Still alive. Still working on this. I got some temporary employment that's been helpful but I've been busy. I have had this chapter done for a while I was just hoping to write more before I released it but I'd rather have it up and available than just sitting on my computer.

As always, thank you all so much for the comments. You are all wonderful!

…~-~...

"Oh, hey, good morning Shizu-chan," Izaya said surprised to nearly walk right into Shizuo as he attempted to exit Shinra's apartment.

"Good morning…" Shizuo replied, his hand still raised and ready to knock on the door, "Where are you going? I said I would meet you here."

"Yeah," Izaya turned to look back inside the apartment before sliding the rest of the way out the door and closing it behind him. "I was going to wait but Shinra's sexual advances on Celty were starting to get annoying and I didn't feel like being the third wheel any longer."

"Oh," Shizuo nodded in understanding, but felt undeniably awkward at the thought. "But still you should have just waited for me."

"I mean, you're here aren't you?" Izaya pointed out and grinned. "I waited as long as I could but it was just insufferable."

"Fine, let's go then."

It didn't feel as strange as it should. Izaya had sent a text to Shizuo early this morning complaining that he couldn't sleep and Shizuo replied fast because he couldn't either. After some back and forth the pair had agreed to meet for lunch and then return to Shizuo's place for the remainder of the evening. They decided it would be safer there for now, and Izaya didn't put up much of a fight.

When Shizuo asked how he was feeling, Izaya shrugged. It seemed his concussion wasn't much better and he was still experiencing some pain between doses of the painkillers Shinra had given him.

The conversation didn't do much to help with the nagging worry that Shizuo had experienced through the night. Not just about Izaya's health, (after all he'd seen him bounce back from much worse than this), but about his safety. During the night Shizuo had been to constantly reminding himself that Izaya was in the same apartment as Celty and if anyone broke in she would take care of it. Yet another part of him worried that he knew next to nothing about this person that had gotten the better of someone as strong and intelligent as Izaya more than once.

As a result, most of the night was spent fighting off his own imagination of how this arrangement could go wrong. He jumped at the chance to keep Izaya under his own surveillance. At least there would be less left unknown if he was doing his job as bodyguard in his own home.

"I'm honestly not that hungry, did you have anything in mind?" Izaya asked, staring at the ground in front of him as he walked.

"Not really, I was going to let you decide." He replied. Shizuo knew from experience that concussions could cause nausea and he didn't want to suggest anything that would make Izaya feel sick.

"You can choose. I mostly just want to rest a bit more. Fast food is fine if that's what it takes to get me somewhere where I can sit down."

"If that's fine with you then yeah, that's probably the easiest thing."

Izaya nodded. He switched from looking at the ground to looking around at the people they passed. Shizuo guessed he was looking for a particular face. He stuck his hands in his pockets as he walked, likely holding his pocket knife.

"Hey," Shizuo nudged Izaya with his elbow. "Don't worry too much. You focus on getting better and I'll be here to protect you."

If it had been anyone else Izaya would not be reassured by that thought; however, Izaya had seen this man survive being shot, having a construction vehicle and iron bars dropped on him, and being hit by a truck. All of which were of course, caused by himself but that was beside the point. It was genuinely reassuring to think that this essentially invincible man claimed he would protect him.

Shizuo could see Izaya's demeanor change slightly. He seemed to let go of a bit of tension and he smiled. With a couple short steps he moved closer to Shizuo as they walked. His hands remained in his pockets but he leaned in so that his upper arm nudged Shizuo's own in a playful gesture.

"Thanks for doing this." he said. "I promise I'll make it worth your time."

Shizuo could barely register what Izaya was saying. He was too distracted by that smile again. God, why did he enjoy seeing that smile so much? Smiling back was too easy as he watched Izaya run a few steps ahead.

…~-~...

Izaya made himself comfortable nestled into the corner of the couch, wearing clothes a couple sizes too big, with a hot cup of tea in his hands. After picking up food, Izaya had insisted on stopping to pick up some good tea when he found out Shizuo had none. The one thing Shizuo could provide however was some comfortable clothes. Izaya had decided it would be easier to pick up his things tomorrow so he could stay a few days, and Shizuo agreed suggesting that he borrow what he needed in the meantime.

They sat in silence for a over an hour while Izaya finished his tea. One of Kasuka's movies was on television, but neither of them were really paying attention to it. Sitting on opposite ends of the couch, each had a different set of thoughts and feelings running through their head. Shizuo on one side, was uneasy. There were too many unanswered questions about what had transpired the previous night before Shizuo had arrived to check on him. It was difficult not to bombard Izaya with questions and try to get some real answers out of him. He needed to know more about this person and he knew he wouldn't sleep well until he did.

Izaya on the other hand was doing a rather good job of not worrying about the situation for once. Maybe it was the concussion, maybe it was the painkillers for his wrist, but the majority of Izaya's thoughts for the past hour had been sensory related. The warmth and taste of his tea, surprisingly soft and comfortable clothes he was borrowing, and of course, the scent of Shizuo that lingered on the clothing and his surroundings.

For brief moments, Izaya forgot where he was and why. He concluded it was likely the meds making him feel so dazed, but he didn't dislike the feeling so he didn't dwell on it. When he finished his tea, Izaya sat holding the cup in his lap. He leaned into the arm of the couch, resting his head in the crook of his left arm while is injured wrist lightly held his empty cup. Taking slow, deep breaths, Izaya enjoyed the scent that lingered on the hoodie he wore. Eyes closed he let himself relax knowing that for now he was safe.

"Hey, Izaya?"

Eyes still closed, Izaya replied in a slightly muffled voice, "Yeah?"

From his place on the couch Izaya could feel Shizuo switch positions to face him. "Are you really feeling okay?"

"Yes, Shizu-chan, I'm fine," Izaya replied, "I don't even feel the pain at all right now."

"No, thats-that's not what I meant," Shizuo said.

When he didn't continue Izaya opened one eye to look in his direction. "Then what did you mean?"

Shizuo looked uncomfortable. He wasn't looking at Izaya even though his body was facing him. "I meant… well… did he… When I got there you were... " he released a deep breath and when he spoke again it was very fast. "I know people are messed up and I just wanted to know if he did anything else to hurt you."

For a split second his heart felt like it stopped. Izaya sat completely still, his eye still trained on Shizuo.

Does he… know something…? Izaya wondered. When he didn't answer Shizuo finally got the courage to look at him again while he waited for a reply. Cautiously, Izaya sat up, opening his eyes to study the other for a moment.

"No, nothing happened," Izaya lied, "But why exactly do you ask?"

"I-it's just like I said," he looked away again, his hand reflexively reaching up to rub at the back of his neck, "People are messed up and you still haven't told me what kind of person this guy is so… I'm… left to imagine things."

"Are you suggesting you think he raped me?" Izaya said bluntly, though the word did leave a bad taste in his mouth and a sour feeling in his stomach he kept his composure steady.

"N-no!" Shizuo said a little too loudly, "No, not like that! But like he could have still like… touched you or something. I mean he did put those creepy cameras in your apartment."

He knows something. He has to. Izaya concluded. His mind raced for an answer to how Shizuo could have possibly gotten information. He'd never told anyone about what had happened. Not even the police when he'd had Jiro arrested. Sure, Shizuo may have found the man's record and saw the child pornography charge and made a connection, but Izaya was fairly certain he had never told Shizuo the name of the man he was supposed to be protecting him from.

Then again… Shizuo has been known to be surprisingly observant. It was entirely possible that he connected the cameras in his apartment and Izaya being tied up and interpreted it as a sex crime. There was no other feasible way for Shizuo to get any other solid information.

"It's not like that, Shizuo," he lied again, "He's just a past client that's crafty enough that I can't get rid of him, and he also happens to be violent enough that I don't trust him to be physically close to me."

Shizuo gave him a skeptical look that had Izaya on edge until he finally shrugged, seeming to accept the answer.

"I wish you would tell me more so I could know what he's done in the past and what I should be on the lookout for, but if you won't tell me then I guess I'm flying blind here."

A pang of anger struck Izaya at that response. "Your job is to protect me from physical harm, you brainless monster," he snapped, "I have no reason to tell you anything. If I needed a shitty therapist I could afford one."

Shizuo moved faster than Izaya's drugged and concussed brain could react. Grabbing the front of Izaya's borrowed hoodie, he pulled Izaya close until he could see the rage in his eyes. His other hand was already raised into a fist, poised to strike and Izaya flinched away, waiting for the pain.

But he didn't strike.

Izaya opened his eyes which had closed reflexively to look back up at Shizuo. He was still in the same position, holding Izaya with one hand, and his other fist raised. But he wasn't moving. His fist trembled slightly as if it was anxious to follow through, dealing what could easily be a fatal blow to Izaya's face. But he held back.

"Shizu-chan…?" Izaya whispered.

There was a moment's pause before Shizuo finally lowered his fist and let Izaya fall back onto the couch. The movement jarred his wrist making him flinch again at the sudden pain, but it faded just as quickly as it arrived.

When he looked up Shizuo was walking towards the side door that lead to a small balcony with a pack of cigarettes in his hand. Izaya watched as he stepped outside, gently closed the door behind him, and calmly lit his cigarette.

Izaya took a slow, deep breath and released it. With all of his focus lately on protecting himself from Jiro, he'd almost forgotten the damage Shizuo could do and had done to him in the past. Not to mention how easy it was to set him off.

And yet, that was some immense control he'd just seen from the man who had only a few months ago broke both of Izaya's arms with a single punch. Izaya shuddered when he remembered how that punch had felt as if he had been hit by a train at full speed.

However he was having trouble connecting that version of Shizuo to the one who has been around him for the past few weeks. Lately Shizuo hasn't been losing his temper as much and when he did such as just now, he held back. He was treating Izaya with a type of kindness that he probably didn't deserve.

With that though in his mind, Izaya felt a sudden guilt over what he had said. Shizuo really was only trying to help. It wasn't his fault he was unknowingly prying into a part of Izaya's past that he wouldn't like to share. He was doing his best, even offering to let Izaya stay at his place for who knows how long to help him.

Izaya's eyes stung for a moment. He blinked a few times to get rid of the sensation. This man that he loved, that he had constantly tormented, was doing his damned best and all he could do in return is insult him.

He was on his feet before he could finish his thought, heading towards the door and shoving it open. Stepping up next to him, Izaya tightly gripped the railing in front of him.

They stood there for a few seconds, both silently looking ahead.

"I'm sorry," they said together. In unison they turned to look at one another with surprised expressions on their faces.

"I-" Izaya began, "You first."

"I'm sorry I reacted like that. You have the right not to tell me something if it's personal or for whatever reason. You aren't required to share anything you don't want to regardless of why."

Izaya smiled a bit, feeling relieved. "And I'm sorry I snapped at you. I know you're just trying to help and I…" Izaya turned to look ahead of him again, "I really appreciate everything you've done."

It wasn't much of a view, just a parking lot really, but Izaya continued staring forward. His grip on the railing loosened and a moment later he felt warmth over his hand. Eyes glancing down he saw Shizuo's hand placed over his own. The air and railing were cool, but that hand felt so warm. Without thinking, Izaya's grip shifted to that instead of holding the railing, he held Shizuo's hand back.

Shizuo lightly tightened his grip in response and Izaya stepped closer to lean against him. They stood for some time, watching the sun begin to set behind the tall buildings.