A/N: What? *tentatively crawls out from under a rock* You mean, you guys liked it? Really? 0.0

I- I- Um WORDS! Thank you! I mean, I was super worried I'd pissed everybody off but then you people were so happy and supportive and- And amazing! This is why I'm a writer, because of people like you guys who help me through everything, even when I don't deliver when I say I will and when try my best to make you cry (sorry…) I love all of you!

Also, sorry nve for misspelling your username. _

And now, story.

Enjoy.

Izaya reached up and threaded his thin fingers in Shizuo's hair before yanking the monster down. "Just stop talking and kiss me Shizu-chan."

The beast suddenly yanked back, pulling out of Izaya's grasp and escaping his immediate vicinity as he growled, "No! No, I won't." It took a moment for Izaya to register what had happened. No, he was supposed to give in to his instincts, not fight them! He's not supposed to stop me! "Look at you! You're in heat and I'm rutting. I'm not thinking clearly. You're not fucking thinking at all!"

What the hell does that have to do with anything! His entire body screamed, crying out for Shizuo. I did everything I could, why is the beast doing this to me? Why is he pretending to be in control! He's not, it's a lie, he's never in control! "I'm thinking just fine, Shizu-chan," Izaya hissed, twisting in pain and desire. Why, what is this torture? Why would Shizuo leave me like this? The Alpha was pressed against the opposite wall, his eyes full of anger, yet still swirling with desire and lust. I just have to convince him, his mind howled desperately. Just convince him!

"I'm an adult, I can make my own decisions." Izaya managed, trying to pull his mind back together enough to focus on Shizuo. He was a mess, his thoughts falling apart at the seams. Everything hurt and yet, if he could just get the blond to lose it, none of it would matter anymore, right? "Don't treat me like an Omega who needs to be coddled and told how to act!"

"Well guess what," Shizuo shot back. "I can make my own decisions too. Don't treat me like an Alpha who will fuck you and be okay when you run the next morning!" Izaya started to protest, then he was hit with the full force of what Shizuo was saying and he shut up at once. I- I… I would have, ne? He's right. And just like that the damm holding back his common sense broke, swamping him with the realization of what he'd been about to do. Oh god, I was going to… Whining pitifully, Izaya closed his eyes, unable to believe himself. I was just going to let Shizuo fuck me, wasn't I?

The blond stood against the wall, trying to catch his breath. Izaya could clearly see how much his own careless actions had affected the Alpha in the flush of his cheeks and the prominent erection straining at his pants. Oh god, why? Why did I do that?

Why do I still want to do that?

Eyes swimming in and out of focus, Izaya tried desperately to pull himself together. I need to get out of here. I don't even know what I want anymore. Shizuo ran a twitching hand through his blond hair and Izaya swallowed hard. How is he so calm? Why isn't he in pieces like me? It irritated him and made him feel inferior at the same time. And now he's seen me like this, falling apart. What does he think of me?

The fact that Shizuo had denied him gave Izaya a pretty good idea of what he thought. I need to get away from him. He's only making things worse. Furious, more with his own pathetic behavior than with the beast, Izaya took a deep breath and bit out a bitter, "Fine then." Drawing himself up, Izaya lifted his chin and swallowed down the desire to just beg for what he'd wanted. He'd already made enough of a fool of himself. Feeling Shizuo's eyes on him, Izaya firmly said, "Then let me leave. There, problem solved." Your problem, not mine, but what do you care?

Shizuo's face grew red with fury. "Like hell you're leaving flea! You can barely fucking walk. Plus I'm not letting you leave here, stinking to high heaven of pheromones and shit, you'd be jumped by the first Alpha you came across!" And yet you seem so disgusted by me you're standing halfway across the room. If you don't want me to run, act like it. Make up your damn mind you protozoan!

Izaya struggled to get his emotions back under control. He felt terribly close to breaking down entirely. There was too much to deal with that the Omega didn't understand, too much resentment building up in his blood. "Then take me to Shinra's." The words were forced out, a last ditch resort. God, just let me go. I get it, I'm disgusting, I'm a mess. You don't really want to deal with me, why would you? This is just instincts, even you can't control them completely. Get over yourself Shizuo. "At least then I wouldn't have to put up with you, Shizu-chan." What lies, but Izaya ground them out all the same because they were the only thing between him and shattering.

"No, I won't!" Shizuo growled, his hands clenched into fists. Why are we even having this argument? "I already told you, you're staying right where you are."

Oh, that's where you are wrong. Surging upward, Izaya tried to force his limbs to cooperate with him only for them to fail him, leaving him to fall back to the bed, unable to move more than a few inches. It was so pathetic, so disgustingly weak, Izaya whimpered as he tried to hold back the tears of anger and pain that sprung to his eyes. With his face pressed into the bed, Shizuo's scent overwhelmed the raven and he snapped completely.

"I hate you!" His throat protested him and Izaya clenched his fists in pain. "I hate you, you damned protozoan, you Alpha!" Tears coursed down his face but the Omega made no move to stop them. He'd given up, there was nothing he could do anymore. "This is all your fault! I was perfectly fine before you showed up." Shuddering, Izaya bit his lip, trying to hold back the emotion that wouldn't stop flowing from him. He was in the middle of his heat, he was in pain, and all Shizuo did was stand across the room and watch him. It wasn't fair.

"You're supposed to be my Alpha," Izaya choked out, whimpering softly as he realized just how stupid his thoughts sounded when spoken aloud. "Why are you doing this to me?" He wasn't even sure what kind of answer he was looking for at this point, he just wanted Shizuo to stop looking at him. Watching him make an utter fool of himself, giving into his base instincts like a pathetic human. Ruefully, almost as an afterthought, Izaya let out a shuddering breath and muttered, "You said you were different." Pressing his face deeper into Shizuo's sheets, Izaya tried to reclaim the peace he'd felt before but it was gone, he'd shattered it.

"Because you're worth more to me than that."

Even though the words didn't register, the gentleness in Shizuo's tone made the anger in the raven's heart disappear. Slowly, Izaya brought up his tearstained face and tried to understand what the beast had said, what he meant. Gradually, the words filtered through his mind. Worth more… to you… He blinked, trying to clear his eyes enough to see Shizuo at all.

He could hear the blond take a deep breath. "And if I mate with you right now, I'll regret it too."

The room went very still as Izaya took a moment to comprehend what Shizuo was saying. The Alpha looked on edge, terrified for reasons Izaya couldn't understand. Almost like he cares… It was only then that Izaya realized how stupid he was being. Of course, he's not running away from me, he's trying to protect me.

Because for some unfathomable reason, Shizuo cared. He didn't have to, his body might tell him to protect Izaya but instincts couldn't make him really feel anything. Yet here he stood.

And now he wants me to stay… Izaya bit his lip as he thought it over. Would the blond force the matter, Izaya was fairly certain Shizuo would give in if Izaya continued to fight it, but did he want to? His body was tired, worn out, and his emotions were strung out, fragile like spun glass. If he couldn't even stop crying what made him think he could win an argument with Shizuo?

But I can't just say that, ne?

Looking away from the Alpha's face, Izaya questioned, "How long are you going to keep me here?" His lip twinged as he bit it again.

It took Shizuo a second to answer. "Until your heat is over." Predictable, but Izaya was glad for the information anyway. It wasn't unreasonable, in fact, it could almost be described as convenient. At least he wouldn't have to worry about other Alphas while his cycle finished. Of course, then there's Shizuo to think about... Glancing at Shizuo from the corner of his carmine eyes, Izaya watched the beast scratch the back of his neck before awkwardly adding, "I know you don't like to be protected but please, just let me do this one thing for you."

Don't bother fighting it. It's pointless. "Fine." Suddenly very aware of Shizuo's eyes on him, Izaya curled up, hiding. Not hiding, I'm just tired. Defeated. Not because the Alpha had convinced him of anything, but because Izaya had lost to himself on multiple levels. I let my instincts get the better of me and even after coming to my senses, I can't leave. Feh, how low can I get…

"I suppose it's no different than being at home," Izaya muttered to himself, voice flat and uninterested. Just spitting out words and nothing else. Anything to distract himself or Shizuo from the tears still streaming down his face."I'm still going to be stuck in bed anyway. I-" might as well spend that time around my Alpha, he almost said, before stopping himself. That was stupid, though, just letting his heat and urge to be close to a source of comfort win. Realizing he'd never finished his sentence, Izaya quickly babbled, "I guess I'll have to call Namie-san so she knows I'm not dead. Not that she'd worry, she'd probably be glad if I never came back."

When his view of Shizuo's sparse room was obscured by the Alpha himself, Izaya struggled to sit up, though he wasn't sure why. As expected, the raven's arms gave out and he fell back to the bed. Like I can even move. I must look so stupid… With an inaudible sigh, Izaya sank into the mattress, painfully aware his tearful eyes. Shizuo loomed over him, a look of worry etched into his face.

"Don't look at me like that," Izaya whispered, hating himself for his weakness and wishing he could hate Shizuo for his kindness. Rubbing ineffectually at the tears on his cheeks, the Omega determinedly kept from meeting the beast's eyes as he added, however unconvincingly, "I'm fine Shizu-chan." Feh, what a lie…

"No, you're not," Izaya couldn't help but be surprised at how even Shizuo's voice was. It was a statement, nothing more. Somehow, that soothed the deep disquiet within the raven. He wasn't being judged, he wasn't mocked, Shizuo was merely pointing out the obvious in an endearing way that only someone so utterly stupid could while still being comforting. It didn't change much, but it was something, and he clung to it.

"But you will be."

Those words drew a bitter laugh from Izaya. "Ha, that's funny Shizu-chan." How can I possibly be okay, there's nothing you can do, it's just me. I'm to blame for this entire mess. It was stupid to hope that the beast's flat words had any truth to them whatsoever. And yet…

Izaya curled up further, shielding himself from those watchful, golden eyes. While he stubbornly denied himself even a sliver of hope, he couldn't pretend what had happened hadn't. He didn't leave me, he brought me here. He protected me, even when I didn't think he would. Awkwardly, the Omega softly mumbled, "Thank you." When his words drew no reaction, Izaya felt his face grow warm. Quickly, he added, "For saving me," as if Shizuo wouldn't know what he was thankful for.

The silence stretched uncomfortably until Izaya felt compelled to break it. Fussing with Shizuo's overlarge shirt, the raven murmured. "You really-" Were everything I thought an Alpha never could be. "I mean-" I didn't deserve your help, I don't deserve that worry in your eyes. "I never thought you…" would save me… At last giving up on constructing a sentence that didn't sound horrible, Izaya lapsed back into exhausted silence, using it as an opportunity to mop up the shameful tears on his face.

"I wish I'd gotten there sooner." Izaya froze momentarily as he flashed back to the roof, to that overwhelming feeling he'd experienced as from the depths of his hopelessness, his Alpha had appeared and saved him from being raped. How could Shizuo feel any regret for that whatsoever? But then, he wasn't sure why the blond was doing anything for him at all so who was he to judge? Despite the uselessness of the sentiment, Izaya's tears lessened.

A lot of things could have happened differently, he thought, squirming at the memories of foreign hands covering him slipped past his mental block he'd set in place. The lingering smell of those men brought back a flutter of remembered panic, but Izaya focused on Shizuo's calming presence and pushed it back down. But at least I'm still here to contemplate the what-ifs.

"Do you want a bath or something?" At the entirely out of place question, the raven had to fight a surprised laugh. Only Shizu-chan could manage a true non-sequitur like that. Almost as if he'd read Izaya's mind, the beast explained, "I mean, if you're going to stay here you might as well." While it did seem fairly random, the look in Shizuo's eyes spoke volumes. He can tell I'm uncomfortable, can't he? He honestly wants to help me, he cares.

Ah, but we can't just say things like that out loud. Not after what just happened. Unable to help the slight smile that crept onto his face, Izaya playfully teased, "Are you telling me I stink Shizu-chan?"

"Yeah," Shizuo affirmed, not a hint of a joke in his straight face. "You smell like shit." Izaya let out a ripple of appreciative mirth that sounded much like a purr. It was amazing how quickly they'd fallen into this simple back and forth, this easy banter, not as cutting as their usual dialogue, not quite enough to fix Izaya's mistakes. There was still tension in the air, Izaya could sense it, he would have had to be severely impaired to miss it, but he didn't dare touch it. For now, they had a truce, an understanding. Shizuo was treating him gently, Izaya wasn't throwing himself at the Alpha, it was as close to peace as they could get, right?

And his heat didn't hurt as much when Shizuo was around.

Softly, he admitted, "Cleanliness would be an improvement, ne?" And it would give him a chance to relax his frayed nerves, which was almost more of a concern than the filthy layer of other Alpha's pheromones covering his skin. After having most of his common sense, emotions he generally locked away and all the self-respect he'd ever possessed reduced to nothing more than shattered eggshells, Izaya definitely needed some time to regroup. Especially if he was going to stay in the beast's house until his heat was over.

Only a day at most, it was already almost over. Then he'd leave and things would… well, Izaya wasn't sure what he was supposed to do but for the time being, he didn't have enough energy to think about it. With a mockingly blandish expression, Izaya cooed, "I wouldn't want to infringe on your oh-so-pleasant hospitality after all."

Shizuo's mouth turned down in a slight frown. "I'll have to carry you." The words made Izaya freeze for a second. Is a bath really worth the chance of something horrible happening, I don't exactly trust myself right now. Izaya dithered for a second, honestly contemplating telling Shizuo to just leave him here. But the smell of other Alphas on me, his Omega, can't be pleasant. Better to continue treading on eggshells than chance stirring up the burning coals beneath.

And he wouldn't do anything, would he...

With a slight shrug, Izaya let the words,"Ah well, I suppose there's no help for it," slip off his tongue before he could change his mind. If I can't trust myself, I'll have to trust Shizu-chan. "Just don't drop me." Trying to make his movements appear as offhand and casual as possible, Izaya crawled to the edge of Shizuo's bed and obediently crouched there, unwilling to meet the beast's eyes and chance breaking again. Careful steps, don't look down. You'll be alright.

In a grumbling tone, Shizuo muttered, "I won't, flea." Izaya bit his lip as Shizuo slipped his arms around him, easily lifting him up into the air. His arms were so gentle, his brows furrowed in concentration as he straightened gradually, the raven inexplicably wished he could take this moment and keep it forever. He'd never been treated like this before today.

As his Alpha's heavy scent settled over him, Izaya shuddered, letting all the tension in his muscles out at once. With little trouble, Izaya tucked himself into Shizuo's chest and then went limp, too worn out to even draw breath. This close, the beast's heartbeat drummed in his ears, the most hypnotic rhythm imaginable. There, in that moment, he felt safe. All his other concerns and immediate worries dulled to background static as that glorious feeling spread through his body, warm, overwhelming everything else.

And of all the people who could have given to him, it was Shizuo.

Eyes drifting closed, the raven let the slight beats of the Alpha's footfalls travel through him, their tremors out of sync with the blond's heart. The result left Izaya in a stupor that wasn't broken until Shizuo was setting him down on a cold, chipped countertop at the edge of a cracking sink. Staring at the blond with glazed eyes, the Omega merely watched Shizuo turn on the tap of the bath and swayed slightly as the weak ache returned to his body.

With a short sigh, Shizuo let his shoulders fall before looking him and tilting his head slightly. "Do you need help with your clothes?"

Izaya normally would have said no and just struggled on his own in an attempt to save his pride, but seeing as he could hardly sit upright, Izaya didn't bother with a facade that would only bring pain. I was going to let him mate with me, it's not like he'll be seeing anything I wasn't perfectly willing to give to him before. With a flat, thin voice, Izaya muttered, "Yes."

The raven barely paid attention to the Alpha as he quickly stripped him, hardly noticing the occasional brush of skin on skin and the soft hands that lifted him off the counter and placed him in the warm, shallow water of Shizuo's bathtub. Only once the shower curtain had twitched shut did Izaya open his eyes fully.

"Thank you," Izaya called softly, voice almost drowned out by the flowing water filling the cold basin he sat in. Stretching out carefully, the raven added, "I think I'll be fine on my own now Shizu-chan."

"Yeah," Izaya could detect the tiredness in Shizuo's voice, the same complete physical, mental and emotional exhaustion the last twelve hours had caused. "I'll go find you some clean clothes then, call if you need anything."

"I will." Izaya waited until the door of the bathroom closed before sinking into the rising water and letting himself just drift. As the warm liquid soothed the bruises on his skin and washed away the dirty feeling infecting his mind, Izaya let his thoughts run away from him. They were currently the only thing that could run.

He was most definitely stuck here, not that Izaya had much will to contest that issue. Shizuo had made himself quite clear when he'd said he wanted the Omega to stay until his heat was over and Izaya was okay with that. As long as the Alpha didn't do anything untoward, Izaya had nothing to fear. Looking at his situation from a purely logical standpoint, this was the safest and most comfortable place to be right about now. Just being near Shizuo made everything hurt less.

And from a less reasoned approach, Izaya wasn't sure he could have brought himself to leave. All his instincts screamed at him to stay. He hadn't the strength to fight them. If his Alpha wanted to take care of him, why should Izaya stop him?

Watching his hands drift across the warm water through slitted eyes, Izaya tiredly toed the tap off and melted into the heat until only his head remained above the water. Really, he had nothing he needed to worry about. What good would it do him to fret over things he had no power to change?

Izaya only hoped he wouldn't make an even bigger fool of himself. I have self-control, the situation is just a bad one. Bad, because he wanted it so much, bad because he should never have given in.

Yet it felt so good.

Without thinking about it, Izaya's eyes drifted closed as steam fogged up the air and smothered his nervous wonderings. I'm not going to sleep, the raven told himself distantly as his thoughts slipped away like sand. I'm just going to rest my eyes for a moment.

The water was so soothing, and the air smelled so heavenly...

))))-((((

"Izaya?"

Blinking heavy lids open, Izaya found himself lying in a bath full of chill water that had long since lost its relaxing heat. I fell asleep, he thought muzzily as his mind slowly tried to process his surroundings. His fingers and toes had gone numb somewhere along the line and he wiggled them to regain feeling in their tips. Shizuo called me, ne?

As if to answer his unspoken question, there was a gentle knock on the door before it squeaked open. "Izaya, you okay?" Shizuo asked softly as he stepped into the bathroom. "You've been in here for an hour."

" 'm fine Shizu-chan," Izaya mumbled with a tongue that felt too big for his mouth. "Fell asleep, too tired to keep my eyes open." The shower curtain twitched but wasn't removed. Aware of the Alpha's shadow moving beyond it, Izaya lifted a heavy, limp hand and pulled the material away so he could see Shizuo.

"Sorry, I should have come and gotten you earlier. You're probably cold." The blond blinked at him awkwardly before holding out a small pile of fresh clothes as if in atonement. "They won't fit you, but they'll work, I guess."

"Alright," Izaya muttered. Looking around haplessly, the raven scrabbled at the slick sides of the bathtub before sighing and silently admitting defeat. God, I'm useless. I can't even move... He bit his lip, hating the idea of having to ask for help but aware that if he didn't, he was stuck where he was. With a hurt look, Izaya glanced up at Shizuo pitifully and huffed, hating himself for being so pathetic. "Shizu-chan-"

Shizuo started, obviously realizing what Izaya was going to say. "Oh, right. I just-" Snapping his mouth shut, the blond shook his head before quickly moving forward and lifting the dripping raven out of the bathtub, getting his own clothes wet in the process. Izaya shivered as the cold air hit his wet skin and reflexively, he curled into Shizuo's body heat, too tired to do anything else.

Carefully, Shizuo grabbed the towels he'd left on the toilet seat and wrapped Izaya in one of them before sitting him on the lip of the counter. Drowsily, Izaya swayed as Shizuo rubbed him dry, just breathing his scent in and nothing more. The blond's hands felt wonderful, their warmth and weight only adding to the contentment that had welled up within him.

It's stupid, Izaya thought dimly, clutching at the edges of the towel as Shizuo worked a pair of boxers up his damp legs. He's only doing this because his instincts are telling him to protect me.

But he cares, doesn't he? A little voice in the back of the Omega's head reminded him. For some reason, he actually cares what happens to you. Izaya bit the inside of his cheek. It was hard to believe it was true, no matter how much evidence he had that it was. It didn't make any sense, not with their history and not with any of the events that had occurred in the last twelve hours. Shizuo should still hate him.

Maybe he only cares because he knows we're soul mates, Izaya thought, furrowing his brows slightly. But no, that didn't make sense either. If that had been the only motivation wouldn't Shizuo have mated with him earlier?

Involuntarily, Izaya's cheeks darkened at the memory. Thank god he stopped me. Thank god Shizuo had his head on straight. Otherwise… Well, it was best not to think about it. The raven certainly didn't want a mate, or rather, he knew that if he wasn't currently being influenced by his heat and Shizuo's rut that he wouldn't want one. And Shizuo basically told me he didn't want a mate either, didn't he? He did say he'd regret it.

The chill of the open air returned as the dampened towel was gently pried from the distracted Omega's fingers. Mind snapping back to the present, Izaya docilely waited for Shizuo to pull the fresh tee-shirt over his head before letting the raven awkwardly work his own arms through the sleeves. The cool air raised the hair on Izaya's bare forearms and he shuddered, his teeth clattering together.

Gently, Shizuo pulled Izaya's head closer before covering the raven's wet hair with the other towel and proceeding to rub it dry. Izaya didn't bother protesting as the beast mussed up his dripping locks, he just looked down and swung his legs absently. The sweatpants Shizuo had found for him pooled around his ankles, almost completely obscuring his feet.

Once Shizuo had deemed the sleepy raven dry enough, he stepped back and watched Izaya, a concerned look in his eyes. Izaya noted the wet splotch on the front of the blond's tee-shirt with a hint of guilt that he didn't voice. If Shizuo didn't mind, he probably shouldn't either. All the Omega did was focus on staying upright, and stare flatly at the Alpha, waiting.

"It's late," Shizuo said, at last, scratching the back of his neck. "You should probably get some rest."

Swinging his legs again, Izaya muttered, "If I try to get up, I'll fall Shizu-chan." He hated how weak the words made him feel and he hated that they were true, but the raven knew Shizuo wasn't going to judge him for it. It was pretty obvious by this point they were beyond the point of being judgemental. Picking at the edge of the counter, Izaya added in a very small voice, "I'm too weak to get anywhere on my own."

"Yeah, sorry," Shizuo muttered, sounding ashamed. It was almost natural, the way Izaya just slid into the Alpha's hold, fitting in his arms like that was where he belonged. Except, in the end, I don't belong. I never will. The raven wanted to laugh at the irony of it all, but he couldn't quite muster the energy to do so. As Shizuo shouldered open the bathroom door, the blond said, quietly, "You heat will be over soon right? You won't have to put up with this for long." As if I'm complaining…

"Yes, it's almost over." Izaya agreed, eyes drooping closed. "You do realize that being around you and your scent and pheromones are making it worse, though." The remark was light, almost reproachful, not quite pointed enough to break from the flatness Izaya's tone possessed. They were just patterns of sound because the raven hated the silence.

At Izaya's words, however, Shizuo tensed for a moment before stammering, "I-I- I never-" As if continuing hurt him, the blond managed, "I never meant to force you into anything Izaya. I won't-" He stopped again and Izaya held perfectly still, unsure what he was supposed to do. It had just been a passing comment, he hadn't thought that Shizuo would react to it at all. He certainly hadn't expected the blond to take him seriously.

"If you honestly want to leave," Shizuo muttered at last, voice thick. "I won't stop you." Wait, what? Izaya's eyes widened in disbelief and glanced up at the blond's face. "I'll take you home if- Fuck." He gave up on speaking, but Izaya could smell the fear in Shizuo's scent, feel the way his arms tightened around the raven as if loathe to let him go. Something in the Omega's chest tightened at the pained, yet resolute look on Shizuo's face. He means it, ne? He'd let me go.

Izaya seriously considered the idea for a moment before realizing that, as much he should want to leave, he honestly hated the thought of going home. It wasn't even just his instincts, although that was a big part of it. There was something that had even the logical part of him wanting to stay. You're being stupid, hissed his mind. You know you're being stupid.

Only, Izaya wasn't sure he was.

With a sigh, the Omega tangled his fingers in Shizuo's damp shirt and muttered, "I want to stay Shizu-chan. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere." Beneath his hands, Shizuo relaxed. Izaya could feel the blond release the breath he'd been holding in and it calmed the raven as well.

"I- Thank you," Shizuo muttered his relief palpable. Izaya didn't respond, he only hummed and closed his eyes, loosening his grip on the blond's clothes as he did so. He wasn't quite sure why he too felt relieved, but he did and he was too tired to question it. The hard self-examination could come later.

Right now, sleep. Hopefully until forever.

When he, at last, felt himself being lowered down onto Shizuo's bed, Izaya dragged his eyes open. Gazing up at the blond, the raven blinked sleepily as his Alpha straightened out the blankets and pulled them up over Izaya's curled up form. He had a soft expression on his face that The Omega was too tired to understand.

"I'll be in the other room," Shizuo murmured, fingers brushing the stray hair from Izaya's face. "Really, just call you need something." I don't need anything, I'm fine. But Izaya didn't bother saying it out loud. When the raven didn't respond, Shizuo started to leave.

Without even thinking about it, without even being conscious of his actions, Izaya's hand shot out and weakly grabbed the back of Shizuo's shirt. The blond stopped at once. Noticing what he was doing, Izaya retracted his arm, face hot with shame.

"I'm not staying in here Izaya, you'll probably sleep better on your own anyway." Shizuo gave Izaya an apologetic look that made the raven feel stupid. Why did I do that? What on earth did I think it was going to accomplish? "I'm not going to abandon you or anything."

At the words, Izaya couldn't help the tiny whine that escaped his throat. No! I don't care where he is, it doesn't matter, I'm not that needy. "Shut up," Izaya mumbled, burying his face in Shizuo's pillow to hide his shame.

Shizuo didn't comment further. "Just try to sleep. You're exhausted."

Izaya didn't need to be told twice. As Shizuo left, turning off the lights behind him, Izaya curled up and finally let himself begin to truly drift off. Somehow, even though there were usually a million things flying through his head, Izaya's mind was blessedly blank. He could worry tomorrow.

At last, the exhausted Omega fell asleep.

A/N Hmm… a little late but what can you do? I hope it's enjoyable and just cuddly enough to not be too sleepy.

In other news, I'm sleepy too. Author out~