Chapter Text
Chase didn’t know what had happened, for a while, his thoughts were of girls he had crushes on. But now, there was only one person in his mind, and it wasn’t a girl. It was Riley Griffin, the green ranger of his team. If he could guess, it probably started after Riley came to rescue him from Cavity. Boy was that guy good with a sword.
“Chase!” Shelby exclaimed, jostling him from memories of Riley.
“Y-yeah?” He stuttered, quickly trying to put on his signature smirk, though Shelby looked serious. More serious than she usually was, something had to be wrong. “What’s going on?”
“Riley and Tyler are out fighting a monster alone, and from what Tyler just told me, Riley got pretty damaged.” Shelby explained, Chase’s eyes widened at the mention of Riley and quickly grabbed his skateboard and helmet, rushing off. “Chase! Wait for me!” He didn’t. He skated as fast as he could, hoping he could get there in time. When he came around a corner, he stopped in shock. Riley was on the ground, and Tyler was fiercely battling Fury. Chase rushed over to Riley, propping Riley’s head against his leg.
“Yo! Ri, you alright?” Riley didn’t respond. Chase swallowed thickly, “Ri, come on…wake up,” still, no response. “Tyler! What happened?!” Chase asked desperately, Tyler knocked Fury back and turned.
“It’s alright! He’s not hurt badly, a monster put some sort of spell on him that’s keeping him asleep,” Tyler said, quickly turning back to fight with Fury. Chase sighed in relief, Riley was alright, just under a…
“Wait, did you say a monster put a spell on him?”
“Yes, do you need a double confirmation?” Tyler said a bit angrily, not turning to face him. Chase looked around, but the only monster was Fury.
“Where did it go?”
“Dunno!” Tyler knocked Fury back again, landing a strike on his torso. Fury growled, looking ready to strike again. Before he could swing, the sound of a flute floated through the air, causing Tyler to collapse to the ground. Fury chuckled with triumph and took the opportunity to retreat.
“Tyler!” Chase crawled over to him, gently shaking the red ranger, not even a groan in response. Just like Riley. He rubbed his chin in thought, if that flute sound was what knocked both Riley and Tyler out, how come it didn’t knock him out? He heard it too. He groaned, Riley was the one who was good at this stuff. He needed to get them back to base first, then the others could help him figure this out. Gently, he hoisted both Riley and Tyler over his shoulders, slowly walking back to base.
Hours later, Riley and Tyler were still asleep. Chase nervously waited by Riley, removing his jacket and laying it over him. He sighed, bouncing his leg.
“It’ll be alright Chase, we’ll find that monster and reverse this,” Shelby reassured, patting his shoulder.
“I dunno Shelbs, we’ve never dealt with something like this…”
“Well, we’re rangers, we adapt, and we kick butt!” She shouted happily, and he couldn’t help but smile. She always knew how to cheer everyone up, even if it wasn’t always on purpose. He gently rubbed the energem around his neck, thinking.
“So, this monster uses music to put us to sleep…”
“And the sleep seems to be long-lasting,”
“So we should have something to block out noise!” He stood up, rushing to his bag and rummaging through it. He pulled out some earplugs, tossing them to Shelby.
“Of course!” She grinned, “Great thinking Chase.” He nodded, placing them into his ears.
“Let’s go beat a musician!”
“What?”
“Let’s go!” He ran out of the base, gesturing for Shelby to follow, they both ran to the earlier fight scene, searching around for clues. There was nothing…besides Chase’s skateboard and helmet. He quickly grabbed them, tucking his helmet under his arm. Shelby gestured for him to come to her, and he obliged.
“Chase, look!” She said, pointing to a small piece of pottery. He picked it up and turned it over, intrigued. “Seems like our monster is made of porcelain,” Shelby said with a smirk.
“Which means…”
“It can be shattered!” They said in sync, a matching triumphant grin on their faces. They stood up, looking around for any more shards of porcelain. They kept finding more and more, the pieces forming a trail to an empty warehouse. Chase shuddered, getting faint flashbacks to Spellbinder. They approached carefully, drawing out their blasters. Chase entered first, pointing his blaster at the monster.
“Gotcha!” He said, the monster frowned, playing its flute. The sound seemed stronger than before, loud enough to pierce through the earplugs. He felt his eyelids droop, and his muscles went lax. He tried to fight through it, but his body no longer listened, it was enchanted by the music of the flute. He blinked rapidly, desperate to not fall asleep, he needed to save Riley. He had to save Riley.
“Chase!” He heard Shelby crying out for him, then nothing. Everything went dark. Chase was numb, he could sense nothing. It was as if he was in a void, a limbo. He was there, and he wasn’t.
“Chase…” A voice was calling him, but whose? “Chase…” It seemed to be getting louder. It sounded familiar, but he couldn’t quite place it.
“Chase!” He opened his eyes, sitting up in surprise.
“What in the…” He looked around him, he was on a beach, one he recognized. But it was impossible for him to be here. Someone tapped him on the shoulder, and he was surprised to see Riley, up and well, smiling at him.
“Hey hotshot, you fell asleep.” Riley said, laughing a little. Chase chuckled.
“Ah, I did? Sorry mate, the beach always relaxes me. Especially the ones in New Zealand.” He said, rubbing his neck. Riley nodded, patting his shoulder gently. Chase blushed a little from the contact, looking over to his left. Shelby was asleep on her stomach next to him, clearly sunbathing. He stared back out at the water, the movement of the waves made his eye droop, and he was close to drifting off again before Riley gently shook him.
“Hey, don’t fall asleep on me again hotshot. You still need your sunscreen,” Riley said, smirking. Chase nodded, taking the sunscreen bottle from Riley and starting to apply it all over his torso and legs. “Want me to do your back?”
“Oh, sure.” He handed the bottle to Riley, and let him do the rest. Riley gently rubbed the sunscreen all over Chase’s back, making sure to cover every last inch. Chase leaned into his touch, his cheeks turning slightly pink. He never thought he would enjoy this so much. Riley moved on from Chase’s back to his sides and under his arms, lingering a bit on his right bicep. “Something wrong?”
“Oh, no. Just admiring these tattoos,” Riley smiled, gesturing to the swirl of symbols on his bicep.
“Oh! Yeah, those,”
“What made you wanna get them?” Riley asked, continuing to rub sunscreen over his skin. Chase smiled.
“I wanted a reminder of all the monsters we’ve defeated, kinda as a little keepsake from being a ranger,” He said, chuckling, and Riley chuckled too. Eventually, Riley stopped applying the sunscreen and put away the bottle, moving to sit next to him. Chase stared out at the water, smiling to himself. After so many weeks of fighting, it was nice to have a moment of peace with his friends. He leaned back on his hands, feeling the cool sea breeze on his skin. The slowly forward and back motion of the waves calmed him, putting his mind at ease. Worries about the flute-playing monster drifted from his mind, as he enjoyed a moment of quiet. Quiet. That’s what he needed. The sun drifted down the sky, painting the horizon with different hues. Orange, pink, and even just a small tinge of purple. Riley hummed a song Chase recognized, his favorite song. “Since when did you like that song?”
“Ever since I learned it was your favorite,” Riley smiled softly, turning to face him. Chase felt his face heat up and grinned goofily.
“Aw, you care for me that much mate?” He teased, nudging Riley with his arm. Riley rolled his eyes, but a smirk rested on his face. “It’s getting dark, think we should pack up?”
“Definitely, it can be dangerous to walk the beach at night,” Riley said, standing up, “Wake up Shelby please, I’ll pack.”
Chase gently shook his friend, “Yo, Shelbs, wakey wakey,” Shelby groaned and glared at him sleepily, he gave her a smirk. “You’ve been sleeping for several hours,”
“Yeah, yeah…” She muttered, pushing herself off the towel. With Shelby awake, he went to help Riley with packing up. They finished in only a few minutes, him and Riley taking the lead while Shelby trailed behind, still groggy.
“So, where are we staying again?” He asked, Riley chuckled.
“Honestly, can you not keep something in your brain for more than an hour?” He teased, Chase shrugged in response. “We’re staying at your place remember? You bought it a few months ago,” That made Chase stop. When did he buy a place in New Zealand? Faint memories flashed in his mind, and he blinked. “You alright Chase?” Riley frowned, concern lining his face. Chase stared at him for a bit, his face faintly turning pink. He shook his head, blinking a little.
“Yeah, I’m alright mate. Just a bit groggy,” Riley raised an eyebrow at that, he was always so logical. Sometimes he wondered if he could really ever hide anything from him. Those green eyes were always calculating something, whether it be directions and paths, or the best decision to make or thing to say. It was one of the things Chase loved about Riley. He blinked again. Did he just use “loved” and “Riley” in the same sentence? His face heated up, and he looked away from the observant gaze of Riley. God, he was so obvious! Riley probably already knew. “L-let’s head inside!” He said quickly, rushing to the door of his house. He tried to open the door, only to be met with resistance. He turned back to Riley, who was holding the keys with a smirk.
“You gave them to me, remember hotshot?” Riley walked up to the door, followed by a very tired Shelby. He unlocked the door, pulling it open. Chase walked inside and stopped near the threshold, amazed at the interior.
“Woah…”
“Yeah, it still amazes me sometimes. Can’t believe you had enough money to get this,” Riley said, setting the bags down. Shelby wobbled a little, stumbling over to the couch and collapsing onto it.
“Welp, guess we know where Shelbs is sleeping,” Chase grinned, Riley laughed and punched his shoulder.
“Speaking of sleeping arrangements, am I still sleeping with you?” Riley asked, completely casually. Chase turned red and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
“W-why were you sleeping with me again…?”
“Well, despite the size of this place, it only really has two furnished bedrooms, the other two don’t have any beds. Shelby immediately claimed her own room and you offered for me to sleep in your bed,” Riley said, a pink tinge appearing on his cheeks. Chase nodded slowly, his mind flooded with thoughts of sleeping with Riley. How close to cuddling could he get? Would Riley mind? “Chase?”
He blinked, “Huh? Yeah mate?”
“You spaced out again.”
“Oh, sorry Ri,” He chuckled, “Uh, to answer your question, yeah, I’m pretty sure you’re still sleeping with me.
Riley nodded and smiled a little, “Alright. Let’s wash up and then head to bed,” Riley walked off to the bathroom, Chase staring after him. What was going on with his brain? He never usually thought this stuff about Riley. Maybe he really did have a crush on Riley. He groaned, Shelby was right, as usual. He walked to the bathroom, quickly brushing his teeth and washing his face. His thoughts remained on Riley, even as he walked to his bedroom. That he was going to have to share with the guy he was crushing on. How was he going to do this? He’s never slept in the same bed with someone he’s loved before. He and his past girlfriends never really got to that level, since either he or they broke it off pretty early on in the relationship.
“Hey hotshot, you’re blocking the doorway,” Riley said, causing Chase to jump in surprise, “Sorry.”
“It’s alright,” Chase looked away from his friend’s face, anxious that any amount of blush would signal his crush to Riley. He swiftly moved to his dresser, pulling out some shorts and quickly changed them out for his swim trunks. He turned, and saw Riley, still in the doorway and staring at him. A little confused, he went to make a quip, and then saw the red in his cheeks. He stopped. Did Riley like him back? “Hey, you alright mate?”
Riley blinked and smiled, “Yep, I’m all good.”
“Good,” Chase nodded and moved over to the bed, climbing in, Riley did the same. Their gazes met, suddenly the room felt warmer, as if the simple action of looking at Riley ignited a small flame inside him. He smiled wide. Riley smiled as well, and Chase seemed to melt from it. Riley moved closer, closing the space between them. Their lips met, and Chase melted into Riley, an overwhelming feeling of joy overtaking him. It felt more than right, it felt perfect. He pulled away, breathless, and flashed Riley a smirk, who gave him one right back. “I love you,” He heard himself utter, Riley’s eyes widened before softening.
“I love you too hotshot,” And like that, they were in each other’s arms, listening to each other’s breathing as the night grew darker. Chase slowly drifted off, hearing nothing but Riley’s rhythmic breathing.
Chase…
There was that voice again.
Chase…
Where was it coming from?
“Chase!” He shot up, looking around wildly. Light gray walls looked back at him, covered in band posters. “Morning hotshot, are you doing alright?”
He rubbed his eyes, “Yeah, I am. Why do you ask?”
“You were sweating in your sleep, and kept uttering your own name,” Riley said, a concerned frown on his lips. Chase felt the urge to kiss it away, and did just that. Riley was surprised, but returned the kiss after only a moment’s hesitation. He was loving every second he spent with Riley, but something still felt off. Where were the other rangers?
“Yo, Ri, do you-” He suddenly stopped and stared. Whoever he thought was Riley…certainly wasn’t. Laying in Riley’s place was a twisted amalgamation, dripping with black goo. He shouted in surprise and tumbled out of the bed, moving backwards.
“What’s wrong, hotshot?” The thing said, in a distorted version of Riley’s voice. Chase quickly got to his feet, running towards the door. He wrenched it open, dashing out. His heart thumped in his ears blocking out whatever the monster was saying. What had happened to Riley? Was that…that thing always Riley?! Suddenly, everything around him went dark. No light, no sound.
“Chase!” He heard someone shout, and it sounded familiar. But in his panic he couldn’t tell who it came from. He ran around the dark void, trying to find any way out. His foot slipped, and he started falling. He closed his eyes, bracing for impact…but it never came. He slowly opened his eyes, in front of him wasn’t pitch black, but the ceiling of the dino lab. The ranger headquarters. He shot up, looking around, wary that this was another dream. Shelby was standing over him, looking relieved. “Thank god, you’re awake.”
“What…what happened?”
“That flute playing monster put you to sleep, thankfully you all woke up once the flute was destroyed. Along with the monster,” Shelby explained, patting his shoulder.
“Wait, all three of us? You mean–”
Shelby grinned, “Yup, he’s awake.” Chase hurried off of his cot, looking around. He caught a flash of green and immediately ran towards it, bringing Riley into a tight surprise hug.
“Ah! Oh, it’s just you Chase,” Riley laughed, and Chase’s heart swelled. His laugh was so warm and genuine, he wanted to hear it more.
“I was so worried about you,” He muttered.
“I know you were,” Riley responded, gently rubbing his back. Chase blushed faintly, enjoying the contact. Though the dream ended up being fake, there was one thing that wasn’t. His feelings for Riley. As they hugged, Chase considered confessing, but he felt it was better to wait for a bit. Let himself recover from that dream-turned-nightmare. So instead, he just enjoyed being in Riley’s arms. Him and the team were finally able to enjoy some amount of peace. And Chase would be spending it with Riley every chance he could.