「secret empire」ー 折原 臨也

Ch. 1: They froze in the dark

Dimming the light didn't extinguish the fire, apparently.

Constantly holding back a scream caused her to grow more tired. It got more difficult with each time she attempted to ignore the remarks. His sentences used to annoy her, until it developed into him needing nothing more than a word to make her roll her eyes. Eventually a single sound was all it took.

He was getting on her nerves.

He knew it all too well.

He was enjoying it. Perhaps a little too much, but that didn't bother him. And it certainly didn't stop him either! Not yet anyways.

But no matter how painfully annoying he could be, in the end she realized, her rage was not directed towards him. Her rage was directed towards herself. Although she was pretty sure that he knew this, she kept the anger bubbling inside her. Deep inside her, as deep as possible.

She figured, if she couldn't hide her true feelings from him, she could at least hide them from herself.

After all, one thing was certain: Keeping a secret from Orihara Izaya was no use.

Cold fingertips traced invisible lines on her skin, starting from her temple and moving to her jawline, her neck, shoulders, arms and hands. Soon they were replaced by lips, which had been just as cool and left silent whispers in between the familiar curl of his grin everywhere.

You couldn't say she was surprised when her eyes fluttered open only to see his eyes still smiling and his lips still forming the usual cocky smirk. Thinking back, she came to the conclusion, that it must've been chronic, constant, everlasting. She couldn't think of a single time he hadn't looked at her like this.

Like she was his toy and he could wrap her around his finger at any time.

Like he was the puppet master in control and he could play with her in any way.

But something was unusual, odd even. No matter how many times she found herself lying next to him in the middle of the night, covered in nothing but the sheets and occasionally an arm that he had loosely wrapped around her waist, he had never looked at her like this.

It was a slight difference, but the girl knew the informant well enough to realize of what great importance this could be. At first she shrugged it off, thinking it was only the lightning that made his eyes shine brighter than usual. Thinking, it was only the angle that made his smirk seem softer than usual.

After all, another thing was certain: Attempting to change Orihara Izaya was no use.

The young woman couldn't put a finger on what exactly it was, but something made her figure:

If she really was nothing but a doll to him, a puppet, a toy, it must've at least been one of importance.

Usually, the raven wouldn't keep a toy for too long. He'd grow bored quickly and he would carelessly play until it was broken. Only to throw it away, as if it never was of any purpose. Within a short time he would find himself a new, better toy.

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02/17:

"Cold." The quiet complain left quivering lips and wandered of into the darkness, fading away unnoticed. She let out a shaky breath as she allowed her shaking thin fingers to pull up the zipper of her leatherjacket. The moon shone in an icy color, sending no warmth whatsoever towards the full streets.

It was just bright enough to function as light source in order for her to make out the silhouettes. Like ants, hundreds and thousands of little insects with even more quick steps, making her wonder, whether they were also as organized as the small animals ones.