A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter!! I'm so sorry it took me so long to post the new one! It shouldn't take me nearly as long to get the next one out (with any luck…). So without further ado, here's chapter 2 of KOH!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did I would have lots of money and therefore more free time to write fics such as this.

King of Hearts Ch.2

Ginji had been waiting at the Honky Tonk for hours and had greatly surpassed the "slightly worried" stage concerning his partner. He was currently pacing in front of the counter, nearly driving Paul out of his mind. He had quickly retrieved the package, but Ban had neither shown up nor contacted him and Ginji himself was forced to deliver the package to the client by himself.

The bell on the door chimed loudly over the silence of the closed café. Ban had returned.

"Ban-chan!!" Ginji went tare with relief," Where were you, Ban-chan? I've been waiting for you forever! I was worried!" Ginji took a flying leap for Ban's head. Ban's lack of response was enough to shake him out of his droopy state- usually Ban had hurled him across the room by now in irritation…

Ginji took a closer look at Ban; the corners of his mouth were turned down, but his face didn't hold any expression Ginji had ever seen before. It's almost like he's… sad? Ginji had never known Ban to be really sad before. He'd seen him depressed, wickedly elated, obstinate, and truly truly angry, but not sad.

Ban walked numbly to a booth in the back and sat down heavily, showing no signs of recognizing that Ginji was even there. Ginji trailed behind him, following his inner barometer in hopes of discovering the problem. If there was anyone who could cheer Ban up, it was Ginji!

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"So then he said that he thought he should go and walked off…" Ginji could hardly believe the story he had just heard. The thought of Jackal showing weakness like that was one thing, but for Ban to apologize… Ginji had never been on the receiving end of one of those apologies- only punches. He had heard they existed, but thought he might spontaneously combust if he ever got one.

All Ginji had been able to do was coax the story out of Ban. He wasn't sure if even he could cheer his partner up this time… it might be one of those things that he has to work out on his own… He could still give advice though…

"Ban-chan?" he said tentatively, "you should probably talk to Akabane-san, don't you think?" Ginji cringed, waiting for the blow. It didn't come.

"Oh yeah, lightning boy- I'm sure that'd go over real well." Ban had reverted a bit to his old surliness, proving that he thought Ginji really was right and was annoyed at the fact.

"Ban-chan… I know it's probably none of my business, but…"

"You're damn right it's none of your business," Ban interjected heatedly.

Ginji persisted, "Look- all I'm saying is that you seem pretty upset about the whole thing and I think you need to go talk to him and see what happened. You need to find out why you both reacted that way- you wouldn't have hesitated to give Akabane-san a nasty dream in the past. You have given him nasty dreams in the past, but I've never seen you act guilty about it and I don't think I've seen Akabane-san show any emotion ever… except right before he slices people into bits… then he seems pretty happy…"

Ban was silent for several minutes. Ginji thought that perhaps he'd said too much too freely. He was about to get up and leave Ban with his thoughts when the temperamental brunette spoke.

"Fine."

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It had been three days since the incident in the woods, and it was all Akabane could do to keep from allowing the repercussions of the dream to weigh him down. He was almost constantly thinking of it, as well as those few minutes after it. He had begun to wonder if he would ever get a decent night's sleep again. A night when he wouldn't wake up in a cold sweat with tear-dampened cheeks.

I don't know what to do… I've never felt weakness such as this and have no experience to fight it.

He sat on the couch in his living room idly flipping through a catalogue of medical supplies, not paying any particular attention to anything except his own inner turmoil. So inwardly focused was he that he very nearly flattened his own door in reaction when a quiet knock sounded.

After retrieving several scalpels flung in defense, he peeked out the view-hole. A familiar spiky head and ice-blue eye greeted his sights.

"Evenin', Jackal," Midou Ban murmured when Akabane opened the door.

"Good evening, Midou-kun," Akabane wasn't entirely sure if the slight quaver he felt in his own voice was audible to Midou. He hoped not. This was the first he'd seen the retriever since the job had been completed. Akabane was not prepared. I must keep my composure- we can't have a repeat of the last encounter once again, now can we. I don't think my nerves could take it…

"Won't you come in, Midou-kun? May I offer you any refreshment?" It didn't particularly matter that Akabane was practically taut with nervousness, there was no shirking the duties of a proper host!

"Yes and no thanks. In that order," Ban wasn't sure what he had expected Akabane's apartment would look like, but as he scanned the living room he was not surprised. The room was spotlessly clean and the color scheme, black and white with red accents, only made everything seem sharp and even more clean. I'll bet he blends in whenever he sits down… that's why he always wears that suit- camouflage! Akabane himself did look rather different. The long coat was gone, hung neatly, Ban observed, on a peg near the door. The hat was gone too. The difference it made was rather startling. "Nice place you've got… suits you."

"Why thank you, Midou-kun," Akabane graced him with a small smile, "I do enjoy it here. Please, sit, and tell me why you've come."

"Uh…" well he's certainly not one to beat around the bush… Ban debated the idea of small talk for a few moments, but remembering the transporter's penchant for throwing pointy things when bored convinced him to just reveal his true purpose. "I think we need to talk."

If he hadn't been watching closely, Ban would have most certainly missed the flash of apprehension flit across Akabane's face before he answered. "Talk? Whatever for, Midou-kun?" Akabane hoped that Midou would have the sense to accept the unsubtle refusal to discuss the situation, but apparently luck was not on his side this evening.

"Goddammit, Jackal, I'm not playing your stupid little games tonight," Ban knew he was overreacting, but his mood tonight was too unstable to allow him to keep his temper. He just wanted everything out in the open. He wanted to see all of the puzzle- perhaps then he'd be able to figure out his own feelings on the matter.

Unbeknownst to Ban, Akabane was having a similar discussion inside his own head. He toyed with the idea of feigning ignorance for all of 4 seconds, but eventually came to the conclusion that it would be better for all concerned to just have "the talk".

Akabane sauntered casually, he hoped, to a wing chair and perched primly on the edge of the seat. He looked at his gloved hands, folded primly in his lap, and decided to keep things as proper as would be possible given the circumstances.

Ban watched silently as Akabane composed himself. It's like he's walled off from people, Ban decided. Shit, listen to me- I'm starting to sound like lightning boy with all this introspection about others' characters.

"I must apologize," Akabane finally began, "for the unsightly display you were forced to witness during the course of our last encounter." He smiled serenely, "I must admit I don't know what came over me. I am still somewhat in a state of disbelief over my complete lack of professionalism. Rest assured that it will not happen twice." His expression exuded calm determination and, Ban could sense, something else. Ban was having none of it.

"Professionalism?" Ban gave a short, barking laugh, "are you shitting me, Jackal? After everything that happened, your only comment is about fucking professionalism?!" He must not have been hitting hard enough. The smile was still there. Ban needed to know what he had seen, so he tried again, "Don't feed me bullshit lines about professionalism. I was there." Still no response. More direct, then… "You cried. What the hell is going on?" It was working- the smile faltered a bit before Jackal could control it.

"Indeed, I did," Akabane intoned softly, "as I said, quite unprofessional. You were certainly in top form that night, Midou-kun! Suffice it to say that I have never had an experience such as that in my lifetime." Nor do I hope to do so again in the future.

"Look, Jackal, I wasn't even trying, and my Jagan's never affected you like that before," It was time to quit playing games, Ban decided, "Just tell me what happened. You screamed my name." Tough to dodge when asked directly, eh Jackal?

The smile vanished. Akabane froze as his mind ran in frantic circles to come up with something, anything, to get out of this horrible situation. This isn't going at all the way I had planned… I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. And, I suppose, there's no…escaping… this.

Akabane rose and settled himself on the opposite end of the couch from Ban, primly crossing his legs and looking away. Ban silently prepared himself; he didn't want to do anything that might disrupt Akabane from his explanation. "You see, Midou-kun, there is in fact a reason for my actions that night. I'd rather them not be shared, however you seem quite adamant and I would prefer to avoid a confrontation this evening." The smile was back, but not nearly as creepily intense as before. "My interest in you has not diminished since the Venus de Milo mission where I first became intrigued with your prowess in battle. However, over time and recently, I've become somewhat fond of our interactions. The dream you sent me did in fact involve you. And Ginji-kun of course."

Ban noticed that Akabane was beginning to look a bit distressed, but said nothing. "It was extremely unpleasant," Akabane continued, "Had I been an impartial observer, I would have praised your abilities to no end, however…" He paused.

He looked very distressed now. Ban wasn't quite sure what to make of Akabane's expression, although he did not get the feeling that there would be a barrage of knives any time soon, which was promising. Akabane was silent for some time… "And?" Ban prompted.

"It was you and Ginji… and fire."Akabane's eyes squeezed shut and the words came out in a rush, "I don't know why this caused me so much consternation, but it did, and then I couldn't hear your heartbeat and everythingjustwentmad," he finished. Akabane's cheeks colored slightly in chagrin at the pathetic confession. He refused to look at Ban at all.

"Fire, huh?" Ban kept his tone neutral, hoping to glean some hint of what to do next from Akabane's responses. He had opened up much more willingly than Ban had imagined, however Ban had only planned his moves up to the confession… he had assumed that it would take all evening. He had no idea where to go from here. "You know, it seems that the most traumatic dreams that I've sent people have involved fire," so he rambled. "There must be some instinctual thing that makes it more horrifying than other dreams of catastrophe. I've never had one involve me though… well, not one that upset anyone at least- everyone's always happy when I die in their dreams…" he mused. And then he heard what he had said.

Akabane's head snapped around to stare at him, and Ban was again shocked by the emotion in his eyes. "Fond of our interactions", huh? That look is a little bit more intense than "fond"… He froze as Akabane scooted much closer. He gazed at Ban's left hand, resting quietly on the sofa between them. "Midou Ban-kun… I would be very upset."

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When asked later, neither of them could remember who moved first- all they did remember was the feel, the taste, the quickening of the other's breath as their lips met, and in Akabane's case at least, the pounding of Ban's heart. Oh… this was going to be very interesting…

A/N: So what do you think? Please review- they make me happy and inspire me to keep writing!