A/N: I lied, sort of. Postpone the interesting stuff, cue the awkward… ugh, you know what, just read it. You'll find out soon enough…

I swear, it's important to understanding Izaya!

Enjoy?

Izaya was dying.

Okay, maybe he wasn't dying dying but he was at the point where death seemed like a fun alternative. Three days into his heat and Izaya couldn't help but wonder if being skinned alive was more enjoyable. If not that then at least much quicker.

And probably less shameful.

Every part of his body ached like a certain monster had thrown him against a wall one too many times. Izaya's limbs could hardly hold him up they were so weak right now like he'd been fighting with Shizuo past his limits. It definitely sounded like something the beast would do. Him and his cursed strength and Alpha dominance that clawed, grated at Izaya's mind.

He could practically see the monster, face flushed from rage, breath coming hard, power in every line of his body.

Izaya groaned. Just thinking about the beast at times like this made everything worse. His instincts rose up and obscured all rational thoughts, like, for instance, how much he hated Shizuo. All he was left with was the knowledge that Shizuo, his destined Alpha, was somewhere out there rutting and it would feel unbelievably good if he just let the beast pound his greedy ass into the-

Yeah nope, not going there. I'm not touching that monster with a sixty-foot pole.

Groaning louder at the terribly detailed images that flashed through his mind, Izaya shifted in his bed, hissing as his sheets tore at his overly sensitive skin. There was nothing that could sooth this hypersensitivity but the touch of an Alpha, something he wasn't going to get. Izaya hadn't even bothered with clothes, his bed was bad enough.

His entire body was flushed with heat, just enough for it to be miserable, with or without a blanket. It hurt, but then, everything hurt. Especially the throbbing arousal between his legs that just wouldn't leave him alone. Kind of like the images of Shizuo running through his head, which were only making it worse.

I hate Shizu-chan! He thought passionately as his erection dragged against the sheets and he choked on something that was both a cry of pain and a moan. I want to kill him and gut him and string him up like a pig oh god make it stop.

Blearily, he looked at the suppressants on his bedside table. Izaya knew that if he took them, the pain would lessen. They were so close… Izaya bit his lip. Taking them now would only increase the chance they didn't work next time. He'd survived it before, he'd survive it again. In his mind, there was no alternative.

That being said, he was sure his heats were getting more painful every time. Maybe Shinra has a point, this can't continue indefinitely. An Omega who didn't mate had a shorter lifespan, one punctuated by agony. He knew the facts. Izaya didn't care, he would rather die than mate with an Alpha.

Especially Shizu-chan.

Whimpering, Izaya continued to writhe on his bed, shivering and sweating pathetically, repeating to himself over and over that his body was wrong and he didn't need an Alpha. Even so, he wished there was something he could do to relieve the pain, if only temporarily.

He could remember only too well previous attempts to grant himself some sort of release. It never worked, all it resulted in was failure and shame. Better to suffer through it with his pride intact than lower himself so far just for the hope of making it better.

Because an Alpha was the only solution.

The world hated him…

Suddenly, his phone rang and Izaya yelped out a few choice words about the type of person who would call him when he was falling apart. Not that anyone knew, that was the point of suffering in silence after all, but it was cruel all the same.

Nevertheless, if he wanted to maintain appearances, he'd have to answer. Even though it sent bolts of agony through his thin form, Izaya pawed his phone off the table and answered it, dragging a sharp breath as his sensitive groin caught on fabric.

"Yes?" he bit out, stifling the needy whine that naturally wanted to make its way into his voice.

There was a deep rumble of laughter from the other end of the line. "Oh Orihara-san, if I'd known it was that time again I'd have called some other time." Izaya resisted the desire to spit an insult at Shiki Haruya, his employer.

"You certainly could have picked a better time," Izaya managed, a wane smile making its way onto his face. No matter how irked Shiki's intrusion made Izaya, the human contact was a welcome, if ultimately ineffective, distraction.

"I'm so sorry life as an Omega is such a hardship," Shiki mocked lightly. He was the only Alpha who knew Izaya's true rank. That might seem like a dangerous thing but Shiki had a mate, a fellow Alpha actually, that he was quite content with. Thus, Izaya was confident that if he ever needed to, he could rely on his employer in an emergency of the Omega related kind.

"Shut up Shiki-san," Izaya grumbled under his breath, earning another laugh from Shiki.

"I don't see why you can't just find yourself an Alpha," Shiki reasoned, amused with Izaya's predicament. "It would certainly be less painful."

Izaya hissed. "I have no need for an Alpha Shiki-san. I'd appreciate it if you kept your comments about my personal life to yourself. How I choose to live is my business and my business alone." Irritated at Shiki's chuckling, Izaya snapped, "Since I assume you didn't call simply to torment me, why don't you enlighten me in regards to your original objective."

Shiki's mirth finally subsided. "Well, I was going to ask you to gather some information on an old friend of mine," He said friend like he meant something else. "But as you are currently indisposed Orihara-san, I suppose it will have to wait."

"Yes, I suppose it will," Izaya agreed, focusing on keeping his breathing steady. A harder task than one might think. "I must take my leave now Shiki-san, I'd rather not be gasping in pain over the phone."

His employer chuckled darkly. "Be sure not to die Orihara-san, I'd rather not have to clean up that mess."

"Thanks for the sentiment." Izaya hissed, free hand clenching and unclenching to keep himself from whimpering. "I'll try not to inconvenience you." It was supposed to sound sarcastic but the barely restrained pain in his voice made Izaya sound disgustingly sincere.

Sounding much too chipper, Shiki said, "Good day Orihara-san." The line went dead. Izaya waited a full ten seconds before gasping as the noises he'd been holding back escaped all at once. Shiki was a sadist.

But then, Izaya was the one who was willing to go through hell when relief was just a city away so he was guilty of being a masochist.

Turning over, Izaya bit his lip and wished desperately for sleep, even though he knew it wouldn't come.

It never did.

))))-((((

Izaya woke up feeling like he'd been hit by a truck. That was the downside.

The upside was this was the first time in a week that he'd slept, so at least he didn't feel half dead anymore. Only a quarter dead. Maybe three-eighths…

The point being, he was alive enough to feel horrible and that was most likely a good thing.

Rolling over, he stared at the ceiling. Izaya had survived, he always did. Sure it was avoidable, sure it was hell, sure it was going to happen again but in this small way, he maintained absolute control over himself. His body could try and kill him but through sheer willpower, Izaya lived through it every time.

His next thought was how hungry he was.

Izaya hadn't eaten properly in a week, being in too much pain to take the time to make something or even get out of bed.

He still didn't want to get out of bed, his heat had left him exhausted and it still technically wasn't over but Izaya had decided it was over and that was what ultimately mattered. After a week of it, he was sick of rolling around in his bed moaning. Actually, if he could go for the rest of his life without ever having to experience another heat, he'd be great.

Deciding that he'd bemoaned his existence enough, Izaya slipped out from between his sheets, stretching his weak and sore muscles out slowly before attempting to get to his feet. As always, the first step was a disaster, the second step, not much better but he was up and he still hadn't fallen on his face. That was good. That was progress even!

I need to get out of the house.

Dressing quickly in his usual combination of black jeans and a loose-fitting black tee, Izaya rolled his eyes to his phone. Remembering the call he'd gotten from Shiki, Izaya sighed. Well, it wasn't the most exciting thing to do but he wasn't looking for first class entertainment, he was just looking for an excuse to go out and do something productive.

It wasn't like he could do much else.

Izaya knew that for as long as next few days, he'd still be quite frail and his hormone levels would be all over the place, which meant his usual escapades were off limits because of how likely he was to do something stupid. For instance, he couldn't spend time in a room full of Alphas because with that much pheromones swirling about, something was bound to happen that Izaya wouldn't like.

He also couldn't play with Shizuo, because to play that game, Izaya needed to be in top form and after a heat, he… well, wasn't, to put it mildly. Also, Shizuo was possibly still suffering from his rut so contact with him at this moment would be just begging for trouble and Izaya didn't beg.

For anything, from anyone.

So while he rather missed Shizuo's almost charming stupidity and consistent unpredictability, he'd have to hold off on his usual games or risk being found out as an Omega.

Izaya wasn't one for nightmares, but that scene was one of them. Because he still didn't particularly want to know what Shizuo's reaction would be if he found out he was soulmates with Izaya. Whatever the reaction, it probably wouldn't be good. Although if he was being honest with himself, Izaya wasn't even sure what a good reaction to that fact was. It all seemed kind of scary.

Not that he'd ever admit he was scared of Shizuo finding it out because Izaya didn't get scared.

Snatching his phone off his bedside table, Izaya walked from his room, trying to make sure his feet didn't suddenly vanish out from under him. As he did, he checked the message Shiki had left for him that detailed what he'd wanted Izaya to do.

The job was fairly typical of Shiki. Some guy had wronged him in business, Shiki wanted revenge. To get revenge, however, there was always some ground work. Izaya, like the talented informant he was, would probably have the info Shiki wanted to be compiled within the day. Perhaps sooner, Izaya was the best at what he did after all.

Limping down the stairs and stumbling towards the kitchen, Izaya started fixing himself some coffee. It wasn't that he needed to go out for this job, he could probably find everything he needed on his computer, but he couldn't spend another day cooped up. Besides, tomorrow Namie would be back to work and then he'd really have to work.

So he'd take this day of recuperation and enjoy it to its fullest.

Grabbing his coffee, Izaya padded into his living/work room and sat down at his laptop. A few minutes of preliminary searching told him his mark worked in Ikebukuro. Izaya sighed and ran his finger along the rim of his mug thoughtfully. It was risky, yes, but Ikebukuro was a big district. The chances he'd run into Shizuo if he was actively avoiding the beast were slim.

Really, he shouldn't be so worried.

After finishing his coffee, Izaya snapped his laptop closed and got to his feet. As he inhaled deeply, his nose wrinkled. The pheromones coming off of him in waves clearly didn't understand what Izaya meant when he said his heat was over. Well, I was going to have to take them anyway.

Grabbing for the bottle of suppressants that sat on his desk, Izaya took the smallest dosage possible. He'd probably be fine with only a bit. This was supposed to be his body's chance to go through its natural cycle, after all, suppressing it, even towards the end, didn't seem like a good idea.

But he'd rather not attract the attention of every single desperate Alpha he passed. That was definitely something he'd prefer to avoid.

Throwing on his coat, Izaya swept out the door, smiling as he did so because in the end, as long as he got out of his apartment and had the opportunity to interact with his wonderful humans, inferior though they were, it would be worth all the aggravation he had to go through.

Of the people he passed few smiled at him, some looked apprehensive, most tried to make themselves as small a target as possible. Izaya paid them no heed, he had other things to do, other humans to watch, bigger targets to pick out from the crowd. His city was the same as ever, no worse the wear after his week long break. Things always moved on, sluggish thought it might seem, and Izaya's presence really didn't affect much of it.

But only because he didn't want it too. If he'd so desired, he could have ruined most of the innocent people of this city by now.

Where would the fun in that be, though?

The journey to Ikebukuro was painful, yet glorious. Izaya hated being cooped up too long but it was a small price to pay for freedom and respect the rest of the year. On the bright side, he should be back to his normal self as early as tomorrow and be ready to tangle with the fortissimo of Ikebukuro once again because nothing beat having a little scuffle with Shizuo on the streets of the city.

It kept his position solidified, something that mattered above most else.

As he strolled through the predictably busy streets, Izaya deliberated on where he should go first. His target might still be at the board meeting he was scheduled to be attending but around noon he'd be in a small corner cafe eating lunch with his secretary. Izaya made a mental note to see if said secretary could be used against his target.

All very professional you know.

The people ebbing and flowing around Izaya filled his senses with color, sound and most importantly, smell. Alphas, and Omegas leaving behind trails of scent. His nose wrinkled. There was only one Alpha who had ever smelled remotely pleasant to Izaya and that particular beast was to be kept behind the blade of his knife at all times.

But it didn't really matter.

As the number of people thinned out and the almost oppressive barrage of sensory information lessened, Izaya became acutely aware that his suppressants he had taken earlier weren't exactly doing their job. The physical issues this caused were menial, Izaya could handle some cramps and increased sensitivity. What he couldn't stop was the pheromones wafting off of his skin.

I'll be fine, it's not like I'm anywhere near Shizuo, worrying doesn't help me in the slightest. And he was fine, there were enough other Omegas about, plodding along with their everyday lives to distract anyone who happened to catch a whiff of his own personal scent. He'd probably be just fine. The only thing he really needed to worry about was how it decreased his ability to sneak about unnoticed. Even then, becoming one of the best informants of Tokyo required him to have more skills than simply sneaking, he could blend in easily despite the minor handicap.

Directing himself towards the quaint cafe his mark would be stopping at for lunch, Izaya thrust his hands into his pockets casually and jumped atop the bike racks lining the sidewalk he was currently walking, easily slipping into the role of a mindless youth wandering the city in search of something interesting. It gave him the chance to relax and observe, two things Izaya very much enjoyed doing.

The day really couldn't get any more peaceful.

A familiar something drifted across his path and Izaya stopped, quickly looking around to find the source of the vague smell. The side street he was on was almost empty, but for some people milling about the park to his right. Taking a few more steps forward Izaya caught the same scent again and halted, breathing it in deeply.

It took him less than a second to identify it now.

Smoke, cigarette smoke.

Suddenly on guard, Izaya whipped his head around, trying to find the person he knew was nearby. I need to get out of here, now. Before something has a chance to go horribly wrong. Leaping off the bike rail Izaya cast about wearily, looking for the familiar flash of dyed blond hair and bartender's uniform that could only mean one thing. Screw it, leaving is more important than finding the beast.

Quickly, trying to draw as little attention to himself as possible, Izaya hurried past the park, hoping that wherever Shizuo was, he wouldn't see the informant. God, I did not plan this well. No, he'd planned it fine, Shizuo was just an unpredictable Alpha who existed solely to mess up even the best-laid plans. But that was okay, he'd survive, he just needed to get out of range of Shizuo's almost animalistic sense of smell and he'd be just fi-

"I-za-ya!" Izaya pivoted just in time to find the intimidating form of Shizuo stalking towards him. Instantly, the informant froze up. Somewhere in the back of his mind, a voice was yelling at him to run before Shizuo reached him but a much more powerful part of him caught a whiff of Shizuo and what he'd found made him weak in the knees.

Apparently, Izaya had been right in suspecting that Shizuo wasn't quite over his rut, and the pheromones pouring off of Shizuo were making Izaya's body do things he really didn't want it to do.

"Shizu-chan," Izaya said shakily, his eyes darting about, wanting to escape but unable to make himself move fast enough. Damn him for being a mindless Alpha who can't stay out of my business when I clearly am in no state to play with him. "What a surprise." He fumbled in his pocket till his shaking hand closed around a knife.

"Where the hell have you been Izaya?" Shizuo roared, scaring the few pedestrians nearby away at once. Izaya took a step back, even as his mind wondered why on earth the beast would care where he'd been. "My afternoon was wonderful until you came along with your goddamned stench!"

Ha, he thinks I stink. Funny, it's probably the only thing distracting him and it's something I can't even control. Izaya struggled to form words that made sense. "Ah, Shizu-chan, where I do and do not go is none of your concern. As it happens I actually have work today so I don't have the time to play with you right now." Feeble, feeble, is that the best I can do?

As Shizuo bent the bike racks out of his way, Izaya's back hit the wall. The monster's hand went to rip the offending metal from the pavement, no doubt intending to throw it at Izaya but at the last second, he stopped. Looking over the informant with narrowed eyes, the monster suspiciously spat, "What the fuck is wrong with you flea? You look like shit." His proximity causing Izaya to feel like he might lose his footing at any second. Shizuo's scent was stirring up his own heat, which, as luck would have it, wasn't quite as over as he'd made it out to be.

"Nothing that concerns you Shizu-chan," Izaya bit out, his hand clenching around his knife so tightly the blood stopped circulating in his fingertips. If he'd been leaking pheromones before, Izaya was drenched in the scent of his heat now. The little space between the enemies decreased as Shizuo took another step forward. "Besides even if I answered, your little amoeba brain probably wouldn't be able to comprehend my words at all." It was nothing more than a shrill laugh of a sentence. The raven could hardly keep himself upright, modulating his voice wasn't even an option.

"I asked you a goddamned question! I'm not looking for a smartass reply!" Shizuo thundered, his fist burying itself in the brick beside the petrified raven's head. "And if you're not going to answer it, then I'll fucking-" Abruptly the beast stopped speaking as his pupils dilated and his nostrils flared. Izaya's stomach plummeted because he knew what that meant.

Slowly, Shizuo inhaled the air next to Izaya's neck and his expression changed to one of shocked disbelief. Izaya started to tremble uncontrollably as he shrunk away from the Alpha's gaze.

Shizuo, his worst enemy, his soul mate, knew he was an Omega.

He knew.

And suddenly, Izaya knew what the word fear meant.

"Izaya-" Shizuo started to say but the raven had had quite enough of the conversation for one day.

With limbs that threatened to collapse out from under him, Izaya darted out of the Alpha's grasp and managed a high, "Well, bye bye Shizu-chan!" before stumbling away, nothing but a terrified muddle of suppressed instincts and sheer willpower. His worst nightmare, now come to life.

Because even as he ran, and the sounds of Shizuo's voice echoed behind him, Izaya knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he couldn't escape the horrid fate that awaited every Omega to ever walk the earth. The very thing he'd spent his whole life running from. An Alpha, submission and inevitably, pain.

In short, he was screwed.

A/N: Haha, Izaya deserved it. JK, we all love the little shit. Including Shizuo, he just doesn't know it yet.

Sorry to everyone who still cares about this story, I've been going through some rough shit but I'm working on it and I'll always keep writing. Thanks to everyone who commented on the last two chapters. Despite the fact that each and every one of you made me feel horribly guilty for not updating, I love you all.

Until next time! I promise, things are going to get…

Angsty as shit.