First Impressions

Simon meets two obnoxious boys and notices something intriguing.

Simon liked Ikebukuro. He liked the bustle of the city and the interesting people in it, but Simon also liked peace. Though Ikebukuro was far gentler than his homeland there were a few things that disturbed Simon's tranquility. Colored Gangs, Yakuza, even the occasional supernatural occurrence.

He found it a little odd that the greatest offenders were two boys. Simon had noticed them before, a cackling little thing running away from a much larger boy with bleached hair who was shouting death threats. Simon hadn't thought too much of what he assumed to be either a game or schoolyard scrap but after the big one took a swing at the other with a stop sign and broke Russian Sushi's window. Simon put his foot down.

"Vhat you think you doing!?" Simon demanded grabbing the young man wrist, preventing another swing. The previously roaring young man suddenly shrunk staring guiltily up at Simon.

"I'm sorry." The boy said dismay and shame showing clearly in his young face as he glanced at the wreck he had made. "I'm so sorry sir." Simon just stared back down at the boy allowing his looming presences to do the talking. "I'll pay for it." The boy mumbled miserably. Simon was a little taken aback. From his previous observations he had expected a much brattier response like some of the other teen thugs who thought strength was determined by hurting others, but this kid seemed genuinely contrite. Which only created more questions.

"Yes, you will, but money not issue." The boy's head jerked up at that. "Wha..?" He started.

Simon pointed at the other boy who had hung around in silence with glittering eyes. "Vhat if you hit little one!? Bullying not good."

"Bully..?" The tall one said shocked before the rage from before started to cloud his open face. "I'M NOT BULLYING HIM!" Simon opened his mouth to disagree before he heard the cackle of the other.

"It's true Brezhnev-san" The boy said strutting closer to the two. "That is merely how Shizu-chan expresses his affection." Simon was once again puzzled. Not by the claim but the voice. The little boy looked to Simon no older than 12, between the slender build and surprisingly pretty face Simon had assumed he had not yet reached puberty, but his voice was a smooth tenor suggesting that he was closer to the others age than Simon had assumed.

"Affec? I HATE YOU MISERABLE FLEA!" The tall boy roared. Simon's Japanese still needed work apparently, flea? Was that a name?"

"Shizu- chan how mean!" The little one teased.

"Enough!" Simon barked. He placed a hand on "Shizu-chans" blonde head head "Apologize to little one." Simon was once again startled by the remarkable resistance the boy put up against Simon's massive palm.

"Ngh!" was all that came out of the angry boy's mouth.

"That's quiet alright Brezhnev-san, despite my size I can take care of myself." The little one said with a little edge in his voice telling Simon that the boy was sensitive about his petite frame. Boy's often were at that age.

"Besides, Shizu-chan's aim is so deplorable a cripple could dodge it." The boy said gesturing toward Russian Sushi.

"I wouldn't have missed if you just held still!" 'Shizu-chan' barked trying to lunge forward, but Simon held him firm.

"How convenient for you, so what? You want me to just lay there while you to beat me to death?"

"You deserve it!"

"Stop!" Simon said. Both boys fell quiet one looking angry but ashamed the other gleeful.

"What little one do to deserve beating?" Simon asked, noticing the boy's eye twitch at being referred to as little again.

"He stole my homework!"

"I did no such thing." He denied loftily. Simon couldn't pinpoint why but he didn't believe the denial for one second.

"Little one…" Simon said warning creeping into his deep voice.

"My name is Izaya." The boy tried to sound off hand but couldn't quiet hide his irritation. "So you can stop with the "little"."

"But you are little, I-ZA-YA-kun. Like a flea." Shizu-chan grinned. Actual fury seemed to enter Izaya's eyes for a second before he blinked it away with a smirked. "Just because I'm not a monster." He said lightly.

It was Shizu-chan's turn for fury. But Simon held steady onto the boy's shoulder.

"Izaya, homework?" Simon tried bringing things back to the root of the problem.

Izaya locked eyes with the massive Russian before finally huffing and said. "I didn't steal. I just happened upon some homework with such bad handwriting that I couldn't possibly identify it and did the responsible thing and…"

"AH-HA! Where did you put it Flea!?" Shizu-chan roared. Izaya's smirked shifted from conceited to malicious.

"Why I put it the first place anyone with a brain would look." Izaya said with so much false innocence Simon rolled his eyes. "Too bad you don't have one."

"WHERE!?"

"The Lost and Found."

Silence rung out for a couple seconds. Simon had a huge urge to thump the mischievous boy. Putting something that wasn't lost in the Lost and Found was just ornery. But the boy was very small.

Instead he figured another tact would be more suitable and the boy's cocky self-assurance was still so brittle Simon could almost feel the insecurity radiating off him. Simon remembered being that unsure once but couldn't help the sudden urge to bring the kid down a peg.

"So pretty face shouldn't be so conniving." Simon scolded. Wait for it 3-2-1...

Izaya's face flushed with shame and anger. Yup, insecure about his face to. Poor kid had issues; though Simon would be lying if he said poking that sore point wasn't satisfying. The pretty kid made some incoherent sputtering sounds which were drowned out by the strong kid's snort.

"And you," Simon said giving Shizu-chan a little shake. "strong boys shouldn't try hurt something so pretty."

"IZAYA'S Not!" Shizu-chan objected glancing at the other boy before dropping his head and letting his voice get very quiet. "not pret…pretty" he finished staring at his shoes.

OH?

Izaya was too busy glaring daggers at Simon to see it. But Simon saw it.

Shizu-chan's ears were bright red.