Reflection
A Ban/Himiko fanfic by Rabid Lola
A/N: Oddly enough, the sequel to Jealous is also titled with a song…except this is in no way based on the Mulan song "Reflection," it's just Ban reflecting on the events of Jealous…anyway…
If Ban is a little OOC here…remember, his thoughts are in his head, who's to say he doesn't really think like this? :D Short, and fluffy, by the way, just to warn you.
As usual, I don't own Get Backers. And I still can't pronounce the names of those who do.
...---...
In the soft lamplight outside the Honky Tonk, Ban watched Himiko as she boarded her motorcycle…thing. Up to now, he still wasn't sure what it was called. They'd walked back together, still hand in hand…the Ladybug and her motorbike were still parked outside the café, after all.
He allowed himself to linger, to continue watching as she pulled her helmet over her head, and pushed her goggles down…but she felt his gaze before completing the last action. Turning, she met his eyes and smiled, bright, cheerful, gentle, shy, all at the same time.
It made Ban feel warm inside.
He smiled back, softly, and took a hand out of his pocket…the same one he'd held hers with, he thought dimly…and gave a little wave. Himiko's smile turned into a grin, as she pulled her goggles down, waved back, and kicked her motorcycle into life. It responded, and in a roar of exhaust, she was gone.
She's beautiful, Ban thought dazedly. Uncharacteristically, he began to worry. Will she be all right, riding home by herself at night? She's only sixteen, after all… He snorted at his own behavior.
What am I talking about? It's Himiko.
Midou Ban is not emotional. He is cool, cold, smart, strategical, laid-back. But he decided to ditch that all right now and just continue thinking about Himiko…which was much more enjoyable than listening to the constant little voice in his head that was teasing him to no end.
Himiko. He lifted his face and closed his eyes, feeling the chill night wind. Who would have thought he'd fall for Yamato's little sister? Not that he'd ever thought of her only as that. Only when they'd first met…then somewhere, sometime during the early stages of his time with them, she'd ceased to become Yamato's little sister and she became a person, all on her own. Then she'd begun annoying the hell out of him, like she was his own sister. He remembered the smirks Yamato would send them, saying better you than me, as he and Himiko tussled or argued over something…food, money, or actually just nothing, sometimes seriously, mostly, on Himiko's part…playfully.
The smirks…Ban opened his eyes wide. Had Yamato known something he…they hadn't, all those years ago? Had he been scheming, in his own head? When Ban thought about it…Yamato had always trusted Ban when it came to his little sister. If Yamato had to go somewhere without the two, he had no qualms about leaving Ban with her. A forgotten memory sprang to Ban's mind…when a couple of street boys had eyed Himiko, and called her cute…they hadn't been disrespectful or rude, just admiring…and Yamato had rounded on them like an angry wolf, snapping and snarling at them not to touch his sister.
A smirk touched his own face, then faded into seriousness. Yamato…he was still edgy, half expecting the ghost of the man to show up and stare daggers at him for touching his little sister, to appear folding his arms over his chest and snarling at Ban much as he had at those boys, all those years ago. Hey, don't laugh, sometimes spirits from the other realm did decide to visit Ban now and then. He'd talk to them only if he were alone or if Ginji were asleep, though…no use scaring other people.
That was one reason he'd frozen up so much when Himiko'd kissed him…for a second of unreal time, he thought he'd seen Yamato, standing a little way behind her, a little grin on his face. Of course, the other reason was the shock and the tingly feeling that spread from her lips on his…
Ban allowed a smile to break upon his face. He couldn't help it…he was in a good mood. There is no actual way to describe a kiss, or a moment spent with one you value dearly, so Ban didn't try to explain his good mood to himself now. He just felt content, and warm…a different kind of content and warm than when he was with Ginji. Ginji was his best friend, Himiko was…well, he wasn't sure exactly what she was right now, but he knew it was something great.
I wouldn't mind kissing her again…
No, you did not just see that. It was a figment of your imagination.
(Yeah, Right.)
Well, he really wouldn't mind kissing her again. Or taking her out. Or talking with her, in ways he hadn't before, or learning more about her, or falling even more for her, or marryi—
He decided to go back into the Honky Tonk before his thoughts took a dangerous turn.
And before his brain fully caught up with what his heart was saying and decided to send blood to his cheeks, which would ultimately get him into a whole lot of teasing…
The bell jingled as Ban stepped into the Honky Tonk. Ginji and Paul looked up…and Ban saw an evil grin stretch over Ginji's face.
Damn, he'd never get used to that amount of happy evilness in his partner's expression…
"Took you long enough," Ginji said mischievously.
Ban chose to ignore this and sat down beside his partner, smoking silently.
"Did you stop in any dark alleyways on the way?" Ooh, he was going to get it….
"Where's Natsumi?" Ban suddenly asked, noting that the cheerful girl wasn't there anymore.
"Oh, she had to go already," Ginji said, all mischief gone from his voice to be replaced by…
Ban's ears perked up, and a little evil gleam of his own sparked in his eye.
You see, Himiko had told him something very…interesting, on their way back…
...---END-- ...
A/N 2: See? Short and fluffy. By the way, Riyuji.Raicho is writing a fic that happens in between "Jealous" and this. :D Title is "Foolhardy," featuring Ginji and Natsumi. :D