Beating Hearts do not Lie

Chapter 1: The Initial Assessment- He's an Asshole

Disclaimer: DRRR! is written by Ryohgo Narita

Shizuo couldn't believe what he was seeing when he opened his locker at work and his uniform was replaced with a nurse uniform.

This shouldn't be surprising considering that he was a male nurse. It was the fact that his usual blue green scrubs were gone, and hanging with a pretty pink bow was a short white nurse getup complete with garters and fishnet stockings. It was the kind of thing that would have made him blush if he hadn't been completely dumbfounded.

His first horrified thoughts were that he was in the woman's changing room, had broken the lock at what should have been his locker, and now his peers were going to think he was a massive pervert. His second thoughts were cool and turning angry. No his name was on this locker, nurses didn't wear these slutty outfits, someone had put this here on purpose, and now his peers were going to think he was a closet pervert for having this shit.

He promptly shut the door. Regrettably, there were now four finger grooves in the metal that he was going to have to explain later, but he didn't really care about that right now. He was breathing hard with his eyes closed and his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. He knew which prick did this. It didn't matter that there was no name from the sender. Shizuo could smell the bastard's stench all over this and he was shaking from the effort to keep his cool.

He's been doing well these last few years. He's been careful to keep a low profile, had to now that he finally had a job he could be proud of. After years of being a delinquent, disappointing his family, and feeling like a failure, Shizuo had wanted to prove to himself that he could do something good with his hands. He already was pretty good at treating his own wounds when he didn't feel like going to Shinra, it wasn't that much of a stretch to do it on someone else. And he wasn't nauseous at the sight of blood or protruding bones. As long as no one pissed him off, he could stay calm.

He used to think his strength could only hurt people. He used to hate himself for it.

Hell, he's put a fair number of people in the hospital, and he knows that he's been close to killing some assholes. It really is a miracle that no one pressed any charges against him.

But now he knows he can help people too. He can feel good about himself.

He has a lot of people to thank for where he was now. Shinra for teaching him things that were difficult and for helping him get this job, Tom-san for trying to straighten him out when he was at a real low in his life, and Kasuka for his silent support. When he had first gotten the job, he told his younger brother first, and Kasuka had ordered dozens of uniforms for him. It had made Shizuo really happy.

It's not to say that it was easy either. Shizuo almost gave up many times in his studies. No one said it aloud, but he was sure that people thought he was too stupid to actually do it. He had spent grueling hours that turned into sleepless nights studying till he was finally getting things. He had passed most of his courses, retaken the ones he had failed, and he just made the cut off for the national examination. Sure he wasn't a doctor, but he didn't want to be one either. He'd gone a long way, and this was enough for him.

His record was clean. He hasn't vandalized public property in a while. He even saved up enough to get a better apartment. He's been doing well in life.

That is till Orihara Izaya transferred to his hospital.

Shinra had warned him of his so called friend. Said that this guy had finished his training to be a doctor, graduated top of his class, and was moving here, but Shizuo hadn't been paying attention at the time. All he had cared about was that this guy was an asshole. Who calls a friend an asshole is beyond Shizuo, but that was how Shinra described him.

The first time Shizuo saw him was three days ago when he was on break after a five hour shift. Shizuo could recall that it was the 5th floor corridor where he normally got his favorite brand of milk tea. The sun was just beginning to set.

He had been tired and his eyes were half closed, but when he heard the faint squeak of shoes against linoleum and he had seen the flash of a long white coat, he turned to nod his head at this person and it was as if all of his senses had sharpened, hyperaware.

Muddy red eyes flicked up and down his body, and continued to stare when their eyes met. A smirk grew on the man's face that could only be described as mischievous, and Shizuo felt his pulse speed up. This guy was dangerous, and his instincts kicked in, his fight-or-flight response was always wired to fight, even when all he wanted to do now was walk away before he did something he'd regret.

But the guy passed him without a word, and the moment ended with the air around him feeling slightly more charged than before.

He hadn't even realized that he had crushed the empty can in his hand.

It wasn't till the next day that Shinra had properly introduced them that he learned that this was the asshole that Shinra had been talking about. The three of them were in the cafeteria, and Shizuo was hungry, but he didn't want to stick around any longer than he had to.

"This," Shrinra had said, "is Orihara, Izaya."

Shizuo half nodded, only because he didn't trust himself enough to not blurt his true feelings out, that this guy pissed him off. Because Izaya Orihara had this expression on his face like he was a little too interested, and frankly it creeped Shizuo out.

But he was an adult now, a professional, and if he was in the operating room with this asshole, then he sure as hell didn't want to mess around when someone's life was on the line.

"And this is Heiwajima, Shizuo, the one I told you not to piss off."

"It's a pleasure," Orihara said, his hand extended, which Shizuo only stared at because this was Japan and this guy was obviously Japanese. Shizuo had been staring at that hand like it offended him. "Oh right, I just got back from my studies abroad- it's just a little thing I- ."

Shizuo didn't want things awkward between them, because he knew without knowing how that this man could make his life a living hell. He stared right into those haughty eyes. No time to second guess himself, Shizuo grabbed the offered hand carefully, without any hint of the strength behind his grasp that could break bones. Orihara's hand was cool, not as rough as his own from having to wash his hands constantly. He didn't know if he was imagining it, but it was like the other day when the space around them came alive.

"I hope we can work well together," Shizuo said in formal Japanese.

Those red eyes widened briefly, before the smirk on his face widened. His hand grasped Shizuo's tightly, not quite allowing him to let go. He shook their joined hands almost playfully.

"I told him about your strength," Shinra had said, then turned to Orihara, "and I warned Shizuo-kun that you're an asshole."

Shizuo had tightened his grip on Orihara's hand for just a second, his expression close to thunderous as he slowly turned his head towards Shinra.

Shinra had his arms up, like he had been caught with his hands in the cookie jar. He had a sheepish look on his face, but otherwise didn't look regretful.

"He's the one who wanted to meet you, even before he knew of you." Shinra said as if that explained it.

This time Orihara glared at Shinra. "He'll get the wrong impression if you say it like that."

Shizuo belatedly realized that he was still holding Orihara's hand. He roughly pulled his own back to his side.

"You mean the right impression," Shinra said with a delighted laugh, and Orihara, with a hand quicker than Shizuo could follow, grabbed Shinra's ear and pulled it down mercilessly.

"Ow, ow. Ow," Shinra yelped, "it hurts!"

"Yeah, well aren't you lucky a scalpel wasn't in my hand."

Was this guy really a doctor?

"Sorry, sorry!" Shinra muttered with a placating smile.

They were attracting attention and Shizuo only had twenty minutes till his lunch break was over and he really needed a smoke.

"Alright, I'm leaving," Shizuo said. He felt like had avoided a disaster, but still felt the stress of it.

"What? Already?" Orihara said and let go of Shinra's ear. "But we just met. I thought we could have some fun."

Shizuo really didn't like how he had said the word fun. Like his idea of fun wasn't something Shizuo wanted any part of.

"Sorry I got to go, my shift starts soon." Shizuo said, and looked down at his watch by his wrist. He didn't miss the way the man across from him pouted. What was he, seven?

"Okay, I'll see you in the ER, Shizuo."

One of Shizuo's eyebrows twitched when he heard his name being spoken so familiarly, but he hadn't said anything. He nodded his head minutely, thinking that maybe this guy picked up this habit after studying abroad. He left without another word.

Maybe it was because Orihara's voice was distinct, because he wasn't speaking particularly loud, but even from across the room he heard his words.

"He's a lot more docile than you made him out to be."

Shizuo kept walking.

"Just please don't piss him off."

There was a mocking fit of laughter.

That should have been the first clue of how much his life would change.

The second clue hit him in the face when he opened his locker that morning and found the nurse's uniform there prettily hung with a ribbon and bow.

Shizuo had been doing well in life.

That is till Orihara Izaya transferred to his hospital.

Let me know what you think, thanks for reading.

My other fict holds the priority, so this one will be updated less frequently.