Here it is~ It felt like forever until I got this done. I meant for this chapter to be an informative one, so it probably isn't as thrilling as the previous two.

Disclaimer: I do not own Durarara! This is completely fan-made.

Enjoy~

...Something hurts...

Mikado awakened to a dull pain in his left side. He groaned, reluctant to rise and prepare for school, thinking it was another weekday morning. However, he fully awakened when he noticed something amiss other than his soreness.

This isn't my apartment.

He examined the new environment. The ceiling and walls were bright and clean, and the room was well-furnished and neat. In comparison, his own residence was fairly run-down and untidy.

"I'm glad you're awake," a rough voice said beside him.

He turned his head and saw a man sitting near the bed. The bartender suit made it obvious who he was.

"Shizuo-san?" Mikado asked. "Why are you here? Where am I? Why-" He stopped, afraid that the man would become agitated by the barrage of questions. "Sorry..."

"Don't be," Shizuo replied calmly. His brown eyes had no trace of fury. Rather, they seemed to be saddened with guilt. "I should be the one apologizing. I'm really sorry about...you know."

Then it all came back to Mikado. The scream in the dusk. The encounter with Izaya. The sign that was swung...

"...Oh," was all he could reply. "Um...If it makes you feel better, I'm not mad. I know you didn't mean it."

Shizuo felt better from hearing the boy's words, somehow cheered up by his timidity. "Thanks, kid."

"Uh, y-you're welcome," Mikado replied with uncertainty. "Ah, I better get out of bed." He used his arms to push himself upright but then yelped and fell back, grimacing in pain.

"Don't do that!" Shizuo exclaimed worriedly.

Mikado grasped his hurting arm. However, instead of feeling the softness and warmth of his flesh, he felt something cold and hard. His left upper arm was wearing something made out of hard material and fastened with velcro. A strap attached to the gear was drawn around his torso, under his right underarm.

"What's this?" he asked, knocking on the strange gear. When he looked up, the screen of a PDA was in his face. It had a message.

[It's a humeral brace. It's for your broken arm.]

He stared at the message, confused. Then he looked up from the screen and saw a black-clad woman with nothing above her neck.

"Celty-san? Why are you here?"

"She lives here," Shizuo answered.

It took a while for those words to register in the boy's head. He looked at Celty with a puzzled expression, unsure if he heard right. "Is that true?"

[Yes.]

"Ehhhhhhhhhh?" Mikado exclaimed in shock. "Why the heck am I here?"

[Someone who knows that I live with a doctor brought you to us. At the time, you were out cold.]

"Someone"? He glanced at Shizuo, wondering if he was that "someone." The blonde shook his head. "Then who?"

Before either Shizuo or Celty could reply, the doorbell rung from the living room.

"I'll get it," Shizuo said, standing up and walking out of the room, into the next one. A few seconds later, his voice was heard again.

"I'm leaving!" he yelled angrily. Celty and Mikado jumped at the loud noise of the front door being slammed shut. After everything was silent, they stayed where they were, perplexed by Shizuo's sudden departure.

It was made clear when their new guest came in. A young man with sharp features, a slender build and a fur-lined jacket entered the room. Once he saw the two, his russet gaze rested on the boy. "Hello, Tanaka Tarou-kun," he greeted. "I see you're doing well."

Mikado found it hard to speak once he felt the informat's eyes on him. When their eyes met, his heartbeat sped up. After swallowing hard, he managed to sputter, "Uh, h-hello, K-Kanra-san..."

Izaya smirked and walked over to him, but Celty got in between them, sensing something strange about the atmosphere. [Why are you here?]

"First Dotachin and the others, now you?" the informat whined. "Am I that shady?"

[...]

"...Does everyone think of that as a rhetorical question?"

[What do you think?]

"Alright, enough. Truth is, part of the reason I came was to see you," he stated. "I have a job for you, courier."

[Now? But Shinra said that someone needs to be here until he gets back from work.]

"Don't worry. It's just a little request from Shiki-san to deliver something. I guarantee it's going to be easy and quick. Not to mention that Shiki-san's the client, so backing out of even a meager task like this probably won't end well."

[But Mikado-kun_]

" '-needs to be supervised,' correct? I can do that."

"No!" Mikado cried, grabbing the other two's attention. Since his heart was already racing, he was afraid of having a stroke if he was alone with the informat. "Uh...I-I mean, please don't trouble yourself. I'm fine, really. I can look after myself."

[You cannot be left alone,] Celty typed for him. [As for you,] she continued, directing her attention to the older male, [how do I know you won't cause any mischief?]

Izaya sighed. "Celty," he said more seriously, "do you think I'd harm Mikado-kun after bringing him to you?"

The dullahan stood silent, unsure how to combat his words. Meanwhile, Mikado's eyes were widened with bewilderment. "It was you? You're the one who took me here?"

The informat looked back at the boy, his eyes slightly softened. "Yep. No need to thank me~"

Celty still didn't type anything. "Why don't we talk in private?" Izaya said calmly, putting an arm on her shoulder and leading her out of the room. "We'll be right back," he said to Mikado before exiting. And so, the boy was left alone with his thoughts.

He brought me here...Why? It can't be that he cares about me...right? This is weird...

Mikado got up from the bed, careful not to use his left arm. Deciding that he needed some fresh air, he went to the window, moved the curtains aside, and lifted it. Looking down, he was surprised by how far below the street was. This must be the top floor of an apartment.

He jumped when something tapped his shoulder. He turned around and saw Celty who was now wearing her helmet. She briefly glanced back at Izaya, who was near the door and nodded back at her. [I'll be going now. If anything happens, contact me immediately. And keep your phone away from Izaya.]

Mikado was about to say otherwise, but he didn't want to trouble her any further. "...Okay."

[Do NOT hesitate to call if Izaya does anything weird.] After typing her last message, Celty hesitantly walked out of the room. "Adieu, courier~" Izaya said. Only after making sure she left the residence did he add, "Looks like we're now alone, Mikado-kun. Just the two of us...Until either she or Shinra come back."

"Y-yeah..." Mikado said, trying to hide his anxiety. His heartbeat was quickening again. Unable to meet Izaya's gaze, his eyes darted around the room until they stopped on the alarm clock. 12:00 P.M. Oh, please come back soon, Celty-san, he silently pleaded.

"Hey."

He looked back at Izaya only to have their eyes meet. His mind blanked. "I-I...I..."

"Are you okay?" the informat asked with concern. "You look red. Do you have a fever?" He approached him and placed his hand on the boy's forehead.

The informat's touch made Mikado's heart flutter. He quickly swatted the hand away and drew back. "Don't touch me!" he shouted, his face now bright red.

Izaya stared at him with eyes slightly widened in surprise. Soon, any sign of reaction was wiped off his features. "I see how it is," he said stoically before turning around and heading for the door.

"W-wait!" Mikado called out. Izaya looked back, and the other froze up. "...I thought so," the informat stated before exiting.

The boy smote his own forehead, berating himself for his behavior.

What was that? Why did I have to freak out? Why did I stop when he looked back at me?

After gathering some composure and courage, he went to the door and peeked through. At the opposite side, Izaya had his back to him, facing a computer. Mikado recognized the chatbox on the screen as the one that he, Izaya, and a few others frequently used. There was nothing on the log except a "-Kanra has joined the chat-" at the very top.

Mikado got an idea. He searched the bedroom for his cell phone until he found it on a small table by the bed. He picked it up, sat on the bed, and signed in. A "-Tanaka Tarou has joined the chat-" was added to the log.

Kanra: Hi~

Tanaka Tarou: Hello.

[Kanra]: I knew you'd log on.

[Tanaka Tarou]: I wanted to say sorry about what I did.

[Kanra]: It's OK.

[Tanaka Tarou]: I don't know what came over me...

[Kanra]: Don't stress over it.

Mikado was relieved that messaging Izaya was much easier than talking to him personally. However, something still didn't feel right.

[Tanaka Tarou]: Can I ask you something?

[Kanra]: Sure.

[Tanaka Tarou]: Why did you bring me here? Why didn't you leave me on the streets and Shizuo-san with all the blame?

[Kanra]: Because I care about you.

He felt his cheeks heat up. However, he couldn't trust Izaya so easily.

[Tanaka Tarou]: How do I know you're not lying?

[Kanra]: Doesn't anyone trust me...?

[Tanaka Tarou]: ...I'm not answering that.

[Kanra]: ;A;

His right hand unconsciously went to his left arm. Again, he felt the hardness of the brace.

[Tanaka Tarou]: My arm's really broken, huh?

[Kanra]: Yep. According to Shinra, you have to wear that brace for two months.

[Tanaka Tarou]: I wonder how much it cost...

[Kanra]: The one I bought wasn't more than $100.

[Tanaka Tarou]: Why did you buy one? You don't have any broken bones.

[Kanra]: It wasn't for me.

[Tanaka Tarou]: Then who's it for?

[Kanra]: Who do you think? Who paid for the thing you're wearing on your arm?

[Tanaka Tarou]: ...You mean...

[Kanra]: Yes. I bought it for you.

[Tanaka Tarou]: Why?

[Kanra]: As previously said, it's because I care about you.

This is just too weird, Mikado thought, suspicious of Izaya's hospitality. He knew that the informat's true nature wasn't benevolent. However, he didn't sign off; he still wanted answers.

[Kanra]: That aside, it's a miracle that the only injuries you have are some bruises and a fractured arm.

[Tanaka Tarou]: How so?

[Kanra]: It was Shizu-chan who hit you. Under normal circumstances, you would've had broken ribs, internal bleeding, and maybe some internal organ damage. After all, he was aiming for me.

[Tanaka Tarou]: Is that supposed to make me feel better?

[Kanra]: The point is, you suffered minimal damage. Once Shizu-chan saw you, he must've tried to stop himself. Even though it was still enough to knock you out, he was able to restrain some of his power.

[Tanaka Tarou]: I see.

[Kanra]: Now it's my turn to ask something.

[Tanaka Tarou]: Go ahead.

[Kanra]: Can I be your bodyguard?

Mikado stared incredulously at the message. Izaya-san as my bodyguard? Why-

[Kanra]: "Why would he make such an offer?" is what you're thinking, right?

[Kanra]: First of all, you're in an injured state. I want to make sure you get better. Second, and more importantly, who's to say that an incident like yesterday's won't happen again? There are dangerous groups and individuals lurking in Ikebukuro. I probably fit into that category, but I'm on your side. What if an enemy discovers that you're the head of the Dollars? I can manipulate information to make it seem like a lie.

[Tanaka Tarou]: ...You can't be serious.

[Kanra]: Why would I joke?

[Kanra]: So, what do you say?

Any other person would've immediately denied the offer. However, Mikado wasn't "any other person."

[Tanaka Tarou]: I need to think this through.

[Kanra]: I understand. Take all the time you need.

Mikado signed out and closed his cell phone. He lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling, thinking hard.

He thought about the cons first. An obvious one was that Izaya was a shady character. Another was that he was deeply involved in a dangerous business. Mikado could name many other disadvantages from the top of his head. He couldn't disagree that it was probably a bad idea to be closely connected with Izaya.

But...

His desire for excitement and thrill was strong. Izaya was anything but ordinary, and Mikado knew that by having the informat around, things would get interesting. Perhaps this was why he was drawn to him. Whatever the reason was, he wanted to know more about him.

His cell phone rung. He opened it and saw a text message from Masaomi. He also checked the time. 12:30 P.M. It would be lunch at Raira by now. Masaomi wasn't a rule follower, so it wasn't a surprise that he texted during lunch.

[Yo, Mikado~ What happened? Did you got a summer cold? If you did, then SUX 4 U. XD]

He smiled. Despite his bad humor, Masaomi never failed to cheer him up. However, Mikado didn't want to worry his companion about what really caused him to miss school.

[It's not my fault I got sick,] he typed. Send. He closed the phone and placed it beside him. Now where was I...? Before he could resume his train of thought, the phone rang again. "1 new message from Masaomi."

[Haha! You better get better by tomorrow. Anri-chan's worried~ :3]

Sonohara-san is...worried about me? he thought, flustered, yet relieved. But soon, he came to a realization. [Are you pulling my leg?]

[Maybe, maybe not~ ;) There goes the bell. gtg.]

Mikado put his phone away and sighed. "Damn Masaomi," he mumbled in slight annoyance. Still, it was nice of him to check on me. He's worried about me...

Which is why he'd never let Izaya-san become my bodyguard.

He even heard it from the blonde himself to stay away from Izaya. And here he was, alone with the said informat, defying his friend's warning. He knew that if Masaomi knew about Izaya's offer, he would immediately tell Mikado to refuse. But this decision was for Mikado alone to make.

Why am I even thinking this over? Izaya-san must have an ulterior motive. I should just say no.

He yawned. The comfort of the bed lulled him, and his thoughts went off on a tangent. The mattress was soft, the bedspread was warm, the pillows were fluffy...

Mikado's eyelids started to droop. Before he realized it, he drifted off.

Once Mikado awoke, his vision was enveloped in white. He realized that the white mass was a labcoat. He looked up and saw the bespectacled face of a young man with chestnut eyes that matched his hair. "Good morning~" the man said with a smile. "Or better yet, good afternoon. How are you?"

Mikado sat up. "I'm doing fine, thank you," he replied politely. Even though he never saw this man before, he had heard of him on several occasions. "Are you Shinra Kishitani, the underground doctor?"

"Yes, I am. Who told you?"

"Izaya-san and Celty-"

"So Celty talks about me!" Shinra squealed, interrupting him. "How wonderful! There's no doubt she's obsessed with me!"

"...Y-you must really like her," Mikado said, slightly creeped out.

"'Like?'" The doctor laughed. "That's such an understatement! She's the love of my life! Tell me, did she say anything else about me? How handsome I am? What a great personality I have? How she can never stop thinking about-"

"Cut it out," a third voice said. "You're scaring him."

Shinra and Mikado looked to the opposite side of the room where Izaya stood. A pale pink colored Mikado's cheeks, but he wasn't nearly as nervous as before. The online conversation made him much more comfortable around the informat. He silently thanked him for silencing the creep- er, doctor.

"Like you're not a creep yourself," Shinra retorted.

Izaya would've countered, but upon hearing the door in the other room close, he silenced himself. The faint sound of footsteps gradually became more audible. The bedroom door opened, and behind it stood a woman in a solid black biker suit and a yellow helmet.

Shinra's face instantly lit up. "Celty, my honey~!" He ran to her with extended arms, but before he could even touch the dullahan, she delivered a hard punch to his gut. His glasses fell off as he collapsed to the floor.

Celty slid out her PDA from her sleeve and typed, applying more pressure to the keys than usual, flustered. [You idiot! Haven't I told you not to do that when others are around?]

"You're so naive," Shinra said, his voice cracked with pain. "Everyone already knows about us. What's the use of hiding our relationship? I want the world to know about your undying love- Agh!"

The dullahan stepped on his face, using enough force to hold him down while keeping his skull intact. Not moving her foot, she typed another message, this time directed at the other two males. [Did anything happen while I was out?]

"Everything's fine," Izaya answered. "Right, Mikado?"

The said boy was watching the doctor's head being pressed to the floor, cringing in distress. "Huh? Um, y-yeah, nothing happened," he replied, sounding more nervous than intended.

Celty crossed her arms as if to say, "I don't buy that."

"What matters is that you're back from that job," Izaya said. "Which, by the way, didn't take you long. It's only been four hours since."

4 hours? Well, there is still daylight. Mikado checked the time on his phone. 4:30 P.M.

Under Celty's foot, Shinra mumbled something incoherent. The dullahan lifted her foot, letting him retrieve his glasses and get up. There was a big red mark where it dug into his face. "I said, if you're wondering about Mikado-kun's condition, he's okay. As long as no pressure is applied to his left arm, he should be fine." He turned to the boy. "You got that?"

"Yes," Mikado answered compliantly.

"Good. You're free to go now."

"Already?" he asked, surprised.

"Why not? Do you want to stay here?"

Mikado quickly shook his head. "N-no, I'll leave. I don't want to burden you." Then he bowed to the doctor. "Thank you, Kishitani-sensei," he said timidly.

He turned to Izaya to do the same, but once he met the informat's gaze, he forgot how to speak. He could only look into those demon-like eyes that seemingly froze him in place. The eyes that never missed a single detail. The eyes that could read a person so easily. The eyes that captivated him. It was as if there was a silent information exchange between them. A "thank you" from Mikado and a "you're welcome" from Izaya, all in a brief glance.

Celty put her hand on Mikado's shoulder, reminding him that they should leave. Mikado nodded back. She headed for the door, and he followed suit. On his way out, he took one more glance back at Izaya, who smirked (no...smiled?) back at him.

A black motorbike came to a stop in front of a shabby apartment. The passengers, a woman and a boy, got off. The woman touched the boy's black helmet, and it turned into a shadowy, cloudy substance that was absorbed by her hand. The bypassers who saw this tried to shake the strange image out of their heads.

"Thank you, Celty-san," the boy said.

[Anytime, Mikado-kun,] the woman typed on her PDA, showing it to the other.

Mikado would've turned around to head into his apartment, but Celty quickly shoved the device into his face. [Can I ask you something?]

"Uh, go ahead."

Her fingers pressed the keys, typing slower than usual in hesitation. [What do you think of Izaya?]

Mikado stared at the message for a few seconds, then at Celty. "What's this about?"

[I'm just wondering.]

"Just wondering?" Well, he had been acting strangely around the informat lately. Did she pick up on that? No, it couldn't be. She was out doing her job. Besides...

"We're just friends," he answered plainly. "No...acquaintances." That's right. He's a broker, and I'm a customer. He does favors only to earn my trust and patronage. Our relationship is only through business...Nothing more...right?

The PDA was shown to him again. [I see. I guess I'll be on my way now.] After they bade each other goodbye, Celty mounted her bike. It started with a neigh, startling some bypassers, and rode off.

Mikado waved to her in the distance. After she was out of sight, he re-immersed himself in his own thoughts.

Is Izaya-san trying to make more of our relationship? He took me to Celty-san and Kishitani-sensei, he offered to watch me, he bought this brace...Did he do all this just for the sake of business? And the offer...

As if on cue, his cell phone rung. He took it out and checked it. "1 new message from Kanra." Before opening it, he knew what it was going to be about.

[Will you let me be your bodyguard?]

He needed to say no. But what did he want? Thrill and excitement, knowledge about Izaya, and maybe...to be near him.

Finally, he created a reply and, hesitantly, hit "send". It summarized the conflict between his needs and wants in one word.

[Maybe.]

If you're wondering why the usernames are in brackets, it's to show that they're using private mode. I didn't want to use "[Private Mode] Tanaka Tarou" or "[Private Mode] Kanra" every time like in the novels.

Reviews would be appreciated. :)

Thanks for reading~