No Hard Feelings

Disclaimer: Power rangers is not mine. I don't make any money from writing this. It's purely for my own enjoyment and (I hope!) my readers.

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This started out as a drabble, and sort of grew. It's an amusing one-shot about how Marah could have made it up to Dustin.

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Shane went to knock on the door, and hesitated.

"Do you think he actually wants to see anyone right now?"

Hunter rolled his eyes, leaned across, and pressed the doorbell.

"Dude, Marah dumped him yestereday. And she didn't just dump him – she tried to kill him. Break-ups don't get any worse than this."

"I guess you're right."

The two rangers waited as a chime sounded inside the house. After a minute, Dustin opened the door. He was wearing a pair of yellow boxers and a t-shirt. His hair was all tossled from sleep.

He looked surprised – and not-too-pleased – to see them there.

"Oh – hey, dudes. I didn't know you were coming over…"

Shane gave him a friendly punch to the shoulder, and walked past into the kitchen.

"What type of friends would we be if we left you alone at a time like this?"

"Yeah." Hunter winked. "Get some clothes on, buddy. We're taking you to see the Last Samurai."

As Dustin had been bugging to see that movie for weeks, the expected whoops of excitement and long, drawn out 'duuu-uuudes.'

Instead, Dustin fidgeting uneasily, looking almost…shifty.

"Actually, guys. I'd really rather be on my own right now."

Hunter and Shane exchanged a look.

"She really did a number on you," Hunter said wonderingly, shaking his head.

"No, it's not that." Dustin glanced uneasily at the kitchen door as if he were expecting someone to come through at any moment, and dreading it. "I really would rather be on my own. Seriously."

"Come on, Dustin," Shane said. "Sure, Marah dumped you. But you've got to get over her, move on. There are plenty of other fish in the – "

A female voice sounded in the other room.

"Dustin!"

Hunter blinked.

"That was quick."

There was the sound of light footsteps.

"Dustin, your shower's…"

The kitchen door swung open and Marah walked into the kitchen, a towel wrapped round her, wet hair about her shoulders. She saw Hunter and Shane, and stopped.

"Oh-oh."

Hunter and Shane stared. Then Shane cleared his throat.

"This isn't what it looks like – right, Dustin?"

The yellow ranger looked uncomfortable.

"Well, actually…"

Hunter exploded.

"Dude, she tried to kill you!"

Marah interjected.

"That's what this was about!" She smiled nervously at their incredulous gazes. "I was trying to make up for it. You know, so that there were no hard feelings and all."

Shane gave Dustin a long, hard look. At that moment, he knew what Sensei must have felt that time he tried to smuggle fireworks onto the academy grounds.

"Aside from the moral and ethical implications," he began acidly. "What kind of sex could possibly make up for – "

He broke off as Kapri wandered barefoot into the kitchen, wearing one of Dustin's shirts and nothing more.

She didn't seem particularly put out at the sight of the red and crimson ranger standing in the kitchen. In fact, she yawned and walked over to the kitchen counter.

"Hey, yellow ranger! You got any coffee in this dump? I swear to god, the only good thing about this miserable planet is it's coffee…"

Hunter made a sound like he was choking. Shane stared at Dustin, who had an impossibly wide grin on his face. If he grinned any wider, the top of his head was going to fall off.

There was a frown on Marah's pretty face.

"We thought about asking the blue ranger along as well – but she already has a boyfriend."