Disclaimer: I do not own DRRR!
A Super Sweet Christmas
The Christmas season was a special time of year. It was a time where families came together to create wonderful memories, laugh together, and for many, celebrate the birth of Jesus. Today was Christmas Eve and [Name] couldn't be more excited. After all, Christmas was her favorite time of year. In fact, she loved it so much that her entire apartment was shamelessly decked out with Christmas decor from lights to scented candles. Right now the woman was currently on her computer browsing various websites, looking for a new Christmas dessert recipe to try. Each year, [Name] would select a special Christmas dessert to bake just for the fun of trying something new, and this year would be no different. After coming across a simple snicker doodle recipe, Rea printed off the instructions and headed towards the kitchen to begin. With glee practically dripping from her person, [Name] tied a kitchen apron in place, then gathered the necessary ingredients from her refrigerator and cabinets and sat them on the kitchen table.
After preheating the oven to 400ºF. and fetching a mixing bowl, the beaters, and two cookie sheets, [Name] proceeded to mix butter, shortening, eggs, and 1 1/2 cups of sugar together in the bowl. Following that, she stirred in flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. As she did so, a bit of flour hit her in the face and eyes, and she suddenly found herself coated with a fine dust. "Nice!" She hissed sarcastically as a puff of white smoke clouded the air. She quickly marched her way towards the kitchen sink and wiped the powdery substance from her eyes with a hefty sigh. Once she managed to clear her field of vision, [Name] picked up where she left off and began shaping the dough into round balls and rolling them into a cinnamon-sugar mixture. Finally it was time to place the dough-balls onto the cookie sheets and bake them into what would hopefully be a delicious treat.
Ten Minutes Later
After the cookies were done, [Name] pulled the trays from the oven and sat them on top of the stove to cool. A small smile graced her features when she realized that her hard work was rewarded with perfectly baked goodies. While she waited, [Name] poured herself a cup of hot spiced apple cider, grabbed her coat, and stepped out onto the balcony of her apartment for a bit of fresh air. It was at this moment that she really took in the sights of city. Lights and Christmas decorations sparkled vibrantly as far as the eye could see. The streets below were iced with sheets of snow that were now caked onto the pavement, creating a 'Winter Wonderland' appearance among all of Ikebukuro. As she sipped on the mug of hot spiced apple cider, she could have sworn she had seen something, or perhaps someone in her peripheral vision. At that moment, she turned her attention towards the balcony across from hers and spotted her next door neighbor; Shizuo Heiwajima. [Name] didn't know much about him except that he was a bartender, (at least that's what she assumed given his attire) and he was usually ostracized by those around him. She would occasionally see the man rampaging through the city hurling vending machines, streets signs, and even cars at his arch enemy, Izaya Orihara. In the back of her mind, [Name] had always been curious as to how the blond could possess such tremendous strength. When she first arrived in Ikebukuro, she would hear rumors about the aforementioned man and was warned by many people to stay away from the ex-bartender, and she always had...
... until tonight.
[Name] studied the blond from her balcony with genuine interest. He seems kind of lonely. She thought sadly to herself. Then an idea came to her. Perhaps she could do something nice for him. It was Christmas Eve after all, and if there was one thing [Name] enjoyed, it was spreading Christmas cheer to those around her. Heading back into the cozy apartment, [Name] placed her cup down, tossed her coat on the couch, and started for the kitchen where she'd left the snicker doodles to cool moments earlier. She picked one up and bit into the treat, cinnamon and sugar striking at her taste buds with a punch so powerful even she was caught off guard. "I think he'll like these... at least I hope so." Thrilled with the results of the recipe, she grabbed a basket and a large, red Christmas themed tin container that read 'Merry Christmas' on it, and placed the freshly made batches of snicker doodles neatly into the box before sealing it closed and tying a big green ribbon across the top.
"Now what else is missing?" [Name] muttered as she tapped an index finger against her chin lightly. Even though this was a last minute idea that she hadn't prepared for, she still wanted everything to be perfect if she could help it. She walked to the refrigerator and came across an unopened bottle of milk and a jar of fresh apple cider that would make great additions to her last minute gift. "Perfect!" She chirped excitedly and pulled both from the fridge. Taking two more ribbons, she wrapped a candy cane themed one around the milk bottle and a pretty red ribbon for the jar of cider and placed them into the basket with the cookies.
Now it was time for the big moment.
Taking her coat from the couch, [Name] quickly wrapped herself within its warmth before grabbing the basket from the kitchen counter and stepping outside the apartment. The chilly winds slapped against her face for the second time that night and the young woman felt her skin tingle with goosebumps as a slight shiver worked its way down her spine. She stood in the middle of the hallway for a moment feeling slightly apprehensive. Of course she had good reason to feel this way, but only because she didn't know what to expect. She'd never met the man formally. They'd only seen each other coming or going their separate ways, but neither ever held much of a conversation with the other. Just the typical greetings of 'Hello', or 'Good morning'. [Name] found her brain suddenly racing with countless scenarios; - What if he hated Christmas? What if snapped at her for disturbing his peaceful night? What if he hated her gifts?
[Name] braved herself. I guess there's only one way to find out.
The young woman gently knocked on the door and waited for what seemed like an eternity before the door swung open to reveal the blond being in his entirety. [Name] felt a surge of nervous energy wash over her as she stared up at the older man. His tall, slim frame easily towered over her much shorter form, and although she wasn't petite, there was no doubt that the blond could effortlessly scoop [Name] up with one hand if he really wanted to. So this is Heiwajima Shizuo... [Name] was stunned. The man before her was absolutely gorgeous! The foreigner found herself now staring at the man in awe, her face slightly darkening in color. It was then that the ex-bartender decided to speak up. "Can I help you?" He glanced down at the unknown stranger curiously and arched a brow. [Name] was suddenly pulled from her gazing when she heard the man's deep voice questioning her.
"E-Er...hello," she managed to stutter out then mentally cursed herself for being so awkward in front of this handsome stranger. "My name is [First name] [Last Name]. I live across from you. I know this is probably awkward since we don't really know each other and all, but I couldn't help but notice you from my balcony earlier. You seemed a bit down," she said casting her eyes to the ground. "I thought maybe you'd like something to lift your spirits, so I brought you a few goodies." [Name] raised her head now and smiled as she extended the chocolate colored basket towards the attractive powerhouse. "Merry Christmas!" She chirped.
Shizuo stood there looking slightly perplexed. He didn't know whether this was a prank or if the girl was actually being truthful. It was strange. Around this time of year, he usually stayed to himself unless his brother, Kasuka, dropped by to see him, or Celty and Shinra invited him to their annual Christmas party. He rarely had visitors due to his reputation, so it was quite a surprise to see a lovely young woman such as [Name] standing on his doorstep - with gifts, no less. He blinked curiously at the basket of contents before warmly accepting them. "Uh, thanks-" the blond suddenly blanked out having forgotten the chipper stranger's name. "what was your name again?"
"[First Name] [Last Name]," the woman repeated with a slight bow. "You're Shizuo Heiwajima, correct?"
"Yeah," he answered casually. "By the way, you've got a little something on your face." Before [Name] could react there was a cold, slender hand brushing against her left cheek. Shizuo watched as the woman gasped and jumped a bit and cocked his head to the side, his expression displaying confusion. "You okay?"
[Name] nodded, her face hot with embarrassment. "It's just that...your hands are cold." She admitted gazing down at the floor once again.
Fluffing the hair at the back of his neck, the blond showcased a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that. I didn't realize."
"It's fine," she said now bringing her head up to lock eyes with the male. "You know... if you're not doing anything tomorrow evening, maybe you'd like to come over for a small Christmas dinner? If not, I'd totally understand."
Shizuo looked lost in thought for a moment. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to have some company every once and a while. And although he didn't really consider himself a big Christmas fanatic, it might prove to be an interesting day. This [First Name] [Last Name] chick seemed like a nice person. What was the worst that could happen? After a brief period of silence, the former bartender finally agreed. "I suppose," he stated quietly. "What time should I stop by?"
"That's great news!" She exclaimed happily. "You can stop by around 6. I guess I'll see you soon, Mr. Heiwajima. Enjoy your gifts!"
With that, [Name] waved a polite goodbye and Shizuo reciprocated with a quick wave of his own before turning around and heading back inside his own residence. He gently closed the front door then shifted his eyes down to the basket in his hands. From what he could make out there was a bottle of milk and a jar of cider. But... what was in the box? Shizuo walked into the living room and snuggled into the comfort of his couch still contemplating the gift basket. Should he open it now or later, he wondered. After much consideration, the blond gave in and ultimately opened the container uncovering the contents of said item.
"Cookies?" How did [Name] know he liked sweets? Shizuo picked up one of the baked goodies and examined it. He bit into it allowing the flavor to soak into his taste buds before gulping it down with the bottle of milk. "Not bad," he commented as he took another one of the snicker doodles and popped it into his mouth. He had to admit, he'd never expected to receive such a thoughtful gift, and from a stranger, no less. She even invited him over for a home-cooked meal! It was odd, yet nice to be recognized for once, especially during the holidays when he was, for the most part, lonely. All in all, Shizuo was truly touched by the kind gesture and would have to thank the woman again. [First Name] [Last Name]... that was a pretty name. He needed to remember that. Suddenly something hit him... This woman knew his name even though he'd never given it to her. "Hmm...oh well..." With a shrug, he continued to indulge in the sweets that were so graciously given to him.
[Name] stood with her back against the door of her apartment beaming with happiness. It felt good to make someone else happy - at least she hoped that's what she accomplished tonight. She was glad that she was granted this opportunity to share something special with a beautiful soul. And if she had to be honest about it all, Shizuo Heiwajima was nowhere near as intimidating and frightening as she'd been told. At least not in her opinion. It was at this moment that the woman promised herself to never prejudge another human being without getting to know the person beforehand. As she returned to her kitchen, the cheerful young beauty joyfully hummed the melody to 'We Wish You A Merry Christmas', replaying tonight's events vividly in her head. She held high hopes for her future in Ikebukuro, and she wouldn't lie, part of her hoped that the blond would be a part of it, though she'd settle for simple companionship for now...
A/N : I apologize if Shizuo seemed a bit out of character, but I was trying to go for fluffy, holiday feels. X) This is my first EVER Durarara! fic so I'm trying to get accustomed to writing for this fandom. It should also be noted that I wrote most of this on hardly any real sleep, so forgive me if it has any mistakes. Critiques are welcomed!