Disclaimer(s):
Characters by Narita Ryohgo

Warning(s):
First time writing story in English (it means the grammar might make your eyes bleed, beware). OOC - calm!Shizuo.

Normally, when one's boyfriend said he can't make it for one's birthday, one would feel abandoned and depressed. But not Izaya. Never Izaya. His boyfriend often can't make it because of the so-called secret-but-actually-not-so-secret relationship that they have. Shizuo can't make a good excuse even if his life depended on it, so Izaya just tend to let it go.

It doesn't matter if Shizuo can't make it.

Because he can always make up for it.

And Izaya loves make-up sex. With passion. To the point of creating something to make up when there's none.

But that's not what this is all about. It's not sex that he wants to make up this time.

Orihara Izaya is undeniably human. But he likes to believe that he's some superior kind of human being. Thus, he can do everything better than other humans. That excluding baking, apparently.

He learnt of that fact months ago when he wanted to give Shizuo a birthday cake. And failed miserably.

He never knew before that he needs some extraordinary skills to bake a cake. It looks so easy in all those TV programs he watched.

So now that he won't have his so-called boyfriend for a day—and he always makes a point to make his birthday a holiday—he can practice baking all he wants. No one can stop him from making the best strawberry cheesecake that Shizu-chan so very loves (of course he makes sure that the protozoan loves him more lest he will not even try to make the blasted cake).

With that determination in mind, in this so important twenty first birthday (though every birthday since five years ago is his twenty first), he will master the act of baking. Thus, he can bring the brute his desert next year. And that mentioned brute will give Izaya his bitter 'desert' for his tongue only.

Okay, maybe that's not a good reason for giving one's boyfriend a strawberry cheesecake, but Izaya never once said that he's one good human.

Mixer in hand and a bunch of cheese in another hand, Izaya listens to Namie's voice on speakerphone.

"It's not like he's gonna hate you if you give him a store bought cake. And it's not like today is his birthday,"

"And that's why Seiji-kun finds his solace on someone who can actually cook. Don't think I don't know you bought all those omurice,"

"Tch. And what's the point of you doing this, exactly?"

"I can prove that I can bake better than you…? That I can make my boyfriend loves me sooooo much more than you can make Seiji-kun loves you,"

"I believe Heiwajima will ever be so happy that your motivation is to annoy me more than to make him happy,"

"Hey! How could he even be happier? He has me, the great Orihara Izaya, as his boyfriend after all,"

"And yet he doesn't bother tell anyone that you're together. Such happy couple you are,"

Izaya flinches, "That's…, maybe that's because secretly he knows that it isn't exactly a secret…"

"And that's just you loving your own voice," Izaya can even see clearly that Namie is smirking on the other line.

Because Izaya never wants to see it that way. He's happy. And he thought Shizuo is happy too. That's why he doesn't really mind if Shizuo wants to keep their relationship a secret. It doesn't matter. He knows where Shizuo will come home at night.

He doesn't need anyone to know about that.

Except that actually everyone knows. It's only that Shizuo doesn't know that everyone knows. And because Izaya thinks that that might make Shizuo happier, he keeps it that way. Telling everyone that actually their relationship is secret and they can't tell anyone else. Not that it would stop them. As far as Izaya knows, and he knows almost everything, basically all resident of Ikebukuro knows that they're dating.

But hearing Namie phrase it that way, it unnerves him. Is Shizuo really happy being with him?

Izaya is never a decent human being. He loves humans too much that he wants to know all of their secrets. He tones it down a little when loving Shizuo—not because of Shizuo hardly has any secrets—but maybe that's not enough? Should he tone it down again? Or should he love Shizuo more? No. he knows for a fact that Shizuo doesn't like the way he loves other humans—not that he thinks Shizuo as one of them, he stands out too much—and maybe he'll leave if Izaya loves him the same way. So maybe it's not good to even uncover Shizuo's secrets. Like his borderline incest tendencies towards Kasuka. No, he'll pretend that he's not even aware of all those movie tickets and stalkerish pictures.

"And what is the purpose of this call again?" Namie's voice takes Izaya from his useless daydream.

"Ah! That! How do you set the timer for the oven again?"

Namie simply sighs. So much for trying to be the master at baking.

Shizuo doesn't really know what happens today. He said he can't be home for Izaya's birthday already, but he can't shake off the uneasy feeling in his stomach. Maybe he's getting sick. But that kind of sick usually comes when the flea is concocting one of his rotten plans and he sincerely believes he won't do that on his birthday so that's not likely.

Ah, he wants to go home already.

Try as he may to convince himself that's just to make sure Izaya doesn't mess up some random high schooler's life.

His uneasiness actually comes from Tom-san's weird glances. He looks like he wants to say something to Shizuo but always looks away when he realizes Shizuo's waiting for the damn thing. Usually he never gets irritated at what Tom-san does. Maybe that's because Tom-san knows what tip Shizuo off and never does that, but that's not the point. The point is, today, Tom-san makes him feels like he's the monstrous freak that he is. Tom-san never does that; he's the best senpai ever.

Maybe there really is something wrong with Shizuo. Even when Tom-san usually just say it outright if he does something wrong.

"Ano, Tom-san?"

Tom-san startled. Maybe he doesn't think that Shizuo notices his glances. "… Yes?"

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Ah, no. It's just… don't you have somewhere to be today?"

"Ah? No. I don't think so,"

"But… are you sure? I and Vorona can handle today's work, so if you wanna leave early…"

"Ah, no, it's okay."

"Well then. We just gotta work faster,"

Shizuo didn't try to ask what Tom-san means with that. He just thinks that Tom-san has somewhere to be. Maybe that's why. Maybe Tom-san asked Shizuo something like that so he has a reason to end today's work earlier. Maybe Shizuo did something wrong after all. Tom-san needs to say what he means in a clearer way if he wants Shizuo to understand what he means…

True to Tom-san's words, work ends earlier for them. It's currently five and he's free to go home. He even has a cake to bring home since Vorona had a sudden craving of cake and ask them to accompany her to some cake shop. She even refused to leave before Shizuo picked a cake to take away.

Maybe this year he can celebrate Izaya's birthday properly.

Shizuo is not a good boyfriend. He knows that. The way he keeps his relationship a secret even to Kasuka. In his defense, he didn't think this so-called relationship can pass one-week mark.

And now three years later, he wishes he just told everyone that he's dating the damn flea. It would be easier that way. Like, maybe, he can make an excuse to ask for a free day this time of year.

Or they can hold hands in public.

Maybe it's time for them to go public. It's not that he cares what everyone thinks about him—okay, he cares about Kasuka's opinion a little bit much more than the others' but it doesn't matter, really.

With a box of coffee cake (the only coffee that would enter Shizuo's mouth and the only cake Izaya would happily eat) he comes to his—theirs, since Izaya kept demanding cohabitation at that time—home.

Only to find out that the fire-sprinklers were on. Black smoke's coming heavily from their kitchen. And that's unnerving because Izaya knows his way around the kitchen and he cooks even better than Shizuo.

And Shizuo thought Izaya's pyromaniac tendency has gone because their relationship is hot enough…

"Hey, Flea, are you burning down the apartment? What did I do this time?"

Shizuo then hears sobs. It's been a very long time since the last time Shizuo heard Izaya sobbing, and that was when Celty told him that Valhalla isn't real and he's likely going to hell with all the games he's playing. It doesn't give him a good feeling. Laughing-like-a-maniac Izaya is bad news but sobbing Izaya is even worse.

"Hey, Flea, what are you doing?"

Shizuo puts the cake on the nearest table and walks slowly towards the kitchen.

Izaya is curling like a kitten. In front of the oven. Sobbing like a kid. Shizuo feels lost.

Is it not okay after all to leave one's boyfriend on his birthday? Shizuo feels a little bit guilty.

"Hey, what's the matter? You said it's okay and I can come home late today,"

The sobbing is getting louder. He doesn't understand what brings this.

The fire-sprinklers have stopped pouring. The smoke is thinner and the air is no longer humid. So maybe Izaya's sobbing has nothing to do with the fire.

He grabs Izaya and hugs him tightly. He can only wish Izaya is not thinking about some new theories about death again. He doesn't think that would make any of them happy.

Ten minutes and seventeen 'there, there' later, Izaya is calm enough. Only to say—

"I'm sorry,"

"Huh?"

"Actually, it's not really my fault. I just can't find where the heck is this thing's manual. The only time I got it right, I forget to add sugar to the cake. Damn. Those TV shows really had it easy. How am I supposed to know that ovens work differently? They should just make it the same. The one in my old apartment is so easy to use. Ne, Shizu-chan, can we buy a new microwave? Apparently I just broke our oven,"

—with his chirpy voice. If he doesn't see it, Shizuo wouldn't believe that a mere minute ago he's bawling his eyes out.

"Huh? Ah, so you broke the oven. Why are you crying anyway? I thought you were lonely because I can't be home for your birthday,"

"Ehh? No, no, no. Who do you think I am? Shizu-chan can be so silly sometimes. I told you I'm okay, didn't I? It's not the first time anyway,"

A pang of guilt hits Shizuo's heart. How could he make Izaya feel that way?

"I'm sorry,"

"Hey! What's with that face?! Stop that! You're actually angry, aren't you? It's okay, then. I'll pay for the new microwave. And then you can teach me directly how to bake a cake and then we can eat cake together on your birthday. I know you care about your birthday more than I care about mine—I'm forever twenty one, anyway, who needs birthday—so we can spend our day together on that day. That way, you can't really say that you're not happy with me."

"But I'm happy with you!"

"Really? All's fine, then. Ask Tom-san for a day off this weekend and then we can go search for a new microwave!"

"Huh? How'd it come to that?"

"Uh, because I broke the oven learning how to bake a strawberry cheesecake?"

"Uhh…, okay. You know I don't work on weekend, anyway,"

"Of course, I know!"

Shizuo starts to wonder if he can ever get over that childish grin on Izaya's face.

"I'll tell Kasuka tomorrow,"

"Huh?" in Izaya's opinion, that wouldn't end well. What good would it do for an older brother to tell his younger brother that he's an obsessive brother? Maybe Izaya should tell Kasuka first to make sure that deadpan human won't react negatively to Shizuo's confession. Because Shizuo will get into a bad mood if Kasuka reacts badly. Izaya doesn't want to deal with a bad mood Shizuo.

"I'll tell Kasuka. It felt wrong to keep secret from him,"

"Ah? Are you sure? Maybe it's okay to keep a secret or two? You don't have to tell him everything, you know? There are a lot of things one doesn't need to know about his older brother. Like, the twins don't know everything about me. Maybe Kasuka doesn't need to know everything too?"

"What do you mean? You don't want him to know? Are you ashamed?" someone really should tell Shizuo to stop using that face. Izaya can't stand that puppy look. Shouldn't Shizu-chan know that Izaya is fine with his quirks? That's not a new thing, anyway. Even before they're in a relationship, Izaya knew well that Shizuo has a brother complex. What is to be ashamed of, really?

"No. Of course not. How could I be ashamed of Shizu-chan, really?" he cups Shizuo's chin and gives him a little peck on his lips. "He's the best boyfriend ever!"

"Then why shouldn't I tell Kasuka?"

"Because…, why do you suddenly want to tell him, anyway?"

"Because we've been dating long enough and I don't wanna kill you anymore and I think that he deserves to know that I'm happy now. Don't you think so?"

"Huh? What's that got to do with anything?"

"What do you mean 'what's that got to do with anything'? Why do you think I wanna tell Kasuka that we're dating anyway?"

The pure confusion in Shizuo's face makes Izaya wants to eat him. Isn't it unfair for someone to be so dangerous yet looks so harmless?

"Ah… oh… Oh!"

"What do you think I'm gonna tell him anyway?"

"Ah, no. Nothing. Never mind," Izaya likes to pretend that he's not blushing right now.

Izaya totally forgets that Shizuo thinks Kasuka doesn't know about that.

AN:
Happy birthday Izaya! May your assholeness never cease!
I've never actually taste the foods mentioned in this fic. Found the recipe on the net and they're mouth-watering. Ah, I wish I had a microwave. Then I'll cook some cakes for this pairing. Ha!