HEART’S REVIVAL

A Getbackers fanfic by SerialZero

oooooooooooooooooooo

‘Strange… it doesn’t hurt anymore.’

The pain in his chest had subsided to nothing more than a dull throb, which came as both a sense of relief and of dread, because he wasn’t altogether sure if that meant he was getting better, or that he was dying.

‘Of course I’m dying.’ He thought after a moment of deliberation, ‘I just had my fucking heart ripped out, what a fool I am!’

There were voices around him, low and muffled, some seeming as if they were exclaiming in shock, but he couldn’t see anything apart from the random patterns of muted light swimming across his visions of darkness, he could not make out who was distressing themselves so over his death.

‘My only regret… is that I won’t be able to protect you anymore, Kazuki, and for that I am sorry.’

He could sense someone was getting close to him, so close now that he could feel their breath on his forehead, and for some reason it was filling him with anticipation.

As their hands slid around to cup the sides of his face, the throbbing in his chest renewed itself, but it was different this time, oddly painful but at the same time soothing.

‘What is this I’m feeling? Is this a spirit come to take me away? I… I don’t want to die, but why does their touch drive my soul to such longing?’

Then, he felt their lips touch his, warm and wet, sending his body into a spasm of pleasure. They were the lips of a god, so soft and sensual, from which an unimaginable rush of euphoria flowed, as if they were breathing life back into him.

‘Please… stay with me, don’t stop.’

There was a flash of light, and he realized his vision was returning as a pair of piercing violet-blue eyes suddenly came into focus. Who was this dark-haired stranger who had pulled him back from oblivion?

‘One more time.’ He thought, trying desperately to find the strength to mouth the words, ‘I need…’

oooooooooooooooooooo

“You seem preoccupied, Toshiki. Is there something wrong?”

Suddenly startled from his thoughts, the blonde-haired powerhouse known as Toshiki Uryu gasped audibly. He blinked a few times in succession, bringing the familiar surroundings of Infinity Fortress into focus before turning to address his friend and comrade.

“Oh, Kazuki, I didn’t see you standing there.” He paused, brushing a few strands of hair from his face. “I-it’s nothing, really. Just a little meditation, that’s all.”

“Hmm, I see.” The slender man replied, closing his eyes. He wasn’t buying Toshiki’s story for a minute, but decided not to push the issue. “Well, if you don’t have anything in particular on your mind, I was wondering if you’d like to accompany me downtown? I was thinking of paying Mr. Ginji a visit.”

At this, the blonde’s eyes widened slightly. “You want me to go with you? Are you sure? What about Juubei?”

“He’s with Makubex right now, and in any case, you’re my friend, Toshiki.” Kazuki smiled warmly. “So of course it’s all right if you go with me, and I’m sure my other friends will welcome you as well.”

Toshiki hesitated for a moment as the brunette turned to leave. His fist curled involuntarily as he forced himself to speak. “And this Ban Midou, the one you say saved my life, will he be there as well?”

Kazuki stopped, chuckling softly to himself. He turned halfway around to fix the blonde with a reassuring grin. “Are you worried? Mr. Midou can of course be quite full of himself, but I’m fairly certain he won’t give you a hard a time if all you’re looking to do is offer your gratitude.”

Toshiki half-grinned in response, before his eyes fell downcast.

“That IS what you were thinking, right?” The brunette asked, cocking his head slightly.

“Yeah.” Toshiki answered quickly, shaking his head to snap himself out of the somber mood he could feel himself slipping into. It was actually starting to make him angry that this Ban Midou character was affecting him so strongly. Ever since the ceremony that saved his life, he couldn’t get the man off his mind.

Could it be that he…?

“Well then, shall we go?” Kazuki turned, and began walking again.

Toshiki nodded, mostly to himself, then followed in turn, a growing sense of uncertainty dogging his steps the entire way.

oooooooooooooooooooo

Downtown, at the Honky Tonk, it was business as usual.

Paul Wan sat behind the counter reading his newspaper, while his only employee Natsumi busily washed glasses, humming a chirpy tune to herself in an attempt to drown out Ban and Ginji, the famous duo known as the Getbackers, who were currently in a heated struggle.

“It’s not fair, Ban!” Ginji protested, reaching for the slice in his partner’s hand. “You’ve already had more than half the pizza!”

The snake-eyed brunette laughed, lifting his arm backwards and dancing the slice just out of reach. “And are you forgetting who did most of the work on our last job, huh?”

“Come on, Ban!” Ginji whined, his spikey-blonde hair crackling with electricity. “It’s not like I planned on busting my arm, you know?”

“Yeah, well…” Ban shrugged with indifference, spinning around on his stool and holding the slice up to his mouth. “That’s the way things go, my friend.”

Ginji bolted upright, reaching over the brunette’s shoulder. “Ban! NO! If you eat that, I’m gonna…”

“You’re gonna what?” Ban teased, moving the slice once again out of his partner’s reach.

“Would you two keep it down over there?!” came a voice from the far side of the room. “Or have you forgotten that I’m trying to find you idiots a job?”

Ginji blanched, and turned towards the buxom blonde occupying one of the bar’s sitting booths. “Sorry, Hevn! Yes, we do appreciate your help, hehe.” He replied nervously, feeling guilty that he had, in fact, forgotten she was there.

“Ugh.” She blew out in disgust, before returning to the conversation on her cell phone. “I’m sorry, where were we?”

Just as Ginji was about to focus his attention back on the pizza, the familiar jingle of the bar’s front door opening distracted him, and Ban took full advantage of the blonde’s turned head to stuff the entire item into his hungry mouth.

Oh yes, he was quite pleased with himself.

“Hello there, Mr. Ginji! How have you been?” said the auburn-haired beauty as he entered.

“Kazuki!” the blonde exclaimed, rushing forward to meet him. “What brings you here?”

“Oh, nothing much.” He grinned, turning to wave at his friends behind the bar. “Just thought I’d drop in and say hello. How are you doing, Miss Natsumi?”

“I’m great! Good to see you!” she beamed, blushing slightly. “Oh, who’s your friend?”

Toshiki, a bit annoyed that his entrance was announced more hastily than he would have liked, entered the Honky Tonk stiffly, trying not to make immediate eye contact with anyone.

“Ah, yes, this is Toshiki Uryu of the Murasame-ryuu school.” Kazuki replied, taking a step aside to make room for his comrade. “He’s a member of the Fuuga alongside me and Juubei, we’ve known each other for a very long time.”

“I see!” Natsumi exclaimed happily. “Have a seat, Mr. Toshiki! I can fix you some tea if you’d like.”

“Thank you.” The blonde managed gruffly, casting his eyes to the side and fixing them on the counter in front of her. He knew without even looking elsewhere than Ban was in the same room, his heart was beating so fast it threatened to fly out of his chest again.

‘This is so stupid.’ He thought as he seated himself. He felt like a shy teenager at a party, having kept his gaze to himself and not said but two words to anyone. Why did he even agree to come here in the first place?

“Hey, Ban…” Hevn was suddenly at the brunette’s shoulder, leaning over and whispering into his ear. “Isn’t that your boyfriend?” she giggled.

“I told you it was a fucking ceremony, didn’t I?” he gritted, presenting the back of his hand to her face. “Back off!”

Hevn threw up one hand in surrender, then returned to her phone conversation.

Toshiki felt his entire body freeze at the sound of Ban’s voice, and before he could stop himself, his head had slowly unlocked from its static position and swiveled in the brunette’s direction.

Their eyes locked instantly, and a cold chill crept throughout Toshiki’s chest. Those were the eyes he’d seen in his visions, haunting yet at the same time alluring.

‘He’s… he’s not looking away.’ Toshiki barely noticed Natsumi placing a cup of tea in front of him, nor did he even register Ginji and Kazuki’s voices as they talked amongst themselves. All he could do was keep falling under the spell of those eyes, the eyes that just kept staring back at him, fierce and unyielding.

He wasn’t quite sure just how long they stayed like that, but the next thing he knew, he was being jolted, as if out of a dream, by a tap on the shoulder.

“Ready to go?”

Looking dazed, Toshiki turned to look his friend Kazuki in the face, then down at his tea, which had long since gone cold, and finally snuck one last look in Ban’s direction before rising to his feet.

“Yeah.” He replied somewhat morosely, and followed Kazuki outside, feeling as if the life had been drained out of him.

As the door to the Honky Tonk closed behind them, he couldn’t shake the sneaking suspicion that he was still being watched.

oooooooooooooooooooo

“Yo, thread-spinner.”

Toshiki stopped dead in his tracks, afraid to turn around. He and Kazuki had already gotten halfway down the road, and the last thing he was expecting was to hear that voice again.

Kazuki regarded Ban with mild irritation. He hated it when he called him that. “Yes, what is it?”

“Mind if I have a moment with Fisty McStarepants?” he asked, adopting a cocky grin. “I have something I’d like to discuss with him. Or rather…”

Toshiki turned, a single bead of sweat trickling down his temple.

Ban took a moment to light a cigarette. “…I think he has something he’d like to discuss with me, don’t you?” He fixed the blonde with a penetrating gaze, before pushing up his sunglasses and angling his head up slightly, letting the smoke flow out from his nostrils.

“Well, if that’s alright with you, Toshiki, we can meet back up at Infinity Fortress, I don’t mind.” The slender man looked a little worried, but waited patiently for his comrade to answer.

Toshiki turned to face Ban. Before he knew it, the words were marching their way out of his mouth, like an automaton. “That’s fine. I’ll be there soon. You go on ahead.”

Kazuki nodded, and was on his way once again.

“Over here, blondie.” Ban crooned, albeit sarcastically, striding casually into a nearby alleyway.

Toshiki hesitated. ‘Just what is he playing at?’ he wondered idly, before following the brunette in. He found him leaning up against the wall, head down, hand in one pocket, cigarette dangling from his lips. The blonde stopped just short of his position, eyeing him carefully.

There was a full minute of silence, then Toshiki finally spoke. “So, what do you want?”

“Wrong.” Ban stated firmly. “The question is what do YOU want? You’ve been giving me those googly eyes ever since you showed up here. Do I have something on my face...?” He lifted his head, looking the other man straight in the eyes, “…or what?”

“No, I…” The words caught in Toshiki’s throat. Mentally cursing himself, he forced himself on. “I just wanted to show my gratitude for saving my life, that’s all.”

“What’s that? What’s that I hear?” Ban replied, his voice becoming more animated. “Is that BULLSHIT I hear comin’ outta your mouth?” He shook his head. “And here I thought you were supposed to be this big-shot strongman.”

“What?!” the blonde exclaimed indignantly.

“You’re so pathetic, I bet you couldn’t even ask a stranger for the time. Probably the only thing those fists of yours are good for are for sticking in that mealy-ass mouth, ain’t that right, pretty boy?”

Anger rippled through Toshiki, and any nervousness he once had disappeared in a flash, how could he have ever found this man fascinating? He was a boorish pig! “How DARE you!” he barked, seizing the other man’s collar. “I am Toshiki Uryu of the Murasa-“

He grunted as Ban reached down unexpectedly to grip the cloth jacket tied around his waist.

“Of the Murasame-ryuu blah blah blah.” He interrupted, his voice growing softer. With a deft tug, he pulled the blonde closer. “Truth is, you still don’t have the balls to ask for what you really want.”

Toshiki’s eyes flew open in shock. Was this really happening?

“Thing is, I’m not into giving out freebies.” Ban continued, pressing his face closer, so that their lips were but an inch apart. “So you’re gonna have to try and take it, if you think you’ve got it in you.”

The blonde’s grip loosened on Ban’s collar, and his arm fell loosely to his side. As quickly as they had vanished, all his previous emotions suddenly came flooding back to him, and he shied his face away, as if in shame.

“Awww, come on, pretty boy. It can’t be all that bad, can it?” the brunette chided jokingly. “It’s not like you’re gonna DIE or anything.”

A flash of memory flitted through Toshiki’s mind.

‘I… I don’t want to die. Please, just one more time.’

Then, a surge of strength entered him. That was IT, he’d had it with himself! He would prove his strength and his worth, if that is indeed what it would take to get back that moment, that glorious moment that set his very soul alight!

Ban didn’t so much as blink when Toshiki’s fist hammered into the wall next to his head, splintering the rock into a spider-web pattern. “Well now…” he said calmly, lighting up another cigarette, “…that’s a lot of pent-up SOMETHING, if you ask me.”

“Meet me at Infinity Fortress.” Toshiki huffed, drawing himself fully erect. “We’ll finish this there.”

Ban grinned, dropped his cigarette, and snuffed it. “Fine by me.”

oooooooooooooooooooo

Later that night, Toshiki was waiting in what appeared to be an old clapped-out church, sans the pews. He was standing sidebar to an empty altar, running his hands along the top with an odd, far-off look in his eyes when Ban finally arrived.

“Well, here we are.” The brunette sighed, as if bored. “So out with it already.”

Toshiki turned, and regarded him with a serious stare, a far cry from his previous uncertainty, “I’ve decided something.” He said, stepping down from the raised altar-level.

Ban raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, and what’s that?”

“What I want, I must prove myself worthy of obtaining. Therefore…” he took a few more steps forward, then stopped, adopting a wider stance, “…I am challenging you to a duel. If I win, I will, as you said, TAKE what I want from you.”

“Heh, is that so?” The brunette grinned, pushing his sunglasses up. “And if I win, you owe ME a big fat fee for all this nonsense.”

“So be it!” Toshiki shouted, taking to the air and curling his right arm back. The very air itself seemed to curl around his fist, and a second later he loosed a powerful ball of chi towards Ban.

The brunette appeared not to move as the ball made contact and exploded into a cloud of dust. As the dust cleared, however, he was nowhere to be seen.

“Too slow, blondie!” came a voice from behind Toshiki. He whirled around just in time to deflect Ban’s attack with his forearms, but the force of the attack caused him to fly backwards towards one of the many columns dotting the room.

He righted himself in time, rebounded off the column, and sprung forward towards Ban to launch another blast just as the brunette landed.

“Murasame-school technique, Whirlwind Palm!”

Ban rolled deftly out of the way just as a cyclone of chi energy erupted in the spot where he was standing.

“Heh heh heh…”

Toshiki looked behind him to see Ban chuckling to himself. “Why, you…” he grunted, moving both arms in opposite arcs, then bringing them together to prepare for his next move.

“Not that this isn’t interesting, but I’m already late for dinner, so…” he lowered his sunglasses, fixing Toshiki with a sultry stare.

“That’s not going to work this time!” Toshiki growled. “I WILL prove myself!”

With a savage roar, he rushed headlong towards his opponent, his body swirling with massive amounts of chi energy.

“Now, by your right hand, before the end of this cursed fate…”

Toshiki’s eyes narrowed as he drew closer to Ban, what was this he was chanting?

“…I shall be the one to embody Asclepius as he descends from the High Heavens,”

No matter, he was going to defeat Ban Midou, he was sure of it, he was strong enough, second in strength to no-one!

“Now, I shall state my request:”

Once more, Toshiki launched himself into the air, both hands curled around a dark black orb crackling with unimaginable energy, seeming not to notice the transparent serpents now gathered around his opponent’s still form. “Now, Ban Midou, I shall claim what is mine! Ultimate technique,”

“…attack with fangs of venom! SNAKE BITE!”

Just then, time seemed to crawl.

Toshiki felt his words die in his throat as the serpents moved through him.

The pain exploded in his chest a moment later.

His heart was ripped asunder, and sent flying from his body.

“Not… not again.” He choked.

“This ends now.”

Then, there was nothingness.

oooooooooooooooooooo

Slowly, Toshiki was aware of something. Someone’s hands were reaching around to cradle his face.

‘I’m… alive?’

Once more, he could feel another person’s breath on his forehead, and a sudden sense of elation washed over him.

‘This… this is what I wanted…’

Next would come the kiss, warm and fulfilling. His heart raced with anticipation.

He waited.

Minutes passed, but it never came. His heart sank.

‘What… what’s going on?’

The person cupping his face withdrew their touch, and soon after he was unable to sense their presence at all.

It was maddening, this feeling, what the hell had he gone through all this trouble for? He would have been better off dead the first time, knowing peace and absolute joy! Now, he was left alone, alone with this unbearable pain in his heart.

What a fool he’d been!

“Just one minute.”

Reality seemed to shatter around Toshiki. He was startled to find that he was indeed, lying on an altar, not the one he’d initially thought, but rather the one in the place he’d chosen as a battlefield, and what was most shocking of all, was that Ban Midou was half-straddled over top of him, looking down with an impish grin.

“Now, what was the purpose of all this running around, huh?” the brunette cooed, going nose-to-nose with the bewildered blonde. “I told you that if you wanted something, all you had to do was take it.”

Toshiki sucked in his breath, momentarily taken in by his own disbelief of it all.

‘This, this is absurd.’ He thought, reaching up to grasp Ban by the back of the head. ‘But…’

His lips moved up to meet the object of his desire. They kissed, warm and sweet, and once again time seemed to slow.

He’d done it, he’d finally gotten his heart back.

‘…it’s what I wanted, after all.’