A "What-if" special brought to you by QueenV-chan! ^_^;
Summary: What if Ginji had stopped Ban from spying on that girl at the hot springs (who turned out to be Kazuki of course)? What if the GetBackers had watched from afar? Perhaps Ginji would have learned something interesting about the Strings Master and his companion? Juubei/Kazuki, slight Ban/Ginji [Yaoi]
And because I couldn't resist inserting fangirl Japanese:
Baka - Idiot
Arigatou - Thank you
Iie - No
Nani - What
Demo - But
(incase you didn't already know)
Deliquesco
[to melt; to vanish, disappear]
"Let's go! Ginji!"
"Uhm, go? Do you mean..?"
"Baka! We're going to approach her and determine her real identity! How can we leave someone so suspicious alone?"
Of course, Ban was right. The girl wading in the hot spring below did look suspicious. Still...
"Uhm... Ban-chan..?"
"What?!" Ginji's partner was getting agitated now. They were on a retrieval mission. Which meant Ban wanted yen, and he wanted it now.
"I don't think this is a good idea. Spying on her I mean. She wouldn't like it..."
"Baka!" The brunet smacked the blonde upside the head. "What if she's the thief? You do want our payment, ne? We need to get a closer look," and with that Ban began to move.
"Wait, Ban-chan!" Ginji hissed under his breath. He didn't like the idea of peeping on a woman one bit! "Can't we just watch from up here? I'm sure we can figure out if she's the thief from up here."
Midou Ban shot a look at his partner. Amano Ginji didn't usually question his tactics. Something was different. "You really feel bad about this whole peeping thing don't you?"
Ginji looked properly ashamed. He turned his head away from his partner, trying to hide his embarrassment. Ban let out an amused chuckle and moved back to the blonde. He rested his arm around the other and eyed his partner fondly. "Fine, you baka," he ruffled the spiky blonde hair. "If you feel so strongly about this, we'll watch from up here," Ginji's expression brightened considerably. "But, if something looks suspicious..."
"I know, I know Ban-chan!" He flashed Ban a smile. "Arigatou!"
It was all the man with the Evil Eye could do to steel his resolve and not melt. /Stupid Ginji,/ he thought, looking back out to the waters. /Stupid Ginji and his stupid cute-ness.../
"Oi, Ban-chan... look..." his companion whispered, pointing out to the water; where the girl had been joined by someone...
- - -
Fuchoin Kazuki stretched his arms above his head before relaxing into the warm waters of the hot spring. He sighed aloud. His best friend - Kakei Juubei - had been reluctant to come along. But the string master wanted more than anything to help heal his friend's eyes.
"Kazuki..." He looked over to the voice and smiled.
"Ah Juubei. Come in, the water's nice."
Juubei of the Flying Needles looked as stoic as ever, but Kazuki wouldn't be much of a best friend if he couldn't read the other man. There was a slight curl to the short haired man's lips. A smirk.
"You know Kazuki," he began as he approached the other, "All that sighing you do is bad for your health."
The long-haired man almost laughed. Thankfully, he caught the noise in his hand before it escaped to the air. Anyone else saying that, it would have come across as a joke. But Juubei... Juubei had no sense of humor sometimes. Alright, most of the time. And to be able to say that with a straight face...
"Don't laugh. I'm serious." Kazuki was certain that Juubei would've rolled his eyes. Had the latter been able to see.
That thought brought the string master abruptly back to the present. Juubei's eyes; that's why they were here. "I know Juubei. You're too serious sometimes." He looked longingly at his childhood friend before moving towards him. "Here, let me replace your bandages."
"Hn." Was the only response he received. But Kazuki smiled, typical Juubei. Some things certainly didn't change.
- - -
"Holy SHIT!" Ban recoiled. "She's... she's a... SHE'S A MAN!"
"Shhh! Ban-chan! They'll hear us!"
It took a moment for Ban's breathing to return to normal. Ginji was quite afraid his partner was going to hyperventilate. When the blonde was certain things were okay, he turned his attention back to the couple in the water below.
"Ne, Ban-chan?"
"What?" came the slightly muffled reply as Ban was currently attempting to light up a fresh cigarette to calm his nerves.
"Doesn't she... erm... he kinda look like Kazu-chan?"
Ban did a double take and proceeded to choke on his cigarette.
- - -
"They're not too tight are they Juubei?"
"Iie."
Kazuki smiled and tied the final knot on his friend's bandages, "Good."
Silence fell over them, but something didn't feel right. The air got heavier, as if tension was building. It wasn't long after this that Juubei spoke:
"You know you don't have to do this Kazuki."
"Do what?"
"Take care of me..."
/But I want to.../ Kazuki thought.
"... it is my punishment from God for attacking you."
The string master almost broke into tears. "Iie, Juubei! It's not your fault..."
"Yes it is, Kazuki," the older man was facing him now, head bowed, 'looking' down at him. "I made a promise to you. A promise that I would protect you no matter what. I forgot that promise and attacked you. This is my punishment."
The younger was crying now, his sobs barely loud enough to hear. Juubei internally berated himself for making the one who meant so much to him cry. Again.
"It's not your fault," Kazuki whispered. "I forgave you for that. You don't deserve this, no one does..."
He heard the needle master sigh and a tentative hand reached out and touched his face. The long-haired man gasped as calloused, but gentle fingers wiped away his tears.
"Don't cry," Juubei's voice sounded uncharacteristically softer. "I told you, you shouldn't cry for a man like me."
This, of course, made Kazuki cry harder. He cried for his friend, yes, but he also cried for the time they had lost as a result of his leaving. Maybe if he hadn't left...
He wrapped his arms around his best friend and sobbed into his chest. Juubei awkwardly hugged back - comforting Kazuki was something he'd not done in many years. He rested his head atop the string master's, breathing in the scent that was so... so Kazuki.
"I will protect you no matter what," he murmured into his friend's soft hair. "Even if it costs me my life."
The shorter man hiccupped a little before looking up at his friend, smiling through his tears, "You... you're so old fashioned Juubei..."
Juubei gave a little laugh at this comment. Smiling down at his friend...
And then they kissed.
Neither was quite sure why, or who had instigated it, but it just seemed like a natural progression in their friendship.
Neither was complaining either. Why would they? Why would you complain about something that felt so right? Something that made you feel so complete?
So they kissed. Drinking each other in. Loving they way the other felt against them. Noticing all the details through touch. How soft the other's hair was, how smooth their skin felt.
They only broke apart when the need for oxygen became greater than their need for each other. They stood still, breathless for a moment before they found their lips meeting each other again.
And the rest of the world melted away.
- - -
"Ack!" Screeched Ban as he attempted to cover his eyes and Ginji's as well. "Don't look Ginji!"
"Eh? Nani? Ban-chan?"
Midou peered through his fingers at the couple who had locked lips for the second time. "Eeehh..." he half sighed, half moaned.
"What is it Ban-chan?" the still blinded Ginji wondered.
The dark-haired man spun his partner around and lead him away from their look-out point; deciding that they had intruded on Kazuki and Juubei's private moment long enough.
"Eh? Ban-chan? Where are we going? What about Kazu-chan and..?"
"Never mind them. They aren't thieves. We still need to find our client's ring."
"Demo... can't I go say 'hi' to them?"
"They need to be alone now Ginji."
"Demo..."
And Ban did the only thing he could think of to shut his partner up. He sealed the blonde's lips with his own.
And the rest of the world melted away.
~Owari~
And there you have it ladies and gents! My first ever GetBackers fanfiction. With my two favorite/practically canon couples! ^_^;