Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this story, or Durarara!
A/N This is just a little drabble that crossed my mind that I had to write out about Shizuo running into a certain someone from his past again. It's not the best I've ever written, but I would appreciate any feedback you want to give!
No Longer Running
It wasn't very often that Shizuo found himself simply wandering the streets of Ikebukuro aimlessly, with nothing more to do than take a drag of a half smoked cigarette and put one foot in front of the other. The problem was, his employer wasn't feeling all that well, and with Tom not needing his protection for the day and telling him to take the day off, he didn't really have all that much to do.
With another drag of his cigarette and flick of the ashes, he leaned up against the wall of a brick building, watching the smoke drift off into the sky. It was actually peaceful in the city for once, with the exception of the muted roar of traffic, and Shizuo relished it. No flea to bother him, no gangs to fight, no Celty passing by on a pick up…yeah, he could get used to this. Even the Orihara twins were nowhere to be found, because Kasuka was being filmed in Shibuya for the day.
A puff of smoke later and Shizuo threw the butt on the ground, stomping it out and moving on, the sounds of vehicles becoming much louder as he rounded the corner. The milling crowd parted before him, most recognizing that if there was one person they did not mess with, it was the blond man in a bartender outfit. The chatter of them was irritating, and he decided to duck into an alleyway to escape the noise again.
With a startling flash of recognition, he knew he was in the alley he used to pass through when he was younger on his way back from school. He had stopped coming this way after…after…Shizuo shook the thought away. Dwelling in the past wouldn't get anyone anywhere. Still, there was a comforting familiarity in the situation, and he travelled through the street for old time's sake, examining some buildings he had once known to be full of people and booming with business. Here was a florist's shop, and there was a barber's. Another block and he passed by the insurance agency…and one more…Shizuo didn't even notice when his footsteps increased in speed, a subconscious yearning to know pushing him forward.
He rounded the corner at a near run, coming to a dead stop as he saw windows boarded up and coated with graffiti. A painted over, "We're closed" sign hung in front of the door, and it was obvious the building had seen much better days.
Shizuo refused to believe his heart dropped because maybe, just maybe he had wanted to see the woman who ran the bakery again. No…it was simply something from his childhood that he was disappointed to see in such a decrepit state. That was what he would tell himself, at least. Turning away from the heartbreaking sight in front of him, he wandered back into the traffic-ridden streets to go home.
After a few blocks, a sudden screech of tires and a screaming horn grabbed his attention, and he turned to see a truck barreling down on a pedestrian in the crosswalk. Instinct told him to move, and he did, jumping out in front of the vehicle with no regard for his own safety. A sickening crunch of metal against bone echoed through the now quiet street, murmurs slowly erupting as Shizuo and the truck skidded backwards mere feet, the man toppling backwards onto the pavement as the momentum disappeared. The man in the now-demolished truck took one look at Shizuo and screamed, fleeing the scene through flabbergasted observers.
As the shock of purposely leaping between a speeding truck (the first time he had been run over intentionally out of three) and a pedestrian wore off, he checked himself for injuries, pleased when there weren't any broken bones, but a little upset at the amount of blood that was dripping onto his clothes. The stains would take a long time to wash out, after all.
"I see you've been drinking your milk…" a quiet voice sounded behind him.
Scrambling up, he whipped around to meet the soft, smiling gaze of a woman who looked only slightly older than he remembered.
"Yeah…" he said, dumbfounded. He couldn't find the words to express himself. After years of avoiding this kind, caring person, what could he say upon finding himself in her presence again?
They stood like that for minutes until a blaring horn forced them to move out of the road. Shizuo turned his back to her, stalking out of the crosswalk and fully prepared to not look back.
"I forgive you, you know!" she shouted after him, causing him to pause. She caught up with him and placed her hand on his shoulder; he shook it off. "You've saved me twice now, and I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. I forgive you for hurting me."
She still didn't receive a reply from him, but she wasn't going to give up. Digging in her purse for something, she stood in front of him and slipped it into his hand.
"Perhaps this isn't the proper place to talk about it. Here's the address to my new bakery. I would…like it if you would stop in. I've wanted to see you again for a long time. Please don't make me wait any longer." With that, she was gone, leaving Shizuo frozen on the sidewalk.
Minutes ticked by before he looked at the business card in his hand. He looked at his watch, back to the card, and began the walk that would get him there. He was done waiting, too.