Disclaimer: I don't own the characters.
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Chapter Two: Emotions
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The moment Kazuki spotted them, he gracefully approached them, a sly smile on his face. As he came closer, Ban looked more annoyed at the smug look of the thread weaver.
"Ah, Kazu-chan!" Ginji greeted his friend happily as he gave him a brotherly hug.
"It's nice to see you here, Ginji." Kazuki greeted back as he properly pinned some round tag made from an expensive kind of paper with a number 18 on it in big bold letters. Kazuki even has the heart to fix his former emperor's messy necktie. "There. Much better." He smiled satisfactorily. "You wouldn't want to dance looking all mess up now, would you?"
"?" was Ginji's only reply as he marveled at the number that was placed on his coat.
Ban frowned then his eyes twitched.
"What the f---!" Ban was cut short when Kazuki unceremoniously slapped the tag right in the middle of his forehead. And to Shido's chagrin, the tag was stuck on Ban's forehead as if it had glue.
Ban angrily snatched the tag off his forehead and looked at it. It has a number 16 on it. He glared at Kazuki. "What are you up to, thread boy! Are you numbering us for you to murder later?"
Kazuki gave Ban a patronizing look before answering. "I wouldn't do that to my own emperor Ginji, kuso-hebi." He smirked. "It seems like you're getting paranoid. Maybe it's the effect of having too many enemies that was why you're being suspicious."
"Just answer the damn question, string boy!"
"The moment the party starts, you'll be Miss Natsumi's 16th dance for her 18th roses." Kazuki explained.
Ban froze, his eyes getting a darker shade of shocked blue before he muttered a curse, "Dammit, there's no way, I mean NO WAY you can make me dance a stupid love song!"
He swore, this night was not really his night! It seems like everything was against him. When all he ever planned before was to sneak in, search for the statue then leave, but everything turned out differently.
And who said anything about that he could really find the statue here? They were only following Hevn's lead minus the invitation! He should demand an added half million because of the bad luck he's been encountering one after the other.
"It's either you dance or I'll kick you out of the perimeter, Mido Ban." Kazuki's features became serious and his voice cold. "It's a small favor in exchange for allowing you here."
"Who do you think you are, anyway!" Ban asked, more on yelled.
"If you must know, Shido and I work for the Mizuki's, and we're the families' head of security."
"No way!" Ban laughed without humor. He was so stupid! What had become of his ingenuity? If he knew it earlier he could have asked Ginji to talk to his former volts group to let them in without them showing up at the actual party. And now, there was no turning back. Grudgingly, Ban pinned the tag properly on his coat.
Kazuki nodded with approval. "Glad you could see sense."
Ban snorted, not one to be put off easily. "I'm only sacrificing my dignity for the sake of the Get Backers' assignment."
Kazuki rolled his eyes before pinning the number 15 tag on Shido's coat.
"Ah, Kazu-chan also has a number!" Ginji chirped after he saw Kazuki's own tag with the number 17.
"Hai."
"But why? Doesn't the celebrant have any male friends around?"
Kazuki sighed, "Miss Natsumi's friends are only limited, being the daughter of a well-known businessman and not to mention her connections of families. And most of her friends are all girls."
"Kazuki-san is very kind!" Ginji chided.
"Well, except to me!" Ban muttered.
"Shut it, Ban. You already agreed to it."
Ban glared. He was itching to use his evil-eye on this manipulative thread weaver 'girl-face' man!
But Kazuki didn't even bother to mind the seething Ban as he turned to Madoka who was smiling at the mock-banter of Ban and Kazuki that she was hearing.
"Ah, Madoka-chan, I believe that the guests, especially Miss Natsumi would be delighted if you play some music for us later."
"Why sure, that'd be an honor!" Madoka chirped with excitement.
"So, shall we find a seat?" Shido asked.
"Ah, no need Shido, I already save a table for us near the presidential." Kazuki informed his friend.
And when Ban thought that he already witnessed and encountered the impossible. What he saw next almost made him jump to the roof!
At Kazuki's so-called table that was near the presidential one, he saw Hevn wearing a silk-shimmering white gown chatting up with….Jubei? and…..Emishi?
Now, he believed he was seeing a nightmare that ironically came from his own evil-eye.
Since the said table was a semi-long rectangular one, so they each have a seat, so there was no way to make an escape excuse like 'the table is crowded already.'
When they were all about to sit, it was only then that Hevn noticed them.
"Oh, Ban, Ginji, it's nice to see you here!" Hevn said with an elegant smile, but a playful twinkle in her eyes was obvious.
Ban tightly smiled back before he whispered in gritted teeth. "You could have told us earlier that you'll be showing up here too!"
"What's with you?" Hevn frowned. "You're already here so what's your problem?"
Ban muttered some unidentifiable curse before sighing. "You could have invited us with you."
"Don't be so worked up, you're frustrations would be fruitful in the end." Hevn said with a wink as she noticed the number tag. "And not to mention that you'll have a chance to dance with Mr. Mizuki's daughter."
Ban made a gurgled sound as he settled on his seat as he glared at Hevn's two escorts. "And what are they doing here? Not to steal our assignment I hope."
"Humor yourself, Mido." Jubei said dryly. "We sure are not here for you."
Ban gave Jubei a dirty finger.
Jubei gave back the sign to Ban with the use of his sharp ice-picks.
"Settle down, boys!" Hevn hissed as she slapped the two guys' offending hands away. She swore that the boys cannot be left alone without trying to murder each other.
And the cause of it from the very beginning….
Amano Ginji...
….was nowhere near them as he decided to stroll around the place.
"Really, I can't take you all anywhere!" Hevn sighed.
"They're not here to rob you off your meal ticket, Ban." Shido smirked as he prop a hand on the table and placed his chin on top of it. "They're here because they're also invited by Kazuki to be added for the eighteenth roses."
Just like what Shido said, Ban saw numbers 13 and 14 on each of Jubei and Emishi's dark coats. Ban then raised an amused brow as he looked at Kazuki, who was matching his stare with an expecting glare.
"Wanna say something, Mido?"
"Yeah, and here I thought I was attending Miss Natsumi's birthday celebration," Ban shrugged. "But I never thought that it's all about yours." He snorted.
Kazuki had a vein popped as he pulled his strings threateningly, while Jubei has his sets of ice-picks next to Ban's neck.
Ban sighed as he carefully edged out from the sharp picks on his neck, Ban started fishing for his pack of cigars, and when he got one, Hevn pulled it all away from him.
"Hey!"
"Forget it, Ban!" Hevn was near yelling with annoyance with these guys who always wanted to act so tough. "There's no way you're gonna perfume yourself with the smell of a cigarette this evening, and to think you'll be dancing with Miss Natsumi as one of her eighteenth roses! And hello, you can't smoke here or we'll be showered with the emergency water." Hevn muttered as she pointed the sprinkles installed at the ceiling. "And there's no way I'm gonna let my expensive dress be mess up just because of your sudden stupidity!"
Ban pocketed his lighter minus the confiscated pack of cigars as he looked at the men around him before he shrugged. "It's a surprise Makubex and Sakura didn't come." Then he turned to Kazuki. "And your girl back at Mugenjou too?"
"Are you really turning to be stupid the once-genius Mido Ban or you're just simply insensitive?" Jubei muttered as he drank from his before-dinner wine. "Not to mention that you're also talking about my sister here?"
Ban raised his brow.
Jubei looked at Ban seriously. "The girl you're calling as Kazuki's girlfriend is a local child of Mugenjou and while Makubex is a whiz kid, he can't even if he wanted too to go out of Mugenjou and join us here outside because he's a child of the city Mugenjou itself." He explained. "Though they both have the same dilemma but a bit different too, Kazuki's 'girl' as you call it was born in Mugenjou and she grew up there knowing her families while Makubex just exist without a past and without knowledge of where he comes from and what was the history behind his existence. And both of them cannot pass through the door between Infinite City and the outside of it because they are attached to the city itself."
Ban listened without any expression. He knew that Infinite City was part real and part virtual when he went there to stop Makubex with his plan together with Ginji and the others, and he knew that half or more than half of the people there were only created by the city itself, BUT he has no idea that the girl that became so fond of Kazuki and Makubex are part of those created ones.
"And the only reason why Ginji, Kazuki, Shido, Emishi, Sakura, and I could come and go at Infinite City if we choose to because we didn't originally rooted there. We're not locals. We were just a bunch of lost souls looking for a shelter back then." Jubei said sarcastically, but the sadness was in his eyes. "So Makubex won't even think of destroying everything if he has a chance to choose, ne? And even if my sister could go out here if she pleases, she did not because she knew that Makubex would feel abandoned again." He shrugged. "But it's not like she ever wanted to be gone by his side."
"What about the gods and goddess from the Babylon City? Can't they do anything about the 'system'?" Ban asked with a frown.
"It's not as if you could easily see them and talk to them." Jubei shrugged.
"Don't tell me that you've never seen Goddess Reira before?" Ban raised his brow with a challenge.
Emishi frowned, since he was a part of Volts back then and yet he has lower ranks and not part of the four kings that was why he has no idea about the Goddess and the Emperor's relationship. Hevn almost choked with her drinks, how could Ban talked about some information on open public was beyond her. Madoka kept silent, while Shido, Kazuki and Jubei all took a sharp breath.
"What about her?" Jubei asked, a little bit cautious.
"You tell me." Ban said, this was his chance to dig some further information about Reira, who else knew her better than the men who were closest the most to her. "You're still at Infinite City, aye?"
"Even I, as one who used to guard her, never had the chance to see her again when the thunder emperor decided to leave." Jubei said as he downed the remains of his white wine.
"And?"
"Nothing more." Jubei shrugged as he put his goblet down.
"You're not telling anything."
"It's not like I'll ever tell you anything." Jubei muttered. "I bet she stayed on that abode that Raitei picked for her where she promised she'd kept waiting at. But I never got to see her again. She has powers you know, she never used them because of Raitei."
"I thought you won't tell me anything?" Ban smirked.
"It's only a thought and not a fact."
Then Emishi snapped his fingers. "Jubei, when you said the Goddess' abode, do you mean that place I now called my hang-out place?" then Emishi described the luxurious interior.
Jubei frowned before he nodded. "Yeah. And how could you enter when it was locked by powerful forces? It was combined with Raitei's and Reira's powers and nobody could open it unless they let you."
Emishi pouted. "Are you telling me that I'm weak?"
"No." Jubei shook his head slightly. "Now, answer my question." He said impatiently.
"It's abandoned." Emishi shrugged. "And if the powerful Reira was there herself, do you think I would survive and be here with you all?"
"She's gone."
Shido and Kazuki shuddered at the thought.
"This could be a problem." Shido whispered in a defeated tone.
Kazuki nodded.
And Ban has a bad feeling about all of this.
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Without the others noticing, Ginji decided to leave their table and search for a comfort room. He was looking everywhere and finally after another flight up the staircase and running down the semi-lit corridor, Ginji saw a vacant and luxurious comfort room.
"Ahh…..finally…" Ginji smiled in satisfaction after doing his business and started pulling his zipper up. While at it, Ginji walked toward the lavatory and tried one of the liquid soaps on the counter as he rinsed his hands. Looking up, he smiled at his reflection and run his hand through his hair.
Deciding that he looked fine, Ginji exited the comfort room. He was closing the door when he heard some voices, one calling out with frustration while one was a muffled giggle.
Ginji frowned. He was about to go back to the main celebration but curiosity get the better of him, so he walked the opposite hallway and turned left, he found another stairs and with a shrug he climbed it.
He was on his last step when a startled scream made his head looked up.
"Watch out!" someone shrieked.
Ginji's eyes narrowed then widened as he saw a fragile looking female coming towards him. The shrieking girl who was giggling before was wearing a fluffy yellow robe, her hair still looking a bit wet, her eyes wide with panic. And behind her was another shrieking and horrified old woman.
"Miss Natsumi!" the old woman in dark blue clothes was running after her.
The moment he saw her, he felt the urge to protect her. So without a word, Ginji spread his arms and wait for the girl's impact to him.
"Ahhhh!" Natsumi's only last words as she bounded at Ginji's wide spread arms who was trying to catch her un-stoppable fall, and they both fell on the flight of stairs, Ginji hugged Natsumi protectively to cushion her fall while one of his arms were also protecting Natsumi's head, her face buried deep on Ginji's chest. Ginji didn't even care if he ended up with broken bones and bruises.
"Miss Natsumi!" the old woman screamed, horrified, as she saw her fell. "I'm sorry, Miss, I'm sorry! What would your father say? This is the end of my life!" the old woman cried.
Down the stairs, they already stopped propelling downwards. Ginji winced as he felt the impact of the floor to his body but he was relieved at the same time since the girl was safely cushioned on his body. Without thinking clearly, Ginji hugged the girl tighter to him.
"You gave me a scare, lady…" he breathed as he softly brushed Natsumi's forehead with his lips.
At first, Ginji panicked when Natsumi was not responding, small currents started appearing the moment he started to panic, but Ginji and his powers started to settle down the moment he felt that the girl was still breathing.
Ginji started to sit up when Natsumi stirred.
"Hmmmnnn…."
Ginji blushed when Natsumi started squirming on top of him, not to mention that her lower half body was placed between his own. And when Natsumi started to get up, her hands pressing his shoulders for balance, and that means half her body was also pressing down on his…..for balance.
"I'm….g-glad that you're okay, Miss." Ginji mumbled slowly, his words slurring while his face heating up, he was trying very hard not to make any sudden move.
Natsumi looked straight at Ginji's face. "Thank you for protecting my fall, if you didn't happen to be there, I didn't know what would happen to me----" Natsumi's words trailed off when she felt something on her stomach. She breathed sharply as she shyly looked at Ginji's blushing face, Natsumi started to reddened too.
"A---a-no…."
Ginji closed his eyes tightly, trying to control the electric sparks his body wanted to release, not to mention the tension that was happening in his body. "W-well, I-I'm glad you're okay." He suddenly sat up.
"Oh!" Natsumi shrieked when she was also pulled up when Ginji sat up.
Ginji carefully sat Natsumi down on the floor next to him while he tried his best to hide his stirring desires.
Natsumi smiled at Ginji's effort. "You don't have to hide it, I already felt it, silly." Her eyes were twinkling with a bit of mischief.
"Wha---!" Ginji looked at her sharply then blushed even more and part of him stirred even more when he saw that Natsumi's robe turned askew and the sash came loose, he could already see the top of her milky-white breasts while the bottom had ridden high to her thigh making him noticed her creamy skin. He was even surprised he never had a nosebleed yet, but sure the current he possessed was ready to be overwhelmed.
Natsumi frowned at his reaction before looking down at herself.
"Oh!" she muttered before arranging her robe properly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to---"
"Of course you didn't." Ginji chirped.
Natsumi was surprised to see that the tense guy earlier was now smiling openly. "Huh?" 'Was he smiling because he saw me in this state?' a part of her brain argued.
'But he looks so gentle and sweet…" another part of her argued.
Natsumi shook her head before she went mental.
"I mean it's not your fault that you fell." Ginji smiled.
Natsumi blinked a few times before giving a smile, then she gave a concern look. "How about you? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, thank you."
"Are you hurt, anywhere?"
'No, except from a certain part of me that was longing for you!' Ginji's eyes widened at his perverted thought. 'Now, where did that come from!'
'From your own libido, baka!' an argued reply from inside of his head.
'Huh? Stop arguing with me!'
'Then don't ask stupid questions, stupid!'
'You're the stupid one!'
"Am not! You are!'
Ginji's mental battle was cut short when he noticed that Natsumi put one of her hands to his, she gave him a concerned look. "I'm sorry, but please tell me if you need help, I'll ask someone to call a doctor to check you up."
"Huh, no, I'm fine really."
"I doubt it, with that kind of fall."
"Really, don't worry." Ginji reassured her. "So, the one thing I would like to know is why were you running like that and you end up falling on me?" he blushed once again at his last words.
"Yeah well, I was on the bath when the head housemaid told me to finish bathing already so I could prepare already, and since I decided to frustrate her more, I ran out of the bath giggling and she ran calling after me, then the next thing I knew I can't stop myself from falling on you…" Natsumi bit her lips. "….well, you know what I mean…"
Ginji nodded shyly. "Yeah…"
"So, it's really thanks to you or else, I could be in a hospital now or worse dead…"
"Don't say that. I'm glad that I'm here to save you."
"My name is Natsumi. Mizuki Natsumi." She offered her hand.
"Amano Ginji." Ginji said as he accepted her hand and brought it to his lips.
Natsumi gasped as Ginji brushed his lips lightly at her palm, a shiver ran up her spine as light current coming from Ginji traveled Natsumi's body and giving her a wonderful sensation.
"Mmmmnnn…" Natsumi's eyes widened. 'Did I just….purr…?' she asked herself in shock.
Ginji hid a smile before looking at her. "Nice to meet you, Natsumi-chan, and happy eighteenth birthday."
"Thank you, Ginji-kun." She said, still a bit in dazed. Natsumi surveyed Ginji's attire before grinning as she noticed the number that was pinned at his coat. "You're my eighteenth dance?"
Ginji shrugged. "Seems like it."
"You know what," Natsumi started to stand. "I think I'll go get ready. I'll see you later, Gin-kun."
When Ginji was already standing, Natsumi stood in front of him, tiptoed and shyly kissed him. "Arigato, for saving me, I'll be looking forward to our dance." She climbed the stairs with an added bounce on her steps.
She's really excited to dance with Ginji later.
Natsumi had climbed the stairs several minutes ago but Ginji was still standing there with eyes wide with surprise and an overwhelming feeling. He lifted his left hand and touched the place where Natsumi kissed him, on his lower jaw since Natsumi couldn't reach his cheek. And with a stupid smile on his face, Ginji blinked and then started walking back to where his friends were.
On top of the stairs, Natsumi saw the old maid who was crying miserably.
"Please, Oba-chan, stop crying already and help me with my preparation for my birthday. I don't want the guests to wait for me any longer…" Natsumi said, but what she really meant was she does not want for Ginji to wait or was it she can't wait to see Ginji again. She shrugged, oh well, either way she wanted to appear on that celebration already.
The old maid looked up to her ward as she cried. "Miss, I'm very sorry….I…"
"Shhh, it's alright…I'm okay. Ginji-kun saved me." Then she left for her room. The maid was following behind her.
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Back at the celebration hall, Ban frowned when they started to noticed that Ginji was missing.
"Where did he go?" Hevn frowned.
Everyone shrugged.
Then suddenly, Ban tapped on Ginji's nervous feelings, and the protectiveness, shyness….then he raised an amused brow when he noticed the feeling of Ginji's passion.
'Was he getting laid?' he thought in amusement. 'Lucky bastard!'
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Here's 2nd chapter. And to all those who reviewed, I thank you all, I'm VERY happy that you liked my fic and hope you like this one too. And in this fic Jubei has eyesight.
(And I'm hoping to read some Ginji/Natsumi pairing, it's obvious that I like them because they look so kawaii I think I've finished all the G/N pairing fic out there and they're all good in different ways and I hope those wonderful authors would continue to write wonderful fics)
Yorishiku.