Trigger warnings for this chapter: mentions of sexual assault. / This chapter contains: rimming. collaring.

"Hey."

Shizuo winced, pulled out of his own thoughts and back to the present situation. Next to him, Tom gave him a long look. There was the pinch of guilt when Shizuo realized the Beta had been talking to him the whole time.

"I'm sorry, Tom," he babbled quietly. "What were you saying?"

Instead of scolding him, the older man chuckled. The sushi plate before him was already half empty, while Shizuo's stayed mostly untouched.

"I asked what's been going through your head?" Tom repeated through a mouthful of maguro.

At his employer's question, Shizuo's brows creased in a frown. He had been trying to sort out his own thoughts for the past days, but never managed to put them into a proper order. Instead, various ideas and images had been circling inside his mind, some more prominent than the others. And they all revolved around the same issue.

Orihara Izaya.

"Sorry," Shizuo muttered. A word he had made use of a lot in his life. "I've not been a good employee lately."

In his lap, his fists clenched. The man next to him picked up on the subtle gesture. A warm hand landed on Shizuo's shoulder, startling him.

"Don't worry about that," Tom offered. "Everybody has a down time now and then. It happens. Don't beat yourself up over it."

The words slowly sank in and settled as a grounding weight inside Shizuo's chest. He managed a tentative smile.

"Thank you, Tom. You always put up with my issues. I know it's not easy –"

With a quick gesture, the Beta waved him off. "Ah, forget about that, Shizuo! Everything is alright. Trust me. I know things can be tough for you, so whenever you walk off I figure you have a good reason to. Besides, it really wasn't that often. But, you know, whatever is on your mind, you can share that with me."

The blonde looked up and was met with the rocksteady smile of his middle school friend. It didn't matter how moody Shizuo was, Tom always made up for it with his own sanguine nature. They balanced each other out. Never at one point had their different natures led to any clashes. Instead, they kept each other's balance in a seemingly perfect symbiosis. Tom, as a Beta, was of a more peaceful nature, and together with his harmless appearance had managed to save the younger man from many possible conflicts. If they ended up in a risky situation after all, Shizuo, as the Alpha that he was, would step forward, not allowing his pack - as small as it was - to be harmed. Whenever Varona accompanied them, it added another Alpha to the group. Due to Shizuo's own wish for peace and stability, he didn't mind the presence of other Alphas. This whole system of them being above Betas and Omegas had just never really made any sense to Shizuo. But whenever he voiced his objection, somebody would attempt to shoot him down, trying to keep his dissident thoughts from infecting other Alphas. And so, Shizuo had learned to keep those ideas to himself and that it was best to stay out of the whole issue.

It fueled too many conflicts, and that was not what the young man wanted. All he wanted was his peace. Arguing with strangers about other stranger's lives wasn't helping the task, and so Shizuo simply ignored the issues that Alphas had with Betas, and Betas with Omegas, and so on and so on.

It didn't make any sense anyway.

"Well, shall we get going then? Huh, Shizuo, you haven't even eaten anything."

Just as Tom said so, the broad form of Simon appeared from behind the counter. The large Russian man smiled, his white teeth flashing in the bright light of the restaurant.

"Shizuo," he began, his voice cheerful, booming through the relatively quiet spaces, "a lean stomach makes a brain that is hungry. Hungry for sushi! You must eat. It's good for you."

"That's not how the saying goes," Tom tried sheepishly, but the Russian was already busying himself with preparing a doggie bag for the silent blonde. With a mumbled thanks, Shizuo accepted the concerned man's gesture. They made their way out of the small restaurant, Simon waving them goodbye and reminding them of all the amazing traits of sushi.

It was a chilly day outside, the clouds above them heavy with the promise of rain. But even if it cleared up by night, the city's bright lights forbid them from watching the stars hanging above. Shizuo craned his neck, but was only able to make out the grey mass acting for a sky. As someone who had never been out of Tokyo, he had never witnessed a sky full of stars only seeing it in movies and on pictures. But even then it had filled him with a calm, the thought of vast nothingness weirdly soothing.

"Alright, let's see what's on the agenda today," Tom hummed next to him. He pulled a little notepad from his jacket, flipping through the white pages for a moment. "Hmm, that's still a lot to do. Let's get going then, Shizuo. Hello, Shizuo?"

The blonde was still staring upward, and it was only when the smaller man tugged at his shirt that he noticed. With a small noise, he turned his attention back to his employer, wincing when he realized he had spaced out again.

Before he could say anything, Tom lifted a hand.

"Don't say it," he voiced sternly. "For tonight, you are not allowed to say sorry anymore. Got it?"

A smile tugged at his lips, and Shizuo realized the warm glint in the man's brown eyes.

"Ah, of course, Tom," the Alpha mumbled quietly. Involuntarily, the corners of his own mouth began to twitch. "Sorry."

"Shizuo!"

"Oh no! I'm so–"

"You're doing it again."

"This is really hard."

oOoOo

There was the light tap of bare feet on cold ground, and Akabayashi turned around. He was met with the sight of Izaya, still wrapped inside the executive's jacket, watching him from the stairs.

For a moment, both men just stared at each other. Then Akabayashi's lips pulled into a small smile.

"Good morning," he greeted the silent Omega.

Izaya's hair was tousled, standing in odd directions, and his eyes were still glassy from the long sleep. With a slow motion, the young man rubbed the tiredness out of them.

"Have you been here all night?" he croaked.

The redhead looked around, as if he had to remember where he was. When he faced Izaya again the smile was still plastered to his lips.

"Yes," he simply replied.

"Haven't you slept at all?"

"I'm rather nocturnal anyway."

All these men who refused sleep for Izaya's sake. It was puzzling. He didn't ask any of them to make any sacrifices. Especially not for him. With slow steps, he began to climb down the stairs. He could feel Akabayashi's eyes on him the whole time, but he chose to leave the Alpha be. Wordlessly, Izaya sank down on the couch next to him with enough space between them so he could drag up his knees. It wasn't cold in the apartment, but the jacket stayed wrapped around slim shoulders. With his head leaned against the backrest of the couch, Izaya looked over to the quiet man. The usual shades were missing, cozily seated on the coffee table before them.

"How do you feel?"

The Omega shrugged.

"Better, I guess. Can't quite remember what happened yesterday, actually. We didn't… do anything, right?"

Akabayashi cocked his head, as if he could read the young man better that way. After a brief pause, he chuckled.

"No, I didn't mount you, if that's what you're trying to say."

"Good, good," Izaya mumbled. He chewed on his lips, draining the last bit of sleepy numbness from them. It took him a moment, before he was able to muster up the next words. "Why not? You could have. It's not like I could have done anything about it."

"Why, Izaya, do you really take me for a man like that?" The Alpha was obviously puzzled by his words, a deep frown creeping onto the usually relaxed face of the executive. "Or is your perception of Alphas just a bit skewed, possibly?"

"Skewed," Izaya spat out bitterly. "Four days ago I was almost raped by a group of Alphas. It might be your perception that is skewed, Mr. Akabayashi. But I don't blame you. Alphas are raised to be ignorant all their life."

A heavy silence fell on them, in which Izaya tried not to choke on the hateful words. He held Akabayashi's hard look for a moment, before he cast his eyes away.

"Like I said, I don't blame you," he added quietly.

But the redhead didn't seem bothered by his words. In fact, he could see the truth behind them. That wasn't something he needed to let the Omega know, though.

"Quite headstrong, hm?" he hummed. "I begin to understand what Haruya sees in you."

At the mention of the absent Alpha, Izaya snorted.

"Trust me, there is nothing to see in me. And he wouldn't anyway."

The bitterness was dripping from each word, something Akabayashi didn't miss out on. With a sigh, he leaned back into the couch, arms draped onto the backrest to both sides. While Izaya's form stayed small, compressed, the redhead felt relaxed enough to open up. If he had done this in front of another Alpha, it surely would have earned him a disapproving look. But in this apartment, he had only the acrid Omega as company.

"Not only headstrong, but also bitter," he said, turning in time to see the scowl darkening Izaya's eyes. "But I don't blame you."

The last words were spoken in mock of the Omega's own, but Akabayashi's tone seemed honest enough.

"Is that so? What would you know about being an Omega? What it means to be like this?"

"Well," the yakuza began slowly. His eyes wandered away from Izaya's face, as if in deep thought. "Obviously I don't know what it's like, and I never will. But I was there yesterday, and I saw you."

Involuntarily, Izaya shuddered. His head was filled with blurry memories that roughly outlined the events of the previous night. The realization that Akabayashi knew more than him about what happened had his gut turning uncomfortably. Again, it felt like the ground was slowly pulled away from under his feet. He recognized it as vulnerability. Something Izaya preferred to avoid, having done so all his life by turning people down and away from them in time. But things were different now. His usual strategy had borne no fruit, and instead the young man was forced to face things head on this time.

His tries were clumsy at best.

"It feels like I'm losing myself," Izaya mumbled into the skin of his knees. He didn't know why he opened up to Akabayashi of all people. Maybe because the man had refrained from taking advantage of his dire state. He would be the first to do so, after all.

"What do you plan on doing about it?"

"I don't know," the Omega muttered, drawing a slim hand through the messy strands of his hair.

As he did so, Akabayashi noticed the faint bruises around his wrist. He didn't have to ask who created them. He simply knew. "Have you ever felt like fading away? Like you are slowly bleeding out into your surroundings? But there is no gaping wound you could stitch together. You just slowly disappear."

The Alpha wasn't sure the young man was actually talking to him. Izaya's eyes seemed to go into the distance, like he was just forming thoughts that had been plaguing him for a long time. Then he suddenly snapped back to the present, lifting his head to stare at Akabayashi.

"How did you know what to do yesterday?"

The older man puffed up his cheeks, trying to think of an answer. He weighed his head a little, before settling for the truth.

"There was a time when things were a bit more difficult for me. I found myself in a similar situation as you. Someone close to me, she… well, she left me, rather unexpectedly. There was nothing I could do about it beyond accepting it. But that wasn't as easy as I tried to convince myself it was. There were moments when I lost control over myself. But, I had someone who would help me through it, even though he claims to hate my guts. So, I know what it feels like. You know how they say painful experiences make you compassionate? That's not something I would agree with. But it does give you some kind of insight."

He looked back at Izaya, and caught the strange tenderness in the Omega's face. Quickly, he laughed the tension threatening to take a hold of him off.

"But, you know, don't think of me as a good guy now."

"Is that why you are so nice to me?" Izaya asked, ignoring the older man's attempt of playing things off.

Akabayashi stilled.

"Ah, am I being nice, though?" he began. A familiar, playful smile started to tug at his lips. "Maybe I'm doing this just for my own sake? You really shouldn't put your trust into me, Izaya. In the end, I might turn out to be the worst of them all."

The man laughed, amused by his own words. The last remnants of a chuckle were still shaking his shoulders, when he looked up and only saw strands of black. In the next moment, his breath was taken away by soft lips pressing onto his. Akabayashi hesitated, one hand hovering over the thin frame of the Omega. When Izaya pulled back, he stared into crimson eyes, pupils that were slightly dilated, despite the daylight falling in through the wide windows.

"You don't want this," Akabayashi mumbled into the silence between them.

It earned him a defiant huff from the other man. "Don't tell me what to do."

Ignoring the sound of protest, Izaya climbed into his lap, straddling the surprised man. He pressed both hands against the broad chest beneath, feeling the Alpha's steady heartbeat under his fingertips. It hadn't even sped up yet, and Izaya felt challenged. He leaned in again, finding the redhead's mouth, swallowing the words that were supposed to teach him better; trying to keep him from making a mistake. Until now, he had only kissed Shiki, the man being all hard edges and the bitter taste of nicotine. Akabayashi tasted different. Almost desperately, Izaya licked at the lips that were so much softer than the brunette's. He grinded his hips into the Alpha, resulting in him finally opening his mouth. As Izaya dove in, claiming as much of the Alpha as he could, warm hands landed on his hips. They wandered all over his sides, his thighs, squeezing and stroking. Despite the urgency the younger man tried to infect him with, Akabayashi's movements were smooth, without any rush. Izaya felt hot anger bubbling up inside his chest when the Alpha's touches stayed soft.

He didn't want soft. He didn't want the man to touch him like something that could break apart under his hands.

With a desperate whine, Izaya rolled his hips into the older man, pressing flat against his chest while trying to bruise the pliant lips. It was like trying to move a rock. Senseless and in vain.

It made Izaya furious.

Why did he have to be so kind? Why did he have to be so gentle? Izaya deserved none of it, and yet he craved it; wanted to destroy all that tenderness as much as he wanted to indulge in it. But breaking things was easier, so much easier.

Akabayashi, though, refused to be broken.

The raven played with the thought of just biting down on the executive's soft lips, just as the roaming hands found his behind. A warm palm crawled down his skin, as the Alpha slid under the fabric of his clothes. Izaya moaned when a finger pressed against his entrance, the wetness there clinging to his skin.

Akabayashi hummed as if in approval. But then he pulled back, his free hand lightly wrapping around the Omega's throat, halting him.

"Last chance," he said.

For a brief moment, Izaya stared at him. His face was unreadable, until a toothy smiled spread the already puffy lips.

"No, thank you." And with that he dove back in, capturing the Alpha's mouth again. Beneath him, Akabayashi growled, and it's the sound Izaya had been waiting for. The hands turned rougher now, the finger teasing him retreating so the taller man could grab his hips, one hand still loosely wrapped around the Omega's throat. It was a strange sensation, feeling the drag of rough fingers, but in a way it was grounding. Izaya leaned into that hold and felt the man's fingers twitch. Against his lips, a smile tugged at Akabayashi's.

"Have you been collared yet, Izaya?"

The question came suddenly, unprepared. Izaya's eyebrows furrowed in puzzlement.

"I take that as a no. Not exactly surprising for Shiki, that is. He's a young Alpha, there are things he has to learn yet."

Before Izaya can voice a question, the world turned. In one fluid motion, Akabayashi threw his body into the couch, pressing into the smaller male and successfully spreading his legs as he did. The hand around Izaya's throat tightened the slightest bit, but it was enough to send a spark of excitement through the Omega's body. With his chest heaving, lungs begging for the air that had been pressed out of them, he stared up at the Alpha. Akabayashi was grinning, and it wasn't of the usual coy nature.

A shudder ran through him as the older man pressed his hips into him, creating the smallest bit of friction. When Akabayashi reached between to unbuckle his belt, Izaya whined.

"Are you going to fuck me?" he asked, sounding somewhat breathlessly.

The redhead shot him an amused gaze, the Omega's throat being momentarily freed from his hand as Akabayashi pulled the belt's end through the buckle.

"No," he chuckled, adding after a small pause, "you're not my type."

The words didn't exactly hurt, but they still bit at Izaya's pride. He decided to probe further.

"Then what is your type?"

Akabayashi halted, the belt now a complete loop in his hands. He looked up from his work and back at the young man before him. Izaya's hands were resting on his thighs, blunt nails teasingly dragging over the fabric.

"Not you," he responded, much to the dissatisfaction of the Omega. But before Izaya could go into a huff, he lifted the belt and put it around the young man's neck. Carefully, he pulled the end, until the leather brushed against the delicate skin. It didn't restrict his breathing, for that Akabayashi didn't pull it tightly enough. But it was there, a light pressure against his throat, further so when Izaya swallowed against the rough fabric.

"Feels alright?" Akabayashi asked, studying the Omega's features as he spoke. When Izaya nodded quietly, a raspy chuckle fell from his lips. "Good. I promise this will make you feel better. And now, off with those pants."

Izaya didn't even bother to feign indifference. At this point his skin had turned hot, the wetness sticking to his thighs as he slipped out of the clothes as gracefully as he could, while still being wedged between Akabayashi's frame and the couch. When he slipped off his briefs, he saw the large spot his own fluid had left inside of them. Instantly, his cheeks flushed. This part about his nature wasn't foreign to him, but exposing it so openly to a stranger was something entirely different.

The Alpha felt his unease. Akabayashi didn't tease him about it, but neither did he try to shy away the sudden coyness. If he thought about it, it was kind of cute, and so he wordlessly watched the Omega's face redden with a deeper shade.

A bashful Orihara Izaya. That was something he could get used to.

With both legs still hooked over Akabayashi's hips, the young man was completely exposed to the eyes of the Alpha. He could see the broad chest rising and sinking with labored intakes of breath. The older man was drinking in the sight before him; pale thighs spreading just for him, and a hole, already wet and ready to be stuffed. Still, he had no plans of mounting the Omega right then and there.

Instead, Akabayashi pulled back, gliding down onto the floor with the end of the belt tightly wrapped around his hand. As he did so, the loop around Izaya's neck tightened. He watched the nervous swallow of the Omega against the leather, and smiled.

"Put your legs on my shoulders. Yeah, like that. If the collar gets too tight, tap my shoulder. Understood, Izaya? That's a good boy."

He grabbed the Omega's hips from underneath, yanking him closer to the edge of the couch. Izaya hiccupped in surprise, and then gasped when a tongue dragged over his wet hole without any forewarning. A shudder went through his slim frame, the sensation as strange as it was pleasurable. When the tongue's tip circled the rim in a teasingly slow motion, Izaya moaned. He pressed with both hands against the couch, the position having his body bend at an awkward angle. The leather around his throat pulled tighter, trapping the heat of his body underneath. The rough material scraped over his skin, but it wasn't uncomfortable. It made him feel weirdly safe, almost protected. Izaya whined at the next broad drag over his hole. Reflexively, it clenched, eliciting a praising hum from the Alpha between his legs.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Akabayashi rumbled. Without waiting for an answer from the flustered Omega, he dove back in, sucking on the skin around the rim. It made an obscenely wet sound, and Izaya's arm shot out to grab the man's hair. His fingers tangled in the dark red, torn between pushing and pulling. Akabayashi allowed it, continuing on his task without further ado. The probing tongue pushed against the slight resistance, which earned him a needy whimper. Efforts further fueled by the Omega's response, Akabayashi pressed more intently until Izaya relaxed under his touch, and his tongue slipped in.

The raven bucked, thighs tensing at the feeling of the other man inside of him. A light sweat had broken on his skin by now and if it hadn't been for the makeshift collar around his neck, Izaya might have jumped off the couch right then and there.

"Fuck me," he wailed, unashamed of how loud it sounded in the quiet apartment. "Fucking hell, just…- fuck me already!"

The tongue pulled back, instead, he felt a hot breath ghosting over his skin as Akabayashi snickered.

"Not going to happen," the Alpha murmured darkly. "I told you, Izaya – I'm not nice."

At the teasing words, desperation hit Izaya. That damn yakuza bastard had successfully driven him crazy, only to deny him when he was finally asking for it. No, begging to be fucked by the older man. It was only when the fingers in his hair turned demanding, that Akabayashi batted them away. With a hearty tug, he tightened the belt around the Omega's throat, capturing the young man's attention. Izaya stared at him out of hazy eyes, mouth hanging open to take in shaky breaths.

"But I'm no sadist either," he growled.

The hand that had been holding on to a pale hip now crawled lower and between shaking thighs. With two fingers at once, Akabayashi pushed into the Omega, watching the young face open up in pleasure. He curled his fingers ever so slightly, rubbing against the spongy bundle he found. The fingers scissored, teasing the prostate from both sides. Izaya was so loose by now, it wasn't a difficult task. The Alpha greedily drank in the sight of the desperate raven, lips caught between his teeth to keep the pathetic whimpers from spilling. Akabayashi decided he enjoyed the needy sounds way more, and so he leaned down, warm lips wrapping around the cock nuzzling against Izaya's belly.

Reflexively, he thrust up into the wet heat engulfing his dick. An approving rumble went through the Alpha at this, Izaya being able to feel the vibration of it inside the redhead's mouth. A pitiful sob freed itself from his chest, the sensation being close to overstimulation. When Akabayashi began to suck on the hard flesh, Izaya threw his head back and into the couch, the leather around his neck rubbing almost painfully over the tender skin. Despite his nerves prickling, his body trying to burst out of its own skin, he wanted more of this. It felt so amazing, dancing on the borderline between too much and not enough, and Izaya didn't want it to end.

But he knew he would not last.

When Akabayashi thrust his fingers in at a faster pace, pushing persistently against his prostate, Izaya's back arched. The belt was now pulled tightly, his breathing finally restricted. But he didn't signal the Alpha to stop. Izaya shuddered, watching tiny lights explode before his eyes, blurring his vision.

Akabayashi swallowed him whole, and like that, Izaya broke down.

Mouth opened to a silent scream, he came into the yakuza's mouth. Akabayashi pulled back when he tasted the first bit of semen, but kept thrusting his fingers in and out of the tensing Omega. Izaya clenched around him, and by now the redhead's hand was covered in the young man's wetness. He purred at the sight of the Omega coming undone under his treatment. Izaya came hard, the force of his orgasm squeezing load after load out of his cock. Most landed on his stomach, some on his chest, successfully ruining the shirt he was still wearing.

His orgasm subsided, but Izaya didn't stop shaking. He slumped together, boneless. The belt loosened and he tried to breathe through the little waves of pleasure still running through his body. Gingerly, Akabayashi pulled out of the Omega. In a comforting gesture, he massaged the inside of the raven's thighs, giving the young man enough time to come down from his high.

It took a few long moments, before Izaya was able to crack his eyes open. Mind still clouded from the orgasm, he stared at the Alpha.

"You got…," he began, not being able to finish the sentence. In a vague gesture, he motioned toward Akabayashi's mouth.

The Alpha darted out his tongue, licking up the bit of cum that had managed to cling to his chin. Izaya watched the motion intently, feeling his cock twitch in mild interest. But he was too spent to muster up another hardon. He took a shaky breath, feeling the leather brush against the reddened skin. He wanted to take it off, but his arms wouldn't obey him yet. Wordlessly, Akabayashi reached up to carefully unloop the belt, taking it off the Omega's neck.

Part of Izaya was fascinated by the way the older man was able to read him, realizing the slightest changes in his body language.

Another part felt agitated by the Alpha's talent. Izaya didn't like the fact that he might be an open book to the yakuza.

"So, how're you feeling?" Akabayashi asked from between his legs. With amusement glistening in his eyes he looked over the Omega before him. Izaya was still wearing the executive's jacket and it captured the young man's body heat, flushing the round cheeks further. He flashed the other man a sharp look, but didn't respond yet. Izaya's chest was still slightly heaving, his heart not having calmed its excited pace yet.

Akabayashi smirked, the Omega's expression being enough of an answer.

Carefully, he lifted long legs off his shoulder. He made to stand, ignoring the slight ache in his knees as he did so, and with the back of a hand wiped the raven's wetness from his mouth.

"I have to say, you make quite the picture like this," he mused, eyes wandering over Izaya before him.

The Omega made a sound, looking down to take in the mess he made. At least Akabayashi's jacket had stayed unharmed. The yakuza's smell coming off the fabric seemed to have intensified during their session, and Izaya shuddered as it filled his nostrils. He looked up when Akabayashi groaned quietly. He had his fingers pressed to the prominent scar running over the right eye, slowly rubbing along its outer marks. The motion stopped when the older man caught him staring. As his hands dropped, Izaya followed the movement and so his eyes landed on the visible outline against the Alpha's pants.

"Don't you want to do something about that?" he mumbled sheepishly. When Akabayashi didn't reply, Izaya lifted a foot to lightly press against the erection. The redhead flinched, quickly grabbing the slim ankle as a chuckle rose from his chest.

"No, this is fine. But, don't do that, alright?" he smiled. "Besides, you should worry about getting yourself cleaned up first. There are a few things we must attend to today."

oOoOo

They had just finished their first round, a whole of five names crossed out on Tom's list, when the brunette decided they deserved a break. He left Shizuo standing at an empty corner while he vanished inside a small coffee shop. The blonde used the moment to rummage through his pocket, finding the small pack of cigarettes tucked away inside of it. As he busied himself with lighting the cigarette between his lips, a familiar neigh sounded not far from him. The young man lifted his head to watch the black bike slowly roll towards him.

"Hello Celty," he greeted the silent rider.

With a familiar gesture, the woman whipped a PDA from her sleeve, beginning to type.

[Hello Shizuo. How is work today? ]

"Nothing special, just the usual," the Alpha replied, accentuating his word with a shrug. "Some people have a bad day. Some people have a good day. When we show up they have a bad day anyway."

The woman's slim shoulders shook in a silent chuckle.

[ I see. May I speak to you for a moment, please? ]

"What's wrong, Celty?" Shizuo asked as he stepped closer to the black rider. He sensed that something was bothering the silent figure, having learned to not only read the letters on the PDA but her body language, too. After all, that was their only way of communicating.

[ Earlier, when I came home to Shinra, he seemed badly shaken by something. When I asked he said it was something business related, but he dropped your name. After that, he wouldn't tell me anymore. Do you know what happened? ]

Shizuo's eyes quickly flew over the black letters, his chest tightening with guilt. He hadn't meant to make Shinra uncomfortable with his visit from a few days ago, and the Beta had seemed fine by the time he left. To think that the young man might have been so frightened by Shizuo's strange behavior that he wouldn't even show him pained the Alpha greatly.

And now he made Celty worry on top of it.

It was a connection too easily made, but Shizuo's thoughts spiraled back to his high school nemesis. He had only approached Shinra because of what happened to Izaya, and only because the damn flea had forgotten his cellphone, and of course Shizuo couldn't just ignore it, because he is not one to just let things go, and now he had upset his high school friend and Celty and –

He halted his thoughts right there.

Things were already messy enough.

Shizuo tried his best to explain the past events to the silent rider, watching her hear him out without interrupting once. He valued Celty's patience, but on the other hand, how else could anyone like her endure someone like Shinra?

When he finished, Shizuo still felt the cold claws of guilt scratching at his insides.

[ Don't worry about Shinra. He's tougher than he looks. And it wasn't you who startled him. Apparently, a member of the Awakusu approached him about a similar thing like you had. The guy seemed pretty serious. That is what gave him quite the scare. ]

At the mention of the criminal group, a deep frown settled on Shizuo's face. Not like it wasn't already bad enough that this whole issue seemed to revolve around the damn flea bastard, but now the yakuza was involved as well.

"I shouldn't have gone to Shinra," Shizuo mumbled quietly. "Now I got you two involved in something I don't even understand yet."

With a quick gesture, Celty waved him off. Her fingers flew over the small device.

[ Don't worry about that. He didn't threaten Shinra or anything. Besides, he's associated with the Awakusu, so I don't think they will do anything. I guess he was just trying to figure things out, like you. Don't feel bad, Shizuo, this isn't your fault. But I do wonder now what exactly happened to Izaya. ]

"Yeah, Shinra wouldn't tell me," the blonde muttered, feeling annoyance tug at his nerves. "Something seems to be up with him. Your boyfriend made a big deal out of it. Does he have some kind of condition, or?"

He watched Celty's shoulders tense the slightest bit, but it was enough to not slip past his attentive eyes.

"Celty?"

[ I really shouldn't be talking about Izaya. Anyway, whatever he does, it's his business, right? Let's not worry about him too much. ]

Shizuo's brows furrowed in irritation. Obviously, the female Alpha knew something regarding his high school rival. The fact that everybody made such a big deal out of the damn flea just fueled the rage that slowly built up inside of the blonde.

"If this ends up bringing you or Shinra into a risky situation, then I promise, I will tear that goddamn flea apart–"

[ No, Shizuo, everything is alright! Please, calm down. Put that light pole down, Shizuo! ]

oOoOo

Izaya stepped out of the bathroom, damp air escaping into the hall, just as Akabayashi got off the phone. He threw the Omega a smile, letting the small device glide into his pocket.

"Who were you calling?" the young man asked, rubbing the last droplets of water out of his air with a towel.

"Just my driver. He will be waiting for us outside," Akabayashi replied. He had reclaimed his jacket, although the fabric now looked a bit crumpled, adding to the increasingly tired look of the executive.

Izaya huffed.

"You should have slept while I was in the shower," he mumbled, passing the taller man to enter the bedroom. Izaya flopped down on the bed, reaching over for his boots. But the executive waved his suggestion off.

"We have more important things to do than sleep," the redhead announced and watched quietly as Izaya opened the wide wardrobe to pick a jacket. He had suggested for the smaller man to pick some fresh clothes, along with a jacket that didn't remind him of the evening of his breakdown. Izaya had complied, the past events having put something close to trust into him. So far, the redheaded executive was the only one who had actively tried to help the Omega.

Even if he insinuated that he might not be a good guy after all. Whatever that meant.

They didn't speak as they left the apartment, and they shared no word as they waited for the dark car to pull up to them outside.

It wasn't a heavy silence, nor did it create any awkward tension. Izaya was weirdly glad the Alpha was of a rather quiet nature. These past days, too many words had been spoken in vain, their meanings shallow, their promises empty. Sometimes, it was better not to speak.

Akabayashi opened the car door for him, simply cocking his head when the young man shot him a coy glare. Still, Izaya allowed the gesture and slid into the backseat. As he busied himself with putting on the seat belt, Akabayashi circled the car, entering and sitting down next to him. The inside of the car smelled of expensive leather mixed with the aftershave of the driver in the front. With a bit of concern, Izaya realized how sensitive his sense of smell was at this point. He blamed it on what the Alpha had done to him earlier, how he had promised the collaring would make him feel better. And Izaya did feel better, grounded, less like he was about to melt into his surroundings. But it was such a sudden change, that the side of him which had been trained to be careful, to always be on guard, rung with concern. All of these things seemed to be part of a process Izaya couldn't quite understand yet.

As the car set in motion, he leaned back into the comfortable leather, watching the outside pass by. They had already entered the busy day traffic of Tokyo when he turned back to the quiet executive.

"So where are we going?"

Akabayashi didn't look at him, simply looking ahead through the windscreen over the shoulder of the driver.

"I feel like the dispute you have going on with my dearly respected peer will soon influence our business relationship in a negative way," he began, finally turning to face Izaya. "So we are going to meet Haruya. Ah, I mean Shiki – you don't call him Haruya yet, do you?"

The bright eyes of the Omega widened, before the shadow of betrayal darkened them. Akabayashi watched the process with merriment.

"You tricked me," Izaya hissed. He whipped around, reaching for the door handle. The lock clicked shut before him, and he froze. He looked to the front, where the driver watched him in the rearview mirror. A cold shudder ran down the Omega's back.

"I didn't trick you, Izaya," the man next to him began. "You simply didn't ask earlier."

"That's foul play, and you know it," Izaya pressed through gritted teeth. He yanked at the door handle for good measure, but of course it wouldn't give in to his feeble attempt. With a huff, Izaya sank back into the seat. He refused to look at the man next to him, allowing the childish bitterness to consume him instead.

"Might be," Akabayashi hummed, "but, you know, I never said to play fair. I wonder why people always take me for a good guy, hm. Maybe it's something about my appearance. What do you think, should I change something? Maybe it's the shades."

It was an attempt as much to cheer Izaya up as much as it was meant to mock him. Akabayashi enjoyed teasing the young man, knowing he would react in ways different to other Omegas. That was how the information broker had gathered his attention in the first place. That, and the fact Akabayashi was actually impressed with the way Izaya had managed to fool the whole of Awakusu. Even Shiki, who was known for his sharp mind and attentive senses. Really, it was a small wonder, and in the eyes of the Alpha almost a challenge even. It was things like these that sparked Akabayashi's curiosity, who always had a weak spot for people that refused to follow the system. It might make him as odd as the people who attracted his attention, but Akabayashi wasn't out to impress anyone by following the order. He had his own personal interests, his own goals, his own standards.

Thus, he chose not to snitch on his peer and the Omega. This messy play was amusing him way too much as that he would deny himself the chance of being a part in it.

"I'm surprised at myself for saying this, but trust me, Izaya."

It earned him a snort from the young man. "Yeah, right. Let me think about that for a moment… hmm, absolutely not."

The words were sharp. Akabayashi couldn't blame him. He realized that Izaya would feel betrayed by this, but on the other hand, there wasn't much the Omega wouldn't feel betrayed by. That the whole world was out to get him was the message which had been provided to him all his life. Akabayashi wouldn't change his views now, and he didn't try to.

"It's sink or swim, Izaya. You can't change your nature. Now you have to decide whether you come to terms with yourself or let it overwhelm you."

The young man slowly turned around, but the Alpha wasn't looking at him. Akabayashi watched the buildings they passed, the people outside of the car, living their daily life. He knew these streets could hold sorrow, but also opportunities.

It all came down to looking in the right places.

Next to him, Izaya stayed silent.