Tensions running high
They were under the same roof but worlds apart. Shizuo confined himself to the bathroom moving to the kitchen only when he was hungry or when one of the others needed to shower or use the toilet. Mikado was confined to the bedroom. The handcuffs had been removed replaced with a much longer one that whilst still kept him chained to the bed, gave him freedom to walk the perimeter of the room. Izaya was the one in control tasked in the responsibility of watching over the troubled teen. He stayed in the study working over the cases Shiki wanted finished. Frequently he would check on the teen and occasionally catch Shizuo leaving the bathroom or the kitchen.
The gun was locked away- or rather the pieces of the weapon were locked away after the blonde had broken the mechanism. Shizuo as expected didn't want to talk. Once Shiki was taken care of he would leave, Izaya knew it. Not that he would let him. It was just a case of fixing what was broken.
The first step was communication. That was the reason for Izaya knocking on the bathroom door for the umpteenth time that morning. It was barely 11 o'clock.
Shizuo opened the door grumbling about his weak bladder before striding past him into the kitchen. Izaya watched him go noticing his ex was slower. Whether he was aware or not, one hand pressed against his covered wound.
The door slammed shut and that was all he would see until the next time he knocked. Stepping inside Izaya glanced at the bloodied bandages piled in the corner by the small bin. Next to them was an empty box of pain killers. Izaya picked them up to double check. It had been a new box last night.
Clenching the box in one hand he came to the conclusion that the blonde had overdosed. There was water in the bath tinted pink. Izaya grit his teeth at the bloody hand print on the edge of the bath. "Shizu-chan!"
At the kitchen he threw open the door seeing the fortissimo with a sandwich in hand. Izaya stood in the doorway holding out the box. "How many of these have you taken?"
"You've finished with the bathroom?" Shizuo leaned against the counter taking a bite of the sandwich.
"Answer the question." Izaya demanded.
"Why?"
"What?" Izaya faltered seeing his ex didn't care.
Why do I have to answer to you?" Shizuo elaborated. "I'm here to take down the yakuza. Call me when you need my strength until then what I do is my business."
"Your strength? You hate violence. You do everything to avoid it."
"Do I?" Izaya tossed the box in the bin taking a step forward. The rest of the sandwich joined it, Shizuo striding past. Lashing out he grabbed the brute's arm, letting go at the warning glare. Izaya shuddered hearing the bathroom door slam.
Mikado was much better company. The teen didn't argue with him or try to escape. He sat on the bed content with his situation. Izaya joined him on the bed.
"Your work for Shiki is done."
"Thank you."
"You've calmed down." Izaya noted studying the raven.
"There's a reason for that, Izaya-nii."
"Kanra. You always did like sleeping in."
"It helps when you're not drugged." Mikado murmured.
"So what's the plan?" Kanra asked. Izaya smiled pleased that he had no problem telling them apart. "Is it your turn to poison me?"
Izaya stared right back meeting the glare head on. "Why would I? I created you. It's only fair I take responsibility."
"...you're not going to try and get rid of Kanra?" Mikado asked looking doubtful.
"No. You can be whoever you want to be."
The teen slumped against him. Izaya risked touching him, one hand lightly on his shoulder. "Can I believe that's true?"
Izaya dropped a kiss on Mikado's forehead. "Yeah. You're perfect as you are."
"Ha. You're the only one that thinks so." Kanra scoffed quietly.
"Shizu-chan thought you needed help." Izaya sighed defending his ex. "He was trying to protect you."
"Kanra isn't harmful." Mikado whispered easing both arms around him. Izaya smiled ruffling the artificial hair.
"Prove it. That's the only way you'll convince the protozoan." Izaya paused. "Do you want to is the the question." The teen was silent but given what had happened it was expected. "It's almost lunchtime. Do you want anything to eat?"
The teen stiffened. So much for that. "You can make it yourself if you're still worried." Izaya soothed.
"When are you going to take off this chain?" Kanra asked making a show of lifting one foot.
"When I know your intentions."
"We're not going to run off to Shiki." Mikado backed up his counterpart.
"That's only one of them." Izaya shrugged. "It should be easier to deal with you one at a time."
x-x-x
Mikado knew Izaya wasn't talking about him and Kanra. As far as he could tell, the informant didn't care there were two of them. If it had been Izaya to know the truth first... His thumb smoothed over the surface of the ring. He couldn't part with it. "You mean Shizuo. Is his injury okay?"
"Probably."
The teen stiffened pulling away. Izaya's eyes were clouded with concern, his mouth set in a thin line.
"You haven't seen him?" Mikado asked in disbelief. There was no way Izaya would have left him alone.
"I've seen him." The older raven sighed. "I've seen the mess in the bathroom too. I stopped him leaving until we've taken down Shiki. He's confined himself to the bathroom. Typical protozoan."
"Then his injury?" Mikado pressed.
"The dressing is new. Shizu-chan must be in pain though." Izaya sighed his face looking pained. "Especially since he took too many painkillers."
"This is-"
"Shizu-chan always was his worst enemy." Izaya interrupted.
Mikado nodded. Shizuo was probably punishing himself for what he'd done to Kanra. Part of him felt bad about it. The small part under the avalanche of betrayal.
"Firstly you have to convince me." Izaya sighed standing again.
"What?"
"I'll let you out once you prove you aren't going to run off to Shiki." Kanra scoffed. "You won't try and kill Shizu-chan like you tried me."
Mikado stiffened eyes wide. "I wouldn't!"
Izaya merely gave him a look. He had pushed Izaya from the roof top. Just like he had stabbed Shizuo. Both could have been fatal. The first would have been premeditated murder. The second would have been manslaughter. Either way his soul had become rotten, shrouded in a darkness that clung to him.
Ikebukuro was its breeding ground. Hugging himself tightly the teen began to shake uncontrollably at the realisation. He was the monster. If he fell into Shiki's hands he knew he would sink deeper into the abyss. One that not even Kanra could pull him out of.
"Izaya-nii." Came a quiet whisper from his lips. "Help us."
"Of course. Shiki isn't touching what's mine."
Mikado smiled emptily failing to relinquish his hold.
x-x-x
Shizuo cursed grabbing a wad on tissue to staunch the bleeding. The waistband of his sweat pants had soaked up most of the blood. It wasn't bad. At least he didn't think it was bad. It didn't hurt any more. That could have something do with the amount he had taken.
A knock at the door made his head snap up. Izaya. Again. "Damn flea needs to see Shinra about his bladder." Shizuo cursed deciding to ignore the intrusion. His stitches had come undone again. Most likely the repercussion of having to do it himself after Izaya had torn Shinra's out.
"Shizu-chan. Open up." Izaya continued to pound on the door.
"Use a bottle or something." Shizuo snapped. "I'm busy."
"Doing what?" Came the response.
"What the fuck do you care? Piss off." Shizuo took a deep breath reaching for the lighter.
"Open this door! Now protozoan."
"I'm busy." Shizuo stroked the flint staring anxiously at the small flame. It would hurt. It would hurt more than the injury itself.
"Tough. You shouldn't have chosen the most inconvenient place to hide in."
Shizuo growled groaning as he felt liquid trickling over his knuckles. The lighter was a useless misshapen piece of metal. Grabbing a towel to cover himself, the blonde stormed over to the door ready to rip the thing from its hinges. Had he not remembered what it was there for.
Instead Shizuo controlled his breathing, calmly flicking the lock to one side. Grabbing the handle he opened it part way poking his head out. "What?" He grunted gruffly.
"I need to use the bathroom." Izaya said without a hint of desperation. The flea wasn't one to cross his legs and bounce up and down on the spot but still...
"Fine." Shizuo opened the door fully knowing Izaya wanted an altercation. The raven was always pushing his buttons and this was no different. Planting his body in front of the door he waited for Izaya to step aside. On the other side Izaya did the same.
They stared each other down. He could see Izaya's eyes flicking over him. "You're bleeding." Shizuo shrugged. It was dangerous having the flea so close. For a start he might end up with another bloody hole in his gut. "Have your stitches opened?"
"You mean the ones you ripped out?" Shizuo growled clinging to his anger. "For someone that can't throw a punch to save their life, you sure do have a violent streak."
"Maybe if a certain protozoan would do as he's told for once I wouldn't have to use such underhanded methods." Izaya retorted with a glower. "Let me see."
"Piss off." Shizuo hid a grimace seeing a few red blotches seeping through the towel.
"Shizu-chan." Izaya took a step forward. Shizuo stepped to the side making sure he was nowhere near those pain inflicting hands or that he could be pushed inside. "This is stupid. You're hurt."
Shizuo clenched his teeth. "What part of we have nothing to do with each other so you not understand?"
Izaya tossed him a lazy smirk poking him in the chest with a finger. Shizuo glared at it. "It's you that doesn't understand, Shizu-chan. You will eventually. If you'll excuse me I have to use the toilet. Or would you prefer to stay and watch? I know how much you love my dick."
"Go fuck yourself." Shizuo flushed slamming the door. With a sigh he slowly made his way to the kitchen. It was a pain in the ass going back and forth all the time.
The kitchen was occupied. Mikado stood at the counter making himself a drink. The blue eyed raven tensed. Great. One of them he could handle. Both of them would be difficult. Taking a step back, Shizuo left the kitchen. He didn't want to upset the kid. The good news was that the bedroom was now free and that was where he took sanctuary locking the door behind him. Now he wouldn't be called out all the time.
x-x-x
Mikado felt Shizuo behind him. It was impossible to miss the fortissimo's presence. He thought about saying something but wasn't sure what. His mouth refused to move. Izaya had told him his husband had locked himself away in the bathroom.
Kanra stirred in his mind not sure what to say either. No one said anything. Mikado slowly turned around already knowing Shizuo had gone without a word. Turning back, Mikado finished making his coffee and sandwich. Izaya had offered but Mikado simply didn't trust him. Things had changed. Emotions were jumbled and the trust had broken.
All three of them would fend for themselves. With a sigh the teen tossed the spoon in the sink carrying the mug in one hand and the plate in the other. "We've made the right choice." Kanra whispered.
Mikado nodded settling on the sofa. The bedroom door was closed. He had left it open. The bathroom door opened and out stepped Izaya. Mikado felt his heart quicken. Everything was so messed up.
"You want him to touch you." Kanra whispered.
"I-we can't trust him." Mikado murmured.
"Ah, there you are." Izaya smiled joining him. The informant didn't sit down. "Shizu-chan in the kitchen?"
"No." Mikado glared at the raven swiping half his sandwich.
"Locked in the bedroom then. At least he can rest properly now." Izaya took a bite sitting cross legged on the sofa. "Masaomi-kun." Mikado froze. Izaya took his coffee taking a sip. "Could be stronger. Your old friend woke up."
"He's not my friend." Mikado scowled snatching his coffee back. A few drops splashed over the edge onto his lap.
"He's not your enemy either. Not any more."
"Why?" Kanra asked suspiciously. "How much damage did we do?"
"Enough to put him in a coma but not enough to do any lasting damage. Masaomi-kun has given up. I imagine once he's recovered he'll leave Ikebukuro and you alone for good."
"Oh. It really is just Shiki then."
"Yeah. After that it's all over."
Mikado closed his eyes. If they could take down Shiki. Shizuo would leave and he would have to decide if that was what he really wanted.
x-x-x
The lock on the bedroom door was broken. Izaya had been the one to sabotage it. He had expected the blonde to take refuge in the bedroom. It meant the brute had comfort and proper medical supplies except for medication. Izaya had taken those locking them in the study.
He had spent the rest of the day with Mikado, the teen who had hated him with such ferocity. Things seemed to have calmed down now but with Kanra in the mix, it was hard to gauge the teen's emotions. What he did know was that the younger raven still wanted him. It was the way their skin kept touching for mere seconds. Mikado shivered blushing as he had always done. The damage wasn't irreparable.
Now that it was late at night, his efforts turned towards the blonde fast asleep on the bed. The only pills Izaya had left were sleeping pills. He had left two in box just in case the blonde felt tempted to take more than the recommended dosage.
Slamming the door back harshly, Izaya waited for the blonde to shoot up from the bed growling like an animal. When that didn't happen he knew for certain the pills had been taken.
Izaya sighed flicking the light switch. The medical kit was wide open spread across the floor. Watching where he stepped Izaya made his way over to the bed picking up the supplies as he went.
Standing over the bed, Izaya placed a hand on the blonde's forehead checking his temperature. Surprisingly it was normal. It wasn't decided if that was a good thing or not. He would have to confer with Shinra, loathe as he was to do so.
"What am I going to do with you?" Izaya asked the slumbering protozoan. Shizuo was wearing a pair of sweatpants hanging on his hips and a dark Jersey. Izaya gently lifted the jersey shaking his head at the haphazard bandages wrapped around the blonde's torso.
"Izaya-nii?" Kanra stepped into the room. "What are you doing?"
Izaya crooked a finger forward. "Help me sit him up."
The teen rushed forward to the other side of the bed. Together they pulled the jersey off. Mikado hissed seeing the blood sporting the bandage.
"Should we call Shinra?"
"No."
"But we're not doctors."
"I said no. Shizu-chan is our problem. We don't need to involve anyone else." Izaya grumbled tossing the jersey to the floor. His fingertips gently traced the scars of his name. Shizuo hadn't let them heal just like he had known.
"We tried to get him to stop scratching. Short of tearing off his fingernails there was nothing we could do." Mikado snapped his hand forward lifting the blonde's hand. "He's not wearing his ring."
"Oh." Izaya pulled the ring from his pocket tossing it to the teen. "Found it on the sink. Shizu-chan probably took it off to deal with his injury."
"Right." Mikado nodded squeezing the ring in his fist.
x-x-x
Mikado squeezed the ring. The symbol of his bond with Shizuo. His husband. The man who had betrayed him. He didn't like the thought of it being removed. Izaya wasn't looking at him. The informant was focused on Shizuo. The bandages had been pulled away, the dressing gently lifted. Mikado gasped at the wound beneath. There was a hole that seemed to have grown bigger. The edges were red and angry, surgical thread loosely holding the edges of the wound together.
"I thought as much." Izaya sighed bending to the floor. He lifted a paid of scissors and a small reel of thread before bending once again to pick up some latex gloves. "It's as if he didn't care."
Mikado nodded looking away from the wound. He had caused it. The gun should never have been in his hand. He heard each of the packages torn open, the snap of gloves and squelching. For a moment he looked seeing the gloves coated red. Blanching he turned completely not yet wanting to leave the room.
"Mikado. Go and get a damp cloth."
Mikado slipped from the bed doing as he was told. On the floor were small pieces of cotton wool covered in blood and a pair of ripped gloves. Izaya had on a second pair delicately holding a needle and thread.
Mikado gulped seeing Izaya's hands shaking. They should've called Shinra. He didn't understand Izaya's sudden need to be alone just the three of them.
"Yes you do." Kanra whispered. "You were the same."
"That was different. Shizuo wasn't hurt."
"Mikado." Izaya looked up. Mikado handed the clothes over. The first was folded in half placed across the blonde's forehead. The second was used to clean the area of the wound. "I need you to hold the skin together."
Mikado grabbed a pair of gloves climbing onto the bed. Gently he placed his hands either side. Izaya nodded his hands becoming sturdy as he made the first stitch. Mikado chose to watch Izaya rather than the wound being stitched.
The informant looked nervous, eyes narrowed on the task at hand. His mouth was set in a thin line, a bead of sweat rolling down his hairline. "You love him." Mikado murmured.
"Yeah." Izaya answered concentrating too hard to make a joke or sugar coat his words.
"D-do you love me?" Mikado whispered.
"Yeah. Keep your fingers still."
"What about me? His counterpart threw in.
"Yes, you too Kanra."
Kanra smiled. Mikado sighed once again being told about his fingers. At last he was allowed to let go. Another package was torn open.
Looking down again he watched a small square pad gently being eased over the stitched wound. Izaya was lovingly tending to the fortissimo. Mikado found himself squeezing the ring.
"Help me sit him up." Izaya instructed. Mikado nodded slipping an arm underneath Shizuo's shoulder blades. His forearm brushed against Izaya who slid his arm in the other way.
Together they gently eased Shizuo up, the teen propping him up whilst Izaya tore open another package and began wrapping bandages around the blonde's midsection. The wet cloth flopped down, Mikado noticed the wetness across Shizuo's forehead wasn't because of the cloth. With a small gasp he pressed the back of his hand to the overly warm wetness.
"Izaya."
"I expected as much." The informant grumbled shaking his head. Izaya finished wrapping the bandages tucking the last piece in nearly. "Watch over him. I'll see if there's anything we can use."
Mikado watched Izaya leave the room steps hurried. Opening his palm he stared down at the ring. His own glittered. It felt wrong.
"What do you want to do?" Kanra asked quietly.
Mikado closed his fist. "I don't know. Shizuo tried to get rid of you. Before that he-"
"What do you want to do right now?" Kanra interrupted. "What's bothering you? How can you fix it?"
With a sigh his hand opened. Reaching over he grabbed Shizuo's hand slipping the ring onto his finger.
x-x-x
Izaya rummaged through the medication he had confiscated. Reading each label he tossed them to one side wondering why Shinra had packed in anti-sickness tablets and laxatives. He threw them a little harder than necessary.
The protozoan was in no fit state to do anything until his fever broke. "Typical Shizu-chan." He might as well have overdosed on sleeping pills. He was useless in his current state but at least he couldn't leave. Izaya breathed a small sigh knowing it was his fault since he had been the one to rip out the stitches in the first place. Snatching up the painkillers and more sleeping pills Izaya returned to the bedroom.
Mikado hadn't moved from his ordered vigil. That fact gave him hope that things weren't hopeless. He himself had no intention of leaving either one again. Things would be awkward if the two of them didn't want to be together.
Izaya was glad to see the ring was back on the blonde's finger. Mikado still saw ownership. It was a start. Izaya checked over his work, making sure the cloth was still damp. Mikado watched him warily twitching each time he made a movement. Izaya tossed him a small smile moving to the other side of the bed. The teen froze.
"Move over. We should get some sleep."
The teen flushed a deep red. "I- I'll sleep on the sofa."
Izaya caught him around the waist before he scrambled from the bed. "Stay. Please." He added seeing the teen's indecision. "I need to know you're safe." That both of them were safe.
Mikado was tense against him but lay against his chest turned away from the feverish blonde. Izaya circled his arms feeling Mikado jump at the touch. Humming softly Izaya played with the teen's hair. His fingertips danced in small patterns slowly skimming the teen's hairline. Gently he changed to a series of small smoothing sweeps brushing against his forehead.
Mikado's eyes were clenched tightly shut, his breathing laboured. Izaya felt the shudder when he stroked the teen's cheek. A sharp intake of breath and he thought mikado would bolt for the door.
"Izaya."
"Hm?" Izaya murmured keeping his touches light. His fingertips gently circled a soft jaw.
"Don't."
"Hm?" Izaya paused waiting for the teen to elaborate.
"Please. Don't touch me. N-not like that."
Izaya nodded carefully shuffling into the middle of the bed closer to the blonde. Mikado rolled off of him staying at the edge of the bed with his back turned to both of them. Izaya lay flat on his back listening to the pair's breathing. He didn't get any sleep that night. Mikado lay on his left and Shizuo on his right. Neither one wanted anything to do with him. It was suffocating. Closing his eyes he vowed to fix things.