06. #6 (Tetsu) is in love with #1 (Count D). #3 (Papa D) confesses his/her love to #6 (Tetsu). Who will #6 (Tetsu) pick? Does #8 (Pon-chan) think s/he made the right choice?

Wow, something that's actually kind of canon-based! Huh, tough question. If we assume that Count D is in love with Leon or won't hook up with one of his pets, and that his father is at least his mirror where looks are concerned, I think there's a chance Tetsu'd take him. But without these prevailing factors, I doubt he'd take the mirror if he could have the original.

And Pon-chan wouldn't think that he'd made the right choice, since she would want Count D to hook up with Leon (another fangirl, yes ^^).

The Dating Game

Pon-chan was quite nervous, everyone could tell. But then, so was everyone in the shop. The gazes lingered on the two Counts, sitting opposite to each other on sofa and chair, glaring, and Tetsu in the middle on the table.

Clearing her throat, the raccoon stepped up beside the younger Count's chair and started to speak. "Well, I think we all know what the game is… Still, might I ask the competitors to state their opinion once again?"

Count D, the father, fluttered his eyelashes and fan as he chirped, "It isn't really a question who he should choose, is it? After all, my son -" a glare in said son's direction, "loves his human companions more than he loves his pets. I would care for you, T-chan, dear, I would never dream of letting you starve just so the detective won't get suspicious, and I would make every single one of your dreams come true, I swear."

Count D, the son's, eyes blazed with anger. "Tetsu, remember it was I who found you, who freed you from prison and who has taken care of you ever since," he said warningly. "True, I cannot and will not be your mate like you desire me to be, but I still care for you…"

The poor totetsu sent a glance at his best friends, but Pon-chan and Ten-chan were equally helpless and showed this by shrugging. How could they help their friend with this decision? On the one hand there was the Count's father, beautiful as his son, willing to do anything for the mystic beast. But on the other hand, there was their Count, the real Count, and so far Tetsu had been quite happy just being at his side although he would never be his lover…

"T-chan, think about all those empty, loveless years that lie ahead of you… I could turn them into years full of fun and love for you…"

"I would have sacrificed myself to attain you, Tetsu, remember… do you really want to leave the shop and all of your friends?"

T-chan's eyes were flying helplessly between the two kami, not knowing which one to choose. Count D the youngest unconsciously bit his lip; even his father looked tense, although his smirk concealed it quite well. Ten-chan stepped up to his friend, laid a hand on his shoulder. "One to be near to, but not loved, one loved, but not to be near to," he whispered. "Which one will it be, Tetsu?"

It was, as usual, the worst moment possible, but Leon wouldn't be Leon if he wouldn't always choose those.

"Hi D, you got tea prepared?" he called out, already throwing his jacket over the sofa, accidentally covering the father with it. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't…"

Everyone gasped when Tetsu leapt up and jumped right into his arms. Leon screamed in fear for a moment, thinking the totetsu was going at his throat.

Then the shop fell silent again and Leon blinked down on the mystic beast snuggled into his arms. Tetsu blinked up at him, sighed and pressed closer.

"Uh… D? What's this?" Leon dared to ask after some more seconds of complete silence. But when he looked up, both kami were regarding him as wide-eyed as he'd ever seen them. "Ah… uh… I'll just… set him down here on the sofa, or something?"

Tetsu stayed perched in Leon's lap despite the detective's attempts to shove him down. Finally D snapped out of his shock and managed to prepare tea, while his father disappeared into the back, disappointed and fuming with anger. Pon-chan sidled up to her friend and shook her head while Leon sipped his tea, trying to ignore the totetsu in his lap. "Tetsu, what's this?" she whispered. "I thought, you know, one of the Counts…?"

Tetsu grinned up at her weakly. "Hey, that's tactics, Pon-chan. I'm with him, the father leaves me alone. I stay with him, I'm gonna get the one I really want in the long run, too."

A/N: I'm going to blame RL again. It just won't leave me alone. Well. Maybe it'll get better over time... I somewhat doubt that, but there's hope ;-)