"Ban-chan?"

"Hmm?"

"What do you think makes people the way they are?"

Ban cracked one sleepy eye to glance down at Ginji, but his friend's expression was blank, giving nothing away. "What do you mean?"

The two were in their customary location, sprawled on the grassy hill in the park beside the swings that Ginji was so fond of. The afternoon air was heavy, with the vaguest wisps clouds rolling in from the west - the beginning of a storm was on the horizon, and the absolute stillness of the air made Ginji all too aware of the power behind it. He was never sure if he loved or hated the fact that he could sense them coming from miles away. "I was just thinking about... people. That latest case... I don't understand... how someone could... could use their own friends like that."

"People are greedy, Ginji," Ban replied, reaching a hand down to run his fingers through Ginji's hair. Ginji, in turn, only snuggled closer to Ban, looping an arm across his friend's stomach to join the head he had already placed there. "And selfish. People put themselves first all the time."

Ginji mused over this for a moment before replying. "I don't think all people are like that... and... I think that's why I like being a Get Backer so much."

Puzzled, Ban wasn't sure how to reply, and so he simply led Ginji to continue. "Oh?"

"Doing the right thing..." Ginji continued almost as if Ban had not said anything. "Getting back things that are taken from people..."

Ban idly wondered how Ginji would respond if he said he liked the money part of it best. His partner was certainly the more morally righteous of the pair, but Ban couldn't help but find that Ginji's influence could sway his own heart too. "I guess there is a certain kind of satisfaction in doing things that help other people."

There was silence for a moment, and the wind picked up, a cool gust to interrupt the humid warmth as the sky slowly started to grow darker. "Back when I was in Mugenjou..." Ginji paused, considering his words. He didn't actually like to talk about his time there, but sometimes when thoughts were pounding in his head, he found he could ease them by telling them to Ban. "I was also trying to do the right thing... to... protect people. To make them feel happy...and safe... and.... And maybe even cared about."

Hearing the hesitation in Ginji's voice, Ban let his hand slip down to squeeze Ginji's shoulder. "That's not a bad thing."

"Yeah, but... I look back and I don't like the things I did... I mean..." His voice trailed off as he shifted slightly, opening his eyes to gaze up at the clouds that continued to roll in. "I never trusted anyone. Despite the fact that I was sincere in wanting to do good things for other people, I always had trouble believing that... that anyone else would feel the same way. I had trouble even believing that Kadsu-chan would want to do things for me... just for the sake of caring about me."

"And do you still feel that way?"

"Well..." Ginji was again hesitant, and this surprised Ban a bit. Sometimes it was all too easy to forget the mark those days had left upon his friend, and how despite his disarming confidence and bubbling enthusiasm, he could still be rather insecure. It surprised him even more that despite that insecurity, Ginji still tried to find ways to let Ban understand him, and he felt a pang of guilt at not being able to do the same.

"Ginji?"

"Not really..." he finally mumbled, rolling onto his stomach, one arm still draped across Ban, to gaze at him with the hint of a smile playing at his face. "I trust you, Ban-chan... I know that... that you wouldn't ever do to me what that man did to his friends. I just... I guess I sorta trust my other friends a little more now too, but... not like I trust you."

He knew that asking might make him feel worse, but his curiosity could not remain silent, and so he queried. "And why do you trust me so much?"

Ginji pondered this question as well, a myriad of expressions passing across his face before he finally replied. "You do things for me... just because... because you want to. Not because you have to... and... because I can tell you things, and you listen to me, and... and you don't judge me."

Ban sighed, wondering how Ginji could have such utter faith in him. Granted, it wasn't that he didn't have trust in Ginji as well, but... "I'm sorry, Ginji."

Scooting up towards Ban, Ginji leaned over him with a worried glint in his eyes. "What? Why are you apologizing, Ban-chan?"

"I'm sorry I can't do the same for you."

"I... don't understand. You don't trust me?"

"It's not that..." Ban replied quickly, reaching out a hand to again ruffle Ginji's hair in reassurance. "I'm just... not much of a talker. And I hope you don't feel badly because I don't tell you so much about my life."

"I'm not upset at you, Ban-chan," Ginji smiled in relief and then stretched himself out against Ban, resting his head in the space between Ban's head and his shoulder. "I know stuff about you... whatever you tell me... and whatever you don't tell me... it's all just fine."

Ban chuckled softly. "You sound a little like me now... but really, I just feel bad for not being able to give you the same thing in return."

Ginji nuzzled Ban's neck lightly before replying. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad..." he murmured.

"Nono, it's fine..." Ban nodded, opening an eye to squint at the sky. "You can still tell me anything you want to tell me, I don't mind."

Ginji nodded as well, and feeling a familiar tingle in his fingers, whispered to Ban softly. "Then I'll tell you... it's about to rain."

Ginji's proclamation was heralded by a giant raindrop landing on Ban's nose, and they both started to laugh. A few more fell as a flash of lightning arched across the sky, and Ban climbed to his feet, offering a hand to Ginji. Ginji, knowing how Ban hated to be wet, shrugged his vest off and tossed it over his friend's head before running on ahead. They made their way towards the car as the rain started to fall a little more quickly, Ban smiling in amusement as Ginji skip-hopped over the puddles that were quickly forming on the path, cheerfully oblivious to how soaked he was getting.

"Baaan-chaaan!" he called back in a rather sing-song manner. "Look at the way you can see the trees reflected in the puddles! Isn't that cool?!"

"Ginji..." Ban said softly, reaching out to touch his shoulder as they stopped by the car door. Ginji turned, grinning, and Ban smiled to see the rain flattening his hair and running down over his cheeks. "What I said about people being selfish... I think you're probably right."

"Oh?" Ginji tilted his head, waiting for Ban to continue.

"Not everyone is like that."