Disclaimer: This is a fan based fiction.
Author Notes: And we're back at it. As usual, thanks so incredibly much for reviews/favorites/follows/messages. I really appreciate you all so much.
I've been told by a few readers who they're rooting for here (Izaya vs. Shizuo) and I was surprised to get such mixed feedback. This story can go a few ways, so I'd really be interested in more feedback. If you happen to leave a review, I'd be really happy to know which guy you're hoping for!
If you didn't know already, I have a Shingeki no Kyojin story going on as well. You should check it out!
Onto business! Enjoy!
Tamina stood at the kitchen counter, slicing crab meat into thin strips and layering it on top of rice for Kururi and Mairu's boxed lunches. Today was to be their first day of cram school in preparation for their entrance exams for Raira Academy, so Tamina woke early and started her usual bustling to make sure everything got done.
In the two weeks since she'd taken this job she'd started to get to know the twins, and they were quite eccentric to say the least. Mairu was always outspoken and energetic, bouncing around her daily life and tasks like she had an IV pumping her full of caffeine. She also had a tendency to be a little more flirtatious than Tamina initially felt comfortable with. She had gotten some what used to it though. Kururi on the other hand was always rather quiet and direct. Occasionally though, she'd surprise Tamina with displays of affection, like laying her head on her lap while they watched T.V. or helping with dishes and asking about her day.
Despite their quirks, Tamina saw none of their brothers toxicity in them and her apprehensions toward them faded away. It may have been a short time, but she could feel a growing tenderness in her heart for the young girls she'd assumed responsibility for. It was her every wish that things could continue like this for a long time.
She finished packing their lunches and left them on the counter. Then she came into the living space to grab a stack of laundry she'd folded. After checking the time she knocked on the girls' door and called to them. "Hey you two! It's time to get up." She waited, listening for a stir or rustle, but there was silence. With an eye roll, she entered the room, knowing well by now that these two didn't get out of bed easily. "Psst! Come on guys."
The two started to stir in their bed. If it were a week or two ago, Tamina might find it strange, seeing them snuggled in bed together. But by now it was just normal. Mairu spooned Kururi and the two nuzzled together even further rather then make any movements to wake up. Tamina sighed and crossed the room to approach the window and quickly yanked open the blinds, letting the world's light take over the space. The girls groaned, hiding their faces and tangled themselves together even more.
"What do you want for breakfast?" Tamina asked as she began to put each one's clothes away in the appropriate dresser. "I can make you an omelet. I already have rice made. Natto?" Tamina grunted when she tripped over something sharp. "Mairu," She whined and began to scold. "Why are there ninja stars on the floor? This is so unsafe."
Finally Mairu sat up in bed rubbing her tired eyes while Kururi covered herself again with blankets. "They're called Shuriken." She mumbled. "They're used for stabbing, slashing and throwing."
"That's not what I asked." Tamina commented, but didn't press further, picking the little weapons up with a sigh.
After Tamina successfully got the girls up and fed, she sent them on their way for the day. They didn't need much supervision when they were out and about, and she was happy to give them space. She knew them well enough already to know they didn't need her lingering over their shoulders. It was just as well, as it gave her time to herself. She'd get her household duties done, like cleaning the girls room, dishes, and finishing up the laundry. After all that her day was mostly free until it was time for dinner prep. She didn't mind her own company at all, but her friends typically took any opportunity to drag her out.
She decided to do one last load of laundry before contemplating her activities for the day. She wandered around the apartment, grabbing garments from where ever the twins had tossed them into a basket. She adjusted the basket to balance on her hip when her phone started to vibrate. She checked the ID and answered. "Hey."
"Hey, what are you doing?" Kyohei asked when she answered.
Tamina held the phone to her ear with her shoulder and carried the basket down the hall. "Finishing up laundry. What about you?"
"Saburo wants to go see that movie that Ruri Hijiribe did the make up design or whatever for." Kyohei began in a less than enthusiatic tone.
"It was critically acclaimed!" Tamina heard Saburo shout defensively in the background.
"Yeah, whatever." Kyohei brushed him off. "Anyway, don't make me go with him by myself."
"Where are Erika and Walker?" Tamina asked, checking pockets of clothes for money or pens before tossing them into the washing machine.
"They're at one of their batshit otaku things. They're gonna meet us later."
Tamina thought on it for a bit. She wanted to go, but hesitated. She had plenty of things here she should take care of. This was her 'job', after all. In the midst of contemplating, she blinked when she felt something inside the pocket of one of Mairu's hoodies. She pulled the small box shaped object out of the pocket and stared at it, unsure of what it could be. Her finger found a switch on the side of it that caused the small apparent taser to come to life. The piercing cracking sound and flash of sudden electricity running through the device just about scared Tamina to death. She yelped in surprise and dropped the weapon, along with her phone. It turned off once released and fell to the floor. She let out a heavy sigh, placing a hand on her chest, trying to steady her heart.
"What was that?" She heard Kyohei's voice still coming from her phone. "Hello?" He called after her delay in response.
She picked her phone up off the floor and pressed it back to her ear. "Sorry."
"What happened?" He asked.
"Nothing." She insisted. She didn't feel like explaining that she'd nearly just tasered herself. She was already mentally preparing a lecture she'd have for the twins later. "Alright, I'll go." She relented.
"Good, because we're outside." Kyohei let her know.
"What if I said 'no'?" She asked.
"I dunno, we'd probably just come up and get you." Kyohei said before ending the call.
Tamina laughed and shook her head, then prepared to head out with the boys.
After the movie the group picked up Erika and Walker and began their usually meandering around town.
"Sailor Moon Crystal and Dragon Ball Super have proved what I've always known. Every 90's to millennial anime is in dire need of a reboot."
"Totally. I mean, look at Brotherhood. I'd argue it was better that the original."
"That's just because there were way less fillers."
"The fact that there hasn't been talk of a Yu Yu Hakusho reboot is a crime. Could you imagine the dark tournament with beautiful new animation? The fights would be so sick."
"Or the original Saiyuki with all the gay undertones..."
"Ahhhh, Saiyuki. Speaking of which, Isn't it just great when a show turns out even more gay than you had hoped?"
Tamina was smiling to herself. She lay sprawled across the middle seat of Saburo's van, doing nothing in particular but staring at the ceiling and listening to her friends silly banter from the back. There was a time not long ago when she was standing on the edge of a building, willing herself to gather the strength to throw herself off. There was a time that she was so pained that she really thought that that was the best way. Now, she found herself tied securely to her new friends and responsibilities. Like this city itself breathed new, fresh life into her. The hurt she had once was fleeting, and she could finally say with confidence that she was 'alright.'
"Hey Tamina," Erika pulled her from her thoughts. "Whatever happened with Shizu-chan? Did you text him?"
Tamina felt the warmth in her cheeks when Erika asked. She hadn't asked her friend to be discrete, but she kind of wished she had.
"Shizuo?" Kyohei asked from the front seat. "What's up with that?"
"Tamina was contemplating sitting on his face." Erika said without any sort of tact.
"I was not!" Tamina defended, immediately sitting up, completely flustered. "We just talked one day and exchanged numbers." Recalling that day, her face faltered.
Kyohei took notice, eyeing her through the rear view mirror. "So...?" He pressed.
Tamina shrugged it off. "So, nothing. He didn't call or text me and vice versa." She didn't want to talk about the situation. If she did, she'd have to mention seeing Izaya, and the group had made their reservations toward him clear. She preferred just not talking about it. "Besides, I heard he can be pretty aggressive."
"Who told you that?" Kyohei asked. She shrugged in response, to which he immediately defended. "Listen, I don't know what you heard, but Shizuo isn't a bad guy. And he's a Dollar."
"So if you're a Dollar, you can't be bad?" Tamina asked, arching a brow.
"I didn't say that. But he's a good one. Trust me. As long as you're a good one."
"I didn't realize you were that close." Tamina observed.
Kyohei shrugged. "Well, we both went to Raira. I know he's got a temper, but I also know it's usually provoked by people's bullshit, so don't hold that against him."
As much as she wanted to entertain the idea, she tried to brush the subject aside. "Regardless, the last thing I need right now is to get involved with someone. I have Mairu and Kururi to be responsible for now."
Erika waved that off. "Aw, come on. It's not like they're your kids. You can have some fun for yourself."
"But they're my responsibility. If I got involved with someone, it would just distract me." Tamina asserted.
"Plenty of nannies out there have gone on dates." Kyohei said.
"Why are you guys pushing this?" Tamina asked suspiciously.
Kyohei folded his hands behind his head and rested back against the passenger seat. "I've known Shizuo for a while, and I've always thought a nice girl in his life could level him out."
Walker suddenly butted into the conversation. "You know how in Samurai X, Tomo becomes a 'sheath' to Kenshin's violence? That could totally be Tamina."
"Oh yeah!" Erika piped. "What a spot on analogy! You could totally be the Tomo to his Kenshin!"
"Yeah!" Walker went on. "A mindless wandering assassin, who just needs to feel the warmth and love of a woman to know the value of life..."
"A cold woman," Erika added. "That just needs to feel needed by someone..."
"Stop that!" Tamina playfully swatted at her friends.
The otaku pair avoided her easily but broke out in cackles, thoroughly amused with themselves.
Before Tamina knew it the day had started to wane. She was going to have her friends drop her off at home, but remembered she needed to pick up some beef from the market. She didn't want them waiting around so she sent them on their way and opted to walk home.
As it typically did on these long walks, her mind started to wander. She particularly contemplated what her friends had said about Shizuo and the day she'd seen him last. It caused her to walk in a daze, placing one foot in front of the other, paying no attention to anything or anyone else around.
"Hey!" A young man with reddish hair stepped into her path. "I lost my wallet and need cash for the bus." There was a group of men behind him, all leaning over to gawk at her dauntingly.
Tamina tried to avoid eye contact and pass. "Sorry, I don't have any." She mumbled.
Her path was obstructed by the young man again. "Hey, hey now. You can't tell me you got groceries with no money. What's up? You don't fucking like charity?"
"You're dressed pretty nice." Another of the men observed. "You're tellin' us you got no money?"
Tamina was feeling increasingly uncomfortable. She was beginning to come to a realization. 'Am I being robbed?' She started to wonder. She'd been warned of the dangers of this city, but she'd never taken it seriously. She stifled a gasp when she felt one of the men give her skirt a tug. "Do we have to search you?" He asked.
"Maybe you didn't realize, but you don't say no to the Dollars." Another said.
'Dollars?' Tamina thought. The same gang she was in? And Kyohei and Shizuo? Mugging a girl in broad daylight? No. That wasn't the Dollars. It couldn't be.
She didn't know exactly what she should do. Run? Scream? Maybe she'd tell them she was in the Dollars too. She had only just begun to contemplate her options when someones arm extended in front of her protectively. The men recoiled back defensively and gave her some space. The action was so fast, Tamina didn't even notice the familiar switchblade in the person's hand until light reflected off the blade, catching her eye.
"Hey there!" Izaya mused obnoxiously. "What's going on over here?"
Despite his usual intrusiveness, Tamina was extremely grateful Izaya had chosen now of all times to show up again. He stood between her and the men that had been hassling her, twirling his knife playfully between his fingers. Was he actually doing something decent? The once cocky men now held a visible tension.
"Oh! I remember you!" Izaya pointed at their ring leader, the punk with the short reddish hair. "Hiroshi, right? Didn't I nearly scalp you sometime last year?" He asked with a eerie smile. "I see you've upgraded from bullying high school kids to robbing young ladies. Aren't you proving to be a valuable member of society!"
The red head tried to regain some bravado. "What, is that your girlfriend or something? That just reminds me of how you trashed one of my girlfriends phones..."
Izaya guffawed. "Girlfriend? Miss Takeda here? No! Not at all! How could I put it..." He thought on his words for a second, scratching his head lightly with his knife. " She's...more like my private beach that I don't like trespassers enjoying. Or a tree I just pissed on..." His tone became darker. "And I don't like other dogs sniffing my tree..." Suddenly he took an aggressive step forward, causing the group to recoil "So let me stop mixing words and make myself clear." He warned. "Put your hands on her again and I'll gut you like a fish." He pointed his knife to accentuate his point. "Got it?"
The men held their ground for a tense moment, but the red head relented. "Come on," He said to his group. "Let's get out of here before the crazy bar tender shows up too."
That was all they needed to hear. They disbursed quickly, causing Izaya to have another good laugh. Tamina, though, was anything but amused. She stormed off, hoping to avoid any further words with the arrogant man she was becoming too familiar with for her own taste. To her dismay, she wasn't so lucky, as he began to follow.
"Hey, hey." She heard him say as he caught up to her pace. "What's the rush?"
"Has anyone ever told you that you may be a sociopath?" Tamina asked, keeping her eyes forward.
Izaya let out an amused chuckle. "Well that's a pretty strange way to say 'thank you.' I did just keep you from getting mugged."
"Thank you." She said reluctantly. "But leave me alone."
"Why?" He asked innocently.
She stopped and turned to throw him as unfriendly of a look as she could muster. "Because I'm not your private beach, and I'm not your tree. I'm your nothing."
He grinned at that. "You're right."
She waited a moment more, sure he would have something else witty or rude to say, but he didn't. With his silence she turned and started to walk again. After a few paces she peeked over her shoulder to see if he had obeyed, but of course he hadn't, still keeping pace with her. "What are you doing?" She asked irately.
"I can't make sure you get home safe?" He asked.
She rolled her eyes. As if he really cared about her well being. She refused to believe that. He was the man that made her nearly kill herself, after all. "Why are you here?" She decided to ask.
"Actually, I came to see you." He said.
"Why?" She asked flatly. "I'm not pregnant, if that's what you're worried about."
He laughed. "Aw, what a shame. That could have been fun. But no, that's not why." He reached into his jacket and pulled out an envelope to hand her.
"What's this?" She asked suspiciously as she took it.
"Your check." He told her. "Who do you think pays you?"
Inwardly she groaned as the realization came to her. 'Please no..' she mentally whined. He grinned widely at the pained expression on her face. That was all the answer she needed. It turned out the unstable man she kept trying to distance herself from was now her boss.
Wordlessly, she started to tear open the envelope. She hadn't asked what her pay grade would be for this position and it hadn't mattered to her before now. But realizing she was becoming tied to Izaya again was going to have to come at a price. She did a double take when she read the amount written on the check.
"Are you serious?" She choked out.
"Is there a problem?" He asked, nonchalantly.
"This is...a lot." She said.
"To be fair, a portion of that is for groceries." He pointed out.
Still, 335,000 yen was a gratuitous amount of money for two weeks of work and well beyond what Tamina had expected to be paid. She was about to question further, but stopped herself. She decided to just take the money. She shouldn't have remorse for ripping off someone like him, she justified.
She tried to regain some composure and appear blasé, continuing on her way. She felt compelled to ask though. "How can you afford this?"
"I'm an info broker." He said, tucking his hands in his jacket pockets as he walked with her. "You'd be surprised how much people are willing to pay for information."
"I guess you're good at it?"
"Would I be able to pay my sisters' glorified baby sitter that much if I wasn't?" He retorted.
She shot him an irritated look. "Don't sell me short. I keep those two alive. It's a miracle they've survived this long if you've been their sole caretaker. You know Mairu has sai? Real sai. Like, the weapons? I've caught her in full sprint with them. They have zero regard for safety."
" In those cases you should just let nature take it's course. If she stabs herself in the face it's her own fault." He said plainly.
"How can you say that?"
"It's called Darwinism. Survival of the fittest. Or smartest, in this case."
"No wonder they hate you..." Tamina commented. They came to the apartment building she and the girls shared. "You really came all the way here just to pay me?" She asked as she stood in front the entrance.
"I did want to have dinner too. I'm starved. I was actually hoping to have some hamburg steak." He said, breathing an exaggerated sigh.
Tamina didn't buy it though. That is exactly what she was preparing tonight. Exactly what she had shopped for. She eyed him suspiciously. "Have you been watching me?"
"What do you mean?" He asked innocently.
She stared him down for a while longer. He did irritate her, and she wasn't quite sure of his motives, but he had done her a solid today. He'd protected her and payed her a ridiculous amount of money on top of that. She felt obligated, so she sighed heavily and asked. "Would you like dinner?"
"What a kind offer!" Izaya gushed, causing Tamina to already question her words. "Thank you Miss Takeda!"
Inside the apartment, Tamina hoped Izaya would sit quietly on the couch and watch TV or occupy himself in some other way. She had no desire to entertain him. She'd already begun to think she bit off more than she could chew. How on Earth would she explain this to Kururi and Mairu? They had made their feelings about their brother clear. What was the term they had used for him? A twat waffle?
Again, she wasn't so lucky, as Izaya took any opportunity to invade her space. He leaned against the kitchen door frame as she unbagged things and placed them on the counter. "Have you heard from your mother?" He asked.
Tamina hadn't expected a question like that. "No." She admitted.
"That seems strange." He remarked.
"You don't have to remind me." Tamina said. "She was too worried about her husband's reputation. She's probably too scared to talk to me."
"But you could be dead for all she knows. You'd think she'd at least text." He went on.
"Apparently not." She said simply, hoping that would end it.
It didn't, of course, and Izaya continued. "It's probably just as well, since you were never that close to begin with. In fact, you should feel relieved. I know you always wanted to connect with her, but people watching has taught me that there are people that are just not compatible. Its like a language you've never heard or a corrupt computer file. Hardly anyone's fault."
"Don't do that." Tamina said sternly.
"Do what?" He asked.
"Talk like that." She told him. "I told you those things before I realized you were a crazy person. So I'd appreciate it if you didn't act like you knew everything about my life."
"But I do." he asserted. "Don't be silly and act like you didn't hand that information over willingly."
Frustrated, she turned away from him. He had her there. He knew her intimately, but the person she'd given that information to was someone else entirely. Someone she knew as Nakura. Not Izaya Orihara.
Desperate to change the subject she asked. "What do you mean 'people watching'?"
"Have you heard of bird watching? Try to use your imagination." He said.
"I've heard you say things like that before." She pointed out. " Like humans are a completely different species. Do you think you're really different from everyone around you?"
"I didn't presume that I was anything at all. I simply love humans and human nature. It fascinates me and provokes my every action." He told her. "Do you know what's my favorite thing about humans?" He asked.
Tamina didn't bother to look up as she placed the beef and spices on the counter. When she turned to look for a knife she was startled when her body collided with his. He'd taken the moment to move uncomfortably close to her. She tried to step back but collided with the counter. He pressed in closer, placing his hands on the counter on either side of her.
She recoiled a bit, but didn't protest when he leaned in and spoke to her smoothly. "What happens to them when you thrust them into extraordinary circumstances. When you literally throw them into the fire. It shows what they truly are. Not who... What. Are they a monster? A coward? A hero? Or are they something that you never would have guessed?" He cupped her cheek, but still she stayed silent. For the first time in a long time, she found herself really hearing his words. "You can be all pissy with me because I ripped you out of the doldrums you came to love to hate. You can hate me because I pushed you over the edge just to see if you'd fall or fly. And you can loathe the fact that I'm the only person that knows you. All of you. I'm just fine with that. You can't stop me from loving what you turned out to be."
Tamina was looking deep into his dark eyes. She would never admit it to him, but his words started to make sense. She could finally start to see the crazy, twisted place he was coming from. He was so close... She could feel his breath on her face. She was beginning to feel the urge to lean in. His handsome face was overcoming her senses and she just nearly stood on her tip toes to capture his lips. He seemed to sense that, and started to lean in. But she mentally shook off the feeling and pressed a hand to his chest to give him a gentle push away. He complied, leaning back and giving her just a step of space. "What." Tamina said, eyeing him. "Not who."
A devious smile came too quickly to his face for Tamina's comfort. "You're starting to get it." He said.
They held a stare for a long moment. She knew he was complex, but she was just starting to understand the scope of his madness. And when she stepped outside the box and looked at it, in a certain light, maybe it wasn't so mad after all...
She reached to the cutlery set on the counter and pulled out a knife. He didn't recoil or become defensive, but his eyes watched her movements closely now. She then grabbed an onion. Silently she offered both to him. He stared, unsure what the gesture could mean. "What's this? A present?"
"Can you chop it?" She asked. He watched her a while after, as if she'd say something more or make a point. Instead she just arched a brow. "Well?"
"Why would you want me to do that?"
"Because I have to make dinner and apparently you'll be partaking. Its the least you can do." She said simply, pressing them into his hands to take. Then she proceeded to start preparing the beef. Izaya remained perplexed. "Did you expect that?" She asked.
"I can't say that I did." He admitted, looking over the onions flaking skin and large dicing knife.
"Isn't that what you like? The unexpected?" She said smuggly.
His face became amused. She was more complex than he'd originally given her credit for too. It's why she became someone he watched regularly. Someone he found himself increasingly interested in, despite himself. Sure, most of the time she seemed like an uptight little bitch. But that's what he loved. He loved controlled chaos. Hostility. The nitty gritty. The unexpected. She was like a new toy he just didn't want to put down. But he didn't just like to play with his toys. He liked to pick them apart to see what made them tick.
"Mina! We're home!" Mairu called as she burst into the apartment. "Oh wow! It smells amazing in here!" She removed her shoes and inhaled deeply to take in the heavy aroma of dinner that hung in the air.
Tamina was setting up their small table. "Hey you two. How was your day?" She asked.
"Boring." Kururi said quietly, mirroring her sisters movements and following behind her.
Tamina shrugged and mumbled to herself, placing the extra table setting. "Well, I'm sure that'll change in two seconds..." The girls took notice and were about to ask who their company was. That's when Izaya peaked out of the kitchen. A silence filled the room. Tamina watched them stare each other down, wondering who would speak first. She felt the tension sky rocket but remained silent, hoping they'd eventually have words for each other. There were no words though. Mairu took a martial arts stance, preparing to attack. In response Izaya immediately became defensive, ready for her next move. Kururi too started to rifle through her pockets for some sort of means to attack her brother.
"Stop!" Tamina shouted before things could escalate, causing everyone to freeze. The girls wore toxic expressions, the likes of which Tamina had never seen on them before. But they obeyed, halting their movements. Izaya remained as well, still ready for any movement on their end.
"Why is he here?" Mairu asked, still frozen in attack mode.
"He brought me my payment and he's staying for dinner." Tamina told them as she moved between the twins and their brother, hands raised to quell them.
"What?" They both questioned simultaneously, disgust in their voices.
"You heard me." Tamina said. "And since he's the one paying to keep me here, I think you two should calm down." At that they both eased up a bit. Still incredibly unhappy, but both adopted a more neutral position. This caused Izaya to let up his defenses as well. "Now," Tamina went on. "Wash up and change. Dinner is ready."
They weren't pleased. Not at all. Tamina knew that by the way they scoffed and shuffled out of the room. She was lucky they heeded her so well, or this place might have turned into a war zone.
"Very impressive!" Izaya mused. "You've really got a handle on those feral things. You were like a lion tamer at a circus."
Tamina pushed passed him to get into the kitchen. "Help me set up."
Dinner itself wasn't any less awkward. Everyone ate, but remained silent. The girls venomous stares at their brother didn't make it any easier. Izaya, however, seemed indifferent. Infact, Tamina suspected he enjoyed it. She wondered if someone would say something and break the tension that hung heavy over them but neither side did. As if they weren't family at all. As if they were mortal enemies.
Once it seemed like everyone was done Tamina began to clear the small table. The girls watched her expectantly, as if waiting for her to make Izaya leave right then and there. Tamina didn't quite know what they expected of her though. Did they want her to just throw him out? She knew if she asked the answer would be 'yes', so instead asked. "Do you have any homework?"
"No." They both said without hesitation.
"Then why don't you go study?" Tamina asked, hinting they should just go in their room until he was gone.
"For what?" They both said flatly.
It was eerie to Tamina. How they could be on the same wave length sometimes. Still she pressed. "I don't know, but I'm sure you'll find something." When they still didn't move she became more stern. "Go." She said, pointing toward their room.
They looked like they wanted to protest. Tamina hated being this way with them, but no good would come of them staring daggers at their brother for the rest of the night. Irate and frustrated, they gave in and stomped to their room, carelessly tossing the door shut behind them. Tamina flinched when it slammed shut. She hoped this wouldn't change her relationship with them, but she couldn't risk them finding a weapon and stabbing Izaya when her guard was down.
"You're actually really good with them." Izaya remarked, having a seat on the couch.
Tamina sighed and finished wiping down the table. "They'll probably hate me after this, so thanks."
"No," He assured her. "They're like goldfish, They'll forget all about this soon. Trust me. I basically raised them." He patted the couch next to him, gesturing her to come sit. She hesitated, but eventually decided to come sit down next to him. "Dinner was amazing." He added unexpectedly.
It took her by surprise. She never expected he'd compliment her. "Thank you."
"I didn't know you could cook." He said.
"I told you that plenty of times." She insisted, recalling their many phone and text conversations.
"Well," He shrugged. "You never know with someone online. They could be lying."
"Not everyone is like you." She retorted.
He took no offense though. Just grinned. "I'd hope not." Is all he said to that.
She tensed slightly when she felt his fingers play with the tips of her hair that met her lower back. He flicked and teased them, fingers grazing her back when he did. She wouldn't admit it to him, but the tickling sensation felt good. She allowed it for now. "I didn't lie about anything." She found herself saying.
"I know." He said in a tone she hadn't heard from him in a long time. A way he would have used his words back when they had distance conversations. Before her views of him had been so jaded. A strange feeling was starting to come over her. She missed it. The way he used to talk to her. The way she used to see him. It was weird. She'd told herself that person didn't exist, but she still craved that presence. That voice. Those feelings.
"You should come to my place and cook for me one night." He told her, his hand becoming more bold, fingers pressing into the small of her back to apply some pressure and rub there.
She knew she should, but still she found herself not protesting his touch. It felt so nice. "No, I shouldn't." She declined.
"Why not?" He asked.
"Because I know what would happen." Tamina said, even now feeling herself becoming turned on, despite every instinct inside her. A warmth was spreading through her body.
"And what would happen?" He egged her on, continuing to massage her with his fingers.
Before the heat could spread further she willed herself to lean away and out of his reach. She turned and look at him. "We need to keep things professional." Tamina told him, but it felt like she was really trying to convince herself.
He smirked at that and leaned in. "Well doesn't that just make it hotter?" He asked. He didn't allow her the time to think. Just cupped her face and caught her mouth with his.
She knew she should resist his hot kiss. He'd done her so wrong. He'd made her question her life itself. But was the life she had before a life at all? Would she have questioned it herself without him? Where would she be without those late night conversations and morning texts and emails? Where would those festering thoughts have gone if he hadn't dug them out of her and released them? How much better off would she have been if he hadn't forced her to face the reality of her circumstances? Was he really the monster she thought he was? Or was he the only thing in her life that had been truly real?
There was a chain of thoughts spinning in her head. They began to cloud her judgment, and allowed him the opportunity he needed. He kissed her faster, coaxing her to meet his pace. She did, tongue dancing with his, making it even hotter. He pressed into her, making her lay back against the couch. Their lips never parted as he came to hover over her, settling between her straddled legs. Their make out became heavy, her arms snaking around his neck. When they parted she breathed a hard breath as his mouth traveled down her neck. She bit her lip and craned her neck to one side. It felt so good, but she had to protest. "Don't leave marks..." She murmured. The last time they'd been like this he'd left hickies that had lasted for days.
She felt him breathe a laugh into the croak of her neck. "That's no fun." He replied. "Where's your room?" He asked.
Her head rolled on the couch. She'd told herself that their last erotic encounter was wine induced. Just her drunken, horny self getting too carried away. But she couldn't defend herself now. Couldn't defend the intensity he provoked. The ache inside her that she found herself inviting him in to quench once again. She'd told herself never again, but here the moment was and she found herself powerless to stop it. It had already come too far now. She craved him so deeply that any sense was fleeting and want gave way to an urgent need.
Tamina was just about to tell him where he'd find her room and, more importantly, bed, when something in her peripheral caught her eye. Suddenly, without warning, Izaya jerked away from her. It was in that same motion that Mairu's leg swung across the couch, clearing Tamina's face, but swiping toward her brothers in a vicious kick. It happened so fast that Tamina could barely process it. She still lay, pressed into the couch while Izaya reacted much quicker. He avoided the kick easily, jumping off the couch and a safe distance back.
"I don't get to kiss her but you get to put your dirty mouth all over her!? That's not fair!" Mairu shouted, preparing for another attack.
Izaya was ready for it. What he wasn't ready for was the sudden burst of pepper spray that came from his side from Kururi. He very narrowly avoided that as well, hand flying to his face to cover his mouth and nose. "Get out." Kururi ordered in her monotonous tone, mercilessly spraying the mace all over his direction.
When Tamina finally processed what was happening, she sat up quickly. "Girls! Stop!" She shouted. She got a wif of the spice in the air filling the apartment and coughed. "Kururi! Mairu! Enough!" She hid her face protectively in one of the couch pillows.
Outnumbered in the small space, and fumes filling the air, Izaya had no choice but to make a bee line for the door and hastily show himself out. Once he was out, Kururi locked the door behind him. Both girls came to the couch to confront their caretaker. Tamina could feel the tension as the girls stared her down.
"Okay..." She admitted, trying to straighten her shirt and somewhat flatten her hair. Once somewhat composed again, she held up her hands defensively. "I know this looks bad."
Izaya had managed to slip under her skin again. He was like a virus. Moving silently, but infecting cell after cell with his essence. Spreading a sickness through her. She couldn't make sense of it. But of one thing she was completely sure. He held a dangerous power over her. And anyone with any sense in them would purge themselves of such questionable energy in their life, however, she found herself powerless in his presence.
Author Notes: I swear! This isn't exclusively an IzayaxOC story! He seems to have the upper hand now, but Shizuo will be back in the next chapter with a power play! I promise! And after that, things are going to heat up even more...
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