Title: Light or "My absence will remind you of…"
Summary: Ban/Ginji …One of Ban's meetings with Ginji, before Ginji decides to leave the fortress.
Inspired by: music by Mirah
Thanks to my beta: the wonderfull maldaeien
Disclaimer: I do not own Getbackers or the wonderfull lyrics written by Mirah.

It was night in the limitless fortress, though in this place the time of day never seemed to really matter. It was always dangerous and going there was always asking for trouble. So it would appear to be an ideal spot for one such as Ban Midou. Never the less he could not help but detest the place. In truth he had first come here looking for trouble. He had gotten it and then some. He had sought out and fought the infamous lighting lord and won, or so he thought. But if he won why was he still driven to come back? Usually winning meant not leaving empty handed or gaining pride, but this fight did neither. This fight left him feeling that suddenly he was without something. As he snuck into this lighting lord's room he convinced himself he was just there to find some answers.

"Hello, Midou Ban."

Startled a bit Ban studied the boy for a moment before speaking. He has given such simple pleasantries with a rather emotionless tone and without bothering to open his eyes. Though confident, Ban was still hesitant to make his next move with out discerning weather the tone had been spoken from Raitei, or the boy Ginji Amano, he had recently began to know.

"Pretty lame of you to not have noticed me before I was merely steps away from you, sleeping beauty."

Ban had decided go with what he considered his best feature, confident superiority, or what others would call an overbearing cocky ego. Still despite his retort he was curious as to how the boy had known it was him with out looking. He didn't wonder long as he received his reply in the same blank tone, though with a possible underlying hint of something else he couldn't quite place.

"I knew you were here in the fortress before my four kings had left. I pretended to sleep so they would leave."

"Oh really," Ban declared skeptically, "Then tell me, just how did you know?"

"I don't know exactly. I can feel most changes here in the fortress, and you…you carry a certain essence with you."

Ban did not like the way this boy had said essence.

"Now answer a question for me. How did you get past Makubex's security? If you hurt him…" Ginji's voice trailed to a stop. He was not about to start in with threats just yet.

Though Ban believed Ginji was telling the truth, or at least as much as Ginji could understand, Ban was much more hesitant to give away secrets.

"You're not the only one who sleeps around here."

It wasn't a complete lie. 'One minute dream, sleep, close enough'. Somehow Ban found it hard to lie to this lightning boy. Like many things he had recently discovered about Ginji, it made Ban feel somehow confused, frustrated, or simply stated, not like his usual self. At least not what he considered himself to be.

Ban stared at the boy again. Ginji had still not bothered to open his eyes; he seemed calm, too calm. Ban questioned whether the boy was a complete idiot or mocking Ban by not treating him like everything in the fortress, a potential deadly threat.

Aggravated, Ban leapt down on top of the boy holding one hand around his throat.

"Shouldn't you be a little more wary about who could be your enemy?"

It was a dangerous little game they were playing and Ban knew it. If Ban wanted to he could crush the boy's throat with a single squeeze, at the same time Ginji could send thousands of volts cursing though his veins.

Still the boy made no movement. Ban couldn't help taking advantage of the situation to get a closer look at the boy's features. Long soft eyelashes, slender eyebrows, that even now in such a "calm" state seemed to be turned down in melancholy expression, and soft gentle lips. 'Soft gentle perfect lips' Ban thought. Before he knew what he was doing he found himself leaning down closer to those lips until Ginji let out a somewhat stifled but loud cry.

Ban shot backwards to the side of the room, shocked at what he had been about to do and at Ginji's sudden cry. Ginji sat up to, finally opening his eyes and glaring at Ban. Ginji let out his breath in several short pants while holding his side. Ban was shortly relieved that Ginji had not cried out in fear. His relief quickly turned to dread when he realized it was from pain.

"You are hurt, aren't you? Why didn't you tell me?"

Ginji was hesitant, "You don't let your enemies know your weakness. Not, that I think of you as an enemy now… I…I don't know what I think of you as…"

"Ha! Well, you could at least know I wouldn't pick a fight if I knew you were injured."

"No, I wouldn't think so, but this is the limitless fortress. If word got out I was injured, it wouldn't matter how badly, the beltline monsters would see it as an opportunity for massive bloodshed."

Ban was silent; he could see what the boy was thinking now.

"I have to be careful what I do, what is let on… I can't just do what I want here."

Ginji's voice was soft and sad now. What ever had happened Ban could tell Ginji thought is was his own fault. Ban was surprised too as to how this boy whom he had fought on several occasions, most leading in a brutal stalemate, would be hurt by what ever mere thug the fortress held. Even in their own fights Ban had found it hard to get in close quarters without inviting a viscous current of electricity into his body.

"What happened?" Ban asked.

Ginji was silent as he stared down at the floor.

"You were trying to hold back, weren't you? Trying not to let this place's influence take over you?"

"Yes, it's getting harder not to become…" Ginji stopped. His sadness was turning to frustration quickly as he spoke louder looking at Ban. "And I was distracted!"

"Why do you say that like it's my fault?"

"You were the one who told me to leave! Part of me wants to, but how could I? I know the hell that will take place if the beltliners knew I'm injured, imagine how they'll react if I leave."

Ban scoffed at Ginji's sudden anger, "Imagine what will happen if you stay. Do you need help imagining that?" Ban's eyes narrowed.

Ginji quickly looked away from Ban and back at the floor.

"No." he said sounding defeated.

"Besides, I never told you to leave; I only stated that you could leave."

Ginji sighed and rested his head back against the wall.

"Let me look at you wound." Ban said lightly pulling away Ginji blue shirt from his side.
Ginji jerked and pulled away noticeably causing himself more pain. "It's fine; it will be healed by morning."

"Stop being a baby, it could still get infected or…"

Ban looked at Ginji's undershirt. It was stained with blood and cut in a large gash from the bottom of his rib cage about ten inches down in length. Still the skin underneath was healed, just a little pink as if form an old scar. The boy was impressive that was for sure. Still it looked like his pain was coming from some cracked ribs at the top of the cut.

"Hmmm," Ban said somewhat satisfied. "Even with your ability to heal, you are not invincible you know. So if you are going to decide something, I would suggest it be soon."

Ban sat back across from the other boy and lit a cigarette.

"Midou Ban," Ginji started softly, "why do you want me to leave? Why do you want me to come with you?"

For all of the sheer genius Ban was, he was surprised and stumped by the sudden question. Trying not to let his features slip and show his surprise, Ban took another long puff of his cigarette and tried to think of a witty comeback or snide remark.
Still it troubled him that he did not actually know the answer of that question himself, or maybe he was afraid to know the answer. Sure he had come to the fortress seeking out the boy, but it was for a fight, a challenge, and blood. He had found the sheer power and deadly force of the so called god of lightning he was looking for, but he found something else to. Under that blinding force, there was a different kind of light. One that was pure, simple, and though he would never admit it, it was intoxicating. This light was Ginji, the real Ginji. Somehow in the midst of his thoughts, one of his grandmother's many warnings and words of wisdom Ban never really understood (or cared to understand), it became clear.

"It's the light you are after, because light moves faster."

Ban was the great invincible Midou-sama. He did not want something easy, or normal, he wanted the impossible. Light represented something everyone at one point could hope to have but never actually obtain. Ban wanted this light, he wanted Ginji.

Suddenly a quite laugh broke Ban's thoughts. Apparently Ban had taken noticeably too long to answer, as Ginji now gave him a soft and somewhat knowing smile.

Ban coughed on his cigarette and stood up. This was too much for his self control. Ginji's smile though still a little sad was soft and melting. Ban had to leave before he got himself into more trouble than he was ready to handle.

"Look," Ban said sounding annoyed, "for all of the electricity in you, you sure seem to have a short circuit in you brain! I didn't ask you to come with me. Stop switching around what I've said and try getting some oxygen to your brain between all those sparks. I'm just here for something interesting to do. Not that there are any good fights or challenges worthy of my time! That said I'm leaving. Besides you should know what to do yourself if you ever figure it out that is."

Despite his rant and insults Ginji still had that soft smile on his face. Hurt or not Ban was tempted to knock it right off of him.

"Ugh, you really are dense. Well good luck lightning brat, maybe I'll see you, maybe not." Ban said looking out the door was for a concealed departure.

"Midou Ban." Ginji spoke out.

"What?"

"Thanks."

"Hmmph," Ban muttered before disappearing without another look back.

As Ban stepped back into the open fortress he noted how much the air itself seemed to change. It was as if the time he had spent with Ginji had been somewhere else, somewhere better. Even if it was for a few minutes, it was nice. He was sure that no one could really hold on to light like that, especially someone as dark as himself. Perhaps he was just not meant to have light, life had taught him that much so far. Still, he did hope that the boy would make it out of there, not to him, but somewhere full of light where he deserved.

Italic quotes from Mirah's song Cold, cold, water.