A/N: Well, as my long hiatus draws to a close, I'd like to reflect on what I've learned.

Nothing, I've learned nothing.

Enjoy~

Shizuo woke up and almost instantly wished he could fall back into the world of not having to deal with this shit. Mostly because he was curled around Izaya and that meant he had a lot of choices he had to face the consequences of. He remembered last night, he remembered only managing to sleep an hour before being woken by the fucking smell that had somehow gotten everywhere. Why his body couldn't make up its mind in regards to Izaya's pheromones, Shizuo had no idea. One moment it aroused him, the next it calmed him and a few hours later it made his skin itch.

Very very distracting.

From where he lay, curled up against Shizuo's chest, Izaya mumbled something under his breath before pressing his face into the mattress and going still once again.

Stifling a groan, Shizuo recalled how Izaya's pheromones had flared last night, leaving him agitated to the point where he wanted to put his fist through the wall. That had been bad enough, if it hadn't also planted the thought of just saying to hell with it and mating with Izaya so deeply in his mind he couldn't pull it out. It was all he could do not to break something.

Then he'd heard Izaya calling. The pleas, the words, the letting go, the giving in, it all blurred after that. Shizuo had just been desperate to be close to Izaya, the rest all seemed kind of inconsequential. That, as far as he could tell, was how he'd ended up here, curled around the Omega like they were actually mates, instead of just unstable allies.

Not that he was complaining. No, not at all.

Feh, I'm fucking obsessed, considering I-

Well, he didn't hate the man anymore, why bother agonizing over it any longer?

But hell if he wasn't in too deep. Just because Izaya seemed perfectly content to lie there in his arms, comfortable close, didn't mean he wanted it. Shizuo could smell the raven's heat on him, as powerful as it had been yesterday. He had to keep telling himself that this didn't change anything, mostly because if he didn't, Shizuo would find himself wishing it did.

What was he even doing, holding Izaya like this, like they had something other than a mutual agreement to exist in the same space. Stepping over the line, that was what. Unfortunately, Shizuo didn't know where that line was. It wasn't like they'd even agreed on anything, they'd both just… done, and hoped for the best. This though, Shizuo was sure that he was doing something wrong.

Izaya's skin was cool to the touch, even though the covers and Shizuo were warm, like his blood ran a few degrees lower than the rest of the world's. A few stray locks of raven hair tickled the blond's nose, and he puffed out a breath in response.

For a moment, just a second, Shizuo contemplated drawing back and getting out while he could. Then Izaya suddenly pressed himself against the Alpha's chest and the thought vanished. He wondered if Izaya knew what he was doing when one of his slim hands covered Shizuo's own, but the blond wasn't about to ask. No, all he wanted to do was sink back into his Omega's pheromones and cool, calming presence and sleep for another few days. Deep down, Shizuo knew he was giving into something, something potentially life-defining, but… he didn't care.

This right here, it was good.

Then a horribly irritating electronic beeping cut through his moment of suspended reality and Shizuo heard Izaya whine softly in irritation, destroying any thought of pretending nothing had happened. Probably for the best. Pulling away reluctantly, the Alpha retreated to his side of the bed and felt his heart tug uncomfortably. Ignoring it, Shizuo pushed upright and raspily muttered, "What's that?"

Still curled beneath the sheets, Izaya let out a soft noise of discontentment and answered in a muffled voice, "It's one of my phones, probably. Just let it ring." Looking away from the squirming raven-shaped lump, Shizuo glanced over the rest of his room, Izaya's clothes and the clock on his bedside table. "They shouldn't be calling this early anyway," Izaya added, his voice giving away how tired he was.

The numbers on the digital screen made Shizuo smirk. Did we really sleep past noon? Shit, I told Tom I'd be in for work today. Laughing ruefully, the blond commented, "It's past noon." Not that I particularly want to get up either. Glancing once again at the heap of black cloth and stained fur on his floor, Shizuo looked back at Izaya and muttered, "But, if you say so…"

After a moment, the beeping stopped and the room feel silent again.

From under the sheets, Izaya said, in a miffed tone, "Well, I suppose there's a first time for everything."

Well isn't that the truth? This was certainly the first time Shizuo had woken up next to an Omega, Izaya Orihara no less. Almost crazier was the fact that he didn't want it to be the last. It was all so ludicrous, Shizuo couldn't help but laugh. The sound of Izaya chuckling as well sent a pleasant wave of heat spreading through the Alpha's body.

Suddenly feeling ridiculous, the blond reached groggily for his cigarettes and swiftly lit up. The feeling of that first drag of nicotine hitting his system was a welcome break from the odd things happening in his chest. Don't get attached, it's just nature, it's just instincts. It's not real, not really. This is only a temporary thing. Smoke wove through the room, mixing with the heady smell of Izaya's pheromones and the powerful scent of Shizuo's own rut.

The bed creaked and a moment later, Shizuo felt Izaya's body pressed against his side. A sudden wish to be closer shot through him and the blond tensed, resisting. He wanted to just roll over and forget about it. Just pull Izaya into his lap and hold him as close as possible, but he didn't. Couldn't if he wanted Izaya to keep trusting him like he was. Instead the Alpha sat there, pulling smoke into his lungs to distract himself from Izaya's cool skin.

"You're heat isn't over," Shizuo said, unsure where the words had come from. He'd needed to say something sensical before he started talking about things he had no business even thinking about.

Izaya shifted beside him before muttering, in a voice that sounded a little more nervous than the man had no doubt intended, "You're not going to kick me out, are you?" Why can't you just believe me when I say I want you here?

Protective instincts welling up in the back of his throat, Shizuo gruffly said, "No, you're not leaving until you're better." He wanted to say that Izaya could stay as long as he wanted, but again, there was that line, those boundaries he couldn't cross. Didn't dare touch. Even so, he couldn't disguise the emotions in his words. It was too early for that shit.

So instead of thinking about it, Shizuo pulled himself out of bed, away from Izaya's sedating presence and into reality. Noticing for the first time since he'd awoken the hole in his stomach, Shizuo tried to remember the last time he'd eaten. Too long. Glancing back at the lump that was Izaya, the Alpha in him wondered worriedly if his Omega was hungry. "I should probably make you something to eat," he said aloud. What does the flea even eat? "It's lunch time after all."

"I'm not hungry," mumbled Izaya, before rolling into the spot Shizuo had just vacated. Fucking adorable, the blond thought before he could stop himself.

God, I can't be thinking about this shit. It's Izaya, he's only staying until his heat's over. Getting to his feet, Shizuo responded, "Tough, you're eating something. You're under my roof and I'm not letting you waste away." It's not as if he can get up and make himself something to eat, Shizuo reasoned, ignoring the voice in his head that informed him he would have wanted to provide for Izaya regardless of the Omega's state of wellbeing. "You're all skin and bones," the blond added absently as he dug around in one of his drawers for some real clothes. What do I even have to feed him? Ramen? Maybe I have some eggs…

His thoughts were interrupted as Izaya's phone went off once again.

"Fuck," Shizuo muttered, glancing at Izaya's clothes with murder in his eyes. Who the hell is calling him? More importantly, why hadn't they fucked off the first time Izaya hadn't answered? Unfortunately, the phone kept ringing and Shizuo felt himself getting progressively more annoyed. Moving over to Izaya's clothing, the blond pawed around in it, looking for the source of the noise. "Where's your goddamn phone?" he groused.

There was a rustle of sheets. "It's in my coat, probably in one of the inside pockets." Grabbing for said coat, Shizuo discovered that for some fucking reason, Izaya had purchased a coat that had an infinite number of pockets, all of which were nearly impossible to find. As if this weren't frustrating enough, when he finally did manage find a phone, it wasn't even the right one.

Tossing it behind him carelessly, Shizuo ended up resorting to just shaking the coat and going through what fell out of the pockets. "How many of these fucking things do you need?" Shizuo growled as a wallet, several keys and two more phones tumbled out of the coat.

By the time he finally found the particular phone that was going off, Shizuo was so irritated that he didn't even bother tossing the phone to Izaya. He just answered the call and growled into the phone, "The hell do you want?"

"Sh-Shizuo-kun? What- why do you have Izaya's phone?" At the sound of the surprised voice on the other end of the connection, Shizuo couldn't help but rub his face and sigh, very slowly letting his irritation cool to a manageable simmer. Because really, the crack doctor was nothing if not persistent. Getting angry wouldn't do any good.

"Shinra…" Shizuo muttered softly, trying to come up with something at least halfway decent to say. Up shit creek without a paddle. Looking at Izaya, who had finally wormed his way out from under the covers, the Alpha noted how his skin paled at the name and bristled slightly in Shinra's direction before calming himself again. Shinra's never going to let this go, losing it just because Izaya looks like I'm talking to a monster isn't going to do anything.

Shizuo was right, of course, Shinra didn't let it go. "What did you do to him?" Shinra squawked, his voice pitching high. "Is Izaya with you?"

Why the hell does he care where Izaya is? Does he really think I'd hurt an Omega?

Of course, it was Izaya so the answer was probably yes. Irritated that Shinra was actually worried for a legitimate reason, Shizuo bit out, "Look, It doesn't matter. Why are you calling?" All he wanted was to get this conversation over with but apparently, that was too much to ask.

"Is he okay?" Shinra demanded, tone getting more panicked and screechy by the moment. Headache building at his temple, Shizuo clenched his teeth around his cigarette and prepared to answer before the doctor cut him off. "Oh my god," Shinra blurted, sounding horrified. "You killed him, didn't you?"

Why the fuck~? "NO!" the blond snapped, before thinking of the first question and backtracking. "I mean yes."

"WHAT?!" Shinra shrieked.

Running a frustrated hand through his hair, Shizuo blew out a short breath and prayed for patience. "Yes then no," the Alpha clarified, temper still bubbling. Noting how on edge the one sided conversation was making Izaya, Shizuo instantly felt bad and muttered into the phone,"Fuck, why do you even care?"

"Shizuo-kun," Shinra breathed, his indignation tangible. "I am his doctor."

Like that's supposed to mean shit to me. I'm his soulmate but do you see me freaking out about him?

Well, actually…

Restless, Shizuo moved towards his door, needing to move before he started yelling. Before he could leave however, the blond heard Izaya whimper softly and the tension in his blood faded for a moment. Turning to look at his Omega, Shizuo's eyes softened at the stress clearly showing on Izaya's face. It was so weird to see Izaya act so openly, it almost made Shizuo completely forget about the doctor for a moment.

Then Shinra broke through his thoughts. "Shizuo-kun," In his most scary doctor voice, he demanded, "Tell me where he is right now!"

Being in the same room as Izaya while talking to Shinra is only going to stress him out. And if it stresses him out, it's going to stress me out too. Shooting him the most reassuring look he could manage, Shizuo moved out of the room.

"Shizuo-kun, if you don't answer me, I swear-"

"God, he's fine." Shizuo muttered, looking blankly at his apartment as he rubbed his temples. "He's at my house." The blond didn't like the little noise of fear Shirna made at that little revelation. "Why the hell-"

Shinra cut him off again. "Your house?"

You don't have to make it sound like the fucking end of the world.

"What's he doing there?" the doctor demanded.

Briefly, Shizuo wondered if he should tell Shinra what happened, but something in him made him settle on grinding his teeth together. It's more Izaya's business than mine after all. Besides, I don't want Shinra to think I'm going to hurt Izaya. "Shit happened," he said gruffly, wandering towards his kitchen in the hopes he'd be able to dig up some decent food for Izaya. "He's fine."

"Well," Shinra said, and Shizuo didn't miss the relief in his voice. "I'll just be coming to take him off your hands then."

What the fuck?

"I mean," Shinra continued reasonably. "You and Izaya don't exactly get along. I'd hate to try your patience any more than it already has been." Shizuo shook his head, irritation building in his system once more.

"No," he bit out, glare hardening. "He's staying right where he is." Just try and take him away from me, Shizuo thought savagely, before realizing how that sounded and shaking his head. He kept straying, overstepping his bounds even if it was just in his head. I need to stop doing that.

"Shizuo-kun…" Shinra started slowly, carefully. "You… You know, don't you." It wasn't a question, it was a statement and Shizuo couldn't even pretend not to know what the doctor was implying. Given the context, it was obvious, for once.

"Yeah, I do." Leaning against what little counter space there was in his kitchen, the blond pulled the ruined cigarette from his lips with a small sigh. When Shinra said nothing, Shizuo continued, "I know he's an Omega."

There was a rustling from Shinra's end of the connection. "And if he's following his schedule, he's in heat?"

"Yeah, so?" Why is he talking down to me like I'm a child? Staring out his kitchen window at what little sky he could see over the other buildings, Shizuo peevishly asked, "What's it to you?"

"Calm down," Shinra said instantly, as if he wasn't already calm.

Saying shit like that just pisses me off.

"I just want to know if…" Awkwardly trailing off, Shinra forcefully continued, in a voice that was quickly losing it's evenness. "I mean, did you…" Swallowing hard, Shinra warbled, "Because Izaya's really really against that and if you took advantage of him while he wasn't thinking clearly-"

"No!" Shizuo snapped loudly, face going red with second-hand embarrassment and more than a little anger. "Shit Shinra, who do you think I am?" he continued, reining himself in. Is this honestly what people think of me? It made the Alpha's stomach turn.

"But don't you know-" Shinra paused, and Shizuo could almost see the nervous expression on the man's face. "About that."

"What?" Shizuo muttered, irritated at how Shinra was choosing now of all times to be cryptic. Unable to stay still any longer, the man started pacing again, glancing at his bedroom door every few seconds like it was a nervous habit.

Shinra dithered for a moment before slowly saying, "That he's… That Izaya's your soul mate?"

The blond resisted the urge to sigh again. "Yeah, but what difference does that- Wait." Staring hard at nothing, Shizuo narrowed his eyes. "How the fuck did you know?" Blood growing hot once again, he growled, "Am I the only one who didn't know?"

There was silence on the other end of the line for a long moment. "No," Shinra said at last, his voice the picture of composure. "Izaya never actually told me."

"Then how-"

"Look," Shinra interrupted quickly. "That's not important." There was another bout of rustling. "Are you rutting right now?"

Shizuo couldn't help the startled sound that escaped his mouth. Why the hell are we even having this fucking conversation?

"Silly question," Shinra said before Shizuo could respond. "I already know you are. You never deviate off schedule."

Shizuo shook his head, feeling lost. Since when had Shinra known so much about his cycles? It wasn't exactly something he went spreading around. Why the hell is he even asking me these questions? "Wait," he muttered, rubbing his forehead. "Why the h-"

"Shizuo-kun," Shinra interrupted once more, his voice uncharacteristically steely. "I'd like you to allow me to take Izaya back to my clinic for the rest of his heat."

We've already been over this shit. Bristling at the authoritativeness in Shinra's voice -like he has any right to tell me what to do- Shizuo carefully responded, "No. I told you, he's staying right where he is until his heat is over. I'm not letting him out of my sight." Possessive, yes. Did Shizuo give a shit, no, not really.

Shinra's tone wavered. "I really don't think that's wise Shizuo-kun."

"And who are you to say that?" Shizuo snapped, voice still low and dangerous. "What do you even know about this situation at all, huh?"

"Probably more than I should."

The bluntness of Shinra's words made Shizuo do a momentary double take. For the first time since the conversation had started, a tiny bit of reason filtered into Shizuo's mind. Shinra's right about one thing, he is Izaya's doctor. All I am is an overprotective Alpha who can't see past my own hormones. I'm being stupid again.

Hah, the story of his life.

"If he doesn't want to leave, that's fine. Just please," pleaded the doctor, clearly at the end of his rope. "Let me talk to Izaya for a moment."

Already moving towards his bedroom door, Shizuo made one last attempt at resistance. "Why?"

"Because I called his phone, hoping to talk to him." Shinra explained tiredly. "I know you're tense right now, I'm not faulting you for that, but please, just do this one thing for me."

Shizuo sighed softly. "Fine."

"Thank you."

There was a thump from inside Shizuo's room.

Izaya.

All thoughts of Shinra fleeing his mind, Shizuo hurried into the room, his heart in his throat. At the sight that met him however, the fear quickly drained away. Izaya was on the floor beside Shizuo's bed, face comically pressed into the hardwood, resignedly waiting for him.

"What the fuck~?" Shizuo asked, miffed. Izaya scrabbled weakly at the side of the blond's bed before giving up.

"I tried to walk." The raven sighed, tone blase. "I failed."

Blowing out a puff of air, Shizuo rolled his eyes and muttered, "Well no shit." With little preamble, the blond strode forward and lifted his tiny Omega off the ground. The disgruntled pinch of Izaya's face almost made Shizuo want to laugh but it was the little pout on the raven's lips that did him in. Chuckling, the Alpha set Izaya down on the bed before holding out the phone that he'd all but forgotten about. "Here, Shinra wants to talk to you."

Izaya rolled his eyes. "Oh joy."

Rolling his shoulders, the slight Omega plucked the phone from Shizuo's loose grasp and held it delicately to his ear. "Hello?" A second later the man jerked backwards and held his head, a tired look coming over his face. Even though he couldn't make out what Shinra was saying to Izaya, the blond could hear the doctor's shrill voice. It irritated him, but he stood still, unable to pull himself away.

"Yes Shinra," Izaya said into the phone dutifully, glancing up at Shizuo with soft eyes as he spoke. "I'm fine. I'd be better if you stopped yelling at me."

What the hell is he saying? Shizuo shifted nervously under Izaya's gaze. It wasn't like he was worried that Izaya would leave with Shinra but… Would he? Shinra had a nasty habit of being persuasive when he really wanted to be, how invested in Izaya's well being was he really? If he convinced Izaya to leave… well, Shizuo could stop the Omega by force, but he didn't dare. Not when so much that he didn't fully comprehend was riding on it.

Head tilted to the side like it was, Izaya's hair fell in his face. It stirred softly when he sighed and tangled his fingers in the hem of Shizuo's shirt. Finding himself completely at the whim of his Omega, the blond allowed himself to be pulled down to the mattress next to Izaya. Questioningly, Shizuo blinked at the tired man. The raven mouthed something he didn't catch, but he got the gist of it. Just as he'd found it stressful to be in the same room as Izaya when the man was distressed, the raven no doubt found Shizuo hovering by his elbow nerve wracking.

At least he's letting me stay in the same room. I probably should have done him the same courtesy. Nodding in response to the pointed look Izaya was giving him, Shizuo forced himself to settle down and sit still. Not an easy task, but he managed.

"I'm doing what I think is best Shinra," Izaya was saying into the phone, his eyes darting away from Shizuo as he stared straight ahead. There was a fair amount of strain in the raven's words, but the Alpha had no clue how to make it go away, apart from doing as Izaya had bid. "No, why are you even calling me?"

Shizuo resisted the urge to snort. Isn't that what we all want to know. Instead, he watched as Izaya rolled his eyes and muttered, "Well, if that's all then-"

He paused, brows furrowing. Shizuo was about to ask what was wrong when suddenly, a deep flush spread over the raven's face. Whatever Shinra was saying, it was clear it was upsetting Izaya. Shizuo didn't like how fucking irritable that made him, but he couldn't deny that he kind of wanted to crush the phone Izaya was holding like it was one of his cigarette butts.

"Because I'm in pain when I'm anywhere else!" Izaya snapped at Shinra, eyes blazing. "Shinra, you've said it yourself. I can't keep taking suppressants like I have been. Eventually, they'll stop working."

What the hell is that supposed to mean? Shizuo didn't like the anger in Izaya's eyes, the righteous indignation. It made him want to kill Shinra and he couldn't be thinking thoughts like that. I've got to calm down, it's just instincts.

"Maybe this is coping," Izaya hissed into the phone, expression darkening. Whatever Shinra said next however well and truly pissed him off. Gaze snapping upwards, Izaya clenched his fist around the phone and drew in several quick breaths, like he was just barely holding himself back. If he was trying to hide his fury, he was doing it very poorly.

And then, unexpectedly, Izaya took a deep breath and leaned back against Shizuo, relaxing into him like it was the most natural thing to do. It was amazing, watching the stress and anger seep from the raven like water rolling off a leaf. Head fitting perfectly against the blonde's collarbone, Izaya closed his eyes and let go, somehow calming Shizuo down in the process. The Alpha could hardly breath, so nervous was he about shattering whatever this show of trust was.

Gently, Izaya insisted to Shinra, "I'll be fine Shinra." He sighed. "He's just an A-"

He stopped again and his eyes narrowed. Shizuo was almost glad for that. He didn't want to hear how he was just another Alpha and really wasn't important at all. It didn't matter if he knew it was true, it still hurt.

"What have I told you about running tests on me?" Izaya hissed into the phone, voice hardly more than a breath. It would have been scary, except his weight was currently all resting on Shizuo's chest. It did irritate Shizuo a bit, but with the raven's pheromones seeping into his skin, he was finding himself less inclined to care about a voice over the phone.

"Ah, but nothing has happened. Stop being ridiculous Shinra. Goodbye."

He felt a bit more inclined however when Izaya's expression morphed into something approaching fear. Very slowly, the phone slipped from Izaya's fingers and landed in his lap. Taking a shuddering breath, Izaya swallowed hard and closed his eyes once more, just sitting there, silent.

"Izaya," Shizuo muttered against the raven's hair. "Is everything okay?" He didn't like it, didn't like how worried Izaya seemed as he tried for a smile and failed spectacularly.

With a dry laugh that sounded dead, Izaya shook his head and unexpectedly said, "You know what, food sounds excellent!" Looking down at Izaya in surprise, Shizuo tilted his head when Izaya continued, "Why don't you go make lunch?"

For a second, Shizuo wanted to question him, get whatever Shinra had said out of him, but a moment later he thought better of it. "Yeah, sure." Shaking his head to clear it, Shizuo shifted on the bed, displacing Izaya as he got to his feet. "Do you want to stay here and sleep or…" Trailing off, Shizuo waited for his Omega to show an emotion other than feigned cheerfulness.

Plucking the phone off his lap and tossing it lamely back towards his clothing, Izaya gave a small shrug and said, "I think I've gotten quite enough sleep for now." It was apparent he was still tired, but Shizuo wasn't inclined to argue with the stubborn set of Izaya's jaw. "I can just sit at the table or something."

Offering a small shrug, Shizuo said, "If that's what you want, sure." He wanted to insist that Izaya sleep, but instead, he reached down and lifted Izaya up easily. It had already gotten routine, which would have been funny if Shizuo was in any other frame of mind. Izaya's head tucked under his chin as the tired Raven clutched at Shizuo's shirt absently, like his mind was elsewhere.

Once again, Shizuo wondered about what Shinra had said to Izaya. Whatever it had been clearly had stressed him out but he wasn't demanding to leave, he wasn't shaking or crying, if it was something bad, he'd say so, right? Then again, this was Izaya, the damned Flea was stubborn at the best of times.

These weren't the best of times, these were possibly the worst. They just seemed to be currently existing within a silver lining.

"Shizu-chan," Izaya muttered softly. "You can put me down now." Staring down blankly at his kitchen table, Shizuo forced himself back into the present and carefully put Izaya down. The moment he was in control of his own movement, Izaya curled up tightly, drawing his knees to his chin and wrapping his arms around them.

Turning, Shizuo busied himself with finding some food. The air had darkened significantly, almost like a fog had fallen over the pair of them. Shinra's call had neatly destroyed the easy dialogue they'd been able to maintain before. Frustrated, Shizuo jerked the carton of eggs out of his refrigerator and was unsurprised he'd cracked several.

"So," he muttered, reaching for a pan mindlessly as he focused on the soft sounds of Izaya breathing behind him. "What did that crazy doctor say to you?" The moment he said it, the air tensed, as if he'd struck a nerve.

"Nothing important," Izaya hummed, voice flat, distant. Shizuo might not have spent much time with Izaya like this, quiet and domestic instead of angry and volatile, but he knew the Raven was lost to his own thoughts. That or he just didn't want to talk about the call.

But Shizuo was nothing if not persistent. "Shinra sure said a whole lot of shit to me," he snorted, irritated as a damaged egg dripped over his fingers. "And he wasn't nice about it either." Izaya shifted, and Shizuo knew that he'd finally gotten the man's attention.

"What did he say to you?" The Omega sounded fearful and Shizuo's heart twisted at the thought. "Because y-you know Shinra." There was a slight laugh, almost like he was trying to hide something but wasn't in any condition to do so. "He says a lot of things and they're often hit or miss in my experience."

What exactly is he afraid of? "He told me that you'd be better off with him than with me," Shizuo volunteered, turning on one of the burners on his tiny stove. It flickered a few times before deigning to leap to life. "Said he wanted to take you to his clinic while you're in heat or some shit."

Izaya didn't even pretend he wasn't apprehensive. "What did you say to him?" Shizuo turned to look at his Omega, took a moment to register the fear in his eyes, the terror of leaving Shizuo after all the energy he'd spent trying to get away the day before. Though he hated the idea of Izaya suffering in any way, Shizuo couldn't deny that he'd needed that, seeing Izaya's desire to stay plainly on his face.

Fuck, it's just instincts, I'm losing it.

But he wasn't sure if it was just instincts on his end.

Flipping back to the eggs that had started to sizzle, Shizuo bluntly said, "I told him to get fucked. You're not leaving just because Shinra's nervous about some stupid shit." There was a sigh of relief from Izaya, one that relaxed some of the stranglehold around Shizuo's lungs. "He kept saying that something bad was going to happen but he's full of shit. I don't believe him."

"Something bad might happen," Izaya muttered, tone furtive. "But I- I trust you."

Just a few simple words, but they meant everything.

To keep himself from making a fool of himself, Shizuo went back to stirring the eggs with a fork. "You should trust yourself as well Flea," he said gruffly, the name sounding more like a term of endearment than of insult. "Just because you made a mistake doesn't mean you don't know what you're doing."

"If only that were true," Izaya sounded so rueful, it prompted Shizuo to glance over at him again. The man had already drifted off, lost in a world of possibilities that were no doubt terrifying to him.

"Izaya," Shizuo said, tone serious. "What did Shirna say to you?"

Looking up at Shizuo, he shook his head mutely, that look of fear reentering his eyes. With a sigh, Shizuo turned the stove off and reached for a plate. "He said something to you, I can tell. I might not be the brightest, but I know you. You're scared, why?"

Staring at the eggs Shizuo put in front of him, Izaya's mouth twisted into a determined line. "Can't we just eat Shizu-chan?" he asked, fidgeting. "I don't really want to talk about it. It's not important anyway."

"It is to you." Sitting across from him, Shizuo just watched Izaya, not a trace of judgement in his eyes. How could he look at him otherwise? All he wanted was for Izaya to be okay and if Shinra had said something that made this impossible, the blond wanted to know. "Izaya," he started, glancing at the ceiling for a moment, wondering why his emotions were going crazy, why it didn't feel like instincts anymore. "I'm not going to throw you out, I'm not going to hurt you. Whatever Shinra said isn't going to change that."

Izaya looked away, scared. "You're just acting on instincts Shizu-chan, I know that. It's not as if-"

"Damnit Izaya," Shizuo snapped, startling the Omega. "I'm trying to say I fucking care what happens to you. That isn't just instincts, okay? I'd feel this way regardless." The words took even him by surprise but the moment they were out, Shizuo knew they were true. "You're important okay, stop pretending you aren't."

Izaya's mouth twisted slightly, and Shizuo knew without the man saying a word that Izaya didn't understand. Couldn't possibly because he was being controlled by instincts and he knew it. Probably thought Shizuo was just the same. I'm not, I promise, I'm not.

I just want what's best for him. Forget soulmates, forget all this shit about instincts and heats and ruts, I just want Izaya to be okay.

And the words felt right, Shizuo didn't bother stressing over them, he just knew they were the facts.

"Shinra said a lot of things," Izaya mumbled, and Shizuo knew in that moment that some of those things he would never get out of the man, no matter what he did or said. "He intimated that he wanted me to leave, might as well have said that he didn't trust either of us, but me in particular. Said I was being stupid."

Snorting, Izaya gave a bitter laugh as he picked up the fork Shizuo had brought him and twisted it mindlessly. "He's probably right. He has a nasty habit of that."

"That's not what you're scared of," Shizuo prodded, wondering how far Izaya would let him get before he shut him down again. "He asked about my rut and your heat but he never said why. What did he tell you?"

Izaya set the fork down with a snap. "He told me that being around you when you're in rut and I'm in heat prolongs both of our cycles because we're soulmates." Biting his lip, Izaya looked away, more fear oozing off of him. "He said we could be stuck like this for upwards of three more days."

A puzzled expression took over Shizuo's face. "So?" Is that really it? he wondered, a little taken aback. I'd have thought it would be fucking terrible.

"I'm saying you'll have to put up with me for a lot longer than we'd originally anticipated," Izaya snapped, glaring at Shizuo even though his lower lip trembled. "You- You don't want me here for three more days, unable to move or do anything for myself. I- I can barely stand, much less walk around! I'm useless and just being a burden. Plus, your rut isn't going to stop for another few days if I'm around. If I leave-"

"But you're not going to leave," Shizuo said firmly, his gaze soft and kind in the face of Izaya's panic.

"Don't you get it?" Izaya bit out frustratedly. "I'm just making things difficult for you. If I'm at Shinra's or at my house then-"

"Do you want to leave?" Shizuo interrupted again, reaching over his small kitchen table absently to brush Izaya's displaced bangs out of his eyes. Unwillingly, or perhaps without realizing it, the Omega leaned into the touch.

"No," Izaya said softly. "But then I'm not thinking clearly, ne?"

"Izaya, you can stay here as long as you need to," Shizuo said clearly, marveling at the way Izaya's eyes brightened with hope that he held back so firmly. "When I asked you to stay here, I didn't put limitations on it. Until your heat is over is what I said. I'm not going to fucking throw you out just because Shinra said some shit. You said you trust me, trust me on this."

"You sound ridiculous," Izaya mumbled as Shizuo pulled his hand back. Eyes still unable to focus on anything for a long period of time, the Raven picked at his food, trying a bit and looking mildly surprised that it didn't kill him. "I never gave you permission to say things like that Shizu-chan."

"Tough," he grunted, watching Izaya intently. "It needed to be said."

And there, on the Omega's face, a tiny smile blossomed, the first since Shinra's phone call. The first true smile Shizuo had seen in what felt like ages. "Thank you," Izaya whispered, almost as if he wasn't sure if he wanted to be heard. "I- Thank you Shizu-chan."

Shizuo would have been a fool if he didn't notice the warmth that spread through him, the feeling of elation and rightness.

Is it really? He wondered as he watched Izaya eat in earnest, hungrier than he'd let on earlier. Is it allowed to be? Do I even know for sure?

But he did, and Shizuo realized in that moment the reason why he'd do anything for Izaya, just to see him smile.

Heh, I suppose it really is.

Shit…

A/N: HAH! IT'S DONE!

MY WRITER'S BLOCK IS GONE! TAKE THAT WRITER'S BLOCK! I AM UNBEATABLE!

But in other news, yes, we'll be back to regular updates, I'm very sorry for this break. I swear, contrary to my first author's note, I learned my lesson guys.

Who can guess what Shizuo just realized?