A/N: Wow, I can't believe how many people seem to be enjoying this story! It makes me so happy!
For anyone wondering where all the angst is, never fear, we'll get to some lovely floor-crying eventually. This is just the fluffy beginning!
As always, many thanks to my betas Blakeyel1ner and LucyValkyrie for actually helping me with my ridiculous story.
As for this chapter, enjoy!
The raven stood before the window, staring out at the late afternoon sky, brow furrowed in puzzlement. As he lightly touched his slightly chapped lips, Izaya wondered if a certain blond beast was just as confused as he was. Probably not, knowing Shizu-chan. As long as Izaya had known him, he had never seemed to follow normal human rules and logic.
Letting his hand fall, Izaya smirked. Whatever state the monster was in, he would no doubt be interesting to observe. Perhaps he should drop by Simon's, knowing the blond went along that way home from work, or maybe he should-
"Izaya, I've got something for you to look at." The sharp, clipped voice of Namie shattered his thoughts like thin ice under the shoes of a monster. When Izaya turned in her direction, his usual mask like smirk coated his face as he stared at her.
"Go away Namie-san, I'm working. Can't you see how busy I am right now?" The irritable pitch of his voice was soon accompanied by the glare that marred his happy expression. Her eyes matched his in irritation, shooting daggers at him. Tching, Izaya turned back to his contemplations, trying to ignore the neat hole his secretary was boring into the back of his head.
"What the hell has gotten into you? All you've been doing is staring at that window all day. I don't think I've seen you move!" the brunette huffed.
Hmm, perhaps he was being mildly obvious but Izaya wasn't of the mind to be bothered. There was too much excitement rocketing around his mind to care what Namie thought of him. Still, her constant nagging was beginning to become a mild annoyance.
Spinning on his heels and closing his eyes, Izaya rocked to the balls of his feet and back, locking his hands behind his head in the picture of relaxation before asking, "You're a bit more interested in what I'm doing than usual, ne?" Cracking open one lid to reveal a blood-red iris, he blithely suggested, "I could be plotting the downfall of worlds right now, you never know."
"With you, it wouldn't surprise me." She muttered dryly before flicking through the contents of the folder she held and pulling out a specific piece of paper, waving it at him. "I need you to look over these figures. I've been going through them and if you ask me, someone's been embezzling from-"
He cut her off before she could finish. "I'm sure it's all quite fascinating Namie-san but this is what I have a secretary for. To do all the boring things I don't feel like accomplishing. I quite literally have bigger fish to fry." Shooing her away with his delicately wave, Izaya muttered, "Go on, do your job."
"Why do I even put up with you!" She shot back in frustration, shoving the paper roughly into the folder and turning back to her workspace. Grinning, Izaya bounced on his toes thoughtfully for a few seconds before settling at last on a course of action.
"Oh Namie-san!" He sang, leaning down to smirk at her teasingly. "I have some business to attend to. Be so good as to look into those reports by the way, I'm sure you'll find they hold more water than either of us could ever imagine." With a definite skip to his step, Izaya grabbed for his beloved coat and made his way to the door, already planning how best to manage the upcoming encounter.
"Well Shizu-chan," He muttered under his breath, mouth curving up maliciously, "Let's see what you're beastly mind has made of this."
Izaya Orihara had gotten exactly zero sleep the previous night. This might have been a frequent occurrence but unlike his usual rampant insomnia, there was a reason for this flair of sleeplessness. That reason had bleach blond hair and wore a devastatingly well-fitted bartender's uniform. Licking his lips at the memory, Izaya grinned devilishly. Yes, that had been quite the unusual turn of events yesterday. Oddly enough, the scene flashing through his mind didn't disgust him, quite the contrary, he felt that same yearning welling up within him again, spurring him on in his search for the blond.
Of course, it was all just a game to the raven: the desire, the curiosity, the kiss. All these new feelings and intriguing actions were only meant to get a rise out of Shizuo, no different from any other game he played with the blond. Secure in this knowledge, he was safe, safe from all the potentially earth-shattering consequences of messing with the freight-train called desire. The fire could lap at him all it wanted, Izaya Orihara, a god, was above being scorched by something so base, so human.
Even so, he liked it in an odd way, the human feelings that before he'd always just brushed off like dust on his shoulder as he moved forward in life. It made an odd sort of sense that Shizuo, with his beastly tendencies and absence of logic, could excite him. Honestly, it had been bound to happen at some point, judging by the frequent fights and heated blood between them. Such a tantalizing taste of the monster's passion was inebriating to be sure and the thought caused Izaya to ponder how far this game would go.
Izaya allowed himself to remain enchanted by his thoughts, all the while continuing to seek out the brute. Shizuo had never been a difficult person to find, always following a very predictable pattern of behavior no matter the circumstances. All Izaya had to do was visit the sites the monster frequented and he would no doubt find the beast, or perhaps the beast would find Izaya, acknowledging him via flying trashcan or vending machine. If he was lucky, he might even get a street sign.
All morning and a good portion of the afternoon, he had debated how best to approach the monster and which face he wished to show him. After all, Shizuo was an idiot that could ruin even the simplest of plans. If not for Namie's constant pestering, there was little doubt in Izaya's mind that he would have stood there all day, still unable to decide on what to do. That was the trouble with monsters, they never made things easy. Shizuo was just as likely to overreact to that small kiss as he was to brush it off without a second thought.
It all depended on how the beast was feeling.
Scuffing his feet lightly on the guardrail he balanced on, Izaya stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked at his feet contemplatively. His eyes widened ever so slightly as he realized that he'd wanted to do something like that to Shizuo for a while, just to see his reaction, but the opportunity had just never presented itself. Funny, it had happened in such an unplanned way…
Arching his back and staring up at the sky slowly fading from the bright blue of afternoon to the orangey glows of the start of sunset, the raven made a sound like a cat as he stretched his arms high above his head and smirked. What a perfect day for a high speed chase fraught with knives, punches and now this new level of tension that Izaya himself had introduced.
Thin whistling to his right alerted Izaya that something was off, giving him just enough time to duck left as a street sign flew past his ear, impaling itself in the back window of a car. Spinning around with a grin on his face, the raven found the very person he'd been looking for, standing behind him, a look of fury imprinted on every inch of his perfect features.
"IZAYA!" Shizuo bellowed, sunglasses reflecting the light from the dying sun, giving the raven a flawless image of his own pleasantly smiling features. The allegory was not lost on the informant.
Quickly drawing a knife, one of many he kept with him at all times, Izaya took a few step back on the guardrail before asking, "To what pleasure do I owe this personalized greeting from the fortissimo of Ikebukuro himself?" It was a question with a blatantly obvious answer but it accomplished its set purpose, further riling the blond up.
"You shitty flea!" The monster roared, picking up another projectile and throwing it at Izaya. "I'm gonna fucking kill you for that stunt you pulled yesterday! I'm gonna kill you till you're dead. I'm gonna kill you till you're deader than dead!" Recklessly, the beast lunged at him, throwing punches just as quickly as Izaya danced away. There was something behind the brute's reckless fury, something hotter, that the raven noted and dissected like a lab specimen. If he was any judge of the fire in Shizuo's eyes, the blond hadn't remained unaffected by the kiss either.
"Shizu-chan, such violence!" Izaya gasped in mock horror, leaping off the guardrail and onto the top of a trashcan before the blond knocked it out from under him, driving him to the pavement. Pressing a hand to his heart, Izaya gave an exaggeratedly morose face as he taunted, "I'm hurt."
"Izaya, I'm gonna make you regret ever coming into my city!" Shizuo ripped out a street sign and leveled it at the raven like a javelin. Ooh, time to run! Turning, Izaya dashed down the street, laughing as the wind whipped his face and swirled around him like waves. From behind him the thundering of Shizuo's footsteps caused him to shudder with anticipation, sending his brain into overdrive as he tore down the street, dodging frightened civilians as he went.
Excitement coursed through him as he ran, spinning before him a million different outcomes for the situation. Turning into the main entrance of a parking garage, Izaya dodged another sign as he darted among swerving vehicles, laughing at the startled faces of their drivers. Better that even he could have imagined they all seemed to block the beast's path, some actually crashing into him. Yes, this ought to be interesting, he decided as he turned into the stairwell, taking the steps two at a time while the sounds of Shizuo's enraged yells faded behind him.
As he reached the top of the concrete structure Izaya allowed himself a moment to stare out at the setting sun and breathe. The air above the city was tranquil, peaceful even to him. Even as the informant who knew to what extent the people below him were truly at war, he could almost relax completely.
Of course, complete relaxation was impossible. Not when he knew who was, at this very moment, pounding up the stairs to greet him. There was little doubt in Izaya's mind that the monster would throw him off the building if given the chance but the raven didn't intend to be disposed of quite so easily. Lazily he turned his head, judging the distance between the different building surrounding the one he currently stood on, quickly rating them based on their usefulness as a means of escape and their practicality in terms of his actually abilities. Walking forward, Izaya decided that the apartment complex to his right would suit his needs best if he had to get away.
Sighing, Izaya leaned against a light post, stretching his lean body to its fullest extent before settling down to wait. Surly one as predictable as the fortissimo of Ikebukuro wouldn't just walk away from his archenemy, would he. The very idea seemed preposterous but, as the seconds ticked by, Izaya wondered if the beast had done just that.
A small frown turned down the corners of his mouth as Izaya considered this possibility. If Shizuo had left then that would add another layer to this already fascinating game, though unfortunately, it wouldn't be one that suited him. As he stared out at the swiftly setting sun, Izaya narrowed his eyes against the glare and breathed in deeply, calming himself. Perhaps this wasn't the most exciting reaction to what had happened yesterday but maybe it was all he was going to get. Initially infuriated by the kiss, the beast had, much like an animal, soon forgotten once the object of his wrath was removed from his sight.
The thought brought a smirk to the raven's lips as he closed his eyes lightly against the sun. Stupid Shizu-chan, unable to think past one second to the next. I almost pity you…
"Flea." The growl made him smile slightly in triumph but Izaya didn't trouble himself to open his eyes. Even with them closed he knew precisely where the monster was, standing across from him at the mouth of the stairwell, stance no doubt menacing.
"Isn't the sunset mesmerizing Shizu-chan?" The raven asked, contentment in ever line of his body, not even flinching when Shizuo took a threatening step forward. Stretching his hands before him in a wide sweep he announced, "It's like your rage, it burns hot and bright and then it's over, yet it always comes back." Finally cracking an eyelid open he purred, "You're such a beast Shizu-chan."
The fortissimo of Ikebukuro stood in front of him, almost completely obscuring the sunlight with his well-built, tempting form. Again Izaya saw that captivating flicker of something deep in the monster's eyes. Somewhere in the tangled mess down below, Shizuo had lost his sunglasses which gave Izaya a clear look at the golden amber glow of the monster's eyes, almost matching the setting sun in hue.
"You know, I told you not to underestimate me." Izaya mused after deciding that the beast wasn't going to answer. "I warned you that I was never out of plans." Watching Shizuo, the raven noted how slowly he moved towards the informant, eyes spiraling with hatred, anger and something Izaya would have likened to hunger. Somehow, the blond's continued silence began to irritate him, getting under his skin in a way that the brute's wrath never had.
Tching softly, Izaya reached into his pockets and wrapped his slim fingers around the cold, unforgiving handles of two switchblades, determined to finish this dead end game. "Aren't you going to yell at me Shizu-chan?" He asked testily, eyes narrowing as he stared at the blond. "This silence is boring, ne?" The unmistakable twitch in the beast's eye reassured Izaya of Shizuo's anger but it still didn't help that the air on the roof was far too quiet for the informant's tastes.
Irritable, the raven rolled his shoulders loosely and remarked, "Well Shizu-chan, I'm sure you have many different ways you want to throw me off this building but I do not have the time in my day to waste standing about waiting for you to do something." Biting his lip on a grin, Izaya raised an eyebrow and commented, "There's no rest for the wicked so I must leave."
"No." Ah, so now he speaks.
Sticking out his bottom lip in a pout, Izaya asked, "Oh? Why shouldn't I?" Frown flipping to a dangerous smirk, the raven slowly withdrew a knife, lazily pointing it in the blond's direction. So close was the brute that the tip of it almost brushed his chest. "It's not as if being around you is any favour to me." For all his chatter, Izaya was curious as to what was going on behind the monster's fiery eyes. Chances were it involved crushing him to death or something of the like, keeping the beast's mental capacity in mind but… He could be wrong. "Why don't we just cut to the chase, ne Shizu-chan?" He hissed, eyes full of malevolence, grin still holding on his face.
Much to his surprise, Shizuo matched his expression, irate snarl morphing into a smile that could only be described as devilish. "Yeah," He leered. "Let's."
In one fluid and wholly unexpected movement, the beast surged forward, grabbing the wrist of the hand that held the knife and twisting it above Izaya's head, easily pinning it to the metal pole the informant was leaning on. In a second the raven had another knife out but this hand too was pinned above him, useless in the monster's steely grip. Briefly he struggled, only to find himself completely immobilized by the beast's hulking form.
"What do you think you're doing Shizu-chan?" Izaya spat, unable to obscure the shiver that ran through him at the close proximity to the monster. Despite his ire, the raven's face flushed a deep shade of red as the hot breath on his neck sent shuddering curls of want down his spine where they pooled in his abdomen.
"I'm paying you back for that fucking stunt you pulled yesterday." Without warning, Shizuo crashed his mouth against the snarling informant's in a hungry, demanding kiss that had the raven gasping for air. Unlike the one in the alley the day before, there was nothing gentle about this, all bruising passion and snapping teeth. Fleetingly trying to wrench his wrists free in some semblance of resistance, Izaya found himself once again overcome by the need coursing through him, destroying any rational thought and making it all too easy for Shizuo to completely undo him.
As his lips parted in a breathy moan, Izaya's mouth was invaded by the beast's tongue which quickly laid claim to him, sucking on his own tongue roughly like it was a spoil of war. What should have revolted the raven seemed to be only exciting him more, robbing him of his breath and catching in his throat. With every second that passed, the want that had been bubbling in his blood since yesterday grew, stimulating him more than he'd have liked to admit.
Suddenly the pressure on his mouth vanished as Shizuo drew back somewhat, looking all too satisfied with himself at the raven's hot face and mildly swollen lips. Infuriated with the abrupt absence, Izaya hissed out a, "Stupid Shizu-chan," before colliding his mouth with the blond's once more, savoring the intoxicating blend of cigarettes and soda that seemed to be all the beast ever tasted of. Chuckling darkly at the informant's humiliatingly human actions, Shizuo trailed hard kisses along the raven's jaw, moving down his exposed neck where Izaya choked on a moan as the brute actually bit the creamy flesh, sucking at the bruise it left like he was marking his territory.
As the informant's sinful moans twisted through the darkening air, Izaya knew he was playing with fire. Every flick of the brute's tongue seemed to shoot straight to his hardening arousal, making the air around him progressively thicker and much too heavy to breath. Needy shivers wracked his frame, each quickly devoured by the monster as a hot mouth caught Izaya's ear and sucked on it, provoking yet more moans. It wasn't fair that the beast could turn him on this easily, not when he was supposed to be known as the cool, collected, high class informant of greater Tokyo. The torturous way Shizuo lapped at the fresh bite marks at the crook of his neck shouldn't be permitted to drive him this crazy, not when this was all just supposed to be a game.
Frustrated with the blond's constant teasing and desperate for some sort of friction on his painful erection, the raven lustfully bucked his hips forward, rolling them against an equally hard bulge in the beast's pants. At once the hands crushing his wrists vanished as the fortissimo of Ikebukuro stumbled back, shock in every line of his face, a look that Izaya couldn't help mirroring as he realized with horror what they'd been doing. From where he stood, trying to steady himself against the light poll, the raven could see the redness in Shizuo's face and the prominent erection straining at his black slacks.
Sudden fury welling up, Izaya dropped his arms to his sides and pulled his coat around him, stifling a groan as his too tight jeans constricted around his throbbing member. "You dumb protozoan." The raven managed to snap, still trying to catch his breath properly. "What the hell were you thinking?" When the blond said nothing, the informant forced himself to move, pulling his fur trimmed hood up around his face to hide the raging blush upon it.
"Could ask the same thing of you, you little shit." Shizuo muttered, averting his gaze and pushing a hand into his pockets to fish out a cigarette and lighter. Perhaps it was Izaya's own shaking but for a moment he could have sworn the beast's hands trembled as he attempted to light the cancer stick that protruded from his mouth. With a sharp breath, the raven opened his mouth, bent on saying something, anything, to destroy the relative peace the blond seemed to be enjoying.
He came up empty.
Glancing back at the informant, Shizuo blew out a small, twisting puff of smoke and shrugged. "Consider us even now." All too casually for Izaya's tastes, the fortissimo of Ikebukuro turned and left, footsteps echoing up from the stairwell until they were nothing but Izaya's imagination.
Even? The raven glowered after the blond, unable to quite believe his words. Then, through his annoyance, a laugh bubbled up and shot from his mouth, painting over his irritation with the silver lining his precious humans were so quick to disregard. I suppose we'll have to finish this game another time Shizu-chan, after all, only I will decide when we're even.
Biting back a grunt at his still present problem, Izaya started his staggering trip back to Shinjuku, giggling under his breath all the way.
A/N: Oh I just love this story. Next chapter will have some wonderful wonderfulness from Shizuo's perspective because why not?
If it isn't too much trouble, please leave a comment because hearing what you guys think fills me with such happy bubbles.
Until next time, ta ta!