A/N: HEY EVERYONE! THANKS TO ALL OF YOU WHO READ MY LAST STORY! YOUR FEEDBACK IS VERY HELPFUL WHEN I'M WRITING THESE THINGS.
HERE IT IS, MY LATEST TORI/BLAKE FIC. IT WILL INCLUDE KIRA/TRENT ALSO, BUT IT'S MOSTLY TORI/BLAKE.
I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOY IT...
NOW FOR THE LEGAL STUFF: I DON'T OWN POWER RANGERS OR ANYTHING ASSOCIATED TO IT, BUT ANY CHARACTERS YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE ARE MINE!
EMMA LAHANA OWNS "PATIENTLY" AND I APOLOGIZE IF THE LYRICS ARE SLIGHTLY WRONG... I DID THE BEST I COULD.
"Congrats bro!" Hunter said as he raised his cup to his little brother. After the race, Hailey had graciously opened her café up to the rangers for a celebration… both for their victory and for Blake's.
Blake blushed a little and lifted his cup as well. Everyone toasted him and continued to mingle. Looking around, Blake saw his brother acting VERY chummy with Kapri… not that he minded, but it was just a little weird seeing everyone again.
Shane and Dustin were still pretty much the same, but they had seemed to grow up a little more. At the moment Dustin and Marah were laughing about something or other, and Shane was with Connor and Ethan.
Sensei, Tommy, and Hailey were standing off to the side talking quietly and smiling as they saw Shane attempt to explain Ninja Streaking to Ethan.
Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Kira and Cam looking over the sound system to the building. According to Connor, Kira was pretty talented and Blake hoped that he could hear her before he left. They had become fast friends and for that he was thankful. He didn't meet many people on the road that he stayed in contact with.
Then he caught sight of Trent who, at the moment, was giving Blake the same look he had given him earlier… like he wanted to tear him limb from limb.
'Geeze, is this guy a little jealous or what?' he thought to himself. Just then Tori walked over to Trent and handed him a smoothie from the bar. Blake felt his heartbeat increase and suddenly found that his fists were clenched tightly.
After a moment, he caught himself and returned to his normal position against one of the tables.
"I think someone's jealous," Kapri said mockingly from behind him. Blake grinned and faced the blonde.
"I hope you're not talking about me," he said.
"Well, do you see any other guy in this room shooting death glares?"
Blake laughed. "Actually," he said as he looked at Trent who was now looking at Cam. Kapri looked in that direction and laughed.
"I stand corrected," she said giggling. She saw Tori hand Trent a piece of paper and then they both laughed. "Well, it seems to me little blue is having a good time over there… why don't you go join her?"
Blake stared at the exchange with a sad smile. He knew he had blown it when he left to race… He said he'd write but the letters were few and far in between, what with him moving around all the time.
Why wouldn't Tori go out with other guys? It wasn't like they were officially together… but in his heart he knew he wanted to be with her.
From across the room Tori saw the look Blake had on his face and felt her heart slowly sink. It was like he was hurting deep down and she had no idea why.
"Tori?" Trent asked. She turned to him and smiled a little.
"Sorry… I was… distracted," she said shyly. Trent looked over to Kira and smiled.
"I know what you mean," he said. "Anyway, thanks for this," he said as he placed the paper in his pocket. "If we ever get to Blue Bay I'll be sure to look you up."
Tori smiled again. "You just make sure you come by the academy. I think you'd all really like it." Her words were happy, but they felt empty.
Seeing Blake again had been great, but it was a little strange at first… After coming back to normal, the first thing she saw was the face she had wanted to see for nearly eight months. All other thought went out the window, but she had to play it cool.
In all truth she wasn't sure how to act. The letters they'd exchanged were just friendly gestures, nothing more. She could count the number of times she had written him that she missed him and thrown the letter aside.
Now all of that fear was thrown out the window. He was right here in front of her and she was hiding from him. That day at his race she hadn't even wished him luck like the others had. Then when he was lifted into the air after his victory she was the first person he looked at.
That had done it. All the repressed feelings she had felt for him over the passed months poured out into her heart and she knew she had to do something about it.
Hunter looked over to his little brother and sighed. He was doing the exact same thing he had promised Hunter he wouldn't do. Right after his race, Blake had approached his brother and told him that now that the tour was over he had a few months off and was going to settle things back home… including things with Tori.
Now he was hiding out and that annoyed the elder Bradley. He walked over to Blake and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Bro, we need to talk," he said as Kapri discretely made her way towards the others who were now by the stage.
"Dude, what's up?" Blake asked.
"Do I really need to answer that?"
Blake sighed and knew what Hunter was up to. "I'm getting to it," he said.
"You've had two days to get around to it. Hell, you haven't even said anything to her today."
"Look Hunter, this is a little harder than it seems. I mean, I've been gone for eight months and in another three I'll be on the road again. What do you want me to do? Say, 'Hey Tor, I love you' see you in a few months? No way."
Hunter stared at his little brother in a state of shock. "Dude… you love her?"
Blake took in the enormity of what he had just admitted. It was true… somewhere along the line he had fallen in love with her, and still loved her more than anything now. He never really admitted it himself before until now.
"Yeah… I think I do," he said as he looked at her. The others were standing in front of the stage where it looked like Kira was setting up her guitar with Cam manning another one for backup.
For a moment he caught Tori's eye and she promptly looked away, blushing. Hunter caught the exchange and patted him on the back.
"C'mon. Let's go see what's going on over there." The two thunder brothers made their way over and stood with their friends, new and old.
Tori smiled when Blake stood next to her. It was the first time all day that they had really been close.
"Hey you," Tori said happily. "Great race today."
Blake blushed a little. "Yeah, thanks. It was even better because you were there… you guys I mean," he said.
Tori grinned and turned her attention to where Kira and Cam were beginning.
The song Kira chose was one that the Dino Thunder Rangers were familiar with, and Cam had picked up on the backup beat easily.
"Looking back I don't regret one single day
Memories would keep me close when you walked away
It's harder than I could imagine
Guess I should have known that
Close your eyes I'll be there
I'll come running anywhere
Say goodbye I'll be okay
I will wait for you cuz, true love will never fade
When it's real you can feel it
And I know, that you know
That I will keep on waiting faithfully
Patiently for you
Stormy Tuesday afternoons haven't been the same
I used to stand outside and taste the sweetness of them
It's harder when it really happens
Oh I wish I'd known that
Close my eyes and you're there
But I can't find you anywhere
Say goodbye I'll be okay
I will wait for you cuz, true love will never fade
When it's real you can feel it
And I know, that you know
That I will keep on waiting patiently
Patiently for you"
As Kira played, Tori felt Blake tentatively reach for her hand. As if it was working with a mind of it's own, her hand laced with his. The two looked at each other and smiled.
"Oh I'm lost
I try to find you
Turn around
I'm right behind you
Say goodbye I'll be okay
I will wait for you cuz, true love will never fade
When it's real you can feel it
And I know, that you know
That I will keep on waiting faithfully
Patiently for you
Say goodbye I'll be okay
I will wait for you cuz, true love will never fade
When it's real you can feel it
And I know, that you know
That I will keep on waiting patiently
Patiently for you"
As the music faded out the place erupted in cheers. Tori felt Blake release her hand to clap and she suddenly felt incomplete without his touch.
Blake too felt strange as they broke apart, but as soon as they were all finished, their hands found each other again.
"Can we go talk somewhere a little more… private?" Blake asked her.
"I was wondering if you were ever going to get around to that," she said smiling as they headed out of the café.
Kira saw them go and smiled. "Penny for your thoughts," Trent said as he handed her a bottle of apple juice. She smiled at him.
"Thanks." Kira looked around and saw that everyone else had gone back to mingling. "I guess I'm just happy for them."
Trent looked to the door and saw Tori and Blake exit. "Yeah… Cam was telling me a little about those two. I guess they've liked each other for a long time…" he paused and looked at her. "…but they just can't find the right way to talk about it."
Kira blushed a little under his gaze. "Well, how do you think they should handle it?"
Trent edged his way closer to her. "Well, first they should go out on a date. Like a real one; dinner, movie, the works."
Kira saw the smirk that was forming on his face and felt instant butterflies in her stomach. "And what happens if this date gets interrupted by some dinosaur mutant freak?" she responded.
Trent was so close to her now that he could almost feel her breath on his face. "Then they may have to try a few times…" he edged closer…
"No way dude! I bet Hunter could have totally kicked Trent's butt," Dustin said to Connor. At that, their moment was ended and both of them were very nervous all of a sudden.
"What are you guys talking about," Trent said as he composed himself.
"Which one of you were worse when you were evil," Connor said. Trent grinned at Hunter.
"Well, I don't know about that one…" he began as the guys engrossed themselves in memories of battles.
Kira sat against the stage with her juice and mentally slapped herself. 'We were so close!' she said to herself. 'Hopefully Tori's having better luck than me…'