(fic) The Hunted - Chapter 7/? - PSoH
Dec. 2nd, 2007 01:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
yellowhordeDisclaimer: I don’t own Petshop of Horrors and I make no money from this or any other fanfic I write.
Pairing: Leon x D
Category: Supernatural/Alternate Universe
Rating: R
Warning: Language, Violence, Sexual situations, Hermaphrodite!D
Title: The Hunted
Author: yellowhorde
Notes: This was written NaNoWriMo 2007
Leon’s newly adapted PR smile vanished from his face the moment he closed the Presidential Suite’s door behind Li Hua and Tsu Fu. For a moment he rested his forehead against the solid door and sighed heavily.
The place was spectacular. The Presidential Suite really lived up to its name and was by far the most luxurious hotel room he had ever stayed in. And he told himself that he intended to thoroughly enjoy every minute. After all, Tsu Fu had paid for a full three nights, which worked out perfectly for him because he wouldn’t have to worry about his brother Chris for the whole weekend.
After leaving D’s shop earlier he had contacted Mrs. Thompson about the camping trip her family and Chris were going to be going on this weekend. He had suggested canceling since a werewolf had escaped from the Institute last night. Her response had, quite frankly, surprised him.
“The full moon isn’t for another three days, Leon,” She had said, and he could hear her son Jack and Chris going on excitably about some new video game in the background. “In human form, this guy isn’t any more dangerous that your average stranger. He’ll be on the run and trying to get back to whatever place he calls home. He’s not going to bother with the likes of us. So relax. I won’t let anything happen to him.”
Leon had disconnected, puzzled by her blasé attitude about the whole situation. Having not personally experienced the horror of a werewolf attack, he figured that she couldn’t see the potential danger. She didn’t see this man as a threat and he envied her easy going confidence. He hoped that she would never have to find out for herself exactly how dangers this man could really be given the right circumstances.
Still, she was right about one thing, the full moon wasn’t for another five days and until then, Fletcher really wasn’t any more dangerous than the average stranger. Considering how many horrific crimes he knew as a police officer that had been perpetrated upon families in the Los Angeles area in the last year alone, that wasn’t really as comforting as she had probably meant it to be.
Nonetheless, it was a weight off his mind knowing that he wouldn’t have to worry about werewolves or his little brother. But he was still left with the matter of D and the terms of the contract that Tsu Fu expected to be fulfilled, and the sooner, the better.
“What in hell am I supposed to do now?” he mumbled under his breath.
He straightened up and turned his head to look at the room’s only other occupant. D sat on the cream couch, head bowed, hands primly folded in his lap. His posture was tense and he kept cutting sideway glances over at Leon as if the he were a dangerous animal looking to devour him for dinner. D had never seemed anything but cool and relaxed around him before, but now he was obviously as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.
“Okay,” Leon took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. He squared his shoulders, “I do this, yeah. It’s just D after all. I just need to keep it casual.”
Fixing a smile to his face, he crossed the room and sat down on the couch next to D, draping one arm over the back of the sofa, within touching distance of the other man’s shoulder. D pointedly scooted over and practically wedged himself into the corner, his eyes wary.
No, this isn’t going to be awkward at all, he thought sourly. Conversation had never really been his strong suit, but he could see that it was going to be a bigger challenge than he had originally thought.
Running one hand through his hair, he wracked his brains for something witty to say but nothing came to mind. Man, I can’t believe my mom got me into this shit.
“Is it true your mother never told you about the contract?” D asked suddenly, unnerving him a little.
“Yeah, it’s true,” Leon’s shoulders rose and fell. “She never said a word, not to me or my dad. I guess she was planning on telling me when I was older, but I guess the opportunity never must have presented itself.”
“And then she was gone like that,” he snapped his fingers, “and it was too late.”
“You never speak of your mother,” D noted quietly. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did she die?”
“She died giving birth to my brother, Christopher,” Leon angled his body so he was facing D and then hooked his left ankle over his right knee. After a few moments his foot began jittering absently. “I was eighteen at the time.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, so am I.” Leon folded his arms across his chest and chewed on the ball of his left thumb for a few moments. After a while, he continued speaking. “It had been a difficult pregnancy for her. Her high blood pressure skyrocketed when she was six months along. She was told to get plenty of bed rest, but it didn’t seem to help so finally the doctor hospitalized her. The last time I saw her was the night before she went into labor.”
He trailed off into silence again, lost in thought. The hospital room had been a semi-private one, he remembered, but there hadn’t been anyone else in the room at the time. His dad had picked him up after his shift at McDonalds was over and took him to the hospital because his car, a piece of shit tan 1984 Mercury Marquis that had been incredibly cheap but was always breaking down, had been in the shop for repairs – again.
They had talked about school, work, his on again, off again girlfriend, Christina Mathews. Actually, his mother had done most of the talking, asking questions and trying to pry out answers out of him that weren’t simply monosyllabic. Lost in his own world of girls, video games and the stress of filling out college applications, he hadn’t really been paying much attention to what she had been saying. They had just been shooting the breeze, nothing terribly important.
Now, looking back on that scene in his memory, it seemed that maybe she had tried to tell him something, but she must have known his mind had been a thousand miles away so she let the subject drop.
Had she wanted to say something about the contract then? Or had she wanted to express any fears or concerns about the looming delivery date? He would never know and now, after seven years of missing her, he wished he had shut up about his stupid, insignificant problems and just really listened to her for once in his life.
“So, how did you find out, D?” Leon asked, unfolding his legs and setting both feet on the ground. “Obviously you had a bit more knowledge of the upcoming events than I had, but when did your grandfather tell you that you were going to have to some day hook-up with a total stranger?”
“Actually, I was living with my grandfather the night your mother came to the pet shop.” D answered quietly. “I remember that she had long blond hair and the bluest eyes I had ever seen in my life. They had been red-rimmed that night from crying.”
He gave Leon a side long glance, “And I didn’t come here today to ‘hook-up’, as you say, with a total stranger. I knew the name of the man I was to be given to. And his name was Leon Anderson. Not Orcot.”
Leon laughed at the prim tone D used. “Yeah, I guess that would cause some confusion,” he admitted. “My dad, John Orcot, isn’t my biological father – my real father died in an automobile accident before I was born. He and my mom fell in love when they first met and a year after the attack they were married. And he adopted me. I wasn’t his son, not really, but he gave me his name and raised me like his own.”
“That does explain the confusion. All this time I had thought I was going to be joined to a different man, but when I came in during your conversation with my grandfather, I was a bit shocked and confused.”
“You’re grandfather must have known because he had that lawyer, Li Hua, find me here in Los Angeles.”
D shrugged and the faintest of smiles flitted across his lips then vanished. “Well, as you know, my grandfather has been traveling the world looking for exotic animals for the shop. The matter of your name change must have slipped his mind.”
Leon squirmed uncomfortably and cleared his throat. “Look, D, does it bother you that I’m not the man you were expecting me to be?” he asked quietly.
“No, it does not bother me, Mr. Detective,” D murmured after a moment’s hesitation. “In the end it wouldn’t have made any difference one way or the other what I thought. After all, I had no say in the matter of who I would be joined with. I was simply told after the meeting with your mother that I had been affianced and that I would be joined with a man of my grandfather’s choosing on his twenty-fifth birthday.”
He glanced at Leon and smiled faintly. “Though I must admit that I am a bit relieved that you aren’t a total stranger,” He looked down at his hands, clasped so tightly in his lap. “It might make certain things a little bit easier, I suppose…”
“I can’t believe that you’re taking this so calmly, D,” Leon said, shaking his head in disbelief. “Are you seriously telling me that you came to this hotel tonight knowing that you might have to fu- uh, have sexual relations with some guy you didn't even know?”
Instead of answering, D simply nodded his head.
Leon snorted in disgust. “That is so… medieval.”
“It may not be the way you are accustomed to doing things in this country,” D corrected heatedly, “but in my culture, it was not unusual for a bride to meet her husband for the first time on her wedding night. We do not wed for love as you do, Detective. Marriages are arranged for the greater good of both families involved – to secure or solidify fortunes, for political alliances, and for personal or professional gain.”
Leon blinked at him, gap mouthed and surprised by the violence of his outburst.
“Marrying for love,” D concluded, “without regard to one’s family’s wishes is the ultimate act of selfishness.”
“Is that so?” Leon rallied, “Well, I’ve got two words for you, Count: Bull. Shit.”
A tense silence stretched out between the two of them as they glared at each other with open anger. Leon guessed that the irritation D expressed so easily now over a difference in marriage traditions was probably a mask for the thoughts and feelings that must be whirling through his mind at that moment. He couldn’t imagining how he would feel if he were in D’s situation right now. No, wait, he could – he’d be pissed off.
From the pocket of his white dress shirt Leon removed a red and white package of Marlboros. Impatiently he shook out a cigarette and put it between his lips. He then fished into his front jean pocket and withdrew his trusty lighter, the one his father had given him for his twenty-first birthday. It was gold plated and had a small, artificial sapphire embedded in the side. With the ease of a dedicated smoker, he snapped back the cover of the lighter and flicked the wheel. The lighter produced a flame and he brought it up to the tip of his cigarette. The Marlboro caught fire and glowed red.
But before he could inhale, D was in his face and snatching the cigarette from his mouth.
“This is a non-smoking room, Detective,” he snapped, “Please do not flick your ashes around here.” He stood and carried the still burning cigarette to the kitchen. He held it in the kitchen sink and doused it under a stream of cold water before depositing it in nearly concealed trash bin bearing the hotel’s signature.
“If you must smoke,” he continued, his back still to an astonished Leon, “Please be sure to do so on the step-out vista.”
D raised his hand to his face, fingers on his forehead and shook his head as if trying to clear it. He took a deep, shuddering breath, and then another one. Leon padded across the room and stood beside him, suddenly concerned.
“You okay, Count?”
Slowly, D nodded. “I’m fine, Detective, just a little dizziness.”
“You did slug back two cups of wine, you know.”
“Yes, I know, Detective.” D’s voice was the smallest bit tetchy. “I was, after all, the one drinking them.”
Sighing, D reached for a glass from one of the cupboards and filled it up with cold water from the tap. He drank half of the glass then closed his eyes. Beads of sweat had formed on his brow. “I am unaccustomed to drinking,” he admitted reluctantly, “but I thought the alcohol might help calm my nerves a bit.”
“Maybe you should lie down for awhile,” Leon suggested.
“Yes,” D murmured, dumping the rest of the water down the sink and setting the empty glass on the counter, “perhaps I should.”
Slowly, he made his way through the living area and to the master bedroom. Leon followed behind, his head swiveling here and there as he gaped at the luxuries surrounding him. He left D at the entrance to the master bedroom and then prowled around, eager to see how the other half played.
As he had noted before, the suite was much bigger than his rink-a-dink apartment, in fact, he guessed, at roughly 2,000 square feet, it was larger than many homes he had lived in over the years. There were two bedrooms and they were decorated in natural creams and taupe with mauve accents and while they were pretty damn impressive, the all marble bathrooms were even more so.
Each of the bathrooms was larger and more luxuriant than any bathroom he had ever seen. There was an incredibly deep tub and shower combination. There was even a 60 inch plasma television built right into the wall. Also, a complimentary wine bucket with ice and a bottle of what looked to be some very expensive champagne set on a small table within reaching distance of the tub along with two champagne flutes.
“I don’t think D needs any more of that tonight,” he observed with a smile. “He’s already liquored up enough as it is. Poor guy just can’t handle his booze, the lightweight. Hell, my dead grandmother could probably have drunk him under the table and she only weighed ninety-seven pounds dripping wet.”
He could just see his granny and D downing shots in her living room surrounded by all her cats now. He laughed out loud at the ludicrous idea.
“That tub’s big enough to fit both of us,” He noted with some awe. “Hell, we could sit in the tub, drinking champagne and eating those incredibly expensive chocolates he’s always going on about while watching football. That would be fucking fantastic. Talk about living in the lap of luxury!”
The image of the two of them sitting in the bath together, naked, their bodies covered in scented bubbles brought on an overwhelming wave of absolute physical desire. A frenzy of lust like surged like fire through his system and his erection was immediate and powerful.
“Easy, Orcot, just ease up there,” He muttered, surprised by the strength of his desire. “No need to rush into things, is there? After all, we’ve got all weekend to enjoy this place. There’ll be plenty of time for a little recreational hanky-panky...later.”
Concentrating on autopsies and traffic death statistics, he was able to bring himself under control. When he thought he would be able to go back to the bedroom without jumping D the moment he got in there, he left the bathroom and made his way down the hall to the bedroom. His hand was on the door and about to turn the knob when it occurred to him that D probably wouldn’t take kindly to him barging in on him unannounced.
“Hey, D?” he called, rapping his knuckles against the door, “You decent?”
There was no answer, so he turned the knob and slowly slid the door open. D stood with his back to the door as he slid into a cream colored silk dressing gown. For a moment Leon got a glimpse of the smooth, pale skin at the nape of his neck and that was all it took to get his heart thumping loudly in his ears. Swallowing, he shut the door and rested his weight against it as if trying to keep the world outside at bay.
Turning slowly and still in the act of tying the robe’s sash at his waist, D stopped dead in his tracks when he saw him against the door. His eyes widened as they trailed down the length of his body then back to his face. Without a word, he made his way toward the bed and climbed in, exposing a brief flash of thigh as he did.
Trying to maintain his cool, Leon strolled over to the 60-inch plasma TV, DVD and home theatre surround system that was nestled in an armoire with classic, European flair. He whistled appreciatively at the hardware. Imagine having the money to install a huge-ass plasma TV in the living area, bathroom and master bedroom. It was like a dream come true. He couldn’t wait to pop in a movie.
His gaze fell upon a small wicker basket with a neat arrangement of DVD cases and other assorted inside was sitting on one of the decorative end tables next to the entertainment system along with a bouquet of flowers in a cut-glass vase. He wasn’t sure what flowers they were, but they were pretty enough and the smell wasn’t too overpowering. A small, discreet card with elegant printing read simply, “For the Couple.”
He reached into the basket and withdrew a few cases and read the titles.
“Holy shit,” Leon exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise as he sorted through the DVD cases. “The old man really thought of everything, didn’t he? This is some impressive collection of porn he’s got here. Hmm, I’ve seen this one. Seen it, hated it. I’ve got that one on back order. Wait, here’s an interesting one…”
Feeling weird for checking out porn flicks while D was sitting in the same room, he returned the movies to the basket, making mental notes for future reference on which ones he’d like to watch or add to his own collection on some later date. The goodies basket, he noted with a heady mixture of shock and amusement, also included several cock rings, along with flavored sexual lubricants and body paints.
He picked up each sample sized bottle in turn and read the labels aloud, “’Fantastic Strawberry’, ‘Wild Cherry’, ‘Passion Fruit’ and, of course, ‘Luscious Chocolate’. God damn! Leave it to the Ds to turn sex into a high calorie activity.” Grinning at the naughty possibilities that tripped temptingly through his mind, he returned the bottles to the basket along with the DVDs.
Further exploration netted him a set of six erotic dice, three in blue, three in pink. “How very his and hers,” he mumbled as he began reading the instructions. One determined the body part, another the action preformed and the last the location to perform it in. He had seen a set of similar dice at an online sex shop and had always wanted to give them a try, but with his recent dry spell he just hadn’t been able to justify the cost or the need. What good would they do him all by his lonesome?
“Ah, but now I can try them for free!” Leon chortled gleefully and pumped his arms in enthusiastic anticipation. “All right! Yahtzee! Will it be “lick her nipples in the dining room” or “suck his balls in the kitchen”?” He laughed out loud as he returned the dice to the basket. “This is fucking awesome. It’s like Christmas, only… sexier!”
He pawed through the basket and made note of the rest of the contents – no condoms, of course, this was, after all a business trip - before returning his attention to the man sitting on the bed, staring at him with wide eyes.
“Are you enjoying yourself, Mr. Detective?” D asked, archly. His voice sounded a touch breathless and it ruined his display of haughtiness.
“Planning on it, yeah,” he replied smugly, making his way over to the king sized bed. He sat on the foot of the bed and kicked off his worn leather shoes, first the left, then the right. He then crawled up to the head of the bed and laid down besides D, resting on his left side so he was looking at him.
“Your old gramps really is a sick, twisted bastard,” he tried to maintain a serious face, but he couldn’t hold it and instead broke out in a mischievous grin, “And I mean that in the best possible way, believe me.”
D just looked at him, wide-eyed and silent. He neither laughed nor smiled.
“Okay, okay, I can take a hint,” Leon sighed, shaking his head in bemusement over the entire situation he found himself in. He held up his hand in a boy scout’s salute. “No more jokes, I promise. Besides,” he added under his breath, “It’ll kill the mood.”
Leon sat up slowly and reached out toward D with his right hand. Gently, he traced the pads of his fingers along the side of his face, as he had seen his grandfather do earlier that evening. D gasped at the touch and started to pull away but then stopped himself. Swallowing nervously, he tried to muster up a smile, but it crumbled almost as soon as it formed.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Leon murmured, ignoring the dull throbbing in his nether regions. Suddenly he was glad he hadn’t gotten undressed yet. If he had, he might very well have jumped D by now and that could have gotten him killed - D’s red, polished nails were fucking deadly. “We’ll take this as slow as you want.”
Nodding slowly, but still looking doubtful, D pulled back his side of the duvet and slipped beneath the covers. Reaching over, he turned off the lamp on the end table. He then eased himself down until he was on his back, his head cushioned against the soft, over-sized pillow. Darting a quick glance at Leon, he pulled the bed quilt up to his chin.
Even though he was still dressed save for his shoes, Leon followed suit, sliding beneath the rich cream duvet and the cool sheets. The duvet was incredibly soft, like wrapping yourself in a cloud, the sheets like nothing he had ever felt before. It was as if they heightened the sensitivity of his skin, even through his clothes. Amazed at the differences between his cotton Wal-Mart sheets at home and these he now nestled in, he couldn’t help but think that he should invest in some higher quality bedding because this stuff was fucking fantastic.
“Your light, Detective,” D murmured stiffly, “Aren’t you going to turn it off?”
“Actually, I was thinking about keeping it on.” Leon whispered. “You know, so I could see… everything.”
Again D stared at him and his silence and his narrowed eyes spoke volumes of his disapproval. Leon sighed, not willing to fight over such a simple matter. If D wanted the lights off, he would turn them off. If that would make him more comfortable, then they’d do it in the dark. Though, it had never occurred to him that Count D would have insecurities with his body.
Why should he, he thought, perplexed, he looks perfectly fine to me. Smooth, black hair, pale face, fucking amazing eyes and that long, thin body… True, he had only seen it draped in expensive silks that concealed far more than they revealed, but some of those outfits were a bit body hugging and he’d seen nothing to indicate that he was abnormal in any way.
Ah, but I’ve never seen D naked, he mused. I’ve seen his arms once or twice, slender and white as bone, but he’s strong as hell despite all that, but I’ve never seen anything else from the neck down. I know he’s... different, his grandfather admitted that much, but how much different could he be? Surely we’re compatible in a sexual sense otherwise there would be no way I could, uh, impregnate him.
Feeling a little freaked out over the idea of getting anyone knocked up, but especially Count D, which, by all rights should have been impossible, Leon abandoned his thoughts and focused strictly on luxuriating in the moment. After a few moments, he felt the tension begin to slip from his shoulders. Being in bed with D, in the dark, wasn’t so horrible. The moon, though not full yet, was high enough to filter in through the window. It cast blue and silver tints onto the world.
Without really stopping to think, he reached out and pulled the other man into his arms. D gasped and his body went rigid within the confines of his arms.
“Mr. Detective, I…” D’s voice was barely audible. He swallowed, hard, his throat making a dry clicking sound. When he tried to speak again, opening his mouth, at any rate, no sound escaped his lips. Uncertain, he turned his head away.
Leon touched his fingers to D’s chin and gently urged him to turn his head back so he was once more looking at him. D’s eyes were wide, overly bright and he stubbornly starred at his chin, refusing to meet his eyes. With a silent sigh, he leaned forward earnestly and stopped just a bare inch from the other man’s face. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply.
Once more, his senses took on that heightened awareness that filled his normal, sane world with an almost magical symphony of smells and sounds. To his surprise, he could see quite clearly despite the dark and shadows in the room – the moon provided more than enough light to see. He reveled in the sensations, knowing only too well that he would pay for them later, and dearly.
Without even having to concentrate, he could hear D’s heartbeat - his fucking heartbeat, he marveled – a wild fluttering, like the beatings of a hummingbird’s wings. Slowly, he opened his eyes and focused his gaze almost hungrily on the frantic thrumming he could almost see just under the smooth, white skin of his throat. He wanted to kiss the column of his throat, to press his lips against that pulse, to soothe D’s fears and make his heartbeat race for an entirely different reason.
Another deep inhalation brought the clean, subtle scent of his skin, soft and fragrant like the lingering flowers to Leon’s nose. But it held no trace of alcohol or chemicals for the scent was not a frilly, girly perfume that D wore, but the natural scent of his skin.
“I always thought you wore make-up and perfume,” Leon’s voice was low, and throaty, almost a growl as he spoke. “But it’s really you, the scent of your hair, your skin… It’s you, just you.”
Leon leaned in closer still and his tongue darted out to moisten his lips. D averted his head ever so slightly, his breath coming faster. Undeterred, he laid his lips against D’s temple in a soft, dry-mouthed kiss. Then, he smiled, pulled back only slightly, re-angled and leaned in closer, fluttered his eyelashes against D’s cheek. Butterfly kisses, one of his first girlfriends had called them.
D shivered and turned his head back toward him, eyes wide with surprise. “What are you doing?" His voice was pitched a little higher than normal and it had a strange, reedy quality to it.
“Kissing you, duh,” Leon chuckled lightly and leaned in again to capture D’s lips before he could protest any further.
The kiss started slowly, gently, with Leon barely touching their mouths together. D gasped against his lips. It was some small consolation that he hadn’t tried to pull away like he had earlier, but he wasn’t kissing back, either. He just sat there, tense and obviously scared. And Leon didn’t need heightened senses to figure that one out, either.
Well, he couldn’t blame him for that, really. Although they had known each other for almost two years, there hadn’t shared so much as a kiss between them, and now D was expected to have sex with him because of some arrangement their parents had made when they were both children. It hardly seemed fair, when you looked at things from that point of view.
Slowly, D raised his hands to his face, fanning them along the skin of his cheeks and it was Leon’s turn to shiver as the tips of his fingers stroked ghost-like along his cheeks, then his temples. They skimmed along the curve of his ears and then down his neck. And then, finally, they came up again and brushed into his hair.
D leaned forward then, wrapping his arms around him and deepening the kiss voluntarily. His efforts were a bit awkward, clumsy even - their teeth clashed briefly - but he seemed to be a quick learner. Gently placing his hands along the sides of his face, Leon allowed D to explore his mouth, lightly touching his tongue against his lower lip, then hesitantly slipping inside as Leon opened up to him.
Taking control once more, and without breaking the kiss, Leon’s hands fell to D’s shoulders and then he was pushing him back against the bed, his black hair fanning out along the smooth cream of the pillows. D’s hands glided down along his body until they hovered just over his sides where they rested uncertainly.
Leon leaned back and smiled down at him. D gazed back into Leon's eyes and his pupils were dilated, eating up the dual colors of his eyes until only a small sliver of the irises remained along the edges. Moving with deliberate slowness, he eased the robe open near the neck, parting the silk fabric and widening the V to expose more of D’s pale flesh.
D moved his hands to his shoulders, shuddered as his flesh was slowly bared, and closed his eyes.
His skin, pale as milk, was cool and soft to Leon’s touch. He leaned down and kissed his lips, lightly, then his chin and then scooted lower dropping a line of kisses down D’s throat. A small sound escaped D's lips and he shivered, which caused his nipples to contract to small, compact nubs. Leon rested one large hand over his chest, the nipple pressed against the palm, and a part of him was still surprised at not encountering the expected breast. He could feel the beat of D’s heart as it thundered in his chest.
He flicked his tongue over the other nipple, and D bit his lower lip in an effort to keep his body still, though a small, muffled sound of surprised still managed to escape. A tremor worked through his body and his nails sank into his shoulders, not hard enough to draw blood, but enough to make him gasp at the soft sting of it. Grinning, he took the nipple into his mouth, suckling, licking, nipping the nubbin of flesh lightly between his teeth, delighting in the soft gasps his actions drew from D. At the same time he rolled the other nipple between his thumb and forefinger.
Encouraged by the soft hums of pleasure D was now making, Leon removed his hand and brought it lower, trailing it along the long length of D’s thigh. He pushed the silk of the robe up, slowly, baring one inch of his leg, then another until his hands were resting on his upper thigh. His skin was no longer cool to the touch, but flushed and feverous as lust whipped its way through his body.
“No,” D gasped, his hand suddenly on Leon’s, not hurting, but firm enough to stop his hand from reaching any further, “Detective, no.”
“Look, D, I already know you’re different… down there.” Leon murmured, trying to sound reassuring and not impatient. “And it’s okay, really. I don’t mind.”
“But I’m a monster,” D whispered, “You said it yourself. I am… more different than you could ever guess.”
“Shit, D,” Leon groaned, “I was angry. You know? I mean, it was a pretty big surprise you and your grandfather sprang on me. But I didn’t mean it, not really.” Was he babbling? Because it sure as hell sounded that way to him and that was just pathetic.
“I want you, D,” Leon whispered hoarsely, and he was surprised to find that this was true. His body ached so bad he thought it would explode if he didn’t take care of matters soon. “But I need to know that you want this too.”
D frowned and opened his mouth, as if to protest, but Leon cut him off by putting a finger to his lips. “I know that you feel obligated to do this and that you want to produce and heir for your grandfather, but I need to know that you want to do this.”
“What I do and do not want is fairly irrelevant at this point, Detective,” D snapped, half sitting up and glaring at him. “The fate of my people rests in my hands. My joining with you…” he paused and licked his lips nervously, “it may be our last chance to avert the extinction of our race. Only by joining with humans can we hope to save ourselves.”
He closed his eyes, and he looked tired. “If it is any consolation, Detective,” he murmured, his voice trembling, “I do want this, to be joined with you. But not like this.”
Leon gaped at him, not certain he was following correctly. He did want to have sex, but not like this? It didn’t make any sense.
“Then… how?”
“I don’t know.”
Suddenly, D broke away and was out of the bed and across the room, his movements lacking their usual grace as he pulled his robe more tightly about himself. He stood over by the full length mirror that covered the door to the closet and he stared pensively at the reflection the glass bounced back at him.
Leon ground his teeth in frustration, then taking a deep breath, climbed out of bed and came up behind him, his socked feet making soft whish-whish sounds on the thick carpet. D, he noted curiously, had crossed the same floor without making so much as a whisper of noise. Standing behind D, he glanced in the mirror so he could be looking into D’s eyes without making him turn around. Something told him that the other man wasn’t quite ready yet to do that.
“When was the last time you gave in, D?” he asked quietly after a few moments.
“Gave in?” D parroted. “I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean.”
“You know,” Leon pressed, “when was the last time you really let yourself go – relaxed.”
D looked confused for a moment, and then his expression cleared. “I – I don’t really remember. Running the shop, caring for the animals, dealing with the customers, many of them just as rude and pig-headed as you are, Mr. Detective…" He sighed. "There really isn’t much time to relax, except for teatime, of course. But that is just a small fragment of my day. It is my small oasis of tranquility in a desert of servitude and duty.”
“Haven’t you ever thought of letting yourself go?”
“In what sense do you mean?” D asked, honestly puzzled.
“I mean, have you ever laid back and let someone else take control, even if for only a little while?”
His eyes widened. “Are you saying that you want me to,” he paused as if searching for the correct words. “You want me to… to surrender myself to you, is that it?” he finished in a rush.
“No, shit, no, D…” Leon rested his hands on D’s shoulders and gently turned him around so he could look at him. “I don’t want you to surrender, D. We’re not at war. But you don’t seem to be enjoying yourself very much. And as long as we’re in this for the long haul, you might as well get some fun out of it.”
D sniffed disdainfully. “Procreation is hardly fun, Mr. Detective.”
“That’s only because you haven’t been doing it right.”
D sipped in a small breath and, for a moment he looked like he was about to let loose that scalding tongue of his to make some acid retort, but then he simply turned his head away, his black hair swinging to conceal his facial expression like a curtain.
He’s trying to hide without actually running away, Leon realized suddenly, trying to hide his thoughts and feelings from me. It probably would have worked, if he had not caught the faintest hint of color along his cheeks, seen the uncertainty in his eyes. He could feel his body tense beneath the weight of his touch.
“D… is this,” he paused, then took a deep breath and continued, speaking slowly. “This isn’t your first time, is it?”
D’s eyes flicked to Leon’s and then darted away and he knew without D’s hesitant nod that he had been correct in his assumption.
“Look, trust me when I say that making love can be one of the most fantastic experiences in the world." Suddenly D's reactions made perfect sense - he was a virgin. "But you’ve got to take your time. And you’ve got to allow yourself to relax. If you get all uptight and start worrying about the whole ‘I’ve got to produce an heir for my grandfather’ thing then you’ll never enjoy sex. And that would be a damned shame, believe me.”
He shrugged. “Of course, it also helps if you are able to find yourself an understanding and generous lover. Fortunately for you, I’ve got those bases covered.”
This brought a small smile to D’s face. “Awfully confident, aren’t you?
“Damn straight I am. I’m the whole package, baby. But the first thing you’ve got to do is learn to relax.”
He brushed D’s hair aside kissed the back of his neck while he watched him in the full-length mirror and grinned against his skin as he felt him shiver. “Just relax,” he crooned, and slid his hand along his shoulder, down his arm until he reached his waist. He reached for the sash and tugged at it as his right arm wrapped around his body and his hand slipped into the robe to caress his chest. D’s body tensed immediately and Leon pulled back, giving him his room.
Inspiration struck out of the blue and grinning, he walked over to the goodies basket on the table near the entertainment center. He rooted around for a minute then walked back to D, his hands held secretively behind his back.
“As I said, you need to relax, D.” He grinned saucily, “and I’ve got the perfect way to help you do just that.”
“What?” D craned his head but Leon deliberately maneuvered in such a way that he kept whatever was in his hands safely behind his back.
“Ta-da!” With a flourish, Leon swept a pairs of handcuffs and a bottle of flavored sexual lubricant out for D’s inspection.
“You’re going to arrest me?” D frowned, puzzled.
“No, no… well, at least not officially. I want to chain you to the bed.”
“You want to… what?”
“Don’t worry, it won’t hurt, I promise.” Leon heard the faintest edge of pleading creep into his voice. He had fantasized about putting handcuffs on D for so long, but this was the first time he had ever wanted to do so in a sexual manner. Hell, it might be the only way he’d ever get them on him because God knows he hadn’t been able to prove any of those murder and drug suspicions. Now that he’d considered the idea, he found the whole thing to be a major turn on.
“So, what do you say, D? Can I cuff you?”
“I’m not sure if this is entirely appropriate, Detective. And how is being chained to a bed supposed to be relaxing, anyway?”
“You’ll see,” Leon assured him.
“I don’t know about this…”
Leon moved toward him and kissed him lightly on the lips. “Just trust me, alright?” He took D’s hand and led him back toward the bed. “If you don’t like it, we’ll stop. I promise.”
TO BE CONTINUED…
CHAPTER 08
Pairing: Leon x D
Category: Supernatural/Alternate Universe
Rating: R
Warning: Language, Violence, Sexual situations, Hermaphrodite!D
Title: The Hunted
Author: yellowhorde
Notes: This was written NaNoWriMo 2007
Leon’s newly adapted PR smile vanished from his face the moment he closed the Presidential Suite’s door behind Li Hua and Tsu Fu. For a moment he rested his forehead against the solid door and sighed heavily.
The place was spectacular. The Presidential Suite really lived up to its name and was by far the most luxurious hotel room he had ever stayed in. And he told himself that he intended to thoroughly enjoy every minute. After all, Tsu Fu had paid for a full three nights, which worked out perfectly for him because he wouldn’t have to worry about his brother Chris for the whole weekend.
After leaving D’s shop earlier he had contacted Mrs. Thompson about the camping trip her family and Chris were going to be going on this weekend. He had suggested canceling since a werewolf had escaped from the Institute last night. Her response had, quite frankly, surprised him.
“The full moon isn’t for another three days, Leon,” She had said, and he could hear her son Jack and Chris going on excitably about some new video game in the background. “In human form, this guy isn’t any more dangerous that your average stranger. He’ll be on the run and trying to get back to whatever place he calls home. He’s not going to bother with the likes of us. So relax. I won’t let anything happen to him.”
Leon had disconnected, puzzled by her blasé attitude about the whole situation. Having not personally experienced the horror of a werewolf attack, he figured that she couldn’t see the potential danger. She didn’t see this man as a threat and he envied her easy going confidence. He hoped that she would never have to find out for herself exactly how dangers this man could really be given the right circumstances.
Still, she was right about one thing, the full moon wasn’t for another five days and until then, Fletcher really wasn’t any more dangerous than the average stranger. Considering how many horrific crimes he knew as a police officer that had been perpetrated upon families in the Los Angeles area in the last year alone, that wasn’t really as comforting as she had probably meant it to be.
Nonetheless, it was a weight off his mind knowing that he wouldn’t have to worry about werewolves or his little brother. But he was still left with the matter of D and the terms of the contract that Tsu Fu expected to be fulfilled, and the sooner, the better.
“What in hell am I supposed to do now?” he mumbled under his breath.
He straightened up and turned his head to look at the room’s only other occupant. D sat on the cream couch, head bowed, hands primly folded in his lap. His posture was tense and he kept cutting sideway glances over at Leon as if the he were a dangerous animal looking to devour him for dinner. D had never seemed anything but cool and relaxed around him before, but now he was obviously as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.
“Okay,” Leon took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. He squared his shoulders, “I do this, yeah. It’s just D after all. I just need to keep it casual.”
Fixing a smile to his face, he crossed the room and sat down on the couch next to D, draping one arm over the back of the sofa, within touching distance of the other man’s shoulder. D pointedly scooted over and practically wedged himself into the corner, his eyes wary.
No, this isn’t going to be awkward at all, he thought sourly. Conversation had never really been his strong suit, but he could see that it was going to be a bigger challenge than he had originally thought.
Running one hand through his hair, he wracked his brains for something witty to say but nothing came to mind. Man, I can’t believe my mom got me into this shit.
“Is it true your mother never told you about the contract?” D asked suddenly, unnerving him a little.
“Yeah, it’s true,” Leon’s shoulders rose and fell. “She never said a word, not to me or my dad. I guess she was planning on telling me when I was older, but I guess the opportunity never must have presented itself.”
“And then she was gone like that,” he snapped his fingers, “and it was too late.”
“You never speak of your mother,” D noted quietly. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did she die?”
“She died giving birth to my brother, Christopher,” Leon angled his body so he was facing D and then hooked his left ankle over his right knee. After a few moments his foot began jittering absently. “I was eighteen at the time.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, so am I.” Leon folded his arms across his chest and chewed on the ball of his left thumb for a few moments. After a while, he continued speaking. “It had been a difficult pregnancy for her. Her high blood pressure skyrocketed when she was six months along. She was told to get plenty of bed rest, but it didn’t seem to help so finally the doctor hospitalized her. The last time I saw her was the night before she went into labor.”
He trailed off into silence again, lost in thought. The hospital room had been a semi-private one, he remembered, but there hadn’t been anyone else in the room at the time. His dad had picked him up after his shift at McDonalds was over and took him to the hospital because his car, a piece of shit tan 1984 Mercury Marquis that had been incredibly cheap but was always breaking down, had been in the shop for repairs – again.
They had talked about school, work, his on again, off again girlfriend, Christina Mathews. Actually, his mother had done most of the talking, asking questions and trying to pry out answers out of him that weren’t simply monosyllabic. Lost in his own world of girls, video games and the stress of filling out college applications, he hadn’t really been paying much attention to what she had been saying. They had just been shooting the breeze, nothing terribly important.
Now, looking back on that scene in his memory, it seemed that maybe she had tried to tell him something, but she must have known his mind had been a thousand miles away so she let the subject drop.
Had she wanted to say something about the contract then? Or had she wanted to express any fears or concerns about the looming delivery date? He would never know and now, after seven years of missing her, he wished he had shut up about his stupid, insignificant problems and just really listened to her for once in his life.
“So, how did you find out, D?” Leon asked, unfolding his legs and setting both feet on the ground. “Obviously you had a bit more knowledge of the upcoming events than I had, but when did your grandfather tell you that you were going to have to some day hook-up with a total stranger?”
“Actually, I was living with my grandfather the night your mother came to the pet shop.” D answered quietly. “I remember that she had long blond hair and the bluest eyes I had ever seen in my life. They had been red-rimmed that night from crying.”
He gave Leon a side long glance, “And I didn’t come here today to ‘hook-up’, as you say, with a total stranger. I knew the name of the man I was to be given to. And his name was Leon Anderson. Not Orcot.”
Leon laughed at the prim tone D used. “Yeah, I guess that would cause some confusion,” he admitted. “My dad, John Orcot, isn’t my biological father – my real father died in an automobile accident before I was born. He and my mom fell in love when they first met and a year after the attack they were married. And he adopted me. I wasn’t his son, not really, but he gave me his name and raised me like his own.”
“That does explain the confusion. All this time I had thought I was going to be joined to a different man, but when I came in during your conversation with my grandfather, I was a bit shocked and confused.”
“You’re grandfather must have known because he had that lawyer, Li Hua, find me here in Los Angeles.”
D shrugged and the faintest of smiles flitted across his lips then vanished. “Well, as you know, my grandfather has been traveling the world looking for exotic animals for the shop. The matter of your name change must have slipped his mind.”
Leon squirmed uncomfortably and cleared his throat. “Look, D, does it bother you that I’m not the man you were expecting me to be?” he asked quietly.
“No, it does not bother me, Mr. Detective,” D murmured after a moment’s hesitation. “In the end it wouldn’t have made any difference one way or the other what I thought. After all, I had no say in the matter of who I would be joined with. I was simply told after the meeting with your mother that I had been affianced and that I would be joined with a man of my grandfather’s choosing on his twenty-fifth birthday.”
He glanced at Leon and smiled faintly. “Though I must admit that I am a bit relieved that you aren’t a total stranger,” He looked down at his hands, clasped so tightly in his lap. “It might make certain things a little bit easier, I suppose…”
“I can’t believe that you’re taking this so calmly, D,” Leon said, shaking his head in disbelief. “Are you seriously telling me that you came to this hotel tonight knowing that you might have to fu- uh, have sexual relations with some guy you didn't even know?”
Instead of answering, D simply nodded his head.
Leon snorted in disgust. “That is so… medieval.”
“It may not be the way you are accustomed to doing things in this country,” D corrected heatedly, “but in my culture, it was not unusual for a bride to meet her husband for the first time on her wedding night. We do not wed for love as you do, Detective. Marriages are arranged for the greater good of both families involved – to secure or solidify fortunes, for political alliances, and for personal or professional gain.”
Leon blinked at him, gap mouthed and surprised by the violence of his outburst.
“Marrying for love,” D concluded, “without regard to one’s family’s wishes is the ultimate act of selfishness.”
“Is that so?” Leon rallied, “Well, I’ve got two words for you, Count: Bull. Shit.”
A tense silence stretched out between the two of them as they glared at each other with open anger. Leon guessed that the irritation D expressed so easily now over a difference in marriage traditions was probably a mask for the thoughts and feelings that must be whirling through his mind at that moment. He couldn’t imagining how he would feel if he were in D’s situation right now. No, wait, he could – he’d be pissed off.
From the pocket of his white dress shirt Leon removed a red and white package of Marlboros. Impatiently he shook out a cigarette and put it between his lips. He then fished into his front jean pocket and withdrew his trusty lighter, the one his father had given him for his twenty-first birthday. It was gold plated and had a small, artificial sapphire embedded in the side. With the ease of a dedicated smoker, he snapped back the cover of the lighter and flicked the wheel. The lighter produced a flame and he brought it up to the tip of his cigarette. The Marlboro caught fire and glowed red.
But before he could inhale, D was in his face and snatching the cigarette from his mouth.
“This is a non-smoking room, Detective,” he snapped, “Please do not flick your ashes around here.” He stood and carried the still burning cigarette to the kitchen. He held it in the kitchen sink and doused it under a stream of cold water before depositing it in nearly concealed trash bin bearing the hotel’s signature.
“If you must smoke,” he continued, his back still to an astonished Leon, “Please be sure to do so on the step-out vista.”
D raised his hand to his face, fingers on his forehead and shook his head as if trying to clear it. He took a deep, shuddering breath, and then another one. Leon padded across the room and stood beside him, suddenly concerned.
“You okay, Count?”
Slowly, D nodded. “I’m fine, Detective, just a little dizziness.”
“You did slug back two cups of wine, you know.”
“Yes, I know, Detective.” D’s voice was the smallest bit tetchy. “I was, after all, the one drinking them.”
Sighing, D reached for a glass from one of the cupboards and filled it up with cold water from the tap. He drank half of the glass then closed his eyes. Beads of sweat had formed on his brow. “I am unaccustomed to drinking,” he admitted reluctantly, “but I thought the alcohol might help calm my nerves a bit.”
“Maybe you should lie down for awhile,” Leon suggested.
“Yes,” D murmured, dumping the rest of the water down the sink and setting the empty glass on the counter, “perhaps I should.”
Slowly, he made his way through the living area and to the master bedroom. Leon followed behind, his head swiveling here and there as he gaped at the luxuries surrounding him. He left D at the entrance to the master bedroom and then prowled around, eager to see how the other half played.
As he had noted before, the suite was much bigger than his rink-a-dink apartment, in fact, he guessed, at roughly 2,000 square feet, it was larger than many homes he had lived in over the years. There were two bedrooms and they were decorated in natural creams and taupe with mauve accents and while they were pretty damn impressive, the all marble bathrooms were even more so.
Each of the bathrooms was larger and more luxuriant than any bathroom he had ever seen. There was an incredibly deep tub and shower combination. There was even a 60 inch plasma television built right into the wall. Also, a complimentary wine bucket with ice and a bottle of what looked to be some very expensive champagne set on a small table within reaching distance of the tub along with two champagne flutes.
“I don’t think D needs any more of that tonight,” he observed with a smile. “He’s already liquored up enough as it is. Poor guy just can’t handle his booze, the lightweight. Hell, my dead grandmother could probably have drunk him under the table and she only weighed ninety-seven pounds dripping wet.”
He could just see his granny and D downing shots in her living room surrounded by all her cats now. He laughed out loud at the ludicrous idea.
“That tub’s big enough to fit both of us,” He noted with some awe. “Hell, we could sit in the tub, drinking champagne and eating those incredibly expensive chocolates he’s always going on about while watching football. That would be fucking fantastic. Talk about living in the lap of luxury!”
The image of the two of them sitting in the bath together, naked, their bodies covered in scented bubbles brought on an overwhelming wave of absolute physical desire. A frenzy of lust like surged like fire through his system and his erection was immediate and powerful.
“Easy, Orcot, just ease up there,” He muttered, surprised by the strength of his desire. “No need to rush into things, is there? After all, we’ve got all weekend to enjoy this place. There’ll be plenty of time for a little recreational hanky-panky...later.”
Concentrating on autopsies and traffic death statistics, he was able to bring himself under control. When he thought he would be able to go back to the bedroom without jumping D the moment he got in there, he left the bathroom and made his way down the hall to the bedroom. His hand was on the door and about to turn the knob when it occurred to him that D probably wouldn’t take kindly to him barging in on him unannounced.
“Hey, D?” he called, rapping his knuckles against the door, “You decent?”
There was no answer, so he turned the knob and slowly slid the door open. D stood with his back to the door as he slid into a cream colored silk dressing gown. For a moment Leon got a glimpse of the smooth, pale skin at the nape of his neck and that was all it took to get his heart thumping loudly in his ears. Swallowing, he shut the door and rested his weight against it as if trying to keep the world outside at bay.
Turning slowly and still in the act of tying the robe’s sash at his waist, D stopped dead in his tracks when he saw him against the door. His eyes widened as they trailed down the length of his body then back to his face. Without a word, he made his way toward the bed and climbed in, exposing a brief flash of thigh as he did.
Trying to maintain his cool, Leon strolled over to the 60-inch plasma TV, DVD and home theatre surround system that was nestled in an armoire with classic, European flair. He whistled appreciatively at the hardware. Imagine having the money to install a huge-ass plasma TV in the living area, bathroom and master bedroom. It was like a dream come true. He couldn’t wait to pop in a movie.
His gaze fell upon a small wicker basket with a neat arrangement of DVD cases and other assorted inside was sitting on one of the decorative end tables next to the entertainment system along with a bouquet of flowers in a cut-glass vase. He wasn’t sure what flowers they were, but they were pretty enough and the smell wasn’t too overpowering. A small, discreet card with elegant printing read simply, “For the Couple.”
He reached into the basket and withdrew a few cases and read the titles.
“Holy shit,” Leon exclaimed, his eyes widening in surprise as he sorted through the DVD cases. “The old man really thought of everything, didn’t he? This is some impressive collection of porn he’s got here. Hmm, I’ve seen this one. Seen it, hated it. I’ve got that one on back order. Wait, here’s an interesting one…”
Feeling weird for checking out porn flicks while D was sitting in the same room, he returned the movies to the basket, making mental notes for future reference on which ones he’d like to watch or add to his own collection on some later date. The goodies basket, he noted with a heady mixture of shock and amusement, also included several cock rings, along with flavored sexual lubricants and body paints.
He picked up each sample sized bottle in turn and read the labels aloud, “’Fantastic Strawberry’, ‘Wild Cherry’, ‘Passion Fruit’ and, of course, ‘Luscious Chocolate’. God damn! Leave it to the Ds to turn sex into a high calorie activity.” Grinning at the naughty possibilities that tripped temptingly through his mind, he returned the bottles to the basket along with the DVDs.
Further exploration netted him a set of six erotic dice, three in blue, three in pink. “How very his and hers,” he mumbled as he began reading the instructions. One determined the body part, another the action preformed and the last the location to perform it in. He had seen a set of similar dice at an online sex shop and had always wanted to give them a try, but with his recent dry spell he just hadn’t been able to justify the cost or the need. What good would they do him all by his lonesome?
“Ah, but now I can try them for free!” Leon chortled gleefully and pumped his arms in enthusiastic anticipation. “All right! Yahtzee! Will it be “lick her nipples in the dining room” or “suck his balls in the kitchen”?” He laughed out loud as he returned the dice to the basket. “This is fucking awesome. It’s like Christmas, only… sexier!”
He pawed through the basket and made note of the rest of the contents – no condoms, of course, this was, after all a business trip - before returning his attention to the man sitting on the bed, staring at him with wide eyes.
“Are you enjoying yourself, Mr. Detective?” D asked, archly. His voice sounded a touch breathless and it ruined his display of haughtiness.
“Planning on it, yeah,” he replied smugly, making his way over to the king sized bed. He sat on the foot of the bed and kicked off his worn leather shoes, first the left, then the right. He then crawled up to the head of the bed and laid down besides D, resting on his left side so he was looking at him.
“Your old gramps really is a sick, twisted bastard,” he tried to maintain a serious face, but he couldn’t hold it and instead broke out in a mischievous grin, “And I mean that in the best possible way, believe me.”
D just looked at him, wide-eyed and silent. He neither laughed nor smiled.
“Okay, okay, I can take a hint,” Leon sighed, shaking his head in bemusement over the entire situation he found himself in. He held up his hand in a boy scout’s salute. “No more jokes, I promise. Besides,” he added under his breath, “It’ll kill the mood.”
Leon sat up slowly and reached out toward D with his right hand. Gently, he traced the pads of his fingers along the side of his face, as he had seen his grandfather do earlier that evening. D gasped at the touch and started to pull away but then stopped himself. Swallowing nervously, he tried to muster up a smile, but it crumbled almost as soon as it formed.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” Leon murmured, ignoring the dull throbbing in his nether regions. Suddenly he was glad he hadn’t gotten undressed yet. If he had, he might very well have jumped D by now and that could have gotten him killed - D’s red, polished nails were fucking deadly. “We’ll take this as slow as you want.”
Nodding slowly, but still looking doubtful, D pulled back his side of the duvet and slipped beneath the covers. Reaching over, he turned off the lamp on the end table. He then eased himself down until he was on his back, his head cushioned against the soft, over-sized pillow. Darting a quick glance at Leon, he pulled the bed quilt up to his chin.
Even though he was still dressed save for his shoes, Leon followed suit, sliding beneath the rich cream duvet and the cool sheets. The duvet was incredibly soft, like wrapping yourself in a cloud, the sheets like nothing he had ever felt before. It was as if they heightened the sensitivity of his skin, even through his clothes. Amazed at the differences between his cotton Wal-Mart sheets at home and these he now nestled in, he couldn’t help but think that he should invest in some higher quality bedding because this stuff was fucking fantastic.
“Your light, Detective,” D murmured stiffly, “Aren’t you going to turn it off?”
“Actually, I was thinking about keeping it on.” Leon whispered. “You know, so I could see… everything.”
Again D stared at him and his silence and his narrowed eyes spoke volumes of his disapproval. Leon sighed, not willing to fight over such a simple matter. If D wanted the lights off, he would turn them off. If that would make him more comfortable, then they’d do it in the dark. Though, it had never occurred to him that Count D would have insecurities with his body.
Why should he, he thought, perplexed, he looks perfectly fine to me. Smooth, black hair, pale face, fucking amazing eyes and that long, thin body… True, he had only seen it draped in expensive silks that concealed far more than they revealed, but some of those outfits were a bit body hugging and he’d seen nothing to indicate that he was abnormal in any way.
Ah, but I’ve never seen D naked, he mused. I’ve seen his arms once or twice, slender and white as bone, but he’s strong as hell despite all that, but I’ve never seen anything else from the neck down. I know he’s... different, his grandfather admitted that much, but how much different could he be? Surely we’re compatible in a sexual sense otherwise there would be no way I could, uh, impregnate him.
Feeling a little freaked out over the idea of getting anyone knocked up, but especially Count D, which, by all rights should have been impossible, Leon abandoned his thoughts and focused strictly on luxuriating in the moment. After a few moments, he felt the tension begin to slip from his shoulders. Being in bed with D, in the dark, wasn’t so horrible. The moon, though not full yet, was high enough to filter in through the window. It cast blue and silver tints onto the world.
Without really stopping to think, he reached out and pulled the other man into his arms. D gasped and his body went rigid within the confines of his arms.
“Mr. Detective, I…” D’s voice was barely audible. He swallowed, hard, his throat making a dry clicking sound. When he tried to speak again, opening his mouth, at any rate, no sound escaped his lips. Uncertain, he turned his head away.
Leon touched his fingers to D’s chin and gently urged him to turn his head back so he was once more looking at him. D’s eyes were wide, overly bright and he stubbornly starred at his chin, refusing to meet his eyes. With a silent sigh, he leaned forward earnestly and stopped just a bare inch from the other man’s face. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply.
Once more, his senses took on that heightened awareness that filled his normal, sane world with an almost magical symphony of smells and sounds. To his surprise, he could see quite clearly despite the dark and shadows in the room – the moon provided more than enough light to see. He reveled in the sensations, knowing only too well that he would pay for them later, and dearly.
Without even having to concentrate, he could hear D’s heartbeat - his fucking heartbeat, he marveled – a wild fluttering, like the beatings of a hummingbird’s wings. Slowly, he opened his eyes and focused his gaze almost hungrily on the frantic thrumming he could almost see just under the smooth, white skin of his throat. He wanted to kiss the column of his throat, to press his lips against that pulse, to soothe D’s fears and make his heartbeat race for an entirely different reason.
Another deep inhalation brought the clean, subtle scent of his skin, soft and fragrant like the lingering flowers to Leon’s nose. But it held no trace of alcohol or chemicals for the scent was not a frilly, girly perfume that D wore, but the natural scent of his skin.
“I always thought you wore make-up and perfume,” Leon’s voice was low, and throaty, almost a growl as he spoke. “But it’s really you, the scent of your hair, your skin… It’s you, just you.”
Leon leaned in closer still and his tongue darted out to moisten his lips. D averted his head ever so slightly, his breath coming faster. Undeterred, he laid his lips against D’s temple in a soft, dry-mouthed kiss. Then, he smiled, pulled back only slightly, re-angled and leaned in closer, fluttered his eyelashes against D’s cheek. Butterfly kisses, one of his first girlfriends had called them.
D shivered and turned his head back toward him, eyes wide with surprise. “What are you doing?" His voice was pitched a little higher than normal and it had a strange, reedy quality to it.
“Kissing you, duh,” Leon chuckled lightly and leaned in again to capture D’s lips before he could protest any further.
The kiss started slowly, gently, with Leon barely touching their mouths together. D gasped against his lips. It was some small consolation that he hadn’t tried to pull away like he had earlier, but he wasn’t kissing back, either. He just sat there, tense and obviously scared. And Leon didn’t need heightened senses to figure that one out, either.
Well, he couldn’t blame him for that, really. Although they had known each other for almost two years, there hadn’t shared so much as a kiss between them, and now D was expected to have sex with him because of some arrangement their parents had made when they were both children. It hardly seemed fair, when you looked at things from that point of view.
Slowly, D raised his hands to his face, fanning them along the skin of his cheeks and it was Leon’s turn to shiver as the tips of his fingers stroked ghost-like along his cheeks, then his temples. They skimmed along the curve of his ears and then down his neck. And then, finally, they came up again and brushed into his hair.
D leaned forward then, wrapping his arms around him and deepening the kiss voluntarily. His efforts were a bit awkward, clumsy even - their teeth clashed briefly - but he seemed to be a quick learner. Gently placing his hands along the sides of his face, Leon allowed D to explore his mouth, lightly touching his tongue against his lower lip, then hesitantly slipping inside as Leon opened up to him.
Taking control once more, and without breaking the kiss, Leon’s hands fell to D’s shoulders and then he was pushing him back against the bed, his black hair fanning out along the smooth cream of the pillows. D’s hands glided down along his body until they hovered just over his sides where they rested uncertainly.
Leon leaned back and smiled down at him. D gazed back into Leon's eyes and his pupils were dilated, eating up the dual colors of his eyes until only a small sliver of the irises remained along the edges. Moving with deliberate slowness, he eased the robe open near the neck, parting the silk fabric and widening the V to expose more of D’s pale flesh.
D moved his hands to his shoulders, shuddered as his flesh was slowly bared, and closed his eyes.
His skin, pale as milk, was cool and soft to Leon’s touch. He leaned down and kissed his lips, lightly, then his chin and then scooted lower dropping a line of kisses down D’s throat. A small sound escaped D's lips and he shivered, which caused his nipples to contract to small, compact nubs. Leon rested one large hand over his chest, the nipple pressed against the palm, and a part of him was still surprised at not encountering the expected breast. He could feel the beat of D’s heart as it thundered in his chest.
He flicked his tongue over the other nipple, and D bit his lower lip in an effort to keep his body still, though a small, muffled sound of surprised still managed to escape. A tremor worked through his body and his nails sank into his shoulders, not hard enough to draw blood, but enough to make him gasp at the soft sting of it. Grinning, he took the nipple into his mouth, suckling, licking, nipping the nubbin of flesh lightly between his teeth, delighting in the soft gasps his actions drew from D. At the same time he rolled the other nipple between his thumb and forefinger.
Encouraged by the soft hums of pleasure D was now making, Leon removed his hand and brought it lower, trailing it along the long length of D’s thigh. He pushed the silk of the robe up, slowly, baring one inch of his leg, then another until his hands were resting on his upper thigh. His skin was no longer cool to the touch, but flushed and feverous as lust whipped its way through his body.
“No,” D gasped, his hand suddenly on Leon’s, not hurting, but firm enough to stop his hand from reaching any further, “Detective, no.”
“Look, D, I already know you’re different… down there.” Leon murmured, trying to sound reassuring and not impatient. “And it’s okay, really. I don’t mind.”
“But I’m a monster,” D whispered, “You said it yourself. I am… more different than you could ever guess.”
“Shit, D,” Leon groaned, “I was angry. You know? I mean, it was a pretty big surprise you and your grandfather sprang on me. But I didn’t mean it, not really.” Was he babbling? Because it sure as hell sounded that way to him and that was just pathetic.
“I want you, D,” Leon whispered hoarsely, and he was surprised to find that this was true. His body ached so bad he thought it would explode if he didn’t take care of matters soon. “But I need to know that you want this too.”
D frowned and opened his mouth, as if to protest, but Leon cut him off by putting a finger to his lips. “I know that you feel obligated to do this and that you want to produce and heir for your grandfather, but I need to know that you want to do this.”
“What I do and do not want is fairly irrelevant at this point, Detective,” D snapped, half sitting up and glaring at him. “The fate of my people rests in my hands. My joining with you…” he paused and licked his lips nervously, “it may be our last chance to avert the extinction of our race. Only by joining with humans can we hope to save ourselves.”
He closed his eyes, and he looked tired. “If it is any consolation, Detective,” he murmured, his voice trembling, “I do want this, to be joined with you. But not like this.”
Leon gaped at him, not certain he was following correctly. He did want to have sex, but not like this? It didn’t make any sense.
“Then… how?”
“I don’t know.”
Suddenly, D broke away and was out of the bed and across the room, his movements lacking their usual grace as he pulled his robe more tightly about himself. He stood over by the full length mirror that covered the door to the closet and he stared pensively at the reflection the glass bounced back at him.
Leon ground his teeth in frustration, then taking a deep breath, climbed out of bed and came up behind him, his socked feet making soft whish-whish sounds on the thick carpet. D, he noted curiously, had crossed the same floor without making so much as a whisper of noise. Standing behind D, he glanced in the mirror so he could be looking into D’s eyes without making him turn around. Something told him that the other man wasn’t quite ready yet to do that.
“When was the last time you gave in, D?” he asked quietly after a few moments.
“Gave in?” D parroted. “I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean.”
“You know,” Leon pressed, “when was the last time you really let yourself go – relaxed.”
D looked confused for a moment, and then his expression cleared. “I – I don’t really remember. Running the shop, caring for the animals, dealing with the customers, many of them just as rude and pig-headed as you are, Mr. Detective…" He sighed. "There really isn’t much time to relax, except for teatime, of course. But that is just a small fragment of my day. It is my small oasis of tranquility in a desert of servitude and duty.”
“Haven’t you ever thought of letting yourself go?”
“In what sense do you mean?” D asked, honestly puzzled.
“I mean, have you ever laid back and let someone else take control, even if for only a little while?”
His eyes widened. “Are you saying that you want me to,” he paused as if searching for the correct words. “You want me to… to surrender myself to you, is that it?” he finished in a rush.
“No, shit, no, D…” Leon rested his hands on D’s shoulders and gently turned him around so he could look at him. “I don’t want you to surrender, D. We’re not at war. But you don’t seem to be enjoying yourself very much. And as long as we’re in this for the long haul, you might as well get some fun out of it.”
D sniffed disdainfully. “Procreation is hardly fun, Mr. Detective.”
“That’s only because you haven’t been doing it right.”
D sipped in a small breath and, for a moment he looked like he was about to let loose that scalding tongue of his to make some acid retort, but then he simply turned his head away, his black hair swinging to conceal his facial expression like a curtain.
He’s trying to hide without actually running away, Leon realized suddenly, trying to hide his thoughts and feelings from me. It probably would have worked, if he had not caught the faintest hint of color along his cheeks, seen the uncertainty in his eyes. He could feel his body tense beneath the weight of his touch.
“D… is this,” he paused, then took a deep breath and continued, speaking slowly. “This isn’t your first time, is it?”
D’s eyes flicked to Leon’s and then darted away and he knew without D’s hesitant nod that he had been correct in his assumption.
“Look, trust me when I say that making love can be one of the most fantastic experiences in the world." Suddenly D's reactions made perfect sense - he was a virgin. "But you’ve got to take your time. And you’ve got to allow yourself to relax. If you get all uptight and start worrying about the whole ‘I’ve got to produce an heir for my grandfather’ thing then you’ll never enjoy sex. And that would be a damned shame, believe me.”
He shrugged. “Of course, it also helps if you are able to find yourself an understanding and generous lover. Fortunately for you, I’ve got those bases covered.”
This brought a small smile to D’s face. “Awfully confident, aren’t you?
“Damn straight I am. I’m the whole package, baby. But the first thing you’ve got to do is learn to relax.”
He brushed D’s hair aside kissed the back of his neck while he watched him in the full-length mirror and grinned against his skin as he felt him shiver. “Just relax,” he crooned, and slid his hand along his shoulder, down his arm until he reached his waist. He reached for the sash and tugged at it as his right arm wrapped around his body and his hand slipped into the robe to caress his chest. D’s body tensed immediately and Leon pulled back, giving him his room.
Inspiration struck out of the blue and grinning, he walked over to the goodies basket on the table near the entertainment center. He rooted around for a minute then walked back to D, his hands held secretively behind his back.
“As I said, you need to relax, D.” He grinned saucily, “and I’ve got the perfect way to help you do just that.”
“What?” D craned his head but Leon deliberately maneuvered in such a way that he kept whatever was in his hands safely behind his back.
“Ta-da!” With a flourish, Leon swept a pairs of handcuffs and a bottle of flavored sexual lubricant out for D’s inspection.
“You’re going to arrest me?” D frowned, puzzled.
“No, no… well, at least not officially. I want to chain you to the bed.”
“You want to… what?”
“Don’t worry, it won’t hurt, I promise.” Leon heard the faintest edge of pleading creep into his voice. He had fantasized about putting handcuffs on D for so long, but this was the first time he had ever wanted to do so in a sexual manner. Hell, it might be the only way he’d ever get them on him because God knows he hadn’t been able to prove any of those murder and drug suspicions. Now that he’d considered the idea, he found the whole thing to be a major turn on.
“So, what do you say, D? Can I cuff you?”
“I’m not sure if this is entirely appropriate, Detective. And how is being chained to a bed supposed to be relaxing, anyway?”
“You’ll see,” Leon assured him.
“I don’t know about this…”
Leon moved toward him and kissed him lightly on the lips. “Just trust me, alright?” He took D’s hand and led him back toward the bed. “If you don’t like it, we’ll stop. I promise.”
TO BE CONTINUED…
CHAPTER 08
