Title: Tangled Threads
Rating: M
Pairing: Delic x Izaya, Shizuo x Izaya
Disclaimer: I own none of these characters!
THIS STORY CONTAINS MALExMALE RELATIONSHIPS. You have been warned.
Quick author's note:
This is a fanfic with two authors, Rukawagf and Culpaeros. Thank you!
If we must part forever,
Give me but one kind word to think upon,
And please myself with, while my heart's breaking. - by Thomas Otway
The night sky glittered with the neon street lights of Ikebukuro, the fake fluorescent strong enough to block out the stars as their light fell upon the earth from millions of miles away. The host let out a deep sigh, the smoke from his cigarette fluttering upon his breath. No matter how much he smoked, the nicotine did not help him calm down this time though for in truth, Delic was pissed.
No.
He was beyond pissed.
That proud 'informant' had been so willing to give himself so cheaply to anyone, even to a host like him. And that had angered Delic deeply.
It probably sounded hypocritical and Delic at least knew as much. Ever since he had been a teenager the host had slept around with whoever was convenient for that night. But he was someone who had been born and bred into a world with a different set of values when it came to love and lust. For him, such a thing as love and the need to protect and save oneself for that love was a ridiculous notion. He had grown to believe that love was like a dream, pleasant yet all too fleeting with the risk of turning into a nightmare when one least expected it. For him, love was a useless waste of time that could only lead to one's downfall so he had never bothered to confront it before. Yet lust, the joining of one's body with another, however temporarily, was another matter entirely. It had been a safe sanctuary where he could experience the joys, the passions, that were often credited to love with none of the risks. Even better, in regards to lust, he was free to take that passion and pleasure wherever he could find it. He was free to experience the best part of 'love' without actually being in love, a notion that suited tokyo's number one host. Women, men, he could have anyone he wanted and come morning he could leave without so much as a good-bye. He expected nothing from his lovers and they in return expected nothing from him.
It was a life he had grown used to, a life that suited the freedom loving blond.
But it was not a life suited to that informant.
Unlike Delic, Izaya had been faithful. He had risked the pain of 'love' and held onto it in the hopes that one day the pleasure would return. But, even after such immense loyalty, this stranger had broken that man's spirit so much so that the informant had lost all self respect to care anymore about what happened to him and his body.
And the informant was willing to …. he was willing to….
"Fuck." Delic spit out the cigarette and stomped on it. He let out another sigh as he walked away from his work towards the main roads. He had just finished up work for the night. Since the informant…, Orihara Izaya as he said his name was, had come during mid-day, Delic bad spent all of his free time with him. But when his break was over, Delic had to reluctantly wake up the sleepy informant and help him into a taxi. He had asked if he could come visit afterwards but Izaya forbid him from it. The entire night was sour for him, yet Delic had done his best to entertain his regulars with his usual smile and care.
"I haven't seen you angry since that one time you got yelled by Tsugaru for coming home late."
Delic turned to the voice to see Shizuo, holding a bag of groceries with one hand, as the other rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. Shizuo had seen Delic walk out of the corner and initially had wanted to ignore him but, he just couldn't when he realized that his cousin looked abnormally pissed. Ever since Delic had 'moved out' (although it was closer to being kicked out by his own parents, at the time the feelings on his leaving had been mutual) he had seemed happier. Delic's parents and his older brother, Tsugaru, were more strict and traditional which had collided with Delic's free spirit. And their youngest, Tsukishima, was an obedient kid, opposite of Delic.
"Ah… is this the way you take to go home?" Delic turned to look at the street sign as if to assess if it had been repaired recently or if it was the same one that had always been there. He had been running into Shizuo more often than not lately.
"Not really. We just finished trying to get back money from a tenant who was in this area." Shizuo shrugged in reply. Glancing back down, Delic was about to ask what Shizuo had in that bag before deciding against it. It seemed to be mostly instant noodles. And he wasn't like his older brother who would have gotten onto Shizuo about eating better.
"So what's messing you up this time? I'll listen." Shizuo half muttered under his breath, his hand finally falling from his head to slip into his pocket. "Since you did last time. Sort of." Although it had been mostly Delic prattling about some new cat or a guy or someone, it did make Shizuo feel better and he knew Delic had been doing his best to cheer Shizuo up.
Delic looked a bit surprised at first, but grinned as he wrapped one arm around Shizuo's shoulder. "Well, Well. I didn't know you had it in you to be so generous to someone like me, Shizuo, That's quite chivalrous of you."
"I'm just trying to return the favor, don't get so close," Shizuo growled but Delic just chuckled lightly. He was used to Shizuo's retorts because Delic understood that Shizuo didn't mean any harm. Shizuo said them mostly because he was embarrassed.
"So, remember that cat I told you about before?" Delic asked as he leaned against the wall next to the alley.
"Yeah, some stray you picked up or something. Had an abusive owner or something?" Shizuo dug around for his cigarettes as he knew this would take a while. He held the packet up so Delic could take one as well, figuring the male looked stressed enough to need another even if he already did smell like cigarette smoke. Delic thanked him and took one before holding it up to his lips.
"You do realize I wasn't talking about a real cat right?" Delic almost frowned as Shizuo gave him a sarcastic smirk that said volumes. It wasn't every day that Shizuo could tease Delic on a topic. Rolling his eyes as his cousin fumbled for the lighter, Delic whipped out his own from his pocket, a expensive looking zippo which had been a gift from one of his clients and lit it up for him. They both leaned forward towards the light, their faces mirroring one another as the fire flickered in between them. Almost in perfect time, the two took a deep breath for a puff of nicotine, the relaxing feeling of the stimulant flooding through their system slowly.
"So what happened to your cat this time? Thought you took care of it." Shizuo leaned back against the wall, his other hand in his pocket as the grocery bag dangled on his wrist while the other held the cigarette against his lips.
"Well, I was planning to. But the ex struck first. Not sure how, but he hurt him badly." Delic muttered as he scowled into the distance. He looked very serious, Shizuo thought to himself. Then again, Delic had never taken it lightly when any women or his clients were hurt by their husbands or boyfriends, even back in high school. It was part of why he had risen so fast as Tokyo's number one host, although Shizuo didn't know that. Mostly because of his own lack of involvement in the underworld and due to Delic not wishing to share the plight of other's lives. However, the women who visited him, the ones who had been regulars ever since his beginning days, were often some of the more mistreated of the upperclass. They had used the host as their means of escape from the reality of their loveless or listless lives and while most other hosts had merely comforted them, Delic had been different. He had given them options. Had given them ideas, and a means to create a new reality for their lives outside of the host's room.
And sometimes, in the more extreme cases, he had even given them a place to hide when they showed up wearing sunglasses and heavy makeup to hide the bruises and cuts.
"How badly?" Shizuo questioned, slight concern in his voice, but didn't ask any further as Delic replied with a simple, "Bad enough." The dark look he wore said everything.
"Love is a cruel mistress," Delic sighed as he rubbed his forehead. "She leaves you in constant pain, with a heartache that can only be numbed for a time before reminding you of the cruelty that is her existence." How many times had he seen situations like this before? How many clients had come to him, wanting to forget but unable to leave their worries behind them? Love, what was the point in love? All it ever did was hurt those involved. Women, men, love did not discriminate. If it is love that causes a man like Orihara Izaya to break, Delic wanted nothing to do with it. Yet, just like always he couldn't abandon the broken heart. Somehow, even more than usual, Delic wanted to numb Izaya's pain. Typically his way of healing was through physical means. If he could reach out and touch the other person, hold them and remind them of their worth, that had often been enough. But he couldn't bring himself to perform the usual 'therapy' to Izaya. It was a rare occasion when Delic ran into such a case, but the helplessness he felt now was more than he had ever felt before.
More than any other Delic wanted to save Izaya. To stitch him back together and set him free from this painful love.
But, the impossibility of it was an even crueler reality as he recalled the way Izaya had cried for so long that day.
"If you talk like that, it's no wonder the guy can't move on then." Shizuo scoffed.
Delic's vibrant and slightly pained gaze snapped towards Shizuo, a scowl on his own face before Shizuo held up his hand as if to tell Delic to calm down.
How ironic that it was Shizuo telling someone to calm down, Delic thought bitterly.
"You want him to move on, don't you? Telling him being in love is stupid isn't going to help any."
Delic paused at that, recognizing that Shizuo was in a way right about that. Recognizing the cruelty of love took time and constant exposure to it's pain.
"What do you suggest then?"
Turning so that it was his shoulder leaning against the wall, Delic faced Shizuo with a curious expression.
"I don't know. Date him, I guess? Casually." Shizuo amended at the slightly aghast look Delic gave him. "That's what normal people do when they try to move on from other people, right?" Shizuo wouldn't know. After all, he had only ever dated Izaya and moving on had been...well, he hadn't ever considered the possibility of dating other people. For him there really was no one else who would be able to look past Shizuo's strength. "Take him to do….whatever couples do…. err… like movies or going out I guess? To get his mind off of the ex." Actually, Shizuo wasn't sure what couples did. He himself never really dated. Izaya didn't really count after all and he had only seen Kasuka go out a couple of times.
"Shizuo, that sounds pointless." Delic raised up an eyebrow that said 'really Shizuo?' "I'm a host, remember? I'm not a good rebound date." Sighing, Delic rubbed at his tensed up forehead, feeling like he was probably getting wrinkles from thinking so hard, before taking in a long and slow drag from his cigarette. "Even if I did do it, I'd want it to be more special. Different. Something extraordinary enough to distract him from….whatever damage his ex had caused."
"Hmmm…." Shizuo got quiet at that, the two of them standing in silence for several minutes as they began to think deeply about it. Sure, Delic could do his usual thing, the roses, the nice restaurants, and perhaps even the usual attention that Delic always showed Izaya but, really, if he was going to break his 'no dating' stance to help Izaya, the host wanted to give more than that. Something truly special. It wouldn't heal the wound of course, Delic knew that he wasn't important enough in Izaya's mind to ever replace whatever damage Izaya had in his heart. But just for those few hours, he wanted Izaya to be 'happy.' Happy enough that afterwards, Izaya wouldn't feel so lost and abandoned. But he didn't know much about the informant named Orihara Izaya to truly know what brought him 'happiness'. Watching over the crowd only did so much.
On his end, Shizuo too thought deeply about what couples did to see if he could come up with something as well. But since he had never had a 'normal' date with Izaya, he had no idea at all…other than what he had seen in movies.
Shizuo tried to close his eyes and think deeper. What did he and Izaya do together often? Other then fucking….
…
…..
…... Shit.
They really did fuck around a lot now that he thought about it. Granted it was all Izaya's fault, always causing trouble and teasing him, forcing Shizuo to get angry enough to chase after him… then when he'd catch up with Izaya, the flea would usually kiss him as an 'reward' and one thing would always lead to another…
"That manipulative flea…" Shizuo muttered to himself.
"What was that?" Delic looked up from his deep thought.
"Ah, no. It's nothing." Shizuo waved it off. Then he remembered. "Ah." Shizuo turned to face his cousin. "There is… one thing."
"What is it?" Delic looked at him curiously.
"Well there was one time… when our class went camping in the woods. We had a log cabin rented out and had a large bonfire going and we had to do all this teamwork stuff…"
"Ah, yeah. Our school did those too. Like going into the dark cave with your partner to get something from the cave for test of courage, right? Those were fun." Delic smiled.
"Yeah… well the flea and I… well, one time it was just us two…." Shizuo looked up to scowl as Delic grinned widely. "Don't think dirty thoughts, you shithead. It wasn't like that."
"Of course not~" The host grinned even wider. Shizuo almost threw his bag of groceries at his face but he remembered that that was his dinner for the week.
"A-anyways. So that one time we were alone together we…" Shizuo's vein popped as Delic's grin grew ear to ear. "Stop that or I'm going to punch your fucking face." Delic chuckled and waved at him to continue. He tried to cover his mouth but Shizuo could clearly see that Delic's eyes were still grinning with naughty thoughts.
Shizuo shook his head. "Anyway! Like I said, it was just us two and we were looking at the stars. You know, it's kind of hard to see stars here and I've never seen the stars so clearly. I think the flea was nervous cuz the bastard wouldn't stop talking. So I told him to shut up and held his hand."
"..."
Shizuo stopped talking then as if the story was done, but, figuring there had to be more, Delic waited and waited…and waited. Until the host asked hesitantly, "...and then?"
"And then what?" Shizuo frowned.
"And then what happened?"
"That's it."
"That's it?! How is that special?" Delic looked confounded. "That was it? Really? You didn't kiss him or fuck him? You just held hands all night?"
"Y-yeah. Well like I said, we watched the stars. It was our first time seeing them and it was sort of nice…." Shizuo mumbled to himself, regretting that he told his story. Delic continued to look at him in disbelief.
"I can't believe it. That's all you did? Hold hands? Really? That was it? You just looked at stars and held hands, Wow, I can't believe you two….That's so sweet and innocent, it makes me feel like some dirty old man" Delic shook his head. Then he peeked up to ask, "...you aren't a virgin are you? I thought you fucked him at least once."
"Shut the hell up Delic before I beat your ass!" Shizuo's hand wrapped up tight into a fist as he growled. But his face had turned red and Delic couldn't help but find that cute.
"Didn't you find it boring though?" Delic chuckled half to himself as he changed the subject back to the date to help Shizuo calm down. In return Shizuo just grumbled as he shrugged. "No… I didn't find it boring."
"Wow, so you two sat there for hours and did nothing but hold hands? Didn't he look bored?" Delic couldn't help but be in disbelief. This whole thing sounded bizarre.
"I don't know… I didn't look at him," Shizuo replied with a shrug.
"Wait, what?"
"I didn't look at him. We were too embarrassed so... we didn't look at each other." Shizuo remembered how Izaya's cold hands had warmed up in his and how nice it had felt..
"So we just both quietly stared at the stars instead. Then after a little while the flea started telling me stories. How this one star is a star crossed lover and can only meet the other once a year, things like that. It was nice listening to him tell me stories."
"Huh…." Delic tilted his head as he tried to imagine not doing anything with Izaya. It was hard…. that informant was adorable and sexy in his own way…. it was all Delic could do to not jump the informant and ravish him to see that shy face contort with need and desires. Delic smiled softly at his cousin then he shook his head again.
"In some ways, you two really are alike."
"Haa?" Shizuo's eyes twitched in irritation at Delic's vague answer.
"You and my cat. You two are pretty innocent in some ways. It's kind of refreshing." Delic chuckled. Since he was always surrounded by women who were either cheating on their husbands or were being cheated on, it was nice to meet a few who were faithful to their loved ones. The host sighed and looked up at the hazy sky with no stars in sight.
"Stars huh…." Delic thought about it. "Alright, thanks Shizuo. This was pretty insightful," Delic leaned over and patted Shizuo on his shoulder. "It gave me an idea anyway."
"The camp was pretty far from here though. At least several hours on the bus…if you wanted to see the stars," Shizuo wasn't sure how it could be helpful, but he still tried to offer to tell him the location. Delic smiled as he pulled Shizuo out of the alley and back to the bustling main streets with neon lights.
"Don't worry, I got a different idea."
Izaya frowned as Delic walked in the front door of his office with a large bouquet of roses. He didn't even question how Delic had found his office. He had told him his real name few days ago after all, it wasn't too hard to look him up. What made him really irritated about it though was that Delic had now trespassed into his territory. Izaya liked to keep his personal life separate from business…and having Delic come to his office was crossing that line.
"You can't come in just any time you want, Delic-san. I'm pretty busy and you need to make an appointment…" Izaya gave Namie a side-glance since she let him in. Delic just smiled.
"But I did make an appointment. I asked your lovely secretary for your time tonight."
Izaya glared at Namie who just shrugged as she packed her bags to leave. "You weren't doing anything today anyway." Izaya rolled his eyes. He could already guess that Namie must have been bribed somehow. Izaya groaned as Namie said her goodbyes and left before the informant even had the time to click open his schedule. Sure enough, it was filled in for an appointment on his calendar, but it didn't say who the client was.
"Alright, fine. Guess I have to go along," Izaya sighed as he got up, his eyes still sharp and angry. Delic continued to smile at that as he placed the roses into a vase and watered it. Seeing the angry informant told him that Izaya had recovered from that time and that was a good sign.
Izaya didn't bother getting dressed up though. Instead he grabbed his usual fur coat and walked over to Delic. "The usual dinner?"
"Not quite… though we can go eat dinner first if you'd like. It's a bit early for dinner but… I have a feeling you don't eat enough. Did you skip lunch?" Delic asked delicately as he noticed the half finished cup of coffee by Izaya's desk. It was a hunch but…
Sure enough, Izaya looked sideways as he shrugged, "I sort of had something. I could eat."
"That won't do, informant-san," Delic called him out of habit as he wrapped his arms around Izaya. He knew the informant's real name but it didn't quite roll on his tongue right. Not yet. Despite how happy the host was to know his name. It was as if, Delic didn't quite 'earn' the right to know this cat's real name and it made him feel like he cheated in a game.
Feeling Delic's arms wrapping around him, Izaya looked annoyed which in turn only made the host grin even more. The informant was really back to his usual self, at least on the surface. Even if it was probably too early to be fully healed, at least the informant was strong enough today to put on a facade and it relieved Delic.
"Am I allowed to receive my kiss now?" Delic asked, his voice low and husky as he leaned forward. Izaya froze up in the host's arms. True he had consented a few days ago but that was then. Izaya looked as if he wanted to take back his words now, but he hesitated.
"You're too adorable when you get defenseless like that." The host smiled as he brought Izaya close so he could kiss his forehead. "Don't worry, I won't kiss you on the lips, our contract is still intact."
"Well… so what is it that you're here for if not that? If you made an appointment, I hope it's not just to take me out… my time is valuable you know." Izaya lightly chuckled, trying to change the subject.
"You mean I can't?" Delic feigned surprise. Izaya's vein popped.
"I'm not a host or a gigolo. You can't buy my time and body, Delic-san. I'm an informant. Are you here to gain information on someone?"
"Yes." Delic smiled.
Izaya groaned as if he anticipated Delic's next answer. "Please don't say you're-"
"You." Delic grinned as he leaned forward. "I'm here to gain information on you, Informant-san." Delic lightly caressed Izaya's cheek and watched the informant flush. He was so beautiful.
"My personal information isn't for sale," Izaya bristled like an irritated cat.
"Well, let me at least take you out for dinner. You know I won't be taking a no for an answer and I know you don't have anything going on for the rest of the day. Just this once, let me take you on a date. Besides… I think you need dinner." Delic gave Izaya some space as he loosened his arms around the informant but gently led him towards the door still. Izaya sighed as if he had a headache, but didn't fight it as Delic led him outside to the taxi.
"So, may I call you Izaya-san or should we keep it to Orihara-san?" Delic asked once they were in the taxi.
"Whatever you want," Izaya shrugged as he looked out the window again. He was already regretting what he did a few days ago. Not just about giving the host his real name but also the fact that he had cried in front of him. He had never shown such a vulnerable self to anyone else before. Not even to Shizuo. Just thinking back on it made his cheeks warm with shame and anger. He had known he would need to see Delic again eventually, but he had been avoiding it in order to keep from experiencing this shame again. But now that he was forced to see him so much earlier than he had anticipated was taking a toll on Izaya's disposition. Somehow knowing this, Delic gave him space, at least while they were inside the taxi.
"Then, Izaya-san." Delic decided. It was right in between intimate and formal. "I guess Izaya-kun, would be too early huh?"
He could see Izaya's back stiffen up and he chuckled, thinking his joke went through. The host had no idea what kind of effect the name 'Izaya-kun' had on him, especially with a certain debt collector's face, but it was amusing to assume that he just didn't like the intimacy the name implied. Settling back, Delic allowed silence to wash over them as Izaya continued to stare stubbornly out of the window until they arrived.
The dinner was at an elegant sushi restaurant inside a five star hotel. Delic's etiquette was exquisite as always, as he was the perfect host, with the exception of a few dirty comments sprinkled here and there. But at this point, Izaya expected them.
After their early dinner, Delic took him to a coffee cafe and sat by the windows. The host didn't initiate many conversations and mostly left the informant to himself as Izaya enjoyed looking out the window to observe his beloved humans. It was almost weird that Delic wasn't actively trying to have all of his attention but it was nice and relaxing for Izaya who was doing everything he enjoyed, but with the company of Delic. A few times Izaya could see that the host looked as if he wanted to reach out and touch him when he thought Izaya's attention was somewhere else. There was a nervous twitch of the host's hand that was barely noticeable, as if the non physical touch was almost painful, and he was doing his best to endure and for that Izaya was grateful.
However, unable to keep silent for long, Izaya stood up suddenly. Before Delic could protest or respond, Izaya crossed over to sit next to the host instead of sitting across from him, much to Delic's surprise and delight. Smiling softly, the blond placed his head on Izaya's shoulder and closed his eyes to enjoy the warmth of Izaya a bit as the informant continued to look out the window, his fingers casually brushing away a few strands of blond here and there.
It was calming and peaceful just to feel each other's warmth and share each other.
It wasn't until a couple hours had passed in this way did Delic finally stir. Curiously, Izaya looked over towards him to figure out what was going on as Delic stood up. After stretching slightly, Delic extended his hand towards Izaya as if to help him up as well. "There's one more place I'd like us to go to." It was a simple explanation that offered no actual information in regards to Delic's plans, but for some odd reason Izaya felt trusting enough to allow it.
"What else is there to do?" The informant asked as he took Delic's hand and allowed him to pull Izaya up. Once on his feet, Izaya was hard pressed to fight down a grin as he realized it took all of Delic's self control to not wrap his arms around him right then.
"You'll see." Delic's hand fell down, fingers brushing against Izaya's before he had to consciously resist grabbing it as he turned to walk out of the cafe. After making sure everything was paid for, Izaya followed after him to find that the blond had already hailed down a taxi.
"Lets go."
Once inside the taxi Delic started to pull his tie off. Sighing, Izaya stared at the host with an incredulous expression as he held the article of clothing out with a grin. "One last time." Delic promised as Izaya silently accepted it when the blond reached up to tie the thin article around his eyes to make sure the raven wouldn't see where it was they were headed.
"I'm starting to worry about where you are taking me." Clicking his tongue in annoyance, Izaya sat back as Delic gave the driver whispered directions.
"What kind of date would I be if I didn't let you feel the thrill of a little danger?" Izaya heard the blond chuckle as he leaned back into the seat to wait for their arrival.
"Do you blindfold all your dates or am I just special?" Izaya asked sarcastically only to roll his eyes at Delic's answer, "Normally not until we get to the bedroom."
The ride was shorter than Izaya had expected. Delic seemed to have had all this already mapped out so that he was sure no time was wasted. When they arrived at wherever it was they were going, the blond was quick to help izaya out of the cab, not taking the blindfold off of the raven even once they were inside of a building. Straining his hearing, the raven tried to listen for other people to get some clue as to where they were but what chatter he could hear all blurred together until finally all voices were cut off as a door closed behind them.
"Can I take this off yet?"
Impatient, Delic reached up towards the tie only for Delic's hand to stop him. "Two more minutes." the blond's voice could be heard moving away from Izaya as he leaned over something. A few seconds passed until suddenly what little light Izaya could see through the cloth vanished. A moment later and Delic was moving Izaya to get a good view as slowly the tie came undone from around his head.
At first, Izaya could not see anything despite the cloth being removed. It was pitch black dark save for a neon exit sign in the far corner.
"Where are-" Izaya started to ask before the words were caught in his voice in a gasp.
Suddenly the dark skies were lit up with brilliant stars and galaxies, the sparkling Milky Way shooting across above.
"Delic?" Izaya asked in wonder before he couldn't help but smile. "Really? A planetarium?"
"It's the closest I could get to the real thing." Delic started to explain in a sheepish voice, but the host froze as he noticed the informant's eyes well up and tears began to suddenly roll down his cheeks.
"Izaya-san?"
"I…Haha, sorry. I don't know what came over me," Izaya apologized as he quickly wiped his face with the back of his sleeves but Delic was already holding what appeared to be a handkerchief out towards him. Quickly Izaya took the fabric from him and began to try and dry up the tears, not wanting to think about the broken promises from his past.
But, despite Izaya's quick dismissal, the host knew instantly why the informant was touched. It wasn't because of him. It couldn't be. Delic knew right away that Izaya was thinking of someone else, not him. The realization of this caused Delic to feel a strange tinge of pain in his heart that he refused to believe was jealousy, but - rather than fixating upon this bizarre emotion - the forever perfect host, Delic held Izaya's hand and led him to a seat where the informant could see the center of the universe.
"I'm glad you like the place enough to be so moved," Delic teased as he played the moment off. He knew the proud informant probably wouldn't have liked being dwelled on concerning his sudden burst of emotions once more.
"Guess I can't say now that I find stars rather boring?" Izaya relaxed into the leather seats and chuckled to himself. He was showing a lot of embarrassing moments to this host, but at least Delic knew enough to not take advantage of it. It was because of this Izaya could relax even if the host saw several of these shameful moments and why Delic was such a perfect host.
"Not unless you want to tell me that the tears are because you adore my touch so much." Delic joked as he sat down in the seat beside Izaya before changing the subject for Izaya.
"So, if I'm correct," Delic looked back at the swirls of synthetic stars in the sky, "Tanabata is celebrated because of those two people lingering in the sky." Delic's fingers intertwined with Izaya's. "Because Orihime and Hikoboshi up there," the host pointed at the two stars that gleamed brightly, "couldn't help but fall in love and neglect their duties. Orihime's father was furious at her behavior and separated them." The host shook his head, "and I believe Orihime cried at this until the Magpies came to make bridge so that they can see each other on top of the Milky Way river." Delic chuckled, "One of those, 'love will find a way' stories, right?"
"Actually, the Chinese Star Festival is different from the Japanese one." Izaya was intently looking up at the sky with a small smile. "It's a similar story but in that version…" And so with just that the informant started to explain the differentiation between the Japanese version alongside the Chinese and the Korean. Afterwards Izaya started to talk about the constellations and their stories all over the world, from the Greek's mythology, the Romans, the Norse, the Egyptians and even to some obscure theologies and others that Delic couldn't quite follow along with, but since he enjoyed the sound of the informant's voice he chose not to stop him. Delic always knew that the informant was well knowledgable but it was almost as if the informant had studied so much when it came to lore that he could have gotten a doctorate degree in ancient mysteries.
"You really know a lot of mythology, Izaya-san," Delic couldn't help but chuckle. "I feel like a child talking to a professor."
"I happen to have a particular interest in mythologies, especially in immortalities." Izaya leaned his head on the host' shoulder as he spoke. He could feel Delic's hand caressing small circles on his. "It's interesting to see what lengths the powerful men in history have done to defeat death. I found them to be fascinating."
"Do you find death fascinating, Izaya-san?"
"No." Izaya closed his eyes. "I find life to be most fascinating. The struggles of mankind and how much they hold onto life, clinging onto it desperately before Death eventually takes them over…It's an intriguing concept."
"Do you wish to live forever?" Delic asked curiously. "Even if every day is painful?"
"Do you?" Izaya turned it around and asked.
"Not really. I chose my lifestyle knowing it would lead to my downfall. To fight for it to be otherwise would be foolish in my case." Delic replied heavily.
"I...would fight until the bitter end," Izaya sighed softly, finally giving Delic his answer now that Delic had given his. "No matter how painful life is, I won't give up so easily."
Delic didn't ask anymore as Izaya enjoyed the warmth of his company. Part of him knew that Izaya's answer wasn't simply about life and death but he was partially speaking of his ex. And Delic felt a bit frustrated but relieved that it meant that Izaya won't continue to be broken. He would fight back.
Even though he knew they did not have the room rented for long, Delic did not have it in him to let go of Izaya's hand.
For now, he wished to stay like this for as long as he could.
Shizuo didn't know why he was so nervous. The young high schooler had been with Izaya before when no one else was around. But, somehow, this moment felt different as the two of them waited beneath the stars. Izaya seemed to be feeling it too as the male prattled on beside him, their gazes never meeting as the seconds ticked by. He couldn't really understand what Izaya was saying, something about their classmates and how funny their faces were when Shizuo had snapped that tree in half as he tried to get Izaya out of it, but he really didn't want to think about it anyway since his anger embarrassed Shizuo. The only good thing about it was that it at least worked in getting Izaya down. After that the two of them had run off and it was Shizuo's assumption that no one wanted to risk a broken arm or two in order to come and stop their 'fight' that allowed them their privacy since, once they were a safe distance away, Izaya had immediately stopped - a subtly sweet grin on his face that made Shizuo's heart freeze briefly in a love-struck panic. Without really knowing what was going on, the blond had approached Izaya then in a much more calm state before following behind him to sit against a tree as they caught their breath.
"I think that girl who sits in front of you in class is getting ready to ask for her seat to be changed." Izaya chuckled lowly, his words making Shizuo scowl before he elbowed the teen slightly.
"It's your fault anyway, shitty flea." Sighing, the blond let his body fall down slightly, his shoulder brushing against Izaya's briefly. "Your ankle okay? You seemed to land on it pretty hard." Voice going softer, Shizuo looked down Izaya's outstretched legs towards the ankle in question.
"Wh-what? Of course I'm fine, who do you think I am?" the smaller boy scoffed with a flush on his face. When Izaya replied, his voice had seemed to have gone higher, nervousness laced in it as he quickly dismissed Shizuo's concern as unnecessary.
"By the way, Shizu-chan. I noticed that our English teacher is probably going out with our History teacher, have you noticed them exchange eye contact?" After that Izaya changed the subject quickly, going back to their classmates, a few gossips and some of the things he had observed them doing that day. Shizuo tuned it out for the most part, his amber eyes gazing up through the leaves towards the sky until he felt Izaya's hand brush against his. Curiously, the blond looked down towards them, noticing that Izaya had quickly moved his hand to his lap after that as if it the brush was an accident, although his words hadn't stuttered. Sighing slightly, Shizuo straightened back up, his hand reaching out to take Izaya's in his own while he turned his body slightly away so that Izaya could not see his pink tinged face as the blond laced their fingers together.
"Shut up, Izaya."
Shizuo could almost hear the way Izaya's mouth snapped closed, those beautiful crimson eyes widening briefly as the male's hand went limp in the blond's own. Shizuo fiercely looked back at the sky just so he could be sure that Izaya wouldn't see his face as the blond looked up towards the stars.
They had been 'dating' for several weeks now, but it was actually very rare for the two of them to be alone. At school, Shinra was always hanging around and their classmates were everywhere, while at home Izaya had his sisters to take care of and Shizuo had his brother. Plus it wasn't really like the two of them were open about….'this' enough to warrant telling other people to leave them alone. As it were, most people feared allowing the two to be alone in the same room, which was kind of understandable.
But…..at least this much was nice.
Slowly Izaya's hand began to close around Shizuo's, his hold as cold as the night air around them. It made Shizuo hold on tighter, as if by doing so he thought he'd be able to warm the young teen completely up. Minutes passed in silence then until finally Izaya's soft voice broke through.
"You know Shizu-chan?" Izaya's voice cut the cold night air's quiet save for the chirping sound in the grass. "That's Orihime, the star that's shining brightly to the left." Shizuo looked in the direction Izaya pointed. "And that star across the Milky Way is Hikoboshi."
"Oh, that's the... story I heard when I was a kid. They can't meet right?"
"Only once a year on a clear day. When it rains, the magpies can't form a bridge, and they will have to wait another year to meet again."
"That's pretty sad."
"...Yeah. That's pretty sad isn't it? Even though they love each other, they can't meet no matter what because there's a river separating them."
"I think that Hikoboshi guy should just build a real bridge." Shizuo huffed and Izaya laughed.
"He's a cow herder. He doesn't know how to build bridges. And Orihime is a weaver. She only knows how to make clothes."
"Well, I'd probably just knock down a tree or something to use as a bridge."
"...you would?"
Shizuo dared not to turn his head to see if Izaya was staring at him. He couldn't meet him in the eye even if Izaya was.
"Yeah...I would. I'd do anything to build that bridge across the river if I loved someone and couldn't meet them at any time I wanted."
"..."
Izaya did not say anything to that, even if the story went, that Orihime had cried until the magpies came to help, which negated that Hikoboshi ever really needed to build a bridge. Or that Orihime's father had forbidden her to meet him except once a year. That all didn't matter to Shizuo, and Izaya knew that. He could feel his heart squeeze tightly and painfully and he didn't understand why anymore than he could understand the happiness welling up inside of him.
"Yeah...you would." Izaya simply said.
Shizuo remained quiet at that, his hand still holding tightly onto Izaya's as he stared up at the two stars in question. The quiet of the forest surrounding them returned, enveloping them in a soft atmosphere as the two of them mulled over the situation before Shizuo finally spoke again.
"He probably thinks about her alot."
Unconsciously, Shizuo's thumb rubbed lightly against the back of Izaya's hand, a type of sadness swelling inside of his heart as he realized how painful it must be. Even if he did say he'd build a bridge, there was still the days that Shizuo would have to go without seeing the one he loved in between.
Without seeing Izaya.
It felt...lonely to think about.
It felt unbearably lonely.
Shizuo squeezed Izaya's hand again, this time noticing that it had grown warmer. Although he still refused to look at the raven he could hear the way Izaya drew his legs up to his chest, his head falling to hide in between his knees as he slowly returned Shizuo's squeeze.
Feeling his face grow hotter Shizuo kept his eyes fixed stubbornly upon Orihime, before finally whispering under his breath.
"Thanks."
Izaya probably didn't know what Shizuo was thanking him, even the blond barely knew if he was thanking him for the story or if it was for something else. Something more personal. Something that Shizuo hated to talk or think about it, but that Izaya understood best of all.
Yet, it lingered between them even as the night continued around them, leaving the two behind in their private world, until the feeling of Izaya's hand loosening told Shizuo he was growing drowsy. Without a word the blond finally scooted close again, using their joined hands to pull Izaya in who readily allowed his head to fall onto Shizuo's shoulder with a soft sigh. In turn, Shizuo let his head fall gently on top of Izaya's, the blond not exactly sleepy but willing to do anything so as to feel a little closer to the other male. At the touch, Izaya nuzzled in closer, their joined hands moving to rest in Shizuo's lap as both their hearts began to beat in a rapid, familiar pattern. Faces red, both males still refused to look at each other as the cold night drifted on, threatening them with the upcoming morning when they'd have to separate just like the two star crossed lovers, Orihime and Hikoboshi.
But at least, until then, their own worlds could stand still in the palm of each other's hand.
Author's Note: Sorry for the delay, but as always thank you for staying with us and we hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thank you again for all the reviews as well! We really love reading them! We hope that you guys enjoyed the irony of Delic and Shizuo's exchange ahaha and that this chapter will make many of you agonize over the bittersweet moments and who Izaya will end up with 'eventually'. Until then, enjoy the journey with us. If this story makes you flip flop between ships, we're doing our job right fufu.
