Welcome back to Kikoemasen! Soon enough, I will have Shizuo coming into the story, but I have to get things set up first.
Fun fact: Kikoemasen is actually Japanese for 'I can't hear.' This is relevant to the story, don't worry. I'll explain in the story soon as to why this is relevant.
Kikoe woke up soon, still in Izaya's arms. She looked up at his sleeping face and gulped, squirming out of his hold. She heard him groan and walked out of the room quietly.
When she was out of the room, she explored the apartment, finding some very interesting things around. She even found a board game that had some odd pieces on it. She picked one up and looked at it in wonder. She shrugged and put it down. She walked over to the computer table and climbed carefully into the chair, spinning in it a little bit. She giggled and spun a little more, thoroughly enjoying herself.
"Fun, isn't it?" a male voice suddenly said right next to her, making her yelp and jump off the chair. She turned and Izaya was standing there, a hand on the desk and staring at her with amusement. "Didn't mean to scare you." Kikoe stared at him and got back up.
"Sorry," she said silently. Izaya crooked his eyebrow and took a couple steps towards her.
"Why would you be sorry?" he asked curiously. Kikoe stepped back a little.
"I-I'm s-sorry…," she said as tears welled up in her eyes and she looked down. She suddenly heard Izaya laughing and felt his hand on the top of her head.
"I'm not mad, Kikoe," Izaya giggled. "It's not like you aren't allowed to do things." He picked her up and carried her over to the couch. She squeaked in surprise and clung to his shirt as he lowered her onto the couch. "Now then," Izaya said as he sat in front of her again, "I do have a few rules if you're going to stay here. First: No touching the computer without permission. Second: If you want or need something, ask me or Namie when she's here. Third: No going out without permission and someone with you." Kikoe nodded and hugged her knees. "I truly want you to stay with me, but I need you to follow these rules. If you don't, I'm taking you to the adoption center." Kikoe bit her bottom lip and nodded. "Good, now repeat those rules for me."
"Um," Kikoe thought for a moment, "I'm not allowed to touch the computer. If I need somethin' I gotta ask you first. I'm not allowed to go anywhere without someone."
"And?"
"Permission?"
"Very good," Izaya said, ruffling the girl's hair. He suddenly heard a knock on his door and went to open it. "Hey, Shinra. She's right over there." Kikoe furrowed her brows and looked at the person coming through the door. He had long brown hair that was flipped up and glasses over big brown eyes. He wore a lab coat and a large smile.
"Hi, Izaya!" he said with a big grin. He walked into the apartment and his eyes immediately went to the girl on the couch. "Hello~" he said, grin never leaving his face. "Izaya, you didn't tell me it was a little girl."
"Well, now you know." Izaya walked over and sat on his other couch. Shinra smirked and sat next to Kikoe, making her tense a little.
"What's your name?" Shinra asked pleasantly.
"Kikoe," she said softly. Shinra chuckled and pulled out his stethoscope. He put the buds in his ears and put the rate on Kikoe's chest.
"Breathe in for me, please." Kikoe did and he took her heart rate. "Very good. Now, tell me. Do you have any lacerations?"
"What's that?" Izaya chuckled and moved behind the girl.
"Show him your bruises, Kikoe," he said softly. Kikoe nodded and lifted her shirt. Shinra, at the sight of the marks and cuts, went green in the face and Izaya, though stony faced, was concerned on the inside. Shinra began to disinfect the cuts as carefully as he could.
"It hurts," Kikoe whined. Izaya pet her hair softly as Shinra continued his work.
"It'll be okay, Kikoe," Izaya said gently. "When Shinra's done, maybe we can go out to the town." Kikoe sighed and nodded a little, wincing again when Shinra touched another bruise. "See? It's not so bad~" Shinra suddenly pulled out a syringe, making Kikoe squeak and squirm.
"No!" she screamed. Izaya, shocked, held the girl down by her shoulders. "Not the drugs! Not the drugs again! Please!" Shinra crooked his eyebrow and looked up at Izaya, who was equally confused. Kikoe was clinging to Izaya's arm, tears running down her cheeks. "Please… d-don't." Izaya suddenly picked her up again and sat back on the couch, rocking her a little.
"Izaya," Shinra said, surprised at Izaya's odd behavior, "what drugs is she talking about?" Izaya looked up at Shinra and sighed, putting Kikoe down and taking Shinra into the kitchen. Kikoe curled up onto the couch, burying her face.
…
"So, let me get this straight," Shinra said with crossed arms, "you bought a four-year-old girl at an illegal black-market auction, and you actually want to keep her? On top of that, she's been injected with God-knows how many drugs. Izaya, she could be mentally disabled by this point."
"I know," Izaya said. "She kind of already was."
"What do you mean?"
"I dug up files on her family. Her full name is Kikoe Mizukashi. I did a little business with her uncle a few years ago. He said he was going for a trade deal, but he needed information and an investment in case it didn't work. I guess Kikoe was the trade for whatever drugs he wanted. I looked up her early doctor check-up files and found that she is a bit unstable. It could fade in time, but there's the possibility it won't."
"Add PTSD to that and you've got your hands full," Shinra said. "How have you even managed to make her trust you?"
"I don't quite know. I suppose she appreciates the fact that I saved her from a sure fate and she trusts me like no other human." Izaya chuckled and dramatically placed his hand on his chest. Shinra rolled his eyes.
"Seriously though," he said, "what do you want me to do?"
"What can you do?"
"I can erase her memories," Shinra said with a shrug. Izaya furrowed his eyebrows. "I have an injection I can give her that will block her brain thickly so she won't remember a thing about the warehouse. It will also stabilize her mental capacity. It's up to you though."
"Do it," Izaya said almost instantly. "She probably wants to get rid of the memories anyway. Plus it'll be much easier to convince her that she's my sister." Shinra sighed and nodded a little and walked back out to the living room, where Kikoe had fallen asleep, still curled up. "Do it carefully."
Shinra grabbed a different syringe and filled it with a thick brown liquid. Very carefully, he placed the needle into the girl's vein, injecting the medicine.
…..
Kikoe woke up, feeling very dizzy. She held her head, sitting up on the couch and looked around.
"Good, you're awake," Izaya said, coming out of the kitchen with a big smile on his face. "How are you feeling?" Kikoe stared up at him.
"M-my head hurts," she mumbled. Izaya smiled softly and chuckled, putting his arms out for her. She reached towards him and he lifted her up. "I'm hungry."
"Alright," Izaya said with a grin as he took her to the bedroom. "I was planning on taking you out tonight anyway. While you were sleeping, I went out and bought you some new clothes."
"Thank you," Kikoe said softly, nuzzling Izaya's neck. Izaya chuckled again and set her on the bed. He walked over to a bag and pulled out a pair of kid-size jeans, a red tee-shirt, and a small black jacket with white glittery fur around the hem of the hood. He handed the clothes to Kikoe and she went behind his bed and changed. Once she was done, Izaya put his coat on and lifted her onto his back and out the two went.
"Izaya-nii?" Kikoe said when the two were out on the street, walking around.
"Yes~?" Izaya asked.
"Can we get some ice-cream?" Izaya scoffed and bounced her a little.
"If you eat too many sweets, you'll get cavities," he said. Kikoe giggled at the bouncing.
"Please?" she pleaded adorably. Izaya chuckled again and turned towards the ice-cream store.
When they had gotten their ice-cream, Izaya lifted the girl onto his shoulders, making her squeal in laughter and wrap her arms around his head. Izaya laughed a little and looked around. He suddenly saw a tall, blonde man in a bartender suit and he sighed. Izaya ducked and went behind a tree, taking Kikoe down. Kikoe looked at him, confused. "What's wrong, 'Zaya-nii?"
"We're just gonna sit over here for a few minutes, okay?" Izaya said, still smiling. "Everything's fine." Kikoe giggled and hugged Izaya around the neck, giggling. Izaya soon peeked around the tree and saw that the tall blonde was walking away. He chuckled and got up with Kikoe. "Let's go to the park."
…..
It was around 9:00 when Izaya and Kikoe began their way back home. Izaya was carrying an exhausted Kikoe and rubbing her back. He suddenly heard something behind him, sounding awfully like large wind. Out of instinct, Izaya moved to the side and, the minute he did, a vending machine crashed on the ground.
"IIIIIZZZAAAAAAYAAAAAAAA!" He heard a loud voice behind him again. Izaya grit his teeth and turned around, glaring. He saw Shizuo Heiwajima storming towards him, the vein in his forehead practically popping out. "What the hell are you doing in Ikebukuro, you flea?!"
Once Shizuo got close enough, he suddenly felt his cheek get cut with a razor-sharp knife. He grunted and noticed the deep glare coming from his hated enemy. Izaya narrowed his eyes and turned fully, showing that he was carrying a little girl, who was now quivering in fear.
"You really are a monster, aren't you, Shizu-chan?" Izaya said lowly. "You could have horribly injured this girl; maybe even killed her if that machine had hit me. What would you have done then?"
"Shut up!" Shizuo shouted, straightening up. "I didn't even see her there! You shouldn't even be here!"
"It's a public place, Shizu-chan," Izaya said, adjusting his grip on Kikoe. "Is it so wrong for me to bring my little sister out for ice-cream and to play at the park?" Shizuo growled and took his sunglasses out of his pocket, unwilling to hit or hurt Izaya when there was a child in his arms.
"What do you mean, 'little sister'?" he asked, somewhat curious. Izaya smirked and rubbed Kikoe's back softly.
"Stupid protozoan. I mean that she's my sibling," he said. Shizuo narrowed his eyes again.
"Sure you didn't kidnap her?" he asked. Izaya rolled his eyes and turned to walk away. He didn't feel like taunting the blonde. He was much too exhausted. Kikoe looked over Izaya's shoulder at the blonde and wriggled a little. Izaya, slightly confused, put the girl down and she walked over to Shizuo slowly. Shizuo looked down at her, unsure of what to do. He wasn't entirely used to small children just coming up to him instead of cowering in fear. Kikoe was looking at him curiously. "What?"
"Why did you throw that at 'Zaya-nii?" she asked innocently, making Shizuo blink and look up at Izaya, who smirked and shrugged. "Did he do something bad?" Izaya chuckled at Shizuo's embarrassed and blushing face. Shizuo sighed and shrugged.
"He…" Shizuo said, but he somehow couldn't get the words out. This little girl seemed to look up to Izaya. It would probably make her sad if he told her how much of a sheer asshole her guardian was. Shizuo sighed again. "I just got a little mad. Sorry." Kikoe giggled and, as a shock to Izaya, she walked closer and hugged Shizuo's leg, making the tall man's eyes widen and Izaya begin to walk up to her.
"Don't be so mad," Kikoe said. "'Zaya-nii says that all you gotta do is smile and you'll get better."
"Alright, Kikoe," Izaya said, taking her away from the blonde, "time to get home. We're gonna pick up some dinner on the way, so we gotta hurry. See you later, Shizu-chan~!" He left Shizuo, who was still very confused and wondering what the hell had just happened.
…..
When the duo got back to the apartment, Izaya set Kikoe on the couch and went to the kitchen to prepare the plates. Kikoe took her coat off and busied herself by playing with the fur. When Izaya came back into the room, Kikoe smiled up at him and he ruffled her hair. She giggled and batted at his hands, so he grabbed her hands and pulled her into the air, tossing her up and then catching her again. She squealed in laughter and hugged him around the neck and he sat down, still clutching her in his hands. "I love you, 'Zaya-nii." Izaya smirked and chuckled a little.
"I love you too, Kikoe-chan," he said, bouncing her up and down. She laughed and wiggled a little more. "Wanna watch a movie?" Kikoe turned her head to the side with a confused look on her face. "Don't tell me you've never watched a movie?" Kikoe shook her head and was set down onto the couch. "Well I'll change that."
Izaya ran to his movie case and began looking through them. "Let's see, we have The Polar Express, Roger Rabbit, Treasure Planet-,"
"That one!" Kikoe shouted excitedly. Izaya chuckled and pulled out the movie. They spent the next little while watching the movie and Kikoe soon fell asleep on Izaya's shoulder.
Once the movie was over, Izaya picked the girl up and carried her to the bedroom, putting her in her pajamas and laying her down. He covered her in the blanket and left, turning the light off and leaving the door somewhat open. He went back outside and to his computer.
There was soon a knock on his door and an entrance and Namie walked in. Izaya looked over at her and gave her a look of annoyance. "You were supposed to be here earlier," he said. Namie rolled her eyes and put her things down.
"Something happened at the lab," she said. She went over to the desk and grabbed a few files. She looked at the couch and saw the little jacket and she smirked. "I see you still have the kid."
"Of course I do," Izaya said. "Did you think I'd just get rid of her?" Namie shrugged.
"Well, she is a bit of a nuisance," she grumbled. "How did you get her to cooperate?"
"Shinra came over and gave her something that blocked her memory," Izaya explained. "I've convinced her that she's my sister." Namie scoffed and began sorting the files.
"Interesting," she mumbled. "What exactly are you going to do with her when you have your 'guests' over?"
"Keep her in my room with a movie on."
"Did you give her any medicine for her fever?"
"Shinra fixed it."
"What's her name again?"
"Her name's Kikoe." Namie nodded again. "I also need something." The woman looked up at him. "Like any other small child, Kikoe may need some kind of a mother figure. I need you to help take care of her when you're here."
"Why?"
"Because I asked nicely." Namie groaned softly and rolled her eyes.
"Fine."
As you may have realized, Namie will have a bit of a good part in the story. As will Shizuo. Hope you like!