Broken Ace (Shizaya story)

Chapter 4: Take Care

        A week passed and found Shizuo spending the day with Izaya. He’d had the last few days off in order to care for the brunet. Right now, the two were currently sitting on either side of the couch, watching a movie. Shizuo glanced over at the older male from the corner of his eye.

        The red eyed man was curled up on his side, avidly watching the film. Shizuo could see the glee in his eyes as he watched. Despite that excitement, the Heiwajima picked up on the brunet’s shivering. In response, he moved closer to his roommate. He wrapped an arm around Izaya, tugging him close and causing the male to fall against his chest.

        The Orihara looked up at his caretaker in surprise. “Shizu-chan?” he said questioningly. The blond looked down at the man, a faint blush on his face. The male then turned away with a cough.

        “You were shivering, so I was trying to help you warm up a bit.” he said, still looking away. The man’s words and reaction brought a happy smile to Izaya’s face.

        “Thanks Shizu-chan. That’s really nice of you.” he said, snuggling into his caretaker’s side. Shizuo’s blush deepened slightly. “Uh, sure. You’re welcome.” he mumbled, looking back at the t.v. screen. However, instead of watching the movie, his attention turned inward.

        ‘Just what the hell has gotten into me? Being this kind to Izaya...it’s insane. Sure, he’s been through a lot, but even so, I shouldn’t feel like it’s my job to take care of him. We’re not friends. We’ve hated each other since the day we met. He’s the smarmy bastard who framed me for that crime a few years back. Not to mention, he’s the one responsible for 99% of the weird shit that happens here in ‘bukuro.

         But, at the same time, this Izaya isn’t the same one from back then. He’s lost his memory. And if that nightmare from a few days ago is anything to go by, he’s really been put through the ringer. Ugh, I hate when things get complicated. It’s makes life harder to deal with.’ Shizuo sighed in mild frustration at his thoughts. He then looked down as he felt Izaya cuddle into his side, a content smile on his face. Shizuo found his cheeks heating up once more.

        ‘Well, I guess for now, I’ll just keep taking care of him. It’s not the worst job I could have. Damn it, I  really must be losing it. Just what the hell are you doing to me, Izaya?’ The Heiwajima silently asked the brunet, before brushing away his thoughts and focusing on watching the movie.

                                                                ***TIMESKIP***

        Izaya smiled warmly at Shizuo as the blond handed him a hot cup of tea. “Thanks Shizu-chan.” he told the man. The enforcer brushed off the thanks, sitting down next to his roommate. Izaya looked pensively at Shizuo, wanting to talk to the younger man about what was playing through his head.

        At first, Shizuo seemed to not to notice what was going on with the brunet, but after feeling a pair of eyes staring at him, he lifted his gaze to his companion. “What? Is something wrong?” he asked the former informant. Izaya shook his head.

        “No, I...forget it. It’s not really important.” he said, looking away. Heiwajima sighed before moving his hand under Izaya’s chin to make the man face him. He stared seriously into the crimson orbs.

        “Just tell me what’s wrong.” he said, his steely gaze daring the older man to disobey him. The Orihara bit his lip, eyes shifting downwards as he opened his mouth to speak.

        “Shizu-chan...what...what do you think of me? I mean, you’ve been by side for every moment over the last two weeks, even when I was in a coma. Just, what kind of relationship did we have before I lost my memory?” the red eyed amnesiac asked, staring curiously at his caretaker.

        Shizuo blinked it slight surprise at the question. ‘I should have expected this conversation sooner or later. Even if his memory is gone, he’s still as anxious about collecting information as he was before.’ The enforcer thought to himself. He then focused his attention back on Izaya and his inquiries. He was silent for another moment as he tried to gather his thoughts.

        “Izaya, before you lost your memory, the two of us....we hated each other. We couldn’t stand to be in the same vicinity as the other and the second we were, we’d go in for the kill.” he told the man.  The older man stared at him in surprise.

        “Really? Why?” he asked, not understanding the reasoning behind it. Shizuo sighed and reached into his pocket, pulling out a carton of cigarettes. He took one out, placing it in his mouth and lighting it. He took a long pull of the cancer stick, then slowly released the smoke, making sure it didn’t blow towards Izaya.

        “Who knows? You pissed me off more than anyone from the second I saw your face. No one can make me angry the way you do. Not to mention, the old you wasn’t the nicest guy around, far from it. You used to be a manipulative bastard who toyed with the lives of innocent people. It was disgusting.” he said, drawing another puff from the cigarette he had.

        The news of how he used to be disappointed Izaya. He looked downwards, biting his lip. ‘How could I  have been such a cruel person? To the point that even Shizu-chan hated me from the moment we met. Did I feel the same about him? And, does he still feel the same way he did before? Why is he helping me?’ The brunet wondered, raising his eyes back to his caretaker.

        “Then...why did you help me if you wanted me dead?” he whispered,face turning away as his courage faded a bit. He waited with baited breath, anticipation welling up in him as he waited for the blond to respond.

       Shizuo was silent for a few moments, not quite sure about how to answer a question he himself didn’t have the answer to. ‘How do I feel about Izaya now? I...don’t think I hate him anymore. At least, not this new version of him. I can’t even bring myself to get angry at him. I’d prefer to make him smile. Wait, what? I want to make him smile? Dammit. Don’t tell me I care about Izaya. Fuck.’ The brown eyed man let out a low groan, wiping a hand over his face.

        Izaya looked at him, about to ask what was wrong. As he did so, Shizuo let out a puff of smoke that the Orihara inhaled. The brunet started coughing hard, the force causing his injured ribs to throb with pain. Izaya fell on his side, struggling to draw in air as he was wracked with a severe coughing fit.

        The sudden episode snapped Shizuo out of his thoughts. He stared in horror at his partner. The cigarette fell from his lips, landing on the couch and being crushed as a frantic Shizuo attended to his ward. He grabbed the male, helping him sit up by leaning him back against the cushions. He started rubbing the older man’s back to try and soothe the violent fit. ‘Shit. I’m an idiot. I shouldn’t have been smoking so close to him. Damn it.’ The blond internally berated himself for his mistake.

        After a few moments, the coughing stopped, leaving a shuddering Izaya behind. The 23-yr-old gasped for air, despite the flare of pain in his chest. A couple of more minutes passed before he cold bring himself to attempt speaking. However,the second he opened his mouth to talk, he bent over at the waist and vomited on the floor. Shizuo found himself scared to the core when he noticed a bit of red mixed in with the mess.

        “I-Izaya…” he said, staring worriedly at the brunet. A tired crimson gaze met his brown before the Orihara passed out from exhaustion.