HAPPY BIRTHDAY IZAYA! AND DAISUKE ONO! I hope you're all having a wonderful day today, whether you're celebrating the force or here with me throwing a party for Ikebukuro's product endorsing informant. (Forever 21, amirite? ^_^) Anyways...if you guys have any story ideas or plots you want me to write feel free to PM and I'll do my best for you! Thanks for reading and following this story

A year of waiting has passed since that day and Izaya has stayed pretty loyal to Shizuo. It's unbelievable to say the least. There were some days when Izaya would sulk and cry in his room because he wasn't sure if Shizuo was serious about what he said before, about not really rejecting him and just waiting it out first. But here he is: hopeful and waiting. He and the blond are getting along pretty well, if by throwing vending machines at your friend is considered as such. Izaya still performs at the cafe as Psyche while Shizuo watches him. On a couple of occasions when they were both tired from work and not really in the mood they'd hang out at Russian Sushi, much to the delight of Simon and to the horror and skepticism of the other customers. They didn't really care. It was nice being at peace with each other.

It was 8:05 in the morning and Izaya decided to give Namie a day off. He made himself a cup of coffee and toasted some bread as he gazed out his apartment window. All his lovely humans walked by as if today wasn't the day their god was created. He didn't mind though. No one really remembers his birthday except for his sisters but this year they seem to have forgotten. I guess it can't be helped, he thought. His eyes drifted his stage mask and he grinned. I really hope you're not just toying with me Shizu-chan...Don't leave me hopeful for nothing.~

He felt extra troll-like and decided to screw around with a select few of his humans. First he managed to scare Kida and made him think that Mikado got hit by a motorcycle (which wasn't true of course) and needless to say he wasn't pleased. Next he got his guitar guy to play "the-guy-in-a-dark-trench coat-who'll-slit-your-throat" role and got him to threaten Aoba to stay away from Mairu and Kururi (he just doesn't like the guy). He caused a little incident that involved some members from the Blue Squares and Yellow Scarves that eventually lead to a full scale knife fight (no one's dead or horribly disfigured). And then last but not the least, he got Shizuo to chase him leading him under a trap. With a quick turn, he threw a knife that cut through the rope that held a bucket of pink paint in place.

"FLEA-" There was a splatter, followed by laughter. Bystanders were shell shocked. This man has a death wish!

Shizuo's voice was no more than a dangerous growl. "Ne, Izaya...you do know my salary isn't as high as yours, right? You do know that laundry mats tend to increase their prices but more importantly..." Wiping the paint from his face and feeling the nerve in his forehead pop, he threw the bucket at Izaya. "THESE WERE THE CLOTHES MY BROTHER GOT ME!" Izaya made a run for it with Shizuo hot on his heels. Trollololololol Memes aren't my thing but that one's catchy, Izaya thought. After ducking into what seemed an empty apartment, he wasn't expecting a bunch of people clad in dark suits to surround him. "You're coming with us, Mr. Orihara." And like that he felt a blunt object connect to his head and he blacked out.

Regaining his consciousness, everything was still in darkness. He sat up feeling his head throb. He heard murmuring and he asked, "Who's there?" No reply. He felt two arms wrap around his neck and another two around his waist.

"Who the fuck-"

"Ne, ne Iza-nii~" Mairu? "You know we appreciate you being such a good older brother-"

"-but please don't meddle with our love life." Kururi. He smirked.

"Besides, we were just messing with him. My heart and Kururi's belong only to Yuuhei~"

"Alright is this about the prank I played on your precious Aoba-kun?~ No hard feeling intended, it was all in good fun.~ Now tell me what's going on? Where are we?"

The lights turned on and I immediately registered that we were at the cafe. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY IZAYA!"

Simon, Dennis, and even Varona were in the room. Celty, Shinra, Kadota, and the guitar guy with his twin were present. Mina and other staff members of the cafe –the ones who actually like him- had big smiles on their faces.

"Surprise, suprise Psyche-san" Mina said. "And if you're wondering what this is about, it's a little celebration for you.~"

"And here I am thinking I screwed up with the yakuza..."

"Neee that was Kururi and Mairu's idea!~" Mairu chirped. Izaya sighed thinking just how much his sisters are his.

Simon held up two platters of unorthodox sushi, grinning widely. "Sushi good! Izaya enjoy your birthday!"

"Well if someone could free me from my ropes, I would." So he was. It was a pretty small get together but it was great. He's never had this many people celebrate his birthday with him before. Celty even brought some of her homemade hotpot. Her cooking improved significantly. He and Varona didn't talk much but she greeted him politely.

"I don't have any interest in knowing you" she started. "But should Shizuo-san accept your confession I only ask that you take care of him. I'd rather not entertain the thought of what I would do to you if you should betray him."

I smiled. "I appreciate this concern and somewhat cute protectiveness you have over Shizu-chan but as of now I've been patiently waiting for his reply.~"

"Well you don't have to wait for long..." said a deep voice from behind and suddenly his throat felt tight. Shizuo had his arm locked on Izaya neck, smiling evilly.
"Oh hi there Shizu-chan~ I thought you weren't gonna show up. ~"

"I would've been here earlier if I didn't spend the last hour trying to wash off dried paint from my hair."

"I can actually still smell paint on you.~"

"And whose fault is that, may I ask?"

"Ne, it was just a little prank. ~ It happened, let it go. ~"

"You're paying for my laundry this week." Izaya nodded, smiling.

"Oh Shizuo, you're finally here!" Shinra said giddily. "So did you tell him yet? ~" Izaya raised a brow at Shinra. He suddenly realized that all eyes were on them while Shizuo's ears seemed to get a bit red. He looked kind of nervous even. Shizuo turned to look at Izaya.
"You proved me wrong. Apparently you were serious about this whole thing seeing as how you've been waiting for a whole year. You're still an annoying jackass and probably the only one crazy enough to love me. So, I accept it. I accept you as my...b-boyfriend."

He looked so flustered and it didn't help that the small group of people gathered around them were cheering. (Shinra a tad bit too enthusiastic) Izaya couldn't believe it. He could barely contain his tears of happiness as he wrapped his arms around Shizuo's neck, feet off the ground. Shizuo duly wrapped his arms around his torso, feeling his heart soar. His stomach was in knots, his face was red and his heart was beating quickly. "You finally said it! I'm really happy Shizu-chan. ~" Shizuo smiled.

"Thank you...for making this the best birthday ever."

The duo escaped and made off to Ikebukuro's viewing deck. Luckily no one was there so they had the whole evening for themselves. They didn't say anything for a while. They just gazed at the city below them fingers intertwined.

"This is a nice feeling" Shizuo remarked.

"So...when did you come to realize your feelings for me?~" Shizuo chuckled.

"It was when I realized that it was getting difficult to chase you without the fear of me hurting you. For a time, I just tried to convince myself that you didn't really mean it and it was easier that way. And then we started hanging out more often as friends and at that time I thought, no one has ever lifted this lonely feeling off me before. And remember when you got sick and decided to crash my place and infect it with your germs?" Izaya nodded, grinning.

"I left you on the couch and then the next morning I wake up to find you in my bed with your arms around me, I loved it." He said caressing Izaya's cheek with his other hand. "The first thing I saw when I woke up was a beautiful flea and I wanted my mornings to start like that from that day onwards."

"I didn't think you'd be this cheesy Shizu-chan. ~" Suddenly Shizuo's fingers pinched his cheeks in irritation.

"Shut up!"

"Alright alright! I'm sorry!" Shizuo let go while Izaya rubbed his cheek. Shizuo let go of Izaya's hand and brought his head closer to him, leaving a simple kiss on his cheek.

"Do me a favour, Izaya."

"Oh yeah? What is it?"

"Can you not get so close and touchy feely with that yakuza boss?"

Izaya stifled a laugh. "Shiki? Do you really think I'd ditch you for Shiki?" Shizuo's serious hazel eyes stared into Izaya's ruby ones. Izaya then rested his forehead on Shizuo's and smiled.

"Aww...Don't worry, alright? It was, is and will always be you." Shizuo's eyes looked troubled but were replaced by hope and gratitude. He sealed the distance between them in a sweet kiss.

I'm the light blinking at the end of the road, blink back to let me know.

"I love you" Shizuo whispered.

"I love you too."

TBH, the line that Iza-nii says "Don't leave me hopeful for nothing" hits my feels (hugot much) because in Filipino we say "Huwag kang paasa sa wala"
or "Umaasa sa wala" =hopeful for nothing. Of course I have a song for this part it's Always by Panic at the Disco.

Erika: WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN?!

Me: Just today. Where were you?

Erika: *indecipherable blubbering while hysterically crying* anime...convention...abroad...

Me: I can't understand you, Eri-

Erika: WHY?! WHY DID THIS HAPPEN ONLY WHEN I'M NOT AROUND?! WHY DID I MISS OUT ON THE GREATEST GIFT GOD BESTOWED?! WHHHHHHHY?! TTATT

Me: *tries to console her* There, there...