Pet Shop Of Horrors Fan Fiction ❯ A Birthday To Remember ❯ Chapter 2 ( Chapter 2 )

Disclaimer: See chapter 1

A Birthday to Remember

~*~ Chapter 2 ~*~

Leon sat in the dark of his apartment, a glass of whiskey in his hand and a half full bottle sitting on the table in front of him. This day always saw him the same way. He would get up that morning and sit at the kitchen table drinking until the bottle was empty. Upon completion of the bottle he would stagger into his bedroom and sleep away his misery, praying that he had drunk enough to chase the demons away.

Looking down into his glass, he tipped it back and slugged the contents. Reaching a shaky hand out he picked up the bottle and filled his glass again. As he was about to lift it to his mouth again, a pale white hand appeared before him, closing fingers gently about his hand. He watched detachedly as the fingers pried open his and removed the glass from his hand, placing it back onto the table.

The slender fingers with long lightly colored nails clasped again around his now empty hand and drew it upward to rest against a warm body.

"D why are you here?" he said softly, not looking up into the Count's face.

"Because you need me to be here." D answered back softly, tugging lightly on the hand he was holding drawing Leon to his feet. "Now I want you to come with me."

"No D, I'm not going." Leon said as he yanked his hand away from him and turned to glare fiercely at the chinese man. "Go home and leave me alone."

"I am going home, but I am not leaving you alone. You are coming with me." D said as he reached out and firmly grasped Leon's arm before pulling him towards the door. Leon was stunned immobile for the first few seconds before he began to struggle violently.

"Let me go, you demented pet shop freak." Leon roared loudly.

"No and I am sorry to have to do this." D said kindly as he reached out and tapped a small area on Leon's neck. He caught the unconscious detective as he fell forward into his arms. Grinning lightly, he picked up the considerably heavier man easily and carried him out the door and down to the waiting taxi.

~*~

Leon struggled to raise himself from his dream, images of his parents mutilated bodies, their blood splattered around the room and on the walls. A dark image laughing as it scrawled words across the room, his brush dripping with blood. A scream worked its way up from his chest to explode loudly though his mouth.

Shooting upright, he panted loudly as flashes of the memories still flashed before his eyes. Groaning he brought his hands up and covered his face. It was like this every time, no matter how much he drank he could not forget the scene that was burned into his very retinas.

Inhaling deeply, he paused as a sweet scent infiltrated his senesces, a very familiar scent. Withdrawing his hands from his face, he opened his eyes to look around the strange room he was in. It was a lavishly decorated room, dripping in oriental screens and silks. He was currently lying in the center of a very large bed, draped in crimson colored silk.

"Dammit D, I told you leave me alone." He yelled out to the empty room, he knew very well where he was as he threw back the covers and slid to the side of the bed. Abruptly he realized that he was butt-naked and grabbed for the sheet as the door to the room opened.

"Ah, I see that you are awake. Good, I brought some tea and cakes for us to share." D said as he walked across the room to the settee and small coffee table. Placing the tray down, he turned back towards the other man. "Won't you join me?"

"I want to know why am I here." Leon said brusquely, his expression heated.

"You should not be alone on your birthday and I felt that we could have a small party." D said happily as he gestured towards the table. "I even managed to get the Hotel M to provide us with your cake."

"If I had wanted to spend my birthday with someone I wouldn't have been at home alone. Now where are my clothes so that I can leave." Leon snapped, his fingers tightening on the sheet covering from the waist down, almost tearing the cloth.

"I am so sorry but your clothes are being laundered. I have provided you, however, with a dressing gown." D said amiably as he gestured to the end of the bed. Leon turned and picked up the pale green robe looking intently at the design that was embroidered on it. In golden thread a lion had been delicately hand stitched from the hem to the collar. He ran his fingers lightly over the soft material before sighing deeply, his anger diminishing slightly. He knew that he had no chance of getting out of here and so he slipped the robe on, pulling it snuggly around his body before tying it.

He stood up, grateful for the covering as he walked slowly across the room and sprawled haphazardly across the sofa, adjusting the robe to cover his legs. Grumpily he glared at D as he happily flitted about pouring the tea and dishing out the cake.

D sat down in his seat across from him and smiled softly. "I hope you enjoy this, I went to a lot of trouble to have this prepared detective."

Leon grunted, turning his gaze away from the other man as he looked blindly off into the room. He was vaguely aware of movement around him and was not startled when a soft hand was dropped on his shoulder. He looked up into D's mismatched colored eyes and saw the compassion that shimmered there.

"Leon." D said softly as he sat down next to the detective, their knees brushing lightly. "You shouldn't continue on this path of self-loathing, it will only bring you further pain."

"What do you know about it?" Leon said gruffly, his eyes filling with the pain of loss and disgust.

D brought his hand gently up to cup the side of Leon's face, ignoring the startled look in the other man's eyes. His thumb lightly wiping away the tears that Leon had not even realized where falling down his face.

"Life has a funny way of dealing us with good and bad hands. You were dealt a horrible blow and yet you still wallow in the misery of that day. Time heals all wounds and it is now time for you to let yourself heal Leon. You should remember the beautiful aspects of your parent's lives not the tragedy that befell them. They would be unhappy in the way you have dealt with their passing." D replied gently, his other hand coming up to rest over Leon's heart. "Remember them here with love, not with hatred of what happened."

Leon stared into D's eyes, unable to break his gaze as his words sunk into him. It was as if a dam had broken inside of him and suddenly his was being cradled in D's arms as his body shook with his grief. He was barely aware that he had been helped up off of the couch and led over to the bed. The bedcovers seemed to reach up and embrace him gently as D lowered his heaving body down. Strong arms wrapped around his frame and a lean body settled comfortably next to his. Leon rolled over and burrowed into D's embrace taking the silent offer of comfort that he gave.

D held Leon as his grief slowly slipped away and he drifted off into an exhausted sleep. Leaning back slightly, he looked down into Leon's tear stained face and was stunned by the sudden emotions that swept over him. Freeing one hand he reached up and brushed back the fall of hair that covered Leon's eyes before bending down and placing a light kiss upon his forehead.

"Sleep well, my friend and may your dreams be sweet." he whispered softly as he wrapped his arm back around him and closed his eyes.

~~*~*~

A/N: Leon's struggle to hold all of his emotions in check has been broken by the very kindness of his friend D. What will happen when they wake up?