Title: Deity Wooing [Series: Pet Shop of Horrors]
Author: Drusilla Dax (drusilladax@free.fr)
Pairing: D/Leon Orcot
Rating: 12, post-PSoH with big hints of Shin-PSoH and fairly AU.
Summary: When Leon Orcot goes to Japan, he gets to understand some of D's reactions.
Disclaimer: I'm just playing with someone else's toys. May I be forgiven in my next incarnation! Flamers will be adopted by my family (if you don't believe it's a threat... too bad for you!).
Beta: Starkindler. The remaining mistakes are all mine, and I apologize for those.
Deity Wooing
Chapter 4 - Predictions from a Busy Temple
Leon was stunned and scared, but the moment he felt D's hand trembling on his arm he turned all his attention to his friend.
'The last thing I want is to make you uncomfortable,' Leon said as they reached the elevator.
'I'm afraid,' the Kami answered honestly.
'D?' Leon said softly.
The doors closed and D looked at the detective.
'It's been so long since a member of my family was wooed officially,' D explained. 'And it makes everything so formal.'
'If this is not what you want, I'll stop everything,' Leon promised.
'I don't want my family to bother you, or any of the monks and nuns to make you do something that's unpleasant for you. I like you too much,' D said.
'Do you really think your family could try something?' Leon asked.
'How are your relatives going to react to my sharing your life?' D inquired in answer.
The tense pleased Leon. It was not a dream; it was going to happen and D would always be with him.
Leon tried not to grin like a lunatic and he attempted to picture his relatives' reaction to his living with whom they would see as a man - not a deity.
'Nothing I did ever pleased them and most of them are going to think that I'm just such a disappointment. But there's one thing I know. Chris is going to be very happy. He's the only family I want to worry about... and Jill is already on our side,' Leon said.
D looked at Leon and blinked.
'D?'
'You are right. They're the ones who matter, and the pets are going to be happy for me,' D explained.
Leon nodded.
The doors opened and Leon let D go out first.
They reached Leon's room and they both were relieved to have some real privacy for a few minutes.
'Official wooing aside, I talked with Jill when I woke up in the middle of the night,' Leon said. He opened his mouth to say something else, but couldn't speak.
'Yes, Leon?' D encouraged him.
'I realized something. I missed you a lot and I really like you,' Leon said softly.
'No one has ever been closer to me. I wasn't supposed to allow a human in my life, but I enjoyed the time we spent together,' D said.
'I know you saved me when you pushed me back here, but I felt empty. I'm glad I found you again,' Leon said.
D smiled.
'So, are we going to give this a chance?' Leon asked.
D nodded once and said, 'If this is agreeable.'
Leon chuckled warmly, shook his head and said, 'You're unbelievable, you know.'
D gave him a small smile.
'I must say that I don't know what to do. I never even had a date,' D said softly, looking at the floor.
'Never?' Leon asked, paling a bit.
D shook his head.
'But all those people who were courting you?' Leon wondered.
'They wanted more from me, but I wasn't interested,' D explained.
'But you're okay if I date you,' Leon said.
'Yes.'
Leon grinned.
'I don't know how to date you. I mean... you're the only man I'm interested in - but I bet our Jill will have a tip or two,' Leon said.
'Miss Jill?' D asked.
D looked so puzzled that it made Leon's heart beat faster.
'Yeah, our Jill made it clear she knows about this stuff. I'll ask her, but she's your friend, too, you know,' Leon said.
'This is so strange,' D said.
The Kami looked lost.
Leon groaned and said, 'D, I really need to know what you really want. Do you want us just to date or do you want me to woo you? And if I woo you, how do Kami get married?'
D blushed.
'D?' Leon said, with a soft and loving voice.
'When I saw you again, everything became clear. I'll be happy with whatever you want to give me,' D answered.
Leon laughed softly and took D in his arms; the Kami melted against him.
'You're a male, right?' Leon said with a warm chuckle.
'Yes, Leon, why?' D asked.
'Because you're nearly as complicated as a woman, Baby. I think we'll work as a couple,' Leon answered.
D huffed, which made Leon laugh.
'Keiji-san!' D protested.
Leon caressed D's silky cheek and added, 'This feels nice.'
'Yes, it does,' D granted in a whisper.
Leon may not know all he needed to know to be with D, but there were a few things that didn't change whatever the gender.
Leon wrapped one arm around D's waist and placed his other hand on D's neck; he leant down slowly and kissed D.
It was only lips against lips at first, but when D didn't pull away, Leon deepened the kiss. D's instinct kicked in and he answered Leon's moves.
Leon didn't know how long they kissed, but when their lips parted - most reluctantly, they both knew they really wanted the same thing and they wanted to be together.
D was still holding Leon and his head was on Leon's shoulder.
'Wooing is in five stages and when the fifth stage is completed, all we have to do is say that we bond together. There could be a long and annoying ceremony, but I don't think this is what you want,' D explained.
'I'm far from being an expert at relationships and if we forget the fact I didn't know I love you, you're my longest relationship. We could go on yelling at each other from time to time, but this is not what I want - especially now I know I was yelling because I didn't dare kiss that smirk off your pretty face. If you want a ceremony, even if it's boring, I can do that for you. If we do this, it's all about commitment, right? And we won't have to do it again every week or something, right?' Leon asked.
'You love me?' D asked, looking deep into Leon's eyes.
Leon was very much tempted to chuckle because in everything he said, that was the one thing D had really noticed. Yet, D looked so unsure of himself right then that Leon cut the macho act and didn't tease his future better half. D may well be a deity, but with Leon he was just a young being who'd never been in any kind of relationship before.
'Yes, I do,' Leon answered seriously, one of his hands caressing D's back.
'And I do love you, too,' D declared.
It felt like an exchange of vows and Leon felt himself blushing.
D held Leon a bit tighter and said, 'I don't need a ceremony. If you want, I'm sure Inoue-sama could give us a blessing. She's entitled to do that and it would somehow make our relationship official.'
Leon cleared his throat and said, 'It might be nice to get a wedding of some sort - not that it'd be really official, but... you know.' Leon's voice trailed off and it was D's turn to chuckle.
'D?'
'It will be very official - and that even if you are not from my country of origin. I don't know much about previous bondings, but what I do know is that the few times one of my kind bonded with a foreigner of whatever gender, the union was acknowledged by the government of the human spouse,' D explained.
'Maybe, but it had to be a long time ago,' Leon protested.
'Keiji-san,' D said patiently, 'I have no doubt that we will be legally married once we've completed the ceremony.'
'This is against the laws of California. It's impossible, D!' Leon argued.
'I'm sure our dragon daughter would be disappointed to hear you say we can't get married officially,' D teased Leon.
Leon opened and closed his mouth - he was forced to admit that "impossible" was not something he should associate with D or the shop.
'Please tell me this is not going to make either of us change - physically, I mean,' Leon asked, quite worried all of a sudden.
'No.'
'You sure? Cause I quite like being a man, and I love you. The female your dad created was rather pretty, but it wasn't you,' Leon said.
D was very deeply moved that Leon accepted he had fallen for another male. He cupped Leon's cheek and smiled at him; it was the most beautiful smile Leon had ever seen.
'The magic of my kind will create something that will make us legally married, but no one will have to know in town. The Governor of the state and the Mayor may have to be informed, but they both know who and what I am. No one will bother you. I think that even your colleagues shouldn't be able to tease you; I couldn't tell you how, but I feel it is in my power to protect you from their pettiness,' D said.
'You will come back home?' Leon asked incredulously.
'You love your job, and I want to be with you. We had a good life in Los Angeles. I guess the City of Angels can stand having a Kami in its walls,' D said.
Leon pecked D's lips and grinned.
'I'm so glad you don't want me to find another job,' Leon said joyfully.
'You are a police officer. I will not try to change you,' D promised.
Leon chuckled and said, 'Strange, but I bet you're going to try and turn me into a non-smoking vegan.'
'I can't bring myself to eat flesh or fish, but I promise I will no longer try to change your diet. I noticed you no longer smoke and I must say I'd like you to keep doing so,' D admitted.
'How do you...?' Leon began to ask.
It was true that he'd only arrived the day before and he hadn't spent that much time with D, but the Kami must have tasted that Leon no longer was a smoker when they kissed.
'Oh,' was all Leon said.
D's cheeks turned pink.
'I won't start again, I promise,' Leon said.
'This is very kind,' D whispered. He paused and asked, 'May I know why?'
'You taste like the sun... or like a summer morning. It'd be a sin to submit you to something that foul,' Leon answered honestly.
D blushed bright red.
'I won't pretend I understand your nature entirely, but you are precious to me and I'm beginning to understand the depth of that feeling. You may be a Kami, but it's not important. What is important is that you're my Kami. I'm beginning to understand that I want to be with you, love you and protect you,' Leon said.
'This is what I want, too, even if we're of different natures,' D said.
'You know, I think we can really make this - us - work. We'll have to figure out how to mambo and we're all set. Together, we can face the world, my fellow cops and these Kami relatives of yours,' Leon declared.
'Do you want us to learn to dance?' D asked.
'You're joking, right?' Leon asked back.
D shook his head.
Leon groaned and buried his nose in D's neck; he inhaled deeply and the unique scent of the one he loved gave him strength and courage.
'We'll have to figure out how to make love, Baby. That's what I meant. We can deal with the rest because we've done it all one day or the other. We lived together, ate, cooked, shopped, went out, went on holidays, had picnics. It was there all along. We even took care of Chris together and we had a dragon together,' Leon joked.
D squeaked.
'D?'
'We haven't spoken of heirs yet,' D explained.
'Well, if you can make us legally married, maybe you'll find a trick to have us adopt if you want,' Leon said. 'If it's impossible, I'll be perfectly happy only with you. I bet some of the pets can even be nice company. That kid, Ao, is nice enough.'
'It is in my nature to produce an heir,' D explained.
'I need to sit down,' Leon squeaked.
Showing his unnatural strength, D carried Leon to the sofa.
'Will you be all right?' D inquired.
Leon took a deep breath and asked, 'I could get you pregnant?'
'Yes and no,' D answered. 'We can have a child together, but I wouldn't exactly be the carrier.'
Leon squeaked again.
'We don't have to if you find the idea repulsive,' D said.
Leon shook his head, hoping that it'd help him clear his ideas.
'That's... That's... big. To say the least, but the idea of a kid is not unpleasant. I'm happy you are what you are and you're willing to do this for us,' Leon said.
D sat on Leon's lap and they held each other.
'Now that I know I love you, I feel like my feelings for you are growing,' Leon confessed.
'I feel the same,' D said.
'We're quite a match,' Leon said, with a warm chuckle.
'Improbable, but possible,' D said.
'Complicated Kami,' Leon whispered. 'Ai ni.'
D smiled at the confession of love in his native language.
They snuggled together.
'Do you think Jill had enough time to plot with the Kitanos?' Leon asked softly.
'I think so,' D answered.
'We should go back to them before the ladies come and hunt us,' Leon said.
They got up and Leon took what he'd been asked to bring back.
He offered his arm to D, but the Kami preferred to take his hand and Leon smiled on their way
back to their friends.
As soon as Leon and D disappeared, Inoue and Jill started plotting for both men.
Jill may be a cop and a Westerner, but she reminded Kitano of a younger version of his grandmother and it was beginning to spook him.
Inoue told Jill what she needed to know about the wooing, and Jill had to admit it was rather clear and not too complicated - apparently.
Inoue also added that some of the members of their Order might try to bother D because of his nature and because of what they thought was the appropriate behaviour in such a situation, but the respectable lady made it clear that none of the others would dare cross her on that topic. Inoue's theory was that D's love was to be protected because it was a pure love and the fact that D was a Kami was only secondary - though Inoue admitted that she hoped to see the situation improve between humans and Kami after D's wooing was completed.
The first stage of the wooing was a declaration of love.
The second was an acknowledgment of the Kami's nature; Jill told Inoue she feared it would be difficult to obtain those two because Leon could be such a prude and it was such an unusual situation - how were they supposed to make Leon say he loved another man? And how were they supposed to have Leon almost worship D?
Inoue looked at Jill once her grandson had translated Jill's concern. The old lady didn't say a word, but boldly patted the young woman's hand and smiled before going on.
For the third stage, Leon would have to prove that he could protect D. Jill said it would be easy, but Inoue told her nothing was ever easy.
Then Leon would have to give an immortal proof of his love to the Kami. That puzzled Jill and Kitano, who was far from knowing everything there was to know about wooing - be it a Kami or an American police officer. Inoue may never have seen an official wooing, but she was a very wise lady and she guessed what the words of the ritual meant.
'What's the last stage?' Jill inquired.
Kitano translated and looked surprised.
'What?' Jill asked him.
'I'm embarrassed,' Kitano admitted. 'The verb she used is an old one and I'm not sure I understand it.'
'What do you think it means?' Jill asked.
'I think she said your friend has to sacrifice or maybe surrender. I'm not sure,' he answered.
'Could you ask her to explain?' Jill asked.
Kitano did as he was told and Inoue said something and laughed heartily, her left hand hiding her mouth.
'What did she say?' Jill asked.
'That we, children, were too complicated,' Kitano said, confused.
'Well, I guess we can start worrying about that once we've reached stage four,' Jill declared.
'This is wise,' Kitano conceded.
Inoue asked Jill exactly where their holiday trip would take them and each time she mentioned a place, the old lady used her pastel blue cell phone to call someone and make reservations. Inoue had just made her last call when D and Leon came back.
'Maps and cameras packed,' Leon announced. 'Are we ready to go? Did you plot well?'
'Inoue-san is our guide, so she says when we're ready to go and... yes, we worked well, thank you,' Jill answered her best friend.
Inoue said something and started walking.
'Leon and I follow Inoue-sama according to the tradition and she made you and Kitano-san our rear-guard,' D explained.
'Works for me,' Jill said.
The unusual group left the hotel and Leon found himself holding D in the tube, again. Mornings in Tokyo were no better than the evenings.
Leon didn't mind because he got to hold D.
Kitano was much more embarrassed as he found himself crushed against Jill - what was somewhat embarrassing was that his grandmother was chuckling because of his constant blush.
After two changes, they finally arrived to the tube station closer to the Asakusa temple. There were already a lot of people, but it wasn't overcrowded yet.
Once they'd walked through the first door to the inner temple, Inoue sighed with relief. By now, D's relatives had to know he was being wooed and if any of them had been against it, they would have been stopped before entering the sacred ground.
The old lady addressed D and Leon in Mandarin.
'Do you know the five stages?' she inquired.
'I do,' D answered.
'Not I,' Leon admitted.
'It is very easy,' Inoue said.
'Maybe, but don't speak so fast!' Leon protested.
Inoue smiled and bowed.
'I'm speechless,' Jill murmured.
'Not that much, Blondie!' Leon teased her.
'You speak Chinese!' she said.
Her voice was higher than usual, showing her surprise and envy.
'A bit, yes, but not as well as Inoue-san and I was just telling her to slow down,' Leon explained.
Jill huffed and said, 'Yeah, but you speak Chinese!'
'Do something, Kitano, and teach her some Japanese before she starts growling at us all,' Leon joked.
Jill glared and Kitano blushed and Inoue asked him to explain what Leon had said.
The old lady chuckled. She really liked Leon - and he was helping her with her plans for her grandson and Jill.
They were walking towards a huge incense burner when Inoue turned to the Kami and his wooer and said, 'According to the tales I was told, there is an object that counts the stages of the wooing.'
'This?' D asked as he showed her a golden bracelet.
Inoue gaped.
'What's that?' Leon asked D.
'I felt it come to me when we were together in your room,' D explained.
'Do you mean it appeared out of thin air?' Leon asked.
D nodded and Leon sighed.
'Why not?' Leon said. 'I've seen weirder stuff around you.'
D beamed, which made Leon grin and shake his head.
'Why does my grandmother look so spooked?' Kitano inquired.
'Inoue-sama?' D said with a kind and soft voice.
She answered in her native language this time, and D had to translate for Leon.
'She said the bracelet shows that you are wooing me,' D said.
'And?' Leon asked.
'She added it shows we already completed the first two stages,' D said.
'Whoa!' Leon exclaimed.
Jill squeaked.
'Miss Jill?' D called in a whisper.
She was a bit pale and looked stunned.
'Sweetie?' Leon said softly, as if not to spook his friend.
Jill squeaked again.
'You're beginning to frighten me,' Leon told her.
She swallowed and shook her head.
'This is really happening,' she murmured.
Leon remembered their talk the night before and he understood that she was astounded, but happy for him and hopeful for herself - if such an incredible thing could happen to Leon, then Jill could hope that such a miracle was possible for her as well.
Leon was about to let go of D's hand to hug Jill, but Inoue beat him to it and the old lady whispered a soft prayer.
None of the males heard what Inoue said and Jill didn't understand the words, but the soothing rhythm calmed her down.
Inoue turned to her grandson and said, 'You really must teach her our language. She's important, and not only because you have a crush on her.'
Kitano blushed so much and so fast that Leon whispered in D's ear to ask him what Inoue said and when D answered, Leon chuckled.
Leon was about to say something when he heard a female tourist say to her companion, 'See, I told you it wasn't a woman.'
From their look and the stickers on their T-shirts, they were tourists in a guided group.
Leon decided to ignore them; he smiled at D and started speaking in Chinese.
'What do you say you help me improve my Mandarin?' Leon suggested.
'I'm proud of your tactic,' D answered in the same language.
'You already lost me, Honey,' Leon admitted.
'Honey?' D asked.
'That's the only sweet-name I know... besides "lover", and you're not that... yet,' Leon teased D.
D hid his blush behind the dark veil of his semi-long hair.
'It's "pet-name" and "Honey" is nice,' D whispered. He then proceeded to explain what he said with words Leon knew.
In the meantime, Inoue and Kitano were giving Jill her first lesson in Japanese.
Once the bigoted tourists no longer were near them, D switched back to English and said, 'Maybe Miss Jill and Leon should take predictions.'
'How do we do that?' Jill inquired.
'You put a hundred yen in a slot of this cabinet,' D said.
He was pointing at a wall made of wood with drawers.
'Then you take one of the boxes on the counter and you shake it. You make one of the sticks fall out of the box. Each stick bears a number that refers to a specific drawer where you can take your prediction. They're bilingual here,' D explained.
Jill followed the instructions and read her prediction.
"Uhoh, bumpy road ahead,' Jill said.
She showed it to Kitano.
'You can tie it to a branch of one of the trees along the path to the main building and the Kamis will take away the bad omen,' Kitano said.
'Most people tie bad or good predictions alike; they're forgetting the meaning of this ritual,' D said.
'It's not that bad. I can face that,' Jill said.
Kitano looked a bit worried, maybe because Narayama had escaped.
'If you want to keep it, my sleeves are big enough, Miss Jill - at least bigger than your bag,' D said.
Jill handed the paper to D and Kitano bowed behind Jill's back to thank the Kami for his protection.
'I can't read the number,' Leon said as he got his stick.
D helped him. The Kami was smiling even before Leon started reading his prediction because the number alone had told D that the future was very bright for Leon.
Leon grinned and gave his paper to D, as well.
Kitano invited Jill to visit the main building and the rear guard became the vanguard.
Leon took D's hand again and offered his arm to Inoue, who smiled warmly as she accepted the kind gesture.
'There was no need to give me your prediction,' D told Leon in Chinese.
'It's your future, too,' Leon pointed out.
D squeezed Leon's hand and Leon squeezed back.
D, Inoue and Kitano told Leon and Jill as much as they could about the place and they enjoyed the visit.
'Shopping?' Inoue suggested.
'The one word the lady knows in English,' Leon joked.
Somehow Inoue understood that and she giggled happily. Leon winked at her.
'We're supposed to play tourists,' Jill added.
'Let's shop, then!' Leon said.
Inoue told Kitano to stay with Jill.
'I'll go and buy sweets,' Inoue told D.
D smiled and bowed.
'What did she say?' Leon asked.
'She went to buy sweets,' D said.
Leon smiled and tugged D's hand as he said, 'C'mon, Honey, let's find you a treat.'
'Keiji-saaaan!' D said.
'Anything wrong, Honey?' Leon asked, a corner of his mouth rising.
D decided to retaliate by flirting; he looked at Leon from under his long, dark lashes and said, 'Everything's fine, Leon.'
Leon decided that two could play the game; he leant towards D and whispered in his ear, 'Keep doing that, Honey, and I'll kiss you.'
D blinked and blushed.
'It wouldn't be appropriate,' D said softly.
Leon leant even closer and whispered, 'I know you wouldn't like that, D. I'd never do anything to embarrass you, but you're so easy to tease!'
D huffed, but the love he could see in Leon's eyes was enough to make him smile.
A delicate sugary whiff reached them and D focussed on that.
'Smells nice,' Leon said.
'Fresh chestnut cakes,' D answered.
'Let's buy some,' Leon said.
They went to queue hand in hand. To say that there were many people queuing with them was a nice understatement.
'Our baker in L.A. will be happy to see you back,' Leon told D.
'I must say I'll be happy to reopen the shop in Los Angeles,' D admitted.
Leon smiled.
A group of school girls, who were shopping across the alley, squealed loudly.
'What was that?' Leon asked.
'They bought lucky charms,' D answered.
'Charms, um? Don't move, Honey,' Leon said.
Leon walked to the other shop and looked at their selection. The squealing girls were gone, which was a small blessing, and the descriptions were in English, too.
Leon looked at D, winked and grabbed a charm.
The seller wanted to place the charm in a bag, but Leon interrupted him and said, 'I'm going to use it right now.'
'Okay,' the young man answered with a bright smile.
Leon opened the plastic bag and took the charm.
The seller offered to put the bag in his dustbin and Leon thanked him. The young man saw the charm Jill had bought for Leon the day before.
'From Ueno?' the young man asked.
'Yeah, a gift from my sister,' Leon answered.
'The charm is not for her?' the young man asked, clearly puzzled.
Leon chuckled and pointed at D as he said, 'No, it's for him.'
'Then it works,' the young man said blushing a bit.
Leon noticed the tourists from earlier near D.
'Excuse me,' Leon said, 'I have a boyfriend to rescue.'
The young seller bowed.
Leon crossed through the crowd back to D's side.
D was doing his best to ignore the bigoted idiots who were calling him names because he was wearing traditional Chinese clothes and had been holding hands with another man.
Leon slithered to D's side and attached the charm "to protect a loved one" to one of D's frogs and he kissed D's brow.
Then Leon quietly turned to the group of three men and two women who'd been insulting D.
'He's not a fairy,' Leon said as he repeated the latest insult they used. He grinned and added, 'He's a God, and he's with me.'
'Disgusting,' one of the women said.
'Why do you travel if you expect people to be like you everywhere?' Leon inquired. 'This is not the US.'
'A sin is a sin anywhere,' the other woman spat.
'In your religion, maybe, but not in mine,' Leon retorted.
The women looked shocked.
'What do you think you can do, boy? We could turn you into pulp,' the tallest and biggest of the men said.
'Even if you could hurt us in any way, you'd be arrested for fighting in a temple. If you do that, I'll know your names and I know some IRS people back at home. What do you say? Piss me off or get lost?' Leon asked coldly.
The tourists sobered and left the temple grounds.
'I am deeply impressed,' D said in awe.
Leon blushed and said, 'I could probably fight them off, but a bit of strategy isn't a bad thing.'
'And you bought me a charm the colour of my outfit. Thank you, Dearest,' D said.
Leon's blush deepened.
They turned around to see Inoue before them in the queue and buying their cakes.
The old lady handed a first packet to D, who took it gratefully and offered one to Inoue and then one to Leon before taking one himself.
Leon liked the warm combination of chestnut paste and cake.
D almost purred.
When D took a second bite, Inoue laughed.
'Inoue-sama?' D asked.
She pointed at his newly acquired piece of jewellery where a third symbol was visible.
'Jill-chan was right about that stage,' Inoue declared. 'I'd never thought it would go on so well.'
Leon was lost, but the kind smile of the old lady and D's faint blush told him that everything was fine.
Jill and Kitano were walking towards them hand in hand and Leon knew that everything would be all right.
'Third stage accomplished,' Inoue announced to her co-conspirators.
Kitano translated.
'What do we do now?' Jill asked.