Shizuo didn't say more. He didn't have an answer to Izaya's question, convinced that there really was no one else that Izaya had other than Shinra. He would've listed Izaya's siblings but after Kasuka's debut (which happened not long ago at all), they appeared rather eager to sacrifice their brother in order to have Shizuo arrange them a meeting with Kasuka. From what Shizuo's heard, Izaya's parents were often away as well.
It turned out he only managed to go down a flight of stairs until he remembered the real reason he went to the rooftop in the first place. And it was not to find Izaya, despite being asked so by Shinra and Kadota. He hadn't even decided whether he should tell them regarding Izaya's whereabouts, though Izaya seemed like he didn't want Shizuo to. For some reason, albeit accidental, he even saved Izaya while he was on the point of death.
"Shit, I forgot." cursed Shizuo.
He made his way back to a grinning Izaya, who clearly expected him to do so, since he was holding something Shizuo had been searching for.
"Shizu-chan came here for this, right?" Izaya waved the pack of cigarettes around before holding it out to Shizuo, whose hand only came as close as to hover it when he caught of that something red again. This time, he could identify what it was.
"What happened to your hand?"
It seemed to be painful still. That much was obvious while Izaya prodded at the wound, brows slightly knitted but he looked like he just remembered that he was ever hurt. Not that anyone would act any different, after the emotional wreck that probably proved to be much more agonizing than the physical wound.
"I had a run-in with a gang. Ah? It stopped bleeding." muttered Izaya, trailing his fingertips over the scratches he received from the tree bark and avoiding any contact with the deep cut in the middle.
The gang he claimed Shinra sent after him?
"Serves him right," Shizuo mused to himself, recalling all the gangs that Izaya had sent to him. Even though he defeated all of them, it was still a bother to waste his time on useless kids trying to test their abilities. What more, they were all hungry for power and control, wanting to be able to be the one to take down Heiwajima Shizuo, the strongest in Ikebukuro. Just like Izaya.
Shizuo never considered himself as an angel or some sort, but he was capable of feeling sorry towards those in pain, and that empathy often acted as a magnet to tug him to help the victim. Which was stupid, he thought— since he had this strength blocking his opportunity to prove himself worthy of something, instead only making him cause destruction. This kind of gift would be better off with someone else. One who knew how to suppress it from going out of control, and was not him.
Jaw clenched, and with a pull of a handkerchief from his pocket, the cloth was wounded around Izaya's injured hand. The look of astonishment that was sure marring Izaya's face, he ignored as he tied the hems of the handkerchief together.
"I want to ask what's happening," Izaya gave a half-suppressed laugh and shook his head in disbelief, not making an effort to pull his hand away, "but I guess I'm dreaming if Shizu-chan is pitying me."
Izaya's lips were curved, head angled to the side when Shizuo finally looked at him. It agitated him a bit. Who was Izaya fooling with that empty smile? There were a lot of things Shizuo didn't know about Izaya, "What genre of music did he enjoy?" and "Would he eat the tail or head first of a taiyaki?" those answers remained unknown to him— but what Shizuo did know was those expressions and actions Izaya orchestrated so carefully -thinking they were impenetrable- were cheap. It wasn't hard at all to peel off the layers with his gaze and instincts until he managed to see right through Izaya, baring everything Izaya tried to conceal.
"Don't think I'm easily defeated by a lousily put plan."
The empty smile turned into a smirk he was very familiar with. Izaya couldn't have picked a better way to thank him, could he?
"I don't have an ounce of pity for you." Shizuo retorted back. He inspected his work, turning Izaya's palm around to make sure the makeshift bandage was sufficient to keep the wound safe from getting infected.
"So it's not pity?"
"I was just going to say I don't need anyone's pity, what's more Shizu-chan's. How laughable!"
Biting his cheek, Shizuo tightened the knot he made before dropping Izaya's hand, a vein already popping on his forehead from listening to Izaya's chatter that he particularly didn't care about.
"Did Dotachin and Shinra tell you to do this?"
Shizuo grumbled, and Izaya took that as a no.
"What is going on here then?"
"Are you trying to prove that you're not a monster?"
It wasn't like it was the first time Shizuo managed to lay a hand on Izaya, but it still took Izaya off guard each time. He wore a surprised expression and Shizuo felt proud, satisfied to be able to entrap Izaya but the rage he was feeling was tremendous, not allowing him to be calm enough to taunt Izaya.
"Don't provoke me."
Shizuo seethed in anger, fingers gripping Izaya's shoulders to pin Izaya to the ground, making Izaya groan once his head collided with the hard ground. The grimace of pain on his face went as quickly as it came, and his crimson gaze glinted with challenge when their eyes met, triumphant smirk never wavering.
"And here I was just starting to think that Shizu-chan had gotten soft."
Fingers curling into fists, Shizuo held himself back from launching a punch to that smug face of his enemy. It was evident as he trembled from trying to contain his temper, before promptly getting off of Izaya to face the other way. He barely spared Izaya a glance before he walked over to the door, making his leave.
"You don't deserve such treatment." spat Shizuo.
"I wouldn't want it from someone like you."
Izaya's tone was confident, but with Shizuo's gaze not on him, he didn't bother to cover the sullen look on his face as he watched Shizuo head for the exit.
His heart felt troubled.
"To receive such hospitality from someone hateful…"
Swallowing, the corners of Izaya's lips curled upwards ever so slightly, "I don't want it."
Shizuo's figure was slowly getting farther, and Izaya won't be able to reach Shizuo soon. He had to decide whether he wanted to keep Shizuo around, or lose everything and everyone today. And it wasn't like Shizuo knew why he was willing to stick around longer than one second around Izaya, but he thought that it was the least he could do in this situation. Things hadn't been exactly normal today, and he could just put the blame on that.
"Hey," A soft whisper revealed the choice Izaya made, which intrigued Shizuo, and Izaya's two fingers held on to Shizuo's pant leg to give it a light tug.
Just light enough for Shizuo to notice.
"How will you know I won't cut this handkerchief into pieces?"
Shizuo looked over his shoulder, for once he wasn't sure of what to feel when he set his eyes on Izaya's. He wasn't seeing red, and Izaya had a faint smile painted on his lips, merely waiting for Shizuo to accept his sloppy proposal to stay. They both knew Izaya wouldn't be as ignorant as to damage a handkerchief that helped him, and Izaya didn't even know that Kasuka had given it to Shizuo. For all he cared, Shizuo could've bought it himself.
"Only for today, we can be different." Shizuo said as he wondered briefly if this was a bad idea, his steps completely coming to a halt even after Izaya's hand retreated, "Don't hide anymore."
Izaya was hesitant for a second but soon obliged, his expression falling and he really did look exhausted compared to the strong front Shizuo saw previously. Words were heavy on his tongue, taking him longer to form a sentence before his shoulders gave a short jolt as though he was about to laugh, but the laughter never came.
"What's so special about today?" he asked, the tone coming off rather sarcastic and filled with bitterness.
Shizuo shrugged in response, flicking his lighter to light his cigarette up before taking a drag of the cancer stick. Smoke flowed past his parted lips when he exhaled and with breeze blowing at his bleached strands, he finally turned to Izaya.
"Nothing."
