Happy Thanksgiving~! I hope everyone has a great holiday! I'm so happy I can be posting this today. I had a 4-way concert yesterday. Ahhh, seeing Marianas Trench, Forever The Sickest Kids, The Cab, and Simple Plan yesterday left my throat raw and my body exhausted. But my beta had edited this while I was gone, so I could have this up today! :D So I hope you enjoy this extremely awkward chapter! xD Also, apologies if this is starting to speed up or go too quick - we are out of the "get to know each other" phase, and are onto the "falling in love" phase, =w= uguu~

As soon as Izaya had calmed down, he finished showering and got ready for his day. He leaned against the sink and stared hard into the mirror. He hated how his face was still tinted pink. Although he thought it could pass for being in the steam.

He dressed quickly and ran a hand through his damp hair, trying to pat down the various strands that stuck up in places; but not completely flatten it - he still desired to have that "sexy bed-head" look. As soon as he was presentable, he scooped up his dirty clothes and took them to his bedroom. However, he paused when he saw the door wide open.

That damn brute was in his room. Why was he in his room? Izaya narrowed his eyes and walked inside. It was empty, but he saw the pile sitting in front of his hamper. With a strange feeling settling on him, he picked up Shizuo's pile and shoved the clothes into the hamper.

The scent of fresh eggs and vegetables wafted into the room, making Izaya's mouth water. He felt his stomach rumble a bit and frowned. Dammit, he was pretty hungry, and the brute would try to force him to eat. There wasn't much he could do to get out of this situation.

As he left his room, he realized that Shizuo had to pass the bathroom to get from his bedroom to the stairs. He froze and glanced at the bathroom door; reality slowly sinking in. Shit, shit, shit…

Suddenly cornered between a rock and a hard place, Izaya was petrified at the top of the stairs. He could see Shizuo in the kitchen, working hard in front of the stove. He could only imagine all the different scenarios that were about to take place. He wanted to run and hide. But maybe the brute didn't notice? Maybe he hadn't heard?

Izaya decided to believe in that tiny sliver of hope and played it cool - as if nothing had ever happened. He sauntered down the stairs, watching as Shizuo stood in front of his stove; focused on cooking…something with the contents in his fridge. He really didn't know what Shizuo could possibly make. Most of the foods were higher quality and organic - things he assumed Shizuo never cooked with before.

Although, whatever he was managing to make, it smelled….really really good. Izaya swallowed as the scent became stronger. He walked around the corner and leaned against the wall, watching Shizuo chopping up various vegetables and throwing them into the skillet. Inside, Izaya could see a large circle of eggs and raised his brow.

"Who knew Shizu-chan was such a chef~"

Shizuo jumped a bit, and glanced toward Izaya. "Ahh…well…" he froze as he stared at Izaya. He felt his face flushing, but he couldn't tear his eyes away. If it wasn't for the fact that he had just heard very lewd sounds coming from the informant only fifteen minutes prior, he would have found it hard to look away regardless.

Izaya had a way of looking cleanly, yet still disheveled. If the way his damp hair stuck out and clung to his angular face wasn't - Shizuo couldn't believe he was thinking this - attractive enough, then the way that red sweater and those dark jeans clung to his already slender body was sexy times ten.

And the fact that those taught lips were making those sounds and crying out his name…Shizuo shivered a bit.

Izaya stared firmly at Shizuo, analyzing every twitch and movement in his face. His eyes widened a bit, and he felt himself shift his posture a bit. And Shizuo felt his stomach drop at that moment the faintest blush rose on Izaya's cheeks. Both men thought the same thing:

He knows.

Forcing himself to break the tension, hoping that he could somehow hide away from the truth, Shizuo turned back towards the food. "I…I'm not really a chef. I just took a cooking class in high school once." he stuttered a bit, feeling his face flushing. Dammit!

Izaya cleared his throat and nodded, staring at the floor, "I'm aware of that. But that was your first year. You still remember how to work everything after that long?"

"It's not god damn rocket science. It's just food." Shizuo grumbled as he grated fresh cheese over the top of the mixture in the pan. Izaya sucked up his pride and walked closer, looking over Shizuo's shoulder. He could feel Shizuo tense up as he loomed over him.

"Omelet's?"

Shizuo nodded, feeling extremely nervous with the flea standing to close. But why should he? It's not like he was positive the flea knew he had heard. Ahh, but hell, it was obvious he knew.

"It's a well balanced breakfast. Eggs and veggies are good for your body…" Shizuo paused for a moment as he felt his face heart up. Shit, that sounded suggestive! "I..I mean um…they are good for your health." Shizuo stuttered as he folded egg and slid the omelet onto a plate. "Shinra had said to eat well, so I'm making sure every meal is healthy."

Izaya made a small sound of approval and opened the fridge, bending forward to get a look inside. "Good to know you can think for yourself and not have to rely on others."

Shizuo dared to glance over and found himself staring at Izaya. The way the raven bent at the waist, hip jutting out in a slightly feminine manner, immediately caught Shizuo's attention. It didn't take long until his honey colored eyes moved down the gentle arch of Izaya's back, past his narrow hips, and glued right on that round ass.

S-shit! Get a hold of yourself! Shizuo blinked a few times, trying to shake those thoughts out of his head. When he heard Izaya rummaging around, he narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "What do you think you're doing?" Izaya pulled a bottle of iced tea from the fridge, and glanced at Shizuo. "I made breakfast. Enough for both of us."

"I told you not to cook for me." Izaya grumbled, unaware of the naughty stares Shizuo was trying to not make on him.

"Well I did. So sit down and eat it." Shizuo grumbled as he cut the large omelet in half, and put each half on a separate plate. When Izaya didn't move, Shizuo set the plates on the table, and grabbed Izaya by the front of the shirt. The action send a surge of adrenaline through both of them. They were instantly reminded of their violent past. Izaya couldn't help but smirk dangerously, and Shizuo couldn't help but feel the corners of his mouth tug upwards a bit. It was a great feeling.

"Getting rough again?" Izaya couldn't help the dirty thoughts that rolled in his head, but he ignored it.

"Fuckin' louse. Sit down."

All awkwardness washed away by the intensity of the moment, Izaya leaned forward; grinning viciously eyes gleaming, he whispered "Make me."

Shizuo took the bait and pulled Izaya closer, reaching for his waist to lift him. Izaya dug his heels into the floor and tried to peel himself away, digging his fingers into Shizuo's wrist. But Shizuo's grip was strong - not as strong as before, but enough that Izaya couldn't wriggle his way out of his grip.

Wrapping his arms around Izaya's waist, he lifted the lightweight and threw him over his shoulder. Izaya's arms waved wildly before clinging onto the back of Shizuo's shirt. He hissed in disdain as Shizuo carried Izaya to the table.

Izaya growled under his breath, for sucking in some air through his teeth. Shizuo was suddenly hypersensitive, as a very…unfamiliar body part rubbed against his shoulder - he hadn't thought about that particular detail. He felt Izaya tense up in his grip, and quickly set him down on the chair, practically dropping the flea.

Once Izaya was sitting, he slouched in the seat and crossed his arms, glaring as Shizuo sat in the seat next to him and handed him a fork.

"Eat."

"Tch…so forceful." Izaya grumbled as he stabbed at his portion of the omelet. Shizuo wasted no time in digging in, taking in a large mouthful. Izaya watched him and warily eyed his food.

If the brute wasn't choking, then it couldn't be…all that bad.

With a grimace, Izaya cut off a small piece of the omelet and took a hesitant bite, aware of Shizuo watching him. He silently chewed, judging the flavors that melted on his tongue. The slight spice from the seasonings Shizuo had mixed in, the crunchy texture of the vegetables contrasting with the smooth texture of the well scrambled eggs. And the cheese was melted to near perfection.

Shizuo raised his brow as Izaya swallowed and took a sip of his iced tea. Izaya glanced up at him and shrugged, "Not completely gag worthy."

"Flea…"

"Expecting me to shower you with praise or something?" Izaya sneered, squinting his eyes viciously. Shizuo growled lowly under his breath, eyes glancing away as his thoughts drifted once more. Izaya mentally slapped himself again at his word choice. Dammit, I'm flirting with my words. Why?

Shizuo cleared his throat, trying to ignore the sounds that echoed in his memory. The sound of the water mixing with those wanton…no! Stop thinking about it!

"Alright, it's not all that bad. Are you happy now?" Izaya groaned, rolling his eyes, forcing the images out of his mind.

A small appreciative smile tugged the corners of Shizuo's lips, "Glad you approve." he choked out. They continued to eat their breakfast in silence, only stopping to sip at their drinks. Although the aura around them was calm, and the adrenaline had worn down, the reality of the situation was still hanging in the air. Shizuo felt slightly more awkward, knowing that he had picked up Izaya. Especially after what had happened. He glanced up, watching Izaya as he took a dainty bite of the omelet, and watched as his mouth worked to chew it.

What if the flea liked being rough? Is that why he always chased him? Was he turned on by the fighting? Oh good God, did he just get aroused a bit by their little scuffle just now? These thoughts swirled in Shizuo's head, and he hand to rests his head in his hands for a minute. He had to get a grip on reality and stop fantasizing about…

DAMMIT! He was fantasizing about the flea!

Izaya stopped eating for a moment, focusing on Shizuo. The ex-blonde was currently keeping his eyes low, although it seemed a bit too low. Izaya felt his skin crawl when he realized the direction of his gaze. He crossed his legs, and felt his stomach flip when he saw those honey colored eyes dilate.

Izaya forcefully set his fork down on the plate, clattering it loudly. The sound made Shizuo glance up quickly, still slightly blushing from his thought process. It was only at that moment that he realized he was staring…lower than he would have liked. He blinked a bit when he saw that Izaya had eaten half of his breakfast, but was stiff in his seat - face stoic, hands clenched, and legs crossed tightly.

He forced a smile on his flushed face. He was happy that the picky eater had eaten most of his food, "Better than you expected?"

Izaya leaned back and smirked, "I'll give you that one. Five points." He crossed his arms and pushed the bits of his meal around on the plate with his fork. "So Shizu-chan, how'd you learn how to cook? Besides taking that class years ago."

"I live by myself. I don't go begging for food every day. I can cook for myself and others if I need to." Shizuo said in an obvious tone. For someone so smart, he would assume Izaya would know something like this about him. But when he glanced up, he noticed how the flea's shoulders were slightly tense. He avoided making eye contact with him. Shizuo felt his face heating up a bit when he realized that Izaya was trying to make small talk to avoid the build up of tension from earlier. "I know I'm not the best cook out there, but I manage."

"Indeed…you do." Izaya glanced up for a moment from beneath his hair, "It's not too bad."

The pressure around them slowly built. It was almost a physical feeling on Shizuo. He could feel the weight constricting around him. He wanted to speak up and tell Izaya…

Well…that it was ok.

He felt his cheeks heat up with that simple thought. Sure, it's totally ok for your enemy…who really isn't an enemy anymore. Ok, so it's alright for your acquaintance to think of you…well that wouldn't really make him an acquaintance, would it? Damn, this was so confusing! What the hell was the flea now? He wasn't just the person he hated most. Hell, even those feelings have all but vanished from the face of the earth ever since he started acting like a god damn normal human being and not an insufferable thorn in his side.

"Mm…"

Shizuo blinked and looked up, "W-what was that?"

Izaya looked up lazily from his plate, before standing up to take his half polish dished to the sink, "I said…you're not too bad either…for a monster." He smirked and bit and shrugged, "If you keep making food like this, then I don't think I'll mind watching over you like a child."

The feeling in Shizuo's chest was warm - almost endearing. No matter what the situation between him and the flea was, it sure wasn't that hatred they had felt. They had some sort of connection now. He didn't know what type, but he didn't care. He was glad that this bond was formed. And he was determined to grow on it. No matter what it took. He wanted to see how far this could go. How much could Izaya take before Shizuo cracked that shell around his heart to get to the man who he cared for over the internet?

Izaya could feel the same pull in his chest, although he wasn't aware that the brute felt the same. In his mind, he was the only one feeling this way. He was treading on a thin emotional wire that was pulled taught between mental desires and physical cravings. His mind told him to hate the monster in his kitchen and to not let events sway him. Yet his body wanted more…so much more. And his heart…

Well, it was caught somewhere in between.