Disclaimer: I still don't own the Getbackers.

A/N: This chapter is half-concentrating on Ginji and Natsumi. Enjoy!

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Chapter Four

The next day…

The bell atop the entrance of the Honky Tonk rang, indicating that someone had come in. Natsumi, who was in the store room, came outside. 'Good morning, welcome to the- oh it's you guys.'

Ban and Ginji were standing before her. Ban looked considerably happier than last night. 'I'm glad you're feeling better than last night, Ban-san,' Natsumi said, smiling slightly. And then she said, 'I'm cleaning up the store room, I'll be done in a few minutes.' She disappeared inside, not even looking at Ginji.

Ban turned to him. 'Now that's very strange,' he said, raising an eyebrow, 'What happened to you two?' Ginji shook his head. 'Nothing, Ban-chan.'

Natsumi was still a little angry at Ginji for betting against Ban, his best friend, the one he depended on most, the person who supported him the most, well besides her anyway and she wasn't going to just stand by and-

'Mizuki Natsumi, in all my twenty seven years of life, I have never met anyone as beautiful and sweet as you. Whenever I look at you, my heart starts beating as fast as a hummingbird's wings, and I feel that there cannot be anything more wonderful than the image standing before me. So, today I want to tell you how sorry I am for what I did and I want you to know that I love you and accept this rose on my behalf.'

That sounded a little like Ban's speech for Himiko. Natsumi turned around and found Ginji standing before her with a rose in his hand. He gave her a big smile. 'I'm sorry.' he said.

Natsumi couldn't smiling back a little although her voice was still stern as she said, 'You know very well I'm not the one who you should be apologising to.'

'Ah, come on,' said Ginji, going towards Natsumi, 'Ban-chan doesn't even know about the bet and besides, I let you down last night didn't I?' He gave her the rose.

Natsumi looked at him critically. 'You did let me down last night.' She said. 'I know,' said Ginji. He was still smiling. Then he sighed. 'I really am sorry, Natsumi. I know friendship means a lot to you. I messed up yesterday. Will you please forgive me?'

Natsumi twirled the rose with her fingers and smiled at it and then Ginji. 'The rose is beautiful,' she said. Ginji put his arms around her. 'And so are you,' he said and kissed her, 'And I really am sorry I let you down last night.' And he kissed her again.

When they were done kissing, Natsumi smiled at Ginji. 'I have to clean the store room before Master comes.' Ginji sighed. 'Now?' Natsumi nodded. 'Now.' 'How long will you take?' asked Ginji. Natsumi smiled ruefully. 'I don't know, I just started.' Ginji sighed again and kissed Natsumi's forehead. 'Come quickly, okay?'

Ginji exited the store room and went outside and took his seat next to Ban on one of the bar stools. Ban smirked at him, 'Did you sort out your little lover's tiff?' Ginji nodded happily.

Forty five minutes later, Natsumi came out of the store room, looking very exhausted. 'Are you done?' asked Ginji. She shook her head, 'I'm taking a break.' Ban raised an eyebrow. 'How long ago was that room cleaned?' he asked. Natsumi looked back at it. 'From the look of it….never,' she said, 'I'm making some coffee. You guys want some?' Ginji and Ban nodded.

Natsumi made the coffee and poured it three cups and gave Ban and Ginji their cups and settled into place behind the counter.

Ban smelled the coffee. It smelt so good, he hadn't had caffeine in a such a long- no wait, he had had some coffee yesterday morning. Whatever, it was a long time to him. He sighed and kept the mug of coffee down and looked up. Natsumi was staring at him thoughtfully. Ban narrowed his eyes. 'No,' he said simply. Natsumi looked startled. 'What?' 'No,' Ban said again. 'Ban-san, what are you-' 'Don't play clueless with me, young lady,' said Ban, waggling a finger at Natsumi, 'You're thinking of yet another corny way for me confess my love to Himiko.'

Natsumi looked defensively at Ban, although she was slightly red. 'Noo…' she said. Ban shook his head at her. 'I don't get it,' he muttered, 'Why are you so intent on getting me to confess to Himiko?' 'Because you do love her,' said Natsumi. 'I understand that,' said Ban, 'But do I look like I need help doing what is needed?' Ginji cleared his throat and said something that sounded like 'coughyescough.'

Ban turned to him and gave him a dirty look. 'You say anything?' Ginji shook his head innocently. 'No.' Ban turned back to Natsumi. She nodded. 'You need help. I think we established that fact when you couldn't tell Himiko-san you loved her before.'

'I don't need help.'

'Yes, you do.'

'I do not.'

'You do too.'

'I do not.'

'You do too.'

'I don't need help.'

'Why not?'

'Because I don't need help.'

'You need a concrete reason for that.'

'What I just said is a concrete reason.'

'Ban-san…'

'Natsumi…'

'Don't be impossible.'

'I'm not being impossible.'

'You are being impossible.'

'I am not.'

'Um…Natsumi…?'

Natsumi turned to Ginji. 'Yes?' she asked. 'I love you,' said Ginji. Natsumi smiled at him warmly. 'And I love you,' she said, and then turned back to Ban. 'You are being impossible, Midou Ban, don't deny it.'

Tare-Ginji sighed and rested his forehead against the counter. And he thought he'd try and change the topic…..

'Natsumi, I'll tell you what's impossible,' said Ban, 'Impossible is Monkey Man trying to ask Otowa to marry him. I am not impossible.' Natsumi opened her mouth but then sighed and closed it. She seemed to be doing that a lot nowadays, didn't she? Ban smirked.

Just then the door to the Honky Tonk opened. 'Ohayo gozaimas!' greeted Hevn and sat next to Ban. 'Oh great,' muttered Ban, 'More trouble.' Hevn smacked Ban on the back of his head. 'Shut up,' she said. Natsumi looked from Ban to Hevn. 'Would you like some coffee, Hevn-san?' she asked. Hevn nodded. 'Thank you, Natsumi,' she said and turned to Ban. 'How's Mission: Lady Poison going?' she asked. Ban sighed. 'Not too well.'

Hevn frowned. 'Why not?' Natsumi turned away from the coffee maker. 'Because he's being im-' Ban held up his hand. 'Don't say it,' he said, 'Don't say it.'

'But you are.'

'I am not.'

'Of course you are.'

Ban sighed again. 'Fine. I am, okay?' Natsumi nodded happily and turned back to the coffee maker. Her current mission had just been completed.

Hevn smiled at Ban. 'I have another idea, if you're willing to listen,' she said. 'I'm not willing to listen to you.' said Ban. 'I'll tell you anyway,' said Hevn. Ban groaned. Ignoring him, Hevn leaned towards Ban. 'You have to make her jealous.' she said. Ban stared at her. 'Say what?' 'Make her jealous!' exclaimed Hevn, like she had just announced the greatest idea in the world. 'That sounds like a nice idea,' said Natsumi, handing Hevn her coffee. 'It is a great idea,' said Hevn. Ban stared at the both of them. 'Why would I want to make her jealous?' he asked. 'So she can tell you she loves you,' said Hevn. 'And if she doesn't get jealous?' asked Ginji. 'She doesn't love him.' said Hevn, shrugging. 'Riight….' said Ban, 'So I have to kiss another woman to tell the person I actually love that I love her?'

'Yes.'

'That is the most ridiculous idea I have heard.'

'No it isn't.'

'I'm not doing it.'

'Then you'll just drive yourself crazy trying to find the right moment to tell Himiko you love her.'

'……………'

'Come on, it's worth a shot.'

Just then, the door of the Honky Tonk opened, and Akabane stepped in. Yep, that ol' psychotic surgeon Kuroudo Akabane. Okay, not old, but he was definitely psychotic. And he happened to have taken a strange liking to Ginji. Which was probably the reason Ginji was currently cowering behind Natsumi, trying to cover himself from view.

Akabane smiled his crazy psychotic smile. 'Konnichiwa,' he said smoothly. Hevn nodded, Natsumi smiled, Ban glared and Ginji let out a tiny yelp. Akabane turned slowly to look at Ginji. His smile grew wider. 'Konnichiwa, Amano-san,' he said. Ginji's grip on Natsumi became tighter.

Akabane took a seat at the counter. 'What seems to be going on in your lives today?' he asked. Hevn tilted her head towards Ban. 'We're thinking of ways by which Ban can tell Himiko he loves her.'

Akabane turned to look at Ban. He smiled. 'Midou-san, you are in love with Himiko-san?' Ban nodded. 'I never knew you were a Romeo, Midou-san.' said Akabane. Ban looked a little proud of himself.

'…..didn't Romeo die in the end?' asked Akabane. Ban's proud expression slipped off his face and was replaced by a horrified one. 'What?' he squeaked.

Yep, Ban just squeaked.

Akabane just continued smiling nonchalantly at Ban. Natsumi and Hevn looked horrified too and Ginji's grip on Natsumi became even tighter which caused her to choke a little. All of them stared at Akabane. And he just kept smiling back at them

Natsumi cleared her throat. 'A-Akabane-san, w-would you like some coffee?' she asked. Akabane turned to her and nodded. 'Thank you, Natsumi-san, that would be wonderful,' he said. Natsumi giggled nervously and turned to get a mug from the cupboard behind her. Ginji bent his knees slightly, like he was trying to hide behind the counter.

Hevn looked at Akabane. 'Don't you have deliveries to make?' she asked the Transporter. Akabane nodded. 'Yes I do.' Hevn leaned forward a little bit. 'So why aren't you out making them?' she asked. Akabane sighed. 'We all get a little fed up with our jobs after a while, Hevn-san,' he said.

Natsumi turned around with Akabane's coffee. 'Here you go, Akabane-san,' she said. Akabane nodded and smiled at Natsumi. 'Thank you,' he said, 'Do you have some biscuits?' Natsumi nodded and went inside to get them. Ginji ran in after her.

Akabane looked at Ban, who was drinking his coffee. 'You might be interested in knowing something, Midou-san,' he said, 'It's about Lady Poison.' Ban kept his coffee down and looked at Akabane. 'What about her?' he asked. 'One of the reasons I came away from my job was because No Brakes-san was going to ask her to dinner.'

Ban's eyes widened. 'WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, JACKAL?' he yelled and Natsumi and Ginji came from inside, wondering what was going on. 'He is doing it at this moment, as we speak,' said Akabane. 'You're kidding me, right?' asked Ban. Akabane shook his head. 'No,' he said. Ban turned away, muttering to himself. 'What the hell is that girl thinking….?' There was a short silence, and then Hevn said happily, 'All the more reason to make her jealous!' She turned around to see Natsumi and Ginji sweatdropping at her. 'Wrong moment, Hevn-san,' whispered Ginji. 'Oh, right, well…' Hevn took a sip of her coffee.

There was nothing for a while. Everyone was just looking at Ban, who was muttering to himself.

A few minutes later, The door of the Honky Tonk opened, and Himiko came in. Ban turned around, looked at her, narrowed his eyes and stood up to go to her, when Hevn pulled him down and looked at him with fiery eyes. She mouthed 'Jealous,' and grabbed him by the shoulders and kissed him. Long and hard. Ban didn't kiss her back, he just stared at her with his eyes wide open. After a few minutes, Hevn let him go. She stood up, inhaled deeply, murmured, 'Excuse me,' and flounced off to the bathroom. Ban stared after her with his mouth half-open. Everyone was doing the same thing, but then they all turned to Himiko.

So did Ban. Himiko was looking at him with an astonished expression, her fists were clenched by her sides, and was that a little but of anger he saw in her eyes. He opened his mouth to crack some smart-ass comment, but before he could say anything, Himiko stormed to him with a thick newsapaper she had picked up from the counter and started smacking Ban with it.

'What-the-HELL-do-you-think-you're-doing-to-that-poor-woman-you-PERVERT!' she emphasised each word by hitting Ban with the newspaper. Ban was busy trying to shield himself. 'Himiko-I- wasn't- kissing her!' he was saying, 'LIAR!' yelled Himiko, who had finally stopped hitting Ban with the newspaper. 'If aniki were here, do you think he would have liked to see you do that to a defenceless woman?' 'Defenceless?' said Ban incredulously, 'Hevn isn't defenceless, she's the one who-' 'Oh never mind, you'll never learn,' muttered Himiko, and went out of the Honky Tonk.

Ban looked at Natsumi who was smiling at Himiko as she stalked away from the Honky Tonk. She looked away from Himiko, and looked at Ban, and smiled at him. Ban looked back at her, exasperated. 'What?' 'Oh Ban-san, isn't it wonderful?' asked Natsumi, clapping her hands with joy. 'That I got beaten up?' asked Ban incredulously. 'No!' said Natsumi happily, 'She's so jealous of you!'

Ban groaned inwardly. He shook his head and looked out of the Honky Tonk, trying to catch a glimpse of Himiko, but there was nobody there.

Meanwhile, Hevn was inside the bathroom, her ear pressed against the door, smirking.

And Ban said that it was the most ridiculous idea that he had ever heard……

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