When he reached his home after stumbling along dark alleyways, he did everything but rest. Shizuo flopped down on his bed with a dull thump and stared at the ceiling. After the initial shock, his mind flooded with questions. Why? Did he plan this? Is it something I said to him? WHY, Goddamnit!? With an irritated growl, Shizuo covered his head with a pillow. His eyes squeezed shut in hopes that the darkness would help him fall asleep.
Sleep never came to him that night. Instead he lay awake, clutching his blankets to his chest as the images of Izaya falling to his death flashed behind his eyelids. Eventually he stopped trying and focused his unblinking eyes on the wall so he wouldn't see Izaya die anymore.
It felt like he'd been laying in bed for minutes, but hours had passed, seeing as his alarm clock was blaring. Just like the sirens, he thought. He glared at the flashing red numbers before throwing the damn thing at the wall where it was smashed to pieces. Shizuo hauled himself out of bed and got dressed in his Raira Academy uniform though his body was overcome by an intense wave of lethargy. His fingers fumbled when trying to fix his necktie for surprising amount of time even though he would ultimately tear it off and shove it in his pocket. It wasn't like he seriously planned on going to school anyways. There were more important things to do today. One was to find out what possessed Izaya, annoying and cocky Izaya, to throw himself over the edge of a building.
Even though he saw it himself, he couldn't get over how surreal it seemed. He felt that he would walk into the hospital and ask for Izaya's room number only to be told he'd never been checked in. Wouldn't that be a real slap in the face?
Shizuo considered going back home and sleeping, even though his feet kept him on the path that led to the hospital he was so familiar with. It was his curiosity that drove him there. He would never say that he was actually concerned for the flea's well-being. That would just be ridiculous.
Nurses greeted him as he passed through the sliding glass doors into the sterile world of medicine. Those that had worked there long enough knew him by name. He waved in acknowledgement before stopping at the check-in counter.
"Is there an Izaya Orihara here?" he asked, anxiously fiddling with the tie in his pocket.
Behind the desk sat a middle aged woman, thin and bony but with a gentle face. Her eyes were a brilliant green that off-set how plain her mousy brown hair was. The tag on her shirt read 'Chiharu'. "Yes, there certainly is. May I ask what your relation to him is?"
What exactly was his relationship with Izaya? "I'm just a friend," Shizuo told her, even though he was lying through his teeth. To call him and Izaya friends was like calling a cat a Dalmatian.
The lady nodded and tapped away on her keyboard, eyes scanning the pages until she found what she was looking for. She smiled amiably and glanced up at him. "Second floor, sixth room on the left. There's somebody else visiting but I don't think they'll mind."
Shizuo gave a slight nod and continued on his way. He was the only lone soul in that hallway, the clicking of his dress shoes on the tile sounding louder than it actually was. With every clack he lost a bit more of his resolve. His hand was on the doorknob for a full five seconds before he just let it drop. When he turned to leave he heard the door open, then close, and heard someone gasp in what must have been surprise.
"Shizuo!" It was Shinra. Apparently he had the same idea of skipping school to come see Izaya. "I didn't think I'd see you here."
I didn't either, trust me. "I'm not here to offer my condolences, Shinra. I just want to get some answers out of him."
This must have been funny, because Shinra laughed and smiled up at him. "Just try not to injure him any further. Have fun chatting!"
The brunette adjusted his glasses and set off towards home to his lovely Celty.
Shizuo stared at the retreating form until he was sure Shinra had gone, then gripped the silver handle again.
He opened the door and…
was promptly hit in the face with a shoe.
The shoe clattered to the ground and Shizuo stood there seemingly unaffected. The person who threw the black leather object was absolutely livid.
Izaya was propped up in the bed with bandages covering the entirety of his torso; some were even wrapped around his head. He stood out in the bright white room. His black hair marred the colorless scenery while his eyes seemed to darken the world itself. Shizuo was starting to think this was a bad idea, and he was right.
"If you would be so kind as to get the hell out, I'd greatly appreciate it Shizu-chan," Izaya hissed, voice nothing short of pure hatred. The emphasis he put on the blonde's nickname would have made anyone else turn tail and run. But Shizuo was too much of a brute to really care.
"No," was his simple reply as he kicked the shoe aside and pushed further into the room, door closing solemnly behind him.
Izaya glared and pressed back against the mattress, thinking Shizuo would go away if he just made himself seem smaller. "Oh? And why not?"
"I want some answers, flea. Why'd you jump?"
Frenzied laughter filled the room, making Shizuo flinch back. "Jump? You think I jumped? I fell, Shizu-chan. It was willing of course, but it was falling nonetheless."
"It's all the same, you damn flea!" Shizuo growled angrily. "Why'd you do it?"
The insane smile that covered Izaya's face was gone in an instant, just as it had before he 'fell' from the rooftop. "I don't have to explain my reasons to a protozoan like you. But I suggest you leave before I have you escorted out."
"Oh yeah? And how are you going to pull that one off?" he replied with a sneer. Izaya shrugged, and lazily jabbed his thumb into a break in his ribs. He flinched, moaning in pain, and shot Shizuo a warning glance.
"I'll say that you're hurting me. Not like they wouldn't believe me. Everyone knows you want me dead," Izaya said with a sardonic smile. The look in his eyes was clear. He had nothing to lose at this point.
Shizuo backed away slowly as red started seeping through the clothe bandages. "Fine. I'll leave."
Izaya laughed again and waved like a preschooler. "Bye-bye, Shizu-chan!"
The laughter cut off abruptly when Shizuo let the door slam abruptly as he exited. What was up with these mood swings? This wasn't the cool and collected Izaya he was used to. This was like someone else altogether.
Somebody tell me why I can't post a second chapter that I'm really happy with. T^T Gah, whatever! Could be better, could be worse. But now we're getting into the plot so things should be easier for me to write. Hopefully. At least I have a plan!
~Chickadee
