title: Second shift

series: Engine Sentai Go-onger

rating: G, maybe PG?

characters/pairings: mostly Ren and Hiroto, but Buson gets a pair of lines.

summary: Somebody has to bring in enough money for eggs, right?

notes: Because the invisible chicken problem bothers me :V uhhh I kind of ship Hiroto/Ren (blame stuff like this :D;;) so this seemed a little bit shippy to me, but ymmv~ post-series, I have a whole little universe being born at this rate /

notes 2: I'm kinda worried about this one, because it might be misconstrued as some sort of Ren is a ~weak uke type~ thing that is a) totally not true and b) totally not what I'm going for. This is kinda cut from something I've abandoned but didn't want to let go to waste because I like the scene.

notes 3: things like this make me want to write about color dynamics but I think I'm going to make a Shirogane post instead :D

"I'm home," reported Ren quietly, slipping into Ginjiro. He was greeted by a sleeping team, and all available space on the floor occupied. He sighed, creeping over Gunpei and Hanto piled on the floor, past Sousuke on the couch, and slipped into the back, where Miu and Saki had declared dominion. He adjusted Miu's blanket, which was falling off of the extra cot to the floor, and patted Bomper's head as he hauled out the toolbox. He had work to do, the Kankan Rod had suffered some heavy damage in their last big battle and needed some repairs. Hiroto did what he could, but most of his attention was on developing new weapons under Bowhale's instruction, and Sousuke was busy keeping Ginjiro working a bit longer.

Hiroto had apparently woken up at some point, because he turned his head and nodded to Ren from the passenger seat. Ren slid into the driver's seat and pushed the seat back with practiced ease, perching the toolbox on his knee and hefting the Kankan Rod. "Sousuke, why are you never careful," murmured Ren fondly, working on removing the side panel to get at the Engine soul interface.

"Ren," whined Buson, from his pocket, "you need to go to bed, not work more, on on!"

"Just as soon as I finish this, Buson," replied Ren patiently, continuing his work.

"You took out three Bankiju!"

"…you took out three Bankiju?" asked Hiroto sharply.

Ren frowned momentarily at his jacket pocket. "Just average ones," he reassured Hiroto, continuing his work, "and it was an accident, they were outside the diner. They had some Bikkurium, I left it in the back."

Normally Hiroto would be overjoyed that his newest project (using Bikkurium in their weaponry to up the ante against their enemies) could continue swimmingly. Instead…"you didn't think to call anyone?" He seemed upset.

Ren blinked at him. "Sousuke would just get everyone all riled up over nothing," he answered, plainly.

Hiroto looked like he wanted to say something else, but he settled down, glaring at the dashboard as if it had done something to personally offend him. Ren, long used to Hiroto's moods by now, continued working.

It was some time later when he finally finished, yawning and rubbing at his eyes tiredly, and when he turned to put the toolbox down and get some rest, he realized Hiroto was still awake, eyes following Ren under the mass of his hair.

"Hiroto, you should sleep," said Ren, sighing.

Hiroto gave him that look he always gave him when he'd said something particularly ridiculous; Ren shrugged it off, since whenever they weren't talking shop he tended to get that look, and settled for trying to get in some sleep.