Author's Note: Here's chapter two of this series!
My next upload will be back in the main Cost series, but I wanted to get this one out first. This chapter focuses on Kimberly and sort of the head-space she's in during Control. I wanted to explore what's she's thinking and give some insight into why she's made certain choices so far. I also think (or at least hope) that this sheds some light on why she's so bitter and pissed with Tommy in Lost. The goal isn't to make her sympathetic or likable with this chapter - just to provide her perspective. It also provides some insight into the progression of the relationship between the pink and green rangers in Control.
As a warning, this chapter contains mature scenes, both T/K and brief J/K. So if that's not your thing, you should probably move along.
Otherwise, here ya go! Please forgive any errors - I'm still in need of a beta.
Hart Residence
Kimberly's Room
Angel Grove, CA
4:26 AM
Thirteen-year-old Kimberly Hart pushed around the spaghetti on her plate with halfhearted interest. A meatball teetered precariously on the edge, seconds away from falling onto the wooden dining table. Her mother sat across from her eating quietly. Her older brother Kenny was skipping dinner tonight, planning instead to eat at a friend's house while they finished up their senior project for woodshop.
She had been debating asking her mom a question all week and had finally plucked up the courage to go for it tonight.
"Mom? C-can I ask you something?"
Her mother smiled at her. "Of course."
Kim bit her lip. "And you promise to tell the truth, no matter what?"
Caroline paused, setting her fork down on the table to focus fully on her daughter. "That's the rule, right?"
The rule in their house had always been if someone was old enough to ask the question, they were old enough to hear the answer. It certainly made for some very interesting moments in the Hart household raising two inquisitive children like Kenny and Kimberly.
"Dad did something really bad, didn't he? That's why you're getting a divorce?"
Caroline's eyes closed briefly, unprepared for the question, though not entirely surprised it was asked. Kim had taken her parents' recent announcement to divorce very hard. Things had seemed fine between them until one day she came home from school to her dad piling all of his belongings into a car, face flushed with anger. Jason, Trini, and Zack watched beside her as her mom screamed at her dad from the porch, eyes puffy and red with tears streaming down her face. The three had awkwardly said goodbye to Kimberly, knowing that whatever was going on with her family did not need an audience.
"Your father made a mistake," she said softly. "A mistake that is too difficult for us to get past together."
The teen dropped her fork with a clang. "But you love each other!" she said adamantly. "Shouldn't you at least try?"
Her mother's eyes softened. "Kimberly…"
"You and dad have been together since you were in college, mom. How can you guys just throw all of that away?"
Mrs. Hart sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Your father and I put everything into this marriage to make it work, Kimberly, believe me. And even though we love each other, sometimes it just isn't enough. Sometimes… sometimes the best thing you can do is let something go before things reach the point of no return."
The thirteen-year-old considered her mother's words, not entirely sure she understood what her mother meant.
Kim scratched at the tablecloth angrily. "Did you even try to forgive him? For me and Kenny?"
Caroline's eyes hardened. "Some things can't be forgiven."
"Where's he going to live?" she asked softly, fear creeping into her voice. "Will I be able to see him again?"
She didn't see her father very often now – seeing him even less scared the teenager.
Caroline grimaced. "Your father and I still need to work out the details, but yes, you'll be able to see him. He'll most likely visit here instead of you going to his place."
The teen's face scrunched up in confusion. "Why can't I go to his place?"
Her mother paused, choosing her words carefully. "I'm not sure it would be in everyone's best interest for you to be there."
"But…" she bit her lip, concern growing on her young face, "who's going to take care of him then? We can't just leave him by himself."
"He won't be alone," her mother responded softly.
"What do – " Kimberly digested this information slowly, body growing hot with anger when she finally understood what her mother was saying.
"He cheated on you, didn't he?" she asked bitterly. When she saw her mother tense up, Kim continued. "Is he going to have a new family now, too?"
Caroline said nothing, though her grip on her fork was noticeably tight.
Kim picked at her food again, no longer hungry. "I hate him."
"No, you don't, sweetie."
"Yes, I do," Kim said angrily, tears stinging her eyes. "How could he do this to us? To you? If you love someone, you don't hurt them. You love them and protect them and treat them like they're your whole world!"
Caroline smiled sadly at her daughter. "Sometimes, it can't be helped, no matter how hard you try. Life doesn't always work out the way you want. You'll learn that when you're older."
Her mom reached across the table, squeezing her daughter's arm lovingly. "You're hurt and you're angry, sweetie, but you don't hate your father. You love him just as much as you always have – and it's okay to love him but be disappointed in his actions."
The teen wiped fiercely at the tears on her cheeks. "Don't you hate him?"
There was a long pause.
"No," her mother answered after some contemplation. "I hate the choices he's made recently, but I could never hate him. He gave me you and Kenny and some really great years together. I wouldn't trade that for anything."
The future pink ranger looked away from her mother, attention focused on her spaghetti again.
She didn't care what her mother said – she did hate her father. He was a liar and a coward and not worthy of her respect. To do that to her mom – to their family – was simply unforgivable. How could she look him in the eye knowing what he'd done? The kind of person he was? How could she be expected to still love him?
The tears were rolling down her face steadily as she forced herself to finish her dinner, no longer able to taste the food. Her dad was her hero – how could he have it in him to do something like this?
It barely registered for the young girl when her mother made her way around the table, pulling Kimberly into her arms and running a soothing hand along her back. Caroline whispered words of comfort to her daughter, but they had no effect.
Her father wasn't the man she thought he was, and his 'mistake' had now broken their family beyond repair…
A jarring shift on the mattress roused the pink ranger with a tired groan. Kimberly blinked blearily at her alarm clock, able to make out the bright red numbers glaring back at her.
4:26 AM.
She felt something heavy wrap around her waist, tugging her against a solid mass. A head tucked itself into the crook of her neck, hair tickling the nape of her neck.
Tommy.
Kim sighed sleepily, turning slightly to look at him. "Hi."
He grinned. "Hi." He bent down, kissing her softly on the mouth.
"You stayed the night?" she asked, voice thick with sleep. She felt him nod against her.
"I'm glad," she said softly, turning on her side so that her back was to him, fingers twining with his about her waist.
Tommy stared down at her, hand brushing gently against her hair as she started to drift off again.
He had been in such a bad mood the night before due to a horrible training session with Goldar that ended with the two nearly coming to blows. Scorpina was away at a war council, so Goldar was put back in charge of his training until she returned.
As expected, things didn't go very well.
Tommy could grudgingly admit that the Tarmakian wasn't entirely to blame for the disastrous session. Goldar was actually a fair instructor, possessing far more patience than Tommy thought he was capable of.
No, the blame lie mostly with him.
His concentration had been off ever since Kim went out of town.
The pink ranger had been away the last three days, spending her time over in Los Angeles to compete in an important gymnastics meet. She and her mother had left early Tuesday afternoon for L.A., checking into their hotel that evening. The gymnast spent all day Wednesday and Thursday morning competing, coming in first place in every event. They then celebrated with lunch at In-N-Out, a special treat given the strict diet the pink ranger had been on in preparation for the meet. They hadn't made it back to Angel Grove until late last night.
The green ranger had been waiting impatiently in his room for her call, a wide grin spreading across his face when she informed him that they had just gotten back to Angel Grove. He could hear the fatigue in her voice, able to tell immediately that Kim would be in no mood to be doing much of anything that evening.
That didn't change the fact that he still wanted to see her.
Kim had been surprised to see the green flash of light in her room, eyebrow raised when Tommy materialized in front of her in sweatpants and a t-shirt. She was in her pajamas, midway in the process of crawling under the covers and going to bed.
She had watched with a curious expression as he slowly made his way over to her, taking off his shirt and climbing in beside her under the covers. She shivered when he pulled her flush against him, head resting against hers on her shoulder. The two said nothing as they cuddled together on her bed, falling asleep soundly as he held her.
The green ranger had gotten so used to her being in his bed when he fell asleep that not having her there had thrown everything off. It was the first night of peaceful sleep he'd had since she'd left.
The last time they were together was the evening before she left for the competition, and while he certainly missed her body, Tommy found himself missing her company more and more. Despite his best efforts, Tommy had been failing to safely tuck his relationship with Kimberly into the 'sex-only' category. The sex was incredible – mindblowing, in fact – but there was always something else there. An extra touch. A stray kiss. Prolonged cuddling. A few more minutes of pillow talk.
It was bringing feelings from before he was the green ranger roaring to the surface. Feelings he had wanted to stay buried. Feelings he needed to stay buried in order to stay alive.
Now, in the darkness of the early morning, an awake Tommy pressed a soft kiss to her shoulder, followed by another, and then again to the side of her neck. He continued on, alternating between her shoulder, neck, and cheek. The pink ranger moaned softly from the attention, neck craning to allow him better access while she continued to sleep.
Her soft moans went straight to his groin, and he gripped her around the waist, tugging until she rolled over onto her back. Tommy cupped her face in his hand, pressing his lips to hers. She moaned into the kiss, mouth opening for him to stroke his tongue against hers. He reached down between their bodies, pushing the comforter down to their navels and tugging her shirt up to her neck. Tommy moaned into her mouth, drinking in the taste of her, not sure how he could have gone so long without kissing her.
Kimberly gasped when she felt soft lips latching onto her right breast. She stretched her arms above her head, back arching to push more of her into the wet cavern of his mouth. He massaged her left breast gently, teasing and tugging on the pink nipple playfully with calloused fingers. Tommy shoved the comforter down further, pushing it off of her and tossing it above their heads to rest against the headboard. He leaned over to suckle on her left breast. Kim gave a light moan, still half-asleep but receptive to the attention.
The green ranger snaked a hand beneath the sheets, slipping under her shorts to stroke her over the thin material of her panties. She sighed, thighs spreading slowly. He took a hardened nipple into his mouth, sucking on it gently before nipping the pebbled flesh, hand still slowly rubbing her covered sex.
Tommy pushed the sheets away from her legs, spreading her thighs more with his hand. He bent down, tongue dipping into her navel while his teeth grazed her skin. He heard her gasp above him, and he licked the sensitive flesh again.
The pink ranger blinked down at him sleepily, barely registering when he slid her shorts down her legs and onto the floor. She felt his hands brush up and down her thighs and she exhaled loudly, face turning to burrow into the pillow. The green ranger leaned up one last time to take her right nipple into his mouth before crawling on top of her, pushing her legs open wide so that he was between her thighs.
Tommy grinned, seeing from her expression that she still wasn't fully awake yet. He bent down, pressing soft kisses along her pelvis and inner thighs, hands tugging to push her panties to the side and expose her sex to him. He moved so that his lips brushed against damp curls, wrapping an arm underneath each thigh as he slowly licked her from end to end.
She gasped loudly from the contact, hips rocking slowly against the bed. Tommy gripped her thighs, slipping his tongue deep inside of her. Kim turned her head, groaning softly into the large pillow.
He ate her out at a languid pace, alternating between deep pushes of his tongue and firm sucks on her clit. He could hear her moans growing heavier, her hips grinding up against his tongue to increase the friction. Her head rolled against the pillow to the other side, moans increasing in pitch when he pushed his tongue deep into her and curled it. The green ranger continued on for a few minutes, waiting until she was trembling and glistening wet before pulling away.
Tommy sat up, fingers locking onto her panties and pulling them off. He crawled back over her, kissing her firmly while grinding his erection into her. He dipped back down to suck on her breasts, suckling each nipple with his tongue before moving back up to kiss her. Kim ground her hips up against his, and he could feel her wetness on the cloth of his boxers.
The green ranger sat up on his knees, shoving his boxers down and scrambling to pull them off, tossing them behind him onto the carpet. Kim stared up at him, eyes still heavy from sleepiness. He reached behind her knees, tugging gently so that she slid down to rest against his thighs. He leaned forward, holding her legs in the crooks of his arms. Tommy kissed her again, shifting his hips until he felt the head of him press against her entrance and slip in, causing her to gasp. He rocked against her, sliding deeper into her with each roll of his hips. He broke their kiss, sitting up so that one of her legs lay splayed against the bed while the other was up in the air, bent so that her foot rest against his shoulder. Kim groaned, head rolling back into the pillows.
Tommy set a slow pace, pumping into her with deep, measured strokes as he gripped her thigh and hip for balance. Kim grabbed the pillows behind her head, eyes closed and mouth open wide.
"Oh…" she moaned softly. "Oh…ohh… ohhh…mmm…"
The green ranger pumped his hips a little faster into her. She was tight and hot around him, and the soft little mewling sounds she made were killing him softly. He could see her face clearly from this angle under the moonlight shining through her window blinds, able to see how much pleasure she was feeling as it played out across her face in vivid detail.
"Mmm…" she moaned weakly, hands gripping the comforter behind her head. "Unh…"
Kim stared up at him, vision still a bit bleary. Tommy was panting above her, eyes closed, hips rocking against hers at a steady rhythm. She was still a little out of it and a tad confused, but at the moment, she was too tired and horny to care. He was inside of her, and he was thick and deep and fuck, she was cumming
"Ah…ah!" she moaned weakly. She bit her lip, trembling slightly from the heat coursing through her veins. Tommy grinned when he felt her thighs tremble, her walls clamping down around him.
A loud, wet sound was soon heard after each thrust. Tommy could feel her essence coating his cock, balls, and thighs. He groaned through gritted teeth. He hadn't expected her to cum that hard, not that he was complaining.
Tommy kept pumping into her, keeping his thrusts deep and controlled so as not to rock the headboard. The mattress springs were squeaking softly beneath them, though not enough to wake her mother down the hall.
"Ohhh….unh…unh….mm…unh…." She inhaled deeply, arching her back and gripping the pillow behind her hard. Tommy released a shuddering breath, involuntarily thrusting faster in an attempt to bury himself deeper into the blissful sensations around his cock.
The green ranger leaned down to kiss her hotly, pushing her leg against her chest, tongue tangling with hers while his hands were braced around her thigh and in her hair. He broke the kiss, forehead pressed against hers as he pounded into her, gripping the headboard tightly to dampen the sound. Kimberly cried out against his mouth, gasps changing to high moans when she peaked again, toes curling and hands gripping his biceps. Tommy let out a strangled grunt when he reached his own climax, seed pouring deep into her with each frantic thrust. They cried out each other's names as they came together, skin slapping wetly against skin as they rode out their orgasms.
"Jesus," he whispered against her cheek, hand sliding down to fondle her right breast as the last waves of his release rocked him. He slipped out of her and sat back onto his knees when he was done, her legs falling about his waist.
Kimberly pulled him back on top of her, latching onto his lips and kissing him hotly. Her nails scored his chest, eventually sliding up to tangle in his long, curly locks. His hands skimmed her body, firmly massaging her breasts and teasing the hardened nipples. Tommy ground himself against her, getting hard again from the friction between their bodies. As they continued to kiss, Tommy shifted his hips, sliding his now fully-erect cock back into her pussy until he was all the way in. He grinned at the gasp she let out once he was back inside of her, eyes shining green with smug satisfaction.
His arms slid beneath her knees, hands braced against the bed, spreading her wide open for him as he began to thrust. Kimberly bit her lip, eyes closing as his strokes came slow but sharp. Tommy bent down, pulling her bottom lip into his mouth and sucking it teasingly. She felt him groan when she sucked his tongue into her mouth, and he inhaled each soft pant she released against his lips.
He thrust a bit faster into her, enjoying the way she moaned and twisted beneath him. Her moans grew louder suddenly, and her nails dug into his chest when she felt she was going to cum again. Tommy kissed her hard, speeding up his thrusts and swallowing her desperate cries as best he could. Her walls tugged on him hard, and with a loud gasp, she broke their kiss, head rolling back onto the pillow.
Tommy latched onto her neck, licking at the sensitive spot he knew drove her wild. Her left hand gripped the back of his neck, while her right gripped his ass, holding him firmly against her. The pink ranger gnashed her teeth, unable to fight the surge of raw pleasure that overcame her. Tommy felt her shudder against him, thighs shaking in his grasp.
"Ah!... AH!... AH!" she cried into his ear, each cry higher in pitch than the one before, her eyes shut tightly as her orgasm raced through her like fire. Tommy never slowed down, green eyes shining brightly as he put more force behind each pump of his hips, reveling in how she cried out again and again. She was cumming hard and wet for him, pussy gripping him just right, and he wanted to drag out her climax for as long as possible.
Kimberly whined into his neck, thighs trembling as he continued to surge deep into her. She jerked beneath him, nails digging into his skin as she tried to anchor herself against the pleasure rocking her body. The green ranger kept his pace steady, offering no reprieve and forcing her to face every delicious pulse of her orgasm head-on.
He wanted to make sure she knew how good he could make her feel.
Tommy pressed hot open-mouthed kisses along her neck as he fucked her, lost in the feel of her around him.
"Mmm…so good…" he whispered into her neck. "Unh…ungh…yeah…yeah…"
"Ohfuck…ohfuck…please…." she moaned weakly, thighs trembling. Tommy maintained his rhythm of deep, slow strokes, mouth latching on to a pebbled nipple and sucking firmly. Her abdomen contracted while her hips rotated against his, riding his cock in tight circles as she gripped the sheets. She whimpered when the pleasure between her thighs didn't let up, each stroke of his cock keeping her on the edge of bliss.
Every so often she would cry out his name, walls clamping down on him like a hot vice for several seconds and then relaxing again, leaving a fresh coat of wetness around his pistoning cock. Tommy felt her sobbing into his chest with pleasure after each thrust, arching beneath him again and again while her nails dug into his flesh.
"Ah! Ah!" Her thighs trembled in his arms, head flying back against the pillows. "I'm gonna scream… I'mgonnascream…ohmygod…" she warned between gasps, voice rising in pitch as her face contorted.
The green ranger thrust harder, hand sliding up to cover her mouth as she shook and wailed into his palm. Her hips lifted off the bed, smacking against his sporadically. Tommy bit his lip hard enough to draw blood in order to keep from shooting his load then and there. He adjusted his grip to hold her thighs down and open, and she buried her face into his chest to muffle her screams. He rolled his hips against hers, grunting in her ear as he rode her hard through her orgasm.
With shaky hands, Kimberly pushed at his shoulders, a silent plea for him to stop so that she could come down from her peak. Tommy reluctantly slowed down, coming to a halt only when she begged him to stop. He slipped out of her, cock slick with her creamy wetness.
The pink ranger sighed, a pleased smile playing on her lips as she ran a hand up and down her body, tugging at her nipples periodically. Kim could feel Tommy's large hands running up and down her body, paying extra attention to the flesh around her hips. He kept this up for several minutes, tenderly massaging her calves, thighs, stomach, and breasts, as well. He refrained from making contact with the area between her thighs in order to give her time to come down from her last climax but continued to stimulate the sensitive areas of her body to keep her on edge. Kim sighed when he took her breast into his mouth, tugging and suckling one pink nipple to a pebbled hardness while brushing a calloused hand over the other.
She shivered when she felt him grab her by the hips, tugging her forward until their pelvises made contact. He sat up on his legs, lifting and angling her body so that her head rest against the bed while her lower half was suspended in the air, resting on top of his thighs. Her legs wrapped around his waist.
The green ranger pushed deep inside her and set a steady pace, grip firm but gentle on her hips. His hands slid around her body, gripping her ass and pulling her higher up on his waist. Kim gasped, eyes fluttering closed as her back arched, letting him slide in deeper.
Tommy watched her play with her breasts, eyes flashing a brighter green each time she cried out, her head tilted back against the pillow. He was using every ounce of strength to keep from cumming again but watching her like this, he knew he didn't want to hold out much longer.
He tugged her towards him again, pulling her tighter against his hips. He guided her up and down his cock, the ridge of his length sliding along her clit at a new angle, sending her careening over the edge after a few more strokes.
"Ohmygod," she whined breathlessly, body trembling wildly. Her left hand squeezed his forearm, while her right hand gripped the sheets, tugging hard on the fabric. Tommy adjusted his hold on her, arms wrapping around her waist to keep her in place as she shook and twisted in his arms.
Tommy leaned forward, rising up a bit higher on his knees, left arm wrapped around her waist while his right hand braced against the bed. He pulled her closer to him so that only her head and feet rest on the bed. He held her just where he wanted, the angle perfect as he thrust firm and deep, eyes shut as he gave in to the sensations coursing through him. He whimpered as her walls tugged along his cock.
"Oh…ohshit…ohfuck...ah…AH," he rasped out, fingers digging into the mattress. The coiling sensation in his abdomen grew tighter each time he slid into her, her soft gasps heightening his pleasure.
"Unh…unh… hnng…ohgod…Kim…hnng…" Her pussy was the tightest, wettest heat he'd ever felt, and the feel of her was just too much for the green ranger to bear. His hips rolled faster against hers, balls tightening up and cock swelling. With a few more thrusts, he released a deep moan, shuddering as he spilled inside of her in hot, thick bursts.
Tommy panted heavily, hips rolling to a stop when his orgasm finally subsided. He was still deep inside of her, although no longer hard. He leaned down to kiss her, sucking her tongue into his mouth with a moan as they fell against the bed.
He broke the kiss with a grin, forehead pressed against hers. "So…welcome back."
Kimberly laughed, still slightly out of breath. She leaned up, kissing him softly on the lips.
"That was one hell of a wakeup call," she mumbled against his mouth.
He laughed, nipping at the skin at the base of her throat. "It's your own fault."
Kim raised an eyebrow. "How do you figure that? Because if I recall, two people were involved here."
Tommy grinned. "If it didn't feel so damn good being inside of you, I'd have more self-control." He licked the shell of her ear, tugging the lobe between his teeth. His hips rocked against hers lightly, cock sliding gently along her walls.
The pink ranger rolled her eyes, pushing at his chest. He rolled off of her and lay down in the space beside her on the bed. He frowned when she climbed out of the bed, pulling on her panties and shorts and tugging her shirt back down her torso.
"Where are you going?"
"Bathroom," she said around a yawn, heading to her bedroom door. The green ranger grinned lecherously at the slight wobble in her gait.
When Kimberly returned, Tommy was laying on his stomach, sweatpants and boxers back on. He held her medals from the gymnastics meet in his hand. She clambered onto the bed behind him, lying along his back and tucking her chin onto his shoulder. She wrapped her arms around his stomach.
"Four gold medals and a trophy?" he asked in mock surprise. "I guess medals just aren't enough for you anymore."
She snorted, nipping softly at the skin behind his ear. "Shut up."
She felt him shake with laughter.
"It's not that big a deal, really."
Kim heard him scoff. "She says as she adds more awards to her ever-growing collection." His thumb ran over the inscription. "Kim, this is awesome. Seriously. You placed first at state."
She shrugged, blushing fiercely from his praise.
"So does this mean you're going to try out for the Pan Globals?"
The pink ranger groaned, burying her face into his back. "I don't know. I want to but…" She bit her lip.
The green ranger placed the medals back on her nightstand. He turned beneath her so that she was resting against his chest. A hand skimmed up and down her back softly.
"But what?"
She sighed. "I don't want to tell you. You'll just judge me."
"Probably," he mumbled, snickering when she smacked his chest. He grabbed her hand, twining their fingers together.
"Look, you've been talking about going to the Pan Globals ever since I first met you. Probably even before that. It's been your dream to compete and train with that famous gymnastics coach. You know you're gonna be on his radar now that you've placed first at state."
He ran his fingers through her hair. "Are you scared you won't make the team?"
"No," she said quickly, flinching at his knowing gaze. "…Yes." She laid her head against his chest.
The green ranger rolled his eyes, hand massaging the back of her neck.
"Then you're worried for nothing," he stated confidently, lips brushing against the top of her head. "You're damn good, Kim, and anyone that says otherwise is an idiot."
The pink ranger grinned, sitting up to look at him. She pressed a soft kiss against his lips.
"Thank you."
Tommy gave a slight smile, eyes scanning her face briefly before pulling her in for another kiss. Their lips met again and again, each kiss longer and more sensual than the previous.
A loud knock at the door startled the teens, breaking their heated kiss.
"Kim, sweetie? You awake?"
The pink ranger groaned, pushing herself up to her knees. Was it really 6:00 AM already?
"I'm up, mom!" she called out, straddling the green ranger's waist. "Getting ready now!"
Tommy pulled her back down on top of him, hand cupping the sides of her face as he kissed her again. Kim sighed against his lips, kissing him back just as passionately. When his hands slid down to cup her ass, she jerked, pulling back from him.
"Nope, no," she said strongly, amusement lacing her tone. "You're trying to seduce me. No."
The green ranger grinned, leaning up and sucking on her neck. She gasped, hands twining in his hair briefly as her eyes rolled back into her head.
"No." She pushed him back down, smiling at the pout on his face. "We have to go to school."
She gave him one last kiss before climbing out of the bed, giggling when he made a swipe for her behind. The green ranger sighed, sinking back into the plush pillows on her bed.
He had forgotten about school, so wrapped up in seeing Kimberly again. "Dammit."
Tommy watched her move across the room, pulling out various articles of clothing and tossing them on the floor. She finally settled on a white crop top and denim skirt, setting the outfit on her desk. Tommy climbed out of the bed, walking up behind her to wrap his arms around her waist.
Kimberly giggled each time he pressed a kiss to the sensitive spot behind her ear.
"Mmm," he groaned in her ear, left hand snaking underneath her shirt to fondle her breasts. He tweaked her nipples playfully. "Wanna shower together? Save water and all that?"
Kim bit her lip, admittedly enticed by the idea of showering with him. The last time they attempted to do so was at his house, which ended in a highly erotic session involving his detachable high-speed showerhead. They didn't have time for that right now, and really, they needed to get ready for school.
Kimberly pulled away from him reluctantly, moving out of his arms and putting some distance between them.
"I think you need to shower in your own home. Cool down a bit, yeah?"
The pout that crossed his face made her laugh out loud.
Three more knocks on her down drew her attention away from Tommy.
"Kimberly? Everything all right?" The golden doorknob began to twist, causing the teens to panic.
The pink ranger rushed past Tommy, opening the door and sticking her head out to greet her mom.
"I'm good, mom. Just grabbing something to wear. I'll be in the shower in a bit," she said quickly, slightly out of breath.
Kim closed and locked the door with a soft click, grabbing Tommy's t-shirt off the floor and shoving it into his hands.
"You have to leave. Now."
"Fine," he said grumpily, slipping the Bruce Lee t-shirt over his head.
The green ranger leaned down, kissing her firmly on the mouth, hands wrapping around her waist. "I'll see you later?"
She smiled against his lips. "Bye, Tommy," she said softly, pulling out of his grasp.
He gave her one last peck and was gone then in a flash of green light. She smiled, grabbing her clothes off the desk and heading to the bathroom.
It felt good to be back home.
Angel Grove High School
Library
Angel Grove, CA
1:03 PM
Kimberly scribbled away in her notebook, taking notes from her calculus book as she worked through example problems in preparation for Mrs. Graham's exam on Monday. The woman was an amazing math teacher, but her tests were absolutely brutal. The pink ranger would need to spend all weekend studying if she wanted to get a decent grade on the midterm.
She furrowed her brow at the latest problem. "Billy, how do you solve number seventeen? I've tried a substitution, but that's not getting me anywhere."
The blond teen leaned across the table to peer at her notes, glasses slipping down his slim nose.
"Ah, I see the problem. You only executed one substitution. To solve this problem, a minimum of four substitutions are needed."
Kim bit her bottom lip, annoyed with herself when it became obvious how to solve the problem now that Billy gave her the hint.
"Hm. Okay, let me try and see if I get anywhere."
The blue ranger nodded, returning back to reading his physics textbook.
The two rangers were in study hall, books and papers scattered all over their table in the library. Kim was a bit behind on work due to her gymnastics meet, and while she normally used study hall as a free period to goof off with her friends, she actually needed the time to get caught up today. Unfortunately, it was taking her a little longer than usual to get through everything. There was a dull throb between her thighs that refused to go away, leaving her in a distracting state of arousal ever since that morning.
She mentally cursed Tommy to hell and back.
Billy and Trini had been kind enough to take notes for her while she away in Los Angeles. She knew she'd be missing a bit being gone for three days, but she hadn't expected so much material to be covered while she was out. She frowned, knowing her weekend was shot to hell now with all the material she needed to review.
The library was empty save for the few students who were also in study hall. Zack was sitting at a nearby table, more focused on his girlfriend Angela than the work in front of him. Mrs. McDonald, the librarian, was glaring daggers at him over the brim of her glasses.
Every so often, the black ranger would glance in Kim's direction, indecision clear on his face. After some time, Kim could see he had resolved himself to do whatever he was thinking, and he stood up, heading in her direction after whispering something to Angela.
"Hey Kim, Billy," he said once he was near their table. "Kim, can I talk to you for a sec? In private?"
"Okay…" she said slowly, rising from her seat to follow him to a secluded corner in the back of the library. She could the blue ranger following them with his eyes.
"What's up, Zack?"
The black ranger sighed, a hand running over his face roughly. "I know I'm overstepping boundaries here, and I apologize for that, but somebody has to do something."
Kim raised an eyebrow. "Zack, just spit it out."
"What the hell is going on between you and Jason?"
The pink ranger's eyebrows shot up her forehead. "Excuse me?"
"Did you two get into a fight or something?" he pressed.
Her nostrils flared in anger. "What goes on between me and Jason is none of your concern, Zack," she said tersely.
"It is when it's affecting the team," he said in a harsh whisper. "Billy's too nice to say anything, and Trini's trying to stay out of it, but I won't. It's my job as second-in-command to handle things if Jason isn't able to, and right now, he can't."
She glared at him. "There's nothing wrong, Zack."
"Bullshit," he spat out immediately.
Her jaw clenched tightly. 'Was it really that noticeable?'
Zack looked at her incredulously. "You're really gonna stand there and lie to my face? Everyone's walking on eggshells when the two of you are around each other, and Jason hasn't been able to concentrate at all."
The black ranger lowered his voice when he heard the librarian clear her throat, a subtle warning that they were getting too loud.
"I almost ran him through in training the other day with my axe because he wasn't focused. That doesn't happen to Jase, Kim. You know that."
Her anger cooled at his words. "What?" she asked quietly.
"Yeah. Almost sliced him in half." His arms crossed his chest. "And then he snapped at Zordon when the big guy asked him what was wrong."
At her surprised expression, Zack let out a soft laugh. "I know; I couldn't believe it either. Told him to shut up and leave him alone, then teleported right out of the Command Center. I've never seen him lose his temper with him like that before. It was crazy."
The pink ranger closed her eyes, guilt coiling in her belly.
The black ranger sighed. "Listen, I'm not trying to make you feel bad or pick sides or anything, all right? Jason's a big boy and can take care of his own problems. I'm just – I'm trying to keep our team together."
He sagged against the nearby bookshelf, and Kim could see how much this was burdening him.
"Jase is my best friend, Kim, and so are you. He's been miserable for days and you've been distant – not just with him, with all of us." She looked away from him. "I don't know what's going on with you, and you don't have to tell me, but please figure it out. We're depending on you two, but it's like you're not even here lately.
"And with Zedd on the scene and Tommy" – She flinched at the mention of the green ranger – "We can't let anything break us up, Kim. There's too much at stake if we fall apart now."
The black ranger walked up to her. "I don't care about the details whatever is going on between you and Jase. Maybe you're just hitting a rough patch, maybe things are…" He didn't finish, though it was clear what he was implying.
He took a deep breath. "We're power rangers first, and if whatever personal shit you guys have going on is interfering with that, then it needs to be squashed."
Seeing the unshed tears in her eyes, he rubbed her arms gently. "I'm sorry I had to come at you like that, but it needed to be said."
She sniffed. "Can I assume you had a similar talk with Jason or am I just lucky?"
Zack scoffed. "Trust me, what I said to him was way worse than this. Believe me." They both chuckled softly at that.
His eyes softened as he looked at her, and Zack held his arms open, pulling her into a tight hug. He pressed a kiss to the side of her head.
"Hey, I still love you, all right? No matter what's going on with you, you're always gonna be my little sis," he murmured into her skin.
She squeezed him tighter around his waist, hoping he truly meant those words.
He pulled back, hands cupping the sides of her face. "Now handle this, okay?"
She nodded, forehead pressing against his briefly before he released her. Kim watched him head out of the library, smiling slightly at the flirtatious wink he sent to the librarian behind the counter as he rejoined Angela at their table.
The pink ranger made her way back to her table slowly, thoughts racing a mile a minute. Billy looked up at her, concern etched on his face.
He pushed his glasses up the ridge of his nose. "Is everything okay, Kimberly?"
She gave a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Yeah, everything's fine."
Kimberly looked down at her papers, eyes unfocused. Any chance of getting caught up on her work today was gone now thanks to Zack.
She wasn't mad at the black ranger – far from it actually. Zack was always honest with her, never pulling any punches and not afraid to say the things others wouldn't. His concern was for both of his friends, and it was coming from a place of love. He only wanted what was best for the team.
The pink ranger understood that – she just hated what she had to do next.
She needed to talk to Jason.
Angel Grove Youth Center
Back Gymnasium
Angel Grove, CA
6:49 PM
Kimberly stumbled on the balance beam, dropping unceremoniously onto the blue mat with a huff. It was the sixth time she attempted a front flip on the beam, and it was the sixth time she had failed.
Normally, she could execute this move in her sleep, but today – she couldn't focus to save her life.
She hadn't been able to ever since Jason walked into the youth center to teach his karate class two hours ago.
The pink ranger grabbed her water bottle off the ground, taking a sip as her eyes rested on her boyfriend.
His class was over now, and he and Zack were working out with the punching bag. Zack held the bag steady as Jason pummeled it, a thin layer of sweat covering his body. She could see the black ranger straining to keep from stumbling backwards from the force of Jason's punches.
It was clear that the red ranger was frustrated, and she felt the guilt creep in knowing she was the source.
In all honesty, she hadn't intended to pull away from Jason and the others. Above everything else, they were her friends – her teammates – and she enjoyed spending time with them.
The truth was she knew she couldn't immerse herself in what was going on between her and Tommy and still keep regular contact with her friends. The consequences of what they were doing were easier to ignore if the people who could remind her of how wrong she was weren't around.
And Jason... God, she couldn't even look him in the eye.
Jason looked at her as if she was his whole world, putting her on a pedestal above all others. She couldn't accept that type of role in someone's life, especially when she knew she was failing them so miserably.
The pink ranger took another sip from her water bottle, steeling herself with a confidence she didn't feel and heading over to Jason and Zack. Zack smiled when he saw her headed their way, and he motioned for Jason to turn around. The red ranger flinched when he saw her, and it broke Kimberly's heart knowing she pulled that reaction from him. He had always looked at her with such fondness and joy, not fear and frustration.
"Hey guys," she said, eyes on Jason. "Zack, would you mind if I borrowed Jase for a bit?"
The black ranger shook his head. "Not at all. Might do him some good to talk instead of punching something for a change."
Jason glared in Zack's direction as he walked off, shoulders sagging slightly as he turned to his girlfriend.
"Hey, Kim. Surprised to see you over here. What's up?"
She winced, taking the subtle dig in stride. "I'd like to talk, if you have the time. How much longer do you plan to be here?"
The red ranger sighed, looking down at his watch. "I'm actually done for the day. I was going to hit the shower first and then head home."
She smiled. "Same. Can we meet back here and walk out together?"
He hesitated before nodding, bending down to grab his duffel bag. "See you in a bit."
Kim grabbed her things and headed to the women's locker room to clean up. When she was done, she headed back out to the main area. Jason was there waiting for her dressed in a muscle shirt and dark jeans, hair damp.
He waved when he caught sight of her. "Ready?"
At her nod, the two walked out of the youth center, heading to Jason's silver Jeep Cherokee parked at the far end of the parking lot. He opened the door for her, allowing her to climb in before coming around to the other side and getting in next to her. Kimberly kicked off her sandals and stretched her toes. The air in the jeep was cool thanks to Jason leaving the windows cracked earlier.
The two rangers sat in tense silence.
"Zack told me what happened," she began. "You almost got yourself killed, Jason. And talking back to Zordon?"
He flushed. "I didn't mean to!" He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I've been…distracted…"
She bit her lip. "Because of me?"
Jason glanced in her direction, nodding after some time. He ran a hand through his hair.
"Kim… what's going on with us? Did I… Did I do something to upset you? Because whatever it is, I'm sorry."
She winced at the way his voice cracked.
He licked his lips. "Just tell me whatever I did, and I'll never do it again, I swear."
The pink ranger reached over to cup his jaw, guilt swirling in the pit of her stomach.
"Jason, you didn't do anything," she said softly, thumb running over his bottom lip.
His shoulders sagged in relief at her words. "Then what's the problem? You've been so distant lately. Whenever I try to spend time with you, you have something else you need to do and blow me off. I had to find out from Trini that you won at your gymnastics meet this week – I'm usually the first person you tell." He clenched his jaw. "I'm not used to there being this distance between us, Kim. You're my best friend."
Kim looked away from him, swallowing thickly.
"It's like you don't even want to be near me anymore." He eyed her warily. "Is – is that it? You don't want to – "
"No," she said forcefully, startling him. "I'm just going through some personal stuff – my parents, Lord Zedd, college applications – and I guess I haven't been handling it as well as I thought."
She felt like shit for lying to him, but really, what was one more lie at this point?
He looked at her with concern. "Do you want to talk about it?"
She shook her head. "I'll figure it out on my own. The important thing right now is that you know that I want to be with you."
"Yeah?" The smile on his face was blinding, and it made her heart clench.
"Yeah," she said softly, leaning forward to press her forehead against his. He sighed, and she could literally feel the tension surrounding them melt.
And she realized with a heavy heart that she meant those words. Kim and Jason had known each other since they were five-years-old, when he told her that he was okay with being her friend even though she had cooties. The love and friendship between them was over a decade strong, and it was hard to think of throwing that away. On top of that, he really was a spectacular boyfriend. He was kind, loving, patient, treated her with the utmost respect – and he loved her with every fiber of his being.
And she loved him and wanted to be with him, too – she just didn't want to end things with Tommy.
It was wrong to string Jason along while she messed around with Tommy – she knew that. But she also knew that things with Tommy were probably never going to work out, and it felt nice to know she always had Jason to fall back on.
He was the reliable choice, the one she knew would be there to pick up the pieces when things with Tommy inevitably fell through. Her safety net.
Kimberly knew it was selfish, essentially having her cake and eating it, too, while he waited for her on the sidelines. Jason deserved better from her – as his girlfriend and his friend – but she didn't have the courage to break things off yet. The feelings she had for Jason were different than those she had for Tommy, but they were real, and she wasn't ready to let him go.
The pink ranger turned around in her seat, raising her legs so that they rest across his thighs. Jason slid his hands up and down her shins.
Kim threw him a wicked grin. "Now… you know you have to tell me what in the heck happened when you snapped at Zordon. Zack gave a few details, but this I just have to hear from the source."
The red ranger groaned, head falling back against the seat, causing Kim to giggle.
"Come on, Kim, it was already embarrassing enough the first time. Don't make me relive it," he whined.
She snickered. "That bad?"
At Jason's glare, she laughed loudly. When he remained silent, she moved her foot, poking him in his side playfully. He groaned when she hit a particularly ticklish area, scooting away from her to the far end of the jeep.
Eventually, with enough prodding, the red ranger shared the embarrassing story, and much to his chagrin, Kimberly was cackling loudly at him.
"Shut up," he said pitifully.
Kim wiped at the tears on her face. "Oh, I'm sorry, baby." She crawled over to him and pinched his cheek. "But that was absolutely hilarious. You're lucky Zordon didn't banish you to the morphing grid."
Jason pushed her legs off of his lap with a laugh. "Ugh, don't remind me. I'm still waiting for Zordon to send something down and smite me."
She grinned, running her fingers through his thick hair. "Zordon understands the pressure you're under, Jase. He knows no matter what, your heart is always in the right place."
Her heart swelled at the smile on his face, glad to see that telltale twinkle back in his eye. A wave of nostalgia hit her suddenly, and she was overcome with how much she actually missed just being with him like this.
'Has it really been that long since I spent any real time with him?' she thought guiltily.
Jason looked at her with an unreadable expression. He reached out suddenly, cupping her face with his right hand, thumb brushing her cheek. His thumb moved to her lips, brushing them tenderly. Brown eyes scanned her face uncertainly for several seconds before he leaned forward, lips pressing softly against hers.
She gasped softly at his kiss, hesitating briefly before returning it. The kiss wasn't altogether unwanted. It was a nice kiss, but it didn't make her heart pound and her head spin like it used to. Instead, a familiar warmth settled in her stomach, spreading out slowly until it extended to every part of her body.
It was nice. Sweet.
And she liked it.
His hands framed her face, lips and tongue working gently against hers to tell her everything he couldn't put into words. Kim sighed into his mouth, understanding exactly what he was trying to tell her and feeling overcome with shame.
Her loved her, and despite everything, she loved him, too.
Things would be simpler if he was a terrible person – mistreated her, disrespected their relationship, neglected her – done anything to justify cheating on him with his worst enemy. Then the guilt and her attachment to him would be a distant memory.
But the only thing he was guilty of was being good to her. He was the one who fiercely protected her from Bulk and Skull at the playground when they were eight-years-old. He was the one who held her through countless nights of crying over her parents' failing marriage.
And she was the one cheating on him.
He pulled her into his lap, hands massaging her thighs, lips pressed against her cheek and neck as he whispered how much he missed her, missed being with her. Kimberly blinked back the tears stinging her eyes, resisting the urge to throw up.
He deserved so much better than her.
She grabbed his face, pressing her lips against his hard, sucking his tongue into her mouth in a desperate attempt to distract herself from her own thoughts.
Jason broke the kiss, tugging on her crop top to expose her right breast, sucking the pink nipple hungrily until it hardened. She jerked when his other hand slipped under her skirt, rubbing at the lips of her sex through her panties.
"Jason…" she whispered, voice somewhere between a warning and a request. He released her nipple from his mouth with a soft pop.
Fooling around in the back of his jeep was something the two of them used to do often – back when things were normal between them.
Before Tommy came into town and blew everything to shit.
And although what once was second nature to her felt somewhat foreign now, she couldn't ignore the arousal building from Jason's touch.
The red ranger watched her carefully, taking the way her hips rocked lightly against his hand and her soft moans as the green light to continue. He picked her up, turning her around so that her back was to his front. He reached under her skirt, tugging her panties to the side and pulling her flush against his chest. Jason massaged her folds gently, sliding between her lips to rub along the sides her clit with his ring and middle fingers. Kim groaned, hips grinding involuntarily to increase the friction between her thighs. Her left hand gripped the seat in front of her while her right wrapped around his wrist, torn between tugging his hand from between her thighs and holding him in place. The dull throbbing of her clit grew more intense with each stroke of his fingers.
She was repulsed by her actions, ashamed for being in this situation after sleeping with Tommy just this morning. But she couldn't deny that it felt really good being with Jason.
"God, it's been too long since we've done this," he murmured against her throat, rubbing faster against the sensitive nub and pinching the sides firmly, a move he knew drove her insane. The pink ranger gasped, lifting up from his lap to pull away from the sudden pressure on her clit. He moved with her, finding the bundle of nerves again and continuing the sawing motion along its sides. He gripped her thigh to keep her spread open, alternating between pinching her clit and flicking it rapidly.
"Ah! I – fuck," she groaned, cumming against his fingers. The red ranger watched excitedly as she climaxed, aroused by each soft little whimper she emitted as she ground her hips against his hand.
Jason spread her lips with his left hand, using his right to slip first one then two fingers into her heat. He yanked her thigh up higher, keeping her legs spread wide as he fingered her quickly.
The red ranger sped up his strokes, fingering her hard as she shook against him, nails digging into his forearm. Kimberly trembled each time his thumb flicked against her clit, riding his fingers harder with each thrust. Her eyes fluttered closed when his fingers twisted inside of her.
And suddenly, she could see Tommy's face staring back at her with the most hurt expression she'd ever seen.
She gasped loudly, eyes opening wide in alarm, stomach in knots from the image. The red ranger kept kissing along her neck, whispering into her skin how good she felt on his fingers. Kim could feel his erection against her bottom, straining hard against his jeans.
"Oh god," she whispered, nausea settling in.
What the hell was she doing?
Rapid, firm flicks against her clit caused the pink ranger to jerk hard, white fire racing up her veins as her orgasm took her by surprise. Her hips bucked, canting as her bottom rose off of Jason's lap and into the air. The red ranger thrust his fingers vigorously into her, thumb grinding against her clit before pushing his fingers in deep and coming to a stop. She rocked against his digits wantonly, riding his fingers with a shuddering moan.
Jason panted heavily into her hair, fingers slipping from her with a wet pop. He groaned at the sticky wetness coating his fingers.
Kim crawled off of his lap into the seat beside him, legs pulled up to her chest. Her hands covered her face as shame, disgust, and guilt overwhelmed any feelings of pleasure now that the heat of the moment had passed.
God, she felt sick to her stomach.
For cheating on Tommy. For cheating on Jason. For cheating with Jason while cheating on him with Tommy.
"Kim?"
The pink ranger blinked, startled to see Jason before her, a hopeful expression on his face. His jeans were down his legs, cock protruding inside his boxers. He was stroking himself roughly.
She bit back the bile rising in her throat. Everything was a fucking mess.
"Jason…I… no."
"What?" he asked distractedly, voice rough with need as he moved to crawl on top of her.
Kim shook her head, pushing him away from her. "I said no."
The red ranger backed off immediately, lustful haze disappearing. "Oh… I – okay, I – sorry. Sorry, I just… I guess I thought with…" He gestured between them.
The pink ranger looked away from him. She couldn't even blame him for being confused – hell, she was confused herself.
"This was a mistake," she whispered, arms wrapped tightly around her legs. "We shouldn't have – this shouldn't have happened."
The red ranger reared back as if she'd slapped him. He swallowed thickly, blinking rapidly against the sting of tears. He shuffled for his clothes, pulling his jeans up around his waist in a hurry.
"Jason – !" Kim yelled after him as he pushed open the door, scrambling to get away from her.
"Shit," she hissed, straightening her own clothes. She grabbed her sandals off the floor and climbed out of the jeep, slamming the door shut.
The red ranger was buttoning up his pants, skin flushed with anger. Kim walked around the car to stand before him.
"Jason," she began, hand resting on his chest. He jerked away from her touch irritably. "Just – let me explain!"
"You've done enough, don't you think?" he asked sharply, moving away from her.
"I'm sorry," she said sadly. Kim ran her fingers through her hair. "I know you want to go further but I don't – "
"It's not about the sex, Kim!" he yelled, startling her into silence.
He ran his fingers over his face in frustration. "Everything's so goddamn hot and cold with you lately. You told me a few minutes ago we're good and you want to be with me… and now you're saying what just happened was a mistake?" His voice cracked. "What the hell is going on with you?"
She bit her lip, willing herself not to cry. "I told you nothing is wrong."
"Everything is wrong!" he shouted, causing her to cringe. He calmed at her stricken expression. "We both know it's been wrong between us for a while now. You just don't want to tell me why."
The pink ranger sagged against the jeep, hands covering her face. Behind closed eyes, she could see Tommy's face again, face clouded with anger and unspeakable hurt as he looked at her. She jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up into Jason's concerned face.
"Kim, please," he begged softly. "Talk to me."
She wiped at her eyes, not even sure where to begin. "Jase – I – there's – "
The six-tone chime of their communicators interrupted them, and the pink ranger had never been more grateful for Zordon and Alpha than she was at that moment.
Jason rolled his eyes at the interruption, pressing the button on his communicator. "We read you, Zordon."
"PUTTIES ARE ATTACKING CIVILIANS AT THE PARK. THE OTHERS ARE ALREADY THERE, BUT GOLDAR HAS JOINED THE BATTLE, AND THEY NEED YOUR HELP."
"We're on it." He turned to her, clearly wanting to continue their discussion but knowing duty called.
"Let's do it." The two placed their arms behind their backs, feet spread apart. "It's morphin' time!"
Hart Residence
Upstairs Bathroom
Angel Grove, CA
9:34 PM
Kimberly shed her clothes, tossing them onto the floor in a small pile. She turned to the mirror over the bathroom sink, clearing the steam from it to see her reflection clearly.
She didn't know how to feel about the person staring back at her.
Kimberly pushed away from the sink and headed to the shower. She climbed in, stepping under the hot spray with a sigh.
The pink ranger ran her fingers through her hair a few times before trailing her hands down her body. She paused when she touched her sex, evidence of her afternoon with Jason on her fingertips. She quickly rinsed the wetness there away, not wanting to have any reminder of her mistake.
The pink ranger exhaled deeply, grabbing her washcloth and the bar of soap, lathering it heavily. She washed away the dirt and grime from the day, wincing when she hit a bruise on her side from the kick she received from Goldar. The bastard had literally knocked the wind out of her with that kick, leaving the pink ranger down for the count and seeing stars.
Kim slid the washcloth lower down her body, gasping when the cloth rubbed against her clit. It was still sensitive from earlier when...
She shook her head to clear it, tears stinging the corner of her eyes. She could still feel Jason's hands on her body, and no matter how hard she scrubbed, it wouldn't go away. The pink ranger's vision was blurred as she continued to scrub relentlessly, skin turning a nasty shade of red under the scalding spray.
She could feel his tongue sliding hotly against hers as they kissed in his backseat. Feel his hands sliding down to squeeze her hips…
Kim threw down the washcloth angrily, fingers pressed against her temples as if she could force the memory from her head. She took deep calming breaths, desperately fighting against the intense wave of nausea that rolled over her.
She could feel him pressed against her back, hand twisting her nipples as his fingers pumped into her hard and fast, relentless in their motion until she arched her back, cumming hard on his fingers.
Kimberly braced herself against the wall as she dry-heaved unexpectedly, abdomen contracting painfully. She heaved twice more, crumpling against the wall when she was done. The pink ranger closed her eyes as she slid down the shower wall, curling into herself once she was on the floor.
She cried silently as the water poured over her body, the temperature now lukewarm.
She never wanted this, but somehow, that's exactly where she ended up.
In a relationship with two different guys that she cared deeply for. Lying to everyone who gave a damn about her. Slowly hating the person she's become.
It hadn't even been this bad after her first time with Tommy. She had hated herself for it, but she hadn't felt so… dirty. So ashamed of herself.
Nothing like this.
Kim remained on the shower floor until her stomach settled. She climbed shakily to her feet, shutting off the water and exiting the shower. She dried off, dressing in her pajamas and leaving the bathroom for her room.
When Kim opened the door to her bedroom, she was startled to find Tommy standing there waiting for her. In one hand, he held a box of pizza that smelled amazing with plates, napkins, and cans of Pepsi and Diet Coke resting on top. The other hand was behind his back, hiding something from her view.
He looked anxious.
"Tommy?" she questioned hesitantly, a mixture of happiness and dread washing over her at the sight of him.
The green ranger nodded. "Right, so… I thought maybe…" He cleared his throat awkwardly. "I don't know, maybe we could hang out tonight?"
Kimberly had never seen him look so nervous before. It was endearing.
She walked over to him slowly. "And what would we do?"
"Eat pizza? Watch some TV or a movie? You can decide," he said in a rush.
She noticed that he didn't mention anything about sex, and she breathed a sigh of relief. After everything that happened with Jason, she didn't even want to think about having sex with anyone for a while. Kimberly could still feel his fingers on her – in her… having Tommy try and do anything tonight would literally make her vomit.
The pink ranger took the box of pizza from him, opening it to see that he had gotten her favorite kind. Deep dish with sausage, pepperoni, and mushrooms.
"And what brought this on?" she asked curiously setting the food down on her nightstand, mouth watering at the smell.
"Well…" He gave a shy grin. "I-I missed you."
Her heart swelled with guilt and happiness at his words, and she found herself grinning right along with him.
"Oh!" Tommy bit his lip, the tips of his ears burning bright red. "I got you something while you were away." He moved his hand from behind his back and presented her with a stuffed animal green dragon.
She gasped, taking it from him with a squeal and holding it tight to her chest. "It's so cute!"
The green ranger smiled at her reaction. "I saw it at the mall and immediately thought of you. Not that you need any more stuffed animals, but this one seemed special…" he trailed off.
Kimberly knew he chose this one because it reminded him of himself, and it was his way of making sure she always had something around to remind her of him, too.
She looked up at him brightly. "I love it. Thank you."
Tommy gave a nonchalant shrug, though his ears were still a bit red. Kim sat the stuffed dragon on her bed before standing on the tips of her toes to kiss him softly on the lips. He sighed into her mouth, strong arms wrapping around her waist to hold her against him.
Lips slid against lips wetly as the kiss continued, and it was only when the loud rumble of Tommy's stomach occurred that the two broke apart. The green ranger's neck flushed scarlet in embarrassment.
Kim snickered, forehead pressed against his.
"Let's eat, yeah?"
He nodded, pressing another light kiss against her mouth. "I'm starving."
He peered down at her with a curious expression. "Are you all right?" His thumb stroked her cheek softly. "You look like you've been crying."
Her stomach tightened uncomfortably, and she gave a weak smile. She pushed thoughts of the red ranger to the recesses of her mind.
"I'm okay," she said softly, giving him a quick peck. "Come on, the food's getting cold."
"Okay."
Hart Residence
Kimberly's Room
Angel Grove, CA
10:41 PM
"I'm so proud of you, sweetie. Three first place trophies – and the competition was so stiff!"
Kimberly said nothing, eyes focused on the passing scenery.
"How are you feeling?" her father asked.
"Fine," she mumbled with disinterest.
Kim and her father were on their way back from a gymnastics competition in Pasadena. Kim's mother had originally planned to take her, but the arrival of an unexpected art buyer at her gallery required her to be in town for the weekend. With no other options at hand, Caroline called Kim's father, Trevor, to see if he'd be able to take her.
Kim had been less than thrilled at the change in plans and was more confused than ever after spending the weekend with her father. He wasn't often home even before the divorce due to his work, and now he was never around. And though part of her still couldn't stand to even look at him, the girl who loved her father was just happy to be around him again.
He still seemed like the same fun-loving, slightly embarrassing father she was used to – the one she desperately missed. But it was hard to reconcile that this man was the same one who singlehandedly tore their family apart.
The thirteen-year-old didn't know it was possible to love and hate someone with every fiber of her being until now, and she wasn't sure how to handle that.
"So, where are you headed after this? San Diego, right?" he asked excitedly.
She nodded.
Her father laughed. "You kids get to go to way more exciting places these days than when I competed. I would've killed for the chance to compete in San Diego."
The teen sighed, sparing her father a glance. "Yeah, well, things have changed, dad."
Trevor chuckled, running a hand over his hair. "Yeah, they have."
Kim flinched when her dad reached over to ruffle her hair. "I'm so proud of you, sweetheart. You don't know how much it means to me to see you compete and follow in my footsteps."
She jerked away from him angrily. "I'm nothing like you," she hissed.
Her father reared back at her tone, hurt crossing his handsome features. An awkward silence filled the car for several seconds, and with a sigh, Trevor pulled the car over onto the shoulder of the highway. He rolled down the windows and shut the engine off.
"You wanna tell me why you've had such an attitude this weekend?" he asked softly. "You've been short with me ever since we left Angel Grove."
The future pink ranger kept her gaze fixed out the window, trying in vain to ignore the stinging sensation in her eyes.
Her father sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Kimberly, talk to – "
She whipped around to face her father, face flushed with anger.
"How could you cheat on mom?" she yelled at him. "How could you do that to our family?!"
Trevor's eyes closed at the pain on his daughter's face, reaching out to her. "Kimberly…"
She pushed him away from her. "Don't touch me!"
Her father sat back in shock, eyes wide.
"Mom gave you everything! EVERYTHING! And you threw it away like she was trash!" she yelled, tears streaming down her face. "And what about me and Kenny? Do we just not matter to you anymore?"
"Kim, you know that's not true," her father said fiercely. "You and Kenny mean everything to me."
"Then why did you leave us?" she asked tearfully.
Trevor sat back in his seat, hands running over his face. "It's not like that, Kimberly," he said weakly.
"Then explain it to me!"
Trevor stared at her, unshed tears in his blue eyes. He sat forward, taking her face into his hands carefully.
"This is so much more complicated than you can understand, sweetie," he said softly, running a hand over her hair warmly. "I love your mother. I love her so, so much that it hurts. But…" He licked his lips. "I wasn't happy."
Kimberly sniffled. "But that's not true! I saw you! You were happy and –"
"I wasn't," he said firmly. "I haven't been happy for a long time. And instead of being honest with myself and your mother from the start, I did something that hurt her – hurt you – that I can never, ever take back. I was wrong and selfish and now everyone has to suffer for my mistake."
He wiped away the tears that fell from her eyes. "And I'm so, so sorry."
Kimberly gnawed at her bottom lip. "Was it – was it us? Did Kenny and I make things bad for you and mom?" Her voice hitched. "Is that why you're getting a new family?"
Her father licked his lips, pondering the best way to answer her. "Things in my life right now are…complicated. But the one thing that will always be true is that you and Kenny are my world. Our divorce has nothing to do with you and your brother, you understand me? You two are the most important people in my life, and nothing will ever change that, okay?"
The teen nodded, sniffling again. "I just want you to come back home."
Trevor sighed, pulling her into him. Kim cried against his chest, clutching the thin material as her body shook with sobs.
She cried for her parents, her brother, and herself; but most of all, she cried because no matter how much she wanted it, things could never go back to the way they were.
"Oh my god… Kim!"
The pink ranger blinked rapidly, snapping from her reverie and coming back to her surroundings.
Tommy snickered at the photo of the smiling girl, pigtails and orange braces staring back at him as she stood posed in a blue and white polka dot leotard.
"Whatever," she mumbled, laughing along with him as she lay back against his chest, resting comfortably between his legs. "I was still cute."
"You certainly were," he teased. "How long were you stuck with those bad boys?"
Kim shuddered. "Three long years. God, it was brutal."
He peered down at her, grinning at the put out expression on her face. "And look at you now," he whispered, pressing a soft kiss against her forehead absentmindedly.
"And this one?" He pointed to a picture of Kimberly wearing a pilot's helmet, seated in what looked like the cockpit of an airplane. She wore a bright smile on her face and was giving the camera two thumbs up, two of her front teeth missing.
"I spent the day with my uncle Steve. He flies planes all across the world." She smiled wistfully. "That day we flew all around Angel Grove. It was so awesome."
"Did he let you fly the plane yourself?"
She snorted. "God, no. Pretty sure he wanted to live that day." The green ranger snickered. "But I guess things worked out in the end. I have the only zord that can fly, so I got to be a pilot anyway."
The two teens had spent the last hour lazing about in Kimberly's room, eating several slices of the pizza Tommy brought over as they looked through her photo album.
They had been eagerly making out on her bed, and in their haste to shove everything onto the floor, the book had fallen to the ground with a thud. Once Tommy caught sight of her scattered baby pictures, he quickly rolled off of her and grabbed the photo album, his face an expression of pure glee. A minor battle ensued, ending with him ultimately being the victor due to his larger stature. He had tugged her with him back onto the bed, requesting cheekily for her to walk him down memory lane with each turn of the page.
The green ranger moved to the next page, laughing at a young Kimberly covered in what looked like blue goop.
Tommy grinned. "What the hell happened here?"
The pink ranger groaned. "Ugh, I almost forgot about this. Mom thought she'd have to shave my head to get all that crap out." She sighed. "Billy just had to show his newest invention at Show-and-Tell that day. The damn thing started smoking and being the nice person I am, I tried to help."
She pouted. "Load of good that did me."
The green ranger chuckled, thumb rubbing firm circles into her side. "I'm sorry, babe."
Kimberly flushed at the term of endearment, snuggling closer to him with a deep sigh. She held the green dragon he got her in her arms, fingers trailing along its tail absentmindedly.
And while Tommy was enjoying his time going through her photos, Kim was in her own personal hell.
Being with Tommy was always bittersweet. There were the good parts, like now, when he would hold her in his arms. When they could talk freely and laugh and act like normal teenagers. When the heat between them burned too hot and the only way to calm it was to give in to carnal urges.
And then there was the bad.
Cheating on Jason. Betraying her friends and lying to them. The constant fear that Zordon or Lord Zedd would find out what she and Tommy were up to.
The fear of being charged with treason by the Eltarian Council and stripped of her powers.
God, this whole situation had grown way out of hand. It was supposed to be a one-time thing, not a full-on relationship like it was now.
Tommy was more her boyfriend at this point than her actual boyfriend.
The attraction between them was evident from day one, and it had only intensified with time as their emotional connection grew. In retrospect, it was silly of them to think that engaging in a sexual relationship wouldn't complicate things; but they went for it anyway, and now everything was too goddamn complicated.
Sex came with intimacy, and intimacy brought long-repressed feelings to the surface that refused to go away. Those feelings were the reason why no matter what lies they tried to tell themselves, they couldn't stay away from each other.
Tommy would never outright admit those feelings – not while he was Lord Zedd's green ranger. He was too scared to admit the truth – as if speaking the very words would damn him – but his actions never lied. He showed her how he felt all the time – in the way he held her, the way he touched her, the way he kissed her.
Kimberly, on the other hand, had long ago accepted her feelings for him – she just wasn't sure what to do with them.
She was falling in love with him, had been since the day they met. But falling in love with Tommy Oliver was a lot more complicated now with him being the green ranger. Her sense of loyalty and duty was in direct conflict with her heart, and she could feel it was all going to come to a head soon.
And then what would she do?
Her eyes drifted down to a photo of her family. Her mom and dad smiled widely for the camera. A four-year-old Kenny had his arms wrapped around their mother's leg, fear in his eyes, while her father held her in his arms. She was a little over a year in the photo.
"Is that your dad?" Tommy asked softly. She ran her fingers over the picture slowly.
"Yeah," she whispered. "This was after we went to visit my grandparents up in Seattle."
The anger and disappointment she usually felt when she saw her father was now faint, overshadowed by a morose sense of understanding.
It was hard to keep hating and judging someone for something that you yourself ended up doing.
Granted, her father was in his thirties when he cheated on her mother, not a teenager like she was. And his affair had gone on for well over a year, whereas she had only been with Tommy for a few weeks now.
But those were just details – the heart of the matter was the same.
Her father had fallen in love with someone else and handled it in the worst way possible, breaking up their family in the process.
'And I'm no different,' she thought miserably, eyes welling up. 'Guess I really am following in your footsteps, dad.'
Her relationships with her friends, Jason, Zordon… there was no way things would be the same once they found out what she's been doing.
"Hey," Tommy whispered in her ear, poking her sides gently. "I think that's enough time spend looking at old photos. You up for watching a movie?"
Tommy had noticed how quiet she became at the sight of the picture with her dad. He didn't know all the details, but he knew that Kim and her father had a tumultuous relationship since the divorce. He didn't want to make her upset by stirring up any bad memories.
Kim cleared her throat, pushing off the bed to stand. She wiped her eyes quickly. "Yeah, let me uh, let me grab something."
The green ranger grabbed the last slice of pizza, wolfing it down with a happy moan and wiping his hands with a napkin. He gulped down the last of his Pepsi.
Kim searched through the shelves for a movie to watch.
"Okay, I have… Pretty Woman, Pretty in Pink, Working Girl…" she rattled off.
"Do you have anything that won't make my balls shrivel up and disappear?" he asked mockingly.
She glared in his direction. "Would you prefer something with big explosions?"
"Yes, please," he said sweetly.
Kimberly rolled her eyes, scanning the shelf quickly. She plucked a tape from the shelf.
"How about Speed?"
Tommy considered this. It was a pretty good movie and had plenty of action. "All right."
The pink ranger inserted the tape into the VCR and turned on the TV. She crawled back onto the bed into Tommy's waiting arms, resting half on top of him, half on the bed. Her head was tucked underneath his chin, and her fingers stroked his chest idly. She shivered when his fingers combed through her hair to grip the back of her head, pulling her up to kiss him. Kimberly sighed, grabbing the stuffed green dragon once again and holding it tight against her.
Being here with him now, in his arms – this felt right.
"Tommy?"
"Yeah?" he said huskily, eyes focused on the TV as the opening credits played.
"I missed you, too." Surprised brown eyes met hers and a crooked grin formed on his face. He pulled her tighter against him, arm sliding down to wrap around her shoulders. Kimberly pulled the comforter up and over them, snuggling deeper into his side once they were covered.
It felt good to be back home.
Reviews and feedback are appreciated. Hope you liked it! Expect another Kim-centric chapter to come in the near future.
Also, is anyone reading the MMPR and MMPR: Pink comic series that BOOM! Studios have out now? Man, they're so good! I just read the MMPR one that came out yesterday - that ending was insane! You should check it out if you haven't yet.
