- Ficlet -
Player: kuja_rang
Subject: Ban Midou (+ Rider, Ginji, Sakura, Paul, Natsumi, and Aradia)
Table: B
Prompt: 01: Lively
Notes: More inspiration from manga. Also, I wanted to write something silly before I write something sad.
“The car looks like shit.”
He glared up from his cell phone, eyes narrowed.
“What did you say?”
Paul simply looked back at Ban from over his newspaper.
“I said, 'the car looks like shit.' When was the last time you bothered to wash Miss Ladybug?” he replied. Raising an eyebrow, Ban glanced out the window of the Honky Tonk at his car; though there were times when it had looked much worse, it was in need of a good wash...and it was a beautiful day outside, and work was coming in at a trickle - that was to say, not at all.
And the last time they had washed Miss Ladybug was the last time they'd had a significant amount of money.
Grumbling under his breath, Ban pushed back from the bar, reaching over to grab Ginji's vest as well. “C'mon. We've got a job to do.” The blond's eyes brightened.
“We've got a job? An actual job?!”
Ban jabbed his thumb outside. “Yeah. We're washing Miss Ladybug so we can go out and get some actual business,” he said, letting go so Ginji could peer outside as well.
“The car could use it...,” nodding, Ginji jogged toward the back door of the café. “I'm gonna get the hose!” Giving a thumbs-up in response, Ban turned just as Natsumi set the washtub on the bar, smiling cheerfully.
“Here you go, Ban!” Blinking at the sound - it had made a heavier thud than he'd anticipated - Ban peeked inside to see that it was already stocked with soap, sponges, and towels. A look outside revealed Ginji unwrapping the rest of the water hose; the tub was hefted up, and he made his way to the door, the jingle obscuring the sound of the loft stairwell's door opening. “Rider-san! And...”
Since Ban was already outside, he hadn't noticed Rider and Sakura's arrival; the taller woman raised an eyebrow at the sight outside, the beginnings of a smirk on her lips as Sakura nodded politely to Natsumi and Paul. “Sakura Matou. It's nice to meet you...ah, Rider?” Her introduction was cut off as Rider carefully placed her baby in Sakura's arms.
“Please hold Aradia for a moment. I need to see this.” Her voice had a sense of urgency, yet the smirk hadn't left her lips; Sakura nodded, though uselessly, seating herself carefully at the bar so as to allow Natsumi and Paul to see the baby, as well as keep an eye outside.
“What's Rider up to?”
Paul shook his head with a near-silent chuckle. “Going to rile up Ban, it looks like. I don't think she's ever seen him wash the car before.” The paper was folded up, and he walked up to the bar, shaking his head at Natsumi cooing over the infant. “So, what would you like Sakura?”
“What song is that, Ban-chan?”
He looked up from the window he was scrubbing, tilting his head. “Huh?”
“You were singing, but I didn't recognize it. It's all right!” Ginji laughed, going back to wiping down the tires. “You're in a good mood, so it's okay.”
“Heh. You've never made stuff up on the spot?” he asked; the door was opened so he could climb into the car and wipe down the inside of the windows. “That's all it is. Just stream-of-consciousness. Give it a shot sometime.”
A familiar laugh came from the opposite side of the car. “I don't think I've heard that particular tune either. Has Aradia heard it?”
“Nope. Just made it up right now,” he replied, looking over his shoulder. “Come to help us out, dear?”
Rider shook her head. “This isn't my car - it's the GetBackers' car - so the GetBackers can wash it themselves. I'm just here to see how it's done.” She nodded to Ginji when he called out a greeting. “Should I head upstairs and get your uniform, love?”
“Only if you're going to wear yours as well,” was his immediate response.
“I can't do that here - but you, on the other hand...”
A sudden yell. “Water's incoming!” Ban's eyes widened.
“Ginji wait, the...” Too late; the hose sprayed overhead, soaking Ban. Rolling his eyes, Ban flicked his hair from his eyes, standing up within the car. “Ginji...”
“I'm sorry, Ban-chan! I didn't know the roof was open! I....” He was cut off by a sponge thrown at his face, soaking him in turn. “What was that for?!”
“Forgetting. And this...,” he leapt out of the car, taking the hose out of Ginji's hands, “is for soaking the inside of Miss Ladybug! It's going to take forever to dry out!” He aimed the hose at Ginji, laughing as the blond tried ducking out of the spray. “You're just lucky Rider didn't get anything on her, or else...”
“Or else what?” She tilted her head, staring at the two. “I'm still here, Ban....what are you thinking?”
He shook his head as Ginji wrung out his shirt before going back to washing off the back of the Subaru. “Absolutely nothing.” Shaking his head to get his hair out of his eyes, Ban began rinsing off the hood of the car...and then the hose was flicked over in Rider's direction, soaking her blouse. “Oh hey, that looks familiar.”
“Ban...”
Ignoring the deadly tone her voice had taken on, Ban dropped the hose on the ground, catching her hands in his. “Now it's all coming back...I think I even remember the tune...” Still ignoring her irritated stare, Ban held Rider's hands in his, humming under his breath as he led her around the car in a small dance. “Do you need any other reminders?”
Her eyes were still narrowed, though she hadn't tried taking her hands back. “Ban. If you are trying to apologi...ah!” Suddenly his hands were on her waist, and he lifted her into the air, swinging her in a small circle before setting her back on her feet. A smile crept across his lips when he noticed Rider's faintly blushing cheeks.
“Need another hint?” he asked, not that it mattered; a moment later, he swung her into a low dip, lips barely brushing against her chest before bringing her back up slowly, keeping his gaze on her own. A slight shudder ran up his spine as her hand trailed through his hair, catching him in a slow kiss.
“Ban-chan! I'm done with the trunk of the car - do you still have the sponge?” Ginji called; when a few seconds passed without a response, he stood up, about to circle around the vehicle. “Ban-chan, did you hear me....?” He trailed off, having seen the reactions inside the Honky Tonk first; Natsumi and Sakura were both giggling, though Sakura was also blushing, a hand lifted to cover the baby's eyes, while Paul simply shook his head, back behind his newspaper. “Huh?” It wasn't until he turned toward the hood of the car that he realized why the girls and Paul reacted the way they had. “O-oh! I'll leave you two alone, um...” Reaching over, he plucked the sponge off of the windshield of the car.
Subject: Ban Midou (+ Rider, Ginji, Sakura, Paul, Natsumi, and Aradia)
Table: B
Prompt: 01: Lively
Notes: More inspiration from manga. Also, I wanted to write something silly before I write something sad.
“The car looks like shit.”
He glared up from his cell phone, eyes narrowed.
“What did you say?”
Paul simply looked back at Ban from over his newspaper.
“I said, 'the car looks like shit.' When was the last time you bothered to wash Miss Ladybug?” he replied. Raising an eyebrow, Ban glanced out the window of the Honky Tonk at his car; though there were times when it had looked much worse, it was in need of a good wash...and it was a beautiful day outside, and work was coming in at a trickle - that was to say, not at all.
And the last time they had washed Miss Ladybug was the last time they'd had a significant amount of money.
Grumbling under his breath, Ban pushed back from the bar, reaching over to grab Ginji's vest as well. “C'mon. We've got a job to do.” The blond's eyes brightened.
“We've got a job? An actual job?!”
Ban jabbed his thumb outside. “Yeah. We're washing Miss Ladybug so we can go out and get some actual business,” he said, letting go so Ginji could peer outside as well.
“The car could use it...,” nodding, Ginji jogged toward the back door of the café. “I'm gonna get the hose!” Giving a thumbs-up in response, Ban turned just as Natsumi set the washtub on the bar, smiling cheerfully.
“Here you go, Ban!” Blinking at the sound - it had made a heavier thud than he'd anticipated - Ban peeked inside to see that it was already stocked with soap, sponges, and towels. A look outside revealed Ginji unwrapping the rest of the water hose; the tub was hefted up, and he made his way to the door, the jingle obscuring the sound of the loft stairwell's door opening. “Rider-san! And...”
Since Ban was already outside, he hadn't noticed Rider and Sakura's arrival; the taller woman raised an eyebrow at the sight outside, the beginnings of a smirk on her lips as Sakura nodded politely to Natsumi and Paul. “Sakura Matou. It's nice to meet you...ah, Rider?” Her introduction was cut off as Rider carefully placed her baby in Sakura's arms.
“Please hold Aradia for a moment. I need to see this.” Her voice had a sense of urgency, yet the smirk hadn't left her lips; Sakura nodded, though uselessly, seating herself carefully at the bar so as to allow Natsumi and Paul to see the baby, as well as keep an eye outside.
“What's Rider up to?”
Paul shook his head with a near-silent chuckle. “Going to rile up Ban, it looks like. I don't think she's ever seen him wash the car before.” The paper was folded up, and he walked up to the bar, shaking his head at Natsumi cooing over the infant. “So, what would you like Sakura?”
“What song is that, Ban-chan?”
He looked up from the window he was scrubbing, tilting his head. “Huh?”
“You were singing, but I didn't recognize it. It's all right!” Ginji laughed, going back to wiping down the tires. “You're in a good mood, so it's okay.”
“Heh. You've never made stuff up on the spot?” he asked; the door was opened so he could climb into the car and wipe down the inside of the windows. “That's all it is. Just stream-of-consciousness. Give it a shot sometime.”
A familiar laugh came from the opposite side of the car. “I don't think I've heard that particular tune either. Has Aradia heard it?”
“Nope. Just made it up right now,” he replied, looking over his shoulder. “Come to help us out, dear?”
Rider shook her head. “This isn't my car - it's the GetBackers' car - so the GetBackers can wash it themselves. I'm just here to see how it's done.” She nodded to Ginji when he called out a greeting. “Should I head upstairs and get your uniform, love?”
“Only if you're going to wear yours as well,” was his immediate response.
“I can't do that here - but you, on the other hand...”
A sudden yell. “Water's incoming!” Ban's eyes widened.
“Ginji wait, the...” Too late; the hose sprayed overhead, soaking Ban. Rolling his eyes, Ban flicked his hair from his eyes, standing up within the car. “Ginji...”
“I'm sorry, Ban-chan! I didn't know the roof was open! I....” He was cut off by a sponge thrown at his face, soaking him in turn. “What was that for?!”
“Forgetting. And this...,” he leapt out of the car, taking the hose out of Ginji's hands, “is for soaking the inside of Miss Ladybug! It's going to take forever to dry out!” He aimed the hose at Ginji, laughing as the blond tried ducking out of the spray. “You're just lucky Rider didn't get anything on her, or else...”
“Or else what?” She tilted her head, staring at the two. “I'm still here, Ban....what are you thinking?”
He shook his head as Ginji wrung out his shirt before going back to washing off the back of the Subaru. “Absolutely nothing.” Shaking his head to get his hair out of his eyes, Ban began rinsing off the hood of the car...and then the hose was flicked over in Rider's direction, soaking her blouse. “Oh hey, that looks familiar.”
“Ban...”
Ignoring the deadly tone her voice had taken on, Ban dropped the hose on the ground, catching her hands in his. “Now it's all coming back...I think I even remember the tune...” Still ignoring her irritated stare, Ban held Rider's hands in his, humming under his breath as he led her around the car in a small dance. “Do you need any other reminders?”
Her eyes were still narrowed, though she hadn't tried taking her hands back. “Ban. If you are trying to apologi...ah!” Suddenly his hands were on her waist, and he lifted her into the air, swinging her in a small circle before setting her back on her feet. A smile crept across his lips when he noticed Rider's faintly blushing cheeks.
“Need another hint?” he asked, not that it mattered; a moment later, he swung her into a low dip, lips barely brushing against her chest before bringing her back up slowly, keeping his gaze on her own. A slight shudder ran up his spine as her hand trailed through his hair, catching him in a slow kiss.
“Ban-chan! I'm done with the trunk of the car - do you still have the sponge?” Ginji called; when a few seconds passed without a response, he stood up, about to circle around the vehicle. “Ban-chan, did you hear me....?” He trailed off, having seen the reactions inside the Honky Tonk first; Natsumi and Sakura were both giggling, though Sakura was also blushing, a hand lifted to cover the baby's eyes, while Paul simply shook his head, back behind his newspaper. “Huh?” It wasn't until he turned toward the hood of the car that he realized why the girls and Paul reacted the way they had. “O-oh! I'll leave you two alone, um...” Reaching over, he plucked the sponge off of the windshield of the car.