Title: Beautiful Mess
Author: MistressKiko
Rating: M
Pairing: Shizuo x Izaya
Disclaimer: I own none of these characters!

THIS STORY CONTAINS MALExMALE RELATIONSHIPS. You have been warned.

NOTE: Based off the movie Pretty Woman, however, it will have MAJOR changes. And smut.

The tidal wave did not give in to his wishes, however, and churned even harder.

He had the frantic urge to call Shiki and make sure everything was still up for grabs. The guy wouldn't change his mind on that deal quickly, right? Hell, Shizuo didn't even get to finish hearing the details before Izaya came rushing down.

How much money a year was even a decent living? Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Shizuo had never had to worry about such things.

Who would take over the company now?

Kasuka. He wanted to call Kasuka too. His brother had the right to know that he'd cut ties with his father.

Looking at the clock again, Shizuo knew it was too early to do either, and wearily sighed.

With a tight frown, he set his shoulders.

He needed to stop freaking out. A decision had been made, and he would follow through with it.

… should he tell Izaya?

He glanced over to the bedroom door.

… no. There was no need to add something to the raven's shoulders. However, there was a need to have something for his belly when he woke up.

With that thought, Shizuo made his way over to the phone and ordered breakfast.

There was enough time. The blond had plenty in savings to get his life in order before worrying about what he was going to do with it. But the one thing that kept bugging him, was the fact that no matter what he ended up doing, he wanted Izaya there.

It would be a fruitless effort if Izaya didn't feel the same. The question now was, should Shizuo keep the wobbly sense of peace they had, or tip the scale and hope for the best?

The fact he'd already tipped the scale and got laughed at was enough to make a dark cloud appear over his head. When breakfast arrived, he tried to calm himself with a sweet cinnamon roll, but even the excess sugar didn't have the power to settle him.

But he knew Izaya was keen on knowing when something was bothering someone. So when the bedroom door opened, Shizuo was prepared to act as normal as he possibly could.

He had to raise an eyebrow at the way Izaya was dressed. All black.

"... you look like you're going to a funeral," Shizuo remarked. Izaya softly snorted and made his way to the table, taking a seat. His movements were uncomfortable.

"It might be my own," Izaya joked, grabbing a bagel. Shizuo briefly snickered at the healthy choice in food compared to his own.

"It won't be that bad," Shizuo assured, taking a sip of his coffee. Izaya shot him a skeptical look.

"You shouldn't promise things when you aren't sure yourself."

"Fine, I don't think it'll be that bad."

"You have no basis for saying that, considering you've never met my parents."

"Izaya, I'm just trying to ease your nerv-"

"Well you're not," Izaya interrupted, tearing pieces off his bagel and shoveling them into his mouth, "You go abandon your family and then go crawling back."

Shizuo opened his mouth, ready to say what he'd just said on the phone, but eventually snapped it shut.

"Give me the number to your family's house," Shizuo said instead, reaching across the table for the cell he'd pushed away from him earlier. He quickly erased the nine missed calls.

"... what?" Izaya asked, swallowing, "What the hell for? Trying to announce my entrance?"

"No. You told me we'd exchange numbers after you left, didn't you?" Shizuo asked expectantly, his phone already on the Add Contact screen.

"... oh," Izaya mumbled, not exactly looking up for the exchange. Shizuo felt his heart drop, but Izaya voiced the number anyway.

"Thanks," Shizuo sighed, taking another gulp of coffee. There was a strange silence that followed, the ticking of the clock much too loud. Shizuo refused to be the one to ask if Izaya was ready to go.

When Izaya swallowed his last bite, he looked at the clock.

"We should go if you plan on getting to work on time. … wait, you aren't even dressed for work," Izaya said suddenly.

"Not going today," Shizuo answered, tipping his cup and frowning when he realized his coffee was gone.

Izaya didn't like that answer at all. If the previous night had anything to do with that decision...

Guilt piled on his shoulders.

"... I'll go get my stuff," Izaya said offhandedly, rising from his chair. Shizuo didn't respond, running his finger over the curve of the coffee cup handle.

Izaya sighed as soon as he walked back into the bedroom. He wondered if Shizuo had picked up on the fact the raven had not asked for his cell number in return. Then again, Izaya had the number to the hotel room memorized after giving it to Kida.

He grabbed his suitcase and bag, pausing to give the room a once-over. With the image of his short-lived home engraved in his mind, he turned and walked out.

It was a silent trip from the room to the elevator, and from the elevator to the lobby. The journey to the car would have undoubtedly followed suit if Izaya hadn't taken a detour to say a goodbye to Kadota. The manager insisted that he would look forward to seeing Izaya at the Tokyo Hyatt again, of which only got a fake smile and a cringe from his audience.

Men in uniform took Izaya's luggage and stashed it in the trunk of the limo as the two crawled their way inside the interior of the car.

It was so awkward, Shizuo could hardly stand it. A cloud of doom was rearing its ugly head about the confined space. Something wasn't right here. He tried to reason with himself, the same thoughts from earlier, that it wasn't like this was the end of the world. It wasn't like they would never be able to see each other ever again. One phone call was all it would take and they could meet up somewhere, or even one simple drive downtown.

But there was something underneath the physical act of letting Izaya go. He felt like something would be lost, and it was an outrageous feeling, because it was never there!

…

No, it had been there.

For those few however many minutes they'd melded their lips together, something had been there. Warmth, affection, craving, sincerity, or a mix of the four that went far beyond what mere lust could ever hope to reach.

"My parent's house is just around this corner," Izaya suddenly spoke.

'Already?' Shizuo thought, looking out the window in disdain.

"Thank you," Izaya said honestly, making Shizuo turn to him. The raven looked exceedingly nervous and fiddled with the material of his jeans, "I mean that. Even if you were an ass at the beginning, and I may be an ass for saying this, but you getting lost wasn't so bad."

Shizuo wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh, frown, or rip his hair out.

"... it wasn't me. You would have owned up and done this eventually all on your own," Shizuo replied. He saw the flash of disbelief in those scarlet eyes, but went on anyway, "I should thank you, however."

Izaya's eyebrows furrowed.

"Thank me?"

"Yeah. I had... a lot of fun not being an 'uptight, rich bastard'," Shizuo replied with a grin, the nickname mocking. A faint blush dusted Izaya's cheeks as he grinned back sheepishly.

"Okay, so you weren't that bad. … after I worked on you a bit," Izaya answered playfully.

"Mm hm," Shizuo hummed in agreement, before his grin faded, "So.. thank you."

Izaya had to glance away when the seriousness of those words struck him, and his breath stopped short for a moment when his house came into view. Shizuo was on the other side of the vehicle, but the tell tale sign of the limo slowing down told him they had arrived.

His gut twisted again.

"Ah... here goes nothing, right?" Izaya asked, fiddling with his hands. He looked over at Shizuo with a fluttering smile, "I'm sure they'll be confused if they see a limo pulled up here."

The vehicle came to a dead stop.

Shizuo watched with a sinking heart as Izaya raised his hand and placed it on the door handle. The small 'snap' of the door opening made the blond tense, and in a frenzy, Shizuo bolted across the limo.

Izaya had just opened the door enough to stick a hand through when Shizuo grabbed hold of the handle and held it still. Jumping, Izaya whipped his head around to see Shizuo close, halfway leaning over him, and glaring down at the door handle.

Crimson eyes gazed at him, drowning in unease.

"... Shizuo?" Izaya questioned, the name almost a squeak from the effort it took to get his vocal chords working.

Shizuo's palms felt clammy, fingers tightening their hold on the door handle. He swallowed, hard, when Izaya voiced his concern, and snapped his eyes over to meet Izaya's. It was a piercing gaze that made Izaya want to sink back into the leather seats.

The blond took a deep breath, then let it out. He cursed his own shaky state, because he could tell all he was doing was causing Izaya apprehension. The other man was looking up at him with something akin to fear, and he didn't like it.

Not one bit.

It was close to the same expression he'd made when Shizuo woke up to that kiss.

"Why did you kiss me?"

Izaya almost choked on his own saliva.

"... what kind of question is that?" Izaya answered, lowering his head so he didn't have to look at those inquisitive eyes any longer.

"A very good one, considering the rule you made me aware of on the very first day," Shizuo pressed on, unconsciously leaning forward a bit more. He needed Izaya to look at him, and answer him directly. He needed Izaya to tell him straight up that it was on a whim or an obligation or a... mistake.

That last one not only dove a knife into his chest, but twisted it viciously.

Izaya was glowering when he looked back up.

"I wasn't your prostitute at the time," Izaya said tightly.

"All the more reason to ask," Shizuo countered swiftly. Izaya brought a hand up to knead at his forehead, as if a headache was growing and growing fast.

"Shizuo," Izaya sighed, the name worn and tired on his tongue. It squeezed at Shizuo's heart. There was a quiet plea in that voice, Shizuo knew, and his will to not back down was cracking, "Why now, of all times? We'll talk about it later, even if there's nothing much to talk about."

He was lying.

Shizuo knew it.

If the blond thought Izaya might avoid him after this before, the worry had tripled now.

Izaya went to push the door open again, but Shizuo stood his ground, holding the door in place. Izaya's next sigh was from frustration.

"Alright, so it is bad timing," Shizuo agreed, if only to try to ease Izaya's irritation. He bit the inside of his cheek to try and focus on something besides how jittery his body was before he spoke, "Go. Work it out with your parents. Do whatever you have to do to get your life back on track and the way you want it. You know that's what I want too. But... after that... I want you to come back to me."

The words alone were suffocating. Pair them with sincere caramel eyes and the strong body he knew so very well leaning over him, Izaya could hardly breathe at all.

'What the fuck does that mean!' Izaya's mind yelled desperately. He wished Shizuo had just stopped talking. He wished he had shoved the door open and scurried away. Because he didn't know what to make of those words, and it did him no good to think they sounded like... well, like a confession of sorts!

"I already told you we'd hang out or something. I gave you my number," Izaya said, determined to bring this dangerous conversation to an end.

Shizuo wasn't going to buy it. He was sure now, more than ever, that Izaya was running. The blond had no idea what was going on in Izaya's mind, but he knew that he would be forever regretting this moment if he didn't at least try.

He couldn't be like Shiki, who let Izaya go and thought it for the best.

Not when the one thing he wanted to do more than anything else in the world at that moment was embrace the man before him and never let go.

"I don't want to just 'hang out' or see you every once in a great while!" Shizuo explained, trying to grasp on to the courage to say what he needed to say.

"My mom..."

The words took Shizuo by surprise. He looked out the window and sure enough, a lady had walked out of the house, looking at the limo inquisitively. He then turned back to the exceedingly nervous raven.

"We'll talk about this... another time," Izaya finalized, feeling sick as he tried to push the door open a third time.

Shizuo let his hand slip from the door.

He slowly leaned back on his knees, which were stiff from the odd position they had been in.

Hesitant and vulnerable, the words still managed to flow from between his lips.

"I love you."

With one leg touching the ground outside, and body leaning half-way out of the doorway, Izaya went rigid. In rebellion to every other tensed limb, his jaw slackened. Adorning an expression of picture-perfect awe, he turned his neck ever so slowly.

Shizuo took in a sharp breath and held it.

Oh God, did he just say that?

Staring back into the wide, searching eyes that met his own, he knew his question had been answered. With a quivering body and a stomach tying itself into tight knots, Shizuo waited for the inevitable.

Izaya was at a loss for words. So thrown off-balance, his throat would tighten, ready to make a sound that would fall short each and every time. He took a stuttering breath when his surroundings came crashing back down on him. Breaking the sparking gaze, he turned back to his home. A lump formed in his throat when he saw his mother had moved closer.

Seeing the raven's torn and frantic expression, Shizuo's face contorted into something akin to worry and resignation.

Talk about the worst possible timing ever.

Shizuo shifted, the movement caught by the corner of Izaya's eye. The scarlet-eyed man's head whipped back to look at Shizuo in borderline panic.

The blond lifted himself from the limo floor, scooting back over to his side and resting his body on the leather seat. He crossed his arms just a little to tightly, turning to blindly stare out the window.

"Talk to your mom. I've... said what I wanted to," Shizuo said. There truly was nothing else he could say. There was no way to misinterpret those words.

It all laid in the raven's hands now.

Izaya stared, eyes straining to see what he could not. The blond had turned away, however, stubbornly hiding his expression.

With frustration stinging his eyes, Izaya's head dropped. He tried to open his mouth again, to form nothing but air, and with a helpless burn coursing through his chest, he snapped it shut.

Without a word, the raven crawled out of the limo and shut the door behind him.

Shizuo's hands tightened on his arms. Eyelids slipping closed, he leaned his head against the glass window. It was cool to the touch.

He stayed like this for a while, ears his only sense of what was going around behind him. He heard the trunk popping open and the suitcase being rolled along the ground. He heard the driver get back into the limo. Only when he heard faint sounds, of which he knew were voices, did he open his eyes and turn toward the other side of the vehicle.

Izaya's back was to him, as he stood in front of his mother who held a hand over her mouth. Izaya's stance was slumped, almost as if he was expecting to be yelled at, but by the look on his mother's face, Shizuo knew that wouldn't be the case.

His finger pressed the intercom button on the door.

"Go back to the hotel," he told the driver.

With the order, the engine purred to life. Shizuo turned back to his own window as the vehicle was set in motion.

Left behind, Izaya watched the limo until it drove out of sight.

With no knowledge of the situation, Mrs. Orihara quickly ushered her son in the house when he bit down on his lip to stop the tears pooling in his eyes from falling.

Shizuo stood in the middle of his hotel suite. With fists on his hips, he turned his head this way and that to survey his surroundings.

It was empty.

But only in a personal sense. All the furnishings, including the couch, coffee table, massage table, fridge, chairs, and other accommodations of the hotel were still present. Gone, instead, were nearly all of his own belongings. The closets and drawers had been cleared out. The bathroom sink and cabinets had been emptied. All that remained in the fridge were a few bottles of water. And, of course, gone was the one who would greet him with a, "Welcome home, Shizu-chan!"

Shizuo smiled fondly.

Today was his last day in Ikebukuro, though he wasn't traveling too far. In two days time, he would be starting a new career. He still hadn't spoken to his father since that morning. As promised, however, he did call his mother and explained the situation. Disappointment was evident. It had been hard to listen to her pleas to stay, but all he had to do was ask why she hadn't pleaded with Kasuka in the same way, and she dropped the subject.

"Is that it?"

Speaking of Kasuka, the very brunette stood in the doorway to Shizuo's hotel room. When Shizuo had finally managed to get in touch with the young actor, he immediately booked a flight to Ikebukuro. He hadn't even questioned. All Shizuo had to say was that he cut off ties with their family and Kasuka was there. His brother had been his lifeline, so to speak, in this past week without Izaya.

"Yeah, that should be it," Shizuo confirmed, walking over to the phone, "Hungry?"

"Yeah," Kasuka replied, shutting the front door behind him. Shizuo dialed room service.

"Can I get two bowls of beef ramen sent up, please?"

"I'm very sorry, Heiwajima-san, but it appears that the bank account in our records has been put on hold. Would you like to pay with the cash option?" The receptionist replied.

Shizuo held his breath for two seconds before gnawing his teeth together and hanging up the phone. Kasuka stared curiously.

"Looks like dad closed my bank accounts," Shizuo muttered unpleasantly, sitting next to Kasuka t the dining room table. Kasuka nodded knowingly, reaching in his back pocket.

"How much do you need?" Kasuka asked, completely serious. Shizuo was sure the man would write him a check for thousands in a second. Shizuo smiled, putting a hand up.

"I want to try this on my own," Shizuo insisted. There was an unsaid 'like him' that hung in the air.

A small smile crossed Kasuka's face, but he didn't put the checkbook away.

"I'm still hungry. We're eating," Kasuka insisted. Shizuo chuckled.

"Then lets go out somewhere instead of being stuffed up in here," Shizuo suggested. Kasuka seemed to agree, pocketing the checkbook and standing. They both grabbed their jackets, cell phones, and keys. They were in the process of slipping on their shoes when a phone rang, much too loud and shrill to be a cell phone. Shizuo sighed, "What now? Just go on down and call your driver. I'll meet you in the lobby."

Kasuka nodded, and the brothers parted in opposite directions. Shizuo did not see the surprised look that crossed over Kasuka's features when the younger male stepped out of Shizuo's room.

"Hello?" Shizuo asked rather impatiently, holding the phone to his ear.

"Shizu-chan."

The blond nearly dropped the phone, heart jumping high so high it got lodged in his throat. Or that's what it felt like, anyway.

"... Izaya?" Shizuo asked dumbly, clearing his throat.

"Yep, it's me!" Izaya exclaimed, like the past week had never happened, like Shizuo hadn't gotten his heart broken. It both concerned and relieved him, "I want to see you. I'm right outside of your building~!"

Eh?

Shizuo leaned over the phone stand, balancing himself with one hand on the cherry wood, "I was just on my way down. I'll-"

"Nooope. Not how this is going to work, Shizu-chan," Izaya interrupted, the overly-friendly tone dropping into something much more somber, "I'm overcoming my fear right now, so you have to, too."

Shizuo paused.

Fear?

Was he talking about his parents again? And wait, what fear of his own?

"What do you mean?" Shizuo asked cautiously. His body was slowly calming, heart rate slowing down from the shock of hearing Izaya's voice. Sure, Shizuo had not even thought about giving up on the man yet, he was far too gone for that, but not hearing from the raven for a week was definitely not encouraging. Especially with the last words that had been uttered.

He didn't believe there were words to express just how utterly happy he was at the moment, whether he was confused or not. Izaya was here.

Which meant he chose to come back, right?

"I'm not coming up until I see you looking down at me," Izaya answered. Shizuo's head whipped up to the balcony with terrified eyes.

"You can't be serious!" Shizuo nearly yelled, shaking his head even though Izaya couldn't see him, "Izaya, you don't have any phobias. You don't understand. Do you know how high this is? You're going to be nothing but a black dot to me!"

"Keep talking. If I no longer hear your voice, I'll assume you left the phone and I'll leave~!" Was Izaya's only retort.

Shizuo gulped, still unconsciously shaking his head.

"Izaya, that's crazy."

"You did it before, didn't you?"

"You were there! And I didn't even look down!"

"I'm here now," Izaya replied in a soothing voice. Shizuo could practically see the smile on the raven's face, "Remember what I told you about risks, Shizu-chan."

'Yeah, you have no idea what risks I took this past week,' Shizuo thought, fidgeting. He stared down the balcony doors like they were going to grow large teeth and eat him alive.

"Shizu-chan? I don't hear you."

"Yeah yeah, I'm here," Shizuo replied quickly. There was no way he was going to let Izaya leave, "... how am I even going to do this?"

"Simple. You just take one foot in front of the other-"

"Did you forget this phone isn't cordless? I can't exactly walk on the balcony and stay on the phone," Shizuo reasoned. There was a short silence on the other end.

"Aaaah, I guess I should have gotten your cell phone number after all," Izaya sighed.

"And why didn't you?" Shizuo asked, taking a seat on the couch, "You had no intentions of contacting me after I dropped you off, did you?"

Another silence.

"... no, I didn't," Izaya answered, proving Shizuo's theory right, "And then you just had to drop that bomb on me at the end."

The blond's cheeks warmed.

"I don't understand why you were trying to avoid me."

"... alright, you have one minute to look over the balcony. Starting now," Izaya answered.

A dial-tone hit Shizuo's ears. The familiar sound had never hit him this hard.

'He's fucking kidding,' Shizuo thought, slamming the phone down on the receiver and quickly standing. The trek along the carpet was alright, and even opening the glass doors proved easy.

The first step onto the concrete, however, sent chills down his spine.

'Oh damn it, damn it, damn it,' Shizuo's mind recited. He tried to look upwards as he inched toward the railing. The sky was bright and merely offered a better way to see just how high up he was.

He determined nighttime was better than this.

Look how close those clouds were?

Okay, looking up wasn't helping either.

Fuck, how much time had passed? He hadn't even looked at the clock when Izaya told him to go!

He tried his hardest to imagine Izaya sitting on that railing, holding his hand out. If he reached him this time, Shizuo wasn't going to let go. There would be no distractions, and no hesitation.

I'm just offering you a night where you can do whatever the hell you want. No expectations, no judgments, no questions. So just take it.

Forget a night. It would be a lifetime of that and more, and he was so close to taking it. He just had to reach it.

Shizuo had his eyes closed when his outstretched hand hit the concrete railing.

There was a chuckle from behind him.

"I give."

Heart fluttering in terror, Shizuo nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden sound. On wobbly legs he fell to the concrete floor, hastily turning around. He sat stunned, yet comprehending, gawking at the man standing in his hotel room.

With a vacillating conscious, Izaya walked out onto the balcony and crouched down low, studying Shizuo's expression.

It took 2.2 more seconds for reality to smack Shizuo in the face.

"You lied?" Shizuo exclaimed, his nerves still jumping. A breath of air left Izaya's mouth in a huff, a smile accompanying it.

"You weren't going to come out here otherwise," Izaya reasoned, glancing up at the banister, "You almost did it, congratulations, heh. Thought I would save you the heart attack before it happened, though."

Shizuo took a deep breath. His lungs greedily accepted the fresh air.

"Izaya," Shizuo said softly, leaning forward to grasp the hand he'd been heading toward. Izaya looked surprised at the gesture, but noiselessly threaded his fingers within Shizuo's and shifted to sit cross-legged. They sat, knees barely brushing, two hands interlocking, with Shizuo avidly gazing at Izaya whilst Izaya turned his eyes to his lap, "... how did it go? With your family, I mean."

The almost melancholy cloud that settled on the raven's shoulders was worrying him.

"Difficult," Izaya sighed, tapping his free hand against his leg, "It's been a week and it still feels weird to be back in that house. I guess guilt takes a while to disappear."

Shizuo gave his hand a little squeeze.

"But that means they took you back in?" Shizuo asked hopefully. Izaya looked up fondly.

"Yeah. Mairu and Kururi won't leave me alone now," Izaya said with a humored scowl. Shizuo's gaze faltered and fell.

"... I didn't think you would contact me, you know. Not after a week."

"I waited until I knew you were off work again. Otherwise, I couldn't see your balcony performance," Izaya replied with a smirk.

Shizuo was dumbfounded.

"... you waited for a week for that?" Shizuo exclaimed. His mind grasped and grasped, but could not understand the logic behind such a thing. He'd been in turmoil all week and Izaya had planned to come back all along?

"Maybe it was a little selfish," Izaya said, uneasy, "But what you just felt right now... that fear... it's exactly how I feel about you."

"..."

"Look at this situation! You're a rich, powerful man, Shizuo. A man with a family who wants the very best for you, who wants you to get married to some beautiful woman and have children. That should be your future. With me here, it only makes things hard on you. It screws everything up. I'm a risk-taker at heart, I truly am, but to put myself in the same position I was once in with Shiki... I'd only have myself to blame if... if the ending was the same."

The hand in Shizuo's own was shaking.

"... I quit," Shizuo said heavily. Izaya looked back up, clueless.

"What?"

"The morning... the morning you left. I talked to my dad on the phone and I quit the company."

A breath, and another, and then Shizuo tightened his grip so Izaya couldn't get away when he tried.

"You what?" Izaya exclaimed, astonished, "Please tell me you're lying. Are you crazy?"

"Wha... I thought you'd be happy about that! Wasn't it you who always wanted to see me rebel against my father?"

"But...! Don't tell me you did this because of me, damn it," Izaya said, looking torn as he brought his free hand up to his forehead, "I don't want you to give this up over something I did-"

"I did it for myself," Shizuo insisted boldly, leaving no room for argument in his tone. When that got Izaya to be quiet, the tone softened, "Believe me. I needed to do this. I want it this way."

Izaya still did not look convinced.

"What are you going to do for work..?"

"I already got another job. Of course it doesn't pay nearly as much, and I can't exactly boss people around anymore," Shizuo spoke with a reassuring smile, "but I'll get used to it. Just like you'll get used to being back home."

"Your family?" Izaya drove on.

"... I'm not cutting them off completely, but they can do their own thing while I do mine. We don't have the same outlook."

"And... Sato-san?" Izaya muttered.

Shizuo blinked.

"Vorona? Where did- ah," Shizuo paused, silently cursing his father. Determination sparking in his eyes, Shizuo leaned forward insistently, "Vorona is nothing but a friend. I think I've made who I want pretty clear."

Izaya's head dropped.

"But you could change your mind."

"Izaya!" Shizuo bellowed louder than intended. The raven jumped. Shizuo grasped both of his hands before continuing, "Stop making excuses to run. This is not the past. I am not Shiki."

Izaya wriggled uncomfortably.

"I know you aren't Shiki..." he trailed off, and for a moment, pressed his lips together, "And I'm not running. I'm here, aren't I?"

"Why are you here? Why are you here if you still aren't sure-"

"You weren't sure either. I doubt you planned on telling me you loved me at the last minute," Izaya said in rebuttal.

"Can you blame me? After you laughed in my face when I tried making that day into a date?" Shizuo demanded. Seeing Izaya wince uncomfortably, Shizuo took a deep breath and once again lowered his tone, "You confused the hell out of me."

"I know. I'm sorry," Izaya responded lowly, "I wasn't sure what I wanted."

Shizuo's thumbs swept gently back and forth on the backs of Izaya's hands before coming to a complete stand-still.

"Do you know what you want now?" Shizuo asked.

Scarlet met caramel and locked.

Izaya took in a shaky breath.

"Yeah. I want to be here," Izaya admitted, his cheeks flushing pink. He laughed a little, then, "Well, I guess not here, since you're moving and all. I was wondering why the room was emptier."

Shizuo smiled, big and bright. He leaned forward, wrapping his arms around a surprised raven before dragging him forward. Izaya shifted and fell into Shizuo's arms, wrapping his own arms securely around the blond's neck.

"Oh, come on. What was that lesson you taught me on our last date," Shizuo asked with a smirk. Izaya blinked, his mouth forming a small 'o' in comprehension, before he grinned.

"Ah, doesn't matter where you are, but who you're with?" Izaya asked mirthfully, playing with the hair at Shizuo's nape, "You really pay attention, don't you? Now you just gotta believe me when I say you're not going to fall to your doom just because you're somewhere high."

Shizuo seemed to remember exactly where they were at that moment. He cast a wary glance over his shoulder.

"... okay," Shizuo said, making to stand. Izaya raised a brow and rose with him. He felt the shoulders beneath his hold start shaking almost automatically.

"Shizuo?"

Said man wrapped his arms around Izaya's waist, his eyes closed.

"You said I had to do it, right?" Shizuo asked, opening his eyes. He stared at Izaya even as he took a step backward. Izaya stepped with him, tightening his hold.

"Haha! Shizu-chan, you don't have to," Izaya said, having no problem looking around Shizuo's body and onto the city below. A light wind swept by. They stopped when Shizuo felt his backside hit the banister. Shizuo grumbled in irritation, fingers nervously fidgeting with the back of Izaya's shirt. Izaya smiled fondly and leaned up to give him a quick peck of encouragement.

Shizuo's eyes flew open in surprise, the corner of his lips quirking upward despite his inner turmoil.

"I do have to. If you faced your fears, it's only fair to show you I'm serious too," Shizuo replied, giving one quick, sparing glance behind him. His eyes squeezed shut again.

The smile dissolved on Izaya's face. The gesture made him happier than he thought imaginable.

"... why is it so damn high?" Shizuo muttered. Izaya laughed.

"I have you, Shizu-chan," Izaya said warmly, playfully, tightening his hold around the blond. Shizuo smiled again. Then, with a deep breath, he swung his head to the side and opened his eyes.

Building rooftops, the sun reflecting off the windows of an adjacent building, little blobs of color he was sure were cars lined up on the streets below...

Izaya watched, curiosity peaked, as Shizuo stared. Then the blond quickly turned his head back and looked at Izaya with wide eyes.

"... I don't like it at all," Shizuo said, dead serious. Izaya snorted.

"But you're not dead!"

"And I'm not leaving," Shizuo replied pointedly. Izaya's chest prickled pleasantly.

"Then I guess it's okay for me to say I love you too?" Izaya asked, heart erratically thumping against his ribcage.

"... more than okay," Shizuo breathed, leaning forward to touch Izaya's forehead to his own. Izaya closed his eyes, content on just being in the moment, until he tilted his head and captured Shizuo's lips within his own. This kiss left nothing to hide, and had everything to gain.

Bold, passionate, endearing, and all encompassing.

Both of them knew this was worth any risk.

They were breathless when their lips parted.

"As absolutely happy as I am to hear that from you," Shizuo started with a sheepish grin, "... can we get off the balcony now?"

Izaya laughed, untangling himself from Shizuo's arms, but keeping a firm hold on one hand.

"Was that your brother that came out earlier, by the way?" Izaya inquired. Shizuo's eyes went wide.

"Kasuka!" He exclaimed. He had completely forgotten about his brother! What if he was still waiting for him downstairs?

"Haha, don't worry. I'm pretty sure he left," Izaya explained, shutting the door to the balcony, "He kinda told me 'good luck' when he saw me out in the hallway."

"... is that so," Shizuo replied. Izaya stared at him.

"I still can't believe you quit," Izaya said in a huff.

"I can't take you on massive shopping sprees anymore. Still want to stay?"

"Hhhmmm, that's a hard decision."

"You're so greedy."

"You know you like it."

"I know. Move in with me."

"... aren't you supposed to be all romantic and warm me up before you blurt things out like that?"

"Want me to?"

"Mm, be romantic, or warm me up?"

"Both? The massage oils are still here, you know."

"So they are! It'd be a tragedy to let them go untouched before you have to leave."

"Big tragedy."

"Tell you what; I'll move in with you if you show me what it would be like tonight."

"You mean how I'd dote on you every day after work?"

"I like the sound of this already!"

"You're cooking, though. I'll burn toast."

"Tsk tsk. Don't ask people to move in with you and then give them orders, Shizu-chan."

"But the wife always does the cooking."

"... not only is that a sexist remark, but you also just implied I am a girl."

"You did wear a dress."

"And you did say you liked me better without it."

"... did you keep that red thong?"

Izaya's laughter echoed through the room.

ZOMG IT'S THE ENDING YOU GUYZ. SUPER LONG CHAPTER.

Bani: I AM caught up on 07 Ghost :3 APPLE SCENE WAS LOVE a;slkj;aklsda' And I added you on MSN, my dear :3

Giveortake: I am so going to use "STICK THAT IN YOUR JUICE BOX AND SUCK IT!". That is amazing. XD Aw, hope the ending added to that dose of epic :D

Room Sized Logic: Aaaaw, hunny, dun cry DD: HAPPY ENDING, SEE! xD

chastidyrose: Dx I'm sorry. I hate ex songs. And damn right it wouldn't be better off that way! XD

Angael: I don't think anyone would turn down Izaya-therapy. ... well, the Izaya here. I'd be a LITTLE scared of canon!Izaya therapy.

In all seriousness, I love you all, you are amazing, and I had a TON of fun writing this fic. It's my longest fic yet and I've been working on it for four months! My baby! *clings* Now I gotta think of a plot for my next major fic hmmm...

^_^ *waves*