Author's Note: FILLER CHAPTER ALERT. SORRY GUYS }:(

I seem to be getting into the bad habit of not updating as often, my flu/cold thing kind of didn't really get any better and I got a rejection from one of my universities so I've not really been in the right frame of mind to write.

Hopefully things should be back to fairly regular/longer now, and I'm going to say at least every other day they'll be an update, though something always seems to come up and distract me from updating doesn't it? I'll try not to let it go this long again without an update though!

Oh, and just a little note regarding reviews – anonymous reviews have now been disabled and probably will continue to be for various reasons. Now, on with the chapter! It's only a little thing today; obviously I just need to get back into writing again. Welp~

In his line of work, Izaya Orihara was used to unpredictable situations arising, especially when he worked with the clients that he did. The thugs and monsters of the underbelly of the city where far from tame after all. It was something that happened quite often and something that he was always interested to bring about. The raven from Shinjuku often went out of his way to do just that; pulling strings and pressing buttons and prodding, prodding, prodding for a more interesting outcome. Those little unaccounted for strings of data, information that didn't quite fit the rest, the little anomalies; they were what Izaya liked the most, because these were the things that no one had foreseen, the things that sent most humans spinning into that delightful free fall that he so loved to watch.

Ever since Shizuo and he had gotten themselves tangled into the physical aspect of whatever it was they had Izaya had known that it would stop being a secret at some time. The only questions were when it did and who the one to reveal it to the world would be. He guessed he had just assumed that it would be he who did, because from the way Shizuo acted, it wasn't going to be him. Perhaps he had always just assumed that the fact they had slept together wasn't something that would ever reach daylight. And yet things had taken a turn now, emotions had gotten tangled up in this, warping it, pulling it further from the shadows of secrecy and into the sunlight path of truth.

This was exciting though, it was different to what he had thought would happen. Tom Tanaka stumbling upon Shizuo and he in such a compromising position was certainly something he hadn't seen coming, something he hadn't accounted for. Izaya knew that really he should have been taking the whole thing more seriously, but the turn of events proved a welcome distraction; no, no, perhaps distraction was the wrong word, but it allowed him to take a step back, slip his confident mask back up enough to stop those embarrassing little slips of self wallowing that clouded any rational thought. He was more than willing to accept that this had changed him somewhat, but that new arrogant persona of his wasn't going to let his messy past and foolish emotions get in the way of logic. Logic was what had kept his head above the water until now. This thing had swallowed him before, but he had surfaced once again, gasping for air and managing to get back on top, he wasn't about to let that happen again.

Things were going to get tricky now though, again, he knew that, with Shizuo's strange pride; and he needed all the intelligent, logical thought he could get for that. Who else was going to steer them through this abyss into wherever it was they were headed after all?

Because he was beyond the point where he would be okay with the blonde sliding back into the city with only the promise of a quick fuck every now or then. The idea was laughable, and yet all at once seemed so natural now, so easy and so ironic. Izaya had sunk his claws in, and he wasn't going to let go without a fight, no matter how much the monster fought. Maybe it was partly a matter of pride now, maybe something else; maybe it didn't even matter what it was so long as it was.

The raven knew how to play, he'd had years to work on his ways of drawing people in like he had done in school, like he had continued to do as he got older and matured, grown his feathers and took flight into the wide open expanse of sky, the unknown. The blonde was always surprising him, always defying the norms of what Izaya expected of him and the raven knew that he always would be, forever and ever and ever, but that didn't mean he was going to quit.

Izaya Orihara loved to play games, and this one, well, hadn't it just transformed into one of the best games ever? Love was a monster, and love was a game, a silly little thing for just two to play.

Tom had still been there when he'd left Shizuo's apartment shortly after, the squeak of the door hinges giving away his exit. If the person leaving had been anyone other than himself, he guessed they would have felt awkward, slightly caught in the act, feel the tinge of shame pinch their cheeks; but Izaya certainly wasn't like any other lover, and that was why he was able to meet Tom's gaze with a wicked smirk and a flush-free face.

The loan shark hadn't moved from where he had been stood at all, though that didn't mean that Izaya was going to stop and have a chit chat. Where would be the fun in answering all the brunette's questions when Shizuo could do so for him? Izaya could tell Tom had questions, he could see it in the man's eyes despite Tom's apathetic expression. The raven had to hand it to the man; he had a good poker face, one to rival even his own; perhaps that was why he was able to get along so well with Shizuo, because he was able to mask whatever judgements Izaya was sure he didn't feel for the blonde behind a slight smile and an aloof air. That certainly had to keep the oaf's temper in check; maybe he ought to be taking a few notes on that for any future interaction with Shizuo that he was sure would follow.

"Be gentle with Shizu-chan today," Izaya half purred, half laughed. Tom turned to look at him, his eyebrow rising a little curiously, but otherwise his face remained blank. "He had a bit of a late night; I wouldn't want him to go over exerting himself now,"

The raven took flight after that, urging his body back into motion, fluid like flight, like water, away from Tom and away from the apartment and away from Shizuo Heiwajima and down, down, down the stairs towards the hustle and bustle of the city. He had an apartment to get back to, a warm shower to meet; his body was singing for that water still, crying out for cleaning away the feel of last night that still stayed, tingling on his skin like a little ghost perched on his entire body.

Shizuo's anger was something he was used to, something he had learned to put up with. He didn't need to worry about that, didn't need to linger and reassure himself that Shizuo wasn't going to pull a disappearing act on him or anything. The reaction of the blonde wasn't out of the ordinary, and Izaya had seen enough emotion in the blonde when they'd been together to know that he could no longer just walk away; no, he could no longer do that anymore than he could. It was only a matter of time now, and Izaya had more than enough of that to wait.

It was thrilling to say the least, almost like watching another one of his humans stumble into the lion's den, though whether he was the lion or the poor soul meandering into the dark, he didn't know yet. Listen up Shizuo Heiwajima, because Izaya Orihara's not giving up yet. See him pounce, hear him roar.