Watch It Burn

[unicornhunter]

Erika lay curled up on the couch, staring at the wall right in front of her eyes. The television was on, but she wasn't paying any attention to it, even though it was her favorite anime on.

It had been a day or two since . . . the end of her and Izaya's team-up. She had been trying to pretend like it was just another series of events that she could disengage herself from. . . . But it was a lot harder to do that this time around. Maybe it was because it was finally over. Maybe it was because she had forgotten how much it had hurt back then.... Whatever the reason, she was having trouble bouncing back.

And Walker was noticing. She knew he could tell that something bad had happened. But she refused to talk about it with him.

She knew it hurt him, and it hurt her to know that she was hurting him on purpose, simply because she didn't want to tell him. She didn't want to tell anyone.... He was dead now, so the only one who ever needed to know he even existed was Izaya.... Bringing him up and talking to Walker about him would only bring back the memories and make the pain worse, and how was she supposed to pretend he was a part of someone else's story if she did that?

Just then, her phone went off, and she looked at the text she received. This was literally the only movement she had made since she got back home and curled up like a cat on the couch. She could feel Walker's eyes on her, and she imagined the thoughts that were going through his head.... She furrowed her eyebrows at the text.

Izaya wanted to burn the couch? For a moment, she was confused as to why Izaya would text her that. But then she relaxed her face and tucked the phone back into her pocket. Ah. She knew now.

"Walker?" she said - the first thing she had said to him aside from a mumbled refusal of food or water or anything in general. "Could you go and help Izaya burn his office couch?"

[Walker Yumasaki]

For the past few weeks or so, it was stressful for both Erika Karisawa and Walker Yumasaki. Neither of them got much sleep or talked to each other for more than a minute. And usually it was just basic things like saying hello or asking the other what they were hungry for or what they wanted to watch on television. It seemed lately that they were becoming distant... and that terrified Walker.

He would go to work every day, hang out with the Van Gang... all without Erika. Dotachin would always ask where she was and he would reply with a shrug and a casual, "I dunno." This facade obviously didn't fool the team leader, but he knew never to push Walker further with questions. Though calm and relaxed on the outside, he was an enigma to everyone including his friends.

The real Walker was sadistic and unpredictable. He enjoyed torture and destruction, finding immense pleasure in his enemy's physical pain. He was a master manipulator of the human body and mind, the results fascinating to him. Unlike Izaya, he did it for a scientific purpose rather than just for fun. But this unusual hobby he kept under wraps. Only the Van Gang knew of this evil fetish.

Pulled out of his solitary thoughts by the unusual request, he looked at her in confusion. "Izaya wants my help? I don't get it, why would he suddenly come to me for that? And since when did you start getting chummy with him?"

And that's when Walker's paranoia started to get the best of him...

[unicornhunter]

Erika didn't look at Walker when he spoke to her, and she simply gave a one-shoulder shrug at his question.

"He didn't actually ask it as a question. I just figured he was asking for help because he bothered to mention it to me. You don't have to help him if you don't want to."

She continued to stare at the wall, trying to force the thoughts of what happened into the back of her mind. She bit her lip as she remembered the look on Izaya's face when she came out from the other room, clothes ripped and covered in blood....

"I just know the couch really does reek, and tossing it in the trash would probably only make the trash smell worse." She smiled a little. "Think of it as saving all of Ikebukuro from a stink spirit, like the one in Spirited Away." It had been a while since she saw that movie. Maybe she should watch it later....

[Walker Yumasaki]

Well if he didn't have to...

Wait a minute.

What did she mean the couch stunk so bad it might attract a stink spirit? Not that he minded the clever metaphor, but what he did mind is what made it smell so bad and how did she know that?

"Okay... well... ummm..." He scratched the back of his head, trying to formulate the words to his thoughts, "Can't he like... get some of that nice smelling spray stuff and clean it? Isn't burning it a bit drastic?" Sure he wouldn't pass up burning something but he couldn't shrug off the unusual request from Izaya of all people. And why text Erika instead of him?

This was all so confusing to the young otaku that he just had to go out and ask.

"Is there something going on between you and Izaya?"

And immediately after asking said question, he wanted to facepalm.

[unicornhunter]

Erika shook her head, but from her position on the couch, it didn't really look like what she meant it to be.

"Nah, it's salvageable. No febreeze will save it. Or shampoo. Or anything else for that matter. And why do you care, anyway? You're a pyromaniac, right?"

She didn't want to explain to him why it had to be burnt. Why was he asking all these questions, anyway?

At Walker's second question, though, she furrowed her eyebrows at the wall, then made herself sit up. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"What?"

It took her a moment, then she realized what he was asking her. She cringed, then slid off of the couch.

She did not want to think of anyone having any kind of sexual behavior with her right then. Unfortunately, that included Walker, but . . . she couldn't really help it. But she definitely didn't want any from Izaya.

She had migrated to the kitchen when the urge to vomit struck. She quickly covered her mouth, then hurried to the trash can, and deposited the disgusting swill into it. She groaned and held her head. Damn it....

"Whether you go help Izaya burn the damn thing or not, can you go to the store and buy some anti-nausea and pain killers? Please?"

[Walker Yumasaki]

Okay, he got it. The thought made Erika sick as well. Walker sighed and rubbed her back. He wouldn't ask any more questions.

"Alright, I'll go and help him and get your pills. Maybe you should lie down and make some soup. Relax a bit and watch some Junjou Romantica." He kissed her on the forehead and led her back to the couch, "I'll be home soon." He then grabbed his backpack and shut the door behind him.

He sighed and gripped the straps as he started towards Izaya's apartment/office. Walker had only been there once and he tried to sift his memory as to what that was for. Not many people willingly went to see the informant unless it was an emergency or shadowy business.

Despite the kind of trouble Izaya brought from the underground world, he lived in a very nice building in a very nice area of town. 'I always wondered how much he makes,' Walker thought as he raised an eyebrow, 'One would assume he doesn't make too much, but... damn, I bet he's loaded...'

As he stepped into the elevator, his nerves started to get at him. He was never claustrophobic, but dreading to see one of the creepiest guys in Tokyo and quite possibly the guy his girlfriend would be cheating on him with. But Walker was able to hide his anxiety well as he stepped out and approached the door, raising his fist to knock sharply.

[UndergroundGod]

Izaya wasn't quite sure why he'd sent the text. Honestly, after everything that had happened, he didn't have a REASON to stay in contact with Erika, but… a small part of him wanted to. He wanted to stay in contact with that strange and interesting girl, if for no other reason than she intrigued him. At least, that's what he told himself. He had no way to admit to himself that, just maybe, Erika had somehow given him the impression that she could make herself into… a friend.

It had been almost a week since the couch had been soiled, and no one had sat on it. Izaya supposed he could have called someone to the office to clean it… but he'd been meaning to get a new couch anyway, and he hated having anyone in his office that wasn't there to conduct business with him. Plus, he always had a good time setting things on fire, and what he needed now, more than anything, was a good time.

Either way, since it was her father who had soiled the piece of furniture, Izaya felt he should inform her that he was going to get rid of it. After all, it was like the last trace of her father left, or something like that. It was just a quick message: "I'm burning the couch."

After sending the message, he went back to his computer, scrolling through a selection of couches to replace the one he would burn. Most people would prefer to shop for couches in person… but Izaya didn't really give a shit what the couch felt like, or how it would look, and he had no desire to do something as mundane as browse a furniture store. Ordering something online simplified the process greatly.

He'd take the current couch up to the roof later that day (that was the safest and most private place to burn it), and set it ablaze. The materials should catch quickly, but if not, he was sure he had a spare bottle of lighter fluid somewhere in the office that would expedite the process.

He didn't get a message back from Erika, but he hadn't expected one. He honestly hadn't expected much of anything; he certainly didn't expect the knock at his office door a little less than an hour later. He opened the screen on his computer to the micro camera he had in place of a standard peephole… and saw that it was Walker.

Izaya raised an eyebrow. What was he here for?

Regardless, Izaya called out in his normal, cheery voice, "It's open, come on in~"

[Walker Yumasaki]

"Hey hey, Iza-chan!" Walker chirped as he walked in, "Beautiful night isn't it?" Though being in this place made his stomach churn, he kept on his usual cherry mask. He wandered around, admiring the decor. Well admiring wouldn't be the right word... more like questioning it. On occasion, he would fiddle with something just out of curiosity and then put it back.

He spied the couch and knew better not to sit on it, so instead sat in one of the chairs in front of Izaya's desk. He propped his feet on the other one and took a glass ball off the desk and started to roll it around in his hand. "So Rii-Rii tells me you texted her in need of my assistance? Oh look at me sounding like a badass! Hahaha! It's like I'm a second Gendo Ikari or Light Yagami! But seriously, tell me why I'm here."

[UndergroundGod]

Izaya's eyes remained casually on Walker as the man moved through his office. Walker had never been here before (he'd had no reason to be here, after all) and it was interesting to gauge his first reaction to the place. He certainly seemed to be acting casually enough, touching items with a sort of familiarity that implied a lack of discomfort. Or perhaps that was only what Walker wanted Izaya to think.

Regardless, the man took a seat in front of his desk and Izaya leaned back in his chair, hands folding lightly over his stomach as he watched Walker.

Oh, so he was here because of the text? Though, since Izaya hadn't actually requested anything, he was still confused about why Walker was here. Had Erika taken his alert the wrong way and thought it was a request for assistance? Izaya wasn't quite sure how he should feel about that, though, to be frank, he wouldn't mind having someone to burn a couch with. Fire was a joy that everyone could share.

Much like Erika's chattering about anime, Walker's references to it were lost on Izaya, but the man brushed it off to reply.

"Well, I didn't actually ask her for help," he said with a light shrug, crossing his arms, "but I won't turn you away or anything. We're basically just going to move that couch there," he nodded towards it, "up to the roof and set it on fire, since there really won't be any other way to get the stink out of it. Sound good?"

[Walker Yumasaki]

That did sound good to the otaku. "Sure, sounds legit. We gonna use kerosene or propane? I have matches and I lighter too- you pick your poison. Oh this is going to be-..."

Walker stopped in his ramblings and put the glass orb he was fiddling with back on the desk. He stared at what he saw. Two of Erika's barrettes sitting there next to Izaya's keyboard. He could hear his heart pound in his ears as his mind began to reel. Thousands of scenarios began to play through his head, bombarding his imagination with images of adultery.

How could she do this to him!? Hadn't he been enough? Did he say something wrong? He thought there was excellent chemistry between them. They shared secrets they wouldn't dare reveal to anyone else. At least so he thought. He grabbed the clips... and that's when everything went black.

"WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN DOING WITH MY GIRLFRIEND, YOU RAT BASTARD!?" He exploded, grabbing the informant by the collar of his shirt from across the desk. "GETTING FRIENDLY, HUH!? YOU REALLY CAN'T HELP YOURSELF, CAN YOU!? HAVING TO RUIN EVERYONE'S LIVES JUST FOR YOUR OWN SICK PLEASURE!! I BET IT'S 'CAUSE NO ONE EVER LOVED YOU WHEN YOU WERE LITTLE, RIGHT!? AM I RIGHT!?"

[UndergroundGod]

Walker seemed to accept his proposal fairly easily, which was fine with Izaya. He'd known, vaguely, that Walker had a thing for fire, so if the man had shown up to help, Izaya didn't want to turn him away. He even began to offer some of his supplies, which Izaya thought was pretty cool of him.

And then something, apparently, went terribly wrong.

Izaya wasn't quite sure at first what happened to cause the sudden change in Walker's demeanor, as he saw the darkness flood his eyes before he noticed the man grabbing the clips Erika had left behind from his desk. Suddenly, Walker jumped from his chair, grabbing Izaya by the shirt (which Izaya was distinctly not fond of), and he began screaming at him; they were thoughtless, anger words, void of sense and that ticked Izaya off even more, in the same way Shizuo annoyed the hell out of him because he couldn't be reasoned with.

The information broker moved quickly, breaking Walker's hold on him, and moving back away from him, out of his chair and out of Walker's reach—he didn't liked being grabbed like that, and a situation he would have responded to a bit more easily suddenly made him feel tense and defensive and ready to strike. His hand moved to his pocket, a split second movement short of whipping out the blade and aiming it towards the sudden threat, if for no other reason than to keep the man at bay.

Izaya didn't want to hurt Walker, but he was going to fucking defend himself.

What the hell was Walker even accusing him of? Sleeping with Erika? That was just… that was ridiculous. Who the hell did Walker think he was talking to? Izaya couldn't even imagine doing such a thing, not after… not even BEFORE everything that happened. Though Izaya had only been able to imagine such a thing with just one person, anyway…

"Are you fucking insane?" Izaya asked in a reasonable tone with a serious look on his face. "I wouldn't even touch Erika like that, calm the fuck down."

[Walker Yumasaki]

Walker wasn't surprised at the fact that Izaya would defend himself. That voice however, telling him to calm down... well it kind of pissed him off. That snark always kind of rubbed him the wrong way, but in retrospect, Izaya had a right to sound like a know-it-all... since he kinda did. He took a few heavy breaths in an attempt to calm down, but kept his stance- amber eyes glaring daggers into the informant's soul. He wasn't about to show any weakness.

"Then explain," He growled, "Why are you and her spending so much time together? Why are her hair clips on your desk? And what the hell does this have to do with burning that couch!? I demand answers. She won't tell me anything, she won't even look me in the eyes anymore! I know you have the answers! You know everything!"

At this point, he was just being desperate. But what else was he supposed to do? In such an emotional state, the unpredictable Yumasaki Walker even scared himself with his own feelings. His carefree mask on his face not only fell, but shattered.

[UndergroundGod]

Even as the words did seem to make Walker regain some of his sense, Izaya kept his distance. The cool demeanor that Walker usually kept in place was shattered and it was blatantly obvious that he still wasn't fully stable. Izaya knew that saying the wrong thing at this point would set the man off again and Izaya really didn't need this crap. He thought he'd been gaining a couch burning partner, not a potential argument. He had no desire to fight with someone over something this stupid.

To be honest, he felt slightly irritated at Erika. On one level, he couldn't blame her, of course. She'd told him straight that he was basically the only person to know about just what had happened in her past, which obvious meant she hadn't told Walker, and he'd understood that, but… that was before it started causing trouble for him, which was not what he needed.

"It's not my place to tell you any of that," Izaya said evenly. His voice had actually taken on a soft edge though, a sad edge. It honestly wasn't his place to go behind Erika's back and give her up to Walker. Those were her secrets. Only she had the right to tell Walker what happened, and Izaya had no intentions of invading her privacy and breaking her trust merely to satisfy Walker's curiosity.

However, he wasn't going to put up with being accused angrily for something he didn't do, either. He chose his words carefully, doing what he could not to set Walker off again.

"I'm not going to betray Erika's trust. It's up to her to tell you her secrets." Those words were firm. It wasn't often that someone… confided in him like Erika had, and Izaya wasn't going to break something as fragile as her trust. But he couldn't tell Walker nothing without rousing suspicion or making the man angry, so he continued, "But look, there's nothing going on that you need to worry about. She had to deal with someone from her past, someone that I happened to know about and tried to help her with. She came to my office to talk about it and her hair clips fell out. The certain someone came to my office, probably hadn't bathed in ten years, and sat on my damn couch, which is now ruined. And now you're here to help me set it on fire, if that still works for you."

[Walker Yumasaki]

Hearing that Izaya actually was being considerate to Erika's feelings, both surprised and Walker and made him feel paranoid. On the one hand, it showed that the informant cared more about himself in special situations. It showed he had emotions and a conscience like a normal human being, that he could actually care. That was pretty impressive.

But that he was expressing this vulnerability concerning Erika heightened the otaku's suspicions. He knew Izaya was telling the truth- that this started as strictly business. But the operative word was started. It simply started as business. What if it did lead to something more and Izaya just wasn't telling? Pressing the matter further wouldn't be the smartest route right now, especially if he was genuinely trying to reach out to be friends.

"I'm sorry," Walker sighed, "I don't know what came over me. Let's just burn this couch and get it over with so that I can go home and talk to her, okay?"

[UndergroundGod]

Izaya waited patiently for a long moment, studying Walker's expression and body language for an indication of how he was taking his words… and the man seemed to respond positively. Though still obviously a little tense, he definitely calmed himself down a bit, to the point where Izaya felt comfortable moving his hand away from the pocket with his knife inside. He could be assured that, at least, Walker wouldn't be lashing out at him, not at the moment.

Once walker had accepted his proposal, they got to work. Though Izaya was loathe to touch the thing, he and walker worked together to get the surprisingly lightweight piece of furniture onto the large dolly Izaya had borrowed from downstairs. He grabbed his canister of gasoline (he had it set aside for occasions such as this), and together the two of the wheeled the cart towards the service elevator and up to the roof. Once there, under the warm midafternoon sun, they set the couch in the center of the roof and rolled the dolly far away from it.

Izaya popped open the gasoline, the heavy smell hitting his nose… but unlike the rank smell of body odor, sweat, and dirt coming from the couch, the smell of gasoline was definitely something more of a comfort. He doused about half the couch thoroughly (ensuring the entire thing would go up in flames) and handed the rest of the bottle to Walker to finish the process.

When the gasoline canister was empty, Izaya offered Walker a grin, along with the chance to light the match and set the couch ablaze, and said, "You do the honors."