Chapter 22: Look over there

He wasn't sure what he was expecting. Or why he was even heading back towards a location that was keeping him from a well deserved rest.

Heading home.

That was the logical decision to take.

Get it over with and finally drop onto his sweet mattress and enjoy a long slumber.

It was a tempting thought, one that made sense.

And yet he found himself in front of the club only a few minutes later.

It was far beyond closing hours and he only became aware of that fact the second he viewed a terribly empty entrance.

The doormen were clearing away the ropes splitting the waiting guests into sections as there was no more need for them until the fall of the next evening.

It had been a stupid idea to come.

Overall.

And yet Izaya moved.

Hoped of an arbitrary kind filled his mind as he descended the empty flight of stairs leading to his favorite bar.

Golden amber and flashes of orange light reflected beautifully inside the shelf of Whiskey's at the very top of the bar.

He had never quite gotten to appreciate the arrangement considering the room was usually filled with too many people to create a similar effect.

The music had long tuned down and even the pianist from the floor above had been sent home, it seemed as peaceful silence covered the empty tables.

It was only when he turned his head towards the backdoor leading to the staff's storage, that he spotted two figures in a huddled shadow.

"Come on cutiepie," he suddenly heard and recognized the woman being cornered as Shizuo's colleague.

Smaller by two heads she was being efficiently trapped with no way of escape and Izaya's eyes narrowed upon meeting her glance.

It was one of fear.

"You couldn't find anything better?" Izaya called loudly, and the two of them flinched equally upon his unexpected voice.

A smile crept along the guy's face. He was sturdy. Two heads taller. Well built. Not the kind of guy a woman like Evelyn could afford to offend alone.

"Hey, she is a ten in my book," he grinned eerily and the tattoo of a snake imprinted to the side of his head moved in time with his sick amusement.

Izaya never quite understood the way some men truly thought fear and silence was an approval of their actions.

"I was talking to her," Izaya announced without batting an eyelid.

Evelyn was faster to grasp his open insult and her eyes flickered towards the threat of a guy.

Expression shifting after a few more seconds of unexpected offense he glared at Izaya before turning away from Evelyn.

"Watch your tongue, twink," he spat, quite literally, as leant to the side to spit onto the ground. His stance had straightened and his body tensed.

Izaya knew what people looked like when they were ready to fight. And this guy right now was craving to plant his fist into his face.

"Revolting," Izaya announced, with an expression void of any emotion. "My body and soul are having a divorce right now," he announced calmly and pulled a flick blade from his pants' pocket.

He always had one on him. His physique was lean, structured, defined in just the right places and he certainly looked more than decent. But if it came down to a fist fight of brute strength he was very well aware his cards were not the best.

Evelyn stiffened upon seeing the weapon, and the bastard gladly did the same.

He seemed to be contemplating his choices for just a moment there. And the option of charging forwards anyway clearly crossed his mind.

But even this imbecile of a guy was smart enough to recognize that a blade to his guts was going to do way more damage than the blow he could deal to Izaya's face.

"Why are you even interfering? She likes me. She wants to join me on a ride," he suddenly smiled, hoping to resolve this night in a way that resembled a win nonetheless.

"Really?" Izaya called, and Evelyn flinched upon being talked to. A quick shake of head was all she mustered and the guy glowered at her the second he did.

But that was just the distraction Izaya needed.

Moving forward in an action as smooth as a mole retreating into his tunnels he grasped Evelyn's wrist and pulled.

Stumbling awkwardly she fell against Izaya's chest and he made sure she was facing away from the knife and guy.

"Sorry big guy, she is mine," Izaya grinned with his smoothest smile and the guy clicked his tongue.

This was the end.

There was no other route to take than for the guy to leave.

And that the did, albeit very begrudgingly.

"Tch. Grow some balls," he called on the way to the entrance and Izaya snorted while flicking his knife shut.

"She is a mother of two sons you know, so she has grown more pairs than you will ever own."

Silence returned much quicker than expected and the softest hint of a chuckle left Evelyn's lips at his words.

"I think he meant you," she whispered quietly and Izaya shrugged. "I know."

Gratitude and relief were written all across her face as she pulled away from her savior and bowed.

"Thank you very much."

Izaya hadn't aimed for a hero's position. Nor was he trying to pull a move on Evelyn, and yet, looking at her he couldn't help but feel a soft tinge of warmth, starting to chase away the cold in his chest.

"All good," he snorted quickly, "But I think you should stop your advances. This club only has scum to offer."

It was a silly piece of advice. Because Izaya was well aware that his was not a situation Evelyn had brought upon herself. Despite only getting to know her name recently, he had seen her serve behind the bar for years. She was as much a professional as Shizuo was and he heavily doubted she had tried to flirt with the guy.

And Evelyn seemed to understand his joke for what it was and chuckled as well.

"You are here too," she pointed out, but somehow that statement only caused the corner of Izaya's lips to move downwards.

"As I said."

Surprise, as well as mild confusion was found to be in her insecure smile and for a second none of them talked. It was as though the gears in her head were still turning to process what he had said when another figure finally entered the room.

"The top floor is done, they will come down as soon as they-" it was when Shizuo spotted Izaya that he stopped talking midway and his eyes darted to Evelyn instead.

Awfully negligent of her duty she stood too still to appease normality and Shizuo's eyes narrowed as he approached hurriedly. "Did something happen?"

Ah. Shizuo was worried.

Izaya could tell from a single glance.

"A guy tried to pick her up with the worst pick up line I ever heard," he quickly explained, not wasting any time for stupid jokes or playful insinuations. This was not the time for any of these and Shizuo showed gratitude upon his quick words.

"Are you okay?"

Evelyn was addressed next and quickly nodded with an assuring smile.

"Thanks to Izaya, yes."

And suddenly it was there.

The same emotion.

Worry.

Written all across Shizuo's face.

But this time it was directed at Izaya.

And it caused a sensation of warmth to spread in Izaya's chest.

"Ah, I will close up the front," Evelyn suddenly announced with a quick glance to the clock and the ever so slowly moving hand toward the 5am mark.

Izaya knew the club's closing hours were highly flexible depending on who desired to remain and so the time came with little surprise.

But Shizuo's words did.

"Thank you," he said, as soon as Evelyn disappeared into the flight of stairs. It was a mixture of gratitude and light reluctance that swayed in Izaya's words. And for some reason Izaya relished in the idea that Shizuo would have preferred if he hadn't meddled in something that might as well have blown up in his face.

"You would have done the same," he shrugged and Shizuo snorted before resuming his earlier duty of clearing away the tools used for today's night.

"I didn't expect you back so soon."

The half of an orange found its way into his palm and Izaya hummed while glancing towards the clock.

"Want me to leave?"

But to his relief Shizuo smiled.

"Of course," he said, but his words and actions couldn't have differed more as he pulled a glass from the counter. "Wine or…" he faded out, asking for Izaya to complete the order with anything he liked.

It cast a smile upon Izaya's lips and he slipped into his favorite seat.

"A virgin sunrise would be nice."

It might have been the orange that sparked the idea, Izaya couldn't really tell, but his order surely was a convenient one as Shizuo got to use the rest of the ingredients scattered along the counter to mix his cocktail.

Within a couple hot minutes Izaya was holding the perfect swirl of orange, red and white as Shizuo had layered the grenadine and cream in a way that formed the pattern of a spiral.

It was just a drink.

A beverage he could have any other day, and yet somehow Izaya found himself oddly content with his beverage at hand.

A sigh he should have kept to himself escaped his lips faster than he liked and Shizuo whispered.

"Hard day?"

Only slowly Izaya glanced up from his cocktail and his eyes spoke more than his lips possibly could. Shizuo was worried about him. In a way too genuine to brush aside and Izaya felt his reluctance to lie grow by the second.

A piece of silence filled what was supposed to be an answer until Izaya whispered.

"Hard week."

Two words.

That was the maximum of what he was willing to relay, but it seemed Shizuo was more than content with them.

A sip was taken from the glass and Izaya glanced at the bartender with the slightest hint of discomfort. The silence following was something he truly enjoyed, but having Shizuo not speak a word to him was odd in its very own way.

"Seriously though, they do become crappier everytime I get here," Izaya suddenly said and managed to surprise not only Shizuo but also himself.

"What?" the bartender asked, pausing in the middle of cleaning up his part of the counter.

"Pick up lines," Izaya quickly filed in. "I feel creativity is lacking in the current generation." Stifled laughter was all he got from Shizuo, beautifully vibrant in the quiet setting of the empty bar.

It was a rare moment to have the entirety of the oval lounge to themselves.

Reminded him of his cup of coffee after closing hours.

And it seemed he wasn't the only one enjoying them as Shizuo showed curiosity.

"Tell me some?"

It took Izaya a second to realize that he was talking about the pick up lines. At first he took his request as a joke, simply trying to sound humorous, but after a second Izaya realized some characteristic actions of expectation.

Shizuo was looking at him, obviously waiting for an answer and he realized with a quiet snort that he actually meant what he said.

"You sure you want to hear about those atrocities?" he warned, but Shizuo seemed more than ready and terribly curious.

"With your voice anything will sound good."

Wow.

This time Shizuo was being bold.

His eyes held the smile his lips showed and Izaya noticed with humored delight that he was flirting with him.

And he couldn't even deny liking the compliment.

More and more warmth spread inside Izaya's chest and he smiled, even though he knew the bartender was most likely just trying to cheer him up.

"Alright, number one," Izaya announced, and leaned over as though he was going to relay the greatest secret of all time.

"You may be tough," he whispered, as seductively humorous as he could, "but mine is tougher."

The expression Shizuo made upon hearing it was worth the effort.

"Revolting," he cringed, and Izaya snorted.

He hadn't even started with the real ones yet.

"Wanna hear something truly revolting?" he asked, and took a sip of his drink before continuing. Dangerously low and holding a taint of disgust he spoke one that truly fit Shizuo's description. "A corpse can't struggle."

A deep frown crossed Shizuo's forehead at that one and he sighed internally as well as visibly.

"Since when did threats of rape turn into pick up lines?" he asked, and Izaya shrugged. Saying the one thing that Shizuo hadn't expected.

"I'm not even sure if it was meant as such."

No words could have possibly caused Shizuo's body to stiffen as hard as these did.

Bewilderment reflected in his eyes and he looked at Izaya hoping he was joking.

But he wasn't. And the way he said those words was clearly one of experience.

His brain was quick to come up with a fitting visual depicting a guy cornering Izaya the moment he spoke that threat and Shizuo's mood shifted to one of anger.

"I have another," Izaya announced, not having realized the way Shizuo's mood had soured so terribly. "Do you have ten minutes and room for 18cm?"

It was a light one, meant to lift the mood and Shizuo was supposed to laugh at the way Izaya tried to enact the words as greasy as humanly possible.

But somehow even that silly line suddenly caused Shizuo to feel nothing but repulsion and annoyance.

"Too much?" Izaya asked, and Shizuo realized that he had remained quiet for quite a while.

"Sorry, I was in thoughts," he mumbled quickly, and this time Izaya noticed that he seemed to have hit a nerve with the previous one.

"I have more mushy ones too," he announced quickly, casting his best smile and the bartender relaxed visibly.

"Shoot it."

"If I were to change something about you it would be your last name."

The way Shizuo cringed at those words was too funny to not address with a quick laugh and it seemed Izaya had succeeded in saving Shizuo's mood.

"People actually say that?" Shizuo groaned in second-hand embarrassment and Izaya nodded quickly with another one right at his lips.

"That leads me to the next: Hey, truffle, need a filling?" he asked and even raised his eyebrows in a very refined and absolutely atrocious wink.

Shaking his head, Shizuo closed his eyes for a second in order to get rid of this perfect impression. The act Izaya was putting on was almost better than the words themselves.

"Okay, that's the worst," Shizuo announced and Izaya laughed after finishing the cocktail with a single sip.

"You act like you could do better," he pointed out and moved the glass towards the counter. Taking it with natural ease Shizuo quickly cleared it away and hummed in unrivaled confidence.

"I can."

Izaya snorted at the way Shizuo neither showed a sign of hesitation nor doubt in his statement.

"Really. Well what's your best pick up line?" Izaya requested, his elbows leaning onto the counter as he rested his chin on his palms.

And Shizuo blinked.

Picking up Izaya huh?

The glass he had cleared away was already rinsed with water and a towel used to polish it back to peak condition turned rounds in his hands.

"What?" Izaya teased, "Don't tell me you don't have any?"

And suddenly an awful splurge of motivation kicked in and he smiled as he put the glass away and pointed towards the dancefloor.

"Look over there," he ordered, and Izaya did.

Curiosity was leading his actions and he looked at the empty club.

No one was there except for Shizuo and Izaya.

It was 5am, maybe later, Izaya hadn't bothered to check.

And suddenly it was there.

Shizuo's hand.

Tilting his chin to the side, his soft touch barely brushed Izaya's skin. There was no violence in the lead, no force. Just his touch and a pair of mesmerizing eyes suddenly much closer than expected.

A gaze, alluring, meant to relay nothing but desire lingered on Izaya's lips for a brief second as if he were leaning in for a kiss.

And then he let go.

Just like that.

And resumed his duty of polishing the glass.

And Izaya- Izaya was speechless. Just for a few moments.

For a second he really thought Shizuo was going to kiss him.

And suddenly they were there. The thoughts. Running wild.

Before he could stop his own mind it was showing him vivid visuals of Shizuo bending him over the counter and his pants tightened.

Izaya was confused, startled and hella turned on.

Why?

He had no idea.

"Since you are speechless I take it I won?" Shizuo suddenly chuckled and Izaya realized with dread that he had failed to even speak.

Quickly clearing his throat he tried to safe what was left of his dignity.

"Has no one ever told you a pick up lines consists of words?" he asked and Shizuo shrugged. "I used some."

And somehow that statement with its perfect timing just caused something in Izaya to release.

Laughter for one thing, and a sensation of peace.

It was amazing. Really.

It took only a few exchanged with this guy and he felt as though his fatigue faded.

Even Creston's masturbation seemed too far off to care about right now.

"An escort service?" he chuckled and this time it was Shizuo's time to be surprised.

"What?"

"Your former job," Izaya sighed softly, but content. "Not for sex of course but I can see you gallantly taking care of some old ladies."

He was aware his words could easily be taken as a lowkey insult, but he knew Shizuo well enough by now to know he was not one to be offended this easily.

Laughter was what he received in return and Shizuo shook his head.

"That was your worst guess so far."

Of course it was. Izaya had only half heartedly come up with the suggestion after all.

"You aren't exactly making it easy being secretive as you are," he pointed out and Shizuo snorted.

"I can't believe you are still hung up on that."

"I told you I will find out what it was."

It was then that the soft sound of heels clacking against the stairs resounded in the oval lounge and Evelyn returned from her duty.

"I'm done Shizuo-" she announced, but then spotted Izaya, who she had apparently thought had already left. "Ah, we are closing up," she shuttered quickly, very well aware that she had to sound pretty ungrateful acting this way when he had only helped her out a few moments earlier.

"So you keep the bar open for those old farts but not for me? I'm hurt," Izaya announced, obviously realizing her light dilemma and added some oil to the already burning flame.

"It's not like we have much of a choice there, but if you want to we can-" Evelyn stumbled across her own words quicker than she was expected to, but Izaya had already gotten off his seat.

A hand found its way to hers and he patted her as though she was a pet of some sort before smiling reassuringly.

"That was a joke, Eve, don't worry. I will be on my way."

"Eve?" she repeated, and it appeared she was not quite sure whether to appreciate the new nickname and Shizuo chuckled.

"Ah, watch out on your way home!" Izaya waved shortly, and left in her stupor Evelyn was only left to nod.

"See you tomorrow, Shizuo," Izaya announced and Shizuo smiled as he disappeared.

"I think I understand what you meant," Evelyn suddenly chuckled. Still lightly flustered by his words. "He really is a nice guy," she smiled and moved towards the counter to drop off her uniform of the day.

And Shizuo- Shizuo found himself agreeing.

A smile, more radiant than it should be grazed his lips.

The face Izaya had made when Shizuo leaned in had been one of expectation. One waiting for action and Shizuo swallowed.

Izaya was undeniably hot.

And his actions-

Smile dropping for a second he groaned softly as he palmed his face.

What was he doing?

to be continued~

Well, well, well... I think it is time- to really kick some thrill into this story C: C: C: Isn't it? C: C: C: C: xD