Bright Skies (Multi - Season Crossover/Power Rangers, prompt #65: Teammates, T)
There's something special about the relationship between Eric and Vanessa that makes me smile. -Giggles mischievously-
Author/: Tsukino Akume
Fandom/: Power Rangers Time Force moving into S.P.D., multiple Rangers from each season
Characters/: Wes (Time Force), multiple Rangers from other teams (Literally too many to list)
Pairings/: Post - Wes/Eric, Rocky/Adam, Shane/Dustin, Hunter/Cam, Carter/Dana, Andros/Ashley, Zhane/Karone, Carlos/Ronny, Jason/Taylor, Conner/Ethan, Justin/Rose, Tommy/Kimberly, Tyzonn/Mack, Cassie/OC, Nick/Maddison, Zack/Aisha, Trent/Kira, Post - Billy/Cestria. Future Ryan/Carter and Billy/Hayley. More couples will most likely be mentioned, but not shown.
prompt/: #65: Teammates
Rating/: T (For non - graphic mentions of people having babies and being violent with one another)
Disclaimer/: I don't own the Power Rangers, but if Disney's hiring any new writers I volunteer.
Summary/: When Wes' life starts to fall apart, an accident gives him a chance at a fresh start in New Tech City, with Space Patrol Delta. But even a new life has its ups and downs - and weird friends. Meanwhile, Eric tries to move on.
Warnings/: A mentally handicapped person living in a medical facility, angst, male and female slash, non-cemented couples (In otherwords, pairings that will be separated), children created by scientific means, character death
Author's Notes/: Originally this chapter was going to be Storm, but Justin decided he wanted Teammates instead. -Rolls eyes- I decided it was easier just to surrender.
And then Vanessa decided to rant the frustration of fans everywhere. -Shrugs-
"Stupid, arrogant, piece of - "
Eric stared as he spun Wes around to face him, and the other man promptly passed out.
He glared at Justin. "What the heck was he drinking?!"
Justin held up his hands in surrender. "The bartender said something about Purple Haze. Said it was a Ranger drink."
"And you let him have it?" he demanded. "Dang it, Stewart! He's not a Ranger!"
"I know that!" Justin shot back. "But Wes just decided he wanted a drink, and he wasn't taking no for an answer. What did you expect me to do? Let him go alone?"
"You could have at least kept an eye on what he was drinking!"
Justin's eyes narrowed. "You're not the only person who cares about him, Myers."
They glared at each other.
"As Wes' teammate, I'm warning you now," Justin said at last, his voice deadly soft. "I won't let you hurt him again. And I know Zhane and Chip feel exactly the same way."
He fought to keep in the urge to growl. "First of all, check the uniform, Stewart. Wes is *my* teammate. And second, for the record, he's the one who hurt *me*."
Something in Justin's eyes darkened in a way that seemed out of place on his face, and the effect send chills down Eric's spine. "When you go to war with someone, you earn the right to call them your teammate," he said quietly. He looked up again, his stare strangely intense. "And I never said Wes didn't hurt you. But I can still remember hearing him scream for you in his nightmares. So don't tell me that you were the only one hurt by what happened."
Eric stared at him. "Wes ... called for me?" The words came out more hesitantly than he'd meant them to.
"Screamed," Justin corrected. "And somehow, I get the feeling he's not the only one missing someone." He nodded meaningfully toward Wes.
Eric glanced down to find that Wes had snuggled up against him, hands fisted in his shirt. At some point, he'd wrapped his arms around Wes, holding him possessively. Everything about the way he was standing screamed that Wes was *his*, and conscious or not, Wes wasn't complaining.
"It's not ... " Eric swallowed. "He'd do that to anyone."
Justin raised his eyebrows. "Oh, yeah?"
He stood, reaching out to take Wes, and Eric had to fight the urge to pull back. But Wes it seemed, was already making the decision for him. He moved away from Justin's hands, clinging tighter to Eric's shirt. The protest he was about to make that Wes was just holding onto him for warmth died with a murmur of "Eric ... " that bordered on a whine.
For a moment, he took stock of the man in his arms. What had once been the promise of laugh lines were now soft wrinkles around his eyes and mouth. The golden blond hair was more military cut now, although it had grown out a little, and now held more than one hint of silver. It wasn't the same face he'd admired years earlier, but for a second, the soft whine made the years melt away, and he saw the face of the man he'd loved.
Then he blinked, and found himself looking at the face of a man he was still getting to know.
His head snapped up as a hand settled on his shoulder. The defensive glare as he took a step back was instinctive, but somehow Justin didn't seem surprised.
"Eric," Justin said softly. "If you won't try to work things out for you own sake, do it for the people who've had to watch you two torture yourselves for years." He sighed, patting Eric's shoulder before reaching down to brush back Wes' bangs in a strangely affectionate gesture. "Well, I'm going to head back to S.P.D. before Storm Blaster gets the wrong idea about why I've been in here so long and starts to pitch a fit. Good luck getting Wes home."
"Wait - what? You're leaving?" Eric demanded. "How am I supposed to get him out of here? He's not exactly weightless, you know!"
Justin looked amused. "All right, all right. I'll help you get him out to your car. But after that, you're on your own."
"What car? We're on a space station! I brought the TF Eagle!"
Justin shrugged and offered a suggestive wink. "Well, I guess he'll just have to ride back in your lap."
****
"Tell me he didn't meet a girl," Vanessa demanded from the kitchen as he finally lugged Wes through the front door.
He gave her an exasperated look. "Stewart was with him the whole time."
"That doesn't necessarily mean anything," she retorted. She paused, giving him a calculating look. "Stewart? He must have really pissed you off."
He hesitated. "Vanessa ... What would you say if I wanted - "
"You want him back," she interrupted, her tone flat.
He wondered when she'd learned to read his mind, even as his heart sank. "You're not okay with it."
She sighed, folding her hands in front of her face in a gesture that was eerily reminiscent of Wes. "Wes was never mine, Eric," she said quietly. "He was yours before I ever had a chance."
"Vanessa, - "
She held up a hand to cut him off. "I'm not saying I still want him. In fact - " She hesitated, looking almost guilty. "I think ... I think I might be falling in love with R.J."
He stared at her in surprise. Yeah, she'd been dating R.J. for awhile, but he hadn't realized they were getting serious.
He winced. Darn it, that meant he'd actually have to start getting used to the weirdo. Or at least learn to tolerate him.
"Oh, get over it," Vanessa snapped. "Yes, that means you're not going to be able to get rid of him any time soon. And don't even try to tell me that's not what you're thinking about - it's written all over your face."
"It is n- "
"It is," she interrupted again with a scowl. "You do realize that half the time, R.J. acts the way he does just to piss you off."
"What about the other half?" he muttered, shifting Wes carefully on his shoulder.
She huffed in annoyance. "Look, Eric. My point is, you don't need to worry about competition for Wes from me."
He frowned. "But if you're not interested, then why are you not okay with the idea of us getting back together?"
She sighed, moving toward him. "Because I've been Wes' shoulder to cry on over you for the last seventeen years. I've been your shoulder to cry on over Wes for the last nine. And I'm sick of it. If it weren't for the fact that you've both told me multiple times you fight constantly, I'd be the first person to lock you in a closet together." She stopped in front of him, stroking Wes' hair with a tenderness she usually reserved for Sky. She glanced up. "But I'm tired of listening to you two suffer because of the stupidest things. And if you get back together, you're just going to keep fighting, and I'm going to have to keep listening to it because Taylor isn't patient enough and there's very few people either of you actually trust enough to talk to about your problems."
He stared at her as she clenched a fist, scowling darkly at Wes. "Never realized it bothered you so much," he grumbled.
"Of course it bothers me!" she snapped back. "I want to smack your heads together because your both so *stupid*! And I have to sit here playing sympathetic friend, when I just want to strangle you both!"
"I - "
"Your both complicated, stressful, obnoxious hard-heads, and half the time I just want to scream at you," she went on, clearly enjoying the chance to rant at him. Then she paused, taking a deep breath and rubbing her forehead with sigh. "And you're so obviously in love with each other it's painful to watch."
He frowned at her. "Are you trying to say I *should* try and fix things with Wes, or I shouldn't?"
"I don't know half the time," she muttered. She sighed again. "Look, Eric. You drive each other nuts when you're together, and you drive everyone else nuts when you're apart. So ... whatever you're going to do about it, do it already. This has gone well beyond ridiculous and into pathetic."
"If that's your way of giving me your blessing, it needs work," he informed her.
"How this for a blessing then?" she retorted, moments before smacking him none-to-gently in the forehead. "Now go put Wes down before you drop him."
"And I thought arguing with Stewart was a pain," he muttered darkly, shifting Wes again and heading for the bedroom.
"And just think; you still have threats from Zhane and Chip to deal with," she returned in a sickeningly sweet tone.
"I really hate you."
"Yeah. Kiss my ass."
Author/: Tsukino Akume
Fandom/: Power Rangers Time Force moving into S.P.D., multiple Rangers from each season
Characters/: Wes (Time Force), multiple Rangers from other teams (Literally too many to list)
Pairings/: Post - Wes/Eric, Rocky/Adam, Shane/Dustin, Hunter/Cam, Carter/Dana, Andros/Ashley, Zhane/Karone, Carlos/Ronny, Jason/Taylor, Conner/Ethan, Justin/Rose, Tommy/Kimberly, Tyzonn/Mack, Cassie/OC, Nick/Maddison, Zack/Aisha, Trent/Kira, Post - Billy/Cestria. Future Ryan/Carter and Billy/Hayley. More couples will most likely be mentioned, but not shown.
prompt/: #65: Teammates
Rating/: T (For non - graphic mentions of people having babies and being violent with one another)
Disclaimer/: I don't own the Power Rangers, but if Disney's hiring any new writers I volunteer.
Summary/: When Wes' life starts to fall apart, an accident gives him a chance at a fresh start in New Tech City, with Space Patrol Delta. But even a new life has its ups and downs - and weird friends. Meanwhile, Eric tries to move on.
Warnings/: A mentally handicapped person living in a medical facility, angst, male and female slash, non-cemented couples (In otherwords, pairings that will be separated), children created by scientific means, character death
Author's Notes/: Originally this chapter was going to be Storm, but Justin decided he wanted Teammates instead. -Rolls eyes- I decided it was easier just to surrender.
And then Vanessa decided to rant the frustration of fans everywhere. -Shrugs-
"Stupid, arrogant, piece of - "
Eric stared as he spun Wes around to face him, and the other man promptly passed out.
He glared at Justin. "What the heck was he drinking?!"
Justin held up his hands in surrender. "The bartender said something about Purple Haze. Said it was a Ranger drink."
"And you let him have it?" he demanded. "Dang it, Stewart! He's not a Ranger!"
"I know that!" Justin shot back. "But Wes just decided he wanted a drink, and he wasn't taking no for an answer. What did you expect me to do? Let him go alone?"
"You could have at least kept an eye on what he was drinking!"
Justin's eyes narrowed. "You're not the only person who cares about him, Myers."
They glared at each other.
"As Wes' teammate, I'm warning you now," Justin said at last, his voice deadly soft. "I won't let you hurt him again. And I know Zhane and Chip feel exactly the same way."
He fought to keep in the urge to growl. "First of all, check the uniform, Stewart. Wes is *my* teammate. And second, for the record, he's the one who hurt *me*."
Something in Justin's eyes darkened in a way that seemed out of place on his face, and the effect send chills down Eric's spine. "When you go to war with someone, you earn the right to call them your teammate," he said quietly. He looked up again, his stare strangely intense. "And I never said Wes didn't hurt you. But I can still remember hearing him scream for you in his nightmares. So don't tell me that you were the only one hurt by what happened."
Eric stared at him. "Wes ... called for me?" The words came out more hesitantly than he'd meant them to.
"Screamed," Justin corrected. "And somehow, I get the feeling he's not the only one missing someone." He nodded meaningfully toward Wes.
Eric glanced down to find that Wes had snuggled up against him, hands fisted in his shirt. At some point, he'd wrapped his arms around Wes, holding him possessively. Everything about the way he was standing screamed that Wes was *his*, and conscious or not, Wes wasn't complaining.
"It's not ... " Eric swallowed. "He'd do that to anyone."
Justin raised his eyebrows. "Oh, yeah?"
He stood, reaching out to take Wes, and Eric had to fight the urge to pull back. But Wes it seemed, was already making the decision for him. He moved away from Justin's hands, clinging tighter to Eric's shirt. The protest he was about to make that Wes was just holding onto him for warmth died with a murmur of "Eric ... " that bordered on a whine.
For a moment, he took stock of the man in his arms. What had once been the promise of laugh lines were now soft wrinkles around his eyes and mouth. The golden blond hair was more military cut now, although it had grown out a little, and now held more than one hint of silver. It wasn't the same face he'd admired years earlier, but for a second, the soft whine made the years melt away, and he saw the face of the man he'd loved.
Then he blinked, and found himself looking at the face of a man he was still getting to know.
His head snapped up as a hand settled on his shoulder. The defensive glare as he took a step back was instinctive, but somehow Justin didn't seem surprised.
"Eric," Justin said softly. "If you won't try to work things out for you own sake, do it for the people who've had to watch you two torture yourselves for years." He sighed, patting Eric's shoulder before reaching down to brush back Wes' bangs in a strangely affectionate gesture. "Well, I'm going to head back to S.P.D. before Storm Blaster gets the wrong idea about why I've been in here so long and starts to pitch a fit. Good luck getting Wes home."
"Wait - what? You're leaving?" Eric demanded. "How am I supposed to get him out of here? He's not exactly weightless, you know!"
Justin looked amused. "All right, all right. I'll help you get him out to your car. But after that, you're on your own."
"What car? We're on a space station! I brought the TF Eagle!"
Justin shrugged and offered a suggestive wink. "Well, I guess he'll just have to ride back in your lap."
****
"Tell me he didn't meet a girl," Vanessa demanded from the kitchen as he finally lugged Wes through the front door.
He gave her an exasperated look. "Stewart was with him the whole time."
"That doesn't necessarily mean anything," she retorted. She paused, giving him a calculating look. "Stewart? He must have really pissed you off."
He hesitated. "Vanessa ... What would you say if I wanted - "
"You want him back," she interrupted, her tone flat.
He wondered when she'd learned to read his mind, even as his heart sank. "You're not okay with it."
She sighed, folding her hands in front of her face in a gesture that was eerily reminiscent of Wes. "Wes was never mine, Eric," she said quietly. "He was yours before I ever had a chance."
"Vanessa, - "
She held up a hand to cut him off. "I'm not saying I still want him. In fact - " She hesitated, looking almost guilty. "I think ... I think I might be falling in love with R.J."
He stared at her in surprise. Yeah, she'd been dating R.J. for awhile, but he hadn't realized they were getting serious.
He winced. Darn it, that meant he'd actually have to start getting used to the weirdo. Or at least learn to tolerate him.
"Oh, get over it," Vanessa snapped. "Yes, that means you're not going to be able to get rid of him any time soon. And don't even try to tell me that's not what you're thinking about - it's written all over your face."
"It is n- "
"It is," she interrupted again with a scowl. "You do realize that half the time, R.J. acts the way he does just to piss you off."
"What about the other half?" he muttered, shifting Wes carefully on his shoulder.
She huffed in annoyance. "Look, Eric. My point is, you don't need to worry about competition for Wes from me."
He frowned. "But if you're not interested, then why are you not okay with the idea of us getting back together?"
She sighed, moving toward him. "Because I've been Wes' shoulder to cry on over you for the last seventeen years. I've been your shoulder to cry on over Wes for the last nine. And I'm sick of it. If it weren't for the fact that you've both told me multiple times you fight constantly, I'd be the first person to lock you in a closet together." She stopped in front of him, stroking Wes' hair with a tenderness she usually reserved for Sky. She glanced up. "But I'm tired of listening to you two suffer because of the stupidest things. And if you get back together, you're just going to keep fighting, and I'm going to have to keep listening to it because Taylor isn't patient enough and there's very few people either of you actually trust enough to talk to about your problems."
He stared at her as she clenched a fist, scowling darkly at Wes. "Never realized it bothered you so much," he grumbled.
"Of course it bothers me!" she snapped back. "I want to smack your heads together because your both so *stupid*! And I have to sit here playing sympathetic friend, when I just want to strangle you both!"
"I - "
"Your both complicated, stressful, obnoxious hard-heads, and half the time I just want to scream at you," she went on, clearly enjoying the chance to rant at him. Then she paused, taking a deep breath and rubbing her forehead with sigh. "And you're so obviously in love with each other it's painful to watch."
He frowned at her. "Are you trying to say I *should* try and fix things with Wes, or I shouldn't?"
"I don't know half the time," she muttered. She sighed again. "Look, Eric. You drive each other nuts when you're together, and you drive everyone else nuts when you're apart. So ... whatever you're going to do about it, do it already. This has gone well beyond ridiculous and into pathetic."
"If that's your way of giving me your blessing, it needs work," he informed her.
"How this for a blessing then?" she retorted, moments before smacking him none-to-gently in the forehead. "Now go put Wes down before you drop him."
"And I thought arguing with Stewart was a pain," he muttered darkly, shifting Wes again and heading for the bedroom.
"And just think; you still have threats from Zhane and Chip to deal with," she returned in a sickeningly sweet tone.
"I really hate you."
"Yeah. Kiss my ass."