Chapter 26: Speed capabilities

A glance. Telling more than a novel of a thousand pages directed itself towards Izaya.

He could tell immediately that Shizuo knew the name. Knew the doctor. What Izaya had seen shortly before passing out had been no hallucination.

But Shizuo provided no answer. Silence moved his limbs in a room filled with quick beats of music and instead of words he only served him a glass of water.

He didn't want to talk about it.

The fact was obvious as daylight, and yet-

"My memory is a bit fuzzy, but I am pretty sure you were talking to someone carrying that name. The doctor said I owe the guy my life," Izaya explained as he searched for the reason Shizuo was so adamant to tell.

Pausing in his motions of cutting a few oranges for another order Shizuo exhaled.

"That was a friend of mine."

A friend.

That didn't sound like a lie, but also not like the whole truth.

"A friend that happened to be that close?"

Colors of red and orange danced across the counter. Glasses sparkled, liquids moved.

"He works nearby."

The music moved on with quick beats and a stutter that fit their conversation.

"I would like to thank him."

Another beat followed the drop of lights and Shizuo's eyes narrowed.

"I will tell him you did."

Izaya was being brushed off.

"Personally."

Why?

"He is busy."

Why? Why did it seem as though Shizuo was avoiding him?

Awful silence lingered in the small space between Izaya's favourite spot and Shizuo's counter.

The injury to his stomach stung, but it didn't sting as badly as the knowledge of what it was that Shizuo was trying to do.

Their conversations had always flown so easily, with no care for consequences or revelations. Something like trust had formed between them and Izaya felt as though he had crushed that trust and his expression saddened.

Of course.

He had been stabbed in the middle of the club. The guy before that had threatened him had been one thing. An exception of some sort. But two times were starting to form a pattern. A pattern of danger that the bartender truly shouldn't get involved with.

Sighing softly, Izaya looked at the glass of water placed before him.

"Too shady to be dealt with?" he whispered, and his words were nothing but referring to himself. It was obvious. A good decision too.

No one should get involved with him and Creston.

It was a clear cut, wasn't it? A line that Shizuo was drawing and it was a wise one too.

Coming fairly late after everything that happened, but still wise.

And yet suddenly it was there.

A sigh. And an answer.

"Yeah, but not in the way you think."

Surprised, Izaya lifted his gaze to look at Shizuo.

He was looking for a lie. For a sweet pretense for his sake. But none of that seemed to make up Shizuo's expression as he showed nothing but concern.

"Are you telling me I'm not the only drug lord you befriended?" Izaya asked, and honestly it was a joke, a rapid conclusion that he had come to derive from the way Shizuo spoke. He by no means thought his words to hit bull's eye and he doubted his question came even close to the riddle that this man presented, but it caused his expression to shift to a smile.

"For someone only just released from hospital you talk awfully much."

It was a joke. A retort.

One just like those they exchanged over the last couple days. Shizuo wasn't avoiding Izaya. He was just trying to keep his friend out of this.

And somehow that thought brought a wave of pure relief.

Relief that seemed to not only put his conscience at ease.

A sick blur coming from the lack of tension finally made it to Izaya's eyes and he quickly touched his temple in an attempt to chase it off.

"You good?"

One of these days Izaya really needed to brush up on his acting skills if it was this easy to read him on the spot.

"Just a bit of brain fog," Izaya quickly assured. "The meds are finally kicking in."

Along with some painkillers and antibiotics to guard his wound from any interior infection Izaya had received the order to rest.

Rest, was not exactly the term he would describe his current actions with.

Eyes darkening, Shizuo looked over to the spot Creston was sitting in. His bodyguard was looking as stern as ever and a stranger had approached the table for some sort of negotiation and drinks.

It was only when Izaya followed Shizuo's glance that he spotted Evelyn.

He hadn't quite questioned her missing presence until now, but it appeared she had been asked to sit down at their table.

"Why is he keeping you here?" Shizuo was obviously talking about Creston.

A pretty lie sat at the verge of Izaya's lips. Something about his volition to be here, about him not being the reason he was currently sitting at this bar, injured, but somehow Izaya's lips moved according to truth.

"I fucked up," he whispered, and Shizuo's head turned to look at Izaya. "Now he is showing me the consequences."

"Injured?" Shizuo repeated and Izaya smiled bitterly.

"That's part of the punishment."

Expression souring, Shizuo looked towards the bastard.

The why lingered on the tip of his tongue but didn't dare tipple over.

It wasn't his business.

And he felt like sticking his nose in too far would backfire.

A quick smile spreading across Izaya's lips was what forced his mind back to the present.

"But you are right. Maybe I should just run," Izaya joked, obviously trying to lift the mood, and Shizuo sighed.

What was he even doing?

Izaya was already injured and he was making him act in ways to comfort his selfish rage.

Mimicking the smile he quickly replied instead. "No offense to your speed capabilities, but currently he is probably faster running backwards."

The snort from Izaya came unexpectedly, as much as the faint sign of discomfort on his face.

Obviously laughing was a painful action with a wound as fresh as the one Izaya had sustained and Shizuo cursed internally at the contradictions in his mind. He wanted to better Izaya's mood, but even that seemed to fail gallantly.

"Any shady deal you have to attend?" he asked instead, figuring that if there was one thing he could do, then it was looking out for him.

But to his relief Izaya shook his head.

"No. He is a sadist but not stupid. I won't be doing any negotiations."

Shizuo frowned, "So you are just supposed to remain here to suffer?"

A quick smile spread across Izaya's lips and he shrugged.

"Told you. A sadist in his purest form."

It was then that a guy, young, probably around twenty, approached the bar with a bit too much vigor as his chest bumped into the counter.

"A long island ice tea, please," he announced surprisingly politely despite his already dissipating consciousness.

Vodka, rum, gin, tequila- faster than Izaya was able to follow Shizuo acted on the new order and within a hot minute the cold beverage garnished with triple sec and sour mix was moved towards the new guest.

"Here you go," Shizuo announced, and the guy seemed to take those words a bit too literally as he brought the glass to his lips.

Five seconds. Maybe six at most. That was the time the guy needed to down the thing in one go.

Amazed and equally appalled, Izaya watched the guy as he set down the glass with a bright smile before resting his face on top of the counter.

Two seconds, maybe less and they guy appeared either fast asleep or passed out.

"Wow, that must be a new record." Izaya was half impressed while Shizuo had nothing but a groan to offer.

"Why do they do that?" he grumbled while moving over to the storage of ice.

"What? Take drugs?" Izaya asked as he watched Shizuo grab some of the cubes and stuff them into a towel.

"I just don't see the appeal," Shizuo explained as he moved around the counter.

His goal was as simple as it was predictable. He wanted to put the ice to the guy's neck in an attempt to not only wake him, but help him sober up a little.

"Life is boring to them. Seeing sounds and hearing colors is probably their idea of time well spent," Izaya shrugged.

It was then, just when Shizuo lifted his hand to touch the guy, that he jerked up from his position.

Bright as daylight he looked at the bartender in mild confusion, then smiled-

"A long island ice tea would be nice," he announced, and for a second Izaya held back the urge to laugh.

"You can order the best of this house just outside before the club," Shizuo quickly crafted a lie on the spot and the guest smiled brightly before moving off with a grateful nod.

"Did he forget he already ordered one?" Shizuo sighed as soon as he was out of sight and Izaya chuckled.

"Of course not. I mean look at him, with his state of concentration he obviously remembers what happened tomorrow."

Shaking his head Shizuo sighed and nodded into the direction he sent the guy off to.

"Just a second."

Izaya nodded, and with that Shizuo was gone.

By telling the guy to move upwards in order to attain what he desired he skillfully made him walk to get some fresh air without having to drag him over himself.

He was more than just a decent bartender, even following to make sure he was alright.

A wave of exhaustion and sleepiness started to drift into Izaya's consciousness as soon as Shizuo was gone.

He hadn't quite noticed the toll on his body while their conversation was distracting him. But now? With silence and no partner to talk to?

It was easy to focus on the everthrumming pain of his wound and the heat circling his stomach.

He wanted to lay down.

Wanted to sleep.

But even more than that he meant to talk to Shizuo.

There was so much more he wanted to say to him.

He saved him.

Had he not called for his friend, had he not taken care of his wound-

And his reaction.

The way he looked at him and his voice.

Putting his palm across his eyes Izaya closed them for a second as there was too much going on in his already hurting head.

"Hey, your friend vomited on my shoes."

Crude and loud.

The voice that had talked to him belonged to no one he knew. "I demand compensation."

A side eye was all Izaya was willing to spare as he glanced at the unwelcome visitor.

A stranger. Or at least no one he had ever met before. Relatively young, mid twenty at most and wearing his wealth on his sleeves he appeared to not have too much of it if that was what he chose to show off with.

But friend?

The familiar stench of sour milk reeked from the guy's polished shoes.

Ah.

Right. The guy Shizuo was accompanying outside.

"He is not my friend," Izaya informed curtly and brought his attention back to his water immediately.

He neither had the attention span nor the will to argue with a random guy over sullied shoes.

"You were talking to him," he insisted and Izaya rolled his eyes.

"You are talking to me, are we friends?"

A shut down argument. As much as it proved effective for its unpredicted appearance it also seemed to have convinced the stranger about his innocence.

But sadly it also did more than that.

"Wouldn't mind becoming one." Eyes checked him out quicker than Izaya liked and for a second he cursed his excessively good looks.

Taking a sip of his water he did his best to show nothin but boredom.

"Not interested."

Wrong choice.

Apparently his opponent took his words as a play of being hard to get. "You say that now, but I promise you will change your mind later." The chair next to Izaya was grabbed and pulled over as the guy took his seat. "Your lips look lonely, may I introduce them to mine?"

Why?

Just why?

Groaning softly Izaya tried to ignore the wafting stench of wrong confidence.

"What's with you guys and your crappy pick up lines? They are coming from every angle."

A smile.

Or rather a grin, that was all he received as the guy tilted his head to the side with a meaningful expression.

"You can too."

Izaya had frequently felt disgusted by various people inside this club, but that? That almost caused him to gag.

He wanted the guy to get lost. Disappear. Return peace to him. But the brain fog filling his mind was keeping him from answering well and coming up with proper retorts.

And suddenly he moved closer.

"You are pretty gorgeous," the stranger hummed sweetly, "What's your type?"

"Painkillers and knives."

There wasn't much more to spell danger in under three words, but it seemed not even that was enough to scare the guy off.

A small bag was drawn from his coat and instead he just grinned in obvious joy.

"I got adderall and cocaine. A mix of both sounds fun. And I wouldn't mind taking it up a notch either."

That bastard really mistook his words for a secret order and a night full of drugged sex. The direction this conversation was steering into was growing worse by the second. Izaya needed to deal with him, but somehow-

A sense of unwanted despair, not fitted for the situation at all filled his mind as he closed his eyes for a second.

He was just so drained.

So tired.

He just wanted him gone, was that too much to ask for?

And suddenly he met them. Upon opening his eyes. Shizuo's.

Entering the oval lounge it seemed he had taken care of the slightly drunk customer. It was just a glance. A brief moment in which their gazes met, and yet somehow no words were needed to convey everything Izaya wanted.

"That being said-" the stranger continued, but didn't get far as Shizuo's body rudely moved in between his own and Izaya's.

Almost like a shield, popping up to defend against those flirtatious assaults Shizuo's back effectively blocked all view and further conversation. "Hey-" the stranger complained, but one glance at Shizuo's expression was enough for his voice to fade.

The music turned up its beats and only seemed to speed up the guy's movement as his faltering confidence quickly caused him to leave.

Relief. Peace. And a couple more emotions Izaya wasn't willing to define filled his throbbing mind as he relished in the fact of not having to think.

Not having to talk.

Not to the guy, not even to Shizuo.

Standing there, quiet like a boulder in the midst of the sea, it seemed as though Shizuo had read his mind and wish for a moment of silence.

Just a second of rest.

That was all that Izaya craved, and he knew he was safe to claim it as he closed his eyes in the presence of his impenetrable defender.

It was just a brief moment. A peaceful one. Colors of red and orange flashed past his closed eyelids and his shoulders grew heavy with the sensation of relaxation.

"Bartender another of these if you would."

It was the voice of another customer suddenly piercing through the comfortable silence that jerked Izaya out of his waves of peace.

"Evelyn," Shizuo's voice called, softly and awkwardly quiet, as he addressed his female colleague.

Raising his head Izaya realized she had come over from Creston's table. When? Hadn't she looked all too comfortable over there?

It was then that Izaya noticed the clock in the corner of the room and the fact that half an hour had passed.

Just like that. Within a few seconds he realized that he had dozed off.

Izaya didn't see her response but she was already busy preparing for the next round and Izaya noticed something else.

Shizuo.

He had not moved an inch. Not even when he passed out. Or maybe exactly because he passed out.

Guilt, shame and an odd sensation of happiness took over his mind at that fact and he quickly cleared his throat.

He couldn't do that, he was being a burden.

"I'm leaving after all," he announced and slowly raised from his seat.

Seemingly only noticing now that he had come back to his senses the blond turned.

"What about him?" Shizuo's eyes narrowed as he whispered and it was clear who he was talking about.

Creston.

Still sitting in the corner of his table he was busy crafting his own lies about the stabbings true occurrence and Izaya followed his gaze.

True.

Creston wanted him to stay. Wanted him to suffer as punishment.

But any drowsier than this and he might fall asleep in the middle of the club.

And so he circled his glass.

A deep breath was taken and before Shizuo even knew what was going on, Izaya had poured it over his own head.

"What-" he mouthed surprised and a little confused, but his words quickly died when Izaya brushed through his hair.

The motion was as alluring as it was helpful to sharpen his senses and with that Izaya pushed himself off the counter. "Guess I have to go home to change."

How?

How could someone injured still this goddamn attractive?

Somewhat speechless for numerous reasons Shizuo was left to watch as Izaya moved over to the tables.

His steps were tender and his speed slow.

He couldn't really hear what he was talking about or telling his boss, but a quick nod and a satisfied expression on Izaya's part was more than enough to fill Shizuo in.

A wave.

A glance.

That's all Shizuo got from afar and with that Izaya moved towards the exit.

Of course.

He was going home.

Confused by his own thoughts Shizuo groaned.

What did he expect? That he would come over to say goodbye personally? And yet- Just looking at the entrance Shizuo couldn't chase away this feeling of regret. This urge to move. To do what? He wasn't even sure. But seeing Izaya leave like that-

And suddenly Evelyn was next to him.

Where she came from, nor when she had appeared was a riddle to Shizuo entirely, but she was. And she nodded towards the exit with one of her gentle smiles.

"Go."

And somehow, despite not really knowing what it was that he meant to do, Shizuo did. No further permission was needed and he quickly moved up those stairs.

People wandered around aimlessly and chatter mixed with laughter and offense tickled his ears as he shoved his way past the crowd trying to get inside the club.

Where was he?

Cold air met his breath as soon as he stepped onto the pavement, and suddenly he saw him.

A taxi had moved over and Izaya was just slipping inside the back.

The window was open and before Shizuo knew it, he was at it.

"Shizuo?"

Honest surprise spread across Izaya's expression and Shizuo quickly caught his breath as he had sped his way up here.

A hand was extended without any proper request and he simply spoke one word.

"Phone."

Caught in a similar stupor Izaya handed it over and before he knew it Shizuo was quickly typing away on it.

An array of numbers appeared on the screen and before Izaya had the chance to ask what they were about Shizuo was already handing it back.

"Just in case," he announced, and Izaya remained speechless as the driver finally moved and the car drove off.

to be continued~

Just in case xDDDD Well, well, Shizuo is getting a little invested in our little drug dealer, isn't he? xD

And Izaya now has his number- time to call, wouldn't you agree? C: xD

See you next friday everyone~ C: