Disclaimer: I do not own Durarara! in any way. Narita is the true mastermind behind the series.

Chapter One - Nice to Meet You, I Think

Mikado Ryuugamine was an average young man. From his looks to his grades. And in his life, nothing had ever happened; nothing had ever changed. It was the same thing, day after day. Except on the odd occasion that it wasn't, and even then it could usually be explained. Like today, as the teacher approached him with a handful of papers and a sheepish expression.

He offered her a polite smile and asked, "Everyone else already said no, didn't they?"

"You guessed it." She held out the papers for him to take. "Our local celebrity is out again today, and I need someone to take these handouts to his home. You're the lucky sacrifice for this evening, Ryuugamine-kun."

'Sacrifice' was putting it lightly after some of the horror stories he had heard, but he pushed the thought of danger aside and accepted the papers. He was a class representative, after all. This was the least he could do to help out. "I'll be leaving then, sensei. Unless there was something else?" He phrased it like a question, feigning curiosity, but he doubted she had anything else to add.

As expected, she shook her head, wished him luck, and then moved on to speak with the only other students left, the two on class duty. Everyone else had somewhere to be, had something to do or someone to be with. The morose thoughts followed him out of the classroom and into the hallway, where he stopped and took a moment to collect his thoughts properly, locking them away for now.

If he was going to visit Kasuka Heiwajima's house, he wanted to be prepared for anything. And a clear mind would serve him better than one up in the clouds.

Every student that had ever shared a class with Kasuka knew there were a few rules to follow. Especially when visiting their relatively harmless classmate at the place he called home.

One, you didn't ask questions. You simply dropped off the papers at the front step, rang the doorbell and made a quick escape if you valued your life.

But on the off chance you didn't value your life, that was where rule number two made its appearance. If you were unlucky enough to meet Kasuka's older brother, who had been called The Monster of Raira High ever since he stepped foot on campus, you did not look him in the eye. Because despite having such a peaceful name, Shizuo Heiwajima was anything but a peaceful man. The slightest provocation was known to set him off.

Mikado, admittedly, fell into this latter category. He held the papers close to his chest and rang the doorbell with his free hand. The house seemed unassuming and quaint at first glance, with its front facing the street and its plain, whitewashed walls, but there were subtle signs that spoke of a sleeping dragon that hid behind those same walls. There were dents, here and there, about the size of a fist; as well as cracks on the upstairs windowpanes, like someone had forcibly thrown them open before.

A sense of excitement, of looking forward to the unexpected, filled Mikado as he waited. He tried not to get his hopes up, but he was sort of happy to be putting his life at risk. It wasn't nearly as boring as sitting in a classroom, listening to lectures and waiting for something to happen, for something to change on its own. It felt almost like taking that first step on some great adventure.

Until the door opened and any hope he had of something changing shattered to a million pieces. Kasuka stood in the doorway, observing him with that expressionless face that Mikado had never attempted to understand. "Yes, may I help you?"

"Your homework," explained Mikado, holding out the sheets of papers. "Guess I'll be going then, Heiwajima-kun."

Mikado turned and stepped away from the door, but someone grabbed his shoulder firmly and prevented him from going any further.

"Wait." Kasuka's voice was just as apathetic as the rest of him, but Mikado still glanced back in the hopes of figuring the other boy out. Nothing but a blank stare awaited, and yet Kasuka wasn't letting go. After a silent stare-down that went on for far too long in Mikado's opinion, Kasuka released his hold and Mikado turned to face him as he began speaking again. "Please, come in. I have a few questions."

"Questions?" parroted Mikado, confused. He fiddled with the strap of his schoolbag as he followed Kasuka inside, not sure what to make of this turn of events. Was Kasuka trying to make a friend perhaps? It was hard to tell when Kasuka didn't so much as smile.

Nevertheless, he took a seat on the couch that Kasuka directed him toward. He set his bag on the floor and wondered where to look first, having been caught off guard with extended visit. The inside was surprisingly spacey and everything had the appearance of being worth a small fortune, from the small table in front of him or the large flat screen directly across. He had to work to keep from gaping at the obvious reminders that Kasuka lived a very different life from other first years in high school.

"Like it?" If it hadn't been Kasuka asking that, in such a deadpan way, Mikado would have thought him smug or boasting, but no - his classmate seemed to be stating a simple fact.

So Mikado decided to answer just as simply with a stunned, "Yes." He kind of wanted to try out that gaming system and wow, just how good was the wifi here if the model of that console was anything to go by?

"It keeps my brother happy, too," Kasuka seemed to add offhandedly, gesturing to the video games that enthralled his guest. "It's less destructive than sports anyway."

Mikado wasn't sure how to respond to that without some kind of tell from his host, and really, Kasuka was the king of poker faces. He decided on a short, nervous laugh and a smile, sparing the new plaster beside the tv only a cursory glance. "He seems like a handful?" Mikado said to test the waters and see how Kasuka would answer, because at least his words gave away what was going on inside his mind.

As if to be contrary, Kasuka hummed noncommittally and changed the subject. "Now, about those questions. I've been having trouble with the formula for ..." And so began an unexpected tutoring session.

It was well after eight before either of them realized how carried away they had gotten in their studies. Mikado, because he finally had someone to listen when he was trying to explain something; and Kasuka, because at last he had been able to get someone to stay and help. Most of his other classmates ran off as soon as they thought up an excuse. Suddenly remembering they left the oven on or that they had to be home before curfew.

Speaking of which. "Shouldn't you be headed home soon, Mikado-kun? Your parents must be worried."

The other boy shrugged. "I live alone, so it's not a big deal. But you're right, I should be going. I still have some things to do before I go to bed." With a sigh, his classmate stood up and started packing away his books. "I'll see you tomorrow. Ah," he glanced at Kasuka from under his eyelashes almost shyly. It would have been cute, if he were a girl. "That is, if you'll be attending tomorrow."

"I will," clarified Kasuka. "Until tomorrow then. Thank you for your time."

And that would have been that, except it was then that his big brother decided to storm through the front door with murder in his eyes. "What was that about! You sent me on a wild goose chase, Kasuka!"

"Sorry, niisan." It helped get him out of the house for a few hours, though, and that was all Kasuka had needed really. He just hadn't been expecting to enjoy spending time with a classmate as much as this, so much that he had allowed himself to relax and stop paying attention to the clock. This had been inevitable once he had. "They must no longer being selling that particular brand of milk."

Mikado had raised his eyebrows at that, but Kasuka remained unaffected by the double entendre that his classmate had probably read into the words. With Kasuka having shifted his attention, even briefly, to their guest, it was also an inevitability that Shizuo followed suit.

"Who the hell is this?" demanded Shizuo, shutting the door behind him with a bit more force than necessary. He stomped up to Mikado, face twisted in a scowl as he practically towered over the younger boy. "You have crap taste in friends."

To Mikado's credit, he didn't look as intimidated as most would have. Instead, his classmate seemed more intrigued, wondering aloud, "So you're The Monster of Raira High?"

It sounded like he wanted confirmation and Kasuka had to physically stop himself from wincing because confirmation would be the least of what he would be getting. Calling Shizuo a monster was a surefire way to set him off, and while he loved his brother dearly, even he didn't know how to curb his brother's temper.

"What did you just call me?" At least his impromptu tutor and classmate had a few more minutes to live if that twitching smile was any indication. Shizuo was both frustrated and amused. Never a good combination. His emotions were always changing, always so over the top that Kasuka had trouble keeping up with them. "Hey, brat, I'm talking to you."

It appeared Mikado didn't know how to handle Shizuo any better than his brother and opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water. "S-Sorry," stammered the other boy, getting the words out somehow, "I meant … what I meant to say was, you don't look like a monster. I couldn't believe it."

"You said it again," growled Shizuo, sunglasses sliding down his nose as he stayed focused on the boy a full head shorter than him. "You know what that means, don't you?" Mikado gave a tentative shake of his head. "It means you're prepared to die!"

Kasuka watched as Mikado mouth formed a small 'o', not exactly screaming in terror but pretty aware what was coming at this point. And Shizuo didn't disappoint, fisting a hand into the other boy's uniform and raising him into the air. "Any last words?"

Maybe it was the shock, or maybe Mikado had nothing left to lose, because his last words were, "Um, you have really nice eyes?"