It was five o'clock and Shizuo felt like shit.

Everyone he had the misfortune of listening to been particularly annoying today. Yet another day of listening to scumbags prattle on and on about why they don't have the money they owe was beginning to get on his nerves a lot more than usual lately. And when Shizuo had finally realized exactly why these men pissed him off so much, he ended up fucking up one guy's jaw with a hard punch.

They reminded him of those men. The way they talked and held themselves reminded him of those men that had surrounded Izaya.

Tom suggested a lunch break when Shizuo had thrown that punch, sensing something was wrong. However, despite his and Vorona's questioning, Shizuo kept his mouth shut about everything that had been happening with Izaya. He didn't feel like explaining all of this to them. And he knew they would ask questions.

So instead, he went to someone else. Someone who wouldn't ask unnecessary questions or judge him for his feelings.

He stared at the ground as he talked to her. After all, she didn't have eyes for him to look at when making conversation so what was the point, really. It helped to be able to talk without looking right at someone and it helped even more when that person just sat there, silently listening.

"So I like someone…" he began, "and I figured I should ask you about it since well… you and Shinra are pretty much together right?" He glanced up to see Celty nod her helmet in confirmation, yet said nothing, waiting for him to continue.

"Okay, well… The thing is…" Shizuo ran his fingers through his hair and absentmindedly checked his phone for the millionth time today, "I like someone, but I am not really sure they like me back… At least not the way I like them. I mean the thing is… last night this person said they would be willing to try going out with me, but I'm not sure if their heart is into it, you know?"

Celty began typing and Shizuo waited to see what she had to say about the situation.

"[What makes you think they aren't into it?]"

"Well they were sort of drunk when they said it," Shizuo said sheepishly.

"[Even if they were drunk, there must have been a reason why they agreed to going out in the first place. Maybe they really do like you and don't want to admit it!]"

Shizuo considered that for a moment. It's true that Izaya probably wouldn't want to admit something like that. He probably considered love to be a weakness knowing how weird he was. But thinking about how Izaya had reacted to being kissed had Shizuo wondering about Izaya's ability to actually be in a relationship right now. Clearly he was still shaken up from… the attack. It probably wasn't a good idea to start something like this while he was still recovering.

A hand on his arm broke him away from his thoughts as Celty held up another message.

"[What I am trying to tell you is that if you really like this person you should go for it and see where it takes you! You deserve to be happy!]"

Those words made his chest throb. He didn't feel like he deserved to be happy. In fact, he'd give up all of his happiness just to make Izaya well again. He hated the way he seemed so afraid to be touched.

Shizuo shook his head lightly before he let those thoughts take over.

"But how do I find out if this person likes me or not?"

"[Have you told them how you feel?]"

"Yeah."

"[Next time you see them, just talk to them. Ask how they feel about you and going out.]" There was a pause as Celty continue with another message. "[I think you're a likeable person. Just be yourself and I bet they'll come around!]"

He couldn't hold back a smile at her words. Celty always knew what to say to make him feel better. Lighting a cigarette, Shizuo inhaled deeply, feeling the nicotine sooth his mind and body.

"Thanks, Celty," he said after releasing a smoke-filled breath, "I should let you get home now. Shinra might worry."

"[It's fine. He's used to me being out later than expected sometimes. If you want me to stay around I can.]"

Shizuo considered her offer briefly. "Just for a few minutes."

…~-~…

"Hello?" Shinra's cheery voice broke the silence in Izaya's apartment.

"Hey, Shinra…"

"Izaya? Is something wrong?" Shinra's tone shifted to become something that almost sounded like worry.

"I'm not sure. I think I might be sick."

"What are your symptoms?"

"I've been having trouble focusing on the usual stuff and my chest and stomach feel… weird."

"Weird how? Pain? Nausea? Are you having any trouble breathing?" Shinra fired off the questions and Izaya could imagine him with a clipboard taking notes as he spoke.

"I'm not sure how to describe it really. My chest does hurt a little bit, but not constantly."

"Aching or stabbing pain?"

"Aching I guess," Izaya lightly rubbed at his temples. Trying to answer Shinra's questions was bringing his headache back.

"Huh…" Shinra paused for a moment, "And you said your stomach is bothering you too?"

"Yeah."

"I might be wrong here, but…" Shinra sounded hesitant causing Izaya to shift in his chair, "Does your stomach feel… well I guess the best word to describe it is fluttery?"

Izaya raised a brow. Maybe Shinra was on to something. "Something like that, yeah. Why?"

"When did this start?"

"A few days ago I think? Today was the worst."

"Are you… umm… Seeing anyone?"

Izaya froze. What did that have to do with anything? Shaking his head, Izaya decided to play along. "Define 'seeing someone'."

"When was the last time you were alone with someone besides Namie?"

"Last night," Izaya found himself willingly answering too quickly, "why?"

"Izaya, what you described to me sounds like a crush."

Izaya let out a harsh, dry laugh. "Have you been talking to Namie or something?"

"No," Shinra said, sounding serious, "I didn't think it was possible, but… Izaya I really do think you're in love."

"You're got it backwards, Shinra," Izaya said coldly, "I am not the one in love."

"So someone is in love with you?"

"Shocking, isn't it?"

"Yeah. But Izaya, if you like this person too—"

"I don't."

"But what you just described—"

"Doesn't mean anything. I don't understand relationships, nor do I care to."

"YOU DESCRIBED TO ME THE SYMPTOMS OF BEING IN LOVE!"

Holding the phone farther from his ear, Izaya held his breath for a moment. Shinra hadn't raised his voice to him like that since middle school.

When Izaya remained silent, Shinra continued with a sigh. Though he wasn't yelling, the frustration could still be heard in his voice.

"Just hear me out. You just said it yourself that you don't understand relationships. In all of the years I've known you, you have never expressed any understanding of real love. But Izaya, if you know someone is in love with you and you really are feeling what you described to me, you should go for it. You might enjoy yourself. You… might be less lonely."

"I'm not lonely, Shinra," It was Izaya's turn to be angry, "And I am telling you, I'm not in love."

"All I can say is that what you described to me is exactly how I felt about Celty before she accepted me. If you would just try-"

"SHUT UP!" He'd had enough. Ending the call, he threw his phone against the floor. The battery skittered across the floor but Izaya couldn't care less.

Fists clenched at his sides, his entire body was rigid. He was standing, but he couldn't recall when he had gotten up. Kicking his chair, Izaya stormed over to the couch. He dropped into it, pressing his face in a pillow.

He wasn't in love with that monster. Not even a bit.

…~-~…

"[Shinra, what's wrong?]"

Shinra was sitting on the couch, hands folded with his elbows on his knees with a pensive look on his face. That was how Celty found him when she returned home that evening.

He had barely noticed her coming in the room and looked a bit startled when the message was held in front of his face.

"Ah, Celty," he began, "I'm fine, I was just thinking about something."

Celty sat down, nervous wisps of shadows coming from her neck as she typed her response. "[What is it?]"

"Oh nothing big. It's just…" he trailed off for a moment, "Izaya called me. Something is off with him."

"[How so?]" Celty wasn't concerned about Izaya at all, but Shinra's reaction was strange which made her worry.

"I think he's in love."

Celty's shoulders shook as she laughed. The whole concept was hilarious to think about. Orihara Izaya actually loving someone?

"Celty, don't laugh!" Shinra said as if hurt, but there was a slight smile on his face at her reaction. "Izaya doesn't understand what's happening to him and I am worried he's going to do something stupid and hurt himself!"

"[He's smart. He can handle it.]"

"No, you don't understand," Shinra said, his tone becoming serious, "Izaya has never been in love before. Hell, I don't think he even really understands what love really is! He could easily mess this up and wind up giving himself a broken heart without realizing it!"

Celty wanted to sigh. Her and Shinra were suddenly stuck giving advice on love to their friends when they had barely managed to work out their own feelings properly. But at least Shizuo was able to recognize that he was in love.

Wait.

"[Shinra, did Izaya say who this person was?]"

"No, but I wish I could get a hold of his security camera recordings. Whoever it is was at his place last night."

Celty froze for a moment before hesitantly typing her next question. "[Last night? You're sure he said that?]"

"Yeah, why?"

It couldn't be… But there was too much evidence to be merely coincidence…

"I like someone, but I am not really sure they like me back…"

"I mean the thing is… last night this person said they would be willing to try going out with me, but I'm not sure if their heart is into it, you know?"

It made too much sense. Shizuo had been talking about Izaya. They saw each other last night. Shizuo and Izaya…

"Celty? What is it?"

She realized she had been "staring" off as she considered this situation in her head. A chill went down her spine at the thought. But she could be wrong.

"[Shizuo was talking to me earlier,]" Shinra waited for the next message, the look on his face showing his confusion about the sudden subject change, "[He told me he was in love with someone he had seen last night.]"

Shinra seemed to read the message more than once as if he had read it wrong. His jaw dropped when it finally hit him.

"You don't think…"

"[I'm not sure.]"

"Celty… this…"

Celty began to type "is terrifying" but stopped when Shinra finished his sentence, jumping out of his seat.

"…IS PERFECT!"

Celty tilted to the side waiting for an explanation as to why Shinra was so excited about something so strange and confusing.

"Don't you get it, Celty? This benefits everyone! Shizuo and Izaya are both lonely in their own way. If the two of them can work this out, there's hope that they can both be happy! Also, if they're together, there would be significantly less property damage in Ikebukuro! And maybe Shizuo's kindness will get to Izaya a little bit and rub off on him! Not to mention I wouldn't have to treat their injuries from each other all the time!"

Listening to all of this had Celty stuck. It really was an impressive list of benefits if this played out properly. But it also could go so wrong so quickly and leave more damage than ever before.

"Celty, listen," Shinra sat down again, putting his hands on her shoulders, "We have to make this work. Encourage Shizuo for me and I will figure out some way to get to Izaya. Approach this delicately. If Shizuo already knows he's in love then it will just take some tinkering on Izaya's part. He is in love too, he just doesn't know it!"

There was a life in Shinra's eyes that Celty had never seen before. A sense of wonder as he began talking to himself about ways he could get Izaya to recognize his love. As she watched him, she could feel excitement as well, but also a sense of dread. She didn't want Shizuo to get hurt and Izaya is unstable. Shinra would have to come up with one hell of a plan to get Izaya on board.

Either way, she highly doubted the informant would listen to his heart.

…~-~…

Japanese doesn't typically use gendered pronouns, so in Shizuo's conversation with Celty specifically, I wrote "they" a lot instead of male pronouns because if they were speaking Japanese, Celty could assume Shizuo was talking about a girl and never know it was a guy.

So sorry if it sounded a bit awkward because of that haha.

Thank you as always for reading!