He was normally so good at navigating his way around places he was unfamiliar with. In the mere few days he was in Sasebo, he had been able to find his way from Tatsumi Kitchen to his tiny lodgings, regardless of the fact that they were in the same building, hadn't he? He had been able to get from his house in the Utopia Colony to the shelter he was supposed to be in, hadn't he? He was able to track Yurika's car from downtown Sasebo to Nergal Headquarters in Hiratsuka on bicycle, wasn't he?

Why the hell couldn't he find his own room?

Room 3621. A small room, Mr Hory had told him, but one that was spacious enough to share with his roommate. Tenkawa Akito hadn't thought too much on the fact that he would be sharing his intimate space with someone else. He truly didn't care. He was pleased he had been able to stay on the ship after the "stunt" he pulled when the Nadesico launched on her maiden voyage just as the sun was beginning to rise. After all, he had yet to have a chance to ask Yurika about his parents, but after her devoted outburst and cries of love for him during the battle, he was dreading the confrontation.

Where in the hell was his room?

Every single hallway looked like every single other hallway in the dormitory area of the ship. The only differences, it seemed, were the numbers next to the doors and the names right underneath. Even if he was as good at finding his way around unfamiliar areas as he thought he was, there would be no way for him to find out exactly where his room was without help. As it was, he hadn't found a single person who wasn't too busy to help him find where he would be staying.

God dammit, he needed a nap. It should not have been so hard to find one fucking room.

A loud sucking, slurping noise interrupted his mental grumbles as Akito realized that he was no longer alone. Akito looked behind him and growled under his breath in exasperation. It was that... guy.

He was half-a-foot taller than Akito, but acted like half his age, with his hair styled after an anime character created nearly a hundred years ago, carrying an action figure in his red uniform, and drinking milk out of a carboard box. Yamada Jiro, or Gai Daigohji, noticed Akito at almost the same time Akito noticed him, and squeezed his fist around the box in his hand. "Oh, it's you," he said lamely, as if he had no idea what to say.

"Yeah. It's me." Akito busied himself with reading the names on the door nearest to him. He needed help, but damned if he was going to ask the guy who was so stupid he broke his own leg while showing off.

A moment of silence passed before Gai shrugged and tossed his ruined box into the nearest recycling bin, right next to one of the many vending machines strewn throughout the dorm decks of the ship. "I'm just heading back to my room. Need a nap after all the excitement today." He grinned as he passed Akito, hobbling on his single crutch.

Excitement you had no real part of. "Yeah. Me too," Akito said instead, contempt filling his voice. It wasn't as if he hated the pilot, it was just that... He was just so damn full of himself.

Gai stopped and looked behind him, one of his bushy eyebrows raised. "Um, what's taking you so long? You skipped breakfast and went straight to your room a couple of hours ago."

Full of hismelf and observant, apparently. "Yeah, so?"

Gai turned around awkwardly, leaning on his crutch to let the weight off his broken leg. "You lost or something, Fry Cook Boy?"

Akito cringed at the makeshift nickname. "For your information, we're the same age, Yamada."

"Hey, hey, hey! It's Gai, okay!" Gai swallowed his rage at Akito's use of his true name. "You really are lost, aren't ya?"

Well, there was no denying that. "So what if I am?"

Gai limpoed over to Akito, holding his now empty hand out. He wriggled his fingers. "Let me see your room card. I came early yesterday and explored the whole place; I know this ship from top to bottom now! I'll give you directions."

"I don't need directions."

"Oh, come on. I won't tell the captain. We both know she's sweet on you. I'll keep it a secret if you want."

"No, I just... I don't need your help."

"I happen to disagree." Before Akito could say another word, the card Mr. Hory scrawled his room number on was in Gai's hand. Who knew that someone who was so ultimately ungraceful could be so quick with his movements?

After yet another tense moment of silence, Gai let out a small snort. Then a giggle. He could barely stop laughing as he handed the card back to Akito.

The Martian did not find anything having to do with his card amusing and was nearly insulted, but still could not keep a smile from tugging at his own lips at Gai's unadulterated giggling. "What's so funny?"

"Nothin'. Nothin'. Just... Come on, Fry Cook Boy. I'll take you to your room. I know exactly where it is."

Oh Lord. Say it isn't so.

It was so. Only a few twists down some of the hallways Akito swore he had already traversed brought him right to Room 3621. Upon opening the door and turning on the light, Akito could tell that it was the room he was meant to be in. A futon had his bag and utensils laying upon it while his bike was parked against the wall across from the small bathroom door. But his futon wasn't the only one in the room, nor was his stuff the only stuff there.

The rest of the room seemed to be a veritable treasure trove of Gekiganger paraphenalia.

"Oh God," he said aloud, though he wasn't certain that he actually said it until he felt Gai wrap an arm around his shoulders, using him as an extra crutch as they entered the room together.

"That's right, Fry Cook Boy. Looks like good old Mr. Hory assigned us to be bunk-buddies." Once in the room, Gai sat upon his own futon, resting his crutch against the closet door. "Now listen ehre. I don't want to see you looking at, touching, or even breathing on my Gekiganger babies, okay! I spent a long time collecting this stuff, and I won't have you ruining it for any reason."

This could not be happening. "No way."

"Way, Tenkawa. Way."

Akito shut his brown eyes tightly and turned his head up to the ceiling. Wherever the Nadesico was going to go, Akito knew it was going to be a long trip.