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Hiroto doesn’t use his pool nearly enough, he thinks, watching Renn lap it. Lazy loose circles until he floats, staring up at the sky.
Kousaka Renn is a beautiful man, Hiroto thinks.
Renn looks over at him, then. Head tilting, smile warm.
“Something on your mind?” He asks. “Does my hair look silly or something?”
“You always look silly,” Hiroto says because it’s true. The Go-Ongers always look a little ridiculous with their jackets and their tiny living space and their eggs and their toy narrator and—
“Really?” Renn asks. “Always? That’s kind of impressive.”
There’s almost visible sparkles behind him. He pulls himself out of the pool and sits down, stretching.
“How is the water?” Hiroto asks.
“Hmmm… nice,” Renn says. “I always preferred swimming in pools, really. Somewhere private.”
“Huh.”
“Yeah,” Renn says. “I’m a pretty private person, really.”
“…So am I,” Hiroto says. It feels odd to say. He doesn’t talk much about himself, it feels unnatural. Perhaps because he was raised an heir, so his existence was a last name and contacts. And then freedom was training to be the best, becoming a perfectly trained superhero who hunts monsters and senses them.
His senses themselves were abnormal, of course.
“Makes sense,” Renn says. “Of course, there are exceptions.”
His smile is so soft. Looking at Hiroto. Thinking of his team, then? Hiroto’s mind certainly goes to his sister and their partners.
…well, and Renn and Sosuke and the others. As loath as he is to admit it.
“Of course,” Hiroto says.
“I’m so lucky,” Renn says. “That I met you all. I can’t imagine my life differently.”
“It’s different, again.”
“Well, yeah,” Renn says. “Because we won. But we can still visit each other, like I’m doing now.”
Hiroto stops his training. Not like it has a point, now. His life is empty again, without a fight. Which is unfair and unprofessional, given that winning is a good thing.
He tosses a towel to Renn, who fumbles but catches it.
“Thanks,” Renn says.
They’re in another dimension, and he ends up collapsing against Renn, which would be more embarrassing if anyone else was there. Renn doesn’t tease or coddle, just catches him.
“Long fight, huh?” Renn asks.
“I think I’m out of practice,” Hiroto admits. He hates himself for it. He tries not to admit his time to practice and energy have both waned - from 4 hours a day to 2.
It shouldn’t have this much of an effect, right?
“Yeah,” Renn says. “I think we all feel it. I’ll make us some eggs, after we win.”
“After we win,” Hiroto says. He can admit it, he’s fond of the optimism that defines the Go-zingers. The quiet maturity and warmth Renn carries it is a unique part of that. “Again.”
A pause. Hiroto slowly forces himself to get up, stop leaning on the blue mechanic.
“…You don’t want to go back, do you?” Renn asks.
“…I don’t have any other purpose,” Hiroto says. “Just my senses, my strength, and my family.”
“I don’t think I want to go back all the way, either,” Renn says. Hiroto stares.
“But aren’t you back doing what you want?” He asks.
“I can do both,” Renn says. “So can you, right? Join a space exploration mission, or maybe reach out to someone like the Dekarangers—”
“The earth branch is known for their incompetence.”
“Or the ISA,” Renn continues. “Or start your own or— you know?”
“…You’re an interesting one,” Hiroto says.
“I guess I just understand, a bit,” Renn replies. He laughs, a soft thing. “But yeah. There’s options.”
“…thank you,” Hiroto says, and Renn beams that gentle awkward smile.
“I’m glad I could help,” he says.
Hiroto, still too tired from the damn fight, decides to kiss Renn, then.
Thankfully, Renn doesn’t embarrass him further. And kisses back.