Kida draped his arms over Mikado happily, greeting him with his usual exuberance. "Mi~ka~do-kun~! You'll never guess what happened last night! I was talking to this really hot chick who was so into me and then she started flirting and then I realised it was actually a transvestite! It was the best transvestite I've ever seen~!"
Mikado looked at Kida with just a small amount of worry. The story was hardly that strange for him, but the fact the girl, uh, guy had apparently been 'hot' even after Kida realised it was a guy showed Kida was getting desperate again. Kida was certainly straight, but he'd been known to go for guys when he couldn't get any girl for too long. Apparently.
Mikado had never actually seen Kida score a date before, and he doubted he really had managed it.
"Oi~! Mikado-kun! Why aren't you saying something? Are you ok?"
Mikado bit his lip nervously, catching sight of a white fur trimmed jacket. He nodded to the question and gave an apologetic smile.
Kida frowned. "What sort of answer is that?"
Anri walked up and greeted them and Mikado almost greeted her back before he remembered and shut his mouth, going for a small smile instead. This was not going to be an easy day for him.
Mikado made it right up until lunchtime without his friends getting angry or too worried about him.
Mikado sat down and got out his lunch that Izaya had stood over him, watching him make it and then demanding that he make one for him as well.
Mikado had by now realised the real reason behind Izaya's rule of silence. If he couldn't talk to them he couldn't get help for them. If it was only him on the line he'd risk texted them and argue it wasn't actually talking, but he wasn't willing for Kida or Anri to get hurt for that.
Kida watched him and then stole his lunch, looking over it carefully as if there might be some sort of clue there.
Mikado held onto his piece of sushi he'd been about to eat carefully, putting it in his mouth as soon as he could so Kida couldn't steal it as well.
"Mikado-kun, why are you giving us the silent treatment? Did we offend you?" Anri asks quietly, concern clear in her voice.
Mikado's mouth opened slightly after he's swallowed the sushi. He shook his head quickly, putting out his hands and trying to convey to his friends it wasn't their fault.
Kida frowned and pushed Mikado gently but not quite playfully. "Mikado-kun! What's happening? If you don't tell me I won't let you come on the hot date me and Anri have planned~!"
Mikado smiled gently, apologetically. He just shook his head gently to answer.
Anri could tell, even if Mikado didn't notice that Kida was quickly loosing his patience with Mikado and was close to getting angry.
Kida turned away to hide his hateful look. "Mikado-kun. If this is some sort of game, then stop it. Just tell me why you're not talking."
Mikado closed his eyes, shaking his head then picking up his bento box and running off. He wanted so badly to say what was happening, to ask Kida for help, to go crying to him like he used to. But that avenue had been cut off by Izaya's threat. So Mikado ran.
Kida kicked the wall in front of him as he heard Mikado running off, not bothering to turn to see him leave.
Mikado ran to the school gate, leaning against it and looking down at the ground. Why had Izaya picked him? And why was Izaya stalking someone anyway? Couldn't he get a normal hobby?
Mikado nearly jumped out of his skin when hands from outside of the school ground covered his eyes. He didn't exactly need three guesses as to who it was. "Orihara-san, please just let me talk to them. I won't tell them anything."
"Then what's the point of talking to them?"
"I just don't want them worrying about me. You don't have to be worried about me telling them. I wouldn't risk them like that."
Izaya grinned, not letting go of Mikado. "Ah, but it's pretty funny watching you trying not to talk to them~!"
Mikado glared through Izaya's hands. "What will it take for you to let me talk to them?"
Izaya laughed. "Desperate already Mikado-kun? You know, if you start trading too early you'll run out of things to offer."
Mikado sighed gently. "Orihara-san, please at least tell me what I have to do to be allowed to talk to my friends so they don't have to worry about me."
Izaya grinned again, releasing Mikado so he could see again. "Hmm. Well, why don't you tell me what you'll offer?"
Mikado hesitated, unsure what he actually could offer. He apparently took too long trying to think of something because Izaya spoke again.
"Well, I guess you could start by calling me by my first name, hey Mikado-kun."
Mikado nodded, turning to finally face Izaya. "Is that all or are there going to be more prices that I'll find out about later?"
Izaya laughed happily. "Gee Mikado-kun! You really don't trust me huh? Isn't this a bit of a bad way to start our relationship?"
"What relationship? You're stalking me for fun." Mikado stated bluntly.
"Mikado-kun!" Whined Izaya playfully. "You don't have to be so mean. Let's at least pretend something more is happening huh?"
Mikado glared slightly. "Why?"
Izaya laughed again. "You're so cruel Mika-kun! Don't you like me?"
"Not really."
Izaya laughed again. This really was fun. He'd have to remember to give Naime a raise for suggesting it. He pouted mischievously at Mikado. "I thought you'd at least try to suck up a little. Oh well!" He shrugged in his over the top manner. "I guess if you don't like me I should go find someone new huh? Maybe Anri-chan would be cuter~."
Mikado, not knowing that Anri could easily defend herself sighed gently. "Fine. I'll tell you I like you if you want, but I won't mean it. You should find someone who actually likes you."
Izaya grinned. "Well, I'm hoping humanity will come to love me, but quite frankly I don't think anyone likes me right now, so you're it, aren't you Mika-kun!"
"Mika?" Mikado couldn't help but ask it. Why was he 'Mika-kun'?
Izaya just smirked. "Well, see ya Mika-kun! Oh, and if you promise to call me by my first name you can talk to Kida and Anri, but only use three words a sentence!"
Mikado opened his mouth to ask about the three-word policy but Izaya was fast at running off.
Mikado headed back to the roof, planning an excuse that would only use three words in a sentence. This was not going to be easy.
Kida looked up when he heard the door opening again and his anger faded as he saw a distraught looking Mikado.
Anri looked up as well, smiling gently when she saw Mikado.
"I'm sorry." Mikado said gently, still trying to plan out an excuse.
"What's happening Mikado-kun? Please, just tell me."
Anri looked between them and stood up. "I have to go. I'll be back soon." She said quietly, seeing that Kida wanted to talk to just Mikado.
Kida nodded, too distracted by his worry over his best friend to care much about Anri right now.
Mikado smiled gently at her. "Ok. Talk soon."
Anri nodded and walked off, giving them their privacy.
"I'm sorry Kida-kun..."
"Mikado, what's happening? Please tell me."
Mikado sighed gently. "I can't. I don't know. I just..." He grimaced slightly, trying to figure out how to end that sentence.
Kida sighed gently and hugged Mikado. "You can tell me. But if you don't want to, I guess I can live with that. Just promise me it's nothing serious."
Mikado opened his mouth to reply, quickly counting the words for what he was saying. "It's nothing bad. I'm ok."
Kida frowned slightly. "Right..." He sighed and grinned. "Well alright then! How about we go hit on girls after school?"
Mikado was about to refuse but paused. If he was with kida Izaya would leave him alone, right? "Ok."
Kida paused. Mikado agreeing like that wasn't a good sign...Something was certainly wrong. Very wrong. Kida would be looking into this. He would get to the bottom of whatever was happening.
