Well, this has been one rollercoaster of a story, but it has finally come to a close. Endings are really difficult to write because I want to be able to please every one of my readers, but I have to listen to my muses. Anyways, I enjoyed writing this story almost as much as Drowning. A sequel can rarely live up to the original story, but I hope you guys liked the continuation.

Thank you all for supporting me! There were a lot of times where I didn't feel motivated to write for one reason or another, then a message or comment came along that gave me the desire to keep going. It feels fulfilling to have other people enjoy the stories I tell. So thank you once again.

Masaomi rolled onto his back and panted lightly, his face flushed and eyes lidded. Izaya shifted onto his side and trailed his fingers up and down his lover's abdomen. He eventually stopped at the bottom and very gently rubbed the tip of the boy's sensitive member with his fingers, smirking when Masaomi squirmed and whimpered. He pulled his hand away after a few seconds.

"You were very energetic today and took initiative. I was surprised. You haven't done that for months." Izaya kissed Masaomi's shoulder, and then rested his head on it.

"I was just horny, I guess. We haven't had sex for a while, and Saki and I stopped." Masaomi stroked the obsidian hair. "You always end up doing all the work, so it's only fair that I ride you every once in a while. Besides, I like being able to control the speed and angle and stuff."

"I see... Well, I'm glad you did it. I enjoyed that thoroughly." The informant climbed off the bed and dressed. "I'm pleased that our sex life is pleasant again."

The sight of how his naked boyfriend moved was almost enough to arouse Masaomi again. "Yeah, me too." He closed his eyes and smiled. "Everything is pleasant again."

Izaya lay down next to Masaomi again once he was dressed. He pressed their lips together, keeping the passionate but slow kiss going for a few minutes. Then he pulled away and stroked Masaomi's cheek. "You said once that I'll never change, and breaking up is inevitable. Do you still believe that?" he asked quietly.

Masaomi opened his eyes and looked at Izaya with a soft expression, placing his hand over the man's. "No, I don't. I was wrong. You were able to get yourself under control, and you treat me with respect and kindness now. I guess me sleeping with Saki was good for our relationship after all, huh? It was the fear of me leaving you for her that caused you to change, right?" He ran his fingers through Izaya's hair when he nodded. "Maybe this is only temporary, and you'll regress into your old ways once you feel that our relationship is secure. I won't accept that kind of treatment again, though. I've grown to respect myself. So I'll stay with you as long as you don't change your current behavior."

Izaya smiled. "You've matured so much, Masaomi."

"Thanks to you. You helped me get sober and showed me that staying with one person is much better than sleeping around. I'm grateful to you, because you shaped me into the strong person I am now."

"I didn't make you strong. I uncovered the strength and self-respect that you lost. You valiantly led your gang again to protect your friends, with integrity. You have never been weak. Somewhere along the way, you simply forgot what a genuine, spirited person you are."

Masaomi teared up a little, but no tears escaped. "I think that's the kindest thing you've ever said to me. Thank you, Izaya. You're so amazing, and I appreciate how you take care of me and support me. I'm so happy now." He hugged the man tightly.

A pleasant feeling filled Izaya when he saw the joyful expression on his lover's face. He couldn't help but smile, his heart fluttering in a way he no longer tried to fight. "You're welcome." He held Masaomi close and shut his eyes. "I'm happy too."

"I'm a little surprised. I thought that you would bring Izaya-san with you." Saki leaned back in her chair and sipped her water.

Masaomi folded his hands on the table between them. "This doesn't concern him. It's a matter between the two of us, and no one else."

Saki set her water down and grinned. "Don't sound so serious, Masaomi. This isn't some kind of business deal. This is about our family."

A small smile grew on Masaomi's face. "Of course. This really is serious, though. It can't be taken lightly. We're discussing the fate of a human being. About us being family... That can't happen, Saki. I'm sorry, but we aren't in any situation to raise a child. Your home is too small, and even our combined money can't afford a better place along with all the supplies we'd need. We would have no space and no money."

Saki's smile fell. "Those are Izaya-san's words, aren't they? He just doesn't want us to be together—and he'll say anything to make sure it doesn't happen."

Masaomi shook his head. "I asked Izaya for advice, but I'm the one who ultimately made this decision. You are the one who will choose what to do with your baby—"

"Our baby. It's ours, together."

The boy nodded and continued. "Anyways... I'm really sorry, but I can't do this with you, Saki. You can put it up for adoption, raise it yourself, or do whatever you want, but we can't raise a child together in our situation. Also, I love Izaya, not you. You're a great person, and I enjoy the time we spend together, but I'll always choose him."

Tears fell from Saki's eyes, and she looked down. "We could make it work. You could be happy with me again, even if you don't love me. I'll get a better job, and you could work for Izaya-san again. The conditions won't be ideal, but they'll do."

"I can't—"

"Please don't abandon me. Don't leave us alone."

Seeing the girl's teary eyes and hearing her shaking voice made Masaomi experience overwhelming emotions. Guilt, pity, and sadness. He had to make an effort not to cry, himself. "Saki... Don't say something like that. I can tell that you're trying to manipulate me by being emotional. Maybe you do feel that way, but do you really want me to be with you and raise a child out of guilt? Is that the kind of life you want for yourself? Neither of us would be happy that way."

"I'll be happy as long as I'm with you, no matter the circumstances. Please, Masaomi." Saki wiped her wet cheeks on her arm.

Masaomi got up and came back with tissues. He held them out to the girl, who graciously took them. "My answer is no, and nothing you say will change my mind."

"Okay... But will you at least support me while I'm pregnant? I'll put it up for adoption, but I can't do all of this alone. I don't have anyone else..."

"I suppose so. I don't want to leave you when this is partially my doing. If you're going to go through with having the baby, then I'll support you. Maybe I could talk Izaya into letting you live with us for the last few months. I mean, what if you fall and there's no one to help you up, or you can't make yourself food because the morning sickness gets really bad? I'll help, you, Saki. Don't worry." He grabbed the girl's hand from across the table and stroked it with his thumb.

Saki smiled brightly at the one she loved. "Thank you. That means so much to me."

Masaomi smiled back at her. "I won't abandon you."

Izaya sighed deeply and rubbed his forehead. "Really, Masaomi. You make me question your intelligence when you think of absurd ideas like this."

Masaomi swung his legs, ignoring the subtle insult. "Just for the last few months. She can't afford a caretaker, and there isn't anyone else that will help her. I can't just leave her alone through this. Putting aside the fact that it's my baby inside her, I can't turn my back on a friend. She agreed to put it up for adoption, so she'll move back to her place after giving birth. It's not like she'll be sleeping in the same bed with us—we have a spare bedroom. And I won't be intimate with her anymore; I won't betray you ever again."

The informant was silent for a few moments, thinking. But of course, there was really nothing to consider. Saki wouldn't need taking care of because the pregnancy was a hoax, a simple ploy to take away his beloved. Saying yes right away would make him seem suspicious. Since he didn't yet intend for Masaomi to find out the truth, he would play along for a while. He chose his best option, pretending to consider the proposal and eventually giving in, depicting him as an understanding, reasonable man.

After taking a reasonable amount of time to pretend to contemplate, Izaya looked at Masaomi from where he sat in his desk chair. "I suppose that would be all right. I don't want you to feel guilty about this, and taking care of her won't be horrible. If you say that being around her won't tempt you to be intimate again, then I believe you."

Masaomi hopped off the desk and slid onto the man's lap. "Izaya!" He hugged his lover tightly, smiling at him with bright eyes. "You're the most amazing boyfriend ever! Thank you sooo much."

Izaya wrapped an arm around Masaomi and leaned back. He studied the boy's face as he rested his head on Izaya's chest and closed his eyes.

Manipulating Masaomi was becoming easier and easier. Whether Masaomi was becoming more gullible, had begun to trust his loved ones more, or didn't want to believe that anything good could be a lie, even Saki was now able to manipulate him. The former pawn had thought up a brilliant plan, one that Masaomi wouldn't even consider doubting, thinking that lying about such a thing was too immoral.

Morals were not something Izaya followed much. Rather, he had his own morals, but didn't follow others simply because of social norms. Masaomi wasn't the same in that regard. He mostly went along with what most people thought to be "right" and avoided most things that were considered "wrong." Being with Izaya had loosened his morals; he had adapted to much of the man's life in order to gain his approval and stay with him. He had considered domestic abuse normal for a while; didn't think about the possible social consequences of being caught sleeping with an older man; preformed sketchy jobs without questioning Izaya or his intentions; didn't think it odd that his lover gave him rules to follow, as a strict and unrelenting guardian would. Unknowingly, the boy had been corrupted.

The world carefully crafted by Izaya had shattered when Masaomi gained independence. The abuse and rules no longer seemed "normal" to him. He remembered that he was a human being that should be treated with respect. He then took advantage of Izaya's fear—losing Masaomi—to force him into a situation in which he had to change to stay with his lover. Masaomi was both strong and weak, his personality contradicting itself in many ways. His sense of self was broken, and the conflicting traits burdened him greatly. He regained his independence through his strength, but believed everything Izaya said because of his weakness.

It had been difficult to control his "new" toy, but Izaya had eventually learned once again how to manipulate Masaomi as he had before. The former gang leader became even more interesting to him, and his desire to study his pawn increased. But Masaomi had become more conscientious of Izaya's actions. He usually couldn't tell when he was being manipulated, but if Izaya pushed him into a certain situation to see his wonderful reactions, Masaomi could figure out what was going on. If that happened, leaving Izaya could once again be a possibility. Equality was something he now desired, and being the pawn of his lover meant Izaya was the one in control, clearly not equally distributing power in the relationship. Izaya had to be careful not to slip-up, because one mistake could cause him to lose his favorite, most precious toy.

Masaomi peeked over at Izaya from the couch. "Why have you been going out so much lately?"

"My work requires me to meet with people, and I enjoy observing humans outside of my home."

"I understand that, but you've been out so much. Like, for hours almost every day."

Izaya stopped typing and leaned back in his chair. He looked over at Masaomi. "I've simply taken on more work in the past few weeks. Do you feel neglected?"

The boy shook his head. "I'm just curious. What kind of people have you been meeting with?"

"Various people with whom I don't intend to involve you." Izaya smiled. "Masaomi, are you concerned that I'm being unfaithful to you?"

"Well... I followed you one day into a restaurant. You had dinner with a really pretty woman that couldn't stop smiling at you."

"That was simply a business meeting." Izaya's smile turned sweet. "You have nothing to worry about."

"But you went to an apartment complex with her afterwards and didn't come home until really late at night..." Masaomi turned around and hugged his legs, resting his chin on his knees.

Izaya sighed. He turned off his computer and walked over to the couch, sitting beside Masaomi. "We went to that apartment to discuss other matters that we couldn't risk someone at the restaurant overhearing. The subject matter became too private."

Masaomi didn't look at Izaya. "You slept with that one girl for information like it was nothing. How do I know you haven't continued doing that?"

"Well, you don't. You'll just have to trust me. You're the only one I'm interested in, and I haven't been seeing other people."

Masaomi closed his eyes. "I know I'm being hypocritical because of what I did with Saki... But I won't forgive you if you cheat on me."

"Okay, darling."

Masaomi uncurled to lean against Izaya, who wrapped an arm around him. "I don't know why I'm so afraid of this suddenly. I'm scared of losing your interest."

Izaya raised an eyebrow. He paused for a few moments. "My interest? What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. I know you love me, but I don't think that's enough of a reason for you to keep me by your side. If I'm boring, then you might break up with me and just try to forget your feelings."

Izaya kissed the top of Masaomi's head. "Don't worry about that. You're very interesting to me, and I'm sure you always will be. You've held my attention for a surprisingly long time, so it's doubtful that you would begin to bore me. Now and always, you're my favorite human, Masaomi."

Masaomi smiled and kissed Izaya's jaw. "Thank you. That makes me feel better."

It was inevitable. She could only keep up the act for so long before she would be found out. But her plan of pretending to lose the baby didn't have a chance to be attempted. Masaomi had figured it out on his own. She had been too sloppy; hadn't thought everything through well enough.

Saki pulled on her hair and screamed into her pillow, feeling lower than she'd ever been. Worse than before she had met Izaya, and worse than when Masaomi had broken up with her. Masaomi was everything to her. But because of what she'd done, there wasn't a chance that she could be even a friend to the one she loved. He hated her. The person she lived for had yelled at her, told her that he never wanted to see her again. He didn't comfort her when she cried, and he didn't stop yelling when she begged for him to listen. Then he left, not giving Saki a chance to say anything else. She wasn't able to explain why she had done it, she wasn't able to apologize, and she wasn't able to tell him she loved him.

Agony. That's what she had felt from the moment Masaomi had left her small apartment. She had cried, screamed, and sat listlessly, but agony was the only thing she felt. She tried to call him, but he had blocked her number on his phone; she had gone to Izaya's place, only to be ignored until she eventually gave up and left; she walked back to Masaomi's old apartment only to find it empty; Izaya ignored her calls, no matter how many times she hit the redial button; Masaomi didn't go on the chat room anymore; she walked around Ikebukuro and Shinjuku, hoping to run into him by chance, but it never happened. There was no way for her to contact the one she loved. Her motivation for living and reason for being happy was torn away from her in an excruciating way. She had nothing.

Masaomi stared out the window from the desk chair, looking down at the people below. He stayed like that for a very long time. Whether it had been minutes or hours, Masaomi wasn't sure. He only turned around when he heard a door open. He cut off the informant's cheerful greeting.

"She lied to me."

Izaya was silent for a few moments, then let out a sigh and walked over to the desk. He walked around it, and then leaned back against it. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. It was a horrible thing for her to do."

Masaomi looked up at Izaya sadly. "I was pretty horrible too. She was crying so much, but I just kept yelling about her being an awful person and that I'll never love her. The last thing I said to her is that I hate her and hope I never see her again. I'm awful, aren't I?"

Izaya shook his head and held out his arms. "Come here." He held his lover close when he stood up. "No, you aren't awful. That was a completely unexpected betrayal. It's only natural that you would be angry at her for lying."

"Okay," Masaomi said quietly. He hugged the man tightly. "I wish I had listened to you when you told me to stop seeing her. None of this would've happened."

"Don't dwell on the past, Masaomi. Think about the future. Now there are no obstacles—you'll be with me forever. I'll hold you in my arms, and I'll never betray you."

Masaomi pulled away and took a step back. "Wait... Did you know she was lying?"

Izaya hesitated. "Yes, I figured it out quickly."

"Why didn't you tell me?" The boy balled his fists.

"You needed to figure it out on your own. You wouldn't have believed me." Izaya reached out a hand to touch him, but it was smacked away.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me what was going on!"

"Masaomi, you need to calm—"

"Shut up!" Masaomi leaned back against the windows and looked up at the ceiling. "You said you would never betray me, but you did. I bet you did it just to see my reaction when I found out." He closed his eyes when Izaya didn't reply. "I should've seen this coming. Both of you are liars and manipulators. I thought maybe you had changed, but you didn't. You're still the same narcissistic asshole who loves to treat me like a toy and play with me. You probably have been cheating too. I just..."

Masaomi walked towards the door, but stopped halfway. He turned around and watched Izaya sit down at his desk chair and look at him. "Masaomi, maybe you should be alone for a little while before we talk about this—to help you gather your thoughts."

"Alone...?"

"Yes. You don't want to end up saying something you don't mean that you can't take back."

"I think that's a really good idea." He left the apartment when he saw Izaya turning on his computer.

Masaomi returned about an hour later. He walked up to the desk. "Izaya."

The man turned around and smiled. "Welcome back. Are you feeling calmer now?"

Masaomi nodded. "I thought about a lot of things, and I feel much better."

"Great. I think we should talk about what happened now."

Masaomi shook his head and sighed. "It's just not working. Nothing we can do will save this relationship. It's constant ups and downs that leave me miserable. I thought that we could be happy together since you started treating me better, but you still don't see me as an equal. I'm still your toy. I think..." He swallowed. "I think we should break up."

Izaya cleared his face of emotion. He twirled his knife between his fingers absentmindedly. "Will you return to Saki-chan?"

"No. I don't intend to date anyone for a while."

"That's interesting."

Masaomi gave Izaya a longing look. "Before I go, just once more—"

"No." He shook his head. "Don't you want to walk out with your head held high, feeling confident in your choice? If you sleep with me now, you'll be caught up in any affection I give you and second-guess yourself. It's in your best interest to leave now."

A strong protest rose up in Masaomi, but died down almost immediately after. "Okay. Thank you...for everything." His lips began to form a phrase that made him tear up. He closed his mouth and turned away, thankful that he had been able to control himself.

"Goodbye, Masaomi."

With one hand on the knob, Masaomi gazed back at the man who had greatly shaped his life, who had given him a reason to live and brought him happiness by providing him with a place to belong. He questioned his decision as a few tears rolled down his cheeks, suddenly remembering many of the happy memories he'd made with Izaya. He shook his head and quickly pushed the thoughts away. He closed his eyes, faced forward, and left the apartment for the last time.

Six Months Later

Izaya stuffed his hands in his pockets. Masaomi thought he looked as nonchalant as ever. "It's been a while. How are you doing?"

"Much better than when I was with you."

The informant smirked and tilted his head. "Yeah?" he asked simply.

Masaomi balled his fists. "You treated me so horribly. You sexually assaulted me, hit me and used other types of physical force against me, and ignored me when I needed comfort. I wasn't benefitting from that relationship. I only stayed with you for so long because, to me, belonging to someone that loved me in a sick, twisted way was better than being alone. Now I've realized that being alone is much better."

Izaya chuckled. "You make it sound like I was holding you captive. You could've left at any time. I didn't argue when you said you were going to leave me, did I?"

The boy looked away. Izaya's indifferent attitude towards their breakup had left him in pretty bad shape for a while. It was something he'd dwelled on for far too long. Masaomi was the one who ended things, but it had felt like Izaya tossed him aside. He sighed and returned the man's gaze.

"What do you want?"

Izaya took a few steps toward his former lover, looking at him as a predator would stare at its prey. It made Masaomi uneasy. "I'm just wondering how my favorite toy is." He stroked the younger male's cheek.

Masaomi batted the hand away. "I'm not your toy anymore. I'm finally my own person; I'm independent, and I don't need you. If you came to me hoping to find me in pieces, I'll have to disappoint you."

The informant smirked. "My, my. There's that fighter attitude I love."

Love. Masaomi's heart raced. His expression showed his confused feelings as he wondered why Izaya had used that word. Was Izaya saying he still loved him? Was he just trying to get a reaction out of him? Or was Masaomi overthinking this and it was just the word that came to Izaya? He cleared his expression as quickly as he could, but he was sure by the look in Izaya's eyes that the man had noticed.

"Leave me alone, Izaya. I don't want to talk to you."

"I think you're lying. Don't you think about me all the time? Don't you wonder if you could've been happier with me? Sleeping in my arms, holding my hand while we walk in the park, making out in my desk chair..."

"St-stop!" Masaomi placed his hand on Izaya's chest and pushed lightly, but it wasn't enough to make the man move at all.

Izaya grabbed his arm. "What's this?" He touched a bracelet with a red string wrapped around it. "This is the red thread I gave you. You've kept it all this time?" Izaya let go off Masaomi's arm only to move closer and interlock their fingers. "How sweet. Is it because you're hoping I'll take you back?"

"No," Masaomi replied weakly. Izaya was so close that he'd only have to lean in a little to kiss him. His former lover began to do just that, but he pushed him away before their lips could touch. "I will never get back together with you. I left you for a reason, and I'm not going to fall for you again."

"'Again'? Does that mean you don't love me anymore?" Izaya asked with an amused tone, but Masaomi thought he heard slight sadness in it.

Masaomi hesitated. "Of course I still love you. I think I'll always love you. But loving someone isn't a reason to be with them when there are so many other reasons to stay away. It took me far too long to realize that. So say whatever you want; I'm never going to come back to you."

"I understand." Izaya grabbed Masaomi's hips. "We don't have to be in a relationship to have fun, though. Our sex was fantastic. Let's do it one last time." He leaned in and kissed the boy, pleased to find him responsive. When he reached for his zipper, however, Masaomi pulled away.

He shook his head and closed his eyes. "It will never be 'one last time.' If we have sex now, I'll get pulled in by you again."

"Is that really so bad? It's just meaningless sex."

Masaomi opened his eyes and shook his head. He sat down on his bed. "That's not true either. It'll be exactly like last time. You'll give me affection, I'll get addicted, and I won't be able to leave."

Izaya leaned against a wall of Masaomi's bedroom, which he'd gotten into via an open window. "You've really thought this through, haven't you? If we have sex, it will definitely lead to romance. However, that outcome is simply inevitable. No matter how hard you try, you can't stop thinking about me. It will always be like that—you'll always feel that longing. Isn't it better to give in to it now and save yourself from more confusion and pain? You can come back to me, Masaomi."

Yes. That was the word that immediately came to Masaomi's mind. He couldn't help but think that everything Izaya said was true. If the man kept pursuing him, would he eventually give in, or even come back without Izaya's prompting? Yes. His heart was begging him to accept Izaya's offer, to fall into the arms that made him feel safe and loved. Izaya still wanted him. But Masaomi knew the answer he had to give.

"No," he said firmly. "There's nothing you can say to make me come back, so leave me alone. I'm happy without you."

Izaya stood still for a few moments, then looked at Masaomi and nodded. "I won't beg you to come back. If you're really happier without me, then I won't try to change your mind."

"Really?" Masaomi hadn't expected Izaya to give up so easily.

Izaya chuckled. "You sound disappointed. Do you want me to keep chasing you?"

"No, I—."

"Want to know that I'll still think about you. You want me to love you, even though you don't want to love me." Izaya stepped forward and gave Masaomi a soft, lingering kiss. "I love you, Masaomi." He smiled, then left out the window.

Masaomi flopped onto his back and touched his tingling lips. He groaned loudly and stared up at his ceiling. "Why do you have to make everything so confusing?" he whined.

Masaomi closed his eyes. Maybe Izaya was right, and eventually he would return to the man, and possibly live a happy life with him. That was one path Masaomi could choose, but it's a treacherous one. Yes, it could be wonderful to be with Izaya again, but there was a possibility that he would be played with again, and their relationship would reach an end a second time. His other option was to do his best to stay away from Izaya. In that case, he really would always wonder if he could've had a fulfilling life if he had chosen to be with the unpredictable man, but he also knew that he could survive without him. Without Izaya, he might meet someone else to spend his life with, someone who wouldn't play games with him and could help him forget about the informant.

The choice was impossible. He wanted to be able to pick the best life for himself, but there was no way of knowing which would have that outcome. He agonized over his options for a few more minutes until he heard a rustling noise and felt a presence above him. Masaomi opened his eyes and screamed, though his mouth was covered to prevent that. He removed the hand once he calmed down. "You—"

"I'm tired of waiting." Izaya kissed Masaomi deeply, passionately, and he wasn't pushed away. He broke the kiss and gave the blond a quick peck after a while. "It's been long enough, Masaomi. Come back to where you belong." He stroked the boy's cheek.

Masaomi smiled.