Trust Me, Believe Me
Warnings: A certain headless Dullahan, minor language
Summary: With no one to fully trust, Celty goes to Shizuo for advice and also trusting Shizuo that she can believe her to keep her little secrets, even as her identity as a Dullahan.
People in the story: Celty Sturluson, Shizuo Heiwajima, Shinra Kishitani, Izaya Orihara (Only mentioned.)
How can I be so stupid? I guess I was a little too rash at him.
Celty Sturluson, riding on her morotcycle which was her horse in disguise was feeling lost for all the deeds she did a few hours ago. With nowhere else to go, she began re-tracing her steps and the reason she was mad at Shinra for not telling her she knew was something important…
Flashback, a few hours ago…
It was a quiet night in the Kishitani apartment. Not before Celty has left the apartment after some food for thought that Shinra was keeping something important from her. She's been thinking all week, and she was unsure if things will go well as planned when she will interrogate the eccentric but young doctor right after she put on her clothes.
Headless (literally), with a beautiful and flawless pale body, Celty dries herself up after a moment with the bathroom. Black, shadow-like smoke released out from her hands and neck slowly as she put on her black jumpsuit and her cat-like motorcycle helmet. She wanted some answers, answers that involve her missing head from Shinra right now. And she means it, NOW.
After a restless 20 years since making her way from Ireland to the lands of the rising sun to locate her missing head, she has found herself to be in a tight spot. The feeling of yearning for her missing head for a long time, it soon became uncontrollable as she kept having weird, yet surreal dreams of her not finding it back, or worse, not finding it back forever. In a panic mood, time does not wait for her. It was time for Shinra, to confess.
"Can I have a talk with you? You better be truthful in my following questions." Celty began typing her message in her PDA, letting a semi-occupied Shinra, who was watching a documentary on pandas and sorting out work sees the message. He switches off the television, before giving a 'Go on' at his headless companion.
"I know you have the answers where my head is."
"Your head? W-what are you talking about, Celty? I've been helping to look for it, I just don't know where---"
"I know you're lying, Shinra Kishitani! I can sense you lying while blinking your eyes." Said an impatient Celty, who was almost at her boiling point that instance. "Now, tell me where you hid it."
"But, I really don't know. If I had I would have told you earlier on, I love you---"
"Stop diverting the main question! I don't love you, and if you are not going to tell me where my head is, I'm going to do something horrible in which you'll never thought I'll do."
Shinra was at his loose ends. He truly loved her ever since that faithful day 20 years ago when he first sat his eyes on the peculiar headless woman. Never will he think that Celty would say such things, if she really does want to continue living with him while in search of her head. It was also his first time seeing Celty this angry; it wasn't the kind like a bratty kid would do, but the rather serious and no-nonsense type from her.
But unfortunately for Shinra, he is an underground doctor. A doctor who needs to constantly keep countless secrets from anyone, even for an underground porter like Celty herself. There are things he should not carelessly reveal, but with his job and lover on the line…
"I. Don't. Know. I'll gladly accept whatever punishment from you, Celty." He was actually expecting Celty to form a scythe from the black smoke which emits from her hands, or a rope to tie him up. But he was wrong in both ways.
For a moment, Celty did not move an inch. She wrote another message on her PDA, before showing it to the doctor urgently.
"Very well. I'm leaving this place, if that's what you want."
"Wai-" It was too late for him before he could say any further.
In that moment of anger, Celty stormed out of the apartment, not before taking her horse, which is actually her headless horse in disguise, away from that 'traitor' she has believed him to be. A rather disappointed Shinra sighed, not before saying "What have I done?" to reproach himself.
"What was I thinking in the first place? To make such a reckless move…"
Driving on her horse-motorcycle hybrid in a fast speed which only an observant passerby may see her, the headless being soon found her lost in directions. With no place to return to, her anger yet to be dissipated, there was nowhere she could go.
"Well, it's Shinra's fault after all. He knew where my head is in the first place. How stupid I am to remain ignorant when he has the answers all along."
Thinking of all the people she knew, there were only one people she could turn to.
Right at the brightly-lit pedestrian paths in the heart of Ikebukuro, a man with blonde-dyed hair with a pair of purple shades on even though it was nighttime, wearing a suit for a bartender and yet he was not working as a bartender, was walking around the shops that attracted youths, adults and shopaholics alike to gather. Quiet and discreet as he was, only people who aren't too well within the streets of Ikebukuro does not have any single idea that he is one of the most feared man in the city, as long as you do not make him mad and should be avoided as all cost, in the case that you want to live.
Shizuo Heiwajima, the debt collector bodyguard. That was his name.
Straight after a job of collecting debts from gamble addicts, pathetic people and NEETs, he thought that he could enjoy the rest of the day looking for something, while trying to keep a lookout for his most dreaded enemy, Orihara Izaya, as much as he could. The two were in very bad terms every since they first met in Raira High School a few years ago.
Somehow, he was feeling rather lonely as he walked around the streets.
He wanted someone to talk to. Someone to pour out his feelings. At least his chest doesn't feel cramped and tight all over.
Soon, he moved away from the crowded place and move right straight in to the quieter side of the city. He was now at the park, with only several couples, a small group of light music enthusiasts and beggars sitting down, enjoying the peace and avoiding the chaotic scene at the livelier side of the city.
But someone stood out amongst the groups.
A woman dressed in a black jumpsuit with a helmet on. She looked up, seeing a lone Shizuo looking rather disdained at the events that occurred today, she waved at him to join her to find some reflection time to think about.
"So, you don't look so happy today. Did anything happen?" Shizuo started the conversation after all the awkwardness going around with the two oddballs. Celty took her PDA out, typing her inner feelings for the other man to see.
"Yeah. Trust me; you don't want to know what happened to Shinra and me."
Shizuo didn't want to think about it, however. Whatever happens to the both of them, who have been living together for years, it was best to be quiet about all these personal issues, and just listen what the other party has to say.
"Go on. Don't you trust me, Celty?"
Talking about trust, Celty began typing another message.
"Trust? Pff, you should see Shinra's look on his face. He's an unreliable, selfish liar that I don't even understand. I knew he's keeping something from me, I just know it and yet he just remains incoherent about it."
"What about it?"
Celty paused at what she was about to say next. No one, with the exception of Shinra and his father, knew that she is headless and furthermore, the legendary creature known as the Dullahan with supernatural powers no one will imagine at full force. She can't be going around telling people that she's headless; people will take her as an idiot, or she's pulling their sleeves, maybe something monstrous like what she did to those smugglers when they tired to kidnap a high school girl in their previous standoff.
"Ever since I met you, I think you are someone I can pour my problems to. We have been doing it now and then to each other ever since. When I'm going to say something unbelievable, please don't freak out, ok?"
"Something…unbelievable?"
Shizuo was dumbfounded. He had no clue what the enigmatic rider was talking about, even though she was being direct at him for saying these things. What the heck is she talking about? As time flies, more and more people left the park, while the homeless had already had their lights off, lying on the benches or the floor without moving a single inch.
Suddenly, he felt his heart pumping faster and faster as his thoughts ran. It was an indescribable feeling, yet it was intense but warm. Was it suspicion, or was it love?
The angle he was looking at Celty struck him distinctively, a strange vibe taking over his emotions. Her slim body structure, it makes Shizuo wanting to see what's behind the helmet. What kind of face is behind the enigmatic helmet? He had never thought what her face looks like under that thing and it was only now that he wanted to elevate himself out of this mystery.
He nodded slowly; Celty looked around frantically before typing one more message before she does something reckless.
"Ok, just don't freak out if you see this. Or faint from a heart attack or something." She jokingly replied, before taking the cat-like helmet off.
A headless immortal woman, with black smoky particles releasing at her surroundings. Shizuo swear that this was his imagination by rubbing his eyes but every time he went back rubbing, the things he saw became more real to him before he finally accepted the real truth.
"Action speaks louder than words."
In a different response, as Celty have half-expected, Shizuo started at the Dullahan in awe and surprise, his mouth was left hanging open as soon as he saw the truth; an alive and kicking headless woman right in front of him.
"I am a Dullahan from Ireland, and have been living in this city for 20 years to locate my head."
"Your…head?" Celty nodded at once. Before anyone residing at the park began to wake up or walk pass the park to see a headless person roaming around the streets, Celty place the helmet back where it should belong. She then stood up, began to demonstrate what she was talking about by lifting her arm, which black particles form out of her arm and began to form a scythe out of it. With only a few seconds for the usually-violent debt collector to witness this strange phenomenon, she places the scythe back to her arm where it should belong.
"This is why I've been living with Shinra for the past 20 years. To find my head. But somehow, Shinra's keeping mum where my head is." Celty began typing another message on her PDA as she settled down. A rather shocked Shizuo took a few minutes to calm himself down; he doesn't know what he's getting into this time.
"That explains it. You were asking me to find a witness what your head actually looks like that day. I thought it was something else you were talking about, but I didn't think that you are finding your head, literally." The man put his shades back on, before looking at Celty for another time. "I know that you'll hate me for saying this, but it's definitely unbelievable. Even more unbelievable than my unlimited strength I have since I was a kid."
Celty then reached her hand on Shizuo, forcing his hands to grab onto hers. He could felt her pale and warm hands shivering abnormally, even for an immortal who has been living Japan for 20 years. Shizuo soon understood why Celty did that:
She was afraid.
She was afraid that her head will nowhere to be found after all those years of searching and seeking for it.
Celty felt like crying. But even so, she has no head, so no one, not even Shinra nor Shizuo really knew she truly felt whenever she feel like wasting her tears on herself. The lack of a head is something Celty knew of its disadvantages, was rather troublesome when she tries to convey her inner feelings.
"There's something important that's in my head. Either my few hundred year old memories, my duty of being a Dullahan, or just a head, it's something I hold dear to myself. It's not something that can be replaced." She wrote the message as fast as she could.
The emotion the man felt was more of empathy than sympathy, as the Dullahan paused for a moment to think about what to tell him next. He was wondering if Celty felt the same for him too.
On Celty's side, she was able to look through the salient Shizuo's inner feelings. Having to trust him for a long time now ever since they first met, but it takes seconds for trust to be broken, like what Shinra did earlier on. She was sure that she will have to put her emotions aside on her quest to look for her lost object…
"I trust you."
Celty looked up at Shizuo, with some surprise.
"I believe in you."
"You….trust me?"
Shizuo gave a firm nod, a warm smile growing on his face. She was surely skeptical whether to believe him or not. But the amount of sincerity he presented in his simple speech had moved her once again, but to place her trust on him for a while. She can dump him as and when as she like.
Almost immediately, Celty type on her PDA once again, frantically shows her message to the almost-violent friend of hers.
"If I have my head I will be shedding tears of joy by now. Thank you for keeping my secret from another else!"
"No problem, Celty."
"One more thing."
He was expecting a hug or something. But as Celty typed a few letters on her handheld machine, she presses the machine right on his cheek. Wondering what was that all about, Shizuo looked at the PDA one last time, a 'kiss' was presented in just 4 letters in the Roman alphabets. Blushing, he soon shook his head to get rid of the jovial feeling in front of Celty, now sounding serious as before.
"But first, go back to Shinra. I think you need him more than anyone of us does. He must be feeling sorry for lying to you, but it's the only way if you want to see some progress in finding your head." Shizuo said, sounding very teacher-like.
"As you wish, Shizuo."
It was the first time Celty called him by his first name and without the honorifics. Thinking if she did that on purpose or intentionally, by the time Shizuo was back from his fantasy, Celty was gone with her motorbike.
"Love is such a wonderful feeling."
Author's Note: Hey, BestFanOfAnime here and I'm glad you read my first DRRR one-shot. Sorry if I took really long to complete this, since I wanted it to be perfect and sorry if any of the characters are behaving out of character. I was also studying for a theory paper, so I didn't have the time to finish it until today…
Anyway, there are rooms for improvement, I'm not saying that it's the best fic I've ever written, since I haven't been doing one-shots for a very long time as I've mentioned earlier on (I think my last one-shot was a Gintama one.). Sorry if it felt a bit rushed or something, maybe I'll do another revision when I have the time, or if you guys requested for it in the comments.
I know there are Shinra fans out there, so don't throw chairs at me (Like Shizuo does every single time.) if he's behaving like a selfish jerk in this fic. I'm planning another one-shot soon, so stay tuned! Don't forget to check out Anger Management too, though it might take a while for me to get more fresh ideas.
One more thing: I wrote this even before I watched episode 10. (No spoilers for those who haven't watch it yet.). Anyway, this fic is non-canon, so it does not concern the main storyline in the anime/novels/manga.