prom FOREVER ALONE

[Deleted]

Shinra sat curled up on the couch, a pink hello kitty blanket draped over his shoulders. Beneath the blanket was a dark suit designed for a teenager's prom - a prom he would not be going to. In his hands was a bucket of strawberry icecrea and a spoon. His teary eyes were trained on the television, which happened to be playing a romantic comody of all things.

"Can't you see Nakamoto loves you, Sunada-chan? Tarumi's just using you! He'll never give you the love you need!" he cried some more, digging at the soft pinkness in the bucket and shoved a spoonful of icey deliciousness into his mouth. He choked back a sob.

The reason he was watching a ridiculous romantic comody instead of going to his school prom was because he didn't have a date. He didn't have a date, because he wanted to go with Celty, his roommate and lover friend. But Celty refused to go with him. Something about not having a head and being too old for him, he couldn't really hear her answer over the sound of his breaking heart.

[UndergroundGod]

Izaya sighed to himself as he headed towards Shinra's apartment. The man had been in tears when he called him, though Izaya had expected that much. Shinra had been asking Celty to their prom for weeks now, and every time she told him no, he'd somehow been convinced that her response would be different the NEXT time he asked her. Izaya really wasn't sure what Shinra's hopeless optimism was based on, but it had turned out to be quite disappointing. Since he'd been convinced Celty would eventually say yes to him, he had bought tickets, and rented a tux, and a dress for Celty, as if it would be a last minute decision that even Celty wouldn't be prepared for.

Shinra had been convinced she would say yes probably right up until ten minutes ago, ten minutes after the doors to the prom opened, and Shinra found he was sitting on the couch at his apartment alone.

He'd called Izaya, begging for company, and Izaya felt that he might as well give it to him.

Because it wasn't as if Izaya intended on going to the prom at all. A few of the girls in his fan club of depressed girls had asked him to go, of course, but… Izaya would never take one of them anywhere. They were all just tools to him, just playthings to pick up and fiddle with at his discretion. None of them were important enough to merit that sort of attention.

Besides all that, Izaya didn't dance. At least not with other people.

Before long, he arrived as Shinra's door, but if he knew the man, the door would be unlocked. Izaya tried the handle… and it twisted; Izaya shook his head and entered the apartment, heading down the hallway towards the sound of the television.

In the living room, he found Shinra in a very pathetic state, wrapped up in a blanket, teary-eyed, and gorging himself on ice cream. Izaya let out a heavy sigh for his friend to draw his attention, and he shook his head disapprovingly, "You're a mess, Shinra."

[Deleted]

Shinra's head jolted up at Izaya's voice and he looked over to him. Tears welled up in his eyes once more and he jumped off the couch stumbling over his blanket and threw his arms around his friend.

"Izayaaa!" he sobbed, holding him in a backbreaking embrace, sobbing onto his shoulder. "Sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-sheeeeeeheeeeeeheeeee!"

The science geek continued to make unintelligible sounds, crying onto his friends shoulder. Oh, his heart felt like it was in two! He was so sure eventually she's say yes! I mean, she was just being tsundere was all. And that was adorable! But as the clock ticked on and his spirits went from "man, we're cutting it close!" to...... well, to Shinra sobbing on his couch with a bucket of icecream.

[UndergroundGod]

He shouldn't have been surprised that the first thing Shinra did was hop out of his seat faster than he would have if it had been on fire, and trip over his blanket cocoon just to throw himself at Izaya. The teen arms looped around Izaya's neck roughly; if Izaya hadn't been expecting it, Shinra's force probably would have knocked him over. Instead he just let out a small 'ouf,' and managed to wrap his arms around his friend.

Shinra instantly began sobbing, probably making a mess on his black jacket, though Izaya would tolerate it. Oh, the things he did for the sake of friendship.

"I know, I know," he intoned gently, his hands rubbing Shinra's back softly. There wasn't really much else he could say, except, 'I told you so,' which he had, a dozen or so times in fact. He'd blatantly told Shinra to stop asking Celty to the prom. Not only was it for high schoolers, but how in the world did he think he was going to get her in there with that helmet on? It wasn't just illogical because Celty was much older than him, and a different species no less, but Shinra was asking something ridiculous of her. He'd known that Celty would deny Shinra to the end, and he had tried to explain that to Shinra, but his explanations had always fallen on deaf ears. It was about a week ago that Izaya had resigned himself to the knowledge that he'd probably spend the night of his prom holding Shinra's hand and cobbling him through the worst of his momentary depression.

After a few minutes, he said, "Come on, let's sit down," and he led Shinra back to his seat on the couch, keeping an arm around him to continue his support and to prevent Shinra from flinging himself at him again, which was bound to happen if Izaya tried to leave his side.

[Deleted]

Shinra sniffled as Izaya lead him back to the couch. He quickly snatched up his bucket of icecream and shoveled another spoon of it into his mouth before curling up in a fetal position and leaning on Izaya's shoulder, making clipped, broken little sobbing sounds.

His father should have been home, but he wasn't. The elder Kishitani was out and about doing his creepy doctor thing... or maybe he was just chasing the skirts of some highschool girls, hell if Shinra knew. The result being, when he knoticed Celty slip out the door, he had no one to cry to!

So, of course, he called his three best friends! But Kodota hung up on him, so make that two......

Shinra sniffled, rubbing his face into Izaya's sleeve.

[tossingtrashcans]

Shizuo sighed as he walked down the sidewalk. His friend, his true friend, Shinra was upset about prom. He didn't get why it was such a big deal. Then again he knew that Shinra has been in love with Celty for as long as forever. He rolled his neck to crack it as he approached the apartment building.

Shizuo pulled the door up with a sigh then headed up the stairs, taking two at a time. He was late as it was, seeing as Kasuka had been asked by a older girl to go and he was leaving when he got the sobbing call from Shinra.

He knocked on the door before he reached down and pushed the door open. He kicked his shoes off, closed the door then walked down the hallway and froze.

There was this sudden anger that surrounded him. It was a anger that he felt build up inside of him any time he say this boy. He stomped over and pointed to Izaya Orihara.

"You invited him?!!"

[UndergroundGod]

As soon as they sat down, Shinra grabbed his ice cream pulled himself into a tiny little ball of misery. He leaned into Izaya and made some of the most pathetic sounds Izaya had ever heard a nearly-grown man make. It resulted in more exasperated sighing on Izaya's end.

"You really are an insufferable child sometimes," he scolded, though his voice lacked the sincerity required of real scolding, and as he said it, he turned to pull up the blanket around Shinra's shoulders. He acted irritated when Shinra behaved like this… but Izaya knew it was just his way. He'd comforted Shinra through a few of Celty's other refusals as well, and he knew how heart-broken Shinra would get until he could convince himself that everything would be okay if he just kept trying.

Shinra was his friend after all. He could be annoying, but… there was still something about him, about that optimism he so dearly clung to, that made Izaya want to be by his side, even if it meant sticking with him through troubled times like this.

But just as he had resigned himself to an evening of chick flicks, pathetic sobs, and Shinra's gradual consumption of the slowly melting carton of ice cream, there was a sudden knock on the door. Izaya head turned towards the hallway, wondering who it was…Before he could pry Shinra off of him to answer it, he heard the knob turn, shoes sliding off, and a moment later, Shizuo Heiwajima appeared at the end of the hall way.

Izaya was instantly confused and blurted, "Shizu-chan?"

It seemed to incite the man instantly, and he stomped across the room towards them.

Why in the world would Shinra invite Shizuo if he already knew he'd invited Izaya? It was like ASKING for a fight to break out in his apartment. Did he think a death match confined in his living room would cheer him up or something? His head shot to look at Shinra, pointing towards Shizuo, and the incredulous question left his mouth at the same time it did Shizuo's, "You invited him?"

[Deleted]

“You really are an insufferable child sometimes.”
Shina merely whimpered in response, cuddling closer to Izaya. A ring of pink was around his freezing lips. He stirred his bucket of ice cream, eyeing the television with dismay.

His ears perked a bit at the sound of a knock at the door. He sat up, looking around. Was his headless beauty home?

As Shizuo came into view his heart sank again, but he quickly picked himself up. Well, at least another true friend was here to comfort him in his time of need! He really loved these two boys. No homo, of course. (They had each other for that, though Shinra was going to hold his tongue on that observation – he valued his life.)

“You invited him?!” Oh, wow, look, perfect harmony.

“Shizuooooo-kuuuuuun!” Shinra wailed, hopping up, knees leaning hard against the headboard of the couch, feet digging into the cushions. His arms wrapped themselves around Shizuo’s middle, burying his face in his toned chest, bawling like a baby. The poor, abused bucket of ice-cream toppled into Izaya’s lap, and by some miracle was not spilt. His blanket was long forgotten in a heap on the floor by the coffee table.

“Whaaaaaa! You and Izaya-kun are my only true friends! Oh, thank you for coming, Shizuo-kun! It’s just awful! Don’t you think it’s awful? She’s being so cruel teasing me like this! Tsundere only goes so far!” he looked up at Shizuo, bottom lip wibbling, tears running down the sides of his face. His little eccentric, over-enthusiastic teenage heart was in little pieces, like that window in fifth period Shizuo recently tossed a desk through.

He buried his face in Shizuo’s chest once more, getting tear stains all over his jacket. His shoulders shook, muffled little whimpers escaping from between his lips.

His knees slid back down to the couch cushions, bringing Shizuo down with him and throwing one of his arms around Izaya to join the bro-hug. This was all he needed, these two right here. He didn’t need no woman.

…

Who was he kidding, yes he did.

[tossingtrashcans]

Shizuo glared at Izaya till he was being embraced and hugged...and sobbed against. Oh what was he thinking coming over here after all. He had almost no patience for Shinra when he got like this. However, he was his friend and he really had nothing better to do.

He blinked as he tried to listen to Shinra's ramblings of this and that. He just thought it best to nod in agreement with him. It was better then being the bad guy here.

Once Shizuo was pulled down over the back of the couch he grumbled a little then pulled away.

“Honestly Shinra.” he said with a heavy sigh then pulled back. He grabbed him and then drug him from the couch and down the hallway. He almost man handled into the bathroom.

“Look...you need to get a hold of yourself. I mean really, what would you have done had she walked through the door and found you like this?” Shizuo asked and then shook his head and turned the shower on. He moved away and then picked up the blubbering Shinra from the floor and shoved him into the shower, tux and all. This man needed to serious snap out of it.

Forcing him into a cold shower was the only thing he could think of to get his friend back to normal.

[Deleted]

Shinra got to enjoy his bro hug for all of a second.

“Honestly Shinra.” Shizuo grabbed him by the arm and dragged him away from the couch, successfully making him release Izaya. Shinra winced, complaining all the way to the bathroom. “Shizuo, stop! No! Where are we going? I don’ wanna…..”

“Look… you need to get a hold of yourself. I mean, really, what would you have done had she walked through the door and found you like this?”

Shinra was about to say Celty coming home would be the best thing ever, when Shizuo picked him up. The would-be doctor flailed as he was shoved into the shower, cold water quickly hitting his face and he spluttered, coughing, turning away from the offending liquid. He held his arms up over his head as if to protect himself. “Shizuo-kun, gah, Shizuo-kun…. Stop, I’m getting all wet! This is a rental!” He whined, pouting at Shizuo.

[UndergroundGod]

Immediately, Shinra hopped up out of his seat and flung himself at Shizuo, inciting more head shaking from Izaya. He really didn't understand what had made the man so incredibly weepy… though considering how weird his father was, Izaya supposed Shinra could have turned out weirder. Being weepy was nothing when it came to how… eccentric Shingen was.

Though Izaya had a strong feeling he'd have a headache by the end of the evening, dealing with the heartbroken Shinra and the stubborn Shizuo.

"Guh!" he let out a strangled noise as Shinra unexpectedly pulled an arm around him and yanked him roughly into the hug.

Of course, Shizuo hadn't been in the apartment more than five minutes when he started wreaking havoc on the place. The man yanked Shinra away from him, dragging him kicking and screaming down the hall (Izaya hopping off the couch to follow with interest) towards the bathroom.

Izaya only let it go as far as he did out of amusement… and to teach Shinra a small lesson. What was that numbskull doctor-wannabe thinking, inviting Shizuo Heiwajima, of all people? After all, Shizuo would hardly be winning any awards in the area of patience. Shizuo's brain obviously didn't have the mental capacity to handle someone bawling uncontrollably over some silly reason, so of course he would act out and do something unreasonable. Shinra should have known better.

After all, Izaya might act irritated when Shinra sobbed, but he at least knew it was a feeling that would pass sooner or later (usually sooner rather than later). Shinra was too sickeningly optimistic to let anything simple as rejection get him down for very long. Izaya was capable of waiting for that, where Shizuo simply didn't seem to understand that Shinra would get over it in a couple of hours and instead acted on impulse.

Izaya absolutely hated that Shizuo never thought things through.

But Izaya could only stand watching Shinra flail and blubber in the cold shower for a moment before it was more torturous than anything. Yeah, make Shinra cry more, that was going to help.

"Enough," Izaya finally said with exasperation. He pushed past Shizuo in the small bathroom, and reached in to shut the water off, grabbing a towel from the wall to toss it at Shinra's head. He crossed his arms, frowning sharply and ogling Shizuo judgmentally out of the corner of his eye. "Honestly, Shizu-chan has absolutely no sympathy."

[Deleted]

“Enough.”

The water was shut off abruptly and a towel was tossed at his head. Shinra took it off, frowning, and then started to dry himself.

“Honestly, Shizu-chan has absolutely no sympathy.”

Uh-oh. That was going to end in a fight, wasn’t it? Shinra stepped out of the tub, standing between his two friends. “I’m sure Shizuo-kun had good intentions…. Thank you, Izaya.” He sighed, taking off his sopping jacket and flung it to the floor, rubbing his towel on the back of his neck.

He ran the towel over his face, shivering. Gah! That was really a freezing shower! The dial was all the way to the cold side! He pouted.

“Aiyaaaaa…. Can you two not kill each other long enough for me to change and turn up the thermostat?” he slunk out of the room, heading to his bedroom. He removed his dripping wet clothes, replacing them with some warm pajamas.

[tossingtrashcans]

Shizuo opened his mouth to speak and then was pushed aside to make room for Izaya. Closing his mouth he then just watched him as he turned the water off and tossed the damp Shinra a towel. He just sighed and then walked out of the bathroom.

Looking over to Shinra then to Izaya he narrowed his eyes and then looked away

“Yea whatever. Go change.” he said. “I'll getting myself something to drink.” he said. Shizuo always saw Shinra's home as a second home. There wasn't a time he wasn't welcome, so it being his second home and all he sought out the kitchen and got himself a glass of water. He'd just ignore Izaya while Shinra changed. He'd stay away from his face...and his voice and just...everything that had to do with that flea of a boy.

Shizuo gripped onto his glass tightly but let it go before anything happened. He leaned against the counter and stayed there till Shinra was done. Hoping that maybe his cold shower would snap the boy out of it. He really didn't deal with crying people, crying woman were worse.

Running his hand through his dyed hair he took another drink of his water.

[UndergroundGod]

Izaya had been almost certain that Shizuo would take a swing at him, and he'd been fully prepared to dodge, if need be. He had no intentions of getting hit, though it was always equal parts fun and annoying when Shizuo got all riled up.

However, Shinra's word seemed to have diffused the situation. After spending so many years around the both of them, the man seemed to know what he needed to say to keep Shizuo from going off, and it did work on occasion. Now must have been one of those times where Shinra's words actually kept Shizuo from getting angry, because all the man did was dismiss him angrily, then excuse himself to the kitchen to fetch a drink.

Izaya disliked anti-climactic events, so instead of thinking of it as the end of the drama, he chose to think of it as a stepping stone. After all, what were the chances that he and Shizuo could spend the entire evening within twenty feet of each other and not have a single altercation? It was practically impossible, right?

As Shizuo went to the kitchen, Izaya headed back towards the living room and took his seat at one end of the couch. He'd set the ice cream down on the coffee table, and it was starting to get quite soft… Sighing, he grabbed it and the spoon Shinra had been using, took a bite, and waited for the two of them to return.

[Deleted]

Shinra slid into a pair of really softy, plaid pajama bottoms and tossed on a shirt. He grabbed a winter hat from his drawer and shoved the woolen garment over his hair to keep his head warm and possibly dry out the damp hair.

The doctor-to-be sighed as he walked down the hall, grabbing a pair of slippers on the way and putting them on. Really, those two could wear him out! He punched at the thermostat, turning up the heat.

He rejoined his friends, noting Shizuo in the kitchen. He approached the man, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Hey. You alright?” he asked him as if he wasn’t the one who was heartbroken over the crippling rejection Senior Prom wrought its unsuspecting victim. (Of course, it was his own fault he was unsuspecting, the woman turned him down a million times.)

Shinra cast his attention to the window in the kitchen, eyes landing on a certain dark haired teen who happened to be eating his ice-cream. He smiled at Izaya.