Pet Shop of Horrors, Dealing with Difficult In-Laws
At some point when I was reading all the fabulous PSOH fanfic, I came across several that dealt with D's potential hermaphrodism. When I thought about it, it made a lot of sense, given Jody's fish and Father D's interesting form of rebirth. And then I got to thinking about Leon's possible reaction to D's possible pregnancy and that struck me as funny/cute/sweet. Especially if D hadn't gotten around to telling him. So there we have it, another fic. This one is actually set after Vol. 10, in the possible future that I came up with in another fic, one I haven't posted yet. As always, i don't own these characters in any way, shape or form. This is rated "G" for General Audience. For once, there is no smex, just the aftermath.
I hope you like it. Or at least comment. That would be most welcome.
One Morning
“D? Did you gain weight? You’re looking kinda…fatter.”
“What!?”
“Yeah, your face is fuller.” A finger ran down the curve of D’s cheek. He jerked back, irritably swiping at the smear of butter Leon’s fingertip left on his skin.
“I don’t think so, Detective.” ‘D’s voice was frostbitten, cold as black ice. He went back to nibbling his dry wheat toast, pointedly ignoring the blonde man kneeling at his side.
Unfazed, the hand paused at his collarbone, dipped into the hollow of his throat and then continued, smoothing down the front of D’s white pajama top, thumb flicking a pointed nipple on the way. D shivered involuntarily and Leon grinned.
“Your belly’s bigger, D.” The hand caressed the little bulge in D’s abdomen and the Count hurriedly brought his own hand up to cover Leon’s, tugging it away futilely. He didn’t answer, turning his head away, the curtain of his hair hiding his expression.
“See? Right here.” Leon ducked his head and brought his lips down to lay a light kiss on D’s navel through the thin fabric. The Count still said nothing, although he hissed in a breath. Leon waited a moment and then decided to tease a little harder.
“Too many pastries, D?” The Count blushed scarlet and renewed his efforts to remove Leon’s hand.
“Not at all, Orcot-san. I am hardly overweight!”
“No…no, I’m not saying you’re overweight, babe. Just…um, larger.” Leon put his arms around D’s waist and hugged gently, sorry now that he’d upset his lover. They stayed that way for a moment, until D shifted nervously.
“Leon…”
“Mmm?”
“You need to let go, Leon. Eat your breakfast before it gets cold.” A long-nailed hand tenderly stroked Leon’s bed hair and Leon smiled again, his face resting on D’s gently swelling belly. It seemed he wasn’t going to be told yet.
“Nahh. This is comfortable. You just keep eating; I’ll stay right here.”
“You really can’t do that, Leon. I have a client coming this morning and I must be presentable. Please release me.” He pushed at Leon’s shoulders but the larger man didn’t budge.
“In a minute. I’m not ready yet.”
“Come on, Leon. What’s so fascinating about my navel anyway?” He shrugged again in Leon’s grasp, trying to dislodge him.
“The fact that there is one.”
“What?”
“You know. You have a navel, D. That’s odd.”
“And why is that odd, Detective?” D’s inquiring voice held no other emotion.
An awkward pause ensued. Leon decided not to push any further. It was obvious D wasn’t going to join in this conversation and Leon didn’t want to upset him.
“No, never mind, D. Don’t worry about it. You done eating?”
Leon reluctantly let go and stood up, ruffling D’s hair affectionately.
“Well…I may have some more toast.”
Leon hid a grin and deliberately did not comment on the Count’s recent habit of nibbling dry toast. He was glad he had a plan, since D obviously wasn’t going to be forthcoming on this. He would call Q-chan. The old bat would know, even if D wasn’t telling.
His lover was pregnant. And frightened - Leon was sure of it. D’s continued silence in the face of significant bodily change was a clear indication. D had made no mention of his frequent trips to the toilet or his appetite, which swung daily from ravenous to non-existent. He was pale and tired and often curt for no reason. He spent more time sleeping than making love and often nodded off in the middle of it. He was undeniably a different man than he’d been even a month ago.
If Leon was correctly reading the signs (and he was pretty damn sure), the Count carried his child. That made Leon ecstatic and worried him to death at the same time. It was clear this event was a cause for major concern on D’s part and he wasn’t talking about it with his partner. Leon had spent some considerable time over the last month trying to figure out why D had clammed up. Maybe D didn’t know what would happen, how the child could be born from a man (man?) with no womb and no birth canal. Or perhaps he was afraid that something might go wrong with baby, or maybe he was worried that things might change between them. They’d never talked about children - only once in the very beginning had Leon mentioned it teasingly. D might not want a child.
But Leon was fairly certain D did want his child. He’d been too careful of that potential little life to think that he carried it lightly. Leon was almost convinced it was fear of the unknown that bothered D, fear of change, perhaps. D had only just recently settled into a life that included a live-in lover, although it had been a couple of years now. He still treated Leon formally entirely too much of time, maintaining his boundaries of privacy unless Leon forced them. A child would definitely invade his reserve and wreak havoc on his privacy. Leon rather looked forward to that aspect. D needed to relax a little more, enjoy life.
Leon wandered back to the study after breakfast, where he’d been working on compiling the numerous - and messy - records of the generations of Count D. When he finally heard the door slam, a sure sign that D had gone shopping, he quickly called Q-chan and left a message on his voicemail. The old bat never answered the first time. He twiddled a pencil impatiently while he waited, considering how to break the news to D’s grandfather.
His cell trilled and Leon snatched it up.
“Hey, how’s it hanging, Q-chan?”
The icy silence could be felt through the phone, which felt like it was frosting up in his hand. Leon winced and wondered if he should have been a little more respectful. It was all well and good to poke at Q-chan now and then, especially since he didn’t approve of the two of them, but Leon did need his help. Better to back off a little.
“And did you call for a reason, Orcot-san, or just to chat?” Grandfather’s tone was curt. They had talked many times over the last two years - Leon had needed Q--chan’s help in referencing the older records and putting them into some kind of logical order- but that didn’t mean they got along. Leon was just barely tolerated, at best.
“Ah, sorry, sorry. How are you, Grandfather? Doing well, I hope?” Leon moderated his voice to the pleasantly polite tone he used when he was trying to not to piss Q-chan off too much. Calling him “Grandfather” annoyed the old bat too, but at least it was a sign of respect.
“Very well, except, of course, for this call. Did you need something, Mr. Orcot?’
“I think D’s pregnant,” Leon blurted and then stopped, mouth still open. How the hell was he going to ask for help? Q--chan was probably appalled.
“WHAT!!! What have done to my precious grandson, you devious bastard!? Is he well - did you hurt him?!” The old Count was roaring and Leon found it difficult to make himself heard.
“No, no, I think he’s ok. He’s maybe...a month or two along? I just wanted to know what to do-“
“DO!!?? You can leave, that what’s you can do, you despicable cur! You ingrate, you monster...you human!! You can just get the hell out, you Lothario - haven’t you done enough damage already? I can’t believe you dared lay hands on my grandson, you misbegotten, irresponsible, vile, worthless bastard!” The Count was on a roll, gibbering insults at full volume, and Leon leaned back in his chair, cell phone several feet from his stunned ear, tuning them out. He knew all that anyway. Q-chan had not been happy when he moved in two years ago and the invective he’d uttered then had peeled the wallpaper, even from 3,000 miles away. This diatribe was somewhat worse, but at least D’s grandfather had not hung up immediately.
Eventually the elder Count ran out of steam. D’s condition now at the forefront of his mind, he grilled Leon on D’s symptoms.
“Alright, then. So, you noticed that my grandson was nauseous sometime last month?”
“Yeah. At least I think so. I never caught him hurling but it was right after meals and he was pretty limp afterwards.” Leon tried to remember everything - there might be some detail here that would make a difference in how well D dealt with this. He wouldn’t let anything go wrong, not if he could help it.
“But you say his abdomen seems to be swelling and he looks...chubby?” The Count’s voice was somewhat incredulous at that word.
“No, no! Not fat, really…more like he’s rounding out a little, putting on a little padding. He’s pretty skinny, you know. Every ounce is kinda noticeable.”
“Ah. I see. He’s eating, then?”
“Yeah. Dry wheat toast all the time. And sometimes he’ll eat like a horse and then the next day he won’t have anything but toast.”
“Is he getting enough liquids? Dehydration is a worry at times like these.”
“I think so. He adds a lot of milk to his tea and he’s drinking more water.”
“Has he been doing any lifting? Carrying the Pets?”
“No. It’s a little weird but they aren’t all over him like they used to be. They kinda keep a distance, even Pon-chan.”
“Have they said anything to you? About this?”
“Um, no. Not really. Well… T-chan said something last month that made me really notice, but they haven’t talked to me about it or anything.”
“Ahh. And what did dear T-chan say to gain your attention, Mr. Orcot?” The animosity was back in the Count’s voice and Leon flushed.
“Let’s not get into that, Grandfather. At least not right now. The reason I called was ‘cause wanted to know what I --- we --- should be doing. Should D see a doctor? Is there a doctor for you guys? Is he supposed to be taking vitamins or lying down or something? And…and also how the baby will be born…um, that kind of thing.” Leon mumbled the last of his questions, feeling horribly embarrassed.
“How, may I ask, do you know so much about pregnancy, Mr. Detective?” The Count’s tone had softened subtly.
“My mom. When she was carrying Chris, I was still around the house. I used to give her backrubs and stuff. Help with the chores. She took these horse pill vitamins and they made her do bed rest for the last couple of months. It wasn’t a lot of fun for her - she was fifty when she had my little brother.” Leon was so damned glad that he’d gotten to seen her again and had the chance to tell her how much he loved her. All thanks to D, of course.
“She is still alive?”
“No. No, she didn’t make it…I thought you knew that, Grandfather.”
“What I overheard while in disguise is not necessarily what I know, Detective. I am glad to learn you loved your mother and most sorry for your loss.”
There was a pause while Leon blinked back unexpected tears. He hadn’t thought the elder Count would ever accept him, at least not in this lifetime. It was nice to hear the sympathy in his voice. Maybe he’d be an ally instead of an enemy, if only for D’s sake. Leon swallowed hard and brought his thoughts back to the reason for his call.
“Thanks, Grandfather. I appreciate it. But, what I really need to know is what to do right now. He hasn’t said a damn thing about it and I’m afraid he’s gonna get sick or something will go wrong-“
“I don’t believe you have much to worry about, Detective. We are a race of synchronous hermaphrodites. My grandson’s body will change to accommodate the little one, never fear.”
“What exactly is that - synchronous hermaphrodite? What does that mean? Will D turn into a woman, you know, like grow breasts and a womb?”
“Not precisely, Detective. We have a special body cavity expressly for the purpose of reproduction that emulates a human woman’s womb. My grandson will lactate to a degree but he’ll never have those ‘knockers’ you admire so much.”
“Grandfather!” Leon was shocked. Breasts on D made him shudder.
“As to how it will happen, you have only to wait and watch. Make sure he eats, of course.”
“But, can I help him? Is there special food or something he’ll need? Medicine?”
“There is simply not much you can do, Mr. Detective, not at this point. I will plan to visit when his time is near, of course.” The elder Count sounded almost happy, Leon thought through his disappointment. He’d thought maybe D would need more support…that there’d be some way he could get closer, shoulder some of the burden. The Count must have sensed this because after a moment he spoke.
“Perhaps there is something you can do, Mr. Detective, if it doesn’t sicken you.”
“Sicken me? What do mean, Grandfather?”
“When we kamis are carrying a child, all our physical resources go the little one, of course, similar to your human mothers. As a result, we grow weaker over time. A small sample of your blood now and again would do much to relieve that.”
Leon shook his head, not sure he was hearing right.
“Blood?”
“Yes, Mr. Detective. Your blood, at least, would be useful, if you could bear to spare some.”
“Of course I’ll spare some, Grandfather! Jeez, what do you think I am anyway? If D needs it, then he’ll get it, you can count on that!”
“Good, good. I’ll be in touch then. If that’s all…?” Leon realized with a start Q-chan seemed to be ending the conversation.
“Wait a sec, Grandfather! I’ve got some questions--!”
“Perhaps later. He’ll be returning soon, if I’m not mistaken. I don’t believe you wish him to know we have talked, yes?”
Leon strained to hear. Yes, there was the faint sound of the front gate opening. How the hell Q-chan heard that Leon didn’t know, but the old man was right. D would be seriously pissed if he found Leon and his Grandfather discussing his pregnancy when he hadn’t even gotten around to telling the baby’s father.
“You got a point, Grandfather. Ciao for now. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Leon cut the connection, not hearing the urgent “That’s not necessary-“ on the other end. Stuffing his cell in his jeans pocket, he fired up his laptop and tried to look like he was working. Then he suddenly realized D was probably lugging around heavy bags of groceries and bolted from the room. A small round-cheeked young man who’d been hidden behind one of the enormous untidy piles of leather-bound tomes snorted out his long-stifled laughter and sidled out the door after Leon, eager to find T-chan and the others. A tell-tale pile of sunflower seed shells alerted Leon to his audience much later, but by then it was too late.
END
I hope you like it. Or at least comment. That would be most welcome.
One Morning
“D? Did you gain weight? You’re looking kinda…fatter.”
“What!?”
“Yeah, your face is fuller.” A finger ran down the curve of D’s cheek. He jerked back, irritably swiping at the smear of butter Leon’s fingertip left on his skin.
“I don’t think so, Detective.” ‘D’s voice was frostbitten, cold as black ice. He went back to nibbling his dry wheat toast, pointedly ignoring the blonde man kneeling at his side.
Unfazed, the hand paused at his collarbone, dipped into the hollow of his throat and then continued, smoothing down the front of D’s white pajama top, thumb flicking a pointed nipple on the way. D shivered involuntarily and Leon grinned.
“Your belly’s bigger, D.” The hand caressed the little bulge in D’s abdomen and the Count hurriedly brought his own hand up to cover Leon’s, tugging it away futilely. He didn’t answer, turning his head away, the curtain of his hair hiding his expression.
“See? Right here.” Leon ducked his head and brought his lips down to lay a light kiss on D’s navel through the thin fabric. The Count still said nothing, although he hissed in a breath. Leon waited a moment and then decided to tease a little harder.
“Too many pastries, D?” The Count blushed scarlet and renewed his efforts to remove Leon’s hand.
“Not at all, Orcot-san. I am hardly overweight!”
“No…no, I’m not saying you’re overweight, babe. Just…um, larger.” Leon put his arms around D’s waist and hugged gently, sorry now that he’d upset his lover. They stayed that way for a moment, until D shifted nervously.
“Leon…”
“Mmm?”
“You need to let go, Leon. Eat your breakfast before it gets cold.” A long-nailed hand tenderly stroked Leon’s bed hair and Leon smiled again, his face resting on D’s gently swelling belly. It seemed he wasn’t going to be told yet.
“Nahh. This is comfortable. You just keep eating; I’ll stay right here.”
“You really can’t do that, Leon. I have a client coming this morning and I must be presentable. Please release me.” He pushed at Leon’s shoulders but the larger man didn’t budge.
“In a minute. I’m not ready yet.”
“Come on, Leon. What’s so fascinating about my navel anyway?” He shrugged again in Leon’s grasp, trying to dislodge him.
“The fact that there is one.”
“What?”
“You know. You have a navel, D. That’s odd.”
“And why is that odd, Detective?” D’s inquiring voice held no other emotion.
An awkward pause ensued. Leon decided not to push any further. It was obvious D wasn’t going to join in this conversation and Leon didn’t want to upset him.
“No, never mind, D. Don’t worry about it. You done eating?”
Leon reluctantly let go and stood up, ruffling D’s hair affectionately.
“Well…I may have some more toast.”
Leon hid a grin and deliberately did not comment on the Count’s recent habit of nibbling dry toast. He was glad he had a plan, since D obviously wasn’t going to be forthcoming on this. He would call Q-chan. The old bat would know, even if D wasn’t telling.
His lover was pregnant. And frightened - Leon was sure of it. D’s continued silence in the face of significant bodily change was a clear indication. D had made no mention of his frequent trips to the toilet or his appetite, which swung daily from ravenous to non-existent. He was pale and tired and often curt for no reason. He spent more time sleeping than making love and often nodded off in the middle of it. He was undeniably a different man than he’d been even a month ago.
If Leon was correctly reading the signs (and he was pretty damn sure), the Count carried his child. That made Leon ecstatic and worried him to death at the same time. It was clear this event was a cause for major concern on D’s part and he wasn’t talking about it with his partner. Leon had spent some considerable time over the last month trying to figure out why D had clammed up. Maybe D didn’t know what would happen, how the child could be born from a man (man?) with no womb and no birth canal. Or perhaps he was afraid that something might go wrong with baby, or maybe he was worried that things might change between them. They’d never talked about children - only once in the very beginning had Leon mentioned it teasingly. D might not want a child.
But Leon was fairly certain D did want his child. He’d been too careful of that potential little life to think that he carried it lightly. Leon was almost convinced it was fear of the unknown that bothered D, fear of change, perhaps. D had only just recently settled into a life that included a live-in lover, although it had been a couple of years now. He still treated Leon formally entirely too much of time, maintaining his boundaries of privacy unless Leon forced them. A child would definitely invade his reserve and wreak havoc on his privacy. Leon rather looked forward to that aspect. D needed to relax a little more, enjoy life.
Leon wandered back to the study after breakfast, where he’d been working on compiling the numerous - and messy - records of the generations of Count D. When he finally heard the door slam, a sure sign that D had gone shopping, he quickly called Q-chan and left a message on his voicemail. The old bat never answered the first time. He twiddled a pencil impatiently while he waited, considering how to break the news to D’s grandfather.
His cell trilled and Leon snatched it up.
“Hey, how’s it hanging, Q-chan?”
The icy silence could be felt through the phone, which felt like it was frosting up in his hand. Leon winced and wondered if he should have been a little more respectful. It was all well and good to poke at Q-chan now and then, especially since he didn’t approve of the two of them, but Leon did need his help. Better to back off a little.
“And did you call for a reason, Orcot-san, or just to chat?” Grandfather’s tone was curt. They had talked many times over the last two years - Leon had needed Q--chan’s help in referencing the older records and putting them into some kind of logical order- but that didn’t mean they got along. Leon was just barely tolerated, at best.
“Ah, sorry, sorry. How are you, Grandfather? Doing well, I hope?” Leon moderated his voice to the pleasantly polite tone he used when he was trying to not to piss Q-chan off too much. Calling him “Grandfather” annoyed the old bat too, but at least it was a sign of respect.
“Very well, except, of course, for this call. Did you need something, Mr. Orcot?’
“I think D’s pregnant,” Leon blurted and then stopped, mouth still open. How the hell was he going to ask for help? Q--chan was probably appalled.
“WHAT!!! What have done to my precious grandson, you devious bastard!? Is he well - did you hurt him?!” The old Count was roaring and Leon found it difficult to make himself heard.
“No, no, I think he’s ok. He’s maybe...a month or two along? I just wanted to know what to do-“
“DO!!?? You can leave, that what’s you can do, you despicable cur! You ingrate, you monster...you human!! You can just get the hell out, you Lothario - haven’t you done enough damage already? I can’t believe you dared lay hands on my grandson, you misbegotten, irresponsible, vile, worthless bastard!” The Count was on a roll, gibbering insults at full volume, and Leon leaned back in his chair, cell phone several feet from his stunned ear, tuning them out. He knew all that anyway. Q-chan had not been happy when he moved in two years ago and the invective he’d uttered then had peeled the wallpaper, even from 3,000 miles away. This diatribe was somewhat worse, but at least D’s grandfather had not hung up immediately.
Eventually the elder Count ran out of steam. D’s condition now at the forefront of his mind, he grilled Leon on D’s symptoms.
“Alright, then. So, you noticed that my grandson was nauseous sometime last month?”
“Yeah. At least I think so. I never caught him hurling but it was right after meals and he was pretty limp afterwards.” Leon tried to remember everything - there might be some detail here that would make a difference in how well D dealt with this. He wouldn’t let anything go wrong, not if he could help it.
“But you say his abdomen seems to be swelling and he looks...chubby?” The Count’s voice was somewhat incredulous at that word.
“No, no! Not fat, really…more like he’s rounding out a little, putting on a little padding. He’s pretty skinny, you know. Every ounce is kinda noticeable.”
“Ah. I see. He’s eating, then?”
“Yeah. Dry wheat toast all the time. And sometimes he’ll eat like a horse and then the next day he won’t have anything but toast.”
“Is he getting enough liquids? Dehydration is a worry at times like these.”
“I think so. He adds a lot of milk to his tea and he’s drinking more water.”
“Has he been doing any lifting? Carrying the Pets?”
“No. It’s a little weird but they aren’t all over him like they used to be. They kinda keep a distance, even Pon-chan.”
“Have they said anything to you? About this?”
“Um, no. Not really. Well… T-chan said something last month that made me really notice, but they haven’t talked to me about it or anything.”
“Ahh. And what did dear T-chan say to gain your attention, Mr. Orcot?” The animosity was back in the Count’s voice and Leon flushed.
“Let’s not get into that, Grandfather. At least not right now. The reason I called was ‘cause wanted to know what I --- we --- should be doing. Should D see a doctor? Is there a doctor for you guys? Is he supposed to be taking vitamins or lying down or something? And…and also how the baby will be born…um, that kind of thing.” Leon mumbled the last of his questions, feeling horribly embarrassed.
“How, may I ask, do you know so much about pregnancy, Mr. Detective?” The Count’s tone had softened subtly.
“My mom. When she was carrying Chris, I was still around the house. I used to give her backrubs and stuff. Help with the chores. She took these horse pill vitamins and they made her do bed rest for the last couple of months. It wasn’t a lot of fun for her - she was fifty when she had my little brother.” Leon was so damned glad that he’d gotten to seen her again and had the chance to tell her how much he loved her. All thanks to D, of course.
“She is still alive?”
“No. No, she didn’t make it…I thought you knew that, Grandfather.”
“What I overheard while in disguise is not necessarily what I know, Detective. I am glad to learn you loved your mother and most sorry for your loss.”
There was a pause while Leon blinked back unexpected tears. He hadn’t thought the elder Count would ever accept him, at least not in this lifetime. It was nice to hear the sympathy in his voice. Maybe he’d be an ally instead of an enemy, if only for D’s sake. Leon swallowed hard and brought his thoughts back to the reason for his call.
“Thanks, Grandfather. I appreciate it. But, what I really need to know is what to do right now. He hasn’t said a damn thing about it and I’m afraid he’s gonna get sick or something will go wrong-“
“I don’t believe you have much to worry about, Detective. We are a race of synchronous hermaphrodites. My grandson’s body will change to accommodate the little one, never fear.”
“What exactly is that - synchronous hermaphrodite? What does that mean? Will D turn into a woman, you know, like grow breasts and a womb?”
“Not precisely, Detective. We have a special body cavity expressly for the purpose of reproduction that emulates a human woman’s womb. My grandson will lactate to a degree but he’ll never have those ‘knockers’ you admire so much.”
“Grandfather!” Leon was shocked. Breasts on D made him shudder.
“As to how it will happen, you have only to wait and watch. Make sure he eats, of course.”
“But, can I help him? Is there special food or something he’ll need? Medicine?”
“There is simply not much you can do, Mr. Detective, not at this point. I will plan to visit when his time is near, of course.” The elder Count sounded almost happy, Leon thought through his disappointment. He’d thought maybe D would need more support…that there’d be some way he could get closer, shoulder some of the burden. The Count must have sensed this because after a moment he spoke.
“Perhaps there is something you can do, Mr. Detective, if it doesn’t sicken you.”
“Sicken me? What do mean, Grandfather?”
“When we kamis are carrying a child, all our physical resources go the little one, of course, similar to your human mothers. As a result, we grow weaker over time. A small sample of your blood now and again would do much to relieve that.”
Leon shook his head, not sure he was hearing right.
“Blood?”
“Yes, Mr. Detective. Your blood, at least, would be useful, if you could bear to spare some.”
“Of course I’ll spare some, Grandfather! Jeez, what do you think I am anyway? If D needs it, then he’ll get it, you can count on that!”
“Good, good. I’ll be in touch then. If that’s all…?” Leon realized with a start Q-chan seemed to be ending the conversation.
“Wait a sec, Grandfather! I’ve got some questions--!”
“Perhaps later. He’ll be returning soon, if I’m not mistaken. I don’t believe you wish him to know we have talked, yes?”
Leon strained to hear. Yes, there was the faint sound of the front gate opening. How the hell Q-chan heard that Leon didn’t know, but the old man was right. D would be seriously pissed if he found Leon and his Grandfather discussing his pregnancy when he hadn’t even gotten around to telling the baby’s father.
“You got a point, Grandfather. Ciao for now. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Leon cut the connection, not hearing the urgent “That’s not necessary-“ on the other end. Stuffing his cell in his jeans pocket, he fired up his laptop and tried to look like he was working. Then he suddenly realized D was probably lugging around heavy bags of groceries and bolted from the room. A small round-cheeked young man who’d been hidden behind one of the enormous untidy piles of leather-bound tomes snorted out his long-stifled laughter and sidled out the door after Leon, eager to find T-chan and the others. A tell-tale pile of sunflower seed shells alerted Leon to his audience much later, but by then it was too late.
END