Disclaimer: Me no ownie.
Precious Things
Chapter Five
A seductive grin crossed the dark man's lips. "Good morning, Lover."
Ginji frowned at him in confusion, still no more than half awake, he brought one hand up to rub the sleep from his eyes.
"Wha- mother? Who's mother? Where?" He asked snuggling back up to his pillow, while Akabane had to bite back a snort of laughter.
"Never mind, Ginji dear, never mind." The blond had closed his eyes again and appeared to be trying to drift back off to sleep. "Don't you want to see the others?" Questioned Akabane, angling his head to the side. "They've been worried about you."
It took a moment, but Ginji forced his eyes open again.
"What others? Why?"
A thought occurred to Akabane, making him smile. Setting his book completely to the side, he rose to his hands and knees, crawling slowly across the sheets to the object of his fixations. Ginji didn't move, just watched him innocently, head resting comfortably against the pillow he was hugging against his body. When he was nearly over the boy, Akabane raised one hand, placing his knuckles under the blond's jaw and running the pad of his thumb across Ginji's full bottom lip.
"Ginji..." He began coyly, dark eyes fixed on tranquil blue. "Can you tell me where you are, pet?"
"Asleep." Replied the other male automatically.
"Do you know who I am?"
"Akabane."
The doctor nodded, taking advantage of Ginji's docile behavior, he allowed his hand to drop from under Ginji's jaw to his neck. Running his hand smoothly across the blond's skin to his shoulder and down the length of the boy's arm to intertwine their fingers, bringing Ginji's hand up, Akabane placed a chaste kiss to the inside of the boy's wrist, all the while never taking his eyes off the blond. Ginji merely watched.
"Why am I in your dream, Ginji? Am I in them often?"
The blond shook his head, brows drawn together lightly.
"Not really. Why are you here? Did I eat chocolate before bed again?"
Shaking his head, Akabane only smiled pleasantly at him.
"I'm here because I want to be, and you let me. I'm honored to know I'm in your dreams, my dear Ginji." He released the boy's hand, raising his own to cup the side of the boy's face. "Get some more sleep; I'll be with you when you wake up."
Yawning sleepily, Ginji's drooping eyes finally sliding closed as he buried his face in his pillow, quickly drifting back off to sleep. Watching him silently for a moment, Akabane pressed his lips in a thin line, contemplating. The idea was truly too tempting to pass up, even should it later backfire, it would be worth it nonetheless. Lowering his head, Akabane placed a kiss the slumbering blond's temple before lowering down beside him. Facing the door to the bedroom as he pulled Ginji's back against his chest; he nuzzled the blond's hair allowing his own eyes to close as he drifted off into an inviting sleep.
- - - -
- - - -
Ban continued pacing the width of the hallway on the second floor, occasionally shooting thread master Kazuki a cross look, as the brunette sat guard at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the third floor. Natsume was playing some card game with Emishi, most of them waiting patiently for Himiko to give the okay for them to go up to the next floor and check on the two patients. Emishi was there merely to be around the teenage girl that he was so smitten with, because according to him, Ginji could bounce back from anything without the aid of Himiko and the others. Himiko wasn't so certain and had forbade anyone going in the room unless she went in first.
Growling at the lose of his last bit of patience, Ban stormed over to the bedroom with the perfume mistress' name on it, banging his fist against it soundly.
"C'mon already Himiko! You're dragging this out deliberately, you know we're all waiting on you!"
The door opened and the girl in question quickly exited without offering the brunette male a glance, fastening the belt around her waist and running a hand through her still damp locks.
"It isn't all about you," She stated flatly, glancing at him over her shoulder. "Sometimes sleep is the best medicine, and since we haven't heard a peep out of either of them, I can only assume they are still asleep."
Crossing his arms over his chest, Ban rolled his eyes.
"They've been asleep for two days straight. Just open the door, Himiko, I've tried to respect your decisions as the medical expert among us, but I'm not waiting anymore."
There really was no point in arguing with the man; either she lead the way or he would, with or without her permission. With a sigh of defeat, the dark haired girl step ahead of the group, nodding to Kazuki before making her way up the stairs with Ban and Himiko on her heels.
"If they're asleep," She warned softly. "We leave them alone and let them rest. Understood, Ban?"
He snorted in response, cutting his gaze to the side, but he didn't argue. Taking that as submission, Himiko gave a curt nod, turning her focus back to the door in front of her, she slowly turned the doorknob and gently pushed the door open, stepping into the room.
They all gasped as one being, Himiko's hand quickly rising to cover her mouth to contain a loud outburst. Ban looked as though he was about to be sick, all the color having drained from his face and replaced with a light green hue. The teenage girl at her side seemed torn between confusion and amusement, the corner of her mouth twitching in a smirk while her eyebrows rose higher.
"Well... I certainly wasn't expecting this."
Both Akabane and Ginji appeared to be fast asleep in the bed together, the white sheets pulled up around their waists as though to cover their state of undress. They both lay comfortably on the white linens, facing the same direction with Akabane's arm securely fastened around Ginji's waist, picturesque of a lover's embrace. Himiko had to admit they both looked lovely lying there like that. Akabane's dark hair in contrast with the white linens; Ginji's features peaceful in a restful slumber. Heat crept into her cheeks and she glanced nervously at the girl by her side, silently seeking her help.
Her head tilted to the side, Natsume placed a finger to her chin thoughtfully.
"I suppose we could at least check to see if their fevers have broken."
"Or if they contracted a different sickness." Snickered Emishi from behind them. "The love sickness."
Ban was leaning heavily against the door frame to the room, Kazuki grabbing him by the waist putting the taller male's arm around his shoulders to support the Get Backer's weight.
"I... I think I'm... I'm going to be sick." Ban stated weakly. "I need to sit down..."
"Easy, easy..." Cooed Kazuki, gently guiding the boy away from the room. "Just breathe."
Shaking her head, and trying not to think what may or may not have transpired in that room, Himiko made her way towards the bed to check the fevers of her patients. There was no telling if what it looked like had happened had really, in fact, happened; Akabane had a tendency to be rather clever in very devious ways. Natsume shadowed Himiko, staying by her side as Himiko first went to Ginji's side of the bed, placing a hand to his forehead and the tips of two fingers to the pulse in his throat. The blond's eyes immediately opened, causing the dark haired girl to retract her hands with a start.
"Good morning, Ginji." She stated softly, not wanting to startle him if he wasn't quite awake yet. "How do you feel?"
The blond frowned in confusion, lifting his head off the pillow a bit.
"Himiko?" He tried to push himself up onto his forearm, but stopped when Akabane's grip tightened around his waist. Blue eyes went wide, fearful, the color draining from his face as he slowly turned his head to see just who had him. Akabane appeared to still be sleeping peacefully at Ginji's side, his arm securely fastened around the other boy's waist. Both females could see the scream building in Ginji, four hands struck out covering his mouth before he could scream and wake Akabane. Terrified eyes turned in panic to the two girls restraining him.
"Don't freak out, we can explain, we can explain!" They hissed in unison. He whimpered. Himiko nodded reassuringly. "I know, I know, but I can assure you, you're okay-"
As though on cue, the dark man sat up sharply, the arm he'd had around Ginji's waist rising up, his red sword appearing in his hand, as his other hand wrapping protectively around the male. Himiko and Natsume both jumped back quickly as the onyx haired glared hate and death at both of them.
A long moment passed without a sound. Frowning delicately, Akabane blinked his sword disappearing as he released Ginji and sat back, confused.
"Himiko?" He ran a hand through his hair, then shook his head as though forcing the last remnants of sleep away before glancing at each of the three faces watching him with wide eyes. His gaze fixed on Himiko's face. "Explain."
Tongue darting out over her lips, she tried to think of the best way to word this. "You were both sick, very sick. According to my tests, it's similar to the effects of my perfumes, yet this one was a poison. Ginji, you showed signs of the poison first," She told him, eyes shifting to the blond's face. She motioned to the dark man sitting on the bed beside him, "Akabane noticed you were sick, and tried to help by bringing you up to his room. You kept shivering and were tired. His room has it's own fireplace and is quiet so you could rest. When Ban couldn't find either of you later that night, we all realized something was wrong and found both of you up here; by then Akabane was also suffering the effects of the poison. Through a great deal of time and effort on Natsume's part and mine you are both alive and well. You've been asleep for three days, and we just came in this morning to check on the two of you and much to our surprise, you both woke up." She frowned at Dr. Jackal. "Though your reaction upon waking was a bit odd."
"Force of habit." He stated off handedly. "Comes from years of waking from one nightmare only to enter another." He looked around, his face the perfect image of confusion. "How did I end up in the bed? Last I recall I was on the futon. And here with Ginji, no less, how very curious..." He tilted his head in concern for the male who'd been sleeping soundly by his side. "I'm not sure how it happened, but I hope I didn't startle you, Ginji-kun."
The blond fumbled over the words, mouth mimicking that of a fish. Without a word, Natsume leapt up on to the bed with them, surprising both Ginji and Himiko, while only receiving a curious glance from Akabane, his left brow arching in question as he watched the girl. She shuffled forward on her knees, before sitting back to look at Akabane.
"We checked Ginji's fever, but we haven't checked yours." He nodded his consent, even leaning his head forward a bit as she reached out to touch his skin. "How do you feel? Did you sleep well? Himiko was worried about you at first, you kept fighting sleep and didn't know where you were." She turned to the female in question. "He still has a slight fever, but I think it should be gone by the end of the day."
Shrugging dismissively, Akabane leaned back using his arms to hold him up. "I admit, I only have a very fuzzy image of Himiko being here, the rest is just voices and dreams, restless and unpleasant. Until I slipped into a most pleasant sleep without dreams, but I suspect Miss Himiko must have given me something to make me sleep as such, for I haven't been able to sleep that pleasantly in, well... ever." He ended with a smile.
Natsume grinned and winked to Ginji before crawling and sliding off the bed.
"So, you boys think you could handle some breakfast?" Interjected Himiko quickly.
"Do you think they could go down stairs?" Natsume wondered, turning to Lady Poison. The other woman quickly shook her head.
"And them be bombarded by everybody? No. They stay up here, but I will allow visitors later on today."
Ginji pouted in disappointment.
"Well, then, what do you expect us to do all day up here?"
The image of them from earlier, asleep like two lovers in bed flitted through Himiko's mind causing her to blush faintly. She turned quickly to Natsume who had opened her mouth, a faint blush dashed across her nose. Grabbing her wrist, Himiko glared at Natsume, silently threatening, 'If you say 'each other', I swear to God I'll kill you'.
The teenager laughed lightly, a guilty laugh as though she'd been caught red handed.
"Cards. You can do it all you want- I mean, play, you can play cards all you want. Emishi has some, I'll go find him. You can read, too. Reading is good. Himiko, why don't you go get started on breakfast for them, hm? C'mon, I'll help." She stated happily, somehow managing to both pull and shove Himiko out of the room with her. Leaving the two males looking slightly confused in their wake.
TBC
Tenoko: Please review. It lets me know there are people that actually read this story. And also, feel free to check out my livejournal, you might get a kick out of it. There's a link on my main page, or go to tenoko1. I think that's it.