Casual Encounters (Durarara!!) *Izaya/OC*

07. Condemned

It had gotten dark whilst Ritchie had been sleeping. She frowned. What time was it? She climbed out of bed and managed to locate her phone on the floor amongst the clothes she'd discarded last night.

Shit! It was almost eight o'clock. She hadn't imagined that she'd sleep for so long! She had just over an hour to shower, get ready and get to work on time.

Ritchie was generally pretty good at getting ready quickly. But getting ready for work always took longer than getting ready just to go out and play with Izaya. She normally didn't care too much about her appearance - only ever her outfit - but for work she had a certain image to keep up. Her job was effectively to be looked at after all.

So she had her usual speedy shower, blow-dried her hair afterwards and actually took some care in taming it once it was dry. She still didn't bother with make-up - she'd never used it in her life. She didn't really understand it. Girls wore make-up to make themselves look pretty. Did that mean they weren't pretty without? Ritchie liked to think that with her that wasn't the case.

After pretty much taking a second shower in her Diesel perfume she put on one of her favourite strappy black tops - the kind that left little to the imagination - along with a red micro skirt that wasn't really worth wearing and her sparkly Gina stilettos. She was good to go.

It was creeping further into Autumn and starting to get colder. This annoyed Ritchie, who despised cold weather. She didn't really have any warm clothing - in her mind warm wasn't flattering - and didn't even own a coat or jacket. She maintained that she'd drop dead before spending money on something that covered so much skin.

She quickened her pace. She'd have to start getting taxis to and from work again when it got even colder. The thought of wasting a good chunk of her wages on transport made her feel grumpy but it was better than the alternative of walking in the cold. And she still refused to buy a coat.

She didn't realise she was being followed until the person was right behind her. She whirled around just as they seized her hand. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who it was.

"What are you doing? Don't sneak up on me like that," griped Ritchie, pulling her hand away.

"You shouldn't be out if you're ill, Ritchie-chan." Izaya tutted theatrically, grabbing her hand again. "Or are you feeling better now?"

"I slept it off. But I can't play now; I'm going to work," replied Ritchie shortly, pulling her hand from his grasp a second time.

"That's okay. I'll come with you," said Izaya brightly, undeterred and trying to catch Ritchie's hand again.

"What exactly are you trying to do?" asked Ritchie. His incessant attempts to grab her hand were bothering her.

"Hold your hand. Isn't that what couples do?" said Izaya with what may have been an innocent look if it had been on the face of anybody else.

Ritchie stopped dead in her tracks so that Izaya almost bumped into her. "Excuse me?" She glared at him. "We are not a couple."

"That's a bit harsh, Ritchie-chan. You're going to hurt my feelings rejecting me so coldly like that," said Izaya, pretending to pout.

Ritchie continued to glare at him. "You don't have feelings."

"There we go. You're breaking my heart, Ritchie-chan," mocked Izaya, playfully clutching his chest.

Ritchie rolled her eyes and turned away to continue on her course. "Grow up." But he grabbed her hand for what felt like the millionth time and pulled her to a stop again. "What now?!"