Maya spent the night in Anni's little apartment as planned, and didn't let a moment go to waste. She finally got Anni to reveal all of her omissions up until that point, about Izaya, and what happened just after she arrived in Ikebukuro. Even under threat of more teasing, the little blonde told her coworker about how dependant on Shizuo she'd become, and the aftermath of the slime attack. It turned out better than she though. Maya was actually mature about it, for the most part. Maya was beyond gleeful with the whole arrangement, partly because she had the following day off. Anni, however, did have both work and her daily training to attend the following morning, neither of which she would be skipping. She wasn't looking forward to trying to sleep that night either, knowing the nightmares wouldn't leave her alone no matter how tired she was. The offer of comfortable, terror-free sleep was getting harder and harder to ignore. Anni had just gotten out of the dojo, and was considering whether to pack a change of clothes and head over to Shizuo's apartment when she was interrupted.

"How's your training going?" Shizuo asked from his place just around the corner, making her jump. A lit cigarette hung from his mouth.

"It's going great" Anni answered once she'd recognized him. "It still leaves me sore and exhausted, but I'm getting better."

"It looks like it's not just training that's wearing on you" he observed calmly.

"Maya kept me up all last nice to watch movies and pester me with questions. At least it was pleasant" she shrugged.

"Anni, haven't you lost enough sleep as it is?" Shizuo sighed, putting out his cigarette.

"I've lost more than enough" she admitted, yawning behind her hand. The little blonde was startled out of her pause by her friend's hand resting on top of her head. She met his eyes with slight confusion.

"You still have your key, right?"

"Of course. Why…" she started, only to realise a second later why he would bring it up. "Fine. I'll come by tonight" she relented. Shizuo smirked victoriously and turned away, taking his hand with him. Anni's head felt unreasonably cold in the absence of her new favorite hat. "And where are you headed?"

"My break's about over, I'm heading back to meet Tom-san. See ya later."

"Later" Anni said, waving at his retreating back.

-!DRRR!-

Shizuo was relieved to find his couch already occupied when he arrived home. The little blonde had a laptop balanced on her knees and headphones plugged in, which is probably why she didn't respond to his entrance. Because her back was to him, he could see she was watching some anime or other. A girl with a pink cat-like tail was standing on a rooftop. Anni finally noticed him as he leaned in to watch over her shoulder. She jumped and nearly knocked her laptop off the couch.

"Holy freaking hell!" she said as she tore her headphones off. "Don't sneak up on me!"

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. What are you watching?"

"Noragami" she replied, pausing it. "The second season is coming out soon, so I was rewatching the first as a refresher." The laptop was closed and left on the table beside her headphones.

"Do you plan on staying the night?" Shizuo asked, taking note of the bag that sat beside the couch.

"I… ya, if that's-" her cheeks colored a bit as she hooked her hair back behind one ear.

"Anni, I've never had any problem with you staying here. Besides, it's nice having someone else around." He settled in on the couch beside her, putting his feet up on the table. "It's not so lonely that way."

"Shizuo!" Anni lectured, warping her arms around his chest. "You're not allowed to be lonely. You have to call me instead. That's an order."

"And you're not allowed to have nightmares anymore" he asserted, letting one arm curl across her back and shoulders. It was impossible to miss the way she stiffened.

"I might as well move back in at that point. I'd be spending all my time here anyway" Anni said as she pulled away.

"Why not?" he suggested. Anni's eyes widened for a moment.

"I have nothing against this wonderful couch, but I do enjoy having my own bed."

"You could stay in my room then" he continued, throwing his arms across the back of the couch. Anni glared at him.

"I've told you before, I refuse to take your room from you, Shizuo."

"Wouldn't have to. I could easily get another futon for you…" he mused. Anni, meanwhile, was panicking. The idea of moving back in sounded wonderful, especially with the possibility of never having another nightmare, but something about it terrified her. She couldn't say what it was either, which only made her more anxious.

"Maybe." She would have to figure out what made her so antsy about the idea before she said anything definitive. "I'll have to sleep on your offer. Cutting my rent in half would be nice though…" she said as she stood. Grabbing her bag, she made her way to the bathroom to change into her pajamas. By the time she came back out, Shizuo was sprawled across the couch in sweatpants and a thin shirt with his eyes closed, and his hands folded behind his head. Anni's blanket sat folded on the table. "Long day?" she asked as she put her bag down and unfolded her blanket.

"I'm not the one who's losing too much sleep" he observed. Anni's face grew a bit hot, making her glad Shizuo didn't open his eyes.

"If you're not tired-"

"Lie down" he ordered.

"Yes sir" she said reflexively, wrapping her blanket around her shoulders and climbing into her place on top of him. He laughed at her reaction as she buried her face in his shoulder.

"I thought you weren't afraid of me" he teased, resting his hands on her back.

"I'm not" she defended weakly. It was bad enough she had to depend on him just to get a full night's sleep, now he was going to tease her?

"Just go to sleep" he soothed. He freed one hand to smooth down her hair, brushing it away from her face. Anni relaxed despite herself, any lingering tension melting away in an instant.

"Fine" she sighed softly, letting her mind drift. She was safe. There was nothing and no one who could hurt her with her guardian here. No wonder she never had nightmares with him around. A realization struck her just before she succumbed to unconsciousness. She hadn't sought this out for necessity. Neither an extreme case of sleep deprivation or emotional instability prodded her to sleep here this time. She would have been able to continue functioning just fine without it. It wasn't just comfort she wanted, she wanted him to comfort her. She couldn't imagine letting anyone else see her like this. Anni laughed at herself for not realizing it sooner. How long had she had feelings for him anyway?

-A/N-

Edited by my dear friend Faded Phoenix