Chapter Text
"So what do they feel like?"
Ken stumbled from where he was jumping to and hit the ground.
"What?"
Momo was flinging one of the Serpoian's across the field as she spoke. "The neck frills! I've always wondered what they feel like."
Ken kicked the dog-like alien that was snapping at him like a rabid animal (a new type! He'd have to write down everything he's observed later!) and rolled over.
"Why are we discussing this now, babe?"
He lunged and scooped Momo up and out of the way of the Serpoian. Anger flared in his chest at the alien. How dare it try to harm Momo. He'd tear it to shreds and-
Ken didn't notice he was growling until Momo's warm hands pressed against his mask.
"I've been thinking 'bout it-" She used her ghost hands to launch the both of them into the air, "-and I want to know what its made of!"
Ken almost dropped her as he balanced on the telephone pole.
He shook her hands off of his face and held her tighter when the dog-alien below started barking and chewing on the telephone pole. (He decided to ignore the temptation in his chest to bark back.)
Momo scolwed at the dog-alien below and sent her ghost hand down to scruff it and throw it. Ken watched it scream as it went flying.
"This is so not the time to have this conversation-" He sprang over onto the telephone wires and shuddered at the buzzing feeling that spread through his body.
Momo shifted in his arms and glared at the Serpoian that was yelling at the dog-like alien.
"The creep is distracted." She muttered. Ken rushed along the telephone and jumped down. Gently, he set Momo down before he whirled around to the Serpoian.
Still yelling.
The thrum of power surged underneath his skin. An exhale.
The burst of power sent exhilaration through Ken. The Serpoian didn't get the chance to even scream before he was bursting through it and listening to the sound of it splitting apart.
The bad part about this: he hated the whiplash of pain after.
Heaving loudly, Ken slumped over as empty space disapatted.
The dog-alien was barking loudly and ran over to Ken. He hissed a little.
It cowered back away from him.
Easing back, he frowned (or whatever the equivlent was with the jaws) and held out a hand.
It slowly trotted forward and sniffed his hand. Pushing its large head into his hand, it let out excited yipping noises before just down right barreling into Ken. He shrieked and flailed.
Momo was dangling the dog-alien up in the air moments later. "Okarun!"
He let himself transform back and gave a thumbs up. "I'm alive- it just was happy I think." He heaved out a shaky breath.
Now that he got a closer look, he noticed it had two mouths.
He squinted. Three mouths. There was one on its chest too. (He definetly needed to study this thing later. Three mouths- how fascinating!)
Ayase looked at him with a sigh and lowered the dog-alien slowly. It looked like it was practically vibrating with excitment.
She waved a hand and the dog immediately bounded towards Ken again and let out excited barks. (Once again, he ignored the urge to bark back.)
It was slobbering all over him.
Ken let out a whine and looked at Ayase, who was barely stifling her laughter.
"Miss Ayase-"
Ayase burst into laughter, face brightened with a delightful smile.
He felt his heart thud loudly against his ribs. Bright as the sun and it made him feel like a cat who was sleeping underneath it.
The dog-alien suddenly shoved its ears against Ken's chest, then looked up at him with something that vaguely reminded him of Ayase's usual mischievous face. It yipped before clambering off of Ken and bounded over at Ayase.
She shrieked when it tackled her, and Ken couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up in his chest.
Seiko wasn't home.
Ken toed off his shoes in the entrance and settled them neatly next to Ayase's strewn about ones.
He tucked those away properly too.
Satisfied with his work, he found his way into the main room where Ayase and the dog-alien were messing about. It was sniffing around loudly while Ayase shooed it away from delicate items.
Ken let his hand come up and scratch his neck as he watched the little dance. Warmth settled in his chest at it.
Maybe someday they could be like this when older. Three more pets. Ayase laughing as they tried to get some food from her. He'd slip them the second best cut of meat, saving the best one for her. No kids, he didn't think they'd have any, but maybe a cat and dog that would wind between their legs when they shared soft kisses-
He cut that train of thought off quick, face flushing brightly. Why was he fantasizing about Ayase? That was wrong. He shouldn't be. She was his friend. Nothing more. Nothing less.
"Hey, do you think we should name this guy?" Ayase's voice pulled Ken from his spiral. He glanced up between her and the dog-alien.
He nodded slowly.
She rubbed her jaw in thought. Ken dug his nails into his neck to stop himself from calling her cute.
"Any ideas?" He asked, easing his hands away from his neck. He forced the claws that formed back into normal, human, blunt nails.
Ayase looked the dog-alien over intensely. "How about…Rat?"
"We are not calling it Rat."
"Why not!? It's a good name for how strange it is!"
"That's just cruel!" He barked back.
Ayase huffed loudly and crossed her arms. "I'd like to see you come up with something better then, Oka-ruuun."
Ignoring the way his heart stuttered at her drawling his name out like that, he focused his attention onto the dog-alien.
Fully focusing on it, he took note of the sparkling its dark pelt seemed to have. It panted loudly and spun around, tail wagging wildly. Its fur shimmered as the light shifted over it.
Space.
"Laika."
Ken nodded as he tested the name, "Laika. Thats what we should name it."
Ayase blinked at him and mouthed the name a couple times.
"Damn, you actually did come up with something better." She scratched the back of her neck with a sheepish smile.
Ken laughed loudly.
After getting Laika settled with a large slab of raw meat they found in the fridge, Ken and Ayase had set themselves up in front of the TV with blankets and pillows.
Ayase held up a DVD case triumphantly, waving it in front of Ken's face. "Look what I got!"
"If you'd get it out of my face I could actually see it." Ken deadpanned.
She scowled at him then yanked the DVD away. Moments later, she took his glasses too.
"HEY-"
"You lost sight privileges," She shot back.
He growled back at her and swiped blindly for his glasses. It was a miserable fail that ended up with him nearly toppling onto her.
Ayase shrieked and smacked him with the DVD, leaning back further.
"Ow!"
Her fingers grazed his neck, earning a full body shudder at the sensation.
Ayase stopped for a second. Ken could feel the stare on his neck. It made his hair stand on end, but he couldn't tell if it was a bad sensation either.
With her distracted, Ken didn't think about it, transforming and barreling into Momo. She landed flat on her back with a loud thud and glared up at him. She went to move away, but Ken's hands shot out and pinned her wrists down.
(He was careful his claws didn't dig in, instead keeping his fingers splayed out and just his palms pressing down on her wrists.)
He expected her to launch him off like usual. These "fights" always ended the same. The two bickering over who used their powers first, launching each other across the room and finally collapsing next to each other in a heap of giggles.
That was…not what happened. Momo just stared at him, eyes wide and face flushed. She still gripped his glasses in her hand.
Her wrists flexed underneath his hands.
The rational part of Ken was screaming at him to get off and apologize-
The selfish part was enjoying the view of Momo underneath him.
After a few moments of debating with himself, the selfish part won out.
Ken breathed out slowly and tilted his head.
"Can I have my glasses back, please?"
Momo just stared, her gaze flicking between his face and neck.
He could feel his neck frills flare up a little at the attention.
Wriggling her fingers, Momo fumbled as best she could with the glasses for a moment before huffing and just using her ghost hands to grab and shove the glasses onto his face.
Properly being able to see Momo underneath him almost gave Ken a heart attack.
"Your little neck frill things always react to whatever you're thinking." Momo muttered.
Ken blinked and tilted his head. He was in a weird half-state right now. Not quite fully transformed but not just himself either.
This always happened when he was relaxed and goofing off with Momo. How embarrassing.
"Momo-"
She managed to wiggle her hands free and shoved them against his neck, earning a loud yelp from him.
"AYASE-"
Momo's laugh rang right next to his ear as she wriggled her fingers through the frills. "They're soft!"
Ken groaned and just slumped over on top of her. "Is this what you were on about earlier?"
She just hummed noncommittally and continued running her fingers through the frills.
"Momoooo-" He dragged out her name, ignoring the rumbling in his chest at the feeling of her hands and tapped her head.
"I've been curious dude! We never have time to see what the hell is up with this form since you only ever use it in battle. Besides-" She brought her hands back down against his neck, "-I think they're cute!"
Ken just whined and let himself fully sink against Momo. He felt like he was going to explode.
Scratch that, he definitely was if this was going to continue.
Momo seemed rather oblivious to his crisis and just happily continued petting the frills.
Pushing himself up and swallowing, Ken mustered the best scowl he could. He was sure he looked like a mess right now.
His transformation wasn't ebbing back but wasn't taking over either.
Momo stared at him.
Ken stared back.
She suddenly jerked up and frowned, "I'm sorry I didn't- did I push it too far?"
Ken's heart clenched at the worried expression. "No! I mean-"
He sat back awkwardly, "No, you didn't I promise I'm just…"
He ducked his head and slowly pushed Momo back down, pressing his forehead into her shoulder. "Sorry- I'm an awkward guy."
Momo smacked him for that. He didn't mind.
The one thing he was thankful for in this state is it made it easier to express things. Awkward, but easier.
"I didn't- I didn't mind at all its just-"
He was fumbling with his words. Whatever the feeling was it was hard to express, but he wanted nothing more than for Momo to continue.
Momo's fingers grazed one of the frills again. They flared up wildly.
"Feels nice." Ken finally managed, pushing his face further against her collarbone.
She chuckled, "Thats- would you mind if I continue then?"
He just nodded. He didn't trust his mouth anymore.
Momo's fingers tangled back into the frills, earning a loud rumbling from Ken who practically melted into her grasp.
He could get used to this. He knew the mortification he'd deal with later when he left would suck, but with how happy he felt now he didn't mind.
Ken didn't know how long they stayed there. Momo's fingers combing through the frills and Ken half asleep against her.
He chose not to count either.