This little series of fics was slightly inspired by the song 'Sweet Disposition' by the band Temper Trap (look it up if you have time, it's a good song). I don't know how many of these I'm actually gonna do, at the moment I'm thinking 8 but my creativity could disagree. And don't expect consistent updates; it's not gonna happen, sorry. Anyways, enjoy!

This one is first-person, and Shido's the one talking.

A Moment

I can't tell you the moment I started hating Ban Mido.

Probably it was when the snake bastard left Infinity Fortress the first time with our Raitei, Ginji Amano, in tow. He took one of the few friends I had away from me, and I hated him for it.

The hatred only grew when I saw Mido and Ginji together during my last night working with Akutsu. I couldn't forgive the snake bastard for taking Ginji away, especially when I saw Ginji get hurt worse than I'd ever seen when he was Raitei.

I got my revenge on him when I took the violin, and I hate to admit it but the snake bastard led me to the best part of my life; Madoka. I'd still say I have Ginji to thank more than the snake, though.

In a strange reversal I also can't tell you when I stopped hating the snake bastard.

Sure, I still don't like the guy, and he's definitely an asshole, but it's not hate anymore. I'm sure some of this is because it's impossible to hate someone that Ginji likes for long, but it's also because of a growing respect I have for Mido.

This respect started during the whole IL thing, when we had to go stop Makubex, and Ginji and Mido were separated for most of the mission. The snake bastard may have tried to make it seem like the separation wasn't a big deal, but his constant muttering about Ginji's idiocy and horrible sense of direction made it clear that he was worried about his partner.

The slight respect doubled when I saw the gaping hole in Mido's shoulder at the end of the mission, a sign of just how far Mido was willing to go to save his partner and best friend. I'd never met anyone else who could calm down an enraged Raitei, especially not as powered up as Ginji must have been before the snake bastard got to him.

This respect continued to grow during the Venus de Milo case. When I first found the snake bastard exhausted and without Ginji, I was a little worried, although I was sure Ginji could take care of himself. Mido may have tried not to show it, but he was more worried than I, stopping every now and then as we walked as if he were trying to sense something; even Emishi noticed his concern. I even found myself deferring to the snake bastard's leadership, not that it'll ever happen again.

As my respect for the snake bastard grew, so did the feeling that the bond between Mido and Ginji was something unlike anything I had ever seen before. Sure, the rest of the Four Kings and I all had a special bond with Ginji, but this was something greater; something pure, unbreakable, and perfect. And being able to give Ginji something like this is another reason I find myself respecting the snake bastard.

When I see Ginji smiling, happier with snake bastard than he ever was in Infinity Fortress, there's a moment- just a moment- when I find that I like Ban Mido.