GetBackers Fan Fiction ❯ Introspective: A Man Of Many Beasts ❯ Chapter 1

Title: Introspective: A Man of Many Beasts

Author: AquaianGoddess
Rating: PG-13/soft R
Pairing: ShidoxBan
Summery: Shido had never felt fully at ease in Tokyo.
Warnings: Yaoi, lime, light cursing, deliberate misspellings, and possible over use of parentheses, though there's much less here than in the first one. A companion piece to “Introspective”

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Thanks, as always, to sammei for being my beta.

~~

 

Shido had never felt fully at ease in Tokyo. There was too much steel and concrete and too little bark and leaves. He felt awkward and out of place, and almost always like he was being forced into a too small a space, whether it was being practically forced into the tiny Subaru that the GetBackers lived in when Ginji wanted to take him somewhere, or wearing the suits that never fit him right for Madoka's social gatherings. He hated wearing clothes in the first place, and walked around often in as little as he could get away with (which was barefoot and shirtless in a pair of jeans that were full of holes and paint stains from working on the house). Kazuki had once told him he looked like a wild man like that. Shido told Kazuki to take his rules of decency and fuck off. Kazuki had laughed at him, and said his passionate nature also went against the rules of decency. Shido had simply quipped that he did everything with a passion and the rest of humanity just had to deal with it, and asked if Kazuki would like his teacup shoved up his ass.

 

Shido had heard a melody coming from the music room. He knew Madoka was downstairs with Ginji, so he went to investigate. Shido blinked when he saw it was Ban playing, and actually stopped to listen. It was a good piece, one he was unfamiliar with but that wasn't surprising. Shido could hear things in the piece he couldn't hear in Madoka's music. It spoke of hardship and pain and tugged on his heart and brought tears to his eyes. He watched, frozen in the doorway, as Ban slowly brought the piece to an end and sigh as he put the violin away in its case then nearly dropped it when he turned and saw Shido.

 

“Geez, Monkey Tamer, put a damn bell around your neck.” Ban bristled.

 

“That piece...” Shido wondered how he could put his feelings into words without Ban laughing at him.

 

“Yeah, what of it?”

 

“…It was...” Amazing, beautiful, powerful… you…

 

Ban just stared at him, as if waiting for something. “What?”

 

“I liked it.” Ban looked stunned. “It's…different from what Madoka plays. She doesn't play about real things.”

 

“What are you going on about, Fuyuki?”

 

Shido blinked. “Forget it. Come on, lunch is ready.”

 

And the incident was never spoken of again, though every time Ban came to visit, he'd play the piece, and Shido always stopped to listen.

 

Shido was curious by nature (“Didn't I tell you NOT to climb up there?!” “I wanted to know what was up there.” Laughter. “Curiosity killed the cat, Shido-chan.” “I haven't died yet, Mama!” “No, but you did scrape your knee. Come here and let Mama clean it.” “…Okay.”) When he first came to Mugenjou, everything startled him. It was all so strange.

 

“Ah!” A boy stuck in a body much too big for him started and fell back.

 

“What's wrong?!”

 

“It was night just now! When did-?”

 

Shido's shocked expression had the boy with him laughing, blue-green eyes dancing with mirth. “That's just the lights, Shido-han.”

 

“…Lights?”

 

“Aren't there lights where you're from?”

 

“…no.”

 

“Oh. Well, lights are glass bulbs filled with electricity.”

 

Shido tilted his head to the side, a shockingly kittenish movement from such a large boy. “Elehktrizity? What's that?”

 

Emishi sighed. This was gonna take awhile.

 

Shido never felt like he could communicate with “humans” as well as he could with animals. As he grew older, he became quieter and quieter. Until he met an Emperor.

 

“…They call you the Beast Master, yes?”

 

Shido merely lifted his head, and could only stare at the man boy before him.

 

“I asked you something. Aren't you going to answer?”

 

“…who's asking?”

 

“I'm Amano Ginji.”

 

Shido's eyes widened. “The Raitei...”

 

“So you've heard of me.” The boy lifted his chin. “Then you know what I'm trying to do. Will you help me?”

 

“…yes.”

 

When Raitei left Mugenjou, Shido followed, unable to find peace, knowing that man had deceived his Emperor. He was going to kill him, and bring Raitei home. He hadn't wanted Kazuki to follow, nor his oh so helpful comments after he found himself defeated (not really, that man had run after all, but Shido was losing when Kazuki had shown up) by that man. Nevertheless, Shido found himself intrigued. Obviously that man had to have something good about him, and Shido was determined to figure out what it was.

 

“Shido wants to know about Ban-chan?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“But he's right over there…”

 

“I'm asking you. He can't tell me what you see in him. Why you left us for him.”

 

“Shido…” Ginji smiled. “You'll see for yourself why I like Ban-chan…eventually. I think.”

 

Shido shook his head, amused, then decided to change the subject. “Apparently I'm not affected by Himiko's devolution perfume.”

 

“Eh? Really?”

 

“Aa. She seems to think it had something to do with my beast mimicry.”

 

“How'd you find this out?”

 

“…got a face full of the stuff.” Shido scrunched his nose. “It smells terrible.”

 

Ginji laughed as Maguruma came in and sat down next to them and ordered a cup of coffee from Paul. “I'll be on my way. Later, you two.” Shido rose to leave.

 

“What the fuck is a kitling?!” Himiko looked annoyed as Shido passed.

 

Shido ruffled her hair, amused. “It basically means `kid', kitling.” Shido grinned at her as she bristled.

 

“I am not a kid!” Shido knew Himiko was mature in many ways, in spite of the fact that she was five years younger than he was.

 

That didn't mean he didn't love to needle her about it.

 

“…Of course not, kitling.” Shido ruffled her hair again, nodded at Ban, and walked out of the Honky Tonk and into the night.

 

Even outside, he could hear Ban's laughter.

 

So Shido, taking Ginji's advice to heart, had watched, and found himself seeing things he never noticed before, at least, things he never thought he'd find in Midou. So Shido began to act nicer to Midou, claiming it was more for Ginji's sake than Midou's when Kazuki asked.

 

“He's been asking about you.”

 

“Who?”

 

“Midou.”

 

“Really?!” Shido turned to face Kazuki, then froze, and schooled his expression into one of indifference. “I mean…really?”

 

Kazuki laughed. “You're so cute when you're crushing on someone, Shido. Yes, really. Ginji-san said he should ask you himself, so expect company soon.”

 

Shido scowled. “I do not have a cr-“

 

“Shido, shut up, yes you do.”

 

“…I don't know why I haven't killed you yet.”

 

Kazuki laughed, and poured them both more tea.

 

So Shido worked all day on the house (pretending that he wasn't waiting for Ban to show up), and fell into bed after his shower than night, tired and a little disappointed. He was woken up by one of his cats, purring against his ear that Ban was here, and had been perched on his car outside for the past hour, smoking.

 

Shido stood, pulling on a pair of drawstring pants, growling about not being woken up sooner as he padded to the front door, opening it just as Ban looked as though he was about to leave.

 

“Come inside, Snake Bastard, I'll make you coffee.”

 

Ban snubbed out his cigarette and followed him inside.

 

~~

 

“You've been asking about me.”

 

“Yeah, so?”

 

“Why?”

 

“What is your intent towards Himiko?”

 

“…what?”

 

“Himiko. Your intent towards her. What is it?”

 

“…playing the role of big brother, are you?”

 

“Answer me.”

 

“I don't have any feelings like that for Himiko, Snake Bastard.”

 

“Really? So you are seeing Madoka, then?”

 

“I don't have any feelings like that for Madoka, either.”

 

“…what?”

 

“Let me show you.”

 

~~

 

Making love to Ban was like injecting your veins with the most addicting drug in the world. Shido ran his hands along Ban's skin, mapping the scars there; his mouth on his neck, tasting and biting at his pulse. He felt like he had to touch every part of Ban's body, all at once, dropping playful nips and kisses along his neck and jaw, hands light and teasing as they moved along his skin. When it was over, Shido had snuggled close to Ban, leg over his hips and an arm around his waist and buried his face in his neck, because damned if Ban didn't smell wonderful. He felt Ban shift a little a few hours later, but couldn't be bothered to open his eyes and Ban settled down again.

~~

 

Hours later, Shido found himself kissing and nuzzling Ban with a sleepy half aware sort of affection, and was pleasantly surprised when Ban kissed him back, their movements slow and lazy. Ban rolled them over and mimicked Shido's actions with a bit of uncertainty. It surprised Shido (pleasantly, though) that Ban didn't know as much about such things as he had originally thought. When they had both woken again later, Shido brushed his lips over Ban's in a gentle caress and stood, stretching, knowing Ban's eyes watched him, even as he pulled on the drawstring pants from earlier.

 

“Want breakfast?”

 

“…sure.”

 

Shido had never been more glad he had taught himself how to cook before then.

 

~~

 

The third time they had sex, they were fighting. Ban had snarled an insult and Shido snarled back, hurt and confused about just what the hell Ban's deal was. He thought they were…well, that they were something, but not that. Not anymore… and from there, that shouting match in the Honky Tonk, Shido had dragged Ban to the back room and pressed Ban against the wall, feeling fingers digging into his back and shoulders as he pounded into Ban, biting down on Ban's neck and growling. When it was over, Ban was dazed and limp in Shido's arms, and Shido was apologizing for the bruises on Ban's hips and neck (“I hadn't meant to hurt you…”) Ban kissed him (“You talk too much.”), and Hevn, Paul, Ginji, and Natsumi fell into the room as the door swung open.

 

Everyone pretty much assumed they were seeing each other after that incident, so Shido thought it would be wise to actually start and asked Ban out on a date.

 

~~

 

Shido still can't get used to Ban actually being with him, constantly touching him, in small, little ways like brushing Ban's hair out of his face, or rubbing his thumb across Ban's knuckles, just to make sure that Ban was really there and not just some illusion that would shatter at the slightest touch. Ban always grumbled about how he did have an image to maintain, but would lean into Shido's touch with a small smile and a content sigh. Though sometimes, when they were alone together (Shido's head in Ban's lap and Ban reading a book), Ban would absently skritch Shido behind an ear and stroke his hair, which would make Shido purr in bliss (“I had no idea humans could make that noise.” “Most can't. Then again, I'm not really human, am I?” “None of us really are.” “…true.”)

 

Ginji thinks that the whole thing is cute, but knows better than to say it to their faces. Shido does think Ban's hot when he's pissed, after all, and Ban-chan does hit really hard…