Fic: Complications [Joe/Luka]
Title: Complications
Fandom: Gokaiger
Pairing: Joe/Luka
Rating: PG13ish
Summary: There had never been any expectations or illusions about this thing between him and Luka.
Notes: Happens after episode 28. This whole thing is because of Joe's epic reaction to seeing another man hitting on Luka. An older, attractive man.
Complications
The sword slashed through the air as Joe spun around, going down on one knee as he brought the blade down sharply in the finishing move. He stayed still, breathing heavily, feeling sweat bead his face and trickle slowly down his spine.
Training helped him focus, it occupied his mind so he didn’t have to think about other things. But it was only temporary relief, and memories of what happened earlier that day came back to him once he’d finished. He stood up abruptly, grimacing as he did so.
“It’s stupid,” he told himself, not for the first time that day. “It’s not like I’ve never seen other guys be into Luka before. And it’s not like it matters anyway; we’re not like that.”
“No promises, no strings. How about it, Joe?”
“Fine by me,” he’d smirked. “I hate complications.”
“Good, because I hate complications too,” she’d murmured, brushing her lips against his.
There had never been any expectations or illusions about this thing between him and Luka. It’d started one night, because they’d both wanted it, and they knew each other well enough to say so. It hadn’t changed anything between, they were crewmates, they had each other’s backs, they were friends even... and given that there weren’t really all that many alternatives for either of them, it had seemed only natural for him and Luka to come to a mutually satisfying arrangement.
But they weren’t together, they didn’t owe each other anything, and if some guy came along hitting on Luka... well, she was her own person, she could decide for herself if she was interested or not. If she was, it wasn’t any of Joe’s business, and if she wasn’t, she was more than capable of handling it herself.
So why had he interfered at all? Truth be told, he’d restrained himself. If he was honest with himself, he had to admit that he’d wanted to shove the stranger (Yuko Gai, he’d learned later) away. “Back off, she’s not interested!”, was what he’d wanted to say.
What did it say that he’d wanted so badly for her not to be interested?
“I’d never hear the end of it,” he muttered under his breath darkly.
“Hear the end of what, Joe?”
He froze a moment, then turned around to face Luka while trying to keep his face neutral.
“Nothing,” he replied, his voice sounding more sullen than he’d intended.
Luka raised an eyebrow.
“It was just a question, no need for you to be like that.”
He shrugged, jaw tightening. He should apologize, it really wasn’t her fault.
Except, of course, that in a way it was.
She rolled her eyes, “Fine. Come look for me after you sweat it off, Joe.”
She didn’t wait for an answer before turning to walk away from him.
“Hey, Luka, wait,” he strode after her, reached out to stop her with a hand on her shoulder.
“Yes, Joe?” She glanced over her shoulder at him, the hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
“Sorry,” he said, smirking back at her.
She laughed at that. “Don’t worry about it. We’re cool.”
He let her go that time. He wondered what she’d say if he told her that he could no longer assure her of no promises or strings.
Complications, it seemed, were unavoidable after all.
Fandom: Gokaiger
Pairing: Joe/Luka
Rating: PG13ish
Summary: There had never been any expectations or illusions about this thing between him and Luka.
Notes: Happens after episode 28. This whole thing is because of Joe's epic reaction to seeing another man hitting on Luka. An older, attractive man.
Complications
The sword slashed through the air as Joe spun around, going down on one knee as he brought the blade down sharply in the finishing move. He stayed still, breathing heavily, feeling sweat bead his face and trickle slowly down his spine.
Training helped him focus, it occupied his mind so he didn’t have to think about other things. But it was only temporary relief, and memories of what happened earlier that day came back to him once he’d finished. He stood up abruptly, grimacing as he did so.
“It’s stupid,” he told himself, not for the first time that day. “It’s not like I’ve never seen other guys be into Luka before. And it’s not like it matters anyway; we’re not like that.”
“No promises, no strings. How about it, Joe?”
“Fine by me,” he’d smirked. “I hate complications.”
“Good, because I hate complications too,” she’d murmured, brushing her lips against his.
There had never been any expectations or illusions about this thing between him and Luka. It’d started one night, because they’d both wanted it, and they knew each other well enough to say so. It hadn’t changed anything between, they were crewmates, they had each other’s backs, they were friends even... and given that there weren’t really all that many alternatives for either of them, it had seemed only natural for him and Luka to come to a mutually satisfying arrangement.
But they weren’t together, they didn’t owe each other anything, and if some guy came along hitting on Luka... well, she was her own person, she could decide for herself if she was interested or not. If she was, it wasn’t any of Joe’s business, and if she wasn’t, she was more than capable of handling it herself.
So why had he interfered at all? Truth be told, he’d restrained himself. If he was honest with himself, he had to admit that he’d wanted to shove the stranger (Yuko Gai, he’d learned later) away. “Back off, she’s not interested!”, was what he’d wanted to say.
What did it say that he’d wanted so badly for her not to be interested?
“I’d never hear the end of it,” he muttered under his breath darkly.
“Hear the end of what, Joe?”
He froze a moment, then turned around to face Luka while trying to keep his face neutral.
“Nothing,” he replied, his voice sounding more sullen than he’d intended.
Luka raised an eyebrow.
“It was just a question, no need for you to be like that.”
He shrugged, jaw tightening. He should apologize, it really wasn’t her fault.
Except, of course, that in a way it was.
She rolled her eyes, “Fine. Come look for me after you sweat it off, Joe.”
She didn’t wait for an answer before turning to walk away from him.
“Hey, Luka, wait,” he strode after her, reached out to stop her with a hand on her shoulder.
“Yes, Joe?” She glanced over her shoulder at him, the hint of a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
“Sorry,” he said, smirking back at her.
She laughed at that. “Don’t worry about it. We’re cool.”
He let her go that time. He wondered what she’d say if he told her that he could no longer assure her of no promises or strings.
Complications, it seemed, were unavoidable after all.