Ah, I have updated again! I'm a bit proud of myself for that.

I hope I didn't scare away readers with that last chapter and the loooooooong hiatus. I wish I could promise that I wouldn't do that again, but sadly, I can't.

Okay, thanks to Skaey for the review. Hope you guys enjoy this next chapter.

Chapter Nine: Face Off

Kazuki sat back, stunned. Ban was referring to Juubei, he got that much, but despite what Himiko had earlier said and his heeding her words, his pained reply was, "Ban, I don't think I understand." He turned to his protector with so much uncertainty on his face. "Juubei?"

Juubei lowered his head on reflex, though he did not need to do so to avoid the thread wielder's gaze.

The discomfort, the pain, and the helplessness of Juubei's broken heart did not escape Sakura. She found that she could not contain herself any longer. "With all due respect, Kazuki-san," for the first time that long complicated evening, spoke up for her brother. "My brother has been your protector, you have a sworn bond between the two of you, for a long time now."

"Sakura-san," Kazuki nodded slowly.

"Oneesan," Juubei pleaded. "Please, stop this."

"And that sworn bond," Sakura prodded on, all eyes and ears were on her. "What does it mean now that you have Mido by your side at all times?"

Kazuki closed his eyes. Sakura's question could go either way. Why did he need Ban if he had Juubei taking care of him? Why would he need Juubei if he had Ban by his side? "I don't know anymore," was all Kazuki could say. He had strong feelings for both men and until tonight, he had always felt that these feelings were different: a dear man and a beloved man. But, tonight, these feelings seemed the same. He felt the tension in the room. For a moment, he experienced the weight of the emotion there that Juubei must be experiencing.

Thinking of Juubei at a time like this, Kazuki pondered why he was in this dilemma.

"I'm so sorry," Kazuki whispered harshly. Graceful fingers clutched at the breast of his yukata as he breathed in deeply to ease the tightening in his chest. "I don't know. I never even considered..." He couldn't find the words so he ended up saying over and over again. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry..."

Makubex placed a gently restraining hand on Sakura's, "Perhaps it isn't fair of us to ask Kazuki to make such a delicate decision so suddenly." He addressed the rest of the room. "Or with such a large audience."

With those words, Paul took the hint and the first initiative and rose from his position and headed for the door. Natsumi first glanced hesitantly at Kazuki whose face was obscured with his long hair before following. Hevn urged Natsumi onwards as the younger girl paused by the door. Makubex guided Sakura who could not stop herself from looking back towards her pensive brother. Himiko followed everyone out, but not before lifting an inquisitive eyebrow at Ban who appeared lost in his own thoughts. Ginji and Shido were some of the last to leave the room, towing a reluctant Haruki along with them.

Ginji trusted all three to not let things get ugly between them. They were allies, after all.

Ginji closed the door behind him.

"I bet five hundred yen on Ban!" Paul declared setting the money down in front of Hevn.

Natsumi was frowning with concern. "Should we be doing this?" she asked. "We are betting on Ban's, Kazuki's, and Juubei's feelings."

"Don't worry about it!" Hevn patted Honky Tonk's waitress on the back. "They're big boys. They can handle the situation. In the mean time, we have to entertain ourselves somehow."

"By betting like this?" Himiko raised a dubious eyebrow. "You're cruel, Hevn."

"You're one to talk," the blonde retorted with a cat-like grin. "You bet five hundred on Ban yourself."

Really, it was a good thing that Sakura and Makubex had decided to retire to their rooms for the night to have a quiet talk about the matter.

Ginji chibified and cried out, "You people are evil!"

"I bet on Juubei," Shido handed money to the buxom informant nonchalantly.

"Shido!" tare-Ginji shouted at the Beast Master.

"Well," Natsumi held out a bill to the older longhaired woman and their hot springs host. "I bet on Juubei, then."

Ginji teared. "Even you, Natsumi?"

Natsumi picked Ginji up and patted him on the head soothingly. "Sorry, Ginji, I just thought it would be fun and we're not hurting anyone. Besides, I think Kazuki and Juubei look so cute together."

Shido noticed that they were quieter than expected and he couldn't pinpoint what was missing until his eyes found Haruki sulking in a corner. "What's wrong with you?"

The Bloody Joker was muttering unhappily. He didn't want to leave Kazuki with the pervert Mido and Juubei. Who knew what could happen in there? Oh, the thoughts in Haruki's head about what was going on inside the common area.

What could be going on inside?

"Yarn Ball, I think you're hot," Ban declared, reaching for the beautiful Ito no Kazuki. "I think I should molest you!"

Kazuki shrunk back from the Snakebite wielder, forgetting about his strings. "Oh no! Please don't molest me, Ban!" he protested as he was successfully topped. "Juubei! Help me!" Kazuki pleaded as his yukata was ripped off him exposing his smooth creamy skin. He struggled, but strong hands with no-one-really-cares-how-many-pounds-grip kept him down. Kazuki groaned when Ban's mouth found his nipples and grazed teeth over them. "Please, Ban... Juubei..." Lost in a haze, Kazuki could not pinpoint the right person to appeal to.

"Kazuki," Juubei loomed over the two writhing forms in front of him. "You're very beautiful. I love you. And I want to molest you, too," the normally formal blind healer answered. He and Ban helped each other restrain their prey with hands and arms and Ban covered Kazuki's mouth with his own, silencing the smallest man's pleas.

The initial struggling from the Fuchoin heir became participation as Juubei and Ban explored his now naked body with hands and tongues.

When Kazuki's lips were freed from Ban's bruising kiss, he managed to moan out one last protest. "Please..."

"Stop it!"

Shido blinked at the response he got. He could hear the words Haruki had been mumbling since they left Ban, Juubei, and Kazuki alone, but they didn't form coherent sentences. "Are you okay?" Shido crouched in front of the Joker, concern on his face. Sure, his friend could be weird sometimes, but ever since they got to the hot springs, the redhead had been acting up more than usual.

Haruki, for his part, couldn't find comfort having a hot body so near him. His imagination had both mortified him and turned him on. Never mind that it wasn't the object of his affections.

Affections?

Haruki could not possibly have affection for the beautiful Prince of Terror!

Wait. Beautiful? Fuuga's leader was beautiful, no doubt about that. And the name of the group he led suited him perfectly. And those eyes and that hair and that body... Beautiful didn't cut it...

Blink. Blink. Headshake.

Nononononono! This was all wrong!

"I'm not gay!" Haruki finally declared, shooting up from where he was sitting, knocking Shido back.

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Shido roared rubbing his sore behind.

"Is something bothering you, Haruki?" Natsumi stepped forward.

Haruki looked around and saw everyone staring at him quizzically.

An awesome silence filled the room.

Contrary to our dear Haruki's thoughts about the on-goings in the common room, the reality was all three men left behind didn't move from where they were. None of the three spoke for a long tense while. They may all have been together, but their minds were in different places.

"Oi, sewing kit duo," Ban was the first to break the stillness with his voice. "You're staying in the same room tonight." He stood up, using his fists to pound his thighs repeatedly. "Darn, my legs fell asleep. They've gone numb," he complained as he strutted out of the room.

"Ban?" Kazuki began to go after his lover. He had risen from his position and began to step after the Jagan user.

Juubei said nothing. He stayed put. He stayed quiet.

"Kazuki," Ban's tone and that a normally insulting nickname was not used made Kazuki stop. Blue eyes met brown ones over Ban's shoulder. "You and samurai-boy have a lot of things to talk about."

The Fuchoin heir caught himself and looked back at his protector. "Juubei..."

"And also," Ban continued as he walked towards the door. "I wouldn't be able to say anything, even if you asked me; while he has years worth of things to say to you."

Kazuki lingered back uncertainly, despite comprehending Ban's actions. As much as he wanted to stop Ban and tell him to explain his actions, the string master realized that he also wanted to hear Juubei out. To be honest, the choice should have been impossible for him, had the brunet Get Backer not made the decision for him.

"Mido," Juubei marveled at the other man's actions. "Thank you."

Ban didn't act like he acknowledged that he heard what Juubei had said, but he grinned at the blind man. "Well, see ya," and with that, Kazuki and Juubei were alone.

-

I just remembered, I deleted Chapter X, though I remembered where that was supposed to go. I figured I'd use that flow for another fic for another day.

Congratulations for finishing this chapter. Hope you liked it. Sorry for OOCness. Reviews, positive or not are always appreciated. Thanks for reading.

- paris