Shizuo's in such a good mood that when his father comes stumbling home after all the chores are done for the evening and kisses his Mom on the cheek he doesn't even pick a fight with him. With Kasuka's steady presence and his Mom's smile as she tells her husband about Shizuo's date this weekend Shizuo doesn't even snap when he slurs:

"Glad to hear you've finally found a girl with enough spunk to tangle with you! Guess we're finally gonna have the talk, eh?"

Shizuo is seventeen years old and his father hasn't even made an attempt at any sort of talk with him. He just had to fumble his way through the education system, to awkward to ask his Mom and even more embarrassed when she would decide to have random teaching moments at dinner. Shizuo just hopes he knows enough in case Kasuka asks something, but thankfully Kasuka doesn't ask.

Shizuo doesn't trust himself enough to open his mouth, so he just fakes a smile that looks more like he's baring his teeth and grabs his bag to hurry upstairs. He doesn't even bother to correct his father on the fact that Izaya is a he, not she. It doesn't matter anyway.

In the safety of his room, Shizuo breathes deep, counts back from one hundred, and tries to think about his date instead. Because it is definitely a date. Shizuo unzips his bag to unpack it and is immediately hit with a bittersweet realization. He forgot to return Izaya's jacket.

Shizuo hesitates, looks into his bag at the black heap of cheap fabric, then pulls it out.

The scent of Izaya is faded, but it's now blended with Shizuo's own scent and it's just what he needs right now. Shizuo doesn't think of the implications, doesn't think enough to talk himself out of it. He stops thinking about his father, lets his mind go quiet, lays down on his lumpy futon that's too short, and goes to bed early with his nose pressed into the fabric.

It's the fastest Shizuo's ever fallen asleep in his life.

"Shizu-chan…"

"Shi~zu~chan~"

"Hey, Shizu-chan, wake up."

It's too warm to wake up, the air is too heavy to move, but someone won't stop poking his face. So, Shizuo opens his eyes.

All he can see is black, like the ceiling of his bedroom just vanished into nothingness. It isn't his room, but Shizuo is also sure that it is.

The poking at his face stops and Shizuo is just so warm all over. He doesn't want to get up, so Shizuo closes his eyes again.

"Hey, don't fall asleep again!" Someone whines childishly.

Shizuo, with great effort, looks to his right and sees Izaya lying next to him.

Izaya is lying on his side, snuggling into Shizuo's arm. His glasses are digging into Shizuo's shoulder and are horribly lopsided and smudged from him pressing his face into Shizuo's body - but it's cute as ever.

"Come on, Shizu-chan, you can't just ignore me like that!" Izaya whines, but he doesn't seem to really be upset. "If the story I was reading is really that boring for your tiny brain we can just pick a different one!"

Shizuo, surprisingly, doesn't feel annoyed by Izaya's tone, the nickname, or the jab at his intelligence. Shizuo's more at ease than he's ever been.

"It's not that." Shizuo feels himself saying, his own voice sounding like it's under water. "It's just really warm. 'm just relaxed…"

Izaya giggles and pulls his body up Shizuo's to dig his chin into the top of Shizuo's shoulder, looking up at Shizuo from under his dark lashes. Izaya's eyes are as bewitching as always, sparkling with interest and endlessly clever. His breath is warm as it ghosts over Shizuo's neck, and he looks more kissable than ever.

So, with a warm smile, Shizuo ducks his head to press a kiss to Izaya's undoubtedly soft lips.

But he's frozen just shy of that kiss.

"Oh Shizu-chan, don't tell me that you've gotten to be such a boring, old man already? Settling down and falling asleep too fast~" Izaya's voice purrs, taunting him. But Izaya's lips aren't moving. Izaya's still looking up at him, sweet and warm and inviting.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten about me already~ How rude!" Izaya's voice cuts through Shizuo's tranquility again, sharp and cruel.

A force grabs hold of Shizuo's face and even with all of Shizuo's strength he can't break free. No matter how desperately Shizuo tries to resist, no matter how much he wants to kiss the playful but sweet boy in front of him, Shizuo cannot resist. The force pulls his face slowly, grinding and straining against Shizuo muscles the whole time, and forces him to look to the left.

Pressed against Shizuo's left side is Izaya again, but it is not the same Izaya. The abstract force manifests itself in the form of cold, bone-white fingers digging into his jaw. This Izaya isn't wearing his glasses and Shizuo can't tell if he feels scalding hot or ice cold.

"That's right." This Izaya purrs, sliding his body up Shizuo's body much like his twin had done, but this time it brings shivers up Shizuo's spine. "You can't forget about me. I'm here too."

This Izaya's eyes seem to glimmer in the darkness, bewitching as much as the other Izaya's was, but they're red hot with fire and blood, sharpened by a grin that is much too wide and has far too many teeth.

"What's the matter, Shiz-chan?" This Izaya teases, leaning in a bit closer. His voice is low and his breath wafts over Shizuo like cigarette smoke. It makes Shizuo's stomach turn - sick but still needy.

"Don't you want to kiss me?"

This Izaya's fingers aren't controlling his face anymore, but Shizuo is still drawn in and it feels beyond his control. This Izaya smiles wider, and seems impatient, but doesn't try to rush Shizuo. This Izaya waits like a predator.

But before Shizuo can kiss this Izaya, the Izaya on his right side drapes his body over Shizuo's and gets in the other Izaya's face.

"Hey! No fair, Shizu-chan wanted to kiss me!" He pouts.

"Really?" The Izaya on the left challenges, sitting up and meeting the Izaya on the right, his hand pressed into Shizuo's chest as if he's part of the mattresses. "Because it looked like he was about to kiss me."

Shizuo can't move. The air is too heavy.

"I wish you'd just leave us alone…" The Izaya on the right hisses, but doesn't sound tough as much as he sounds like he's going to cry.

"Oh, don't be like that." The Izaya on the left says and reaches out to run his fingers through the Izaya on the right's hair. "It's both of us or neither of us…" He coos and gently pulls the Izaya on the right into a deep kiss.

The two of them seem to have forgotten Shizuo is there, leaving Shizuo to drift into the darkness as a spectator while they intertwine in a bizarrely sensual embrace. But somehow, there isn't anything usual about it. It's as if Shizuo has just become part of the black, hazy background.

Then, just before Shizuo floats too far into the darkness, both Izaya's turn to look at him. Their twin gazes snap to him, yanking Shizuo into the foreground so quickly he feels like the got whiplash.

"Shizuo."

They say in unison, the hunger and desperation so identical in both of their faces that the two of them don't look different at all anymore.

"Do you love me?"

On the morning of Izaya's day out with Shizuo, Izaya makes it a point to not spend nearly as much time getting ready as he did when he went out to find the Blue Squares. This is not difficult because Izaya is not cross-dressing this time.

Cross-dressing was an interesting experience, not terrible per say, but not something he's going to make a habit of. His curiosity is mostly satisfied on the matter and he's glad the field test worked well enough for it to be a tool, but that's it. No matter how much his sisters beg for a day out with their "nee-chan," he's not going to go that far.

So, unfortunately for Shizu-chan, the lovely Kanra will not be making an appearance today. This day is for Izaya and he does not intend to share it with anyone. Not even a persona he created.

Instead, Izaya keeps it simple and himself and just takes a shower, gives his hair a cursory brush, and dresses in his usual attire. Black everything.

But no glasses. He doesn't need his reading glasses in the park.

He makes the girls pancakes to compensate for leaving them alone all day as he is not going to pay for another sitter and trusts that they can watch each other. Besides, he's running out of sitters that are ignorant enough to agree to take the job.

Mairu and Kururi scarf down as many pancakes as they can, each of their stacks drowning in syrup and strawberries. Izaya tries not to vomit at the sight and continues to ignore their pestering about him going to see his "boyfriend" while he files his nails. Every word out of their mouths sets Izaya more on edge.

"Iza-nii, have you and Shizu-nii kissed yet?"

"Getting… married?"

"Yeah! Iza-nii, you should totally marry Shizu-nii! That way he can be our big brother all the time!"

"...sex."

"Ooohhhh! I bet they are having sex! People who are married have lots of sex! Iza-nii, how do two boys have sex?"

Izaya almost snaps the paper file in half but manages to remain calm.

"Two boys cannot get married in Japan. We are not having sex." He tells them with a sickly sweet smile. "I have to go soon, but if you shut up and eat your pancakes now I promise I will tell you how two boys have sex later."

The girls whine but settle down obediently. Candidly answering their many, many questions has always been an effective bargaining chip to get them to behave. Plus, it means the girls are very well informed for their age. Izaya does not believe in keeping children ignorant on purpose.

"Now, before I go, is everything set up in case a stranger tries to come in? Izaya asks, referring to the assortment of dangerous, homemade traps he's had set up around the house since he was a child. They're simple, effective, and so easy a child can work them because he, as a child, made them.

"Yes." The two drone as if he's asking if they've done all their homework.

"Good. I'll be off now." Izaya stands, gives them the hugs they demand and heads out to meet Shizuo for the agreed upon time of 11:00.