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Billy sat back next Jason and watched as Adam and Kyle closed with Ms. Stone. They'd already had their turn at the circle kumite with their new mentor and were each nursing a whole new set of bruises from the experience. Billy noted that Ms. Stone's training style was very different from Zordon's. She was much more of a hands-on teacher. In this case, that included hands, elbows, knees and an occasional boot-to-the-head.
Adam's years of training as a martial artist were showing through. He was able to at least hold his own against the woman- who by the way, seemed to be a master of several different styles of armed and unarmed combat- but Kyle was struggling to keep up. His years as a tumbler were making the martial arts easier to pick up, but he still lacked what Ms. Stone kept calling Toma-shi. When he'd heard the word, Billy took time to look it up only to discover that it meant "fighting spirit". She said that he fought as if it was a competition, not a life and death situation, but that he was getting better. Billy wondered at what part in their own training had Jase and the others switched over from tournament to combat styles. With Jason's help, Billy had come to realize that with their baptism in fire, he and Kim had to come up through the ranks thinking in terms of fighting for their lives, and that Kyle would eventually catch on.
It finally appeared that the two boys had been able to get an upper hand on the woman. Adam engaged her with a series of vicious reverse punches followed up by a spinning back kick- all of which she blocked, but with increasing difficulty- while Kyle worked his way behind her. Coming down from the back kick into a solid stance, Adam refused to let up and launched another flurry of blows and kicks aimed their teacher's head and ribs, as Kyle launched himself into a flying side-kick aimed at her shoulders. Billy realized that although Kyle was an excellent tumbler, it was impossible for someone of his small stature to leap high enough to strike Ms. Stone's head without using The Power, which so far he and Adam had refused to do in this fight.
As if some internal sense warned her, Ms. Stone dropped to the ground in a perfectly executed split to allow Kyle to go flying over her head. Billy winced as the Yellow Ranger's bare foot slammed into the bridge of Adam's nose. Blood flew in every direction from the force of the blow, and both boys went down in a jumble of arms and legs.
T-ing his hands Tommy called time out and went to check on his fallen comrades. Ms. Stone meanwhile calmly walked over and began to see to Adam's injury. Producing a towel from the back of her gi, she gently probed the bones in his face. Finally deciding that nothing was broken, she smiled at him. "That's going to be sore for a while, but you'll live." Helping the Black Ranger up, she quietly told him, "You need to work on keeping your face blank in a fight, Adam. You told me what was happening the minute you let yourself smile when Kyle got behind me." Laughing lightly, "otherwise, a really good set of techniques, and an excellent strategy."
"Too bad it didn't work," Adam mumbled to himself as he staunched the flow of blood from his nose.
"Don't worry about it, Adam. You're all improving." Turning to Kyle she smiled, "Good idea, wrong kick." She walked over to where the short raven-haired boy was standing looking very vulnerable. "A sweep would have been more appropriate. You're getting better though, but don't get too caught up in the tumbling. Every time you leave the ground, you make yourself vulnerable."
Kyle hung his head, "Yes, ma'am."
Ms. Stone reached out and put a hand on his shoulder before saying, "You ARE improving Kyle. Keep up the workouts with Adam, and you'll get there."
"Yes ma'am," he repeated.
Billy saw her look down at him and then back over to where Tommy and Jason had finally managed to get Adam's nose to stop bleeding. Turning him by the shoulders, she pushed him in that direction before heading toward the women's showers. "Now why don't you go over and see how Adam's doing?"
Kyle nodded, and walked over to the other boys, his head hung low. Billy got the feeling that there were other issues at play besides Kyle accidentally hurting the Black Ranger. Joining them at the edge of the tatami, Billy tapped the Yellow Ranger on the shoulder, "Ms. Stone is correct," he told his newest friend, "Your skill is improving at a remarkable rate."
"Trust Billy," A new and unexpected voice called from across the room. "You should have seen him in his first fight with the putties. He actually asked them to wait for a second while he took off his glasses. The thing about it is that they were so surprised by the request that they did." All eyes turned to see the tall African American boy standing in the door way.
"Zack!" Kimberly screamed and raced across the room and flung herself into former Black Ranger's arms. "When did you get back?"
The incident with Kyle and Adam forgotten, the rest of the team converged on their old friend. "Just yesterday. My parents decided that Iowa wasn't for them." Smiling big he told them, "It may be a great place for Captain Kirk to grow up, but for a former Power Ranger it sucks!" He disengaged himself from the Kimberly and took turns greeting the rest of the team. Billy too found himself caught up in the emotions of the reunion, and almost forgot about Kyle standing off to the side.
"Zack," Billy said, "this is Kyle Kerry, the new Yellow Ranger."
Zack smiled hugely at Kyle, and offered a hand, "Good to meet you man. I saw the footage of your fight with Rita's monsters last night. Nice move with that hammer."
Kyle smiled weakly, and muttered, "thanks."
"So, are you starting back to school at AGHS Monday?" Tommy asked.
Zack smiled, "Yep," he looked around the room. "This place has really changed. I almost didn't recognize it." Putting a hand on Jason's shoulder, "So tell me, who's the Amazon babe who was wiping up the floor with you guys? What happened to Zordon?" He punched Jase in the shoulder and laughed, "And how're things with that cute little blonde you were dating when I left?" He looked over at Tommy and Kim and grinned, "I don't have to ask about you two."
There was a brief pause before Tommy interjected, "The Amazon is our new advisor, Ms. Stone. Zordon went back to Eltar.....," he stopped and looked at Jase and Billy before smiling, "and Jase's got a new blond." He chuckled, shook his head and continued, "It's a whole new ball game around here, new villains, new 'Zords, and a whole new attitude."
Zack's effervescent personality bubbled over as he looked around the room, "Man this place is awesome." He gave Billy a sly look, "And I bet my Main Brain over there has already taken it apart and put it back together again."
Billy cleared his throat, "I've been sort of engaged in other pursuits of late, Zack. I haven't had the opportunity to explore."
"You, not take new technology apart? You ARE feeling all right Billy?" Then he stopped a moment and thought, "Oh, I see. Somebody's been bitten by a more biological bug. You sly dog." He looked over at Jase and smiled, "It's always the quiet ones. Who's he making time with?"
Before Jase could reply, "Zack, I don't know you. But I'm going to give you a quick piece of advice," Kyle stepped interrupted in that deep Appalachian accent, "you're about to stick your foot in your mouth- all the way up to your knee cap."
"Huh?" Zack asked smiling.
Kyle looked over at Jase and then Billy. Billy could see a question in his eye, but for the life of him could not ascertain its meaning.
Before he could continue, Jase cut him off with a smile, "That's okay Kyle, he's always doing that." Turning to Zack he continued, "What Kyle's trying to warn you about old buddy, is that things are a little different now. Some of us have finally gotten our heads together." He gave Billy a questioning look.
"I told Adam I wasn't ashamed," Billy answered the unasked question, "and I meant it."
Jason grinned and came up and put an arm around Billy, "The new blond is Billy."
Billy watched as Zack gave him and Jason a long look. Finally, a slow smile spread across his face, "That is sooo cool. You guys a couple! Great, I never thought of it, but it just fits!" He clasped both of them on the shoulder. Billy realized that he and Jase must have looked startled or confused, because Zack continued, "What? You think Zack the dance king would have problems with two of his best buddies being gay? You gotta' be kidding." He got one of his most mischievous looks on his face, and did a quick little dance step and turn. "Although," he stroked his chin and looked at Jason slyly, his tone indicating that somebody was in for a ribbing, "I guess Jase is going to have to change his name from the Red Ranger."
"Toooo?" Jase asked warily stretching the word out.
Zack smiled and ducked out of the way before Jason or Billy could grab him, "The Rump Ranger!"
"Oh man that was baaaaad!" Tommy said shaking his head.
"You're comedic material has not improved by any great measure," Billy warned his old friend. "And to be honest, there are very few people, I'd allow to get away with a comment like that unscathed." He smiled, "count yourself as fortunate that I consider you one of them."
Zack gave Billy his best dramatic shocked look, "I'm not sure, but I think I've just been threatened," then, he raised an eyebrow and smiled, "by Billy no less."
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Adam watched as the rest rallied around the former Black Ranger and began to catch up on old times. He'd barely known Zack before he left for Iowa being as it was he who was recruited to replace the African American youth as the Black Ranger. Adam let himself drop back from the crowd around Zack and stood next to Kyle.
"Sorry about the nose," Kyle said quietly next to him.
Adam turned and smiled at him, "Don't sweat it, buddy, I should have seen it coming. Things like that happen in the dojo. You get used to it." He put a hand on Kyle's shoulder trying to make the new Yellow Ranger feel better. "Besides, it's already healed. I guess the Power has its uses after all." He'd had his share of blunders in the dojo himself, so he knew how embarrassing they could be. "Tell you what, while these guys catch up on old times, why don't we get a shower, head over to Ernie's, and I'll buy you a smoothie." Suddenly he found himself starved. "And maybe a burger and fries."
He saw a worried look flash across Kyle's face and then disappear into a big grin. "You're on!"
A half an hour later the two were sitting in Ernie's enjoying two maxi-size fruit smoothies and a couple of double cheeseburgers. Adam hadn't felt this tired and hungry in a long time. Most of all he was really getting some strange signals from Kyle. An occasional smile up from the smoothie, those sky blue eyes boring holes into his soul kept doing things to him with which he wasn't quite prepared to deal. Adam kept feeling the blood rise to his face every time some very non-friend type thoughts came into his head. He really didn't want Kyle to get the wrong idea. His friend had been through enough without suddenly having to deal with Adam starting to be curious about certain things. Finally, in exasperation he said, "I can't believe how hungry and tired I am. I feel like I could eat a horse and sleep a week." He didn't say anything about needing to take care of other urges before that sleep.
Kyle smiled at him, "Well, Billy did say that when our regeneration factor kicked in, it would draw on our own energy reserves." He looked down and continued, "Sorry for causing you problems."
"Don't sweat it," Kyle told him fighting back the urge to, either grab Kyle or to leave the table to avoid the feelings the Yellow Ranger was setting off. Without closing his eyes, Adam mentally went through the new kata Ms. Stone had recently taught them.
"Are you okay?" Kyle asked after a couple of minutes.
"I'm fine," Adam answered quickly. "Look, I think I'm going to head home and crash for a couple of hours."
Kyle nodded, "Sure man, no problem." There was regret in his voice that Adam hadn't noticed before.
Damn, I bet he's feeling left out again! Everybody else is catching up with Zack, and here I am about to abandon him too. He sat back at down at the table, "You want to come over and go over that kata Ms. Stone taught us yesterday?"
He saw the smile on Kyle's face actually reach his eyes, and briefly wondered how he could get him to do it again. "Sounds like fun," He looked down for a second as if considering his next words carefully, "Look I got a new movie on DVD. You want I should bring it?"
Adam thought about it. His parents were going to be gone for most of the evening, but they didn't mind if he had a single guest over. As long as they stayed out of trouble, it was cool. Briefly, he wondered about the Yellow Ranger's reticence, but shoved his doubts into the back of his mind, "Sounds like fun. I think I can dig out some microwave popcorn and sodas."
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Jason pulled Billy back against him and sighed contentedly. The changes he'd felt since he'd finally come to grips with what had been going on in his heart for so long, were finally falling into place. He slowly realized that Billy was more than just his best friend, but that he held the other half of Jason's heart. He wasn't sure when the friendship had changed, but some time between their first meeting in the park seven years ago, and Billy's accident last year, Jason realized that the love he felt for Billy had gone from that of a brother to something deeper, something much more profound. He found himself wanting to spend the rest of his life with Billy, daydreaming about building a home with the young genius, or just wanting to get lost in those blue-green eyes.
Looking up at the night sky as it spread across the desert, he held Billy tight, feeling the warmth of the smaller framed boy against him. "This is gorgeous! Why haven't you asked me out to do this before?" he asked.
Billy nuzzled his head against Jase's chin, "Because I was afraid you might misinterpret- or correctly interpret what I wanted out of the evening."
"And what do you want out of it?" he asked letting his hands roam across the well defined chest of his companion, reveling in the sensation of the hardness he felt there. Billy may not be as massive as Jason, or as densely built, but he did have an athlete's body, and Jason found himself wanting to touch and feel every part of it.
"This," was Billy's reply. "To be held by you, hold you. To share with you what I see out here, away from the light pollution of the city."
"I wish you had," Jase told him. "I wish that I had realized what it was I was feeling." He snuggled closer, inhaling deeply the sharp scent of Billy's cologne combined with a softer underlying mustiness that was Billy. He found the scent both soothing and arousing at the same time.
"I had no idea, not even a hope of a dream that you would feel this way, Jase. I've loved you since Junior High, since before that camping trip where you thought Trini had broken my heart. I loved you more for your desire to be there, to help ease the pain you thought I was feeling. It wasn't Trini telling me that her parent's expected her to marry another Chinese man that hurt, it was the knowledge, no matter how erroneous, that YOU didn't feel about me the same way I feel about you." Billy turned and faced him, "I've wanted you forever, Jason Scott, and had no idea that I could have you. These past few weeks, since our return from the gray, have been like rain in the desert."
Jase reached out and pulled Billy to him, kissing him deeply. He felt Billy gently bite at his lower lip, and then his tongue questioningly probe for entrance. Opening his mouth, he sucked in Billy's tongue, and breathed in the heady aftertaste of cinnamon Altoids. He felt a pair of surprisingly strong arms crush him to that hard chest. He felt light headed, as Billy released him, and he sucked in air, realizing that he'd forgotten to breathe. Not giving up his prize so easily, Billy began to nibble along Jase's jaw line to eventually, reach the side of his neck just under his right ear. As Billy gently nipped at the sensitive skin of his earlobe, Jason felt a surge of electricity run down his spine directly to his groin. He gasped, "Billy!"
"You enjoyed that, did you?" the blond muttered against his throat, sending another shot of power through his system. Jason swallowed and nodded. No girl had ever had this kind of effect on him, not even when Ana had." the image of the little blond girl's head bobbing up and down in his lap sent a new surge of desire through him- this time it wasn't to be on the receiving end.
With a strength he didn't know he had, Jason forced Billy back against the soft sand, and ran a hand under the blond's shirt, feeling the hard muscles of his abdomen and pecks. As his hands brushed against the hardening nubs on the well defined chest, he felt a shudder run through Billy. Kissing at Billy's throat, "Hmmm, I think I found something you enjoy," he teased.
Lying full out flat against his lover, he let his fingers play along the sensitive spot he'd found as Billy began to nibble at his ear. Jason could feel Billy's hardness thrusting against his own thigh, as Jason moved in against Billy's hand, building toward his own release.
*****************************************************
Kyle sat cross-legged on the floor of the Park's living room eating popcorn and enjoying Sam Raimi's take on Spider-man, of course it didn't hurt that Toby McGuire was fun to look at too. "Oh man that has to be the best looking fight scene I've ever seen on film," Adam was saying. "It's so realistic, and I love how they're showing Spidey as beaten and bruised."
Kyle chuckled and shoved Adam as he said, "leave it to a martial artist to pick a superhero fight scene apart."
Adam shoved him back and smiled, "Yeah, but who was it picking apart all the acrobatics?" He pitched his voice to an almost perfect match to Kyles, "He just doesn't have the momentum to pull off that many back-flips."
Kyle rolled backwards with the shove, and pushed off into a hand-stand and then turned around to face his new friend, "Touché," he told him while walking over to his feet before dropping smoothly into a split, and then twisting his legs back into a semi-lotus sitting position.
"Show-off," Adam told him. Then with a more serious note, "You know, you're very good at that. Why don't you compete anymore?"
Kyle shrugged, "I thought about it for a while, but decided that now it wouldn't be fair." He gave Adam a quick wink, "You know, not using our powers for personal gain."
"Jason, Tommy, and I all still compete in karate tournaments," Adam told him, "Kimberly even still does gymnastic competition, and we all know Billy doesn't try to hide his intelligence. Your tumbling is a natural part of who you are, you don't have to give it up, just because you occasionally put on spandex and fight giant monsters."
Kyle smiled, "I know. But I'd rather just keep practicing, and develop my skill without competing." He'd recently considered this very issue, and even talked it over with his dad. He wasn't that interested in pitting himself against others anymore. Now, he just wanted to see if he could be a better tumbler today than he was last month.
"Sort of becoming a master sensei of tumbling huh?" Adam smiled.
"Something like that," he laughed at the image of him as an old man in a gi teaching a young David Carradine the 'philosophy' of tumbling. "I can just see myself," he pitched his voice low and took on his most serious tone, "young grasshopper, you must experience the Tao of tumbling."
Adam threw at sofa pillow at him, he ducked, caught it, and slung it back at the tall Korean boy and the match was on. The fight started out with pillows and then degenerated into a wrestling match. Kyle knew he could never hope to match Adam in a blow for blow combat situation, so he closed with him for wrestling. His shorter frame combined with the upper body strength it took to be a tumbler, made up for any lack of skill he might have.
Being careful of furniture, and other breakables in the living room, the two boys grappled across the large living room floor of the Parks. Much to his surprise, Kyle found himself suddenly pinned with Adam stretched out atop him. He wasn't sure who made the first move, maybe it was something mutual, but one minute they were staring at into one another's eyes, the next Kyle found himself lip-locked with the Adam.
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Billy wasn't sure how things had suddenly gone from a heaving necking session with Jason to the two boys stretched out nearly naked on the desert floor, thrusting against each other's hand, while locked in fierce tongue- duel. Not that he was complaining mind you, he just wasn't sure how he ended up with his and Jason's pants off.
Jason groaned into his mouth and his body suddenly tensed against him, the feeling of which sent Billy careening over the edge. Suddenly his mind exploded into a thousand pieces as his and Jase's very essences were intermingled before coming back to their own bodies, each carrying with them just a little piece of the other. Slowly bringing his breathing under control he finally opened his eyes to see explosions going off in the night sky. Some small part of his mind noted that the explosions seemed to be centered on the moon, just before the transport beam took him.
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Adam couldn't believe what he was doing. He was actually kissing another guy, and loving it. Kyle tasted of peppermint, buttered popcorn and diet soda, and something else, something entirely different yet strangely familiar. He wasn't sure what it was he was feeling, but it was a feeling he was quickly deciding that he liked. That is just before the transport beam took both of them.
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It was unusual for Alpha to teleport them without some kind of warning, and it was only every done in the most dire of emergencies. Looking around at the others as they arrived in the Command Center, Tommy realized that the little robot had failed to warn anybody, and had simply grabbed them all. He blushed deeply at the sight of Billy and Jason lying flat on their backs, still locked in their embrace and each of their hands buried in the most incriminating place possible.
Looking around he realized it was an evening for surprises. Adam and Kyle suddenly appeared in a streak of black and yellow light that was so intertwined as to almost be a single muddy shade of yellow. When they materialized he understood why their beams seemed so combined. Evidently, Billy and Jase weren't the only ones doing some late evening explorations. He shook his head and smiled as he looked up to see Kimberly sitting with a little pink robe and a towel around her hair, still holding the bottle of nail polish, and suddenly blushing deeply.
"Aiyiyiyiyi!" Alpha was screaming as he entered the Power Chamber, "Rangers you're needed immediately. The Kregar have destroyed Rita and Zedd's moon pala...," He stopped in mid sentence as he saw the compromising situations from which he'd teleported two thirds of the team.
Billy sat back next Jason and watched as Adam and Kyle closed with Ms. Stone. They'd already had their turn at the circle kumite with their new mentor and were each nursing a whole new set of bruises from the experience. Billy noted that Ms. Stone's training style was very different from Zordon's. She was much more of a hands-on teacher. In this case, that included hands, elbows, knees and an occasional boot-to-the-head.
Adam's years of training as a martial artist were showing through. He was able to at least hold his own against the woman- who by the way, seemed to be a master of several different styles of armed and unarmed combat- but Kyle was struggling to keep up. His years as a tumbler were making the martial arts easier to pick up, but he still lacked what Ms. Stone kept calling Toma-shi. When he'd heard the word, Billy took time to look it up only to discover that it meant "fighting spirit". She said that he fought as if it was a competition, not a life and death situation, but that he was getting better. Billy wondered at what part in their own training had Jase and the others switched over from tournament to combat styles. With Jason's help, Billy had come to realize that with their baptism in fire, he and Kim had to come up through the ranks thinking in terms of fighting for their lives, and that Kyle would eventually catch on.
It finally appeared that the two boys had been able to get an upper hand on the woman. Adam engaged her with a series of vicious reverse punches followed up by a spinning back kick- all of which she blocked, but with increasing difficulty- while Kyle worked his way behind her. Coming down from the back kick into a solid stance, Adam refused to let up and launched another flurry of blows and kicks aimed their teacher's head and ribs, as Kyle launched himself into a flying side-kick aimed at her shoulders. Billy realized that although Kyle was an excellent tumbler, it was impossible for someone of his small stature to leap high enough to strike Ms. Stone's head without using The Power, which so far he and Adam had refused to do in this fight.
As if some internal sense warned her, Ms. Stone dropped to the ground in a perfectly executed split to allow Kyle to go flying over her head. Billy winced as the Yellow Ranger's bare foot slammed into the bridge of Adam's nose. Blood flew in every direction from the force of the blow, and both boys went down in a jumble of arms and legs.
T-ing his hands Tommy called time out and went to check on his fallen comrades. Ms. Stone meanwhile calmly walked over and began to see to Adam's injury. Producing a towel from the back of her gi, she gently probed the bones in his face. Finally deciding that nothing was broken, she smiled at him. "That's going to be sore for a while, but you'll live." Helping the Black Ranger up, she quietly told him, "You need to work on keeping your face blank in a fight, Adam. You told me what was happening the minute you let yourself smile when Kyle got behind me." Laughing lightly, "otherwise, a really good set of techniques, and an excellent strategy."
"Too bad it didn't work," Adam mumbled to himself as he staunched the flow of blood from his nose.
"Don't worry about it, Adam. You're all improving." Turning to Kyle she smiled, "Good idea, wrong kick." She walked over to where the short raven-haired boy was standing looking very vulnerable. "A sweep would have been more appropriate. You're getting better though, but don't get too caught up in the tumbling. Every time you leave the ground, you make yourself vulnerable."
Kyle hung his head, "Yes, ma'am."
Ms. Stone reached out and put a hand on his shoulder before saying, "You ARE improving Kyle. Keep up the workouts with Adam, and you'll get there."
"Yes ma'am," he repeated.
Billy saw her look down at him and then back over to where Tommy and Jason had finally managed to get Adam's nose to stop bleeding. Turning him by the shoulders, she pushed him in that direction before heading toward the women's showers. "Now why don't you go over and see how Adam's doing?"
Kyle nodded, and walked over to the other boys, his head hung low. Billy got the feeling that there were other issues at play besides Kyle accidentally hurting the Black Ranger. Joining them at the edge of the tatami, Billy tapped the Yellow Ranger on the shoulder, "Ms. Stone is correct," he told his newest friend, "Your skill is improving at a remarkable rate."
"Trust Billy," A new and unexpected voice called from across the room. "You should have seen him in his first fight with the putties. He actually asked them to wait for a second while he took off his glasses. The thing about it is that they were so surprised by the request that they did." All eyes turned to see the tall African American boy standing in the door way.
"Zack!" Kimberly screamed and raced across the room and flung herself into former Black Ranger's arms. "When did you get back?"
The incident with Kyle and Adam forgotten, the rest of the team converged on their old friend. "Just yesterday. My parents decided that Iowa wasn't for them." Smiling big he told them, "It may be a great place for Captain Kirk to grow up, but for a former Power Ranger it sucks!" He disengaged himself from the Kimberly and took turns greeting the rest of the team. Billy too found himself caught up in the emotions of the reunion, and almost forgot about Kyle standing off to the side.
"Zack," Billy said, "this is Kyle Kerry, the new Yellow Ranger."
Zack smiled hugely at Kyle, and offered a hand, "Good to meet you man. I saw the footage of your fight with Rita's monsters last night. Nice move with that hammer."
Kyle smiled weakly, and muttered, "thanks."
"So, are you starting back to school at AGHS Monday?" Tommy asked.
Zack smiled, "Yep," he looked around the room. "This place has really changed. I almost didn't recognize it." Putting a hand on Jason's shoulder, "So tell me, who's the Amazon babe who was wiping up the floor with you guys? What happened to Zordon?" He punched Jase in the shoulder and laughed, "And how're things with that cute little blonde you were dating when I left?" He looked over at Tommy and Kim and grinned, "I don't have to ask about you two."
There was a brief pause before Tommy interjected, "The Amazon is our new advisor, Ms. Stone. Zordon went back to Eltar.....," he stopped and looked at Jase and Billy before smiling, "and Jase's got a new blond." He chuckled, shook his head and continued, "It's a whole new ball game around here, new villains, new 'Zords, and a whole new attitude."
Zack's effervescent personality bubbled over as he looked around the room, "Man this place is awesome." He gave Billy a sly look, "And I bet my Main Brain over there has already taken it apart and put it back together again."
Billy cleared his throat, "I've been sort of engaged in other pursuits of late, Zack. I haven't had the opportunity to explore."
"You, not take new technology apart? You ARE feeling all right Billy?" Then he stopped a moment and thought, "Oh, I see. Somebody's been bitten by a more biological bug. You sly dog." He looked over at Jase and smiled, "It's always the quiet ones. Who's he making time with?"
Before Jase could reply, "Zack, I don't know you. But I'm going to give you a quick piece of advice," Kyle stepped interrupted in that deep Appalachian accent, "you're about to stick your foot in your mouth- all the way up to your knee cap."
"Huh?" Zack asked smiling.
Kyle looked over at Jase and then Billy. Billy could see a question in his eye, but for the life of him could not ascertain its meaning.
Before he could continue, Jase cut him off with a smile, "That's okay Kyle, he's always doing that." Turning to Zack he continued, "What Kyle's trying to warn you about old buddy, is that things are a little different now. Some of us have finally gotten our heads together." He gave Billy a questioning look.
"I told Adam I wasn't ashamed," Billy answered the unasked question, "and I meant it."
Jason grinned and came up and put an arm around Billy, "The new blond is Billy."
Billy watched as Zack gave him and Jason a long look. Finally, a slow smile spread across his face, "That is sooo cool. You guys a couple! Great, I never thought of it, but it just fits!" He clasped both of them on the shoulder. Billy realized that he and Jase must have looked startled or confused, because Zack continued, "What? You think Zack the dance king would have problems with two of his best buddies being gay? You gotta' be kidding." He got one of his most mischievous looks on his face, and did a quick little dance step and turn. "Although," he stroked his chin and looked at Jason slyly, his tone indicating that somebody was in for a ribbing, "I guess Jase is going to have to change his name from the Red Ranger."
"Toooo?" Jase asked warily stretching the word out.
Zack smiled and ducked out of the way before Jason or Billy could grab him, "The Rump Ranger!"
"Oh man that was baaaaad!" Tommy said shaking his head.
"You're comedic material has not improved by any great measure," Billy warned his old friend. "And to be honest, there are very few people, I'd allow to get away with a comment like that unscathed." He smiled, "count yourself as fortunate that I consider you one of them."
Zack gave Billy his best dramatic shocked look, "I'm not sure, but I think I've just been threatened," then, he raised an eyebrow and smiled, "by Billy no less."
********************************************************
Adam watched as the rest rallied around the former Black Ranger and began to catch up on old times. He'd barely known Zack before he left for Iowa being as it was he who was recruited to replace the African American youth as the Black Ranger. Adam let himself drop back from the crowd around Zack and stood next to Kyle.
"Sorry about the nose," Kyle said quietly next to him.
Adam turned and smiled at him, "Don't sweat it, buddy, I should have seen it coming. Things like that happen in the dojo. You get used to it." He put a hand on Kyle's shoulder trying to make the new Yellow Ranger feel better. "Besides, it's already healed. I guess the Power has its uses after all." He'd had his share of blunders in the dojo himself, so he knew how embarrassing they could be. "Tell you what, while these guys catch up on old times, why don't we get a shower, head over to Ernie's, and I'll buy you a smoothie." Suddenly he found himself starved. "And maybe a burger and fries."
He saw a worried look flash across Kyle's face and then disappear into a big grin. "You're on!"
A half an hour later the two were sitting in Ernie's enjoying two maxi-size fruit smoothies and a couple of double cheeseburgers. Adam hadn't felt this tired and hungry in a long time. Most of all he was really getting some strange signals from Kyle. An occasional smile up from the smoothie, those sky blue eyes boring holes into his soul kept doing things to him with which he wasn't quite prepared to deal. Adam kept feeling the blood rise to his face every time some very non-friend type thoughts came into his head. He really didn't want Kyle to get the wrong idea. His friend had been through enough without suddenly having to deal with Adam starting to be curious about certain things. Finally, in exasperation he said, "I can't believe how hungry and tired I am. I feel like I could eat a horse and sleep a week." He didn't say anything about needing to take care of other urges before that sleep.
Kyle smiled at him, "Well, Billy did say that when our regeneration factor kicked in, it would draw on our own energy reserves." He looked down and continued, "Sorry for causing you problems."
"Don't sweat it," Kyle told him fighting back the urge to, either grab Kyle or to leave the table to avoid the feelings the Yellow Ranger was setting off. Without closing his eyes, Adam mentally went through the new kata Ms. Stone had recently taught them.
"Are you okay?" Kyle asked after a couple of minutes.
"I'm fine," Adam answered quickly. "Look, I think I'm going to head home and crash for a couple of hours."
Kyle nodded, "Sure man, no problem." There was regret in his voice that Adam hadn't noticed before.
Damn, I bet he's feeling left out again! Everybody else is catching up with Zack, and here I am about to abandon him too. He sat back at down at the table, "You want to come over and go over that kata Ms. Stone taught us yesterday?"
He saw the smile on Kyle's face actually reach his eyes, and briefly wondered how he could get him to do it again. "Sounds like fun," He looked down for a second as if considering his next words carefully, "Look I got a new movie on DVD. You want I should bring it?"
Adam thought about it. His parents were going to be gone for most of the evening, but they didn't mind if he had a single guest over. As long as they stayed out of trouble, it was cool. Briefly, he wondered about the Yellow Ranger's reticence, but shoved his doubts into the back of his mind, "Sounds like fun. I think I can dig out some microwave popcorn and sodas."
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Jason pulled Billy back against him and sighed contentedly. The changes he'd felt since he'd finally come to grips with what had been going on in his heart for so long, were finally falling into place. He slowly realized that Billy was more than just his best friend, but that he held the other half of Jason's heart. He wasn't sure when the friendship had changed, but some time between their first meeting in the park seven years ago, and Billy's accident last year, Jason realized that the love he felt for Billy had gone from that of a brother to something deeper, something much more profound. He found himself wanting to spend the rest of his life with Billy, daydreaming about building a home with the young genius, or just wanting to get lost in those blue-green eyes.
Looking up at the night sky as it spread across the desert, he held Billy tight, feeling the warmth of the smaller framed boy against him. "This is gorgeous! Why haven't you asked me out to do this before?" he asked.
Billy nuzzled his head against Jase's chin, "Because I was afraid you might misinterpret- or correctly interpret what I wanted out of the evening."
"And what do you want out of it?" he asked letting his hands roam across the well defined chest of his companion, reveling in the sensation of the hardness he felt there. Billy may not be as massive as Jason, or as densely built, but he did have an athlete's body, and Jason found himself wanting to touch and feel every part of it.
"This," was Billy's reply. "To be held by you, hold you. To share with you what I see out here, away from the light pollution of the city."
"I wish you had," Jase told him. "I wish that I had realized what it was I was feeling." He snuggled closer, inhaling deeply the sharp scent of Billy's cologne combined with a softer underlying mustiness that was Billy. He found the scent both soothing and arousing at the same time.
"I had no idea, not even a hope of a dream that you would feel this way, Jase. I've loved you since Junior High, since before that camping trip where you thought Trini had broken my heart. I loved you more for your desire to be there, to help ease the pain you thought I was feeling. It wasn't Trini telling me that her parent's expected her to marry another Chinese man that hurt, it was the knowledge, no matter how erroneous, that YOU didn't feel about me the same way I feel about you." Billy turned and faced him, "I've wanted you forever, Jason Scott, and had no idea that I could have you. These past few weeks, since our return from the gray, have been like rain in the desert."
Jase reached out and pulled Billy to him, kissing him deeply. He felt Billy gently bite at his lower lip, and then his tongue questioningly probe for entrance. Opening his mouth, he sucked in Billy's tongue, and breathed in the heady aftertaste of cinnamon Altoids. He felt a pair of surprisingly strong arms crush him to that hard chest. He felt light headed, as Billy released him, and he sucked in air, realizing that he'd forgotten to breathe. Not giving up his prize so easily, Billy began to nibble along Jase's jaw line to eventually, reach the side of his neck just under his right ear. As Billy gently nipped at the sensitive skin of his earlobe, Jason felt a surge of electricity run down his spine directly to his groin. He gasped, "Billy!"
"You enjoyed that, did you?" the blond muttered against his throat, sending another shot of power through his system. Jason swallowed and nodded. No girl had ever had this kind of effect on him, not even when Ana had." the image of the little blond girl's head bobbing up and down in his lap sent a new surge of desire through him- this time it wasn't to be on the receiving end.
With a strength he didn't know he had, Jason forced Billy back against the soft sand, and ran a hand under the blond's shirt, feeling the hard muscles of his abdomen and pecks. As his hands brushed against the hardening nubs on the well defined chest, he felt a shudder run through Billy. Kissing at Billy's throat, "Hmmm, I think I found something you enjoy," he teased.
Lying full out flat against his lover, he let his fingers play along the sensitive spot he'd found as Billy began to nibble at his ear. Jason could feel Billy's hardness thrusting against his own thigh, as Jason moved in against Billy's hand, building toward his own release.
*****************************************************
Kyle sat cross-legged on the floor of the Park's living room eating popcorn and enjoying Sam Raimi's take on Spider-man, of course it didn't hurt that Toby McGuire was fun to look at too. "Oh man that has to be the best looking fight scene I've ever seen on film," Adam was saying. "It's so realistic, and I love how they're showing Spidey as beaten and bruised."
Kyle chuckled and shoved Adam as he said, "leave it to a martial artist to pick a superhero fight scene apart."
Adam shoved him back and smiled, "Yeah, but who was it picking apart all the acrobatics?" He pitched his voice to an almost perfect match to Kyles, "He just doesn't have the momentum to pull off that many back-flips."
Kyle rolled backwards with the shove, and pushed off into a hand-stand and then turned around to face his new friend, "Touché," he told him while walking over to his feet before dropping smoothly into a split, and then twisting his legs back into a semi-lotus sitting position.
"Show-off," Adam told him. Then with a more serious note, "You know, you're very good at that. Why don't you compete anymore?"
Kyle shrugged, "I thought about it for a while, but decided that now it wouldn't be fair." He gave Adam a quick wink, "You know, not using our powers for personal gain."
"Jason, Tommy, and I all still compete in karate tournaments," Adam told him, "Kimberly even still does gymnastic competition, and we all know Billy doesn't try to hide his intelligence. Your tumbling is a natural part of who you are, you don't have to give it up, just because you occasionally put on spandex and fight giant monsters."
Kyle smiled, "I know. But I'd rather just keep practicing, and develop my skill without competing." He'd recently considered this very issue, and even talked it over with his dad. He wasn't that interested in pitting himself against others anymore. Now, he just wanted to see if he could be a better tumbler today than he was last month.
"Sort of becoming a master sensei of tumbling huh?" Adam smiled.
"Something like that," he laughed at the image of him as an old man in a gi teaching a young David Carradine the 'philosophy' of tumbling. "I can just see myself," he pitched his voice low and took on his most serious tone, "young grasshopper, you must experience the Tao of tumbling."
Adam threw at sofa pillow at him, he ducked, caught it, and slung it back at the tall Korean boy and the match was on. The fight started out with pillows and then degenerated into a wrestling match. Kyle knew he could never hope to match Adam in a blow for blow combat situation, so he closed with him for wrestling. His shorter frame combined with the upper body strength it took to be a tumbler, made up for any lack of skill he might have.
Being careful of furniture, and other breakables in the living room, the two boys grappled across the large living room floor of the Parks. Much to his surprise, Kyle found himself suddenly pinned with Adam stretched out atop him. He wasn't sure who made the first move, maybe it was something mutual, but one minute they were staring at into one another's eyes, the next Kyle found himself lip-locked with the Adam.
******************************************************
Billy wasn't sure how things had suddenly gone from a heaving necking session with Jason to the two boys stretched out nearly naked on the desert floor, thrusting against each other's hand, while locked in fierce tongue- duel. Not that he was complaining mind you, he just wasn't sure how he ended up with his and Jason's pants off.
Jason groaned into his mouth and his body suddenly tensed against him, the feeling of which sent Billy careening over the edge. Suddenly his mind exploded into a thousand pieces as his and Jase's very essences were intermingled before coming back to their own bodies, each carrying with them just a little piece of the other. Slowly bringing his breathing under control he finally opened his eyes to see explosions going off in the night sky. Some small part of his mind noted that the explosions seemed to be centered on the moon, just before the transport beam took him.
***********************************************************
Adam couldn't believe what he was doing. He was actually kissing another guy, and loving it. Kyle tasted of peppermint, buttered popcorn and diet soda, and something else, something entirely different yet strangely familiar. He wasn't sure what it was he was feeling, but it was a feeling he was quickly deciding that he liked. That is just before the transport beam took both of them.
***************************************************************
It was unusual for Alpha to teleport them without some kind of warning, and it was only every done in the most dire of emergencies. Looking around at the others as they arrived in the Command Center, Tommy realized that the little robot had failed to warn anybody, and had simply grabbed them all. He blushed deeply at the sight of Billy and Jason lying flat on their backs, still locked in their embrace and each of their hands buried in the most incriminating place possible.
Looking around he realized it was an evening for surprises. Adam and Kyle suddenly appeared in a streak of black and yellow light that was so intertwined as to almost be a single muddy shade of yellow. When they materialized he understood why their beams seemed so combined. Evidently, Billy and Jase weren't the only ones doing some late evening explorations. He shook his head and smiled as he looked up to see Kimberly sitting with a little pink robe and a towel around her hair, still holding the bottle of nail polish, and suddenly blushing deeply.
"Aiyiyiyiyi!" Alpha was screaming as he entered the Power Chamber, "Rangers you're needed immediately. The Kregar have destroyed Rita and Zedd's moon pala...," He stopped in mid sentence as he saw the compromising situations from which he'd teleported two thirds of the team.