author: tzaya
premise: to put a stop to the tricks in ikebukuro, shizuo thinks itâd suffice if he was the one to love izaya, and izaya challenges him. (shizuo/izaya // 1147 words // all chapters )Â
Shizuo had always known that he was the kind of person who relied more on instincts than calculations. There was nothing wrong about trusting your instincts; theyâre there for a reason, and his own had served him well these past years â well, they were mostly used to sense bullshit radiating off of the debtors he saw every day, and Orihara Izaya. But they were spot on 99% of the time. That had to mean something, which was the reason why he never really second guessed his choices as they came to him⊠and why he didnât see what was so bad about being the one to love Izaya. The flea was difficult to love, Shizuo of all people could admit to that (it might take him an entire decade to find one, single charming trait, really), but heâd always thought that if there was someone who could put a stop to Izayaâs shenanigans, itâd be himself.
Whether it was impossible or not didnât matter. He had to at least try.
[ Do you really think heâll change? ]
Shizuo drew his gaze to Celty, strawberry pocky hanging off of his lips while he nibbled on the other end of the biscuit stick. Theyâd been sitting on the park bench for approximately half an hour now, and heâd briefed her on what brought his love project forth (even if sheâd already heard from Shinra), as well as the encounter he had with Izaya just earlier. Of course, he didnât fail to mention Sakiâs words (he overheard Izaya and the blonde boy calling her by the name) - which Celty seemed to agree with this sentiment - was surprising.
It wasnât like Shizuo didnât know that Izaya, as disgusting of a pest he was to everyone on this Earth, had fans. For Godâs sake, the fleaâs locker in high school was always filled with love letters and gifts, to the point that it was overflowing. But heâd sensed that Saki was different. It appeared that she was close to Izaya, and even her boyfriend, the blonde boy who worked for Izaya was. Shizuo had to wonder why her love wasnât enough for Izaya, if she was well acquainted with the ugly parts that made up Orihara Izaya, and still harbored affection for him. Wasnât it identical to what Shizuo was doing? And to think that he hadnât even gotten close to liking Izaya, much less love him.Â
âThereâs nothing to love about Izaya!â He remembered the blonde boy exclaim to Saki.
Shizuo had to agree.
âShould be - I mean, âts hard to tell since nothing happened. He was his usual self today tilâ those kids came along, then he disappeared.â
[ I doubt he would change. But if youâve set your mind to it, Iâll cheer you on! ]
âThanks, Celty. Maybe then I wouldnât mind him coming to âbukuro.â
Celty stuck a thumb up in encouragement, despite how hesitant she was about this whole thing moments ago. Well, it was understandable, especially considering the fact that he had no plans as to how exactly he was going to make himself love a lifelong nemesis.
The idea itself sounded funny, and impossible.
[ Shinra told me something, though. ]
[ Heâs not worried about you loving Izaya, but if Izaya ends up loving you. ]
Shizuo didnât know what to make of that.
[ But wouldnât it be a good thing? He wonât bother you anymore. I donât understand why Shinra would be worried. ]
Silence settled in as he pondered over what Shinra couldâve meant by his words. The fateful day that had set all of this off, he was more fixated on Izaya, so he didnât manage to catch anything particularly off with Shinraâs reaction. The underground doctor, chatterbox that he was, had indeed shot him with hundreds of questions  - which still gave him a headache from even reminiscing it, but Shinra never said anything about Izaya loving him.
Though it couldâve just been that Shizuo didnât bother to hear him out.
âI donât think that bastard even has any heart left.â He scoffed.
[ If he doesnât show any improvement, youâd give up, right? ]
â âCourse, Celty. Donât worry about it.â
[ I know! Iâm just still wary if youâd continue to love him! ]
âYou know Iâm not the kinda person whoâd care about someone being shitty to me.â
At that, Celtyâs shoulders, previously tense, slump a little with relief. This whole thing was confusing and incomprehensible, Shizuo couldnât deny that. As Celty had said before, they both could only hope that Shizuo wonât end up getting himself tangled in the web of lies and trickery Izaya so often orchestrated. But if there was one thing that he was good at, it would be not associating himself with those beyond fixing, or in other words: people who were outright assholes. Â Assholes who had no remorse and desire to change.
Celty had to give him credit for that. Granted, Izaya could actually fall into that category, but at this point, Shizuo would try any method once if it meant that there was a chance he could save Ikebukuro and himself from the Izayaâs evil doings.
If this all goes to hell, heâd just go back to killing Izaya.
[ Youâre right. But still, keep me updated! ]
Shizuo spared her a soft smile.
âHey, does he still use this phone number?â He set aside the empty, scrunched up box of pocky  aside before showing her the contact he had of Izaya in his cellphone, which was still under the name âDONâT PICK UP: FLEA!â. He probably should change the name soon.
[ Yes. Are you going to contact him? ] Celty questioned once sheâd confirmed the contact with the one she had in her PDA (among many others, apparently the flea had a bunch of numbers, not that he was even remotely surprised to learn this fact).
âDunno what Iâm gonâ say yet, but itâs a step.â
[ Iâm sure youâll figure it out. Good luck, Shizuo. Text me if you need anything. ^_^ ]
The sun was already setting by the time he saw Celty off on her motorcycle. This small talk with his best friend had been comforting, even though as aforementioned, he still knew absolutely nothing about the ins and outs of his own project. Sometimes he thought that he should just leave it to the yakuza the flea had been messing with; eventually theyâd probably rid of him once and for all. Thatâd be so much easier on his mind.
Shizuo flipped his cellphone open, stared at the bolded text on the screen: DONâT PICK UP: FLEA!
Thereâd been no sign of Izaya in the air since he sneaked off before.
âHeh, Iâll just do it later.â
Shrugging, he tucked his cellphone away, and began to head home himself. Â
author: tzaya
premise: to put a stop to the tricks in ikebukuro, shizuo thinks itâd suffice if he was the one to love izaya, and izaya challenges him. (shizuo/izaya // 1037 words // all chapters )
[ ! ] sequel to the oneshot: blemishes.
chapter dedicated to @scivious (happy bday!! <3)
The drink changed colour the moment he nudged the raspberry teabag with a spoon, eyes glued on the swirl of red mixed with clear hot water, but his mind was elsewhere. Itâd only been a day since his last visit to Shinraâs. He couldnât get what Shizuo said out of his mind. It was only a joke he made on a whim; words he didnât expect Shizuo to take seriously. The expression on Shizuoâs face at that time was unreadable, but it didnât look as though he was brushing off Izayaâs challenge, either. Did that brute really think he could make Izaya focus on him long enough to leave other people alone? All so that Ikebukuro would be peaceful, merry, or Shizuo so claimed.
Nonetheless, within the span of twelve hours, nothing had happened since then. There were no flowers at his door (even though he highly doubted Shizuo would spend money on him), no love lettersâ nothing. It did cross his mind that he probably shouldnât be expecting anything, yet this feeling deep inside his heart was bothering him. As if something unknown was going to happen. He didnât like it.
Who was Shizuo to stir him up like this?
The clang from the spoon hitting the ceramic cup brought him out of his stupor, making him feel rather enraged from the fact that he was even letting Shizuo occupy his mind this much. Was he that desperate just to have someone by his side? And to think it was Shizuo, of all people! There was no way that a relationship with Shizuo, in any form that is not built on hatred, would work smoothly. It was laughable, how he was even considering that perhaps something good would come out of this.
âHa, heâd throw the park bench at me the moment we meet,â Izaya shook his head, stirring his tea before bringing the rim of the cup closer to his lips, taking a sip.
âI guess Iâll just stay for the ride. If Shizu-chan really falls for me, thatâd be even better! Thereâs no one easier to manipulate than a love-struck fool. Heâd be wrapped around my finger in no time. Wouldnât that be fun?â
At the very least, he didnât feel too bothered now, if this was to be compared to a few seconds ago, where he, Orihara Izaya, contemplated the possibilities of him and Shizuo actually ending up together. Noâ it was true that this entire thing wasnât completely unavoidable. He could just tell Shizuo he didnât want to go through with such a ridiculous proposal, but wouldnât he be the coward if he took back his words? As much as Izaya knew this could go wrong at some point, the excitement from a newfound entertainment was too good of an opportunity to pass on.
Of course, if he didnât want to be defeated at this love game, heâd have to pay Shizuo a visit. It would be unlike him if he wasnât a step ahead of Shizuo at all times.
âIs it too much of an acknowledgement to say he might be scheming something? Heâs not that bright to think of such complex plan,â tipping his head to the side, he let the thought linger for a moment, this time taking a big gulp of his drink.
âHey, paycheck.â
There were still a few files of work he had to finish by this evening, so after that, maybe heâll go to Ikebukuro.
âPaycheck.â
It was only then that he noticed Namie calling him, and the fact that heâd finished all of this tea. There wasnât a single drop visible when he placed the cup onto the counter, taking a few steps closer to his secretary thatâd been standing by the door. In her hands was a box, a rather plain one; those used for delivery services, which raised his curiosity even more. Itâd be too obvious if it was wrapped with a flower or heart pattern wrappers with a big bow on top.
âWhat did you call me?â
âYou write my paychecks, so youâre paycheck. What? Donât tell me you donât like that? Iâm only giving you appropriate nicknames,â her expression was as nonchalant as heâd remembered it every day, never a genuine smile directed towards him since that was only reserved for her beloved Seiji. She shoved the box into him as soon as he was close enough.
âI think if I wouldâve melted if you called me sweetie instead, Namie-san!â
âItâd be nice if youâd melt to your death. Hereâs a package for you.â
âWho is it from?â
âYou have eyes, you can see it for yourself.â
The package felt rather light in his clutch. Izaya couldnât hide that his heart started to beat faster the moment his fingers first touched it; his fingers trembling at the edges of the box. Was a smile enough to beat Namieâs curious stare? He was eager to know who the sender was, too, considering that there was only a single name circling his mind as the possible sender of this package. Could this be counted as a win for his side?
Tilting the top of the box to face him, his gaze immediately fell on the senderâs name, and needless to say, he was quite disappointed to find out that it was only the jacket that heâd ordered online a week ago. It couldnât have arrived at a better time. Truth to be told, he didnât even know what he was expectingâ the bouquet of flowers, perhaps? And for what? So he could laugh knowing he got Shizuo all figured out? That he knew Shizuo would probably make his moves from the book on âHow To Woo Someoneâ heâd purchased from the bookstore (he was willing to bet that it was exactly what Shizuo was up to the moment he thought of this).
âWhatâs gotten into me?â letting out a sigh, he dropped the box onto the floor, no longer interested in it.
Namie didnât miss the chance to prod at his wounds, accompanied with her half-suppressed chuckle which was intended to sound meanâ that much he was sure of.
âWhat were you expecting? A gift from someone? You donât even have friends.â
author: tzaya
premise: to put a stop to the tricks in ikebukuro, shizuo thinks itâd suffice if he was the one to love izaya, and izaya challenges him. (shizuo/izaya // 1027 words // all chapters )
Izaya was never fond of Shizuoâs eyesâ the amber hued orbs had always tailed him with suspicion, because of course, as quoted, his whole existence was no good; it only spelled trouble. That was how Shizuo perceived Izaya, despite the inconsistent answers Shizuo was giving, switching from tender to biting remarks in a flash. It didnât even matter if Shizuo had written a whole long list on how to love, Izaya thought, as he was sure that that accusing gaze would never change. The amount of mischievous stunts heâd pulled reminded him further that this relationship couldnât improve on a positive noteâ after all, Shizuo had claimed that no matter what bullshit Izaya spew, he was well aware of the tricks hiding up Izayaâs sleeves; the strings attached to him that he could tug at any moment to put Ikebukuro in destructionâs way.
Shizuo wouldnât ever let him erase that from his mind.
âIâm happy that you have someone to love you now, Izaya-san, someone who you can call your own,â a sweet voice chirped by his side, one that belonged to one of his favourite underlings, and his guess only proved to be true when he faced her. Her appearance was similar to the last time heâd seen her; donning a white skirt and tee, accompanied by her pink cardigan to complete her sweet look.
âSaki?â
âHello, Izaya-san.â
Saki had her usual smile on, seemingly innocent to those who wasnât well acquainted with herâ but to him? Izaya knew well that she was scrutinizing his actions to figure out if what sheâd mentioned was true. How he was going to react to that, she was curious of it. And truth to be told, he didnât know what to think of her words either.
âIâm not sure if being loved by a monster is going to cut it,â he joked, leering at Shizuo out of the corner of his eyes, wondering if that was enough to rile him up.
It seemed as though it wasnât just him who was taken aback by Sakiâs blunt exclamation, Shizuo getting roped into it as well, albeit the brute not saying anything to deny it (he wouldnât be surprised if Shizuo was actually contemplating whether it meant just that). Of course, itâd only work into Izayaâs advantage if that was indeed what Shizuo thought of, so he chose to ignore that part. Saki clearly noticed it, her facial expression changing and her eyes were twinkling with interest, but she carried on with her previous demeanour; her head tipped to the side.
âIf thatâs so, youâre always welcomed to call me anytime.â
âWhat? Saaaaa~kiiiiiii!â contrary to Sakiâs soft-sounding voice, Kida had a loud, booming one, garnering attention of those who were within 5 metre radius of him, especially with the whine of distaste towards his girlfriend offering herself to someone he hated. Apparently he was in the middle of introducing himself to Shizuo, or something akin to that, at leastâ all Izaya managed to catch on was that theyâd met before, and a flick to the forehead from Shizuo had rendered him paralyzed for quite a while. The downside was Shizuo didnât seem to recall that ever happening.
How could anyone even think Shizuo could remember anything? The primal instincts in him clearly overpowered the intelligence. It was one of the reasons why Shizuoâs growth into a human was halted to a stop.
âOn a date, are we?â
Izaya cornered Kida, hands in the pockets of his fur trimmed jacket as he continued further, âWhat about the task I asked you to execute for me, Kida-kun?â
âOi.â
âNothing bad, Shizu-chan! Itâs just work!â he shook his head, flashing a bright smile, âNot that it was Shizu-chanâs business if it wasnât anyway.â
âBastââ
Shizuo seethed, the fingers of his right hand balling into a fist as if on cue. See, Shizu-chan couldnât resist his instincts. There was a spark, threatening to turn into a flame but Shizuo diminished it as soon as he realized, his clenched jaw turning lax. It was such a shame, indeed. Although Izaya knew now that all he had to do to bring back the Shizuo he knew so well was by doing what he did best, and that was to pull the strings connected to the people of Ikebukuro. However, he had to think about it further once he get home, as doing so might just end this whole ordeal, bringing them back into their normal routine of cat and mouse chase.
Heâd have to calculate the limit of how much Shizuo could take.
âPlease take care of Izaya-san well.â
Saki interrupted their quarrel, her palms splayed out against her knees as she did a ninety-degree bow in front of Shizuo, unfazed of the horrified expressions Kida and Tom had on from the unfamiliar display of protectiveness towards Orihara Izaya. Vorona (the beautiful foreigner, according to Saki) appeared irritated, as though sheâd decided off the bat that she wasnât fond of Saki.
Of course, Saki didnât appear to mind that look either.
âUh⊠okay,â Shizuo responded after several seconds of recomposing himself, confusion evident on his face.
âNegative. There is no requirement stating it is necessary for Shizuo senpai to concern himself with a pestâs well-being.â
âI do think that it should be the other way around, SakiâŠâ supporting Voronaâs argument, Kida let out a sigh.
In the midst of all of this mess, there was an individual who didnât display even the slightest reaction, strangely not uttering one word despite being known to always having clever responses prepared before anyone even proposed a question. Â No one was attentive enough to notice how out of place it wasâ no one except Kida. Well, if he was going to be honest, he didnât mean to, really. His gaze just so happened to wander in that direction.
Kida brought up a hand to rub at the nape of his neck, wondering how itâd all led to this, with Sakiâs next words making his eyes linger a little more on the person whose attention so fixated to the ground.
âIâll trust Heiwajima-san to not hurt Izaya-san.â
author: tzaya
premise: to put a stop to the tricks in ikebukuro, shizuo thinks itâd suffice if he was the one to love izaya, and izaya challenges him. (shizuo/izaya // 1071 words // all chapters )
âDoes he even know how to use technology?â
Izaya slipped his phone back into the pocket of his fur trimmed jacket, only remembering to check the forums just now, in case Shizuo had decided to announce their ârelationshipâ to public, even though he knew Shizuo had already left Dollars. There wasnât any, of course. He himself wasnât sure what to call this; a relationship sounded a bit too much considering he wonât be reciprocating the love Shizuo will give to him, but there was no other suitable terms that he could think of. Plus, he knew he wouldnât be getting out of this anytime soon since he wanted to see just how far Shizuo was willing to go. And will he be swept off of his feet by these poor attempts of a monster at love, in the end?
âEi, that just sounds so unlikely,â he snickered to himself, shaking his head as he strolled down the streets of Ikebukuro, âWhat is this, Beauty and the Beast?â
With no postbox flying in his direction and the usual drawn out call of his name, he was able to blend right into the crowdâ no one even noticed that the infamous Orihara Izaya was walking alongside them. It was what he wanted, to be this close to them, despite wanting to be above these mere humans still, somehow. However, it proved to be harder than he thought to make them give him the love he so desired. Instead, they threw glares and insults when things didnât go their way. He couldnât deny that it was rather adorable; just like a child throwing tantrums, thatâs how his humans were.
âShizu-chan!â
It wasnât that hard to locate Shizuoâs whereabouts when heâd always stuck out like a sore thumb, blonde hair in the midst of many raven heads, wearing a bartender outfit despite already quitting the job, and carrying various kinds of heavy objects; this time a bright red postbox, situated under his arm. Tanaka Tom and Vorona Douglanikov were by his side, one appearing rather worried the moment he saw Izaya running towards them, while the other immediately shifted into a fighting stance.
âOh, youâre here,â Shizuo muttered, an unlit cigarette hanging off of his lips. He was calm and composed, which made Izaya feel puzzled by the unusual demeanor. Was it a trick? He couldâve sworn the postbox was supposed to fly to his head, unless Shizuo had just missed the timing since he seemed so into his chat with his co-workers just now. That wouldnât be enough to have him shrug this off, though, since he was well aware that Shizuo had certain instincts when it came to Izaya; heâd claimed that he could smell Izaya, since he always had that scent of trouble brewing (which to Izaya, sounded ridiculousâ think about it, trouble donât have a smell and it wasnât like Shizu-chan was a superhero to be sniffing out criminals).
âI will not forgive you if it goes awry in the future,â spoke a feminine sounding voice, but in a robotic manner.
Vorona didnât let her guard down, despite Tom persuading her not to irk Orihara Izaya, especially in front of Shizuo (it was better to be cautious despite Shizuo already telling him he wouldnât be so hostile towards Izaya from now on).
âWhat will?â he asked her.
âOriharaâs relationship with senpai.â
âDouglanikov-san, you sound so caring for this monster,â Izaya responded, gesturing towards Shizuo when he pronounced every syllable of âmonsterâ with emphasis, âif I shut my eyes, I wouldnât have been able to tell the difference between you and the lady on Google Translate!â
His words clearly got to Vorona, as heâd intended it to. She lurched forward to land an attack on him, almost successful since he didnât manage to take out his switchblade fast enough, but with Tom holding her back, she couldnât reach him. He felt as though he should take that as an advantage and retaliate. And he wouldâve, if his attention wasnât on Shizuo, who stood by as if all this wasnât happening around him, smoking his now lit cigarette.
It was frustratingâ how Shizuo didnât react according to his expectations.
âIs this not the moment where Shizu-chan should wrap his fingers around my neck and strangle me to death?â
âYou donât strangle someone you love.â
He couldnât utter anything, his mind turning blank when he heard those words, his own nimble fingers gripping onto his knife tightly that it was almost starting to be painful. This way of acting from Shizuo was too unfamiliar that it was suffocating. If he couldnât figure Shizuo out before, this was even more confusing. What was Shizuo planning? He wanted to know. There was no way heâd go with the flow and risk being tangled up in this, just because he was too unprepared. Was Shizuoâs definition of love merely ânot fightingâ?
âYou donât love me. Letâs not fool anyone.â
âIâm trying to, and that matters more.â
âAh~â he drawled out long, âIf this is all Shizu-chan has, I donât think itâll be enough at all. As I thought, not only you donât suit me in the first place, you donât suffice either. Donât think Iâd easily be swayed just by this, and by a monster, no less. Anyone here can see that thereâs no affection in Shizu-chanâs eyes. Theyâre only filled with violence, mm?â
Vorona was quick to react, noted Izaya; despite not saying anything and leaving it to her senpai, she was visibly getting more worked up over this than Shizuo was.
âLove can take time,â Shizuo replied.
âWhat does Shizu-chan know about love?â
âWhat do you?â
Shizuo may have not wanted to fight, but he sure didnât mind arguing, Izaya thought as he attempted to brush the biting question off, opting to take a step back instead of argue further. If heâd stayed, this could only turn out to be taxing on his mind. Thereâd be another interaction another day, and by then, heâd have more cards up his sleeves to use against Shizuo (and hopefully there wouldnât be anyone to intrude their conversation, too). For now, though, perhaps he should visit Simon instead.
Izaya tucked his switchblade away, letting out a small sigh whilst shaking his head.
Heh.
Another step back, and the corners of his lips curled into a grin of malice, gazing straight at Shizuo.
