The apartment glowed in the wake of D's cleaning spree. Appliances and chrome gleamed like new and the warm scent of vanilla floated throughout the rooms. After much searching and cabinet opening D had found crammed in the back of the hall closet several varieties of cleaning supplies and another search yielded up vanilla candles buried in one of the kitchen 'junk' drawers along with markers without caps, miscellaneous batteries, pencils minus erasers and other such things.

Leon had called numerous times to check in with him; each time his voice a little rougher with impatience for the day to end. The first time he called D had been up to his elbows in foam bubbles scrubbing the bathtub down. The second time he called D had been on his hands and knees working a scrub brush into the grooves of the kitchen floor. The third time D really didn't get to talk to him because he couldn't quit sneezing from all the dust he had stirred up in the living room cleaning the furniture. The fourth and fifth time he called however, D had been sitting in the center of Leon's bed with several large picture albums surrounding him. D had found them while putting away Leon's laundry shoved in a cardboard box under some old coats.

D sat crossed legged with one such album balanced between his knees slowly turning the pages of Leon's life. Picture upon picture he absorbed his long fingers touching the glossy surfaces reverently. There were school pictures that Leon invariably scowled in, there were Christmas pictures, some faded with time, of lighted trees and a little blonde boy with a gleam of mischief in bright blue eyes, and numerous pictures of his loved ones. Leon standing an easy foot over his grandmother and nearly so his grandfather at his high school graduation. Leon with his mother, a startling insight into whom Leon favored, in front of the Seattle Space needle; his arm flung casually around her waist. He was surely no more then fourteen, just a slip of a boy, but his very real love and devotion shone through. Many of the pictures were of him and another child who bore an uncanny resemblance to Leon's grandfather. The boy was much smaller then Leon and at first D had assumed younger but quickly changed his mind at the maturity reflected in his grey eyes, an apparently much loved cousin. The back of a school picture of the boy was signed 'To My Favorite Blondie, Alan'; The ink was smudged and it looked like it had been carried in a wallet for quite some time.

D poured over each individual picture entranced with the bits and pieces of Leon they showed. One picture held him fast and he returned to it time and time again. Leon and Alan faced off in a ring, each one in tournament uniforms, each one soaked in sweat and staring intently at the other. It was attached to a clipping from a local newspaper proclaiming the Orcot/Duval family a brood to be reckoned with. D read over the yellowed paper a couple of times with a slightly bemused smile on his face. Leon and his cousin had swept the tournament leaving their competitors in their wake. The final fight had been between the two cousins to determine first place. The newspaper writer had used words like "marveled" and "like lightening" to describe an almost two hour match which had ended in a draw and joint sharing of the title.

"I wonder what other secrets you hold detective-san." D mused out loud.

"Many, but I'd have to kill you if you knew them all." D jerked in surprise and gave a shrill gasp. Leon gave him a lopsided grin from the doorway.

"Now how is it you never fail to greet me at the door of the petshop with tea already laid out and ready but you totally miss me coming through the apartment." Leon arched one blonde eyebrow his tone bantering.

"My mind was elsewhere…" D answered finishing the statement in his head 'and my grandmother's hex.' Leon just nodded and motioned towards the albums on the bed.

" I see you've found all my ancient history." D looked at the scattered books and for the first time wondered if Leon would be upset at him for prying.

"Yes, I must apologize Leon, I did not ask permission. Please forgive my rudeness." Leon shrugged it off and moved to settle on the bed beside him.

"Nah, I don't care look all you want. The apartment's never looked better by the way. Least not since I've lived here." Leon scooted behind D and pulled him back against his chest. D closed his eyes and basked in the body heat his fingers relaxing letting the album tilt away. Leon nuzzled beneath his hair burying his nose into the soft scented skin and inhaling deeply.

"Ummm, it's good to be home." Leon murmured across D's neck the tip of his tongue just barely swirling against the flesh. D purred in appreciation and leaned his head over offering more of the white skin to him. Leon obliged dropping light kisses along the exposed area in a random pattern. Things may have progressed further but Leon's stomach chose that moment to growl angrily breaking the mood and both D and Leon laughed at the noisy intrusion. D patted Leon's stomach lovingly.

"Really, Leon, you must be quite hungry I will cook for you if you like." D offered affection coloring his tone.

"I tell you what. You cook for me and I'll cook for you. Okay?" Leon asked standing and offering D a hand. D placed his hand inside Leon's much larger calloused palm and looked up into Leon's dancing blue eyes and smiled.

"Yes. I would be most pleased for you to cook for me. Perhaps after you will talk with me about the pictures?" Leon pulled him up and glanced at the albums.

"Sure, if it'd make you happy." D willing let Leon pull him into the kitchen and for the longest while the sounds of cooking and chopping could be heard interspersed with bits of conversation and teasing. Leon's brassy laugh echoed out once or twice, as did the more refined chuckle of D over some shared insight. Deep in D's bones a feeling of contentment and fate settled and he knew he was where he was meant to be. In the background a movie was playing on the television Leon had turned on in passing. It was an animation about a unicorn that had been turned into a woman and fallen in love with a prince. Just barely over the sound of vegetables being chopped could the lines be heard.

["Everything dies, I want to die when you die. I'm not some unicorn, some mythical creature, I'm a woman and I love you." The woman cried out to her prince in a voice high with pain.]

Leon kissed D on the back of the neck to distract him while he stole a piece of raw cabbage to chew on. D smacked his hand in mock anger and resumed chopping. Leon rolled his eyes and went back to rolling out the wrappers for egg rolls and hummed to himself happy in the moment.

["You have to save her, you have the power. I will kill you if you do not save her." The prince demanded raw anger in his voice.]

The sizzle of the onions hitting the heated pan filled the room followed by an aroma so good Leon's stomach gurgled in anticipation.

["I cannot. Not all the magic in the world can save her now." A voice heavy with too much knowledge answered.] Abrupt laughter rang out when Leon discovered the Count was ticklish and dug into his abdomen below his ribs.

["Then what is magic good for if not to save a unicorn?"]

["That's what heroes are for." Replied the magician…] D turned breathless into Leon's embrace and kissed him in an overwhelming surge of joy wrapping his arms behind his neck. Leon lifted him from the floor and crushed him against his body giving everything he could into the kiss. Loud popping from the stove made Leon reluctantly let go and both of them scrambled to save their dinner.

Down on the dark street below a tall man stood looking up into the lighted window. His sensitive hearing stretched to hear within the walls of the building. His coarse reddish brown hair flapped in the wind and yellow eyes were hidden behind tinted glasses. He stood with his fist clenched and an angry vein could be seen twitching in his forehead. He could see Nana and Q Chan's wards as clearly as he could see the sky. It was the only thing preventing him from taking what was his and killing the mortal that would dare to bed his property.

"I'm going to kill that bitch and her son." He muttered to himself in Chinese. He looked one last time into the window before turning away. He walked down the street to his parked car. He slid behind the wheel of the vehicle and rammed his keys into the ignition.

"S'alright my little kami. Nothing can keep me from you for long." A smug look crossed the man's sharp face.

"After all I know your name." He gunned the engine enjoying the feel of the motor rumbling in the red sports car. He shot out of his parking place and sped off into the night.