Chapter 2
Disclaimer: All wrongs reversed.
Predictable.
From atop a high rise, Izaya looked down on Ikebukuro, bright eyes scrutinizing every inch of his beloved playground. A one sided smirk played on his lips, his gaze both loving and disdainful as he watched people go about their everyday life - selfish, carefree humans with their fixed actions and reactions.
It was all too predictable.
It was almost boring.
A frown marred the smooth forehead as the thought flitted through his mind. He had always upheld the firm belief that only boring people got bored. The mounting sense of monotony left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Even Shizuo had reacted as expected yesterday. He had calculated the monster's responses: from the hesitant approach, followed by quick anger upon seeing him, dumbfounded shock, and then, the inevitable refusal.
Everything irritatingly went according to plan; the only deviation was that hurried blush that disappeared just as swiftly as it appeared, and the momentary curious gleam in Shizuo's eyes; it could almost have been mistaken for pity.
The irritation blended into a mild, uncalled for spurt of anger. No one pities Orihara Izaya, even if it was as a reaction to one of his schemes. The feeling clashed with the small triumph of getting inside the blonde's brain. Annoyance warred with triumph. It was giving him a headache.
The smile was gone from his face.
He pulled his parka closer around him against the cool night air.
"Izaya."
The man clad in black turned around. Did someone call his name or was it just the wind?
The man stepped out from the shadows, blonde hair cast in moonlight, a sharp contrast to the shadows. Cigarette smoke crossed the distance between them and the sweet scent teased Izaya's nostrils.
"Hmmm? Shizu-chan! What a surprise! For once, did you purposefully hunt me out here?"
"I, uhh…"
"Hey, Aren't you forgetting something, Shizu-chan?"
"Huh?"
Izaya sighed and made a mock face palm. "The greeting! You're forgetting your lines, Shizu-chan! You're supposed to go 'Izayaaaaa-kuuuuun, just go and fucking dieeeee!', right? I did something to piss you off and that's why you're here to 'fucking kill' me, right?"
There was only silence as Shizuo opened his mouth to speak, then thought better of it, and closed his lips again and swallowed instead.
Izaya continued with a tsk sound and shook his head. "Ahh this is no good, no good at all, Shizu-chan! This is like practicing and practicing the lines you memorized for a play but when the curtain draws up, you draw a blank and just stand there like the protozoan that you are, ahahaha!" The brunet doubled over with laughter.
When he wasn't getting a reaction from the other man, he stood up straight, and continued. "And the props, Shizuo-chan! Vending machines! You-"
Shizuo stomped down on his cigarette and made a show out of grinding the ashes with his foot. Izaya waited; his nerves on end.
"I always thought you talk too much, Izayaaa-kuuuun."
Ahh, finally. The way Shizuo said his name was so familiar that Izaya felt like he was meeting up with an old friend. He felt like he could almost cry as Shizuo reacted, exactly as he expected him to.
Monotony.
He braced himself as the blond took one, two steps closer. His pupils dilated, highly conscious of every singular move the taller man made. It was a battle and he was prepared. He was ready to spring into action at the slightest hint of attack.
Shizuo spoke.
"Do you really like me, Izaya?"
"What?"
The question distracted him from his focus. Shizuo was a blur of quick movement. And then, feeling of coldness dissipated immediately. The foreign sensation of being held, in addition to the death grip Shizuo already had on him, froze him effectively in place.
Izaya shivered, but not from the cold.
"What the fuck, Shizuo? Let me go!"
Try as he might, Izaya could not wiggle out of the blond's tight hold on him. Strangulation seemed like an imminent threat. For all the times Shizuo tried to kill him, this was probably the closest he ever felt like actually dying.
Izaya wheezed out the blond's name.
The grip loosened a little but Shizuo didn't release him just yet. He could move his head sideways now though, and from what he could see, the tips of Shizuo's ears were pink.
You have got to be fucking kidding me.
A light drizzle started to fall, completing the picture. He felt like the Ikebukuro gods did it on purpose and were laughing at him.
He shivered again.
"Cold?" Shizuo mumbled.
Izaya hissed. "Stop whispering in my ear like that!" He bit his lip.
"Care to explain what this exactly means, Shizu-chan?" There was an undertone of curiosity in his voice laced with annoyance.
"Just so you know, flea, this doesn't mean I like you back or anything like that!"
"Wha-? Like me back?"
Oh.
The puzzle pieces fell perfectly into place.
Revelation.
"Then why are you hugging me, Shizu-chan~? Surely you can't blame me if I interpret this as you liking me back?" Laughter bubbled inside the smaller man and it took every ounce of will power to keep it toned down to a slight smirk.
With that, Shizuo let go suddenly as if he's been burned. Even his neck was a deep pink.
Oh this was just too precious.
"I- I was just thinking, ever since, you know." Shizuo mussed the hair at his nape, obviously uncomfortable with the little speech he had prepared to give. His eyes were shifty, unsure where to focus his attention.
Izaya bit back the urge to cackle.
"M- maybe it's not such a bad idea if we uhh…" The words faltered.
"Go on, go on." Izaya encouraged with glee.
"So what I'm proposing is…"
Izaya raised his eyebrow, expectant, interested. Curiosity killed the cat but it was this curiosity that made Izaya tick.
"We can try to enter a platonic relationship." Shizuo let out in a huff.
"A relationship? With me? Shizuo Heiwajima and Orihara Izaya, together? And just what are we going to base this 'relationship' on?" The brunet prodded further. The corner of his lip twisted and he bit his tongue this time.
"It is based on your feelings for me." Shizuo deadpanned.
Izaya sputtered.
"I just thought, we could give it a try." Shizuo ventured further, and added a shrug.
Izaya noriced his mouth was still hanging open and he tried to recover his dignity but still, no words came out. He was still gaping at the other man.
He had never expected Shizuo to act on his little prank, his experiment. And that was all it was: a game to see if he could finally get inside the protozoic brain of his enemy. And now the damned protozoan was actually considering impossible things such a relationship between them.
The situation could not get any more absurd than this.
Shizuo proved him wrong.
The blond suddenly grabbed his hand in a vise-like grip. Izaya hoped that tiny crack he heard was a figment of his imagination.
"So what I want to say is, I'm accepting your confession, Izaya." This time Shizuo met his eyes steadily.
"You hate me." Izaya whispered. "That's a given, Shizuo. The whole of Ikebukuro knows that fact. Why are you even considering this?"
"I dunno. I-" Shizuo paused. "It seemed like a good idea while I was thinking about what happened."
"So what you're saying is that you, Heiwajima Shizuo, are willing to get into a lovey-dovey relationship with me, Orihara Izaya, mortal enemy apparent?"
"Uhhhh, well-"
"Go on dates and stuff? Hang out together? Walk home from school? Hold hands?" Izaya prompted further.
Shizuo dropped his hand right then and there, but the telling blush was answer enough. The blond seemed hesitant about it all but he looked as if he had his mind made up the moment he sought out Izaya tonight.
Izaya's thoughts spun.
And then, he definitely was not bored, anymore.
A/N
Thank you so much for reading this!
I hope my rendition of Izaya and Shizuo wasn't too out of character. I did try my best not to murder their characterization. ;;
I'll try to update soon, though. c:
Thank you so much to Love-girl2015, mika[dot]siam.71192, Voidance, grrlsvomitcandy, and DevilishBea for the reviews in the last chapter.