It's just another day.
Nothing special about it, if you ask me.
I've never seen the appeal in celebrating one's birthday. For me, it's just the fourth of May. This year, it's just another Saturday. Why do people feel it necessary to shove the fact that they were born in your face?
Years ago, on this day, you ruined your parent's lives. Congratulations. Good for you.
Every year, you force your family and friends to treat you like a king or queen for a day, when really it had nothing to do with you or you own merits. If anything, your birthday should be held in honor of your mother, who suffered for nine months before you finally ripped her apart on your way out.
It's all quite selfish if you ask me.
But, humans are all innately selfish.
I'm pretty sure I'm very high up on the list of most selfish humans on the face of the Earth. Selfish but self-aware, so I repeat. There's nothing special about a birthday…
I sigh loudly to myself. "If it's just another day… then why do I care so much?" I mutter to myself before raising an derisive eyebrow. Why am I talking to myself?
It really shouldn't matter that I'm alone on my birthday. Even Namie isn't around since she asked to have this weekend off. She's probably off stalking her poor brother.
Glancing out the window, I stare unseeing out into the night. Maybe I should go treat myself to some otoro from Russia Sushi. The idea of strolling through Ikebukuro right now makes me smirk knowingly. I guess I could give myself two birthday gifts in one shot. Otoro and a game of chase with my favorite monster.
With a chuckle, I stand up, grab my jacket and saunter out the door.
It's weird…
I got to Russia Sushi, ate in peace then wandered toward the park without a single Shizuo sighting. He's normally wandering around at this hour. That's disappointing. I was hoping to hear him say…
"Iiiizaaayaaa!"
Ahhh, there it is.
I spin around with a smile plastered to my face. "Hello, Shizu-chan! I hoping I'd find you today. My day has been quite dull and thought to myself 'what better way to cure my boredom than to torment my sweet Shizu-chan?'" I say animatedly while continually stepping backward as Shizuo stalks forward.
"I think you're mistaken when you call me sweet, flea," Shizuo growls as he closes in on me.
"Awww… all I heard was you calling me sweet flea," I tease as I dance away from his reaching hands. "Oh dear, Shizu-chan. If you wanted a hug, you should have asked."
"Okay then, come closer so I can get my hands on you," he sneers as he closes in on me.
"My, my. Out in the open like this? You sure know how to treat a lady." I grin as I jump away from his reach and turn to run out of the park and down a nearby ally with a loud laugh. "You should try harder to respect my sweet sensible nature and at least treat me to dinner first."
"Shut up, flea. Get back here," Shizuo yells as he chases after me. "Today will be the day that I finally put the world out of its misery."
"It would seem fitting that I would leave this world on the same day that I came into it." I say with another peal of laughter, glancing over my shoulder at him. "You may put the world out of its misery, but I'm sure you would be devastated without me, Shizu-chan."
I see him stop dead in his tracks with an odd look on his face.
I shrug to myself and disappear from his view.
About an hour later, I'm skipping merrily through the streets of Ikebukuro, fiddling with my phone. Shizuo stopped chasing me back then but I wasn't quite ready to give up on the game tonight. I thought I'd give him a little while before stalking him again.
He looked so confused. While it's not surprising that thinking probably hurts him, it was weird to see him like that for what seemed like no reason. I know I mentioned that he would be lonely if he actually killed me… but that didn't seem like something that would literally stop him in his tracks.
Lost in my musings, I turn a corner and bump right into the subject of my thoughts. Shizuo looks down at me with an irritated frown. "Flea."
I jump back and plaster a grin on my face. "Oh my, Shizu-chan. Twice in one night? How did I get so lucky? On my birthday no less!"
Shizuo's frown morphs into a scowl as he mumbles under his breath. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you what?" My grin falters as I look up at him, trying to make sense of his expression. "That it's my birthday? Why would I? Why would you care?"
"Why wouldn't I want to know?" Shizuo retorts as a nearly invisible blush crosses his cheeks. "I would kind of like to not try to kill you on your birthday… you know, as a gift."
"Interesting," I murmur, as I slowly get lost in thought. "Why would you want to give me any sort of gift in the first place?"
"Why are you so annoying? Just accept it and be happy," Shizuo growls at me.
"Hmm… why does the idea of you not chasing after me to kill me make me not happy?" I continue to mutter my thoughts aloud. "Maybe I enjoy the thrill it gives me to have you chase me around Ikebukuro. After all, I don't actually believe you're going to kill me… So, Shizu-chan. Why are you chasing me?"
"Don't overthink it, flea," Shizuo growls at me.
"But I can't help it. When it comes to you I tend to overthink everything. You're not human so you're more complicated," I say with confusion written across my face. "Why, Shizu-chan? Why do we do this?"
"I don't think we know what else to do," he replies with a shrug. "We've never known anything else."
"This is true. Maybe we should try something new," I say with a raised eyebrow. "Just for now, Shizu-chan - for my birthday - let's be friends."
"What the hell? How do you expect me to do that, flea?" he exclaims, his expression flustered.
"Just try, Shizu-chan. Come on," I say as I tug on his sleeve. "Let's walk."
Shizuo growls low but follows me as I lead him through the streets of Ikebukuro.
Thirty minutes later, we still haven't killed each other. When we try, talking is actually easy. "See, Shizu-chan? I'm not that bad," I sat brightly with a grin.
"That face is weird. Don't smile so innocently," he mumbles before chuckling softly. "I guess you're not that bad."
I tilt my head at his admission. "Really? I was being sardonic, but if you think so… What was that weird laugh for? Don't tell me that Shizu-chan is starting to like me…" I tease with a grin on my face, poking him in the ribs sharply with a finger.
"Oi, flea. Stop," Shizuo says as I notice a blush on his face for the second time tonight.
"Shizu-chaaaan… you're blushing," I push further. "You don't like me. You like like me!"
"What is this middle school? Are you a middle school girl, Izaya?" he tries to sound like he's ruthlessly mocking me but fails as he turns his face away to hide the blush that is deepening.
"That would make sense! Because you would then be the middle school boy who has a crush on me! Now all the chasing, occasional punching, teasing and mocking… Shizu-chan it makes so much sense!" I exclaim as laughter takes over.
"Shut up, flea," he growls as he stops walking causing me to stop in turn and look at his irritated face.
"Aww… did I hit a nerve? Are we not friends anymore, Shizu-chan? It's still my birthday." My laughter fades to a self-satisfied smirk.
He sighs loudly. "Wait here. I'll be right back out."
"You're just going to leave me, aren't you? How cruel! No one else was willing to spend my birthday with me. Not that I really care…" I ramble before Shizuo holds up a hand.
"Stop. I will be right back. I'm serious," he promises and disappears into the convenience store.
While he's inside I can't help but replay what just happened and the rest of the evening. Shizuo has been in rare form tonight. Not angry at me in the slightest. Yes I'm pushing his buttons to irritate him but he hasn't stooped low enough to take a swing at me. Nor has he given up on me and left.
He also got really flustered when I teased him about having a crush on me. Why? Did I actually hit a nerve there? Is it… true?
What is this that I'm feeling right now? What is this feeling in my stomach? Is this how things could have been if we had tried to be friends from the beginning? The idea makes me smile softly to myself.
"What's that creepy smile for, flea? You look like you're too happy about something," Shizuo says as he comes back up next to me, holding a small bag.
"Oooo… what did you buy?" I ask, circling him, trying to get a peek inside the bag that he keeps hiding from my prying eyes.
"It's nothing! Let's keep walking," he says as he shoves me away from him and continues walking. "Come on, let's circle back to the park."
I smile as I rush to fall in with his quick pace.
"So you're really not going to tell me what's in the bag, Shizu-chan?" I say as I walk over and sit down on a bench.
Shizuo looks reluctant before he sits down next to me. He turns toward me putting one knee up on the bench. "Shut up, flea," he says quietly. Throughout the night, I had begun to notice that each time he calls me "flea" it sounds less and less derogatory.
When he turns toward me, I spin around to face him with my knees crossed across the bench. I stare at him in amusement as he sets the bag down between us and looks away almost shyly. "What, Shizu-chan?" A grin cracks my face.
"Happy birthday, flea," Shizuo grumbles, refusing to meet my eyes.
I raise a curious eyebrow as he pulls a small box out of the bag almost angrily. "What is it?" I inquire suspiciously.
"Nothing," he replies too quickly as if he regrets his actions. He moves to take the box away. "Forget it."
"It doesn't look like nothing," I retort, grabbing his hand that's pulling the gift away. I feel my smile get even wider, if possible.
Shizuo's eyes are partially hidden by his blue sunglasses as usual, but I see a flash of amusement before the emotion disappears. After a moment, he groans in defeat and finally looks straight at me. "Well, if you are going to be a pest about it… it's a cake," he admits with an almost invisible dusting of pink on his cheeks. "But it's not just for you or anything! I just felt like having some cake, is all..."
"Keep telling yourself that, Shizu-chan." I can't help but answer mockingly though I feel my heartbeat speed up at the idea that he thought to get me a cake. What made him do that?
"Well, it's not just for you, okay?" he says as he digs back in the bag and hands me one of two spoons.
"We're going to share? Like friends? No… this is more intimate than that," I purr as I lean into him, causing him to lean backward. "This is more like lovers, Shizu-chan."
"Don't be gross, Izaya. It's just cake," he says quickly, taking the top off the box and sliding it slightly in my direction. "You have the first bite."
"There's no candle to make a wish," I pout. "What's a birthday cake without a wish?"
Shizuo sighs as he unexpectedly removes his sunglasses and puts them in the front pocket of his vest. "Why are you so difficult?"
"I don't know how else to be?" I say with a smile and a shrug, my eyes meeting his carefully before looking away abruptly, nervous I'll fall into them.
"Hold on," he says with a sigh as he leans over to dig into his pocket. He fishes out his lighter and holds it up at me with an exaggerated flourish. "This will have to do." He ignites the flame and holds the lighter in front of my face. "Make a wish, Izaya." he states tenderly, looking directly into my eyes.
My heart thunders in my chest at the scene in front of me. "I…" My words die on my lips as I look into his eyes, the little flame reflected in their chocolatey depths.
"Izaya, you can't say your wish out loud or ese it won't come true." He subconsciously leans forward slightly. "Hurry up and make your wish."
"Okay," I reply dumbly before closing my eyes tightly and making my wish. I open them again and blow out the flame of Shizuo's lighter.
"What is that look for, Shizu-chan?" I ask as I blink up at him.
"You're cute," he proclaims brazenly as he pockets his lighter and another soft blush covers his cheeks.
I blink more rapidly as I process his words. "I-I'm not." I feel my face burn as I match the blush on his face with my own.
"Yeah. You are. How did I never know this side of you before?" Shizuo says as he starts to reach a hand out toward my face but stops himself abruptly, dropping his hand down to his side. "Weird. Sorry. Anyway, have your first bite now that you've made your wish."
I nod dumbly as I dig the spoon into the small chocolate cake. When I bring the spoon up to my lips, I notice Shizuo watching my movements with a very interested look on his face. "Are you going to watch me eat?"
"What else am I supposed to look at?" he mutters brusquely.
I shrug before popping the spoon in my mouth, savoring the dark, creamy chocolate cake. I can't stop the appreciative moan that escapes my lips. "So good. I don't know if I want to share with you, Shizu-chan," I tease him but my words seem to fall on deaf ears. "Shizu-chan?"
"Huh? Oh, sorry. What?" he says as he shakes his head. "It's good?"
I nod with a smirk. "It's very good. I don't think I'm going to let you have any." I take another slow, purposeful bite, watching him watching my mouth again. Interesting.
His jaw drops open unconsciously before he snaps it shut again. "It's okay. It's for you anyway. I'm glad you like it," he admits fondly.
"Really now, Shizu-chan. I thought you said it was really for you," I say teasingly, leaning forward again, putting my face right into his. "I actually thought we were going to share it… like lovers would…"
Before I know what happened, I feel Shizuo's lips on mine as he kisses me softly. I suppress a startled squeak as he reaches forward to cup the back of my head and pulls his face away from me slightly, breaking the short, sweet kiss and resting his forehead against mine. "You're right it is very tasty."
I blink at him, my eyes full of questions that he answers as simply as possible. "You're right, Izaya. You were right. All this time… all the chasing… the misplaced anger… I didn't realize it until tonight," he murmurs.
"I… I was right? You like me? Like… like like me?" I say stupidly.
"Wow, Izaya… you are like a middle school girl." Shizuo chuckles before he pulls my face close and kisses me again, this time a little more urgent as he quickly deepens the kiss, earning a moan from my lips. He pulls away with a growl. "We should have tried to be friends a long time ago."
I nod as I look up into his soft eyes. "Yeah. We should have."
After a moment of near stunned silence we grin at each other.
Shizuo's hand leaves my hair and follows the line of my jaw in a tender caress. "Happy birthday, Izaya."