Day Three
How We Laughed

"I couldn't believe it when I heard, but here it is! The macho brute and the asshole know it all, forced together! Next thing you know, they'll be going out~"

"Kida-kun, how nice of you to visit...," Izaya said in a very sarcastic tone. His eyes wavered onto Anri and Mikado. "Mikado... I'll have you know this is your fault."

"I'm sorry! I know, I was just trying to catch up to Anri—"

"To tell her how much you love her? Ooooooo, Mikado, how wild of you! About time, though. You need to express your love the way I do! Right, oh sexy goddess from the heavens?" Kida finally finished, eyebrows wiggling suggestively.

Anri blushed, but laughed nonetheless. She was used to it by now.

"Don't you have a girlfriend...?" Mikado asked drily.

"Not the point!"

Izaya had a world of things he wanted to say, but held his tounge back. Shizuo, on the other hand, took the kids on more easily. "Have you seen Shinra yet?"

All three of them nodded. Shizuo raised an eyebrow, still expecting a better answer. Finally, Anri was the one to get the picture. "Oh! Yes... Um, he was making coffee for himself. Celty left to make a delivery..."

"Thanks," Shizuo muttered, before falling back on the bed to rest.

"So how did the lovely couple wake up this morning?" Kida couldn't help but ask, sitting down next to Izaya and inching over to him. His eyes shone with eagerness.

"Well, Shizu-chan didn't enjoy the morning as much as I did. I woke up early, and decided to play arts and craft with the shaving cream. Shizu-chan does make a good Santa Clause." Ah yes, the morning, a very fruitful thing indeed. Shizuo had been so busy cursing at Izaya in his sleep that he didn't even notice as the sly devil poured shaving cream all over his face. He was tempted to completely shave off all of Shizuo's hair... but there really wasn't a need to make him uglier than he already was. "It took fifteen shocks to his system before he finally gave up on trying to kill me." And the whole time Shizuo had been trying, Izaya was only smirking.

"You want to die!" Shizuo hissed, careful not to scream too loudly and raise his heart rate.

"Nah, I'm fine, thanks for the offer."

"I hate you..."

"These two are so cute, wouldn't you guys agree!" Kida chirped.

Mikado laughed nervously. "Masaomi-kun... You're too much."

Anril laughed, her eyes soft as they landed on Shizuo. "I think it's cute, actually."

Shizuo looked at her for a couple seconds, blinking before he asked, "Who are you again?"

"Anri-chan, dumbass," Izaya mocked.

"Shut up!" Shizuo doubled over in pain.

"Eh, it's too easy really. Usually you're unpredictable, but right now, mapping out your next step is all too easy. It's boring really. I say something, you get angry, and then you get shocked. Like a broken record," Izaya commented drily, memorizing the pattern on the ceiling as he rested on the bed. "All a pattern..."

"Stop your useless talking! It's making me angry..."

"Heh," Kida grinned, putting his hands on his hip, "Well, I think we should be going really. I wouldn't want to get in the way of this lover's quarrel~"

"Masaomi...," Mikado complained. He really didn't like when Kida said things like that. Still, he didn't get much of a chance to argue as both he and Anri were hurriedly shoved out of the room.

Once again, the room fell to silence as the two men were left alone.

"While I do love humans, I can't find myself to love you..., " Izaya muttered.

It was a ridiculous thought really, the two of them thought, that Kida, or anyone for that matter, thought that the two of them could posses any feelings besides malice for the other. It was as simple as hatred. Still... Izaya knew everything there was to know about Shizuo. As for Shizuo... Izaya was somewhat still of a mystery to the Blonde. All that the ex-bartender needed to know was that he hated him, plain and simple. Still... that demon of a human was the only person, well maybe besides Simon, that could put up with him and handle his angry fits. Although it sickened either of them to think about it... They were actually perfect for the other.

Izaya was, no matter how much he would deny, obsessed with Shizuo. If anything, Izaya could be put on a stalker's level. He knew everything there was to know about the man. Still, he wanted more. He wanted to get into his mind and see how he thought. There were few people in the world Izaya couldn't always predict, and Shizuo was one of them. The things he would give to be able to understand the man better.

Shizuo wasn't a far cry from the same obsessive case. Although he didn't know much about Izaya, his mind was infected by him. Izaya was like a cancer, entering his mind through a small thought and then spreading like a malignant tumor. Just the tiniest thought of him was enough to get his blood racing. His mind, as Shinra had earlier explained, was consumed by this man. Night and day, Shizuo would be thinking to himself, "I wonder where he is. I wonder what bones I can break. I wonder which way is best to kill him." None of them are happy thoughts, but all of them are thoughts about him.

When one reached a conclusion, it was easy to see the two of them were completely and utterly obsessed with the other. If only they could find a way to make the right moves. If put on the right part of the board they would close in, thrown into the other's arms. The perfect paces would flourish into what some people would call love. Obsession could turn into many things. It was always a passion towards something. It was likely possible their passion of hatred could burn into something of love.

The funny part was: they both knew it.

Izaya is not stupid, and neither is Shizuo. Although Shizuo probably hasn't dwelled on the thought too much, Izaya could have spent hours upon days pondering this subject of obsession. Every time he came to a conclusion with himself, it was always the same answer.

Izaya loved Shizuo.

In this twisted man's mind, that was the only true solution. Why else would he house such an obsession? Yes, he does it because he hates him, because he wants to provoke him and see what makes him tick, but it's all because of the growing feeling inside of him. He wants him to die—but he can't live without him. He doesn't want to lose to that bastard, so he tries his hardest to outdo him. When a lot of thought is put into, Izaya can't but admit that Shizuo might be his favorite human of them all.

It made him sick to his stomach.

Shizuo wasn't sure why, but hearing Izaya talk about love pissed him off. That always seemed to be a touchy subject for him. Suddenly, he was up on his feet, eyes burning with a pure core of anger and hatred. His hand balled up into a fist as he swung at Izaya.

Izaya had dodged the punch with little to no effort, ducking down and sneaking around Shizuo. His feet found purchase with the Blonde's back, roughly shoving him down onto the mattress. A little tickle of life began to form at his ankle. Sadly, Izaya couldn't pay the warning enough attention as Shizuo stood up again. This time, though, right as he was about to punch, he stuttered in his steps, falling forward as a wave of pain paralyzed his body. Not expecting him lose his balance and fall, Izaya was tackled to the bed by Shizuo. They lay there, Shizuo on top of Izaya for only a few minutes. The violent man's body twitched and shiver, the electricity still surging through him.

"Argh!" Izaya found himself crying out, the shock passing through his leg.

The two became after quiet after a while.

Their heavy breathing echoed through the room, still on top of each other. They hadn't even noticed how close they were, with Shizuo face nuzzled into Izaya. Izaya looked down to look at him, eyes suddenly heavy like bricks. It seemed as though his enemy had been completely knocked out, now peacefully resting on his chest. He had fallen asleep on him.

At first, a look of disgust had washed over Izaya's face, utterly horrified by how close they were. But the pain was too much. Eventually, his features softened into a smile. Before he passed out, his eyes wavered to Shizuo, laughing to himself before he hissed, "Idiot."

They fell asleep just like that.