geri_chan | FIC: Decisions, Part 2

Okay, it looks like I'm not going to finish the story by tonight, though it's almost done. So I'll post this short middle chapter to tide you over and keep up with the daily blog posting.

Title: Decisions, Part 2
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Victor (reincarnation of Vesca)/Young Count
Word count: ~1,145
Disclaimer: Characters belong to Matsuri Akino. No money is being made off this story; consider it a little wish fulfillment on my part.
Sequel to: Daiki (last chapter ended here)

Summary: D takes Souki's advice and decides to hire Victor to look into his father's past.

Part 1

***

"Thank you for stopping by, Mr. Holland," D said as he poured a cup of the tea for the young detective. Victor set a small pastry box down on the table, and D opened it, oohing and ahing appreciatively over the strawberry shortcake within.

"The little bat thingie seemed to like it the last time," Victor said, blushing slightly.

"The 'thingie' is not here at present, but I shall save a piece for Q-chan," D laughed as he sliced the cake and put two pieces on plates for himself and the detective.

"So you said you wanted to hire me for a job?" Victor asked, taking a bite of his cake. "Maybe I can make back some of the money I've been spending on sweets for you!" His eyes narrowed with suspicion and a hint of jealousy. "Did you want me to find out if one of your lovers is cheating on you?"

D was pleased by the jealousy, but hid his pleasure behind a serene smile. "I have no lovers, Mr. Holland," he replied, and Victor snorted in disbelief. "I have many suitors," D clarified, "but none of them have won my heart--or my body--as of yet."

Victor blushed again, but looked relieved. He cleared his throat, then asked gruffly, "So what is it that you want me to investigate for you?"

D's smile faded and he said quietly, "I want to find out how my father died."

"Has something happened to your dad?!" Victor exclaimed, looking alarmed and somehow protective.

D was touched by Victor's concern, and it eased some of the anxiety he felt over prying into truths that might be better left uncovered. "No, Father is fine," D reassured him. "I apologize for the confusion. The man I call 'Father' is actually my grandfather. My birth father died when I was an infant..."

So D explained what little he knew about his father, which was only that he had been one of the succession of Count Ds, and that he had died not long after D himself had been born.

"That was around the time that my older brother left Los Angeles for two years," D continued. "I think it might have had something to do with my father's death, so maybe you should start your investigation there." He hesitated, then added, "It's possible that Detective Orcot may have been involved in some way. But I would prefer that he and my brother not know that you are investigating this matter."

"Are you really sure you want to go down this road?" Victor asked bluntly. "I know that the Count Ds, yourself included, have been involved in some shady business. What if you find out that your father was a criminal and that the police killed him?"

"I...I do not know," D replied, his voice faltering as Victor voiced his worst fear. Surely it was impossible for a mere mortal to kill a kami. But if that was true, then why was he so afraid of what Victor might find, and why had the details of his father's death been kept a secret all this time?

"I do not know what I will do or how I will feel," D finally said. "I only know that living in ignorance is worse than finding out the truth. Whatever it is, it cannot be more terrible than some of the things that my imagination has conjured up."

Victor's expression softened and he said, "Yeah, I can understand that. Our agency has investigated several missing persons cases, and the families always say that not knowing is the worse thing."

D felt an unexpected pang of sympathy for those nameless humans. "Well, I at least know that my father is dead, and I am not tortured with the mingled agony of hope and despair as those poor souls are. But I need to know how my father died, no matter how dark that tale is. And I also want to know how he lived--where did he keep shop? Did he have any friends? What were his likes and dislikes?"

"You haven't given me much to go on," Victor said gently, as if not wanting to get D's hopes up too high. "But I'll do my best. There will be additional expenses if I have to fly to L.A."

"Money is no object," D assured him. "Spend whatever you must."  

Victor grinned. "You really shouldn't offer me a blank check like that, you know."

"You are an honest man, Mr. Holland," D said sweetly. "I know that you would not cheat me."

"Lucky for you," Victor retorted, but he seemed both flattered and a little embarrassed by D's words. "I'll keep my receipts and submit them with my report. Do you have any pictures of your dad? Although I suppose he probably looks just like you and your brother, huh?"

"I have just this one photo," D said, handing it over to the detective. He was loathe to let it go, because it was the only one he had, but he knew that Victor needed it for the investigation. Father had reluctantly given it to him many years ago, when as a young child, he had asked about his birth father and wanted to know what he looked like.

"Look in the mirror and you will see him," Father had replied, but when D had looked disappointed, Father had given him the photo, looking so worried and so sad that D had not dared to mention his father again for a very long time.

Victor solemnly accepted the wallet-sized snapshot, which was faded and creased with age. "He does look like you," the detective observed. "Although his hair is a lot longer."

"Do you like long hair?" D asked, attempting a bit of flirtatious humor, although it probably fell flat. "I could grow mine out."

"Idiot!" Victor snapped, his cheeks turning a very becoming shade of rosy red. "I'm not into girly guys." Then he mumbled, in a nearly inaudible voice, "Besides, you look fine as you are." D gave him a genuine smile, and Victor thrust a sheet of paper and a pen at him. "You'll need to sign a contract before I can begin investigating. Bet it's kind of odd for the shoe to be on the other foot for a change, huh?"

D carefully read over the contract, then signed his name at the bottom. "It is a novel experience," he agreed, then smiled mischievously. "I suppose, in a sense, this means that we are bound together for the duration of the contract."

Victor snatched the contract back from him and stomped out of the shop, pausing on the threshold to growl, "I'll let you know what I find out."

"Thank you, Mr. Holland," D said with a smile as the detective slammed the door behind him.

Part 3