Revenge Exchange

A/N: Okay…here’s the second chapter. The last one was kind of dull, I know. This one has things winding up, though. It’s pretty fun, since Ten-chan is sneaky, Sofu’s being an overprotective grandpa, and Leon…well, he’s just being Leon. D just kind of gets caught in the middle most of the time. Now, I hope you like this chapter…Just so you know, this story has been completed, so I have it all. But I was hoping for more reviews T_T.

Warnings:

FL--Foul Language

V--Mentions of Violence

Chapter 2: Inauspicious Beginning

“So he’s standing in the doorway,
Like he owns the place,
With a look of smug satisfaction on his face.
I’m gonna give you up,
Of that he’s sure as Hell.
But I take one look at him
And I know I’ll never tell.”
--Murder By Death, “Brother”

Dawn broke cold and clear over San Francisco, fingers of gray light creeping into the bedroom. Leon burrowed deeper under the covers, taking advantage of his opportunity to sleep in. Soon enough, a few miles away in Chinatown, there would be enough noise to make him wish for his bed again. But no matter how loud it got outside, right now, it was calm, quiet, and warm in his bed. He was glad he had thrown an extra blanket onto his bed the night before. Chris had two extra, just in case.

The boy had been asleep since around nine the night before, and he hadn’t heard anything, so he guessed that he was still in there. Leon thought for a moment. The plan was—loosely—to go the pet shop and grab D and his grandpa, then head out to the festival. After getting something to eat, they would watch the fireworks. Simple. Now, all he had to do was get out of bed. This proved to be easier said than done.

A sigh came out of his mouth as he stretched. Today should go rather well. The festival and all of the excitement should tire Chris out, so they might need to turn in early. That was all right with him. After all, he had no other plans.

When he levered himself up into a seated position, swinging his legs over the side of the bed, Leon regretted going to bed without a shirt. This feeling was compounded when he heard the doorbell. “I swear to God…somebody better be bleeding to death...” Who the hell went around bothering people at six thirty in the morning? Leon decided that if whoever was at the door had decided to visit while most sane people were still asleep, then he wouldn’t do them the courtesy of throwing on a shirt.

On the way to the door, he bumped the thermostat, and the heat came on immediately. It must have gotten thrown off again. He was going to have to speak to Mr. Hong about that. Stalking into the living room in his flannel plaid pajama pants, Leon’s feet made quiet swishing noises on the carpet, and finally, they slapped three times on the hard wood near the door. It took about thirty seconds to disengage all five locks, since two of them had become stuck, and when he ripped open the door, he found himself staring at a familiar face.

Or at least, it was familiar at first. “D?” he asked confusedly, but the man standing before him shook his head. When he opened his mouth to speak again, Leon found the man pushing past him into the apartment. That was when he knew that it was not D he was dealing with. This guy had a presence that was overwhelming, commanding even, unlike D, who seemed almost as if he could melt into the furniture at any moment like he was part of the world in general. He swept into the place with his heavy, old-fashioned coat swirling around him, flipped on the lights, and took in the living room with a glance before turning up his nose.

“You, I presume, are Leon Orcot?” The man asked tartly, his unsettling gold eyes pinning Leon where he stood, making him feel much like an insect. He could do nothing else but nod as he stood there, the doorknob in his hand, gaping at the guy. Leon’s throat felt dry, and his palms started sweating. He felt like he had done something heinously wrong, and was being sent to the principal’s office. Only, his high school principal wasn’t even half this scary. One of the man’s dark, delicate eyebrows rose, and his eyes roved toward the door. Leon was so relieved that he was not their target any longer that he completely forgot to wonder why they were even looking at the open entryway. “You can come in, my son.”

A soft whining noise came from behind Leon, and he looked over his shoulder. D was standing there, a look of embarrassment on his face, topped off with a light blush. God…it is way too early in the morning for this. Leon felt like he was in the middle of their family drama. In a tone that made him sound like a whining teenager, D said, “Grandfather…this is not necessary…”

The golden stare of D’s grandfather was still latched onto the younger of the two Chinese men. Waving a dismissive hand in an imperious manner, the man said archly, “I beg to differ. This is quite necessary.” When he looked back to Leon, the detective swallowed hard. “You are the police officer that has been harassing my grandson, are you not?” The intense dislike that had suddenly surfaced in old man D’s eyes left him speechless. With an irritated sigh, the man continued. “It matters not if you actually answer me. I have come, Detective, to make my intentions clear. My name is Sofu D, and as current head of the family, I am warning you right now, that no good can come of this behavior. If you do not cease and desist in pestering my grandson at every turn, I will seek legal restriction. Is that clear Detective Orcot?”

Now, Leon had been in strained situations before, but never anything like this. And there was a little voice—growing, now—that was telling him that this man, no matter who he was, had just crossed a line that should not be crossed. Indeed, at his side, D gasped quietly. He looked at the shopkeeper, who now stared open-mouthed at his own grandfather. It was, perhaps, this disbelief that gave him the courage to say, “I think that I’m going to have to ask that you leave.”

Sofu, who had just seated himself in the same chair that D had the day before, shot a withering glance at Leon, who returned it icily. “Excuse me?”

--

D watched as Leon Orcot stood his ground against Sofu D…and he was awed. Leon took three steps forward, off of the wooden entry floor, and onto the carpet. His back looked very broad as he crossed his arms muscles tensing and knotting in his shoulders, and though D could not see them, he was sure that the detective’s eyes were positively murderous. When he spoke again, the Leon’s voice was filled with cold, quiet indignation, and the conviction of a man that knew he was totally in the right. “I didn’t stutter, Sofu. I said that you will have to leave.” Leon looked over his shoulder. Blue eyes twinkled at D, and he said, “You can stay, if you want to, D. I’ll even put a shirt on. But your grandpa’s gotta go.”

A choked sound came from D’s throat. No one had ever dared to speak to Sofu D in such a fashion, and he was beginning to fear for the detective. His grandfather was glaring so hard at Leon that he wondered how the blonde man did not spontaneously combust. Leon’s face turned back to the older man. “If you came in and said ‘hi’ first or something…I might think different. But you bust your way into my place like it belongs to you, then you tell me that if I don’t leave D alone, you’ll sue me? Or what? Slap me with a restraining order?” Disdain dripped from every word as Leon continued, his voice rising in volume. “Well let me tell you something, old man. I would put cuffs on my brother if he broke the law. I’d get him a lawyer, and all, but I’d arrest him. Just because D is my friend, it doesn’t mean that I can just turn off the fact that I’m a cop. Now do me and you both a favor and walk your happy ass out of my apartment. I don’t wanna start yelling at you and scare my brother.”

D started. Leon Orcot had just used the word ‘friend’ to describe him. Not ‘suspect’, ‘perp’, or anything of the sort. He couldn’t help the tiny smile that pulled at the corners of his mouth. The fact that he’d insulted his grandfather was secondary. In all honesty, D had protested to the very second that Sofu pressed the buzzer. He did not think it necessary, nor did he find it to be polite. Certainly, Leon did make a nuisance of himself at times, but it was in the man’s nature to hang around. He only truly bothered D when he interrupted business, which was rare, indeed. “Grandfather,” he said quietly as the older man’s face began to take on a reddish tinge, “perhaps we should go. I asked, I pleaded with you not to do this…”

This proved to be a mistake. Sofu’s head jerked in D’s direction, and he began to frown. “My child, I did not ask, nor do I need your opinion on this matter.” Now, D felt indignation rising in his chest. But before he could voice his agitation, he heard Leon speak.

“Oh, now you really are pissing me off, mister.” The detective stepped up to Sofu and glared down at him. “You can mess with me all you want. Call me any kind of name you like. But D…he’s your grandson. Why are you acting like he can’t speak for himself? If he really didn’t want me coming around, he’d say so,” Leon looked in D’s direction, “right, D?” All he could do was nod. There was a lump in his throat that was blocking any speech at the moment, so he thought it better not to attempt it. “See?” The detective threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. “D is pretty well grown up from what I can see, so he can deal with his own problems. If you want to get all uber-parental, do it somewhere else. Now if you don’t mind, I have to grab a shower and get ready for my brother’s birthday.”

Without another word, Leon stalked out of the room into the rear of the apartment. Sofu sat, speechless. D did not know what to say, himself. Thirty seconds later, the shower came on. Sofu finally found his voice. “I do not understand you, my child.” One finger pointed at the door through which Leon disappeared. “That is the most abrasive Cretan I have met in about eighty years or so. Why is it that you have not killed him?” An unpleasant smile stretched Sofu’s lips. “Should I do it for you? It will make everyone feel so much better…”

“Count?” they heard Christopher’s question from where he stood in the door to the back hallway, still wearing a too-large pair of pajamas that were printed with racecars. His hair was mussed, and he looked much like a smaller version of Leon. The boy was rubbing at one of his eyes.

D’s mouth curled into a smile before he muttered at his grandfather, “You will do no such thing. Leon is a friend, and so is his brother. If you will, I would like to introduce the boy to you. Be civil, if you can.” Sofu raised one eyebrow at him, and D was certain that he was quite unhappy. As head of the family for close to a hundred years, Sofu was unused to being contradicted, and did not take kindly when it occurred. He gave a small, jerky nod.

Putting his hand out to the sleepy child, he said softly, “Christopher, good morning. I believe that congratulations are in order. Today is your birthday.” When Christopher nodded carefully, D noticed that he was watching Sofu carefully. The boy was adept at reading the tone of a room, and the moment, this room was tense. “This is my grandfather, Christopher. Sofu D, this is Christopher Orcot.” The older man rose, giving a bow and casting his appraising gaze over the boy. Christopher looked back innocently, albeit a little hesitantly.

Sofu’s head tilted to one side as he stood again to his full height. “It is difficult to believe that he is that oaf’s brother…”

“Don’t talk that way about Leon…he’s a nice man. You just don’t know him.” Sofu’s eyebrow twitched upward. Christopher squared his shoulders. D nearly bit his lip. There really was something of Leon in him, after all. He would not have thought that Christopher could look Sofu in the eye. But it was apparent that Leon was not the only Orcot that was full of surprises. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Sofu. Would you like something to drink? I was going to get myself some orange juice.”

“Yes, please. But just water.” Sofu said mildly, and when Christopher disappeared into the kitchen, he looked at D. “You have interesting friends, my son…that man, and a boy who seems…well, they certainly must make life interesting for you.”

A minimalist laugh escaped D’s lips. “They do, at that.” After a moment, he cleared his throat, and gave his grandfather a sidelong glance. “Can you please apologize to Leon, grandfather? You offended him greatly…” Sofu’s eyes grew wide, and D quickly explained. “They are coming to the shop today as my guests for the New Year’s celebration. I would greatly appreciate it if there was not some kind of contest for male dominance going on while Christopher is trying to enjoy the festivities.”

The look on Sofu’s face was as though he had eaten something unpleasant, but he finally agreed. “If I must—“

“And you must, grandfather. He will be much more at ease if you apologize. Believe me, Leon understands how you feel. He is quite protective of Christopher.” Sofu seemed to understand, and nodded his agreement. D nearly sagged in relief. “Thank you, grandfather.”

His grandfather’s long, slender hand fell on his shoulder, and Sofu said, “Think not on it. I would not wish to make life more difficult for you, even if I think that Leon Orcot is a bumbling moron that cannot behave himself in polite company.” Now it was D’s turn to be annoyed. The civility that Sofu would show Leon was sure to be frosty, at its best. Thankfully, his visit would be of short duration. At this point, D would settle for what he could get…

--

When Leon got out of the shower, he peeked into the living room. Both Sofu and D were still there. Chris was perched on a chair, and was entertaining himself and D by talking about all of the animals he saw at the zoo. Sofu D glanced at Leon from the corner of his eye, but made no move to leave. Rolling his eyes, Leon crossed the doorway and went to his room to change. It was, according to the radio, a nippy forty-seven degrees, but without that dratted fog that seemed never to leave at this time of year. Because of this, he pulled on a button-down shirt that used to be white, but now looked a little gray, along with a red sweater. This, along with the best jeans he had, would be his wardrobe for the day.

Padding into the living room, he said, “Hey kiddo…why don’t you get dressed? I’ll make you something for breakfast.” The boy hopped down from his chair and ran into the back hall. Leon turned his eyes to Sofu. “I didn’t really think you’d leave.”

The older man gave a short laugh. “While you were…readying yourself, my grandson explained to me precisely why you reacted the way you did.” Sofu smoothed the sleeve over his left arm, pale fingers playing over dark wool. “Perhaps…perhaps I was a bit too forceful. I am sorry, Detective Orcot.” Leon’s eyes must have looked as if they would bug out of his head. For all he knew, at least. To say that he was surprised would be an understatement. An apology was the very last thing he had expected from this guy. What had he thought would happen? At best, the hoity-toity bastard would have given him a tongue-lashing using words so big he would be looking them up in a dictionary for a week before he could formulate a fitting comeback…and at worst, he would have to deck the pale son of a bitch.

The surprise was, however, a pleasant one. Sighing, he gave Sofu a lopsided grin. “Hey, no hard feelings,” Leon held out a hand for Sofu to shake, and it was taken gingerly. “Okay,” He said briskly after releasing the hesitant hand, “I gotta make Chris something…are you guys hungry? I could…say, D, is Madame Crousset’s open right now?” The surprised look he got from those mismatched eyes made him laugh a little. “I could go and grab some of those custard tarts for you if you want. After I scramble some eggs for Chris and myself.” After a second of wondering if the entire family had D’s sweet-tooth, he asked Sofu, “And what about you? Is there anything that you’d like?”

D blinked rapidly, seemingly confused by Leon’s sudden burst of hospitality. He put a hand on Sofu’s arm, and pulled him a little toward the door. “No, thank you, Detective. I will be taking grandfather back to the shop. We will be happy to receive you once he has washed. He did not stop when he got back, insisting upon coming directly here once he had come into the shop.” That didn’t really surprise Leon. Sofu had been giving off the distinct feeling of a guy that was overreacting big time. Now, everything was cool, though, so he was all right with everyone.

“Okay then, if you’re sure…”

Both men were heading for the door now, with D leading his grandfather. He assured the detective that he was certain they needed to go, and that he would call him to let them know when it would be all right for them to come over. Leon then walked them out, and said one more farewell before shutting the door and engaging all five locks. Shaking his head, Leon groaned, “And the day gets off to a rip-roaring start…”

--

“So what’s the plan, boss?”

The room was filled with smoke, and it smelled like old meat. There were four men seated around a table, and they all looked at two pictures on the table. Several hulking individuals waited around the edges of the claustrophobic space, and it was one of these who had just spoken. The ‘boss’ leaned back in his chair, picking up the photos. One held the image of a young boy, as he played in the park. This boy had pale blonde hair, and was smiling. “When everyone is distracted by the fireworks, one of you will grab the kid. Just in case the son of a bitch gets wise, one of you will be there behind him, and give him the particulars.”

The boss held up the second photograph. “Now boys, I don’t want you to forget what a wild card this bastard is…remember what happened to Joey?” Murmurs of agreement circulated the room, and he went on. “Leon Orcot might not be armed. He might not be packing. Fuck, he might not even be carrying a penknife. But that doesn’t make him any less of a threat. He didn’t need a gun when he busted Ace, and he didn’t need one when he took me down, either. So watch your fucking backs.”

“What about his partner?” one man asked.

Shaking his head, the boss puffed on his cigar. “No, she’s not the one we need to worry about. Orcot is the prize. He busted up the organization on his own. That son of a whore single-handedly brought down fifteen of us. One by one, you assholes. That bitch had nothing to do with it. All we need to do is get him out of the way. Then we’ll be on the way to our little comeback.” He felt a little shiver of pleasure at the thought of killing Leon Orcot. That baby-faced mother-fucker was going to get his, and he would be the one to give it to him. He’d pay him back personally for eighteen months of hell on earth.

It was a miracle that his attorney found the technicality that allowed him to walk the streets again, unlike the other fourteen men from the organization that were still rotting in jail. Right now, all he wanted was to look into Orcot’s baby blues when he cut off his balls. Then he’d kill him. Oh, revenge was a dish best served cold, but he’d get it piping hot, along with a side dish of pain. That is, if he didn’t pass out before the end. Hell, as long as Orcot died, he didn’t care. He just wished that they didn’t have to wait until tonight.

--

Ten-chan smiled lazily as he lounged on one sofa, his robes spread around him, and his hair unbound, flowing over the arm of the large piece of furniture. He watched as D stared off into space, and as Sofu sipped his tea as if he had not just ordered the younger man not to associate with Leon Orcot. D stared for a long moment at his grandfather, his face carefully blank, but Ten-chan could sense that his patience had become frayed. It was obvious that the slender, beautiful young man was about to snap. Finally, the tension in the room broke. D shot to his feet from his seat, hands balled into tight fists at his sides as he whirled around to glare down at his grandsire.

“Just what is it that you despise so much about Leon Orcot? I realize that he is a…a boor at times, but he is a good man. And I can hardly help associating with him, grandfather. Even if I wanted to.” Ten-chan’s lips curved into a secret smile. The younger D would never admit to it, but Leon Orcot affected him in ways more profound than he himself was aware. Perhaps Sofu feared this change, and it was this fear that caused him to react with such violent distaste. But D was far too stubborn—a trait inherited from his father—and had grown more courageous when dealing with the man that had raised him. “And in case you were wondering about that, grandfather, I most certainly do not want to.”

A vacant expression came over Sofu’s golden eyes as he lay down his cup. “And this is your final word?”

D crossed his arms over his chest, a sullen expression causing his mouth to pout. “Yes.” And that was when Sofu’s face changed, breaking into an absolutely evil grin. D rightfully looked alarmed, and stammered as he backed away. “Grandfather? What…what are you looking at me like that for?”

Sofu stood, embraced his grandson, and said laughingly, “You will understand soon enough, my child. Please, give my apologies to Christopher, and my…regards to the Detective. I must go.” Ten-chan’s eyes followed the departing man as he swept out of the room, leaving D utterly flabbergasted. He fell onto the couch opposite Ten-chan, and stared at the cup his grandfather left behind. The expression on D’s face was all it took to know that he was more confused than he had been in a very long time.

Deciding that he would let the man stew for a while, Ten-chan sat up, and made to leave. On second thought, he scooted closer. Well, perhaps a tiny bit of harassment after all? “What was that about?” he purred, setting his chin on D’s shoulder. D said nothing, but only continued to stare out into space. The room grew very quiet, and Ten-chan began running his fingers through D’s hair, to pass the time. He watched as the man’s eyes slid shut, giving himself over to the feeling. Soon, D was pliant enough that he allowed himself to be lowered to the couch, his head resting in Ten-chan’s lap. He used the pads of his fingers to massage D’s scalp, and he heard a quiet groan.

“Mmm. Thank you, Ten-chan…that feels…nice.”

Ten-chan thought that might be an understatement, but he didn’t say anything. It was obvious that D needed this. There were few times when D became so agitated that he let his guard down completely, but this seemed to be one. Now, he chanced a few words. “Perhaps…perhaps you should wear something nice today…”

“Mm?” D made an inquisitive noise, and snuggled against him, bordering on sleep.

“Today is a special day,” Ten-chan whispered, “and you want to look special too…” D nodded slowly. “But if you change, you can’t go to sleep now…” The nearly slumbering man’s eyes fluttered open, gazing up at him. He began to look panicked. And truly, anyone would that routinely took two hours to pick out what they were going to wear for the day. “I already taken something out for you, D.” Ten-chan smiled, his teeth glittering mischievously. “It’s laid out on your bed.” And just like that, D was off like a shot. “Like taking candy from a baby…”

A/N: Hey, did you like it? If you did, tell me! I'm kind of starting to doubt the handle I have on the characters.