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FIC: Daiki, Part 4 (of 22)
Title: Daiki, Part 4 (of 22)
Rating: R overall, but mostly PG-13
Pairing: Leon/D
Word count: ~5,080
Disclaimer: Characters belong to Matsuri Akino and Yumiko Kawahara. No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Sequel to: This can be considered a continuation of my earlier series of stories (Revenge, The Day After, Spirits, Blodeuedd), but it can stand on its own as my version of what happens after Book 10.
Thanks to: Spare from the Petshop discussion group on Yahoo, who planted the plot bunny in my head about the Dolls shopkeeper being Leon and D's child! ^_^
Summary: A crossover between Petshop of Horrors by Matsuri Akino and Dolls by Yumiko Kawahara. When Daiki asks how he was born, Leon has to explain the facts of life to him--sort of. Daiki also has a run-in with a school bully.
Part 1a, Part 1b, Part 2, Part 3
***
As the years passed, Daiki grew into a charming little boy. He possessed some of D's cool serenity in that he was unusually well-behaved and good-natured, rarely given to crying and throwing temper-tantrums like most children his age.
He did like to laugh and run and play like any normal child, though, and when he grew old enough, he would play ball or tag or hide-and-seek with the pets and his Uncle Chris. Daiki adored Chris, and Chris always treated his nephew with a tender protectiveness that made D and Leon smile. He was there when Daiki took his first wobbly step on his own, shouting, "Look Leon, Daiki's walking!" as the baby took a couple of steps and then tumbled forward laughing into Chris's waiting arms.
Josie and Sam loved Daiki, too, fussing and cooing over him, and saying how adorable he looked in the little Chinese outfits that D had custom-made for him by the tailors who sewed his own clothes in Chinatown. In fact, everyone from Jill to the Chief to the shopkeepers in Chinatown seemed to adore Daiki and were always giving him sweets and small toys, to the extent where Leon worried that his son was going to end up a very spoiled little boy, but he retained his sweet nature and even temper. He happily accepted all the gifts given to him with a polite "thank you" as D had taught him, but he never complained when he didn't receive one.
When they went shopping, occasionally something would catch Daiki's eyes, a sweet or a storybook or a toy, and he would ask, "Can I have that, Daddy?" And Leon would reply, "Yes, if you're a good boy," which Daiki usually was, or sometimes, "No, you already had a lot of sweets today, but we can pick some up for teatime tomorrow," and occasionally, "No, that's too expensive, but you can save up your allowance and do some extra chores around the shop to earn the money for it." Daiki never whined or threw a tantrum when his requests were denied, but simply smiled and said, "Yes, Daddy."
It was rare for Leon and D to refuse their son's requests, though, since unlike most kids, he rarely asked for the latest, coolest, and most expensive toys that were being advertised on TV commercials, probably because D didn't let him watch much television. But possibly also because he already had an incredible playground available to him at the shop: he swam in the ocean with the dolphins, and romped through the jungle with tiger and lion cubs. But out of all the miraculous rooms in the petshop, his favorite seemed to be the flower gardens. Sometimes he would play in the gardens with Tet-chan and Pon-chan, being careful not to damage the flowers, but mostly he was content to sit quietly in the gardens, reading one of his picture books and sipping some tea and eating some snacks that Tet-chan had packed for him in a picnic basket. Because Daiki liked the gardens so much, D and Leon would often have a picnic lunch with him there on Leon's days off, although Leon found it a little disconcerting when the flower maidens would occasionally take human shape and stroke Daiki's golden hair and say how adorable he was. Their affection seemed to be more maternal than anything else, but it made him a little nervous when he recalled the night that he had played "bridegroom" to two flower brides.
"Do not worry, Leon," D said calmly as he sipped his tea. "Daiki is too young to be a bridegroom. Besides, flowers do not mate the same way that humans do."
Leon nodded and relaxed, remembering that he had been more of an intermediary than an actual groom. It had been quite disconcerting at the time to have a beautiful, buxom woman throw her arms around him and then suddenly vanish. But regardless, he wasn't sure that he wanted his son pollinating any flowers, so he resolved to keep a closer eye on things when Daiki got older.
As the years passed, Daiki grew into a charming little boy. He possessed some of D's cool serenity in that he was unusually well-behaved and good-natured, rarely given to crying and throwing temper-tantrums like most children his age.
He did like to laugh and run and play like any normal child, though, and when he grew old enough, he would play ball or tag or hide-and-seek with the pets and his Uncle Chris. Daiki adored Chris, and Chris always treated his nephew with a tender protectiveness that made D and Leon smile. He was there when Daiki took his first wobbly step on his own, shouting, "Look Leon, Daiki's walking!" as the baby took a couple of steps and then tumbled forward laughing into Chris's waiting arms.
Josie and Sam loved Daiki, too, fussing and cooing over him, and saying how adorable he looked in the little Chinese outfits that D had custom-made for him by the tailors who sewed his own clothes in Chinatown. In fact, everyone from Jill to the Chief to the shopkeepers in Chinatown seemed to adore Daiki and were always giving him sweets and small toys, to the extent where Leon worried that his son was going to end up a very spoiled little boy, but he retained his sweet nature and even temper. He happily accepted all the gifts given to him with a polite "thank you" as D had taught him, but he never complained when he didn't receive one.
When they went shopping, occasionally something would catch Daiki's eyes, a sweet or a storybook or a toy, and he would ask, "Can I have that, Daddy?" And Leon would reply, "Yes, if you're a good boy," which Daiki usually was, or sometimes, "No, you already had a lot of sweets today, but we can pick some up for teatime tomorrow," and occasionally, "No, that's too expensive, but you can save up your allowance and do some extra chores around the shop to earn the money for it." Daiki never whined or threw a tantrum when his requests were denied, but simply smiled and said, "Yes, Daddy."
It was rare for Leon and D to refuse their son's requests, though, since unlike most kids, he rarely asked for the latest, coolest, and most expensive toys that were being advertised on TV commercials, probably because D didn't let him watch much television. But possibly also because he already had an incredible playground available to him at the shop: he swam in the ocean with the dolphins, and romped through the jungle with tiger and lion cubs. But out of all the miraculous rooms in the petshop, his favorite seemed to be the flower gardens. Sometimes he would play in the gardens with Tet-chan and Pon-chan, being careful not to damage the flowers, but mostly he was content to sit quietly in the gardens, reading one of his picture books and sipping some tea and eating some snacks that Tet-chan had packed for him in a picnic basket. Because Daiki liked the gardens so much, D and Leon would often have a picnic lunch with him there on Leon's days off, although Leon found it a little disconcerting when the flower maidens would occasionally take human shape and stroke Daiki's golden hair and say how adorable he was. Their affection seemed to be more maternal than anything else, but it made him a little nervous when he recalled the night that he had played "bridegroom" to two flower brides.
"Do not worry, Leon," D said calmly as he sipped his tea. "Daiki is too young to be a bridegroom. Besides, flowers do not mate the same way that humans do."
Leon nodded and relaxed, remembering that he had been more of an intermediary than an actual groom. It had been quite disconcerting at the time to have a beautiful, buxom woman throw her arms around him and then suddenly vanish. But regardless, he wasn't sure that he wanted his son pollinating any flowers, so he resolved to keep a closer eye on things when Daiki got older.
***
One expensive toy that Daiki did ask for when he was about four years old was a miniature greenhouse that he spotted when they were browsing in an educational toy store one day. The store had puzzles and science kits and building blocks and model cars, but Daiki only had eyes for the greenhouse. "I want that," he said firmly. "Can I please, Daddy, Papa?"
D and Leon exchanged a glance, then shrugged. "Well, it is educational," D pointed out. It was a bit pricey, at least from the point of view of someone who was used to living on a cop's salary, although the Count could certainly afford to buy a dozen of the toys without batting an eye. Still, Leon wanted to teach their son responsibility, so he said, "Okay, we'll buy it for you, but you have to pay us back by helping out at the shop."
"I will, I promise," Daiki said happily. "Thank you, Daddy!"
He kept his promise, helping D to feed and brush and care for the animals. And he helped by serving tea to the Count's customers, walking slowly and carrying the tray very carefully so as not to spill or drop anything, a look of intense concentration on his face. And the customers would invariably be enchanted by his solemnity and angelic beauty, made even more exotic by the contrast between his golden hair and the Chinese outfits that he wore.
"So precious!" they would sigh. "He looks like a little doll!" Those were usually the customers who bought "normal" pets, and charmed by the Count and his son, they would happily pay the ridiculously expensive fees that the Count charged without even trying to bargain the price down. D usually handled the "special" customers alone, but Leon noticed that none of them seemed to have met a grisly end of late, and he wondered if the Count had gone a little soft since he'd become a father. Not that Leon was going to complain about the body count going down! He had more than enough murders to investigate without having to worry that his lover might be a suspect in some of them.
The toy greenhouse was actually intended for older children, but Daiki didn't seem to have any problems handling it. He needed some help from Leon to assemble it, but he planted and tended the seeds himself, watering them every day without needing to be reminded, and soon his little garden was flourishing nicely.
"Hmm," D observed. "He seems to have a natural touch with plants."
"Well, it's not really surprising that he has a green thumb, is it?" Leon asked with a grin. "Considering how he was born?"
"How was I born, Daddy?" Daiki asked innocently.
"Er...well..." Leon temporized, looking to D for help. He hadn't intended to have this talk with Daiki just yet.
"You were the one who brought up the subject, Leon," D said with an amused little smile. "I will leave it up to you to answer Daiki's question."
"Gee, thanks a lot," Leon said sarcastically. He sighed and sat on the couch, then patted his thigh, and Daiki ran over and climbed onto his lap. Leon thought things over, trying to come up with an explanation that a four-year-old could understand while his son stared up at him expectantly.
"Well, let's see," Leon said. "Do you remember those fairy tales that Papa and I read to you? About Momotaro the Peach Boy, and Thumbelina?"
"Uh-huh," Daiki replied. "Momotaro's parents were very sad, because they didn't have any children. Then one day they found a giant peach floating in the river, and they were going to cut it in half and eat it, but then it split open and Momotaro jumped out."
"The gods felt sorry for the old couple because they were so lonely, so they sent Momotaro to them to be their son," Leon said. "And do you remember what happened in Thumbelina?"
"Yes!" Daiki said eagerly; it was one of his favorite stories. "There was a woman who wished she could have a baby but she couldn't, so she asked a fairy for help, and the fairy gave her a magic seed. The woman planted it, and a tulip grew, and when the flower opened, there was a little baby inside it. That was Thumbelina." He paused to think, then asked, "Was I born from a flower or a peach?"
"Not exactly," Leon laughed. "You were born from a very special vine. See, normally two guys can't have a kid together, but a miracle happened, because your Papa and I loved each other so much."
"And you wanted to have a baby, like Momotaro and Thumbelina's parents?" Daiki asked.
"Um..." Leon said, glancing at D again. He didn't want to lie, but neither did he want to tell Daiki that having a child had been the farthest thing from his and D's minds when they had conceived him.
"We never dreamed that we could have a child together," D finished smoothly. "So we were overjoyed when you were born, Daiki. You are everything that we could have wished for in a son. You have your Daddy's lovely golden hair..."
"And beautiful golden eyes like your Papa," Leon added, relieved enough to ignore the "lovely" remark. "And we all lived happily ever after." He kissed Daiki on the top of his head.
Daiki giggled and hugged Leon, and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you, Daddy."
"I love you too, squirt," Leon said, gently tickling his sides. Daiki squirmed and giggled, then jumped off Leon's lap and ran to D.
"And I love you, Papa," he said, hugging and kissing D.
"I love you, Daiki, my precious child," D said softly, planting a gentle kiss on Daiki's forehead.
The sounds of laughter and angry growling emerged from the bowels of the shop, distracting Daiki. "Can I go play with Ten-chan and Tet-chan?" he asked.
"Go ahead," D said with a smile. "Tell Tet-chan that I said 'no biting'."
"Okay," Daiki said, then started to run off.
"Wait a sec, Daiki," Leon called, and the boy stopped. "Er...listen, you can't go around telling people outside of the shop that you were born from a vine. Most people don't believe in things that only happen in fairy tales. They wouldn't understand."
Daiki nodded. "Okay, Daddy. But I think that people in Chinatown would understand. They think that Papa's shop is magic. Maybe that's how my vine grew, from the petshop's magic?"
"Uh, maybe," Leon said. "But still, let's keep it our secret for now, okay?"
"Yes, Daddy," Daiki said obediently. "Can I go play now?"
"Sure," Leon replied, and Daiki ran off. Then he leaned back against the couch, thinking about the fact that it was not just the shop that was magic, but D himself as well. "I wonder," Leon said slowly, "what kind of powers Daiki will develop as he grows?"
"I do not know," D replied gravely. "I do not know whether his human blood will strengthen or dilute whatever powers that he might have inherited from me. But I will watch him carefully, and train him in his powers if need be."
Leon wasn't entirely satisfied with that, but there was nothing he could do about it, so he just sighed and nodded. D leaned over and placed his hand over Leon's, saying comfortingly, "Everything will be all right, my dear detective."
"Well, no sense borrowing trouble before it happens," Leon admitted. D's touch did make him feel a little better, and he entwined his fingers with D's, the two of them holding hands like teenagers. Surely after everything they'd been through, including dealing with flesh-eating mermaids, killer bunnies, baby dragons, vampires, and terrorists to name a few, they could manage to deal with whatever strange powers Daiki might develop. And it was still possible that he might develop none at all, although Leon thought that was rather unlikely, considering the fact that he could see the pets in their human forms.
"So," Leon said, "since Daiki is going to be occupied for awhile, how about you and me..." He leered at D suggestively. "...catching a little private time together?"
"You are ever the romantic, Keiji-san," D said dryly.
"You want me to be romantic?" Leon asked with a grin. "Okay, then!" And he grabbed D and swept him up in his arms. "I never did carry you across the threshold, after all."
"You are impossible, Leon," D laughed, but he wrapped his arms around Leon's neck and allowed the detective to carry him to their bedroom.
D and Leon exchanged a glance, then shrugged. "Well, it is educational," D pointed out. It was a bit pricey, at least from the point of view of someone who was used to living on a cop's salary, although the Count could certainly afford to buy a dozen of the toys without batting an eye. Still, Leon wanted to teach their son responsibility, so he said, "Okay, we'll buy it for you, but you have to pay us back by helping out at the shop."
"I will, I promise," Daiki said happily. "Thank you, Daddy!"
He kept his promise, helping D to feed and brush and care for the animals. And he helped by serving tea to the Count's customers, walking slowly and carrying the tray very carefully so as not to spill or drop anything, a look of intense concentration on his face. And the customers would invariably be enchanted by his solemnity and angelic beauty, made even more exotic by the contrast between his golden hair and the Chinese outfits that he wore.
"So precious!" they would sigh. "He looks like a little doll!" Those were usually the customers who bought "normal" pets, and charmed by the Count and his son, they would happily pay the ridiculously expensive fees that the Count charged without even trying to bargain the price down. D usually handled the "special" customers alone, but Leon noticed that none of them seemed to have met a grisly end of late, and he wondered if the Count had gone a little soft since he'd become a father. Not that Leon was going to complain about the body count going down! He had more than enough murders to investigate without having to worry that his lover might be a suspect in some of them.
The toy greenhouse was actually intended for older children, but Daiki didn't seem to have any problems handling it. He needed some help from Leon to assemble it, but he planted and tended the seeds himself, watering them every day without needing to be reminded, and soon his little garden was flourishing nicely.
"Hmm," D observed. "He seems to have a natural touch with plants."
"Well, it's not really surprising that he has a green thumb, is it?" Leon asked with a grin. "Considering how he was born?"
"How was I born, Daddy?" Daiki asked innocently.
"Er...well..." Leon temporized, looking to D for help. He hadn't intended to have this talk with Daiki just yet.
"You were the one who brought up the subject, Leon," D said with an amused little smile. "I will leave it up to you to answer Daiki's question."
"Gee, thanks a lot," Leon said sarcastically. He sighed and sat on the couch, then patted his thigh, and Daiki ran over and climbed onto his lap. Leon thought things over, trying to come up with an explanation that a four-year-old could understand while his son stared up at him expectantly.
"Well, let's see," Leon said. "Do you remember those fairy tales that Papa and I read to you? About Momotaro the Peach Boy, and Thumbelina?"
"Uh-huh," Daiki replied. "Momotaro's parents were very sad, because they didn't have any children. Then one day they found a giant peach floating in the river, and they were going to cut it in half and eat it, but then it split open and Momotaro jumped out."
"The gods felt sorry for the old couple because they were so lonely, so they sent Momotaro to them to be their son," Leon said. "And do you remember what happened in Thumbelina?"
"Yes!" Daiki said eagerly; it was one of his favorite stories. "There was a woman who wished she could have a baby but she couldn't, so she asked a fairy for help, and the fairy gave her a magic seed. The woman planted it, and a tulip grew, and when the flower opened, there was a little baby inside it. That was Thumbelina." He paused to think, then asked, "Was I born from a flower or a peach?"
"Not exactly," Leon laughed. "You were born from a very special vine. See, normally two guys can't have a kid together, but a miracle happened, because your Papa and I loved each other so much."
"And you wanted to have a baby, like Momotaro and Thumbelina's parents?" Daiki asked.
"Um..." Leon said, glancing at D again. He didn't want to lie, but neither did he want to tell Daiki that having a child had been the farthest thing from his and D's minds when they had conceived him.
"We never dreamed that we could have a child together," D finished smoothly. "So we were overjoyed when you were born, Daiki. You are everything that we could have wished for in a son. You have your Daddy's lovely golden hair..."
"And beautiful golden eyes like your Papa," Leon added, relieved enough to ignore the "lovely" remark. "And we all lived happily ever after." He kissed Daiki on the top of his head.
Daiki giggled and hugged Leon, and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you, Daddy."
"I love you too, squirt," Leon said, gently tickling his sides. Daiki squirmed and giggled, then jumped off Leon's lap and ran to D.
"And I love you, Papa," he said, hugging and kissing D.
"I love you, Daiki, my precious child," D said softly, planting a gentle kiss on Daiki's forehead.
The sounds of laughter and angry growling emerged from the bowels of the shop, distracting Daiki. "Can I go play with Ten-chan and Tet-chan?" he asked.
"Go ahead," D said with a smile. "Tell Tet-chan that I said 'no biting'."
"Okay," Daiki said, then started to run off.
"Wait a sec, Daiki," Leon called, and the boy stopped. "Er...listen, you can't go around telling people outside of the shop that you were born from a vine. Most people don't believe in things that only happen in fairy tales. They wouldn't understand."
Daiki nodded. "Okay, Daddy. But I think that people in Chinatown would understand. They think that Papa's shop is magic. Maybe that's how my vine grew, from the petshop's magic?"
"Uh, maybe," Leon said. "But still, let's keep it our secret for now, okay?"
"Yes, Daddy," Daiki said obediently. "Can I go play now?"
"Sure," Leon replied, and Daiki ran off. Then he leaned back against the couch, thinking about the fact that it was not just the shop that was magic, but D himself as well. "I wonder," Leon said slowly, "what kind of powers Daiki will develop as he grows?"
"I do not know," D replied gravely. "I do not know whether his human blood will strengthen or dilute whatever powers that he might have inherited from me. But I will watch him carefully, and train him in his powers if need be."
Leon wasn't entirely satisfied with that, but there was nothing he could do about it, so he just sighed and nodded. D leaned over and placed his hand over Leon's, saying comfortingly, "Everything will be all right, my dear detective."
"Well, no sense borrowing trouble before it happens," Leon admitted. D's touch did make him feel a little better, and he entwined his fingers with D's, the two of them holding hands like teenagers. Surely after everything they'd been through, including dealing with flesh-eating mermaids, killer bunnies, baby dragons, vampires, and terrorists to name a few, they could manage to deal with whatever strange powers Daiki might develop. And it was still possible that he might develop none at all, although Leon thought that was rather unlikely, considering the fact that he could see the pets in their human forms.
"So," Leon said, "since Daiki is going to be occupied for awhile, how about you and me..." He leered at D suggestively. "...catching a little private time together?"
"You are ever the romantic, Keiji-san," D said dryly.
"You want me to be romantic?" Leon asked with a grin. "Okay, then!" And he grabbed D and swept him up in his arms. "I never did carry you across the threshold, after all."
"You are impossible, Leon," D laughed, but he wrapped his arms around Leon's neck and allowed the detective to carry him to their bedroom.
***
So Daiki started school, and things seemed to go smoothly at first. He liked his teachers, made several friends, and came home from school every day eager to tell his Daddy and Papa all the new things he had learned. And then one afternoon Leon got a call from D, who sounded cross and upset, telling him to come home early. Fortunately, they didn't have any major cases to handle that day, so Leon hurried to the shop to find D bandaging Daiki's right hand, and dabbing some kind of ointment on a few bruises and cuts on Daiki's face.
"What on earth happened?!" Leon demanded.
"Your son has been brawling," D said accusingly.
"It sounded more like he was defending himself, Count," Ten-chan said mildly.
"One must defend one's pack," Lupin agreed firmly, and licked Daiki's face affectionately, then said, "Bleah, that tastes awful!"
"Stop that, Lupin," D said irritably. "You are wiping the medicine off his face. And you, Ten-chan, do not encourage him."
"Will someone please tell me what happened?" Leon asked impatiently, feeling confused and concerned. Daiki never seemed to lose his temper or get into fights, even when his playmates teased him about his Chinese outfits--which was rare, since he wore normal clothes at school, and played mostly with the pets or the Chinatown children when he wasn't at school. Often young children would quarrel over their toys, but if one of his playmates wanted a toy that he was using, Daiki would cheerfully hand it over and play with something else. He didn't seem to be particularly attached to material possessions, apart from his greenhouse--which he didn't allow anyone except D and Leon to touch without his permission.
"He has been suspended from school for a week," D sighed. "For fighting with a boy named Joey Green."
Leon had met some of Daiki's classmates when picking his son up from school; he recalled that the Green boy had seemed like a bit of a bully, and that his mother was the sort who looked down her nose at everyone--including a certain scruffy L.A.P.D. detective. Leon crouched down to get on eye level with his son; he noticed that Daiki was gazing at D, looking a little anxious, but Leon got the feeling that it was more because Daiki was worried that Papa was angry with him than because of the fight itself.
"So what happened, kiddo?" Leon asked gently.
"Well, Joey was teasing me," Daiki replied. "Saying that I was a sissy and looked like a girl and stuff like that."
"And that's why you got into a fight with him?" Leon asked.
Daiki shook his head. "No, I ignored him and walked away like Papa says to do if people tease me. But then he started saying bad things about you and Papa." And for the first time, there was a flash of cold anger in Daiki's eyes, similar to the way the Count looked when he saw someone mistreating an animal, and there was a stubborn set to Daiki's little jaw that was remarkably similar to Leon's. "I didn't know what all of them meant, but I know that they were bad. I told him to take it back, and he said, 'Make me.' So I did."
"How does the other kid look?" Leon asked D.
"He has a black eye and a split lip," D replied, frowning at his son disapprovingly. "The injuries that Daiki received were mainly to his hand, when he punched the Green child in the mouth."
Leon couldn't stop himself from grinning proudly and saying, "That's my boy!" He ruffled Daiki's blond curls affectionately with one hand, and his son giggled happily. "It seems like you have a good right hook on you, son!"
"Keiji-san!" D said crossly. "You are supposed to be setting a good example for him, not encouraging him to be a hooligan!"
"That kid deserved it!" Pon-chan said indignantly.
Tet-chan sat down next to Daiki, grinning widely to expose his fangs. "I'll take care of that punk, and then you don't need to scrape your knuckles on his teeth. Just bring me along to school the next time you have show-and-tell, and point him out to me."
"Tet-chan!" D scolded. "You will not help matters by devouring Daiki's classmates!"
"But it's been so long since I had a nice tender child," Tet-chan sighed regretfully, smacking his lips. "How about if I just take one little bite out of him?"
"No!" D snapped.
"Daiki was defending the honor of his family, Count," Ten-chan pointed out. "You shouldn't be so hard on him."
"I was hoping that we would not have to deal with this until Daiki was older, but..." D sighed wearily. "My son, I am afraid that you will meet many ignorant and prejudiced people who will say rude things about you and your Daddy and myself. You cannot fight all of them, or you would be brawling constantly."
"Then what should I do?" Daiki asked, looking distraught. "Am I just supposed to let them say bad things about you?"
D and Leon exchanged a wry, tender smile. Both of them had noticed that Daiki had been concerned only about the insults to them, not the ones to himself. The Count wrapped his arms around his son and kissed him gently on the forehead. "Just smile at them condescendingly and say that you cannot be bothered by the opinions of ignorant people."
Daiki turned to Leon in confusion. "What does conde..." He stumbled over the word a little. "...'condescendingly' mean?"
"Would you demonstrate, Papa?" Leon asked D with a grin, and the Count obliged with that cool, superior little smirk that always used to drive Leon up the wall when he had been pursuing D as a suspect.
"Oh, that!" Daiki said in a tone of comprehension. "Yes, I can do that." And he imitated D so well that Leon regarded him with a bit of trepidation, wondering if Daiki was going to end up running the petshop someday. He was hoping that Daiki would lead a more normal life when he grew up, but then again, his home life wasn't exactly normal. Leon sighed softly, telling himself there was no point worrying about it now; Daiki was only five years old, after all. "I'm sorry that I got into trouble, Papa," he said, looking sweetly remorseful, then ruined the effect by adding stubbornly, "I'm not sorry that I hit Joey, though."
"Daiki Orcot!" D snapped sternly, while Leon tried not to laugh. Apparently he wasn't very successful, because the Count shot a quick glare in his direction.
"But I promise that I won't hit him again," Daiki added reluctantly. "I'll be condescending, like you said. But if he hits me first, then can I hit him back?"
"If it's in self-defense," Leon said, and D glared at him again.
For once, Tet-chan was on Leon's side. "The kid oughta be able to defend himself," the Tou-Tet pointed out. Then he grinned and slapped Daiki on the back. "You stuck up for yourself today, kid; I'm proud of you. I was afraid you might turn out to be a crybaby like your Uncle Chris."
"Will you stop encouraging him?" D demanded crossly. "Honestly, all of you are as bad as the detective! Daiki, if there is trouble, I want you to report it to a teacher before it escalates into a fistfight, understand?"
"Escalates?" Daiki asked with a puzzled look on his face.
"Before things get that far," Ten-chan helpfully translated.
Daiki sighed a little, but said obediently, "Yes, Papa. Can I go play now?"
"It is 'May I play now?' and no, you may not," D said sternly. "You have been suspended from school, but you will not remain idle during that time. I will get your assignments from your teachers and have you study at home, and you will also help out around the shop. For now, go and clean the rabbit and hamster cages."
"Yes, Papa," Daiki said meekly.
"I'll help you, Daiki!" Pon-chan volunteered. They had become fast friends, but she hadn't developed a crush on him as she had on Chris. Leon wasn't sure if it was because Daiki was so young that he seemed more like a younger brother or if Pon was leery of having her heart broken by a human (or half-human) boy again.
"Come see me when you're done," Tet-chan said, winking at Daiki. "You can help me out in the kitchen."
Daiki smiled and nodded, then he and Pon-chan ran off to do their chores while Tet-chan sauntered down to the kitchen, whistling cheerfully.
D sighed. "You know that Tet-chan is only going to reward Daiki by giving him a treat."
Leon grinned. "I know we should be teaching Daiki that he shouldn't resort to violence, but still, you have to admit that it is kind of impressive. Have you seen that Green kid? He's built like a little gorilla. Heh, he'll have a hard time living that down, getting beat up by a kid half his size!"
"It is all your fault that this happened, Leon," D complained. "You and your human genes and the bad example that you set."
"Oh yeah?" Leon asked, still grinning. "I'm not sure that the violent tendencies only come from my side of the family. How many of your customers have ended up as pet chow? And what would you have done if you had caught that little bully picking on our son?"
D smiled, but it was a cold and deadly smile, and not at all pleasant. "A black eye and a bloodied lip would have been the least of young Mr. Green's worries." Leon laughed, and the expression on D's face returned to normal. "Very well," he sighed. "I concede that I am glad that my son is able to protect himself. However, it is clear that I must encourage him to do so in a less crude manner. And will you stop that, Leon?!"
Leon had been chuckling to himself, throwing punches at the empty air, and he stopped and smiled sheepishly as D glared at him. "Sorry, D."
"You are incorrigible, Keiji-san," D told him.
"But you love me anyway," Leon retorted, grinning unrepentantly.
D glared at him a moment longer, then relented and said, "Yes, I do. But do not let it go to your head. Your ego is already overswelled as it is."
Over the past five years, Leon had learned that sometimes it was best to let D have the last word. So he just smiled, wrapped his arms around D, and kissed him. And the Count, despite his tart words, leaned into the embrace and kissed Leon back.
Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15a, Part 15b, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19a, Part 19b, Part 20a, Part 20b, Part 21, Part 22a, Part 22b
Daiki started kindergarten when he was five years old, and Leon worried about how he would get along with the other kids at school. He played with Chris during his frequent visits, and of course he played with the animals in the shop, but he didn't have many human playmates his own age. Leon wasn't sure that playing with puppies and kittens was proper preparation for socializing at school even if the animals did appear human within the shop. He sometimes played with the other shopkeepers' children in Chinatown, but they and their parents treated D and Daiki with a kind of reverence and awe that Leon wasn't sure was really healthy, although his sweet-natured son never seemed to let it go to his head.
D was a bit miffed at first when Leon insisted that Daiki wear normal t-shirts and shorts or jeans to school instead of the little Chinese outfits that he usually wore at home. "There is nothing wrong with his clothing," D said coldly. "They have been made by the best tailors in Chinatown."
"C'mon, D," Leon argued. "You know if he shows up at school like that, the other kids will tease him mercilessly. He'll probably get teased for having two daddies as it is, and there's not much we can do about that, but I don't want to make it any worse than it already is. I'd like him to fit in at school, as much as he can, and have a normal childhood."
"He is not 'normal' by human standards, and he never will be," D pointed out, with unusual bluntness. "You should not try to force him to be something that he is not."
"For chrissake, D!" Leon said in frustration. "Just because I suggested that he wear t-shirts to school doesn't mean that I'm trying to stifle his personality or something! It's not like he doesn't wear them at home, when he's digging in the garden or roughhousing with Tet-chan or doing something else that might get your nice little Chinese outfits dirty or torn."
"Daddy, Papa!" Daiki cried out, running between them and staring at them anxiously with tears in his golden eyes. "Please don't fight! I don't mind wearing t-shirts to school, really I don't, Papa!"
Both D and Leon instantly looked guilty. "We're not fighting, buddy," Leon said gruffly, sitting down on the couch and pulling Daiki onto his lap.
"It sounded like you were," Daiki sniffled, cuddling against Leon's chest for comfort.
"Your Daddy and I fight from time to time," D said gently. "But we always resolve our differences, or agree to disagree." He smiled at Leon. "In fact, I think that things would be rather dull if we never fought, do you not agree, my dear detective?"
"Dull as dishwater," Leon agreed, smiling at D, his earlier irritation gone.
Daiki lifted his head from Leon's chest, looking relieved. "I know you guys fight a lot, but it always seemed like play-fighting, the way Tet-chan and Ten-chan do. This time it sounded real."
"He's very perceptive for a five-year-old," Leon murmured to D.
"What's 'perceptive' mean?" Daiki asked.
"It means you're really smart, Daiki," Leon said, kissing his son on the top of his head. "Look, I didn't mean to make such a big deal about it. It's just that sometimes kids can be really mean to someone who looks or acts different from them, and I didn't want you to have to go through that."
"Uncle Chris said that sometimes the other kids made fun of him when he couldn't talk," Daiki said solemnly.
Leon nodded. "Yeah, and I used to get picked on some at school when I was his age. My dad took off when I was really young, and sometimes the other kids taunted me for not having a daddy. And I had to wear a lot of old hand-me-downs and clothes from thrift shops because my mom didn't have much money, and they teased me about that sometimes, too."
"I did not know that, Leon," D said quietly.
Leon shrugged. "Well, it was a long time ago. Maybe, in some ways, it made me stronger. I just wanted to make things a little easier for Daiki."
"I understand," D said. "And perhaps it is best that Daiki dress the way that the other students do. But remember this, my son: people who only like you if you dress a certain way are not worthy of your friendship."
"Papa has a point," Leon conceded. "A real friend will like you the way you are, the way that Papa still likes me even though he doesn't like the music that I listen to. And I like Papa in spite of his bad taste in music."
D pretended to glare at Leon, and Daiki giggled. "I'll wear my t-shirts to school," he decided. "I don't mind, because it makes me look like Daddy." He smiling lovingly at Leon, who beamed proudly. "And I'll wear my other clothes at home, because I like looking pretty like Papa."
A look of consternation passed over D's face, while Leon was torn between snickering at D and worrying about what would happen if Daiki happened to mention at school that he liked to look "pretty". But Leon decided not to say anything, because the whole issue over what to wear to school had already blown into something much bigger than he'd intended. It was probably better not to give Daiki too much to worry about, or he'd be dreading school instead of looking forward to it. They would deal with any problems as they arose; trying to anticipate every single thing that could go wrong ahead of time was just going to drive them all crazy and upset Daiki further.
So Leon hugged and kissed his son, then said, "Give Papa a hug, and then why don't you run down to the kitchen and see what Tet-chan is fixing for tea?"
"Okay!" Daiki said happily, and hugged D and ran off to the kitchen. Leon sighed and smiled ruefully at D.
"Well, I really bungled that one, didn't I?"
"Parenthood is still something new to us both, Leon," D said with a smile. "We are bound to make mistakes along the way occasionally; I overreacted, too. I understand that you want to protect Daiki, but as much as I hate to admit it, we cannot always protect him from ignorant and prejudiced people."
"You mean that you can't send one of your killer pets after them?" Leon joked. D said, "Hmm," with a thoughtful smile, and Leon hastily said, "Never mind, forget I said that!"
D was a bit miffed at first when Leon insisted that Daiki wear normal t-shirts and shorts or jeans to school instead of the little Chinese outfits that he usually wore at home. "There is nothing wrong with his clothing," D said coldly. "They have been made by the best tailors in Chinatown."
"C'mon, D," Leon argued. "You know if he shows up at school like that, the other kids will tease him mercilessly. He'll probably get teased for having two daddies as it is, and there's not much we can do about that, but I don't want to make it any worse than it already is. I'd like him to fit in at school, as much as he can, and have a normal childhood."
"He is not 'normal' by human standards, and he never will be," D pointed out, with unusual bluntness. "You should not try to force him to be something that he is not."
"For chrissake, D!" Leon said in frustration. "Just because I suggested that he wear t-shirts to school doesn't mean that I'm trying to stifle his personality or something! It's not like he doesn't wear them at home, when he's digging in the garden or roughhousing with Tet-chan or doing something else that might get your nice little Chinese outfits dirty or torn."
"Daddy, Papa!" Daiki cried out, running between them and staring at them anxiously with tears in his golden eyes. "Please don't fight! I don't mind wearing t-shirts to school, really I don't, Papa!"
Both D and Leon instantly looked guilty. "We're not fighting, buddy," Leon said gruffly, sitting down on the couch and pulling Daiki onto his lap.
"It sounded like you were," Daiki sniffled, cuddling against Leon's chest for comfort.
"Your Daddy and I fight from time to time," D said gently. "But we always resolve our differences, or agree to disagree." He smiled at Leon. "In fact, I think that things would be rather dull if we never fought, do you not agree, my dear detective?"
"Dull as dishwater," Leon agreed, smiling at D, his earlier irritation gone.
Daiki lifted his head from Leon's chest, looking relieved. "I know you guys fight a lot, but it always seemed like play-fighting, the way Tet-chan and Ten-chan do. This time it sounded real."
"He's very perceptive for a five-year-old," Leon murmured to D.
"What's 'perceptive' mean?" Daiki asked.
"It means you're really smart, Daiki," Leon said, kissing his son on the top of his head. "Look, I didn't mean to make such a big deal about it. It's just that sometimes kids can be really mean to someone who looks or acts different from them, and I didn't want you to have to go through that."
"Uncle Chris said that sometimes the other kids made fun of him when he couldn't talk," Daiki said solemnly.
Leon nodded. "Yeah, and I used to get picked on some at school when I was his age. My dad took off when I was really young, and sometimes the other kids taunted me for not having a daddy. And I had to wear a lot of old hand-me-downs and clothes from thrift shops because my mom didn't have much money, and they teased me about that sometimes, too."
"I did not know that, Leon," D said quietly.
Leon shrugged. "Well, it was a long time ago. Maybe, in some ways, it made me stronger. I just wanted to make things a little easier for Daiki."
"I understand," D said. "And perhaps it is best that Daiki dress the way that the other students do. But remember this, my son: people who only like you if you dress a certain way are not worthy of your friendship."
"Papa has a point," Leon conceded. "A real friend will like you the way you are, the way that Papa still likes me even though he doesn't like the music that I listen to. And I like Papa in spite of his bad taste in music."
D pretended to glare at Leon, and Daiki giggled. "I'll wear my t-shirts to school," he decided. "I don't mind, because it makes me look like Daddy." He smiling lovingly at Leon, who beamed proudly. "And I'll wear my other clothes at home, because I like looking pretty like Papa."
A look of consternation passed over D's face, while Leon was torn between snickering at D and worrying about what would happen if Daiki happened to mention at school that he liked to look "pretty". But Leon decided not to say anything, because the whole issue over what to wear to school had already blown into something much bigger than he'd intended. It was probably better not to give Daiki too much to worry about, or he'd be dreading school instead of looking forward to it. They would deal with any problems as they arose; trying to anticipate every single thing that could go wrong ahead of time was just going to drive them all crazy and upset Daiki further.
So Leon hugged and kissed his son, then said, "Give Papa a hug, and then why don't you run down to the kitchen and see what Tet-chan is fixing for tea?"
"Okay!" Daiki said happily, and hugged D and ran off to the kitchen. Leon sighed and smiled ruefully at D.
"Well, I really bungled that one, didn't I?"
"Parenthood is still something new to us both, Leon," D said with a smile. "We are bound to make mistakes along the way occasionally; I overreacted, too. I understand that you want to protect Daiki, but as much as I hate to admit it, we cannot always protect him from ignorant and prejudiced people."
"You mean that you can't send one of your killer pets after them?" Leon joked. D said, "Hmm," with a thoughtful smile, and Leon hastily said, "Never mind, forget I said that!"
***
So Daiki started school, and things seemed to go smoothly at first. He liked his teachers, made several friends, and came home from school every day eager to tell his Daddy and Papa all the new things he had learned. And then one afternoon Leon got a call from D, who sounded cross and upset, telling him to come home early. Fortunately, they didn't have any major cases to handle that day, so Leon hurried to the shop to find D bandaging Daiki's right hand, and dabbing some kind of ointment on a few bruises and cuts on Daiki's face.
"What on earth happened?!" Leon demanded.
"Your son has been brawling," D said accusingly.
"It sounded more like he was defending himself, Count," Ten-chan said mildly.
"One must defend one's pack," Lupin agreed firmly, and licked Daiki's face affectionately, then said, "Bleah, that tastes awful!"
"Stop that, Lupin," D said irritably. "You are wiping the medicine off his face. And you, Ten-chan, do not encourage him."
"Will someone please tell me what happened?" Leon asked impatiently, feeling confused and concerned. Daiki never seemed to lose his temper or get into fights, even when his playmates teased him about his Chinese outfits--which was rare, since he wore normal clothes at school, and played mostly with the pets or the Chinatown children when he wasn't at school. Often young children would quarrel over their toys, but if one of his playmates wanted a toy that he was using, Daiki would cheerfully hand it over and play with something else. He didn't seem to be particularly attached to material possessions, apart from his greenhouse--which he didn't allow anyone except D and Leon to touch without his permission.
"He has been suspended from school for a week," D sighed. "For fighting with a boy named Joey Green."
Leon had met some of Daiki's classmates when picking his son up from school; he recalled that the Green boy had seemed like a bit of a bully, and that his mother was the sort who looked down her nose at everyone--including a certain scruffy L.A.P.D. detective. Leon crouched down to get on eye level with his son; he noticed that Daiki was gazing at D, looking a little anxious, but Leon got the feeling that it was more because Daiki was worried that Papa was angry with him than because of the fight itself.
"So what happened, kiddo?" Leon asked gently.
"Well, Joey was teasing me," Daiki replied. "Saying that I was a sissy and looked like a girl and stuff like that."
"And that's why you got into a fight with him?" Leon asked.
Daiki shook his head. "No, I ignored him and walked away like Papa says to do if people tease me. But then he started saying bad things about you and Papa." And for the first time, there was a flash of cold anger in Daiki's eyes, similar to the way the Count looked when he saw someone mistreating an animal, and there was a stubborn set to Daiki's little jaw that was remarkably similar to Leon's. "I didn't know what all of them meant, but I know that they were bad. I told him to take it back, and he said, 'Make me.' So I did."
"How does the other kid look?" Leon asked D.
"He has a black eye and a split lip," D replied, frowning at his son disapprovingly. "The injuries that Daiki received were mainly to his hand, when he punched the Green child in the mouth."
Leon couldn't stop himself from grinning proudly and saying, "That's my boy!" He ruffled Daiki's blond curls affectionately with one hand, and his son giggled happily. "It seems like you have a good right hook on you, son!"
"Keiji-san!" D said crossly. "You are supposed to be setting a good example for him, not encouraging him to be a hooligan!"
"That kid deserved it!" Pon-chan said indignantly.
Tet-chan sat down next to Daiki, grinning widely to expose his fangs. "I'll take care of that punk, and then you don't need to scrape your knuckles on his teeth. Just bring me along to school the next time you have show-and-tell, and point him out to me."
"Tet-chan!" D scolded. "You will not help matters by devouring Daiki's classmates!"
"But it's been so long since I had a nice tender child," Tet-chan sighed regretfully, smacking his lips. "How about if I just take one little bite out of him?"
"No!" D snapped.
"Daiki was defending the honor of his family, Count," Ten-chan pointed out. "You shouldn't be so hard on him."
"I was hoping that we would not have to deal with this until Daiki was older, but..." D sighed wearily. "My son, I am afraid that you will meet many ignorant and prejudiced people who will say rude things about you and your Daddy and myself. You cannot fight all of them, or you would be brawling constantly."
"Then what should I do?" Daiki asked, looking distraught. "Am I just supposed to let them say bad things about you?"
D and Leon exchanged a wry, tender smile. Both of them had noticed that Daiki had been concerned only about the insults to them, not the ones to himself. The Count wrapped his arms around his son and kissed him gently on the forehead. "Just smile at them condescendingly and say that you cannot be bothered by the opinions of ignorant people."
Daiki turned to Leon in confusion. "What does conde..." He stumbled over the word a little. "...'condescendingly' mean?"
"Would you demonstrate, Papa?" Leon asked D with a grin, and the Count obliged with that cool, superior little smirk that always used to drive Leon up the wall when he had been pursuing D as a suspect.
"Oh, that!" Daiki said in a tone of comprehension. "Yes, I can do that." And he imitated D so well that Leon regarded him with a bit of trepidation, wondering if Daiki was going to end up running the petshop someday. He was hoping that Daiki would lead a more normal life when he grew up, but then again, his home life wasn't exactly normal. Leon sighed softly, telling himself there was no point worrying about it now; Daiki was only five years old, after all. "I'm sorry that I got into trouble, Papa," he said, looking sweetly remorseful, then ruined the effect by adding stubbornly, "I'm not sorry that I hit Joey, though."
"Daiki Orcot!" D snapped sternly, while Leon tried not to laugh. Apparently he wasn't very successful, because the Count shot a quick glare in his direction.
"But I promise that I won't hit him again," Daiki added reluctantly. "I'll be condescending, like you said. But if he hits me first, then can I hit him back?"
"If it's in self-defense," Leon said, and D glared at him again.
For once, Tet-chan was on Leon's side. "The kid oughta be able to defend himself," the Tou-Tet pointed out. Then he grinned and slapped Daiki on the back. "You stuck up for yourself today, kid; I'm proud of you. I was afraid you might turn out to be a crybaby like your Uncle Chris."
"Will you stop encouraging him?" D demanded crossly. "Honestly, all of you are as bad as the detective! Daiki, if there is trouble, I want you to report it to a teacher before it escalates into a fistfight, understand?"
"Escalates?" Daiki asked with a puzzled look on his face.
"Before things get that far," Ten-chan helpfully translated.
Daiki sighed a little, but said obediently, "Yes, Papa. Can I go play now?"
"It is 'May I play now?' and no, you may not," D said sternly. "You have been suspended from school, but you will not remain idle during that time. I will get your assignments from your teachers and have you study at home, and you will also help out around the shop. For now, go and clean the rabbit and hamster cages."
"Yes, Papa," Daiki said meekly.
"I'll help you, Daiki!" Pon-chan volunteered. They had become fast friends, but she hadn't developed a crush on him as she had on Chris. Leon wasn't sure if it was because Daiki was so young that he seemed more like a younger brother or if Pon was leery of having her heart broken by a human (or half-human) boy again.
"Come see me when you're done," Tet-chan said, winking at Daiki. "You can help me out in the kitchen."
Daiki smiled and nodded, then he and Pon-chan ran off to do their chores while Tet-chan sauntered down to the kitchen, whistling cheerfully.
D sighed. "You know that Tet-chan is only going to reward Daiki by giving him a treat."
Leon grinned. "I know we should be teaching Daiki that he shouldn't resort to violence, but still, you have to admit that it is kind of impressive. Have you seen that Green kid? He's built like a little gorilla. Heh, he'll have a hard time living that down, getting beat up by a kid half his size!"
"It is all your fault that this happened, Leon," D complained. "You and your human genes and the bad example that you set."
"Oh yeah?" Leon asked, still grinning. "I'm not sure that the violent tendencies only come from my side of the family. How many of your customers have ended up as pet chow? And what would you have done if you had caught that little bully picking on our son?"
D smiled, but it was a cold and deadly smile, and not at all pleasant. "A black eye and a bloodied lip would have been the least of young Mr. Green's worries." Leon laughed, and the expression on D's face returned to normal. "Very well," he sighed. "I concede that I am glad that my son is able to protect himself. However, it is clear that I must encourage him to do so in a less crude manner. And will you stop that, Leon?!"
Leon had been chuckling to himself, throwing punches at the empty air, and he stopped and smiled sheepishly as D glared at him. "Sorry, D."
"You are incorrigible, Keiji-san," D told him.
"But you love me anyway," Leon retorted, grinning unrepentantly.
D glared at him a moment longer, then relented and said, "Yes, I do. But do not let it go to your head. Your ego is already overswelled as it is."
Over the past five years, Leon had learned that sometimes it was best to let D have the last word. So he just smiled, wrapped his arms around D, and kissed him. And the Count, despite his tart words, leaned into the embrace and kissed Leon back.
Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15a, Part 15b, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19a, Part 19b, Part 20a, Part 20b, Part 21, Part 22a, Part 22b