Thank you everyone for the favorites/alerts/reviews/etc.! I really appreciate the kind words and support you all are giving me, especially since it's my new story, and well... I'm still not sure if I'm getting the hang of it or boring you with the ramblings...Anyhoo...
Ah, sorry if this one came out a little later than expected, but was busy unpacking and packing boxes to prepare to move to a new place. I had a little struggle with this chapter as well, but I hope you enjoy it anyway...ahahah... I'm soo sorry if the characters come out as completely OCC, I was sorta distracted with moving... and returning open adobe photoshop product... *mutters: stupid retail return policies...
Disclaimer: I do not own Durarara! or it's characters, and I'm fine with that, I just hope I can read more about it from Narita's brilliant work.
"Good Morning! Did you have a nice sleep?"Mikado looked up to notice that the doctor had entered the room bringing a tray with what was presumed to be breakfast on it. "Ah, yes, I think..." Mikado replied timidly. He had slept well enough that he couldn't really remember what his dream was about, but on the other hand...could it had been so horrible that he instinctively forgot about it?
Shinra must have noticed his discomfort, for he spoke up again. "Hm? Not nervous about meeting Shizuo are you?" Shinra chuckled.
"Um... Actually..," the boy looked down.
"Don't worry," the doctor said in his attempt to comfort his patient, "he's only really scary when he's mad... but then again, he's gets ticked off at so many things, I guess you really do have something to worry about!" Mikado sighed.I know Kishitani-sensei really means well... but I don't think this is helping me at all!
"I know what will cheer you up!" Mikado thought the doctor looked particularly jolly as he brought the tray to his attention. "Look Mikado-kun! It's a homemade breakfast Celty had cooked for us!" Shinra waited patiently to hear Mikado's reply and was pleased to see his face light up with the mention of his "Honey's" cooking "Uwah, It really does look delicious Kishitani-sensei!" It really was something to look forward to, Mikado wasn't able to eat a single homemade meal from the time he left home, he was really beginning to miss it.
He looked over the meal, a traditional Japanese breakfast. He took in the sight of the essential steam cooked rice, the fluffy rolled omelet, along with a still warm miso sou-
grrrrruuu~
Mikado turned red in embarrassment. He looked up, hoping Shinra-san hadn't heard, but the man just smiled at him with an amused expression.
"Ah- it's nothing to be embarrassed about. After all, hunger is a natural craving that happens to every living being. Your intestines are hollow structures after all, with nothing in them but air and digestive juices. When air and water are the only things in a hollow structure then it produces sound. So, the best way to fix this problem would be to eat your fill, no?" Shinra lectured with a smile. He waved his hand toward the tray to further encourage Mikado to eat.
Mikado, didn't need any more convincing, it felt like forever since he last ate. He dug his spoon into the rice and topped it with a piece of broiled fish. His mouth beginning to water as he popped his first bite into his awaiting mouth.
"...Urghhh?" Mikado coughed in surprise. For some reason... the food tasted...off? Has it really been that long? Was he apparently so accustomed to eating ramen all the time, that he couldn't even taste any other food correctly?
In his disbelief, he dipped his spoon into the foggy miso soup, taking a cautious sip. He winced as the lukewarm soup slid down his throat...he found a taste that he had never expected to be in miso soup before. Ugh... bitter? ...Is that even possible?
Mikado shifted his gaze to the side to see if Kishitani-sensei was suffering the same effects. The man's face was far from the expressing any form of disgust. In fact, Mikado was rather surprised that the man was smiling as if there was no tomorrow. Yet... upon closer look.. Mikado couldn't help but question. Is that a tear in the corner of his eye?
Shinra must have noticed him staring, since the man had turned to wave his arm back and forth. "Ah, no! This isn't what you are thinking Mikado-kun. These are tears of joy! I assure you." Mikado on the other hand wasn't so sure but answered with a rather slow "...I-I see..."
As much as Mikado didn't like the meal, he didn't want to upset his host. Maybe it's an acquired taste? He thought. But to his disappointment, as he forcefully swallowed another bite, it didn't seem to get any better.
While he was cautiously eating his meal without trying to look too disgusted, a distant sound of a door opening was heard, along with the sound of keys rattling. Shinra snapped out of his reverie and headed to the door. "Ah, that must be them right now!" he said, before he left the room to leave Mikado alone to suspiciously poke at his food before settling for another bite.
While he was chewing slowly, he couldn't help but listen to the conversation outside to distract him from the strange tastes that were gathering inside his mouth. It was rather faint, but Shinra's rather blissful (yet loud) tone couldn't be mistaken. "Celty~! Welcome home!" Mikado tried listening to the voice of Kishitani-sensei's precious "Celty" but strangely hear anything other than the familiar sound of light tapping on a piece of technology. Mikado was rather curious at this. Is perhaps Celty san a rude person? It wasn't particularly nice to text while someone was greeting them.
"Ah-Shizuo! You said you were coming here too didn't you?" This time, Mikado did here some slight mumbling, but even if he strained his ears, he couldn't understand the contents of the speech.
"The boy? Yes, he's...did I do anything weird to him?...Shizuo, just what kind of person do you take me for? …Eh, experiments? I'm not like... whatever, the boy is awake now so why don't you go talk to him."
Mikado froze, his chopsticks only going halfway to meet his mouth, but at the moment he was too terrified to notice that the tidbit of food had fallen from his chopsticks back into the bowl. The sound of footsteps were coming closer, and with each step, the boy's imagination began to run wild. Mikado did not have a good look at the man last time, he was apparently in a panic to worry about one's appearance. His recent injury didn't help his view on the man either.
Ah- it's finally here! I'm going to meet him! But- what if...? Mikado had pictured a scarred man with iron muscles, his head touching the ceiling entering the room, with a permanent snarl etched in his face. W-what if he talked in anguish that I couldn't understand him? What if he gets frustrated over talking to me a-and?
In his mind,Shizuo was picking up a nearby bookshelf crammed with Shinra's awfully thick books. The dispositioned bookshelf was suddenly thrown at him with a force. Mikado shuddered at the thought at his crushed imaginary self, but his thoughts still went untamed. ...O-or, what if he was really angry that I got in the way last time that he... The imagined man now took the tall lamp before swinging at him as someone would do a baseball bat. The boy clutched his head in terror as he saw himself being struck out the window, the shards glittering around him. Before falling headfirst down the apartment complex, getting closer and closer to the road before-
The sound of the doorknob turning snapped him awake from the undesired result.
His heart was pounding loudly against the walls of his chest, whether it was out of anticipation or fear he did not know. Mikado reasoned that it could be both, with fear dominating his wits. The door was opened by a crack, by then, Mikado nearly screamed out loud. NO! WAIT! I'M NOT READY YET! I DON'T WANT TO DIE!
But the door, unable to even understand the boy's thoughts opened to reveal...someone Mikado did not expect. Well yes, the man was rather tall yet, other than that... Mikado could not draw any comparisons to the monster in his mind to the man in front of him who held the name Heiwajima Shizuo.
In his disbelief, Mikado looked at the figure again. The man was rather slim and didn't seem strong enough to lift a vending machine and certainly not able to throw it. He was still wearing the same bartender suit along with what seemed to be designer sunglasses. But what shocked the boy the most was the gentle eyes that were behind the violet hued glass.
Mikado was a person of common sense, the man has been confirmed as Heiwajima Shizuo. Yet, everything about the person in front of him was denying that it was the same man who had thrown a vending machine at him a few days ago.
Doubts along with questions filled his mind. "Is this really Heiwajima Shizuo? Maybe Shinra-san is playing a trick on me?...but what would be the point of that?" As he was pondering in his thoughts, he noticed that Shizuo was quietly watching just the same.
Feeling unnerved, Mikado spoke up hesitatingly. "U-um would you be Heiwajima Shizuo-san?" The man upon hearing my question nodded, without any stall. "You must be...Ryuugasaki?"
R-ryuugasaki? Mikado had been bullied for his name before, but no one actually mutilated it into such a form. "N-no, It's Ryuugami-" his voice grew smaller as he noticed that the man was still staring at him. "Careful, don't anger him! If it really is the same man than..." Mikado warned himself. Even though Shizuo-san wasn't what he expected, he knew better to judge a book by it's cover.
Shizuo on the other hand didn't show any anger toward Mikado's attempt to correct him. In fact, the man looked the boy over, his guilt growing as he followed the line of bandages before ending at the casted leg. "...I... messed up...it's just like before..." Shizuo thought remembering his past mistake, "It's impossible like this...,"
Shizuo recalled his conversation with Celty the day before.
It was just the other day when he confessed to the Black Rider of his wish to meet new people. Sure, it was odd talking to an empty helmet, but Celty was one of the few people he can talk to without getting angry.
It wasn't that he was alone, it's just that he didn't have much company that would stick to him.
The world was simply divided into two sides in Shizuo's eyes: those who stuck by him and those who didn't. But even amongst those who he considered close, most of them still looked at him with great amount of caution. In that way, his* company was considered very valuable to Shizuo.
Celty had listened carefully to him before taking out her PDA.
Shizuo looked over her shoulder as words appeared on the screen. [This just might by your chance]
Shizuo shook his head, disagreeing strongly, "Celty, even Tom knows that people run away from the mention of my name. I doubt he would like to stick around after I nearly crushed him with a vending machine."
Celty's helmet looked down as if she was sighing. She returned to tapping out a message. [What if he doesn't? He looks like a good kid.]
Shizuo gave a puff on his cigarette. "That's just it, isn't it? He doesn't even look like the type the type that would fight. I doubt he'd go anywhere near one, if he could avoid it."He remembered the crumpled figure of the boy as he picked him up. An innocent face, without a single violent bone in that small body.
Shizuo had a rather distant look on his face. "...Maybe I shouldn't go and see him. He'd probably be terrified out of his wits the next time he sees me."
Celty walked in front of him, making sure that he sees her message. [Why don't you go see him? You never know, you might be surprised...]
Shizuo had great doubts anything would happen. He may have wanted a friend but...not that way. He felt as if he was taking advantage of the situation..But then again, it wasn't like he had much of a chance anyway.
But a sliver of hope was still remained.
Mikado must have noticed him looking at him with a pained expression. Despite how scary the man might possibly be, he couldn't help but feel bad. Before he knew it, words slipped from his lips.
"Heiwajima-san, are you...okay?"
Shizuo looked at him, blinking incredulously. "...Are you okay?" he repeated the words in his mind.
"Hey, shouldn't I be the one telling you that?" Shizuo responded with a rather gruff tone.
"A-ah, I guess your right." Mikado looked down, rather embarrassed that he forgotten that he was the one with the role as a victim.
"...sorry..." "Huh?" Mikado looked up, unable to hear what the man had mumbled.
:"...I said, I'm sorry..." Shizuo apologized. He looked away, still ashamed at what he had done to the kid. Not only was he harmless, he tried comforting him, which Shizuo knew that very few people would ever even think of doing.
"Ah, it's alright. Though my leg is pretty bad, Kishitani-sensei said that the rest of my body will heal really quickly. He said I was actually pretty lucky!.. Ahahah..." Mikado laughed out of the awkwardness of the situation rather than amusement.
Never had he imagined a situation like this with the one Kida said was nicknamed "The God of Destruction in a Bartender Suit."
There was nothing but silence as he looked up at the so called "God of Destruction" who was still avoiding his gaze. Yet somehow, the man seemed to be more relieved.
"Is it just my imagination? ...or is the mood somehow getting better?" Mikado was still unsure of his situation. "I must be really nervous, my stomach feels like it's in knots." He tried to distract himself from the uncomfortable the silence as he took another spoonful of his breakfast.
...Only when he felt as if his taste buds were burning, did he realize his horrible mistake. The shock of the strange taste was too much for his unprepared mind. Tears began to roll down his cheeks.
Shizuo finally turned his head at the sound of sniffling. "Tears? Did I scare him so much that he's crying?"
He panicked, unused to such a situation. He may have looked after Kasuka, but Kasuka was not really the crying type. Come to think of it, he felt as if Kasuka looked more after him rather than the other way around, due to how Shizuo caused more trouble.
Shizuo could only come to conclusion that he was the one causing the waterworks."I knew it... I knew I shouldn't have come here." He turned to leave, "Sorry, I'll go now."
"Wait!" Mikado surprised himself as he called out. "It isn't Heiwajima-san's fault."
Shizuo stopped and turned around. "Hm? Then who's fault would it be?" he said, unconvinced.
"It's...it's.." Mikado once again had lost his confidence and looked down at his meal. He couldn't just go out and say that the food sucked. It would be very rude to Shinra and Celty-san.
Shizuo looked down with him."The food?" Looking back up at the boy who was drying his eyes he said,"If you don't like it that much, just don't eat it. Why don't you just tell Shinra that?"
"...Bu-" "No-buts, honestly, it can't be that bad, right?" With that, Shizuo took the spoon from Mikado's frail grip.
"Ah wait! Heiwajima-san! Don-!" The warning came to late as Shizuo already ate a piece of the deceitful meal. Mikado watched in horror as the man chewed before he froze in a mid-bite, his face darkening.
"H-heiwajima-san? A-are you okay?" his answer wasn't answered with a voice, it was more of a sound.
-snap- Mikado paled as the man snapped the spoon in two as easily as a normal man can do with a toothpick.
Mikado retreated into his fortress of blankets and pillows. Yet kept his eyes on the man, painfully aware that the man was fully capable of lifting the bed, with Mikado and all.
It was from there where he watched the transformation occur, as he was able to recognize the same Heiwajima Shizuo he had met 2 days ago. There wasn't a trace of that gentleness that the man had kept before. All there was, was nothing than anger and violence storming in him. "It's him. It's really him!" Mikado was sure by now that this was no mistake.
"SHINRA! WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU'VE BEEN FEEDING HIM?" the man bellowed as he took the tray from the table. (Mikado noticed that the tray's sides were now misshapen by the man's grip.) With that, he stormed out of the room, Mikado winced as he slammed the door behind him.
"Shizuo? What is this?" Shinra was rather confused. "What is this? WHAT IS THIS?" Shizuo brought the tray to attention. "Are you trying to poison him, or is this another one of your experiments?"
"...Poison? Experiments? What are you talking about? I assure you, absolutely nothing is wrong with Celty's cooking."Shinra was getting rather flustered.
"Oh, is that so? THEN WHY THE HELL WAS HE CRYING OVER IT?" He was ready to throw the tray at the doctor's face, hoping to knock some sense into him. But a flustered Celty beat him to it.
"Ow, Celty~ that hurts" as the doctor got the wind punched out of him. Globs of shadow were flowing out of her neck as she furiously wrote down. [ I told you not to eat it if it doesn't taste good!] "But Celty, they are lying! Your food is wonderful! I doubt Mikado-kun would be poisoned by it. See, I'm pretty sure he's doing fine."
As if to prove it, he entered his patient's room, yet a healthy patient was not what he had found.
"Kid? Hey- kid, Ryuugasaki!" Shizuo tried to shake the boy awake. The boy's pale face was flushed in red as heat emanated from his skin. Shizuo moved aside for Shinra to look. After a small check-up, he said rather sheepishly, "Ah, he really did get food poisoning..."
"...You poisoned him?" Shizuo gave a rather nasty glare at the doctor. "Don't worry, he's just having some small symptoms. Just a bit of rest with a little help of medicine and he'll be fine." Shinra concluded with a nod. Celty on the other hand wasn't so easygoing with the situation.
"Ow, Celty, my ear, it's going to stretch! I'm telling you there's nothing wrong with your cooking. Cases like this can happen if you just slightly under-cook something. Oww- Celty!" Celty left the room, dragging Shinra by the ear.
Shizuo was once again left alone in the room with the boy.
A resounding "WHACK!" was heard from the other room. His rage against Shinra was completely gone, knowing Celty could take care of his punishment quite well.
With his anger satisfied, it was replaced with worry. "Will this kid really be alright here? I know I can trust Celty, but.."
"Arghh-!" the man rubbed the back of his head in frustration. He wasn't really much of a deep thinker, nor did he care.
He looked at the sleeping boy, "peaceful..." was the word that came to mind. It was very different from the nervousness the boy had shown the whole time he was here.
His eyes wandered from his face to his hair...it looked really soft. Before he knew it, he wanted to touch it.
Reaching slowly, his hand made it's way toward it's destination.
A sigh, came out of the boy's mouth causing him to freeze. But showing no signs of awaking, he continued until he had touched the soft raven locks of the boy.
...It really is soft.. Shizuo thought, as he slowly stroked the boy's hair. The act was quite calming to him.
As he continued to pet the unconscious kid, something rather surprising happened.
Even animals knew instinctively just how dangerous he was and bolted whenever he came close. Yet, there the boy was, nuzzling his hand in an attempt to cool off. His hand began to feel rather tingly with the new sensation as he felt the warmth slowly seeped into his skin.
Shizuo flinched, taking back his hand, still warm from the skin of the other person wrapped in blankets. He was startled by the situation, nothing even similar to this had ever occurred to him before.
It was a strange situation for him, Yet... it isn't bad. The man thought. In fact, he wanted to try again, he was curious about what would happen a second time.
He reached with a hesitating hand,. "What if...?" Before Shizuo could finish this thought, the door opened, revealing a sighing Shinra.
Before the doctor could see, Shizuo quickly retracted his hand as if he was bitten by a snake. As he did so, a small pain jolted through his arm. (Ah, I must have pulled a muscle.)
"Ahh~ I told Celty, it wasn't her cooking that was the problem, over and over again but she won't believe me. Shizuo, if she never cooks for me again, it's your fault."Shinra whined.
Though he didn't seem to have seen the movement, he noticed something off about his friend. "Eh, Shizuo? What's wrong? Is something bother you?"
"..." The man he questioned gave no reply, but Shinra traced his gaze.
"Is it the boy? Don't worry, he'll be fine. He was more likely to die after he was crushed by your flying vending machine." Shinra closed his eyes and got ready for impact. He knew very well how annoyed Shizuo can get with him... but that didn't stop him from teasing his friend.
Yet, the blow that was expected to knock him out never came.
"….eh?" Shinra reopened his eyes slowly to see Shizuo leaving the room and heading for the door. "Shizuo?" Shinra shouted rather surprised by this development.
Something definitely is wrong! Just what happened? The confused doctor shouted in his mind, unable to comprehend the situation. But before he can ask, the man in the bartender suit was already gone.
"...Impossible, impossible..." the man muttered the mantra quietly while walking out of the building. "Something like this will never happen again... He was unconscious, if he was awake, he would never allowed me to..." The man reasoned to himself, to keep his hopes from going up.
"But... he wasn't scared of you when you entered the room, he even tried to comfort you.." a small part of him still didn't want to let go of that possibility.
The man sighed before popping out a cigarette. "tsk...but that was before he saw me angry at Shinra, I've seen him tremble under the sheets. If I see him tomorrow, he'll probably be like the rest of them, scared at the very mention of me. Just watch..."
Despite these thoughts, he clenched his hand, in an attempt to keep tingling warm sensation from dissipating into the cold night air.
*yes, it took Shizuo a while to discover that Celty is a female. In the novel, he found she was headless long before he knew what her gender is...which is a little odd, but o well.
...AND ITS FINISHED! My gosh, I think my chapters are getting longer and longer. Gah personally, I hope it doesn't get any longer than this...
Well I'm finally moving on Sunday so I'm gonna have to disconnect soon, so I'm sorry if my story takes like forever to update. To make it up to you guys, I've made this chapter pretty long...(and how...)
Next chapter, we're going to have a closer look on Celty. Once again, thank you for the wonderful support and I still hope you guys continue to support this story. Please look forward to my next update!