Izaya woke up with a wince, shutting his eyes at the bright sun reflecting in his window. He really should get some blinds for that. He struggled to push himself up from the futon; damn, his head hurt. Izaya swung his legs and stood up, rubbing sleep from his eyes. He swayed a little on his feet when he bent down to retrieve some clothes from his two draws. Grasping the shelf, he waited for the dizziness to pass. "God…. why do I feel like shit?" Izaya blinked at the hoarseness of his voice. He couldn't be sick; it was the beginning of July! Shaking it off, he took his clothes into the bathroom to get ready for school. He would not be scared off by Shizuo. He needed to be there for him, no matter what. "Whether he wants to beat me or not…." Izaya coughed to clear his voice, reached up, and turned the shower on. He frowned when he glanced in the mirror. He really did look like shit. "Whatever…"

Shinra ran up to Izaya when he saw him at the school gates. The raven turned to him with a raised eyebrow; why was Shinra panicking? "What?"

"Izaya! You shouldn't be here! Are you crazy?"

Izaya didn't think he looked that bad for Shinra to notice already, but then he realized. "Dota-chan told you?" Shinra nodded, and Izaya sighed. "I can't stay away just because Shizuo is an ignorant idiot. I'm not hiding away from him."

Shinra gaped; the one-time Izaya didn't want to hide. "Izaya, I'm really worried, what if-" he stopped when he realized the raven wasn't listening. "Izaya?" Izaya glared, clenching his fists. Shinra turned and saw the result of his friend's anger, walking across the school grounds, smiling and waving at someone she knew. "Don't do anything stupid. You need to stay away from her."

Izaya looked at Shinra with gritted teeth. "She told Shizuo that I hit her, Shinra. I can't let that go. If Shizuo comes after me then-" Izaya looked up when Kimori walked toward them. Izaya's eyes narrowed because he really couldn't stand her. "Get the fuck away from me."

Kimori blinked at his words and frowned at him. "Shizuo is mine." Then she just left.

Izaya and Shinra glanced at each other, and the raven's frown turned to confusion.

"That was odd, don't you think?" Shinra said.

Izaya nodded and sighed heavily, not feeling up to any of his classes today, and the day already felt like the worst. "Let's just get this day over with."

Shinra frowned when he fell in step with his friend because now he had time to look at him - "You don't look so good you know, are you feeling okay?"

Izaya rolled his eyes, wondering when Shinra would notice. They reached the locker room, and he tweaked his dial until it clicked open, toed off his shoes, replaced them with black sandals, and placed his bag inside. His eyes glanced over for a moment, looking at Kimori's locker. There was a dent caused by none other than him. Izaya sighed again; he'd been doing a lot of that lately. "I'm fine, just tired." Shinra snorted, and Izaya frowned at him, his attention steering away from the locker. "What, don't believe me?" Shinra was way too perceptive when it came to him, and the raven almost smiled but couldn't help feeling annoyed instead the moment Shinra shook his head. Tsk. "Don't worry, I'm used to it by now." Izaya slammed his locker shut and left him alone, storming up the stairs. Yeah, great start to the day, fucking fantastic.

Shinra stared after him with a pout. He hadn't meant to upset Izaya. He sighed and closed his locker, only to let out a shriek when Kimori suddenly stood there; had she been standing there all this time? A hand to his chest, he let out a shaky breath. "You scared me." Kimori stared blankly at him, and Shinra tilted his head, about to apologize until he remembered what she had done and frowned. "You-"

"Your friend, the dark-haired one."

Shinra's frown deepened. He was sure she knew his name, so what the hell was with that? "Izaya. What about him?"

"He and Shizuo were lovers before?" Shinra wasn't sure what she meant, but he wouldn't answer her questions. He turned to leave, but she placed her hand on his chest and slammed him against the locker. "Shizuo is mine!"

Shinra, surprised by her outburst, let out a small squeak. What the hell had gotten into her? He wanted to defuse her temper, so he decided to answer. "Yes, you and Shizuo are together now, but what you said to Shizuo was despicable. Izaya would never hit you, and I will find out the truth, Kimori."

Kimori glared at him and raised her hand to slap him.

"Oi!" Shinra glanced over by the door, sighing relief when he spotted Kadota. Perfect timing!

Kimori turned her head. Shinra's eyes widened, and Kadota froze.

Her head.

She looked at him now, but her body hadn't moved.

"Holy shit," Kadota gasped.

Kimori stepped away from Shinra and turned her body. "Shizuo is mine." Then she ran up the stairs.

Kadota took slow steps toward Shinra, still staring after her. He turned to Shinra, and the boy had become white as a sheet. "Are you okay?" Shinra barely managed a nod. "She was different, right?"

Shinra looked at him, eyes wide. What Kadota said was the understatement of the century. "Well she certainly wasn't acting normal! Her head turned all the way around!"

Kadota cringed. "I noticed. Shit, we better tell Izaya."

Shinra groaned at the mention of his friend. "Funny you should say that, because he's here."

Kadota blanched and huffed. "Goddammit." Kadota rolled his eyes; he warned Izaya not to come to school until Shizuo knew the truth. "Let's tell him about Kimori and hope Shizuo doesn't attack him in the meantime. Kinda hoping he's calmed down enough not to go looking for him."

….

Izaya rubbed his temples when he walked up the steps leading toward the library. His headache hadn't let up, and he just wanted somewhere quiet for a while. The roof was occupied with those damn bullies of Shinra's, and he'd rather not have to deal with them today because if he was truly honest, they might just succeed in kicking his ass this time. Only ever once succeeded before, and Izaya wanted to keep it that way.

He had been feeling crappy all day, and he still had three lessons to suffer through, so using his free period to nap in the library was on the top list of his priorities. Why did he feel like this anyway? He felt fine before, with no signs of getting sick at all. There was maybe a slight headache after he left the museum the day before, but he figured with all the information he had to process from the shop owner, who wouldn't have a headache? Now, he felt completely exhausted, and he hadn't even really strained himself today. With everything that happened in the last month or so, perhaps getting sick wasn't as unexpected as he thought. Stress. It was most likely stress. He had broken up with Shizuo, got told he had been discovered by a fucking Ouija board by his parents, left his home, almost screwed his best friend out of desperation, and nearly killed himself and – and now this. Kimori had set him up, and Shizuo hated his guts.

Yeah, getting sick sounded very plausible, yet he was still here. That had to count for something, right? But he was almost at his limit. One more thing would surely push him over the edge, and nothing would save him because he wouldn't miss this time. Izaya never pictured himself as the suicidal type before, but right now, or even ever since he had moved here, the thought always lingered at the back of his mind, forever there.

The thought scared him because he knew that the moments when he couldn't cope were just waiting for something to happen to set it off again. The only reason he hadn't fallen victim this time – because he was sure it should have happened the moment Kimori set him up – and the only reason it hadn't was because of Shizuo. Izaya couldn't stand leaving him like this, trapped somewhat, left in ignorance, and falling victim to that bitch. Shizuo was too kind for his own good. Izaya wasn't stupid; he could tell Shizuo was happy with her, and it made him sick. It was this reason why he just couldn't fucking see it. He couldn't see anything in her apart from purity.

Izaya hadn't the slightest clue what the blond was thinking when he fell for her. If you compared his two relationships to one another, they were the exact fucking opposite! That thought alone made Izaya want to pull his hair out. Izaya thought that if Shizuo ever dated a female, it would be someone a lot closer to how he was rather than someone like her, and he just didn't get it! Did Shizuo have different tastes when it came to males and females? He preferred his male companions to be strong-minded, stubborn, and just a tad on the offensive side, yet he liked his female companions quiet, shy, clingy, and overly emotional? How damn stereotypical was that? Izaya could use many other words to describe her, but they didn't count because Shizuo didn't know about them.

Izaya was sure he didn't like that all the time. He had a vulnerable side too. Shizuo had seen that on more than one occasion, and he didn't turn away from him. He was always there for him, so what did that mean? Every time he thought he'd figured Shizuo out, he became more confused. Did that mean Shizuo liked that side of him because he knew deep down he was mostly the opposite the rest of the time?

Kimori hadn't shown any other side to herself to Shizuo, so perhaps that was why the blond didn't see what others were seeing. Izaya had been as open with him as possible, which surprised him. Did Shizuo not realize how much he had let him in or how hard it was for him to do that? They had gotten to a point in their relationship where Izaya felt comfortable enough around him to allow him to see such openness and honesty.

Of course, he hadn't ever told Shizuo about the scars on his arms or how he had thought about ending his life once or twice recently because he didn't want Shizuo to tiptoe around him or stay with him just because of that reason. Shizuo told him he loved him, and Izaya couldn't take it because he didn't know how to be on the receiving end of those emotions. He had accepted that Shizuo cared about him a lot, and somewhere at the back of his mind, Izaya knew, but Shizuo never said it, and Izaya was fine with that. Then he did say it, and Izaya felt pulled into a reality he wasn't ready for and maybe would never be ready for. Why did he have to say it? Why! Ignorance was bliss! Couldn't he have just continued acting like he didn't know? Why did Shizuo have to always be so – him.

Izaya cared about him and had even told Shizuo that, so why wasn't that enough? Izaya clenched his fists when he stepped into the library. Regardless of how he felt and how much he hurt, Izaya wouldn't abandon him no matter what Shizuo thought of him. The raven would help him, even if he had to do it without the blond's knowledge, and if they never became lovers or even friends again, Izaya didn't care. If Izaya still felt it was too much to handle his life in general, then at least he would know Shizuo was okay.

Izaya looked up from the floor when he reached the comforters. The best thing for him to have done was to just go home, but Izaya wanted to be here at the school to keep an eye on Kimori every chance he got.

"Shizuo is mine."

Izaya almost jumped out of his skin. He stiffened for a moment and turned around. His eyes widened slightly. He hadn't even heard anyone approach him. How long had she been behind him? Izaya frowned, trying not to get angry, but they were in a library, so anything that happened here, there'd be at least one witness if she decided to lie again. Izaya glanced to the checkout desk at the librarian stamping whatever books had been brought back.

"Shizuo is mine."

Izaya's attention returned to the girl before him; was that all she could say now? She had been acting this way since the day began. The change in her posture, and even her attitude, had changed. She was way more confident and confronting than before. Izaya stared at her, and there was nothing but a frown on her face. No trace of other emotions.

When he saw her this morning, she was smiling and acting normal, but that side of her vanished instantly when she saw him. Was she finally aware he was a threat? Not threatening physically, but a threat to her relationship with Shizuo because he had been with him before her. In female terms, he was the competition. Izaya couldn't help but smirk. He didn't care how ridiculously girlish the notion was because he was happy he had gotten under her skin. His smirk disappeared - just like she had gotten under his.

"Shizuo – is – mine."

Izaya sneered at her, growing tired of that already. "Do you have to say that to keep it true? Is that your way of telling everyone to back off?" Izaya chuckled. "Do you think that'll work with me? I won't be pushed away by the likes of you. Shizuo will see through your pathetic intentions. I will make sure of that."

Kimori frowned at him, and Izaya glanced down to see her hands ball into fists. She had never shown this side of herself before, and he didn't know what to think. "He belongs to me, and if I can't have him, no one can. Therefore, I will never leave him."

Izaya froze at her words. She never replied to anything he said, but those words she spoke couldn't be what he thought she said. They sounded awfully familiar and reminded him of the merchant in the old man's story. His eyes widened, and suddenly, it was all too clear. She opened it.

Izaya flinched slightly; he had only been curious about the story and never really believed it to be true, but now that truth stared him straight in the face. This couldn't be happening! When he tried to get the box back, it was only to show Shizuo the truth. Now, he was positive the body of Kimori had been taken over by a possible five-thousand-year-old Egyptian merchant spirit.

Izaya was prepared to deal with Kimori and whatever else she decided to pull because he had realized just what kind of girl she was. He was left without the slightest clue how to deal with the spirit possessing her. Judging from the story, she was one pissed-off spirit. However, Izaya did know one thing. He did not want her to know. If she found out that he could sense and see spirits or became aware that he and Shizuo could exorcise them, who knew what she could do. Another smirk crossed his features, displaying his calm attitude, but he was almost nervous, possibly even scared. "If you say so." Izaya chuckled and simply walked past her without ever looking back. That wasn't out of character, right? She must have gained Kimori's memories of his personality when she took her over.

She knew Shizuo's name, but she could have heard it mentioned this morning in her presence while the blond had been with her.

Izaya let out the breath he held when he left the library and placed his hands in his pockets because they were shaking. He had to find Shinra and Kadota. The raven stopped suddenly when his legs felt shaky, and his sight blurred. Why is it always at the library? Izaya closed his eyes, a hand to his head as he grasped the barrier leading to the stairs with the other. Crouching, he started to feel nauseous, and his grip tightened when he started swaying. He tried to shake it off, but he couldn't get his legs to straighten. He was almost sure he would pass out, but –

Had someone just called his name?

Blinking away the blurriness in his vision, he tilted his head slowly to the side. Someone else was with him, and he was positive he had heard his name. God, why couldn't everything stop spinning just for a moment?

"Izaya?"

Izaya gritted his teeth, trying his damn hardest to focus, and suddenly there was a hand on his arm. It pulled him upright, and the raven gasped. Soon, everything came back into focus, and the dizziness and churning in his stomach stopped. He looked up, and his eyes widened when he realized who had been calling his name just now.

Upon instinct, Izaya yanked his arm away and took a few steps back. He must have been having the worst luck today. He didn't have the strength to deal with anything Shizuo said or did right now.

The second Shizuo took a step toward him, Izaya turned abruptly and ran away.

Shizuo stared after him, his hand outstretched, still reaching out. He had come here to meet Kimori and remembered rage building within him when he saw Izaya in the corridor, but when he saw him sway and was sure he might pass out, the rage just – died. Shizuo hadn't stopped caring about him, even after everything Izaya had done. He knew he probably wouldn't ever stop because seeing him just now caused him great concern. Shizuo didn't know what was wrong but wanted to help, and reaching out to him was a habit. It wasn't until Izaya pulled away and looked at him with fear did Shizuo understand what their encounters had done to them. Shizuo had been so angry and hurt by what Izaya had said before and what he and Shinra had done that whatever Izaya did after seemed to send him over the edge.

In just one instance, something snapped inside him, bringing him back from the edge he had been standing on this last month. He never once stopped to think about what Izaya thought or how he might be feeling and what had gone through his fucking mind when he did what he did. Shizuo only wanted to move on, but his anger took over when Izaya said those things to him in their homeroom, so he had no desire to see his side.

Seeing Izaya on the verge of collapsing caused his protective instincts toward Izaya to rush back, and all he wanted to do was make him feel okay again. The funny part was that it had worked. Whatever had caused Izaya to feel that way stopped when he wrapped his hand around his small arm. Yes, it had worked, but Izaya ran away because Shizuo had done nothing but threaten and gesture physical harm to him.

Shizuo didn't blame Izaya for running away from him but couldn't help feeling like he should have gone after him. Izaya wasn't one to ask for anyone's help so willingly, and Shizuo noticed right away that something was wrong. Taking a step forward, he decided to go and look for him, whether the raven wanted to be near him or not. The anger Shizuo felt would lessen until he made sure Izaya was okay, and then he would confront him about all the crap he'd done, preferably without too much violence, or none at all if he could really help it.

"Shizuo?"

Shizuo stopped upon hearing his name and turned around with a smile. "Kimori, I was waiting for you." Well, that was partially true. Shizuo sighed; he should really be honest with her because she had his trust, so he needed to make sure she could trust him. "Actually, I was coming up here to meet you when I ran into Izaya. He looked kinda sick." Shizuo turned his head to stare at the empty corridor, then he turned back to her. "I was about to go after him when he ran off to see if he was alright, but you're here now and-" The blond was cut off when she flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. Shizuo wrapped his own around her. Had he said something wrong? He was only being honest. "Hey, what's wrong? I'm sorry if you thought I-"

She looked up at him, tears glistening in her eyes, and a frown appeared on his face. Because he had only just realized that Izaya was here just now, and she had been in the library. Some of the anger that had subsided began to resurface. "You're mine. You'll always be mine. I can't imagine not being with you."

Shizuo raised an eyebrow. Well, that was – sudden. They had only been dating four weeks. Shizuo opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. What the hell was he supposed to say to that? Okay, so he was aware of the irony, but when he told Izaya he loved him, they had been dating for more than four fucking weeks! What had it been, eight months? It wasn't as long as it felt, but he wouldn't have said it if he didn't mean it. Then again, he wouldn't have said it at all if he knew how Izaya would react. He never regretted something so much in his life, and it wasn't even something bad!

Shizuo tried to smile, realizing he hadn't replied to her. Maybe it was okay. She hadn't said I love you, so maybe she was thinking aloud? That didn't make him feel any better about the situation, but it was better than the former. "Didn't know you felt that way." Shizuo cringed at his stupidity; now she would get the wrong idea altogether!

She smiled brightly. "Then you feel it too?"

Fuck.

"I – like you?" Someone please – just kill me now!

Her smile faded, and Shizuo instantly felt guilty, but did she want him to lie? "I should confess something to you because that is required of me as your girlfriend."

Shizuo raised an eyebrow. What is required? He had never heard her talk that way before. He had heard of love making people act weird, but this was just – no, not love, she hadn't said that. Wait – confess to what? "Huh?" God, he was so at a loss for words. He sounded like a caveman, and Shizuo smiled inwardly. Heh. Protozoan.

Damn.

He missed that flea.

Fuck.

"I confess that I-"

…..

Shinra, Kadota, and Izaya were sitting in their little office room. Izaya had called them here to tell them what he had discovered about Kimori – or rather – the spirit, only to find out they too had their own encounter. Izaya grimaced, but imagining what their reactions must have been like was a little amusing. "Turning one's head halfway around is probably a good sign she's definitely possessed." More so than his own encounter with her.

"What do we do now?" Shinra asked the question, having forgotten their little disagreement this morning. Scratch that because there was no disagreement. Izaya was just being – him. Once again, Shinra had forgotten about it and even apologized for upsetting him.

"Whatever we do, we can't just keep this from Shizuo now," Kadota said, "he has a right to know his girlfriend is possessed by a spirit, right?"

Izaya glared at him. Kadota looked at him and tilted his head, wondering what he'd said that caused the raven to get mad. Izaya watched him and saw his expression change.

Kadota sighed. "Sorry, Izaya, but – well, she is. I can't sugar coat that anymore for you."

Izaya narrowed his eyes, but he calmed himself. He needed them and couldn't afford to get angry at Kadota for something the boy had no control over. "Forget about it, and you're right. Shizuo needs to know for his own safety if nothing else." Izaya thought back to their last encounter, which differed from their others. It was as though Shizuo still – cared? Izaya could still feel the warmth on his arm from the blond's simple touch and could see the flicker of concern crossing his handsome features. Izaya looked down at his arm, tracing fingers that were no longer there with his own.

"Izaya?"

The raven looked up in surprise, feeling slightly embarrassed about his daydreaming. "Wha?" Izaya cringed. Smooth. He had always been articulate and expressive in his words, but that was even more embarrassing than being caught daydreaming. Izaya shook his head; damn Shizuo for distracting him.

"I asked what you wanted to do now?"

Good question. Izaya stood up, ignoring the light-headedness the motion caused, and he sighed. "You two try and talk to Shizuo if you can even get him alone."

Shinra frowned up at his friend. "I'll go with you."

Izaya looked at him with a smile. "Dota-chin will need your help convincing the brainwashed idiot."

Kadota rolled his eyes, letting his disapproval of Izaya's terminology known. "Izaya-"

Izaya glanced at him to acknowledge his aggravation, but his stare remained on Shinra. "Just go with Dota-chin. Shizuo needs you right now."

Shinra clenched his fists. "And what about you? Something isn't right with you. I don't know what, but there is. I don't like the idea of you going anywhere by yourself."

Izaya sighed. Sometimes, Shinra was just too much. "I'm fine. I won't be long. Don't worry about me. Just focus on Shizuo." Izaya looked at his phone, noted the time, and said, "I doubt I'll make it back in time before classes end, so I'll phone when I get home, or let you know the details later."

Kadota frowned, not quite as worried as Shinra, but he could see his point. Izaya looked sick. Had the raven not realized how pale he was? So, yeah, he was concerned that Izaya was just going off by himself like that, but with all the lies and disbelief, he figured Izaya needed someone to believe in him at the moment. "At least tell us where you're going." That was a fair request, wasn't it?

Izaya chuckled, clearly amused by their over concern for him. "The museum, is that better?" Kadota looked like he still wanted to protest because the museum was at least a forty-minute train ride, maybe fifty. Izaya rolled his eyes. "Honestly, I'm alright. Once I'm done with that, I'll go home and rest."

Kadota shook his head because there was no sincerity in Izaya's tone, but Kadota had to believe him if he said he was fine. "Okay, you win. Just – be careful, I guess."

Izaya smiled and nodded.

Shinra huffed and stood up. "But, Izaya-"

Kadota quickly put a hand on his shoulder, stopping Shinra's words. "Let's go and talk to Shizuo. Izaya will be fine."

Shinra pouted and slumped. "He's not going to listen to me! I'm quite sure he still hates me." Kadota didn't listen, grabbed hold of Shinra's shirt, and simply dragged him out of the room.

Izaya chuckled with amusement as they left, then his smile disappeared, replaced with a frown as he sat on the couch. He let out a shaky breath and ran his clammy hand through his hair. Shaking his head, he stood back up and left the room. "I don't have time to ponder a fever right now."

…..

The old man smiled when Izaya walked into the shop, chuckling as he walked around the counter to greet him. "I'd suggest a free pass for you if the museum wasn't already free."

Izaya shrugged lightly and smiled, placing his hands in his pockets. He was only glad to be off the train. He hadn't expected it to be that crowded today. It was so stuffy and hot, and Izaya thought he would faint. "Did you find the camera footage?" He didn't even know the man's name, and since he was about to request something peculiar, he probably should become more acquainted. "By the way, I'm Izaya Orihara."

A hand rose enthusiastically in greeting, followed by a bright smile. "Roji Sasuki." Izaya took his hand, glad the exchange of pleasantries was over and he could ask his questions. "I found the footage, and I burned a copy for you, so I'm glad you stopped by again. Of course, I would have phoned you."

Izaya followed him to the counter, glancing behind, and noticed the samurai Shizuo liked was still there. "About the black box." He should go straight to the point. Izaya watched the man tense, but Roji turned to him with a smile. How odd.

"Did you find it?"

Izaya shook his head. "No, sorry. There's a bigger problem."

"Oh?"

Izaya sighed. "I need you to keep an open mind about what I'm going to say."

Roji chuckled, leaning over the display case. "Always do. After all, I work in a museum."

Izaya gave him a tight smile. Not a great comparison there, but it'll do. "When you told me the story, you asked if I believed in it."

Roji smiled. "Changed your mind eh?"

Izaya cringed inwardly. More like someone changed it for me. "You could say that, and you said that the story suggests never opening the box because her spirit will be freed, and she'll seek revenge." Izaya watched his expression, looking for any nervousness Roji had displayed a moment ago, but the man just nodded.

"That's right." Roji smiled and placed his palms flat on the surface. "Are you telling me you really did find it, and you opened it?"

Izaya shook his head; wherein his statement had he suggested he opened it or even had it to start with? "No, I don't have it. I didn't open it, but she did."

Silence.

Yep, there it was, that nervous expression, but it looked more like fear now. "She opened it?"

Izaya nodded. "I'm positive."

Roji took a step back and huffed a laugh, but Izaya could tell he was worried. "How do you know?"

Izaya opened his mouth to reply, about to tell him of his abilities, but for some reason, his gut told him not to. "A hunch." Believable, he hoped.

"A hunch?"

Izaya shrugged with a laugh. "A good hunch. You don't have to believe me, but I wondered if you knew anything else about the story. Something that might explain how to entrap the spirit again if released or even exorcise her for good?" Izaya took his hands out of his pockets, laying them on the glass with a serious expression. "This must sound crazy to you, but if the spirit really is possessing her, then it poses a threat to my-" Izaya's heart clenched for a moment because it still hurt not to refer to Shizuo as anything but his boyfriend. "My friend."

Roji tilted his head in thought, paced a couple of times, and then stopped. "I can't think of anything else that would help. I just told you what I was told. It's really nothing more than a myth."

Izaya gritted his teeth; had Roji even listened to a word he said? "It's not. The spirit is inside my friend's girlfriend." Ugh, now he really did feel sick. "Like I said, you don't have to believe me, but can you think of anything at all?"

Roji sighed. "Have you tried researching the story? I never thought about it, but it might help you." Roji wrote on a slip of paper and handed it to Izaya. "This is a private website. It's only used by a select few here at the museum, me included, and it's also used by at least two archaeologists. It's content has some rare finds that aren't even public knowledge. Perhaps the story is there."

Izaya took the slip of paper with surprise. "Thank you, this might really help."

"Not a problem. The site isn't easily found unless you know the address, and it's also protected by a password, which I've written below."

Izaya nodded. "I really appreciate this."

Roji smiled. "My pleasure. Perhaps that crystal I gave you really is lucky."

It took a little while for Izaya to remember what he meant. "Ah, the geode, and maybe." He'd placed it on his window seal and just forgot. "Well, thank you for the help."

Roji leaned over the counter and brought a squared case with him. "Don't forget the disc I burned."

Izaya took it with a smile and left the shop. He had some serious research to do tomorrow. Too bad it really did have to wait until tomorrow because he had no internet at home.

…..

Kadota looked at his phone and rolled his eyes. Shinra glanced at him, tilting his head with questionable silence. Kadota showed Shinra the message he had received. 'I'm home! Safe and sound~.'

Shinra chuckled, though he was very relieved to see the message and a little disappointed he hadn't received one but was glad to know Izaya was okay. His phone beeped, and he pulled it from his pocket. 'Didn't forget about you! So don't sulk. See you both tomorrow x.'

Kadota snorted when he glanced over at Shinra's phone. "Happy now?" Shinra nodded sheepishly. The two were standing at the school's exit waiting for Shizuo, who they had convinced him to spend time with them, and it was the perfect opportunity to talk to him alone. Finally. "I hope he listens and doesn't just think we're making it up."

Shinra shook his head. "It's Shizuo, and he should know we wouldn't make up something like this. We never joke about the paranormal world."

Kadota looked toward the school with a frown. "Yeah…. but what if he really fell for her? He already believes Izaya hit her and refuses to believe she could steal anything. I'm just worried we're not gonna get through to him."

"Don't think that. Besides, he listens to you, so I'm sure it'll all work out. Even if it doesn't, eventually, he'll notice for himself - about the spirit if nothing else."

Shizuo growled angrily as thin tear lines graced his face, his fist repeatedly pounding against the wall on the school roof. Several cracks marred the brickwork. "How could I be so damn stupid!" He hated himself and didn't think he could look any of his friends in the face again, and Izaya – oh god, he would never forgive him for believing those things. That wasn't to say the raven was innocent in this, but – for his part, Shizuo was distraught, completely and utterly ashamed. The blond fell to his knees, still smashing his fists at the wall. He had to get away from those around him, lest they feel his anger. He came up here to vent, and damn, he fucking needed it. Why! God, he didn't know what to do or where to turn….

Kimori had told him that she really had taken the black box, and Shizuo listened to her side, believing she did it on impulse and wasn't out of spite. She had even been willing to return the box with him tomorrow, hoping that the owner didn't call the cops.

That wasn't the reason for his anguish. No, he could let go and forgive her for that, but what he found out after had him feeling like the worst person in the world. He told Kimori that Kadota and Shinra had invited him to catch a movie, or mess around in the arcades for a while, maybe even just go get some food; it was his choice, apparently. Kimori said she wanted to spend time with him after school, but she wanted him to spend time with his friends to make amends for what she did. The part that had got to him - even though, at the time, he understood her point - was, 'Only if Izaya wouldn't be there.' And was the response he gave, which just added to his anguish later on. 'I wouldn't hang out with someone who hurt you.'

Shizuo gripped his hair and howled in rage. "Fuck!"

Shizuo smiled when he stood up from his chair. It was the end of the day, and he was looking forward to spending time with his friends, well, one friend, because he and Shinra still weren't really talking. It had been some time since he had hung out with them, and he couldn't wait. He gathered his books and walked toward the door. His friends were waiting by the gates.

"Oh, Heiwajima-kun, just one moment?"

Shizuo groaned inwardly. Of all the times she could have spoken to him about his work. Shizuo turned around with a sigh and walked over to his teacher's desk. He hated this class, mostly because he didn't like anybody. None of his friends were in it, or Kimori. Languages. He knew it wasn't a reason to hate the class, but he had problems concentrating at the best of times, but if one of his friends were in the class, even Izaya, he could ask them for help. "Sorry about the test last week. I'll do better." It was the first thing he thought to say, but he might have tried to sound more meaningful. Oh well.

She smiled and shook her head. "Your test was fine, you got a 75. Not the highest of marks, but not as bad as you thought. The passing mark is 70, so good job."

Wait, what? "I passed?"

She nodded at him. "I wasn't supposed to tell you that yet, but you seemed concerned so just don't tell anyone." She smiled, and he chuckled.

"So, what did you call me back for ma'am?"

"You're dating Ai Kimori, right?"

Shizuo blinked in surprise, wondering if it was normal for teachers to know who their students were dating. Kimori wasn't even in this class. "Yes, I am."

"How's her eye?"

Shizuo's eyes narrowed slightly, but he wouldn't tell this teacher how she got it. "It's fine, nothing too bad." Shizuo seriously hoped she didn't assume he'd done it because he really would lose his shit.

"That's good. I was concerned there for a moment."

Shizuo tensed. "She's fine."

"I think she was quite embarrassed," she giggled.

Shizuo's frown lightened. Why should she feel embarrassed?

"I would be too if I ran into a door like that."

The blond stiffened. What did she say? "Ran into a door?" Fuck no! No way! Izaya punched her!

The teacher nodded. "She ran into the door just as I opened it. I didn't expect anyone to be right there. I told her to go to the nurse's office, but she said she was fine. She only had one class to go, and I assumed it was her extracurricular since it was just coming past the end of lessons."

Shizuo had to be dreaming because what the teacher told him couldn't be true! "Today?" Maybe Kimori already had the black eye and just used the running into the door as cover?

"Huh? No, yesterday."

Fuck.

No way.

Then Izaya hadn't –

Shizuo started getting angry quickly and needed to get the hell out of here. Kimori had lied directly to him, and – he believed her! He believed Izaya had really hit her! Shizuo clenched his fists, nodded in the teacher's direction, and quickly left.

Kadota and Shinra glanced up at the roof when a loud yell caught their attention. They looked at one another, instantly reaching the same conclusion. Shizuo!

By the time they burst through the roof's door, their blond friend was nowhere in sight.

…..

Izaya felt around for his phone in a haze of sleep. He remembered thinking about the story and how to plan his research, wondering if Shizuo had listened to Kadota and Shinra today or if they even had a chance to talk to him. Was it still today?

Izaya rolled over with a groan; he felt worse than before. He sat up slightly when his hand finally brushed past his phone, but it hadn't stopped ringing. It was dark, so he must have been asleep for a while. Izaya flipped open his phone and grunted in greeting.

"Izaya!"

Izaya winced heavily, pulling the phone away from his ear.

The raven frowned.

"Izaya! I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Pushing himself up, Izaya opened his eyes. His body felt so heavy, and he could feel his clothes clinging to his skin. "Shizuo…?" Dizziness instantly overtook him when he tried to sit up, so he lay down instead.

"You were right…you were right about everything! I'm so sorry…. I – I don't know what to do…. I'm so – I can't even-"

Izaya held his head. Please stop yelling…. fuck.

"Izaya, how could I be so stupid… I'm so sorry!"

Izaya frowned, but it was out of concern now, and he shifted onto his side, shivering. Why the hell was he so cold? "Shizuo…. calm down, and tell me what happened…." Izaya wrapped the blanket around himself.

Shizuo told him everything, and Izaya could tell how guilty he felt, but Izaya still couldn't believe Shizuo believed it. Izaya was mad at him, pissed even, yet he couldn't bring himself to hang up.

Izaya sighed, shifting up just the slightest bit. "Shizuo…. despite what happened, there's something even more important going on. I can't explain it over the phone…. but I'll tell you everything tomorrow." He just wanted to go back to sleep.

"What?"

It sounded like Shizuo had calmed down, which was a good sign. "Shizuo, did you confront her yet?"

There was silence for a moment, and then – "No. I didn't trust myself. I was too angry…. Izaya-"

"I need you to act like you never found out about the door hitting her eye."

"I can't do that!"

Izaya gritted his teeth. "Just for once listen, just-" Izaya gasped when blinding pain gripped his abdomen, and he curled up on his side, a small whimper escaping his mouth.

"Izaya? Oi! Are you okay? Izaya!"

Izaya opened his eyes, breathing deeply and shifting toward the phone. "Sorry…. I just…. stubbed my toe."

Shizuo sighed loudly. "Fucking Christ! You scared the crap out of me."

Izaya chuckled but bit his knuckles to keep himself from expressing pain. "Just do what I said, and I'll explain later…. okay?"

"Okay. I don't like it – but I – I trust you."

Izaya couldn't help but snort. A bit fucking late. "Go to sleep."

"Yeah… night."

Once Shizuo hung up, Izaya shot up from the bed and dashed into the bathroom. He grabbed the sink tightly - since that was the closest – and vomited. He retched painfully, and his legs buckled. He collapsed on the tiled floor, panting in short breaths. He groaned and reached one hand to pull himself to his feet. "God…." Turning on the faucet, he cupped his hand and tipped water into his mouth, spitting out the disgusting taste. Rinsing his mouth with Listerine, he glanced grimly in the mirror.

Izaya crawled back into his bed, pulled the blanket over his head, and wrapped it around himself. He almost wished he had kept Shizuo on the phone because this couldn't be a common flu virus.

…..

The next morning, Izaya felt better than he had last night, able to stand up without the room spinning, but he cringed at his reflection. He was white, and his eyes were heavy. "I can't stay home…." He dragged his weak body out of the apartment; he had research to do.

"Izaya?"

Izaya jumped at the sound of his name. When the hell had he even got to school? He was sitting on the bench in the locker area, head in his hands, crouched over. "Shizuo?"

Shizuo tensed, and Izaya was sure it was due to his real name.

Shizuo frowned at him; something was very wrong here, and he walked over and knelt in front of him. "What's wrong?"

Izaya tried his best to grin but couldn't muster it, and he sighed and retreated to his earlier position. "I don't know…."

Shizuo's frown deepened, and he swatted Izaya's hands away, placing one of his own on the raven's forehead. "Your skin is burning, Izaya! What the hell are you doing here?"

Izaya tried to stand up, but Shizuo wouldn't allow it, and he was held down by the strong hand on his shoulder. "Shizuo, I have work to do…." Shizuo gritted his teeth, and Izaya frowned at him, but it barely had the effect he wanted.

"The hell you do! I'm taking you straight to the nurse, in fact, I should call an ambulance because that temperature of yours is borderline dangerous." Shizuo took his phone out, but Izaya grasped his arm.

"Don't. I – I feel a little better."

Shizuo snorted. "Bullshit. D'you think I'm stupid enough to fall for that?"

Izaya couldn't help but retort. "You were stupid enough to believe I hit your girlfriend." The raven avoided his gaze because Shizuo looked incredibly disheartened at those words. "Seriously, I actually do feel a little better." He wasn't joking, but that wasn't normal, was it? It happened in the corridor before too. One moment he was ready to collapse, and then Shizuo showed up, and he was fine. "Sorry… my last comment…."

Shizuo shook his head. "No, I deserve that. Also, ex-girlfriend."

Izaya sighed. "Not yet. I need you to play your part." He stood up with Shizuo's help and then lightly shoved him back. They hadn't been this close in some time, and he didn't need his emotions running wild right now.

"You still haven't told me why."

Izaya nodded. "This might sound crazy at first, but bear with me."

"I'm listening." Izaya quickly gave him an explanation about the black box and its story. Shizuo appeared to be listening, but he seemed confused. "Okay, so this black box holds some evil spirit woman, but what does that have to do with Kimori?"

Izaya frowned and shoved Shizuo against the locker with whatever strength he had, fisting his hands in his shirt. "Did she take away the last of your brain cells?"

Shizuo glared at him, clenching a fist. "Just answer me!"

"Do I need to spell it out for you? If the box is opened, the spirit is freed. Shizuo, Kimori opened the box, and she's-"

"Leave him!"

The two snapped their heads to the doorway.

Shizuo hadn't ever seen Kimori angry before, and she looked – psychotic.

Then he saw it.

The spirit.

It was brief, but he saw it.

Kimori was possessed by the spirit.

He saw Izaya stepping back out from the corner of his eye and glanced at him. The raven wanted him to act like he didn't know anything, and now he knew why. Shizuo's attention snapped back to Kimori when she came storming toward them. "Kimori-" he tried to say, but her focus was on Izaya, and before either of them could react –

"Shizuo is mine!"

Shizuo's eyes widened when Izaya flung backward, grunting upon impact when his body hit the wall. "Shit…" Shizuo was about to dash toward him, but Izaya locked eyes with him. Shizuo watched him shake his head, and he got the hint. But – how could he just – Izaya couldn't expect him to leave him like that! It was obvious he was hurt from the blow. The blond noticed the water fountain broken next to him.

Shizuo stiffened when Kimori's arm wrapped around his. "I won't let him hurt you, love makes us strong."

He looked down at her when she looked up at him with a smile. How could he do this? He had liked Kimori before she did what she did, and now, he couldn't even figure out what he saw in her…. she fooled him.

This girl, however, wasn't Kimori. This girl was plain fucking nuts! A spirit hell-bent on some serious revenge, but why was she only defending him from Izaya? Was it because they used to date? It was possible, given how the story went.

Kimori led him toward the stairs, snapping him from his thoughts. He forced himself to link his fingers with hers and glanced back at Izaya with concern, but the raven smiled and nodded.

…

Every chance he got, Shizuo stole glances over at Izaya. The raven looked worse than before, his arm wrapped around his head as he lay face down on his desk, his other arm in a sling. Shinra had told him the impact had dislocated his shoulder, and the bespectacled boy was unhappy, but Izaya had defused the situation quickly, telling him that neither one expected it and of Shizuo's part in the plan. They couldn't afford for Kimori to know that any of them knew until Izaya completed his research.

The bell rang to signify the start of classes, and the students rushed out of their seats. Shinra and Kadota shared a worried glance as they watched Izaya struggle to his feet, his hand supporting himself on the desk. "Izaya," Kadota spoke, "you shouldn't be here. Something is seriously wrong with you! Look at you, you're fucking shaking."

Shinra lay his hand on Izaya's shoulder and could feel the heat coming off him. "Izaya, he's right. You'll only make yourself worse."

Izaya smiled briefly, placing his hand over Shinra's. "We can't stop – yet – I have research to do." He looked at him through half-lidded eyes, still with that smile. "Help me to our office?"

Shinra looked at Kadota, who sighed in annoyance. Shizuo looked at them from the doorway, a hand clenched. He should be at Izaya's side right now, and he felt so damn useless. He painfully tore himself away, guilt clutching his heart, wanting nothing more than to hold that damn flea.

…..

Izaya slammed his hand on the desk. He had high hopes for this site, but he still came up with nothing. He couldn't find anything relating to the story or a black box made to seal spirits. His concentration wavered, his head hurt, and his hair clung to his forehead. Why could he not find anything? It grated on his last nerves to the point he wanted to fling the computer out of the window.

He groaned and lay his head against the desk, its temporary cold texture cooling his skin. "Shit…" He could barely keep upright. He felt so weak, and his temperature had increased. He felt sick and wanted to give in to the darkness and just – sleep. "I have the worst luck…." Izaya frowned; hadn't he heard something about luck recently? He pushed himself to sit up slowly. What was it…?

"It might look like an ordinary geode crystal,"

"This one, however, is supposed to give the owner protection or something. It's given me quite the luck over the years."

"Consider it a token of my gratitude. A gift for all your honesty, and for listening to an old coot like me."

Izaya's eyes widened slightly. "That crystal…." He had been feeling ill ever since he came back from the museum the first time after Roji gave him that geode. He didn't want to believe it, but it could not be a coincidence, and suddenly, everything had a whole new meaning. Izaya opened a new browser page and started his keyword search without the Egyptian details and without mentions of a black box or any hauntings. He scanned through his new links, and they looked more promising than anything he had come across so far. He stopped when something caught his attention. He clicked on the link, taking him to a news article. Frowning, he ignored the exhaustion of his body's weakened state and read through it.

The story printed matched the story Roji gave him, but with one stark difference.

Izaya gasped, and his body shook for a whole different reason. "It was him - it was him all along." Scrolling down, he found two pictures. "That picture…."

"My late wife. Wasn't I a stunner back then. She was too, and everyone said we were a cute couple."

"She looks sad."

"I travelled a lot and could never quite stand to be in one place for long, but I loved her, and always came back to her."

Izaya clenched his fists; the story was about them! Izaya glanced at the second picture. The woman from the photo was in it, but she was with someone different, and Izaya couldn't help but think he looked a lot like Shizuo. Blond hair, tall, handsome, slim built but slightly muscular. The more he found out, the more everything clicked into place.

Roji had been nervous the moment he realized the box was missing.

"He fed me that Egyptian story to throw me off. It didn't come from thousands of years ago; it came from him and his late wife…. thirty years ago." The story was true, but the article didn't acknowledge a black box or mention any paranormal matter. "How…. how is that – sick… how is he not rotting in prison?" The article read that the blond in the photo had murdered the woman, but Izaya knew better. Roji could have been honest and said the story was about him and his wife, but he must have known Izaya would figure it out too quickly. Roji gave him that crystal to keep him from finding out, cursing him, or whatever. This would explain why Shizuo's presence influenced the curse whenever he was near him and why he felt better.

Izaya gasped. "I told him she opened the box…." He stood up, but maybe a little too quickly because his head fogged, and his vision blurred.

He had to tell them what he had found.

Kimori's involvement in this really was just a coincidence, and Izaya hated her, but unfortunately, she was a victim in this too, and he had put Shizuo in danger by telling Roji the spirit was freed. Roji wouldn't leave them alone. He knew their school and what they looked like because Izaya had told him.

He was so angry with himself. "It's all my fault…. if I hadn't gone to the shop and told him about the box…." Izaya stumbled on his way to the door, desperately needing to get to his friends; he had to warn them. "Shizu-chan…."

Darkness replaced his vision, and he grabbed his head when the room spun, and his body collapsed to the floor.