"Listen, I'm just as scared as you. Ok, maybe not as much. But still enough that I don't want to be alone. I'd rather die fighting than sitting here doing nothing. And I know you feel the same."

"Mm…I suppose." Izaya signed, another shiver running from his shoulders to his toes.

"It'll be fine. We're not gonna die. Just stay calm, ok? We'll think of a way to get out of here."

"Easier said than done…" Izaya pitifully mumbled. Shizuo nodded in understanding, and continued to hold Izaya as the minutes passed by. Silent darkness enveloped them. The only sounds that echoed in the elevator were Izaya's quick breaths, and the quiet hushing sounds Shizuo made to try and calm him.

After a half hour passed, Izaya uncurled himself and turned toward Shizuo. Grunting softly, Shizuo opened his arms a bit and let Izaya curl into him, burying his face into his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around the fragile body that clung to him for sanity. He rested his head against Izaya's, rubbing his hands along his back.

"Neh..Shizu-chan…" Izaya mewled into the ex-blonde's shoulder. Shizuo grunted in response, eyes closed. "Why are you doing this?"

"Doing what?"

"…comforting me."

"Didn't I already tell you?"

Izaya sighed, "Yes. But I'm asking again because I need to talk to retain my sanity. So just answer again. Just…talk as if we were on our walks." I need to hear your voice to know I'm not losing it…

Shizuo nodded, running a stray hand through Izaya's hair. He felt the flea flinch slightly under the touch, but he quickly relaxed under the soft touch. It still amazed Izaya to know that Shizuo was capable of being so gentle. It was as if he was being held by a different person. Someone like Tsuga-

No!

Izaya tensed again and forcing the thought out of his head. He focused on Shizuo's voice instead of the thoughts beginning to swirl in his head. He couldn't let himself fall into that weak personality.

"I guess I'm just doing what I've always done. When Kasuka was little, he got scared a lot. When mom wasn't around to protect him, I would. I'd hold him like this and keep him calm."

"Your robot of a brother had emotions?" Izaya chided, chuckling a bit. Shizuo even grinned a bit at that.

"Yeah. But over time he learned that no emotions meant not being scared of monsters. So I guess he just closed himself off." Shizuo replied, yawning a bit. "So that's what I'm doing. You're scared, and it makes me wanna comfort you."

"Heh, you still realize who I am?"

"Yeah, I know exactly who you are. That doesn't matter all that much. I'm actually kinda glad."

"Glad? A few months ago, you would have loved seeing me in this state." Izaya hissed, his trademark smirk gracing his lips. Shizuo smiled back, shrugging.

"I don't know if I would have loved it. Maybe been kinda happy. I mean, I hated you."

"Hah, and you don't now?"

"Not really." Shizuo smirked, "You act a lot like Psy-"

"Shut up." Izaya snarled as he curled in on himself a bit more. Dammit, even he's noticing it.

Shizuo laughed, ruffling Izaya's hair a bit as he stared up at the ceiling. Shizuo felt a strange tug at his heart as Izaya arched closer to him, his thin fingers clinging to the fabric of his shirt. Goosebumps covered his skin as he felt the heat returning to Izaya's skin. He felt himself blush a bit as his heart pounded in his chest.

He hoped that Izaya didn't notice, because then he would have to explain the feelings that were washing over him. The feeling of contentedness and happiness he felt. Despite this situation he was in, he felt good. He was positive that if they were this close in a much less life threatening predicament, he would till feel the same. He'd still feel his chest aching with that familiar unrequited emotion he has felt in the past.

That's when he noticed something strange in the darkness.

"Hey flea."

"Hmm?"

"Are there normally…squares on the ceiling?"

"What are you talking about?" Izaya sighed tiredly, his panic attacks wearing down on his body. "If you start seeing things and going insane…"

"No no. I…is there something on the ceiling?" Shizuo let go of Izaya, propping him up in he corner. Izaya narrowed his eyes and wrapped his arms around his legs, watching as Shizuo walked in the center of the elevator, standing directly under the spot where he thought he saw a square.

Shizuo reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his cell phone, flipping it open to shine the small light from his screen onto the ceiling. Izaya squinted his eyes, tracing the ceiling carefully. He soon caught sight of a faint line, and followed it around until it connected back at the beginning.

With a spark of realization, all of the information he knew about elevators flooded back to him. Suddenly, the answer seemed so simple and clear.

"That's the emergency hatch!" Izaya cried, pure bliss spreading across his face. Shizuo blinked in surprise and smiled, clearing his throat with nervousness as a small blush crawled across his face.

"Ah, so I can open that?"

Izaya stood up, still a bit wobbly from using his legs after what had almost been an hour of being stiffly curled in a ball. He nodded feverishly, "Yes! Ahh, a blessing in disguise this truly is! To think it took this long to remember one of the simplest of facts."

"Well, you were spending almost an hour freaking the fuck out like some baby."

"Now is no time to argue, Shizu-chan. It's time to find a handle. Unless these elevators open from the outside. If that's the case, we'll have to- SHIZU-CHAN!"

Shizuo's fist connected with the metal door that blended in with the ceiling. It bounced off with a clang and made him stumble. He rubbed his fist and swung his hand up in an arc to connect with the door again. The elevator creaked, and Izaya fell to the ground with fear. He covered his ears and closed his eyes, trembling.

"TSU-CHAN!" He screeched, clutching at the floor as Shizuo took another swing at the hatch, driving his knuckle into the hinge. Shizuo froze in his spot, glancing back over at Izaya. The informant's eyes were wide, and his mouth was parted slightly; a look of pure astonishment and embarrassment on his face. He had totally, and completely, slipped up.

"…What did you just say?"

Izaya grit his teeth and squeezed his eyes, shaking his head a bit, "I said Shizu-chan."

"Bull shit you just-"

"S-Shizuo, you stupid protozoan, stop bickering! And stop hitting that door! You're going to make this thing crash!" Izaya hollered, voice rising octaves as the elevator groaned from the force.

"Even you said this opens from the outside, meaning I gotta push it up and out."

"But it's locked from the outside! What are you gonna do? Break it with your fist?"

"This is gonna work!" Shizuo yelled back, winding up for one more swing. Izaya scrambled forward, grabbing Shizuo's arm weakly.

He paused again and looked down at Izaya, brow creased as he tried to focus on Izaya's face. He looked up at him with a desperate look on his face, and his fingers were cold and trembling.

"Shizu-chan…stop."

Staring back at Izaya for a second, he sighed and nodded, pulling his hand out of the pest's grasp. He knelt down in front of him and rested his hands on Izaya's shoulders, holding him tightly. "Calm down. Just…sit back in the corner. I'm gonna get us out, ok? You'll be ok. Trust me."