Durarara!!/デュラララ!! 1. Day After Day

We Are the Night

**Summary**: It isn't love, and it never will be, but sometimes she wonders if, maybe, all of them are just too broken to see the difference anyway. Shizuo x Izaya x Namie

Chapter One: Day After Day

There is no one who manages to irritate her quite the way he does, and she knows that he feels the same way towards her. He's obnoxious, arrogant, and childish, she tells him, and he grins, responding that she's no better. She's not, not really, but she doesn't let him know that. She sneers at him, volleying insults across their battlefield of an office, and he grins and shrugs them off, throwing back taunts about her brother. He tells her to go make him a sandwich, and she threatens to poison it. She tells him to go fuck himself, and he asks if she'd like to help. It's a wonder they get anything done at all, actually.

She's never seen him smile, not really, and she doesn't want to. She doesn't think that someone as messed up as him should be allowed to smile. He's never seen her daydreaming, because it doesn't happen very often, but also because he doesn't want to ruin his image of her.

They know each other inside and out, though, better than anyone else. He gets sick, and she answers his calls so his clients don't see any weakness. She gets sick, and _he_ makes _her_ dinner, for once. He's pretty good at it, which makes sense, considering how long he's been living on his own. He keeps tabs on her brother, and in return she looks after his sisters. They've started calling her 'nē-san', and he cackles like a madman when he finds out.

They lie to each other, all the time, but it's useless. He can always tell when she's lying, somehow, and she's learned not to take most of what he says too seriously. She taunts him about Shizuo, loudly wondering if he's in love, and he asks her, in a voice sweet as honey, how it feels to have her brother prefer a disembodied head to her.

He takes her to Russia Sushi, although she's sure that it's only because Shizuo won't attack him when he's with a girl, and all they talk about is business anyway. Karisawa asks, scowling, if they're together. It's the first time in a while either of them have laughed this hard. When he's able to speak again, he grins at Erika, commenting that they're not together, but the sex is good anyway. Nobody is surprised when she smacks him, but there are a couple surprised murmurs when she cheerfully tells him that he's sleeping on the couch tonight.

The look on his face is worth a night by herself.


	2. Watercolor Kisses

We Are the Night

**Summary**: It isn't love, and it never will be, but sometimes she wonders if, maybe, all of them are just too broken to see the difference anyway. Shizuo x Izaya x Namie

Chapter Two: Watercolor Kisses

The first time they kiss, it is not romantic. Seiji has finally acknowledged her feelings, if only to tell her that he doesn't reciprocate. She feels rejected, hurt that the only boy she's ever loved thinks of her as creepy. Rather than commenting that she _is_ creepy (which would be pretty hypocritical, really), he sneers that Seiji isn't really one to talk, considering that he's dating a stalker that he doesn't love who had plastic surgery to make her face resemble that of a disembodied head. It's the nicest thing he's ever done for her.

He's hurting too, though. He sends his family presents for their birthdays every year, even if he hasn't seen any of them in nearly a decade (which is kind of scary, she thinks, and he agrees), but this year, his mother sent her gift – a gorgeous dress that cost a lot, even for someone like Izaya – back, requesting that he stop sending them things. She'd rather have him visit, but he's way too scared. He's never felt fear before, so she grabs the dress when he isn't looking, puts it on, and asks what he thinks. He tells her she's beautiful, before realizing what he's said and trying to backtrack ("which is really a first, Namie-san, so be proud~"). She doesn't buy it, and takes the dress off immediately. She makes him dinner, accompanied with the usual death threats, and, as she's leaving, she kisses him, and he kisses her back. Neither of them thinks about it too much, and both pretend it never happened, but, on her birthday, she's pleasantly surprised to find a package containing that beautiful dress on her desk (the note said that she fit it better than Kyōkō ever would have, and she wonders if he seriously thinks so).

The next time they go to Russia Sushi, she wears that beautiful dress, and he dresses in a slightly more formal way than usual. This time, Karisawa isn't scowling when she asks about their relationship, and this time Izaya doesn't make any stupid jokes (and that's a first for him, actually). He tells Karisawa that the beautiful lady across from him is simply his secretary, and, while he's flattered that she thinks otherwise, Namie probably already has someone else. She knows who he means, and the look on his face when she says otherwise is priceless, yet somehow topped by when she teasingly murmurs "Seiji who?" into his ear.


	3. Jetsam

We Are the Night

**Summary**: It isn't love, and it never will be, but sometimes she wonders if, maybe, all of them are just too broken to see the difference anyway. Shizuo x Izaya x Namie

Chapter Three: Jetsam

He's prancing around the office again, giggling to himself about whatever scheme he's hatched this time. Kida, Namie notices, is looking vaguely annoyed, but Saki looks more than a little amused. She sighs, and Izaya pouts.

"None of you appreciate my genius," he proclaims. "Only Saki-chan understands me. I feel so alone…" He flops onto the couch with the most dramatic sigh any of the have ever heard. "I am underappreciated." He declares, sitting up with That Look™. That Look™ was the look he got when he's had one of those ideas, usually culminating in an escapade of ridiculous proportions that ends with a certain someone throwing a vending machine. "I have a plan!"

"Leave me out of it." Kida and Namie say together.

"Okay, what is it?" Saki chirps obliviously. Izaya grins at her.

"I take Saki-chan out to do something fun, seeing as she's the only one who appreciates me, and Namie-san and Kida-kun stay behind and babysit my sisters."

To most people, that wouldn't sound too bad, but Namie has met the Orihara twins. She blanches.

"I think we should all appreciate each other a lot more!" she tries to be cheerful, but ends up sounding extremely desperate. Kida, in an uncharacteristic show of faith, follows suit.

"I agree." He says quickly. "Why don't we all, uh, work harder? And stuff- you know, get things done faster."

"That's a great idea!" Izaya says cheerfully. "We _should_ all work harder. So, what next? It was Kida-kun's idea, so Kida-kun should work extra hard, and I'll use his paycheck to save the little starving orphans in China!" Kida glowers at him.

"Get bent." He sneers. Izaya's grin widens.

"You offering?" His grin becomes more of a leer.

"Hell no!" Kida yells, face going red. He has no idea what Izaya's sexuality is, and he doesn't want to. Ignorance is bliss. "I'm a kid, you pedophile!"

"Actually, you're almost seventeen, so technically I'd be an ephebophile. But I like Saki-chan too much to steal you from her. 'Sides, I don't like blondes."

"Kida-kun has brown hair, right?" Saki asks, smiling. "He just dyed it."

"You know who else dyed their hair?" Namie, deciding to join in with the taunting, asks. "Heiwajima-san. He's a natural brunet too, right?" Izaya chokes.

"You- are you- I- _what_?" the look of complete shock on his face makes her snort with laughter, and he takes the opportunity to change the conversation's direction. "Namie-san is laughing! The Ice Queen has had warm water dumped on her head! The witch is melting!" And with that, he bursts into song. Of course, whatever song he sings is in English, so the others have a bit of trouble hearing all of it. "Ding dong, the witch is dead~"

"Which old witch?" Saki joins in. Her English is much more accented than his.

"The wicked witch!" Izaya cheers, and both of them fall over laughing. Finally, Izaya manages to sit up straight, and puts on a mildly serious look.

"So, Namie-san, should I be looking for flying pigs? Has gravity reversed itself? Did somebody divide by zero?"

"Is Orihara-san going to start getting along with Heiwajima-san?" Namie retorts, a bit flustered. Izaya laughs.

"Sadly, no. And I don't think we shall be getting along any time soon. The city would miss the property damage." He grins at her, and something in the back of her head notes that he hasn't smirked all day.

"Then go to Ikebukuro and bother him," Kida says. "You haven't been there in a couple days, and I'm getting sick of your– well, your everything, actually."

"I'm everything?" Izaya sits up straight, donning a faux look of shock. "I had no idea that Kida-kun thought so highly of me," he shakes his head with a sigh. "Alas, as much as I would _love_ to have something heavy thrown at my head, I'd rather stay here. You guys can't kill me, because I sign your paychecks." Saki laughs.

"If that's the only reason you trust us, we may need to reevaluate our relationship," she walks past him, carrying a small stack of files and handing them to Namie. Izaya is about to say something else, when the phone rings. It's the house phone, so it catches them all off guard. After a couple rings, Izaya goes over and picks it up.

"Hello?" he says. "Orihara Izaya speaking. Can I help y–" He cuts himself off after the person on the other end of the line speaks. All of the sudden, he looks exhausted, as if all those years of running from Shizuo have finally caught up with him. "Yeah, it has been a while. Uh huh. No, uh, I'm doing alright." None of them has ever seen him look this awkward. "No, I don't think that's a good idea. I …Yeah, yeah, I know. Right. Bye." He hangs up and sits down on the couch, frowning.

"Everything okay?" Saki asks. He nods, and then yawns.

"I'm tired," he declares. "You guys can go home for the day." Masaomi takes the opportunity and leaves the building, dragging Saki along with him. Namie, however, sighs, and sits down next to him.

"I checked the caller id," she says quietly. "Was that…?"

"My mother." Izaya responds. "She wants to see me." Namie hisses through her teeth. She doesn't know anything for a fact, but she's guessed from his interactions with his sisters that Izaya's relationship with his family isn't the best.

"And?" she asks, more out of curiosity than anything else.

"I haven't seen her in almost eight years, Namie." He says. "I haven't spoken to her in longer. I left home when I was sixteen. My sisters were eight. I didn't intend to have any contact with any of them again. Ever."

"Why?" she asks. "Were they abusive?" He laughs.

"No, but I can see why you would think so," he admits. "They weren't abusive, not at all. My mother is a wonderful person, and my father isn't a bad guy either. My sisters are little hellions, but I didn't leave because of them. I left because I didn't belong there."

"Do you want to tell me about it?" she knows he probably doesn't, but it feels right to ask anyway.

"No." he says, and she isn't surprised at all, until he continues. "Not yet, anyway. Someday, I'll probably tell you a lot about me. Not today, but someday. I just need to–" he breaks off his sentence, unsure. "I guess I just need to find myself, though not in the clichéd soul-searching sense. I think a part of me knew I'd be a terrible person, and that I shouldn't be hanging around with people who were so wonderful." Namie hesitantly puts her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sure they didn't think so." She says.

"I didn't either," he confesses. "But they loved me. And I didn't love them. And someday, maybe, I'll tell about it."

"Okay," she agrees. "When you're ready."

**AN: Happy Halloween, everybody! Tell me what your costumes are. Whoever has the best (i.e., the most creative, the funniest, the one I like best, etc.) gets a one shot for any character(s), pairing(s), or fandoms (obviously, a fandom I know)! If you want a list of my fandoms, there is literally one on my profile. All I ask is that you not make me write ShuRan, SasuSaku, NejiTen, RoyEd, or SebaCiel. Pretty much anything else is fine.**


	4. Flotsam

**AN: Sorry it took so long, guys, I forgot. Oops. Anyway, for those who entered the Halloween contest I set up, I'm going to announce the winner on my other story, Acnologia is Not Your Father, and my profile, but I will send a note to the winner if they only reviewed this story. I actually haven't decided yet, but I will hopefully have the answer by chapter five of this story. Also, I feel like I should apologize. One reviewer said they were excited to hear Izaya's backstory, but I don't intend to go into that too much. One, some of it is revealed in the light novels. Two, I don't want to turn this story into an Izaya sob story, because that's boring. Three, I decided to leave details up to your imagination. Thus, I will simply mention a few things that were revealed in the ninth novel, and you can fill in your own blanks. For anyone interested, this story will have six chapters, with no extremely explicit detail other than what's strongly implied (and/or all but flat-out said) in chapters five and six. However, I am willing to write a seventh chapter to… detail what exactly occurs in chapter six for anyone interested. Lastly, should I make these contests a monthly thing? If so, any ideas?**

We Are the Night

**Summary**: It isn't love, and it never will be, but sometimes she wonders if, maybe, all of them are just too broken to see the difference anyway. Shizuo x Izaya x Namie

Chapter Four: Flotsam

He tells her a week later. All about himself, his family, and why he realized he needed to leave. He tells her about how he met Shinra, how he met Kadota, how he met Shizuo, and even how he learned to use a knife. He won't tell her about Saki, though. He says it's her business.

"I hate it when people pity me," he says suddenly. She looks up from her desk, and he takes a deep breath. "People think I am the way I am because I was abused or something. I wasn't. I'm just– I am who I am, and I can't change that, no matter how much other people want me to. I can pretend to be someone else, but I don't want to have to do that. I want to be able to do what I want without people saying, 'his parents must have been horrible', or 'he must have had no friends as a child'. That's not true."

"You said your parents were – ah, are – good people." Namie recalls. He nods.

"Yeah. They're great. I had friends, too. Shinra and Dotachin. Shizu-chan too, in a way." At this she raises an eyebrow.

"I thought you two hated each other," she says.

"Oh, we do," he assures her. "In a sense, though, it's sort of like friendship. I mean, Shizu-chan won't kill me, because he needs me."

"He…_ needs_ you?" she asks, incredulous. She knew he had delusional tendencies, but this was a bit much.

"Sure." Izaya shrugs. "Imagine how many people would get hurt if he didn't have me to take his anger out on. And I need the distraction. It's… kind of like symbiotic hatred. We absolutely hate each other, but, well…"

"You need each other." She finishes. He looks thoughtful.

"I guess. The point is I had friends. I wasn't alone. I don't act the way I do to get attention." At this, she snorts openly. "Okay, so I do, sometimes. What I mean is, I don't try to get attention because I was deprived of it. Actually, I think I would have appreciated a little less attention as a kid. We genii like to be left alone, you know."

"You're a genie now?" Kida asks, walking into the room. Saki smiles at him.

"Genii is the plural of 'genius' too, Masaomi." She explains. He blinks.

"Huh. I always thought it was 'geniuses'."

"That too," Namie tells him. "He's using 'genii' because he wants to look smarter." Kida rolls his eyes.

"Attention whore," he grumbles. Izaya shoos them away, telling them to go on their lunch break. He turns to her quizzically.

"Go on," she says simply. "You can tell me." He nods and sits back down.

"Right. Before I tell you anything else, I should tell you that I do love my sisters. But…"

"But you love them the way you love everyone else," she clarifies. He nods.

"I always thought what I felt when I looked at my family was love, but then I realized that it felt the same no matter who I was looking at. So, I assumed I loved everybody." He hesitates. "As far as I know, I do. There are only two exceptions."

"Oh?" Now she's curious.

"There are only two human beings who make me feel something other than the love I feel for humans." He repeats.

"Is one of them Heiwajima-san?" she asks. He shakes his head.

"I don't see Shizu-chan as a human," he says. "The first is Shinra. I'm a bit jealous of him, actually."

"Why?"

"Because he can understand humans in a way that I can't. He can understand why they do what they do, and he doesn't give a damn. All he cares about is Celty."

"And the other?"

"You, of course." She blinks. "Surprised?" he asks. "You shouldn't be. You're the only person able to keep up with me in a battle of wits. You can beat me at my own game. One would think that it would take a chess master to defeat another chess master, but you… you're different. I like that." He gets up, trots over to her, and leans over to whisper in her ear. "But you already knew that last part."

"Honestly," she says, shaking her head. "And here I thought you were going to tell me why you ran away from home, not flirt with me shamelessly."

"Can't I multitask?"

"No."

"Darn." He grins. "Oh well. As you know, my sisters are… a bit messed up in the head." She nods.

"Oh god, you're not telling me that was your fault, are you?" she demands. As an older sibling, she values treating younger siblings well. He flinches.

"…A little bit." He admits. "When they were little, they acted so similarly that I sometimes, uh, told them that one of them should kill themselves so that we could tell the difference, as an experiment." Her hand cracks across his face.

"Sorry."

"No, I deserved that." he inhales. "At some point, they rolled dice on personality traits. That's why each of them act the way they do."

"They rolled _dice_?" Namie demands. "And you _let them_?"

"I was at school," he tells her. "They told me when I came home. I was, uh, fifteen, I think. That was about when I realized that I needed to leave."

"So it was for them." she hopes so, because she'd like to think that he isn't completely horrible.

"Partially. But it wasn't just about them. This was before I met Shizu-chan, so I didn't know how big brothers usually acted. Nowadays, I comfort myself that, while I told my sisters to kill themselves, I never actually tried to inflict bodily harm upon them." She raises an eyebrow.

"And this works?" she asks. He smirks.

"Comparing myself to Shizu-chan in a positive light always helps," he says cheerfully. The smile falls, and he's back to looking serious. She's seen that look a couple of times, but his expression is usually either smug or silly, unless he's asleep.

"You're nuts," she tells him, shaking her head.

"Maybe," he agrees. "Anyway, I first met Shinra in junior high, two years earlier, actually. He spent the first two years of school trying to get me to help him start a biology club. I eventually agreed, if only to stop him from pestering me. Don't ask him about that, though, he'll say it was the other way around."

"Was it?" she asks, knowing that Shinra is usually more trustworthy than Izaya is. Usually. He pouts.

"Are you doubting me?" he whines. She rolls her eyes, gesturing for him to continue. "Anyway, we co-founded the Biology Club, though for completely different reasons. Shinra wanted to learn as much as possible, so he just wanted more heads to use. Like a Hydra, I suppose. I, on the other hand, simply wanted to know more about people. So it was a win-win, really. Then it was time for high school, and we both ended up going to Raijin Academy."

"Raijin?" Namie asks, furrowing her brow. "That's the old name for Raira, right?" He nods.

"Bingo~" he grins again. "On the first day of high school, Shinra introduced me to an old friend of his from elementary school: Heiwajima Shizuo."

"Oh lord," she moaned. "So you're telling me that everything between you two was his fault." He shrugs.

"Not really, no. He thought we'd get along. He was wrong." Izaya scratches the side of his head before continuing. "I also met Dotachin there. Anyhow, Shinra brought me outside during lunch, and I saw some blonde guy beating the shit out of a bunch of people. He was using a football net, so I started clapping." She groans.

"Of course you did," she mumbles. "And then you fell in love and lived happily ever after, right?" He nods, looking completely serious.

"Obviously. No, then Shinra introduced us, he told me that I pissed him off, and I said something like 'and here I thought we could have some fun together'. He threw a punch, so I responded accordingly."

"You punched him back?"

"No, stupid, I pulled out my knife and stabbed the asshole." Izaya snickers. "I think it left a scar. I hope so, anyway. Shinra was a little upset, so I decided to try and patch things up the next day. Shizuo-kun – that was what I called him at first – didn't want to be friends, so I started calling him 'Shizu-chan'."

"Bet he was thrilled about that."

"Y'know, I think it grew on him. That was actually the year I… left."

"Oh?" Namie raises an eyebrow. "Were those two incidents related?"

"A bit, I think." He says. "At some point, I realized that I could get people to do what I want – whatever I want. You know who else could do that?"

"Hitler?" she means it as a joke, but he doesn't see it that way.

"Exactly." He meets her brown eyes with his red ones, and simply looks at her for a moment. "I'm not like him. We learned about him when we were kids, like everyone does nowadays, and everyone hated him. As far as I know, he wasn't that likeable a guy. And then I noticed something – I have a lot in common with him. In fact, I have a lot in common with a lot of not-so-great people. But I didn't hate people. I liked people, a lot, so I decided that I wouldn't turn into Hitler as long as I never killed anyone."

"You have killed people," she points out. He shakes his head.

"No. I've sold information that could lead to people getting killed, and I've talked a couple of people into suicide, but I've never taken a life with my own hands." He glances at his hands, before looking back up. "And I never will. So I moved out, to make it easier to get to school, and then eventually I stopped writing, and then I stopped calling, and then I stopped coming back altogether. I bumped into Mairu and Kururi five years after I left (that's three years ago, Namie-san), and I barely recognized them. Hell, they barely recognized me. They were eleven, and Mairu told me that I should come home some time. That was the first time I ever got drunk, and the last, because, if Shinra is to be trusted, I make a very silly drunk."

"I'd like to see that," she smirks at him, and he laughs.

"That could be arranged, I suppose." He grins again, before getting up and going over to his refrigerator. "Chardonnay?"

"Just this once," she allows. He smiles – a real smile – and she smiles back.

"If the prospect of alcohol is enough to get Namie-san to smile, I wonder how Namie-san would act under the influence~" he chirps. She rolls her eyes.

"You drug me, Orihara-san, and there will be consequences." He laughs.

_Really_, she thinks to herself, _I suppose this isn't _too_ bad_.


	5. Takes Two to Tango

We Are the Night

**Summary**: It isn't love, and it never will be, but sometimes she wonders if, maybe, all of them are just too broken to see the difference anyway. Shizuo x Izaya x Namie

Chapter Five: Takes Two to Tango

His hand hovers above the doorbell, but he doesn't press it. This is the fifth day in the row that he's been here, trying to convince himself to open the door. He has the key, obviously, but he's terrified of what will happen. And so, like the four days before this one, he gives up and leaves, feeling miserable and disappointed in himself for being such a coward. Simon had been right, but now, more than ever, he hated that fact. Today, however, he runs into Shizu-chan.

"Izaya-kun!" he tilts his head to the side, and the street sign turned javelin flies past him. He turns to face his archenemy with a scowl. Shizuo stops, staring.

"Is there something you needed, Shizu-chan?" he asks coolly.

"Yeah!" Shizuo shakes off the shock at seeing Izaya doing something other than smirking. "I want you to get the hell out of my city! And I want you to _stop calling me 'Shizu-chan'_, dammit!"

"The streets are public property," Izaya responds. "So why should I, whilst simply taking a walk, be forced to leave while you, damager of all things labeled 'public property', be allowed to stay?"

"Because I fucking hate you!" Shizuo roars. Izaya's eyes narrow.

"I thought I told you to stop playing the part of school bully, Shizu-chan." He says. "I'm not in the mood to play with you today." A vending machine flies towards him, and he ducks in order to escape painting the sidewalk with a lovely new shade of 'brains'.

"Get in the mood," Shizuo says darkly. Izaya smirks. _Stress relief_.

He looks like a mess. She looks up, and raises an eyebrow.

"Got into a fight with Heiwajima-san?" she asks, typing away. He looks ashamed. _Huh_. She hadn't known it was possible.

"…Kinda, yeah." he mumbles. "Dun wanna talk 'bout it." She hesitates.

"Did you sleep together?" she asks, ignoring the pang of what was definitely not jealousy stirring inside her. He shifts uncomfortably.

"…No." he's lying, and she gives him a look to tell him that he isn't fooling anyone. He gives up. "There wasn't much sleeping done. I still hate him, and it's still mutual. It just kind of… happened." She smirks.

"I have a solution." She tells him. He looks up.

"Oh?"

"You, Orihara-san, need a girlfriend." He blinks, and then laughs.

"I don't suppose you're offering," he teases. She catches him off guard.

"That depends," she says. "Are you asking?" He chokes, and stares at her. A couple seconds pass, and then he stands up, grinning.

"You know what?" he says. "I think I am."

**AN: And now the winners shall be announced! Okay, so only a few people entered, but I'm glad they did! There were very interesting costume ideas, and a couple people also suggested things for my story! But before I give you the winner, have some runner-ups!**

**In 5****th**** place is **Guest** as Erza Scarlet!**

**In 4****th**** place is **Dark Meow Meow Kitten of Doom's Friend** as Marco Bodt from Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin!**

**In 3****rd**** place is Katy Perry as a cheeto!**

**In 2****nd**** place is **Dark Meow Meow Kitten of Doom** as Edward Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist!**

**Drum roll please…**

**And 1****st**** place goes to **Naturesshadows**, who went as a Monkey Mermaid Vampire Pineapple Ninja. Not even kidding. Congratulations, **Naturesshadows**! You get a free one-shot! You pick the fandom, the characters, the genre(s), and the theme, and I write it (or, well, try to do so). For everyone else who entered, thanks for playing!**

**Lastly, I decided to do a Thanksgiving contest! Tell me the weirdest thing that's ever happened to you or around you during a Thanksgiving dinner, and you get– ok, the prize is the same, but you get a free one-shot anyway. Remember: Honesty is good, but creativity is better (and it's not like I can verify what you say anyhow). Just don't make it too absurd.**


	6. Thanks for the Mammaries

**AN: The last chapter is here! Turns out I can't write smut, so there won't be another chapter. Sorry. Anyway, this chapter is a little more (read: a lot more) lighthearted than the preceding ones, because I wanted it to end on a happier note. Also, the winner of my Halloween contest, **Naturesshadows**, has submitted a request, and it is currently being written. Since I don't think I can make such an epic request into a measly one-shot, it will probably turn into a full-length story. I have yet to decide on a title. Also, for any Naruto fans, I am in the process of writing a one-shot in honor of the last chapter in the series (sniff). It has been titled "The Kids Will Probably Be Fine", and it should be out before the end of the month (hopefully). That aside, I hope you enjoy the final chapter of "We Are the Night", and thanks for sticking with me for so long! You guys rock.**

We Are the Night

**Summary**: It isn't love, and it never will be, but sometimes she wonders if, maybe, they're just too broken to see the difference anyway. Shizuo x Izaya x Namie

Chapter Six: Thanks for the Mammaries

Orihara Izaya, Yagiri Namie decides, is absolutely adorable when he's confused. He gets this look on his face that makes her laugh harder than anything else, with cheeks reddened, mouth hanging slightly open, eyes just a little wider than normal, and right shoulder dropped a little lower than left. She likes seeing that expression, so, when Heiwajima Shizuo shows up on their first date to try to chase Izaya out of Ikebukuro (again) and Izaya hides behind her, faux-wailing for her 'protection', she just laughs and cheerfully asks Shizuo to be more gentle this time, because she still needs to be able to do her work, and it's distracting when he complains about his butt being sore.

"I'll keep that in mind," Shizuo tells her, dragging Izaya off to the sound of Karisawa Erika squealing like an idiot.

"Namie-san!" Izaya wails. "I thought you loved me!" She smirks.

"You're still taking me out to lunch!" she calls after him. "We'll talk then!"

"OT3!" Karisawa squeals, shoving Namie after them. Shizuo shrugs, picks her up too, and walks off with both of them, much to the confusion of everyone else. As they (well, Shizuo, really) are walking, Izaya whines about the concrete hurting his bum. Namie smacks the side of his head, and he gropes her in return.

"I hope you know that this means _you_ are paying for lunch, Heiwajima." She says, omitting the 'san', which she thinks is unnecessary at this point. He shrugs.

"Yeah, okay."

He's true to his word, taking both of them out to lunch, though the fact that the three of them might as well be on a date doesn't stop Shizuo from trying to stab Izaya with a chopstick. He had it coming, Namie thinks, and is very glad that this new… _development_ in their relationship didn't seem like it was going to change the way they interacted with each other very much.

She sighs, wondering how Seiji is doing, before realizing that this is the first time she's even thought about him in a week. She closes her eyes, picturing her little brother's face, and, for the first time since her pre-pubescent childhood, does not feel her heart begin to beat faster. She lets out a small smile as she watches Shizuo and Izaya having a chopstick war over the last piece of tekka maki… even though they could simply order more. Smirking, she reaches out and snatches the piece, popping it into her mouth and slowly chewing as both men stare at her.

"Namie-san~" Izaya whines. "I was gonna eat that!" Shizuo snorts.

"Like hell, you damn flea! That tuna was mine!" They resume their chopstick war, even though they no longer have anything to fight about. She points it out, and Shizuo says that they're fighting over territory. Izaya, however, disagrees, claiming that they are fighting over a beautiful princess. She happily breaks both chopsticks.

"This princess is fighting over herself," she says sweetly. "Unless the princess in question is Orihara-san. Or would that be Orihara-chan?" He grins at her.

"Silly Namie~" he giggles, not rising to the bait. "Izaya-hime should be addressed as 'O Great and Powerful Orihara-sama', obviously." Shizuo grabs his other chopstick, and the two begin to fight over what they should be fighting about.

"Oh, look at the time!" she says cheerfully. "I should go check on Seiji, since I'm clearly not needed here." Izaya instantly drops his remaining chopstick and throws his arms around her waist.

"No~" he wails. "Namie-san, don't leave me with the scary monster! I'll be eaten alive!" She smirks.

"Eaten alive?" she asks. "Didn't he already do that?" Izaya turns a little red, but it's nothing compared to the look on Shizuo's face. He turns a whole new shade of red, before calling for the check, excusing himself, and mumbling something about promising to meet up with Celty in the park. Izaya quietly texts the Dullahan about that, and she agrees to show up. Izaya and Namie follow Shizuo, simply to see the look on his face when he realizes Celty actually is where he'd claimed she was.

Leaving him behind, Izaya and Namie walk home, side by side. Izaya chatters happily about god-only-knows-what, and Namie pretends to listen, even though he probably isn't listening to himself either. Elsewhere, Shizuo goes back to his apartment, either to fantasize about what happened earlier between the three of them, or to forget about it. Izaya and Namie go their separate ways, each heading to their own house. They're alone, for now.

But that's okay, because they have each other, and that's all any of them really need anyway. It isn't going to stop them from trying to murder each other, but that's really just fine. Some things just weren't meant to change, and the boundary between hate and love and silliness doesn't mind being trod on every now and then.


End file.

Durarara!!/デュラララ!!, Hurt-Comfort, Romance