21. Envy
"Izaya, I am not quite sure I heard you the first time. Could you repeat yourself?" Shinra struggled to fight the smirk creeping into his expression, and if the informant kept glaring at him with that black swollen eye, he was going to lose all self-control.
Oh well, it was an uphill battle to start with.
Izaya's good eye seemed to spasm in addition with the dark look he was channeling the doctor. The informant wasn't a religious person, but he tried his hand at a curse. Celty had lovingly addressed the pet name to him and he was sure he was going to put it to good use, if the doctor did not stop laughing. A flush of indignation tinted his cheeks. Paired with the black eye he was sure the Advent would love him.
"So the brute got a lucky punch. So did Simon! All chances of fate may I add." Izaya huffed to himself, claret eyes taking note of the skyline through the window. Shinra smiled to himself as he gestured to Celty for an ice pack. Inside, he was worried for the informant. Izaya rarely let his guard down, a feat impossible especially around the debt collector. Which brought another question to mind.
"Lover's quarrel?"
"Yeah."
The bag of frozen peas slipped through his fingers at the sound of Izaya's listless voice. Celty tapped at her keys wildly, probably panicking at the alarmed expression he wore.
"Really? You and-"
Izaya smirked victoriously. "Of course not! You should know better Kishitani. I must not be the only one who finds that conclusion absurd."
If Shinra had not known the informant, this would have fooled him. But Shinra was going to let him have his triumph. "Of course. Silly me! Celty dear, can you hand me back that bag?"
The scent of nicotine only served to make him feel more antsy than usual as he paced around the informant's apartment, cigarette buts shriveled and abundant at his feet. Izaya was going to kill him for the mess but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. The bouquet of flowers had fallen to join the butts on the floor at some point and the debt collector no longer had patience for such intricacies. Tom had insisted he bring them on his 'date.'
Yes, you head right. Shizuo was going in a date. With Izaya no less.
He was losing his head a bit, palms sweating as familiar laughter started to come in through the elevator. He froze, seeing a man that was clearly not Izaya shuffle by him and unlock the door like it was his own home, the informant following suit. What just happened?
Shizuo stood at the threshold mutely, watching the white suited man cooly regard Izaya, not even blinking as the informant flicked to light his cigar in record time. There was only one man his mind conjured up to the scene playing out before him.
Shiki.
He doesn't know how long he stood there, watching them talk about topics that were way beyond his intelligence level to grasp, but all too soon Shizuo could feel the telltale signs of his rage consume him. He visibly shook as the both continued to ignore him like he did not exist, and the way Izaya was looking at the man. And that it went without saying that the informant clearly forgot they were supposed to be on a date. Shizuo felt no shame as he clenched the door knob, the gold twisting in his grip.
"IIIIZZZAAAYYYYAAA!"
And so began another day in Ikebukuro.
Three deafening gunshots rang out, their bullets lodged into the wall on his right. Shizuo evaded the bullets, stunned into silence by the offhand way Shiki had handled a double barrel handgun, still faced away from the debt collector. Shiki puffed a ring of smoke and Shizuo took notice that Izaya didn't look quite surprised either.
"Heiwajima. Can you refrain from raising your voice this early in the day?" Shiki said monotonously, every aspect of him calm and composed. He instantly felt a flare of jealousy and put it out before it could grow. Shizuo could pick his battles. It was no secret that people in the presence of Izaya brought out the worst in him, and the envy he felt watching Shiki smoke without giving a care in the world. Faster than his eyes could follow the gun had materialized back into Shiki's jacket and the man leaned back, finally turning his gaze to the blond.
"Can I help you?"
Shizuo straightened, and even bowed for good measure. He was no good at ass kissing but he could try. "May I have a word with Izaya, sir?"
Shiki cocked a brow at this but left regardless.
Shizuo listened for the Yakuza member's steps to recede and retreat into the elevator before he chucked what was left of the doorknob at Izaya. Who hadn't thought to dodge.
It was anti climatic and happened so fast that the informant could hardly remember how it happened- but if anyone asked it was a back alley deal gone wrong.