Atlas

Chapter 10: Resolution

Shizuo awoke to slender fingers running softly through his hair.
Raising his head, sleepy crimson eyes looked back.

"Izaya! Thank god... I'm so sorry..."

Izaya looked at him in uncertainty. "Why were you gone so long...if you weren't leaving?"

Shizuo froze. Was now really the moment?
Probably not...but he'd been far too cautious already.

"I...I was wondering round town...thinking."

"You....thinking."

Izaya raised an eyebrow, and Shizuo scowled. Inside though, he was relieved that Izaya was okay enough to joke like that.

"I've felt something was different about you since the day we met.... and I couldn't understand why seeing you in pain made me hurt so very much... after yesterday... I needed to get my head around the fact I'm in love with you."

...

Strangely, Izaya barely reacted. He sighed in annoyance.

"So...this is another dream. Hey, dream Shizuo, kiss me, so when I wake up to real Shizuo I don't feel so miserable?"

Shizuo took a moment to process the implications of all of that...then grinned.

"Flea, that's a difficult choice you've given me. I want to prove I'm real...but those lips of yours are really tempting."

Now Izaya paused. Faster than Shizuo could stop, he pulled a knife from god knows where and sliced his palm. He stared at his palm, and then at Shizuo.

"This is...real?" He asked doubtfully.

Shizuo rose to grab some bandages and take care of the informants palm. Inspite of himself he had to ask. "What gave it away?"

He was very surprised when the informant flushed in embarrassment.

"If it was a nightmare, that would be when, either you'd laugh and leave, or kill me. If it was a dream...that would be where you'd leap onto the bed and fuck me senseless."

Shizuo froze. Then Izaya noticed and started to panic so Shizuo hastily explained, "Our dreams and nightmares are very similar. Though in mine you're always dancing away out of reach...then I finally catch you. In the nightmares it is like I lose control of myself and kill you, or confess and you laugh and escape....in the dreams I kiss you and you kiss back."

Izaya was still.

"So you're a quite romantic, then."

On paper, his words were calm, mature and showed control...but that face. Shizuo wanted to see it again and again and again.
Izaya's eyes shone with tears, his cheeks flushed pink and he had the most beautiful smile the blond had ever seen.

Shizuo leaned in, and kissed the informant softly.

Izaya let his tears fall freely.

Shinra froze, then quietly closed the door, with a smile.

Celty did a silent victory dance and texted Erika.

———

"You didn't have to carry me back!" hissed Izaya quietly.

Shizuo eyed him, knowing they were both still smiling.

"You're still fragile and I wanted to." He replied, leaning down to steal another kiss, just because he could, and ignoring the mixed shocked and terrified gazes.

They were walking down the main streets of Ikebukuro to get to the station and return to Izaya's flat.
And so, the monster of Ikebukuro was carrying his flea past hundreds of bystanders, unveiling the newly formed power couple to the world.

Izaya was fighting to maintain his usual mask. He posed sexily and flirted loudly in Shizuo's arms, but they both knew he was fighting a losing battle.

They arrived back in Izaya's flat, and with a gentleness Shizuo barely knew he had, he set the ravenette down. Izaya leant into him a little before pulling away and heading to the kitchen.

"Let's get takeaway." Said Shizuo, bringing out his phone to call Simon.

Izaya seemed surprised, "sure?"

"Yes. I...I was wondering if I could hear you play?" He asked hesitantly, glancing at the piano.

Izaya raised an eyebrow, "you want to hear me play?"

"I have a feeling you're really good."

Izaya flushed slightly. "It's the first time I've played to anyone since middle school..." he murmured cautiously, but moved over regardless.

Shizuo leaned back with a gentle sigh, as Izaya's fingers skated across the keys just as beautifully as he'd expected.

He hadn't slept in nearly 60 hours and the song was so gentle and warm...
He closed his eyes.