FicWad

A Cure for Distraction
by Tsutsuji
Date written: July 15, 2007
Fandom: Getbackers
Rating: Mature
Warning: explicit, multiple-partner m/m/m sex. Light bondage. PWP.
Pairing: Ban x Ginji x Akabane
Spellchecked and self-beta'd. Please inform me of any errors I've missed.

Summary: Dr. Jackal attempts to cure his inconvenient attraction to Ginji and Ban by giving in to it, which means giving in to both of them - at the same time.

Disclaimer: "Getbackers" and the characters of Ban Mido, Ginji Amano and Koroudo Akabane are the property of Rando Ayamine and Yuya Aoki and their publishers/producers. This work of fanfiction is entirely for fun and entirely not for profit.

Written in response to Amethyst_Hunter's request at Fic_on_Demand lj community for consensual Ban/Ginji/Akabane smut ,with Akabane being uke for both of them.

---
A Cure for Distraction

Akabane flexed his wrists behind his back experimentally. As he expected, his own necktie was quite effective as a binding, especially since it had been knotted by the hands of Ban Mido.

"Trying to get free already?" Ban said, giving the tied loops a sharp tug. "Remember, this was your own idea, Jackal!"

Akabane didn't bother to answer. Ban knew perfectly well that he could use his blades to cut through the silk tie in seconds, if he really wanted to. However, he wasn't allowed to use his blades at the moment, and that was his own idea as well.

Ginji, on the other hand, wasn't quite as trusting of Akabane's intentions as Ban seemed to be. Ever since they'd arrived here at the rooms he'd rented a few blocks from the Honky Tonk, Ginji had simply stood and watched him, fascinated but wary, while Ban pulled the coat and white shirt off Akabane's shoulders. When Ban had pulled his arms back to tie his wrists, Ginji's eyes had grown even rounder and he'd taken a step forward, apparently without even realizing it. After Ban's comment, however, he stepped back again with familiar mistrust on his face.

"Ginji-kun!" Akabane said reproachfully. "Does this mean you don't intend to take me up on my offer? I'll be very disappointed if you change your mind!"

"Don't worry, Ginji," Ban said from behind Akabane. He gripped Akabane's upper arm in his right hand - a firm grip, but nowhere near the deadly pressure he could have used, just as they'd agreed - and pushed him to bend forward a little. At the same time, he leaned against Akabane's back and reached around from behind with his other hand. "See? He's not in any hurry to get away!"

Akabane drew a sharp breath between his teeth when Ban reached down to lightly squeeze his inner thigh. With his head bowed now, he couldn't see Ginji's face, but he assumed the action was supposed to direct Ginji's attention to his crotch, which was already showing definite signs of arousal through his trousers.

Out of some habit of restraint, he tried to keep himself from moving into Ban's touch, but then he remembered that the point of the encounter was to give in to his urges for the moment. He let his hips roll, trying to coax Ban's hand to move higher. He was gratified to hear Ginji's little sound of surprise, and even more pleased to see Ginji's sneakers step closer again a second later. Without raising his head and with his hat and hair over his lowered eyes, that was about all of Ginji that he could see at the moment.

The next thing he felt was Ginji's hand brushing past the strands of hair that hung over his face, and then lifting his hat off and taking it away. Ban had relaxed his hold but Akabane still kept his head down, even though he was very curious about what he'd see if he looked up into Ginji's eyes.

"You're really going to let us do it?" Ginji said. "Both of us?"

"As I said, I'll be quite disappointed if you don't," Akabane answered.

He raised his head then and found Ginji watching him closely. There was a flush in his cheeks, but a little furrow of doubt still appeared between his brows.

He was so close, though, that Akabane could smell the scent of his skin. The familiar scent of Ginji's fear mixed with something new, something that was exciting in a different way from the thrill of battle and death. It aroused his senses just as the heat and pressure of having Ban Mido leaning against him from behind did - the heat of naked skin, Akabane realized suddenly, wondering when Ban had managed to remove his shirt. Hot skin over hard muscles pressed against his back and arms.

To his surprise, he saw Ginji's mouth curve upward in an impish smile.

"Akabane-san, I never expected to see you get so excited this way!" he said. He seemed quite amused.

"Neither did I," Ban said, "at least, not by anything that didn't involve cutting someone up into little pieces!"

"Ah," Akabane said. "I do enjoy a few other pleasures in life, as a matter of fact. And while I suspected that Ginji-kun, at least, might harbor a small attraction for me, I admit that I'm surprised to find you so interested, Ban Mido-san. I would never have guessed!"

"Wouldn't you?" Ban said.

He shifted his feet and pressed more tightly against Akabane's back. The hard bulge that he thrust against Akabane's bond hands revealed just how interested he was - and how trusting, at least for the moment, to place his considerable assets into Dr. Jackal's hands.

"Hate to admit it," Ban continued with his mouth close to Akabane's ear, "but you're a strangely attractive man, Jackal - scars and all."

Akabane hissed in surprise as Ban's mouth clamped onto the jagged scar that began at the top of his shoulder. Tongue and lips sucked and flicked over the rough skin. Ginji watched; his smile had faded and his brown eyes gleamed.

Ban licked up the side of Akabane's neck, nipped at his ear, and then drew back to speak again. Akabane turned his head just enough to see the glint in Ban's blue eyes. A rare view, Akabane thought; for once it was safe to look into those dangerous eyes.

"But, honestly, Akabane-san," Ban said in a low voice, "the thing that's really making me hard is the thought of watching while Ginji fucks you into the ground."

Hiding the real effect this had on him, Akabane grinned, but he wasn't the only one so sharply affected. A thin, wordless sound escaped Ginji, and he turned to see Ban's partner standing there with his eyes glazed and his mouth hanging open. He looked frozen solid, immobilized as if he'd been clamped tight between conflicting desires.

"Ginji-kun," Akabane said in a low voice. "Are you going to enjoy watching your partner fuck me as well, Ginji-kun?"

That comment didn't seem to help unfreeze Ginji, except that his jaw dropped a little more. Ban chuckled.

"C'mon, Ginji!" he said. "Which of us gets to go first? If you don't move soon, I'm going to have to do it all myself!"

Ginji made a squeaking sound and toppled a little to the side, but apparently that was all he could manage. Akabane felt Ban shrug, then reach around from behind him with both hands to start tugging down on his trousers.

Ginji's eyes flickered. For a moment he watched his partner's hands, and then stared at Akabane's face. Akabane didn't try to hide anything; his lips parted and his eyelids fell half-closed as Ban inadvertently (mostly) fondled him in the process of getting his pants out of the way.

"Well, how 'bout it, Ginji? Do you want him first or not?" Ban said, seeing some life come back into his partner's frozen form.

Ginji's eyes darted from Ban's face to Akabane's and back again, and he swallowed hard. His cheeks were flushed bright red.

"You first, Ban. I'll... just watch."

"Okay with me," Ban said casually, but his voice had dropped to a huskier note.

"Ginji-kun," Akabane said so softly that they probably didn't hear him. Ban's touch was arousing, but Ginji was so close, Akabane could smell his skin, almost sense the blood racing underneath. He felt an unexpected surge of hunger, a strong desire for a taste of the former Lightning Emperor.

While Ban was still working on his trousers, Akabane leaned forward and pressed his lips against those of a very startled Ginji-kun.

"Eh?" Ban said, surprised by the move as well, but then he decided to help matters along after all. While transferring one hand to the fly of his own jeans, he took hold of the back of Akabane's neck with the other in a firm but ordinary grip, simply to make certain that Akabane didn't end the kiss too soon.

Ginji didn't react at all at first, but Akabane persisted, prying at Ginji's lips with his own, until finally they parted with a little sigh of breath. He felt Ginji relax and give in, inviting his tongue to slip inside and explore. He did so, a little more roughly than he'd intended as Ban picked that moment to bare his ass and nudge his distinctly solid erection between Akabane's cheeks.

"Mm, 'aga-nani-'ahn," Ginji murmured into his mouth. He suddenly seemed to remember how to kiss, to Akabane's amusement and pleasure. They were soon engaged in an intense exploration of each other's mouths, both hot and wet and eager.

Cautiously, Ginji began to explore with his hands, letting the pad of his thumb and fingertips follow the ragged, thick line of scar down Akabane's chest. It made his skin shiver and his blood stir in his veins. He groaned a little with the effort of keeping the power inside himself under control. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply of Ginji's enticing scent, the scent of power held in check just as he held his own.

Meanwhile, however, Ban was preparing for his own intense exploration of Akabane's body. He shoved Akabane's legs apart with his knees, and then he took the silk-bound wrists in his right hand and pushed them halfway up Akabane's back, out of his way. With a low laugh that was half groan, he curled his fingers around Akabane's hips to hold him in place while he dry-humped him.

Akabane's fingers curled, itching to release the pressure building up inside his veins. He couldn't allow it, not at this moment. He tried to concentrate instead on the heat and pressure of Ban's touch, and on the hot breath panting on the back of his neck. In spite of that, he found he didn't want to give up his oral exploration of Ginji' skin, or at least of all of it that he could get to, even when Ban reached around from behind him to find his rapidly growing erection and lifted it free of his trousers and underwear. At the same time, Ban pulled back enough to prod him with firm, slick fingers; one fingertip teased at his opening and then slipped inside. Akabane closed his eyes to indulge in the delightful tension as desire battled with the instinct to resist.

Akabane knew Ban was ready for his full attention, but now that he had a small taste of Ginji, he didn't want to give it up; in fact he only wanted more. He broke off the kiss only to suck and nip on Ginji's lips and chin, and tried to reach further forward for more of him. Ginji put his hands on Akabane's shoulders to steady him, because he was now leaning so far forward and his legs were so far apart that it was becoming somewhat difficult to keep his balance.

"Akabane-san," Ginji said, wonderingly as Akabane lapped at his throat. Out of the corner of his eye, Akabane saw him look up and over his shoulder at Ban.

"Uh-huh," Ban muttered. "If that's the way it is..."

Ban suddenly and forcefully pried Akabane away from Ginji by yanking on his arms with one hand and his hair with the other. Akabane stifled a growl of frustration; his fingers twitched, but then he remembered himself once again and forced himself to hold still. Ban didn't seem to have noticed his inner struggle.

"There's a better way to do this, if you really need to suck on my partner while I'm fucking you," Ban said. "Over here, Jackal."

With clumsy help from Ginji, Ban yanked Akabane's trousers fully off, then wiggled out of his own nearly as quickly. He tugged on Akabane's arms to turn him around and lead him over toward the bed. Instead of throwing him down on it as he half-expected, however, Ban turned around and sat on the edge of the bed, then pulled Akabane toward him.

Akabane looked down and got his first real view of Ban Mido's naked body in all its aroused glory. He was every bit as lean and hard-muscled as Akabane had expected, glowing with sexual fire and a fine sheen of sweat - but of course it was Ban's stiff erection that held his gaze.

"Not bad, eh?" Ban leered. He sat back and let him take a good look, grinning up at him with dark-gleaming blue eyes. "You're not doing so badly yourself, Jackal, for being such a tall, skinny guy," Ban added.

He reached out his right hand to stroke Akabane's gently curving, half-hard erection. Totally naked, with his hands bound behind his back and honor-bound not to use his blades, Akabane felt unusually vulnerable - but that only made his excitement more acute. He hardened rapidly in Ban's hand, while Ban watched his face intently. Locking gazes with him, Akabane stared back, growing harder by the second, until Ban's eyes narrowed schemingly. He broke his gaze to look past Akabane, toward Ginji who was standing right behind him, and nodded.

Ginji moved alongside him and added his hands to Ban's. Akabane's hips jerked into the touch and he had to bite back a groan. He nearly came on the spot. Seeing that, Ban laughed, then pushed Ginji's hand away and removed his own as well. That left Akabane's hardness hanging in open air and feeling distinctly - unfinished.

"Not yet, Jackal," Ban growled, although he was still grinning. "We get to go first, remember?"

"Indeed," Jackal said, as smoothly as he could manage. He ducked his head, though he supposed there wasn't much point in trying to hide the effect they were having on him.

"And since you seem to be orally fixated on Ginji," Ban went on while he took hold of Akabane's arms again, "and since you said we both get to fuck you, then in that case...."

He trailed off, but his meaning soon became clear when he pulled Akabane backward. Akabane was forced to spread his knees so that he was straddling Ban's lap, with his bound arms pressed up behind him. Sitting, half squatting actually, on Ban's legs on the low edge of the bed, Akabane felt Ban's hardness slip in between his spread cheeks. But before he could adjust himself to a position where it would readily push inside, Ban gestured to Ginji to come closer.

Akabane had been so intent on tasting Ginji that he hadn't noticed that he was the only one still dressed. Perched on Ban's lap like this with Ginji standing directly in front of them, he realized he was now exactly at eye-level with the waistband of those Ginji's khaki shorts. Which meant, of course, that he was also directly at mouth-level with Ginji's cock.

"Now," Ban said in his ear. He thrust his hips up so that his shaft throbbed against Akabane. "I know I'm impressive, but just wait until you see what else is in store for you!"

Akabane peered up through dark strands of hair at Ginji's face, which was pink-cheeked and grinning with sheepish pride. Ban reached around and helped Ginji remove his shorts. Akabane bowed his head and smiled, impressed indeed. Ginji's erection was notably larger than his own or Ban's. It was perfectly shaped, hard and shining at the tip already - and straining towards Akabane's face.

"It's because you're such a good kisser, Akabane-san," Ginji offered as an unnecessary explanation.

"Him?" Ban grunted skeptically. "Who would ever guess Dr Jackal could be called a good kisser?"

"Only when I have good reason to be," Akabane insisted.

"Do you suck as good as you kiss?" Ban asked. He took hold of Akabane's chin and pushed his head up. "Let me know if he does, Ginji, so I can decide if I want him to suck me off while you're fucking him senseless!"

"Ban-chan," Ginji said reproachfully. "That doesn't sound nice!"

Of course, Ban knew that "nice" had nothing to do with hit. He chuckled in Akabane's ear. His eyes glittered, holding Akabane's gaze for a moment before turning his attention back to his partner.

"Let's get on with this, then," he said with a grin.

"I can't believe we're really doing this with Akabane-san," Ginji murmured wonderingly. He smiled down at the two of them, looking excited in a way Akabane had never seen him before.

While Ban grabbed his hips again to move him into place on his lap, Akabane thought that he had to agree; a few hours ago he would never have believed this could happen, either.


---

The three of them were never certain afterward which of their friends they should thank - or blame - for getting them into bed together.

Earlier that day, by coincidence, Ban and Ginji happened to walk out the door of the Honky Tonk just as Akabane happened to arrive. After giving his usual strange smile of greeting to everyone, Dr Jackal slipped into a booth in the far corner and said no more. The others, who just happened to have gathered in the café that morning, didn't realize that Ban and Ginji had paused just outside the open door to wonder why Akabane was there, nor did they realize that Akabane's hearing was sharp enough to hear them muttering to each other all the way across the room.

As far as they could tell, it was one of the girls - Natsumi, Hevn, or Himiko - who wondered aloud if Akabane had come by the place just to see Ginji and Ban, since he didn't seem to be on a job and he clearly didn't want to talk to the rest of them. Certainly, Natsumi must have been the one who wondered innocently if Akabane thought of Ban and Ginji as his friends. They couldn't be sure if it was Himiko or Kazuki who remarked that, in spite of their battles and rivalries, the three of them did all seem to like each other on some level.

This was quite bad enough, but then somebody - Ginji didn't want to believe it was Paul - had chuckled, and suggested that "like" might not be the right word. It was probably Hevn who had made a suggestive sound of agreement, and someone else (Ban was fairly certain it was Himiko) had laughed and said that they did all look quite charming together - like some kind of kinky, psychotic, three-sided couple or something. Jubei, definitely, added that it was obvious even to him that they all secretly had the hots for each other. They all laughed, but nobody disagreed.

By this time, Ginji and Ban had gone rigid as statues standing outside the door, neither looking at the other; one's face was bright red and the other had turned white as a sheet. Unaware of this, Akabane ducked his head a little, not that any of them could see his face anyway. If they had been able to, they would have been startled into silence by the gleam in his eye and the smile slowly spreading across his face.

But since they didn't see any of that, they kept on talking. Kazuki said thoughtfully that if it wasn't for the fact their powers seemed to force them to fight against each other, they would probably be...

At this point Ginji interrupted the conversation by letting out a sort of screech, like a mad tea kettle, and took off at lightning speed (so to speak) around the corner. Everyone in the café (except for Akabane, who didn't appear to move) turned to look, and caught Ban staring back at them, shaking his head, waving his hands in the air, and sputtering incoherently. A second later he gave up and ran off too, swearing loudly and calling for Ginji.

A terrible silence fell inside the café, through which Akabane rose and walked out, gliding past the others as silently as a phantom. He could hear the thumping hearts of all of Ban and Ginji's friends as he stepped out the door and around the corner.

"Ban-chan..." he heard Ginji plead apologetically. Akabane paused at the corner of the side street that ran behind the café and listened. "I didn't want you to know about... I mean, it's not the same as... I mean... Ban-chan! You don't really feel that way about him too, do you?"

Akabane peered cautiously around the corner; they were not facing in his direction, so they didn't know he was watching when Ban put his hands on Ginji's shoulders. To Akabane, the gesture appeared both reassuring and somewhat possessive. Ginji's face was almost comically worried, but Ban leaned in until their foreheads were almost touching, and smiled.

"Heh," Ban said. "I didn't want to tell you, either. I guess I should have; sorry you had to hear it from those idiots. But of course it's not the same as it is with us! You should know that, Ginji."

That brought a quick smile of relief back to Ginji's face.

"Sorry, Ban-chan. You're right, but still, as far as Akabane-san... I can't explain it..."

Ban sighed. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I even had a feeling Jackal might have more than a professional interest in you, Ginji, but I was pretty sure you hated him."

"I do - well, I've tried to, because I hate what he does, but..."

"Same here," Ban agreed, sounding resigned but grumpy. "Well, it doesn't matter what they all think, anyway. I'm sure Jackal isn't interested in us, not in the same way. I mean, it's not like he'd ever ..."

He broke off suddenly and turned to look directly at Akabane.

Akabane hadn't made a sound, but he knew that somehow Ban had sensed his presence. A second later, puzzled by Ban's sudden silence, Ginji turned and saw him as well. Ban's eyes narrowed; Ginji's eyes became huge and his jaw dropped open.

"What is that you think I would never do?" Akabane said, peering out at them from under the brim of his hat. He smiled as disarmingly as he possibly could. That didn't seem to have quite the desired effect, at least not on Ginji who grabbed Ban's arm and jumped behind him.

"You'd never let us fuck you," Ban said without missing a beat.

Akabane almost stopped breathing. When his mind started to work again a second later, he tipped his head as if considering this bizarre idea - although he had made up his mind even before he left the cafe.

"You seem very certain of that, Mido Ban-san," he said. "I'm not so sure, to tell the truth. In fact, as your friends so accurately guessed, I find the idea of you and Ginji-kun both taking me to be - quite appealing."

It was Ban's turn to fall into shocked silence. Ginji peered out from behind him, adorably baffled.

Akabane took a slow step towards the two of them. Ban's right hand clenched, and Ginji, though still hiding behind his partner, tensed up as well. Akabane paused again.

"It is also true, as your friends said, that our powers get in the way of any intimate activity between the three of us." He raised his hand in front of his face, fingers spread. Ginji frowned, and Ban narrowed his eyes behind his dark glasses.

"True enough," Ban said in a warning tone of voice.

"Suppose, then, that I were to offer my word that I would not use my scalpels at all during the time we spend together?" Akabane suggested.

He turned his empty hands palm outward. Ban's eyebrows shot up. Ginji blinked in surprise.

"Your word?" Ban said. "Heh - I suppose that's good for something. And of course, you'd expect us to agree to the same thing, right?"

"That would seem fair," Akabane said, tipping his head politely. "I especially don't want you to use your Jagen, if you don't mind. I would hate to find out later that our encounter had not been real!"

Ban nodded, grinning. "I guess I can agree to that. As long as you keep your side of the bargain, that is."

"If you don't trust my word, I'll even allow you to bind my hands, if that makes you feel more at ease."

"You're kidding," Ban said skeptically, but Jackal was certain he could sense Ban's heart beat a little faster and his temperature rise, although that might have only been hopeful thinking on his part. Ginji's eyes got a little wider.

"I mean every word," Akabane said sincerely. "You see, your friends were actually quite correct in their assessment, at least as far as my feelings are concerned. In spite of how our jobs have thrown us across each other's paths, I've often found myself quite strongly attracted to you - to both of you."

/Distractingly so/, Akabane thought. It wasn't only that their powers and purposes got in the way of acting on their attraction to each other. His attraction to the two partners had begun to get in the way of using his powers to their limits and testing himself against them. Perhaps the only way to rid himself of this particular distraction was to give in to it. Otherwise, one side or the other might hold back the next time they had an opportunity to fight seriously, and that wouldn't do at all. If that was the case, he was willing to do whatever it took to convince them to agree.

Akabane quietly insisted to himself that this was not just a convenient excuse.

He took another step forward, and this time only Ginji flinched a little. He could see Ban calculating and anticipating, and watched him start to smile - a cocky, undeniably sexy smile.

"Eh, Ginji, what do you think?" he said over his shoulder, though his gaze never left Akabane's face. "Should we take Jackal up on his offer, or not?"

It took another few seconds for Ginji to pull himself together enough to nod his head.

"But... now? Where? Here?"

Akabane spun around and started walking up the side street, away from the café and the main avenue.

"My place is close by," he said.

He didn't have to look back to see if they were following.

---

That was how Akabane came to be in the position he was now in - the uncomfortable, awkward, and thoroughly arousing position of straddling Ban's legs with his arms bound behind him, and with Ban's naked, rock-hard erection tucked up right behind his own. Ban let go of his chin and instead stuck two fingers in Akabane's mouth. Taking the hint, Akabane liberally wetted them, and then sucked hard for good measure until he felt Ban draw in a sharp breath.

A moment later, Ban had reached between them and spread Akabane open with the same wet fingertips, which were quickly followed by something harder and more insistent. Akabane felt stretched by the position he was in with knees spread wide and high, and he was ready for this, but his body was still tight and tense. He gasped in pain and delight when Ban entered him. He would have thrust deeper at once but Ban held onto his hips and made it maddeningly slow.

Even so, it was only a matter of seconds before Ban hit the bundle of nerves that made Akabane shudder and gasp. He closed his eyes and threw his head back against Ban's shoulder, and wiggled as hard as he could to increase the stimulation. Ban grunted and gave up trying to keep him still; instead he started to rock his hips slowly, hitting the same sweet spot over and over again.

Through the haze that had taken over his mind, Akabane thought he heard his name. He opened his eyes to find Ginji looking down at him with a rapt expression.

"Wow, Akabane-san," Ginji said. "You look amazing like this... I never...."

Never did what, Akabane didn't find out. Ginji touched his face, and Akabane seemed to feel that touch travel right down his spine, arcing through his nerves like electricity even though there was none of the Lightning Emperor's power in Ginji's hands.

"Ginji - kun," he gasped.

"Ginji!" Ban echoed, his voice almost as rough as Akabane's. "Why are you just standing there, idiot!"

"Oh! Right, Ban-chan..." Ginji said absently.

Ban pushed Akabane forward and Ginji moved closer until his erection bobbed inches away from Akabane's face.

"Are you sure...?" Ginji began.

Together, Ban and Akabane answered him before he finished the question, as Ban's hand at the back of his neck guided him to take Ginji in his mouth. Ginji's fists clenched in Akabane's hair and he let out a choked sigh. Akabane took in as much as he could, although Ginji was definitely more than a mouthful.

It was so like Ginji, he thought distractedly, to look as bright as sunshine and yet taste so dark and strong, just like the power that was hidden within him. And it was so like Ban to leer over Akabane's shoulder and watch his partner with a look of pride and possession, coaxing him along, certain that he would come out ahead no matter what.

Analytical thought shattered a moment later when Ban clamped his lips on the scar on Akabane's shoulder again, and then reached around and ran his fingernails lightly down the raised line from his shoulder to his waist. Akabane found himself squirming uncontrollably in Ban's lap, mindlessly spreading himself wider and thrusting up and down as well as he could.

At the same time, he suckled Ginji's cock hungrily. His jaw ached already and the muscles of his legs were strained, but his blood danced in his veins and his erection throbbed. His movements seemed to affect Ban, who suddenly threw his head back with a strangled groan. He began to thrust upward more sharply, forcing Akabane to ride him like some wild animal that he had no reins to control.

He would have been happy to go on like this for hours, but when Ban suddenly wrapped his fist around Akabane's erection a moment later, he lost what little control he'd held onto. He jerked violently, making Ginji's cock jab against the back of his threat, and then as Ban gave another savage thrust upward and hit the spot again, he knew he was done. A cloud of red burst inside his eyes and he shuddered as the coiled tension of his body released in sharp waves, spurting out over Ban's hand.

When he could think and feel again a little later, he realized that Ban had climaxed as well, and was now panting against the back of his shoulder. Ginji's cock was still a solid mouthful, even though Akabane had been too distracted to attend to him for the past minute or so. Ban separated them, pushing Ginji away and pulling Akabane back against himself. Ginji groaned as Akabane's lips slid off the tip of his erection.

"You'll want to save that, Ginji," Ban said breathlessly. "Right, Jackal? It's Ginji's turn next."

For the moment, Akabane couldn't quite catch his own breath to answer. On the one hand, it was unexpectedly pleasant to feel Ban's arms around him, to be perched on his lap like this and feel him still inside, and he wasn't in a hurry to move. On the other hand, Ginji was the one for whom he'd first developed this unexpected attraction, sometime after their first encounter, or maybe during the time they spent together in MakubeX's realm. Ban had certainly caught his attention as well, but it seemed that Ginji had become the more troubling distraction.

He nodded and looked up at Ginji through damp, tangled hair. The boy's face looked strained and his breath was ragged, and Akabane noticed that he'd entwined his hand with Ban's, as if his partner was the only thing holding him in place - or perhaps it was the other way around.

"Yes, Ginji-kun," Akabane said. He managed to get his voice to sound nearly as smooth as usual. "I am most definitely looking forward to your performance, now! Please don't lose the impressive erection you've gained! Although, I have to admit, it will be a moment more before I'm ready for you."

It took Ginji a few more seconds to pull himself together enough to speak. He must have been much closer to orgasm than he'd seemed, Akabane realized. He regretted that he hadn't noticed at the time, or he would have made sure of it. In fact, the thought of having both Ban and Ginji filling him at the same moment was so unexpectedly exciting that he was becoming aroused again already. Clearly, their activities hadn't done anything to cure him of his distraction so far.

That was just as well, since the Getbackers obviously weren't done with him yet, anyway. In addition to Ginji's unfulfilled state, there was the suspicious fact that Ban was still nuzzling the back of his shoulder, and still had one arm wrapped rather possessively around his waist.

"How do you wish to...?" Akabane began to ask, but before he could finish, Ban pulled him over and backward, flopping back onto the bed and pulling Akabane down half on top of him. With his hands still tied behind his back and his legs tangled around Ban's, Akabane was caught off balance. Instinctively he tried to twist out of reach, but Ban chuckled in his ear and curled up around him until they were spooned on the bed. Ban held him there, firmly but not dangerously. That certainly wouldn't have been enough to keep him from struggling out of reach, but Ban's tongue suddenly curling around his earlobe was.

"Now, now, Jackal; relax a little!" Ban said. "You're a good fuck! I need a minute to recover a bit too, you know?"

"Ah!" Akabane said, letting himself go limp. He was much more surprised than he sounded, though. He'd been called various things, but as far as he knew "a good fuck" and "a good kisser" had never been among them. He decided it was not a bad thing to have said of him, though. Having Ban Mido wrapped around him from behind was not such a bad thing for the moment, either, even if it was awkward in this position with his hands still wedged up behind his back. Ban was no longer inside him, which left him feeling rather empty - as well as damp and sticky.

Out of the corner of his eye, Akabane looked up at Ginji through the hair that had fallen over his face. Ginji slowly stroked his own erection with one hand, but he looked down on the two of them with a soft smile. Akabane was startled to see his eyes sparkling with affection. It was far stranger than being called a good kisser or a good fuck to have someone looking at him that way - even though it was undoubtedly only Ban who put that sweet expression on Ginji's face. Why it would make Ginji smile to see his lover holding and nuzzling another man, he could not guess.

"Ginji-kun," Ban said, his voice muffled behind Akabane's shoulder. "Go raid Jackal's refrigerator! I'm going to run the both of us through the shower before we go on."

"Right, Ban-chan!"

Akabane looked up, startled again. Ginji sounded nearly as chipper as ever, in spite of the fact that he was still standing there half-naked - he'd never even taken his shirt off - and half-hard as well.

"Uh, is that okay, Akabane-sama?" Ginji asked hopefully.

"Certainly," Akabane answered without thinking. "Help yourself!"

Ban laughed again and leaned up to grin down at him. "Akabane-san, you're such a generous host!" he said.

Akabane had no answer; he couldn't remember anyone calling him that before, either.

---

When they'd first arrived, Akabane had let them in and then merely waited, while Ban had stalked through his three rented rooms and checked everything out. There wasn't much to see, since he'd only arrived a few days ago and had planned on as short a stay in the city as possible.

While Ban had investigated, Ginji had stood by, fidgeting a little, watching Akabane warily yet hardly looking him in the face at the same time. It was exactly the reaction he would have expected from each of them, even if the circumstances were something he would not have imagined before that morning. After Ban had poked his nose into every corner of the kitchen and the tiny bathroom, he'd come back out to stand behind Akabane, and things had progressed from there.

Now, while Ginji padded off to check out the kitchen under Ban's instructions, Ban helped Akabane up off the bed and led him into his own bath. Akabane didn't bother to ask if Ban was going to untie his hands; it would be awkward for him in the shower, but he had a feeling that was exactly what Ban had in mind.

He wasn't sure if Ban was truly concerned about cleanliness - perhaps for his partner's sake as their activities continued - or if he was just enjoying the opportunity to grope Akabane while he was at a disadvantage. At any rate, once in the shower Ban was quick but thorough at bathing the both of them, and no more gentle about it than he needed to be. Unable to do much else (at least not without breaking their agreement), Akabane contented himself with watching Ban while he worked. Water gleamed over the planes and muscled curves of Ban's body, and his spikey hair fell - reluctantly - to frame his face and drip in his eyes.

He was quite aware that Ban took the opportunity to get a close look at the scars and markings on his body, and wondered idly what he thought of them. Ban didn't ask; people generally didn't, although Akabane doubted Ban kept silent out of either politeness or discomfort with the sight of his scars. In fact, if anything, Ban seemed to grow even more comfortable with touching him, which began to have a rather predictable effect on both of them after a few minutes.

Ban ran his fingers through Akabane's wet hair, pushing his head back a little so the full spray of the water could fall on his head. For a few seconds, Akabane met his eyes, deep blue depths with black centers that could open onto a nightmare. There was no dream in his gaze now, though, and for those few seconds, Akabane stared, utterly fascinated.

The next thing he knew, Ban had slammed him back against the tile walls and was kissing him deep and hard. Without a thought he responded, latching onto Ban's mouth almost desperately. For the first time he pulled at his bound wrists and struggled, but only because he suddenly needed to get hold of Ban and grind their bodies even more tightly together. He felt trapped, and he wanted to be free if only to turn the tables, so he could wrap his arms around Ban's wet body and slam him back against the opposite wall.

With a little growl, Ban shoved him harder against the wall with his whole body and pinned him there, with a fist in his hair holding his head still for good measure. Akabane felt his body tighten, sharpen; his fingers curled instinctively, ready to draw his scalpels out and strike - but at the same time he continued to attack Ban's mouth hungrily.

The blades in his body hummed, ready to be released with a thought. He could easily cut his way through the bindings on his wrists, through the wall behind him, through Ban Mido himself, instantly - if he wanted to.

He could, he reminded himself; it would be easy, no challenge at all - and therefore there was no reason to do it. It wouldn't be satisfying, anyway, if it wasn't a challenge, and so there was no real reason to do anything but give in to Ban, and to let him ...

Suddenly, Ban broke away and thrust him back against the wall with his hands on Akabane's shoulders to hold him at arm's length. That put Ban back under the full stream of the shower, with his head bowed and hair cascading wet over his face. Akabane watched his shoulders rise and fall once, sharply. He couldn't see Ban's face, only the line of his mouth slowly curving up at the corners - smiling, no doubt, at the shudder of frustration that ran through Akabane, and at the terribly obvious condition the kiss had left him in.

A second later, Ban let go of him and turned away.

"Hoy, Ginji!" he yelled, loud enough to be heard in the next room (and possibly in the next apartment) over the sound of running water. "You'd better be saving some of that chicken for me!"

Without meeting his eyes again or saying another word, Ban simply dragged him out of the shower by the arm, grabbed a bath towel for himself and wrapped another around him before leading him out of the room. Akabane couldn't decide whether to be furious or amused; either one seemed appropriate, considering the state Ban had gotten him into. He had been certain the lust behind the kiss was genuine, but now it was as if it hadn't happened at all.

He decided there was no point in being furious about it; he should have expected Ban to try to play with his head like that, even without using the Jagen. What he couldn't understand was why he felt a twinge of relief that it was only that and nothing more.

Ban walked up to Ginji, grabbed the cold chicken out of his hands, and shoved Akabane in front of him instead.

"All yours, partner," he said. He turned his back on both of them and started gobbling down chicken with one hand while toweling himself off with the other.

"Ban-chan!" Ginji exclaimed, eyeing the meal he'd had in his hands a second ago. He sighed and turned to Akabane, who merely tipped his head and looked at him between the strands of hair and water droplets that fell over his face - which he was unable to do much about at the moment, with the towel wrapped around him like a cocoon from shoulder to thigh.

"Akabane-sama," Ginji said wonderingly, looking him up and down, "where on earth did you find black towels?"

Before Akabane could answer, or even decide if that question really deserved an answer, Ginji jumped.

"Oh! Sorry, Akabane-sama; do you want something to eat?"

Bemused, Akabane shook his head and smiled. "No, thank you, I'm fine. I would like to stop dripping all over the floor, however..."

"Oh, right!" Ginji said, laughing apologetically.

Akabane turned toward him, and while Ginji began to rub him down with the towel, he ignored Ban Mido for the moment. Or at least, he tried to.

---
Ginji was as methodical about drying him off as Ban had been in the bath. He starting by squeezing the dripping water out of his hair and worked his way downward. He seemed intent on his task and even detached, except for the flush growing deeper in his cheeks as he worked his way down Akabane's body.

Akabane had not lost the erection that he'd begun to acquire in the shower, but he determinedly shifted his focus back to Ginji. Also like Ban, Ginji seemed to become more at ease with touching him as the process went on, although his touch shied away from the scarred areas. He had the towel around Akabane's hips, beginning to attend to the more intimate areas of groin and ass, when Akabane nuzzled his hair, breathing in the sweaty-yet-clean scent.

Ginji's hands slowed from rubbing him dry to a towel-wrapped caress. At the same time, Ginji turned a little to press against him from the side, and Akabane felt Ginji's hardness (tucked back inside his shorts while he was eating) rub against his thigh. He flexed his body to increase the friction, and Ginji sighed and gave up any pretense of drying him off.

"What's this?" Ban muttered almost in his ear, making him jump. He was even more startled when Ban gently squeezed his hands. "Jackal, why didn't you tell me this tie was cutting off your circulation? Your hands are like ice."

Akabane tried to flex his fingers and realized Ban was right; his hands were stiff and starting to tingle. The wet silk had tightened around his wrists, but he'd been so intent on the Getbackers that he hadn't even noticed.

The more he tried to wiggle his fingers, the more uncomfortable they became, which was rather interesting, but Ban muttered "keep still" and started to tug the knot apart. Akabane nearly offered to speed the process along by using one of his scalpels, but then he caught the doubtful look in Ginji's eyes.

"Perhaps a variation is in order, then?" he suggested mildly. "Depending on the position you intend to have me in, that is," he added with a smile that, naturally, only made Ginji more nervous.

However, that nervousness passed when Ban tossed a new necktie to Ginji.

"Here - he's got plenty more," Ban said casually. "Not that we don't trust you to keep your word, Jackal, but it's so much simpler this way, don't you think?"

Ban got the wet necktie lose and tossed it aside, then started to rub Akabane's wrists, which also allowed him to keep a firm hold on them. Once again he was looking over Akabane's shoulder at his partner, but this time Ginji was standing just as close beside him.

"How do you want him?" Ban asked his partner. "Bed, floor, kitchen counter? Your choice, Ginji!"

Ginji didn't answer immediately. For a moment, Akabane thought he was going to ask him what he wanted, which wouldn't have been nearly as much fun, but then he nearly gasped in surprise when Ginji squeezed his ass.

"You know, Ban-chan," he said.

Ban just chuckled. "Better re-tie his hands in front, then; that'll make it easier."

"And, Ban-chan," Ginji continued, with a sly grin, "he is good! You should definitely let him suck you off, like you said. That's all right, isn't it, Akabane-san?"

Akabane raised his eyebrows. With a little thrill he realized that Ginji's demeanor had shifted; he was no longer the lighthearted one of the pair, deferring to Ban's more serious and forceful personality. He was taking charge after all - something Akabane had not been certain would ever happen outside of a battle.

He was also aware, on another level, that Ban had gone quite still behind him, as if waiting for the answer to a question that was much more significant than it seemed.

"Of course," Akabane said lightly. He smiled. "Whatever you wish - Ginji-sama."

"Heh," Ban laughed. He muttered, as if to himself, as he knotted the tie around Akabane's wrists again. "If you think that's a joke, you're in for a surprise, Jackal!"

They brought him back to the bed, where Ban promptly sat back against the pillows with his legs spread and his hands behind his head. He wore nothing but his dark glasses, and leered up over the edge of them at Akabane.

"Down here, Jackal. Hands and knees! Ginji's favorite position."

Ginji was the one standing behind him now, helping to steady him as he crawled across the bed on his knees and his bound hands, until he was in between Ban's legs. However, it wasn't until he felt Ginji grab his hips and lean over his back that he realized what Ban actually meant: not that Ginji preferred to be in this position himself, but that he liked having his partner this way.

Akabane raised his eyebrows at Ban, who only grinned wider.

"You look surprised, Jackal!" Ban said with a laugh. "Did you think I'd always be the one on top? You'll understand better in a minute, believe me."

Ginji had finally removed his clothes, tossing his shorts and shirt halfway across the room to add to the other articles of clothing scattered around the place. Akabane glanced back at him over his shoulder, and was startled by the difference that had come over Ginji. His eyes gleamed, not with the sparkle of his usual cheerful self, but also not with the dark, angry gleam that came over him in the heat of battle, either. He'd seen a glimpse of this earlier, but it was much more definite now. There was serious mischief in the grin on his face now, and the kind of sexual intensity Akabane had only expected to see in Ban's eyes. The difference was accentuated by Ginji's stiff cock, which he was coating with a slick gel from a tube he must have had in a pocket.

The look he wore was exciting, but Akabane was a little disappointed by the lube. Ban noticed his frown at it and laughed.

"You'll be glad of it, Jackal," he said. "I know how tight you are! But even if you enjoy pain, it makes it easier for Ginji!"

"Well, then, I suppose that's what matters," Akabane said agreeably, although secretly, the thought of Ginji Amano thrusting that huge, hard erection into him at full force and pounding away sent a thrill up his spine.

"That's true," Ban said. "This is the way Ginji wants it, so...."

He hooked one hand behind Akabane's neck and coaxed him forward. Akabane sidled forward on his elbows, leaving his naked ass up in the air, waiting for Ginji's attention. He cupped his hands around the base of Ban's erection and lowered his head for his first taste.

He only got as far as opening his mouth around the tip when Ginji abruptly pushed one slippery finger inside of him. Instead of taking Ban in, he breathed out in a hot sigh of pleasure, which made Ban hiss and tighten his fingers at the back of Akabane's neck. The sigh sharpened to a groan when Ginji immediately pulled the first finger out and pushed two inside instead.

Lust surged through Akabane's body, making him tighten his muscles around Ginji's fingertips and thrust back at the same time. It was Ginji's turn to let out a sigh, partly in surprise, but he quickly added a third finger, shoving even harder this and wiggling his fingertips.

Another wave of arousal swept through Akabane. This time, for some reason, it seemed to spark an intense desire to suck Ban's hardness into his mouth all at once. He was here to give in to his desires, after all, so that's exactly what he did.

Naturally, Ban reacted to this by flexing his hips upward, forcing his cock deeper into Akabane's mouth. Ban's fingers twined in his hair, holding him down, but Akabane sucked him in even harder, until the tip of Ban's erection was nearly down his throat. He had to force himself to remember to breathe through his nose, although it really seemed like breathing was too much to bother with at a time like this.

"Ginji!" Ban ground out through clenched teeth.

Whether that was a plea for his partner or some part of an instruction that Ban couldn't finish, Ginji chose to react to it by pulling back on his fingers until only the tips remained inside, while at the same time Ginji dropped forward onto his back.

"Are you ready for us, Akabane-san?" he murmured against Akabane's shoulder. "For Ban and me together?"

Akabane couldn't answer, but Ginji wasn't waiting for a reply anyway. Still spreading the opening with his fingertips, he pressed the thick tip of his erection inside.

Akabane gasped awkwardly around Ban's cock. Ban had been right; even with lubrication, Ginji's erection was hard and big, and stretched him painfully. He sighed, melting with lust, and thrust his hips back sharply.

Ginji cried out. "So tight! Aka - bane - san!" he panted.

It was all Akabane could do to hold still, even though Ban yanked on his hair and held his head tightly with his other hand, and Ginji's fingers dug into his hip bones. But a second later, with a groan of effort, Ginji answered his unspoken plea and thrust into him as hard as he could.

Sparks of pain and pure lust shot through Akabane's body, set a flash-fire in his veins, and converged in his groin. His own cock was stiff, pressed right up against his abdomen, tortured wonderfully with the lack of sensation while the rest of his body was overloaded with it. He groaned around Ban's cock, which made it jump and poke harder at the back of his throat.

Ginji had shuddered to a halt, with his arms wrapped tightly around Akabane's body. Ban let go of Akabane's head; he spoke Ginji's name breathlessly, and Akabane imagined he must be stroking his partner's face or running his hand through golden hair.

Torturously, Akabane waited for them to adjust.

Ginji sighed against his shoulder then lifted his head, and Ban leaned forward. Even though he couldn't see them, Akabane knew they were kissing above him. Surprisingly, the thought sent another blinding wave of lust through his veins.

Ban's fingers loosened in his hair and began to caress him, encouraging him to move again. Akabane pulled up enough to curl his tongue around Ban's erection and started to suck up and down. A second later, Ginji moved as well, slowly pulling out of him almost entirely before thrusting in again.

This time, Ginji moved much more slowly but ground his hips around as he went. It was easier, a little, but still painful enough to be exciting - until Ginji's tip hit his prostate again. It must have done so the first time, but the intensity of the pain made the pleasure from that stimulation barely noticeable. This time, because of Ginji's care, the pleasure overwhelmed Akabane's senses.

His thoughts disintegrated; through the haze of sensation he realized he'd groaned out loud, and that he was sucking away on Ban eagerly, without any thought at all. Ginji shuddered a little with every thrust, as he settled into a slowly building rhythm that Akabane automatically matched with Ban.

He'd thought before that he could have let them continue the way they were for hours, but all three of them were far too over-stimulated for it to be that way; this time, it seemed, the Getbackers felt the same way. Thoroughly in control of him now, they were also more free to stimulate each other by leaning across him to kiss noisily and to touch each other, as well as finding more ways to stimulate him - as if merely filling him and holding him down were not enough.

Ban reached under him to fondle his chest, and almost made him whimper out loud when he twisted each hardened nipple between his fingers. Ginji, for his part, reached down and stroked his straining erection, but kept his touch maddeningly gentle when he discovered how hard it was already.

"Want to see your face," Ban murmured, caressing Akabane's hair back from his forehead. In answer, Ginji maneuvered him onto his side and lifted one leg in the air, so they could both watch his face. Ban curled down to kiss Akabane's shoulder, while Ginji leaned back and watched them with half-closed eyes and a dazed smile, slowly and steadily fucking him all the while.

"Ban-chan... Akabane-san," he sighed happily.

After that, he leaned forward over Akabane again and began to increase the pace of his thrusts. He wrapped his arms around Akabane, and caught Ban's hand and pressed it against Akabane's chest. The other hand joined Ban's in his hair. Akabane realized Ginji was gently but deliberately pushing him to suck harder on Ban.

"Akabane-san?" he said.

It sounded like the beginning of a question, or a request. Mouth full of Ban's twitchingly hard erection, he couldn't exactly answer; all he could do was make a questioning sound in his throat. Naturally, Ban felt it and drew in a sharp breath, which made Ginji smile.

"Akabane-san," he said again, leaning closer. "Make Ban-chan come."

The words alone were erotically charged; the way Ginji spoke them in his soft, innocent voice hit both him and Ban like an electric shock. Ban stiffened and choked out Ginji's name in a tone of disbelief, but his fingers twisted in strands of Akabane's hair so tightly the strands must have nearly cut into his skin. Akabane groaned inwardly as a wave of hunger to taste Ban's climax shot through him.

He shifted around until he could fully engulf Ban's erection in his mouth again. Ginji shifted with him, and Akabane could feel Ginji watching with a rapt expression as he began to move his head up and down, sucking and licking with every stroke. In a few seconds Ban was writhing and twisting around, desperately trying to get deeper into Akabane's mouth.

It occurred to Akabane that, even though he was the one with his hands tied, Ban had let himself become just as completely out of control and helpless as he was. In a flash he knew that the needful, desperate kiss in the shower had been real after all. And, he suspected, his plan to make the Ginji Amano and the Getbacker team less distracting and easier to fight against had quite possibly backfired.

The thought passed, forgotten entirely when he felt Ban's balls tighten and his hips jerk sharply, and heard him bite back a sharp cry. Holding Ban's cock in his bound hands, Akabane lapped hungrily, and swallowed all that he could catch of Ban's copious release. Suddenly, Ban grabbed him by the hair and yanked his head back with a hiss of pain. Reluctantly, Akabane let go, licking his lips and smiling to himself.

"So sensitive after you come, Ban-chan," he murmured. "I'll have to remember that..."

The fragment of thought drifted away so quickly, he didn't even wonder at his own assumption that he would have an opportunity to use that knowledge. He didn't have the chance to think about it now, anyway, because Ginji was curled up around him, groaning as he released his own climax into Akabane. At the same time Ginji's fist pumped him hard and fast, finally giving him the pressure he needed to get over the edge. Akabane's last thought, before sensation took over and shattered his thoughts entirely, was that at least his wish to be taken and filled by both of them together had been fulfilled.

There was something else he'd wanted from this, but right at that moment, he couldn't remember what it was, and it didn't seem to matter much now, anyway.

---

They were quite the sticky, tangled mess. Ban muttered about needing another shower, and more food, and a cigarette, but he didn't make a move toward getting any of them. Akabane, with his head on Ban's thigh and Ginji lying on his legs, closed his eyes and wondered idly if it was possible that his bones and the scalpels inside of him had all melted, because that's rather what it felt like.

Ginji was the only one who moved, but only to crawl up the bed and pull Ban down beside Akabane before curling up against Ban's shoulder.

"What're you doing, Ginji?" Ban muttered drowsily.

Akabane wondered as well, and raised his head to look at Ginji, whose golden mop of a head he could just see behind Ban.

"Ah, Ginji-kun," he sighed, half jokingly, "Are you still hiding from me behind your partner? You're still afraid of me after all that we've done together? I'm disappointed!"

Ginji poked his head up. He raised himself up on his elbow and looked down at them, and Akabane was startled to see the same soft smile on his face that he'd had earlier. Ban pried one eye open to peer up at him.

"What're you grinning about like that, idiot?" he asked gruffly.

"It's because you two look so happy together; that makes me happy," Ginji said.

Ban snorted skeptically. Akabane frowned.

"You do, Ban-chan, Akabane-san," Ginji insisted. "Just like you did earlier. I almost never see Ban-chan look as relaxed as this, and as content as this. And Akabane-san, lying there just now with Ban, and before, too; he looks - well, he looks so gentle!"

Akabane frowned; he didn't feel particularly pleased about being seen as gentle, and especially not if it was a result of being with Ban Mido. He remembered now why he'd decided to bring them here. It certainly hadn't been part of his plan to end up being "gentle" around Ginji and Ban.

He caught Ban's eye for a second, but looked away just as quickly as Ban did. Obviously Ban was as disconcerted by Ginji's view of things as he was.

But the problem was that Ban also didn't seem to want to move his arm that was wrapped around Akabane's shoulder and holding him close, and Akabane didn't really want him to move it, either.

"It won't always be peaceful like this between us, Ginji," Ban said softly, although Akabane suspected the comment was really meant for him.

"Of course not," Akabane agreed lightly. "That would ruin all my fun, wouldn't it!"

If they thought that was going to change Ginji's mood, they were wrong.

"I know," Ginji said cheerily. "Because we're the Retrievers and you're the Transporter, and we're bound to end up on opposite sides again someday. And - you're still scary, Akabane-san!"

He snuggled back against Ban's shoulder, but pulled Akabane into the hug as well.

"But for now," Ginji continued softly, his voice muffled against Ban's shoulder, "it's good enough to just be together like this - isn't it?"

Neither of them answered Ginji, because to say "no" would be so obvious a lie that saying nothing at all was safer.

Ban met his gaze again. Akabane stared back, and this time neither of them looked away, even when Ban reached up and started to untie the knot that bound Akabane's wrists. When he was done, he closed his dangerous blue eyes and turned his head to rest his chin against Akabane's hair, with a little smile on his lips.

Akabane flexed his fingers. With a small smile of his own, he let his empty hand fall rest on Ban's chest, over his softly beating heart.

---
The end....