Pet Shop of Horrors, Leon X D, fanfic, "One Night"
Title: One Night (although it isn't really)
Pairing: Leon X D
Rating: G, General, all that
Appearing: Father D, Grandfather D and the usual cast of characters.
This continues the arc that I started a few weeks ago and brings me one step closer to trying to figure out how synchronous hermaphrodites actually give birth. Stay tuned!
As always, I own nothing but the ramblings in my head and these characters are the property of Matsuri-sensei.
Please leave comments. I give cookies.
One Night
“Grandfather?”
The cell phone picked up and Leon anticipated the beep of the voicemail a couple seconds too soon. But it wasn’t voicemail he’d gotten, not at all.
“Detective Orcot? Is that you?”
The voice was lispy, a young boy’s voice, still pitched high and sweet. Leon froze.
“You’re calling to speak with Papa, yes? Unfortunately, he’s not here right now.” A long pause, which Leon did nothing to fill. “Detective? Are you still there?”
“Uh.” Leon grunted because his jaw had not fully reengaged. Of all the shitty luck…!
Naturally, his luck took a further swan dive, because D chose that precise moment to enter the study, a loaded silver tea tray balanced above his swollen waist. His brows went up inquisitively when he saw Leon on the phone. Leon smiled and waved the cell, shrugging his shoulders as though it was no big deal. He disconnected discreetly, ignoring the small boy’s questioning voice on the other end.
“Detective? Detective?”
“Hey, D. Thanks.” Leon got up, stuffing his cell in his back pocket, and swept the accumulated papers off the other chair, shoving things on his desk aside with his other hand to make room for the tray. He took it away from D firmly and put it carefully down, turning to watch worriedly as his pear-shaped companion eased himself into the now-clean armchair.
“You alright?” Leon peered at D, checking for any tell-tale signs of exhaustion or hunger, as he did every time he saw him. Which was often, since he hadn’t left the Shop since he’d found out he was going to be a dad. The Count smiled soothingly and nodded, reaching out to pour their tea.
“Thanks.”
“You’re very welcome.”
There was silence as they munched - tiny cucumber-and-marscapone sandwiches, curried egg salad on toast wedges, petit-fours, cranberry-walnut scones and, in deference to D’s condition, a jasmine scented herbal tea, fragrant and steaming in Meissen cups. Leon was hungry; it had been ages since breakfast and they’d skipped lunch, ‘cause D opted for a nap instead. Twenty minutes later, D sighed, replete, and sat back with his refilled cup, eying the still-chewing Leon speculatively.
“So, Leon, who was that on the phone? Grandfather again?” D’s lips had twisted in mild derision but at least he wasn’t screaming. They had talked since Grandfather had visited the best part of a year ago, which was good thing, according to Leon, but completely unnecessary, according to D.
“Yeah. I was just leaving him a message, you know -- ‘hello, how are you,’ kinda thing.” Leon kept his voice light and casual. He didn’t want D upset, even if he was. It had been almost 13 months, damn it, and enough was enough. The damn baby should have been born ages ago, and D should be back to normal and not worn out with hauling around an extra thirty pounds…and enough really was enough, unless kami’s had the gestation periods of elephants, which even he didn’t think was the case.
Leon hated this endless dragging on - it reminded him of his mother and not in a good way. She, too, had been terribly late and look how that ended. Seven months had passed since Leon had been told, and then two more after that, with D gradually increasing around the middle till it looked like he had a tire around his waist, knuckles and ankles swelling, face filling out, beautiful high cheek bones obscured, till he resembled a Chinese silk-screen painting of a chubby courtesan.
Leon had been all excited four months ago when he thought the end was near and he could finally hold the baby in his arms. Then Q-chan had said something, something annoying, and he’d figured out it had been a full four months instead of two when D had finally told him he was to be a father, for a grand total of eleven, when he’d thought it was nine. He’d gone ballistic then, but on the Q.T. - if D freaked out too, just cause he did, well then he wouldn’t know what to do. It wasn’t like he could call a doctor or anything. Human medicine wasn’t going to do any good. So he called Grandfather, who listened to his concerns and told him to be patient, but never actually said just how long it could be before their baby was born. And D didn’t mention it, either; he didn’t say a fucking word, just endured the added weight and swollen ankles and the fact that he was too often ill and exhausted. And he smiled, the smile that Leon had learned hid discomfort, or sadness, or pain. It drove Leon mad.
“You didn’t speak to him? You seemed rather determined just then, Leon…perhaps you could call him back?”
“No. Not right now, D. I just left a message - I’m sure he’ll be in contact when he gets back-“
“He’s out, then? Who told you that, Leon?” A hot red blush bloomed high on Leon’s cheeks. He really could be an absolute ass.
“Um, someone at the Shop. I really don’t know who it was-“
“Which means Father answered the phone, I assume. You needn’t hide it from me, Leon. I know he’s there.” D broke eye contact and looked away, surveying the piles of books and papers that surrounded Leon’s desk. They were dusty and normally he didn’t come in here, allowing Leon a space of his own within the boundaries of the Shop. He contemplated an argument, just for a little excitement, but he was tired again and it wasn’t worthwhile...unless Leon didn’t tell him what was going on, of course.
“No, I wasn’t hiding it, D. I, um, just don’t know what to say to him, that’s all. It’s kinda embarrassing with you right in the room, you know. What if he--?”
“Says something derogatory? It’s fine, Leon. I don’t care.” D lifted his chin regally, raising his pert nose in the air. Leon didn’t buy that for a second but he sure as hell wasn’t going to argue.
“The point is, Leon, you’re calling Grandfather again. You just called him two days ago, and last week and the week before last. Since I am not a blithering idiot, I think you must have a reason for this and I’d rather know what it is now, instead of being left in the dark, as I was last time.”
Leon sucked in an angry breath. How the hell did D know who he called or when? And what business was it of his? So what if Leon called Grandfather - he did it all the time, whenever he ran into something mysterious in these piles of crap the Counts’ blithely referred to as ‘notes.’ He called Jill and Chris, too, and so what? Since when did he have to explain his actions?
Since now. Since D had gone three whole fucking months beyond any normal due date…since he’d walked into the Shop three years ago and D had let him stay. Not that he would have left anyway, but still…
Yeah, okay. D did have some right to challenge him, at least on this. And it wasn’t like he was comfortable hiding his conversations with Q-chan from D. He just didn’t know what to say...or how to say it.
Frustrated, worried sick, Leon slid out of his desk chair and kneed the short distance over to D’s. He put his arms around the swollen middle of the one he loved more than life itself and laid his tousled head in what remained of D’s lap. Startled, D set his cup down on the nearest pile, careful not to spill, and put his own arms around Leon’s tense shoulders, resting his cheek on the top of Leon’s silky blonde head.
“What’s wrong, Leon? Tell me-“
“..Worried…” the voice was muffled. D smiled fondly and rubbed Leon’s back in long soothing strokes. Oh, how he loved this idiot.
“Why?” The question was a murmur, and Leon didn’t respond for several long seconds. D wondered if he’d been heard.
“’S too long, D. Too damn long. And the asshole won’t say anything and you don’t say anything and I can’t…” D held him closer and patted his back. He wished he could assure Leon that everything was fine, just fine, that the baby would come any day now, but he didn’t know himself. This was all totally different from their usual mode of reproduction: foreign genes - Leon’s genes - had been introduced, courtesy of the little loophole Mother Nature had so kindly arranged when the kamis had transformed into something greater than human. He did not know exactly what would happen or how long it would take - no one knew, not even Grandfather. Or perhaps he did, but wasn’t telling. Zu Fu always knew more than he let on, but even D had not been able to wheedle it out of him.
He had tried, whether Leon realized it or not. There was a limit to how much they could take. He worried for Leon, who had lost his mother.
The cell phone trilled in Leon’s back pocket and D ceased rubbing Leon’s back. It rang again and he thought Leon might ignore it, but his detective sat up and reached back , grabbing and flipping the cell open.
“Orcot-san? I believe you called earlier. I am returning your call.” The speaker was on and D heard his Grandfather’s voice clearly, so like his own that Leon’s head whipped around just to check.
“Yeah, yeah, I did. I had a question, Grandfather, and I want an answer this time. You probably know what it is, even. So, how long? How much longer do we have to wait?”
“Is my grandson there, Detective? I’d like to speak to him directly, please.”
“No! No, damn it, not again. I’m not going to let you two blow me off on this - I’ll never get a straight answer out of him if its something bad and I’m not listening to any more fairy stories about fucking butterflies, alright? I deserve to know, Q-chan, just as much as D does, so just get it the fuck over with and tell m-us!”
His outburst was greeted with silence and Leon was afraid the old man would hang up. He looked at D, worried that this might be too much for him, but D looked just as intent as he did. When Q-chan broke the silence, they both jumped.
“Very well. I suppose it is the right thing to do. I assume young D can hear me?”
“Yeah. He’s right here, Grandfather.” Leon held the phone up so that D could hear his Grandfather’s sigh.
“When I was carrying your Father, D, it was nearly 24 moons. Of course, I was in seclusion, so it did seem longer…”
“What!!” Leon was aghast, staring at the phone in disbelief, bug-eyed.
“That many…!” That was D, whose eyes rolled back a little in his head, making Leon nearly drop the cell in order to get there fast enough to throw a supportive arm around him. He clutched Leon’s encircling arm, nails biting cleanly through the cotton, and took a deep shaky breath. They stared at the phone together, waiting for the next bombshell.
“Now you, my grandson, are three-quarters pure, so I doubt that it will be that long. Your Father carried for only nine months, similar to a human, and he produced you of his own self. I would imagine your other grandfather’s genetic contribution will shorten the time for you.” Count D’s disembodied voice was calm and reasonable. “Perhaps sixteen months, then. That seems a reasonable guess.”
“Reasonable guess, Grandfather? Why didn’t you tell me?” D voice was a raspy shriek and Leon tightened his encircling arm, ignoring the trickle of blood that stained his shirt. He had other concerns on his mind.
“What do you mean, ‘three-quarters pure,’ Q-chan? Who the hell is this other grandfather?”
“Exactly as I’ve told you, children. This is not the first time a kami has cross-bred with a human. Nor the last, I am sure. We seem woefully susceptible to their blandishments.” Q-chan sighed again, heavily. “Well, I must go. It is nearly teatime and we are expecting a very important client at the Shop. Do take care, D, and you too, Detective. I am very sure I’ll be hearing from you soon.” The cell beeped as the elder Count abruptly hung up and Leon and D turned to stare at one another, speechless.
They did not speak of it, except in passing, going back to the parlor for another pot of tea. D kept saying ’24 months’ under his breath until Leon poured him a miniscule dollop of brandy and forced it down his protesting throat. He held D for a long time after that, stroking his dark hair and caressing his swollen belly, till D finally relaxed in his arms and dozed off, and then Leon settled his love carefully in bed. He had a new puzzle to chew on, one that took precedence even over the long expanse of time that might still stretch before them, before their child saw the light of day. ‘Other grandfather,’ huh? Three-quarters?
Asking T-chan to close up the Shop, Leon dove into the dairies, the photo albums, the notes scrawled on napkins, the long scrolls of old contracts, searching, searching for the one who had nailed Q-chan, the one who convinced a kami that 24 moons was a worthwhile price to pay. Hours later, dusty and mildly triumphant, he emerged with a list, short, yes, but still a list of those few humans the elder Count D might have found attractive. If he’d any idea of just long kamis actually lived, it would been easier, but he’d narrowed it down a little ,based on what he remembered Agent Howell saying and the various hints the Count had dropped over the last two years he’d been organizing the records. If they were actually true, and not just Q-chan pulling his chain. There was one name at the top of that list that probably didn’t belong there, but Leon had a hunch and he kept it, front and center, above the Russian Tzar and the Victorian princess. It would explain a lot, he thought, probably way more than Q-chan wanted D or him to even know. He didn’t even want to contemplate how Father might react.
Leon peeked in on D, who still slept peacefully, and went to deal with dinner. It was late and he was surprised that the Pets hadn’t come to remind him. Consulting the handwritten instructions D had provided him with some time ago, Leon distributed birdseed, bread and fresh fruit, vegetables and hay. He made rice and scrambled eggs (from organic happy chickens, cause they were the only ones D would buy) and poured crickets and larvae into little serving bowls. He saved the meat locker for last, slicing part of a side of Kobe beef into reasonable chunks for Norman and his mate, T-chan (who had his with rice and preferred to cook it himself), and the various other felines and canines, who also ate some kind of expensive organic kibble D mail-ordered in large quantities. For him and D, he whipped up thai peanut noodles, only cheating a little by using the seasoning packet, and a salad with boiled edadame and egg. D needed protein and Leon could only do so much with tofu, although he was fast learning. The Idiot’s Guide Q-chan sent him, though mildly humiliating, had helped. He made miso soup, too, and more tea, and then went to wake his lover.
“Mmmn?” D stretched and rolled over. He wasn’t ready to wake, but Leon kept bugging him. If he didn’t eat, he would be sick and then Leon would start to freak out again quietly and probably end up disturbing Grandfather in the middle of the night. Neither of them needed that, D was sure.
“Alright, Leon, I’m coming,” D smiled up at him and it washed over Leon once again, the wave of warmth he’d gradually gotten used to, the feeling of ‘home.’ He could not bear to lose it.
“No - stay. I’ll bring it.” Leon was back shortly with the tray, and D was grateful, for he had a dull ache at the base of his spine and his stomach rumbled ominously.
They ate and then D used the bathroom, washing his face and combing his mussed hair. Leon cleaned up and checked on the Shop, making sure all was secure. Pon-chan hugged him good-night, a little harder and longer than usual, and Ten-chan winked before disappearing behind a door. Leon shook his head and returned to bedroom, checking on D in passing, who was in bed again, this time with a novel, and headed for the shower to wash off the dust. As the water gushed over his head, Leon debated, for D might not need to hear what he’d discovered, but D was strong - stronger than Leon, really - and he’d be pissed if Leon didn’t tell him.
So he did, right after he got into bed, hair still damp and curly, and D put down the book to pay attention, and then nodded at Leon’s surprising conclusion and ultimately agreed. It seemed more than likely - D thought so, too, and he was no dummy - although there was one thing that didn’t quite jive. No matter. Leon turned out the light and wrapped himself carefully around D, one warm thumb rubbing the base of D’s still achy spine and easing the pain to a tolerable level. D kissed his collarbone with affection and let his tired eyes close. They’d call Q-chan in the morning and confront him if they had to, but for right now sleep was welcome to claim them. His love needed all the rest he could get.
The Shop subsided into sleep, except the nocturnals, who quietly roamed the expanses beyond those many doors. All was silent and peaceful, the moments ticking past in a quiet hush.
At least, that is, until three a.m.
END
And now a Shameless Plug for Dreams and the Detective, which I posted last Thursday, and which apparently sunk like a stone into obscurity. Read it and tell me if it sucks, at least. Then I'll get over myself...I think.
Pairing: Leon X D
Rating: G, General, all that
Appearing: Father D, Grandfather D and the usual cast of characters.
This continues the arc that I started a few weeks ago and brings me one step closer to trying to figure out how synchronous hermaphrodites actually give birth. Stay tuned!
As always, I own nothing but the ramblings in my head and these characters are the property of Matsuri-sensei.
Please leave comments. I give cookies.
One Night
“Grandfather?”
The cell phone picked up and Leon anticipated the beep of the voicemail a couple seconds too soon. But it wasn’t voicemail he’d gotten, not at all.
“Detective Orcot? Is that you?”
The voice was lispy, a young boy’s voice, still pitched high and sweet. Leon froze.
“You’re calling to speak with Papa, yes? Unfortunately, he’s not here right now.” A long pause, which Leon did nothing to fill. “Detective? Are you still there?”
“Uh.” Leon grunted because his jaw had not fully reengaged. Of all the shitty luck…!
Naturally, his luck took a further swan dive, because D chose that precise moment to enter the study, a loaded silver tea tray balanced above his swollen waist. His brows went up inquisitively when he saw Leon on the phone. Leon smiled and waved the cell, shrugging his shoulders as though it was no big deal. He disconnected discreetly, ignoring the small boy’s questioning voice on the other end.
“Detective? Detective?”
“Hey, D. Thanks.” Leon got up, stuffing his cell in his back pocket, and swept the accumulated papers off the other chair, shoving things on his desk aside with his other hand to make room for the tray. He took it away from D firmly and put it carefully down, turning to watch worriedly as his pear-shaped companion eased himself into the now-clean armchair.
“You alright?” Leon peered at D, checking for any tell-tale signs of exhaustion or hunger, as he did every time he saw him. Which was often, since he hadn’t left the Shop since he’d found out he was going to be a dad. The Count smiled soothingly and nodded, reaching out to pour their tea.
“Thanks.”
“You’re very welcome.”
There was silence as they munched - tiny cucumber-and-marscapone sandwiches, curried egg salad on toast wedges, petit-fours, cranberry-walnut scones and, in deference to D’s condition, a jasmine scented herbal tea, fragrant and steaming in Meissen cups. Leon was hungry; it had been ages since breakfast and they’d skipped lunch, ‘cause D opted for a nap instead. Twenty minutes later, D sighed, replete, and sat back with his refilled cup, eying the still-chewing Leon speculatively.
“So, Leon, who was that on the phone? Grandfather again?” D’s lips had twisted in mild derision but at least he wasn’t screaming. They had talked since Grandfather had visited the best part of a year ago, which was good thing, according to Leon, but completely unnecessary, according to D.
“Yeah. I was just leaving him a message, you know -- ‘hello, how are you,’ kinda thing.” Leon kept his voice light and casual. He didn’t want D upset, even if he was. It had been almost 13 months, damn it, and enough was enough. The damn baby should have been born ages ago, and D should be back to normal and not worn out with hauling around an extra thirty pounds…and enough really was enough, unless kami’s had the gestation periods of elephants, which even he didn’t think was the case.
Leon hated this endless dragging on - it reminded him of his mother and not in a good way. She, too, had been terribly late and look how that ended. Seven months had passed since Leon had been told, and then two more after that, with D gradually increasing around the middle till it looked like he had a tire around his waist, knuckles and ankles swelling, face filling out, beautiful high cheek bones obscured, till he resembled a Chinese silk-screen painting of a chubby courtesan.
Leon had been all excited four months ago when he thought the end was near and he could finally hold the baby in his arms. Then Q-chan had said something, something annoying, and he’d figured out it had been a full four months instead of two when D had finally told him he was to be a father, for a grand total of eleven, when he’d thought it was nine. He’d gone ballistic then, but on the Q.T. - if D freaked out too, just cause he did, well then he wouldn’t know what to do. It wasn’t like he could call a doctor or anything. Human medicine wasn’t going to do any good. So he called Grandfather, who listened to his concerns and told him to be patient, but never actually said just how long it could be before their baby was born. And D didn’t mention it, either; he didn’t say a fucking word, just endured the added weight and swollen ankles and the fact that he was too often ill and exhausted. And he smiled, the smile that Leon had learned hid discomfort, or sadness, or pain. It drove Leon mad.
“You didn’t speak to him? You seemed rather determined just then, Leon…perhaps you could call him back?”
“No. Not right now, D. I just left a message - I’m sure he’ll be in contact when he gets back-“
“He’s out, then? Who told you that, Leon?” A hot red blush bloomed high on Leon’s cheeks. He really could be an absolute ass.
“Um, someone at the Shop. I really don’t know who it was-“
“Which means Father answered the phone, I assume. You needn’t hide it from me, Leon. I know he’s there.” D broke eye contact and looked away, surveying the piles of books and papers that surrounded Leon’s desk. They were dusty and normally he didn’t come in here, allowing Leon a space of his own within the boundaries of the Shop. He contemplated an argument, just for a little excitement, but he was tired again and it wasn’t worthwhile...unless Leon didn’t tell him what was going on, of course.
“No, I wasn’t hiding it, D. I, um, just don’t know what to say to him, that’s all. It’s kinda embarrassing with you right in the room, you know. What if he--?”
“Says something derogatory? It’s fine, Leon. I don’t care.” D lifted his chin regally, raising his pert nose in the air. Leon didn’t buy that for a second but he sure as hell wasn’t going to argue.
“The point is, Leon, you’re calling Grandfather again. You just called him two days ago, and last week and the week before last. Since I am not a blithering idiot, I think you must have a reason for this and I’d rather know what it is now, instead of being left in the dark, as I was last time.”
Leon sucked in an angry breath. How the hell did D know who he called or when? And what business was it of his? So what if Leon called Grandfather - he did it all the time, whenever he ran into something mysterious in these piles of crap the Counts’ blithely referred to as ‘notes.’ He called Jill and Chris, too, and so what? Since when did he have to explain his actions?
Since now. Since D had gone three whole fucking months beyond any normal due date…since he’d walked into the Shop three years ago and D had let him stay. Not that he would have left anyway, but still…
Yeah, okay. D did have some right to challenge him, at least on this. And it wasn’t like he was comfortable hiding his conversations with Q-chan from D. He just didn’t know what to say...or how to say it.
Frustrated, worried sick, Leon slid out of his desk chair and kneed the short distance over to D’s. He put his arms around the swollen middle of the one he loved more than life itself and laid his tousled head in what remained of D’s lap. Startled, D set his cup down on the nearest pile, careful not to spill, and put his own arms around Leon’s tense shoulders, resting his cheek on the top of Leon’s silky blonde head.
“What’s wrong, Leon? Tell me-“
“..Worried…” the voice was muffled. D smiled fondly and rubbed Leon’s back in long soothing strokes. Oh, how he loved this idiot.
“Why?” The question was a murmur, and Leon didn’t respond for several long seconds. D wondered if he’d been heard.
“’S too long, D. Too damn long. And the asshole won’t say anything and you don’t say anything and I can’t…” D held him closer and patted his back. He wished he could assure Leon that everything was fine, just fine, that the baby would come any day now, but he didn’t know himself. This was all totally different from their usual mode of reproduction: foreign genes - Leon’s genes - had been introduced, courtesy of the little loophole Mother Nature had so kindly arranged when the kamis had transformed into something greater than human. He did not know exactly what would happen or how long it would take - no one knew, not even Grandfather. Or perhaps he did, but wasn’t telling. Zu Fu always knew more than he let on, but even D had not been able to wheedle it out of him.
He had tried, whether Leon realized it or not. There was a limit to how much they could take. He worried for Leon, who had lost his mother.
The cell phone trilled in Leon’s back pocket and D ceased rubbing Leon’s back. It rang again and he thought Leon might ignore it, but his detective sat up and reached back , grabbing and flipping the cell open.
“Orcot-san? I believe you called earlier. I am returning your call.” The speaker was on and D heard his Grandfather’s voice clearly, so like his own that Leon’s head whipped around just to check.
“Yeah, yeah, I did. I had a question, Grandfather, and I want an answer this time. You probably know what it is, even. So, how long? How much longer do we have to wait?”
“Is my grandson there, Detective? I’d like to speak to him directly, please.”
“No! No, damn it, not again. I’m not going to let you two blow me off on this - I’ll never get a straight answer out of him if its something bad and I’m not listening to any more fairy stories about fucking butterflies, alright? I deserve to know, Q-chan, just as much as D does, so just get it the fuck over with and tell m-us!”
His outburst was greeted with silence and Leon was afraid the old man would hang up. He looked at D, worried that this might be too much for him, but D looked just as intent as he did. When Q-chan broke the silence, they both jumped.
“Very well. I suppose it is the right thing to do. I assume young D can hear me?”
“Yeah. He’s right here, Grandfather.” Leon held the phone up so that D could hear his Grandfather’s sigh.
“When I was carrying your Father, D, it was nearly 24 moons. Of course, I was in seclusion, so it did seem longer…”
“What!!” Leon was aghast, staring at the phone in disbelief, bug-eyed.
“That many…!” That was D, whose eyes rolled back a little in his head, making Leon nearly drop the cell in order to get there fast enough to throw a supportive arm around him. He clutched Leon’s encircling arm, nails biting cleanly through the cotton, and took a deep shaky breath. They stared at the phone together, waiting for the next bombshell.
“Now you, my grandson, are three-quarters pure, so I doubt that it will be that long. Your Father carried for only nine months, similar to a human, and he produced you of his own self. I would imagine your other grandfather’s genetic contribution will shorten the time for you.” Count D’s disembodied voice was calm and reasonable. “Perhaps sixteen months, then. That seems a reasonable guess.”
“Reasonable guess, Grandfather? Why didn’t you tell me?” D voice was a raspy shriek and Leon tightened his encircling arm, ignoring the trickle of blood that stained his shirt. He had other concerns on his mind.
“What do you mean, ‘three-quarters pure,’ Q-chan? Who the hell is this other grandfather?”
“Exactly as I’ve told you, children. This is not the first time a kami has cross-bred with a human. Nor the last, I am sure. We seem woefully susceptible to their blandishments.” Q-chan sighed again, heavily. “Well, I must go. It is nearly teatime and we are expecting a very important client at the Shop. Do take care, D, and you too, Detective. I am very sure I’ll be hearing from you soon.” The cell beeped as the elder Count abruptly hung up and Leon and D turned to stare at one another, speechless.
They did not speak of it, except in passing, going back to the parlor for another pot of tea. D kept saying ’24 months’ under his breath until Leon poured him a miniscule dollop of brandy and forced it down his protesting throat. He held D for a long time after that, stroking his dark hair and caressing his swollen belly, till D finally relaxed in his arms and dozed off, and then Leon settled his love carefully in bed. He had a new puzzle to chew on, one that took precedence even over the long expanse of time that might still stretch before them, before their child saw the light of day. ‘Other grandfather,’ huh? Three-quarters?
Asking T-chan to close up the Shop, Leon dove into the dairies, the photo albums, the notes scrawled on napkins, the long scrolls of old contracts, searching, searching for the one who had nailed Q-chan, the one who convinced a kami that 24 moons was a worthwhile price to pay. Hours later, dusty and mildly triumphant, he emerged with a list, short, yes, but still a list of those few humans the elder Count D might have found attractive. If he’d any idea of just long kamis actually lived, it would been easier, but he’d narrowed it down a little ,based on what he remembered Agent Howell saying and the various hints the Count had dropped over the last two years he’d been organizing the records. If they were actually true, and not just Q-chan pulling his chain. There was one name at the top of that list that probably didn’t belong there, but Leon had a hunch and he kept it, front and center, above the Russian Tzar and the Victorian princess. It would explain a lot, he thought, probably way more than Q-chan wanted D or him to even know. He didn’t even want to contemplate how Father might react.
Leon peeked in on D, who still slept peacefully, and went to deal with dinner. It was late and he was surprised that the Pets hadn’t come to remind him. Consulting the handwritten instructions D had provided him with some time ago, Leon distributed birdseed, bread and fresh fruit, vegetables and hay. He made rice and scrambled eggs (from organic happy chickens, cause they were the only ones D would buy) and poured crickets and larvae into little serving bowls. He saved the meat locker for last, slicing part of a side of Kobe beef into reasonable chunks for Norman and his mate, T-chan (who had his with rice and preferred to cook it himself), and the various other felines and canines, who also ate some kind of expensive organic kibble D mail-ordered in large quantities. For him and D, he whipped up thai peanut noodles, only cheating a little by using the seasoning packet, and a salad with boiled edadame and egg. D needed protein and Leon could only do so much with tofu, although he was fast learning. The Idiot’s Guide Q-chan sent him, though mildly humiliating, had helped. He made miso soup, too, and more tea, and then went to wake his lover.
“Mmmn?” D stretched and rolled over. He wasn’t ready to wake, but Leon kept bugging him. If he didn’t eat, he would be sick and then Leon would start to freak out again quietly and probably end up disturbing Grandfather in the middle of the night. Neither of them needed that, D was sure.
“Alright, Leon, I’m coming,” D smiled up at him and it washed over Leon once again, the wave of warmth he’d gradually gotten used to, the feeling of ‘home.’ He could not bear to lose it.
“No - stay. I’ll bring it.” Leon was back shortly with the tray, and D was grateful, for he had a dull ache at the base of his spine and his stomach rumbled ominously.
They ate and then D used the bathroom, washing his face and combing his mussed hair. Leon cleaned up and checked on the Shop, making sure all was secure. Pon-chan hugged him good-night, a little harder and longer than usual, and Ten-chan winked before disappearing behind a door. Leon shook his head and returned to bedroom, checking on D in passing, who was in bed again, this time with a novel, and headed for the shower to wash off the dust. As the water gushed over his head, Leon debated, for D might not need to hear what he’d discovered, but D was strong - stronger than Leon, really - and he’d be pissed if Leon didn’t tell him.
So he did, right after he got into bed, hair still damp and curly, and D put down the book to pay attention, and then nodded at Leon’s surprising conclusion and ultimately agreed. It seemed more than likely - D thought so, too, and he was no dummy - although there was one thing that didn’t quite jive. No matter. Leon turned out the light and wrapped himself carefully around D, one warm thumb rubbing the base of D’s still achy spine and easing the pain to a tolerable level. D kissed his collarbone with affection and let his tired eyes close. They’d call Q-chan in the morning and confront him if they had to, but for right now sleep was welcome to claim them. His love needed all the rest he could get.
The Shop subsided into sleep, except the nocturnals, who quietly roamed the expanses beyond those many doors. All was silent and peaceful, the moments ticking past in a quiet hush.
At least, that is, until three a.m.
END
And now a Shameless Plug for Dreams and the Detective, which I posted last Thursday, and which apparently sunk like a stone into obscurity. Read it and tell me if it sucks, at least. Then I'll get over myself...I think.