A/N: Bleh. I was home late yesterday, so I couldn't find the time to finish up this chapter. Since I'm home late again today, I can't promise that today's chapter will be up before tomorrow either. Geez, I'm falling behind again OTL I'm four chapters behind on "The Search For Yule" but I've decided to prioritize "All I Want For Christmas" since it seems to me more people are anticipating this one xD
tikycat: Yeah, I have to admit I forgot what they call Shizuo xD I prefer leaving out the -san/-kun/whatever when writing fanfictions since it feels kind of awkward when writing in English xD the -chan and -nii suffix is usually different though, because more often these nicknames are hard to sort of translate xD They even use "Shizu-chan" in the Durarara! dub, which I very much appreciated (though I seem to recall that "Iza-nii" was changed to "Izaya") ^^ Thanks for noticing~ I'll probably change "Shizu-nii" back to "Shizuo" soon enough~
isthisparadise: I'm glad you think so xD Actually, he will be showing up very soon. Very soon, uhuhuhu~
kokochi: Ahh, yes I know xD Glad to know I'm not the only one wanting to make Izaya a Christmas present |D And you cannot help but to adore the Orihara twins |D *is wearing her Kururi-hoodie today~*
The song at the end of the chapter is "There's a New Kid In Town". Who is the new kid? |D Well, I'll leave that up to your imagination~
The time on my cellphone was showing that I had overslept quite a bit, which was quite unusual. I never overslept. Already I was starting to realize that the lack of excitement in my everyday life was affecting my ability to work, concentrate… simply put, I was unable to stay functional.
But it seemed that I was not the only one having a hard time focusing on work. Peeking over at the couch, I could see that Kida, too, was taking a break from his workload. It was possible that it might have been a bit too much for him. Did I care? Not really.
Stretching my arms, I took a spin in my chair, stopping where I could look out of the large window behind my desk. From here I had a perfect view of Shibuya's bustling streets. It appeared life in the big city was going on as usual. Part of me wanted to go down there and ruin the sickening warm, loving atmosphere but something stopped me.
Really, I was just too lazy to get up from my chair so early in the morning… because 11 a.m. was very early. Very.
Careful not to wake the sleeping teen, I grabbed the phone on my desk, clicking a few buttons to call up dear Shizu-chan to hear how he was doing. My guess was that he was still sleeping. He was the type to sleep in whenever he could. Believe me, I knew.
The phone beeped a few times before a click told me that the call had gone through. I could feel a smile creep unto my face as I heard the slightly irritated voice of my eternal nemesis.
"Yeah? What is it this time, flea?"
"Sorry, did I wake you?" My concern was far from genuine, but Shizu-chan probably knew already, hence the growling I could hear. "And is it really wrong for me to call you to hear how you've doing, Shizu-chan? Can't I have my concerns?"
"As if you're ever fuckin' concerned about anything and calling me is wrong on every single level." A characteristic anger came over his voice. "But you know that, don't you Izaya? Your calls are seriously starting to test my patience."
"Oh?" A smirtk had appeared on my lips as I chuckled into the speaker. "You're right, concern is a waste of time. I still fail to see what is so wrong in just talking, Shizu-chan? You might as well admit that you enjoy it."
"In your dreams."
"Are you hinting that I dream about you, Shizu-chan?"
I deliberately emphasized the much hated nickname I always referred to him by, enjoying being able to nearly feel his irritation seep through the phone. That part of Shizu-chan never failed to amuse me.
"You can dream about whoever you want. See if I care." The voice on the other end sounded surprisingly less annoyed than before. It was incredible how civilized he was. "Anyway, whatever it is you want, you should make it quick. I'm supposed to escort Kasuka to an interview in 20 minutes."
"Tough being a bodyguard for your own brother, isn't it?" Perhaps if I had been a bit more empathic, I would have actually cared. Too bad that was not the case. "Are you considering making that a full-time job? I'm sure you'd be paid more than what that debt collector is giving you."
"…I wouldn't quit my job for an excuse as shallow as getting a higher salary." I was met by a pause after that statement. Several seconds passed before Shizu-chan spoke up again. "But I don't suppose you'd understand something like that."
"Really? Try me."
Shibuya was far from as lively as Ikebukuro, hence why I much preferred jumping on the train and take a ride to the latter. However, something else made Shibuya quite different for me. Unlike in Ikebukuro, my influence on the streets here was much smaller. Other groups ruled this place.
One of them being the Crimson Dragons. I had only just learned of their recent surge in power in Shibuya. For what other reason would I be walking through a city I did not feel particular comfortable about if not for tracking down the mysterious leader of this group?
Exactly. There was no other reason.
I did not have any particular plan. My lack of concentration as of late made it impossible for me to do something as time consuming as working out a detailed plan. Instead I was thinking of heading down to a certain area where gangs would usually clash every night.
But as usual, my planning was going to be messed up. Just as I was approaching the area I was heading towards, my keen instincts allowed me to move out of the way only seconds before a knife cut through the air where my neck had been.
Once out of the way, I turned to look at my assailant. The red dragon tattoo slithering down his right arm instantly gave away his identity. It was quite obvious what group he belonged to… and, even more, why he had attacked me with no warning.
"I take it that your leader sent you to get rid of me?" I asked teasingly, quickly arming myself with my own blade. "That's low and rude. Haven't you guys ever heard of playing fair?"
"Coming from the guy who made sure that a bunch of our members got beaten half to death," the man before me snorted. Unlike the one I had fought, this one was smaller and more slender. He certainly looked more like the sneaky type, who would attack someone from behind. "Trust me. You're going to regret having ever come across us."
"Aha." I flicked my knife open, waving it back and forth as a threat. The man was probably well aware that I fully knew how to use it. "I take it that you're after revenge? Good luck with that. I believe I've already told you that all I'm interested in is your leader."
"Believe me, he knows. He told me to pass on this message to Izaya Orihara." My attacker turned on his heel before giving me the words of his leader.
"You will feel the burning wrath of the Crimson Dragons soon enough. He will personally make sure of that and it will not be pretty. Cover in fear, Orihara. You will meet him soon enough."
There's a new kid in town,
And he's lying in a manger down the road.
There's a new kid in town,
But he's just another baby I suppose,
Heaven knows,
There's a new kid in town,
Here in Bethlehem.