Title: Sugar Pills and Flowers
Author: Eeevee
Genre: general
Rating: K+ to be safe
Disclaimer: I don't own GetBackers. Shoot, I haven't even finished watching/reading the series, which I would have done if I owned it. So, this is a fanfiction done for a fellow fan. Ginji/Himiko.
Note: Based on episode 39. Haven't seen it? You should.
As I followed Hevn up the steps, I wondered why I was really here. It wasn't like Ginji was a close friend. Then again, I didn't have many close friends.
I'll be the first to admit that I'm not your normal girl. Working with people like Doctor Jackal has given me a dangerous reputation, but that's not the only reason my name is whispered in dark alleys.
Lady Poison.
I didn't earn that for having sugar pills and flowers.
I know that some sneer behind my back, saying that poison is only a woman's weapon, but may I point out that not only are my scents more effective than brute strength, they also are irreplaceable in most missions.
"Ginji Amano?"
"Oh, you're going to want to go up two floors and to the left three doors. He already has a visitor." The receptionist murmured politely from behind her glowing screen. Random machines beeped and flashed around her and papers were stack neatly, but she looked right at home.
I tried to picture myself seated comfortably in a small space answering phones and giving out random smiles to whatever moron happened to wander it. Truly, such women were gifted, because I wouldn't have the patience to deal with idiots like Ban and Ginji on a daily basis.
Again, I followed Hevn with half a mind. Hospitals didn't bother me the way it they seemed to bother other people. Maybe because in my career I saw the doctor far more than normal people. Needles and blood drawn wouldn't send me into hysterics. After shoving my kneecap backwards and having a finger bone shattered, little things like that just didn't matter anymore. Besides, I had trained my body to take large amounts of stress.
Being lithe like a cat had saved me more than I cared to think about.
"…snake bastard!"
"Monkey boy!"
Stifling the urge to roll my eyes at the boys' immaturity I glanced over at the patient. He seemed fine to me, bright-eyed and eyeing the fruit basket Hevn brought like it was a gift from God.
It was difficult to think of this man, no this boy, as the Lightning Emperor. Funny how people must say the same about me.
'I expect Lady Poison to be older…'
'Wow, cute, little girl. Now really, who are you? I bet your parents are worried.'
'Haha, where's your chest sweetie? Come back when you're old enough to drive a car.'
Ginji strained towards the melon that Shido was holding and got it square in the face. Not that it detoured him any as he simply forwent any sort of silverware and opted to eat it the way it was. Disgusting.
Sighing, I was going to find a place to sit. Was I really this pathetic that I had to hang around a hospital? Of course, before I could even find a seat Ban and Shido ran out of the room with some poor nurse. Well, I wasn't going to pay any bills those two racked up. Knowing Ban, there was going to be some damage within the next hour or so.
"Mmm," Hevn flipped her hair and watched a doctor go by. I wasn't surprise, just annoyed, when she suddenly wafted out of the room after the man. I could still hear her high heels clicking down the hall as I made my way towards the table with the fruit.
Glancing up sharply, I looked at Ginji. He looked slightly hurt that everyone had ditched him, but what about me?
"Would you like me to peel an apple for you?" I asked, gently picking up the knife. When he nodded and responded I picked up the largest one and started pulling the red skin off.
Careful not to nick my finger, I studied Ginji from the corner of my eye. What did Ban see in him? I wondered that since the first time we met and now I had an opportunity to figure it out. Might as well, since there was no one else around.
He still had a boyish face, which promised to grow more handsome as he matured, if a bit sharp. Warm, chocolate eyes seemed to peer out with a sort of innocence I knew no one who was associated with Ban could ever really know. Appealing? I suppose. He body was like his face, not yet filled in and slightly gangly with extra long limbs. Spiky blond hair stuck up wildly like his chipper attitude.
I guess I shouldn't look at him from a girl's point of view. But in a way he was cute with his ever-optimistic outlook and friendly nature.
Attractive.
Even though he didn't know me personally, he accepted me without reservations because I knew Ban. Even though Ban and I… weren't on very good terms.
People like Ginji were a rare find.
Maybe that was what Ban found in him: priceless treasure.
In a way I was jealous, but of who?
The blade slipped cutting into tender skin. Hissing, I glanced up as I heard a tinkle of bells. They were soft, just like the owner. It didn't help my hurt finger made my face turn slightly pink at all the curse words flying furiously in my head.
The string user looked between the two of us with a surprised sort of face, thinking who knows what about me peeling an apple for Ginji, before he started to walk away.
"Kazu-chan!"
And why wasn't I surprised when he said he was to meet Juubei? In a way, his relationship with Juubei mirrored my own with Ban.
"You two suit each other."
And just what did that mean? I was about to give the jerk a piece of my mind on that subject, but he had already wandered off looking for Juubei. I hope he fell in a pile of nasty hospital jello.
"Himiko-chan, what are you thinking about?" Ginji asked me as he greedily eyed the mostly peeled apple. How anyone could always be thinking about food was beyond me.
"Nothing."
He gave a small chuckle and I raised an eyebrow, this time making sure that the knife was nowhere near the ball of my thumb. It was a futile gesture because then he had to comment on what that blasted Kazuki had said.
Suited? No way. We wouldn't even make a good-looking couple. He was way too dorky and I look like a tomboy no two ways around it. At least no little kids have come up and asked me if I liked girls yet. Not to mention he was so happy! How could I brood alone when he was so happy? And then he would want to cheer me up.
Maybe that wouldn't be so bad.
"Hmm, I wonder where Ban-chan went." He continued, oblivious to my discomfort. I mutely offered the apple slices and he picked one up. Gobbling was the only way I could describe what happened to that poor fruit. He started gagging and I simply stared. "I'm choking."
Oh, okay.
Just what did he want me to do about it?
As he pounded on his chest, which wouldn't dislodge the apple by the way, I leaned forward for a better look. We were in a hospital after all, so why couldn't I just reach over him and press the call button? Just as I was doing that the door opened behind us.
That better be Ban.
"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry for interrupting!" Natsumi turned bright pink and abruptly fled leaving me slightly confused. It didn't occur to me what she had seen until Ginji's nose brushed mine because he was gulping air.
I leapt back like I was scalded, and in a way, it felt like I was. My whole body was tingling from embarrassment and something else. Something I didn't appreciate, especially after the couple comment and the fact that I had admitted that Ginji was something else.
"Wait," I called desperately into the hall, sure that she would have fled to Ban to tattletale on what she really didn't see. "You weren't interrupting anything!" Patients, nurses, and doctors jumped and I slammed the door shut.
"Was that Natsumi?" Ginji asked. He hadn't learned his lesson because he stuffed two more slices in his mouth simultaneously and spit out crumbs.
I grabbed up a teddy bear and started to throttle it. Of course, it was a harmless little bear in reality but my mind had pasted on an entirely different face. Which didn't help as I punched and pummeled Ginji's toy. Well, it was better than Ginji himself, who, by the way, was not on my happy list either.
It didn't help that he was sweet in trying to pacify me.
"Now, now. It's okay. I didn't mind."
"Well I did!" I screeched chucking the stuffed animal at his face. No one can say I didn't have good aim. "I do mind! A lot! I'm going home."
"Himiko-chan…" Ginji pleaded and practically fell out of bed to latch onto my wrist with his warm palm. I blushed and tried to pull loose, wondering if all those comments had gone to his head. Or worse, mine. Then he blew it, "Don't leave me alone!"
Needless to say, we landed in a senseless heap. I lay there wondering if it could get any worse and it did. I was almost afraid to see who was standing in the doorway this time. See? A normal girl would enjoy being straddled over some cute guy. Instead my eyes widened with horror at Hevn and Natsumi staring—or trying to stare in Natsumi's case—at the two of us making a spectacle on the bed.
If only! Then at least it would be worth all the embarrassment.
"How sweet." Natsumi whispered to Hevn and the older woman gave a smirk in reply. I considered snatching up the already-abused bear and giving it another round. Or maybe one of my poisons…? "When do you think they hooked up? Oh, should we give them some more alone time?"
"Please, come get your friends! They're tearing up the roof!" A frustrated security guard burst in, but luckily by then I was on the cold floor and not on top of Ginji. He was still woozy, but Hevn and Natsumi took that as the perfect excuse to take off. Traitors.
"Why do I keep getting stuck with you?" I growled and he gave me a kicked puppy look. However, after all that had happened, I was not remotely going to be a sucker. Scowling, I looked past him with hard eyes. True, what happened wasn't—mostly wasn't—his fault. And I was stupid for hanging around.
"You don't like me Himiko-chan?" He asked, tearing up and turning chibi. The sheets were clutched anxiously to his chin as if he would shatter if I told him that someone—namely me—on earth didn't just love him to pieces. "I thanked you for the apples, and, oh, if I offended you with saying we'd be a nice couple I didn't mean it!"
"Didn't mean we'd be a good couple or didn't mean to offend me." I sniffed, softening against my will at his hasty babble. Somehow I couldn't stay mad at him. Turning towards him I felt warmed at the smile that practically melted his whole face into boyish charm. Yes, he was a precious treasure.
"Uh…"
He paused long enough to wonder if it was a catch-22.
"I like you Himiko-chan, and I think we would make a good couple." He commented honestly, flinching. The boy couldn't lie for the life of him, could he?
I hid my face, fearing the blush would give me away. Honestly? That was the first time a guy had ever said that to me. It was nice that Ginji wasn't afraid of me. And the fact that he found me attractive didn't hurt any either.
I picked myself up off the floor and leaned over him. He was surprised but didn't resist as I placed an innocent kiss on his cheek and said implishly, "Thank you, Ginji."
I didn't expect to be molested in return.
After the kiss broke he gave me the most sappy, I'm-a-bad-kid-please-forgive-me smile. Which meant I promptly slapped him.
It didn't look too good when Hevn showed up with a sulking Ban and Shido. The two of them looked extremely peeved. I guess their little boy bet didn't go as planned. Two sore losers.
"Hey, did you two forget you came to see him?" I chided, jerking a thumb at the guy in the bed.
"Isn't she so passionate?" Natsumi whispered to Hevn with a knowing look.
Could I deck her now?
Those two weren't saved when Emishi showed up. He would just be another witness to my righteous might!
Just as I tried to launch forward two strong arms grabbed me from behind. I wiggled and struggled, trying to ignore that fact that there was a guy grabbing and holding me close. In fact, he was part of the problem. In my struggling I whacked him in the cheek—where I had slapped him previously—and he nuzzled the back of my head out of reflex. How rubbing his nose in my hair helped, I'm not sure.
But it was enough to make me pause. Well, that and Kazuki shouting that it was a hospital and we should all be quiet.
I practically died from the shock of Kazuki in drag. Not that it was far from what he normally wore, but thinking of such a deadly man playing nurse to a bunch of sick and dying people… it was rather mind-numbing.
Oh, and did I mention he looked better in that pristine uniform than I ever would?
Then Ban had to open his mouth.
Anyone who knows Ban, knows that when he opens his mouth, bad things happen. This time he was trying to incite a massacre.
"Quit it!" I growled, readying a paralyzing poison. "If you want to fight, do it somewhere else."
"Get back Himiko." Miss Nurse and Bells commanded, snapping my worn temper. I had the worse headache, a good-for-nothing slacker stole my first kiss, and Hevn and Natsumi thought I was going out with him! "You're still just a girl."
"What!" I screamed, completely ready to annihilate him. Uncorking a much more unpleasant poison, I got ready to unleash it on all of them. It wasn't my fault they deserved it!
"Stop fighting!" Ginji shouted over all of us.
And he got what he deserved. Okay, tossing him out the window was a bit harsh, but the results were good… I think.
On the way out of the hospital to a huge bag of Hershey's kisses, a hot bath, and some light reading—not to mention the 1500 mgs of painkillers—I smirked at Doctor Jackal and mouthed, "He's all yours."
Jackal cordially tipped his hat to me and strolled down the hall.
A/N: Based on episode 39, which I found absolutely hilarious, although mostly I was stuck up on 'how did Kazuki get his clothing back if the nurse had the key, then Ban/Shido used/lost it?' This didn't turn out as nice as I'd of liked, but it fits the challenge. I felt unsure of Himiko's speech patterns (let alone thoughts!) and I let Ginji keep his honorifics. J, I hope you liked the ending --
Beta's comment: Yeah, I think all of Winnipeg heard that squee on the bus ride home
You are 100 correct, know your audience: ME! This was the best possible ending you could have ever written. It's open and vague and … whispers did you notice the potential threesome in there? This was all choked up I lo—wait it needs to be kept K+ ...