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

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

This is a direct Sequel to "Troubled Times" Leon has a brand new life ahead of him being a new born kami so how does that affect his job, social life, and most importantly his relationship with D? If you haven't read chapter 7 from "Troubled Times" you may have some confusion, but not much. Will have lemons eventually.

Troubled Waters

Chapter 1

Leon was slowly becoming use to his new life. He did odd and end jobs around the pet shop as well as play with the children of the pet shop which in the long run gave their parent's time to relax. His job though was becoming a problem. Where he use to come home after a long day or a stake out and regale D and the older pets with his often colorful tales from work, foul language included, now he barely said two words concerning what had happened during his day. There seemed to be a spark of vitality missing from Leon now that had everyone worried. He seemed almost constantly tired.

"Come on Leon throw the ball." Yue laughed as he and several of the other shop pups surrounded him. Leon had been playing fetch with them for nearly an hour and the young pups didn't seem to be showing any signs of tiring out.

"One last time and then you all are going to get your baths."

"Aww..." was the mutual whine from all of the young pups.

"Now, now Leon is right you all do need to take your baths or you won't be able to play with him anymore." D told them as watched the adorable looks of pouting faces. The pups quickly went into a small huddle to discus the change of tactics

"Okay but only if Leon takes a bath with us." a girl finally replied.

"Sounds fair to me." D agreed before Leon even had a chance to protest. Leon didn't really care for taking baths with the shop animals due to the fact that they all loved to play with his hair.

"Deal!" the pack of pups all shouted. Quickly and yet somewhat reluctantly Leon threw the ball in the direction of the bathing room and the pups all ran after it.

"Gee thanks D." Leon grumbled half heartedly.

"You could have said no if you wanted to."

"Nah I don't like to disappoint the kids. Well I'd better get moving. Alright everyone bath time."

As Leon had predicted the young pups ended up playing with his hair. Yue had valiantly kept them at bay until the urge to play with his master's golden locks over came him. It was with a great amount of consideration that Leon decided that they weren't as bad as the store felines who simply loved to style his golden mane. Once they had fluffed out his hair so that it was very much like a lion's mane. The whole hair style wouldn't have been so bad if Totetsu hadn't been there with a camera.

"Alright everybody out." Leon finally announced when he managed to finish washing the last puppy. By the time he had them all out and dried D was announcing lunch. The pack of pups eagerly ran off for their meal leaving Leon alone to dry and dress himself.

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"Where is Leon?" D finally asked after they had waited nearly twenty minutes for the man turned kami. He'd already fed the animals sine they were already there awaiting the promised meal.

"He was in the bathing room last we saw." a girl/pup with pig tails answered.

"Yeah we got him kinda wet." a boy/pup laughed remembering a water fight that he and a few of the rowdier and younger pups started.

"I'd better see what is taking him so long. T-Chan please watch over them." D left the room in search of his beloved knowing that Totetsu would watch over the children well.

In all honesty D was becoming worried about Leon. He wasn't himself anymore and rarely seemed to find enjoyment with his job like he once did. Whenever customers came into the shop Leon made himself scare. At first D thought that it was because he was still recovering from what Khan had done to him and from changing from human into a kami. That had been three almost four months ago and instead of getting better he was seemingly only getting worse. Around himself and the animals Leon was fine, but around people he seemed to be barely tolerant them.

"ENOUGH! JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY!" D was more than sure that the entire shop had heard that. Swiftly he ran to where the angered voice had originated from and found Leon in the bathing room on his knees with no more than a short towel around his waist. His hands covered his ears and his face was scrunched up as if he were in pain. There was no one else in the room which made D wonder what was going on. Q-Chan zoomed in looking more than a little upset since the general rule about swearing was if you were gonna do it make sure none of the children heard it. Every child in the shop however had heard Leon's colorful metaphor.

"Leon what's wrong?" D knelt in front of Leon while placing gentle hand on his broad shoulders.

"D... oh God D please make them be quiet."

"Who my Golden Lion?"

"Everyone, the people at the station, on the street, everywhere. I can't take it anymore."

"Leon, my love, you aren't making any sense. You're here with me in the shop."

"I know that... but... but I can still hear them."

"Q-Chan do you understand what is going on?" the small babbit fluttered around Leon a few times. After his inspection he went into a complicated series of squeaks and chirrups that still only D was able to fully understand.

"Leon are you sure that you're hearing words?"

"Not really words. I keep feeling like someone is pressing me with noise. Ya know that annoying static you get in between radio stations? Well something like that but.. I don't know it sounds crazy but that static feels like it's full of emotions."

"Emotions?"

"Yeah. Normally when I'm here it isn't so bad, but this time I couldn't ignore it."

"How long has this been happening?"

"Since I woke up from that ceremony ritual thing we did. It wasn't so bad then but I don't know it feels like its been getting worse." D thought about what Leon had said and about what Q-Chan had told him.

"Oh please forgive me my Leon I had not realized that his would happen." realization had hit D hard when he finally understood what was wrong. "I should have realized this sooner."

"What's wrong with me D?"

"We tend to be more empathetic than most in this world. While we are young we learn how to filter out the emotional static as you call it. I hadn't even thought that you would suffer from it."

"You mean I'm suffering from everyone's emotions?" D was a bit surprised that Leon seemed to fully understand what had been said to him so far. "What? You don't have a TV around here so I've done a lot of reading to pass the time. I thought that I'd try my hand at some research on kami's in general and learned a few things besides what you've told me. I knew that kami are supposed to be more in tune with plants, animals, and the Earth but nothing was ever said about people. I mean I can be around animals and have no problems, but people..."

"I understand. I was confused myself when I first started to move among humans and I even thought that I would go mad, but with help, time, and communion I was able to over come it."

"Well could you please explain it?" an edge of irritation that D hadn't had to face since they'd become a couple crept into Leon's voice.

"Well you see animals tend to be very open with their emotions and feelings. You can just about always tell how an animal feels by how they behave. Animals being honest with how they really feel don't emit an emotional static. Humans however are the most untruthful of all animals. Humans tend to hide behind words and self-created masks to avoid the truth of their emotions. Some even make a living that way."

"So what you're saying is that this static is a bunch of peoples' real emotions?

"In simple terms yes. Some of the emotions however are the pure feelings that are being expressed from both animals and people, but that only happens in extreme situations."

"So how do I filter all of this out?"

"Time. Eventually the static will disappear and rarely bother you. You said that this time the static was the worst?"

"Yeah. It isn't so bad now, but I guess it might be because you're here with me."

"That and your mind is slowly learning to compensate the overflow of emotions that aren't your own. I should have thought to take you out of the city so you could adjust. Please forgive my error in judgment." D couldn't believe that he had inadvertently harmed Leon.

"Don't worry about it. A couple of aspirin with take care of the headache in no time."

"You need time to commune. Normally a kami would only need to do that in their fifth year of life but..."

"D I'm in my twenties."

"Yes but you haven't been a kami for even a year."

"I'm an early bloomer in one way and late in the other then. What can I say D, I mean I was having a hard enough time being human." Leon instantly regretted saying that. "D I'm sorry, man I'm such an idiot. Listen this whole change species and mortality thing was my choice and I don't regret it at all." to further his point he pulled D close to him.

"I know my Golden Lion, I know."

"Guess I missed lunch though eh?"

"I saved you some."

"Thanks." Leon then realized his state of undress. A wild blush stole across his face as he noted how nice the silk of D's cheongsam felt on his skin. Though D had seen all of him before he was still self-conscious of his body. "I uh.... I'd better put some clothes on."

"Perhaps. Would a collar be enough?" the wicked smile on D's face sent Leon's mind fully to the gutter while D entertained the rather delicious image.

"D!"

"What? I was only making a suggestion." D replied innocently.

"And you say Americans are bad."

"I'll go get you your collar." D chuckled as he left the room. The sound of a wet towel landing against a wall and falling to the floor made D turn around and smile even more. "On second though a collar might be to much." the towel that had been thrown was the one that Leon had been wearing.

"D!!!!"

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"I feel that he's near by."

"Me too."

"I want to meet him."

"The Count says soon, but I don't think it's soon enough."

"He killed Mama according to the Count."

"But that was only because Mama was going to attack the Count."

"Yes and he brought us with him. The Count doesn't know how he did it though."

"Regret, he regretted what he did even though it was to save the Count. His heart wanted to help us."

"Yes he was sad to learn what his heroic act had done to us."

"I want to see him."

"So do I."

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That night Leon found sleep to be very elusive. The emotional static came in unpredictable waves that would shatter his fragile grasp on the edge of true sleep rudely jolting him to full consciousness. Yue stayed by his side faithfully being a small calming oasis in the sea of chaotic emotions that tried to pull him under. However even poor faithful Yue wasn't enough.

"Damn it I can't sleep and I have the early shift in the morning." Leon growled finally when a glance at the alarm clock told him that it was two-fifty-seven. "Only two more hours till I have to be up and I still haven't been asleep." growling one more time he carefully crawled out of bed because unlike him Yue was fast asleep. The sight of the young eager to please pup brought a gentle smile to Leon's face.

"At lease one of us can sleep." placing a cover over Yue earned him a contented sigh from the pup who burrowed deeper into the warmth and Leon's scent.

The walk to the kitchen was rather uneventful since most of the animals were asleep. A few of the nocturnal animals that were still awake greeted Leon, some more cheerfully than others. Even though he was now a kami and D's fought for and fully claimed mate not all of the shop inhabitants liked him though they accepted him for what he was now.

In the kitchen Leon found Totetsu hard at work cooking. Leon couldn't help but wonder if the strange creature also had trouble sleeping.

"What are you doing up?" Totetsu asked as he continued to chop away at a bunch of fruits.

"Can't sleep, to much static."

"Hmph, now you know how we feel sometimes." even though the words had sounded harsh there was an obvious undertone of strong sympathy.

"Why are you up so early?"

"Making breakfast... and I too can't sleep."

"Oh..." Leon felt awkward since the two of them had never really gotten along. Their relationship was more of a 'I tolerate you, you tolerate me' deal since Leon moved in. Neither had spent any one-on-on time together.

"Hungry?"

"Uh yeah."

"I'll have some pancakes ready for you in a few minuets."

"Thanks... do you want some help?"

"Yeah I could you put those eggs over there in the mix?" Leon did as asked.

The two thought about how strange their easy going team work felt. Neither had the slightest urge to heckle the other. Totetsu had been rather surprised that his one time mortal enemy had not only offered to help, but had followed through with that offer. What was Leon to him now if not an enemy? Leon would never be his master, no D was his master. Could they be becoming... friends?

By the time that D awoke and made his way to the kitchen Leon and Totetsu were conversing civilly. Neither bore injuries from one of their famous fights, that was a shock in itself since he knew that those two had never really been on the best of terms. Breakfast was laid out on hot plates to keep the pancakes, eggs, and muffins warm. The American kami and legendary beast were sipping tea and seemed fully engrossed in their topic. D really hated having to interrupt the moment but he need a sugar fix.

"Good morning T-Chan, Leon."

"Count, good morning." instantly Totetsu set up D's tea the way he liked it and stacked three pancakes with whipped cream and chop fruits separating each layer before the Chinese kami.

"Morning D."

"Leon you look terrible. Did you have trouble sleeping?"

"Yeah you could say that."

"You should stay home and rest."

"Sorry D but no can do. I've used up all of my sick leave and vacation time. I think that I'm lucky to still have a job."

"But you need rest. I've already planned to take you to the woods also so that you may have the proper time to commune in peace."

"Sorry Love but I've still got to get to work." a glance at his watch confirmed this. "Better get a moving. I still have a bunch of paper work to do at the office." he placed a quick peck on D's cheek and left.

"If he isn't careful he'll go mad with all of those emotions swamping him." D worried.

"He'll be fine." D couldn't help but give Totetsu a curious glance at that comment. "What?"

"I'm not use to you two getting along so well."

"Neither am I."

"What happened?"

"We started to understand each other." that was all Totetsu would say even though that answer only brought up more questions than answers. D would have questioned him further but the shop was coming to life as animals awakened and they all needed tending to.

To Be Continued.....

Well what do you folks think? I admit that I know nothing of kamis' so I'm just fooling around with some ideas I have. This chapter didn't have any lemons, but don't worry I'll throw some in soon, just don't know when. Please don't forget to review and let me know what you think of my fic so far.