And… I DEEPLY APOLOGIZE for such a late update O_O I just got lost in idk what sort of weird things ._.)" Anyways, the chapter isn't as long as I had thought it would be so.. I apologize for that as well _
Also, A HUGE THANKS to BlazeTakishima for she took her time out and beta read this chapter for me ^^! Otherwise it would have been full of typos like before ._.)
And Thanks to SickleFang for the review and to those too who are still following the story :)
They gave me courage ;u;)
Anyways...
Reviews are always welcome~~
Back to story now!
Chapter 8:
Izaya eyed his friend suspiciously wondering why the air around him was giving him such alarming signals. It was like this right after that phone call; Shinra wasn't willing to tell who it was from and why Izaya's name was mentioned.
It's not like Shinra would do anything against him – he has no reason to. So… what was that phone call about?
Izaya looked up in his friend's direction then turned his gaze back towards the TV.
Well, I guess it would be better if he really is planning something against me.
Izaya thought bitterly. One of his hands had unconsciously touched his other bandaged hand and an image of the strongest man of Ikebukuro formed in his head, the man who would soon be leaving this city.
Yes, it didn't matter to him now as to who would be plotting against him, be it Shinra or someone else. He had no idea about how his life would be once the blonde would leave the country.
As the thought of not seeing Shizuo clouded his head, a plunging pain emerged in his chest. He closed his eyes shut, and grabbed his head. His heart was slowly filling with regret and despair.
It wasn't like he wanted to say all those things in front of Shizuo, the fuse of his mind had collapsed at that very moment and he just couldn't stop himself from saying those… those irrational things. Well, irrational for Izaya, they might not be irrational for Shizu-chan. After all, he didn't even disagree. Or maybe his brain is just too thick headed to comprehend the irrationality behind those words. Tch, damn! Why did I have to open my filthy mouth and spit all that shit over there?
A sudden knock of the door brought him out of his mental frenzy.
"Ahh.. I would go and check" Shinra said, quickly getting up and happy to leave a gloomy Izaya behind. It was quite bothersome to deal with an Izaya who was drowning in gloom and not saying anything at all. Also, he had to stop Shizuo from entering his apartment; he has no intention of getting broke so early.
Izaya watched Shinra go, eyes followed his back but mind occupied with the images of another. He shook his head; I need to pull myself together! He thought.
But alas, it was too late, for Shizuo was there; the very person who just doesn't let his mind and emotions rest, intentionally or unintentionally.
The door slammed open, and a loud shout echoed through the apartment.
"IZAYAAAAAA!"
Izaya snapped up and looked at the unmistakable source of the voice, which was none other than Shizuo Heiwajima, the strongest man of Ikebukuro. He was panting and was drenched in sweat. Izaya's eyes widened in realization, did he actually chase after me?
"A-ah.. Sh-shi-shizu-chan!" damn the stuttering.
"FUCKING STAY WHERE YOU ARE AND DON'T MOVE AN INCH! GOT THAT?!" yelled Shizuo.
"Shizuooooo! Please take your fight out of my apartment~" wailed Shinra, entering the lounge.
"I'm not here to fight, I already told you that", barked Shizuo.
"But we'll never know! I don't want to get broke soon." Shinra reasoned; sweat and anxiety visible on his forehead.
Shizuo tsk-ed and looked at Izaya's direction; the Izaya who was almost literally glued to the sofa he was sitting on.
"Damn flea! Come with me, we need to talk!" Shizuo barked once again, jerking his thumb at the door's direction, making the information broker blink out of his stupor.
"W-what do you mean? Just from when did I start taking orders from you?" asked Izaya, finding his heart throb at the mere sight of someone who would soon be leaving.
"Yes~ Yes~! Great idea! Outside! Outside! You two, get out of my apartment~~~", cried Shinra once again.
"Celty~~ please come and save me!" he cried more, calling out to his Celty and making the Monster of Ikebukuro's eyebrow twitch in annoyance. His fist clenched and unclenched, tingling to just hit and break the coffee in front of the flea, or just crush the very flea before leaving.
He sighed deeply, reminding himself how much he hates violence, and how much he doesn't want violence to be the last thing he does before he leaves Japan.
"Flea, I swear it'll just be a small talk. Come on." And before his anger could go out of his control due to continuous blabbing of Shinra, he walked out.
And why does he think I would follow him? Izaya thought, staring at the back of the blonde who was making his way out, without breaking a single thing in Shinra's apartment.
Izaya couldn't help but be curious as to what Shizuo would want to talk about? Does this have something to do with what happened back at his apartment? Was it him on phone call with Shinra? How did he know I was here? Did he realize that I was just… frustrated when I said all those things? Or if the worse comes, is he here to confirm all those things?
Izaya gulped and the next moment he found his feet moving and following, his lips cursing for his lack of information but his heart beating in anticipation of what Shizuo might have want to talk about.
…
Shizuo took a cigarette out of his packet and placed in in between his lips, lightning it and blowing a puff of smoke in the air. His eyes glanced back and noticed the little figure of Orihara Izaya still following him, his hand stroking his other bandaged hand.
They were out of Shinra's apartment now, and Shizuo didn't know where to start their conversation. In fact he didn't even have a slightest clue as to how he should start this conversation and that's why he had been just walking and looking around, pretending to look for a quiet place to talk while his mind struggled to search for words and a way to start.
Izaya silently followed, his eyes flickering onto the figure in front of him. No matter how much he tried to avoid looking in his direction, he just couldn't help himself from staring at blonde. He sighed in resignation, curiosity already gnawing him from inside as to what brought Shizuo to come after him. He couldn't help but find a little tiny beam of hope peeking in his heart that may be Shizuo is here to deny whatever he had said back at his apartment and to tell the reason why exactly he is leaving his dear homeland all of a sudden.
He sighed, pouting as Shizuo took his cigarette out.
Just when exactly is he going to start? Oh~ what a rare sight to see the yelling monster finally silent!
He thought sarcastically to himself as his eyes continued staring at the broad shoulders of the blonde in front.
"Ah~ Shizu-chan! Don't you have to leave soon?" Izaya asked.
Shizuo stopped and turned around, his eyes wide with worry.
Izaya tsk-ed
So eager to see your girlfriend huh?
"Tch! Damn flea! It's all your fucking fault that I have to spend so much time thinking as to how to start!" yelled Shizuo, messing his hair as his mind still continued the struggle.
"Then why not say whatever is in that protozoan head of yours? Though I doubt there would be anything useful in it." Izaya said mockingly, though lacking his usual smirk and sarcastic tone, a bleak reflection of reluctance hinting in his voice.
Shizuo scowled, "Fine then! But it's not what you think! I am not going on a fucking h-ho-hone-y-!"
"Honeymoon." Izaya mumbled almost inaudibly, eyes avoiding Shizuo.
"Tch, whatever the damn thing is! I am not going with Karin over there for this or whatsoever!" shouted Shizuo.
Izaya's eyes widened as his first wish literally did come true with these words of Shizuo. The hope in his heart brightened and a smile appeared on his face, soon turning into a laugh.
"Ahahahaha what what? That protozoan head of your can't even remember the word as simple as 'honey moon', Shizu-chan?
It was Shizuo's turn to widen his eyes now as they registered a genuinely laughing flea for the very first time in their life. He narrowed his eyes, keeping them locked on his laughing face. To his surprise, the fact that Izaya was in fact making fun of him as how he couldn't speak the word "honey moon" didn't bother him.
He tsk-ed out of habit.
"Since this is going to be the last time we'll meet for the time being, I am not going to try to kill you. For the fact that you are still making fun of me." Shizuo said nonchalantly, twisting his cigarette and snubbing it underneath his foot.
The laughter on Izaya's face slowly faded and soon his face held the emotion Shizuo was trying so hard to comprehend for the past few hours.
Is he sad that I'm leaving?
"Then why exactly are you leaving the country if it wasn't for a honeymoon?" Izaya asked with the same indecipherable expression plastered on his face.
Shizuo couldn't help but regret evaporating such a cute laughing expression off Izaya's face. Yes, he was always annoying and pestering flea, but somehow he did look cute when he laughed like that. No matter how much Shizuo hates to admit this, but he still does.
"E-eh… That I can't tell" answered Shizuo, deepening the unreadable expression on his face and making it more intense than before.
What was Izaya trying to say?
Unfortunately Shizuo's mind wasn't as genius as that of the Orihara Izaya, he had not observed human and he had been worse at reading people's face. The only thing he was good at was just spreading the violence he hated so much.
And this realization infuriated, pissing him off once again.
"And just wipe that fucking expression off your face. If you want to say something, then spit it out!" Shizuo yelled.
"E-ehh? What expression?" asked Izaya; slightly taken aback at Shizuo's words; his hand unconsciously reaching to his face and literally wiping it in an attempt to follow Shizuo's order.
"The fucking expression you have been making ever since you came to my apartment. It's so fucking annoying trying to read that expression of yours! I don't have a fucking genius brain like the flea so just spit out whatever you want to say!" answered Shizuo in a single breath.
Izaya watched Shizuo in bewilderment, hand hovering over his face, wondering if he is really making such an obvious expression that even Shizu-chan's protozoan brain could pick up.
Is he really going out of his character?
Is he really letting his emotions go out of control? And out of everyone it could have been, it had to be in front of the Monster of Ikebukuro, his so-called sworn enemy himself?
He quickly lowered it as soon as he realized this. But there was no way he can wipe it today no matter how much he tried.
That was so unlike him, but ever since he came to know about Shizuo's girlfriend and his departure, he wasn't being Izaya at all.
So maybe it doesn't matter.
Izaya took a long heave and tried mustering up his courage, may be it was finally the time to tell Shizuo.
Maybe this way he would just tell the reason of his departure.
Maybe this way he would just let go of his girlfriend.
Maybe this way, Izaya might be able to bring the old Izaya back onto stage.
So it won't hurt to tell him… Right?