Authoress' Notes:

Ok, well, this isn't exactly a review reply, so it's allowed! I swear!

I just wanted to thank people like LittleLinor-san, ideagala-san, Ice Dragon3-san, Aoi-sama, Sumi-onee-sama, Terhi-san and anyone else I'm forgettin' (sorry if I forgot to list you!), who've been givin' me all those really nice reviews! It's just really, really nice, knowing that you guys like my stories enough to comment on them! Domo arigato gozaimasu, minna-san!

(Random thought: A short ways into this chapter, I said "…Akabane's arrival attracting any attention… " I'd just like to state for the record that that inadvertent alliteration excites me.)

Anyways, this chapter isn't exactly pure humor. Many laughs, I hope, will ensue, but this is fairly angsty too. That's 'cause, in my opinion, no good couple is complete without the angst! (Also, I just love writing angst in general!)

DISCLAIMER: I DUN OWN ANYTHING!

nyanyanyanyanya

Chapter Four

Can You Feel the Love Tonight?

Emishi and Kazuki were disappointed when their love spell didn't yield any obvious results, but they weren't ones to despair. Within three weeks, they had a brand new plan that was sure to work.

"Karaoke!" Emishi squealed in excitement. "Lock them in a karaoke bar and play love songs!"

Kazuki grinned. "Paul has that little karaoke room in the back. Let's use that!"

He led the Joker into the small room. "Wow!" Emishi said, looking around. "I didn't know this was here!"

"We usually use it for our birthday parties and the like," Kazuki explained.

They agreed that it would be easier to get Akabane in there first, then lure Ginji in and slam the door closed. But Akabane would be able to get out easily unless incapacitated.

Thus it was that Akabane was greeted upon walking through the main door by a baseball bat crashing onto the back of his skull.

As the black-clad figure crumpled to the ground, Kazuki grabbed the Transporter, hurriedly carrying him into the karaoke room- or "matchmakers' heaven", the term he and Emishi had been using to refer to it. Emishi had set a small fire in the kitchen to prevent Akabane's arrival attracting any attention, but he didn't have much time.

Kazuki noted, with some concern, the blood leaking out of Akabane's wound, but figured the freak could probably just soak it back up again, no trouble.

He snuck into the kitchen, leaning quietly against the doorframe. He was so inconspicuous that the others simply assumed they hadn't noticed him there in all the commotion.

The flames having been put out, Ban, Paul and Natsumi began moving back into the main room, Paul muttering under his breath about "idiot Jokers" as he walked. Ginji stayed behind to see if he could help clean up.

Kazuki said, "Come on, Ginji-kun. Let's go find some cleaning rags to try and get some of the smoke off of the ceiling." Ginji trustingly followed the Threadmaster into the back.

Kazuki slipped behind Ginji, who just went on into the karaoke room. As soon as Ginji had stepped through the door, Kazuki slammed it shut, locking it.

"Hey, Kazu? Kazu?" All he heard in reply was a wicked, hyper cackle, followed by a "WHAM!"

The next thing Ginji heard was Kazu's voice, slightly muffled, assuring him, "I totally meant to walk into that wall!"

-----

Ginji finally found the light switch. He sighed in relief as light flooded into the room, but his relief was short-lived.

"OH MY GEESE! AKABANE-SAMA!" After a moment of panic, tare-Ginji changed back into normal Ginji, realizing that there was no danger here. He stepped closer.

"Akabane-sama?" Ginji was worried about all the blood. He looked around the room. Seeing a cupboard in the corner, he opened the door and, taking out a few old cleaning rags, he tried to staunch the blood flow. At last, nearly ten minutes later, the blood seemed to be slowing, but Akabane's ribs still moved steadily up and down.

"Akabane-sama…" Ginji sank down to sit next to Akabane's head. He hoped the Jackal wouldn't die.

-----

Kazuki and Emishi high-fived before heading out to rejoin the group.

"Where's Ginji?" Ban asked.

Kazuki smiled. "Oh, I found a ticket to the zoo I'd meant to give Ginji-kun for his birthday. So he's at the zoo now."

Ban was surprised. "He just dashed off?"

"Well, it's really lucky I found it- it expires tomorrow."

Ban shrugged. Made sense to him. He was too sleepy to really think about it. "Well, if he comes looking for me, tell him I'm catchin' a nap in the car."

"Will do!" Paul said as Ban went out the door.

-----

The first thing he was aware of was the throbbing. The pain was aching, pounding through his skull. Akabane was used to pain, but rarely was it as acute as this.

He slowly became aware of his surroundings. Someone was nearby- he could feel it, smell the presence of fear. Akabane simply lay there, assessing his condition. Besides the sweet, excruciating pain in his head, he seemed fit.

A hand touched his shoulder.

Instincts, honed through years of battle and survival, kicked in. Though the pain in his skull was almost crippling, his will was stronger. Akabane leapt back, landing crouched in a corner, his back protected against the walls on either side. Scalpels flicked out into his hands, ready to strike.

Akabane's hands were actually halfway through throwing a lethal rain of blades before he realized what he was about to do. At the last instant, he managed to turn the attack, shooting scalpels harmlessly at the floor before recalling them to his body. But as the blades rushed back to him, he collapsed. Dizzy, Akabane wondered what was going on- but then he saw the bright red stain where he'd been lying. He winced slightly as he gingerly touched the swelling on his head.

I've lost too much blood, he realized. He was nearly defenseless- if he used his blood to make enough weapons for a proper battle, the blood left in his body simply wouldn't be able to keep him alive.

Ginji came forward, cautious. Akabane managed a smile. "I do apologize, Ginji-kun. I'm afraid my instincts took hold of my actions for a moment there."

Ginji smiled, albeit extremely nervously. "It's fine. Are you ok?" He was still obviously wary, but his concern seemed to override his fear.

"Ok, ya know what? That doesn't matter right now!" Ginji jumped, looking around for Emishi- that'd definitely been his voice, at least.

"E-Emishi?"

Kazuki's voice spoke, as if from nowhere. "We're on the sound system. That is a karaoke room, after all!"

Akabane struggled to his feet, leaning against the wall. "And what is it that you want from us?"

Kazuki giggled. "Why what do you think, silly?" Akabane looked positively frigid at being called "silly". "We want you two to fall madly in love, of course!" Ginji and Akabane immediately moved away from each other.

"And now!" Emishi cried. "Let the matchmaking begin!"

Suddenly, a drum beat started. Akabane merely stood leaning against the wall, silent. He raised one eyebrow as he watched Ginji begin dancing and singing along.

"So she said, "What's the problem, baby?"

What's the problem? I dunno

Well ma-"

"Ginji-kun, what on earth are you doing?" Akabane asked.

Ginji laughed. "Come on! This is 'Accidentally in Love'! I love Counting Crows!"

When his only reply was silence, he added, "Anyways, this song was in Shrek 2! I loved that movie!"

Akabane merely blinked. He couldn't even begin to fathom how Ginji-kun's mind worked- nor was he particularly eager to try.

That song ended, much to Akabane's (silent) delight, but then a new song began. And this time, Kazuki had his own edits to make.

"Sing with me now!" (Over my dead body! Akabane thought.)
Sha-la-la-la-la-la
My, oh, my
Look at the boy too shy
He ain't gonna kiss the (Here Kazuki shouted "boy" over the word "girl".)
Sha-la-la-la-la-la
Ain't that sad
Ain't it a shame, too bad
You gonna miss the (Again Kazuki edited the song to make it more fitting for the situation.)"

And yet again, there Ginji was, dancing and singing along. Akabane shook his head. It was sad, watching the boy lose any shred of self-respect he'd ever had.

This went on for literally hours. Finally, Kazuki, yawning over what he'd announced to be his seventh cup of coffee for the day, told them that after one last song he and Emishi were leaving.

"What about us, Threadmaster?" Akabane asked.

"MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Kazuki replied. "You two can stay there overnight!"

Emishi interrupted. "Anyways, point is we need to get this song done first."

Akabane groaned inwardly when he heard the song starting. Despite his refined tastes in music, even he'd suffered through this song before.

"I LOVE THE LION KING!" Ginji screeched in excitement.

"CAN YOU FEEL… THE LOVE TONIGHT?" Ginji, Kazuki and Emishi started. However, Akabane decided that he had enough blood for one attack as long as it was small, and formed a scalpel in his hand. He proceeded to completely destroy the sound system. Ignoring a pouting tare-Ginji, he reabsorbed the scalpel.

A few minutes later, two voices outside the door informed them that their "hosts" were leaving for the night.

And that was that. Ginji and Akabane were locked in for the night. Alone.

-----

For a while, Ginji contented himself with driving Akabane slowly insane, humming that infernal song over and over again. But soon, he grew restless.

Ginji walked towards the door, trying the handle, which was still locked. He walked around the whole room, looking for other doors. Akabane watched him curiously, wondering what was so agitating the boy.

At length, he voiced the question. "Ginji-kun, what's wrong?"

Ginji looked over at him. "Are we… are we actually… trapped in here?" His eyes darted around. "There's gotta be a way out."

Akabane smiled slightly. "You'd know that better than I, Ginji-kun. You're the one who's been looking into that."

Ginji attempted a nervous laugh. "I-I guess I'm overreacting a bit, huh?" He sat down, but ended up jumping up very soon to check the doorknob again.

"Ginji-kun?"

Ginji's breathing was beginning to grow harder. "A-Akabane-sama… h-how are we going to get out? We need to get out."

Akabane pushed himself away from the wall. He managed, though he was still fairly weak, to get to the sofa on the other side of the room. He gestured for Ginji to sit down as well.

Ginji sat, but he still looked extremely agitated. Akabane looked at him. "Ginji-kun, why are you so concerned with getting out?"

Ginji looked scared. "I-I… don't… like being shut in."

Akabane saw the beginnings of lightning flicker behind Ginji's eyes. He knew that, weak as he was, he would have no defense should the Lightning Emperor emerge. But how can I keep the Lightning Emperor from taking over Ginji-kun?

nyanyanyanyanya

…how indeed?

…I'm serious, folks. I had the rest of the chapter planned out, but I got stuck right there. X.x; Luckily, once I get over this one little snag, I know what's gonna happen… it's just that, um… there's this problem in the way before I can do the rest.

So, until I figure out how he can calm Ginji down/keep the Lightning Emperor from taking over, the next post isn't gonna happen, unfortunately. Ideas?

…please?