Behind Closed Doors

Paul

Paul stood in his usually spot, reading his newspaper. Natsumi was spending the peaceful day baking an apple pie. The Honky Tonk was quiet except for the Natsumi's soft hum as she filled her pie crust with cinnamon apple filling. It was a quiet day at the Honky Tonk. A little too quiet. Paul looked up from the top of his newspaper. For some unexplainable reason he couldn't concentrate. There was something wrong with the scene. As Paul scanned the empty shop he noticed that Ginji and Ban were missing. The Honky Tonk was usually noisy, with Ban complaining about work and Ginji's begging for food. Paul was pretty sure that the duo hadn't left the Honky Tonk and the last time he remembered seeing them was that morning when Ginji brought in a black kitty he found in the street. Where had those two gone?

"I'll be back I'm just going to check the stocks." Paul grunted as he laid down his newspaper. Natsumi nodded as she perfected her culinary creation.

Paul made his way to the backroom of the Honky Tonk. He was just about to enter the storeroom when he heard Ginji's voice coming from the Bathroom door.

"Ban...it's so...big!" Ginji squeaked.

Paul stopped dead in his tracks. He knew that eavesdropping was rude but at that moment curiosity got the better of him. He stopped in front of the bathroom door and listened to Ban and Ginji's conversation.

"It's not big." Ban snapped back, his voice enveloped with irritation.

Paul's eyes grew wider as he listened intently at the conversation. Was he hearing correctly?

"Ban, is this going to hurt?" Ginji whined innocently.

Paul shook his head to make sure that he wasn't hearing things. He couldn't believe his ears.

There was a short silence as Ban contemplated his answer. "Yes. Yes, it's going to hurt. But if you behave and hold still long enough then it won't hurt that much."

Paul almost fell over; it took him all his self-control to keep himself from collapsing on the floor.

Ginji whimpered at Ban's answer but he seemed to finally agree because he didn't protest. In a few moments Ginji's soft grunts and moans were heard from behind the door.

Paul could feel his heart beating like crazy in his heart. Another five minutes of listening to Ban and Ginji's conversation and he might have a heart attack.

"All done. Now that wasn't so bad was it?" Ban exclaimed after a minute or so.

"No. I guess it wasn't that bad..." Ginji replied softly.

Paul couldn't take it anymore. He had to get away from the bathroom door. The five minutes that he had spent listening to Ban and Ginji's conversation had scarred him for life. He had to leave or else he might not ever be able to face Ban and Ginji again.

Paul quickly forgot about the stocks and he stumbled back to where Natsumi was making her pie.

"So how were the stocks?" Natsumi asked as Paul entered. She was placing her apple pie into the oven.

"Huh? The stocks? They're gay...I mean great." Paul replied nervously as he shakily took his seat back at the counter.

In a few minutes Ban and Ginji appeared. Paul could feel his heart beat faster, his breathe getting shorter, and his face start to get hot. He unsteadily held his newspaper in his hand.

"Paul? Are you alright?" Ginji asked as he spotted Paul.

"I'm great. Why wouldn't I be alright?" Paul answered in a nervous laugh.

"You're reading your newspaper backwards." Ban exclaimed flatly.

Paul shot a look nervous at his newspaper. He was holding it upside down. "I was...uhh...checking the answers to the crossword puzzle." Paul exclaimed as he turned his newspaper right side up.

Natsumi stood with a slightly puzzled look but kept silent. Ban and Ginji exchanged confused glances. "What do you think is wrong with him?" Ginji whispered to Ban out of the corner of his mouth

Ban shrugged and softly whispered back. "I don't know and something tells me I don't want to know."