So I had to break this chapter into two parts-one in Izaya's pov and one in Shizuo's. We'll just label this chapter as the pregame before Shizuo's 'birthday surprise'. ;} That being said, they are kind of extensive? But that's good because it has a lot of information! (And other goodness).
So without further ado, enjoy Izaya's chapter!
Izaya
I studied the array of clothes scattered on my bed, made in various styles and fabrics. All in slightly different shades of black, dark black, light black, ebony, onyx, charcoal, jet, etc...
Why on earth was I worried about something so trivial? Out of all the wonderful assortments of outfits I had, tonight, I could not for the life of me, decide what to wear.
I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose as I shook my head. There was no reason for me to feel this anxious. It was just a small get together with some friends and some booze, right?
Not that I even drank, since I have no need to. What could I possibly benefit from it? It just causes people to act more senseless than they already are. I liked to have full awareness of my body and mentality without the interference of foreign substances. The human emotions provide more than enough instability, there's no reason for me to add to it with cheap liquor...And more importantly, I have to be in control, especially around someone so...obstinate...
I decided to go with a cashmere, long sleeve shirt with a low collar, an overly priced pair of briefs (black), and the dark designer jeans I always wore for special occasions.
I heard the bathroom door open behind me and smirked.
"Ne, Shizu-chan~," I turned to face the blonde, who, much to my dismay, had brought his change of clothes into the shower with him, stood before me with a plain T-shirt and pajama pants in tact.
Don't get ahead of yourself, Izaya, I scolded myself.
"What."
"Tell me, does this outfit look good on me?," I said playfully.
"What? Why?" he stared at me dubiously regarding the sudden question.
"Do you not think so?" I questioned him.
"I didn't say that," he responded flatly.
"So you do think so?" my voice was teasing again.
"I didn't say that, either," he knitted his eyebrows, saying it flatly.
"Well which is it then?" I said, putting a hand on my hip.
"Fuck, I don't know. What do you want me to say? Yeah, sure, flea, looks great...Black is really your colour," he said smartly, occupying himself with folding his laundry.
"If you can put enough effort into being sarcastic, you can at least give me an opinion."
He stopped to look up at me from head to toe to head again, rubbing his chin in thought. I felt myself heat up a little as he studied my body so thoroughly in silence.
After a moment he sighed.
"Yeah. You look fine. I don't know why you're asking me though, I barely have a clue to dress myself-"
"Oh?" I immediately jumped to the gun. "Then would you like some assistance~?" I cooed, before he could take it back.
He snorted. "Yeah, let me take advice from the goth kid," he said with a smug look.
My expression changed drastically.
"I am by no means 'goth'-" I said defensively before it was his turn to interrupt me.
"I never said it was a bad thing," he sighed, and I saw him attempt to bite back a smile as he focused on folding his clothes. I was taken back for a moment when I realized—
"Shizuo Heiwajima," I used his full name for the first time in how long, "are you flirting with me?" I tried sounding more astonished than excited. Not sure if it worked.
"Nope," he said nonchalantly, nearly popping the last syllable.
I felt blood rush to my face at his change of attitude.
I had never seen him behave this way. Even the times I had followed him around secretly at school, he never used this tone of voice when he talked to the few girls that approached him — or anyone else for that matter.
"Why the sudden change in heart, Shizu-chan? Are you finally coming to terms with yourself?"
"What, am I not allowed to be in a good mood on my birthday? You were the one who made such a big fucking deal out of it anyway," he said raising an eyebrow.
"Ah, I suppose I did, didn't I..." I said with a content sigh.
Shizuo finished picking out his clothes — a slim fitting, teal, button up shirt, the top few buttons undone; a black blazer with a high collar, and a pair of dark grey jeans. The particular shade of green-blue made his caramel eyes look more enticing than usual. Needless to say, he looked rather handsome.
As we were about to step out the door, I remembered something.
"Oh, hold on a moment," I said turning back into the room for the bathroom.
"Huh? What is it," he called back to me.
I was looking through my black traveling case for what I had suddenly remembered. When I found it I smirked.
"It's nothing, I just misplaced something~," I said, placing the little vial on top the nightstand.
I came back with a triumphant smile on my face and he raised an eyebrow.
"What was that about?"
"Nothing, nothing to worry about."
The quizzical expression remained, but he didn't question me further as we made our leave of the room. I knocked melodically on the door across the hall with the blonde behind me.
Kadota greeted us with a smile and a bottle of Hitachino Ale in his hand.
Everyone who was usually with us seemed to already be there, as we walked in. All were dressed casually, and sitting comfortably on the various furniture in the room. Several bottles of alcohol were lined up on the counter and everyone had a red solo cup in their hand.
Togusa was playing Smash Bros on the GameCube, Erika was leaning over the counter, talking enthusiastically to Yumasaki, who was pouring himself another glass; and Shinra was texting and sipping his drink on the couch. He looked up from his phone and greeted us with a smile across the room as we entered.
"Look who finally—"
"SHINRA!" Shizuo and I snapped at him in unison, making everyone jump and look our way.
The blonde and I shared an awkward side glance that, having just arrived, already making ourselves the center of attention, we knew weren't helping either of our cases.
A moment passed and everyone went back to what they were doing again and Kadota shut the door behind us.
"Care for a drink?"
"Yes, please." I shuffled away from the brute toward the kitchenette.
Erika handed me a measured cup of the stale, putrid liquid, in which I nodded in thanks. I brought the plastic to my lips and nearly gagged at the repugnant stench. Eyes were on me, so I pretended to swallow and walked away without question. The whole night will probably consist of pouring booze down the sink or on a helpless decorative plant.
I took a seat next to our doctor-to-be friend, but said nothing and focused on Togusa slaying Kirby with Meta Knight. My eyes wandered around the room as I tried to strategically plan how the evening would go. Shinra looked up from his mobile device and I could feel him watch me as I watched Shizuo being handed a glass. My heart rate peaked as I tried to imagine what he would be like under the influence.
"Has he ever drank with you before, Shinra?" I needn't say who.
"Nope," he sighed. "To be honest, as long as I've known him, I still didn't know where he stood on alcohol. It's kinda surprising to see him take it."
We watched the blonde take a sip from the cup he was holding, standing awkwardly in the kitchen with his usual poor posture.
"It is his birthday, after all," I said taking that into consideration.
"Yeah...I doubt he'll get, like, shit-faced, though," he laughed at his own vulgarity. "He doesn't seem like the type."
"Shizu-chan is full of surprises..." I chuckled darkly bringing the glass up to my mouth again.
Kadota came over to take a seat next to us.
"Why do you two look so serious?" I could smell his tainted breath as he spoke.
How revolting.
"No reason...This party's just lame," I said disappointingly.
"Well, sorry you're so difficult to entertain," he said flatly.
"Seriously, there's not even music playing. All I've heard is the Mario theme song since I got here. You shouldn't make being a host your profession in the future, just FYI."
"Damn, Izaya, you're saltier than usual," Shinra snickered next to me.
"Yeah, stop complaining and go get a beer. Maybe then you'll loosen up."
I scoffed. "Beer isn't classy, so I'll have to respectfully decline. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to use the restroom."
I rose to my feet and walked across the living area to the bathroom, locking the door behind me. Without a second thought, I immediately poured the clear liquid down the drain with a scowl on my face.
I looked in the mirror massaging my temples.
"He's right Izaya, you do need to loosen up..." I said looking carefully at my complexion, tapping my cheeks.
I took a deep breath. I couldn't allow my nerves to get the best of me. I was an excellent actor; why now, of all times, was my talent failing me...
I gave myself a mental pep talk to relax, and cleared my throat.
When I left the room, there was finally some music playing. Loud, but not enough to disturb the neighboring rooms.
Shinra had moved to get himself another glass of Sake, now conversing with Erika, Yumasaki and Togusa, while Shizuo and Kadota sat on the couch. I joined the conversation at the makeshift 'bar', pouring myself another glass of alcohol. I positioned myself over the trash can for safe measure.
"Izaya, in all honesty, I didn't really expect you to drink either," Shinra said next to me. "I assumed you thought it was 'dirty' or something."
It is, I smirked.
"I'm just doing the same as you, trying to have a good time~."
"Yeah, but you drank that kind of fast, don't ya think? Don't take what Kadota said to heart."
I chuckled. "Do you honestly think that offended me? Shinra, you must not know me as well as you think you do. Besides, I'll inform you that I have a bit of a tolerance."
"Is that so?" he said amused, not sounding all that convinced.
"Mhmm~," I said taking another pretend sip.
"I wonder what Shizu-chan's tolerance is," Erika said across the counter, cheeks glowing.
I felt my eye twitch and coughed mid 'sip' when she used my pet name.
"What...was that name you used just now?" I said raising an eyebrow to her.
She, and everyone around us knew she had crossed a line.
"It was just a joke," she laughed off nervously, waving her hands in defense.
"No, no, don't worry, I'm not mad or anything." I gave her a friendly smile to reassure her. "I just wouldn't say that within earshot of him," I nodded to the blonde sitting comfortably on the couch. "If you know what's best for you," I whispered, bringing the cup to my lips once more.
Shinra chuckled under his breath, but I ignored it.
The four of us continued to chat about meaningless things I cared nothing about. All the while, I was going through glass after glass, pouring my beverages secretly down the sink or in the trash bin. Slowly, I began to loosen up when the people around me started slurring their words and laughing more often than not, with faces starting to redden at the cheeks. I too joined them, pretending to be equally tipsy.
I reached for the half full bottle of Shōchū absentmindedly, when our hands met. Our eyes locked immediately with challenging expressions, and everything around us fell silent.
Time slowed, then an unfortunate, uninvited thought popped into my head as we stared each other down.
Why did my mind have to automatically create scenarios at lightning speed; coming to conclusions that gave me goosebumps because I longed for...lived for such disorder. Chaos. Dysfunction. Because I too, was unpredictable, always asking myself, 'what could I do now that would make things more interesting?'. It had become a second nature over the years to push limits, always with the knowledge that I would benefit from it in the end. I always pressed for more. Something better than the last, needing that kind of rush.
And so I pushed.
"Ne, Shi-zu-chan?" I sang playfully.
He gave me a questioning look, raising his eyebrow in surprise of my current state and grunted a simple, "huh?"
"What say we play a little game, hmm~?"
Kadota sighed, probably in concern about the well-being of his hotel room, while Shinra and Erika perked up at my inquisition.
He snorted with a suggestive smile just to muse me. "Now what kind of fucked up thing is going on in that flea brain of yours?"
"Wouldn't you like to know~...Actually, though, I was thinking something more along the lines of a drinking game...You do know what those are right? I can never be too sure how far your brain has matured to understand what people do at social gatherings at this day in age."
"Tch," he said looking around everyone's gaze on us. "Go on?"
"We'll start easy. You've broken enough bones in the human body to have a basic knowledge of their various names, correct?"
"'Guess so, yeah. What's your point?"
"We will take turns going back and forth naming a different bone, and if either of us repeats it, they have to take a shot, in also of which we will change the category."
The blonde nodded contemplatively in thought then came to a conclusion with an ambitious grin. "You're on, louse."
"Now this, should be interesting," Shinra said standing back from the counter to make room.
Shizuo positioned himself across the bar from me and Erika and Yumasaki handed us both our measured glasses.
"Izaya, if Shizuo breaks anything, you're paying for it," Kadota stated, but there was a hint of amusement in his voice.
"Then it's a good thing these are plastic, ne?" I cheered, toasting my glass with Shizuo's. "Femur."
"Radius."
"Navicular."
"Metacarpus."
"Maxilla."
"Occipital."
"First cervical vertebra."
"Mandible."
"Phalanges~," I said brushing my fingers against his, teasingly.
He pulled away and flicked the bridge of my nose. "Nasal."
"Zygomatic."
"Humerus."
"Clavicle."
"Ribs."
"Ah, this takes me back to all the times I used to visit Shizuo in the hospital..." Shinra sighed at the memories.
"Ulna..." he gave the brunette a sidelong glance.
I chuckled. "Mandi—shit...!" I bit back, but the damage had been done. I could tell from the surprised faces around me, I had definitely made the first mistake.
Shizuo gave me a smug look, expectantly.
I sighed and reluctantly brought the cup I was holding to said mandible, and downed my shot quickly.
It didn't just hurt, it burned my throat. As if I had just lit a match and swallowed it whole. I shuddered trying to hold myself together.
Another reason why I didn't drink...
My teary eyes looked up into molten ones that had an unfamiliar glint to them.
"Don't get cocky just yet, Shizu-chan," I smiled back cheerfully, my voice raspier than usual. "I see your medical records are as astounding as ever, then. Hmm...Why don't we have someone else choose a topic. That would be fairer, ne?"
He scoffed. "Fine by me."
I looked around. "Anyone from the peanut gallery have a category in mind?"
Kadota suggested countries, in which Shizuo didn't last long. Shinra threw in medical diseases; Yumasaki said something manga related, which ended with both the blonde and I taking shots after coming to a blank. Pokémon was next, which wasn't my forte either, and so on, but the game ended soon after, as did everyone's attention span.
It wasn't but the fourth shot in when I started noticing a change in myself. The room had definitely gotten warmer. I could feel my blood getting hotter, like my skin wanted to start sweating, especially under all the black I was wearing. I was constantly tugging at my collar to loosen the shirt around my neck, and I regretted not wearing layers that I could just take off.
My breaths felt heavier than usual, more so when I laughed. I could feel my pulse increasing in my ears and I knew my cheeks were probably a nice shade of rouge by now. At least I was aware of the slight slur to my words, but I did nothing to try to stop it. I was noticing that some of my underlying characteristics were beginning to surface. I noted that I was even more eccentric when I was tipsy; more melodramatic, and my flamboyance was even more apparent.
I caught myself watching the tall blonde in the corner of my eye, talking and laughing with thee others. I mentally recorded every fine detail I hadn't previously bothered to study until now. He made a couple of side glances my way, but didn't react, other than noticing my existence as he was conversing with someone else. He would check again, and our eyes would meet as I saw him giving a half-hearted attempt to focus at what Kadota was saying. He would end up smiling a little and shaking his head ever so slightly as his own way of acknowledging me, obviously not as engrossed as Dotachin thought he was.
He had a crooked smile, I knew that much. Not his teeth, no, they were perfectly aligned from when he had braces in middle school; but his smile was always off center when he did smile. He had only one dimple. His canines were pointier than your average person (as expected from a monster), I saw, the few times he did flash a grin. And when he did, I could feel my chest flutter a little. There were also times when he finished his sentence, he would lick his lips. I couldn't help but do the same, wondering their taste. Salty, probably, and maybe a very stale taste of cigarettes, like the night before.
When Kadota's attention was directed elsewhere, I wasn't sure what compelled me, but I sauntered my way over to where Shizuo was standing at the far end of the bar. I settled into the space Dotachin had been occupying, while the blonde straightened up from leaning on his elbows to face me, giving me an amused expression.
"Didn't think you had it in ya, flea," he smirked taking a swig of his drink.
"I could say the same. I almost bet money that you were too much of a prude to even hold an alcoholic beverage..." I feigned a sigh. "I must say though, I'm not surprised that it hasn't had an effect...Or maybe you aren't actually drinking it, hmm~?" I hummed, leaning closer.
"Heh, YOU on the other hand," he said taking the glass right out of my grasp, "seem to have the opposite problem." He set the plastic down and rested his paw beside it, though, I wasn't tempted to take it back. Instead I placed my own hand atop his, waiting for a reaction, but his gaze never faltered. "How do you know it isn't affecting me?" he said in a low, gravelly voice, directed to me and me alone.
"Oh is it now?" I said with a cocked eyebrow and a sly smile, drumming my fingers against the back of his hand. "Well then you have my standing ovation for holding up the sober act."
"Heh," he laughed, looking away, and I noticed the faint pink dusting his cheeks. He turned back to me, "How generous of you."
"Speaking of generosity...I haven't even given you your last birthday present yet~." I only noticed when I was speaking in his ear that we had been whispering.
"And that...would be?" I felt his warm breath testing the side of my neck, sending shivers down my spine.
I brought a hand up to the collar of his shirt, tugging it slightly, bringing him along with it.
"I think you already know," I whispered almost inaudibly as I closed the space between our lips.
He definitely wasn't nervous this time around, parting his mouth almost immediately, letting me in. As we tested each other's dominance, our kiss deepened. My grip on his shirt tightened, feeling my heart racing.
Erika's scream from behind didn't phase us as we continued to make out in her presence. It made me smirk inwardly knowing we had an audience.
"I called it! I knew it! Pay up, Dotachin!"
"Hey, you said the first ten days! It's the twelfth!"
"Haha, good thing I didn't specify~."
"Shut up, Shinra."
"Oh my God, they're really going at it!"
I pulled Shizuo in more forcefully, surprised that he hadn't pulled away due to all the attention. I felt myself getting hotter and hotter, wanting more than just some amatuer frenching.
"Trust me," I said in a short breath as I broke the kiss.
My back was still turned to everyone else and I sent a very dazed Shizu-chan a wink.
"Oh no," I said quickly bringing a hand up to my mouth. "I think I'm...I think I'm going to be sick!" Shizuo's eyes widened as I grabbed his arm, quickly pushing through the crowd of our laughing and cheering friends.
I grabbed the door handle and bolted out of the room, and Shizuo haphazardly closed the door behind us.
The shots from earlier weren't helping my already unstable fingers as a fumbled with the key as it kept declining us from our privacy. It was hard for me to contain my excitement with my heart pounding out of my chest; I almost couldn't think straight. Actually, I wasn't thinking very straight at all, if you catch my drift. But really, I was struggling to continue my coherent monologuing.
I heard Shizuo chuckling sadistically beside me, arms crossed against his chest as he supported himself against the wall. In the corner of my eye, I could see his gaze drift from my hands to my face.
"Just...shut up!" I said anxiously.
When we finally entered, as expected, neither of us could wait any longer. The door shut soundly behind me as I was pressed against it. We were kissing, and panting, and kissing some more, as my trembling hands reached for the buttons of the blonde's shirt. You'd be surprised how stubborn they can be when you're horny.
By the time they were undone and I was feeling the warm skin radiating from the other man's body, his fingers were already slipping under the hem of my shirt to take it off. As our clothes fell to the floor, his brawn arms snaked around my waist, pulling me so that our bare chests brisked against one another. He had strategically pressed his knee against the wall between my legs allowing me to grind on him. The forearm supporting my back slowly slid further and further south. I took a sharp inhale when he didn't hold back a rough squeeze to my backside. In my intake, I could still taste the apparent flavor of liquor on my palate; the same piquancy, in his breath. The smell made me remember my previous thoughts before we had left our room, and before all the events leading up to this moment had unfolded:
How I liked to be fully aware of my body and mentality at all times; that I had no real reason to resort to things such as drinking leisurely with friends, like other humans were so fond of doing. How I need to be in control, especially around someone so obstinate…
That being said, no matter how much I disassociate myself from other humans and human emotions, and how I strive to sever the one thing I can never control...my lust and my need for sexual attention was at its peak. I believed those to be my least redeeming qualities and insecurities.
But as I had clearly witnessed firsthand tonight, in order to get the things you unseemly desire from deep within, sometimes you have to adapt. Because after all, I'm still human, and after all, rules were made to be broken.