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

[pruning]

[At least wine and dine him a little.]

That will do. [He Knows, thank you. That hair playing is kind of distracting... He'd almost like to lay here and do nothing but enjoy that feeling, but since when has he ever managed to peacefully keep his mouth shut?]

Perhaps soon... I could give Chris a call. ["Soon" i.e. "in at least a week" but whatever.]

[dtective]

[That's good! This is much better than keeping his mouth shut! Leon perks up excitedly, his fingers pausing to curl in where they are.]

Really? I'm telling you, he'll love it! You don't have to say where we are, or anything like that, but if he could just hear your voice for a second...

[pruning]

[Ugh, he's so excited... D is firmly convinced that hearing Chris' voice for even a moment is going to break his heart all over again, but it's true that he owes him at least an acknowledgement of some kind. What will he say...?]

I will think of something to say. [..."are you being a shit brother"—] Will you also speak to him?

[dtective]

[Umm, Chris is better off without him anyway. He usually doesn't call him, but now that the chase is over, maybe just letting him know he's alright would be good.]

Sure. [This time. They can all call and talk.] Just say hi to him, D. You don't have to plan out some big speech.

[pruning]

[Ummmm, someone whined about that very same statement when it was D saying it about Chris and Leon, so??]

"Hi"? What a dreadful phone call.

[dtective]

[UmmmmmmmmMMMM, shut up, he's allowed.]

You know what I mean! Start with hi and talk like a normal person. What's so hard about that?

[pruning]

[no?????? ?? no]

Nothing, I suppose... [It's Chris though!!] I will handle it.

[dtective]

[Hmmm. Leon's quiet for a moment at that, his hand resuming movement in D's hair slowly.]

Don't worry. It'll go nicely.

[pruning]

[Is he being comforted...?? That's different.]

I— would not call it worrying. [He is, though.]

[dtective]

[He's trying, at least... Don't point it out or it'll go straight back to arguing.]

No? [He's not sure he buys that. Not that he's the master of reading D or anything near that, but...] It seems like worrying to me. You brought it up out of nowhere, so you've probably been thinking about it since earlier.

[pruning]

[What a nice effort, except for the part where he now has to talk about his feelings. He's trying valiantly to not let his face screw up in what is definite worry, but-]

I am not preoccupied, if that's what you mean. [Like, he had thirst on the brain, first.] But Chris... does not belong in this world of ours.

[Leon is now included for a variety of reasons not just limited to being a kept man. Still, D just thinks absolute total silence is the best way to go about this, is that so wrong?]

[dtective]

[This world of ours. Leon does notice that change of wording, and his heart flips a little, despite the timing. It's nice to hear D say something that isn't completely isolating him from all of humanity, even if the only bit of humanity he's including is him.]

Chris is growing up with his own life, now. He can speak again, he's making friends...

[It's all good for him. So Leon agrees that it's not like they can return to their cute, three person family. But.] But you can't just disappear on him like that. Hasn't he had enough of that?

A phone call won't drag him into anything.

[pruning]

[See, those reasons he's listing are all reasons D has considered as proof that he shouldn't contact Chris at all. He frowns, thinking about it, and can't come up with a good enough reason to jump from "reasons Chris should be left alone" to "so let's call him." He's a smart boy, he'll put it behind him eventually...

But god, he's already agreed to this phone call, stop heckling him about it!!]

Alright, that's quite enough. I have already said I'll speak to him.

[dtective]

[He didn't mean to heckle, really. It just sort of ends up that way... But Leon goes silent at those words, considering them for a moment before he ducks his head down enough to kiss D. Whoa! It's short and chaste and ends with him blinking stupidly at D's face before he pulls back and tries to look nonchalant.]

Thanks.

[pruning]

[Wh- That was cute? It takes him by surprise after all the heckling, and before that, Leon's flustered nonsense. He's— he's blushing, don't look at him, let him hurriedly start to sit up and escape this loser zone. God!!]

Yes, well, of course. I am doing it for Chris, so— [aaaaaa]

[dtective]

[Ohhh, is that blush! He sees that blush! It makes him perk up in amusement, because he's shameless.]

For Chris, huh? That's strange! I'd swear you were blushing! [Hah!! See, he can tease too, look at him go.] You know, that's not a bad look for you!

[pruning]

[Stop!! Now he's getting a hand in his face, so D can be free of this ridiculous teasing. It's only okay when he does it!]

There is no "look." You're imagining things.

[dtective]

Come on now, don't be shy about it! You get enough of that mysterious and calm thing going on, so what's the problem with getting a little flustered?

[Leon is pleased by this a little too much. Even as his face is shoved, he laughs a little and lets his arms drop away to free D. Fine, fine...]

[pruning]

[D is leaving, he's out of here... No, he's just turning away here on the couch and folding his arms like the mature adult he is.]

How presumptuous! I can't believe you're entertained by this.

[dtective]

What's wrong? You can dish it out but you can't take it?

[Leon sits up most of the way, nudging D's shoulder playfully.]

[pruning]

[Well, yes, but. He's still going to look the other way very maturely.]

Nothing is wrong. I don't know what you mean.

[dtective]

[It's funny. When D's like this, it's much easier to forget about being nervous. It's like any old good mood when he'd come into the shop... Warm and nice. But this time, he can put an arm around D's shoulders and squeeze a little.]

Uh huh, if you say so. If this is how it's gonna be, me and you, I could get used to this.

[He's gay... look at him being gay.]

[pruning]

[At least one of them is enjoying this. Though that's not entirely true - considering how easily D is placated right now by any kind of open affection, after all of that half-panicked hand holding, Leon's arm around him isn't excluded.

He scoffs, like Leon is just being absurd, but still leans into him a little. Hmm. Me and you... truly, he will never have to let Leon leave.]

This is not particularly different from before.

[Besides the kissing. Just saying, it was gay for a long time.]

[dtective]

...I guess it's not.

[Literally all of his co-workers knew except him, and Leon still won't acknowledge that. But he will look back and agree that, yeah, they were pretty gay for a long time. It seems okay to admit this now, even if every little move or word fills his chest with a light feeling. It makes him feel... energetic. When he'd just been stressed out before about all of this learning Italian and settling in crap, now at least he had the security of knowing he and D would stick together.]

That just means I'm already used to it. You should be, too.

[pruning]

[He should be used to it...? He's used to Leon, if nothing else. Leon's presence, his habits - good and bad, D is used to those things. He likes those things. Once again it's the leap from being used to each other and being people who kiss sometimes that he'll have to adjust to.

Fortunately he likes kissing Leon, and no one who would tell him not to has spoken to him in months, so—there. So there. He's happy, at least.]

Thank goodness I have your guidance and wisdom. What would I do without you?