Pairing: Shizuo/Izaya

Prompt: Izaya is the rose bride, Shizuo unknowingly beats whoever the champion is and Izaya becomes his.

Heiwajima Shizuo did not want to get involved in any dueling. It was, in fact, the last thing on his mind as he walked down the tree framed pathway that led into the bizarrely large campus of his new school. The sole reason why he had accepted the dubious invitation to enroll – how many schools sent envelopes to prospective alumni along with rose crest roses – was precisely to avoid conflict in general. Thugs kept trying his strength and the situation was reaching a critical point when as if by magic the invitation arrived.
Shizuo accepted it without a second thought. A fresh start was just what a needed. A new and different scenery where he was not known and could be free of his reputation. Shizuo lifted up his eyes to the tall tower complex that he could catch glimpses of in the distance. He wondered just what it was. It was unlike any building he had ever seen but Orihara Academy was not your average school.
All this kept running through his mind and he could not pay much attention to class. But at least his fears were unfounded, his name did not cause anything but curiosity and by the end of the first day Shizuo was fairly certain that no one here knew about him. Just what he needed.
Shizuo finally managed to relax. People seemed friendly and while it was too early to see whether he was up to the academic level, several students had already been kind enough to share their notebooks with him. Shizuo was most definitely willing to make a serious effort.
He must have taken a wrong turn somewhere on his way to the dorms because he suddenly found himself in front of a greenhouse he was not familiar with. Shizuo was lost. Sundown tinged the empty surroundings in a blend of gold and red light. He was on the lookout for any passerby when he caught some movement from the corner of his eye.
"Get up. I said get up."
Shizuo could not properly see the girl struggling back to her feet, she was averting her face from his gaze and arrayed in a red dress crisscrossed with ribbons, but he understood what was going on in a heartbeat. He had seen enough fight scenes as it was. Still, this was the first time he ever saw a guy kicking a helpless girl. The offender was about to repeat the stunt when Shizuo interrupted.
"Hey, you. Why don't you fight me instead? Or can you only beat up chicks?"
"This is none of your business so scram. And I told you already, didn't I? Get. Up."
The stranger produced a sword and smiled, a row of very sharp teeth reflecting the slanting reddish light like blood. There was only so much Shizuo could take. Without further ado or as much as second thought he landed a punch on the aggressor and sent him flying.
"What, can't get up now? Huh?"
Shizuo was surprised at seeing that the guy could still stand albeit with difficulty.
"You have no right to interfere, this is a Student Council matter."
"Kuronuma-sama, he is a duelist since he has a ring."
Shizuo blinked as the girl's voice reached him. It had a soft tone to it, almost as if touched by silence. But what impressed Shizuo the most were the eyes, beautifully vacant and crimson behind round lenses. For a split second he was sure that he had seen them before.
"Very well. I acknowledge you as a duelist and challenge you to a proper duel for the Rose Bride."
"The what? I have no clue what you're going on about but if I beat you up in this duel you'll let her go?"
"Don't play stupid."
Shizuo shrugged. None of this made sense to him but one thing he knew very well, he was not about to let anyone beat up women on his watch. She offered him a wooden sword that to Shizuo might as well be a bat. Once his mind was set he was too focused to care much for the spiral stairway up which he was led or the wide arena where he ended up.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Kuronuma Aoba."
"And I don't give a shit."
Shizuo did find it beyond weird when this Aoba fellow somehow produced a sword from the girl but he was in the heat of a battle, such things could be cleared later. In one sweep Shizuo knocked out the sword and finished with a hard kick.