DISCLAIMER: I own nothing
*A while ago I asked for help with my latest story, I needed ideas of anything Tommy/Kim that you had wondered about over the years. Things that were mentioned and we never saw, more realistic reactions to things we did see or just 'I wonder what would have happened if…'
*This is 'wonder number 2', jps1926 wondered how the conversation between Kim and Tommy went after he and Katherine were kidnapped when he should have waiting for Kim in the youth centre during A Ranger Catastrophe. I'm kind of taking the long way around, because this story has developed into a tale of jealousy and self doubt. I will get to the actual conversation but I think there's a lot of fun to be had first although as usual it's probably not what was expected
*This story has slightly more adult themes than my other stories (up until this point)
*All other 'wonders' are gratefully received via p/m
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WONDER 2- The Kat amongst the pigeons (Part 1)
'Siren song red… it worked last time!'
After applying the final coating and then throwing the lipstick back into her cream, satin make-up bag, Kimberly Hart smacked her lips together, fluffed her hair and then headed out of the small bathroom that she shared with her best friend Aisha Campbell.
The decision of Kimberlys mother to move to Paris to be with her fiancé a few weeks ago had come completely out of the blue and it had threatened to rip Kims teenage world apart at the seams- that is until the Campbells came to her rescue. Their offer to let Kim stay with them had been a lifeline she had grabbed with both hands.
Entering her small bedroom with white walls and pine furniture, Kimberly grimaced as she observed the vast array of clothing that now scattered the room.
Although she was sure that the figure hugging pink dress and pink high heels that she was wearing were the perfect outfit, it hadn't been an easy decision to make- because as dramatic as it may seem, she really felt as though her life depended on the outcome of today, therefore the clothes she was wearing weren't just an outfit, they were a statement of intent and the make-up? …She was classing it as war paint!
The wolf whistle that cut through the room alerted Kim to Aishas presence before she had even laid eyes on her friend and she grinned innocently as the woman dressed in blue denim shorts and a plain yellow t-shirt surveyed the full destruction of 'Hurricane Kim' .
"Kim, you look ridiculously hot, but did you have to kill your room to achieve the look?"
"Do you know that I have absolutely no clothes? I searched and searched for hours for something to wear but in the end I had to buy this new"
Again looking at the items of clothing that covered every visible surface Aisha nodded her head as she crossed her arms and feigned understanding
"So I see… you have absolutely nothing to wear, how do ever you manage to leave the house?"
Picking up a shirt from on top of her dresser, Kimberly returned it to its hanger and then placed it back in her nearly-empty wardrobe
"There, see? Tidy"
"So, for who's benefit is the 'man-eater' outfit?"
"Oh I don't know, maybe some random college kid I'm yet to meet, you know me (!)"
The rise of Kims eyebrows and the slight pout she wore told Aisha without doubt that in Kims world there was only one guy worth making this sort of effort for
"Okay so that was a silly question, but Tommy would think you were beautiful even if you wore a sack- why the big dress to impress?"
Carefully manoeuvring herself through the sea of fabric, Kim headed in the direction of her best friend
"I told you yesterday Aisha, I feel really guilty about not spending enough time with Tommy, and then when we almost lost him…"
Instinctively Aishas hand went to Kims slim shoulder as the brunettes face turned pale and tense as she recalled how close they had come to losing their leader the afternoon before, how close she'd come to losing her boyfriend of almost 3 years.
The beat that her heart skipped at the very thought of it felt like an alarm bell ringing in her chest- 'lose him and I'll stop working all together'… and that is a warning! and as blond hair wrapped its self around her memory it only served to bolster her belief that today she had to lay claim to what was rightfully hers, in her heart she knew that she would go as far as it took.
"I can't lose him Aisha" Her voice came out quietly as the sound of Australia echoed through her mind, clinging to every memory of her boyfriend and whispering his name in her ears
Laughing, Aisha shook her head at the absurdity of the statement
"I mean it, I really feel as though I've been neglecting him and do not look at me like that"
"Like what?"
"Like you think I'm crazy, I know what the girls at school think about him, I hear their whispers every where we go"
"Yeah, okay, maybe that's true, Tommy is a really good looking guy, and he's nice… but Kim, you know what he thinks about you"
Kimberly couldn't hold back the smile that parted her freshly painted lips. Aisha was right- as usual!
In their 3 years together Tommy had never given her even half a reason to doubt his commitment to her. After all, it had been her that had been so caught up in her gymnastics that she barely had time to call him, let alone spend quality time with him, but that was what yesterday was supposed to be- a romantic interlude in their otherwise hectic lives.
The fact that he had instead spent the afternoon with some other woman glued to his side had kept Kim awake all night, providing her with plenty of time to formulate the plan that she was about to put into action
Smiling at Aisha, a mischievous look spread over her face
"Well now I'm going to show Tommy exactly what I think about him"
And with that Kim walked past her friend and exited the bombsite she was responsible for
"Kimberly…"
Aishas voice echoed down the hallway after her, and caused Kim to turn her head slightly although she didn't turn to face her concerned friend
"Tommy's a sweet guy… play nice okay?"
"Not today" was her whispered reply, but it was one Aisha missed and when she questioned it all she received was a hastily blown kiss as Kimberly disappeared down the stairs in search of her target
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THE ANGEL GROVE YOUTH CENTRE
Stepping into the building that was almost as familiar to her as her own home, Kimberly immediately questioned the path she had decided upon as all male heads turned in her direction
Their muttered approval of what she was wearing buoyed her confidence but at the same time it made her cheeks glow red
Kimberly Hart had never been the shy retiring type but the knowledge that today could turn out to be the biggest day of her life so far gave rise to a self-doubt that she was unaccustomed to
Looking towards the juice bar, Kim immediately sought out the kind face of Ernie for protection from prying eyes as well as some much needed reassurance, but instead she was met by the grinning face of Katherine Hillard and her appearance couldn't have been timed worse if she'd planned it
Making her way up the few steps that separated the juice bar from the gym, Kim felt her optimism being doused as memories of Katherine draped all over her boyfriend snaked their way under her skin and draped themselves over her self-esteem like a black veil.
"Hey Katherine" She attempted enthusiastic but knew immediately she had failed
"Kimberly, wow, you look out to impress"
Smiling somewhat nervously Kim eyed Katherines short denim shorts and clingy pink vest
"You too" She mumbled whilst thinking bitterly how unfair it was that Katherine would never need high heels to make her legs look longer
"So are you meeting someone here?" Asked the Australian beauty whilst picking up two glasses from the counter.
With her self-confidence beginning to crumble around her expensive new shoes Kim forced a smile into place before informing Katherine that she was looking for Tommy
"Oh he just went to get something from his car whilst I bought the drinks, but he should be back soon" And then whilst shaking the glasses right in Kims face "Apple and blackberry, apparently it's his favourite"
"Yeah…" mumbled Kim, annoyance and jealousy burning in her normally calm eyes "…It is. So, you guys are 'hanging out'?"
"He was working out when I got here and he was going at it pretty hard so I said I'd buy him a drink to help him to cool off, you can join us if you like"
Being invited to join her own boyfriend for drinks was not something that Kimberly appreciated but as she stared into Katherines blue eyes she attempted to cool her over reaction.
Kats face held an innocence that Kimberly just couldn't bring herself to trust, she was sure she hadn't imagined the looks Katherine had thrown Tommys way whilst walking in the park yesterday, or the way she'd giggled extra hard when he'd made a joke at Zedd and Ritas expense. Kim knew that giggle-it was the 'look at me, look at me' giggle and she'd been responsible for more than a few of them in her time… but that was before Tommy had karate kicked his way into her life and affections
Wrapping her bare arms around body, Kim tried to protect herself from the memories of Tommy and Katherine yesterday as well as the imagined images of what they'd been up to today and then looking down at her dress she wondered why she had ever thought this was a good idea in the first place
Whilst trying to fight her way free of her gloomy thoughts Kim didn't notice Ernie walking up behind her or the knowing smile that he wore, but as his arm wrapped around her shoulder Kim finally broke free of her dark thoughts and found it in herself to give him a sincere smile
"Kimberly…"
"Hey Ernie" She smiled brightly at the owner of the juice bar as he leant his head closer and whispered
"I think you have an admirer" and whilst using the arm that still lay over her shoulders he manoeuvred her so that she faced the entrance
The look that caused Tommys eyes to literally bug out of his head and his mouth to hang open more than made up for the 100 dollars Kimberly had paid for the outfit that was provoking such a reaction from the tall man dressed in the white pants of his karate gi and a tight white vest
"Wow…Kim…"
Giggling at her dumbfounded boyfriend, Kimberly did a little twirl before asking
"You don't think it's too much?"
"No" was his speedy response and then "I mean… no, it's great" His words were cooler this time as he began to regain the use of his bodily functions and headed up the stairs towards the two women that were waiting for him, one of whom he could not tear his eyes from and the other he barely noticed
The intensity of Tommys gaze as he closed the distance between them made Kims heart flip over in her chest as two things shone brightly in her mind- 1. The effort and destruction had been worth it and 2. The possibilities of today were endless if that look in Tommys eyes was anything to go by
"Oh Tommy here, I got your favourite" Even the sound of Katherine directly addressing him wasn't enough to break Tommy free of Kims spell as he reached for the drink without ever removing his eyes from the brunette in front of him, the one he had seen thousands of times before and dreamt of just as often but had never seen looking as beautiful as she did today, or as dangerous
"Should we take a seat?" Asked Kat, her voice betraying the jealousy that was pulsing through every inch of her body. She'd spent ages getting ready this morning, she'd even decided to wear pink in an effort to prove that 'anything Kim can wear, I can wear better' but when Tommy had spotted her as she entered the youth centre, his glance had been fleeting at best
"Tommy, would you like to sit down?" Kat asked again, this time making sure she excluded Kimberly from the question altogether
"I think you'd better sit him down before he falls down," Ernie laughed before heading across to a table that needed clearing
"Uh…sure" Tommy finally answered whilst pulling out a chair for Kim to sit on but she simply looked up at him, her caramel eyes full of mischief as she shook her head
"You first"
Any confusion that Tommy may have had about her reply was answered as soon as he took the seat and Katherine took the one opposite. He had been expecting Kim to take the seat next to him, in fact he had spent the few seconds before sitting down wondering how to move his seat as close to Kims as possible without making it too obvious, what he hadn't been expecting was for Kim to sit closer to him that she had ever dared to before, in public that is.
The feel of Kim lowering herself gently onto his lap whilst wrapping her arms around his neck caused a heat to surge through Tommy that was usually reserved for their 'private moments' only and the wolf whistles and yells of encouragement a few of the guys he knew from school let out only caused that heat to burn bright on his cheeks
Apparently Kimberly was feeling as dangerous as she looked and Tommy liked danger, yes sir, danger was definitely his 'thing'