Title : Hate and Love and a Baby

Disclaimer : I do not own any of the Characters of Durarara!.

Shizuo remembers well, the day he first met his son. At the time, the boy was small, surprisingly so, leading even Shinra to get worried. Obviously, this worried Shizuo too, but no matter how much the two friends felt luck slipping from them when the little bundle of life and joy finally arrived, a whole year has proven that their fears were completely unfounded.

Bouncing lightly within his mother's arms, Hikaru is enjoying the view of guests eager and ready to celebrate his birthday. The number of people who know of his existence has boosted, though not including strangers it includes people both Shizuo and Izaya know; in other words, people they can trust.

The older Hikaru gets, the more they can be certain of his survival, and so more people are trusted with the information.

Much of Hikaru's first few months had only his parents, his paternal grandparents, and those present at his birth, which means Shinra and Celty.

Two months later, Tom came to learn the truth, and then Kadota.

The twins, Mairu and Kururi, were kept in the dark longer than expected, for Izaya complained - quite childishly - that Mairu had attempted to kill him with her martial arts while he was pregnant. Though both Shizuo and his mother argued how the girl didn't know what she was doing, Izaya still held the truth from them until the fifth month.

Causing Mairu to make another attempt on his life.

After 12 months, the group of people who know about Hikaru (without adding how or why he was conceived), include Simon, Dennis, Varona, Kasuka, Ruri and the rest of the van gang.

For reasons unknown, Izaya let Anri know too.

Each and every one of these people are at Shinra's apartment, a place fully decorated to accommodate the many guests and to also please the child, who apparently takes more pleasure in staring at said guests than the hard work of his so-called godfather.

Right now, everyone is setting down their presents for the boy and finding a seat for themselves.

Honestly, there might be people outside of this lot who discovered Hikaru, but neither of the boy's parents are willing to find out or even acknowledge this. They want only those in this room to know. There's a chance Izaya's client Shiki knows, or even more likely, his secretary.

Nevertheless, the pair aren't going to investigate and will continue to make sure their son hangs around with only the trusted, that means no color gang leaders and no more than five minutes with the continuously delighted Erika.

The only ones unable to attend, are Izaya's parents.

They have yet to come to terms that their son became a mother, and isn't even married.

Their reason for not coming, is that they're busy, even though they're back in Japan and not overseas. They even asked for photos of the party, according to Namiko. This is almost perfect proof their lack of attendance is on purpose, and all three of their children are displeased about it.

At least, Hikaru doesn't appear to miss relatives he only saw once.

Once again, feeling he should act more like a proper father, Shizuo takes the opportunity while most guests are watching his parents bring in the cake, to wrap an arm around his enemy's waist. The raven stiffens at the contact, and he's probably not stabbing him because he's carrying their son.

It's been upsetting Shizuo, truthfully, the lack of affection between them. His sense of duty keeps telling him their animosity needs to stop or things will turn out bad for Hikaru, not least because one of them could end up in the hospital.

Their sex life continues to be as wild as ever, still consisting of rough kisses and inevitable punches and cuts. They never share the facts about it, preferring to keep it to themselves even if it worries those who suspect it. Only once have they gone on a date, and by its conclusion they appeared to only care about each other a tiny bit more.

Less than Shizuo hoped.

To say he's falling in love with Izaya, is probably going too far. There's still so much he hates about Izaya, who ceases not to commit various sins without thinking about their son first. All he keeps saying is he's doing his job, though Shizuo is bloody certain, that scaring the life and spirits out of innocent, teenage girls is not work-related.

The only change he's seen so far, or anyone has, is Izaya's assault on neglectful parents.

While that in particular doesn't disturb Shizuo, he still hates how merciless Izaya can be even if it is out of the love he has for Hikaru. If they are to get along at all, at least one of them needs to change their habits. Shizuo himself has worked hard to control his rage, and according to Tom, he's caused less property damage than ever since he first got the job.

He still however, sends offending gangsters and runaway clients to hospital.

Responding to his mother's call for attention, Shizuo, while keeping his hand almost protectively on Izaya's waist, walks with them towards the cake, where they intend to get the boy to blow out a candle.

Admittedly, and probably in everyone's eyes too, the way Izaya is gesturing the boy to blow the single light blue candle is oddly adorable. He keeps puffing his cheeks and pretending to blow, and for a while, it seems Hikaru is confused, taking the liberty to simply leave a kiss on his mother's cheek than do as he's told.

Shizuo is nearly tempted to do the blowing himself, when suddenly Hikaru understands but blows air right in his mother's face.

Half the room tries not to laugh.

Without getting angry, Izaya points at the candle, and in that moment, Hikaru leans over and blows.

The flame vanishes.

The room erupts in loud clapping, lacking only Izaya's who returns his smiling son's kiss.

Namiko proceeds the celebration with removing the candle and bringing out a knife. Like an expert, she cuts the cake smoothly, and places the first slice on a plate Celty has just brought. Celty then sets the first piece in front of a chair Izaya is to sit on with Hikaru.

Only then the contact between the boy's parents is broken.

The next piece, smaller, goes to Shizuo, and the rest of the cake is given out in accordance to one's relation to the boy. The last piece lands on Shinra, and no one misses the snicker Izaya lets out when the guy makes a fuss for being put last when all he's ever wanted, is to mean something to the boy he keeps calling 'a miracle'.

Peace arrives when everyone begins eating. Izaya is careful with the tiny pieces he feeds Hikaru and only stops when the boy shakes his head, and opts to snuggle up to mama, leaving papa who is right next to him to sulk, openly.

During pregnancy, Izaya got addicted to sweet foods, enabling him to eat the rest of the cake without throwing up.

It's an ice-cream cake, very delicious, judging by the sounds the guests are making as each bite melts in their mouths. Celty is the only one left out, but she did a lot of the preparation so her contribution, as stated on her phone, is enough for her.

Even though her 'husband' keeps trying to teasingly feed her.

Speaking of which, Shizuo's mother keeps looking at him oddly, and when she finally points to the doctor, Shizuo's face heats up unexpectedly. Seriously? Gazing at the male more focused on his son than everything in his surroundings, Shizuo - out of the love he has for his mother, again - picks up a spoon full and nudges Izaya in the side.

When red orbs turn to him, Shizuo has said spoon full an inch from the raven's face.

They hardly notice a few, unwanted pair of eyes on them.

Shizuo's eyes, however, notice a blush on his enemy's face, probably the same shade as his own. Gasps fill the room, mostly from Erika, when Izaya takes the mouthful of cake in between his lips. Both faces start burning when Hikaru laughs with utmost delight at the rare display of affection.

Following the otherwise silent eating, Namiko - or more like the host - stands up and asks, "Whose present should we open first?" It surprises no one when Izaya raises his arm instantly, and since he is the mother, no one complains. Namiko heads for the stack and searches for the present she remembers by color.

Scarlet wrapping, adorned with pink hearts, and a white ribbon.

In less than a minute, Namiko is walking back to the pair with the box, and places it before the wide eyes of her grandson. Shizuo watches as the boy reaches forward to caress it, and when Izaya whispers a, "Do you like it?", the boy laughs as if he understood.

Finally able to hold his own child, Shizuo is more than relieved to find Izaya lifting him off his own lap and onto Shizuo's. Painfully, the boy won't even look at him.

The blond pouts.

Most watch as Izaya unwraps his own gift, and after he lifts the lid off the white box inside, different colored balloons escape, each touching the ceiling while surprising all. Upon each one, are different words, sentences, all meant for the boy currently staring at them with wonder-filled eyes.

I will always love you

You are my precious

Mummy will never forget you

And Happy Birthday are among the many messages decorating the ceiling. Hikaru is too young to understand any of them, but when Shizuo looks up at the red orbs focused on their son, he can tell, with utmost certainty, that every word came from the bottom of the raven's heart and nothing has ever mattered more to Izaya than Hikaru.

Izaya leans forward to place kisses all over the boy's face, smooching him very lovingly and stunning anyone inexperienced with the sight of a caring Izaya.

Shizuo can barely contain how happy he is, to see the mother of his child, commonly known for his cruelty, to care so much for Hikaru. They've raised him together for a year, but hardly does Shizuo get to see the side that he admittedly likes about the other. Kindness. Dedication. Maybe that's why, he is willing to make real his mother's dream of a positive bond between him and Izaya.

Maybe, someday, he can love Izaya, as they love their son.

When the boy laughs again, as if blushing from the overload of affection, Izaya whispers words to him that makes Shizuo more than confident...of a day he shall say those exact same words...to Izaya.

"Happy birthday, my sweet, amazing, star of hope."

Owari

Author's Note : I pray this chapter turned out alright. This was written during a powerful writer's block. Oh my.

As usual, I hope you all enjoyed~