Note: This is actually the first time I've gotten around to publishing a fic on this account. It was written for a puppy pile meme on LiveJournal.
puppy pile: wherein multiple people pile on top of or beside each other in a friendly way
Disclaimer: I don't own the Power Rangers. Those rights were originally Saban's, but now they're Disney's.
Jason led the Rangers save for one down a dark corridor in the Zord Bay, each of them searching the shadows with a flashlight. Their mission? Locate one Billy Cranston and talk some sense into their workaholic genius. Their friend had been dazed and disoriented in class and on the battlefield lately. He'd forgotten names, stumbled a few times in the hallways, and almost gotten himself seriously hurt against Rita's monsters.
They'd come to Zordon with this concern. It hadn't been hard to leave Billy under Ernie's watchful eye, for the Blue Ranger was slumped over a chair at the juice bar, sound asleep. Once there, Alpha had informed them that Billy came by the Command Center every night, passing Alpha on his way to the Zord Bay where he was apparently performing routine inspections on the Zords. They weren't too surprised, but the workload was interfering with Billy's daily performance. Something had be done before Billy got himself into any more trouble.
Right then and there, the Rangers decided to stage an intervention. They would ambush Billy at the Zord Bay, make it clear that the work was interfering with the team and his quality of life, and convince him by force if necessary to get some sleep. That was the plan, anyway. The reality turned out to be a bit different.
"There he is! Man, he looks beat."
Zack had found Billy slumped on a work bench near the torso of the Saber-Toothed Tiger Dinozord, glasses askew on his face. The other Rangers surrounded their sleeping friend, concerned about his choice of bed.
"That'll leave a mark in the morning. We should wake him up." Tommy's hand had moved to grab Billy's shoulder, but a concerned Kimberly intercepted his wrist.
"He hasn't had enough sleep as it is."
"But that's gonna kill his back." Jason said, moving to Billy's other side and frowning.
Trini crouched beside the sleeping Billy and brushed his face with a hand, carefully sliding his glasses off and tucking them safely in her bag. "I think we should move him to a more comfortable spot. Do we have blankets down here?"
"I think Alpha can get them. Hang on." Tommy turned back down the corridor. He returned a few minutes later, his arms loaded with some pillows and blankets. Trini and Kim helped him arrange them into a makeshift bed on the floor.
"Come on Jason, let's move him." Zack moved behind Billy and carefully lifted his shoulders, while Jason lifted his knees. They lowered Billy onto the blankets as Trini pulled a cover over him.
"Well, guess we're done here." Tommy had turned to the exit, but his attention returned to Billy's sleeping form when he noticed Kim's absence at his side. To his surprise, he found Trini and Kim slipping under the cover, curled at Billy's sides. "You're sleeping with him?"
Zack and Jason had to bite back laughter at this (possibly) unintentional suggestion, but Trini only gave him a disapproving stare. "We're joining Billy in sleep, and that's all."
"You're serious?" Tommy had known the other Rangers had been close friends for years, but he hadn't expected them to be quite this close.
"Hey, you know what? Come on. I think we all need a bit of a rest." Zack's voice seemed to come from the ground this time, and...wow. Zack was joining them too?
Even Jason seemed to agree. As the Red Ranger joined the pile, the others shuffled to accommodate him. Eventually, they settled in contentment---naturally, Tommy chose this moment to surrender to the tide of their actions and disrupt the sleepy lull. As strange as the idea of sleeping next to his friends seemed, it wasn't the worst place to spend the night. He liked sleep, after all. In fact, he sometimes enjoyed too much of it, if his tardiness record was any indication. With a shake of his head, he joined the pile of sleeping Rangers, but on the condition that Kim lie on top of him. She gladly complied.
Billy's mind slowly drifted up to consciousness through the warm, comforting haze surrounding him. He felt relaxed and refreshed in a way that had escaped him these past few weeks. Finally, he could rest easy. The zords were in perfect working order, and...
"The zords!"
Unfortunately, he couldn't quite remember finishing the inspection last night. The realization that he must have fallen asleep on the job hit him like a Putty Patroller's well-timed thwack. An actual thwack followed shortly after, as he unsuccessfuly attempted to return to work only to painfully collide with a forehead hovering over his.
Wait a minute, what was over him? Though he felt more comfortable than he could remember feeling in ages (though his throbbing forehead would beg to differ), there was something troubling about the sensation. He was obviously weighed down, but by what?
Billy slowly absorbed the scene through blurry eyes, noting that his glasses had been removed. To his left, he found Jason at his side, head on Billy's shoulder, and to his right was Tommy, with one arm behind Billy's neck and the other holding Kimberly on his chest. Zack had come to rest atop Jason...and the inquisitive dark eyes locked on him told him that he'd collided with Trini.
"Are you injured, Trini? I apologize for unwittingly colliding with your head, and if you'd prefer I could---"
For her part, Trini didn't seem to mind too much. She cut off his hastily-worded apology with a smile as she brushed her hand over Billy's forehead soothingly.
"It's alright. Just take it easy."
"But Rita could choose to launch an assault on Angel Grove at any time, and if the inspections are not completed, any battle scenario could easily---"
"I'd argue with ya, Bill, but it's too early. Go to sleep." came Jason's muffled voice from his shoulder.
"It'll be fine, we'll check on the Zords after breakfast." Kimberly chimed in, snuggling into Tommy.
"No worries, my main brain. We've got'cha covered." Zack added, reaching past Trini and nudging Billy's arm.
"'Sides, what makes you think we're moving?" Tommy's closing argument seemed to seal his fate, as the other Rangers sluggishly nodded in agreement. Even the Green Ranger was telling him to stay put and submit to the team cuddle. Billy was doomed.
Billy reluctantly closed his eyes. Though he would have preferred to return to work as quickly as possible, it was extremely probable that his friends would continue to pin him down until they were satisfied that he was in any condition to continue. And it wasn't so bad, really. Having his friends close was oddly comforting, though he'd rather not admit to it.
Repairs could wait, he decided. For now, at least, his friends were safe, sound, and happy. And so was he.