Anri raised her slender hand to the back of her neck. She stared down at the pages in front of her without really seeing them. She listened to the teacher's lecture without really hearing him. To others, it would seem that she was being the studious student.
The years she had spent learning to shut her emotions down seemed useless now. Kida-kun and Mikado-kun's recent arrival in her life had upset the balance she had created. She felt around them and that was dangerous. As she stared at the small designs she had doodled on her notebook page, she thought of the informant and wondered if he had found her little gift to him yet. A smile threatened to overcome her face as she imagined his reaction to it.
Anri's thoughts were silenced momentarily when the teacher called on her. She was aware of her classmates twisting to see her. Anri easily answered his question. Shock momentarily colored the face of the brown headed man before he shook it away. A smirk threatened to drift onto her lips. Her mind was always alert no matter how distracted she seemed.
"Well, just pay attention…." The teacher mumbled as he turned back toward the board. Anri suppressed an amused laugh. She wouldn't pay attention openly like the other students. Her eyes drifted toward her classmates. She wouldn't be struggling like Kida-kun. She allowed a fond smile to twitch at her lips as he let out an aggravated sigh and erased something violently. She briefly wondered if the paper would hold up to the pressure. She got her answer when a rip sliced through the mostly silent classroom. Kida gave a small groan and smacked his head to his torn paper. A few students gave off a small giggle at the blonde's distress. Anri only smiled softly and passed a piece of paper to the annoyed blonde.
"Kida-kun," she whispered so that the teacher would not hear her as he gave his lesson. She could tell any interruption now could lead to detention. Annoyance practically emitted from every pour in the teacher's body. The blonde did not pick his head up at the small whisper of his name. He did however turn toward her.
"I give up," he mumbled pathetically. Anri smiled softly and pushed the piece of paper onto his desk. He scrunched his nose up as the paper tickled it. She returned her attention back to the book in front of her. She could hear Kida-kun picking up the piece of paper. A small smile touched her lips again. She knew he would try again; after all, it was not in his nature to give up. Nor was it Izaya's nature, the whisper of her consciousness teased. A small frown graced Anri's lips.
Izaya-kun was not the only one that studied the people surrounding him closely. Anri knew more about him than she would ever have liked. After all, his sisters were practically filled with information and very willing to talk about their onii-chan. Their brother complex served Anri well. She even became friends with the girls. Briefly she wondered how Izaya-kun did not know, but then again he believed his sisters to be tight lipped on his affairs when he decided to confide in them. But Anri knew how to play the game just as well as he.
"He's interested in Izaya-kun's movements, but he's too shy to come ask the two of you himself. So he asks me. Isn't that so cute?! Hey, hey. He says that he'll get tickets for you…" Once that little lie was fed to them, Anri almost couldn't keep up. She kept true to her little white lie though; she wasn't like Izaya. She wouldn't give fake promises. When a new movie came out, tickets would end up at their doorstep nearly a month in advance. She fully enjoyed the look of surprise on Shizuo Heiwajima's face when the girls hugged him the next time they saw him.
The shrill ring of the bell cut through her thoughts. The haze that had fallen over her eyes disappeared. She stood easily from the desk and pushed her things into her bag. A small smile drifted onto her face as Kida-kun swept it from the floor and over his shoulder on top of his own bag.
"Time to walk our Princess home!" Kida exclaimed as Mikado-kun joined them as they walked toward the door. The three students had grown closer as friends, but they still held their secrets closer. Anri didn't ever want them to know that she knew the both of theirs. Mikado-kun, she knew, was the leader of the Dollars. Kida-kun was the leader of the Yellow Scarves. The twins had told her all. The only identity with which they did not know was hers: the leader of the Slashers. Frequently, she had to swallow back the urge to tell her friends that she led more than two lives.
It would naïve to think that Izaya-kun did not know. He paid too much attention to her when they met. His dark eyes lingered for too long. His emotions however she could not pin point. Much like his personality, his emotions were all over the place. One thing was for sure though, he was never bored. When Shizuo-kun was not around, Izaya-kun kept himself amused with Kida-kun.
Anri let her eyes travel over to her blonde friend who was talking animatedly about wooing women. She couldn't suppress the small smile his natural excitement brought to her face. Sometimes, she could see that it was just an act. Recently, he had been acting his enthusiasm more and more. His golden eyes caught her staring.
"Hmm? What is it?" He asked. He tilted his head to the side cutely. Anri bit her lip as her heart skipped slightly. She quietly cursed herself, but it was too late. Saika delighted in her master's feeling. Anri's other side quickly shut down Saika's whispering of love. She came back to her senses just in time to see a playful glint in her friend's golden eyes. She was delighted to know that his feelings were real today. "Ah! Have you fallen for me?!" He placed his hand over his chest dramatically as he steered himself to walk backwards in front of her.
"Gomen, Kida-kun, you simply have something on your face," Anri returned before she could stop herself. Anri wanted to play. Her smile widened in amusement at the look of shock on both of the boys' faces. This was safe, she reasoned with herself, as long as she didn't get angry. If that happened, then the world would burn.
"Eh?!" He exclaimed, touching around on his cheeks and forehead. "Where? Where, Anri-chan?!" He chanted. Mikado watched with amusement. His friend didn't have anything on his face. Anri was simply teasing, but Kida didn't know that. Mikado decided to join in.
"You are right, Anri-chan, it is quite large. I'm surprised he cannot feel it," Mikado returned, staring closely at his blonde friend. Horror widened golden eyes. Anri bit the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. Anri shared a brief look with Mikado. After a few seconds, he blushed and looked the other way. Anri tried not to let it dampen her mood.
"What is it? What is it?" He asked. His hands were touching all over his face. His cheeks were red from the amount of attention he paid them.
"Why how do you not know? It's there all the time!" Anri exclaimed in fake surprise. Mikado smiled widely. Confusion swamped over Kida's face. Anri's smile softened in fond feeling. Mikado smothered the jealousy he felt at seeing it. The beauty of the smile she wore momentarily robbed both boys of their breath. Anri decided to take pity on him. "It's a smile, Kida-kun."
"Oh!" He gave a small burst of laughter and threw his arms around his two friends' shoulders. Kida couldn't help but be very aware of Anri's hand on the other side of his waist. Usually, she would never touch him. It was the same with Mikado. For a moment, he wondered if she truly could be falling for him. The thought of Saki shut down the hope he had felt. His world was too dangerous for someone like Anri. She was so innocent, so gentle. She would not last long. The urge to protect her rose higher within him. She would not find out about his world.
Mikado was having trouble smothering his jealousy now. Anri had never touched him without his making the first move. When they held hands, they were usually running away from something or being tugged by their ever-so-energetic friend. He simply was not brave enough. He was not like Kida. He could not be so confident. Despite his jealousy at the moment, he knew that he would not fight for Anri if Kida wanted her. It would be difficult to stop liking her in a romantic way, but if she did not want him he would not pursue her.
Anri was unaware of her friends' feelings as they walked down the street. She found the silence to be odd considering it rarely happened. A crash obliterated the silence she had been pondering on. Anri held back a small curse as she realized too late that Izaya-kun was around. She shut down her emotions quickly and dropped her hand from around Kida-kun's waist as a vending machine flew toward them. She caught Kida-kun's horrified eyes as she shoved them away from the projectile and put herself in the path of it unintentionally.
Shizuo Heiwajima's eyes widened his horror as he realized the vending machine he had aimed at Izaya was traveling toward the three students that always seemed to be in the wrong place at the completely wrong times. He started off in a run. All of his mistakes flashed before his eyes. He would never forgive himself if he killed them. His eyes widened as the girl with glasses pushed her friends out of the way.
"Please…" He prayed silently as he pushed his legs harder. The loud sound of metal impacted with concrete rang throughout the street. Unknowing to the onlookers, Anri stood just inches away from the red machine. Her heart pounding violently in her chest as adrenaline coursed through her. Meanwhile, Shizuo's blood ran cold; Mikado and Kida scrambled to their feet. All three of their school bags sat on the ground, forgotten. Anri watched with faint amusement as her two friends attempted to lift the large object. She could hear the pounding of frantic feet just as she opened her mouth to tell them to stop. She glanced through the dust to see Shizuo Heiwajima running toward them. The look on his face was one of panic and pain.
"Can't you control yourself?!" Mikado demanded viciously. Anri's eyes widened as she realized that they couldn't see her because of the dust and the angle at which the vending machine sat. She would have to reveal herself before anyone swung. Not even a minute after the thought entered her head, Kida was swinging his fist toward the easily angered bartender's jaw. Anri didn't think; once again, she only acted. Shizuo's eyes widened as a petite figure flashed in front of him. The slender hand caught the fist that he had been ready to accept. Kida's eyes widened too.
Anri winced slightly at the pain in her hand. While Kida's strength did not even brush Shizuo's abnormal one, he was still strong. She could see how he was the leader of the Yellow Scarves. She had read the rage in his eyes as he swung at Shizuo. For a moment, he had allowed himself to become the leader all of his followers feared. For a moment, he had lost his mask as they all often did.
"Anri!" He gasped in relief. He would wonder later how she got out of the way of the giant red machine. He would wonder later how she could move so fast. He would wonder later where she had learned it. Right now, he was just glad to see her alive. Before he could pull her into a hug, Shizuo hugged her. Anri's eyes widened as the blonde bartender's arms came around her waist. She could see Kida and Mikado tensing; she knew that she should step out of the older man's embrace, but she couldn't.
"Thank god…" She heard the small declaration. Anri could hear Saika letting out small happy squeals and declarations of love. Anri was afraid to move. Saika didn't want to break from his arms; Anri didn't want to anger him. Her eyes widened at the tears she felt on the shoulder of her blue jacket. Anri reached down and squeezed his wrist softly. Saika squealed even louder in her mind. The touch broke the trance Shizuo seemed to be under. Quickly, he stepped away from her and cleared his throat. A small blush stained the tops of his cheeks. He couldn't play it off as though nothing had happened now. He had embraced a random girl! The fear and panic still coursed through his system as he put an arm's length distance back between the students and himself. With his eyes fixed firmly on the ground, he turned and walked away from the students.
"What the hell was all that about?!" Kida exclaimed, thoroughly confused. Mikado allowed his eyes to travel over to their female friend. Dust from the concrete covered her uniform, but other than that she looked completely unharmed and unruffled. His throat tightened when he recalled how close she had come to death. Once more, in front of Kida and Ikebukuro's citizens, Anri was pulled into another pair of arms. This time, however, she returned the hug. A small gasp escaped Mikado and her as another body slammed into them. They both tumbled to the concrete with a sharp squeak. Kida landed on top of his two dark headed friends. Relief filled his golden eyes. Thoughts of caution and Saki fled as he wrapped his arms around Anri's free waist. He didn't comment that his face was pressed in between her breasts; she didn't tense or push him away. She simply wrapped an arm around his shoulders and returned his hug. She held onto the calm Mikado with the other. The males were too frightened to act as they normally would. Their Princess was nearly killed. Anri didn't feel the need to tell them that she could have gotten out of the way again and again.
"Don't…." Kida started. "Be more…" Anri's and Mikado's eyes softened at the frightened, weak quality in their friend's voice. Anri was certain that they looked odd lying in the middle of the concrete. A ruined concrete wall and a large, destroyed vending machine not inches from a huddled mass of limbs must make an interesting image. Anri moved her hand to his blonde hair and ruffled it. A small, soft smile graced her lips as she heard a small sniffle come from the mass in between her breasts.
"I'll be more careful, Kida-kun," Anri consoled, even though she knew that she was lying. She would gladly push her friends out of harm's way all over again. She threaded her fingers into her friend's hair and brushed out a clump of debris. "We need to get up now, Kida-kun," Anri whispered. Kida detangled his legs from Mikado's and pushed off of Anri. Anri smiled softly and took his now outstretched hand. He pulled her to her feet.
"We'll walk you to your apartment," Mikado stated as they walked across the crosswalk. Anri knew it would be impossible to sway him in his decision. His beautiful blue eyes were like ice. Anri nodded. Despite the hardness of his eyes, Anri could see the indecision and panic still in his eyes. Even though her curiosity was spiking high, she stayed silent.
They walked in silence toward her apartment. Occasionally, Anri would feel one of their hands brush against her own. Finally, Anri grabbed both of their hands in her own. If she had been looking, she would have seen the slight stain of red on Mikado's cheeks; if she had been looking, she would have seen the momentarily shock on Kida's face. She would have been able to watch that shock soften into a smile.
"Do you mind if we stay with you?" Mikado asked once they reached her front door. Anri blinked in surprise and looked between the two boys. Even Kida looked shocked at Mikado's daring. He was speechless as Mikado stared at Anri, waiting for an answer.