One Step: Sixth Step


Shizuo Heiwajima was standing behind him.

The fresh air of the clear wintery night was tainted with the aroma of cigars.

"Oh? Shizuo?" Izaya wasn't pleased to see him. In fact, just his existence troubled him.

"It's Shizu-chan for you." The debt collector was a bit taken aback by the direct coldness displayed towards him, which wasn't covered by Izaya's usual mockery voice.

Izaya was startled by his comment. Perhaps the crazy bartender had lost his mind and wanted everyone to treat him with '-chan's.

"What the fuck do you want?"

He was in a terrible mood today. He didn't want to use the usual playful tone, he wanted Shizuo to leave him alone and not see him in what remained of his life. He evaluated the possibilities of killing him in this high building. 0 possibilities, since Shizuo could easily throw and kill him first and cornering him was nearly impossible. Shizuo knew all of his tricks.

Izaya turned around. He didn't care if he wasn't facing him, which left him at a dangerous position.

"We need to talk"

"Enter a chat or something." Izaya was still facing the other way. His voice was rough.

"I really need to talk-"

"Leave me alone!" He screamed. "Jump of and die! Why can't you just die and make everything easier!"

There was a deep silence. Izaya decided to turn around and face Shizuo this time. As he expected, the guy was more than just furious.

"WE ARE GOING TO TALK!" There goes another anger fist. He preferred this Shizuo.

"Huuuh?" His voice was full of mockery "Is that how you treat your girlfriends? No wonder why you are always alone. Awww Shizu-chan~ I'm sure everyone will fall for you if you try to kill them every time you meet them, then invade their minds, spy on their childhoods, show how disgusted you are, kill them in their dreams AND return. Yeah, returning is the worst part. Uh huh." Izaya scratched his chin with his eyes closed, and a devilish grin.

"….enough…" Shizuo was staring at the floor, clenching his teeth and fist, shaking with anger.

Izaya looked at his surroundings, making sure that there was nothing Shizuo could throw.

"I hate you. I really hate you. But I need you." Shizuo laughed faintly. "Ironic, isn't it?"

"Well, I DON'T need YOU. You just ruin everything!"

He was angry. Izaya was rarely in an extremely bad mood. The police had nearly found about him and the collective suicide website. That same day, an unknown hacker had invaded one of his laptops and erased minor, but important, information that would take some time to restore. When he was feeling down, Shinra called him and told him about this new Dullahan discovery. Izaya's curiosity needed to be satisfied on a daily basis so he couldn't say no but as soon as he entered, he fainted and realized that he was being used. Then Shizuo entered his mind and saw something he treasured deeply: his childhood. Those memories should be shared with those he trusted, like his sisters or close acquaintances like Namie. Not with this man who hated him, wanted to kill him and would use everything he has to kill him with or without entering into his usual and unstoppably annoying anger fist. He didn't know why, but he felt his mind was dirtied by the sole presence of the blonde.

"I DON'T FUCKING CARE WHAT YOU FEEL! I NEED YOU EVEN IF YOU DON'T NEED ME!"

And now said person was saying that he needed him. His mind felt much fuzzier and confused than it was before. He felt a soft headache. That hypocrite wanting him? For what? For killing him again and again?"

"I don't want YOU. I'd rather jump than be with you!" There was a long pause. Izaya's face was red from anger and his throat felt sore from screaming. When had been the last time he had been this furious and confused? He took a deep breath and decided that he shouldn't lose his head on this. He was the smartest one here and screaming lowered him to Shizuo's level, which was more than pathetic.

"You're so irritating, I'll leave." Izaya added with a soft voice and tried to regain some self control. He sighed and started walking towards the door.

Izaya didn't know why but as soon as he touched the doorknob his legs refused to move. His hands didn't respond. 'Huh?' he thought. 'What the…' And then, he felt it: Shizuo's extremely piercing glare. It was bothering him since his body refused to move. 'Don't tell me my body is afraid of him, that's so lame'. He turned his neck. At least he would see and not feel that uncomfortable glare.

Shizuo's fists were covered in blood. He was clenching them so hard, he hurt himself without realizing.

"DAMMIT IZAYAAAAA!!!"

The bartender ran towards the informant and grabbed his fluffy jacket's collar.

"Woah? Are you going to kill me again?" Izaya's smile was poorly faked.

No response. Shizuo just held him, shaking.

"My feelings towards you… are intense."

"Huh?" Izaya made a disgusted expression.

"I hate you… but when we fight… I love you. I realized that I enjoy fighting with you. I Love it. I need it."

"Then excuse me for not needing you since our little fights ruin my plans." He stated this as a matter-of-fact.

There was a brief pause. Izaya was getting tired of all these pauses.

"Don't you enjoy our fights?"

'What kind of question is this?' Was his mind raped by Shinra?

"…"

The truth was that the informant enjoyed them. He enjoyed anything that involved using tactics and risks. Nonetheless, he wanted to carry on many projects during his highschool years but couldn't due to those fights.

"No."

Shizuo looked hurt. For a moment, Izaya considered taking back what he said.

"… Why did you become an informant?"

"Isn't it obvious? You entered into my mind, you should know that."

"I…"

"You WHAT?!" Izaya was still angry.

"I… didn't understand it very well…" Shizuo's cheeks turned slightly pink from embarrassment.

"Shizu-chan is so stupidly cute" Izaya said with a mockery tone but couldn't avoid smiling a bit. This garbage could be cute when he wanted to, he was so stupid. Seeing Izaya's honest smile made Shizuo smile too on the inside.

"I wanted to know more about humans… they are amazing, aren't they? They are entertaining to watch, … I love them!"

"I'm human"

Izaya facepalmed.

"Yes, thanks for the obscure information."

"So, You love me as well."

Shizuo's fridge logic was too much for Izaya to handle.

"So… If God is love and love is blind and Stevie Wonder is blind is Stevie Wonder God? You are the only human I hate. In fact I don't consider you human at all. Especially that inhumane strength."

"So that means I'm special"

"What the fuck is wrong with you today? The mind thing did some serious brain damage."

"So why not become a psychologist?"

Shizuo had a point.

"I'm not interested in one person's problems. I'm interested in society as a whole. In connections. I want to fill myself with every piece of information I find."

"Izaya…" Shizuo placed his forehead against his. The informant was getting scared of being knocked down by a headbutt. He chose to stay still and firmly pressed the knife he had in one hand in case something happened.

"You are a bastard." That was the only think Shizuo said. No headbutts, no harm. Just Shizuo calling him what he really was.

"That's my Shizu-chan!" He teased.

"I might start falling for you. Uhg… I'm going insane…"

"Ohhh? If you fell in love with me, then what would you do?" He mocked him in the form of an innocent question with the asker having a not so innocent stare.

"… I guess I'd do what you said before and just jump off from a building."

"And if I fell in love with you?"

"I'd jump as well."

Both men laughed and smiled at each other. Both foreheads were still glued to each other as if anticipating a kiss.

"Shizuuu-chann … you might be falling for me!" Izaya added.

"SHUT UP FLEA. I don't even know why I came here. Bye."

Shizuo left just like that. Izaya could hear the deafening noises of his angry stomps. He smiled and thought that it would be quite boring if Shizuo died.