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Disclaimer: Not mine, no money made. Don't sue, I'm already broke.
Note: Hey, we made a few other folks play, too! Welcome in our sandbox, Cmar and Starhawk! - In case you hadn't already noticed, this is not so much a coherent story, but rather a collection of vignettes - drabbles, if you will - under a common theme. I'm taking a small liberty with that theme, in that the kisses actually happened ... but definitely shouldn't have. Or not in the way they did, anyway. evil grin On to chapter 3, then. Enjoy, I hope, and please pass by the feedback box on your way out?


Five Kisses Better Left Unshared
Chapter 3: Under Pressure

The Kiss Everybody Was Waiting For

"You gotta kiss her!"

"Do not."

"Sure you do," Zack declared with conviction. "It's practically the law!"

"Says who?" Jason wanted to know, caught halfway between exasperation and nerves. Really, why was everybody making such a big deal out of this? Just because he was taking Kim to the Junior High Spring Dance didn't mean he had to kiss her, did it?

"Says everybody," his friend grinned. "Come on, Jase - you've been voted best athlete, and Kim's the best cheerleader. You've asked her to go to the Spring Bash with you. That means you gotta do it!"

"Yeah, well, maybe I don't want to," Jason said curtly. It wasn't that he objected to kissing the petite brunette on principle; Kim was pretty and he liked her well enough. Just not that way. Only, nobody would believe him - and Kim wasn't helping the situation by putting on that smug little grin every time the topic came up. Sometimes when he saw that, Jason felt like smacking her. And everybody who told him he'd have to kiss her. Unfortunately, that included his friend and his mom.

"You're not chicken, are ya?"

Jason felt himself turn red - both with temper and embarrassment. "I'm not!" he protested hotly. Maybe just a little too hotly, due to the fact that Zack was getting uncomfortably close to the truth. He wasn't really afraid of kissing Kim - or any other girl, for that matter - it was just that he hadn't done it yet.

"Well, don't you wanna kiss her?" Zack needled, his curiosity stirring.

But Jason refused to be baited. "Zack, first of all it's none of your business, and besides, it's Kim's decision, too. She may not want to kiss /me/. So cut it out already, okay?" he warned in a tone his friend knew only too well. It was one Jason usually reserved for Bulk and Skull when they were being especially obnoxious, and Zack realized he better back down, or else. Jason's temper, once riled, wasn't something he wanted focused on him.

"Okay, okay," he said, but couldn't help a small smirk. He'd noticed Kimberly's mysterious little grins and had seen her scope Jason out when she was sure he wasn't looking. Also, she'd giggled with Trini more than once behind Jason's back. He was gonna have fun watching those two come Friday night!

*

"Just remember to be a gentleman with Kimberly," Helen Scott admonished her son as she needlessly straightened his tie. Jason looked so handsome in his Sunday clothes - almost grown up, even if he was only fourteen! She felt her eyes grow a little misty at the thought of her baby boy being already old enough to take a girl to a school dance. "And if you want to kiss her good-night, be nice if she says no." Not that Kim would; what girl could not want to be kissed by her son?

"Mom!" Jason was mortified. It was bad enough that everybody at school seemed to expect him to kiss Kim; to have his mother trying to give him advice was ... was ... He shook his head helplessly. "I'm not gonna kiss her!"

Mrs. Scott only smiled in a way that always managed to make Jason feel like a five-year-old - the one that seemed to say 'I know something you don't, and you'll be grateful I told you so'. He hated it. As he did his mother's parting remark. "If you say so, dear."

Fuming inwardly, he climbed into the family car. Thankfully, his dad didn't say anything, but Jason thought he could see him grinning as he waited in the Harts' driveway while Jason rang the doorbell to run the gamut of knowing looks, covert smiles and sullen glares from Kim's parents and older brother. It was almost enough to make him turn on his heel and go practice karate in the park instead. But he knew it'd be the height of bad manners, he couldn't disappoint his friend and what was more, it would prove that he was chicken. Jason wouldn't give anyone the satisfaction to crow 'I knew it!' over him and thus was well and truly trapped.

*

Despite his fears, the Spring Bash turned out to be fun; Kimberly looked very pretty in her lacy pink dress, earning Jason envious glances from most other boys. It did wonders to dispel his feeling of self-consciousness, so Jason soon began to relax and enjoy the evening. Even the dancing was kind of okay. In between, the two shared a table with Billy and Trini; Zack was supposed to be with them as well, but he loved to dance, and thus was very popular with all the girls whose dates couldn't be bothered.

However, things took a turn for the worse when Jason had to visit the rest room. Half the football team was hanging out in the hallway, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to pass them without getting unasked-for comments and 'advice'. Sighing, he schooled his face into impassivity, silently thanking his sensei for teaching him how to do that, and marched resolutely towards his goal. He managed to take care of business without problem, but as he got out again he was accosted by the quarterback.

"Hey, Jase, are you gonna kiss Kim tonight?"

"None of your business, Mike."

He meant it, too. Even if he had kissed Kimberly during a slow dance - which I haven't - or if he planned to on their way home - which I don't! - the football team was pretty much the last bunch of people he'd tell. He'd seen too often how a kiss was exaggerated into something much more serious in the locker room. He liked most of his teammates, but among them were some of the biggest gossips at Angel Grove Junior High, and whatever he might or might not want to do, Kim was his /friend/. He couldn't ruin her reputation, no matter how much his own would be enhanced. Actually, he didn't want the guys talking about them together, period.

"Aw, come on!"

Some of the other jocks chimed in. "Yeah, tell us!"

"I bet the chick's just waiting for you to make a move on her!"

"Yeah, Veronica said that the cheerleaders always get kissed after a dance!"

"Uh huh. And Kim's a cheerleader, so ..."

The quarterback nudged one of his cronies. "Maybe he's already kissed her and just isn't telling," he snickered.

"Shut up, Mike," Jason growled, hoping that his blush wasn't visible. "Even if I had, what makes you think I'd tell /you/?" Under his breath, he added "Or any of you bunch of jerks."

"Maybe he hasn't because he's too scared," Jake, a runningback, drawled.

Jason barely kept himself from flinching. How could they know?!? It was one thing to have Zack tease him about being chicken; quite another to let the team think he didn't have the guts to kiss a girl. He had his own reputation to consider, after all. He thought quickly. What was it his uncle had said once - that sometimes, attack was the best defense? Well, he could certainly do that/. After all, the guys all knew how tough he was. "Ever heard of being a gentleman, guys? I'm /not gonna drag any girl's name in the locker room, ever, so as I said, it's none of your beeswax. Let it go, guys. I'm not telling either way, and if I catch any one of you spreading tales ..." He subtly altered his stance, dark eyes flashing.

"Uh-oh, he's getting his Bruce Lee look again," one of the linebackers murmured. He knew that Jason was a Black Belt in karate, and that there were certain things you teased Jason Scott about at your own peril. Clearly, this was one of them. "Simmer down, okay?"

"If you keep your friggin' mouths shut about Kim and me." Jason didn't yet relax his tensed muscles and alert posture. "Not that there is a 'Kim and me'," he added for good measure.

"Spoilsport," Mike muttered, but backed down. He, too, was aware of what Jason could do if you riled him enough. Thankfully, the rest of the team followed his lead. Ignoring the mixture of sullen glares and sneers, Jason nodded once and left, rejoining his friends in the festively-decorated gym.

*

"The gym looked great tonight, didn't it?"

"Uh huh."

"Wasn't the DJ fantastic?"

"Yeah."

"Everybody dressed up, like, really nice, too, don't you think?"

"Mm-hm."

"Did you have fun dancing with me?"

"Huh."

"Will you kiss me?"

"Yep ... uh, what?!?"

That last question, asked just as cheerfully by Kimberly as her earlier, chirpy ones finally managed to yank Jason out of his thoughts - mostly because it summarized exactly what had him so distracted on the way to Kim's house. He stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk and stared down at his petite friend. Kim stared right back at him, her face a study in innocence. However, a closer look revealed that her brown eyes were full of mischief.

"Uh, what did you just say?" he asked warily, hoping that his ears had played a trick on him. Kim couldn't have said what he thought she had, could she?

She shook her head, her expression shifting right into exasperation. "Jase, you haven't heard a word I said since we left the gym, have you?"

Jason felt himself blush. He was tempted to deny it, but honesty made him nod after only a moment's hesitation.

"No, I haven't. Sorry, Kim - I was distracted." No way was he going to tell her what had him so preoccupied all evening despite his best efforts not to think about it! Namely, to kiss or not to kiss her. Jason thought he might, but what if it was only because of everybody pressuring him? If he could only be sure that if he did, it was because he wanted to!

"By what?" she wanted to know.

"Nothing," he mumbled, shuffling his feet and looking anywhere but at Kim. As he might have expected, though, Kim wasn't buying it.

"You've been thinking about kissing me, haven't you." It was a statement, not a question, and Jason felt like an idiot about being found out. He was tempted to lie, but couldn't bring himself to do so. Drawing a deep breath, he nodded at last.

"Well ... yeah, kinda," he murmured, face flaming. He could see that they were only a block from the Harts' residence and for a few seconds he hoped that being so close to home would hold her back, but no such luck. Instead, he saw a smile spread slowly across the girl's face as she skipped right in front of him.

"Why don't you, then?" she asked brightly. "I won't mind."

"What, just like that?" Jason blurted, slightly shocked.

"Why not? I like you, you're a really nice guy ... and cute, too," she added brightly. When Jason continued to just stare at her, though, Kimberly's smile faltered. "D-don't you want to kiss me?" she asked at last, her voice growing very small.

"I ... I guess," Jason stammered, feeling suddenly panicked. His mind was whirling; part of him did want to kiss Kim, if only to get it over with - and he couldn't decide whether 'it' was the kissing itself, or kissing his friend in particular. Another part was yelling at him to run, /NOW!/, but there was also something within Jason that recognized a challenge. He'd never run from a challenge in his life, and he wasn't about to start today. He drew a shuddering breath and squared his shoulders. "Um, yeah, I do," he committed himself.

"Cool!" Kimberly breathed, and stepped close to him, her pretty face lifting expectantly. Jason barely managed not to step back.

"Er, here? Right now?"

"Sure; what's wrong with here and now?" Kim queried with a matter-of-factness that seemed rather out of place and yet oddly appropriate. Quickly, Jason looked around. They were standing next to a large azalea bush bordering a stretch of lawn; the street was quiet with the lull of early evening, and the nearest street light was several yards distant in both directions. The only way someone could observe them was if a car passed by or someone happened to come out the door of one of the houses across the street. They couldn't have picked a better spot if they'd planned it.

"Nothing," Jason admitted, knowing he'd reached the point of no return. Either he kissed her now, or he didn't - and he had a suspicion Kim wouldn't forgive him for a very long time, if ever, if he refused. "Okay then."

Hesitantly, he reached out and drew Kimberly into his arms. Butterflies were dancing madly in his stomach as she snuggled against him, her tiny frame a pleasant contrast against his own sturdiness. Her eyes closed, and Jason bent towards her. Her lips were incredibly soft against his own, and when they opened slightly beneath the pressure of his mouth, the invitation was unmistakable. Instinct took over where experience failed, and Jason shared his first kiss with Kimberly.

It didn't last very long, and yet it seemed like a small eternity to Jason. Mostly because he couldn't fully concentrate on what he was doing ... and what he was feeling. When it was over, Kim's beaming smile told him that he'd done the right thing, and as the whole thing hadn't been overly awkward and actually rather pleasant, Jason smiled right back at her, feeling pleased with himself. Strangely, though, he felt no urge to do it again.

"Thanks, Jase," she said politely after a moment's pause. "That just made tonight, like, really perfect!" It didn't look as if she wanted another kiss, which was kind of a relief.

"Welcome," he murmured somewhat bemusedly. Was it his imagination, or did Kim sound almost disappointed? "I liked it, too."

"Cool. You can take me home now," she said, once again matter-of-factly. It was as if she'd just ticked off another item on her to-do list for the evening, Jason thought as they resumed walking. It was like - get date, dress up, dance, go home, get kiss, done. I wonder - did she plan on all of that with me, or was I just handy? He decided not to dwell on that. Instead, he duly escorted Kimberly home and delivered her to her doorstep, escaping Mrs. Hart's questions as soon as he decently could.

"I'll see you at school on Monday, Jase!" Kim called after him as he left. Jason waved his assent and went home.

*

As first kisses went, it hadn't been bad.

Still, Jason couldn't completely banish a sense of uneasiness as he thought back on the kiss. Something hadn't felt right, and it bothered him enough that he decided to examine his feelings more closely for once by mentally listing the things he'd liked and hadn't liked.

He'd liked having Kim in his arms; hugging her was very different from hugging his mother, or aunts. She was pretty, she smelled nice, she was soft in all the right places, and on the whole ... touching his tongue to hers hadn't been half as gross as it sounded when he'd heard other guys talk about it in the locker room. In fact, it had been nice - even more than nice, because he'd felt ...

That was the part he hadn't liked about kissing Kim. To discover that she could stir feelings in him down there seemed all kinds of wrong. Rationally, Jason knew that it wasn't; they weren't even related, and it was a perfectly normal reaction of a healthy teenaged boy towards a pretty girl. He'd paid attention in health class, and his dad had had some pretty frank talks with him on the subject, too. And yet ...

And yet it had felt wrong ... because he didn't want to feel about Kim that way. Jason was suddenly quite sure that Kim didn't want to feel about him that way, either. If she did, she would've reacted differently afterwards. How, he had no idea, but that hardly mattered; it was enough to know that it would have - should have been different.

"I don't want things to change between us, Kim. Not like that."

Whatever else he and Kim were to each other, they were most definitely not in love. And there wouldn't be a repeat performance. He didn't know if he would have to spell it out to Kim, but if he did, he'd say this:

"We should never have kissed, Kim. We shouldn't have let our friends and families badger us into doing something we're not comfortable with. Just because you're the most popular cheerleader and I'm 'best athlete' doesn't mean we have to be a couple. I like you lots, but we're not in love with each other, and I'd much rather have you as my friend, anyway."

Yes, that felt /right/. Then and there, Jason made a vow to himself - never again would he kiss someone he didn't love, no matter who or how many people said it was 'the thing to do'.

"From now on - no more pressure!"