Disclaimer: I own zilch.
Author's notes: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I promise the next chapter will be better. This one is just Jason and Tommy finishing their conversation. Oh and I couldn't resist using the chapter title even though it has very little to do with the chapter. Don't get your hopes up! :)
Chapter 2
Running Naked Through the Park
In Tommy's eyes, Jason had always been a role model. He had looked up to him when they were Rangers together, had set his own role as leader after Jason's example and had, most importantly, greatly admired the caring person who had become his best friend. Whenever he had been hurt, whenever any pain had befallen him, Jason had been there, in some way, to comfort him and help him pick up the pieces when everything fell apart.
Now it seemed that it was time for him to return the favour.
Jason's soft-spoken confession had shocked him. The former Gold Ranger had always been unflappable, letting his emotions show only rarely in the most controlled and cautious way even around people he trusted completely. Even in those occasions, he had been somewhat sure of himself. Seeing him so uncertain was something Tommy was ill prepared to deal with but that wasn't going to stop him from trying to comfort his seemingly lost friend.
Quickly moving around the table, Tommy put a comforting arm around his friend. Jason leaned against him, gladly accepting the support his best friend offered freely. It was wonderfully comforting feeling, knowing he could rely on someone to be strong for him, if only for a short while.
"It must have been hard," Tommy commented softly, after offering Jason his silent
support for a few minutes.
"It was. When they first told me, I nearly went into shock. I flipped completely." Jason sighed. "I couldn't believe it at first. I mean, I was shook up. I knew they were taking precautions, that there might be temporary blindness. I never expected it to be permanent. They never told me it could be permanent."
Tommy felt a rush of anger. "You didn't have any warning?"
Jason shook his head. "No. No one knew. It was assumed it would be temporary or that something could be done."
"And they're sure nothing can be done? You could get a second opinion." Tommy suggested.
Jason sighed, "I did get a second opinion, and a third, before I even knew. I wondered why there was a different doctor into see me every day but I never figured it would be because of this. And yes, nothing can be done. The damage is too extensive. Even if I tried some sort of treatment or operation there's nothing left to save."
"Oh Jase," Tommy whispered squeezing his shoulder more tightly. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that this happened and that I wasn't there with you from the beginning."
"You couldn't have been. I didn't tell you anything was up for two weeks." Jason reminded him. "Besides, you couldn't have done anything. The end result would have been the same."
"You wouldn't have been alone when you found out." Tommy said quietly.
"That was my fault, not yours, wasn't it? I didn't call." Jason shrugged. "You were the first person I called when I found out. When they asked me who to call, you were the first person I thought of. I just knew...I don't know what I was thinking at that point but I knew that you would be there, that even though you couldn't make it better you could make everything less painful."
Tommy didn't know what to say to that. Jason rarely showed any vulnerability, even in front of him. Right now, it was blatantly obvious he needed to know he wasn't alone, that he hadn't put his faith in the wrong person. Tommy did the only thing he could think of. He reached out, drew Jason into a warm embrace, and held him close for a very long time, expressing through the caring touch what he would never be able to put into words.
Jason accepted the brotherly embrace with gratitude. He sighed in relief and contentment; drawing on the strength, he was being given. It made things so much more bearable, knowing that Tommy would be there to support him.
"I'll do anything I can to help you. If you ever need anything, you can come to me. I won't ever turn you away." Tommy murmured keeping his arm draped over Jason shoulders when the hug ended.
"Thank you." Jason whispered. "I just...I never expected it to be so hard, you know? I can't even walk across the room without tripping over something. I have no idea how I'm going to find a job if I can't even manage that."
"Things will get easier when you get used to not being able to see." Tommy assured him. "It's just going to take some time."
Jason sighed and tried for a smile, rallying all the optimism he could find. He had never been one to let bumps in the road stop him before. Why should this be any different? "I know. I shouldn't get so frustrated. I can't change what happened so I may as well deal with it."
Tommy smiled just a little. Now that sounded more like the Jason he knew! And Tommy had a bit of an idea about a job too. "You don't have to look too hard to find a job, Jase. You know Rocko and I would be more than happy to have you teaching with us."
Jason had assumed Tommy was going to offer him a job. He wasn't really being presumptuous since every time he had come home on leave for the last two years both of his friends had worked on convincing him to take a position at the Red Dragon Dojo.
"Tommy, I would love to join you guys, you know I would. But, I can't." Jason shook his head sadly. "I don't think I'd make a decent sensei anymore."
"What are you talking about? You're great sensei. Kids always get the most out of themselves when you're the instructor. You got Billy interested in karate and he had no interest whatsoever in learning it before. And I've watched you when you teach, you love it!" Tommy said, confused at his friend's seemingly sudden change of heart.
"I do love teaching and I would like nothing more than to work with you guys but I don't think I can anymore. I mean, how am I supposed to tell if a block is too low or if a kid's kata is flowing properly?" Jason replied, having already thought about this. "It wouldn't work. I wish it would but realistically I don't think I'd be very useful as a sensei now."
"We could make it work. If I did the belt testing with you and checked in on your classes sometimes..." Tommy normally wouldn't be this insistent but Jason really was a great sensei and he knew the former Gold Ranger had always loved teaching others about the art form he had been a student of for many years. "I know we could work something out."
Jason nodded slowly, knowing there was truth behind Tommy's words. His friend would make it work simply for his sake if he asked him to. "You're right we probably could but if you're going to have to be there watching my classes anyway and doing the testing because I can't than what's the point of hiring me." Jason shook his head sadly. "No. I think it would be better for me, and you, if I found something somewhere else."
Tommy sighed. The only person he had ever met that was more stubborn than him was Jason and he had learned a long time ago that when Jason had come to a conclusion about something it took more words than Tommy had to offer to change his mind. "What do you plan to do then?"
"I have no idea." Jason admitted. "I've never really known what I wanted to do with my life. This just forces me into deciding sooner than I would have liked."
"You don't have to decide anything right away. You're being compensated right?" Tommy inquired.
"Yeah. Right now I'm on disability pay and when the paper work goes through and I'm discharged I'll get a compensation package. If I decide to go back to University, they have to at least partially cover the expenses. The transportation company is also giving me a settlement so I won't sue. The stuff fell because a chain snapped. It looks like they were at fault there." Jason replied.
Tommy concluded. "So this could have been avoided if they had been more careful."
"Yep. If they had taken the time to change the rusty chain holding the barrels they wouldn't have fallen." Jason sighed softly. "They're being charged with negligence. I might have to testify but the legal department was trying to get me out of it. If they make me even a half decent offer I won't press charges. It's too much of a hassle."
"You should sue them just to teach them a lesson." Tommy said his tone coloured with his anger. "Adam could have them broke before they knew what had happened."
Jason smiled slightly at Tommy's anger on his behalf. He knew that, if he asked, all his friends would be more than willing to lend him a hand in whatever he decided to do. It touched him that they would but that wasn't what he wanted. "I think I should focus more on getting on his my life than getting revenge for what happened. No amount of money can give me back my eyes, I know that, and there's no point taking this further than it needs to go. I'll be okay."
"I don't doubt that you'll be fine, Jase, but you might want to think about suing. I mean, if nothing more it could make them smarten up so something like this won't happen again." Tommy suggested.
"That's what the negligence charges that were brought against them will do." Jason sighed. "If I thought it would do any good I would sue but, quite frankly, I've got better things to spend my time on. I'm still working on adjusting and there's things I'll need to do before I get a job."
"Such as?" Tommy prompted.
"I need to learn Braille first off." Jason replied. "And I want to get my Master's degree. I only have three credits to go on that. I need an apartment..."
"You can stay here as long as you want. Finding a place isn't that important." Tommy reminded him.
Jason smiled slightly. "I know but you guys don't want me around here indefinitely. I'll need to find a place to live sooner or later. Although it seems like Kim is taking charge of that."
Tommy chuckled. "Try not to get her started when she takes you out or we'll end up moving again. Man, I know she's always loved to shop but she really missed her calling as a real estate agent."
"That bad, huh?" Jason asked with a grin.
"Oh yeah. And you'll be going with Trini too. That should be interesting. Once they get started they'll probably forget about you entirely." Tommy commented.
Tommy knew the habits of his wife and her best friend. He had made the mistake of tagging along once when they went shopping together. He had only needed to pick up something from the hardware store but since Kim's car was out of commission, they only took one ride there. In the end, he had walked home, leaving Kim his keys, because he knew they were going to be hours. Couple that with how he knew Kim acted while browsing through prospective houses and he felt sorry for his friend, but not sorry enough to offer to go along too.
Jason snorted. "Just because Kim got so involved in house hunting she left you behind at one of the houses..."
Tommy flushed. He remembered that and how embarrassing it had been for him when he'd tried to explain to the owner's of the house why his over zealous wife had left him behind. "Yeah, well, you better be careful or they'll do it to you too."
"Kim might but Trini?" Jason chuckled. "She's so organized her apartment would have to be empty to be more clutter free. She learned, and still knows, the names of over half the delegates at the Peace Conference. She's not going to forget me anywhere."
"If you say so, but when I drive over to pick you up once they've left you behind I'm saying I told you so." Tommy warned before turning serious again. "And if you don't find anything right away don't worry. I said you could stay here as long as you wanted and I meant it. We both know you'll need some time to adjust. If it makes it easier for you to be here than stay here, okay? No being noble and leaving because you think you're cramping our style or anything. I won't let you."
For a moment, Tommy thought Jason would protest but then his shoulders slumped forward a little and he reached for Tommy's hand. He couldn't find it and Tommy ended up taking a hold of his hand. Jason squeezed firmly before speaking.
"Thank you." He whispered, his voice surprisingly rough.
"No problem, bro." Tommy said, clasping Jason's hand tightly in return.
Jason smiled shakily and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his other hand. Tommy frowned as he bumped into the shades he was wearing. He knew Jason probably had a reason for being so insecure about his eyes but he couldn't figure it out.
Tommy decided to broach the subject and get it over with before Jason had the chance to have a bad experience showing anyone else. "I know you're scared of what I'll—everyone—will think but, please, I want to take off those glasses. I hate the fact you don't trust me enough to let me see what's behind them."
Jason stiffened in surprise. "Tommy, it's not that I don't trust you, I hope you know that, it's just...I don't trust the rest of the world. I know there's damage and I'd rather not have to hear people's reactions."
"It's just you and me here, Jase." Tommy reminded him gently.
Jason sighed but didn't hesitate. He did trust Tommy but he had trusted...Jason immediately shoved that into the back of his mind. This was Tommy. This was the man he had been friends with for over ten years. The man he had saved the world with! If he couldn't trust him not to react badly he couldn't trust anyone not to. He reached up with his other hand and removed the shades; almost waiting for the gasp he was nearly sure would follow.
It never came. Instead, a somewhat uncomfortable silence stretched over an everlasting moment. Jason shifted slightly, feeling incredibly exposed. For a moment he thought it would have been easy to run stark naked through Angel Grove park than to bare his unseeing eyes. He certainly wouldn't feel as vulnerable being nude.
Before he had time to think further of that, he was gathered swiftly into a fierce embrace. Jason was a bit shocked at first. Judging by Tommy's reaction, he had nothing to worry about concerning his best friend. Jason sighed in relief and let himself relax in Tommy's soul warming embrace.
Tommy hugged him as tightly as he could for a very long time before he even spoke. He was a bit shocked by the appearance of the eyes that he had once felt could see straight into his soul but he wasn't going to let that stop him from loving his best friend or make him feel uncomfortable around him. Nothing could make him do that!
"You never had anything to be scared about, Jason." Tommy told him. "I don't know why you were but you had no reason to be."
"I'll explain it later." Jason told him, not willing to breech the topic.
"Okay." Tommy agreed, making a mental note to make sure they actually did talk about it later. "You said you needed to learn Braille. How about we go look up the community centre's web page and see if they're offering or know of anywhere you can take a course or something?"
"Sounds good." Jason replied, readily letting the previous subject drop. He moved to put on his glasses but Tommy's hand stopped him.
"Don't they bug you?" He asked.
"A little bit but wearing them isn't a big deal." Jason admitted.
"Leave them off if they bug you. It's not a big deal if you don't wear them." Tommy told him. "And I'm sure Kim won't mind either." Seeing the look of discomfort on Jason's face he added, "but if you want to put them on."
"I will around Kim for a bit longer." Jason decided, pushing the glasses into his pocket. "But maybe not for that much longer."
Tommy smiled and slung an arm around Jason's shoulders as they got up. He tried to appear nonchalant about it, as if he was just goofing around, but really he wanted to make sure Jason didn't bump into anything again. Jason said nothing, though he knew his friend well enough to know the gesture was more than Tommy played it off as. He didn't say anything though, the closeness they shared now made up for those nerve racking few seconds of silence that forced him back into the memory of the situation that made him so reluctant to bare his eyes in the first place.
Author's notes: Thanks to everyone who reviewed. I promise the next chapter will be better. This one is just Jason and Tommy finishing their conversation. Oh and I couldn't resist using the chapter title even though it has very little to do with the chapter. Don't get your hopes up! :)
Chapter 2
Running Naked Through the Park
In Tommy's eyes, Jason had always been a role model. He had looked up to him when they were Rangers together, had set his own role as leader after Jason's example and had, most importantly, greatly admired the caring person who had become his best friend. Whenever he had been hurt, whenever any pain had befallen him, Jason had been there, in some way, to comfort him and help him pick up the pieces when everything fell apart.
Now it seemed that it was time for him to return the favour.
Jason's soft-spoken confession had shocked him. The former Gold Ranger had always been unflappable, letting his emotions show only rarely in the most controlled and cautious way even around people he trusted completely. Even in those occasions, he had been somewhat sure of himself. Seeing him so uncertain was something Tommy was ill prepared to deal with but that wasn't going to stop him from trying to comfort his seemingly lost friend.
Quickly moving around the table, Tommy put a comforting arm around his friend. Jason leaned against him, gladly accepting the support his best friend offered freely. It was wonderfully comforting feeling, knowing he could rely on someone to be strong for him, if only for a short while.
"It must have been hard," Tommy commented softly, after offering Jason his silent
support for a few minutes.
"It was. When they first told me, I nearly went into shock. I flipped completely." Jason sighed. "I couldn't believe it at first. I mean, I was shook up. I knew they were taking precautions, that there might be temporary blindness. I never expected it to be permanent. They never told me it could be permanent."
Tommy felt a rush of anger. "You didn't have any warning?"
Jason shook his head. "No. No one knew. It was assumed it would be temporary or that something could be done."
"And they're sure nothing can be done? You could get a second opinion." Tommy suggested.
Jason sighed, "I did get a second opinion, and a third, before I even knew. I wondered why there was a different doctor into see me every day but I never figured it would be because of this. And yes, nothing can be done. The damage is too extensive. Even if I tried some sort of treatment or operation there's nothing left to save."
"Oh Jase," Tommy whispered squeezing his shoulder more tightly. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry that this happened and that I wasn't there with you from the beginning."
"You couldn't have been. I didn't tell you anything was up for two weeks." Jason reminded him. "Besides, you couldn't have done anything. The end result would have been the same."
"You wouldn't have been alone when you found out." Tommy said quietly.
"That was my fault, not yours, wasn't it? I didn't call." Jason shrugged. "You were the first person I called when I found out. When they asked me who to call, you were the first person I thought of. I just knew...I don't know what I was thinking at that point but I knew that you would be there, that even though you couldn't make it better you could make everything less painful."
Tommy didn't know what to say to that. Jason rarely showed any vulnerability, even in front of him. Right now, it was blatantly obvious he needed to know he wasn't alone, that he hadn't put his faith in the wrong person. Tommy did the only thing he could think of. He reached out, drew Jason into a warm embrace, and held him close for a very long time, expressing through the caring touch what he would never be able to put into words.
Jason accepted the brotherly embrace with gratitude. He sighed in relief and contentment; drawing on the strength, he was being given. It made things so much more bearable, knowing that Tommy would be there to support him.
"I'll do anything I can to help you. If you ever need anything, you can come to me. I won't ever turn you away." Tommy murmured keeping his arm draped over Jason shoulders when the hug ended.
"Thank you." Jason whispered. "I just...I never expected it to be so hard, you know? I can't even walk across the room without tripping over something. I have no idea how I'm going to find a job if I can't even manage that."
"Things will get easier when you get used to not being able to see." Tommy assured him. "It's just going to take some time."
Jason sighed and tried for a smile, rallying all the optimism he could find. He had never been one to let bumps in the road stop him before. Why should this be any different? "I know. I shouldn't get so frustrated. I can't change what happened so I may as well deal with it."
Tommy smiled just a little. Now that sounded more like the Jason he knew! And Tommy had a bit of an idea about a job too. "You don't have to look too hard to find a job, Jase. You know Rocko and I would be more than happy to have you teaching with us."
Jason had assumed Tommy was going to offer him a job. He wasn't really being presumptuous since every time he had come home on leave for the last two years both of his friends had worked on convincing him to take a position at the Red Dragon Dojo.
"Tommy, I would love to join you guys, you know I would. But, I can't." Jason shook his head sadly. "I don't think I'd make a decent sensei anymore."
"What are you talking about? You're great sensei. Kids always get the most out of themselves when you're the instructor. You got Billy interested in karate and he had no interest whatsoever in learning it before. And I've watched you when you teach, you love it!" Tommy said, confused at his friend's seemingly sudden change of heart.
"I do love teaching and I would like nothing more than to work with you guys but I don't think I can anymore. I mean, how am I supposed to tell if a block is too low or if a kid's kata is flowing properly?" Jason replied, having already thought about this. "It wouldn't work. I wish it would but realistically I don't think I'd be very useful as a sensei now."
"We could make it work. If I did the belt testing with you and checked in on your classes sometimes..." Tommy normally wouldn't be this insistent but Jason really was a great sensei and he knew the former Gold Ranger had always loved teaching others about the art form he had been a student of for many years. "I know we could work something out."
Jason nodded slowly, knowing there was truth behind Tommy's words. His friend would make it work simply for his sake if he asked him to. "You're right we probably could but if you're going to have to be there watching my classes anyway and doing the testing because I can't than what's the point of hiring me." Jason shook his head sadly. "No. I think it would be better for me, and you, if I found something somewhere else."
Tommy sighed. The only person he had ever met that was more stubborn than him was Jason and he had learned a long time ago that when Jason had come to a conclusion about something it took more words than Tommy had to offer to change his mind. "What do you plan to do then?"
"I have no idea." Jason admitted. "I've never really known what I wanted to do with my life. This just forces me into deciding sooner than I would have liked."
"You don't have to decide anything right away. You're being compensated right?" Tommy inquired.
"Yeah. Right now I'm on disability pay and when the paper work goes through and I'm discharged I'll get a compensation package. If I decide to go back to University, they have to at least partially cover the expenses. The transportation company is also giving me a settlement so I won't sue. The stuff fell because a chain snapped. It looks like they were at fault there." Jason replied.
Tommy concluded. "So this could have been avoided if they had been more careful."
"Yep. If they had taken the time to change the rusty chain holding the barrels they wouldn't have fallen." Jason sighed softly. "They're being charged with negligence. I might have to testify but the legal department was trying to get me out of it. If they make me even a half decent offer I won't press charges. It's too much of a hassle."
"You should sue them just to teach them a lesson." Tommy said his tone coloured with his anger. "Adam could have them broke before they knew what had happened."
Jason smiled slightly at Tommy's anger on his behalf. He knew that, if he asked, all his friends would be more than willing to lend him a hand in whatever he decided to do. It touched him that they would but that wasn't what he wanted. "I think I should focus more on getting on his my life than getting revenge for what happened. No amount of money can give me back my eyes, I know that, and there's no point taking this further than it needs to go. I'll be okay."
"I don't doubt that you'll be fine, Jase, but you might want to think about suing. I mean, if nothing more it could make them smarten up so something like this won't happen again." Tommy suggested.
"That's what the negligence charges that were brought against them will do." Jason sighed. "If I thought it would do any good I would sue but, quite frankly, I've got better things to spend my time on. I'm still working on adjusting and there's things I'll need to do before I get a job."
"Such as?" Tommy prompted.
"I need to learn Braille first off." Jason replied. "And I want to get my Master's degree. I only have three credits to go on that. I need an apartment..."
"You can stay here as long as you want. Finding a place isn't that important." Tommy reminded him.
Jason smiled slightly. "I know but you guys don't want me around here indefinitely. I'll need to find a place to live sooner or later. Although it seems like Kim is taking charge of that."
Tommy chuckled. "Try not to get her started when she takes you out or we'll end up moving again. Man, I know she's always loved to shop but she really missed her calling as a real estate agent."
"That bad, huh?" Jason asked with a grin.
"Oh yeah. And you'll be going with Trini too. That should be interesting. Once they get started they'll probably forget about you entirely." Tommy commented.
Tommy knew the habits of his wife and her best friend. He had made the mistake of tagging along once when they went shopping together. He had only needed to pick up something from the hardware store but since Kim's car was out of commission, they only took one ride there. In the end, he had walked home, leaving Kim his keys, because he knew they were going to be hours. Couple that with how he knew Kim acted while browsing through prospective houses and he felt sorry for his friend, but not sorry enough to offer to go along too.
Jason snorted. "Just because Kim got so involved in house hunting she left you behind at one of the houses..."
Tommy flushed. He remembered that and how embarrassing it had been for him when he'd tried to explain to the owner's of the house why his over zealous wife had left him behind. "Yeah, well, you better be careful or they'll do it to you too."
"Kim might but Trini?" Jason chuckled. "She's so organized her apartment would have to be empty to be more clutter free. She learned, and still knows, the names of over half the delegates at the Peace Conference. She's not going to forget me anywhere."
"If you say so, but when I drive over to pick you up once they've left you behind I'm saying I told you so." Tommy warned before turning serious again. "And if you don't find anything right away don't worry. I said you could stay here as long as you wanted and I meant it. We both know you'll need some time to adjust. If it makes it easier for you to be here than stay here, okay? No being noble and leaving because you think you're cramping our style or anything. I won't let you."
For a moment, Tommy thought Jason would protest but then his shoulders slumped forward a little and he reached for Tommy's hand. He couldn't find it and Tommy ended up taking a hold of his hand. Jason squeezed firmly before speaking.
"Thank you." He whispered, his voice surprisingly rough.
"No problem, bro." Tommy said, clasping Jason's hand tightly in return.
Jason smiled shakily and rubbed the bridge of his nose with his other hand. Tommy frowned as he bumped into the shades he was wearing. He knew Jason probably had a reason for being so insecure about his eyes but he couldn't figure it out.
Tommy decided to broach the subject and get it over with before Jason had the chance to have a bad experience showing anyone else. "I know you're scared of what I'll—everyone—will think but, please, I want to take off those glasses. I hate the fact you don't trust me enough to let me see what's behind them."
Jason stiffened in surprise. "Tommy, it's not that I don't trust you, I hope you know that, it's just...I don't trust the rest of the world. I know there's damage and I'd rather not have to hear people's reactions."
"It's just you and me here, Jase." Tommy reminded him gently.
Jason sighed but didn't hesitate. He did trust Tommy but he had trusted...Jason immediately shoved that into the back of his mind. This was Tommy. This was the man he had been friends with for over ten years. The man he had saved the world with! If he couldn't trust him not to react badly he couldn't trust anyone not to. He reached up with his other hand and removed the shades; almost waiting for the gasp he was nearly sure would follow.
It never came. Instead, a somewhat uncomfortable silence stretched over an everlasting moment. Jason shifted slightly, feeling incredibly exposed. For a moment he thought it would have been easy to run stark naked through Angel Grove park than to bare his unseeing eyes. He certainly wouldn't feel as vulnerable being nude.
Before he had time to think further of that, he was gathered swiftly into a fierce embrace. Jason was a bit shocked at first. Judging by Tommy's reaction, he had nothing to worry about concerning his best friend. Jason sighed in relief and let himself relax in Tommy's soul warming embrace.
Tommy hugged him as tightly as he could for a very long time before he even spoke. He was a bit shocked by the appearance of the eyes that he had once felt could see straight into his soul but he wasn't going to let that stop him from loving his best friend or make him feel uncomfortable around him. Nothing could make him do that!
"You never had anything to be scared about, Jason." Tommy told him. "I don't know why you were but you had no reason to be."
"I'll explain it later." Jason told him, not willing to breech the topic.
"Okay." Tommy agreed, making a mental note to make sure they actually did talk about it later. "You said you needed to learn Braille. How about we go look up the community centre's web page and see if they're offering or know of anywhere you can take a course or something?"
"Sounds good." Jason replied, readily letting the previous subject drop. He moved to put on his glasses but Tommy's hand stopped him.
"Don't they bug you?" He asked.
"A little bit but wearing them isn't a big deal." Jason admitted.
"Leave them off if they bug you. It's not a big deal if you don't wear them." Tommy told him. "And I'm sure Kim won't mind either." Seeing the look of discomfort on Jason's face he added, "but if you want to put them on."
"I will around Kim for a bit longer." Jason decided, pushing the glasses into his pocket. "But maybe not for that much longer."
Tommy smiled and slung an arm around Jason's shoulders as they got up. He tried to appear nonchalant about it, as if he was just goofing around, but really he wanted to make sure Jason didn't bump into anything again. Jason said nothing, though he knew his friend well enough to know the gesture was more than Tommy played it off as. He didn't say anything though, the closeness they shared now made up for those nerve racking few seconds of silence that forced him back into the memory of the situation that made him so reluctant to bare his eyes in the first place.