Atlas

Chapter 7: Prudence

Soon, it was approaching his usual dinner time, and inspite of his best efforts, Shizuo's stomach betrayed him, growling unnaturally loud into the silence.

To his relief Izaya only chuckled, placing a bookmark into his tome and returning it with a strange care and respect to its shelf.

"As I don't have much in the way of food, would you mind going out for groceries tomorrow, I'll write you a list."

"You'll let me back in?"

"You'd stake out my apartment again if I didn't. And I think, for the moment at least," Izaya made a point to gaze straight in his eyes, the warm now ruby colour earnest, "I can assure you I won't drop off a building."

"Why?"

"I'm curious about what you're planning."

"...fine. And make sure you cook for two."

He could hear the scowl in Izaya's voice. "Hai, hai."

———

As they were eating, Shizuo got a text. He glanced at it and smiled.

"How fairs Kazuka?"

Shizuo hid his surprise. Clever and egotistical...Izaya and Poirot had parallels.

"Much better since you've stopped attempting to get him killed."

Izaya just looked at him.

"...which you never actually did. How much of what you made me think you did, did you actually do?"

"Well, I did lose you that job and frame you a few times."

Izaya's eyes flicked down to the bartenders suit.

"I mean, your boss was crooked as anything, and they were plotting some nasty shit with you involved, but I couldn't find a more elegant way to get you out of there."

"So my brother..."

"Is a handsome and well known actor, who, just like most famous people, has a few mentally ill stalkers and psychopaths on his tail, who when I find, I befriend and learn their plans, passing them onto his big protective older brother as surreptitiously as possible."

"Then claim to have orchestrated everything to make me hate you?"

"Yup."

"Why?"

Izaya took a mouthful of food instead of answering.

"Izaya."

"When was the last time you really unintentionally hurt someone? Properly hurt them?"

Shizuo hesitated, wracking his brain.

"...high school." He said suddenly.

"Before you started relieving your stress by fighting me, a person you could lose all restraint against, and didn't not need to experience any guilt by fighting.
Seeing things as black and white was quite comforting, wasn't it?"

Shizuo couldn't even begin to deal with that right now, he tore his gaze away from those knowing eyes and he shifted the subject back a few questions to something he thought he could handle. Key word, thought.

"I've never heard mention of any other Oriharas. Don't you have siblings?"

He knew he'd fucked up when what little light that had returned to the informants eyes faded.

"I... I had twin sisters." He replied simply, but before Shizuo could change the topic, Izaya continued. His voice was soft, wistful even.
"They were clever and filled with mischief, seemed to find no greater pleasure in their lives than to prank their older brother...That piano was theirs."

"Can I ask what happened?" Shizuo asked, hesitantly.

"They are dead." Izaya replied simply before rising. "I have work to do, don't touch the piano or my books or enter my study again."

———

Shizuo read his book for a while then got bored.

Izaya didn't say anything about the kitchen, so he returned and spent a fruitless hour attempting to cook, and another two fruitless hours trying to get rid of the mess he created.

During this time, Izaya did not leave his computer once. Shizuo even fell asleep on the sofa for a couple hours, and in waking found the informant still at his post.
He was tempted to try and force the ravenette to bed, but instinctively knew he would be pushing past his limit for the day.

He went to the bathroom, returned and changed before collapsing onto the couch and letting sleep take him.