Disclaimer: Power Rangers characters, events and locations belong to Saban/BVE; no profit is being made by the authors of this story.

A/N from cmar: Eric's past relationship with Nick Tate is from 'The Secret of BioSynth', a story in my 'Red Fire' series.

Strangers In Red

Ch. 3: Some More Than Others

"Can you believe Dad wanted to set up a meeting with Sutkin's for tomorrow morning?" Wes unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off, tossing it casually on a chair in Eric's bedroom. He shook his head. "I swear, sometimes that man forgets what day it is. Anyway, I got him to change it to next week sometime. I bet Sutkin was relieved not to have to work on a weekend, too."

"I bet," Eric said.

"I mean, I put in a double shift Wednesday, and I know you were on a case pretty late the last couple of nights. We need a break."

"Uh huh."

Wes had peeled off his undershirt and was unbuckling his jeans. "Been a long week for both of us, I guess. Sleeping late in the morning is gonna be sweet."

"Sweet, yeah."

After stepping out of his pants and tossing them on top of his shirt, Wes came closer. With a grin, he leaned in enough to kiss Eric gently but lingeringly. "Even sweeter when I'm here, sleeping with you. Bad enough I can only stay over once a week; I wasn't going to let Dad get me out of bed early."

"Yeah." Eric returned the kiss and deepened it, faintly surprised at his own sudden sense of urgency as he slid his tongue between Wes's lips and his hands down Wes's back and into his underwear to cup the roundness of his backside. While they usually managed to find one or two opportunities during the week to have sex, the one night when Wes usually stayed over was entirely a different and better thing, with time for leisurely - and repeated - lovemaking, going to sleep together, waking up together, laughing at the way Wes's hair was always so messed up in the morning, arguing about whether to cook or go out for breakfast, sometimes spending the next day just hanging out, doing nothing in particular ...

"Mmm." Wes pulled back a little, still smiling. "You know, I was starting to wonder if something's wrong."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, by this time you're usually naked, in bed, and telling me to hurry up. Tonight you're not even undressed yet."

Eric glanced down at his own clothed body. "Oh yeah. Sorry. Guess I'm tired."

"Don't apologize. Get to it."

By the time Eric had undressed and put away his clothes Wes was in the bed, only a sheet over him, watching with an expression that usually would have driven any other thoughts from his mind. But tonight those thoughts refused to leave as he quietly crossed the room and climbed into his own side of the bed.

If Wes noticed his hesitation he gave no sign, only moved closer and raised a hand to pull Eric's head to his for another kiss, both tongues exploring, along with two sets of hands eagerly reaching and stroking smooth skin and firm muscle. This time it was almost enough to make Eric forget what he had resolved to do, but not quite. And he knew he'd better do it now, as Wes pushed him onto his back and began to slide down his body, licking and nipping. Being fair to Wes was what this was all about, after all, and it certainly wouldn't be fair to him to have sex when another guy was on Eric's mind.

"Wes, wait."

Lust-dazed blue eyes blinked up at him. "Wait? What for?"

"I - I can't do this."

Wes glanced down, and then back up with an expression that was both puzzled and amused. "Looks to me like you can."

"That's not what I mean. We need to talk about something."

"Okay." With a sigh, Wes moved back up and lay down on his side, facing Eric. "I kinda thought something was on your mind all evening. Gotta say you've got a hell of a sense of timing, though." His brows creased in concern when Eric didn't answer, and only stared up at the ceiling. "What's wrong?"

"Is Jason Scott going to come here with Tommy?"

"Huh?" Wes frowned. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"Wes ..." Eric's gaze moved to focus on his face. "If he does come here, and we all get together like you want - there's something you should know first."

"Well? What is it?" Wes prompted after waiting a moment.

"It's that ..." Eric shifted uncomfortably and avoided his eyes again. "I've met Jason before."

"Yeah." Wes gave him a baffled look. "So did I, remember?"

"Before that."

"You did?" Suddenly Wes snapped his fingers, eyes lighting up. "Hey, that crack he made about knowing some of us better than others. He was looking at you, wasn't he?"

"Yeah, he was."

"So - you met him before that? How? How long before? And how come you never told me?"

"Wasn't any reason to tell you before now."

"No reason? But why ..." Wes paused and stared as the half-guilty, half-embarrassed expression on Eric's face suddenly began to look very familiar. It was the same way he had looked when he had told Wes about Nick. And if it was for the same reason ... "Wait a minute. Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Eric sighed. "Yeah." He looked over and reached to put a hand on Wes's arm. "It was just one night, before I met you again. Didn't mean anything."

"Oh." Wes frowned as he heard the hollowness of his own voice and saw Eric sigh and look away. Not a big deal, he told himself. Eric had never hidden the fact that he had been with other guys in the past. Of course, he had never said how many there had been, either. One of them had showed up already - Nick Tate had been Eric's boyfriend for a year when they were both in the Army, and his appearance at Bio-Lab had caused a few problems for them. And now, another one? "How many guys have you slept with, anyway?" Wes found himself asking.

"I didn't sleep with them, exactly." But the feeble attempt at humor only got a frown from Wes. "Look, I don't know, okay?"

Wes pressed on. "A guess? An estimate? A ballpark figure?"

Eric turned dark eyes on him, completely serious now. "Does it really make a difference to you, Wes? If it was ten guys, would that be okay with you? How about twenty? What if it was a few dozen? Or hundreds, or thousands? Would that change things between us?"

"Thousands? Jesus, when did you have time for anything else?" They stared at each other for a few moments, eyes locked, Eric looking so defiant and at the same time so guilty and anxious that the whole thing suddenly struck Wes as bizarrely funny. Almost unwillingly, he smiled.

"No, I didn't get around that much," Eric said with a smile beginning to tug at his own lips. "Not that much spare time, and - I had a few standards, even then."

"Good. I was starting to wonder how many more of your exes are going to show up at Bio-Lab." Wes reprimanded himself for the little sigh of relief he breathed - Eric's right, it makes no difference. Or it shouldn't.- It also occurred to him that Eric had, typically, neatly avoided giving a real answer to the question - and maybe it would be better to leave it that way.

"Very funny." Eric gave him a mock-scowl before his expression softened. "And since I came to Silver Hills there's only been you. Well, except that one night."

"Jason?"

"Right. Jason."

Wes shook his head, trying to remember details about the dark-haired, powerfully built young man they had fought alongside so briefly. "Funny, I never would have figured him for gay."

"He's bi, or that's what he said. And you didn't figure yourself for gay back then, either."

"True. So - when was this?"

"Right after I got the job with the Silver Guardians and moved here. Before I met up with you again."

Wes moved a little closer so that they were face to face, propped his head on one arm, and draped the other over Eric's body. "Where did you meet him?" he asked.

"San Diego."

"San Diego? What were you doing there?"

Eric stroked his hand up Wes's arm and let it rest on his shoulder. "Like I said, I had just gotten the job with the Guardians. They gave me two weeks to get moved and settled in before I had to report for training. I bought a car, found this house and signed the papers to buy it, bought some new clothes. I'd only gotten out of the Army a few weeks before, and broken up with Nick at the same time. It was - it was like my life was starting over, you know?"

"Yeah, I understand," Wes said, moving his hand to brush affectionate fingers over Eric's back. "But what's that got to do with San Diego?"

Eric shrugged, his eyes distant, perhaps seeing the lonely, angry young man he had once been, starting a new life in a new city with no idea of the twists and turns that life would soon take. "I had one more weekend before I reported to work. I knew the training would be tough and as a Guardian I'd be on call 24/7, so I wanted to have one last good time first, the only way I knew how back then. San Diego - that was to make sure I wouldn't run into anyone from the Guardians, or Bio-Lab." He smiled ironically. "I didn't want anyone I worked with to find out what I did for fun."

"And you still don't," Wes observed, softening it with a smile.

"Yeah, I still don't."

"So you went to San Diego looking for - uh - a good time. How did you meet Jason?"

Eric raised his head. "You don't really want to hear about this."

"Sure I do." Wes moved in closer again, so that they could feel the warmth of each other's bodies. "Look, if you don't want to tell me, that's okay. But I'm curious, and I'm interested in - well, everything you've done, even this. Besides, if I'm going to be meeting up with Jason again, I'd like to know more about what happened between you two."

"Well ..."

"Go on. You were in San Diego. What happened then? How did you meet Jason?"

Eric looked searchingly into Wes's eyes and found enough sincerity there to reassure him, and to make him grateful once again for his partner's easygoing nature, so different from his own. "Okay, if you're sure," he said with a slight smile. "You know me, always prepared. I had looked up the names of a few gay bars before I left, so I knew exactly where to go ..."

---

Blue Oyster Club.

The sign was the first thing that caught Eric's eye as he turned around after closing the door of his new - well, used, but the first automobile he had ever owned - car. It wasn't like the place had 'gay bar' next to its name in the phone book, but some investigation on the Internet before this trip had turned up that information. Looked like a decent place, a lot classier than some of the dumps he had visited on past searches for a fast, easy, and uncomplicated good time.

So why was he hesitating? Not like anything about this was new - all he had to do was walk inside, get a beer, hang out at the bar for a while. Inevitably he'd see someone he liked, there'd be an exchange of glances - casual at first, then appreciative, then speculative - a smile or a nod of invitation, a little conversation. One or the other of them would suggest they find somewhere a little more private, and ...

Wasn't like he didn't want to, either. He had just gotten out of the Army, just gotten out of a relationship that had begun to get a little too close for comfort. Just moved to Silver Hills, just been hired by the Silver Guardians, just signed the papers to buy a house. His entire life had changed in the last few weeks, so who could blame him if he wanted to cut loose a little? And once he reported for training on Monday, it could be a good long while before there was time for much of a social life, not to mention the difficulty of arranging another weekend out of town like this one, which would conveniently keep that social life where no one at Bio-Lab or the Silver Guardians was likely to find out about it.

No, this was what he wanted, all right; it was what he had come to San Diego for. With a rueful smile for the time he had just wasted standing there, Eric started for the door.

Inside, he paused for a moment, feeling a heady rush of the old, familiar anticipation as his eyes scanned the large, dimly-lit space, reverberating with the deep bass thump of music whose tune he didn't know but whose primal rhythm was as familiar and energizing as his own heartbeat. More tables and booths than the smaller New York bars he had gotten used to. A big dance floor, already crowded. A bar along the back wall. A lot of good-looking guys and a few women here and there.

Five minutes later Eric was propped on a stool at the bar, beer in hand, the thrill of the hunt percolating in his blood as he started to do some serious looking at the prospects in view. The couples dancing he ignored, they were taken, at least for the moment. But the guys at the bar, or standing around, were another matter.

That one had a great body, with arms and shoulders revealed by a muscle shirt so tight it looked in danger of splitting. No, probably too vain and self-centered to be any good in the sack. Maybe the two over there, both blond and slender, wearing matching clothes and even matching haircuts, sitting with their heads together checking out the possibilities. No, a threesome didn't appeal to him, at least not tonight. Or the guy on the other end of the bar ... another blond. Damn, there were a lot of blond, probably blue-eyed guys here tonight.

Not that he didn't like blonds, exactly ... -Too much like Nick?- Eric frowned at the question that had popped into his head. Ridiculous. Nick was over and done with, not even worth thinking about.

-Or maybe too much like Wes?- That was even more ridiculous. Talk about over, or never was in the first place. Just because he might bump into the guy now that they were both living in Silver Hills was no reason to be thinking about him.

As he was telling the similar images of Nick's and Wes's faces to get lost, a guy he hadn't seen in his previous look around signaled for the bartender's attention. Interesting, Eric thought. Young but not too young, black hair, a nice face and an even nicer body: very well-muscled even by Eric's standards. The wine the kid ordered could have been a turnoff - thinks he's real classy, does he?- but Eric was in the mood for a challenge. This was more like it.

The kid turned to look out at the dance floor, giving them the once-over. Eric shrugged inwardly. It was certainly worth a shot - well worth it, as he got up and moved down the bar, getting a closer look at a wide back, broad shoulders, and thick upper arms. He settled on another barstool and looked up to see the kid staring at one couple in particular - two women - very attractive, if you were into that kind of thing, but obviously not interested in anything but each other.

"You're not gonna get lucky with either of them, you know," Eric said, just loudly enough for his voice to carry over the music.

The kid turned his head, taking the time to give Eric a long, slow look from head to toe. Apparently he liked what he saw, judging by the way his dark brown eyes lingered and his mouth began to curve into a smile. "I know. But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy the scenery, does it?" he said.

Eric returned the smile. "That the only scenery you're interested in?" He nodded at the dance floor and took another pull at his bottle of beer.

Now the other man was grinning, obviously getting into the little verbal game they were playing. "Those two look interesting, too," he said, indicating another couple, this time the blond matching set Eric had noticed earlier. "If you go for the pretty-boy type, that is."

"Meaning you don't?" Eric smiled again. He knew he was a good-looking guy, but a pretty-boy he definitely was not. Neither was the kid he was talking to, for that matter, which suited him just fine.

The young man shrugged. "I don't really have a 'type'."

"Neither do I. Dark, blond, redhead … it's all the same to me." Eric looked up. Just to set the record absolutely straight, so to speak ... Indicating the two blonds, he said, "But I'd definitely go for that kind of, uh, scenery. Below the neck, anyway."

"Well, personally I like them and the others." The kid gave him a look that clearly defied Eric to object. "That a problem for you?"

There was the silent echo of another voice from another time - Nick's voice - "Both men and women ... I'm equal opportunity." Eric covered the moment of dismay with a snort, said a casual "Nah," gulped the rest of his beer and gestured to the bartender for another.

What did he care if the kid was bi? Lots of guys were. No reason for it to remind him of Nick. Eric looked the other man over again as he waited for his drink to arrive, deciding that dark hair, blunt, handsome features, lots of muscles, and a hint of inner as well as physical strength were just what he wanted tonight. Definitely. And it was time to stop dancing around and get on with it. "I'm Eric," he said, holding out his hand.

The kid took it with a firm grip. "Jason. Pleased to meet you, Eric." He raised his glass and smiled again as Eric lifted the bottle the bartender had set down for him. "So tell me – what's an ex-military guy doing here in San Diego?"

The question caught Eric by surprise. "Who says I'm ex-military?"

"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."

Somehow it bothered Eric to think he was that easy to read. "And you know that how?"

"It's rather hard not to. 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'." With the memory of years of hiding his off-base activities from anyone in the military who wasn't inclined the same way, Eric had to nod as Jason went on, "You don't look as if you cared for that to happen."

The reminder of one of the unpleasant aspects of his military service was not entirely welcome. Eric frowned at his bottle of beer. "You're very observant."

"Thanks – I think." Jason was smiling again when Eric looked up. "You kind of have to be, in a fight."

"What would you know about fighting?" Eric asked skeptically. Not that Jason didn't look tough, but he also didn't strike Eric as the kind who got into fights.

The kid seemed about to smile, and then shrugged. "I've studied karate most of my life. In martial arts, if you don't pay attention, you lose."

Interesting. Interesting enough to take Eric's mind off finding the fastest way to get Jason alone and out of his pants. "Ain't that the truth. Which style of karate?"

The kid's face brightened with enthusiasm. "Several, actually. Some classic Okinawa, Shotokan, Goju-ryu …"

Eric whistled, impressed despite himself. "I'm more into Kyokushin myself."

"Makes sense, especially in real combat."

Like this kid knew anything about real combat ... still, he knew his martial arts, that's for sure. The topic was good for quite a while, a good bit longer than Eric had planned on spending before the two of them got down to business, but finally the conversation hit a lull. He glanced at the dance floor, skimming the crowd for either of the couples they had started that conversation with. "Your 'scenery' seems to have left," he observed. "Both of 'em."

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

Eric refrained from mentioning the way the blond twins had been scouting for a possible third. "And you're not?"

"Not at this time." A shadow seemed to cross Jason's face just for an instant as he gulped the last of his wine.

An ex-boyfriend? Ex-girlfriend? Or someone he wished was a boyfriend or girlfriend? Eric hid a knowing smile. Everyone had the one who got away, the one who never was, the one they really wanted - while they made do with the one who was there. -And I'm no exception,- he had to admit as Wes's face surfaced from his memories.

"Hm," was all he said in response as Jason looked up at him. Suddenly restless, he glanced around the place again, anxious to steer the conversation in the direction he wanted. "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's tone was light. "And there seem to be mostly guys … do you get a lot of women in here?"

"Beats me. I'm from out of town." Sounded like all this was new to the kid. "So I guess you've never been here before either."

"No," Jason said with another grin. "I'm a student at San Diego U ... today's the first day I'm old enough to get in."

So Eric had been right - Jason was young, perhaps not very experienced, but old enough to know what he was doing. "Your birthday? And I just got a new job here in California."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks, ditto." And this gave him the perfect opening. Eric smiled again, taking his time as he looked Jason up and down, this time making no effort to hide exactly what he was thinking. "What do you say we ... celebrate?"

"Celebrating sounds good." Jason's deep voice had dropped a notch in pitch, and his eyes had gone excitingly smoky. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

As if they didn't both already know. Eric laughed. "Let's blow this joint and I'll show you."

"Fine by me."

They made sure their drinks were paid for and tips left, and got to their feet. Jason led the way across a corner of the dance floor, slowing as first one couple and then another moved into his path. Close behind him, Eric found himself staring down at that enticingly round, firm butt that he planned to have his hands on very soon ... Tempted, he let his fingers brush across the denim of Jason's jeans. The kid looked back, eyes widening slightly but not objecting as Eric grabbed another, bolder feel.

"Not here," Jason said. The shy type, apparently.

"Okay ..." Eric quickly revised his opinion of Jason's shyness when the other man collided with a pair of dancers, lurched slightly - and he felt an exploring hand grope his crotch.

"But I think I know just the place," Jason murmured.

"Then lead on, MacDuff." They broke free of the dancers and saw the door and the possibilities of the night ahead.

To Be Continued …