With and Without
Disclaimer: Don't own anything except the storyline. Just playing around in someone else's backyard.
This was just a little piece of fluff I thought would make a good writing exercise. I rarely write short stories but this one needed to come out. Hope you enjoy. Please Review!!
*****
"Come on, Kim, the tangent is?"
Kim growled and banged her fists against the open math book in her lap.
"Sign over cosign. You know this, Kim."
Kimberly sighed and put her head in her hands. Her butt was numb from sitting on the floor in Billy's room, where she'd been for the last hour as he tutored her for the upcoming test. "I can't do calculus anymore," she whined. "I shouldn't have taken this class."
"You're doing great," Billy assured her in an upbeat tone. "You're just burnt out. How about a soda? Maybe a little break will refresh you."
Kim sighed again and looked up at Billy. He sat leaned up against the filing cabinet under the desk that took up most of the space in his bedroom. Despite the fact that his father had let him take over the entire garage for his lab Billy still maintained a full computer setup in his room. Kim couldn't imagine what he possibly needed that much computer equipment for, but this was Billy she was talking about.
"Thanks, Billy that would be nice."
Billy's smile brightened and he set his books aside and bounded out of the room to fetch their drinks. Kim leaned up against Billy's bed and stretched. She'd been sitting on the floor too long and her legs were stiff. She pulled herself to her feet and walked around a bit. After a few moments she started scanning over all the things on Billy's desk. Most of it was a mystery to her. It looked like random piles of scrap metal and wire to her, but she knew to Billy they were things that were inventive and highly useful, perhaps even something that would save their lives one day. There were a lot of books on the desk as well. Kim scanned a few loose comic books and a novel she'd never heard of but had tons of space ships and a scantily clad Rambo-like warrior on the front brandishing a knife and a large assault weapon. She laughed and put the book aside, noticing for the first time the one underneath.
It was a huge black binder with no label. She figured it was some homework assignment he was preparing to drill her on and opened it up.
The contents surprised her. The first page of the book was a layout of all their school pictures, every one of the rangers in their straight laced smiling poses. Each picture had the owner's name printed in a neat block letters underneath in their designated color. From how thick the book was it was obvious Billy had been keeping this scrapbook a long time.
Kim picked up the book and sat on the bed, flipping slowly through the pictures marveling at the beauty. Each page seemed to have a theme of some kind. Most pages held several pictures; snapshots cut in various ways and placed with construction paper cutouts and decorative stickers. She found one picture that was a snapshot of Trini and Billy. She recognized the date as Trini's last birthday party. She stood behind Billy, who was sitting at the table in Trini's backyard, her arms draped casually over his shoulders. The picture was surrounded by yellow and blue butterflies. They were both smiling and Kim knew this picture meant something special to Billy. She'd known for some time he cared about her beyond friendship but Trini unfortunately didn't reciprocate the feeling.
She turned the page again and saw a layout of Jason's birthday at the youth center. Several cropped candid shots surrounded one shot of all of them at the table just before Jason blew out the candles on his cake. Page after page was like this. There was a page for each of their last birthdays, one of Jason and Tommy holding trophies from a karate tournament they fought together, candid shots of them at the park, at school, and various other events.
Then she turned the page and her breath caught in her throat. It was a blown up picture of her and Tommy. They were sitting together on a picnic blanket looking at each other. She had no memory of this being taken. Obviously they were both oblivious to the camera at the time. Billy had outlined the picture with construction paper squares, offset on either side so that it was framed with pink on one side and green on the opposite.
Kim touched the picture with one finger right next to Tommy's face. He was turned just enough that his whole face was visible, and you could see the intensity in the way he looked at her. She blinked and a teardrop hit the plastic covered page.
"Kim?"
Kimberly looked up and felt another tear roll down her cheek. Billy stood in the doorway holding two sodas in one hand and a bowl of microwave popcorn in the other. He quickly set everything on the desk and rushed to her side.
"Kim what happened?" Then he saw the book, now covered with teardrops. "Oh, Kim, I'm sorry, you were never meant to see that."
He reached for the book but Kimberly gripped it tight. "No!" she said. "Billy, this is amazing. I had no idea you were so creative."
Billy just shrugged. "It's nothing. Just something my mom taught me."
"It's beautiful," she choked. "It's just…I miss him."
The tears came freely and Billy produced a handkerchief from somewhere and handed it to her. She felt his arm go around her shoulder as she wiped away her tears and cleaned them from the plastic film page.
"He's not coming back, is he?" she said softly.
"I don't know, Kimberly," his voice whispered in her ear. "I don't know."
She buried her face in Billy's chest and felt the book slip from her lap. She didn't hear it hit the floor so she could only guess Billy had pulled it out of the way in time. His hand stroked her back as she cried into his shirt.
Long after the tears stopped coming she sat there in his arms, feeling the warmth of his hand on her back. At some point she was aware of his lips brushing her hair softly. She shifted just a little and let her lips find his. His kiss was soft but intensified when she returned it. It wasn't his first kiss, she knew, that had been three years ago with Trini in her backyard. Trini had called her that evening and told her all about it. They'd giggled about it for hours, but there was nothing funny about it now.
She parted her mouth just slightly and let her tongue tease his lips. He responded by shifting his weight and suddenly she was on her back, him on top of her. Her hands went around his neck running through his hair. Then he pulled back suddenly.
"Kim."
She held him tighter. "Don't stop," she said softly. "Please don't stop."
His lips met hers again and she parted her mouth. After a seconds hesitation his tongue met hers, moving slowly. Her fingers found the bottom of his shirt and pulled it up, he parted from her long enough to pull it over his head. His chest was smoother than she expected, and more muscular. She had to remind herself that he worked just as hard as the others on maintaining good physical prowess. That was how this whole adventure began after all. If Billy hadn't come to Jason for Karate lessons he might not have been in the Youth Center that day when Zordon chose them as Rangers.
His inexperience was obvious; they fumbled with clothing, his hands shaking where they touched her. But Kim didn't care. Patiently, she guided him where she wanted, whispered words of encouragement in his ear. At some point he used a device on the night-table to dim the lights. She could still see him above her as she guided him inside her.
He moved inside her slow, worshiping every second of it. She pushed against him making her own pleasure rise. He thrust harder and soon they were both crying out, climaxing at the same time. He moved away quickly, collapsing on the bed beside her. She rolled towards him and curled up on his chest.
"Was that your first time?" she asked in the semi-darkness.
"Yes," he breathed.
"Good," she said in a soft voice. He didn't respond so she wasn't sure if she heard him, but she meant it. It would be like a fresh start for them both, a new adventure. She wasn't completely sure where it would go but she didn't care. She needed this. She needed someone who'd be stable, loyal. Billy had always been there for her, no matter how different they were, it didn't matter.
She breathed a contented sigh and opened her eyes. Across the room the digital clock on the desk glowed the time. Her mind suddenly cleared as it registered those numbers.
"Oh my God, I have to be home in ten minutes!"
She jumped from the bed and started pulling her clothes on. The light brightened suddenly and she snapped up straight blinking as her eyes adjusted to the change. Billy was sitting up in the bed, looking a bit lost. She smiled and stepped up to kiss him gently.
"Come over tomorrow," she said. "It's Saturday. We'll have the whole day together."
A smile crossed Billy's face. "Okay," he said softly. She kissed him one last time before gathering up her books and rushing out.
*****
She slept in the next day, her mind filled with dreams and hope for the first time in she couldn't remember how long. She bounded down the stairs, the house empty and quiet. Her mom would have left for work already. She came into the kitchen and saw a long envelope sitting on counter. It had her name written in perfect flowing handwriting that she recognized right away. She torn the seal and pulled it out without even thinking.
Dear Kimberly,
I can't tell you how excited I am. This will be the last letter I send you because I'm coming home at the end of the week.
I've had a lot of time to think up here and I know that as much as I miss being a Ranger, I miss you more. I miss all of you. Please tell the others I'm coming home and can't wait to see them.
Until I have you in my arms again, this time forever.
Love,
Tommy
The paper fluttered to the floor and her knees quickly followed as she tried to catch her breath. He was coming home. Tommy was coming back. He expected her to be waiting for him. Her chest seized and she lost all senses. After all this time why did he have to write now? Why couldn't she have seen this letter yesterday? Why?
There was a knock at the door and she jumped. From her position she could see out the living room window. Billy stood on the porch, a small bouquet of wildflowers in her hand. He knocked again and her heard froze in her chest.
Kim held Tommy's letter against her chest. Tommy would come home and things would go back to normal. They way they should be.
They way they were meant to be, without anything else.
There was a second knock and Billy's voice calling her name. She clutched the letter tighter.
The way they were meant to be.