Let's Pretend

Let's Pretend [[Psychedelic Dreams]]

Epilogue

[[Three weeks later]]

“I didn’t know you could play the piano.”

Shizuo turned from the stool and found Izaya in his apartment, startled for a second then remembering that he had a key. It was still so weird to this day, not trying to hurl things at him. After that strange encounter with Tsugaru and Psyche (who were delighted they could remain where they were in their dreams), they had sort of meshed their lives together, and no boundaries had been defined or discussed. Neither of them denied nor affirmed whatever it was they shared. It was sort of a strange relationship agreement, with the heated and rushed sexual moments dotted with a bizarre kind of … gentleness.

“Yeah. I took lessons as a kid.”

“Sounds sad.”

“Eh. Heard it on a NIN album. Thought it was kind of neat.”

Izaya laughed and picked out a Lenard Cohen CD from his electronics rack. “You don’t strike me as the Trent Reznor type.”

“And you’re iTunes library with every Freezepop album?”

“Touché.”

Izaya sat next to Shizuo after he slipped out of his shoes and parka, shaking off the rain and leaning in close, trying to steal a little warmth from the taller man. He lazily tapped a higher note on the small piano with his unbraced hand and leaned his head on Shizuo’s shoulder, as if he were thinking deeply. The thing had gathered dust in Shizuo's negligence to it, so Izaya had assumed that it had just been there for some reason, and not for really playing.

“Hey.”

“What?” Izaya asked.

“Quit it.”

“Quit what?”

“That deep thinking. It’s distracting.”

“And just what am I distracting you from, hm, Shizu-chan?”

Shizuo started to play again, picking up the second movement of the song – a slower sort of melancholy tune. “I dunno,” he replied after a moment.

“Who’s ruminating? Hahaha…”

Shizuo stopped to half ruffle Izaya’s hair, half shove him lightly with a smile. “Shut up.”

“Ow…”

Shizuo stopped and inspected Izaya’s ear, which was bleeding a bit and swelling up into a bruise. “The hell happened to you?”

“Got jumped. Ten on one. No big, just a scratch. I obviously got away. This sorta thing happens when you deal in information you know…”

“That’s what Mercucio said.”

“And the Black Knight!”

“Don’t joke, let me see.”

“Ow, OW!”

“Quit squirming, pest! Let me see.”

Izaya at last let Shizuo see the wound. It was minor, but it made him frown. “Not cool. Who did this?”

“That moron Hiroshi hired a bunch of thugs tougher than him. Don’t worry, most of them are being evicted from their holes.”

Sometimes it disturbed Shizuo how lightheartedly Izaya took these sort of things. And how he inflicted strife with a smile, be it from revenge or just for kicks.

“Hey.”

“Hm?” Shizuo asked, looking into Izaya’s dark and sly eyes.

“Don’t worry so much.” Kiss.

Shizuo couldn’t help but to smile. “You shit.”

“You love it. Let’s fuck.”

“Sure.”

**END LET'S PRETEND [[PSYCHEDELIC DREAMS]]**