I'm glad I have great reviews! Like many other authors say; That shit cheers me the fuck up. Like… MAD.

Next chapter, enjooooy~

Chapter 25: Starting tomorrow

Neither of them spoke a word to each other. Just sat there in the mist of the night finding other things to look than focus their vision upon each other. Shizuo had a grimace on his face. Izaya had an annoying pout on his face. They both didn't like where it was heading due to the fact the blond had messed up.

Shizuo didn't even bother to clean the blood off of the floor or the walls that he had stained. Not even the cries of water sprinkling were ever heard, meaning that he probably didn't take a shower yet. Izaya sighed with annoyance, eyes narrowing into slits as he eyed his newly bruised wrists. He wanted to forget what just happened, but something told him instinctively that those bruises would probably never die down after a while.

Or perhaps…

Those wrists that were bruised also reminded him of those scumbags. Except they did a much bigger number and left more than a million cuts, scrapes, and bruises.

"...Stupid monster." He muttered under his teeth, swearing that he couldn't control his mixed emotions. He didn't care if he would sleep on the couch, enough time to cool down was all he needed. Except for some reason the idea of something else scaring him because of those scars began pounding within his brain.

So they attacked Tom, did they?

Izaya's dark red orbs gleamed as his thoughts became ideas surging around like waves. Who would go after Shizuo just to piss him off besides himself and other people who stand no chance against him?

Who?

Just when his mind found the solution…

He couldn't feel his hands. He couldn't feel his entire being. His blood ran cold like an icy river on runoff and his train of thought came to a speeding halt. "...That can't be…"

Izaya clenched his hands before looking down in a mixed sensation of anger, sadness, defeat, and annoyance. If his calculations were as true as he had always predicted humans and such then his answer should be none other than them.

His breath became ragged and soon sped up faster than a second making it worse. No way. He was not going to have a panic attack here and now; he's much more stronger than that. Just when his courage came and blocked off the raging panic rising within him, the sound of a door opening caught his attention and snapped him out of his thoughts.

He didn't care how long he had been sitting there. Seconds? He wasn't about to turn around to show what was seeping straight from his being emotionally. Izaya knew Shizuo was standing beside him, but he didn't care. Although, he heard a small but yet loud sigh of defeat. "You kn-"

Knocking sounded from the front door catching both of their attention spans. Izaya didn't bother to look at Shizuo, but he somehow found himself glaring at him when he was heading towards the door. Shizuo waited a good three seconds before finally grasping the knob, twisting it, and opening it like a gateway.

"Oh, hey. What brings you here?"

Celty had been standing by the doorway examining the blond, but was taken aback slightly and she immediately typed on her PDA lightning fast.

[What happened!? Why are you bleeding!? Did Izaya do something?]

Celty's words had sent him into confusion until he realized he was still bathed in blood and clothes were all dirty and matted. "Uh.. Yeah, about that. I got into a huge gang fight earlier and they hurt Tom, so I pretty much kicked their asses." [But that isn't the point- Are you okay or feeling any pain?] The blond only said "It's nothing serious, I'm fine." to calm her down.

The womanly figure contained all her worry and retained her composure, standing up right and typing on her PDA once more. [I see. Next time be careful, won't you?] He read off of the brightly lidded screen before nodding. "Say, what brings you here anyway?" He asked looking at the dullahan. [I came here to check on you guys. So that you wouldn't kill each other. Apparently, that somehow didn't work?]

"Those guys that attacked me? I still think the flea ordered them to." He sighed glaring lasers at the raven, which Izaya did back. "How many times must I say this? I didn't send anyone, and I couldn't have sent anyone. It pains me that no one believes me…" The raven sighed under his teeth before bringing his crimson colored eyes back onto the two at the door. [Well, I guess I'm glad that you two are fine.]

[Shinra has finally woken up and that pretty much sums up the other reason why I am here.]

She could see the slight relief filling his eyes up and a warm smile crossed his face. "That's good to hear. I don't really much care for that pervert, but I'm glad he's alright." He reassured her. Sometimes, Shizuo didn't understand what someone like Celty could ever see in such an annoying guy like Shinra. But he didn't dare question it.

[And how is Izaya? He isn't causing troubles, is he?] She looked over at the raven pouting on the couch. "More or less. Can be a pain."

"Same thing back to you, Shizu-chan." Izaya mused out softly catching the monster's attention. He didn't dare reply back with another word or else he knew Izaya would just throw snarky remarks until Celty has to step in and stop them from destroying the entire place.

[Well, I can see you guys are sort of getting on better terms. I'm glad that you are fine.] She showed her PDA steadily, and began backing away to the door before typing again.

[If you need anything, just call and I'll help.]

Shizuo nodded as Celty took her turn and made her way out of the door. The sound of a horse's neigh as her motorcycle came to life blew through the night's crispy air and soon the sounds grew deaf.

Shizuo turned around and just glared at the raven. "I'm going to ask again," he took one step but stood his ground, "did you or did you not send those bastards after me?"

All he got in return was a sigh of annoyance quickly switching into a low chuckle. "Didn't Celty just come here to make sure we don't fight often?"

"I asked you a damn question! Fucking answer it already!"

"Okay fine, no need to get sharky on me."

"No, I didn't. No matter how many times I tell you, I didn't or couldn't have sent those guys. There, are you happy now?" The information broker said smoothly but carried a tint of annoyance through his tone, eyes narrowing closed. Someday, Shizuo might as well annoy him to death.

"Fucking louse…"

"Ah, I'd rather you not…" His smile flew from his mouth quicklier than he had anticipated. As soon as those words ran out of his mouth, they grew silent until he just lost his ego for a second. Both of them just glared at each other, the ex-bartender's eyes tried to focus on everything else other than the raven sitting in front of him. It felt like a phantom was haunting the room.

"...Just shut up." Shizuo broke the silence, carefully making his way to the end of the couch. "I didn't mean anything like that, so just forget about it."

Those dark red orbs didn't meet his honey brown ones. Neither did he turn round. "You make it sound like you did something."

"Whatever. I'm going to take a shower." And he walked off out of reach. The door squeaked silently while it opened and closed. Nothing but silence.

The raven just sat there ignoring any sort of disturbance, letting the mere anxiety swallow him whole. It wasn't that Shizuo brought it back up to haunt it. It wasn't much about those monsters. It was the strange thought that had just reappeared into his mind.

It was that thought.

What if those men weren't the ones who had broken his pride and shattered his perfect ego in a million pieces…?

...What if it was Shizuo who did it?

Just that thought sent a million needles prickling down his spine with a wave of shivers. There was no way he would ever live if that ever happened. If Shizuo would be the one to rape him, he'd be fucked senseless and raw to the vile point his being couldn't feel any sort of sensation but utter pain until his death.

That searing white pain.

Except he was sure his body would be thrown around and pummeled like a doll. More like those monsters could ever chew off of him. His shoulders quaked as he felt his ideas haunting him. He could imagine it as clear as day…

By how a human with intense monster strength would be able to do that to a living person… They'd die before the beast would ever even finish. But Izaya was different.

He could take numerous beatings for he wasn't a normal person, either. That's what terrified him. What if he was so durable enough to withstand all that pain pouring into his fragile body and breaking him through every single part of his body? His pride, his joy, his ego, his image, his bones, his body, his entire being…

...His soul.

The water's cries from the bathroom's shower head didn't stop his train of thought. Izaya wanted to stop thinking about it. But he couldn't.

Him just being forced down onto anything; the cold floor of an alleyway. His hands being held down hard like he was chained, but were those of a monster. A tall monster looming over his small physique breathing breaths that smelled of nicotine and a devilish grin slipping from his face. That voice whispering inside his ear...

"I told you to stay out of 'Bukuro…"

"Now you're gonna learn a lesson…"

"...Let's play, flea…"

He tried to sustain a small shriek from his lips by gluing them together. Izaya held his arms tightly and squeezed them like they were a sponge. The recent dark bruises that spread on his wrists like a virus began to add more fear onto it. They were caused by none other than…

This wasn't right. It wasn't right. It was scary.

But a man like Shizuo would never do such a thing. Not if he was so angry that it controlled him… The constant fear of not knowing what the Heiwajima would do because of his unpredictable nature was proving to be fearful. So fearful that Izaya himself couldn't concentrate.

"...Enough of this…" He whispered to himself. Only then he found his courageous self cage the escalating anxiety and try to keep his quaking self from trembling even more. Those men had made a fool of a god. Gods were not meant to be fools nor treated like them. It was the people below that dared defy the gods were the true fools.

"I will get better. And then I'll get back to the way I was. Starting tomorrow."

Short chapter, I know. Sorry ;n; I'll make it up next chapter, hehehe~