July 2020 Challenge - Durarara!! - Izaya & Shizuo

[thewriterinpink]

Title: Bitter Taste
Fandom: Durarara!!
Relationship: Izaya Orihara & Shizuo Heiwajima
Rating: T
Prompt: 16. Walking backwards with a bitter taste.
Word Count: 584
Summary: Shizuo decides not to chase after Izaya.
AN: This was actually finished in the proper month, but I'm not all that impressed by it. I'm still trying to figure out if I even followed the prompt because I didn't understand what this sentence even meant, but, sigh, at least I tried?

“Oh, you caught me! How scary! What do you plan to do with me, Shizu-chan?”

 

Shizuo huffs. This again? He shakes his head and attempts to ignore Izaya’s theatrics, wondering if he blocks Izaya out that maybe the bastard will go away for once. He pulls out his cigarette pack and lights one up, breathing out smoke and counting to a hundred in his head.

 

“Hm? Shizu-chan? Are you ignoring me? How rude. You usually love to play with me, don’t you?”

 

“Go away,” he grunts, closing his eyes. “Not today, flea. I’m not interested. I’ll pretend you’re not here and let you go on your way. I don’t feel like throwing a trash can at your dumb grinning face today.”

 

“Is that so?” Izaya sounds almost perplexed. His fighting stance slips, but he still holds his switchblade at his side, ready to defend if he needs to. “How odd. Is Shizu-chan sick? We haven’t had a chat like this since high school. This isn’t how this goes.”

 

Shizuo’s expression darkens. He can’t describe the feeling that overtakes him then, but he’s certain the explanation for his delayed reaction is simple. He’s tired of the tedious nature of chasing after someone who’ll always escape and never learn his lesson. Izaya is trying to provoke him, but for once Shizuo wonders why. Why do they do this? What do either of them gain? Can Izaya just go away so he doesn’t have to do this again?

 

“If I agree that I’m sick will you disappear quicker? Just a thought.” His lips twist in a sneer. “If you’re really itching for a fight you could punch yourself in the face and I’ll stab myself. Same difference, right?”

 

Izaya studies Shizuo closely, tilting his head as he does so. For a moment, Shizuo feels like some sort of experiment of Izaya’s, the ones that get innocent people suffering at his hands. It makes Shizuo shiver in revulsion and yearn to smack Izaya upside the head, but again that’s too familiar to be satisfying. Their actions are repetitive and at the point of ad nauseam, not worth it even if Shizuo would give anything to retaliate. There’s an awful taste in his mouth, something he isn’t getting from the smoke between his lips. What a viscous cycle of no end they’ve created.

 

Izaya laughs. It’s that vain, fake thing that fools no one. His lips grow into a smirk and he shrugs casually, skipping away from Shizuo. He looks over his shoulder to say one last thing.

 

“Alright, alright. I’ll get out of your hair. Perhaps tomorrow you’ll be better company?”

 

The question is laced with honest desire and interest. Izaya is unsatisfied with this encounter. Progress between them, the chance of civility, that’s not what Izaya wants. He’s fine with the cat and mouse they’ve started—he’s the one who made the first move all those years ago. It’s disgusting that not a single thing has changed since then. This hopelessness is bitter. Shizuo forces his gaze away and stomps the cigarette out far before he finishes it. He suddenly doesn’t want it anymore.

 

“There won’t be a tomorrow if you just listen to me and stay out of my city! I-za-ya-kun.”

 

It’s what he’s supposed to say. Izaya relaxes at the words and nods once before waving cheekily and scurrying off. Shizuo has that itch to follow him but pushes it down, shaking his head and stuffing his hands in his pockets, gritting his teeth sourly.

Comments

[kalloway]

Tagged and added to the masterpost.

(btw: I googled the phrase and it's a line from In the Morning by Tori Forsyth)

[thewriterinpink]

Thank you!

Interesting about the song here having that line. I don't know if I truly believe it came from it though considering it's not a well-known song. Whoever picked these phrases may have known the song though, so it isn't entirely impossible.

[kalloway]

https://31-days.dreamwidth.org/3512518.html - it's from that song.

[thewriterinpink]

Ah, I see! Thanks, that clears things up.