Disclaimer: Power Rangers characters, events and locations belong to Saban/BVE; no profit is being made by the authors of this story. As usual, feedback will be gratefully accepted.

Strangers In Red

Ch. 2: Confession Is Good For The Soul

It had been a long, leisurely day, filled with an excursion to the beach in the morning, lunch at Hayley's Cyber Café and a satisfying sparring session behind Tommy's house in the afternoon. Jason had suggested they share a shower afterwards, and that had inevitably led to some spirited lovemaking.

Deciding that they were feeling too mellow to actually get up again and cook dinner, the two had raided Tommy's fridge and pantry, loaded a tray with assorted cheese, bread, fruit and a bottle of wine and gone back to the bedroom. Now, still comfortably naked, they were lying next to each other on Tommy's bed, snacking, talking idly about this 'n' that and watching TV. As they were waiting for the week's review on sports to begin, Tommy remembered a phone conversation he'd had while Jason was still in Angel Grove he needed to tell him about. He hadn't wanted to relay the matter over the phone, however, so had waited until his visit this weekend.

He nudged his lover. "Jase?"

Jason's attention was on the news, but not so focused that he didn't turn. "Hmm?"

"Are you free the weekend after next?"

Puzzled, Jason looked at Tommy. "Of course I am – it's your turn to come to my place, idiot," he smiled. "You know I always keep my schedule as open as possible." Since they didn't live in the same town, the two alternated visits between Reefside and Angel Grove every other weekend during the school year; it wasn't an ideal situation, but unless one or the other relocated, it was the best they could do.

Tommy chuckled a bit sheepishly. "I hadn't forgotten, believe it or not, but … something's come up, and I was afraid I might have to cancel."

Jason mentally checked his calendar; no, he was free. "Well, I won't have papers to grade and there are no games scheduled for my students on Saturday and Sunday, but I will have to be home Friday night," he amended. "One of the teams has a shot at making it to the state championships, it's their next-to-last game, and I'd rather not miss something this important. Why, what's up?"

Tommy refilled his own and Jason's drinks, settled himself more comfortably against his pillow and took a sip.

"You know that I'm helping Mercer research possible side effects of using morpher technology on human physiology, right?" It was one reason they'd settled on bi-weekly visits; weekends were the only time when Tommy could concentrate on his second job, doing research at Mercer Laboratories, and not have scheduling conflicts with teaching school.

"Yeah, sure. Why?"

"Anton found out a while ago that a company called Bio-Lab in Silver Hills is working on a similar project; he got together with their head researcher, a Dr Zaskin, and … anyway, since I'm the person with probably the most hands-on experience of different morphers, someone had the bright idea I should drive over for a consultation. Wes Collins called me about this earlier in the week, in fact."

Abandoning the news and the upcoming sports program, Jason nodded thoughtfully. Between his first Dragon Coin way back in high school and the Black Dino Gem a scant two years ago, Tommy had held a total of six different Powers; according to Billy, more than any other being in living memory. Even if the Thunderzords had basically just been an upgrade from their first set of Powers, there had still been palpable differences in how things worked and felt. "Makes sense. So we won't be seeing each other then?"

Despite understanding why Tommy would have to go, Jason couldn't quite suppress a pang of disappointment. They saw each other rarely enough as it was; to have to wait an extra fortnight wasn't going to be pleasant. -And not just because we'll be missing out on making love; I'm gonna miss him, period.-

To his surprise, however, Tommy shook his head and smiled. "That's why I was asking if you'd be free. I thought we could go together – the tests, interviews, whatever shouldn't take more than a few hours, so if we leave early on Saturday morning, we'd be done by afternoon at the latest, I should think … and I happen to know there's a pretty decent inn about halfway along the highway to Silver Hills, with a good restaurant and a spa. What do you say we splurge for once and spend the night there – make sort of a mini-vacation out of it?"

Jason didn't have to think long. It would be a perfect break in their usual routine, and staying at a hotel with his lover had definite … possibilities.

"I like it," he grinned. Then, he frowned. "The only bad thing is … what am I supposed to do while you're meeting with the research people? Silver Hills is a nice enough place, I suppose, but not exactly a hotspot for leisure activities."

Tommy grinned right back at him. "Afraid of getting bored?"

Jason shrugged. "Kinda. Oh well, I can always take a book to the beach, I guess."

"You won't have to," Tommy said. "Actually … when I suggested it might be a good thing if this Dr. Zaskin talked to you as well – as far as anyone knows, you're the only human who's ever held alien Powers, and we know they had an effect on you – Anton said Zaskin practically drooled over the possibility. If that line of research brings up results, they'll want to talk to you sooner or later anyway. So you'd be occupied at Bio-Lab as well, same as me. "

-Only not on the theoretical side,- Jason mused wryly, but he didn't really mind. He knew he wasn't cut out for research. -Just to be poked, prodded and tested. Oh joy.- He mock-glared at Tommy. "I see. You want me to tag along as your personal guinea pig."

"No! Jase, it never even occurred to me – I'd never use you like that, you gotta believe me," Tommy exclaimed, horrified by the suggestion. His protest was immediately stilled, though, when Jason hooked a hand behind his neck and pulled him into a reassuring kiss.

"I know that, moron," he murmured against Tommy's lips. "Just kidding."

"Oh." Tommy belatedly remembered that it had been his own first reaction as well and returned the kiss, mollified. "So, what do you say? Wanna come with?"

The prospect of putting himself almost literally under a microscope, or having to relive in memory the loss of the Gold Zeo Powers, wasn't pleasant, but Jason realized how important this research project was if humankind ever was to successfully create their own, safe morpher technology. Resigning himself to the inevitable, he shrugged.

"Okay, why not. At the least, it'll get us together, away from nosy neighbors and friends." He sent a friendly leer in Tommy's direction who returned it with a knowing smirk and quick, teasing grope.

"Cool. I'll call back on Monday to make the arrangements, then." Fishing a grape and a chunk of brie from the nightstand, he popped both into his mouth. As he chewed, another tidbit of his conversation with Wes occurred to him. "Hey, maybe we'll even have time for a drink, lunch or whatever with Eric and Wes – you remember they're co-commanding the Silver Guardians, don't you? Wes and I thought it might be fun to hang out a little since we haven't had a chance to catch up with stuff since our mission to the moon. What do you think?"

---

-I think … that's potentially a Bad Idea. You have no idea how bad.- Jason went quite still as he pictured meeting the Quantum Ranger again, this time deliberately. To socialize with him, even. He emphatically did not want to go through a replay of their first parting, plus he had no idea how Tommy would react if he were suddenly to come face-to-face with one of his former lovers. Sure, he knew there'd been others before him, but no names had ever been mentioned. What if either of them slipped up and inadvertently gave matters away?

Jason's mind whirled, trying to come up with a plausible reason to steer Tommy away from his plan. But he waited too long; his sudden silence didn't go unnoticed by his lover, who half-rose, leaned over him and looked at him with a concerned frown.

"Jase? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he mumbled, but could sense Tommy wasn't buying it.

"Yeah, right. That's why you just clammed up tighter than a bad shell," he snorted. "C'mon, Bro, give."

Avoiding the brown eyes, Jason shrugged. "Do we have to meet them?"

Bewildered, Tommy shook his head. "Who, Wes and Eric? Of course not, if you'd rather not, but why? I thought it might be fun to shoot the breeze with a couple of other Rangers – ones who aren't younger than us, anyway," he added. "I mean, I liked my last team, but compared to us they were kids, really, and we don't get to see our old gang nearly often enough …"

"We could go to Mariner Bay one of these days if you want to talk to other Rangers our age," Jason suggested, hoping to divert Tommy's attention.

"Sure we could, but why pass up the opportunity as long as we'll be in Silver Hills anyway?" Tommy asked reasonably. Then, his eyes narrowed as he noticed how Jason was nervously plucking at the sheets. "What's your real reason, Jase?"

Jason briefly considered lying, but discarded the idea almost immediately. Tommy had a right to his honesty, and besides, he didn't want to lie to him. Ever. However, it wasn't going to be easy to tell what he now realized he had to. It wasn't that he was ashamed, as Tommy and he hadn't been together then, and what he'd done while single was nobody's business but his own. But this episode in his life wasn't one he was particularly proud of.

Jason snuck a peek at Tommy and could see his best friend wasn't going to let things slide; if he wanted to, Tommy could adopt a stubborn streak as wide as anybody's, and this was clearly one of those times. Resignedly, he rolled onto his side, facing but not looking at his lover. He drew a deep, fortifying breath.

"I thought you didn't want to know about any of my former partners," he murmured, blushing despite himself.

Puzzled, Tommy frowned. "I don't – but what's that got to do with hanging out with Wes and- waitjustagoddamnedminute," he exclaimed as something clicked in his mind. "A-are you trying to tell me that Eric or Wes is one of your former lovers?" He knew his face must mirror his shock and disbelief. -Jase – and Wes? Or Jase and Eric? Aw, man!-

"I'd hardly call what we did being 'lovers'," Jason muttered, "but if you mean did I have sex with one of them, then … yes." He sighed. "It was only once, and years ago, but …"

A dim memory seeped to the forefront of Tommy's rather stunned mind. -Jason arriving late at NASADA. Him greeting all the guys as we stood in one line. Jason pausing as he came up to Wes and Eric and saying …'some of you I know more than others'. Shit, how could I have missed that?-

"So that's what you meant by your remark before we went to the moon," Tommy said slowly. "It kinda went over my head then, but maybe I should've realized …" With a shudder, he inhaled. True, his mind had been occupied at the time by that little thing of having to save the Earth from destruction, but still … He reined in his trying-to-run-amok emotions and forced a calm he didn't feel into his voice as morbid curiosity got the better of him.

"Who was it? Eric, or Wes?"

"Does it matter?" Jason asked quietly, still unable to meet Tommy's eyes.

"N-no. Not really. But now I'd like to know," Tommy admitted softly. Perversely, seeing the discomfort the situation was causing Jason did a lot to calm his churning nerves. He had no trouble believing that whatever had occurred between him and Eric or Wes was over; Jason would never have started a relationship with him if he'd been otherwise involved. Determinedly, he squashed the feeling of jealousy lurking at the back of his mind, ready to pounce at the slightest provocation. -I'm not going to cheapen what we share by completely unfounded suspicions!-

"If only to prevent me from looking for clues every time I or we run into either or both of them at Bio-Lab," Tommy joked weakly. "Even if we don't plan on meeting them two weeks from now, it might still happen, y'know, as they're going to be involved in the project as well – and I'd like to be prepared." He reached out and lifted Jason's chin. The troubled look in the midnight-dark eyes just begged to be chased away with a kiss which Tommy didn't hesitate to give.

"I love you, Bro, and anything you might tell me about your past won't change that," he promised. "It's just, you now have me kind of wondering which one of 'em is into guys," he smiled. "Please?"

There was no way Jason could resist that kiss, the soft words or the warm look Tommy bestowed on him, and he found he could still smile. Somewhat shakily, yes, but no matter. He tried for some levity of his own.

"You sure you don't want to guess?"

Tommy gave him his best mock glare. "Don't push it, Bro; I'm still trying to get over the shock that I'm about to meet an ex of yours," he grumbled, then played along anyway. "If I had to base a guess on your personality and on what I know of them, I'd have to say Wes," he ventured, but Jason shook his head no.

"Nope. It was Eric," he confessed with a sigh.

Tommy whistled softly. Somehow, he couldn't quite process the idea of the tough-as-nails, edgy Quantum Ranger in bed with Jason; they seemed too different, too out of tune with each other. -Never mind that never in a million years I'd have pegged Eric as gay. Or bi. Whatever.-

A sudden realization made Tommy squirm just a little. -Like I thought until recently that I was completely straight? Um. Yeah.-

"Wow," he breathed, covering his embarrassment over his momentary memory lapse. "Eric? Really? How did that happen – if you want to tell me, that is," he amended hastily. "I don't want to pry, or anything …"

"I know." Relieved that Tommy seemed not too upset over his disclosure, Jason slowly began to relax. When all of his tensed-up muscles had loosened again, he picked up his wine and drained the glass for fortification. "Okay, I'll tell you," he decided at length. "If you're sure you're ready for it; it's not exactly one of my finest moments," he warned.

Tommy's eyebrows rose. -Oh-ho!- "Now you've made me really curious." He quirked his lips in a lopsided smile as Jason groaned in dismay. "Spill it, Bro."

With a sigh, Jason scooted up until his head and shoulders were resting comfortably against the padded headboard and started to talk.

"It happened back on my 21st birthday, in early 2001," he began. "My last year of college, as you know, and I wanted to do something, well, special for the occasion …"

---

"ID, please."

The guy guarding the entrance to the Blue Oyster Club sounded rather bored, as if he'd been repeating the same thing time and again. Which he probably had. With an inward shrug and smile, Jason fished his driver's license out of his wallet and handed it over. Watchdog Guy checked his date of birth, then looked up with slightly more interest.

"Happy birthday."

"Thanks," Jason replied, his smile growing.

"Are you sure you want to come in here? If it's just your first legal beer you want, there's other places I could recommend …"

Jason shook his head. "I don't drink beer … and here is exactly where I want to be." It had taken some very quiet research and hushed word-of-mouth information until he'd found out about the club, and no way was he going back now that he'd finally screwed up his courage enough to come. He met the guy's sharpened gaze steadily. The man briefly pursed his lips, then nodded.

"As long as you're sure."

"Trust me, I am," Jason said firmly. He held out his hand for his license, and with a shrug the bouncer handed it back,

"In that case, have fun."

Nodding, Jason went past him into the dimly-lit hallway. "I sure hope so," he murmured to himself. He reached the door to the bar and despite his resolve had to fight down a case of last-minute nerves. It had been too long since he'd had the kind of 'fun' he was after, and he figured that the Blue Oyster was the perfect place to find it. The bar was down in the harbor district, and it was unlikely he'd run into any friends or acquaintances here. Nor would anything get back to his parents. So why was he procrastinating? -No time like the present!- Squaring his shoulders, he pushed down the notion that maybe a patently gay bar might be more than he could handle and opened the door.

Inside, he waited for a few seconds so that his eyes and ears could adjust to his surroundings. There were booths and tables, most of them already filled, several couples gyrating on the dance floor, and a bar at the far end. The music was very much to his liking – a driving, hard beat that crept directly into his blood. Once he'd gotten used to the muted light, he had a perfect view of everything and managed to make his way to the bar without mishap. He barely stopped himself from checking out the other patrons; there would be more than enough time once he'd purchased a drink. He caught the eye of the woman behind the counter. Since the bouncer at the door had let him inside, the bartender naturally assumed he was legal and cheerfully asked his preference.

"Do you have some dry red wine?" Jason asked; he hadn't been lying about not drinking beer. Mainly because he found the bitter taste not to his liking. The barkeep checked her supplies.

"Yeah … nothing too fancy, but if a California Red is okay?" She named a well-known vintage.

"Sure." It was what his host family in Geneva used to call a supermarket brand, but it'd be reasonably cheap, was quite drinkable and besides – he wasn't here to titillate his palate.

-Now some titillating of another kind … that I wouldn't mind at all!-

Jason paid as he received the goblet, then sought out a place at the far end of the bar and leaned against the rail, his back towards the mirrored row of bottles. From this vantage point he could watch and observe … and be seen and observed. Which he was hoping for; he wasn't feeling quite brave enough to make a first move. -Not that there's anyone here yet who looks promising …- Slowly, he sipped his wine, soon finding himself tapping a foot to the music's pervading rhythm.

There was one couple on the dance floor that was particularly pleasant to watch; Jason did so while he finished his drink and ordered a refill. The wine wasn't potent enough to make him drunk, but the second glass started to give him a little buzz nonetheless. He didn't mind; today was his birthday after all, and if he chose to celebrate by getting tipsy in a bar like the Blue Oyster, that was nobody's business but his own. -Although I hope that's not all I'll be getting tonight!-

The music changed to a slower beat, something jazzy with lots of saxophone, and the couple he'd been watching moved into a loose embrace, still swaying in tune. Jason whistled appreciatively; not only were both dancers very attractive, they were also putting on quite a show – whether deliberately or not, Jason couldn't say. Not that he cared. He was taking another swallow of his wine when suddenly a voice spoke up next to him.

"You're not gonna get lucky with either of them, you know."

Slowly, he turned his head. The speaker was a young man of about his own height, slightly less muscular but still strongly built. His dark hair looked as if he was just growing out a buzz cut; Jason had seen enough military personnel around San Diego to make an educated guess that the stranger had left the service not too long ago. He seemed to be a few years older than Jason, although he'd still consider them contemporaries, and his dark eyes looked vaguely Asian. The look in them did its best to appear casual, but the stranger couldn't quite mask the fact that he was most definitely checking Jason out.

Which suited Jason just fine; he felt his pulse quicken.

"I know. But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the scenery, does it?" he replied calmly, returning the not-so-covert interest with a frank appraisal of his own. He smiled his approval of what he saw.

The stranger smiled back, his eyes beginning to glitter. "That the only scenery you're interested in?" He nodded towards the dancers as he lifted a bottle of beer to his mouth and took a swallow.

Jason grinned, letting his eyes wander from the two women to the other dancers. This time, he lingered on a male couple with matching wardrobe, hair color and haircuts. They were both blonds, slender rather than athletic, but still nicely built. "Those two look interesting, too," he murmured. "If you go for the pretty-boy type, that is."

"Meaning you don't?"

Jason shrugged. Truth be told, he found this man's hard edginess far more attractive, but … it wouldn't do to appear too eager. "I don't really have a 'type'," he said. Which was almost, but not quite a lie; the type he wanted, deep down in the dark recesses of his mind where dreams and fantasies lived, had dark hair and eyes just like this stranger, but not black – no, more like rich, dark chocolate. He also had a name.

-Tommy …-

No. This was neither the time nor place to be thinking about his best friend. Tonight was … recreational.

The ex-soldier nodded. "Neither do I," he murmured, taking another mouthful of beer. "Dark, blond, redhead … it's all the same to me." He gave Jason a sharp look. "But I'd definitely go for that kind of, uh, scenery. Below the neck, anyway." He jerked a thumb at the two blond dancers.

-Ah. Okay.- "Well, personally I like them and the others," Jason stated, meeting the other's glance steadily. "That a problem for you?"

The man snorted. "Nah." He finished his beer and signaled for another. As he waited, he apparently came to a decision. "I'm Eric." He held out his hand.

Without hesitation, Jason grasped it with his own and shook once. "Jason. Pleased to meet you, Eric."

They saluted each other with their drinks. All unspoken, they'd come to an agreement, Jason knew – but he was content to take it slow from here on out.

-We'll finish our drinks … maybe have another … I don't think Eric wants to dance; he doesn't seem the type. Pity, really; it's my kind of music. Oh well. But talk a little more – yeah, that we can do. And after the talking … we'll see.-

Trying not to let anticipation run amok, Jason leaned back against the bar once more. He grinned at Eric. "So tell me – what's an ex-military guy doing here in San Diego?"

Eric's eyes sharpened. "Who says I'm ex-military?"

Jason smiled. "Not who, what. Little things – your posture, your alertness, the way you're scanning the room as if you're either expecting an attack or a shore patrol showing up … and the fact that your hair is growing out. I kinda doubt a commanding officer would let you get away with that cut if you were still in."

"And you know that how?"

"It's rather hard not to," Jason shrugged. "What with the Marine base and the other facilities here … besides, from what I've heard, any active service personnel found in here by the MPs would be facing … 'consequences'." His emphasis wasn't lost on Eric, who nodded grudgingly. "You don't look as if you cared for that to happen."

Eric toyed with his bottle. "You're very observant."

"Thanks – I think." He smiled to take the sting out of his words. "You kind of have to be in a fight."

The almond-shaped eyes narrowed. "What would you know about fighting?"

-More than you'll ever know!- Jason thought, his mind flashing back to his Ranger days. But he couldn't say that, could he? So, he shrugged again. "I've studied karate most of my life," he said casually. "In martial arts, if you don't pay attention, you lose."

Those black eyes suddenly lit up with a different kind of interest. "Ain't that the truth. Which style of karate?"

Jason couldn't believe his ears. Not many people knew karate even had different styles – unless they were practicing it themselves. Was it possible he'd not only met an attractive guy who seemed willing to get better acquainted -Much better, I hope!- but who also shared one of his passions? Time to test the waters. "Several, actually. Some classic Okinawa, Shotokan, Goju-ryu …"

Eric whistled and nodded, easily identifying the references. "I'm more into Kyokushin myself."

-So I was right! Cool!- "Makes sense, especially in real combat."

"Uh huh. But combat is a long way from the dojo."

"I would imagine. Hard to find an opponent in a true fight who sticks to the rules, huh?"

The dancers forgotten, within minutes the two were deeply involved in a discussion about fighting styles and their applications off and on the practice mats.

---

It was quite a while until the two had exhausted their topic; when they finally wound down, Eric cast a glance towards the still-crowded dance floor. "Your 'scenery' seems to have left," he remarked idly. "Both of 'em."

Jason took a quick look, then shrugged. "Yeah, well, I doubt either of them would've been interested in meeting someone new," he said casually. "They seemed to be heavily into the couples thing."

"And you're not?"

Briefly, a vision of himself with Tommy flashed once more before Jason's inner eye, but he chased it away with the ease of long practice. Tommy was still very much involved with Kat, and his wishful thinking that Tommy possibly might feel the same about him didn't belong here. Not when he was beginning to have serious hots for Eric.

"Not at this time." He finished his fourth glass of wine, feeling the pleasant buzz it gave him intensify. Mentally, he kicked himself. -Careful. I don't wanna get drunk. Not tonight.- He smirked at himself. -Tonight, I wanna get laid. By Eric, if I can.- "In the future … who knows? If I ever find the right person … "

"Hm."

Jason puzzled over the non-committal grunt, but decided to let it slide. It was none of his business whether Eric was against long-term relationships on principle or if one had turned sour on him in the past. Before he could ask, though, Eric snorted.

"You're hardly likely to find relationship material in a place like this anyway. This is strictly for, uh, fun."

"Too true. Hell, I don't even know whether my right person is gonna be a guy or a girl," Jason said lightly. "And there seem to be mostly guys … do you get a lot of women in here?" Jason asked.

Eric shrugged. "Beats me. I'm from out of town." After a moment he added, "So I guess you've never been here before either."

"No." Jason grinned. "I'm a student at San Diego U ... today's the first day I'm old enough to get in."

"Your birthday? And I just got a new job here in California."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks, ditto." Eric smiled slowly and lazily, his eyes traveling over Jason again at the same unhurried pace. "What do you say we ... celebrate?"

Jason's breath caught as Eric's tongue slipped briefly over the narrow lips. Suddenly he wanted nothing more than to feel it on him – his mouth, his skin, hell, his whole body. "Celebrating sounds good," he murmured huskily, returning the heated look with interest. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

Eric's laugh was low and promising. "Let's blow this joint and I'll show you."

"Fine by me."

Together, they slid off the bar stools they'd appropriated hours ago and went towards the exit, Jason in the lead. They had to cross a corner of the dance floor, and as they wended their way through the dancers, he felt a hand touch his butt. Surprised but hardly shocked, he looked back over his shoulder towards a smiling Eric. The dark eyes glittered, and he squeezed once. Instinctively, Jason flexed his cheeks, knowing that the other could feel the muscle movement even through the black denim of his jeans.

"Not here," he cautioned, implicitly accepting the challenge/invitation.

"Okay," Eric agreed with apparent calm. However, because he'd been looking for it Jason could tell that his breathing wasn't quite as steady as it had been. Someone bumped into him, sending him stumbling a little towards Eric, and he took the opportunity to do a little squeezing of his own under cover of the crowd. The bulge at the front of Eric's jeans was more than promising.

"I think I know just the place," Jason murmured as inspiration struck.

"Then lead on, MacDuff."

Conveniently, the throng of dancers parted just then, and the two made their way outside.

To Be Continued …