Pet Shop Of Horrors Fan Fiction ❯ Troubled Times ❯ Troubled Times ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Copyright: I don't own "Pet Shop Of Horrors" or the characters, wish I did though. Matsuri Akino is the lucky goddess who owns them.

Characters maybe a bit OC, but this is my story. I came up with this idea at work. Slight AU, very light yaoi..

Troubled Times

By: Vidalark

Chinatown, a place that seems oddly mystical in the modern world. A small section seemingly pulled right out of China itself and placed in American cities. A gathering place full of various exotic Chinese people, food, and items. Truly a place that one can get lost in or perhaps find a rarity to take home and enjoy. One such shop in Chinatown is a modest looking but well respected pet shop nestled into a row of shops. A sign bearing the words "Count D" being the only real marker to indicate the place.

"Damn it Count I know that you sold that guy something. Now tell me what it was!" Leon Orcot shouted at a rather feminine looking Chinese man who sat across from the irate detective. The Count seemed rather content to just sit quietly and sip at his tea from a delicate China cup.

"I've already told you Officer that all that I sold to him was a simple koi, nothing more." the Count sighed.

"Nothing involving one of your weird contracts?" Leon pressed sounding highly unconvinced.

"No contract was needed because it was a simple koi, the same kind that you can buy at any pet shop anywhere."

"Then what happened to him?"

"How should I know? All I sold him was a harmless fish. Now Officer you really must learn to be more trusting of me. Here please have some more tea, I had it specially shipped over just for you." the Count said as he poured Leon another cupful of the fragrant brew.

"Uh... thanks D." Leon said with a faint blush staining his cheeks as he took the offered cup. He hadn't thought that D would have anything sent over with him in mind so the revelation was rather surprising.

"You are very welcome. I must say thought that the flavor goes very well with the cheese cake that you brought over." D said with a brilliant smile. "Where ever did you manage to get this delightful cheese cake from?" D inquired as he indicated the cheese cake that already had a few thin slices missing from it. Leon blushed an even fiercer shade of red and mumbled something into his tea cup. Q-chan fluttered over to Leon looking as puzzled as D, neither had been able to understand what Leon had said. "Forgive me but could you please repeat what you said without the tea cup in your face?" D asked politely.

"I said I made it myself." Leon repeated his blush becoming impossibly deeper. He had hoped that D wouldn't have asked about the origins of the dessert, but he realized all to late that the lack of fancy paper or the pretty bakery boxes that he normally brought the treats in would only naturally bring such a question about.

"Really? You made this for me?" D asked sounding very touched. Leon could only nod his head and pray that his blush wouldn't get any worse. "Then Leon this is truly the best cheese cake that I have ever had."

"It isn't all that great. I wasn't able to get the strawberries and chocolate sauce for it." Leon said.

"Nonsense! This is very good." D had the feeling that what Leon had just barely avoided saying was that he had been unable to afford any of the normal expensive treats that he usually brought over. From what D could see from the strained and worn out look that Leon now wore and had been wearing for almost a month, that Leon might actually be down to his last dime.

"Well I'm glad that you like it." Leon said with a small and slightly embarrassed smile.

"Tell me where did you learn to bake?"

"My Mom taught me when I was a kid. I use to help her bake all kinds of things, but I really haven't been doing a whole lot of baking for a long time." from the strong touch of sadness in Leon's voice D could tell that the topic was bringing up some very old and possibly painful memories that were filled with some very strong emotions. Emotions that Leon obviously didn't ever wish to express in front of anyone.

"Ah... Leon why don't you join me for dinner?" D suggested catching Leon off guard.

"I'd like to but I... I... I have a bunch of work to do." Leon said knowing that it sounded very much like a highly feeble excuse to avoid being in the Chinese man's company any longer than needed for a case.

"Oh? Aside from the man who bought the koi from me being accused of a murder which you have already mentioned you have more than enough evidence for once he's been found I thought that you were rather free." D pointed out.

"Well... um... yeah, but I think I should try and find more evidence."

"More? You already said that you couldn't find anymore and really don't need it."

"Yeah I did, didn't I? Listen... um D right now I am really going through a real rough time and I kind of need to get a lot of things done and I'm seriously running out of time." Leon finally said with a heavy sigh.

"What do you mean? Perhaps if you told me I might be able to help you out." D said with genuine concern. To D, Leon was like another one of his beloved pets, and in truth he would just about say that Leon was his favorite. Leon looked at D for a minute and looked as if he didn't know what to say or how to begin.

"The apartment building that I live in just got bought out by some rich guy and basically everyone has been evicted. I've been helping out a lot of the older folks to find new homes, but I haven't had the time or chance to find a place for myself yet. In exactly two days I'll be homeless, but I can't worry about that yet until I've finished helping out Mrs. Rosa. Right now she's got a possible place if she can rake up enough money for it and her loan clears. We should find out everything thing today, but if she does get the place I'll need to help her move her things."

"Who is Mrs. Rosa?" D asked.

"She's this old woman in my building, kind of the unofficial Granny of the whole place. Great woman, but no family that is willing to help her out. She's been living alone for several years now since her husband passed away. I always stop by her place to help her out when I can." D was impressed that Leon would take on such a large responsibilities unto himself and yet he was highly worried that Leon wasn't taking care of himself. "I given her most of my last two paychecks so that she might be able to afford the place. Damn I don't know why I'm even telling you all of this, I mean it's not like you care about humans." Leon said practically throwing D's own words back at him.

"Humans in general don't concern me, but you I do care about." D said suddenly. "I will help you to help out Mrs. Rosa and then I will help you."

"Huh?" Leon was now confused and didn't know what to think. He decided that the sweet incense of the pet shop that D seemingly burned constantly was now beginning to affect his mind and made him think that he had heard D say those words.

"Give me all of the information you have for the home that Mrs. Rosa wishes to buy." D said. Leon not really knowing what else to do did as he was told and gave D all of the information that he had. "Ah yes, I know the seller of this place, his family are very good customers of mine. I think that I should be able to arrange for something." with that said D then went to his phone and began a long series of phone calls. Leon though had no idea what was expected of him so he stayed seated on the couch and silently waited while Q-chan watched him curiously. Leon ended up waiting for so long that after awhile his countless nights of practically no rest finally caught up with him that he fell asleep on the soft and inviting couch. Q-chan made no move to wake the sleeping human and decided that it would be best to let D find Leon this way when all of the needed business was finished.

When D had finished the last phone call he turned around to face Leon only to find him fast asleep on the couch. Q-chan fluttered over to D and landed on his shoulder looking rather unhappy. D however was smiling. He wondered how long it had been since Leon had managed to have a proper nights' rest. The tea had done a wonderful job of soothing and relaxing the human much to D's pleasure though D wasn't about to let Leon know that he had planned it that way in hopes to finally relax the edgy police officer some. D however was a little surprised that Leon hadn't just excused himself and left to find someplace else to sleep, the fact that Leon had willingly let himself doze off in D's company was it anything a strong display of trust that touched D deeply.

"My friend you work much to hard to help those of your beloved city." D said as he gently stroked Leon's golden locks. "I think that I shall watch over you for awhile to ensure that you are better cared for my brave Golden Lion." with that D began to gather up the remains of their little tea party.

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Leon awoke much later to find himself atop a king sized bed. Silken sheets of royal blue embroidered with a large beautiful Chinese lion covered his form. The sheets beneath him were also of the same blue silk and the large fluffy pillows also were covered in the silk. Leon was amazed at the silk drapes that surrounded the bed, each section had delicate embroidery work of mythical Chinese beasts and animals. Once Leon had gotten over the regal splendor of the bed he realized that he had no recollection of how he got there, but for the first time in ages he felt well rested and at peace. Slowly he sat up allowing the silken sheets to pool into his lap and he found that save for his shoes and socks he was fully dressed.

"Ah you're awake." a voice said breaking through the peaceful silence. Leon turned to find that the speaker was none other than D. "You've been asleep for nearly six hours." D said calmly.

"Oh man... I'm sorry about that." Leon said becoming suddenly furious with himself. A whole day that he should have been helping Mrs. Rosa and finding himself a new place to live was practically wasted.

"Don't be. Come I have dinner ready for us." D said.

"I need to see Mrs. Rosa and find out if she got the place. I have to go." Leon said as he got out of bed and tried to locate his missing shoes and socks.

"She has gotten the place as you say. Leon you needn't worry about anything, I have taken care of everything. I was able to secure the apartment for her and I was able to talk down the price a bit." D said as he walked up to Leon.

"Really?" Leon asked highly surprised.

"Really, I have also arranged for a moving crew to help her move into her new home. I have also arranged for her to be able to come by and pick out a new pet, one that will keep her company." D said smiling and rather proud of himself for having done so much work in a matter of a couple hours.

"D... you didn't have to do all of that." Leon was shocked that D had so much and he hadn't even been asked to, though Leon was a little worried about the whole pet thing.

"I know, but this obviously meant a lot to you so I did it. Your elderly friend has nothing more to worry about." D said his smile never fading.

"Thank God, now all I have to do is help her to fully settle in and then find me a place to live, or at least leave my things so I can stay in my car."

"You have also been taken care of." D said holding up his hand knowing that things were just about to get interesting.

"I have?" Leon was both highly curious and highly worried. It seemed to him that normally if the Count had anything to do with things going in any direction it usually involved some kind of contract or repayment.

"Yes, this is your room until you are back on your feet." D said with an air of finality that even Leon felt that he couldn't argue with, not that such feelings were going to stop him from trying to.

"D I couldn't. I mean I... people would think that I was getting all soft with you."

"Oh?" D asked with a small smirk knowing full well what Leon was trying to avoid saying.

"Yeah they'd think that I'd given up or something." Leon said though deep in his heart he knew that he only used the so called investigation to be near the mysterious Chinese man, though his higher conscious self would never admit to such a thing.

"They won't." D chuckled. "If it makes you feel any better you can claim that this is a part of your investigation."

"How much will I owe you? I mean I can't stay here for free." Leon said in a last ditch effort to get out of the situation though he knew he really had no way out and no where to go.

"I am hurt that you would think that I would charge you rent." D said feigning a hurt expression. "You are a dear friend and you are more than welcome to stay here as a long term guest. Now let us go and eat and we can discuss the various arrangements that we need to go over."

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Three days later Leon was fully settled into his room in the pet shop. Q-Chan hadn't been at all happy with his presence, but for the most part didn't bother him. A few of the other animals in the shop could often be found loitering outside of Leon's room, but Leon said nothing since he knew that in truth he was the invader in their domain. If anything that D and all of the animals noticed was that Leon had become rather subdued since he moved in and rarely left his room for save for a few scant meals and to go to work. D silently cursed the fact that the room Leon had, also had its own private bathroom so Leon never need leave the room for that.

Leon was very grateful for what D had done for him, but he was also very afraid. The way that D had told Leon that he would be staying with him made him feel almost as if he were another one of the Chinese man's pets awaiting an owner to come and buy him with possibly a contract to fully bind him to another. What was it that the Count really wanted from him? Since when did the Count do anything of such a high and generous caliber that didn't have some kind of strings or contracts lurking around the corner? More over how did he really feel about D himself? Of late his emotions and feelings had become so mixed up that he barely knew them himself. He wouldn't tell anyone, but his job was on the line. He'd gained a bad reputation for false accusations in the department and if his crime solving rate with good catches didn't go up soon he was looking at a very high possibility of being terminated before his retirement age.

"Leon lunch is ready." D said as he knocked lightly on Leon's closed door. D expected the American to open the door, but received no such response, in fact he received none at all. "Leon? Are you in there?" D asked knocking once more. Still he received no response. Carefully he opened the door and peered into the darkened room. Once his eyes adjusted to the sparse light he was able to see Leon curled up into a fetal position in the middle of the king sized bed. D couldn't understand what it was that he saw. He could feel that something inside of Leon had been broken, but he wasn't able to tell fully what it was.

"Leon are you alright?" D asked softly as he entered the room. Carefully he made his way to the bed passing by boxes that still held most of Leon's belongings since the detective had only unpacked a few of his clothes. D had found it odd that the American hadn't unpacked everything and made himself at home. Leon wore a old ragged tank top and a pair of equally old and ragged blue jeans and for once his golden mane of hair wasn't bound in a ponytail, but was loose and flowed across the silken sheets. D found the change in hair style highly alluring, but the whole effect was ruined by how helpless Leon really looked. Leon looked so much like a broken child that it hurt D. Slowly he lowered himself on to the bed which still was covered in the sheets that Leon had first rested upon in this very room, and moved closer to Leon to where he was just barely touching him.

"Leon..." D whispered letting the name roll off of his tongue and fade.

"D I need to be alone." Leon whispered hoarsely. His voice sounded very worn, almost as if he had been crying for a long time.

"I don't think that, that would be such a good idea right now." D said as he eyed Leon's service revolver which lay not to far away atop the night stand. "Right now I think that you need company more than you wish to admit. You've been highly depressed since you moved in and I don't know why. Please Leon can you please let me know what is wrong?" D asked with such genuine concern that even the animals who had paced outside the door felt sorry for Leon. D was very concerned about the young man before him, but had no idea as to how he could help him.

"You don't want to know."

"Yes I do."

"Trust me you don't." Leon growled. His resolve to not let D know what was really wrong with him was quickly falling apart. D having grown tired of the childish game grabbed Leon's shoulder and flipped Leon on to his back and forced him to look at him.

"Tell me." D whispered as his mismatched eyes gazed into Leon's blue eyes. The normally hypnotic gaze held such depths of worry and fear that Leon hadn't wanted to see because he knew that such a look would fully break his resolve. He was right.

"Fine! You want to know so badly, fine I'll tell you." Leon roared. "Right now I am so damned close to losing my job that it's got me beyond worried, I have absolutely no money, I'm having to depend wholly upon someone else just to fucking survive, and to top off the fucking list I'm falling for someone that I shouldn't be!!!" the entire time that Leon was scream his soul out he never noticed the fat hot tears that rolled down his face. "Right now I'm so damned confused and I don't even have a clue as to what I'm supposed to do. My life was going fine until I got so damned wrapped up in Chinatown."

D looked at Leon with a highly unreadable expression. Leon wanted to hide his face from D, but the surprisingly strong and firm grip that D still had on his shoulder prevented him from even turning over. Leon was surprised at the amount of strength that one hand had that made it so that D was basically able to pin him down. He was dimly aware that D's talon like nails were beginning to cut into his arm painfully. For D, Leon's words had both puzzled him and brought to light several things. He with all of his resources hadn't even known that Leon's job was in so much trouble.

"Well aren't you going to gloat or something?" Leon demanded not at all enjoying the silence that brought him no answers.

"Leon what is there for me to gloat about? Right now your life has become very confused with your heart and mind not that far behind. You are use to being highly independent but because of circumstances beyond your control you have been robbed of that. As for money you were very noble in helping Mrs. Rosa, I don't thing that just anyone would have placed themselves into such a situation to help an elder. I am sorry to hear that you may lose your job, but you are more than welcome to both live and work here if you wish. What I am having a hard time understanding though is your 'falling for someone' what do you mean by that?" D asked calmly. Leon sighed and closed his eyes. He didn't wish to see the look on D's face or in his eyes when he said what he was going to say.

"What that means D is that I think that I'm falling in love... with... you." his had whispered the last part so softly he was sure that D couldn't have caught the words, but a small gasp from D told him otherwise. Well he had said it and was now expecting to be thrown out of the room though he already knew that D had no problems with being with other men romantically since he had practically dated a man who was wanting to turn him into a desert. Cautiously though he opened his eyes expecting to see anything other than what he saw written on D's face.

"Leon..." D sighed the name. "Leon you don't know what those words mean to me." D said as his mismatched gold and lavender eyes glimmered with unshed tears. It was now Leon's turn to be confused.

"D?"

"Leon I have been waiting for those words to come from you for awhile. I have waited and waited, but you never came out of the shell that you so carefully crafted for yourself."

"You mean... you mean that..." Leon's mind wasn't able to fully comprehend what was going on. In all of his mental images of his professing any form of attraction to D he always saw himself being thrown out, laughed at, or much worse. This image, no this reality was enough to make Leon fear that this was some sick dream and he would wake up at any moment in his bed alone and heartbroken by his own cowardice.

"What I mean my Golden Lion is that I also love you, however unlike you I am very sure." and to prove his point D lowered his face to Leon's and stole a quick kiss. Leon swore that even though the kiss was short lived it was more enticing than any long kiss that he had ever had with any woman. His tongue slipped passed his lips to taste where D's mouth had touched his own lips and found the taste there to be sweet like so many of the sugary foods that the Count consumed on a regular basis. If anything he thought that D's short kiss tasted sweeter than any sugary confection that he had ever brought to the shop.

"D..." Leon sighed. "God please don't let this have been another one of my dreams."

"A dream?" D asked puzzled by this comment.

"Yeah a dream because if it is I should be getting very close to the point that you throw me out or something." Leon said. D shifted his grip on Leon's arm slightly as he pulled back a little the small cuts his talon like nails were accidentally scratched a bit more open causing Leon a small measure of pain. "Tch... nope I don't recall actually feeling pain in any of my dreams, but if it is one I'd like to at least make some blood shed worth it." with that said Leon tentatively moved to kiss D. D relaxed his grip more to let Leon move and remained very still like one would with a skittish creature that one wished to tame. This was Leon's chance to explore and understand, D would have all the time in the world later for his explorations.

When Leon's lips met D's for a second time ever Leon found that he had become addicted. What had started out as what was supposed to have been a quick and chaste kiss quickly became heated and when D's own tongue swept at his lips to asked permission for entry Leon lost it. D tasted even sweeter than Leon had thought possible and he was infinitely more gentle and yet commanding even when he relented in the kiss. Leon gripped at D's *cheongsam as he tried to gain more leverage in the kiss. Leon thought that the moment could last forever but sadly the basic instinct of breathing took over forcing Leon to part from D.

"I hurt you." D said sadly as he indicated the scratches he had accidentally caused.

"Trust me that pain is nothing. If anything I think the pain was worth it." Leon said as he thought to a few gun shots that he had taken a few years before he had ever even met D. D however said nothing and did the only thing that seemed natural to him, he slowly moved to Leon's arm and licked the small bleeding wounds clean. Before Leon would have found that disturbing, but now he didn't and he didn't understand why. Perhaps it was because he had finally admitted that he loved the man enough to handle his exotic ways.

"I shall have to clean it better and bandage it so wait for me right here." D said as he got up. Leon's heart froze for a minute, maybe this was a dream. If D left them he would wake up and be even worse off than before. To afraid to say anything Leon remained where he was.

D walked to the front where he kept a small first aid kit for when he had an occasional rowdy animal that injured either himself or a paying customer. In truth it was hardly a used item since the incense seemed to keep most of the creatures rather docile. It had somewhat surprised him that Leon had initiated their second kiss, but he found that he rather enjoyed the timid way the American detective had started out. He much preferred though when Leon's blood had begun to boil with barely restrained passion that he could just taste. He wanted Leon to lose all inhibitions as far as a relationship with him would go. D may look frail, but even he couldn't fool Leon with how he was able to pin him down with just one hand. When he got back to Leon's room he saw that Leon had broken down yet again and this time D vaguely understood what had caused this break down.

"Sh... my Golden Lion I am here. This is no dream as you feared. I am here for you and I don't plan on letting you go anytime soon." D said as he gently forced Leon to look at him. With butterfly kisses he kissed away the tears that had fallen from Leon's eyes.

"Thank God, I don't think I could have stood another dream." Leon whispered as he let D care for him.

"Then don't, this is reality."

"But how? Why would you want someone like me who really isn't anything more than my own job. How many times have you told me that I am reckless and thick skulled? How many times have you been upset with my habits and plain acting like an American like I am?" Leon asked. This was the hard questions that D knew would come up should he and Leon ever become one.

"You my Golden Lion are brave, kind, beautiful, and loving. I can forgive you all of your faults because you are you. You have so many qualities that draw me to you that I couldn't possibly mention them all because no language has the right words for them." D meant every word that he said. He knew that it would take Leon time to understand what he meant, but for him he was willing to wait.

"Oh." Leon was touched by the pretty words that D had said and it felt odd to him that such poetic statements should be directed at him honestly.

"Now let me take care of your arm." D said as he brought out what he needed. It took him a couple of minutes to tend to the small wounds that in truth didn't really need the bandages, but it made him feel better and it was a small way to remind Leon the next time that he awoke that what had happened in that room had not been a dream in any form. "Now let us have our lunch, I think that we have a lot that we need to talk about."

"Yes, yes we do."

Owari

*cheongsam- what D wears