90s sadness and gay???

[dtective]

[By this point, Leon has lost track of how long he's been searching for Count D. It became an obsession that only grew with time, and now he couldn't keep to one spot anymore. Not while D was still out there. Across cities, across countries, he probably looked insane to everyone around him. But they didn't know the half of it! Sometimes even Leon wasn't sure he understood what he was doing.

Right now wasn't the time to doubt himself, though. He'd hoped that this lead would get him even an inch closer to his goal, but he hadn't counted on spotting him in the streets. It had to be him. He'd seen him turn and look at him, and those eyes—]

Wait! Stop right there!

[He doesn't hold back, shoving his way through the crowded streets and keeping his eyes locked on him. It doesn't work, because of course it doesn't, and his steps slow in his confusion. His heart is beating way too fast, his stomach sinks, and for a moment he's sure he's lost his one chance.

But something catches the corner of his eye, and his instinct tells him to turn. He reaches out, grabbing the first wrist he can and meeting D's eyes with his own.]

...Found you.

Comments

[dtective]

[His face immediately scrunches up at that, and he sits up and pulls his feet out of D's lap.]

Shut up! [He can't help THAT... Instead he's going to scoot over a little and point at the newspaper.] You can read Italian, too? What's in the news?

[pruning]

[Oh, hello. At least the rat feet are gone.]

Of course I can read Italian. [but... he hasn't read any of this paper..... uhhhhh] Isn't human news always the same? Some people are happy, others are having a terrible time— it's hardly "news."

[Smooth.....]

[dtective]

[Some detective Leon is... He just thinks D doesn't want to tell him any of the juicy stuff, so he reaches over to yank it away.]

Don't hold out on me. What's it say?

[pruning]

[Okay, bye!! D blinks after his stolen paper, then leans a little closer to see what page Leon has opened to at random.]

Well, that would be an advertisement for reclining chairs.

[There is a big-ass picture of a chair on it. Thanks, D.]

[dtective]

You know what I mean! [He slaps the newspaper back at him.] What are the stories! Robbery, murder, arson, anything like that?

[He really does not understand that D was just sitting there like an oaf this whole time...]

[pruning]

Oh, those. [He says, like he didn't know that's what Leon meant. Those things, how different!]

No, there isn't anything like that. It must have been a peaceful day yesterday.

[dtective]

A peaceful day? Since when is there anything like that...

[Grumble grumble, he's very suspicious now and just settling back into his own space. His own space that is now much closer to D's.]

Whatever. I guess it doesn't matter. I don't have the authority to do anything about something like that.

[pruning]

[This is all D's space, Leon is just borrowing it. That's the logic here, and perhaps also the logic behind D reaching over without saying anything to try and flatten a bit of Leon's hair that's sticking up from his dumb nap. Ah.]

—No, you don't. [welp he's drawing his hand away abruptly, woops, he didn't do that thing.] Please don't get any strange ideas about becoming a vigilante.

[dtective]

[When he's busy thinking like this, that motion from D seems almost normal. He's distracted by the closeness of his hand for a brief moment, but his thoughts are stuck on his lost job and what he wants to do, and so any comments die just as soon as they pop up.

Especially since he's stuck on the word vigilante.]

Yeah, like I could pull off Captain America or something. [Pls...] I'd rather do things by the book.

[He's half wondering if he should try calling his old chief, but he'd be suspicious of him suddenly wanting to settle down... Would they want D?? What would happen, he doesn't know, does anyone really know what is going on??] That's gonna take a while.

[pruning]

[Oh, he got away with it. That's... nice. He thinks? He could think about this or he could prop his elbow on the back of the couch and just look at Leon while he has yet another mini-crisis about what his life has become. It isn't as if D has anything to say to this— now that they've established Leon ought to stay, his only solution is counterproductive to that.

He honestly doesn't consider the possibility that anyone else from LA wants anything to do with him. Why would they?]

You're going to become a detective again? [That will literally take forever, he can't even say more than three words in Italian.] And in the meantime...?

[dtective]

I don't know.

[Ughhh none of his thinking ahead included any of this. He'd just thought if he could catch up to D, he'd show him what was right!! But he completely blanked here and just rambled, and now what are they doing?

He puts his face in his hands for a moment here.]

About either of those things! I don't know yet. But I'll figure it out.

[pruning]

[Woops, there goes Leon's life falling apart again. D still can't do anything more than just look at him and wonder - what should he do now, what exactly is appropriate in this situation? Mock him some more? Actually attempt to comfort him??

He settles for a vague kind of hum. Good start. Dimly he wonders if Leon has clued in yet that he won't be staying in Italy forever, so if he's truly dedicated to staying with D, he'll have to do this all over again eventually. He'll, uh. Spare him that for now.]

There's always taking up a paper route. Ooh, you could do odd jobs around town!

[dtective]

[D... please tell him the language a couple years ahead of time so he can Prepare...]

What the hell kind of odd jobs would there be? [He doesn't know what Italians do... except SLEEP THROUGH LUNCH apparently.] God, the last thing I want to do is pick up some hokey part time job just to get by...

[Groannn... He scrubs at his face and drops his hand away.] But I guess I don't have much of a choice.

[pruning]

[Maybe... And who knows, deliver something. Like papers. Or lunch to lazy people.]

Please, you're acting like I'm going to start asking for rent. [he wasn't?? This never occurred to him. Hmm.] As long as you'd like to stay here, you're welcome to it.

[dtective]

[That gets Leon to glance over. He's still kind of sour because he always is, but...]

So you changed your mind from earlier, or what? [He thought he just invited himself in... But it's nice to have permission.] ...Thanks. I'm not some freeloader, though, even if you might think I am. I'll find some way to pay you back.

[pruning]

[Okay, did D just imagine telling him to stay? He did say that... he thought the rest was implied. He reaches over to pat Leon's arm. Please...]

How very prideful. I won't discourage you from pulling your own weight, but having one more mouth to feed is hardly an emergency for me.

[dtective]

[ nothing is ever implied in this way with Leon... But oh, he guesses the count must have a bunch of money if he's traveling around selling ILLEGAL ANIMALS... Er, or just that he's able to travel this much at all, or taking care of the animals? But he remembers the weird boat and has to Wonder...

Man, his head always hurts trying to figure out D. ]

If you say so. [ it's mostly pride... ] As long as none of them change your mind.

[ imagine getting kicked off the couch for a tiger or something?? How rude would that be. ]

[pruning]

[What an idiot... Also losing his space to a tiger is never a good thing to suggest, because now D is thinking about it. Even if he probably wouldn't, he has to make fun of it!!]

But where will T-chan relax? That poor child needs a comfortable place to stretch his legs after a long day.

[dtective]

Nowhere near me! He should have his own damn space!

[Just hearing "that poor child" again makes his frown twist even more disgusted. Stop...!!! It's weird! But after a moment of consideration, he adds in a grumble:] Or he can learn to share.

[pruning]

[It's not weird, it's cute, he loves his man-eating babies. Now he's trying to picture Leon and a man-eating monster sharing a couch...]

You would surely try kicking him out. I know you and your relentless need to take up as much space as possible.

[Don't deny that, it literally just happened.]

[dtective]

He bites!

[It's totally not his fault at all. At least half of the time. Maybe. So he's a little fun to mess with now and again, who cares...]

[pruning]

You kick.

[BARBARIAN!! He should put this whole couch in a cage labeled "stupid oaf" and see how Leon likes that.]

[dtective]

I'm not afraid to kick when times call for kicking!

[What kind of dumb line... Anyway, that counts D too, so watch out!! He... lightly nudges D's leg with his gross sneaker foot, that's all the playing around he's down for right now.]

The bites are almost always uncalled for.

[pruning]

[That's so stupid... Don't fake kick him!! That's awful.]

Well, it isn't as if you'll have anything to worry about— T-chan won't come around to see you. You've already won the couch.

[dtective]

...

[That's... oh. He thought he'd be able to laugh in success, but instead he's kind of bummed? Great. Cool.]

Don't go and make me feel guilty about it.