Chapter 19

Watchdog

"Celty, is everything ok?"

The smoke filtering from her neck puffed indignantly as she turned away from the three children asleep in their spare room, "Something isn't right."

"Well, after what happened yesterday..."

Her shoulders slumped, "I know. I'm worried about Nai. There's no way she's handling this well."

"I'm sure Shizuo will help help her through it."

Celty let the doctor think about his comment, "I just feel something. And whatever it is its bad."

Shinra followed her into the kitchen and poured his morning coffee, "I wish I could help Celty."

She grabbed some scraps of paper, "You can."

"Really?"

"Yes. Im feeding four people now. Go to the store and get this stuff." she handed him another list, "Then get this stuff and take it to Shizuo."

He pouted, "But Celty! We have a house full of children now I want to savor this moment!"

"This is serious Shinra." She cut him off.

His pout continued and as he read over the second list. Then his face turned a burning red, "Celty these are girly things!"

"Nai texted me the things she needs and her clothing sizes."

"Why can't Shizuo get it?" The Dullahan didn't pick up her phone to argue back. She just started about the kitchen grabbing what they had for breakfast. She turned to him and took a step forward, "I'm going! I'm going!"

The smoke puffed again as she 'sighed' and she went back to making breakfast for the teens. The following events would be bad. Nai would have to protect her territory eventually and when she did more people would die. She might die.

It was a sad thought. But being Yakuza did shorten your life expectancy.

"Move."

"No."

"Damnit Shizuo, I said move!"

"You're not going anywhere!"

Nai tried to move past him but Shizuo grabbed her arm and held on tight. "I need to get to my house."

"You're staying here."

She stopped trying to tug free and turned to him the best she could while still in his grip, "I am going to ask you nicely to let me go."

"Or what?"

"Shizuo... I just wish you would let me handle what's happening."

"You aren't handling what's happening. I'm pretty sure with everything that happened to you yesterday you should be crying or something."

"I did cry."

Shizuo huffed and let her go. Brushing past her to get to his couch, "Whatever. Go."

"Shizuo I-"

"No." He cut her off, "You can't honestly believe that going to your home and playing gangster will make any of this better!"

"No one is playing Shizuo! This isn't a game! This is my life! This is what's happening to me for real!" She moved into his field of view, "You said you got me, that you got this. You lied. You think that who I am should have died with my uncle."

The blonde stood, "I didn't say that."

Nai challenged his height, "You didn't have to."

They stared at each other for a while. Shizuo reached out and wrapped the woman in his arms, "I don't know how to handle who you are." He mumbled into her hair.

That hurt. It really did. Like a gunshot to the gut, hearing him admit this was crippling. Nai hesitated in reaching up to hold him back and put her hands back at her sides and clenched her fists. "Why not tell me this before?"

"Before what?"

She pushed out of his embrace, "Before we kissed like we did?"

"I like you, a lot. I just don't like violence."

She shook her head, almost in a disappointed manner and ran a hand through her hair, "That makes no sense."

"It makes perfect sense." He growled.

"No it doesn't! I can see it on your face now; you are about to snap!" She paced a bit, "So what are we going to break today huh? This coffee table? Or maybe you'll go outside and rip up a pole, take a few swings at me with that! YOU. ARE. VIOLENT!" She huffed at her loss of breath, "You are just as violent as I am..."

"I know that." His tension had yet to die and he balled his fists tight as he watched her watching him. But at this moment it was no longer anger he was feeling. It was worry from the beginning. He did know her now. He knew that she would die in order to get back her family. She would dive in head first and probably fall for another trap.

"I can't hide here forever and if you can't handle me just let me go."

"No."

"Damnit Shizuo you are so dense!"

"I have to protect you!" He crossed the little apartment in just a few strides with his long legs and grabbed her again. One hand on her arm, the other fiercely gripping her hair. She winced but he didn't let up, "You will die if you go out that door! I understand the importance of this. I understand that he was your uncle and that other guy was your friend. But you need a minute to just stop."

Her eyes brimmed with tears, "I can't."

"Yes you can! You can cry like a real person instead of in your car alone."

The tears stained her cheeks, "I'm not weak..."

"No one said that you are."

A knock on the door made Shizuo sigh and mutter, "Damn, what now?" He untangled his hand from her hair and walked to the door while the woman fell to the couch.

Shinra's grinning face fell as he entered into the apartment without a welcome as the door opened, "Is this a bad time?"

"How is she?"

Shizuo lit a cigarette as the shower started, "A mess. She tried to leave earlier."

"She'll be killed!"

"Yup."

"This is crazy Shizuo, but we won't be able to keep her here for long. The families will eventually figure out where she is."

He rose a brow, "how?"

"How else? Izaya will tell them once he gets bored."

"That damn flea!" With a crash Shizuo brought his fist the coffee table which cracked easily in half.

The bathroom door flew open and Nai dripped water into the small living area as she clutched her towel with one hand and her cocked gun in the other, "What happened?!"

"Sorry." The blonde grumbled, still irritated.

Shinra's hands flew to his pink face, covering his eyes as the bodyguard approached the gangster. Shizuo took the gun from the woman and rubbed her wet shoulder, "Finish your shower, I'm fine."

"...alright."

Shinra waited until the bathroom door closed to ask, "You really okay Shizuo?"

"Of course not. I'll crush that damn flea for this. He's done some horrible things but this time...he's gotten people killed! I'll kill him, I swear I will."

"You and Nai are a lot alike."

"I know." the blonde pinched the bridge of his nose, "How's the brat?"

"Masaomi? It's only been a night and he was still sleeping when I left. But all of the children are fine. Maybe a little scared."

"Scared huh?" That seemed impossible with what the bodyguard knew about them.

The doctor picked up the tea he'd been offered earlier while Shizuo slurped a beer. "I won't stay long." He finally said, "Celty just wanted me to bring these things. But I am worried. We don't know what her father will do."

"Kill her. What else can he do?"

"Do you really think he'd kill his own daughter?"

Shizuo's expression was pained and concerned, "He killed his own brother didn't he?"

"We don't know that for sure."

"Nai does."

After a few more moments of silence Shinra stood up and walked to the door, "I have to go. Please keep her safe Shizuo."

"I'll try." He watched his friend walk down the street a ways before he turned back inside. Heading for the bathroom as the shower stopped. He was able to stand in the doorway for quite a few minutes as she tucked her towel and pulled up her dripping hair. There would be only so much he could do for her. She was stubborn, a quality he sort of liked. He reached out and touched her back she started but was stopped by the blonde's lips.

She didn't fight back. Arms wrapped around his neck and his large hands pressed her as close as possible. One of those hands even wandered to the bottom of her towel, grabbing her naked bottom, and if Shizuo didn't damn near melt into the sound she made.

"You could have just showered with me." Nai spoke in his ear as he kissed her neck and she fisted his now damp t-shirt.

"I'm sorry." He stopped to put his forehead on her shoulder.

She giggled, "For not showering with me?"

"No, stupid."

It was a sight. Two of the hardest people in Bukuro completely soft with each other. Shizuo held her like the most precious thing, like he might break her, while Nai bit her silver tongue and spoke softly to and about him. But when they shared their fire with each other, it was just as beautiful.

"What next?"

Nai pulled his shirt over his head as she straddled his lap. Now back in his room on the rickety, unmade, futon. "I don't think now is the time for a conversation Heiwajima."

Holding a conversation as these events progressed was getting harder and harder. Like something else... His grunt made her smirk down at him and her drying hair dripped cold on his chest every few seconds.

"Hm."

"I can stop. You seem a little detached."

He looked over at the wall, "I'm not sure what to do."

Her smirk became a soft smile, "You won't hurt me."

"You can't guarantee that."

"What if I said I want you to hurt me."

The blonde blushed fiercely and fisted his tousled sheets. "Don't say that."

"I want to feel Shizuo. I need to feel before I do this, feel something other than fear and anxiety. I want to feel you before I go out there and risk everything."

He moved his hands from the sheets to her thighs, still red in the face, but made eye contact and nodded, "Fine."

"This is much better than my other plan!" Izaya pranced around his condo with the reliquary in his hands. Celty's head sloshed along in the tank until he flopped into the couch and hugged it.

"You do realize they'll kill her don't you?"

"Nai-kun won't die that easily."

"It's cute how you overestimate her." Namie gathered her things and started packing them, "You've pushed her since she arrived. Her mental state is probably in pieces by now."

"That makes it more fun."

The woman scoffed, "So when she dies, and she will, what will you do?"

Izaya glared at the head in his lap as the door slammed closed, "She's not going to die!" His playthings were tough. Nai and Shizuo both could be pushed to their limits and never break. Never.

"She's fine. I've prepped her to be my general for my war." He spoke to the head, "And when you wake to take me to Valhalla, I'll consider bringing her along."