FIC: Daiki, Part 8 (of 22)

[geri_chan]

Title: Daiki, Part 8 (of 22)
Rating: R overall, but mostly PG-13
Pairing: Leon/D
Word count: ~4,670
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. Daiki's kami blood continues to set him even farther apart from his human classmates when he becomes a teenager; Tet-chan makes a discovery about himself.

Part 1a, Part 1b, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7

***

As Daiki grew into a teenager, he grew even more ethereally beautiful. With his blond good looks, inherited from Leon, combined with the grace and poise inherited from D, he was gorgeous clad even in t-shirt and jeans, but he was a vision of exotic beauty in the long, silk Chinese robes (modeled after D's clothes) that he wore while working at the Plant Dolls shop.

Daiki enjoyed his work at the shop, and proved to be as adept at salesmanship as he was at gardening. The customers were charmed by his good looks and friendly manner, and in some ways, he was a better salesman than D. Most customers were intimidated by the Count's air of mystery and the cold perfection of his beauty, while in contrast, Daiki had a warmer, more human kind of beauty. It was partly his coloring, which resembled Leon's more than the Count's, but mostly it was his smile, which was gentle and welcoming, while D usually presented his customers with a cool and enigmatic smile or a superior smirk.

Mr. Hua was pleased that his young apprentice was so popular with the customers, but when he noticed that some of the customers were stopping by to see Daiki rather the dolls, he drew the boy aside and spoke to him privately.

"You make an even better salesman than me," the old kami said with a smile. "You are young and attractive, and there is no shame in using that to your advantage. But never forget that it is the dolls who are the focal point of the shop, and it is their beauty which should shine first and foremost in the customers' eyes."

"Yes, sir," Daiki said, comprehension dawning as he remembered the tales that the pets had told him about the numerous suitors who had flocked to the shop courting Count D before he had settled down with Leon. Even now, there were still many customers who found excuses to come to the shop just to gaze longingly at the Count and bask in his presence--and amazingly, a few of them were undeterred even by Leon's fierce scowl and menacing glare. D seemed alternately amused and annoyed by the attention, even reveling in it at times, but Daiki most certainly did not want to be pursued by a horde of ardent stalkers masquerading as customers.

"I mean, no, sir," Daiki corrected himself hastily. "I won't forget. Only...I don't really know how to discourage...er...that kind of attention. It's not something that I do on purpose."

"I know that, Daiki," Hua said, smiling kindly at his flustered apprentice. "It is your kami blood; humans are drawn to it like bees to honey. These modern-day humans have forgotten their old gods, but some primal instinct buried deep inside them is instinctively drawn to the divinity in you."

"I may not be entirely human, but I am hardly a god," Daiki laughed.

"No, but your ancestors were minor deities," Hua replied. "A hint of divinity remains in your blood, however diluted. And of course it is your kami blood that is responsible for your extraordinary beauty, although your human father is quite a handsome man himself. But never fear, Daiki, I will teach you how to...well, not to dim your beauty, exactly, but to divert the customers' attention away from yourself and towards the dolls. I do have some personal experience with that sort of thing." He grinned and winked at Daiki with a kind of roguish mischief that suddenly made him look much younger. "I know it may be hard to believe, but in my younger days, I was quite a handsome devil, and had many suitors of both sexes pursuing me."

"I do not doubt it for one moment, sir," Daiki replied, with such earnestness that Hua laughed.

"Indeed, you are a fine salesman, Daiki!" the kami said, slipping an arm around his apprentice's shoulders affectionately. "I think that you could almost sell me my own dolls! I have no doubt that the shop will prosper under your care."

***

So Daiki learned the art of being subtly self-effacing, to fade into the background and direct the customers' attention towards the dolls without losing any of his charm. Perhaps it helped that the dolls were so exquisitely beautiful--surely much more beautiful than he was, Daiki thought to himself. And they had the added attraction of being able to bestow complete love and devotion upon the one they chose, something that Daiki did not think he was capable of, at least not yet.

The kami beauty that made him so popular at the Plant Dolls shop was something of a hindrance at school; it both attracted his classmates and made them uneasy. Many of the girls had crushes on him, to the envy of the boys, who made fun of how "pretty" Daiki was, and occasionally muttered the words "queer" and "faggot" under their breath. But the teasing never escalated beyond that (although other kids perceived as gay were bullied much more mercilessly) because mysterious accidents still befell anyone who tried to hurt Daiki or even just insulted him too vocally. While this did keep him safe, it did not help him to fit in any better at school. Daiki recalled that his Dad had been well-intentioned when he had told Daiki to dress like the other kids when he had first started school, but the camouflage no longer worked. Even if he dressed exactly like the other kids, in whatever style was currently fashionable among the teenagers, there was a sense of otherness about him that set him apart from his classmates. They seemed to instinctively sense it, the way that a dog could smell an intruder encroaching on his territory. Maybe Mr. Hua was right when he said that humans were really just another type of animal.

In spite of all this, there was no shortage of girls eager to date Daiki. He went out on a few casual dates, but felt...well...nothing. None of the excitement or pleasure or even just plain lust that other boys seemed to feel towards girls.

He felt a little awkward about discussing such things with his parents, but somehow it was easy to confide in Aunt Jill. She patted him on the shoulder sympathetically and said, "Don't worry about it, Daiki. You just haven't met the right person yet, that's all."

Her unconcerned, matter-of-fact tone of voice reassured Daiki. "You think so, Aunt Jill?"

"I know so," she replied firmly. "Look at your Dad; he spent years chasing skirts before he finally figured out that it was the Count that he really wanted." She giggled. "Although I guess you could say that he was still chasing a skirt when he was chasing after D."

"I wouldn't tell Papa that if I were you, Aunt Jill," Daiki laughed.

"Well, of course not!" Jill said. "I have much more common sense than Leon. But my point is, just because you haven't felt any sparks fly on any of your dates, it doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with you." She gave him a shrewd look. "Some guys--and some women too, for that matter--like to fool around a lot, and there's nothing wrong with that, but I get the feeling that you're a one-woman kind of guy." She grinned mischievously. "Or maybe a one-man kind of guy."



"You think I'm gay, Aunt Jill?" Daiki asked, startled, although he supposed that he shouldn't be. After all, half the school thought so, too. Well, probably more than half the school by now. One of the girls he had dated had been offended that he'd rejected her (although he had tried to do so in the kindest and politest way possible), and had spitefully told all her friends that he must be gay.

"I'm not saying that," Jill said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "It doesn't really matter if you fall in love with a man or a woman. In fact, I don't think that Leon was really gay before he met D. The person he fell in love with just happened to be a man. It didn't matter whether D was male or female, just that he was D. Although it probably would have been easier for Leon if D had been a girl."

"I think I understand," Daiki said thoughtfully.

"So anyway, what I'm saying is, that I think you're the kind of person who isn't really interested in just fooling around," Jill continued. "You're type of person who wants to settle down with your soulmate. It may take awhile to find that person, but in the meantime, just relax and don't worry about it. When you meet the right person, you'll know it."

"Thanks, Aunt Jill," Daiki said, feeling much better.

"Anytime, kiddo," Jill replied, giving him a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

***

Still, Daiki wondered if perhaps he might be gay, since none of the girls he had met interested him. Not that he'd ever been interested in any of the boys, either, but maybe that was because he had never considered it a possibility before. By now, the rumors had attracted the attention of the few openly gay kids at school, and one of them approached him and shyly asked him out on a date.

But it turned out that boys didn't trigger any more "sparks" with Daiki than the girls did. He didn't feel any revulsion, but he didn't feel any special attraction, either.

"Maybe I'm asexual," he sighed to Ten-chan one day. "Like an amoeba. Maybe I'll just divide my cells and reproduce without needing a mate. After all, Papa's family reproduces by cloning, don't they?"

"Yeah, but where's the fun in that?" the kitsune laughed. Then he looked Daiki up and down, a speculative look in his eyes. "Hmm...I hadn't noticed before how quickly you've grown up. You're not a little kid anymore, Dai."

"No, he certainly isn't," one of the cat girls purred, winding her body--which was currently in human form--around Daiki's in a way that made him blush. She gently stroked his cheek with a long, elegant fingernail and added, "It's no wonder that the clumsy fumblings of human lovers leave you cold, dear. You should let someone more skilled educate you in the arts of love..."

"Lovers?!" Daiki exclaimed, squirming nervously in the cat girl's embrace. "I think you've got the wrong idea; I just went out on a few dates. Things never got to...er...that point."

"All the better, then," a second cat-girl purred into his ear. "There's less for you to unlearn that way."

At that point, Tet-chan walked in, took one look at the scene, and snarled ferociously, chasing the cat girls away. Daiki wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or disappointed, but decided that he felt mostly relieved.

But still, after that, several of the pets propositioned him (when Tet-chan wasn't around), offering to "educate" him, or simply to share a little mutual pleasure, with no strings attached. They seemed to understand that Daiki wasn't looking for a lifemate right now, or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that Daiki didn't sense that his soulmate was among the denizens of the petshop, although he loved them all dearly.

He was curious enough to indulge in a little discreet experimentation, although he was careful not to let his Dad learn about it. He knew that Leon was still human enough to find the idea unsettling, although Daiki didn't consider it to be bestiality, since the pets appeared human to him. And there was, of course, his father's overprotectiveness and quick temper. It just seemed safer for everyone involved not to let Leon hear about it.

Daiki wasn't sure whether Papa knew about it or not. No one mentioned it to him, of course, but the Count always seemed to be aware of everything that went on in his shop. If he did know, he voiced no objections, which Daiki supposed was a kind of tacit consent.

His "experiments" went better than his dates with his classmates, maybe because he felt more comfortable with his petshop friends, and the one that he felt most at ease with was Ten-chan. Daiki found pleasure in those casual liaisons, but it was like the kind of pleasure one got from, say, enjoying a good meal. There was a sense of physical gratification, but he didn't feel a sense of passion, a sense of need. He didn't feel the sense of closeness and intimacy that his parents obviously shared.

"Relax, kid," Ten-chan told him one evening as they lay sprawled out together on the couch in the kitsune's personal quarters. He pressed his lips against Daiki's forehead in a kiss that was tender but surprisingly chaste, as if Daiki was still the little boy that he used to baby-sit. "The right person will come along eventually, like Detective Jill said. You're still young; you've got lots of time to find your lifemate. In the meantime, if you want to have a little fun, well, you know that there are plenty of people here who'd be glad to share your company."

"You're right," Daiki said, gently stroking the kitsune's long, white-blond hair, which looked quite lovely freed from its usual braid. Clad in a loose kimono, with his hair unbound and his pointed ears visible, he looked much more like the supernatural creature he really was than the punkish teenager that he usually pretended to be in his human form.

"I guess I worry too much," Daiki continued. "It never used to bother me that I was different from the other kids at school, but it seems like the older I get, the more pronounced the differences become."

"Do you really want to be an ordinary human teenager?" Ten-chan asked curiously. "No offense, but the whole idea just seems kind of boring to me."

"No, not really," Daiki laughed. "I like my life here at the shop, and I wouldn't trade the ability to see your and the others' true forms for anything. But it's a little lonely sometimes at school, always being the outsider."

"'Different' doesn't mean 'bad,'" Ten-chan said firmly. "In your case, I think it means 'special'." He kissed Daiki's forehead again. "Don't sweat it, Dai. High school's a pretty small, cliquish place, but there's a much bigger world out there. Even among the humans, you can find some people with open minds--even a few who are open enough to see us as we are. You won't always be alone. And never forget that we'll always be here for you."

Daiki smiled and rested his head on the kitsune's shoulder. "Thank you, Ten-chan," he said. "You know, I've noticed something. Papa has 'sold' you several times, but your jobs are always temporary, and you always come back to the petshop. Your job is to comfort people, isn't it? To help them find themselves when they've lost their way, and realize what's really important to them. You're very good at it."

"Thanks," Ten-chan said with a grin. "The Count works me pretty hard, but for you, kid, there's no charge."

"You're a good friend, Ten-chan," Daiki laughed.

"So are you, Dai," Ten-chan replied, and the two of them continued to lounge on the couch together in companionable silence, but more like brothers or best friends instead of lovers.

***

After that, Daiki ceased his "experiments," but they had not gone unnoticed by Tet-chan. The Tou-Tet marched into his room one day without knocking, and sat down on the edge of the bed where Daiki was sprawled out reading a book.

"You do realize," Tet-chan said sharply, "that your father would cut off all nine of that stupid kitsune's tails if he realized that the two of you were messing around, don't you?"

Daiki calmly set aside the book and said, "I assume that you're talking about Dad, not Papa. The Count would never damage the merchandise in his shop." Then he smiled impishly and added, "But I'm sure that Ten-chan would be touched by your concern."

Tet-chan snorted, looking annoyed by Daiki's response, and said, "Like I give a damn about the fox!" Then his lips slowly curved in a sinister smile, pulling back to expose his sharp teeth. "In fact, maybe I'll tell Daddy about Ten-chan's little amorous adventures. I think that he'd make a lovely fox-fur stole, don't you?"

"But I know that you won't do that," Daiki said, still looking unconcerned.

"Oh? And why the hell not?" Tet-chan demanded.

"Because you love me," Daiki replied sweetly, imitating the Count's best professional smile. It was the smile that charmed his customers into opening their wallets to pay outrageous prices for a pet, the smile that drove them to bring expensive chocolates to the Count like acolytes laying offerings before their god, and the very same smile that used to drive Leon crazy with frustration and annoyance when he had been a detective investigating a suspicious petshop owner. Because only Leon had recognized how false that smile was, and it had made him long for the real thing, although he had not been able to admit it to himself for a very long time.

Tet-chan knew this, because he had shared the detective's frustration. And because there was absolute self-assurance and certainty beneath the teasing tone in Daiki's voice. The little blond Orcot child had Tet--a man-eating demon, the most fearsome beast in China--wrapped around his little finger, and he bloody well knew it, damn him!

"Arrgh!" Tet-chan snarled disgustedly, his long, taloned fingers tearing at his red-orange hair in frustration. "You're a sadistic little brat; did I ever tell you that? I would devour you in an instant, except that I'm sure you'd give me indigestion!"

"And because you're afraid of my father," Daiki said, still smiling sweetly. "Papa, not Dad."

Tet-chan growled and turned his back to Daiki, crossing his arms over his chest and hunching his shoulders like a sulky child.

"Oh, don't be like that, Tet-chan," Daiki laughed, placing a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I'm sorry for teasing you. But really, there's nothing to worry about. You know that Ten-chan would never do anything to hurt me. And besides, we're not...ah...'messing around' anymore."

The kid wasn't as smart as he thought he was; he didn't understand that Tet wasn't just being overprotective--he was jealous. Although it pleased Tet-chan to learn that he wasn't "messing around" with the kitsune anymore. He abruptly spun around, pulled the startled boy into his arms, and crushed his mouth against Daiki's, kissing him fiercely.

For a moment, Daiki rested passively in the Tou-Tet's arms, neither resisting nor returning the kiss. Then he pulled away from Tet-chan, saying quietly but firmly, "No."

Daiki wasn't strong enough to have pulled free if Tet-chan had been determined to hold onto him, but the Tou-Tet released him without a struggle. He glared at Daiki sullenly and snarled, "What's the matter? I'm not good enough for you, but the fox is?"

"It's not that," Daiki said gently, his golden eyes filled with compassion. That look made Tet-chan feel uncomfortable because it was too close to pity, and he turned away, averting his gaze.

"Tet-chan," Daiki said, placing his hand on the Tou-Tet's shoulder again. "It's not that you're not a very handsome man..."

"I'm not a man," Tet-chan said sulkily. "I'm a Tou-Tet, a--"

"Ferocious, man-eating beast," Daiki finished, chuckling. "I'm sorry, Tet-chan; I didn't mean to insult you. You've looked after me ever since I was little, and I think of you more like an uncle or older brother than a potential lover--"

"We all baby-sat you when you were a kid, including Ten-chan!" Tet-chan protested.

Daiki laid a finger across Tet-chan's lips and said, "Let me finish." Tet-chan hesitated, torn between the conflicting desires to either kiss the finger or bite it, but finally he just nodded and let Daiki continue.

"But still, I wouldn't be adverse to...um...sharing pleasure with you, except for one thing."

"And what's that?" Tet-chan demanded.

Daiki's expression suddenly turned solemn, and his golden eyes stared into Tet-chan's with a penetrating gaze that seemed to see right through into his soul. He suddenly looked very D-like, despite his blond hair, and more kami than human. Tet-chan swallowed nervously, finding himself frozen in place like a frightened mouse confronted by a cat, unable to tear his eyes away from that disturbing golden gaze.

"I am not the one you truly desire," Daiki said softly. "I am not the one who is first in your heart."

"Th...then who is?" Tet-chan stammered.

"You already know the answer to that," Daiki said with a sad, gentle smile, and his gaze suddenly softened, and Tet-chan found himself able to move again.

Tet-chan groaned with shame and embarrassment, and he buried his head in his hands. He really did love Daiki (although of course he'd never admit it out loud), but the words "first in your heart" automatically conjured up an image of a different blond Orcot boy. An annoying little crybaby who'd burst into tears at a single harsh word, a presumptuous little brat that he wasn't allowed to eat even though he dared to jump on Tet-chan's back and grab at his horns as if he were some sort of pet pony, or worse, snuggle up and sleep against Tet's side as if he were a goddamned teddy bear! A boy that he'd somehow ended up taking a bullet for, that he'd cared for and protected as if he were his own cub, until the day that the Count had inexplicably returned him to that awful human family. Tet-chan's heart had broken that day, and he still didn't really understand why Chris couldn't have lived at the petshop forever. Why was it okay for Leon to live here but not Chris? Of course, the Count had intended to leave both Orcots behind and never again allow another human to get so close to him, but not surprisingly, the detective had tracked the Count down and forced his way into the shop.

"But he's just a kid!" Tet-chan groaned. "I might kill and eat people, but I'm not a child molester!"

"You were willing to sleep with me, and I'm younger than Chris," Daiki pointed out reasonably. "Uncle Chris isn't a little boy anymore; he's a grown man."

Which was true: Chris was now in his twenties and working at the F.B.I.'s San Francisco office. However, this was still of no comfort to Tet-chan.

"But he sees me as a fricking sheep!" Tet-chan wailed. "There's no way that we could possibly be together!"

"Mm, well, that does present a slight problem," Daiki conceded.

"You call that a SLIGHT problem?" shouted Tet-chan.

"Chris is still searching for a way to regain his Sight," Daiki replied in a soothing voice. "He still hasn't given up hope of renewing his friendship with you and the others."

"But it's been years," Tet-chan said despondently. "What makes you think that he'll succeed now, after all this time?"

"Even with the incense, not all the customers can see your true forms," Daiki told him. "There is some sort of magic in the shop that responds to certain people who have a special need to be filled. Papa and Great-Grandfather have tried to explain it to me, but it's difficult to put into words."

"The Count already explained it to us," Tet-chan said impatiently. "When Chris regained his voice, he lost the ability to see our true forms."

"That's partly true," Daiki said. "But I think that Chris had the Sight even before he came to the shop. The shop just...well...let's say, unlocked the potential that was already inside him. And sealed it away again when he left the shop and returned to the human world. But I believe that it's still there inside him."

"He just needs to find a way to unlock that potential again?" Tet-chan asked hopefully. "But how?"

Daiki thoughtfully tapped his chin with a single long, graceful finger. "For my father...for Dad, that is...it was love. When he was finally able to admit to himself that he loved Papa in spite of his gender, in spite of the fact that he wasn't even human, then he could see things as they truly are. You know...I often wonder if my grandmother had a touch of the Sight. That would explain a great deal."

"So...you think that if Chris fell in love with me, he'd get his Sight back?" Tet-chan asked hesitantly. Then he howled, "But how's he gonna fall in love with me when I look like a goddamned sheep?!"

Daiki patted him on the head consolingly. "He's seen your true form before, Tet-chan. He knows what you really look like. And he does love you."

"Like an uncle or a brother," Tet-chan said wryly, repeating the words Daiki had used earlier.

"That's just because it's never occurred to him to think of you otherwise," Daiki replied. "He's been trying so hard to get his Sight back, ever since Dad and Papa came back together from Japan. I wonder if the real problem might be that he's just trying too hard?"

"Maybe," Tet-chan said doubtfully. "You think if he stops trying so hard, it will eventually come back on its own?"

"I'm not sure," Daiki replied. "I'll talk to Uncle Chris, and I'll write to Great-Grandfather and see if he has any ideas. He doesn't care much for humans, but he was fond of Chris, so maybe he'll be willing to help. I suppose it can't hurt to ask, especially if I send along some homemade strawberry preserves."

"What if he never gets his Sight back, Dai?" Tet-chan whispered, voicing his worst fear. "What if I'm never anything more than a sheep or goat to him? Never anything more than...than a...pet." He spat out that last word, his voice filled with distaste and contempt.

"It will be all right, Tet-chan," Daiki said gently, wrapping his arms around the Tou-Tet, and Tet-chan allowed the boy to pull his head down against his chest and stroke his hair, as if he were comforting a small child--not unlike the way he used cradle Daiki against his own chest not so many years ago, Tet-chan thought to himself with a kind of bitter, ironic amusement.

"It will be all right," Daiki repeated, and Tet-chan did not really believe it, but he allowed the boy to console him. A Tou-Tet never wept, but if a tear or two happened to slip from Tet-chan's eyes, there was no way that anyone would ever notice it, with his head pressed against Daiki's chest. "The two of you love each other," Daiki continued. "And love contains a special kind of magic all its own. Chris has lost his way temporarily, but he'll find his way back to you, Tet-chan, you'll see."

He planted a tender kiss on the top of Tet-chan's head, midway between his horns. The Tou-Tet made a low, keening noise deep in his throat, like a wounded animal venting its pain, and allowed Daiki to rock him back and forth in his arms like a baby. In his mind, he voiced a silent prayer to whatever gods might exist that Daiki's words would turn out to be true.

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