Here's chapter 3!

"What do you mean you can't watch her?!" Izaya shouted into his phone. "I realize it's your vacation, but I need you to come in!"

Kikoe rubbed her eyes and came out of the bedroom, yawning.

"Namie, I can't watch her, Shinra and Celty can't watch her, what do I do?!"

"Zaya?" Kikoe called silently. Izaya turned to look at her and smiled a little.

"I'll call you back," he said, hanging up. He walked over to the sleepy girl and picked her up gently. "I didn't hear you wake up."

"I heard you yelling," Kikoe said quietly as she yawned again. "Are you goin' somewhere?" Izaya sighed and sat on the couch.

"I have to be out for a week," he said. "It's a work thing."

"I wanna come with you," Kikoe mumbled. Izaya grinned a little.

"I'm afraid you can't come with me, Kikoe," he said sadly. Kikoe whined a little.

"I wanna go with you…" Izaya saw her tearing up and he sighed, pulling her into a hug and rubbing her back.

"Please don't cry, Kikoe," he whispered as he felt her breath grow a little rapid. She suddenly threw her arms around his neck and started sobbing into his shoulder.

"I wanna go with you!" she kept yelling as Izaya continued to rub her back. He had gotten used to these little tantrums she threw when she was tired. It had been about three months since he had 'adopted' her, and he found that she truly wasn't a morning person. She continued crying onto his shoulder and hugging him until he stood up, carrying her to the kitchen. As she clung to him tightly, Izaya reached into the fridge, pulling out a Sippy-cup—given to him by Celty—filled with strawberry milk and shifted the crying four-year-old. He put the bottle to her lips and she paused her tears, accepting the drink calmly.

"That's better, Kikoe-chan," Izaya said as he rocked the little girl back and forth. She quietly sipped on the milk and when she was done, Izaya hugged her close again. "It'll only be for one week. It's too dangerous for me to bring you, or else I would. I'll find someone to take care of you, though." Kikoe whimpered, but didn't cry anymore. Instead, she buried her face in Izaya's shoulder stubbornly. Izaya smirked and sighed to himself. He closed his eyes and began wracking through his brain in hopes of thinking of a possible caretaker for the girl.

…..

"Zaya-nii?" Kikoe asked as she was walking next to the man. Izaya looked down at her. "I'm hungry…" Izaya smiled a little and picked her up.

"How does sushi sound?" Kikoe smiled widely and nodded. Izaya chuckled to himself and then put the little girl on his shoulders, making her squeal in laughter. It was noon, so Izaya decided to take Kikoe out on a walk. They were nearing the Russia Sushi store in Ikebukuro as Kikoe was playing with Izaya's hair. Izaya chuckled and, once he made it to the store, he took her off his shoulders and put her on his back. "Simon~! I'm here!" he called.

A tall, black man poked his head out from behind a wall. "Ah, Izaya! You come for sushi! Who is little girl?" Kikoe giggled and waved her hello.

"This is my little sister," Izaya said with a smirk. Simon looked perplexed for a second then smiled anyway.

"Sushi for her on the house!" he yelled happily. Kikoe blushed and giggled as Izaya placed her into a booster seat. She squealed and kicked her legs around. Izaya chuckled again and ruffled her hair. "Is good for Izaya to find friend!" Kikoe smiled her adorable smile and then Simon went to the kitchen to make special kids rolls for her. Izaya sighed a bit and grabbed a little bib from his pocket.

"Kikoe-chan," he said softly. She looked at him and he fastened it around her neck. "Wouldn't want to dirty the nice clothes Shinra got for you, would we?" Kikoe shook her head and then grabbed the crayons then started to draw on her menu.

Izaya suddenly felt eyes on him and looked out the window, seeing familiar mocha eyes looking back at him. He narrowed his eyes and pushed his chair back. "Kikoe, I'll be right back. Simon, can you watch her for a second?" Simon came out and smiled with a thumb up. Izaya nodded once and went outside to face the ex-bartender. "Can I help you?" he asked with a harsh tone.

Shizuo shrugged and smirked. "No. I was just curious as to how an asshole like you can care for a kid like her."

"With ease," Izaya replied. "She's a good kid and she's not a monster." Shizuo rolled his eyes.

"Yeah," he said, "so what are your actual plans for her, huh? Raise her with false love then abandon her? Sell her to the black market?" Izaya glared and fingered at his knife in his pocket.

"What I do with her is my business," he growled. "As I recall, you're the one who almost killed her with a damn vending machine." Shizuo sighed and shrugged.

"You shouldn't have been here," he said. Izaya smirked suddenly.

"Speaking of which," he said with a grin, "since, in a world of civil non-brutes, a person would owe something to someone they almost killed, maybe you can do something for me." Shizuo glared.

"Like hell I'd do something for you."

"Then do something for her," Izaya retorted. Shizuo sighed and decided to listen.

"What?"

"I need someone to watch her for a week," Izaya said with a shrug. "I have a business thing in Okinawa and I can't take her with me. Gang stuff, you know? It isn't a suitable place for a four-year-old. Just watch her." Shizuo scoffed.

"Really?" he said. "You're putting your sleezy job before that little girl?" Izaya crooked a brow.

"My sleezy job is what's going to pay for her college tuition, medical insurance, and a decent home life," he growled. Shizuo couldn't argue with that. Izaya was right it seemed. He thought for a moment and then groaned.

"Fine," he said. "I'll watch the runt, but only for the week and you better come back for her." Izaya smirked.

"Of course, Shizu-chan," he said with a grin as he turned and went back inside.

When Izaya looked at his table and saw that Kikoe wasn't there. Immediate panic swept through his calm composure and then ran to the kitchen. "Simon?!" he yelled, but was stopped short in the doorway by the cutest sight he'd ever seen.

Kikoe was standing on a step stool, wearing an oversized apron, and had sticky rice all over her face. She was holding a knife and chopping a piece of tuna repeatedly. Simon was watching intently and encouraging her with enthusiasm. Izaya sighed in relief and started laughing. This was the cutest thing he'd ever seen in his existence. The little girl suddenly looked over at him and giggled.

"Zaya!" she yelled in glee. "I made sushi!" She pointed to a plate of a messy pile of rice, tuna, and seaweed. Izaya laughed harder and put a hand on the counter to support him. He walked over to Kikoe and scooped her up into his arms.

"It looks delicious, Kikoe-chan!" he said, laughter filling his voice. Kikoe squealed in happiness as she hugged the man around his neck, getting sticky rice all over his face too.