"Izaya."

His heart felt like it was going to jump out of his ribcage. How could he not have noticed Shizuo's presence behind him? If there had been a car or even a water fountain (he remembered how wet the both of them were last time due to that brute's idiotic choice of a weapon) accompanying that call of his name, he'd be bleeding his life out on the ground right about now.

"Pardon me, I have business to attend to," Izaya mustered a smile, feigning politeness. The sharp edge of the blade inside of his front pocket sent tingles down his spine. He kept a firm grip on it. Had combat ensue, he would be prepared.

"Oh, okay."

Izaya frowned. The response seemed out of character. There was nothing in Shizuo's hand but a cigarette situated between his middle and forefinger. Shizuo took a puff of the cancer stick and exhaled, smoke slipping past his lips. He looked almost serene.

Izaya wasn't sure what to make of this calm demeanour. If it was merely a tactic meant to lull him into a false sense of security, the brute could forget it.

"Just wanted to say hi," Shizuo added further.

Izaya stared at Shizuo like he'd grown two heads. Shizuo might have as well, with the way he was acting. It took Izaya a moment to assess the situation. "Ah, I get it now!" Izaya finally breaks into a grin, fingers pointing at Tom as though to ask for confirmation, "Did Shizu-chan hit his head?"

Shizuo took the liberty to answer instead, "Uh, no. Thanks for asking."

Izaya didn't respond then. His gaze flickered back to Tom. The man was pretending Izaya's eyes weren't boring holes into him instead of providing even a semblance of closure. Meanwhile, Shizuo was only adding fuel to the fire. Case in point, Shizuo reached out to ruffle his hair as if they'd been friends for years. Izaya felt that violent thumping in his chest again.

"You're silly. Didn't you say you got business here?" Shizuo beamed down at him.

That was true. He was running late to meet Shiki for an important discussion. And seeing as it involved a few other top yakuza members, Izaya didn't really have time to dilly-dally, as interesting this encounter with Shizuo was.

"Yeah, but…" He hesitated.

"Go. We can see each other later."

Izaya pursed his lips, chewed the inside of his cheek for a second, before he turned around to head towards Awakusu's building. He'd rather have his head in tact by the end of the meeting.

Shizuo waved goodbye until they both could no longer see each other.

"Fuck!"

There was a loud sound of metal being crushed.

"That was so damn hard," Shizuo seethed. Tom tugged at his hands. Letters and post cards from the post box he'd just broken into two pooled at his feet. His mother won't be proud to learn that he'd destroyed yet another thing today, but hell, he'd done the toughest task she'd assigned to him, so he was sure it evened out.

"You did great, Shizuo."