Visual Sensations

By: Kia Wolf

Kia: Welcome back all! So glad you could be here with me today! Oh, and of course with my beautiful, loving, sweet muse, Tiy!

Tiy: Quit trying to be a suck up. I'm not going to bring you to Mince's house.

Kia: cries

Tiy: Besides, I'm not sweet. I'm not loving. I'm not…oh wait. I AM beautiful.

Leon: Just get on with the story already!

Kia: Fine.

Chapter 15

Matt gurgled happily, chewing on the toy Julie had brought for him. Yui was throwing her own toy around the playpen. Jar and Julie were sitting on the floor next to the playpen, talking happily. D and Leon were sitting on the couch next to Jar and Julie, cuddling silently.

D glanced at Leon. He whispered to him, "I'm sorry."

Leon just smiled. "D, we went through this already. You don't have to say sorry anymore. I said I was sorry that you had been put in this stupid misunderstanding in the first place, you said sorry you had ever doubted my…everlasting love." He smirked.

"Leon." D laughed, tickling Leon briefly before settling back against his side.

"Hey, look at that!" Leon pointed at Matt. He had pulled himself up onto his legs unsteadily and was holding onto the side of the playpen. D slid from the couch and got on his knees in front of Matt.

"Look at you! Good boy!" D cooed, laughing when Matt laughed.

Leon jumped up. "Hey! Hey, T-chan, Dora-chan! Pon-chan! Come here! Hurry!" At hearing Leon's urgent call, all the animals and more rushed into the room.

"What's wrong?" They all exclaimed.

"Look at Matt!" Leon pointed at Matt proudly. Everyone leaned forward to get a closer look at Matt. Some began to cheer for him.

Siegl winked at Femto-kun. "Think we'll have one?"

Femto-kun's face flushed. "No! Certainly not!" He folded his arms. How could Siegl even suggest that? Besides, Femto-kun wasn't a kami. D was. That's the only reason the twins were there.

Siegl shrugged. He came up behind Femto-kun and wrapped his arms around him. "Wanna at least go practice?" He laughed. Femto-kun glared at him.

Matt suddenly lost his balance and fell onto his butt. He looked surprised for a moment, and he looked at D, as if wondering what to do. So he cried. D's smile faded, but was replaced with a humorous one. D tried to hold it back, but he couldn't help laughing. He quickly picked up Matt.

Leon joined D on the couch again to help calm down Matt. It took many sweet words and cooing before Matt was back to smiling. But now Yui's bottom lip was trembling. She didn't like being left out. Leon hurried to pick her up.

"Don't cry, little one." Leon laughed, hugging Yui. "Little Yui. You don't like being left out at all."

D nudged Leon gently with his elbow. He was watching Jar and Julie intently. Leon turned to watch. He almost said something, but D nudged him again to be quiet.

Julie laughed at the joke Jar had told her. She was sitting very near Jar now. "That's funny! I like you." She smiled at him. Jar blushed, and smiled nervously at the perky girl next to him. Suddenly, Julie leaned forward and kissed Jar.

Jar froze in shock and surprise, and Leon was expecting him to explode. But he didn't. Instead the shock and surprise faded into a deep crimson blush and he smiled softly, staring at Julie. Leon's jaw dropped.

"How sweet." D whispered. "I predict a long future ahead of them!"

Leon smiled at D's soft words, and nodded his agreement. Jar and Julie were a one of a kind pair of lovebirds that was certain. This actually made Leon very happy. Although he had no problem with the fact that he himself was in love with another man, he had been worried Jar would turn out the same way. He wasn't sure why, but he wanted Jar to get married, have children, and be happy…without the love of another male besides D and himself, of course.

Leon's thoughts were interrupted when the phone began to ring. D was now holding both babies, and he looked at Leon meaningfully, who smiled back.

"I'll get it." Leon said, standing and pushing past the crowd of animals to the phone. "Count D's Petshop."

"Heya, Leo!" Jill's happy voice exclaimed.

"Oh, hey Jill!" Leon smiled at the phone.

"I've got something I want to tell you, but first, I need to talk to Julie, 'kay?" Jill said.

"Oh, sure. Just a second." Leon set down the phone. "Julie! Phone!" He motioned to the waiting phone, and Julie smiled brightly, jumping up to race for the phone.

Leon made his way back to the couch. The animals had thinned out a bit; there weren't as many pets around anymore. Leon mussed Jar's hair affectionately as he stepped over the small boy. He plopped down next to D, almost immediately placing a kiss on his pale cheek.

For the next few minutes, the only noise was Matt's gurgling, Yui's hiccups, and Julie's soft-spoken words to the phone. By now all the animals had disappeared to go and do their own things, and Leon was comfortably settled next his boyfriend, lost to his thoughts again.

"Mr. Leon?" Julie tapped Leon's shoulder gently, smiling at him. "Aunt Jill said to tell you to get back on the phone!" She chirped happily, sitting back down by Jar, who blushed again.

"Ok." Leon stood again, sighing softly, as he stepped over the children, heading back to the phone. "Yeah?" He said when he picked up the receiver.

"I was just wondering…you have some vacation time coming up for the holidays, don't you?" Jill asked. At her office desk, (she had been blessed to have to work today) she sat twirling a lock of her hair around her finger.

"Yes, why?" Leon asked suspiciously.

"Well, I've got some family down in Louisiana."

"So?"

"They invited me down for the Christmas holidays, and said I could bring a few friends if I wanted to. Would you, Count, and the kids want to come?" Jill shrugged.

"Um…I'd love to, Jill. I'll have to ask D, though. Just a moment." Leon turned the phone away from his mouth. "Hey, D!"

"Yes?" D answered without looking at Leon.

"You think you'd wanna go to Louisiana with Jill for Christmas?"

D shifted in his seat. "I was hoping to spend Christmas here, with you and the children…But I suppose we could. What did she have planned for us to do there?"

Leon brought the phone back to his face. "Hey, Jill?"

"Yeah?"

"What exactly did you have planned for us to do there?" Leon asked, smiling at D.

"Well, we would probably arrive on a Saturday…and according to my cousin, they have a parade the first Saturday in December, and fireworks every Saturday that month. Not to mention all the old buildings and such to see." Jill said hopefully. She really didn't want to travel all the way to Louisiana with just Julie.

Leon relayed all this information to D, who nodded. Leon grinned. "Yeah, sure, we'll go, Jill."

"Ok, do you two mind if we drive there? I'm a little afraid of planes." Jill laughed.

"No way, we don't mind at all!" Leon shook his head.

"Ok then! I'll see you Thursday! We'll be leaving then, 'kay?"

"Ok. Bye, Jill."

"Bye, Orcot."

Thursday

"Jar, do you have everything I told you to get?" D fussed as he dug through the many bags of luggage they had all packed. They were going to be gone for three weeks, returning the last week of December.

"Yes, Daddy!" Jar exclaimed, a little frazzled at all the rushing around. He had never seen so much activity.

Leon pulled D into a hug. "Calm down, sweetheart. You're scaring Jar."

D sighed. "There's just so much…"

Leon laughed. "Once again, just calm down." He released D and picked up a suitcase, placing it into the back of Jill's SUV. D was still a little stressed, and Leon knew he would be until they left the shop completely. "Baby, why don't you go and see to the babies, hm?" Leon suggested.

D nodded. "Ok." He went inside, leaving Leon and Jar to pack up.

As he stepped into the front room, he smiled at Jill, who was helping Julie tie her shoe that was being stubborn. "Hey Count." Jill smiled.

"Hello, Miss Jill. Thank you again for letting us come with you." D said politely.

"You're very welcome. Truth was though that I didn't want to have go all alone." Jill laughed. "It's a VERY long way to go."

D nodded. "Yes it is." He heard Matt's crying. "Excuse me, Matt is crying." He hurried off down the hall towards the babies' bedroom.

When he arrived, he flicked on the lights, and smiled at Matt, who was standing in his crib, tears trailing over his cheeks. Over the few days since he had first stood, Matt had been trying very hard to stand longer. Now his legs were strong enough to hold him up for a few minutes as long as he held onto something. Yui was just beginning to stand. She couldn't stand nearly as long as her brother could, but she was trying.

D scooped Matt into his arms, and his son had instantly pulled D's free hand close, sucking on one of his fingers. D smiled. "Are you hungry, little one?" He cooed, leaving the bedroom after a glance at Yui, who was still sleeping.

Leon was in the kitchen, looking at something that he quickly hid in his pocket when D entered the room. "Hey." Leon greeted him, kissing his cheek and beaming down at Matt. D smiled at Leon, and moved past him, to get Matt's bottle ready.

"I can't wait to leave!" Leon exclaimed happily, stretching like a cat. "I've never been to Louisiana! You think we'll see some Cajuns?"

Jill laughed at him as she came into the kitchen with Jar and Julie. "Sorry, hun. The Cajuns are South Louisiana. We're staying in the North." She shrugged. "You might see some Injuns though." She joked.

Leon seemed not to notice her sarcasm. "Really?" He was as happy as a kid on their birthday was.

Jill laughed. "Of course, Leon." She sighed.

Kia: End! Also, there really is a Christmas festival in North Louisiana. I go to it every year! The first Saturday is the Christmas parade, and then almost everyone goes down to the river to wait for sundown and the fireworks, newly added lazer lights, and music show! It's amazing! Every Saturday that month they have the show after sundown on the river, along with the lighting of the Christmas lights. They have a bunch of ornaments on the other side of the river where no one is allowed to go anymore, and they're really pretty. This is all in Downtown Natchitoches! This year, me and a couple of my friends that I hardly ever get to see cuz I live about three hours away from them, all dressed up in our cutest outfits and then snuck past the police and through the gates! claps Hooray for getting past them without being seen! Therefore, we didn't have to pay to stay and see the fireworks!

Leon: Shut up! You're saying WAY too much!

Kia: So? teasing voice I got to ride in the parade this year!

Leon: And I care why?

Kia: sticks tongue out at him Oh hush. You wanted to see an Injun? You're looking at one. winks I'm the new Caddo Adai Princess!

Leon: You're too white to be an Indian.

Kia: So I don't enough sun. Shut up.

D: Anyway. I'm sure next chapter Kia will describe all the fun in Louisiana!

Kia: Yup! nods Now then. If you don't mind, I'm going to leave you all and go bug Tiy! Review please!