Hi again, guys. I know I promised to put lotsa Count D in this one, but somehow it didn't work out.This is gonna be another Leon/Duocentric chapter (completely platonic of course). Sowwy. Don't hit me.
Miaka
P.S. I would like to thank all the reviewers who liked the Polish twist. It was really random for me. And if any of you would like to help me write polish properly, please email me at (that is, akabeko underscore ya at msn dot com.)
Title: Chainlinked
Genre: Romance/Horror
Rating: For now, PG-13, or T. Later will become M.
Warning: Lotsa yaoi up in this biatch, peeps. Don't like, not my problem. Go have hetero sex or something and leave the rest of us in peace. Not that I don't like hetero sex.../winks at all the hot guys out there/
Summary: Leon's cousin Duo is depressed, and he decides to get him a pet. Despite his misgivings, he takes young Duo to the only petshop he knows. But no one could have foreseen the startling chain of events that would occur from the fateful purchase, or the interconnecting chain flowing through L.A...and ending at Count D's petshop.
Note: I have only read up to Vol.10, part 1: Departure. So everything after those events are made up. Also, I decided to set this before Chris enters the story. And there shouldn't be too many spoilers because I can't remember specific details anyway.
Chapter Two: City of Angels
After along, ardious flight fromRochester, New Yorkinto the Los Angeles International Airport, Leon and Duo finally arrived on solid ground. Duo was extremely excited. He hadn't been on an airplane since his family had left New York, and everything seemed bright and new to him.
Leon showed Duo through the gates and past baggage claim, then into the waiting area. At the gate, a dirty blonde of medium height stood with a sign proclaiming that she was waiting for "Leon and Duo Orcot".
"Who's that, Leon?" Duo asked, pointing at the woman. Leon looked up and finally spotted here. He broke out into a wide grin.
"Jill!" he called, waving one strong arm. The woman looked up and smiled when she saw him.
"Hey, Leon," she said, hugging the blond man when he reached her. She turned to his companion. "And this must be young Duo. I'm Jill Wesley. I work with Leon at the LAPD, as a secretary and sometimes active homicide detective."
"Nice to meet you, Miss Wesley," Duo said, shaking Jill's hand. Jill nodded.
"So Leon, where are you guys going to stay? You can't stay at your apartment. Last time I saw it...well, it was the last time I saw it," Jill said with a laugh and a slightly worried look.
Leon grinned uneasily. "No worries, Jill. I've got it all taken care of," he said. "'Scuse me a moment while I make a call." Leon left the little group and entered a quiet little corner of the waiting area. Pulling out his cell phone, he dialed a familiar number. The phone rang for only a moment before someone picked up.
"Good afternoon. You've reached Count D's Petshop, how may I help you?" came D's silken voice. Leon supressed a shiver. He hadn't heard D's voice in almost two weeks. Maybe he just had to readjust to it or something.
"Yo, D," he said.
"Why Keiji-san, to what do I owe this..unexpected pleasure?" D said, sounding almost...delighted?
"Well, D, this isn't a social call. Not that it ever is," Leon said. "But I need you to do me a favor."
"That depends, Keiji-san," D said, his voice changing to its usual cold tones. Was D...upset? No way.
"Well, I'm bringing my cousin back with me, and you know my apartment's as close to hell as you can get, so...I was wondering if you'd be willing to fix it up for me before we get there," Leon began. "You know, use some of your freaky Chinese voodoo magic on it or whatever."
D's voice sounded tight when he replied. "Why should I assist you, Keiji-san? If memory serves, I am considered more a suspect than a friend."
"Come on, D. You know you want to. You have since that one time you visited," Leon reminded him. (A/N: Okay, I know that time was when Chris was coming, so just try to ignore the distorted timeline.)
There was silence on the other end, then a slow sigh. "Very well, Keiji-san. I will do this one thing for you. We will talk more on this when you arrive. How far away is your aeroplane?" Leon nearly snickered at D's strange way of saying airplane, but managed to hold himself back.
"Oh, we've already landed. We'll be there in 15," he said cheerfully. He knew D could do it. There was something strange about him, but atleast he got things done.
"Minutes! Keiji-san--."
"Freaky Chinese voodoo magic, D. Use it." Leon disconnected. He returned to Duo and Jill. "Come on, squirt. Time to head home. You drivin', Jillian?"
Jill blushed. "I told you not to call me Jillian, Leon!" she said. "And no. I had Detective Barton bring your car here a little while ago and take a taxi back."
"Detective Barton? Who's that? And how'd you get 'im to do somethin' so pointless?" Leon asked, hefting the bags he and Duo had picked up on their way to Jill. He motioned for Jill to lead them to the cars.
"His name is Trowa Barton. He's 20, just transferred from that spiffy Police Academy up in Jersey. Graduated top of his class and came out Detective," Jill explained as she walked. (A/N: I have no idea if there is anacademy in Jersey, or if you can really graduate with a high rank, but in the army you can, so...) "Besides, he's still the rookie of our precinct, and when we say jump, he jumps." Her malicious grin was telling.
Leon grinned. "We finally get another rookie? Great! Now I can finally get some paperwork done," he said.
"Leon," Jill said, eyes narrowed.
"What? I'm just usin' what resources I have!" Leon cackled evilly and both Jill and Duo sweatdropped. Leon was dragged out of his evil laughter by their arrival at his car. Jill tossed Leon hiskeys,waved goodbye to the pair and moved deeper into the airport garage for her own car. Leon dumped the suitcases into the trunk of his burgundy '05 Nissan Sentra, then unlocked the front passenger doors.
"Hope in, squirt," Leon said, sliding behind the wheel and starting up the car.
Duo glared at him, which Leon had officially dubbed his 'angry squirrel' look. "Don't call me squirt, Lew," he whined.
"Don't call me Lew, kid," Leon replied. He grinned at Duo, gave a whoop, and took off toward his - hopefully - clean apartment.
The pair pulled up to Leon's apartment building approximately 17 minutes later. Everything surrounding the area was utterly quiet, strange for only 2:00pm. Leon got out of his car and walked around to the trunk, unlocking it and pulling out the suitcases. Duo also left the car and came to help his cousin.
"This it, Leon?" he asked, following Leon to the stairwell of the building. Leon's building was one of the older ones, so the lobby and such were separate, meaning no elevator.
"This is it, kid. Third floor, apartment 3C," Leon answered. (A/N: Did the manga ever give an apartment number?) The older Orcot led Duo up the stairs and to his door. Dragging in a huge breath, he inserted his key into the lock. "Don't let me down, D," he muttered to himself, before turning to Duo while subsequently flinging the door open. "Welcome home, kiddo!"
Duo was treated to a clear view of an absolutely sparkling clean apartment. The opened into the living room, which contained a light tan sofa, a recliner and a 24" television set. Off the living room the kitchen could be seen, seperated by a bar-like counter surrounded by bar stools. In the kitchen was a simple stove, toaster, dishwasher and refrigerator with a double sink and plenty of counter space. It was all emaculate.
"Here's where you'll be sleeping, Duo," Leon called from somewhere off the living room. Duo left the kitchen and found Leon in a small hallway lined by four doors. The first door was Duo's room. Looking inside, Duo saw a light blue room with a twin size bed covered with a black coverlet, a small night table, a desk with a laptop computer (black), and a closet with sliding doors. Duo's suitcases were lined up against the closet.
"This is great, Leon!" Duo said happily, hugging his cousin. Leon blushed at the praise he definitely didn't deserve and pulled Duo back into the hallway.
"This is the hall closet. You'll find extra pillows, blankets, towels and stuff in here," he explained, pointing at the door directly across from Duo's room. "The room beside yours is mine. Don't come in there if I say I'm working on an important case. That door at the end of the hall is the bathroom." Duo moved off to check that out, and Leon moved into the living room. "If you need something, just ask me!" he called back.
He moved into the kitchen and pulled out his cell phone, once again dailing the petshop's number. After a few rings, D's voice came on the line.
"Good afternon. You've reached Count D's Petshop. How may I help you?" D said, sounding weary.
"Hey, D. You sound tired," Leon said immediately. A sigh came down the line.
"For obvious reasons, Keiji-san. Did you need something? Perhaps...a pet?" D said, his voice lowering in a sort of anticipatory delight at the last sentence. Leon cringed. Yep, D was pissed.
"Not a pet. I just called to thank you for the job on my apartment. It looks fantastic!" he said enthusiastically, forgetting that he was talking to the poised shop owner and speaking as if toa friend. "You really are a miracle worker. Thanks a million."
"No matter, Keiji-san. Of course, you now owe me."
"Wha..?" Leon stuttered, but was soon interrupted by D's smooth voice.
"It will take me time to decide on what I wish. Until then, put it from your mind." Click. D had hung up.
"Mother--"
"Leon, do you realize that your room is covered in dirty posters and filled to the brim with trash?" Duo asked as he entered the living room. "It's almost as if someone moved all the junk from everywhere in the apartment to in there." He stopped speaking as he noticed the color changes Leon's face was underfoing - from red to blue, to purple, to white, and finally back to normal. He could have sworn he saw Leon whisper something along the laws of "Damned Chinaman..."
"Er...Leon?" No response. "Lew?"
Leon turned to him and ruffled his hair. "Care for a night on the town, squirt?"
Leon took Duo on a tour of Los Angeles, the City of Angels, showing him the more important sites along with the small things. He started with the Fashion District and the Staples Center, then the Flower Market, Pershing Square and Skid Row (Wholesale District). They stopped at what Leon considered the best shops for food and bought little trinkets for Duo's charm bracelet (which was already pretty full.)
They passed Grand Central Market, and the Pacific Stock Exchange (which Duo found incredibly boring since they couldn't go inside and mess with stuff), as well as Disney Hall and City Hall. They stopped for quite a long time at the Music Center, because Duo was really interested in singing, which led to a small visit at the Colburn School of Performing Arts.
Duo excitedly entered Little Tokyo, where they got to sample authentic Japanese dishes and Duo got to practice his language skills. He convinced Leon to dress up with him at a cosplay shop, so they now had a picture of Leon dressed up as Randy "Ryo" McClean from FAKE, and Duop dressed up as Ryo's ward Bikky. It wasn't hard for either, since Ryo was already a cop, and Bikky was already a long haired teen.
After several hours immersing themselves in Japanese culture, Duo spotted the turn off into Chinatown.
"Hey Leon, let's go there!" he said, pointing at the familiar rode down to Chinatown.
"Nah, I don't really feel like it," Leon said, attempting to skirt the issue. "How about we check out my precinct. It's always interesting there."
"We can do that tomorrow! I wanna go to Chinatown," Duo said, pouting. He turned his big blue eyes on Leon. "Może my, Lew?" 1
Leon tried his hardest to ignore the look Duo was giving him, but in the end, he caved. "Okay, kid. We'll go. But don't say I didn't warn you," he grumbled.
Duo cocked and eyebrow. "You didn't," he muttered. Leon didn't seem to hear him, as he signalled and took the turn into L.A.'s notorious Chinatown.
As it had for many others who had entered it, Duo's destiny was about to change forever.
Done! I promise, next chapter is all D, baby, yeah! And maybe I'll introduce Tro-chan. I dunno yet. Hope you enjoyed this chappie! Kisses!
Miaka
Note: All that tour stuff about downtown L.A. was, ehem, "borrowed" from http/ k?
1 Może my, Lew? - means "Can we, Lion?"