Pet Shop Of Horrors Fan Fiction ❯ some kind of bliss ❯ As the vine curls her tendrils ( Chapter 1 )

Title: some kind of bliss

Author: desolation

Rating: NC-17 overall

Warnings: AU, angst, shounen-ai/yaoi, a bit odd.

Disclaimer: [insert self-deprecating yet witty denial of ownership here]

Author's note: This story's expanded considerably from the 5 chapters it was originally meant to be, so I've updated the warnings and rating accordingly. It was begun shortly after I read Volume 3 of the manga, and kicks off somewhere before the events of Vol. 5, making it an AU. So, no Chris, sorry. Constructive C&C are always received with thanks, flamers will be sprinkled with soy sauce and fed to Tet-chan.

 Many thanks to Mouse for beta-reading : )

^*^

 The day was warm, and sweet with that freshness that comes after early-summer rain. Streets pulsed with the chatter and hum of a city just crawling out of morning grouchiness and settling into its daily routine, and even the haze of smog that hung low over the rooftops seemed gentle at this moment, lending the harsh edges of concrete tower blocks a certain Impressionist romance.

           &nbs p;           

 In this particular corner of Chinatown, the clamour of the outside world faded to little more than a background murmur and the dark spice of newly-lit incense was just beginning to infuse the air, offering those who ventured through the heavy doors the merest taste of that exoticism, that mystery, that they had perhaps always longed for but never yet dared touch. Still, a little of the air's unusual clarity penetrated the dim interior, preventing the incense from becoming cloying and bringing with it enough of the cool, clean outdoor smell to be refreshing. All in all, one could not have hoped for a more pleasant start to the day.

 D hummed softly to himself, a contented smile playing over his lips as he poured the third cup of tea of the morning. The shop was clean, the animals fed and watered, their happy noises melting into a gentle wash of sound. He closed his eyes, and reclined gracefully against the brocade cushions. This week had been quiet, and today seemed likely to be no different - after all, this was the sort of day that seemed to soothe humans into a kind of calm. It was sunny, and not so sultry or hot as to send men mad with desire. He could relax, D decided. And perhaps dear Detective Orcot would stop by after work with a box of chocolates, or some of those little fruit tarts he enjoyed so much. Yes: that would be perfect.

 His smile deepened as he recalled their conversation of the previous afternoon. The detective had wandered in during his lunch hour, as he quite often did these days, with his habitual scowl and some hastily-purchased candies - not, perhaps, what D would have chosen himself, but of a fairly good quality. Leon was certainly learning. His tone of voice as he'd accepted the Count's invitation to tea had, as always, been grudging, and he'd plonked the box of confectionary down and flopped into his customary position on the couch without looking up, but D had known he was watching. He was also quite delightfully aware of how his reaction to sweets made the detective struggle to keep his frown in place, and had been unable to resist fluttering his eyelashes and giving a theatrical squeal of delight as he swooped on the sugary offering.

 "Why, Detective," he cooed, eyes shining with mostly-unfeigned excitement, "You are too kind!"

 "Yeah, yeah, whatever." Leon's gaze was still averted, unkempt shock of hair hiding most of his face. But was that a blush? D had to raise one hand to his mouth to hide a smirk of amusement.  He thought, briefly, about feigning concern, enquiring whether the detective was quite well and watching him turn a few more lovely shades of crimson, but relented, turning away to pour cups of tea and arrange himself leisurely on a chair. He supposed he should give Leon chance to regain what little composure he ever had, and so busied himself with the chocolates in the meantime.

 "And what is it that brings you here today, Detective?" he asked, once Leon had gulped down a few mouthfuls of tea and stopped looking quite so discomfited. "I do hope none of my pets have been… misbehaving?"

 Leon shrugged. "Nah. Just… thought I'd say hi. Y'know."

 D, of course, did know. He toyed again with the idea of teasing the detective a little more, of seeing just how much Leon would put up with before taking refuge in another display of temper, but decided against it. Instead, he just raised one neat eyebrow, remarked "How very thoughtful of you," and reached for another chocolate.

"Jesus Christ, D, haven't you had enough of those? You're gonna make yourself sick!"

 The box was already three quarters-empty, and Leon might just have had a point. D, however, merely took a small bite from the edge of the sweet and allowed an amused smile to cross his face as the taste spread over his tongue.

 "You scold me, Detective," he observed, "And yet you never fail to bring a box of chocolates when you come to visit." A small pause; another delicate nibble. His expression was not quite readable. "I wonder why that is?"

 Leon, of course, had just scowled and told him to "cut the Mystic Meg crap". D had hidden his smile behind a sip of tea.

 His reverie was interrupted by a knock at the front door.

 He gave a soft sigh, set down his teacup and stood. Really - the door was unlocked and the sign turned to "open". What more invitation could be needed? Still, certain customers were very shy. And what might this one be seeking? His customary polite smile slotted back into place as he opened the door.

 "Sign here, please."

D's lips pursed in surprise as a clipboard was thrust at him and the man standing in the doorway nodded down at his feet. There was a large-ish wooden crate on the floor there, and D thought he detected movement through the slats.

 A delivery? This was most untoward. He had been expecting no new animals until next week, and surely his grandfather would have informed him of any arrangements he had made. D's pale forehead creased with bewilderment. His job was to provide the surprises, a little mystery, a little spice - to deal out the unexpected, not to receive it. He was not entirely sure he liked this turn of events.

 "Sign here, please," the delivery man repeated, more slowly. "You do speak English, right?"

 D sniffed, but forced a smile. "I do beg your pardon." He scribbled his signature and stood back, gesturing gracefully into the front room with one hand. "If you'd be so kind…"

 He did not open the crate immediately. He waited until the van had driven away, and turned, letting the door fall softly closed behind him. The creak of the hinges seemed oddly loud in the dim room, and it was only then that D noticed the animals had gone quiet. In fact, he realised with a growing sense of unease, most of those that ran loose had disappeared, left the room or hidden behind furniture. Only Tet-chan remained stubbornly in sight, glaring out from under the couch as a low, involuntary growl broke from the back of his throat.  The stillness was unnerving, and though the room was still warm D could not stop a shiver.

 He took a step towards the container, but something made him stop.

 Of course, he decided after a moment, it would be better to prepare a room for the new arrival before letting it out. The sheet of paper the delivery man had flashed at him had said only "reptile", though the soft hiss that had issued from the crate as it was set down suggested some kind of snake. There was a small room near the back of the shop that should suit. And no doubt the creature would need feeding…

 D frowned as he went about his tasks, partly in displeasure at the interruption to his hitherto peaceful day, partly in worried curiosity. It was not, of course, that he was unused to coming across new arrivals unexpectedly, or in bizarre situations - but a delivery van appearing on his doorstep quite out of the blue was something else. If his grandfather had arranged for… this… to be sent here, he would hardly have failed to let D know, and animals seeking shelter did not, as a rule, pack themselves into wooden crates and have themselves delivered. So what could this be? The only logical explanation was that somebody else had been behind this. But who? His father? D shook his head to dismiss that thought. The pets' retreat had certainly suggested this creature might be a little… dangerous, but D had yet to come across an animal he could not calm. And besides, sending a deadly animal to the shop was far too sane and logical an idea to be his father's doing. This really was all too strange.

 He let out a slow breath. The room was clean, with food and water set out. There was, he supposed, only one thing to do now.

 D's eyes fluttered wide open as he removed the lid, and he gasped.

 Nothing happened. The creature did not lash out. There was no aggression, no defensive violence - nothing to explain why the other pets in the shop had backed away so quickly. The creature - "snake" somehow didn't seem to do it justice - was, indeed, beautiful. It peered into the half-light for a moment, curious but seemingly unafraid, its head swaying gently from side to side, before slipping out of the crate that had held it. It gave a small hiss, a sound that was softer than the rustle of silk. Its unusual colouring glimmered in the dim room, its black scales laced-through with flecks of gold, and it moved with a sinuous, hypnotic grace that might have tempted Eve, Adam and God as well.

 For the moment, however, D was only dimly aware of these things. He was still, save for the merest tremble. His breathing stopped, his expression frozen in place as he gazed at the creature's eyes - one dusk-deep violet, the other palest gold.