Chapter Text
-Are you good at fixing toys?-
Kadota blinked at the strange message he just received from Izaya. The guy rarely contacted him, outside of a couple of sushi dinners every season. They met often enough of course, passing each other on the streets, but Kadota rarely went out of his way to see him.
He was pretty sure Izaya was the same, but it was hard to tell with that guy.
-No.- He sent back quickly, then turned back to his food. They were having ramen this time, and Togusa was trying in vain to get Yumazki and Karisawa to stop talking about anime theories.
Kadota felt his phone vibrate and glanced at it.
-3pm, my place-
Kadota blinked, wondering what was so important that Izaya would actually invite him over. He hadn't been to Izaya's place since fixing his bathroom door.
-Will it take long?- He asked, because the four of them were going to see a film at 4pm.
Izaya didn't reply immediately, and Kadota managed to finish his bowl of noodles before his phone vibrated again.
-Please-
Kadota told the others he might not make the film at 4.
---
''Dotachiin!'' Izaya greeted in that chipper way of his.
''Don't call me that,'' Kadota protested for the millionth time as he entered the apartment. There was a beautiful woman in the kitchen, washing up silently. She gave Kadota the smallest of glances, and Kadota decided he should ignore her in turn.
There was little point in asking Izaya questions about his life. If he wanted to tell you something, he'd just tell you.
''I'm glad you came,'' Izaya was saying, obviously deeming the mysterious beauty as one of those things he was not going to explain. ''I really am no good at fixing toys.''
''And what makes you think I would be any better?'' Kadota asked, only the barest hint of exasperation in his tone. From the way Izaya turned back and smiled at him as if amused, he had caught the emotion regardless.
''You've always been good at fixing things, Dotachiin. That door you put in the bathroom is still there you know.''
Kadota didn't bother commenting that bathroom doors don't usually break spontaneously. It was probably going to be a waste of breath.
''What kind of toys do you want me to fix?'' he asked instead.
''Just one toy,'' Izaya said, leading Kadota upstairs. ''It was so fun watching it break, but now I can't put it together again.''
''Why not buy a new one.''
Izaya gave a single chuckle, ''I had thought of that. There are quite a few other toys I'm using to amuse myself with, but I would really still like this one to be fixed.''
They had reached the bathroom door by this point, but Izaya turned away from it, entering the room opposite it instead.
Kadota stood in the corridor between the two rooms, peering into what appeared to be a rather large and luxurious bedroom.
He had never been to Izaya's bedroom before, not even that time the guy had been so sick he was vomiting every few minutes.
It was large, though that was to be expected given the office and lounge area. The bed was large too, but like the rest of the compartment, conservatively decorated. Grey sheets, a wooden cabinet and what Kadota would guess to be a built in wardrobe at one of the walls. The window in the bedroom was a more regular size than the one on the first floor, but it was well placed enough that the room would have been bright and airy if it was not such a cloudy day.
''He's moping in the corner,'' Izaya said, tone suddenly much more nonchalant than when he opened the front door.
Kadota blinked, looking over at the corner Izaya had waved at casually. There in the dim light, was a figure, cuddled up in the corner between the bed and the window.
The toy appeared to be a boy. A living, human boy.
Figures.
Kadota should have known Izaya meant people when he mentioned toys.