If you had asked her, Namie would have been the first to tell you that she hated how Izaya went on and on about his plans to her. That didn't stop her from feeling horribly unsettled when he one day suddenly stopped.

What made her worry even more, was that she realised that Izaya was now going on and on about his plans and how fun it all was to the kid instead. Not to mention how the kid looked at him with starry eyes, clinging to every single word he said.

She knew Izaya viewed himself as a god, but this was the first time she had met anyone who treated him like one. She wasn't sure if she should take her brother and run, or shoot herself and get it over it. SURELY this was a sign of the Apocalypse looming.

It unnerved her, even more, how...nice he treated the kid. She could see clear signs that he was manipulating the kid, of course. But Izaya always did so to make the kid feel better, and it was unsettling to see how soft his eyes went when the kid tried his best to copy him right back. It almost made her wonder if maybe manipulating people was the only way Izaya knew how to show love for people. Namie shuddered at the realisation. Great. Now there was two of them!

She stared over at the desk where the two of them were putting their heads together and giggled over something that was written on the online forum Izaya was always hanging on. She wasn't jealous; she had her beloved Seji-kun after all. Even if he didn't have time to be with his big sister all that much, she had someone too damn it! And she did NOT think that they sometimes looked like adorable little kids. She cursed Haru to hell and back for even putting such stupid ideas into her head.

"Izaya! Get your lazy ass back to work! I'm not going to sit here and watch you goof off all day and risk losing clients!" She glared over at them.

Haru looked a bit crestfallen at her sharp tone, but Izaya just smirked like he always did.

"Ara, are ya jealous much, Namie-san?" Izaya teased, and Namie tightened her lips, glaring even more.

Damned ESP skills. It was downright creepy sometimes.

"Tch. I don't want to be left without a job when the Yakuza kills you for not doing your job," she stated angrily.

Izaya just laughed and patted Haru's head. Haru was slowly getting more used to Namie's harsh words against her dad, and the hatred she held for him, but he still felt a sting of fear whenever someone raised their voice in anger.

Izaya frowned slightly at his son. He would have to correct that. It wouldn't do to have his son fear confrontations. Izaya stretched like a cat and got up, after typing a goodbye in the chat.

"Ah, well... I might as well teach you the ropes kiddo." He smiled down at Haru, ruffling his hair. "C'mon!" He grabbed his jacket and headed for the door.

"I can come with you when you're working!" Haru ran after his dad. "For real?!"

Haru was excited! His daddy had never allowed him to come with him to work before! He always said it was too dangerous for a kid. He couldn't WAIT to see what his dad did when he wasn't pouring over the computer, or being chased by Shizuo-san!

"Well, it's a bit early for work, but I figured we'd have some fun at Sunshine 60 first, and then you can come with me later tonight for an appointment."

Izaya chucked at the joyful expression that fluttered across his son's face at the thought of being allowed to come and watch him work. The Dursley's had sure done a number on this kid, for him to think that he wasn't even important enough, or maybe not useful enough to be able to watch the grownups work.

Izaya had to hide a devious smirk. Oh, he was not going to stop at that! He would teach Haru how to do the same things that Izaya did, and at the same time, cement the kid's love and devotion to him. He could hardly wait to see how this highly interesting human would turn out!

It wasn't an unusual sight, exactly, that met the people who were walking down the street towards sunshine 60 that day. A father that worked as the occasional balance adjuster for a son that insisted on balancing on the railings wasn't entirely uncommon...depending on the area. It was much more WHO that father was. Izaya did, after all, have quite a reputation. Both good and bad, depending on who you were talking to.

But nobody in their right mind would ever trust him with a kid!

Izaya laughed as Haru was chatting excitedly about how he wanted to see all the fishes in the aquarium, and how Walter and Erica had gushed about something called 'Namjatown' or something at Sunshine 60.

Izaya merely smiled indulgently and steadied Haru yet again, while keeping up a reasonable walking pace. Haru would have to learn how to move quickly, even while balancing, and he was already pretty good at balancing on things, even as thin as the railings next to the road, but Izaya wasn't going to go easy on him. He pulled his phone out and checked the time.

"We have about 4 hours or so before I'm going to meet that girl I was talking to you about. I thought I'd be the nice, kind dad that I am and reward my hardworking son with a trip to Sunshine 60~" Izaya said and grinned as Haru almost lost his footing at the shock.

"Really?" Haru said incredulously.

He had been trying very hard to please his daddy and do the things he told him to do, but he never expected to get rewarded for it. The Dursley's certainly never did.

"Really!" Izaya said with laughter in his voice and a slight smirk.

Izaya fully understood the importance of gaining the trust and love of his recently acquired son, before he started pushing him into giving up on everyone else. He didn't like sharing, and he couldn't help but worry that he might lose him someday if he didn't make hundred percent sure that the kid was emotionally dependent on him, and him alone.

Izaya would use ANY means to make sure that his kid wouldn't end up breaking his fragile heart. It was unnerving enough that he had allowed the kid to wheedle his way into his heart in the first place, he'd be damned if he lost him now!

"Yappa~!" Haru said and tried to spin with his hands in the air like his daddy so often did.

Sadly, Haru wasn't as good as his daddy just yet, so he toppled over and fell, but Izaya was right there to catch him.

Haru had never in his life felt so safe and so happy as right now, at this moment. The fact that he didn't berate Haru for anything he ever does, and actively encouraged him to do whatever it was that he felt like doing, as long as he took the proper safety precautions to avoid death, made his little heart overflow with love for his daddy.

This strange, funny, unusual man that had saved him from the cops, and in many ways, also rescued him from the Dursley's. He was slowly beginning to realise that he would never have done what he did without Izaya there to encourage him, in that manipulative way of his.

But Haru didn't see anything wrong about that. He used it to save him, after all. It was just how his daddy showed love. Haru considered this for a moment as they walked towards the gigantic shopping mall of fun, and decided in his little heart that he too would learn to manipulate people like that. He would show his daddy he loved him; he would! Haru was determined.

"Remember to keep your tummy muscles straight, ne~" Izaya chuckles at his adorable son, whom promptly blushes and wiggles out of his daddy's grip to climb back up on the railing again.

'Never give up, never stop trying', he can hear his dad's voice echoing in his memories.

If he fell, even if he hurt himself, he had to get back on. He couldn't allow fear to stop him from doing something. It had been one of the first lessons Izaya had taught him.

'Fall seven times, get up eight.' And Haru was determined not to let his dad down. He would get up no matter how many times he fell in the attempt! The possibility that Izaya might have had too high expectations for a 5-year-old never even crossed his mind.

As they approached Sunshine 60, Haru jumped down off the railing he had been balancing on and stepped closer to hold his daddy's hand. The sheer amount of people who were shopping today was a bit overwhelming, even if he had gotten used to Tokyo in general by this time.

He was happy that his dad usually preferred to walk, rather than take the subway. Especially during the rush-hours. He had heard how people complained about how crowded the subway was at rush-hour, and he didn't want to be forcefully pushed into a ton of strangers.

"Daddy! Daddy! Look~! Oh!, Oh! Can we go to the aquarium?! And Namjatown?!" Haru yelled excitedly as he saw the large mall come into sight.

"Of course, we can. I have to spoil my son a little for studying so hard, ne~?" Izaya chuckled and patted his head.

He knew how important it was to reward people for doing what he wanted them to do. And from the way Haru beamed up at him at the praise, he was sure that it also helped Haru love him all the more. He smiled down at his new...son.

He chuckled to himself as he patted Haru's hair. It felt damned weird to say he had a son, considering he was only 23 years old and preferred to pretend that he was only 21, but what was it, people said again?

Shoganai.

It can't be helped.

He supposed that for once, the saying was quite fitting. He couldn't help getting attached to the adorable child that showed such promise to become very, very interesting.

To think...a child capable of killing someone at the age of 5! What would he grow up to be? What were his limits? How would he evolve?!

Izaya was very, very excited at the prospect and equally determined to not risk losing him for ANY reason. He knew his fragile heart would never be able to handle it. Moreover, he knew he couldn't always be there to protect him.

So, he was determined to teach him to protect himself. As well as using every trick he knew to make sure that Haru would love and adore him, and be loyal to Izaya, and absolutely nobody else!

He couldn't risk Haru getting attached to anyone but him! What if he decided to leave him someday? He couldn't take that risk! Just thinking about it made his heartache.

Izaya shook off the depressive thoughts and focused on plotting which actions to take to achieve his desired result. Could he manipulate some other child to befriend him, and then make him abandon him maybe? Or should he use an adult? Which was the best way to teach him that he couldn't trust anyone but his daddy?

As Izaya plotted Haru's future, Haru was pulling him along, blissfully unaware of the manipulations and potential heartache and pain that was being planned by the brilliant mastermind that was walking beside him, and that wore a mask of kind generously and looked upon Haru with such fondness that it made his heart swell.

If that look seemed a bit dark and obsessive at times, well Haru didn't have anyone normal that ever loved him, and so, to Haru, this was what love looked like. It was a million times better than what his so-called 'family' looked at him with at least. It made him determined to never, ever, ever let his beloved daddy down. What if he abandoned him?

What if Haru wasn't good enough? Haru felt the cold grip of fear just thinking about it. He would make sure that his daddy was happy with him! He would! He'd work super-hard! He nodded to himself in determination.

Then Haru grinned happily up at his daddy. He was the best daddy in the whole wide world! And the only person to ever treat him with so much kindness. He even took him to beautiful places, and listened to him when he asked for something! Haru wanted very much to hug him, but he knew his dad wasn't overly fond of body-contact, and from what he had gathered from the culture lessons, you shouldn't do that in public anyway.

So Haru was content with just holding his daddy's hand as if he was afraid he might get separated from him in the crowd. From the way his daddy smiled that sneaky smile of his when he tightened his grip and moved closer, he felt sure his daddy knew what he was thinking. His daddy seemed like he could read minds sometimes. He wasn't sure if it was scary, or just awesome.

"Oh, oh, Daddy~! Can we go to the aquarium? Please-please-please?!" Haru asked again, bouncing up and down as he tugged Izaya's jacket and pulled him with him.

Izaya chuckled and jumped on top of a fence and spun around to face his son.

"Sure, son. It's on the rooftop. Race you there~!" Izaya said and took off with a laugh.

"Wait! Daaaad!" Haru yelled and started running after him. "You're cheating dadddy~!" He yelled after Izaya.

All he got in return was a burst of laughter as Izaya jumped over some person's luggage as he headed for the escalator.

When Haru finally found his way to the aquarium, he glared at his dad and promptly kicked his leg.

"No fair! You know this place, and I don't!" He said with a glare. His dad just laughed jovially and patted his head.

"Life isn't fair. If you walk around expecting the world to be fair, you'll be sorely disappointed," Izaya paused, giving his son a look.

Haru paused. That look meant that he was expected to figure something out. His dad was telling him something important, but without saying it.

"So... You're saying..." Haru thought hard. "I shouldn't expect fair play?"

Izaya sighed at his son, and Haru suddenly felt terrible. He had disappointed his daddy, he knew it! Haru felt the cold grip of fear that he never quite managed to get rid of and stiffened. His eyes widened in surprise as Izaya hugged him, knowing his dad must have read what he was thinking again.

"Don't worry about it, son. You're still young. You'll learn."

Izaya smiled his usual charming, reassuring smile at Haru. Sometimes he forgot that his son was so young. He couldn't expect him to understand everything just yet and had to be patient, teaching him what he needed to know.

Izaya didn't quite understand why, but the thought of teaching his kid all the skills he needed to survive in the cruel, wonderful world filled him with a strange, glowing warm feeling in his chest that he had never felt before. He felt like hugging him again, and so he did.

"You're not entirely wrong, Haru." Izaya knelt down in front of Haru, talking to him in a more serious voice, well, as serious as Izaya ever got. "Playing fair is for suckers. People who play fair will always lose to those who don't play fair. Which is one of the many reasons that so many people who have understood how the world works, also have learned not to play fair." He looked at Haru, wondering if he had to spell it out for him. How much DID kids understand he wondered?

"Oh!" Haru light up in understanding. "So, I shouldn't expect that people play fair, because the world isn't fair, and I shouldn't play fair too! No, wait. What you're saying is..." Haru paused to think hard about it.

"Haru..." Izaya started, but Haru interrupted him.

"No! I can get this!" Haru said stubbornly, and Izaya felt a tingle of pride.

At least he had taught Haru to think for himself. That was an achievement in itself, considering how much that kid had been instructed to obey blindly in his early life.

"If life isn't fair...and if fairness depends on the person...and every person views the world differently...then..." Haru paused. "Fairness doesn't matter!" Haru yelled out, then covered his mouth and blushed. He hadn't meant to be so loud, as he was just excited to have solved the riddle.

"That's right, son. Fair or not fair...it doesn't matter. You accept the world for what it is; Accept humans for what they are..."

"...without judgment," Haru almost whispered in awe as he looked up at the benign smile on his father's face as he smiled down at him.

It was moments like this that made Haru think his father was an all-seeing, all-forgiving God.

He always, always knew what Haru was feeling, and what he needed to hear and he never judged him. Izaya never judged humans. No matter what they did to him, or how cruel they were to him.

Haru stared up at his dad in quiet admiration and swore to himself to be more like his dad. He too would learn not to judge. Not ever! No matter what humans did, they were doing what it was in human nature to do.

Humans were always lying, cheating, stealing and stabbing each other in the back while pretending to be their best friend. The world wasn't going to change to accommodate any single person. Because then, what about everyone else?

So, each person had to look out for themselves, because nobody else would. Because you cannot be sure who you can trust, and who you can't. Everyone was ultimately looking out for themselves...which meant that you couldn't trust anyone. Ever.

Humans knew that. Or...some humans knew that. And then they also knew that sometimes they had to do horrible things to get by. But were those things so horrific then? If they served some purpose...If they filled a need.

Haru shook his head. No, he decided.

'There are no such things as horrible acts. All there was were people, humans, and the millions of individual motives that collided and slid around each-other like dancing galaxies as he had seen on tv. And it was beautiful!' Haru thought breathlessly.

"Thank you..." Haru whispered and hugged his dad tightly. He felt like someone who had just experienced religious enlightenment, and for the first time, they could see the world, in all its complexity, bathed in the divine light of the heavens.

There was no good or evil; there were only humans and humans were never good or bad. What was it his daddy loved to quote?

'It is ridiculous to separate people into good and bad. Humans are either tedious or charming.'

Something like that, Haru thought. It made so much sense now! When he stepped back to look up at his dad, the brilliant smile, and worshipping look on his face melted Izaya's cold heart just a little bit more.

Haru smiled as he enjoyed his daddy's favourite hobby; People-watching. They were sitting in a cafe that had a good view of the streets below, and Haru felt happy just by looking at his daddy's serene smile as he watched over his beloved humans.

He had to admit he was beginning to enjoy watching over humans with his daddy, with Izaya ever so often pointing out different people that were interacting, and making Haru guess what they could be talking about, or at least what kind of emotions they seemed to be experiencing.

It was difficult, especially for adults who were hiding their feelings so much, but Haru felt he was getting better and better under his daddy's guidance.

Izaya pulled out his Mobilphone and typed something on it, then checked the time.

"Alright, kiddo. Time for us to get going! Oh, this city is never still! So many humans, so little time~!" Izaya practically bounced with excitement as Haru rushed to keep up.

His dad didn't mean to leave him behind, but Haru knew that he sometimes forgot himself when he was in an excitable mood, and his...no...their beloved humans, and his daddy's games going well, always seemed to get him in a volatile mood.

Haru couldn't help but smile. How different wasn't this from those awful, awful people who called themselves Haru's family? Haru was yet again struck with an immense feeling of gratitude towards his daddy. He'd never, ever, ever let him down! No matter what! And they'd be together forever and ever and ever. His daddy said so!

But right now, Haru couldn't help but wonder what it was that his daddy was going to do, and where they were going. For some reason, maybe in an attempt to teach Haru to learn how to predict people or something, he never told Haru where they were going, and encouraged Haru to try and guess it himself, using logic, reason and knowledge of the person in question.

Except with Izaya...you never could be too sure. He changed so often. But that made it all the more fun. His daddy was the best daddy in the whole wide world, and nothing could convince Haru otherwise!

"Come on Haru! We gotta take the subway for this," Izaya said and grabbed Haru's hand, so he wouldn't accidentally lose his son in the evening rush.

Well, it wasn't quite rush-hour yet, but it was getting close, and there was always a risk of overcrowding when you left a popular station like Ikebukuro.

"Where are we going daddy?" Haru asked curiously as he placed his Pasimo card on the beeping machine to the entrance, before waiting for his daddy to do the same.

"Ginza," Izaya said, in a whimsical moment of sharing. "Shiki-san's bosses were worried some foreigners were trying to hog their lucrative drug-business out there. You remember Shiki, ne?" Izaya said and smiled down at his son.

"Mh!" Haru nodded rapidly.

He hadn't been allowed to come with his daddy when he picked him up but had watched him from the cafe he was dropped of outside. He didn't like that he had to wait for his daddy, but he understood that the Yakuza was not to be trifled with.

It only made Haru more determined to learn how to defend himself better. He wished he had a knife like his daddy. He tried to hint at it, but so far, he hadn't gotten one. He wasn't sure if he would ever get one, but he always looked for a folding-knife in every store they went to. This far though, he hadn't found anything, to Haru's big disappointment.

The trip there took entirely too long for Haru's liking, being pressed against the butt of some businessperson that was entirely too animated and twitchy to be on his way home Haru wondered if he was going to see his mistress or something, and decided to ask his dad about that later.

His daddy knew everything. And what he didn't know, he always found out. Haru pressed closer to his daddy for balance, and the subway rolled to a stop, precisely on time as usual.

He vaguely remembered a few times back in Surrey he had to go on the bus, and it seemed like it was always late, but here, it was continuously accurate, down to the second. Haru had laughed hard when he read the public apology one company had made in the newspaper when their train had been a single minute too late, but now he was getting used to it, and his memories of Surrey was slowly fading from his mind. He didn't like to think about that horrible time, in fact, he tried very, very hard to forget it.

"Come on, Haru. Hurry up!" Izaya urged him and pulled him off the subway at a quick pace. As soon as they hit the streets, Izaya let go of Haru's hand, and let him fend for himself as he rushed to keep up with the fast pace and high stamina of his daddy.

It was times like these, with the increasing crowds of people, that Haru muttered silent thanks to whatever whimsical gods that may or may not exist that his daddy wore a jacket that stood out as much as it did. Especially since nothing else stood out, and he would have lost sight of him in a second.

He watched his daddy weaving left and right through the crowd, apparently knowing exactly where they were going, even if he hesitated slightly here and there. Izaya was not quite as familiar with Ginza as he was with Ikebukuro and Shinjuku, but dealings with the Yakuza brought him into their centre of business now and then.

Haru watched his father pick up a camera that was neatly concealed by some bushes, and rested on a beanbag.

"What are you doing?" Haru wondered curiously.

"Ah, you see... Over there is one of the spots those deals I was talking to you about usually take place, according to the rumours."

Izaya smiled down at Haru, tossing the beanbag to him, and placing the small camera into his pocket.

"Why a beanbag?" Haru stared at it with curiosity.

"Stability," Izaya said as if it explained everything. "Come on. We have a lot of cameras to pick up." Then he smirked at Haru. "Then you get to spend aaaaall night watching them!" Izaya laughed at the disgruntled face of his son.

"Joy..." Haru muttered.

Izaya had made him watch tapes like this before with him, teaching him how to look for whatever clues it was that his client was asking him to find. It was boring. So, so boring...

Haru woke up after having fallen asleep watching the videos from last night and looked around in confusion.

'I'm in my room?'

He pushed his blanket away from him and got up from him comfortable futon. Voices were coming from the office, and Haru realised he must have woken up from that.

Well, there was a voice, but his dad sounded like he was talking to someone else, yet he never heard them respond. Was he on the phone with a client? Haru decided to sneak a peek at the office. He wasn't allowed in there when his dad had a client present, but it never hurt to listen in.

"Not really." Izaya chuckled. "Unlike a certain perverted, black-marked scholar, I don't lust after headless or bodiless girl-" Haru was about to snicker to himself when he saw a black, rope-like shadow swirl from the hand of his daddy's client to wrap itself around his neck.

Haru covered his mouth to stop himself from screaming. He wanted to burst in there and save his daddy, but he was just a kid, what could he do?! His admiration for his dad grew when he watched his daddy merely smile. His life was in danger, but all his daddy did, was laughing and continue talking as if nothing had happened.

"I'm sure you two love each other, ne?" His daddy said in a condescending voice, and Haru wished he could see what the mysterious black-clad person was typing on her mobile phone? But he was too far away and faced his dad more than the dark shadow sitting on the couch.

Haru kept listening in to their conversation, his eyes growing wider and wider with each word. Headless? Dula-Dullahan? What was that person his daddy was talking so calmly with?! At least the creature released the dark shadow-rope, and it looked like his daddy had talked himself out of it.

Haru decided that he would learn how he did that! It must be an incredible skill to have to be able to talk your way out of danger!

He watched his dad break out in that sharp, mocking laughter of his at something the other person said.

"That's surprising! You've become even more human!" Izaya laughed, and it was sinking in that, that thing - whatever it was - was not human.

Was it a monster? It seemed dangerous, with the swirly shadow thing that threatened to strangles his daddy.

Bits and pieces of the puzzle were coming together to Haru. The creature - whatever it was - seemed to have lost her head somehow and was still looking for it. Was she trying to get his daddy to find it for her? Was that why she was here? He did sometimes find people and property that went missing. He listened in fascination at the tale of Saika.

Finally, the creature went up and left in a rather thoughtful mood.

"You can come out now Haru~," his dad said in a sing-song voice.

Haru flushed with embarrassment at having been caught and flinched in fear as he approached the desk of his smirking father. He gulped heavily, wondering how badly his dad would punish him. Surely, something like this would merit a punishment, no matter how nice his dad was.

"So... Did you learn something new?" Izaya asked with a mischievous grin, ignoring the fear that was bothering his son.

Honestly, he had to break Haru out of that habit. He had to learn that the only appropriate response to fear was to run away, or failing that, fighting. Not to merely accept whatever punishment that was coming your way. What kind of life was that?

"Y...you're not mad?" Haru looked at his daddy with big eyes.

"Why would I be? Listening, sneaking, stealth, they are important life skills. You need to work on concealing yourself better, so that next time, I won't notice you're there."

Then he smiled an unnerving smile down at his son. The fear flashed through Haru again.

"But you can't trust all humans to be as understanding as me, Haru. Some humans will do pretty mean things to you if they discover you. So always be careful never to get caught, okay?" Izaya got up and smiled as he patted Haru's unruly hair.

Haru's eyes went wide with wonder.

"So...it's...it's not bad?" Haru said, and Izaya sighed, making Haru feel horrible for disappointing his beloved father.

"Oh, Haru..." Haru felt guilt and shame drop like a heavy rock in his stomach. "What did I tell you? THINK Haru. Think!"

Izaya sounded frustrated, although the frustration was more for show than anything else. It was important that his son learned this, and if he felt sorry about it, it would make him learn faster.

"Um...I..." Haru stuttered, trying desperately to figure out what his daddy wanted of him. Then it hit him. "Oh! That...that there are no good or bad acts? But then why do people punish people? And why do people things they get punished for? But if they're not bad, then...then..."

Izaya sighed and then launched into a long, convoluted lecture about human morals, society as a whole, and how all forms of laws, morals and norms were a human invention. However, Izaya was interrupted by another client ten minutes into the lecture and told his son to buy the Audible speech called Explaining Social Deviance by professor Paul Root Wolpe, before he promptly ran out the door, leaving a confused Haru behind to fumble for his phone before he forgot the name.

'Great' he thought. 'The damned lecture is in English...'