Precious Things Chapter 4, a get backers fanfic

Disclaimer: Me no ownie.

NOTE FROM AUTHOR:

Tenoko: Hey everyone, sorry for the delay in the update, I wasn't getting many reviews so I didn't think anyone was interested. Look, if you like this story, make sure to review, spread the word through blogs, forums, etc., and tell others to review. Fanfic authors are dependant on the readers to know whether or not to continue their stories, if their isn't a decent response, there's really no point to continue the story. Does that make sense?

Precious Things

Akabane frowned in concern as Ginji stumbled through the living room and up the stairs. Wordlessly, the infamous doctor fell into step behind him, silently following him like a shadow, watching the blond's peculiar behavior. Ginji's eyelids drooped heavily, his shoulders sagging, as his every movement seemed weighed down and heavy. It was very much unlike the energetic blond Jackal was so fond of.

A curious frown touched Akabane's features as Ginji suddenly stopped when he reached the second floor; frowning as his gaze drifted over the different doors.

"Are you wondering which one is yours?" Questioned the onyx haired man softly. Ginji nodded wearily. "The one with your name on it, Ginji, the last one on the right."

Ginji waved him off awkwardly, mumbling,

"I'm not... so good at reading... never... really learned."

Akabane wasn't really surprised at hearing that, Ginji had said something about it earlier, but he'd thought he was being funny when he'd said it, he hadn't really believed Ginji couldn't actually read. He continued to follow Ginji as he stumbled into the room and crashed on one of the beds, his knees drawn up to his chest. Akabane knelt down beside him, so they would be eye-level should the blond open his eyes.

"Are you tired, Ginji-kun?" He tilted his head to the side. "You slept well last night, didn't you?" The blond merely nodded, tugging the covers closer to his body. The dark man's gaze drifted over the blond's body, noting the way he shivered and the goose bumps covering his body. Lifting his hand, Akabane gently ran the back of his knuckles along the length of Ginji's arm, leaving his own trail of goose bumps. "Are you cold, Ginji?" Again the blond nodded.

Akabane sat back on his heels, looking around the room. It was decidedly warm, there was no reason Ginji should still be shivering, and blankets should only make him hot, and leave him feeling smothered. Perhaps the blond was sick. Rising, Akabane threw the covers off the young boy, causing him to frown in protest. Wordlessly, Akabane slid his arms underneath the blond, scooping him effortlessly up into his arms as he began making his way from the room. Ginji didn't even protest, nearly causing Akabane to smile when the blond actually snuggled closer to the warmth of the taller male's body, sighing contently against Akabane's neck, and causing Akabane's grip to tighten instinctively as his own blood suddenly heated.

He nearly chuckled as he carried the blond up to his room, if Ginji were aware enough to realize what was going on, there was no way they would currently be in this position. Ginji was usually very skittish around Akabane, so actually allowing the male to carry Ginji up to Akabane's own room, would be something he never would have allowed, much less his reaction to the warmth of Akabane's body.

Carrying him gently, Akabane moved over to the bed, and placed Ginji in it on the side closest to the blazing fireplace, before pulling the covers up around his body. Akabane then turned and added a few more logs to the fire, before stepping back in satisfaction. He looked around curiously before taking a seat on the floor at the foot of the bed, leaning back against the wood frame as he prepared to wait for Ginji to reawaken. Nursing and caring for someone was not anywhere in his personality, nor had Akabane ever done it before, but if it meant making Ginji better, then he could do it.

After all, Ginji still owed him a rematch.

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Natsume glanced at the clock hanging above the fireplace, not surprised by the fact that the face claimed it to nearly be midnight. She snuggled a little deeper into the couch she was curled up on, pulling the soft blanket Kazuki had given her a little closer to her face with a contented sigh as she closed her eyes, quickly drifting towards slumber. Everyone had either retired to bed, or was stretching after watching another movie courtesy of Emishi. He'd actually brought some pretty good ones, most of them some of Natsume's favorites. The two of them really did have a lot in common, at times it surprised her how much they seemed to be on the same wavelength. Ban seemed to think so too, though it only seemed to put him in a bad mood, something Natsume hadn't been able to figure out.

Someone brushed her bangs away from her face, but she didn't even bother to open her eyes, she didn't care. God, she was so tired. The snow falling outside and the blazing fire inside seemed to have a strange knack for making a person sleepy.

"Natsume..." Someone whispered.

"Mm?"

"Don't you want to go get in your bed so you'll be more comfortable?" They asked. The voice sounded male, but was very soft and comforting.

Not really, Natsume thought, I'm perfectly comfortable right where I am, thank you very much.

"She looks plenty comfortable to me." Another voice added. Where were all these voices coming from, and why were they talking to her? Couldn't they see she was trying to sleep? You know, with the night-night, the sleep-sleep, and the no talking? "Maybe we should leave her..."

Yes, yes, leave me, agreed Natsume.

"No, she should definitely sleep in her bed. Look at her. She's going to have a crick in her neck and be sore all over when she wakes up in the morning."

Both the voices sounded familiar. She knew she knew them. Not that she really much cared to figure out who was who, she was entirely too sleepy for that business. A dream was calling her, and she could smell chocolate chip cookies baking in Granny's oven. Granny was standing on the front porch of her picturesque cottage, her sky blue apron smeared with flour as she waved happily to Natsume, ushering her to hurry. The cookies needed to be gotten out of the oven, and there was a pie cooling on the windowsill...

"We should definitely take her up to her room-" A voice rudely interrupted, causing Natsume to frown. "I'll carry her."

"No, Emishi." Ordered the other voice.

Emishi? What was he doing at Granny's? He better not have stolen the pie.

"Why not, Kazuki?"

Maybe Emishi had tried to steal the pie, and Kazuki had stopped him. Kazuki was such a good friend. A regal knight in shining armor... the image caused Natsume to snort with laughter. Kazuki? A knight in shining armor? He was more likely the one to be dressed as the princess locked away in a tower.

"I wonder what she's dreaming? It must be entertaining." Emishi replied thoughtfully.

It would be better if you'd stop talking, Thought the slumbering girl sourly.

"We do need to get her to bed, here Emishi, take her blanket." Kazuki stated, the comfortable warmth wrapped around Natsume's body suddenly disappearing.

Sitting up like a corpse rising from the grave, Natsume opened unfocused eyes to glare menacingly at the two males standing over her, her hand snapping out and yanking her blanket out of Emishi's hands.

"Mine!" She snapped before laying back down with a sigh, the blanket wrapped securely around her.

"Well, that was unexpected." Chuckled the string master. Emishi snorted.

"Uh, you got a Plan B, Kazu?"

"I'll carry her and her blanket up to her room."

Natsume nearly nodded. That's right, Soldier, no one gets left behind. Either we all make it home together or we all die together, but no one is going to get left behind! That's an order, Private!

Someone was making her sit up and turning her slightly, causing her to frown, why couldn't they leave her alone, for crying out loud? She told them as much too, telling them what they could go do, just so long as they let her sleep. The two voices snorted and snickered with laughter, as her arms were placed around someone, hands gripping her under her knees as she was lifted and carried, piggyback style.

"She just told us to 'F' ourselves and let her sleep, Kazuki." Chuckled Emishi.

She heard the smile in Kazuki's voice.

"I heard her. She'll thank us tomorrow. That's if she even remembers this."

"She won't." Laughed the joker of the group.

Kazuki stopped moving beneath her, shifting her weight slightly, she felt him turn back.

"Aren't you coming?"

"In a few minutes. I want to pick up the mess we all made first."

Kazuki began moving again, and Natsume realized he was climbing stairs while carrying her on his back, her legs hooked on his hips. She inhaled deeply and sighed, enjoying the pleasant scent of flowers. She snuggled closer to Kazuki, her arms tightening around his shoulders.

"Almost there..." He assured her softly.

The onyx haired girl opened her eyes dreamily, her thick eyelashes fluttering apart as she peered sleepily at him.

"Hey, Kazu...?" She mumbled.

"Yeah?"

She sighed with a smile.

"I really like you. I'm glad we're friends."

"Me, too, Natsume." He told her, the corner of his mouth twitching in the barest hint of a smirk.

She closed her eyes and took another deep, calming breath, the sweet scent of flowers only relaxing her further.

"Hey, Kazu...?" She called again.

"Yeah?"

"You smell nice." She told him with a pleased sigh.

She felt him chuckle.

"Thank you, Natsume."

She was gently set on a cloud, the warmth of the very sun wrapped around her like the embrace of a lover, and with another sigh, Natsume drifted into a peaceful sleep.

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Himiko was startled out of sleep by the loud sound of someone banging on her door, Ban's voice barking orders.

"Up! Up! Everybody, wake up! Ginji is MIA, people! Get your butts outta bed!"

Her brain didn't register what he was saying so much as the panic in his voice. Grabbing the baseball bat by her bed and a bottle of regression perfume, Himiko flew from her own bed, stumbling out into the hall, along with sleepy eyed Natsume. Natsume was still wearing her clothes, dragging her blanket behind her in one hand and rubbing the sleep from her eyes with the other. The others didn't seem to be in much better shape, all of them looking a bit disheveled. She nearly growled in frustration when she saw Kazuki. Rudely awoken in the dead of night and not even so much as the slightest bit of bed hair. It wasn't fair.

"What's the deal, man?" Demanded Emishi, scratching the back of his head. She almost didn't recognize him with his hair down. "Something get stolen already. Can't it wait until in the morning to recover?"

"It is morning, smart-ass." Quipped Ban. "Two o'clock in the morning and I can't find Ginji. He wasn't in our room when I came up stairs."

Shido frowned.

"What do you mean he isn't in your room? He's been asleep since early this afternoon."

"Does he sleep walk?" Mumbled Natsume. "Maybe he wandered off."

Ban waved her off.

"Gin only sleepwalks when he's hungry. And he can't have disappeared into thin air. Now, did any one see him come downstairs earlier."

Everyone shook his or her head.

"Well," Stated Juubei thoughtfully, "if he didn't come down, maybe he went up. There's another floor to this place, isn't there?"

Ban paled.

"Akabane's room." He cussed. "Has anyone seen Akabane?"

"Not since earlier. About the same time as when Ginji went upstairs." Confessed Emishi, shaking his head.

Shido stepped away from a window he'd opened earlier, moving closer to the group as he hooked his thumb over his shoulder.

"The owl says neither Ginji or Akabane have left the house, so they're both around her somewhere. They're probably in Akabane's room."

"Why would Ginji be in Akabane's room?!" Demanded Ban irritantly, before paling all over again. "What if Akabane forced Ginji up there? Then what if he forced himself on Ginji?! Oh my God! Buddy, I'm coming!" He exclaimed, rushing towards the stairs leading to the next floor. He ran into an invisible net of hair, causing him to turn angrily to the feminine thread master.

Kazuki watched him calmly.

"If something like that had happened, we would have known about it sooner, Ban. The screaming would have tipped us off."

The brunette recoverer relaxed a fraction, then pointed accusingly towards Akabane's room.

"Well, where else could he be?!"

"I'm not saying Ginji isn't in Akabane's room, or even in his bed, what I'm saying is he wasn't forced if he is, understand?"

Ban took a threatening step towards the thread master, growling in his throat.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying Akabane wouldn't do that!" Snapped Kazuki, glaring in annoyance the taller male standing menacingly over him. Forcing himself to remain calm, Kazuki brushing his hair over his shoulder. "Now. All we have to do is go peek in Akabane's room to see if they're in there, and then from there, figure out what happened." He stated reattaching the bell to his hair.

Himiko rushed forward to be ahead of Ban, pushing him back with her hand.

"I'll look. Ban, the last thing we need is for you to freak out and make something out of nothing or either make a bad situation worse. Let me handle this." She told him, steadily moving up the stairs, fully aware of the seven people following behind her, making her eyes twitch in annoyance.

Reaching out, Himiko opened the door as quietly as she could, inching it open so she could peer inside. She saw Akabane first. He appeared to be asleep, sitting on the floor at the foot of his bed. Something wasn't right. She felt it in the pit of her stomach. She opened the door further and took a cautious step into the room, chills running down her spine as though she were stepping on forbidden grounds or walking on her own grave. Ginji was there, too, laying fully dressed and asleep in Akabane's bed.

Sweat glistened clearly on Ginji's skin, soaking through his clothes, and his skin flushed.

"They're here." She told the people behind her. "But something's wrong." She hurried first to Akabane, kneeling beside him, noting that he, too, was covered in sweat each breath rattling in his chest. Natsume crawled onto the bed to check on the blond male, as Himiko shook Akabane. He didn't stir, and she shook him harder. "Akabane! Akabane! Wake up! What's the matter? Ak-a-ba-ne!"

His head rolled back as his eyes cracked open, glazed over eyes staring at her, confused and unfocused.

"Him... miko?" His voice was cracked.

She ran a hand over his face, nearly swearing. He was burning up.

"Jesus, Jackal! What happened?"

"Ginji's sick..." He whispered. "He kept shivering..." His eyes shut and his head slumped forward to lean against Himiko's shoulder. "I'm so tired..."

"Oh hell." She muttered, leaning him back against the bed frame again. She turned questioning eyes to Natsume, who shook her head.

"Ginji's burning up with fever, too."

Pushing herself to her feet, Himiko left the room with Natsume on her heels, coming face to face with six sets of questioning eyes. She clapped her hands together.

"All right, people. We have two sick people in there. Natsume, go get the large brown bag from under my bed. Kazuki, I'm going to need clean towels and wash rags. Emishi, go get me a couple of bottles of water and a bowl of cool water, not cold water. Shido, keep Ban out of this room." She ordered, sending each of them scurrying in different directions, as she turned on her heel and marched back upstairs.

She knelt in front of Akabane again.

"Akabane, wake up. I need to put you in the bed, and I can't get you up there by myself."

He didn't even bother to open his eyes, merely shook his head.

"No. Ginji-kun would be uncomfortable." He sighed. "He's still scared of me."

"I'm sure he'll understand once the two of you are better." She assured him, lifting his arm and putting it around her shoulders.

Dark eyes opened to glare threateningly at her.

"I. Said. 'No'."

She released him and let him remain sitting on the floor, just as Natsume came back with her bag, setting it down beside her. Himiko nodded in thanks.

"Good, now I need you to get that extra futon that's rolled up in the corner in our room. And grab some blankets." She told her as the girl disappeared from the room again.

Himiko opened up and began rummaging through her bag, before retrieving a black box that had cords and clamps coming out of it. She rose and climbed onto the bed next to Ginji, hooking a clamp to each of his index fingers before punching a few buttons, frowning at the words that scrolled across the screen.

"Isn't that to check a car battery?" Emishi asked suddenly, startling her. She jerked around to face him, and he stood beside the bed holding the items she'd asked for.

"His electricity is low." She explained to him, removing the clamps from Ginji and scooting off the bed. "I learned when he was in the hospital that when Ginji's body is low on electricity, he can't fight off infection as well. Set that stuff down and help me get him over to the outlet in the corner."

They managed to drag Ginji's dead weight out of the bed, his feet dragging along the floor as they pulled him over to his required source of energy. Himiko left both the blond and Emishi there, running back over to her bag and rummaging through it some more before retrieving a fork and some rubber gloves. She grabbed the bowl of water up as well, before hurrying back over to them. She unceremoniously dumped the bowl of water onto Ginji, before pushing it into Emishi's chest.

"Go get me some more." She ordered, sliding on the rubber gloves and placing the fork in Ginji's hand before sticking the end of it into the outlet. Ginji began to jump and shake and tremble from head to toe, twitching and jerking as though he was having a seizure. His flushed skin soon began to glow with electricity, but the blond remained unconscious and feverish, even after she removed the fork from the outlet. A towel was handed to her and she looked up to see Kazuki standing over her, offering a soft smile. Grateful, she took the towel and quickly wiped Ginji down, before laying the towel over the extra water on the wooden floor.

"Help me get him back into bed." She requested, and wordlessly he did so, helping her move the blond boy, then helping Natsume with the futon and putting Akabane on it at the foot of the bed.

"Why not put him in the bed, too?" Questioned Natsume, beginning to remove some of Akabane's clothes.

Himiko nearly began partially undressing Ginji as well, then stopped.

"Wait. Switch with me." She told Natsume, as she moved to Akabane's side instead. "I am NOT having a repeat of the incident at the hospital. You go strip Ginji down to the waist." The teenage girl laughed, but did as she was told, and Himiko answered her earlier question. "Akabane didn't want to be put in the bed with Ginji. He doesn't want to make Gin uncomfortable."

Emishi returned with the bowl of water, silently setting it down before leaving again, shutting the door behind him to allow the girls to work in peace on their two patients.

Himiko removed Akabane's shirt and tossed it to the side, then sat him up and tied his hair back with a scrunchy, before laying him back again and began to wipe his body down with a wet wash rag. Akabane never flinched or even moved.

Catching Natsume's worried gaze Himiko shook her head.

"We have to get their fever down. Get comfortable, it's going to be a long night."

"Do you have any medicine we can give them?" Questioned Natsume. "It would work faster."

Himiko motioned towards her bag of wonders.

"It's in there somewhere, I just haven't had a chance to grab it yet. Glass jar with a cork, filled with white pills. You grab it while I put out the fireplace."

They both set about their jobs, then forced the patients to take the medicine that would get their temperatures down and make them more comfortable.

"C'mon, Ginji!" Ordered Natsume irritantly. "Swallow, you big lummox!"

The girl's demand made Himiko smile in amusement. If she raised herself up, she could see the teenage girl struggling to hold Ginji upright while coaxing his mouth open to place the pills on his tongue before then trying to coax him to drink water so he could swallow the pills. The poor girl looked stuck between crying in worry and slapping him for making it so difficult on her. Akabane was an easier patient to care for, somewhat aware, he tried to help hold himself up, taking the pills, and drinking when instructed to.

But something about Akabane's behavior while in such a vulnerable state struck Himiko as odd. He fought sleeping, though his eyes were closed and she was certain he did doze lightly, he was still fighting very hard to be aware, aware of every movement she made. Once when she went to wipe down his face with a wash cloth, and she had thought him to be asleep, she nearly shrieked when his hand whipped out fast as lightening to grab her wrist. Stopping her before she could touch him, dark eyes snapping open to glare at her, his unfocused eyes trying to register who she was.

"It's me. Himiko." His glare softened the slightest fraction, but it was as though he still didn't recognize her. She placed her other hand over the one that was gripping her wrist so tightly. "It's okay. You're okay."

He continued to glare at her for another moment before he nodding, whether in agreement with her or in giving her permission to continue tending to him, she wasn't sure.

Dawn took its time in coming, the new day seeming to take forever to arrive, as if intentionally. Natsume was fast asleep on the bed next to Ginji, while Himiko fought nodding off curled up on the floor using Akabane's thigh as a pillow. Nodding off and dozing was the most she was getting, every time she even so much as thought she heard one of her two patients move, her eyes flew wide open, ears perked up. A few minutes later, she would drift back off, finally she was awoken by Ban gently lifting her into his arms. She fought to open her eyes, wearily peering up at him,

"Ban? Wh-what are you doing? Where are you taking me?"

"To bed, Himiko."

Her brain didn't comprehend.

"Bed?"

She could have sworn he nuzzled her hair then.

"Yes, to bed, love." He told her softly.

"Akabane... and Gin..."

"They're going to be fine, they're on the up side of it." He paused. "Or down side of it, either way, I'm pretty sure they're in the clear, right now you need some rest."

"...No. What if their fevers go back up?"

Again, he nuzzled her hair, the sentiment causing her to sigh as she was set on something soft, the comfort of sleep calling to her.

"Just sleep, love..."

And she did.

----- -----

When the blond curled up at the head of the bed shifted in his sleep, Akabane paused in his reading, glancing at the boy over the rim of the book in his hand. Ginji was waking up. Pushing up onto his forearm, Akabane lowered his book, tilting his head to the side to peer at the boy he was so fond of. The blond was hugging a pillow to his chest, burying his face into the soft object, causing a faint smile to touch Akabane's lips. The boy was so child-like.

It was a sight Akabane found to be very... affecting. The affect more obvious through his pants had he not had a quilt around his waist and over his legs, his shirts still in the laundry thanks to Himiko. Ginji was in an equally delicious state of dress, shirtless with the white sheets up twisted around his waist, making him look as though he were wearing nothing. Dear God, if that weren't appetizing to see.

Letting out a soft moan, Ginji's face wrinkled as he fought waking up, snuggling further into his pillow before stretching and yawning. Akabane patiently waiting for the blond to wake up fully, opening his eyes. He did, slowly, blinking away the last remnants of sleep as he peered at Akabane in confusion, his brows drawn together. A seductive grin crossed the dark man's lips.

"Good morning, Lover."

TBC

Note from author repeated: