Clearing Out (Kakeru/Gaku. Gaoranger)
Title: Clearing Out
Pairing: Kakeru/Gaku, implied Kai/Soutarou
Fandom: Gaoranger
Rating: G
Episode referenced: Episode 51
Kakeru walked slowly through the halls of Gao's Rock; this would probably be the last time he'd be here, that any of them would be here, now that they weren't Gaorangers anymore, and he'd taken the opportunity to collect a few things he hadn't wanted to leave behind and just say goodbye to the place that had been his home for little under a year.
A dull crash made him jump and he was running before he knew it, sprinting through the halls - not exactly reassured by the sound of indignant yelling - and reaching reflexively for his G-Phone before remembering he didn't have it anymore. He skidded to a stop just inside Kai's room and stared at the scene in front of him; the room looked as if an earthquake had just hit and left chaos in its wake. Kai was glaring at Soutarou who, for his part, looked guilty.
"What's going on?" Kakeru asked, relief and annoyance making his tone sharper than he'd intended, only for Kai to turn the glare on him. instead. Presumably for intruding.
"Clearing out is what's supposed to be going on," the former GaoBlue answered irritably. "Until someone tried to get creative."
"Sorry, Kai."
Soutarou had probably already apologised half a dozen before Kakeru had even reached the room, not that it had ever helped when Kai was full of self-righteous indignation like he was now, but there wasn't really anything else he could say. If he apologised Kai would still sulk for a while, if he didn't apologise... well, it would be even worse.
"I was just doing just fine, you know. I had a system and everything."
"Sorry, Kai."
"Do you want any help?" Kakeru interrupted, hoping to head off any further arguments before it deteriorated even further.
"No," Kai shook his head. "We'll be fine, thanks. Gaku could probably use a hand, though."
"Okay, if you're sure."
It was only after Kakeru was out of the room and halfway along the corridor that he realised Kai had neatly manipulated him into leaving them alone, and with only that one comment as well. He was clearly out of practice, Kakeru decided, if Kai could redirect him that easily. Still, he might as well check on Gaku seeing as he was almost there, otherwise it would be a wasted trip.
Gaku's room was already pretty empty; Gaku wasn't the hoarder Kai was and he was a lot more efficient at packing, too, which meant that anything he'd wanted to take away with him was most likely already packed away. Yet he was still there in the room, hands shoved in his pockets as he stared at the wall, expression distant as if he was remembering something or thinking about something. And now Kakeru thought he knew why exactly Kai had sent him down here: Gaku had lived here longer than the rest of them, just him and Tetomu until Sae and Kai had been chosen, over a year after Gaku had; of all of them, Gaku would be taking this the hardest.
"Everything alright?" he asked from the doorway and Gaku started a little in surprise before turning to face him.
"Of course," he replied, "why wouldn't it be?"
Kakeru shrugged and wished, not for the first time, that Gaku wasn't so damn unreadable all the time. Every time he thought the other man was letting him in a bit more, Gaku closed up again. It was very frustrating.
"Don't get all sentimental on me, Kakeru," Gaku continued, the faint smile on his face just a ghost of his usual one. "It's just a room."
"It was your room," Kakeru countered. "For over two years." It hadn't been easy for him to say goodbye and he'd been here the least; there was no way it could be easy for Gaku to say it when he'd been here the longest of all of them.
"It was," Gaku agreed. "And now it's not. It doesn't do you any good to dwell on things, Kakeru."
"That's not the point!" Kakeru replied in frustration. "It doesn't do you any good to pretend something's not important to you when it is."
For a moment he thought Gaku was going to snap back at him; all the signs were there, the narrowed eyes and tightening of the mouth, but then Gaku seemed to slump a little and abruptly Kakeru wished he hadn't pushed the issue. "Alright," Gaku sighed. "Maybe I miss it a little." Then he straightened again and picked up the bag he was taking out with him. "Don't let being right go to your head."
"I'm not you," Kakeru grinned, moving slightly to the side to let Gaku pass. "Of course it won't." This time the smile was stronger and Gaku clapped him on the arm as he went past.
"I bet Kai's room looks like a bomb hit it."
"Not far wrong," Kakeru agreed, falling in beside Gaku as they strolled out. "And that was with Soutarou helping." As if to underscore the point Kai's voice echoed down the tunnel; for some reason Kai was never as eloquent as when he was berating someone. Then, abruptly, he stopped, cut off mid-word with a muffled yelp.
"Right," Gaku said sardonically. "Helping."
Kakeru nodded and firmly resisted the temptation to sneak a look inside Kai's room as they walked past. He was pretty sure he didn't want to know, anyway.
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Pairing: Kakeru/Gaku, implied Kai/Soutarou
Fandom: Gaoranger
Rating: G
Episode referenced: Episode 51
Kakeru walked slowly through the halls of Gao's Rock; this would probably be the last time he'd be here, that any of them would be here, now that they weren't Gaorangers anymore, and he'd taken the opportunity to collect a few things he hadn't wanted to leave behind and just say goodbye to the place that had been his home for little under a year.
A dull crash made him jump and he was running before he knew it, sprinting through the halls - not exactly reassured by the sound of indignant yelling - and reaching reflexively for his G-Phone before remembering he didn't have it anymore. He skidded to a stop just inside Kai's room and stared at the scene in front of him; the room looked as if an earthquake had just hit and left chaos in its wake. Kai was glaring at Soutarou who, for his part, looked guilty.
"What's going on?" Kakeru asked, relief and annoyance making his tone sharper than he'd intended, only for Kai to turn the glare on him. instead. Presumably for intruding.
"Clearing out is what's supposed to be going on," the former GaoBlue answered irritably. "Until someone tried to get creative."
"Sorry, Kai."
Soutarou had probably already apologised half a dozen before Kakeru had even reached the room, not that it had ever helped when Kai was full of self-righteous indignation like he was now, but there wasn't really anything else he could say. If he apologised Kai would still sulk for a while, if he didn't apologise... well, it would be even worse.
"I was just doing just fine, you know. I had a system and everything."
"Sorry, Kai."
"Do you want any help?" Kakeru interrupted, hoping to head off any further arguments before it deteriorated even further.
"No," Kai shook his head. "We'll be fine, thanks. Gaku could probably use a hand, though."
"Okay, if you're sure."
It was only after Kakeru was out of the room and halfway along the corridor that he realised Kai had neatly manipulated him into leaving them alone, and with only that one comment as well. He was clearly out of practice, Kakeru decided, if Kai could redirect him that easily. Still, he might as well check on Gaku seeing as he was almost there, otherwise it would be a wasted trip.
Gaku's room was already pretty empty; Gaku wasn't the hoarder Kai was and he was a lot more efficient at packing, too, which meant that anything he'd wanted to take away with him was most likely already packed away. Yet he was still there in the room, hands shoved in his pockets as he stared at the wall, expression distant as if he was remembering something or thinking about something. And now Kakeru thought he knew why exactly Kai had sent him down here: Gaku had lived here longer than the rest of them, just him and Tetomu until Sae and Kai had been chosen, over a year after Gaku had; of all of them, Gaku would be taking this the hardest.
"Everything alright?" he asked from the doorway and Gaku started a little in surprise before turning to face him.
"Of course," he replied, "why wouldn't it be?"
Kakeru shrugged and wished, not for the first time, that Gaku wasn't so damn unreadable all the time. Every time he thought the other man was letting him in a bit more, Gaku closed up again. It was very frustrating.
"Don't get all sentimental on me, Kakeru," Gaku continued, the faint smile on his face just a ghost of his usual one. "It's just a room."
"It was your room," Kakeru countered. "For over two years." It hadn't been easy for him to say goodbye and he'd been here the least; there was no way it could be easy for Gaku to say it when he'd been here the longest of all of them.
"It was," Gaku agreed. "And now it's not. It doesn't do you any good to dwell on things, Kakeru."
"That's not the point!" Kakeru replied in frustration. "It doesn't do you any good to pretend something's not important to you when it is."
For a moment he thought Gaku was going to snap back at him; all the signs were there, the narrowed eyes and tightening of the mouth, but then Gaku seemed to slump a little and abruptly Kakeru wished he hadn't pushed the issue. "Alright," Gaku sighed. "Maybe I miss it a little." Then he straightened again and picked up the bag he was taking out with him. "Don't let being right go to your head."
"I'm not you," Kakeru grinned, moving slightly to the side to let Gaku pass. "Of course it won't." This time the smile was stronger and Gaku clapped him on the arm as he went past.
"I bet Kai's room looks like a bomb hit it."
"Not far wrong," Kakeru agreed, falling in beside Gaku as they strolled out. "And that was with Soutarou helping." As if to underscore the point Kai's voice echoed down the tunnel; for some reason Kai was never as eloquent as when he was berating someone. Then, abruptly, he stopped, cut off mid-word with a muffled yelp.
"Right," Gaku said sardonically. "Helping."
Kakeru nodded and firmly resisted the temptation to sneak a look inside Kai's room as they walked past. He was pretty sure he didn't want to know, anyway.
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