title: Fever
fandom Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger
character(s)/pairing(s): Don Dogoier/Gokai Galleon
wordcount: 835
summary: The Galleon has been really unwell lately, or as Marvelous would say, "really playing up, you piece of junk!", but Don knows something has been bothering it.
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Scheduled Check: Engine Room.
"I'm just going to check the engine room!" Don says, getting up and wiping his forehead with his arm. His sleeves are rolled up because he's been replacing some wires under the Galleon's control panel - not entirely necessary, but worth doing just in case it helps.
The Galleon has been really unwell lately, or as Marvelous would say, "really playing up, you piece of junk!", but Don knows something has been bothering it. That's why he's been doing all these scheduled checks, to make sure that when whatever it is comes to light he will be able to see it.
Of course he has already checked out the obvious things - the wiring, the system, all the access points in each of the Galleon's rooms. Which means it must be something not-obvious, something he can't quite put his finger on.
And since the Galleon can't tell him what it is, he will just have to persevere.
The engine room only has emergency lighting for when important repairs have to be made, it isn't the kind of place anyone actually spends much time. Even Don only stays long enough to do his complete circuit of the room, on the lookout for a crack, a leak, anything suspicious.
That was the plan, anyway.
All of a sudden a valve on one of the water tanks opens, causing a loud hissing as gas is released. For such a big room Don decides it has gotten even hotter than it already was very, very quickly.
He is just a little tempted to check the Galleon's temperature settings for the Engine Room right now. He is about to turn and walk towards the computer when a fine rain comes down over him, not quite cold enough but still very refreshing.
"Oh," he sighs, "thank you, Galleon."
And then he realises the Galleon has turned the sprinkler on.
"Oh!" He gasps, "Galleon, you mustn't do that! It's for emergencies only! Like a fire!"
Somehow he gets the feeling that the sprinkler was turned back off again reluctantly. There's a mournful sighing sort of sound to the hiss of the water being cut off.
"I know you meant well," Don says earnestly. "But the sprinklers are only supposed to go off when things are already beyond repair, it wouldn't matter then if they did any more damage. But right now they might, and you're already not well, and I don't want you to get any worse!"
The wave of heat that comes over him after that is kind of like when Don feels himself blushing and his cheeks start to burn. It's obviously just the room continuing to heat up.
Something is very wrong.
"I'll just check the computer after all..." Don says.
Temperature Settings Normal
The Galleon has the information on the screen before he can take more than two steps towards it. Don still isn't quite convinced.
"You can't just tell me things you think are going to make me happy," he says, hands finding a home on his hips. "It's a nice thought, but it means I can't tell when something is wrong. What if you were to get really hurt? I'd rather you tell me the truth now."
Temperature Settings Normal
Don bites his lip as the computer screen flashes up the same information once again. Surely the Galleon wouldn't lie to him twice?
"Wait, Galleon, why did you open the valve?" He asks. "Did you do that on purpose?"
It's not like he really expects an answer; part of the nature of their relationship is that Don is able to interpret the Galleon's needs beyond the simple programmed messages and subroutines.
"You know it's making me very hot?" He says. "I guess... I guess I'll just unbutton my shirt."
He could swear the temperature steps up another few degrees at that. Sweat starts to trickle down the back of his neck and down his forehead.
"I'll have to take it off," he says, and can't help using the shirt to dab at his neck and the rest of his skin. Just for a bit of relief.
His Mobirates goes off in his pocket.
"Hakase, what's taking so long?" Joe asks on the other end. "Did you find something? Do you need help?"
"No, nothing!" Don says, suddenly acutely aware of the fact that he is standing half-naked in an engine room that currently feels more like a sauna. "I'll be back up in a minute!"
He struggles back into his shirt and tries to pull it straight. It looks like he's been up to something questionable, and Marvelous can sense something like that a mile away.
Don is on the top step to the engine room door when he can't help but glance back.
"Galleon, did you... Did you do all of this on purpose, right from the start?"
He realises as soon as the words come out of his mouth that he's never going to get an actual answer to that one.
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