-๑-๑ ஜ ๑- Chapter 16: Stay -๑ ஜ ๑-๑-
It was awkward.
Very much so.
Stares were casted left and right while whispers accompanied the group of three like a swarm of annoying insects.
Tom was approaching one of the many apartment complexes they were going to visit today. Fishing out his phone he checked the exact number while Shizuo gave off one glare after the next towards the annoying onlookers.
Some scrammed, some stayed- Izaya couldn't care less.
Leaning onto one of the many street lamps inside this city he watched the two do their work.
Shizuo hadn't really had much to do, apart from people getting instantly intimidated once they realized who he was, there was also the nice addition to spotting Izaya in the background, probably creating the worst nightmare possible.
Messing with one of Ikebukuro's urban legends? Maybe. But the two worst of them together? Not so much. People had been too baffled to even try and come up with excuses and obediently paid or arranged a date where they would 100% clear their depth.
Tom must be having the time of his life.
"Alright it's on the 4th floor," he informed curtly, waving the two over.
He hadn't even asked any questions.
Shizu-chan had obviously wrecked his head over an excuse all the way here, but once Tom saw Izaya following the blond like some stalker, he just waved them off.
"I don't even want to know," had been his words and something along the lines of, as long as they didn't interrupt his work he didn't care.
It had been easy.
Izaya had already come up with a variety of reasons why he was tagging along, but he didn't dislike the simplicity of the current situation.
The door to the complex opened in deafening silence. Izaya found himself briefly wondering if Shizu-chan was always this quiet while executing his job or if it was the special occasion rendering him so.
A short glance at Tom revealed it was probably the norm as he didn't seem fazed in the slightest. Even Izaya would be unnerved if he were confronted with a completely different behavior for hours.
Pressing the button in the elevator that led to the last apartment at the very top of the building, Izaya couldn't help but snort.
"He owns a penthouse suite but can't pay his debt? Seems fishy if you ask me."
"Yeah, well, if he is smart he will at least pretend that it's not his before feeding us excuses." Tom agreed, adjusting his glasses, the smiling expression turning to a stoic one as they reached the top.
It was quite the fancy location. Ending so high up the architect of the building had decided to replace the walls with glass, basically making an array of windows to enhance the view of the city below. Here and there a small opening was giving free access to what seemed like a generous balcony.
Izaya whistled as a soft gush of air blew past the small group.
"If he can't pay up I might as well buy it from him."
Tom stifled a laugh while Shizu-chan frowned.
"How much money do you have?"
"Enough?"
Of course. It was the flea after all. Even if Shizuo wanted to name a number he probably couldn't even imagine what kind of sum Izaya had leached out of people over the years.
Usually he would be annoyed at the response, but right now he just found himself glad. It was nice to see Izaya talk and think about other things than what tormented him. That's what he had been aiming for after all.
The group of three weren't even surprised when the owner of the apartment finally emerged from a set of swinging doors at the end of the hallway.
"Ah, Tom-kun! I'm terribly afraid I don't yet have the sum you came to ask for," he said, his golden rolex and jewelry dangling from his neck sparkling at every word spoken.
Izaya didn't even need to look at Shizu-chan to know a vein had probably popped on his forehead at the obvious lie.
"Is that so?" even Tom seemed a little frustrated as he glanced at the blond. "Well, Shizuo, why don't you take a small break on the balcony over there?"
Ah, he wanted to get rid of the monster. Understandable.
Without a word Shizu-chan picked a cigarette from his pants pocket and steered into the mentioned direction. Izaya followed, thinking that this kind of occurrence must be a frequent one.
"You mad?" Izaya snorted as soon as they were out of hearing range.
Exhaling some smoke into the now dark night sky the blond shrugged.
"Not really. But Tom-san can handle this type of person better when I'm not around."
"Are you hindering his work?"
"Kinda. That kind of person usually freaks out more when they are threatened." Letting himself lean against one of the glass windows he sighed. "Talk something about lawyers, about rights and shit."
"Ah, and then you get mad and bash their face in?" Izaya concluded.
"If they don't shut up?"
The flea snorted, before moving over to the more pleasant part of the balcony. There was even a pool. Chairs, a table, the marbled floor- sitting down right next to the pool the flea stared at the water and its luminous reflection. Spots of light were settled every here and there underneath the surface.
"I can understand he sent you away." Izaya mused, while playfully dipping his hand into the water.
"Damn it's really nice here though." Letting his head tilt into his neck the raven glanced into the sky. Light pollution should make it impossible to see any stars but he imagined to see at least one light far above. Might as well have been an airplane but it was nice. Quiet too yet filled with noise from the city. It was the only thing his own apartment was lacking. A balcony that is. He had never deemed it a necessity. "Might really buy the place," he mused, calling surprise to Shizuo's expression.
He had been about to take another breath from his cigarette but paused midair upon the statement.
"I thought you were joking."
"Why would I be?"
"Usually people don't go buying others' homes."
"Usually people don't bash others' faces in on a regular basis."
A frown drew across Shizuo's expression, followed by an admitting sigh of defeat.
"Okay, okay I got it. We are both weird as fuck." Izaya laughed.
"Not my choice of words but yes."
Pushing himself to his feet he abandoned the pool and circled to the ledge of the building instead. "Where are you going?" he heard Shizu-chan call, as he let his hands slide across the sturdy but quite low railing.
"Checking out my new apartment," he informed curtly, taking in the view the spot provided.
"You don't even know if he wants to sell it-"
"He will know a good deal when he sees it." Judging from the expression on Shizu-chan's face he wasn't all too delighted about it. "Look happy, will you? I'm solving this man's money issues and your job at the same time." Izaya shrugged and reached for the railing once more.
Extinguishing his smoked cigarette beneath his shoe it was just a second Shizuo had diverted his attention. It was more than enough time for Izaya to do crazy shit however, as the blond raised his head only to find the flea on top of the railing.
Yes, on top.
Feet balancing on the slim rod that might as well have resembled the thin line between life and death right there.
One wrong step and he would be dead.
Sure Shizuo had chased the flea through the entire city up and down. He knew of his agility and he knew he mastered parkour like no other.
Usually this sight would rather trigger familiarity than anxiety.
But right now it was different.
Usually the flea hadn't been raped, usually he wouldn't even think of blaming himself or even consider deserving what had happened. But right now Izaya wasn't the usual Izaya and seeing the flea up there drew more worry from the blond than he was willing to admit.
"Izaya-" The raven turned, still on top of the ledge spinning as though he was not currently twenty floors above even ground.
"What?"
Unforeseen events usually unfold in a flash. Fast and unexpected. Only the latter held true as a sound tore through the night.
From the corner of his eyes Shizuo saw the dog before he heard it. A set of barks so loud it caused both of them to flinch bellowed from the animal as it dashed towards Shizuo. There was no bite, no danger radiating from the creature- and yet Shizuo's eyes widened in horror as he watched the flea slip.
Too far off to ever reach the raven his body froze. It felt like someone was running the time in slow motion as he watched Izaya's expression slip from a mocking one to blank fear.
And then he was gone.
Just like that.
The dogs barking continued but only met deaf ears as an incredibly loud ringing sound blocked out all noise.
His heart pumped against his chest as if it wanted to jump out of his throat, here and there.
He couldn't move.
Izaya was dead.
The dog barked.
He couldn't walk over to that railing. How was he supposed to look down at what had already become a blotch of red on the pavement? His throat constricted.
It was then that sudden laughter forced time into its original setting as a blotch of raven hair emerged behind the railing.
"Wow, that was close." A smile was pasted all across Izaya's expression as he swung himself back over the railing and into safety. The flea was probably just glad that he hadn't fallen off the building and the smile was just a show of that- yet Shizuo couldn't help but feel an unbelievable rage surge at the expression.
"That's not funny, asshole!" Harsh the words hallowed across the top floor of the building and the blond turned. Wordless.
He made his way back inside the building while Izaya was left to stare. He might have wondered what Shizuo's outburst was about, but right now he was just a little too delighted over the sheer fact of being alive and non liquified to care.
Well the blond's outburst had at least caused one good thing. The shitty dog had shut up in the presence of an even louder voice and pissed off into the direction he had come from.
Artificial calmth spread across the scenery as Izaya turned to the railing.
Absentmindedly his fingers trailer along the cool metal.
Izaya didn't think it was funny to slip from the railing. Of course not he wasn't insane. Yet he couldn't deny that the spike of adrenaline rushing through his system hadn't felt good.
At least better than anything else during this past week.
He had felt elevated.
Free.
Not to give the wrong impression, he was scared as hell, falling down and dying had been a realistic option.
But the moment he grabbed the ledge nothing else mattered than holding onto it with all his strength and trying not to fall. It had sparked something similar to their everyday chases. Something like joy- a feeling of being alive.
Even now as his hands were still a bit shaken Izaya couldn't help but fancy the goosebumps traveling down his back.
Like a stream of cold water the incident had temporarily flushed out everything that's been circling in his mind with clearing smoothness.
Still light on his feet he circled back to the hallway. The barking dog had fucked off. Probably realized what a bad idea it was to meddle with the two.
Eyes finding what Izaya sought he spotted the blond in front of the door Tom and his client had disappeared within.
"Cooled off, Shizu-chan?" Shizuo didn't even turn. But he had heard the flea. The waving outline of smoke travelling to the ceiling perturbed just the slightest before continuing to create elegant swirls.
Skipping forward Izaya made it a point to face the blond head on. Ah. He was mad. The expression he wore told him so.
Taking the cigarette from his lips briefly, Shizuo glowered.
"How can you even smile?" Taking another drag from his cigarette the blond seemed to remain calm, but failed nonetheless. "You almost died. Yet you laugh like a psychopath. What the hell is wrong with you?"
Ah that one hurt.
"I don't know, maybe it was nice to think of nothing else for a moment," Izaya spat sarcastically, but the moment he spoke the words he realized they rang far more true than he had intended them to.
He knew what they sounded like. A bit perplexed by his own statement and assertion of the situation he couldn't really blame Shizuo for the expression he showed.
Surprise. Along with a dangerous spice of worry.
Before Izaya knew it his arm was grabbed and the cigarette fell to the ground.
"Izaya don't do that-"
Don't do that.
Do what?
Swallowing sharply, Izaya couldn't bring himself to tear away from the clutch. It felt like an anchor keeping him in place.
Shizuo was scared. Scared of what he might do. Dancing on railings way beyond any help's reach was the least of his worries.
The fabric of the flea's coat felt soft. Too loose to actually serve as a shackle to the ground. But the flea seemed unresisting.
And he was.
A bit too overwhelmed to fake aversion, Izaya couldn't quite place his emotions.
"I don't intend to throw myself off a building if that's what you are implying." The words came out bitter, like drinking a cup of raw bile.
"I didn't expect you to."
Lies.
Then why was he holding onto his beloved coat as if Izaya's life depended upon it?
Swallowing hard the events crashed one onto the other. Izaya couldn't blame him. He knew where he was coming from.
All of this.
The entire situation.
Ice crackled up Izaya's spine and he swallowed thickly. Suddenly everything just felt so cold. Everything except Shizuo's arm on his coat.
It was warm. Comforting.
A deep sigh sprang from the depths of his chest and Izaya closed his eyes as he leant forward, letting his forehead thud against the blond's shoulder.
Surprise marked Shizuo's expression. He had expected a lot. A bitter remark, an insult, maybe even a couple hits and an attempt to tear away from his grasp.
What he hadn't expected was this show of vulnerability. Because that's what it was. The flea was feeling overwhelmed and used him to lean on. Nothing in his life had ever been so clear as this.
Lifting his other arm he reached for Izaya's shoulder and pulled him close.
Just a little.
And Izaya just let it happen.
Funny.
Until now Shizuo had never really noticed the huge height difference. Compared to him the flea was small. There was the smell of his hair tickling his neck.
He was thin. Easy to break-
Fragile.
An unexplainable urge to never let go of the flea again suddenly overwhelmed Shizuo's mind.
But the moment was over too soon as the doors behind them creaked softly.
"Alright so in a week, yes?" Tom asked as he emerged from the suite.
Smoothly without causing any sort of commotion the flea pulled himself faster from the embrace than anyone could have noticed.
"How much do you want for this apartment?" he chirped, that happy mischievous mask already back in place as he skipped to the man.
"For what?" obvious confusion marked the client's face as Izaya pitched him the details of his offer.
"Just how much money does he have?" Tom asked quietly as he stood next to Shizuo.
Silence was all he was met with as the blond shrugged.
"I wouldn't know."
The owner's face shifted a various array of expressions. Angry, offended, interested- it was the last, a happy one that stayed as he nodded his head in agreement.
A key was tossed and the owner left with a hollowing laugh. "You are one interesting fellow mate!"
Flipping out another cigarette Shizuo couldn't help but wonder just how much the flea had offered the guy for his flat.
"I will be transferring this guy's debt to you in a minute if that's fine by you." A soft hint of stupor accompanied by a snort followed from Shizuo's boss as he waved him off.
"As you like."
Just when exactly Izaya had learned his transaction number was something no one wanted to ask. "Guess that's it for today then," Tom said, raising his arms into a good stretch. "Good job, Shizuo. Have a nice evening."
Surprised by the sudden end of his work day, Shizuo nodded as Tom patted him on the shoulder. "Ah, you too."
"See you." And with that he was gone. Stepped inside the elevator leading down, accompanied by his former grinning client.
The door closed.
They were alone.
A short glance was cast towards the flea.
"... you really bought it."
Izaya nodded. "I said I would."
Crazy. But not bad. Tom-san's debt was cleared and the client off the hook. A win win. Letting the cigarette drop to the ground, he stepped on it with a soft hiss.
"Well then, I hope you like your new apartment."
He wanted to leave. Not because he particularly liked leaving the flea alone right now but because he just figured he would get rid of him in a minute anyway.
"Shizu-chan." So the surprise came tenfold when Izaya spoke. "Stay?"
The word was more of a question than an offer. Limited in time. It was almost as if Shizuo could see the countdown of mere seconds until it expired as the regret toppled.
"Sure."
Quick. The reply came by reflex.
Before he changed his mind.
A soft nod was given. The door to the apartment opened and Izaya slipped inside.
It was spacious. Just upon entering a hallway larger than Shizuo's entire flat he could tell this must have cost a fortune.
And considering the client's happy expression Izaya hadn't ripped him off about it either.
"Why did he leave?" Shizuo found himself asking as his gaze traveled to the living room. The place was clean but he could spot natural things belonging to the original owner. Coat's in the hallway, a half emptied glass of wine on the table. Hell, even the fireplace in front of the huge couch was still properly lit.
"I offered a bonus for leaving today with the option to give me his new address to send him his belongings." Izaya informed while rummaging a room further off in where Shizuo expected a kitchen to be.
Ah.
So that's why.
"He wasn't too happy about it at first but there is nothing money can't buy really." Wood crackling softly inside the fire, Izaya took a seat on the couch. Two fresh glasses of wine were placed on the small couch table as the used one was discarded in a quick fashion. Humming Izaya inspected the freshly opened wine in the middle.
"Not my favorite but passable," he commented shortly before pouring a glass.
Then another.
"I don't-" Shizuo started, realizing it was meant for him, but Izaya's glance made him swallow the complaint. This was a game of choices. And somehow he had the feeling, declining the wine, would somehow end up in him getting kicked out of the flat as quickly as he had been asked to stay.
Wordlessly he approached the couch. It was red wine. Bitter and gross, but he let none of it show as he raised the glass to his lips.
Izaya knew he hated the taste of alcohol.
But in favor of spending Izaya company drinking a glass of the disgusting liquid was worth the sacrifice.
to be continued~
YOO I'm finally back with an update xD Way too late I know, had Covid again lmao, but yah xD What doesn't kill you makes you stronger I guess? X'D
Anyway~! Bcd was updated a few days ago and now it's turn for this story haha
Next up will be Impostor again- a reallllllllly nice and angsty chapter oh my xD and Shizuo will finally make a well deserved entrance xD
With that being saidddd~ See you in some soon following updates 3
Can´t give a scheduled date yet, but I will try to update one of my stories in 4 workday intervals from now on :3 so still 6 updates per month, but scattered across the month xD
Got a new job, less taxing, better paying xD And way better shifts so let's see how this goes haha
Also! I will soon be making an announcement here~
As for the next chapter, well, things are going to take quite the turn x'D But you will see haha 3
See you~!