Disclaimer: I do not own Durarara! All credit goes to Ryohgo Narita! The only content I own are my OC's: Ryuu Akihana, Kanta Akihana and Arata Ichirou!

Shizuo had been wandering Ikebukuro for over five hours asking anybody who would stay to speak with him about where Izaya could be. Ryuu texted him a while ago saying that she had Kanta, Celty and Kadota's gang on the look out as well for either Izaya or Arata. However, even with their best efforts, Shizuo and Ryuu hadn't gotten any closer to finding Izaya or Arata. With a heavy heart and even heavier feet, Shizuo returned to Izaya's flat to find Ryuu still scouring the chat rooms and hacking into databases for even a slight clue of the missing informant's whereabouts.

"I'm back."

Ryuu didn't even glance up from the monitor as she continued typing across the keyboard with a speed that rivaled that of her business partner. Shizuo could see a pen in her mouth as she took it out from time to time to write something down. Her hair, which was normally down, was tied back and she wore clear non-rimmed glasses. Shizuo could tell that she hadn't been slacking off on her side of the search.

"Welcome back. Have you made any progress?"

Shizuo shook his head as he came up behind her and leaned over the back of her chair to see what she was doing. Each web page was only up for a few seconds before being collapsed and Ryuu moved on to the next tip.

"How are things on your end?"

Ryuu shook her head with a disheartened look as she sighed.

"I get a tip once in a while, but it ends up being a dead end. I'm just about ready to call Shiki-san to inform him of what's going on; that is, if he doesn't know already. Iza-kun may have been expendable to him, but he's still alive, which means he is still able to work. As long as that's a fact, Shiki-san won't risk his best informant being out of commission. These two weeks that were given to us was an unpaid vacation after all."

Shizuo nodded as he thought back to the last moment's he had spent with Izaya. He had jumped a blind man in his home and was intent on having sex with him, even as he tried to protest, because he was jealous over a guy who had been there with him before he had. Shizuo now realized that what he felt for the raven-haired man was beyond friendship. Whether or not he could call it what he feared most was unclear though. All Shizuo knew was that he had to find Izaya and apologize.

"Shizuo-kun, go to bed."

"Huh?"

Ryuu sighed before finally turning from the monitor to look Shizuo in the eye. She gave him a comforting smile. Being in such close proximity, Shizuo could see why Ryuu got so much attention from men. She had silky, black hair, her complexion was without blemishes and her violet eyes drew him in with ease. Shizuo knew by this that he wasn't homosexual, but he couldn't ignore the warm feeling in his chest or how his lungs constricted every time he imagined Izaya's smiling face or how the raven clung to his shirt like a child whenever they walked down the streets. He missed him. Shizuo needed Izaya here, no matter what.

"Shi…kun…Shizuo-kun…Shizuo!"

Shizuo's eyes, which he hadn't realized were closing, snapped open. He rubbed his eyes as he heard Ryuu sigh.

"I'm fine. I'm just a little tired, that's all."

"'A little tired' is a large factor in this profession. Go to bed. It's already past 2am. Kanta-nii-chan will be here soon to help. If we don't find anything by morning, I'll call Shiki-san and ask him for his assistance in finding Iza-kun. I can be convincing when I want to be."

Shizuo blinked lazily before nodding and making his way up the stairs to Izaya's bedroom. When Shizuo walked in the room, the first thing he noticed was how it was so quiet. Izaya would often complain of bad dreams or how Shizuo never came to him soon enough in the morning. They would go through their morning routine before heading to Shizuo's office. It was much too quiet now. Shizuo didn't like it.

Shizuo walked over to the bed and collapsed onto the mattress. He didn't bother with changing into his pajamas as he threw the covers over himself and hugged the pillow to himself. The bed was saturated in Izaya's scent. The smell used to drive Shizuo into anger, but now Shizuo only had tears to shed as the pillow became wet and his world darkened.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty! It's another beautiful day!"

Izaya kept a stoic expression on his face as he felt Arata help him sit up. Arata sat behind the raven and made Izaya lean against him.

"Ahh! This is the life! Just you, me-!"

"A whole line of guards ready to strike at me should you give the command…"

Arata frowned before sighing and turning Izaya's face to him.

"Why must you be so difficult, Babe? We've been in Italy for three days and you've been so cold to me. Haven't you always talked about wanting to get away with me?"

Izaya scowled as he wrenched his face away and rose from the bed.

"That was when I wasn't being kept against my will! I don't know whatever possessed you to think we could go back to how it used to be, but it's a huge turn off to be kidnapped and isolated from everything!"

Arata sighed with a laid back smile. He rose from the bed and wrapped his arms around the struggling raven haired informant from behind.

"You want to go on a date with me? Well, all you had to do was ask! We could always have a repeat of our first date? Wouldn't that be fun?"

[Flashback – 5 Years Ago]

Izaya glanced around nervously as he followed Arata from a few steps away to the older male's family home.

"C'mon, Izaya-chan! It's not much of a date if you're all the way back there, ne?"

Izaya blushed as a few girls out shopping together laughed and pointed at the two of them as they passed by.

"Could you be a little more discreet about this, Arata-senpai? I don't want the wrong people finding out about this."

"By 'other people', do you mean the other students or just Heiwajima-kun?"

Izaya remained silent and he averted his eyes as Arata walked back to him and took his hand. People glanced at them, but paid them no mind. Izaya was at least less tense when he saw this.

"See? No one cares about two high school boys out for who knows what. I want you to only see me today. Leave everything and everyone else out. Okay?"

Izaya hesitated before nodding and allowing himself to be dragged by the hand to wherever his boyfriend may leave him.

"What's the matter, Izaya-chan? If you're uncomfortable, we can go catch a movie or something. We don't have to go to dinner if you're not hungry."

Izaya shook his head as he sat on Arata's bed with his arms and legs crossed. The future informant currently sat in Arata's bedroom while the older male changed out of his school uniform into something more casual.

"I'm fine. I'm…just nervous. It's just that usually when we're at your house, your parents and sister are home. It's the first time it's been…just us."

Arata put on a white t-shirt and turned to the fidgety raven with a smirk.

"Are you scared? Do you think I'm gonna jump you and take you on my bed?"

Izaya looked up to see Arata stalking towards him like a hungry predator. The raven kept his eyes on the upperclassman as he put his hands on both sides of the raven's legs and leaned into his face until he could feel his boyfriend's breath on his face.

"Or is that what you're hoping for?"

Izaya instinctively closed his eyes as Arata's face came closer. When nothing happened, Izaya was about to open his eyes when he heard a click. Once his eyes were opened, he was facing the camera lens of Arata's cell phone.

"Ah! I finally got it! My cute kohai's 'kiss me face'! I'm seriously saving this as my wallpaper!"

Izaya's face was as red as a lobster as he shot up off the bed and tried to get the phone out of his boyfriend's hands.

"Delete it! Delete it! Hurry up and get rid of it!"

Arata laughed as he and Izaya spent the next couple of hours laughing as they wrestled. It didn't take long for them to forget about the photo in Arata's phone.

[End Flashback]

Izaya had long stopped struggling in Arata's embrace and couldn't help but smile fondly at the memory. Arata smiled in adoration when he saw the informant's expression and nuzzled his neck.

"We had some good times, right?"

Arata kissed the raven's shoulder, causing the raven's pale eyes to widen. Izaya broke away from Arata as he recalled Shizuo. He remembered how the artificial blonde would hold him like he was something precious, how when Shizuo touched him, his body burned wherever his fingers roamed, and most of all how his kiss, while not as knowledgeable as Arata's, made him melt at just the thought. With these thoughts in mind, Izaya knew he could no longer be with Arata. He loved Shizuo Heiwajima.

"We may have had good times in the past, but that's exactly it. The past should and will always stay in the past."

With those words, Izaya felt his way towards the door and walked out of the room with Arata's guards right on his heels.

"Shi…kun? Shizu…? Shizuo-kun!"

Shizuo startled awake from his spot on his couch to see Ryuu and Kanta standing above him with smiling faces. Shizuo shook his head in an effort to wake up, thinking that he was still half asleep. When he looked to the two siblings again, he found them still smiling.

"We found him."

Shizuo's eyes widened. He sat up and grabbed Ryuu's shoulders to stabilize himself.

"What are talking about? Are you serious? Where is he?"

Ryuu and Kanta laughed at Shizuo's excitement when a cough interrupted them.

"He's in Italy. He's been there for a little over three days now."

Shizuo turned to see a man in a white suit with a balding head standing in his doorway. A man with red hair, a matching suit and an extravagant cane slung over his shoulder stood behind him with a smirk on his face that annoyed the artificial blonde on instinct.

"Who the hell are you?"

Ryuu turned his head back to look at her and put a finger to her lips with a look on her face that silenced the ex-bartender. Ryuu nodded and walked over to the two men with a smile and lit a cigar the man in the white suit pulled out as though it was the most natural thing in the world.

"I want to thank you again, Shiki-san, Akabayashi-san. Without you, we would never have found Iza-kun."

Shiki scoffed as he blew out the smoke from his cigar. He gave all of them a scrutinizing gaze before settling back on Ryuu.

"Of course not, Akihana-san. That kid is still your superior in tracking people down across the globe. When he gets back, I suggest you get him to spend more time teaching you rather than wasting it out drinking with that boyfriend of yours and your brother."

Ryuu and Kanta nodded. Shizuo stood from his couch and turned to the yakuza men with a stoic face and bowed lower than he had to anyone before now.

"Thank you for finding, Izaya. I'll find a way to repay you. I swear."

Shiki smacked Akabayashi's shoulder when the red headed man burst out laughing, effectively silencing him. He turned his back to Shizuo's lowered form.

"We'll put this on that guy's tab. Just get my informant back, no matter what it takes."

"Clothes?"

"Check."

"Laptop?"

"Check."

"Cell phones?"

"Check."

"Charger?"

"Which one?"

"Both."

"Oh, check."

Shizuo sat on the couch with Kanta and Ryuu at Izaya's flat as they made sure they had everything for their trip overseas.

"I still can't believe they're in Italy. Didn't Izaya always talk about wanting to go on vacation with Arata when they were still together?"

Kanta sighed as he helped Ryuu pack the essentials and toiletries.

"Yeah, I can only imagine how much advantage Arata has having Izaya-chan to himself day in and day out for three days. Not only that, but it'll be another two before we get there."

Ryuu nodded solemnly, yet kept on her encouraging smile. She stood on her toes to reach high enough to pat her brothers' head.

"That's okay! Iza-kun and Arata may have history, but Iza-kun smart enough to not fall for Arata's tricks. Plus, even if Arata ever laid a hand on Iza-kun, I'd break every bone in his body. He'll be begging me for death before we get on the plane for home."

Kanta smiled at Ryuu while Shizuo shivered at the thought since he knew she wasn't kidding. Whatever happened once they landed in Italy, Shizuo knew that he would finally be able to see Izaya again. Izaya would be coming home with him.

Arata sighed outside the door to the condo he currently shared with Izaya. He had just finished a photo shoot for a round the world most column on the globes most attractive celebrities. Apparently, he was just below Hanejima Yuuhei…again.

"Not much of a matter for me. At least I get to see my sweet Izaya-chan!"

Arata plastered a smile on his face as he opened his door and found Izaya sitting on the couch with a pair of headphones on and one of the guards scrolling through the music for him.

"Izaya-chan! I'm home! Did you miss me at all?"

The guards took the headphones off of Izaya, who sighed and looked in the direction of the voice.

"What's wrong?"

Arata stopped his preparation to hug Izaya and tried to brush off the raven's notice of his demeanor.

"W-What do you mean, Babe? I'm as I was yesterday."

"That's the issue. For two days now, you've come home depressed and I can't exactly ignore it when you won't leave me alone for five minutes."

Arata kept his gaze on Izaya and smiled. It had been a long time since Izaya had showed his old habits since they were together.

[Flashback – 2 Years Ago]

"Babe, I'm home. Did you make dinner or did you want to eat out tonight? I'll take you wherever you wanna go. My treat."

Izaya came from around the corner with a smile on his face until he saw Arata. He ran up to the older male and caressed his face as he kept his eyes on Arata's.

"What happened today? You look tired. Did your agent say anything to you that upset you?"

Arata laughed at Izaya's coddling. Izaya blushed and hit Arata's shoulder playfully.

"Bastard! I'm seriously worried! What's so funny about that?"

Arata ruffled Izaya's hair and kissed his forehead. Izaya blushed and averted his eyes as Arata walked past him to head to their bedroom.

"I'll take you out tonight. Let me get changed while you figure out where you wanna go. I'll tell you about work and everything once we got some food in our stomachs, ne?"

Izaya pouted at the way Arata prolonged the inevitable conversation that would come with dinner, but allowed it. To him, Arata was the only one able to get past him so easily, and it was usually because Izaya let it happen.

[End Flashback]

Arata sat with Izaya and ruffled his hair. It was still as soft as he remembered.

"I really missed you, Izaya-chan. It was hard after you left. Can we talk for real?"

Izaya raised an eyebrow and smirked to hide his shock.

"You haven't wanted to have a real conversation since you got back from your tour. Wasn't that also the scene of your first scandal with a woman?"

Arata sighed in frustration. He knew that once they started this conversation, they would have to start with what broke them apart in the first place.

"Yeah, it was. It's just that I couldn't look you in the eye without remembering that I betrayed your trust."

Izaya laughed exaggeratingly. It took him a few minutes to calm down, but when he did, He looked at Arata with an expression that emitted disappointment.

"If you're going to sit here and tell me to forgive because of a guilty conscience, you must have lost more brains than I thought from all the cameras and stage lights. Don't forget that you kept up the lies for a year and a half! I had to find out from an overseas news story that happened to catch you and some guy walking into a love hotel! I was humiliated before I was betrayed. I was betrayed when after I took you back, you treated me like some on call sex toy and beat me like one to boot!"

Arata continued to listen to Izaya rant about the mistakes he had made concerning them. He knew he deserved it after all he'd done.

"Don't forget that the reason I'm blind and half deaf is because of a certain drunkard who thought it would be fun to snort crack because of a damn guilty conscience! I can never get my life back because of you! Now, on top of all this bullshit, you've kept me against my will so that we can what? Get back together? There's way too much heartbreak between us to ever form a relationship other than past acquaintances, Arata."

Arata nodded solemnly. He did know. Arata had hoped he could mend things with Izaya by explaining his side of things, but he knew deep in his heart that the bridge between them could never be repaired. Ultimately, he knew what had to be done: Izaya would have to be returned to his flat in Ikebukuro.

"You're right. I'll send you back tomorrow. I have to stay for work, but I can at least inform your boss about where you are and that you'll be on your way soon. Can I ask you a favor though?"

Izaya was silent for a few minutes before he sighed in defeat.

"What is it?"

Arata smiled pleadingly at Izaya. Izaya felt both his hands being clasped in front on him and was about to protest when a pair of lips were pressed on his own.

"You guys go on break! Don't come back until I say, that's an order!"

"Yes, Sir!"

Izaya heard multiple footsteps leaving the room and a door slamming before he is pushed on his back with Arata above him.

"Arata! What are you-?!"

Izaya couldn't finish his protest since a pair of familiar lips crash against his own. A battle ensued as Izaya was dragged along with the pleasure that coursed through his veins. When a hand snuck under his shirt, Izaya's eyes flew open and he immediately pushed Arata away.

"Arata, what are you doing! Did you hear a word I said?"

Arata smiled in sadness at Izaya's dull, frightened eyes.

"Izaya-chan, would you…give me one last night?"

"Come on, you slowpokes! Iza-chan is waiting for us in Italy! Don't you want to bring him back?"

Kanta laughed as Ryuu all but ran across the parking lot to the airport. Today was the day that Shizuo, Ryuu and Kanta would travel across the world to rescue their friend.

Shizuo was worried about what could have happened to Izaya while he was with Arata, and what he would say to the missing informant once they found him. He had only just found out about his true feelings for Izaya and wasn't sure about where to go from there.

"Heiwajima-kun? Are you alright?"

Shizuo glared at Kanta. Every time he looked at the elder man's face, he was reminded of Izaya's relationship with him. To think that this man was Izaya's first time was irritating enough for Shizuo without having to see his face almost every day.

"Woah! That's quite the look you got there! Care to explain?"

"Wouldn't you like to know…"

Kanta laughed which made Shizuo blush from embarrassment and avert his eyes away from novelist.

"Aww! Don't be like that! Is this about what I told you about me and Izaya-chan? Did you take me that seriously?"

Shizuo quickly looked to Kanta again in surprise. He didn't understand what Kanta could have meant by that question.

"What are you talking about? You're the one who told me that you and the flea…ya'know!"

Kanta snickered and waved off Shizuo's frustration with a lively smile.

"Oh, man! I can't believe you thought that me and Izaya-chan-!"

Kanta wasn't able to finish his sentence since Shizuo grabbed him by the collar and hoisted him off the ground.

"Explain yourself!"

By this point, Ryuu had noticed the commotion being caused by the two men and rolled her eyes as she walked up to a service counter and talked with a woman about when their flight would be departing. Kanta put his hands up in surrender, but kept the amused smile.

"It's true that Izaya-chan came to me about his sexuality, but it was in no way a sexual encounter. I just explained to him that what he was going through was normal: that he was experiencing hormonal changes and that he was simply attracted to the same sex. I just helped him with understanding himself."

Shizuo blushed from realizing his mistake and lowered Kanta back onto the ground. Kanta straightened his shirt as he observed Shizuo's odd behavior. He smiled mischievously.

"You like Izaya-chan, right?"

Shizuo's blush intensified at being so obvious and averted his eyes to the floor. Kanta laughed and, though shorter be a few inches, reached up and pat Shizuo on the head as though he were a child.

"Izaya-chan's like a little brother to me, Shizuo-kun. There are no feelings between me and him. We're family, alright?"

Shizuo nodded and was about to thank him when a scream echoed throughout the building.

"Iza-chan! Iza-chan! Kanta-nii, Shizuo-kun! Look, it's Iza-chan! He's back!"

Izaya sat in Shinra and Celty's apartment on the couch with a fussy Ryuu and teasing Kanta while Shizuo sat across from them with a scrutinizing expression on his face. Shinra had just finshed Izaya's check-up and going over the data at the current time while Celty made everyone refreshments.

"For the last time, Ryuu-chan, I'm fine. Stop worrying so much. Kanta-nii! Stop poking at me! It isn't funny anymore!"

Kanta laughed as Ryuu scolded him. Celty came into the room with tea for everyone and set a cup in front of everyone. Izaya had his handed to him so that he wouldn't knock it over. This was when Shinra came out of his office with Izaya's file in hand and his usual smile.

"Well, I just the results back, Izaya. It looks like you're in good health. Just in case though, I would go home and get some rest. Take it easy for a few days and don't find yourself alone too often."

Izaya nodded.

"I'll follow that, but I think everything will be okay now. Arata-kun won't be coming around for a while. There's no need to worry."

Everyone grew silent for a few moments while Izaya drank his tea. Ryuu was the first to come out of her stupor, but what she said was not what anyone had expected.

"Shizuo-kun, I'm sure Iza-kun's tired. Why don't you take him home for me? I want to discuss a few things with Shinra about Izaya's condition."

Shizuo nodded and stood up from his spot on the couch. He walked over to Izaya, grabbed him by the arm and dragged him out of the house while everyone looked on. Izaya didn't yell in anger or say a word of protest. He was silent as he kept his eyes to the floor.

Shizuo never would have thought of this as a way to welcome back his charge, but here he was once again above Izaya on the raven's bed as their tongues fought to maintain a dominant standing. Shizuo didn't even recall how they got here in the first place. All he remembered at that moment was discussing about what happened to Izaya in Italy with Arata.

[2 Hours Ago]

"You slept with him?!"

"Well, I didn't know that you guys were on your way to Italy when it happened! It just…happened!"

Shizuo paced back and forth across the room as he ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He was prepared to confess to the raven when Izaya told him how he ended up in Tokyo Airport.

"Listen, it's not like I wanted it. Arata-kun promised to send me back on an airplane to Tokyo and never bother me again if I had let him have me for a last time. I figured I had nothing better to lose. Plus, it wasn't that big of a deal. It was small price to pay for freedom."

Shizuo glared at Izaya. He couldn't fathom how that sort of logic justified having consensual sex with a former abusive lover who had taken someone against their will.

"It is a big deal! A huge one, in fact! In case you haven't noticed, Izaya, that guy doesn't exactly live up to fulfill his promises! What would you have done if he went back on his word?"

Izaya remained silent. It was true that he hadn't thought of something so simple. All that had mattered was getting back to Ikebukuro and telling Shizuo how he felt towards him. Izaya had thought that honesty now was best rather than later, but now he felt that it had been a mistake to tell Shizuo his interactions with Arata at all.

"I just wanted to come home. I would have done anything to be here again…with you…"

Shizuo froze in the middle of his pacing and looked over to the curled up informant on the couch as his pale eyes took on a look of regret and longing.

"Izaya, you…"

"I thought about you the entire time he had me. Even during that last moment I was with him, I couldn't get you out of my head. I couldn't get rid of the sound of your voice, or how easy it was to tell how irritated you were by your footsteps or how whenever you touched me it felt like electricity was sent in waves throughout my entire body. It's not how I wanted this to go, but I'm…"

Shizuo kneeled in front of the shivering informant and took his away from his eyes. Once Shizuo saw the tears forming in Izaya's eyes, he melted on the spot.

"I understand. It's not how I wanted to confess to you either."

Izaya looked in Shizuo's direction in surprise.

"Shizuo?"

"Hell, in my head, I was going to confess first and you would blush like you were on fire. Though, I think this works out just fine."

Izaya smiled in relief as he leant his head against Shizuo's. The men smiled happily until Izaya spoke.

"You know, it's not too late to put that dream into fruition."

"What are you taking about, Flea?"

Izaya chuckled at the overused nickname given to him as he caressed the artificial blonde's face and mapped out its ridges and contours.

"I haven't said my part yet, you over-sized Protozoan."

After Story Monologue:

*Camera Turn On*

Momo: Okay, so I know I said I wouldn't post the next chapter until I got got 13 reviews for the story, but I got too excited that I just couldn't wait! *Squeals*

Shizuo: Hmph, Softie... They're gonna walk all over you now, ya'know.

Momo: *Glares* Shut up! You're the one who wouldn't stop pestering me about Izaya-kun! Not only that, he wouldn't stop blowing up my phone until I told Arata to let him go!

Izaya: *Glaring At Momo*

Momo: *Shivers* I feel like the Devil Incarnate is in my bedroom...

Shizuo: Whatever. *Turns To Camera* Please review and give Momo-chan feedback on her stories and her writing. She apologizes if the characters were a little OC. Apparently, she's been pulling her hair out from writers block and trying to pull off a good ending for the final chapter coming up.

Momo: *Puts Hand Over Shizuo's Mouth* Shhh! They don't need to know that part!

Izaya: *Still Glaring* I will end you.

Momo: *Sweatdrops* Alrighty then... Anyway, you know the drill! Please review and drop suggestions if you have any! I always look forward to hearing from you! *Waves At Camera* Till next time!

Shizuo: *Pulls Momo's Hand From His Mouth* Till next time, I guess... *Turns Off Camera*