It's safe to say I didn't sleep a lot last night. My mind, despite my protest, continued to race. Shizuo woke before I did. I figured he would leave the bed, but he stayed. When sunlight was blinding me, I finally opened my eyes with a sigh. "Morning." Shizuo grunted behind me.

I remembered last night and quickly got away from him. "Hi." My voice came out as a squeak and I cursed myself. He looked at me as I walked towards my dresser. "I'm going to shower."

"Let me wash your hair first." He got up and quickly threw on a shirt.

I decided to forget what I'd heard last night until I could think of all the other things, I love you, could be mistaken for. Like when someone says boots and others hear boobs. Shizuo scrubbed my scalp clean but this time we stayed in silence. I had just finished washing out the suds when he said, "I have to go to work tomorrow."

I glanced up at him and noticed concerned eyes. He gave me those mocha eyes so often that I was beginning to think that he just simply looked that way, when he wasn't trying to kill me. "And?"

"Can you manage on your own?" He said beginning to put conditioner in my hair. "You can't wash your hair on your own, you can't dry your hair on your own, and you can't even bend over."

I rolled my eyes, "I think I can manage."

"Are you sure?" He said as I rinsed off my hair. Being naked in his presence was still embarrassing. I let my guard down for two seconds and stretched out to grab his shirt. "Izaya?!"

I glared harshly, "Don't patronize me. I can manage on my own."

"Izaya…" His eyes looked at the ceiling. "Cover your junk."

I flushed red and sucked my knees to my chest, "GET OUT!"

He quickly got up and left, "Holler if you need help."

Shizu-chan slammed the door closed behind him and I quickly tried to drown myself. It didn't work though. I couldn't get my head underwater. "Stupid shallow tub!"

I finished cleaning myself before getting up and getting dressed in my usual clothes. It was only nine as I walked downstairs and grabbed breakfast. "Arms up… We gotta change your bandages."

"Once a day?" I questioned allowing him to peel my shirt up. His fingers brushed my bare skin and I shuttered. If he saw he didn't say anything.

"No… Twice a day."

"Dammit." I ate my cereal as he poked and prodded.

"You don't hurt yet?" He questioned.

It was true… I had a dull ache in my side, but not enough that I thought I was dying or needed a pill, "I'm fine."

He finished wrapping me and then walked to grab his own breakfast. The stupid thing about this whole ordeal was that he looked like he was at home. His blue pajama bottoms and white t-shirt, messy bed hair, pouring a bowl of cereal. My heart clenched and I quickly moved to my office. I could hear him go to shower and sighed in relief. My side ached a little more the longer I sat in my chair. Shizuo went to get cigarettes and respected my space enough to go outside and smoke.

I turned and watched him from my office. He was talking with Celty and looked upset. Shizuo looked extremely normal and harmless when he wasn't in his bartender get up. I grunted as the arm of my chair brushed against my side. Shizuo wasn't going to be here tomorrow. He had work to do, just like I had work to do.

As night approached I smelt something cooking. It drew me out of my office and into the kitchen. Shizuo was in my black apron cooking something. "What are you doing?" I asked with a red face. This was just like a dream I had once, a very… naughty dream. No I'm not giving details, pervert.

"I'm cooking supper so we don't die of starvation." He said looking at me like I was the craziest person in the world. "Have you even touched some of these pans?"

I shrugged, "I get busy… So I don't really cook a lot."

He chuckled and turned back to his work, "No wonder you're so scrawny."

"Excuse me?" I said leaning against the counter.

"You're just kind of…. Small. I never realized how small you actually were. You don't look like it when I was… Never mind."

I shrugged and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, "Okay."

"So you don't eat real well?"

"I guess not." I said.

The meal was good. It didn't even taste bad. I can't tell you what it was, because I'm not really sure… But damn was it good. Shizuo didn't need a compliment because he could tell from me scarfing it down that it was good. His lips tugged into a smirk, "You really can't take care of yourself can you flea?"

"Shut up, protozoan." I glared.

He got up and ruffled my hair on the way by, I froze and my fork dropped, "Let me take care of you." With that he slipped on his shoes and headed downstairs for a cigarette.

I began sobbing with the lingering touch of his hand. "Why… The fuck… Am I… So weak?"

The next day I woke up to Shizuo waking me up, "Do you want me to wash your hair before I leave?"

He was buttoning up his dress shirt and I froze at seeing his six pack once again. Would I ever get used to seeing that? It made me wonder what he looked like in the shower. I'm such a pervert. "Sure."

I got up and got undressed before getting into the tub. I didn't realize I was a little stiff until he began to rub my scalp. Without being able to catch it, I moaned a little. Shizuo chuckled lightly, "Are you going to be okay?"

"Shut up." I growled trying to cover myself and my red face. Don't see it… Please dear God.

He finished and then stood, "You sure you can do this?"

"I'm not five years old, Shizu-chan." I glare.

"Call me if you need anything." He says, "Change your bandages after you get done cleaning up. I'll be back around six or so."

"Don't treat me like a child Shizu-chan." I scold glaring at him.

He smiles, "Have a good day then… Be back later."

I watch him retreat out of the bathroom and I sigh heavily. Thank God I've calmed down somewhat. Downstairs I hear the door close and I sink back into the water a little. He sounds like a stupid cliché husband leaving for work, sending his goodbyes to his wife. Quickly I get myself cleaned up and attempt to bandage myself but the work is sloppy and really is serving no purpose but to keep the freaking medicine off my shirt.

I stare out the window from my office half way through the day. I'm acting like a puppy waiting for their master to come home. I'm bored and I feel alone. I don't normally have these feelings because I don't usually have anyone around.

My side hurts so I manage to get a pill into my system. The clock reads that it's two and I decide to head out for some food. There's a convenience
store just down the road from my apartment so I go there and then head back to my boring, lonely, empty, home.

"Shizuo?" The blonde looks up to his boss.

"Yeah?"

Tom raises an eyebrow, "You okay? You keep checking your phone, and you're walking ahead of me half the time."

"Sorry." Shizuo rubs the back of his neck. "Guess I'm just anxious."

The debt collector studied the body guard for a long time, "Why did you miss work the past few days? You obviously weren't sick."

Shizuo's face felt hot as he said, "I was taking care of someone."

"Oh." Tom said, eyeing the blush, "And was this person important."

"Extremely… Well… They don't think I'm important… But… They are to me."

Tom leaned against a pole while they waited for the crosswalk. "You know… I haven't seen Izaya around recently."

"Oh?" Shizuo said blushing harder.

"Yeah… They say he disappeared about three or so days ago. Someone said he got hurt in a gang fight." Tom studied the reactions of his subordinate closely, "Shizuo… You never did tell me exactly why you chase him all over the place." Shizuo was slowly getting redder and redder. "Could Izaya possibly be someone important to you?"

"Tom…" Shizuo warned looking around.

"Have you been taking care of Izaya?" Tom smirked triumphantly at Shizuo. "You're waiting for him to call you and beg you to come over."

Shizuo looked away, "Technically it would be to come home…"

"Come home?" Tom said with wide eyes.

"I've sort of been… Staying with him."

Tom walked across the street, "And you haven't killed each other yet?"

"No… We haven't." Shizuo said following him glaring, "You think I can't take care of him?"

"Not what I was saying." Tom said sticking his hands in his pockets, while Shizuo lit a cigarette. "You just try to kill him with street signs and trashcans every time you see him."

"It's… Well… I mean."

"You like him and you don't want him to find out… Shizuo… You are a fucking junior high kid." Tom began laughing as Shizuo lit up like a stop light.

The blonde rubbed the back of his head, "Shut up."

I spun in my chair completely ignoring my work. "I'm so bored!" I yelled out to the empty apartment. "Screw it… I'm going out for good this time!"

Pulling on my shoes and putting in my contacts, I threw on my jacket and walked outside. The fresh air did me good. I found myself walking the streets of Ikebukuro. No one was particularly fun though and I was becoming bored with the lack of action in town. "FLEA!"

I froze and felt like a kid getting caught with their hand in a candy jar. I slowly turned on my heel, "Oh… Hi Shizu-chan."

"Why aren't you at home?" He approached me quickly and stood a foot away. "You're injured."

"Please say that louder I don't think all of Ikebukuro heard you." I glared.

He gave a low short growl, "You should be at home."

"You're not my mom Shizuo…" I trail off noticing the crowd gathering around us, "They're wondering why we're not killing each other."

"Let's go." He snags my wrist and starts dragging me down the street, "I'm taking you home."

"Hey!" I protest snagging my arm back, "It's not like you actually care!"

Shizuo looks mad now, "Not like I actually care? Really?" His face is red as he grabs my wrist again, "We're not going to do this here… Come on."

I plant my feet, "No."

"No?" He turns to look at me, "You want to have this huge blow up in front of a hundred strangers."

"What do you know about me Shizu-chan?"

He looks to the ground less angry, "I know enough."

I can see his employer, Tom, giving him a nod, "Shizu-chan?"

Everyone's eyes are on us and I'm beginning to fidget. The attention is only welcome when we're running around… You know… Trying to kill each other. I take a deep breath. "You ready to go home now?"

"I guess." I say pulling my hand away and strolling in front of him. "I refuse to be guided like a child though."

He rolls his eyes and falls into step beside me. Everyone is still staring at us though and I glance at them and then away quickly. My face is red. "Throw your hood up..."

I turn to look at the brute, "What?"

His hand grabs the fur trimmed cloth and throws it over my head, "If you're embarrassed… Hide your face from them."

"Why?"

"So they don't see you weak." He slides his glasses onto his face and shoves his hands into his pockets.

My heart is racing in my chest. Shizuo seems okay with people staring at him. I am not. I'm supposed to stick to the shadows. It's easier. I can watch everything around me that way. Once we got back to my place, Shizuo started glaring. "What?" I snapped.

"Why didn't you stay here?"

I peeled my jacket off and moved around him, "I got bored."

"What if people knew you were hurt and tried to hurt you more?" He said following me.

I folded my arms over my chest, "I can't just fucking sit around here all day, can I?"

Shizuo sighed and ran a hand over his face, "Well you could've waited until I got back!"

I moved past him to the couch, "I'm not a child Shizu-chan… You're only a year older than me."

He stood in front of the TV I was trying to watch, "Do you not realize why I'm here?"

"Because you want to make sure no one else kills me before you get the chance?"

He glares harshly, "Be serious."

"Every time I ask you simply say, 'Let me take care of you'." Seriously I'm acting like a child, who's being treated like a child, who was simply confused and pissed off. Shizuo glared at me and sighed folding his arms. "What?"

He rubs his hands over the bridge of his nose, "I know you were awake the other night." I froze and swallowed hard. "So… Tell me Izaya… Why am I here?"

I look away and grab my injured side, "I don't know."

"Do you wanna know?" He glared loosening his bow tie and taking off his vest.

I swallowed hard. Did I want to know? Did I want to hear it again? Was it even true? It probably was… But as soon as he said it would I have to confess too? "Why are you here?"

He was quickly standing in front of me. I looked into mocha eyes and waited. His face inched closer to mine and I was getting really nervous, really fast. "Because Izaya…" His lips brushed against mine and I could feel every word he uttered, "I love you."

EEEE! Okay so fluff is going to be next chapter pretty much. I hope you guys are liking it so far! I'm really trying my best! As usual... Review! Favorite! Follow! Chapter 4 will be out ASAP if you ddooo! Okay no I won't make promises... Actually I always post as soon as I finish writing it! That's probably why it always has typos I have to go back and fix (Don't judge the commas though... I hate commas)... Thank you Paige for editing once again... Heh. Okay I'm gonna shut up now... Byyyyeeee.