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Boi had found he was a lot of things to a lot of people since waking up in this new time period. Of course he was still a Zyuranger, a warrior of hope not just for his tribe of long ago but for the world. And yet in the little moments between battles against whatever monsters Bandora could think up, he still found time to fit in alongside all sorts of people in the city; the pressure was on all of them, and yet he still found the time to laugh and smile all the same and do what he could in other ways.
He was like an older brother of sorts to plenty of the kids around the city, often going to the park for a run or some training just to find himself 4 hours later playing dodgeball on the public use court. Not that it was ever a bother, he loved the kids and getting to know them. They were far more carefree than his time’s youth, even under the circumstances. They’d tug on his clothes and grab at his hands with such determination and insistence that he just had to come help them with their game. They were always just one player short or a little too small to go retrieve a toy from a tree, always a little too tired to walk home on their own so they needed the mighty Tiger Ranger Boi to carry them home that day. And to Boi, that was always fine: their little hands always warm and reassuring, their smiles always bright as they cheered when he said yes, their weight nothing to him as he carried them on his back and under his arms like giggling sacks of potatoes to their front doors. Some might have seen it as him shirking his duties and training in favor of something more fun, but to Boi it was as important a role as when he fought against Dora Monsters every week.
“Nii-chan, Tiger-nii, Boi-san!” they’d yell out with excitement at seeing him walk down the running trail of the park, oh so clearly in view from the playground across the way. And he’d always start thinking he’d just wave to them, and then he’d somehow end up coaxed into walking over or being absolutely mobbed by little hopeful faces. And how could he deny them? It didn’t quite miss him either that he enjoyed being looked up to, a rarity in his position as the youngest of the Zyurangers. The Zyurangers were far from invincible or infallible, but in times with the words of children in his ears and little hands hanging onto his clothes and around his fingers, he felt like they could be. Even just for a little bit.
To the adults of the city, some saw him as a helpful young man, chipping in with whatever labor they struggled with at that particular moment. There were the old ladies he’d help carry things home for, the baker who needed an extra hand with the ovens or the ramen cart that needed another delivery boy for a day. Sometimes it was just offering a mom a break and picking up her kids for her or getting someone’s groceries for them if they needed it and couldn't go out or were sick. Every invitation to a meal with a family, every pinch to the cheek or pat on the head, every warm hug or clasp to his shoulder, it was more than payment enough for Boi; they were all things he was happy to do, a responsible young man who just wanted to help people however he could. He truly was meant to be a hero, dontcha think?
Amongst the other Zyurangers though it always felt a bit more complicated, like they didn't see him in the role he actually filled with them. If one were to ask the others what they thought of the youngest, you’d get a general consensus of,
“He’s our shounen heart.”
“Boi is immature, but passionate.”
“Little man’s fun when he’s not being boring as hell.”
“He’s like…a little brother!”
Needless to say, among them his age tended to define him in their opinion and it was something that had never quite clicked with Boi himself. Sure he was the youngest, but he was a warrior on the same level as all the other Zyurangers too! He had trained his whole life, he had gone into the same deep sleep as the others to fight in the modern era, he had won countless battles, saved his friends and innocents in ways only he could, he was on equal footing as the others. So why did they always seem to look down on him like that? He didn’t feel outright disrespected per say, well sometimes he did a little…It just never sat right with him with everything he was doing right alongside them. He was a Zyuranger too after all!
He half wondered why nobody had thought to try this before with Geki’s elusive older brother, it wasn’t the most difficult given he usually rode atop Dragon Ceasar and they didn’t need all the Zyurangers to pilot Daizyujin. (Honestly they didn't need any of them, but that was besides the point), so when their battle was won, Boi had taken his chance and struck.
“WHAT WERE YOU THINKING? YOU HAD NO IDEA WHAT THIS COULD DO TO YOU, I HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT COULD DO TO YOU! THAT WAS BEYOND FOOLISH, BOI!”
‘Maybe the yelling is why I never did this before,’ Boi thought a bit lamely, cringing away from the man yelling over him and gripping his shoulders.
Burai had looked absolutely livid, though Boi relaxed a little as it was apparent in the other’s expression it came from a place of worry, not actual anger; even if he and Geki hadn’t grown up together, he really felt like an older brother all the same. He was definitely the right one to ask for this then. Boi brunted a bit more yelling, but even Burai seemed to be tiring a bit from his own tirade, so he thought now was as good as any time to shoot his shot, as it were.
“Burai-san…do you see me as a little brother too?”
The question caught the dragon ranger by surprise, and he almost choked on his earlier words audibly, his face obviously confused as his brows furrowed. He released his grip on the Boi’s shoulders and crossed arms, staring down the Tiger Ranger. Boi just stood there as politely as he could, as if he didn’t functionally forcibly invite himself into someone else’s home and hell all in one just to ask a question. The staring match was short lived as Burai shook his head in exasperated confusion.
“ That’s what brought you all the way here? All that to...”
“Well I didn’t think it was a good time to ask during the battle, plus the other’s would just say whatever they wanted over me anyway.”
The sixth massaged the bridge of his nose and sighed, half nodding along to the explanation as he paced a bit in the room before the other. He eventually sat himself down on the steps of the room, motioning for Boi to come over and join him. The yellow smiled and trotted on over as directed, making to plop himself down close to the other, legs pulled up tight so he could rest his chin on his knees and turn to look at the older man. Burai blinked at him in a bit of surprise, whether at the other’s obedience or simply at having someone else so close and in this place after so long was anyone’s guess. ( It was the latter most assuredly).
“...Geki is my one and only little brother, that will always be true. No, I…I don’t see you as such a thing,” he was interrupted by a loud sigh of exaggerated relief from Boi. He gave him a bit of a lightly scolding look before continuing,
“-but I can see what would inspire them to say such a thing about you.”
“Aww, not you too Burai-san…”
The usually serious green ranger couldn’t help the small smile tugging at his lips at the younger’s whine. He wondered if he’d grown up in a kinder version of events, alongside Geki, would he have heard such a thing from him as well? Well, it wasn’t like it was entirely absent from his life, the cry for help from his little brother routinely the one thing to always draw him out of this place no matter how much of his time it eats away at. And the way he’d look at him whenever they caught eyes before he had no choice but to return here…always somewhere between wonder and sadness…Ah, his thoughts were straying weren’t they?
He cleared his throat a bit awkwardly, trying to think how to explain himself. He had little time to talk with them one on one himself, his circumstances too dire for the chance, yet now presented with such a thing without consequence…He found himself a bit lacking.
“...When I was with Bandora…We could see what you all were up to, through her magic. And Dragon Ceasar and I have a connection too, so…,” he stumbled a bit in trying to preface his statements, the look of mild but quiet confusion on Boi’s face not particularly encouraging. He sighed, making a soft frustrated noise and a waving gesture with his hand before trying to start over,
“You seem like a very helpful and kind young man, Boi. Not just because you’re a Zyuranger, but as an active choice…That’s very admirable, and people really appreciate and remember such things. I can assume you do the same for Geki and the others, yes?”
Boi nodded slowly, not quite sure the direction the other was going but all the same happy to hear him out. He’d come this far after all and he knew the man wasn’t the most social; a little rambling was more than fine with him from the older man.
“When someone younger than you cares about you, and wants to help out however they can to make your life easier, it makes you want to…dote on them in return, a bit, and scold them when they do wrong too. They get invested in your life enough to want to look after you despite being the younger person, and the more they do the more it’s easier to look at that relationship as something close.”
“We’re already friends and we’re all on the same team though…”
“I mean as family, Boi; family’s support eachother like that, no matter the struggles or fights you have, they will always care for you and about you however they can. They’ll always worry about each other, even when that’s all they can do for you. You and the other Zyurangers aren’t unlike that, right?”
Boi nodded slowly, realization creeping slowly on him but doing so nonetheless.
“So since I'm the youngest, and if we’re a family…that’s why they think of me like a little brother?”
“...It’s why I would think of you as a little brother at least. You’re a lot more like Geki than you realize.”
The yellow ranger seemed to practically beam at his words, his frustrations he came here melting away in the face of such a high compliment from Burai of all people. And he said as much too, grinning and even going as far as to lean against the other’s arm affectionately as he did.
“Thanks, Burai-san! Do you really think so?”
He rambled a bit on his own against Burai, the green ranger all the while only half taking it in as he more so focused on the warmth and casual contact the other was giving him. It really had been so long, his brief moments with Geki fleeting and so spread out. He stiffened at first, restraining himself from startling outright. Though, if Boi had the attention for it, he’d have noticed the bewildered expression on Burai’s features. Following a whim he doubted the other would detest given how they sat now, he slowly reached out to pat the boy’s head. This was…decidedly nice. It was the warmest this room had ever been, it was-
“You do realize you’re here with me until the next time Geki calls for me in combat…” It was said with a tone of dawning realization on Burai’s account, and sadly it broke the warm moment as the tiger ranger froze, the information sinking into his head. Then, 1…2…3-
“AH, WAIT FOR REAL???”
Burai sighed, once more massaging the bridge of his nose. Well, he
had
wanted company in here…a week of tiger sitting wasn’t too bad a deal really, even if said saber tooth was currently feeling the consequences of his actions right now. He really was a boy…their Boi. They wouldn't want him any other way.