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Why the hell where they partnered up? Whose bright idea was this?!
Since the moment they were paired together at the bureau, they had been bickering about their mission. They argued about who got to drive the car, they argued over the directions to their destination, they argued over which equipment they should bring. Truth be told, they hated each other, and they barely even worked together anymore. People knew what happened when they were in close proximity; things got broken, offices trashed, cuts, bruises. They had history; they used to work together often, but it never ended well; their targets often escaped, and the two often caused even more problems for the agency than when they had started. Neither understood why they were paired together for this mission. They knew how it was going to end.
Granted, Shizuo knew he should probably have a partner. It was safer that way, and his old partner was out of commission for the time being. He had been injured during their last mission, and Shizuo blamed himself for it. He may be strong, but he was rash, and he didn’t think before acting; he blamed himself for the mistake that almost cost his partner his life.
“I think I see steam.”
Startled out of his thoughts, Shizuo blinked as he looked around confused. He was smoking a cigarette, is that what he meant by steam? Smoke?
Izaya laughed at the confusion of his partner. “You’re thinking, and it is overloading your brain. I see steam coming from your ears.” With a smug grin, Izaya poked at Shizuo’s cheek.
“Screw off, flea.” Shizuo brushed his hand away, blowing a light cloud of smoke towards him. Only Izaya would have the guts to provoke Shizuo like this. He wasn’t afraid of his strength. Maybe that was why the agency had partnered them together; everyone else was afraid of Shizuo and refused to go near him or talk to him. For good reason too, Shizuo had to admit.
With a sigh, Shizuo turned to Izaya. “Are we going or not?” They had been sitting in the car for a while now, scoping the scene.
The “scene,” so to speak, was a large, seemingly abandoned warehouse. Their reports told them of some mastermind that was selling military grade weapons to dangerous people. They that they were supposed to bring him in so that his operations would come to a halt, and so they could question him on his buyers. Apparently Izaya and this guy had a personal vendetta against each other, and Izaya seemed somewhat antsy, almost as if he were excited.
“I was waiting on you, my dear monster.” Izaya cooed in a sing song voice. Shizuo growled and made a threatening move towards him, but Izaya merely laughed and clambered out of the car.
With an exasperated sigh Shizuo followed. He got out of the car, coming around to the trunk, where Izaya was rummaging through a large pile of equipment. He was picking through his gadgets, and stuffing a ridiculous number of guns, tranquilizers, lock picking tools, etc, into the harnesses wrapped around his thighs and his chest.
Shizuo never did like to use these things; they took too much effort and they just pissed him off. They never worked anyway, and it was easier to just kick his way through doors and enemies.
Izaya preferred the fineness of sleek tools over the brute strength that his partner seemed to favour. Shizuo never was one for self preservation; he never had guns, never any bullet proof armor, and he would always charge head first even with no back up. Either the man was incredibly overconfident, or he had some crazy death wish. Not that Izaya cared either way, just as long as he didn't screw things up.
“Listen, Shizu-chan, we may be partners, but we don't need to be a team.” Izaya smirked as he pointed a gun at Shizuo. “Don't get in my way.”
Shizuo just rolled his eyes, unfazed by the gun directed at his face. “I wasn’t planning on it,” he tilted the gun away from himself.
Curious; Shizuo really was not afraid of such dangerous things. Either he was brave, or unsurprisingly idiotic. Izaya didn’t really care either way, he merely found Shizuo an oddity; a fun toy to amuse himself with. That’s what everyone was to him; just pieces in his game. But Shizuo always refused to be played, he was the one thing he couldn’t control. He hated it, but it definitely made things interesting.
“So what's with you and this guy anyway?” Shizuo was examining the building in front of them. It was so cliché; an old abandoned warehouse, bad guys claiming it as their own. He and Izaya we're the good guys that came in to stop all the bad guys. It was like the spy movies Shizuo watched as a kid, and he loved it. The rush, the adrenaline.
Izaya ruined all the fun.
“What do you mean? The target, Tsukumoya?” Izaya had crouched by the door, speaking quietly as he pulled out his lock picking equipment. Shizuo leaned idly against the wall as he waited for Izaya to open the door. “We have a history; he's the only guy that has managed to outsmart me and get away.” Izaya continued, the tip of his tongue slightly poking out from his lips as he concentrated on the door.
“The only one, huh?” Shizuo watched the smoke from his cigarette swirl into the dark sky, illuminated by the humble glow of the moon. It was surprisingly peaceful out; the calm before the storm. Even if the atmosphere was deceptively light, his patience lasted exactly ten seconds before he got fed up waiting for Izaya to open the damned door, and pushed him out of the way, making him fall onto his ass.
“The hell?” Izaya growled through a whisper. “You can’t just-” Izaya’s sentence was cut off as his partner suddenly kicked down the door, busting it open with a loud clattering of metal. “Shizuo!”
What the hell was this idiot thinking?! The people within the warehouse definitely would have heard that!
“What are you doing?!” Izaya snarled.
“Door’s open.” Shizuo stepped inside, acting as if he hadn't just broken their element of surprise. Idiot.
Izaya quickly got up from the ground, dusting himself off as slipped inside after him. “I almost had it,” he said, stepping in front of his so-called partner, “are you that impatient?!”
“You were taking too long.” Shizuo pushed Izaya out of the way, and started making his way through the labyrinthine maze of crates.
“Yeah, and now they're going to know we're here.” Izaya hissed as he followed the brute. Seriously, that clang of the door definitely would have been heard. They were screwed and it was this idiot’s fault. Their target most likely would have been informed of intruders, and was probably long gone by now.
“They're gonna know we’re here if you keep yelling.” Shizuo looked around the warehouse seemingly uncaring. “So just shut up flea, I know what I'm doing.”
Izaya rolled his eyes, but reluctantly followed him, trying to be at least quiet about their advance. “Sure you do,” he huffed, “and that's why you busted in without thinking of the consequ--”
He was suddenly cut off by a loud bang, and the tell-tail whipping noise of a bullet slicing through the air. He felt the force ruffle his hair as a bullet flew mere inches from his ear. Something hard hit his back, momentarily stunning him. His body instantly froze, and he expected the sharp pain of a bullet ripping his flesh, but, luckily, that was not the case. He was pushed onto the floor, his back hitting the hard concrete, but a hand behind him protected his head from the impact. Shizuo’s hand. He had yelled his name, told him to get down as he tackled him to the floor. He had spotted the gunner first. They were both on the floor, with Shizuo’s body draped over Izaya's in an attempt to protect him from their attacker.
He had pushed him out of the way. Shizuo had saved him.
Izaya stared up at him, wide eyed in disbelief. Shizuo was close, too close. He thought he hated him, why would he save him? Damn it why was he so close this was not okay. Why was he so attractive? Why had he never noticed?
Shizuo stood up then, and Izaya could see the barely contained rage hidden behind those golden eyes. Izaya sat up, still in a bewilderment as he watched Shizuo grab a large industrial metal shelf, lifting it up over his head as if it were made of pipe cleaners. There was a commotion of noises; yells, gunshots, steel crashing against steel. It was chaos, and Izaya found it thrilling. His heart thudded within his chest as he watched Shizuo with awe.
When Shizuo became angry and used his strength, it was fascinating. Izaya found it almost beautiful, in some sadistic sort of way. Shizuo was taking on multiple enemies at one time, paying no mind to the bullet storm whizzing around him. He could get himself killed, yet here he was, defending Izaya.
Not that Izaya needed protection, he could handle himself; he was one of the best agents after all.
He got up from the floor, quickly taking cover behind a wooden crate. Shizuo was off destroying half the warehouse, Izaya didn’t need to worry about him at the moment. Peeking over his makeshift cover, Izaya could see countless enemies, half of them looking upon Shizuo in terror, half lying motionless on the ground, either knocked unconscious, or worse. Honestly, this is nothing; Izaya has seen Shizuo do a lot worse. But still, they were partners, so Izaya figured he could at least help the brute out.
He grabbed a gun from his holster, and took aim at the grunts nearest to him. He knew that as soon as he fired, his position would be given away, and at least some of the idiot enemies would pry their attention away from the raging bull Izaya called a partner, and focus on him instead.
Izaya was dangerous too after all.
He fired a couple rounds, managing to hit a few of the grunts in the limbs; no where vital that could kill, of course. They could always be questioned, and he wasn’t the kind of man who could snuff out the flame of a human life. Humans were so fascinating after all.
He managed to take out three of them before they even got wise of where he was. He ducked away, shifting his location so they couldn’t pinpoint them. He couldn’t see Shizuo, but he could hear the almost animalistic bellowing coming from the man. Seriously, this guy.
Izaya took a couple more of the enemy goons out as Shizuo continued his unstoppable rampage. The opposition’s numbers were dwindling, and soon their entire forces were either rolling on the floor in a bleeding heap of pain, or completely motionless. Izaya double checked his surrounding, then triple checked; it seemed as though they had won the battle. Unfortunately, however, their target was a no show.
Shizuo was standing to the side, breathing heavily like an angered gorilla. Izaya approached with him some caution; Shizuo was still in his outrage, and he might not recognise the difference between friend or foe in such a state.
“Shizu-chan,” Izaya said, lightly tapping his shoulder, “they're gone.”
Shizuo had fiercely whipped around, his heavy makeshift weapon at the ready to pummel whoever had laid a hand on him. However, he came to his senses when he saw the smaller agent, who plastered a smug grin to his face. “What?” Shizuo merely grumbled.
“They're gone,” he repeated, in an almost too gentle tone, uncharacteristically like himself. Huh, interesting. He surprised himself with such a change. Was it because Shizuo saved his life? Even if it was a relatively small feat for Shizuo, compared to his others accomplishments, but it was big for Izaya. He owed him for that; he would have been injured without his reluctant partner.
No one had ever even attempted to help him before. No one cared if he lived or died. Yet Shizuo saved him. Why?
Shizuo looked around the wreckage, his primal rage finally subsiding, and his body relaxing. The monster was restrained, for now, and Shizuo was back. “Oh,” was all he said, and dropped his makeshift weapon to the ground with a heavy clatter.
A stupid grin was spread across Izaya’s face, one that should probably not be there at a moment like this. He found this so amusing though; Shizuo’s anger, his strength, Shizuo saving Izaya. This was all so exhilarating! It was so fun, getting to play good guys and bad guys, getting to play superhero.
It was strange, now that he thought of it. Shizuo had become his hero, not that he'd ever openly admit that he saved him. He was sure Shizuo would find that title rather surprising as well, and Izaya almost toyed with the idea of teasing the brute, but he found himself getting mildly distracted.
Why the hell was he so handsome this close? Izaya by no means had a hero complex, or some weird attraction towards his rival, but god did he look good. His lips were slightly parted as he panted, covered in sweat and red from blood, either his own or the fallen enemies. It was rather surprising Shizuo had not been seriously hurt, it looked like some people tried to get a couple punches in, or some cuts from knives, but seemingly no bullet wounds. The man was incredible lucky. Maybe they both could get lucky tonight.
Whoa, wait. What was that?
Izaya shook his head, dispelling such thoughts from his mind. Not the time, there was never a time for that. Whatever that was.
He pushed a button on the side of his watch, and brought it close to his face. “We got a couple bad guys we can take in for questioning,” he informed the agency that was listening through the device on his wrist. “Target Tsukumoya is not present-”
BANG
A sudden bone-chilling crack cut him off. Again.
It happened so suddenly. A gunshot. They must have missed someone. Damn it! Izaya quickly ducked, his instincts driving his body into action. However, Shizuo didn’t have quite the same self preserving instinct, and his reaction was a little slower. Izaya watched in horror as Shizuo crumpled to the ground beside him.
nononono
He instantly lunged to his side, and checked for any signs of life.
Shizuo was breathing, but he was heavily injured. Damn it, why doesn't he ever had bullet proof armor?! Izaya tried to pry away the fabric around the wound in his chest. It didn't look like it hit anything vital, but it was still bad. He needed medical attention, quickly. “Man down! Heiwajima has been shot!” He frantically yelled at the watch, as if the little gadget could possibly help, and as if it personally offended him by not doing so.
Shizuo’s breaths came out short, and laboured. His eyes could not focus on anything. “Iz.. ah…?”
Crap. What do I do? He saved me; I need to save him.
“Tsukumoya is present.” A familiar, cocky voice lilted through the warehouse.
The hairs on the back of Izaya’s neck prickled. Tsukumoya surely knew where they were, and Izaya knew that Tsukumoya was just playing with them. This was his style after all; one on one. Himself vs Izaya.
“Ah, Tsukumoya, I was beginning to think you had missed the party.” Izaya folded his hands and pressed them against Shizuo's chest, attempting to keep pressure on the wound as long as he was able to before they had to move.
“Of course not. You were invited; I wouldn't miss this opportunity for the world.” Tsukumoya’s voice sounded close. He was by no means a big or strongly built man, but he was smart, and accurate.
Izaya grabbed Shizuo by the shoulders, and awkwardly dragged his heavy body down the aisles of wooden crates that had not been destroyed in the previous carnage. “Damn it Shizu-chan,” Izaya quietly grumbled to his partner as he sat him up between two crates in an attempt to hide him from open view. He pressed a finger to his own lips, telling the incoherent Shizuo to be quiet. “Shh,” he whispered, hopefully getting through the haze in Shizuo's mind. He was incapacitated, but he had done his job. They both just needed to get out of there alive now.
“I'm afraid I can't play right now.” Izaya crept his way through the warehouse, keeping low as he made his way to the other side, attempting to lead Tsukumoya away from Shizuo. “We have to leave now, sorry we can't stay for the wine and cheese.” Follow my voice.
“Didn't you come to see my new baby though?”
A couple rounds were fired into the air, and Izaya peaked between the metal shelves, turning his attention to the direction of the shots. Tsukumoya had a large grin on his face, and an even larger gun in his hand. Bullets from that thing hit Shizuo? Izaya needed to hurry this up. He needed to take Tsukumoya in however, so lethal guns were out of the question. He grabbed a tranquilizer gun from his holster, and continued his slithering path away from Shizuo. He knew these tranquilizers would knock any man out instantly, but they needed to be fired at from close range to work effectively and quickly. Hopefully that wouldn't be much of a problem.
“Don't you know how to play fair?” Tsukumoya taunted, his voice floating through the warehouse. “You bring a monster in here, and take down all my men; it only fair I destroy your toy in return.”
Toy? Did he mean Shizuo? This wasn't good.
The clock ticking; he could either distract Tsukumoya and wait until their backup came, or he could take him out now and eliminate the immediate threat. However, either way the time was running out for Shizuo. He laid on the dusty floor bleeding out, with a large bullet still nestled sweetly in his chest.
Tsukumoya wasn't actually going to kill Shizuo, right?
Izaya had to hurry. He quickly got up, swerving his way closer to his prey.
“You could come back you know,” Tsukumoya said suddenly. Izaya mentally rolled his eyes. Was this guy seriously on about this again? “You know I don't want you with anyone else! You're mine!” Yeah, keep talking, focus on Izaya, not Shizuo.
A little closer.
Tsukumoya turned around, his apparent spidey senses tingling, and shot the crate only a couple inches from Izaya’s head. Izaya’s heart skipped a beat as he flattened his back against the crate, attempting to hide himself. Damn it he forgot how fast Tsukumoya was.
Revise. Izaya switched his direction, and advanced again, hopefully more stealthily this time.
“I don't belong to anyone.” Izaya a said. He knew full well that speaking would give away his position again, but he needed to keep Tsukumoya away from Shizuo. A little closer. He got up close to him, only a couple feet away from him. Come on, so close. He stood up as he stepped behind the oblivious Tsukumoya, and pointed the gun at his head. He may be a tranq gun, but Tsukumoya didn't know that. “But you're mine.” He smirked triumphantly, and lowered the gun, shooting it at his neck before Tsukumoya had the chance to turn around.
Tsukumoya shot a hand up to his neck. “Damn it Izaya.” He met Izaya’s crimson eyes in defiance, desperately trying to stay awake. He wobbled, his knees buckled from under him, and he fell to the floor like a marionette that was cut from its strings.
Just as back up came charging in.
Izaya rolled his eyes as he watched the uniformed agents trample around. “Perfect timing, as always boys.” He snorted as he nudged Tsukumoya with his foot. Yeah, he was definitely out for the count. “Target captured,” he informed them cockily.
Two men carrying Shizuo out on a stretcher caught his attention however, and his demeanour changed.
He ran over to them, and walked along side his fallen comrade. “Shizuo?” He said, tentatively finding Shizuo’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. He was no longer conscious, but Izaya hoped the gesture would be registered in that hazy brain.
The two of them left quite a mess to clean up, but Izaya didn't care. His mission was completed; Tsukumoya had been taken in. Now Shizuo just had to be stabilized.
Now comes the real fight.
knock, knock
Izaya gently rapped on the wooden door, before letting himself in.
He was never really much for hospital visits, and he wasn't the best for bedside manners, but he wanted to see Shizuo.
It has been about week since their mission, and Shizuo was finally awake. They moved him to a recovery room, and, fortunately for Shizuo, it was the the same room in which his old partner was being held. Izaya never really got to know Tom, but at least Shizuo had someone to keep him from going berserk.
“Hey,” Izaya crept in further, and looked at the two beds curiously.
Both Tom and Shizuo were there, and both turned their attention to Izaya once he entered the room. Tom said something to Shizuo, before he grabbed a pair of crutches and shakily stood up from his bed. “I'm going for a walk,” he said, carefully making it way around the beds and the medical equipment filling the room. He met eyes with Izaya once he got close, and spoke quietly to only him, “thank you,” he said, “for saving him.” He pat Izaya’s arm in possibly appreciation, before he exited the room. That left only Shizuo and Izaya by themselves.
Izaya blinked, somewhat surprised by the thanks. Interesting. He couldn't help but smirk as he sat down on the chair situated between the two beds, turning it to face Shizuo.
Shizuo had been silent the whole time, eying Izaya with an expression that was hard to pinpoint. How much did he remember about that day?
“I hate hospitals.” Shizuo grumbled, shifting his position slightly. He looked antsy; being a man of action he probably loathed being confined to a boring hospital bed.
“I knew a little bullet wouldn't be able to kill a monster. Usually that takes silver, or a stake to the heart, if you have a heart, that is.” Izaya tried to tease, to bug him and banter just as they always had.
Shizuo just snorted, rolling his eyes. “I've had worse.”
“Have you now?” Izaya raised an eyebrow, feigning disbelief. Honestly, he was not at all surprised.
A comfortable silence fell between them. Strange; there was no yelling, no arguing, no bickering and fighting. What changed between them?
Oh right. They saved each other.
Heh.
Peculiar.
Izaya snickered to himself, remembering the moment Shizuo pushed him to the ground. The look on his own face must have been priceless. The look on Shizuo’s face was definitely one to remember as well. He was handsome, even in this weaknesses and disheveled state, with messy bed head and a slight gruff on his face from lack of proper grooming. He was incredible, and not just his looks either. His body and its supernatural strength, his instincts to protect, his personality. Just all of him.
Izaya had been obsessed since the moment he saw him.
He stood up from the chair, and leaned over Shizuo, who looked up at him with a quizzical gaze.
Shizuo saved him, and he saved Shizuo. Things were different now, even if they pretended nothing happened.
He may not have a hero complex, (at least that's what he told himself) but he did have a Shizuo complex.
Their work dealt with secrets, and it was dangerous, and it's exactly how Izaya liked it. It was thrilling.
Shizuo was thrilling.
He closed the distance between the two of them, his eyes half lidded as he looked him over with a hungry stare. Shizuo was flustered, a flattering red dusting his cheeks. Izaya was the first to capture his opponent’s lips. It was some strange battle for dominance, and they seemed to be tied. Dangerous. Just how Izaya liked it.
They dealt in secrets and danger, and Izaya would never admit Shizuo saved him. Izaya would never admit he had fallen for his not-hero.
Shizuo would never admit he returned the kiss just as eagerly.