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The first time Jan kisses him, it's a caring peck on the cheek as he tucks him into his sleeping bag. It's kind of weird, being cared for like that when he's been alone for so long, but Retsu figures he must have learned it from watching Miki put her daughter to bed, so he thinks nothing of it as he falls into a warm slumber, a tingle on his cheek and in his heart.
The second time Jan kisses him, he kisses both he and Ran in quick succession, big noisy smacks on the lips while bouncing around in joy after a particularly tough battle. Retsu reels, cheeks scarlet and mind racing. Ran just laughs. She brushes it off easily, passes it off as “just Jan being Jan”, but Retsu's heart doesn't stop pounding even after the adrenaline fades and they're all back at HQ getting patched up. He's exhausted and hungry but he can't sleep, can't eat. Miki raises an eyebrow when she finds him running on the treadmill well past midnight.
“What has our handsome Retsu all worked up this time?”
Her warm voice startles Retsu out of his thoughts and he nearly stumbles, but he steps off the treadmill without incident and quickly bows to her. He's never been able to hide anything from her, and he knows she wouldn't want him to either, more of a mother figure than anyone he's ever had in his life, so he takes a deep breath and... sinks to his knees. He can't do it after all. His cheeks, already red from exertion, burn even more from embarrassment, and Miki lays a steady hand on his shaking back.
“Is this about Jan?”
She's always been able to see right through him. He nods mutely, grateful that his long hair hides the tears starting to well in his eyes. He's still the sensitive crybaby his brother always said he was, even after all this time, and it makes him feel sick at himself. Why is he crying? What is there to be upset about?
“I thought it might be.” Miki sits down next to him on the floor and pulls him into a one-armed hug, and that's all it takes to set off the waterworks. She holds him steady as he blubbers through all his confused thoughts and coos softly to him until he stops sobbing and hyperventilating enough to form coherent sentences again.
“So, you're upset that Jan kissed you? I don't think that's it, Retsu.”
It's not. He takes a deep, stuttering breath, and calms his mind, Miki's warm, strong arm around his shoulders anchoring him to reality.
“I think I’m falling in love with him.” he confesses, and takes himself by surprise. He swears that's not what he meant to say. He meant to say that Jan confuses him, that he's annoying and noisy and brash and ruining their Triangle, so why would he want to kiss him? But the words have left his lips now, he can't take them back. More to the point, he realises that despite what he wanted to say, this is what he meant.
“Oh, Retsu…” Miki pulls him into a proper hug, kissing his forehead and holding him tight until his breathing steadies out to match hers, then lifts them both to their feet. “Come on, let's get something to eat.”
Retsu nods and Miki waits for him as he goes to wash his face. Cuts and bruises and now puffy red eyes and a runny nose. He looks like a wreck. He's in the middle of trying vainly to fix his hair when Miki speaks from outside the bathroom door.
“You know, you shouldn't think so hard about these things. You have to know that Jan loves you too, why else would he kiss you?”
Retsu almost pulls a chunk of his hair out.
“Now hurry up, I'm starving.”
The next time Jan kisses him, he asks first.
“Can I kiss you, Retsu? I want to kiss you. Can I kiss you? Can I? Can I?”
He's bouncing up and down on an exercise ball and Retsu just wants him to shut up so he can finish reading, so he says yes without paying attention to what he's actually asking.
Jan bowls him over and is pressing their lips together in a split second. Ran bursts out laughing and splits them up after noticing that Retsu is frozen on the spot.
“Jan, you can't just nag until he says yes! It should be a decision made by both people!” she scolds, but her smile is still wide.
Jan pouts, but nods in understanding. “Can I kiss Ran?”
“Yes, you can kiss Ran.” Ran says, still smiling, and lets Jan plant a big smooch on her lips. She returns it with a giggle, and turns to Retsu.
“Retsu, can I kiss you too?” she asks, voice mellow and caring, not her usual bossy tone or Jan's nagging one.
Retsu nods thoughtlessly and Ran kisses him, her soft lips waking him up out of his startled state, and he returns it gently, gratefully.
She breaks the kiss and brushes the hair out of his eyes with calloused fingers, and stares down at him until he looks up and sees Jan peering over her shoulder, eyes wide and curious.
“Do you want to kiss Jan?” she asks, and Retsu lets out a puff of laughter as Jan nods furiously and points at himself behind her. To think he's been this worried over nothing.
“Yes, I want to kiss Jan.” Retsu says, cheeks burning once again, and Ran steps aside to let Jan stand face-to-face with him.
“Jan, ask nicely.” Ran commands, and Jan nods seriously.
“Retsu, can I kiss you? Please? Please please?”
“Please do.” Retsu smiles, and Jan takes his face in both hands as he kisses him full on the lips. It only lasts a moment, but in that moment, Retsu feels all his worries disappear. He kisses Jan back, and Ran kisses both of them on the cheek when they break apart, flushed and bright-eyed.
Jan has kissed them both a lot by now, playful pecks and cartoonish smooches that are all innocent enough, but this time it's different. Jan has knocked him down onto the couch and is crawling on top of him, something between a growl and a purr rumbling in the back of his throat. Retsu tenses, then relaxes as Jan nuzzles under his chin. Honestly, he's been waiting for this for a while, hoping for it, not that he'd admit it, and he doesn't resist at all when Jan's teeth close around his bottom lip.
He matches Jan's intensity and teaches him technique, and soon Jan's awkward tooth-clacking licking attacks turn into deep kisses so hot they take Retsu's breath away. He doesn't bother to correct the biting. He can't get enough of the biting, actually, and judging by the increased passion and feral sound Jan makes when Retsu nips at his lips, neither can Jan.
The training room is always cool and air-conditioned, but Jan is heat and tension and Retsu didn't know you could work up a sweat just kissing someone before. He's breathless, overheated, and Jan's just learned that sucking Retsu's lips and tongue makes him moan out loud.
“Jan, Jan, wait…” Retsu pants, and pulls away just enough to tug off his jacket, leaving him in his thin grey undershirt. Jan does the same and their lips crash together again before the red jacket even hits the floor.
Ran walks in on them half an hour later. She notes their swollen lips and lidded eyes when they turn to her and smirks at them, but before she can leave, Jan has pounced on her too, determined to put Retsu's impromptu training to use. Retsu takes the opportunity to grab a bottle of water. Jan is hot, in a weird feral way, but his limitless energy is exhausting.
Gou catches the three of them dozing curled against each other on the floor of the training room one afternoon, Ran tucked under his brother’s chin, Jan draped over his back. They really are like cats, he thinks, and no sooner does the thought pass his mind does Jan sleepily kiss then sharply bite the back of Retsu’s neck.
“Oi! Watch it, you!”
“Mmrgh?” Jan responds, mouth still full of flesh. Retsu makes a similar sound, then stirs, brushing Jan off and blinking up at his noisy brother.
“Oh, it’s just you. Sorry, did you want to train here?” Retsu yawns, more relaxed than Gou can ever remember seeing him, despite the hard battle that carried through the night and into this morning.
“No, no. I’ll train outside.” Gou waves him off, and feels a little guilty when Ran stirs too, glancing up at him with one eye before nuzzling closer against Retsu’s chest. “Just… You.”
Jan tilts his head as Gou points at him, and makes a confused little sound.
“You… Don’t bite my brother.”
Another confused sound, followed Retsu’s scoff.
“At least not while he’s sleeping.” Gou clarifies, realising that he’s on the edge of learning more than he really wants to know. “Uhh. Miki wants to see me, bye.”
Jan immediately flops back down on top of Retsu.
“Worry-worried,” he mumbles, and mouths little bites along Retsu’s shoulders and neck, even pulling at locks of Retsu’s messy hair with his lips. “Gou is so worry-worried.”
Retsu hums, and snuggles closer to Ran, too tired to stop Jan using him as a chew toy, and much too tired to even attempt to talk to his brother about this relationship they have. Not today, at least.
“This whole triangle thing you have…” Ken says, a couple of weeks after joining, “Lemme rephrase. You guys are together, right? Like together-together?”
“Together-together!” Jan repeats brightly, though his attention is quickly diverted to hissing at Miki for cleaning the gash on his arm.
“I… we’re…” Retsu not only doesn’t know how to answer that, he doesn’t know what Ken is trying to imply. He feels a little protective, a little jealous, and crosses his arms.
“I think Ken is trying to ask if we’re exclusive.” Ran says, not looking up from where she is wrapping her twisted ankle.
“Er, it’s not that you’re ugly or anything,” Retsu starts, all his vaunted technique for nothing when it comes to trying to let someone down gently, “But…”
“Huh?!”
“Retsu!” Ran scolds, and throws the tape at his head. He easily catches it, but he stops speaking, chastened. “Ken, both you and Gou add something very special to this team. What Jan, Retsu and I have is a little different, but that doesn’t make you less important, you understand?”
“Oh, yeah, no, that’s cool, that’s fine, I totally get it,” Ken says, raising his hands as if he’s backing off. “I was just wondering, like, you’re not expecting me to get all up in the kissing business, right?”
“Kissy Ken! Kissy Ken!” Jan laughs, and springs up out of Miki’s grasp to pounce on their newest member.
“Man, I just said—!” Ken protests, and redirects Jan into Retsu’s now outstretched arms.
“No kiss?” Jan asks, tilting his head, and Retsu holds him back when he twitches forward.
“Look, you’re a great guy, you’re strong, you’re handsome, you’re… really flexible…” Ken rambles, and Retsu knows he’s spent too long around Jan for the way he finds himself growling, “Uh, not trying to steal your man here. Though if Ran—”
“Not a chance.”
“Worth a shot,” Ken easily continues, “Anyway, was just wondering if you guys were like, a thing, officially. ‘Cause of Jan always trying to kiss me and all. Like, is that cool? ‘Cause I know he’s still like, learning and all, but I don’t want to be stepping on toes, you get me?”
“Gou, won’t you come get dinner with me?” Miki says, and Retsu shrinks a little both at her voice and at his brother’s raised brows as he walks past.
Retsu doesn’t dare speak until the doors shut behind them.
“It’s not like we’re Jan’s keepers,” Ran speaks first, looking up at first Ken and then Retsu with blazing eyes. “He can do what he wants.”
“Yeah, yeah, but like, I thought you guys were in some sort of weird 3-way relationship, and all that.”
“Weird?” Jan asks, head still tilted, but body no longer straining against Retsu’s arms. “Is it weird to love two friends?”
“I mean, kinda. Most people only have one girlfriend… or boyfriend, I guess.”
“But Ken has had lots of girlfriends, right? You said you had lots of girlfriends!” Jan jumps up a little, clearly excited by the idea that Retsu doesn’t have the heart to tell him is wrong.
“S-sure, but one at a time, you know…”
“Just because you can only have one girlfriend at a time doesn’t mean it’s the same for everyone,” Jan says, and Retsu lets him go when he moves forward this time. “If we’re all happy-happy and lovey-lovey, how can you say it’s weirdy-weird?”
“Yeah, Ken?” Ran stands up, a little unsteady on her injured ankle but imposing nonetheless. “What’s so weird about three people loving each other?”
“There’s nothing–... Anyway, that’s not really the point I’m trying to make, here…” Ken puts his hands up defensively.
Retsu sighs, and steps forward himself, putting himself between Ken and the other two.
“I think what Ken is trying to say, Jan, is that our Triangle is special, and he doesn’t want to interfere with it.” he explains, glancing over at the still-defensive Ran as well. “And that if you think that our Triangle is special too, you can’t treat everyone outside of it the same way as you do myself and Ran.”
Jan makes a questioning noise, but Ken gives an awkward thumbs up.
“Remember when Retsu taught you the licking kisses? The ones we said you can only use on us, or if later on you want to get married to someone else, that person? And that you absolutely can’t use on strangers, old people, or anyone younger than you?” Ran asks, slipping her hand into Jan’s. “Well, most people don’t like any kisses at all, even if you’re friends, unless you’re that type of special friend that me and Retsu are.”
Jan frowns, looking genuinely dismayed.
“No kissing at all?” he asks, looking back and forth between the three of them.
“Yeah man, no kissing at all. No offence, just not for me.” Ken confirms, but he gives him a pat on the shoulder much more gentle than the macho smack Retsu was expecting. “But we can hug, if you want.”
“Hugs!” Jan shouts, and Gou and Miki return just in time to see Ken get tackled to the floor.
Jan starts showering them with kisses after every mission, and though at first they both think he's just happy to win, Retsu feels the anxiety starting to seep through. Jan's always been clingy, but he's holding him too tight and kissing him desperately and Retsu has to push him away out of concern. Jan's eyes are watery and his brow is creased, and Retsu suddenly remembers what Ran had told Jan the first time he asked what kissing was.
“It's how you show someone that you care about them a lot.”
The realisation makes Retsu's heart ache. Jan's emotions are simple, obvious, and he feels like an idiot for not noticing until now.
“Jan,” Ran says, pulling those shaking hands against her chest, “It's ok. You're ok. I'm ok. Nobody got hurt, we're all here.”
Jan wriggles out of her grasp and runs away, and both Retsu and Ran sadly watch him go. Neither of them know how to tame Jan's wild emotions yet, but at least they can rely on each other at times like this. Ran pulls him into a hug and kisses under his eye just as Retsu feels the tears start to flow, angry and bitter from feelings of uselessness.
The kiss of victory is bitter and rough in all the right ways. It’s dirt, ash, blood, and jellyfish poison, but steady and firm despite burnt-out adrenaline and wavering qi. He kisses Jan with every last bit of strength left in his body, and kisses Ran with only heart and no technique. He laughs until he cries, cries until he sobs, sobs until he passes out, and when he wakes again, minutes or hours later, his brother puts him in a headlock and crushes a kiss to the crown of his head before hugging him properly. Ken ruffles his kiss-blessed hair as he walks past along with some vague mumblings of praise, but Retsu hears nothing but the lively beat of his heart and Gou’s low humming of either a hymn or a lullaby. Either way, it’s comforting, and when they break apart, Retsu bumps their noses together in silent thanks.
The adrenaline has worn off and both exhaustion and relief is settling into everyone’s bones, wounds tended and showers taken, but there’s still work to be done. After all, their work as the Gekirangers has only been taking up valuable company time as far as payroll is concerned. Miki is kind, has let them off for the rest of the week as long as they at least write down reports of their final battle and the confinement of Long in rough form, but even that is hard. Ran is chewing on her pen, Miki herself is muttering about remembering when Natsume was learning to read as she helps Jan, Ken is tapping his pen on the side on his nose, and Gou is sighing and staring off into space. Retsu sighs as well and tries to note everything the others had done in the battle too instead of just telling his perspective, but even he struggles with more than just dot points.
“That’s good enough,” Miki says after a fairly unproductive half hour, “As long as there’s enough there to jog your memory when you come back to write a full report. You know how important it is to express your feelings when they’re still fresh and new.”
Retsu nods resolutely, and when his eyes slide over to her side, Jan is smiling in his sleep. The smile stays even as he’s woken up and dragged to bed, only twitching briefly into a pout to kiss Retsu’s cheek as he half-walks, half-carries him to their dorm rooms.
“Softy-softy...” Jan mumbles as his head hits the pillow, eyes already closing again. Retsu smiles, and gives Jan a soft kiss on the cheek before standing up to get into his own bed. A soft pillow does sound like heaven for his aching body right now.
“Retsu is so softy-softy warm-warm…”
Retsu’s smile breaks into a grin, and just like in the memory Miki’s words had stirred up, the rush of fondness for this wild beast of a man is so strong that Retsu can’t stop his eyes from welling up or his voice from cracking as he says his final words of this long, long day and steps into the doorway, ready for the next.
“So is Jan.”
One day, after everything is over, after international tours and strange battles with race cars, Jan turns to him, expression unfamiliarly serene. He leans close but stops halfway, and lets Retsu close the distance. It's soft and slow and sweet, like the sleepy wakeup kisses he and Ran share on their rare mornings off, and it's so unlike Jan to be this delicate that Retsu finds himself pulling away before he really means to. Jan scowls and kisses him again, and this time, Retsu stays.