Disclaimer: I don't own Durarara!

Over the course of a year

-o-o-o-o-

It all started in February, when Kishitani Shinra, underground doctor and friend of Ikebukuro's most feared couple of enemies, proposed an idea to one of them. „Just leave him alone and he'll stop interfering you at work." were the bespectacled man's words. Hearing those words, Orihara Izaya went silent. He came over, visiting his friend, so Shinra could tend to bruises a certain bleach blonde male inflicted on Izaya's body by throwing a trash bin at him.

If the raven haired man wasn't so engrossed in teasing a boy, whose name reminded him of an air conditioner, the former bartender wouldn't have been able to hit him… again. At least he's already used to this kind of pain, so he was able on losing the brute after a few twists and turns.

Now Shinra's words got him thinking the doctor's suggestion over. Sure he loved those chases, but from time to time, they were majorly interfering with his work, at some point he was growing annoyed by it. Even Shiki-san, his favorite client and executive of the Awakusu-kai, "nicely" asked him if he could tone it down a bit. Probably because a vending machine almost smashed into his limousine, while he was talking to the informant. It was the first time Izaya saw the high-ranking yakuza so pissed off. Sure there was no comparison to the man who had thrown the machine, but for Shiki's case it was quite unexpected.

So Izaya made his decision. As fun as taunting the blonde monster was, he loved his job too much as to risk losing some of his clients to the fear against a feral beast that hates the informant's guts.

-o-o-o-o-

It was April before Heiwajima Shizuo finally accepted the black haired male's sincerity of demanding a truce. Shinra and Celty helped a lot on persuading him. After all it wasn't only for the city's peace but for Shizuo's own.

The first time the two former enemies meet on the street after Shizuo accepted the truce, they just walked past each other. Sure their gaze had met for a second, but other than that, they had just ignored each other. From that meeting onwards Izaya even started on paying extra attention on walking the opposite pedestrian walk as the one he would spot that tuft of blonde hair on.

It took a whole month of those two ignoring each other for the city coming to terms with the peace between them, but eventually the people of Ikebukuro were quick on adapting to it, after all the only thing that was different about these two that they weren't at each others throat anymore. The informant still had fun with his beloved humans, while the fortissimo still threw heavy things at everyone who dared pissing him off.

-o-o-o-o-

It was July when the Irish and by the way headless fairy, tried calming down a very pissed off man wearing a bartender suit. The reason he was angry wasn't his former nemesis. No. Those times where long gone by now. The reason he was angry was because the peace he hoped for never really came.

Izaya ignored Shizuo ever since that day in April and vice versa, but the gangs and clients who never could seem to pay off their debts, still constantly got under his skin. To top it all, nowadays he seemed to snap even faster than before.

It was like… there was something missing in his life. Something that had helped him coping with his anger, until he lost whatever it was. His life remained the same; it just became more difficult to deal with.

Only a few blocks away, in the Kishitani residence, a glossy black haired man had a similar problem. Ever since that day in April he hadn't come by for treatment of wounds his former rival inflicted but because of wounds some of his over confident, but still pretty stupid clients or other thugs caused.

Only an hour ago a former client of Izaya had pointed a gun at him, blaming Izaya for the fact his wife got divorced because she learned of him cheating on her. In the end the bullet only grazed his left arm a little too deep for comfort, but Izaya still managed on disarming the man. Later he would just dig up some trash about him that would get that lovely human arrested by the police. While patching him up, Shinra promised that no scar will stain his flawless skin, but Izaya still felt that hollow feeling inside his chest.

Ever since Ikebukuro had accepted the truce between the two forces of calamity, it was like some of those small fishes he dealt before were seeing him as less than a threat as before. His more important clients still dealt with him like usual so he hadn't felt the need of caring much about this change, but nowadays more and more stupid thugs believed they could beat up the great Orihara Izaya earning fame for themselves.

It was like… there was something missing in his life. Something that added to the fear and respect humans felt for him until he lost whatever it was. It slightly annoyed the usual composed informant.

-o-o-o-o-

In August, Shinra and his lovely and also hopeful future-wife-to-be, invited them both over to a hot-pot party. One reason for the hot-pot in the blazing summer heat was because Izaya still hadn't forgiven the glasses wearing man for not inviting him over the last time. The other reason, the one he wouldn't dare on revealing towards them was so they could have another chance on becoming friends. After all, he always wanted his two best friends to become friends as well. He was quite disappointed when they started hating each other from the first second, so now that the two of them had their truce, and seemingly needed each other in their life, he would try again.

Shizuo was the first to arrive. He was drinking some tea Celty had served him not to long ago when the door bell rang and Shinra ran off to answer whoever would be waiting on the other side of the door. When a voice he hadn't heard in a long time reached his ear, his heart began speeding up a bit and soon after the owner of this voice entered the living room. When reddish-brown eyes connected with honey colored ones, an awkward silence engulfed them. The blond bodyguard slightly shifted inside his seat, while the raven haired man averted his eyes, his usual mocking grin not present.

"H-Hey." Shizuo greeted him, resulting in Izaya looking at him again. "Long time not seen, right?" the informant answered with a business smile. Never in his live would Shizuo have thought to see the "Flea" smile like that towards him. It was kind of disturbing, but before he could voice his thoughts another thing gained his attention. The flea wasn't wearing his usual fur-trimmed jacket, since it was summer and scorching hot outside. So the fact he preferred wearing a short-sleeved black vest over a red shirt and his usual black trousers wasn't what caught his eyes. But due to this unusual attire he had a good look at the porcelain white skin, which was normally hidden from his view. At first glance it was easy to miss, but on second Shizuo could clearly see the white clothe wrapped around the others right arm.

"What happened to your arm?" he asked pointing at the flea. Placing his left hand over the bandage, Shizuo could have sworn that even just only for a second he saw a familiar glint in the others eyes.

"Just some stupid thugs, pulling a hit-and-run on me yesterday." Izaya answered shortly. The blond couldn't help his next outbreak. "What?!" The informant's business smile slightly morphed itself into his usual smirk. "Aww, is Shizu-ch…" he stopped himself, coughing once. His mask turning back into the one he wears for business before speaking again. "Is Shizuo worried about me? Don't wreck your head around it. I stepped out just in time. What I didn't expect was another one waiting for exactly this moment so he could attack me with a knife." He waved his hand in the air. Hearing his real name instead of that hated nickname leaving the others mouth, left a funny taste on Shizuo's tongue.

"It would seem like some of my lovely humans started evolving and gained a few more brain cells in the process. I'll have to consider that for future interrogations." the informant added to his speech.

Shinra and Celty both watched this calm but also awkward dialogue with mixed feelings. It was strange seeing those two interacting in such a civil manor rather than through violence.

Shinra interrupted the silence that by now had formed between the two by saying he wanted to see if Izaya's wound heals like it should and Celty asked Shizuo if he could help her set everything up on the kotatsu her fiancé got especially for today. So after everything was done they all sat down around the small heating table. The doctor insisted on sitting at the opposite side of where Celty was sitting because he wanted to stare at her beautiful black shadow-smoke-emitting headless neck while eating. The Dullahan had to resist really hard against her urge on hitting her lover in the side with her elbow.

The doctor's wish was granted which caused Izaya and Shizuo sit opposite from each other. Months of ignoring and unconsciously missing each others presence, while dealing with their own problems had left the two without knowing how to deal with each other. So they just looked everywhere but towards the other. After all, they just couldn't go back to how it was before.

At first only Shinra and Celty had been coming up with conversations, but after a while the ice between the former rivals seemed to melt down, making them converse with one another on their own free will. They talked normally about random topics, listening when the other spoke, laughing about jokes they made.

After what Shinra and Celty would call a successful evening, Shizuo had to leave so he would get enough sleep before work tomorrow. Izaya left together with him, still conversing with the blonde until their ways parted.

-o-o-o-o-

Even though the two had such a great time together at Shinra's and Celty's hot-pot-party, they still continued on ignoring each other. The only thing that changed on the outside was that Izaya stopped caring if he walked down the opposite pedestrian or not. They even started nodding to greet the other; sometimes they even exchanged a short "Hey" or "Hi". But other than that there was nothing going on between them.

On the inside they had realized what it was they missed all those months. They missed interacting with each other, but after that one evening at Shinra's, they both were dead-set on never going back to those times they had before. So all they could come up with was continuing on ignoring one another.

In October Shizuo was on his way home from another day of constantly snapping and throwing things at clients who couldn't even come up with good lies on why they aren't paying their debts. The sun was already beginning to set when he passed by an alley, hearing an all too familiar laughter. When he looked around the corner he saw Izaya lazily leaning against the wall on one side of the narrow way, his hands inside the fur-trimmed jacket's pockets. He wasn't alone, but surrounded by at least fifteen other guys, some even carried bats with them. The picture before him almost screamed ambush.

"You know, ganging up on someone to bully that person really is the lamest thing you can do. Even if it's lil' old me." he heard Izaya saying while looking around. "But fear not, you're humans, so that's just another side to love abo-" "Shut the hell up, you punk!" one of the thugs screamed. Shizuo's eyes lit up upon finding what he searched for.

"Ya' know? Ya' ain't such a badass as ya think ya are. So me and my pals are gonna beat tha shit out of ya now. How does that sound, huh?" the leader of the gang that surrounded the informant spoke with a poor accent. It almost made Izaya crackle up laughing again. His fingers clenched and unclenched around his trusted switchblade, waiting for the right moment on using it, he scanned the area for all possible escape routes. All those new gangs are becoming such cocky nuisance nowadays and besides… he really wasn't in the mood of playing with them right now. The leader ripped the bat out of the hands from the guy beside him. A feral grin spread on his face as he slowly walked towards Izaya. He pushed himself of the wall, mentally preparing himself for the counter-attack when a vending machine flew by, knocking the advancing guy down. He got lucky he wasn't just squished between it and the floor. Blinking Izaya's head shot towards the alley way's entrance. His heart took a strange loop as he saw Heiwajima Shizuo with the setting sun behind his back, making the blond hair glow like a gold crown.

"Oi, you poor bastards!" the husky voice growled deeply. "Get lost before I decide on hurling something else at you." It seemed the recent demonstration of strength was enough for the rest to squabble away in a panic, even the leader robbed away like the pathetic fool he was. Izaya just couldn't help anymore and break up in laughter.

Hearing the smaller male cackling made Shizuo sigh up in relief. "You're not hurt, I guess." he said. Izaya had laughed so hard that he had to catch his breath again. With his chest heaving a little harder than usual he looked up at the blond male who now stood before him. He had his sunglasses in his vest-pocket as those light-brown eyes reflected the light of the streetlamp that just sprang to life.

His breath began to hitch in his throat when Izaya looked up at him, smiling. It was in no way a mocking kind of smile or that stupid business smile, but the one he had only seen late that evening when they both where at Shinra's.

"No, I'm alright." Izaya's voice brought him back to the present. "Thanks for helping me out, Shizuo. I really wasn't in the mood of dealing with those guys." Shizuo frowned. Izaya called him again by his full name. It just didn't feel right.

"Hey, ah… could you just stop calling me that?" he asked scratching the back of his head. Now Izaya looked confused. "But I thought you hated me calling you 'Shizu-chan'. So now with the truce and all I thought it would be proper on calling you by your name." he said tilting his head. Shizuo had to swallow. "Yeah, but that was when I still hated you, now it just feels wrong." the blonde said without thinking about his words. Izaya's eyes grew wide.

"Wait! You don't hate me anymore?" he asked and Shizuo answered with a nod. "Well, you're not pissing me off anymore and the people me and Tom-san collect debts from are getting even more on my nerves than you ever were… And since that hot-pot-party I think it wouldn't be that bad on getting to know each other." he almost mumbled out the last part, but Izaya still got the whole speech. "So…" the raven haired man began. "You want us to become… friends?" Shizuo nodded. "Would be nice." he said averting his eyes. Izaya smiled again. "Yeah."

Hearing this, the blonde's eyes trailed back towards Izaya's. "I think so too."

-o-o-o-o-

Since that day, everything changed once more between the two former enemies. They weren't ignoring each other anymore, but they also weren't reverting back to their times of fighting.

They started hanging out with each other. Eating together at Russian Sushi, which made Simon happy and shocked Tom the first time Izaya joined their lunch break. They even walked to cinemas watching Kasuka's or other new movies. Sometimes they just came over to the others apartment, just relaxing indoors and enjoying each others presence.

One time Izaya helped the debt collector and his bodyguard trailing down a guy who ran off in hope to escape his debt. Shizuo threw a car at some thug who had planned on stabbing the informant, not that Izaya would have been in need of help, but he just didn't like the idea of his friend being hurt in any kind of way. Now that Heiwajima Shizuo and Orihara Izaya had become friends, no one in their right mind, thought of messing with even one of them. They weren't called "enemies" by others anymore, but instead they were called names like "the deadly duo", since going against one would be just plain suicide.

Shizuo's life had become calmer while Izaya's had become much more exciting. Even making the informant give up on his plans of creating a war. Everyone was wondering why they hadn't hooked up and became friends' sooner.

-o-o-o-o-

The months went by and so February rolled around again. It's been exactly a year since the change in the relationship of Ikebukuro's two strongest started. Izaya was visiting Shinra for some information Shiki-san asked him about, now that he had what he came for, he simply enjoyed a cup of tea his friend served him.

"So, it's been a year since you took my brilliant idea to heart, right?" the doctor asked beaming. Izaya just laughed. "Don't get over your head, but yeah... That time you really had a brilliant idea." He took a sip from his tea.

"I'm so glad my two best friends finally like each other." Shinra said, empathizing the word "like" making the informant swallow the wrong way. "W-what?!" the informant shrieked between wild coughs. Shinra's grin widened. "Oh, come on, Izaya. You can't tell me you and Shizuo are only friends. At times you two act like a lovesick couple."

The black haired male turned a light shade of red. Taking another sip of his tea made him calm down. "Sorry to disappoint you, but we ARE only friends." "You have each others apartment keys." Shinra countered. "It's more convenient this way, since we're friends." Izaya now said.

"I'm your friend too, why don't I have a key to even one of your apartments?" the glasses wearing male snickered.

"Because you're Shinra who close to never leaves his house, so why would you need my or Shizu-chan's key if you never use it?"

"You make it sound like I'm some sort of shut-in. By the way, maybe I would visit you two if I had your apartment keys?"

"Don't promise things you can't keep." Izaya had planed on taking another sip only to see his cup was empty. "Chop-chop." he said while holding his cup towards the doctor, ordering more tea.

"You even have a sleep over once a week and some of your clothes at the others place. Heck you even have toothbrushes in the others bathroom. Every time you don't have a sleep over you message 'good mornings' and 'good nights' to one another." Shinra said after pouring the desired liquid inside the cup. Izaya took a sip from it. "You can't tell me there never happened something between you." Again Izaya nearly drowned on his drink. "Not when you happily jump Shizuo's back as soon as you see him on street." the brown haired male continued. Izaya set his cup down on the couch table.

"Shinra." he warned. "Shizu-chan and I are only friends. There never happened something between us. You can't criticize me on being happy seeing a friend who actually likes hanging out with me. You're my friend too, but you rather spend your time with Celty than with me." His eyes glared at the doctor's face.

"I can't deny the Celty part, but you can't deny that you at least feel more than just friendship for Shizuo." Izaya wanted to say something, but was silenced by Shinra. "Don't lie to me, Izaya. I can see the longing in your eyes whenever you look at him." The informant stayed silent for a bit, before sighing in defeat. "Is it that obvious?" he asked in a whisper. Shinra smiled softly at that. "Maybe not to Shizuo, but for everyone else who's kind off close to you."

Izaya stayed silent. "You should confess to him." "I can't." he answered slowly shaking his head. "You know me the longest. I'm too much of a coward to confess to him. I don't want to lose what we have now." Izaya's voice was only a whisper.

"I still think you should. Maybe you won't end up as a couple, but Shizuo isn't someone who would hate you only because you love him. On the contrary, I think he would be really happy, knowing that at least someone loves him in a romantic way."

He reached for his cup of tea again. Swirling the liquid around, he watched his distorted reflection, while thinking over his best friend's words. "Maybe I will. Let me think about it a bit more." he now said before downing the rest.

Shinra was outside on his balcony, watching the dark figure of his friend heading back home. "Don't worry, Izaya." he said as if the informant could hear him. "You'll see that everything will be alright."

-o-o-o-o-

Only a few blocks away Shizuo was sitting on a bench, smoking a cigarette, while pouring his heart out to his best friend, Celty. "I just don't know, Celty. I'm a coward. I'm afraid of confessing to him." the bleached male said, yanking at his hair. "What if he's disgusted at me? What if he starts hating me again? I just don't want to lose what we have now."

Celty was getting frustrated. Two months ago, her best friend had told her about his feelings towards the raven haired male. Since two months she tried and tried convincing the bodyguard on telling his feelings to the person of his affection.

Why couldn't he see that Izaya was feeling the same?

Why couldn't Izaya see that Shizuo was feeling that way towards him?

Isn't it an informant's job being able to read others feelings from their mimic or body language?

Is love really able to turn people blind towards the obvious?

"Don't beat your self up on it, Shizuo." the surface of her PDA read, before she brought back the mobile typing something else on it. "You really should tell Izaya how you feel about him. Maybe he feels a bit more than friendship towards you too? Your feelings will only continue to eat away on you if you never get this load of your chest."

Reading the Dullahan's words slightly reassured him. "Maybe you're right. I really should tell him."

-o-o-o-o-

After being home for almost an hour and absentmindedly spinning around in his swivel chair, Izaya thought about telling or not telling Shizu-chan that he's in love with him. The idea sounded more and more inviting to him.

One, it would be a load of his chest.

Two, even if his protozoan doesn't return his feelings he could still jump down Sunshine 60 or drown himself in Tokyo bay.

He was in no way suicidal, but being rejected by Shizu-chan was something that would make him reconsider on that part. Sure, he could always choose on not telling him, but Shinra told him it was plain to see how he felt towards his blonde brute, so he decided on confessing before Shizu-chan would hear it from the wrong person.

Taking a look at his calendar he picked up his phone, typing a message to the person he lost his heart to.

-o-o-o-o-

He was just dropped off at his apartment complex by Celty and walked through his door when his phone signaled an incoming message. There was a message from "Flea". His face lighted up like a Christmas tree just from reading that nickname.

[Hi there, Shizu-chan. \(^v^)/

Thanks again for the otoro. 3 Next time it's my treat.

By the way, I'll be kinda busy with work the next couple of days, so I won't be able to meet. Come visit me today in a week, okay?] The message said.

Shizuo sighed in relief. Not being able to see his flea for a whole week would be torture, but he needed the time on preparing for his confession. Looking over at his calendar, he smiled. It was just perfect. Izaya's timing couldn't have been better. The next time he sees the beautiful androgynous looking male, he would tell Izaya about the love he feels towards him. What better day to confess than Valentines day?

[Sure, no prob. I'll be busy with work myself, so let's meet up in a week. Good night.]

-o-o-o-o-

The fateful day arrived when Izaya panicked inside his apartment. It was Friday, but he still took today off from work, so he had enough time preparing everything.

Since he wasn't good at making sweets, he ended up just cooking some really fancy dinner. Setting the table with rose petals and candles to set the mood he could feel his stomach churn, when he reread the message he got earlier.

[Just got off from work. Be with you in a flash.]

Just as he put down his phone again, he could hear a key being inserted from the other side of the door and soon after the blond male entered his domain. "Oi, Flea!" he shouted from the entrance area. "It's me!" he added before spotting Izaya who tackled him shortly after.

"Yaay, Shizu-chan's here!" he said happily hugging the bigger man around his waist, while hiding his blushing face. "Just act like you always do." Izaya mentally told himself. The blonde male returned the hug, glad the smaller had his face buried in his black vest so he couldn't see the blush on his face.

After he had calmed himself, Izaya drew back from the hug, doing his for-Shizu-chan-only smile. "I hope you're hungry, Shizu-chan. I got all out today." he excitedly told his crush.

Shizuo couldn't help but fall all over again for the smile that showed on the petite male's face. Oh, how he would just love smashing his lips against those sinful ones, threading his fingers through that glossy black hair. It was like Izaya was the epitome of handsomeness.

Izaya on the other hand imagined grabbing the other by his bowtie, so he could pull the big man down to his level so he could have a taste of those tempting lips. Feeling the heat of those strong arms wrapping themselves around him. Holding him like they never did before. For him, Shizuo was like a sin and a sinner he desperately wanted to be.

It was now or never.

"Shizu-chan." "Flea." they both spoke each others nickname at the same time. First they blinked, but than laughed it off.

"Go ahead." "You first." Again they spoke at the same time.

Silence.

"Maybe..." Izaya began, when an idea came up in his head. "Maybe, we should say whatever it is on our mind at the count of three." That way he may be lucky enough the blonde would overhear his confession.

"Sound's good." Shizuo nodded his head, not knowing he thought the same as Izaya.

"Three" Izaya began.

"Two" Shizuo now added.

"One" both of them said, before breathing in.

"I love you!"

...

A long silence followed as they processed what they had heard just now.

"You... You serious?!" the bodyguard asked. The informant nodded. "You?" Shizuo nodded too. Another silence before Shizuo broke it again. "Then let's dig in."

"What?!" At first Izaya had thought the protozoan was talking about the dinner he had mentioned earlier, but as Shizuo had sealed their lips together, drinking him in like he'd die of thirst any minute now, he knew what Shizuo had meant by digging in.

Who knew that his brute was such a good kisser?

THE END