It was just another ordinary day in Ikebukuro. The sun was shining and the city was alive, people just going about another ordinary day in their ordinary lives.
All were unaware that they were being watched.
"Ah, good morning my humans!"
Glancing out of his glass window apartment, Izaya sat in his leather desk chair peering out at the busy scene of the streets below. He swiveled round to face the desk, only to kick it hard that the chair flew back to collide with the glass.
"My lovely humans, it's another beautiful day in Ikebukuro."
He tentatively touched the glass, so it appeared he was reaching for the people below. He sat there for a moment, with a dazed look in his eyes.
His gaze swept down the street just in time to catch a few guys fly (yes literally fly) across and disappear behind a building. His attention caught he waited, and sure enough more were sent flying following the first lot.
A smirk appeared on his face, which grew bigger...until he was laughing hysterically. When he got that out his system he spun round and slowly rose to his feet, sighing dramatically.
"It's such a beautiful day to be outside, don't you think?"
~~~~~
A couple of blocks down the high-street a bunch of (what were supposed to be tough guys) were running for dear life down the road, shoving each other out the way in desperation.
Suddenly a tall blonde man appeared from the middle of the crowd. He grabbed the nearest person to him and flung him effortlessly, with one arm, through the air!
He was dressed like a bartender, white shirt, black waistcoat and bow-tie, and pair of lightly tinted sunglasses obscured his eyes.
Shizuo Heiwajima, also known as the strongest man in Ikebukuro. Known mainly for causing havoc, thanks to his hair-trigger temper. Supposedly opposed to violence, when it was practically in his blood.
The crowd that surrounded him dispersed in panic and fear. Well, all except a single brunette in a black jacket and red bobble hat, his eyes concealed by a pair of black sunglasses. He watched the bartender guy throw one victim after another in his rampage. As he started heading his way though he didn't move.
Everyone around scattered as he came within a few feet. They looked at the kid like he was nuts, but none of them bothered to do anything.
The blonde charged towards him and everyone watched, stunned as he skidded to a halt but a centimetre away. He was breathing heavily, trying to rein in his anger through gritted teeth.
Then without warning he yanked the hat down over the boy's face, grabbed the back of his jacket and began speed walking down the road, dragging him behind. The kid didn't even flinch, not even a cry for help. Everyone around just stared on in utter shock and bewilderment.
Shizuo was severely pissed off, but he just kept on walking. He finally saw a secluded alleyway. Once there he shoved the kid up against the wall, but he tried to be as gentle he was possibly able. He stepped back and sighed.
"You're a complete idiot you know that!"
The young teen in front of him slowly pulled back his hat, then they both removed their glasses. Shizuo shook his head.
"You seem to be more calm now, brother."
This was none other than his younger brother, Kasuka.
"Kasuka why are you wandering around in broad daylight unprotected?"
The brunette's expression didn't change.
"I was walking down the street."
A vein on Shizuo's temple began to twitch, his temper beginning to ignite again.
"Kasuka, how many famous people do you know just go wandering around in public?"
"I'm wearing a disguise."
"A hat is not a proper disguise!"
It hadn't fooled those men back there. Somehow having seen Kasuka from somewhere, recognising that he was famous, they wanted to see how much he was worth. Unfortunately for them Shizuo was in the neighbourhood…and the rest is as they say history.
"YOU REALLY ARE A GODDAMN IDIOT! WHO KNOWS WHAT WOULD HAPPEN, AND I'M DAMN SICK AND TIRED HAVING TO KEEP MY EYE ON YOU ALL THE TIME! IT'S FUCKING IRRATING!"
Shizuo smashed a fist against the brick wall and fragments were sent flying. Kasuka didn't flinch, not even as a few crumbled shards hit his face.
All became quiet.
A sudden rising jingle broke the silence. Kasuka reached inside his pocket, brought out his phone and snapped it open.
"I have to go, nice to see you Shizu." Placing a hand on his brother's shoulder, before he exited the alley.
Shizuo just stood there, not sure how long for but it felt like a long time.
"Damn it!" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a packet of cigarettes with a lighter. Drawing one from the pack he put it in his mouth and lit it. He leaned back against the wall and took a long drag, closing his eyes he slowly blew out a cloud of smoke.
Though it was quiet around him, his mind was working overtime. All he could think about was his little brother, it had been quite some time since he'd last seen him...and all he did was shout at him and nearly...
"Shit!" He took another long drag, inhaling deeply. He hadn't even meant what he'd said, and his sudden outburst just now was directed more at the bastards who dared tried to hurt Kasuka. Though he'd never admit it openly, Shizuo cherished his little brother, he watched over him and got rid of any threat. Though the bodyguards hired for the brunette were more than capable of the task, Shizuo didn't trust anyone and stepped in most of the time. And despite his slight outburst just now, he would NEVER hurt Kasuka.
He left the cigarette in his mouth and shoved both hands in his pockets. Keeping his eyes shut he just stood there, letting his mind go blank and for a brief moment he felt peaceful.
Suddenly the cigarette was gone. Still in his tranquil state he didn't automatically go psycho. But when he felt a slight dull pain in his chest, he cracked an eye open.
A horrific sound erupted from the tiny alley, a huge cloud of dust followed as thousands of bricks flew and scattered across the highway. Car tyres screeched in protest as windows were smashed and drivers braked harshly, causing collisions and near misses all the way up the road.
When the dust cloud in the alley cleared, you could see there was a gigantic hole in the wall and a crack that stretched to the very top of the building. Shizuo stood facing into the alley, seriously pissed off, steam was practically coming out of his ears and his eyes were filled with a look of pure murderous intent.
Faint footsteps were heard growing louder, heading in his direction. A figure broke from the darkness into the faint light.
"Ah Shizu-chan, how's my lovely personification of violence been?" Izaya asked with a smirk.
"I-Z-A-Y-A-K-U-N!" Shizuo voice rose behind gritted teeth, his frame shook with anger.
Izaya did nothing but lift his hand up holding Shizuo's cigarette between his fingers. He looked at it curiously turning it in-between his fingers. The blonde stopped for a second and watched him confused. Izaya lifted it to his mouth and took a quick puff, blew out the toxic smoke...and started coughing uncontrollably.
"Shizu-chan how can you indulge in this kind of filthy habit?" He coughed a few more times, his eyes watering.
It took every fibre in the blondes being and beyond to not knock the damn fleas head clean off, and then pummel the rest of him into the ground. He just reached out snatched the cigarette, and through pure grit and will power managed to turn round to exit the alley.
"How disappointing."
Shizuo halted.
"What no comeback, no violent outbreak or anything?"
The blonde balled his fists at his sides, gritting his teeth. The flea was really asking for it.
"Not in the mood." The blonde mumbled in response.
Izaya cocked his head the side slightly, a snide looking grin on his face. "Don't tell me the wild beast is trying to tame itself?!" He scoffed.
Shizuo was reaching his limit, he didn't bloody need this. He heard footsteps coming closer.
"This is interesting." The raven-haired whispered as he stepped round into his field of vision. "You know it's no fun if you don't get angry." He cooed.
"Hmph and I just live for your entertainment!" The blonde growled, watching the informants every movement.
"But of course Shizu-chan, life can't just be all work and no play ne~." He made a peace sign and stuck out his tongue.
Shizuo scoffed at his gesture. "Wouldn't that be a shame, I'd hate to ruin your fun!" He balled his fists ready to attack...then paused.
Just for a second, instead of acting on pure impulse, he thought about what he was doing for just a moment.
This is how it always was. All Izaya had to do was just open his mouth, heck he just had to catch the fleas foul stench in the air and he'd be sent into a blinding rage. Well, if the flea could be so good with words, why couldn't he?
-
Izaya was wondering why he wasn't on the other side of the city by now, when a sudden look flashed in Shizuo's eyes – one he did not recognise and not altogether liked the look of.
"You know what flea, you're even more pathetic than I thought!"
Izaya stilled, but raised an eyebrow at the remark.
"Oh?"
He wasn't entirely sure where this was going.
"How boring must your small existence, meaningless as it is, be for you to find any kind of excitement from one you hate so much?"
Izaya slightly twitched...Shizuo saw it and smirked.
"Or perhaps, despite being surrounded by your precious humans, you feel more lonely then anyone in the world."
Shizuo began walking past him to the exit.
"And you think you're some kind of God..."
A slight click of metal.
"...except a God has people who lov-!"
He was cut off as he was knocked clean off his feet - with Izaya's blade digging into his throat.
"You done?" His expression was neutral, when in fact he felt very differently behind the mask he put on.
Shizuo made no attempt to move, allowing himself to be pinned by the flea was not part of his plan, in all honesty he hadn't expected Izaya to react the way he did. Izaya was more the calculative type, who never did anything without a reason, usually one that would benefit him. Shizuo figured this wasn't one of them.
"You think you know he so well you mongrel?" Izaya's voice rose with each word. "You think you can just work some therapeutic shit on me huh?"
He stared down at the beast beneath him.
"Think you understand me? Think I am as weak and simple, as to waste my time playing around with a brute like you because I'm lonely!?"
Shizuo narrowed his eyes slightly. "Am I wrong?"
Izaya pressed the blade deeper – a small crimson trail ran down Shizuo's neck and still he didn't move.
Izaya smirked...then chuckled...and once again grew until his hysteria was echoing between the buildings. And in split second he ceased, his faced wiped clean of all emotion as he stared down at the blonde and leaned in closely.
On that note Shizuo thought now was good time to knock him into oblivion, he'd managed to rile the flea up enough that his usual cocky and playful demeanour had vanished, so much so the oh-so-perfect mask he wore to hide his true emotions had slightly chipped.
That is he would have...if he could move at all.
He tried lifting his limps but found them heavy and lifeless, he growled in frustration only to notice that smug smirk spreading on the fleas face.
"I think you'll find, I'm not as predictable as you think." He purred.
"Wha-"
Izaya reached into his pocket and brought out a syringe, the contents were empty.
"Shinra maybe a clown, but he's good at what he does."
He twiddled with the plastic in his hand, while his other hand still held the blade. "In full concentrated form it would kill almost instantaneously."
It took Shizuo a moment to understand, that dull pain in his chest from before. The blonde growled in frustration. Well, no one could say Izaya didn't come prepared.
"The effects should ware off completely, in an hour or so..."
He leaned in closely to the slight dip in Shizuo's neck, where a small pool of blood had started forming.
"...until then your utterly helpless."
He lashed his tongue out, tasting some of the red liquid.
Shizuo was now roaring in anger – and disgust as the slightest of shivers ran up his spine as the flea had barely touched him.
"You're a fucking psycho!"
"Ah ah ah my dear Shizu-chan, I am the one who gives meaning to your existence."
"What the-?"
"All that crap about me being lonely...you are no different."
Shizuo stiffened.
"You want to be closer to people, to be accepted and loved, but we both know that that is impossible."
Shizuo glared up at him.
"Inevitably all a rabid dog can do is just wait to be shot in the head."
"B-Bastard!"
Izaya leaned in, with a flick of his wrist his knife was now sheathed. Interlocking his fingers he supported his chin, his elbows digging into Shizuo's chest. He cocked his head to one side, clearly beyond amused by the blonde's efforts to try to move. He leaned in even closer till he was right by his ear and whispered.
"Don't worry Shizu-chan, I'll wait patiently for the day I put you out of your misery."
Shizuo had half a mind to spit in his face, and then beat himself bloody for allowing himself to get into this situation. He could hardly move anything. He thought for a second of any alternative, and got nothing.
Well, since he couldn't use his fists, he might as well use the only weapon he had.
"Then why didn't you use that little concoction of Shinra's to do just that?"
"Hm?"
"You obviously had every intention to use that on me, and yet you bring a more harmless version, why?"
Izaya didn't respond.
"Why keep me alive if you hate me so much?"
Still nothing.
"I must say I never took you as the stupid kin-"
His words were stolen - by the raven's lips.
Shizuo went motionless.
He had to consciously think about blinking...and breathing.
Izaya's tongue run along his upper lip. He felt sick to his stomach…at first. A strange feeling came over him, his body starting to react differently. He couldn't fight it, Oh he wanted to, but the feeling only got stronger. A warmth building within him that he could not control. You can imagine his ultimate surprise when he found himself reciprocating Izaya's actions. His own tongue entangling with his, his lips moving beneath his of their own accord.
How the fuck did he get into this situation?
He felt Izaya's finger's fiddling with his shirt collar and hook a finger under his bow tie. Pulling back for a second to gasp for breath, Izaya's facial expression was unreadable.
Shizuo was panting, but managed to ask, "What the fuck was that?" It surprised him how calm he sounded given the predicament, he could feel heat rising in his face and tried desperately to beat it down.
The raven looked down at him for what felt like an eternity, his gaze was intense, and Shizuo could have sworn that there was a slightly darker tinge of colour to his face.
"Hm." Then Izaya slowly got to his feet. "You're no fun after all Shizu-chan." He headed for the exit, taking one last second to look back over his shoulder, a smirk spreading across his face as he spread his arms wide and twirled round with a little hop. "But I'll continue to play with you till the end!"
And with that he skipped off out of sight, twirling Shizuo's bow tie in one hand.
Shizuo just lay there, completely paralyzed and unable to move. The serum had already started to wear off, the flea obviously lying about how long the effect would last, so he could have stood up at least if he had wanted to. But he couldn't. He just lay there. Then his frame shook as his rage exploded!
"IIIIIIIIIIIIZZZZZZZZZZZZZAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAA!"
-
A block or so away Izaya took a sharp turn into another secluded back alley. He came to halt further down, completely out of sight from anyone. He stumbled, turning so his back was supported by the wall, he just stared into the darkness, and slowly brought up his hand to cover his face, the bow tie dangling from his palm. He chuckled to himself as the sounds of the city faded away into the background.
-
The sky grew dark as the sun set, dark clouds blocking out the tiny lights of the stars and shielding the moon, soon enough thunder rumbled over the city and the rain followed. Shizuo stared out at the rain through his apartment window, watching the droplets slide down the glass in rapid little rivers as he took a drag from his cigarette.
Stepping away he walked over to his bed and flopped down on his back, a wet towel draped over his bare shoulders. He stared up at the ceiling, watching a small fly swarm around the bare light bulb, trying desperately to land on the extremely hot glass.
For some reason he found the sight transfixing and got him thinking. The fly drawn to the brightness and heat of the light, yet never able to touch it long enough before it started to burn.
The corner of his mouth tugged up in a small smile which quickly faded. Briskly he swiped the cigarette out of his mouth, stabbing it forcefully into the ash cray by his bedside, blowing out one more billowing cloud of toxic fumes. His breath carried a strong minty edge to it thanks to the whole hour he'd spent scrubbing away at the inside of his mouth. Unfortunately the memory of a certain person's mouth on his was still vivid in his mind, making him want to repeat the whole sanitising process again! He growled in frustration, not so much for what the conniving bastard had done but more at himself for allowing it to happen. Just recalling his actions made him want to gag and curl deeper into himself as an uncontrollable blush covered his cheeks.
Not bothering to put a t-shirt on, he turned onto his side, mumbling curses to himself before drifting off to sleep. His dreams however were not nearly as simple.
TO BE CONTINUED...