A/N: Here's the next part. And this time, it's Takeru/Chiaki. Enjoy! Shinkenger- appare!

They all look to Takeru with hesitant expressions. They know it's their duty to follow the princess no matter what and that they have to back her up in battle but all they want is to just stay here for another minute with their lord…their real lord.

"Hurry! I'll follow," Takeru insists, still feeling a little guilty about deceiving them. Even with their words, them alone can't force this guiltiness out of him. It hurts more than the injuries he suffered last night by the hands of Juzo. But then they all smile at him and the feeling eases up a bit. Mako's motherly smile…Kotoha's lighthearted grin… Ryunosuke's passionate beam…

And Chiaki's smirk that he somehow finds adorable.

"Okay!" They chorus and after grinning at him one last time, the blue, pink, and yellow Shinkengers start to run off towards the Sechu Forest. Chiaki, however, lags behind.

"What are you doing? You need to help the others," commands Takeru in his leader voice. Even though minutes before he had said he was no longer their lord, he still felt an urge to order them around. And the fact he knows it gets on Chiaki's nerves only adds to his amusement.

"Um…about before," Chiaki mutters, scowling. He hates stumbling over his words but this is turning out harder than he had thought. "Um…does your, um, does your face hurt?" Takeru lifts one hand to his cheek, finding it tender. It is fine now, the pain having since faded. He was more surprised than hurt anyway.

"Don't doge, you baka!" Chiaki yells, recklessly throwing another punch and hitting Takeru on his left cheek, knocking him down. He rolls over a couple times, feeling scattered leaves tangling in his hair.

"Chiaki!" Kotoha runs over to the fallen man and puts her hand on his shoulder and looks at Takeru with concern. Her touch is gentle and soothing. But Takeru can only stare up at the green Shinkenger with surprise, feeling a bruise forming. Usually he would be ignorant at Chiaki's brashness, considering all the other wounds he already has. But this time, he is so shocked that he can't even bring himself to glare. He ignores the twinges of pain as Chiaki stares at his fist, unable to believe what he had just done. He feels slightly ashamed. Mako and Ryunosuke come over to join them, Mako looking amused and Ryunosuke, for once, with a blank face. Mako shakes her head and nudges Ryunosuke, snapping him out of his thoughts. She gives him a small smile.

"The lie's out in the open now," says Chiaki, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "So don't say that anymore." He shuffles his feet but looks Takeru dead in the eye. "Don't say that you are nothing!"The unspoken words hover in the air, a meaning only the two of them understand.

Because you are everything to me.

"If you were nothing, then we wouldn't have come here!" Chiaki looks like he's about to cry. And Chiaki never cries.

He had made that perfectly clear when they first met. He had a devil-may-care attitude about him, sassy, and a rebel which includes being tough. But Takeru had never seen him like this, with so much hurt on his face.

Seeing Chiaki like this…it hurts more than the blow.

"Of course it hurts," he answers. "But thanks for asking anyway." There's silence for a few seconds. Takeru waits for the other to say something. It will probably be sarcastic, knowing Chiaki. The green Shinkneger runs a hand through his auburn hair.

"You deserved it, you know," says Chiaki. Takeru raises an eyebrow, finding Chiaki's bluntness a welcome relief from what has happened in the last few days. Finally, something normal. "Being a baka and all."

"I thought you were the baka of this team," Takeru retorts crossly, naturally falling into the other's teasing. "Just because I wasn't your true lord-"

"Drop it," says Chiaki flatly, narrowing his eyes, the mere thought of it making him feel ill. "It doesn't matter anymore." Takeru closes his mouth but continues to stare at the other. The newly-risen sun glints off of his hair, making it look even brighter. It reflects off of his green clothes too, making them seem almost neon. For the first time, Takeru is seeing true hurt depicted in Chiaki's eyes…but it's not for him. He's hurting for his lost lord.

Chiaki nudges a few blades of grass with his foot, not liking how this stupid lie is making Takeru feel so sad. Now that he thinks about it, he recalls never seeing Takeru so downtrodden or ashamed. All because of a stupid lie, his last defense between them now crumbled. What can he do to make this better?
An impish thought enters his mind and he lets the corners of his lips pull upwards, the slyness of it astounding even him.

"I can think of something that would help it," Chiaki says after a few more moments of silence, continuing to gaze at the ground. Takeru looks at him in confusion.

"What's your idea?" asks Takeru, interested to what the other had been thinking. There's suddenly a mischievous look in the other's eyes that he catches sight of but Takeru doesn't mind it, just glad that the pain is gone.

Chiaki steps forward until he's inches from Takeru. They're almost the same height, with Takeru being only a little taller. Chiaki smirks at him. The other's breathing heightens but he tries to conceal it, not wanting him to know the effect he has.

"This." He leans forward and very softly brushes his lips across Takeru's cheek before pulling back, the smirk still present.

Takeru feels his slight pain melt away instantly at the other's gentle touch. Chiaki is one to give him pain and then to take it away just as easily. But he doesn't mind it. Craves it, even.

The red Shinkenger reaches out and pulls Chiaki closer to him, letting their foreheads rest against the other's. "That did help."

A wind skips past them, causing them both to shiver slightly even in their coats and layers of clothing. It ruffles their hair and Takeru can't help but think how attractive Chiaki looks with his hair tousled. It makes him look…older, more mature, tougher. Everything he knows Chiaki wants to be like.

He debates telling him this but before he opens his mouth, Chiaki responds to his previous statement, laughter in his eyes.

"I bet." Chiaki places his arms around Takeru's neck and sighs deeply, contently. His bangs tickle Takeru a little. "But is it still hurting?"

His voice causes Takeru to smile, his first real smile in days as he hears these words. The muscles feel a little strained at first but looking directly at Chiaki helps them relax. He knows where this is going in the other's mind and is in no position to stop it. "Just a little."

"Shall I kiss it again then?" Chiaki laughs and leans in, gently pressing his lips to Takeru's cheek once again. Even though his skin is tender, the soft touch of Chiaki's mouth doesn't hurt him at all, only making him feel so, so warm inside.

He's grateful for the chill in the air because if this had been during summer or spring, he would surely be sweating so much right now. Even though he does feel a little warm anyway, it's a comfortable warmth.

Takeru turns his head to the side as Chiaki's lips slide over his face, finally connecting with his own. Chiaki pulls back immediately

"Hey! Cheater," he pouts, frowning. Takeru lets the ghost of a smile pass over his lips before he uses one hand to wrap around the back of Chiaki's neck and bring him closer.

"It's not like you ever took your lessons seriously anyway," Takeru points out. Chiaki huffs in annoyance but he's just messing with Takeru-he'd never refuse one of his kisses because they come few and far between. Although he is getting better after Chiaki's constant prodding's. There's only so much one can stand before they have to crumble. And Chiaki knows Takeru will cave sooner or later.

"Point taken." Chiaki concedes. It's a very true statement anyhow. He said it was an inconvenience that he hasn't beaten him yet and that's true but they both know the real reason-he couldn't stand seeing him like that and he really did just want his lord to stay with him. And if this is what had to be done to make him stay, so be it.

"Although…" he starts but what he is about to say slips away from him as Takeru once again presses his lips to Chiaki's.