A/N: Hello and welcome to another GB fic done by the one and only: Crimson Vixen! Okay, so I'm not something to cheer over, but I come to give you all yaoi goodliness so rejoice! It is all good. OH! And don't expect fast updates, loves, sorry. I have other stories to work on before this one, and I want to finished them before I finish other ones, but please leave reviews so I know if I should continue or not.

Disclaimer: GetBackers and all related characters to the anime and/or the manga do not belong to me but oh how I wish they did.

Pairing: Ban x Ginji

Warning: THIS FIC CONTAINS YAOI! If you don't like that sorta thing, turn your little caboose around cuz this ain't for you! Uhm… ya, yaoi is pretty much the gist of it, besides grammar issues, and joined wordslikethis, of which I apologize greatly for. I'm sure most of you have noticed that little problem, too. I'm doing what I can. Well, my loves, Enjoy!

Extras: For some its obvious but for some who don't know, the suffix –san can be used to another boy, usually placing the addressed in the same respect as the user. The suffix –kun is used with affection or fondness. Wooo!

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The Rain Keeps Falling

A fiction by Crimson Vixen

Chapter One – Conversations With The Devil

Ban's POV

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It's a very rare occurrence; when I have to use my power and strength to its full potential. The times I've let loose, however… there was never a winning chance for my enemy. I would sometimes almost feel sorry for them. Almost. I've gone through a lot in my time, and I've seen death more times than I care to say. I'm still tortured by some of the images that have been burned into my mind, but no one would ever be able to tell you that just by looking at me. I've even done a few… dirty deeds myself, with my own two hands. Lives have been taken by me, not something I'm proud of, and lives have been taken from me. So I guess that might have been part of the reason I hated Akabane so much.

Yeah, the guy was one sick mother, who always wanted it to be clear that the only reason he killed was for the thrill of causing himself joy by causing someone else pain. A sadist with an incomparable bloodlust. And as much as that pissed me off, that's not even why I've always been so short with him, keeping my eye on his every move when he's around. Nor is it because his evil ways upset Ginji so much. And I hate to see Ginji upset. Any and all discomfort in my partner's features makes me fear he has become lost in his own mind, in his past. I get scared for him.

Also, as annoying as the maniac's taunting and smooth sarcasm is, I'm usually able to dismiss all of the 'friendly' threats he throws at us completely. Hell, I'm even able to ignore his haunting laughter and smug grin after he's just taken a few more innocent lives. Lives of people that he knew were no match for him. And I'm halfway there at forgetting the fact that those stupid blades of his had once pierced the skin of my best friend on more than onece in battles that didn't seem far enough away. Okay, so maybe I'm still as pissed as I was the days it happened, but Ginji would sometimes ask me to let it go.

That dolt was always putting others before his own well being. Always disregarding himself until everyone else was confirmed to be alright. I swear, it will one day be his downfall. His tragic flaw. If he could, he would hand his coat over to his would-be assassin if it was cold enough outside.

But to get back on track, there was one thing about Akabane the Jackal that always managed to send shivers up my spine and down again. And that was the fond, almost possessive way he said Ginji's name. Maybe that's why Ginji's so afraid of him, being able to just hear the danger that creeps out with the dialog. Not only was Akabane unreadable, and not only did he hold incredible fighting ability, but there was something… something behind the tone he used when saying his name, and he said it often. It forced me to be more aware, and made me wonder why the hell I was putting up with this now. Hevn should know better than to pair me and Ginji up with someone as psychotic as Akabane, and so should I, for that matter. Yet, we needed Akabane and his intimidating methods for this specific retrieval, I hate to say, and the money was just too good to pass up and I fell right in; one of the reasons I occasionally damned myself.

'Course, in the past hour, I discovered that the client we were working under was brutally offed, or slaughtered if you want to be more exact, (as well as the money that was gonna be coming out of his pocket, I'd assume…) just as we had gotten our eager hands on the stupid hand-me-down trinket. We were dealing with some pretty bad guys, and Akabane sliced though all of them without a moments hesitation. So, to recap, we have the item, but no client to hand it to, no money to gain and now… Well, Ginji ran off due to instinct when Akabane finished off the threat, glaring at Ginji as soon as the last body hit the floor and smiled, blades gleaming in the light and slick with fresh blood.

"My dear Ginji-kun. You look a little pale."

That was what he had said. And Ginji was out of sight before Akabane could even finish the last word, leaving a trail of dust behind him. Ginji gets lost easy, but he knew all the good places to slink into in this part of town, but somehow I had this strange connection with him, always seeming to be able to know where to look when I couldn't find him. I remember once, that Ginji had commented on how he wondered if brainwaves and his electrical powers and our being such good partners had something to do with it. I called him an idiot.

A cigarette between my lips, I let my purple tinted shades slide down the bridge of my nose, glaring back at Akabane every now and again. The jerk only smiled at me, a smile that reached his narrow, deceitful eyes. His teeth were tinged and a little stained. Slightly crooked, even, if you looked close enough. He was amused, as he usually was.

"What's so funny, Jackal?"

My hands dove deep into my pockets, and fidgeted there.

"Nothing." His grin widened and his hand rested on his hat. "Your just reminding me of Ginji-kun, is all."

There it was again; that nerve-wracking, cold, tingling sensation that ran through my body once Ginji's name passed through his dry lips. The suffix he used only added to my concern. It was sly and lustful and - dare I say it – seductive. It set me on edge. My head whipped around, losing my smoke in the process – it was almost done anyway – and let my eyes ask him what he had meant. He chuckled mildly. One of the many things that bothered me about Akabane: it was near impossible to make him waver in any way shape or form.

"You're expressing the same paranoia as your dear partner Ginji-kun." He explained.

Ah, yes. I remember all too well searching for the I.L. Poor Ginji was on constant alert while partnered up with this guy. I remember him telling me how scared he had been, and how he had seriously thought at times it would be his last mission. Then he went on ranting and raving about how much he missed me, and how thankful he was that we had found each other again. I sometimes envied Ginji, to be able to tell me such things so freely. He wouldn't always come right out and say something was wrong, but it was always so obvious in his features and his words and actions. He unintentionally wore his heart on his sleeve, and I somehow admired him for it.

I turned back around, didn't feel the need to respond and concentrated on keeping my feet moving. My teeth were soon grinding when I knew without a doubt that he was grinning behind me. We walked in silence for a while after that. And I was glad, but Akabane was good at ruining a good thing and he knew it, and decided to break the welcoming silence with his infamous timing.

"You have a thing for Ginji-kun, don't you, Ban-san?"

An instant fear filled my face, and pebbles went shooting through the air due to me turning around so quickly, almost losing my balance in the process, eyes wild and nostrils flaring. Akabane smirked at my reaction and merely tipped his hat to cover his eyes, his greasy hair shifting with the motion. At least with that oversized hat of his, his vision of me was temporarily blocked, and that allowed me the time to cool myself down. A little bit. Gave me a moment to question myself as to why I would get so worked up so easily. Me; the invincible Ban! I have a reputation to live up to.

"I'm sorry," he cooed, mocking sincerity. "Did I strike a nerve?"

I looked to the side, not wanting to have to face the creep. Though his hat covered his eyes, I felt he could read me regardless. How is it that he was able to dive into a person so well, and tease them with such effective words and actions? Such accuracy. How could he know just what to say that would send a person boiling over? My willpower and my willpower alone is all that kept me from lashing out at him when he decided to speak for another time, my growing anger only encouraging him further. He was winning, and he liked it. I didn't.

"You can't hide it from me, you know." Chuckle, grin. "Don't think I haven't seen the look in your eyes when he's around."

Something snapped, and I didn't know what it was, but it was annoying as all hell as I turned around yet again, eyes on fire this time, fingers stretching until they cracked loudly, only for Akabane to raise his gloved hands in false surrender, I expected nothing less. Still, he pressed on, bathing in the swelling energy that I was giving off.

"Admit it."

"Admit what?"

I was growling now, practically frothing, though I didn't mean for it to be so audible. I was growing impatient and irritated; the longer we carried on like this, the longer it would take to find the bumbling knucklehead that caused all of this.

"You're in love with Ginji-kun."

I tensed. Confusion, shock (and maybe… fear?) overwhelmed my senses. Where was Akabane going with all of this? And why did it send such a strong pang of alertness through me, something stronger than the other times I knew to watch my back? I bore my teeth, not daring to say anything, for doing so would only be digging myself into a deeper grave. Everything could be a trap, where Akabane was concerned.

"Ban-san?"

"What's it to you?" I almost spat, as it was the only thing that my voice could form at the time. I almost smacked myself for even opening my damn mouth.

Sure, I'll freely admit – to MYSELF – that Ginji held a large chunk of my seemingly small heart, and somewhere deep inside, in the part of me that lives in a false reality/fantasy type world, it was what I wanted. Bad. A world where Ginji and myself could be together. The only reason I refused to make any kind of move was because although Ginji was perceptive (thankfully not enough so to figure this all out from me), he's still a bit naïve and innocent, and I'm not sure if he would want to head into that kind of direction in a relationship. Or want one in the first place. Ginji wasn't fully educated in a lot of areas such as this, though he wasn't stupid, and was the kind of person that would see a couple walk into a lover's hotel room with a pair of handcuffs and ask if one of them was a police officer. Just being close to Ginji and being able to protect him was good enough for me. I'll never say it aloud, but I pride myself because Ginji insists on constantly doing things together, and needing to be around me because… cause he's so lost without me. Like a net that carried him out of the fortress. And he's grown so used to it, that when the net is gone for an extended period of time, he goes in circles until it returns. I thrive on the fact that he needs me. But just as much as he needs me, I need him just as much, if not more. What one of us lacked, the other made up for.

A certain owner of a certain café that we go to once explained it to me, as Ginji was snoring away softly at his stool after a long and tiring retrieval mission, as Ginji being like a moth that was drawn to a flame; unbeknownst to him, the risk and danger. Or if it was known, it was ignored. Not uncommon for the energetic blonde. Just as it flutters just a little too close, someone (that someone apparently being me…) puts a cover over the flame, putting a barrier between the moth and its big mistake.

It was a little strange, and I didn't fully understand right away, but the picture was clear after a while, and though I told him it was the stupidest thing he's ever said, I had to give him credit.

Anyway, now Akabane was asking me things that he really shouldn't be. It was obvious that in spite of what I said, he already knew how I felt, and I'd be stupid to try to convince him otherwise. Still, I wasn't about to agree with him.

Of course, I could be wrong. By not saying anything, Akabane had the legroom to assume things.

God… Telling Akabane how I felt about Ginji… I might as well take hold of that blonde hair of his with a vicious snake grip, jam the barrel of a gun down his throat and pull the trigger. He'd be better off.

"I'm just saying that if you do, you should hurry up and claim him before it's too late."

I scoffed. Akabane… lecturing me in what to do about my love interest. What a joke.

"Of course, if my assumptions are wrong, and you are in fact… uninterested…"

Pause for effect. Only Akabane could pull it off so efficiently.

"That's fine, too…"

Oh God. I could feel my brows arch but only because Akabane was in no position to see it happen. Showing emotion in front of him was like drawing out weakness on poster board and holding it up in front of him. The way those last three words spilled out so easily and so fresh from him, crisp and natural, and the slick and menacing way it was said… was like ice latching to my skin, and goose bumps were soon littering my arms. I visibly shuddered, regretting the action almost instantly.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

He laughed, a sound that was starting to sound like nails on a chalkboard to my suddenly sensitive ears.

"Nothing. I'm just informing you that you are not the only one who has their eyes on our dear Ginji-kun."

His voice was… playful… challenging…

My hands balled into fists within my heated pockets, sweat making my hands slippery, nails digging into the paling flesh of my palm, leaving fresh, raw crescents in their wake. This time when I turned around, my elbow slammed into the sleezeball's chest, pressing him into the nearest solid thing, which just happened to be a brick building, and from the nearby screeching of a cat, I concluded we were in an alleyway. Just as I expected, Akabane only grinned. I snarled.

"You shouldn't jump to conclusions so hastily, my friend. Besides, you never declared he was yours so he's fair game."

"F-fair game?"

"Is it really so strange? After all, even you cannot deny that Ginji-kun is an attractive young man, even if he himself is unaware of it."

True, Ginji did well at turning heads, all the more reason for me to be so defensive right now. I wasn't so sure I liked the way he referred to Ginji as some object to own and possibly play with. Or the way he was hinting his extreme interest in him. I didn't like it at all, not from this guy. Ginji was anything but defenseless, but Akabane had ways of getting what he wanted.

"No worries, right? After all, he doesn't belong to you. Not officially."

I hissed my next words, making sure he heard me clearly and inescapably, and know that I was in no mood to mess around with his mind games.

"Stay. The fuck. Away from him."

Silence. Intense eye contact.

"Are we clear, Akabane?"

"Like glass, Ban-san. Like glass."

At least he didn't attempt to twist my words around, and he didn't press the matter. Still, Akabane wasn't one to be trusted so easily, and he did nothing to ease the rising concern that was so evident now. Right now, to Akabane, it was about who 'claimed' Ginji as their own first, and I wasn't about to blurt anything to Ginji just yet, but I wasn't gonna let this creep mess with my head about it either. I did fear, however, that this was a win-win situation… for him. That sicko… getting his grubby hands on Ginji would only stimulate and excite him, I know it. Resistance would only make him try harder. And if this was ever the case, I would roll up my sleeves and have no choice but to have a go at him. But having a fight with me would have the same effect on him. Either way, Akabane would be satisfied, and I think he knew it the whole time.

I don't want that bastard to win.

Our walk continued in silent huffs, random chuckles, and one grinning madman. The hairs on the back of my neck went stiffer than boards and I was about to finally tell the guy off so I could find Ginji on my own, when I realized where we were. The flickering sign of the Honky Tonk Café flashed overhead and a jolt in my chest told me to look inside. My palms and nose pressed into the glass, allowing me to see in past my own reflection, where a familiar tuff of yellow, sharp looking hair (but amazingly… it's so soft…) and lazy slumped figure sat peacefully at one of the stools in front of the main counter, sipping all dandy at a steaming cup. The pale complexion of his whitened even more so when he looked my way, only because Akabane was now next to me, mimicking my position against the glass in an exact fashion. I could see him gulp as we made our way in.

He stood automatically, as if I had triggered something when I set foot inside, ignoring the face that hid behind that huge newspaper and the grumbles that came from it about tabs, and watched as Ginji made his way towards me, his familiar loose stride tightening and restricting the closer he got. His hand ran nervously through his golden locks and he rested his fingers on the back of his neck, letting his head roll to the side a bit. The embarrassment of being in front of Akabane was obvious as he looked at me and grinned so wide, his cheeks rose just enough to narrow his warm eyes. His eyes flickered once to Akabane and immediately sensed the strong aura of… something. Not necessarily predatory intentions, but he knew he was being watched, knew there was a resting threat, and made it a priority to avoidably avert his eyes elsewhere. Namely, on me.

"I'm, ah… Sorry, Ban-chan… About running off."

I flung an arm up and over his shoulder, causing him to face the direction I was facing, which was away from Akabane, and together we walked to the far corner of the café, where the one and only Hevn was sitting and watching, and where Natsumi was just leaving after setting down some coffee. You know, it's amazing to me how the kid says that she was only working here part time, but she never seemed to be anywhere but the Honky Tonk. Anyway, apparently, Hevn had been waiting for me.

"Just don't do it again."

This made Ginji smile and my eyes milked it for everything it was worth. Ginji smiled a lot, as his personality rarely allowed him to do otherwise, but there was a certain smile that he saved for me and only me. I don't know if he was aware of it or not, but I treasured it for all its worth.

Glaring over my shoulder as we reached the seats, I made sure to show a glint in my expression that told the man in black to get out of here, which he smiled and did, the bastard.

Ginji sat down first, scooting into the seat and leaning half on the wall, half on the back of the seat itself, and I sat down myself, scooting myself a little closer to Ginji that usual, but nobody seemed to notice. Hevn was smiling in that way that made her look like a fox, 'cause she was tricky enough to pull it off, and she fluttered her head to the side to dismiss a few stray bangs. Her summer blonde hair flowed freely and attractively, and her milky white skin was glowing in the black dress that she wore. My eyes went down for ONLY A SECOND… at the extra skin that didn't need to be revealed but was, and I gave Ginji a good smack for doing the same thing.

"It's unfortunate that your client wasn't able to see his trinket, but you did accomplish the mission."

Ginji's eyes were immediately saddened, predictably. But Hevn went on, though the remorse in her voice was evident as well.

"However, he was a very cautious man and gave your payment to me in advance for safe keeping. Although Mr. Kotoru isn't here to retrieve the object, he informed me that as long as it's safe and out of the wrong hands, you get your pay."

My eyes lightened, and so did Ginji's, only less so. His lip trembled for Mr. Kotoru, our courteous client, but he seemed glad to have accomplished what we were sent out to do. He always was one to see things through to the end.

"I'll be sure to return it to their rightful owners."

Hevn held out a feminine hand, slender fingers and fragile nails uncurling to accept the said object, and I pulled the golden ornament from my pocket, placing it safely in her possession. She then dug into her dress, in the place that woman pride themselves in being able to hide things in, and pulled out a wad of cash. I snatched it greedily from her hands, flipping through it and smelling it, listening to make sure it was all there. I couldn't stop the grin from growing on my face as Ginji joined in my pleasure, slinging his arm around the back of my neck like I usually did to him, laughing the way he did that always reminded me of a little kid, full and true. But Ginji was never in it for the money; he was probably laughing because I was.

"Geez, Ban-chan," he muttered teasingly. "You're all about the pay."

I rubbed my knuckles roughly into the top of his head.

"What do you think I do this job for, sight seeing?"

His continued laughter was like heaven on earth, but it eventually subsided and he took hold of the money, looking me in the eyes.

"What are we gonna do with it?"

"Spend it, of course! We'll rent a hotel tonight. No sleeping in cramped car seats for us! And we'll have some REAL food!"

"How about using that money to pay your tab?"

The new voice captured my attention and I deadpanned, looking over to the countertop, where Natsumi was holding a pink rag in one hand, using the other to point to a large newspaper with fingers ruthlessly gripping either side of it. I decided to ignore it completely and dragged Ginji out the door with me.

"Bye! Thanks for the coffee!" Ginji waved a hand stupidly as we ducked out of sight and before long, he was obediently walking alongside me.

Maybe once we were in a real bed after eating real food, things would clear in my mind for a while. Still, the excitement was fondling my cheekbones, forcing me to smile when I didn't want to. But tonight was going to be great! No uncomfortable car seats or pathetically thin sheets to block the conquering cold winds, and hopefully, no 'Ban-chan, I can't sleep…'

'Cept…

Even with the future seeming bright; being full of fresh soap bars and mints placed in the perfect center of fluffy pillows, I couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that kept creeping into the pit of my stomach, fluttering harder and faster with each and every step I took down the semi-busy walkway.

'…you are not the only one who has their eyes on our dear Ginji-kun.'