"Why are we doing this again" souji whispered to be answered by Ian, Utchy and Nobuharu with a long, secretive shush.
They had been following king all morning and currently, they had placed themselves peering around a divider of one of the cafe stalls and continued to stare at king, observing him.
They hadn't been able to reach their HQ for the Spirit Base was not contactable and they had to occupy the usual Jungle Cafe or meet in town for any contact to be made between them.
King, who was changing, had just come back from Space and had been settling back in to life as normal after encountering the explosion that made him presumed dead. The only downside of his return was the view of the several and serious burns and scratches that he received all over his body. They winced as they saw the marks engraved into his torso when he removed and replaced another top to cover the ugly marks.
He had been gone for several days with them morning over his apparent death and he has now thankfully returned to them. The group had made a promise to themselves that if he ever came back, they would continue to look after king and keep him out of harm's way, they could never seem to repay their debts to him.
They couldn't understand this themselves but they felt incomplete and depressed without him there. To have his presence there, King was the heart and soul of the team and him going missing, if he left or even worse died, the team wouldn't be the same.
When he disappeared, no one talked to each other, they all just returned to their lives thinking it was all over.
Utchy had meditated at a shrine all those days.
Souji returned to the life of a school boy.
Ian went back to dating his girls.
Nobuharu and his family had started to clear up the city with the help of everyone in the city.
And finally Amy, she just waited at her home with her butler worried sick about her.
But they all kept the batteries close to them always and stared at them in times of great loneliness.
They were now determined to keep him safe... and that apparently meant watching him 24 hours, 7 days a week (even though it was only a day since he came back).
Even though he was not in the best of conditions, he straight away had planned to meet Amy at the Town Square for the 'Pink and Red Strawberry' treat they had planned to eat together and he seemed very excited and eager but also, unexpectedly, nervous as he fumbled with the buttons of his red shirt he had recently changed into.
"You guys, can ya help me" King asked with his back facing them.
"Sure" they all answered in unison, not realising that they just exposed themselves.
"Wait what?" Nossan asked.
"You knew we were there" Souji asked.
"Yes, it's kinda hard not to notice people following you all morning" he smiled as he turned around to face them.
"Oh My, that was a waste of a morning" Ian sighed and laughed as they came fully into view and away from their unsuccessful hiding spot.
"But thanks for that" King said. His smile brightened up the room and they had missed that extremely. Ian moved up to king to help him with his clothes.
"Oh my, you really are getting excited for this aren't you king?" Ian said fiddling with the hood behind his head making if look neat and represent-able.
"AGHHHHHH, Kings first date" Nossan wailed expressively, acting his age and as the father figure as usual.
"Can't believe it though, Amy and king" Ian agreed, shaking his head, "everyone goes for king" he laughed slightly jealously and disappointed.
"Don't worry, even though Amy and I are now in a relationship, I won't leave you guys" he laughed a bit, "you guys are my friends and family, I will never leave you again".
"King-Dono" Utchy smiled now chuffed with himself and he felt proud that he had his modern family back.
"But even though I said that, don't follow me today" king requested from the bottom if his heart.
He begged with all his might, his hands clasped tightly under his chin and he stared at each member in turn. On this day, he didn't need them continuingly staring at him and Amy from behind a distant wall.
They looked at each other and then to Ian, who answered him with another smile and said "no worries King. We can hang out tomorrow, right".
King thanked him and thanked the rest before running out of the cafe .
Everyone was shocked at how quick he had left them and again looked at Ian who now had a mischievous glint in his eye.
He took out a battery from his pocket and placed the battery into a simply tracking device he pulled out of his pocket also. It was Kyoryuger designed with the symbol on the top and the device kicked into action when the battery was placed in the socket.
Everyone huddled around Ian as he set up this machinery and continued to watch for something to happen on the screen.
"What are we going to do about king?" Nossan asked.
"Wait a second" Ian said.
"What if he leaves with Amy-dono?" Utchy asked.
But Ian repeated, "wait a second".
"And have babies" utchy continued to worry.
"Oh my, shut up and wait" Ian shouted.
The screen was loading up and soon a screen of many options appeared .
"But I thought you said we were going to look over him or for some time at least?" Souji asked.
They were trying desperately to get an answer and Ian huffed, "If you give me a chance i'll explain" Ian said now annoyed.
"Ok" they all said raising their hands up in the air as if to say 'defeat' and waited for his explanation.
"This is a tracking device; we can follow king without him knowing".
He showed them the screen and a map appeared with a red marker moving down the street as black, green, gold and blue counters appeared also.
A pink counter was further up the map and the red one got closer and closer to its location.
"Ahhhh, clever Ian" Nossan clapped at his brilliance and bowed to his expertise.
"But where did you get it from?" Souji asked as he say at the chair, "I thought we had no contact at the moment with the spirit~base".
"Where do you think?" Ian gave him a question to answer and showed him the map where a purple counter appeared at the top of the map.
They all laughed as they realised the culprit and understood why.
"She never gives up does she, that Yuyui" Utchy laughed, "I give her that".
They all ventured out of the cafe and followed the signal of King up the empty street and continued to the town centre.
They rounded the corner to the town square where the Red and Pink counters had already met and there in the centre of the town square was King and Amy.
King ruffled his hair in an awkward way but he smiled brightly, "Aww King is nervous" Nobuharu giggled to himself from behind the wall where they all hid.
Ian, Souji and Utchy were continually staring at the screen of the tracker in Ian's hands but Nobuharu continued to stare at the real thing, sneaking cheeky glances every now and then.
"You guys, it's so cute" he continued, "Why didn't we notice they would make a good pair".
"Because we were kinda busy" Souji replied to Nossan but was too busy watching the screen to be bothered to listen and take in what he was saying.
"Oh they just held hands" he teased, "ha now that's just adorable" he smiled to himself now, "you guys, let's just leave them shall we, they need time alone".
He walked to the huddled group and was about to gently push them away when Ian shouted "MOVEMENT" and the group moved from their position into the centre square, where the two had just left up a side street.
"Really" Nossan had enough of this now, "they are on a date, let them have some privacy" he whined at the unfairness of the new cute couple, "he asked for privacy" he cried out to them, but again to no avail, they didn't listen.
"We can't protect him forever, you know" he shouted at them from behind. This caused them to stop in their tracks.
"We know that" Utchy smiled a fake smile and nodded kindly almost breaking inside after a long pause, "we know we can't protect him".
"And we know we didn't protect him before" Souji carried on.
"But we are trying our best now" Ian finished.
"Well, at least let them have a day when they can be alone, as a couple" he urged them to agree, "They aren't kids. They can protect themselves more then we can".
He turned around to walk away, "remember who we've been fighting alongside" and with that he disappeared around the corner they just came from.
This silenced them.
They knew he was right.
They knew they didn't protect him before.
They knew they couldn't protect him now.
But they also knew they could try their best, but sometimes their best isn't good enough.
-
"Maybe Nossan-Dono had a point" Utchy said as they followed the loving couple in front of them, dodging out of the pair's sight as they looked around the shops they entered.
Their held each other's hands, their arms swung playfully as they walked along the streets of shops when they finally got to a quaint cafe. The outside eating area was filled with wooden seats and tables set out surrounded with plants and trees everywhere, almost like a secret garden. The sun was just placed nicely above, but not too bright. The wind cool and calm, a perfect setting for their break.
They chose to sit in this small peaceful paradise. Amy and King sat close to each other, their arms touching and their hands still entwined.
Souji and Utchy were inside the cafe starting to feel awkward as they watched the two chatting and staring deep into each other's eyes through the window which looked out into the garden area. It became very intermit when King leaned very close to Amy's blushing cheek and whispered secrets into her ear which made her laugh and whisper back.
"This is too much Ian" they both whined like babies asking Ian who just returned with drinks in his hand, for them to leave. "Come on Ian, let's leave" Utchy suggested.
"Leave them be" Souji continued.
"Why?" Ian said, "they are ok here and we just sat down".
"But it's awkward, I'm still a "boy" as you always call me and Utchy never encountered love on the battlefield, this is awkward and new to us" Souji informed him again of their situation and their ages.
"But it's fine for me" Ian said and looked at their silent expressions as if saying its obvious. "Hay I'm not old if that's why your saying" Ian shot up and pointed his 2nd finger at them.
"But you have had many, many girlfriends" Souji answered, not even fazed by his accusing finger.
"Too many actually" both Utchy and Ian said at the same time as Ian sat down, both for different reasons which made Souji and Utchy laugh but Ian looked offended.
"Hay, you said it too" Utchy impersonated Ian's finger in Ian's face, leaving the laughing pair trying to hide their laughter.
"Then you both need to experience it, you're going to sooner or later" Ian continued seriously, ignoring their sniggers.
"Why you so nervous about King anyway" Utchy asked as Ian look out the window again.
Ian didn't answer.
"Ian, is something wrong" Souji asked.
"Is there something you're not telling us" Utchy waited more.
"Ian" they both continued to ask but Ian left no reply. He just stared at Kings side frame through the window and soon Souji and Utchy both had enough and made their attempt to escape the silence, joining Nossan back in their usual cafe.
Ian now was left alone on the table. That question that they asked him ran through his mind continuously, but he couldn't answer for he couldn't say the reason. He knew the reason and wished he never saw it but he did, he would explain later he promised.