Prompt: Fem!Izaya-Mikado-Fem!Shizuo!

The two most dangerous women of Ikebukuro go head on in a battle, not of the fists variety, but of love! (Bonus for this if Kida is in the background, going "Oooh! Mikado, you sly dog! *waggle eyebrows nudge nudge wink wink*) Lol, yeah the women are more manrier than Mikado himself. _ Straight shota.

"—and that's how my steamy romance came to an end," Kida Masaomi proclaimed dramatically, "I never saw her again, but every time I go to that beach and watch the sunset, I think of her." He sighed, "Aaaah, wasn't that a beautiful love story, Mikado?"

"Huh? O-oh…," Ryuugamine Mikado nodded uncertainly. Truth be told, he spaced out during most of Kida's story. His friend had told so many of them (half of which he was certain weren't true) that they all started to blur together. It was always about the same things anyways: girls, video games, girls, rumors going on around Ikebukuro, places Mikado "just had to visit!", more girls…

Kida waggled a disapproving finger at Mikado, "You weren't listening at all, were you?"

"That's not tr—" Mikado started, but upon seeing Kida's unconvinced look, he confessed, "No, not really."

The two were walking around the city, killing time before they headed over to the movie theater to watch Yuhei Hanejima's latest film. Sonohara Anri was supposed to be with them but had to cancel at the last minute due to something urgent coming up. Mikado was pretty upset, not only because he was looking forward to spending time with her but also because that left them with an extra ticket. But Kida had shrugged it off and declared that they should make the best of things rather than count their losses.

Kida sighed and folded his arms behind his head, "Man, that's so cold of you to ignore your best buddy like that just because you're jealous of my amazing love life."

Mikado protested, "I'm not jealous!"

Kida cast him a sideways glance, "Liar. Then why don't you tell me about your amazing love life instead?"

Mikado blushed, "S-shut up!" and turned his face to the side, "You know I don't have any stories like that."

"Yeah, yeah, sorry," Kida grinned, "Hey, but down worry!" He slapped Mikados's back, "I'm sure your spring time will come soon and then, you'll have an amazing romantic story of your own to tell. Who knows, maybe it'll start now even?!" He proclaimed with gusto, spreading his arms out.

Mikado's thoughts went to Anri immediately, but he shook his head. No way anything would happen. Still, he turned to Kida with a smile and laughed, "Yeah, may—"

Right at that moment, a vending machine came flying at the duo, just barely scraping Mikado's nose.

"—be."

A few milliseconds passed before the two jumped back in shock, "Eh?!" They poked their heads around the vending machine to find its source, even though they already knew who the culprit was.

"KANRAAAAAAAAAA!"

Yep, it was none other than Heiwajima Shizuka. She stomped onto the scene in her bartender outfit, though that was a given as it seemed to be the only outfit she owned, looking enraged as usual. Her eyes flashed behind her shades as she shouted, "Come out, you coward!"

"My, my, what a brute," a sing-song voice replied. A lithe woman wearing a fur-trimmed jacket jumped down from God knows where onto the tilted vending machine. Orihara Kanra toyed with her pocket knife as she simpered, "You should really act more like a lady. No wonder guys don't like you."

Kida tensed up upon seeing Kanra. Mikado, on the other hand, was dazed more than anything else. After having met the two so often, he was one of the rare few who weren't completely scared of Shizuka's strength or shaken by Kanra's mind games. Then again, how he be anything special if he couldn't handle the extraordinary?

Shizuka flushed at Kanra's taunt, "Shut the hell up, you flea!" She reached for a stop sign and began uprooting it.

Kanra slowly walked down the vending machine, twirling her knife, "You're so vulgar, too." She then twirled around and grabbed Mikado by the shoulders from behind, "Look, you've scared poor Mikado-kun." Mikado jolted a bit while Kida looked beyond horrified.

Shizuka, finally noticing the boy's presence, dropped the stop sign. She looked absolutely mortified. Even though this side of her was no secret; she still didn't want to show it in front of him. But then she realized something more important, "Hey! Take your dirty hands off him!"

"Yeah, Kanra-san, let go of Mikado!" Kida chimed in.

"Eh? But I don't want to~" she pouted, resting her head on Mikado's shoulder. She wrapped her arms around Mikado's waist and pulled him closer to her, "Mikado-kun's enjoying this too, right?"

Mikado squirmed uncomfortably, "Um, could I get my personal space back please?"

"Why? Oh, look, look, your face is all red. Aaah, you're so cute! I could just eat you up!" Kanra grinned widely as she nibbled on his ear, eliciting a small gasp from the male. She giggled, "So sensitive too."

The crowd around them had been trying to shuffle along, though it was getting harder and harder to ignore what was unfolding. Fights between the two women were common enough, but this new factor thrown in made many curious to see what would happen next.

Shizuka shouted, aggravated and flustered, "I said let go of him!" She charged at Kanra, who jumped back quickly. But to jump back, she had to push against Mikado, who stumbled forwarded and crashed into the oncoming bartender. They collapsed into a heap.

Looking down at the pile of entwined limbs, Kanra thought with a bit of envy, 'Ah, setting up that moment for Shizu-bou was a mistake on my part.' But she quickly covered up her emotions with a wave and smile, "Mikado-kun, let's go on a date next time!" With that, she ran away.

Shizuka propped herself up, "Hold up, you bitch!" She paused though once she heard moaning from underneath her and looked down to see a dazzled Mikado. His eyes were shut in pain and his face was red, most likely from the impact. Yet Shizuka couldn't help but think it looked a bit ero—She stood up immediately, shaking her head vigorously before holding out a hand, "Ah, sorry about that… uh… Ryuugasaki was it?"

"Pfft," on the sidelines, Kida started giggling but covered his mouth to make sure Shizuka couldn't hear. Honestly, how could you forget a name like Ryuugamine Mikado?"

Mikado gave a slightly strained smile, "It's Ryuugamine but thank you." He took her hand and pulled himself up.

"O-oh, right. Ryuugamine," Shizuka mentally berated herself for forgetting. An awkward silence settled between the two and she began sweating. What should she say now? Should she just leave quietly? But she didn't want to pass up on this opportunity to talk to him. Ah, damn it! She was no good at situations like this.

But Mikado broke the silence with a curious head tilt, "Heiwajima-san, are off work or something? I don't see you around this area normally."

"Oh, uh, yeah. Tom-san let me off for the day," Shizuka tried to sound nonchalant, her heart fluttering slightly from that fact that Mikado even took notice of her, "I said he didn't have to, but he insisted on it anyways," she sighed and rubbed her head, "'s not like I have much to do outside of work though."

The chivalrous side of Mikado started rearing its head upon seeing Shizuka's melancholic face. "Oh hey, if you're not busy, do you want to see a movie with me and Kida?" he offered.

Shizuka blinked, "Eh?! Oh, ah, um, it's not I don't want to but," she turned to the side and started twiddling her fingers, red-faced, "won't it be weird?"

Kida looked at Mikado, mouth open. While Shizuka was rambling, he pulled Mikado over and hissed, "Mikado! What are you thinking, inviting Heiwajima Shizuka to the movies with us?! One wrong move and she'll snap us in two!"

"Huh?" Mikado said, "But she seems lonely, and we do have an extra ticket."

Kida did his best not to face-palm, "Mikado, buddy, you're missing the point. Heiwajima. Angry. Snap us in two."

Mikado shrugged his friend off, "She won't. Trust me, it'll be fine." He turned back to Shizuka, who was still rambling on and on. Seeing his friend was determined to invite Shizuka with them, Kida let out a resigned sigh and prayed that things wouldn't go awry.

"—and I get kicked out of movie theaters a lot—"

"Heiwajima-san!" Mikado cut Shizuka off. Once he was sure he got her attention, Mikado smiled, "It's alright; please join us. We have an extra ticket anyways since one of our friends couldn't make it."

At this, Shizuka's initial excitement waned, 'Ah, so I'm just a replacement…'

However, Mikado added, "Plus, Yuhei Hanejima is the star of this film."

Her ears perked up, "Yuhei…?" Kasuka was going to be in it?

Mikado nodded, "Heiwajima-san likes his acting, right? I've occasionally seen you looking at posters of him."

And just like that, her heart began racing again. He really did take note of her. Plus, she was impressed by his attention to detail, especially considering she wasn't a very observant person herself. She said, "I'm not a fan per say, but I w-wouldn't mind going with you."

Mikado's face brightened. Now at least that extra ticket wouldn't go to waste! He said eagerly, "Great, Heiwajima-san! Ah, but the movie doesn't start until 2:30. So could you meet us at the Sunshine Theater in an hour?"

Shizuka nodded.

"Oh yeah, let's exchange information too, just in case," Mikado took out his cellphone.

She started at the phone in awe, 'I'll be getting his phone number…' Ba-dump. She then noticed Mikado was giving her a confused look and she jerked back into reality, "Ah, yeah…!" She frantically dug around her pockets for her phone. Successfully locating it, she pulled it out and flipped it open.

After exchanging numbers, Mikado pocketed his phone, "Alright, see you later." He waved as he started walking away with Kida, who still couldn't believe he was going to the movies with Heiwajima Shizuka.

Shizuka waved back a little awkwardly. Once the two were out of sight, she thought, 'A whole hour, huh? How am I gonna time?' She glanced down at her attire, 'Maybe I should change into something else?' But her closet consisted only of bartender outfits. And shopping for clothes was something she, well, really didn't do. So choices were left?

…

Running a hand through her bleached blonde hair, she murmured, "Maybe Celty can help me."

A knock on the door was heard and Shinra shouted, "Coming!" Abandoning his computer, he came to the door, "Who is it?"

"'S me."

Recognizing the voice, Shinra opened the door cautiously, "Shizuka? What brings you here? You're not in trouble again, are you?" He quickly scanned her clothing for any sign of blood.

"I didn't kill anyone, if that's what you mean," she replied.

"I was talking about your physical well-being, but that's a relief to hear as well," Shinra smiled wryly, "So what's up?"

"I'm looking for Celty," Shizuka replied.

Shinra's face brightened up, "Ah, she's in the shower right now. I tried peeking but her shadows punched me in the stomach before I could even get into the bathroom." He wrapped his arms around his body as he moved to let Shizuka come in, "Aaaaah, even the pain feels good if it's my darling Celty who causes it."

Shizuka grimaced, "Creepy, you masochist."

Shinra gave her a sly look, "That's the pot calling the kettle black, you cougar."

Immediately, Shizuka flushed and lifted Shinra up by the collar, "How did you—?!"

At that moment, the bathroom door opened and steamed pour out onto the follow as Celty stepped out. She paused, evaluating the scene, before pulling out her cell phone and typing out a greeting, "Hello, Shizuka. What brings you here?"

Shinra cried out, "Celty, help! Shizuka's trying to kill me!"

"I'm sure she has a good reason for it."

"How cruel," Shinra wept, "But it's also why I love you so much, Celty~!"

Shizuka tossed him to the side, "Forget you, I'll deal with you later." She walked over to Celty and asked, "Celty, do you have any clothes I could borrow?"

"Clothes?" Celty typed out, "For what?"

Shizuka looked down at the floor, embarrassed, "I'm going to the movies with Ryuugasa—I mean, Ryuugamine."

Celty typed rapidly, ""Really, you're going on a date with him?! Congratulations, Shizuka!" The dullahan had known about Shizuka's enamourment with Mikado for a while now and fully supported her from behind the scenes. After all, Mikado seemed to have a positive influence on the bartender, as lately she had been a lot less short-tempered and a lot more happy.

Shizuka spluttered, "I-it's not a date! I mean, his friend's gonna be with us and all."

"Doesn't matter, it's still a big deal," Celty replied, "Ah… but I don't own any clothing. Everything I wear is made from my shadows."

Shizuka's face fell, "Oh, right…" Celty didn't wear normal clothing. But since Shizuka didn't have any other female friends, she didn't know where to go from here.

"Wait, I can try something out though. Come with me to the bathroom," Celty typed out.

Shizuka was a bit confused by her request but nevertheless followed Celty into the bathroom. Once Celty made sure it was locked, she showed her phone to the blonde, "Please strip."

Shizuka jumped back, "What?!"

"I believe I can also make you shadow clothes, but I can't do it if you're wearing regular clothing already," Celty explained.

Though still a bit wary, Shizuka nodded and followed Celty's instructions. Untying the bow around her neck, she unbuttoned her vest and shirt, tossing them off before stepping out of her leggings and skirt. She left her shades on though as they made her feel less self conscious, "Alright, do your thing."

Celty asked, "What sort of outfit do you want?"

"Erm," Shizuka bit her lip, "I'm not sure. You decide."

Celty put away her phone and nodded. She summoned her shadows, which wrapped around Shizuka's body. The bartender flinched at first, not knowing what to expect. But when it materialized, it felt no different than regular clothing. She let out an impressed, 'Woah.'

Gesturing to a full-length mirror, Celty typed, "Check yourself out."

Shizuka slowly walked over to the full-length mirror and peered into in. Her eyes widened when she saw a beautiful woman looking back at her. Her bands were slightly pulled to the side with pastel pink clips, giving her a slightly more coy appearance. She wore a white blouse with ruffles running down the center and denim jacket. She spun around in her beige sandals, the thin ribbons tied around her calves swaying slightly, checking out the back of her green skinny jeans. She started patting herself down, trying to confirm that it was really her in the mirror.

Celty took out her phone and held it up, "Is it comfortable?"

Shizuka smiled at her, "Yeah, it's great." Celty was really amazing.

When she first met the kid at Shinra's place, Shizuka didn't think much of Mikado. And why would she? He was a shy kid with an unassuming look and plain clothes. The only thing that stood out about him was his name and Shizuka couldn't even remember that. It took a lot for Shizuka to take note of anyone, and Mikado didn't make that cut.

And yet, he ended up being the person she fell for.

Tossing her cigarette to the floor, she grinded it with the heel of her pumps. At this, the group of debtors paled. Everyone knew what came after this.

The first one to react tried running away but didn't make it in time as Shizuka quickly seized him by the back of his collar and tossed him into the alleyway ten yards away. He landed onto the concrete floor with a sickening crunch. Like a wake-up call, the others sprung into action.

The tallest one pulled out a steel bar from his canvas bag and swung it at Shizuka's head, chivalry be damned. It made contact with her forehead but Shizuka grabbed it immediately afterwards and yanked it out of the man's hands. She twirled it around and knocked his teeth out before tossing the pole straight at another two. It hit them both in the stomach and they crumpled to the floor.

That was all of them. Shizuka straightened up and groaned. Why did these assholes always make things so difficult? Well, no matter, without them, she'd be out of a job.

Suddenly, she was aware of another presence and turned her head to see a wide-eyed boy standing down the street from her. She blinked, how long had he been there? He continued to gape at her, which was starting to tick her off. She growled, "What are you looking at?"

Usually, that was enough to send someone packing, but instead, he simply pointed at her head, "You're bleeding."

Confused, her hand flew to her forehead and sure enough, there was blood. 'Must have been from that iron bar,' she grimaced. It wasn't that big of a wound though, she could probably handle it herself. She turned around to leave but a voice stopped her.

"Wait just a second, please!"

She looked back to see the boy running towards her. He stopped in front of her and rummaged through his school bag for a bit before pulling out a first aid kit. Opening it up, he pulled out a piece of cloth, "Hold still please." Gently, he began wiping away the excess blood from her forehead.

Shizuka stared at him, dumbfound. What was he doing? Did he not see her freakish display of violence? Why wasn't he running away or pissing his pants like everyone else?

Once he was done, Mikado proceeded to pull out a large Hello-Kitty band-aid (they were on sale). Peeling off the plastic he placed it on her forehead and smiled, "Done." He pulled back to check his work, "That should do. Still, you should lie down for a bit. I know you're Ikebukuro's strongest woman and all, but you still have to take care of yourself."

She blinked, reaching up to touch the band-aid, "Thanks, I'll… I'll do that."

"That's good to hear," He beamed, "Please be safe on your way home, Heiwajima-san." With that, he bowed and walked off, leaving a stunned Shizuka in his wake, wondering what just happened.

It wasn't until weeks later that she finally (re)learned the name of her newfound crush.

After thanking Celty, Shizuka immediately rushed to the movie theater. She was paranoid about arriving late, but ended up at the theaters several minutes early, with no Mikado in sight. A cold sinking feel overtook her. What if it was all just a prank? Was she going to be stood up? All these thoughts rushed through her head in a panic as her rage slowly built up. And then it all vanished once a familiar voice called out to her.

"Hey, over here, Heiwajima-san!"

She looked over to see Mikado (and Kida) approaching her, ice cream in hand. Mikado came to a stop in front of her, looking amazed, "Wow, Heiwajima-san. I didn't know you had anything else besides your bartender clothes."

Shizuka coughed. She didn't.

From next to him, Kida was making a throat slashing motion, eyes wide with panic. He let out a sigh of relief though once Mikado followed up with a, "You look really beautiful."

Feeling her face heat up, she lowered her head, "T-thanks," making a mental note to ask Celty to take her clothes shopping.

While she was distracted, Kida slung an arm over Mikado's shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Whoo, I was worried there for a second, but it seems even you know what to say to a lady."

"What do you mean by 'even you'?" Mikado looked at him, unamused.

Kida ruffled Mikado's hair, "Don't worry about it," then pulled away.

Shooting his friend one last glare before turning back to Shizuka, Mikado smiled, "Masaomi and I got some ice cream earlier, so I saved one for you," he held out the vanilla soft serve cone, "Do you want it?"

Shizuka blinked. Mikado was thinking of her, even then?

Her unresponsiveness caused Mikado to pull his arm back, "Oh, do you not like vanilla? Or are you lactose intolerant?" his eyes fluttered to the floor, "Sorry, I should have texted you—"

"No! I like it," Shizuka's hand immediately flew out to grab the cone. As soon as her hand wrapped around Mikado's though, she let go with a surprised, 'Ah.' The ice cream had melted a bit and a small trickle ran down Mikado's hand.

"Ah, melting already?" Mikado fretted, "Hold on, I have some napkins—"

But before he could dig around for some, Shizuka held his wrist and leaned in, slowly licking the ice cream from Mikado's hand. Kida's jaw dropped open and several passerby stopped to stare. Mikado squeaked, "Heiwajima-san, what are you doing?!"

Shizuka straightened up, confused, "Wiping it up would just have been a waste." Gently, she glided her hand over to take the cone from Mikado's lax grip and smiled, "Thanks, I love ice cream." Well, milk really, but they were both dairy products so close enough.

Slightly bemused by her nonchalant attitude, Mikado said uncertainly, "You're… welcome?"

At this point, Kida jumped in to save this situation from becoming an incredibly uncomfortable one, "Alright you two, enough flirting! We gotta go grab some seats now!"

Mikado glanced at his watch and exclaimed, "Ah, you're right Masaomi! The movie's about to start."

The two sprinted towards the theater, Shizuka following them in a daze. Flirting…? She blushed and shook her head violently. Still, she allowed herself a private smile.

To say Kanra was displeased would be an understatement. She fiddled with her knife, imagining digging it into Shizuka's overly large cow tits. Never before had she really felt such intense jealousy and hatred… She didn't like it one bit.

The blonde monster was stupid and disgusting, Kanra thought with a cruel child-like rage. What did Mikado see in that thing? Why didn't Mikado invite her to the movies? After all, Kanra knew Mikado better. They've had a longer and deeper history together. So why, why, why?

Though she didn't know the answers to all these questions, one thing was for sure. Kanra wasn't going to allow Shizuka to gain the upper hand.

Inside the movie theater, Shizuka watched her little brother perform on the big screen, heart swelling with pride. Even though Kasuka didn't seem like it, he was a top-notch actor. No matter what role it was, he would put his all into it.

"What's going on? What are you saying? 'We should get a divorce?' 'I'm dragging you down.' 'You'd be better off without me?' Where's all of this coming from?"

Hearing soft giggling, she turned her head and saw a couple snuggled up against each other, whispering into each other's ears.

"…"

She stole a glance at Mikado. Kida was leaning in close to him and making cracks, some at which Mikado responded with a snarky comment but most at which he laughed at. She was slightly bothered by this, though her annoyance wasn't directed at Kida. Rather, it was directed at her.

"Then again, you've always been like this… blaming everything on yourself and trying to shoulder everyone's burden by yourself…"

Shizuka looked down at her lap, 'What's wrong with me? It's not like I was expecting much from this.' She was barely good with making friends, let alone lovers. The only possible relationship she ever had with anyone that could have been called 'romantic' was with the shopkeeper… and it ended badly. Very badly.

That's right… she couldn't go any further with Mikado. There was the age difference and the simple fact that Shizuka was Shizuka: a monstrous woman with a short temper. Nothing good could come out of being with her.

"How is it that you don't know what an amazing person you are and how much you mean to me? Can't you see it in the way I look at you? Feel it in the way I embrace you? Hear it in the way I say your name?"

"Shizuka-san?"

Feeling a hand on top of hers, she snapped her head up to see Mikado gazing at her with concern, "Are you alright? You look a bit upset."

Wait a second. She whispered, "What did you call me?"

Mikado gave her a quizzical look, then realization struck him. Stiffening, he blushed, "Ah!" His loud outburst garnered him the glares of several movie-goers. Mikado rapidly uttered an apology and then lowered his voice, "I'm so sorry, it was a slip of the tongue, I didn't mean—"

"I liked it."

Mikado blinked, "Eh?"

"Remember that day my band had lost our record label? I might have never picked up my guitar again if you hadn't taken me to the beach that day."

"I liked it," she repeated, "Say it again."

Though slightly befuddled by her reaction, Mikado obeyed, "S-Shizuka-san."

She closed her eyes, silently mouthing out the syllables. Shi. Zu. Ka. San. Her eyes fluttered opened, "Could you call me that from now on? I really like it."

"We walked along that shore, not saying a word the entire time. That is, until you stopped and took both my hands in yours. You looked straight up into my eyes and said, 'Don't you dare give up.'"

Mikado furrowed his eyebrow with uncertainty. Even if he at least added an honorific to it, was it really alright to just call her by her first name? After all, he didn't even call Anri by her first name. But… then again, Anri had never asked him to. Shizuka did.

"If that's what you want," he hesitated before adding, "Shizuka-san." Looking at the huge smile that spread across her face though, Mikado felt completely confident that he had made the right decision. "Ah, that's right. If I can call you by your first name, you can too!" He smiled, "Go ahead!"

Shizuka froze, her ears turning completely red. It was easy to ask Mikado to call her 'Shizuka-san,' but to do the same for him? It was impossible! But Mikado kept looking at her with those eager blue eyes and she found it was even more impossible to turn them down.

"That was all it took for me to remember, you are my muse. You've always been my muse, and you always will be. That day, I looked into your blue eyes and… "

What was she scared of anyways?! She was Ikebukuro's strongest woman, she could do at least this much. So just go for it—!

"Mikado-kun."

There… she did it. She said it. It had rolled off her tongue so perfectly too… and judging by Mikado's face, he seemed to think the same. The bright, innocent joy that had blossomed across his face…

"I found myself falling in love again."

When the movie ended, the three of them filed out of the theater, chatting excitedly. Well, it was mostly Mikado and Kida doing the talking, but Shizuka chimed in occasionally, no longer feeling awkward or shy about the whole situation.

But in the end, they had to part ways. Kida had to finish his homework (always at the last minute) and Shizuka had work early in the morning tomorrow. Before she left though, Mikado shouted, "If you're free again, text me and we'll hang out, Shizuka-san!" She flushed and nodded quickly before quickly walking away.

Mikado chuckled a bit at the memory as he walked through the bustling streets, 'Today was fun, even if Sonohara-san couldn't come. Now,' he stretched, 'I'll just take it easy for the rest of—'

"He~llo~ Mikado-kun," a voice rang out, stopping him dead in his tracks. He looked over his shoulder, hoping it wasn't who he thought it was.

"Over here."

He jolted and turned his head forward to see Kanra's simpering smile. He glared, "Don't scare me like that."

"Eeeh, is that how you greet a pretty lady like me, especially after all the trouble I went through to get here?" Kanra whined with a flitting smile on her face.

"What is it that you want?" Mikado ignored her taunting, knowing that would only play into her hands.

"So cruel!" Kanra gasped dramatically, "Why is it that you always suspect me of have ulterior motives? All I wanted to do today was invite you to the amusement park with me."

Mikado raised an eyebrow. The amusement park? Well, it didn't really matter. His answer was going to be the same, "I refuse."

Shaking her head, Kanra sighed, "I was afraid of that. Now you've forced me to use this." Pulling out her phone, she held up the screen to Mikado. His eyes widened as he realized it was a photo of him at his computer, clearly logged into the Dollars website as the creator.

He made a grab for it but she spun out of his reach, "Now you're trying to steal from me? You're not a gentleman at all, Mikado-kun."

He hissed at her, "How did you get that picture?!" He always had the window shades drawn together whenever he was on the Dollars website and he was damn sure he'd notice if anyone was standing behind him.

The raven haired girl smirked, tapping her phone to her chin, "I have my ways. Now, unless you want your precious Kida-kun or Anri-chan to see this, I suggest you be sweeter to me."

Mikado gritted his teeth. Well, it had been obvious Kanra wasn't going to take no for an answer from the start. Dirty moves were her signature after all. So for now, he had to play along. At least until he found a way to delete that photo. Resigning himself to his fate, he gave her a weary look, "So which train are we going to take?"

Kanra's smirk grew wider.

She wasn't quite sure when she started liking him. It wasn't something sudden, like a flash of lightning. No, it was more like a small drizzle at first, and before she knew it, it had become a raging storm.

They first met over the chat rooms, Kanra as Izaya and Mikado as Taro Tanaka. A while back, she had noticed a growing group called the Dollars, a seemingly aimless gang. But it was exactly their lack of an aim that intrigued her. As a little welcome gift to them, she spread around the password. It didn't take much effort, all she had to do was leak it to a couple of people and let the wonders of the internet do its thing. Soon, four became sixteen became sixty four became hundreds.

Naturally, she wanted to know what the leader of this ragtag gang was feeling as she did this. Confused as to why his group had multiplied so rapidly? Excited by this new-found power? Threatened by this unknown hacker? She just had to know.

So she traced the creator of the site to someone by the screen name of Taro Tanaka.

Their conversations were nothing special. At times, she even wondered if she traced it to the wrong person. But every now and then, there'd be little flashes or hints that there was more to Taro Tanaka than what met the eye. And then all her doubts would be erased, replaced by curiosity once more.

So when she heard he was moving to Ikebukuro, she set out immediately to welcome him. It took longer than she expected, but she found him nevertheless. And there she met with… the most average looking boy ever. He looked like your typical nice guy, too shy to do anything and too boring to say anything.

'What a disappointment,' she thought. He really was just an ordinary boy. She had met many people who turned out to be nothing special, but she never had high expectations them. Not like this. And it hit her hard.

Then, it happened. The day known as the 'Namine incident.'

She looked on with amazement as the boy completely transformed from a predictable kid to an inscrutable being in front of the computer. She looked on with unbridled glee at the quick flash of cold brutality in his eyes as he pressed the send button on his cell phone. And she looked on with delight at the enigmatic, unflinching eyes he showed her after her declaration that if he sought to escape from this boring everyday life, he would have to rise even higher.

Kanra had not been wrong. Mikado was truly one of a kind. Unlike all the other humans (and monsters like Shizu-bou) she had encountered, he was constantly surprising her. He had numerous masks and she had only seen a few of them. But she already knew she was going to love each and every face Mikado presented to her.

But somewhere along the lines, things shifted. The informant wasn't quite sure when or why, but the love she had for Mikado's potential slowly became a love for Mikado himself. She didn't just want to see his reactions. She wanted to know what sort of food he liked, what he was thinking when he alone at home, what would it take to make him smile at her the way he smiled at the other two… she just wanted to know everything.

It quickly became an obsession, one she embraced with open arms. Mikado was like a drug; she was hopelessly addicted. And she was well aware that this was an unhealthy relationship, what with their mind games and volatile natures. Her twisted love was a double-edged sword that would cut both her and Mikado in the end.

But when was she ever one to seek stability or normality?

If it meant having him all to herself, she would gladly drag both of them to Hell itself.

Kanra hummed happily as Mikado stepped up to the booth to purchase their tickets. He said begrudgingly, "One adult and one teenager, please…"

The man behind the counter replied, "That'll be 2500 yen, please."

Handing over the last of his allowance, he smiled wearily, "Thanks."

The man tipped his hat, "You're welcome." He winked at Mikado, "Have fun with your lady friend."

Mikado spluttered, "S-she's not—"

Kanra latched onto Mikado's arm, "Kyaa, how embarrassing! Everyone knows we're a couple!"

Mikado tried pulling away from her, "Stop it, we're not!"

From behind them, another man whistled, "Woah, you managed to snag yourself a hot babe like her? Nice catch, boy!"

Mikado could only groan loudly.

Kanra twirled around, humming again as she drank in the scenery. Normally, she didn't care much for amusement parks, but since she was here with Mikado, she wanted to engrave every single detail of this night into her mind.

Mikado asked, "So, what do you want to do now? Please keep my wallet in consideration though."

"Oh, don't worry. I'll pay for everything else. Food, games, you name it," she smiled, "I know you're pretty much dirt poor."

"What—" Mikado hissed, "Then why did you make me pay for the tickets?!"

Kanra shook her head, "Mikado-kun, don't you know it's a man's duty to pay for his date? You're lucky that I'm kind enough to foot the bill from here on out, but at least have the decency to pay for the main event."

"This isn't a date; it's blackmail," he glowered.

"It's a date as the result of blackmail; therefore still a date," she smiled infuriatingly at Mikado, who signed.

There was no point in reasoning with this girl. It was like trying to swim up a waterfall. Well… since he can't get out of this 'date,' he might as well try to enjoy it. After all, he did like amusement parks, and he wasn't going to let his company spoil the experience for him. He pointed at a food stall, "Then I wanna eat."

"Only if I get to feed you~" she sang, taking delight in his annoyed and embarrassed look. It seems he was finally going to go along with her, but then again, it was no surprise that he could give in. After all, she always got what she wanted in the end.

Mikado took a tentative bite of his piping hot pizza and pulled away, a thin strand of cheese still connected to the slice. Kanra watched him as she stirred her strawberry milkshake, having barely touched it. It wasn't that she didn't have a sweet tooth; it was just that her appetite wasn't for the milkshake, if you catch her drift.

Mikado, noticing that Kanra's eyes were trained on him, glared at her, "Could you not watch me while I'm eating? It ruins the taste."

She laughed, "But I'm sending you my love! And everyone knows that love is the best spice."

Mikado rolled his eyes, "Yeah sure, how about you give that love to someone else instead?"

"Nope! This special brand of love is reserved just for you!" she winked.

"I'd wish you'd stop making such bad jokes," Mikado grimaced, though his face turned red.

Kanra frowned a bit but then became all smiles again, "It's not a joke. For you, I only tell the truth." Just not all of it, she left out.

"Whatever," Mikado muttered, absorbing himself into his food once more.

Kanra sighed, disappointed with his reaction. She perked up however once she noticed a splotch tomato sauce around the corner of Mikado's mouth. Feeling daring, she leaned over the table and whispered, "You've got some sauce on your face. Let me get that for you." Her tongue darted out and she lapped at his lips.

Mikado instinctively froze but pulled away as soon as he could, giving her a highly flustered look, "What are you doing?!"

"Just helping you clean up," she teased him in a seductive voice, "Though I'd much rather be cleaning up somewhere lower—"

Mikado held up his hands, "Stop Now."

Even his stubbornness was precious, though Kanra wished he'd be just a little more receptive. Then again, it wouldn't be fun if it was easy, and she did enjoy the thrill of the chase. One step at time, Kanra. Slowly savor the capture.

After that, Mikado finished his pizza quickly, taking great care to wipe at his mouth with every bite he took. Kanra giggled sweetly all the while. He stood up, "Well, what do you wanna do now? We can go on some rides or I could… uh," he coughed, "I guess I could try to win you something at one of those booths."

Kanra blinked, "What?"

Mikado looked off the side, refusing to make eye contact, "I mean, isn't that what men normally do for their dates?"

Oh? He took her off-hand comment, one she made solely to rile him up, seriously? Kanra suddenly felt a tingle run through her body as she hugged herself tightly, twisting her body back and forth. Mikado looked alarmed, "Kanra-san?!"

Too cute, too cute, too cute! Kanra thought to herself, drooling slightly. His words, his surprising honesty, it was all too much. She said, "I swear to God, you're too adorable for me to handle."

"E-eh?!" Mikado exclaimed, "You're not supposed to go around calling guys 'adorable.' If anything, I should be saying it to you—" his hand flew over his mouth but it was too late. The damage was done. Kanra looked up at him with a gleam in her eye.

"What was that?"

"N-nothing."

"No it wasn't! What was it that you should be saying me?"

"I said it was nothing!" Mikado turned around and walked away in a huff.

With a wide grin, she chased after him, throwing her arms up in the air, "Hee hee, even your dishonesty is too adorable!" Once again, Mikado groaned.

Gulping, Mikado aimed carefully at the stack of cups and tossed the ping pong ball with all his might. Though his aim was decent, he wasn't strong enough to topple all the cups. The man behind the counter gave him a sympathetic smile, "Sorry lad. Wanna give it another go? Can't look bad in front of your lady friend, now can yah?" He winked.

"She's not my girlfriend," he protested. But it was true; he didn't want to look bad in front of her. Not after that bravado he put up.

The man laughed, "Sure, sure. But how about it? I'll even make it free of charge."

Mikado was about to accept when Kanra intercepted him, "Let me have a go at it."

"Oh ho, aren't you an energetic lass? Whaddya say boy, wanna let your lady friend take a try?"

"I—uh—sure," Mikado conceded. It wasn't like the lithe woman was going to take no for an answer anyways.

Kanra flashed him a peace sign before she reached over to grab a ping pong ball from the pile. She tossed it a few times, mentally weighing it. Then she aimed carefully and tossed the ball. Mikado faintly registered the ball leaving her hands before hearing the cups crash onto the floor. The two men stared in disbelief at the cups scattered across the floor.

The man behind the booth though regained his senses and applauded Kanra, bellowing out a laugh, "Wow! That sure was something, lassie!"

She smiled brightly, "Thank you." She may not have Shizuka's brute strengthen, but she knew where to strike.

He pointed to the rows of dolls behind him, "Pick any one you like."

She scrutinized the dolls before pointing to a rather large black cat plush with a mischievous sewn-on grin.

"Sure thing, lassie," he unhooked it from the rack and handed it over, "Enjoy!"

"Thanks," she replied, taking the doll and looking over at Mikado, "Come on, I want to go on a ride next~" Without even waiting for his response, she grabbed his hand and lead him down the booths. Mikado immediately tried tugging his hands away, but was unsuccessfully until Kanra's grip finally loosened. As soon as he broke free, he opened his mouth to protest but was stopped by Kandra shoving the plush cat into his face.

"Pfft—" he made a noise before pushing the cat out of his face, "What are you doing?"

"Giving this to you, what else?"

"You don't want it?"

"It's not that; I just want you to have it. I mean, look," she held the doll next to her face, "Doesn't it look like me?" It… did look like Kanra the more he stared at it. The resemblance was almost uncanny. She continued, "If you keep it, you'll always be reminded of me."

Mikado grimaced, "That's not creepy at all."

She pressed it onto him, "Hmm, just like me right? Even better."

Sighing, Mikado begrudgingly accepted it, with Kanra beaming all the while. He then muttered something under his breathe, which Kanra leaned in to hear, "Hmm? What was that?"

"I-it's nothing," Mikado looked off to the side and held up the plush cat in front of him to cover his now red face, "Just that… I should have been the one to win this for you."

Letting that process through her head, she looked at Mikado with pure adoration. How precious! She couldn't resist pinching his cheeks, ignoring his ample protests, "Don't be so old-fashioned. I know you think you have to meet certain expectations, but," she pulled Mikado's face closer to hers, "I love it more when you break them instead."

Mikado couldn't help but feel a shiver run down his spine at Kanra's suggestive tone. He turned his head away, "I don't know what you're talking about, but I don't need you to comfort me," putting his hands over her arms as if to push them away.

But he didn't.

To end the date, Kanra insisted on getting a Ferris wheel. The two of them sat across from each other in the little capsule, with Mikado looking outside the window to distract himself from Kanra who was looking at him.

The view outside was quite breath-taking actually. The various green, violet, white, blue, and yellow city lights covered the landscape, giving shine to each building. Mikado always liked the nightlife of the city; it was when the most exciting things occurred. Not that exciting things were scarce around Ikebukuro though.

…

Mikado tried closing his eyes to avoid Kanra's stare, but he could hear her perverted panting sounds. His eye twitched, "Kanra-san, please stop your impure thoughts about me."

"Eeeh? But my love for you is completely pure," she whined.

Love… Mikado asked, "Hey, why do you keep saying things like that?"

"Because I love you," she replied, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"In the same way you love every other human," Mikado rebutted, "I don't particularly care if you want to play mind games with other people, but leave me out of them. I'm not here for your amusement and I'm certainly not going to play along. We both know you're just going to toss me away as soon as you get bored," his eyes narrowed, "So stop chasing me around and find someone else's life to ruin."

Kanra stared at him in silence. Then…

"Wait—are you crying?" Mikado's eyes widened in disbelief. He didn't even know she was capable of that.

She furiously rubbed her eyes with her sleeve, "No!" A pause, "… maybe just a little." She let out a groan, "It's just so frustrating. You won't believe me, no matter what I say or do, even when I'm not lying for once. I mean, I guess I deserve it since I am the girl who cried wolf. But I love you Mikado, I really do. I just don't know what I can do to make you believe me."

"Hey now…" Mikado dug through his bag for a tissue and leaned over to dab her eyes, "It's ok, I believe you now. So don't cry anymore, alri—mmPH!"

Kanra's hand snaked out and caught the back of his head, pushing him towards her against her lips. Taking immediate advantage of his open mouth, she let her tongue explore every inch. And in shock, Mikado let her.

After half a minute, she broke the kiss and sat back, Mikado on top of her in a very compromising position. She kept one hand around the nape of his neck and let the other wander to his butt, giving it a firm squeeze, "Glad I finally convinced you." She laughed.

Wait—those tears—and everything she said— "That was just an act?!" he shouted, "I can't believe I thought you were sincere!"

"But I am," Kanra smirked, "Just not in my methods."

Mikado closed his mouth, too angry and mortified to even speak. He felt like the biggest idiot in the world right now.

Noticing that, Kanra added, "But I am sincere in saying this: if you would accept my love, I promise to never throw you away. No matter what," she looked into his eyes, "Really and truly."

"… Those are just empty words," he replied, though there was no bite in his voice.

"Don't look at it as empty; look at it as waiting to be filled up," she said sweetly before nuzzling her face into his neck. Mikado stiffened and tried to wiggle away but she clamped her mouth over the skin there, earning a gasp from the younger male, "Oh, so you're sensitive there?" She bit harder, almost breaking the skin, and lapped at the spot.

"Stop it, you pervert—Oh, we're getting off!" Mikado exclaimed. Indeed, the Ferris wheel was coming to a halt and as soon as the door was unlocked, Mikado pried himself off Kanra and busted out of the capsule, running away as fast as he could. Kanra climbed out after him and waved at the bewildered stand-byers that were staring at her before leisurely following after Mikado.

Crossing her arms behind her head, she whistled as she strolled along. She was disappointed that she couldn't do more in there, but it did help her outlet some of her sexual frustration. Peering around, she finally spotted him standing off to the side of the main street in a quiet back alley, clutching the spot on his neck where Kanra bit him with one hand.

"Hey, Mikado~"

No response.

"Mikado?"

Still nothing. Unable to gauge his mood, Kanra stood awkwardly. For once in her life, she wasn't sure what to do next. Anything to break the ice though, so she opened her mouth—

"Kanra."

She jolted, "Yes?"

"If… if you're really serious about this, then I'll be serious about your feelings as well. However," he looked at her, "that doesn't mean I reciprocate. After all, the person I love most in the world is me, so I can't place myself in careless hands. If you want anything from me, prove to me that you're worthy of it."

`Kanra stared before cracking an awed smile, "You sure got a big ego there. Still, I can't say it's undeserved. After all, you've captured my attention."

Mikado scoffed, "And you say I've got a big ego." He glanced at his watch, "Anyways, it's getting late and I'd like to get home."

… "Okay then. Bye," she smiled.

"… Eh?" Mikado stared in confusion, "You're just going to let me go like that?"

"Yup."

"You're not even going to offer to—I mean…"

"Offer to what?" she cocked her head curiously.

He blushed and looked away bashfully, "No, nothing."

"Hmm… Well, if that's all you have to say, then I'll see you around some other time," she waved as she skipped off, leaving Mikado alone in the alleyway. He stood there for a minute, glaring at the spot where she stood with his eyebrows knit together. She really was the worst after all. But it wasn't like he was expecting anything from her.

…

Dropping his hand from his neck to reveal the bright red hickey Kanra left on him, Mikado shuffled out of the alleyway dejectedly, only to be swept off his feet as soon as he neared the corner. "Wha—" Mikado squeaked.

Giggling erupted from the person holding him. He looked over to see that Kanra had scooped him up into arms bridal style. He shouted, "Kanra?!"

"Oh come on, Mikado-kun. Did you really think I was going to just leave you like that?" she asked, "I was just messing with you so I could see that look of crushing disappointment on your face. Very adorable, I might add."

He looked at her incredulously, "Are you freaking—whatever," he squirmed, "just put me down!"

She clicked her tongue, "Uh uh uh. I'll let you down once we get to your apartment, or once I get tired and decide to drop you onto the ground. Isn't that what you wanted me to do anyways? To take you home."

Mikado's mouth clamped shut, unable to retort to that without betraying himself. Kanra was positively aglow, "That look on your face is the best, too!" She continued, "Anyways, I know what you're think; you don't want to be seen in public like this. But don't worry, because we're going to be walking along the building ledges so no one is gonna see us. Doesn't that sound fun?"

His face paled, "You can't be serious."

Kanra's smiling face did not change one bit.

"S-Stop it! Let me down—Hey! NoooOOOOOOO!"

Mikado collapsed onto his apartment floor, completely drained from his 'walk' home with Kanra. The informat had not been joking about walking along the building ledges and for every step she took Mikado felt one strand of his hair turned gray. 'Never again…' he thought to himself.

At that moment, his phone buzzed. Mikado laid still for a while, contemplating whether it was worth it to check. However, after a few minutes he begrudgingly dug into his pockets and pulled out his cellphone. He stared at the screen and realized the sender was Shizuka. Flipping his phone open, he checked the message.

"Hey Mikado-kun, sorry to text you so late. I hope I'm not bothering you. I just wanted to thank you again for the movie and ice cream. I had a lot of fun."

Mikado couldn't help but smile as he texted back, "You're welcome, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. I had a lot of fun too." After hitting the send button, he let his arm flop down next to him as he laid on the floor, just taking in a moment of peace. His phone buzzed after a few seconds and he lifted it up to check the new message Shizuka sent him.

"Hey Mikado-kun…"

A few seconds passed before the next one came in.

"I like you."

Mikado's eyes bugged out. What?!

"We should date each other."

"I know I'm a crazy and brutish woman,"

"and you're only in high school so this is kinda cougar-ish"

"but I think this could reallfpd;"

Mikado stared at his screen in silent horror and confusion, unsure of how to react. Though he didn't know her very well, he was sure that Shizuka would never say things like that. Thankfully, another text appeared on his screen that clarified everything.

"OH MY GOD, I AM SO SORRY."

"SHINRA TOOK MY PHONE WHILE I WAS IN THE BATHROOM"

"THOSE LAST FEW TEXTS WEREN'T MINE"

So that was how it was. Mikado couldn't help but laugh a little, "It's alright, no harm done." He decided to tease her a little bit though, "Except you got my hopes up and everything."

"?!" He could see her frazzled face very clearly in his mind.

"Wait, what?"

"I mean"

"I'm sorry"

A moment of silence, then

"But it's not like, it's not"

"I mean even though Shinra sent them I"

"um"

Several seconds passed and no new message. Oops, maybe he shouldn't have teased her. Mikado decided to clarify, "I'm just teasing you."

"oh" was her reply.

Suddenly Mikado felt like the biggest jerk. To salvage the situation, he sent another message, "But if you feel bad for dashing my hopes, you should treat me to some sushi tomorrow to make up for it."

A pause, then, "Oh! Okay!" Even though he couldn't see her, he could picture Shizuka right now, clutching her phone close to her chest and trying to conceal her excitement. It made him smile.

"Meet me at Raira Academy after school then. Looking forward to it :)" He pressed the send button.

"Yeah, me too. :)"

Mikado chuckled as he got up off the floor. Moving towards the table, he emptied his pockets and tossed his jacket onto a chair. Whelp, time for him to get some sleep—BZZZT. Mikado looked over at his phone. Who was it now? Glancing at the screen, he grimaced.

Kanra. Knowing he was going to regret it, he flipped open his phone and looked at the message.

"Hi Mikado-kyun~~ I had lots of fun with you today; we should do this again sometime soon! P.S. you're so adorable when you're scared for your life" Attached to the message was a photo Kanra took when they were on top of the building. She was holding Mikado in one arm with a triumphant (read: shit-eating) smile as he buried his face into her shoulder, completely petrified. There was only one way Mikado could respond to this.

"Go die."

"Ouch, that hurts Mikado-kun! You're such a sadist. But it's a good thing I'm also a masochist. Aaaaah~"

Mikado stared at that text like it was a cockroach. Then another one appeared.

"But did you… did you really not have fun today?" He could picture Kanra looking nervously at her cellphone now. That sort of face didn't suit her.

… He sighed and texted, "It's not like that. I did have fun today. But next time… let's just take the train ride home, ok?"

"!"

"Sure thing!" He could picture her perking up right now and the corners of his mouth twitched upwards.

Then her next text spoiled the mood. "I've always wanted to try molesting you on a train."

"Die," he sent again before turning off his phone. Why does he even bother being nice to her? Still, the smile that had crept onto his face didn't leave.

One thing was for sure, he'd have a hell of a story to tell Kida.