A/N: This is my first try at J/T. I'm not
normally a slash writer, but I'm really, really delving into the
element. It was hard for me to portray Tommy as I did, but I hope I
stayed true to the two boys. I love them dearly. :D
As Always by biggerstaffbunch
Once upon a time, a new boy came to a high school full of bright, popular kids. He was strong and silent, he was a loner. He never thought he'd need a friend to be validated. He was wrong. There was another boy, another strong, silent type. They became friends. Bros. But somewhere along the way…their hearts asked the question…something more? Something deeper than friendship, more binding than blood? Could it be? If it was, the ignored it. Fear of the unknown and all that. Something great went unrecognized for a long time because of their fear…
As always.
Tommy knew, from the moment Andros put in that phone call, that he'd have to see Jason again. All the days he had spent not hating himself for his feelings, for his desire, for his...love (and oh God it was so hard to even think that word)....they didn't matter now. Because Tommy knew what a vicious cycle was, and he knew the minute he caught Jason's eye, all the 'bro's' would start stinging again. He knew that every high five and every half-hug would feel like so much more, and he would be left to wallow again in his own private shame, forgetting the meaning of words like 'platonic'.
As always.
So he threw on his clothes, combed his hair, rubbed his hand over his stubbly cheek. What would Jason look like? Tommy had, after all, not seen his friend since the events of Muranthias. Would he be taller (how stupid, even Tommy knew guys didn't really grow after 18, but he could hope, it had always irked him that Jason was two inches shorter) or would he be thinner (you always had to remind that man to eat, otherwise he'd go for ages without even a bite, they'd often go for hours sparring without any food) or would he be...happier? (Tommy hated it, ever since he lost his Gold Ranger powers, this shadow seemed to be cast in Jason's eyes, a sadness that nothing could erase. Tommy was naturally the hero and it killed him that he couldn't help his friend...his best friend...the man he-) Ah, but to finish that sentence was to admit defeat. Tommy never admitted defeat and so he soldiered on, pasting on a brave face and ignoring his inner turmoil.
As always.
When had he decided how he felt about Jason Scott? When had macho, meathead Tommy Oliver become gay? When had girls in short skirts lost their appeal? When had Jason ceased to be a fellow warrior and become something much more? Tommy didn't know. All he did know, all he could remember, was the night before Jason left again. The night after the tournament, the night after Jason and Kim had been rescued. In that night, Tommy had kissed away any chance he'd ever had at being a heterosexual male with a healthy sex life. Literally.
A few beers, ( okay more than a few, but he was a big guy) and a game of Truth later and Jason was on him like white on rice. It didn't make sense- nothing had that night, but Tommy understood. There had always been that level of understanding there, that unconditional love. But this lust- Emily had broken up with Jase and Kim still didn't want Tommy, and they were both attractive males who had nothing but beer and heartache in them. They were walking country songs and they got tragic all over each other. It was a mess of new tastes for Tommy- no bubblegum, no sour cling of perfume or bitter lipstick. Jason was firm everything- (Tommy had found this out firsthand) and his lips were both sweet and earthy from the taste of the alcohol. All Tommy could see in his mind's eye was a flash of red, dark eyes, all he could feel were hands running through his hair. It had been one knock-down drag-out kiss, with Tommy against the wall and his hands all over the place. And for once, he was the one being seduced. And he loved it. Afterwards, Jason had backed away, stricken. Both of them had said nothing and the next morning, Jase was gone. But Tommy...Tommy had tasted something he wanted, something he couldn't live without and couldn't name. Something that still eluded him.
As always.
And now Tommy didn't know what he was. Was he gay? Was he a- a fag? Did it matter? Should it matter? Did Jason think of him? Was he as disgusted with himself as Tommy was? Did he want it just as bad?
Tommy didn't know whether his questions would be answered. Here he was standing there, in front of the NASADA hangar, waiting for a man he knew would not come. Eight other Rangers waited on him. They asked him if they should leave. Tommy felt his heart being ripped out as he agreed. There was someone else- but he guessed he had been unable to make it.
A roar.
A man in red, with a shy smile and playful eyes. A high-five, that electric tingle. Questions unspoken, silently answered.
So Jason had come to his rescue.
As always.