Chapter Text
Trini jumped slightly when Zack hopped into the seat next to her.
“Sorry to startle you, Tiny,” he said, grinning. “Though, you would’ve seen me if you hadn’t been staring the pink off Kim’s shirt.” He nodded across the library to where Kim was reshelving books.
Trini rolled her eyes. “Can I help you with something, bro?”
“I just want you to be happy, sis!” Zack insisted, still grinning. “You want something, you gotta go after it.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Trini said, still staring at Kim.
“You’re impossible,” Zack sighed, flopping back in the chair.
Trini tried to suppress a smile, and failed. “You act like I’m torturing you.”
“I’m in agony here!” Zack whispered. “I just want the two of you to acknowledge the love that dare not speak its name.”
“Okay, we’ve talked about this! No more watching old school Victorian soap operas. Alpha was terrified last week when you were talking like you were in Gone With the Wind.”
“They’re Mom’s favorite,” Zack said with a shrug. He smiled when Trini gave him a friendly nudge. “Fine...wallow in lesbian angst...see if I care. Now, I need your help with my math homework.”
*
“I saw that.”
“Saw what?” Trini asked.
“Just then,” Zack said, nodding to where Kim and Billy were walking to class together. “You really can’t help yourself.”
“What?” Trini asked.
“You held her hand!”
Trini shrugged, knowing that her nonchalant attitude was driving Zack crazy. “She’s having a hard day. It was a comfort squeeze.”
“Yeah, I bet you’d like to give her a comfort squeeze,” Zack mumbled. “Yow!” he yelped, when Trini punched him.
*
Trini pulled away from the hug and smiled at Kim. “Congrats, Princess,” she said. “And you said there was no way anyone would watch your YouTube channel.”
“Thanks. I’m still surprised that I have this many followers for an unboxing channel. Though I’m sure there are plenty of trolls just waiting for me to open the comments section.”
“Oh don’t worry,” Trini said. “Billy and I have a plan. He can track IP addresses, and I’ll go kick them in the kneecaps for fucking with you.”
“No mini assassinations,” Kim said, booping her nose. “I gotta go. Family dinner’s tonight, and my sisters are in town.”
“Okay, I’ll see you for training tomorrow,” Trini said. She pulled Kim in for another quick hug, and then turned to leave. She spotted Zack around the corner, staring at her. She rolled her eyes and jogged to meet up with him. “What is it, playboy?”
“Please tell me that was you expressing your undying love for her,” he said, giving her the stinkeye.
“It was me congratulating her on her first thousand followers on YouTube.”
“FOR THE LOVE OF ZORDON!”
“Shhhhh!”
“You’re enjoying this, right? You like seeing me in agony,” Zack said as they walked out into the cool fall air. He walked with Trini toward her house.
“You are the biggest drama queen I’ve ever met - and you’re talking to someone who’s sampled three high schools.”
“You public snuggled!”
“You’re being ridiculous, playboy,” Trini laughed.
“YOU WENT BACK FOR SECONDS! Two hugs, sis!”
The two of them continued their banter all six blocks to Trini’s house. When they got there, Trini spotted her mom’s car in the driveway and turned to Zack.
“Okay, buddy, you know how my family are,” she said, as sternly as she could. The effect was ruined by the fox beanie she was wearing. “If you can tone down the loco, you can come in for homework.”
“I can’t hide my distress, young sis,” Zack said, making Trini laugh. “Plus, my mom’s soap opera comes on in half an hour, so I gotta get home!”
“Hey! No soaps! If you come back trying that Mid-Atlantic accent again - Zack!” Trini yelled, but her bro was already racing away down the street.
*
Zack whistled as he wandered the halls of Angel Grove High. He was here a little early, at his mom’s wishes, to sign up for summer school. He was debating taking history or getting his math over with, when he rounded the corner and stopped dead.
Kim and Trini separated with a small pop from their kiss. Both grinned at him.
“FINALLY!” he said.
“We could say the same about you,” Kim said. “I just told Trini that if you hadn’t figured it out by the end of the week, I was just going to tell you to put you out of your misery.”
Zack gaped at them. “How...how long?”
“Month and a half,” Trini said, grinning.
He glared, and then his face cleared as if realizing something, and then he got his normal mischievous grin. “Wait...so two weeks ago when our Ranger connection spiked and us three guys were pumped with adrenaline for like, three hours -”
“Gotta go to study session! Bye Zack!” Kim said, pulling a laughing Trini along behind her.
Zack shook his head. “They got me,” he mumbled happily, making his way to the counselor’s office.