Where Is The Fire

Comforting

I don't know why I had so much fun writing this chapter. Maybe it was because there were more moments than others or maybe because there was a lot more dialogue. Whichever the case, this chapter is much longer than the others but a bit more fun to read lol

-Arikesona

Chapter 6
Shizuo

Shizuo stared down at the small body of Izaya Orihara. He had slipped out of his wheel chair right after Shizuo had barged in.

Maybe that entrance was too much.

He called me Shizu-chan...

"Oh, Shinra," Shizuo noticed. "What are you doing here? How's the flea?"

Shinra's expression was dim and vague. For as long as Shizuo had known him, he never looked like this unless something had gone terribly wrong.

"I just explained some procedures and medications for him to take," Shinra smiled weakly. "I suppose that was a lot of information to process in one go."

"You should be more careful next time. Want me to take him back to his room?"

"Oh, wait, Shizuo, you'll need to be gentle with him if you're going to-"

Swiftly, Shizuo swept Izaya up from the floor and cradled him to his chest. Then he plucked the wheelchair from its awkward position in the center of the room and placed it over his shoulder like a simple school bag. Shinra couldn't manage to blink this time; there wasn't a moment he wanted to miss.

"If you have something to say, say it," Shizuo said, masked in an emotionless expression.

"No, no, I just..." Shinra hesitated, growing into a sly smile. "I didn't think you were going to hold him princess style."

"What this little fleabag won't know won't hurt him."

And with that, Shizuo left.

"Well, well, Izaya," Shinra muttered, grinning. "Looks like your wish has been granted."

•••

The silence in Izaya's room was eerie and seemed to swallow them up. It baffled Shizuo- the Izaya that he knew would've been driven insane by the quiet. For a moment, he sympathized with his enemy. Shizuo knew he wouldn't want to be in this room for a day and yet Izaya slept here for weeks.

At least he doesn't remember life outside of the hospital. He believes this is the norm...

Shizuo heard Izaya groan and the shuffling of blankets. His eyes shifted to the informant's face. Delicate, pale, and-

Stop it, Shizuo.

"Izaya, hey, it's me." Shizuo spoke gently yet assertively, unconsciously placing his hand on Izaya's cheek. It was cold, but even so, the warmth was still reachable deep down.

Izaya's eyes opened slowly. What seemed off to Shizuo was that it looked like he had a sort of difficulty doing it; like he didn't exactly remember how to. The bartender brushed it off.

"You're...Shizuo, right?"

"...yeah. I come to visit you every day, remember? Do you think you can answer my questions today?"

Izaya looked confused.

"What questions?"

"Nevermind," Shizuo sighed. "For now it's just important that you're feeling alright. Do you know why you fainted like that?"

"Um..." Izaya looked troubled. "Too much information at once I guess."

"Makes sense. I don't really process all that medical stuff either."

Izaya chuckled. Not the sly, evil grin that made Shizuo want to split him in two, but a real, genuine chuckle that made his heart skip a beat. His eyes shifted to Izaya's chest. He had a small frame, and the white shirt and pants that the hospital made him wear didn't suit him nearly as much as his dark clothes did.

It was a few hours before Shizuo was about to head out. This was the longest that he had stayed, about two hours longer. But after Izaya's fainting spell, he didn't want to risk anything else. Izaya was his enemy- and he would be the one to kill him. No matter what. The two men had spent the evening talking and laughing, which was enjoyable at the moment but looking back on it, Shizuo missed the old Izaya. There was no fire in his heart anymore- the passion that made him go out of his way just to see that little flea was gone. Or different.

"Thanks for staying with me for so long," Izaya beamed. "I think I'm normally alone here, so it was a nice change of tune."

"You think?" Shizuo laughed, but it seemed to disappear into the empty walls of the room. The Izaya he knew didn't look like an angel when he smiled. The complete opposite, actually. But he didn't care about that.

"As a gift, I'd like to give you this," Izaya said.

Before Shizuo could even respond, Izaya pressed his lips to his. The two stayed that way for a long time, Shizuo not knowing how to react and Izaya probably not knowing when to end it, given he has initiated the kiss. When they disconnected, Shizuo saw that Izaya had begun to cry.

Why?

"Really, Shizuo. It's been a pleasure," he said, wiping the tears away.

"Dumbass. Quit saying that like it's the last time we'll ever meet." Shizuo ruffled Izaya's hair charmingly. "I'll be here tomorrow."

Izaya looked down with a smile.

"Yeah...but we had a lot to talk about today. Who knows what I'll remember tomorrow."

After a moment of pondering, an idea hit Shizuo, one that would definitely be of help to Izaya one day.

"Here's an idea."

Shizuo grabbed a pen and some paper and began writing down everything they had talked about. He watched Izaya's eyes light up when he showed him the notes.

"I'll keep it with me but if you ever begin to forget about what happened today, I'll read it to you," Shizuo said.

"That sounds like a good deal to me," Izaya laughed. "Thank you."

Shizuo nodded, and carrying the sensation of the kiss they had shared, he left the room and the Izaya he had just begun to get used to.

I can't deny that I still miss my Izaya...