The Fall of Izaya Orihara

Chapter 18

Izaya's POV

I woke up the next morning, yawning widely. My entire body was still extremely sore, making my groan in discomfort. I snuggled up against Shizu-chan, still asleep next to me. I glanced up at him, he'd changed his clothes after I fell asleep apparently. I on the other hand, was still in my usual attire. He looked so peaceful and gentle while he slept, completely different from his usual scowl.
Normally, if I found myself in this situation I'd use this to my advantage and stab him before running off.
Currently though, I just wanted to stay in his muscular arms.
It was a while before Shizu-chan began to stir, looking more hands- no- more monster-like than usual in his sleepy state. He looked down at me, a smile forming on his chapped lips. "Morning, Flea..." His voice was deep and gravelly from just waking. I flushed slightly, glancing away, mumbling a small, "Morning." in return.

Shizuo's POV

The flea looked so cute when he woke up, and I was unashamed to admit it. His hair a mess, and cheeks flushed. "Are you sick again, your face is red?" I asked with concern, placing my hand gently on his forehead. I pulled away, realizing he's fine. My actions only made him turn a brighter red. "Stupid monster..." I barely heard him mumble, as he shuffled closer against me.
We stayed quiet for a while, before I asked, "Why do we always fight? Y'know, this is much nicer..."
The flea seemed taken aback by that, and thought for a moment before replying. "Fighting with you was the only thing that made me feel truly alive all these years...it made me feel powerful being able to stand toe-to-toe with someone so strong..."
"You are strong, Izaya..." I mumbled, "You're one of the strongest people I know. Not just anyone can do what you do..."
Izaya paused, taking in my words, before continuing in a quieter tone, "And I guess I didn't like what I felt for you...and thought that hating you would be easier. Making you hate me is a lot easier than ever dreaming of making you love me."

The room went quiet again, and all I could think was,
'The flea actually likes me??'

I watched as his cheeks heated and he shrunk in on himself when he realized what he'd said. "Just forget what I said..." he mumbled, clearly embarrassed.
Before I could think to stop myself I gently grabbed him by the chin, pulling his face close to mine. I leaned in, placing my lips on his. His eyes widened in shock, but closed blissfully after a moment. Soon we pulled away, gasping for air. His cheeks were nearly as red as his eyes as he buried his face against my chest.
My face burnt hot in realization of what I'd done, but I found myself smiling.
"Hey, Flea?"
He hummed in response.
"I think I love you."