a_to_z_prompts fic: "Compatability", gen, Sky/Dru smex, NC-17
Title: Compatability
Author: Mary (shurimon & shurifanstuffs on Livejournal)
Fandom: Power Rangers S.P.D.
Letter: I for Inn
Rating: NC-17
Summary: A pre-series fic. Sky tries to deal with the fact that his two best friends, Bridge and Dru, don't like each other while the squad is on a weekend retreat.
Disclaimer/Author's Notes/Spoiler Warning: Brief M/M sex scene. Takes place in the same universe as Tested, Impressions and Grief. I don't own the characters and make no claim to.
Sky tried as hard as he could, but he couldn't hide the fact that he was looking forward to the weekend retreat he and his squad had been granted as a reward for their good performance since joining S.P.D. (his own kidnapping and the botched rescue attempt by his friends a few weeks before notwithstanding, of course). He attempted to be nonchalant about it, as he often did about everything during his everyday life now, but could barely hide his grin as he and his best friend Dru packed to go, dressed in civilian clothing. Even the fact that they would of course be supervised couldn't dampen his spirits much.
"It's alright to be excited," Dru informed him with a sly wink when he caught Sky determinedly pursing his lips together, trying hard not to smile. "I don't know what's happened to you lately. You're always so serious. This is meant to be relaxing for all of us; have a little fun."
"I'm training to be a Ranger," Sky said, frowning at him. "Once I am, I'm not going to have moments like these... ever."
"So enjoy them while you can," Dru said, rolling his eyes. "And even the Rangers relax and let loose once in a while, you know." Sky sighed and shook his head, thinking that he wouldn't understand. He'd just zipped his bag shut when Dru asked abruptly, "Bridge isn't coming with us, is he?"
"Yeah, he is," Sky said slowly, furrowing his eyebrows and turning to look at him. "Why wouldn't he? He's on our squad, after all."
"I know, I know," said Dru dismissively. "I was just thinking... never mind." Sky came over and grabbed his arm.
"What's the matter?" he wanted to know, and Dru snorted, tugging his arm out of Sky's grasp. "... Alright, I know you don't like Bridge..."
"...and the feeling is quite mutual, I assure you."
"...but you guys have got to cut this out. He's a decent guy, and so are you. I'm sure if you just sat down and talked, you would-"
"How can we talk when you can't even hold a normal conversation with him?" Dru interrupted. "I don't have the patience to try and get the one sentence of meaning out of him whenever he starts rambling on and on about nothing. I don't understand how you can tolerate it, either. Why are you coming to his defense, anyway? You make fun of him a lot- both in front of and behind his back." Sky felt a huge stab of guilt at that statement, but it was mostly lost in the anger rising within him. He took a deep breath to calm himself before saying,
"Look. Despite what it might appear to you, he's my closest friend here behind you. I know I make fun of him a lot, and yes, he can be annoying, but he's a good person. He risked his career here- and his life- to look for me and save me when I got kidnapped. It's kind of hard to not feel close to him after that, you know? I care about both of you, and I'd like for you guys to get along- especially because not doing that will cause us a lot of problems down the line. Nip it in the bud now, or else we could end up getting separated because it seems like we're not compatible."
"Alright. For you, I'll try and get along with him," Dru mumbled. Sky nodded with satisfaction, hoping that would be the end of it. The two picked up their bags, exiting their room to find Bridge waiting for them. Dru, in spite of his reassurances to Sky, stalked off toward the base's entrance without a word to the other boy. Sky hung back to talk to Bridge, who looked nervous.
"Something bothering you?" he asked.
"Dru," said Bridge, staring at his back. "I can tell he's not happy that I'm staying with you guys. Maybe I should ask Officer Flendon about getting a different room for the weekend-"
"No, you won't," said Sky firmly. "Dru promised he'd try and get along with you better." Bridge, however, looked uncertain. "...He will. I know he will. You guys worked together just fine when you were searching for me that time... what happened?"
"Sky, he doesn't like me," Bridge replied simply. "I know we did do that, but ever since then he's been cold to me. I've tried being friendly to him, but he barely pays attention to me no matter how I act. So I've kinda given up." Sky held out an arm, stopping Bridge, and the two stood well out of earshot of Dru to continue their conversation.
"How do you feel about him?" Sky wanted to know, and Bridge looked down.
"...If you want me to be honest... I don't really like him, either," he confessed. "I just get this... this feeling from him that makes me uncomfortable. I don't really know what it is. He's not nice to me- I mean, a lot of the time you're not really nice to me, either, but I can tell you still like me in spite of it. I don't get that from him." Sky stopped for a moment to gape, wondering how Bridge could know all that, and wondering whether any of it was even true before he said,
"Bridge... I told him this, and I'm telling you. Try and work things out, please. I care about both of you, and it's hard to be friends and work in such close proximity with you guys if you don't even make an effort to be nice to each other." Bridge blew a long sigh out of his nose.
"Alright. I'll keep trying... but you might just have to learn to deal with it. I have. I'm used to people not liking me, anyway."
Sky watched him walk out the door after that statement, feeling awkward and confused.
* * *
Their retreat was at a small inn in a secluded spot in the mountains. It was beautiful, Sky thought, taking a moment to lean out the window of their room, breathe in the (relatively) fresh air and enjoy the scenery once they'd gotten checked in. When he pulled himself back in, he saw that Bridge had begun to pull his laptop from its case, along with some unknown electronics parts. Dru came up to Sky and said in a low voice,
"Let's get out of this room and go swimming. There's a lake on the property, I saw a map on the wall when we came in."
"Great idea," Sky murmured back, then said loudly and pointedly, "Hey, Bridge, come swimming with us."
"In a while," he replied cheerfully, not even looking up from his work. "You guys go ahead, I'm going to try and get a wireless signal. It's doubtful that I can pick up a usable one out here, but still..." Sky nudged Dru, who now wore a sour expression, in the ribs with his elbow. Dru shot him a glare, then said (with fake politeness that Sky easily detected),
"Come on, Bridge. I thought one of the reasons we came out here was to get away from the electronics?"
"You never know when you're going to need to have Internet access," said Bridge. "...That and Officer Flendon ordered me to try. Well, not so much 'ordered' as 'asked really nicely', but I still hate to refuse to do something my commanding officer asks me to do, especially when he's so polite-"
"Alright, alright, we get the point," Dru interrupted, and Sky felt his anger flare again when Bridge glanced back at them, obviously hurt, and bent back over his work without another word. However, Sky didn't confront Dru about it until the two of them had put their swimsuits on and were out in the hallway, where he backed his friend against the wall, nostrils flaring.
"You told me you were going to try and be nicer to him," he snapped, and Dru, seeming quite taken aback at his reaction, merely stared back. "What is your problem with him?"
"Well..." Dru chewed his lip, then his expression changed- Sky swallowed hard when Dru pulled him close, lightly kissed his jawline. "Ever since he decided to tag along after us, we've hardly had any time together... alone... just the two of us. It feels so different now. I miss that. I miss what we had before he butted in on our relationship..." Sky backed away when Dru's hand brushed his crotch, a different, pleasurable sensation rising within him now.
"Not here," he mumbled. "This... this isn't really the time..." Dru gave a seductive smile in return, and the two started their trek toward the lake again, Sky trying to discern some sort of meaning from what had just happened. He and Dru had screwed around several times- stupid stuff, like rubbing and grinding, kissing, jerking off for one anothers' benefit- but Sky couldn't understand why Bridge's friendship with them would change that. After all, it wasn't like he lived with them...
Did Dru see Bridge as a threat to their relationship? he wondered. Was that why he seemed so determined to not like him?
No, he's not that petty, Sky told himself firmly, but once the idea had entered into his head, he couldn't banish it. It would explain a lot, he had to concede. Once they'd reached their destination, Sky watched, feeling troubled now, as Dru kicked off his shoes, then took his shirt off, stretched, and waded into the lake. There didn't seem to be another soul around... maybe that was a good thing. Maybe this was the perfect time to talk about his worries, get whatever he was holding in out into the open, when they couldn't be overheard-
"It feels good," he informed Sky. "... Want to get in here with me and make it warmer?" Sky hovered for a moment, knowing he shouldn't be giving in... then he realized that doing this might put Dru in a better mood, and he found that he really wanted it. The two waded out until they were about waist deep... then Dru's hands were on Sky's hips, pushing down his swimming trunks-
All thoughts about Bridge and Dru and not getting along were gone the second Dru's hand closed around his cock, feeling the length and girth, stroking it a few times to get him up. Though the day and the water were quite warm, Sky shivered over and over with pleasure when Dru began to jerk him off. Dru smiled and leaned in to kiss and suck on Sky's neck, his favorite spot. Sky tilted Dru's head up and gave him a heated, passionate kiss while he continued to jerk him off. As usual it wasn't very long before Sky felt his eyes rolling back into his head, felt the rush of his orgasm approaching-
"BANZAAAAAIIII!" Sky and Dru pulled away from each other as though they'd been scalded, Sky hastily pulling his trunks back on just as Officer Flendon took a running leap into the lake, tucking himself into a cannonball before he splashed down. "Whooo," he crowed when he emerged, spitting water and shaking himself off like a dog. "Why're you looking so glum, boys?" he asked. "Wanted this all to yourself, did you? Without your old instructor keeping his eye on you so you can't misbehave?"
"Of course not, sir," said Sky, forcing himself to smile. "You just... surprised us, that's all."
"Yeah, we weren't expecting anyone else," said Dru, with an equally-false smile. "... Come on, Sky, let's race."
"Good idea."
"I get to race the winner!" Flendon cheerfully called after them, floating contentedly on his back as Sky and Dru swum away.
"You don't think he saw us, did you?" Dru hissed.
"God, I hope not," Sky groaned. "Damnit, we shouldn't be doing that kind of stuff, anyway... it's against regulations, and if we do get caught..."
"... We won't. We'll just have to be more careful," Dru said firmly. "...Want to find a private little corner and finish off?"
"No. I'm not in the mood anymore," Sky mumbled. "Let's go." Dru treaded water for a brief moment, looking disappointed before he took off after him.
* * *
Bridge never ended up showing up to swim with the others, which worried Sky. They came back to their room at the inn to find their suite empty, and Bridge's computer asleep, indicating that he'd left it a while ago. He only showed back up at dinnertime, where he picked at his meal and made forced conversation with Sky and Dru before getting up and leaving again. Sky caught Dru giving a satisfied smirk, which he tried too late to hide as soon as he saw Sky looking. Excusing himself, Sky went to find Bridge, letting himself into their suite to find his friend hunched over his laptop, writing in what appeared to be an online journal.
"Bridge?" Sky asked quietly.
"Yeah?" Bridge said, without turning.
"What's the matter? You never showed up at the lake, and you seem upset about something." Bridge looked back at Sky and opened his mouth to speak, then shut it and shook his head.
"It's nothing, Sky. Honestly. ...Thanks for your concern, though."
"Alright," said Sky dubiously. He stepped out into the hallway and leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes with a sigh, at a loss of what to do. He had no idea what could have happened to Bridge... or how to make he and Dru stop being idiots and get along. Finally, he sought out Officer Flendon and asked to talk with him privately, thinking his instructor's age and experience might be able to help.
"Yeah, I got that feeling, too," Flendon said, nodding sagely as soon as Sky had explained his concerns.
"What do you think I should say to them?" Sky asked. "I'm about at my wits' end- there's really no reason for them to not get along, and I'm afraid that if it keeps up, we're going to be separated as soon as we move up in rank. I don't want to lose either of them..."
"I know you're not going to want to hear this... but I don't think there's a whole lot you can do, buddy," Flendon said quietly, putting a hand on Sky's shoulder. "Sometimes people just aren't compatible; sounds like that's the deal in this situation, and if it is, nothing you do is going to force them to be friends. In fact, trying to force it will likely make their relationship worse. I know it's got to be frustrating for you to be caught in the middle like you are, and I know you care deeply about both of them, but if it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be. As far as being separated, I don't think you need to worry too much about that, as long as this doesn't affect your professional lives, as it hasn't yet." He squeezed Sky's shoulder when he looked down, defeated. "I'll try and talk to both of them, at least, alright? Maybe I'm wrong."
"Thank you, sir," Sky smiled. "Good luck."
* * *
However, as the weekend went on, neither Sky nor Flendon could bring Bridge and Dru together. They seemed to have reached a silent agreement to simply not speak to one another unless they had to, which left Sky feeling even more frustrated, more than he thought he would be if they were just flat-out arguing. Neither of them would discuss the issue when Sky brought it up with them, either. Sky half wondered if perhaps they'd gotten into an argument at some point; whatever the case, it drained the fun out of the rest of their retreat, and it was an awkward van ride back to S.P.D. when it was all over. When he and Dru had gone back to their room to unpack, the second the door had shut, Dru went up behind Sky, placing his hands on his hips, standing on tiptoe to kiss and suck on the back of the taller boy's neck. Sky let out a gasp, then turned around and shook his head, gently pushing him away.
"No, Dru. I don't want that right now."
"Why not?" Dru asked, looking disappointed. "I thought that since we're finally alone again, we could-" His lip curled at the expression on Sky's face. "Oh. I get it. You're mad at me because I didn't spend the weekend being nice to Bridge."
"Yup."
"Sky... forget about him. Please? I want nothing more than for it to be just you and me again. He'll find other friends here... he doesn't need us." Sky felt his hands balling into fists, felt himself go hot with anger, especially when he remembered what Bridge had said about being used to people not liking him-
"Screw you," Sky said quietly, stomping out of the room.
"... Sky, wait! I'm sorry!" Dru called, starting to go after him, but Sky turned and made a force field near the door, silently indicating that he didn't want to be followed. He barely paid attention to where he was going, nearly colliding with several people until he'd calmed down enough to find someplace quiet to brood, sitting cross-legged on the edge of the fountain outside the main entrance and watching life go by for a long while.
He could tell now that Officer Flendon was right- that there was nothing that he, Sky, could do to make his best friends get along, especially with Dru's attitude.
"...Sky?" Sky turned his head away when Dru sat down next to him. "I'm sure you don't want to talk to me, and you have every right to be angry with me, but... I meant it when I said I'm sorry. That was totally out-of-line for me to say." Sky sighed heavily, but didn't reply. "Still mad, huh?" He nodded. "You want me to leave?" He nodded again, and only looked where Dru had been sitting when his footsteps retreated. He then spotted Bridge walking toward him, playing with a strap on one of his gloves and looking pained about something.
"Hey," said Sky, brightening a little. "...Need to talk?"
"Uh-huh." Bridge, however, didn't sit, nor did he look Sky in the eye. Instead, he continued to play with his glove, then said in a rush, "You know, I've been thinking, well, I do that a lot but I was thinking really deeply about the whole thing with you and me and Dru because I can tell it kinda ruined your weekend and I feel really bad about that, and you're probably pissed off at me and maybe it's best if I just leave-"
"Bridge, I'm not mad at you!" Sky said loudly, but Bridge didn't heed him.
"-I don't necessarily mean 'leave' as in 'leave S.P.D.' , though of course that's still an option but one I don't want to take because I love it here and I feel like I belong somewhere for once, no, I mean 'leave' as in 'transfer to another squad' because I know you and Dru were here first and I don't want to break up your friendship, Sky, even though you're my best friend and-"
"Slow down!" Sky practically shouted, and he shut up, now looking like he was about to cry. "I didn't catch... well, almost any of that. Sit with me and tell me what's on your mind- calmly this time, please." Bridge complied and plopped down next to Sky, rubbing his eyes.
"Alright. It's... it's just... I saw you and Dru at the lake on Friday, when you were... you know."
"Oh," said Sky, and he buried his face in his hands. "...Oh, God..."
"Yeah."
"If you must know... if it makes you feel... any better about it... we do stuff like that all the time," Sky mumbled. "But it's nothing. It's just stupid stuff... it's for fun. We're not... ah... we're not boyfriends, if that's what you were thinking..."
"No," said Bridge, and Sky noticed that he'd gone red. "...Well, not really."
"Is that what's been bugging you?"
"There's something else... it's just... he makes me feel like I'm a bother, too. Like I'm getting between you guys, or something. I can deal with him not liking me, but I like you, and I hate thinking that I'm breaking up a close friendship like the two of you have. Do you really need me, when you have each other?" Sky, floored, stared at Bridge, his mouth slightly open. "...Sorry."
"Don't be." Sky rubbed his face with one hand, trying to think of the right words to say. "...You're not coming between us," he finally told Bridge. "Dru and I are best friends, and yes, we have been here longer than you have, but you're still very, very important to me. Don't ever feel like you're getting in the way, because you're not. If you and Dru can't become good friends, then I can handle that, but I still want both of you in my life. If he's going to keep being a jerk to you, THEN something might come between us, but we'll deal with that if it comes up. I think he's learned his lesson, though." Sky saw Bridge hurriedly wipe his eyes, then was surprised when the other boy threw his arms around him, hugging him tightly.
"...Thank you, Sky," he whispered, sounding touched. "I guess it was stupid of me to worry like that."
"No, it wasn't," said Sky, returning the embrace before they pulled away. "And I'm sorry if I've ever done anything to make you feel like that, too."
"Not too often," Bridge said with a little smile, which Sky returned.
"I'll try and do better," he promised. "You're a great friend, Bridge."
"So're you, Sky. So are you."
* * *
It took a while before Sky's anger at Dru had gone away enough for him to want to speak to his best friend again.
"I was being a jackass and way too possessive of you. There was no excuse for that," Dru admitted when he'd come back to their room. "But still... I doubt Bridge and I will ever be close."
"And that's fine, but I am telling you right now, if you ever start that kind of crap again, I can't be close to you, either," said Sky bluntly.
"You'd do that for him?" Dru asked, and Sky nodded. "OK. I promise that I'll be nicer to him- and I truly mean it this time. If the alternative is losing you, then I can live with him."
"Good."
"You know, that's one of the things that's going to make you a great Red Ranger some day," Dru smiled. "Standing up to and for other people." Sky grumbled under his breath. "Oh, stop that and learn to take a compliment, will you?"
"...Shut up."
(Crossposted to a_to_z_prompts)
Author: Mary (shurimon & shurifanstuffs on Livejournal)
Fandom: Power Rangers S.P.D.
Letter: I for Inn
Rating: NC-17
Summary: A pre-series fic. Sky tries to deal with the fact that his two best friends, Bridge and Dru, don't like each other while the squad is on a weekend retreat.
Disclaimer/Author's Notes/Spoiler Warning: Brief M/M sex scene. Takes place in the same universe as Tested, Impressions and Grief. I don't own the characters and make no claim to.
Sky tried as hard as he could, but he couldn't hide the fact that he was looking forward to the weekend retreat he and his squad had been granted as a reward for their good performance since joining S.P.D. (his own kidnapping and the botched rescue attempt by his friends a few weeks before notwithstanding, of course). He attempted to be nonchalant about it, as he often did about everything during his everyday life now, but could barely hide his grin as he and his best friend Dru packed to go, dressed in civilian clothing. Even the fact that they would of course be supervised couldn't dampen his spirits much.
"It's alright to be excited," Dru informed him with a sly wink when he caught Sky determinedly pursing his lips together, trying hard not to smile. "I don't know what's happened to you lately. You're always so serious. This is meant to be relaxing for all of us; have a little fun."
"I'm training to be a Ranger," Sky said, frowning at him. "Once I am, I'm not going to have moments like these... ever."
"So enjoy them while you can," Dru said, rolling his eyes. "And even the Rangers relax and let loose once in a while, you know." Sky sighed and shook his head, thinking that he wouldn't understand. He'd just zipped his bag shut when Dru asked abruptly, "Bridge isn't coming with us, is he?"
"Yeah, he is," Sky said slowly, furrowing his eyebrows and turning to look at him. "Why wouldn't he? He's on our squad, after all."
"I know, I know," said Dru dismissively. "I was just thinking... never mind." Sky came over and grabbed his arm.
"What's the matter?" he wanted to know, and Dru snorted, tugging his arm out of Sky's grasp. "... Alright, I know you don't like Bridge..."
"...and the feeling is quite mutual, I assure you."
"...but you guys have got to cut this out. He's a decent guy, and so are you. I'm sure if you just sat down and talked, you would-"
"How can we talk when you can't even hold a normal conversation with him?" Dru interrupted. "I don't have the patience to try and get the one sentence of meaning out of him whenever he starts rambling on and on about nothing. I don't understand how you can tolerate it, either. Why are you coming to his defense, anyway? You make fun of him a lot- both in front of and behind his back." Sky felt a huge stab of guilt at that statement, but it was mostly lost in the anger rising within him. He took a deep breath to calm himself before saying,
"Look. Despite what it might appear to you, he's my closest friend here behind you. I know I make fun of him a lot, and yes, he can be annoying, but he's a good person. He risked his career here- and his life- to look for me and save me when I got kidnapped. It's kind of hard to not feel close to him after that, you know? I care about both of you, and I'd like for you guys to get along- especially because not doing that will cause us a lot of problems down the line. Nip it in the bud now, or else we could end up getting separated because it seems like we're not compatible."
"Alright. For you, I'll try and get along with him," Dru mumbled. Sky nodded with satisfaction, hoping that would be the end of it. The two picked up their bags, exiting their room to find Bridge waiting for them. Dru, in spite of his reassurances to Sky, stalked off toward the base's entrance without a word to the other boy. Sky hung back to talk to Bridge, who looked nervous.
"Something bothering you?" he asked.
"Dru," said Bridge, staring at his back. "I can tell he's not happy that I'm staying with you guys. Maybe I should ask Officer Flendon about getting a different room for the weekend-"
"No, you won't," said Sky firmly. "Dru promised he'd try and get along with you better." Bridge, however, looked uncertain. "...He will. I know he will. You guys worked together just fine when you were searching for me that time... what happened?"
"Sky, he doesn't like me," Bridge replied simply. "I know we did do that, but ever since then he's been cold to me. I've tried being friendly to him, but he barely pays attention to me no matter how I act. So I've kinda given up." Sky held out an arm, stopping Bridge, and the two stood well out of earshot of Dru to continue their conversation.
"How do you feel about him?" Sky wanted to know, and Bridge looked down.
"...If you want me to be honest... I don't really like him, either," he confessed. "I just get this... this feeling from him that makes me uncomfortable. I don't really know what it is. He's not nice to me- I mean, a lot of the time you're not really nice to me, either, but I can tell you still like me in spite of it. I don't get that from him." Sky stopped for a moment to gape, wondering how Bridge could know all that, and wondering whether any of it was even true before he said,
"Bridge... I told him this, and I'm telling you. Try and work things out, please. I care about both of you, and it's hard to be friends and work in such close proximity with you guys if you don't even make an effort to be nice to each other." Bridge blew a long sigh out of his nose.
"Alright. I'll keep trying... but you might just have to learn to deal with it. I have. I'm used to people not liking me, anyway."
Sky watched him walk out the door after that statement, feeling awkward and confused.
* * *
Their retreat was at a small inn in a secluded spot in the mountains. It was beautiful, Sky thought, taking a moment to lean out the window of their room, breathe in the (relatively) fresh air and enjoy the scenery once they'd gotten checked in. When he pulled himself back in, he saw that Bridge had begun to pull his laptop from its case, along with some unknown electronics parts. Dru came up to Sky and said in a low voice,
"Let's get out of this room and go swimming. There's a lake on the property, I saw a map on the wall when we came in."
"Great idea," Sky murmured back, then said loudly and pointedly, "Hey, Bridge, come swimming with us."
"In a while," he replied cheerfully, not even looking up from his work. "You guys go ahead, I'm going to try and get a wireless signal. It's doubtful that I can pick up a usable one out here, but still..." Sky nudged Dru, who now wore a sour expression, in the ribs with his elbow. Dru shot him a glare, then said (with fake politeness that Sky easily detected),
"Come on, Bridge. I thought one of the reasons we came out here was to get away from the electronics?"
"You never know when you're going to need to have Internet access," said Bridge. "...That and Officer Flendon ordered me to try. Well, not so much 'ordered' as 'asked really nicely', but I still hate to refuse to do something my commanding officer asks me to do, especially when he's so polite-"
"Alright, alright, we get the point," Dru interrupted, and Sky felt his anger flare again when Bridge glanced back at them, obviously hurt, and bent back over his work without another word. However, Sky didn't confront Dru about it until the two of them had put their swimsuits on and were out in the hallway, where he backed his friend against the wall, nostrils flaring.
"You told me you were going to try and be nicer to him," he snapped, and Dru, seeming quite taken aback at his reaction, merely stared back. "What is your problem with him?"
"Well..." Dru chewed his lip, then his expression changed- Sky swallowed hard when Dru pulled him close, lightly kissed his jawline. "Ever since he decided to tag along after us, we've hardly had any time together... alone... just the two of us. It feels so different now. I miss that. I miss what we had before he butted in on our relationship..." Sky backed away when Dru's hand brushed his crotch, a different, pleasurable sensation rising within him now.
"Not here," he mumbled. "This... this isn't really the time..." Dru gave a seductive smile in return, and the two started their trek toward the lake again, Sky trying to discern some sort of meaning from what had just happened. He and Dru had screwed around several times- stupid stuff, like rubbing and grinding, kissing, jerking off for one anothers' benefit- but Sky couldn't understand why Bridge's friendship with them would change that. After all, it wasn't like he lived with them...
Did Dru see Bridge as a threat to their relationship? he wondered. Was that why he seemed so determined to not like him?
No, he's not that petty, Sky told himself firmly, but once the idea had entered into his head, he couldn't banish it. It would explain a lot, he had to concede. Once they'd reached their destination, Sky watched, feeling troubled now, as Dru kicked off his shoes, then took his shirt off, stretched, and waded into the lake. There didn't seem to be another soul around... maybe that was a good thing. Maybe this was the perfect time to talk about his worries, get whatever he was holding in out into the open, when they couldn't be overheard-
"It feels good," he informed Sky. "... Want to get in here with me and make it warmer?" Sky hovered for a moment, knowing he shouldn't be giving in... then he realized that doing this might put Dru in a better mood, and he found that he really wanted it. The two waded out until they were about waist deep... then Dru's hands were on Sky's hips, pushing down his swimming trunks-
All thoughts about Bridge and Dru and not getting along were gone the second Dru's hand closed around his cock, feeling the length and girth, stroking it a few times to get him up. Though the day and the water were quite warm, Sky shivered over and over with pleasure when Dru began to jerk him off. Dru smiled and leaned in to kiss and suck on Sky's neck, his favorite spot. Sky tilted Dru's head up and gave him a heated, passionate kiss while he continued to jerk him off. As usual it wasn't very long before Sky felt his eyes rolling back into his head, felt the rush of his orgasm approaching-
"BANZAAAAAIIII!" Sky and Dru pulled away from each other as though they'd been scalded, Sky hastily pulling his trunks back on just as Officer Flendon took a running leap into the lake, tucking himself into a cannonball before he splashed down. "Whooo," he crowed when he emerged, spitting water and shaking himself off like a dog. "Why're you looking so glum, boys?" he asked. "Wanted this all to yourself, did you? Without your old instructor keeping his eye on you so you can't misbehave?"
"Of course not, sir," said Sky, forcing himself to smile. "You just... surprised us, that's all."
"Yeah, we weren't expecting anyone else," said Dru, with an equally-false smile. "... Come on, Sky, let's race."
"Good idea."
"I get to race the winner!" Flendon cheerfully called after them, floating contentedly on his back as Sky and Dru swum away.
"You don't think he saw us, did you?" Dru hissed.
"God, I hope not," Sky groaned. "Damnit, we shouldn't be doing that kind of stuff, anyway... it's against regulations, and if we do get caught..."
"... We won't. We'll just have to be more careful," Dru said firmly. "...Want to find a private little corner and finish off?"
"No. I'm not in the mood anymore," Sky mumbled. "Let's go." Dru treaded water for a brief moment, looking disappointed before he took off after him.
* * *
Bridge never ended up showing up to swim with the others, which worried Sky. They came back to their room at the inn to find their suite empty, and Bridge's computer asleep, indicating that he'd left it a while ago. He only showed back up at dinnertime, where he picked at his meal and made forced conversation with Sky and Dru before getting up and leaving again. Sky caught Dru giving a satisfied smirk, which he tried too late to hide as soon as he saw Sky looking. Excusing himself, Sky went to find Bridge, letting himself into their suite to find his friend hunched over his laptop, writing in what appeared to be an online journal.
"Bridge?" Sky asked quietly.
"Yeah?" Bridge said, without turning.
"What's the matter? You never showed up at the lake, and you seem upset about something." Bridge looked back at Sky and opened his mouth to speak, then shut it and shook his head.
"It's nothing, Sky. Honestly. ...Thanks for your concern, though."
"Alright," said Sky dubiously. He stepped out into the hallway and leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes with a sigh, at a loss of what to do. He had no idea what could have happened to Bridge... or how to make he and Dru stop being idiots and get along. Finally, he sought out Officer Flendon and asked to talk with him privately, thinking his instructor's age and experience might be able to help.
"Yeah, I got that feeling, too," Flendon said, nodding sagely as soon as Sky had explained his concerns.
"What do you think I should say to them?" Sky asked. "I'm about at my wits' end- there's really no reason for them to not get along, and I'm afraid that if it keeps up, we're going to be separated as soon as we move up in rank. I don't want to lose either of them..."
"I know you're not going to want to hear this... but I don't think there's a whole lot you can do, buddy," Flendon said quietly, putting a hand on Sky's shoulder. "Sometimes people just aren't compatible; sounds like that's the deal in this situation, and if it is, nothing you do is going to force them to be friends. In fact, trying to force it will likely make their relationship worse. I know it's got to be frustrating for you to be caught in the middle like you are, and I know you care deeply about both of them, but if it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be. As far as being separated, I don't think you need to worry too much about that, as long as this doesn't affect your professional lives, as it hasn't yet." He squeezed Sky's shoulder when he looked down, defeated. "I'll try and talk to both of them, at least, alright? Maybe I'm wrong."
"Thank you, sir," Sky smiled. "Good luck."
* * *
However, as the weekend went on, neither Sky nor Flendon could bring Bridge and Dru together. They seemed to have reached a silent agreement to simply not speak to one another unless they had to, which left Sky feeling even more frustrated, more than he thought he would be if they were just flat-out arguing. Neither of them would discuss the issue when Sky brought it up with them, either. Sky half wondered if perhaps they'd gotten into an argument at some point; whatever the case, it drained the fun out of the rest of their retreat, and it was an awkward van ride back to S.P.D. when it was all over. When he and Dru had gone back to their room to unpack, the second the door had shut, Dru went up behind Sky, placing his hands on his hips, standing on tiptoe to kiss and suck on the back of the taller boy's neck. Sky let out a gasp, then turned around and shook his head, gently pushing him away.
"No, Dru. I don't want that right now."
"Why not?" Dru asked, looking disappointed. "I thought that since we're finally alone again, we could-" His lip curled at the expression on Sky's face. "Oh. I get it. You're mad at me because I didn't spend the weekend being nice to Bridge."
"Yup."
"Sky... forget about him. Please? I want nothing more than for it to be just you and me again. He'll find other friends here... he doesn't need us." Sky felt his hands balling into fists, felt himself go hot with anger, especially when he remembered what Bridge had said about being used to people not liking him-
"Screw you," Sky said quietly, stomping out of the room.
"... Sky, wait! I'm sorry!" Dru called, starting to go after him, but Sky turned and made a force field near the door, silently indicating that he didn't want to be followed. He barely paid attention to where he was going, nearly colliding with several people until he'd calmed down enough to find someplace quiet to brood, sitting cross-legged on the edge of the fountain outside the main entrance and watching life go by for a long while.
He could tell now that Officer Flendon was right- that there was nothing that he, Sky, could do to make his best friends get along, especially with Dru's attitude.
"...Sky?" Sky turned his head away when Dru sat down next to him. "I'm sure you don't want to talk to me, and you have every right to be angry with me, but... I meant it when I said I'm sorry. That was totally out-of-line for me to say." Sky sighed heavily, but didn't reply. "Still mad, huh?" He nodded. "You want me to leave?" He nodded again, and only looked where Dru had been sitting when his footsteps retreated. He then spotted Bridge walking toward him, playing with a strap on one of his gloves and looking pained about something.
"Hey," said Sky, brightening a little. "...Need to talk?"
"Uh-huh." Bridge, however, didn't sit, nor did he look Sky in the eye. Instead, he continued to play with his glove, then said in a rush, "You know, I've been thinking, well, I do that a lot but I was thinking really deeply about the whole thing with you and me and Dru because I can tell it kinda ruined your weekend and I feel really bad about that, and you're probably pissed off at me and maybe it's best if I just leave-"
"Bridge, I'm not mad at you!" Sky said loudly, but Bridge didn't heed him.
"-I don't necessarily mean 'leave' as in 'leave S.P.D.' , though of course that's still an option but one I don't want to take because I love it here and I feel like I belong somewhere for once, no, I mean 'leave' as in 'transfer to another squad' because I know you and Dru were here first and I don't want to break up your friendship, Sky, even though you're my best friend and-"
"Slow down!" Sky practically shouted, and he shut up, now looking like he was about to cry. "I didn't catch... well, almost any of that. Sit with me and tell me what's on your mind- calmly this time, please." Bridge complied and plopped down next to Sky, rubbing his eyes.
"Alright. It's... it's just... I saw you and Dru at the lake on Friday, when you were... you know."
"Oh," said Sky, and he buried his face in his hands. "...Oh, God..."
"Yeah."
"If you must know... if it makes you feel... any better about it... we do stuff like that all the time," Sky mumbled. "But it's nothing. It's just stupid stuff... it's for fun. We're not... ah... we're not boyfriends, if that's what you were thinking..."
"No," said Bridge, and Sky noticed that he'd gone red. "...Well, not really."
"Is that what's been bugging you?"
"There's something else... it's just... he makes me feel like I'm a bother, too. Like I'm getting between you guys, or something. I can deal with him not liking me, but I like you, and I hate thinking that I'm breaking up a close friendship like the two of you have. Do you really need me, when you have each other?" Sky, floored, stared at Bridge, his mouth slightly open. "...Sorry."
"Don't be." Sky rubbed his face with one hand, trying to think of the right words to say. "...You're not coming between us," he finally told Bridge. "Dru and I are best friends, and yes, we have been here longer than you have, but you're still very, very important to me. Don't ever feel like you're getting in the way, because you're not. If you and Dru can't become good friends, then I can handle that, but I still want both of you in my life. If he's going to keep being a jerk to you, THEN something might come between us, but we'll deal with that if it comes up. I think he's learned his lesson, though." Sky saw Bridge hurriedly wipe his eyes, then was surprised when the other boy threw his arms around him, hugging him tightly.
"...Thank you, Sky," he whispered, sounding touched. "I guess it was stupid of me to worry like that."
"No, it wasn't," said Sky, returning the embrace before they pulled away. "And I'm sorry if I've ever done anything to make you feel like that, too."
"Not too often," Bridge said with a little smile, which Sky returned.
"I'll try and do better," he promised. "You're a great friend, Bridge."
"So're you, Sky. So are you."
* * *
It took a while before Sky's anger at Dru had gone away enough for him to want to speak to his best friend again.
"I was being a jackass and way too possessive of you. There was no excuse for that," Dru admitted when he'd come back to their room. "But still... I doubt Bridge and I will ever be close."
"And that's fine, but I am telling you right now, if you ever start that kind of crap again, I can't be close to you, either," said Sky bluntly.
"You'd do that for him?" Dru asked, and Sky nodded. "OK. I promise that I'll be nicer to him- and I truly mean it this time. If the alternative is losing you, then I can live with him."
"Good."
"You know, that's one of the things that's going to make you a great Red Ranger some day," Dru smiled. "Standing up to and for other people." Sky grumbled under his breath. "Oh, stop that and learn to take a compliment, will you?"
"...Shut up."
(Crossposted to a_to_z_prompts)