Disclaimer: I do not own the power rangers and am making no money from this work of fiction.

This one's a pairing I haven't written before, so I'd really appreciate any feedback - even if it's just a note. Many thanks to Blacktiger-550 for checking this one over for me. Updates on this may be sporadic as I am currently finnishing my incomplete fics.

(Chapter's working titles are associated episodes.)

Adam sat with his back to a large tree, sketchpad neatly resting in his lap and pencil poised above the page.

Rocky approached slowly, knowing how Adam didn't like to be disturbed in his work, and eased down next to him taking the time to quietly observe his friend. A frown marred Adam's brow, as if planning where the next mark of his pencil should go, and to most passerby that's probably what he seemed to be doing. But Rocky could tell from the subtle differences in posture that the young Korean's attention was not focused on the grassy lawns of the park in front of them; in fact he was fairly certain that Adam wasn't seeing the park at all, but replaying in his mind the soccer game that had ended almost three hours ago.

After patiently waiting for a while, he decided that he needed to change tactics.

'Let's play a game!' He announced, grinning playfully at his smaller companion.

Adam started at the unexpected sound, then on seeing it was Rocky smiled in apology for making his friend wait. 'Hey Ro. What d'ya wanna play?' He flicked a glance at the light-textured foliage of a nearby tree and drew a few quick decisive strokes on the page in front of him with an affected attitude of ease.

'Let's pretend that you and I are best friends, and that we tell each other everything.' Adam paused in his work to roll his eyes in exasperation at the Hispanic youth. They'd played this game before. 'And let's say that you have a crush on a certain handsome soccer stud...' Laughing heartily, Rocky easily blocked the anticipated blow as Adam, laughing himself, swatted him with the sketchpad.

'RO!' Adam protested, though the indignation in his tone was only half-hearted. They had been friends for years and knew each other far too well for the teasing to be taken as anything but affection. Grinning like schoolboys, they jostled in mock fight before regaining some of their composure. To recover, Rocky took a moment to frame his thoughts. He picked up the sketchpad from where it had slipped between them and opened it up to a random page.

Although Adam usually worked in pen and ink, the piece that he found was a study using watercolour pencils. It illustrated his point well, and Rocky flipped the book around to face Adam.

The page was filled with different aspects of one subject; an athletic youth wearing the Angel Grove soccer team strip. Several of which were portrayed in the motions of kicking a ball, the skilful blending of colour adding life to a moment captured in time. Each was clearly done with the care and precision that Adam usually paid to his art, except there was something more; some subtle difference in the choice of colour perhaps or the stroke of a line, that seemed to savour the subject in a more intimate light, almost loving. One corner of the page was creased, as if turned too often and Adam's guilty blush only served to give rise to further evidence of his interest in the local team's star player.

'Games aside Adam, we should talk about this.' Their earlier humour gone, Rocky had taken on his older-brother tone, one he didn't often use with Adam. Whilst they always joked that Rocky was the comedian of the group, he was still capable of being mature when he felt it was needed; and that was usually when Adam was unhappy and not talking about something. Much as Aisha was like a 

sister to them, there were some things it took a brother to understand. Shrugging Adam took the sketchpad out of Rocky's hand and stowed it in his bag, not meeting the other youth's eyes.

'Adam' Rocky said softly.

'I'm fine' Adam responded to the tone first, a tired smile on his face supposedly in support of this assertion. It just made Rocky want to hug him protectively. But they weren't kids anymore and they hadn't dated in years. He shook his head to let Adam know that he wasn't buying it.

Adam sighed. Getting up and dusting the grass off his jeans, he picked up his satchel and slung it over his shoulder 'What is there to talk about Ro? Carlos likes Ashley. Doesn't involve me. End of story'