The next day marks the first attack on the city since Ziggy was first put out of commission. He and Summer are duking it out on the pool table (more precisely, Summer is going easy on him while providing pointers on his form) while Dillon heckles Ziggy from the sidelines. When Scott shouts "Rangers assemble!" at the first alert signal, Ziggy drops the game and jumps to attention without thinking. A firm hand on his shoulder stops him from heading towards the vehicles.

"Whoa there cowboy," says Dillon. "We're sticking this one out, remember?"

"Oh, right," says Ziggy, surprised at his own disappointment. "I'm 'afflicted'."

"We're not going to spend this whole time having a pity party, are we? Because I might just decide to let you faint."

Ziggy scoffs at him. "After the fuss you made last time? I think not. Face it, Black. You can't stand to see me suffer."

"Correction: I can't stand to hear you complain."

"Oh that's cute. Which is worse, then? My complaining now, or the lecture you'll get later from Scott if you fail in your 'babysitting Ziggy' duties?"

"Don't know. Guess I'll have to take my chances."

"Shut up and finish this pool game with me."

.

The pool game doesn't last long, though, because both Dillon and Ziggy are kind of desperate to know how the fight is going. They eventually drop their cues and crowd into K's lab. She cuts them both a glare, but doesn't shoo them out. Video cameras showing the grinder battle from several different angles are playing on the screens around the lab. Currently K is typing at her keyboard and telling Scott where the next bot wave is coming from.

"This sucks," says Ziggy, watching Dillon's grip tighten on K's desk as Summer dodges a particularly close swing from a grinder.

He never thought he'd miss going out and putting his life in danger, but he's feeling restless and useless. He can see how the other Rangers are spreading out to tackle more Grinders at a time to make up for the lack of two comrades and has to wonder how Scott, Summer, and Flynn managed to hold up before the rest of them donned the Ranger outfits.

Luckily it's just a few waves of foot soldiers today and the team manages to clear them out without any mishaps. They split up after, K sending them to check out various sectors and determine how Venjex infiltrated the city this time. Now she does kick Dillon and Ziggy out of the lab, putting on a cross face and closing the doors after they leave.

"Okay there?" asks Dillon as they migrate towards the kitchen. His voice is all nonchalance, but the tight set of his shoulders sings a different tune.

"Fine," replies Ziggy automatically and then surprises himself by adding, "Tired."

Dillon raises his eyebrows. "Want me to tuck you in and read you a bedtime story?"

"Yes, thanks, and I'll take some milk and cookies while you're at it."

"Sorry, we save those for the good kids. Ones that don't beat their elders at pool."

"Alright, grandpa. I'll be expecting treats when I lose from now on." He's bickering on autopilot, taking a seat at the island and splaying his upper body across the counter dramatically.

Dillon swipes one of his hands aside and sets a glass of apple juice in its place, which Ziggy reaches for greedily. "Honestly though, Zig," he says after a taking a swig of his own drink. "Do you need to lie down?"

Sighing, Ziggy assesses his body. He doesn't feel sleepy, exactly, just weary, like he's been working hard at something all day without pause. Which is silly, since the most exerting thing he's done so far is play a few games of pool. He feels sort of… empty. Incomplete. "Nah, just…"

He gets up, walking around the island to stand on the other side, directly next to Dillon. The feeling doesn't disappear, but it does begin to lessen and he closes his eyes, breathing deep.

"Ziggy?"

"Hmm? Oh, sorry. Spacing." The Ranger can feel Dillon's eyes on him, but he doesn't look over. "Just, proximity, you know? It makes a difference."

They stay that way for a bit, both gulping at their juice until the glasses are empty and Ziggy's feeling marginally better. Then Dillon says, "Want to get out of here for a while?"

.

It's a horrible feeling, really, knowing that he and Dillon are lounging around under a bright blue fake sky while the other five rangers are risking their lives to protect the city. Ziggy is all set to spend the next couple hours lamenting over his setback, but Dillon seems all too aware of this plan and the Black Ranger practically tackles him when the exit the car. The ensuing tussle lasts a good half hour, Ziggy finding inventive ways to make up for his obvious dearth in size and strength. They've stopped at a rarely used warehouse on the south side of the city. Stacked around the room are oddly shaped crates and containers that Ziggy uses as stairs to jump onto Dillon's back when the man gets near.

Spinning them around in a half-hearted attempt to dislodge his new urchin, Dillon gets them back outside into the sun and falls into the soft blades of green, rolling a laughing Ziggy underneath him.

"Oof," gasps Ziggy between snickers. "Get off me, terminator. You're heavier than a dead grinder."

Dillon does get up, but only to turn himself around. Looming back over the Green Ranger, Dillon cages him in with an immovable arm on either side of Ziggy's head and Ziggy smiles widely as floppy hair curves down to frame his stupidly handsome face.

"What's so funny, Green?"

"You're the least intimidating terminator I've ever met."

"Met a lot of us, have you?"

"Tons. The others were much more threatening."

"That so?" responds Dillon, sitting back on his legs and crossing his arms in mock insult. The movement reveals the blinding sun that Dillon's body had been conveniently blocking and Ziggy winces, throwing an arm over his eyes.

"Aha! Well, well, well," says Dillon in a childish voice that Ziggy is positive he has never used around the other rangers. "It seems we've come to an impasse. You need me to shield you from the sun and I need you to boost my ego. Want to change your opinion?"

Peeking from beneath his forearm, Ziggy gets a glimpse of Dillon's smug face and announces, "Never."

There's one quick flash of relief from the sun as Dillon leans forward and Ziggy pounces, getting his legs wrapped around the Black Ranger in a futile attempt to hold him in place. He's unsuccessful, of course, and Ziggy is left with only his eyelids to block the light, his legs propped uselessly over Dillon's thighs and his wrists caught in the man's tight grip. "C'mon. Just one little apology."

"I will stand firm," Ziggy says, though he lets his voice waver and squeezes his eyes dramatically.

A beat, and then Dillon says thoughtfully, "Shouldn't I get a bonus?"

"Bonus for what?"

"For being your terminator."

It's not an atypical response for one of their bickering contests (flirting as Flynn calls it, but Ziggy isn't thinking about that right now, nope, definitely not), but it hits the Green Ranger differently anyway, a dozen strange emotions flashing through him at once. The moment stretches awkwardly until Ziggy remembers it was his turn to talk. Thrown off his game, he replies with a vague, "Yeah, okay," and has to suppress a wince at the breathiness of his voice. "You win."

Dillon's back to leaning over him, which means Ziggy could plausibly open his eyes now. Only that feels like a dangerous move, so he keeps them shut, turning his face into the spongy bed of grass.

"Ziggy? You alright?" questions the Black Ranger, teasing gone from his voice.

And maybe it's cowardly to hide behind his affliction, but Ziggy answers, "A nap would be nice." Besides, now that he's come down from the buzz of activity, Ziggy realizes that he's actually pretty exhausted. "If you could stay just like that for the next hour or so…"

The joke does what he wants, dispelling the odd tension and getting Dillon to scoff and plop down beside him. Rolling onto his stomach and jabbing the other man with a knuckle, Ziggy says, "Don't go thinking that was a win, Black. These competitions are clearly uneven, what with my brain being jumbled by some stupid attack-bot."

"More so than usual, you mean?"

Dropping his head, Ziggy sighs. "I deserved that."

"Walked right into it," agrees Dillon.

"I think I'll be needing that nap now."

"Don't worry, I'll be watching out in case any of your numerous terminator pals drop in."

Settling in, Ziggy tells him drowsily, "Don't feel like less of a man if they scare you. Like I said, much more intimidating."

"Go to sleep, Green."

Ziggy does.

.

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I feel like Dillon is only ever his fullest, goofiest self when he is around Ziggy. I bet he's secretly such an immature dork.

Thanks for the reviews so far! They are all super sweet.