Chapter Text
It wasn’t, really, like he didn’t have enough part-time jobs. But when he found a dog being abused, Akira didn’t even think before stepping in, and then he was left with a bleeding dog that somehow didn’t quite look like a dog, though he couldn’t really work out why he thought that. Its tail thumped weakly when he ran his hand over its head, and then it stood, whining at him until he followed, down to Ikebukuro, and a small shop there- a pet shop. The dog scratched until Akira opened the door, and he blinked a little as he walked in, almost certain there was music playing- but not the song he was used to.
“Hello- oh! And who have you brought home? I see you got into trouble,” a man said, coming from the back room and immediately talking- to the dog. Akira was certain of that, and took a moment to study the man as he knelt. Chinese, not a surprise given the location, but almost aggressively so, with an elaborate silken cheongsam, which was currently supposed to be getting covered in dog hair and blood, the dog pressing against him and wagging its tail. Akira was startled when the man looked up, bicolored eyes taking him in and then widening slightly.
“Oh, my. Thank you so much for bringing Shishi back to me. He got out- is everything okay?” the man asked, still kneeling and scratching behind the dog’s ears.
Akira nodded, inhaling suddenly as time seemed to start from an unnoticed stop. “They ran when I yelled at them. Will he be okay?” Akira wondered about the man, and the dog, if maybe some of Tae’s medication, or a dia spell might be able to work, in some way. “I have a friend who I can get medicines from, that might help?”
The man looked at him, purple and yellow eyes blinking once, and then he stood as swiftly as he had knelt, looking at Shishi again. “I have my own medicines. But if you… wish to aid me, it would be rude of me to refuse. Will I come with you, or would you rather go alone?” Despite everything, the man’s clothing was still clean, and Akira couldn’t even find himself surprised.
“I wouldn’t want to bother you. I can get it and be back,” Akira said. He gave a small grin. “But it’s up to you.” He looked at the dog, concerned. “Will he be okay, though? I can carry him.” The man was strange, but Akira didn’t mind- strange was all that his life had become. He liked it that way.
“I had assumed your friend would wish to remain unknown,” the man said. “You may carry him, if Shishi is willing, and I shall see what medicines this friend has, then. Ah- introductions. I am D, and you have met Shishi.”
Crouching, Akira tugged off his jacket and then offered his arms, smiling when the dog climbed in, securely wrapped to hide the blood. “I’m Akira,” he said. “Tae will understand,” he said. “I hope you are alright with a train ride.”
To his surprise, the man, D, smiled, looking honestly quite delighted. “A train ride will be lovely, and will give us time to talk. Too few are kind to my pets…” That was said with an odd edge, a momentary sharpening- but Shishi licked Akira’s chin, drawing the attention of both of them, and D simply grabbed his keys and ushered Akira out of shop, turning the sign on the way out.
Akira didn’t answer, smiling at Shishi, just because he could. It reminded him of the tiny licks that Morgana gave when his teammate thought that he was asleep. “They were cowards, but they’ll get what they deserve,” he said. Rather, they’d lose what they didn’t deserve. He ignored any staring that there was along the way to the train.
“Oh? That is rare to hear…” D murmured, letting himself be led. Shishi whined a little, as the crowd got thicker, but was otherwise quiet, and his burden got Akira a seat on the train, while D stood, standing without holding the handles. “Why did you step in to save Shishi? And why do you care what they will get?” D asked as the train moved.
The question honestly confused Akira, and because of that, it took him a moment to answer. “...Why wouldn’t I? I was there. Same reason for why I care, I think. I don’t understand the question.” As long as Morgana was able to get names, it would be an easy and quick trip to Mementos.
D placed one nail to his mouth, a long, elegantly painted, sharp nail, against painted lips- and yet, Akira was still sure he was a man, and aware that it really didn’t matter. He smiled a little and said, “But why would you? Those who did this would not care. Do not care. You do. And Shishi brought you to me…” And then, in a moment, D was smiling brightly, hands clasped together. “I do so enjoy meeting new people. Where is your friend?”
“Because I do? I shouldn’t have to justify caring about anyone else,” Akira said, though it was good natured. “We’re almost there. She has a little clinic in Yongen,” Shishi licked him again, and he wondered if Morgana was going to complain about the smell. The feline would just have to deal with it until he could get cleaned up.
“Not too far, I suppose,” D said, tilting his head, short hair falling to hide his yellow eye. “She’ll be willing to give her aid to a creature?” He looked out the window, frowning for a second, but his face smoothed as D looked back at Akira.
Akira cocked his head. “Yeah. I mean, I assume so. I don’t see why she wouldn’t.” A moment later, and Akira was standing and slipping from the train, D close behind. Yongen was bustling with the normal amount of people, and as usual, there wasn’t anyone near Tae’s clinic. Mostly, Akira assumed that, for the right price, Tae would help anything.
D was very quiet as they walked down the streets, and wrinkled his nose a little as they walked into the clinic. Shishi yipped softly as well, drawing Tae’s attention as D stepped forward. “You are this young man’s friend? He says you may be willing to help?” He motioned at Akira, and Shishi, who was whining again, softly.
“Willing to help, sure. Friends with my guinea pig? That might be debatable.” Tae stood, gesturing to Akira, who was already headed for the back of the clinic. “What did you get yourself into this time?” she asked.
“That might sting more if not for the fact that I bring you coffee most mornings,” Akira answered. “Some assholes were hurting him.” He gestured at Shishi, setting him on one of the few little medical tables that Tae had. She hummed, raising a brow at him, then at D.
“Well, I suppose it is a preferable alternative to using actual guinea pigs,” D said, looking at Akira again, measuring for a moment. Shishi yipped again, and D instantly turned his attention to the dog, petting him and cooing softly. “I can pay, of course,” he added suddenly, looking at Tae. “Simply let me know what I owe- let there be no concern about that. And I would say more that Shishi got him into this- at least so far as bringing him to me.”
Tae raised a brow, then her lips curved into the promising smile that Akira both loved and dreaded. “Nonsense,” she said with a wave of her hand, before reaching for gloves and jabbing a finger at Akira. “He’ll take care of it.” Akira gave a small nod to show he heard, mostly, already dabbing his hands with sterilizing agents and rooting around drawers for Tae’s supplies she’d want.
D’s dazzling smile returned, and he clapped his hands softly. “Oh, thank you. That is much too kind,” he said, and it was hard to tell if he was speaking to Akira or to Tae. Akira didn’t have too much time to consider it, anyway, playing nurse to Tae while Shishi lay there. D didn’t move from where he was standing until Tae physically shifted him, and he looked quite startled by the action, but stayed in his new place.
It wasn’t all that long before they were finished, with Tae bottling a few medications as Akira shoved his bloodied jacket into a bag with practiced ease. It was a good thing that he had a spare, considering everything. “Feel better?” he asked Shishi, smiling when he was yipped at. “Yeah, Tae’s good at what she does.” He ducked when the doctor returned, her playful slap to his head missing.
“Thank you very much, doctor. It is good to know there are still people like you in this world,” D said, bowing slightly to her before picking Shishi up, despite Tae’s gasp of protest. Shishi whined, watching Akira, and D sighed a little. “Will you carry him again? He fears you may disappear, it seems.”
“I can do that,” Akira said, slinging his bag with his jacket onto his back. “Thank you, Tae. You’ll text me when you want payment? I’ll stop by later this week, too.” He picked Shishi up, grinning as he was licked.
“Of course,” Tae said, pursing her lips. “Go on. I didn’t do anything special.” She waved a hand, shooing them out with well practiced ease.
“Thank you,” D said to Akira as they walked back towards the train. “For your effort and your money. But I think I cannot rest easy in your debt for dear Shishi. You would take no repayment, though…” He seemed to be thinking again, while the dog yipped happily and licked at Akira’s chin before falling asleep.
Akira glanced at him, then started back towards the train station. “It’s nothing big,” he said. He chuckled at Shishi, completely comfortable with being used as a sleeping spot, especially with how often Morgana did the same thing often enough. “I wasn’t doing anything important, anyway, just errands before work.” Well. He’d been planning to go to the Velvet Room as one of those errands, but that wasn’t something he was going to say.
“But you deserve thanks nonetheless,” D insisted, ever so delicately. He then fell silent until they were on the train and part way back to Ikebukuro. “What work does one such as you do? Enough that you do not flinch at medical bills for a pet who is not yours.” There was seriousness there, despite the sparkle of his eyes- eye, hair again covering the right eye.
“I have a few part time jobs, cashiering, bartending, this, and that. And Tae is most likely going to get her payment via blood and her tests.” Akira looked at the man, then shrugged as well as he could with arms full of dog. “She’s been developing medicine for a rare disease. I supply some blood, test her meds, and do some work around for her.”
There was something like surprise on D’s face for a moment, and then he nodded. “So that is the shape of your trust. But it sounds as though adding another job would not be a kindness- you already answer to many masters.” He frowned, looking at Shishi, and then motioned slightly. “Still, you will be missed if you do not return, and I think this one will be most displeased if I let you go so easily. We do not often get visitors such as you.”
Blinking back his own surprise, Akira cocked his head. “I’m open to the idea,” he said. “If you’re offering or know of a place that might have an opening. Tae’s almost done with her work, she won’t need me for anything after that, and I’ve been looking for an excuse to quit my job at the beef bowl place. The manager hired more people, so I’ve had less there.” He smiled, petting the weird dog.
The smile he got back in return was truly happy, but there were a few too many teeth in it. “Splendid! Shishi will be quite happy to hear that- but business can be concluded elsewhere. It’s nearing tea-time, will you stay? You could meet a few of the other pets, perhaps, and I can clean your jacket.”
“Tea time? That’s- ah, I’m sorry, maybe some other time.” Akira gave an apologetic smile. “I have just enough time to make one last stop before heading to work.” He gave another lopsided grin, cocking his head, and then shook it. “Thank you, though. And don’t worry about my jacket, I can clean it just fine.” Ann had taught him how to take care of bloodstains, and, anyway, he had enough for a load of laundry- and that meant a call to Kawakami.
“Ah. Yes, I would not want to cause you to be late,” D agreed, easily. “But please- it would be no trouble. I am quite skilled at removing stains.” He smiled a little, motioning at his own clothing, which was still immaculate. It was hard to consider that D knew how to clean fabric when there was no evidence that he ever needed to!
“If you are sure it won’t be trouble,” Akira said, though he knew he sounded as doubtful as he looked. “I have the suspicion that you’re saying that partially so that I do come back.” Despite that, yes, he did have that suspicion, he also did think that D trusted he’d return. As they started on the train, he looked around, in case Morgana was around, but didn’t see hide nor hair of him.
“Are you saying that it’s needed? It is simply my fault your coat needs cleaning. It is only right that I clean it,” D answered, with a perfectly straight face- possibly too straight. It only lasted a moment, before the man turned away, walking down the street with an easy step. It wasn’t far to the pet shop from there, though it was down a side street, and Akira was able to really notice that it was surprisingly hard to find the shop.
Akira shook his head, but otherwise didn’t answer. He didn’t exactly mind the silence, or the trip, though he was sure that it would be faster to use the Metaverse- and he likely would end up doing that, at some point. At the very back of the alley, he spotted the shop, hoping that he would remember the location. Stepping inside and he felt that strangeness again, unsure of what he actually expected to see when he entered. In his arms, Shishi yawned, then licked his chin again.
“He does like you. But then, you saved him,” D stated, motioning towards the couch a little. “You’re welcome to visit him, of course. Though with so many jobs, your free time must be limited. Your jacket will be ready by tomorrow, and I am here… nearly all the time. If I’m not… you may enter if the door opens, but I suggest you stay close to Shishi if you do.” There was a warning in that soft voice, but D was smiling, and Shishi’s tail was wagging gently.
“I can make time,” Akira said. “Besides, for all the ones I have, they’re not regular, or anything, usually.” He set Shishi on the couch carefully, then, straightened. “Thank you.” The warning was easily heeded, considering the way this place felt! As an afterthought, he did sling off his bag and offer his jacket, but he really didn’t think that was needed.
D took the jacket solemnly, with another shallow bow. “Then this need not be regular either. We can discuss that when you return, though,” he said. “And the thanks is mine, for how you have treated Shishi. I shall look forward to speaking to you again.” He set the jacket aside, and moved to show Akira to the door.
Although he shook his head again, Akira smiled, slipping out the door and making his way down the alleyway. He shivered as time seemed to flux in a way that was so very deja vu, but not quite. He was back at the train station when Morgana leapt onto his shoulders, complaining. Akira chuckled at him, but from the pleased sound, under the complaining, he knew they had names, and hearts to change.