Get Back Kazuki's Manliness!
Written by wiredGIRL, July 20, 2003

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Little bells jingled as the door to the Honky Tonk opened. Sunlight pushed hastily past the tall, large frame that stood there. Ban glanced lazily over the rim of his favorite coffee mug at the figure standing silently in the doorway. Next to him, Ginji just nibbled away happily at a slice of pizza.

"Welcome!" Natsumi cheerfully greeted the customer.

"Get Backers." The customer said, emotionless. The two retrieval specialists turned their heads to look at him.

Juubei took a few more steps forward, letting the door swing shut behind him with a small ring. It made him tense just slightly, bringing to mind a familiar sound.

"I… have a job for you." He stated.

Ginji blinked twice, and slowly finished chewing the bite of pizza. After he swallowed he voiced his response: "Sure! We're happy to get anything for a friend of Kazu-chan's! Right, Ban-chan?" he grinned clumsily at his partner.

Ban nodded, and set down his mug. "We'll get it back all right, needle thrower!" he began cockily. "We do have a one hundred percent success rate, after all!" The fact that the statistic wasn't exactly true didn't register in his voice.

As Ban finished bragging, Juubei made his way to a barstool next to the Get Backers, sat down, and silently pulled off his sunglasses. He looked seriously into the eyes of the two sitting next to him.

"Kazuki…"

Ginji blinked again. "Did Kazu-chan lose something?"

Juubei gazed down at the polished surface of the bar table. "Please get back Kazuki's manliness."

Ban and Ginji stared at him, wide-eyed.

Ban broke the silence with a hefty laugh which lasted at least a full thirty seconds. Eventually Ginji poked his shoulder.

"Ban-chan! Stop laughing, Juubei is serious!" He said with a puppy-dog face. At this, Ban calmed down, and stifled any further snickers that tried to wriggle their way out of his mouth.

"That so?" he still smirked, but Juubei didn't notice. "Heh, well, we've had worse jobs." He lit up a cigarette.

Ginji, smiling warmly, decided to input into the discussion. "We'll try our best to get it back, right Ban-chan?" his partner nodded. "I'm happy to do something for Kazu-chan and Juubei." Ginji finished off brightly.

"So…" Ban slyly cocked an eye at their client. "What about payment?"

Juubei nodded. "I'll pay you well."

Ban broke out into a grin and stood up. "Yes! Okay then! Ginji! Let's get movin'!" Ginji dropped the pizza crust (he doesn't like the crusts) onto his plate and hastily pushed himself up enthusiastically in response.

Ban looked down at Juubei, who had turned in his stool to stare up at the Get Backers. "Need Kazuki's manliness back by any particular date? Time?"

Juubei shook his head slowly. "Just…soon."

Ban grabbed Ginji's wrist and pulled him along as he marched towards the door. "All right!"

Ginji stumbled a little, trying to keep up with his partner, as he looked back at Juubei. "Bye! Don't worry, we'll get it back."

As the man with the evil eye led him outside, Ginji wondered how they even could try to get back such a thing as manliness. But Ban seemed confident enough, and he trusted in his confidence.

As he took his last step outside, Ban let go of Ginji's wrist, making his arm fall back to his side. Ban looked over his shoulder at him and smiled.

Doubt still tugged innocently at the sleeve of Ginji's mind, however.

"Um… Ban-chan?"

"Hm?"

"How can we get back 'manliness'?"

Ban grinned at his partner. "Why, by the one power that can make a real man, Ginji!"

Ginji blinked cutely, without a clue.

"A woman, of course!"

~~~

"What?!" Hevn stood up in protest. "You want me to what?!"

Ginji repeated what Ban had asked of her. "Come on to Kazu-chan."

Hevn stared down at the still seated boy who grinned innocently, an eyelid twitching slightly.

"I refuse," she sat back down on her sofa and pouted at the carpeted floor of her apartment. When she looked back up, Ginji was giving her his trademark puppy-dog face, complete with quivering lip. She looked to the side, feeling the pull of his adorable expression. Ban must have taught the boy to use the face to his advantage.

"But… Juubei said he wants Kazu-chan to be like a man again…"

She glanced up at Ban, who was smirking. Sure enough he must have told Ginji to break out the cuteness. Hevn sighed. There's no resisting to that expression, and she caved in.

"All right. I'll try."

"Yay!" Ginji grinned out.

Hevn couldn't help but smile at the two; Ginji was so innocent, he didn't even realize why it bothered Juubei that Kazuki acted feminine. Ban probably thought of himself too much to realize the truth. It was best to just play along and please the Get Backers.

~~~

Ban knocked on Kazuki's apartment door. Ginji stood aloof but smiling behind him, and Hevn behind Ginji, a little impatient.

After a few seconds, Kazuki opened the door with a smile. "Good afternoon, Ban-san, Ginji-san! Hevn-san." He bowed politely, and stepped back to allow them into his home.

After they had taken off there shoes, Kazuki led them into his living room and sat down on his sofa. Remembering what she was here to do, Hevn sat down next to him. Ban and Ginji sat on chairs across from the sofa.

"What can I do for you all?" Kazuki asked.

Ginji stared a little at Kazuki; although he knew he didn't have quite a masculine form, it had never occurred to him how… girly it was. He could see what Juubei had been talking about.

"Juubei had a job for us to do, and it involved you." Ban said lazily.

"Oh?" Kazuki wore a simple smile, not different than his usual face.

Ginji nodded. "It's to—" Ban laid his hand on Ginji's shoulder, stopping him.

"If Juubei came to you, is Hevn-san going to help?" Kazuki inquired, unaware.

"Yup. You can help too, thread spool." Ban answered.

"I'd love to help. What are we trying to retrieve?"

Ginji blinked. "Um…"

Ban glanced pointedly in Hevn's direction. She nodded, and inched a little closer to Kazuki.

I just know I'm going to regret this… she thought.

"Hevn'll tell you what you can do." Ban told Kazuki.

Kazuki looked at Hevn.

"Um, right…" she started. "Kazuki."

She leaned in a little. He didn't move, just looked her in the eyes, waiting to be told his part of the job.

She flashed a rather seductive smile at him. "Kazuki…" Hevn leaned in a little closer.

Kazuki edged away a little, blinked in surprise, and blushed. "He…Hevn-san…" he stared down at his hands, which were folded neatly in his lap.

"Ne, Kazuki…" Hevn repeated, leaning in even farther.

Kazuki's blush darkened a little, and he smiled politely back up at her. "Hevn-san, I can't."

Ginji too blinked in surprise. He looked at Ban. He was sitting there wide-eyed, with his jaw hanging slightly open.

Kazuki had resisted Hevn's charm. Hevn's.

She sat back up straight. "Okay, then."

Everyone in the room was more than a little stunned at the simple acceptance of the refusal. Ginji stared at the two on the sofa, then stared at his partner.

"Ban-chan…" he whispered. "It didn't work."

Ban nodded, distant, and brought his hand to his chin for a moment to think. Ginji watched him, curious; Ban's expression had just changed, and that meant that he had thought of something. He then took off his violet shades and polished them with his shirt a little.

"Thread spool." Ban said. Kazuki looked up at him. As Ban opened his mouth to speak again, a knock on the door sounded.

"Ah—please hold on a second." Kazuki stood up and trotted over to the door, to open it. The three still in the living room watched.

It was Juubei at the door. Kazuki greeted him, and allowed him entrance.

The new guest looked at the three sitting in the other room, and said, "Visitors?"

"Mhm. They said that you had a job for them. And that Hevn-san and I would be able to help." Kazuki replied, and turned to walk back into the other room.

While he was in mid-step, he was suddenly halted; Juubei had wrapped his arms around him from behind.

"Ju- Juubei?" Kazuki was dumbfounded. The taller man tightened his embrace and the smaller blushed madly. "Uh…"

He was stopped before he could finish his thought, however; Juubei had turned Kazuki around, took off his shades, and stared deeply into the 'thread spool's' eyes. He then caressed Kazuki's face, and leaned in closer.

"Ju…Juubei…" Kazuki repeated, but it was closer to a whisper now. Whatever he had planned to say originally was definitely lost, for now the needle-thrower had silenced him with his lips in a long, passionate kiss. Kazuki didn't seem to mind it though, and in fact, he accepted it and returned it.

Ginji stared, jaw hanging open. Hevn looked down, not too surprised. After a minute of further observation, Ban stood up hastily.

"Ginji… Hevn. Let's go, hm?" They nodded and together, the three snuck out, careful not to disturb the two, who were lip-locked anyway.

~~~

Back in the Honky Tonk, Juubei walked up to the two Get Backers, who sat looking morose and hungry because they were foodless. The pizza and coffee from earlier that day had been a treat as payment for something small they had done for Paul.

The two looked up though, hopeful. They might get paid now.

Ban stood up. "Hey!"

Juubei stood there, silent as usual.

"If you want the thread spool to be more manly, you can do it yourself."

Juubei blinked, surprised. Ginji blinked, surprised. Doesn't Juubei already know?

"Try kissing him." Ban stated, grinning.

Despite the fact that Juubei had his sunglasses on and his shirt covered his mouth, his shock was quite evident.

"…How'd you find that out?" Juubei carefully questioned.

Ban's grin faded into a cunning smile.

"It only took one minute."

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Author's Notes: Bwah ha! My first fanfic kiss. And by the way, Juubei didn't pay the GetBackers. Since he could do it himself. Poor guys. Give them money.