For the prompt of Neruda's lovely "Always" at the LJ comm fornicari. Titled and betaed by the equally lovely Eliza.

Ban gives everything to his opponents; focus, passion, touch, dreams. It's not why Ginji followed him out of Mugenjou, but it's related. Ban gets your attention, and you want his in return. Battle's the easiest way, a kind of intimacy Ban probably allows because of its brutality. Or its familiarity. Ban was raised to be a fighter, after all; Ginji knows the look.

Battle is how he and Ban first connected, Raitei finally facing an opponent as powerful as himself. But Ban had looked past Raitei and drawn out Ginji, and Ginji wanted to return the favor.

He still does, still wants what Ban doesn't give even his dearest enemies.

He gets it, like this, Ban below him in the darkness of the car, heavy-lidded eyes catching what light there is and holding it, holding him. He holds Ban, stretched out as much as it's possible to be, their blankets draped over his back so they don't get arrested for public indecency. He's got Ban close to naked. Ban's enemies like to tear his shirt off, but Ginji prefers to coax Ban out of it, coax him out of the tank when he's wearing it, coax him out of pants and boots and socks and --again, when he's wearing it-- underwear. It's tricky in the car, especially when Ban's excited and not inclined to wait, but Ginji does his best.

Ban gives everything to his opponents, but not the way he does Ginji, and Ginji's not above wallowing in it.

~END~