Disclaimer: Durarara and characters do not belong to me, obviously.
It wasn't often that Kadota found time for himself away from the rag-tag group he'd come to consider his friends. Whether it was Erika and Walker demanding he accompany them to shop for manga, or Soburo dragging him to any event involving Ruri Hijiribe, Kadota's free time was few and far in between. It was also very rare for him to visit bars – they were too noisy and he had enough noise in his everyday life, thank you very much. However, Ni Doragonzu (Two Dragons, was that really what they were calling it?) was fairly new to Ikebukuro and it was far enough away from the usual business and party districts. So, screw it, he'd give it a shot.
He was surprised to see that the bar was more a lounge than a club. Sure, it had a dance floor, but with the name Ni Doragonzu Kadota had expected strobe lights and VIP rooms. Instead, it was lined with velvet red couches and booths with low amber lighting which gave the place a real relaxed kind of vibe. If he were being critical, he'd accuse the bar of trying too hard to be cool, but what did he know. Across the lounge area tucked away from the dance floor was the bar itself. The dark wood counter stretched long enough to fit a generous amount of stools and behind it stood an impressive liquor collection. It was still early evening so there were hardly any patrons taking advantage of the bar-side seating. Kadota was never one to pass up a comfortable looking stool, plopping himself down on one and resting his elbows atop the sleek counter. He heard the employee door open followed by approaching footsteps from the other side of the counter.
"Sorry 'bout the wait." A very familiar voice said, sounding not very sorry at all.
Kadota titled his head up to see blond hair and a recognizable outfit. "Shizuo?" He asked incredulously. Shizuo was midway through setting down a large box behind the bar. He looked up at the call of his name.
"Kyohei?" He replied, abandoning the box to straighten and step closer. "What are you doing here?" Kadota grinned.
"I could ask you the same." He said, gesturing towards the bar. Shizuo made a noncommittal noise while fiddling with the cuffs of his shirt. Kadota recognized the old nervous tic from their Raira days. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same.
"Tom-san is friends with the owner and needed someone to fill in for a few days." Shizuo explained. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other and drummed his fingers against the counter. Kadota eyed the behavior with a slight frown. Did running into someone he knew make Shizuo that uncomfortable?
"Can you even bar-tend?" He asked without thinking. He knew Shizuo had been a bartender for a short time before Izaya stirred up trouble like he always did, but he assumed the job was mainly washing glasses and glaring disapprovingly at drunks. Kadota realized he probably shouldn't have said that upon seeing a blond eyebrow arch questioningly and fingers stop drumming the counter. He prepared to make a run for it in case he'd pissed Shizuo off, but fortunately the blond appeared more mildly offended than completely enraged.
"You doubting me?" Shizuo asked with a pronounced growl. Kadota held up his hands in a show of surrender.
"Come on, I wasn't saying that." He replied. Shizuo's hand slapped against the counter, causing it to shake dangerously. A few people glanced their way, but Shizuo apparently wasn't paying attention to them. "Hey, let's calm down for a second."
"Name a drink." Shizuo commanded. Now, Kadota usually had a difficult time ordering at practically any restaurant. He would get flustered staring at menus, not knowing what to get, and it always resulted in him ordering something at random whether it was what he wanted or not. With the added pressure of Shizuo Heiwajima glaring down at him, Kadota's brain decided to abandon him altogether.
"Uh . . ." He said intelligently, grasping at mental straws. "Beer?" He mentally cringed at the way Shizuo's eyes narrowed before the blond suddenly deflated.
"Really?" Shizuo asked. "Beer?"
Kadota frowned deeper. "What's wrong with beer?" He countered, ready to defend his go-to alcohol. Shizuo sighed flippantly and leaned his hip against the bar.
"It smells awful and it tastes awful." Shizuo said, arms folded over his chest. "What's not to dislike about it?"
"You like sweets, though." Kadota replied. "That gives you an unfair bias." He enjoyed the confounded expression Shizuo then sported. It wasn't every day he got to shoot the breeze with Shizuo. Eh, he'd cut the guy some slack before a stool could get chucked at his face. "Fine, fine, just make me whatever you want." There, now it was out of Kadota's hands. It felt good to wiggle out of sudden responsibilities. Shizuo apparently hadn't expected to be given free reign judging by his newly acquired frown. He unfolded his arms and began drumming his fingers on the counter again. Kadota looked closer and thought he saw Shizuo gently holding the very tip of his tongue between his teeth.
"Ah." Came Shizuo's eureka sound. Without another word, he turned his back to Kadota and began pulling various bottles down from the back shelving. Kadota spotted vodka, rum, and tequila, but lost track after the fourth bottle was pulled. It wasn't until he saw Shizuo take out a bottle of blue liquid that he started getting curious. Shizuo scooped ice into a large glass and began pouring portions from six different bottles, including the blue stuff. He then disappeared beneath the counter, presumably opening a mini-fridge, and returned with a can of clear soda. The can was added last with one hand while the other stirred the drink to completion. The finished product, placed firmly in front of Kadota, was a bright blue drink that made him glance between it and Shizuo suspiciously.
"This won't kill me, right?" Kadota asked while pointing at the drink. Shizuo was already in the process of returning all of the liquor bottles to their proper places.
"Quit your yappin' and drink it." He snapped, shoving the tequila bottle back with a little more force than necessary. Thankfully, it didn't crack and burst. Kadota stared down at the blue concoction, slowly wrapping his hand around the glass and bringing it inch by inch to his mouth. Prepared to wash his mouth out with water if needed, he opened his lips and drank the first gulp. He wasn't surprised to discover it was a sweet drink – this was a drink made by Shizuo after all. What he hadn't expected was just how well the sweetness blended with all the liquors mixed in. It wasn't overpowering, instead making it easier to drink what would normally be an unbearable pairing of strong alcohols. This was a dangerous drink. He could drink more than one of these and not notice he was drinking so much liquor until he was well past tipsy.
Kadota pulled the glass away for a moment to give Shizuo an impressed smile. "This is really good." He said. Shizuo was caught off-guard by the compliment and unconsciously reached up to adjust the sunglasses he wasn't wearing. Old habits die hard. "What's this thing called?" He asked before taking another sip.
"Goodnight Motherfucker." Shizuo replied with a straight face, causing him to nearly choke mid-swallow. Shizuo laughed as Kadota choked roughly. Once he was sure he wasn't going to die, he scowled at Shizuo, who was smirking smugly. Cheeky bastard. The longer Kadota kept eye contact, however, the harder it was to keep the miffed act up. Relaxing back on the stool, he finally returned Shizuo's grin.
"Alright, you know your stuff." He admitted and took another sip. "How much do I owe you?"
Shizuo rested his hands on his hips. "It's on the house." He said with a rueful smile, almost snickering when Kadota eyed him questioningly. "I've always wanted to say something cool like that."
Kadota snorted, but accepted the charity anyway. A string of peeling laughter rang out from the bar entrance. He looked over to see a group of women enter, playfully swatting and conversing among themselves. They gathered at the far end of the counter where one enthusiastically waved at Shizuo. Kadota smiled against the rim of the glass. "Duty calls." He informed the other.
Shizuo nodded. "Later, Kyohei." He said before leaving to attend to the needs of the many. Kadota waved goodbye and took another long gulp of the Goodnight Motherfucker.
It was a good night, indeed.