Shizuo looked at his brother speaking to Shinra for a moment before he turned his attention to the boys nearby. He gave a heavy sigh as Roppi held onto Tsuki tighter, his red eyes burning, daring the blond to move forward and just try to pull them apart. It was like a weight placed upon his chest, burdening him further in his misery. He wiped his face, mocha eyes averted from the pristine scene of admiration and affection.

"Come on, boys. Let's head home." He began to push the wheelchair along the road, not in any mood for anything. The overall numb feeling overtaking him. It didn't matter anymore. There wasn't anything he could do at this point. Izaya was…

He would just have to focus in on these two and make them a priority. Iz- If others could do it when they were seemingly complete scumbags with no sort of life whatsoever except to interfere with the lives of others, then there wasn't any reason he couldn't do the same and take care of these two.

Roppi looked up at him, watching the weary look on the other's features, looking at Tsuki's quiet and somber face before he cleared his throat, smacking the ex-bartender's hand. "Stop it! You're making Tsuki sad!"

Shizuo cleared his throat and smiled at them, forcing himself to be happy for them both. "You're right. We should be celebrating Tsuki being out of the hospital. Should we go get ice cream or maybe some sushi?"

The duo in the wheelchair stared at him before Roppi sat back down quietly. "I liked him better sad."

"Dad's face was scary just now."

He sighed, this was going to be a pain in the ass.

"Hey there," Delic leaned back in the booth and flashed a bright smile at the women in the next booth. "I've got some time and you've clearly got room for one more. Let's have some fun." The women laughed, pinching his cheeks and gossiping loudly.

"He's such a cutie," one cooed.

"If you were ten years older, little man, I would be all over that offer."

Delic was no less deterred, but Tsugaru pulled him back into his proper position, to a grinning Akabayashi. "Deli-san, please pay attention."

"I was," Delic argued, pulling Psyche back into his arms, the boy cuddling him close, eyeing the surroundings carefully. "I was merely entertaining everyone since apparently the workers here are incapable of doing their jobs."

"Oh yeah, and what would you do different?" The red headed adult rested his chin on his hand and eyed the boy. Said child looking like someone had just beaten someone in front of him that he was particularly fond of. The blond glared at him a moment before answering.

"First off, this music is terrible. You can't dance to this nonsense. This is typical crap to the highest degree. Second, the dancefloor is empty because the hosts are doing a waiter's job. The waiters are bartending and there's really no point in the supervising people there. What are they going to do, drink? They'll get drunk then and then fired. Everyone is bored."

"That's all nice, but what would you do about it."

Delic smiled, "I would dress up nice and kick those waiters back to their jobs, and haul those hosts to the back and kick them out since they can't do their jobs… or keep them as waiters. I would get myself right to the customer and say "Hello, I'm Delic, you can call me your psychedelic dream. Ask and I'll give." His smile even seemed real as he said that last part, making Akabayashi wish he was in fact ten years older looking. He nodded looking around again.

"We've had some monetary problems, but nothing our other investments can't take care of. I will be sure to take your opinions into account." He would be working on that as soon as he decided what he wanted to do with the kids. Kids, he wanted to laugh at the thought. What on earth was he going to do with a bunch of brats that looked like the monster and informant of Tokyo running around his place?

"Sir, we should return to where we were before," Tsugaru told him in a worried voice. "Shiki will be quite cross when he finds that we have all-OW! Delic! That hurt." The boy rubbed his head as Delic snarled at him.

"Don't you dare talk about us going back to that dirthole. Especially in front of Psyche. We're free of them now and I'm sure as hell not going back. I could persuade any person here to take me with them and home. I don't need to be in this hell hole with the lot of Shiki and his stupid rules and ideas. I'm not planning on knocking down doors and striking fear into anyone. I'm going to make music and Psyche is going to do it with me. We decided that while we were groveling in the filth of that basement."

"Mhmm," Psyche said from the blond's arms, hugging Delic closer.

"You see, that's where we are in complete agreement." Akabayashi smiled and leaned back a bit. "I own this establishment and I'm sure the manager wouldn't mind me having you two working here, of course you'll both be stuck in the dj booth in the back. You won't be able to show your faces off."

Psyche spoke up before Delic could growl something else, "We would love to, but you have to feed us and give us a good room."

"Of course," the red head replied, reaching out and patting the other's head a bit. "I'll make sure you two are properly taken care of."

Tsugaru shook his head, "Shik-"

"Tsu, you say that name one more time and I'm going to be doing a whole lot more than beating you upside the head." Delic growled before grinning to Psyche. "See, I told ya I'd get us to a better, more deserving place."

"Can we still go to Paris?"

"Of course, we'll send back pictures of castles and piss off Hibiya."

Psyche smiled and leaned against Delic, sticking his tongue out at Tsugaru, "Shiki can go be mean to someone else. Deli and I are going to make music."

The blue clad blond flailed a bit, "Psy, don't do that, I led Aka down to you two. I was really worried-"

"So worried you could hardly sleep on your plush bed and do whatever you had to in order to stay with Shiki. I bet you were worried." Delic rolled his eyes a moment before he smiled at the waitress that came to take their order. His demeanor changed immediately, trying to impress her with compliments and turning her into a blushing, giggling mess. She kissed his cheek after taking his order, cooing to Psyche who smiled and said what he wanted in a rushed and soon enough excited manner.

Akabayashi could only watch the trio order before he merely said for his usual and stared at them all again. "So Shiki needed you three to be taught and raised to take over after him?"

Tsugaru nodded, "He made sure to have all of us made so that we had to compete with each other in order to survive and be his heirs. There could only be two."

I see." He shook his head, knowing it was probably nonsense. Shiki wouldn't have had such goals with these kids. There was no doubt something else at play here. "Where were you all made?"

"Shinra's." The name came from all of them in unison.

Shinra leaned back, sneezing as he looked out at the city. "I'm going to be killed," he muttered.

"I would say that was already in the cards," a shadow behind him replied smoothly, black fur trim becoming visible from the shadows. "You've been up to your experimenting with your father."

The doctor spun around, eyes widening behind his glasses, pen falling to the floor. "Izaya?!"

"The one and only."

A/N:

;w; I'm so terrible at updating in a timely manner. I'm sorry. Thank you for your continued love and support. 3