Wow. Guys, I'm seriously impressed o.O How could anyone in their right mind resist such an invitation? Don't worry, Kayi, volkodlak and allroads-etc, there's more of this, because actually, I've got some chapters done already… Anyway, I do hope that I won't become some kind of disappointment. flinches
Leave me a review and tell me if you've liked Chapter One! If you find any mistakes, grammar or spelling, please let me know.
So long, Enaty
P.S. Uh… Actually, I do have a life… Only problem is, it never stops me from thinking up weird stories, and if I don't want my head to explode because of them, I have to write them down… -.-
Hallucinating, Take 1
"D? Hey, D, what's the matter?"
Surprised by the Chinese's reaction, Leon stepped back to him and carefully laid his hand on his shoulder again. The man looked positively stunned!
The second his hand touched D's shoulder, the kami came back to life. A happy smile appeared on his face. "Detective! What a pleasant surprise!" he twittered.
Leon's mouth fell open. Wait a moment, wtf? First he tells me this's a bad time to visit and then he's delighted to see me? Something's fishy here…
Not that there ever was something not fishy with this pet shop. Or D, for that matter.
"Oooooh no, Count, not this time!" he stated and drew back carefully, D following close, beaming. Leon's mind raced. "What are you up to now, D? I won't do anything for you this time, okay? I just came by to yell at you a little, understood? No funny experiments, no rescuing pets or something like that."
D's smile was almost blinding, though he seemed even paler than usual to Leon. If he didn't know better, he'd have said D looked ill. But that couldn't be. Gods didn't fall ill. That was against the laws of nature.
"Of course not, Detective! I do not intend to force you to do something you do not want to do. How could you even think such a terrible thing?" The blonde glared and didn't respond, but D was oblivious to his reaction. "What about a nice cup of tea and a little chat? We haven't seen each other for such a long time!" he chirped.
Leon cleared his throat. "Yeah, not that that was my fault, you know. You just took off without any explanation or accommodation address."
"I am so sorry, my dear Detective. Do you have a special wish for tea? I've got those herbs you liked so much."
D whirled around Leon in an almost female manner, chattering all the time. It made the blonde feel really uncomfortable. That wasn't the D he knew. Silently he wondered whether he'd been wrong and stepped into the pet shop of another D. As far as he knew, everything was possible with this family…
#
Growling under his breath, T-chan set down the tea set with a loud clink, though he was careful not to shatter any. It wouldn't do if the Count got angry with him for ruining his china, not in his momentary constitution. T-chan wasn't as dumb as his master obviously thought he was. He'd noticed how hard D had to try to stay on his feet.
"Really, I wish there was someone to make you listen to him!" he grumbled and then startled. He sniffed, thought and sniffed again. What was that sweet scent underlying the herbs in the tea…? It was not something he would put into that mixture…
Leaning closer, the totetsu carefully drew in a breath. His nose twitched at catching the faint sweet scent. He closed his eyes, searching his memory for this special scent.
Abruptly his eyes flew open and he whirled around, breaking into a full run. "Count!" he yelled. "Count, don't drink the tea! Count!"
Running down the dark corridor, he nearly slammed into Pon-chan. "Where's the Count?" he asked, breathless, but continued running. The little racoon followed him.
"He was in the front room just a moment ago, drinking tea!" she panted. T-chan swore again and increased his speed.
#
"Really, Detective, it is my pleasure to have you here!" D affirmed and offered Leon a cup of tea. The blonde took it, sniffed suspiciously and took a careful sip. He's on something, I'm sure. Or he's not D.
Again he cast a searching glance at the smiling Chinese, but there was nothing wrong with him so far. Long, beautiful cheongsam, mismatched eyes, silken black hair – it was all D, and yet, it was so not D that he felt a chill down his spine. His behaviour was… odd, to say the least.
And now he scooted a little bit closer to him, still beaming. "Do you like the tea? It's a special mixture," D explained, too delighted to notice the blonde's visible discomfort. "I made it from all the herbs you like."
"Yeah, uh, that's – nice, D. Really. Good tea," Leon mumbled and eyed the ever shrinking distance between the two of them. When had D ever sat beside him instead of opposite, he wondered and couldn't recall one occasion. Something was off here, really off.
"I missed you, Detective," D whispered and averted his discoloured eyes, thus shaking Leon from his reverie. "Uh?" he stuttered, not quite sure if he'd heard right. D's pale cheeks blushed. It looked sick somehow. Like the blush was too much colour for this pale face.
Leon was seriously considering if D had fallen ill. Even laws of nature could be broken, couldn't they?
And now he was even scooting closer!
Helplessly the detective watched the small space between them vanish. A slender arm was draped around his shoulders and D was whispering in his ear. "I am so glad you searched for me, Detective. It makes me most happy."
A small noise came from Leon's throat, too weak to be even heard. Frozen to ice, he waited for the things to come, for there was nothing else he could do.
#
T-chan skidded through the kitchen and ripped open the curtain that separated it from the front room, hurrying in. "Count…" he started to say, but stopped dead in his tracks at the sight in front of him. His teeth-spiked mouth fell open. Incredulously he gaped at his old enemy, Leon Orcot, sitting on his usual place on the couch. But that wasn't what made him almost squeak in disbelief.
No, it was the fact that before his unbelieving eyes his master was caressing the frozen detective, who seemed quite unable to move. The Count, apparently, was neither aware of Leon's state nor of the interruption. He kept whispering into Leon's ear and threading his small hand through his blonde hair.
The totetsu made a little sound, something between a whimper and a weak squeak.
Leon abruptly woke. "You!" he yelled and jumped up so fast he nearly knocked D down. The Chinese looked at him pouting.
"Detective, what's the matter? Why do you leave me?" he complained, but the blonde wasn't listening. He pointed at the totetsu, quivering with anger.
"You damn goat-thing, it's your fault that Chris's unhappy!" he growled.
T-chan snapped back into normal mode and bared his teeth. "As if I'd had a choice!" he snarled.
Leon strode over until they stood face to face, measuring each other with glares. "I'll kick your damn ass for that, bastard!" the blonde hissed. D stood up, swaying a little in the process, but the two opponents didn't notice. They were too busy trying to stare each other down.
Determined D made his way over to them and tried to position himself between them. "Please, Detective. T-chan, behave, Leon just arrived!" he wanted to soothe. The enmity was thick in the air. D felt his head swim. He stumbled a little and steadied himself with his hand on Leon's shoulder.
"Let me go, D, I've got to do this!" the detective commanded. T-chan growled in reply.
D's eyes rapidly lost focus. "There's absolutely no nee…"
His eyes turned upwards and he collapsed.
"D! Hey, D, what's the matter? D?!" Quick-witted Leon snatched D's sagging body and prevented him from falling to the floor. His eyes were close and he was pale, so pale, even in the dim light in here. The blonde immediately forgot his revenge. Carefully he picked the Count's light body up. "Where's his bedroom, T-chan?" he demanded.
The totetsu snapped out of his shock. Wide-eyed, he gestured to the back. "In there. I'll show you the way. Fast, please!" he pleaded and held the curtain open for Leon.
In the kitchen they met Pon-chan, out of breath, who squealed in fear at the sight of D's lifeless body. "Count, what happened?" she cried.
"He collapsed, I think he's unconscious. Calm down, Pon-chan, please. Get us some cold water, would you? We're taking him to his room."
T-chan felt a jealous pang at Leon's calm, commanding tone. He'd taken control of the situation and he was doing well at it. Later. You can eat him later when the Count has come to his senses again. Now first take care of him. he told himself.
They made their way through the dark corridors, Leon swearing every once and again at the darkness in there. But when they reached the bedroom, he laid D carefully down onto the bed and drew the covers over him. "He's still unconscious," he stated and looked at T-chan.
He stared back. "What? I'm not the human here. I don't know what to do with unconscious people," he shot back and Leon's face went red.
"D's no human, so how am I supposed to know what to do with him?" he snarled. "Why did he faint in the first place, anyway?"
Now it was T-chan's time to shift uncomfortably. "He's ill," he murmured.
"He's ILL? And you're letting him sit there in the shop and drink tea?"
Leon's glare was both unbelieving and accusing. He was worried about D. He didn't know what to do. So he took the first chance at letting off steam that was available.
Unfortunately the totetsu had never been one of his favourites.
"WE didn't let him do anything!" the tiger-goat snapped back. "WE're trying to get him to stay in bed since a damn WEEK, but HE wouldn't!"
"Why don't you just make him, then? Hell, he could have a pneumonia or something even worse!"
"Well, YOU go and try make him, asshole!"
"Leon…"
The soft murmur from the bed startled them. Forgetting their fight immediately, they hurried to D's side. His eyes were still closed and he was shifting uneasily.
"I'm here, D, it's alright. I'm right here," Leon soothed and took D's hand, only to drop it again quickly. "Shit, he's hot!" he swore. "He's got high fever. T-chan, do you have a doctor here?"
The totetsu stared at the human. "A doctor?" he echoed. "Are you kidding me?"
"Well, I guess that's a no," the blonde murmured and threaded his hand through his hair. "Shit. I don't know any Japanese. Well, not enough to call a doctor anyway."
T-chan stiffened. "We wouldn't let him in, so don't you even try!" he threatened and Leon shot him an annoyed look.
"Well, any ideas as to what to do now then? Because I've got none, except cold water and bed rest."
The totetsu gnawed at his lip. "That's everything we can do for now," he said hesitatingly. "And if it gets worse – well, if it's really bad, I know how to reach Sofu D…"
Leon held up his hands. "Whoa, make slow! D's not dying yet. Before we call in that ass of a grandfather, we'll make sure we've tried everything else."
"Okay," T-chan conceded. He'd liked Q-chan. But he wasn't so sure what to think of Sofu D. Anyway D hadn't seemed to be that fond of his grandfather lately, so he guessed it might be better to keep him away if possible.
Pon-chan chose that moment to appear with a bowl of cold water and some towels. "How is the Count?" she asked anxiously. Behind her some of the other pets trailed in, looking confused and worried. Leon sighed and looked at T-chan. The totetsu returned the glance. Silently they made a deal.
"Thank you, Pon-chan. He'll be alright again, I think. Please, if you're inside, be quiet, okay? We'll do our very best," Leon announced and placed the bowl beside D's bed. "Let's get to work, T-chan."
#
They shooed the other pets out of the room again, with the exception of Pon-chan who was too afraid to be left outside. T-chan made her sit down beside the Count's head and listen if he said anything. Then he and Leon stood before the bed and stared at the shifting kami.
"Well, I guess we'll have to take off his clothes first," the blonde said hesitatingly. T-chan glared. "Hey, I only know what my mom taught me, and I know that calf packing is antipyretic. But to do that, you've got to be – well, not clothed," he defended himself.
The totetsu gave the matter due consideration and finally nodded. "Okay, that sounds reasonable to me. I'll hold him and you'll take his clothes off."
"Why me?"
"Because you're much more used to taking someone's clothes off," T-chan snapped and Leon looked hurt.
"But not with men!"
"Well, you're the one always going on about the Count looking like a woman and wearing dresses. So stop behaving like a baby and undress him!"
The blonde still pouted, but climbed onto the bed. After some mêlée they found out how they could peel D out of his clothes without hindering each other. Pon-chan watched them, giggling in spite of the serious situation. It was just too funny seeing the two enemies sweating with their task.
"Okay, so now where're his nightclothes? Does he even have some?" Leon asked and threw the elaborate cheongsam on the floor. D would have a fit at seeing this. But unfortunately he couldn't, because he was still unconscious. Leon himself considered this maltreatment of the thing as a just revenge for being such a fuss to take off.
Besides, he really wondered how the Chinese could stay so unimpressed by all this. If someone would take off his clothes, he'd wake up no matter how high his fever was, he was pretty sure of that.
T-chan pointed to the wardrobe. "In there, I think. But I thought you wanted to make calf packing."
"I do," Leon said from the depths of said wardrobe. "But those are just on the chest and the legs. And he still should wear something, even if it's only a nightshirt, just to keep the rest of him warm. Something nice and easy to take off if we have to change it. Ah!"
Smiling triumphantly, he appeared again, holding white silk in his hands. "That should do for now," he said satisfied and came over again. Quickly they dressed D's limp body in the light silken pyjamas. Funnily enough it was a much easier task dressing him than undressing him had been. Probably this was due to the fact that the pyjamas didn't have so much little hidden closures, Leon mused.
"Now we need two wet towels and two dry ones," he ordered. This time Pon-chan helped them putting the calf packing on D. He still made no sound.
Stepping back, the blonde admired their work. "Now that should do something about the fever," he thought aloud. "But I really hope he wakes up again soon. Do we have something to drink in here if he does? He should drink a lot."
They busied themselves with setting out a carafe of water and some light food, if D felt like eating when he woke. T-chan left and prepared some herbal tea, this time carefully selecting each ingredient. He still wondered if D had noticed. He had to have noticed. But on the other hand – the totetsu couldn't explain his strange behaviour towards Leon otherwise.
If D thought that the detective was a hallucination caused by the wrong ingredient, what would he do once awake again?
T-chan sighed and rested his head against the cupboard. What was he supposed to do now? Would Leon stay if they asked him to? Should he explain before something strange happened? Or should he just hope that the Count was too ill to really remember anything?
#
While the totetsu in the kitchen was torn between conscience and antipathy, Leon mulled heavy thoughts, too. Supporting his chin with his hands, he sat at D's side, waiting for the kami to open his eyes again. Hell, he could even yell at him for maltreating his damn dress, if he wished to! He just should wake up…
"You're the most stupidest idiot I've ever met," Leon told him, somehow hoping that D would wake and start their usual bickering if he just insulted him bad enough. But nothing happened, and to be honest, the blonde hadn't expected anything else. He laid a hand on D's sweaty forehead, feeling how hot the Chinese was. "Never thought I'd see you do something so human as sweat," he murmured, but even this comment lacked its usual spirit.
The room was so silent, now that T-chan had left and Pon-chan been sent to inform the other pets. Leon leaned back and looked around, taking in the chamber. This was the first time he'd ever been to D's bedroom, but honestly, it was much as he'd imagined it. Curtains and silly furniture everywhere. There was a big wardrobe in one corner, from which he'd taken the pyjamas.
A regretful glance was sent at the cheongsam on the floor. Well, it didn't look like D would wake up soon… and besides, if they had to change the calf packing, it would be in the way…
Sighing deeply, Leon stood and stuffed the cheongsam into the wardrobe, not caring that the delicate silk got crushed in the progress. Having done so to his satisfaction, he looked around the room. D's bed really was big. There was enough room in there for at least three.
Involuntarily Leon grinned as he imagined D using all that space in the big four-poster bed. "Bet you'd just use it to cuddle your freakin' pets. What a shame," he told the kami and went to him again. Taking a washcloth, he carefully wiped the sweat from his forehead. At least he'd stopped shifting and was now sleeping, if Leon's speculation was right. Hopefully, it was. Otherwise D would be dying.
A shudder went down his spine, cold and disquieting. "I'll tell you what, you die before I had my chance at yelling at you and I'll hunt you down, even if I've got to go to hell to find you!" he told the sleeping man gruffly. D showed no sign that he even heard Leon's voice. His breath was shallow and very quiet. The blonde almost had to put his ear to his mouth to even hear it.
Well, there wasn't anything he could do than wait until D woke again. He couldn't fetch a doctor, there was no doubt that T-chan would eat him the second he stepped into the shop. And asking Sofu D was out of the question. As long as Leon was in this room, there was no chance in hell that D's grandfather would be in here, too. At least not alive.
Thinking about the shop, Leon remembered something. He cast a last worried glance at D, wondering if he could leave him alone. But he couldn't do anything right now other than wait. Sighing, the blonde stood up again and wandered the room restlessly, wishing Pon-chan would return. He could leave D to her and see if the shop was locked.
Then clinking in front of the door told him T-chan had returned from the kitchen, bearing a tray with food and tea. He opened the door and silently stepped aside to let him into the room. Uncomfortable silence stretched while the totetsu set out the dishes. Leon didn't know what to say or do, so he just watched.
Having set out the dishes to his satisfaction, T-chan stood, carefully avoiding Leon's eyes, neither wanting to start the conversation. The blonde's mood darkened even more. This is silly. We've got to work together, at least until D's well again.
He cleared his throat. "I just wanted to check if the front door is closed," he mumbled. "When I came in, it was open."
T-chan slowly looked at him, apparently remembering. "Yes, the Count left it open. He was hoping the customer would return."
Leon's brow wrinkled. "Return?"
Then he got it and grinned. "Bet he wasn't too happy you'd scared him away, was he?" he teased the snarling totetsu.
"He'd just gone to bed. I didn't want him to be disturbed, but he forgot to lock the door and she came right in."
Leon's grin widened. "Yeah, of course. Well, then I'll see to it that the door's closed for today. Do you have a sign or something I can put on the front?"
T-chan shook his head. "No, the Count ripped it yesterday by accident." Seeing the blonde's unbelieving glance, he growled. "He wanted to close the door and it was in between. So what? Those things happen, even to the Count."
He must be seriously ill if something like that happens to him.
Leon didn't voice his thought, but his favourite enemy got it all the same and averted his face. "He wouldn't listen to one thing one of us said," he murmured apologetic. Again silence fell, only disturbed by their breaths.
"Well, then we've got to write a new one, I guess." Thankfully T-chan looked at the blonde. Perhaps Leon was more sensitive than he'd thought.
"But you've got to write it," he told the detective, who looked positively horrified at the mere suggestion.
"I've got to do what? Are you crazy, T-chan?! I can't even write my own letters so that someone else can read them, much less Japanese!" he declared and the totetsu snorted, forgetting his short friendly feeling for him at once.
"Yeah, that I believe. Americans are so –"
"Don't you dare say it!" Leon snarled and they glared at each other.
"Can't you two ever stop fighting?" Pon-chan asked from the door tiredly. "The Count's lying ill and you're screaming at each other right beside his bed! That's just the way he'll get well again!"
Guiltily both human and totetsu looked at the raccoon and edged away from the bed, sending glances to the still sleeping Count. "He didn't wake up!" T-chan pointed out and Pon-chan snorted and glared.
"Your luck! Now get out, you two, I'll watch him while you get the shop closed and everything," she commanded. They sidled out like beaten dogs.
Sighing, Pon-chan settled into the bed beside the Count and mused if T-chan and Leon would be able to keep their truce at least until he woke again. She really doubted it.
#
"Well, that doesn't look too bad. A little inexpertly, perhaps, but it's at least readable," Ten-chan smiled at Leon who stared at the brush in his hand with disgust.
"Geez, why can't you just use a biro like normal people?" he lamented. Unimpressed by his sulking Ten-chan took the sign and went to the door. Leon followed, muttering some not very nice things about people who used a brush to write instead of something common. Something preferably American.
The fact that some million people used a brush to write he simply ignored.
Once at the door, he cast a look around. The street was almost deserted. It had rained heavily earlier the day and now, it was wet and cold, not very inviting outside. Since D's shop was in a relatively hidden part of the city, only a few passers-by were on their way, hiding in warm coats and not looking up to see the blonde American poking out.
Leon fixed the sign on the door and shut it behind him, turning the key in the lock. "That should suffice," he said and looked at the nine-tailed fox. He grinned at him.
"So, that means you're staying overnight, I guess?" he asked slyly. The blonde's cheeks went red.
"Well, someone has to see that you freaking things don't kill D," he snapped and went back into the front room.
Ten-chan followed. "Don't you have any luggage?"
"Over there," Leon answered and pointed to a battered duffel bag near the entrance. He'd set it down there when he'd entered the shop and forgotten until now. "That's all I need."
Ten-chan didn't look convinced, but he kept his thoughts to himself and sat down on a chair. "And where do you plan to sleep, if I may ask?" he inquired. Leon waved his hand around airily. "Here, I guess. I'm used to sleeping in chairs, that's no problem. Most of the time I'll be taking care of D anyway."
"I don't think the Count would be very pleased if we offered you nothing more than an uncomfortable chair when you're doing him such a service," the fox murmured and sent a pointed glance at T-chan, who'd just entered and was about to open his mouth, no doubt to say something.
Instead of insulting Leon, the totetsu announced, "Dinner's ready!"
The American lit up immediately. "That's great! I could eat a horse!" he declared. Then he looked at T-chan confused. "Who's with the Count?" he asked.
"Honlon and Pon-chan are with him, Detective," Ten-chan soothed and quickly helped T-chan to put the dishes on the table. It was not elaborate food, nothing like D would've offered Leon. They'd only managed to prepare some sandwiches. Another consequence of D's illness had been that he'd lost his appetite almost completely. There was not much human food in the shop right now.
But Leon didn't mind. He'd always been one for fast food. Hungrily he took one and savoured it. "That's great!" he said, mouth full. T-chan snickered. Luckily the blonde was too busy eating to notice. "I've had nothing since I boarded that plane to Tokyo," he told Ten-chan who looked genuinely interested. T-chan disappeared into the back again. He didn't want to eat around Leon, and not only because the detective would most certainly not approve of his food.
Once the sandwiches were gone, Leon sighed and stretched. "Okay, Ten-chan, let's get back to the Count and change his calf packing again. Hell, I don't even know how long they're supposed to stay on him."
He missed the weak look the pets present gave him. That was just like Leon, always having a good smattering at his command.
Still, they all followed him back to the Count's bedroom where Honlon and Pon-chan already waited for them. Even the three-headed dragon seemed depressed. She welcomed Leon with a wet shimmer in her eyes. "Will he get well again?" she whispered and looked at the sleeping Count. Leon looked at her confused for a moment. He didn't remember this girl and couldn't think which animal she'd been.
But then he abandoned the thought as his gaze followed her glance and he had to admit that it didn't look too well. He hadn't woken yet and the blonde wasn't sure whether he was unconscious or sleeping. Both seemed likewise possible.
But he wasn't here to spread a bad mood. So he put a brave, confident smile on his face and gently shooed all pets out of the room. "I'm sure he'll be all well and up again in a few days. He's just sleeping his fever off. So go to bed now or whatever you sleep in. T-chan and I will stay with him, don't worry."
Ten-chan stopped in the doorframe and looked back at Leon. "If you need anything…" the fox said hesitatingly and he nodded.
"I'll call you, Ten-chan. Now just send T-chan over, please."
The nine-tailed fox left with the others, gently closing the door behind him. Leon was again alone with D.
"Hey, you gonna sleep forever, snow-white?" he murmured and sat down on the big bed, placing a hand on D's forehead. Feeling the heat, he silently swore. "Damn, we've got to get that fever down! Don't worry, D. We can do that. Just hold on, okay? Just hold on."
T-chan arrived, looked into Leon's face and they set to work with grim determination.