11/25/2011

Late September , when he was usually working on classwork and thinking about how apples are the perfect symbol for the said month was when it had started. In fact , maybe it started a little earlier than that but now Izaya just doesn't know anymore. He wanted it to be precise because it was important to him on how he would write it all down in his laptop later. He was doing a biography of sorts ((No, it wasn't a diary)), and it had to be precise.

If it wasn't he would just die.

It was a bit windy, but it wasn't day. It was at night and Mikado couldn't get the image of the morbidity he had seen a couple of minutes ago. The smell was something he couldn't get used to no matter how hard he tried, but that really wasn't what had left that deep of an impression on him. The place where the eyes were supposed to be were nothing but vacant holes, Mikado wondered what eye color they were, before that person had died. His hands were trembling and he couldn't forget how close to dying he was just a few seconds ago.

But then again, he was always close to dying. Everyone was. He thought sadly.

He turned to the young boy who had saved him , who was perched on the ledge of the bridge at the moment. Izaya's legs swaying back and forth as he enjoyed a can of black coffee. It was dark brown.

"Are you a womanizer Mikado- kun?"

Well, that was out of the blue.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You're a womanizer aren't you, no...wait. That's not it." Izaya stood up, dramatically raising a finger toward the sky. "Your what I call a ' personizer' ."

"'Personizer'?" How did Izaya even get the word 'womanizer'? Mikado's mind turned to his friend Kida Masaomi. He shook his head.

" Yup, you are a 'personizer' . You charm people into your life, you make people do things for you without any problems regardless if you are aware of it or not. I'm the same , I'm just conscious of my capabilities while you on the other hand are not."

The older man shook his head.

" I don't think so. I'm just plain, ordinary. You... you are the only 'personizer' here. In fact.." Mikado looked toward the sky. " Your probably the only 'personizer' I've met."

Izaya turned his head , smirking as he did so. He faced Mikado and chuckled.

"And just like that you reel me in. Personizer."

Mikado didn't know what to make of this label, so he just fiddled with his apartment keys. He coughed a little. He didn't know whether to accept it as a compliment or as an insult.

"Thank you." He finally decided.

Izaya jumped gracefully down the ledge ((like a cat, Mikado thought )) and skipped the opposite direction.

" Want to go see the body again?"

" N-no thank you.. it's turning late. How about we just walk home?"

Izaya smirked.

" Fine, fine. But I hope you'll keep this a secret…I mean. I'm not doubting you or anything Mikado-kun. I'm just making sure is all." He had his knife out , playing with the tip of his blade. Mikado gulped.

" You can count on me Oriharhara-kun…and if anything is bothering you…you can come to me as well. With confidence!" This was Mikado's way of becoming closer to Izaya. Maybe the boy just needed someone to talk to. Perhaps this could give Izaya more experience talking to others, perhaps this was why he was so abnormal. Because he lacked communication with others.

Mikado knows this well because he once was like that.

" Actually," Mikado began. " You remind me of an underclassman. Me and him are close friends.."

" But that's impossible! There can only be one of me."

" Actually, he's very much like you. Perhaps I should introduce you two someday." Izaya changed the subject.

" Nee, nee Mikado-kun. You said I could talk to you about anything right?" This was going to be fun.

The elder man's eyes lit up. He knew that if he put in the effort things would go down smoothly!

" Y-yes!" Mikado's fist's were clenched in front of him, a determined look on his face.

" Alright, do you like it when girls swallow or spit your cum? Or do you like giving them facials?"

The small bag Mikado was carrying was on the floor. What did he just get himself in to?

"Uhm…Well! That..is…" Mikado shut his eyes. "Why are you even asking about those sorts of things anyways?" His face was red, he was pretty sure of it.

Izaya shrugged.

"I was just curious. Me, I'm the sort of guy that likes all three of them from time to time."

"Y-you mean you have had sex before?"

"Pffft. What are you? A nun? This is the 21st century, my dear."

The traffic light turned red.

" Don't call me that. A-and aren't you a bit too young for that? I mean… it's all about maturity and –"

" Sex is only mature on the outside. It's actually quite childish if you think about it. For many, It's merely an act that is in practice because people want to 'show' their love. They want love to have a physical form. It's no difference than winning a trophy and having your name and a title."

Both of them walked side by side as the lights changed.

"What a bunch of fools humans are. They think sex has anything to do with love! It doesn't….ah, Sex without the act of procreating is filled with contradictions don't you think?"

Mikado had to agree with him at some points but kept his mouth shut for the most part.

" Are you using protection?"

"Of course…is that all you have to say?"

" Yes."

" I am certain you are still a virgin."

Mikado didn't know why Izaya was so keen on showing him up. It appeared that this boy wanted to be viewed as…an adult?

" I'm not."

For some reason Izaya didn't feel so well.

" Really? Ohhh."

The pair passed several shops and saw many "open" signs turn into "closed" signs. There was a couple holding hands alongside a man enjoying a cup of coffee. Mikado made note of how late it was when he flipped open his phone.

"Orihara-kun, don't you think your parents might be worried about you being out this late? You can use my cellphone to call them if you'd like."

Izaya reached into his own pockets to reveal a red I-phone between his hands. 'Latest model' Mikado thought.

"No need. They don't even realize I'm gone."

The elder man sighed.

"How are your parents like?"

"They are nice, normal people. Those that attend birthday parties the same way they visit my teachers for 'back to school night'."

"Then...ah.."

A laugh. The boy understood. How can such normal people raise a son such as he?

"I don't know." They continued walking " I'm a problem child right now." He said this as if he were proud. " I have two elder sisters ,and my parents think it's because of their influence that I act this way. Or maybe they weren't around enough. I think to myself, this is my parents theory? Because they weren't around I decided to frolic with a knife and stay up late?"

He laughed a little. "

" My family life holds no traumatic events, I even babysit my smaller cousins from time to time. Back in Elementary and Middle school I used to win trophies and medals. I was always first in class , I still am though. I was even student council president. But when I entered High School..."

Mikado braced himself for the tragic event that had probably changed the young boy's life, the event that made him follow the life of a sociopath. Ok, so maybe he was getting ahead of himself.

" I woke up one day feeling different. Nothing else, nothing less .I guess I grew up, ne ?" Izaya smirked showing off his teeth.

"Y-you mean...this is Orihara-kun's personality?" Mikado placed a finger to his head. "I see. Well, people do say the more you age the more you become. Meaning when you age you'll become more like yourself...if that makes sense."

"If that is so,I like myself very much."

Was that a lie or was that the truth? I can't tell anymore, but that's ok. Half the time I'm not even sure of myself either.

Mikado pursed his lips and tilted his head slightly. "Where does Orihara-san get that confidence from?"

Izaya placed one of his hands towards him. As if asking for the other male's hand.

"I believe if you overestimate yourself you'll soon learn if you were wrong . If you underestimate yourself well," the wind was howling. " You'll never learn anything at all."

Mikado gaped at the young man in front of him and could only say.

"Yes."

The two stopped along the way inside a Family Mart loading on chips and snacks. Izaya crisscrossed each others elbows and latched on to him. Much like a child pulling their parent to a toy they wanted, Izaya pointed at coffee and sour candies . After Mikado gave in ((and brushed him off delicately)) they started walking further toward the apartments. It was a little less than ten minutes away.

The two began another conversation, this time it was about clothes. The teacher commented on how he always saw Izaya with a red shirt instead of the school's mandatory collar shirt. Izaya responded with a smirk claiming it didn't suit him. He claimed people should always wear whatever looked best on them, and that the elder should start wearing suits with bright colored ties. Maybe it would lighten him up, and maybe he should smile a lot me. He was cuter that way.

" Well, you smile too much." Mikado back talked.

-and Izaya did something strange ,with a look that was one part strained and one part angry.

Izaya was frowning.

"Why should I frown? There is nothing to be afraid of or unhappy about. I'm a good boy and the world is always hugging me. The humans too."

Mikado could only stare as the young boy rambled to himself. Izaya's stomach hurt a bit, and all these voices started speaking to him all at once. Those voices were his own thoughts and they sounded like water, or maybe eggs cracking.

What do I want?

Izaya stopped. He slowly turned around to face Mikado with a passionate look, his eyes a deep red seemed to glimmer underneath the street light.

" Mikado, just look at me, ok? Just watch."

Mikado understood Izaya better that night.

Once at the apartment ,Izaya plopped himself on Mikado's couch, making himself at home. He cuddled between the sofa's many pillows,stretching as he did so. Mikado told the younger to wait there ,he was going to change. He walked to his room until something happened.

Mikado clenched his head painfully and fell towards the floor. He started to wheeze and cough.

He couldn't breath .

There was a loud 'thump' that could be heard all throughout the apartment.

"Mikado-kun?" Izaya called from the living room.

He left the magazine he was reading at the table and walked through the small hallway leading to the bedroom.

Mikado was having some sort of fit on the floor and the only thing on Izaya's mind was 'What do I do?'

He darted his head back and forth.

In the corner of the room, alongside a lamp decorated with floral patters was a machine. It was a light brown color with several stitches and buttons ,there was a breathing mask as well. It was a medical ventilator.

Putting two and two together Izaya grabbed the machine and placed it near the shaking body. The young teen grabbed the clear mask and placed it on Mikado's flushed face.

Several minutes passed and Mikado's breathing became steady with a rhythm. Sighing ,Izaya placed his head on Mikado's chest((he had wanted to hear the man's heart beat)) it was beating quite fast 'like a marching band' he thought. He placed a hand on his own chest as well.

That was when he noticed his heart.

It was beating just as hard as Mikado's was.

After the incident Mikado called Masaomi right after. Izaya pretended not to listen as he flipped through the channels on the television.

" ...No you don't have to come right now...Masaomi..it's 10:15. Tomorrow we have classes to teach. It was nothing, really, Orihara-kun helped me while he was visiting me..."

The doorbell rung.

" Ah, there is someone at the door..."

The young boy stood up and walked toward the door, noticing Mikado mouthing the words 'thank you.'

He didn't expect to see his eldest sisters looking up at him. He assumed they were out looking for him,but before he could say anything they charged toward Mikado, hugging him and giving him kisses.

After a knife appeared, nervous glances and shouting, ((shouting, shouting, squeals)) the four of them sat down ((while Masaomi was still on the line)) and explained certain things to Izaya that he had no clue about.

It seemed as though the three were High School pals , and earlier that day Mairu and Kururi were called by a certain loud blond man. He had told them that Mikado was living quite close to them and both went to Mikado's apartment to see if it was true. Sadly, the blue eyed man was out at the moment and this was the third time the twins had tried ringing the door bell.

Mairu adjusted her glasses and spoke animatedly across the table.

"To think you were right here, it's like that saying' So close yet so far'!"

Kururi nodded solemnly

" Yes...(Surprising ,very surprising)."

This proceeded by more hugs and invasions of personal space.

"I had no idea Orihara-kun was related to you in such a close way..on second thought. I should have known. The three of you are eccentric enough.."

Kururi smiled and placed her hand on top of Mikado's.

"Happy..(to see you, very much.)"

" I'm happy to see both of you too, Kururi-san."

Mairu bit the cookie she had on her hand.

" So Mikado-kun, are you ready for the bonfire on Friday?"

Izaya's ears perked up. Bonfire?

"Ah, I still haven't planned yet..is Aoba-kun coming?"

Kuriri blushed and nodded happily. 'She still likes him' thought Mikado .

"That's great news! I haven't had the time to call him, I switched cell phone numbers when I arrived here in Japan. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I completely forgot about Kida-kun!"

He held his cellphone to his ear and explained to Masaomi what had happened, asking for forgiveness.

Izaya sat beside Mikado and happened to hear perfectly well what the other said on the phone.

" It's ok , man. Look at you, having two chicks at your apartment! Way to go Mikado!" Mikado flushed and reprimanded him for his shameless remark. " Anyway, I gotta go. But be careful ok? I wouldn't want you to get hurt...again...my Mikado..." The other man's voice sounded pained and just like that he added a bright farewell and hung up.

'My Mikado .' It struck Izaya that Masaomi had said that. Claimed him. He thought about it for a while but all it left him was this sick feeling in his stomach.

Half way across the city, Masaomi was brushing his teeth. He looked at the mirror and contemplated on calling his girlfriend (( he didn't know what else to call her.)) They were having 'problems' and he wasn't sure if he and Saki were even friends .Around the time he was brooding, Mikado had called him. His closest friend. After the call ended a sudden dread filled him. Fearing the illness that had a hold on his friend since child hood. He can only hope.

He had to keep hope alive.

He grabbed a drink of water, too tired to walk toward his room, so he slept on the coach. He looked at the ceiling and wondered why was it that, whenever he felt depressed he would remember when he was a young child living in that small town he used to call home.

That night he would have a dream, except it really wasn't a dream. It was a memory.

When Masaomi was a child, like any other he wondered about princesses and kings and knights and even about pipers. He was always a happy child with loving , warm parents. He was the center of attention at any event he pertained to, be it birthday parties or school events. Always chosen first and always the other children even fought to stay on his team. Regardless of these things he felt out of place. He didn't belong in this small town. Such were the thoughts of a child. A very strange child.

Masaomi drank some lemonade ,put it on the counter. He counted the seconds because it was all he could do to refrain his head from exploding due to the 'boredom of doom.' He fancied the idea of getting on his bike for a ride down to the field. (The one with the swamp at the edge.) If only it wasn't presumably haunted he would immediately pack a lunch and go.

The townspeople had many tales that they passed down to the young ones. It was that sort of town where everyone knew each other, the sort of town that greeted each other daily. One of the tales was disturbingly morbid. It was about a young women named Kyoko. Kyoko was a young girl just like any other , dreaming of one day to live in a foreign land with her prince charming. One day she met a boy and fell in love ,they wed shortly after.

Tragedy struck the young couple and Kyoko's husband was killed on a tragic horse ride accident. The women wept and in her despair killed herself by drowning in a pond down by a field. To this day many of the townsfolk have heard her wails whenever they passed by that road. It is said if she catches you she'll take you with her into her watery grave. She didn't want to be alone.

Masaomi shuddered, he knew it was all a lie…..it just had to be. He was about to go inside when suddenly a moving van stopped in front of his house.

Those were the new neighbors his mother had told him about. He ran toward the front gate. Perhaps they had a kid he could play with. He was ecstatic when a small figure began to walk carefully out of a silver car. The strange thing was that he had a cane.

Masaomi greeted him.

"Heyyy!Welcome to the neighborhood!"

The boy waved at him and smiled.

Masaomi took this as a friendly invitation, the boy seemed nice. Ordinary. Too ordinary.

" My names Kida Masaomi! I'm the king of the playground y'know? Your gonna have lots of fun here. You should tell your parents to let you play with me while their busy packing and stuff. Oh look, there's my mom!"

Masaomi's mother walked out of the house with freshly baked cookies and milk.

"Why, hello there! Are your parents inside the house right now?"

A dark haired women walked toward Mikado in a hurry.

"Mikado-kun! Please, don't run off like that...Oh, hello. It's a pleasure to meet you." Mikado's mother bowed slowly with a smile.

"It seems you're new to the neighborhood. Here I baked these for your family. I hope you enjoy your new home here . Where did you move from?"

Mikado's mother accepted the platter.

" We came from a small town not to far from here. We came here because I had a good job opportunity."

" Ahhh-, I understand . It's been hard nowadays. But don't worry. This town is peaceful and gang free. My, your son is really a shy one isn't he? He should play with my Masaomi he's loud enough for the both of them!" Mrs. Kida started to laugh but she stopped when she noticed the look on Mrs. Ryuugamine's face.

"I'm sorry... but I don't think Mikado-kun is going to be playing with anyone for a while."

" What makes you say that?"

"He was born blind and mute."

Mrs. Kida's face first became shocked, then as the seconds went by she looked hurt. As if she was the one responsible for what had led to the young boy's current situation.

"I'm sorry."

"There's no need to be, he just needs to get adjusted to his surroundings. He'll be able to walk around by himself in no time."

Mikado smiled, and while he did so Masaomi stared at him. He had never seen a blind person before, he thought. He looked into the shorter boys eyes expecting them to be white or foggy, even pitch black like the myth his school yards chums had told Kida about blind people. They weren't. They were the color of his blue truck he had bought at the summer festival two years ago, they were the color of the Crayolas in his box. Which color was it? He thought it was called 'Cornflower'. Mrs. Ryuugamine noticed Masaomi's fixation on her son and smiled sadly.

" Your wondering about why his eye color is blue, right? Because of his blindness his eye has a lack of pigments giving him Central Heterochromia in both of his eyes ." She explained carefully not noticing the lost look in Masaomi's eyes. He supposed she was really talking to his mother who stood there looking at Mrs. Ryuugamine in deep interest. "His eye color might have been a brown or a darker color. Can you see it? It's just because of the outer spreading of the blue that it looks like that."

And Mikado could only hold his hands together because he felt like he was some sort of attraction. Even though he had never seen one he knew what it was. Entertainment.

At school he was placed in the Special Education class. He liked it there. He heard the teacher's voice, it was slow and calm, he felt no ill intentions. All around him he heard sharp noises that he had never heard of, that he couldn't really explain . He touched a thin piece of material and he swayed it back and forth enjoying the soft swish sound it made. So that was how a paper sounded like.

He grabbed a long stick, no it wasn't a stick. It had something soft at the end. It was a pencil.

He felt that he could do anything.

Today was good. He thought.

Masaomi's voice was bright and felt warm. It felt like lemonade and ice. Masaomi felt like the mud he splashed around in when it rained. He wanted to be with him forever.

Unfortunately, Mikado couldn't be with his new friend since they both had different classes. They did have recess at the same time. His classmates greeted him warmly, but he heard hesitance, sometimes even fright in their voices.

"Hey, this is Kasuka-kun!"

"Hi."

Mikado didn't know it at that time but he was standing in front of the two boys that would become his closest friends.

The trio walked home every day after school ,sometimes they stopped by the store near the school to buy some vanilla wafers and mochi from Mr Simon . He was a big burly man, and Mikado could feel the greatness and kindness in his voice. Kasuka always left in the middle of a fork in the road, his house was the other way ,he had said. Masaomi would leave Mikado at his home only to come back minutes later. In fact , the blond boy would always appear with a new idea and a new conversation, and truthfully he felt like he had something that no one else had, that he had a treasure that no one else knew of.

Sometimes it was hard.

Children at school were the worst. Some pushed Mikado, others talked to him in a taunting manner. Mikado tried to ignore them but it just made his life harder.

"Hey ,I'm talking to you !Or have you gone deaf too?" Laughs, always laughing.

Often times they would put into use mean tricks. Pushing him on the ground, placing tacks on his seat. Of course the culprit wasn't anyone in his special class but the people outside it. Sometimes they would pinch him and he would try his best not to cry. Some even called him ugly. But it didn't bother him because he didn't even know what that was. -because he had never seen what ugly was, he had never even see himself! They might have been telling the truth, he thought.

He was a stranger even to himself.

When he would sit down it stung, and many times he would cry. After that he always placed his hands on the seat before he sat, feeling for a tack. After school, Masaomi and Kasuka would see him coming out of his classroom ,rubbing his eyes.

Crying with eyes that couldn't see.

Masaomi always fought back. Always. He proclaimed that anyone who messed with Mikado had a problem with him, Kida Masaomi . Sometimes that helped, sometimes it didn't and sometimes it just made it all the worse.

One day Kasuka suggested they teach Mikado what 'colors' were. Mikado was very much interested on what they were and if there was any possible way that he could feel them for himself. Of course he couldn't voice these opinions but he had nodded vigorously when asked.

They were eating lunch at the time and Kasuka took an ice cube from his juice and placed it on Mikado's hand.

"Ice is Blue."

So Blue is cold.

Outside Kida went in front of the school field and plucked a flower from the ground along with some grass. He grabbed Mikado's hand and placed the grass into them.

"Grass is green. Plants are green."

Green feels sort of wet, but smelled fresh and clean.

"What else could we show him?"

" Red is angry."

"Yeah, like when your face feels all hot and you just can't stand it!"

Masaomi was excited showing his friend new things. He felt like he was needed, he felt like he had a place in the world. But as a child we usually say things we don't mean, that we really don't understand.((We usually understand the things we say much later and it hits us like a rock and we slap ourselves in the head saying "Oh god, I really shouldn't have said that.')) This was going to be one of those moments.

" Hey , Mikado when you sleep do you have nightmares and dreams? That sort of stuff?"

Mikado nodded.

" In your dreams can you see stuff? Like can your eyes work now? Do you see color and can you talk?"

Before Mikado's expression could change and before he could nod or shake his head, Kasuka took Masaomi's elbow and promised to come back quickly. He told him to stay put. Mikado did.

Kasuka was a quiet child. He never had much of a passionate expression, so when Masaomi saw him he was stunned. Kasuka's eyes spoke for him that day and they had become dangerously dark eyes, he was angry.

" Don't ever, ever say that to him again."

Not wanting to make the boy even angrier he decided to make a card for Mikado. With glitter and blue construction paper. That color, what was it again? Corn flower. But he stopped, and he got up and threw the scissors toward the nearest book shelf.

A teacher came to calm a blubbering Masaomi down , she patted his back as he said,

"What's the point if he can't even see it?"

(( Later on Masaomi apologized profusely to an elder Mikado. Mikado wished he could have apologized sooner but accepted it anyway.))

Kasuka seemed to care for Mikado quite fondly. But sometimes it hurt him as well. His expressionless face contorted to something akin to depression. He felt like he was no help at all sometimes .Especially when the school had extended recess . In one of the occasions the teachers presented them with colors and notebooks to do some landscape paintings. Mikado stood out to the side and just sat there listening to the wind between his ears and listened to the crayons on paper.

Kasuka and Mikado both sat together on the field ( since Masaomi had a cold that day). Kasuka was already beginning to sketch his work when he turned to the other and asked-

"Would you like to paint the flowers with me?"

But Mikado just cried. It wasn't fair.

"One see with one's brain, not the eyes. Eyes only provide input. It is very possible that Mikado-kun could regain his sight back. We see no damage internally to his eyes besides the Heterochromia. His lungs are a bit damaged but other than that he can try making sounds at a time ."

The doctor placed the chart down.

" What you should be more concerned is with your illness. What if he is infected ?"

Mikado's mother held on to her son tightly. She changed the subject with a question.

"So you are saying that this is a mental issue?"

"I'm afraid so. Mikado is the only one able to regain his sight back. But let's put that aside shall we? Here are his prescriptions for the next week, after that I will commence your weekly check up…"

He wants to see. He wants to so badly, but it doesn't happen.

He then tried to cry and scream his loudest. But no sound came out. But what would he know about any of those things anyway? He had never done so in his life.

Masaomi woke up sweating that morning.

When Shizuo walked to his classes he usually went so at his own pace. He liked to stare at the scenery and he liked to stare at the people. What he really liked to do was stare at lonely people.

Sometimes he thought' hey, their just like me.', and he sees them do the strangest things. He remembered this one time, there was this one girl trying to tap her pen on a book. The ink splattered into her hand leaving the blouse filled with black finger prints. He didn't want to admit it, but it gave him comfort. Other people were like him.

Today was different.

He practically ran toward his next class. Why? He didn't know.

But maybe it had to do with the teacher.

Mikado's hair looks like some sort of a dark blue in the sunlight, Shizuo thought. He wondered if his hair also changed color. Absentmindedly, he touched the ends of his hair.

"Today, I'd like to assign you a group project that will be worth forty percent of your grade. You, along with a partner will create a poster board and a small diorama on whatever moment of history that you would like." He looked up and smiled at Shizuo. The blond's cheeks flushed. " Shizuo-kun would you care to help me pass the assignment to the others?"

The teacher had a stack of papers on his hand.

The boy stood up and grunted. That was a 'yes', Mikado hoped. He handed him the papers while he assigned the groups carefully.

When Shizuo passed the slips he didn't even look as he passed one to Izaya. It seemed as if he threw it at him , not even wanting to get close. Izaya thought about if he should stick his foot out to trip the taller boy, but decided against it. He was a bit tired from yesterday. He didn't get enough sleep.

" Alright class, here are the teams."

Few in the class braced themselves, some had their fingers crossed hoping that they would pair up with their desired person.

" Orihara Izaya with Kishitani Shinra."

A boy with glasses waved to Izaya fanatically it seemed he was happy with the situation. On the other hand,Izaya stared at Mikado then at Shinra assuming they were both in cahoots together determined to annoy him.

" Celty Sturluson and Shizuo Heiwajima."

Shizuo looked at the young girl in front of him, their eyes met . Shizuo nodded while she smiled, they had never talked to each other. He only knew her as ' that girl who can't talk' and she knew him as ' the boy who is dangerously strong' .

That would soon change.

Friday came by quickly.

The sky was a bright blue. They looked like marshmallows , Shizuo thought.

He was in that expensive car his brother liked so much. Driving somewhere. Shizuo wondered if it was the beach ((since he brought swim wear and a cooler filled with snacks)), and wondered why would his brother invite him. Kasuka had said there would be some of his friends coming along at the beach as well.

" It's a bonfire." Kasuka stated. He parked the car in front of a well kept apartment , right next to another expensive car. There were people in it.

The window rolled down to reveal that one teacher who gave him a ride that one time...Masa...Masayuki? Wait..no..Masaomi? What the hell was he doing here?

" Yo, Kasuka!" He greeted. " Hey there Shizuo-kun!" Shizuo growled, just cause he was an adult didn't give him a right to call him by his first name. Someone stood in front of the apartment complex and shut the gate with a key .It was Mikado.

" Why, hello Kasuka-kun, Shizuo kun." He greeted warmly approaching the two brothers.

" I'm glad both of you could make it. Shizuo-kun , let's have fun, ok?"

He patted the mop of blonde hair and rubbed it affectionately , smiling at the younger boy. The eldest looked at them curiously, most would have been punched towards the air, or at least leaving with a few broken bones . But none of that happened to Mikado . All he got was a boy biting his bottom lip, nodding furiously.

Shizuo had never been to the beach with a crowd before, and he had never been with a friend either. He didn't know what was it that friends did at the beach, he thought that if he didn't focus he would do everything incorrectly. He didn't want to mess things up. Not when his only friend was around.

Kasuka smiled softly at the man outside their car. He pointed at the container he was holding.

"What's that, Mikado-kun?"

"Oh? This? It's something I baked.. they're pastries..desserts. I made them for Shizuo. He told me the last time I went over to your house that he loved sweets. I hope it isn't any trouble."

Shizuo looked at the container and didn't know what to say, he was sure that his entire face was red right now. Yet, he had a feeling in his chest. It felt like something was about to burst out of him, it was a feeling, a feeling that he couldn't put into words.

" Stupid," He turned away. "Of course, I'll accept them."

Mikado smiled, and -

" Shizu-chan is so rude! "

He knew that voice anywhere.

In the other car, in the second window, there he was. Izaya. Waving slowly at the other boy. Grinning.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

" Shizu-chan , I'm going to the bonfire of course! Don't I deserve to have fun as well?"

" No. Go die."

Kasuka turned on the car.

" Bye, we'll see you there."

Nice save, Mikado thought as the car quickly left alongside a screaming and angry Shizuo. He turned around and went inside the other vehicle. After a while Masaomi started the engine ((along with the music Mikado seemed to dislike so much)) and glared at Izaya.

" Don't provoke him."

"What are you talking about? He was the one that just decided to be mean all of a sudden. Why would you want a monster like him anyways?"

Mikado stayed quite for a moment .

" You are not getting any caprisun."

Izaya gasped and pouted deeper into his car seat. His sister's were seated right next to him whispering things to each other and turned to face their brother.

" Why are you always fighting with that boy , little brother?" Mairu poked his cheek as he swatted her hand away.

" Mean ((You are mean.))" Kururi added.

" I am not mean, and because he's fun to mess around with. He takes everything too seriously. He has no sense of humor."

A voice came from the front of the car.

"Hey, sorry but you guys are going to be a bit squished. We have another guy coming with us. We're about to pick him right now, and there he is..that bastard. Why do I have to get him? Couldn't Kasuka pick him up? Oh, yeah. It's because of you."

Masaomi glared at Izaya through the top mirror in small stilts.

Izaya smirked.

"Hurry the fuck up!" Masaomi extended his head outside the window. " I'm about to leave you!"

A young man stepped outside a house in a temperamental fashion. He had several coolers in his hands, alongside a huge umbrella. He gave Masaomi the finger.

" Aoba you little fucker!"

"Masaomi!"

"Kida, I'm about to slam this cooler up your-" The coolers and umbrella were now on the floor and forgotten. The expression on the man's face was the look you get when you love something. The look that you give kittens while they play with yarn. Adoration.

" Mikado-sempai!"

" What the hell..." Masaomi unplugged a finger from his hear. " Was that a squeal of a friggen Banshee?"

Aoba started flailing his arms and raced toward the car.

" I-I had no idea you were in Japan! Oh...Oh." He started to hyper ventilate. Mikado's eyes became wide and he immediately walked out of the car.

"Aoba-kun! Aoba-kun! Snap out of it! Oh, gosh someone help!"

Half an hour later Aoba sat in the back of the car right next to Kuriri ((who had her head on his shoulder )) as he spoke excitedly to his Sempai and asking him certain questions about his flight. The talked for a while alongside Kuriri and Mairu, and sometimes Masaomi ((who desperately needed to keep his eyes on the road.))

" I swear Kasuka is going to get a speed ticket one of these days."

After a while Mikado handed a juice box to Izaya.

"Here."

Izaya smirked,((who was listening tentatively to the adult's conversations in the car)) and grabbed it. He decided to see how deep of feelings Aoba had for his teacher, and decided to try them out. He reached further ,allowing Mikado and his fingers to touch. This behavior didn't went unnoticed by Aoba, who narrowed his eyes.

" I thought you weren't going to give me any."

Mikado looked outside and opened the window. It was warm.

Thank you.