GetBackers Fan Fiction ❯ Safe Haven ❯ Away from the World ( Chapter 1 )

He stayed in Mugenjou for the sole purpose that he had no where else to go.

Oh, sure, Kazuki probably would have put him up if he'd asked, but the thread-user had left Mugenjou himself for a reason - he wanted his freedom, his privacy. Kazuki liked living alone, or rather... he'd told them that he needed it right now.

Though that didn't stop Juubei from spending every waking minute of his free time there, but that was beside the point.

If he moved in with Kazuki, then Juubei would want to as well. Living in the same building as the blind man was bad enough, Toshiki didn't think he could handle living in the same small apartment with him...

...And the first time he would happen to walk in on Juubei and Kazuki with their arms around each other, he was afraid he just might snap.

So in Mugenjou he stayed. It wasn't so bad, not really. He did odd jobs for random vendors in the market streets here and there. Mugenjou employers were easy to work for. They asked nothing from you, not even your name unless you were so inclined to offer it. Toshiki went first thing in the morning, worked and worked hard, got paid, and went home. Occasionally MakubeX had need of him, and Toshiki helped because it was what Kazuki would have wanted.

And he had Sakura there, at least.

Ah, Sakura... The older of the Kakei siblings, someone that Toshiki hadn't really thought to look twice at until somewhat recently. They'd grown a lot closer within the last year that Toshiki'd been living in Mugenjou again. She tended to him when he was sick (because he wouldn't allow Juubei near him even on his good days), brought him food and even made him a blanket that got him through the winter without freezing to death in the night. She'd quickly become a good friend and someone he trusted and... possibly someone he could see himself falling in love with. Which, in of itself, was a big deal seeing as he'd never had eyes for anyone but Kazuki.

He stomped those feelings down quickly. Sakura was close and dear to him, yes, but she already had a man (boy) in her life. It didn't matter what her and MakubeX's relationship was - romantic, sibling, or even mother-son, all that mattered was her life's focus was on him and his well-being, and there was little room for anyone else there. Toshiki didn't want to be hurt. Again.

He supposed if he really wanted to get away, it was possible to seek a job outside of Mugenjou. But a normal 9-5 deal didn't seem plausible to him. He was awkward with people and manual labor Outside just didn't pay well enough for him to bother. He always told himself if he found something that paid decently, he would snatch it up. But unfortunately his boughts of depression resulted in him not looking very hard.

While moving out of Mugenjou wasn't a current option, he did make frequent visits to Kazuki's apartment. Once Kazuki had taken him to the cafe he liked to go to, where the two GetBackers hung out (and therefore why Toshiki avoided it). Never once was he tempted to try and find the place again.

...Until the night that he and Juubei nearly tore each other's throats out. Sakura showed up and forced them apart. It had to have been the first time Toshiki had ever heard her raise her voice, and he felt like a kicked puppy. Sakura always tried to be fair, but seeing her brother with blood on his face and his cheek and jaw purpling from a sharp punch left her feeling defensive of him and turning more of her anger towards the blonde. Toshiki panicked, and fled.

No point in going to Kazuki's, Toshiki figured. He was sure that Kazuki would side with Juubei and he'd be the one to get the disapproving looks. It was bad enough that Sakura had been angry; he couldn't handle Kazuki's disappointment in him, too.

And it would figure that it started to rain. Though he didn't mind it much, not until his hands were starting to numb from the cold and he found he was getting hungry.

He found the Honky Tonk thanks to sheer luck and a little due to his sharp sense of direction vaguely remembering where it was. The soft light radiating from the windows and sign was comforting to him, and he pushed the door open and headed inside.

The girl behind the counter was the same as last time, with her cheerful smile and greeting as she set aside the plate she'd been drying. Her eyes were studying him as though she found him familiar, but if she remembered him she didn't say as much. "Welcome! Can I get you anything?"

Toshiki thought about asking to borrow that towel but he wasn't sure what was sillier; asking for a towel when it was his own fault he'd been in the rain, or standing there dripping all over the cafe floor. "Just some coffee," he told her, shuffling towards one of the booths in the corner. He sat, huddled a bit and soaking up the warmth of the place. He found the weather pleasant now that he was watching from the window rather than outside in it. Maybe it was his mood, or the weather or both, but this place felt... safe, at the moment. The rain couldn't get to him here.

When Natsumi brought him his coffee, she also had a towel. It hadn't occurred to Toshiki that maybe it had been rude to not ask for one and just get their floor and seats wet. He took it with a small nod of appreciation, and dried himself as best he could while Natsumi retreated behind the counter again. The owner of the shop was probably in back, Toshiki assumed. It wasn't safe to leave a young girl in a place like this when it was dark, though he vaguely remembered some story or another from Kazuki and Emishi about this girl being more capable of taking care of herself than she looked.

The coffee was delicious, he had to admit. He took his with crème but no sugar, the complete opposite from Juubei (and Kazuki and Sakura took theirs with both, go figure).

The Honky Tonk would be his quiet, safe little haven for a bit. When it closed, he would have to find another sanctuary for the night - he refused to return to Mugenjou. MakubeX could see him through the cameras, which meant so could Sakura and he couldn't handle that. Funny, normally he stressed over not being noticed, tonight he just wanted to be invisible to the world... and in a way, he felt like he was.

The chime of bells over the Honky Tonk door shattered his silence and out of habit of hearing bells he looked up. The blonde that walked in was familiar, though only slightly. She smiled at Natsumi, leaning onto the counter after shaking out her umbrella.

"Hevn-san! Good evening!"

"Just my usual, Natsumi-chan. Where's Paul?"

"Master said Ginji-san and Ban-san gave him a headache and he wanted to be alone for a bit, so he's lying down," Natsumi sounded still oh-so-cheerful as she set to making what Toshiki assumed was tea. His eyes stayed on her rather lazily, though his head was turned mostly forward, chin resting in his palm while the other hand stayed curled and warm around his coffee.

Hevn turned to face him at some point, looking a little surprised. He'd been so still and quiet she hadn't even noticed him at first. She offered a smile, to which Toshiki just stared at her a moment, then blinked. He did remember her. It was hard to forget a rack like that, after all. Especially when said 'nice rack' was being barely contained by a form-fitting lavender tank-top. The black jacket she wore over it was trimmed in fake fur and lined with suede. It looked comfortable, and looked nice on her. At least her pants were relatively normal - a bit low on her hips, but just black slacks accompanied by heeled shoes. The woman was a fashion plate in a way Kazuki or Sakura would never, ever be.

And Toshiki was still contemplating how many backaches that chest must give her when she took her tea from Natsumi and wandered over in his direction.

"You're one of Kazuki-kun's friends, aren't you?"

Toshiki rolled his eyes back to look up at her in mild surprise. "Yeah."

Hevn smiled down at him. "Uryuu Toshiki-kun, wasn't it? Mind if I sit down?"

"...Go ahead." Free world, after all.

She sat, long, finely manicured fingers curling around her tea cup. She had a nice smile, Toshiki thought. A people-smile. Toshiki wondered what she wanted with him.

Hevn, however, saw nothing wrong in being sociable with someone just shy of a complete stranger. You never knew when the person you spoke to during the day - at the grocery store, bank, and restaurants - would someday become a customer. It paid to be polite to everyone and make sure they always remembered you.

"You're an awful long way from home, aren't you?" Hevn asked, though not unpleasantly. Toshiki shrugged.

"On a day-long vacation," he said blandly. "Would you want to stay in Mugenjou all the time if you lived there?"

She blinked, laughed, smiled. "Point taken. I apologize; I'm just surprised to see you here without Kazuki-kun. I mean, there's nothing wrong with that at all. It's just unusual."

Toshiki snorted, sipped his coffee, and looked away. "I'm a big boy, you know. They even tell me I can start ordering from the big-kid's menu at restaurants soon." His tone was dull, unconcerned, even if his words were sarcastic and sharp.

"How wonderful for you." Hevn looked amused. "Well then, where is the big boy planning on staying tonight?" So she'd gotten the gist that he wasn't returning to Mugenjou anytime soon and he wasn't with Kazuki which meant he didn't want to see him, which in turn meant he'd be sleeping on a park bench in the rain unless he found other arrangements.

As he quietly stared down into his coffee just then, Hevn thought he did look like a boy. A frightened, unhappy, lonely boy that just needed a hug... and would have slugged anyone that tried it. "There are plenty of hotels around." It was pointless to lie, wasn't it? "I'll find somewhere."

It was probably good that Toshiki wouldn't have accepted a charity-offer to stay at Hevn's place anyway, because she wasn't inclined to invite him. Hell, she loved Ban and Ginji to death, but never had she opened her home to even them - the one time Ban caught pneumonia not withstanding. She felt bad for Toshiki, but didn't know him well enough to feel comfortable with him in her home.

Toshiki was meanwhile mentally calculating how much money he had on him. Yeah, he probably had enough for a room for the night, if he didn't eat. It came down to dry sleeping quarters, or food. One or the other. Well, he'd gone days without food before, so a hotel it was. Who knew, maybe he'd luck out and have a few extra yen to get something from a vending machine.

His eyes lifted a bit, watching Hevn watching him. She had her chin resting in her hands, looking thoughtful. "What do you do for a living?"

Blink. "I..."

"I figured you were working for MakubeX, but...?"

"...No. I mean, once in awhile I help out if he needs me but..." He shrugged, sipped his coffee in place of saying anything further.

Hevn was suddenly grinning at him. A grin that usually send Ban and Ginji running for the hills unless they were really, really desperate for money. "Ever thought about getting into a business, then?"

"What kind of business?" Toshiki eyed her warily.

"I don't know." Her grin faded a bit, and she squinted at him. "The market's a little oversaturated with retrieval specialists right now..." Not really, but Ban, Ginji and Shido would murder her for picking up another stray dakkanya right now when business was rather slow. "Transporter?"

"No transportation except my own feet."

"Mamoriya, then. You're a big boy," there was that grin again, "You'd make a good protector."

Toshiki scowled. "What does that entail, exactly?" It sounded dangerous, but that wasn't exactly a factor he was worried about. He was in danger everytime he went to sleep at night in Mugenjou, or walked down the streets... Such was the neighborhood anywhere near the Belt Line.

"Exactly what it sounds like. Usually it's protecting items during transport. But sometimes it's being a bodyguard for someone or something. Every job is new and exciting, the pay is excellent and you pick and choose your own jobs! Doesn't that sound perfect?"

"...It sounds fucking crazy, actually."

"You'd be good at it."

"I'm insane for considering it." And yet he was. Dammit.

"Ah, but you are considering it?" Hevn took another long drink from her tea, unphased beneath Toshiki's scowl in her general direction.

"...I'll think about it," he said finally, which was a good enough answer for her.

In the few minutes of silence that followed, Hevn finished her tea, Toshiki his coffee, and the mediator rose to her feet with a content sigh. "Wonderful as always, Natsumi-chan!" The girl behind the counter just beamed. Hevn turned to look down at the grumpy blonde. "Now, I don't suppose you would mind taking a girl back to her apartment, would you?"

Toshiki paused and just stared at her, one brow cocked as he tried to figure out the meaning of that. "Uh..."

"...You know, walk me home since it's dark out? Like a gentleman?"

"Oh." Duh. "Sure." Not that he wanted to, but hey. What else did he have to do? He'd likely spot some hotels along the way.

A brief goodbye was said to Natsumi as they left the Honky Tonk, and the rain had let up to a light drizzle. Hevn opened her umbrella anyway to keep them dry, though Toshiki seemed to prefer his personal space and didn't stay more than half under its cover the entire time.

The walk to Hevn's apartment took less time than expected. The building was older but in wonderful condition, everything from the front doors to the bricks to the carpets and elevator leading up to the top floor. Not that Toshiki saw anything beyond the front steps. He'd seen her home safely, now he could go see himself into a nice, warm bed somewhere, preferably before it started to rain again.

Hevn stood in the doorway with a smile directed down at him. “So, I'll talk to you tomorrow about getting you started up with some jobs?”

“…I said I'd think about it,” Toshiki ground out, already almost regretting having told her that much.

“Right right. Then once you've decided to do it…”

“Oii, woman...”

Hevn just winked at him. It would seem this new boy she was oh-so kindly taking in under her mediating wing had Shido-kun's awkwardness with people and even a little of Ban-kun's snark. But she sensed a little of Kazuki-kun's kindness in him as well, it was just deep-seeded and a little difficult to see at first.

“Goodnight, Toshiki-kun,” she told him before retreating into the building.

Toshiki shoved his hands into his pockets, shoulders hunched slightly as he watched her go with no reply. Once she was safely inside and out of sight, he retreated down the steps and up the sidewalk.

Well, today had been depressing and interesting.

But now all he wanted was to find a hotel and sleep… and hope that tomorrow brought better things.