The Masquerade

Chapter 1

The sun had just set as a pink hue blended with different shades of blue to colour the sky. The lights illuminated the streets and buildings, together with a waning crescent moon that sat right upon Sunshine City. A warm, sticky waft smeared the perfect image of Ikebukuro, as the residents and passers-by removed their jackets at the unexpected heat. Shizuo sighed for the fifth time as he tried to roll up his sleeves farther up. Hot weather often made him even more nervous than usual. He took out a cigarette and lit it up, losing himself in the sensation of tainted smoke filling his lungs to forget about the heat.

Students wearing different uniforms walked in different directions, probably strolling towards their corresponding homes. Older people just hanged around, chatting with their friends or lovers. Shizuo Heiwajima walked past them, not really paying attention to the surroundings, as he looked at nowhere in particular. Even though he was feeling quite edgy due to the scorching weather, his mind was somewhat void of any unwanted thoughts. For five days he didn't have to resort to violence, especially since he didn't have any work as Tom was out of the city, and that made him feel rather proud.

The blond pulled the remaining cigarette from his mouth and dropped it on the floor to step on it. As he was about to resume his evening walk, a certain feeling crept up upon his skin that immediately filled his tranquil mind. His face contorted into a frown as he muttered to himself; "why does the air suddenly feel more polluted than ever?" A group of high school girls hurried their pace to the opposite direction as they saw Shizuo walking towards them with an angry vibe. He stopped midway and looked on his left, where he noticed a familiar black jacket with fur in a dark narrow alley. He stomped towards his target as he prepared his baritone voice to yell.

"Iz- !"

He stopped in the middle of his typical shout and halted behind a big wooden box that hid him from his mortal enemy and his company, which he hadn't seen before. From the little that he could hear and see, Izaya was surrounded by three older men. Shizuo wouldn't normally stop from kicking Izaya's ass away from Ikebukuro, no matter who his company is, but somehow the air felt different from before. When the blond realised what he was thinking, he shook his head at his own stupidity and moved away from the wooden box to do what he planned on doing.

That was when he saw it; as one of the man pushed his mobile right underneath the informant's nose, his friend started to talk, until he shouted in an amused voice; "… But you're just going to fake it once again, won't you? To hide that lack of confidence, to hide your weakness, to hide how much you hate yourself."

Shizuo would have snorted at the ridiculous statement that he had heard if he didn't see, thanks to the light from the mobile, for the first time in his life, Izaya's smile faltering completely for a second as an entirely different expression flitted on his face. However he regained his composure so quickly that the other three men didn't even notice his vulnerability. As fast as a thunder, the information broker had his switchblade in his right hand pointing towards the standing man, while the other two found themselves crouching on the floor after being hit simultaneously by Izaya's left hand and leg.

"So, I suppose we have reached an agreement, didn't we?" he said calmly, his usual smirk planted on his face. The three men nodded silently and Izaya turned away, walking towards Shizuo, who once again hid behind the wooden box, unseen due to the pitch black darkness. He waited until Izaya was out of the alley to glance at the three men who were whispering quietly. Unsure on how to proceed, whether he should run after the black haired man or go force the three men to talk, Shizuo went with his instinct. Izaya managed to blend with the rest of the people wandering in Ikebukuro, however the blond could still see his glossy black hair and he finally caught up to him when he walked in a less hectic street.

"Oy, Izaya-kun," he called out, as he grabbed the other man's shoulder. Izaya took his time to turn around, as if he was hesitating. Shizuo never got to know for sure whether he was hesitating due to the surprise at being simply touched by his enemy instead of getting punched or because he was lost in his thoughts. When he eventually looked at the blond, he slipped away from Shizuo's grip to face him. His red eyes gleamed like they usually did to match his smile. It seems like what happened before was just my imagination… But…

"Shizu-chan~ No flying vending machines today, huh?" he said, with the usual amused voice that would normally annoy the blond so much that he'd smash Izaya's head against the nearest wall.

However, with some effort, Shizuo simply ignored the sarcastic question and went straight to the point; "What happened back then in the alley?"

"My, my, Shizu-chan, were you stalking me?" replied Izaya, concealing perfectly whatever emotion passed through him as he heard about the small event at the alley. Shizuo closed his eyes, as if trying really hard to force back his usual violent attitude, and remained silent. Izaya wondered why on earth, for the first time since they met, the blond remained calm, even if he was provoking him.

"I just happened to be there," he finally muttered, agitation slowly rising in his voice. His left hand flew towards his chest to grab his cigarettes. Izaya was studying his actions slowly, as he failed to understand what was passing through Shizuo's head. The hand which was still lingering near his chest remained empty, as if waiting for a cigarette to fall from the sky. "I saw you with those three men," he stated.

Izaya simply shrugged, after whispering a "so unpredictable, like usual, Shizu-chan" that was however unheard by the other. He pulled out his switchblade quietly behind his back before uttering with a small laugh; "So what? It was the usual business. You know, in case you forgot, I am an underground information broker."

"What the hell was that expression you made?" Shizuo simply asked, ignoring the reply he received as his mind replayed the strange solemn face that Izaya made back in the alley.

"Haha~ Since when do you pay that much attention to me, Shizu-chan?" he questioned. As he saw that the other man was about to respond he flicked his switchblade towards him, managing to prod his neck as he was engaged in the conversation. "Maybe too much attention~"

"You bastard!" Shizuo growled, as he stepped back and quickly grabbed the nearest object, which happened to be a large trash can. Izaya simply laughed like a maniac as he dodged the flying object and disappeared into another street. The blond ran after him, angry with the informant for being such an asshole. However he felt angrier with himself for even thinking of pitying the annoying flea. As if that bastard could feel anything that resembled sadness or emptiness.

Blinded by pure anger at everything and everyone, he lost sight of Izaya. As he came to a halt in an unknown side street, he punched the wall with all the strength that he could muster up. Warm blood tickled his fingers as it trailed all over his hand. He sighed, trying to contain his ire to prevent another bloody hand, and grabbed another cigarette as he walked back to his apartment.

"Haha~ So sharp, Shizu-chan," Izaya stated with a snicker, amusement flickering on his face as he looked at the city from a high roof. His snicker turned into another lunatic laugh, a sound devoid of any emotion yet overflowing with an obscure thrill, until it integrated into a forced snort as he placed his palm on his face. All the mirth and mockery disappeared as he whispered; "Too sharp for a protozoan brain like you."

A/N: So, I actually planned this to be a one-shot. However when I finished it, I wasn't content with it and then I thought that a Shizuo/Izaya relationship would be nicer if it is built slowly, since they are both complex characters. I am totally and utterly a bad writer of multi-chaptered fiction since I rarely finish them, which is why I usually go for one-shots, but I'd like to try this. I don't think this will be a long multi-chaptered fic, plus if I ever feel uninspired, I'll just post the one-shot that I already wrote.

So, there. Please let me know what you think until now even if you don't think I should continue it; I know it's short, but I swear it will get much longer. Thanks for reading.

-HA