Disclaimer: Not mine

Notes: Crossover with Mirai Sentai Timeranger, crack pairing. This is supposed to take place after Timeranger, but there aren't any major spoilers.

--

Katie was starting to really, really not like this Domon guy.

She didn't doubt that he hadn't come here out of his own free will: after all, who would choose to fall out of a dimensional rip several hundred feet from the ground? And even if his outfit (seeing someone else in the yellow suit was one of the, if not the most surreal experience in her life) and his story (which was starting to sound eerily like their own until Jen had shut him up, saying that if they knew too much it might mess up the time lines of both their worlds) was more than a little suspicious... Trip said he was telling the truth, and that was enough for her.

None of them spoke any Japanese, but Domon's dimension's version of Standard was close enough to their own for carrying on conversations. Wes looked like he was going to have a problem with communication... but it turned out Domon knew a little English. "I was a pro fighter. I fought opponents all over the galaxy," he had explained with more than a little pride in his voice. "After awhile, you pick up a language or five." When it became obvious Trip wasn't going to find Domon a way back to his own world anytime soon, Jen decided to send him out on odd jobs-- and he turned out to be a good worker, albeit a little lazy. Time passed, and it was starting to seem like Domon had always lived at the Clock Tower with them.

And that irritated Katie to no end.

Domon and Wes got along fairly well. Trip adored him, much to her dismay. Jen still seemed a little wary, but if she was willing to let him work, Katie was guessing most of the wariness had passed. He and Lucas were still at each other's throats... but Lucas was a pain in the backside, so she couldn't really blame him.

But if he didn't stop hitting on her, she was going to hit on him-- literally.

Seriously, he was starting to make Lucas look like a monk. It seemed like every time she bumped into him he was asking her out or trying to impress her with stories from his pro fighting days...

"I can lift a small car over my head. He's going to have to come up with some pretty good stories if he wants to impress me."

"You say something, Katie?" Domon glanced at her over his shoulder as they turned a corner.

She did her best to smile. "No. No, just thinking out loud."

If he picked up on the hint of nervousness in her voice, it didn't show as he grinned back at her. "You got first date jitters, don't you? Don't worry, I got something special planned for us." His grin widened as he led them down the street.

Katie resisted the urge to smack herself and/or Domon. How did I get myself into this mess?

Because she wanted Trip to be able to work in peace, that was why. They'd had an unusually slow morning, and Trip decided to take advantage of it by trying to find Domon a way home-- but having Domon leaning over him as he worked, asking him all sort of questions wasn't helping. Trip liked him, and Trip was patient, but Katie knew that his even his patience knew its bounds. So she'd steeled herself and asked Domon if he wanted some fresh air. That was all she'd said to him, really. But somehow he'd gotten it through that thick head of his that she'd finally given into his charm or whatever.

"Here we go." Katie looked around at the plaza near the center of the city Domon had taken her to. It was actually pretty nice: quiet with lots of sunlight, and a fountain near the center of the plaza. Domon perched on the edge of the fountain and patted the space next to him.

I am so going to regret this in the morning. Katie racked her brain, trying to think of something that would keep Domon occupied long enough so Trip could get his work done... but then she noticed that Domon was being strangely quiet.

"... What's wrong?"

Domon had been staring at the fountain intently, so it took a moment for her words to reach him. When they did, he grinned again, but it was different from before. There was no trace of the big, goofy guy who kept flirting with her in it. "Oh, I was thinking about how if Sion were here I'd have to spend all my time keeping him from playing in the water."

Okay, that was someone Domon had never mentioned before. "Who's Sion?"

"Our team's Green." The grin had a hint of fondness in it now. "Trip reminds me so much of him sometimes it's a little scary-- but, uh, I should probably shut up before Jen kills me for breaking time and space, right?"

"I don't think telling me how much you miss your friends will destroy the time line."

Domon sighed heavily as he took off his wool cap, keeping his eyes fixed on it as he ran his fingers over the fabric. "When we went on our mission, I had to leave my family behind. I'd never been away from home for a week, but now they were asking me to stay in some place I knew nothing about, live with strangers and fight their battles for them." He tried grinning again, but it was so weak she could barely tell what it was supposed to be. "I didn't handle it very well at first."

Katie frowned as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. This was a side of Domon that she had never seen before... and it was a side she was starting to sympathize with. "So, I'm guessing your friends became your new family."

"Yeah, that's it. I probably would've stayed crazy if it weren't for Sion, and Tatsuya helped us stay alive. Yuuri was great too, once she warmed up to you, and Ayase... don't get me wrong, I miss him more than anything, but--"

"Let me guess: Ayase is to you what Lucas is to me?"

The smile was almost real again. "Exactly."

Katie decided to ignore the fact that if that were true, then this Sion character was to Domon what Trip was to her... "Missing them must be driving you crazy."

"Exactly." Domon gripped the cap tightly. "I'm just so sick of losing them over and over..." Then he tugged the hat back on and stood up, giving her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

Domon stared at a spot next to her as he scratched his head. "Well, listening to me mope isn't much of a date, is it?"

Katie stood up and gave him a peck on cheek. "I loved it."

"... Really?"

"Yes, really. Now try to cheer up, okay? Trip's a genius, he'll figure out a way to bring you back to your friends. I promise."

The smile was finally real again as he rested his forehead against hers. "I'll try."

"Great!" Katie grabbed him in a tight hug... and then noticed something was off.

"I'm not breaking your ribs?"

"No, actually I'm pretty comfortable."

Katie laughed lightly as she held Domon a little closer. Maybe they really were more alike than she'd thought.