Sen was used to being overlooked. In some ways, he preferred being the "quiet" male member of the Dekarangers. Hoji and Ban could fight it out over whatever it is they were fighting over that day and Tetsu could wave his gold badge and Boss could brandish his sword...but Sen was Sen. He knew what he contributed was valuable and that was good enough for him.

Sometimes, well, sometimes he wished he could be as suave as Hoji or brash as Ban. Especially after Umeko's experience with her "ideal man." Smashing that creature's head into the pavement was one of the most satisfying experiences of his life, Sen realized afterward, which made him feel...strange. He felt different, but was unable to quantify precisely what had changed.

He talked to Swan about it, but she wasn't a lot of help. She smiled into her tea and suggested he might want to talk to Umeko. But he talked to Umeko every day while they were patrolling, so that didn't seem very helpful. Besides, Umeko had made it clear to everyone—in her own inimitable way—that she wasn't interested in discussing what had happened. (Ban and Tetsu still had the bruises on their shins.)

And then Umeko told everyone her horoscope said she'd find love and she looked at him ithat way/i and, well, Sen was used to being overlooked, so it took him 18 minutes to connect the two things.

When he finally did, he nearly drove off the road.

"Sen!" Umeko said as he swerved back into his lane. "What's wrong?"

Shooting a quick glance at her, Sen felt his stomach clench. "Er...nothing."

At that point, Sen realized that this was what love felt like and he gripped the steering wheel harder. Swan could have just said so, instead of making him figure it out. Who knew she could be so cruel?

And Umeko, could she love him? How did he even figure that out?

The problem was that Sen had no idea what he was supposed to do now. He was supposed to be the clever one, so...how was he going to figure it out?

***********************************************************

Umeko was used to everyone seeing her as naïve and flighty. Swan was the smart one and Jasmine was the calm one and...Umeko didn't want to be them, but sometimes she wished everyone didn't assume she was dumb.

At least Sen saw that while she might always look cheerful, she could be hurt, and hurt deeply. He'd held her and told her she didn't have to try and be strong and she'd needed that.

Umeko had no idea what she was supposed to do with these feelings for Sen. How could this have happened? Sen was...Sen. He was supposed to be funny and warm and her partner and...

That was exactly the problem. All the things she'd thought about That Alien could describe Sen too. He was nice and sweet and made her smile and his hands felt so wonderful and warm. She was never going to believe in an ideal man again, but Sen was a good man, she knew that for certain.

He'd been so angry that someone might hurt her. How could a girl not fall for that?

Pouting, she splashed her hands in the tub and watched the water bob up and down. Sen cared about her, but did he love her?

***********************************************************

Sen had seen his friends engage in romance, but after careful consideration didn't believe he could garner any useful tips from his observations of them.

He tried his usual methods of research, but found them woefully lacking in the department of love.

He tried reading novels but found them woefully lacking in the department of reality. (Although after the third, he began to understand the appeal of their unrealism. It was surprisingly pleasant to imagine himself as a gentleman and Umeko as his lady.)

He had no real breakthrough until one afternoon, sitting at the table in the meeting room, when he happened to glance up just as Swan brought Boss a snack. She brushed a hand across his back as she put it down and he looked up at her.

Sen blinked, flushed, and hurriedly looked down. Of course. Perhaps he could learn something from their relationship, which had endured—he stopped to think—at least ten years.

What did Swan and Boss do? Other than look at each other in a way that (again!) he couldn't quantify, but made his stomach feel strange? Swan brought Boss tea and cookies and made the machines that helped them. She stood beside Boss and talked to him. Boss was notoriously protective of Swan, but he also wanted her to have professional acclaim. He made sure she was able to accept her award.

They wanted each other to be happy. Sen frowned. Well, that was clear enough. What made Umeko happy?

***********************************************************

Umeko licked an ice cream cone and watched people going by. She'd chased men before, but nobody like Sen. Nobody who meant as much to her or knew her as well.

Oh. She frowned at the ice cream. That was important.

It seemed odd to want to date someone who was her friend.

"Umeko?" Sen said, sitting in the seat opposite her.

She jumped. "Hi!" she said brightly, trying to cover her surprise.

He looked at her ice cream. "I was going to buy that for you."

"Oh!" She looked at the cone, then at him. "That's okay. Next time."

"Definitely next time."

There was an awkward silence and Umeko stared at her ice cream, panicking. How could they have nothing to say? They talked all the time on patrol! They knew all the same people! This was going all wrong.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Sen leaned forward, looking worried.

"Nothing! Nothing's wrong!"

Reaching out, Sen tapped the hand holding the ice cream, which she had squeezed so hard, the cone was crushed into small pieces. She flushed in embarrassment as he dampened some napkins and helped her clean up.

"You know you can talk to me about whatever's bothering you, right?" he asked quietly.

She nodded, swallowing as he took her sticky hand and gently wiped off all the ice cream. He was focused entirely on the task, leaving her feeling less embarrassed and more cared for. It was really...nice. Her face was still warm, but for a different reason.

"All better," he said finally, with a smile.

Umeko thought she might have stopped breathing when she saw the way he was looking at her.

***********************************************************

Sen wasn't entirely how he'd ended up holding Umeko's hand in public. No, that wasn't correct. He remembered the chain of events but he wasn't sure why he was still holding her hand, except that she was looking at him that way again and her hand felt really nice, even if it was damp and still slightly sticky.

Scrambling mentally, he tried to remember what he was supposed to do. Buying her one of her favorite treats had already gone totally wrong.

"Do you want to take a walk?" he asked, desperate to break the silence.

She nodded furiously and they cleared the table. Outside, they turned toward the water and started to walk. Sen was amused to notice they'd both automatically dropped into a steady patrol stride, but he wasn't sure he knew how to walk any other way by now.

After a block, Umeko slowed, then stopped to lean against the railing and look off toward the ocean. Sen stopped beside her, waiting. It hurt to see her so quiet and part of him was afraid he'd done something wrong. She should be bouncing, talking, laughing...not staring wistfully at the waves.

He didn't know what he was supposed to do now, so he waited.

***********************************************************

Umeko felt like she was sleepwalking. She'd thought she would dazzle Sen with a brilliant plan to catch a criminal or seduce him in her room or maybe just drag him into a corner and kiss him, but here she was with a sticky hand and an ice cream stain on her sleeve and maybe this really was a terrible idea.

"Maybe this was a terrible idea," she blurted out, turning toward him. His eyes went wide. "I mean, you're so amazing and I really like you but I don't know..." She wasn't sure what she meant to say and tears blurred her eyes, which she wiped away angrily.

Reaching out, he took her hands and held them inside his. "It's okay to not know what to do. I don't either."

"I don't want to be sad and alone," she said with a sniffle.

"I don't want you to be either."

"I guess that's a good start," she said.

***********************************************************

Sen could barely breathe. "Umeko..."

She looked up at him. "Yes?"

"I want...I want to keep you company. I mean, I want to be with you." She didn't say anything for a long moment and Sen started to panic. "If that's not what you want, then I'm sorry and-"

Umeko stretched up and grabbed his shoulders, drawing him down into a long kiss.

When she let go, Sen managed to say, "That's a yes?"

Her smile was radiant. "Yes."

"Oh good," he said, letting out a relieved breath.

Umeko threw herself against him, just as she had that day, but this time she was laughing and Sen couldn't help laughing with her as he held her tight.

Sen was used to being overlooked, but today, being quiet and persistent was the best thing in the world, because Umeko could really see him.

***********************************************************

Umeko felt Sen's arms around her and finally understood what it meant to love and be loved.

Sen knew her. He knew her good moods and bad moods. He'd seen her be smart and he'd seen her do dumb things. He already knew her strengths and weaknesses.

Unlike some men, he wasn't just trying to get her into bed, he wasn't going to force her to be someone different, and he loved her the way she was.

She felt the same about him. She loved her smart and quirky upside-down thinking Sen and there wasn't a thing she would change.

Umeko was used to people thinking she was naïve and flighty, but Sen knew better and that was enough.

***********************************************************

Months later, Umeko was opening and closing drawers in Sen's quarters, looking for her hairbrush, when she found it. Tucked carefully into a box, obviously cleaned up and cared for...it was the doll she'd made. The doll That Alien had stomped on, just as he'd stomped on her heart.

Umeko must have a made a sound, because Sen looked up in alarm. "What's wrong?"

Trembling, she pulled it out.

"Oh!" He winced. "I'm sorry. I should have...I couldn't bring myself to destroy it because it represents you. I didn't mean for you to see it. I didn't want to remind you-"

"It's okay," she said, patting the hair. "It's yours now. I don't mind." She gently put it back.

"I wanted you to be with me always," Sen said.

Filled with unbearable joy, she looked at her wonderful, caring, amazing Sen. "I will be."

-end-