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FIC: Daiki, Part 18 (of 22)
Title: Daiki, Part 18 (of 22)
Rating: R overall, but mostly PG-13
Pairing: Leon/D
Word count: ~6,950
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. Chris and Tet-chan go to the petshop to break the happy news to their friends and family, but not everyone is happy to hear it. (The story of Moon Blossom will be continued in Part 19.)
Part 1a, Part 1b, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, 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
***
"Hello," Daiki called out as he walked into the petshop carrying a Madame C's pastry box, followed by Raphael. "Sorry to drop by unannounced."
"Daiki," D said, his face lighting up with surprise and delight at the sight of his son. "We weren't expecting you tonight, but you know that you and Raphael are always welcome here."
"No problem," Leon said with a grin. "We've got plenty of extra food; the restaurant gave us more than we ordered." The Chinatown shopkeepers often threw in "a bit extra" whenever D bought something, whether it was flowers, pastries, or Chinese take-out.
"Well then," Daiki said, smiling mischievously, "I hope you don't mind that we brought a few uninvited guests with us." He and Raphael stepped aside, and Chris walked through the door, holding Sleeping Beauty in his arms. Tet-chan sauntered along beside him, no longer looking depressed, but grinning almost smugly.
D and Leon were so startled by the sight of the Plant Doll that they didn't notice Tet-chan's change in demeanor at first. "It's Sleeping Beauty!" Leon exclaimed, immediately recognizing the doll that had been returned by the detectives from San Francisco. "Wait a minute--Chris, don't tell me that you bought a Plant Doll! You know you can't afford something like that!"
"Don't blame me, blame your son," Chris said cheerfully. "I wasn't looking for a doll, but this little princess woke up and decided that I was her prince, and Daiki told me that I owed him compensation because now he can't sell her to anyone else. I guess you've already met Sleeping Beauty, but I was thinking that I would just call her 'Beauty' from now on since she isn't sleeping any longer. Beauty, this is my brother Leon, and his, er, partner Count D." Beauty smiled and nodded at them politely.
"Daiki," Leon said, crossing his arms over his chest and giving his son a stern look. "What have you done? Don't tell me that you made your own uncle sign a contract!"
"Oh, but I gave him most excellent terms, Father dear!" Daiki laughed gaily. "Beauty is previously owned, of course, so I gave him a substantial discount, and I gave him a family discount as well. As for the rest, I have worked out a very reasonable installment plan."
"Don't 'Father dear' me, you little scamp," Leon said, still glowering at him sternly. "It's one thing for you to swindle aristocrats, but your own uncle--"
"It's okay, Leon, really," Chris interrupted, laughing. "I have some money saved up, and I don't need to pay off the debt all at once. Besides, I've been a bit lonely, living in San Francisco by myself, so my little princess will keep me company." He tenderly kissed Beauty on the cheek, and the doll smiled at him adoringly.
Leon sighed in resignation; his brother already had the besotted look he had seen on several other Plant Doll owners, including the jewelry store manager who had bought Snow White. Arguing would clearly do no good at this point.
"Oh, I can't believe you bought a Plant Doll, Chris!" Pon-chan exclaimed, running up to him. "She's so beautiful! Can I play with her, please?"
Chris stared at Pon-chan, a startled look on his face that slowly changed to one of wonder and affection. He gently set Beauty down on her feet and said, "You may, if Beauty is willing."
Pon-chan's jaw dropped in shock. "Y-you...can understand me?" she stammered.
Chris nodded, grinning from ear-to-ear, hardly able to contain his happiness. "I can. You've really grown up into a beautiful girl, Pon-chan. I bet you're breaking a lot of hearts in the petshop."
Pon-chan beamed, and Tet-chan jealously pressed up against Chris's side, wrapping an arm around his waist. "Hands off, raccoon-girl," he growled. "He belongs to me now."
Pon-chan's jaw dropped a second time, D gasped in surprise, and Leon bellowed, "WHAT?!"
"Oh dear," Daiki sighed. "I was hoping to break it to them gently..."
"I don't think there's really any 'gentle' way to break that kind of news," Raphael said sympathetically.
"Well, well, well," Ten-chan said, his eyes gleaming with amusement and interest. "This is a rather unexpected development..."
"Just what the hell is going on here?!" Leon demanded of his brother and the Tou-Tet. Then his eyes narrowed as he took a closer look at both of them, and noticed that they looked a bit disheveled. And then he noticed something that looked suspiciously like a bite mark on Chris's neck--not just a bruise like a normal hickey, but two small puncture wounds that had scabbed over but still looked fresh.
Leon grabbed Tet-chan by his vest, hauling him forward until they were face-to-face, their noses nearly touching. "Listen," Leon growled in a low voice, sounding more like one of the petshop residents than a human at the moment, "it's one thing for you to bite me, you little monster, but if you ever lay a tooth or claw on Chris again, you will be eating hot lead, do you understand me? No matter what you did to me, I trusted you with Chris! I trusted you to protect him! I trusted you not to hurt him!"
"I have put up with a great deal from you, because you are Count D's mate and Chris's brother," Tet-chan growled back at him. "But do not threaten me again, and do not lay hands on me unless you want them to be bitten off."
"Just try it, you big red furball," Leon snarled.
"Stop!" Chris shouted in alarm. "Stop it, both of you!" He forced his way between them, placed a hand on each of their chests, and pushed them away from each other; he succeeded only because neither of them wanted to hurt him. "Listen to me, Leon," Chris said earnestly. "Tet-chan never has, and never would hurt me. When I was a child, he treated me like a little brother, and he never did anything...er...inappropriate to me. But I'm not a little boy anymore; I'm an adult. And we've discovered that we love each other as more than brothers now." He touched the wound on his neck. "Tet-chan didn't hurt me. This is just a...um..." He blushed. "A love bite."
"Why does this not reassure me?" Leon growled, still glaring at Tet-chan menacingly. "A man-eating beast sinking his teeth into human flesh? What if he gets carried away one day and--"
"Oh, come off it, Leon!" Chris said impatiently. "Tet-chan's bitten you more times than I can count, and he's never eaten you. He's not going to eat me."
"Not the way that the detective means, anyway," Tet-chan purred lasciviously, and Chris turned bright red while Leon reached for his gun.
"Okay, that's it, I'm going to shoot him!" Leon said, but although he still looked furious, it sounded more like his normal bluster than a real threat.
But the Count grabbed his arm to restrain him, just in case. "You will do nothing of the sort, Leon!" he said firmly. "They are both adults, and if they wish to be in a relationship together, you have no right to stop them. Let us sit down and have some tea, and discuss this like mature adults."
"Aw, come on, just let me shoot him," Leon whined.
"No!" D said sternly, but his crimson lips curved slightly, in a barely perceptible smile.
"And as for you, Tet-chan," Chris said just as sternly as D, "you didn't need to provoke Leon like that! I thought that we'd agreed to sit down and explain things rationally to them!"
"Sorry," Tet-chan said sheepishly. "I got a little carried away."
"He can't help it," Ten-chan said helpfully. "It's the mating instinct; most animals can't help being protective and possessive of their mates."
Leon glared at the kitsune, and Chris said dryly, "You know, you're not really helping things, Ten-chan."
"Oh really?" Ten-chan asked innocently. "I'm sorry; I had no idea."
"I'll just bet," Leon muttered under his breath, but his angry expression softened when Chris laughed joyfully and hugged the kitsune.
"Oh, it's so great to be able to see all of you again!" Chris exclaimed, then set about greeting the other residents of the petshop. Tet-chan growled jealously, but kept himself under control when Daiki placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Here, let me show you around the shop," Pon-chan said kindly to Beauty, taking her by the hand. The Plant Doll smiled and nodded. "She can have cookies and milk, right, Daiki?"
"She just had some milk, but you can give her a sugar cookie," Daiki replied. "But just one."
"Oh, I'm so happy that Chris can see us again!" Pon-chan burbled excitedly to the Plant Doll, who smiled back at her. "Even if it seems like he's Tet-chan's mate now," she added, less enthusiastically, and stuck out her tongue at the Tou-Tet; he stuck his tongue out right back at her. "Anyway, you must be a good luck charm for Chris," the raccoon said, turning back to Beauty. "So let's get you a cookie!"
The doll followed Pon-chan obediently. Ten-chan looked speculatively at Beauty, and then at Tet-chan, and murmured, "Somehow, I don't think it was the doll that gave Chris back his Sight..."
"You have a lot of explaining to do, mister," Leon said to his son, still looking rather peeved.
"I can explain everything, Dad," Daiki replied sweetly. "But it's a rather long story, so shall we sit down and have some tea?"
"I can't wait to hear it," Ten-chan chuckled.
***
It took awhile to get Chris and the pets settled down, and even longer for Daiki and Chris to tell their stories, but eventually they explained everything. When they got to the part about the young Count, Leon jumped off the couch, ready to charge off to San Francisco, but D pulled him back down and insisted that he listen to the entire story. That still might not have stopped him, but the sight of D's face--pale and shaken and hopeful--did, so he quietly sat back down, holding D's hand in his own.
"Please don't be angry at the Count or Sofu, Leon," Chris said. "They really didn't hurt me; in fact, Sofu protected me. And even the Count promised not to harm me. My feelings did get a bit bruised, but that was more my fault than his. And I'm happy with Tet-chan now, so there's no hard feelings." He smiled at the Tou-Tet and reached out to clasp his hand, and Tet-chan blushed, looking embarrassed and immensely pleased at the same time.
"Aww, how sweet," Ten-chan said with a grin.
"Oh, shut up, you stupid fox," Tet-chan retorted, but he couldn't stop smiling at Chris.
"My brother," D whispered. "My brother is in San Francisco?"
Chris nodded. "He decided to set up shop in California because he wanted to be near you. He'd like to meet you again, but he's afraid to upset you, and he doesn't want to cause problems between you and Leon."
Leon looked skeptical, and Daiki added, "I believe that he was sincere, Dad. I can't read kami as well as I can humans, but I sensed no malice in him, and he seemed genuinely concerned about Papa."
"Besides, we would never let anyone hurt the Count," Ten-chan said quietly, his mischievous expression suddenly turning solemn. "Not even his brother or his grandfather."
"That's right," Tet-chan said fiercely, in a rare show of agreement with the kitsune. He flexed his fingers, and with his long, pointed, almost talon-like nails, he looked like a cat unsheathing its claws.
The other pets growled, hissed, and squawked their agreement quite vocally, causing such a ruckus that D finally had to call for them to quiet down.
"No one is going to hurt me," he assured them. "My grandfather would never harm me, and even at the height of his madness, my father never tried to physically harm me, although he was not so careful of the lives of the people around me." D smiled sadly, thinking of how his "sister" had died, and of his father's intention to wipe out humanity--including Leon and Chris. "In his own twisted way, I believe that he was trying to protect me."
"The young Count seems sane," Daiki told him. "I do not think that he was infected by his predecessor's madness. Great-Grandfather swore that he would do things differently when he raised his son for the second time, and I believe that he was successful. There is a very strong bond of affection between them, and my cousin respects his father enough to heed his wishes not to harm Chris or try to sell him a pet."
"Well, that's really very touching," Tet-chan said, sounding unconvinced. "But even if they wouldn't hurt the Count, what about Leon? We all know that Sofu isn't too fond of him, and Count Junior has every reason to want revenge on the detective, if he knows about the way his predecessor died."
"Great-Grandfather says that he hasn't told him how his 'father' died," Daiki said. "And I didn't sense any hostility in him when we talked about Dad. He seemed willing to call a truce if Dad will."
"He's different from what he was like in his previous life," Chris added. "He's obviously in love with Howell...er, I mean, Holland, so he doesn't hate all of humanity. And Sofu has changed, too. He said that he would let his son choose his own path, instead of trying to separate him from his human lover."
"Oh," D said, looking startled. "If that is true, then he has indeed changed. Grandfather was always stern and unyielding. He did eventually accept my relationship with Leon, but that was more giving in to the inevitable. I think that he decided to tolerate it because a child was born of our union." He smiled tenderly at his son. "Otherwise he would probably have disowned me."
"Not necessarily," Daiki replied, smiling back at his father. "After losing his son, Great-Grandfather has realized how precious his family is to him. I do not think he would have risked losing you as well, Papa."
"So maybe Sofu is getting soft in his old age?" Ten-chan chuckled.
"I would like to see my brother again," D said wistfully, and Leon sighed.
"Well, I don't care much for your relatives, but they are your family," the detective said reluctantly. "If you're sure that your brother won't spirit me off to a jungle of man-eating beasts, I won't object if he stops by for a visit."
D smiled at him gratefully. "Then I will send him a letter, saying that he is welcome to visit, as long as he will pledge not to harm you or anyone else in my household."
"If you're sure he won't break his promise," Leon added. "It's my ass on the line, after all."
D laughed, and so did the pets.
"Don't worry," one of the cat girls purred, rubbing up against him playfully. "We'll protect you, Mr. Detective."
A quick glare from D caused the cat to move away from Leon, although she sauntered off slowly, with an air of indifference, as if it were all her own idea instead of a command from the Count. "A kami's word is binding," D informed his lover. "We may word the contracts to allow ourselves a few loopholes that our customers do not forsee, but we are bound by the terms of the contracts just as strongly as the customers are. A kami will not--cannot--break his or her sworn word. That is the difference between us and humans."
"You just couldn't resist that dig about kami superiority, could you?" Leon muttered.
"What he means to say is that if the young Count promises not to harm you, he will not break that promise," Daiki said with a smile.
"Okay then," Leon said, a bit sardonically. "The family reunion's on. But I want you to add another condition to that promise: he is not to sell any of his pets in my city. I have no jurisdiction in San Francisco, but I will not have him turning people into pet chow in L.A.!"
D nodded. "Los Angeles is my territory, so he would not do business here in any case, but I will ask him to agree to your condition."
"That's wonderful," Chris said. "He'll be very happy that you want to see him." Chris was so happy that he wanted everyone else to be happy, too, even the man who had broken his heart. Besides, his heartbreak had been pretty brief, and it had been his own damn fault for being so stupid. On the other hand, if he hadn't been heartbroken, he wouldn't have gone running to Daiki for comfort, and Tet-chan wouldn't have confessed his true feelings, and he might never have gotten his Sight back. So really, he ought to be grateful to the Count for breaking his heart!
"All right, that's settled," Leon said, although he still didn't look too happy about it, then turned to Chris. "Now, getting back to you and Tet-chan..."
Chris reached out to clasp Tet-chan's hand again and said firmly, "I'm not a child anymore, Leon. I hope that you'll be happy for us, but I'm not asking for your permission."
Leon scowled at his brother. "It's just that things have happened pretty quickly. In just a single day, you've acquired a lover and a child--instant family."
"I hadn't really thought of it like that, but I guess you're right," Chris said, smiling sheepishly at Beauty, who smiled back at him with complete trust in her eyes.
"I'm worried that it might be too much for you to handle," Leon continued. "You can't help it that the doll bonded with you, although I suspect Daiki might have set things up that way..."
He paused to give his son a suspicious look, and Daiki protested, "Dad, I assure you, I had no idea that Beauty would bond with Chris! I wasn't even expecting him to stop by the shop today!"
Leon gazed at him a moment longer, still looking a little suspicious, then turned back to Chris. "This thing with Tet-chan, on the other hand--aren't you two moving a little fast? One minute you're in love with Count Junior, and the next you're in love with the little monster here. You haven't seen his human form in over twenty years, or even been able to talk with him, really. Are you sure you're not just getting carried away in the happiness of getting your Sight back and seeing your old friend again?"
Tet-chan growled, but Chris just gave his brother a thoughtful look.
"What?" Leon asked.
Chris smiled. "I'm just surprised, that's all. I expected that you would be upset about this, but I didn't expect that you would have such a rational argument."
"Hmph!" Leon snorted, looking offended, and the Count laughed.
"Yes, hard as it is to believe, Leon has gained some maturity over the years," D said in a tone of fond sarcasm.
The other pets laughed, but Tet-chan looked worried. "Do you think he's right?" the Tou-Tet asked Chris, sounding hurt. "Do you think it's just the excitement, and not love at all?"
"Oh no, Tet-chan!" Chris hastily reassured him. "I was just surprised that Leon was being logical and rational instead of yelling at us."
"Gee, thanks," Leon said sarcastically.
"But I love you," Chris told Tet-chan with heartfelt certainty. As Tet sighed with relief, Chris turned to address his brother. "I understand your concerns, Leon. I know it's sudden, and it probably seems a little crazy to you, but I swear to you, this is the real thing."
"You thought your feelings for the Count were the real thing, too," Leon reminded him. "Count Junior, I mean. Damn it, D, your people really need to get different names!"
D sniffed disdainfully, not deigning to give a verbal response to his complaint. Chris chuckled and said, "I don't know exactly how to put it in words, but what I feel for Tet-chan is different from what I felt for the Count. I was infatuated with him, yes, but not for himself. I thought that being with him would be like returning to the past. I was trying to go back home, but home was always here for me." He smiled tenderly at Tet-chan and stroked his cheek. "Even if I lost my way for a little while. I don't know how to explain it, Leon; I just know. I love Tet-chan. How did you know that you loved the Count?"
Leon sighed and smiled wryly. "It didn't just hit me all of a sudden the way it seems to have done with you. It snuck up gradually but persistently on me over time, no matter how much I tried to deny it. But I guess the day that I really had to admit it to myself, when I couldn't deny it anymore, was the day that he flew off in his boat and left me behind."
"Oh, Leon," D said softly, and a little guiltily. "I truly am sorry."
"Hey now," Leon said affectionately, wrapping an arm around his lover. "Don't go apologizing, or I'll worry that you've been replaced by an impostor, like the time you switched bodies with that mermaid!"
"Oh, you!" D said, hitting him on the arm, but very gently, and he was smiling at Leon, his eyes suspiciously bright, as if he were holding back tears.
"Switched bodies with a mermaid?" Raphael asked Daiki.
"It's a long story," Daiki replied. "I'll tell you about it later."
"I know, Leon," Chris said earnestly. "As surely as you love the Count, that is how sure I am of my love for Tet-chan. And it's not really all that sudden. I've loved him for years, ever since I was a child; it's just that it's changed into a different kind of love."
"I believe that their bond is a true one, Dad," Daiki said, adding his support. "Otherwise Uncle Chris would not have regained his Sight. It was Tet-chan's love for him that reawakened it, and Chris's love for Tet-chan." He smiled at his uncle. "You see, Great-Grandfather was right, after all: you were trying too hard. When you stopped seeking your Sight, it came back to you of its own volition."
"You're right, Dai," Chris said, smiling at Tet-chan, who smiled back at him. They gazed into each other's eyes, completely lost to the world around them, and Leon heaved a sigh of resignation.
"Aw crap, I guess you can't fight fate," Leon grumbled. He coughed, then clapped his hands, trying to get Tet-chan's attention, and when that didn't work, he shouted, "Hey, fur-face!"
"What?" Tet-chan growled, finally tearing his eyes away from Chris's.
"Listen up," Leon growled back at him. "I accept that you and Chris are a couple now, but that doesn't mean I won't kick your ass if you ever do anything to hurt him."
"You and what army?" Tet-chan retorted. "And anyway, I would never do anything to hurt him!"
The two of them glared at each other, and suddenly Chris burst into laughter. His lover and his brother stared at him, looking bewildered and a little offended.
"Ah, it's just like old times!" Chris laughed. "The two of you are still the same!"
Tet-chan and Leon felt their anger dissipating at the sight of Chris's smiling face. He had not precisely been unhappy during the twenty years since he had left the shop--he did sincerely love his adoptive family--but he exuded a sense of joy and peace that had been missing up until now.
"Well, as long as you're happy, kid," Leon said, relenting and smiling at his brother. "I suppose this means we're going to need to find a new chef, though."
D looked stunned for a moment, as the full implications of Chris's and Tet-chan's romance suddenly sunk in. Then as the shock wore off, he began to look appalled, and Leon doubled over laughing. "Jeez, D, you should see your face!"
"It is not funny, Leon!" D snapped indignantly. "Perhaps you do not care, since you are accustomed to living on junk food, but my delicate palate requires cuisine of a much higher quality..."
"Yeah, real delicate," Leon snorted. "Like I've never seen you gobbling your way through a box of chocolates..."
"I do not 'gobble'!"
"I'm sorry, Count," Chris said, looking distressed. "I hadn't thought that far ahead, about the idea of Tet-chan moving to San Francisco with me."
"I'm sorry, Count," Tet-chan said, respectfully but in a firm tone that left no room for debate. "I owe you a lot. But Chris is my mate, and I must follow him."
D sighed. "Perhaps Chris might consider transferring to L.A.?" he asked hopefully.
"Well, I can put in a request for a transfer, but I'd have to wait for an opening," Chris replied. "And even then, there's no guarantee that I'd get the position. It would depend on how many other people are applying for the job, and what kinds of qualifications they have."
"Maybe I could pull a few strings," D murmured speculatively.
"Oh, please don't," Chris said hastily. "I appreciate the offer, but if you pull strings to get me promoted over someone else's head, my new coworkers wouldn't respect me. They'd think that I wasn't capable of earning the job on my own."
"I suppose there is no help for it, then," D said gloomily. "We can always order food from the local restaurants, but it will not be the same..."
"I can cook," Pon-chan offered. "I watch Tet-chan in the kitchen all the time, and I make snacks for myself when he's not around."
"There's more to cooking than just watching, brat," Tet-chan told her.
"So teach me, then," Pon-chan retorted, tossing her golden hair back. "Maybe I won't be as good as you, at least not right away, but I'm willing to learn and do my best. And if I keep working it at, I'll get better. Besides, someone has to look after the kitchen while you're gone."
Ten-chan laid a hand on her shoulder. "I'll help you, too," he said, and several of the other pets offered to pitch in.
"It looks like I can't go to San Francisco with you right away," Tet-chan told Chris regretfully, then gave Pon-chan a small smile. "I'll need to train my new apprentice first, at least to the point where her cooking is edible."
"You'll also need to think about how you're going to explain Tet-chan's presence to your friends and neighbors," Leon added. "And Beauty's too, while you're at it."
"People in San Francisco have heard of Plant Dolls," Chris said. "A few of Daiki's customers live there."
"Indeed, although most of my customers are L.A. residents, people come from all over the country to attempt to buy one of the fabled Plant Dolls," Daiki said.
"But as for Tet-chan..." Chris frowned, a worried look on his face.
"You could say that your, uh, brother-in-law owns a petshop and gave you a pet to keep the Plant Doll company," Raphael suggested.
"But Tet-chan's not a pet," Chris said, still looking distressed. "He's my...my love, my soulmate, and it seems insulting to tell people that he's just a pet."
Tet-chan smiled and rumpled Chris's hair, as if he were still a child. "Don't worry about it, Chris. You know what I really am, and as long as we're together, I don't care what other people think."
"You certainly don't wanna try and tell people that your pet sheep is really your boyfriend," Leon snickered. "It might get you arrested!"
"Leon!" Chris exclaimed, blushing as he punched his brother on the arm. "You have a dirty mind."
"You only now noticed?" D muttered sarcastically.
"I am not a sheep," Tet-chan complained.
"Wait a minute," Raphael said, frowning in confusion, as he tried to remember what Tet-chan had told him about how he had met the Count. "You were posing as a chef under the name 'Wong' when you first met Count D. Which means that you made yourself appear human in public. Can't you disguise yourself the same way when you move in with Chris?"
"You dumb shit, if I could do that, I would have done it a long time ago!" Tet-chan snapped. "I wouldn't have been sitting around, twiddling my thumbs and waiting for Chris to regain his Sight!"
"You know, I never understood why your human form changed so drastically when you moved into the petshop," Leon said thoughtfully. "You don't really look anything like you did when you were Wong."
"The form of Wong was just an outer shell that I used as a disguise," Tet-chan explained, a bit irritably. "In order to take human form that way again, I would have to kill someone to use as my host body, and I figured that the detective here wouldn't like that too much."
"No, I wouldn't!" Leon said firmly.
"No, I wouldn't want that, either," Chris said, shuddering. "Never mind, we'll figure something out."
"But for tonight," D said with a smile, "let us celebrate Tet-chan's and Chris's happiness." He added, pouting a little, "Even if you are stealing away my cook!"
"I'm sorry, Count," Chris laughed. "I promise, I will apply for a transfer to L.A. at the first opportunity, and you can borrow Tet-chan anytime you like."
"Hey!" Tet-chan protested, and Chris laughed at the expression of indignation on his face. "Little brat," the Tou-Tet said affectionately. "Ah well, I suppose I can stop by every now and then to whip up a few special treats for the Count, for old time's sake."
"Excellent!" D said, looking much happier. "Well then, call everyone to dinner, and set a few extra places for our guests!"
But one resident of the petshop had not yet been informed of the happy news, so Chris, Tet-chan, Daiki, and Raphael went to the Crystal Chamber to see Honlon.
She was overjoyed to see Chris at first, but when they gently told her what had happened between Chris and Tet-chan, her face seemed to shut down, changing in an instant from Junrei's happy smile to Shukou's emotionless mask.
"Congratulations, Christopher, Tet-chan," Shukou said quietly, bowing slightly to the couple. "I wish you happiness in your life together." Then she turned away, facing her back to them, and said, "Please leave now. I wish to be alone."
"But Shukou..." Chris protested halfheartedly, his voice trailing off as he realized he didn't know what to say. "Um...you'll miss dinner."
"I'm not hungry."
"But..."
"Leave!" the dragon-girl snapped, turning to glare at them, a hint of Kanan's anger sparking in her eyes.
Daiki took Chris by the arm and began steering him towards the exit. "Good night," he said gently. "I'll stop by for tea tomorrow and bring you some treats."
"Whatever," Kanan said, shrugging her shoulders indifferently.
"I didn't mean to hurt her feelings," Chris said anxiously when they were in the hallway outside the Crystal Chamber.
"She's been in love with you ever since you guys were kids," Tet-chan said impatiently, but with a hint of sympathy. "What did you think was going to happen when she found out about us?"
"I know she had a crush on me when we were little, but that was years ago!" Chris protested.
"Time passes differently for a dragon," Daiki explained. "Her lifespan is measured in centuries, not decades. Twenty years might seem like a long time to you, but to Honlon it is nothing. After all, she spent sixty years incubating in her egg before she even hatched."
"Oh dear," Chris said, turning back towards the Chamber. "Maybe I should--"
"No, Uncle Chris," Daiki said, smiling sadly as he placed a hand on Chris's shoulder to restrain him. "There is nothing you can do or say that would make her feel better right now."
"I never meant to hurt her," Chris said unhappily.
"I know," Daiki said gently. "It isn't your fault. You cannot choose whom you fall in love with."
"Even if you and Honlon had gotten together, Pon-chan would still have been upset, not to mention me, so no matter what, somebody's bound to get hurt," Tet-chan said philosophically. "Although I have to admit, the raccoon has been taking it pretty well, considering."
"Pon-chan?" Chris asked, sounding startled.
Tet-chan snorted with laughter. "You know that she was in love with you, too, right?"
"My, I had no idea that you were such a ladies' man, Chris," Raphael said with a smile.
"We were just kids!" Chris protested helplessly. "I was six years old, for crying out loud!"
"Come, Uncle Chris," Daiki chuckled. "Let's go to dinner before Papa gets worried."
"But Shukou--" Chris said worriedly.
"Only time can heal her wounds," Daiki said quietly.
"Listen," Raphael said, "you guys go on ahead. I'm gonna talk to Honlon for a little bit and make sure she's okay."
"Are you sure you'll be okay in there alone with her?" Tet-chan asked dubiously. "If she throws another temper-tantrum, and Daiki and the Count aren't there to protect you..."
"It's okay," Raphael said, winking at him. "I'm her big brother, remember? She won't hurt me."
Daiki smiled and nodded at him. "All right, Raphael. We'll see you at dinner later."
"Big brother?" Chris asked in confusion.
"That's right, you weren't here when Honlon met Raphael," Daiki said. "I'll tell you about it on the way to the dining room..."
The other three left, and Raphael slipped back into the Crystal Chamber, where he found Honlon lying on the cold marble floor, sobbing heartbrokenly.
"Do not cry, Junrei," Shukou said quietly, with her sister's tears still streaming down her face. "One cannot fight fate."
"Damn you, Shukou, this is all your fault!" Kanan snarled. "You told us that Chris didn't belong in the petshop because he's a human! But it seems that he does belong, after all! If we'd tried harder to make him stay, then maybe he would've chosen us instead of the goat-boy, and Junrei wouldn't be crying right now!"
She raised her hand to slap her face, but Raphael grabbed her by the wrist to stop her. "Please don't fight with your sister, Kanan," he said gently. "It isn't her fault. It's the Count who sent Chris away, from what I understand, and even if he had stayed, I don't think that it would have made a difference. Maybe I'm a romantic, but I believe that there's one person for everyone, and that means Chris and Tet-chan were meant to be together. No one but Tet-chan could have won his heart, not even you, or Pon-chan, or the young Count."
"So where does that leave us?!" Kanan snapped, brushing tears from her eyes. "And what would you know about it, anyway? It's easy for you to talk, when you've got Daiki!"
"It's true, I have Daiki now," Raphael replied. "But I had my heart broken once before, when I was about your age...relatively speaking."
"Wh...what do you mean?" Junrei asked curiously, wiping her face with her sleeve.
"Well, it was more of a crush than true love," Raphael admitted with a nostalgic smile. "But there was a boy in high school that I was infatuated with. He was handsome and popular, and a star player for the basketball team."
"And he didn't like you back?" Junrei asked.
"I never had the guts to tell him how I felt," Raphael said, a bit ruefully. "Humans--and especially human teenagers--can be pretty narrow-minded, and a lot of the jocks liked to make jokes about queers. Michael--my crush--wasn't one of them, but still, I was scared that he would hate me if he knew what I was. So I never told him, and I had to sit back and watch him date girls and take one of the cheerleaders to the prom. It hurt a lot at the time, but a couple of years later, I was in college, and I'd started dating my first boyfriend, and I had almost completely forgotten about him. And now I have Daiki, so that old pain doesn't hurt anymore."
"If there's only one person for everyone, how come you liked other boys before you met Daiki?" Kanan asked suspiciously.
Raphael smiled. "Well, I didn't know Daiki back then. It's like I was looking for a part of me that was missing without really knowing what it was. I dated other guys, but it never worked out because I wasn't meant to be with them. But when I met Daiki, everything seemed to click and fall into place."
"Do you think that I'll ever meet the right person for me?" Junrei asked wistfully.
"Absolutely," Raphael assured her, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"But right now it hurts so much!" Junrei wailed, tears welling in her eyes again. "I can't imagine loving anyone but Chris!"
"Crybaby," Kanan muttered, but her voice sounded a little shaky, too.
"It's okay to cry when you're hurt," Raphael said gently, gathering the girl into his arms. "Go ahead and cry all you want; I'm here for you."
So he gently rocked Junrei back and forth, letting her weep on his shoulder until she had no more tears left to shed. Kanan and Shukou both remained surprisingly quiet the entire time, but Raphael suspected that they were letting their sister weep the tears that they were too proud to shed.
***
Raphael missed most of dinner, arriving at the table just as everyone else was nearly finished eating.
"How is Honlon?" Chris asked anxiously.
"As well as can be, under the circumstances," Raphael replied. "She needed a good cry, I think. I just put her to bed, and she seemed exhausted enough to sleep soundly till morning."
"I feel so guilty," Chris sighed.
"It's not your fault, Chris," Pon-chan said briskly. "It can't be helped that you had the bad taste to fall in love with Tet-chan." She grinned insolently at the Tou-Tet, who stuck his tongue out at her. "Honlon will feel bad for awhile, but eventually she'll get over it." She rose from her seat and said, "I'll go to the kitchen and get dessert."
"I'll help you," Chris volunteered, still looking worried and guilty.
"No, I'll help her," Leon said quickly, rising to his feet. Pon-chan raised her eyebrows, then shrugged and let the detective accompany her to the kitchen.
Pon-chan sliced the pie that Daiki had brought and put the pieces on plates while Leon dished out scoops of ice cream from the cartons of gourmet brands that D kept in the freezer. "How are you doing, Pon-chan?" Leon asked quietly. "This must be hard on you, too, right?"
Pon-chan smiled brightly and said, "Oh, I gave up on Chris a long time ago, so I'm fine, really!"
"Really?" Leon asked. "It's just you and me here, kiddo. You don't have to put up a front."
Pon-chan carefully set down the knife, and tears slowly spilled out of her eyes and ran down her cheeks. "I knew that Chris and I weren't meant to be together," she whispered sadly. "But it's really hard to see him with someone else, especially someone from the shop. If he had fallen in love with another human, it wouldn't have been so bad, somehow..."
Leon put his arm around her, and she leaned against his chest, weeping quietly. "I know it's hard, Ponta," he said, gently rumpling her curls. "But you can cry on my shoulder anytime you want."
After a few minutes, the tears ceased, and Pon-chan pulled away from him. "Don't tell Chris about this, okay?" she sniffled, scrubbing at her eyes with the back of her hand. "I don't want to make him feel bad."
"Well then, we'd better wash your face so that you don't look like you've been crying," Leon said. So Pon-chan washed her face with cold water in the sink, and Leon gently patted it dry with a clean dishcloth. "Feeling better, kiddo?"
"Much," she replied, and stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek. "I love you, Leon."
"I love you, too, brat," he said gruffly, planting a kiss on the top of her head. "But I'll deny it if you ever tell anyone I said that."
She laughed and began setting the dessert plates on trays. "Come on, we'd better hurry or the ice cream will melt." Leon nodded and picked up a pair of trays. "And Leon...you won't tell Chris, right?"
"It'll be our little secret," he said with a wink, and she smiled and winked back at him.
Part 19a, Part 19b, Part 20a, Part 20b, Part 21, Part 22a, Part 22b
"Hello," Daiki called out as he walked into the petshop carrying a Madame C's pastry box, followed by Raphael. "Sorry to drop by unannounced."
"Daiki," D said, his face lighting up with surprise and delight at the sight of his son. "We weren't expecting you tonight, but you know that you and Raphael are always welcome here."
"No problem," Leon said with a grin. "We've got plenty of extra food; the restaurant gave us more than we ordered." The Chinatown shopkeepers often threw in "a bit extra" whenever D bought something, whether it was flowers, pastries, or Chinese take-out.
"Well then," Daiki said, smiling mischievously, "I hope you don't mind that we brought a few uninvited guests with us." He and Raphael stepped aside, and Chris walked through the door, holding Sleeping Beauty in his arms. Tet-chan sauntered along beside him, no longer looking depressed, but grinning almost smugly.
D and Leon were so startled by the sight of the Plant Doll that they didn't notice Tet-chan's change in demeanor at first. "It's Sleeping Beauty!" Leon exclaimed, immediately recognizing the doll that had been returned by the detectives from San Francisco. "Wait a minute--Chris, don't tell me that you bought a Plant Doll! You know you can't afford something like that!"
"Don't blame me, blame your son," Chris said cheerfully. "I wasn't looking for a doll, but this little princess woke up and decided that I was her prince, and Daiki told me that I owed him compensation because now he can't sell her to anyone else. I guess you've already met Sleeping Beauty, but I was thinking that I would just call her 'Beauty' from now on since she isn't sleeping any longer. Beauty, this is my brother Leon, and his, er, partner Count D." Beauty smiled and nodded at them politely.
"Daiki," Leon said, crossing his arms over his chest and giving his son a stern look. "What have you done? Don't tell me that you made your own uncle sign a contract!"
"Oh, but I gave him most excellent terms, Father dear!" Daiki laughed gaily. "Beauty is previously owned, of course, so I gave him a substantial discount, and I gave him a family discount as well. As for the rest, I have worked out a very reasonable installment plan."
"Don't 'Father dear' me, you little scamp," Leon said, still glowering at him sternly. "It's one thing for you to swindle aristocrats, but your own uncle--"
"It's okay, Leon, really," Chris interrupted, laughing. "I have some money saved up, and I don't need to pay off the debt all at once. Besides, I've been a bit lonely, living in San Francisco by myself, so my little princess will keep me company." He tenderly kissed Beauty on the cheek, and the doll smiled at him adoringly.
Leon sighed in resignation; his brother already had the besotted look he had seen on several other Plant Doll owners, including the jewelry store manager who had bought Snow White. Arguing would clearly do no good at this point.
"Oh, I can't believe you bought a Plant Doll, Chris!" Pon-chan exclaimed, running up to him. "She's so beautiful! Can I play with her, please?"
Chris stared at Pon-chan, a startled look on his face that slowly changed to one of wonder and affection. He gently set Beauty down on her feet and said, "You may, if Beauty is willing."
Pon-chan's jaw dropped in shock. "Y-you...can understand me?" she stammered.
Chris nodded, grinning from ear-to-ear, hardly able to contain his happiness. "I can. You've really grown up into a beautiful girl, Pon-chan. I bet you're breaking a lot of hearts in the petshop."
Pon-chan beamed, and Tet-chan jealously pressed up against Chris's side, wrapping an arm around his waist. "Hands off, raccoon-girl," he growled. "He belongs to me now."
Pon-chan's jaw dropped a second time, D gasped in surprise, and Leon bellowed, "WHAT?!"
"Oh dear," Daiki sighed. "I was hoping to break it to them gently..."
"I don't think there's really any 'gentle' way to break that kind of news," Raphael said sympathetically.
"Well, well, well," Ten-chan said, his eyes gleaming with amusement and interest. "This is a rather unexpected development..."
"Just what the hell is going on here?!" Leon demanded of his brother and the Tou-Tet. Then his eyes narrowed as he took a closer look at both of them, and noticed that they looked a bit disheveled. And then he noticed something that looked suspiciously like a bite mark on Chris's neck--not just a bruise like a normal hickey, but two small puncture wounds that had scabbed over but still looked fresh.
Leon grabbed Tet-chan by his vest, hauling him forward until they were face-to-face, their noses nearly touching. "Listen," Leon growled in a low voice, sounding more like one of the petshop residents than a human at the moment, "it's one thing for you to bite me, you little monster, but if you ever lay a tooth or claw on Chris again, you will be eating hot lead, do you understand me? No matter what you did to me, I trusted you with Chris! I trusted you to protect him! I trusted you not to hurt him!"
"I have put up with a great deal from you, because you are Count D's mate and Chris's brother," Tet-chan growled back at him. "But do not threaten me again, and do not lay hands on me unless you want them to be bitten off."
"Just try it, you big red furball," Leon snarled.
"Stop!" Chris shouted in alarm. "Stop it, both of you!" He forced his way between them, placed a hand on each of their chests, and pushed them away from each other; he succeeded only because neither of them wanted to hurt him. "Listen to me, Leon," Chris said earnestly. "Tet-chan never has, and never would hurt me. When I was a child, he treated me like a little brother, and he never did anything...er...inappropriate to me. But I'm not a little boy anymore; I'm an adult. And we've discovered that we love each other as more than brothers now." He touched the wound on his neck. "Tet-chan didn't hurt me. This is just a...um..." He blushed. "A love bite."
"Why does this not reassure me?" Leon growled, still glaring at Tet-chan menacingly. "A man-eating beast sinking his teeth into human flesh? What if he gets carried away one day and--"
"Oh, come off it, Leon!" Chris said impatiently. "Tet-chan's bitten you more times than I can count, and he's never eaten you. He's not going to eat me."
"Not the way that the detective means, anyway," Tet-chan purred lasciviously, and Chris turned bright red while Leon reached for his gun.
"Okay, that's it, I'm going to shoot him!" Leon said, but although he still looked furious, it sounded more like his normal bluster than a real threat.
But the Count grabbed his arm to restrain him, just in case. "You will do nothing of the sort, Leon!" he said firmly. "They are both adults, and if they wish to be in a relationship together, you have no right to stop them. Let us sit down and have some tea, and discuss this like mature adults."
"Aw, come on, just let me shoot him," Leon whined.
"No!" D said sternly, but his crimson lips curved slightly, in a barely perceptible smile.
"And as for you, Tet-chan," Chris said just as sternly as D, "you didn't need to provoke Leon like that! I thought that we'd agreed to sit down and explain things rationally to them!"
"Sorry," Tet-chan said sheepishly. "I got a little carried away."
"He can't help it," Ten-chan said helpfully. "It's the mating instinct; most animals can't help being protective and possessive of their mates."
Leon glared at the kitsune, and Chris said dryly, "You know, you're not really helping things, Ten-chan."
"Oh really?" Ten-chan asked innocently. "I'm sorry; I had no idea."
"I'll just bet," Leon muttered under his breath, but his angry expression softened when Chris laughed joyfully and hugged the kitsune.
"Oh, it's so great to be able to see all of you again!" Chris exclaimed, then set about greeting the other residents of the petshop. Tet-chan growled jealously, but kept himself under control when Daiki placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Here, let me show you around the shop," Pon-chan said kindly to Beauty, taking her by the hand. The Plant Doll smiled and nodded. "She can have cookies and milk, right, Daiki?"
"She just had some milk, but you can give her a sugar cookie," Daiki replied. "But just one."
"Oh, I'm so happy that Chris can see us again!" Pon-chan burbled excitedly to the Plant Doll, who smiled back at her. "Even if it seems like he's Tet-chan's mate now," she added, less enthusiastically, and stuck out her tongue at the Tou-Tet; he stuck his tongue out right back at her. "Anyway, you must be a good luck charm for Chris," the raccoon said, turning back to Beauty. "So let's get you a cookie!"
The doll followed Pon-chan obediently. Ten-chan looked speculatively at Beauty, and then at Tet-chan, and murmured, "Somehow, I don't think it was the doll that gave Chris back his Sight..."
"You have a lot of explaining to do, mister," Leon said to his son, still looking rather peeved.
"I can explain everything, Dad," Daiki replied sweetly. "But it's a rather long story, so shall we sit down and have some tea?"
"I can't wait to hear it," Ten-chan chuckled.
***
It took awhile to get Chris and the pets settled down, and even longer for Daiki and Chris to tell their stories, but eventually they explained everything. When they got to the part about the young Count, Leon jumped off the couch, ready to charge off to San Francisco, but D pulled him back down and insisted that he listen to the entire story. That still might not have stopped him, but the sight of D's face--pale and shaken and hopeful--did, so he quietly sat back down, holding D's hand in his own.
"Please don't be angry at the Count or Sofu, Leon," Chris said. "They really didn't hurt me; in fact, Sofu protected me. And even the Count promised not to harm me. My feelings did get a bit bruised, but that was more my fault than his. And I'm happy with Tet-chan now, so there's no hard feelings." He smiled at the Tou-Tet and reached out to clasp his hand, and Tet-chan blushed, looking embarrassed and immensely pleased at the same time.
"Aww, how sweet," Ten-chan said with a grin.
"Oh, shut up, you stupid fox," Tet-chan retorted, but he couldn't stop smiling at Chris.
"My brother," D whispered. "My brother is in San Francisco?"
Chris nodded. "He decided to set up shop in California because he wanted to be near you. He'd like to meet you again, but he's afraid to upset you, and he doesn't want to cause problems between you and Leon."
Leon looked skeptical, and Daiki added, "I believe that he was sincere, Dad. I can't read kami as well as I can humans, but I sensed no malice in him, and he seemed genuinely concerned about Papa."
"Besides, we would never let anyone hurt the Count," Ten-chan said quietly, his mischievous expression suddenly turning solemn. "Not even his brother or his grandfather."
"That's right," Tet-chan said fiercely, in a rare show of agreement with the kitsune. He flexed his fingers, and with his long, pointed, almost talon-like nails, he looked like a cat unsheathing its claws.
The other pets growled, hissed, and squawked their agreement quite vocally, causing such a ruckus that D finally had to call for them to quiet down.
"No one is going to hurt me," he assured them. "My grandfather would never harm me, and even at the height of his madness, my father never tried to physically harm me, although he was not so careful of the lives of the people around me." D smiled sadly, thinking of how his "sister" had died, and of his father's intention to wipe out humanity--including Leon and Chris. "In his own twisted way, I believe that he was trying to protect me."
"The young Count seems sane," Daiki told him. "I do not think that he was infected by his predecessor's madness. Great-Grandfather swore that he would do things differently when he raised his son for the second time, and I believe that he was successful. There is a very strong bond of affection between them, and my cousin respects his father enough to heed his wishes not to harm Chris or try to sell him a pet."
"Well, that's really very touching," Tet-chan said, sounding unconvinced. "But even if they wouldn't hurt the Count, what about Leon? We all know that Sofu isn't too fond of him, and Count Junior has every reason to want revenge on the detective, if he knows about the way his predecessor died."
"Great-Grandfather says that he hasn't told him how his 'father' died," Daiki said. "And I didn't sense any hostility in him when we talked about Dad. He seemed willing to call a truce if Dad will."
"He's different from what he was like in his previous life," Chris added. "He's obviously in love with Howell...er, I mean, Holland, so he doesn't hate all of humanity. And Sofu has changed, too. He said that he would let his son choose his own path, instead of trying to separate him from his human lover."
"Oh," D said, looking startled. "If that is true, then he has indeed changed. Grandfather was always stern and unyielding. He did eventually accept my relationship with Leon, but that was more giving in to the inevitable. I think that he decided to tolerate it because a child was born of our union." He smiled tenderly at his son. "Otherwise he would probably have disowned me."
"Not necessarily," Daiki replied, smiling back at his father. "After losing his son, Great-Grandfather has realized how precious his family is to him. I do not think he would have risked losing you as well, Papa."
"So maybe Sofu is getting soft in his old age?" Ten-chan chuckled.
"I would like to see my brother again," D said wistfully, and Leon sighed.
"Well, I don't care much for your relatives, but they are your family," the detective said reluctantly. "If you're sure that your brother won't spirit me off to a jungle of man-eating beasts, I won't object if he stops by for a visit."
D smiled at him gratefully. "Then I will send him a letter, saying that he is welcome to visit, as long as he will pledge not to harm you or anyone else in my household."
"If you're sure he won't break his promise," Leon added. "It's my ass on the line, after all."
D laughed, and so did the pets.
"Don't worry," one of the cat girls purred, rubbing up against him playfully. "We'll protect you, Mr. Detective."
A quick glare from D caused the cat to move away from Leon, although she sauntered off slowly, with an air of indifference, as if it were all her own idea instead of a command from the Count. "A kami's word is binding," D informed his lover. "We may word the contracts to allow ourselves a few loopholes that our customers do not forsee, but we are bound by the terms of the contracts just as strongly as the customers are. A kami will not--cannot--break his or her sworn word. That is the difference between us and humans."
"You just couldn't resist that dig about kami superiority, could you?" Leon muttered.
"What he means to say is that if the young Count promises not to harm you, he will not break that promise," Daiki said with a smile.
"Okay then," Leon said, a bit sardonically. "The family reunion's on. But I want you to add another condition to that promise: he is not to sell any of his pets in my city. I have no jurisdiction in San Francisco, but I will not have him turning people into pet chow in L.A.!"
D nodded. "Los Angeles is my territory, so he would not do business here in any case, but I will ask him to agree to your condition."
"That's wonderful," Chris said. "He'll be very happy that you want to see him." Chris was so happy that he wanted everyone else to be happy, too, even the man who had broken his heart. Besides, his heartbreak had been pretty brief, and it had been his own damn fault for being so stupid. On the other hand, if he hadn't been heartbroken, he wouldn't have gone running to Daiki for comfort, and Tet-chan wouldn't have confessed his true feelings, and he might never have gotten his Sight back. So really, he ought to be grateful to the Count for breaking his heart!
"All right, that's settled," Leon said, although he still didn't look too happy about it, then turned to Chris. "Now, getting back to you and Tet-chan..."
Chris reached out to clasp Tet-chan's hand again and said firmly, "I'm not a child anymore, Leon. I hope that you'll be happy for us, but I'm not asking for your permission."
Leon scowled at his brother. "It's just that things have happened pretty quickly. In just a single day, you've acquired a lover and a child--instant family."
"I hadn't really thought of it like that, but I guess you're right," Chris said, smiling sheepishly at Beauty, who smiled back at him with complete trust in her eyes.
"I'm worried that it might be too much for you to handle," Leon continued. "You can't help it that the doll bonded with you, although I suspect Daiki might have set things up that way..."
He paused to give his son a suspicious look, and Daiki protested, "Dad, I assure you, I had no idea that Beauty would bond with Chris! I wasn't even expecting him to stop by the shop today!"
Leon gazed at him a moment longer, still looking a little suspicious, then turned back to Chris. "This thing with Tet-chan, on the other hand--aren't you two moving a little fast? One minute you're in love with Count Junior, and the next you're in love with the little monster here. You haven't seen his human form in over twenty years, or even been able to talk with him, really. Are you sure you're not just getting carried away in the happiness of getting your Sight back and seeing your old friend again?"
Tet-chan growled, but Chris just gave his brother a thoughtful look.
"What?" Leon asked.
Chris smiled. "I'm just surprised, that's all. I expected that you would be upset about this, but I didn't expect that you would have such a rational argument."
"Hmph!" Leon snorted, looking offended, and the Count laughed.
"Yes, hard as it is to believe, Leon has gained some maturity over the years," D said in a tone of fond sarcasm.
The other pets laughed, but Tet-chan looked worried. "Do you think he's right?" the Tou-Tet asked Chris, sounding hurt. "Do you think it's just the excitement, and not love at all?"
"Oh no, Tet-chan!" Chris hastily reassured him. "I was just surprised that Leon was being logical and rational instead of yelling at us."
"Gee, thanks," Leon said sarcastically.
"But I love you," Chris told Tet-chan with heartfelt certainty. As Tet sighed with relief, Chris turned to address his brother. "I understand your concerns, Leon. I know it's sudden, and it probably seems a little crazy to you, but I swear to you, this is the real thing."
"You thought your feelings for the Count were the real thing, too," Leon reminded him. "Count Junior, I mean. Damn it, D, your people really need to get different names!"
D sniffed disdainfully, not deigning to give a verbal response to his complaint. Chris chuckled and said, "I don't know exactly how to put it in words, but what I feel for Tet-chan is different from what I felt for the Count. I was infatuated with him, yes, but not for himself. I thought that being with him would be like returning to the past. I was trying to go back home, but home was always here for me." He smiled tenderly at Tet-chan and stroked his cheek. "Even if I lost my way for a little while. I don't know how to explain it, Leon; I just know. I love Tet-chan. How did you know that you loved the Count?"
Leon sighed and smiled wryly. "It didn't just hit me all of a sudden the way it seems to have done with you. It snuck up gradually but persistently on me over time, no matter how much I tried to deny it. But I guess the day that I really had to admit it to myself, when I couldn't deny it anymore, was the day that he flew off in his boat and left me behind."
"Oh, Leon," D said softly, and a little guiltily. "I truly am sorry."
"Hey now," Leon said affectionately, wrapping an arm around his lover. "Don't go apologizing, or I'll worry that you've been replaced by an impostor, like the time you switched bodies with that mermaid!"
"Oh, you!" D said, hitting him on the arm, but very gently, and he was smiling at Leon, his eyes suspiciously bright, as if he were holding back tears.
"Switched bodies with a mermaid?" Raphael asked Daiki.
"It's a long story," Daiki replied. "I'll tell you about it later."
"I know, Leon," Chris said earnestly. "As surely as you love the Count, that is how sure I am of my love for Tet-chan. And it's not really all that sudden. I've loved him for years, ever since I was a child; it's just that it's changed into a different kind of love."
"I believe that their bond is a true one, Dad," Daiki said, adding his support. "Otherwise Uncle Chris would not have regained his Sight. It was Tet-chan's love for him that reawakened it, and Chris's love for Tet-chan." He smiled at his uncle. "You see, Great-Grandfather was right, after all: you were trying too hard. When you stopped seeking your Sight, it came back to you of its own volition."
"You're right, Dai," Chris said, smiling at Tet-chan, who smiled back at him. They gazed into each other's eyes, completely lost to the world around them, and Leon heaved a sigh of resignation.
"Aw crap, I guess you can't fight fate," Leon grumbled. He coughed, then clapped his hands, trying to get Tet-chan's attention, and when that didn't work, he shouted, "Hey, fur-face!"
"What?" Tet-chan growled, finally tearing his eyes away from Chris's.
"Listen up," Leon growled back at him. "I accept that you and Chris are a couple now, but that doesn't mean I won't kick your ass if you ever do anything to hurt him."
"You and what army?" Tet-chan retorted. "And anyway, I would never do anything to hurt him!"
The two of them glared at each other, and suddenly Chris burst into laughter. His lover and his brother stared at him, looking bewildered and a little offended.
"Ah, it's just like old times!" Chris laughed. "The two of you are still the same!"
Tet-chan and Leon felt their anger dissipating at the sight of Chris's smiling face. He had not precisely been unhappy during the twenty years since he had left the shop--he did sincerely love his adoptive family--but he exuded a sense of joy and peace that had been missing up until now.
"Well, as long as you're happy, kid," Leon said, relenting and smiling at his brother. "I suppose this means we're going to need to find a new chef, though."
D looked stunned for a moment, as the full implications of Chris's and Tet-chan's romance suddenly sunk in. Then as the shock wore off, he began to look appalled, and Leon doubled over laughing. "Jeez, D, you should see your face!"
"It is not funny, Leon!" D snapped indignantly. "Perhaps you do not care, since you are accustomed to living on junk food, but my delicate palate requires cuisine of a much higher quality..."
"Yeah, real delicate," Leon snorted. "Like I've never seen you gobbling your way through a box of chocolates..."
"I do not 'gobble'!"
"I'm sorry, Count," Chris said, looking distressed. "I hadn't thought that far ahead, about the idea of Tet-chan moving to San Francisco with me."
"I'm sorry, Count," Tet-chan said, respectfully but in a firm tone that left no room for debate. "I owe you a lot. But Chris is my mate, and I must follow him."
D sighed. "Perhaps Chris might consider transferring to L.A.?" he asked hopefully.
"Well, I can put in a request for a transfer, but I'd have to wait for an opening," Chris replied. "And even then, there's no guarantee that I'd get the position. It would depend on how many other people are applying for the job, and what kinds of qualifications they have."
"Maybe I could pull a few strings," D murmured speculatively.
"Oh, please don't," Chris said hastily. "I appreciate the offer, but if you pull strings to get me promoted over someone else's head, my new coworkers wouldn't respect me. They'd think that I wasn't capable of earning the job on my own."
"I suppose there is no help for it, then," D said gloomily. "We can always order food from the local restaurants, but it will not be the same..."
"I can cook," Pon-chan offered. "I watch Tet-chan in the kitchen all the time, and I make snacks for myself when he's not around."
"There's more to cooking than just watching, brat," Tet-chan told her.
"So teach me, then," Pon-chan retorted, tossing her golden hair back. "Maybe I won't be as good as you, at least not right away, but I'm willing to learn and do my best. And if I keep working it at, I'll get better. Besides, someone has to look after the kitchen while you're gone."
Ten-chan laid a hand on her shoulder. "I'll help you, too," he said, and several of the other pets offered to pitch in.
"It looks like I can't go to San Francisco with you right away," Tet-chan told Chris regretfully, then gave Pon-chan a small smile. "I'll need to train my new apprentice first, at least to the point where her cooking is edible."
"You'll also need to think about how you're going to explain Tet-chan's presence to your friends and neighbors," Leon added. "And Beauty's too, while you're at it."
"People in San Francisco have heard of Plant Dolls," Chris said. "A few of Daiki's customers live there."
"Indeed, although most of my customers are L.A. residents, people come from all over the country to attempt to buy one of the fabled Plant Dolls," Daiki said.
"But as for Tet-chan..." Chris frowned, a worried look on his face.
"You could say that your, uh, brother-in-law owns a petshop and gave you a pet to keep the Plant Doll company," Raphael suggested.
"But Tet-chan's not a pet," Chris said, still looking distressed. "He's my...my love, my soulmate, and it seems insulting to tell people that he's just a pet."
Tet-chan smiled and rumpled Chris's hair, as if he were still a child. "Don't worry about it, Chris. You know what I really am, and as long as we're together, I don't care what other people think."
"You certainly don't wanna try and tell people that your pet sheep is really your boyfriend," Leon snickered. "It might get you arrested!"
"Leon!" Chris exclaimed, blushing as he punched his brother on the arm. "You have a dirty mind."
"You only now noticed?" D muttered sarcastically.
"I am not a sheep," Tet-chan complained.
"Wait a minute," Raphael said, frowning in confusion, as he tried to remember what Tet-chan had told him about how he had met the Count. "You were posing as a chef under the name 'Wong' when you first met Count D. Which means that you made yourself appear human in public. Can't you disguise yourself the same way when you move in with Chris?"
"You dumb shit, if I could do that, I would have done it a long time ago!" Tet-chan snapped. "I wouldn't have been sitting around, twiddling my thumbs and waiting for Chris to regain his Sight!"
"You know, I never understood why your human form changed so drastically when you moved into the petshop," Leon said thoughtfully. "You don't really look anything like you did when you were Wong."
"The form of Wong was just an outer shell that I used as a disguise," Tet-chan explained, a bit irritably. "In order to take human form that way again, I would have to kill someone to use as my host body, and I figured that the detective here wouldn't like that too much."
"No, I wouldn't!" Leon said firmly.
"No, I wouldn't want that, either," Chris said, shuddering. "Never mind, we'll figure something out."
"But for tonight," D said with a smile, "let us celebrate Tet-chan's and Chris's happiness." He added, pouting a little, "Even if you are stealing away my cook!"
"I'm sorry, Count," Chris laughed. "I promise, I will apply for a transfer to L.A. at the first opportunity, and you can borrow Tet-chan anytime you like."
"Hey!" Tet-chan protested, and Chris laughed at the expression of indignation on his face. "Little brat," the Tou-Tet said affectionately. "Ah well, I suppose I can stop by every now and then to whip up a few special treats for the Count, for old time's sake."
"Excellent!" D said, looking much happier. "Well then, call everyone to dinner, and set a few extra places for our guests!"
But one resident of the petshop had not yet been informed of the happy news, so Chris, Tet-chan, Daiki, and Raphael went to the Crystal Chamber to see Honlon.
She was overjoyed to see Chris at first, but when they gently told her what had happened between Chris and Tet-chan, her face seemed to shut down, changing in an instant from Junrei's happy smile to Shukou's emotionless mask.
"Congratulations, Christopher, Tet-chan," Shukou said quietly, bowing slightly to the couple. "I wish you happiness in your life together." Then she turned away, facing her back to them, and said, "Please leave now. I wish to be alone."
"But Shukou..." Chris protested halfheartedly, his voice trailing off as he realized he didn't know what to say. "Um...you'll miss dinner."
"I'm not hungry."
"But..."
"Leave!" the dragon-girl snapped, turning to glare at them, a hint of Kanan's anger sparking in her eyes.
Daiki took Chris by the arm and began steering him towards the exit. "Good night," he said gently. "I'll stop by for tea tomorrow and bring you some treats."
"Whatever," Kanan said, shrugging her shoulders indifferently.
"I didn't mean to hurt her feelings," Chris said anxiously when they were in the hallway outside the Crystal Chamber.
"She's been in love with you ever since you guys were kids," Tet-chan said impatiently, but with a hint of sympathy. "What did you think was going to happen when she found out about us?"
"I know she had a crush on me when we were little, but that was years ago!" Chris protested.
"Time passes differently for a dragon," Daiki explained. "Her lifespan is measured in centuries, not decades. Twenty years might seem like a long time to you, but to Honlon it is nothing. After all, she spent sixty years incubating in her egg before she even hatched."
"Oh dear," Chris said, turning back towards the Chamber. "Maybe I should--"
"No, Uncle Chris," Daiki said, smiling sadly as he placed a hand on Chris's shoulder to restrain him. "There is nothing you can do or say that would make her feel better right now."
"I never meant to hurt her," Chris said unhappily.
"I know," Daiki said gently. "It isn't your fault. You cannot choose whom you fall in love with."
"Even if you and Honlon had gotten together, Pon-chan would still have been upset, not to mention me, so no matter what, somebody's bound to get hurt," Tet-chan said philosophically. "Although I have to admit, the raccoon has been taking it pretty well, considering."
"Pon-chan?" Chris asked, sounding startled.
Tet-chan snorted with laughter. "You know that she was in love with you, too, right?"
"My, I had no idea that you were such a ladies' man, Chris," Raphael said with a smile.
"We were just kids!" Chris protested helplessly. "I was six years old, for crying out loud!"
"Come, Uncle Chris," Daiki chuckled. "Let's go to dinner before Papa gets worried."
"But Shukou--" Chris said worriedly.
"Only time can heal her wounds," Daiki said quietly.
"Listen," Raphael said, "you guys go on ahead. I'm gonna talk to Honlon for a little bit and make sure she's okay."
"Are you sure you'll be okay in there alone with her?" Tet-chan asked dubiously. "If she throws another temper-tantrum, and Daiki and the Count aren't there to protect you..."
"It's okay," Raphael said, winking at him. "I'm her big brother, remember? She won't hurt me."
Daiki smiled and nodded at him. "All right, Raphael. We'll see you at dinner later."
"Big brother?" Chris asked in confusion.
"That's right, you weren't here when Honlon met Raphael," Daiki said. "I'll tell you about it on the way to the dining room..."
The other three left, and Raphael slipped back into the Crystal Chamber, where he found Honlon lying on the cold marble floor, sobbing heartbrokenly.
"Do not cry, Junrei," Shukou said quietly, with her sister's tears still streaming down her face. "One cannot fight fate."
"Damn you, Shukou, this is all your fault!" Kanan snarled. "You told us that Chris didn't belong in the petshop because he's a human! But it seems that he does belong, after all! If we'd tried harder to make him stay, then maybe he would've chosen us instead of the goat-boy, and Junrei wouldn't be crying right now!"
She raised her hand to slap her face, but Raphael grabbed her by the wrist to stop her. "Please don't fight with your sister, Kanan," he said gently. "It isn't her fault. It's the Count who sent Chris away, from what I understand, and even if he had stayed, I don't think that it would have made a difference. Maybe I'm a romantic, but I believe that there's one person for everyone, and that means Chris and Tet-chan were meant to be together. No one but Tet-chan could have won his heart, not even you, or Pon-chan, or the young Count."
"So where does that leave us?!" Kanan snapped, brushing tears from her eyes. "And what would you know about it, anyway? It's easy for you to talk, when you've got Daiki!"
"It's true, I have Daiki now," Raphael replied. "But I had my heart broken once before, when I was about your age...relatively speaking."
"Wh...what do you mean?" Junrei asked curiously, wiping her face with her sleeve.
"Well, it was more of a crush than true love," Raphael admitted with a nostalgic smile. "But there was a boy in high school that I was infatuated with. He was handsome and popular, and a star player for the basketball team."
"And he didn't like you back?" Junrei asked.
"I never had the guts to tell him how I felt," Raphael said, a bit ruefully. "Humans--and especially human teenagers--can be pretty narrow-minded, and a lot of the jocks liked to make jokes about queers. Michael--my crush--wasn't one of them, but still, I was scared that he would hate me if he knew what I was. So I never told him, and I had to sit back and watch him date girls and take one of the cheerleaders to the prom. It hurt a lot at the time, but a couple of years later, I was in college, and I'd started dating my first boyfriend, and I had almost completely forgotten about him. And now I have Daiki, so that old pain doesn't hurt anymore."
"If there's only one person for everyone, how come you liked other boys before you met Daiki?" Kanan asked suspiciously.
Raphael smiled. "Well, I didn't know Daiki back then. It's like I was looking for a part of me that was missing without really knowing what it was. I dated other guys, but it never worked out because I wasn't meant to be with them. But when I met Daiki, everything seemed to click and fall into place."
"Do you think that I'll ever meet the right person for me?" Junrei asked wistfully.
"Absolutely," Raphael assured her, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"But right now it hurts so much!" Junrei wailed, tears welling in her eyes again. "I can't imagine loving anyone but Chris!"
"Crybaby," Kanan muttered, but her voice sounded a little shaky, too.
"It's okay to cry when you're hurt," Raphael said gently, gathering the girl into his arms. "Go ahead and cry all you want; I'm here for you."
So he gently rocked Junrei back and forth, letting her weep on his shoulder until she had no more tears left to shed. Kanan and Shukou both remained surprisingly quiet the entire time, but Raphael suspected that they were letting their sister weep the tears that they were too proud to shed.
***
Raphael missed most of dinner, arriving at the table just as everyone else was nearly finished eating.
"How is Honlon?" Chris asked anxiously.
"As well as can be, under the circumstances," Raphael replied. "She needed a good cry, I think. I just put her to bed, and she seemed exhausted enough to sleep soundly till morning."
"I feel so guilty," Chris sighed.
"It's not your fault, Chris," Pon-chan said briskly. "It can't be helped that you had the bad taste to fall in love with Tet-chan." She grinned insolently at the Tou-Tet, who stuck his tongue out at her. "Honlon will feel bad for awhile, but eventually she'll get over it." She rose from her seat and said, "I'll go to the kitchen and get dessert."
"I'll help you," Chris volunteered, still looking worried and guilty.
"No, I'll help her," Leon said quickly, rising to his feet. Pon-chan raised her eyebrows, then shrugged and let the detective accompany her to the kitchen.
Pon-chan sliced the pie that Daiki had brought and put the pieces on plates while Leon dished out scoops of ice cream from the cartons of gourmet brands that D kept in the freezer. "How are you doing, Pon-chan?" Leon asked quietly. "This must be hard on you, too, right?"
Pon-chan smiled brightly and said, "Oh, I gave up on Chris a long time ago, so I'm fine, really!"
"Really?" Leon asked. "It's just you and me here, kiddo. You don't have to put up a front."
Pon-chan carefully set down the knife, and tears slowly spilled out of her eyes and ran down her cheeks. "I knew that Chris and I weren't meant to be together," she whispered sadly. "But it's really hard to see him with someone else, especially someone from the shop. If he had fallen in love with another human, it wouldn't have been so bad, somehow..."
Leon put his arm around her, and she leaned against his chest, weeping quietly. "I know it's hard, Ponta," he said, gently rumpling her curls. "But you can cry on my shoulder anytime you want."
After a few minutes, the tears ceased, and Pon-chan pulled away from him. "Don't tell Chris about this, okay?" she sniffled, scrubbing at her eyes with the back of her hand. "I don't want to make him feel bad."
"Well then, we'd better wash your face so that you don't look like you've been crying," Leon said. So Pon-chan washed her face with cold water in the sink, and Leon gently patted it dry with a clean dishcloth. "Feeling better, kiddo?"
"Much," she replied, and stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek. "I love you, Leon."
"I love you, too, brat," he said gruffly, planting a kiss on the top of her head. "But I'll deny it if you ever tell anyone I said that."
She laughed and began setting the dessert plates on trays. "Come on, we'd better hurry or the ice cream will melt." Leon nodded and picked up a pair of trays. "And Leon...you won't tell Chris, right?"
"It'll be our little secret," he said with a wink, and she smiled and winked back at him.
Part 19a, Part 19b, Part 20a, Part 20b, Part 21, Part 22a, Part 22b
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