Hello! With Spring Break finally here I feel like I'll be able to update quite a bit. I hope so, at least, this chapter is where something happens! I hope I'm writing it correctly, I'm a little new to fanfiction, especially the romancy fun stuff, so I'm really grateful for everyone who reads. ^^ I hope everyone has a great Spring Break.
07 NIGHT: You know the moment I saw your review I was so inspired into writing another chapter right then and there but couldn't, it was horrible XD. I'm glad that you like the long stories! I've been attempting to make each chapter longer but with the limited time I've been able to write that's been a bit difficult ;-;. This chapter will probably be rather short too, but I'm digging through a number of ideas for this story and once I pick one they'll get much longer ^^. XD And I can so see Shizuo chasing Izaya with roses, though I can also picture him getting frustrated after a while and throwing them at him, haha.
Kimiyu: Thanks for the read! ^o^
Update: This chapter will be short and hardly eventful, however I do have a plan for the next few chapters after this one so it should get better, updated more, and the chapters longer. The only time I've had to write lately has been late at night so I'm a little tired and not quite up to my usual standard, but soon I'll be able to write more during the day again and update more frequently.
They reached the apartment, Shinra having quieted down somewhat to make for an almost awkward walk as the three of them, a trio that would normally not be caught near each other in public, walked down the shadow-blanketed streets in a row formation. The flea was silent. Shizuo was silent. Shinra had finally realized that the few grunts that the two gave every now and then didn't mean that they were listening and went quiet. It was natural, of course, to hear only the noises of countless cars rushing along the larger streets nearby, their horns and wheels' screams dimmed by the fact that the blonde had heard those same noises over and over for years now. But what wasn't natural was that he was here, standing within two feet of Izaya, with only a small urge to strangle him. Was it because he sympathized that the informant had nearly gotten mauled in a way too gruesome to really consider? Or was it because he was getting weak? 'Probably both,' he grunted to himself mentally. Even his thoughts hardly wanted to have a conversation.
He felt exhausted, mentally drained, despite hardly having done anything but run around a few blocks (which was nothing compared to his normal chases with the flea). It was stupid. But then again, so were a lot of things that were on his mind. Shizuo found that it was somewhat easier to just stop thinking for the time being. It wasn't like his thoughts were leading anywhere other than to frustrating dead ends that reminded him of the one that he chased the raven-haired male into on that fateful day nearly two weeks prior to the present. Things had changed so much so quickly. Only two weeks ago he would've given anything to hear of Izaya's death on a news report or something, to just grab him and choke him to death to end his irritating and selfish schemes. Now, though… Now it was like there was a different Izaya. This one still had his arrogant, frustrating voice and he still wore that stupid jacket all the time and his eyes were still the color of the blood he's probably spilled indirectly on multiple occasions... So why did Shizuo feel they were so different? Was it because, now as they walked back to the apartment, he wasn't talking? He wasn't smiling in that aggravating grin and he wasn't attempting to get the ex-bartender flattened by whatever large vehicle came down the road. With how dark his clothes and hair were it was almost as if he blended into the shadows of the midnight sky, the moonlight blocked by the city's massive skyscrapers so that not even his ruby eyes and pale skin were caught in the glint. He was quiet, which was unnatural, and he wasn't scheming anything… which honestly was even more unnerving than if he were to spin around right at that moment and attempt to stab Shizuo in the gut.
When they reached the apartment Celty's bike was already in its parking spot, indicating that the black rider was already home and probably waiting for them to return and explain what had happened while she was gone. However when Shinra twisted the key and pushed open the door she was nowhere in sight, the large, multi-purpose room free of anyone. "She probably went to sleep," Shinra claimed with a soft sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose at the base of his glasses as if scolding the blonde and brunette silently, knowing that the both of them could easily smash him like a bug in some form of the word if he said anything directly to them. Even if he had though he realized that there was a high chance that neither of them would even notice. Turning back he saw that both the gentle brown and crimson red eyes were faded of focus, blinking down at the floor in mindless thought. Shinra smiled at this, figuring maybe they were tired as well. He hardly knew what had happened in the alley but… whatever it was, it must've worn them down somehow. "We should go to bed too so we don't keep Celty awake," he said cheerfully despite having the subconscious knowledge that the only one not being dead silent in the room at the moment was himself. "Come on, Izaya," the doctor kindly requested but there was no movement towards the bedroom. The informant instead fell back onto the couch, blinking at Shinra without a smile, without any false 'I'm okay,' without anything. "I won't run off again. Good night, Shinra," he simply said, clarifying his will to be alone quite easily with how direct and plain his voice was. Taking the hint the scientist waved to Shizuo, sure that the blonde would figure out where to sleep or how to move Izaya if needed, and left the room.
It was awkward. Shizuo stood at the side of the couch wondering what to say, hardly being able to just ignore his thoughts and fall asleep if the flea was taking up his usual resting space. Normally he'd force the informant off but every few seconds when he made his mind up to do so he'd turn his head and see that unusually blank expression staring at the floor. Izaya was rarely dull like this. He always had either a scowl of some sorts or (more likely) a cocky grin. Now… Had what happened really messed up him that badly? Shizuo was sure that this couldn't have been the first time someone had tried to attack him or gotten a little too close. Was it just the fact that this was the first time Izaya couldn't really defend himself in that situation? Too much thinking again. On the freaking flea of all people. Why did he care about how Izaya felt anyways? Steeling his denying mind he stepped forward and pointed his thumb over his shoulder towards the closed guestroom door. "Get up," the blonde demanded, ignoring his mind furiously wishing he hadn't said anything. No reply. No movement. "I said get up," he growled a little more aggressively. "You don't have the right to mope around after…"
"Oh no, I'm not moping," the raven-haired male finally responded, a sting to his tone as he interrupted the larger of the two. "Maybe I just don't feel like moving, had you ever thought of that, Shizu-chan?" He should've expected some amount of sass and aggravating sarcasm from Izaya but for some reason it came off as surprising… and really freaking irritating. "I'll throw you out the window before you try to cause any more trouble." Shizuo finally raised his voice, done with trying to keep quiet for the hosts' sakes, his anger rising. Why was Izaya so damn difficult?! But still there was something in him trying to tug him from half strangling the guy! "I'm sure Celty wouldn't appreciate her window being broken. They already know you're a monster, do you want them to treat you like one as well… Shizu-chan?"
He was done.
Storming forward he leaned down and grabbed Izaya's v-neck shirt, the fabric crumping into his fist as he yanked the informant forward in an attempt to jerk him to standing. That feeling in him trying to get him to stop could wait. The realization that Izaya's wince came from already having his shirt grabbed like this could wait. Any thought at all could wait. For now he wasn't thinking and it felt damn good… until Izaya pulled back.
The informant's strength hardly matched the 'beast of Ikebukuro''s at all but it was just enough to tip Shizuo's already unsteady balance to make the blonde fall forward. What neither of them predicted, however, was exactly where the ex-bartender would land.
Izaya felt something somewhat heavy pressing down against him, the slightly claustrophobic tightness between whatever was on top of him and the back of the couch pressing up at him being uncomfortable. His eyes slowly opened from the wince in preparation to be hit to try and distinguish whatever the warm, almost invitingly so, object was that was pushing against him. Had Shizuo thrown one of Celty's chairs down or something? His mind was in a fog, delirious from whatever the horrible gas was that Shinra had thrown into his system. He wasn't stable enough for anything to click… until he actually gained the control to look up.
Shizuo had fallen, gripping onto the couch for support but it not being enough, instead dropping to his knees over what would normally be plain fabric and what was now Izaya's shocked expression. He could see, for quite possibly the first time in the eight years of knowing the flea, pure, undisguised shock in the ruby eyes that glistened brightly in the overhead lamp's artificial light. Soft looking, obsidian colored strands of hair were scattered over a pale forehead and the informants chest was rising and falling in deep, steady pants as the two of them both tried to figure out what exactly had happened for them to wind up like this. It was the first time that Izaya stopped thinking entirely, if even for a split second. It was the first time that Shizuo actually noticed the latter slip up… and they were both stunned. Shizuo felt his left hand pressing against something soft and padded which he quickly realized was the hood of Izaya's jacket, his right fingers closed around an object for support that happened to be Izaya's arm which was warm through his dark sleeve, probably because of a fever that still remained. He felt a steady breath running in small motions just barely brushing across his cheek every time the informant exhaled, he smelled something fresh and clean, he… What was going on with him?
Quickly realizing fully the position he was in the blonde clumsily managed to his feet and stumbled back, feeling a slightly heat in his face out of embarrassment and an anger burning towards himself with how his heart was for some reason racing as if he were in the midst of an adrenaline rush from a fight. Knowing how perceptive Izaya was he quickly turned away to try and hide his face, the last sight seen in that direction was the informant still as wide-eyed as before, blinking up at him speechlessly for quite possibly the first time ever. He always had some comment, whether sarcastic or jabbing, rude or cocky, but now he didn't even seem as if he could form words at all. "Fine, stay there then. Sorry," Shizuo muttered, feeling the awkwardness of the situation arise once more and dropping his case, quickly turning to go to the room where Izaya normally slept. He didn't want to wait for the brunette to get his bearings together, knowing and regretting the time in the probably close future where the informant would start either getting him back for the humiliation or teasing him non-stop over it. He was exhausted mentally, confused entirely, and overall just wanted to stop thinking for good. Falling back on the bed, flipping the pillow so that he wouldn't have to smell the nice scent that he smelled before when he was that close to Izaya when he laid his head on it, and ignoring the slight chill that ran through him from not having a blanket Shizuo closed his eyes and demanded of his body to let him rest, the stupid thing actually listening to him for once. He'd deal with this later. But, though most of him wished it had never happened, a part of him, that same stupid part of him that always argued with him, denied it.
I'm really sorry, I understand that this chapter is terribly short and lacking in detail but my mind is fried and I didn't want to keep yall waiting any longer than I already have. It should start getting better next chapter on. Thank you so much for reading, have a good night.