Poisoning From The Inside

I Just Wanna Run

Izaya was showering, while I was left alone to reminisce about what had just happened. I smiled to myself, finally not ashamed that I loved Izaya. He was perfect in every way, and I wouldn't want anyone other than him. He was the most perfect thing on Earth and nothing would change that.

The bathroom door opened, and Izaya sashayed out of the shower and plopped down on the couch next to me, snuggling against my shoulder. He looked content for the first time in a week, and it made me smile. Though, I knew his look of content would be short lived, because as soon as I got dressed, he would figure I had to work with Tom today.

I kissed him gently on the forehead and began to speak as calmly as I could. "Izaya, I have to go to work with Tom today, and I would like to know if maybe you would like to come with? I mean I know it's dangerous for you especially now that you're in bad standings with Shiki, but I really don't want to leave you alone,"

Izaya's face, once calm and collected, was now engulfed in fear and anxiety. He sat still for a second, finally nodding his head slowly as he agreed. "I can go with, but I have to stay a bit behind you. Tell Tom I'll be trailing you guys, but I can't get close. Most guys you have to go on jobs for are my fault anyway. . ."

I smiled, telling him it was okay, and motioned him to go get dressed. It was a cold day outside with half an inch of snow on the ground, and I wouldn't let him leave this house unless he was in his fuzzy trademark jacket.

As soon as we were dressed we set out for Ikebukuro, weaving through the twisted streets of West Shinjuku, and into the bustling streets of Ikebukuro. Finding Tom in the crowd I waved. Giving Izaya's hand a squeeze for good luck, I set off jogging over toward Tom.

"Hey, Orihara is going to be tailing us today. Keep an eye on him for me while I work?" I asked Tom, giving a pleading look that said I would tell him later. He slowly nodded his head.

"Why are you looking out for the flea today? Are you guys. .?" Tom questioned, the stun registering on his face. I sighed and looked Tom in the face begging for him to just drop it and ask me later. Tom put his hands up in surrender, "Okay, okay. I'll watch the flea. You better explain this to me later though Shizuo,"

I gave Tom a quick half smile and thanked him, asking where our job was today. Turns out, it was a bar in South Ikebukuro, close to the border of Shinjuku. I glanced behind us, Izaya's face inflamed with worry. Something told me he knew exactly where we were, and a inside me a gut feeling twisted, telling me that it wasn't good.

I hesitated going in but looked Tom in the eyes, trusting Izaya in his care as I walked into the bar. The stench of alcohol engulfed the entirety of the small room that made up the bar and dance floor. I crinkled my nose, the smell disgusting me. My face dropped slightly realizing that the smell of liquor was so familiar in my nose, due to the fact that Izaya had loved his booze so much.

I found our guy, cowering at the back of the bar with briefcase in hand apologizing over and over again as I got closer.

"I-I'm really s-s-sorry. H-Here. Take it. Take the m-money, tell Tom-san I'I'm sorry," He pushed the briefcase against my chest, tempting me to take it. Scummy guys like this really pissed me off. I could feel my anger boiling up inside, and before I could kick this guy across Japan, Tom yelled, a desperate yell for me, from the front of the bar.

Izaya.

I grabbed the briefcase, sprinting towards the front of the bar. Shoving the case of money into Tom's arms, I ran toward where Izaya was, just to be stopped 10 feet away from him.

"Well well well~ If it isn't Nakura- oh, or should I call you by your real name I-za-ya~" A man dressed in a black suit with red hair held Izaya against him, threatening him with a knife to his throat.

Izaya whimpered, kicking and squirming in his firm grip.

"The boss is angry with you Nakura, and I'm supposed to bring you back dead~or~alive~" He spoke with such playful venom that he could've been Izaya's twin. Maybe that's who Izaya got it from.

"A-Akabayashi let me go. I don't work for Shiki anymore. I'm directly working for Dougen and Mikya Awakusu under the premise that I protect Akane-chan. Let me go," Izaya was shaky at first, but grew confident in his speech as his explanation grew. With all the names of people he rallied off, I could tell he wasn't lying.

The man, Akabayashi, let out a shrewd uncaring laugh, tightening his grip around Izaya, "I frankly don't give a damn. Boss told me to bring you back and that's what I'm going to do. Now we can do this the easy way, where Aozaki carries you back, or we can do this the hard way, where I stab you, piercing your lung, and Aozaki take's your limp, lifeless body back to Shiki, where we can dispose of you later,"

Izaya swallowed the obvious lump in his throat, and looked me straight in the eyes, panicking. I tried to take a step closer, but a large black haired, scar-faced man, walked out from behind the building adjacent to us. "If you interfere Heiwajima, that makes you our business. Do you really want the Awakusu-Kai up your ass, just for this piece of trash?"

His words made my blood boil. Izaya was not a piece of trash. I'd rather have the Awakusu family hunt me down themselves and kill me, if it meant Izaya's safety.

I smiked, taking off my glasses, and undoing my bowtie. "You wanna fight me for Izaya? Bring it on, punks," I cracked my knuckles, taking the offensive stance. Watching the other man, Aozaki, back off a little boosted my morale, showing me this might actually be an easy fight.

"Shizuo no-" I looked over to Izaya, hearing his words get caught in his throat, as the shock registered in his face.

We both looked down, seeing a knife plunged deep into his side. I could see the pain written all over his face, and I looked to Akabayashi in pure unadulterated anger.

"Welp, I told you you could do this the easy way, but I guess your bartender chose for you~" Akabayashi ripped the knife out of Izaya, making Izaya scream in pain. It physically hurt me to hear Izaya scream like that. The raw scream of pain of someone that knew they were critically injured. "We'll leave you with that parting gift Nakura-san. Oh, and if you live from that lung puncture, make sure to visit Shiki, you have two weeks before we kill your little boyfriend over there. See ya~" With that, Aozaki and Akabayashi climbed into their jet black gun metal car, and drove off.

I ran to Izaya's side, grabbing his face in my hands. "Izaya?! Are you okay?!"

Izaya drew in a sharp shaky breath, his lips moving to speak, but no sound coming out. He whimpered, face contouring in serious pain. His blood coated the floor, gushing out of his open wound, and probably filling his lungs. I needed to get him to Shinra and quick.

I threw Tom my phone telling him to dial Shinra Kishitani, while I picked Izaya up, leaving his lost blood to stain the snow. I held him tightly against me, trying to put indirect pressure on the wound, to cease the bleeding. Izaya coughed, blood staining the hand he covered his mouth with. This was bad. Really bad.

Izaya took one final strained breath, before passing out in my arms. Tom and I ran as fast as we could, fearing that by the time we got to Shinra's it might be too late.