Title: Take me home tonight

Author: Enaty

Rating: K+

Warnings: Very, very slight hints at sex.

Disclaimer: PSoH has still not been sold to me. And considering what I frequently do to them, Matsuri Akino better keep them to herself, too.

Claimer: The text?

Author's Notes: below.

Take Me Home Tonight

He's woken by the early light of dawn and a hand shaking his shoulder. Leon rolls around, yawns and tries to wake up completely. The one who's woken him is in a hurry and so the blond hurries, too, grabbing his clothes and pulls them on as quickly as possible although they are cold and clammy in the morning air.

"Where are we, D?"

Leon gets no answer, but he still follows the kami through the wilderness, gasping with the effort. D doesn't turn back to him, doesn't look at him at all, just moves on, gliding through the bushes like a ghost. The plants part for him, make way so that their master has an easy path. They don't close in front of Leon, however, so he at least is able to keep step even though D is going much faster than Leon can.

He recognises the small clearing where he and D finally met each other last evening, recognises the little stream of water he was drinking from when he heard someone move through the trees and spun around like a deer caught by the predator. Only that it wasn't a predator, but D, looking like a deer in the headlights himself when he caught sight of the human. Here, of all places in the world, in his own shop.

"Here we are," D says, the first words he's spoken in what seem to be years. He makes a great gesture with his arm, appropriately theatrical for him. Leon walks up to him, trying to catch his breath, and looks around. He gasps again when he realises where they are – this is Los Angeles right in front of him, stretching out to the horizon. Los Angeles, the city of the fallen angels he'd left so long ago to follow the only god he's ever believed in…

"Or would you prefer this city?"

D makes the same gesture again, but this time to the left, and when Leon turns, he sees Long Island, the house of his aunt and uncle, the place where Chris still lives. He feels like the breath has been knocked out of his lungs, he's gasping so hard, but it's not because of the sights, more because some fear chokes him.

"What do you want me to say?" he gets out and looks at the untouchable kami right in front of him, who returns the gaze calmly.

"Home, Leon," he replies, his eyes glittering in a way Leon has never before seen. "I want you to tell me which place is your home."

The blonde detective shrugs; he doesn't care about either place. "Hell, why? I'm here, ain't I?"

D slowly shakes his head. "No, you're not," he whispers. "This is your choice, Leon. You have to choose. You found me again, yes, but you know that you cannot stay…"

They are silent for a long moment. Then Leon swallows hard. "Why should I tell you where I feel at home?" he asks. D smiles, a sad smile, and averts his eyes.

"I am asking so I can return you to your rightful home, of course. Like every animal, every human has his or her home, too, and they should not be taken from there."

Leon looks around quietly.

"I've kept you here far too long. You do not belong to the pet shop, you belong to the human world."

Leon looks at D, slowly shakes his head, too. "I don't," he says decidedly. "I've been in this pet shop for years, D. Much longer than you know. I've no idea which year it is, but I slipped inside this shop somewhere in June 2001 and have been here ever since."

D's eyes widen in shock and surprise. "You're lying," he says, but sounds unsure.

Leon denies again. "I'm not. Why would I? I knew you had to be here somewhere. I came inside, but you weren't in the parlour. So I started looking for you in the back. In every room I could reach."

D's eyes widen even farther, and he looks beautiful. Like the god he is.

"You cannot have been here –"

"I'm telling you, I've been here since then," Leon cuts him off and waves around. "Tell me, did you ever see every room in here?"

D shakes his head. "It's impossible," he whispers. "There are far too many of them… But you – how can it be?"

"I don't know." Leon grabs D's wrist so hard even the kami winces. "But I know that you can't take me from here again. You can't make me go. This is home. The pet shop's my home, and I'll stay, no matter what."

It takes a moment for the kami to realise what Leon is telling him. He stares at the human, the one and only ever to enter the pet shop and be accepted by it.

Slowly a smile works its way unto D's red lips. He takes Leon's other hand in his and smiles. "Well, then… welcome home, Leon."

-End-


Author's Notes: Triggered by listening to the song "Take me home tonight" by Paddy goes to Holyhead about one thousand times. Perhaps more. Unfortunately I wasn't able to find the song on youtube, but you can get a glimpse of it at alphamusic. It's not exactly what I would expect of the song belonging to this fic, but, well… Inspiration's a curious thing.

And yes, I know it's sappy -.- Kind of. Although I like it, for some unexplainable reason.