Okay, so here is the second chapter I feel I owe you guys for being so late on uploading today. Just know I'm not trying to make anyone OOC, I'm just working on 'what ifs' based on how characters already are. I always think of situations like that and if it confuses you, feel free to ask and I'll explain it all. Other than that, please enjoy this chapter.

All rights reserved, I do not own Durarara! or the characters, they belong to the wonderful Ryohgo Narita and Suzuhito Yasuda. Original characters belong to me.


7.

The two didn't really do anything else really productive. They just walked around a chunk of the city, passing stores, plazas, parks, subway stations, and such. They made small, snarky comments every so often to lighten up the mood every now and again to keep things comfortable and to keep the day going.

The girl kept her head a bit down to keep her hair over her face. It took a while until Shizuo noticed that and tried to ponder as to why. It was then that they were interrupted once again by someone who was, for some reason, running through the streets of Ikebukuro and bumped hard into Mueki making her stumble a bit back. Shizuo moved his arms around her to make sure she didn't fall all the way back and then looked forward to the guy who was now groaning on the ground with a hand to his head.

Didn't seem like he was gonna get up soon, so the tall blonde focused on the model in his arms.

"You okay?"

The girl nodded only feeling a small bit of pressure where the guy bashed into her. She wasn't in any kind of pain, just that slight heaviness, like the one that comes from a healing bruise. Lucky there weren't inflictions of any kind were visible on her pale skin. Would be worse for the guy if there were. The hard part would actually be if it would be Shizuo or Mueki to conflict pain on the guy if that were to be the case.

Once again, lucky there weren't any inflictions at all on her pale skin.

"I'm fine," she replied lightly.

She straightened her posture, which happened to make her turn towards her guide and was oblivious to that until she saw that her head was turned so she could see the man on the ground.

The mysterious klutz sat up on his elbows and was about to say something until he got a good look at the man in the bartender getup.

"Sh-Shizuo?"

And with that, the man scrambled off.

The girl looked up to the blonde confused.

"What was that all about?" she asked him.

He sighed moving his arms away from her and moved a hand to his hand and the other to his pocket before answering her.

"I kind of have a reputation in this city."

"Really?" She was wondering about this the other day after she met him. "Reputation as what, exactly?"

"It's nothing." He started walking off and she followed beside him.

"Either you tell me or I can ask some random by stander. Hey, maybe that woman over there would know."

She started walking off away from him and he grabbed her wrist pulling her back. She laughed at what could possibly be his embarrassment and spun towards him, walking backwards.

"Yes?" she asked playfully.

It was a shock at how much more animated she was around him, but it was fun. She hadn't had this much fun since...ever. Well, not that she could recall.

She had to get her emotions in check, but for now, she chose to live it out. Although, it seemed to be natural to her, like she would toy around like this before. Again, she couldn't remember for what, or even with who. She pushed that aside as she waited to hear the blonde speak.

"Why would you want to know what my reputation here is?"

She gave her signature shrug to him. "Curious. And once I'm curious, I constantly strive for an answer. I'd rather not ask other people since it would be considered a rumor, but I guess since the source won't talk, I'll take what I can get."

He gave a smirk adjusting his sunglasses.

"Ch. You're a straight-forward person aren't you?"

"Not normally, but yes, when I need to be."

"Or when you want to be."

She gave no reply and he swung her around so she could stride beside him instead of in front of him so she could actually see where she was walking.

"If you must know, around here, I'm kind of known as..." he took a pause and another sigh. "'The Strongest Man in Ikebukuro'."

A little laugh came out of her and he looked at her a bit skeptical. She didn't notice his small glare to her.

"Are you sure people aren't overestimating you?"

He gave a small smile to her sarcasm and nodded. "Laugh it up now, but it's kind of how I got my job."

She looked to him as he stared off ahead.

"What is your job?"

It was his turn to shrug. "It's nothing common. You remember that guy we saw earlier, Tom?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Well, I've known him for a while. After I got fired from some misunderstandings made by a certain parasite-" his voice was just almost at a full growl when he nearly finished that and composed himself just as fast before continuing "-Tom was there. He knew I was looking for some work and decided to make a deal with him. He's some kind of debt collector, I don't really pay attention to the details of who he collects from, but apparently, according to him, whenever people hear my name...they run. So I basically became a bodyguard for him. Also, I'm some kind of insurance to make people pay up. Kind of odd, but a convenience to Tom and the boss-man."

"So it seems."

He looked to her face to see a small smile. He also realized that she didn't bother to shrug off his hand. He took this moment to release her arm and put his hand back into his pocket. She noticed his movement and wasn't sure what to think. On one hand, her wrist could breathe again. On the other, she kind of didn't really want him to let go.

To her, it felt nice.

They walked in silence for a few more moments and saw that they reached another park with a yellow playground castle. It was pretty vacant and Mueki knew why. They had been walking around for too long and evening was already upon them.

Without even thinking, Mueki took a head start and partially ran her way up the castle slide to the top of the play thing and grabbed a hold of one of the high bars that held the structure together. She turned to see Shizuo still some way behind her looking up at her with a smile.

"What are you doing up there?" he asked, slightly amused at this odd girl.

She gave another shrug. "Just messing around. Thought it would be cool to run up here, but I'm guessing it looked a bit awkward, huh?"

He shook his head making his way to the side and put a put up at the end of it.

"Yes, it was. A you're a grown woman, you shouldn't be doing such nonsense."

She gave him a smug look after hearing his sarcastic tone and he smirked in surrender.

"Okay, so you weren't awkward. Was actually kind of cute, like a kitten. Nice change from the saddening-scary images I've had in my head about you."

She rolled her eyes at him seeing the stairs on the play castle next to her and decided to climb higher. When she was at the highest tower she bent over the railing to see how high she was compared to Shizuo. Apparently, it was now his turn to look up at her.

"You seem to be enjoying yourself," Shizuo commented lightly.

"Not really. Just boredom taking action, I guess. It used to be rare for me to go out, especially since I had no one to go out with."

She stepped back down to the slide she had climbed up and looked down at the, apparent, bodyguard. She looked down at him as he was. It was like he was waiting for her. It was kind of funny how her head started jumping to conclusions. She started laughing at herself as she sat down at the top of the slide.

"What's so funny?" he asked curiously, getting her attention.

"Just kind of odd."

"What is?"

"Well, I'm at the top of a playground castle. You're waiting below. It's kind of like a prince waiting for his love to come down so they could run away. I just think it's funny how my head went straight to that first." She laughed lightly once more, mainly at herself.

Her explanation kind of caught him off guard. It, kind of, did explain their day. She was running away from her agent, who was probably calling her again at this very moment. They ran off together and explored the city. Was he her prince? Could he be?

Why am I thinking this?

He shook his head out of that concept as he looked at her up on that slide as she stared up at the multicolored sky.

No way he could be with her. She could get any guy she wants, why him? Hell, she could probably get away with dating his own brother.

Did they even have something in common? Would they make a connection as easily as him and her?

Nope, no way in hell. He didn't want that to happen. To be honest, he couldn't get the idea of her with anyone in his head.

It was odd. No one was really his type, but this one girl who could understand his frustration and confusion with the same unnatural strength that they shared.

Again, it was odd.

Maybe it was because he knew she didn't have anyone. Scratch that, he knows that she doesn't have anyone. He knew that she was practically on her own for most of her life, always uninterested and playing pretend in front of a camera. She could pretend to love, but has she actually felt it? Will she ever get to know the feeling of love?

The only love he had really known is the love that he has for his brother. How he wouldn't want to let anything harm or hurt him in anyway. That was the only love he knew, but that wouldn't be anything compared to actual love. Would it?

He never met anyone who was really his type, but too many people bugged the hell outta him, so how could he stand to be close to anyone long enough?

As he looked at the unique, strange, kind, innocent woman, that now looked down to him with those beautiful purple orbs of hers, one question ran though his mind. Will this one girl be the one to change all of that?

When Mueki looked up at the stars that were visible, she wondered what her options as friends were once more. She was able to confirm that Shizuo was a companion that she didn't want to let go. He made her smile, laugh, and calm. He understood her and from that she knew that she could understand him as well. She wanted to help him in anyway if he needed it.

At that moment, she started thinking about her schedule to come. She most likely wouldn't be able to see him so often. Even today they simply met up by chance. She had no clue to what his work schedule was either, so maybe she wouldn't see him at all for at least two and a half weeks, give or take a day or two. Maybe longer. From that, she started feeling a bit strange.

Her chest felt a bit heavy. She was able to fake sadness, but never felt it. Or was this something different. She looked back down to the bodyguard with an automatic smile that only he managed to do to her. What is it about him? What will he be to her?

With that, she stopped thinking of her sullen thoughts and randomly decided to slide down. Shizuo moved himself out of her way and jumped a bit when he saw her plop onto the ground rather than stopping at the edge of the slide. He kneeled down beside her placing one hand on her back and the other hovering lightly over her legs, not sure where to put it.

"Mueki, are you okay?"

She stayed hunched over for a while and started shaking lightly.

"Mueki. Mueki! Are you hurt?"

Then he heard it. Her laughter. It was reserved, but light and just as beautiful as her smooth, cultured, dulcet voice. He heard small chuckles from her now and again, but this was an actual laugh. He gave a small chuckle himself and lifted his unoccupied hand palm up. She took his hand gratefully as he helped her up.

"That was...fun," she finally said when her laughter subsided. "I think I'll slide again in the near future."

"Have you never been on a slide before."

"Not really," she said with her smile still on her face. "Just a swing for a photoshoot. Even then, I didn't get to swing."

"You didn't have a normal childhood, did you?"

That stopped her. Her stance drooped a bit as she looked to the ground nostalgically. Just as he noticed everything else about her, Shizuo noticed this as well.

"I don't remember my childhood."

The first conversation they had popped into his head. He had asked her how far back she could remember and she randomly dodged the question.

"You don't remember your childhood?"

She shook her head, still not looking up at him. "No. I can't remember anything before, probably a couple months before, my tenth birthday. I'm not sure if something happened to me or if I just don't want to remember. Even so, every time I try to I just get this searing pain in my head worse than a migraine. It frustrates me sometimes, but I just end up thinking, the past is the past, right? Why bother going back when everything else is forward?"

Her words were calm and logical, but her body language said something else entirely. She was upset at herself and he noticed. He seemed to notice a lot of things about her. Shizuo did what he thought was best next – without even fully realizing his actions – and took her into his arms, holding her close. He didn't plan on the hug, but it just happened. Seemed right for her.

"Sorry to hear you're upset, but you're right. Don't bother looking back while you're so far ahead."

A bit stunned, Mueki slowly lifted her arms to hug him back. It was a bit awkward for her, but eventually it was comfortable for the both of them.

It was this and nothing more, right?

Shizuo began to question himself again. He continued to question as they separated from one another. He continued to question as they walked out of the park and through the city once more. He continued to question as they parted ways for her to head back to her place. He continued to question as he met up with Tom again and exchanged small details about their work and where else they may need to go for the next few days, and he continued to question as he made his way to his own small place and laid in his bed.

Would that be it?


Okay, so there you go. Hopefully I'll actually be on time next week uploading these segments. Also, feel free to answer my poll on my profile about how many chapters I should upload a week since I actually have a lot more of this story typed up then what is currently on here. (Yes, the whole thing is more like a novel. I don't really do short stories unless necessary, like in school and I don't even attend classes at the moment, so no short stories for a while...I think). As I was saying...yeah, poll on my profile. Please vote. Pretty please? (:

Anyway, please vote and a huge thank you to all for reading and/or supporting myself and/or this story. Love you all for doing so and let's hope, once again, that I'm actually on time to my upload(s) next week :3