Sweet Kiss of Death

Part 1

Honky Tonk

It was a rather uneventful afternoon at the little coffee house.

Not a single customer around, or rather, not a single "paying" customer. One had to wonder how did this restaurant survives.

Both Ban Mido and Ginji Amano were lingering at this regular hang out place. With no "get back" assignments lately, their cash had been running at an unusually low level.

"Hungry hungry hungry I'm so hungry. . . hungry hungry"  Ginji groaned for the 30th time this afternoon. His eyes lightened up as Natsumi brought a plate of pizza out from the kitchen and put it down in front of him.

"Pizza?" Ginji grinned, his eyes sparkling, "Oh you're the best!"

 "You are about to drive me crazy with your continuous chant of  'hunger'. Hopefully a pizza will shout you up." Paul said from behind the newspaper.

"Paul, thank you thank you thank you. . ."

"Oh no. . . don't start again." Paul rubbed his head.

"Ginji, you better start on your food," Natsumi warned him sweetly, "Don't forget you have a partner that's just as hungry as you. . . and there's only one pizza."

"You're right!"  With lightning speed, Ginji dashed after the plate and wrapped his arm around it, protecting the pizza from intruders, "Ban, you're not going to get this. It's mine, mine . . . eh?"

All three of them turned to look at Ban who sat at the corner. The amethyst eyes were half hidden behind the sunglasses. It looked like his mind had wondered to some far off places.

"Ban?" Ginji called out tentatively, with one arm still wrapped around the food. Can't blame him to be too careful; Ban can be exceptionally deceiving sometimes, especially when there's only one pizza and both of them haven't eaten for 3 days.

No response.

"Strange." Paul laid down his newspaper, "Looks like there's something other than food on his mind."

Paul was absolutely right. Ban had not been thinking about food. His mind was off wondering about the last assignment. The one where they were assigned to retrieve the arms of the sculpture Venus of Melos.

On that assignment, he was wounded by surprised and thrown overboard. Of course, a small thing such as shoulder injuries or fallen into the ocean was not going to stop him. He managed to chase after the sailing ship. Almost completely drained of energy when he caught up, but the point was, he did make it.

However, what he didn't anticipate was – to encounter one of the toughest enemies, in his weakest state, the minute he was on board. Kurudo Akabane, also well-known as 'Dr. Jackal', had been there to "greet" him when he was leaning against the wall catching his breath.

If they had fought that day, Ban knew deep down that he would not be sitting here today. Akabane could have easily slaughtered him back then. Yet, the evil Dr. had let him live. Something about not wanting to "waste" the fun. Akabane had wanted to fight a worthy opponent who had fought against the Emperor of Thunder in 100% state.

If that was all, then it's nothing troubling. But, Akabane did something else, something that's rather. . . disturbing. The memory was still fresh in his mind.

***recall***

"I will not fight you tonight. I will let you live. . . till then, please take care of your health so that when we met next time, it will be an interesting fight, ok?" Akabane said in his usual calm, soothing voice; withdrawing the knives into his palms and walking away.

Ban had never been a man who took it easy when an opponent looked down on him and said something belittling like "I will let you live today." Blinded by his anger, Ban banned a hole into the wall and shouted against the retreating figure.

The figure clad in black paused in his steps. Within a split of a second, before Ban even had a chance to blink, Akabane was standing in front of him, with his surgical knives pointed at Ban's throat. Just a matter of moving the sharp object a few inches forward, and the man known as Ban would be history.

Seconds past and there's no movements from both of them.

Then, Akabane suddenly leaned foward.

He closed the distance between them, and placed a kiss on Ban's lips.

Ban's first reaction was disbelief.

Akabane. . . kissing him . . .??

His second reaction was to pull back. As he moved back slightly, the razor-sharp knife followed. Not close enough to break his skin, but to deliver a warning. And one gloved hand sneaked out behind his back to held him in place. 

There was no third reaction. As the kiss deepened. Ban's lost his ability to react.

Ban was not an innocent. He had experience, plenty of experience as a matter in fact. But, he had never been kissed by an  enemy while being held at the tip of knives.

Kissed by a man who radiates danger and smell of death.

Ban's world turned upside down.

When his mind finally cleared, he was all alone. Akabane was no where to be found.

Ban's hand automatically went towards his throat. There was a single drop of blood. Dr. Jackal had not cut him otherwise during their. . . kiss. . .

How did he. . . why did he. . .  This is crazy. . . but the kiss. . .

Touching his lips unconsciously, Ban's mind recapture the rapture he just experienced. . .

Never knew a kiss from death can be so sweet. . .

***end recall***

"Ban? Ban? BAN!!"

Ban shook his head out of his daze at the voice of someone screaming his name. Looking up, it was none other than Ginji.

"Yes? Ginji?" Ban peeked at his partner under the sunglasses.

"What is going on with you?" Ginji asked a little concerned, "I have shouted your names for at least 10 times."

"Oh com'on," Ban shrugged. "It's nothing."

"Did you use evil eye on yourself?" Ginji started checking Ban up and down, "You looked like you were dreaming for a minute back then."

"Don't be stupid!" Ban banned his fist on Ginji's head. "How can I use evil eye on myself?"

"I don't know." Ginji groaned while he rubbed against his head, "but you were looking dazed and kind of tracing your lips with your finger. . ."

//Crap. I can't believe I'm thinking about that kiss again.// Ban was momentarily speechless and scolded himself. //It's just a kiss. Nothing more. Just that crazy Dr.'s way of taunting!//

"I was hungry, ok?" Making up an excuse, Ban waved his hand dismissingly, "I'm too hungry I can't think straight, ok? And you. . ." Now spotting the pizza that's almost devoured by the other, Ban screamed, "You ate the whole pizza!"

"Ban, I saved some for you." Ginji smiled apologetically, "Still quite a big piece left, don't you think? Hey hey, I called you but you didn't response."

"Oh GINJI, that's such a LAME EXCUSE. . ." Before Ban could finish however, the door opened and he heard a soft laughter that sounded all too familiar.

Ban let go of Ginji and turned around slowly.

There, at the doorway of Honky Tonk, stood Akabane, with the usual smile at the tip of his lips and his face half hidden behind his hat.