notes: back in the day, there used to be a challenge going around the fandom: write a certain number of drabbles for one couple, following these theme prompts. it was called the ars amatoria ranger romance themes challenge, and it has, unfortunately, been taken down. i decided to come up with my own, using a prompts list i already had, and i wanted to do something for troy and emma, as i miss them dearly.

there will be twenty prompts to this, if all goes well, with a possibility for more or different series later if i can finish this one. i don't know how many megaforce writers and readers are still out there, but i hope you'll all enjoy.

title credit to the song strawberry avalanche by owl city. no particular setting for this one, just sometime during their seasons.

and be on the lookout for dino charge fics soon! i'm loving the new series!

i. blush

Getting the cutest, broodiest superhero this side of Harwood County to turn the color of his suit is no easy task on the best of days, but Emma's always liked a challenge. Troy is always so focused, so intense in his pursuit of perfection, that getting through his steely exterior to the soft superhero heart within is a puzzle she looks forward to solving.

She starts with compliments.

"Nice tie," she tells him when the boys come to pick her and Gia up at Gia's house the night of the Spring Fling. All of them are dressed in black-and-white tuxedos with neckties in their favorite colors. Jake is lost in a daze at Gia's short yellow dress and Noah is too busy being amused by his best friend to notice the two of them.

"Thanks, Emma," is all Troy says, calmly and kindly as always. He flashes her the barest of grins sidelong and adds after a heartbeat of silence, "You look nice, too."

Emma stews on that all through the limo ride. Nice is clearly not a weighty enough adjective.

"Dance with me?" she asks later that night, both of them left standing by the refreshments table – Jake has coaxed Gia into just one dance and Noah has found himself a pretty redhead girl who's enchanted by his nerdiness.

"I'm not much of a dancer," he replies, steadily, of course, but he shoots her one quick glance out of the corner of his eye before resuming his surveyance of the dance floor. It's almost nervous, in an endearing sort of way.

Emma nudges his shoulder, feeling the puzzle pieces start to click and slide into place. "You can beat up water bottles but you can't dance?"

Troy grins reluctantly. "One dance," he says, and she beams, taking his hand and pulling him out onto the dance floor.

He's a perfect gentleman, naturally, keeping both hands exactly on her waistline and swaying just in time to the music. Emma settles her hands around his shoulders and sighs wistfully as she watches Jake twirl Gia past them in a flurry of yellow and black, both of them laughing.

"I told you I'm not a good dancer," Troy says apologetically.

Emma shakes her head. "No, you're fine," she promises. "It just seems like you're not having fun."

Troy blinks at her. "I'm having a great time," he insists. "I mean – okay, so I'm not as good at having fun as Jake is," he admits, eyeing Jake as he lifts Gia up into the air and spins her around. "But I – I enjoy your company."

Emma giggles. "You're such an old-fashioned gentleman," she teases, drawing closer as the song eases to an end. "It wouldn't kill you to lighten up a little, you know."

Troy half-smiles bashfully. "I'll try," he says, slipping one hand across her waist and up her back. His touch is unerringly gentle on her bare skin, and before she has time to get used to the warmth of his fingers, he's spinning her around and dipping her down, lower and lower till her hair brushes the floor.

She stares up at him, wide-eyed and breathless. "You liar," she accuses with a smile crossing her face. "You are a good dancer."

Even Jake and Gia have paused in their dance to stare at her and Troy in amazement. Emma feels her face heating up from the attention as Troy grins and helps her to her feet.

"I've been classically trained," he admits, offering her his arm to exit the dance floor. "It's just been a while. I guess I'm not used to dancing with pretty girls."

Her cheeks flush brighter as he goes to fill her a glass of punch. Maybe she didn't win her own challenge of getting him to blush, but she's pretty sure she won the night, anyway.

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