Macross Fan Fiction ❯ Watashi no Kare wa Pilot (My Boyfriend is a Pilot) ❯ Bonding ( Chapter 8 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Watashi no Kare wa Pilot (My Boyfriend is a Pilot)
Anime: Macross Frontier
Couple: Alto/Ranka
Summary: Ranka's life was as normal as could be on Frontier, until she met Saotome Alto.  Time passes and she falls in love, but will this be a blessing or the end of Frontier altogether?  AU.
Genre: Romance/Action/Adventure/Horror/Drama
Rating: R (does NOT apply to ALL chapters)
Warnings: sexual situations, violence, blood, gore, and language.
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Macross Frontier, it belongs to Shôji Kawamori. This is purely fanmade for entertainment purposes only.

Music: All songs inserted with the exception of Aimo, the Nyan-Nyan commercial, and Sheryl's songs are written by me.

~...~ = singing

Chapter Eight: Bonding
(Special “Blu-Ray” release!)
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It had been four months since they’d met.  It was hard to believe that such time could pass by so quickly.  But with her career soaring high after Sheryl’s goodbye concert, her boyfriend found it hard not to be happy and supportive of her.

Every time he passed one of the vendors and saw Ranka’s albums or singles, he’d buy them and listen to them.  He even picked up magazines that held interviews with her.  Since she’d become so busy, she rarely spoke to him about her career anymore, rather, when they did speak, it was about themselves as a dating couple.  So he relied on the magazines for information about her singing.  He learned that she was thinking about making a music video to one of her popular songs.  He had a foreboding feeling by the picture of a Valkyrie behind the info that it was Lovers and he’d be invited to it.  He looked at her debut album, noticing it only had two songs: Lovers and Aimo.  This stifled him, as he had heard more than those two performed at the concert.  He had figured she’d written more songs.

It wasn’t long before he got a box in the mail that he’d ordered a month back.  He sat down with it and revealed millions of brochures.  In secret, he’d been planning a weekend getaway for them.  He hadn’t told anyone else yet.  He had only mentioned it to Ranka as a thought.  It wasn’t right for him to do, as they were only teenagers and dating, but they were too busy to date like normal teens.  Whilst she couldn’t get out of work, he often could if there weren’t any attacks.  He didn’t want to jeopardize her career.  He sorted through them with a sigh; “she won’t go for any of these.”

He had learned a lot about her through their chats.  She was afraid of large animals, hated amusement parks, and disliked open baths.  She also hated getting lost.  Her favorite activity, however, was spending time with him.  She liked challenges and games but disliked losing.  She also liked fireworks.

However, all of these brochures had flaws to them.  Most had large animals, like a zoo, or amusement parks, open baths, or love hotels.  There was nothing romantic that they could do together that didn’t include any of those things.  Perhaps if he could slowly open her up to those attractions as time went on, it could become different.  He personally didn’t mind what place they went to as long as they could be together.  Then he noticed one interesting one with only one of those flaws.

“This one?” he wondered out loud.

A water fun land with a large amusement park and an aquarium, which Ranka had never stated she disliked fish.  There was an open bath but the hotel was also very small, meaning not a lot of people would attend.  Plus, it also had group or couple swimming lessons.

He smiled at the info.  “Yes.  This one.”  He put down the brochure and picked up a small box.  He looked at the gem inside with a bright smile.  “A gift for my dear lady.”  He chuckled and packed his bag.  He wouldn’t let anything bring down his mood now.  It had been months since he’d truly got to see his girlfriend.  “I won’t miss out this time.”

Alto sighed and stretched his muscles as he walked into class.  He noticed that Sheryl was once again sitting in Ranka’s place.  This was normal now.  Since his girlfriend was absent so much, he had let Sheryl take her place, for she was a friend.  He didn’t have a strong interest in her nor her attitude towards him.  But he allowed her into his heart as a person he could talk to and spend time with.  He sat beside her with a small frown, “good morning.”

She held a fake pout.  “You could at least act cheerful, couldn’t you?” she spoke, a small plead in her voice.  It was an evident joke.  She wasn’t amused as he waved it off though.  She hated being treated like that.  “Don’t tell me that Ranka-chan has no time for her boyfriend anymore?”

He shook his head; “it’s her dream.”  He didn’t even look at her, flipping through pages in his book.  “If it makes her happy, I’m fine with it.  We share a dedication to one another.”  He liked stating that.  It was the first girl he shared a common connection with.  “I won’t harm her career with my selfish desire to be with her.  I understand the gravity of such a choice.”

She cocked her head to the side and flicked her hair behind her ear.  “Dedication, huh?”  She smirked slightly and slipped towards his ear, lifting a glance to Michael, whom paled, and her hand landed upon his thigh, “are you sure about that?”

He turned on her with the swiftness of a blade, “would you cut that out!?”  He stood abruptly, chair falling, book as well, and he sneered.  He was tired of her jokes and irritating implies.  He was done pretending to be comfortable with this side of her.  “I’m sick of these games you’re playing with me!  What will it take for you to see that I’m serious!?  I have a girlfriend!”  His anger died immediately at the sight of Ranka entering the room.  He grabbed his things quickly and moved to where Sheryl used to sit, greeting her, “good morning,” he said cheerfully.

She was shocked.  But as he sat down and patted the chair next to him, she followed.  She failed to see Sheryl’s glare.  “Good morning, Alto-kun.”

He leaned over and dared to kiss her on the cheek to prove his point to Sheryl.  A thick blush coated her cheeks.  “Sorry we haven’t been in touch lately.”  He looked at the board and soon noticed the whole room was staring at them, even the teacher.  He blushed and pulled out his book, pretending to be self-absorbed in his study material.  He had just made a complete fool out of himself.

As they sat down at lunch hour, Alto pulled Ranka aside from the table and handed her the brochure he’d picked out personally.  With a blush, she took the pamphlet and looked through it with shock.  “A weekend getaway,” she read with a thick blush.  He had mentioned it a month ago but she hadn’t thought much of it considering their busy schedules.  It had been a while since they’d been on a date.  She loved being back at school and spending time with everyone, but she wanted to be with her boyfriend too.  Then her eyes widened.  “A water fun land.”

He smiled brightly and nodded.  “No large animals except fish, a very small open bath, and the amusement park is optional.  Also, the hotel isn’t a ‘love hotel.’  I checked everything out beforehand.”  He was excited.  “It sounds fun, right?”

Her eyes lowered, as if embarrassed, “yeah.”

He blinked at the sluggish reply.  She was supposed to be excited and jump on him like usual.  He had been prepared for said movement.  But she hadn’t.  “Don’t you like it?” he asked, concerned.

With a blush, she pressed her index fingers together, ashamed.  “I can’t swim.”

He was shell-shocked.  Then he did a relay in his mind of their underwater scene, trying to find where he had missed her struggles in the water.  But there was nothing to remember.  “What?”  He shook his head.  “You did it in the movie.”

“They had lines attached to my outfit to help me surface,” she admitted with shame, red as a tomato.  “Onii-chan said I didn’t need swimming lessons, so I never learned.”

With a sigh, he slapped his forehead.  He had obviously chosen a wrong thing without thinking of all the possibilities again.  He almost labeled himself a ‘horrible boyfriend’ again until a thought crossed his mind.  He lowered that hand and smiled, “how about I teach you?”  This earned him a shocked glance.  “I mean, it’ll be quite a bonding experience for us.  It builds trust.  Not to mention it’s a weekend alone with a spa, hotel of choice, and it’s for three days, not just two.”  He rubbed the back of his head with a small laugh.  “I already ran most of it by Ozma.”

Her eyes held shock at this.  Her brother had agreed.  She hadn’t expected that.  After all, it was odd to spend that much alone time with her boyfriend, especially longer than eight hours.  But it was something they needed and wanted.  “I’m so happy.”  She pulled out her phone and dialed, “I’ll reschedule my next concert!” and she was off.

Michael smirked as he neared his baffled friend, having overheard.  “Trying to make it to third base?” he implied with amusement.

Alto turned red as a tomato.  “N—No!” he waved his hands in defense.  He looked momentarily to Ranka, making sure she hadn’t heard such an outrageous thing, then sighed, noticing she hadn’t.  “No,” he calmed himself.  “Our lives are just too busy for normal dating.  I rarely see her anymore.  I want to be close to her.”

Nanase was jealous at this.  She twirled around with a blush of excitement, glasses glinting.  “Love is a butterfly.  It must flutter.”

Michael frowned, “Miss Butterfly, sit.”  She did so.  He met Alto’s eyes.  “Do you love Ranka-chan?” he asked, seeking an honest answer.

A frown touched his lips.  First Sheryl, then Klan, and now Michael.  People kept asking him that.  It had only been at most four months since they’d met and yet people expected him to know the answer to that so fast.  “I don’t know that yet.”  He looked at her with longing eyes.  He wanted to know that answer so badly too.  “We’re always separated.  Just how do you expect me to respond to a question like that now?”

Michael nodded with a sigh.  “Women always want the answer to that question.”  A slamming sound came, then his face cringed.  “Ow.”  He looked down and noticed that Klan had joined them.  “You don’t have to hit me.”

“Alto,” she spoke with a finger of accusation at him, “the moment you know, you must tell her!”

He blinked, not the least bit intimidated, “of course.”

Ranka came over and smiled at him.  “Elmo-san says that I can take the time off if you can escort me to Galia 4 on Wednesday.”  She jumped up and down with excitement.  “I’m holding a memorial concert there in celebration of the first Macross’ war with the Zentradi.  I get to sing my own songs though.  I’d figured that I’d be singing Do You Remember Love for them, since it was how Minmei ended the war.”

He was shocked at this.  He was officially her escort!  He suddenly shot up and gripped her shoulders as the whole thing sunk in.  His eyes were pure gold bliss.  A smile ran from ear-to-ear as he raced through said happiness.  “Galia 4 has a real sky on it!  Luca told me about it months ago but I thought we were too far away!”  He nearly pounced on her like she’d done many times in his own ecstasy.  “I’d love to go!”

She stared, stunned by his heavy reaction.  But then again, her memory of his love for the sky served well.  She understood this was an opportunity at the dream he wanted.  She smiled and nodded.  “Plus, Onii-chan always mentions the Galia system when I ask about my childhood.”  Her eyes were hopeful.  “Perhaps we can get information about my past.”

He was suddenly reminded of said promise to her.  “Yeah.  We can look through the whole Galia system for your past.”  He sat down with her at his side, the others staring with silence, and he pulled out a small box, handing it to her.  “I baked a chocolate cake with strawberry frosting for you.  Your favorite, as I recall.”  He pulled out a fork and handed it to her.  “It’s a ‘thank you’ for the heavenly cookies.”

She blushed thickly at his compliment and opened the box, her nose being met with the delicious aroma of the freshly baked cake.  Her fork stabbed into it and pulled a piece away.  Then she tried it.  And she moaned loudly, stroking her cheeks and kicking her feet on the ground, “it’s delicious!”  She remained unaware of his thick blush at her noises.  She tossed around the area.  “Alto-kun is the best cook!”  She was in love with it.  She sat down as he gripped her arm and tugged, face lowered to hide his eyes, embarrassed at her outburst, and she kissed him quite passionately on the lips before she moved to finish her cake.  “I love you, Alto-kun!”

Michael watched the scene with shock.  He could never get a girl that interested in him.  Alto obviously had that grace.  But at her admission, he paled.  She’d once again stated her feelings to him.

He stared, too dazed by her kiss.  He nodded without any form of words.  He almost fell over too if Nanase and Luca hadn’t rushed to his side.  She failed to notice his loss of reply or even the failure of nerves.  He blushed thickly as he came to his senses.  ‘I adore her.’  That was the only thing that came to mind.

No one noticed Sheryl staring at them from the window on the second floor with anger in her eyes.

Nor did they notice a blonde man was watching the scene from the courtyard either.

It was Friday morning when Alto rung the doorbell to the Lee household.  He was holding his two suitcases for the weekend journey in both hands.  When Ozma opened the door, saw who it was, and attempted to close it, he stuck his foot in the door to avoid being shut out.  “Good morning,” he smiled through the pain in his foot.  He entered the house with the purest of intentions.  When Ranka came out with a shimmering green cotton dress on, strap-less, ruffles fluttering everywhere, his heart stopped.  ‘She’s beautiful.’  And she smiled at him with radiance.  “Good morning, Ranka.”  He blushed thickly.

She was happy at the sight of his blush.  ‘He likes me.’  She danced around to show him the dress, then twirled and bowed like a proper lady.  Then she jumped onto him, wrapping her arms around his middle.  And his suitcases dropped with a loud thud.  She failed to see her brother’s glare.  “Onii-chan, I’ll call you as soon as we get there.  You’ll know where we are at all times.”

Ozma slowly allowed himself to relax at that.  He backed away a bit and nodded.  “Have a nice time.”  He forced a cheerful smile.

Alto did too.  “I’ll have her back next Saturday.”  This reminded him about the concert and his conversation with Ranka on Tuesday about said planet in question.  He met Ozma’s curious eyes.  “We’ll be heading to the Galia system on Monday.  I promised myself that I’d ask your permission when regarding anything to do with her memory.  You’ve mentioned the Galia system to her before.”  His eyes were serious now.  “Can I ask your permission to help her search the planets for any form of her past?”

He stared with shock.  He looked cautiously at Ranka, whom was hopeful.  He had tried to keep her sheltered from that her whole life, but now it seemed hopeless to negate what had started.  He sighed, “you two overzealous teenagers are going to get yourselves killed.”  He received concerned looks from them both.  With a small smile, he nodded, “you may help her regain her past.”

Ranka was overjoyed at the reply, “Onii-chan.”

Alto smiled warmly, “thank you.”

A small blush of embarrassment lit her cheeks at the acceptance in those eyes.  He waved the boy off.  “Get out of here.  I need three days of peace and quiet already.”

Alto smiled and gripped his girlfriend’s luggage like a gentleman, giving her the light bags to carry as they exited the front door.  He glanced at Ozma one last time to see him glaring.  ‘I won’t let her down.  That I promise with my very existence, commander.’  He closed the door soon after.

The long train ride to Island 5 was the worst part of the trip recorded.  At various points, neither could sit or were almost pushed three cars down by passengers.  When they did find a seat, he enforced her to take said seat instead of him.  Not wanting to argue and cause more of a commotion, she did.  Once they were there, both broke apart and breathed as separate human beings for the first time in almost six hours.  Island 5 was the farthest island from the dome and was known as a vacation site for families and lovers.  It was the perfect place to bond.

Ranka moved towards the first sight she saw.  Her eyes widened as she raced up the mountain point to the view of the island, turning to look at him, “look, Alto-kun!”  He was slowly following her with the suitcases in hand.  Island 5 had more Japanese culture than the other islands.  She caught a cherry blossom petal as it fell.  She breathed in the scent of the air with wide, open eyes.  “Isn’t it just beautiful?” she asked as she threw a look over her shoulder.

He couldn’t help but stare.  The light from the false sun lit her eyes to the point where they seemed livelier than the universe around them.  He looked completely enlightened.  Her outfit in this bright array of sunlight made the whole world light up to him.  His mouth dropped open slightly at the sight, breath releasing from his lips.  “Beautiful.”

She was shocked at his reply.  Slowly, she realized he was referring to her.  With a flush, she turned to show off the dress, “are you sure?” she asked, curious.

Suddenly, his mind returned to its normal state and he flushed.  He didn’t want to mention he’d been staring at her panties too when the wind had ridden up her dress just moments ago.  He smiled warmly and stood beside her, not replying to her question, and placed the bags down.  “You see, I like to take ‘visual photographs’ of the important things in my life so I can look back at them.”

“’Visual photographs?’” she repeated, curious.  “Are those like pictures with your eyes?”

He smiled slightly, “almost.”  He looked out at the island and closed his eyes, breathing in the air.  It was thick with recycled oxygen.  He hated that the most on this ship.  “I use my six senses to gather the information about the scenery and exact moment I’m recording inside.  Like the day you sang Aimo to me.  That was important to me.”  He opened his eyes and gazed at her shocked rubies.  “I’ll always remember it.”

She blushed, hair rising, but this time out of joy, “Alto-kun.”

“But,” he mentioned as he looked up at the fake clouds passing by with sadness, “the scene would be perfect if it was under a real sky.”

She immediately realized he was returning to those fairytales he carried.  Her taste of the sky for that one time had made her see what he longed for.  She could understand his sorrow.  She looked out at the scenery and smiled.  “I don’t take those kinds of photographs.  I’ve already lost my memory before so I’m afraid they’ll vanish.”  Her eyes closed and she breathed in, “instead, I write my songs.”  She failed to see his shocked face.  “I sing about things I’ve experienced… and feelings I hold.”  With a deep breath, she began to sing, ~let us spend the day together, just fooling around.  We fall in love as the days pass.  You’re my boyfriend.~  She looked to find him blushing thickly.

Their eyes met and the world seemed to freeze at last.

Before she knew it, his gaze mirrored that one day at Griffith Park.  The passion there made her shiver.  As he dipped down, she did not back away, allowing his lips to touch hers.

In an instant, their kiss deepened.

His mouth opened and their tongues twined.  He lost himself into the passionate kiss without regret.  But as her stomach began to glow, his soon followed, making a weird sensation run through him.  He gasped into her mouth and pulled away at the feeling.  He looked down to find a blue glow forming from his stomach.  He gripped his stomach with confusion, “this glow… what?”

She gripped his hands, afraid that he might hurt himself, then she noticed her own glow.  Her hands landed upon her stomach with confusion.  “I’ve never seen this before.  But mine is glowing too.”  Her green glow vanished and his blue one followed.  “I don’t understand.”

He caught his breath and sighed, lowering his hand.  “Maybe once we reach Galia 4 you will understand.”  He covered his mouth and turned away, slumping slightly, and she tapped at his shoulder, concerned.  For a few moments, his shoulders shook, then a cough tore from his throat.  He pulled himself together after a moment and smiled at her.  “I’m happy to be with you,” he spoke whilst wiping his hand on the back of his pants.

“Really?” she asked, leaning forward until they were nearly touching.

He pulled away swiftly, flustered.  Her actions like this sometimes reminded him of Sheryl’s.  But whenever he looked into her eyes, they were always holding such innocence and curiosity that he couldn’t help but admire them deeply.  He suddenly recalled a very shaky subject that had bugged him since Tuesday.  One of their dates had been nearly ruined by this one problem.  He pulled out a blue cell phone much like his and handed it to her.  “If you get lost, call me.”

She looked at it with confusion, “aren’t you coming with me?”

He chuckled, “but of course.”  He pulled away and smiled warmly.  “I think we both learned from our first date that you tend to wander off.”

She blushed thickly.  Giggling to herself, she pocketed the cell phone and smiled at him.  “Thank you.”

With a warm smile, he picked up their suitcases, “we can sightsee all weekend.  How about we take care of our luggage first?”  With agreement in hand, he led her to their choice of hotel.

“Twin beds,” he told the hotel clerk as said man filled out their info.  Said stranger looked from him to the girl at his side with a slightly perverse twinkle in his eyes, as if insinuating their possible reason for checking in.  He got that right away and – with a thick blush – he stood by his original offer, “twin beds.”  He held his girlfriend’s hand without a care in the world.  He failed to see a familiar lock of pink hair pass by.  “Something with an ocean view, if you could.”  He gripped the keys and picked up their luggage.  Once they were far enough away, he sneered, “honestly, the nerve of it all.  Just because we’re teenagers, they assume all we want is sex.”

She blushed at his remark.  Whenever this subject popped up, it made her feel strange inside, as if she should be embarrassed or flattered.  “Is there something wrong with that?” she asked, curious.

He blinked and turned to her, dropping the suitcases with yet another loud thud, but this attracted the whole floor’s attention as it echoed.  He stuttered, unable to make any form of words.  He was taken aback.  With a thick blush, he hid his eyes with his bangs and gripped the suitcases, then stumbled towards the elevator.  “That’s a discussion for private quarters!” he yelled as he charged to the button swiftly, flustered.

She stared, lost.  “Did I say something wrong?” she asked no one.

When they reached their room, Alto was the first to enter with their suitcases.  He had calmed in the elevator.  He put them down and sighed with exhaust.  It had been quite a travel to the island.  He turned his attention to her but found her seated on one of the beds with her legs folded.  At first, his mind landed on the wrong idea, but then he recalled insisting she wait to speak of the intimate subject mentioned earlier.  He frowned, realizing there was no way out of this discussion.  He walked over and sat down next to her.  “Okay.  If you insist, I’ll tell you.”

“Is there something wrong with having sex?” she finally asked her only question about the intimate subject.

He blushed thickly and jumped at least five feet from her.  He stared at her and saw the innocence in those eyes.  As usual, she was too naïve for her own good.  Lucky for her that he wasn’t that type of guy.  “Do you know what sex is?” he asked as he calmed.

She shook her head sadly, “Onii-chan has mentioned it before but never once explained it.  He kept saying I was too young.”

He nodded in understanding.  The man kept her sheltered to protect her.  But by sheltering her from this, he crippled her ability to connect on an intimate level with someone.  He could understand Ozma’s means to protect his innocent sister from sexual predators but this took the cake.  The man should’ve at least explained the basics so she would be informed should the matter come to hand.  He sat down once more and sighed.  “Let me think of how to explain it without embarrassing us both, okay?”

She stared at his troubled face.  He seemed to get like this when entering an uncomfortable area.  “Is this a bad subject?” she asked, worried.

He turned to her with a small smile, though forced.  “No, this is a subject that would ultimately take place in the future of our relationship; so now is better than then.  I’d rather have the awkward conversation now than when we get around to doing it.”  As he explained this, her face flushed, as if part of her was beginning to understand.  He blinked at that, curious, “you’re aware of our reproductive organs, right?”

Her blush spread from her cheeks to her ears until they were beet red.  A small nod was his only reply.

“I see.”  He was relieved to hear that he wouldn’t have to explain that part of it.  “Well, that makes the explanation simpler.”  He turned to face her and gripped her hands for reassurance.  “When a man and a woman fall in love, they often decide to express this love with their bodies.”

She blinked at this, the blush vanishing, “how?”

He nearly replaced her blush on his own face.  “You just said you know about our reproductive organs.  You mean to tell me that no one has told you what they’re for and how they are used?”  As he received a heavy shake of the head, he fell onto the bed with irritation.  “I will kill your brother.”  He sat up and gripped her hands.  “Basically, their organs meet.  A man,” he spoke slowly whilst looking away, unable to meet her eyes any longer, “puts his penis inside the woman and releases his seed into her womb, thus possibly creating a baby.”

This intrigued her.  It seemed as though she was beginning to understand.  “Then, if you and I did that, we would have a child?” she asked, trying to sum up his explanation.

“Not we, but you,” he spoke, meeting her eyes again.  “Only women get pregnant, not men.”  He looked down with an upset look on his face.  “But pregnancy causes problems, especially if rushed or unexpected, or in our case, whilst we’re too busy to care for it.  It’s a risk I would not take at this point.”  He shook his head.  “The whole process of creating the baby is called ‘sex.’”

She finally understood the severity of the situation should such intimate matters take place.  He had laid it all out for her.  “I understand.”  At that, she saw a smile on his face.  “But when is the right time?”

He frowned slightly, “for men,” he mentioned as he turned away slightly, “it’s not really a big deal.”  At that, he saw a hurt look cross her face.  “The first time, I mean.”  The understanding returned to those orbs.  “But, for a woman, it is always important.  Your virginity is something you should protect and save for someone truly special to you.  Once it is gone, you can’t get it back.”  He released her hands, “that’s why… we shouldn’t think about it now.”  He met her eyes with serious orbs.  “If we’re going to have sex – or as lovers call it: ‘make love’ – then we have to truly be in love.  I won’t have it any other way, especially with you.”

Ranka was touched by his passionate words.  He cared for her this much.  It touched her soul.  “I understand.”  She nodded with a wide smile.  “I will wait until that time comes.”

At first, he was truly shocked, then he nodded.  “Thank you.”

Once they had dropped their luggage off, they headed out to the island.  First, they went to the aquarium by her own personal request.  She’d never seen the exhibit before and so her childish personality was shown to him first-hand.  But instead of being concerned about it, he found it endearing.  As she spun and danced around through the place, she would bump into various people and apologize.  Then, like usual, she got lost in a heavy crowd.  He quickly answered his phone as it rang to warn him and followed just her squeaky voice until he was right next to her.  With a tap on her shoulder, she turned swiftly with fright, then he chuckled, finding it quite amusing.

They moved about the exhibit once more as a team.  Her arms remained wrapped around his right one securely.  This was the first time he allowed anyone to hang all over him.  In a way, it made him feel stronger around all these other men that were staring at her with those perverse eyes.  They were all bigger in build than him yet she hanged all over him.  He felt like the strongest one there.

When they stopped at the shark tank, he decided to speak up.  “You have to get used to crowds.”  He received a nod.  This lack of a dedicated reply made him realize that she was helpless.  She needed his support.  A small smile crossed his face though he hated himself for enjoying that need.  But encouraging her always gave him strength too.  She inspired him with her desire to go beyond her limits.  “If you have trouble with crowds, just picture me.  A whole bunch of me are waiting to hear your song.”

She nodded, writing this mentally in her head.  “And if you aren’t there?” she asked, curious and slightly saddened.

He turned to her with shock.  He hadn’t expected her to be this dependent on him.  “Ranka, I am always here for you.  I like it when you request my help but I cannot always be at your side.”  He saw her eyes lower with sadness.  “If I am not present, it is you who is helping me fly.”

When he mentioned that, she understood that she wasn’t the only person attempting to fly, but him as well.  When he fought, she flew.  When she sang, he flew.  They both needed one another.  She smiled warmly and placed her hands over her heart.  “We need each other to blossom in the sky,” she told him.

At that moment, the light from the shark tank came on and lit her beautiful features.

He stared at her with a shocked face, absolutely breathless.  Her metaphor made sense to him.  He knew what he felt now.  But as that realization hit, so did that fear again.  ‘Why am I so afraid?’ he wondered.

~I’m always a handful, yes.  But you always say “beautiful.”  I wonder if you love me because I’m a crybaby,~

She felt eyes on her and turned to the shark tank with wonder.  She found the shark inside facing her.  Immediately, she jumped into his arms and yelped.  “Why is it staring at me!?”

He blushed, “um,” he looked at the shark, confused, “I don’t think it can see us.”

She looked at her position and then his confused eyes.  Blushing, she removed herself from his arms.  She watched the shark carefully, hiding behind her boyfriend for protection.  It seemed to constantly swim in multiple directions even though its eyes seemed locked on her.  “How are you sure?” she asked him.

A working laughed at this.  “It doesn’t have human eyesight.  It can’t see very far.”  He hit the glass with his knuckles.  “Plus, even if it could, the glass is enforced.  All you would hear is a loud thud.”

Alto smirked slightly, “if it does see you, it must find you beautiful to keep staring.”

For a moment, she looked up at him and nearly remarked he’d done the same earlier that day, but she nodded with a small smile.  Turning back to the tank, she lifted a hand, pressing the palm against the glass.  She felt how sturdy it was.  Soon, she pressed her face up against the glass, viewing the small fish inside.

~a crazy woman you can’t tame.  I guess I am crazy for you, huh?~

When she looked to her side, he was next to her, smiling warmly.  They both looked into the water at the tropical fish.  But she absorbed the scenery too, creating her first visual photograph.

They entered their hotel room after the trip.  Both dressed in traditional kimono.  As she put on a white kimono with cherry blossoms, he found himself being reminded of his mother, then she turned to him with a bright smile and jumped into his arms, making that memory fade.  He soon found himself in a black kimono with a navy blue sash.  Then they were at the theater in the village.  He was embarrassed to be a guest here, as he’d acted upon this stage once, but when he saw how excited she was to watch it with him, he couldn’t object.  For once, he wasn’t upset about going to see an act.

When it was over, he led her away from the crowd and into an alleyway.  With a blush, he held out a box he’d hidden from her.  “I missed your birthday this year.  I know I got you that mike but it didn’t seem like it was enough.  So I bought you something.”  He was already embarrassed enough to be giving her a present.  He normally showered her with gifts and jewelry, so this wasn’t new, but it felt different.  Today was special to him.

She took the box and looked through the decoration to see a beautiful ruby gem inside.  “Is this a fold quartz?” she asked.

He nodded, “yeah.”  He didn’t want to seem too giving, but he enjoyed her happiness at his presents.  “We had a mission a week back and I found it on the way to the base.  I immediately thought of you and your eyes.”  He looked at her with sparkling gold orbs.  “I had it specially made into a necklace,” he mentioned as she opened the box to look inside.  “It was a steep price but it’s worth it for you.”  He nearly blushed at admitting that.

She handed it to him, then turned around and rose her hair, “can you put it on me?”

He nodded and picked the necklace from the box, wrapping it around her neck and clicking it into place.  He watched her turn around happily and the gem sparkled.  A smile lit his face, “it looks stunning on you.  Just as I thought.”

She blushed but held a hand up to it, tracing the rim of the gem as it gleamed.  “Thank you, Alto-kun.”  Her eyes were so full of life that they almost looked like a real sun to him.  “I’ll cherish it always!”

He gripped her hand and smiled at her, enjoying this moment.  She turned her back to him and slowly entered his personal space, allowing him to embrace her from behind.  It soothed them both.  Then a flash attracted his attention to a photographer who’d stopped before them, an old traditional camera in his hand that printed the picture of them together.  He glared at said man.  “Just what the hell are you doing?” he asked with an angered tone.

The man handed him the photograph, waving his hands, “it’s on the house!”  He held his camera up for show.  “It’s just… you guys were in such a good pose.  I wanted to capture the moment of romance.  I’m sorry.”

He took the photo and looked at it.  It was true.  Their pose was flawless.  They were holding hands, embracing, and staring into each other’s eyes, sharing passion with one another, plain for everyone to see.  It was a perfect picture.  He smiled warmly.  He paid the man and pushed him on his way after showing gratitude to him.  He soon pocketed the photo.  “Now I have a memory to keep in my cockpit with me,” he winked at her, causing her to blush.  Then he gripped her hand and they moved on.

In a matter of minutes, she stopped him at a temple.  As darkness started to crop in on the town, they reached the top.  She dropped coins into the hollow shades and clapped her hands along with him, both making their own wishes separately.  Then she rang the bell.  Afterwards, he approached the hall of Buddha whilst she looked at the charms for her specific one.  Her eyes took on confusion until she found the one labeled.  She looked at it with shock.

–Someone you idolize is watching you cautiously.–

Her head shot up and she looked around for someone who could answer its meaning.  Then she saw a strand of pink hair quickly enter the temple.  Her eyes widened as that strand vanished into the hall where her boyfriend was, “it couldn’t be.”  And the sight of her boyfriend emerging from the opposite side and approaching her broke it.  She looked to find him waving to her, ready to enter the town.  She smiled and rushed to his side, dropping the piece of paper.

A heel stepped onto the dropped paper.  A woman picked it up and read it, then crushed it with disgust.  “I thought so.  That girl is…”

In the bustling night streets, Alto led his girlfriend towards the many events going on.  While she failed at hooking the fish, he excelled at gripping them, even got three on one hook.  But when it came to the ball throwing that would knock down the glasses, he only got the small prizes.  When she came over, he handed her money to play.  Immediately, she paid and threw three shots which flew all over the place, scaring the clerk, until they knocked all the bottles down.  Alto burst out laughing at the shock and amusement of it all.  Soon she was handed a large stuffed lion just so she wouldn’t try the shot again.  She put said stuffed animal into a state of the art compression container and put it in her purse.

After that, he bought two sushi dishes for them.  He sat down next to her as he placed one in her hands.  As they ate, he smiled, looking at her lost expression on how to use the chopsticks.  Apparently, she was Chinese oriented but she’d been raised differently.  He leaned over and helped her figure them out.  Once she had the hang of it, he chuckled at her picking up the fortune cookie after breaking it and nibbled until it was mere crumbles in her mouth.  Then she read the fortune and looked around, concerned.  He watched her with confusion but didn’t say a word.  Perhaps it was one of those strange fortunes that made no sense.

After the dinner, they headed into the town once more for the evening celebration, as it was festival time.  Neither noticed that Luca and Nanase as well as Michael and Klan were present for the same reason nor that each were with their respective lovers.  As fireworks exploded in the sky, Alto looked down at a very excited Ranka clinging to his arm.  He was reminded of what she had said earlier that day about never seeing the other islands – for her brother was just that protective.  With a smile, he looked up at the fireworks.  Below, he intertwined their hands together, a show of affection and a bond he wouldn’t soon forget.

That night, he put their clothes back into their suitcases after folding them neatly.  That had been the most fun he’d had in years.  He looked at her, about to speak his mind, then he noticed she was already sleeping peacefully.  The large stuffed lion was wound in her arms, a nice smile on her face.  He blushed at the sight, then smiled warmly.  He soon covered her with the blanket for the night.  “You’re a handful.”  He kissed her forehead.  Then he pulled away as a strange need crawled up his throat.  Immediately, he shot into the bathroom with a hand over his mouth.

She turned over, not noticing his absence.  She didn’t hear the strange sound of coughing and hacking in the bathroom.

An hour later, he laid down in his own bed and fell asleep instantly.  She had worn him out that much.  He was woken at around two in the morning by a warmth touching his hands, which wasn’t normal, as he had been alone for years.  His eyes opened to find Ranka’s face mere inches from his own.  A blush lit his cheeks as he realized the stuffed lion was in-between them.  Her hands were cupping his own on the lion.  She was sound asleep.  He slowly calmed as he realized they were still fully dressed.  But it left him wondering: ‘who joined whom?’

A look at the room proved that he had joined her.  His bed remained ruffled, proof that he’d left it without a care and joined her.  Now it only left him wondering why he’d joined her.  Perhaps he felt safe.  Perhaps it calmed him.  His eyes closed and he slipped back into sleep without much care to it.  All he knew was that he wasn’t alone anymore.

A boy splashed into the water from a high board, causing a large wave to land upon everyone around.

Alto snarled, hair and boxers now soaking wet.  He ignored the desire to follow the boy and strangle him and frowned.  He was standing in his dark blue boxers, hair tied back, merely awaiting his girlfriend to finish changing into her bathing suit.  It had been quite awkward when they’d woken up this morning.  She had found him snuggling into her breasts, having thrown the stuffed lion on the floor in his sleep.  He had been imagining his mother’s warmth from her embrace.  He hadn’t totally noticed his bold move until waking.  Today he had decided that they would be practicing swimming for her.  Turning to the changing room with a small blush, he spoke up, “what’s taking so long?  It’s just a bathing suit, right?”

“But,” he gained a squeaky reply, “it’s one that Onii-chan picked out for me.  He wouldn’t let me wear the one from Miss Macross.”

He folded his arms with disregard.  “It can’t be that bad.”  Then she came out, at last following his instructions.  He took notice of it too.  He unfolded his arms and turned, “see?  It’s not—“ he froze at the sight of a one-piece bathing suit with carrots painted all over it.  He paled, recalling that she’d mentioned a job she’d taken up to further her career at one point that included carrots.  “That’s the uniform from that place…” he blushed thickly.

She attempted to cover herself, not exactly liking his expression towards it.  “You don’t like it?”

He picked up their clothes and shoved them into the locker and locked it.  Then he turned to her with a frown.  “Don’t you think it’s just the least bit weird?” he asked, concerned.  At a nod, he sighed.  His eyes took in the sight of a shop and an idea crossed his mind: “how about I buy you one that you want to wear?”  Before she could speak, he gripped her hand and pulled her along to said shop.

In a matter of minutes, she picked out a green bikini and changed into it.  As she finished dressing, she called to him, “could you come in and tie the bra piece behind my neck?”

He flushed at first, thinking that was a bold move on her part, but he swallowed it and entered.  He noticed that she was turned away from him shyly, leaving her back and neck exposed to him.  He gripped the tie from her hands and did as asked.  When he was done, for a minor moment, he brushed his fingers along her skin, admiring its beautiful glitter in his eyes, then pulled away.  He paid for the suit whilst she stuffed her carrot one into their locker.  Then they were off.

Just like for the movie, she somehow managed to slip up and fall into the water face first.  And again, he dipped down and helped her to the surface.  He laughed lightly as he kept her above the surface.  “I’m gonna teach you how to swim today.”  He held her hips in his hands to brace her.  “Now, kick your feet.”

She did as she was told.  She slowly kicked her feet back and forth underneath.  When he deemed her able to stay above water, he let go, allowing her to keep herself sturdy.  She smiled, “I’m doing it.”

He smiled and nodded.  He turned towards the deeper water.  “Now, watch me closely.  I want you to paddle with your hands and kick with your feet.  Do exactly what I do.”  He took a deep breath and sunk into the water, kicking his feet and paddling his hands just as promised to take him to the other side of the pool.  He was satisfied as he surfaced and met the end.  He turned to her, “come on.”

She gulped and took a deep breath, diving into the water.  She repeated his motions with vigor.  She closed in on him until they nearly collided, then she surfaced and smiled.

He smirked and pointed into the water.  Without a warning, he took a deep breath and dove into the water.

She soon followed.  As she swam deeper, she gripped his offered hand and they swam until they touched the bottom.  Her hand landed on it first, then they forced themselves to the surface.  He came up first and then her.  She smiled and laughed, “that was fun!”

He smiled and nodded.  As he was to speak again, he noticed a familiar strand of pink hair was passing by.  His eyes soon landed upon Sheryl Nome, whom failed to notice they’d seen her and was walking quite fast to her table.  In her pink leather bikini, one would confuse her for a fluffy pink marshmallow.  He suddenly remembered Ranka’s reaction to the fortune cookie and looked at her with shock.  “You knew she was following us?” he asked, curious.

She shook her head, “no.”  Then she looked up with a pale face.  “But I had a small hunch after I got that charm that said ‘someone you idolize is watching you cautiously’ and my fortune said the same thing.”

Sheryl soon noticed their prying eyes and paled, backing up right into the waiter, whom she quickly avoided though he apologized for no reason.  She randomly entered a bathroom, not realizing it was the men’s.

He frowned, “she obviously followed us.”  He shook his head with a deep sigh.  “That girl never gives up, does she?  Even when you state flat out that you have no interest, she chases you.  It’s kind of endearing, really.”  He looked at Ranka with a deep smile, “but not as lovely as you.  If anything, I’d hire her for her determination.”  He attempted to flatter her for more than one reason.  One: she felt inferior to Sheryl.  Two: he was hers and he wouldn’t deny it.  Sheryl was a friend to him and nothing more, he had surmised.  “Ranka, there’s nothing between her and I.  And I don’t want you to get the wrong impression of the time I spend with her.”

She felt his sincerity and nodded.  Then her eyes landed upon something interesting.  That happiness came back as she pointed.

Sheryl came out of the bathroom with a pale expression, face blue.  “Th—Tha—That was the m—m—men’s bathroom.”  She shook her head and slapped her cheeks to gain back her sanity.  She prepared herself to face the two teens when she noticed they were gone.  Approaching the water, she looked around only to find watermarks that led to the lockers.  “Where did they go?”

Saotome Alto let loose a happy screech as they descended from the top of a mountain on a roller coaster, Ranka at his side.  At first, it was an attempt to show interest in something she considered fun, but after the first and second descend, he found himself welcoming back happy childhood memories he had missed: the amusement park.  And he found himself enjoying the constant ascent and descent.  With his arms thrown up, he looked at her and laughed, keeping their joy alive.  Instead of a teenager or a pilot with responsibilities, just for this one moment, he was a child again.

Soon afterwards, she raced over to him with two jumbo hot dogs in hand with mustard on them.  She handed him his and began to chow down on her own.  She soon saw his face make that familiar heated expression and she picked up her drink, holding the tip of the straw out for him.  This time, he actually moved in her direction beforehand, as if anticipating it.  As his lips met her straw, he blushed heatedly beneath the red on his face.  A mumbled ‘thank you’ came her way.

Then they decided to play the games in the fair, as it was fun and their food could digest.  He decided to play the darts and managed to win four of five rounds successfully, giving her the first prize winnings from each.  Then he dared to take his shot at the shooting alley.  Once again, he was victorious.  For once, he acted out gladly, flipping his gun up and pretending to blow smoke away, which made her clap in awe.  Then they noticed a ball-throwing contest again.  She once again shocked the clerk at this game by knocking all of the bottles down.  He handed her the biggest bear they had just so she wouldn’t play again.  She put each and every prize into the compression container.

The couple – as one would assume when walking by – moved through the fair with happy looks towards one another, pointing at various tents.  They looked blissful.

He suggested on his own that they enter the haunted house, just to have some fun.  When they did, he wasn’t aware that Frontier found it amusing to show pop-ups of the Vajra.  He took out his handgun and aimed at the beings, but luckily he didn’t fire, for she had stepped in front of him.  This new form of ‘play’ the government had cooked up disgusted him.  And so, he exited with anger.

Reluctantly, he agreed to go on the romantic boat ride with her.  Ironically, calling the tunnel Swan Princess made him blush.  The entire ride, he held her hand and stared ahead, a thick blush on his face, too afraid to say anything of his feelings.  But he felt happy.  The romance was alive between them when she kissed his cheek.  After that, he returned the affection in the form of a passionate kiss.  As they exited the tunnel, kids yelping with disgust at their affections greeted them.  He just smirked at the boys and winked at the girls, trying to say ‘she’s mine’ to them.

Next, they hit the cotton candy, to which he found himself running low on money.  He merely bought one and shared it with her.  Both found it amusing to share without touching mouths.  Then they fought to get the end piece, which ended up in a strange kiss when he ended up winning and licking the rest from her lips.  When they finished, he spent the last of their tickets on the Ferris Wheel.

She watched, amused, as the large wheel lifted them towards what should be the sky.  Her eyes landed upon a large bird flying by them.  Her mind took in all the wonderful colors of the fair with a bright smile.  Yet another visual photograph.  “We’re so high up!”

He stared at her childish expression, soon finding himself blushing.  Despite how much of a child she seemed, he couldn’t help but find her personality and attitude endearing.  He had seen the true her.  This was just another side of herself.  Today, he too had returned to being a mere child.  After becoming a pilot, he hadn’t been able to feel that way.  But he hadn’t truly had a chance to feel that way in childhood.  As her eyes met his to speak, hers widened.  His eyes were sparkling from the light outside and she could see that enlightenment in his eyes again.

~Your eyes are sparkling.~

She stared in shock.  With a blush on her cheeks, she called out, “Alto-kun?”

He snapped out of his trance almost instantly.  He blushed as he realized he’d gone off into space.  He looked away and tried to pretend he was more interested in the fairgrounds than her, but as she turned her attention back to it, his eyes landed upon her with that thick blush.  For a mere moment, he had seen the future between them, and he liked it.

~Is it me or can you not form words?~

“Tomorrow is almost here.”  Her eyes were slightly downcast.  “We’ll head for Galia 4.”  She liked where they were: connected and happy.  But tomorrow would possibly ruin all of that.  Her eyes rose to his concerned but sad eyes.  “I want to remain here with you forever.”

He nodded, “I do too.”  He reached over and gripped her hands strongly, “but you owe it to yourself to solve your past.  It’s what you want.”  He blushed slightly and pulled away, “and it’s my duty to protect you.  Not only as your bodyguard or a pilot but also as your boyfriend.”  He let a smile touch his lips.  “I care about you.  You’re important to me.”

Her eyes were watery at this, then she smiled brightly, accepting the endearing words.  “I love you, Alto-kun.”

Immediately, he stiffened.  He had to give her a reply now or cause a big uproar between them.  “Ranka, about that…” he started, then noticed her shocked, almost horrified face, and he paled.  He had to tell her it was going somewhere.  “Listen,” he sunk into his chair, attempting to hide from her sight, “we’ve been separated throughout our entire dating period and I don’t really know much about you that’s personal.”  He shook his head heavily.  “But I know I like you.  And I want it to turn into love.  But, for now, I want it to grow, Ranka.”  He met her eyes, “I want to be absolutely sure of my feelings before I state them.  I don’t want to rush into something we might regret later.”

Her eyes held understanding.  “Okay.”

Then he became shocked, as if not expecting that reply.

She smiled, wiping away the small tears that had gathered.  “I understand.”  Gripping his hand, she embraced it with her own hands, creating a bond, in her mind.  She rubbed his knuckles against her cheek.  “Take your time.”

And – for the first time in his life – he felt no more fear.  It all faded.  He smiled and nodded, gripping her hands with his other.  “Thank you.”

~Baby, romantic date.~

That evening, he suggested they take advantage of the open bath.  Sadly, the downcast of this was the fact it was a nude bath.  He figured it would be fine since they were to be the only ones present.  He kept his back to her but allowed her full permission to face him, as all she could see was his back anyway.  He stared up at the stars above with sadness.  “I don’t want to leave this moment, this company, but I want to see the real sky too.”

“I hope the clouds taste like cotton candy!” she exclaimed happily.  Her resolve was to find a bright side to their separation.  She shot up in determination.  “Yes, and they’ll be the best candy ever!”  She moved forward only to trip and fall forward.  She panicked, making a lot of noise to warn him.

He turned swiftly and caught her before she could submerge.  He held her arms and helped her back to her feet.  That’s when their eyes met.  He stared into her rubies for the millionth time since this vacation had started, but this time, he was asking a million mental questions.  Then the moonlight hit her skin and his eyes dropped.  And as soon as he met with her exposed breasts, he pulled away and covered his eyes with a hand, turning away.

Her arms moved to cover herself as fast as she could.  “You peeked,” she accused him halfheartedly.

“I’m sorry,” he spoke as he removed his hand, “it was an accident.”

She lowered her arms and finally realized just how considerate he was.  Any other girl would be obsessed with this level of worry and care to the other’s desire.  Slipping forward, she wrapped her arms around his middle, her form meeting with his back.  Despite feeling him stiffen like a rock under her touch, she smiled warmly.  His skin was warm and the muscles made her feel safe.  “Thank you, Alto-kun.”

He looked slightly over his shoulder, red as a beet, “f—for wh—what?”

“Everything,” she spoke lowly into his back.

He stared, still embarrassed, but he understood.  Her gratitude had reached him so many times but never like this.  She was content with everything he’d done for her.  He had once shown the same gratitude towards her actions.  He stood there and lifted his own arms to embrace hers.  It didn’t feel awkward anymore, for there was no intimate atmosphere to it.  With a warm smile, he met her curious ruby orbs, “we should get sleep for tomorrow’s flight.”

She pulled away sadly and nodded.

“Three days flew by like the wind, didn’t they?” he joked lightly as she moved closer again.  His eyes lowered slightly.  He had avoided the foreboding feelings for the entire trip but he couldn’t take this distance between them any longer.  Once they were done in the Galia system, everything would return to normal.  He wouldn’t see her again for probably a month, if not more.  And she was worth every minute.  Not to mention that she hated telling him she had to cancel their date.  She even considered just leaving anyway but he would encourage her to stay and do what was needed for her career.  He wouldn’t dare jeopardize her career.  With sad eyes, he looked at the stars once more, hoping a falling star would pass by.  “It’s gonna be a long flight.”  He watched that falling star appear and closed his eyes, making a mental wish.  Then he forced a smile and met her eyes, avoiding her nudity still.  “I hope you recover your past.”

She smiled lightly at this and snuggled into his back.  “Me too.”

That night was precious to the both of them.  For the first time in their relationship, they shared an intimate moment.  And, to him, it was only the start.

As soon as morning hit, the bustling sounds of life began.

At the S.M.S. loading dock, Alto prepared for their flight.  He packed up the food and essentials needed, even the emergency kit.  Thanks to his offering to take the equipment on his shuttle, they did not need the extra ship, which helped if they needed an emergency fold from Frontier to help them.  He stomached the fact he’d have to take the VF-171EX instead of the VF-25F because he was still a trainee.  He climbed the ladder and helped Ranka buckle in.  He gave Michael a reassuring look, even saluted him, before he sat down and began to prepare the ship.  He turned on the engines and boosters and watched the fold pack connect to his ship.  He checked their energy, fuel, and stability before he turned to look at his passenger, “this is going to be a bit bumpy, Ranka.”  At a nod, he turned on their communications.  “Skull-4 is ready for launch.”

{Roger that,} Ozma Lee spoke through his speakers from the control room.  {Alto, keep my sister safe.}

“Roger,” the boy answered.  As they rose to the launch pad, he watched the lights flash, as did she.  He took this time to place the picture from their date on his dashboard.  His memory would remain with him always now.  When they reached the launch pad, he prepared himself.  “This is the bumpy bit, Ranka.”  He saw a small nod follow and watched the lights on the runway light up before he took off with a forceful push.

She had braced herself but was still blown away by the pressure of the lift-off.  Once they had reached a steady flight, she felt weightless in space.  She looked around at the vast universe, noticing how large and lonely it was.  She felt a sense of loss in it.  It seemed so cold and heartless.  No wonder he wanted a real sky over space.  He wanted a world with true warmth and a real sun shimmering light off his wings.  To her, that was a beautiful dream.

“Preparing to fold,” he warned mostly her.  He opened the fold in a matter of seconds and they were gone.

Ozma sighed at the sight.  He felt a presence enter the room.  “What do you think of him, Michael?” he asked without clarifying it was said boy.  He watched the fold vanish.  “Is he the right one for Ranka?”

Michael frowned, “is it natural for you to doubt her feelings or his?” he shot back.  Truthfully, he hadn’t known Alto that long, only three years.  Though, he had to digress, his intentions with Ranka were pure, as he seemed mesmerized by her, and he even crossed the borderlines of intimacy with her – which he hadn’t done before.  He looked towards the stairs outside with a passive face.  “It’s not my place to judge.  Love is a serious matter.  All I can say is sexual intimacy doesn’t seem to be with reason, so it’s safe to assume they are in love.”

Ozma sighed at that.  He could sense that too.  The boy seemed too shy to jump into something like that.  “He shouldn’t get involved in things he can’t handle.”

Michael narrowed his eyes at this.  Alto always drained himself of his own positive energy, as if he needed Ranka around to make him fly.  It worried him.  “Are you talking about being a pilot?” he asked.

Ozma did not confirm it.  He turned to his friend with serious eyes.  “Michael, you care about Ranka too,” he commented with authority, “so I ask of you… if Alto does anything to harm her, push her away from him.”

“Commander?” the boy spoke with shock.

“Support his choice of a lover if he cheats.”  He looked away, ashamed of what he was requesting.  “I don’t want her to be hurt, but if he does such things, we cannot stop him.  I want her to deal with that pain on her own.  If she can do that, perhaps she can understand this secret I carry.”  He met Michael’s shocked eyes.  “If he cheats on her, then he doesn’t deserve her.”

With that, Michael nodded.  “I will do what you request, commander.”

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