Pet Shop Of Horrors Fan Fiction ❯ some kind of bliss ❯ To Make The Nightmares Go Away ( Chapter 3 )

Apologies for how long this chapter's been in coming - I hope there's someone out there still reading this! See Chapter One for warnings etc.

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"D?"

No answer.

Leon cleared his throat. "Count? Something up?"

Still no response. D's expression was faintly grave, and he appeared to be absorbed in earnest contemplation of the contents of his teacup. He'd been acting like that ever since Leon got here. Hadn't even seemed bothered about the sweets, or lack of, when Leon had been all ready with an excuse - like he was back at school and had forgotten to do his homework or something. Christ. D had just smiled distractedly like he'd barely even registered what was being said to him. It was decidedly weird.

"COUNT!" Leon yelled, loud enough to have made any normal person fall off his chair with fright. D blinked slowly and raised his eyes.

"I do beg your pardon, Detective," he said mildly. "Is something the matter?"

"Huh? You're the one who looks like someone just told you sugar's been declared an illegal substance. What's gotten into your shorts?"

A slight raise of the eyebrows. Whether in surprise or amusement, or both, Leon couldn't tell.

"Please do not trouble yourself on my account, Detective. I have a slight headache; that is all." Then D smiled. "However, I do appreciate your concern."

"Hmph."

They lapsed back into silence. Leon noticed he'd been fidgeting grumpily with his teaspoon, put it down, and a minute later found himself drumming his fingers on the armrest. D had gone back to staring into his cup, and it didn't look like he was going to let himself be drawn into conversation.

The Count not having something to hold forth about was pretty damn unusual, and for some reason - God alone knew - Leon wasn't liking it one bit. For starters, it meant he didn't have anything to shout about, and he was never quite sure how he ought to act around D when he wasn't shouting. Even when he wasn't deliberately trying to make Leon feel two feet tall, the guy just had a way of making him really goddamn nervous. Like now. He just kept finding himself… staring… and then getting embarrassed about it and looking at the clock, or the floor, or that little bat-rabbit thing that Leon could have sworn was smirking at him - and then glancing back to be sure D hadn't noticed. Fucked if he knew why. It wasn't even like D was paying him any attention, anyway.

There was something about the guy that drew the eye, though. You had to admit that. It was the outlandish clothes, Leon guessed - or those odd-coloured, scary-but-not-scary eyes, or just the weirdness of seeing a Chinese person with such pale skin. Still, it was easy to get distracted watching him; the play of expressions that simultaneously promised everything and gave away nothing at all; the delicate little movements of those hands as they poured tea, or smoothed imaginary stray hairs back into place. Like an elegant cat, preening itself and knowing all the time just how damn perfect it looks.

Leon realised he was doing it again, and forced himself, scowling, to look away. At least D hadn't noticed.

Come to think of it, he realised, he probably should be getting annoyed about that. Here he was, stopping by just to be polite - when he didn't even like the guy - and getting completely ignored. And D was always going on about his manners.

He snorted loudly. D didn't even look up.

Maybe he'd just go home.

Leon reached for his jacket, clearing his throat as he did so.

"Ah… I think I'm gonna get off home now. Early mornings, ya know…"

A small pause. Then D seemed to realise he was being spoken to, and glanced up.

"Very well, Detective. Have a pleasant evening." A polite smile. D made no move to get up.

That was weird too, Leon thought. D usually saw him to the door, right? Either because he was Mr. Manners, or because he wanted to make sure Leon was out of the way and not keeping an eye on the shop. Well, whichever, it was odd.

Leon opened his mouth, about to say something, then realised that D was oblivious again, his forehead creased in a preoccupied little frown that made Leon want to snatch that teacup out of his hand and -

No, he couldn't be bothered to yell or… or… anything. Like it made any difference to him that the weirdest weird person in Chinatown was acting a bit weirder than usual today. He just wanted to go home, that was it. Yeah.

He cast one more glance at the still-absorbed D, then slung on his jacket and stomped out.

By the time he'd gotten back to his apartment, Leon had managed - if it was at all possible - to work himself up into an even worse mood than before. He was good at that. He barged into the apartment, slammed the door shut as if it had personally injured him just by standing there, being a door, and flung himself into an armchair.

After a minute, he realised he'd thrown his jacket on the floor as he walked in. He thought, in an abstract kind of a way, that he ought to go pick it up.

Then he frowned. Why the hell should he pick it up? It was his goddamn apartment. He'd leave his stuff on the floor if he wanted.

Leon reached for the TV remote, and turned up the volume.

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D had been rather glad when it was finally late enough to retire for the night. He had been troubled all day, and even a visit from his favourite officer of the law had been no help in distracting him. He supposed, on reflection, that he must have been a little distant with Leon - the detective had seemed even more grouchy than usual today, and his expression as he took his leave had been distinctly Not Happy. D did not trouble himself unduly, however. He was quite used to Leon's moods, and quite sure he would have found something else to sulk about by morning,

And besides, there were rather more pressing issues at hand.

The new arrival's unknown origin was only one of the things that had been weighing on his mind. Animals, as a rule, showed D their true forms without hesitation, sensing that it would be as useless to distrust him as the ground beneath their feet. If anything, they seemed to grow brighter under his gaze, vying for his attention like children around a favourite teacher.

He had looked in on the new creature several times during the day, but seen nothing.

He had told himself that, no doubt, the creature was still distressed from its journey, and that once it had settled in everything would be as normal - in short, that there was nothing to worry about. It bothered him, though, on some faint, not-quite-definable level, and, try as he might, he had been unable to shake off the vague sense of disquietude that had settled over the shop that morning.

Before going to bed, he had peered around the door of the little room a final time. Still, nothing seemed out of order. It was quite as he had left it, still and dim - and glimmering in a corner, seemingly asleep, the coils of a black-gold serpent.

D had strange dreams that night, stark and coolly vivid, but unsettling in an odd, nebulous sort of way that he could not quite explain.

He found himself in a clearing, in dark woodland, sitting at his grandfather's feet as he had done as a child. The air was soft on his face, but a stern full moon gave the whole scene the sharp, unreal quality of a charcoal sketch. It half-reminded him of times in his youth when Sofu had taken him to forests, or to lakes or plains or the side of the sea, and taught him about the animals and plants, their names and how to speak with them - and yet he felt a little disoriented, something not-quite-right.

D thought he heard leaves rustle, but then he realised there was no breeze. He glanced around him for the source of the sound, but saw nothing.

And then Sofu leaned down towards him, apropos of nothing, his expression severe.

"You are too fond of that human," he said, darkly.

D blinked in alarm. He had not even been thinking about Leon. What could his grandfather mean by such a thing?

And then he heard it again, that noise like wind in trees -- and something else quite distinct from it; a soft hiss, an almost-tender caress of sound. It was not quite a breath, not quite a laugh - something just on the verge of expression. D could not tell where it was coming from.

He looked up, bewildered, but Sofu had disappeared, and the rustling of leaves was all around him.

"Kyu?"

D opened his eyes, but it was a moment before they adjusted to his surroundings. Q-chan was hovering anxiously over him.

"Kyu?"

He sat up, and tried to smile. The room felt uncomfortably warm.

"Kyu? Kyu!" The chittering creature lighted on D's shoulder and he petted it absently, murmuring reassurances. Something was still nagging at him, though, and the air tasted hot and dry.

A moment later he was on his feet, down the corridor and opening the door of that room again. He was not entirely sure why he was doing it, or why his heart was suddenly in his throat, or why, despite the heat, he was shivering a little. There was no light in the room, and D had to strain his eyes to make out anything at all.

Through the thick dark, a pair of mismatched eyes gleamed at him with a smile in them.