Disclaimer: I do not own Get Backers. Don't sue, I have no money. I do have
monkey though! * holds up sock puppet monkey *
Warnings: Geez, if your on the third chapter by now you should know; shounen-ai, vast amounts of Ai having no life and spending hours looking up mythology for this fic, some OOC cuz I'm just stupid like that, and yeah, more shounen-ai (mostly Ban and Ginji, although Kazu-chan and everyone's favourite porcupine Juubei will be making some more appearances).
Chapter 3: The Faceless Tiger
Natsumi was bent over, her shoulders shuddering violently with a miserable attempt to restrain her giggles, tears of mirth streaming down her now beet- red face.
"What's so God-damn funny?" Ban demanded angrily.
The young waitress struggled to get a hold of herself. She lifted her head, meeting Ban's angry stare and Ginji's politely puzzled expression...
...and lost it once again.
"What's going on?" Kazuki inquired, getting up from his place to see what all the commotion was.
"I think Natsumi's gone mental," Ban grumbled, watching Natsumi clutch a stitch in her side.
"Maybe the last verse is a joke, Ban-chan? Although I don't get why it's so funny..." Ginji suggested, scratching his head and studying the riddle with renewed interest.
"I highly doubt that, Ginji-kun," Kazuki said calmly while Ban was glaring at Natsumi (who's fit of laughter was just beginning to subside). "May I take a look?"
Ginji nodded and showed the longhaired brunet the troubling verse. "This part. We don't get what it's talking about."
Kazuki read it slowly, fingers trailing elegantly over the words as if by touching them he could somehow absorb the answer to the mystery they held. He stopped at the end and then read and reread it over. Ginji watched anxiously, rocking on the edge of his seat. Even Ban turned his attention from Natsumi's sudden case of the giggles to observe Kazuki with interest.
The weaver's lips turned up at the corners in the slightest of amused smiles.
"Well? Have you figured it out?" Ban huffed impatiently.
Kazuki peered up from the riddle, nodding in affirmation, but not saying a word.
"So what is it?"
Kazuki shook his head and set the riddle back down on the table. "I'm surprised, Midou-kun. Seeing as you and Ginji are together like that, and you can't tell what the riddle's talking about."
Ban was on his feet in an instant, hands balled into fists and eyes narrowed dangerously.
"What the hell do you mean by that, thread-spool?" Ban growled furiously.
Kazuki simply smiled and shook his head again. "I don't think I'm the one who should say it. You'll figure it out, Midou-kun. You don't strike me as quite that moronic." This time there was no scathing bite to Kazuki's retort, but instead a somewhat amused tone. He returned to his seat next to Juubei leaving Ban and Ginji quite speechless and confused.
---------------
The cold winter wind lashed out mercilessly at the two retrieval agents as they stepped out of the Honky Tonk. Even bundled up in the sweaters and scarves they had bought at a second-hand store, ice particles from the dry powdery snow stung what skin they had left exposed. Despite the sky's serious lack of cloud cover, the fiercely bright sun did little to warm the freezing air. An ill-fated Christmas wreath tumbled by from the force of the howling wind, like some sort of equivalent to a tumbleweed in a wintry desert. The streets were devoid of any cars, and the sidewalks had only the most eager of Christmas shoppers braving the weather. Ginji's teeth were already chattering, and he was hopping from one foot to another to keep his blood circulating. Ban was sweeping the snow off his precious Lady Bug with a broom he had borrowed from Paul (after much pestering, of course).
"What the Hell was up with Natsumi and the thread-spool?" Ban grumbled angrily, cleaning snow from in between his windshield wipers.
Ginji rubbed his arms, jogging in place, teeth chattering.
"B-B-B-Ban-Ch-Ch-Chan... c-c-c-c-c-cold!
Ban sighed, realizing that his partner wasn't listening to his disgruntled musings, and tossed Ginji the broom. Ginji caught it, and looked a bit confused.
"Take that back inside to Paul, would ya? I'll start the car and get the heat going."
Ginji nodded gratefully and hurried back into the heated Honky Tonk. Ban managed to get the driver's side door open, although some frost had caused it to nearly be frozen stuck, and clambered in. The engine started and the heat was, to Ban's immense relief, working. He backed the Lady Bug up from the massive snow-bank that had built up during the night and beeped the horn to signal Ginji inside the Honky Tonk to come out. The blond bolted out of the Honky Tonk, and flung himself eagerly into the passenger's seat, grinning as brightly as the morning sun and infinitely warmer.
"So where to?" Ginji asked, rubbing his hands together as if to rub out the winter chill.
"Hozenji, in Osaka. I know Kamakura is closer on the map, but Hozenji is well known for a statue of Fudo Myo-o. And Fudo Myo-o is the first mentioned in the riddle." Ban explained, passing the map, riddle and photocopies to Ginji. "Put this stuff in the glove compartment would ya?"
"Sure. But why does it matter?" Ginji asked, prying the compartment open and stashed the papers safely away. It was the odd thing about the Lady Bug, how things that needed to be opened were jammed shut and things that should stay shut sprung open at very inopportune moments.
"So that the stuff stays safe and in order." Ban replied, backing out onto the road and shifting gears.
"No, I mean why does it matter what we see first?" Ginji asked as they snailed down the slippery roads. Apparently even the snowplows were in mortal terror of this cold.
"Cuz riddles are anal like that most of the time. Besides, Osaka is a bit warmer." Ban's expression remained neutral, but his eyes, while they didn't quite twinkle because Ban and twinkle don't exactly belong in the same sentence (Kazuki on the other hand...), there was, however, a hint of brightness that wasn't usually there.
Ginji laughed and leaned back into his seat. So that was it.
---------------
They had been driving for about three hours when Ginji could no longer restrain himself. He had been longing for quite some time to ask Ban this. The question was burning a hole through his mind and soul, and with no clear answer in sight, he simply had to know.
"Ban-chan...?" Ginji's voice was soft, meek, and nervous.
"Mmm?" Ban replied, absolutely oblivious to Ginji's deep and desperate desire to know the answer to such an important question.
"Are we there yet?"
Ban gave an exasperated huff.
"We still have a ways to go. Osaka is about six hundred kilometers from Shinjuku, so we have a good two days drive ahead of us."
Ginji groaned and slumped back into his seat.
"Don't worry, we'll be staying at a hotel tonight. I'm not sleeping in the car, not in this cold."
Ginji gave a weak smile, but his stomach was protesting wildly. The ex- thunder emperor was absolutely famished. He leaned his head to the side, resting it on Ban's upper arm and gave one long, audible groan.
"Baaaaaan-chan! I'm hungry!"
Instead of Ban's usual sharp remark, or a thwack on the head, Ban's hand reached out and gave Ginji's arm a light squeeze. "Ginji, I swear to you, after this mission we'll never go hungry again. We'll get the Lady Bug fixed up, along with our apartment. We'll get furniture, maybe a tv or a computer. A phone would be nice as well."
Ginji smiled, staring up at Ban. "Is that it?"
"Well we'll need to get an actual bed, ya know? We can't sleep on the couch for ever." Ban paused at the thought, and shook his head. They weren't like that. Even if every nerve in his body was screaming that they should be, that his heart was pounding at him that it was unfair, an absolute injustice that they weren't, Ban couldn't deny the facts. They weren't like that. They probably never would be either. "Beds, I mean." He corrected, and his heart called him a coward.
Ginji unglued himself from Ban's arm, and slumped sulkily back into his seat.
"Why two beds? Can't we just have one? I don't mind sleeping with you."
"You mean 'sleeping next to'." Ban corrected.
"Same difference." Ginji replied shrugging.
"Er... not really, but I won't go into it. Why do you want just one bed? Wouldn't it be nice two have your own personal place to sleep?"
Ginji shrugged. "I just like having Ban-chan close at night. Like last night. It was... nice..."
Ban chanced a glance at his partner, and unless his eyes were deceiving him (as they had deceived many others in the past), a slight flush of color had risen in Ginji's cheeks.
"Alright," Ban complied, trying his best to sound annoyed, "we'll have one bed. But a big one. I hate it when you elbow me in the ribs in the middle of the night every damn time we sleep with... next to, NEXT TO each other."
Ginji beamed and reattached himself to Ban's arm.
---------------
They still had a massive proportion of the two hundred thousand yen that was free to be spent on luxuries (Ban had set aside some for rent and paying some of their immense tab at the Honky Tonk), so the hotel they decided to stay at was, well it was by no means a five star hotel, but the rooms were clean, sheets were washed, and the bathroom didn't look like its last cleaning had been a prehistoric event. Hell, the place even had a restaurant they could go down and have supper in.
"Ban-chan, it's like a cloud!" Ginji remarked, flopping backwards onto the bed.
"Glad you like it," Ban replied, slipping into the bathroom to wash his face. The hotel had been kind enough to supply soap, towels, and general toiletries. Ban made a note to swipe them and have Ginji carry them out in his oversized pockets. The stuff just got thrown out after it was used anyway. No sense in wasting good bathroom things.
"Uwaaah! Ban-chan!"
Ban flung the door to the bathroom open, a rush of adrenaline surging through him from the cry. "What? What is it?" He was in a fighting stance already, peering around the hotel room for yakuza, Hishiki Ryuudo, a person that could possibly be Bai Hu, or Fudou Takuma. But there was only Ginji, sitting on the edge of the bed looking awestruck.
"There's a tv!"
Ban visibly relaxed, relief pouring over him like hot steaming bathwater. "Yeah, don't watch it too much. It'll rot your brain." Ban chuckled, and then paused, looking thoughtful. "Not that there's much to rot anyway." He added as an afterthought.
Ginji immediately tossed down the remote he had picked up, and stared at it apprehensively, as if it might jump up and blast him with brain-rotting laser beams.
Ban laughed, and shook his head. "Idiot. It's a figure of speech. Don't worry about it." Ban picked up the remote and set it down on the foot of the bed.
Ginji repressed a giggle.
"What?" Ban asked, defensively. "Don't tell me you've caught whatever bug Natsumi had this morning?"
Ginji fell to his side on the bed, and pointed at Ban's face, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.
"What? Is something on my face?"
"You're eyebrows are all messed up! It looks really funny!" He laughed openly now, kicking his legs up into the air.
Ban grinned, and sank down beside Ginji. It must have happened when he was washing his face. Ginji grinned, his laughter subsiding. Ban watched his partner, his grin softening into a smile. And then he made a face which sent Ginji reeling into another fit of laughter. They carried on like that for quite some time, making faces at one another.
"Okay, I'm gonna do my impression of Ginji," Ban announced, and screwed up his expression into something reminiscent of a drooling puppy. "Duh, I'm Gin... Ginji Amano, hyuk hyuk!"
Ginji pouted. "Ban-chan! So mean! Okay, well here's my impression of Ban- chan!" Ginji screwed up up his face so that he bore a remarkable resemblance to someone with the emotional range of a cardboard box. "I am Ban-chan, I'll kick your ass, blah blah blah..."
Ban grabbed one of the pillows off the bed and swung at Ginji, knocking the blond over the head. "Hey! You got me confused with samurai boy! You're meant to be all like: 'I am the great Midou-sama! And I'll whoop your sorry ass into next week!"
Ginji snagged the other pillow and made a swing at Ban, catching the brunet in his lower chest. "Blah blah blaaaaaah!" He taunted.
"You'll pay for that one!" Ban dived at Ginji with the pillow, and the two lashed out each other mercilessly in what must have been the battle royal of pillows.
Eventually they had abandoned their pillow fight for good old-fashioned play-wrestling. Ginji had given Ban a few jolts of electricity (hardly enough to hurt the brunet), but in the end it was Ban who triumphed, having managed to use his superior strength to pin Ginji to the mattress.
"Hah!" Ban panted, a thin sheen of sweet on his face. Ginji was also panting, clearly winded.
"No fair, you always win!" Ginji whined once he regained his breath.
Ban smiled, letting go of Ginji's wrists and rolling onto his side, propping his head on his arm.
"Not always."
"Yeah!" Ginji insisted, also rolling onto his side to face Ban, looking slightly upset. "You're stronger, smarter, and you know all sorts of artsy stuff to boot. You always win."
"You know what? That doesn't count for shit, compared to what you can do."
"I don't get it."
This was it. Ban was going to take the risk, before his partner drove him absolutely crazy. He leaned forward, so that their noses were practically touching.
"You can make cynical, cold hearted, bloody minded bastards like me..."
Ginji's cheeks were flushed, the same pink as the strawberry Pocky he loved so much.
"B...Ban-chan...?"
"...you can make people like me fall--"
There was a knocking on the door.
Ban wanted to scream in frustration! What was with some people? Didn't they understand how important this was? With a sigh, he slid off the bed and strode to the door, leaving a rather perplexed Ginji on the bed to wonder what Ban was about to say.
"What?" Ban snarled to a startled looking bellboy.
"Um... a man left this for you at the front desk! He said it was an urgent letter for Midou Ban and Amano Ginji!" The bellboy choked out, handing over the envelope.
Ban barely had time to take it before the kid bolted out of sight.
"Ch, rotten brat." Ban turned the envelope over. There were his name and Ginji's scribbled hurriedly on the back, along with their room number. He shut the door, and tore the envelope open.
"What is it Ban-chan?" Ginji asked, hopping off the bed and peered at the letter.
"Get Backers," Ban read, "you're halfway to the first two treasures. It was wise of you to follow the riddle in order. I congratulate you. If you wish to receive the treasures from Fudo Myo-o, be certain to ensure yourselves a lucky evening. Sincerely yours, Bai Hu."
"Huh, you were right about the following the riddle in order thing after all. But what's this about the lucky evening?" Ginji asked, scratching his head.
"Something I was really hoping to have before that little pizza-faced twerp came banging the door down," Ban growled ruefully, crushing the letter in his fist.
"Oh, Ban-chan, be nice! It was really good of the hotel to send it up to us." Ginji reproached, snatching the crumpled letter from Ban's fist and carefully smoothed it out.
"Whatever you say," Ban grumbled.
"Hey, I've got an idea!"
"What?"
"Maybe Bai Hu is staying here!"
Ban raised a brow and looked impressed. "You know... he just might be. C'mon, let's go check the front desk."
---------------
"Pardon, sir? Bai Hu?" The lady at the front desk gave Ban a puzzled look.
"Yeah, yeah," Ban persisted. "A bellboy delivered a letter from him to our room just a few minutes ago. Is he staying here?"
"Ah, yes him. Tall, well dressed. I think he might have been a businessman, but his hair was so wild... white, with black streaks. It was strange, his name was Asian, but... well, he certainly wasn't. Very dark skin, he must be American or something, but his Japanese was absolutely fluent. He was a dream come true!" She gushed, a flush creeping into her cheeks. "And his eyes! Yellow contacts I'll bet! How sexy!"
Ban gave the lady an incredulous look. It annoyed him to no end this woman was reduced to some writhing mass of hormones over a guy who stole from witch's apprentice's. "Okay, well is he staying here?"
"No," She said, getting a hold of herself. "He stopped in four days ago. Said to give that letter to you when you arrived. I would know, it was my shift. He gave me a lot of money to do it too."
Ban's jaw had gone slack.
---------------
"It bothers me," Ban finally said as they were seated in the hotel's restaurant.
"I'll be back with two menus, gentlemen," the waiter announced politely and bustled off.
"Thank you," Ginji said, and Ban nodded automatically, his mind elsewhere. "What bothers you?" Ginji asked, turning his full attention to Ban.
"How that Bai Hu knew we'd be staying in this hotel four days before we even knew we'd be here. I mean, there's about five more in this area that we could have stopped at, and this one isn't in our usual price range."
"Maybe he's psychic?"
"Psychics, real ones anyway, make prophecies. Four days into the future isn't exactly something they do. Unless he's like Takuma... but he can only see a few seconds into the future."
Ginji shrugged. "This is all getting really weird."
"You're telling me. You know what this means, don't you?"
Ginji shook head.
"This was planned before the robbery. We got the mission yesterday. Mei was robbed the night before. Two days before the robbery, this Bai Hu guy gives that lady the letter to have sent up to us. Someone knew we were going to be here, and now's giving us the runaround and I want to find out who."
"So you think Bai Hu stole the tear?" Ginji asked apprehensively.
Ban nodded. "That's my hunch."
The waiter returned with their menus and the subject of Bai Hu was immediately dropped when their stomachs both gave one, simultaneous and very audible growl.
---------------
"Ah, that hit the spot!" Ginji stated happily, flopping backwards onto the bed and sinking his head down onto the pillow. His cheeks were flushed, having had a few too many sake, courtesy of that fine paycheck they had received from the old lady. The hotel room was somewhat swimming in his vision, but he had a warm buzzing feeling in his lower chest and all that mattered now was nestling down for some sleep. Wait... there had been something else... something important Ban had tried to tell him before they went downstairs...
"Yeah, it sure as hell did. It's a nice feeling, being full every once in a while." Ban replied, sitting at the edge of the bed and kicking off his shoes.
Ginji smiled, sitting up to kick off his own shoes and take off his vest, trousers, and t-shirt. Ban rolled back the covers, having stripped down to his tank top and boxers.
"Do you need to use me as a stuffed animal again, tonight?" Ban teased, ruffling Ginji's spiky blond mass. Brown eyes widened hopefully.
"Could I?"
"Hell, if it keeps you from having nightmares, be my guest. It doesn't bother me any... except when you elbow me in ribs." Ban said dismissively, laying back and drawing the covers to his chest. Ginji beamed, and snuggled under the covers, cuddling against Ban. Ban switched off the bedside light, wrapping one arm around Ginji. "You know something?"
"Hmm?" Ginji replied blearily.
"You smell like sake."
Ginji flushed crimson, "Geh... I'm sorry, Ban-chan, I just had two, I didn't mean--"
"It's okay." Ban replied, patting Ginji's cheek. "You're just a lightweight, that's all. Go to sleep."
Ginji relaxed, and closed his eyes. Then opened them again.
"Ban-chan?"
"Hmm?" Ban replied drowsily, the alcohol already making him sleepy. Maybe he too had a few too many.
"Before we went downstairs, you wanted to tell me something... what was it?"
Ban shrugged. "Forget it. It was stupid." Liar. It's the most important thing in the world to you.
"Tell me sometime... promise?"
"Promise." There would be no stopping it one day, anyway.
Ginji drifted off to sleep, shortly followed by Ban.
---------------
Ban was well aware how to control his dreams. Nightmares may have been another story. His grandmother had once told him that no one could harness their nightmares, not even a cursed boy.
But this was most certainly not a nightmare. So why couldn't he control it?
When had Ginji become so irresistible? Why hadn't he noticed before? Or had it just been so obvious that he just couldn't see it?
So Ban relaxed, and was simply content to enjoy the dream.
---------------
Dawn brought with it another snowstorm, obscuring visibility to the outside of their hotel room. White and pale gray, and maybe a few faded neon colours from man made objects; that was the sight that might have greeted Ban that morning had he vouched to sleep on the couch.
But as it was, he was not sleeping on the couch. And judging by the way he and Ginji were snuggled under the thick, warm blankets, Ban was greeted by a much more pleasant sight.
For one thing, he was happy to see Ginji, quite a different emotion than the jaw-dropping frustration when he saw the mess of snow he'd have to drive another five hours in.
---------------
Ai-chan's Note: Whee! I've been reading the reviews and I'm glad people are enjoying this! Thank you everyone for the response and so sorry for the OOC (trying to fix that). Thank you X-Parrot for the correction, I'll have Kazuki refer to Ban as Midou-kun from now on (and I'll go back and fix chapter 2 when I get some time). Sorry Hikaru, I tried posting the link to the GB manga translations site and seeing as it didn't, FF.net must be out to get me again, so just go to the site Dakkanya.net and there's a link to it in the Misc, section. I got my manga's as a b-day gift a long time ago, before GB got any sort of major fan following in the states. They've been laying dormant in my closet for about two years and only recently has my obsession been revived (what with the TV series and Ginji's hair getting longer! Oh he looks so much nicer with the long hair than his crew cut! So cute!). I asked my friend where she got them, and she said E-bay might still have some. If they don't try Amazon.com. As for the answer to the fifth paragraph of the riddle: You'll just have to wait and see 'cuz I'm gonna be evil like that. ^.^
Anyway...
Part 3 was an attempt to shed some light on Bai Hu without giving away too much. Anyway, hope everyone liked this part. Sorry it got longer than I intended once again. But they'll be in Osaka by the next chapter.
Warnings: Geez, if your on the third chapter by now you should know; shounen-ai, vast amounts of Ai having no life and spending hours looking up mythology for this fic, some OOC cuz I'm just stupid like that, and yeah, more shounen-ai (mostly Ban and Ginji, although Kazu-chan and everyone's favourite porcupine Juubei will be making some more appearances).
Chapter 3: The Faceless Tiger
Natsumi was bent over, her shoulders shuddering violently with a miserable attempt to restrain her giggles, tears of mirth streaming down her now beet- red face.
"What's so God-damn funny?" Ban demanded angrily.
The young waitress struggled to get a hold of herself. She lifted her head, meeting Ban's angry stare and Ginji's politely puzzled expression...
...and lost it once again.
"What's going on?" Kazuki inquired, getting up from his place to see what all the commotion was.
"I think Natsumi's gone mental," Ban grumbled, watching Natsumi clutch a stitch in her side.
"Maybe the last verse is a joke, Ban-chan? Although I don't get why it's so funny..." Ginji suggested, scratching his head and studying the riddle with renewed interest.
"I highly doubt that, Ginji-kun," Kazuki said calmly while Ban was glaring at Natsumi (who's fit of laughter was just beginning to subside). "May I take a look?"
Ginji nodded and showed the longhaired brunet the troubling verse. "This part. We don't get what it's talking about."
Kazuki read it slowly, fingers trailing elegantly over the words as if by touching them he could somehow absorb the answer to the mystery they held. He stopped at the end and then read and reread it over. Ginji watched anxiously, rocking on the edge of his seat. Even Ban turned his attention from Natsumi's sudden case of the giggles to observe Kazuki with interest.
The weaver's lips turned up at the corners in the slightest of amused smiles.
"Well? Have you figured it out?" Ban huffed impatiently.
Kazuki peered up from the riddle, nodding in affirmation, but not saying a word.
"So what is it?"
Kazuki shook his head and set the riddle back down on the table. "I'm surprised, Midou-kun. Seeing as you and Ginji are together like that, and you can't tell what the riddle's talking about."
Ban was on his feet in an instant, hands balled into fists and eyes narrowed dangerously.
"What the hell do you mean by that, thread-spool?" Ban growled furiously.
Kazuki simply smiled and shook his head again. "I don't think I'm the one who should say it. You'll figure it out, Midou-kun. You don't strike me as quite that moronic." This time there was no scathing bite to Kazuki's retort, but instead a somewhat amused tone. He returned to his seat next to Juubei leaving Ban and Ginji quite speechless and confused.
---------------
The cold winter wind lashed out mercilessly at the two retrieval agents as they stepped out of the Honky Tonk. Even bundled up in the sweaters and scarves they had bought at a second-hand store, ice particles from the dry powdery snow stung what skin they had left exposed. Despite the sky's serious lack of cloud cover, the fiercely bright sun did little to warm the freezing air. An ill-fated Christmas wreath tumbled by from the force of the howling wind, like some sort of equivalent to a tumbleweed in a wintry desert. The streets were devoid of any cars, and the sidewalks had only the most eager of Christmas shoppers braving the weather. Ginji's teeth were already chattering, and he was hopping from one foot to another to keep his blood circulating. Ban was sweeping the snow off his precious Lady Bug with a broom he had borrowed from Paul (after much pestering, of course).
"What the Hell was up with Natsumi and the thread-spool?" Ban grumbled angrily, cleaning snow from in between his windshield wipers.
Ginji rubbed his arms, jogging in place, teeth chattering.
"B-B-B-Ban-Ch-Ch-Chan... c-c-c-c-c-cold!
Ban sighed, realizing that his partner wasn't listening to his disgruntled musings, and tossed Ginji the broom. Ginji caught it, and looked a bit confused.
"Take that back inside to Paul, would ya? I'll start the car and get the heat going."
Ginji nodded gratefully and hurried back into the heated Honky Tonk. Ban managed to get the driver's side door open, although some frost had caused it to nearly be frozen stuck, and clambered in. The engine started and the heat was, to Ban's immense relief, working. He backed the Lady Bug up from the massive snow-bank that had built up during the night and beeped the horn to signal Ginji inside the Honky Tonk to come out. The blond bolted out of the Honky Tonk, and flung himself eagerly into the passenger's seat, grinning as brightly as the morning sun and infinitely warmer.
"So where to?" Ginji asked, rubbing his hands together as if to rub out the winter chill.
"Hozenji, in Osaka. I know Kamakura is closer on the map, but Hozenji is well known for a statue of Fudo Myo-o. And Fudo Myo-o is the first mentioned in the riddle." Ban explained, passing the map, riddle and photocopies to Ginji. "Put this stuff in the glove compartment would ya?"
"Sure. But why does it matter?" Ginji asked, prying the compartment open and stashed the papers safely away. It was the odd thing about the Lady Bug, how things that needed to be opened were jammed shut and things that should stay shut sprung open at very inopportune moments.
"So that the stuff stays safe and in order." Ban replied, backing out onto the road and shifting gears.
"No, I mean why does it matter what we see first?" Ginji asked as they snailed down the slippery roads. Apparently even the snowplows were in mortal terror of this cold.
"Cuz riddles are anal like that most of the time. Besides, Osaka is a bit warmer." Ban's expression remained neutral, but his eyes, while they didn't quite twinkle because Ban and twinkle don't exactly belong in the same sentence (Kazuki on the other hand...), there was, however, a hint of brightness that wasn't usually there.
Ginji laughed and leaned back into his seat. So that was it.
---------------
They had been driving for about three hours when Ginji could no longer restrain himself. He had been longing for quite some time to ask Ban this. The question was burning a hole through his mind and soul, and with no clear answer in sight, he simply had to know.
"Ban-chan...?" Ginji's voice was soft, meek, and nervous.
"Mmm?" Ban replied, absolutely oblivious to Ginji's deep and desperate desire to know the answer to such an important question.
"Are we there yet?"
Ban gave an exasperated huff.
"We still have a ways to go. Osaka is about six hundred kilometers from Shinjuku, so we have a good two days drive ahead of us."
Ginji groaned and slumped back into his seat.
"Don't worry, we'll be staying at a hotel tonight. I'm not sleeping in the car, not in this cold."
Ginji gave a weak smile, but his stomach was protesting wildly. The ex- thunder emperor was absolutely famished. He leaned his head to the side, resting it on Ban's upper arm and gave one long, audible groan.
"Baaaaaan-chan! I'm hungry!"
Instead of Ban's usual sharp remark, or a thwack on the head, Ban's hand reached out and gave Ginji's arm a light squeeze. "Ginji, I swear to you, after this mission we'll never go hungry again. We'll get the Lady Bug fixed up, along with our apartment. We'll get furniture, maybe a tv or a computer. A phone would be nice as well."
Ginji smiled, staring up at Ban. "Is that it?"
"Well we'll need to get an actual bed, ya know? We can't sleep on the couch for ever." Ban paused at the thought, and shook his head. They weren't like that. Even if every nerve in his body was screaming that they should be, that his heart was pounding at him that it was unfair, an absolute injustice that they weren't, Ban couldn't deny the facts. They weren't like that. They probably never would be either. "Beds, I mean." He corrected, and his heart called him a coward.
Ginji unglued himself from Ban's arm, and slumped sulkily back into his seat.
"Why two beds? Can't we just have one? I don't mind sleeping with you."
"You mean 'sleeping next to'." Ban corrected.
"Same difference." Ginji replied shrugging.
"Er... not really, but I won't go into it. Why do you want just one bed? Wouldn't it be nice two have your own personal place to sleep?"
Ginji shrugged. "I just like having Ban-chan close at night. Like last night. It was... nice..."
Ban chanced a glance at his partner, and unless his eyes were deceiving him (as they had deceived many others in the past), a slight flush of color had risen in Ginji's cheeks.
"Alright," Ban complied, trying his best to sound annoyed, "we'll have one bed. But a big one. I hate it when you elbow me in the ribs in the middle of the night every damn time we sleep with... next to, NEXT TO each other."
Ginji beamed and reattached himself to Ban's arm.
---------------
They still had a massive proportion of the two hundred thousand yen that was free to be spent on luxuries (Ban had set aside some for rent and paying some of their immense tab at the Honky Tonk), so the hotel they decided to stay at was, well it was by no means a five star hotel, but the rooms were clean, sheets were washed, and the bathroom didn't look like its last cleaning had been a prehistoric event. Hell, the place even had a restaurant they could go down and have supper in.
"Ban-chan, it's like a cloud!" Ginji remarked, flopping backwards onto the bed.
"Glad you like it," Ban replied, slipping into the bathroom to wash his face. The hotel had been kind enough to supply soap, towels, and general toiletries. Ban made a note to swipe them and have Ginji carry them out in his oversized pockets. The stuff just got thrown out after it was used anyway. No sense in wasting good bathroom things.
"Uwaaah! Ban-chan!"
Ban flung the door to the bathroom open, a rush of adrenaline surging through him from the cry. "What? What is it?" He was in a fighting stance already, peering around the hotel room for yakuza, Hishiki Ryuudo, a person that could possibly be Bai Hu, or Fudou Takuma. But there was only Ginji, sitting on the edge of the bed looking awestruck.
"There's a tv!"
Ban visibly relaxed, relief pouring over him like hot steaming bathwater. "Yeah, don't watch it too much. It'll rot your brain." Ban chuckled, and then paused, looking thoughtful. "Not that there's much to rot anyway." He added as an afterthought.
Ginji immediately tossed down the remote he had picked up, and stared at it apprehensively, as if it might jump up and blast him with brain-rotting laser beams.
Ban laughed, and shook his head. "Idiot. It's a figure of speech. Don't worry about it." Ban picked up the remote and set it down on the foot of the bed.
Ginji repressed a giggle.
"What?" Ban asked, defensively. "Don't tell me you've caught whatever bug Natsumi had this morning?"
Ginji fell to his side on the bed, and pointed at Ban's face, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.
"What? Is something on my face?"
"You're eyebrows are all messed up! It looks really funny!" He laughed openly now, kicking his legs up into the air.
Ban grinned, and sank down beside Ginji. It must have happened when he was washing his face. Ginji grinned, his laughter subsiding. Ban watched his partner, his grin softening into a smile. And then he made a face which sent Ginji reeling into another fit of laughter. They carried on like that for quite some time, making faces at one another.
"Okay, I'm gonna do my impression of Ginji," Ban announced, and screwed up his expression into something reminiscent of a drooling puppy. "Duh, I'm Gin... Ginji Amano, hyuk hyuk!"
Ginji pouted. "Ban-chan! So mean! Okay, well here's my impression of Ban- chan!" Ginji screwed up up his face so that he bore a remarkable resemblance to someone with the emotional range of a cardboard box. "I am Ban-chan, I'll kick your ass, blah blah blah..."
Ban grabbed one of the pillows off the bed and swung at Ginji, knocking the blond over the head. "Hey! You got me confused with samurai boy! You're meant to be all like: 'I am the great Midou-sama! And I'll whoop your sorry ass into next week!"
Ginji snagged the other pillow and made a swing at Ban, catching the brunet in his lower chest. "Blah blah blaaaaaah!" He taunted.
"You'll pay for that one!" Ban dived at Ginji with the pillow, and the two lashed out each other mercilessly in what must have been the battle royal of pillows.
Eventually they had abandoned their pillow fight for good old-fashioned play-wrestling. Ginji had given Ban a few jolts of electricity (hardly enough to hurt the brunet), but in the end it was Ban who triumphed, having managed to use his superior strength to pin Ginji to the mattress.
"Hah!" Ban panted, a thin sheen of sweet on his face. Ginji was also panting, clearly winded.
"No fair, you always win!" Ginji whined once he regained his breath.
Ban smiled, letting go of Ginji's wrists and rolling onto his side, propping his head on his arm.
"Not always."
"Yeah!" Ginji insisted, also rolling onto his side to face Ban, looking slightly upset. "You're stronger, smarter, and you know all sorts of artsy stuff to boot. You always win."
"You know what? That doesn't count for shit, compared to what you can do."
"I don't get it."
This was it. Ban was going to take the risk, before his partner drove him absolutely crazy. He leaned forward, so that their noses were practically touching.
"You can make cynical, cold hearted, bloody minded bastards like me..."
Ginji's cheeks were flushed, the same pink as the strawberry Pocky he loved so much.
"B...Ban-chan...?"
"...you can make people like me fall--"
There was a knocking on the door.
Ban wanted to scream in frustration! What was with some people? Didn't they understand how important this was? With a sigh, he slid off the bed and strode to the door, leaving a rather perplexed Ginji on the bed to wonder what Ban was about to say.
"What?" Ban snarled to a startled looking bellboy.
"Um... a man left this for you at the front desk! He said it was an urgent letter for Midou Ban and Amano Ginji!" The bellboy choked out, handing over the envelope.
Ban barely had time to take it before the kid bolted out of sight.
"Ch, rotten brat." Ban turned the envelope over. There were his name and Ginji's scribbled hurriedly on the back, along with their room number. He shut the door, and tore the envelope open.
"What is it Ban-chan?" Ginji asked, hopping off the bed and peered at the letter.
"Get Backers," Ban read, "you're halfway to the first two treasures. It was wise of you to follow the riddle in order. I congratulate you. If you wish to receive the treasures from Fudo Myo-o, be certain to ensure yourselves a lucky evening. Sincerely yours, Bai Hu."
"Huh, you were right about the following the riddle in order thing after all. But what's this about the lucky evening?" Ginji asked, scratching his head.
"Something I was really hoping to have before that little pizza-faced twerp came banging the door down," Ban growled ruefully, crushing the letter in his fist.
"Oh, Ban-chan, be nice! It was really good of the hotel to send it up to us." Ginji reproached, snatching the crumpled letter from Ban's fist and carefully smoothed it out.
"Whatever you say," Ban grumbled.
"Hey, I've got an idea!"
"What?"
"Maybe Bai Hu is staying here!"
Ban raised a brow and looked impressed. "You know... he just might be. C'mon, let's go check the front desk."
---------------
"Pardon, sir? Bai Hu?" The lady at the front desk gave Ban a puzzled look.
"Yeah, yeah," Ban persisted. "A bellboy delivered a letter from him to our room just a few minutes ago. Is he staying here?"
"Ah, yes him. Tall, well dressed. I think he might have been a businessman, but his hair was so wild... white, with black streaks. It was strange, his name was Asian, but... well, he certainly wasn't. Very dark skin, he must be American or something, but his Japanese was absolutely fluent. He was a dream come true!" She gushed, a flush creeping into her cheeks. "And his eyes! Yellow contacts I'll bet! How sexy!"
Ban gave the lady an incredulous look. It annoyed him to no end this woman was reduced to some writhing mass of hormones over a guy who stole from witch's apprentice's. "Okay, well is he staying here?"
"No," She said, getting a hold of herself. "He stopped in four days ago. Said to give that letter to you when you arrived. I would know, it was my shift. He gave me a lot of money to do it too."
Ban's jaw had gone slack.
---------------
"It bothers me," Ban finally said as they were seated in the hotel's restaurant.
"I'll be back with two menus, gentlemen," the waiter announced politely and bustled off.
"Thank you," Ginji said, and Ban nodded automatically, his mind elsewhere. "What bothers you?" Ginji asked, turning his full attention to Ban.
"How that Bai Hu knew we'd be staying in this hotel four days before we even knew we'd be here. I mean, there's about five more in this area that we could have stopped at, and this one isn't in our usual price range."
"Maybe he's psychic?"
"Psychics, real ones anyway, make prophecies. Four days into the future isn't exactly something they do. Unless he's like Takuma... but he can only see a few seconds into the future."
Ginji shrugged. "This is all getting really weird."
"You're telling me. You know what this means, don't you?"
Ginji shook head.
"This was planned before the robbery. We got the mission yesterday. Mei was robbed the night before. Two days before the robbery, this Bai Hu guy gives that lady the letter to have sent up to us. Someone knew we were going to be here, and now's giving us the runaround and I want to find out who."
"So you think Bai Hu stole the tear?" Ginji asked apprehensively.
Ban nodded. "That's my hunch."
The waiter returned with their menus and the subject of Bai Hu was immediately dropped when their stomachs both gave one, simultaneous and very audible growl.
---------------
"Ah, that hit the spot!" Ginji stated happily, flopping backwards onto the bed and sinking his head down onto the pillow. His cheeks were flushed, having had a few too many sake, courtesy of that fine paycheck they had received from the old lady. The hotel room was somewhat swimming in his vision, but he had a warm buzzing feeling in his lower chest and all that mattered now was nestling down for some sleep. Wait... there had been something else... something important Ban had tried to tell him before they went downstairs...
"Yeah, it sure as hell did. It's a nice feeling, being full every once in a while." Ban replied, sitting at the edge of the bed and kicking off his shoes.
Ginji smiled, sitting up to kick off his own shoes and take off his vest, trousers, and t-shirt. Ban rolled back the covers, having stripped down to his tank top and boxers.
"Do you need to use me as a stuffed animal again, tonight?" Ban teased, ruffling Ginji's spiky blond mass. Brown eyes widened hopefully.
"Could I?"
"Hell, if it keeps you from having nightmares, be my guest. It doesn't bother me any... except when you elbow me in ribs." Ban said dismissively, laying back and drawing the covers to his chest. Ginji beamed, and snuggled under the covers, cuddling against Ban. Ban switched off the bedside light, wrapping one arm around Ginji. "You know something?"
"Hmm?" Ginji replied blearily.
"You smell like sake."
Ginji flushed crimson, "Geh... I'm sorry, Ban-chan, I just had two, I didn't mean--"
"It's okay." Ban replied, patting Ginji's cheek. "You're just a lightweight, that's all. Go to sleep."
Ginji relaxed, and closed his eyes. Then opened them again.
"Ban-chan?"
"Hmm?" Ban replied drowsily, the alcohol already making him sleepy. Maybe he too had a few too many.
"Before we went downstairs, you wanted to tell me something... what was it?"
Ban shrugged. "Forget it. It was stupid." Liar. It's the most important thing in the world to you.
"Tell me sometime... promise?"
"Promise." There would be no stopping it one day, anyway.
Ginji drifted off to sleep, shortly followed by Ban.
---------------
Ban was well aware how to control his dreams. Nightmares may have been another story. His grandmother had once told him that no one could harness their nightmares, not even a cursed boy.
But this was most certainly not a nightmare. So why couldn't he control it?
When had Ginji become so irresistible? Why hadn't he noticed before? Or had it just been so obvious that he just couldn't see it?
So Ban relaxed, and was simply content to enjoy the dream.
---------------
Dawn brought with it another snowstorm, obscuring visibility to the outside of their hotel room. White and pale gray, and maybe a few faded neon colours from man made objects; that was the sight that might have greeted Ban that morning had he vouched to sleep on the couch.
But as it was, he was not sleeping on the couch. And judging by the way he and Ginji were snuggled under the thick, warm blankets, Ban was greeted by a much more pleasant sight.
For one thing, he was happy to see Ginji, quite a different emotion than the jaw-dropping frustration when he saw the mess of snow he'd have to drive another five hours in.
---------------
Ai-chan's Note: Whee! I've been reading the reviews and I'm glad people are enjoying this! Thank you everyone for the response and so sorry for the OOC (trying to fix that). Thank you X-Parrot for the correction, I'll have Kazuki refer to Ban as Midou-kun from now on (and I'll go back and fix chapter 2 when I get some time). Sorry Hikaru, I tried posting the link to the GB manga translations site and seeing as it didn't, FF.net must be out to get me again, so just go to the site Dakkanya.net and there's a link to it in the Misc, section. I got my manga's as a b-day gift a long time ago, before GB got any sort of major fan following in the states. They've been laying dormant in my closet for about two years and only recently has my obsession been revived (what with the TV series and Ginji's hair getting longer! Oh he looks so much nicer with the long hair than his crew cut! So cute!). I asked my friend where she got them, and she said E-bay might still have some. If they don't try Amazon.com. As for the answer to the fifth paragraph of the riddle: You'll just have to wait and see 'cuz I'm gonna be evil like that. ^.^
Anyway...
Part 3 was an attempt to shed some light on Bai Hu without giving away too much. Anyway, hope everyone liked this part. Sorry it got longer than I intended once again. But they'll be in Osaka by the next chapter.