Up in Flames

"You look like shit."

The tines of his fork met the porcelain of his plate with a loud screech as he glared over the booth at his business associate, who sat, arms crossed, food untouched, studying Shizuo's face with more than mild interest and concern.

Recovering himself with a smirk, Shizuo stabbed his fork into the pastry he was working on mangling and used his right hand to adjust his blue lensed glasses, using his middle finger to meaningfully slide the nose piece into place.

"We can't all be as pretty as you, Tom." His reply was pure sarcasm. He cracked his neck once, twice, before reaching for the glass of milk in front of him and downing half of it in one hard gulp.

Tom rolled his eyes and shrugged, turning his attention to his quickly cooling coffee, glancing absently at the portfolio in front of him. The silence grew awkward quickly.

For Tom, at least.

"I mean it, Shi..."

"I mean it, Tanaka." Shizuo's eyes hardened, his use of Tom's last name was intentional, he wanted him to drop the subject and drop it now. "I look the same as I always do. You're working too hard, imagining things."

He slid out of the booth and stretched, reaching into his vest pocket for his cigarettes. Tom rolled his eyes to the ceiling as Shizuo headed toward the front of the restaurant.

"I guess I'm paying?"

"Would appear so. I'll be right outside, whenever you're ready to get out there and get to work."

_____

Two years. Has it really been that long?

Strolling down the street, hands deep in his pockets, Tom blabbering on about the poor sorry soul they were on their way to shake down, and Shizuo was lost in thought.

Two years since he had tried to shake the dirt of this city off his shoes and make a new name for himself. One he could be proud of.

Two years since you took it all from me.

He stopped in his tracks, glaring up at the sky high buildings around him, causing Tom to knock into him from behind.

"What the hell?" Tom rubbed his nose as he bent to pick up his glasses, glaring at the back of Shizuo's head as he placed them back onto his face. "Shizuo?"

People crowded around and brushed past as Shizuo continued to take up space absently on the sidewalk, his eyes glazed over. His mind was gone again, and he was powerless as ever, the pain and sorrow attempting to force him to his knees.

Goddamn it. Give her back, you son of a bitch.

_____

No girl, your memory's not dead;
Got me praying to heaven above.