#post ketsu

What's your thoughts on Shizuo postKetsu? I just wnna think he misses Izaya so much. Would he be able to talk about him normally?

Hello, year-old anon!

Prefacing this with the disclaimer that I haven't read Snake Hands yet, nor have I read the Izaya spinoffs so this is potentially all just mad cope.

I have heard that in an interview all he had to say was that he hoped Izaya stayed out of Ikebukuro from now on, but beyond that it's like... I don't think he'd consciously miss Izaya, but the absence would definitely be palpable.

Suddenly the city would be so quiet. It'd be as peaceful as Ikebukuro can probably get, without the flea around to deliberately stir shit up in Shizuo's vicinity. It'd be nice for a while, I suppose, but more than that it'd get weird.

He'd get antsy, I think, with how peaceful it is, and not really in the sense that he's bored so much as it just doesn't feel... right?

To me, Shizuo first and foremost is a man of routine. He doesn't like when his routine is interrupted and anyone or anything causing disruptions to that routine will ultimately face his wrath. In that sense, though, after ten long, long years, hasn't his back and forth shit with Izaya in its own way become a routine? But in this situation, it isn't really the presence of a person or thing that causes the disruption so much as an absence.

There's nothing for him to take his frustration out on.

So it haunts him like this, I imagine. This inescapable tension that something is wrong that he can't really do anything about. I don't know if he would want to attribute it to missing the flea, but at the same time it is inherently the absence of the flea that's making him this worked up, so what else is there for him to call it?

If people ask, he probably doubles down, just like in that interview. He doesn't want to admit that he'd gotten used to Izaya being around. He doesn't want to confront the weird... something (or perhaps nothing?) that was left in Izaya's wake.

Shizaya Week Day 3, Injury/Hurt&Comfot/Vampire Au @shizayasweek

Izaya never felt like he could have this. His back on the arm of a couch, his legs laying gently across Shizuo's lap, Shizuo's hands softly massaging at the sore spots on his legs and the low hum of the television in the background. It was overwhelming at times; and sometimes Izaya wished he could just get up and run away.

In the beginning, he had done just that. Up and into his wheelchair as quickly as possible, causing his legs to feel like they're throbbing for days. It was the price he paid. He would remind and tell himself constantly that:

Shizuo’s not a monster.

I always felt like Shizuo would sometimes sulk at Izaya's absence. I mean, sure, he would be happy; but he would surely miss the rush of chasing him down and having a not-so-boring life..

Oof oof OOF. Are you SURE you wanna open that Pandora’s Box?? Well it’s too late. Hrmrmrmrmrm how am I gonna do this?? Gahhh okay so I have three categories of post Ketsu headcanons- developing relationship, a new couple, and finally when they’re used to each other. So I’ll just do it like a timeline.

Developing Relationship:

They’re not *quite* friends but enemies is completely off the table now. They tiptoe around each other, Izaya because even though he’s in a wheelchair he doesn’t want to be perceived as weak, and Shizuo because he doesn’t want to hurt Izaya anymore than he already has.

They fight occasionally. A lot of it is just them avoiding talking to each other and then it slowly blooms into a fight over all the bullshit that’s between them. Izaya wants Shizuo to just go away. But Shizuo feels obligated. Not just because of his guilt but also because he sees a lot of himself in Izaya’s eyes.

As he spends more time around Izaya, he starts to notice all the ordinary things about him. The way he talks, the way he goes about life, his somewhat serene disposition at times. It becomes kind of fun to observe Izaya. Which of course drives Izaya insane. Izaya realizes too just how human Shizuo really is. He’s almost too human, with how emotionally driven he is. There is no logic or reason to why he starts taking an interest in Izaya he just. Does. Because he wants to.

They continue to go at each other’s throat until they reach a very dramatic climax where they realize that their entire relationship was purely circumstantial. They had no reason to dislike each other as much as they did, and now they’re both wondering why they did in the first place.

They start getting drunk together, and suddenly a lot of stuff they didn’t know would come out finally does. Confessions happen, they hear things from the other that no one else has ever heard coming out of their mouths. They start to sympathize and care for each other and one night they just start kissing. It escalates from there until Shizuo is finally just like “I think I have feelings for you.”

New Couple

A lot less angst as we move into this little part but there’s still some. They still don’t know a lot about each other. They’re going to fight. There are going to be fights that are layered onto previous fights. Vorona is a fight. Celty is a fight. Shinra is a fight. Shizuo’s self righteousness and Izaya’s emotional walls get in the way of them getting through to each other a lot of the time.

But I’d say about 3/5 of the time they are learning to enjoy each other’s company. They enjoy spending time together, just the two of them. At this point, Shizuo is trying to convince Izaya to go to physical therapy. Which is a fight. But eventually, Izaya goes. And he gets better.

And what does Izaya do now that his legs are back in peak condition? He does what Izaya does best. He runs away. He runs away a lot. But Shizuo is learning to adapt to Izaya’s patterns. He knows how Izaya is, and how to read the subtle signs. He always catches him and always changes his mind. Izaya is struggling with a lot of self worth issues and wondering if he’s even the type of person that could be with someone he loved. Izaya has always kept himself at a distance, and he has shown evidence of a lot of underlying self-loathing for the way he is. I think he would be afraid to have a romantic relationship with someone. But, so is Shizuo? They’re both terrified of themselves. And that’s why they’re perfect for each other.

They overcome their flaws as people enough that they become comfortable with each other’s company. They make out a lot. And lay together in silence a lot. Shizuo massages Izaya’s legs every night because he still gets some pain. They develop their own routine, become used to having someone at their side at all times for the first time in their lives.

And they’re officially in love.

(My personal favorite thing to imagine is Izaya and Shizuo all cuddled up together in silence. Shizaya,,,, X Laying Down,,,, ooh...)

Used to Each Other

Now comes my *favorite* part of their relationship timeline in my brain. Now is the time when they are okay with sharing their relationship with other people. They tell Celty and Shinra, Kadota’s gang, and it somehow spreads like a wildfire throughout Ikebukuro. The world stops. Everyone is astounded in disbelief.

They start going out in public together. I don’t think they’d be really obnoxious and in your face about it, but you would definitely be able to tell that they’re doing more than just walking side by side. Sometimes they hold hands. And sometimes they forget that other people are around.

My favorite thing in the whole world is imagining that anime thing where a big crowd of people are observing something completely surreal in awed silence. It’s amazing. It’s scary. It’s perfect?? They’re both so in sync with each other, and so in love and... everyone is speechless?? I’ve got personal headcanons for how everu single drrr character finds out that they’re dating. Celty of course is the one that flips out the hardest.

And while the city’s in turmoil, Izaya and Shizuo are finally relaxing at home. Taking baths together, and flirting with each other as they get into bed. Shizuo likes to just look at Izaya sometimes. Izaya is still working through a lot of his codependency on Shizuo, because other than him, Izaya doesn’t have anybody. He tries to find a new outlet for himself. He’s still an infobroker, but a lot of the time these days Izaya just keeps track of the chess board, instead of trying to move pieces on his own. He doesn’t have a need to do that anymore.

Although I don’t wanna paint this like I’m saying Izaya would lose his entire personality and character. Izaya will always be Izaya: devious and conniving. It’s just that with Shizuo, he has someone to focus all of his desires on. He still loves humans, just not in the same way he used to. Shizuo is still short tempered and unreasonable at times but now Izaya has a special power over him that helps him to calm Shizuo down. It’s pretty incredible.

"The hell is this?"

Shizuo didn't know many people he can call friends so to see a box, wrapped in gold foil delivered to his apartment door was a head-scratcher. He had called Kasuka earlier, and asked but the boy didn't send anything that day.

Looking sideways down the hall, the debt collector gently prodded the box with his shoe. The lack of beeping eased his worries a bit and so, he picked the box up from the ground. It was moderately light and gave off a light glint. Upon closer inspection, a note, in a similar color, can be seen.

This wasn't what Shizuo was expecting to find after a long day of beating up people who didn't plan on paying their debts.

He slowly opened the door and peered inside. On any other occasion, he would have walked right in, loosened his tie and collapsed on the couch. Right now, a weird feeling in his gut caused hik to hesitate, as if waiting for a trap to come launch at him from the dark.

So he waited. He flicked on the switch and still, nothing happened.

"I'm losing my shit," he murmured.

Shizuo set down the gift on the kitchen counter and plopped down onto the couch. He stared at it for a while, squinting and trying to remember if Celty had promised him anything. The flea was crossed of the list. He haven't heard of him since their last battle and assumed he was out of the country.