A/N: This story is originally being posted on AO3 under the same title but different username (nelka7122)
I am posting regularly on there and will be uploading chapters here in bulk whenever I feel like it, really.
I really am not a fan of interface so that's why updates will be more scarce.
Also, as a fair warning: Story contains swearing, may contain some violence, and will contain eventual scenes that warrant the M rating.
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Chapter 1: Act I, Scene I : Enter Orihara Izaya, Stage Left
Izaya plants his feet firmly on the pavement as he steps out of the train. He makes his way out of the station and outside into the familiar embrace of the chilly November air. It's been quite some time since he'd last been in Ikebukuro, and truthfully he'd been starting to miss it. Or perhaps, he'd been missing another aspect of the loud and boisterous city that doesn't necessarily include his favorite hobby of people watching.
It's been how long again? A month, perhaps two, or a few since he'd last visited? He'd lost track after his last fight with that raging beast known as the one and only, Heiwajima Shizuo. Of course, no matter how rough their little spats and tiffs get, Izaya still finds himself drawn to the bright lights and busy streets of his favorite crime-ridden district.
Now despite the fact that it's cold, Izaya still wanders around the city. He'd come prepared, naturally, having exchanged his typical fur trimmed black coat for a slightly bulkier, equally fur trimmed version; now with extra fur. Luckily, it's not cold enough for snow just yet, and it makes his trek through Ikebukuro all the less unpleasant, since being cold is significantly better than being cold and wet. Keeping active also helps with warming him up, and he opts for a more fun-filled journey than plain, simple walking. This comes in the form of him merrily skipping along the streets without a care in the world. He doesn't bother trying to hide his presence, rather, he enjoys the attention he gets. Attention that just adds to his giddiness. Look at all those humans passing by. Their whispers are like music to his ears.
What? Orihara Izaya? He's back? So he's not dead?
Silly humans. As if the great and powerful Orihara Izaya could ever just up and die. No, he has far too much to live for than to simply drop dead on the spot like that. That last altercation with Shizuo? Barely a scratch on him. Just another benign argument in their otherwise perfectly toxic relationship. Nothing to worry about, surely not death inducing.
And speak of the devil himself. Before long, Izaya sees a tuft of blonde hair emerge from around the corner of some cheap café. Seems that even in the colder months of the year, Shizuo doesn't need a winter coat. Just like an animal wouldn't.
Izaya immediately stops in his tracks and ceases his joyful frolicking, keeping as still as he can. A Tyrannosaurus can't see you if you don't move, right? EEEEHHH. Nope, wrong. Contrary to popular belief, a T-Rex can still spot you, even if you are keeping still, so this tactic of his would be foolish in keeping Izaya hidden under Shizuo's radar. Of course, that is, assuming he wants to remain hidden. It has been too long, truly. Perhaps the opposite is true and Izaya wants Shizuo to spot him.
After which Izaya would offer up his signature smirk and purr in the most enticing way possible "Long time no see, Shizu-chan~"
Then, the monster within would finally succumb to rage and lash out at him, ensuing in their typical little cat and mouse game.
The aforementioned scenario doesn't play out in the same way as in Izaya's head, for as soon as Shizuo steps out fully from behind the corner, Izaya's smirk drops into a deep frown, crimson eyes narrowing into slits. Perched on the brute's shoulder is a dainty feminine figure with her own tuft of blonde hair covered with a simple white hat. Adorned in a matching white coat, yet she still clings to the ex-bartender as if the winter clothes were not suitable enough to keep her warm. That woman – he remembers her. It's that Russian.
And now Izaya does feel the need to recede into the shadows, if only to silently slither around, trailing the seemingly happy couple to see for himself just what their relationship turns out to be. He absolutely refuses to entertain the thought that Shizuo had actually found himself a girlfriend, of all things. Yet what would be the cause of her clinging to him, if not for the fact that they had a deeper bond surpassing simple friendship?
Before Izaya can make his brisk escape, Shizuo's golden orbs land on his frame, and Izaya, in an attempt to regain his composure, smirks.
"Long time no see, eh Shizu-chan?" he teases as he carefully approaches him, hands already in his pockets and gripping his favorite pocket knife, should he be in need of additional protection against Shizuo's inhuman strength. Shizuo's response comes in the form of a roar, loud enough to rattle the surrounding buildings.
"I-ZA-YA!"
Normally, this would be Izaya's cue to take his leave. At this point, Shizuo would come stomping in like Godzilla, making the very ground underneath his feet shake, with a street sign already in hand and at the ready to send Izaya flying out of Earth's orbit.
Yet this time, it doesn't happen.
This time, the woman at his side squeezes his arm; a silent plea for him to relinquish his anger because Izaya is simply not worth the trouble.
And this time, Shizuo listens.
"Get out of my sight while I'm still feeling generous, or do you want a repeat of what happened last time, I-za-ya-kuuuuun?"
Izaya's frown returns, twisting into something very unbecoming of him. His frustration is rather apparent and he doesn't even attempt to hide it.
Always, always, no matter how hard he struggles, he can never get Shizuo to do exactly as he wants. And here comes this woman, strutting in as if she owns the place, as if she owns Shizuo. As if she could actually tame him. No, Shizuo would never be tamed. Not by the likes of this woman. Izaya would never permit that to happen.
"Eh? What's this, Shizu-chan? You got yourself a girlfriend now?" He says in a mocking manner as he gestures to the woman draped over his arm. The woman, in turn, gives him a murderous glare. Izaya has no trouble brushing her off. She's irrelevant to him, for now at least.
"I believe congratulations are in order then! Enjoy your pretend relationship and all that. After all, who could truly love a monster like you?"
It seems that Izaya still has a little bit of his usual charm left, because in the next second, he steps aside just fast enough to have a stop sign whizz past his ear. He looks back at Shizuo, now all riled up and breathing heavily.
"That's the best you can do? Has love made you that soft?" Izaya teases as he takes another step back, ready to flee should Shizuo give chase.
Any moment now, any moment…
"You want to die that badly, flea? Well then by all means, let me grant you your wish," he growls as he picks up a nearby vending machine almost too effortlessly.
It's at this point that Izaya turns on his heel and breaks into a run, and Shizuo gives chase, leaving Blondie behind in the dust, already forgotten.
As should be.
As it has always been.
With Shizuo's attention focused solely on Izaya.
Izaya has no trouble evading the numerous road signs that come his way and he only turns his head back every few seconds to catch a glimpses of Shizuo's unhinged rage. His expression is ever the same, unchanging for the past 10 years of their so called symbiotic relationship with one another.
Izaya eventually rears around a corner and comes to a dead end. His way out is clear in his mind's eye. Up on the dumpster, grab the window frame, and over the wall. Izaya should have just enough time to finalize his escape.
Should, but doesn't.
He'd miscalculated.
Just as he's about to jump on a large metal trash container, a hand coils around his ankle and pulls him down.
Shit.
He's knocked to the ground, back hitting the concrete with a loud thud. He's just lucky he hadn't landed on his head, although admittedly, lucky is a severe overstatement as the impact of the fall sends a jolt down his spine and his body registers the intensity of the fall by slowly beginning to ache. He's going to have bruises later, he already knows it. Around his ankle too, given how tightly Shizuo had grabbed him.
Immediately, he regains his composure, drawing out his switchblade and raising it high against the beast in front of him.
"Come now Shizu-chan, there's no need to let this fight get too violent," he huffs as Shizuo takes one step closer, then another.
"So why don't we come to a truce, and you leave me alone to go on my merry way, hm?" He says that, but there's a twisted feeling in the pit of his gut that knows very well he doesn't mean what he says. His last encounter with Shizuo had been months ago, and now, upon his return, he'd seen him with that woman? In a traditional Izaya-like way, Izaya yearns to do everything in his power to disrupt their little date for as long as possible.
"Ye, you're right. No need to drag this out, so I'll just kill ya right here and now," Shizuo retorts as he cracks his knuckles.
Meanwhile, Izaya scrambles to his feet, knife still poised and hands trembling slightly from the cold. He thinks that he must be off his game that day, because before he can react properly, Shizuo grabs his wrist and violently shoves him against the wall. This time, Izaya does hit his head, and he winces from the impact as his skull recoils.
It is precisely this sustained head trauma that he believes is the cause of a certain oddity he notices. As Shizuo's fingers curl directly around his lithe wrists, Izaya notes something strange about Shizuo's touch.
It feels somewhat… different.
The sensation is difficult to describe in detail, but it's a feeling akin to comfort, rather than pain. Izaya knows very well that another bruise will form on his wrists, but he doesn't register Shizuo's fingernails digging into his sensitive skin. What he does notice is a certain warmth, like the kind one gets when sitting by the fire on a cold winter day, curled under a blanket and sipping hot cocoa while watching the flickering flames.
The flickering flames reflected in Shizuo's honey colored eyed.
It's not just that. The heat is intense, almost unbearable. It transforms into another sensation with similar properties to an electric shock. Like miniature lightning bolts dancing across his skin, and neurons firing rapid signals that whizz through his nervous system and make his whole body tingle.
It's not unpleasant. Even though it should be. But it's not. Far from it.
Izaya feels frozen in place, unable make the smallest of movements as his eyes remain set on Shizuo's fixed expression, golden eyes raging with a murderous rage, hell-bent on making Izaya suffer. Izaya wonders if, perhaps, his head injury would prove to be more severe than initially anticipated, because to make matters worse, instead of cringing away from Shizuo in fear or disgust, he finds himself highly drawn to the touch.
"Flea, what the hell is the matter with you? Stop looking at me like that."
Shizuo's harsh words snap Izaya out of his daze but it's far too late for him to react properly. In the next second, Shizuo wraps his free arm around Izaya's throat and shoves him backwards. The back of his head meets the wall again, forcing another tremor to run down his body. Couple that with the coldness of the bricks seeping in through the thick layer of his jacket, and you got yourself a very shocked, very trembling Izaya.
Or rather, he would be trembling from the cold, if not for the suffocating heat radiating from his throat. It's that same heat as his hand, except now the flames have broken loose and have spread to his lungs, suffocating him and robbing him of his breath. Not because Shizuo's grip is tight. It's the softest he's ever held Izaya.
No.
It's because Izaya is panicking. Shizuo's touch is like a drug. It's addicting and he wants more of it. He wants it, but is uncertain just why. The only logical explanation would be because Shizuo truly had shoved him hard enough to cause some form of permanent brain injury. It would explain his body's strange reactions perfectly. The only problem is, he doesn't have any other symptoms. No blurry vision, no lightheadedness, no incessant throbbing. Just a pure, scalding flame at his neck.
He swallows rather painfully, his throat shifting under Shizuo's tightening grip. He figures his facial expression must be something atypical for him, because in the next moment, Shizuo leans in close enough for Izaya to feel his hot breath on his face, radiating with the pungent smell of cigarettes.
"Are you scared now, I-za-ya-kun?" Shizuo says, taking particular care to enunciate the syllables of Izaya's name.
He's clearly referring to the current power dynamic between them, as opposed to anything Izaya may have in mind. That's something Izaya can work with, because he is not afraid of Shizuo, nor his abnormal strength. In fact, Izaya has never been afraid of Shizuo. Intrigued? Certainly. Disgusted? But of course.
But never afraid. Even when Shizuo had caught up to him on numerous occasions and had caused more than just a little minor injury. This time is no different. On the contrary, Izaya feels like a giddy schoolgirl when he gives his reply.
"Of you? Never. In fact, it would be simply divine if you could muster up the courage to finally get it over with and kill me, just so you will become a true monster and I can laugh in your face one last time," Izaya says with false conviction and a conniving smirk.
"Unfortunately, today is just not that day. I have other affairs to attend to, ones that don't involve you," he whispers, voice dropping low. His pinned hand still grips his switchblade tightly, and he regains just enough dexterity in his wrist to stab it downwards and force the tip into the flesh of Shizuo's hand. It's not much, but a thin trickle of red does begin to seep out of the wound. Shizuo lets out a sharp gasp and in his daze, lets Izaya go completely. Izaya takes the opportunity to slip far away while Shizuo clutches at his hand, attempting to stop the bleeding.
Izaya, admittedly, is a little impressed by his own handiwork, surprised that he'd managed to make the thick skinned monster bleed, even a little. As much as Izaya would love to stay and admire the injury, he fears that he truly must make his leave by now. Shizuo will surely snap out of shock in just a moment or so, and then have him pinned down again within a matter of seconds. And despite the fact that Izaya had been previously invested in ruining Shizuo's date, now he had much more important feelings to sort out.
Namely, the mystery of the strange reaction to Shizuo's grip on him.
"It was nice seeing you again, Shizu-chan, but I'm afraid I really must get going now," he teases as he takes a few steps backwards towards the opening of the alleyway. If Izaya has to choose between the cold air and experiencing that strange touch again, Izaya would rather subject himself to the harshness of winter.
"You damned flea…" Shizuo mutters as he eyes Izaya from head to toe with pure disgust, wiping away at the blood with his other hand.
Izaya doesn't stick around long enough to see if the wound stops bleeding.