Chapter 16: Bordeaux
"Apparently he is late, you know what that means?"
The question hallowed beneath the dimmed glass of the car as Creston spoke. His clothes and attitude had changed entirely.
A dark green suit and fitting gloves enhanced the emerald's beauty that was sewn into his collar.
Izaya rarely wore the marker of ownership. Felt like a dog collar in his opinion.
"You will fetch me once they arrive?" he asked and relaxed in his seat.
Not a shred of the lusting asshole earlier was to be found in Creston as Izaya looked out of the window.
His hair was still a bit damp from the shower he had taken and his mood was not exactly the best considering he had only gotten a couple hours of sleep.
Darkness, rivaled only by the weak glimmer of a growing moon filled the sky by now. It was almost midnight. Longer than he had anticipated.
Which was a good thing, because he got more than just an hour of sleep before the deal. But it was also a bad thing, because he had been looking forward to getting this over with quickly to get a full night's worth.
And seeing how their appointment was pushed further and further into the night, the chances he was allowed to go home before the sun rose seemed awfully slim.
That, and Creston's masturbation ultimately ruined his mood.
He wasn't especially fazed by it, but it was something that definitely helped when it came to ruining his day.
Not even the promise of peace changed anything about that and with a deep sigh Izaya slipped out of the limousine.
They had arrived.
Thrumming noises, chattering and loads of people looking to get laid or lose some money gathered before the club.
The queue was shorter than usual, which Izaya attributed to the fact that it was going to close in under two hours.
Pushing the door shut the vehicle took off with Creston inside and Izaya drew a deep breath as he closed his eyes.
Technically he was free to do as he pleased until the deal. The club, the music, the interactions, the bartender-
His orders were simple, stay here until he was told to do otherwise.
Easy.
And boring.
Just as any other day-
… well, maybe not any.
Halting in his thoughts, Izaya's eyes narrowed as he descended the stairs that led to the oval lounge.
An entire day had passed. A workday. Nothing unusual in Izaya's book, really, but was his savior of the same opinion?
He didn't get to thank him the day before.
And disappearing the way he did, he might as well be holding a grudge.
And yet- Izaya couldn't help but look forward to meeting him.
Because he was a sane person.
One that could be talked with, without fearing for manipulation or backlashes.
Izaya wasn't dumb enough to talk about business with him, of course, but as long as they stayed casual it served more than just a nice breather to converse with the guy.
Was that the reason he felt somewhat appalled to approach the bar?
The possibility of that having changed?
Probably.
But it seemed all worries over the matter were nill as the bartender flashed his usual smile.
"There you are, I thought you wouldn't come."
The club was thriving. A cocktail was in the middle of being mixed by his gentle hands and dedicated passion and the guest receiving it, too happy to even notice Izaya's presence as she took off.
A moment of hesitation slowed Izaya down as he searched for hints of spite, for a detail giving away the bartender's true intentions.
But there was no grudge. No animosity. No hesitation.
Not even a shred of awkwardness or anything countering a good conversation, and so Izaya slipped inside his favorite seat.
"Saved anyone yet?" he asked boldly, tackling the topic on his mind right off the bat. But the bartender seemed neither set on ignoring the matter nor particularly fazed by Izaya mentioning it.
He appeared to be in an awfully good mood instead, and for a moment Izaya's expression soured as he realized why.
Guests passed by his seat, and the golden light enhancing the bar's view seemed awfully bright for a second. Almost like the one shown inside an interrogation cell.
"Since yesterday? Not really," the bartender replied, and Izaya's eyes narrowed for a brief second.
A couple women stood not too far from the bar, but seemed awfully hesitant to approach. Izaya had already seen them upon entering. Their intentions were beyond clear and Izaya done with any games of pretense as he nodded over.
"You put on quite a show. I think half the club's women are from yesterday."
Confidence. A winning smile. One that knew exactly how much power it held was what Izaya expected. Because that's what the bartender was after.
Like everyone else.
After all, who on earth would not exploit the chance to blackmail a drug lord with information of the kind of sensitivity that could really get him into trouble?
Saving him too. What a joke. He did it to garner his favor.
Just like anyone else.
A glass of water was pushed towards Izaya and he took it with a major lack of enthusiasm.
The time he had spent talking to this man had been short, but enjoyable. And so he closed his eyes as he took a sip.
And the bartender spoke.
"Really? Didn't notice."
A pretense.
It had to be one.
Because no one on earth could be this oblivious.
The frown grazing Izaya's expression was to be expected, just as the soft glare he sent upwards from upset lashes.
The bartender's expression was not.
Void of any schemes, jokes or pretentious modesty he seemed to mean exactly what he said. His eyes were clear of traps, of backhanded tactics and the glance he cast upon Izaya was too honest to cast aside as a lie.
Izaya was no idiot. Anything he did was steered by reliable sources of information. By knowledge, usually superior to those his enemies possessed.
And yet right now he somehow found himself awfully convinced by nothing.
What was it? His guts? A hunch?
He couldn't even tell what, but something about the bartender's reply just took his breath away.
This guy.
He wasn't out to stab him in the back.
He didn't seem to be waiting for gratitude either.
He was just there.
For compensation?
No.
This guy couldn't care less it seemed.
Neither about the busty ladies showering him in their ravishing glances, nor about his actions.
And somehow Izaya found himself relaxing in a way that he could only here, for the first time in a long while.
"Thank you." The words dropped from his lips before he could stop them, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to feel regret.
"For what?" the bartender asked, and Izaya couldn't help but snort upon the honesty of the question, resulting from this man's pure intentions.
"Yesterday. Do I need to go into detail?" he whispered, intentionally quiet, because he didn't want anyone to listen in.
And this time the bartender seemed to understand.
A smile, and nothing else but that smile grazed his lips.
It was his only response.
Not even spoken, but relayed in a way that only caused Izaya's curiosity, burning low like a candlelight to ignite into a full blown flame, licking up from down below and consuming anything it found whole.
Because even now, after pointing out his gratitude, this bartender didn't seem to be out for any benefits or intel.
He could ask anything. He really could. At this point Izaya wouldn't even mind doing the guy a favor. And yet he let his chance pass as though he had millions of others to take.
Who was this guy? So terribly oblivious to anything going on in here, yet smart enough to act in ways that kept him out of the dangers lurking in the shadows.
"Say, what's your name?"
The question slipped faster than Izaya realized what he had just asked and his lips shut tightly upon his mistake.
Names were nothing for common people.
Just a way to call each other from afar, to refer to someone with precision but also to relay information. To relay false information. Abusing a name was sometimes worse than abusing the person. Especially in this line.
And knowing or not knowing one had served the downfall of many.
It was a stupid question and one he of all people should know not to ask.
"Asking the bartender for private information? Now I must ask your intention," the bartender smiled, remaining unbothered even by this and Izaya quickly shook his head in relief. This guy knew. He knew about the danger he had just presented and made the right decision.
"You don't have to say it if it's confidential," Izaya sighed and glanced towards the menu instead. Imprinted onto the counter it was hard to miss and he quickly let his eyes trail across the various names as his stomach slowly knotted into a cold ball of ice.
He had stepped across a line, hadn't he?
He couldn't even tell why, but something about his question had already ruined the night and Izaya cursed himself for asking it.
Because what did he expect?
He had known this guy for what? Three days? Just because he served him some water to spare him from the fate of drinking alcohol didn't mean-
"You can call me Shizuo."
Silence thrummed in Izaya's ears and for a moment the music cast from the DJ was gone. He blinked, looked at the bartender- at Shizuo. A name that was undoubtedly his real one and somehow the icy knot in his stomach thawed as his expression slipped into a grin too happy to show.
"First name basis off the bat? What are you, american?" he snorted, and Shizuo shrugged with the same ease and lack of caution as he always had.
"Might be. I supposed calling you Izaya is fine as well?"
Surprised to hear his own name from the bartender's lips, Izaya froze momentarily. Because knowing Shizuo's name was one thing. His own name on the other hand-
"Sharp ears. Where did you pick it up?" he asked and Shizuo nodded towards the table that he usually occupied with Creston and whatever client he brought.
"You were called that way by your friend."
Friend.
A snort, much louder than intended, left Izaya's lips at the word that described this bastard last. It was an obvious mistake, one that was easy to commit but hard to explain.
Shizuo of course noticed that he had amused his favorite guest in some way, but couldn't quite discern what exactly it was that had been this humorous.
"Sure. Go ahead, I don't mind," Izaya replied quickly and Shizuo was left in this small mystery of his own.
Finishing the glass of water in one go, his favorite guest was left with no drink and so Shizuo reached for a set of limes. His intention was clear, mix a cocktail with no alcohol that was going to replace the glass, but Izaya was quick to interrupt.
"No cocktail," he announced, and somehow the smile he wore seemed even more alluring as he leant his chin onto his palm. "Bordeaux."
Wine?
"I thought you didn't drink?" Shizuo said, and he felt quite as if he were the guardian of an alcoholic trying to keep him from relapsing.
A smile, mimicking the humor of the situation followed and Izaya shook his head.
"I don't," he paused, and somehow his gaze lingered too long for Shizuo to question his orders, "But special days call for special drinks."
A variety of ideas making this day a special one shot through Shizuo's mind.
Was it because of the shot? No, that was yesterday.
Something else? Some kind of anniversary?
Assumption after assumption filled Shizuo's mind as he poured the crimson liquid into a spherical glass larger than his palm. A spiral of rosé gold sneaked its way up the side of the glass and twisted the rim just slightly.
He wanted to know, but he was smart enough not to ask.
"Did you know there are people who drink wine with milk?" he asked instead, earning an expression of utter disgust.
"Who came up with that abomination?" Izaya asked while grasping the delicate stalk of his freshly served wine.
"Apparently condensed milk adds a sweet note and doesn't curdle the wine," Shizuo shrugged and Izaya cringed. "I can understand cheese, but milk?"
"Cheese is just a loaf of milk."
Izaya snorted, "That implies a liquid form of bread."
"Beer."
Funny.
A second ago Izaya had been worried their little banters and challenges would come to an end. But now? There was no end in sight.
Music and chatter ruled the air for a second as Izaya merely smiled against the rim of his glass.
"What?" Shizuo asked, of course noticing the way his favorite guest turned quiet.
And Izaya smiled in the same way he had the night before. Intriguing. Mesmerizing.
"Nothing. I just like how you match my pace."
It was an expression that caused Shizuo's mind to dip into a long extinguished heat of chaos.
"Shizuo, could you help me?" Evelyn was the one to interrupt their conversation and Shizuo turned as quick as the word help was uttered.
A large tablet, filled with more drinks than the petite woman could carry, clung to the counter with half its body as the woman had obviously tried lifting it herself and failed halfway through.
Moving over quicker than a flash of light Shizuo grasped its sides before it could topple over.
Relief spread across Evelyn's face upon the mild emergency and she showed a quick smile. "Thank you-"
Raising the orders, Shizuo merely nodded towards the tables with a gentle smile.
"Which one?"
Grateful, the woman stood on her toes as she whispered, "The group in the corner with the dubious guy in red."
Gaze following the direction Evelyn was looking into, Shizuo spotted the guests quick enough.
Serving those that weren't sitting at the tables was unusual, but apparently these guys deserved the treatment.
Shizuo was wiser than to second guess Evelyn's order and moved with confident steps.
A celebration of some sort seemed to be the occasion of the gathering and he quickly delivered the tablet full of cocktails, champagne and shots.
The task took a minute at most, or two, but by the time he turned around his virgin wave had already become occupied again.
A woman. Obviously older by a few years, with maybe not too astounding proportions but a bank account that made up for any lack of beauty had taken her seat next to Izaya.
She was talking to him trying to claim his undivided attention.
But all Shizuo could spot in his face was annoyance and somehow the sight provoked a smile on his lips.
"Come on, one date," he heard the lady speak as soon as he returned to his spot behind the counter.
He could almost feel the annoyance and internal groans his favorite guest was trying to hide, and suddenly he showed a smile.
"Sure if you can answer my question."
A trick.
Definitely.
Remaining quiet as he was in no position to interrupt a customer's conversation and so Shizuo continued what he was best at.
Prepare drinks.
"Shoot it," the woman took the bait with no sense of doubt and Izaya showed his best grin as he worded what he thought to be a perfectly reasonable question.
"Where do bad rainbows go?"
A smile threatened to slip onto his lips, but Shizuo was enough of a professional to not show any of it as he reached for a set of oranges instead.
"Huh?" The woman's response wasn't much easier to take and neither was Izaya's reply.
"You are supposed to listen. 'Huh' is anything but sexy."
Bewilderment marked the woman's expression and she frowned at the way Izaya twisted her words.
"No I did, but- what is that even supposed to mean?" she frowned, offended and the smirk Izaya wore only added to the insult as he spoke.
"Heh, and that even though the answer is even simpler than your mind."
The woman's round earring sparkled in the club light as she rose to her feet in immediate agitation.
"Fuck you," she clicked her tongue, and as soon as she had appeared, she was gone.
Shizuo had expected nothing less. So far Izaya had hardly seeked interested in any approaches and somehow he had a feeling it would stay that way no matter who approached.
The delicate glass was grasped once again as his favorite guest raised the wine off the table.
"... what's the answer?"
Surprised to be asked, Izaya stilled with the rim barely touching his lips.
A cheshire smile crawled across his expression as he looked at the honest curiosity displayed.
"You think there is one?" he asked, looking for the reasoning behind Shizuo's idea.
"Of course. You always give out a chance even if it's slim," Shizuo shrugged, pointing out what Izaya hadn't thought to be obvious at all.
He already knew the bartender was perceptive, but his newest uptake still managed to spark joy.
"They go to prism." Izaya answered and Shizuo blinked.
"Prism?"
Of course it was just a play of words, nothing worth memorizing or coming up with, but that was the cue of riddles, wasn't it?
"It's a light sentence that gives them time to reflect," Izaya answered and took a sip of his exquisite wine.
A snort followed, showing amusement over the solution and yet Shizuo didn't only find himself humored but also… captivated.
The smile disappeared as quickly as the wine colored Izaya's lips red for the brief moment that they left the glass.
Loud beats traversed the air as the DJ had picked up the pace of his music and a few women in the center of the lounge cheered.
Turning to face the crowd Izaya suddenly felt the rare urge to move his body along to it.
Probably because he was drinking, or maybe it was just the fact that he happened to be in a really good mood right now.
"Could you watch this for me?" he asked and snapped Shizuo out of thoughts he was better off ignoring.
A glance was cast towards a phone combined with what looked like the smaller version of a wallet.
"Am I going to get into trouble for it?" Shizuo asked, but Izaya was already getting to his feet.
"If a stranger came and told you I said he is a friend and I ordered him to pick this up, what would you say?" he asked easily as if he weren't doubting his bartender for a second and somehow Shizuo liked that attitude.
"You are lying, Izaya has no friends," he replied just as easily and for a brief moment his virgin wave actually laughed and somehow it was the best sound he heard all day.
"Not where I was going but if that's your response then you won't."
to be continued~
Catching some feelings here are we, Shizuo? xD Careful you might fall for your virgin drink hahaha
This night is not over yet guys~ You can look forward to more conversations and a touch of …. thrill :3 And a weak side to our almighty drug lord. :33
By the way I decided I will be dishing out the updates on Friday evening from now on instead of Saturday xD Cuz most of the time I have them fresh and ready to be served, and anything I didn't get done I won't get done on Saturday anyway xDDD
So yeah 3 Just so you aren't confused xD