"How could they not pick me as the queen? Haven't I shown my beloved fellow students enough love? Why would they simply toss me into the gutter and put that whore up on the throne? Why-"

"If you don't shut the fuck up flea, then you really will be in the gutter. Preferably dead."

Shizuo leaned against the wall, trying desperately to ignore his surroundings. Gaudy streamers and balloons filled the room along with happily dancing couples. It was prom night for Raira Academy. It was hell night for Shizuo.

"Aww, but Shizuo-chan, don't you care?"

"Not really." That was the truth. Shizuo didn't care and if it wasn't for Shinra dragging him here, the blond man wouldn't have even considered attending such a pointless event. Of course, the young scientist was nowhere to be found now. The bastard had probably already gone home and left him here to rot.

"Don't you know what this means? They don't love me at all! I've spent each year at this school, loving my subjects and showing them all the affection in the world. Then when it's time to put me in my rightful place, they defy me! It breaks my heart . . ." The other boy clung to Shizuo's arm.

"Let go or you'll have a lot of things other than your heart broken." The pest clinging to his arm was starting to shake now. Almost like Izaya was crying. Tch. Of course not. It was probably laughter. The sick bastard was getting off on this.

"You're so mean Shizuo-chan. Won't you dance with me?"

"Fuck no!" Shizuo pulled his arm away and clenched his fists up. Screw the consequences of disturbing such an important event, he was going to beat this guy into a bloody pulp. But there was something that caught his attention when Izaya moved to avoid any potential attacks. Was that . . . oh fuck, he hadn't really been crying, had he? "Wait . . . are you like seriously upset about this? I mean you know that there was no chance in hell right?"

The other boy seemed somber. "Maybe it was stupid, but I just thought . . . that just once maybe they would show their appreciation." He was looking down at the floor now but whenever the light caught his eyes they shined.

This was way too weird. Izaya was surely smart enough to know better, but he was also probably crazy enough to have deluded himself. Maybe the flea did have a heart, deep, deep down. Shizuo felt something inside himself melt a little bit. "Fine, I'll dance with you, but just this once. Don't think this means that I like you or anything."

"Thank you Shizzy-chan! I'll love you forever!" Just like that, the black haired boy dragged him off to the dance floor.

Of course it would be just their luck that a slow song came on. It wasn't that bad though, Shizuo thought, once the initial fear of being stabbed by the boy he was in such close proximity to wore off. Izaya was warm, and had a clean soapy smell. The smaller boy fit into his arms well and the dancing wasn't that bad, just swaying mostly. For just that minute, Shizuo thought that maybe, just maybe he could like Izaya.

Then the song was over and, like a perfect spell being broken by a demon, Izaya was back to his old self. "You fell for it! Wait until I tell everyone I got a chance to dance with the great Heiwajima Shizuo!" With that, the boy ran off.

The little part within the blond that had melted snapped back into its usual toughness. That fucker had tricked him! "IZAYAAAAA! DIE YOU BASTARD!" Shizuo screamed at the top of his lungs, running after the other boy.