As the days went by, the chosen date crawled towards Shizuo at a painfully slow pace. The closer Friday started to get, the more restless he was getting. He was excited, but also nervous.
More than anything, he wanted to taste those sweets again. He could practically feel their heavenly taste on his tongue, but that taste also carried with it the dread of having to willingly spend time around his worst enemy: Orihara Izaya.
Unfortunately, Shizuo had no one to blame but himself for that. He had made those parts of the deal himself and even though they were specifically for his own safety, it didn't change the fact that he still had to deal with the obnoxious pest far more often than he used to.
It was already starting, too! The damned flea somehow managed to get his hands on his phone number and started texting him. The random chime had startled Shizuo in the middle of a walk to another client with Tom. Who would be texting him so late at night?
He opened his phone, and immediately felt his temper spike.
Unknown: Helloooo Shizu-chan! (•◡•) / It's Izaya! ᕙ(`▿´)ᕗ
The bodyguard thought about calling Izaya back to yell at him, but decided he didn't have the energy to deal with that grating voice. Instead, he grumbled as he slammed his thumbs against the keyboard, his poor screen somehow managing to avoid cracking.
Shizuo: How the fuck did you get this number?
Unknown: (─‿‿─) I have my ways! Don't worry, I won't share it unless someone pays really well for it!
The blonde groaned again and buried his face in his hand. It was only Tuesday and he already wanted to strangle the flea.
"Everything alright?" Tom asked in concern.
Shizuo sighed as he added the number to his contacts. "It's fine, just the stupid flea."
Tom hummed. "Oh. But I thought you guys had a truce now?"
"A truce doesn't stop him from being an obnoxious prick." Shizuo explained as he texted the man back.
Shizuo: What the fuck do you want?
Flea: Shizu-chan is so mean! (╥﹏╥) I just wanted to text and see what you want me to make on Friday! Or do you want it to be a surprise? (¬‿¬)
The blonde balked at the idea of leaving it up to Izaya. He could only imagine what sort of monstrosity the man would make to purposely annoy Shizuo. Hell no, there was no way he was going to let that happen.
His mind whirled quickly, thinking of all of his favorite kinds of sweets and what he could actually deal with his worst enemy making for him. It took a minute, but the second he thought of it, he knew it was the perfect choice.
Shizuo: Can you make milk pudding?
It took a few minutes for a reply to come through.
Flea: (￣□￣」) Of course you want something like that! Milk is gross, Shizu-chan!
Shizuo: Milk is not gross. You're just picky and childish.
Flea: Ad hominems will get you nowhere with me, protozoan! ( ` ω ´ )
What? Shizuo furrowed his brow. He had no idea what that meant but he decided to just assume it was an insult.
Shizuo: Can you make it or not?!
Flea: I refuse to make you something as nasty as that for at least six months! -`д´- you have to earn it!
The blonde bodyguard growled.
Shizuo: Do you want this deal to work?!
Izaya: Do YOU? ヽ( `д´*)ノ Pick something else!
Shizuo: FINE! Make those stupid cookies you made your sister! Happy now?!
Izaya: Very much so~! ( ◡‿◡ ) I'll see you for shopping and baking on friday! Bye! Bye!
Shizuo groaned and turned his head backward to stare up at the sky. His body was shaking with barely contained rage, his blood vessels threatening to burst as he furiously grabbed a cigarette to smoke.
The rest of the walk was deadly silent, plumes of smoke escaping Shizuo's mouth as he glowered through the rest of his workday. He wondered if it was too late to back out of the deal. Just texting the flea was already driving him insane, could he really handle anything beyond that?
He thought up the upcoming Friday, the first of what might become one of many. How long could he handle it before he snapped and chucked a vending machine at him?
It was with dread that he realized: only time would tell.
Friday arrived, and Shizuo was on edge as he slowly strolled towards the chosen meeting place.
It was finally the day when their deal would be put to the test. Would Izaya actually keep his word? Could Shizuo trust himself not to lose his temper? With all the animosity between them, could such a truce really work?
It was agonizing just texting the louse, he wasn't sure how long he could last in his overwhelming presence before he tore something out of the ground and threw it at that smug face.
Despite those doubts, Shizuo truly did want their deal to work. Not just for the sweets, but for the comfort in knowing that he wouldn't have to look over his shoulder every day, waiting for the flea to ruin his day with his schemes and annoying grins.
Other than his temper, he was sure nothing would cause him to shatter the fragile peace. Was it the same for Izaya? There had been a lot of conditions attached to their deal… Was it worth it to the flea as much as it was for Shizuo?
He took a deep, steadying breath as he reached his destination. His brown eyes landed on a rather quaint looking grocery store. It sat in an alleyway on one of the older areas of Ikebukuro, nearly unnoticeable unless the person looking for it knew exactly where it was.
Thankfully, Izaya had sent him a photo. He had been marginally surprised by that, he knew the flea would probably have found it hilarious to watch Shizuo wander aimlessly searching for the tiny store. Maybe that was a sign that the flea really did want the truce to work? No, it's still too soon to tell.
Speaking of his nemesis, he caught sight of him standing by the front door of the shop, but he wasn't alone. He was talking to a middle aged woman, who looked positively delighted to be talking to the louse. That couldn't be right, could it? Who enjoyed talking to that bastard, other than Shinra? (Who didn't count, he was an outlier, since he'd been insane since they were kids.)
Before he could decide how best to approach, the flea's red eyes caught sight of him. With a grin, he waved his hand above his head. "Shizu-chan!" He called, despite the fact that they were less than ten feet away from each other. "Over here!"
Shizuo approached them slowly, waiting for either of them to pull out a weapon or some type of trap to attempt to kill him because, despite all the annoying texts, he still couldn't tell if Izaya was serious about their deal or not.
He narrowed his eyes at the woman beside him. What was her deal? Was she some kind of Yakuza boss? Maybe a hitman in disguise? Or some serial killer? Those seemed like the type Izaya would enjoy hanging out with.
Izaya sent him a smirk, and then motioned towards him as he faced the woman. "You know him, he's the one that tries to kill me all the time when I come to shop here."
"Oh, right, because that's the only thing you're doing when you come to this city, right?" The woman sent him a smug, knowing look.
Then, to Shizuo's surprise, Izaya puffed out his cheeks and pouted. "Hmph! Well, let's see if I buy from this store anytime soon again!"
The woman giggled at that. "As if you could find good ingredients anywhere else!"
To this, Izaya pouted again. "I'm the best informant in Japan, I bet I could!"
Shizuo's gaze drifted between the both of them like watching a tennis match, his eyebrows knit together in confusion. Their interactions were so casual, so organic, so… human. It was weird seeing Izaya act like a person. He hadn't thought that the flea was capable of that.
Eventually their playful argument seemed to come to a natural conclusion, and Izaya gestured to the woman. "This is Hori Tomoko. She owns this store."
Suddenly feeling a need to be polite, Shizuo gave the woman a small bow. "Nice to meet you." He rumbled, still a little confused as to why they were at this specific store. Couldn't we have gone anywhere?
The damn flea seemed to read his mind, and his smirk grew prideful. "Her store is the best place to get baking stuff. She has all the best ingredients from Japan and beyond. I only buy from her."
Shizuo still felt confused, and a little frustrated. Why does Izaya have to be so specific about everything? We could have just gone to a random supermarket, right?
"You're in luck, too." Tomoko smiled at the flea, actually smiled at him! "Our vanilla has finished curing! I have some for you, just make sure you bring me some of your cookies next time, okay?"
Izaya made a noise like a scoff. "You think I wouldn't? Hori-san always gets the best picks of the batches!"
With surprising grace, Izaya then spun around and headed inside the tiny store. Shizuo hurried to follow after him, he didn't care if this woman knew Izaya, he was not about to leave the house unsupervised.
The flea had pulled out his phone, humming thoughtfully as he glanced over a list he had made. Over his shoulder, Shizuo could see several different ingredients on it.
He headed down the aisles with the confidence of someone who knew exactly what he was looking for. He grabbed flour, baking soda, and kept moving through the aisles.
Shizuo suddenly realized he was just standing there while Izaya shopped, awkwardly watching the flea scurry about. He scratched at the back of his neck, and cleared his throat. "Um… Can I help?"
"Help?" Izaya glanced up from his list with a raised eyebrow. "Help with what? Be more specific, Shizu-Chan."
The bodyguard sent him a glare. "With the shopping, louse! It feels weird just to stand here! Let me hold the basket or something!"
"And let you near these fragile ingredients?" The flea had the audacity to hold the shopping basket protectively. "No thanks, I'm not paying for all the eggs you'll break."
"I don't break eggs! I'm not a teenager anymore! I know how to control my strength!" He snapped back. "Except when I'm around you and your stupid annoying face!"
Izaya placed a hand on his cheek and gave him a pout. "Aww, you flatter me! I'm happy I can bring those feelings out in you, it's nice to know I've still got it!"
Shizuo buried his face in his hands and groaned. "Are you going to be like this the entire time?"
"Don't act so surprised, protozoan. You knew what you were signing up for."
The worst part was that Izaya was right. He had spent days thinking about what a deal between them would mean, and he knew that the louse would act like this even during a truce. He had nobody to blame but himself.
Still, he was in too deep to give in now. He forced himself to take a few deep breaths, letting the murderous rage within him calm to a simmer, and then replied,"At least let me hold the list or something."
Izaya glanced down at his list. "Hmm… Well, we only have a few things left. I think you should be able to handle this."
Shizuo glared at him, catching the implied insult easily. He snatched the fragile paper from the flea's stupid hands and glanced down at the list. Chocolate chips, sugar, and brown sugar…
They grabbed the sugar, both types (why did they need both?) Shizuo dutifully crossed them off and followed the flea to the next spot.
As they stood in front of one aisle, Izaya hummed thoughtfully at the selection. He picked up one and added it to the basket. "Stay here, I'm going to go ask Hori-san a question."
Shizuo watched the flea hurry off towards the woman behind the counter who smiled- actually smiled! -when he approached her.
They began to chatter, and Shizuo didn't bother to try and eavesdrop. He glanced around idly as he began to zone out, until he turned and noticed bags of chocolate chips at the other side. That's the last thing we need, right?
He reached out and grabbed the nearest bag, only for a switchblade to enter his peripheral vision. He flinched in surprise and whipped around, the bag crashing onto the ground as he saw an annoyed Izaya glaring at him.
"What the hell, flea?!" Shizuo glared right back. "You scared the shit out of me!"
Izaya crossed his arms and harrumphed. "Well maybe I wouldn't have had to if you weren't choosing the worst chocolate chips ever made!"
Shizuo glanced between the flea and the bag several times. "What do you mean?! They're chocolate chips!"
"Only in name!" Izaya picked up the bag with only his index finger and thumb, as if it were a dirty rag. "This is a disgusting brand!"
The bodyguard gestured violently at the bag. "Chocolate chips are chocolate chips! That's all they are! There's no difference!"
Izaya harrumphed and turned his nose up. "Shows what you know!" He tossed the chocolate chip bag back onto the shelves and grabbed a different colored bag, showing it off. "These are the chips we want. Semi-sweet, and delicious! Unlike the atrocity that you picked up."
Shizuo grit his teeth and clenched his fists. "Well, I'm so sorry that I don't know the difference between fucking chocolate chips!"
"I accept your apology!" Izaya said with a shit eating grin, tossing the bag in the basket and happily skipping towards the checkout.
With a growl, Shizuo stomped after him and briefly considered if strangling the smug bastard and breaking the truce less than two weeks in would be worth it. Only the reminder of the heavenly taste that came from the finished product of the items in Izaya's shopping basket kept him from following through on the morbid fantasy.
Tomoko was quick to check them out, and it took what little patience Shizuo had left to not throw something when Izaya brought up the chocolate chip situation to her. Does he always have to be so childish?!
Then, to his horror, Tomoko sent him a look of disbelief. "You were going to grab that brand! That's the worst brand on the shelves!"
What is this world coming to?! Shizuo wanted to scream.
"Then why are they still on the shelf?!" The bodyguard exclaimed furiously.
Tomoko hummed and shrugged. "They were ordered by accident, it would be a waste to throw them away when someone will buy them… Even if the people who do have bad taste."
"Stingy as ever, Hori-san!" Izaya teased with his usual, irritating smile.
Hori merely chuckled in response. "Speaking of stingy, are you paying for the vanilla or not?"
Vanilla? Shizuo glanced at the list, but the item wasn't on there. He hadn't even thought about that. Wasn't that a thing for baking? Ugh, I have no clue.
"I said I would, didn't I?" Izaya paused, and then sent the bodyguard an aside glance. "Or maybe I didn't, because somebody distracted me with their one brain celled decision making…"
Shizuo did his best to send his murderous rage towards Izaya with a sharp glare, but was easily deflected as the flea turned to face Tomoko again.
"Yes, I'll take it, too." He happily grabbed a jar filled with something thin and brown from the shopkeeper with a smile. "Thank you again!"
Tomoko nodded. "Of course! I hope you have fun with your friend!"
"Blech! He's not my friend!" Izaya was quick to deny.
"Ugh, I'm not his friend!" Shizuo said at the same time.
The woman merely chuckled and shook her head. "That's how it always starts!" She gave them a mischievous grin, and waved goodbye. "Have a good rest of your day!"
Shizuo was glad to leave the store behind. Tomoko was nice but her teasing combined with everything about being in the proximity of Izaya was enough to exhaust him. He reached into his pocket for his cigarettes, only to realize that it was completely empty.
"Looking for this?"
He turned around and felt his eye twitch at the sight of Izaya holding up the pack with a smirk. The flea glanced at the box and scrunched up his nose. "You really think I'll let you continue this disgusting habit in my apartment, Shizu-Chan? You're going to give me secondhand smoke!"
"Good." Shizuo growled as he tried to swipe the box back, but the flea dodged him easily. He tried again, failing once more. "Give it back, louse!"
"Fine, fine!" Izaya tossed the box back. "Have your death sticks."
Shizuo sent him a suspicious glare. I feel like you gave up too easily… He thought, and then was proven right when he opened up the box and found all the cigarettes had been sliced into tiny, bite-sized pieces.
"You're lucky this is a cheap brand, otherwise I'd shove this shit down your throat." He growled at the man as he tossed the useless box in a nearby trash can.
Izaya clicked his tongue and wiggled his finger. "Now, Shizu-Chan. An attitude like that won't get you treats from me."
"Treats?" Shizuo bristled at the insinuation. "I'm not a dog!"
The flea smirked. "Then stop acting like one just because you didn't get your precious sticks back! You can fetch more later, mutt!"
Shizuo growled and grit his teeth, his fingers grasping at air as he tried his best not to strangle the flea. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths, imagining the ingredients in that bag being turned into those delicious cookies. He took a few deep breaths, the image helping him calm down, and then opened his eyes again.
Izaya was staring at him, red eyes wide with surprise. "Wow. You are really taking this seriously."
Instantly, a thrum of irritation ran through Shuzuo's veins. "Yeah, and you're not." He hissed.
The flea's demeanor was suddenly much calmer as he narrowed his eyes. "Yes I am." He motioned to the store they had just left and the bag in his hand. "I was testing you. I wanted to make sure that if you got angry, you wouldn't blab to all of Ikebukuro about this."
"I may hate you, but I wouldn't do that." Shizuo was quick to retort. "I'm not some kind of scrawny prick who sells secrets to the highest bidder."
The louse hummed. "No, I suppose you're not. You're far too dense for that." He crossed his arms and huffed. "And far too old fashioned. But, you're right. I know for sure you won't snitch."
They walked in silence for a while, Izaya ignoring the stares people gave them while Shizuo glared at anyone who dared to.
When they reached another stretch of empty road, Shizuo felt a curious question rise up within him. "Would it be so bad?"
"Hm?" Izaya's red eyes settled on him, curiously.
"For people to know about your hobby?" Shizuo elaborated. "You're so secretive about it, even though it's only baking. Why hide it?"
Izaya scoffed. "Shizu-Chan. My lovely humans couldn't handle it as well as you could. Hobby or not, you know the rumors would spread wild in our city. Humans would lose their minds if they found out one little thing about me, just like they do for you."
"You caused those rumors…" Shizuo grumbled under his breath.
"Not all the time!"
"Most of the time…"
Izaya waved away the bodyguard's grumblings with a flick of his hand, and they fell back into silence. It was only as they approached the louse's apartment building that the abandoned threat was picked up once more.
"So it's just the rumors?" Shizuo asked.
The flea chuckled. "Annoyingly persistent, aren't you, Shizu-Chan?"
Shizuo shrugged. "Maybe I am, but we never really talk like this so… I figured I might as well ask."
"In truth, it's not just the rumors, although they play a part. Baking isn't just a hobby. It's…" The flea's eyes stopped sparkling with mischief, and his ruby red gaze glimmered with something far more vulnerable. "It's something special to me, so I only want to share it with special people."
It was spoken so softly and earnestly that it shocked Shizuo into silence. He had never heard the flea speak so honestly, he had never seen such softness in his gaze. He had never seen such a shy smile on the flea's face. It was a strangely entrancing thing to see… And only served to make him more curious.
"What makes it so special?" He dared to ask.
Unfortunately this question seemed to snap whatever door his former ones had opened shut, and that irritating smirk returned in full force with the mischievous gaze to match. "Sorry, Shizu-Chan. That question's answer isn't for interlopers! Nice try, though!"
He turned and skipped towards the apartment building, humming some childish tune as he went.
After a moment of stunned silence, reeling from what was a surprisingly sudden and stinging rejection, Shizuo sighed. "Annoying flea…"
He followed his arch-nemesis into the building, and tried his best to ignore the image of the man's entrancing expression that continued to linger in the back of his mind.