I Need You to Love Me

Rachael woke up shivering, and sweating at the same time. Ban was awake and brushing some hair that was stuck to her forehead away, and watching her with very concerned eyes. “How’re you feeling?” he demanded quietly. “Really bad,” she whined. Her head hurt, her body ached, and her throat was sore but that was probably from her waking up screaming last night. “Natsumi’s gonna bring up some tea for you, that should make you feel better. I think being out in the cold, soaking wet like that got you sick.” He frowned, still fussing over her.

“Natsumi, she’s a waitress here at the Honky Tonk. She’s been on vacation with her family for the past couple of weeks, that’s why you haven’t met her yet.”

“Oh… is she nice?”

“Yeah,”

She nodded and cuddled closer to him for warmth and comfort until someone knocked on the door. The knocks seemed to echo through her head and she moaned in displeasure, burying her face deeper into his shoulder. “I’ll get it,” he smirked and slid out from under her to open the door.

“Hi, Ban, I brought up the tea Ginji told me to make! Is everything okay?” the teenage waitress asked loudly, making Rachael seek refuge beneath the pillows. “Yeah, thanks Natsumi.” He nodded and took the tea into the room for Rachael.

“Drink it.” He ordered as he placed the cup of steaming liquid in her hands. She obeyed and drained it quickly. “Feel any better?” he asked, sitting beside her and letting her rest her head on his shoulder as she sat in bed. “A little, my throat doesn’t hurt so badly.” She nodded.

“Good. I know you don’t like the idea much, but we need to get some of these blankets off of you. It’s not good to bundle up when you have a fever.”

“But I’ll freeze to death,” she argued childishly.

“No, I’ll stay here and keep you warm,” he smiled and put everything except the top-sheet onto the floor. She shivered immediately and pressed herself closer to him. “You’re not keeping me very warm,” she whined, really wanting her blankets back. He repositioned so that they were lying side-by-side, with him slightly on top of her. “There, better?” he asked. “A little,” she answered honestly, and before long she was asleep again.

Downstairs, Ginji, Jun, Emishi, and Kazuki were all sat at a booth talking everything under the sun; at the moment the topic was Rachael. “She’s really skittish around our male customers. This one guy in a suit, he touched her arm and she nearly passed out. I’ve noticed she’s kind of nervous around guys, but it’s worse with the business ones. The more dressed up they are, the more afraid she gets.” Jun sighed, “And I think I know why. Eito and me were waiting for Ban to pick her up after work that day, when you guys surprised her, and he mentioned the news stories about the Mafia taking women off the street as slaves, saying that was why we refused to let her wait alone and she got really upset. Then she said that those… monsters, tried to hurt her! So I think that’s why she’s like this… and the Mafia guys, mainly the Yakuza in this area, wear suits.”

“Yeah, they did. That’s how we met.” Ginji sighed. “Yeah, she fits right in with us then. All of us have something in our past that haunts us, at Lyfestile.” He frowned. “What happened in your past?” Kazuki asked curiously. Jun tensioned up and gritted his teeth, “We’re discussing her almost being forced into being a sex slave, so I guess it’s only fair.” He sighed to himself.

“Okay, I found out I was gay pretty early on. I mean, my friends were stealing magazines from under their father’s beds, just to look at boobs, and I was doing my mom’s hair. My dad… he’s not really open to much, he’s the ‘God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve’ kind of person. I couldn’t really come out to my parents, so I hid in the closet until he found me kissing another boy. When I came home that night he tried to beat the gay out of me; needless to say, he failed.” He explained.

“So, having your dad beat you, made you openly…uhm,”

“Gay.” He interrupted when Emishi was obviously awkward saying the word, “And no. Jinx finding out when I started working at Lyfestile, when I was thirteen, and setting me up with a boy I liked, made me openly gay.” He shrugged, “And it took about three years to get me to advertise it like I do now.”

Emishi nodded and their conversation ended for a short while, until Jinx came skating through the door. “I’m sorry, you can’t wear those in here.” Paul announced. “Yeah, I’m changing them, it’s just starting to rain out there so I’m changing them in here.” She nodded breathlessly, removing her skates and putting on combat boots. “Again?” Jun whined. She nodded, still panting for breath. “I hate when it rains, it always makes my hair frizz.” He sighed. “Screw the rain, all right?” she snapped.

“Whoa, what happened?” Emishi questioned. “Where’s Rachael?” she demanded. “Why?” Ginji asked slowly.

“Just tell me!”

“She’s upstairs, why?”

“Keep her there. There’s guys looking for. Armed guys in suits. I heard them describing her, but they call her ‘the whore’, which pisses me off and makes me want to beat their faces in, but instead I came here to warn her.” She explained urgently. “What?” Jun gasped. “Shh! They could hear us, keep it down!” she hissed.

Kazuki suddenly scooted over, squishing Ginji against the wall, and pulled Jinx into the booth beside them. Jun was holding his breath, and Emishi was reaching for the whip she just noticed was tucked into his jeans. She turned her head slightly and saw two men in full suit and tie garb approaching Paul.

“We’re looking for a missing young woman, here is a sketch of her, have you seen her?” one of them asked, handing him a sheet of paper. Rachael and Ban walked down the stairs and were about to go into the café when Ban made eye contact with Kazuki, who gave a very warning look. He grabbed Rachael and pulled her quietly up a few stairs, and held her closely. Just in case.

“No, I can’t say I have. Can I get your names, Sirs?” he replied respectfully. “We’re detectives hired for this case by her family, unfortunately that is all the information we can disclose; this case is fully confidential.” He answered. “I don’t like them,” Ginji murmured as Kazuki removed one of the bells from his hair. “If you see her, call this number immediately. She’s greatly missed at home. She was last seen with this man, who we believe to be her abductor.” The second nodded, and handed him a small business card and sketch of Ban before walking out with his friend.

“I’m calling Eito, you’re taking the next… however long, off.” Jinx announced and pulled out her cell phone. “This café will probably be under surveillance before long. They’ll notice Ban eventually, and suspect something.” Kazuki pointed out. “Rachael, go pack. You’re staying at the Derby house for a while.” Jinx ordered. “What’s going on? Who were those men?” she demanded, refusing to move. “Yakuza,” Ginji answered coldly.