Chapter 32: Drugged

Understanding what it was that he was experiencing he cursed himself for being so damn inattentive.

It was his own fault really.

Having had his eyes set on anything but his drink he should have known better than to take a few mindless sips of it. Looking at the liquid he suddenly noticed the way the shade had dipped into a mild fog of white and moved the beverage away as if the action would reverse its effects.

Regret.

Regret was the number one emotion he felt as he tried to get control over his thoughts.

Normally he would just deal with it. Taking drugs or being drugged came down to the same effects if you knew what you were dealing with.

And yet, right now? After getting stabbed inside his club too recently to ignore Izaya found himself falling into an unhealthy spiral of worry.

Worry about his safety. Worry about the intentions of the guy that drugged him.

Before he knew it his hands had broken into a cool sweat and his ears rang in ways that blocked out all noise as he felt the threat of impending doom increase by the second.

It wasn't even directly caused by the drug, but knowing that someone had set their eyes on him in this way only intensified his usual paranoia.

He was an idiot.

A true one.

"Is it not to your liking?" he didn't even notice Shizuo had returned to the bar. That's how busy his mind was spiraling down into a dark pit of tension. Izaya had shoved the drink away from him and from Shizuo's perspective the action had to seem like an act of dissatisfaction.

But Izaya missed his reply. Something witty, something smart that was what he wanted to voice, but his throat stringed shut at the attempt to show a pretense.

He wanted to get away.

Away from this seat. Away from these strangers behind his back of unknown motives and intentions. He was feeling weirder by the second and the sensation did not help.

"Shizuo," quietly and with dry lips Izaya found his mouth whispering what he shouldn't. Having been about to mix another order on the side, Shizuo raised his head to face Izaya. Something was off. He hadn't noticed when he asked about the drink, but now he did when Izaya's face failed to show any hints of playfulness or joy.

"I know it's violating your protocol, but could you let me sit down behind the bar?" A request like that, out of the blue was nothing Izaya would state as a joke and Shizuo immediately put down the knife he was holding to chop some lemons and leaned in.

"Did something happen?"

Eyes, too serious and concerned faced Izaya's and he sighed at his own idiocy. It was embarrassing to be that inattentive.

And yet-

Feeling the spiral of anxiety slowly crawl up his throat Izaya knew better than to put up a false pretense.

"The guy from before spiked my drink," he admitted quietly, more annoyed than worried and Shizuo's expression darkened instantly. "I think I know what it is, but I really don't want to enjoy a bad trip sitting here," Izaya quickly elaborated, trying to play down the mistake he had made with a smile, but it never quite reached his eyes.

Shizuo knew it the second he saw it.

Izaya wasn't letting it on, but this request was not one he would make if he were as fine as he pretended to be.

Pulling the glass from the counter Shizuo nodded him over. There was no allowance to be asked for. Not with this.

The seat was abandoned and Izaya's body moved behind the shelves and ingredients as he found himself on the opposite side of his favourite spot for once.

Sitting down on the ground with his back leaning onto a cupboard hiding more ingredients he closed his eyes for a second.

Knees at his face's height he felt the urge to lean onto them, but he wasn't willing to present such a sorry sight.

He was already behind the bar, where no one could see him except Shizuo, what more could he possibly need?

Kneeling down in front of him, Izaya suddenly found a glass of water offered by Shizuo and quickly took it without a word.

"Ketamine?" Shizuo asked, and Izaya nodded after taking a sip.

"Probably."

Seething madness swirled in Shizuo's eyes as he glanced towards the guests stacked next to the bar.

"You don't know the dosage, are you sure you are alright?" he whispered, but Izaya sighed with a nod before palming his forehead. "All good. It's my own fault for taking my eyes off my glass."

It was then that movement from the side entered Izaya's vision and he turned his head to look at the second bartender of this club.

"Shizuo I got the new-" eyes falling onto Shizuo, then Izaya sitting on the ground Evelyn lost all meaning of her words as their content changed immediately. "Is he okay?"

Obvious care and worry lingered in her eyes and Izaya quickly forced a smile onto his lips.

"No blood here, you can relax," he joked and quickly took another sip of the clear, cool water.

"Hey, are you taking orders tonight or tomorrow?" an impatient guest from the bar suddenly asked and Shizuo's head turned towards his job.

There was nothing he could do right now to help Izaya, and they were both aware of that fact as Izaya closed his eyes and tilted his head back against the shelf.

Reluctantly rising from the ground Shizuo moved towards the counter.

"What will it be?"

"A zombie," the guy requested and Shizuo reached for a glass. Eyes glancing into the corner of their bar he kept looking at Izaya at every turn.

It was obvious that Izaya craved a bit of peace. Especially now when he was trying to deal with his own mind and body.

Eyes scanning the night lounge Shizuo wound himself glaring at the people inside.

Who the hell did it?

Izaya knew. But that knowledge didn't help his current state.

Looking at the floor, the cupboard before his eyes or the ceiling above helped close to nothing. Izaya could hear the music. He could hear the people chattering. Everything was fine, he just booked himself a trip he hadn't particularly asked for. It wasn't like he didn't know how the substance would affect his body and yet somehow Izaya felt his mind trapped.

Trapped in the stabbing that had happened too recently to forget.

He felt so clear and so in control, but at the same time he did not. His actions, the noise- was he waiting for him? Not the guy that stabbed him, because he was dead, but what about the guy that drugged him?

Where did he go? What was his goal?

What if he was waiting too? With a knife?

Another attack?

Paranoia and an event he had most likely not properly processed yet mixed with his current state of mind and formed the best cocktail of gut stirring panic. Izaya wanted it to stop. Everything. His thoughts, his body, this feeling-

"You good?" Izaya hadn't noticed just when Shizuo had appeared in front of him nor that he had closed his eyes. But now that he opened them and looked at the bartender he did.

A quick nod was all he managed to give.

A straight lie.

And Shizuo was smarter than to believe it.

Izaya looked distraught in ways that tore at his heart and his eyes narrowed as he gently put a hand on Izaya's knee.

"Izaya. You are safe here," he assured, gently, and sure of his words as he tried to catch Izaya's eyes with his own. "No matter what, I will look out for you, okay?"

It was soothing. Both the voice and the words themselves. Izaya knew the second Shizuo spoke that he was telling the truth. For better or worse he trusted the guy more than he should and he felt the rush into his downwards spiral slow down.

Looking at Shizuo and the way he returned the gaze with pure concern, Izaya swallowed hard as he tried to smile.

"That helps," he sighed softly and let his head thud against the cupboard. It did. Truly.

And Shizuo nodded, before raising to his feet and grasping a bottle of rum.

Another cocktail request must have come in that he didn't hear because suddenly he moved. Cream, crushed ice and pineapple met coconut in a shaker before being tossed around violently.

And Izaya could do nothing but watch.

Watch Shizuo go about his work. The way he handled the glasses. The fruits. The various utensils made for cocktails. And somehow, just watching him go about his work was awfully pleasant.

Almost like watching art.

The colors, the finesse, the skill and light movements.

At some point Shizuo knelt down next to Izaya reaching for a cupboard blocked by Izaya's shoulder.

"Just a second-" he announced and Izaya quickly moved aside.

"Sorry, I'm occupying your space."

But all Shizuo had to offer was a snort and a gentle smile, "All good. Take all the time you need."

It was incredibly soothing.

Shizuo's treatment. Watching him. Listening to him.

And slowly Izaya felt the effect of the drug pass as his mind started to clear.

He didn't know how long he had been sitting here. A few minutes? Half an hour?

The only fact he knew for sure was that this was the longest period he spent with Shizuo without talking.

Just watching.

His calmth, profession.

He heard cocktails he never heard before. It was when Shizuo fished for a new glass that Izaya spoke up.

"Did you deal?"

A bit overwhelmed and perplexed by the randomness of the question Shizuo looked at his secret guest.

The glass he was holding was placed onto the counter and he blinked.

"Why are you asking?"

Looking at the bottles featuring all kinds of alcohol Izaya couldn't really come up with a reason.

True. Why?

"I don't know, it's just, you always seem like you know more than you let on," he mumbled, "About a lot of things."

Shizuo laughed at that, "So after an escort your next guess is a drug dealer? Your suggestions are becoming more and more flattering."

Snorting softly, Izaya couldn't help but agree. And yet-

"That's something a drug dealer would say to hide his job," he pointed out playfully and Shizuo offered a cheshire smile.

"Maybe I was?"

Izaya snorted.

"Poser."

He never knew when to take this guy seriously or not. But that was part of the game, wasn't it?

"I see you are feeling well enough for insults again," Shizuo suddenly announced, and truly, Izaya did.

Looking at his hands he saw that they had stopped shaking and lost their clammy cold.

"Yeah, yeah, love you too," Izaya announced quickly and raised to his feet.

"Are you okay?" Evelyn was the next to notice his movement and quickly scurried over from the front of the bar.

It was funny looking at her from this perspective. Almost as if he were the bartender and she the guest.

"I am. Do you mind if I return to my old seat?" he asked playfully pointing to the place she blocked and she quickly shook her head with a smile.

Positions reversed in under a minute and Izaya returned to his favourite spot and a fresh glass of water was served.

Taking it gratefully Izaya down it in one go. Yeah, most likely ketamine. As quick as the effect had subsided it couldn't have been much else.

He was lucky to have only sipped a few times of the drink.

"Any idea who it was?" Shizuo asked and refilled the glass.

Shrugging slightly, the guy from before popped into Izaya's mind and he sighed.

"Someone who thought drugging me would gain them access to a decent lay?"

Eyes of doubt lingered in the oval lounge and Shizuo's eyes narrowed.

"I hope it's as easy as that."

He wasn't convinced.

Izaya could tell.

Grasping the glass he cleared his throat. "I know it probably won't sound convincing since you happened to witness both in close succession, but I have actually only been threatened in this club twice so far."

The word, only, was probably far from convincing considering a single assault was more than an average human should experience during a single lifespan. But it was what it was and in Izaya's line of business that was a small occurrence.

"... no I figured as much," Shizuo surprisingly agreed as he looked at Izaya. "You don't look like you fancy attracting danger."

Izaya snorted. He didn't? Funny. But convenient nonetheless.

"See? So stop worrying about me," Izaya joked in the same fashion he had earlier. Because nothing about their relationship was close enough to do so.

He thought.

But Shizuo's mouth was quicker than his mind as his eyes settled on Izaya.

"Easier said than done."

He slipped up.

It was obvious the second he finished his words. He spoke in the heat of the moment and it was nothing but the truth.

And for a second Izaya was mildly surprised as well. Looking at each other with no word leaving their lips he suddenly felt the urge to kiss Shizuo.

Right then and there.

Pull him over by the rim of his collar.

Fuck. What was wrong with him?

Swallowing hard, Izaya tried to ignore the sensation and cleared his throat.

"Say-"

But Izaya's phone seemed to have different plans as the conversation was cut right there.

Vibrating against his thigh, Izaya reached for the cursed device and looked at a message.

It wasn't Khrushchev, it was Creston.

He requested his presence at home and Izaya cursed the guy for his timing as he slipped from his seat.

"I gotta go," he sighed, as he pushed himself off the counter. "Seems my night won't be peaceful after all."

Shizuo frowned, slightly alerted by the fact that Izaya had only just recovered from his nightly assault.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked, but all Izaya had to offer was a smile.

"I'm alright."

Raising his hand in a short greeting he waved at Shizuo's colleague.

"See you Eve." Meeting his gaze the woman quickly smiled and raised her hand as she waved at their collectively favourite guest.

"Stay safe!"

to be continued~

Haha now wasn't this a sweet chapter despite the drugging? xD Behold, because the next one will be the opposite to this C: Time to kick up the drama, right?

See you next friday~