Because I'm Izaya/Mikado trash and don't want to work on my other fics.
Enjoy.
He felt electric, as if every cell in his body was pulsating along with the music blaring from the car speakers. Beside him, in the passenger seat, Mikado looked just as electric as he felt. The neon signs over head, from all the buildings and advertisements, illuminated the college student's face with blue, pink, orange, and gentle purples. The lights washed over him and Izaya felt positively alive here in the car, speeding through the late night streets of the city. The summer night air was crisp, blowing through their hair as they sped down the street. Mikado caught Izaya's eye and smiled, turning the music down enough for it to be tolerable once again. "You keep looking at me."
Because you're beautiful, Izaya wanted to say. Because you're beautiful and I don't know why it took me so long to see it.
"Maybe you're nice to look at," Izaya shrugged, eyes on the road once more. To their left, as they stopped at a red light, girls in line for a club were singing along loudly to a song they knew. It was a song that was popular on the radio, and their giggling voices made Izaya want to chuckle. He looked at Mikado again, who was still gazing at him curiously.
Mikado had grown up well, far from being the scrawny, predictable high school boy he met so long ago. In fact, Mikado was nearly as tall as Izaya now, at the ripe age of twenty,and was a very studious college student. He was a lot more relaxed, it seemed; maybe that was why he had such a keen affection for Izaya now. He was a beautiful young man, there was no doubt about it, it blew Izaya's mind that Mikado liked him.
"What are you staring at?" Mikado asked, the hint of an embarrassed flush on his cheeks as he glanced away.
Izaya grinned a bit, reaching over to gently grip the other's chin. He turned Mikado's face towards himself and kissed his lips gently, just long enough to make Mikado's breath hitch. He leaned back, grinned wider, and started driving once the traffic light turned green once more. He didn't even have to look over to know that Mikado was blushing, that he had two fingers pressed to his lips where Izaya's had been.
The streets of Ikebukuro were every bit as hectic and dangerous as they'd always been. The gang activity had died down a bit, sure, and The Dollars had been all but demolished when Mikado started at the University. There were still fights, though, and there will still the occasional paranormal event that rocked the city to it's core for three or so days at a time. It was the usual sort of thing, really, but it happened to different people. Different times. Different days and weeks and different people behind the scenes. Izaya himself hardly ever played around with the lives of others, had taken up writing and photography after that last brutal fight with Heiwjaima back in the day. And, as far as he knew, Shizuo was as docile as a kitten most days, something that had to do with his blossoming relationship with that Russian woman.
Izaya just didn't feel the need to start much trouble, not when Mikado came to him every Friday evening, his weekend bag slung over his shoulder. The weekends were the best, and no matter how many times they did this, it never got old.
The city felt alive in the most peaceful of ways when they did this, when they sped down the streets in Izaya's car to admire the lights and the life until something caught their fancy. Or, really, until something caught Mikado's fancy; Izaya didn't care what they did as long as he was with the other.
"Let's park up here and walk through the neon park," Mikado said, voice laced with excitement as he looked at Izaya again.
The neon park had been built sometime while he was gone, Mikado had told him. It wasn't anything close to excitable in the day, but when the sun went down the park shined with life, neon statues and trees with lights lining their branches all over. There were vendor shops all over the park, and it was always filled with people. It felt like an every day festival, and when Izaya had first visited it upon returning to Ikebukuro, after his wounds from the final fight had healed, he had been swept away. Mikado loved it, too.
There were just as many people in the park as Izaya had expected, and he smiled a little, oddly comforted by the crowd. He sought out Mikado's hand and squeezed it gently, before he spoke, "They have a takoyaki stand up ahead. Want some?"
"I'd love some," Mikado smiled, nodding.
Izaya smiled and let the other man lead him, weaving through the crowd carefully, easily, as he squeezed Mikado's hand again. The air was sweet, a mixture of sweet foods being cooked, of lingering cooking met from other stands, and incense. It was an odd mixture that smelled sweet, oddly enough. Izaya couldn't remember a time before this when he'd ever really enjoyed any of those scents. He bought the takoyaki for Mikado, chuckling when the young man's eyes lit up like a child. Mikado pressed a kiss to Izaya's cheek in thanks before he started eating and, as sneaky as he had always been, Izaya brought out his phone and snapped a picture. Mikado acted offended, blushing and huffing as he looked away from the other, but Izaya knew Mikado would let him keep it, just as he let him keep all the others.
They fell into step together again, and Izaya looked around idly when Mikado stopped at stalls to look at what was being sold, at what was being made. At one point, when Mikado was caught up at a stall selling scarves, Izaya locked eyes with a familiar tall blonde across the way. Had it been a few years ago, locking gazes with Heiwajima Shizuo would have filled him with both pleasure and fear. However, where there used to be pleasure, there was simple contentment, and where they had been lingering fear there was only a sliver of amusement. Izaya nodded to the other, offering a small smile as Mikado returned to his side, kissing his cheek again. Izaya saw Shizuo smile a bit in return before he slung an arm around the shoulders of Vorona, giving Izaya one last glance before he disappeared into the crowd with his lover.
It felt so strange to not be at war, and to be so calm and accepting of it. Izaya smiled wider to himself before he followed Mikado again.
They made their way through the park idly for what felt like hours, talking about Mikado's classes and about Izaya's writing. The weekends were the only time they had to catch up, what with their busy schedules on week days. They took advantage of it as often s they could, driving into the city to make the most of Friday and Saturday nights.
Izaya loved these nights more than anything.
"Isn't that Anri over there?" Mikado gestured towards a stall selling drinks, and Izaya looked away from the neon decorated fountain.
Sure enough they saw the familiar dark haired young woman, her hand clasped with the hand of Erika Karisawa. Izaya hummed a bit, ducking his head to take a drink from the soda in Mikado's hand, fumbling with the straw for a second. "I believe so. Do you want to go say hello?"
"No, I'd hate to interrupt." Mikado replied, chuckling when he had to steady the straw so that Izaya could get it into his mouth properly. "Erika's been out of town for a while and she just got back yesterday. I'm sure the two of them want some time alone."
"We should invite them out for breakfast on Sunday," Izaya suggested, standing straight again. "I'll pay, naturally."
"Alright, I'll call them tomorrow," Mikado smiled warmly, his lower lip caught between his teeth. "Let's head home."
Izaya almost pointed out that it was still early, barely ten, but he caught the flush on the other's cheek and he smiled, nodding. "Of course, babe."
The car ride home felt just as electric as before. The music blared as Mikado's hand trailed along Izaya's thigh, not venturing too high, but just high enough to be considered teasing. Izaya held the steering wheel tightly, rolling his eyes to himself. Mikado was too much sometimes, but he adored it.
They got home, stumbling into Izaya's apartment in a heated mess. Hell, Izaya was surprised they had made it to the bedroom, almost tripping over his own discarded shirt. they hit the sheets, giggles escaping between heated kisses. Hangs gripped at shoulders, nails digging into soft skin as clothes were pushed off. Naked, laid bare for each other, the two of them paused in their frenzy to smile lazily at each other.
"This semester is ending soon," Mikado murmured, running his fingers through Izaya's hair as the other man's hands settled on his hips. "What do you think about me finally moving in?"
Dark eyes widened a fraction before Izaya snorted, pulling the other against him. He littered Mikado's neck in kisses, pausing to suck a mark just above where his shoulder and neck met. "I've told you before that I'd love for you to move in. There's plenty of room."
"I think I will," Mikado assured him softly, smiling when Izaya's finger tips dipped down between his thighs. He gasped softly before letting out a breathy laugh. "As much as I love our weekends in the city, I'd love to see you every day."
"Believe me, honey," Izaya gushed as he pushed the other onto his back, hovering over him. He kissed him once, twice, and then a third time, before rolling their hips together slowly just to drag another gasp from his lover's lips. "I'd love that as well."
Mikado blushed, grinning softly as he pulled the other into a rough, bruising kiss. "We'll talk about it more later. Right now I want you inside me; I've been waiting all night."
"And here I thought our date was the high light of your night," Izaya teased.
Outside, the city bustled with life. Izaya was sure that Anri and Erika had gone home, were comfortable in each other's arms in front of their TV. Shizuo was probably with Vorona, too, still enjoying the city.
The city was alive, and here, between the sheets with Mikado, Izaya had never felt so blessed to be a normal man caught in the city's flow just like every one else.