Purple

Can I Have This Dance?

Rita was defeated. All was quiet. For now. She did say that someone would always come for the Zeo Crystal. And they supposed someone eventually would. But for now things were...

Boring.

At least they were all friends now. Passing notes in detention like some sort of secret Breakfast Club . But even within their ranks they had their own subgroups. And nobody quite got Jason like Billy. Which was weird because they seemingly had nothing in common. Jason was a jock, Billy was a nerd. Jason preferred rock music whereas Billy enjoyed classic country. Even their skin tones were opposite sides of the grid. And yet Jason never quite felt complete without Billy by his side.

They were best friends. Best friends. Maybe... more?

No. Best friends.

Still, they had so much free time now that they didn't have to focus on protecting the local donut shop from space aliens. So tonight they just sat by the edge of the quarry on the edge of the bed of Jason's red Ford Ranger (heh... destiny amiright?) and gazed out across the town. It was quiet. Gloomy. There were still construction cranes everywhere with half finished buildings decorating the skyline. One thing nobody ever talks about in the aftermath of giant monster attacks in the movies is just how long it takes to rebuild. It likely wouldn't be done for a few years, but really if what Rita said was correct, maybe they should just build... elsewhere. They couldn't exactly tell people that space aliens would wreck downtown again to get to the magical crystal underground and they knew this because they were the Power Rangers . All they could do was stay vigilant. And nobody he knew was more vigilant than...

"Dammit!" Billy called out in frustration as he spilled the box of toothpicks he'd fetched from under the passenger seat of Jason's truck.

"I'd gotten all the way up to 54. This is... I have to... I have to recount." Billy said in frustration. Jason peered over his shoulder and pouted his lips, shaking his head.

"The box said there were 75 in there, champ. Never opened them before you found them so I'd say it's a safe bet..."

"But you don't know that Jason. Factories make defects all the time. I have to... I have to recount to be sure." Billy pursed his lips in frustration. Jason just laughed and gazed at him a moment as he watched him fetch up the little wooden sticks in his hand. Billy had picked the station they played in the background. Some old country ballad came on, something maybe from the 60's or 70's. It was just enough to sway to.

So Jason made a choice.

"Put those down a minute." He said. Billy just looked at him in confusion, eyebrows piqued.

"I have to figure this out, Jason."

"Okay. Tell you what, put those down and come here..." He said, slipping off the back of the truck and holding out his hand.

"...And I'll let you count them after. I'll help even."

Billy chewed his full lower lip for half a second, then stared at the toothpicks in his hand before sighing and laying them gently next to their container. Then he slipped off the back of the truck.

"So... what did you want?"

Jason smirked and grabbed his hand and his waist. Billy went wide eyed for a moment and looked down at their sneakers.

"Can I have this dance?" Jason gave him a cheeky grin. Billy's brown eyes were still wide in wonder before his cheeks turned notably brighter.

"Uh-uhm... y-yeah?" Billy said, clasping his fingers together with Jason's, their hands a perfect mixture of dark and light. They swayed to the music and Jason pulled him close enough to where Billy had no choice but to lay his head on the other boy's chest, listening to his heart beat. Subconsciously, he started counting the seconds between beats, but winced as he tried to stop it. He realized he was just distracting himself from the moment. Still, he couldn't help but notice that Jason's heart seemed to beat a little faster now that he was close.

The two were silent as they danced. Closed their eyes even. It was hard enough to know what to say, so they just appreciated their time together. A few short moments that felt magical. But suddenly the song shifted to something more upbeat. Billy started to pull away but Jason kept his grip on him.

"The song's over." Billy said, nodding to the truck as if to add to his point. Jason just gave him a smile and shrugged.

"Maybe. But we can pretend it's not." He said, repositioning his hands, this time on Billy's back as they swayed to music that did not at all match their movements. This time they looked at each other. Actually paid attention to what was going on behind the other's eyes. And as if by some magnetic force started leaning toward each other.

Their lips touched. Billy's heart fluttered. Explosions even.

No wait.

"Fuck an explosion!" Jason pulled his head from Billy's as they looked at a large fireball in the skyline across town. Something crazy was going down. He looked back at Billy for a moment, giving a half smirk before pulling away and heading to the truck.

"Guess that's back to action."