This is not mine, or rather, D and Leon are not. I'm not sure I'd want them, anyway... This is my first PSoH fic, and I've only read some of the manga. So be prepared.

Her hand hovered over the handle for a long moment before she opened the door and entered. There was a soft, tinkling chime, and a young man came around the corner. He was Chinese, with soft blue-black hair and dual-toned eyes, wearing a long, red, silk garment that looked rather like a dress. He smiled politely, but there was a strange menace in his eyes. She didn't care, too involved in studying him, wonder on her face. She was short, American, with brown hair and eyes, wearing loose jeans and a T-shirt.

"Hello, welcome to Count D's pet shop. May I help you?" he said in a soothing, almost hypnotic tone.

"I don't want to know what you would sell me," she replied in a dreamy voice. She walked over to D, then reached out. He stood still, with a vague, polite look of surprise on his face, as she brushed her fingers against his skin. When she moved to stroke his hair, he caught her hand and returned it to her side.

"I see no need for that."

The girl freed her hand from his light hold. "Magic is real," she said, then shrugged. It was useless to try explaining. Her eyes never left D's face. She jumped when the door opened again, with a chime. She glanced over at the man who had entered. Young, blond, a little unkempt.

"Am I interrupting anything?" Leon asked, a little surprised at the intimate pose he'd found the two in.

D broke her stare and smiled at Leon. "Ah, detective. No, you're just in time for tea."

The girl bowed slightly to the count. "I need to go. I've stayed to long already." She turned and bowed to Leon, as well. "Farewell."

D's hand shot out and caught her before she could move more then a step. "No. Stay." A look of confusion crossed his face. Leon watched in silence, completely baffled.

She tugged on her hand, but this time D hung on. "Please, let me go. Don't you realize what you are doing?"

Her captor didn't answer, simply smiled. "Stay," he said again, drawing her to the couch.

Leon followed. "D, let her go. I don't wanna bust you this easily."

D frowned at the cop. "You to, officer. Stay for tea." The girl had stopped protesting, seating herself on the couch, feet tucked under her. She looked a little frightened, not of D, but of the situation. Leon grimaced and sat across from her.

"D, you're freakin' her out," he commented. D didn't reply, simply left to get the tea.

"No," she said quietly. "He is destroying me. The damage has been done. I cannot forget the magic here, and so I am lost." Her voice was quiet, low, almost unconcerned.

D returned with the tea, setting cups before his guests, then sitting on the edge of the couch. "Relax, detective. She knew when she came in."

Leon shook his head and drank his tea. "You know, if she's reported missing, I'll have your ass down to the station."

"Really, detective, these threats are unbecoming." He looked over at the girl, who was silently sipping her tea.

She glanced up at Leon. "You don't understand," she murmured.

Leon put his cup down. "Fine. I'm leavin'. Don't say you weren't warned." He stood and left angrily. When he was gone, the girl looked at D.

"Why are you doing this?"

"You do not belong there," D replied calmly, sipping from his cup.

"But that is the life I have to live," she answered sadly.

D put his cup aside and stood. He walked next to the girl, placed a hand under her chin and drew her up. "I sell love and dreams," he reminded almost nonsensically.

She tried to look away. "You are destroying me. When I must return to my life, this memory of magic will eat at me. I'll go mad."

"You do not belong there," D stated again. The walls of the shop were moving, though the pair was not.

"I wasn't given a choice. I must live my life," she insisted, trying to shake off his hand.

They stopped before a large pair of doors. "You never asked," D said as the doors opened. Beautiful creatures came out, surrounding the two. Women draped themselves over D, and some men, while more surrounded the girl. They didn't touch her. Only D was touching her, holding her with one long finger under her chin. He dropped his hand suddenly, looking at the girl with inscrutable eyes.

She shivered, surrounded by lovely people who stared at her with hard eyes. D was offering her a way out, out of her life, if she was willing to take it. She had known, when she entered the shop, that she would never be allowed to leave. She looked around her. Behind her, a very young man stood, with two tiny horns. He was smirking at her. She looked back at D, whose gaze was now focused somewhere above her head. She knew what she wanted, but she had to find the courage to act first.

Slowly, her hand came up, and she rested it against D's chest. She stared at it a long moment; ragged nails and dark human skin against the red silk. D still didn't look at her, seeming not to even notice her. She leaned against him, carefully, terrified.

A red-silk clad arm wrapped around her shoulders, as she slipped her arm around his waist. She shivered as she felt his nails through her shirt. He stopped and looked down at her, silently asking if her courage was gone. Trembling, she shook her head. He slowly traced a line down her shoulder blades, shredding the cloth. When the back of her shirt was gone, he stopped. She looked up.

"This is your place," he said. She nodded. Satisfied, he raked his nails across her back again. She gasped and tried to arch away as claws tore into her back, but she couldn't press against him any further. There was no pity in D's eyes as he continued to methodically flay the skin off her back. After all, no birth came without suffering. She gave a choking scream, face buried in his side.

As the skin was peeled away, two nubs showed on her back. She was beginning to arch into his strokes, squirming to direct his hand to the bulbs. A narrow smile showed on D's lips, as he sliced through the knobs. Feathers began to show, and her skin began to sough off. She screamed again, sounding like a wounded bird, as her skin fell away and brilliant multi-hued wings burst from her shoulders.

Covered in blood and tissue, the girl, human no longer, looked at the creatures surrounding her, though she still clung to the count. The women smiled at her, soft white hands reaching for her, stroking her, drawing her to them. She smiled back, arm slipping from D's waist. He released her, watching as the birds greeted their new sister.

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"Hey, count, what did you sell to that girl yesterday?"

"Nothing, my dear detective."

"Well, that's good. You don't need another incident about this shop."

"…"

"Hey, what's with this hummingbird flying around here? A new pet of yours?"

"Of course. She is very new. I acquired her only yesterday. If you raise your hand, she might perch on it."

"Seems like a happy little creature."

"She is where she belongs."

If it sucked, you want to tell me. If it didn't, I want you to tell me. So there's no reason not to review, now is there?