Hello~ please enjoy. ^^

Chapter 15

Izaya had been 'killed' back in what was barely the start of spring; they were now entering late fall. At this point Izaya was more than comfortable living together with the man he once called his enemy, he'd actually come to enjoy it compared to the lonely life he had lead before.

As the colder months approached Shinra and Celty had decided to throw a hot pot party, this year Izaya was technically invited, not just because his body was in their back room of their home, but because he would be attending with Shizuo as a cat.

Izaya figured the real reason they had told Shizuo he could bring his cat was so they could test for some reaction of the raven being near his body again. Though they told the blond they simply thought it would help keep him calm to have his pet along, so he should try to get his kitten used to traveling places with him for his own benefit.

Shizuo had gone and gotten him a small fabric carrier the week before, leaving it on the floor so that Izaya could enter as he liked to get used to the space, saying he would only bring Flea if the kitten was comfortable with carrier by the time the party day came.

He assume Shizuo had looked up how to get a pet cat used to traveling, it would be his safe space in any unfamiliar place, though Izaya wasn't really a cat and would actually feel perfectly safe on the blonds shoulder when out of the house. He was small in this new world of his, he always liked to be up high but now it just seemed more necessary than before. He felt so insignificant when he had to look up at everything.

Tonight was the night, the first time Izaya would get to attend a hot pot party; Shinra had always left him out, not trusting the raven to behave himself around Shizuo for even one evening. As much as Izaya would adamantly deny any accusations that he felt lonely or hurt by this, mainly unsolicited comments from his secretary, it really did hurt him when his only friend would leave him out, always choosing the blond over him. The fact that Celty wasn't very fond of him and was close to Shizuo was probably a large factor in him not being invited, not that Shinra prioritizing anything Celty was new, but still.

Sometimes he wondered about his friendship with Shinra. When he got stabbed awhile back, his so called friend had hung up on him claiming he was interrupting his time with his headless lover, but wasn't getting hospitalized a good enough reason to warrant a friends attention for even a few moments? His time here with Shizuo and the amount of care and attention he received from the man as a simple pet really made whatever he had with Shinra seem less and less like a real friendship.

Izaya released a small sigh, his eyes traveling over the room till he realized the blond was looking in his direction, and he quickly ran over to his carrier. He was making a point to go in and out of the carrier, he mewed at the blond each time to show him how comfortable he was with the space; there was no way he would be left behind tonight.

Attending as a cat may end up being different then as a person, but being there at all was a step up from the usual.

Izaya was sure he'd be able to mooch off the blond at the table, he had well learned the art of pulling the blond man's heart strings, especially when it came to food. He knew Shinra and Celty were not likely to have a problem with Shizuo feeding his kitten at the table given that they knew said kitten was really Izaya.

It was a Saturday and Shizuo had spent the whole day relaxing at home before the party, it was best if he didn't show up already annoyed. So the two had spent the day cuddling and with Izaya using his kitten charms to make sure he would be going with Shizuo for the dinner. They should be heading out the door any minute, so Izaya jumped up next to the small clock on the table and started paceing around it, sitting behind it with his front paws on top to frame the time, he gave the blond a small mew to remind him of the time.

Shizuo locked eyes with his tiny instant cat and grinned. "Alright Flea are you ready to go visit Shinra and Celty again?" The blond asked as he got up to gathered his belongings. Izaya jumped up at his words and ran into his carrier; he lay down and tapped his tail impatiently.

'Of course brute, hurry up" He chirped excitedly.

Shizuo chuckled at his antics. "I swear it's like you understand what I'm saying; I guess I'll take that as your ready to go huh."

Izaya patiently waited as the blond finished getting ready. The raven playfully batting at the blonds hand as he zipped up the door, he couldn't help bugging the man at least a little. Shizuo keep poking his paw back inside as he finished zipping him in.

He could feel the carrier being lifted and soon they were out the door and heading through the streets of Ikebukuro towards Shinras flat.

...~...

The moment the door to their mutual bespectacled friend and the headless riders home opened, Izaya could smell the delicious scent of food and hear the voices of the other guests chattering away down the hall.

Ah, this would be a great way to hear all the latest gossip without anyone even knowing he was listening. Cat or not he was still Izaya Orihara, an informant that simply loved gathering new information, always listening, always learning and storing away all the new little tidbits of info he learns at any chance he could find, that part of him was never going to change even if he was opening his heart up little by little to the man he swore he hated with his entire being.

"Shizuo! Iz-Flea was it? I'm glad you could make it, it seems he is very comfortable traveling already, that's great~"

Izaya caught Shinra's slight mess up, trust Shinra to have loose lips. For an underground doctor it was amazing the man was still alive. Well at least Shizuo seemed oblivious to what the idiot doctor had almost said.

"Weeell come on in, everyone's already hear, mostly Celtys chat room friends from last time. Oh and Kadota and his van gang are here as well." Shinra informed them cheerily.

Shinra lead the way to his other guests chatting happily.

"Your free to let you Flea roam as he pleases; let him get comfortable with the space and party goers."

Shizuo glanced down thru the mesh top of Izaya's carrier, seeing his kitten's hopeful eyes he set the carrier on the floor and unzipped the door.

Izaya throated out like he owned the place. Really If he was going to only stand a few inches off the floor Shinra's was the next best of places he'd be comfortable at, next to his own home and at this point Shizuo's too, gods he never thought he'd actually think of anywhere Shizuo was let alone his house, as a safe place, but at this point he felt safer there then he would even at the cold lonely place that was his own home, what a strange concept that was.

The raven wondered around the room taking in the atmosphere of the party and listening to his acquaintances chatter amongst themselves.

Erica was the first to try and pet (Shizuo's adorable kitten) she received a swipe in return, truthfully Izaya had never been fond of random skin ship even as a human, having random people come up and rub their hands on him as they please was not something he was going to stand for. He'd gotten used to and even likes Shizuo's touch but any other person petting him was a different story.

"Aw Shizu-shizu your Kitty's not very friendly" Erika whined to the blond, only receiving a raised brow and muttered response.

"Yeah Flea was like that with me to at first."

"Aww Flea? you named him after Iza-Iza, separation makes the heart fonder, oh~ oh~ are you expressing your love for Iza-Iza and now that he's gone your projecting your lo-" Her excited ramblings cut short by her annoyed friend.

"Erica! That's enough, stop bothering Shizuo." Kadota snapped at her, the last thing anyone wanted to deal with was Shizuo's anger over the girl's odd fantasies. "Sorry about that man" He gave Shizuo and apologetic look.

Shizuo merely grunted an, its fine, and it was left at that.

Her second attempt at a pet was also met with tiny little claws. Izaya glared at her, the girl was not taking the hint and he hoped the look would convince her to stop trying to pet him. She seriously looked like she was going to make another attempt, so Izaya made up his mind to dart away down the hall. He was sure Shinra had left the door to his recovery room open just for Izaya to conveniently wonder in during the party so now was a good a time as any.

He paused at the door before entering making a quick glance back down the hall to make sure Erica didn't follow him so he could mentally prepare to enter and see his body without worrying about another pet attack by the stubborn girl. Luckily the hall was silent only the soft sound of chattering from the other room reaching his perked ears. Good, he thought.

With a sigh the little raven cat turned back to the door, silently watching to small crack just wide enough for his tiny kitten self to slip through.

Finally prepared to re-examine his own body after so many months, he quietly padded in and towards his own sleeping form. Yeah, seeing yourself sleep was still a weird experience he thought. He lept as high as he could manage, grabbing the sheets hanging over the Edge and dragged himself up, settling to sit on his own chest.

He looked better since his last visit well over half a year ago. The Bruises that once covered the side of his face now long healed, it was likely most of his injuries were all if not mostly healed; Shinra had likely had to perform many surgeries on his healing body over the months. Unlike last time he could feel a strange pull in his chest, though it was weak that was a good sign he'd eventually, maybe even very soon, be able to return to being himself. In less than three months it will be a year since he ended up as a cat living every day by Shizuo's side, but it would be nice to be himself again… If he can manage to keep whatever he has managed to build with Shizuo over the past year.

He hopped back of his own body's chest concluding that, although he could feel a link, his body wasn't quite ready to call him back just yet.

Well that was that, things seemed promising, the idea of getting his human body back was starting to seem less farfetched now. Izaya jumped off the bed and with one last glace at his comatose self he happily trotted from the room and back to the party.

He avoided Erika and anyone else that might try to pet him and found his place on the blonds lap; he carefully eyed the man's serving of the hot pot. Placing his small paws on Shizuo's chest so he could force the other to make eye contact as he stretched his short body best he could, licking his chops and giving the blond an expectant look and bumping his chin with his soft head.

'Feed me Shizu-chan' he chirped out, if he were human right now this would have been akwarded and come off as flirtatious, if doing so wouldn't end with a punch to his face then he'd really like to see the blonds expression if he did so when he was human again. Izaya could felt his face heat up, he was sure both his nose and ears would be bright red right now. The thought was more than a little embarrassing, especially since the reaction he wanted to see from the blond to his flirting was for him to blush and be flustered opposed to the confusion and anger he usually wanted from the other.

The kitten shook his head to clear his mind. Damn it Shizu-chan, what is wrong with me, do I actually like like this blond idiot, I know I've gotten really attached to his company these past months, but do I actually feel more than that for him.

The raven sighed, chomping down on the offered piece of meat now dangling in front of his face.

Oh Shizu-chan I think my dangerous thoughts are getting worse, what are you are doing to my mind. Yes I admit that under normal circumstances I would have started distancing myself from these emotions... but we live together and to some extent you're reciprocating these feelings.

I know I shouldn't let this weird feeling get Any stronger, you'll never except me as I was, your kindness to me is based on the fact I'm a cat and you don't know any better.

Then there is that you feel bad about what you did to me, morning my supposed death, it just gives me more false hopes you'll accept me when I'm myself again. This can only end badly so why can't I seem to stop myself from continuing on this path…I thought I was the smart one, guess I'm an idiot too huh

He clunker his small head against the blonds chest in exasperation, no long interested in coning food out if the other man, simply seeking some form of reassurance for his wayward thoughts.

Well little Iza-nya has accepted he's fallen in love with his Shizu-chan, poor guy, emotions are hard. XD