Disclaimer – Don't own them, even though I should!
Author's Notes – Okay so I know I shouldn't have because it makes me depressed whenever I do, but I was watching the show 'I Love the 90s' on VH1. For those who don't know, it's a show that goes through all the years and says what was popular in each year. For those who have seen it, does it not make you feel like you should be in a retirement home? Why, WHY did I watch that stupid show on VH1?!
Summary – Tommy feels old. Tommy and Jase are together after the DinoThunder season is over with and the kids go to college. Just a short pointless humor piece.
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Age is a State of Mind
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Glancing up briefly as the front door opened and then closed with a slam, Jason watched curiously as his partner grumbled something that sounded like a greeting before having a seat in his favorite, and in Jason's opinion, ratty and in need of replacement chair. "You're a little late tonight. Stop by Hayley's?"
"Yes." Picking up the remote and flipping on 'The Simpsons' Tommy ignored the odd looks he was now receiving from the other man.
"What's the matter with you?" Looking at the sullen Black Ranger with mild concern, Jason didn't know what had happened in the past few hours to put him in such a mood, but whatever it was he'd bet anything on it relating to either (A) his job or (B) Mercer. Nothing good ever came from him associating with that man, whether he was 'normal' now or not.
"I'm old." Sighing and sinking lower into his chair, Tommy shook his head mournfully. "I'm old and useless."
Closing his laptop and giving Tommy his full attention, Jason was at a loss. "You're twenty eighty, you're not old."
"I am Jase. I'm old…" Turning to look at his partner Tommy couldn't hold back a mournful sigh. "And you're old too Jase."
Raising an eyebrow at this, the original Red Ranger wasn't sure exactly where that had come from, but he didn't much care for it. "Excuse me?" Tone laced with a warning that Tommy better rethink and retract that little statement, he was more then a little surprised when just the opposite occurred.
"You are. You're twenty nine. I'll be twenty nine in two more months. You know what comes after that?" When Jason could only shake his head numbly, Tommy went on with a rather put upon sigh. "Thirty. Then forty. Our hair will go all grey and I can only keep dying it black for so long before people start telling me to give it up. My god what if you go bald?"
Closing his eyes and counting silently to ten as that was not a mental image he liked in any way, Jason finally continued when he felt calm enough to not laugh at or hurt the former Black Ranger. "Clearly you have lost what little bit of sanity you had left, so I'm not going to kill you just yet. Instead I ask what brought this little revelation of horror about."
Actually looking slightly guilty, Tommy shifted in his chair. "I was watching 'I Love the 90s' on VH1 again. It was on TV at Hayley's."
Groaning and figuring he should have known better as Tommy always got weird after watching that, Jason shook his head. "What did I tell you about watching that show?"
"I'm old and forgetful." Shrugging as if that should make it alright, he suddenly froze as a look of horror swept over his features. "Oh my god what if I start forgetting where I put things? Or when a program is on? What if I forget what day it is? I'll have to go to one of those retirement home things."
"You already forget where you leave things and what day it is. I had to drag you out of bed yesterday because you thought it was Sunday instead of Monday and were nearly late getting to work."
Pouting and sinking further into his chair, Tommy looked the definition of pitiful and Jason had to admit that had he not been so annoyed he would right now give into the man's every whim. "I don't want to be old."
"You're not old. You're just forgetful and spend way too much time hanging around teenagers. You're not old." Jason concluded, praying that would be the end of it, but knowing from past experience it wouldn't be.
"Am too."
Groaning as he did not want to spend all evening having this debate and knowing Tommy was perfectly capable of doing just that, Jason wracked his brain for something to distract the other man with. "Tommy just because you know what movies and music existed two decades ago that a show is referencing to does not make you old. Look, why don't you go take a shower and I'll take you out to eat, okay? Then we can forget about this being old thing, which I am n…I mean you're not."
Turning it over in his mind but still looking doubtful, Tommy finally relented. "I guess so."
Watching him go and shaking his head, Jason retrieved the remote and turned to VH1 silently cursing the stupid program that was now on nineteen ninety five. "Stupid program. Don't even see how this makes him feel old. I mean just because we were around when…wait that came out in ninety five?"
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(10 minutes later)
Still staring intently at the TV when the front door opened and closed again, Jason didn't even seem to hear Kira as the girl made her way to the livingroom, curious as to why both cars were in the drive and yet no one had answered the door.
Spotting Jason on the couch, she slid down to join him. "Hey."
"Hey." Eyes still glued to the program, Jason gave a halfhearted wave to his company.
Dropping her bag and digging out the reason she'd come, Kira held up the three books she'd borrowed last week, trying to get some of the man's attention away from whatever he was watching. "Is Dr. O here? I brought back the books he let me borrow for my report. Man my biology class is a killer. I mean I thought his class was hard but it doesn't even compare to…um..are you okay?"
Shaking his head sadly as another band he used to love came on, Jason chocked on something that sounded oddly like a sob. "No."
"What's wrong?"
Head in hands, Jason moaned miserably. "I'm old."
The End
