Emma: Oof this is a really long chapter. I had every intention of posting it on Monday but I honestly didn't account for how long making a playlist would take me! So here we are on a Wednesday at the start of the day instead!

Izaya: We're back, we're finally back!

Shizuo: Hooray. *Rolls his eyes*

Izaya: Shizu-chan, can't you give a little bit more enthusiasm. *Pouts*

Shizuo: Yay. There, happy?

Izaya: Shizu-chan just because you say yay instead of hooray doesn't make it any more enthusiastic.

Emma: Anyways! Welcome back everyone! Hope you enjoyed the most recent chapter! For this chapter we have a strong combination of horror and relationship progression! I will warn you all now there is some OOC and talk of depression in addition to the gore so please keep this in mind.

Izaya: So what you're saying is that you don't know how to write our magnificent characters?

Emma: Izaya, shut it before I kill you off.

Izaya: Excuse me? Do it. I bet you won't. *Grabs a switchblade to throw*

Shizuo: Moving on, as always Emma does not own Durarara! or any of it's characters.

Recommended Background Music: Outlast 2 Soundtrack

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

After having stared at the blueprint-like map for what could have been hours, Shizuo now had a better understanding of how exactly the hospital was set up.

From the blueprint's perspective, if you disregarded the path drawn out by their captors, the building was set up in a rectangular formation. Based off this floor it seemed that there were a total of 30 patient rooms, a kitchenette, 4 storage closets, 2 restrooms that included a shower room, and one stairwell for the entire building. Which meant that the group was naturally located in the farthest corner of the building away from the stairs.

Staring down at the hallway in front of him, Shizuo did his best to take in his surroundings. Can't fuck this up, we need to get the hell out of here. The hallway, much like the other's he had encountered so far, were poorly lit by dim blinking sterile white lights. The walls were curling with it's peeling paint, holes of various shapes and sizes were punctured into the walls itself leaving a hollow void. The ceilings were in no better shape, with pieces of tile hanging on by some miracle and insulation pushing its way out like a festering blister. Pieces of the ceiling were littered all throughout the already disheveled floor. Various stains coated the yellow mold like linoleum flooring which could leave one feeling ill if they stared at it for too long. This floor, unlike the 16th floor in which Shizuo and Izaya awoke in, didn't have as much broken medical supply discarded everywhere. Broken pieces of glass, the occasional needle, and paperwork that was no longer legible were strewn in various corners but there were no damaged beds or abandoned wheelchairs left behind.

Since their base was the last room in the corner of the hall it seemed that they were in the section of the 15th floor that contained more hospital rooms to their right. Which meant the various utility rooms were dead ahead in the hallway that faced them. "Okay when the flea and I came from the right we bumped into that kid. So we won't take that route. We'll go straight ahead and make the right once we hit the next set of rooms instead. You okay with that Kyouhei?" Shizuo looked over at the brunette who gave the blond a quick nod.

Kyouhei held on tight to the metal pipe that he found in their base, the one he made earlier was left behind for the team to use just in case. Although it was nothing more than a pipe the length of a baseball bat, it was a means of protecting himself from all the dangers he had only heard of and not yet experienced. Shizuo gave a grunt in acknowledgement and began to lead the way along their chosen path almost as if he were guarding over Kyouhei as they moved forward.

They walked in silence, the company of the buildings various creaks and groans kept the two on high alert as they made a path down the hallway. First they passed one of the utility closets to their left, the door faintly marked in hiragana with paint peeling off it much like the rest of its surroundings. On their right were the restrooms and showers, and although Shizuo felt absolutely disgusting he had zero intention of attempting to use the decrepit showers.

The journey down their first hallway wasn't very long, however, it was their right turn into the next hall of rooms where the two decided to pick up their pace. Not out of urgency to complete their mission but out of fear.

It was quiet at first, a soft sound that could have been mistaken for a trick of the mind. But then the sound grew louder and louder. The humming of a melody unknown to the two. Chills crawled down their spines as they realized what the humming meant. Someone was closing in on them.

An unspoken understanding was shared between them as they continued to pick up their pace while trying to maintain silence. Their senses continued to remain on high alert as they drew closer and closer to their final destination. The humming continued to follow them, coming from all around them in a way that left it's direction unrecognizable.

Don't look back, we can't look back. We're almost there, Shizuo thought to himself as they rushed past two more sets of rooms.

As if their silent prayers had been answered, a broken exit sign was hanging from the ceiling indicating the two had arrived at their destination. Like thieves in the night they quietly opened the door and began their descent down the stairwell to the next level. Out of fear that the person humming was still tailing them, they attempted to open the door for the 14th floor but were met with an audible click.

Locked.

If I try to break open the door it'll give up our location, dammit, the blonde thought to himself. Kyouhei gave Shizuo a wide eyed look and all the former bartender could do was offer a half shrug and a gesture to descend even further down the stairs. Giving a nod in response, the two continued to make their way down the stairs to the next level, occasionally glancing up to see if the door to the 15th floor had opened.

The stairwell spiraled in a square formation, sharing the same type of peeling paint as the rest of the walls of the hospital. Occasionally the wooden handrails would be missing or would appear cracked and filled with rot. A distinct odor of mildew and something decaying lingered in the air.

Door after door, the two were met with the same clicking sound that indicated it was locked. Once they were certain they hadn't been followed, Shizuo and Kyouhei stopped by the door of the 11th floor to take a break. The blond chose to crouch down and lean against the wall by the door while the brunette opted for leaning against the wall that faced the stairs. "So that confirms it. It's definitely a trap," muttered Kyouhei.

"Looks like it. Which means.." Shizuo glared in anger at the dirty floor in front of him, realizing the bitter truth. The flea may have been right, we should have left as a large group.

"Come on man don't do that to yourself. He wasn't ready to do all this yet. He could barely stand. Besides we still have to reach the first floor and scope it out. The plan isn't to run towards the danger, it's just you know learning more about it," Kyouhei stated with a small amount of confidence. The former Blue Squares member wasn't entirely sure what the relationship of the informant and bodyguard was anymore. But he knew that Shizuo would try to blame himself if things went belly up in any way. The blond looked up and gave the man a smirk and nodded. "Alright now get your ass up so we can keep going. Don't want our 'friend' catching up with us if we can help it."

After their brief talk, Shizuo got up and continued to lead the way down the path of stairs. Their next stop was the door for the 10th floor. But as the two grew closer and closer to the door an appalling odor began to assault their senses. It was a distinct smell that the former bartender was all too familiar with in this place. Rotting flesh.

When they finally reached the door, Kyouhei abruptly turned his back to the door and began to silently gag. The blond stared at the abhorrent scene that was displayed out in front of him.

Where there should have been a door was a blockade of decomposing corpses, each more indistinguishable than the next. Blood oozed from the wall and collected at the foot of the stairs. Thankfully the two hadn't stepped in the puddle that appeared to be nearly coagulated by now. What was most off putting about the wall, other than the obvious, was the fact that each body was sloppily stitched together in what could only be interpreted as a sick tapestry like display. Shizuo looked away, unable to stare at the gruesome scene any longer. This one wasn't like the first wall of corpses, the blond thought to himself with disgust.

Shizuo moved towards Kyouhei, stunned and nauseated that this pattern of gore was going to continue. Keeping his back turned to the scene he longed to forget, he rested a hand on the brunette's shoulder. "We need to go," mumbled the bodyguard as he tried to be understanding of the poor man's reaction. Once his stomach had settled a bit, Kyouhei nodded his head and began to move forward.

Their steps became much more cautious now as they slowly descended to the 9th floor. The number 9... It's considered an unlucky number since it's pronounced like the word for agony or torture. What kind of fucking fresh hell is gonna be on this floor, Shizuo questioned internally as they made their way down the set of stairs before coming to a stop in front of the door. Maintaining as much nerve as possible, the bodyguard gripped the door handle and hoped that this door was locked like the many others they'd come across.

The door began to gradually open.

"Of coarse," growled Shizuo quietly as he continued to slowly open the door. Kyouhei swallowed hard and prepared his metal pipe for a swing in case the other needed back up. With the door fully open the two snuck through as they silently shut the door behind them. The 9th floor was identical to the 15th floor, which from a tactical perspective proved reassuring since the former bartender had the route entirely mapped out. However, the difference in this floor were the copious amounts of blood sigils that adorned the walls as a twisted decoration. Blood coating various spots on the floor.

Wide eyed the two stood there for a moment too long when they heard it. The humming had once again returned and was this time accompanied by a voice filled with wrath. "I want them fucking brought to me, now! This game of cat and mouse has gone on for far too long," hissed a male voice.

The two men were paralyzed with both fear and curiosity. Naturally the stairwell was positioned just straight down the hall from an office, the view of the door with it's bold nameplate as clear as day. The source of the voices from what it sounded like. A small miscalculation on their part, the group planned under the assumption that the only floor that would contain an office would be the ones located on the first and second floor. An egregious mistake looking back on it now.

"You must relax my love. Remember what must happen in preparation for our goals to be met. Think of this as a means to ripen them up," a female voice coaxed. A loud snap cracked against the air as if someone had taken a hit. This caused both Shizuo and Kyouhei's eyes to widen in surprise, the two still stuck to their spot by the stairwell door.

"Answer back to me like that again lover and you'll find yourself without a tongue. If you've forgotten we have a deadline to meet that cannot be negotiated. I want them brought to me by tomorrow night. I can ripen them up myself."

There it was, his gut instinct that told him this was about to go south very quickly if they didn't move now. Shizuo grabbed hold of Kyouhei's arm and quietly opened the door, ensuring that little to no sounds were made as they walked through it. I'm not going to stick around to hear the rest of that conversation, Shizuo thought to himself as he very gently closed the door behind him. The two swallowed hard, the intakes of their breathes were small out of fear of even that causing too much noise. The bodyguard pointed up as a way to tell the other that it was best they take their leave now and abandon their mission. The brunette gave a quick nod and began to follow the strongest man in Ikebukuro as they silently raced up the winding staircase.

At a faster pace the two couldn't have gone out of risk of disclosing their current location. 12th floor, 13th floor, 14th floor, all zooming by the two as they ascended and completely abandoned their previous plan. Almost there, Shizuo thought to himself as the door to the 15th floor came into view.

But just as the man's hand gripped the handle to the door, the screeching sound of a door opening in the floors below them shook the stairwell.

Eyes wide, Shizuo and Kyouhei swiftly and silently slipped through the door when something bright red caught the brunette's attention. Grabbing hold of the bodyguard's arm and giving it a tight squeeze, he pointed down at the clearly visible bloody tracks that now marked the floor. In their rush to make it back upstairs the two tracked bloody footprints from the puddle of blood that had pooled on the 10th floor. And no thanks to the long length of their pants, the blood had soaked through the cuff allowing for a constant source to soak their bare feet. Fuck, fuck, fuck, Shizuo thought, we need to clean up and hide.

An idea came fairly quickly to the former bartender, a horror movie he had seen as a teen where the little boy was able to throw off his possessed father's path of rage by backtracking his footsteps. We can't go back since the doors are locked but we can go into one of these rooms. Shizuo swiftly led the way to the room closest to them, ensuring that the floor was indeed being marked by red splotches as they went. Once in the room he quickly ripped a large piece of bed sheet off and began to roll up the cuffs of his pants. Kyouhei wasn't too far behind, understanding quickly what the other was beginning to do. Once their feet had been cleaned off of any blood and the stained cuffs secured, the two rushed to the room right across the room they set up as the trick.

They entered the room and Shizuo quickly began to work as he attempted to secure the door with the pipes they had brought as weapons. We can't barricade the door, they'll know that we're in here. And if it's that male doctor Kyouhei won't stand a chance. Fuck, I might not be able to either, the blond thought to himself with his heart beating out of his chest.

Positioning the two pipes under the door using as much strength as possible, Shizuo bent the two into makeshift door stoppers. If this doesn't hold we're fucked, the form bartender thought to himself. Rushing to the right hand corner of the room, on the same wall as the door but away from it's light, the two men settled down on the floor as they began to wait for the inevitable. Their only source of information would be the sound of the door opening and the light that was casting in the room due to the small square window on the door.

A minute passed.

And then another.

Shizuo and Kyouhei took small shallow breaths again as they waited, their hearts racing in their chests when they finally heard it.

The door to the stairwells slammed open and the female voice began to hum the same unknown tune she had been earlier. How had she made it up so quickly? Did she know where they were? A shadows figure quickly came into view, casted in the room as a long silhouette very briefly before it vanished from sight.

Much like the door to the stairwell, the door right across from the room where the two men hid was thrown open. Mere moments after the door had been thrown open from the room across, the soft eerie hum had stopped. And in its place came a wicked cackle.

"What smart little meat suits. But where are you hiding," sang the female voice after it had laughed.

The sound of footsteps approaching caused Shizuo and Kyouhei's hearts to beat even faster if possible. Once more the shadowy figure came into view, casting the same silhouette it had earlier when it first entered the hall. The two men stared at the silhouette, unaware that they were holding their breaths so that they could remain hidden. Time moved at a much slower rate as they waited for the figure to disappear but instead they heard the very distinct sound of the handle jiggling. However, thanks to the metal pipes that now blocked the door, the door never moved an inch.

After what felt like an eternity the female gave up and left the door. Her humming once more began and the sound of the door to the stairwell opened and then slammed shut. The sound of her humming leaving with her. But neither of the two men could bring themselves to move. Did she suspect anything? Had she believed that they had perhaps gone back down the stairs?

Almost as if to answer their silent questions, the shadow came into view again. Kyouhei's eyes darted from the silhouette to the man next to him, praying that it was his mind playing tricks on him. Much to the man's dismay, Shizuo wore a cold hard stare that was pointed towards the silhouette. It was almost as if the man were trying to will the silhouette away with thought alone. Surprisingly enough the former bartender's face was devoid of any obvious signs of fear. What gave him away was his pale complexion and the sweat that was beginning to form right above his brows.

"Hmph. I guess they really did go back. How stupid," the voice giggled. And once more the shadow walked away, the doors to the stairwells opening and slamming shut. This time she had truly left.

Out of concern for her return and their current inability to bring themselves to move, Shizuo and Kyouhei sat for over an hour before they finally felt it safe to go out. And when they did decide the time was right the two moved at a rate of speed that could baffle many. After the metal pipes had been removed and the area secured of any threats, the two continued to use the adrenaline that they still had left in them to rush back to the base the same way they had left.

Once at the door Kyouhei was the one to do the honor of knocking three times, "Shizuo loves Izaya. Hurry up guys we need to talk." Kyouhei hissed, looking around every which way. Shizuo remained silent as he continued to process everything they had just experienced. The door was opened a few minutes later by Erika who gave them a look that could only be described as 'someone who had to sit through an awkward situation they hadn't wanted to be a part of.' "Uh come on in," Erika smiled awkwardly and scooted to the side.

The two men entered the room, confused by the otaku's strange demeanor. Once inside, they put back up the barricade with Erika's help and then whipped around so that they could recount their tale to the rest of the group. Upon turning around though the picture that was painted in front of them was a rather interesting one. Izaya was out of bed gripping the collar of Shinra's shirt tightly with a look of pure rage burning in his carmine eyes. The raven haired man's gaze never left the underground doctors, even if said man wasn't paying attention to the informant. "Welcome back gentleman. You were gone for quite some time, how'd it go," smiled Shinra who very clearly was trying to downplay what had happened moments before the recon team had arrived.

"Uh we need to talk about that actually but-" Kyouhei had started to speak when Shizuo quickly interrupted.

"Izaya what the fuck are you doing," stated the bodyguard bluntly. A deep scowl formed on the informants face as he let go of the underground doctor and backed away. "Nothing. What happened and why did it take you two so long?" Izaya questioned as he folded his arms across his chest and proceeded to finally face the two men. All they could do was blink in confusion, what exactly had happened they would clearly remain in the dark about. "You're going to all want to sit down for this," Kyouhei sighed slightly crestfallen.

The group proceeded to gather around as Shizuo and Kyouhei positioned themselves at the center of the room in front of the collection of cots. The twins took the cot in front of Shizuo while Walker and Erika took the one in front of Kyouhei. Masaomi stayed in the same spot they had left him, in the right hand corner of the room, although it did appear as if he wanted to pay attention to the findings that their teammates had brought. Izaya walked away from Shinra, giving him one last look of disdain before taking a seat on the same cot with his sisters. The underground doctor gave a soft sigh and turned his attention to the two men, just now noticing how worn ragged the two looked.

Kyouhei looked over at Shizuo as if asking who should begin. With a soft grunt, the blond began to recount detail for detail on what it was that had happened to the two and why it was they took so long. The two occasionally switching off narrations to give the other a break. From their never ending locked door mission, to the information they heard from the doctors, and their close encounter with one of the female doctors. No detail was left behind.

At the end of their retelling all the group could do was stare. The silence had become a heavy weighted blanket on all of them as they began to realize that their captors had every intention of making things impossible for them. As well as an unknown deadline tied into their unknown intentions as well. Izaya was their first to speak, "Did you get the chance to see if the rest of the stairs were safe for travel?"

"No, we got the hell out of there as fast as we could." Shizuo grunted as he locked eyes with the informant. Izaya quickly turned his gaze away from the man and moved it to Kyouhei. What was that about, wondered the bodyguard as he began to stare at the raven haired man. "Kyouhei did you maybe notice anything that Shizu-chan didn't," the louse asked with a flat tone of voice.

"If you mean the stairway no. But I did notice a worn out plaque when we were on the 9th floor." Kyouhei stated, scratching his head in thought as he processed how to deliver what he was about to say. Izaya held off on asking anymore questions and began to eye the brunette curiously as they awaited a response. "It said Ikebukuro Psychiatric Hospital. We never left bukuro."

What should have been a relief almost felt like a slap to the face. The group all knew, even the young doting twins, that they were in some sort of mental hospital. But they never would have suspected that they were still in Ikebukuro. It meant that home was right there. It meant that their friends who weren't here, the ones that could help were just outside these broken halls. But with how close they were, would anyone come looking? The infamous building had been condemned in the late 50s early 60s, and with all the debt the city was constantly in they never bothered with demolishing the place. Instead the city opted to allow the place to slowly rot from the inside out and let nature take its course.

One glance around the room and it was clear to see the looks of defeat creeping up on some of their faces. They had all been taken on their home turf. "Whatever, who cares," shrugged Izaya as he stood with a cocky smirk. The group all turned to him in confusion, Shizuo's gaze having never left the man. "This just means we have home field advantage. It also means there's a high probability we know our captors," the informant's voice was laced with twisted excitement. This is the first piece of information that's useful to me, it means that we might know these people. And if that's the case then who knows what leverage I have over them, Izaya thought to himself, beginning to feel better already.

"You're not wrong but what about all the symbols that were drawn in blood on the walls? They sure as fuck didn't look like anything I've ever seen in bukuro. They could be outsiders," rebutted Shizuo as he raised a brow and gave the informant a frown. Dammit, there is that one detail that messes with my theory a bit. Izaya simply shrugged it off but still never looked at the bodyguard directly.

"Oh Shizu-chan don't be simple. That could have very easily been done to throw us off their trail. I say we gather what little supplies we can find on this floor and begin to descend to the lower levels now before they try to find us again. If the path isn't blocked we can make our way out of here and if the path is we can take refuge on the 9th floor right under their noses." The informant had a grin from ear to ear, however the only one who noticed that his smile didn't quite reach his eyes was Shizuo.

With a soft grunt, the bodyguard crossed his arms across his chest and gave a nod. "Are we all in agreement that this should be the next plan? I'm warning you guys now, the male doctor has enough strength to take me down so we can't fuck this up. Let's find what we can and get off this floor," Shizuo's tone of voice was rough and held nothing but honesty for his group. There was no use in sugar coating that one of the doctors managed to easily take the former bartender down. None of this situation could be taken lightly and that needed to be made clear.

Everyone hesitated for a second before giving a nod and agreeing with the new plan of action. "Then it's settled! We leave after we've gathered supplies and make our way down the stairs. If the path is blocked we'll hide on the 9th floor. If that does end up happening it would be an excellent opportunity to gather information on our captors eh?" Izaya's voice sounded playful and sharp, it appeared as though the informant found an edge that only he saw or even deemed beneficial. Or so it seemed on the surface.

Without a second thought the informant walked over to the barricade and began to take it down. I need fresh air and time away from this room. But mostly time away from Shinra, thought Izaya as he winced in pain from pushing aside one of the tables that blocked the door.

"Hey flea just what the hell is it that you think you're doing," questioned Shizuo as he took over pushing aside the cabinet that blocked the door. The informant leaned on his right foot and crossed his arms over his chest, "I'm coming with you. I assume you're the one who's going to head out to gather supplies right?" Izaya teased, trying to appear as if everything were fine.

"Well yea but. Wait, what the fuck do you mean you're coming with me? Hell no! You're gonna stay right the fuck here!"

"Oh Shizu-chan, that's cute but I'm fine now. I just needed some rest and a light snack. I'm going with you," Izaya gave a subtle glare in Shinra's direction before continuing to look at Shizuo, "Besides, I need some fresh air."

"If that's the case then I'm coming too!" the underground doctor stated as he walked up to the two men.

"No you're not Shinra you're going to stay here. Watch over Masaomi or something, maybe he'll tell you something that he wants kept private and then you can tell the rest of the world once we're out of here." Although Izaya was incredible at portraying a mask to the rest of the world, it was clear to everyone in the room that Shinra had genuinely pissed off the informant.

While Izaya had made it clear that he wanted no part of the underground doctors involvement, Shinra was ready swift with a response that only further proved he wasn't going to back down. "Yes I am! If your stitches tear I'll need to immediately fix them before it puts you at further risk for another severe infection. And if there's medical supplies that we can use I'm the only one here who can identify its purpose."

Shizuo growled and tried to rake his fingers through his matted hair. They're acting like brats, this is fucking ridiculous. "You're both going now shut the hell up when we're out there. We're going to the storage closets down the hall, now get a move on before I leave you both." And with that the bodyguard opened the door and scanned the area before quickly starting down the path that led to the storage closet.

With no time to argue, Izaya scowled at Shinra before quickly following behind Shizuo, the good doctor not too far behind. Once the three were out of the room, the rest of the group began to put the barricade back up together before sitting in silence for a minute or two. "Anyone else find that extremely awkward or was it just me?" asked Mairu looking at the rest of the group who responded with a nod or a soft snicker.

Walking down the hall together, the three men kept quiet as they arrived at the first utility door. Okay this is the one that Kyouhei and I passed when we first walked through which means the next one is just a little further up, Shizuo thought to himself. Hand gripped around the handle, the blond opened the door slowly for precaution. Thankfully no one was on the other side of the door.

The utility space was small and only contained a variety of cleaning items like brooms and mops. Izaya grabbed one of the wooden brooms and began to unscrew the piece of the broom that had the brush, removing it completely so that what was left was a very useful weapon. Shizuo nodded in understanding and did the same to the other broom that was still inside the closet and handed it to Shinra once he was done.

Now that the essentials were gathered from that room, two hefty wooden sticks, the men continued their journey to the next supply closet which was only a few doors down. Once there, Shizuo took lead once more and opened the door with caution. It would seem that luck was on their side at this moment, upon opening the door they found that they had hit the mother-lode of medical equipment.

No bigger than a child's bedroom, the supply room contained shelves that were side by side with various dust coated essentials. "Looks like it was good to bring you along Shinra, I probably would have just grabbed everything even if we didn't need it," Shizuo commented as he grabbed hold of a large brown leather duffel bag that was tossed off to the side on the floor. A faded white cross marked the front of the bag, empty inside but clear to the former bartender that the bag had been once used to carry medical equipment. "Whatever you two find we can place it in here," the blond stated as he turned to his two companions who were already sifting through the shelves.

Well this is awkward, the blond thought to himself as he counted up how many shelves were currently in the room. Okay six shelves that means we can each tackle two at a time and be out of here pretty quickly. Shizuo walked up to the shelf that was just after the one Izaya was looking through, his back to the informants. Starting from the top shelf which fell just slightly below his eye level, the bodyguard found two large bundles of rolled gauze and a box of gloves. This could definitely be useful, he thought as he turned to drop off the supplies in the duffel bag.

On his way back to the shelf he had been examining, the louse had been struggling to reach for something that was at the top shelf. Out of reach for the informant due to his height and injury, Izaya struggled with a very clear look of pain on his face as he attempted to independently gather what was left at the top. "Tch, idiot flea," grumbled Shizuo as he approached the man and grabbed a medium brown glass bottle for the informant.

Stopping his actions and choosing to smirk at the brute instead, Izaya held his hand open for the bottle as he hid the look of pain he had previously been wearing. "Thanks Shizu-chan but I had it handled," the informant winked with a playful tone to his voice. "Yea I'm sure. Hey what's going on between you and Shinra," asked the blond as he handed over the bottle of liquid.

You really have no tact do you Shizu-chan, Izaya thought to himself as he rolled his eyes and grabbed the bottle. The informant walked off leaving the bodyguard's question unanswered. Putting away the betadine that the brute retrieved for him, the raven haired man continued searching the room in addition to avoiding Shizuo now. Naturally, the strongest man in Ikebukuro wasn't having this.

"Hey. Hey! Whatever it is, you two need to shut it down, we can't have any issues if we're going to make this plan work," growled Shizuo as he followed Izaya. The informant scowled as he kept his back to the bodyguard and looked over the contents of the new shelf he was scanning. Shinra continued to gather supplies, on the opposite end of the room, while keeping an ear out for the conversation. With how difficult the informant was being, he knew it was probably best for the bodyguard to assist instead. "Don't worry about Shinra and I's affairs Shizu-chan, they won't be causing any issues," the raven haired man stated bluntly.

Growling and adorning a deep scowl, Shizuo stepped closer to the informant so that he was only a mere inch away from the other. "That's bull shit and you know it. You don't have to tell me what's going on, I'm not your fucking friend. But so help me if you fuck this up I will be throwing-"

"Throwing what? Throwing me? Or maybe throwing something at me? Yes you dim witted protozoan I understand that. If this whole flimsy plan goes down the drain because Shinra and I can't get along like good little humans, you'll try to hurt me. You need a new song and dance Shizu-chan cause it's getting old." Izaya's voice was sharp and filled with maliciousness but he continued to keep his back towards the brute. If I've already lost, what's the point in trying to fix something that I could never have, the informant thought to himself as he tried his best to keep his mask on and his head held high.

Without warning and without thinking, Shizuo grabs hold of Izaya by the collar of his straitjacket and slams him against the wall. A sharp gasp of pain leaves the informant's lips as his body makes impact with the wall. Mask fallen, Izaya made no attempt to hide the look of pain and anger that spread across his face. "Fuck! Shit, I'm sorry I forgot. Dammit," the brute quickly let go of the man and took a step back as the other continued to glare daggers at the blond. "You want to know why I'm pissed off at Shinra? Because of this you idiot," hissed the shorter of the two as he grabbed something from within his straight jacket and tossed it as hard as he could at the idiot in front of him.

Hitting him square in the chest and falling to the ground with a soft tink was a rusted key to a lock box. More specifically the rusted key that was surgically placed inside the informant by their captors. Shizuo looked down at the key then back up at the informant with a look of confusion on his face. Annoyance surfaced on Izaya's face in addition to his anger and pain as he realized that the brute didn't quite understand. "He told you everything! He told you about high school, about me getting drunk, about my feelings for you! He had no right," he snapped, sending a nasty glare once more to Shinra and then returning it to the blond in front of him.

"So what! Izaya I fucking asked you out on a date before you passed out and Shinra fixed you! That means that I feel something too you ass," growled the blond as he stepped closer to the raven haired man. Izaya backed up, pressing his back to the wall so that he could create some distance once more. A scowl formed on his lips and his eyes began to burn. Why is my heart beating so fast? Why have I let myself fall apart in front of him, the informant thought to himself as the need to fight continued to rage on within. "Your lying! You hate me! I'm your sworn enemy, remember? All you want to do is hurt me, I've made peace with that so you can take back your fucking pity date." A look of pain flashed across Shizuo's eyes and the harshness he once had on his face fell to a soft scowl and furrowed brows. "I didn't ask you out because I pity you, you damn flea. I told you, I asked you out because I feel something for you."

"No. You. Don't. Stop saying that you do! You couldn't possibly feel a damn thing for me! Because if you did, if you felt anything for me then you would have noticed! You would have, have figured out that I. I'm," Izaya blinked rapidly as his vision began to blur and a warm liquid streamed down his cheeks. Water? Is the ceiling leaking, wondered the informant as his words caught in his throat.

He couldn't do it.

He couldn't bring himself to admit that for the past 8 months he had been suffering through bouts of severe depression. It had happened gradually at first, the occasional thought passed through his head like a soft whisper. What would happen if he just stopped existing? But when these soft whispers came through he felt guilty for even thinking about them. What did he have to be depressed about? He lived comfortably, had a job that he enjoyed, and although he was lonely he had Shizuo to entertain him when he would drop by Ikebukuro. So why had these thoughts started to slowly creep in like an infection?

What started out as a soft whisper became a loud scream in his head over time. There were days where getting out of bed was too painful to do. He would often send Namie home for weeks on end so that he could just be left alone because at the end of the day that's what he would always be. Alone.

It would start out like always, small with the occasional thought of self-loathing and before long his negative thoughts would overcome him. The man who once believed he was a god could barely leave the confines of his own mind. When it hit him, those weeks where he could barely bother to shower or eat, he often found himself wondering if this is what it felt like to be like his humans. It was in those thoughts that Izaya found himself dragged down further into his depression by the weight of his guilt for meddling in the lives of so many. A wet blanket that was filled with weights, crushing him underneath and leaving him hollow.

And yet those were the easier days. The worst kind of days, the days that were truly terrifying, it felt like he was trying to come up for air in an endless ocean but could never find the surface.

Rough calloused hands gently held Izaya's face, the owner's thumbs gently wiping away the tears that had fallen down the informants cheeks. Shizuo stared at the man he nicknamed flea, truly seeing him for the first time. "You don't need to say anymore. I'm sorry," whispered the bodyguard as he continued to wipe away the tears.

The informant tried to blink his tears away but they continued to come, his lower lip trembled as he felt himself finally give in to the need he loathed so much. The need to cry. He wasn't sure when it happened but Izaya found himself sobbing, his body gasping for air as he cried and screamed. His hands grabbed the sides of Shizuo's strait jacket, as if he were trying to find some form of an anchor. Shinra looked on as his high school friend broke down for the first time in front of anybody.

Shinra felt awful for what he had done, now more than ever. He was unaware of how much pain the informant was in. He didn't intend any harm when he told the blond all about his friend's crush and his drunken confession. So when he admitted to the informant what he had told the strongest man in Ikebukuro after the impromptu surgery he didn't anticipate spending an hour fighting with him. Izaya needed support and was trying to find it in Shizuo. The man wasn't just his crush but for some odd reason his life line. And Shinra had taken away a secret he wasn't meant to give.

"I've been holding myself up together with duct tape and glue and I..I just..I've been feeling these things and I," the informant sobbed, unable to formulate words properly through his tears and shallow breaths. Without much thought to it Shizuo let go of Izaya's face and as gently as possible wrapped his arms around the man's torso to pull him in for an embrace. The blond feared hugging the louse too tightly, not wanting to break him even more.

He feels so thin and fragile. I don't think I would have ever considered the flea as something fragile, Shizuo thought to himself. Without missing a beat, Izaya let out a soft gasp and then wrapped his arms around the bodyguard's neck as he threw every ounce of himself into the other's touch.

Burying his face against the crook of Shizuo's neck, Izaya continued to cry as he held onto the other for dear life. The blond, in a bit of shock at how quickly the other accepted his embrace, gently leaned his head against the informants while he cried.

I won't let go of you. I promise I'll stay and I'll help support you while you learn to live with this new part of you, it wasn't something the bodyguard was ready to admit to the flea yet. His feelings still unsorted, the blond needed time to figure it all out. What he did know was that he wanted to stay and help Izaya find his new normal.

After some time had passed, Izaya had finally stopped crying but hadn't moved from his spot in Shizuo's arms. And the blond had accepted this because he too found himself not wanting to move from this moment which felt so safe to him. It was a warmth the informant felt he hadn't known in what seemed like ages. The darkness that was always threatening to break him hid in a corner as the light enveloped him like a warm cup of tea after a cold gloomy day.

Izaya felt alive.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

Emma: And there you have it everyone! Sorry again for the delay in this chapter's posting, I really did try to have it posted two days after the most recent posting. This chapter was definitely challenging for me to write not just from the horror writers perspective but from writing about mental health. Depression can be a difficult thing to put into words as it's a different experience for everyone. In my portrayal of Izaya's depression, I felt that it was something that would truly shake his reality and cause him to see that while he may believe he is a god. He is, in fact, human. This topic will continue to be a part of the story and I hope to continue to portray it to the best of my ability. I would appreciate any constructive criticism as I continue writing this story. As someone who suffers from depression and knows plenty others that do as well, I want to always ensure that I am never half-assing this. So please be kind as I learn as a writer.

Izaya: On a lighter note, most of us do get happy endings!~

Shizuo: Dammit flea! You aren't supposed to let anyone in on that!

Emma: It's okay Shizu-chan, I'll just make sure he isn't allowed to see the chapters with smut! Muhahaha!

Izaya: WHAT!?

Emma: Anyways! Next chapter will be Celty and her crew of misfits that help her try to solve the case! In total I believe it's going to be maybe three or four chapters involving Celty's perspective? We'll see how much I want to write in terms of plot. Celty's chapter's will be the ones that have the very plot heavy items which means I want to space them out a little. Gotta leave a surprise every now and then for y'all!

Shizuo: Oh man this is gonna be interesting. *Sighs*

Izaya: R&R or else Emma won't let me see the smut!

Emma: I made no such agreement! Also, last thing before we go, did you guys enjoy the recommended soundtrack section? I had made a full blown playlist but at the last minute it wasn't showing up on YouTube. So I figured I would at least recommend some background noise to have in its place till I figured it out! Also, I was super happy to see that I still had a reader who had been here since the start of this wild ride! It made my heart happy, so thank you dear reader for still being here! Remember y'all, stay spooky!