Hi ! So I'm not quite new on the fandom, but this is my first English contribution ^^ English is not my native language, so I apologize if there is any mistakes. It's beta'ed though, so there shouldn't be much ^^

My bêta for this chapter was IaithCariad, who helped me a lot ^^ Thank you.

So... this fic is kind of a fix-it fic, because I wasn't happy with the way Izaya was left at the end of the novels. It goes AU from there, so the Sunset novel never happened. For now, it's an Izaya-centric (I want to say a character study, but not so much in fact), but Shizaya is never far XD

Enjoy !

Outside Interference - 01

Izaya looked out of the window, thinking. It wasn't the way he used to, though. Before, it was lightning-fast thoughts coursing through his mind while fighting Shizuo; it was unspoken yet very important information swirling inside his head while meeting a client. Now… It was quiet, peaceful, but then again, his lifestyle had considerably slowed down compared to before.

He wasn't focusing on anything in particular, just letting his thoughts wander where they wanted. Vaguely, he realised the sun was slowly disappearing from the sky. He had a good view from his window, and he smiled softly, watching the beauty of the sunset.

There was a 'ping' sound, and Izaya looked down at his lap, where one of his many phones was resting. The message he just received made him frown, but the second one, who arrived just after, lightened his mood. Turning toward his computer, he typed his password and went looking through his files.

He sent an e-mail, and waited for the reply. It came soon enough, and Izaya smiled contently when his bank account registered a transfer. And one more transaction done successfully.

Izaya didn't meet his clients anymore. He only worked by mail, phone call and sometime he used a middleman. Some clients minded, but Izaya hadn't lost any of his efficiency, nor any of his reliability.

He was the same as ever, except he didn't meet his clients in person, and he was in a wheelchair.

His eyes found their way again toward the window, but he tore his gaze away and made his way to his bedroom. He still hadn't had much practice using his wheelchair, and his arms often hurt, but navigating in his flat was quite easy: he arranged it that way. No stairs, low furniture, and easy access everywhere.

However, halfway through his room, a different kind of 'ping' reached his ears. It was coming from a specific cell phone, reserved for a specific person. Sighing, Izaya turned around and grabbed the device. The message was from Shiki, informing him the man was coming any time now. Shiki was an exception to his new 'no-meeting-with-clients' rule, but it was because the yakuza was far more than just a client to him.

Looking at his clock, Izaya was surprised to see it wasn't as late as he thought it was. It was winter after all. The night fell quite early. But he was tired, and he found it a little odd for Shiki to drop by without any warning beforehand.

Frowning, he was about to respond, but his doorbell interrupted him. He flinched violently, and his cell phone clattered on the floor. Cursing under his breath, he didn't even attempt to pick it up. It would only result in him falling or hurting himself. Instead, he went to the door.

Shiki's stoic face greeted him and Izaya smiled, even though he didn't feel like it. The yakuza's underlings weren't in sight, but the informant knew there was at least one, hidden behind the corner of the corridor.

"Good evening, Izaya-kun," Shiki declared, eyeing Izaya without any kind of expression on his face.

"Good evening to you too, Shiki-san! It's so nice of you to visit." The informant wondered when Shiki had reverted from Orihara-san to Izaya-kun. Surprisingly, he didn't really mind.

He pushed his wheelchair back, and Shiki took the hint, stepping inside. He closed the door behind him and followed Izaya into the living room.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?" Izaya asked, trying to sound cheerful, even if his heart wasn't in it.

Why did his mood darken so quickly? He was fine, and then he wasn't anymore. Was it because he dropped the phone? Ah, Shiki really had bad timing.

"The information you gave us last time was very good. You have our thanks." The yakuza sat on the couch and crossed his legs nonchalantly.

Izaya nodded, because it was true. He always dug up the best for Shiki.

"Do you have what I asked for?" he went on, raising an eyebrow.

"Why, of course, Shiki-san. Since when do you doubt my skills?" Izaya propelled his wheelchair forward and settled behind his computer. Shiki watched him as he printed the aforementioned information, and he felt a little unnerved. "But you didn't need to come in person. I could have sent them over," he commented, getting the printed files and going back to where Shiki, who hadn't replied, was sitting.

They then proceeded to go through all the information, Shiki nodding or frowning alternatively as Izaya explained all of his findings. He had been asked to find anything he could on a newly found drug distributor gang. It had been a bit tricky, but Izaya had finally gathered everything he needed in the morning, and was about to send it to Shiki the next day.

The meeting dragged on because the subject kept changing to other gangs, Shiki wanting to know which one of them was the protector of the new one. Izaya began to feel his tiredness take the better of him as he stumbled once or twice on his words.

His legs were aching, and resting would ease his damaged limbs. However, with the night often came nightmares and phantom pain, and Izaya had a feeling tonight would be one of those hard nights, so he tried to keep up with Shiki and didn't say anything to end the meeting.

However, the yakuza noticed his informant wasn't at his best, and decided, two hours after his arrival, to cut his visit short. "I think I have all I need," he declared, standing with the files in hand.

"Really?" Izaya blinked, because he hadn't gone over the last pages of the file.

"I have another appointment. I will call you if I need any clarification." Shiki turned around, but his eye caught something and he bent down, picking up the phone Izaya had dropped earlier. Without a word, he gave it back to the informant.

"Oh, thank you, Shiki-san. Well, then, I trust you can find the exit on your own?" Izaya wasn't trying to be rude. He was just too tired to go all the way just to come back.

Shiki stood still for a moment, staring at him. "Take care of yourself, Izaya-kun," he advised before leaving the room.

"Of course, Shiki-san. Have a good night!" Izaya called back after him, but Shiki gave no sign he heard. The sound of the door opening and closing marked his exit.

Izaya passed a hand through his hair and looked around. The couch was comfortable, and he didn't feel like going to his bedroom. He thought he heard something, a shout in the distance, but he dismissed it as he painfully manoeuvred himself out of his wheelchair and onto the couch. He then rolled the chair around, parking it behind the armrest, before carefully lying down. He wasn't cold, but a little shiver ran along his spine.

He didn't even have time to close his eyes when suddenly, Izaya heard a loud bang. He abruptly sat up, berating himself for the spike of pain that followed. What was it?

"IZAYA!"

The scream was very familiar. A wave of memories washed over Izaya. If he was hearing this yell, Shizuo wasn't far. Indeed, the blond appeared in the hallway, having apparently broken the door.

Before Izaya could react, the forever fuming bartender lifted him by the hem of his t-shirt and glared at him.

"I knew it was you! It's always you! What are you planning this time? Faking your death and disappearing who knows where…"

Izaya chuckled. The monster hadn't changed one bit. "Now, Shizu-chan, I didn't fake my death. You merely assumed I was dead. Can your underdeveloped brain grasp the difference?"

Shizuo gritted his teeth and shook Izaya hard to shut him up. He was about to growl something in reply when a voice politely interrupted.

"Heiwajima-san, I think it would be in your best interest to put down Orihara-san this instant."

Izaya shifted his gaze to see Shiki, with some of his men pointing guns at Shizuo. Behind them was Tom, looking slightly alarmed, with another two of Shiki's underlings. The debt collector wasn't directly threatened, but the menace was clear.

Shizuo turned around with an angry "What?" but he soon realised the situation he was in. His temper flared, but Tom made him a sign that clearly indicated he should leave it this time.

With a grunt and a lingering look to the guns, Shizuo turned back to Izaya, who was still smirking. A few seconds crawled by in tense waiting before the blond tossed the informant back on his feet and walked away, grabbing Tom on his way. Shiki gave a nod to his men and they exited the flat, some to check if Shizuo was really gone and others to guard the now broken door.

Shiki then uncharacteristically rushed toward Izaya and kneeled beside him. The informant was having a hard time: as soon as Shizuo had dropped him, he had collapsed all the way to the floor, his legs unable to support his weight. The brute hadn't even noticed.

Izaya was now gasping softly, trying to breathe properly and tears threatening to spill because of the pain he was experiencing. He hadn't even fallen right, his legs beneath him bending far much than his injuries should allow them to.

"What can I do?" Shiki asked, managing to keep the concern out of his voice, even if his eyes were full of it.

Izaya grabbed the yakuza's shoulder with one hand while trying to lift himself up with other. "Pick me up," he demanded, in too much pain to care that he was asking Shiki for help or appearing weak in front of him.

The older man complied, and stood up with Izaya in his arms, one hand under his thighs and the other around his shoulder. "On the couch," the informant requested. He sighed in relief when the yakuza obeyed him. He sank into the pillows and let his legs dangle loosely from the edge.

One of Shiki's man came in, and his boss raised an eyebrow. "He seems to be gone, sir." Shiki nodded. "Very well. Take care of the door." The man bowed and left.

A chuckle left Izaya's lips. "I have to admit, that was quite unexpected."

Shiki sat beside him, and even through Izaya seemed to have recovered, the yakuza knew him well enough to see that wasn't the case. "Are you alright?"

"Just peachy, Shiki-san! A little pain is unavoidable when you're dealing with a brute like Shizu-chan, after all. But, I'm wondering… how did he know I was here?" Izaya frowned, because it was indeed very suspicious.

"He was already there," Shiki replied after a beat. "I think he was collecting some debt at the flat next to yours, and he saw me leaving this place. It's surprising he knew I'm involved with you, though."

"Don't bother too much yourself with that, Shiki-san. I started working with you in high-school, and he was one of my classmates, so he must have seen us together once or twice. But, as simple-minded as he is, he probably didn't even consider the possibility that you were visiting some random gang leader."

Shiki frowned, but didn't comment. "Do you need a safe place to stay?" he asked instead.

Izaya laughed a little. "What for? I doubt Shizu-chan will come back, and if he does, I will make sure he notices my wheelchair this time."

"And if tell someone? You have a lot of other enemies." Shiki was a bit disconcerted by Izaya's lack of concern.

"Shizu-chan won't tell. A lot of my so-called enemies have approached him in the past to try and learn more about me, us having been classmate and all, but he never disclosed any information about me to anyone."

Izaya smiled at his own words, and Shiki wondered if their relationship was as simple as it appeared. "He could at least tell them my favourite food is ootoro!" the informant continued, pouting. "Every time I receive a gift from a client, it's either wine or sweets. And I hate sweets."

Shiki didn't get fooled by the smile on Izaya's face. The set of his jaw and the tightening around his eyes showed he was still in pain, and his next words confirmed it. "Ah, Shiki-san, would you mind giving me the bottle on the counter over there?"

It was painkillers, and Izaya swallowed three pills dry. Shiki gave him a look when he waved the bottle, waiting for the yakuza to take it back where he found it. "I'm not going to obey your every wish, Izaya-kun."

"What… You're so mean to a disabled man!" Izaya feigned being hurt, but he failed because of the drugs beginning to affect his system.

"You aren't –" Shiki began before cutting himself off. Izaya was, in fact, disabled. He couldn't walk anymore.

The informant's eyes softened at the slip, but then he grinned and threw his arms in the air. "Okay, one last task, Shiki-san. Carry me to my bed!"

One corner of the yakuza's mouth twitched in annoyance, but he nonetheless scooped up Izaya in his arms. The informant was beginning to nod off because of the painkillers, and Shiki knew he wouldn't have been able to go to his room on his own. That was the only reason why he was indulging him like this.

"Be sure to close the door when you leave." Izaya mumbled against his chest, his red eyes closing.

Shiki felt a surge of affection at the sight, but he tamped it down. Izaya wasn't a lost kid anymore. He had long since grown up, and they had both moved on. But still… The informant was now more vulnerable than ever. He couldn't run, he couldn't escape…

Shiki was concerned. That's why he often came in person, to check on Izaya and make sure he was okay. Of course, he wouldn't tell the informant that, especially since the yakuza had sworn that he wasn't going to treat him differently because of his injuries.

With care, he put Izaya in his bed. He hesitated slightly, but then shrugged and began to undress the informant. He took off his trousers, revealing two bony legs. It has been six months since the fight, and due to the lack of exercise, the muscles had wasted away.

The t-shirt came off next, and Shiki frowned a little at how thin Izaya was. He already knew the informant wasn't eating regularly and often forgot to take care of himself, but with the state he was in, the yakuza would have thought he would be more careful. And yet, his ribs showed against his skin.

Shiki covered Izaya with the blanket before leaving the room, letting the informant sleep peacefully.

...

...

Izaya woke up with a splitting headache, as he often did after taking his pills. They were strong, but the side effects were quite annoying. At least he wasn't nauseous. He realised he was only wearing his pants, and grimaced at the thought of Shiki undressing him.

Looking around, he was relieved to see the yakuza had had the presence of mind to bring his wheelchair next to his bed. He would have been forced to wait for Akane otherwise. Slowly, he lowered himself on the chair and rolled it to his closet. Clothing himself had become somewhat tiresome, but he managed to put on some trousers without hurting himself too much.

Thinking about what happened the day before, he scowled at his behaviour. Showing his weakness in front of Shiki like that... He was embarrassed, but there wasn't anything he could do about it. The next time he saw the yakuza, he would act as if nothing had happened.

Izaya went to the kitchen. He wasn't very hungry, but he had to eat something, because he couldn't remember the last time he took a full meal. To his surprise, a package of sushi was waiting for him on the counter. Probably from Shiki, the informant mused.

Of course, there was some ootoro inside, and for once, Izaya ate happily, enjoying the delicate taste of the fish. Once he was done, he messaged a "Thanks" to Shiki, and checked the clock. Akane would surely be there shortly.

The little girl, the heiress of the Awakusu Kai, had been helping him for a little over two months. She was looking for a way to make some pocket money, and Shiki had assured his boss she would be safe with Izaya. Because of who she was, the informant knew he could trust her and he didn't have to worry about information leaks.

Furthermore, she was a very nice girl, and Izaya had taken a liking into her. She seemed to like him as well, but the informant wondered if she knew he was the one who manipulated her into trying to kill Shizuo. But that was in the past now, and he wasn't going to bring it up.

Akane was quite useful. She pushed his wheelchair when he was going outside – his arms didn't have enough strength to do it for long – and she helped him clean the house. She only came on the weekends when she was available, and today, Saturday, she was supposed to take him to do some shopping. He ordered most of what he needed online, but he couldn't spend his life locked indoors. He had to get out once in a while.

He was living in Asakusa, a quiet district on the other side of Tokyo where no one knew him. Admittedly, it was a bit boring compared to Ikebukuro, but at least he didn't have to worry over a random pedestrian taking advantage of his disability. He had angered a lot of people, and it was best for him to stay dead.

Shizuo's accusation had some truth in it. After their fight, Izaya had let everyone believe he was dead. Even Shinra, who didn't seem very fazed by the news. The only ones in the confidence were Shiki, some trustworthy members of the Awakusu Kai, and his twin sisters. Well, and Shizuo, now. There was also the blond's boss, Tom, but Izaya didn't really care about him. He wasn't much of a threat and would surely keep his mouth shut.

Even his clients knew him under the name of Chrome, and nothing more. They were often joking about the fact that his sudden appearance after Orihara Izaya's death was quite handy, and that his skills were nearly as good (and they would say better, if it weren't for the fact that they didn't know his face and therefore couldn't fully trust him).

His doorbell rang, which was odd, since he had given Akane a spare key. His heartbeat jumped a little at the thought it could be Shizuo, but he dismissed the idea. The blond would barge in like the brute he was, and the fact that his door (now fixed, thanks to Shiki) was still standing signified it wasn't him.

There was a second ring, and a third, and Izaya realised who it was. Only Mairu would be so immature. Sighing, he went to open the door, and as soon as he did, he received an armful of Kururi.

"Oww!" He winced at the weight placed on his lap.

Kururi withdrew a little, but kept her arms around his neck. "Sorry." His quiet little sister had become strangely clingy, and while he was happy for the affection she showed, he found it sad she had to wait for him to nearly die to express it.

Mairu was also nicer, even if they still exchanged snarky comments. Smiling, she waved at him, but didn't move when he tried to close the door. "We are going out, Iza-nii!" she exclaimed, and moved around him to push his wheelchair.

Izaya disentangled himself from Kururi, who gave him a last squeeze before letting go. "What are you talking about?" he asked, frowning. "I can't. Akane-chan is the one taking me out today."

Mairu pushed forward, completely oblivious, and Izaya could do nothing to stop her except hit the brakes, but if he did that he would end up on the floor. His sister was cruel that way, knowing he couldn't fight her anymore and still forcing him.

"Akane-chan... Agree... Exchange... (Akane-chan agreed to change place with us today.)" Kururi smiled a little, and Izaya threw his arms in the air, giving up.

"Fine! Just grab my coat, would you?"

Mairu happily complied, before stepping out of the flat and closing the door behind them. "So, where do you want to go, Iza-nii?"

"So nice of you to ask, Mairu."

"Well, I decided today I would be."

Izaya vaguely wondered if she had talked with Shiki. "Just the supermarket and the bookstore. I'm a bit tired today."

"Okay...?" Kururi frowned, examining Izaya more closely.

"I'm fine, Kururi. Just... tired."

They kept talking, about school and other things, while Mairu and Kururi were taking turn pushing his chair. Izaya was receiving stares, but most of them were kind, because he was a familiar face in the neighbourhood. They didn't know his name; just that he was a handicapped man, helped by his sisters (or his daughters, maybe?), nice and friendly to everyone, but who didn't come out a lot.

The ones who didn't know him pitied him or admired him, but Izaya didn't really care about what they thought. Mairu and Kururi appeared oblivious, but when a man looked down at their brother with disdain, they would react accordingly. Meaning, with some well-placed words or kicks.

The shopping was quickly expedited, because Izaya was indeed feeling tired. He began nodding off on their way back, even though he had just woken up a few hours ago. His painkiller-induced sleep wasn't the most restful, after all. His sisters didn't mind; Mairu hummed happily while Kururi quietly pushed him.

They stayed with him in his flat for one more hour, and Izaya drank several cups of tea to keep the sleepiness at bay. At one point, Mairu received a text, which prompted them to leave. Their brother asked them to give him a warning before coming the next time, but they brushed him off and told him they would see him later.

After they left, Izaya settled at his desk to work a bit. He had two new requests, and luckily for them, he already had the information the first one asked. It was one of the reasons why he was the best informant in town: he didn't wait to be asked for an information to dig it up. He had a file on every important person around and kept himself informed of all new change in the dynamics of the various gangs.

The client was very happy with his fast reply, and a new zero was added to Izaya's account. Shiki had also transferred his payment for the information he gave him yesterday, but he was on a separate account. Izaya didn't really care about money, but it was representative of how good he was at his work. And he loved his work. That's why he kept doing it, because he had enough money to live the rest of his life without working if he wanted.

However, the second request was a bit… odd. The requested information was about him. Not him as Chrome, but as Orihara Izaya. It was strange, because people didn't ask information about a dead man… The name of his client was Fenrir, which Izaya knew was the name of a mythological wolf.

Izaya researched him a bit, but didn't find anything worthy of his attention. His real name was Kazuhiro Teima, and he was a middle-aged man working for a law firm. Nothing interesting about him, and Izaya wondered how he got the money to pay an informant like Chrome. Nonetheless, he sent him an e-mail with superficial information about himself, smiling when he added that he was 'presumed dead'.

The afternoon was well advanced when he took a break, and he realised he hadn't eaten since this morning. He took a glass of water and decided to wait until dinner to eat.

The next few days were quite uneventful, except for the fact that Izaya was feeling a bit down. He received one visit from Akane-chan, but otherwise didn't see anyone. His legs ached more than usual, and the word 'psychosomatic' kept haunting his thoughts.

His doctors had advised him to see a psychiatrist, but he had politely declined. Like he was going to speak of his problem to a stranger... And anyway, the loss of his legs was his price for losing against Shizuo, and he had accepted it.

The next week, Shiki contacted him with a more important work than usual, and Izaya welcomed the distraction from all the dull jobs he was getting. It seemed everyone was looking into drug traffic at the moment, and the informant had already sold the same information to five people already.

Shiki's demand was on Awakusu Kai itself. Apparently, there was a mole, and Izaya already had some idea of who it might be. However, he needed solid proof, and that was what he was researching when a knock at his door interrupted him.

It was Friday afternoon, so it wasn't Akane. Shiki would have sent a text before, so the only option left was his sisters. He finished typing his sentence, sent his mail, and proceeded to make his way to the door. The knocking had become frantic, and Izaya wondered what his sisters were up to on the other side.

He tried to hurry, but he misjudged the corner and one of his wheels bumped against the wall, sending the chair – and him with it – onto the ground. Fortunately, he fell on his backwards after a clever half-turn, and the pain wasn't as strong as the other day.

Cursing under his breath, Izaya tried to set his chair upright, but from below with his weak arms, it didn't do much good. The door was three meters away, but he couldn't reach it without crawling. And he certainly wouldn't crawl.

The knocking was becoming so loud and insistent that Izaya wondered if his sisters were in some kind of hurry. "Could you give me a minute?" he snapped, and clearly he was heard, for no more knocking came.

Switching strategies, he tipped one wheel of the chair, hoping gravity would do the trick. He pressed harder, gritting his teeth against the pain, and the chair finally fell back on his wheels with a loud 'thud'.

Breathing hard, Izaya barely heard the voice through the door. "Izaya…?" He froze. It was Shizuo's voice. "I know you're in there, flea! Open the damn door!" It sounded angrier already.

Izaya quelled any tremor in his breathing, which would be audible in his voice, before responding. "You are stupider than I thought, if you seriously believe I am going to let you in."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to be beaten to a pulp."

There was a pause, and Izaya wondered if Shizuo had left. The informant had a point, after all. "I knocked, didn't I?" the blond finally said. "I just want to talk."

Izaya laughed out loud, unsure if he heard right. "You can't talk, Shizu-chan. You only grunt or growl."

The reaction was immediate. "Oi, flea! I'm trying, here!"

But Izaya decided to ignore him. If the brute wasn't going to force his way in, then the informant didn't want to open the door. Instead, he focused his attention on how he was going to climb back into his chair.

"Flea!" Shizuo shouted, tambouring against the door, making it bend slightly inward.

Izaya gave an annoyed look in the direction of the door. "You're such a brute, always breaking things… And people too. Do you really think anyone would let a monster into their home?"

It seemed that Izaya had just ripped apart the last seam keeping Shizuo together. "Izaya, you bastard!" A punch went through the door, and Izaya flinched when he saw the arm sticking out of the hole. Now he was going to have to repair it…

Then Izaya realised Shizuo was about to come in, and he was still on the floor. Scrambling, he tried to push himself up and sit on the wheelchair, but he had forgotten to put the brakes and it rolled away against the wall.

Behind, the door opened, or rather flew into the wall, and a very pissed-off-looking bartender stepped inside the flat. However, he froze at the sight in front of him. Izaya briefly wondered what he looked like, on the floor with a wheelchair not so far away and motionless legs.

"What are you doing on the floor, flea?" Shizuo asked, still frowning but looking a bit unsure of himself.

"What does it look like, Shizu-chan? I'm resting, obviously."

"And what is that?" He pointed toward the wheelchair.

"It's a time machine," Izaya deadpanned. Shizuo glared at him and took a step forward. The informant held his hand up. "Shizu-chan, it's not my fault if you don't even know what a wheelchair looks like. It's surprising though, given the number of people who use one because of you."

Keeping on insulting him maybe wasn't his best move, but Izaya couldn't help himself. He wasn't scared. He had never been scared of Shizuo. However, he didn't like pain, and a fight with the blond now would be even more one-sided than usual.

But Shizuo didn't attack him. A look of realisation dawned on his face, and his eyes widened in horror. "You can't walk?"

Izaya couldn't help but smirk, however predictable the blond's reaction was. Personally, he didn't think Shizuo should feel guilty. After all, it was a fight to death, and both sides were aware of that when they started it. But it was interesting to see that a brute like him was feeling guilty.

"No, I can't, thanks to you. But I don't mind."

Shizuo stared at him, flabbergasted. "What?" he dumbly asked.

Izaya sighed. "Are you hard of hearing now? I said I didn't mind." And while Shizuo was too stunned to say anything, Izaya dragged himself to his wheelchair. This time, he made sure to check the brakes before trying to sit. He had to put weight on his legs, but he managed to do it without hurting himself too much.

He waited for the worst of the pain to fade before facing Shizuo. He felt strangely pleased, knowing he could manipulate the brute so easily just because of a little guilt. "So, tell me, Shizu-chan, what are you doing here? What do you want to 'talk' about?"

Apparently, Shizuo must have come to the conclusion that he shouldn't feel guilty for someone he hated as much as Izaya because he stopped with the horrified look. "I just wanted... you know, to see if..." And the guilt was back.

"If I had any evil master plan going on?" Izaya guessed. "My, Shizu-chan, how did you figure it out? I planned to knock over a few innocents today! Luckily for them, you were here to stop me!" Izaya went back and forth with his chair to emphasis his speech.

"You don't need to walk to screw with people's head," Shizuo mumbled, eyeing him grumpily.

"Really, Shizu-chan, I have nothing going on right now, but I'll let you know when I do." Izaya smiled, in a better mood he had ever been the last few days.

"What about the man I saw last time?"

"Shiki-san? What about him?"

"He is a yakuza, right? You were doing something shady with him!" Shizuo's voice regained volume as his temper flared again.

"I was just doing my job, you protozoan. Meaning I was selling information. And information is neutral. It's neither good nor bad. Just like me!"

"Shut up, flea! Your information caused a lot of trouble! And how can you still be an informant if you are supposed to be dead?" Shizuo took a step forward and Izaya wheeled back, entering the living room. The blond followed, and took in his surroundings.

"I used a pseudonym, obviously."

Shizuo glared, but his anger had once again subsided. After all, Izaya's flat was full of reminders that he was disabled. "So, do you have anything else to say? Otherwise, I would like you to leave," the informant went on, raising an eyebrow as Shizuo took a defensive stance.

"What about your sisters? And Shinra? Do they know you're alive?"

The question was a bit odd, coming from Shizuo. Izaya wasn't sure why he asked. "My sisters come visit once in a while, but as far as I know, Shinra believe I am dead."

"Why didn't you tell him?"

"Why would I?"

"I don't know, maybe because he is your friend, you stupid flea!" Shizuo punched a hole in the nearest wall, then another, trying to calm himself.

"I don't think it matters much to him..." Izaya began cautiously, wondering why Shizuo was restraining himself. Was it really because of the wheelchair? If so, it was pathetic. "And anyway, you can tell him if you want."

Fuming, Shizuo turned back to him. "I don't want to talk about you!"

"Well, then, I guess you don't want to talk to me either. So why don't you leave?" However fun it was to talk to Shizuo and anger him, Izaya didn't want to attract much attention (and the brute was anything but discreet) and, if possible, he wanted to avoid being punched.

"Tch." Reluctantly, Shizuo retreated in the doorway, and Izaya followed him. Just as the blond was about to step outside, he added: "And I'm counting on you to fix the door, of course."

"What? Like hell! Do it yourself!"

Izaya raised an eyebrow and gestured to his legs. Shizuo opened his mouth, then closed it, before scowling. He nonetheless picked up the door and replaced it in its frame. It didn't do much good, but the brute didn't care and left without a word.

That went better than expected, Izaya mused as he returned to the living room. However, he didn't have much time to reflect on the encounter. His phone began to ring. It was his public phone, the one which number he gave to his first-time clients.

"Hello?" He answered cheerfully.

"Chrome-san? My name is Fenrir, and I requested your service not so long ago." The voice at the end of the line was deep and assured.

"Oh yes, Fenrir-san! You contacted me for information about Orihara Izaya, is that right? Was it not to your satisfaction?"

"Well in fact, it wasn't."

Izaya raised an eyebrow. It wasn't often someone complained about his work. "Care to elaborate?"

"I was hoping you could provide me with more... in-depth information about him. You see, you only sent me superficial data which can be found online rather easily."

Izaya rolled his eyes. "For the price you gave me, I wasn't going to give you more, Fenrir-san. I hope you understand that. Orihara Izaya is a very secretive man and finding anything interesting about him is quite difficult."

"I knew it."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I knew it! He is alive, isn't he? You said he 'is' a very secretive man. Not he 'was'. I was right all along!"

Izaya gripped his phone tighter. What a stupid mistake! It was all Shizuo's fault, for distracting him with his visit. "I assure you, Fenrir-san, that was nothing more than a slip. In fact, his body wasn't found, so the possibility of him being alive isn't unthinkable, even if highly improbable."

"No, no, he is alive. You know him, right? Personally. You are one of his friends. He passed his business to you." Fenrir sounded so sure of what he was saying, it was quite hilarious.

Izaya decided then it didn't matter if people knew he was alive. He just needed Chrome to stay undiscovered. "Yes, I was under the supervision of Orihara-san. But he didn't pass his business to me; I took it over when he left Japan." The slip was intentional this time.

"What do you mean, left Japan?"

"Ah, well. I guess I can give you this one for free. Orihara-san left for England just after his fight with Heiwajima Shizuo."

Fenrir was silent for a bit, but then he muttered: "It doesn't matter. Can you tell me more about him? I will pay whatever price you ask for."

Izaya was a bit surprised. He thought the man would give up once his suspicions were confirmed. Was he a stalker or something? "Very well, Fenrir-san. I will send you an e-mail shortly with the price, and then a second one when you have paid."

They politely said goodbye to each other, then hung up. Izaya stared at his phone, pondering a little, before scrolling through his contacts and calling Shiki's number. However, he went to voice mail after six rings. He didn't bother leaving a message. It could wait.

He was about to put his phone away when a chime informed him he had a text. It was from Akane, who confirmed she was coming tomorrow for a bit of cleaning. Izaya couldn't reach the highest places, and while Akane was not very tall, she could climb on a chair. The informant could have hired a cleaning lady, but he didn't want a stranger wandering free to search everything in his flat.

Namie used to do it, but she had gone to Chicago with Celty's head. Izaya allowed himself to remember her in a moment of nostalgia, before responding with a happy smiley to Akane. He then took a look at the wall and the door, and called a bricklayer.

...

...

...

Each time Izaya saw Akane, the little girl's first move was to jump in his arms. She was a very affectionate child, and he felt a little guilty for using her in one of his schemes. Before touching him, however, she remembered his condition and settled for a peck on the cheek.

She did the same thing the next day, and Izaya smiled gently at her. He then looked up to see Akabayashi, which had accompanied the girl here. She always came with a bodyguard, and departed with another. Shiki trusted Izaya enough to leave her alone in his care in-between.

"Thank you for bringing her, Akabayashi-san." Usually, it was his cue to leave. This time, however…

"Do you mind if I stay a bit?" the yakuza asked with a smirk. "I haven't much to do at the moment."

Izaya narrowed his eyes, but inclined his head in acceptance. He turned to Akane. "Go and fetch me the supplies, if you will, Akane-chan. They haven't moved from where you put them last time."

The girl nodded happily and disappeared around a corner. Akabayashi shrugged of his coat and sat on the couch. Izaya was tempted to ask him to help with the cleaning, and while he might have asked Shiki, he didn't know the red-haired man that well. He chose to ignore him instead and picked up the vacuum.

The cleaning was always fun to do, even if Izaya was very tired afterwards. Akane was quite enthusiastic and didn't hesitate to get her hands dirty. They did a big cleaning like that every month to every two months, depending on their activities. Sometimes they would forget; sometimes they would get distracted before starting.

This time, they got it done fairly quickly, under the amused stare of Akabayashi, who didn't move except for his feet when the floor was mopped. Izaya's mood improved, similar to the way it did every time he saw Akane, and by the end of the afternoon, every surface of the flat was shining.

"Akane-chan!" Izaya called from the kitchen. He had a few sweets to give her (from some of his clients who still didn't know he hated sweets). "I have a few things for you."

Akane ate the lollipop, but kept the gum for later. Izaya then beckoned her toward his desk, where his wallet was. "Well then, Akane-chan, I believe you did a fine job today! How much should I give you?"

He usually paid her 2,000 yen after each of her visit, regardless of their activities, but he had so much money lately he didn't know what to do with it. Feeling a bit mischievous, he gave her a 500 yen coin. But she didn't seem very disappointed. She frowned a little, before shrugging and smiling at him.

Izaya laughed. "Ahah, just kidding, Akane-chan." He took out two 1,000 yen bills. She pouted a little before taking it. "But I'm wondering, how do you spend all this money?"

"I'm saving it!" the girl exclaimed while putting the money in her little bag. "And I'm buying sweets for Shizuo-onii-chan!"

"Oh?" Izaya's smile tightened around the edge, and he saw Akabayashi facepalm out of the corner of his eye. "Is that so?"

Akane nodded, oblivious. "You know him, don't you? He talks about you! A lot!"

Izaya tried to hide his annoyance, but he couldn't help but be interested. So Shizuo talked about him? "What does he say?"

Akane looked thoughtful for a moment, trying to remember. "He said… that you two are friends, but you had a disagreement. So you need to make up!"

Izaya internally rolled his eyes. Shizuo was such a simple-minded man. He couldn't even find a good lie. If Akane saw one of their fights, she wouldn't be fooled anymore as for the true nature of their relationship. Well, if she had seen one in the past, because there wouldn't likely be another.

"Don't worry about it, Akane-chan. We talked the other day, and we made up."

"Really? I will tell him you said hi next time I see him!"

Izaya smirked. It would surely annoy the blond. "If you want."

Akane beamed at him, and Izaya decided he couldn't hold a grudge against her just for liking Shizuo.

"Time to go, Akane-chan." It was Akabayashi, who just received a call from Akane's father.

Izaya bid them goodbye and turned around a little in his flat. He was tired, but it was far too early to go to bed. He was also bored, but he couldn't do much about it. Well, he wasn't bored per se, but he didn't want to do anything.

He decided to go to bed. He didn't really have a specific schedule, so who cared if he switched night and day?

After a few hours of sleep, he woke up well-rested. It wasn't very often he slept this well, so the informant had a good feeling about the day – or night, given the fact it was around 2 AM. He worked a bit, clearing up the details about Shiki's mole, before taking a book and relaxing for a while.

At 4 AM exactly, there was a knock at the door. Izaya froze. Who could it be, at this ungodly hour? Shiki and his sisters wouldn't come so early, because they knew he was likely to be asleep. Shizuo was probably snoring in his bed, and Akane was out of question.

Izaya had learned his lesson. No more unexpected visitors. He went to the door, careful not to make a sound. Even though it would be painful, he gripped the doorknob for support and got to his feet. He glanced quickly through the peephole before lowering himself back on his chair.

He waited for the pain to fade while frowning. The man outside was unknown to him, even if his face felt familiar. Who was he? His clothes and stance indicated a plain salaryman. Maybe a door-to-door salesman?

It made him uneasy, so Izaya decided to act as if he wasn't here. The man would surely go away. Unnerved, the informant took his portable computer and went through his files. He had seen this face recently...

With a silent 'aha', Izaya opened Fenrir's file. It was him. All nervousness left the informant, now that he knew who it was. But how did Fenrir find his flat? That wasn't the point, decided Izaya. Why was he here?

If Izaya was correct – and he almost always was – Fenrir was a stalker. A closed door wouldn't stop him, except Izaya's door was a bit special and the informant doubted he would be able to open it. However, he wanted to speak to Fenrir, see what the man would do when he recognised him.

Therefore, he opened a window. The one with the balcony leading into the kitchen.

Then, Izaya picked up the phone and left a message to Shiki. "Shiki-san, if I don't call you back in ten minutes, please assume I'm dead and come collect my body at my flat!" He doubted the yakuza would wait ten whole minutes, but he was too far away to make it here any earlier.

Izaya parked himself in the living room, in front of the window, and waited. He felt the presence well before the man stepped into the room. With his back to him, Izaya smiled a little.

"Chrome-san?" The voice was a bit uncertain, and when Izaya turned around, Fenrir looked like he was about to faint. "Izaya-san?" he stuttered.

"Himself."

"No," the man whispered. "No, it's not possible. Not the legs. It was the arms. Crushed, broken. Not the legs. There was a knife. But on the side, not the legs, it can't be the legs..."

Izaya laughed. Here was one of his humans in all his splendour, mad as a loon and so full of sentiment and contradiction. "I guess I'm not living up to your expectation."

Striking the man with lightening would have had the same effect. He went to his knees, hands tightly holding the side-handles of Izaya's wheelchair. "No, I didn't mean that. I thought I would never... Chrome-san said you were gone and... Oh my god, you are Chrome! That's why you didn't meet any of your clients... You couldn't give up, of course you couldn't! You love us too much for that..."

Oddly, Izaya felt pleased. Did this man... understand him? "When I say I love all humans, it doesn't mean I like you as an individual."

"I know!" Fenrir sprang to his feet, eyes wild and teeth showing. "I know, because you can't. Your love is ethereal! Your love is egoistic, your love is abstract, of course you can't love a single person!"

Keeping his face straight, Izaya frowned inwardly. Was that it? Was that why? He suddenly got the urge to stab the man in the heart.

"But you haven't given up!" Fenrir reiterated. "You're still plotting your revenge against Heiwajima Shizuo!"

Izaya smiled. Fenrir smiled in return as the informant drew closer to him. He smiled still when the knife sliced his throat, and only began to frown when he found himself on the floor, drowning in his own blood.

"You're just like the others, after all. You don't understand at all." Izaya muttered as he watched Fenrir die with cold eyes.

He sighed, before checking the clock. The ten minutes had gone by, and Izaya hoped Shiki would arrive soon. He didn't feel very thrilled about having a rotting corpse in his living room. And he would have to clean up again, too. How would Akane feel about blood?

Izaya sighed again.

...

...

...

"Am I imagining this or are you really lecturing me?"

"Indeed I am, Izaya-kun. What were you thinking?" The way the yakuza accentuated the last word clearly implied he thought Izaya weren't thinking at all. "Let's forget a minute about the fact you killed someone. Why did you let him in in the first place?"

Izaya looked away, pouting a little. "He broke in. It wasn't my fault."

"Is that so?" Shiki smiled. It was a scary smile. "Well then, better upgrade the security, don't you think? Put some bars on the window, triple locks on the door, CCTV... No one will be able to get in." The smile widened. "Or out, for the matter."

"Shiki-san, I'm not a child, and I don't need you worrying over my crippled self. Will you help me with the body or not?"

Shiki sighed and looked over to the bloodstain on the floor. "It will be taken care of. Send me everything you got on that poor man, and we'll give him a believable death."

"Thank you."

Shiki shook his head, still annoyed at his informant's reckless behaviour. But he couldn't do much about it. As Izaya had pointed out, Shiki wasn't in charge of him, and the informant wasn't a child to be taken care of or scolded.

"Just take care of yourself, would you?" Shiki nonetheless asked, and Izaya nodded with a long-suffering look.

Shiki departed soon after and Izaya was glad he took the time to wash the blood off the floor. Asking Akane would have been a bit insensitive, and he couldn't get on his knees to do it himself.

Once all the yakuza were gone, Izaya went to his computer. He wanted to know how Fenrir found his place, and there was only one person who could answer, for he was probably the one who gave the man the information in the first place.

Izaya's opinion on Tsukumoya Shinichi was divided. The man (if you could call someone connected on his chat 24/7 human) always had whatever information Izaya asked him, for a reasonable price (meaning, a lot of money). On the other hands, Tsukumoya wasn't exclusively providing Izaya, and often sold information to his enemies.

He was a neutral party, in a way.

Orihara Izaya, reborn!

Orihara Izaya

You gave him my address.

Tsukumoya Shinichi

Now, now, Orihara-san, it's not good to make assumptions.

Orihara Izaya

Are you denying it?

Tsukumoya Shinichi

Not at all.

So he was right. Tsukumoya was the one who gave him the information. And probably for free, because Fenrir wasn't the healthiest man in town. The bastard.

Orihara Izaya

Well?

Tsukumoya Shinichi

What is it?

Izaya sighed. Tsukumoya was difficult today. But he wouldn't let him get on his nerves.

Orihara Izaya

Why did you do it?

Tsukumoya Shinichi

For the lulz.

Orihara Izaya

Tsukumoya, seriously.

Tsukumoya Shinichi

You were getting sloppy.

Izaya raised an eyebrow. Tsukumoya rarely made bold statement like that.

Orihara Izaya

Well, excuse me for not being able to bounce around on my feet like I used to.

Tsukumoya Shinichi

Don't pull your victim act on me. Your mind was getting sloppy. When was the last time you manipulated someone into doing your biding? You even stopped trying to kill Heiwajima. So I wanted to remind you of you are, of what you do.

So he didn't understand either. Izaya sighed.

Irritated with the way the conversation was going, he closed the chatroom. Tsukumoya would surely be very pissed off, but Izaya didn't care. He didn't care about much these days.

...

...

...

This time, he didn't even have to open the door; his next unexpected visitor was standing right in the middle of his living room. "Shinra? What are you doing here?"

Izaya was momentarily taken aback. What the heck was he doing here? How did he know he was alive? Did Shizuo spill the beans?

The doctor, with his trademark lab coat and glasses, was smiling. Though his expression was a bit off, Izaya didn't have time to reflect on that. Shinra circled him and took control of his wheelchair. "Shinra?!"

"Ahah, Izaya-kun, you know, when someone is hurt, they go to see their favourite doctor to patch them up. But, surprisingly, I didn't see you at all."

Izaya frowned. "Shinra…"

"But," the doctor went on, while pushing Izaya into his bedroom. "I told myself: 'It's your fault, you were busy beheading the love of your life…' But I fully expected you to be there when I got back, so I asked Celty to let me on her horse – a first, mind you – to be there as soon as possible… But no Izaya!"

Shinra had parked Izaya's chair beside his bed and before the informant could react, the doctor had picked him up and put him on the bed. "Shin –"

"It took three days, Izaya-kun." Shinra interrupted, pushing back his glasses on his nose. "Three days of waiting with my medical supplies ready. Three days of imagining you dying in an alleyway. Three days, because it was the most you could have survived without tending to your wounds."

Shinra put the bag he was carrying on the nightstand, and began to pull out a stethoscope. "And then you were dead. Utterly dead. Nobody had seen you since the fight, and your so-called allies didn't know anything. You. Were. Dead."

Izaya wanted to speak, but for once, he didn't. He kept silent as Shinra took his pulse. "But I was stupid, wasn't I? You could have gone to a different doctor. But I thought... I thought, if you didn't come to me, you wouldn't go to anyone else."

Izaya didn't really remember where Kine had brought him after the fight, but one thing was sure: it wasn't Shinra. He had asked him not to go to Shinra.

"And then, six months or so later, I'm treating Shizuo's wounds when I hear him mutter something about a 'fucking louse' who apparently can't leave his thoughts."

Shinra hadn't stopped smiling, and he was now checking every inch of Izaya, precisely and professionally, like the doctor he was. "So of course, I ask him if he is in love. And guess what? Shizuo is 'not in love with the flea'! It wasn't hard after that to extract the story from him, about how he found out you were alive. Because you are alive!"

Izaya flinched when Shinra put some pressure on his leg, but it didn't really hurt. "I was relieved you know. I was so relieved, I nearly missed the part about you being in a wheelchair."

Shinra paused, taking a breath. His smile never wavered. He didn't look at Izaya; he just resumed his examination. "Then I was angry at you. I thought: 'What kind of douchebag did he go to?' I thought: 'If it had been me, he could have made a full recovery.' So I decided to check on you, to see if I could do something about it."

Shinra straightened, finally looking Izaya in the eyes. "But what can I do against phantom pain and psychosomatic blockage?" He looked sad.

Izaya waited a bit, trying to determine if this was just a big joke on Shinra's part or if it was genuine. The calm the doctor was demonstrating convinced him it was the second option. "I am sorry, Shinra."

Smiling sadly, Shinra shook his head. "You said that, but you just didn't care, didn't you?"

Izaya was so stunned by the affirmation he let a few seconds go by without responding. Now he couldn't reply without Shinra thinking he was lying. So he said nothing. Eventually, Shinra sighed and put his glasses back up his nose.

"So, Izaya-kun. Tell me. What have you been up to in these past six months?" His demeanour surprised Izaya, but he interpreted it as a sign the doctor wanted everything to go back to normal.

Izaya told him everything, then Shinra explained his side of it, too.

He explained how Celty and he were closer than ever; how the three kids from Raira were closer than ever and how Shizuo and Varona were closer than ever.

He told Izaya about how his sisters were often wandering in Ikebukuro and messing with Shizuo, knowing the blond wouldn't hurt them.

He smiled while recalling how Akane was always fanning over Shizuo, which mean the latter was followed by some member of the Awakusu Kai on a regular basis.

He mentioned Shizuo a lot, but it didn't bother Izaya. And then...

Shinra explained him how Celty was missing all the errands Izaya used to give her; how Simon always looked nostalgic when a client ordered ootoro and how some gang member the doctor was treating complained about the lack of good informant in town.

He told him the number of suicides in the area had augmented. ("What does that have to do with me, Shinra?" "Nothing, Izaya-kun, nothing.")

He smiled while recalling how Shizuo was always startled when he saw black-haired man with a fur coat in the crowd.

He mentioned how Izaya was missed a lot, and that bothered Izaya.

Before leaving, Shinra kidnapped one of Izaya's phones while leaving his own. He told the informant he was going to call, and if he was ignored, he would send Shizuo here.

Though he was unimpressed, Izaya nonetheless nodded. Shinra smiled at him. "I'm still angry, you know. You are going to have to make it up to me." The informant nodded again, and Shinra left satisfied.

Forever tired, Izaya rolled his chair in front of his window. The winter sun was setting, slowly colouring the sky with shades of purple and orange.

He was feeling weird. In the past week, he had had more visitors than in six months. Some of them were bad encounters, like with Shizuo and Fenrir, but others were good, like his sisters and Shinra. Although...

The second time around with Shizuo wasn't that bad. The brute was unpredictable as ever, but apparently seeing his nemesis in a wheelchair was all it took to make him hold his temper.

Izaya thought about their fight. Their last fight, the one that was supposed to end it all.

He had wanted to die. Or rather, he was supposed to die. He had decided it was a fight to death, and dying was just the endgame for one of them. But no, Shizuo, like always, didn't follow the plan. He allowed him to live, but Izaya had nothing to live for anymore.

So he decided, since he should be dead, he would live like he was. But then… Then Shiki came. His sisters came. Akane came.

He had tried so hard to be an empty shell. He had tried his best to distance himself from them. But they came and wormed their way through his walls, took them down with something as simple as a "I was relieved" and a "Take care of yourself" and a "I decided today I would be" and a "I just want to talk".

But none of them understood. They truly didn't. Izaya didn't mind his legs. He didn't mind his sometimes monotonous, quotidian work. No, he minded this feeling.

This feeling, the one he was experiencing right now.

The one that constricted his chest, making it difficult to breath.

The one that made his eyes sting, and his heart ache.

The one called love.

Fenrir had been wrong. Tsukumoya had been wrong. Shinra had been wrong. They were all wrong. Izaya could love. He was capable of it. He just chose not to, except in this ethereal, egoistic and abstract way he loved humanity. But now…

Now, as he remembered them, as he remembered their face full of things he couldn't bear to name, he knew he loved them. Each one of them in a different way, including Shizuo.

And if a single tear rolled down his cheek, he pretended not to notice. He just watched the sunset, as beautiful as ever.

TBC

Also, important, I need a beta ! Mine can't correct me anymore so I need someone else for the next chapters ! I already asked five people, but none of them answered me, so... Here I ask !

If you want to, don't hesitate to contact me (in a review or by PM) ! I mainly need someone for spelling and grammar. I won't post the next chapter if it's not beta'ed (there would be too much mistakes and weird formulation), so I'm sorry if my updates are slow ^^