Chapter Text
One more time.
Sweat drips down his back, soaking his t-shirt. There’s a strand of hair that curls in the front, flopping pathetically against his forehead every time he moves. His cheeks flush bright red from exertion and his muscles ache in a familiar way that reminds him of hours spent practicing drills under the hot California sun.
Turn, block, twist, slash.
Use both hands for a more controlled strike.
Again.
His lungs burn and his knee is starting to twinge uncomfortably but one more round won’t kill him.
“⸺ Time for a break, don’t you think?” Zack’s voice cuts loud and clear above the music playing in the background.
He skids to a halt, the blade shuddering with the force of the blocked hit. He can feel it vibrate all the way down his arms to his sweaty fingers. “Cut simulation.” The opponent he’d been facing, some alien creature armed with a big axe, disintegrates as the training program ends and the lights brighten in the Pit.
Zack pauses the music, watching from the sidelines. “Alpha said you’ve been at it for two hours.”
Chest heaving, he licks his dry lips. Slowly, the red armor retracts, leaving blossoming bruises behind. “Yeah?” He uses the sword as extra support, leaning on it as he walks over to his abandoned water bottle. His throat is parched but he drinks the water at a pace, trying not to choke. “Time flies, I guess.”
One eyebrow goes up, and from the corner of his eye, he can see Zack taking in the view. His face is already red, so it’s not like it matters, but he’s still not used to being seen that way— like something precious and desirable. “You could’ve invited me if you were planning to get down and dirty.”
“Sorry,” one shoulder goes up in a half shrug. “Maybe next time.” Except that this is different. Training with the others is one thing, but learning how to properly wield a sword is a private project of sorts. “What’re you doing here anyway?”
Zack huffs, each step measured and deliberate as he gets closer. “Well, y’see.. I kept texting my boyfriend to see if he wanted to go out, but he wasn’t answering any of my texts.” Jason glances over at the phone before offering an apologetic look. “I was thinking about dinner— that new burger joint that just opened up?”
“Can I get five to take a quick shower?”
Zack grins sharply, a hand reaching out to pull Jason closer by the front of the soaked t-shirt. “Maybe I like you like this, all sweaty,” he presses a kiss against the blond’s jawline and Jason inhales sharply. “And dirty,” another kiss, on the side of his neck. Jason’s hands drop to rest on Zack’s waist, just holding him loosely. “And panting—” his teeth graze against an earlobe and Jason squirms, one shoulder going up to block him.
“— And disgustingly smelly? C’mon,” he shakes his head, face brighter than before. “Also,” he adds, with a quick embarrassed glance to the ceiling. “Not here.”
Zordon hasn’t shared any rules against fraternization but why risk it.
“Fine,” Zack sighs, disappointed, as he steps back so Jason can grab his stuff. “C’mon, baby boy,” his hand opens and closes in a needy gesture to hold hands.
Jason rolls his eyes, face scrunching up. “Don’t call me that.”
Zack smirks, “Stud - muffin?”
“That is even worse.”
“How about—”
“Shut up, Z,” Jason shakes his head, interlocking their fingers to pull him close enough for a proper kiss before teleporting.
* * *
“So I’ve been thinking,” he starts, dousing his fries with ketchup. “Horror movie marathon for Halloween.”
It’s a testament to the resilience of mankind. It’s only been a little over two months since the Encounter, but the city has reached a new level of normalcy. Some places are still under reconstruction, but the Power Rangers had done a lot of the heavy lifting those first few weeks.
Except for the new development of space monsters attacking every other week, their shitty little town was almost back to the way it used to be.
Jason slouches on the seat across from Zack, muscles protesting the earlier intense workout. He’s enjoying the Hell out of a strawberry milkshake and considering the proposal. He’s not hugely into horror, but their relationship is so brand new that he’s trying hard to please and avoid little disagreements. “I gotta take Pearl trick or treating after school.” It’s been the same way for the last three years in a row, and he doubts that the ankle monitor of this year will make a difference.
“Oh.. do you want me to come with you guys?” Zack leans over, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “We could do couples costumes."
“Kinda old to be dressing up, don’t you think?”
“Aw, no. C’mon, Red! It’ll be fun.”
“Dude, it’s just candy, for kids. We’re not kids.”
“I meaaan— I like candy.”
“I’m not dressing up. I’ve been the laughing stock of the town for weeks. Hard pass on that again.”
Zack sombers up, hand immediately reaching out to find Jason’s. He rubs a thumb across his knuckles, squeezing in a comforting manner. “Hey, fuck whatever they say about you. You’re too cool for this town.”
Jason appreciates the effort but his shoulders still slump down, mood dampened by the ugly reminder. Aliens might’ve been the hot gossip for a while, but some people still looked at him like he was a shitstain on the Earth. Not to mention the football team at school and their new quarterback, who loved to talk shit behind his back.
“Movies after trick or treating?” Zack asks, trying to salvage the mood. It’s hard, Jason has a nasty habit of getting into his head with some stuff and Zack’s still learning how to drag him out of it.
He doesn’t answer right away, and just as Zack is starting to think it’ll be a no, he replies, “Sure, I guess.”
Well, it’s technically not a no.
“Do you.. wanna invite the others? We could do a team building hangout.” Truth be told, Zack wanted it to be a private affair but maybe the other would feel more comfortable in a group setting.
Jason shakes his head and then groans, frustrated with himself, “No, sorry— it’s fine. I just gotta put Pearl to bed and then we can chill.”
Zack lets go, leaning back upright so he can keep devouring his fries. “Cool, I already have some great options.”
“That doesn’t surprise me.”
“What? I like being prepared!”
“Don’t forget we got detention Saturday morning.”
“You guys have detention,” Zack grins smugly. He’s only maybe purposely gotten in trouble once or twice so he can be there with the others, but he has more important things to do than spend Saturday mornings in detention. “My condolences, baby.”
“You know what will be the real horror story? The day Rita attacks while we’re in detention.”
Or in school, which hadn’t happened yet but it was only a matter of time. Surely, if she was trying to be smart about it, she’ll try to get them when they are at their most vulnerable or indisposed.
“Don’t give her ideas, dude!”
“I’m just saying.. statistically, it’s bound to happen sooner or later.”
They should put up a notice board back at the Ship.
It’s been [ insert number ] days since the last alien attack.
“Do you think she ever does it on purpose, like, is she spying on us?”
Jason hums thoughtfully; that is a terrifying concept. So far, it’s been mostly at night. Sometimes during the afternoon, but the attacks haven’t really interfered with anything important. “Like with a huge telescope, from wherever the Hell she is on the moon?”
Zack shudders, “Gross. I don’t want her looking at me.”
Jason’s about to tease him about it when his phone vibrates. He drags it out of a pocket, unlocking to go over the text just received. Zack’s eyebrow goes up, a silent question about it that gets answered quickly, “Billy. He’s got something to show us.”
“Us, or you?”
“Us— wait, is that weird? Are we an us now? Is he expecting us to hang out all the time?”
“Maybe Billy is also spying on us,” Zack whispers conspiratorially, eyes comically wide.
Jason dismisses it immediately, “Not Billy, he’s way too nice to do that.”
“Hold up, the same Billy who created these things,” Zack lifts his arm, waving his wrist with the communicator. “Friendly reminder, babe.. they got GPS. He knows exactly where we are.”
Jason looks less convinced of Billy’s purity and innocence. “You know what, I trust him with that information. Finish up, I’m telling him we’ll be there in a few.”
Zack leans over the edge of the table, “He probably already knows!”