A/N: Freaking school man, that's all I gotta say….it's keeping me from my one job! ;^;

CHAPTER 4:

It's the second day into the storm. It was morning and everyone was sleeping peacefully, compared to yesterday. The kerosene heater was a great idea, but it could only last so long. They needed to conserve power. Due to that, it unfortunately had to be turned off before they went to sleep. In the guest room; the trio was sleeping soundly. As were the doctor and his lover in their own room, while Kadota and the others fell asleep on the couches. The two rivals decided to both night watch -to make sure the other doesn't try anything funny- and ended up falling asleep on each other's backs trying to do so. It would have been a nice sleep, napping out the storm and future happenings.

But a blood curling laugh woke everyone up instantly.

A door opened quietly and Anri stepped out of the guest room sleepily. "What…was that..?"

Erika sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Sounds like someone went crazy…"

Shizuo opened one of his eyes, obviously irritated by the noise interrupting his sleep. He cracked his neck to the side and noticed that there's something weighing on his back, looking behind him he scowled at the sight. He pushed the flea forward onto the ground, emitting a groan of pain from the raven as he rubbed his head tiredly. "Oww….what the hell, Shizu-chan?"

The blonde stood up and stretched, smelling his arms and clothes suspiciously. "Ew, I smell like the flea. I hope I don't get infected with his cocky attitude anytime soon," he said ignoring the male, to the others' dismay. A bit curious of what that noise earlier was, he walked over to the window near where Kadota was still sleeping. He pulled away the blinds, Izaya popping up behind him to peek as well.

The visual before them was….weird. A man was currently standing in the middle of the cold snow, laughing to himself. He paced back and forth, mouth moving at an incredibly fast pace. Staying out in the cold like that, how long has he been there? He would die of hypothermia eventually, right? The man isn't dressed for the weather at all. He started talking to himself again, spinning around and staring at the sky with a scary glint in his eyes. But suddenly stopped and went back inside a building of what they assumed to be his "shelter". By this time, everyone else has crowded around now.

"Even acting like this, humans are still so beautiful~" Izaya hummed.

"He's acting exactly like you, fleabag." Shizuo retorted.

"Oh Shizu-chan, I'm flattered you know me so well~" He winked. To which he earned a punch in the face, startling Shrina.

"G-Guys, get along!" He spat.

Izaya rubbed where he got hit and cursed under his breath, muttering bloody murder as he stomped to the front door and left. Masaomi and Mikado stared at the door in shock. "Woah, did Izaya just leave…?" Mikado asked, a bit nerved.

"Maybe he can't handle being stuck in the same confined space with Shizuo for too long." Masaomi answered.

Shizuo clicked his tongue. "Leave him to die outside. I sure as hell ain't calming him down." A hand settled itself nicely on his shoulder, and he looked behind him to see the doctor firmly looking at him. "Shizuo, go after him."

"What? There's no way in-"

"You're the only one that can calm him down, Shizuo." Shinra said a bit more sternly.

"What…? How?" His eyes were wide in surprise.

"You just have that….magic to you, I guess. But whenever he was upset, you made him smile again, right? Unintentionally of course." The man got a small grunt in reply, watching as the tall male stalled for a moment. He stood there, hesitantly thinking it over before breathing out.

"…..Fine. But don't blame me if he comes back with a few scars, kay?"

"Of course not." Shinra said laughing a little. But a whistle was heard near the kitchen, interrupting the two men. They looked over and spotted Erika staring at the sink in disappointment.

"Well, while you're out there might as well get some snow for water, too. The pipes are frozen." She pulled out two huge pots, holding them out to the ex-bartender. "Here, use these. Iza-Iza should work too." At that, the man grinned and took them with him easily. He walked off to the door, and before heading off he simply said, "Oh, I'll make him work alright." and left.

Shizuo has been looking for the informant broker for about an hour now. Still nowhere to be seen, and he's pretty sure the man couldn't have gone far. There is still a storm out here, and even if it isn't falling as heavily as in Shinjuku with hail and all, it's still too big.

"God, where did that flea go? He's just trying to get himself killed, huh…." He rounded a street corner, deciding to go farther into the storm. It was a stupid idea, considering that since it's his rival he shouldn't be doing this. However, Shinra is letting him take shelter there so the least he can do is keep the louse alive for the guy. He was his "friend" after all.

"Aw, who's a good kitty? Yeah, you're just a little softie, aren't you ya cutie?" The ex-bartender heard a laugh, and a voice that was all-too-familiar. It seems he found who he's looking for. Now, he just has to turn into the alleyway like so, and bring the man ba-

…Wait, is he cuddling a cat?

"Ahaha~ And to think you were acting all tough earlier. You're just like Shizu-chan~" The male giggled.

Giggled. With an innocent smile on his face.

How can something so impossible be right before his eyes? And did he hear that wrong or was he just compared to a cat? A cute cat? Ugh…that doesn't sit well with him. Izaya Orihara was sitting down, cuddling a cat in the alleyway, and giggling with it as he played with its paws.

He's playing with its paws how is that not cute it's so not cute it's not fair.

Shizuo cleared his throat. "Oi."

Izaya nearly jumped out of his skin at the voice, obviously startled from the way he was looking at the other. "S-Shizu-chan!"

"I didn't know you liked cats."

The raven looked down at the feline and ran his fingers through its fur. "Well this kitty was just all alone in the cold, and his fur is so matted and rough. He needs a bath and some food too. He weighs so little it's quite unbelievable actually. Hey, Shizu-chan…don't cats find their group to stay with? Why was this one left out, all alone and bearing everything on his own? It's….not fair." The man's smile was sad, it was unusual. Did the flea actually care about a living organism for once?

"Maybe he wasn't accepted by the other cats. So he's searching for the one who will be by his side forever, the one who's different from everyone else. Even if it means sacrificing his life to wait for the other. Even if that special one-and-only is a total fleabag, at least he's not alone. At least someone will accept him for who he is." He calmly stated, looking into the sky distantly.

"My, my, you're such a poet Shizu-chan." Izaya teased.

His eyes flickered to red ones in embarrassment. "S-Shut up!"

"Was that perhaps related to you, maybe?"

"As if!"

"An indirect flirt, then~?"

"All I hold is inner hate for you, louse." More like outer hate.

The other let the cat scurry off as he stood up laughing to himself. It's lighter, not as sinister as he normally laughs. This went one for a full 30 seconds before he stopped, "Mmn, I hear you loud and clear. We can head back now." And he sincerely smiled.

And for just a second, a teeny weeny second, the blonde felt something in him flutter. He doesn't want to think of what caused it, or why he finds himself slightly enjoying that smile on the informant broker's face, so he instead pushes the thought out entirely.

Poof. Gone.

Shizuo held out one of the pans he was requested to bring to Izaya, now focused on the job they currently have to do. The raven looked at him in question, not understanding why he was being handed a piece of kitchenware.

"The pipes are frozen. Take this and work with me to gather some snow for water to heat up." He found himself being amused as he watched the male's expression change to annoyance. His eyes were squinted, staring at the pan as if it was some nuclear bomb.

"Do you think I'm a slave, Shizu-chan? It'll take hours to gather enough water for a pot of pasta at the least," he stated coldly.

The ex-bartender is finding himself liking how easy it is to irritate Izaya. The guy hasn't been all happy-go-lucky or bubbly lately. Probably because there are no humans around to observe, not to mention his apartment got caved in. He's perhaps starting to tolerate this flea a bit more now. Though, the "want you dead" thing is still at the top of his mind. But that still doesn't keep him from laughing a bit.

"It's better us than no one, right? Deal with it." He forced the pan onto the raven before walking back, seeing him sighing in disappointment but follow him anyways. Shizuo knelt down on the ground near the front of the doctor's residency, taking the pan and just scooping up a large amount of snow easily. He looked behind him to notice Izaya kneeling down as well, but using his hands to pick up snow and dropping it into the pan.

'Geez, isn't he an informant broker? Where's his wonderfully clever common sense now?' Shizuo thought before walking over and taking the pan away.

"Hey! I was using that, you know!" The raven growled. It didn't affect the other much, as he scooped another easy pile of snow with the other pan and handed it back to Izaya.

"See? It's that simple. Use your brain for things other than trouble."

"Hypocrite." Izaya stuck his tongue out at the male and stood up, heading back to the apartment.

Thus, this was the signal that cued a snowball fight to ensue.

They ended up in Shinra's kitchen, snow having melted on their clothes making them soaking wet and freezing. Currently being scolded by Celty for completely forgetting about getting snow for water, making Kadota's group go out in replacement.

["Now tell me, why are you two wet!?"]

The informant broker pointed to the male beside him. "I-It was Shizu-chans' fault!" He accused; shivering.

"Aren't you the one that always starts shit, Izaya?" Masaomi pointed out from the couch.

The raven attempted to jump on top of the counter and bolt over to strangle the kid, but Shizuo instantly grabbed the hood of his coat and yanked him back. "You little-! Shizu-chan let me go so I can stab him! Let me go let me go let me go let me go!" Izaya started flailing his arms around to escape, forgetting that there was no way he could escape such a strong hold. The act was childish, causing Shizuo to sigh.

"You see, kid? He's not in the mood for playing around, so I suggest you don't rile him up."

Masaomi shrugged and put his hands behind his head calmly. "Whatever, I can take him on."

Izaya's eye twitched in annoyance and he reached into his pocket, taking out his knife. Figuring out a way to escape the blondes' grip, he tried to take off his coat. "You know what…"

Before the male could make another move, the ex-bartender picked him up and threw the man over his shoulder. "Please excuse us for a sec. May I use the guest room?" Celty typed into her PDA and showed him.

["Go ahead. I think he needs to calm down."]

The raven yelled, using his knife to continuously stab Shizuo's back. "Shizu-chan, what the hell!? Don't carry me! Fucking. Put. Me. Down!"

The blonde carried him into the guest room and closed the door, dropping him onto the bed. He crouched down in front of the other. "You need to learn to control your temper," he stated firmly.

"Says the one with anger issues." Izaya retorted.

"Look, I'm trying to be nice to you here." The tone of Shizuo's voice dropped a pitch.

"I never asked you to be."

"Listen louse, I'm the only one who's respected you this entire time. I'm trying to understand you!" He slammed his fist on the bed, shaking it slightly.

All it did was make Izaya look at the man suspiciously. "Understand me…. Why…?"

"Somebody has to, even if it's your enemy. Because even though I'm not human…I have a heart. And I still shed an ounce of concern for my opponents whether I want to or not."

The informant brokers' eyes lowered. "Shizu-chan, you're human. Humans can act like monsters you know."

"Why…are you telling me that?" Shizuo questioned warily.

The raven's lips curled into a small smile. "It's not like anyone has told you yet. So someone has to, right?"

The ex-bartender chuckled for a moment. "To think the flea would be saying this to me…. It's just making him –unfortunately- likeable." He whispered to himself.

"Hm? What was that?"

His gaze switched back to the males' in a second. "Nothing. Go kill yourself."

"Wha-!?"

"Oh, you're surprised that I threatened you?"

"Well, you just haven't threatened me in a while." Izaya pouted.

"So you're a masochist," The blonde concluded

'Stupid Shizu-chan, that's not what I meant!' Izaya internally shouted. "Go die," he said bluntly.

"Hmm…what was the title that Erika was talking about that acts 'tough on the outside and soft on the inside'? Oh right, a tsundere. I think I've found one." Shizuo poked the other in the head, to which he was swatted away in an instant. "Fuck you."

Shizuo snickered and stood up. "I gotta admit, it's quite amusing irritating you."

Izaya deadpanned at him. "Glad to know you're enjoying my suffering."

"Fine, then let's at least make a deal to get along until the storm passes."

"But I like fighting you."

"…..Why?"

"It's fun." The raven smiled all-too-innocently.

"I…" Shizuo shook his head, just choosing to forget about that. "Whatever, let's make it easier on the doctor, that's all I'm saying."

"If it's for Shin-chan, then I guess I could suffice."

"Good. Then let's promise." The blonde held out his pinky to the other, watching the man's cheeks tinge pink as he stared at it in awe.

"How did you…"

"What, you think I wouldn't remember?"

"Well, not something that I like."

"You can't tell me what I'm allowed to remember, flea."

Izaya sighed. "I guess not, huh."

"Then let's get along, Izaya."

The informant brokers' face just got redder from being called by his actual name, reluctantly bringing his hand out and completing the promise. "Fine." He is not maintaining eye contact with the ex-bartender, oh no.

"Oi, you're red in the face, what's up?" Great, he noticed.

"I don't know, the cold is probably getting to me…or something." He got off the bed, now standing up.

"You know it's not cold in here, right? That sentence makes no sense." Shizuo claimed, walking over to the door.

"….Shut up." And the raven followed, both of them opening the door and joining the rest.

They kind of felt like they knew each other a bit better now.

A/N: I am SO SORRY for this taking so long! School is a slap to the face and sleep, ya know…? Haha…ha… Ihopeitwasworththewaititprobablysucksimsorry