Author's notes at the end.

Disclaimer: Get Backers is not mine. The story is fictional and all similarities to people and events in real life are coincidences.

The Man In Your Dreams

Chapter Six: Questions

Juubei was the first to attack, an advantage of having the ability to strike from a distance. He threw a dozen needles at Ban as he rushed forward. Ban jumped out of the way only to be met by a second barrage of points in the air. He tried to avoid the unexpected strike, but was not completely successful. He cursed as sharp points tore through his skin.

A drop of blood fell on the floor as Ban landed. He was really fired up now. He always preferred to be the first to draw blood. "What's wrong, Needle Boy?" he sneered. "Why are you holding back?"

"I'm not," was Juubei's matter-of-fact answer as he readied himself for his next attack. Truth was he was still thinking about Kazuki and how the beautiful man would react if he found out that either Juubei or Ban was severely injured, or in the worst case scenario, killed

From down the hall a shout came. "Stop it! Both of you, just stop it!"

It was Ginji, and he sent an electric bolt to stop Ban who was getting ready to use his Snake Bite. A snake, courtesy of Shido, wrapped itself around the still recovering Jagan Master. Himiko went straight for Juubei and used her paralysis perfume on the blind man. When Juubei lost control of his body, Haruki bound him with his whip. Then Himiko administered the antidote.

"This is none of your business, Beast Boy! Let me go!" Ban growled.

Ginji was the one to speak for the whole group. "That's where you're wrong, Ban. If something happened to you, Kazuki, or Juubei, it would always be our business."

Not expecting the answer, Ban searched his partner's eyes. "Ginji..."

Ginji stared directly at Ban's eyes. He trusted Ban enough. Ban would never use his Jagan on Ginji.

Everyone was silent. No one moved for a while as the heat settled down.

With things at an impasse, Makubex came up with the next step. "Let's all move back to the common room and discuss this matter civilly."

"I agree," Ginji broke the connection between him and Ban.

With the Thunder Emperor's decision made, everyone else decided that it would probably be best to follow.

Shido pulled Ban to his feet and led the snake bound man to the common room. "Boy, am I glad Madoka's asleep. This isn't something I would want her to witness," he mused out loud.

"Kazuki," Juubei muttered, remembering the sleeping Fuchoin heir. He turned to Haruki. "He's in the room near the end of the hall. He should wake up in a while."

Himiko was the one who walked to the direction Juubei had described. "I'll go get him."

"Thanks," Juubei smiled a small smile as Himiko headed off

Everyone else walked wordlessly to the common room.

"I see everyone's still in one piece," Hevn greeted the somber looking group that entered the common room.

Paul examined the expressions of the newcomers and turned to his waitress at Honky Tonk, "Well, Natsumi, it looks like it will be a long night. Could you please brew us a pot of coffee?"

Natsumi looked at her boss questioningly, but complied anyway. "Okay," she stood up and went to the side table where a coffee maker had been placed for the convenience of the guests. She was still within earshot.

Shido and Haruki separated Ban and Juubei from each other by sitting between them. Everyone else sat in a semicircle in front of the foursome. Makubex signaled that Ban and Juubei be released from their bonds, which was promptly done. Everyone, though, remained on their guard for anything bad that could happen.

And then there was a very strained silence.

"No," Kazuki moaned as his mind replayed the last few moments before he had passed out from Juubei's needles. "Please, Juubei, stop it."

"Glad to see you're awake, sleeping beauty," a familiar female voice greeted the thread master.

Kazuki blinked at the shadows as he allowed himself to refocus to full wakefulness. He saw the silhouette of a short-haired girl, "Himiko?" He pushed himself off the floor and felt the blanket slip from his body. He picked it up, remembering neither how he or it got there. "What happened?" he asked.

"That's what I wanted to ask you, Kazuki," Himiko replied. "Ban and Juubei were about to kill each other just now. And guess what, the fight was over you."

The brown-haired man suddenly became very interested in his graceful hands. He didn't want to look at the woman with him, fearing the judgment he might find in her face. With all that had happened, his and Ban's little secret was gone. There was only news that he and Ban were more than friends, to say the least.

"Well?"

"Himiko, I..." Kazuki could not find the words to explain. He was afraid of what Himiko might think about him if he said the wrong things. He continued to look down.

Gentle hands took hold of Kazuki's cheeks and coaxed him to avert his earthen gaze, "Look, If you're afraid to admit that you're having a relationship with a man, because of what I think, then you shouldn't. What other people think shouldn't matter to you," she paused for a moment, wondering if her words were taking effect. Kazuki, for his part, still could not look Himiko in the eye. She sighed inwardly. "I could easily have figured that you're gay. Your hair is too nice."

He smiled wanly. "You don't hate me?" It was ironic: one of the four gods of Mugenjou sounding like a small lost child.

Himiko laughed shortly at the joke she was just about to say, "Only for your hair."

Kazuki chuckled softly despite himself.

Uncharacteristically, though not unexpectedly, Ginji took charge of the fragile situation. "Could you both tell us what happened?"

"I know," Haruki raised his hand like a school boy. "Ban molested Kazuki!"

Ban glowered at the Joker. "I did no such thing!" he yelled.

Makubex addressed Haruki, "I think it's best if we heard their sides of the stories before we make any conclusions, Haruki." He then turned to Ban. "I must admit, I'm very curious."

Ginji, again, stared straight into his partner's eyes. "Ban?"

"I would never do anything that could hurt the Thread Spool. I never wanted to, anyway."

"I don't understand what happened, Himiko," Kazuki confessed.

"Was it a lover's tiff?" the Poison Lady prodded pulling the earthen gaze to her. "Was Juubei jealous of Ban or something?"

Kazuki shook his head sadly, "No. It's more likely the other way around."

"So Ban was your lover?" the question was blunt and Kazuki was not really ready to answer it, but his silence was response enough. "Well, your relationship with Juubei really is something to be worried about if I were your lover."

A sigh. "There really wasn't anything to be worried about."

"Wasn't?" Himiko raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Right now, after all this, I'm really not too sure."

Author's Notes;

To be honest, I wrote myself into a corner—you know, like when you're painting a floor and you paint yourself into a corner and you don't know where to go? Hehe... It took me a while to figure out who should end up together. I certainly hope no one will be disappointed.

narrizan-san, fancy hearing from you! Thanks much, as always, for the review. Was it really that explicit? Well, that's as bad as it's going to get. I have my personal reservations. Thanks for your concern.

roxibabe267, haha...Emishi. Well, he is a fun character, isn't he? Alas, I myself have yet to decide what's going to happen next. Thank you for the encouragement. Rest assured I will do my best to come up with, what I hope would be, the best conclusion.

Innu-chan Puppy and YinsYang, yes, of course, I will finish this. I am not one to leave a fic hanging. Thank you for your positive reviews. I hope I live up to your expectations.

Thanks to everyone who has read this story up to this point.

- Paris