Categories > TV > Power Rangers > More Than Friends And Brothers
/Disclaimer: /Not mine, no money made.
/Note: /In response to the PR Slash Writer challenge on LiveJournal. Okay, this refers to (and kind of precedes, really) the first story I wrote for the challenge, Yours For The Taking (#10, kissing in the rain). This would then be #1, animals, and #16, photographs, respectively. :) It would help if you read that story first, but it's not strictly necessary. I honestly hadn't intended to turn this into a full-blown series, but hey, blame the Idiot Muse®, okay?//:-) As some readers have commented on Tommy's quick acceptance of Jason in the first story and I, too, felt it needed a bit more in the way of an explanation, this is what resulted. (And just by the way, I made up the name of the fraternity mentioned. If there is an organization of that name, my apologies; no infringement was intended!) Feedback will be greatly appreciated, as usual.
More Than Friends And Brothers
Chapter 2: Sexy Beast
By Dagmar Buse
"I think I'm at the wrong school," Hayley said à propos nothing at all when Tommy let himself into their shared apartment. He'd spent most of the afternoon at the library working on a term paper while she was having a get-together with some sorority friends to celebrate her birthday. He was taking her out to dinner later in honor of the occasion, but hadn't wanted to intrude on a half-dozen girls. "Or maybe the right one; I haven't made up my mind yet." Her voice was caught halfway between a- and be-mused; Tommy couldn't quite tell which.
"Oh? Why's that?" he asked, only half listening as he made a beeline for the fridge and some soda.
"Because nothing like /that /ever gets done here," Hayley replied somewhat acerbically.
Curious now, Tommy walked over to the living area. He plonked down onto the couch and snagged a leftover cookie. "Like what?" he mumbled through a mouthful of crumbs and chocolate chips. Hayley was folding the wrapping paper from her presents into a neat stack to recycle, smiled wryly and jerked her head at something glossy on the coffee table.
"Take a look. I really don't know what Corinne was thinking, giving me that. It's either a hint to live it up, or a not very subtle slur on my current lack of a social life."
"Oh? What'd she give you, some kind of, um, adult material?" Tommy wanted to know. He wouldn't put it past the girl; despite her brains, she was definitely the 'adventurous' type - if you wanted to be polite.
"I almost wish she had," Hayley grimaced comically. "At least that would've been fairly straightforward./ /No, it wasn't - and it doesn't explain why she gave me /that /for a gift."
Now extremely curious to know what /'that' /was, Tommy reached over and picked up the item in question. It looked much like a magazine - slick, colorful and squarish. However, the number 2002 written large on the top sheet indicated otherwise. "A calendar?"
"Yeah."
"What's wrong with that? It /is /January; not such an unusual gift, I'd say ..."
"Wait until you've taken a look inside," Hayley commented drily. "Take your time; I'm getting ready for dinner."
"Okay." As the redhead disappeared towards the bathroom, Tommy took another sip of his soda, then flipped to the first page.
*
"This calendar is brought to you by the Epsilon Delta Chi fraternity, in collaboration with and in aid of the wildlife preservation program of the San Diego Zoo."
He raised his eyebrows as he read the introduction; Epsilon Delta Chi was Jason's fraternity at college until recently, and he couldn't help but wonder if his best friend knew about this. "No animal or person was harmed in the production process, and all human subjects volunteered to be photographed. Proceeds from the sale of this calendar will go to charity. Enjoy, and buy another one for a friend!"
/ /Well, it certainly sounded as if Jason, as a new alumnus, ought to know about this - he usually was first in line when it came to charitable projects. However, Tommy did a double take as he read the next page.
/" ΕΔΞ proudly presents - Sexy Beasts!"/
/ /
/ /"Oh boy." He snickered. Not only was Hayley so /not /into wildlife photography, he had a sneaking suspicion from her comments that the pictures would also include a lot of skin - and human skin at that. No wonder she was so dubious about the gift!
Tommy turned towards the first page, and found his suspicions confirmed. He whistled softly. Miss January was a gorgeous blonde in a tiny leopard-print bikini, lying on the ground before a lush green fern and with a ginormous snake draped all over her. February showed a muscular African-American man, clad only in tight jeans and boots, gentling a palomino horse somewhere in the mountains. March had a slender Asian girl who reminded Tommy a little of Trini 'kissing' a colorful parrot, her trim body wrapped in an almost-transparent muumuu; April had a Latino, or maybe Native-American-looking guy watching an eagle soar through the sky. He, too, was well-built and not afraid to show it in skimpy cutoffs ... with the zipper nearly undone all the way.
"Nice," he breathed, admiring the near-professional quality of the photographs as much as the pictures themselves. They were perfect compositions of splendid animals and beautiful bodies - nothing overtly sexual like in a /Playboy /spread, but /very /suggestive and without a doubt food for some steamy fantasies. /For both men and women, too, /Tommy noted approvingly. By displaying alternately girls and boys with the animals, the calendar at least made an effort at not being sexist and would definitely appeal to a larger audience.
He lingered a little over the July picture - a luscious redhead swimming with a dolphin. The girl didn't seem to be wearing clothes at all, but it was hard to tell through the water obscuring her curves. Still, he couldn't help but wishing just for a moment he'd been present when she'd climbed out of the pool!
Hayley breezed through the den towards her bedroom. "Like what you see?" she threw at him in passing, a knowing smirk in her voice, but the door clicked shut behind her before Tommy could answer.
"Hell, yeah," he murmured, a little dry-mouthed. There was no romantic involvement at all between him and Hayley and they liked it that way, but it had been a /long /time since he'd gotten to spend some private time with Kat, and he wasn't the type to go looking for someone else while in a relationship. Even if she was dancing in Europe most of the year and he was doing graduate work at university in the US. "What's not to like?"
/Everyone /in the photos was extremely attractive - and that was saying something, as Tommy was used to being around good-looking people. None of his friends was what he'd call model-pretty, but both as a group and individually they /were /easy on the eyes. All of them, in their own ways - from Billy's subdued geek chic once he'd ditched his overalls to Kat's classy elegance, Trini's grace, Zack's flair, Tanya's flamboyance ... Kimberly's cute prettiness. Tommy mentally let his friends pass review as he went for another soda. Not that he was particularly thirsty, but at the moment he was feeling just a tad deprived, and he needed the distraction this small break was giving him.
Man, I could make a series of pictures like this with all of the gang. Starting with our spirit animals, of course. Although, it'd be kinda hard to come up with a sexy setup for Rocky or Adam. /He grinned to himself as he tried to imagine a semi-nude Adam getting up close and personal with a frog. /Cold and slimy isn't exactly the stuff dreams are made of; nor is huge 'n' hairy!
/ /He picked up the calendar again. Maybe later tonight, just for kicks, he'd try to come up with fitting animals for the other Rangers; the Dino- or Thunderzords also didn't quite fit the bill. Smiling, he turned to the October page, one of the few double-sized pictures, like a centerfold ... and froze.
"What ... the ... /hell/?!?"
The picture was the only black-and-white photograph, but the starkness of the colors actually enhanced the nearly completely nude male body. The man was crouching before a basalt rock formation, half kneeling in such a way that nothing incriminating was visible, but it was quite obvious that he wore only the barest minimum - namely a skimpy loincloth that was also slit up to the waistband. And /nothing /underneath. He was reaching up to a ledge halfway up the rock, displaying incredibly sculpted muscles as he did so. Just out of his reach lay a huge lion, eyes gleaming against the fur of his mane, one paw outstretched ... but it wasn't the magnificent cat that caught Tommy's attention.
It was the familiar sight of the tanned, muscular body, dark hair and intent profile of his best friend.
"Jason?" he breathed incredulously, feeling as if somebody had punched him in the gut. Instinctively, he leaned forward for a closer look. No, he wasn't mistaken - the man in the picture /was /indeed the one-time Red Ranger. Tommy fumbled dazedly for his drink to take a swallow. His mouth had gone so dry, he /needed /the liquid to be able to mutter to himself.
Bro, you didn't ... when I call you next time, you're gonna tell me it's just a weird resemblance ... right?
Tommy shook his head as if to clear his brain of cobwebs. A part of his mind was demanding that he make that call today, right /now/, and ask whatever had possessed Jason to pose nearly nude; another part told him not to be an idiot - it wasn't any of his business, why was he getting so het up anyway and hey, charity ... and yet another part was definitely sitting up and taking notice. Unfortunately for Tommy's peace of mind, /that /part was aided and abetted enthusiastically - and instantaneously! - by a certain portion of his anatomy. While his reaction as such didn't particularly bother him (after all, he'd always prided himself for being pretty openminded about most things), Tommy felt rather thrown by the fact that he reacted like he did over a provocative photo of /Jason/.
His best friend. A fellow ex-Ranger, martial arts expert, teacher-in-training. Who just happened to have admitted to Tommy during their last visit that he was bisexual.
Which means that most likely he'd be more than slightly interested in the fact that I just got an instant hard-on just from looking at a picture of him. Aw, MAN!
/He was jerked out of his thoughts by Hayley's reappearance. "I'm ready if you are, Tommy." He didn't know whether to be grateful or pissed at the interruption, but wisely chose the former. For one thing, it wouldn't be fair to Hayley to spoil her birthday, and for another ... Tommy really didn't want to think about this at the moment. /Procrastination. Gotta love it just now!
"Sure; give me a minute to get my jacket," he murmured, hoping that his voice didn't betray his inner turmoil. When his friend gave him a funny look, he scrambled to salvage the situation. "And to put on a dress shirt; you look so nice, I wouldn't want to appear shabby beside you." He didn't even have to fake his comment, or his smile - Hayley /did /look good in the jewel-colored patterned dress she'd chosen, and it was a relief to hurry to his own room for a short while with a plausible excuse.
As he changed his flannel shirt for a thin white turtleneck and sports coat, Tommy forced his mind into more neutral straits. For the moment, he'd concentrate on making dinner as pleasant as possible for his newest friend; he'd deal with anything else later.
Much later!
*
The two returned from a lavish Chinese buffet after a couple of hours and, as they both had classes early the next day, didn't linger over a nightcap as they would've done on a weekend. Instead, they just said their goodnights and retired to their respective rooms. Tommy mechanically prepared for bed. Now that he was alone, in privacy and sheltering darkness, his thoughts once more went back to Hayley's calendar. He fought the temptation to go back to the living area and take another look for the better part of an hour, but when sleep proved elusive, he let his curiosity get the better of him and got up again. Opening the door as quietly as possible, he checked for any sign of his roommate. Hayley's bedroom door was firmly closed and he couldn't hear a thing beside the usual nighttime sounds, so it was probably safe.
Padding out into the darkened living area, he waited until his eyes adjusted to the weak light coming in through the window, then quickly went over and grabbed the calendar. It was probably inevitable that he stubbed his toe on a chair leg, and he cursed silently to himself as he waited for the throbbing pain to subside without hopping around on the other foot. If he did that, he was sure to wake his roommate, and that was the very last thing he wanted to happen. Nevertheless, Tommy retreated back to the safety of his room as fast as he could, barely remembering to not slam his door behind him.
Back on his bed, and blessedly alone, he switched his nightlight on at the lowest setting, got comfortable and once more thumbed through the publication.
/It's just for completion's sake, /he told himself, not entirely truthfully. /Hayley was ready before I'd taken a look at Miss November and the December guy. /But while the pictures were every bit as good as the ten preceding ones, they didn't hold his attention for long. So, feeling somewhat embarrassed and slightly guilty, he went back to the beginning.
"I'm /not /taking another look just at Jase," he muttered softly ... while at the back of his mind, a pesky little voice asked drily who he thought he was kidding.
To distract himself, and to prevent his itching fingers to go straight to the October spread, Tommy took a much closer look than before at the January page. The blonde really was beautiful; he didn't overly care for the snake, but there was something quite, um, stirring about the way the reptile clung to every one of her curves ... and the way the forked tongue stopped maybe a quarter-inch before touching her cleavage.
"Whoa. I wonder how she felt during the photo shoot. If it had been Kat in her place, would she have been able to smile like that?"
Mentally exchanging the blonde's features for his girlfriend's, Tommy had to admit that Kat probably would have smiled as well - not quite as provocatively, maybe, but if she knew /he /was looking at the picture ... /Um. Yeah. /He whistled under his breath. Kat usually seemed to be demureness personified, but he knew that deep down she had a mischievous streak as wide as anyone's. Not unexpectedly, he felt his body react, and he quickly went to the next page. The guy didn't do much for him; nor did he evoke anything but a fleeting comparison to Zack, based mostly on general build and skin color, so Tommy was able to continue reasonably fast to the Asian beauty who'd reminded him of Trini earlier. On closer inspection, the resemblance was not quite as pronounced, based mostly on ethnicity and the same curtain of raven tresses, but Tommy still couldn't help but imagine his serene friend in the see-through garment.
He felt himself twitch in an area that had never twitched at thinking of Trini until this day. He quickly forced himself to inspect the other pictures, but when the redhead with the dolphin almost instantaneously took on Kimberly's features and he grew fully hard, Tommy knew he was in trouble. /Deep /trouble.
"Man. I've /never /had fantasies of my friends before," he groaned, letting the calendar drop to the floor as he flung himself onto his back. "Why now?!?"
The answer was obvious, and could clearly be labeled 'October'. Jason.
"I'm gonna kill you, Bro, for doing this to me!"
It was an idle threat, and he knew it. Because right on its heels the little voice at the back of his mind commented smugly. 'Right after you've had your way with him!'
/ /Shuddering involuntarily, Tommy closed his eyes. Jason might be interested in both girls and guys, but that was no guarantee that he'd be interested in /him/. They were best friends, as close as brothers, and people didn't /have /fantasies - especially steamy ones like the ones beginning to swamp Tommy's mind - about their brothers, did they?
'But you're not brothers,' /that insidious voice whispered. 'You may have wished you were, but you're not. Ergo, there's nothing wrong with having a little fantasy about Jason. Not when he truly is a sexy beast!'/
/ /Tommy groaned. Damn that voice for being so infuriatingly /right/! He clenched his hands in the sheet, trying not to make a grab for the calendar.
'Go on. Take another look. A real close one. Nobody here but you, and you know you want to.'
"No," Tommy grated, but he was fighting a losing battle. "Not when I don't know if Jase minds or not!"
'He won't. Not when it's you.'
/ /Which was probably true; they'd never denied each other anything, especially not when it came to emotional support, but somehow, this was different.
'Different how?'
/ /He had no answer. /It just is, /he threw defiantly at the little inner devil egging him on, but got only a derisive snort in return.
/ /Stubbornly, Tommy lay back, battling the increasing desire to fully turn up the light, unfold the October picture and ogle Jason's nearly-nude body.
'And what a nice body it is, too,' the voice purred. Tommy swallowed even as he mentally concurred. After all, he'd always admired his friend's build - compact, muscular and rivalling a statue, almost. All covered by smooth, tanned skin that was both soft and firm (as he'd learned during numerous friendly wrestling matches) and rarely marred by a tan line. Unbidden, his mind flashed back to warm summer nights when the two of them had gone skinny-dipping at the cliffs near Angel Grove, and to hot days spent sunbathing in that quiet corner of the Scotts' back yard where swimming trunks were definitely optional. Tommy had always avoided outright staring, but he couldn't deny that he knew perfectly well how Jason looked naked ... even aroused. After all, they'd been teenaged boys with healthy hormones; sharing secret fantasies about Kimberly, Kat or Emily, to name a few, had been a guilty pleasure for both more than once.
However, things had always ended there. They'd laughed their erections off when they occurred, and never taken things further than that. No mutual masturbation, and they most certainly had not ever touched each other.
Butterflies suddenly did a kamikaze flight in his stomach as Tommy realized he wouldn't be able to stay in that safe zone if he picked up the calendar again. /Not gonna do it. No way, nohow! /he resolved.
'Yeah, right.'
"I'm not," he repeated, but his tormentor just laughed. 'Stop fooling yourself. You are going to look once more at Jason's picture; if not tonight, then as soon as you can get your mitts on the calendar again. Might as well get it over with now, when Hayley doesn't miss it yet, and there won't be any awkward questions.' /The voice paused, then gave him another mental nudge. 'Go on, do it. Who's gonna know, anyway?'/
I will ...
'So? Who's it going to harm?'
"My self-respect," Tommy murmured half-heartedly, but he could feel himself weakening further.
'Screw self-respect. Wouldn't you rather screw Jason?'
/ /That astute, if rather crude observation by his inner nemesis sent Tommy over the edge. Finally conceding defeat, he picked up the calendar from where it had fallen to the floor and opened it to the tenth page. He unfolded the picture and stared, drinking in every detail of his friend's semi-kneeling body. Somehow or other, the lion disappeared from the image and Tommy saw himself lying on that ledge in front of Jason ... equally nude, and just waiting for that outstretched hand to touch him. In a throbbing, demanding, already-hardened place where it would feel incredibly good to be touched.
Moaning quietly, shivering with sudden arousal, Tommy shifted the picture for better light from his nightstand ... and slid his hand into his briefs.
*
"I can't believe you jerked off over that silly picture of me and the lion," Jason murmured, slightly red around the ears as Tommy finished his recall. His friend shrugged.
Yeah, well, it /was /pretty hot," he admitted somewhat sheepishly. "Which was sort of the intention of the whole photo shoot, wasn't it?"
Jason grinned, quickly getting over his mild embarrassment. "What can I say - sex sells? Anyway, not really. The animals were supposed to be the main feature; we guys and the girls were just icing on the cake, sort of."
"Uh huh. Sure. And people bought the reprint run the next year for the wildlife photography, nothing else," Tommy replied drily. He gave his Bro a look that dared him to contradict.
Jason's grin turned wicked. "Of course," he deadpanned. "We did raise a five-figure sum for the Wildlife Project, after all. Not everyone is a pervert like you."
Tommy sputtered. "Pervert? /Me/? I wasn't the one posing as a Tarzan wannabe with that lion!"
"No, but you were the one having dirty thoughts about me! /And /flying solo afterwards!"
Tommy regarded Jason intently. He didn't seem to be put out by his admission - quite the contrary, in fact, if the laughter in the dark eyes was any indication. And after the kisses they had shared last night, it looked as if there would be very little need for any more 'solo flights' for either of them in the near future. With that realization, the last traces of guilt Tommy had experienced over his one-time fantasy melted away faster than ice cream in the sun. Time for another confession.
"Well ... it's the main reason why I could accept your declaration last night so easily," he said quietly, reaching for Jason's arm across the table. "That's what you wanted to know, right? If I hadn't known already that I could be physically attracted to you, given the right circumstances ..."
"... things could've gotten very awkward," Jason replied, instantly understanding. He covered Tommy's hand with his own. "Guess I'll forgive you then."
Relieved, Tommy smiled. "For, ah, taking matters into my own hands?"
Jason winked. "Uh huh. But only if you promise me one thing."
"Like what? If you're thinking of getting a picture like that of me for another calendar, forget it. I'm not such an exhibitionist like you."
"Says the guy who insisted on wearing nothing but black pants for the Team Ninja competition back in high school," Jason smirked. I'll just wait until you're comfortable with the idea of getting naked with me, Bro. "Nah. Might be fun, but I guess I can live without that." For now.
Not quite trusting the lusty gleam he could detect in Jason's expression, Tommy smiled back warily. "What, then?"
Slowly, Jason reached out and drew Tommy's head towards him. Expecting a kiss - and not at all reluctant about receiving it - Tommy opened his mouth slightly in invitation. However, Jason stopped just when their lips were brushing against each other. His breath was warm on Tommy's face, and Tommy shivered as he felt a fresh surge of excitement settle in his groin.
"No more fun of that sort without me." The deep, husky voice was both playful and demanding, and Tommy could only moan in reply as he closed his eyes and leaned forward that final fraction of an inch.
"I promise ..."
Whatever else he might have said was swallowed in a passionate kiss.
/ /
/ /
/Note: /In response to the PR Slash Writer challenge on LiveJournal. Okay, this refers to (and kind of precedes, really) the first story I wrote for the challenge, Yours For The Taking (#10, kissing in the rain). This would then be #1, animals, and #16, photographs, respectively. :) It would help if you read that story first, but it's not strictly necessary. I honestly hadn't intended to turn this into a full-blown series, but hey, blame the Idiot Muse®, okay?//:-) As some readers have commented on Tommy's quick acceptance of Jason in the first story and I, too, felt it needed a bit more in the way of an explanation, this is what resulted. (And just by the way, I made up the name of the fraternity mentioned. If there is an organization of that name, my apologies; no infringement was intended!) Feedback will be greatly appreciated, as usual.
More Than Friends And Brothers
Chapter 2: Sexy Beast
By Dagmar Buse
"I think I'm at the wrong school," Hayley said à propos nothing at all when Tommy let himself into their shared apartment. He'd spent most of the afternoon at the library working on a term paper while she was having a get-together with some sorority friends to celebrate her birthday. He was taking her out to dinner later in honor of the occasion, but hadn't wanted to intrude on a half-dozen girls. "Or maybe the right one; I haven't made up my mind yet." Her voice was caught halfway between a- and be-mused; Tommy couldn't quite tell which.
"Oh? Why's that?" he asked, only half listening as he made a beeline for the fridge and some soda.
"Because nothing like /that /ever gets done here," Hayley replied somewhat acerbically.
Curious now, Tommy walked over to the living area. He plonked down onto the couch and snagged a leftover cookie. "Like what?" he mumbled through a mouthful of crumbs and chocolate chips. Hayley was folding the wrapping paper from her presents into a neat stack to recycle, smiled wryly and jerked her head at something glossy on the coffee table.
"Take a look. I really don't know what Corinne was thinking, giving me that. It's either a hint to live it up, or a not very subtle slur on my current lack of a social life."
"Oh? What'd she give you, some kind of, um, adult material?" Tommy wanted to know. He wouldn't put it past the girl; despite her brains, she was definitely the 'adventurous' type - if you wanted to be polite.
"I almost wish she had," Hayley grimaced comically. "At least that would've been fairly straightforward./ /No, it wasn't - and it doesn't explain why she gave me /that /for a gift."
Now extremely curious to know what /'that' /was, Tommy reached over and picked up the item in question. It looked much like a magazine - slick, colorful and squarish. However, the number 2002 written large on the top sheet indicated otherwise. "A calendar?"
"Yeah."
"What's wrong with that? It /is /January; not such an unusual gift, I'd say ..."
"Wait until you've taken a look inside," Hayley commented drily. "Take your time; I'm getting ready for dinner."
"Okay." As the redhead disappeared towards the bathroom, Tommy took another sip of his soda, then flipped to the first page.
*
"This calendar is brought to you by the Epsilon Delta Chi fraternity, in collaboration with and in aid of the wildlife preservation program of the San Diego Zoo."
He raised his eyebrows as he read the introduction; Epsilon Delta Chi was Jason's fraternity at college until recently, and he couldn't help but wonder if his best friend knew about this. "No animal or person was harmed in the production process, and all human subjects volunteered to be photographed. Proceeds from the sale of this calendar will go to charity. Enjoy, and buy another one for a friend!"
/ /Well, it certainly sounded as if Jason, as a new alumnus, ought to know about this - he usually was first in line when it came to charitable projects. However, Tommy did a double take as he read the next page.
/" ΕΔΞ proudly presents - Sexy Beasts!"/
/ /
/ /"Oh boy." He snickered. Not only was Hayley so /not /into wildlife photography, he had a sneaking suspicion from her comments that the pictures would also include a lot of skin - and human skin at that. No wonder she was so dubious about the gift!
Tommy turned towards the first page, and found his suspicions confirmed. He whistled softly. Miss January was a gorgeous blonde in a tiny leopard-print bikini, lying on the ground before a lush green fern and with a ginormous snake draped all over her. February showed a muscular African-American man, clad only in tight jeans and boots, gentling a palomino horse somewhere in the mountains. March had a slender Asian girl who reminded Tommy a little of Trini 'kissing' a colorful parrot, her trim body wrapped in an almost-transparent muumuu; April had a Latino, or maybe Native-American-looking guy watching an eagle soar through the sky. He, too, was well-built and not afraid to show it in skimpy cutoffs ... with the zipper nearly undone all the way.
"Nice," he breathed, admiring the near-professional quality of the photographs as much as the pictures themselves. They were perfect compositions of splendid animals and beautiful bodies - nothing overtly sexual like in a /Playboy /spread, but /very /suggestive and without a doubt food for some steamy fantasies. /For both men and women, too, /Tommy noted approvingly. By displaying alternately girls and boys with the animals, the calendar at least made an effort at not being sexist and would definitely appeal to a larger audience.
He lingered a little over the July picture - a luscious redhead swimming with a dolphin. The girl didn't seem to be wearing clothes at all, but it was hard to tell through the water obscuring her curves. Still, he couldn't help but wishing just for a moment he'd been present when she'd climbed out of the pool!
Hayley breezed through the den towards her bedroom. "Like what you see?" she threw at him in passing, a knowing smirk in her voice, but the door clicked shut behind her before Tommy could answer.
"Hell, yeah," he murmured, a little dry-mouthed. There was no romantic involvement at all between him and Hayley and they liked it that way, but it had been a /long /time since he'd gotten to spend some private time with Kat, and he wasn't the type to go looking for someone else while in a relationship. Even if she was dancing in Europe most of the year and he was doing graduate work at university in the US. "What's not to like?"
/Everyone /in the photos was extremely attractive - and that was saying something, as Tommy was used to being around good-looking people. None of his friends was what he'd call model-pretty, but both as a group and individually they /were /easy on the eyes. All of them, in their own ways - from Billy's subdued geek chic once he'd ditched his overalls to Kat's classy elegance, Trini's grace, Zack's flair, Tanya's flamboyance ... Kimberly's cute prettiness. Tommy mentally let his friends pass review as he went for another soda. Not that he was particularly thirsty, but at the moment he was feeling just a tad deprived, and he needed the distraction this small break was giving him.
Man, I could make a series of pictures like this with all of the gang. Starting with our spirit animals, of course. Although, it'd be kinda hard to come up with a sexy setup for Rocky or Adam. /He grinned to himself as he tried to imagine a semi-nude Adam getting up close and personal with a frog. /Cold and slimy isn't exactly the stuff dreams are made of; nor is huge 'n' hairy!
/ /He picked up the calendar again. Maybe later tonight, just for kicks, he'd try to come up with fitting animals for the other Rangers; the Dino- or Thunderzords also didn't quite fit the bill. Smiling, he turned to the October page, one of the few double-sized pictures, like a centerfold ... and froze.
"What ... the ... /hell/?!?"
The picture was the only black-and-white photograph, but the starkness of the colors actually enhanced the nearly completely nude male body. The man was crouching before a basalt rock formation, half kneeling in such a way that nothing incriminating was visible, but it was quite obvious that he wore only the barest minimum - namely a skimpy loincloth that was also slit up to the waistband. And /nothing /underneath. He was reaching up to a ledge halfway up the rock, displaying incredibly sculpted muscles as he did so. Just out of his reach lay a huge lion, eyes gleaming against the fur of his mane, one paw outstretched ... but it wasn't the magnificent cat that caught Tommy's attention.
It was the familiar sight of the tanned, muscular body, dark hair and intent profile of his best friend.
"Jason?" he breathed incredulously, feeling as if somebody had punched him in the gut. Instinctively, he leaned forward for a closer look. No, he wasn't mistaken - the man in the picture /was /indeed the one-time Red Ranger. Tommy fumbled dazedly for his drink to take a swallow. His mouth had gone so dry, he /needed /the liquid to be able to mutter to himself.
Bro, you didn't ... when I call you next time, you're gonna tell me it's just a weird resemblance ... right?
Tommy shook his head as if to clear his brain of cobwebs. A part of his mind was demanding that he make that call today, right /now/, and ask whatever had possessed Jason to pose nearly nude; another part told him not to be an idiot - it wasn't any of his business, why was he getting so het up anyway and hey, charity ... and yet another part was definitely sitting up and taking notice. Unfortunately for Tommy's peace of mind, /that /part was aided and abetted enthusiastically - and instantaneously! - by a certain portion of his anatomy. While his reaction as such didn't particularly bother him (after all, he'd always prided himself for being pretty openminded about most things), Tommy felt rather thrown by the fact that he reacted like he did over a provocative photo of /Jason/.
His best friend. A fellow ex-Ranger, martial arts expert, teacher-in-training. Who just happened to have admitted to Tommy during their last visit that he was bisexual.
Which means that most likely he'd be more than slightly interested in the fact that I just got an instant hard-on just from looking at a picture of him. Aw, MAN!
/He was jerked out of his thoughts by Hayley's reappearance. "I'm ready if you are, Tommy." He didn't know whether to be grateful or pissed at the interruption, but wisely chose the former. For one thing, it wouldn't be fair to Hayley to spoil her birthday, and for another ... Tommy really didn't want to think about this at the moment. /Procrastination. Gotta love it just now!
"Sure; give me a minute to get my jacket," he murmured, hoping that his voice didn't betray his inner turmoil. When his friend gave him a funny look, he scrambled to salvage the situation. "And to put on a dress shirt; you look so nice, I wouldn't want to appear shabby beside you." He didn't even have to fake his comment, or his smile - Hayley /did /look good in the jewel-colored patterned dress she'd chosen, and it was a relief to hurry to his own room for a short while with a plausible excuse.
As he changed his flannel shirt for a thin white turtleneck and sports coat, Tommy forced his mind into more neutral straits. For the moment, he'd concentrate on making dinner as pleasant as possible for his newest friend; he'd deal with anything else later.
Much later!
*
The two returned from a lavish Chinese buffet after a couple of hours and, as they both had classes early the next day, didn't linger over a nightcap as they would've done on a weekend. Instead, they just said their goodnights and retired to their respective rooms. Tommy mechanically prepared for bed. Now that he was alone, in privacy and sheltering darkness, his thoughts once more went back to Hayley's calendar. He fought the temptation to go back to the living area and take another look for the better part of an hour, but when sleep proved elusive, he let his curiosity get the better of him and got up again. Opening the door as quietly as possible, he checked for any sign of his roommate. Hayley's bedroom door was firmly closed and he couldn't hear a thing beside the usual nighttime sounds, so it was probably safe.
Padding out into the darkened living area, he waited until his eyes adjusted to the weak light coming in through the window, then quickly went over and grabbed the calendar. It was probably inevitable that he stubbed his toe on a chair leg, and he cursed silently to himself as he waited for the throbbing pain to subside without hopping around on the other foot. If he did that, he was sure to wake his roommate, and that was the very last thing he wanted to happen. Nevertheless, Tommy retreated back to the safety of his room as fast as he could, barely remembering to not slam his door behind him.
Back on his bed, and blessedly alone, he switched his nightlight on at the lowest setting, got comfortable and once more thumbed through the publication.
/It's just for completion's sake, /he told himself, not entirely truthfully. /Hayley was ready before I'd taken a look at Miss November and the December guy. /But while the pictures were every bit as good as the ten preceding ones, they didn't hold his attention for long. So, feeling somewhat embarrassed and slightly guilty, he went back to the beginning.
"I'm /not /taking another look just at Jase," he muttered softly ... while at the back of his mind, a pesky little voice asked drily who he thought he was kidding.
To distract himself, and to prevent his itching fingers to go straight to the October spread, Tommy took a much closer look than before at the January page. The blonde really was beautiful; he didn't overly care for the snake, but there was something quite, um, stirring about the way the reptile clung to every one of her curves ... and the way the forked tongue stopped maybe a quarter-inch before touching her cleavage.
"Whoa. I wonder how she felt during the photo shoot. If it had been Kat in her place, would she have been able to smile like that?"
Mentally exchanging the blonde's features for his girlfriend's, Tommy had to admit that Kat probably would have smiled as well - not quite as provocatively, maybe, but if she knew /he /was looking at the picture ... /Um. Yeah. /He whistled under his breath. Kat usually seemed to be demureness personified, but he knew that deep down she had a mischievous streak as wide as anyone's. Not unexpectedly, he felt his body react, and he quickly went to the next page. The guy didn't do much for him; nor did he evoke anything but a fleeting comparison to Zack, based mostly on general build and skin color, so Tommy was able to continue reasonably fast to the Asian beauty who'd reminded him of Trini earlier. On closer inspection, the resemblance was not quite as pronounced, based mostly on ethnicity and the same curtain of raven tresses, but Tommy still couldn't help but imagine his serene friend in the see-through garment.
He felt himself twitch in an area that had never twitched at thinking of Trini until this day. He quickly forced himself to inspect the other pictures, but when the redhead with the dolphin almost instantaneously took on Kimberly's features and he grew fully hard, Tommy knew he was in trouble. /Deep /trouble.
"Man. I've /never /had fantasies of my friends before," he groaned, letting the calendar drop to the floor as he flung himself onto his back. "Why now?!?"
The answer was obvious, and could clearly be labeled 'October'. Jason.
"I'm gonna kill you, Bro, for doing this to me!"
It was an idle threat, and he knew it. Because right on its heels the little voice at the back of his mind commented smugly. 'Right after you've had your way with him!'
/ /Shuddering involuntarily, Tommy closed his eyes. Jason might be interested in both girls and guys, but that was no guarantee that he'd be interested in /him/. They were best friends, as close as brothers, and people didn't /have /fantasies - especially steamy ones like the ones beginning to swamp Tommy's mind - about their brothers, did they?
'But you're not brothers,' /that insidious voice whispered. 'You may have wished you were, but you're not. Ergo, there's nothing wrong with having a little fantasy about Jason. Not when he truly is a sexy beast!'/
/ /Tommy groaned. Damn that voice for being so infuriatingly /right/! He clenched his hands in the sheet, trying not to make a grab for the calendar.
'Go on. Take another look. A real close one. Nobody here but you, and you know you want to.'
"No," Tommy grated, but he was fighting a losing battle. "Not when I don't know if Jase minds or not!"
'He won't. Not when it's you.'
/ /Which was probably true; they'd never denied each other anything, especially not when it came to emotional support, but somehow, this was different.
'Different how?'
/ /He had no answer. /It just is, /he threw defiantly at the little inner devil egging him on, but got only a derisive snort in return.
/ /Stubbornly, Tommy lay back, battling the increasing desire to fully turn up the light, unfold the October picture and ogle Jason's nearly-nude body.
'And what a nice body it is, too,' the voice purred. Tommy swallowed even as he mentally concurred. After all, he'd always admired his friend's build - compact, muscular and rivalling a statue, almost. All covered by smooth, tanned skin that was both soft and firm (as he'd learned during numerous friendly wrestling matches) and rarely marred by a tan line. Unbidden, his mind flashed back to warm summer nights when the two of them had gone skinny-dipping at the cliffs near Angel Grove, and to hot days spent sunbathing in that quiet corner of the Scotts' back yard where swimming trunks were definitely optional. Tommy had always avoided outright staring, but he couldn't deny that he knew perfectly well how Jason looked naked ... even aroused. After all, they'd been teenaged boys with healthy hormones; sharing secret fantasies about Kimberly, Kat or Emily, to name a few, had been a guilty pleasure for both more than once.
However, things had always ended there. They'd laughed their erections off when they occurred, and never taken things further than that. No mutual masturbation, and they most certainly had not ever touched each other.
Butterflies suddenly did a kamikaze flight in his stomach as Tommy realized he wouldn't be able to stay in that safe zone if he picked up the calendar again. /Not gonna do it. No way, nohow! /he resolved.
'Yeah, right.'
"I'm not," he repeated, but his tormentor just laughed. 'Stop fooling yourself. You are going to look once more at Jason's picture; if not tonight, then as soon as you can get your mitts on the calendar again. Might as well get it over with now, when Hayley doesn't miss it yet, and there won't be any awkward questions.' /The voice paused, then gave him another mental nudge. 'Go on, do it. Who's gonna know, anyway?'/
I will ...
'So? Who's it going to harm?'
"My self-respect," Tommy murmured half-heartedly, but he could feel himself weakening further.
'Screw self-respect. Wouldn't you rather screw Jason?'
/ /That astute, if rather crude observation by his inner nemesis sent Tommy over the edge. Finally conceding defeat, he picked up the calendar from where it had fallen to the floor and opened it to the tenth page. He unfolded the picture and stared, drinking in every detail of his friend's semi-kneeling body. Somehow or other, the lion disappeared from the image and Tommy saw himself lying on that ledge in front of Jason ... equally nude, and just waiting for that outstretched hand to touch him. In a throbbing, demanding, already-hardened place where it would feel incredibly good to be touched.
Moaning quietly, shivering with sudden arousal, Tommy shifted the picture for better light from his nightstand ... and slid his hand into his briefs.
*
"I can't believe you jerked off over that silly picture of me and the lion," Jason murmured, slightly red around the ears as Tommy finished his recall. His friend shrugged.
Yeah, well, it /was /pretty hot," he admitted somewhat sheepishly. "Which was sort of the intention of the whole photo shoot, wasn't it?"
Jason grinned, quickly getting over his mild embarrassment. "What can I say - sex sells? Anyway, not really. The animals were supposed to be the main feature; we guys and the girls were just icing on the cake, sort of."
"Uh huh. Sure. And people bought the reprint run the next year for the wildlife photography, nothing else," Tommy replied drily. He gave his Bro a look that dared him to contradict.
Jason's grin turned wicked. "Of course," he deadpanned. "We did raise a five-figure sum for the Wildlife Project, after all. Not everyone is a pervert like you."
Tommy sputtered. "Pervert? /Me/? I wasn't the one posing as a Tarzan wannabe with that lion!"
"No, but you were the one having dirty thoughts about me! /And /flying solo afterwards!"
Tommy regarded Jason intently. He didn't seem to be put out by his admission - quite the contrary, in fact, if the laughter in the dark eyes was any indication. And after the kisses they had shared last night, it looked as if there would be very little need for any more 'solo flights' for either of them in the near future. With that realization, the last traces of guilt Tommy had experienced over his one-time fantasy melted away faster than ice cream in the sun. Time for another confession.
"Well ... it's the main reason why I could accept your declaration last night so easily," he said quietly, reaching for Jason's arm across the table. "That's what you wanted to know, right? If I hadn't known already that I could be physically attracted to you, given the right circumstances ..."
"... things could've gotten very awkward," Jason replied, instantly understanding. He covered Tommy's hand with his own. "Guess I'll forgive you then."
Relieved, Tommy smiled. "For, ah, taking matters into my own hands?"
Jason winked. "Uh huh. But only if you promise me one thing."
"Like what? If you're thinking of getting a picture like that of me for another calendar, forget it. I'm not such an exhibitionist like you."
"Says the guy who insisted on wearing nothing but black pants for the Team Ninja competition back in high school," Jason smirked. I'll just wait until you're comfortable with the idea of getting naked with me, Bro. "Nah. Might be fun, but I guess I can live without that." For now.
Not quite trusting the lusty gleam he could detect in Jason's expression, Tommy smiled back warily. "What, then?"
Slowly, Jason reached out and drew Tommy's head towards him. Expecting a kiss - and not at all reluctant about receiving it - Tommy opened his mouth slightly in invitation. However, Jason stopped just when their lips were brushing against each other. His breath was warm on Tommy's face, and Tommy shivered as he felt a fresh surge of excitement settle in his groin.
"No more fun of that sort without me." The deep, husky voice was both playful and demanding, and Tommy could only moan in reply as he closed his eyes and leaned forward that final fraction of an inch.
"I promise ..."
Whatever else he might have said was swallowed in a passionate kiss.
/ /
/ /
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