Reality caught up with Leon again Monday morning at work. He stared at his desk glumly, trying to get the light feeling of yesterday's celebration at the shop back, but it was no use. Writing reports just couldn't match sitting around in the parlour, joking around with D and Sandy, or riding on Honlon's back over the jungle and mountains that had to be as great as the Himalaya, judging from above. It just couldn't match the good vibes D was sending off while he was laughing at a joke or smiling at Sandy without his mask.
But he had to do it nevertheless. Giving in with a groan, Leon set to work and managed to get some of it done before the phone ringing pulled him back into the real world. Absent-mindedly he took it up. "LAPD, Detective Orcot, how can I help you?"
"Hi Mr. Detective," a voice at the other end said, making him stiffen for a moment, a strange feeling creeping up in his guts. "I just called to ask if there're any news about the seagulls."
Leon slowly let out some air and answered. "Hi, Miss Ward. No, sorry, not so far. I'm still waiting for the lab results. Have you heard anything new?"
"Not so far." She had a warm voice, pretty deep for a woman, one that made it easy to talk to her. "I wish I had. I went to the police station and tried to find the officer I had talked to, but either he wasn't there or I didn't recognise him."
Leon wrinkled his brow. "Miss Ward, you really should be careful," he warned, leaning back in his chair. "It might be dangerous if someone tried to keep things covered up and then realised you're a possible danger."
"I know. But I really needed to do something, can't you understand that? Those seagulls, they were like my friends. I've known them for years now, heard them every day, and now it's just so – silent. It wakes me up every morning, the silence."
"I'm sure there'll be seagulls at the beach again in a while."
"Of course." She sounded slightly impatient and as if he was disappointing her. "But can't you understand me? I mean, if your friend's-"
"Yeah, I know. I know, he's freaking, too."
"See? I mean, it's just… there's nothing there anymore. I bet that he'd like that beach much better if you'd get that matter cleared up as soon as possible so you two can…"
Leon felt his face going hot and red. "Whoa, no, slow!" he interrupted. "No, it's not – he's not -"
"He's not your boyfriend?" Adrianne Ward sounded surprised. Leon took a deep breath.
"No, he isn't my boyfriend. He is… uh, actually he is a she and only the mother of my child. We're not, I mean, it's not like that and…" He trailed off and felt his stomach lurch, although it wasn't even a lie. Biologically speaking, D was Dana's mother, since he had given birth to her. Still, Leon knew that the kami didn't let the child call him "Father" for nothing.
Adrianne was quiet for a moment. "Right, your child's mother then. Am I supposed to understand those complications? I mean, it sounds interesting alright, but… complicated, in a way."
He couldn't help the chuckle. "Who're you telling that."
"I'd like to know more about that, if you don't mind. I think you're a pretty fascinating man."
Whoa. Leon's jaw dropped for a moment. She definitely was straight-forward.
And quite amused by his stunned state, for he heard her chuckling quietly. "I'm sorry, was that too blunt? I guess yes. I apologise. Anyway, if you wouldn't mind having a cup of coffee with me someday or the other to talk a little – and preferably also about the seagulls – you could give me a call."
Leon could feel the grin stretching his face. "Well, thanks, Miss Ward. I'll keep that in mind," he said, trying to be polite. "And I'll be sure to call you should I get any news about the seagulls." Now that was polite, wasn't it? He hadn't declined straight away. "And be careful in the meantime. Losing one of two witnesses ain't fun."
She laughed, obviously not offended by his rather hesitant attitude. "I will. Goodbye then, and have a nice day."
Leon answered and put the receiver down, shaking his head with a smile. Whatever.
He was quite surprised when the phone in the pet shop rang the same evening and his aunt's voice sounded through.
"Thank god it's you!" she sighed after hearing Leon rattle off D's little speech (the new version). "I prayed it'd be you, but I wasn't sure if you'd be in the shop at all, and your cellphone was off…"
"What's the matter? Is something wrong with Chris?" Leon's worry instantly increased hearing her voice, which sounded tired and unhappy.
"No, Chris is fine, Leon, just fine. I just wanted to tell you that he's going to visit you this weekend. As compensation for him not being in LA yesterday."
"Okay…" Leon stretched, surprised and waiting for her to elaborate further. The first jab of joy was quickly replaced by suspicion. Mary didn't sound overly happy.
"Did you have a nice day, anyway? Wasn't the christening on Saturday, too? I'm sorry I didn't call you, Sam hurt her ankle and we had a lot…"
"No problem," Leon cut her off, his instincts screaming. "Chris called me and told me happy birthday from you too, and also told me about Sam's ankle. It's okay, really." He was used to people doing smalltalk to get away from the real issues. Last but not least from D. "What's the matter? I mean, the real matter, Aunt Mary. I know what Uncle Arthur said last week when I called to ask if Chris could come for my birthday. Why do you send him down now?"
A deep sigh at the other end, then Mary surrendered. "Arthur and Josie are having another fight. I don't want Chris to be around the whole time to witness this. He's gone through too much already." Now she was firm and business-like, but Leon knew her enough to know when he was not being told the whole truth.
Still he conceded easily, guessing that D and Dana would be happy to see Chris, too. And, since D was just entering, told him about Mary's request, which made the kami lighten up at once.
"So, what're we gonna do with him once he's here?" Leon asked, putting the phone back down after getting the details about Chris's flight from Mary. "We could go camping."
D's happy face froze. His eyebrows shot up. "Camping?" he echoed. "Whatever for?"
Leon leaned back comfortably. "Because then Dana and I can have a look at some other rooms in here," he replied easily. "And Chris always wanted me to meet his Philippe friend. We didn't make it to him yet, so we could go this weekend together with Chris."
"Camping in Philippe's room will get hard, since he lives in the ocean," D pointed out and absent-mindedly scratched Tetsu's fur. The totetsu yawned and rolled onto his back to offer his belly to D. Leon looked away. Seeing the pets as humans was okay, thanks to Kanan. Seeing D scratch the belly of a half-naked young man was – discomforting somehow.
"Take him to Kate's room," the mystic creature suggested. "Dana hasn't been in there since months, and Kate's missing her terribly. If you talk to her beforehand, she'll not get at Leon once he's inside."
"Great idea, furball," Leon said dryly. "I like to be alive, thanks very much."
"It is an option," D agreed, his eyes sparkling, and Leon knew the kami loved the idea of seeing him deal with the grizzly. Groaning, he conceded defeat.
"But we'll camp the human way!" he tried to make at least one thing clear.
After a moment, D nodded.
He rued having consented to Leon's wish when he found out what a true human camping trip required and scowled at the smirking human when he handed him a list with things to buy. But since he'd promised Leon they would, and since Chris already knew and was overjoyed at the prospect, D left the children in Shao Lin's care and went shopping for camping items. Luckily he could have them delivered to the shop, and he even managed to change one of his customer appointments so that he could stop by and have a cup of tea before continuing his trip through the city.
Walking by the city hall, he spontaneously decided to pay Peggy a visit. He had a few minutes, Lin wouldn't expect him back at the shop before three. So he entered and asked the secretary if the mayor was present. Two minutes later he was welcomed by the man, who seemed practically overjoyed at his appearance. "Dear Count, do come in! Where have you left that officer? Isn't he usually around?" he asked and led the way to his bureau.
D smiled and patted Peggy's head while he answered. "Detective Orcot is probably at either the precinct or out on the streets, working."
The mayor chuckled a little. "Well, Count, not that I want to pry, but I have to confess, I'm curious," he said and D inwardly rolled his eyes. "You know, I heard rumours about you and him... Not that there hadn't been rumours before you left, too, but now…"
"We are raising a child together," D forestalled any questions concerning their private relationship to each other. He was surely not going to tell this human that he and Leon were broken up at the moment – at least in private. And that made him cast a quick glance at the ring, followed by a smile.
The mayor moved uneasily. "You do know, Count, that in this state, men aren't allowed to..." he began and then obviously didn't know how to go on.
D looked at him. "The child is mine, Richard. I do not think that anyone has a right to tell me who I let take part in her education. Detective Orcot teaches her English."
He still looked suspicious, but also somewhat relieved. "Well, in this case... of course you have the right to decide who's teaching her. I just want to – well, you know, just be careful..."
D's voice wasn't exactly icy, but definitely cool. "Richard, I assure you that Detective Orcot is fully entitled to take care of this child."
"Yes, yes, of course... Say, are you free now? I'm going to have lunch with the attorney in twenty minutes, perhaps you would like to come along?"
D smiled again. "As much as I would like to see Mr. Scott again, I am afraid I must decline. I have to return to the shop."
The mayor looked disappointed. "Oh well, I guess you have work yourself."
"Thank you very much for the invitation, and please tell Mr. Scott I hope he and Mariah are well." D still knew how to butter those guys up. The look on the man's face told him he'd succeeded again.
"Oh, here, before you leave..." The mayor looked around for something on his desk and then produced two tickets he handed to D. "I heard it's a good play, but I don't have the time to go. So if you want..."
The young kami smiled. "Richard, thank you. I shall be sure to have a look at it."
The human's grin was broad and a little stupid. "Well then, Count, have a nice day and a good evening. Perhaps you can make time for lunch sometime?"
"I will try," D promised and tried not to think how he should manage that, since his days were pretty busy with two small children to care for. Even if the second one was only at the shop when Jill was working.
Leon, however, wasn't that happy to learn of the tickets. He made a face. "Theatre, D? I don't know..." he complained. "You know how I stick out there..."
"And I didn't stick out at that club of yours?" the kami replied sharply, not planning to give in. "I'll go in any case. And I have the second ticket, but perhaps you'd be happier if you stayed here and looked after Dana?"
Leon's face showed relief, which quickly changed into anger when D spoke the next words. "Perhaps Lin-san would like to go with me... she deserves a little something for being such a nice babysitter..."
"Like hell you're going with the Shao brat!" the blonde exploded, striding over and grabbing the spare ticket. D smirked and he glared. "That's not fair play, and you know that!" he accused the kami, who shrugged and turned to one of the incense pots.
"Oh, isn't it?"
Leon growled and sulked for two hours. Then he slowly came down again and instead started to look worried. D knew why. The only time he'd been to a ballet with Leon, he'd been everything but happy, surrounded by all the high society and feeling out of place.
The kami stopped when he went past him to the kitchen and laid a hand on his shoulder. "If you want, I'll help you pick out your clothes," he offered, remembering the christening.
His face showed indecision. "I don't know, D... I'm not gonna wear a tux or something like that."
"Which is a shame," D couldn't suppress and smirked at the glare he got.
"I'm not gonna wear such a stupid suit!"
"Yes, yes, alright. Still, you do look good in it."
"I look like a stupid penguin!"
D rolled his eyes. "If you say so... I'm sure Dana would love seeing you dressed like Lucky."
Leon's horrified expression told him that this had just been the right way to ensure the human would never wear a tux again. D turned to the hotplates and started making dinner, smirking to himself. He could wait.
"D?"
Leon bounced into the shop, quite clearly in a hurry, but he was received by Shao Lin, who glared at him with animosity. He didn't know what he'd done to earn such dislike from her, but he knew that she very much resented his presence. "Where's D?" he asked flat out, ignoring her glare.
"The Count is doing business," she replied, setting aside her book and turning to the teapot. "Would you like a cup of tea?"
Yeah, as if Leon wouldn't know what the fake politeness meant, after having dealt with D for so long. So he barely rolled his eyes at her offer and continued. "Nah, just wanted to ask D if he wants to go pick up Chris with me, 'cause I'm going now. Where're the kids?"
"They are both asleep, Detective Orcot."
Uh, was he supposed to be afraid of that cool tone she had clearly copied from D? So not gonna happen.
Leon grinned at her happily, not admitting that only the prospect of seeing his little brother so soon was preventing a fight with the Chinese girl. "Well then tell D I'll be back with Chris in an hour at the most, and we'll need some food, 'cause he's gonna be hungry."
Lin tried to freeze him to the spot, but unsurprisingly, she didn't succeed. She just didn't have the cold look down like D did. "The Count is not your personal slave, Detective."
"Nope, but my boyfriend, which's as good as."
Leon was out of the shop again before she could reply, clearly flustered. D behind the curtain to the back heaved a silent sigh. Did the human even realise how much he practically forced the citizens of Chinatown to dislike him?
And still, he felt warm inside thinking that Leon did a lot of that just in order to protect D and his feelings. Not many humans would've done that; D could pride himself with having a friend like Leon, he truly could.
And had the human still been here, he might just have gone out and embraced him for that.
"So we're really gonna go camping? The whole weekend?" Chris wriggled around in the back of the car, excited to the most. Leon smiled at his younger brother in the rear mirror. "Yeah, buddy, just like I promised. D's been out buying camping stuff the whole last week. You should just see it."
"Cool!"
Leon laughed as he pulled into his parking space and killed the engine. "Yeah, right. So have you brought your stuff along?"
"Mom packed it for me." Chris's face sank when he mentioned his mother. "But Dad wasn't happy about it at all."
"Yeah, but Uncle Arthur's not angry at you, Chris, you know that."
"No, only at Josie."
Leon was glad that he managed to take Chris's mind off the family quarrels by walking through Chinatown with him, pointing out new stores that had opened since Chris had been here the last time. But the greatest distraction was of course D, waiting for them at the top of the stairs. Various bypassers smiled as the boy flung himself at the kami and then immediately proceeded to start making nonsense with Dana, Honlon, Tetsu and Pon-chan while Leon and D packed the last stuff.
But he had to take a deep breath when D led them through the door into the dark, quiet wood that he remembered so well from his first meeting with the grizzly bear Kate. Actually, the woods in Yellowstone Park had felt a little like this one, but it was – somehow darker and more dangerous. Just like D's shop in general was more dangerous than nature, in a way.
They didn't get far that day, since it had already been afternoon when they started, and they sat up camp in a clearing next to a stream. D watched Leon trying to set up the tents for a while, mocking him mercilessly that this whole trip had been his idea before he took pity on him and helped, while the children ran around and screamed. In contrast to the adults, they obviously weren't exhausted at all. Which, at least in Honlon's case, wasn't surprising at all.
"So, who's gonna do the cooking?" Leon finally asked, wiping some sweat off his forehead and taking a deep breath. The tents were standing, but he sure was in no mood to cook now. D, guessing his thoughts, rolled his eyes.
"Why do I always have to do the cooking?" he complained, although he was already taking food out of the rucksack Chris had been carrying. "One could really think that Lin-san is right and you only consider me as your housewife."
"Nah, can't be, 'cause if you were, I'd demand sex every night."
Tetsu, sitting beside Leon, choked on the sandwich he'd been chewing. Leon blushed a deep red, obviously surprised himself, while D halted his movements and stared at him wide-eyed. "I'll pretend I didn't hear that. Really, the opinion you have about women…"
"Isn't as bad as you keep telling me all the time!" the blonde protested, willing his blush down. "And that wasn't meant like I said it!"
"Oh, was it not indeed?" D carefully put herbs into the soup and stirred, trying to keep his eyes on the food. He felt the need to do as he had done last week in that club – lower his lashes and peek at Leon.
Instead, he determinedly stirred the soup. Not going to…
"Well, I'm just saying," Leon muttered. "I haven't had sex for weeks – no, months, since I was comatose so long – and it's just…"
He shut up again, blushing a bright red. D could feel a bad foreboding in his stomach. This wasn't quite normal.
"A guy's got needs, you know?" Leon continued carefully, glancing at the children beside the stream, making sure they weren't listening. "Just because we broke up-"
"I'm fully aware that you are still sexually functional," D hastily interjected and cursed himself a moment later for the unfortunate wording as Tetsu gave up on his sandwich and gaped at them, his face showing that he didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "I mean, that you are… well, humans are polygamous."
"Yeah," Leon muttered, and D thought he could hear the rock falling off his chest when Chris called for him.
Once he had departed, Tetsu met his eyes and shook his head. "Kill me if you want, Count, but what in hell was that?" he asked, baffled. "You know, you're broken up for real. Which means no flirting either, just like Kanan said. Can't you respect the borderlines you drew yourself?"
D resumed stirring the soup, his cheeks on fire. He was wondering exactly that right now, too. Because what Leon – they – had been doing, was clearly flirting, in a very, very weird way. And now that he thought of it, it had been a little strange since last Sunday and Leon's birthday. Not, not strange, just –
He sighed impatiently and gave up on trying to explain what he felt. It was just there, something he couldn't quite name, that made him feel gentler towards Leon.
Tetsu had watched his master attentively. "Are you attracted to him?" he suddenly voiced, sounding slightly shocked. "Uh-oh, Count…"
For a moment D could feel exhaustion taking hold of him. Oh, no. Did they have to go through every damned problem a relationship like theirs could suffer or what? Why?
Then he felt his lips quirk and looked up at his favourite pet, smiling. "Well, it seems that we'll be spared nothing, Tetsu," he replied, to his own surprise taking this calmly. He would have to handle this, preferably without Leon noticing, but if it had to be, with the human. "Don't worry, I'm quite sure this will be over only too soon. Dinner is ready, would you please call them?"
The totetsu did as he was told, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. D took care not to sit too close to Leon; his realisation seemed to have made the feeling stronger, but it wasn't too bad. In fact, it was nothing he had to worry about, as long as he took care.
"Dana and I'll take the blue tent!" Chris announced happily, setting his soup bowl aside. "And Tetsu and Pon-chan too." His wish was sustained by both girls, who were beaming, although Dana was showing signs of tiredness. Honlon grumbled angrily, but neither Kanan nor Junrei insisted on sleeping in the tent. Leon sent a glance at D, who seemed to have withdrawn a bit since their conversation, but the kami only shrugged. He would certainly not mind sharing a tent with Leon, although he was wondering whether this was a good idea or not at the moment. He wouldn't mind sharing one with the children either, but if they wished to be left alone…
"Okay then, squirts, alright. But at first you're gonna brush your teeth," the blonde said good-naturedly and shushed the kids to the stream again. If Honlon had felt any anger at not being allowed to sleep in the tent (she was in dragon form at the moment, after all), she lost all chagrin and grinned when Leon just looked at her and decided he'd not tell her to brush her teeth. When he accompanied the others into their tent, she curled up around it and listened to the story Leon was telling them.
D meanwhile took care of their tent, smiling at the voice floating over to him through the thin fabric. When Leon came inside half an hour later, he had placed their sleeping bags opposite to each other and set out a small tea table which Leon eyed curiously. "Now where did you get this one from? If it was in my backpack, I'm gonna be angry for having to carry such fuss."
D smiled and poured him a cup of tea. "Just because we're camping like humans doesn't mean I won't find ways of making it more comfortable," he replied.
Leon snorted. "Yeah, and here I was thinking that you don't need comfort."
"I don't," D parried. "But that does not mean that I cannot enjoy luxury if I have to put up with human ways of living."
Leon's eyes sparkled amusedly, but he didn't comment. D shivered slightly and huddled closer into his silken cape. "Anyway, I am tired. I think we should go to sleep soon, too. Dana is probably going to wake up sometime in the night."
"Probably," Leon agreed and looked for a place for his teacup. D took it from him and stashed it in something that looked like the basket he'd been carrying with him the whole time. Leon raised an eyebrow. If that basket worked like the whole shop, no wonder D had managed to make the table fit into it. Handy.
He turned off the light once D was in his sleeping bag, wondering why the kami had kept all his clothes on. He himself undressed quickly in the darkness and then slipped inside his sleeping bag. D had really bought the most expensive things on the market. They were so thick he felt warm the moment he was inside.
Such a spoiled girl.
D rustled with his sleeping bag. It sounded like he was trying to wrap it around himself as tight as possible.
"You cold?" Leon's voice drifted through the darkness.
"A little," D confessed and tried to rearrange his sleeping bag, shivering again. "Why are you asking? Is there anything you would do to change my situation?" He managed just so to make it sound amused instead of flirty. It cost a lot of effort, and D cursed his body for a moment. His body and his big mouth that babbled away like this although he didn't want it to.
The blonde laughed in the darkness and D heard him shuffle closer. Of course, Leon felt it, too. Not good. "Perhaps, yes," the human murmured into his thoughts, and then arms were wrapped around D's waist, pulling him close. He stiffened for a moment. "One should think this thing's warm enough for you not to freeze. Really, D, you're such a girl."
The kami rolled his eyes and relaxed slightly when he noticed the confused note in Leon's voice. Good. Very good. As long as the human was confused about the events, he wouldn't…
"And you are such a manly man, offering your precious body warmth to me," he mocked.
Leon promptly pinched him and sounded much more comfortable when he spoke again. "Be grateful at least, or I'll let you freeze to death, you bitch."
"I am grateful, truly. I haven't yet clawed your eyes out for touching me against my will."
Leon snorted and squeezed him slightly. "Go to sleep, D," he said, sounding warm and tired now. "The sooner the better, 'cause the kids will be up at dawn, promise. 'Specially Dana."
D was surprised to be woken up by sunlight filtering through the fabric of the tent. He lay for a moment, blinking into it and trying to remember which pet he'd allowed into his tent.
Then it clicked. No pet was warming his back; it was Leon.
Oh, man, to paraphrase the blonde.
D carefully shuffled away, trying not to wake Leon, but he slept like a dead man, oblivious to the loss of his teddy bear. Or whatever he had imagined D was, cuddling him like this.
For a moment he smiled. Considering the alternatives, being Leon's teddy bear wasn't the worst choice. But he still could not allow the human to wake up with him in his arms, since he was beginning to… feel the consequences of a night so close to Leon. Especially in places where he most certainly didn't want to feel them.
So he quickly got out of the tent and took a bath in the river, the cold water having double advantages: it woke him up and his problem was non-existent when he climbed out again. He stretched, relishing in the sunbeams on his body.
"Did you have a good night, Count?" a soft voice asked and he turned around to smile at the great grizzly bear.
"Why, hello, Kate. I thought you would have joined us already yesterday."
She looked at her hands, blushing mildly. "I wasn't sure if I – Dana was so afraid last time she saw me… and your mate…"
D's smile got genuine. "I do not think there will be problems this time, Kate. Leon is prepared for you and Dana quite used to the animals now."
She smiled at that and dared to look up. "So you think she'll play with me again?" she asked, hope in her voice.
D smiled and nodded.
Well, it wasn't like Leon was exceptionally happy to see the grizzly again, but when one compared their two meetings, the second went quite well. Although he still preferred to take a walk with Chris and Honlon when Dana started playing with Kate. D wavered for a moment, but decided that he would stay with his child. Honlon would take care of the two humans, he was sure of that; anyway, the most dangerous animals in this room were the grizzlies, and they had been forewarned.
So he took the chance to sit and chat with the animals, as well as to relax in the sun. When dark shadows fell over him, however, he looked up in worry. "Tetsu, do you know where they went?" he turned to the totetsu, who had been lying beside him, all fours extended. T-chan blinked one eye and yawned.
"Kanan wanted to show them her favourite cave to see if Leon remembers that one too," he replied lazily, then got up on his elbows. "Huh, but they better hurry… those clouds look rather bad."
"Yes, there's a storm coming up," a beaver at D's side asserted, eyeing the sky, too. "I'm sorry, Count, but I'd rather head home… the lads're afraid of thunder…"
"Of course," D agreed. One by one, the animals trailed away to hide in their respective caves and holes, but there still was no sign of Leon or Chris, or Honlon, for that matter. D collected their things and started packing. He didn't trust the tents to withhold the storm, and he'd rather not have their camping items being spread all through the woods. Even if making Leon look for them afterwards would be quite funny.
Dana came over when he was just gathering their sleeping bags and pressed her head into his legs. "Bàbà, where're Daddy and Chris?" she inquired, sounding very small. "Kate said it's gonna rain soon."
D smiled as he lifted her up and placed her on his hip comfortably while pulling together the last straps. "They are with Honlon, darling, you don't have to worry about them. I'm sure she is going to watch out for them. Perhaps we should find ourselves a nice cave, too, so that we are not out in the rain?"
"I want a cave with Chris," Dana stated. Kate neared, glancing at the darkening clouds in worry.
"Count, you should really get some cover. Those aren't going to keep you safe and dry," she said, indicating the tents. D tried not to be worried. They were here with a dragon; Shuko at least was responsible enough to take the signs seriously.
"I'm sure they are going to be back in a second," he said. The grizzly nodded, although she didn't seem convinced.
"Yes, probably. Still, I should head back home now, too…"
"Do so. Say goodbye to Kate, Dana."
With only Tetsu and Pon-chan left, D sat down on a soft spot of moss, trying to keep Dana occupied so that she didn't notice the wind becoming harsher and the smell of rain and electricity in the air.
However, he couldn't keep it from her any longer when a gust of wind rushed through the clearing, whirling up needles and leaves. Dana squeaked while Tetsu ducked his head and put an arm around Pon-chan. "Count, we really should go someplace safe now!" he warned, sounding quite nervous.
D was seriously worried now. What could've taken them so long? Had they encountered problems? Had anything happened to them? He tried not to imagine all the things that might be keeping them up in the mountains – Leon was an adult, he should think of the children he was with…
Somewhere far off lightning split the sky. For some seconds, deafening silence reigned in the woods. Then thunder growled in the sky, making Dana shriek in fear. The wind came back, tearing at D's clothes and his hair. He bent over Dana to protect her from it and the next moment, rain was seeping through his clothes, cold and hard.
"Count!"
The wind suddenly ceased, as well as the rain. Looking up, D realised that Honlon had landed right behind them, shielding them with her wings. Shuko's head was bent to him while Junrei looked at the sky with fearful eyes and Kanan tried to catch the raindrops. "Leon and Chris are in a cave a few minutes from here. We went farther than we thought and they wouldn't have made it back in time. Did you pack the things?"
D heaved a silent sigh of relief and ignored Pon-chan's pout. "Yes, except the tents. They will have to stay here," he said. Kanan stopped trying to swallow the rain and picked one rucksack up with her teeth, nudging Junrei. The girl-dragon startled and did the same while Shuko lifted them onto her back.
Sitting on the dragon's back in the middle of a storm wasn't too pleasant, but like she had said, the cave wasn't too far off and the ride over soon. D was nevertheless pretty wet when Shuko finally landed on the rim of the plateau and hurried inside, shaking her head.
"Hey, I wanna stay dry!" a voice complained from somewhere below and then Leon appeared in D's view, his face lighting up when he saw his family. "Whew, thank god. That's pretty awful weather out there."
"Who're you telling that," D replied dryly, slipping down and immediately handing Dana over to her father. She started telling him about her latest adventure while Chris came and offered D a jacket he recognised as Leon's. "Are you very wet?" he asked, concerned.
D quickly took the jacket and slipped out of his wet clothes, shivering in the cold air of the cave. "No, not really. Thank you, Chris."
"Brother told me to give it to you," the boy replied, his face earnest. "He said you froze last night, but it wasn't cold at all."
D turned around half to glare at the treacherous blonde, but found – not exactly to his surprise, but to his discomfort – that Leon's eyes were locked on his bare back with a look of fascination and horror on his face. Quickly he slipped into the jacket while at the same time trying to suppress the hunger.
Not good.
"Hey Kanan, gimme that backpack, 'kay?" he heard Leon say to the dragon, who obligingly spat out the rucksack and grinned at the exasperated look that got her. The backpack immediately was handed over to D, although Leon did not quite meet his eyes. "There ya go. Get some real clothes on before you indeed freeze to death, uberkami."
D shook his head, rolling his eyes, but he did as he was told, using Shuko as cover from Leon's eyes, who blinked at him, her look saying more than a thousand words. He returned it defiantly. "Nothing is going to happen," he stated in a whisper, as if assuring himself that he was going to keep this promise to himself.
Shuko only smiled knowingly and turned to settle the debate between Junrei and Pon-chan.
The storm itself had ceased almost, now that night had come. The rain fell steadily outside the cave they had taken refugee to. D shivered, but he still enjoyed the soft sound the falling water made. He remembered his bedroom and the new design and smiled in affection. Yes, he liked it just as it was now. This was one of the reasons why he had changed it, and he chuckled to himself as he recalled Leon's nickname for it.
There was a rustle of silk and Leon rolled over, once again wrapping his arms around the kami. "You're a real frostbite, D. You gonna be ill or what?"
"No, pregnant," D replied matter-of-factly and let the air he had unwillingly held in stream out in a chuckle at Leon's twitch, easing the tension that had built in him with that. "I am in heat at the moment."
"You're a pure romantic." Leon accompanied his dry remark with yet another pinch. D batted his hand away. "Stop that, Leon. I'm going to be bruised tomorrow."
"As you deserve for being such a bitch. In heat! Just say that you wanna fuck."
D rolled his eyes. "How very eloquent, and so polite!" He caught the human's hand on his thigh. "No, Leon."
"I'm not doing anything!" the human protested and a voice from the back of the cave called. "Daddy, come get me!"
Leon wriggled out of his sleeping bag and fetched Dana. Five minutes later she was tucked safely in Leon's sleeping bag, where she went back to sleep in less than a minute. D was wide awake, and he knew Leon was, too. There was no helping it.
"Are you still cold?" the blonde's voice sounded through the cave.
D sighed. "I will be cold for as long as I can be gotten pregnant. I'm more sensitive to cold at the moment. It's normal, nothing to worry about."
"I thought you don't have an ovulation."
"I don't; I'd need to sleep with you several times to have a seed of life, and then probably some more to become pregnant."
"What the hell?"
"Leon, the baby!"
"Is asleep. Explain."
D sighed again. He truly hated talking about biology with Leon, who was so very blunt in some respects. "Once I told you that several hormones have to work together in order for me getting pregnant. I wasn't only talking about my hormones. Those of my partner are just as important. If they have the right constellation, and if I sleep with my partner, my body produces a seed of life. I was – I did not realise back with Dana that I was in heat and could be impregnated."
"Or get a girl pregnant," Leon added and reached over to touch D's hand. "Man, you're cold as ice." He tugged at the hand. "Come over, there's no point in you freezing to death."
The kami resisted. "Leon, use your brains for once, please! At the moment you are thinking with other parts of your anatomy. It's the hormones talking. Of course you are drawn to me at the moment. Our hormones match. That visit in the club wasn't the best idea ever."
Leon was silent for a moment, then he asked, sounding tired, "D, what triggered this? Shouldn't I be, I dunno, not be attracted to you if you're not my mate anymore?"
D sighed softly, again. "I cannot explain each and everything, Leon. I do understand the basic mechanisms of my body, and Grandfather explained to me during his visit that the biological mate can be different to the one my soul chooses – but I don't always know which rules apply to the current situation. I am neither all-knowing nor very skilled where the mating customs of my species are concerned. Plus, like Grandfather likes to remind me, and did, too, I am partly degenerated. There's no real telling why my body reacts like it does. Not until I have examined it closer."
"D – are you going to die? Because of your weak heart?"
He was surprised for a moment by this question, which came so totally unexpected. But then he understood that the mention of his degeneration had triggered a memory in Leon. His heart warmed at the honest worry in the human's voice, so he turned his hand around and gripped Leon's, squeezing it gently.
"Do not fear for my life, Leon. My heart is stronger than you think, and my father prepared medicine for me before he died. It worked wonders." He still couldn't help the shudder that crossed his frame.
Leon felt it, of course. "You cold, or is it your dad?"
D took a deep breath. "Leon… you once asked about Xiaomei. She was the Shojo – ah, the orang-utan my pets killed. I lied to you. I didn't want to tell you. She never left the shop, she never… she attacked me, I don't understand why, she just attacked and then Tetsu and the others killed her, they wished to protect me-"
He choked on the words. Leon tugged him closer, until D was lying right beside Dana and him. He could feel the body of his child and it calmed him somewhat, but another part of him was still screaming, deep inside, and it had to get out, now. Everything.
"My father had intended her to be my organ donator, and raised her solely for this purpose. He only raised her to kill her to save my life! I did not want that! Leon, I did not want her to die for me!"
"Ssh. I know."
"I drank her blood, every day, for three weeks, and I felt my heart healing, becoming stronger because of her sacrifice, but it hurt so much, and I couldn't do anything! I couldn't do anything, do you understand me? Not anything to save her or to…"
"Ssh, D. I know."
It was a wonder Dana didn't wake while D shivered and retched in the darkness, the human embracing him as good as possible with her in the way. D felt himself choking on tears never cried and almost heaved his food up again, but Leon's hands tightened their hold on him, held him fast and close and secured him right there by his side.
Finally the kami stilled and took a deep breath. "Thank you," he said quietly. "I am… I can explain better if you want me to…"
"It's okay, D. Later. You're cold as ice. You sure you don't want any body warmth, even from someone who's responding to your hormones, pheromones, whatever?"
D hesitated. Leon's hand squeezed his, warm and big. Then he shuffled closer and let Leon wrap one arm around his body. Both chuckled when Dana was again in the way. "I've got a better idea. You can leave that thing for a moment?"
D heard the zipper as he crawled out of his sleeping bag. Leon wrestled around and finally extended a hand to D. "Now get back inside. Careful." The kami hurried to slip inside, he was shivering badly now. The heat in Leon's sleeping bag hit him like a hammer, as well as the pheromones. D choked for a second, but he was too cold and too desperate for comfort to object to Leon joining their sleeping bags.
The human had a good day and guessed his reasons. "D, calm down. Dana's in this sleeping bag, too. No matter how many pheromones you send over, I'm not gonna fuck you anywhere she's near."
D laughed breathlessly. He could feel his body responding to Leon's smell and feel, worse than ever before. And Leon seemed to notice, too, because despite his words he was moving uncomfortably. "Oh shit!" he muttered. "I hope this only works on me; else you'll have to close the shop for male customers until this is over."
D laughed again and turned his back to Leon, cursing the fact that fabric became sticky when wet. Still, he also felt like making jokes about the absurdity of the situation. "I don't know when my heat will be over, but I don't think it is going to affect other human males as strongly as you. My body is adjusted to yours, not theirs."
There was a pretty desperate sound from the human's place. D giggled. "If I was Jill, I'd tell you now that this is adequate punishment for breaking up with me," he voiced and felt the hand seek a place to pinch. Quickly he grabbed it. "What is it with you that you are trying to pinch me all the time?"
"If I was Jill, I'd tell you that this is adequate punishment for making me hard as a rock."
D hid his face in the silk of the sleeping bag and groaned. "Leon, can't you just for once keep your tongue in check?" he pleaded, desperately amused by the whole situation. His breath stopped for a moment when the human murmured something that sounded suspiciously like "Know something else I'd rather do with it now."
"Leon, pull yourself together!" he hissed, but could not help the fire spreading through his body. Determinedly he squeezed his eyes and thighs shut. He would not remember the way it felt when Leon was kneeling between them – no, those thoughts had no place in this cave tonight.
Leon's leg brushed his. D wanted to cry and laugh at the same time.
"D, can't you do anything about it?" the human groaned after a moment of breathless silence.
"No," the kami sighed, heart-felt. Because, as bad as it was, it also felt good. His body felt alive and he supposed Leon was feeling the same. Adrenaline really was great at keeping everything else in check. "Do you have any good ideas as to how to live through the night?"
"No," Leon replied with a sigh as deep as D's. "Well, yes, I do know what we could do – only that it's probably a bad idea, and, you know, we'd have to get out of this sleeping bag and all…"
"Sex is not an option," D quickly amended and could feel the dirty grin.
"And why not? Apart from the fact that I might get you pregnant again?"
He stared into the darkness of the cave. "Do you really think that would be a good idea?"
A moment of silence, then Leon sighed. "No, of course not. Just – hell, I won't be able to sleep like this. And I mean it. Touch me once more and I can't be held responsible for what I'll do."
D skidded to the farthest corner of the sleeping bag, bringing as much distance between himself and the human as he could manage under the current circumstances. "Place Dana between us?" he suggested then. Leon did as he was told, then the rustle and movement of the sleeping bag told D the human had also turned his back to him and their child. Absurdity at it's very best.
"So, what now? I still won't be able to sleep."
"You might want to tell me about work," D proposed. "Or about what you did yesterday, or the day before that… you haven't yet told me more about that new acquaintance of yours."
"Who're you talking about?"
"Well, the second witness."
D could feel the tension increasing, but for other reasons this time. "Well, there's not much to tell 'bout her. She's an artist, she loves seagulls, apparently; she's got a friend who's with PETA… can't tell you much else."
"PETA?"
"You of all people should be a real fan of that organisation." Leon chuckled as he heard the snort. "What's the matter, D? You don't like competition?"
"Firstly, there is no human alive or dead who could offer any competition to me where animals are concerned," D lectured, sounding as snobbish as he possibly could manage under the current circumstances. "Secondly, those people are not respecting the animals' true nature any more than those who just want to exploit them. Honestly, calling fish "sea kittens" to make other humans feel friendlier towards them? That's ridiculous!"
Leon laughed out. "I'm gonna tell that Miss Ward next time I hear from her."
"Is she pretty?"
The question came a little surprisingly, and Leon needed a moment to collect himself before he said something. "We-ell, she's not bad-looking… And she was rather interested in me, I think. But maybe that's just due to the fact that I was asking about her favourite pets…"
"How very flattering," D commented dryly. "Perhaps you should meet her again when that case has been cleared up to find out if her interest really was… how do you say that? Oh, right, "purely professional"."
"D, are you trying to play matchmaker? Because, you know, she's a witness. That is a purely professional relation. You don't go and fuck your witnesses." Leon sounded partly amused, partly weary. The kami smiled into the darkness.
"I am aware of that fact, Leon. However, that wouldn't be your first professional relation that turned into a more private one…"
"You know, if I wouldn't start fucking you if I touched you now, I'd give you the worst bruise you ever had in your life," Leon commented, making D laugh and slap out the next tease.
They really didn't sleep that night. They talked until the sun rose, sometimes serious, sometimes squabbling, sometimes being silent.
It was one of the best nights D could remember in his life. By the time the sun rose, the tension ebbed as if it had never been there at all. Leon noticed, too, turned around and looked at D. He returned the gaze, smiling.
Leon smiled back.
A/N: Thanks to Nemo for the review :-) and to Angie too, of course. Yeah, I've got a bad conscience for not updating more quickly. I'm sorry -sigh- I promise I'll try to do something about it.