry that your actions didn't cause this and that someone else did the job instead." Instantly, Izaya knew he'd overstepped the mark and suddenly felt bad for saying it, but Shizuo didn't get it angry. "Sorry," Izaya mumbled.

Shizuo took a deep breath. "Why would you think that?" Shizuo said, shifting forward once more with the cotton.

"I don't, not really." Izaya smiled teasingly. "But you always do wanna kick my ass ."

Shizuo rolled his eyes. "That's because you piss me off, but I wouldn't hurt you without good reason."

Izaya laughed. "Well, at least that's somewhat reassuring."

Shizuo snorted. "Shut up. Give me your hands, flea, or I really will hurt you." Izaya decided to just give in. It wasn't like he had much choice. Shizuo would not leave it alone, and if this was the blond's way of apologizing, he wouldn't give up until he did. Izaya held his hands out and allowed Shizuo to clean them. It stung, but he didn't let it show. "Did you get into a fight recently before this?"

Izaya tilted his head. "No, why do you ask?"

"I was just thinking about that time in art. When the teacher said about your hands being bandaged."

Izaya cringed. "I suppose so."

"Gotta be more careful. You're small."

Izaya blinked dumbfoundedly and laughed. "Just because I'm small, that doesn't make me weak."

Shizuo hunched his shoulders, feeling guilty for making assumptions. "Yeah, you're right. Sorry."

Izaya found himself smiling. I underestimated him. Shizuo wasn't all about rage and destruction. Like Izaya, there was a gentler side to him that people didn't see often. He really is just a gentle, misunderstood beast. "I don't mind. It throws people off guard and gives me an advantage. But if I was that weak, I'd have come off worse than this."

Shizuo chuckled. "I suppose so. Still…" He tensed in anger for a moment.

Shizuo finished cleaning Izaya's hands, sat up straight, and poured more liquid onto a fresh piece of cotton. Izaya watched him near his face and grabbed his wrist. "Just be sure you know what you're doing. Don't get that stuff in my eye."

Shizuo huffed a laugh. "I'm not a doctor or anything, but I've had my fair share of injuries, and I know how to take care of them." Izaya narrowed his eyes somewhat before releasing Shizuo's wrist and allowing him to continue. The raven flinched when the cotton touched his lip. Shizuo pulled back a little. "Sorry."

Izaya gave him a tight smile. "It's fine. Just carry on." Shizuo nodded and continued. Shizuo barely mentioned his home life, and the only one he talked about briefly was his brother. "Shizu-chan?"

"What?" The gruff voice told Izaya he was concentrating, and Izaya waited a moment before speaking again.

"You said you know how to take care of your injuries. Do you-"

"I live alone," Shizuo interrupted him, knowing what Izaya wanted to ask.

"Parents?"

Shizuo almost laughed. "Don't worry. They're not dead or anything." Shizuo stopped and switched to dab the cotton over the dark bruise under Izaya's eye. "But if you asked them, don't be surprised if they don't say the same thing about me." Izaya pulled away, and at first, Shizuo thought he'd put too much pressure on the bruise, but Izaya was frowning, almost like he was angry. "What?"

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"What makes you say that?"

Shizuo sighed. He would feel more comfortable telling Kadota or even Shinra. "Doesn't matter." Shizuo moved to continue, but Izaya batted his hand away, knocking the tongs out of his hand. Shizuo frowned, picked up the tool, and grabbed more cotton and antiseptic. "It's okay, don't worry about it."

Izaya didn't know why he was angry, but something told him that part of Shizuo's reputation was because of his parents. "I'm not letting you continue unless you tell me."

Shizuo looked at him, wondering why Izaya was suddenly acting so…. caring? Shizuo mentally shook his head. Yeah right. "All right. It's not a big deal. I've gotten used to it, so don't go pitying me or anything."

Izaya tutted. "Just tell me. We both know I'm not going to tell anyone, just to clear that up now." Shizuo somewhat glared at him, and Izaya grinned. "I'm just clarifying, that's all. We don't want another classroom destroyed, do we?"

Shizuo sighed and went back to his task and his story. "My parents own a shrine in Kyoto. They're very proud of it, always kept it in the utmost condition. When they met, my parents were already priests and maidens, but they became well known once they'd taken over my grandmother's shrine. Before they were due to be married, my mother found out she was pregnant with me…."

Izaya shifted uncomfortably when he felt the tension from Shizuo. "Oh…"

Shizuo huffed a laugh. "Yeah, you can imagine how well that went. Anyway, they kept it a secret, got married and announced the pregnancy as 'the miracle child of the shrine.'" Shizuo sat back on his heels and started packing away the items. "Everything seemed like it was okay. Kasuka was born a few years after, and everyone thought we were the perfect Shinto family. We raised to care for the shrine and taught different kinds of chants and holy laws."

Izaya didn't know what to say. He had no idea Shizuo came from that kind of life. Shizuo didn't act like a priest's son one bit. "Something changed, right?"

Shizuo nodded. "I don't quite remember when it happened, I was around twelve. My brother and I were cleaning up part of the shrine one day outside, and he accidentally kicked up dirt on my side, and - I snapped. I don't know why…. I picked up the nearest statue and threw it. I didn't mean to, and Kasuka wasn't hurt or anything, but….my parents saw what happened, and at first, they thought I had been given a gift, but it kept happening and got worse once they sent us to public school… That's when they became afraid. When I first got expelled, they kept me home and told people I was sick. Not long after that, my father started performing exorcisms on me to drive out whatever possessed me. Thinking that he'd freed me, I was allowed back to school, but a different one. It happened again…. and it wasn't long before my parents called in other priests to try and see what kind of demon had taken over me. I was afraid. I didn't want to be that way. I wanted the demon gone. I wanted to be normal, and I hoped one of them would help me.

"It became clear to my parents by the time I was fifteen, and I got expelled from our local high school, that what possessed me was punishment for conceiving me before marriage. Not wanting anyone to find out, they banished me from the shrine and told people they'd sent me away to be cured. I haven't seen them since. Kasuka was the only one who didn't believe in what they said. The only one I could count on. I tried to live a normal life, and forget about where I came from: high school, studying, just trying to live my life. Pretty soon, everyone in my previous school started to believe the same thing as my parents. I'm possessed, and people are better off staying away."

Izaya didn't expect Shizuo to have lived like that. How could anyone's parents treat their own child like a demonic plague? Izaya was suddenly very grateful to his parents.

Shizuo stood up with a somber face, and Izaya's heart clenched painfully. Izaya looked at him as Shizuo placed the box back on the desk, clenching his fists. His parents made him believe he was a demon. He grew up thinking he was sick. Izaya didn't know how he would convince Shizuo it wasn't true, and suddenly Izaya's eyes widened with an idea."Shizu-chan?"

Shizuo shrugged and gave him a tight smile as he turned around. "S'fine. Sorry, I don't really know why I told you all that, but it's the truth, I guess."

Izaya stood up and walked toward him, stopping in front and holding his hand out. "I'm sorry."

Shizuo looked at the hand and back at Izaya. "For what?"

"I didn't realize you were dealing with something like that, and I didn't mean to make it worse."

Shizuo blinked. What's he actually apologizing for? "Why are you sorry?"

Izaya sighed. "I wouldn't have angered you on purpose so much if I knew the truth."

Shizuo chuckled a little, taking Izaya's hand. "You don't have to apologize for all of it. I didn't tell you all that just to get along with you."

Izaya shrugged and tilted his head with a grin. "In that case, I'll still annoy you."

Shizuo glared at him. "You're such an asshole."

Izaya laughed. "I wouldn't want you to get the idea that we're friends or anything."

Shizuo snorted. "Wouldn't want that."

Izaya took his hand back and shoved both in his pockets. "I do have something to tell you while we're still on relatively good terms." Izaya smirked at him.

Shizuo rolled his eyes. "What?"

"You're not a demon, Shizu-chan. Nor are you possessed by anything."

Shizuo frowned. "You don't know what you're talking about, flea." Shizuo turned his back and headed for the door.

Izaya followed him and grabbed his arm, forcing Shizuo to face him. "Listen to me!" Izaya seemed angry again, and Shizuo glanced away, unsure if he wanted to hear it. "You're not possessed."

Shizuo glared and snorted. "And you happen to know this for sure, do you? You gonna tell me that your parents are priests too?"

Izaya chuckled. "No, that's definitely not it." Izaya released his arm. "I know for sure because if you were, I'd know it."

Shizuo became confused and tilted his head. "What does that mean?"

"I'm only telling you this because given your background, you might just believe me."

Shizuo could hear the sincerity in the other's voice when Izaya began his long explanation, and his heart began beating faster, beginning to fill with hope. "W-what?"

Shizuo couldn't believe what he was heard. He'd waited so long for someone to tell him he wasn't a monster or a demon. He truly believed Izaya was telling the truth. "I - I'm not a demon? There's…. nothing inside me?"

Izaya shook his head. "No."

"Does…does Shinra and Kadota know?"

"About me? Yes, they do."

Shizuo looked down at the floor, clenching his fists. "Thank you, thank you so much." Shizuo didn't know what to do. Never in his life had someone outright proved it. Kasuka didn't believe it, but Shizuo figured he was just a caring brother.

"You believe me, right?"

Shizuo nodded, took a deep breath, and Izaya squeaked in surprise when he became embraced in a tight hug. "Thank you, Izaya."

Izaya's arms remained at his side, and he winced at the pressure on his bruises and pushed the blond's chest. "All right." Izaya grinned at him. "I didn't take you for the hugging type."

Shizuo hunched his shoulders and grinned. "Don't get used to it."

"Believe me, I won't. Let's finish up. We've still got broken furniture to carry downstairs."

It was past eight by the time they had disposed of everything. "Won't your parents be worried by now?" Shizuo asked as they walked back to the front entrance of the school.

Izaya shrugged. "They just think I'm doing some after school assignment with Shinra."

Shizuo chuckled and rolled his eyes. "I take it Shinra will back that up?"

Izaya grinned. "Without a doubt."

"What about your bruises?"

Izaya shrugged. "I don't really have to lie. I was just defending myself."

They stopped at the gate, and Shizuo smirked a little. "I forgot to say earlier. You're not the only one that's given hell to those bullies of Shinra's. They're the reason I thought you had spoken about me. They overheard us on the field, and apparently, to get back at you, they planned it so I would lose my temper and come after you. Pretty cowardly, huh?"

Izaya sighed and leaned on the fence as they stood outside the school. "I know."

"Know what?"

"I know it was them, and I know you roughed them up, or at least two of them."

"How?"

"Because after you directed your anger at them, they ran crying to their other friends, directing their anger at me."

Shizuo's eyes widened, and he punched the fence. "What!"

"Before they attacked me, I'd figured out it was their fault. I can handle two or three, but not five."

Shizuo growled angrily. "I'll fucking kill them!"

Izaya straightened and shrugged. "Doesn't matter now. They didn't get out of it completely unscathed." He grinned. "Lucky me that Shinra gave me back my weapon before. But I'm sure that was to apologize in his own way."

"Weapon?"

Izaya pulled the item from his pocket and flicked out his knife. Shizuo flinched ever so slightly. Izaya smirked and waved it in front of the blond's face. "Too bad it doesn't work against spirits."

Shizuo huffed a laugh. Izaya was insane. "If I ever lose my shit and go crazy on you again, you have my permission to use that on me."

Izaya nodded and replied, "Noted," as he withdrew his blade and pocketed it. "Well, Shizu-chan. It's been fun. I'll see you tomorrow."

Shizuo nodded and watched the smaller male walk away, waving behind him. "See ya."

Kadota and Izaya were sitting in their club room the next day, waiting for Shinra. Kadota was on the two-seater couch, yawning and almost falling asleep, while Izaya researched paranormal activity in the city. "Damn. It's not even eight yet. What could be so important? He sounded pretty excited on the phone."

Izaya sat back in his swivel chair. "Who knows. Shinra tends to exaggerate. He gets excited about everything."

Kadota chuckled. "That's true, he did say he'd come up with a great idea. Maybe he found some other project for us."

Suddenly, the door slammed open, and a very excited Shinra ran in. Kadota had a hand on his chest, trying to breathe. "The hell Shinra?"

Izaya chuckled. "Congratulations. You almost killed Dota-chin."

Kadota glared over at the raven. "Asshole."

Izaya grinned at him and stood up, turning his attention to Shinra as he said, "What's with the excitement?"

Shinra jumped up and down and dragged a familiar blond into the room. Shizuo yanked his hand away, clearly annoyed he'd been called here early.

Izaya's eyes widened, and he half slammed his hands on the desk. "Shinra, what is he doing here?"

Shizuo glared over at him. "I don't wanna be here!"

Izaya snorted and frowned over at Shinra. "What did you do?"

Shinra was grinning like a Chester cat. "Remember when I convinced the teacher to let Shizuo stay? Well, this was it! He's gonna help us! I promised that by him joining us, he wouldn't get in trouble and that I would help keep it that way."

Izaya walked over to them and grabbed Shinra by the collar. "Have you lost your mind?"

Shinra simply smiled. "Four of us is better than three! Especially if we ever get into trouble again."

"Like I would trust him with my life."

Shizuo gritted his teeth. "I wouldn't fucking save your ass anyway, flea!"

"I wouldn't even ask you to!"

Shinra laughed nervously, holding his hands between them to try and keep the peace.

Kadota sighed heavily. "Well, there's always next Monday."

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