Strawberry cake

Welcome! I've just finished reading part 6 of the wonderful manga series... Thank you, partner in crime! You know who you are :P
Anyway, I've placed this in anime since I have no idea how to request a new sub category in manga. I have two Akira fics in anime-misc because of that...

Count: Now, let's take a bite, shall we? ^^

***

Strawberry cake

Every police office in December seems busier than usual; the officers look extremely tired and whenever a request for backup comes in, the mood declines even more. Outside of the office, all is dark, at seven already, and the ugly lamps give an ugly glow. It’s even getting really cold inside.
Detective Leon Orcot’s office was no exception to this overall depressing stereotype. Even though it was located in Los Angeles, where the temperature stayed at a rather pleasant 60F, it was becoming way too cold for his liking. Shivering and unable to concentrate, he stared at a pile of files on his desk. Looked like he was going to be on his own this month. Chris was going to spend the holidays with his aunt and uncle since they had asked him and the count whether it would be alright. And the count…aw, man, he bet he was already preparing tens of special cakes for every single day. Not to mention the amounts of tea he would most certainly make… he wanted some of that tea, and a few pieces of those cakes. He didn’t feel like finishing these files right now. He’d be back in an hour, so hopefully the chief wouldn’t mind. Besides, that count still needed to be surveyed every once in a while. Who knew what he was up to now? Selling kids? Importing illegal animals? He grabbed his coat and hurried out of the office, careful so the chief wouldn’t see him.

When Leon entered the pet shop, he immediately noticed some things were away from their normal place. The cabinet in the hallway, the curtains.
‘Hey, count!’ he yelled. ‘What’re you doing? Moving, or something?’
He found D in the tea room, where he was carefully packing one of his fancy sets of teacups in a box.
‘Oh, detective,’ he said. He looked rather tired. ‘I didn’t hear you coming in.’
‘So, going to sell stuff? Giving some to charity?’
‘Actually, that would be a good idea,’ D said thoughtfully, looking at the boxes surrounding him. ‘I don’t think I’m going to need all of this where I’m going…’
Leon blinked. ‘Going where?’
‘Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t tell you yet?’
‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’
‘Why don’t we discuss the matter over a cup of tea?’
‘Well, actually that’s what I came for.’
‘You know, detective, you could bring your own lunch to work…’
‘I’d pay you for it, but a police officer’s salary isn’t something to write home about.’
‘Hmph,’ D said and went to the back rooms to make them some lunch.

‘I’m going back to China for a few months. I’ll be back in March.’
Leon almost choked on his chocolate cake, then lost himself in a desperate coughing fit. He recovered after a minute or two, while D was hitting him on his back rather roughly.
‘You’re going back?!’
‘I never wanted to startle you, detective,’ D apologized.
‘But you can’t just leave your shop behind! What’s going to happen to all the animals?’
‘Oh, don’t worry about them. I have plenty of food and water for the smarter ones, who’ll be fine without me. I have a couple of friends in Chinatown who’d gladly help me take care of them, then there’s the couple of friends who will take a few pets in their homes in my absence… and of course I’ll bring a few with me, as well.’
‘But… you can’t go back to China!’
‘And why not, officer? I’m only going on a business trip to find some new animals for the shop, and visit my family,’ D asked, slightly amused by Leon’s face.
‘Because… Because I still have to arrest you! You’re just trying to get away, aren’t you?’
‘Detective Orcot, in all these days you have been monitoring me, have I ever done something illegal?’
‘Not when I was watching,’ Leon answered stubbornly.
‘I know why you’re so unhappy about me leaving,’ D smiled, while feeding his small bat-like mouse creature some cake. ‘Who’s gonna make you lunch and tea while I’m away? That’s it, right?’
‘No!’
‘You could buy yourself some sandwiches… you could even learn how to make green tea.’
Leon shut his mouth and started to stare in his half emptied cup of tea. He still couldn’t stop himself from asking when he was planning to leave town.
‘Early evening of the 23rd.’
Leon nodded.
‘What is it? Going to miss me, detective?’
He didn’t respond, emptied his cup of tea and got up to leave. The count watched him quietly as he walked out of the room, through the hallway, through the door. When he turned around to close the door, their eyes met for a moment. D recognized that look anywhere, whether it was in the eyes of an animal, or in the eyes of Leon. It was the look of a hunter whose mind was set on something. The animal which resembled Leon at that moment the most had to be a hungry wolf. D’s heart stopped for a second. He had never seen Leon with eyes like that.

‘D is going back home?’ Jill exclaimed as she heard the news. ‘You’re kidding me!’
‘I’m serious,’ Leon responded.
‘We should go see him and say goodbye! When was he leaving again?’
‘The 23rd. But I’m not coming with you.’
‘Huh? Why not?’
‘I’ve had enough of that whole case. I wish him all the best in China, but that’s it. It’s not as if he was my friend or anything. I mean, I still believe he owns one hell of a shady business.’
‘Aw, come on, Leon!’ Jill tried to convince him. ‘I’m sure he would appreciate it if you did!’
‘Well, I’d appreciate it if he’d stay,’ Leon mumbled.
Jill gave him a surprised look, which quickly changed to one of understanding. For a moment, there was silence between them.
‘He’ll be back soon enough,’ she then said softly.
Leon already regretted saying that out loud, and pretended to pick up some work for a change. His considerate colleague gave him a tap on his shoulder and walked off again, giving him some privacy.

***

The 23rd, 8 pm, Leon was running so hard towards Chinatown he thought his lungs would explode, in spite of all his physical training. He almost tripped where the streets were covered with green beans and a shopkeeper hadn’t yet bothered to clean it up. Trying to avoid the other pedestrians was also giving him a hard time, but he ignored their angry remarks. He could be too late. He had already dropped the box with a cake inside twice, and he didn’t even know at what time exactly the count would leave the shop.

Look at you, he hissed to himself as he hurried around a corner. Look at you. What did he do to you? Why are you doing this?

Suddenly, he stopped running. He saw a figure in a kimono, holding a suitcase, at the end of the street, under a street lantern. Leon watched him as he slowly walked away from him.

‘Yo, D!’ he yelled, clenching his hands into fists so firmly he almost crumbled the box with the cake in it. When D turned around and, barely visible because of the distance, smiled when he recognized him, Leon changed his mind and put the box on the pavement before he ran towards him as fast as he could. When he was almost with him, he remembered how fragile D was and tried to slow down, but he couldn’t help it, he crashed into him and kissed him, his hands on his cheeks.

He kept his lips locked to the count’s, unable to let him go or to look him in the eyes and explain to him why he did such a thing. He didn’t know why he was doing it, either. It seemed to last for hours. Leon tried to catch his breath a little, and when he felt fine again, the count slowly put his arms around Leon’s neck and kissed him back.

Leon had never been kissed more tenderly. Girls’ lips could never match D’s. When he opened his eyes a little, he saw the count had closed his eyes, too. Leon sighed as their tongues touched and they were both overwhelmed by what was happening between them. He felt the count’s warm body pressed gently against him, as if their shapes were made for each other, as if he wanted him with him forever.
‘You weren’t going to leave me, were you?’ Leon whispered.
D shook his head and smiled.

From that moment on, they didn’t exchange another word. Leon took him back inside, giving him a kiss for every step they took, quickly taking the cake inside as well. The animals were nowhere to be seen or heard when Leon carried him to the biggest couch in the tea room. The count was light as a feather. Leon fed him a few bites from the strawberry cake he had brought with him. D licked the icing from his fingers and the look he gave him told him everything he needed to know.
He let Leon take off his kimono slowly, and Leon smiled when his body turned out to be perfectly human and beautiful. Pale, of course, and skinny, but beautiful. He seemed just as pleased with the body of his detective and let his nails slip over his chest as he stared at him. Leon saw the two colours of his eyes even when he didn’t look at them.

Naked, their bodies fit together perfectly as well. Leon could hardly believe how good D felt, how lucky he was. He was so glad D let him do this to him. Once again, they were both completely breathless. Leon felt high, but didn’t know whether it was because of the strong smell of incense or because of D, who was moaning softly with his every move. In the distance, Leon heard a bird sing as if to encourage him, and before long, more birds joined it. It wasn’t distracting. It was just some background music. D sighed.

That morning, D made him some tea and breakfast, and when he opened his eyes, it was already stalled out before him. Leon stared at his count, sitting next to him, for a moment before it dawned on him. D stroked his hair and kissed him softly.
‘Did I convince you not to leave?’ Leon asked after he had woken up a little.
‘Leon,’ D smiled. ‘I can’t leave now. I have a new pet to take care of, and he’s quite demanding, you see.’
‘Hey!’
‘The others agree,’ D said, pointing at the door, where cats, dogs, little sheep, mice and who knows what other creatures were staring at them.
‘They want you to live here with them,’ he said as some of them jumped on the couch and moved shyly in Leon’s direction. D turned his eyes to him.

‘They love you, too.’


Wednesday, the 20th of May 2009
11.44 PM