"So, you're trying to tell me that you've been doing everything I said?"

"Yep."

"Have you been keeping the same diet?"

"Yes."

"No other allergies?"

"None."

"Have you been smoking?"

"No."

"…You're lying to me."

"Am not!"

"You always twiddle your thumbs when you lie, Shizuo!"

Shizuo grunted, crossing his arms as he glanced away. Damn Shinra for being so perceptive.

Shizuo was currently under interrogation, laying on Shinra's couch as if he was at therapy. In a sense, he was. He was sipping at some water to help him, and had a damp towel over his forehead to help with the fever a bit.

"Ok ok, I've been smoking. Do you seriously think that had anything to do with this?"

"As a matter of fact, I do!" Shinra huffed as he tapped his foot with annoyance, "Come on Shizuo, you gotta kick that habit. If you don't this…this whatever is going on will only get worse!"

"Guys, I'm totally fine…Ok not totally fine!" he added after Shinra and Celty glared at him. "What I mean is, I don't think smoking is the big problem. I probably just have some bug or something. I'm a monster anyway, like the flea says."

"Shizuo, you do realize smoking damages the lungs immensely, right?"

The blonde shrugged, "I didn't do too good in biology."

"SHIZUO! Be reasonable! You know that smoking is bad!"

"It hasn't killed me off yet!"

"But it might!"

"I doubt that."

Shinra groaned exasperatedly and paced. Shizuo stood up, wobbling slightly as he regained his balance. Shizuo and Shinra bantered back and forth, both too bull headed and stubborn to admit defeat.

Celty stood between them, her helmet turning back and forth between the two men as she watched with worry. Multiple times, she tried to type a response to break up the fight, but was not able to interject before another argument started. It was becoming all too much.

'ENOUGH!'

Shinra and Shizuo could feel the intense energy radiate around them, and glanced at the headless rider as her black tendrils of essence constricted around them.

When they were silent, she lifted her PDA and shoved it in Shizuo's face, her hand trembling with worry and anger.

[Shizuo, we're trying to help. We want you to get better. So please just listen to him. I know he's not the most reliable, but he only wants the best for you!]

Shizuo sighed and rubbed the back of his neck with his palm, shaking his head with defeat.

"Fine…I'll try to kick the habit." he groaned.

"Good!" Shinra said, a smile beaming on his face. He felt completely relieved that Shizuo was going to just listen and get better.

"But you know it's not gonna be easy for me. I've been smoking for a long time. It's one of the few things that keeps me calm. Especially when that louse comes around. How do you expect me to keep calm when he's there and I have nothing to calm my nerves?"

"I know it won't be easy. That's why…." Shinra tapered off into silence. Shizuo narrowed his eyes and glared at him.

"What is it?"

"I think…that maybe you should have someone to watch over you…"

"YOU MEAN LIKE SOME SORT OF BABYSITTER?"

Shinra flinches and nodded, "Yes. In a sense. A babysitter. Someone that can tolerate you and your habit. Someone who won't back down just because you get angry."

Shizuo burst out laughing, holding his sides until he started coughing too much to continue. Celty urged him to sit back down on the couch, and dabbed the cloth on his head. He continued to cough a bit more, laughing in between as he sat next to her. She patted his back, handing him his glass of water as Shinra shook his head. Shizuo soon calmed down and looked back up with a grin, taking a sip of the cool refreshment.

"And who the hell will be able to handle me, ha? The only people who could possibly contain me is my brother - who is abroad at the moment - you two, and the louse!"

Celty tapped Shizuo's shoulder, making him look over as she quickly typed on her PDA, and held it up for him to read.

[ I can help you out for a while. But I can't always be there because of work. But I can come to check on you every once in a while. You just need to tell me the truth with anything I ask. ]

"Yeah, that sounds fine. But how would you know if I'm telling the truth? I could just lie about the whole thing you know." Shizuo questioned, glancing back at Shinra. The spectacled brunette shrugged.

"We trust you Shizuo. You're a good guy, and not one to lie. Especially not to friends. We assume you'll do the right thing and talk to us."

The blonde sighed, knowing that his generally good manners would turn on him one day. He nodded and got up, swaying a bit on his feet from fatigue.

"Alright, but first, I need some food. Enough water, I feel like I'm gonna topple over if I don't get something in me."