Time of death
Izaya didn't believe in fate or destiny but right at that moment he was given a choice. One of his old lovers was standing at their getaway route. The other was running back through the station terrified he would be abandoned. It wasn't a choice whether to leave Mikado alone or not. The problem was the blonde. Izaya glanced back at him. If he told the brute to go then Shizuo would be out of Ikebukuro but away from him. Their bond was still fractured so there was no telling when they would see each other again.
But if he kept him behind there was a chance things could get messy. Izaya looked back at Mikado seeing the teen had reached the entrance. "Shizu-chan..."
"Get after him flea." The blonde shouted. "I'll catch up."
And like that the decision was taken away from him. Shizuo albeit slowly had left the train heading back the way they had come. Izaya sprinted across the station reaching out to catch Mikado's arm. The teen was quick using his absorbed training. Izaya felt pride well up.
"Shh." He murmured capturing the teen in his arms. "We'll find another way. It's okay." Taking the ticket, Izaya tore it in half. "See. No one is going anywhere."
Mikado trembled pushing away from him. Had the station been any busier someone would have intervened. Izaya sighed looking over the teen's shoulder. His eyes were on the blonde, scanning the area for threats.
"I'm sorry." The teen sobbed against him. "I can't."
"I know." Izaya murmured soothingly. "You tried. That's all you can do. We'll find another way." They couldn't go by cab or by train. Their only avenue left was for someone to drive them out. "Come on. I'll take you to our hotel room. It looks like Shizu-chan will need to rest."
Mikado nodded, a tearful mess that cling to him as soon as they were free of the station. "I've trapped us."
It was true. Izaya felt they were being watched. They were losing their escape routes one by one. Shiki was herding them into a corner. He'd thought about drugging the teen so he wasn't aware he'd faced his fear but that would only break them further apart.
"Shizu-chan?" The blonde was panting from exertion. It had been too early for the brute to move. Everything was going wrong.
"Don't give me that look, flea." The blonde snapped. "I told you to go on ahead. We're staying at the hotel, right?"
"Yeah." Izaya eyed his old lover warily. "Do you think you could make the walk?"
"Hah? I'll be the one carrying your lazy ass around." Despite his obvious fatigue, the brute ploughed on.
"Shizu-chan, you do know which hotel I've booked. Don't you?"
"Shut up. Stupid flea." The blonde growled but he didn't move forward.
"I didn't think so." Izaya smirked taking the lead.
x-x-x
Without incident- namely Shiki- the three of them made it to the hotel. Shizuo stood against the elevator holding Mikado, whilst Izaya sorted out their booking. It didn't take long but it felt an age. Shizuo cursed his own weakness. There was a dull throbbing in his side and he knew he'd done too much. The monster had a human body after all. Not that he wanted Izaya fussing over him. Mikado was the priority.
"All done." Izaya had all three bags slung over his shoulder. That was probably why the flea's feet were firmly on the ground. Not once on the way had his ex skipped. In Izaya's eyes this was all a game and they were losing. It was frustrating being run around like a weak powerless animal.
It was only the three of them in the elevator when the doors slid open. Izaya thumbed the button without double checking their keycard.
"Top floor?" The blonde asked.
"Second." It was access to a new escape point should they need it. Just down the end of the hall was a fire escape.
Both of his old lovers fell silent. With a sigh Izaya leaned back against the rail positioning himself in front of the doors. He would have preferred to take the stairs. Right now they were trapped in a box.
Finally the button for the second floor lit up and doors slid open. Izaya led the way out into a long hall. The doors on either side were a damning crimson, the same with the carpet beneath their feet. The walls themselves were a darkened cream.
Their room was at the end right next to the fire escape. The second keycard was for the second door on the right as they came out of the elevator. As an extra precaution he had booked a room on the top floor like he usually would and one on the first floor. For those rooms he'd used his real name. The one they were staying in was under an alias. He'd worked hard to create the perfect identity and now it was burnt if Shiki found them.
Izaya shifted the bags on his shoulder. Two of them had been fine. Three was a little heavy. Biting the inside of his cheek he slid the keycard across the lock and opened the door. Once inside he dropped all three bags walking around as he rolled his shoulder.
The room was the same garish red and cream as the hall but swapped. The walls were red and the carpet was cream It was a small room for what he had paid. The bed was a double pushed against the wall. Above it hung a picture of some flowers. On the wall opposite was a small TV held up by some brackets. In the corner was a wooden desk that looked like it had seen better days. On the desk was a coffee maker, a small kettle and a pack of plain biscuits.
The wall that followed was mostly window. Izaya opened the flimsy curtains looking down. They were quite high up but it was a good view point to see any incoming cars. To his right on the wall was a satellite dish and a little further on was the edge of the fire escape. He and Mikado could jump it no problem.
The only other door was to the bathroom. Which was smaller than the current room. Cramped together was a small bath, a sink and a toilet. The shower curtain was a murky cream. The toilet holder was empty and they had no soap.
Rolling his shoulder one last time he backed out looking mournfully at his old lovers. "Looks like we can't bathe together."
x-x-x
Shizuo scowled taking a seat on the bed. Mikado had meekly gone to stand by the desk staring at the coffee maker. "So how long are we staying here?" The mattress was solid and his feet touched the end of the bed.
"Not long. I'll find another way to get us out." The flea promised. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine." Shizuo shrugged sweeping the remote from the small bedside table.
"Can I check the stitches are holding?"
"If you must." Shizuo switched on the TV turning down the sound. Izaya was at the side of the bed staring down at him. He made no move to take off his shirt.
"You're going to be difficult. Aren't you?"
"I'm not doing anything."
"That's the problem." Izaya muttered. "Suit yourself."
Izaya climbed onto the bed straddling his thighs. His nimble fingers quickly undid the buttons on his shirt letting it fall open. Izaya's hands gently eased the protective padding away but the tape still ripped along his skin. The wound was still there. An ugly red line held together by a series of small stitches.
"Like I said." Shizuo grumbled. But Izaya wasn't done. The annoyance pressed the back of his hand against his forehead. Shizuo slapped it away. Wide crimson stared at him and he knew he'd been found out.
"You're burning up." The flea snapped towering over him. "Mikado, get some water."
The teen nodded rushing into the small bathroom. He stepped out again a moment later his face ashen. "There's no water. I've turned on all the taps, nothing is coming out!"
"Fuck." Izaya swore.
"Flea, I'm fine." Shizuo sighed flipping the channel.
"You are not. Stay here."
"Where are you going?"
"To get ice." Izaya grabbed the bucket by the door. "Mikado, make sure the protozoan doesn't do anything stupid."
"Define stupid." Shizuo grumbled as the door opened and shut.
x-x-x
It was scary. Shizuo was sick. The strongest of them was crumbling and he couldn't do a thing. Mikado sat at the desk nibbling on a biscuit. They had no water. Was this Shiki's doing or just poor maintenance? Izaya was a long time. Did that mean their was no ice either? Were they being forced to go outside already? The apartment had been safer. Now Shiki knew he was trying to escape. The yakuza knew they were together.
Shizuo was oblivious to their worries propped up against the pillows and watching a nature documentary about lion cubs. With every minute Izaya was gone, a chill settled over his heart. When the time in the bottom right hand of the TV screen changed signalling an hour has passed, Mikado grew frantic. Something was wrong. If anything happened to Izaya, it would be his fault. His cowardice had stopped them moving forward. Right now they could be meeting up with Kasuka or standing free at another station.
"I-I'm going after him." Mikado ran out of the room and down the hall. If anything happened to Izaya...
x-x-x
So much for his shoulder. Izaya took the stairs one at a time. The hotel selection had been minimal at best and even then he didn't want to risk the food. Neither Mikado nor Shizuo would be happy to know he had gone shopping. Well the protozoan would be pacified with the overly sweet smelling cakes he had brought. Maybe enough to let him use the large bag of ice slowly freezing his shoulder. Just as he was thinking about taking the elevator, Izaya reached their floor.
With one last push he dragged himself along the hall to their door swiping the keycard with his mouth. "I'm back." He muttered through his teeth. Dropping the bags and sliding the ice from his shoulder, Izaya looked up seeing only one. "Where's Mikado?"
"He went looking for you." The blonde sighed sitting on the window.
"You didn't go after him?" Izaya scowled.
"I did." The brute turned away fists clenched.
Izaya took a deep breath. It wasn't Shizu-chan's fault. He was sick and currently weak.
"He won't leave the hotel." Izaya moved forward. "Besides he has Kanra with him."
"Hn."
"He'll be back soon." Izaya crossed over to the window circling his arms around the blonde. "The hotel didn't have ice. They don't have anything. I went shopping."
"What?" His old lover growled.
"I picked you up some of those cakes you like."
"That's not the-"
"The fresh cream ones." Izaya smiled.
"The ones with the little cherries on top?" The blonde asked eyes lighting up. Izaya nodded taking a step back before he was bowled over. So the brute was rummaging through the bags carrying them to the desk, Izaya wondered when it would be best to ask him to rest. His heart almost collapsed in relief when he heard the door.
"It's about time." Izaya yelled throwing open the door. "I told you to-" the cold barrel of a gun pointed right at him.
x-x-x
"You realise how stupid this is, right?" Kanra reminded him for the umpteenth time. "Izaya-nii can take care of himself better without worrying about us."
"I know." Mikado sighed. He'd checked the top floor first working his way down. He was now in the elevator to the ground floor. "I have a bad feeling."
"He's not going to be happy with you." Kanra remarked.
Mikado knew that. Izaya would be disappointed in him. He had left Shizuo and now he was in the lobby of the hotel. "Oh no."
Two men in dark suits stood blocking the doors. At the reception desk stood a small group of men. The one in front wore a crisp white suit. Shiki.
"Run." Kanra urged.
Mikado didn't have to be told twice. Bolting for the stairs he took them two at a time to the first floor. From there he ran down the hall to the fire escape. As he clambered onto the metal, a thunderous crack rang out above him.
"Hurry." Kanra cried. Mikado nodded running up the fire escape to the second floor. He covered his ears as more defeating shots rang out. Throwing himself through the window, his stomach sank seeing the door to their room was swinging open.
Tears welled in his eyes even before he reached the door frame to see the carnage inside. Everything was obliterated. It looked like a war had gone on. The window was smashed, the curtain blowing open. The desk was tipped over. The TV hung precariously from the wall. The dark walls had suddenly become polka dotted.
Mikado stared at the bed spread on the floor. Walking forward his sock soaked into carpet. Glancing over he could see the coffee maker had broken.
"Mikado." Kanra murmured softly. And that's when he saw it. A pale hand flopped unmoving against the floor.
Mikado threw a hand against his mouth trying not to scream. Shizuo was laying on the floor his eyes wide open. His bangs were swept back, a gaping hole in his forehead.
"No. No no."
Next to him was Izaya, one arm in the bathroom as if Shizuo had tried pushing him to get away. Their hands were joined. Mikado fell to his knees letting their blood soak through his jeans. They were gone. Reaching out he felt the footsteps behind him, the hand on his shoulder.
Shiki. He knew by the cold chill in his bones it was the yakuza. But he still looked over his shoulder. "Come."
Mikado let the tears spill down his cheeks. He let his anger and grief fuel him reaching for the gun beside him. Slowly his fingers clenched around the weapon of death.
"Mikado." Kanra whispered.
Spinning his body he shuffled back to the splintered desk holding the gun with both hands. He was trembling. His eyes flickered to the bodies of his lovers. He'd never made up with them. Not properly. He'd never told them that he still loved them. Now he'd never get the chance.
"Mikado." Kanra snapped.
"You did this." Mikado shouted pointing the gun at Shiki.
"They were in the way." The cold man responded. "Come."
"No." Mikado fired the gun. His first shot went wide as he fell back. Before he could get off the second the yakuza goons were on him dragging him from the room.
But he had been trained by Izaya and Shizuo. Their legacy lived within him and Kanra. Mikado used his speed breaking their hold. He kicked out slamming the base of his foot into the first goon's knee. Kanra took care of the second and then they were sprinting through the door back down the fire escape.
Heavy steps followed. Mikado flipped over forgoing the stairs. Letting go he let his body drop. At the next part he held on feeling the muscles in his arms wrench. He dropped again to the first floor looking below to see them waiting for him.
That was when he heard it. Sirens. Red and blue lights rushed towards them. The goons below looked confused before a rush of black waves took them down. Celty stood at the bottom of the escape holding her arms out. Mikado let himself drop.
What happened?
"S-Shizuo, I-Izaya." Mikado sobbed against her. The ambulance pulled up across the front of the hotel parked diagonally. The back doors flew open. "They got hurt."
His legs wobbled but he pushed himself running to the paramedics. "Second floor. Last door. The fire escape is quicker." Mikado pointed.
Grabbing their bags they hurried up the fire escape. Four of them. Celty was gone too in a blur she would be with Shizuo. Mikado fell to his knees guided into the ambulance whilst the remaining man looked him over. From the corner of his eye he watched Shiki and his guards walking from the hotel.
x-x-x
Mikado waited patiently gulping down the bottle of water he had been given. The doors to the hotel opened. The four that had gone in walked out looking downcast. Celty followed and behind her on shadow trolleys were Shizuo and Izaya.
"Mikado." Kanra whispered sadly as he jumped out.
Celty shook her head throwing her arms around him keeping him from looking over her shoulder. Her body racked with despair.
"No."
"They were already dead when we got here." He overheard one of the paramedics. Mikado collapsed his body lifted in Celty's arms. Kanra's voice echoed in his mind.
x-x-x
Celty vanished as soon as he'd been dropped at the police station. Mikado sat staring at the stark white walls of the room they had left him in. Protective custody they called it.
"Mikado." Kanra whispered.
He didn't want to talk. Or to eat. Mikado felt a numb hollowness inside him. The police asked him questions that he couldn't answer. Kanra took over for that allowing him to retreat inside himself. His clothes were stained with their blood but sitting on the corner of the cot was a small bundle.
"Mikado." Kanra pressed him for a response. "Remember."
"I am." Mikado answered sullenly fresh tears streaming his cheeks.
Then someone new came. His mother. She stood outside the room looking in on him. Mikado knew he would be going home. Standing up he followed his mother from the room and out of the station. His body still felt tired despite spending the night in a cot.
His mother smiled sadly leading him into the light. Parked outside was Shiki leaning against a black limo. Mikado clutched his mother's arm. "Don't let him take me."
"Of course not." His mother smiled patting his arm. She guided him straight to the waiting car. Mikado slumped in the back seat.
"Mikado." Kanra whispered. "Snap out of it."
Mikado's head lolled to the side staring blankly out of the window. Shiki was gone in a different direction. The yakuza could take him from Izaya and Shizuo but not from his mother. He should have stayed in Saitama.
"Mikado!" Kanra hissed.
"I'm sorry." Mikado said. "I've let everyone down."
"Oh honey, I'm just glad you're okay. Let's get you home."
"Home." Kanra urged.
Mikado closed his eyes. "Mom, I want to tell you something. I know you'll be surprised and disappointed and angry. But I want you to listen."
So he told her. From start to finish he told her everything. About Izaya and about Shizuo. Even about Kanra. He left out no details watching his mother's face shift through a variety of emotions. Mikado was crying again his tone flat. No one had mentioned Izaya or Shizuo's funeral. But they went anyway.
"I love them. Both of them." Mikado smiled sadly looking at the church as they passed. Izaya would be rolling in his grave if they treated him like everyone else. "They loved me, protected me and even after everything they died for me."
"Mikado." His mother stared back at him stopping the car by the graveyard as he'd asked.
"I can't let them go. Not after they abandoned everything for my safety." Opening the door he looked at the silhouette standing in front of the graves. Walking towards them, Mikado could see it was a slim woman with long black hair, a mid black dress and heels.
At his approach the woman turned around to smile at him, ruby eyes shining. "They didn't bury us together. I thought Shinra would have intervened. I guess it was too much for him."
"Hey." Mikado smiled through his tears. He'd almost lost it. If not for Kanra...
"Hey. Women's underwear chafes, hm?"
Mikado nodded wanting to throw his arms around the cross dresser. Instead he turned back walking towards the car. When they were both inside his mother drove away. Mikado wiped his eyes taking the warm hand held out to him.