Disclaimer: DO NOT OWN the characters of this anime. Some of the background info is taken from the anime too

Author's note: This has been edited in more ways than just grammatically. It may not match the next few chapters, maybe? I will try to upload the rest of the chapters (edited ones) soon. And then, I'll try to continue (don't put any hopes on it though)

Chapter Two

The first time Izaya had seen Shizuo, the tingle had not yet surfaced. It was days later when they had come face-to-face that the almost non-existent tingle made itself known.

It wasn't like it was unpleasant, but that was what really bothered Izaya about it: that it wasn't as much of a wrong feeling but too right that it seeped into his body like a twinge resilient to his mind-set.

It was just that—

Whenever Shizu-chan was close enough to have their little dance— when he could almost breathe in the same air as him, their chests nearly inches away— as Shizuo charged and Izaya dodged. It compelled him most exorbitantly to let the charge touch him; graze him just a bit before he bounced away. Izaya wasn't a fan of unnecessary pain, if he could help it. That's why, he let himself twist away and knife his way through with petty schemes that he knew pissed Shizu-chan off and messed with his concentration (the little that he actually had). Sometimes, very few times really, Izaya would notice something odd in that man's eyes that made him pause (for a few milliseconds every little encounter they would have) before he turned away. Something that thumped against his chest like a wild animal, like somehow Shizu-chan was inside Izaya, waiting to be let out; roaring, rattling the bars and thumping against it in urgency, not stopping for a moment.

He was fine with feeling like an evil jerk-face and even takes a perverse pleasure from being called that, because it is in no way incorrect or offending. It was actually pretty funny. What he did not like was that Shizu-chan had no insult for him except there were a thousand insults loaded in his gaze, piercing into him like daggers. He did not like the craziness that Shizu-chan was and the contagiousness of his touch that rose goosebumps over Izaya's flesh, the feeling that he was missing something. The feeling that Shizu-chan could give him that something.

Izaya didn't like missing anything. He had more knowledge than anyone out there; a genius prodigy, the son who suppressed all and the mad-man who continued to do better and better every day in the black-market business.

He wasn't born to help and figure out someone's mess while they gave him those pitiful, helpless looks. He was alive to pursue his own passion; he didn't have time for other people. Involvement was bothersome. He didn't want anyone to think he was there for someone's well-being. And it would be better for them if they realized it sooner than later

Shizuo was the epitome of bothersome, though. He cursed, swore and gave it his all for emotional involvement. Friendship, brotherhood and love- that man did inexcusable, reckless actions for these relationships. He wasn't someone Izaya understood; to be factual, he would never even try.

He liked to leave idiots alone to figure out their own excessively foolish bullheadedness, uncontrollably emotional episodes of rage, strength and sentimentality. To leave them a bloody heap lying on some alley and just focus on things that were more capricious, more able to move under his puppetry.

Shizu-chan though, refused everything Izaya wanted. So, he would get up despite all his very fatal injuries and his no-friends, brother-complex, personal problems and stumble towards Izaya with an intense, mad-ridden fixation. Izaya's words (sharp and icy words made to cut) would have no affect on him and he would roar and run for Izaya, who would then take a quick exit out.

And then, some other day, that man would come back, singing Izaya's name out with an intimidating, harrowing pop of bones and ligaments realigning, black dress-shoes stopping just a way off from him.

Just as he was doing now.

Izaya is brilliant to breaking things. He is even more brilliant at breaking people.

So, it gets a little tiring (and admittedly, frustrating) after a while when nothing, absolutely nothing breaks that man.

It was a black night, no stars or moons to bewitch the centre of the universe; shadows and half-lit lamps and darkness surrounding them. Traffic lights and sirens echoed soundly through the streets of Ikebukuro. Shouts and screams, recognizably familiar voices calling out names, or perhaps, one name ("Celty!").

In the middle of it all, where alleys and roads were empty of any bystander, stood he and that man.

"Shizuo, leave it be." Shinra, the ever-forgiving doctor said in a strained yet assuring voice. He was kneeling by Celty's side, whose chest was heaving up and down like she was taking deep breaths and maybe, she was. Izaya still hadn't figured out how she does those things. Without a brain. Without a connection to her head.

Just an hour and half ago, Izaya had gathered a few Doctor friends (partner-in-crime, more like) of his to experiment on Celty's brain in a sterile room just west of Ikebukuro. Then, just when they had found the brain waves reacting disturbingly as they plunged into her cerebral cortex, Izaya had gotten a call from an agent that Ikebukoro was a mess, because Celty was out of control. Izaya, jubilant and anticipating the result of their prodding had rushed to the scene and seen the true Headless Rider's wrath.

It was, as the agent had said, 'out of control'. There were innocent-looking people lying injured on the floor as she stood there, still moving her scythe jerkily in one way and another. Shizu-chan (that foolish bull) was behind her, trying to keep her from moving and Shinra shouting for her, as if his voice could snap her out. That was when Izaya realized that he could control Celty's body by just her head and quickly called the Doctors to stop prodding at her cerebral cortex. They did and she stopped, confirming his guess by falling over and gasping.

Returning to the now, Izaya raised an eyebrow at Shinra, the smirk bound to his face like a porcelain mask (It was a fragile mask since it could waver any second, because the stony compound of it depended on him to keep it all together). He could not very well say he was sorry for what he did. This was what he was about: he betrayed, he butchered, he played games, he destroyed people. Shinra knew that from the beginning and that was why, there was no surprise in his eyes as he looked at Izaya, just contempt with a hard, unforgiving edge.

Izaya abruptly flickered his gaze to Shizuo just as the blond stepped forward and scanned the area around him with a quick glance around him.

"Well then." Izaya said, an unnerved grin lifting the corner of his mouth. "I suppose it's time to leave, huh?"

The blond man continued to advance on him with easy and lazy steps, a maniacal grin on his face and-

oh, Izaya really didn't like this at all. He thought as he felt a fresh rush of excitement brewing within him.

He stepped back, not one to underestimate Shizu-chan when he was angry and oh, how he was now. Izaya had evaded Shizuo many times in the past and would, countless more times, in the future. But how many close moments would have to pass before Shizu-chan finally caught up with him?

Also, the truly unfortunate part of all this was that it had been days since he'd heard about Shizu-chan letting out his well-known steam on poor bystanders or juveniles. And the more he didn't let out his steam before, which at present was five days (five-days-worth-of-not-beating-the-shit-out-of-anybody-annoying-or-otherwise— oh, he was dead), the more aggressive he was when he finally vented.

In wits, Izaya could suppress the man, but when it came to immeasurable strength, it was purely up to his cunning plans and a small amount of evasion to further not disturb the sleeping beast. Though, even that, sometimes was not the best road as most of the time, he would only aggravate Shizu-chan more and more. Also, because any harm to Shizu-chan would take just a slight short pause before he'd recover and charge again and again.

It was tiring, yes. Izaya was tired of trying to run away every time he ever stepped on Ikebukuro grounds, of being side-tracked from his plans by a vending machine being thrown at him accompanied by a claim to his death and forgetting to breathe for just a hint of a second as he turned and jumped and Shizu-chan went for a hit.

But—

As he said, it didn't bother him if people hated him, per se.

But something about Shizuo's anger was, unconditionally, the worst and best thing to ever be a victim of. There was an exhilarating madness to the whole confrontation. Shizu-chan's fire ignited brightly with his whole body; from his narrowed, glaring eyes to the tense muscles of his thighs and legs when he pulled in his punch and attacked with the force of a lion. Opposite to Izaya's icy demeanor who would tense mindfully at the arrival of a very bothersome, extra variable that wasn't supposed to be there (Shizu-chan), forcing himself to melt any hostility so, he could pull on his mask and stepped away from harm's way when the fire came close enough to reach, but not touch.

Something about Shizuo's body language told him that this time, he wasn't going to be able to run off without at least, a few hits. He didn't mind, he was already formulating a plan of how he'd be able to escape Shizu-chan with minimum damage.

"Don't you think you should tend to your friend first, before wanting to have your revenge at me, Shizu-chan?" He suggested, his tone teasing and mocking.

Shizuo just looked at him, the shadow in his eyes more brutal than they'd ever been, and continued on ambling.

Izaya, knowing that it was already inevitable, waved the one doctor who came to accompany him to run. Dr. Hijima nodded obediently and got inside the truck, driving off so fast that only a very stubborn Shizu-chan may be able to stop him.

Shizuo looked to Shinra, asking with his eyes if he wanted Dr. Hijima chased, for which Shinra shook his head wearily and looked back at Celty to caress her invisible face.

Izaya, taking advantage of Shizu-chan's occupation with watching Celty for a thoughtful moment, turned and fleed.

A few seconds later, he heard the loud roar of Shizuo calling after him and smirked as he jumped down a couple of stairs to the highway road and quickly rushed to a near isolated tunnel. The yellow lights lit the underground tunnel. There were no cars passing by. It was empty; isolated. With footsteps sounding behind him, he stopped and turned around to see a silent Shizuo standing there with this unreadable look on his face, but his intention remained clear in the tight draw of his shoulders.

Izaya gave him a half-smirk and didn't do anything for a moment, which was a stupid thing to do, he knew. He even had a plan. A wild hound just past this tunnel was waiting on the other side and would probably help a lot in distracting Shizu-chan's attention. His driver was waiting for him just two blocks from there. If he could run fast enough (he could), if the dog could toss a couple of minutes in chewing Shizu-chan up (he would), Izaya could be out of here in just a bit.

He had stopped though. Shizu-chan had stopped too. There was something strange going on here and so, Izaya stopped out of curiosity.

"So," He started, tilting his head to the side as he gave a fleeting once-over to Shizu-chan's face inquisitively before smirking widely. "What are you wai-"

Interrupted and only slightly surprised, he found himself slammed back on the wall with the hem of his shirt bunched in Shizuo's grip.

"You could give a warning but, of course, that's not like you. Is it, Shizu-chan? You just like to charge, like a bull. Only seeing red. Unfortunately, as you can see, I am very well not wearing red." Izaya said with his hands coming up to Shizuo's front, pushing the strong man away. Well, trying anyway.

Shizuo remained where he was, frozen like stone except he was burning from the inside-out. He was watching Izaya and there was nothing wrong with it except it really was unnerving the self-proclaimed mad-man. Today, Shizu-chan looked a little different than what Izaya had known him to be. Of course, it could be that he didn't catch any object in sight to throw at Izaya out of anger but that was also, part of Izaya's careful plan. See, isolated, empty tunnels were good for no-object-to-be-thrown places. He was lucky he'd found it before Shizuo could catch up to him.

"Why Celty?" after a moment of silence, Shizu-chan asked softly as if the answer wasn't obvious to him. Maybe, it wasn't obvious. Still, Izaya felt a little wary of the situation. He'd come to know the monstrous man on a level he was familiar with, but they had never come close enough to feel each other's breath for this long. It was slightly intimidating and he was a little scared of what was going through Shizu-chan's head.

Instead of staring like he'd been doing a minute ago, he decided to reply to the simple question since there was no way out of this uncomfortable situation. Sure, they had been close physically before but this was, partially, resurfacing the Tingle in the back of his spine and somehow, his stomach was lurching in an entirely unfamiliar manner. It felt like there was a weight in the pit of his stomach that was pulling up every time Shizuo even shifted a little. And he couldn't quite name the feeling except decide that it was a very bad feeling. A dangerous feeling.

"You know, as well as I do, Shizu-chan that I am a very curious person— an overtly interested, scrutinizing, nosy, meddlesome, curious person." He paused to see Shizuo's face hardened, the roiling burn of his hatred increasing ten-fold, but he still didn't move to choke the life out of Izaya so, he continued: "And Celty-san is the most remarkable creature I've ever come to witness in my whole life. A mysterious absence of her head that should be— anatomically, medically, scientifically speaking— attached to her neck. Except it isn't. Isn't that fascinating? Doesn't that make you just want to poke and jab at it until it can answer all your questions? It's very exciting."

Shizuo's eyebrow twitched and shifted forward, completely invading Izaya's personal space. A minute later, that same eyebrow dipped down as if confused.

Hey, hey. What is this tense atmosphere? Do something! thought Izaya hastily, his heart beating a little faster with every minute they spent in this invisible, frozen, tiny entrapment.

Izaya was trying at casualty, but that was damned hard to keep on when his breath was mixing with that of Shizu-chan's. He felt the beginnings of headiness and the appearance he had to keep up was slowly slipping away from his hands when he looked into Shizuo's meaningfully calculating eyes.

And then, it suddenly clicked.

Nobody probably knew or noticed but Shizuo-chan was somewhat of an observant man when he took his time with it. Oh, and he was taking his time with it now and Izaya was just giving it to him!

The urge to flee hit him very fast- so suddenly that he squirmed, kicked at Shizu-chan's side and twisted away from the man's grip in record time.

"Do you regret it?" Shizuo asked just as he was ready to depart.

Izaya paused, his stomach fluttering hot and cold, the urge to retreat into his office a huge ball on his heart. Izaya turned to face Shizu-chan who looked serious about the question and considered him. "Regret what, Shizu-chan?"

"This. What you just did." Shizuo gestured around him.

"No." He said a little loudly, cold gaze plastered to Shizuo's eyes as he smiled pleasantly. "I learned from today's experiment that I can control Celty's body and in turn, her very useful powers. Why would I regret that?"

Shizuo stayed silent before he moved to lean his back against a wall, taking out a cigarette from the packet, lighting it up and taking a drag. As Shizuo breathed out, the smoke puffed around him and Izaya, crazily enough, didn't move an inch. Taking a smoke indicated that Shizu-chan wanted to wade off his frustration, but that just left him questioning what the purpose of this was.

After three or more drags, as Shizuo continued to look up at the curved ceiling of the tunnel, Izaya rolled his eyes inwardly and turned to leave.

"I made a promise." said Shizu-chan as Izaya kept on walking calmly away. He felt the prickle of Shizu-chan's gaze against his back. "I'll get Celty's head back."

Izaya snorted and left.

He didn't question what had happened in the tunnel until he was in his office and standing over his chess pieces. Shizu-chan was the only variable Izaya had never wanted to control or predict. The only piece he would force his hand to move.

A ditch formed in the mass between his eyebrows and he sat down on his chair with an exhausted sigh. "Ah, ah. We really have a situation now."