Once again, I deeply apologize for the wait. BUT-! Guess what? I passed my Algebra exam! :D
Sad part is that I have EOC and exams on the last week of school, which for me, ends on Wednesday. So I'm certain I'll be on the chat rooms because of that. My way of celebrating! Anyway, let's get reading!
Chapter 30: Mistake
Warning: Mild Language, some blood, This Chapter was written on Phone, so please excuse all misspellings and auto corrections. Thank you, and enjoy!
It was darker than she had remembered. Her eyes couldn't adjust to the swallowing darkness that had blocked every inch of light piercing her eyes. It hurt. Her body screamed and ached for her to stop and take a rest but she knew it would damn well cost her life and she was not going to die without seeing her fate clear or ensuring her dear little brother, Seiji, was safe.
Her legs continuously buckled and twisted under her weight from how much the monsters drained her energy out like vampires. "This is bad..." she rasped under her breath and clenched teeth. Limping close to a fence, she rested her body upon the cool black holed gate and a tall building trapped her vision. It must have been late at night. Very late.
She had to get into the city. The outskirts was not a smart place to reside.
When the road was lively and filled with roaring cars speeding passed her, she barely could support the idea of getting somewhere safe. No one was around to see her in this damaged state which could be good, but the worst thing was that it was late and no one could know or have seen what would happen to her, for dangerous beings of every kind come out like beasts afraid of the light of day and only come out at the darkened hour because it is their time to rise. The sky was engulfed in black, eating away the stars and moon from ever beaming their light on the people of the night. Clouds swam in the sea above and breathed hot humid air that brushed Namie's skin and filled her lungs with heat. It will rain. Soon. Probably the whole day.
The next thing she could register was her trying to keep her composure in her pained state. A glimpse of a blur of darkness swept at the corner of her eye and the unmistakable yellow mask illuminating from the city's arrogant lights.
Namie's face twisted into a grimace. Out of all people or things, why did this monster have to show up to her rescue?
The instant neigh of a horse wheezed through the air, piercing it and come to a screeching halt.
That's when her legs begged for mercy before buckling below her and slamming onto the concrete. Her vision faded into darkness as it engulfed her; but the last thing her eyes could transfer to her was the headless woman slipping off her bike and running at her desperately.
But this "monster" was a fairy saving her.
Izaya has been going out more and more frequently. Time was or the essence and he wouldn't let his flexibility go to waste so on some simple walks, he would practice his parkour.
The certain blond he knew for almost an eternity has always guarded the streets of Ikebukuro like a mutt or so it seems.
It wasn't his obligation to worry about his little pawn, however. Shizuo has been with a girl who thought she could bury her true identity from him and the world. It was a perfect distraction that it made a bubbling swarm within him.
Shizuo was fixated on someone else and that would give Izaya time to sort out this twisted game of distress and agony. If Izaya had perfectly timed it and been working alone then this would be a pinch. This so called Vorona was keeping the beast occupied while like a good puppet she was.
A puppet attached by strings of life and controlled by a mastermind toying with pawns daily.
So why.
"Why am I disturbed by her presence?"
"Surely she is nothing but an insignificant girl meddling with business she has no right to fondle with." His russet eyes narrowed "Tell me exactly why she's taking away my fun."
The mastermind might be the controller of hundreds, if not, thousands of puppets all on one string. "So how could someone as mear as Shizu-chan affect me like this?"
The thought sent him into a pool of annoyances and bothers. He slightly chuckled at the faint memory of his dear secretary scolding him.
"You fail to realize your insecurities. You're much more easier to read than you realize."
"Yeah, that's something Namie would say, or at least, Simon would." Shizuo only spoke with him that a few days ago and now the beast has resided and placed him outside of his inner wall. Where would his fun reside if the blond was no where around for him to tease? A sigh of boredom steamed through his lips.
"Today is so booooring~" he chimed leaning off of the chair he was glued on. Today wouldn't be bad to take a walk. It will rain, and he's fine with the crying of the sky.
"Come again?"
"I will repeat myself." Vorona had said to the older man. "Tom senpai has requested for me to spend the evening with you."
"He had told me that I should tag along to accompany you for the entire evening." Her eyes of ice locked onto honey. The faux blond expressing an expression of confusion before sighing. Tom just didn't know when to quit.
"You really don't have to. I'm in quite a bad mood and I'd suggest that you should do something you'd like instead."
Shizuo ruffled his blond locks and inhaled the fresh air of the streets. "No, I am perfectly fine accommodating Shizuo senpai. And I am quite happy of being by Shizuo senpai's side." Even through a cold metallic voice and personality of a girl like her, a warm smile appeared on her face. Shizuo grunted a small 'fine, if you say so' and proceeded to walk with her.
The town was peaceful for once and not barking up trouble for the terrifying events that have always occurred on the streets of Ikebukuro. But it was calming for once. A city constantly brewing with chaos should never be able to breathe nor catch the glimpse of the ordinary. The town was like it's own world to everyone.
They spent most of the day talking and prancing around the town. It was strange. No Mikado. Celty was busy, or rather, speeding away from the cops in fear, Tom took a day off.
No one to piss him off.
No Izaya.
His mind suddenly shut down and his feet wouldn't obey him. "Is something the matter, Shizuo senpai?" He heard the Russian beauty question and looked forward to meet her gaze. He had stopped and could not take another step for his legs refused to obey him. After all the things that have been happening through these passed months, you'd believe the two nemesis of Ikebukuro and Shinjuku would still hate each other and rake hell on the streets. But now?
Now he doesn't even know if he hates the raven.
"...Uh, y-yeah. I'm fine." He said in a quiet slow tone, a frown slipping onto his lips. "If there is anything you would like to talk to me about, please, I am here for you."
"I will listen to all of your worries." Vorona spoke in such determination standing in front of the man she respected highly. What was going on?
It was all a mistake.
"...Damn," he cursed, "I don't even know anymore."
His glare was serious but tugged down with insecurities pooling within those honey orbs. It was fine for a person to express their feelings to one another. Celty was dear to him as a best friend, if not, like a sister to him. Vorona was a friend. Someone who he can trust with the strands of his anger.
Vorona carried a scale of balancing or holding back the beast of anger that constantly erupted from the blond. It was fine to trust her in his eyes.
"Vorona, I just don't know" he cursed aloud. "There is someone-somebody I have always known to be an accursed bother to everything. I can't stand them, but I can't stay away from them long enough without worrying or just plainly thinking about them!"
"...I just don't know what to fucking do..."
Surprised by his own behavior, Shizuo felt like a faucet spilling out water. His own mouth betrayed him and made the words fly from his mouth in such emotion that he could hardly tell if that was how he was really feeling. He could see through her tundra set of eyes that she was overcome by confusion and worry entangling together.
The orange sky that once breathed a pleasant and peaceful afternoon dusk was quickly succumbing to dark clouds that were eating away at the world.
"Don't be upset, Shizuo senpai." She finally said after an awkward silence that lasted for eternities on end, eyes spilling with understanding. "You care about this person in a strange way that not many would understand."
"I am also dealing with that situation at the moment." She admitted, eyes breaking from his mocha features and onto the concrete. The roar of thunder did not go unnoticed by anyone and soon the streets of dull but lively people were speeding up as if they were in a hurry.
Rain was on its way and it was coming in a bad way that rain usually always slips in. "You're experiencing the same problems, too?" Shizuo asked puzzled. How could she be having this problem? There must be something that he must have missed.
She nodded. "My problems are in no concern of being a major problem. You're experiencing a similar problem and I'd appreciate you being happy than to sulk on this subject." The skies quickly died from the clouds eating away at the once illuminating beauty above them and decorated the sky with a dull orange-gray. Its shadows casted down on everything as if it was a giant looming over the people.
"We should take shelter," he said in concern "it is obviously going to rain." And without a moment's waste, the sky released its load of tears. The people scrambled around like rats and the city turned into a ghost town. There were some people walking all mighty with umbrellas acting as their guardians against the wet droplets and there were citizens covering their heads and sprinting carefully upon the concrete that was becoming soaking wet.
From the side, Shizuo and Vorona sprinted over to a small spot in an alley that was close to a shop and it had a roof protecting them from the pelting droplets of rain.
"Oh great, now it's raining."
They stayed there until it started to draw into late dusk. And in that small spot, they were closer than ever could be.
And it will benefit one of the worst mistakes in his time.
The voices around her were rocking her straight awake and a sudden light was piercing the darkness. Wincing, Namie dared to take on the light that interrupted her slumber. Irritated and groaned out, her eyes of dark chocolate slowly fluttered open and settled upon a man in a wheelchair with glasses prodded in front of the doorway and a womanly figure standing on the opposite side of the room. "...Nnn..."
"Hey, Celty! I think she's waking up!" She heard the male in the wheelchair speak up in enthusiasm and his eyes brighten up in glossy hazel.
The main had a childish look to him, hair shined a brown and cut short, unmistakable glasses. Though, he looked bruised and obviously wore a cast on his leg and some bandages.
"...Kishitani." she groaned out after her eyes adjusted through the vagueness.
"So it wasn't the dream I was hoping for." She muttered. "You didn't expect Celty to save you, and I didn't expect it nor you coming over to be treated either." He said in a small polite small. If you would call that polite.
"I have to admit, I would have never thought I would be rescued by the headless rider herself."
"Celty is kind like that. She would do anything in her power to help anyone in need. She's not some beast or monster. She's more human than most." That same genuine smile curled into his lips, and he didn't have to notice Celty practically shifting from embarrassment despite her smoke fuming like a train's. Celty was taken by her lover's words yet again and she could find no other remedy.
"But I do have one question. A question that we'd all like to know." Shinra said looking at dead her. "What happened? Celty told me she found you in the outskirts of Ikebukuro bruised and in bad shape." He explained. Now that she had good time to acknowledge he'd surroundings, she was in a medical bed and patched up. She must be in Shinra's home. Everything slammed into her head like a flash and it was hard for her not to just spew all the words out and stumble over them like a leaked faucet.
"...It's about Izaya."
They both looked at her in absolute concern.
"There are men after him and they did this to me."
Her chocolate eyes scanned them before a chill swept through.
"He's in grave danger."
They were close. Too close. The rain made it worse and Shizuo wished to go home and think about the common mistakes. The rain reminded him of that one day he had saved Izaya from drowning; and it wasn't even raining. But water splashing and pelting the ground like how it was made him remember all too well. This all happened because he chose to have his nemesis live through more suffering.
Suffering he never knew about and was excluded from.
"Shizuo senpai." Shizuo turned and looked down at Vorona. "This person you speak of. How are they?" The question took him suddenly by surprise. "Well, they are very annoying and sometimes you just want to beat the living shit outta 'em."
"And you can't help but think about the bad things that they could be doing. They have you all entangled in a web of lies and you can't get away from them. But..."
"...You find yourself sometimes wanting to stay by them. Whether you're worried or for another reason." His honey chocolate orbs refused to meet hers.
What am I saying?
This can't be how I truly feel...
"God he makes me so damn fuckin' pissed every time...! Wish he'd stay out of 'bukuro..." Shizuo didn't realize he was rambling on. "It must be tough having that kind of person in your life." She replied.
"No kidding."
Something didn't sit well with him. Why was she asking at such a time like this?
"What about you? Who is that special someone you are having troubles with?" Her eyes flickered. "There are two of them. One was..."
"a very special comrade of mine."
"And the other?" Shizuo gave her a hard glare. He didn't want to push her or make her say anything she didn't want to say. Judging by her appearance and how her eyes continuously betrayed her, she must be struggling with the battle of telling or burying it in more lies.
"The other is someone very close. They make me feel strange inside and I do not know this feeling. My chest feels like it is on fire and my stomach has a flutter feeling."
Her eyes finally linked with his mocha eyes. "That special someone."
"Is none other than you, Shizuo senpai."
Confusion and surprise assaulted his senses quickly and he felt the water screaming. Before he could react or part his lips to speak an utter word, he felt the warmth and soft skin of her lips crash onto his and press forward. The shock took him by surprise like it slammed a truck straight into him and his head swarmed for results on how to process what is happening and what to do.
Vorona had stolen his first kiss.
For an instance, he remained frozen as a statue before the courage within him screamed to stop it.
Firmly, Shizuo grabbed a hold of her shoulders and prod them apart. Vorona looked into his eyes seeking an answer to why he had broke the kiss.
"Vorona- I-"
In the corner of Shizuo's eye, in a flash of lightning the shrieks of blades slicing through the air cut in between them. Three blades. Silver knives.
One grazed her cheek and severed several strands of hair and one dug itself within her shoulder, her grunting out in pain. The third knife only dug itself halfway into Shizuo's broad skin on his arm, still able to draw blood and it staining his sleeve. Vorona clutched her arm that was streaming crimson downward and her cheek drawing blood to her chin.
"Vorona! Are you okay?" He asked but she never answered in speech. She only nodded.
"Who!?"
Angered, Shizuo whipped around to find the culprit. But all he saw was an unrecognizable dark blur darting away. "Oi!"
"GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE!" The blond beast roared as he took off into an animalistic sprint after the bastard. The rain pelted hard against his broad skin and he hoped not to run too hard that he would slip and fall. And then it hit his nostrils.
That familiar scent.
That. Scent.
...
...
...
You.
No doubt about it.
His voice rasped as he hogged all of the air into his lungs like a angry pig.
It's happening again like that day. That day he was kidnapped and Shizuo desperately searched for him through the harsh cold rain too similar and identical to this one.
"IZAYAAA!"
The figure ran so fast that he was out of sight by the next corner they turned. It was as if he teleported into a different area or district.
"Damn it! Not again!" Shizuo growled. Only. He felt three to four needles prick his back.
"What the h-hell...?"
Shizuo became a slug and his movements disobeyed him, slow and uneasy. His vision darkened and the edges of his eyes dared him to accept his forced slumber. His knees turned into jelly and buckled beneath him, letting him slam into the concrete hard and let the hard bullets of rain hit him.
"...Izaya..."
And the darkness engulfed him once again.