Everyone was out and about on the Gokai Galleon in the morning. Don had found that the Zangyack home world was only two days away. Joe was training vigorously for what could be ahead. Luka was stashing away any and all jewelry, in fears that Marvelous would make her sell a ring (or four) to gain some of a planet's currency. Gai was simply being enthusiastic about going onto a new planet, and what adventures he would chronicle in the Super Sentai encyclopedia. Ahim sat next to Luka on the couch preparing tea.
Captain Marvelous was simply sitting in his chair, his usual carefree, tired expression concealing his anxiety about his new-found "relationship" with Ahim. Knowing her, it wouldn't be long before word got out, in what would no doubt be the most embarassing way possible. He HAD to let his crew know, but how would he do it? Figuring out Basco's next move on Earth was easier. Did all men have to go through this for love?
Anyway, as if to avoid the inevitable, his thoughts drifted to why he was out on the beak head last night in the first place. It was the anniversary. He tried not to think of the violence, the screaming, or the fire. Instead, he tried to think of her message to seize his dreams, to be the greatest Kaizoku ever, and if the universe allowed, take down the Zangyack that had been the cause of all their pain…..
"I'm always here," she said, pointing to his heart, and putting the locket necklace in his hand. "I love you, my beautiful….."
"Marvelous-san". He snapped back into reality, away from his memories. Joe was doing clap push-ups, Luka was categorizing jewelry, Don and Gai were in the kitchen, and Navi was setting the table. "Ahim".
"Marvelous, I was talking about to Luka just now. Relationships go in a specific order to ensure a stable union. First, there's an initial attraction. Next, one person asks the other person for a date, and then at a later point in time, the date commences. Some small physical affection may occur, and a haze of communication referring to commitment follows. Finally, a kiss is perfomed which confirms said relationship….."Before Marvelous could stand up and stop Ahim from letting it all out, his fears finally came to fruition.
"We went from the initial attraction, jumped to the some physical affection, and then the kiss!"
The whole Galleon froze. Joe missed a push up on the clap and landed face first. Navi, Gai, and Don were carrying dishes of Korean barbecue, and all three collapsed to the floor with the food. Luka dropped a pearl necklace and stared.
"EEEHHH!?
In an instant, the whole crew surrounded the new "couple". Ahim and Marvelous. Sure, Marvelous may have shown some initial liking, but "physical affection" to "kiss"? What in the god forsaken universe did THAT mean?
"Ahim!? MARVELOUS-SAN!? cried Don and Navi, who could only ramble and repeat that phrase endlessly.
"I had to see to believe it," uttered Joe, who simply paced the floor.
"GOKAIPINK AND GOKAIRED? A CAPTAIN WITH A CREW MEMBER!? IT'S ONE THING FOR REGULAR PIRATES TO DO THIS, BUT BETWEEN SUPER SENTAI MEMBERS!? I MEAN, GOSEIGERS, JETMAN, AND MEGARANGERS MAY HAVE HAD SOMETHINGS AMONGST CERTAIN MEMBERS, BUT…..BUT…" went the ever flamboyant Gai, jumping and running across the room.
"Ahim-san! You are a woman of grace and dignity!" Luka turned to Marvelous, grabbed his collar, and leaned toward him threateningly. "How DARE you use such an innocent, beautiful, trusting girl for your own sick, twisted pleasure! You may be a Kaizoku, but I swear, I should take the Galleon Buster and Rising Strike your ass so hard you'll look like Tokyo after a GokaiOh battle!
Amidst all the chaos, Ahim was trying to control and explain everything to Luka. Marvelous tried to sit in his chair and drown it all out, but the noise and the antics finally proved to be too much.
In a way only a true Kaizoku would, Captain Marvelous stood up, walked to the edge of the room before the flight of stairs down, and screamed out to the room: "CREW! ATTENTION!"
In an instant everyone from left to right - Joe, Ahim, Luka, Don, Gai, even Navi - stood perfectly still at attention in a line. Don and Gai were not used to such commands, and their knees began to wiggle. " DID I COMMAND YOU AT EASE?! ARE YOU NOT AT ATTENTION?! THEN BE, AT, 'ATTENTION!
The room shook with his voice, and everyone was perfectly still. And suddenly, with complete gentleness and care, his eyes turned sincere at GokaiPink. "Ahim", he said, reaching out his left hand. Ahim went forward and grasped it with her left hand. Unexpectedly, he brought her in close to him, and gently caressed her back. Everyones' eyes started to widen when Ahim simply embraced him and closed her eyes…
"ARE YOU NOT STILL, AT, ATTENTION!?"
The whole Gokai Galleon must have reverberated. Closing his eyes, and taking a deep breath, he looked his crew in the eyes, as he started to explain what had happened the night before.
"Last night I was star-gazing, and Ahim wanted to see why. We watched together, talked, and… we kissed. We want to do this. We are willing to learn about this as we go on. No sex, just a kiss. So… there." There was an awkward silence filling the air. "Jesus, at ease!"
They crew nearly collapsed after their captain's sudden use of his authority. But somehow, there was still much much more to "discuss". "So, Ahim tamed the wild Captain and Kaizoku, eh?" teased Gai. Don chipped in. "'Oh Ahim, YOU are the greatest treasure in the universe, at least to me!" Gai and Don's chuckling only got worse when Navi joined them. "Oh, princess Ahim, let this romantic rogue take you away, to sail the stars, though none will ever compare the ones in your eyes!"
Ahim blushed, Joe and Luka smiled wide, and Don, Gai and Navi were having the time of their lives. One could only imagine how uncomfortable Marvelous was getting.
"Don! Gai! Navi! Clean up this mess and make me some real food! CAPTAIN'S ORDERS!"
The three stooges (or whatever Marvelous called them in his mind) dashed out of the room with the mess and got to the kitchen. Ahim simply looked at Marvelous nervously and innocently. He could only smile with sympathy and reassurance, and would have kissed her cheek had the others in the room not interrupted.
"Well, well, well," said Joe. "I've thought about it, but never imagined it." "It's good you two didn't get too crazy on the first night….." teased Luka. Before anyone could react, Marvelous got somewhat antsy. "Luka! Ahim is not one of those space prostitutes who parade the planets selling those kind of crabs! Just think about calling her that again!"
Everyone in the room was silent. Then, like a speck of light in complete darkness, an innocent question grabbed everyone's attention. "You really want to defend me like king would his queen, won't you?" Even Joe and Marvelous felt a little warm-hearted at that sentiment. A unison "Ahh…" from Luka and kitchen was emitted. "Well, going back to the initial conversation, there are steps that Ahim and you need to fulfill," Luka smirked. "It might not too late for you two to go through the initiation process of a relationship." Marvelous staggered back, not entirely sure where Luka was going with this. "Lunch is ready!" fired the kitchen cooks. Everyone gathered at the table, Joe at one end, facing the navigation screen, Luka at the other end, Don and Gai were on one side facing away from the windows, and Captain Marvelous and Ahim were facing the windows. But regardless, all eyes centered on the new couple, and snickers and giggles were all around. Marvelous was NOT getting out of this one alive….
"Marvelous!" Luka snapped. "What do you think you are doing?" He stared, completely confused, and somewhat irritated. "When your girlfriend is about to sit down, you pull the chair out for her!" Don, Gai and Navi - who was on Joe's chair - puffed their giggles. "Huh?" Marvelous had NO idea what she was talking about. "Like this" said Joe. "Ahim, would you please stand up so our captain may learn?" "Hai!" Ahim left her seat and Joe pushed it back in. Luka decided to be part of the lesson. "Now Marvelous-san,"lifting Marvelous out by his shoulder, "Ahim-san is about to sit. Grab her chair, and pull it back." He complied, somewhat unsure. "Ahim, you can sit down now." "Okay, Luka-san." As she sat, Joe concluded the lesson. "Now Marvelous, push her chair in to the table." How simple, he thought as he pushed Ahim's chair in. The whole crew applauded. "Yay! Way to go, Marvelous!" He sat back down in his seat, unamused.
"So, Marvelous, when are you going to ask her on a date?" As if Marvelous wasn't embarrassed enough already. It was only noon, for Christ's sake! "Heh, Ahim-san, want to go on a date?" Marvelous casually asked. "Hai!" shhe enthusiastically replied. However, a "TH-WACK" greeted the back of Marvelous' head along with Ahim's response. "Marvelous, BA-GA!" How long was everyone going to bug him, he thought? Was EVERYONE out to get him? "You can't just ask her casually like that! You need to be proper, like Ahim! Say 'Ahim-san, would you like to go out to dinner with me?'" Both Ahim and Marvelous simply stared at Luka, and in unison asked "You have dinner on a date?" Everyone -sans Joe - fell out of their chair with a "AAAHHHHH!" Marvelous and Ahim were genuinely confused, but when Marvelous saw that Joe was putting his hand against his forehead, he knew he was going to get it. "Marvelous, on a date, you and your "date" usually have a private dinner, and then you two are supposed to get to know each other," he explained. "It happens on every 'first date'". "Ohhh….." stated the clueless lovers.
"Okay, Marvelous" said Luka, who brought Marvelous out of his chair. "You go up to Ahim-san," continued Joe, who was getting her Ahim of of her seat. "Reach out and hold both of her hands," chimed Gai, whom Marvelous followed (he was now getting lessons from a Super Sentai fanboy who could probably NEVER hold a conversation with a woman; just Final Wave me, he thought!), "And you ask her out for dinner!" concluded Don.
Both Joe and Luka looked at the three stooges (as they were now called) and pointed to the staircase by the navigation system. Don, Gai, and Navi complied. Joe signaled towards Luka. "But I want to be there when the romance blooms!" "Come on… " he said, pulling her elbow. Joe always had Marvelous' back. "And we actually go to a room where they can't hear us!" was heard as he entered the hallway.
Marvelous and Ahim were left standing there, holding each other hands. "Ahim-san," he asked. "Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?" But instead of smiling, she looked troubled. "Marvelous-san, are you embarrassed by me? Am… am I a burden that you no longer wish to carry?" She looked down at the floor with nothing but shame. "Oh Ahim," he reassured her, lifting her chin up. "It's just them being themselves that got under my skin. It was always your enthusiasm and courage to speak your mind that I enjoyed and stood by." She looked up, to that sly-yet-dashing grin and that animalistic, spiky hair. It was so….. strong. Handsome. Reckless. Mother would never approve of such a suitor. "I'd love to have dinner with you tonight!" And with that, they embraced.
"YAY!" emerged an excited crew. "I thought you weren't supposed to hear us!" snapped an irritated Captain. "Who cares?" argued Joe. "Anyway, Don, Gai, Navi….. what will you cook for them?" asked a giddy Luka. "Heh, it's Marvelous' date! He can cook his own food!" complained Don. "Hai! I'd love to see Marvelous cook up some of his own food for once! The dumpster would look delicious by comparison" joked Gai. "Whatever Marvelous cooks," chimed Navi, "will probably escape the kitchen, and eat Marvelous and Ahim whole!" Before they could continue joking, Don and Gai froze at a pair of angry eyes. Their Captain grabbed both of them by their collars and hoisted them up by at least a foot-and-a-half. "If you two don't cook a Good, Romantic dinner for me and my girlfriend, I WILL PERSONALLY THROW BOTH OF YOU INTO A BLACK HOLE, AND YOU WILL BE CRUSHED INTO NOTHING BUT SPACE-DUST, AND YOU WILL SCATTER THE VAST EMPTINESS OF SPACE WHERE YOU EVENTUALLY WILL LAND ON THE GALLEON'S ROOF, AND BE CRUSHED AGAIN BY THE HEELS OF MY BOOTS!"
He dropped them both, and all they saw was the hellfire emiting from Marvelous' eyes. That is, until the voice of an angel whispered from the heavens and into her hands. "Marvelous-san just called me his girlfriend…."she blushed. A unison of "Awww…." resonated the room. Marvelous simply wrapped his arm around Ahim. He was in complete reassurance. The next time the Galleon needed re-painting, he would simply use Don and Gai's blood, and their limbs would be perfect brushes with which to spread said paint…