Notes: Sorry for the shortness of this. People were clambering for more, so I tried to do my best! uu;;; I will give up more writing later, I hope.


Chapter Three: Latte and Doors


The first customer to enter the shop was a lady in her mid thirties, holding a cup of something that steamed and smelled both awful (to D) and wonderful (to Leon). Tet-chan eyed her tasty legs, while Pon-chan ran in circles and something made a great deal of noise in the back of the shop. Leon had managed to find a dusty suit, and looked positively dashing as he strode across the carpet to greet the woman.

D, however, interrupted him before he had a chance to speak. "Welcome to Count D's Petshop. May I help you?"

The customer appeared not to hear him at first, and then started a little, smiling. "Oh, um... of course. I'm just... I ah.. am looking for an unusual pet."

Leon snorted.

D raised one eyebrow in irritation, but nodded politely. "You have come to the right place, then, Miss..."

"Mrs," the woman corrected him "Mrs. Carson."

"My apologies, Mrs. Carson," D said, smiling, his eyes curving into arches.

Leon looked a little put-out, but backed off, leaving D to do his evil pet thing. He didn't really mind that D was taking over, he just didn't like to be left out of things. While usually he would complain, at the moment he was a bit too dazzled by the intoxication of just being near D again. Though he wouldn't admit it... He moved towards one of the bird's cages and pretended to be interested in watching it preen.

D gave Mrs. Carson one of his "Petshop God" smiles and gestured to the door leading to the back of the shop. "Please follow me. I believe I have something that might interest you." He closed the door behind them casting a quick glance at Leon to make sure that the blond was behaving.

The door opened just as suddenly as it had shut, and a slim, dark-skinned young boy entered the front room with nothing but what looked like a towel around his waist. He yawned and revealed two white fangs. Leon looked away from the bird, and his brow rumpled upon seeing the boy before he realized that he must be one of the other pets. It was strange how sometimes they would appear to him as humans and sometimes as animals. He thought of some people who showered with their pets in the room and couldn't help but make a face.

"Am I bothering you?" the boy asked as he flopped lazily down on one of the couches. His hips rose like a girl's as he curled his legs inward.

"Nah," Leon said, frowning. "What are you?" he asked, suddenly, bluntly.

"Cat," the boy replied and grinned- again showing the fangs.

"Oh."

The boy drummed his long nails against the couch's wooden arms. His slitted eyes held Leon's in an almost predatory glare. "You're that human that used to be here."

"Leon." Hardly a polite introduction, but the blond didn't feel that the boy- er cat- was being friendly either.

"He calls me Femto-kun."

Leon didn't ask who "he" was. He made a noise and went back to watching the bird which had started sharpening her beak on a cuttlebone. D had claimed she was very rare and wonderful, but hadn't said why. Looking at her, Leon thought her green and yellow patterned feathers were very pretty, but she seemed to be an ordinary parakeet to him. He whistled a little, to attract her attention.

"She won't answer." Femto said from across the room, smirking. "You're making her nervous."

"More like you're making her nervous... you're the cat!" Leon snapped. He didn't like the boy at all. He was too pretty, too slinky. Besides, he was a cat. Leon liked dogs better.

The back door opened again, and Mrs. Carson emerged, carrying what looked to Leon like a chubby little boy with round, black, furry ears. He had his thumb in his little rosy mout, and was leaning against the woman as if she was his mother. Mrs. Carson looked positively enraptured.

"Now remember, you must feed him fresh bamboo every day, don't let anyone else see him except you and your husband, and above all, do not allow him to smell meat." D held the contract in his hands. "As I said before, this pet shop is not liable for any damages if the contract is broken."

"Yes, yes," Mrs. Carson said impatiently, then patted the little boy's back and sighed happily. "Thank you so much!"

"You are very welcome," D replied, his dangerously beautiful smile remaining in place. "Please take good care of him and come again."

As Mrs. Carson exited, Femto-kun stood up and stretched his brown limbs. "Count... would you please tell this human" he said the word scornfully "that he is making Leigha-chan nervous?"

D smiled and settled on the couch. "Aren't you the cat?" Femto-kun grinned and returned to stretching himself across the couch- though this time, his pillows included the Count's thighs. D didn't seem to mind, and scratched the boy's back lightly with his nails, eliciting a quite definite purr.

Leon looked away. "So what'm I supposed to do around here?" he asked, a little more bitingly than he had intended. "I can't just stand here and look pretty all day. I gotta work for my keep."
"Indeed," D agreed in a calm voice that grated on Leon's nerves.

"Gimme something to do for Chrissakes!"

"Language, my dear Keiji-san."

The pet name seemed to mollify Leon for a moment, but he continued, "I can work the register or something."

"You could also wrap parcels for some of the patrons," D said agreeably.

"Parcels?"

"Packages."

"I know what parcels are," Leon snapped. "I meant why are you wrapping up pets?"

D laughed outright at that. "Not pets, pet food!" His eyes sparkled with mirth. "Ah, my Keiji-san... I sell some pet foods here as well as pets themselves."

"And some pretty freaky flowers."

"Yes, of course."

Femto-kun gave a disgruntled meow, and Leon was only vaguely surprised to see a cat in D's arms rather than a boy. It was less disconcerting to him. It had seemed almost... romantic the way that they had been touching before. And now, it seemed just right.

D stroked the cat's ears, his eyes still on Leon. "He dislikes you. He says you are too abrasive and are not a suitable guest here."

Leon snorted. "He's one to talk."

D's eyes nearly closed, but his smile lingered. "Two tomcats fighting for dominance, hm?"

"What?"

"Nothing at all, my dear Keiji-san."


To be continued...