Simon is closing up just as Shizuo makes it to the restaurant. It is really not his night.
"Hey man, can I just grab something? Take out?" he begs. "I'm beat."
The other man rolls his eyes, but he is smiling. "For you, Shizuo, you may dine in. Come." He opens the door for him. "You are not the only late night customer tonight."
Shizuo stops, just inside the door, as he sees the flea sitting at the only unpolished table, smirking at him.
"What the hell are you doing in Ikebukuro?" he explodes.
"Shizuo." A heavy hand closes over his, which has wrapped around the nearest chair. "Izaya-kun is paying customer. You boys fight, you take it outside."
Shizuo breathing is heavy. His fingers twitch under Simon's hand, and the flea just watches him with that infuriating smirk on his face, clearly itching for Shizuo to lose it and for Simon to throw him out like trash. It wasn't fair. Why did the flea have to be here, of all nights? He is exhausted; he doesn't want to go elsewhere, and he doesn't want to wait til he's home to eat.
He loosens his grip on the chair. "All right."
Simon releases him, and he pulls down one of the stacked chairs at a table the furthest he can get from the flea.
"No, no," Simon stops him. "I clean these. You sit with Izaya-kun."
"You've got to be kidding me," he groans. "I'll clean it for you."
Simon ignores him, giving him a little push in Izaya's direction, who's grin is wider than ever. He kicks out the chair opposite him.
Shizuo sighs and falls into it.
"Bad day?"
"Don't speak to me."
He ignores Izaya's raised eyebrows, picks up the menu and buries himself in it.
Izaya loses interest, and chats to Simon in Russian instead.
Simon beams, tops up his sake for him. "You see, Shizuo? You learn Russian, you get free sake!"
"Yeah, great," Shizuo mutters.
Simon takes his order, and brings a small plate appetiser for them to share. Great, now they are eating the same food.
"Free sake for Shizuo too, for keeping his temper," Simon announces, pouring him a glass.
Shizuo sips it grudgingly. "Thanks."
Simon goes back to the kitchen to prepare their food, singing to himself. They sit in silence, neither of them touching the food.
Then Izaya picks up his chopsticks. "I know, I know, stay out of Ikebukuro," he cites, as if there has been no break in the conversation. "But where else am I supposed to get such good fatty tuna?"
"Not my problem," Shizuo mutters, taking up his own chopsticks. "I am chasing you out of here the minute we're done."
"But I might get indigestion," Izaya giggles, and Shizuo has to close his eyes to keep from flying at him there and then. "What's with you lately?"
Shizuo opens his eyes again, and frowns. Izaya's tone is so different, it is as if someone else has spoken. He watches Shizuo with his head resting on his hand.
"You've been out of control lately. More than usual. Everyone's been talking about it. And it isn't even to do with me. Well. Most of the time." His mouth curls, but Shizuo doesn't rise to the bait. He's too tired.
"Tell me," the flea persists. "Tell me your monster woes."
"Go to hell," he mutters.
"Just making conversation."
They take careful, alternate bites of their starter until their food comes, and Izaya thankfully shuts up. For about five minutes.
"Is it stress?" he tries. "Are you lonely? In love? Depressed?"
"Will you shut up," he growls. "I'm tired."
"Depressed-tired?"
"I'm tired of you." Shizuo slams his fist on the table, but Izaya doesn't flinch.
"I'm flattered, but I don't have that much of an effect on you. Tell me what's really going on."
"Leave me alone!"
"Shizuo-kun!"
Simon sticks his head out of the kitchen as Shizuo gets to his feet.
He starts fishing in his pockets for his wallet."Don't worry, I'm leaving," he snaps, as Simon comes to intervene.
"Izaya," the Russian chides. "Be nice, or no more fatty tuna for you."
"I was making conversation!" Izaya rolls his eyes. "Sit down, Shizu-chan. I'll ne nice."
Shizuo knows he must be exhausted to give in a second time. He sighs and drops back into the chair, and the flea smirks like he's won something.
"You need to relax," Iizaya tells him. He pours him more sake from the bottle Simon left them.
They are sucking on their after dinner mints when Simon brings the bill. "Paying separately?"
"No." Izaya takes the bill before Shizuo can do anything about it.
"You don't have to," Shizuo growls.
"Oh, but I insist."
"You think buying me food will make me go easy on you?"
"I'm just trying to be polite," he says, sweet as pie, handing Simon the money.
Once they are outside, once Simon has locked up and left them, Izaya just stands there grinning as if Shizuo is his favourite game in the world.
"Well?" Shizuo barks. "What are you waiting for, a head start? I said- "
Izaya doesn't turn on his heel. Instead, he steps forward, his hands shoot out to fist Shizuo's shirt, and he is kissing him. The flea is kissing him. Shizuo steps back instinctively, and Izaya steps with him, pushing up against his body, and in the heat of it, Shizuo experiences a little thrill in spite of himself.
"You need to relax more, Shizu-chan," the flea says into his mouth. "If I were a cruder man, I'd say you needed to get laid."
Shizuo growls and pulls him back by the hair, half shoves, half drags the smaller man into the alley behind the restaurant. Izaya grunts as his back hits the wall, and then Shizuo is on him, hands inside his shirt, leg between his thighs, and he can feel Izaya grinning into his mouth.
Izaya arches up off the wall to press against him. "Why, Shizuo," he murmurs, and Shizuo is pleased to hear the little strain in his voice, as Shizuo manhandlesthe flea's hand between his legs. "Putting out on a first date?"
"Shut, up," he growls, biting the flea's lip for emphasis. He almost laughs as Izaya gets on his knees, gets him open and takes him out.
Izaya pauses, tilting his head up at him, as if uncertain.
Shizuo meets his eye. "You're not actually going to suck me off in an alleyway?"
"Do you want me to?"
Shizuo just looks at him, realises Izaya will sit there all night unless he gives him an answer.
"Yes," he growls. "I want you to, OK?"
Izaya grins again, revealing his perfect sharp teeth, and Shizuo closes his eyes praying the informant won't use them. His head goes back as he is engulfed with heat.
Out of some kind of instinct, his hand go down to hold Izaya's wrists above his head – he couldn't trust him even in the circumstances – and Izaya takes more of him, as if in encouragement.
Shizuo curses the other man. On his knees, Shizuo's cock in his mouth, and Izaya is still very much in control.
He arches and wilts into the wall as he comes, grinding Izaya's wrist bones in his hands, and has to close his eyes. He opens them as he feels the other man draw away, realises that at some point, Izaya has come too.
Somehow, Shizuo feels he's lost the tension from a month's worth of rages. He feels...better, calmer.
Izaya pulls himself up on Shizuo's clothes and holds his eye. "You owe me dinner, Shizu-chan."