Pet Shop Of Horrors Fan Fiction ❯ Denial ❯ Denial Pt 10 ( Chapter 10 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Pet Shop of Horrors and I make no money from this or any fanfic I write

Pairing: Leon + D

Category: General

Rating: PG-13 just to be safe

Warnings: Shonen Ai, Language. Minor spoilers for Volume 10.

Title: Denial

Author: yellowhorde

Status: Finished!

Notes: Last chapter! I hope you enjoy. And I am really, REALLY sorry about the wait. Forgive me? Please?

//Chris thoughts//

Volume 10 threw my story off a bit. It clarified some things but made others much harder. Worse, it stated a timeline of nearly two years for the series. That led to a serious bit of rewriting on my part. So, let's just pretend that this takes place sometime during Volume 9 but BEFORE the events in Volume 10, okay?

 

 

DENIAL

Part 10

 

 

D opened his eyes slowly, drew in a long shuddering breath, held it for a few seconds, then released it slowly. He then took another slow breath followed by a third. This simple breathing exercise, learned so many years ago, helped calm his spirit and still the mounting confusion in his mind. He sniffled a little then wiped the evidence of drying tear tracks away with one trembling hand. It had been ages since he had allowed his feelings to so utterly overwhelm him and now he felt drained and... strangely hollow inside.

 

The room was silent save for the soft, rhythmic sounds of Leon's breathing and the crackling of the fire. D's gaze lowered to the sleeping detective whose head rested in his lap. Asleep, he looked so young, so innocent. So vulnerable. A sad, wistful smile tugged at his lips but it faded quickly. Innocent wasn't one of the words he would normally use to describe a human but in a sense that was exactly what Detective Orcot was - an innocent.

 

D's mind flashed to all of the lewd and provocative posters that adorned the detective's less than sanitary apartment and grimaced in distaste.

 

"Perhaps innocent doesn't exactly describe you, Detective," D amended softly as he stroked a wayward lock of hair out of Leon's eyes with exaggerated care. "Naive would probably be a better choice."

 

Nodding to himself, D continued speaking, his voice low and directed more towards himself than his sleeping companion. "Every day you encounter the worst traits of mankind. You hunt down murders, rapists, thieves. You see first hand the violence and destruction humans are capable of committing against their own kind... and Nature and her creatures."

 

"Yet you still believe that yours is a race worth saving." D paused, his brow knitting together as he struggled to understand the man who slept so peacefully under his protection.

 

"But how can that be?"

 

A swirling confusion of thoughts and feelings swarmed through D's mind, throwing off the delicate calm he had only just restored. Frustrated he turned his head to stare into the dancing depths of the flames, wanting nothing more than to lose himself in the beauty of their destructive dance. But they offered no peace, only memories of death... his people slaughtered by the hands of the humans they had once tried to help.

 

How could he ever forget the betrayal of his people by the humans, the slaughter of his race, the death of thousands? A genocide ordered by a spurned son of a powerful emperor, the destruction of an entire race. His people, his... family. He fully understood his people's history, having been raised since youngest childhood on horrifying stories full of violence and death, first from his father and later, his grandfather. But while Grandfather's voice as he spoke of that long ago betrayal had always been steeped in angry bitterness, it paled in comparison to the hatred and pure loathing D had heard so often in his father's.

 

Only one had survived the slaughter, an ancient ancestor who had sworn revenge upon the entire human race. Now, almost one thousand years later, D had taken the same vow of vengeance against those responsible for the near extinction of his kind, and so many others. He had thought himself firm in his resolve and yet... doubts lingered. The faintest breath of hope stirred within his heart, a hope that perhaps Mankind would learn from their mistakes and turn away from the path of world destruction they were racing down with reckless abandon before it was too late.

 

Sighing heavily, D smoothed the hair from Leon's forehead, stroking the tips of his fingers along the line of the sleeping detective's face, tracing the strength of his jaw then up to soft, slightly parted lips. How soft they were, how warm, how... perfect... Unconsciously D leaned closer to Leon, until his black hair brushed the other man's skin in a tickling caress.

 

A shiver of longing streaked through D's body, causing the fine hairs on his arms and the back of his neck to prickle. So close, so very close... yet so far...

 

"If only things could be different between us..." Words carried on a whisper of air, so soft not even D himself heard them. But he felt them trembling through the depths of his heart... and despaired at the sweet ache of desire that washed through his body.

 

//Hey, why is Big Bro sleeping, D? It's the middle of the day!//

 

At the sound of Chris' voice in his mind, D jerked back with a startled gasp. He could feel the burn of a guilty blush setting his pale cheeks on fire. Fortunately, the young boy didn't seem to notice as he crossed the room on feet as silent as any cat's paws.

 

D gave an almost cheerful smile and smoothed his hair nervously with his hand. "Your brother was very tired," he said in response to Christopher's question. "And he needed a short nap."

 

Chris seemed to mull this over for a moment then he smiled brightly. //'Kay.//

 

Relaxing almost visibly by the child's easy acceptance of his explanation, D's almost cheerful smile became a genuine one as he placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder.

 

"Christ, if you would be so kind as to retrieve your brother's clothes from the other room?" D asked. "I hung them up in front of the fire. They should be dry by now."

 

"Sure, D, no problem." Then the boy was gone, the muffled sounds of his footsteps disappearing down the hall.

 

"He's such a good boy." D sighed happily. "Calm, thoughtful, always willing to lend a helping hand." He chuckled to himself as he glanced down at the man stretched out on the couch with his head pillowed in his lap. "As different as night and day. It's sometimes hard to believe these two are really brothers."

 

Leon stirred just then, then groaned low in his throat. The sound sent another shiver through D's body.

 

"Are you awake, Detective?" D murmured smoothly.

 

Leon's clear blue eyes opened slowly, his lids heavy. He blinked owlishly then turned his head so that he was looking groggily up at D's smiling face. An impressive frown knitted his brow as he stared for several seconds, his puzzled thoughts showing clearly in his face, his eyes. Then comprehension dawned as he finally realized he had his head nestled in another man's lap.

 

"Shit!" With this startled cry, he bolted upright and was on his feet. He wobbled dizzily for a moment and put a tentative hand to his head until the world stopped spinning around him.

 

"Language, Detective."

 

"Screw that! What the Hell is going on around here, Count?" Leon demanded harshly. "You've got a lot of explaining to do."

 

"You fell asleep."

 

The simplicity of the answer seemed to momentarily confuse the blond detective.
"I fell... asleep?"

 

"That is correct." D replied calmly, his lips tilting into his accustomed smug smile.

 

"Shit!" Leon exclaimed for the second time in less than a minute. One hand combed absently through his slightly rumpled hair. "How long have I been out?"

 

"Only a few hours."

 

"Crap!" Leon bent his left arm and glared in disbelief at his watch. "Will you look at the time?" he howled indignantly. "I'm supposed to work in less than thirty minutes!"

 

D's smile vanished in an instant. He had been hoping to spend the evening with Chris and Leon. Christmas was a family holiday after all, and even though he wouldn't have admitted to it aloud, he had come to view these two humans as something closely resembling family. Well, at least Christ at any rate. His most recent thoughts concerning Leon would have been strictly frowned upon in any normal family setting. Leon's unexpected announcement left him feeling disappointed. Cheated, even.

 

"But I thought you said you had Christmas Eve off, Detective." D spoke calmly as he slowly stood to face the other man. He desperately clung to his outward calm as a flurry of emotions threatened to unbalance him yet again. "Your brother will be greatly disappointed."

 

(As will I.) D thought sadly as Chris entered the room carrying his brother's clothes in a neatly folded bundle in his arms. The tennis shoes were sitting on top, looking no worse for wear after their snowy ordeal. Again D was struck by how dissimilar the two siblings were. He doubted Leon would have bothered folding the clothes if their positions had been reversed.

 

//Disappointed 'bout what?//

 

"Your brother has to work tonight, Chris."

 

Large blue eyes the same shade as Leon's welled with disappointed tears as Chris gave his brother his clothes. //Do you really have to?//

 

"Yeah, I do," Leon muttered sheepishly. Without any of his earlier display of modesty he sat down on the couch and began to get dressed. He pulled on his socks, first right then left, before standing and stepping easily into his jeans then tugging them up around his narrow hips and waist. "I switched with Jill so she could go home and spend time with her family. She caught a plane home last night - the red eye- but she'll be there before midnight unless they ran into any problems."

 

Leon hurriedly removed the ornately decorated chiao-fu that D had given to him and slipped back into his tee shirt, but not before his body could react to the cool air against his skin. The small hairs on his arms stood erect and his nipples hardened into rosy pebbles as Leon tugged his tee shirt down over his chest and abdomen. The detective was completely unaware of the fact that D's eyes were taking in each small detail and following every movement he made and with great interest because all of his attention was focused on his little brother, who looked totally crushed and on the verge of crying.

 

He poked his shirt into the waistband of his pants, zipped them, then knelt down until he was at eye level with his little brother. "You understand, don't you, Chris?" Leon asked, his own eyes pleading for understanding. He didn't want to let anyone down but now, despite his good intentions, he was beginning to feel like a world class heel. "Jill's family lives on the East coast so she rarely gets to see them. But I get to see you guys every day."

 

//She never sees her family?// Chris asked, his bottom lip trembling.

 

Laying a gentle hand on his brother's shoulder, Leon shook his head. "Only once or twice a year, big guy. So, do you see now why I switched with her?"

 

Chris nodded solemnly, dashing away his unshed tears with one small fist. //Yeah, I do.//

 

"That was certainly nice of you, Detective." D said softly.

 

Leon rubbed the back of his head, more than a little embarrassed. "Yeah, well, it was no big, you know?"

 

Suddenly Leon straightened up and hurried over to the present he had set on the end table when he had first arrived. He took the package into his hands and hesitated a moment before turning around. "Chris," he said, "I have your presents at the apartment. I promise I'll bring them to you tomorrow just as soon as I get off work, 'kay?"

 

//Presents?// Chris exclaimed excitedly, //As in, more than one?//

 

"Of course I mean more than one, numbskull!" Leon said with a mock-scowl. "What do you think your big brother is, some kind of cheapskate? Besides, this time I got paid right before the holiday so I had a bit of money to spend. Unlike last year."

 

He turned towards D with an almost shy grin. "But this one is for you, D." He said in a quiet voice so unlike his everyday one. He thrust the brightly wrapped present out towards the smaller Chinese man, who gingerly accepted it. D stared at it for a moment then glanced back up towards his unexpected benefactor.

 

"For me?" he whispered.

 

"Course it's for you." Leon said gruffly. "That's what I said, wasn't it?" His cheeks were splashed with color and he adverted his eyes as he mumbled, "Merry Christmas."

 

When D simply stood there and stared at the beautifully wrapped package in his hands, Leon cleared his throat meaningfully. "You can open it, you know. It won't bite. Promise." He held out his hand in the two finger boy scout salute.

 

Without further prompting, D carefully loosened the ribbons before slipping them off. He then used his fingernails to slice the tape so he could remove the wrapping paper, all the while taking pains to fold it neatly before setting it on the table along with the discarded ribbons. His beautifully unique eyes sparkled as he slowly opened the lid and revealed his gift.

 

"Oh, my... Leon!" D gasped, his face beaming with happiness and awe. "It's so beautiful!"

 

"Yeah." Leon muttered, blushing harder. He could hardly believe that D had called him by name without any prompting. And, oh! how he would love to hear him say his name with such exhilaration in a more intimate situation... But no, he wasn't like that and D didn't think of him in that way anyway so there was no point in entertaining such evil, disturbing, wonderful thoughts.

 

"I saw it at this old antique shop downtown and immediately though of you." he explained as D excitedly showed Chris his present. "This old Japanese couple runs the place. The wife said it was one of the best quality dragon vases she's ever seen."

 

The vase was finely shaped with a background of smokey oranges blending with softer blues that eventually faded to black near the neck. Along the entire surface the was a very realistic representation of a Chinese dragon done in bone. Its miniature claws were extended so that it appeared to be gripping a small red sun and its glittering red eyes were a perfect match to said sun. He had been told that the eyes and the red sun were real rubies. And Leon, who was no jewel expert, had been rather impressed with the craftsmanship of such an exquisite piece of art.

 

D glanced at Leon, small worry lines creasing his brow. "But, Detective, this is a very rare and valuable antique. Surely it must have cost a small fortune!"

 

"Nah, I got quite the deal on it since I stopped a few thugs from breaking into their shop a few months ago." Leon chuckled happily. "The wife even took an additional $10 off because as she was wrapping it she noticed that there was a hairline fracture near the top.

 

He stepped over and pointed to a small, almost invisible crack, just below the rim of the vase. "See, it's right there."

 

"The flaws only help you value its exquisite beauty all the more." D stated sagely, then his ever-present smile took on a teasing quality along with his voice. "Just as I appreciate you, Detective."

 

"D," Leon said, his tone one of warning. "How many times do I have to tell you? I have a name. Please use it."

 

"Of course. Forgive me." D lowered his eyes almost demurely. "I shall treasure this always... Leon."

 

"Now that's better."

 

"But... I can't accept this." Leon's heart lurched at this statement, fearing it was a rejection until D hurriedly explained, "I do not have a gift for you."

 

"Don't worry 'bout that." Leon replied easily. "I didn't give you this expecting anything in return. I got it 'cause I saw it and immediately thought you would like it. It kind of reminds me of that dragon we released on the beach on our first Christmas Eve together. Remember?"

 

"Yes," Whispered D as he set the vase carefully on the table. "It was a most beautiful and rare dragon that was born that night. A special blending of East and West."

 

"Sure was spectacular." Leon mused dreamily.

 

D inclined his head. "Indeed it was."

 

Leon shifted his gaze abruptly and turned his attention towards his little brother.

 

"It's almost bedtime, kiddo. Time for all good little boys to be asleep. You don't want to scare away ol' Saint Nick, now do you?"

 

//I sure don't!// Chris giggled. He threw himself at his brother and hugged him tightly. //Merry Christmas, Big Bro!//

 

Leon hugged him back fiercely then released him and stepped back. "Merry Christmas to you, too."

 

//G'night, D!// Chris waved happily then turned and walked in the direction of his bedroom.

 

The two men stood side by side in silence for what felt like a very long time but was actually only a few minutes. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence but rather one that occasionally stretched out between close friends when they had run out of things to say to each other for the time being. But despite the comfortable silence there hung a distinct air of expectation. As if there was something else that needed said or done. Something rather important apparently, but neither man knew just what that certain something was, or rather, they may have had the faintest inkling, but were uncertain how to proceed.

 

And so they stood there as the fire started to die down, saying nothing but feeling plenty. Finally, D turned towards Leon and offered that enticingly coy smile he had seen earlier that evening. Leon meet his gaze squarely and was almost knocked breathless by the intensity of emotions he saw in the depths of the Count's eyes. He felt the heat in D's eyes leap across the distance separating them, felt it spark inside his body and begin to devour him.

 

It started as a gentle blazing across his cheeks as he found himself leaning closer to the smaller man. D tilted his head up subtly as Leon angled his down until their faces were the barest inch apart. The blaze exploded further, faster than a prairie wild fire, until it engulfed his entire body, dulling his frantic thoughts even as it heightened his senses. As they slowly drew together he found himself wanting to taste D's lips, run his fingers through his glossy black hair, touch his smooth pale skin. He wanted to be consumed by the heat that shimmered between them, unspoken and unacknowledged before tonight.

 

From the depths of the pet shop came the somber chimes of a clock sounding the time. And just like the chiming of the midnight hour in the fairytale Cinderella, the tolls of the clock signaled the waking from a magical dream, one that few had a chance to revisit.

 

Reluctantly, Leon glanced at his watch and cursed without heat. "Shit, I gotta go, D, or I'm going to be late." He sighed unhappily. "And then the Chief really will kill me this time. He wants to get home in time to wrap his kids gifts." Leon shook his head in disapproval. "Why he always waits until the last minute is beyond me."

 

He turned and walked quickly towards the entrance with a silent and bewildered D at his side. Right before he reached the front entrance he stopped and shrugged into his jacket, remembering that even though this was Southern California, they had just received a once-in-a-generation snowstorm. The amount of snow was miniscule when compared to what other parts of the country regularly received, but to Californians it was something spectacular.

 

"Hell." He muttered as he zipped the too-tight jacket halfway up his chest. He glanced at D, who was, as usual, smiling. But his smile seemed a bit wrong somehow, as if it were a frozen mask that he hid behind when something was hurting deep inside. "I'm going to freeze my ass off out there."

 

With that he pushed open the door, but something made him stop and look back, that feeling of having left things unfinished. "I'll be back tomorrow to give Chris his presents."

 

"Promise?" D's eyes were overly bright, his voice shaky, holding the trembling edge of... tears?

 

"Come on, Count." Leon sighed, almost but not quite in exasperation. "We've known each other for almost two years. You should know me better than that. Would I lie to you?"

 

D offerer another one of those surprisingly shy smiles, then inclined his head so that his black hair fanned across half of his face, obscuring one mysterious eye.

 

"No, Detective." He murmured softly. "There is no deceit in you." His almost tremulous smile widened just a touch. "You lie only to yourself... and even that you do badly."

 

Leon looked puzzled for a moment. "Yeah... I guess so."

 

He shrugged his broad shoulders in what was no doubt meant to be nonchalant but came across to D as uncomfortable. "Well, see ya, later."

 

Leon turned to go and D's heart thudded painfully in his chest as he watched him begin to ascend the stairs leading to the outside. One of his arms reached out silently, almost against his will, his fingers stretching towards the human beseechingly. His mouth opened but no sound came out. Then Leon was halfway up the stairs and something inside him that had been holding him back broke and he found his voice at last.

 

"Leon!"

 

Hearing his name called so earnestly, Leon could not help but stop and turn back. "Yes?"

 

Suddenly D was right in front of him, his arms rising to encircle his shoulders, his willowy body pressing against his, so warm, so right. Without another word D rose onto the balls of his feet, straining towards him, eagerly, desperately. Instinctively Leon lowered his own head until, finally, their lips met and melded as if they had kissed a hundred thousand times before.

 

'His lips taste like strawberries on a clear summer's day,' Leon thought wondrously a split second before he stiffened, shocked, as electricity sang through his body, thrilling him, scaring him. The small hairs on the back of his neck and along his forearms stood at attention as did other, lower parts of his anatomy. And for once he felt not the slightest bit of guilt at this obviously physical response. 'I'll feel guilty later!' he thought, but for now all he cared about was the taste, scent, and feel of D, pressing against him, entwining around him, kissing him. And, to his delight, he found that kissing D was unlike kissing anyone else in his life. It was like receiving a rare and wonderful taste of Paradise.

 

Leon relaxed into the kiss and soon felt the light press of D's tongue against his lips. Hesitantly he opened to him, thrilling to the feel of their tongues dancing, dueling for dominance, as their breath mingled. His arms wrapped around D's body, holding him close, the press of his arousal eager against D's stomach. Like two frantic, mindless things, his hands glided lower along the smaller man's back until they cupped his firm buttocks and squeezed hard.

 

D gasped raggedly against him. His small hands slid down from around Leon's neck until they rested on his shoulders. For a moment he gripped them tightly, possessively. He heard the other man's answering gasp as he felt the bite of his nails. He relished this sound, wanting to hear it again, but instead he slid his hands down until his palms rested against the muscles of Leon's chest and he was pressing himself away, gently breaking contact. His pale face was flushed, his chest rising and falling rapidly with each heavy breath.

 

Leon's hands released him and fell heavily to his sides and the two of them merely stared at each other, their surprise at this turn of events scrawled plainly across their equally flushed faces. He was more than a little flustered at what had just happened, but more so by his instinctive reactions, which had not been what he had expected at all. There had been no sense of repulsion when D had kissed him, rather he had found himself drawn to him by more than physical need. But his body, knowing well what it wanted now that it had finally received a small sampling of what could be, immediately began to battle with his mind, which was now screaming loudly about how things should and should not be.

 

D on the other hand, seemed a bit more control of his facilities. "Merry Christmas," he murmured as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened and beamed him a truly beautiful smile.

 

"Uh..M-Merry Christmas to y-you, too, Count." Leon stammered.

 

He turned and began to walk up the stairs feeling as if his shoes had suddenly spouted wings. Despite this feeling of giddiness, he still felt the need to 'set things right.' When he reached the top he turned and looked down at the other man standing halfway up the stairwell, a gentle smile on his lips.

 

"This doesn't change anything between us, you know!" He called down gruffly, tugging at his jacket, and pulling the zipper up snuggly under his chin to ward off the unseasonable chill. "I'm still going to take you down one of these days, D, so you'd better watch your back!"

 

With that, he turned, back hunched against the cold and slowly trudged up the rest of the stairs. Then, without stopping or turning, he waved his right hand almost absently in a gesture of farewell.

 

"Catch you later, D."

 

D smiled fondly up at the retreating back of the human. "I am looking forward to it, my dear Detective. I most certainly am."

 

For many long moments D stood there quietly, listening to the sound of the wind. But just as he turned back to the front door, he paused suddenly feeling alone, and very vulnerable. The small hairs at the nape of his neck stood to attention and his skin seemed to crawl.

 

Someone was watching him!

 

A sense of dread settled over his shoulders like a heavy cloak, dampening his good spirits. Frowning slightly, D turned and hurried up the steps until he reached the outside. A sharp wind whipped his hair into a wild frenzy. It's bitterly cold edge stung his cheeks and brought tears to his eyes.

 

Feeling apprehensive, he glanced down the street that Detective Leon Orcot had so recently walked. There was no sight of the detective, no evidence of his passing save for a few footprints in the snow that were steadily being wiped away by the screaming force of the wind. Before his eyes the last few tracks faded... then were gone almost as if they had never existed.

 

An incredibly powerful feeling of isolation swelled inside D as his sharp eyes scanned the shadows carefully All of his senses screamed that danger was coming... but from which direction? When? And what form would it take? The night was full of eyes, he knew, but which ones were the ones that wished ill upon him and those he cared about?

 

The howling wind and drifting snow offered no answers to the questions that filled his mind. Silently he hurried down the steps, wrapping his arms about his slender body in an attempt to ward off the cold. With one more worried glance into the night, he shut the front door... and locked it.

 

In the whispering darkness from an ally across from the pet shop, a shadowy figure with a pair of glowing eyes slipped deeper into the night until it was indistinguishable from any other shadow. The wind gusted violently, carrying the shadows muttered words from its hiding place.

 

"So... we have found you at last, Count D."

 

TO BE CONTINUED...