I had a couple people ask if Shinra saw Izaya in the shower with Shizuo...The answer is...
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In 2 chapters from now ;)
ENJOY!
Izaya
My heart beat rapidly by some nonsensical cause, as I felt myself being crushed between too-cool tile and unnaturally boiling body heat.
"Shinra!" the being growled, and I felt the rumble through my bones.
"If you do see Izaya, tell him we'll meet up with him later. That's all!"
I barely heard the words in intervals, amidst the loud pounding in my head and ringing in my ears. My body felt too hot.
When the third party had finally walked away, I managed to shift just enough for the other to tense again, snapping out of his daze. I was met with golden, smoldering, predator-like eyes, ready to pounce on its prey.
"You," the warm breath greeted my skin at an uncomfortably close proximity. His thumb lifted my chin to meet his overpowering gaze.
"Me," I managed to groan as he continued to grind me into the wall like the idiotic beast he was. I smirked ruefully, anyway, even if it meant my body be embedded into the neatly aligned ceramic forever.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't smash your body into this wall." His voice was unexpectedly soft, but all the more promising.
"Sounds kinda kinky," I teased, as I managed to move one of the hands that had been pinned behind me to hold onto the hip that jutted out into my stomach. "If I didn't know you any better, I'd think you were serious," I lied. I knew he was serious.
His brow twitched in annoyance and the vein in his temple was protruding like it normally did when I pissed him off.
That's right you monster. I can't have you being the one to console me.
He took a deep breath in and out, hunched over to stand eye-level with me.
"You just don't get it, do you?"
The hand currently pressed on his side was lifted up above my head, held in the vice grip of his palm effortlessly; the other, still uselessly stuck behind my back.
The mantra in my brain chanted over and over not to let my body give into the adrenaline that spiked my blood pressure every time I found myself in one of these peculiar situations. I wouldn't allow the closeness of his body get to me like it usually did. Not this time. That would ruin any sort of control I had left.
"You talk a big game. But you dunno when to quit, do you, flea?" His hand squeezed tighter against my wrist.
That's right. Go berserk like you're meant to.
I couldn't take any more of this push and pull of emotions. After seeing the way those girls acted around him, it was clear that I couldn't provide that epitome of appeal.
Not just once did I almost confess something, but twice today, I almost let my pent up feelings spill. It was disgusting, letting him see me like that. What was worse, is that I had developed some sort of dependency on him as well. I was too used to that soft tone, too used to that touch, and too used to those eyes looking at me in a hundred different ways. The only thing he should be apologizing for is for causing my inner turmoil.
I hated that verity of those endearing words. Ones that should never have been spoken to me in the first place. He didn't have a right to. I had to restrain the flood of emotions as he said them, conscious of the fact that he had never spoken to anyone else in his entire life like the way he did to me.
But it was all temporary. It was all in the moment. Shizuo always owned up to things if it meant finding the quickest solution to get over his mistake. To sweep whatever misfortune he had upturned in chaos under the rug and forget it ever happened. I had almost fallen for it too. I had felt weak, hearing his confession. Like it was almost wholehearted and sincere.
I hated myself for wanting to cling onto every unfaltering word that seeped from those lips. I hated myself for wanting to believe that things could be this way, but he said it himself; I was the same then as I am now. He didn't see me as any different, aside from managing to stay relatively civil around me. The reason he wanted to know more, was probably so that he didn't blindly walk around destroying what was left of my ego.
I felt the backhanded realization at the thought, but it only put more fuel to the fire. I just had to act like I had been before up until this point, no matter what the cost. The inevitable of him being aware of my sexual attraction to him for years had already manifested. So what if he was physically attractive? Everyone thought that. I was sure even blind people would think it if they heard how low and seductive that voice could be in their ear during intimate moments.
It didn't matter how often I spent my days watching and researching him throughout our years of school together. It didn't matter how close I got with the intention of pissing him off. It didn't matter how barbaric his single-cellular brain could be at times, nor how unhealthily captivating I found it and craved more. None of that mattered.
If I stopped everything right now and walked away, I could say the sum of it all till this point had been a complete lie. That I was in on the gambling pool of how long it would take to seduce him into sleeping with me. Yeah, that would really rile him up. He'd believe it too.
I thought back to how empathetic and compassionate he looked as he was expressing genuine kindness. It tugged on my heartstrings more than I'd like to admit.
They were lies, I told myself. He wasn't trying to mend things. No amount of encouraging pep talks nor hugs would make up for the fact that I was fighting for myself here. He may be sympathetic, not because he's sorry, but because he feels sorry. For me. Because I had made myself weak in front of him. I wasn't worth the trouble anymore. There was no thrill in combat if your opponent could be easily defeated.
After all the time I spent concerning myself when I'd get bored with him, who would have guessed he would beat me to it.
"Hey, I'm talkin' to you!"
I felt myself being shook by the shoulders, not processing a single word he had been spitting at me.
I lolled my head to the side, wearing an apathetic expression.
"Shizu-chan."
He stopped when he heard his name, and I didn't bother to look up as I continued.
"It's time I be honest with you about something."
His grip relaxed ever so slightly and he waited for an explanation.
"This whole thing. Everything leading up until this point," I met his gaze, "has been a joke."
I didn't miss how caramel eyes widened for a fraction of a second.
"Not a single thing I've told you since we started rooming together has been true. Everything I've said has been a lie."
I watched him scrutinize me as he processed the information. His brows furrowed in confusion, not knowing what suddenly brought on my change in demeanor.
"What?" he finally managed to say when he found his breath again.
"I've been lying to you...About everything, actually."
He still wasn't getting it.
"Ever since the beginning, all I've thought about was how I wanted to see the look on your face when I finally told you this. I had to build up to it, of course."
I felt a forced grin creep on my face as I went on.
"Right now, seeing you like this. This is what I've been waiting for."
I felt a blow to the chest as the words rolled off my tongue, despite him having not moved from the place he stood. His brows knit tighter as he stared at me in disbelief.
"I was going to wait until the end of the trip, but I got impatient and things were getting boring," I lied. "I had to keep pretending to be the 'flea' you wanted me to be. You molded me into the Izaya you wanted to see change," I smirked. "Well you didn't."
His hands let go of me and he stepped back, the look of disgust on his features.
"Whatever you're goin' on about flea, just stop," he looked at me with stone cold eyes. "That's enough."
"I'll admit you were right about one thing, though. I haven't changed. Not then, and not now. I'm the same me, and always will be."
"That's enough, Izaya," he growled at the back of his throat as his body started to tremble. His eyes were dark, like I had never seen them before.
"I won't stop. Not now, not ever. My work is never complete. Not until you either fall beneath me or become the true monster you were meant to be," I said sternly, narrowing my gaze. "That was the whole point of this...It's a shame I got tired before I could see you crumble more than you are now."
"You're lying!"
"I've been lying, Shizuo!" I strained, feeling the wind knocked out of me.
No, this is what I wanted. What I needed.
He took a step back, eyes like daggers, piercing into my soul and the heart I had once again protected with a ice cold barrier. As long as I keep up like this, things will go back to the way they were and I'll never have to worry about falling behind again.
"I don't believe you," he said flatly, emotionlessly.
I was taken aback, not predicting this part of the reaction.
"Good. You never should have believed me in the first place. Your delinquency is your own fault."
Without another word and without a care, he walked straight out of the shower, not bothering to grab a towel, nor the shorts he had previously been wearing. From what I could see, large gawking eyes stared as he stormed away, then trailed behind to meet my own gaze.
Good.
I pulled the curtain back again agitatedly, to stand under the water. I waited about fifteen minutes until I knew he was gone. He probably walked right out of the locker room naked for all I cared, but I didn't want to risk leaving at the same time.
When my fingers and toes had pruned to the point where they were swollen from all the water absorption, I grabbed my towel from the hook and wrapped it around my waist. The rest of the men in the room didn't bother to hide their glances as I found my locker and began to dress myself.
As I pulled my briefs up under my towel I thought about where he had probably run off to...I only guessed because I didn't want to cross him. I could only conclude that he had probably left to smoke an entire pack of cigarettes by now, freezing outside in the cold with his hair still wet. Not that it was any of my concern.
I dropped my towel, rummaging through my clothes for my jeans. It was as I was buckling my belt, did I feel the set of eyes from someone observing me with the intention of me noticing. I stopped, looking over to the other gentleman who was leaning against the wall of lockers with his arms crossed, expectantly. He wore nothing, aside from the towel hanging low around his waist.
I simply raised my brow as I studied him.
He was young and in his early twenties. His dark brown hair was wet and slicked back, and I noticed the sides were shaved — one of the trendy haircuts nowadays that the 'bad boys' would sport. He had warm, brown eyes and well groomed eyebrows, complimented by the clean cut of his stubbly facial hair that was angled tightly along his jaw with a straight razor. His body was nothing less of impressive from the look of his build and noticeable muscle under the slight tan of his skin. He stood about 5'11, which was a few inches taller than me. His shoulders were broad and masculine though, making him appear bigger than he was. Overall, to common eye, he would be considered attractive.
I gave him a disinterested look, not bothering to initiate conversation, though I was sure that was his goal.
Stare all you want. So is everyone else.
It was as I was grabbing my socks and slippers from my locker, to my dismay, did he clear his throat. I didn't bother to look at him, not feeling like giving him my time of day.
"So was that a little breakup back there?" He asked coolly. His voice was deep, but not like Shizuo's. This man's voice was smooth and polished, instead of the usual raspy threats I was used to from smoking.
I didn't bat an eye at the comment, but I felt the need to clear the air.
"Break up? More like a one night stand," I said, unwavering. "Some people just get too attached."
He tsked and shook his head. "I hear that."
Great, now a playboy was trying to reconcile with me. This couldn't get any better, I groaned mentally.
"It was obvious you weren't interested. 'Guy's probably too dense to get it...He really doesn't look the type, though, if you ask me." He sent me a wide smirk. "Maybe you turned him."
He opened one of the lockers a couple columns down and grabbed his own things. When I saw the towel drop I didn't let it phase me. I continued looking him dead in the eye wearing my usual plastic smile.
"At first glance you wouldn't seem like the type either, ne? Funny how things work," I said condescendingly, but he didn't buy it. The comment irked me, however, I didn't let it show.
He simply shrugged, giving me a knowing smirk. "I would say, 'don't judge a book by it's cover', but then I'd be quite the hypocrite," he blatantly looked me up and down, seeing that I was only dressed in low riding jeans. "Wouldn't I?"
I chuckled at the stupidity of this human. "Well, at least you're being honest with yourself," I said nonchalantly, sticking my hands through the sleeves of my pullover.
He turned his attention back to his own locker and began to dress himself, still proceeding to carry on the pointless conversation. He was trying to figure me out, but it wasn't like anything could be accomplished from that.
"I can see when a man has a lot going for him, I can tell you that much."
Was this guy for real? Did he really think he could seduce me with such mediocre flirting? Even protozoan Shizuo was better than—
I had to stop myself from finishing that thought. I needed to stop comparing him to this man.
"I can't tell you you're wrong," I smirked, then pulled my knitted top over my head. "Though, I'm flattered you think so highly of me," I reprimanded.
"I like a guy with confidence, is all. And you seem like you know how to play the field," he responded as if he were taking notes.
"Heh," I couldn't help but scoff. This guy was truly hopeless. The only thing he had going for him was his good looks and hygiene. I mused him anyway. "I'm moved by your confession. Too bad for you, I'm not in the market," I smirked, closing my locker.
He seemed to find that response amusing and chuckled. "Hey, I'm simply calling it like I see it." He continued in a more serious tone. "I wouldn't stick around that blonde guy though, even if he tries coming back. The last thing you want is some clingy guy weighing you down, ya know?"
I had to stop myself from snorting at the comment. No shit, really? Did he even hear himself?
"Ah, thank you for your concern, but that really is none of your business."
I knew the blonde was clingy, no doubt about it. I wasn't defending him, I told myself, I simply wanted to conceal my private life from nosy, thirsty men. It would be a lie to say that I wasn't a little bit offended by the assumption that I was 'easy', but I had to keep up the facade.
I finished toeing my slippers on and straightened to look at him. I wasn't particularly interested in this human, but I could tell he'd be a hard flea to shake.
Dammit, why'd I have to put it that way.
"How about this, Mr…?"
"Hideki Amano."
"Alright, Amano-san. Since you're so sincere about becoming 'friends', I'll accept your number. However, it's up to me whether or not I contact you."
His eyes widened in surprise and he smiled in almost disbelief, shaking his head. He looked around, then back at me, as if he was double-taking the reality. It seemed as though he genuinely thought he had successfully persuaded me. I was sure he didn't realize just how much I had wanted him out of my hair from the beginning...Then again, I'd keep the number just in case I needed to make use of him as a future pawn.
"What's wrong, Amano-san? I'm not being too forward, am I? And here I recall you saying you 'like a man with confidence'," I smirked, making air quotes.
Amano grinned as he nodded, "and I stand by my word."
The man rummaged through his bag for a pen and paper, using the door of his locker as a surface to write on. He wrote the kanji of his name for me too, as if he'd expect me to treasure the scrap long term.
"And I didn't catch your name. You are?"
"Izaya Orihara."
He brought a hand to his chin in thought, studying the sound. Not the first time for that, either.
"That's a new one. Can't say I've heard of anyone with a name like that."
"I'm truly unique in every way," I said, pulling my bag over my shoulder, pocketing the piece of paper. "Take care, Amano-san," I waved, heading for the exit. "Ja ne~."
