Chapter 13: Ringing silence
Honey was a fascinating liquid.
Smooth, yet sticky. Its consistency was thick but dissolved quickly upon touching gin and getting mixed with lemon inside his shaker.
Its color was its most gorgeous feature, but the golden shine of an amber gemstone was not what made this drink so favorable as it was quickly diluted by its various components.
The delightful treat called Bee's knees actually wasn't on the card, but Shizuo knew how to mix it anyway.
A smile as bright as the reflected light on a pearl of honey stuck to the rim of the glass glittered in the night of the club.
Music thrummed, bodies moved and decent chatter filled the oval room like a freshly composed verse of a poem.
The sweetness of this drink was the only factor in Shizuo's favor as the alcohol had destroyed what would have been a delicious treat otherwise.
"Thank you very much," his guest responded politely. Voluptuous chocolate curls dipped into the caramel colored dress, accentuated by jewelry of rose gold and amber just in the right place.
She was pretty and her freckles only added to that beauty in their own charming way.
Flashing her sweetest smile the woman who had ordered the beverage slipped away from the bar and back into the masses of potential clients.
Rush hour was over. And with it most of their work.
Dragging a piece of cloth across the counter Shizuo did what was expected at this time.
Cleaning the bar while keeping an eye on the guest's and their remaining wishes. That was their current assignment and Shizuo brought dedication to a new level.
Glasses, already pretty much spotless, were grasped from the counter as he enforced their sparkling nature.
A dry towel was handed to him the second his own became damp and Shizuo smiled at his colleague. A colleague that seemed fairly distracted.
Left with not much work and even more time to ponder, Evelyn seemed a bit lost in thoughts.
"Shizuo, can I ask you something?" she uttered lightly, making sure no one heard them as if she were speaking forbidden words.
Worry stood in Evelyn's expression and a question on the tip of her tongue that she didn't dare ask and Shizuo paused in his motions.
"You seem awfully hesitant for just a question, should I be afraid?" he joked, trying to ease the mood, and Evelyn did show a smile, albeit a very short one.
So it was a serious topic that she wanted to talk about.
Evely hesitated, before nodding towards the corner of their bar.
Emptiness defined its seat as it had remained oddly vacant that night.
"Your guest," Evelyn faded out, as if needing time to gather her courage. "...what is he like?"
His guest.
There was no doubt she was talking about the missing virgin wave.
The pace of the music changed for a moment, allowing for a more quiet discussion as the beats were slowly fading from the rhythm.
"You never talked to him?" Shizuo whispered, and Evelyn quickly shook her head, "Not as much as you do," she replied, albeit hesitant before directing her gaze at Shizuo. "Are you in trouble?"
Trouble?
Stopping short in his action, Shizuo realized that Evely wasn't trying to scold him for unnecessary chatter during work.
No.
She was worried about him.
The faintest hint of a smile grazed the corner of Shizuo's lips as he shook his head softly.
How did he end up worrying two people about his well being?
"He is a good guy," Shizuo assured, as soon as the music allowed for his voice to be heard without the need to scream, and Evelyn sighed in quick relief.
"So you are just chatting?" she confirmed once more, and Shizuo did her the favor to agree.
"Just chatting."
"Good, good," she sighed as she released the breath she didn't realize she had held while nodding to herself, "That's good."
The slightest hint of guilt befell the blond as he realized how much she must have wrecked her head over this.
Especially because of last night.
She had left him alone in order to care for her kids and to top it off the last guest happened to be exactly the person she was worried about.
A certain kind of warmth indulged Shizuo at the idea and he smiled.
She already had so much on her plate and yet her heart and care seemed to be an endless pit.
"I promise everything is fine," Shizuo assured once more, and Evelyn smiled. "It's okay, I believe you," she chuckled and Shizuo hummed.
"If you want to, you can serve him today. You will see what I mean," he suggested, but Evelyn shook her head as quickly as if she had been stung by a bee.
"No, no, I haven't seen him order more than one drink per evening in the past three years. You are obviously doing a better job there than me," she chuckled and with those words she moved away from the counter.
A group of young men had just entered the bar and moved to one of the free tables on the side. A quick wave of hand had been enough for Evelyn to catch onto their intention to order and she quickly scurried over.
Following her with his gaze Shizuo couldn't help but think about her words.
Never more than one, huh?
It seemed his curiosity went both ways.
Shizuo didn't need to be a genius to know that his favorite guest was about as delighted as him about his presence in this club, but having that suspicion confirmed elevated his mood more than he had expected.
A quick turn of heads searched for the familiar face of sarcasm and smiles, but sadly Shizuo turned up empty handed, just as a few times prior this evening.
He still wasn't there.
A quick glance at the clock told Shizuo that they were closing the bar in about two hours.
Maybe he was not coming today?
What a shame.
The second that thought made it to his mind, Shizuo couldn't help but snort. Had he really grown this fond of his stranger?
They had barely talked and yet- he was a decent guy. Especially considering his surroundings.
As a drug lord he had access to everything he could possibly want yet his personality seemed less corrupt than most people with less power.
He was beautiful too.
It was no secret that his appearance was as alluring as he could be. Being hit on daily and on multiple occasions wasn't just for his connections from what Shizuo saw so far and he doubted Izaya wasn't aware of that.
He could be anything he wanted with his intellect and appearance, yet he chose this line of work.
What was in it for him?
The thrill?
He remembered the way his eyes glinted in the face of danger and taunts and yet-
Shizuo also clearly remembered the way he sighed when he sat down at the counter the first day they met.
He had appeared to be worn out. Exhausted and tired in a way that didn't stem from labor.
The impression given that day caused Shizuo to think that joy wasn't exactly the reason he stayed in this business and his motions paused in the middle of wiping the counter as his eyes narrowed.
The uncalled urge to move in his stead surfaced from the back of his mind.
To do what?
He wasn't quite sure.
After all, he knew nothing of the man.
He didn't even know his name. And he had a feeling he wouldn't tell him even if he asked.
Again Shizuo glanced towards the corner of his counter.
The empty seat seemed awfully vacant without him there roasting other guests.
"Excuse me."
The sweet sound of the woman he served earlier tore Shizuo out of his thoughts as she approached the counter with a couple of her friends.
Radiant smiles and expectant faces beamed at the bartender as she pointed at her empty glass. "I know it's not on the card, but my friends tried it and love your cocktail so much, could we get another round of them as our last drinks?"
Right. He had a job to do.
"Of course, just a second," Shizuo announced with his best smile and the girls cheered as he whipped up the glasses needed for his bee's knees.
He was a bartender at this club, that was what he had chosen to be, so he should act like one.
Within seconds after Shizuo scolded himself for zoning out he had the favored drinks ready and his customers delighted.
Minutes passed.
An hour.
People started getting drunk and the soothing sound of lower beats signaled the nearing end of this evening.
It was when Shizuo's eyes followed the girl's group on their way out, ready to either club somewhere else or head home, that he finally spotted what had been missing in his shift.
A russian hune made the front and Shizuo recognized what he supposed to be a bodyguard with anticipation.
Right behind there was the russian guy that had called Izaya a woman. The wooden cane he had carried the day before had now turned into a more noble piece of assistance as it mimicked the shape of a raising horse.
And another face Shizuo recognized followed right behind as he finally found who he had been waiting for.
Recognition flared, the second his virgin wave's eyes met his own, and a short smile blossomed on his face, showing that he appreciated Shizuo's presence as much as him, before withering quickly.
After all, they appeared to have some business going that needed to be discussed.
Not the best environment to be distracted.
Shizuo glanced towards Evelyn, who was much closer to the table these men chose, but she quickly signed for Shizuo to take over.
And so he did.
Smooth as a snake without brushing any of the dancing guests on the floor he moved over to their newest arrivals.
"Good evening, what can I bring you?" he asked, as a professional, made for this job and with spades of experience.
An appreciative nod was given by the russian drug lord and another man, oddly familiar, spoke in his stead.
"A round of vodka if you may," he announced with a voice made for acting, and Shizuo duly noted that this guy was no friend.
Guarded by a brute, made of strength, he appeared to be someone much more important. Refined in a way and careful to act with utmost care. But no matter how controlled and smooth his behavior was, by ordering a round of vodka Shizuo learned more than enough to know he wasn't acting in his virgin wave's favor.
But of course none of that showed on his expression. He was a professional after all, and so Shizuo withdrew. "Of course, just a second, sirs," he announced before retreating towards the bar.
Evelyn was always waiting for him and ready to help with any complicated order these guests might have issued. Little did she know that the desired drinks were as easy to make as they could get.
"Do you need anything?" she asked, as Shizuo grasped a handful of shot glasses from the shelf. "No worries, they just ordered some shots," he explained, and pulled the bottle of vodka from the wall.
One glass after the other was filled, except for one, and with a quick eye to the side, Shizuo brought it to the tab.
"What are you doing?" Evelyn whispered quietly, and partly worried about Shizuo's idea as she nervously looked back and forth between their guests and Shizuo as he filled the glass with water.
But no answer was given, only a quick smile as Shizuo asked for silence.
Within half a minute the order was completed, and Shizuo was back at their guest's table.
"Enjoy," he announced, while putting down the glasses in front of their respective owners.
A pleased smile grazed both, the Russian bodyguard as well as his boss as they rose the glass into the air.
"На здоровье!" he announced loudly, before shooting the drink down.
Glancing at his shot of heavy liquor, Izaya couldn't help but internally sigh.
He hated alcohol. No matter what kind, no matter the texture. It wasn't even the taste, but the effect it had on minds.
Control over his actions, his thoughts and his words was what Izaya desired at any given point in time.
This was nothing else but a shot to his own knee on a race.
But what choice did he have? Declining was no option except he wanted to offend Mr. Kurokovitch from the get go. Would be a stupid idea after managing to get along so well the day before, not to mention what Creston would do if he whined about such a minor detail.
And so he did what he had to do.
He lifted the glass and-
Prepared to taste the familiar burn of alcohol and the warmth accompanying the drink, Izaya's face scrunched.
And yet none of that followed, as the familiar taste of plain water trickled down his throat.
A smile, too quick to be hidden properly, sneaked to his lips as his eyes glanced towards the bar.
The bartender was on the way back, casually strolling about, as if he hadn't done Izaya a favor.
This guy-
Izaya didn't know whether he should be scolding the bartender for acting in such an irrational way or thank him instead.
He was an idiot.
Had anyone suggested switching drinks, the bodyguards, for example, this could have ended pretty badly.
"You were saying?" Torn out of his thoughts Izaya realized the irony of his thoughts as he himself was the one not paying attention at the most crucial moments.
"Right," he started, and placed the empty glass back onto the table.
It was funny.
But somehow, knowing that the bartender was watching out for him already made this night a lot better than he had anticipated.
The same accounted for Shizuo.
Back behind the counter, Evelyn showed an impressed smile.
"You really have a knack for difficult customers," she whispered quietly and Shizuo turned. "I saw him smile for a second when he realized you served him water."
Glancing towards his virgin wave, Shizuo looked for hints of that smile.
But he was too late, he had already reversed his attitude to a professional one.
And yet he couldn't help but find his mood oddly elevated.
This night was probably yet another exhausting one.
This way he hoped he had made it a bit less daunting.
Because as much as Shizuo would have loved to slow down time from that moment on, the clock wasn't on his side.
An hour passed, then another and the few guests that were still left slowly, but surely started to gather their belongings.
Shizuo knew they had to close the bar soon.
And so did Izaya.
On and on and on they discussed the same god damned route. He knew too much caution was better than too little, but this was ridiculous.
Not only had they used this route rarely, it also was the safest when it came to distribution through only their highest ranking members.
It was at the third repetition of assurance that their people were not going to whistleblow, that Izaya feared he was never going to leave this goddamn table.
And so he rose from the table, with the sweetest smile in place.
"You don't need me anymore do you?" He directed his words at Creston and despite recognizing the words as an attempt to escape from this infinite discussion it seemed he was in a good enough mood to let Izaya off the hook.
A quick nod was given and with the relief of finally being set free, Izaya headed over to the bar.
The bartender was already in sight. Taking an order from one of the last guests that evening he pulled a highball from the shelf.
Izaya couldn't tell yet what he was mixing, but couldn't wait to guess. Because this was a game. A challenge yet again, fun and void of risks. It was a treat of relief after such a long day.
And so he moved.
Past the last of guests. Across the dance floor.
Really, it was a distance as short as it could get. Maybe that's why he let his guard down. Maybe that was why he didn't see the shadow moving to his left as the cold metal of iron pressed against his hip.
"Don't move."
The music was loud, but the silence ringing in Izaya's head was louder as his body came to an immediate halt.
A guy.
Unfamiliar.
Young.
Determined.
And most importantly with eyes wearing a grudge had closed up from the side and pressed a gun against Izaya's skin.
"Make a scene and you are dead."
to be continued~
DUN DUN DUUUNNN C: xDD