Chapter 9

Two By Two

A/N: Every animal was then paired up two by two...

"I see you hanging out with Shizuo a lot. Izaya too..." Kyohei took a breath as he parted from the kiss.

"C'mon, I'm with Shinra just as much as those two." Nai tried to tug him closer and continue their kiss, "Izaya stalks me and Shizuo...well..."

"He your boyfriend?"

Nai blushed and quit tugging his belt loops, "No! No... He's a good friend."

"You sure?"

The girl eyed Kyohei, "Why wouldn't I be?"

He shrugged and moved closer to her, "Whatever. I just wanted to make sure I wouldn't get crushed, stabbed, or experimented on for this."

Nai bit her lip, smirking, "They'll have to go through me."

Shinra's face was lit up pink, "Why are we watching this? Shizuo she'll totally shoot us in the head!"

The blonde shoved his hands deep in his pockets and he turned back down the hall, away from the kissing teens and away from Shinra. "We're leaving."

The genius sprinted after him, "Then why watch them in the first place? Do you like Nai-chan?"

"No. No I don't."

"Look at that car!"

"Maybe it's a special agent!"

"Totally here to find some wanted criminal."

"Yeah. He escaped from the states and came here to Ikebukuro, hoping to hide among the dark streets and secret past of the city."

Kadota rolled his eyes at the two, "Why would a special agent be parked outside the bakery?"

Walker shrugged, "Coffee break?"

"Maybe he has a sweet tooth. Nothing wrong with that." Erica chipped in.

Inside the van Saburo turned down the radio, "It's probably just Yakuza or something."

Kadota narrowed his gaze on the dark car, "They have been pretty busy lately." He thought about the three shootings almost a month ago and the shooting of Izumii two days ago. Only the Yakuza shot people execution style and blew out their kneecaps.

It was straight out of the movies.

"If you ask me that bastard Izumii got what he deserved. Somebody filled the Yakuza in on what he did to that girl."

It seemed like Saburo could read his mind.

"I guess." Kadota started, "If you ask me, they had no business with him."

It went silent, well mostly silent. Walker and Erica went on chatting about nonsense and Saburo turned the radio back up. It was morning so they would sit around until the afternoon hours then drive aimlessly. It was the usual routine.

But then he saw her. She was tall, but not abnormally tall for a girl. Her wavy hair was tied up messily with a blue ribbon matching the color of her sweater, which hung off her tanned shoulder. She was holding a cup carrier and a pink paper bag from the bakery. She smiled as she approached the car and passed the cups through the open car window.

"Nai?"

Kadota started at a run across the street, not minding the cars and the fact that the woman was now watching him with shocked eyes. He stood before her panting and she smiled, "Hey Kyohei."

"H-how long have you been home?"

Nai blushed, "About a month and a half. I'm sorry I didn't...I'm sorry you're the last to know."

He reached out for her but took his hand back, "I don't care. I'm just...I'm glad you're home."

The silence was awkward as all both of them could think about was the last time they saw each other.

"Well we did it." Kyohei put an arm around his girlfriend.

"...yeah."

"C'mon Nai, we just graduated. What are you gonna do?" He moved to face her, still grinning and wearing his cap.

"I'm leaving for America."

"What?" She didn't say anything else so he lifted her chin and stepped closer to her, "Nai. When are you leaving?"

Tears streamed down her face, "...hour... My plane leaves in an hour."

"Nai let's go!"

She jumped lightly as her father shouted from the black car behind her at the gate. Kyohei lent down and kissed her. He tasted her tears and sugar, also the cigarettes she had started smoking at the beginning of the semester.

"Nai!"

"I'm coming!" she shouted then muttered under her breath, "Fuck...we have to break up Kyohei. I'm sorry."

He watched her run to the car, her graduation cap fell off and she didn't stop to pick it up.

"Nai I'm gonna be late! Let's gooooooooo!"

Both young adults turned to the car and Nai grinned at the boy who clearly climbed across the seats in the car to hang out of the driver window. "Yeah yeah Masaomi." She then panicked, "Are your feet on my seat!"

The boy giggled and disappeared back into the car. He popped out a moment later and waved, "Hey Kadota!"

"Hey Kida."

"That little brat." Nai mumbled.

"Why is he in your car? Wait-Is this your car?"

The woman stepped closer to him, putting a hand on his arm, "We need to catch up. Meet me in the park after I drop him off at school?"

"Sure."

He watched her drive away. That car making a clean purring sound as she rounded a corner, headed towards Raira.

"Did that just happen?"

"I didn't think you'd show."

Nai smirked at her high school sweetheart. "Well, that little snot decided to play it up around my car when we got to the school. He's a regular mister popular."

"Remind you of someone?"

She punched his arm, "I was not that bad. Just because you were all shy..."

He blushed and she stepped closer to him, putting her hand on his upper arm and sliding it up to his shoulder, "It was cute though."

Kadota knew a hint when he was being given one and pulled her close. Enclosing his arm around her waist and connecting their lips. It had been a while, five years but she tasted the same. Just like sweets and cigarettes. He didn't expect anything from her or from this. Their time was five years ago while they were in school. They were blind to the world then... for the most part. But it was nice to see her again, kiss her just because, and kiss her just to remember how it felt.

"Thank you."

Nai blushed, "Why are you thanking me for being forward?" she laughed nervously.

"I just missed you is all. It was nice to kiss you again."

"Kyohei stop being so mushy."

They laughed together for a while. Kyohei talked about what had happened in the city and she listened earnestly. "Kida was very strong." He said at the end of his Yellow Scarves explanation.

"I wish I was here. And not just for Masaomi. I missed a lot of shit."

"It's not over. Something is always happening in Bukuro."

Nai sighed, "About that..."

"What?"

"Don't act like you haven't seen the news."

Kadota eyed her for a moment, "Did your family go after Izumii?"

"I did personally." She answered without hesitation, "I needed to make an example of him. Besides, he fucked with Masaomi, it gave me a bit of drive."

"Will he be able to walk again?"

She smirked, "I shot above his knees. If I had actually blown out his knees he'd be a paraplegic, he's fine."

"I had no idea you and Masaomi were connected."

Nai laughed, that kid was the highlight of her mornings during her senior year. "He tried to join Yakuza at a point. I'm guessing he had just arrived in Tokyo and needed money or whatever." She shrugged, "I let him walk me half way to school practically everyday. I told him to be part of his own thing...didn't think he'd create a gang."

"I don't think he meant to."

They looked at each other and she nodded. She didn't think so either, he didn't seem like that kind of kid, but even just listening to Kadota's story, he was a fierce leader, she felt sort of proud.

"Anyway, I'm sure your crew is missing you."

"I guess. See you around?"

"You know it."

He walked out of the park and she started to get up, but then she sat again. It was a nice day; she was in street clothes to blend in. Maybe relaxing in the park for a little would do her mind some good.

"Hey."

Nai looked up from her phone and smiled at Shizuo, "Hey."

"Why are you sitting here alone?"

She smirked, "Maybe I was waiting for you?"

The blond blushed and scoffed, "Whatever."

"Shizuo, were you jealous of Kyohei when we were in school?"

"Where the hell did you get that!" he growled at her and she frowned. The blond shoved his hands in his pockets then sat next to her, "No."

"Liar."

He said nothing. It was fitting considering her question. You see, Shizuo had the habit of liking any girl who claimed to not be afraid of him. It was how he lost his virginity and how he got his first kiss. By opening up to any girl who didn't flinch when his strength showed.

Nai hadn't been the first, but she was definitely the one he never forgot. She sat next to him in class, laughed when he chucked his desk for the first time in high school, and she had protected him during his fight with Izaya. She then continued to protect him, even going after the girl who broke his heart by kissing someone else at Junior Prom.

She was different.

She liked someone else.

He got over it.

Right?

"Shi-chan?"

"What?"

"Some things are going to happen soon in the city ok?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Just be careful when you go out with Tom ok? I mean more careful than usual. I get the feeling your usual client list is about to get longer and a lot more desperate."

He furrowed his brows, "If you say so."

"I do say so." She smirked and smacked his knee playfully as she stood, "Promise to call me if anything goes wrong ok?"

Shizuo blushed again, "I can take care of myself."

"I know. But that won't stop me."

He watched her walk to her car.

Tom came over, "Alright man I'm done, we can go. Was that Nai?"

"Yeah."

He whistled, "That girl really is a looker. Lucky you." He patted the blonde on the shoulder, "Let's go."

Shizuo kept his hands deep in his pockets as he followed behind the man. Yeah right, lucky him.

A/N: Not enough Shizuo/Nai. Sorry. I couldn't leave Kadota out I mean c'mon, they did date for two years. This was just a fluffy chapter. More action, violence, and eventual love-making to ensue.