Fan Fiction ❯ Afterglow [Get Backers] ❯ One-Shot

Greetings, mm.org friends!

Welcome to my very first story for a great new series some of you may have never even heard of before. For those who might like to get a glimpse of these new bishounen since a picture can be worth a thousand words, kindly check out www.tbs.co.jp/getbackers.

For those of you who already know and love Ban and Ginji, please go right ahead and enjoy the story!

Enigma

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Title: Afterglow

Author: Enigma

Series: Get Backers

Written: June, 2003

Rating: R

Pairings: (Ban x Ginji/Ginji x Ban)

Category: Yaoi Romance Angst Citrus. AU-OOC.

Archive: fanfiction.net & mediaminer.org [author: "E-sama the Llama"]

Warnings: yaoi, romance, angst, moderate sexual content, slightly crude language, cigarettes, internal monologue, tiny bits of humor. AU-OOC.

Spoilers: Some details about Ban and Ginji's pasts are revealed. Also, this is based on the anime and not the manga since there are some significant differences which I prefer to avoid here. Events portrayed in this story fall between the incidents with Clayman and the start of the IL Saga.

Disclaimer: "Get Backers" is the creation of Aoki and Ayamine. This unauthorized work of unpaid fanfiction is intended for entertainment only; kindly do not sue me.

Notes: In a quiet hotel room, Ban and Ginji celebrate a successful assignment in a sensual fashion that leaves them both with a pleasant sense of afterglow.

//thoughts//

*****

On a peaceful night in Shinjuku, the near darkness of a hotel room was disturbed by a red glow that intensified then faded in a slow rhythm like the intermittent flickers of a firefly on a sweltering summer night.

An unseen hand which held a cigarette between its fingers then rested against a head covered with long spikes of dark, silken hair as Mido Ban held the smoke within his lungs for a long moment, then blew it out in a ghostly tendril. Eyes that glimmered like twin sapphires in the darkness briefly gazed up at the ceiling even as a shaft of light from a passing car's headlights entered the room and danced across the restful figure laying in the bed beside him.

The smile that was almost always present when he was alone with Amano Ginji crossed his lips, and then Ban reached down and gently threaded a finger through sweat dampened blond hair lovingly. The light pink flush of passion was still visible across his partner's cheeks and this made his smile grow even larger.

While taking another long draw on his cigarette and causing the firefly effect to add its glow to Ginji's handsome features, Ban reflected on how wonderful it had been to be able to spend the night somewhere other than their cramped little car. Of course, this was made all the sweeter by the act of love they'd just shared which explained why the boy beside him currently lay flat on his stomach sleeping for a short while as he usually did after his partner took him to the heights of ecstasy.

From where he sat propped against a pillow and patiently awaiting his partner's reawakening so that they could enjoy more of the same passionate interaction, Ban's thoughts turned to finances as they often did.

//For once, we got paid pretty well for one of the gigs that Hevn lined up for us. That's a nice change of pace. Granted, we probably should've used the money to put a dent in that hefty tab we've got at the Honky Tonk, but Paul's a pretty cool guy and would understand if we told him we *really* needed this instead.//

A small chuckle left his lips along with a thin stream of gray smoke.

//Come to think of it, I'm fairly certain he's already well aware of what we do on the rare occasion one of our assignments turns out this well. After a night in a hotel room instead of the Subaru, we usually roll back in there the next morning tired from *not* sleeping and Ginji's usually too sore to sit on the regular bar stools, so I doubt it's a secret by any means.//

When he remembered that Paul once described the two self-proclaimed get backers as a "couple", Ban chuckled again and amended.

//Cancel that. He definitely knows and the fact that he doesn't mind is a relief. Too bad we can't say the same for a few other people we have to deal with on a regular basis, but if they can't cope, that's their loss, not ours.//

A scowl of anger blended with disappointment crossed his lips and then was erased as he once more attended to his cigarette, pulling a long breath in through the corridor of smoldering tobacco and then enjoying the acrid burn as the smoke entered his lungs.

//Where Himiko thought she was getting off giving me shit the night she showed up out of nowhere and caught Ginji and me making out in our own damned car is beyond me. I guess it was kind of a shock for the kid, though. She'd only seen me flirt with girls back when we worked together before her brother…//

Even Ban's mental voice always stumbled when he touched ever so lightly at the permanent scar his heart bore because of the first time he'd been forced to kill someone. The memory would never cease to bring him sorrow, he'd loved both Himiko and Yamato like the siblings that fate had denied him, yet he'd had no choice in the matter. Someday he hoped to be able to tell the sixteen year old girl the truth about that horrible day, but for now, he chose to take a step back and return to another topic.

//So, anyway, Himiko figured I was straight when really I'm bi, that shouldn't have been any big deal.//

Releasing the pent-up smoke from his lungs in poorly constructed little smoke rings that shimmered like wraiths as another car's lights lit the room for a moment, Ban suddenly laughed a little and came to a startling realization that he should've arrived at sooner.

//Unless, of course, she had a crush on me or something stupid.//

Shaking his head and feeling his shoulders droop a bit, he shoved the fingers of his free hand into his coffee-hued hair and rubbed at his scalp in a gesture of self-comfort even as he chastised himself.

//Oh shit. I am so *dumb*! Why didn't I figure that out sooner? No wonder it freaked her out to find me with my hand down Ginji's pants and my tongue down his throat like that! But in all honesty, she had no business snooping around our car at three in the morning, so I don't feel too bad about it. I'll make it a point to straighten her out on this the next time I see her, though. You never know when you might need an ally that's as skilled as Lady Poison is and besides, she'll never stop being my "little sister" and I don't want to have her hate me.//

After one last pull on his spent cigarette, Ban crushed it out in the ashtray sitting beside himself atop the bed's covers and then merely leaned back against the pillows supporting him, resting as he patiently waited for Ginji to reawaken. Time crawled past slowly, cars drifted by granting temporary flashes of illumination, and eventually he found himself gazing at the sleeping teen next to him with a soft smile once more upon his lips.

Weaving the fingers of one hand through tousled blond locks fondly, Ban recalled different moments in time that helped define the rock solid relationship they had built together.

An image of a much younger Ginji came to mind almost immediately. It was the fateful day Ban had first encountered another sixteen year old with supernatural powers much like himself. Both boys carried heavy burdens from unkind pasts, yet somehow the youth called "Raitei" by those who practically worshipped him was much closer to the edge of self-destruction than Ban was.

The so-called Thunder Emperor's complexion had been pale, his expression haggard, and his soul weary, yet he seemed shocked when Ban suggested that he simply leave behind the world he knew if it did not bring him happiness. Despite his own hesitance and the Volts members' begging to the contrary, Ginji had eventually chosen to accept Ban's offer and leave with him. Together, they went into an unknown future and Ginji hoped to find the elusive emotion known as joy while in his new friend's company which he could not recall feeling for a very long time.

Through a mixture of luck and hard work, the unlikely pair had indeed found a better new life for them both that neither could have imagined or attained separately.

Ban's mental images flashed forward to the chilly winter's day that the Get Backers had their first major success as retrieval agents. The item they'd been sent to find was no longer important neither was the identity of the client for whom they'd found it, but what was notable was the way they'd chosen to celebrate their accomplishment.

After a wonderfully filling meal at an inexpensive shabu-shabu restaurant, the two then seventeen year olds were en route back to their small car for yet another cold night of sleeping huddled together to share warmth. However, as they were walking past a small ryokan whose manager they'd helped relocate some important missing documents a few weeks previously, a voice called to them and asked if they'd rather sleep indoors that night for a change. They turned to discover it was the same kind woman they had helped and with large smiles, they eagerly accepted his offer to stay in a pleasant traditional inn.

Before long, Ban and Ginji were comfortably ensconced in traditional bedding on tatami mats which were surprisingly comfortable after too many nights of hard automobile seats for beds.

That had been the first night the two had begun to admit they each wanted more than simple friendship and a comrade in arms in the war against poverty. Their first true kisses had been exchanged there that night as well as some very limited explorations of one another's bodies, yet it was almost more memorable to Ban than the first night they'd made love was. That night hadn't come until a few months later, but it too had been after another financially rewarding day and so a tradition of post-assignment intimacy was born.

Smiling to himself as he recalled the sensation of pushing himself into the virginal blond's body for the very first time, Ban reached for his pack of Marlboro's and flipped the top open before shaking out another cigarette. He lit up and breathed in a deep inhalation of smoke that he held for a moment as he absent-mindedly stroked the renewed hardness lurking beneath the covers and becoming more demanding regarding a return to their earlier activities.

//I hope Ginji wakes up again soon. I know we were both a little overly eager earlier and that's why he's so tired now, but when he's all nicely stretched and wet like he should be right at the moment, the urge to slip back into him is almost overwhelming!//

Viciously squelching a random thought about simply removing the sheet from Ginji's body and taking possession of him without waiting, Ban growled softly at himself and wrapped a firm hand around his arousal, giving it a hard squeeze to ease the desires that were burning too hotly.

//No, I'd never do that to him. Not to Ginji. Not to someone who has had so much other bad shit happen in his life. I may have disappointed a lot of other people with this occasionally misspent life of mine, but I won't disappoint him by making him think I'd just take what I want without making sure it was what he wanted too. Other people may have done that to him in the past--not sexually, of course, but in other ways--so I sure as hell will never do it.//

A frown marred his features as he took a shallow breath of smoke into his lungs and exhaled thoughtfully as he recalled the expression of sorrow that always crossed Ginji's face when he looked towards Mugenjou for a moment too long.

//I wonder what really went on in there? He's told me about Volts and stuff in the past, like how his best friends Kazuki, Shido, Jubei, and that other guy kept the peace and all, but I know he's holding something back from me. Something dark. Something dangerous.//

Light came into the room as a car went past and as the beams fell upon Ginji's peaceful features, Ban sighed and caressed the slumbering boy's face tenderly.

//Someday, Ginji, I hope you learn to trust me enough to tell me everything. For now, though, just knowing you're here and that you're all mine is more than enough.//

The latent semi-darkness returned to the room for a few minutes as Ban's thoughts moved to the more recent past. He scowled momentarily as he recalled a mission whose payoff had been most unexpected and completely disappointing.

//That rich old bastard and his fucking melon fetish sure cost us a lot! There I was thinking we would get a nice chunk of profit in the form of platinum and instead we get a chunk of fruit! What a jerk!//

Going a little farther back in time than that disheartening moment when they had unveiled slices of rare produce, the image of a mysterious, elegant man dressed almost entirely in black rose up unbidden in his mind and then his thoughts became less angry and more jealous.

//But what was the deal with that "Doctor Jackal" creep? He seemed too damned eager to get his clothes off for Ginji that night, so what was it that he *really* wanted to achieve by kidnapping him that way? Maybe it was a blessing Himiko and that truck driver were around. I mean, he's a murdering psychopath, that much is obvious, but could he be a rapist, too?//

Realizing his last thought didn't fit the events he himself had witnessed, Ban shook his head in confusion and distracted himself with another long, slow pull on his Marlboro. As the heated smoke filled his lungs, yet another car approached, washing the room in light once again.

The sound of the car's engine changed as it idled in place awaiting a change in a traffic signal so it could resume its journey. Ban automatically turned to glance towards the window and thereby missed the slight shift of the form beside him even as he pulled his cigarette from his lips and let it rest in the fingers of a hand laying carelessly upon the bed.

Sleepy brown eyes slowly opened, unveiling themselves as if shy, then they sought the one person they always looked for upon awakening.

A smile grew on Ginji's lips as he saw the profile of the boy he adored conveniently lit by the headlights of the car outside. Thinking that the light seemed to paint golden highlights in Ban's rich dark hair even as it added sparkles to already lustrous blue eyes, Ginji let his eyes slip down to the bare chest and inviting nude physique that hid beneath the covers. He could practically feel the tingle of desire race down his veins as a tiny motion of his own reminded him he was primed and ready for more as soon as Ban was interested, too.

Unaware that he was being scrutinized, Ban frowned a little at the car which remained where it was only a moment more then moved on. Shaking his head since he was annoyed that he had been distracted by such a small thing, he raised his hand intending to take another drag on his Marlboro before going back to playing with inviting hair the color of sunshine.

"Oh, Ban-chan," Ginji sighed and then pushed himself up from the mattress enough to roll over and gaze at his partner in the near darkness as he complained, "you know I don't like it when you smoke in bed. We get this kind of opportunity so infrequently and I hate kissing you when you taste like an ashtray."

Glancing down with a wry yet fond smile on his lips, Ban remarked playfully, "Oh? So, does that mean you don't want me to kiss you anymore tonight? Even when I'm so far inside you that you can only taste me in the back of your throat instead my cigs?"

Annoyance and embarrassment bubbled up in Ginji's mind since he felt somewhat uncomfortable when Ban spoke so plainly about things that were so intimate. Without even realizing it, electric sparks began to crackle lightly around the former Thunder Emperor as the blond responded with a paraphrased quote stolen from an old television favorite, "Don't make me angry, Ban-chan. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry." [1]

Chuckling and deliberately baiting his lover by taking yet another drag on his cigarette, Ban asked sarcastically, "Oh? Does this mean you're going to get pissed and go all 'Raitei' on my ass or something, Ginji?"

Electricity now arcing around him and illuminating the room rather nicely as he pushed himself up, Ginji caused the sheet to slip off of his naked body thereby revealing his aroused state which spoke volumes. With a dangerous smirk, he plucked the Marlboro from Ban's lips, crushed it in the ashtray that he then set aside before pushing his partner down to lay flat upon the mattress as he replied in a darker, more sensual voice than he normally used, "Yes. That is exactly what is going to happen."

Gazing up at his lover with an atypically submissive expression on his face, Ban allowed the thrill of anticipation to flow through himself yet set that aside long enough to reach up and caress the side of the electrified youth above him. Ignoring the minor shock that gave him as it always did, he asked in a gentle voice, "Are you sure you want to be seme, Ginji? It's been awhile and you weren't too confident about it the last time you tried."

Shrugging slightly and letting some of the ferocity slip from his face even as his powers faded back into quiescence, Ginji nodded and replied equally tenderly, "I know I wasn't all that sure last time, Ban-chan, but for a first-timer I thought it went okay, didn't you?"

"Hell yeah," Ban rushed to reassure in the same quiet tone. Despite appearances to the contrary, he truly cared about his partner's deepest feelings and gentle affection filled eyes that sparkled like twin star sapphires as he added, "I loved it, Ginji, and if you're up for another shot at it, why not go for it now?"

Gratitude shone in large chocolate brown eyes as the blond's voice dropped even lower as he sweetly answered, "I'd really like to. After all, if I'm going to be sore in the morning, why shouldn't you be, too?"

Beaming delightedly, Ban replied, "I couldn't agree with you more! Just do me, baby!"

Laughing softly as he shifted so that his hands were lightly curled around Ban's bare shoulders, Ginji leaned down and placed an intense kiss onto willing lips that parted welcomingly before their tongues danced together in the moist cavern of their joined mouths. They shifted against each other, firmness upon firmness and sleekly muscled bodies rubbed against one another in a way they rarely did since the less experienced of the pair so infrequently claimed the commanding role during intimate moments.

With both careful guidance and patience, Ban educated his lover and found intense joy at the sensation of being the so-called submissive partner even as Ginji found greater confidence in taking the dominant role.

*****

An unspecified amount of time passed for the two young lovers who had used their bodies to pledge their hearts once again even if their lips had yet to speak the avowals of devotion some might have expected to precede such an event.

The quiet surrounding them was eventually broken by the rasping of flint as a lighter sprang to life. The glow of the tiny flame illuminated the fingers of a hand that inexpertly lit a Marlboro whose burning embers in turn gilded the sweat-sheened, flushed cheeks of a decidedly satisfied blond.

Not bothering to move much since he was comfortably sated and had his face nestled deep in a pillow, Ban grumbled, "Geez, you bitched at *me* for smoking in bed and now this?"

After carefully taking an inhalation of smoke into his lungs and forcing down the sudden urge to cough since he so rarely indulged in such a thing, Ginji just smirked for a moment. Then he turned his head towards his partner as he released the hazy gasses from his lips while placing the cigarette in Ban's mouth and allowed him to obtain some of the nicotine his addicted body craved after a rousing sexual experience.

Watching as the tip glowed even more brightly as Ban drew in a needy lungful of smoke, Ginji reached down to run his fingers through lightly damp brunette spikes while teasing, "Awe, don't you just make the cutest little crabby uke-boy at times?"

Growling and offering a mock-jagan glare, Ban snarled tiredly, "I'm no man's damned 'crabby uke-boy', Ginji!" Between yawns, he added a Yosemite Sam-esque comment with less strength than he meant to use, "Them's fightin' words!"

Laughing sweetly as he slipped down under the covers and cuddled close to his partner who was sleepily finishing the cigarette that had been lit for him which was then extinguished and set aside, the doe-eyed youth responded tenderly, "Don't worry, Ban-chan. I'll be more than happy to retake at least part of that title…" his words were interrupted by an understandable yawn, "after we get a little sleep, that is."

Mumbling an incoherent statement of agreement, Ban wrapped an arm capable of destroying steel around the cherished form beside him, then slipped into a pleasant post-coital nap never once complaining of the unusual feeling of wetness seeping from within himself.

Smiling to himself in the darkness as he listened to the steady rhythm of Ban's breathing and felt the cadence of his heart where their chests rested against each other, Ginji reflected briefly on the wonderful feeling of happiness that suffused them both at that point.

They had faced so many challenges in the past, yet the greatest test of their unity as both lovers as well as partners in every sense of the word loomed large on the horizon quite literally.

Mugenjou had been calling to the former leader of Volts for months on end and the clarion summons could not be ignored for much longer. Friends and enemies alike would gather together soon to face an unimagined threat in the form of an emotionally destitute fourteen year old boy. What was foreordained to come of that confrontation was beyond all of their imaginations, however.

For now, though, there was only Ban and Ginji together, snuggling close in a soft bed and enjoying the sweet, renewing sense of afterglow that each alone could offer to the other and that was how it should be.

~Owari~

Author's Copious End Notes:

[1] Ginji's quote is taken from the classic "The Incredible Hulk" television show which starred the talented and much missed Bill Bixby as Dr. Bruce Banner and Lou Ferrigno as his bulky green alter-ego. Like many other American shows, this was a hit in Japan, so the idea that our blond Get Backer might have watched it fits rather well.

[2] This fic is dedicated to my new friends in the "getbackers" community at LiveJournal.com. They're a lively group of enthusiastic folks who enjoy sharing fanart, fanfiction, screencaps, and rousing discussions, so feel free to drop in and see the fun for yourself if you enjoyed this little tale of mine.

[3] Short though it may be by my standards, I'm happy to note that this is my first ever fic for the glorious bishounen of "Get Backers"! My brother Rubious and I both fell in love with this show as well as the manga it's based on and now we're both addicted to it.

[4] Even before this story was conceived, my muses had dictated to me an extensive outline for another GB fic that is of a decidedly darker nature which is not related to this piece in any way, shape, or form. It's entitled "Tapestry" and I'm not sure if I will write it or not since there are plot elements in it that may prove to be unsettling for some fans, but I'll see what kind of a reaction this tiny tale receives before making a final decision. Alternatively, there is another outline for an equally long and involved piece that has fewer potentially objectionable aspects that may take center stage first, but the creation of it, too, will be dependent on the type of reaction this story receives.

[5] For those of you who are new to my writings, allow me to mention that my muses are straight out of ancient Greek mythology in case they sound familiar to you. Melpomene, former muse of tragedy, is the provider of angst whereas Erato, former muse of lyric poetry and mime, does the same job in the area of romance and lemons. Both worked together to craft this for you with a small assist from Thalia, formerly muse of comedy and pastoral poetry, who is currently working as my often absent humor muse.

[6] To find out what new stories I'm working on--with quotes from the most recent rough drafts--or what anime is enticing my muses in new directions, you are cordially invited to check out my online journal at LiveJournal.com which can be found under user name "e_sama". There's chatter in there about other things as well as colorful images from time to time, so I hope you will have fun if you take the time to seek it out.