Understanding
Izaya
It had to be the first time he hadn't teased Shizu-chan, they sat in silence, in the cab. Shizu-chan staring out of the window, Izaya watching him without the blond knowing. Somehow he looked different, more calm. Shizu-chan's features were softer and relaxed, unlike his angry creased expression, he always had when Izaya was around.
His arm, usually indestructible like the rest of his body, was in a cast against his chest. It was surprising how fragile this new Shizu-chan was, unlike the monster he was used to teasing, and running from. He could see the blond move and quickly looked away, once Shizu-chan went back to staring out of the window, he studied him again.
The cab stopped, Izaya climbed out, leaving the blond to open the door himself. If Izaya did everything for him, he'd get angry and wouldn't return to the apartment. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Shizu-chan struggle to close the door. He had a feeling Shizu-chan didn't want anyone to see him weak, so he kept in front walking ahead.
They finally spoke once they were in the lift. "Flea." Izaya looked up at the fragile blond. "What Shizu-chan?" He should have expected the question, he was an informant after all. "Do you know where Shingen is?" Izaya didn't answer him. Why would Shizu-chan want to see the cause of all this mess? Did he want to be even weaker?
Shingen wasn't a nice person, he only did experiments for the sake of science, he had heard what the mad scientist had done to Celty, Why would he send his monster back there? They shouldn't have met in the first place. He was more hesitant now about the information he handed out, especially to Mikado, He was keeping an eye on the blond, but Shizu-chan was unpredictable.
"Flea, aren't you supposed to be an informant?" Izaya grit his teeth, knowing Shizu-chan was trying to get to him, he was an informant, but he wouldn't give him the information he wanted. He had yet to accept the new version of the blond. "Shizu-chan couldn't afford me, not with all the damage you cause." Lets see how angry you can still get.
"Caused." Things were getting more awkward than they already were. Izaya said nothing, sparing the blond's feelings. Caused. Another reminder, that the blond had lost his strength, at least Ikebukuro would be quiet, without Shizu-chan, smashing everything. It would be boring though. "Why do you want to see him?" Did he want to get his strength back?
"I want to ask him what he's done." He was surprised the blond answered him, without telling him to mind his own business. "Didn't you ask him to do it?" Though he didn't know the reason, Shizu-chan wanted to be weaker. "Not this weak. Oi, flea. Since when do we do this?" Izaya stared at him, wondering how he should answer. "I meant talking."
He knew what the blond was asking. He just didn't know how to answer. Since you became human? Since you've become so fragile, you're no longer a threat? "Since we have to live together for a while. I can't have you smashing up my-" So much for watching what he said, everything was coming out wrong. Had he become that good at manipulating and hurting people?
Shizuo was looking away from him, standing there with his broken arm and saddened face. Izaya unlocked the door holding it open for the blond. Your last time to leave, Shizu-chan. The blond was standing there, his head lowered, Izaya waited, seconds passed and then a minute. "Shizu-chan?" Izaya smiled in relief as Shizu-chan crossed the threshold of his apartment. Namie was pretending to do some filing, watching the two of them, he was sure he could see her ears twitch. Maybe he should say something about Seji, that would make her mind her own business. "Namie, Shizu-chan will be staying for a while." He sat down at his desk, watching the blond.
Shizu-chan was standing in the middle of the room looking lost in thought, he didn't make his usual teasing comment, about how the blond could hurt himself. What was he thinking so hard about? "Shizu-chan. You're not going back to your room are you?" He could see Namie peeking over the folders. "Is there a problem, flea?"
"I said I'd stay here, I didn't say I'd listen to you." He watched as the blond disappeared upstairs, hearing the door close. Izaya sighed, wondering what he should do now. Shizu-chan was usually chasing him around Ikebukuro, what could he do in a room by himself? "Are you sure he won't get bored? Why is he here anyway?" He had almost forgot, Namie was still in the room.
He checked his emails, logged onto the chat room and researched information. A couple of hours had passed when he looked at the clock. He couldn't hear anything from Shizu-chan. He didn't know why he was looking after the blond. His feet found themselves at the top of the stairs, his hand turning the handle.
Shizu-chan was laying in the bed asleep. Izaya couldn't help but stare at him, moving closer so he could see more of the blond's relaxed expression. He inwardly cursed as his fingers stroked Shizu-chan's cheek. Izaya snatched his fingers back. What the hell was he doing? The blond carried on sleeping, ignoring Izaya.
Izaya dragged himself from the room, Shizu-chan couldn't spend his time sleeping. He thought about making the blond watch tv, but he still had to deal with his clients. Izaya ignored Namie as he went back to his desk, loading up a website. The room Shizu-chan was in, had a lot of space. Enough for a tv.
So many channels, but there was usually nothing to watch, maybe a game console. He could play simple games for now until his arm healed. Izaya added the items to his basket, paying for them. They would be here by the time the blond woke up.
A few hours later, Shizu-chan was still asleep. Namie opened the door, taking in the delivery. "What did you order?" Izaya ignored her, concentrating on carrying the new tv and PS3 up to the room. He opened the boxes, not realizing how quietly he was doing it. Izaya quickly flicked through the set up manual.
He was connecting the last wire, trying to get it in the port, when Shizu-chan finally woke up. "Flea?" Izaya reached over, turning the wire. "Almost. Got it." He stepped away from the tv, moving the packaging out of the way. "If you're going to stay up here, you need something to do." The look on the blond's face was priceless.
"There's plenty of channels, so you can watch what you want." Izaya handed him the control. "When your arm heals, there's a PS3 you can play."If he was still here. Shizu-chan gaped at him. "Where did this come from?" Izaya shrugged, hoping Namie would keep her mouth shut. "One of my clients gave them to me." He picked up the boxes carrying them out of the room.
Izaya carried them down the stairs, leaving them at the bottom. "Namie, throw these away." He took out the delivery notes, folding them into his pocket. "Are you two together?" The informant coughed, staring at her like she was crazy. "We hate each other, How did you come to that conclusion?" Namie smiled. "You just brought him a tv, so he wouldn't get bored. Are you sure you're not in love with him?" Would Seji be sad, if his sister had a knife in her head? "I still have clients to see, It's to keep him out of the way." Namie was still smiling. "Sure, if you say so." She went back to her filing, while Izaya sat at his desk.
"So, if you two were together, who would top?" Izaya was in shock, that she had even asked such a question. What part of they hate each other, didn't she get? "Going by size, I would have said Heiwajima." Izaya smirked at her, fine he would play along. "I would, since I'm smarter and stronger." Namie put her filing aside. "You do realize, he's the Fortissimo?"
He wasn't anymore. "That doesn't matter, I'd still outsmart him." He didn't like the look in his secretary's eyes. "He throws you around like a rag doll, you'd never manage to pin him down." He could easily do it now, with Shizu-chan being so weak. He could when he was strong as well. Izaya could easily trick the blond, pinning him underneath him. "Still feeling nothing?"
Izaya snapped out of his thoughts. "I'm docking your pay." That made her lose her smile. "Why? Because I'm right? Why else would you have Heiwajima chase you? You're like a love sick girl." His fingers itched for his knife. Shizu-chan was his toy, his to play with, his to break. If Izaya wanted the blond to chase him, then that's what would happen. Ah, that sounded bad.
"Do what you want. I'm leaving for today." Namie stood up, dumping the filing on his desk. "Just thought you should know, you're hard." She mad it to the door, before Izaya's knife whizzed past her, embedding itself in the wall. "You missed. Are your dirty thoughts breaking your concentration?" She left the apartment laughing. She was definitely getting a pay cut. In the mean time he had to deal with his problem and the disturbing thoughts in his head.
"Oi flea." Not the best time Shizu-chan. The blond sat on the sofa, switching on the tv. Do you want to watch something? Unpredictable as usual. "I'm busy, don't you have the tv in your room?" Shizu-chan shrugged. "I felt like some company, even if it's you." And he couldn't have picked a better time? The blond was looking at him like a lost puppy.
Izaya cursed as he moved away from his desk, hoping the tent in his jeans, wasn't visible. Shizu-chan moved over so he could sit down. Izaya sat with his legs crouched, painfully covering his hard-on. The blond was happily flicking through channels. "Thanks Izaya. For the tv." The informant glanced at the tv, not seeing what was on. "They were from a client, I wasn't using them, so you might as well."
"Flea, want to watch this film? It's just started." Izaya mentally swore, it would be at least two hours. Damn Namie. He tried thinking of ice cold water, anything to get his mind off the blond. They hated each other, why would Izaya so much as find him a little bit cute? Maybe Namie had drugged his drink? She occasionally tried to poison him.
"Izaya? Are you not watching?" Since when did Shizu-chan smile like that? That had to be illegal. Damn it. Why was he thinking of Shizu-chan? He couldn't believe he was lusting after the blond. Please let it be that Namie, had drugged him. He didn't want to think about the other reasons for his current state.
Next:- Closer
