Heigh-ho…

I do really hope I haven't scared everyone away with the last chapter… I won't excuse for it, not for the content and not for the length, which was, I admit it, very short. And I guess it wasn't quite what anyone expected. I do, however, hope at least some people enjoyed Tetsu's and Leon's musings. Thanks for the reviews to everyone! :-)

And also thanks for the good wishes, Anabel. While I'm at it, I've gotta tell you I absolutely loved Moonlight Cantata, and as soon as I can find the time, you're getting a review for it.

To Kayi: Well, as long as I'm provoking your greed, that's fine with me :-) Not gonna tell you how many, though… some things a girl's gotta keep secret ;-) Thanks for your review and thanks that you like my T-chan!

But for now, please go ahead and have fun with the third chapter, in which the Count will do a little more than just lie there and sleep… (at last g I was getting bored with the guy just laying there. Really, can't he get his own bed?! My room isn't outfitted to taking care of sick people… And having Leon in here all the time wasn't doing much for my learning process either, I can tell you!)

So long, Enaty ;-)

Waking

His eyes stemmed against being opened. He retried, but still everything he saw was blackness. Pulling together all his strength, D made a third attempt at forcing his lids open, and this time, he succeeded. Disoriented his gaze rambled over the ceiling of his bed. Distantly he wondered how he'd come here. The last thing he recalled was standing in the shop, trying to soothe someone… but who had that been…?

A few moments passed as he willed his head to clear. At last he managed to remember that it had been T-chan who'd fought with someone else… a voice sounded in his head… "Hey D, you bastard! I knew I'd find you!"

His head felt like splitting any moment. Groaning, D lifted up his hand to cradle his spinning head, but was disturbed by a tired "What?! D!"

His hand fell back onto the covers. Someone beside him moved and he turned towards the person with great difficulty. Before he could finish this task, Leon was hovering over him, looking at him with worried eyes. "Damn, D!" he exclaimed. "Man, you scared the hell outta me, you bastard! What did you think, working when you're ill and supposed to be in bed?!"

He wanted to answer, he really wanted, but his throat felt like corded up. He only managed a little croak. Leon's face softened. "Don't speak. Wait, I'll give you some water."

He disappeared and D heard him rustle and rummage around. Another voice sleepily announced the presence of the totetsu in his bedroom. Again D wondered what the matter was, his mind declining him any answers. The pets usually weren't allowed in his bedroom. But now T-chan was here and he was here with Leon. This had to be a dream. Those two never would manage to stick to peace.

Now the totetsu appeared in his view, too, looking relieved. "Count! We thought you'd never wake again!" he breathed, a load falling off his shoulders obviously. "Shall we get you anything?"

He managed to shake his head, but Leon wouldn't take that. "You've got to drink, D," he ordered. "You were unconscious for hours and you had high fever. You've gotta be absolutely dehydrated."

He climbed onto the bed, followed by T-chan. The kami watched in astonishment while he made declining noises. It almost looked like they were used to doing that.

Because both insisted that he drank something, he bowed to their will. But to his embarrassment he was too weak to sit up himself. Leon carefully slid his arms around his waist. "Don't worry, D, we know how to do this. Just lean against my shoulder and we'll have you up in no time," he murmured into his ear.

A flush painted D's cheeks red and he was relieved that Leon had wrestled in behind him so that he couldn't see it. T-chan, however, noticed, but kept silent. The kami made a silent note to question the totetsu about it, but he immediately forgot again. His head was just too dizzy.

Propped up against Leon's chest and carefully held in place by his strong arms, D managed to sip a little tea, urged by his two nurses. The simple action of gulping tired him to no end and when they at last were satisfied with the amount of liquid he'd drunk he sank back with exhaustion. His eyes closed again, though he really tried to keep them open. But they wouldn't do what he told them to.

The last thing he noticed were Leon's arms guarding him back into the covers. Then the world went black again.

#

"Now that went quite well," Leon said contentedly and smiled at the once again sleeping kami. "Don't you think so, T-chan?"

"Hm? Oh, yes. Yeah. At least he woke," the totetsu answered somehow absentmindedly, also looking down on his master. Leon wrinkled his brow, but decided not to interrogate. He felt tired to the bones and every muscle in his body ached from sleeping on the floor. Sniffing a little, he also wrinkled his nose.

"Yuck, I've got to take a shower. T-chan, do you have any bathrooms in the shop?" he inquired and added, "You know, showers where there won't be any animal that might want to bite or eat me."

The tease was a mere formality, just said to keep the routine. Consequently the totetsu didn't even deign to answer and instead pointed to a curtain. "Over there. It's the Count's bathroom, but I don't think he'll mind you using it," he told Leon, who looked not quite convinced. But after a flight from America to Tokyo and 20 hours of constant watch his need for a thorough cleaning was too urgent to object. He fetched fresh clothes and his other utensils from his duffel and disappeared into the bathroom.

T-chan watched him go with a lopsided grin. "No, I don't think the Count'll mind you in his shower," he murmured half worried, half amused. Then he climbed from the bed and went to the door. Ten-chan was keeping watch in front of it. "He just woke," the tiger-goat informed the fox whose eyes lit up.

"He did? How's he feeling?"

"Not too bad, I should guess. He's already asleep again. But he drank a little and I think we've survived the crisis."

"And Leon?"

"Is taking a shower. In the Count's private bathroom."

T-chan couldn't quite keep the grin out of his voice. The nine-tailed fox mirrored it. "Yeah, just what I am thinking, too," he said softly. The other looked at him in surprise and caused a chuckle. "I may not be a human, but I've lived amongst them long enough to notice certain – signs. And I am able to put two and two together."

They were silent for a short moment. "It's not possible, of course," T-chan then said.

"No, it is not," Ten-chan agreed. But his eyes sparkled secretly.

#

The next time D woke, he already felt much better, though his head was still fuzzy. The only thing that irritated him was the wetness he felt at his legs. Both suspicious and unbelieving he tried to pull away the covers to see the source of the moisture there. But his strength hadn't fully returned yet and all he managed was to entangle himself in the sheets hopelessly.

A chuckle made him look up right into amused sky-blue eyes.

"Don't worry, it's just a calf packing to reduce the fever." Leon rose from the cushion pile he'd sat upon and strode over to the bed. Disentangling the sheets, he freed the kami from his silken prison and showed him the towels that were wrapped around his legs. "See? Nothing to worry 'bout. How do you feel anyway?"

The Chinese tried to speak, but found that he wasn't yet able to. So instead of talking, he nodded and smiled a weak smile at the detective. His mind raced at his sight, trying to tell him something, but he couldn't focus on what it was. So he just chose to ignore the strange feeling that he really needed to remember something… that it was important that he remembered it.

"Here, have a drink." Leon handed him a cup and this time, D was able to take it and sip the tea, sighing gratefully. He felt positively drained.

As if the blonde was able to read his mind, he voiced his thoughts. "No wonder you're thirsty. You slept another seven hours since the last time you woke and then T-chan and I weren't quite so successful at making you drink."

He poured another cup and D sipped again, savouring the hot liquid. Though he couldn't taste anything, he was quite sure that this was the herbal tea his grandfather used on sick pets.

Something else stirred in his mind. Herbs… a dizzy spell… a cup of tea in his hands and a strange taste in his mouth…

Seeing D rolling his eyes in an attempt to concentrate, Leon took the cup from his hands and forced the kami back into the covers. "You still need a lot of sleep, D. Your fever isn't quite gone yet and the more you sleep the better."

The familiar voice soothed D's confused spirit enough to let himself be overcome by a pleasant weariness. He closed his eyes, still feeling Leon's hand on his shoulder. Lost in the fuzzy zone between wake and sleep, images popped up in his mind. He and the detective in the shop, his arm around the blonde's shoulder… T-chan and Leon yelling at each other… Leon's arm around him… and again and again, a cup of strangely sweet tasting tea…

#

The room in front of him suddenly started to blur. Grasping the chair harder, he tried to steady himself. Tried to keep standing. Tried to explain to the detective.

"I did not mean to sound harsh, Detective. It is just…"

Something popped up in his drugged brain. This city. This was Tokyo. Still, Leon was here. But how was that possible?

…or was it even possible?

His head swam, his vision was blurred.

I am in the pet shop. Leon is here. We are in Tokyo. I drank some tea. I put a wrong ingredient in my tea. It causes hallucinations.

Leon is here. We are in Tokyo. Leon is here. Tokyo. Leon. Tokyo…

D tossed around in his bed, trying to wake and knowing that he couldn't. He remembered now. He remembered that he'd gone to the front room and sat there, drinking tea. Drinking the tea in which he'd by accident put one of the ingredients that he usually used in the incense. It was not poisonous, but instead of clearing the sight for the other world when inhaled, it caused hallucinations when digested. He'd drunk the tea and then Leon had appeared.

The kami groaned painfully. It is a hallucination. Leon is not here. I dreamt. He wasn't sitting beside my bed and he wasn't taking care of me with T-chan. How could I even believe that? Leon and T-chan?! I've got to be more careful in the future…

With a last gasp, he sat up in his bed, taking in the familiar bedroom with wide eyes. There was no one to be seen, not T-chan and, of course, neither Leon.

A regretful sigh heaved up his chest and he clenched his hand into the collar of his pyjamas. His eyes went empty and sad. It was just a dream…

The sound of a door opening to his right made him start. Turning quickly, he gaped at the figure emerging from his private bathroom, towelling his hair absentmindedly. A small squeak escaped D's throat.

It was loud enough to get the person's attention. Incredulously the Count stared at Leon, who smiled and dropped the towel unheeded. "D! You're awake! Damn, you really scared the shit out of us all. We thought you were gonna peg out for sure sometimes."

His mind reacted automatically. "Please mind your language, Detective," D said and continued staring at the human. Am I still dreaming? Has the tea not lost its influence by now?

His head spun again, but not from sickness this time.

Leon smiled good-humouredly and went to his duffel to take out a fresh T-shirt. "Yeah, quit that Detective-shit, D. I've spent the last three days at your bedside, or better, in your bed. There's no need to stay all formal," he told D in light tones and missed the sight of an open-mouthed Count.

This is a dream. I am still under the influence of the herb.

When there was no answer from behind, Leon turned and looked at the kami questioningly. "D? You okay? Do you still have fever?" he asked concerned. But the Chinese was smiling at him brightly, a true, real smile.

"No, my dear Detective. Pardon me, my dear Leon. I am quite well," he answered softly. Leon gazed at him confused, but then shrugged and turned to the door.

"Well, if you're feeling good enough, I'll call T-chan for breakfast. Or rather, dinner, outside it's near evening."

He left, leaving behind a smiling Count. "Yes, do so, Leon," he said gently. Well, well. This herb was more powerful than he'd anticipated.

Not that he minded in the least.

#

D was still considering all the possibilities this unexpected development had provided him with when he heard noise from outside. Pulling off the covers, he tried to stand up, only to find that his legs wouldn't support his weight. Apparently his sickness had left him weaker than expected, too.

"Geez, make some room in here!" he heard Leon's voice outside. "You're gonna send him right back into unconsciousness if you insist on assailing him all at once!"

The noise faded somewhat and D listened, amused, to his dear detective's attempt at calming down the pets and installing some kind of order. While he was still at it, the door opened a crack and Tetsu swished in, carrying a tray with several dishes on it.

He walked up to the bed and smiled at the Count brightly. "I'm so glad you're all right again," he told D and pecked his head to the side a little disapprovingly when he noticed that he was halfway out of the bed. "Please, Count, you just woke up. Be careful," he pleaded.

For a split second the kami considered reprimanding the totetsu. But as there was no doubt that he had taken care of him during his sickness, he let it slip for once. There would be other opportunities for telling him off.

"Who is taking care of the pets?" he asked instead and slipped back under the covers. A pillow served as a backrest.

T-chan regarded him with a strange look. "We did quite well on our own, don't worry, Count. We took care of everything," he answered, avoiding any straight answer. But D was satisfied.

"That was very good of you all," he praised and regarded the food the totetsu had brought him. "How long was I ill?"

"Since you collapsed, about three whole days," the totetsu answered and sat down on the bed naturally. Another little thing D would have to take care of, but not right now.

He chose a light vegetable soup T-chan had prepared and delicately took a spoonful. Only when the liquid filled his stomach did he notice that he actually was starving. Not surprisingly, he faintly recalled that he'd last eaten more than five days ago. His sickness had left him with disgust for any kind of food. But now his body claimed his right.

The totetsu smiled contentedly when he noticed that the Count was eating with enthusiasm. He stood and went out again, leaving him to his meal. Leon probably needed help; the pets were almost crazy to see their master again.

Indeed he found chaos outside the room. The pets were quarrelling about the order in which they were to visit the Count. Leon stood in the middle, besieged from all sides, helplessly trying to calm them down. Ten-chan was no help either, he was gasping with laughter beside the American.

T-chan took his chance at slipping to his friend's side unnoticed by the blonde. "What are we to do about Leon?" he murmured in his ear.

The fox stopped laughing and turned his mischievously sparkling eyes to the totetsu. "Wait and see what he thinks," he answered softly. "I'd take Leon inside and see how the Count reacts to him. If it's the usual 'dear Detective' and all, then he's probably remembered and knows that he's no hallucination. If not, well, then –" Ten-chan shrugged.

"You'd leave him with the illusion that Leon's not real?" the tiger-goat asked incredulously.

"Yes. Why not? If the worst comes to the worst, we can still make Leon leave very quickly. I've no doubt that he wouldn't even mind leaving very fast then." His eager face told T-chan that his friend did not at all think that the worst case was something they'd have to expect.

Still, he bristled. "But what about the rules? What about the Count's own kind? What about his grandfather?"

The smile the nine-tailed fox now gave him was both mysterious and knowing. "Just let the things slide, Tetsu. Trust me. Just for once, let the things slide."

#

When the door opened again, D wasn't at all surprised to see both Leon and T-chan enter. He set aside his bowl and smiled at them. "Well, have you decided about my visitors?" he inquired, amused that his pets would resort to human hospital customs.

"Yeah, I think we've figured out a way to let all in," Leon answered. At least, D heard the hallucination of Leon answer. This herb really was fascinating. It made the illusion seem so real. He almost could believe that his detective was standing there in front of him, talking about the order in which the pets would come in.

He didn't get much of what the hallucination (or rather, T-chan, whose voice he interpreted as Leon's) was saying. He was too busy admiring the detective's strong body, his bright blue eyes and his for once relaxed smile. It seemed that the herb did not only have a relaxing effect on him, but also on the things he envisioned. What unexpected possibilities!

The kami concentrated on his pets when they started to come in little groups, reassuring them that he was already feeling better. It wouldn't do if he started to talk to an imaginary Leon in front of them. Obligingly the hallucination chose to sit in a corner of the room and watch in silence. When D cast it a quick glance between two groups, he noticed that she seemed to be asleep.

He chuckled. This was perfect.

#

Both T-chan and Ten-chan were watching their master closely during the pets' visit. They noticed the hidden glances at Leon and his total ignorance of the man as long as there were pets in the room. But when they went out and brought in a new group, he was openly staring at the human, admiration and wonder visible on his face.

"He really thinks Leon's a vision," T-chan murmured into Ten-chan's ear while the cats were populating D's bed, the purring so loud that their whispers completely drowned. The fox's mouth twitched.

"Good thing that he's asleep, otherwise he wouldn't be so easily ignored," he answered and tried not to laugh. Oh, he just loved to play tricks on people, even if they happened to be his master.

The totetsu shifted uncomfortably. "I've still got a bad feeling about this," he said, worried. "We can't just pretend not to notice Leon. He'll go crazy. And if we don't ignore him, the Count'll get suspicious. Anyway, why are you so insistent that we let the things slide?"

"I've got my reasons," Ten-chan answered mysteriously. T-chan sent him a questioning glance, but by the way the fox's face had set he could discern that nothing could force him to reveal his reasons. Sighing, he caved in.

"But if it fucks up, you're responsible, understood?"

Ten-chan nodded with gleaming eyes. "I'll take full responsibility."

T-chan really couldn't think of one sentence that had ever made him more suspicious.

#

The pets were all gone. Even T-chan and Ten-chan had left the room. D sat in his bed, a little exhausted, but also happy. His pets' worry about him made him feel content and at ease with the world.

And then, there was the man still sitting in the corner of the room on a pile of cushions, seemingly fast asleep.

Carefully, D climbed out of his bed and went over, standing in front of it and admiring it quietly. It was so perfect. If he closed his eyes, he could even smell Leon's very own scent, well and truly human and still so enticing. Hesitatingly he extended his finger and touched the blonde's face, giggling at his own reluctance. It was, after all, a hallucination. A vision created by his own imagination. That meant that it would probably react as he wanted it to, didn't it?

The young kami delighted in the feel of the skin beneath his fingertip. It was a little rough where Leon hadn't shaved carefully enough, but even that only sent a pleased shiver down D's spine. Since when had he longed to touch his human this way? And how long hadn't he allowed himself to even think of his Leon?

For a second, his face clouded. Yes, that had to be the reason that he'd caught a cold. He'd worked too much lately, trying to escape the persistent memories of Leon. He'd seen no other way to shake off the moment he'd pushed the human off his ship. Only when he'd seen him fall did the full impact of what he'd just done crash down on him.

But he wouldn't make that mistake again. As long as the hallucination lasted, he'd take his chance at the "What if". He'd take his change at loving Leon.

D was not one to give in to emotions. So now when he felt them grow stronger in his heart, he forced himself loose of Leon's image. He didn't know how long the illusion would last, but it was made up of his memories of the detective. Which meant that he still had to be careful. The Leon he remembered wouldn't be too happy if he suddenly started hitting on him.

On the other hand, what did it matter? The hallucination wouldn't last. There was no danger here, not like there'd been in real life.

Still, there were his own feelings to be taken into consideration. And D certainly didn't want them to have one wild night, so to say. He wanted to take things slowly, to let them happen gradually. Even if this was only a hallucination, he wanted the memory to be a good one. Hopefully it would last long enough. And even in case it started to fade before, he could always take a little more of that herb. Hell, if he'd known it would have that special effect, he's long since taken it!

D wandered around the room, feeling his legs grow steadier with each step he took. Only his constitution seemed to suffer from the last effects of the sickness. He had to stop every few steps to catch his breath. But that really didn't matter.

Beside the door to his private bathroom there was a little pile of clothes. D wrinkled his brow. Who had dared…?

Then he recognised them and smiled. Leon, of course. How could he assume otherwise?

There were his old, bleached jeans he usually wore if he wanted to be comfortable. That was one of his favourite shirts, bleached by many, many washings. D sent a glance at the sleeping man and looked back at the pile of clothes thoughtfully. He'd always wanted to know why the detective preferred them to silk…

At first he giggled at his own thoughts. But then, there was no one here except the hallucination. What could possibly go wrong?

Carefully he took up the jeans and one of the shirts, wrinkling his nose a little. Those hadn't seen a washing machine in some time, but as long as the smell was only Leon's, he could put up with it.

The giggle bubbled out of his mouth before he could stop himself. This was so childish, really! Like a kid dressing in his father's clothes to see what it was like. What would his father say – his grandfather!

He could just imagine. But for once, he didn't care. They would never know.

Sitting down on his bed, the kami took off his pyjamas and slipped into the shirt first. It was, of course, far too big for his slim body. Still, it felt okay. Not really as nice as his silken cheongsams, but nice enough.

Giggling the whole time, he struggled into the jeans, laughing outright when he discovered that he had to hold them up so that they didn't slide down to his ankles. The legs also were too long, but that was to be expected. Leon was a good twenty centimetres bigger than he was.

Standing up and holding the jeans with one hand, he steadied himself at the bedpost and took a few steps, body trembling with laughter. He hadn't intended to, but it woke the man who'd slept through all the noise the visiting pets had made.

The blonde sat up, rubbing his eyes and glancing around disoriented. Then he noticed the slender figure with far too big clothes at the bed and quickly rose. "Hey, what are you doin' here – D!"

Incredulously Leon stared at the kami, who'd turned at the sound of his voice and now looked – caught? guilty? embarrassed?

It was a mixture between all of those. For a moment the view took away Leon's breath, it was just so absurd. But then he noticed D holding the waistband of the jeans and the way the tee lopped around his slender frame and burst into laughter.

"Well, I guess that means you're really fit again," he gasped and sat down involuntarily, holding his sides. "Oh my, D, has anyone ever told you that you look just weird in western clothes?"

At first the Count had looked hurt at Leon's reaction, but now he smiled and carefully made his way over to where he was sitting on the floor, bare feet stepping on the hem of the jeans. "No, in fact, no one was ever able to tell me that," he answered with mischievously twinkling mismatched eyes. "For the simple reason that I have never worn anything else but Chinese clothing. Congratulations, Detective, you are present at a premiere."

"Those aren't quite your size, really!" Leon chuckled and plucked at the hem of the tee. "Maybe you should buy ones in your size if you want to wear western clothes."

D smiled warmly. "Thank you, Leon, but I don't think I will. I prefer my own clothes."

"Well, but you're not looking that bad in those," the blonde mused and took a more critical look at the Count. He let himself be scrutinized and even turned a little so that Leon could see his backside.

"One or two sizes less and you'd look good," Leon finally reached a conclusion and yawned widely. "Sorry, D, didn't have that much sleep myself the last few days."

"You need not excuse, Leon," D told him softly. "You've been taking care of me the whole time. I cannot begin to tell you how grateful I am for that."

Leon grinned lopsidedly and waved it aside. "Well, if you don't mind, if you're feeling alright again, I'll go and take a nap."

D quickly hid his disappointment behind a smile. "Of course I don't mind. Where do you sleep?"

"Uhm… to be honest, I don't know where to sleep," the blonde confessed and looked somehow embarrassed. "I mean, T-chan and I slept here the whole time, we took turns at watching you. But we had to be here, because we had to change the calf packing regularly. So I just – well, I slept here." He thumped on the pile of cushions beside him.

D's eyes widened. "But my dear Leon!" he exclaimed. "Really, that was – you should have taken a room. To think that you slept on the floor…"

He looked positively horrified at the mere thought. Leon rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I didn't sleep that much anyway. And if I was just taking a short nap, I stayed in the bed."

That caused the kami's eyes to become even bigger. "You – you slept in my bed?" he echoed weakly. "Beside me?"

The American looked up at him awkwardly. D's cheeks were flushed and his fist clenched the waistband of the jeans. "Ye-ah," he said carefully. "I'm sorry, T-chan didn't object, and, well, it was just easier that way…"

Noticing his discomfort, D shook himself and showed him a bright smile, though his heart skipped a beat. Or two. Or maybe even more. He slept beside me… he slept in my bed… he slept beside me…

"Don't worry about that, Detective," he quickly calmed the blonde, resorting to the more formal approach. If he called him Leon now, he would blush even more and that would be noticeable. "I don't mind. As you said, it was for the best this way. And I was unconscious anyway."

Leon smiled again and stood, groaning a little. "Well, okay, then I'll just go to the front room and make myself comfortable on the couch. And you should get to bed, too. Perhaps you're feeling better at the moment, but we don't want you to relapse, now, do we?"

"But I am feeling well," D protested and stumbled beside the detective, silently cursing the too big jeans that hindered him. "If you want to, you can use my bed again. I've got to see to the shop anyway."

Leon stopped and stared down at him. Then he laid his hands on his shoulders and guided him back to his bed, forcing him to sit down gently. "No, you don't. T-chan, Pon-chan, Ten-chan and I've seen to everything and everyone in here. You're recovering. That means you're staying in bed at least one more day. And then we can talk again, understood?"

"Yes, Detective," D conceded meekly. His legs weren't as steady as he'd thought. But perhaps that was due to the fact that Leon had been very near while guiding him back to his bed.

Either way, he felt like doing what the human said. Leon smiled appreciatively. "Okay. Then sleep well, D. I'll be somewhere in the shop. See you later."

He strode to the door and left, leaving D behind who snuggled into his bed with Leon's clothes still on.