A/N: Hello, Get Backers fans! This is my first GB fic. (Although it's really a one-shot! ;;) I hope you enjoy it:) And I hope you guys aren't mean... ;; NO FLAMES PLEASE!

Warning(s): Hints of shonen-ai, althought they can also be seen as friendship. It matters on your perspective.

Disclaimer: I don't own Get Backers at all, in any way, shape, or form, so don't sue me!

Things Expected and Unexpected

Ban had not expected this. Not at all.

After just waking up from a troubled sleep prior to a very exhausting job, he had noticed that Ginji wasn't next to him. This irked him a bit, but he shrugged it off and slipped out of the 360, his precious Lady Bug. As he walked into the Honky Tonk, he was fixated on the belief that Ginji would be sitting at the bar, trying to convince Paul and Natsumi to spare some food. Paul would say no, reminding Ginji that they still had a tab to pay, and Natsumi would smile innocently as she always did.

He didn't expectthis at all.

Ginji was sitting in one of the booths where customers usually enjoyed their meals in the evening. That was strange enough because Ban knew they couldn't afford a meal there and definitely didn't get food to eat this early in the day, but what Ginji was doing was even stranger.

Ginji was making…towers…out of poker chips and poker cards on the table. The one to the right, standing proudly on the table, was made purely of red and blue poker chips. Each "story" consisted of four poker chips, the next filling in the spaces that the story before it missed, like 4-leaf clovers. The one to the left, almost touching the other one, was made of red and blue poker cards, carefully put together in triangular-like statures. Scattered around were extra cards and chips, just waiting to become one with one of the towers. Both of the towers were quite high, and Ban couldn't help but stare at them with disbelief. They must've taken awhile to make.

The crazy boy looked like he was deep in concentration, as if nothing could disturb him. And if something did, Ban knew that Ginji might electrocute them by mistake. Ginji's eyes looked deep and distant, like nothing could reach his mind besides what he was staring intently at. He carefully placed one more card on his card tower with a steady hand and smiled, pleased with himself. He knew that Ban was there but decided to keep working as if he hadn't.

One question on Ban's mind as he stood there, utterly clueless, was, "Where'd he get those?" The poker chips and cards were what Ban was referring to. Ginji continued to work on his towers while Ban continued to watch.

"There, that's good enough for now," Ginji said a few minutes later, grinning like a mad-man. He shifted his eyes toward Ban, who was still in shock. "Hey Ban-chan!" He slipped out of the booth and waved.

Natsumi and Paul worked behind the counter, staring at Ban and Ginji, awaiting a reaction. They had been there the whole time but Ban had just noticed them. His interest of the two diminished almost immediately and he stared at Ginji again.

"…Hey Ginji…," he said weakly, still a bit flustered. Ginji smirked and walked over to Ban.

"You slept late today," he mentioned, still wearing that goofy smile. "I guess you were tired after our last mission."

"...What the hell were you doing before?" Ban demanded, his eyes meeting Ginji's. He ignored Ginji's latest comment. Ginji appeared unfazed, as usual. "With the cards and the chips…"

"Oh that!" Ginji said, scratching the back of his neck casually. "Well, Hevn-san gave them to me and said I could treat myself to the casino later on, and maybe play some cards with Paul-san. But I don't know what a casino is, so I decided to make towers with them. It was fun."

This was a part of Ginji that always astounded Ban, but he was so used to it. Ginji's thoughts were so simplistic, and they possessed an innocent child-like demeanor. Whenever Ban saw it, he thought it was magic. This time was no exception.

"You don't know what a casino is?" Ban asked dryly, not appearing amused at all.

However, the situation was very amusing. Ginji, being the air-head he is, used poker chips and cards to make towers on a booth table in the Honky Tonk. It made no sense, yet seeing Ginji doing it made it seem so normal, but that didn't mean that Ban wouldn't question it. Ginji's behavior was expected, and at the same time it wasn't. Some things weren't normal enough to contain logic. One of those things was Ginji.

"Nope," Ginji chirped. "I have no clue what a casino is. I'm guessing it's a box and you put things in cases…uh…?"

Ban resisted the urge to laugh hysterically and collapse to the floor. It was difficult, but he managed. He doubted many people possessed his tolerance for Ginji, besides his friends at Infinite Tower. Apparently, Paul and Natsumi didn't. They were chuckling from behind the counter, not trying to hide their amusement at tall.

"No Ginji, that's not what a casino is," Ban said, ready to correct his partner. "A casino is where you gamble with cards and machines and stuff. The chips symbolize how much money you have and you win more chips, or money, with the cards. There are also other things you can play with, like slot machines."

Ban hadn't been to the casino often, merely because he rarely had the money to sneak in, and he wasn't exactly fond of it either. He didn't think his explanation brought the casino justice, because he wasn't really good at explaining things to village idiots.

"Gamble…?" Ginji repeated. Ban nodded. Ginji scratched the top of his head, seeming confused. "That's like betting and stuff, right Ban-chan?"

"Right."

Ban was surprised that Ginji even knew that! The guy was so stupid most of the time, due to his poor "education". Sure, Ginji knew about how to survive and fight, but simple things like casinos were things he was clueless about. This was expected though, considering the environment Ginji grew up in. Just the thought of it caused Ban to frown.

"Betting is like having one Ban-chan and risking him in order to possibly gain, like, fifty Ban-chans, right?" Ginji asked. "I could lose Ban-chan forever…"

"Yeah…sorta…," Ban said nervously. He was confused about the metaphor…he being the chips people betted to win more or the coins in the slot machine. It actually made a bit of sense, but Ban was still bewildered. Did Ginji care about him that much to put him in such high regard? Why?

"Then I don't like gambling," Ginji stated firmly, his eyes narrowed. "In fact, I hate it. Nothing is worth the risk of losing you, because without you, I can't do anything. I'll probably get lost in a closet and die without you." He laughed at his own remark, and soon Ban joined him. Ginji did haveno sense of direction whatsoever, after all. One could call him blind and consider Ban his seeing-eye dog.

"Well, it's not like we can afford to play those games anyway," Ban reminded his naïve partner nervously. "So it doesn't matter." He looked away, outside of the window. He couldn't meet Ginji's eyes. What his goofy partner just said made him feel…odd. He couldn't explain it very well. If he saw Ginji's determined expression, the spoiled brat might see the blush on his cheeks. And Ban would have to kill someone if Ginji saw that. Maybe Paul…Then they didn't have to worry about that annoying tab…

He brushed the thought aside and shook his head like a dog trying to dry himself after being in the rain. Satisfied and assured that the pinkness on his cheeks had left, Ban faced Ginji.

But Ginji had already left and was now pestering Paul and Natsumi for some food. Ban sighed with relief and looked at the two towers. After examining them from afar for a minute, he decided that they weren't towers; they were castles, because they were so…wondrous. He stepped forward, hearing Ginji's pleading voice in the background. It was amazing how quickly his mood could change. He was like a pregnant woman, going through one emotion after the next without missing a beat.

Ban just stared at the two castles, one made of cards and the other of chips. After a moment, he realized that they symbolized the two of them, Ban and Ginji, standing next to each other. When one fell, so did the other. They were each other's support forever.

Ban continued to think for what seemed like a minute, but in reality, ten minutes went by.

"Ne, Ban-chan…," Ginji complained from behind. Startled and interrupted from his thoughts, Ban whipped around and saw Ginji. The guy was moping about something. That was for sure. Ban raised his eyebrow in suspicion.

"What?" he demanded in the kindest voice he could muster. He already had a good idea as to what the moron was going to say. Ginji shuffled nervously and looked around.

"Paul-sanwon't give me or you any food and Natsumi-chan can't convince him otherwise," he said sadly, like a lost puppy, "until we pay off our way big tab. And I'm hungry, Ban-chaaaan."

Now that was something Ban expected. Yes indeed.

A/N: So...was it OK? Were the characters OoC? (Besides Natsumi, cuz I can't seem to get her character correctly...) Was it well-written? Any grammar/spelling mistakes? And I think Ginji and Ban don't call Paul...Paul-san... Dunno. Please correct me on that one. -shrugs-

Did ya like it? Please leave a review!

Thanks for reading!