A/N: Hi, everyone! Thanks for all your positive feedback regarding my absence in Chapter 11. School starts in a few long days, but I'll try to keep this story as updated as possible.

I thought this chapter would give you guys an idea how this story will be divided into: it'll be according to the path Izaya and Shizuo take, from Yokohama, Sodegaura, and lastly Funabashi. More will be explained in the actual story.

Just a reminder, don refers to the boss of a Yakuza Organization, in this case, Uesugi Kugaha, the don of the Uesugi-kai. This specific chapter includes some short Uesugi-kai scenes, mostly featuring the addition of information to the relationship of my two executives, Eisuke and Nejima. It may seem rather confusing, but it'll all be explained at some point of this story, so please just relax and enjoy!

The Twelfth File:

"Please don't Make Me Fall in Love."

"Why did you let him out?"

In that moment, Eisuke saw a flicker – a flicker of emotions flushing past Nejima that he had never seen prior till that day.

The long-haired executive didn't answer the given question, until he was finished treating the wounds.

"… He didn't belong here." Closing the first aid kit, Nejima moved along the room to return it to its original location. "And he would've escaped sooner or later, without my aid."

"You're surprisingly honest with this, being you."

"You're not a person to ask me a question without solid evidence, either."

Eisuke Kon fiddled with the pages of the novel that was lying on his right. "Are you sure it's safe to just come out on all the happenings of that day? Where's your confidence sprouting from, that I wouldn't report this to the don? I am an executive, just saying." Not that I'd ever tell him anything, anyway.

"I'm not going to say more than this unless you ask me to, Eisuke-san. And besides, if you really did want to report to Uesugi-san, you wouldn't have done it with blatantly interrogating me here." That explanation almost sounded like an alternation for saying "I know you too well."

"'Not unless you ask me to', huh. Obedient, aren't we."

Nejima, his attention slowly being focused at aggrandizing measures, turned to Eisuke. "I'm not exactly in the position to defy your orders, Eisuke-san. Even if you claim that you already repaid my debt."

You're so fucking persistent, Katsu. Kon heaved a resilient sigh, fumbling for a cigarette inside his pocket. "I wish you'd move according to your own conviction, Katsu."

In that split second, Eisuke Kon was unaware of the inaudible response of Nejima Katsu that arrived:

"You are my conviction, Kon."

"By your definition, I'm a monster anyway, so I might as well prove your point."

"That fucking beast."

Orihara Izaya muttered in silence as he stepped out of the steaming shower, a white towel wrapped around his bruised waist. His mobility was becoming a slight problem as time advanced, but it wasn't anything unbearable. What he was much more frustrated at, at that particular moment, was the incredulity of Shizuo's arrogant proclamation before.

"What's with that look, anyway? We've known each other for at least 8 years and I've never seen him like that." Almost as if… "As if he cares." The raven paused, and then snorted at the level of humor contained within that statement. Heiwajima Shizuo and 'caring' weren't exactly contradictory words, given a proper direct object. But when that object became Orihara Izaya, it was like saying that oil and water are mixable. In which, they aren't.

He brushed a fresh towel over his hair, drippy and wet. The reflection of him in the mirror seemed like the epitome of disgust – cuts were scattered over his pale skin, dotted with bruises of differing colors, like a dirtied palette.

"Flea, if you're having another tea party with yourself in the bathroom, I'd appreciate it if you stop."

"Tea party my ass."

Shizuo snickered as he walked past the bathroom, getting prepared to cook dinner. "Flea, want coffee?"

"If you're asking if I want coffee over your unappetizing dairy products, then sure."

The blonde rolled his eyes as he picked up the pot. "I'm pretty sure there were nicer ways of expressing thanks."

"Well, I apologize that my intelligent mind is too pure to announce lies to your soul."

The constant bickering reminded the informant of how this became his ordinary lifestyle – this was where he felt secure. Whether that was because the physically monstrous strength of his business partner was singlehandedly confirmed by a plausible majority, including himself, or because it was simply Heiwajima Shizuo by his own existence that calmed Izaya – he didn't know.

He really hoped it wasn't the latter, by any chance.

Propping his injured body in the chair, Izaya shook his head and sat down. Scanning the neatly set meal, he smirked. "Shizu-chan, you'd make a good housewife."

"And you'd be a terrible husband, flea." Shizuo shot back, shoving a spoonful of rice down his own mouth. Even when he ate, he devoured his food as if there was no tomorrow.

"I have reasons for being asexual all these years." Actually, I think that might be changing but let's ignore that for now. "And please, you've never seen me as a husband."

The taller male looked up and gave him a puzzled frown, which changed into an unreadable expression, as he shrugged. "It's something I'd like to see someday."

That resulted in a frozen Orihara, and a peaceful-looking Heiwajima. "Are you flirting with me, Shizu-chan?"

"Mm," Shizuo finished chewing the remnants of his food. "Who knows."

This bastard. He felt color rushing to his face – a burning, dark blush of red. Heiwajima Shizuo you fucking bastard.

"Hah…" Izaya groaned, almost burying his beetroot face into the leftover rice and miso soup. "I really hate you, Shizu-chan."

"Strong negativity is equivalent to strong positivity."

"Fuck that."

Orihara Izaya didn't like this. He didn't like it at all. He was the puppet master of these games, not Shizuo. He was the teaser, Shizuo just needed to shut his potty mouth and be a violent beast and surprise him. But oddly enough, he didn't exactly despise this situation either – and he specifically abhorred that point.

"By the way, is there anything I need to know further about the… Sugiue-kai?"

"It's Uesugi."

"Same difference."

Grunting in exasperation, the thin male clanked his spoon against the glass bowl. "It's not like you're going to remember anything I tell you, Shizu-chan."

"Well, that was before –" Shizuo abruptly stopped mid-sentence, the wrinkles between his brows vanishing like lightning as if he realized what he was about to say. "… I might remember at least one-third of it. And one-third is better than nothing."

"Eh," Twirling his spoon in his palm, Izaya looked at the ceiling aimlessly, and spoke. "I guess you do have a point there. You should be glad that I'm giving out any information for free, Shizu-chan. It means you're special."

"Special." A smug smirk on his face, Shizuo folded his arms over his sky blue T-shirt.

Izaya added, "In a bad way."

"Doesn't change the fact that I'm special."

"The Nazis were special and it wasn't in a good way either, just saying."

With a relinquishing roll of eyes, the fortissimo gave into the game. "Fine, I'll give that round to you. But will you just get to that fucking piece of information?"

"Well, I explained the executives and their line of business before. Oh, and our next stop is Sodegaura. I told you how their trade routes go from Yokohama, Sodegaura, and then finally to Funabashi, right? Naturally, the formation rotates on some timely basis, but most of the time, one executive is in charge of one trading point. Of course, that doesn't mean they're always there – as far as my knowledge extends, all three executives favor staying behind at their major trading point, Funabashi. Probably due to the fact that it's where their don remains. My estimation for the next formation placement… there's a very high chance that Nejima will be taking Sodegaura."

"Why's that?" Putting the finished dishes in the sink, Shizuo inquired.

"Nejima and Eisuke's guard points are always right next to each other, that's why. I've never witnessed a case where Nejima was at Funabashi, while Eisuke was at Yokohama. If Eisuke is at Funabashi, then Nejima would be at the point right next to it – Sodegaura."

The blonde snorted as he listened with greater concentration levels than he ever possessed during his high school years. "They sound terribly intimate for a bunch of gangsters."

"Mm…" Izaya ceased his speech for a terse few seconds, and tilted his head to the side. "Well, 'intimate' wouldn't be quite the jackpot, but their relationship is definitely… unique. Abnormal, if anything. I never meddled with the two's business, even when I was stuck with the organization – I was too preoccupied to care. But they weren't always close, that's for sure."

"What's that? It's so confusing."

"For your protozoan brain, I wholeheartedly understand."

Shizuo gave him an irritated look, as he slammed the mugs of coffee down on the surface of the table with a little too much power. "Shut up, flea. Oh, right. How about that Goshiki dude?" He did not miss how Izaya's body grew slightly stiffer at the mention of that name. "I don't really know anything, but I know he's not good news for you." Volume decreasing, Shizuo wiped the droplets of coffee he spilt before, avoiding eye contact with the raven.

"It's not like he's 'not good news' or whatsoever." Izaya stared at his wavering reflection in the beverage below. The shaky Orihara Izaya in the coffee seemed like the reality, while the one keeping a silent yet unstable front being the fantasy of his dreams (because dreams always shattered). "… My mom. She sold me for her debt that she owed to the organization. Nothing more, nothing less."

Shizuo stilled, all movement locked away. For a nanosecond, he doubted his ability to hear. "She… what?"

"Sold me. For her debt." Through gritted teeth, words were uttered. They were words he desperately implored to never be grouped together again. It was like an unnecessary update reminder that continuously popped up – something important, yet something you never wanted to see again. "Of course, that's not what she told me. She lied, and I don't really mind it at this point. She never came back for me either – and if she did, she wasn't very eager." I'm rambling. His breathing became hitched, as her nonexistent hair brushed against the bridge of his nose. Her eyes. Her eyes – cold, faking pity, feigning love. That's how she was imprinted in his mind, during his premature days. Was that just a memory he created out of animosity, or the truth?

Shizuo doesn't need to know this. It's absolutely inconsequential information for him, and also awfully personal. I'm fucking rambling, for heaven's sake. He wouldn't care. He's not supposed to care. And I'm aware of that. I'm not supposed to hope that he'd care. No. No. Nonononono–

"Izaya."

He didn't notice that fact that Shizuo was in right ahead of him, or the point that his chair was turned to face Shizuo either. The arch nemesis' hand was over Izaya's mouth, and his determined auburn eyes were phenomenal – phenomenally beautiful.

The informant's fingers curled around Shizuo's hand that was touching his lips. He began to talk, his voice coming out as a muffled mess. "Don't cover my mouth, Shizu-chan."

"You looked like you were spurting nonsense." His tone was deep, just as the color of his orbs. Izaya didn't know how to define the fluttering sensation inside his stomach. "Not aloud, if that's where you're going attack me. But I can't exactly stop your trail of thought." He let his hand fall to his side, but his gaze was glued to Izaya.

"Is it bad if I'm mentally spurting nonsense?" The other bit the inner corner of his lip, his complexion bitter. "It shouldn't be anything out of the ordinary for you."

"I know that." Shizuo crouched down, so that his eye level matched Izaya's. "But I don't really like you with that face, either. It doesn't make me irritated."

Befuddled, Izaya's left brow twitched. "But that's a good thing."

"I'd rather be irritated than see you glum, Izaya." With that, he departed the dining room and headed to brush his teeth, leaving Izaya alone.

He'd rather be irritated than see me glum? "Are you a masochist or what?" That damned protozoan. He doesn't even know what he's talking about. A stretched out, exhausted sigh evaded the lone male, as he stood on his two feet. The tingling feeling of Shizuo's palm – warm, rough, yet oddly comforting – remained on the tip of his chapped lips, as if it was begging to be noticed.

I really shouldn't be relieved. Izaya clutched the middle of his chest, nervously grasping onto the smooth cloth of the shirt.

But I am.

"Hey, Katsu."

"… Goshiki-san."

"Deployed to Sodegaura, are you? Expected, since Kon was at Yokohama, I suppose."

"… I guess." Running his fingers through his silky brown hair that cascaded down his back, Nejima leaned on the wall as he twisted his head sideways to admire the sunset outside. "Are you guarding Funabashi, Goshiki-san?"

"Yeah, for the next two months, apparently." Goshiki said as he lighted his freshly opened cigarette. "Make sure nothing happens while you're there. Sodegaura is one of our main trading points, after all. You know how the don is impatient right now because of the guys from the Minami-kai."

"Right…" Half-listening to the warning, Nejima proceeded to examine the files he printed out again. "I'll make sure nothing happens."

A puff of smoke created a light gray trail towards the sky. "I heard Eisuke crashed a job. How's that going?"

"… He just got into some complicated mess, that's all. It's nothing we can't handle." His words barely audible but enunciated with stress, the younger executive made sure his point was clearly made. "Eisuke-san is perfectly capable."

A miniature cloud forming in the atmosphere, Goshiki snorted and slumped down on their leather couch. "You're always so defensive when it comes to Kon. Well, I bet he seems all almighty to you because he basically scooped up your ass from hellfire." Nejima crinkled his nose and prepped himself to escape the other executive. "But Katsu – always remember, that we're all nothing more than a bunch of bloodsucking bastards to the universe. That doesn't exclude you, or your hero Kon."

"I never asked for it to be that way, and it will never happen. And please don't selfishly judge my personal opinion about Eisuke-san – it's not your business, to bluntly say." Nejima snapped, snatching his bag from the wooden chair in the corner of the office. "… Or perhaps, you're still pissed about being unable to track the whereabouts of Izaya down?"

Touché, thought Katsu, as the cigarette Goshiki had pursed between his lips broke in half, the once burning portion falling helplessly to the ground. He was shrewd enough the switch his gears and wear a complacent smile on his usually stoic face. "Of course that couldn't be the case. You're not such a draggy man, Goshiki-san."

"… Ah."

"Well, if you'll excuse me. I'll be leaving for Sodegaura now – please have a nice evening." The heavy door closed with a metallic click behind him, the cheap light flickering above his head.

Come, Izaya. He shut his eyes, and gripped the handle of his bag tightly. Just like how I let you go all those years ago,

I'll let you in once more.

"I asked Tom-san if we could borrow his car again, and he said yes."

"Great, so we at least have our transportation secured. The time it takes from Ikebukuro is about the same as Yokohama, so I don't think we'd need to rush it. If there's something I'm concerned about, it's the exact fact that we're using the same car as last time. I don't think they figured out it was ours yet, especially since we barely got anything from our previous trip." Izaya typed away at his laptop, Shizuo sitting next to him with a cup of warm milk. "But there's absolutely no way that they're going to ignore the details, like last time. Naturally, I could easily predict that Eisuke would predict that we'd come, but Nejima is the real deal. You'd probably never be as sharp as him after a gazillion nirvanas, Shizu-chan."

"Oh, fucking shut it. I'm atheist."

"And so am I. But that's not the matter right now. In case you forget, or have already forgotten – the mission's point is not to obstruct, but observe. The Sodegaura base is not hidden in a secret passage – it's out in the open, disguised as your any other normal edifice-like structure. My sources show a concentrated location, so I have a rough idea where it is. The problem here is that our previous plan wouldn't work this time –"

"It didn't work last time either."

"Bleh. You're messing with my focus. What I want to say, is that this is where we're going to shatter our priorities and get to what you excel at – what you were born for, Shizu-chan." Izaya's thin smile heightened with a sly motion, and Shizuo huffed a prideful breath, setting his cup down on the table.

"Kick ass."

"Accurate." With a confirmative nod, Izaya continued. "But we do need you under control. Obviously given the circumstances, we're going to infiltrate the base during midnight, when population density is at its lowest in the vicinity. We can't afford to attract attention – although that could be used effectively in certain cases, this isn't due to the fact that we're already crushing our primary goal – to stay undercover."

Shizuo hummed an agreeable sound, as he took another sip at the drink. "I don't want to get innocent civilians involved either. Let's go with that."

"Whatever floats your boat," His laptop shut downward softly, Izaya stretched his arms to take a brief break from his work. "You need to know, I mean, you're stupid, but you really need to be aware of the fact of how much we're putting at stake for this Sodegaura mission. Unlike the Yokohama point, this operation heavily relies on your ability rather than mine. Nejima is the weakest amongst the executives – instead of trying to fight him with tactics, we'll break through with that straightforward strength of yours."

"I'll look over the part where you called me stupid. But sounds like a plan – is that Nejima guy really nothing but all brains?" The buff man frowned in slight bewilderment – he certainly didn't sound like a huge deal, if someone were to strip him naked of his mental capabilities.

Izaya rubbed his chin with two fingers and tried to recall his time at the Uesugi-kai. "He's a good sniper. Anything that requires some attentiveness, really. Shizu-chan's not weak to kill with a few bullets, because to be honest, you're practically just a beast – just avoid the vital parts, alright? If you die, that pretty much means mission fail."

"Yeah, thanks for worrying." The words casually slipped from Shizuo, causing Izaya to snap.

"I am not worried."

"Hm?" The Heiwajima blinked, and then shrugged. "Oh. Well, whatever. I'm worried."

Scrunching his face, the informant slumped forward as his chin balanced his body on the chair he was seated on. "You're worried about dying?"

"No, not that." The other jutted his jaw at the red-eyed man. "I'm worried about you dying."

"If you're implying that I'm a fragile damsel in distress –"

"I was always the only one." Shizuo cut him off, as all anger dissipated from Izaya's expression. "When I was younger, you know. I didn't know how to control this monstrous, inhumane power. I caused trouble with every inch that I moved, with every breath I inhaled. I made a fucking mess out of everything, and went berserk with some petty provocation. And you know, every time I made a shitty pile of idiotic stuff, there'd be consequences. Of course, I was hurt – it sounds unbelievable, I know. Not really much physically – compared to the people that were traumatized by me, at least. Much more mentally. It pressured me. It affected the reputation of my parents, and our financial status. I'm not sure if Kasuka had to go through anything because of what I did, but it's certain that he had to be influenced in some way." He paused, and mused about how his voice was a lot calmer than he thought it'd be. It was his first time that he ever told anyone about his past – it wasn't like it was some private secrecy or whatever – it couldn't even be considered one, because records remained – but he had never said all, or most of it, aloud.

And really, he'd never imagined the first audience would be none other than Orihara Izaya, his once mortal enemy.

The blonde smirked. "How's that – did I prove myself to be a monster now?"

"No."

Surprisingly enough, both men were taken aback by the speedy reply. Izaya didn't seem to realize he had voiced his true thoughts until it was released free in the open for the other to hear. His hand shook in midair, as if it had lost its destination, until it found the back of Izaya's neck in discomfort. "That did the exact opposite effect. You suck at convincing people, you protozoan."

Said protozoan put his hands in his pockets, staring at the wall. The living room light was dim, and the air conditioner was resonating with a low vibrato motion. "Heh."

"Monsters don't try to put their mindsets in other's shoes. Nor do they attempt to pay attention to their surroundings, or care for their environment." Izaya stood up from the chair and gazed into Shizuo's eyes. "If you really were a monster in that way, you wouldn't be making that expression right now."

"Oh yeah?" The gruff man challenged, tilting his head to the side out of habit. "Tell me."

Your eyes. I was always enraptured by the attractiveness of your eyes. An addictive auburn. Like a drug. Taking an indecisive, circumspect step forward, Izaya raised his arm to touch the left of Shizuo's neck – their eyes were connected as one, like an unbreakable chemical bond. "You know, I hate your eyes, Shizuo." His smile was weak, bittersweet, tinted with crimson. I hate how they make me never want to look away. His fingers curled around the edge of Shizuo's neck, the warmth of the male's skin spreading all over his body as they touched.

The blonde relaxed his shoulders, as he gradually, but definitely reached up his own hand to grasp Izaya's that was in contact with his skin. His hand is cold. His hold grew tight and trembled with determination. "I hate your eyes too, Izaya." I hate how despite my lingering hatred that remains for you, the flaming redness warps me into an inferno of emotions. Slowly removing Izaya's hand from his neck, he relocated it near his mouth so that the raven's skin brushed his lips. His smell, his devilish personality.

I need it all, with me.

"We really do hate each other a lot, don't we." Izaya let out a breathy laugh, internally detesting how he desired his hand to stay there, with Shizuo, for a lasting eternity, in this room.

"Yeah."

For all that I want, Shizu-chan…

Please don't make me fall in love.

A/N: I'm not going to lie – no matter what anybody says, I absolutely loved writing this particular chapter. Maybe it's because Nejima and Eisuke got a little more spotlight in this one (because I really like writing about them, if any of you noticed) – but I think that the Shizaya development in this chapter made me tremble in delight while typing up the scenes. I know I did say I'd made this a slow-build kind of story, but really – authors get super impatient too. So yay, romantic stress relief!

Of course, please tell me if there's anything that seems off about the chapters, and I'll try to correct my mistakes. Constructive criticism is always my pleasure! If not, then please leave some comments about how you guys felt this chapter as well – if you want to, of course!

Thank you for your support, guys!

Todoka Ayane