A New Invitation

By: Mints12

My other take on how Izamika can get together after the whole Ketsu fiasco.

Note: This is set post-Ketsu, roughly a year and a half after the finale. This has some spoilers for those who haven't watched the finale and might not have the gist of some Durarara! SH details.

For those who still want to read despite the spoiling (and if you are not sure what has happened since), here is a short run down: Mikado was hospitalized after getting stabbed by Nasujima and had to repeat second year. He is currently the library club president. Anri graduated a year before Mikado and is currently dating him. Izaya survived and is currently living in the Kanto area. Due to his severe leg injuries and psychological trauma, it has become difficult to do a variety of leg movements, including walking correctly although I disregard this somewhat in this fic.

The sun was slowly setting behind the buildings of Ikebukuro. Students were still aplenty on the school grounds, doing club activities, being the refreshing youth that Izaya loved to watch and slowly get bored of.

He was lucky Raira High had some disability accommodations, otherwise, he had no way of finding himself at the entrance to the library on his wheel chair alone. Izaya arrived back for a visit a lot earlier but, not wanting to catch any unwanted attention, decided to wait until most students would be either busy on some sports field or home. From what he could gather, the library was already empty. Whoever was in charge was closing up. By in charge, Izaya of course meant Mikado Ryuugamine.

Slowly rolling into the library, Izaya spared no noise to catch the attention of the young man staring outside the window.

And then he turned around, wearing glasses. Izaya had to contain his laughter for until after the greetings.

"Mikado-kun, it has been a while." He knew about the glasses but seeing them in person was something else. That young boy, why, he looked like an old wise man.

"Orihara-san, what a surprise." No, it wasn't. Mikado was out of the jungle but he was still in the loop, more so than most. But Izaya was not accusing Mikado of feigning innocence. No, if anything, it was probably that Mikado was trying to be polite.

"I decided to visit some friends in the city." Not like he had any other excuse.

"I didn't know you had any, Orihara-san." Or maybe he wasn't so polite. Izaya was starting to doubt his ability to read Mikado Ryuugamine, maybe he never could after all.

Not giving a response must have bored the high schooler because he was back to packing up, turning his eyes away from what Izaya has always been sure was a very handsome face. Izaya was handsome, but perhaps that was as boring as being ugly to someone who has seen a beauty without a head. Decapitation was not a plastic surgery Izaya could afford…

Not having much of an icebreaker and needing his share of attention, Izaya slowly rolled his wheelchair inside the library, purposefully toppling himself to a side in the process.

"Ouch…" It did hurt, but Izaya had to admit that some of this was just dramatics, "I guess I am still not used to my condition…" Could he perhaps take advantage of Mikado's pity, just this once?

"Oh my." From the ground, Izaya could see shoes approaching him. And then a face, dropped to his level, "That must be very difficult for you. Here." Mikado extended his hand with a wooden meter stick. Izaya, dumbfounded and confused, took the meter stick. Mikado, seeming to have done what he thought was needed, retreated back to his original place by the window.

What was this? Who was this inconsiderate kid and what did he do to Mikado Ryuugamine. Didn't he see that Izaya was in a wheelchair? What would a meter stick even do? Oh wait…

"HAHAHAHAHA…" This was even funnier than Mikado in glasses. He knew.

Oh how loved he felt. This high school boy, already retired from the unusual, has done enough research on him to know that he was more or less rehabilitated. He even compromised his polite nature just to show him that he cared enough to know. Was this the subtle charm of a Japanese youth? How infinitely and bashfully refreshing…

Slowly, using the meter stick as a cane, Izaya stood up and walked towards the retired emperor gazing at what once was his.

"Well, have you grown bored of Ikebukuro yet?"

"Is this what Orihara-san believes to be a good conversation starter for friends?" He must have struck a chord. Honestly, he hated applying salt on Mikado's still healing wounds of becoming an outcast, but if he wanted a reaction, some riling up was necessary.

"No, but it is for Mikado-kun." There was a short silence where Mikado wanted to scream in frustration, he abstained.

"Every book is a new universe." he wanted to believe.

"Not one you can touch, I'm afraid." And he was right, Mikado had no way to retort. "But no matter. I hear IT major is pretty popular in Osaka." Mikado took his time answering…

"It's the third most populated city in Japan." Mikado mused, Izaya knew why.

"I suppose there are plenty of shady organization doing exciting things."

"And people just waiting for their fates to be entwined with each other."

"Osaka seems like a great place, no?"

"I'm sure Kanra-san would love it there."

"Not as much as Tanaka Tarou."

"Then I guess it's great that Orihara-san came to talk on the day before I was to submit my university aspirations sheet."

"What a great coincidence." Izaya smiled, knowing that neither of them believed in anything but the beauty of a plan.

As the darkness covered Ikebukuro in its veil of mysticism, Izaya Orihara slowly walked out of Raira High, leaving his wheelchair in the library. Another night began, the two outcasts giving little care.