Ahem-

-clears throat-

So

Can we just pretend I didn't forget to update for …. years? xDDDDDDD Lmao time is flying by way too fast I swear xD And it doesn't help that I kept forgetting about this one xDDDD Special thanks to Neyn at this point, had I not gotten your reminder 2 weeks early I would have very well forgotten this year as well xDDDD

Thank youuuu x'DDDD

Alright now after all this time- enjoy the finale hahahaha

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow~

"A game?" Shizuo repeated and it was clear as daylight that he wasn't too keen to join anything that Izaya had come up with.

"Isn't it a custom for many people at christmas?" Izaya asked while blowing on his hot cocoa. "You know, getting together with the family and playing games together."

Good idea.

Overall.

There was just one issue.

"We are no family, flea," Shizuo pointed out and called an amused grin to Izaya's expression.

"Then what do you expect me to do?"

Good question.

What did he expect?

Honestly, he had no idea. He brought the flea here on a whim. He wasn't even really sure why. But something about seeing the flea outside with his snow figures and knowing that no one was there to celebrate Christmas with him… no. It wasn't just the figures.

The first time he saw them he thought nothing of it.

It was his own figure that started acting up in his head.

"Shut up and watch the fire?" he suggested after what must have been a millennia of time passing by and Izaya showed an expression that spoke of boredom upon his reply.

"Considering your outbursts in Ikebukuro I didn't think you would be this quiet when at home," Izaya sighed and leant back onto the couch. He had been here countless times before.

Of course without Shizuo knowing. The fireplace had never really caught his attention as it was never used. A few books had been stapled inside the small opening and he had actually mistaken it for a hole Shizuo just happened to punch into the wall.

"Well I don't want to ruin my apartment on Christmas Eve if I can help it," Shizuo threw in and Izaya couldn't help but show a grin.

"Ah. And my presence is like a fuse to that situation?"

Shizuo shrugged, "Depends." Usually it was, but- "Today you are awfully unannoying." Shizuo declared.

"I don't think that's a word Shizu-chan." Izaya pointed out, but honestly right now Shizuo didn't really care about any of the flea's teases.

"Couldn't come up with anything better."

And it seemed Izaya noticed his reluctance to fight.

At least for now, for these few minutes of drying themselves after almost drowning he wanted to relish in peace.

Peace shared with a flea that had different ideas.

"What makes you think you can spend an entire evening with me without resorting to rage?"

It was a stupid idea, but only now Shizuo started to regret that he had brought Izaya along, he started to realize his misconception.

"I'm hoping for you to act like a decent human being for once."

"Me? A flea?" Izaya laughed, "Do you even hear yourself?"

"I'm starting to regret bringing you here at least," Shizuo groaned and took another sip of his hot chocolate.

Peace, but not what he had right now, but he guessed with Izaya around this was the best he could have.

And for a few moments the room actually turned quiet. But not because of Shizuo's words, but because of Izaya's curiosity. It had been a while since he had last visited Shizuo's apartment and right now it differed by the amount of Christmas decoration that had been placed around the entire room.

There were some garlands depicting bells and twigs. No tree sadly, but a mistletoe above the entrance and a few ornaments randomly placed around the room.

It was quite obvious that Shizuo had decorated his apartment himself, especially judging from the way the mistletoe had been hung up by a fat strand of tape.

"I'm curious, Shizu-chan. You don't seem to be this invested into any other holidays. Why Christmas?" Izaya found himself asking after spotting a few fake snowflakes pressed onto the window glass.

"Why not?" was the only answer he received as Shizuo shrugged.

"No, I mean, why even bother if you end up alone anyway?" Izaya repeated, and despite the comment sounding awfully snarky and mean, Shizuo noticed the slightest drop at the word alone, that kept him from overreacting.

Izaya was serious.

This was not a question to annoy him.

And for a second Shizuo recalled the picture he had seen.

The flea in that park. All alone. And he looked down into his hot chocolate mug.

"Why did you build me?"

The question came as much unexpected to Izaya as it was to Shizuo.

"What?"

The faintest hint of snow started falling from the sky and Shizuo glanced towards his window as he watched a few of them descend.

"The snow sculptures," he repeated and faced the flea. "I was one of them."

He didn't know what to expect.

An actual answer?

Something akin to a normal conversation? He must have been a fool to think he could talk to the flea just like that.

Walls pulled up faster than Shizuo was able to tell and Izaya's eyes hardened.

"Your eyesight must be pretty bad if you confused Kadota with yourself," Izaya lied out of his ass- why? Shizuo couldn't tell.

But it was annoying.

He had seen him build it, he had seen the resemblance and also-

"You called it Shizu-chan," he pointed out with his own mood shifting towards slight annoyance.

And Izaya paused.

Anger.

Madness.

Shizuo had seen those emotions in Izaya's eyes more often than not and right now it seemed he was perfectly heading down the road that triggered them.

"Eavesdropping? A new habit of yours?" Izaya hissed and Shizuo regretted the second he had asked the question.

"Don't make it sound like anything bad, it's not my problem if you talk to yourself at such a volume," he tried to rectify himself, but just like a bug sitting in the midst of a hole of sand every movement he made seemed to only dig his grave further.

"At least I have someone to talk to," Izaya snarled and Shizuo's eyebrow twitched and his mouth spoke before his mind caught up to his words.

"Kasuka and his girlfriend would be sitting here right now if you weren't here you damned flea."

Silence.

That right now.

It blew all teasing anger from Izaya's expression for a split second and Shizuo realized he had messed up.

Right now. He did. And yet-. what was this burning sensation in his guts?

This madness that drove his tongue despite his conscience?

"What? You sent them off to make room for me? I'm honored." Izaya snarled and Shizuo spoke with no control over his words.

"Would you rather have me left you behind?" Their words were dripping with venom, their implied slashes injuring each other with obvious results-

It was always like this- goddamn always-

Why?

Shizuo just wanted some goddamn peace- so how did Izaya manage to make him act this way?

"I don't need your pity Shizu-chan," Izaya hissed and Shizuo clicked his tongue.

"Didn't look like that to me."

He didn't see it coming when Izaya suddenly stood from the couch- wrapped in the blanket but fast as if he were wearing nothing but his usual clothes.

Hot cocoa poured over Shizuo's head and for a second the blond jumped in an attempt to avoid the stinging heat of the sweet beverage.

"Aw sorry, Seems I slipped," Izaya crooned and the cup of cocoa turned into the red fabric used to aggravate bulls.

Reaching for Izaya, Shizuo's eyes narrowed and his fits tightened, but of course Izaya was faster than him. Almost stumbling over his own towel around his hip Shizuo barely caught his balance in time to see his hot chocolate mug fly past his face and smash into the opposite wall.

A head was turned-

The mug was a present from Kasuka-

"YOU DAMNED FLEA-"

And suddenly all hell broke loose.

Wild gestures and rigid moves tried to reach for the slippery eel that was Izaya and Izaya? Izaya only laughed.

"What's wrong? I thought you wanted to celebrate Christmas?" he called and suddenly the couch they had been sitting on lifted off the ground.

Faster than the vending machine the object flew over and Izaya avoided it barely, almost losing his blanket in the process.

"Destroy! Like the monster you are!" he called and headed for the front door- because he might be a maniac, but he wasn't stupid enough to stay this close to a monster in nothing but a blanket.

"You shitty little-!" Shizuo called and Izaya grasped the door handle- but he made a mistake. His calculations on speed were based on what he normally moved like- but with the blanket?

Turning around forcefully, Izaya suddenly found his wrist yanked away from the door and his back pressed into the wood as the blond pinned his shoulder into the door.

A fist embedded itself into the wood right next to Izaya's head and for a split second Izaya saw his life rush past his eyes and time slowed down.

That's it.

Great.

He was going to die on fucking Christmas Eve.

He was going to die from Shizuo's hands on Christmas Eve.

And suddenly Shizuo stopped.

Stopped moving.

Stopped glaring.

Because Izaya's body had relaxed.

He was looking at him, with madness in his eyes and Izaya was looking back, half pleased and yet something was off.

And despite not understanding what it was, Shizuo suddenly felt calmer.

Calm enough to regain control over his body and lips and so his eyes narrowed and his grip on Izaya's shoulder loosened.

"What?" he asked, but it seemed his calm reaction was not what Izaya had wanted at all.

And suddenly it was there.

Soft.

Moist.

Izaya's tongue on Shizuo's nose.

A lick.

He had god damn licked the fucking tip of his nose.

Mad confidence radiated off the flea with not a shred of fear to be spotted as he merely grinned.

"Mistletoe." Izaya announced and somehow Shizuo understood.

He was aware of the Mistletoe above them. He had hung it there himself. Izaya was trying to aggravate him again. Had noticed how he had calmed down. He should be mad.

Mad as hell.

Punch his face in for the stupid action and yet- Shizuo was too perplexed and confused to act accordingly.

"... you are not supposed to lick it," he answered instead, delivering the simple statement as though he was announcing the weather- and Izaya obviously disliked that fact.

"No? I was trying to get as much on your nerves as possible though," he announced, but still.

No reaction.

It was as though Shizuo just conveniently decided to calm down and not murder anyone on Christmas. And it was infuriating.

Why?

Izaya couldn't tell.

Couldn't even make sense of his own mess of thoughts inside his brain. Regret, anger and sadness mixed into a dangerous cocktail of emotions inside his mind.

"That's a disappointing reaction," he continued as Shizuo had failed to reply anything yet.

"Shut up."

No.

"What if I don't?"

Shizuo was glaring. And for a second Izaya thought he would show him what continuing to rant was going to trigger. But instead Shizuo seemed confused. In thoughts.

Soft crackling coming from the fireplace served the only soundtrack in their stalemate and suddenly Izaya realized how close they were.

Shizuo was wearing nothing but a towel. He was wearing a towel and a blanket, barely covering what was necessary.

The frozen pond- Shizuo had dragged him out of the water. Had saved his life.

He didn't even say thanks and he doubted Shizuo wanted to hear any of that.

That's just what he was like that's what Izaya-

"Say Shizu-chan would a kiss be worse?"

Izaya didn't see his own words coming. And neither did Shizuo.

"Huh?!"

Anger.

Madness.

The second Izaya moved he was probably going to be killed and yet his body moved before his mind could hinder him.

Soft.

Unexpectedly soft.

That's what Shizuo's lips felt like against his own. Cracked in some spots from dryness, but overall warm, smooth.

And for a second Shizuo's mind went blank and Izaya's too.

Fuck.

It was even better than he imagined. No matter how short this joy was going to be.

Quicker than he liked the kiss was over and Izaya retreated with his best

"Ah, am I dead now?"

Izaya was waiting for a punch. A good one from the side causing his ears to ring and his conscience to fade. Maybe Shizuo would blow his head clean off. He had the strength to.

And yet nothing happened.

Incredible silence ruled the moment and Izaya glanced upwards to meet Shizuo's eyes.

A glare was settled on his stupored expression.

"Woah you are almost scaring me frowning like that," Izaya announced in a quiet whisper.

And it was as though he had suddenly activated some sort of switch.

Shizuo blinked and his lips moved without speaking.

And suddenly they were there.

The words Izaya expected last.

"Do it again."

Now it was his time to remain in stupor as he blinked at Shizuo and his mad request.

"...what?" Was he taunting him? Was this a dare? Something along the lines of, kiss me again and you will be dead? Those thoughts were the most obvious conclusions and yet the second Izaya heard them he knew their nature was a different one.

No words were exchanged, only gazes lingered in each other's eyes and Izaya swallowed for a brief moment of hesitation.

This cruel hope sparking in his chest?

He had to be confusing something here. After all this was Shizu-chan.

And yet-

What was this?

This heat in his chest?

Ah. He might as well just do as Shizuo asked him to and die.

And so he did.

All reason he usually held was discarded in a moment of insanity as he leant forward and his lips touched Shizuo's once more.

Izaya's lips were soft. Colder than Shizuo's. Hesitant too.

But this time he stayed.

He stayed, he waited, and suddenly Shizuo returned the kiss.

The hand having held Izaya's shoulder in place suddenly lost its tension and Izaya caught a quick breath.

Glances met, their kiss parted for barely a second- and suddenly it was as though as bomb had gone off.

The hand on Izaya's shoulder slid to the back of his neck. Hair was bruised aside, lips met once more. Izaya's arms wandered up Shizuo's chest to his shoulders.

The blanket fell quicker than any of them was able to discard it and suddenly Shizuo's arm sneaked around Izaya's hips to pull him closer.

Eyes met, breaths merged and for a second the two just looked at each other.

No words were exchanged, only glances of raw desire.

All the rage Shizuo felt suddenly transformed into something entirely different-

"Izaya-" and Izaya looked up quickly only to snatch his lips in another kiss.

The moment felt as fragile as a glass figure on the tip of a table.

So easy to burst at just one wrong word.

Shizuo moved and suddenly the blanket, tangled somewhere on the ground, trapped Izaya's feet in an awkward stumble.

Shizuo could have kept the flea up easily, and yet instead he decided to merely follow as his palm cushion Izaya's head on his fall and his body followed Izaya to the ground.

Only the towels were separating them and suddenly Izaya's hand pulled at Shizuo's, revealing his entire body.

Shizuo glanced down for a second but no coherent thoughts managed to form when he looked at Izaya.

Below him.

Face slightly flushed, skin hot and with a gaze that looks like it was drowning worse than inside the water before.

An odd sense of despair made him discard all coherent thoughts.

Gone.

He wanted to wipe that expression off Izaya's face and so he leant down to catch Izaya's lips in a kiss.

More, more and suddenly the towel on Izaya's body shifted and they were pressed against each other.

A short glance of hesitation spread across his eyes, but Izaya was already wrapping his legs around Shizuo.

What were they doing?

He had no idea-

The fire was burning, the slow music of christmas carols was coming from outside, and with lacking restraint Shizuo pushed into the flea before he knew it

Everything was tight, hot, a mess-

Shizuo was, Izaya was-

Moans of both merged into their own carefully crafted piece of music.

Hands clawed Shizuo's back and breaths of air trembled in rigid moans.

Izaya's eyes were closed, but his body moved with every thrust and met Shizuo.

More.

More of this-

Why?

Shizuo didn't know.

Why did this happen?

With Izaya?

He didn't know.

All he knew was the warmth in his chest, and body. Izaya's skin pressed against his own. The sweet sounds filling his ears and with a few erratic thrusts Izaya spilled over the edge of pleasure.

And suddenly it was quiet.

Safe for their breath nothing seemed to fill the room and their gazes met.

The words why and how were both written across their faces, and yet not a single glimpse of regret was to be found.

Breaths.

Silence of a thousand words.

Nothing dared to interrupt the moment and for a second Shizuo could only stare.

Look at Izaya.

Below him.

Void of snarky replies. With no masks hiding his true intentions. He was just Izaya. Izaya as he truly was. The kind he had wanted. The kind he had tried to catch.

And it was as if he were looking properly at the flea for the first time in his life.

And Izaya seemed to have a similar experience albeit of a more controlled nature.

A smile, unlike anything Shizuo had ever seen spread across his lips and so Shizuo's finally moved.

"Iza-"

And suddenly it was there- the doorbell-

Turning his head quickly Shizuo looked up towards the cursed door.

Fuck-

Who?

But quicker than Shizuo was to think, Izaya had wormed his way out of his grasp. Before the blond had even a chance to react he had snatched the blanket they had dropped earlier and wrapped it around his body.

"Izaya-" Shizuo hissed quietly, but Izaya was already at the window. Opened it too and with a smile on his lips he turned his head for nothing but a quick moment.

"Merry Christmas. See you next year, Shizu-chan."

And with that he was gone.

Fast as flea he descended into the shadow that was the outside and Shizuo- Shizuo sat there.

On the ground.

Naked.

And completely confused.

Only the doorbell quickly ringing again snapped him out of his thoughts and in a moment of clarity he managed to grab his towel and wrapped it around his body before quickly answering the door.

"Brother."

He had expected anyone, really, but his brother and girlfriend had not been part of it.

"We saw light and thought maybe you were home after all," Ruri smiled, albeit a little abashed as she had not quite expected to meet her boyfriend's brother in nothing but a towel.

Gladly Kasuka was quicker to take over the flow of the conversation and looked into the room.

"What happened here?"

Ah.

Right.

His room looked like a mess.

There was hot cocoa everywhere, shards somewhere in the corner and the couch upside down.

"...a rat. There was a rat in my flat." Shizuo quickly lied off the top of head and Ruri laughed.

"And you tried to kill it with the couch?" she asked amused while Kasuka showed no true emotion.

"Did you get it?" Kasuka asked, and for some reason that question served as the one thing calming the raging storm inside Shizuo's brain.

Izaya.

He had been here.

And they-

Why?

Why?

He had no answer to that question.

Only a feeling of warmth spreading inside his chest as he thought about Izaya's last words.

See you next year.

Shizuos palm met his face in a soft groan and for a second he worried his brother it seemed.

"Shizuo?" he asked, but the only thing Shizuo had to offer was a smile and an answer to his question.

"I did."

And when we finally kiss goodnight,

how you'll hate going out in the storm,

But if you really hold me tight,

All the way home you'll be warm~

THE END

For anyone speculating, at least in my headcanon they are meeting up more frequently from now on to … "kill some rats" in Shizuo's apartment xDDDD

Merry Christmas everyone! xDDDD And sorry for taking ages to complete this hahaha I am, after all, a scatterbrain xD