Could've Been Worse

"Well?" The intermediary--Hevn, Ban had introduced her as--crossed her arms over her ample chest and smirked. "What do you think?"

Ban snorted and leaned back in his seat, arms crossed behind his head. His glasses slipped down his nose a little, which allowed him to give Hevn an utterly disinterested look over the lenses. "Ch', I dunno. You always brought me dangerous jobs in the past."

"Ah! But now you've got a partner to back you up." Hevn turned to Ginji and smiled brightly. "Nee? Gin-chan? What do you think?"

Ginji blinked at her. 'Gin-chan'? Who--him?

When he didn't answer, Ban nudged Ginji sharply. "She's talking to you, idiot."

"Eh?" Ginji blinked first at Ban, then at Hevn. He pointed to himself, blinking. "But my name is Ginji."

"I know that," Hevn said. She looked at Ban questioningly. He sighed and straightened, pushing his glasses back up.

"Look, Ginji," he said, and waited until the blond swung around to look at him. "It's just a nickname, okay? It's supposed to be cute."

"Supposed to be?" Hevn huffed. "It IS cute."

"He's a guy," Ban snapped. "Guys aren't supposed to be cute!"

"Maybe not to you," Hevn ripped back, "but I think Gin-chan's perfectly darling." She turned a radiant smile on Ginji, who ducked his head a little, unable to resist smiling back even as he blushed. Six weeks of freedom meant it was still difficult to accept that a cute girl's smile was for Amano Ginji, and not to curry Raitei's favor.

Still ... "I know it's a 'nickname,'" Ginji said hesitantly, "but why 'Gin-chan'? Where does that come from?"

Hevn looked surprised. "Your name is Ginji," she said. "Gin-ji. So, Gin-chan."

"That's not it," Ginji said, then scowled a bit in thought. "I meant, why would you start calling me that? Just because?"

"Like I said, it's meant to be cute, or something," Ban said before Hevn could answer, then raised an eyebrow at him. "What, you never had one before when you were a brat? Did they always just call you by name?"

Ginji looked blankly at him. Ban scowled.

"Think of it like, uh, that threadspool buddy of yours. Forgot his name. Y'know, the prettyboy with the bells in his hair--?"

"Ito no Kazuki," Ginji said instantly. A shadow passed over his face. "Kazuki."

"Yeah, yeah, him. Like that." Ban waved dismissively, but his eyes were hawk-keen on Ginji's troubled face. Hevn remained silent, watching the two of them. He leaned over, nudged his shoulder against Ginji's. "Hey, not done yet."

Instantly, Ginji turned him to again, with a smile that remained slightly tentative despite its brilliance. "Okay?"

"It's supposed to be affectionate," Ban went on, not letting Ginji break eye-contact. "Are you seriously telling me you've never heard someone use '-chan' before?"

"Well ..." Ginji sounded almost apologetic, as his gaze turned inward. "No, yes I have--but it was never a nice thing. People tended to use it as an insult. Most--'nicknames'--were like that. You got different names because they didn't like you, or they were afraid of you." Ginji's face clouded over, eyes going misty.

He laced his fingers together, resting his chin on them, and his elbows on the table. His expression turned grave, looking straight back into the eye of the dark. "Nicknames--they're no different from 'titles,' are they?"

Ban scowled, fully aware of the shrewd look Hevn was giving him. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "That's not how it is out here, okay? Sheesh, you really didn't learn anything in that damn junkyard."

Ginji only ducked his head a little, looking embarrassed.

Silence stretched tautly, then broke when Hevn made an irritated noise. "Ban-kun, you don't have to be so mean about it," she said. "Just because Gin-chan's not had the benefit of your superior education--" and something in her tone implied this was nothing great after all--"doesn't mean you have to harass him."

She turned to Ginji again, beaming. "I called you 'Gin-chan' because it's a cute name, and you're a cute boy. I like you." She reached out and laid her hand over his own. "All right?"

"O ... kay ... ?" Ginji met her eyes, looked down, squirmed a little. He blushed again.

"Do you not like it?" Hevn's gold eyes turned instantly contrite. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to presume--"

"No!" Ginji interrupted, then looked embarrassed for it all over again. He tugged a little at his gloves, then looked at her through his lashes with a shy smile. "No, I like it. It's nice. It's a lot better than the other, uh, 'nickname' I had before."

"That," Ban muttered, ignored by them both, "was a problem, and good riddance to it."

Her concern melted. "Oh, good," she said, petting his hand again. "Then you can call me 'Hevn-chan,' all right?"

Ban rolled his eyes and snorted derisively. Hevn's pleasant expression never changed, but Ginji felt movement against his leg--and then, a split-second later, Ban yelped and doubled over. Something banged up hard under the table, making their coffee cups jump. Ban gave her an evil look as he hitched his leg up onto the booth seat and rubbed the abused knee.

Hevn just smirked back at him. Before the situation could escalate further, Ginji cleared his throat pointedly.

"Um, well, 'Gin-chan' is fine, Hevn-ch--cha--" His face twisted, trying to get the last syllable out; it stuck in his throat with surprising tenacity. Hevn patted his hand again.

"'Hevn-san' is all right, if you feel better saying that," she said. "Besides, you boys will be working for me, so it's good you keep some respect for me, all right?" She winked.

Ban leaned forward, crowding his shoulder against Ginji's. Then, he reached out and grabbed a handful of her right breast, squeezing thoughtfully. "I dunno," he said, grinning cheekily at her. "I'd call you Hevn-chan--"

In the Mugenjou, Raitei had witnessed countless battles, both from afar and within its frenzied hold. Even so, Hevn moved with a speed that might have bested the Snake Bite, even on a good day.

SMACK! Ginji winced at the whipcrack sound, and at the way Ban's head snapped to the side. Hevn shook her fist at him, veins popping in both forehead and hand.

"You," she said, ice-cold, "may call me 'Hevn-sama.'" Then, as quickly as she'd hit Ban, she switched back to a warm smile for Ginji as she slid out of the booth seat. When she spoke to him, there was no trace of the temper from a moment before. "Gin-chan, good luck on your first job, all right?"

"Ah--okay ..." Ginji watched her go, then turned to Ban, anxiously. "Um, are you all right? Ban?"

He was answered by a feeble groan. After a moment, Ban slammed a hand down hard on the edge of the table, and then he pushed himself up, hunched over the edge. A gigantic red handprint throbbed on his cheek.

"Fuck, that hurt." Ban examined it with wincing fingers, then fixed Ginji with a flat-eyed glare. "You just accepted the job, didn't you?"

"Um, yes?" Ginji looked down. "You said we needed a job, and Hevn-san did bring us one, and they're promising a five thousand yen reward for both of us--"

"That's before she skims off her fee from the top, the damn shark." Ban tested his jaw, then began drumming both sets of fingers on the table. "Well, there's no helping it now. For better or worse, we'll get that damn tea set back."

"Ban, I'm sorry," Ginji offered hesitantly. "If I knew you really didn't want to, I wouldn't've--" He was cut off by one of Ban's index finger across his lips; all the other words that had been crowding out trailed off to surprised silence.

Somehow, the glare Ban gave him was affectionate. "You talk too much," he said. "Look, it's not that big a deal. You're a part of this team, too--you're allowed to make decisions for the both of us sometimes."

Ginji blinked at him, then risked a hesitant smile around Ban's finger. Ban grinned back.

"Besides, with ten thousand yen? We'll be in a decent apartment in no time, Ginji! And there'll be enough left over for sukiyaki for dinner! You know you'll like that." He sounded coaxing now, and Ginji, remembering the way the restaurant displays had looked, nodded enthusiastically. His smile grew into something considerably more enthusiastic.

"C'mon." Ban gave Ginji a light push. "Let's get started."

***

"Sibling rivalry gone wrong," was how Ginji had put it, when Hevn first presented them with the job.

Two sisters, Hayama Rikka and Natsuko, had spent several months arguing over an heirloom tea set from their grandmother's estate. Natsuko, angry at the perceived favoritism of her older sister, had hired snatchers to take the set from Rikka, who'd promptly turned around and hired the two of them.

Then, maybe fearing retribution or something, Natsuko had taken the goods and fled to some small family-owned cabin in the country, without telling a soul. It had taken a bit of old-fashioned detective work to track her down, but with her sister's cooperation and some help from a few of Hevn's other contacts, they'd found her easily. And as a bonus, they'd finagled themselves use of a car for the duration of the job.

Granted, that car was probably on her last legs, and wheezed dangerously every time Ban put his foot down on the gas--but she had gotten them here, and he felt surprisingly certain she would get them back to Shinjuku just fine. In spite of himself, Ban felt rather fond of the car--her outside still looked like new, even if her engine sounded nearly chewed to bits.

With the car in the state it was, Ban felt confidant that the man who'd lent her to them would be willing to cut a deal. There were plenty of salvageable parts for a Subaru 360 lying around the junkyards of Tokyo; it wouldn't be difficult to fix her up, with some time and effort.

Things just kept getting better and better. A car meant extra mobility--which meant a wider range of potential clients. And landing this sort of high-paying job for their first stint as the GetBackers boded well for future business. Ban felt his gloating was quite justified.

The car had even stood up against the few cheap traps and other attempts at misdirection that had littered the path to the Hayama's secluded cabin. Natsuko obviously had no real idea of what she was doing, but she did try. It wasn't her fault that she was dealing with the GetBackers, who were determined to win, whatever the odds.

It was a hell of a lot of trouble to go through, just for one perfectly ordinary tea service set. Rikka had shown them a photo of the tea set in question--it hadn't even been that pretty, with no grace to its forms or life to its color. Compared to the set his grandmother had kept for guests, it looked sort of like a kid's cheap plastic rip-off.

Ban personally thought it was an idiotic thing to squabble over, or spend money on. Still, as long as he and Ginji were the ones being paid, he wouldn't complain much. This was easy money, nothing like some of the shit he'd gone through as a thief.

And at this point, it was probably the idea, more than the tea set itself, which mattered. He handed the binoculars back to his partner and leaned forward onto his elbows.

"They don't look like protectors," he murmured as Ginji peered at three people seated at an English-style veranda, drinking tea--not from the set in contest, but one that was identical except for the color. Among the trio was Natsuko herself, clutching the case to her chest like it was more precious than gold. With the investment she'd put into it, Ban supposed it was, in a way.

Her companions were both men, skinny and tall, with the same nervous, rabbity look as Natsuko. Neither of them looked all that ready or able to fight; Ban had the impression they would snap in his hands as easily as the cups he'd once practiced on. All three of them seemed ill at ease, looking ready to snap at the smallest provocation. Ban leaned closer to Ginji, keeping his voice low as he continued to watch the trio closely.

"We shouldn't have too much of a problem--they look like a few friends she asked to tag along, just in case. What do you think?"

"She's kinda cute," said Ginji.

Ban smacked him. "I meant about the situation!"

Ginji rubbed his head, looking at Ban mournfully. "It's not so bad," he said. "There's three of them, including Natsuko-san, and two of us. And ... this isn't the Mugenjou." He said the last very quietly. "I've faced worse odds."

Ban hesitated for a moment, then slugged Ginji lightly in the shoulder. "We'll split up," he decided. "Ambush 'em from both sides. You take the left, all right?"

Ginji smiled and handed the binoculars back to Ban. "Got it!" he said cheerfully, then hefted himself up to his feet in a low crouch. "How long should I wait, when I'm in place?"

"Go over there." Ban pointed to a small clump of bushes on the far side of the little yard, where Hayama Natsuko was speaking with her companions. "Wait for my signal."

His partner nodded. "Okay! I'll see you!" He crept off, keeping low to the bushes. For someone who'd spent most of his life being prominently visible, Ginji did sneaking very well.

Ban lifted his binoculars back to his face. Yeah, so Natsuko was kinda cute, if you went for the 'innocent schoolgirl' look, with huge dark eyes and her dark hair plaited into a thick braid. She still looked distinctly nervous, as though she expected a thousand retrievers to come leaping out of the forest around her. Ban smirked, and bit back the urge to chuckle.

Maybe not a thousand, but hell--she was dealing with the GetBackers. Just because they were new didn't mean they weren't professionals. He'd already been working as a retriever on his own for nearly three months now--and with his new partner, they were practically guaranteed a one hundred percent success rate. Ban felt confidant that together, he and Ginji could take on anything she threw at them.

Through the lenses, he saw Ginji appear, then crouch behind the indicated bushes. The blond looked straight back at him, then gave him a grin and a thumb's-up. Ban grinned back, though he knew Ginji couldn't see, then switched back to studying the trio.

Hayama Natsuko appeared to be looking straight at him. Her hands, on the set's case, were white-knuckled. One of the two men with her had disappeared, and the other now hovered protectively behind her chair. He also glared at Ban, over the top of Natsuko's dark head.

Ban frowned, and risked inching forward just a little more, trying to see if the door was open or something. Unease began ticking in his gut.

A twig snapped behind him. Ban stiffened.

Dry leaves rustled, and he bit back the urge to swear. He held himself perfectly still, ready to pounce as he flexed both hands against the ground. There was still a chance he could scare off the man sneaking up on him, and then hopefully Ginji would know to go after Natsuko and her remaining flunky.

Meanwhile, he fumed. They'd been caught, like a pair of fucking amateurs--caught with their proverbial pants around their ankles. He was too angry to be embarrassed; he'd never made such an obvious mistake before, not even the first time he'd stolen something alongside the Kudou siblings.

The man sounded almost close enough. Ban gritted his teeth. In his left hand, the casing of the binoculars began to crack a little.

"BAN-CHAN! BEHIND YOU!"

Startled, Ban dropped the binoculars and lost his momentum. Instinct drove him to claw at the ground as he tried to scramble to his feet, and he could see Ginji, now standing in plain sight and running straight for them. He didn't need to see the blond's face to see the worry there.

"Ginji, damnit!" he roared. "Stay--"

Something round and heavy smashed into the back of his head, once then again, and the world cut to black.

***

Hands patted his face.

Irritated, he wanted to bat them away--but at the moment, his hands felt too damn heavy to lift. He settled for curling his lip to show his disapproval. Everything seemed so distant and echoing, like shouting down a long corridor.

Then, abruptly, the next breath he took slammed into his lungs like a punch to the gut. On his face, the hands stilled their movement, now just cupping. And just like that, his hearing flipped back on, treating him to the sound of his partner's increasingly hysterical voice.

"--chan? Ban-chan? Are you okay? Ban-chan?"

He cracked open one eye, then immediately slammed it shut again. The world was far too bright. And Ginji was talking funny all of a sudden, though he didn't feel like trying to figure out what had changed, just yet. "Shaddup. 'M fine. Go away."

"You are not fine! He hit you with a log, Ban-chan!" Ginji said sharply. A broad hand slid itself under his head, long fingers probing gently. Ban screwed his eyes more tightly shut and hissed.

"That hurts, cut it out."

Ginji ignored him, still examining the curve of his skull. Finally, he moved his hand away, carefully settling Ban's head against the ground. "At least you're not bleeding. That's good."

"Damn straight--I told you, I'm *fine*." Ban didn't bother to open his eyes, even as an arm slid under his shoulders and hefted him into a reclining position. Ginji's knee dug into his back a little. "Put me down."

"Nuh-uh." Ginji sounded like a little kid. "Not till you look at me."

"Ginji, for fuck's sake--"

"Ban-chan, I saw it! He hit you really hard--twice! I want to make sure you're okay!"

"Trust me, I'm fine," Ban grit out between clenched teeth. Then paused, reviewed their past conversation, and said, "Ginji?"

"What? Ban-chan?"

His brows drew together. "That," he said grimly.

Silence. He could easily picture Ginji's puzzled expression.

"Um, Ban-chan? 'That'?"

"Yeah, that." Ban finally risked opening both eyes--and though the light was still dazzling, at least it was unbearable. It took a moment to focus on Ginji's hovering face, but once he did, he projected as much strength into his glare as he could. "Ban-chan?"

"Yes?" Ginji blinked at him, utterly guileless. "So?"

"So? So?!" Ban started to sit up, out of Ginji's arms, then winced at the sudden stab of pain. Fine, if Ginji was going to sit so conveniently still, he'd better not complain when he was used as a backrest. Ban leaned back and scowled furiously. His head was beginning to pound now in time with his heartbeat, and his patience felt already worn dangerously thin. "Ginji, you don't just go around using that on random guys!"

"You're not a random guy, though," Ginji said, in the soothing tones of someone humoring a lovable idiot. "You're Ban-chan."

"I'm Ban," he snapped back. "Just 'Ban,' all right? I'm not a kid and I'm not a chick. Cut it out."

He didn't need clear vision to see the wave of hurt that washed over Ginji's face; he certainly didn't need to see to feel the way Ginji's entire body flinched back. "Why? Didn't--back at the Honky Tonk, didn't you say it was supposed to be a--a nickname? That you use for people you like?"

"Sure," Ban grumbled. Now he felt obscurely guilty, and that annoyed him further. They were going to get nowhere if he caved in every time Ginji flashed those sad puppy eyes at him. "But that's for people you really like. Save it for them."

Ginji's brow furrowed, and the hurt didn't fade from his gaze. He stared at a point on Ban's chin, tilting his head so that his eyes were shadowed by his bangs. "If you say so, Ban-cha--um. Ban. Can you sit up by yourself?"

Ban scowled at him. All of a sudden, the knot in his gut felt worse than the one on the back of his head. "Look, Ginji--"

"No, it's okay," Ginji interrupted, finally looking up with a bright, damp smile. "It's okay. I'll, uh, save it. Sorry, I didn't know. That it wasn't okay, I mean."

"Ginji--"

"We should get going again, we don't know how far they got away." Ginji backed away from Ban slowly, until he was certain the other boy wouldn't simply topple over. "I don't think they had a car, though, so we should be all right. Do you need some help up?"

Ban rubbed his temple, scowling up at his partner. He didn't understand this junkyard-raised kid, or why that fake smile felt colder than the Mugenjou's rain. "Nah, I'm fine," he said, and pushed himself to his feet. His head hurt like a bitch, but at least his vision had cleared.

Ginji stood up beside him, brushing absently at the leaf bits that stuck to his shorts. He didn't look at Ban, despite the other's attempts to catch his eyes.

"Ginji?"

Ginji turned his head towards him, but did not look up or say anything. Ban stared at him for a moment, willing his cooperation--but nothing. It made him somehow nervous, and that only annoyed him.

Finally, Ban sighed and pushed his glasses up. It would have to wait until later, then. "Fine. Let's go, Ginji."

***

The path was almost laughably easy to find and follow; it seemed like the sneak attack would be the one break of luck they had. Ban's mood improved quite a bit when he saw the three thieves, even if he still remained all too aware of Ginji's embarrassment. Ahead, the abrupt drop-off of a cliff appeared, and Ban put on an extra burst of speed to catch up.

It was close; he could already feel the money spilling into his hands. Once they had money and he'd treated Ginji to dinner, this uncomfortable new tension between them would fade. Ban sprang.

The edge of Natsuko's shirt just slipped through his fingers; he felt it catch, just for a moment, then tear free. All three of them radiated fear, and he could feel the grin that stretched his face against his will. Like a drug, adrenaline burned a clean line straight through him; this was what he'd missed, during the slow months of solo jobs. The few truly dangerous retrievals Hevn had given him alone required delicacy and precision of thought, not the simple ordinary freedom of chasing.

Ginji was neck-and-neck with him, and when Ban glanced aside, some of the tension had faded from the other's eyes and mouth. When Ginji met his eyes, just for a split second, Ban saw his grin returned.

Natsuko looked back over her shoulder--and therein lay her downfall. Distracted by their approach, her foot caught on the edge of a root, which sent her, and the case, flying forward. As though in slow motion, the thing went spiraling, end over end, out over the edge of the cliff.

Ginji vaulted forward, with a heroic leap over Natsuko's prone body. His fingers grasped empty air for a moment, then closed firmly around the edge of the battered black case.

"GOT IT--eh?" When Ginji's foot came down on empty space, the rest of him followed with a jerk. He twisted in mid-air, facing the others, and hung suspended in air for a moment. He held the case tightly between both hands, eyes wide. In that frozen interval, his eyes met Ban's.

Another heartbeat, and then he was gone.

"My SET!" Natsuko shrieked. She lunged forward, caught back by her friend at the last minute. She fought against him, but he hung on with grim determination, arms locked around her waist.

Ban didn't notice. There was a peculiar whistling sound in his ears, like the entire world was slamming to a very sudden, nasty halt. Ginji--godDAMNIT, Ginji--!

It felt like a bad dream, like an unending cliché. At least there'd been half a year with Yamato--but Ginji, he hadn't even known Ginji, Amano Ginji, for six weeks now--

Ban flung himself forward, then skidded to a stop at the edge of the cliff. "GINJI!"

For a moment, he saw nothing but red, his heart pounding in his ears. His throat felt tight and constricted, like breathing itself was too much of an effort.

And then--"Ban-chan?"

Ginji's voice, sounding pained, but most certainly alive. Ban tore his gaze from outwards, and looked straight down.

Ginji was hanging onto the side of the cliff with one hand, his fingers hooked into desperate claws. In his other hand, he held the open case. Ban noticed it only peripherally; he dropped to both knees and thrust his hand out. "Ginji!"

His partner's grin was tight and humorless. "Ban-chan, I can't," he said.

"Why the fuck not?!"

"If I do, I have to let go of the case--Ban-chan, we've already lost a few of them."

"Do you think I fucking care about the case?" Ban snarled back. "Give me your goddamn hand! Before you fall!"

Ginji stared at him, wide-eyed. "But, Ban-chan, the client--"

"Fuck the client! Give me your hand!"

Brown eyes met blue, for the first time since Ban had woken up. Ginji pressed his lips tightly together, brow furrowed.

Then, he flung the case up at Ban, who caught it reflexively. Three of the cups and the cap of the pot itself were missing. Ban stared at it dumbly for a moment, then flung it aside and leaned back out, reaching. "Ginji, you moron, you--"

Ginji's desperate grip on the wall slipped. In the moment before he tumbled into freefall, Ban caught his wrist.

With a grunt, Ban dug his knees in and pulled, forcibly yanking Ginji up until the blond lay draped over the edge, clinging to the grass with both hands. After a moment of stunned blinking, Ginji rallied enough to crawl back onto solid ground by himself. For a moment, he just huddled there, panting hard.

Then he looked up, wide-eyed and grinning, as though he hadn't just narrowly escaped death. Ban stared at that suddenly-genuine smile in disbelief.

"That was fun, Ban-chan!" he said.

Ban's jaw dropped. "Fun?" he echoed, in a strangled voice. "You thought that was FUN?!"

Ginji blinked and rocked back on his heels. "Yes?" he said hesitantly, before his smile burst from him again, ear to ear and sparkling. "It was fun, all of it! Running around, the two of us verses them, escaping getting squished like that--everything! It was like one of those, whadayacallems, movies! Except ..."

And then, abruptly, some of his light began to fade. Ban, his eyes already dazzled, took a few seconds to realize this.

"Except?" He prompted. He was distantly aware of one of Natsuko's henchmen sidling towards the abandoned case, and promptly scooted over, slamming one hand down hard on top of it. Something cracked, but he refused to let the wince show on his face.

"Except, um." Ginji stared at his hands, propped on the ground, looking embarrassed. "I keep trying, but I also keep forgetting."

"Forgetting what?"

Ginji lowered his head further, but then he tilted it slightly, so he could watch Ban's expression. "You really don't like being called 'Ban-chan'?" he asked in a small voice.

Ban opened his mouth to agree, then caught the way Ginji's face fell at his hesitation. He dragged the case into his lap and closed it, watching his partner's expression the whole time.

"I don't ... hate it," he said at last. "It's just kind of dumb, that's all."

"... oh." Ginji sat back, legs crossed and hands in his lap. It looked like the wrong thing to say.

Ban rolled his eyes upwards, then sighed and knee-walked over to Ginji. He dropped a hand on top of the blond hand and ruffled hard. When Ginji looked up in automatic protest, Ban caught his gaze and held it.

"What the hell," he said, making sure that Ginji could see, as well as hear, every word. "I've been called worse."

Then he shrugged and dropped down, looking at Natsuko and her two friends. "Do what you want."

He had a moment to regret that permission, then pitched forward as Ginji slammed into him from behind, wiry arms wrapping around his neck in a monkey-hold. And then, to Ban's further embarrassment, the damn electric eel snuggled, rubbing his cheek against the spikes of Ban's dark hair. Occasionally he'd say the name, like he was trying to memorize the feel and sound of it.

Ban glared at the others to make himself feel better. They, unlike Ginji, were gratifyingly cowed and kept their distance.

"Ginji, get off."

"Don't wanna."

"Ginji--"

"I like being with Ban-chan!" Ginji announced, halfway into Ban's hair. He said it like it was the most obvious and reasonable thing in the world.

Perhaps, for Ginji, it was.

For the second time in five minutes, Ban found himself without words. He tolerated the hug for a moment longer, then forcibly peeled Ginji off him and stood, with the case tucked under his arm. He eyed the trio for a moment, and remembered the hollow moment when he'd thought Ginji had gone over the cliff for good.

Midou Ban-sama was not pleased. This required compensation, damnit, and he was determined to see it through.

With that thought, he broke into a grin that had all three of them stepping back in unison.

Ginji, on the other hand, didn't notice; he'd gone back to the edge of the cliff and was peering down, on his hands and knees. "Ahhh, this is no good," he mourned. "We've lost part of the set--we can't return it to Rikka-san like this."

"Actually, Ginji," Ban said, still grinning at Natsuko and her two friends, "we can do exactly that."

Curious, Ginji looked over.

"And we'll get Hayama-san to help us out--as compensation for the trouble she's put us through, of course," he finished smoothly.

"Ban-chan?"

"This set's a generic piece of crap," Ban said, gesturing to the case under his arm. "You can find something exactly like wherever they sell house wares. With Hayama-san's expert consultation, we'll be able to return the client's tea set to her fully intact."

Ginji got to his feet. He brushed the debris from his knees. "But we don't have any money yet, Ban-chan," he said. "How can we buy replacements?"

"I'm not done," Ban said. "We'll be relying on Hayama-san's generous donation, as well."

Natsuko sputtered, red-faced. Ginji blinked, then broke into a smile.

"Really?" he asked, bouncing a little on the heels of his feet. "That's so nice of you, Natsuko-chan! You've really saved us!"

She rocked back, looking dazed. Ban continued to smirk. It was good to know Ginji's smile could hit other people in the gut like that.

"Right, right," he said, then made a shooing gesture with one hand. "Come on everyone--the sooner we get this done, the sooner everyone can happily go about their own lives ..."

***

"I'm impressed," Hevn said, flexing her hand thoughtfully. The thin, near-transparent scarf tied across her chest was a bit askew from Ban's groping, and she adjusted it after popping her wrist. On the floor, Ban twitched feebly. "Somehow, I didn't think you'd be able to manage it."

"It went well!" Ginji chirped, from where he crouched next to Ban. "There were some problems, but Ban-chan and I came through in the end!"

Hevn's face contorted. It was perhaps unkind to call the sound she made a "snort," but that was probably closest to the truth. "Ban-chan?" she said, an evil glint in her eyes.

Ban's fingers clawed a bit at the ground. After a moment, he propped himself up on his elbow and gave Ginji a sour look. "This is your fault."

Ginji blinked, then looked suitably chastised--though confusion lurked in his large eyes. "I'm sorry, Ban-chan?"

Hevn slapped a hand over her mouth this time, but it wasn't enough to stifle her giggles. Ban sat up and adjusted his glasses, shot Ginji another accusatory glare. The blond tried to look apologetic, but understanding had begun to bloom into his expression--and with that, a damning sort of humor.

In the face of that smile, Ban managed to keep his scowl for a gratifying full minute, before he relaxed and sort of half-grinned back. Hevn's giggles finally began to die down, though from the way she continued to smirk at him, Ban suspected it would be a long time before he heard the end of it.

He sighed in his head, where Ginji would not see it and worry. The stupid eel had better appreciate this, he thought wryly. Not even Himi--not even his other "true friends" had been allowed that intimacy. When Ginji popped to his feet and held out an expectant hand, Ban grasped it easily and helped haul himself up.

They sat at the counter, Ginji between Hevn and Ban, eyeing the envelope in Ban's hand with bright-eyed glee. Greed looked peculiar on Amano Ginji's face--but it wasn't that, not really; more like "pride." He'd earned this without a single person killed or even injured; that was worth more than the worship of a thousand VOLTS.

Ban smirked, entirely too pleased with himself. The threadspool and the monkey trainer and all their cronies might come crawling to Ginji's feet, but as long as he could keep their professional pride, he'd always win.

"Do you wanna start looking at apartments now, Ban-chan?" Ginji asked eagerly, bouncing in his seat. Hevn choked on another laugh, turning her face away and waving when Ban whipped around to glare again.

Ginji tugged on his sleeve. "Ban-chan?" He was still grinning, the idiot. If not even Midou Ban's temper could steal that smile,

"Later, Ginji." Ban laced his fingers together and stretched out his arms. "We've got ten thousand yen to our name--we deserve to celebrate! Sushi, shabu-shabu, sukiyaki, whatever you want!"

"Really?" Ginji's eyes lit up. Stupid nickname aside, Ban felt like a king--or maybe even an emperor--with a dumb electric eel at his side and the world spread at his feet. Companionably, he slung an arm around Ginji's shoulders, using the other to gesture to Paul, who lowered his newspaper and looked at them expectantly.

"Whatever you want, Ginji, that's a promise. Master, let's see that menu!"

--end--

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