Christmas Woes
By: PernDragonrider
Disclaimer: Power Rangers is NOT owned by me; that credit goes to B.V.E. (Buena Vista Entertainment), Toie Entertainment, and Ranger Productions. Not making any money off of this work of fan fiction.
A/N: This will eventually contain a mention of a slash relationship between two men and a kiss shared between them. If male/male slash is not your cuppa tea; then hit the back button on your browser right now because this will contain mention of a male/male couple. Written for the AWDT (Amazing Weekly Drabble Thingy) at Live Journal. My thanks to Lttlelola for the quick beta work on this. Any mistakes are mine and not hers. Okay, enough for the disclaimer and author's ramblings but please leave a review if you are so inclined. Now onto the tale…
Jason Lee Scott, former Red Ranger and leader of the spandex clad superheroes of Angel Grove, California walked into his small apartment/dorm room in Geneva, Switzerland in a very glum mood. Zack and Trini had left two days earlier on a Holiday tour of Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Holland, England, France, Ireland, and Scotland. They wouldn't be back until well after the New Year had already been celebrated.
"I should have gone with them." Jason thought as he flopped onto the couch and grimaced at the small television set before him. "At least then I wouldn't be spending my first Christmas and New Year away from home all alone. I'll bet Tommy, Kim, Rocky, Aisha, Billy, and Adam are going all out. Parties at school, parties at the Youth Center, and definitely a party for the New Year at the Youth Center too. God, I miss home, my friends, and, I can believe I'm saying this, high school. Over here is strange. They don't celebrate the way we do and I really didn't expect that, but I didn't expect Zack and Tri to take this tour either. They sprung it on me at the last minute and I really don't feel like spending hours cramped into a very tiny bus again. So I stayed, not realizing that everyone here went home for the Christmas break and those that didn't go home went home with other delegates or friends. So here I am, sulking in our apartment and missing everyone so much." Jason tried to shake of the gloom and misery of his homesickness even as he knew it wouldn't go away until after his friends had returned and the small apartment was filled with their friendly arguing, banter, and everything that made this place seem like home to him.
Jason went into the small kitchenette and made himself a pot of coffee as he looked around at the small touches that all three of them had scrimped and saved from their allowances to add to their place. There was the small china doll, exquisite and very expensive, that he and Zack had given Trini for her birthday just after they'd arrived in Switzerland. He smiled as he remembered the two of them living off of peanut butter, crackers, and water for the month because it had cost so much but they knew Tri would love it. He turned slightly and spotted the stereo that he and Trini had surprised Zack with the following month for his birthday. Again they'd lived off of meager rations for the month, but the joy on Zack's face made it worth the sacrifice once more. They'd, before deciding to leave on the tour, had picked up a small pre-decorated Christmas tree that now graced the top of the television in the other room. Jason couldn't even bear to look at it since they'd left. There were no gaily-wrapped presents under the tree, no other signs that any of them had even purchased gifts for each other that year. Jason sighed again as took his coffee back into the small living area and turned off all the lights; except for the lights on the very tiny Christmas tree. Between the darkness, his weariness from pushing himself so hard in the gym, and his loneliness Jason fell asleep with the thought; "Christmas, Bah! Humbug! Who needs it? Christmas Eve and I'm alone without friends, family, or anyone here in this place halfway around the world from all I know and it sucks!"
He never knew that Trini, Zack, Tommy, Kimberly, Adam, Billy, Aisha, and Rocky snuck silently into the room as he lay on the couch sleeping soundly. The quickly and quietly decorated the room, complete with a large tree that they placed in the only place they could, right in front of the TV. Smiles abounded as the eight teens quickly decorated the whole small apartment, complete with mistletoe, for the Christmas they knew Jason would want to have.
"He always loves Christmas so much." Kimberly whispered as Aisha, Trini, and her wrapped presents at the small table in their kitchen while the men were putting up the decorations. "I can't believe he actually thought that you and Zack would go away and leave him alone on Christmas, Tri."
"I can." Trini said smiling sadly. "We sprung the trip on him at the last second, not telling him we were going and we've scrimped and saved from out allowances all year to make this one that Jason will always remember. He's always so happy around this time of the year and Zack and I have watched as he grew more and more depressed the closer Christmas day came. Your call earlier, while he was at the gym, saying that you guys were coming here with Zordon's permission was just what he needs. The presents he'll accept with all the graciousness he always does, but just having all of us together will be exactly what he needs."
"He's really added some muscle hasn't he?" Billy asked as he carried in another box of presents for the girls to wrap. "He looks great."
"If he's not in a conference or sleeping, he's in the gym working out, Billy." Trini told him. I've found a nice guy that I go out with and we're starting to get serious; Zack has found a great gal that he's getting serious about. Jason, Jason left his heart in Angel Grove, with someone and he won't tell us who. He won't date anyone here and Zack and I have really tried to set him up with some very nice women. He takes them out but never asks them out again."
They dropped the subject and everyone hid out of Jason's immediate sight, as they waited for him to wake up. It didn't take Jason long to slowly come awake. He blinked in the added light from all the decorations that had been added to the apartment and smiled slightly as he saw the huge tree that now obscured the television completely and the large pile of wrapped presents that were piled at the base of the tree. His smile stayed in place until it was replaced with one of shock as he turned and saw all of his friends standing behind the couch with huge smiles on their faces.
"This has to be a dream." Jason said with a sigh as he looked at the smiling faces that didn't say a word to as he smiled at them. "And since it's a dream no one will ever find out that I've been waiting for years to do this." Jason walked around the end of the couch and stopped in front of Billy. Who was standing directly under one of many sprigs of mistletoe hung around the room. "Merry Christmas, Bill and since you're conveniently under the mistletoe and this is a dream… " Jason sighed as he dipped his head and kissed him, soundly and passionately.
Everyone stood there dumbfounded as Billy wrapped his arms around Jason's muscular back and returned the kiss with interest. When he was kissed back, Jason realized that he was holding onto and kissing the person who, unknown to him, had held his heart for years. Ever since Jason realized he was more attracted to men than he was to women. He broke the kiss and stepped away with a look of stunned shock on his face; one that matched the looks Trini, Zack, Aisha, Rocky, and Adam wore. Kim and Tommy, standing arm in arm were nothing but smiles as both Jason and Billy blushed deeply.
"Merry Christmas, Jase." Tommy said as he and Kim stepped forward and hugged both of them. "I knew you'd eventually speak up and put Billy out of his misery." Tommy teased his best friend.
"Merry Christmas, Jase." Billy said quietly as he hugged Jason tightly. "I've missed you more than you'd ever know, well knew until now. I do love you, you know."
"And I've loved you for years, Bill. I was just always afraid to say anything because I didn't want to lose your friendship." Jason said with a smile as he pulled Billy into his side and left his arm around his shoulders holding him there lightly."
"I guess all the Bah Humbugs that have come out you over the last two weeks aren't going to be said anymore now?" Zack asked as he smiled brightly and hugged both of his friends. "Tri and I have been worried about your lack of interest in anyone. Now we know why."
"Yeah, kind of hard to be interested in someone when your heart was already taken, Zack-man." Jason said with a happy smile. "Now, lets get to unwrapping those presents since it is Christmas day!"
The group laughed and everyone made themselves comfortable, after Jason and Tommy moved the couch and chairs back as far as they could so that everyone could sit where they wished. Rocky played Santa and handed out the presents and everyone waited until there was a small pile of gifts in front of each person. The gifts were open, hug and kisses exchanged, and snacks and drinks consumed. Later that afternoon the entire group nine cooked an American style Christmas dinner in the small kitchen of Jason, Trini, and Zack's apartment. Each of them contributed a dish that was traditional for their families.
"This has been a wonderful, Christmas." Jason said as they sat around the small living room catching up on what the three missing friends had missed since coming to Switzerland. "Thank you, all of you, so very much for making this a Christmas I will always remember."
"I'll remember this always too, Jason." Billy said smiling from where he was still tucked into Jason's side. "This is the Christmas I got what I always wanted…. You."
The group laughed and cheered as both men kissed each other without needing mistletoe.