Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

“BAH!”

Izaya’s eyes snapped open in surprise, jerking up to a sitting position as something slid down onto his lap. Looking down quickly, he cried out at the sight of the baby rolling down his legs and towards the floor, giggling happily. Izaya caught the child just in time, breathing out a sigh of relief. Then, he frowned, growing angry.

“Be careful! If I didn’t wake up fast enough, you would have fallen and busted your head open!”  He exclaimed,”Honestly, humans are so reckless! Even the small ones!”

He couldn’t help but be irritable, the brat had constantly been waking him up in the middle of the night, over and over. Izaya felt more exhausted than he had when he first went to sleep, the kid all of sudden screaming in his face didn’t help.

The baby didn’t seem to get that he was being insulted, and merely giggled, waving his hands and reaching for Izaya. The raven stared at the child silently, before sighing, moving the baby to his chest. The baby instantly curled his fingers into Izaya’s shirt and sighed happily, closing his eyes. Damn, this kid really was clingy.

In all honesty, this child was giving Izaya more human contact than he had experienced in years. It was strange to have someone actively looking for his affection, it made him feel.. Not so lonely, and a strange emotion filled him. It wasn’t his usual, sadistic happiness, it was something that felt more pure, and Izaya wanted to understand it. Unconsciously, he placed a hand gently on the baby’s back, eyes closed in relaxation.

But a nasty smell invaded his senses, and snapped him out of it.

Izaya pulled the baby away, looking at the baggy shirt it was wearing. Sure enough, there was a nice wet spot on it. Looking down, Izaya could now see and feel the wet spot on his own shirt. The little shit peed on him. Great, just what he wanted, more laundry. He would have preferred water at this point.

He set the baby on the bed, taking off the shirt and tossing it next to the other shirt and his fur jacket. He then removed his own shirt, and it joined the pile as well.

He placed the baby in the middle of the bed, watching him giggle and wave his hands. Izaya’s face contorted with concern, and he quickly moved forward, stacking his pillows around the baby so he couldn’t roll off the bed. Not that the little boy cared, having just grabbed his toes, and now staring at them in awe.

Izaya took the moment of distraction to walk to his dresser, looking through it to try and find some clothing to wear. He only had one more of those black shirts..

Well, how much damage can he do in between me putting it on and child services picking him up? Izaya reasoned, pulling out his own grey hoodie out and slipping it on, then putting the black shirt on the baby once more. The little boy’s blue eyes looked up at him once more, before he smiled and held out his hands again.

“Alright, one more hug, just because it’s time to get rid of you now,” Izaya said simply, kneeling down and bringing the baby to his chest, allowing the hug. The informant broker then walked over to his nightstand, opening the drawer and pulling out one of his several phones. He pulled out the paper with the number for the local social services in the district that he had looked up after the second time the baby had jerked him awake.

Finding the number, he dialed it and put the phone to his ear. However, as he pressed enter, it went straight to dial tone, not even reaching the number. Izaya’s red eyes narrowed, he dialed the number again, and again, and again. But it all was the same. He tried with two other phones, but it was the same. Had something happened to the service in the area?

Izaya frowned, what could possibly be causing this? Why did the universe torture him so? No, fuck no. He was not going to let a stupid phone get in the way of getting If he had to walk there, he would walk there. He didn’t care at all about a little rain.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, for Izaya.. It wasn’t a ‘little rain’ anymore.

Izaya found himself at the lobby of the apartment building, staring at the sliding front door in disbelief and shock. Against the glass, which was tightly shut, was a huge pile of snow pushing against it. They were snowed in, he literally couldn’t get out. Even then, who was crazy enough to walk in that?!

Izaya sighed, looking at the baby in his arms. The blue eyes stared up at him, still hugging to his chest. “This is crazy.. It was just raining yesterday, what happened?” He questioned aloud,”It never snows in Tokyo, it all just turns to slush!”

There was the sound of giggle behind him, and someone said,”You didn’t hear about the snowstorm coming? It was all over the news yesterday.”

Izaya turned around, noticing an old woman who was holding her laundry, and smiling at him. She had gray hair pulled up in a bun, with red glasses, and a simple blue yukata. Izaya felt a little frustration, slumping his shoulders as he declared,”Well I was kind of busy yesterday..”

The baby, as realizing he was being brought up into the conversation, let out a peal of happy giggles, and reached a hand out to grab at Izaya’s face.

The old woman gasped, walking over, and looking at the baby with adoration. “Aww.. What a handsome little man!” She cooed. The child’s loud nature suddenly went away, as he grew shy, and buried his face in Izaya’s chest, peeking out one blue eye.

The old woman looked up at him, and asked,”May I hold him?” Izaya suddenly felt a violent wave of a protective feeling, before he quickly shook it off and nodded. Why did he feel like this? It wasn’t like the kid was his.

They transferred the child over to the old woman’s arms, making him stare up at the woman curiously. She smiled, tickling the baby’s chest, and making him squeal happily. The old woman laughed at the child, saying,”What a happy boy!”

Seeing the woman make him laugh, Izaya felt a weird mix of happiness and jealousy. How did this child yank emotions out of him that he hadn’t felt in so long? Not even the hot-pot party that he wasn’t invited to bothered him this much.

After a few more giggles, the child caught sight of Izaya again. He whimpered, beginning to struggle, and held his hands out for Izaya. The woman realized what the baby wanted. “Oh, you want to go back to daddy?” She cooed, holding the child out to Izaya again.

“Oh, no no,” Izaya quickly said, taking the baby into his arms,”I’m.. Uh.. I’m not his dad. I found him in an alleyway. I was going to take him to child services today, but I guess I’ll just have to wait, thanks to this snow.”

      The old woman seemed to understand, as she looked down at the child. “I see, well, that was a very kind thing for you to do, young man. He wouldn’t have survived without your selflessness,” She said, smiling at him with happy brown eyes.

Izaya frowned, shaking his head again. “No.. No, I’m not kind..” Izaya told her truthfully,”I’ve done a lot of bad things, especially recently.. I’m not a good person at all, there’s nothing nice about me.”

The old woman looked at him, her eyes narrowing as she crossed her arms. “But yet you saved an infant child from death, the type of person you claim to be wouldn’t have even given him a second glance,” She pointed out,”You were willing to take care of him too, is that something a cruel person would do? I think that you’re simply trying to hide your true, kind nature behind a facade. I bet you really have a huge heart.”

Izaya stared at her in surprise, before looking down at the baby once more. The blue eyes stared up at him in return, before a grin exploded on his face. Izaya wondered about what the woman said.. Was she right..? How had she managed to see straight through him.

The woman knelt down, picking up the laundry basket and looking towards the young man. “Come with me, I’ll give you some tips to take care of him until the snow is gone, you know, if you still want to take him back,” She declared, walking to the elevator.

Izaya blinked, before quickly following after her. “What do you mean if? ” He questioned suspiciously.

The old woman merely gave a knowing smirk, before pressing the button to one of the lower floors. They were silent for a few moments, the only noise was the baby’s soft mumbles. Then, the old woman gasped, and turned to him. “I just realized that I didn’t give you my name,” She realized aloud,”My name is Kazumi Aoi, but call me Obaa-San,” She said,”Since I think we may be seeing each other a lot more!”

      Izaya knew she was probably right, since Izaya had no clue how to care for a baby. He usually would never push aside his pride for anything, but this baby needed him, this baby was his responsibility, at least until he got rid of him. This woman, by some sheer coincidence, is just the person he needed to help him. Plus, it wasn't like anyone else would know about this. He didn't mind swallowing his pride.. Just this once.

        They arrived on one of the floors below Izaya, in a smaller apartment than his. With much different furniture, most of which was a floral pattern. The whole room had the smell of cookies and reminded Izaya of his late grandmother’s home.

Aoi then motioned towards the couch. “Please, sit, I’ll be right back,” She told him, heading down the hall. Izaya watched her go, before looking down at the baby. The blue eyes were growing wet, and his lip turned out in a pout.

“What are you whining for?” Izaya grumbled,”You’re the reason we’re here.” The baby then began to whimper louder, until a loud sob escaped him. He began to cry so loudly, Izaya panicked, lifting the baby in the air.

The old woman rushed back in with a bag. Izaya looked at her hopelessly. “I don’t know why he’s crying!” Izaya exclaimed in panic, for once in his life he actually felt very desperate for help. Mainly because he had no idea what to do.

Aoi then frowned, and said,”Hang on one moment.” She rushed out again, and left Izaya for a few minutes, as he tried to calm down the child. But his soft words or firm threats did not stop the child from sobbing.

Finally, Aoi returned with a bottle and formula. “Here,” She ordered,”Feed him.” She arranged Izaya’s hands so he was holding the child correctly, and then gave him the bottle. Izaya gave a hopeful glance at it before giving it a try.

The baby’s small hands placed themselves against the bottle, as he drank from it greedily. “Oh..” Izaya realized. He forgot, the kid was left in a box in an alley, he probably was starving. The informant suddenly felt guilt stab through him.. He felt like a horrible person, why hadn’t he thought of something like this?!

Wait a second.. Why did he care so much? It wasn’t like he was going to keep the baby or anything. As soon as the snow was gone, the little brat was gone as well.

Hopefully he’ll find a happy and loving family that will take good care of him and make sure he’s happy-

Shut up Izaya! Stop caring! Stop caring!

Aoi smiled, watching as Izaya held the baby. She didn’t think the man realized just how naturally he seemed to be handling this, despite the circumstances. “I think you can handle him, so I’m going to go grab you a few things for you. My daughter likes to visit with her kids so I tend to always buy extra supplies to prepare, I also have some old baby clothes you can have,” She said excitedly, walking off.

Izaya watched her go, slowly moving to sit back on the couch. “Well, at least I can have my shirts back now,” He said idly, looking at the baby. The child ignored him, continuing to suckle at the bottle.

The woman came back with a big box of things, and set it down. She smiled at the sight. “Aww,” She cooed,”You know, you’d make a very good father.”

Izaya scoffed at this statement. “Oh please, I would never,” He declared,”I’m a fearsome monster, the most dangerous person in all of Ikebukuro, people fear me.”

“It’s hard for me to take that statement seriously while you’re holding a baby, that you sacrificed your own clothing for to keep warm,” Aoi smartly replied, causing Izaya to open his mouth to argue, before realizing he didn’t know what to say. He closed his mouth, totally not pouting at all.

Aoi moved to sit next to him. “I have some formula you can take, but you may run out before the snowstorm ends, but hopefully the stores will open before then,” She explained.

Izaya nodded in return, looking over at him. “Thank you for this, by the way, I’m not sure how much longer I would have survived,” He admitted, dropping his pride for another moment.

Aoi smiled gently, and nodded again. “Of course, young man, but we still have one more thing to do,” She told him firmly,”We need to give him a name.”

Izaya looked down at the baby, who was just about finished with his bottle. Yes, a name would be a good idea. That didn’t mean he was attached to the kid, but it would be better than calling him ‘the baby’ all the time. Looking down at the baby, those clear blue eyes stared back at him. There were like pools of shimmering, glowing water, and he instantly knew what a good name would be.

“What about.. Haru?” He suggested, not moving his own red eyes away from the child, Aoi noticed this, and wondered why Izaya continued to deny his feelings for the kid, he was already acting like a father but he didn’t seem to realize it.

Aoi nodded, and replied,”Haru.. Clear, spring, light. I think it fits him perfectly!” The old woman smiled, noticing the bottle was empty.

Izaya pulled the bottle away, and smiled. He lifted Haru up, and curiously asked,”What do you think, Haru? Do you like that name?”

Unfortunately for Izaya, Haru took that moment to throw up some of the formula  that he had just eaten. It splattered against Izaya’s grey sweater, and slid down onto his lap. Izaya continued to hold the baby up, his eyes half open and unamused.

Aoi took that moment to break out in laughter, standing up and picking up the whimpering baby, adjusting him in Izaya’s arms so that the baby could calm down and be comfortable. “That can happen sometimes, you’ll have to feed him soon again most likely,” She explained,”But he kept most of it down, so that’s good.”

Izaya sighed, listening to Aoi on how to burp Haru. He then pulled the baby back, and looked at him. The baby stared at him for a moment, before letting out a happy gurgle, and reaching his hands out. Izaya watched him for a moment, raising his eyebrow. But for some reason, he found his angered frown turning into a smile.

“I can’t seem to stay mad at you, Haru,” Izaya admitted, smiling as he leaned closer, leaning his forehead against the baby’s. Haru happily squealed in return, his hands grabbing at Izaya’s hair and getting as close as he could to the person who had saved and cared for him.

Aoi watched, seeing Izaya’s off guard moment. She knew that the two had already imprinted on each other, despite Izaya’s denial. She could only hope that Izaya would realize that he needed Haru as much as Haru needed him before the snowstorm ended.

-- -- -- -- -- --

After the vomiting incident, they gave the baby a quick cleaning, Aoi had fun teaching Izaya how to use diapers, and they put Haru in a Totoro onesie. Aoi then held Haru in Izaya’s penthouse while he set up the small crib after he changed his shirt again. Aoi made sure to drop several hints about how she could help him find a permanent crib and other supplies when the snow was gone for Haru, most of the time it caused Izaya to mutter himself quietly.

Once they were finished, Aoi gave the young man a few more tips. “I’ll come and visit in a few days to check on you two,” She promised,”Think you can handle yourself until then?”

“Sure,” Izaya said, taking the sleepy baby into his arms,”How much harder can it get?” But his smirk went away when Aoi laughed, shoulders shaking.

“Oh, you’ll regret saying that in a few days.. But I’ll see you then! You have my number if you need anything,” She told him, kneeling down a bit. “Goodbye little Haru, you and your dada have fun, okay? Go easy on him!”

The woman left, and Izaya waved goodbye. After the door shut, Izaya looked down just in time to see Haru yawning. “Oh, are you sleepy?” He asked curiously,”Well, it has been a busy day for you. You peed and vomited on me so you’ve had quite a busy day.”

Izaya wouldn’t lie, he was pretty tired too. So he headed upstairs, rocking the baby slightly. “We’ll put you to bed, and I’ll take a quick nap too. But I need to do some computer work eventually,” He explained, not caring that the baby didn’t even know what he was saying. The baby didn’t seem to mind, cuddling against Izaya’s chest with his thumb in his mouth.

They got upstairs, and Izaya lowered the baby into the crib, making the baby whimper slightly. Before he could start crying again, Izaya quickly brought a hand into the crib, letting the baby grab his finger. “Shh.. It’s okay Haru, it’s just time to go to sleep,” He promised, forgetting about trying to make sure he was distancing himself from this child. Seeing him in distress stabbed Izaya in his heart.

The baby’s teary eyes slowly began to close, his whimpering slowing down as he  realized Izaya wasn’t going to leave. Finally, the baby’s eyes closed, breathing deepening, as he fell into a relaxing sleep.

Izaya stared down at the child, a soft smile crawling up at his face. This was the first time in a long time someone had actually wanted to be near Izaya, and Izaya in turn didn’t mind it. He had thought the child would be a nuisance, but for some reason, he didn’t care. Haru even soiled his clothing several times, Izaya didn’t care.

The baby needed Izaya, he was so small and helpless. It made Izaya think about how the adoption rate of children in Japan was so low, how Haru would probably stuck in child services for the rest of his life.. Haru was such a happy baby, he didn’t deserve that. Hadn’t he been through enough?

In that moment, staring down at that baby in his care, Izaya felt a thought jump into his mind.

Maybe… Maybe he could, maybe he could adopt him like Aoi said?

Izaya then came back to himself, pulling his hand away, as the baby remained asleep. He then began pacing the room, running a hand through his hair quickly. “Oh no!” He said quickly,”No Izaya, stop it! I don’t care, I don’t care about Haru. He’ll be gone soon anyways, then I will get to be alone again.”

But, as Izaya walked back to the crib and looked down at the Haru, the one who looked up to him with so much love and affection, who cuddled against him like he was a lifeline, who managed to somehow squeeze through all of Izaya’s defenses no matter how hard he tried, a fleeting thought entered his mind.

Was being alone again.. Really what he wanted?

Chapter Text

-- -- -- -- -- --

Three Days Later

-- -- -- -- -- --

-Kanra has entered the chatroom-

Tanaka: Oh, hello Kanra-chan!

Bakyura: Hey, look who finally decided to show up!

Kanra: Sorry, I’ve been pretty busy

Setton: During a snowstorm?

Kanra: Work related issues, I’m lucky I was able to send the emails to tell my boss

Bakyura: Oh? No over the top emoticons and exclamation points? Are you dying?

Kanra: Whatever

Saika: I’m just thankful school is out right now

Setton: I can’t do my job now, hopefully it won’t last much longer

Tanaka: I kind of hope the snow storm stays, it’d be nice to have a break from classes

Bakyura: Hah! Sucks to be you guys, it’s all sunny skies down by the beach~!

Saika: That’s not very nice, Bakyura-kun

Bakyura: Whatevs, I’ll finish this conversation and then go swimming

Tanaka: Haha, sure whatever. Our power will probably be out soon again then we won't have to hear you brag.

Bakyura: Don’t be jealous, Tanaka~

Tanaka: I’m not!

Bakyura: Yes you are~!

Kanra: gtfhgjhfvgc974erjgsmvjuyrjm/,1y38b

Bakyura: What the fuck?

Setton: Um.. Kanra?

Tanaka: What just happened?

Saika: I don’t know

Bakyura: Maybe she finally keeled over and died

Tanaka: Bakyura-kun!

Setton: Maybe she just glitched?

While the chat group pondered the strange, random message, if one were to find themselves in a certain informant broker’s penthouse, they would see him hunched over, asleep on his keyboard. As his text box continued to fill with random messages, Izaya remained asleep, his arms hanging off the desk.

He probably would have remained asleep for quite a long time past that, if it weren’t for the power suddenly shutting off again. His screen flashed white, before shutting down, along with all other plugged in electronics. The flash of white, peddled with the weird noise the computer made, caused the raven to jerk up in surprise, a weird snort escaping him as he looked up, frantically trying to see what made the noise.

Izaya’s baggy red eyes stared at the black screen of his computer, the power button wasn’t even lit up. He then sighed, running a hand over his pale face. “You have got to be kidding me..” He groaned, his hand going to run through his messy hair. Because he hadn’t exactly had a chance to do it, it was sticking up in all directions.

Izaya pressed his fingers to his throbbing temples, thanking himself for choosing to email the people he needed to talk to before he went into the chatroom. But now power went out, and he was left with no way of knowing if Shiki got his replies or not. Oh well, hopefully the man would take his advice and visit when the storm was over, the baby would be gone by then so he wouldn’t have to worry.

Speaking of Haru, I should probably go check on him. He hasn’t made any noise in like 2 minutes, usually he’s shrieking the second I try and put him down.. Izaya thought. I’m starting to worry about that. Wait, no. I’m not worried. It’s not my problem.

The sleep deprived raven stood up, forcing himself to walk towards the stairs. However, in his exhausted state, he missed the stairs entirely. Instead, he smacked into the wall next to it facefirst. Izaya groaned out in pain, peeling himself off the wall as his hand went to his throbbing nose. Pulling it away at the feeling of something wet on it, he found blood on his hand. Great, now he had a bloody nose too.

He sighed in annoyance, now taking extra care to make sure he was in front of the stairs, grabbing the railing, and taking the trip upstairs. He went to his room, slowly opening it up. As soon as he got near the door, he heard Haru’s nervous whimpers. Instantly, Izaya felt that strange, protective feeling rise up in his chest as he moved quickly into his bedroom.

He could see the baby, looking around and whimpering frantically. Then, he saw Izaya in his view. Instantly, the baby grew excited. He wiggles his body, kicking his legs in his duck pajamas, and released excited peals of laughter.

Once again, a genuine smile crawled up on his face, Dammit, how did this child manage to make him smile so easily?!

However, as he got closer to the crib, a trail of blood leaked from his nose. The baby froze, his blue eyes widening at the sight. Then, he flew into full blown shrieks of terror.

Izaya’s eyes widened in shock and confusion, suddenly he was wide awake. “Ahh! What’s wrong?!” He questioned aloud, suddenly feeling the wet feeling on his top lip. Oh, the blood is scaring him!

Usually, blood wasn’t something that seemed to bother babies. If Izaya had to guess, based on the bruises the poor child had, he knew what blood was. EVen at that tender age he probably knew.

The raven felt huge, violent, all encompassing guilt flow through his body. This time, he didn’t try to deny or stop it. He was the best informant broker in Tokyo, he should have known something like this! I feel like such a horrible parent..

Before Izaya could catch himself and switch the word ‘parent’ to another word that involved less bonding, he quickly wiped the blood away from his nose. He held his sleeve there for a moment, feeling the nosebleed stop.

“Haru, look,” He said quickly, pulling his hand away,”Look, all gone, all better Haru, it’s okay now.”

The baby didn’t seem to care, and continued crying. Izaya felt panicked once more, reaching in and grabbing the baby. He didn’t understand, he was fed, his diaper was still dry, what could possibly be making him sad? Izaya needed to calm him down.

Izaya’s mind raced, thinking back. What did his mother used to do when his sisters cried? She used to act silly. The thought may have sounded revolting a few days ago, but after dealing with dirty diapers, vomit, irregular sleeping hours, and many other things, even what was left of Izaya’s pride was willing to surrender for a moment.

He held up the child a bit, and softly said,”Haru.” The baby boy stopped for a moment, staring through his tears. In that moment, Izaya stuck his tongue out, wiggling it and making weird noises.

Haru’s eyes widened in surprise for a moment, before he let out a peal of giggles. The baby’s laughter was like music to Izaya’s ears, something he couldn’t seem to get enough of. He moved so they were sitting on the bed, and sticking his tongue out again, causing the laughter to come back once more.

Izaya didn’t think he would have been able to stop this giddy if he tried his hardest. Something about the happy noise, and the fact that Izaya was the one who caused him to laugh. He was making someone happy and, for some reason, it felt so much better than causing all the trouble he usually did.

Haru released another happy sound, taking his hands and reaching out. Izaya leaned down, letting Haru’s hands cover his mouth. When he pulled his hands away, Izaya stuck his tongue out again, and exclaimed,”Bleh!”

Haru jumped, letting out another loud, happy peal of giggles. Soon, Haru’s laughter gained an additional partner that was Izaya’s laughter. It had been so long since Izaya laughed or genuinely smiled, he didn’t think he could stop.

The laughter and noises turned into peekaboo, then tickling, and then eventually cuddling. The energetic Haru had fallen fast asleep on Izaya’s chest, and Izaya was not far behind.

It seemed that ever since Haru came around, Izaya had been unable to keep his mask up. But for some reason, he didn’t mind that. In fact, he welcomed it. It felt so nice to be off guard, to just relax, to even have someone else by his side that didn’t hate him. Sure, everyone he knew would probably laugh if they heard the big bad Izaya was acting like this, making silly faces to cheer up a tiny baby boy.

But as long as it was for Haru, Izaya didn’t mind.

-- -- -- -- -- -- --

Before meeting Izaya, Haru was obviously an abused and neglected baby, even though Izaya couldn’t fathom a reason someone would want to injured such a sweet and innocent kid. But, the after effects showed on how much the baby needed Izaya’s attention, if Izaya wasn’t close enough, Haru would start to panic badly. Izaya knew this was because Haru felt safe with him, after all he was Haru’s fath- um.. Caretaker, and the first person Haru knew who genuinely cared for him. (Izaya found he couldn’t deny that fact anymore).

Izaya usually kept him close anyways, he was a baby after all. Haru would usually be close or nearby, sitting in a baby bouncer Aoi let him borrow. However, this wasn’t enough for Haru. He wanted to be with the raven, cuddled against him, to be kept close. If that didn’t happen, the baby would start to get nervous, then start to cry and reach for him desperately. The raven didn’t mind, he would hold the child and calm him down, sometimes he could multitask. However, the rave

Izaya first realized this when power finally returned the next day, and he tried to answer any emails he hadn’t managed to a few days ago.. Well, tried.

Haru was close by, close enough that he could see Izaya. But to him, that wasn’t close enough. Izaya tried to give him toys, but the baby would often drop them the second he caught sight of the raven, and started to panic again.

Izaya ignored the sounds at first, typing an extremely long email to Shiki about information he was supposed to deliver months ago. It was a lot, and his hands were flying across the keyboard to try and explain it all. He spent some time trying to decide how to deliver this information to Shiki, some of it was difficult..  But it didn’t help that he was still trying and failing at getting a stable sleeping schedule, he was completely exhausted still..

“Ahh!” Haru suddenly cried, starting to whimper and shift around, causing the baby bouncer to squeak loudly.

Izaya frowned, slowing down his typing to look at the baby. Haru’s blue eyes saw Izaya’s red eyes turn towards him, and started to shift even more, letting out hopeful noises.

Giving an exhausted sigh, Izaya stood up, walking over, and picking up the baby. Haru instantly burrowed against the raven, sighing happily. “Haru,” Izaya grumbled halfheartedly,”I can’t keep doing this, you know I have work. I can’t type very well with one hand, and I have nothing to hold you with.”

Haru, obviously, didn’t understand him. He simply stayed against Izaya, relaxing immensely, because he adored Izaya more than anything in the world. A few days ago, this may have made Izaya mad, he may have even snapped at the child. However, Izaya could not deny it anymore. He genuinely cared for Haru, he was Izaya’s main priority now. Well.. It wasn’t like he had a due date for the information.. Plus, he could explain it much easier in person.

Making up his mind, Izaya slowly shifted Haru to one arm, and looked back at his computer. His hand hovered over the keyboard, before he pressed and held the backspace button. Then, with one hand, he typed out ‘It would be easier to explain in person, once the snow is gone, please come visit me and I’ll explain everything’

After sending it, Izaya turned off his computer and moved away from it. He couldn’t be tempted by it, he needed to remember who was more important. It was his so- It was Haru.

He sat on the couch, letting the baby clutch to him as he rocked him gently back and forth. As much as his boss might get mad at him, Izaya decided that he didn’t care. Haru needed him more right now.

And as long as it was for Haru, Izaya didn’t mind.

-- -- -- -- -- --

About two days later, Izaya had been holding Haru after burping him, when a rancid smell reached his nose. “You smell nasty right now,” He grumbled, using a hand to rub his eyes. “How do babies deal with it? Surely you can smell that too?”

Haru didn’t seem to care, continuing to shake the small stuff duck in his hand while gurgling out random noises. Izaya rolled his eyes good naturedly, before he stood with the baby, causing the blue eyed boy to look up at him. As soon as he saw Izaya’s face, a cute little smile crawled up his cheeks as he held up his hands and yelled,”DA!”

Izaya smiled back, shifting the baby closer and declaring,”I think that it’s bath time, what about you Haru?”

Of course Haru didn’t know what a bath was, he just kept babbling as Izaya carried him up the stairs. Once they were in the bathroom, he stopped. How hot was the baby bath supposed to be?

He pulled out his phone, looking around on several websites while bouncing him. “Okay, 2 inches of water.. Warm enough that the baby won’t get cold but not burning,” He said, before tilting his head, and read aloud,”’Put your elbow in the water to check the temperature?’ Why not just use your hand?”

He read a few other sites to check, and that he could also use his wrist to check the water. He hummed firmly, before placing his phone on the counter, away from the bath, and lifting Haru to eye level. “See Haru? This is why you don’t believe everything on the internet,” He explained. Haru giggled, smiling at the sound of the raven’s voice.

Izaya brought the baby bouncer in, much to Haru’s dismay, and started warming up the water and filling the bath. Once it was about two inches deep, he felt the water, thankful that it felt like it was the right temperature. Then.. It was the moment of truth.

He took off the baby’s onesie and diaper. Haru’s bruises, thankfully, were almost gone, and his rash was cleared. He had also filled out some as well, not as much as Izaya would like, but he still looked much better than when Izaya first found him.

He lifted the baby up, tensing nervously as he slowly lowered the baby into the small amount of water, holding him upright with one hand for safety. If Izaya was honest with himself, he was expecting some kind of meltdown. But, once again, Haru surprised him. After the baby sat in the water for a few moments, he started to giggle and babble, completely fine to be in the water.

Izaya sighed in relief, and then began to clean the baby. He scooped the warm water up, washing the baby’s body calmly. Haru was very calm for most of it, most of the time he was just calmly babbling and playing with his hands. Thankfully, there was no panic when Izaya washed his hair either.

Right when the bath was just about over, the baby started to get curious about the water. He looked down, his little hands touching the water experimentally. Suddenly, the baby grew even more excited. He squealed happily, lifting his hands and slapping the water, sending water flying into the air. Izaya cried out, and jumped slightly, but found himself bursting out laughing. “Haru!” He exclaimed between breaths.

Haru started giggling too. Then, he kicked his legs, making small splashes, a toothless smile climbing up his face again as he laughed even harder.

Izaya chuckled, using his own hand to splash around the water. Haru laughed excitedly with each splash, reaching out and grabbing Izaya’s hand. “Uwah!” He exclaimed happily, turning to look up at Izaya. He then smiled again, reaching up for Izaya.

Izaya smiled, placing his hands under the baby’s arms, and lifting him up. “Upsie daisy!” Izaya cheered, lifting the baby up and smiling happily. Haru stared directly at him for a long moment, before giggling once more.

Izaya felt happiness and.. Love fill his heart. He grabbed his softest towel, wrapping the baby in it, and drying him off gently. Once the baby was dry, he got a new diaper, and was dressed in a nice duck onesie.

Everything wound down much easily after that, Izaya rocked the child gently as he fell asleep. Little Haru leaned against Izaya’s chest as he closed his eyes, and his breathing relaxed. His hand clutched tightly to Izaya’s grey hoodie sleeve, everything was at peace.

Izaya smiled gently, watching the sight as he felt that strange, familiar feeling return. He walked up the stairs, and deposited the baby in his crib. The hand that had been holding Izaya’s shirt dropped next to him, and Izaya released a huge breath of relief when he realized the child stayed asleep.

He moved to his own bed, and curled up in the covers. For a few minutes, he remained awake and just continued to think. His feelings had definitely changed as time went on, but he didn't know what to call it.. What was he to Haru now?

Izaya went to close his eyes, and didn’t know how long he was asleep before crying woke him up. Izaya took it all in stride, picking up Haru, gently calming him, and reminding the child that he was there, and he wasn’t going to go anywhere. Sure, he’d probably be waking up a few more times, and Izaya may lose even more sleep because of it.

But as long as it was for Haru, Izaya didn’t mind.

-- -- -- -- -- --

Just as Izaya suspected, Haru woke him up several more times over the course of the night. Izaya was so used to it at this point, of course that didn't make it any less exhausting. He was so tired throughout the course of the night, he didn't even notice the change outside until much farther into the morning.

It was when he was downstairs, watching the last of the formula warm up in a bowl of hot water as he held a babbling Haru in his arms, while desperately attempting to keep himself awake.

He sighed, blinking quickly a few times. I’m out of formula.. He thought. How am I supposed to keep feeding him? I have nothing else, and Aoi gave me the last of what she had. What will I do? The snow still isn’t gone..

Just by instinct, Izaya looked over towards his large window and saw the same old streets, cars, and people wandering around on the sidewalks.. He sighed, turning back towards the formula as he- Wait.. Cars.. People?!

Turning back towards the window, he suddenly realized that though people were all still bundled up, the snow was gone! “OH thank god!” Izaya said aloud,”I was starting to go stir crazy in here.”

He turned around, supporting Haru with one hand as he pulled out his phone. “Now everything will finally go back to normal,” He said, though his words were empty.

He tapped around on the screen until he reached his number pad. He typed in the number for child protective services. However, right when he was going to place his thumb on the call button, something stopped him.

He stared at his phone for a long moment, before his gaze turned to look around his large apartment. Though a week ago, he would have been ecstatic to finally have Haru gone.. Now he didn’t feel the same.

The days Izaya had with Haru, even though it was only a handful, were some of the most stressful, teeth grinding, exhausting days Izaya had ever experienced. But along with that came the laughter, the smiles, the rewards from the hard work.

Looking around his- no, their home, Izaya realized how everything that belonged to Haru just seemed to mingle perfectly with all of his own things. It was like it had been meant to be. He turned his head to look at the baby, who turned to look up at him, and instantly smiled.

Izaya smiled back, of course he did. Haru.. Haru wasn’t someone he was taking care of, Haru was much more than that. His smiles warmed his heart, he was a constant companion, he needed Izaya just as much as Izaya needed him. The raven suddenly understood the strange feeling in his heart, it was love. With Haru, Izaya was loved, and he knew how to love. With Haru, Izaya wasn’t alone. With Haru, Izaya was complete.

Because Haru wasn’t just a kid.

He was Izaya’s child.

Haru was his son.

Izaya pressed his phone’s power button, and then placed it down on his counter. He then used both his hands, and lifted Haru up to his eye level. Haru made a slight nervous noise, before looking at Izaya. The raven smiled, and then leaned against the counter. “Don’t worry Haru,” He gently promised,”You aren’t going to go anywhere. I’m going to take care of you, now and always. You have no reason to be afraid, dad is here.”

He brought the baby closer, holding him against his chest in a very gentle hug. Affection coursed through him as he lowered his head, gently kissing the baby’s forehead. Haru giggled happily, his hands seeking purchase of Izaya’s shirt as he nuzzled into his father’s shoulder. Izaya smiled, his hand rubbing up and down Haru’s back, as he looked down at the child, just listening to the sounds of his son’s breathing, his happy gurgles. It was music to his ears.

In that moment, everything was peaceful.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?”

Izaya’s head lurched up, turning to look for the voice. Somehow, Izaya hadn’t heard the sound of his front door opening up. Now, standing in his living room and staring at him, were two members of the Awakusu-kai that he knew all too well..

Akabayashi and Shiki.

Chapter Text

The tension and fear that suddenly flowed into the penthouse was suffocating. For several long moments, Izaya’s wide red eyes watched his bosses, and they stared right back. This may have gone on for a long while if nothing had stopped it, but Haru seemed to be able to sense the tension, and began to whimper fearfully, pushing his face against Izaya’s chest with his hands clutching tightly to Izaya’s hoodie.

This instantly pulled the raven’s attention away from the two men, as he lifted the baby a bit, placing a hand on his back, and rubbing comfortingly. “Shh.. It’s okay, it’s okay, they’re not gonna hurt us, they’re not gonna hurt you,” Izaya firmly promised.

Akabayashi wouldn’t lie, he was extremely surprised. He’d never heard or seen the supposed heartless and sadistic informant be so gentle, or sound so kind, towards.. Well, anything really! But all of a sudden, Izaya was acting like a doting mother. After comforting the baby, he raised his head and stared at them suspiciously, as a protective aura began to surround him completely. It was actually a little scary to be honest.

After a few more awkward moments of this, Shiki finally declared,”I am responding to your email, you told me to come after the snow melted. At first I was pretty frustrated at this request, but now I realize why you couldn’t type it all out. You’ve obviously been very occupied.”

The Awakusu executive could see this easily, not only because he saw the baby, but from the state his informant was actually in. He saw the very visible bags under his eyes, the crazy mop of black hair, and the disheveled grey hood and black sweats. In fact, it even took Izaya a moment to register his words. “Email?” The raven questioned aloud,”Oh.. Oh! Okay! Give me a second, I’ll be right there, make yourselves at home.”

The raven moved over to where his desk was, pulling a few files out, and then moving back to the kitchen, while the two men crossed over to the couch. When he sat down, Shiki noticed something very interesting.

The strange board game Izaya had created, it was missing, nowhere to be seen. In it’s place was many things that belonged to the child, diapers, toys, and some clothes. Hmm.. Having that baby seems to be doing good.. Shiki thought curiously Maybe he’ll settle down a bit, and stop doing batshit crazy things, if he has a kid to take care of. Plus, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile like that.. Maybe the baby is already doing good for him.

Izaya returned, bottle and baby in hand, and some files under his arm. He frowned, struggling a bit, until Akabayashi walked over to the tired young man. “Here, I’ll help you,” He said, taking the baby and the bottle, sitting back against the couch.

Izaya watched Akabayashi for a moment, before placing the files on the coffee table, sliding them up to Shiki. Then, he quickly turned. But Akabayashi had sat down next to Shiki, lifting the baby up. “What a handsome little man,” He cooed, tickling the baby. Haru giggled, kicking his legs in the air and babbling excitedly.

Akabayashi chuckled, and then lowered the baby to his lap, picking up the bottle. “Hmm.. He seems skinny,” He said, looking up at Izaya curiously,”Why is that?”

Izaya sighed, he really didn’t think it was any of his business. But Shiki was staring at him as well, which caused Izaya to respond,”I found him a week ago, in a box underneath a blanket. His bruises are almost cleaned up now, but my guess is that someone didn't take very good care of him, and in the end decided to dump him.”

Shiki hummed curiously, picking up one of the files and flipping through it. “A noble action, especially for you, Izaya, I never thought you would tie yourself down with something like a child,” He replied.

Izaya’s face turned slightly red as he sat down, running a hand through his bedhead. “I know, I know.. But I wasn't planning on keeping him at first,” He admitted, looking over at the baby. Instantly, a smile came across his face.

“But.. He grew on me,” He softly said,”And I don't think I could imagine life without him now. I know that giving him back would just leave him alone in an orphanage. I can’t do that, I’m going to keep him, and I am going to raise him right.”

Izaya then crossed his arms, and firmly declared,”A-and if you don't like that, then I'm sorry, but I.. I love him, he’s my son. I’m going to take care of him no matter what.”

Shiki and Akabayashi both had different reactions. Shiki was slightly surprised, but he also seemed to feel pretty calm about the whole thing. Akabayashi, however, was extremely surprised and proud all at once.

It was no secret that the Awakusu-Kai executive loved kids, and he would do anything to make sure they were all safe. It was one of the few lines he never let people cross. He was shocked at fact someone who he used to think was insane actually had the capacity to care for and protect an innocent baby.

As he looked down at the blue eyed baby, he noticed the fading purple spots on the child’s face, however, he also saw that the baby’s cheeks were filled out a bit, and the healthy skin tone. The man also noticed how, even while being fed by Akabayashi, his eyes were looking at Izaya, and filling with excitement every time he caught sight of the raven. He knew that Izaya was not the cause of Haru’s despair, but the author of his happiness.

Flicking his eye at the raven, he realized just how unkempt he looked. His wrinkled grey hoodie and black sweats, the obvious bags under his eyes, and the way his hair stuck out haphazardly in different directions. He was obviously taking this very seriously, and devoting much time and attention to the child. It made Akabayashi very happy, knowing this child was well cared for.

Suddenly, he was seeing the informant broker in a new light.

It seemed Shiki was thinking the same, as he simply shook his head. “Don’t worry, I’m not angry,” Shiki explained,”In fact, I think you need this child as much as he needs you. You compliment each other, in a strange way.”

Izaya’s tense figure sighed in relief, shoulder’s slumping and steel eyes melting into gentle pools as he said,”Thank you, Shiki-sama.”

Shiki merely nodded, before placing a finger on a set of numbers on one paper. “Can you explain to me where you got these numbers from?” He asked, gaining a nod from Izaya as the younger scooted forward to speak.

The next hour consisted of Izaya explaining the information he had about his assigned targets to Shiki, while Akabayashi entertained the baby after feeding and burping him. However, near the end of the meeting, Haru grew restless. Instead of laughing at Akabayashi’s childish noises, he started to cry and reach out for Izaya.

Izaya reacted instantly, moving over, and scooping up the child. Haru whimpered loudly, hiding his face in Izaya’s chest, his hands fisting the baggy grey fabric. “Sorry,” Izaya said, ignoring the surprised looks,”He gets very nervous if I’m not near or holding him after a while.”

“Don’t apologize, children are always more attached to their parents than others, I was expecting it to happen sooner or later,” He said, waving his hand,”Plus, if what you claim is true, I’m sure he’s attached to his rescuer.”

“I have pictures,” Izaya admitted,”I took them just in case.. But I don’t like looking at them, they make me mad.”

Akabayashi raised his eyebrows, before he smirked. Yes, he was liking Izaya more now, knowing he had the capacity to actually care for someone, especially a child.

Shiki then slapped the last file shut, and picked them up. “I think we’re done here for now, good work as always,” Shiki said calmly.

“What’s my next assignment?” Izaya asked, very used to being hit with more work. His boss was an executive to a crime syndicate, information was a huge priority often.

However, much to his surprise, Shiki simply stood up and walked towards the door. “Take some time off,” The executive answered,”I have a feeling you’ll be needing it. I’ll give you a few months of paid leave, unless anything extremely important appears. How does that sound?”

Izaya merely nodded, and replied,”That sounds good, thank you very much.” His shoulders slumped thankfully, he definitely needed time to settle down and create a routine.

Shiki merely nodded, walking out the door. Akabayashi watched him go, before calling out,”I’ll catch up with you, Shiki!”

The older man grunted in annoyance, not really caring why he was staying. He probably didn’t care, but Akabayashi told him anyways. He listened to the sound of the door closing as he pulled out his phone, looking up to see Izaya staring at him suspiciously, the baby against his chest.

“Is there something you need, Akabayashi-san?” Izaya asked curiously, but nervously at the same time.

The older man hummed, and responded,”I was just thinking of how you’ll raise this child, Izaya-san. Single parent adoption isn’t exactly allowed here.. How will you get the child into school and give him doctor’s appointments without danger of losing him?”

Izaya frowned, looking down at the relaxed child. Akabayashi could see the sadness in his eyes, but also the protective aura that surrounded him. But he didn’t allow Izaya to sink into sadness for very long.

“But,” The man continued,”I’m sure you know I’ll do anything for kids, including making sure they are well cared for. It is obvious to me that you are the best choice for this child, and I have connections everywhere. I’m going to pull a few strings for you, and get you through the system no trouble, Haru will officially, legally be your child.”

Izaya’s head jerked up, eyes widening. “Eh?” He asked hopefully,”You’d do that for me? But you hate me..?”

Akabayashi frowned slightly, before smiling with a shrug. “Well, it’s obvious to me that this child is changing you into a better, more responsible person,” He said,”You remind me of myself at your age, I was reckless and ruthless, but then I mellowed as time went on. I’d say it’s in part to not only my age, but learning about kids. So, I can’t find much reason to want to kill you anymore, when you are obviously a responsible parent.” He admitted.

Maybe being a parent will help you stop hurting innocent people as well.. Akayashi thought, but didn’t dare voice this aloud.

“Ah, thank you! That would mean so much to me!” Izaya said, flashing a genuine smile so bright it almost blinded Akabayashi’s last eye.

Akabayashi cleared his throat, and then held up one calloused finger. “However.. There is one condition,” He said, his features melting into something very serious as he leaned forward.

Izaya frowned, leaning back and holding Haru closer. “And.. W-what would that be?” The raven asked suspiciously.

Suddenly, the dangerous features melted away, and Akabayashi cheerfully exclaimed,”It’s that I get to be his uncle!”

Izaya blanched in surprise, eyes widening slightly. “Uncle?” He echoed, as Haru turned to face Akabayashi curiously.

“Of course!” Akabayashi exclaimed again,”Who wouldn’t want to watch such a sweet child grow, after a surprisingly caring man gave him a second chance at life. I know you’ll do your best to raise him, I can already tell he’s a good influence on you. I’d like to be able to watch him be nurtured, and be more to him than just his ‘father’s occasional boss’”

Izaya was a little surprised at first, but he slowly nodded again. He didn’t fully trust Akabayashi, but he knew for a fact he would never hurt kids. Plus, the help he was being offered was something he couldn’t turn down.

He finally nodded, and Akabayashi smiled widely. All Izaya truly felt was relief, at least he knew his bosses didn’t mind Haru.

Izaya then stood up, carrying the baby upstairs to where he had set up an impromptu changing station. He switched the baby into a warm blue onesie, changing from the sweats into his black pants, and tried to make sense of his hair. When he got back downstairs, he realized that Akabayashi was still there, texting on his phone.

“Umm.. I hope you don’t mind me leaving, but now that the snow is finally gone, I need to shop for groceries and baby stuff,” Izaya explained.

Akabayashi looked up from his phone, and happily replied,”Oh! I’ll just tag along, I’ll help you pick out the right things, maybe pick up a few books on parenting for you to read.”

He looked over, seeing the pale, exhausted Izaya with an annoyed look in his sleepy eyes. “No offense, Akabayashi-san, but I don’t think I have much time to read books right now,” He ground out tiredly, trying to keep his face serious as Haru’s little hands tried to grab at his chin.

“Oh.. True,” Akabayashi responded, before shrugging. “Oh well! Let’s go get this shopping done!”

His tone was so jovial and excited, Izaya half expected him to suddenly jump up and click his heels together before he walked out of Izaya’s apartment.

It was in that moment, Izaya firmly decided. Today is definitely going to be a weird day.

-- -- -- -- -- --

They arrived at a nearby shopping center a while later, thankfully the crowds had gotten a little smaller. Unfortunately, it seemed Haru was a little nervous being outside again, as he clung even tighter to Izaya and whined loudly. So much so, they actually had to stop a few times so the raven could make sure his son was okay.

Once they got to the large shopping center, Akabayashi excused himself as his phone rang. Izaya watched him go, before walking into a connected department store.

“We need to get you some nice clothing, a stroller, and a lot of other stuff,” Izaya explained to the baby,”Thankfully, this place delivers. So I can get you a real crib, and give that old one back to Oba-san.”

Haru looked up at him, his fingers shoved in his mouth. When he realized Izaya was looking at him, he giggled excitedly, his wet hand escaping from his mouth to grab at Izaya’s cheek. It may have disgusted Izaya if he hadn’t already been peed on, and vomited on. So, he simply added,”And a pacifier too.”

During his exploration of the newborn and toddler section, he realized just how much he adored his newly named son. He was actually a little excited about shopping, and matching colors.

As he held the babbling Haru in one hand, he looked through clothing, chattering,”I think blue, black, and purple are your primary colors, but a lot of colors go with your eyes.”

Izaya wouldn’t lie, he picked plenty of clothes. He ignored some of the stuff on the list he found, mainly stuff that related to summer wear. Even if the snow was gone, it was still cold. He got some hats, socks, bodysuits, and a few nice blankets.

Moving on, Izaya made a pitstop to get formula, then went to another store and ordered all the furniture for the baby, as well as a few pacifiers, supplies, and toys that Haru showed interest in. (He also bought some parenting books, but Akabayashi wasn’t allowed to know that.)

Haru kept pretty calm through the whole trip, mainly because he was being held, and since Izaya was constantly talking to him.

All in all, the trip was very nice and calm. Along the way, Izaya began to realize some stuff. Even though Izaya liked to pretend he knew everything, he had realized how untrue that was. Even now, there were still things Izaya was naive about, especially in this strange new world of parenthood he had suddenly become a part of.

While looking through the baby toys, a few other people ended up in the same area. A woman with a toddler noticed him, and chuckled, noticing how overwhelmed he was at all the products. “Your wife didn’t send you with a list?” She asked, in what Izaya guessed was supposed to be a joke.

“Oh, no,” Izaya quickly replied, adjusting Haru slightly,”I’m not married or in a relationship, Haru is my adoptive son.”

The woman gasped, her eyes widening. “Aww! What a kind thing to do! Where did you adopt him from?” She questioned curiously.

“Um.. Nowhere?” Izaya awkwardly guessed, not used to other humans actively seeking him out with genuine interest,”I found him in a cardboard box before the snow storm..”

Another woman nearby, who actually didn’t have a kid with her, gasped,”Oh my! How noble! That was so kind of you!”

Izaya froze in surprise, and replied,”Well, I still don’t really understand why I did it myself..”

One more person squealed excitedly, and said,”So modest too! A single, modest family man! So hard to come by these days!”

Before it could get any farther, Akabayashi swooped in to save the unsuspecting Izaya. They then paid for everything they bought, and headed back to the apartment.

When they were there, Akabayashi handed Izaya a packet. Izaya had looked down at it, and noticed the title. ‘Adoption Papers’ “You got the papers already?” Izaya asked in surprise, causing Akabayashi to grin proudly and nod.

“I can tell you’re serious about this, and I told you I have connections. All you have to do is fill everything out, and then Haru is officially yours,” The man explained, tapping his cane on the ground.

At the thought, Izaya looked down at the baby fondly. Haru giggled happily, his hand reaching out to Izaya again, leaning more against his chest. “Okay,” He said, and grabbed a pen,”Let’s do this.”

Akabayashi watched Izaya read through everything, and manage to balance the baby at the same time. The thought somehow reminded him of something, as he hummed. “You know,” He began,”You’ll have to be more careful now, especially around Heiwajima Shizuo.”

“I know,” Izaya responded,”I’m prepared. I just want what’s best for Haru. Plus, I don’t have any reason to go to Ikebukuro yet. I’ve decided to take Haru to a normal doctor, simply because I bet he needs to catch up on shots and other procedures.”

Akabayashi nodded, that was very smart. “Well, that’s sure going to be fun.. it’s good to know you are taking this seriously,” He replied.

It was a while before Izaya finished, but it was all worth it to him. Even if it was slightly sketchy, he knew that it was for a good reason. He was the person who cared for Haru, sacrificed sleep, who bonded with him. He would do anything for him, and anything to make sure he stayed with the people who cared for him.

Once he was done, he pushed it towards Akabayashi. The man flipped through them quickly, before nodding. “Alright, I’ll get this to my connections,” He said, smiling. “Congratulations on becoming a father, Izaya.”

He left after that, and Izaya was left with his thoughts. A father.. He knew he had decided on that before, but now it was even more real, and it made Izaya feel such a strange emotion. It was a mix of love, happiness, and relief, he couldn’t describe it as one, but he didn’t need to.

Izaya hugged the child close, and smiled. “There’s no going back for me, Haru, I’m officially your dad,” He whispered, rocking gently,”I promise, I’ll take care of you no matter what, because I love you so so much.”

Haru seemed happy too, and exhausted from a busy day, as he fell asleep right on Izaya’s chest. Izaya smiled, rubbing his back for a bit as exhaustion creeped up on him once more.

A little while later, if one were to look in the Orihara apartment, they would see bright colors now overlapping the old dark colors. Though it was small before, it was very obvious now. And Izaya didn’t care, because his main goal in life was no longer to mess with humans, or find the afterlife, but to take care of his son.

Upstairs, Haru slept in his brand new crib, wearing a nice long sleeved baby bodysuits. In the bed right next to him, Izaya slept in his clothing, his phone nearby. After that long, exhausting day, they were both thankful to get some rest.

And with the mere thought of the fact that the doctor’s appointment was very soon, the raven had a sinking feeling about how that was going to go..

Izaya knew he was going to need as much sleep as he could possibly get.

Chapter Text

A few days later, it was the day Izaya was dreading.

It was time for Haru’s doctor appointment.

After Akakbayashi had called him, telling him the paperwork as all in, and Izaya was now legally his father, the first thing he did was set up a doctor’s appointment. It was weird, considering the only doctor he went to wasn’t even a real one. But Izaya wasn’t taking his son to Shinra. Not because he didn’t trust his friend, but Izaya wanted to make sure Haru was always healthy and happy.

One of the best ways to ensure that was to get him to a real, certified doctor. Especially with his suspicion that Haru’s biological parents (though he used the term ‘parents’ lightly) never took the child to a doctor. So, as Haru’s true father, he’d make sure he got everything he needed.

Despite this firm decision, he felt many uncertain fears. The main one was that Haru would have some horrible sickness that couldn’t be cured, and even though Haru hadn’t showed any such systems, he couldn’t help but be afraid.

However, he knew that having those fears was better than being careless. He just had to be prepared for anything the doctor might say, and be ready for things he may have to do. No matter what, Haru was still his son, he had made a commitment.

That morning, he leaned over the new crib. He lifted his sleeping body upright, and trailed his thumb around his cheek in a comforting circle. “Haru,” He said gently,”It’s time to wake up, buddy, we’ve got a busy day ahead of us.”

It took a few moments of talking to wake up the baby. But soon, his blue eyes opened. The baby grunted slightly, before reaching his hands out. Izaya then slid his hands under the baby’s arms, bringing him up, and against his chest. The baby instantly clutched to his chest, and started to coo gently.

“You have to go to the doctors today,” Izaya began,”It’s super important, so we make sure you’re nice and healthy, and that you have all your shots.”

“Ababababa,” Haru gurgled.

Izaya nodded firmly. “Couldn’t have said it better myself,” He declared, moving over to the bag of clothes he had bought. He pulled out something simple, a easily removable blue long sleeved footsie, with a yellow pacifier, and a nice, fuzzy blanket for extra warmth.

Izaya himself was really too tired to look through his own drawers and change, he just grabbed some black pants and kept the same grey hoodie on. After trying to make some sense of his days old bedhead, he gathered up the baby, and out the door they went.

The raven was extremely relieved to find the sliding doors were not covered by snow this time around. As he walked through the doors, Haru’s blue eyes filled with curiosity, taking in all the sights and scenes of the city around him. He looked so in awe, his tiny hand reaching up towards the sky. Then, he gave a toothless smile, and a happy squeal escaped him.

Izaya instantly smiled at this, finding happiness in such a small thing. “Haru, you’re turning me into such a softie,” He grumbled, but with no venom in his voice.

Haru looked towards him after hearing his voice, and giggled happily. Sticking his fingers in his mouth, he then managed to reach up and pat that hand on Izaya’s face. The raven sputtered slightly, which only made the baby laugh more. Some people in the crowd crossing the street looked at them and chuckling at the sight, cooing at Haru and Izaya’s interactions.

The raven barely noticed them, however, too busy on keeping a hold of the baby and maneuvering through the crowd. Haru kept busy on the trip by babbling to himself, and after a while he would look at Izaya for conformation to whatever he was saying. The raven would always nod and respond to the best of his abilities.

Izaya could swear he was trying to talk, he was trying to say something. At the end of every babble, when he went to look at Izaya, he would say,”Da?” Izaya felt his heart and chest swell with pride at the thought of Haru calling him dad, and he got more excited as time went on.

But he didn’t have much time to worry about that, as they got to the hospital. Izaya actually felt.. Rather uncomfortable. It had been a long time since he’d gone to an actual doctor, and he wasn't sure how to react.

He walked over to the stand, and signed in to the waiting room, holding Haru close with his other hand. The receptionist smiled at Haru, and said,”Aww! What a cutie pie!”

Then, Haru did something Izaya wasn't expecting. He was such an excitable and lovable child, Izaya had fully been expecting the baby to reach out and try and hug the woman like he always did with Izaya.

Instead, Haru let out a nervous noise, his hands fisting Izaya’s sweater, and buried his face against the raven’s chest. Izaya blinked in surprise, and then let out a quick chuckle. “Ah, I'm sorry, he’s a little shy,” He explained, surprising himself with the genuine emotion that made it’s way into his voice.

The woman merely gave a small laugh and nodded. “No, no, it’s alright,” She explained,”He’s obviously very attached to his daddy, and no wonder, you seem like such a sweet young man!”

Izaya raised his eyebrows again, before a blush overcame his face. Dammit, what’s gotten into me?! He thought, before smiling back and shrugging.

The woman then smiled once more, before she said,”I see that you're going to have his first check up and get his shots. The doctor is ready for you already, which is good because having him in the waiting room with the other children might be dangerous without his shots.”

“Okay, thank you,” Izaya said politely, and then followed her through the doors.

After a few minutes of waiting inside the doctor's room, listening to Haru’s gentle chatter, the doctor entered the room.

“Hello!” The man said,”I'm Dr. Ishida, and I'll be your son’s doctor. You must be Orihara-san?”

Haru instantly stopped his cooing, and buried against Izaya’s chest again.

“Ah, yes that's me,” Izaya responded, his hand going to rub Haru’s back comfortingly.

Ishida pushed his glasses up, and read over his papers. “Hmm.. It looks like you'll be needed to do a longer checkup since Haru hasn't been here before. Is that okay with you?” He asked, eyes growing concerned

The raven gave a tired smile, and said,”I'm okay with it, I just have a feeling that Haru isn't going to make this easy for us.”

Izaya had no idea how correct he was.

-- --- -- --

It was a disaster .

Haru was not happy whatsoever with getting touched by the doctor, or any tool the doctor had with him. It didn’t matter if Izaya was holding him or not, the baby was making sure everyone knew he was not happy with this. He clutched to Izaya as tight as possible, and cried his little heart out whenever he wasn’t being held by his father, such as during the weighing.

They were near the end now, Haru was sniffing softly, his little hands squeezing the fabric of Izaya’s hood. Izaya felt like guilt was suffocating him, he hated seeing Haru upset. The raven cooed gently, rocking the baby the slightest bit. “It’s okay, Haru, we’re almost done,” He promised,”Then we can go, and you can have a nice nap.”

Haru looked up at Izaya with red rimmed eyes. He let out some questioning gurgles, starting to calm down. But just then, the door opened once more, and Ishida was back, this time with three syringes. Instantly, Haru whipped his head back around and hid his face in Izaya’s chest.

“I’m afraid that this is going to be the worst part,” Ishida declared,”We’re going to give the first few vaccines today, to get him started, and we’ll start preparations for the rest. I’ll be honest, he’s going to hate this. But you can hold him for this part, so I want you to keep him as still and as relaxed as possible, okay?”

Izaya nodded, and rubbed Haru’s back gently. He moved Haru to the table, spreading the blanket out under him and then wrapping the baby up- legs still visible -while supporting his head. He then moved Haru back to the lap, holding him in a tight, loving embrace.

The first injection caused an outburst of sobs and cries, and the next two weren’t much better. Izaya felt his heart constricting as he tried to calm his son down, rocking him and making gentle noises to try and calm him. “It’s okay, Haru,” He promised,”It’s over now, you’re okay son..”

The doctor had finished, and was removing his gloves as Haru calmed down. “Now, we’ll set up the next few appointments for shots, hopefully he’ll be all ready for the normal schedule by the age of one.” He explained.

“Wait, so you figured out his age?” Izaya asked hopefully, as Haru managed to yank his hand from the blanket and grab Izaya’s collar.

Ishida nodded. “Well, it’s only an estimate right now.. But I’d guess he was somewhere around five to six months,” He declared.

Really? Izaya thought incredulously, turning to look at the tiny baby in his hands. “I thought he was so much younger..” The raven responded.

“It’s not surprising that you thought that, Orihara-san,” The doctor reiterated,”
My guess is that, from the story you told us, his development was stunted because of his biological parents’ mistreatment and negligence. However, under your care, he is blossoming very quickly.”

Izaya felt his face heat up, not used to getting good compliments from people. It also helped that it was a doctor talking about his son. “Um.. Thank you,” He awkwardly responded.

Ishida nodded,”I’ll set up your next appointment, a month from now, and we’ll do the last of the shots. You should switch him over to solids before you come back, and expect him to get cranky, because he’s going to be teething, though I see he’s already gotten a few of his teeth. I would say to prepare for him sitting up, rolling, and push ups, but his growth has been stunted, as I mentioned before, but it’s not too late to fix that. I’ll give you pamphlets and book recommendations, he’ll need to have you help him with leg and arm exercises as well as other things to get his strength up. Hopefully, with your care, he’ll be able to grow up healthy and strong.”

Izaya felt his rage grow even more towards whoever left Haru in the street, but he quickly nodded. “Anything that he needs, I will do,” He promised without a second thought, and why would he have?

He would do anything for the ones he loved.

-- -- -- -- -- --

The doctor gave him a few more tips, as well as telling izaya the best solids to start Haru off on. He explained the best ways to switch Haru over, telling him to start slowly and work his way to the end, as well as telling Izaya some of the milestones he could look forward to. It was a lot of information to take in, even for him. All that, along with the struggle of keeping Haru calm through the shots and examinations, left Izaya feeling completely burned out. But he couldn’t crash yet, he had to get the baby shopping done.

As much as Izaya wanted to not shop, he knew if he didn’t do it now, he would procrastinate. So, he thanked the doctor, picked up Haru, and left the doctor’s office.

Haru was just, if not more, worn out than Izaya, and it was easy to tell. Instead of looking around at the people and buildings while babbling, he instead was whimpering, his face in izaya’s shoulder, and little hands squeezing the fabric of his hoodie once more. Any loud noises made the child more frantic and sad, and it stabbed Izaya’s heart with ice every time.

Looking at how much more sidewalk they had to go, Izaya huffed out in exhaustion. They needed to stop and take a break, for the both of them.

Izaya turned into the nearest open build he could find, the doors sliding open as he walked through. When they slid shut, it was as if the noise had been turned off. The smells that invaded his nose were sweet and robust, it didn’t take him long to realize he was in a cafe.

A bit different than I expected, but it’s nice and quiet, that’s all that matters. Izaya thought, releasing a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. He looked down at the baby in his arms, whose watery blue eyes returned his gaze. He released a nervous jumble of words, his hand reaching for Izaya’s face

The raven gave an exhausted smile, leaning down slightly to kiss the baby’s head. ”Don’t worry, Haru, it’s nice and quiet here. We’ll stay here for a little bit, okay? Daddy promises. Nobody will bother us here.” He promised.

However the world just seemed to prove him wrong. There was a few quick taps on his shoulder. Izaya was too exhausted to realize why that could end badly. When he turned around, his eyes widened at the sight of a very family helmet.

It was Celty.

Izaya jumped slightly, swinging around and stumbling back as a strangled noise escaped his mouth. His arms moved to press Haru closer against him protectively, eyes wide with surprise. “W-what are you doing in Shinjuku?!” He exclaimed.

Celty didn’t respond at first, looking as if she was frozen in surprise, one hand still in the air from where she had tapped him. Finally, she whipped out her PDA, and shakily typing on it. [What are you doing with a baby?! ] She demanded.

Izaya wanted to instantly snap ‘none of your business’. But he knew that wouldn't end well, it would sound like he was trying to do something evil again. But what could he do? His whole body was paralyzed with fear, a million different explanations flying through his head but a million more of what could be Celty’s reactions flashing through him. All he wanted right now was to take care of his son, how could he explain that to someone who had no reason to trust him?! What could he-

“Dada.”

The raven’s shocked thoughts suddenly were halted by the small word that echoed through his ears. His heart beat quickly, red eyes turning to look down at the innocent blue ones that belonged to his son. “Did you..” He began,”Did you just speak?”

Haru’s face brightened with glee, as if he knew what his father was asking. The child wiggled around, his few teeth appearing as he raised his hands in the air again. “Dada!” He exclaimed,”Dada! Dada!”

Everything else around Izaya faded away, while a jocular, prideful, excitable feeling erupted inside of his heart. It was such a wonderful, parental feeling, something that Izaya had never felt before. Suddenly, Izaya didn’t care about who or what was around him.

"Haru!” He exclaimed, lifting the baby up above him. “You amazing, beautiful, intelligent little child! You said your first word! I’m so proud of you!”

Haru let out happy gurgles, his hands holding onto Izaya the best he could while he cheerfully said,“Dada! Dada!” Izaya smiled happily, lowering the child a bit, and placing a kiss on Haru’s forehead, a genuine smile appearing on his face.

Despite the loving and beautiful sight in front of her, Celty was completely petrified, her mind going into overload. Her first thought at the sight of the informant broker was that he had to have kidnapped that child, and was planning to do god knows what to it. But then, the child called him dad.. And Izaya reacted with emotions the Dullahan never imagined he could even express. It all happened so fast, she felt slightly dizzy. What in the world was going on?!

It seemed Izaya realized she was still there, too, as he turned towards her again, bringing the baby to his chest once more. In response, the baby’s bright blue eyes looked at her suspiciously. One little hand went to ball up the fabric of Izaya’s unfamiliar grey hoodie possessively, as he firmly declared,”Dada.”

Celty slowly raised a hand, pointing at the child hesitantly. Then lifted it so that she was pointing at Izaya, desperate for a straight answer.

Then, the raven surprised her once more. Instead of giving her a smirk or a riddle, he blushed. The Orihara Izaya had just blushed. “I...Um… Yes, Haru’s my son..” He finally declared, arms moving to hold the child closer in a protective manner.

Celty almost felt like she was going to explode with shock, fumbling for her PDA so that she could type out a simple message. [How?] She demanded.

“He’s adopted, I found him in a box in an alleyway before the snowstorm,” Izaya explained, looking down at Haru with sad eyes.

But Celty still wasn't done, as she pushed the PDA in front of Izaya’s face again. [Why?] She demanded.

“Why?” Izaya echoed, his eyes flickering with confusion. He seemed to think about it for a minute, before shrugging. “I.. Don't know, honestly. But after I saw him, it just felt like it was what I needed to do,” He responded.

Celty wanted to claim he was bluffing, but she found no reason to. Looking at his appearance, the baby’s obvious affection for him, and Izaya’s obvious affection for the child, she couldn't deny it. Izaya really loved this kid.

Curiosity still flowing through her, Celty patted the nearby table, and moved to sit down. After realizing what Celty wanted to do, Izaya moved to the second chair across from her.

For a moment, they sat in awkward silence, the only noise around them was the baby’s babbles. Then, Celty finally broke the silence. [How did Shiki react?] She asked curiously.

“You know, he actually reacted a lot better than I than I thought he would,” Izaya responded, smiling in amusement. “He gave me some time off to take care of him, and Akabayashi even helped me adopt him,” He explained.

[Akabayashi?!] Celty exclaimed [I thought he wasn't a huge fan of you?]

“He isn't, or at least, he wasn't,” Izaya explained, before a chuckle escaped him. “But he offered to help me as long as he could be Haru’s uncle.”

Celty couldn't help but give a small shake of her shoulders in laughter, but she stared at Izaya in awe as well. Everything about him right now was way different than the Raven she knew, and it drove her crazy trying to wrap her head around it. How could this be the same cold hearted informant broker that she saw not even a month ago?!

[So you're taking a break?] She questioned. [Are you.. Going to go back to the job afterwards?]

Instead of the expected instant response of,“Of course! I love my humans, what else would I do?”, Izaya actually stopped and thought about it. She could see the wheels turning in his head.

Finally, he declared,”I… Don't know… All I'm thinking about right now is Haru, he’s what matters the most. I have enough money to sustain us for the next few months. When the time comes, I'll worry about that. But if it’s too dangerous to keep working that job, I may just quit.”

[All that for a baby?] She tested.

“All that for my son ,” Izaya reaffirmed.

Celty looked at Izaya’s eyes, and she could see that firm protectiveness inside of them. She saw no reason to believe he was lying, and it made her feel surprised. I guess Shinra was right, Izaya does have a heart.

She leaned over a bit, looking at the baby in his arms. The little boy, who was babbling a moment ago, turned to look at Celty again. This time, with curiosity instead of suspicion.

Noticing how close and interested she was, Izaya suddenly asked her,”Would you like to hold him?”

Celty froze up, moving to stand up and shaking her helmet. [No no no, what if I drop him?] She worriedly typed.

“You won’t drop him, I trust you,” Izaya responded, giving her a gentle smile that seemed to brighten the room, making Celty freeze in surprise. “Plus, I’m right here, if anything happens I’ll help.”

The Dullahan stayed still for a moment, before slowly nodding, and holding out her hands. Izaya moved forward, placing Haru in her arms and adjusting her hands so that she was cradling him perfectly.

Once he finished, Izaya stepped away, leaving Celty holding the child. She stood, arms tense as if she feared that relaxing would make Haru break. As she stared down at the baby, he returned the gaze, just as frozen as her.

It remained like that for several moments, until Haru moved one tiny hand up and began grabbing for her. A small smile grew on the baby’s face, and a few giggles escaped him, as he babbled utter nonsense. Celty tensed up even more at first, but then everything finally caught up with her. The baby was okay, and he liked her!

Slowly adjusting him, she wiggled her black clad fingers in front of his face. Haru let out an excited squeal, his hands attempting to grab the offending digits as more giggles escaped him. Celty felt a warm feeling wrap around her heart at the beautiful, innocent sight, and she couldn't seem to get enough of it.

Haru gave another excited coo, but then he noticed his father out of the corner of his eye. Turning his head slightly, he reached his little hand out. “Daaaada!” He squealed,”Dada! Dada!”

Celty felt a laugh coming up once more, as she transferred the child to Izaya’s arms. The young man carefully held onto him, and Celty could see the utter love and devotion that was shared between them.

After Haru relaxed against the man again, Izaya turned back towards her with a nervous look in his eyes. “Celty?” He began, gaining a not of acknowledgement in return. Izaya looked worried for a moment before he finally continued.

“I know I haven't done anything to gain your trust, but could you keep Haru a secret for me?” He asked hopefully,”I just want to keep him safe, and if people find out about him, they'll try and use him to get to me. I don't want that to happen, I'll do whatever I have to if it means keeping him safe.. If you could keep him a secret, that would mean a lot to me.”

Celty stared at Izaya, taking in his attitude. She could tell why he was worried, he was afraid that she would say no, that she would spread the secret. But she could tell that he really did care. Plus, Haru was a really sweet child. It was obvious that he loved the kid, and that Haru loved him back. Celty didn't think that she could handle anything happening to him either.

Pulling out her PDA, she then typed [You don't have to worry, Izaya, your secret is safe with me.]

Izaya’s tense shoulders instantly relaxed, a sigh of relief escaping his mouth. Celty then quickly typed on her PDA once more.

[ But ] She began [I have one condition. I want to be able to come and visit.]

Izaya smiled, and replied,”Of course. Anytime you want to come over you can, I'm sure Haru will be excited to see you.”

It seemed it was now Celty’s turn to be surprising. The Dullahan shook her head, and then said [I don't want to visit just Haru, I want to see you too] She declared.

Izaya blinked several times, and then tilted his head. “W-wait, really?” He questioned,”Why? I thought you hated me.”

[I did before. I thought you were a cruel and heartless bastard, but it's easy to tell that something has changed.] The Dullahan explained [This is a side of you I've never seen, and I would love to see more.]

Izaya’s red eyes widened in surprise, a slight red tint coming on his face. There was a warm feeling in his chest, and it felt amazing. With a warm smile on his face, he nodded and replied,”I think I would like that a lot.”

Celty nodded in return, agreeing wholeheartedly with Izaya. Looking over to the counter, she then said [I should get going now. I promised Shinra I would get these pastries he has been raving about. I’ll be sure to text soon.]

Izaya nodded, and looked back down at Haru. “It’s been a long day for us, so we should probably head home, right Haru?” He asked the child. However, Haru wouldn’t be able to reply, as he had fallen asleep.

Izaya and Haru left first, off onto the streets and heading towards their home. Thankfully, Haru stayed asleep the whole time. As they walked, Izaya couldn’t help but muse. Celty said that he had changed.. Was that true?

Yes, it is . He thought. I have been acting different. But for some reason, I don’t really care.

Ever since he met Haru, things around and about him had changed. He had made friends, he was a parent, many of his darker urges had vanished, and he was feeling many more emotions than he had before. A few weeks ago, he had been afraid to feel, but now he could barely imagine life without it.

For the first time in his life, Izaya felt human.

But he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Chapter Text

Izaya let out a relieved sigh as he drank the coffee in front of him, the warmth going through his entire exhausted body. It felt so good, after desperately needing the caffeine for weeks now, especially in the past week since Celty had found out about Haru. He would be lying if he said he hadn’t stressed the first few days, afraid of Celty revealing his secret. But it turned out that his trust in her wasn’t misplaced, as she hadn’t revealed his secret.

Strangely though, she and him had started texting. At first it started with Celty wanting pictures of Haru, and then it turned into actual conversations. At first, Izaya felt apprehensive about it, but it was actually nice to have a friend.

With that happy thought in mind, he placed the coffee cup down, his eyes turning back to the laptop in front of him. His fingers moved forward, tapping the last few keys on the keyboard, and proudly pressing enter. “There we go!” He declared,”All decoded.”

The laptop was grabbed from the side, flipped around to face his boss, Shiki. His brown eyes flickered over the bright screen, checking the data before he shut the laptop, and moved to place it back in it’s case.

“Sorry to pull you away so suddenly,” He explained,”I know you have a baby to worry about, but getting these codes was very important.”

Izaya was a little surprised at the apology, but quickly chuckled, shaking his head. “No no, it's fine,” He replied,”I introduced Haru and Namie a while ago, so she’s watching him for me.”

“Really?” Shiki blanched,”Yagiri Namie is watching your kid? How did you get her to agree to that? ”

“Raised her pay,”Izaya said simply,”When she first saw him she thought I had kidnapped him or he was left from a one night stand. After I explained the situation she didn't seem what do do. But she wasn't excited about the idea until I brought up the extra money.”

“I can imagine..” Shiki muttered,”And you are sure she won't try and experiment on the baby?”

“Oh she won't,” The Raven replied, eyes darkening,”I already told her that if she even tries, there will be lasting consequences.”

Shiki raised one sharp eyebrow, before he nodded. This side of Izaya was one that the crime lord hadn't seen. It was a strong, overprotective side. He knew Haru was set for life, because Izaya loved him, and that was something the Raven didn't do easily.

Suddenly, a thought came to Shiki. His lip twitched, before he asked,”So.. How do you think it's going over there?”

Izaya let out a few giggles at the mere thought. With the way Haru was acting towards Namie before he left, he could only imagine how it was going.

-- -- -- -- -- --

Meanwhile.. At Izaya’s Penthouse

-- -- -- -- -- --

Namie let out a relieved sigh, shoving the last of the Manila folders into the drawer and slamming it shut. “There. All done,” She declared, sitting up in the black computer chair and raising her hands over her head, stretching out her cramped muscles.

Surprisingly, Izaya didn't give her as much work as he normally would. Usually, he liked to mess with her, giving her loads of files and crazy requests. Thankfully, it was just organizing by dates today.. And babysitting the little brat that Izaya had for some reason adopted.

Speaking of the brat… Her eyes flickered to look at the high chair he was in nearby. His plastic bowl and sippy cup were on it, the spoon in his messy hand, but he wasn't eating… Not at all.

Instead, he was glaring straight at her with as much hatred as a baby could muster, a deep frown on his chubby face.

“What?” Namie demanded, not expecting an answer and not getting one. Instead, the baby simply narrowed his eyes, his tiny fist tightening around the blue colored spoon. Namie narrowed her eyes in return, sending an icy glare towards Haru. After a few moments of silence, she again snapped,” What?!”

The little baby continued to stare at him with an accusing glare, as if to say ‘you’re not my father’. Namie huffed in annoyance, those eyes following her no matter where she went. Finally, the young woman got tired of it,

“Listen, brat,” She began, moving to stand in front of his high chair. “I don’t want to be babysitting you, just like you don’t want to be babysat by me. Once Izaya gets back and pays me, I’m gone and you won’t have to see me again. Can we at least be civil until then- AH!”

It was during her small deceleration that Haru had placed his hands on the high chair, and then threw them up into the air. The sudden violent movement sent the bowl off the high chair and slamming straight into the woman’s chest. Right after doing so, the baby lost his angry glare, and instead began to burst out laughing at Namie’s expense.

Namie’s brown eyes narrowed and she growled at the sight of the orange mush all over her shirt. “Alright! That’s it! ” She yelled,”I don't care what Izaya’s stupid notes say, you're taking a nap right now!”

She moved, picking up the baby and holding him as far away from her as possible as she walked up towards Izaya and Haru’s room as fast as she could.

It was during this torture called babysitting that Namie decided she was never going to have kids.

-- -- -- -- -- -- --

Izaya gave a lopsided grin, as he shrugged. “For once in my life, Shiki-San, I honestly have no idea,” He declared.

Shiki chuckled in return, sliding his seat back, grabbing his laptop bag, and pushing his chair back in. “Well, I have business to attend to, and I'm sure you want to get back to your son, so I bid you farewell,” The criminal boss declared. He pulled a bulged envelope out of his pocket, placing it on Izaya’s side of the table. Then, he left the cafe, going to the nearby car to leave without waiting for a response from his informant.

The raven finished off his coffee, knowing he would need it if he was going to stay awake for the rest of the day. Although Haru had started to sleep longer during the night, Izaya had gotten stuck in the routine of waking up periodically during the night. When Haru did wake up, it threw him off even more because he would already have gone back to sleep.

Remembering the envelope, Izaya slide it closer, and opened the fold. There was a large amount of money inside, making Izaya raise his eyebrows in slight surprise. That decoding must have been really important if he paid me this much… The informant thought curiously, before a small smile crawled up his face.

Sliding the envelope in his pocket, he made a thoughtful noise. “Now that I think about it, I think I saw a few things that Haru would love in a store nearby. Might have to make a pitstop on the way home,” He declared.

With that idea in mind, he climbed out of his seat and left the cafe, feeling refreshed after his drink. The gentle wind blew through his messy black locks as he wandered towards the store, thinking of the items he could get for his son.

Inside the store, Izaya tried to keep a low profile. Not because any of his enemies were here, but some women could be ruthless when they saw a single father. He had learned that the hard way over the past few weeks.

He lowered his eyes towards the shelves, desperate to ignore the assault of powder colored pink and blues that seemed to be in every baby store.

After looking around for a while, grabbing a few soft snacks and teething rings, he finally found some perfect items. One was a Otter plushie, which stood up by itself and looked absolutely adorable. Haru loved soft, huggable plush toys. This one is perfect! He declared.

Turning his eyes to look elsewhere, he also saw an amazing fox onesie. The fabric was soft, with a hood that had fox ears on top, and a little tail pattern that was attached to the back.

“That's so adorable!” Izaya squeaked, picking it up,”It will match perfectly with his handsome blue eyes!”

Then, the Raven gasped, looking up and dropping his hands. “Oh my god I sound just like my mom..” He whispered in horror, red eyes wide at the realization.

Shaking himself, he quickly gathered the items and moved on, not wanting to think about such things. He grabbed a few more items and paid before he left to go home. He was excited to see Haru, and he knew Namie would be excited to leave. It was just a little walk, and then he’d be back.

He happily greeted the old woman on his way in, stopping to talk for a little while before he went up the elevator. With a small skip in his step, he turned the corner only to freeze up at the sight.

The knob was broken, and the door was open..

Panic surged through the raven, dropping the bag in his hands as he ran to the door, throwing it open to look inside of his home as a shocked gasp escaped him.

Everything was destroyed. His computers lay on the floor in broken piles, the desk was smashed, his couches torn apart, and almost everything he owned broken apart on the floor. There was blood splatters.. and in the middle of the torn up couch was..

“Namie!” He whispered, moving and kneeling down to lift her limp body up, noticing the gash on her head and blood dripping down it as well. She was completely unconscious.

What’s happening? Who’s done this? Panic surged forward once more. Haru, I have to get to Haru-

“Well, well,” A shaky, enraged voice whispered,”There you are, you fucking bastard!!”

Izaya whipped his head around, seeing a middle aged man standing there, a large knife in one hand; his other one bleeding pretty badly. Izaya quickly lowered namie and stood up, his hand reaching for the switchblade in his pocket and-

His pocket was empty..

The switchblade was in his other jacket.

Oh no..

The man seemed to read Izaya’s thoughts, and let out a frantic laugh. “HA! How does it feel, motherfucker!? To be completely helpless!? Just like I was when you took EVERYTHING FROM ME!” He yelled.

Izaya recognized the man now. “I didn't take everything from you, you were abusing your family enough that they called me for a solution. It was all your fault!” He declared.

“DON’T YOU TALK ABOUT THEM! YOU BASTARD!” He screeched, running forward and slashing at Izaya.

The raven couldn't react fast enough, out of practice because of raising Haru, and could only jump back as blood welled from the wound.

Thinking quickly, Izaya threw his leg up, kicking the man and knocking him down the the ground. The knife tumbled away, and Izaya ran towards it as fast as he could. The man’s brown eyes locked onto him instantly, however, and threw himself up, slamming straight into Izaya’s stomach. The raven let out a pained cough as he fell into the debris of his desk.

The man grabbed the front of his shirt, giving the dazed raven no time to react as he let out a guttural yell, throwing the body against one of the heavy glass bookshelves. It wobbled, already half broken from the man’s rampage, before falling on top of the raven who failed to move completely away in time. The glass shattering and flying all over.

The raven screamed in pain, but not from the glass. During the fall, the weight slammed onto his leg, breaking it as if it were a simple twig. Izaya’s body suddenly seemed to give out, panting and wide eyes staring up at the insane man.

His dark eyes looked over the informant like prey, laughing excitedly. “Finally! Finally!!” He cried,”Now you're all mine! Now I can make you SUFFER!”

With quick, uncoordinated speed, his knife slammed down into the raven’s left shoulder, causing another scream to escape him. This seemed to egg the man on, making him pull the knife out before stabbing Izaya’s arm and bringing the knife up and down, again and again. Stabbing as much as he could, missing several times but laughing all the same.

His vision was fading out as pain exploded throughout him. Just as Izaya thought he might die, a noise ran through the silent room. A noise that made the man stop, and look up.

It was a baby’s cry.

The man’s sickly grin seemed to grow even more. “Oh! Oh this is too good!” He laughed,”THIS IS PERFECT! ”

He dashed up the stairs, leaving Izaya where he was. But the raven wasn't finished yet. With the simple change, something began to flow through Izaya, a rageful, adrenaline filled feeling he'd never had before. That man was trying to hurt Haru.

That man was trying to hurt his son.

With strength he somehow found, and adrenaline coursing through him, Izaya forced the book shelf off, grunting and growling. After escaping the crunched furniture, he limped up the stairs as fast as humanly possible.

When he turned into his room, he saw the man, holding Haru by his shirt and holding him up high. The baby was screaming, frantically struggling with a red face. When the man saw movement in the doorway, His animalistic eyes turned towards the raven, and he laughed.

“Now you'll know! You'll know how it feels to have EVERYTHING TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU!” He screamed again, pulling his other arm back.

Time seemed to suddenly slow down as Izaya moved on instinct. He threw himself forward, putting weight on his injured leg without care, and slamming into the man as fast as he could. He then turned, grabbing his son with one hand and turning his injured hand to slam into the man’s face in a desperate attempt to throw him off.

The man seemed to freak out, screaming and slashing the knife in random directions. Izaya could feel the slashes, the blood in his vision, but he felt no pain. All he felt was the need to protect Haru at any cost.

Izaya then pushed his back against the man, forcing all his weight against the man as hard as he could. The man fall to the ground in his blind rage, not paying attention to Izaya’s next move.

The raven then placed Haru down, crawling over to the man. A rage flew through Izaya as he grabbed the man by his neck, bringing his head up before slamming him back down. Over and over and over. He could hear the crack of the skull, but he didn't stop.

“Don't. Touch. My. Son!!” He yelled, slamming his head down one last time with force. The man’s head bounced once, before going limp with the rest of his body. If the pool of blood underneath him was any indication, he wasn't going to get back up.

Izaya knelt there, panting weakly for a few moments. But then, the adrenaline faded away all at once. Pain exploded once more, causing Izaya to groan out and fall to his side. His leg was hot ice, his stab wounds burned like flames, and for some reason he couldn't open his right eye. It hurts so much.. It hurts..

“Dada..?”

Izaya opened his left eye, seeing Haru sitting up and staring at him frantically. “Dada.. Dada!” He cried again.

The baby then leaned forward, his hands landing on the ground. He shifted his feet so he was on his knees.. And began to crawl. Izaya’s eye widened, feeling tears fill his eyes. His son was crawling.. He was crawling!!

Haru crawled slowly towards Izaya, who reached his hand out and gently pulled the baby to his chest. Haru’s hands instantly grabbed the torn shirt, burying his face in it, curling up, and sobbing vocally. “Dada..” He repeated over and over again.

Despite the pain he was in, Izaya held the baby as close as possible, one hand running through his shaggy hair. “It's okay, Haru,” The Raven whispered,”Everything is going to be okay..”

Izaya’s bloodied hand reached into his pocket, pulling out his slightly cracked phone. Pulling up his contacts, he shakily called the only person he could think of.

At the dial tone, he shakily asked,”Hey.. Celty? I need help.. Badly.. Please- I’m at home and- Urgk! ”

Pain flew through his arm, as it spasmed, sending the phone out of his hand and clattering someone else. This caused Haru to start to shake again, frantic sobs and cries escaping him once more.

Izaya forced the arm to move, pulling Haru closer with both of them and shushing the child gently. The baby immediately calmed down, breathing slightly hard.

“It's okay..” Izaya whispered again, as black tendrils began to fill his vision. He felt dizzy, but he didn't know what it was from. He didn't care, Haru was okay, that's all that mattered.

The baby began to calm, Izaya’s hands slowing down as his body gave out. But he needed Haru to be alright, so he kept going.

“You're alright..”

“We’re okay..”

“Everything will be alright..”

Until everything faded to black..

Chapter Text

Awareness returned to Izaya slowly.

It was like a mudslide. As he began to awaken, the pain seemed to come back with it. He felt a throbbing all over, his eyelids as heavy as lead. For a few moments, he lay there confused. Izaya had no clue where he was. Or what happened. He racked his sluggish brain for answers.. But he couldn’t seem to remember exactly what..

Suddenly, it came to him.

HARU!!

His eye snapped open, jerking into a sitting position, only to cry out as intense pain exploded throughout his body, his whole world blurring out. He flopped back down, wearily blinking as his red eyes flickered around..

Where am I?! Izaya frantically thought. He slid his arm up, forcing himself to sit up again. He ignored his confusion and the pain, throwing it aside for what was the most important question.

“Haru..?” He whispered,”H-Haru?!” But no response came, and there was no crib in sight. His heart clenched in terror. Where is my son!? Where is he?!

“Haru!!” Izaya croaked louder, his throat feeling like someone was rubbing sandpaper on it every time he spoke. His breath suddenly caught when he went to yell again, head spinning as he leaned over, coughing violently. His stomach lurched, and suddenly he began to throw up the small amount of food that was in his stomach.

A loud whimper escaped the wheezing young man. Everything hurt, everything was burning. He just wanted it all to go away.

The sound of a door slamming open made the raven jump, adrenaline flying through him again as he lifted his head. Instead of seeing his attacker, though, he saw a very familiar headless figure. The breath he didn’t realize he had been holding was instantly released. He didn’t relax, though, he still didn’t know where his son was.

Celty’s shoulders instantly slumped in relief, before she quickly rushed over to his side, pulling the soiled blanket off of him. She then grabbed water from the side table, moving to bring it to his mouth. Izaya growled in frustration. He didn’t want help, he didn’t need help. He needed Haru.

He jerked his head away, causing Celty to spill a bit of the water. She hesitated, before grabbing his face and gently trying to coax the raven to drink it. Izaya jerked his head again, using his left hand to slap the cup aside. Celty jumped again, before turning to him with what seemed like frustration.

Izaya didn’t back down, starring firmly at her but unable to hide the fear within his eyes. “Haru..” He croaked,”Where’s Haru!?”

Celty’s anger seemed to fade away, realizing exactly why the raven was panicking. She moved, placing her pale hand on his shoulder in a comforting way before she left the room, leaving the door open behind her.

An eternity passed for the raven, leaving his fear simmering just enough to rise again. He knew he could only see out of one eye, and that the heavy cast would slow him down, but he was prepared to rip out his IV and bear the pain if it meant finding Haru.

Just as his weak, shaking hand was about to grab the tube in his arms, he heard a shrill cry. Adrenaline jerked through him again, his mind flashing back to what caused Haru’s crying the last time. He’s in danger! I need to help him!

“Haru!!” He cried, wincing at the pain that flew up his throat. In response to his voice, Haru’s crying suddenly ceased, before growing even louder.

“Dada!” The baby screeched,”Dada! Dada!” His voice got closer, until Celty came around the corner. The little raven’s blue eyes connected to Izaya’s, sending the biggest amount of happiness through Izaya that he had ever felt. Tears burned in his red orbs, falling down his cheeks like a waterfall.

Celty moved, and Haru instantly reached out for his father. Izaya did the same, taking the sobbing baby. Haru blubbered loudly, his fists tightening around the fabric of his father’s shirt, and burying his sobbing face against his chest.

Izaya released a shuddering breath, holding the child close and pressing kisses all over his head. “You’re okay, Haru,” He whispered,”We’re both okay.. We’re safe.. I’ll never let you go again.”

Celty didn’t dare move, not wanting to disturb the beautiful moment she saw before her. The two ravens glowed with relief, happiness, and love. Their bond was so strong, and Celty felt any doubts she had left fade away. Not that there was much left to begin with after what happened. He always seemed afraid of death, but he almost died protecting Haru.. She thought. I wish I could have met this side of him sooner.

A few minutes later, the stressed out baby had fallen asleep on Izaya, who continued to rub the baby’s back comfortingly. Celty then took initiative, placing her hand on his shoulder. The bandaged raven jumped a bit, before turning to look up at her. His red eyes were filled with gratitude, and he weakly croaked,”Thank you, Celty.”

Celty hid her surprise, and instead moved over to where the refilled water glass was. She then moved over, holding it out cautiously. Izaya chuckled, before reaching out with a pale hand, and taking the drink. He chugged down all the water, his other hand still holding Haru as close as possible.

When he brought the empty glass back down, Celty’s PDA was in his face. [Shinra is going to check on you now] She said [He has things to explain.]

The feel of his son within his arms suddenly reminded Izaya that he never told Shinra about Haru. His eye widened, turning to look at Celty. “H-he knows?” He whispered, although in his mind he realized that Celty had no way to hide a six month old baby from her lover.

[Don’t worry, he was a little shocked, but he thinks you’ll make a great father. You already do.] The Dullahan comfortingly explained [He’s just mad you didn’t tell him sooner] This declaration caused the raven to lower his head in slight shame, knowing he probably should have told his best friend first.

He nodded, and Celty left the room. Less than a minute later, his lab coat wearing friend appeared. Izaya could feel the awkward tension in the room instantly, as if a million pounds of thick blankets covered them. In a desperate attempt to ease the feeling, he slowly asked,”Surprise?”

Shinra scoffed, rolling his brown eyes as he crossed the room. “This is no laughing matter, Izaya, we almost lost you,” He firmly declared,”If you had called Celty any later, you would have died . What happened?!”

Shinra’s cold hands began unwrapping some bandages, checking to see if his panic had broken any stitches. Izaya awkwardly whispered,”I got home and someone had broken in, an ex of an old customer. He tried to kill me, and then Haru. I couldn’t let him kill my son, Shinra, no matter what.”

The underground doctor was shocked by his obvious parental love for the child, although he was still attempting to understand it. He checked the several stab wounds, before he grabbed new bandages. “Izaya, you have to be more careful, even if you had saved Haru, he could have lost you,” He whispered,”I would have lost you.”

“I know,” Izaya whispered, lowering his unbandaged eye to his son. “It was too close, I never want to have to worry that I won’t be there to support him. I’m not going to let that happen again.”

The doctor raised his eyebrows, realizing what he was saying. “You mean-” He began, stopping himself. “You really would change your life, all for him?”

Izaya looked at Shinra as if he had gone insane, and firmly declared,”When I adopted Haru, I made a promise to take care of him no matter what. If that means leaving Shinjuku and changing jobs, then so be it.”

“But where would you go?” Shinra exclaimed, unsure of what plan the raven was formulating.

The raven looked towards him, a smirk coming across his face. “Where’s the one place people wouldn’t expect me to move?” He questioned.

Shinra’s mind wracked for an answer. I don’t understand.. He can live anywhere, he has enough money and there’s nothing stopping him, he is pretty cautious and that keeps him safe. The thing that’s constantly dangerous is Shizuo, but that’s only a problem in.. A gasp escaped him, realization filling his whole being.

“Ikebukuro?!” He exclaimed,”Y-you’re going to move here ?!” The baby began to shuffle a Shinra’s voice, causing the brunette to slam his hands over his mouth as to not wake the child. Izaya rocked him a little bit for good measure.

“Yeah, it’s the best. Nobody is going to expect me to move here. I’ll find a nice apartment, stay quiet, and figure out what to do from there,” Izaya softly said,”Once I’m all healed, I’m going to start looking.”

Shinra knew Izaya very well, and he could be a stubborn bastard. So, he simply nodded, and moved to the eyepatch. Inside, he was beaming. He always knew Izaya had a heart, and that he had the capacity to change. His dedication to Haru only proved it.

“What.. What happened to my eye?” Izaya suddenly whispered,”I don’t remember getting hit there..”

Shinra frowned, feeling his stomach drop. “He slashed it, I’m guessing you didn’t feel it because of adrenaline,” He awkwardly replied.

Izaya went silent for a few more moments, before asking,”It’ll heal, right?”

As he lifted the eyepatch, gazing a the painful scar underneath it, he sadly said,”No.. I’m sorry izaya, but you’re never going to see out of that eye again.”

At first, Izaya felt despair. He had lost his eye, he’d never see from it again, but he shook it off. “It doesn’t matter, I’ll get used to it,” He explained,”Haru is safe and so am I, that’s all that matters.” He whispered.

Shinra smiled, warmth filling his heart at the obvious devotion towards the baby. “Don’t worry, Izaya, you can stay until you find a new apartment,” He declared,”I won’t mind at all.”

The raven looked a little surprised, before a smile climbed up his face. He returned Shinra’s words with a gentle nod, and said,”Thank you Shinra.”

The brunette nodded in return, before he began to finish up the exam. The two friends went into a comfortable silence, simply thankful to be around each other, and thankful for the changes that were coming into their lives and themselves.

-- -- -- -- -- --

It would be a little over a week before his many scratches and stab wounds would be healed enough for him to move around without worrying about his stitches ripping, although a few of the deeper ones were still healing. His broken leg still needed longer to heal, but he could move around with crutches, something the raven was very thankful for since it meant he could escape the stuff old cot.

That was what led him to the couch, sitting with Haru in his lap while Celty typed on her PDA. She moved it in front of his face for him to read. [So, any idea on where you’re going to move to?] She asked.

“No idea yet,” Izaya replied, dangling some plastic keys in front of the baby. Haru’s eyes widened with eye, reaching up to grab at them with a toothy grin. “I was thinking somewhere near you two, but smaller than my penthouse. Taking care of Haru will be easier in a smaller home, and I think it would be a better environment for him,” He explained,”Plus, being close will make it easy for his auntie Celty and Uncle Shinra to visit.”

Celty gasped, hesitating in surprise before shakily pointing at herself, trying to affirm his words. At his nod, smoke billowed out of her neck in happiness, throwing her hands over to hug Izaya’s chest. Izaya winced a little from pain, but leaned into the hug. After a few moments, she ynked herself away.

She quickly held out her PDA, smoke flowing in embarrassment. [Sorry, I’m just so excited!] She exclaimed [I never thought I would be an aunt!]

Izaya smiled, opening his mouth to respond when Shinra jumped in. “I know, Celty!” He replied,”I never thought I would be an uncle! And just think, we can experience even more new things we never thought possible by taking on the titles of Daddy and Mo- URGH!”

The keys Izaya had previously been holding were suddenly whipped from his hand, and thrown at Shinra so hard Izaya was surprised that they didn’t impale him. The underground doctor stumbled, falling to the ground with a weak groan.

Their theatrics caused Haru to explode into a peal of giggles, clapping his hands and kicking his legs all over. Shinra moved into a sitting position, looking at Haru in amusement. “Oh, you like when Uncle Shinra falls over?” He asked,”Like when I do this? WHoops!”

Shinra theatrically threw himself onto the couch, before bouncing off and crashing to the ground in a flurry of limbs. Haru exploded with laughter, falling onto his back in Izaya’s lap with his whole face glowing in glee.

The doctor sat up, beaming from ear to ear at the laughter he pulled from the baby. I can see why Izaya loves him so much. He thought. Even getting a laugh from him is so rewarding.

Haru was panting a bit from his laughing, as his blue orbs turned to look at his dad. “Dada…” He whispered, before a large smile crawled up his face. He raised one hand up, slapping it down on Izaya’s chest. Izaya gasped, falling back against the cushions dramatically, sending the baby into another peal of laughter.

He then turned to Celty, practically shivering with excitement as he slammed his little hand onto her shoulder. The Dullahan threw her hands up, falling backwards and allowing herself to roll off of the couch. Haru once again was a fit of giggles, falling backwards into Izaya’s waiting hands.

The baby hesitated, before turning to look back at him. Izaya’s red eye gazed back lovingly, before lifting the child up. Haru instantly wrapped his arms around the young man, his ocean eyes staring up adorably. “Dada,” He whispered softly, making the raven smile and hold him closer.

Shinra and Celty watched the loving moment, before turning to look at each other. They knew that they were thinking the same thing.

I’m glad we get to meet this Izaya.

-- -- -- -- -- --

[So, how do babies learn to talk? When do they begin speaking in sentences?]

Izaya looked up at Celty in confusion. “It’s… A little more complicated than that, Celty..” He awkwardly stated, rubbing at his healed skin. No more bandages covered his skin, but there were a few scars that were from the deeper stabs. Izaya didn’t mind those, he just wanted his cast to finally be removed, but there was still a little more time.

His time spent with Celty and Shinra was education for all of them, helping Izaya learn more about his friends and what it meant to be human, and Celty was learning all about how humans grew up. It was amazing how many things the Dullahan didn’t understand. Her questions ranged from asking what a diaper was to why placing him on Shooter wasn’t a good idea.

Celty tilted her helmet curiously, before holding out the new message. [Like. How do humans end up learning to speak? Why do some learn other languages?]

“Well.. Babies learn to speak from repetition. Like, Haru learned Dada because I always refer to myself as ‘Dad’ around him,” He explained,”If Haru had grown up in America, he’d learn English. If he had been raised by wolves, he would bark. He won’t really talk very well until after he is eighteen months.”

[Could he learn other words right now?] Celty asked curiously, tilting her head even farther, causing Haru to stare at her in confusion from area on the floor.

Izaya nodded, moving to grab his child. “Simple words, yes, but it’ll take a lot of repetition for him to understand them enough to say it. I’ve heard him mumble some things or try to say them, I’m excited to see what his second word will be!” He exclaimed, red eye gleaming excitedly.

Celty moved into a thoughtful position, while Izaya placed the baby in her lap. “Can you watch him? I’m gonna go get his baby food,” He asked. Celty nodded her helmet, taking the babbling child into his arms.

Izaya thanked her, before getting his crutches, and leaving the room. Celty watched him go, before she turned to look at the child. He was still babbling, and most of it was not close to understandable. It got the wheels in her non-existent head turning. His second word? She thought curiously. I know what I want his second word to be.

Celty grabbed her PDA, flicking the automated voice on before she typed out a small massage for the child. [Haru] It began, gaining the baby’s attention as the second part began. [Say Auntie!]

Haru stared at the PDA silently, taking it all in and making Celty giggle with excitement. She went to play the message again, when a lab coat wearing arm came to stop her. “No, that’s not going to be his next word, Celty,” Shinra firmly declared.

He practically flew around the couch, kneeling down in front of the baby. “Haru, can you say.. Uncle?” He asked.

Celty gasped in horror, realizing what the man was trying to do. [No!] The robot voice exclaimed [His second word will be Auntie! I met him first!]

“But I knew Izaya longer, and therefore and more closely associated with the Orihara family. So Uncle will be his next word. Uncle, Uncle, Uncle!” Shinra exclaimed.

[Auntie! Haru, say Auntie!] Celty declared competitively, while Shinra exclaimed his displeasure by sounding out every letter of his sentences. Haru simply watched the two adults go back and form, as if he were watching a tennis match.

“Uncle!”

[No, Auntie!]

“No, Uncle!”

[No, Auntie!]

“What in the world is going on?”

The two whipped around, noticing a confused Izaya standing in the doorway. Both adults quickly looked away, their faces turning pink. He narrowed his eye, before realizing what was going on. “Are you guys really.. You’re competing over what Haru will say next?” He asked.

Celty pouted, turning away, and showing her PDA to Izaya. [Shinra thinks Haru will say Uncle, but I know he’s going to say Auntie! I’ve spent more time around him!]

Shinra let out a loud laugh. “Very funny, Celty, but we all know the truth,” He said in a cocky tone,”Haru will say Uncle first because he loves his uncle more, don't you Haru?”

“No!”

“See? I knew Haru would- WHAT?! ”

All three whipped around to face the baby, who was now smiling from ear to ear. His body was quivering with excitement as he threw his hands up and yelled,”No!”

Shinra’s mouth opened and closed several times like a fish, while Izaya simply laughed. “It looks like he chose another word to copy!” He exclaimed, red eye glowing with amusement.

The two others slumped, before turning towards each other with a strong wave of competition between them. [One day, we’ll find out who wins] Celty declared.

“Yes we will,” Shinra sneered.

“No,” Haru helpfully added once more.

-- -- -- -- -- --

“What?!”

It was near the end of Izaya’s recovery, and he was scrolling through apartment websites while feeding the child. Looking for a new home turned out to be much harder when you were a parent.

“What kind of apartment doesn’t allow kids?!” He demanded,”It’s outrageous and soulless, that’s what it is!” He waved the plastic spoon in anger, before shoving it back into the orange baby food.

[Well, it’s near some offices so maybe it’s for professional workers only?] Celty suggested. [The website says that children cause too much damage to stay in their apartments]

Izaya scoffed, muttering,”I’ll give them some damage to think about..” Shinra, who was cleaning medical equipment nearby, merely rolled his eyes and mouthed ‘Mama Bear’ to Celty.

Izaya quickly pointed the baby food towards Shinra. “I saw that! Don’t make me come over there and-” Before he could finish his sentence, there was the sound of loud knocking on Shinra’s door that caused all four of them to jump.

“Oi! Shinra! Open the door!” A gruff, but very familiar voice yelled out, and Izaya felt all his blood run cold. Oh god. I recognize that voice.

Izaya whipped around, grabbing Haru and moving to face Shinra. “Shizuo-” He croaked, just as the knob began to clink back and forth violently. Celty instantly jumped up, lifting Izaya into her arms, dashing into the nearest room she could find.

Just as she did, they could hear the sound of the door being roughly opened. Celty quickly placed the raven down, leaving them alone in the room. Izaya shuddered, holding his son close as he pressed his ear against the door and listened in.

“Shizuo! What happened to you?” Shinra’s voice exclaimed, followed by a clinking of metal.

He heard Shizuo grunt, and reply,”Got in a gang fight, some asshole didn’t want to pay and thought he could jump us.” There was some rustling, before someone stopped. Shizuo was constantly making growling noises, frustrated with something, but it even reached down the hallway. The thought of an angry Shizuo realizing Izaya was right there… It filled him with fear.

The noises outside were starting to make Haru panic, he let out a soft whimper, before scrunching up his face, and starting to cry. Izaya jumped at the noise, moving away from the door to rock the child back and forth. “Shh… It’s okay..” He whispered as quietly as possible.

“What was that?” Shizuo grumbled in annoyance,”Why is there a baby here?”

“ I’M WATCHING THEM FOR A FRIEND! ” Shinra yelled in a panic, and then obviously realizing how loud he had been. “Aaaand… I j-just put them down for a nap.. But obviously they’re a bit upset about it.. Kids, right?”

Shizuo didn’t respond for a while, before he slowly replied,”Yeah.. I guess?” But he went silent again and dropped the incident, causing Izaya to let out a huge sigh of relief. It was quiet for a few minutes, before he heard some loud sniffing noises that caused the raven to freeze up again.

“Why does it smell so disgusting?” He snarled,”It smells like the fucking flea was here!”

Izaya quickly moved his hands to cover Haru’s ears, before continuing to listen. He heard Shinra laugh awkwardly, and say,”W-well, he was here.. B-but he left now! He’s gone!”

“Good,” Shizuo snarled,”It’s been a long day and I don’t want to see that bastard right now. He’ll make everything worse.”

Silence again, before Shinra spoke up again. “Izaya wouldn’t want to bother you, Shizuo,” He tried,”I know he wouldn’t.”

“And just where would you get a stupid idea like that?” The blonde snapped, causing Izaya to tense up all over again.

“W-well.. Izaya told me he didn’t want to, and he.. He’s changed since you last saw him, Shizuo,” He replied nervously.

A loud slam rang through the raven’s ears before Shizuo yelled,”Bullshit! Izaya just told you that to try and cause trouble!”

“People can change, Shiz-” Shinra began, before getting interrupted.

“Yes, people can, but not a fucking monster like him! No matter what he does, now matter how hard he tries, I know everything he does is a lie. That’s all he’ll ever be, a lying fucking monster!”

Izaya frowned, lowering his head and slumping against the wall. His heart felt like it was being squeezed and stabbed constantly. It hurt, because Izaya knew part of it was true. It didn’t matter what he said, no matter how selfless he became, no one would ever trust him. Because of the horrible things he did in his past… No one will ever see me as anything but a monster.

Shinra eventually finished, and Shizuo left with a grateful thank you. But his words were still resonating within the raven, and everything happy he had been feeling before had faded away with those negative words.

After they were sure Shizuo wasn’t going to come back, Celty brought Izaya and Haru back out. The Dullahan patted his back and held out her PDA. [Sorry about that, we weren’t expecting him to come over]

Izaya ran a hand through Haru’s messy black hair as he quietly replied,”It’s okay Celty, thank you for hiding us quickly,” He responded. Celty nodded her helmet, before getting up and heading over to Shinra.

The raven watched her go, before lowering his head to his knees. He wanted to voice his worries, let them understand what had upset him, but would they understand? Izaya sighed, pulling the laptop closer on the coffee table to keep apartment hunting when he noticed a notification on the screen. It was an email.

Izaya moved forward, clicking the email and allowing it to open. Inside of it was a simple question. [ Are we still doing this?] It read, Izaya wracked his brain in confusion, trying to remember who the email was from.

Suddenly, it came to him. Oh.. The girl from that forum website. One of my suicides.. He realized. At first, he was about to type back and cancel, but the dark feelings that had been squeezing his heart suddenly rose up again. Shizuo said he was a monster.. So why didn’t he just act like one? If it made his pain go away, it would all be worth it. He leaned forward, and typed out his reply.

[Sure, when do we want to meet?]

Chapter Text

The sawblade finally broke through the cast, releasing Izaya’s healed leg from it’s confines. Instantly, a huge breath of relief escaped Izaya. After almost six weeks of wearing the stupid thing, he was finally free. The raven quickly sat up, pulling his leg close and rubbing his hands over it to get the blood flowing. “Thank you, Shinra!” He exclaimed happily.

Shinra put the blade down, and easily replied,”No problem, I’m just glad everything is healing well. Just be very careful with the skin for the next few days as your limb will be very sensitive. Now you just need to start working on getting the muscles strong again, and soon you’ll be back to normal!”

Izaya nodded, before moving to slide off the bed. He placed his good leg on the floor first, before gently placing his newly healed leg back down. Slowly, he added more pressure, and felt relieved to feel no pain, only a slight bit of soreness.

“How does everything feel?” Shinra nervously asked, wanting to make sure his best friend felt as good as he could after his incident.

Izaya forced a smile to climb up on his face, and declared,”Just a bit sore, but I feel amazing!” Outwardly, that was the truth, but Izaya’s insides were still heavy with the words he had overheard less than a week ago. He went silent for a moment, simply giving himself some time to breathe, before he looked towards Celty. “Is Haru still down for his nap?” He asked.

The Dullahan nodded, swiftly pulling out her PDA and replying [Yeah, he’ll probably be asleep for a little while. He wore himself out today.]

Izaya felt relief, knowing he wouldn’t be leaving his friends with a crying child for a bit. He turned his red eye towards Shinra, and said,”I’m going to go take a walk, get my muscles working again.”

He moved over to his clothes, grabbing a hoodie and pulling it over his head. Shinra exchanged a worried look with Celty, before he quickly asked,”B-but what about Shizuo?”

The raven turned, his plastic smile on his face as he replied,”Don’t worry, I’ll be careful! I’m not trying to provoke him, anyways.”

Shinra was about to yell, and worriedly blurt out the truth. But Shizuo doesn’t care! He’ll attack you no matter, he won’t listen! But he stopped himself, and simply nodded. His friend had been through enough recently, he didn’t want to add to that by telling him what Shizuo had said. It was better he didn't know.

As Izaya got to the front door, and opened it, Shinra merely whispered,”Be careful, okay?”

His best friend turned to him again, giving a soft smile, and a gentle nod. Then, he shut the door behind him, and soon his footsteps faded away. Shinra felt a bundle of nerves in his chest, a tangled mass that felt like it would never unravel, and he knew why it appeared.

He could only hope that Izaya was truly just going on a walk.

-- -- -- -- -- --

The soft spring air was stagnant around Izaya as he joined the crowd, walking a little slower but still with a sense of purpose. He looked down at his phone, the address of the building displayed brightly on it. Those poisonous thoughts seemed to have taken over his being, and he kept on going.

Finally, he found the building. It was very high, and near the edge of the city. The raven knew it was perfect for what was about to take place.

So, he went to the highest floor, taking the elevator as high as he could. Through the glass, however, he saw the West Gate Park. The view made his eye widen in surprise. Oh.. I didn’t realize it was already Sakura season.. He thought, causing a bright light to appear in his darkness. Would Haru like to participate in Hanami? He loves bright colors so much.

Before the light could completely strip away the darkness, the elevator opened up with a ding. The raven’s attention was jerked away from the trees, and he found his mission clear once more.

Finally, he reached the top of the building. Sure enough, there she was. The teenager’s black hair was down, but it had a blue bow on it. She was wearing a simple outfit, consisting of a blue colored skirt and a blue cardigan over a white dress shirt. In her arms, strangely, she held a stuffed baby lion.

Her brown eyes finally caught sight of him, and he saw the telltale shudder of her shoulders. “Are you.. Nakura?” She asked.

Izaya placed his same, snake like smile on his face as he nodded. “Yes, that’s me,” He replied,”So you must be Tasukete Kimi.”

The girl nodded, lowering her head to look down at her stuffed toy. “Yes..” She whispered, before taking a deep breath. “Let’s.. Let’s get this over with.”

“Oh?” Izaya whispered, walking by her and towards the edge. “So.. Eager,” He exclaimed,”What could have led you to this?”

Kimi looked at him, before lowering her head. “My.. My parents,” She croaked, her voice becoming more shaky with every syllable. At those words, the raven quickly went through all the other issues he had heard. Abuse, cheating, drugs, alcohol. What could be next?

“My parents deserve better than me..” She whispered, stopping Izaya right in his tracks. He froze, turning his head to look at the girl once more, red eye filled with utter confusion.

Kimi moved to the edge, her empty brown eyes moving to him. For a long time, neither of them said anything. Then, Izaya softly asked,”What.. Do you mean by that?”

The girl frowned, lowering her head once more as her eyes scrunched up. Soon, the tears began to tumble down. “My brother.. I- I was supposed to watch him.. But now he’s missing.. “ She exclaimed,”I’m a horrible daughter! They’ll be better off without me!”

Kimi’s voice was determined, as if she believed that it was the truth. She moved to the edge, being stopped by no one, because her words, left Izaya frozen. Not because it was an answer he’d never heard before.. But because of the realization he had just come to.

Her brother.. Her parents.. I’m a parent.. A shock of cold ice went through his chest. What would he ever do if Haru went missing?! What would he do if Haru decided to end his life? He would want to die too, he knew exactly how her parents would feel. They wouldn’t want this.. They love you, they want you to live and be happy! His eye burned, tears filling his vision. No.. No.. I can’t let this happen!

Jerked from his trance, he whipped around to see Kimi standing on the ledge, her arms spread, and ready to fall. Panic exploded through the raven, as he frantically yelled,”NO!”

His hand reached out, grabbing the back of the her shirt, and pulling her back. She fell backwards, falling to the ground and taking Izaya with her. Kimi sat up quickly, her wide, red rimmed eyes turning towards Izaya in utter confusion. “W-what?”

Izaya cut her off, wrapping his arms around her, and pulling her close. “Don’t jump, please! ” He whispered,”I-I don’t know what I was thinking.. But I do now. Your parents love you, Kimi. They would never want this. But you already knew that, didn’t you?”

The girl was silent for several long moments, taking in everything that he said. Then, her shaky hands went to wrap around him, hands tightening around his hoodie. Finally, she let the floodgates go. She burst into tears, burying her face deep in his shoulder. Izaya felt as if he was holding Haru, and rubbed her back comfortingly.

“I was.. I was going to..” She whispered, suddenly beginning to become aware. “Oh god! I’m- I was-” But her voice descended back into sobs again, and Izaya felt his own eye grow wet once more. His clouded perception was once again cleared, and he knew what he had to do.

“It’s okay..” He promised,”Everything is going to be okay. We’ll work this out together.. I promise.”

-- -- -- -- -- --

An hour later, the raven and Kimi were sitting on a bench at West Gate Park. The teen now held a hot chocolate in her hands, while the lion stuffy sat between the two unlikely companions.

Kimi looked towards Izaya, and softly asked,”You weren’t going to jump with me.. Were you?”

“No,” Izaya answered honestly,”I.. I was going to talk you into it.. But I can’t do it. I’m not the person I once was anymore.”

Kimi didn’t seem to know what to say to that, so instead she asked,”So.. Your name isn’t Nakura either, is it?”

“No, it’s a fake.. My real name-” He hesitated, before realizing this girl had every right to know. “It’s Izaya.”

The teen nodded again, and took a sip of the warm drink. “Have you talked others into jumping?” She questioned.

“I would meet them, and tell them that they were cowards and wouldn’t really do it..” He explained,”I was.. Such a monster. I never want to do that ever again.. I’m sorry I put you through that.”

Kimi looked surprised, before her eyes glossed over again, and she replied,”I think that.. If you hadn’t done that, I still would have jumped.. My parents really deserve better than me after what I did.”

“Is this about your brother?” Izaya asked, watching her cringe at the mention of it before returning his question with a nod. “Can you tell me what happened?”

The girl didn't speak for a while, before finally nodding. “He went missing about six months ago.. Right after his fourth birthday. I was at the park with him when this guy started talking with me,” She began,”I thought he was cute, so I started talking with him. When he left, my baby brother was gone, and that was left was this stupid lion! It was all my fault!”

Her hand grabbed the raven’s sleeve, beginning to shake. “Mom and Dad have spent so much money, looking for private investigators to help, detectives, the cops.. But we can't find anything!” She yelled,”T-they act like it wasn't my fault but I know it was. And I thought that.. Maybe if I went died, it would be less of a burden for them to keep looking for one kid while providing for the one that lost him.”

“What if they found your brother with you gone?” Izaya asked,”How would they explain to him that his big sister was gone?”

Kimi’s big brown eyes widened, and she whispered,”I… I never thought of that..”

Izaya watched the guilt appear on her face once more, and felt his own return full force. I can't believe I almost went back.. That I almost made this poor girl do.. Do that.. But then, the negative feelings were pushed back, and he felt the light within him return.

Placing his hand on her shoulder, he firmly declared,”I’m going to help you find your brother.”

Kimi gasped, jerking up to face him once more. “R-really?” She croaked,”B-but I have nothing to give you-”

“You don't have to give me anything, it's the least I could do,” He replied.

Kimi seemed to be overcome with emotions, her eyes filling with tears once more before she threw herself forward, hugging him tightly and knocking both their cups to the ground. “Thank you.. Thank you so much..” She whispered.

Izaya hugged her back, letting her cry once more. In that moment he was thankful for so much. Thankful he was alive, and that Kimi was too. Thankful for the flowers around them, and the world they lived in.

But most of all, he was thankful he had been stopped before he could become a monster once more.

-- -- -- -- -- --

It was late in the night when Izaya finally returned. He slipped through the dark living room, and down towards the hallway. He quietly entered the room he was staying in, wincing at the door’s creeks, and instantly catching sight of the crib. He could see his son inside, causing that warm feeling to return to his chest.

The raven moved forward, leaning over the bars to watch the child. He was laying on his back, wearing his fox pajamas and hugging the otter toy against his chest. Izaya smiled, leaning forward and running his hand against the soft cheek. Haru stirred softly, before leaning into his hand as if he knew who it was.

Izaya felt love overflow him, before a frown returned to his face. I almost went back to who I was before you, Haru.. He thought sadly. I can’t believe I let Shizuo get to me.

Before his thoughts could continue, the raven heard the door creek open once more. He turned his head, noticing the headless woman in the doorway. “Celty..” He whispered softly.

The Dullahan pulled her PDA out swiftly, and shoved it in his face. [What did you do?] She demanded. The raven sighed, he should have known Celty could see through his facade.

Suddenly feeling extremely ashamed, the raven’s arms wrapped around himself, and he softly said,”I almost made someone.. You know..”

[Almost?] Celty questioned. [What stopped you?]

“Haru did..” Izaya answered,”I thought.. ‘What if I found out Haru did this? What if he killed himself?’ and I.. I just couldn’t. I never will again. I’m sorry Celty.. I’m sorry I ever acted like that.”

Celty pulled her PDA back, typing another message. [It’s okay, Izaya, don’t beat yourself up over it. You didn’t do anything, you stopped yourself, and it was because you are not that person anymore. You’ve changed, for the better.]

Izaya sighed in relief, looking towards her with a gentle smile. “What would I do without a friend like you?”

Celty suddenly pulled away from him, shoving the PDA as close as possible. [You’ll have to find out soon if I have to change one more dirty diaper! Disgusting! Why can’t he just use the toilet?!]

“Celty, he can’t even stand yet!” The raven quietly exclaimed, chuckling at her joke. Celty’s shoulders shook, laughing at her own words. They enjoyed each other’s company for a moment, before the wheels in Izaya’s head started turning.

He looked towards the headless woman through the darkness. “Actually.. Speaking of friends..” He awkwardly began.

[What is it?] She asked.

Izaya spoke with determination. “I need your help finding someone, a little boy named Tasukete Hiro.”

Chapter Text

A deep frown graced Izaya’s face, one hand speeding across they keys of the laptop, while another held the drowsy Haru close. Celty and Shinra sat next to him, staring at the screen curiously. It displayed several different cameras around the streets of Ikebukuro, the date on the corner of the screen was for six months ago.

Izaya’s red eye turned to look at the stuffed lion and photo that Kimi had given him. It was her little brother, Hiro. The child had brown hair that stuck out in almost every direction, large chocolate eyes with round glasses, and a light blue sweater.

“So what’s your plan?” Shinra asked, having been filled in by Izaya and Celty after the raven returned from speaking with Kimi.

Izaya finally managed to locate the exact park he was looking for. Minami-Ikebukuro Park. There were cameras around, obviously, he just had to try and locate who he was looking for. “I don’t have much of a plan yet,” He admitted to his friends. “First I need to find a kid, and see if I can get the face of the kidnappers. Then, I’ll go from there.”

He clicked around the cameras, searching all around for any hint of the siblings on the playground. Luckily, Kimi had given him the exact day that she went to the park with him, so he didn’t have to flip through every single day.

It didn’t take long before he found exactly what he was looking for. He could see little Hiro playing around in the sand. Kimi sat nearby on a bench with her backpack, working on her homework. Then, a man wearing a beige suit approached her. Kimi looked up, and they began talking.

The man blocked Kimi’s view of her brother, and the child eventually wandered out of frame. Izaya frowned, wondering who would try to kidnap a child right in front of their sister? He clicked to a different angle, and managed to get a front view of the man who blocked Kimi’s view.

Celty jerked up the second she saw the face, yanking out her PDA, and shoving it right into Izaya’s face. [I should have known!!] She exclaimed. [Izaya, those are the ones with the purple van!]

Izaya didn’t need the explanation, he had a long history with those men. Although he used to find their idiocy amusing, they had gone too far this time. “I know who they are,” Izaya answered,”Those bastards… I thought they were gone for good.”

“Didn’t they work for Yagiri Pharmaceuticals at one point?” Shinra mentioned,”Do you think someone else employed them?”

[No doubt] Celty says [They’re too wimpy to do things like that unless someone was paying them.]

“But if they’re back at it, I sincerely doubt that Hiru is the only one they took,” Izaya added,”It’s probably human trafficking.”

Smoke billowed out of Celty’s neck, and she jerked off the couch, nearly knocking the coffee table over, and stomping over to to the nearby armchair. She kicked it, hard. The poor defenseless armchair slammed into the wall and crumbled into the ground in defeat. Instantly after witnessing the event, Izaya was thankful that Haru was taking his nap.

The dullahan whipped around, shoving her PDA into the raven’s face. [We can’t let them get away with this anymore!] She demanded. [We have to stop them and bring them to justice!]

“I agree, Celty!” Izaya quickly said,”But you need to calm down!”

[Calm down?!] Celty snapped. [THEY’RE KIDNAPPING CHILDREN!!]

Shira quickly, but gently grabbed his fiance’s wrist. “Izaya’s right, Celty,” He said,”I’m angry too, but if we don’t stay calm we won’t be able to help anyone!”

Celty looked like she was about the snarl at both of them again, but Shinra’s words finally seemed to register with her. The shadows calmed down considerably, and she slowly moved to sit by Shinra. [You’re right, If I want to help make a plan, I need to be calm]

Shinra smiled lovingly, moving the hand on her wrist to intertwine their hands. Then, they both turned to look back at the raven.

Izaya quickly opened up the other tab he had, typing in all the information on a document so that he could keep everything in order. “Okay, we know who did it, we have a reason of why they might have done it. Now we just need a way to catch them.” He explained.

[They’re cowards, but they are pretty careful.] Celty reminded them. [I don’t think we can hunt them down, and if they are working for someone else I doubt they’ll listen to you contacting them, Izaya. We need to get underneath their defenses… Do something they wouldn’t expect.]

The ex-informant broker and the courier fell into deep thought, both trying to come up with some kind of plan to lure the kidnappers out. Shinra followed in suit, thinking of all the situations those men had been vulnerable in… Then it hit him.

“Hey guys…” Shinra began,”I think I have a good idea.”

-- -- -- -- -- --

“I can’t believe I’m actually doing this…”

Izaya’s cheeks burned red with shame and embarrassment as he stared at himself in the window of the cafe. Instead of the person he was used to seeing stare back at him, he saw a young woman with long black hair that had been styled to cover his missing eye, makeup, a gray sweater with a red plaid skirt, and black leggings underneath, and some black converse.

[You’re the only one of us who can pull this off] Celty said. [Shinra’s figure is too stocky and I don’t have a head. Plus, your body is pretty-]

“If you finish that sentence, Celty, I swear I will find a way to kill you,” Izaya hissed.

Unable to help herself, Celty patted his head. [Aww… Izaya that isn’t very ladylike~] She teased, gaining a glare that looked like it could destroy anything in its path.

Her shoulders shook with laughter for a moment, before she calmed herself down. She picked up a mahogany colored handbag, giving it to the raven.

Izaya opened the bag, and said,”Okay, so I'm going to let them take me, and I’ll notify you if it’s possible. The tracker in my purse will let you follow them after they drive away. We should try and wait until the arrive at wherever they're taking these people before you rescue me. If you have to engage before that, you can. Okay?”

Celty nodded her helmet, and then sped away from him. Suddenly alone, the raven felt extremely awkward. After making a mental note to murder Shinra for his plan, he went over a few things. Okay, my name is Suzuki Amai, visiting alone from the countryside, completely clueless about the city.

He casually began walking down the street, acting as though he was lost. He would periodically allow himself to bump into someone else and then frantically apologize in a soft voice before going back to utter confusion.

Apparently, his faux of vulnerability was working too well, as the kidnappers weren't the first people to approach him. Many other creepy men or people who were honestly trying to help would show up and give him directions. He would politely thank them, take the first direction they gave, and then go back to his route.

After about an hour of no luck, he decided to stop at Ikebukuro Park, plopping down on a bench with a sigh. Obviously his strategy wasn’t working… He needed to think of something better than just wandering around out in the open.

Before his mind could formulate any kind of plan, he saw a pair of shoes in front of him. Turning his red eye up, he saw a brown eyed, blond teen staring in front of him. Wait a minute… Masomi? He looked behind the teen, and saw the resigned faces of Mikado and Anri nearby as well. Oh dear...

Realizing he had Izaya’s attention, the teen then placed his hands on his chest. “My dear angel, what in the word did we do to deserve the chance to bask in your radiance?” He asked in a dramatic voice.

Izaya’s eye widened, a blush coming across his cheek. “W-what..?” He croaked, a realization coming over him. Masomi was flirting with him… He had no clue it was Izaya!

Masomi grinned even wider, throwing his hands up. “It’s alright, darling, we can learn how to protect your beautiful self from the dirt of this chaotic world together over a coffee!” He declared.

Disgust and shock overwhelmed the raven, and he quickly jumped off the bench, and sped away as fast as he possibly could. He ignored Masomi’s dramatic pleas for him to come back, a blush overcoming his cheeks at the thought of what would have happened if they discovered who really was under the makeup.

“Jeez, that brat is so bold… Trying to get a date surrounded by all those people. It’s like he doesn’t have any fear of getting slapped or in trouble,” He muttered to himself. After a few more seconds of walking, he screeched to a stop.

Clasping his hands together, Izaya released an excited noise. “That’s it!” He exclaimed, causing a few onlookers to stare at him in confusion for a moment. The raven didn’t care, however, and proudly marched towards his destination.

Why wasn’t I thinking of it before?! These guys aren’t as reckless as people like Masomi, so they’re a bit more careful. They wouldn’t try to lure someone in public, surrounded by tons of people, unless they already planned something out in the first place. A random ‘girl’ like him walking alone in public was too dangerous to risk.

So, Izaya would just have to go to them.

He traveled to the alleyways of Ikebukuro, filled with more suspicious figures than he could have hoped for. The raven had to fight to stop the hopeful grin rising on his face. Quickly, he sent Celty a text to say he thought he was getting close and then he put back on his facade of a clueless girl.

It didn’t take long for the people he was looking for to turn up. He heard their frantic whispers after he walked past an empty alley. Feeling hopeful, Izaya upped his confusion to making worried noises. Sure enough, someone began to approach him.

He turned towards the footsteps when they got close enough, and saw Morita approaching him. Of course they would send him out to approach the girls, he looked the most well put together with his suit and glasses. Izaya gave him a nervous smile, and gained a comforting one in return.

“Hello, miss,” He began gently,”What are you doing out here? You look lost.”

The raven released a nervous chuckle. “Y-yeah, I guess I am…” He replied in a high voice,”I was trying to find Sunshine 60 but my directions were wrong…”

The glee in Morita’s eyes grew, and he said,”Ah! Yes, that is one of the best places to visit when in Ikebukuro! I’m guessing you’re… Not from around here?”

“No,” Izaya replied, shaking his head. “I’m living out in the countryside, but I finally got enough money to bring myself here!”

Morita chuckled, but the dark glee was easily seen by the raven. “Well, we can’t let your first visit be spoiled!” He exclaimed,”Come with me, I’ll let you borrow my map. I know a few other places you might want to visit as well.”

“Okay!” Izaya cheerfully exclaimed, following behind him like the innocent girl he was pretending to be.

They went around the corner to the familiar purple van, where he pulled open the trunk. Sure enough, the little freak Kanazawa was sitting with his hands behind his back, an evil smirk on his face.

Izaya pretended not to notice, and nervously said,”I-is this where the map is?” Morita’s smile grew much darker. Kanazawa laughed at his question, shuffling behind him.

“No, I decided we’ll take you to our favorite spot instead…” Morita declared,”But… You can’t go there like this?”

“Like what?” Izaya asked, tensing in anticipation.

Kanazawa spoke up. “You need to be more… Incapacitated,” He announced.

Just as the brunette jumped forward, Izaya sucked in a deep breath. The mask covered his face, and he felt Morita grab him as well. The raven faked a weak struggle, allowing a bit of his breath to make frantic noises.

Then, he acted as though he was falling unconscious. He let his eyelid slide closed, leaning his limp weight against the suit wearing man. The mask was held against his face for a few more seconds before it was released. He slowly released the breath he was holding.

“Good catch, Morita,” A third voice called,”She’s a good one, our boss will be very happy.”

“I knew she would be easy when I saw her,” Morita easily declared, dropping Izaya’s limp body into the back of their van. There was the scuffing of shoes, and something soft dropped nearby him. “Can’t leave evidence behind.”

“It’s fine either way,” Kanazawa stated,”Now tie her up and let’s-”

“GRRRRRRAAAAAAH!!!”

There was a loud smash, and someone let out a terrified scream. “Oh fuck! It’s him!!!” Morita yelled, slamming the trunk down and practically throwing himself into the van.

“HOW DARE YOU!!” The muffled voice screeched, and Izaya’s blood ran cold. His eye snapped open, blood running cold. He knew exactly who that was.

Shizuo..

“DRIVE, YOU IDIOT!” Morita cried out like the coward he was. But Asanuma pushed down too hard, causing the car to peel against the grounds. In that short amount of time, the car suddenly lurched, and then was lifted right off the ground.

The whole car shook, sending the raven rolling across the trunk. The three kidnappers cried in terror, but Shizuo wasn’t done. The back door of the van was suddenly yanked off, being thrown aside like a piece of trash.

Izaya then felt his own arm be caught in that tight grasp, and his heart exploded with terror. Instead of throwing him, however, Shizuo gently placed him onto the ground. Then, in a booming voice, he yelled,”YOU BASTARDS GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY CITY!”

With a loud, guttural roar, he threw the car as hard as he could. Izaya watched through his hair as the car spun in the air, before somehow landing on its feet. Then, the kidnappers sped away as fast as their broken car could carry them.

Izaya finally allowed his frantic breathing to grow louder, jumping into a sitting position. Oh god, oh god. I have to get away! I have to!

Before he could even think of a plan, Shizuo was in front of him. Izaya gasped, tensing up and waiting for the brute to kill him… But it never came. “Wait, wait,” Shizuo said,”Don’t be afraid, I’m not here to hurt you.”

He knelt down in front of the raven, and held out his hand. “Are you alright?” He asked.

Heart still beating out of control, Izaya squeakily replied,”Y-yes!” He took Shizuo’s hand, blushing with an emotion he couldn’t quite comprehend. As soon as he got to his feet, Izaya brushed off his sweater and skirt. “Thank you for saving me, but I have to go home now!”

He tried to run, but Shizuo grabbed his hand. “Wait! Those bastards could still be out there! And you might be hurt!” He said,”I’ll take you to see my friend, he’s a doctor!”

“I don’t care if he’s the emperor of Japan! Let me go!!” Izaya quickly exclaimed, so fast it was almost incomprehensible. His heart was pounding with fear. He had to get away, if Shizuo found out, he was dead!

“I can’t just let you go off after having to endure that, please let me help!” Shizuo demanded.

Just as Izaya was reply, a neighing horse caught their attention. Out of the corner of his eye, Izaya saw the familiar black motorcycle. This distracted Shizuo enough to allow Izaya to yank his hand away, and cry out,”Celty!”

The Dullahan allowed the raven to run behind her, hiding in utter fear. Shizuo looked at them in confusion, and Celty knew she needed an excuse. [Thank you for saving my friend, Shizuo. I’ll take her to see Shinra now.]

Shizuo seemed to relax a bit, but his brown eyes turned back to raven. “Maybe I should come too, just in case those assholes try to come back.” He suggested.

[Shizuo, we’ll be fine, I can stop anyone who even tries to mess with us.] Celty tried to excuse, patting the back of her motorcycle with her free hand.

“But-”

Izaya had enough. It had already been a very weird day, and he was still upset at Shizuo for nearly making him go back to his old ways. He moved away from the back, pointing right at the blond. “Are you daft?!” He cried out. “Celty even spelled it out for you. It’s not like she doesn’t know how to get to her own house you.. You protozoan!”

Realizing what he just said, Izaya took a few deep breaths, and calmed down. “Please… Just let me go with her. After what happened… I’d rather not be near men.”

He stared at Izaya with wide eyes, before his explanation finally seemed to crack through the bodyguard’s skull. “Oh… I didn’t think of that.” He muttered.

Of fucking course you didn’t. Izaya wanted to sneer, but instead climbed on the motorcycle and gave a soft smile. “Thank you for understanding, Shizuo-kun,” He softly said.

Before Shizuo could reply, the two sped off into the streets and back towards Shinra’s apartment.

-- -- -- -- -- --

Shinra was casually sitting on the couch when he heard the door slam violently. He jerked up, looking behind him as an angry looking Celty stomped in, followed closely by a raven that looked like he had seen his life flash before his eyes.

Confusion flowed through him. Why were they back so soon? Surely their plan couldn’t have been completed that quickly? Even those idiots in the purple van couldn’t be that ill prepared, right? Before he could ask Izaya anything, the raven yanked off the wig and scurried off to where Haru was napping.

“Hey, um… How did it go?” He awkwardly asked his fiance, only to cry out in shock as Celty kicked at the poor armchair once more.

[Ugh! Shizuo ruined everything!!] Celty exclaimed. [I don’t even know why he was over on that side of town when he said he had work today, but he showed up and scared them off!]

“What?!” Shinra exclaimed,”Seriously?”

He turned to look at the hallway, where Izaya had returned with the skirt and leggings gone, and instead wearing normal black pants and the sweater, and holding a half-awake Haru close. “He didn’t recognize you?” Shinra asked in shock.

Izaya narrowed his red eye. “I don’t think that is what we should be worrying about right now!” He angrily snapped,”We lost them! Do you know how long it probably is going to take to find them again?!”

Shinra ducked sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. I mean… It’s just surprising that Shizuo didn’t realize it was you. He could see the obvious agitation the two had, however, so he moved on. “Well… If you aren’t going to use that disguise again, can I have the purse back? It belongs to my stepmom,” He asked.

“I don’t have it, I dropped it in the van,” Izaya declared dismissively.

Then, all three of them froze. The sudden tensing even caught Haru by surprise, who looked up at his father in confusion. “Da?” He asked.

“I dropped it… In the van!” Izaya exclaimed loudly, filled with excitement. He then let out a happy noise, spinning Haru, and then kissing the baby’s forehead. “Oh, Haru! Hope isn’t lost after all!”

[We still have a chance! We can track them right now!] Celty exclaimed. [We have to go! Before they find out!]

“You got it!” Izaya exclaimed, quickly moving over to Shinra and placing his son in the underground doctor’s lap, and running to the door.

Shinra’s eyes widened, quickly following after them with haru in his arms. “Wait a minute! I didn’t agree to being the babysitter!” He called.

“Think of it as Uncle Shinra bonding time!” Izaya called,”Besides, we’ll be back sooner than you think!”

The door shut behind them, leaving Shinra alone with the child. He turned his brown eyes back down to the baby, who looked about as bewildered as he felt.

“Welp, it looks like it’s just you and me!” Shinra exclaimed,”Time with uncle Shinra, won’t this be fun, Haru?”

Haru’s bright blue eyes turned up at him, as the child happily declared,”No!”

Chapter Text

“I don’t get why you guys want to watch some stupid kid anime!”

“It’s a Japanese classic, Saburo!”

The beanie clad man groaned, pressing his face further in his hand to drown out their arguing. It’s too late for this shit… He wanted to snap, but kept it to himself. It had been a long day already, and all he wanted to do was go home and sleep. But, of course, I’m still stuck here because they need to be the first to buy this manga.

Saburo, irritation obvious, exclaimed,“It’s a show about a cat. I don’t get what is so exciting. Cats are dumb-”

Walker and Erika both released a horrified screech, to the point Kadota had to check his ears to make sure he wasn’t bleeding. Erika jumped forward in her seat, pointing a finger in Saburo’s face. “How dare you insult the innocent deity that is Chi!” Erika snapped.

“Chi’s Sweet Home will one day be among the many items sent into space for aliens to discover, and only once they have seen it will they realize the true beauty of planet Earth!” Walker loyally continued.

Kadota finally had enough. “Oh my god,” He grumbled,”Can you guys do anything other than argue! If not, I’m going to leave!”

The three turned to him, Erika and Walker looking affronted while Saburo simply looked relieved to have escaped the hole he dug himself. Erika then had the audacity to scoff. “Oh, you’re going to leave, Dota-chin?” She sarcastically asked,”And what, may I ask, could be more exciting than this? Name five things!”

The man was about to name way more than five things, when he heard the familiar neighing sound. Unconsciously his eyes turned to watch her go. Seeing her ride around at night wasn’t unusual… What was odd, however, was the sight of someone riding with her.

Kadota couldn’t see their face, but he could see what they were wearing. A brown coat with tan fur on the edges. He only knew one person who wore such a coat.

“Is that… Izaya?” He exclaimed. His friends whipped around, eyes catching as much information as they could before Celty passed them.

Saburo was quick to ask. “But I thought Celty hated him? What are they doing? Where could they be going?”

“Well… We do have a car!” Erika pointed out,”Let’s go find out!”

The brunette girl hopped into the van, along with Walker. Saburo, ever the more logical one, gave Kadota a questioning look.

Kadota, unable to hide his curiosity, simply nodded. He couldn’t help it, he just had to know what would make a person like Celty hang out with a person like Izaya. It was something so unheard of that if he hadn’t just seen it, he would have never believed it possible. He just had to know what was going on.

With his group all thinking around the same thing (though Erika’s thoughts were much more dramatic), there was no argument as they began to follow the route the peculiar partners had taken.

-- -- -- -- -- --

It had taken around thirty minutes for the raven and dullahan to reach the location. Celty pulled to a stop about fifty feet away from where the phone claimed their destination was.

Izaya’s eye scanned, taking in their surroundings. They were near Tokyo Bay, surrounded by warehouses. He couldn’t help the scoff that escaped him. “Figures. They always use warehouses, don’t they?” He muttered.

Celty inclined her helmet in agreement, pulling out her PDA and speedily typing out a message. [What’s the plan?] She asked.

“Well, first I would like to see if we can sneak closer and see just what we’re dealing with,” Izaya answered,”If we go barreling in, something will go wrong.”

The Dullahan nodded again, and Izaya climbed off Shooter. “I’ll go ahead and check it out. I’ll call you and keep you on the line though,” He told her,”When I have everything together, then we can move forward.”

Celty didn’t like that at all. She shook her head, shoving the PDA in his face. [No, we go look together. That way we can protect each other.]

Although Izaya had only been friends with Celty for a little while, he knew her well enough to know that arguing was a lost cause. So he simply nodded, moving to walk away from the bike when he was jerked back by Celty’s hand once more. “Ow!” He hissed,”What is it?!”

Celty, instead of speaking, grabbed Izaya’s hand in hers. Something solid was placed in his palm, and she pushed it towards his chest. Izaya looked down, opening his hand, and gasping in surprise. In his hand was a tanto blade made of her shadows. His heart swelled, smiling towards her. “Thanks, Celty,” He softly said.

[Hey, what are friends for?] The Dullahan replied, before climbing off Shooter as well.

The two then began to creep towards the destination the phone had given them. In the sea of warehouses, there was a single, broken down one that had its flickering lights on. Some weeds sprouted out in random places, and the dirty windows showed that lights were on in the inside as well. Against the wall nearby, sure enough, was the broken purple van. This is the place. Izaya confirmed to himself.

Izaya turned his eye towards the front, and felt his heart speed up even more. He reached out, tapping Celty’s shoulder. The Dullahan looked at him, then turned to where he was looking. In front of the broken down warehouse, there were dozens of expensive, foreign looking cars and boats.

[Are they…] Celty began, before backspacing. [Is it… An auction?]

“Unfortunately, I think that’s the case,” He whispered back. “So it seems that right now, most everyone is inside. We have to act fast before it’s over.”

Celty nodded, prepared to break open the doors. But, Izaya stopped her train of thought by saying,”I need you to boost me up I have to do something first.”

The Dullahan was confused, but agreed. She lifted the raven up, allowing him to grab ahold of the side and climb up to a window, pressing against the cracked wall. He slid farther to the edge, looking for a perfect spot to do what he wanted to. He slowly peeked through the dirty glass, and saw exactly what he had been prepared to.

Sitting in chairs were many expensive looking men and even some women, staring at a man who was next to the tied up, gagged, and caged people. Women, children, and teenagers. Izaya felt anger swelling within him, but forced it back down.

Stay calm, stay calm. If you get angry, this won’t work. He told himself, hand sliding into his pocket and pulling out his phone. He opened the camera, and began to take pictures of the people inside. After he felt he had gotten every angle he could, his phone returned to the safety of his pocket, and he began move towards a place where he could get down easily.

-- -- -- -- -- --

Celty had to admit, she hadn’t thought of taking photos of the people inside. They won’t be able to get away with anything now! She thought proudly, giving the raven a thumbs up as he began to slide back to the spot she had boosted him up to.

“Celty?” A familiar voice suddenly called, causing the Dullahan to whip around quickly. Coming around the corner was Kadota and his gang.

She quickly glanced back towards Izaya, whose wide red eye was staring down at the group in shock. She then turned back, quickly pulling out her PDA and typing as fast as they could.

“Oh!! Celty and Iza-Iza are hanging out!” Erika squealed, making the others cringe at the volume. “So cool! So unexpected! Can we join! What are we doing?!”

Celty slammed her hand over the girl’s mouth, showing them her PDA. [ Can you all please keep it down? If someone hears us then we’re dead.]

Kadota frowned at the words he read, and hesitantly asked,”What are you talking about? What’s going on-”

“HEY! What the fuck do you think you’re doing here?!” A voice yelled.

The group turned, and came face to face with a man wielding a very large gun. He narrowed his eyes, aiming at the group. “You aren’t supposed to be here, nobody is!” He snarled.

Kadota’s eyes widened. “Look, we don’t want any trouble,” He hesitantly said, raising his hands up in surrender.

The man’s eyes narrowed even further, his frown growing deeper. “Oh really?” He questioned,”Then why are you here with the Black Biker? Ha! Here to destroy our organization? I’d like to see you try!”

Celty, out of the corner of her vision, saw Izaya sliding closer to them. His eye wasn’t on them, however, it was on the man. Oh… I see. Celty slowly took a step forward, scaring the gun wielding man.

He practically scrambled back a few steps, right into Izaya’s range. “I’m gonna kill ya’ all right here, right now! You’ll never cause our people trouble again! Nice try, but you’re too late!”

Before he could say anything more, or even raise the gun further, Izaya threw himself from the ledge and on top of the man. The gun flew from his hands, and he frantically tried to struggle. Izaya, however, still had the upper hand, knocking the butt of the black blade he held into the man’s head and sending him into unconsciousness.

Kadota felt his heart pounding against his ribcage. He hadn’t even seen Izaya hiding on the ledge, and had not been prepared for him to tackle the man like that. That wasn’t the strangest thing about the raven, however.

When he turned his head to face them, Kadota’s eyes caught sight of the medical eyepatch that the raven was wearing. Then, instead of bragging or teasing them, he turned to Celty, and gave a thumbs up; To Kadota’s surprise, Celty actually returned the gesture.

“Izaya…” He finally managed to croak,”You’re working with Celty and.. and… You saved us?”

The raven seemed perplexed. “Why wouldn’t I have? He was going to hurt you,” Izaya easily answered.

This left the beanie clad man with more questions than answers, but he was smart enough to realize that there were more important things to ask about. “What’s going on here?” He demanded.

[Izaya and I have been working together to track down some human traffickers. They’re here right now, doing an auction] Celty explained. [Izaya took photos, but we don’t know how to get in and save everyone.]

Kadota and Saburo nodded in understanding, while Erika screeched. “Ohh! Just like when Anteku broke in to save Kaneki from the- mmf!”

Celty’s shadows quickly formed a sphere around the woman’s head, cutting off her yells. [Shut up! We won’t be able to come up with a plan if you blow our cover!]

Izaya, who seemed to be staring right at Celty, suddenly gasped. He slammed his fist into the palm of his other hand. “Wait!” He exclaimed,”I have an idea. But we’ll need your help.”

Kadota felt a smile crawl up his own face. You’ve changed, Izaya. I can already tell. He crossed his arms, calmly declaring,”Alright then, Izaya. What’s the plan.”

Red eye glowing with relief, Izaya quickly replied,”Alright, here’s what we’re going to do...”

-- -- -- -- -- --

“Sold! To Mr. Nyguen!”

The sharply dressed man smiled, looking towards the crying girl in the cage. “Ah, yes. Wonderful,” He purred,”Although this may seem rude, mind if I take her now? It’s a long boat ride back to home.”

The auctioneer smiled. “Of course, sir. I’ll grab her right now,” He answered, voice oozing with politeness. He placed down the papers for a moment and grabbed his keys, moving to unlock the woman’s cage.

All of a sudden, there was the shatter of glass, and black domes surrounded all the cages. The auctioneer’s pin eyes widened, stumbling backwards. “What the fuck?!” He yelled.

A loud neighing echoed through the warehouse, before the glass farthest from the door shattered. A black motorcycle with two people on it landed right on top of the auctioneer, knocking him out cold.

The many criminals in the room instantly began to panic, running for the door. When the double doors were thrown open, however, they were greeted by a car door with an anime woman on it blocking the way.

“Going somewhere?” A muffled voice asked. The door slid open, revealing a blonde haired man with a fox-like smile. He turned on his lighter, putting the spray can behind it. A plume of fire flew into their faces, causing screams and yells. They scurried away in terror, only to once again screech to a stop in front of the motorcycle.

The woman on the front now had a scythe, and sliced it through the crowd. Several collapsed on the spot. The few who didn’t, however, practically threw themselves at the two in a last ditch effort to escape.

The fur coat clad man now moved, his black Tanto slicing through clothing and skin. Then, the sting of the blade was replaced by punches and kicks.

With all the criminals on the ground, the group of six sighed in relief.

-- -- -- -- -- --

“That went much better than I had hoped,” Izaya declared. “Looks like these people are new to the game.”

Saburo tilted his head. “How would you know if they were or not?” He asked with suspicion.

Izaya shrugged, before replying,”These people work a lot like the yakuza or Awakusu-Kai. If they were experienced, they would have been smart enough to have security EVERYWHERE. Luckily for us, that wasn’t the case.”

Celty nodded in agreement, waving her hand and allowing the shadows around the captives to vanish. Instantly, the sounds of their cries became much more audible, and many began to scream.

Izaya’s eye widened. “Whoa! Whoa! It’s alright, we’re here to help you!” He gently exclaimed, letting his black knife fall to the ground in a show of peace. Celty and Walker quickly dropped their items as well.

The girl nearest to them narrowed her eyes. “W-why should we believe you?” She fearfully questioned.

Izaya didn’t answer with words. Instead, he took slow, careful steps over to her and pulled his phone out once more. “Here, you can call the police on my phone. While they’re on their way, we’ll unlock everything,” The raven explained.

Her blue eyes widened, beginning to shine with tears at the sight of the phone. She quickly snatched it from him, and began to type in the number for the police. “Thank you… Thank you!” She sobbed.

Izaya flashed her a smile, while Kadota grabbed the keys from the auctioneer still squashed beneath the bike. The group quickly began to unlock the cages, leading the group out into the open.

Once they were free, many of them began to sob openly with relief. They were alive, they were safe. They were free.

Despite seeing all those happy faces, Izaya found that he wasn’t. He still needed to find him . The one he had been sent to find in the first place.

He scanned the group of people, and found his heart skipping at the sight of a messy brown head of hair. He pulled the photo from his pocket. Yes… It’s Hiro! I found him!

The little boy was sitting on the ground, sobbing openly with tears shining in his bright eyes. Seeing the misery in those little eyes sent Izaya’s parental instincts into a frenzy. He moved over to the little boy, kneeling close by.

“Hiro?” He softly asked, causing the boy to jump. He whipped around to Izaya, nervously staring at him. Izaya gave a reassuring smile. “Hey, it’s alright, Hiro. You’re going to be home soon.”

Hiro couldn’t seem to hide his curiosity. “You know me?” He softly asked, his voice catching several times.

Izaya chuckled. “Well… I guess you could say that. But, it’s more that I know your sister. Kimi,” He answered, and instantly the child’s eyes lit up. “She sent me to find you.”

“Sissy sent you?” The little boy exclaimed,”She really really did??”

Izaya suddenly remembered what he had stuffed in his jacket, and reached into the large pocket. “She did,” He answered,”And she gave me this. I was told it’s yours?”

In his hand was the stuffed baby lion. Hiro gasped audibility and grabbed it from the raven. “Rory! It’s Rory!” The four year old exclaimed.

Hiro started at the doll with wide eyes for several moments, and then lunged at Izaya. The raven grunted in surprise, his arms quickly wrapping around the child. He could feel the tears soaking through his clothes, but he didn’t push the kid away.

Instead, he gently rubbed the little one’s back, cooing gently. “It’s okay, Hiro. You’re safe, and you’re going home. Everything is going to be okay,” He whispered.

The raven’s whispers were cut off when he felt someone tug on his jacket. Turning his red eye to the feeling, he saw a nervous little girl staring at him. She couldn’t be older than three. When she saw Izaya looking at her, she turned her brown eyes to the ground, taking a nervous breath.

“W-will I be okay too?” She asked, seemingly forcing herself to look at the raven again.

Izaya gave another gentle smile. “Of course you will be, sweetheart. You’ll all be,” He promised.

The fear on her face vanished, replaced by relief and happiness. Then, she also moved forward and hugged the raven, burying her face in the crook of his neck. Izaya used one arm to hold Hiro, and wrapped his arm around the little girl. “Don’t worry, we’re all going to be okay.”

The group watching the scene only could stare in shock, however no one was as awed as Kadota.

In all the years he had known Izaya, even in high school, nothing had changed the way the raven acted. He had always been cruel, sadistic, and enjoyed the pain of others. He never would have stopped the human traffickers, or comforted people. The change was practically giving him whiplash.

Izaya… He wondered. What amazing force in this world could have possibly helped you change your ways?

— — — — — —

The group cleared out before the cops came, not looking to be questioned about what they were doing there or exactly how they had found the warehouse in the first place. Instead, they all quickly drove back to Shinra’s apartment.

Once they were at the elevator, Izaya turned back to the group with a grateful smile on his face. “Thank you all so much!” He exclaimed,”I don’t know how we could have stopped them all without your help.”

“No problemo!” Erika answered,”It’s always fun to beat the crap out of the bad guys! Just like a Shion I!”

Kadota rolled his eyes at the statement, and casually replied,”It’s no trouble at all,especially now that they’re all safe”

Izaya and Celty nodded in agreement, and suddenly Kadota couldn’t help himself. “But… Izaya,” He continued,”I don’t understand. A couple months ago, you wouldn’t have even batted an eye at the whole situation. You wouldn’t have cared. I just have to ask, what changed you?”

Izaya didn’t seem surprised by the question, in fact he seemed to have been expecting it. A happy glow entered his eye, as he softly asked,”Would you like to see?”

Kadota eagerly nodded his head, as did the others. With butterflies flowing in their stomach, they followed the Dullahan and raven into the apartment.

As soon as they door was opened, Kadota heard it. A soft babbling in a tiny voice. They exited into the living room into a scene he hadn’t been prepared for.

An exhausted looking Shinra was sitting on the couch, and in his lap was the source of the babbles; A little baby with messy black hair and bright blue eyes.

Shinra smiled in what seemed like relief when he saw them. “Hey, Haru, look who’s back!” He cheerfully exclaimed.

Haru- as he seemed to be named -turned to face them. His blue eyes instantly stopped at the sight of Izaya, and an excited squeal escaped him. “Dada! Dada!” He yelled, reaching his little hands out for the raven.

The happiness instantly seemed to come over the raven, quickly moving over to the child. He lifted him off Shinra, softly saying,”There’s my boy!”

Kadota’s heart froze, suddenly realizing the implication of such words. His wide brown eyes looked between the two, the group behind him catching on as well.

Izaya turned back to the group, showing the child more. Haru, now buried into Izaya’s shoulder, watched them curiously from one blue eye.

“Everyone, this is my adopted son Haru,” Izaya introduced.

“Dada!” Haru supplied helpfully, making Izaya smile at the child again.

“Yes, that would be me,” The raven answered softly, seeming to glow with pride.

Kadota, although he should have probably been more confused, didn’t feel a need for an explanation. He could see the devotion Izaya held for the child, and how much love the child held for his father.

For the first time ever, Kadota felt happy to know Orihara Izaya.

— — — — — —

After about an hour of chilling and introducing Haru, Kadota and his gang left. Celty went to carry the exhausted Shinra to bed, while Izaya rocked his own little one to sleep with one arm, his other typing quickly on one of the spare phones he had brought with him. With a few button pushes, all the photos he had taken were sent to the police.

As soon as they were delivered, Izaya tossed the phone into the trash can outside the apartment. “There we go,” He whispered,”I’d like to see those cockroaches get away from prosecution with evidence like that.”

Izaya absently ran a hand through Haru’s hair as he moved the child back into his crib, smiling even wider. He probably would have stayed like that forever, if his personal phone hadn’t started to ring.

Turning his attention to the phone, he checked the caller ID before answering. It was Kimi. Quickly, the raven opened up the phone and said,”Hello?”

“I-I… You saved him. You really did,” She whispered through the phone, her voice trembling with every word.

Izaya released an affirmative noise. “Of course I did, I promised I would,” He easily answered.

Kimi sniffed on the other line, and quickly continued,”I know, I know. I just… I…. Thank you. So much. I haven’t seen my family this happy in so long, I haven’t been this happy in so long. How can I ever repay you?”

“You don’t have to. It was the least I could do,” Izaya answered easily,”All I want you to do is spend time with your family.”

“Yes, you’re right,” Kimi agreed,”But the opportunity to spend time with them wouldn’t have been possible without you. You really are an angel.”

Kimi then hung up, leaving Izaya with a strange emotion in his chest. Me? An angel? He wondered, seeing the irony in such a description. He never, in his wildest dreams, would have imagined someone calling him that.

A soft smile climbed onto his face even so, looking towards Haru once more. He ran his thumb across the little cheek, causing the child to lean further into the touch.

An angel… Izaya thought again. I never thought someone would think of me as one..

But then again... He interjected while looking down at his son. It’s hard to stay in the darkness after you’ve finally found a light.

Izaya knew it already. Haru was his light, and the raven never wanted to go back to the darkness.

Chapter Text

Izaya set down the last box with a happy sigh, bringing himself back to a standing, and stretching out his sore muscles. “Finally!” He exclaimed,”I had no idea I had that much stuff.”

“Maybe you’re just a secret hoarder,” Shinra teased, sitting down nearby and waving plastic keys in front of Haru. “Hope you don’t pass that on to Haru!”

[Most of his stuff was books, Shinra] Celty replied, holding Haru against her with one arm and showing her PDA with the other. [At least Izaya can read, when was the last time you picked up a book?]

“Why, just last night, Celty!” Shinra replied, placing a hand over his heart. “Elizabeth Barrett Browning; Such a perfect representation of my feelings for you! Let me recite it! How do I love thee, let me count the ways-“

Before Shinra could continue, black shadows wrapped around his mouth, completely silencing him. Izaya simply chuckled at their antics, having grown used to them during the weeks he stayed with them, and turned back to the boxes.

It had taken longer than Izaya had realized to pack and get rid of things he didn’t need. He had actually gotten rid of quite a bit, considering that he wasn’t planning on being an informant broker anymore… Honestly, he didn’t know what he would be doing instead… But, he didn’t mind. Actually, he was happy! Haru and him would be a lot safer now, especially since he was able to get rid of a lot of his dangerous files and materials and just hand them over to Shiki.

One thing that worried him, however, was that Celty’s head suddenly vanished from the apartment while they were packing. Considering that Shinra didn’t panic when Izaya told him, the raven guessed he had something to do with it. He decided to stay out of it, mainly for Haru’s sake. That head had caused a lot of trouble (Although Izaya was usually the one behind the strings starting it.).

Celty’s PDA pulled him out of his thoughts, making him turn his scarlet eye towards the screen. [So, when is the housewarming party?] She asked.

“Housewarming party?” Izaya echoed curiously, taking Haru from her other arm and handing him some plastic keys.

Shinra somehow managed to escape Celty’s shadows and came over as well. “Well, duh!” He said,”You moved to Ikebukuro, close to us too! And Shizuo hasn’t tracked you down and killed you yet!” Celty smacked his shoulder at his mention of the blonde bodyguard, so Shinra quickly changed the subject. “We wanna celebrate and welcome you! Don’t forget Kadota mentioned it too!”

Izaya smiled, thinking of the beanie clad man. ”Oh yeah, I remember him hinting at that! Although, I think he just wants to hold Haru again. Did you see his face when he held him for the first time?” He asked.

[Well, Children can change people in amazing ways] Celty pointed out, teasingly poking him. [You’d be the perfect example of that, Izaya]

The raven blushed, unconsciously shifting the baby closer against his chest. “I guess,” He muttered sheepishly, while letting his mind wander. I’ve never had a party before… But then again I’ve never been invited to one, not that I ever gave anyone a good reason to even think about inviting me. Maybe hosting a housewarming party could be fun!

He smiled, lifting up his son. “What do you say, Haru?” He asked,”Wanna host a housewarming party?”

Haru’s blue eyes sparkled with excitement, a squeal escaping the child’s throat as he reached out towards Izaya, happily yelling,”Yeah!”

Shinra released a noise of shock and anger, jumping to his full height. “Seriously? You couldn’t learn to say that the whole time I was babysitting you?!” He demanded, pointing his finger accusingly at the baby.

As if Haru knew what his uncle was referring too, he quickly burrowed his face into his father’s chest, releasing a peal of giggles as he did so.

Shinra then mock pouted, slumping his shoulders with a large sigh. “So I guess I’m just everyone’s punching bag?” He morosely questioned, voice shaking.

“I’d say so,” Izaya replied.

“Yeah!” Haru agreed.

[Pretty much, yeah] Celty finished.

The brunette gasped, dramatically throwing his head back and leaning against the nearby wall. “You all are just a bunch of jerks!” He sobbed.

“Yeah!” Haru replied once more, causing the three adults to descend into their own peals of laughter.

— — — — — —

Mikado and Anri shared a look of amusement as Masomi sadly drug himself back over to them after being rejected once more. Of course, the first thing Masomi does during their school break is try and flirt with college girls.

“Masomi, I thought we were going to go shopping, not watch you fail at flirting,” He teased.

The blonde let out a cry of agony, draping his arm over his face. “Oh, Mikado! I don’t understand it!” He exclaimed,”How can I be denied over, and over, and over?!”

Anri then quietly stated,”I think it was the part where you opened by telling them that you’re only sixteen…”

Masomi froze, looking out at them from behind his hand and then crying again, leaning against Mikado further. “OH! I was a fool! A FOOL!” He yelled, wrapping his arms around Mikado and sliding towards the ground.

The teen blushed deeply, looking at Anri for help, and then back at the gawking crowd. “Masomi, w-what if we go look inside the shops nearby? Maybe you can find someone in there while we shop!” He suggested.

While Mikado knew that his friend would probably just flirt with more people and cause more attention to be put on them, there would be less people in a store to stare. Please say yes, please say yes-

“Hmm…. You know, you’re right!” Masomi declared, leaping back to his feet. “Onward! To the shops!”

Anri and Mikado exchanged another look before quickly following after him, hoping the day wouldn’t get any weirder.

— — — — — —

Just as they predicted, Masomi instantly started flirting with people again. It was normal for them by now, and they simply followed him though the store from a distance.

But the day took a turn when they heard a familiar voice down in the baby aisle…

“Hey, hey! Dota-Chin! What do you think about this? ” Erika’s cheerful voice caught their attention, followed by a rustle of fabric.

They then heard Kadota seemingly choke. “Oh my god Erika, don’t you dare buy that,” He threatened.

Masomi was the first to speak. “Well well, let’s go say hi!” He said,”I feel like we haven’t seen them in a while!”

He’s right! We haven’t! Mikado realized, almost unable to remember the last time he spoke with the quartet. He and Anri quickly followed after Masomi again (this time at a closer distance), excited to say hello-

“Awww! But why not!? Iza-Iza would love it!” Erika suddenly said, making the three stop in their tracks.

The teens all exchanged looks of shock, their eyes displaying the same question. Are they talking about who I think they’re talking about?

Kadota’s response only served to confirm it. “You can if you want, but don’t say I didn’t warn you when Izaya burns it,” He said,”In fact, I might help him.”

Masomi suddenly moved forward so fast, Mikado barely noticed the action. “Wait!” The black haired teen tried to whisper, but it was too late as Masomi was already calling out a greeting.

Mikado and Anri got around the large store rack and saw Erika holding what looked like an adult sized kangaroo onesie. The woman looked up from it, smiling towards them with her usual grin.

“Oh! Hey you guys!” She said,”How’s school break treating you?”

“Good!” Masomi replied, and then switched the subject. “So, what’s all the talk about Izaya for?”

Kadota didn’t look surprised, as if he’d seen Masomi’s question coming. “Well, that’s easy,” He answered,”We’re going to his apartment to party, and Erika wants to buy gifts.”

Masomi’s previously frown became much more visible, as did the tension in Anri’s shoulders.

“Why…. Is he having a party?” The blonde teen asked,”And why are you going?”

“Well, Izaya moved near Shinra and he invited us to the party, so why wouldn’t we go?” Walker answered as if it was the easiest thing to understand, although Mikado thought he wasn’t telling the whole story.

Izaya moved to Ikebukuro!? Mikado thought in shock. What will Shizuo do when he finds out!? What is Izaya planning?!

Masomi seemed to be thinking the same thing, but he was a lot more open about it. “Why would he move here? And why are you hanging out with him?” He demanded.

“That’s easy, because he’s our friend!” Erika said, before turning to show the onesie to Walker. “Do you think a matching color would work best?”

Anri finally gained some courage. “I thought you didn’t like how Orihara acts… Why be his friend now?” She questioned.

Kadota merely smiled. “I know you guys haven’t seen him in a while, and there’s a very good reason for that,” He explained,”And, Izaya has changed. He even quit his job as an informant broker a while ago.”

Shock went through all three of the teen’s hearts, and suddenly they were overwhelmed with even more questions but Saburo didn’t let them speak.

“You should come with us!” He said,”I know you’re not fans of him, but I think you’ll have fun and it may be nice for you to see how different he is now!”

Although Anri was still on the fence, Mikado and Masomi had already made up their minds. They were going… But for different reasons.

Maybe Izaya really has changed! Mikado thought. I knew it was possible! I’ll go and see him, it’ll be nice! I wonder what changed…

This is so bullshit, there’s no way that bastard is anything else but a slimy fucking snake! Masomi declared. I know him better than anyone. I’ll go, and I know I’ll see that same stupid evil smile and that same monster in his eyes! Nothing could change that monster!

— — — — — —

That was what led them to standing beside Kadota and the gang in the apartment building a few blocks down from Shinra’s. The mahogany colored door with a light silver handle somehow already seemed less intimidating than the dark, steel door at Izaya’s old place.

Kadota knocked on the door and then stood back. After a few painful seconds, the door opened up and pulled inward.

“You guys!” Izaya’s surprisingly cheerful voice said,”It’s so good to-“

The raven stopped himself, looking at the three teens with his one eye curiously. He then turned to look back at Kadota and his gang, who all looked surprisingly bashful.

“I um- We told them they could come…” Kadota sheepishly said,”They were curious… I didn’t see the harm… I-If we need to get more stuff for the hotpot, I can.”

Izaya took in what Kadota said and then looked back at them. For a moment, Mikado thought that the man was going to refuse to let them in. But, to his shock, the raven gave a small smile again.

“ I don’t mind, they can come in,” Izaya said kindly, and then went back inside the apartment.

Why does he have an eyepatch on? Mikado idly wondered, turning towards Kadota to give a confused look to the man.

Kadota saw the questioning look in the teens’ eyes and merely motionined for them to follow. “You’ll see,” Was the only explanation he got.

The teen looked at his two friends, who shrugged back at him. Deciding they had nothing to lose, they followed the quartet into the apartment.

The first thing Mikado noticed is that this new apartment was much brighter and more homey, it felt warm and safe. The walls were a soft cream color while the floor was a chocolate hardwood. On the hardwood floor, Mikado also noticed several toys. Toys? Why does Izaya have toys?

As if to answer his question, the laughter of a child suddenly rang through the hallway. Erika then squealed, running past Kadota.

“Haru! Guess what! Auntie Erika is here!” She cheered,”Happy birthday!”

Haru? Auntie? What’s going on? Mikado thought again, quickly turning into the living room to try and understand what was going on. His eyes widened at what he saw.

Erika was holding a small child that looked to be about one year old, and chatting excitedly to him. The child’s blue eyes were filled with excitement, and he babbled back just as happily.

The living room and dining room of the apartment were decorated with purple birthday decorations, there was cake on the table along with some hot pot, and nearly everyone was wearing birthday hats. Celty, Shinra, Akabayashi, and Namie were sitting around the house, while Izaya was leaning against wall by the hallway, smiling towards the child.

The teenagers frowned, sharing confused glances again before looking around again. Erika and the baby were now in front of them, and the young woman lifted up the baby. “Mikado, Masomi, Anri, meet Haru! He’s Izaya’s son!” She declared.

The three teens gasped, whipping around to look at the raven. To their surprise, he was smiling towards the child and his one eye was filled with warmth; There was no evil schemes or sadistic glee in that gaze.

“No, no way. No way,” Masomi suddenly exclaimed, shaking his head and slicing his hands through the air. “Who the hell would have a kid with you? ”

Izaya didn’t seem surprised by Masomi’s outburst. He raised a hand and replied,”First of all, watch your language around Haru. Second of all, I didn’t have him with someone. I adopted him.”

This only served to confuse the group even more. Anri’s frown deepened, and she softly asked,”But why?”

“It is a little weird, huh?” Izaya remarked,”I never thought I would have kids either. But I found him abandoned in an alleyway before the snowstorm a few months ago and we ended up getting snowed in. I was going to take him to the orphanage but… He grew on me.”

Haru’s babbling stopped when he heard Izaya talking, and he quickly turned towards the raven and held out his hands. “Dada! Go to Dada!” He squealed.

Erika made a move to hand Haru to him, but Izaya shook his head. “Let him walk,” Izaya said,”He’s getting a lot better.”

The young woman quickly nodded and placed the one year old on his feet. Haru took a few moments to adjust his feet, and then looked up at Izaya with a grin. He quickly toddled over to the raven while releasing peals of giggles, finally reaching Izaya’s legs and raising his hands. “Up!” He declared.

Izaya smiled even wider, grabbing the child and raising him up high. “Good job Haru!” He cheered,”You’re walking so good!”

Haru cheered back, clapping his hands and then wrapping his arms around Izaya’s neck, resting his head on the young man’s shoulder. The three teenagers could only watch the whole seen with dropped jaws and wide eyes, unable to think of anything to say.

After a few more seconds, Haru brought his head back up, looked around the room, then turned back to Izaya and asked,”Kitty?”

Izaya gave the child a curious look, examining the room as well. “Hmm… Where is kitty? Let’s go find him, okay?” He said, taking the child and going back down the hall.

Kadota then smiled, turning towards the three teens. “See?” He asked,”Izaya it a different person now, just like I told you.”

Mikado managed to close his jaw, growing a little happier as he realized Kadota had indeed been telling the truth. “That’s great!” He said,”I’m glad he was able to change for the better! It’ll be nice to get to know him!”

Anri seemed a little hesitant about what Mikado was saying, but she softly whispered,”Things will be a lot more peaceful now, at least.”

Kadota and his friends looked relieved, and quickly invited them to join everyone else in their seats.

Masomi still seemed conflicted, as if he wasn't exactly sure what to believe. He looked around to room and then backed away into the hallway.

He looked around for a moment before he found the one open door. Inside, Haru was toddling around the room and searching for something while babbling. Most of it was unintelligible but sometimes the teen could hear him say ‘kitty’.

Izaya, meanwhile, was sitting close nearby and had his eye right on Masomi- Oh shit.

Masomi’s eyes widened and he almost scurried away, but he forced himself to stay strong. Izaya didn’t do anything for a few moments, as if he was studying the younger. Then he patted the soft carpet next to him, inviting Masomi in.

The teen sighed nervously, pushing the door open, and kneeling down next to the raven. He didn’t sit down, just in case he had to make a quick exit.

Both of them kept watching Haru, as if neither were able to broach the subjects that floated around them. Masomi wanted to badly to yell, to scream, to ask all the questions he desired answers for. And what do you expect to get? He asked himself. He’ll probably laugh in your face.

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry,” Izaya suddenly said, causing Masomi to look at him in surprise.

The teen narrowed his eyes and leaned back a little. “Sorry? Sorry about what?” He asked.

“Everything. The yellow scarves and blue squares, Saki, everything,” He said.

The mention of the young woman he loved suddenly overwhelmed the teen with anger and confusion. He jumped to his feet, pointing right at the raven. “Why!?” He snapped,”You- You never we’re sorry before. You never changed no matter what happened! Why now?!”

Izaya let him rant, not a single emotion appearing on his face. Then, he reached up and pulled the eyepatch off his eye. Instead of the usual red orb that Masomi was used to, there was only a mass of scar tissue and what resembled a closed eyelid.

“One night, after I finished some work for Shiki, I came home to my apartment being broken into,” He explained,”Namie was unconscious, and he attacked me too. I nearly died and he nearly killed Haru, and I felt so… So helpless.”

His fingers went to trace over the missing eye. “And when I woke up, I realized that… That was exactly what I put you and her through. I did horrible things to you two and so many others. I was a monster,” He whispered,”I know words don’t mean much, but I’m sorry. I regret all of it, I wish I could take it back.”

The raven then took a few seconds in order to slide his eyepatch back on, and continued,”If you never want to see me again, you won’t have to worry. My days of messing around with Ikebukuro are over. If you want to leave, I understand too. You are under no obligation to stay here and tolerate me after what I did.”

Masomi’s eyes were wide once again and his throat was completely dry, he couldn’t figure out what to say. He didn’t know what he could say. How did one respond to hearing such a heartfelt apology from the person you hated?

Well… Hated is a strong word… He told himself. I was skeptical… Still am, but it’s obvious he’s changed. Even though I don’t think I can completely trust him yet, I’m gonna give him a chance.

He slid down into a sitting position and stretched out. “Nah, I’m gonna stay,” He said as casually as he could. “I want the free food.”

Izaya chuckled in response, shaking his head. ”Well, I guess I see what you think I’m good for,” He teased back, but Masomi saw the thankful shine in his eyes.

Masomi let a small smile climb up his face, the tension that he was holding before starting to fade away.

You know… He thought to himself. I think things are going to be a lot better around here now.

Chapter Text

The cake and cupcakes were brought out soon after Masomi and Izaya returned to the party. They were chocolate cakes that were frosted with a blue colored frosting that matched the one year old’s eyes. The adults all cut themselves a piece of cake, while Haru got a single cupcake to himself.

“You know, it seems kinda unfair that Haru only gets a cupcake and not some cake,” Masomi casually mentioned, pointing his fork towards the raven.

Izaya snorted and turned towards the blonde, pointing the candle at him. “Well you can do that when you have your own kids,” He said,”But I actually want to get some sleep tonight, so one cupcake is all he gets”

The others chuckled in response despite not really understanding, since none of them had kids. Of course, that sent Shinra into another spout about how he and Celty could understand once they had their own kids. Celty very promptly grabbed the candle from Izaya’s hand and squashed it on top of his head.

As if he had known that would happen, Izaya pulled an identical candle out of a nearby drawer and placed it on top of the cupcake.

The group sang a happy birthday song to Haru who clapped and babbled along, and then Izaya helped the baby blow out the candle from behind. When Haru saw the flame on his small cupcake vanish, he squealed excitedly and wiggled all over in his chair.

As Haru dug into the cupcake with his hands, the adults all took a seat as well. They stuck their forks into the cake and raised them up, but Celty began typing something.

[I hope you guys enjoy! Izaya let me bake the cake!]

They lowered their forks.

[He helped of course]

They let out secret sighs of relief, and raised their forks again.

[But it was my own recipe!]

They all lowered their forks once more, until they saw Izaya rolling his eye. “She’s just messing with you guys,” He promised, giving the group the courage to dig into the cake.

“Mmm! This is delicious!” Erika squealed, and the others made excited noises of agreement, quickly going for more.

As they ate Izaya, Shinra, and Celty exchanged an amused glance. Celty had actually baked the cake, but they didn’t need to know that just yet.

Haru held the cupcake in his hands for a while, just staring at it. Then, he gasped, whipping around to face Izaya. “Dada!” He exclaimed,”Look!”

“What is it, bud?” Izaya replied, looking towards his son. He didn’t even have a chance to react when Haru suddenly slammed the cupcake onto his forehead, covering his hair with frosting.

“Ta-da!” Haru exclaimed, throwing his hands into the air and swinging his legs. “Happ’ Buday!”

-- -- -- -- -- -- --

After they had all finished their dessert and Izaya had wiped Haru clean of the frosting he had managed to get…. Well, everywhere, it was time for presents!

They all sat down in the living room, Haru in Izaya’s lap. They excitedly volunteered  one by one to give their gift, which Izaya helped Haru open. Some were expected, like the new toys Celty managed to order straight from Ireland. Others were odd, like Saburo’s gift of a Ruri Hijiribe CD so that Haru could, in Saburo’s words, ‘become cultured at a young age’.

The most amusing gift out of all of them was Erika’s. She had gotten Haru a kangaroo onesie that came with ears on the hood, and Izaya a matching one. The main difference between the two onesies, however, was that Izaya’s had a pouch on the stomach.

“For Mama-Iza and his little Joey!” Erika had declared, and the raven’s face was completely covered in pink blush as everyone laughed in amusement.

After the last of the presents were open, Haru began to nod off. He was trying to play with his toys, but his eyes would start to slowly close, his head would nod forward, and then he would jerk back up with his eyes snapping back open.

After the adults watched in amusement for a while, Izaya chuckled and said,”Alright, I think it’s somebody’s bedtime.”

“No bed,” Haru mumbled, but didn’t fight as Izaya picked him up and carried him back down the hallway.

Once Izaya was gone, Shinra let out a happy sigh. “Ah, the joy of children!” He exclaimed,”Seeing Izaya so happy due to Haru makes me imagine what life will be like when me and Celty finally have-“

His sentence wasn’t able to be finished as Celty grabbed the cake filled plate in his hands and slammed it into his face. The underground doctor groaned underneath his punishment slumping forward in defeat.

The group of people watching just rolled their eyes in amusement, having grown used to Shinra’s antics over the years.

“You’re not going to get anywhere with dropping not-so subtle hints like that,” Namie said, taking another swig of her wine.

Shinra grumbled and began wiping the frosting off his face. “You know, Namie,” He began,”I’ve been meaning to ask this. Why are you even here? You hated Izaya.”

Namie looked down at her glass, swirling the scarlet liquid around for a bit before she answered. “Well, I suppose I did,” She answered,”But after he got Haru, he stopped making my workload ridiculous on purpose and was a lot nicer. I suppose it also helped that he was exhausted most of the time from caring for a newborn. And he did technically save my life… If he hadn’t called Celty when that guy attacked us, I would have bled out.”

Masomi hummed curiously. “Izaya did mention that he’d been attacked,” He said,”But he never gave me details. What exactly happened?”

[Izaya told me it was the husband of one of his old clients] Celty explained. [She hired Izaya because she thought her husband was cheating and it turned out he was also doing some pretty illegal things. She left, and he went after Izaya for revenge.]

“He heard Haru cry and ran upstairs to kill him and Izaya followed after him even though the guy had already beaten him up pretty bad,” Namie explained,”I don’t know what happened after that since I was downstairs, but I do know that guy’s obituary said his death was accidental”

Akabayashi then grew a mischievous smirk on his face. “That would be Shiki’s doing,” He explained,”He didn’t take too kindly to someone trying to kill his info broker. Izaya didn’t kill him, but Shiki’s men made sure that the bastard didn’t leave the hospital.”

Mikado turned to Kadota with a questioning glance. “I thought you said that Izaya quit his job as an informant broker?” He asked.

“I did,” The raven’s voice cut through their conversation, and they found the one eyed man standing in the hallway. “But every now and then Shiki still contacts me when they really need help.”

Akabayashi nodded in agreement as he laughed. “I still remember his face when he found out about your new job! He looked so shocked!” He exclaimed,”I don’t think anyone could have predicted it!”

The teens turned their curious eyes towards Izaya, and Masomi bravely asked,”What is your job now?”

“Oh, that’s easy,” Izaya said,”I’m an investigator with the National Police Agency now.”

Kadota choked on his drink in surprise, Saburo doing the same with his fork, while Erika and Walker squealed, and the teen’s eyes widened in shock. Shinra, Celty, Namie, and Akabayshi didn’t react other than looking proud since they already knew.

“Ahh! Izaya-Kun, you are Hasie Sakaki in the flesh!!” Erika exclaimed, jumping up and down and twirling in a circle.

Izaya stared at her in complete confusion, hesitantly saying,”I… Don’t know who that is.”

Erika gave a shocked gasp, and then grabbed her hat, pulling a manga out of it and handing it to him. “He’s in this! But don’t watch the anime, it ruins everything that made this series a foundation for discussion about society-,” She ordered.

“Why do you even have that?!” Kadota exclaimed from afar, but was ignored by his friend as she continued to chatter about the book in front of her while Izaya looked thoroughly confused.

Wanting to save Izaya from the pain Masomi knew, he quickly asked,”There’s gotta be a story behind that. How did you end up becoming an investigator.”

Erika stopped talking and instead seemed to grow just as curious as everyone else. She quickly went back to her seat with an expectant glance at Izaya.

The raven gave the blonde a relieved smile and then took a seat at the table as well, leaning his elbows on it. “Well, you’re right. There is a pretty interesting story behind it…” He began.

— — — — — —

Three Months Ago

— — — — — —

Izaya let out a loud sigh, flopping onto his plush cream couch with a sigh. He wanted to curl up into a ball and sleep for a thousand years.

As if moving wasn’t hard enough, Haru started teething as well. Sometimes nothing would calm the baby down, he’d wake up over and over again and keep Izaya up late into the night.

He’d been unpacking the best he could, but there will still some boxes and missing furniture as he spent most his time with Haru. Not that he minded, but time with his son was less enjoyable when the baby was in a very fussy mood due to teething.

Finally, finally he had managed to put Haru down for his nap without much fuss. Although Izaya wasn’t one for naps, he felt like he needed one as well. He curled up into his couch, his eyes drifting shut.

But before he could reach the sweet release of sleep, he heard the sound of someone knocking on his door.

If Izaya was a little more awake, he might have realized how strange it was that someone was knocking on his door. In his new apartment, people needed to be buzzed in if they were guests, Izaya wasn’t expecting any. If you lived there, you could knock, but Izaya hadn’t even met any of his neighbors yet. There was no reason for anyone to be at his door.

The half-asleep raven forced himself off the couch and dragged himself over to the door. He unlocked the door and pulled it open, bluntly asking,”What do you want?”

“My, my. Is that any way to greet some guests? Not a very good first impression, Orihara-san!” An unfamiliar voice said, jolting Izaya out of his sleep addled state and giving the stranger his full attention.

There were three men outside of his door, two who were dressed in fancy black suits with black trench coats over them, and black earpieces. The one in between them had wavy silver hair that reached his shoulders, his eyes were closed and reminded Izaya of Walker’s eyes. Over his shoulder was a black mantle with white borders, and underneath that was a black kimono with a white obi around his waist and sandals with long white socks.

Izaya looked between them nervously, his mind constantly thinking about how to protect the sleeping baby a down the hallway as he asked,”Who are you?”

The man in the middle gave another smile, and casually replied,”I am Kyomi Surai, and I am a head investigator within the National Police Agency. You don’t have to introduce yourself, however, as I already know who you are. May we come in?”

The raven had to admit, this man’s sudden appearance and his association made him curious. He gave a slow nod and opened the door further, letting the trio into his apartment.

A few minutes later, they were all sitting at Izaya’s dining room table with cups of tea. Surai seemed to be examining the apartment curiously, that fox-like grin still on his face while his bodyguards sat on either side of him.

“So, Izaya-san, I’m sure you’re curious as to why I’m here,” The investigator finally said,”Well, I’m actually here to get some information…”

Izaya quickly shook his head. “Sorry to disappoint you, but I am not an informant broker anymore. You’ll just have to find someone else,” He firmly said.

Surai chuckled in amusement, waving his hand through the air. “No, no,” He said,”It’s not about your old occupation. It’s about some of your more… Recent endeavours.” He leaned forward, his eyes seeming to bore into Izaya despite no orbs being visible. “Tell me, do the names Hiro and Kimi come to mind?”

The raven felt his heart skip a beat. How does he know about that? How does he know I was involved? He wondered, forcing himself to not react outwardly. “And if they do?” He probed.

“It would mean that I’ve found the person I’ve been looking for,” Surai answered,”Your skills are impressive, and you’ve been monitored for much longer than you realize. You saving Hiro and the other missing people was just what we wanted to see. The police force here has been trying to catch that crime ring for years, and yet you did it in only a couple weeks. And yet, you’ve been unemployed for several weeks since quitting your more illegal activities. Why haven’t you looked for more work?”

The raven frowned, not really having an answer. “I suppose… It could be because I know I have enough money to live comfortably for a while, and that life has been so hectic I just wanted to spend time with my son,” He explained.

Surai nodded in understanding, sipping his tea for a moment before he replied,”Then I suppose that my offer wouldn’t be that appealing to you, would it?”

Izaya narrowed his eye, his curiosity getting the better of him. “What exactly is your offer, Investigator Kyomi?” He asked.

“I am asking you to join me in my work,” Surai declared,”You can help give back to the world and protect and save those who can’t do it themselves, just like you did when you tracked down and stopped that auction. You saved dozens of lives, and it felt good, didn’t it?”

The raven didn’t even have to think hard about that question. Despite how much glee he once got from tormenting humans, he found that making up for his actions felt even better. “Yes,” He admitted. “It wasn’t just out of duty, I wanted to save them…”

“Then do you really want to stop?” Surai questioned,”Your skills shouldn’t go to waste, you can do so much more for this world.”

The offer was tantalizing, but he didn’t feel completely convinced. “But what about my son?” He asked,”If people find out I’m…. They’ll go after us again… And what if something happens to me? Who will take care of Haru?”

Surai quickly calmed him. “You will not have to worry about that, Izaya,” He promised,”Those within my circle are well protected. Nobody will know you work for me except the ones you tell, which you are allowed to do.”

The raven bit his lip, thinking about it more and going through all the possible outcomes he could think of, good and bad. Finally, he made up his mind.

Looking back up at Surai, his eye sparkling with determination; He nodded and firmly said,”I’m in.”

Surai smiled happily in return, reaching across the table and shaking Izaya’s hand. “Welcome to the team, Investigator.”

— — — — — —

“Wow…” Mikado whispered,”That’s insane! N-no offense Orihara-San, but I never expected you to end up like this.”

Izaya smiled and waved away his nerves. “Don’t worry about that, kid, neither did I,” He admitted, his cheeks becoming dusted with a soft pink.

“Honestly, neither did I,” Kadota admitted,”But… You did. I’m proud of you, Izaya.”

[Me too!] Celty agreed. [You’re loyal and very kind, I’m glad I became your friend and got to see this side of you]

Izaya blushed even further, and softly replied,”I’m glad I can be friends with you all now. But if anything, I should be thanking you.”

“For what?” Masomi asked curiously.

Raising his head to look at them all, Izaya grinned. “For giving me a second chance!” He declared.

— — — — — —

When Mikado left the apartment later that night, he felt as though his whole world had been turned upside down.

Stay away from Izaya. Many people had told him. He’s dangerous, unpredictable, and evil. He’ll never change.

And yet he did. He was kind, and caring and incredibly protective of those he loved. He also genuinely regretted his actions, and had apologized to all of them independently.

He smiled as he walked down the street, carrying some leftover cake in his hand. I’m glad Orihara-San was able to change.

But as he got closer to his apartment, he had to pass through the streets of the busy city. That’s when his thoughts were derailed.

“You should be careful what you do!” A man with a blue bandana whispered to another. “If Orihara Izaya shows up, you’re a dead man.”

Another man leaning nearby joined them. “I heard that too! He’s a monster with no empathy!” He said,”I heard that he’s gotten even worse recently!”

“Didn’t some dock workers see him sneaking around where those human traffickers were caught?” A man with a blue bandana around his mouth asked.

The others shushed him, but nodded at the same time. “I bet it was him selling those people!” Another whispered,”Or he probably helped catch them!”

No! No he didn’t! Mikado wanted to yell at them, suddenly overcome with anger… But then it morphed into shock. But they don’t know that… Of course they don’t! They don’t know the Izaya we know… They’ve only heard of the informant broker!

“Oi, brat!” The rough voice of the bandana clad men broke through his thoughts. Mikado suddenly realized that he had stopped walking, staring right at them.

The nearest one glared at him, jerking his head in what was an attempt to seem threatening. “We gonna have a problem?!” He demanded.

“No sir!” Mikado quickly exclaimed, bowing as far as he could go while still standing, and then hurrying away.

He hurried back home, and quickly put the cake into his fridge. Once it was shut, he leaned against it, falling once more into deep thought.

They haven’t seen what me and the others have seen, they don’t believe that Izaya can be good. He realized, feeling sad for the raven.

He than grew determined, and hurried over to his computer, booting it up, and typing in the name of a very familiar website… The website he ran.

I guess I’ll just have to help them out a bit.

— — — — — —

“Did you see? According to the dollars website, Orihara Izaya was the one that stopped the crime ring by the docks!”

“What?! No way, that can’t be true.”

“It is true! Like six other members of the Dollars confirmed it, and there were even pictures!”

“Then if that’s true… Surely he isn’t that bad? I can’t see any bad reason why he would do that!”

“Neither can I! Maybe he’s nicer now?”

“Now that I think of it… I haven’t seen any new bad rumors or news about him… It’s almost like he’s stopped.”

“Whoa! I wonder if that could be true!”

Shizuo wanted to tear his hair out, throw a vending machine, and then scream at the top of his lungs. What was going on!? What was with all the rumors spreading!

It had been nearly a year since the damned flea had shown his face in Ikebukuro, and at first the bodyguard had been angry. He believed it was a trick, that Izaya was planning some major strike that would devastate the city. But, when nothing like that happened, he felt so relieved.

Life in Ikebukuro had become much more peaceful. There was nobody trying to destroy his life, work became easier, Kasuka was visiting often, and there was no sign of the flea. Shizuo couldn’t have been happier…. Well, that was until the rumor mill started.

Out of nowhere, people started talking about supposed good deeds that the flea had been doing. From stopping a girl from committing suicide to saving a warehouse or people and stopping a crime ring!

It had to be a trick, it just had to be. After completely vanishing from what seemed like the whole world and leaving no trace of himself behind, all of a sudden he was a good guy!?

Why didn’t anyone see how strange it was? Why was Shizuo the only one who could see through his facade?

His anger began to take control of him again, and his mind was constantly plagued by the rage he felt towards Izaya and his new game.

It got so out of hand that he sent a client flying down the street before he could even speak and a few innocent bystanders were caught in the crossfire.

Tom had finally had enough. After he called an ambulance, he firmly said,”Shizuo, I think you should take the rest of the week off.”

Shizuo’s eyes widened, his cigarette dropping out of his mouth. “But, Senpai!” He exclaimed,”It was an accident!”

“Listen to me, you’ve been much angrier than usual and affecting your performance,” He firmly said,”Half of our clients just this month haven’t been able to pay because they’ve had to spend their money on hospital bills because of you! You need to take a break!”

“But it’s not my fault!” Shizuo argued,”It’s the flea! He’s trying to mess with me again, I know he is!”

Tom pinched the bridge of his nose for many seconds, and then angrily snapped,”Shizuo, you can’t use Izaya as an excuse for everything! Hell, he hasn’t even been seen around here in months! I don’t care about rumors, I doubt he even started them! You have no proof he’s trying to mess with you!”

“But-“ Shizuo tried again, but he was cut off by Tom raising a hand.

“Listen, take the rest of the week off. I’ll even pay you,” He promised,” Please, get your temper under control.”

His senpai then turned and walked away, not even looking back. Shizuo reached out towards him, and then with an angry growl turned and stormed away.

People on the streets quickly dodged him as he stomped through the city, his teeth and fists clenched as he seethed with unstoppable rage.

“That stupid flea!” He growled,”He’s trying to fuck with me! He’s trying to destroy my life again! He thinks he’s so clever, doesn’t he?!”

With a loud yell, Shizuo punched the nearby wall. “Well he may be able to fool everyone else, but he can’t fool me!” He snarled.

He pulled his fist away from the wall, holding it close to himself. “You may have been able to hide for this long Izaya, but not anymore,” He declared,”You’d better watch out! Because next time I see you, you’re gonna be nothing more than a squashed flea!”

Chapter Text

A couple weeks had gone by since Haru had his birthday party, and Izaya found himself in a bit of a dilemma.

A great many things had changed in his life as of recently, so much so that he was still trying to wrap his head around it. He had quit his job, gained actual friends, quit his evil ways, and (most importantly of all) he had adopted his son. 

Just that thought brought a smile to his face, making him turn towards where Haru was in his high chair with a small bowl of Cheerios while babbling to a visiting Akabayashi. 

The second the baby saw him looking, Haru released a toothy grin and waved. Izaya chuckled and waved back as he called,”Hi Haru!”

“Hi Haru!” The little child mimicked, only succeeding in making Izaya smile even wider than before. 

Yes, his life truly had changed for the better… But… There was one thing that was still exactly the same. 

Shizuo absolutely hated him. 

Even before he had moved to Ikebukuro, Izaya had known that Shizuo would pose a problem. Considering all the things Izaya had done to him, the raven couldn’t really blame him for his feelings.

But still, Izaya didn’t want to fight anymore. He didn’t want to cause Shizuo anger and misery, that was in the past. They didn’t have to be friends, but could they at least come to a peace? 

Izaya loves his new home in Ikebukuro, but even shopping was a pain. For some reason, Shizuo seemed even angrier than normal. The few times he had caught Izaya around Ikebukuro, he managed to keep up a lot better and sometimes even chased Izaya into Shinjuku. (Which was really annoying, considering Izaya didn’t live there anymore.) 

It was to the point he was too afraid to bring Haru to any parks in Ikebukuro, he had to go to Shinjuku for that too. It was stressing him out so much… 

“What’s eating you?” 

The raven was jolted from his thoughts by the sound of Akabayashi’s voice. He looked up from the counter, finding that the man was now leaning against the other side. 

Knowing it was useless to hide anything from the oddly perceptive man, he sighed and lowered his eye back down. “Shizuo,” He plainly said. 

Akabayashi instantly began to chuckle. “Oh, I see,” He said,”Not so fun fighting with someone when you don’t actually want to, huh? It’s almost like you know how he feels.” 

“Haha, I get it, karma is very funny,” Izaya responded, rolling his eye. Then, he grew exasperated all over again. “But I don’t want to fight him anymore! That’s the thing!” 

Akabayashi’s smirk went away and he turned a little closer to Izaya, letting the young man know that he was there to listen with a small nod. 

The raven gave him a thankful grin, and then continued. “I don’t know how to get that through to him! I never have a chance to do anything before he starts chasing me. What am I supposed to do? It can’t stay like this, especially with Haru around. It’s too dangerous.” 

The man listened carefully to Izaya’s plight, and hummed a slight bit once he was down. “That does sound like a problem,” He casually agreed,”A problem that needs a solution sooner than later.” 

The adults looked back at the one year old, watching him place the tiny Cheerios down one at a time on his high chair. 

“I don’t want Haru to suffer for my mistakes,” Izaya explained,”What if- What if I’m walking out with Haru and he gets hurt because of our fighting? I don’t want it to happen.” 

“Have you ever thought about trying to make peace with Shizuo?” Akabayashi suggested. 

Izaya nodded. “Ever since I really decided to keep Haru, it has been crossing my mind,” He replied,”I just have no idea how to go about it. Any time he sees me, even if I’m not trying to bother him, I get something thrown at me and then a chase begins.” 

The older man huffed again. “Yes, That does seem like a problem,” He said, and they both fell into silence once again.

The awkward tension was vanished by Haru. The baby lifted up his bowl of cheerios, and then flipped it upside down. The Cheerios spilled all over his chair, tumbling down onto the ground below. 

When Izaya and Akabayashi looked at him in surprise, the baby looked at them with wide, innocent eyes, and said,”Uh oh.” 

The two adults snorted in amusement at Haru, which only made the baby even more excited. With a loud squeal, he knocked the bowl off onto the floor. “Uh oh!” He yelled again, bursting into a pearl of giggles. 

“Mister man!” Izaya exclaimed, moving over to the high chair and lifting him out. “What are you doing, silly?” 

Haru answered with several more giggles and then fell into his usual babbles. Izaya listened and nodded along as if he could understand. 

The little baby ended his happy babbles when he loudly declared,”A boom.!” 

“That was very interesting, Haru,” The raven agreed,”I’ll be sure to put in a word with management down in the gravity department.” 

Akabayashi watched the scene with a small smile. Seeing Izaya acting this way still never ceased to amaze him. It was so different than the Izaya he knew just a little while ago. In fact, sometimes it seemed like a completely different person. 

The thought made Akabayashi freeze up. A completely different person… That’s it! He spun around to face Izaya, and declared,”I have an idea, about what to do with Shizuo.” 

“Oh?” Izaya asked curiously, unconsciously moving Haru closer against his chest at the mention of the blonde haired bodyguard. 

The older man nodded. “You are a lot different than you were before, and everyone seems to realize this except Shizuo,” He pointed out. “So what if next time he chases you, you try and do something out of the character he sees you as. It might be enough to make him stop and give you a chance.” 

The raven frowned, thinking it over in his head. I only ever run when I see him now, I don’t try and talk to him… He looked down at his son. Maybe Akabayashi is right? If I act ‘weird’... Well, weird to him, it may give me the few seconds I need. 

“Alright,” He said aloud, looking over at the man. “I’ll do it. Next time I’m out by myself, I’ll try to talk to him.” 

Akabayashi smiled at his agreement and nodded. “In the end, that’s all you can really do,” He pointed out,”Hopefully it will go well.” 

“Yeah…” Izaya whispered back, hugging Haru even closer. He couldn’t help the fear that he felt at even the mere thought of what he was about to try. 

All he could do was hope it would go well… 

— — — — — — — 

Shizuo had been in a very bad mood recently… Well, actually for quite a few months. He just felt constantly angry and frustrated, the smallest things were setting him off. 

His mood wasn’t out of nowhere no, it wasn’t just mood swings. He knew exactly why he was feeling this way. 

It was that damn flea. 

The bodyguard knew he was somewhere, he had to be. He smelled him all the time, as if he never left Ikebukuro anymore. Why? Was that bastard really trying to test him like this!? 

The few times he had caught Izaya wandering around his city, he chased him off as fast as he could. Still, the smell, the feeling of that damned flea never went away. 

Then there were those rumors. He heard them all the time. About Izaya having changed, being a good person, that he even stopped a huge trafficking ring. 

He didn’t believe them, not for a second. There’s no way the flea would ever change. It was impossible. He would always be a demon and a monster of a flea no matter what. 

I swear, the next time I see that bastard I’m going to- 

“Shizuo!” Tom’s voice broke through his angry thoughts. He turned those still burning eyes over to his senpai, making the man jump back in surprise. 

Guilt pooling into Shizuo’s chest, He quickly said,”Sorry, senpai… I’m just… I’ve been really out of it recently.” 

Tom sighed in response. “Yeah, I noticed…” He muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets and then looking back up at the blonde. “Well, it’s our lunch break now. Where would you like to eat?” 

“Russian Sushi sounds pretty good today,” Shizuo calmly said,”I haven’t seen Simon in a while anyways.” 

The older man hummed thoughtfully, and Shizuo could swear he was salivating at the thought of the sushi. He quickly nodded and said,”Then we’ll go there!” 

“Sounds good,” Shizuo responded, shoving his hands in his pockets as well and following behind him. 

But the closer they got to the restaurant, the worse Shizuo felt. The smell… It was getting stronger. It was driving Shizuo crazy, it was almost as if Izaya was someone right nearby! 

It turned out his hypothesis was correct. As soon as they turned the corner to where Russian Sushi was, he saw the flea. 

He was standing there by Simon, chatting idly with the man as if he wasn’t doing the very thing Shizuo always told him not to do! Then, both of them started laughing. Why? Why was Izaya acting so carefree? Was it all just a ploy to annoy Shizuo? 

The blonde growled angrily, his fists clenching tightly and breathing becoming heavier and heavier. His vision turned red, and all he saw was the damned flea. 

Next to him, Tom let out a small sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Oh, here we go…” He muttered. 

“IZAYA!!” The blonde bellowed, instantly bursting into a sprint as fast as he could towards the restaurant and his target. 

The raven jumped in surprise at the sound and spun around to face him. The second he saw Shizuo, he turned and ran away. 

“Oh no! You’re not getting away!” Shizuo angrily yelled,”You’re getting the fuck out of Ikebukuro!” 

And so, the chase began. Civilians quickly hurried out of their way as they tried to avoid being hit by a flying stop sign, trash can, vending machines, etc. 

Izaya managed to stay just two steps ahead of him though, enough that Shizuo almost lost him several times. But he managed to keep up, he wasn’t going to let Izaya escape this time. 

They ducked, dodged, and weaves through the city until they were out of the crowded city section and in the quieter part of town. 

Shizuo watched as Izaya turned into an alleyway and ran in after him, already dragging a large vending machine with him and ready to throw it. But when he walked into the alley, Izaya wasn’t running. He was just standing there. 

“Wait!” Izaya yelled, holding his hands up and staring directly at Shizuo with his one, determined red eye. 

The blonde debt collector had been ready for many things, but this wasn’t one of them. In fact, it caught him so off guard that he screeched to a halt only a few inches from Izaya’s outstretched hands. 

Shizuo took several deep breaths, trying to regain the air he had lost from the chase as he glared down at the flea. He looked around the alleyway, searching for any sign of a trap, but he saw none. 

Turning his angered eyes back to Izaya, he angrily asked,”What the fuck are you trying to pull flea?!” 

“Please, I don’t want to fight, I just want to talk,” The raven responded, his voice calm, even, and maybe even a little shaky. There was no sign of the taunting tone that Shizuo was used to. 

This only made him even angrier. Clenching his fists again, Shizuo yelled,”Bullshit!” 

Izaya quickly shook his head and exclaimed,”No! I’m serious! Look!” 

He reached into his pocket, flicking out his switch blade and showing it to Shizuo. Once the blonde got a good look at it, he realized it was the one Izaya always used against him. He mentioned several times during his taunts that he loved using his favorite knife on the blonde. 

Then, to his utter surprise, Izaya turned and tossed it behind him. It tumbled to the ground sadly, Shizuo watching it the whole way. When he looked back at Izaya, the man was standing with his hands in the air. 

Now he was even more confused. Could it be possible? Did Izaya really just want to talk? He didn’t know, could he trust him? 

No, no he couldn’t. But that didn’t mean he had to not listen. He was actually curious what scheme Izaya was trying to pull now, it was a new one. So, instead of throwing anything, he slowly dropped the vending machine and firmly said,”Start talking then.” 

Izaya let out a sigh of relief, and then quickly said,”I wanted to talk to you about something important-“

“Start talking then!” Shizuo angrily repeated again. Why was Izaya trying to stall? Was he waiting for something to drop on Shizuo from the sky? 

The raven jolted at the sound of his voice and quickly continued,”A- a lot of things have changed for me during these past few months, and some of it wasn’t good.” His one hand idly went towards the medical eyepatch he was wearing before he continued. “And because of that, I’ve also changed.” 

Shizuo was about to call bullshit, but Izaya kept going before he could yell anything. 

“I… I had my eyes opened to a lot of things. One of those was how horrible of a person I was,” He explained,”I was horrible to you and to so many other people. For that, I’m sorry.” 

He slowly lowered a hand, and then held his other one outstretched. “This apology also is a way to tell you that I don’t want to fight you anymore,” Izaya declared,”I’m offering a truce.” 

The blonde’s eyes were wide with many different emotions. Shock, disbelief, and confusion most of all. He looked down at the outstretched hand, then back at Izaya. “A… A truce?” He echoed. 

“You don’t have to be my friend, especially not after everything I’ve done to you,” Izaya said,”All I’m asking for is a truce. No more fighting, no more chasing out of cities. I’ll stay out of your way, in return for the same.” 

The world seemed to slow down as Shizuo just stared at the pale, outstretched hand. Everything Izaya had told him was so very tempting. 

He could already imagine the benefits. No more losing jobs, no more crippling debts from the property damage he caused, no more scaring people during their chases. Hell, maybe his temper would also calm down and he’d have much less stress. 

The deal, the truce Izaya was offering sounded good… Really good. 

In fact, it sounded too good to be true. 

All the anger that he had managed to keep under wraps during Izaya’s proposal bubbled to the surface. 

Izaya slowly pulled his hand back, fear welling up in his red eye as he figured out what Shizuo’s answer would be. 

“You…” Shizuo snarled,”You think that you just come here to my city after tormenting me for years and just apologize?!” 

He slammed his foot on the ground, breaking the concrete beneath it. “NO! That’s not how this works!” He yelled,”You bastard! Your stupid apology is worthless! Monsters like you don’t change, you don’t have the ability to!” 

“Shizuo-“ 

“SHUT THE FUCK UP!!” Shizuo yelled. Izaya went silent, his eye wide with fear. and Shizuo’s angered frown turned into a vicious grin as he saw the emotions burning in that red orb. 

“Oh, I see. You thought that you could come here and offer some silly little truce and that I would fall for it?” He sneered,”Then you would get me to trust you and then destroy everything I held dear, right? Right?!”

Izaya frantically shook his head. “No! That’s not it!” He tried to explain, but Shizuo wasn’t listening. 

The blonde grabbed the vending machine again, building up his strength as he smiled even wider. “Guess your plan didn’t work this time,” He yelled,”Did it, I-ZAY-YA!?!” 

With a mighty heave, he threw the large machine towards the retreating raven. It slammed into his half turned body, and sent the man tumbling down to the ground, and this time he didn’t get up. 

With a victorious smirk, Shizuo yelled,”Try and remember that next time you ‘just want to talk!’” 

With those final words, Shizuo stormed out of the alleyway, leaving the unmoving Izaya behind. 

— — — — — — — 

“YOU WHAT!?” 

Out of all the reactions Shizuo had been expecting when he went to Celty and Shinra to rant, this hadn’t been one of them. 

Shinra was staring at him with wide, terrified eyes and his jaw dropped and Celty was practically hidden by the black shadows bursting from her neck. 

Shizuo was at a loss. “What? Why are acting like this?” He demanded,”I know you don’t like the fact we fight, Celty, but he was out of line this time!” 

He started pacing again as he said,“Trying to act like he didn’t want to fight anymore, did he really think I would fall for bullshit like tha- OW!” 

While he had been ranting, Celty stormed up behind him and slammed her closed first into the back of his head. When he whipped around for face her, she shoved his PDA into his face. 

[Shizuo, you idiot!!]

“Idiot?” Shizuo read aloud, confusion echoing in his tone. “I don’t understand, what do you mean?” 

Shinra groaned, his hands rubbing behind his glasses. “Izaya wasn’t trying to trick you, Shizuo!” He exclaimed,”He really was trying to make a truce!” 

Shizuo’s eyes widened, shock overcoming his features for a moment before he shook it off. “Why should I believe you?” He asked,”You’re friends with him! And he’s tricked you before, Celty!” 

More of those black shadows billowed out of Celty’s neck as she shoved the PDA back in his face. [This isn’t like those times, Shizuo! Izaya really has changed! He’s a good person now!] She said. 

“How!?” Shizuo demanded, throwing his hands out. “Izaya has never changed before, he’s always been this way! What insane force could have made Izaya change?” 

Celty didn’t respond with words. Instead, she closed her messages and swiped through her photos, pulling one up and shoving it into Shizuo’s hand. When the blonde looked down at the photo, his heart nearly stopped in shock. 

It was Izaya, laying on a soft, comfy looking couch. His head rested on a pillow, his eye was closed, and he looked extremely relaxed. In his arms was… A baby. 

The little one was resting against Izaya’s chest, his eyes shut, and his hand holding onto Izaya’s lax one tightly. They looked so relaxed, so peaceful, and so happy. It looked as if they were always meant to be together. 

“Is that…” Shizuo whispered, unable to finish his thought for fear of what the answer might be. 

“That is Haru, Izaya’s adopted son,” Shinra revealed. “Ever since Izaya took him in, he’s been a much different person. He nearly died protecting Haru, he quit messing with the city, and he even quit being an informant broker.” 

[Those rumors about Izaya stopping that trafficking ring are true, Kadota’s gang and I were there and helped.] Celty also mentioned. 

Shinra nodded, and said,”Haru has changed him for the better, and Izaya is the kind and loving person I always said he could be.” 

Celty continued. [He has changed, and he really did want a truce. He did it because he lives here now, and he wants to keep Haru safe.] 

“That’s his new purpose in life, Shizuo,” Shinra said,”Keeping Haru and those he cares about safe. Even if that means that he would get hurt in the process.” 

[Shizuo, please. You have to believe us.] 

Their words reached the blonde, but he found hat he couldn’t respond. As he stared at that photo, and heard what they were telling him, many confusing puzzle pieces started to fall into place. 

It all made sense now. The reason Izaya basically vanished off the map for once was because he had been taking care of Haru. The sudden feeling that Izaya was always nearby was because he was. The reason he only ran from Shizuo now and didn’t attack was because...

Izaya truly didn’t want to fight him… 

Shizuo’s heart pounded in his ears as he turned his wide eyes up to the courier and underground doctor, the hand holding the phone shaking as he forced himself to speak. 

“I really fucked up, didn’t I?”

Chapter Text

Shizuo felt like a major asshole. 

Izaya hadn’t been trying to trick him, he was really trying to make a truce… And what had the blonde done? He had knocked him out. 

All he could think about was the fact that he had thrown a vending machine at the man and left him unconscious in the street. Sure, he had thrown worse things at him… But he usually never managed to hit him! 

He and Celty had gone back to where the incident occurred as soon as Shizuo realized the misdeeds of his actions, but Izaya was gone. The only sign of where he had been was the small dried splotch of blood on the alleyway floor. 

This made Shizuo panic even more, and made Celty even angrier. The only thing that stopped either of them from doing something reckless was a call from Shinra. 

Celty tore her phone out of her pocket, slamming her finger down on the answer and speaker buttons. Shizuo came to her side, worriedly asking,”What is it?” 

“You guys can calm down! I have good news!” Shinra happily said,”I just got a message from Izaya asking for me to come to his apartment. I’ll head over there now!” 

The duo’s shoulders slumped in relief, that meant Izaya was awake and somewhere safe. But, a thought occurred to the blonde. 

“Wait… He’s asking you to come to his apartment… D- Did I hurt him that bad?” He nervously questioned. 

He could practically hear the eye roll over the phone. “Shizuo, you hit him with a vending machine.” The doctor bluntly declared. 

Shizuo sputtered for several seconds, his cheeks turning progressively red as he tried to come up with a response. Realizing very quickly that he wasn’t exactly the person in the right, he quickly asked,”Can you tell him I’m sorry?” 

“No,” Shinra firmly replied, surprising both of them with his tone. “Shizuo, you can’t do that over the phone. You made a mistake, you have to be the one to fix it.”

With those strong words, Shinra hung up and left Shizuo with a feeling of relief and guilt all mixed together. He needed to apologize and accept the truce, he would never feel better until he did. 

Turning to Celty, he swallowed down the lump in his throat and asked,”Do you know where Izaya lives? I need- I need to apologize.” 

Celty stared at him for what felt like an eternity before finally writing her response. [I do...] She said. [But… I’m not going to tell you.] 

“What!?” Shizuo exclaimed in disbelief. “Why not!? Celty, I just want to apologize to him! That’s it!”

[I know you do, but I think you need to wait a bit before you do that] Celty stated. [And I’m not telling you where he is without Izaya’s permission. It’s his home after all. And after what you did, I don’t think he’d feel comfortable having you know where he lives.] 

“But-” Shizuo tried, but didn’t get farther than that.

[If Izaya had come up to me and asked me for your address one week ago, would you have wanted me to give it to him?] She asked.

The debt collector’s mouth, which had already been prepared to continue the argument, quickly shut. “No…” He muttered under his breath. “I would have gotten pretty angry if you had given it to him…”

Celty nodded firmly in agreement. [Exactly] She said. [And that’s how Izaya would feel right now, considering that you knocked him out and left him in an alleyway.]

“Fine…” He growled out, letting his shoulders fall out of their tense state. “I’ll wait… It’s the least I could do.”

Celty nodded in what seemed like an approving way. [That’s all I ask for, Shizuo] She replied.

The dullahan soon after got on her motorcycle again and drove off, Shizuo having decided to walk himself home and clear his head. 

Yeah, Izaya probably didn’t want to see him. Shinra and Celty were right, he needed to give the raven some time. He could do that, he could be patient. 

— — — — — — 

Three Weeks Later 

— — — — — — 

Being patient was much harder than Shizuo thought.

Even though it had only been a few weeks, the guilt was tearing Shizuo apart. He kept thinking about the picture Celty showed him, and the fact that Izaya had genuinely been trying to create a truce.

“But surely I’m in the right, right?” Shizuo asked Tom one day. “Izaya has always tricked people, I had more than enough reason to not trust him, right? Right?”

Tom, who had heard the whole story, shrugged. “Well, you’re sort of right. You didn’t really have to trust Izaya. But if it turned out he had been lying, and you hit him with the vending machine, then wouldn’t you be doing exactly what he wanted?”

His senpai was right, but that only made Shizuo even more frustrated. It truly didn’t matter if Izaya had been lying or not, either way the debt collector had been in the wrong. Hopefully Izaya would give him the chance to apologize. 

But that day never seemed to come. Anytime he asked Celty about it, she would tell him that Izaya didn’t say she could tell Shizuo about where he lived. Shizuo was starting to wonder if that day would ever come. Maybe it was too late, and he had already destroyed any chance at a truce.

“Hi, Shizuo! Tom!” Simon’s cheerful voice broke through his mind’s frantic ramblings. He looked up, seeing the man standing outside his restaurant.

“Hello Simon!” Tom cheerfully said,”Lovely day, isn’t it?”

Simon grinned widely. “Yes, it is a lovely day for sushi!” He responded,”Want some? Discount for each of you!”

Tom looked towards Shizuo, who gave a weak shrug. He didn’t really care either way. Tom seemed to take this as agreement, as the man turned towards Simon and said,”We’re ready for our break anyway, might as well!”

So, Simon led them inside and were instantly given a feast of sushi at a huge discount. Sometimes I wonder how Simon stays in business with how many discounts he gives . Shizuo thought quietly, poking at the sushi with his chopsticks.

After watching the display for an annoyingly long time, Tom sighed and dropped his chopsticks into his bowl. “Shizuo, you have to stop letting this Izaya stuff beat you up,” He said,”You’ll get the address eventually.”

“Not if he doesn’t trust me, especially after I beat him up like that,” Shizuo darkly muttered,”I’ll be lucky if he even wants to keep the truce.”

Tom sighed and went back to eating, as if knowing it was a lost cause. Thankfully, they were saved from another awkward silence as Simon walked back in with even more food. “More sushi, and got a special delivery!” He cheerfully said.

Next to Shizuo’s nearly untouched plates of food, Simon put down a small box. “One order of fatty tuna,” He said,”And an address to take it to.” He put a small strip of paper on top of the box.

“What?” Shizuo confusedly asked, reaching out and picking up the paper. He looked over the scrawled address several times before finally catching on. “This is… Izaya’s?”

Simon nodded, that large smile still on his face. “Yes! Go ahead, Shizuo, deliver it to Izaya-kun,” He said,”Use sushi as a peace offering, fresh today fish!. Izaya-kun can’t resist fatty tuna.”

“I shouldn’t, Simon. He doesn’t want to see me, he’s scared of me..” Shizuo sadly stated, pushing the box away again.

The large man shook his head. “Not scared for himself, scared for Haru,” Simon said,”Just like any parents would be. Doesn’t want Haru to be hurt, but you won’t hurt Haru. The only way to show him that is to show him, Shizuo.”

Tom nodded in agreement. “This might be your only chance for a while, Shizuo,” He said. “I’ll take the last clients by myself, they’re the ones we’ve dealt with before, I’ll be fine.”

Shizuo sighed, he didn’t like this idea, but it was the only idea he had. “Fine,” He grumbled. “But if this goes bad, I’m blaming both of you.”

He grabbed the box and the piece of paper, and headed out of the restaurant. All the while forcing himself to ignore the little sliver of hope that was building up inside of him at the idea that maybe, just maybe, he would be able to fix this.

-- -- -- -- -- -- 

When he got to the front of the apartment building, he saw that it wasn’t at all what he expected. It wasn’t some dark and scary fortress, just a simple apartment complex. In fact, it was only a few blocks away from Celty and Shinra’s place.

He got to Izaya’s door number, noticing that it was under a fake name. I guess that makes sense, he’s working with the cops now, and his past makes it smarter to use a fake name. Shizuo thought.

The debt collector stared at the door for a full minute before he managed to gather up the courage to knock. Less than thirty seconds after that, the doorknob turned, and Izaya opened the door.

The second Izaya saw Shizuo, his one eye widened in shock, and he quickly went to shut the door. “Wait!” Shizuo exclaimed, shoving his foot in the door. “Don’t shut the door, I just want to talk!”

“Go away!” Izaya responded, shoving the door harder against the offending limb, trying to get the foot out of the doorway. 

“No, no! Wait!” Shizuo stuttered out, and held up the box. “I have fatty tuna, a delivery from Simon!”

Izaya stopped his shoving, his one eye narrowing suspiciously. But he was considering it, just like Simon said he would. So, Shizuo sweetened the deal even more. “It’s fresh,” He said,”Simon called it ‘today fish’”

The raven looked between him and the box for a few more seconds before letting out a frustrated sigh. “You can come in,” He ground out, opening the door wider. 

Shizuo couldn’t help but be surprised at the sight of the man, he obviously hadn’t been expecting visitors. Izaya was wearing a loose black hoodie and matching sweatpants, his hair a bit messy, and his right arm- 

“Why is your arm in a sling?” Shizuo asked curiously, pointing at the cast without any hesitation..

Izaya’s frown got even deeper, if that were possible. “Funny story, actually,” He sarcastically said,”Someone threw a vending machine at me. Can you imagine that?”

Shizuo’s whole face burned red with shame, and he quickly muttered,”S-sorry…” He kept his brown eyes on the ground as he shuffled his shoes off. 

The man huffed in annoyance. “Just get in here before I change my mind,” He muttered, stalking back into the apartment. 

The debt collector followed, finding Izaya sitting cross legged at the table. Shizuo nervously sat across from him, very cautiously pushing the fatty tuna towards the man, and quickly pulling his hand back into his own lap.

As Izaya opened the box with one hand, Shizuo looked around the apartment. He could see toys strewn around, and the few picture frames that showed the little family Izaya had created for himself. Speaking of which...

“S-so… Um… Where’s Haru?” Shizuo asked, instantly regretting it. Stupid! Simon literally said he was worried about meeting with me because of Haru! Why are you bringing this up?!

Izaya raised his eyebrow, seemingly confused about how Shizuo could even know about his son. “Celty and Shinra?” He asked. At Shizuo’s nod, he seemed to get less suspicious, and replied,”He’s down for his nap.”

“Oh, Haru takes naps?” Shizuo curiously asked, desperately trying to make conversation about anything.

The raven was not impressed. “He’s a one year old baby,” Izaya bluntly said,”Yes, he takes naps. Just like every single one year-”

Shizuo let out an angry growl. “I don’t know anything about kids, okay?!” He snapped, crossing his arms and muttering under his breath. 

Izaya snorted in amusement, making Shizuo bristle. “What?” He asked defensively,”What’s so funny?!”

“No, it’s not anything mean,” Izaya quickly said,”You just sound like I did when I was first taking care of Haru. I had no idea what I was doing.”

Oh, good, so I didn’t completely fuck up my chances. Shizuo thought in relief, and nervously replied,”Uh.. Yeah. I think new parents always feel like that, I remember my parents saying the same thing.”

“I’m sure having you as their first kid didn’t help,” Izaya said, making Shizuo worry that it was the start of an insult. ”Imagine waking up one day and finding out your son picked up a refrigerator.”

Shizuo chuckled, hiding his sigh of relief once more. “You know, I never actually thought about that. Kasuka was there when I lifted it, and he didn’t even bat an eye,” He said.

“Does he ever get surprised by anything?” Izaya asked, quickly adding on a “No offense” after he said the question.

To Shizuo’s surprise, he found himself replying,”Oh, none taken. He’s just that type of guy, always reserved. I think it’s because he had to grow up with me. But I guess I’ll never know.”

Izaya nodded, biting into the fatty tuna finally. He made a noise of happiness. “Dish’ is ‘today’ fresh,” He muttered, quickly shoving the rest into his mouth.

“Ugh, how can you eat that? It’s so bitter,” Shizuo muttered, cringing at the idea of eating such food all the time.

“How can you eat all those sweets? As if milk wasn’t bad enough, Banana and strawberry flavored milk? Seriously?” Izaya challenged,”What are you? A grade schooler?”

“Oi!” Shizuo snapped,”Milk is good for your bones! It’s a great source of calcium! Maybe if you drank more milk, your arm wouldn’t have broken so easily!”

They glared at each other for several seconds, before both breaking out into a small bubble of laughter. 

After taking another bite of the sushi, Izaya smiled and said,”You know, for a protozoan, you’ve got a pretty sharp tongue.”

“And for a flea, you’re pretty durable,” Shizuo complimented back. 

They fell silent again, and the blonde found himself feeling hopeful. This is going better than I thought. Now, time to broach the big bad topic.

“Um… Izaya… I- I’m sorry about… About the vending machine,” He quietly said,”You were just trying to start a truce, the thing I’ve wanted for years, and I didn’t believe you.”

Izaya, to his surprise, shrugged. “If I was in your shoes, I wouldn’t have trusted me either. Although, I wouldn't have thrown a vending machine, because if it really was a trick you would have-”

“I would have just been doing you wanted in the first place, yeah I already got that lecture from several people, I don’t need it from you too,” Shizuo quickly interrupted. 

The raven chuckled, setting down his chopsticks. “Well, I forgive you,” Izaya calmly said,”But you really don’t have to apologize. If anything, I should be the one apologizing. I was a little shit to you since high school, I never let you have any peace. I know an apology can’t fix that, but I am sorry.”

Shizuo nodded. “I.. I accept your apology, too,” He said,”Besides, I was the one who said I didn’t like you in the beginning. And most of those jobs I lost because of my temper. I’m still upset about the bartender job, but I forgive you.”

“So… Truce?” Izaya hesitantly asked, holding out his left hand.

Shizuo could see the nervousness still hidden in Izaya’s eye, and this time he wouldn’t break the fragile hope. He reached out, taking Izaya’s hand in his own and shaking it. “Truce,” He agreed. 

They shook on it with a smile, and Izaya eagerly went back to his sushi. “Hey, is it too late to add a rule to the truce that you have to deliver me sushi? That would make this whole truce thing even more enjoyable,” He asked.

Shizuo snorted. “Eh? So you get delivered sushi all the time? And what would be in it for me?” He demanded.

Izaya grinned mischievously, placing his hand on his chest. “You would get the honor of basking in my glorious presence!” He dramatically said.

“I’d rather break the truce,” Shizuo said in a serious tone, making Izaya gasp and place a hand on his chest, as if in pain.

“I’m hurt, Shizu-chan-” He gasped, stopping himself. “Ah, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t call you- I’m sorry-” 

The debt collector quickly shook his head. “No, no, it’s fine,” Shizuo quickly said,”I mean, it’s a habit at this point, right? Habits are hard to break, flea.”

Izaya smiled, he knew very well that Shizuo had called him that just to prove his point, but the raven still appreciate it nonetheless. With a small smile on his face, he said,”You’re right… Protozoan.”

“Louse.” Shizuo teased back.

They both let relieved smiles grow on their faces. They finally had a truce, and it seemed like things were finally going to be okay between them.

-- -- -- -- -- -- --

“Iza-Iza! Come on! If you don’t buy the correct manga, then how will Haru ever become a cultured member of society?” Erika asked, secretly trying to shove a manga into the shopping bag. 

Izaya sighed and rolled his eyes. “Erika, he can’t even read yet,” He pointed out, holding the shopping bag closer. 

“Yeah, and he asked for our help with shopping, not manga,” Kadota said, snatching it from the girls hand. 

Erika huffed in annoyance. “Whatever!” She haughtily said,”You guys just don’t appreciate my true- Eek! ”

Kadota looked up and found himself gasping in fear. Crossing the street ahead of them was none other than Heiwajima Shizuo. Oh fuck… The man thought. How are we supposed to get out of this one?

Shizuo and Izaya stared at each other for several long, terrifying seconds before Shizuo turned to face them. He stalked forwards, his hands clenched tightly into fists. “I-za-ya~!” He growled out loud.

“Hello, Shizu-chan~!” Izaya cheerfully responded, making Kadota panic even more. What are you doing?! Why are you taunting him?! He wondered in terror.

The blonde continued stalking forward, coming face to face with Izaya, only inches away. He started to pull his hand back, and Kadota frantically reached for Izaya, ready to pull him out of harm's way as Shizuo’s arm shot forward-

With a… Bottle of milk?

“Here, flea, this is for Haru,” Shizuo said, reaching back again, and bringing out another one. “And this one is for you, to help fix your stupid arm.”

Izaya grinned, holding out the shopping back and letting Shizuo drop them in with a gentle smile. “Thank you, Shizu-chan,” He replied with no malice. “How much was it? I’ll pay you back.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Shizuo said calmly, shoving his hands in his pockets and then looking at their spectators. “Yo, Kadota, Erika, how have you been?”

Kadota’s mind finally caught up with him, and his eyes widened in shock. “You… You punks!” He snapped,”You made a truce without telling me?! I was terrified!!”

Izaya burst into a peal of giggles. “That was the point, Dota-chin! You should have seen your face!” He replied, elbowing Shizuo. “See, Shizu-chan? I told you that would be funny!”

“It was pretty funny,” Shizuo agreed, a mischievous smile crawling up onto his own face as well.

Kadota’s angry frown went away slowly, getting replaced with a small smile. “Huh, Izaya and Shizuo pranking me together. Never thought I’d see the day,” He casually said.

Erika let out a loud squeal of excitement. “I knew it! I knew this day would come!” She said,”Today it’s planning to prank against Dota-chin, tomorrow it will be planning their wedding!”

”Erika!!” Kadota snapped, like a parent to a child. “Stop it!”

 The cringing raven quickly turned to Shizuo once more. “Maybe we shouldn’t have told them,” Izaya casually said.

“Yeah maybe we should call of the truce, something is making me already have regrets,” Shizuo agreed.

At Erika’s horrified screech, the former enemies started laughing once more. This time Kadota ended up joining in. Erika’s face turned red with embarrassment, and she stomped her foot against the ground. “You three are just a bunch of big jerks!” She cried.

Kadota rolled his eyes. “Erika, it’s okay, we’ll stop messing with you,” He promised, wanting to stop her tantrum from going any further.

Erika still seemed upset, but it calmed her down enough for Kadota. The beanie-clad man turned back towards Izaya and Shizuo, a smile on his face. “I’m just glad to see you guys getting along now,” He said,”The city will be a lot safer with you two on the same side.”

The woman next to them giggled. “Yeah!” She agreed,”After all, love is the most powerful weapon of all!”

“ERIKA!!”

Chapter Text

A few weeks had passed since the tentatively created truce between Heiwajima Shizuo and Orihara Izaya and, to the surprise of many, it was still going strong. 

In all honesty, Shizuo felt like he was more surprised than anyone, and he was one half of the truce! 

Even after his prank on Kadota with Izaya, part of him couldn’t stop those thoughts in the dark recesses of his mind… The ones that told him it was all a trick, that Izaya was using the truce to gain his trust so he could enjoy the pleasure of breaking his heart when he showed his true colors. 

So for the first week or two a part of him (a bigger part than he would ever admit) was always prepared for the moment Izaya did something horrific or whipped out a switchblade, while laughing about how Shizuo had somehow expected Izaya to change, to see him as anything more than a monster to play with…

But that never happened… In fact, their truce seemed to evolve into something more .

 Like, dare he say, a friendship?

Their truce had started off simple enough. They agreed not to fight each other, and go about their own lives without worrying about the other plotting something.

“When have I ever plotted something?” Shizuo questioned at that point.

Izaya stared at him with a tilt of his head. “Well, you have attempted to break into my apartment several times when you were angry.”

“That wasn’t plotting!”

“Would you rather I call it attempted breaking and entering?” 

“ …Fine . Stupid flea…”

So, they both agreed to not plot or purposefully attempt to hurt each other, and for a while that was it. Izaya was busy with his kid, and Shizuo was busy with his job. In all honesty, he thought that would be the end of it. 

Then, one day, while walking back to his apartment, he had nearly crashed into the louse while he was trying to light a cigarette. 

They quickly dodged each other, used to having to do so from their old fights, and both looked at each other suspiciously for a moment. When they realized that neither was planning to attack, they relaxed. 

“Good evening, Shizu-Chan!” Izaya gave him a cheerful smile, as if they hadn’t been mortal enemies a week ago. “How has your day been?”

Shizuo involuntarily bit the cigarette in his mouth in half as he growled. “It’s been shit. Clients keep getting on my nerves. Why borrow money if you can’t pay it back? So fuckin annoying… And I keep losing my temper at them! I don’t mean to, they just piss me off.”

Izaya nodded his head, looking at him curiously. “More property damage than normal?” He casually questioned. 

The blonde couldn’t stop a smirk from appearing on his face. “Heh, you got a spread sheet or something?” He teased as he pulled out another cancer stick. “But… Yeah, lots of damage. The boss may have to take it out of my paycheck this time…” 

He slumped his shoulders sadly, and then suddenly realized how stupid he felt. Shit, Shizuo. He’s your acquaintance, not your therapist. Stop being depressing!! 

After clearing his throat, he looked back at Izaya with an awkward laugh. “But enough about my problems… Um… How have you been?” 

Izaya gave him a tired look, which helped Shizuo see the bags under his eye, and shoved his unbroken arm into his pocket with a sigh. “I’m afraid I am in a similar situation to you, Shizu-Chan. Life has been cruel.”

Shizuo forgot about the cigarette as he leaned forward a bit, to show he was listening. 

“Haru is sick. The doctor says it’s just a fever, so I’m not too worried, but he hates being sick. He’s been fussy all week, I’ve barely slept.” As if his body wanted to prove this, he stopped to yawn. “So I was just picking up his medicine. Hopefully he’ll start to feel better and I can go back to my semi-normal sleeping hours.” 

Shizuo snorted. “Sounds like both of us have it rough…” He bit down on his cigarette again without meaning to. 

Izaya let out a depressed sigh. “I suppose we do…” Then, his eye lit up suddenly. “Oh… But perhaps I know a way we can cheer ourselves up?”

The blonde instantly was on the alert. He felt a little bad about it, but that didn’t stop him for preparing to get his trust shattered. “Um… What do you mean?” 

The raven haired man suddenly looked mischievous. “Well, you see… Dotachin doesn’t know that we have made a truce yet. I thought… What if we prank him?” 

“ Prank him?” Shizuo echoed, involuntarily lowering his guard. Out of all the things he expected Izaya to say, this wasn’t one of them. 

The raven grinned and placed his unbroken hand on his chest. “Yes, prank him! I’m going shopping with him later this week. I figure you come over all angry and freak them out and then boom, we strike up a friendly conversation. It’ll be hilarious!” 

Shizuo stared at the young man incredulously. “Hilarious? You want me to scare the shit out of our mutual friend? What did he do to deserve getting pranked like that?” 

Izaya pouted and slumped forward, suddenly miserable. “He and his stupid gang bought Haru a neon pink onesie that says ‘future Otaku in the making’.” He put his face in his hand and groaned. “The kid loves it, Shizuo! I tried to switch it out but he always knows! It’s a nightmare to look at, I need to get back at him for it!!”

Shizuo cringed at the mention of the pink onesie. Who the hell would create a product like that? And why would anyone give it to a kid to wear? Poor Haru, the kid was too young to read, he had no idea the clothing was a monstrosity. 

“Are you sure it wasn’t just Erika?” 

“Dotachin was laughing! He was in on it, I know he was!” 

That wasn’t necessarily enough proof, but Shizuo suddenly found the idea of pranking Kadota enticing. Not only to get revenge on behalf of Haru for that horrible onesie, but to see his usually stoic friend get freaked out. 

Was he a bad friend for that? He wasn’t sure, he didn’t think so. An asshole, sure, but not a bad friend. 

“Alright, flea. I’ll help you with this prank.” He said around his cigarette, finally lit. “Just text me and let me know where to be and when.” 

Izaya brightened up like a kid on Christmas. “Oh yes, Shizu-Chan! Thank you!! I promise this will be hilarious!” He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his phone. “Just put your number in.”

Shizuo looked down at the phone with a quirk of his eyebrow. “You don’t already have my number, louse? I thought you were supposed to be some fancy informant broker.” 

The raven haired man rolled his eye, and gave him a good natured glare. “Of course I do, protozoan. But I’m trying to do this new thing I heard about called ‘being a decent human’ and asking for it.” 

The blonde smirked and took the phone, entering his number and typing his name in as ‘Shizu-Chan’ right off the bat. (He knew if he put in his real name, Izaya would just change it anyway).

As he handed the phone back, he gave the other man a nod. “Just text me when and where, like I said.” He turned around, and raised a hand in the air. “Later, flea.”

He only made it a few blocks before he heard his phone chime and pulled it out to check. 

Unknown Number: This is Izaya! Using your number which I legally acquired! Is this Shizu-Chan? 

Shizuo: It’s me. 

Unknown Number: Wahoo! Okay, I just checked with Dotachin! We’ll be near West Gate Park at noon, meet us there! 

Shizuo: Alright, I’ll be there. 

As an afterthought, he tapped on the number and added it to his contacts, changing the name to something he could recognize.

Flea: Great! See you then~~~!

— — — — — — 

After the (admittedly hilarious) prank on Kadota and his little group, Shizuo had expected things to return to the way they were before. Well… The way they were for the beginning of their truce. 

When he and Izaya ignored each other and were cordial when they came into contact with each other on the streets of Ikebukuro and only spoke when they had those random encounters. 

However, that silence between them never had a chance to reform, because Izaya kept texting him. He felt his phone buzz about an hour after he had left the Van Gang and headed back towards his workplace. 

Flea: Shizu-chaaan! That was so much fun! Thank you for humoring me! We sure got Dotachin good! 

The bodyguard stared at the message and found himself smiling. For some reason, he felt relieved that the flea was still texting him. He wasn’t sure why, but he didn’t hate this feeling either. 

Shizuo: Yeah he was pretty freaked out. That was pretty funny, you were right. 

Flea: Ha! it was! 

Flea: Thanks for the milk, by the way! Haru loved it! 

Shizuo: Did you drink yours yet? 

Flea: ( ≧Д≦) I don’t like milk!

Shizuo: How else are you gonna fix your dumb arm? You need strong bones, flea, so drink the stupid milk.

Flea: Fine, MOM , I’ll drink the milk. 

Flea: By the way, how much was the milk? I’ll pay you back. 

Shizuo: Oh no, you don’t have to do that.

Flea: I insist! I remember what you said about your paycheck, I feel bad taking the milk for a prank when you need the money! (╥_╥)

This simple text sent another strange feeling through Shizuo’s heart. Izaya remembered that? He was a little shocked, he hadn’t expected the flea to remember something he’d angrily grumbled during their small talk. The only other people who would have remembered such small details were Celty and Tom. It felt… Nice. 

Shizuo: Seriously, don’t worry about it. This past week I calmed down somewhat, so the costs of damage didn’t eat into my paycheck. 

Flea: Oh, that’s good! 

Flea: Did your sudden peacefulness happen because you got to bask in my radiant presence? (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

For some reason, he snorted and then let out a burst of laughter at the joke. Several onlookers jumped in fright, and quickly scurried away, but he paid them no heed as he wrote his reply.

Shizuo: Stupid flea

Flea: I’m not hearing a nooooo~~~

— — — — — — 

The next few weeks passed in a similar manner, with Shizuo and Izaya texting back and forth as if they had always been so close. 

Their conversations varied. Sometimes talking about their day, sometimes teasing each other, or sharing some random stories. He wasn’t sure why, but he always looked forward to the familiar chime of his phone now. 

When he first admitted that he was texting Izaya, his senpai looked at him with surprise. “So the truce was a real thing? Not just a trick of his?” 

Shizuo almost didn’t hear him, focused on his phone.“What? Oh, no it’s real. We’ve been texting for a while, it’s actually nice.” He held out the phone to his senpai. “Look, it’s him and Haru.”

Tom pushed his glasses up and tilted his head. “Didn’t he have two eyes before? How did he lose his eye?”

“Hmm… Lemme ask him.”

“No, Shizuo wait!!” His panicked senpai cried out, but it was too late.

Shizuo: Tom wants to know how you lost your eye

Flea: Some guy tried to kill me, then Haru, so I killed him instead. But he got some pretty good hits before I could. He broke my leg too. It was not a fun day. (⌯˃̶᷄ ﹏ ˂̶᷄⌯)ﾟ

Shizuo: What did you do to piss him off?

Flea: I didn’t do anything for once!! His wife wanted to know if he was cheating, turns out he was doing that and a lot worse so she left him. He blamed me for some reason.

Shizuo: Whatever happened to ‘Don’t shoot the messenger?’

Flea: THANK YOU!! 

“Earth to Shizuo! Hello??” 

The blonde was pulled back to reality, and looked back at his senpai. The man looked fondly annoyed, and said nothing as Shizuo let him read the text chain that had just occurred.

Once Tom got the explanation, he nodded in understanding. “I see… Well let him know that I’m sorry for prying, and I’m glad he and Haru are okay.”

Shizuo nodded as he shoved his phone back into his pocket. “I’ll tell him later. I shouldn’t be on my phone during work hours anyway.” 

To his surprise, his senpai smiled and waved his professionalism away. “Don’t worry, Shizuo! I don’t mind. As strange as it is to say, I think you guys are good for each other.” 

Tom turned and walked away, leaving a stunned Shizuo behind. He hesitated for a moment, trying to decide how he should take that. Was that true? We’re they good for each other?

But then he took a moment to think about it, and realized that his senpai was right. Ever since he and Izaya had started talking regularly, his violent episodes had calmed down.

He hadn’t been throwing people or objects nearly as much, he’d been keeping his temper in check much better than usual. He hated violence, and his life had become much more peaceful once they had made the truce.

Shizuo held his phone in his pocket and smiled, before hurrying to catch up with his senpai. 

It seemed that having Izaya to talk to was helping in more ways than he realized. 

— — — — — — 

After that, somehow, things escalated even further. 

Then again, he shouldn’t have been surprised. Even if he and Izaya weren’t mortal enemies anymore, that didn’t mean that nobody else was out to get them.

It had been a routine debt collection, they had come to a rotten house on the edge of Ikebukuro. As soon as Shizuo had knocked on the door, it had suddenly flown open, and he found himself staring down the barrel of a gun.

“Get away from me!!” The man screeched, his eyes wide and unhinged.

Tom and Shizuo quickly held up their hands. Even though he knew there was a chance he could wrestle the gun away, he didn’t dare try something so reckless when his senpai (a normal human who probably couldn’t withstand several gunshots) was right there. 

“Alright, alright… Let’s all be calm about this..” Tom took a step backwards. “We’re just here to collect the money, there’s no need for violence.”

The man turned his gaze to Tom, but the shaking gun stayed focused on Shizuo. “You don’t get it!! I ain’t got the money! And if I pay you, then I won’t have money for the other guys! I’m dead meat! I’m so fucking dead!”

Shizuo took a step forward, intending to grab the gun and end the stand-off. He could survive a gunshot to his body, but he wasn’t sure if Tom could handle the same pain as him. 

Unfortunately his movement was seen. But instead of shooting, he turned his gun to Tom. “Ha! You take another step, I’ll kill your friend and then you, you fucking monster!!” 

Shizuo froze in his tracks, his heart pounding in fear and his mind reeling at the insult. What could he do now!? Even if he decided to go for the gun, he would shoot Tom before he could even blink. Shit, shit, shit!!

Tom took another step back, looking a little more nervous than before. “We can extend the date! There’s no need for this! Please , see reason!”

This time, the deranged stranger laughed. “Reason? Reason!? I ain’t got none of that left! I’m a dead man either way! That’s why I don’t care about doing this!” 

His finger went to the trigger, but he never got to pull. Out of nowhere, a silver blade cut through the air and stabbed blade first into the man’s hand. He screeched in pain and lost his grip, the gun clattering uselessly to the ground. 

Shizuo jumped at the chance, throwing a punch as hard as he could at the man. His face scrunched at the impact, and he flew back into the rotten house with a crash. 

He spun back around to his senpai, grabbing him by his shoulders. “Are you okay!?” He breathlessly questioned. 

Tom was extremely pale and looked like the smallest of breezes might knock him over, but he managed a nod.

Shizuo glanced back at the house and down at the gun. There was no way he was worrying about debt anymore, they had both almost been killed because of some crazy asshole. 

Pulling out his phone, he kept one grip on Tom as he began to open his number pad. “I- I‘ll call the cops and-“

“No need, they’re already on their way.”

Shizuo spun around, prepared to attack, only to slump in relief at the sight of Izaya. A fleeting part of his mind found it amusing that he was happy to see someone he once loathed, but he was too exhausted to focus entirely on it.

But… What was Izaya doing here?

He thought of the knife, and then it clicked instantly: Izaya had just saved their lives.

“How… How did you get here in time?” Shizuo croaked, his brown eyes wide and inquisitive. 

Izaya looked a little guilty. “Well, I was sort of stalking you…” He admitted. “You mentioned the name in a text, and something didn’t sit right with me so I looked him up. Turns out he owes money to a pretty big syndicate. I decided to follow along just in case.”

Part of Shizuo wanted to be angry at the stalking, but he knew it wasn’t really that. Izaya tailed them, but it was to protect them. He was protecting them, he saved them…

He couldn’t help himself and smiled. “When did you become a guardian angel, flea?” 

Izaya smirked and shrugged his shoulders. “Well… I’ve been one for a while now. I suppose it’s just because I’ve found things worth protecting.” 

It was unspoken, but Shizuo heard it anyway. He and Tom were part of that group now, and he was honored to be part of such an exclusive group.

— — — — — — — 

The police arrived, with Tom and Shizuo both giving their statements as the man was dragged to an ambulance to get his hand checked out. 

He noticed that Izaya exchanged a few words with the officer in charge, and that the knife wasn’t given a second glance by any of the officers either. He vaguely remembered that the flea had started working with law enforcement, so he didn’t find these interactions odd.

When all the chaos was finally over and done with, Shizuo and a calmer Tom allowed Izaya to lead them through the best shortcut back to the city. It was a quiet trip, nobody sure exactly what to say.

Eventually, they made it back to the bustling city of Ikebukuro, and the familiar shops and buildings made both men release similar sighs of relief.

“Well, there we go! Back in the concrete jungle!” Izaya held up a hand and waved. “I’m afraid this is where I bid you two adieu. I don’t want to keep the babysitter for too long.”

A sudden urge overcame Shizuo. “Wait!!” He rushed over to the informant broker before he could get too far. “Wait, before you go… I just… I was wondering if.. If you’d like to get Russian Sushi sometime?” 

Izaya looked momentarily surprised, and then tilted his head. “Are you asking me out on a date, Shizu-Chan?” 

The blonde knew Izaya was probably just teasing, he did that a lot. But for some reason, he still felt his cheeks grow hot as he realized he didn’t have an answer. “I- Um well… I don’t know… But whether or not it’s a date… I’d still like to spend more time with you, Izaya.”

The raven seemed surprised with the answer, likely he had expected Shizuo’s usual teasing back and not sheepish stuttering. But, after watching him curiously for a moment he seemed to accept the answer and gave him a nod. “That works for me, Shizu-Chan. Let’s plan it later, okay? Text me when you’re free!” 

The young man then turned and wandered back down the city streets. Maybe Shizuo was imagining it, but there seemed to be a little more happiness in Izaya’s gait than there had been before.

Behind him, he heard his senpai make a curious noise. “You know, I wasn’t sure if the rumors were true. But now I know they are, Orihara Izaya really has changed.”

“Yeah…” Shizuo agreed with a smile. “For the better.”

His senpai moved to stand next to him. “And so have you. I’m proud of you.” His smile turned mischievous. “Look at you! A near death Experience and a date all in one day!” 

“It’s not a date.” Shizuo halfheartedly tried to deny his senpai’s teasing.

Tom chuckled. “Okay, whatever you say.” He shoved his hands in his pockets and sighed. “After that insane situation, what do you say we say ‘fuck it’ and head home?” 

“Absolutely.” 

— — — — — —

Shizu-Chan: Oh, I forgot to say this earlier

Shizu-Chan: But…

Shizu-Chan: Thanks for saving our lives. 

Izaya stared at the message and felt that same fluttery feeling appear in his stomach that had started happening more and more, specifically and only when Heiwajima Shizuo was involved.

“Stupid Shizu-Chan…” He said with no real malice. “Only he would forget about the gun from five minutes ago because he was too busy asking me on a date.”

He felt his cheeks heat up and quickly shook his head. “Or well… date? Hang out? I’m not sure…” He picked up an alphabet block, and held it out. “What do you think, Haru-Kun? Is it a date or just hanging out?” 

Little Haru, who was working on a rather impressive block tower, toddled over and took the block, staring at it and then looking back at his dad. “Hmm… Yes!” 

“Yes to what, silly?” Izaya asked as picked up another two blocks. 

His son ignored him for a moment as he stared at the tower suspiciously, and then carefully placed the alphabet block on the very top. When it was finished, he clapped his hands, and glanced hopefully at his father. 

Izaya smirked, knowing what was expected of him. He reached his uninsured hand up and made his hands like a claw. “Roar!!” He bellowed and gave the tower a gentle shove. The blocks tumbled to the floor and rolled all over the place. 

Haru burst into a fit of laughter, stomping his feet and clapping as he watched the blocks roll. “Again! Dada! Again!” 

Izaya chuckled as he crawled over, and helped to gather the fallen blocks. “Oh I see, it’s all about you, isn’t it?” He teasingly asked as he poked the boy’s nose. 

His son giggled again and rubbed at his nose. To Izaya’s question, the kid seemed to give a cheeky grin. “Uh-huh!” 

The raven haired man let out a small giggle of his own and smiled back. “Well I can’t argue with that, can I?”

Izaya only had a moment to send a text back. He made sure it was the perfect response, and then hit send.

Izaya: Silly protozoan~

Then, he returned to his son and their extremely important task of block stacking.

Chapter Text

Shizuo was not freaking out. He was not.

Maybe he was a little bit, but who could blame him? He only had an hour before his date that might not be a date with Izaya. All of the bravery he had felt when he asked Izaya out was gone, and he was left an anxious mess.

Did Izaya think it was a date? Did he think they were just hanging out? Or was the raven just as confused as he was? And if it was a date, what was he supposed to do?! He’d never been on a date before! Ugh… This was making his head hurt.

Stop freaking out, dumbass! He told himself as he stared at his appearance in the mirror, fluffing his hair again. It's going to be fine. It doesn't matter if it's a date or not, right? At least you get to spend time with the flea. 

A buzzing against the countertop made him jump in surprise, his brown eyes glancing down at his phone. It was a text from Izaya, so he quickly snatched the phone up and unlocked the phone to read the message. 

Flea: Shizu-chaaaan! ( ͒˃̩̩⌂˂̩̩ ͒) I'm so sorry, I have to cancel! ( ≧Д≦)

Shizuo's heart fell, sadness flowing through him as he read and reread the message. All the glee he had felt was replaced with frustration. Was this Izaya's plan all along? To string him along and dangle his kindness and friendship like bait for the bodyguard, only to pull it away at the last second? 

Before his thoughts could spiral, he frantically shook his head. "No! No, he's not that kind of person anymore. Don't jump to conclusions!" He ordered himself, and turned his attention back to his phone to send a reply. 

Shizuo: Is everything okay?

The other man must have been already typing his reply, because it appeared seconds after he pressed send. 

Flea: Haru's babysitter cancelled, and I can't get a replacement this late! (´Д｀)… I'm really sorry, can we reschedule? 

The bodyguard sighed in relief. It wasn't some kind of trick, it was just Izaya being a responsible parent and putting his son first. He couldn't blame him for that. 

Everytime Izaya brought up his son, Shizuo always found himself hit with a strange feeling. It was odd to think the cruel, unpredictable individual he had known had become such a kind and caring father. 

It happened so fast that Shizuo wondered if Izaya's potential to be a kind person had been there all along, and all he needed was the nudge to become that. He was glad that Haru had been that nudge, otherwise he never would have been able to have a friendship with the man. 

His mind returned to the current situation, and he decided that he needed to do something. He knew that Izaya couldn't just ditch a one and a half year old for a date, he knew they could reschedule, but he didn't want to wait, damn it! 

Shizuo: We don't have to cancel! What if I just came over? We could do something simple like some stew or curry?

For a long moment there was no reply, and Shizuo felt his anxiety return. Oh shit… Did I say something wrong? Was that too pushy? He felt his insecurities taking over the logical side of his brain. Yeah, that was stupid. He doesn’t want to spend time with you, he doesn’t want you around Haru, why would he? You’re a monster-

A ping from his phone made him jump, and he found another message appearing from the raven haired man, and then another.

Flea: Oh! Are you sure…?

Flea: You don’t mind if Haru is here?

Shizuo frowned. Even though he couldn’t see the man, he could feel the nervousness flowing off the messages. It seemed that Izaya might be just as nervous as him. Suddenly, he realized what was going on. 

It wasn’t that Izaya didn’t want him there, but the ex-informant was worried that Shizuo wouldn’t want Haru there.

“Oh… I guess that makes sense. I mean, I’ve heard that single parents have a hard time dating-” His eyes widened and he cut himself off quickly. “Shut the fuck up, brain. It might not even be a date. Just answer him!”

Shizuo: Fuck no! I don’t mind at all! 

Shizuo: Plus, I haven’t even met the kid! I feel like I’m the only one who hasn’t!

Shizuo: So yes, I still wanna come over. I wanna spend time with you, flea, whether or not your mini-flea is there.

There was another long minute of silence, which Shizuo used as a chance to quadruple check his hair in the mirror and glare at his reflection. When the phone finally chimed, he scrambled to grab it and check the message.

Flea: Oh that’s true, you haven’t met Haru! We gotta fix that right now! 

Flea: Huzzah! The date is back on! o(≧∇≦o)

Flea: See you soon!

Shizuo grinned, his excitement returning tenfold. It was happening still, he hadn’t screwed everything up! He quickly scrambled to finish getting ready, grabbed some items from his cabinets to help make dinner, and hurried out the door.

He was so focused on getting to the man’s apartment that he didn’t even register what Izaya had called their meet-up exactly what he had been hoping it would be.

-- -- -- -- -- --

After knocking on the door, Shizuo waited anxiously outside the apartment that he had been to only once before. He remembered it vaguely, when he had visited to apologize for attacking Izaya.

That time he had brought fatty tuna as a peace offering. It had worked, and led them to having the first genuine conversation between themIt had been the first major shift in their switch from enemies to friends. He wondered if something similar would happen this time.

He only had to wait a few seconds before the door was opened, revealing the one-eyed young man on the other side. “Shizu-chan! You made it!” He sent the blonde a dazzling smile as he opened the door wider and hurried back down the hall. “Come on in, I just started cooking!”

Shizuo didn’t need Izaya to tell him that, he could already smell the delicious blend of herbs and broth from the stew he mentioned wanting to make. His mouth watered at the thought, it had been a while since he’d had the time to have a home-cooked meal.

He shuffled his shoes off, gently placing them next to two other pairs, an adult and a child’s, and then followed after the raven. Not much had changed since his last visit. The walls still had the same photos, the furniture was the same, the kitchen was messy but Izaya was in the middle of cooking so it was expected.

There was one glaring difference to the last time he was here, and that was the addition of a playpen fence set up as a border between the kitchen and living room. On the side of the fence that led to the living room there were several toys, a baby blanket, and… Oh, so that was the famous Haru.

The one and a half year old had black hair the same color and length as Izaya, with bright blue eyes that seemed to illuminate the room. If Shizuo didn’t know the story behind his adoption, he would have easily believed that the kid was biologically related to Izaya.

Haru didn’t even notice Shizuo at first, too busy eagerly walking along the fence near where Izaya was. “Dada!” He repeated excitedly, and lifted his arms above his head. “Dada back!”

Izaya gave the kid a smile as he scooped him up. “Alright Haru, there is someone new I’d like you to meet!” He adjusted his grip and motioned to the bodyguard’s frozen form. “This is Heiwajima Shizuo, but you can call him Shizu-chan!”

Shizuo had the urge to growl at Izaya for using that nickname, worried the kid would pick up the same habit as his dad. But instead, he found himself trapped in those big blue eyes. The eighteen month old stared at him silently for a long moment before he squeaked and hid his face against Izaya’s shoulder.

“Oh! Sorry, Shizu-chan, he’s a little shy around new people.” Izaya quickly explained as he rubbed Haru’s back comfortingly. “It’s okay, buddy. Shizu-chan is a good friend of mine now, and I know he’s been wanting to meet you for a long time!”

One blue eye peeked out from the safety of Izaya’s shoulder and Shizuo forced himself to smile, though it may have come out looking more like a cringe. “Um… Hello Haru. It’s nice to finally meet you, I’ve heard a lot about you.” He said in a soft tone, keeping his usual growl out of it the best he could. 

The shy toddler didn’t react, his single blue eye still watching Shizuo for several seconds before he finally freed the blonde and turned to look up at his father. “Get down?” He asked, pointing one little finger towards the playpen area.

Izaya acquiesced, setting Haru back down with his toys. The kid quickly grabbed what looked like a cat stuffed animal and a sippy cup, then scurried away to watch Shizuo from a distance.

The blonde cringed, and glanced at Izaya nervously. “Did I already screw this up?”

Thankfully, the flea shook his head. “I told you before, protozoan, Haru can be pretty shy with new people. Don’t worry, he just needs time to warm up to you!” Izaya slid closer, glancing at the bag Shizuo had forgotten he was holding. “What did you bring?”

“Huh?” He glanced down at the tote bag. “Oh, some beef for the stew you mentioned.”

Izaya’s one red eye lit up excitedly. “Ooh, you did? Gimme!” He quickly snatched the bag and hurried towards the kitchen. “I’ll get this cooked and added real quick, then dinner will be ready soon!”

“Good…” Shizuo awkwardly wrung his fingers together. “Um… Do you need any help?”

The young man hesitated, and a calculating look suddenly overcame his face. “Well… Not with the stew, but it would be nice if you could keep an eye on Haru while I do this?” 

The blonde felt his heart seize. “What? But Izaya, he doesn’t like me-”

“He doesn’t dislike you, Shizu-chan, he just doesn’t know you.” Izaya placed a hand on his shoulder as he walked by. “You need to help him to do that, okay?”

Without waiting for a response, Izaya moved back to the kitchen and left Shizuo alone with the toddler. Well, he wasn’t alone, Izaya was just a few feet away and could easily see Haru from the kitchen, even if he was momentarily distracted by cutting and cooking the chunks of beef.

Shizuo wasn’t stupid, he knew exactly what the flea was doing. He was trying to make a situation where Haru and Shizuo could see each other and bond, one where Haru knew that his dad was still nearby and would come if called. 

Six months ago, Shizuo would have been extremely pissed off at Izaya’s subtle manipulations, but he felt no malice this time. He genuinely wanted to meet the kid, even if it took a little work for Haru to open up to him.

God, why do I sound like a bumbling stepfather? He wondered as he crossed over the playpen fence, plopping down on the couch with a sigh. He picked up a nearby tiger plush, turning it around in his hands. I’m no good with kids, why did I think this would be a good idea? He’s so tiny… What if I hurt him? Izaya would never forgive me, maybe I should just-

“Wha doing?” 

Shizuo jolted upwards, glancing down at those bright blue eyes. The boy was standing a few feet away, but he watched Shizuo with an inquisitive expression. When the bodyguard didn’t immediately answer, he pointed at the tiger. “Wha doing?” He repeated.

He turned his brown eyes to the tiger. “Oh, well I was just holding it.” He held out the toy. “Why, did you want it back or something?”

Haru stared at the tiger for a moment, and then held out the plush kitten in his arms. “Kitty!” He exclaimed, and shook the plush. “Meow!” Then, he looked at the man expectantly.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, Haru huffed and placed the kitten on the man’s lap. Then he turned and hurried over to another plush on the ground, doing the same thing as before with a dog plush, then a fox, then a caterpillar.

Soon, the bodyguard found himself holding a pile of stuffed animals. For once in his life, Shizuo had no idea what to do. He felt like he was at the mercy of this tiny mini-flea, and all he could do was wait to see if he would be granted his life. 

Finally, Haru gathered a few stuffed animals in his own arms. He toddled back over and glanced up at Shizuo, a wide smile on his face. He opened his arms, letting the stuffies fall to the ground as he let out a peal of giggles. "Uh oh!" 

Shizuo felt a warmth in his chest, and couldn't help but give a soft chuckle. "Oh, so that's what you want?" He stood up, lifting his pile of plushies as high as he could and opening his arms. They fell down like a waterfall of stuffed animals, and tumbled onto the floor. "Uh oh!" Shizuo repeated in an exaggerated tone. 

Haru burst out in laughter as he watched the plushies fall, his eyes bright with excitement. This simple action seemed to break the ice between them fully, as a wide smile climbed across the kid's face. "Again! Again!" He exclaimed, grabbing the plushies once more and already shoving them towards the blonde. 

Shizuo and Haru fell into a routine, repeatedly dropping the plushies until the toddler grew tired of the game. He then let Shizuo help him with a game that consisted of Haru placing toys in lines and babbling to himself, sometimes glancing at Shizuo for his reaction, to which the adult would simply reply with a "wow!" Or a "oh, really?" Which seemed to satisfy the kid. 

He was allowed a brief reprieve when Haru held up his empty sippy cup, looking rather dismayed. He glanced up at Shizuo, and held up the cup. "Joos plees?" He hopefully asked. 

The blonde couldn't say no to that face, so he gently took the cup and got up. "I'll get you some more, be right back." He carefully stepped around the toys, and over the gate.

In the kitchen, he found Izaya carefully ladling some stew out of what looked like a crock pot. The raven noticed him and smiled, motioning to the bowl. "Dinner is just about ready, perfect timing!"

"Oh, good!" Shizuo replied, even hungrier than when he had first arrived. He glanced at the cup in his hand. "Um… Haru wanted more juice?" 

Izaya looked thoughtful for a moment. "It's almost bedtime, so no more juice. But he can have some water." He chuckled and shook his head. "You've been here less than a few hours and he's already trying to manipulate you!"

Shizuo smirked and gave the man a playful look. "I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, huh?" 

The flea looked momentarily surprised at the snark of his reply, and then let out a laugh. "I guess he is! Let's hope that manipulating protozoans for apple juice is as far as it goes." 

The words sounded like a joke, but Shizuo knew the flea too well. He could hear the underlying anxiousness in those words. It seemed Izaya was nervous. Not about Haru, but about his own work as a parent. 

The blonde finished filling the cup, and gave the young man a nudge. "Don't worry, flea, it won't. Haru's got a pretty great dad, after all."

Izaya stared at him with a wide red eye, his cheeks dusted a similar color. The insecurity in his expression melted away, and he gave an appreciative smile. "Thank you, Shizu-chan…" 

"No problem, anytime."

They stood in silence for a moment, and then Izaya glanced at him once more. "You know, I've never seen Haru warm up to someone this quickly. Usually it takes a few visits, but he really likes you." The young man gave a small smile. "I'm glad this worked out so well." 

Shizuo smiled. "Me too, Izaya…"

Neither of them acknowledged the underlying message, that they were also glad the truce between them had become a flourishing friendship. Maybe Izaya didn't because he wasn't sure if Shizuo had caught the hint, but that wasn't the case. Shizuo just wasn't sure how to tell the flea that he wanted their friendship to be something else, something more . 

He'd have to figure it out later. For now he had a sippy cup to deliver before dinner, to the toddler that had wrapped Shizuo around his little finger. Especially after Izaya had just told him that Haru had warmed up to him faster than anyone else. 

Shizuo wasn't ashamed to admit that he would wear that fact like a badge of honor. 

-- -- -- -- -- --

Dinner was delicious and Shizuo couldn’t help but get several bowls of the stew, thankful to be eating something that didn’t come from a fast food joint. Izaya ate much slower, but seemed to enjoy it as well, while Haru ate his own bowl in a much more messy fashion.

During the meal, the toddler chatted to both of them as often as he could. Izaya would gently direct the kid’s attention back to his food, which would work for a few minutes until Haru remembered that there were two adults that he could get attention from.

When Haru’s focus had once again been diverted back to his dinner, Shizuo couldn’t help but smile. “That kid is going to have no problem making friends when he starts school, I can tell you that much.”

Izaya chuckled and nodded in agreement with the bodyguard’s teasing remark, and then suddenly sighed and slumped forward at the table. “Ah, that’s not far away now…” He leaned back with a whine. “Shizu-chan, he’s growing up so fast! That’s not just some cliche saying, it’s true!”

“It is?” Shizuo asked with a curious glance at the young man.

The raven motioned towards the toddler. “Look at him! He’s so big now, it feels like it was only yesterday he was this tiny!” He held his arms in front of him, his red eye glowing with nostalgia. “I love watching him grow up, but I’ll miss those old days just as much.”

The bodyguard suddenly found himself at a loss of what to say. He didn’t know how that felt, he didn’t have any kids of his own, but he could tell Izaya was sincere. Even after six months of friendship it was still odd to see this side of the man, but he loved every moment he saw. Wait… That’s perfect!

Shizuo reached over to Izaya, clasping their hands together without a thought. “Then you’ll just have to enjoy every second you have with him, right? Life is short, and it can end any time, so it’s important to cherish the time you have with people.”

Izaya looked towards the blonde, then back at his son. The nostalgic expression made its way to his smile, and he squeezed Shizuo’s hand in return. “Yeah, you’re right.” He raised his eyebrow and gave the man a playful look. “My, my, when did the protozoan get so philosophical?”

“Well, now that I don’t have to try and kill a certain pesky flea, I have a lot of time on my hands.” Shizuo teased right back, the banter coming easily to him.

The flea smirked. “Oh really? Well then, let me know when you publish your response to Fukuzawa Yukichi’s An Outline of a Theory of Civilization .” He dramatically placed a hand on his chest. “It has been far too long since the study of thought had listened to a protozoan’s opinion!”

Shizuo scoffed and rolled his eyes. “You’re so hilarious, flea.”

“Oh, my bad, are my eloquent words too big for you to follow?” Izaya mischievously asked.

With a faux-insulted noise, Shizuo playfully shoved the man away, sending Izaya and Haru into a peal of amused giggles. He found himself joining them soon after, his heart swelling with adoration for the two ravens.

Shizuo felt so light, happy, and carefree. It was like life had finally blessed him with the peace he had asked for for so long, and it had come from the one person he hadn’t expected. Now that he’d felt this happiness, he knew for sure he didn’t want to lose it. But he wasn’t sure how long it would last, especially when he didn’t know what the future between them held.

It seemed he’d have to follow his own advice even more than before, he’d cherish this feeling for as long as he could.

-- -- -- -- -- --

It was long past midnight by the time things settled down. They split the leftovers, and a dozing Haru was put to bed after giving the blonde a sleepy goodbye. 

Izaya led him down the hall, and gave an apologetic smile. “Sorry again for having to back out of going to the restaurant.”

“No, no! Tonight was fun!” Shizuo told Izaya as he shuffled his shoes on. “It was nice to meet Haru, and I’m glad we got to have dinner either way! It’s the best date I’ve ever been on!”

The word slipped out before he could stop it, and he instantly felt himself descend into panic mode. With a nervous laugh, he turned away from the raven. "Heh, I was just- It was a joke, I've never- Don’t get mad because I- Why would I think that-"

"Shizuo."

Surprised by not hearing the usual nickname, Shizuo turned around just in time for Izaya to grab his shirt. He pulled the bodyguard down, connecting a brief, sudden kiss to his cheek. When he pulled away, Shizuo was frozen in shock.

Izaya gave him a surprisingly shy smile, and glanced away. “I’m glad I wasn’t the only one who was unsure if this was a date or not. I know we’ve been dancing around the topic for a while, but hopefully that made my desires a little more clear?”

The bodyguard struggled to find his voice. “I- You…” He pointed to himself. “ You want to date me? ” 

The flea’s cheeks turned a pink color as he bravely nodded. “Yes, I would. I have wanted to for a while now…” His one red eye looked up hopefully. “And I was hoping that… You might too?”

Shizuo’s heart pounded against his chest as he found himself lurching forward. “Yes! Yes I do, more than anything!” He took Izaya’s hands in his, and let out a breath of relief. “I-I was freaking out about it ever since I asked you to have dinner with me, I didn’t know what to do and how to know if this was a date or not!”

“Hmm… Well, maybe we should be more forward about this!” Izaya declared teasingly,”How’s about it, Shizu-chan? Do you wanna go on a date with me?”

“A date-date ?” Shizuo double checked.

Izaya laughed and rolled his eyes. “Yes, you silly protozoan. A date-date! ”

“Yes of course I do!” Shizuo exclaimed, his cheeks turning red. “S-so don’t forget to text me so we can set it up. You got that, flea?”

“Of course, Shizu-chan. I’ll text you first thing in the morning, I promise!”

Shizuo nodded in agreement, and glanced down at their entwined hands. In a moment of bravery he leaned forward and returned the cheek kiss with one of his own. When he pulled back, his face was completely red.

“U-Um… Have a good night, Izaya.”

“Goodnight, Shizu-chan.” Izaya responded with a gentle smile. “See you soon.”

He left the apartment, still feeling light headed from what had occurred. Only when the cold night air did it hit him, and was overcome by excitement. Izaya liked him in the same way that Shizuo did! It wasn’t just his imagination, those feelings were real!

On his walk home, many late nighters watched him warily. But Shizuo found that he didn’t care at all about their cruel whispers or glares. They didn’t matter to him at all, because he knew there were people out there who cared about him unconditionally, and in the span of one night, both Izaya and Haru had joined that group.

Looking up at the light of the moon, Shizuo took a deep breath and smiled. He couldn’t wait to see what tomorrow would bring.