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Summary: While continuing their search for Zordon, Andros and Ashley share a little moment.
It's Those Little Things
The sun was beating down on their skin harshly and sweat was shining on ever inch of exposed skin. There was a lot of that too, seeing as the air was perfectly clean and breathable for humans and they had come down in civilian clothes. Even their morphs would have been too hot on this planet.
Briefly Ashley wondered why the hell they were on this desert planet while TJ and Carlos got the coolwater one and Zhane and Cassie the colder ice planet. Looking for Zordon, was the first answer coming to her mind. Three planets had given a positive signal and Carlos and TJ had quickly claimed one. She had been ready to claim the second one with Cassie when Zhane had beaten her to it, causing her to go to the third with Andros.
It wasn't the company, she was happy to spend some time along with her boyfriend, even though they were on a mission and Andros was in leader-mode. It didn't bother her at all; it was even one of the things that had attracted her to him. It wasn't even the temperature or the fiery sun. They had made sure to put on enough sunblock to keep an albino from burning, and everything else (including her) could just be washed clean. Grimacing at the sweat clouding her vision, she corrected herself – washed very clean.
No, what was really bothering her, was that she had decided to wear her new sandals down to the planet. They hadn't been broken in yet and were now chafing her toes and heels painfully. Every single step she took was more painful and uncomfortable then the last.
Finally she couldn't take it anymore and stopped.
"Andros." She called, only now noticing how far ahead Andros had gotten of her.
Andros turned at the sound of her voice and she could almost see his frown when he, too, noticed the distance between them. He didn't say a thing when he started walking back to her. Even when he stood right in front of her he kept quiet, studying her silently, before tentatively reaching out to rest a hand on her arm.
"You okay?" He asked, his voice giving away his insecurity of his actions.
Silently Ashley shook her head and pointed to her feet.
"My feet hurt and I really don't think I could take another step with these shoes on." She explained when he looked at her strangely.
"Well, you can't take them off or you'd be burning your feet." Andros told her rationally, obviously torn between what to do before making up his mind. "How about we go back to the Megaship? Our water supply has practically disappeared anyway, so we can't stay here much longer anyway."
A brilliant smile appeared on Ashley's face and she nodded furiously.
"Thank you so much. I know how much it means to you finding Zordon or at least the source of the positive signal." Ashley told him honestly.
"Yeah, well, it's probably nothing." Andros shrugged, lifting his morpher to his lips. "Deca, two to teleport back to the Megaship."
Ashley closed her eyes when the scorching sun and humid air disappeared and made way for the cool interior of the Megaship. Taking only a moment to enjoy it, she started moving again, grabbing the nearest stool and dropping down on it, pulling of her sandals.
A loud groan escaped her lips when she noticed the moist swells on her feet and Andros was almost immediately by her side.
"What's wrong?" He asked a little worried.
"I pushed myself too far." Ashley groaned, showing her feet. "Blisters."
"You should treat them." He told her, studying a rather large one on the side of her big toe.
"I can't walk like this!" Ashley protested weakly, pointing to one that had invaded to the sole of her foot.
"Deca, how are the other rangers doing?" Andros asked, startling Ashley by the sudden change of subject.
"TJ and Carlos reported a false signal and decided to go have a swim until you all returned." Deca replied "Cassie reported a false signal too and said she was going to teach Zhane the concept of snowball fights and asked me too call when all four of you returned so we can return to Earth."
"So basically, they won't be back until we call them." Andros contemplated, shooting Ashley a covered look.
"Shall I call them?" Deca replied.
"No, let them have their fun." Andros sighed, getting up and turning to Ashley.
She let out a slight shriek when Andros gathered her up in his arms and carried her to the infirmary. Slowly it drew on her he had this planned when he inquired about the other rangers. A small smile crept up her lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck for support; he was shy to get caught carrying her.
She blushed lightly when he set her down on a patient bed and joined her after getting some gel plasters. She had to suppress the urge to giggle and pull away when he picked up one of her feet and placed it onto his lap so he could put the patches over her blisters. Her feet had always been ticklish.
Ashley squirmed as Andros placed the patches over her blisters, watching her with mild, but open amusement. He did the same for her other and his amusement grew the more she squirmed and fought the urges to dissolve into giggles.
"Ticklish?" Andros asked, the amusement in his voice growing even as he spoke.
Ashley nodded helplessly as he still had to let go of her foot, fighting desperately against the giggles demanding to get out. Andros lifted her feet a little while he bowed down, placing a light kiss on her toes before realising what he did and dropping her foot, blushing bright red.
With a small smile Ashley scooted a little closer to him and placed her hand lightly under his chin, silently asking him to look at her. Andros did so and her smile grew.
"Thank you." She told him softly, a slight colour on her own cheeks.
Neither dared to break eye contact, both being drawn in by the other's eyes. Slowly their faces inched together, their lips almost touching.
"The other rangers have returned to the Megaship." Deca's voice cut in and they practically jumped apart.
"We should go meet them." Andros sighed, uncomfortably, helping Ashley off the bed. "How does it feel?"
"Much better, thanks." Ashley replied, avoiding his eyes.
She patted out of the room, not doubting Andros following her. Silently she cursed her friends, yet thanked them at the same time. She had been so close to kissing Andros, to finally realize the dream and taste the sweetness of his lips instead of just imagining it, yet that single kiss could have destroyed everything they had been building up so slowly. He was letting her in further than the others, but they were taking things slow.
Andros was distant most of the time they managed to spend together, when it was just the two of them. Yet sometimes he did things, little things that showed her he truly did care, just had trouble expressing it still. And it was those little things that charmed her the most.
Other boyfriends had sucked up to her with presents, took her out to fancy restaurants and basically spend a lot of money to impress her. Andros didn't do such things. She figured he would if he heard her other boyfriends had done so, but he could make moments special without expensive presents, just by little gestures like just now.
She would be getting her kiss someday and waiting for it would only make it sweeter, but for now, it were those little things causing her to fall harder then ever before. Those little things would always be enough, but a little more wouldn't hurt. Maybe this time, she could safely dream of a future.
A quick look over her shoulder at Andros's burning red face told her one thing for certain: those little things were here too stay.
A/N: Okay, this is a birthday present for Phantom Rogue. Wish her all a Happy Birthday! And for any of you SU readers happening to read this too. Tomorrow is the next SU update… This is my addition to fanfiction(dot)net for today.