A small, nagging part of me wanted to go home. The climate was much more tolerable on Keron. No snow, perfect humidity and more of my kind... Yet, I remembered my dark uninhabited house. I never minded it before, and anyway, I had fashioned my laboratory after it. My house on Keron was half kitchen, half lab. Much like this place. I would be alone, but why did I suddenly care? What was holding me here besides a military order? Hadn't I ignored those before? Why not now? Why couldn't I just leave this backwater place? There was nothing for me here. My Taicho wasn't using my skills to their full extent, and I was beginning to feel stagnant, useless. I was starting to sink into a bit of a depression. That was no wild change for me, but I didn't prefer it over being happy.

I sat in the dark lab, the screens before me blurring into one background image. My mind went through all the things I cared about, things that would make me happy. Or at least whatever would make me feel like properly functioning again. There were very few. I almost got up to prepare vegetables for curry, but I felt too slow and numb. What was sapping away at my strength? This was almost as bad as the May Disease we had tried to spread all those years back, and because of Taicho's hurried orders, we only managed to infect ourselves with it. I slumped back into my chair. I must really be in a funk if I didn't feel like making curry. What could be plaguing me so much? On the screens, I could see the rest of the platoon. They didn't seem to be feeling what I did. I felt like I needed... wanted something. But what? I had never needed anything... At least, I didn't think I did. I looked around in the dark, and a feeling of oppression took over me. The darkness settled around me like lead. I grew confused. This sort of thing never really happened to me before. If I felt lonely, I would work on something, or block it out with music. If that didn't work I would hang around the platoon and take part in a silly scheme or two. But today... it just felt wrong. Part of me wanted to get up and leave, but a stronger part of me wanted to stay in the blackness and settle in it.

With a flicker, there was rapid movement on one of the screens. It was outside of the house. A motorcycle, moving quickly down the street. It was heading in this direction. Something within me fluttered. Aki. She hadn't been home for a week. I sat up straighter in my chair, and realized as I did that my pulse was getting stronger. The state I had been in before had almost resembled hibernation. My body woke up when I saw her on the screen. I closed my eyes, wondering at the reaction. My heart still beat fast. I couldn't see her anymore, but I knew she was coming close. I could feel her waves. They were calm and full of excitement at the same time. They felt beautiful in my mind. She was like one of my favorite songs. One that I would listen to in my sleep to keep it imprinted on my psyche. She was... everything.

Suddenly my thoughts screeched to a halt. What was THIS? When had I started thinking of Aki Hinata as my everything? Was I in...? I shook my head hard. Kururu Socho didn't fall in love. I liked romantic songs, and would play around with fanciful thoughts, but I never let it get to me. She was a Pekoponian. A different race. How could this have happened? She didn't think I was anything but some sort of yellow pet, anyway. As I thought of these things, I felt my body moving on its own. I was already halfway out of my lab. Before I even knew it, I had moved upstairs on one of my "hole-in-the-ground-"elevators. Aki was coming up to the front door, and I was standing in the hallway! I felt my cheeks flush. What would I do now? Was there still time to leave? My hand tried to move fast enough to find my remote. I knew I had to summon up a picture of it in my head to make the super-space work, but the image blurred and faded. Then, the door opened.

Aki came in, her hair shiny with sweat from her helmet. She shook her ponytail and exhaled. She looked happy to finally be home. And her waves... they felt so good. She radiated warmth and love when she entered the room, and I was on the receiving end. I almost fell over with the power I was getting from her. So much beauty. Before I could help myself, I laughed softly.
"Ku, ku..." The sound was small and delighted. Hadn't I just been depressed? Was she what I needed? Impossible. But when she looked down at me, I flushed again, and tried to say something. The noises that came from me were incoherent. While I was used to that (my brain was in constant motion, and it was difficult to manage words sometimes, so I just made noises) this was a little embarrassing around her. I just stood there at the door, making my bumbling, silly sounds. Was that a snort? Oh, no. I covered my mouth and changed the snort into my laughing. But now I was just laughing to myself. Aki DID know I was insane, right? In fact, she found it charming. Yes, this could be charming to her. Pig noises. I suppressed an urge to slap my own forehead. However, she didn't seem surprised to see/hear me there.
"Oh, Kuru-chan! Hello there!" She turned around and sat on the step to take her sneakers off. I wanted to say "hi" back, but all that came out was an odd grunt. No judgment from her.
"Phew... I am so glad to be home. It was a long week. Those boys... I swear..." She hunched over for a second, and I just stared at the curve of her back. She was like a statue. I reveled in her waves. Then, without warning, I transmitted my own waves into the air. They weren't the ones I used for weapons from my headgear, but rather, a projection of my own feelings. I rarely ever did this. Right then, I had been feeling an overwhelming emotion for Aki. Love. And now, I was transferring it before I could figure out how to turn it off. I watched as her back relaxed even more. She took a sudden breath as if startled.
"Oh, my... Where is that coming from? I feel... love..." I shrieked (a ku-ing noise) and slapped my hands to my head. How would I stop this?
"It feels like there is a baby or small child in the room. So pure. It's beautiful!" She turned towards me, and her eyes were filled with tears. My stomach did somersaults.
"Kururu? Do you know what I'm taking about? Do you feel anything?" I stood rooted to the spot. I stared at her though my lenses and I must have looked like a zombie. I was fighting for control over these "love waves". Then, like a light switch, they went off. The reaction in Aki was instantaneous.
"Oh. Now it's gone..." She paused, looking around. "That was so strange. I have never felt that sort of thing before. Except for when I was with..." She shook her head. I wrung my hands. She was remembering the last person who had loved her with the strength that I felt. Haru. The children's father. Did she still love him? Before I could wonder too much, Aki had stepped away from me, an expression of wonder on her face. I had thought about telling her that I was conducting a "wave" experiment. Just sending out random emotions. She was lucky she had gotten the love one. That's what I would have told her. If she hadn't left. I followed her, my footsteps soft. She was in the kitchen. Before I could think my voice cracked over her name.
"Aki." She spun around.
"Oh, Kururu. There you are! Is something wrong?" I just shook my head. Even Aki thought there was something horrible going on when she saw my face. I suddenly didn't feel like being close to her anymore. It was hurting me. My stomach clenched, and I cursed inwardly at myself. What was wrong with me? I was getting ready to just saunter casually off, leaving her wondering, when she knelt beside me.
"Hey, you look sad. Are you okay, Ku-chan?" A voice in my head squealed. KU-CHAN! Such a cute name for me! Did she...? Air hissed through my teeth as she took one of my hands in hers.
"Don't be sad. Ooh, your skin is so cool and smooth..."
"Ku..." was all I could say. Her name repeated itself at least a thousand times in my head in the span of two seconds. Then she lifted my body up into the air and pressed her face close to mine. Now her name and her face crowded out everything. Was this what it felt like to have an aneurysm? I didn't even care. It felt so good, that I would just let myself die here, her hands on my body, holding me. Aki... Aki... Aki... Now her name was my heartbeat. I heard her laugh.
"Ah, ha... You are blushing like a ripe tomato! Do you have a crush on me?" I know she said it in jest, but I made another strange sound in my throat.
"That's okay, I'm used to it. You should see the silly boys at my job. Mmm... but I like you too, Kuru-chan." My body started to shake, and she put me down on a stool.
"Eh?" Another intelligent sound from a brilliant socho.
"Yeah. You're my favorite Keronian. I mean, I like Keroro, but he's so close to Fuyuki. And... I don't really know the others so well. You, though... you seem to be around when I need you. Remember a few months back when those aliens were coming for me? You were the only one with it enough to save me. Did I ever thank you for that, Ku-chan? You don't mind if I call you Ku-chan do you? Anyway, thank you. I had a hectic day at work, and it was nice to see you here. I feel like you're my friend. Are we friends, Kururu?" Her eyes looked at me hopefully. I covered my mouth and a series of explosive giggles came from me.
"Ku, ku, ku, ku, ku...!" She just nodded.
"Of course we are. Now, what should we do for dinner, my little friend?" As she took food items out of the refrigerator, she hummed to herself. Then she straightened.
"You know, I heard that you make a wonderful curry. I never got to try it. Do you mind?" She stood back from the counter and looked at me again, perched on that child-sized stool. I gathered my thoughts, weeding through them. Curry...Aki...curry...she wants my...curry...Aki...Aki...say something, Kururu... say "why yes, I can make an excellent curry, Miss Hinata..." curry...Aki...
"Curry? I...well...Yes, I know how to make curry. It's good... my curry...tasty, even..." Oh, damn. I was making a mess out of things. I really needed to improve my communication skills with Pekoponian women.
"Well, good. Let's make one together. I've got most of the spices here, and I think we'll use lamb for the meat. Do you like lamb? What vegetables should be use?"
"Uh... lamb's good. Vegetables? Do you have mushrooms? Of course, those go better with beef." I made another noise, this one sounded like a hiccup. Aki laughed her warm laugh.
"That's right. I have eggplant... and... let's see..."

I'll never forget the first time I made curry with Aki. She chopped the vegetables so quickly and with such thoroughness. I tried to keep myself under control while I watched her. We went through the whole process together, and we made an excellent team. I had never had so much fun. My depression was light years away, and it kept going further. After we finished, she dipped a spoon into the mix and lingered on its taste. We had added all the essential spices. Cilantro, cumin, turmeric, fenugreek and coriander. But Aki had made the sauce come alive with her own unique choices. She had dropped in a hint of cinnamon and nutmeg to add "a mother's sweetness". It tasted wonderful. I tried some after she did, and we made all the appropriate noises. Then there was an unexpected surprise. After tasting our culinary wonder, Aki reached over to me and kissed me right on the mouth. I barely remembered to give her my lips in return, but I silently prayed to everything that felt good that I wouldn't black out or get a nosebleed. Her mouth tasted like our curry. I got weak in the legs, and she gently placed a hand on my back and laughed.
"Hey, you're pretty good, Kuru-chan. Like your curry. What did you say earlier? Oh, yes it was... 'tasty'..." She licked her lips and laughed, and I happily died inside.

That night, I waiting until I saw her asleep on my screen, then I stuck upstairs. I quietly opened the door to her bedroom and then, gathering all my courage, (I still shook) I crawled on to her bed. I gave off the "love waves" again, and she sighed in her sleep and curled her body around me. I lay there, warm and full of spices. I was her favorite Keronian. I let myself laugh softy into the darkness.
"Ku, ku, ku..."
The last sound I heard before drifted into sleep was my own voice whispering her name.