"At My Best, At My Worst" - Bridge Carson/Sky Tate - #7 Graveyard
Title: At My Best, At My Worst
Author: shurifanstuffs
Claim: Power Rangers S.P.D.- Bridge Carson/Sky Tate
Table: Do-It-Yourself
Prompt: #7 Graveyard
Rating: G
Summary: When Sky gets some upsetting news, Bridge helps him deal with it, and the two realize they're close than ever.
Warnings: M/M romance
Notes: Assumes basic knowledge of S.P.D. characters and canon.
A light breeze stirred the plants throughout the graveyard- trees, grass, flowers that lay gently on top of graves- but it barely disturbed the tall blond-haired man who stood before a headstone. His head was bowed, shoulders drooping, fists clenching and unclenching. He was trying very hard to fight down the tears threatening to fall from his eyes, biting down so hard on his lower lip that it had begun to bleed.
He didn't really care.
"I'm sorry, Dad," Sky finally mumbled softly, turning to go. "I need to go. I'll be back to see you as soon as I can, alright?" He strode as fast as he could out of the graveyard, through the gates, to where a motorcycle with S.P.D. insignia on it awaited him. He pulled on his gloves, slapped on his helmet, then got on his bike and began to speed off. He wasn't quite sure where he was going to go next, though he knew he should have returned to the base, or at the very least should have told them that he wasn't sure he'd be back anytime soon.
But he didn't care about doing that either, he found.
As he drove aimlessly, his body almost automatically steering the bike through the streets of Newtech City, ignoring the sporadic beeps of his communicator and the ringing of his cell phone when someone tried to contact him, he turned over the conversation he'd had with his mother after arriving at the graveyard in his mind.
At least she hadn't told him in front of his father's grave. She'd told him to follow her away from there, found a food cart, bought him lunch. Telling it to him over a hot dog was only slightly better, granted. He could still clearly hear his and his mom's voices, see her face in his mind's eye.
"I'm getting married again, Schuyler." She was aglow with happiness, and showed him the ring on her finger. He didn't know how he hadn't noticed it already.
"... You're... you're what?"
"Joe proposed to me just last night. I wanted to call you, but it was late by the time we got home. We've not decided on a date yet..." Sky didn't hear much of what she was saying. His mind was starting to get foggy. She was getting married again. He had accepted long ago that something like this was going to happen, yet suspecting it and actually hearing it were two different things... "Are you alright?" Her voice cut through to him, and he shook his head.
"Yeah. Congratulations," he said, forcing a smile. "...I'm glad that you're happy, Mom."
"Schuyler. I can tell that you're upset."
"I'm not!" Sky lied. "Why would something like this upset me?"
"I know you, son." Sky felt a huge pang of guilt, because the hurt in her voice was very evident. "I can just tell."
"Mom..." He went to pull her into a hug, but felt another, bigger pang when she pulled away.
"I have to go. I'll call you later."
"Mom! I'm sorry!" However, she was gone. Cursing to himself, Sky tossed the rest of his hot dog in the trash, walking back off toward the graveyard, turning to watch his mother's car backing out of the narrow drive in and speeding away.
And now, here he was, his mind getting increasingly-muddled. He didn't know what to think, except perhaps that way at the back of his mind, he felt stupid because this was getting to him so badly. He had plenty of worse problems to deal with, things that affected people all over the galaxy, not just him.
He was selfish.
No. I'm human.
An hour passed. Or more. Revving his motorcycle, he finally turned a corner and began driving back toward the Delta Base.
I guess I'll have to face my friends sooner or later. I'm probably already in enough trouble for being late...
* * *
The other Rangers could tell that something was very, very wrong with Sky when he finally pulled back into the base.
The first indication was his lateness- because this was the first time they knew of that he'd been so late and not called ahead. This was so unusual, in fact, that they thought he'd been attacked, until Kat brought him up on the satellite display- he was fine, but was driving around the city with no apparent destination.
Sign number two was that he was apparently trying to avoid contact, as each one of his teammates had tried to buzz his communicator or call his cell phone at least once and gotten no response.
The biggest, however, was that when he finally did arrive, he offered no explanation as to his whereabouts or an apology for worrying them- indeed, he didn't even acknowledge his fellow Rangers beyond a curt nod as he passed them in the rec room, walking rapidly, averting his face as he went inside his dorm room and shut the door.
"I'm getting that he's confused, angry and very sad about something, but his energy's really hard to read, too," Bridge murmured to the others after reading Sky's aura, making Z and Jack each raise an eyebrow and Syd look concerned. "I don't know what could have happened, though... do you think we should try and talk to him?"
"We could," said Jack dubiously. "But I can tell you right now that we're not going to get a word from him."
"True," Z agreed. "Still... I don't want to just leave him there. Come on."
However, their attempts to get Sky to divulge what had happened were just as successful as Jack had predicted. Jack himself tried first, pressing an ear against the door (which Sky had locked, to stop it from automatically opening), hearing what sounded like quiet sobs coming from within. Jack glanced at the others, who nodded encouragingly, and knocked.
"Sky?" he called. "Is everything alright, buddy?"
"Leave me alone, please."
"Seriously, man. You've gotta tell us what happened. Let me in, alright? ...Bridge read your aura, and he says you're really upset-"
"Gee, it's so great to know that you guys respect my privacy," Sky snarled in reply, and Bridge suddenly squirmed uncomfortably, playing with a strap on one of his gloves. "I said LEAVE ME ALONE, Jack." Jack pursed his lips, shrugged, and returned to his spot on the couch beside Z. Syd tried her luck next.
"Come on, Sky, talk to us," she cajoled. "Whatever's bothering you, shutting yourself off like you usually do isn't going to help!"
"What part of 'leave me alone' do you not understand?" came the irate reply. Syd came back and sat down in a huff, but just as Z was about to try, they were interrupted by Commander Cruger walking in. He raised one paw to indicate that they all should stay where they were.
"At ease," he said. "I just came to check on Sky. Where is he?"
"Shut himself up in our room, sir," said Bridge, pointing. "We tried to talk to him, but he won't let us in."
"I see," said Cruger, then walked over, rapping lightly on the door and shouting, "Cadet Tate, it's your Commander. I'd like to have a word with you." The other four Rangers watched with some apprehension as the door slid open, then shut again behind the Commander. However, they couldn't hear what the two were talking about, and Bridge, feeling guilty after Sky's remark about privacy, asked that they not eavesdrop. Cruger emerged from the room about 15 minutes later, again holding up a paw for silence. "All four of you are to leave him alone," he said bluntly. "He will tell you what is wrong when he is ready, but right now he needs his space. If I hear that any of you are pestering him, I will make sure the offender is punished. Am I clear?" The others, trying hard to hide their shock, saluted, and Bridge had barely opened his mouth when Cruger said, "Of course, Caset Carson, he very well cannot keep you from your own room, but it goes double for you- if he doesn't want to talk, don't force him to."
"Yes, sir," said Bridge meekly, and Cruger nodded with satisfaction, walking away. The Rangers sat in an uncomfortable silence for several minutes before they all found excuses to leave and do other things in order to take their mind off of Sky. Jack mumbled about how he needed to do his shooting practice for the day, Syd insisted that she needed a long bath, Z went to listen to her music and read, and Bridge paced restlessly for a few moments before he finally walked off to see if Kat and Boom needed help with anything in the lab.
When it was time for bed, Bridge punched in the lock override on his and Sky's door, with Jack, Z and Syd hovering anxiously behind him, only to find...
"He's sleeping," Bridge said in a whisper. "Go on and go to bed, guys; I'll come and get you if he wants to talk, alright?"
"Right," said Jack, squeezing Bridge's shoulder. "Good luck, buddy."
"Thanks," said Bridge, and the three left, the door sliding shut behind them, plunging the room into darkness. Trying to be as quiet as possible and not wake his roommate, Bridge tiptoed over to his nightstand, clicked his desk lamp on, and took his pajamas out, sitting on the edge of his bed and watching Sky while he changed. He lay on his side facing Bridge, apparently having been asleep for several hours, as his clothes were rumpled and his hair was messy. His mouth was open slightly, his breathing slow and steady. One arm was loosely hugging the familiar photograph of his young self and his father to his chest. Bridge frowned at him, then squirmed nervously when Sky suddenly whimpered before he stirred, yawning before opening his eyes.
"Oh... ...hey," he said to Bridge in a hoarse voice, lifting himself on one hand, setting the picture on his nightstand, and rubbing his eyes.
"Hi," said Bridge. "I..." He swallowed, remembering what Commander Cruger had said about pestering Sky, and trailed off. Sky didn't seem to notice his hesitation, looking down at himself with disapproval. He then sighed heavily and sat up, massaging his forehead before turning to stare out the window.
"I'm a mess." It wasn't a question, so Bridge still remained silent. "I didn't mean to sleep for so long..."
"It's alright," said Bridge. "I think maybe you needed that after... whatever it was happened. You don't have to tell me!" he added hastily, and Sky gave him a strange look before comprehension dawned on his face.
"Cruger must have..." Sky gave a mirthless laugh. "It's alright, Bridge, I planned on telling you guys anyway after I, ah... let some of my emotion out." Bridge couldn't disguise his surprise when Sky then shifted, scooting back to sit against the wall and patting the bed next to him. "...Come sit with me. You're probably going to think it's ridiculous."
"Why would I?" Bridge wanted to know as he took the invitation and sat down next to Sky, but got no reply, looking over and seeing that he was staring blankly into space. The two sat in silence for a long time before Sky finally said in a rush,
"I ran into my mother when I was visiting Dad's grave, and she told me... she told me that she's getting married again." Bridge's mouth fell open. "...Stupid thing to get this upset over, huh?"
"Oh, Sky... no, it's not," Bridge replied, hesitantly putting a hand on Sky's arm, but before he could reply further, Sky spoke again, and Bridge let him talk his feelings out.
"She ran off because she could sense that I didn't feel right about it, and I feel like a total jerk about that, too. I want to support her, because I knew this had to be coming eventually. She's been dating this guy for a while, and they really like each other, and he treats her well. I never expected her to just remain single for the rest of her life after Dad died, either... I-I know Dad would want her to be happy, too, even if- especially because he can't be there for her. It's stupid of me to get this upset, but to me, it also means she's finally fully letting go of Dad and I just don't know how to handle that..." Bridge put his arms around Sky, and much to his surprise, Sky leaned into the embrace and returned it.
"Don't feel stupid," Bridge said firmly. "Sky... that's a perfectly good reason to be sad. I can't say that I understand how you feel, but still."
"No, it's not a good reason. We've got so many more problems I should be worrying about, not just my own personal-"
"If it's important to you, then it IS one," Bridge interrupted. "You can't spend all of your time worrying about the rest of the world... you have to look out for yourself once in a while, too." Sky looked over at him and tried to speak, but found that he couldn't.
"Do you want me to get the others?" Bridge ventured. "They're really worried about you. We all were." Sky shook his head, taking a deep breath.
"No... I don't want to disturb them. That and I'm not sure I want Jack to see me like this." Bridge suppressed an impatient snort at that.
"Come on, you know he'd never make fun of you when you're this upset."
"...I guess." Sky hastily reached up to wipe his eyes, and Bridge squeezed him. "Still, I don't want him- or any of the others- to see me right now."
"Alright. Cry some more if you need to, Sky. I'll let you tell the others about this your way, in your own time. But tonight... I'll be here."
"I know."
* * *
When Sky first began to wake the next morning, he half wondered if yesterday had all been a crazy, horrible nightmare, as surreal as it felt now... especially because...
Reality came crashing back down when he realized that someone else was in the bed with him, a green pajama-clad someone, who was still asleep in an awkward-looking position against the wall, mouth open to give vent to a few little snores.
Sky blinked hard several times, rubbing his head and getting up to examine himself in a mirror. He still looked like a mess- he'd never bothered to change into his own pajamas, so he'd have to iron his jacket and pants before he could wear them again. His hair was still mussed and he definitely looked as though he'd been crying for a while. He knew he wanted to wash up and make himself presentable before talking to the others... but, he realized, there was one person he needed to talk to before Jack, Syd and Z, and that returning to his usual immaculate appearance could wait, too. He sighed, walking back toward the bed and watching the sleeping Bridge for a while before gently shaking him awake.
"BAH! Oh! Oh, it's just you, Sky," Bridge panted, pulling himself into a sitting position. Sky opened his mouth to speak, then let it hang there when he realized that he didn't know exactly what TO talk about. "AH. So, about last night..." Bridge bit his lip.
"Let's not beat around the bush. We spent the night in the same bed together," said Sky bluntly.
"Yeah," said Bridge.
"Breaking half a dozen or so regulations-"
"I know, I know, you don't need to quote the handbook at me," said Bridge, who was for some reason going red. "Nobody has to know about it, Sky, and even if Cruger or somebody finds out, which they won't because I definitely won't tell and I doubt you'll tell-"
"Alright, I get the idea," said Sky, and Bridge, looking hurt, turned his gaze downward. "I'm sorry," Sky said at once, plopping down on the bed, and Bridge nodded, scooting over and sitting cross-legged next to him. "It's just... I'm confused about this is all."
"Me too."
"I don't even really remember how it happened... just you hugging me while I was crying, and then I felt sleepy-"
"I shouldn't have stayed in your bed," Bridge interjected, not meeting his gaze. "I'm sorry, Sky, that was wrong of me. But you were so sad, and I wanted you to have someone close to you. I felt like that's what you needed." Sky nervously tugged his shirt down.
"Maybe it was," he mumbled, and Bridge looked at him curiously. Sky got up and began to pace back and forth, running his fingers through his hair distractedly, trying to think of the right words to express how he felt. His brain felt just as addled as it had when he'd gone to sleep, but for a different reason now. "I just don't know where we go from here."
"What do you mean?" Bridge wanted to know.
"You've seen me at my best, and now at my worst," said Sky. "You're the only person here who can say that. I- that makes us closer than the others." He sat back down next to Bridge, and it suddenly seemed as though he were looking at his friend in a whole different light now.
"Is that a bad thing?" Bridge asked nervously.
"No, it's not," said Sky, fighting down a sudden urge to smile at him. "And... as long as I'm being so honest here... if I hadn't liked lying here with you, I would've shoved you away."
Bridge didn't know how to respond to that.
He wasn't going to tell Sky about the butterflies in his stomach just yet, anyway.
* * *
"I'm so, so sorry about yesterday, Mom."
"Schuyler... I'm sorry, too. I overreacted, and now that I've had some time to think about it, that was a pretty big bomb to drop on you."
"It was. But I did mean it when I said I was glad that you're happy."
"I know. I hope you'll want to be a part of the planning."
"Of course." Sky covered the mouthpiece of his phone before he let out a deep breath he didn't realize he'd been holding in. "Listen, Mom... I know I always told you I'd be too busy to date while being a Ranger... that I wasn't interested in falling in love-"
"Which I knew wasn't true the moment you said it. Go on."
"Well, uh..." Sky hesitated. "...We haven't officially gotten together yet. We're still testing the waters. But, how would you feel about... about me and Bridge?" There was a pause; horrified, Sky thought for a wild moment that she was about to lash out at him, until there was the unmistakable sound of an "awww" from the other end. "MOM," Sky groaned.
"Oh, stop being so serious, or you'll drive him off before you even start to date," she replied. "I don't mind it at all, and I wish you the best of luck together... whether it works out in the end or not. If it's meant to be, you'll find a way to make it work."
"Thanks, Mom. I hope it does... there's so much that could go wrong."
"Then don't focus on that and focus on making it right." Sky bit his tongue, knowing that she made sense. "I love you, son. I'll call you later about the wedding arrangements."
"OK. Love you, too, Mom." Sky pocketed his cell phone and went back into his and Bridge's room, where his... Sky didn't know whether to call him "friend", "boyfriend" or something in-between... sat at his computer desk, tongue sticking out the side of his mouth as he stuck wires and screwed parts into some electronic or other he couldn't have identified if he tried.
"Oh, hey," said Bridge, noticing him and smiling, putting his screwdriver down. "So how did I go with the others?"
"Just like I thought," said Sky. "Syd fussed until I told her I was fine with it, then she ran off to e-mail my mom and order some bridal magazines. If Mom lets her help, the entire wedding will be done in pink no matter if she wants it that way or not." Bridge grinned. "Jack didn't really seem to understand, but he was sympathetic, anyway, and offered to go running with me if I ever need to vent. Z seemed surprised, then asked me if I was going to be a bridesmaid." Bridge snorted with laughter, then got up and went over to Sky. The two stared into each others' eyes for a long while.
"So..." said Bridge.
"Yeah," said Sky, a smile tugging at his lips.
"...Are you sure we can make this work?" said Bridge nervously.
"Bridge..." On impulse, Sky took one of Bridge's hands in his own. "We're two men, two police officers, two Power Rangers. Our relationship could get us separated at best, or at worst kicked out of the Academy. We don't even have any idea if our friends will be okay with it. I have never been less sure of anything in my entire life."
"So you're just as nervous as I am. Somehow, that's comforting," said Bridge, squeezing Sky's hand in response.
(cross-posted to shurifanstuffs)
Author: shurifanstuffs
Claim: Power Rangers S.P.D.- Bridge Carson/Sky Tate
Table: Do-It-Yourself
Prompt: #7 Graveyard
Rating: G
Summary: When Sky gets some upsetting news, Bridge helps him deal with it, and the two realize they're close than ever.
Warnings: M/M romance
Notes: Assumes basic knowledge of S.P.D. characters and canon.
A light breeze stirred the plants throughout the graveyard- trees, grass, flowers that lay gently on top of graves- but it barely disturbed the tall blond-haired man who stood before a headstone. His head was bowed, shoulders drooping, fists clenching and unclenching. He was trying very hard to fight down the tears threatening to fall from his eyes, biting down so hard on his lower lip that it had begun to bleed.
He didn't really care.
"I'm sorry, Dad," Sky finally mumbled softly, turning to go. "I need to go. I'll be back to see you as soon as I can, alright?" He strode as fast as he could out of the graveyard, through the gates, to where a motorcycle with S.P.D. insignia on it awaited him. He pulled on his gloves, slapped on his helmet, then got on his bike and began to speed off. He wasn't quite sure where he was going to go next, though he knew he should have returned to the base, or at the very least should have told them that he wasn't sure he'd be back anytime soon.
But he didn't care about doing that either, he found.
As he drove aimlessly, his body almost automatically steering the bike through the streets of Newtech City, ignoring the sporadic beeps of his communicator and the ringing of his cell phone when someone tried to contact him, he turned over the conversation he'd had with his mother after arriving at the graveyard in his mind.
At least she hadn't told him in front of his father's grave. She'd told him to follow her away from there, found a food cart, bought him lunch. Telling it to him over a hot dog was only slightly better, granted. He could still clearly hear his and his mom's voices, see her face in his mind's eye.
"I'm getting married again, Schuyler." She was aglow with happiness, and showed him the ring on her finger. He didn't know how he hadn't noticed it already.
"... You're... you're what?"
"Joe proposed to me just last night. I wanted to call you, but it was late by the time we got home. We've not decided on a date yet..." Sky didn't hear much of what she was saying. His mind was starting to get foggy. She was getting married again. He had accepted long ago that something like this was going to happen, yet suspecting it and actually hearing it were two different things... "Are you alright?" Her voice cut through to him, and he shook his head.
"Yeah. Congratulations," he said, forcing a smile. "...I'm glad that you're happy, Mom."
"Schuyler. I can tell that you're upset."
"I'm not!" Sky lied. "Why would something like this upset me?"
"I know you, son." Sky felt a huge pang of guilt, because the hurt in her voice was very evident. "I can just tell."
"Mom..." He went to pull her into a hug, but felt another, bigger pang when she pulled away.
"I have to go. I'll call you later."
"Mom! I'm sorry!" However, she was gone. Cursing to himself, Sky tossed the rest of his hot dog in the trash, walking back off toward the graveyard, turning to watch his mother's car backing out of the narrow drive in and speeding away.
And now, here he was, his mind getting increasingly-muddled. He didn't know what to think, except perhaps that way at the back of his mind, he felt stupid because this was getting to him so badly. He had plenty of worse problems to deal with, things that affected people all over the galaxy, not just him.
He was selfish.
No. I'm human.
An hour passed. Or more. Revving his motorcycle, he finally turned a corner and began driving back toward the Delta Base.
I guess I'll have to face my friends sooner or later. I'm probably already in enough trouble for being late...
* * *
The other Rangers could tell that something was very, very wrong with Sky when he finally pulled back into the base.
The first indication was his lateness- because this was the first time they knew of that he'd been so late and not called ahead. This was so unusual, in fact, that they thought he'd been attacked, until Kat brought him up on the satellite display- he was fine, but was driving around the city with no apparent destination.
Sign number two was that he was apparently trying to avoid contact, as each one of his teammates had tried to buzz his communicator or call his cell phone at least once and gotten no response.
The biggest, however, was that when he finally did arrive, he offered no explanation as to his whereabouts or an apology for worrying them- indeed, he didn't even acknowledge his fellow Rangers beyond a curt nod as he passed them in the rec room, walking rapidly, averting his face as he went inside his dorm room and shut the door.
"I'm getting that he's confused, angry and very sad about something, but his energy's really hard to read, too," Bridge murmured to the others after reading Sky's aura, making Z and Jack each raise an eyebrow and Syd look concerned. "I don't know what could have happened, though... do you think we should try and talk to him?"
"We could," said Jack dubiously. "But I can tell you right now that we're not going to get a word from him."
"True," Z agreed. "Still... I don't want to just leave him there. Come on."
However, their attempts to get Sky to divulge what had happened were just as successful as Jack had predicted. Jack himself tried first, pressing an ear against the door (which Sky had locked, to stop it from automatically opening), hearing what sounded like quiet sobs coming from within. Jack glanced at the others, who nodded encouragingly, and knocked.
"Sky?" he called. "Is everything alright, buddy?"
"Leave me alone, please."
"Seriously, man. You've gotta tell us what happened. Let me in, alright? ...Bridge read your aura, and he says you're really upset-"
"Gee, it's so great to know that you guys respect my privacy," Sky snarled in reply, and Bridge suddenly squirmed uncomfortably, playing with a strap on one of his gloves. "I said LEAVE ME ALONE, Jack." Jack pursed his lips, shrugged, and returned to his spot on the couch beside Z. Syd tried her luck next.
"Come on, Sky, talk to us," she cajoled. "Whatever's bothering you, shutting yourself off like you usually do isn't going to help!"
"What part of 'leave me alone' do you not understand?" came the irate reply. Syd came back and sat down in a huff, but just as Z was about to try, they were interrupted by Commander Cruger walking in. He raised one paw to indicate that they all should stay where they were.
"At ease," he said. "I just came to check on Sky. Where is he?"
"Shut himself up in our room, sir," said Bridge, pointing. "We tried to talk to him, but he won't let us in."
"I see," said Cruger, then walked over, rapping lightly on the door and shouting, "Cadet Tate, it's your Commander. I'd like to have a word with you." The other four Rangers watched with some apprehension as the door slid open, then shut again behind the Commander. However, they couldn't hear what the two were talking about, and Bridge, feeling guilty after Sky's remark about privacy, asked that they not eavesdrop. Cruger emerged from the room about 15 minutes later, again holding up a paw for silence. "All four of you are to leave him alone," he said bluntly. "He will tell you what is wrong when he is ready, but right now he needs his space. If I hear that any of you are pestering him, I will make sure the offender is punished. Am I clear?" The others, trying hard to hide their shock, saluted, and Bridge had barely opened his mouth when Cruger said, "Of course, Caset Carson, he very well cannot keep you from your own room, but it goes double for you- if he doesn't want to talk, don't force him to."
"Yes, sir," said Bridge meekly, and Cruger nodded with satisfaction, walking away. The Rangers sat in an uncomfortable silence for several minutes before they all found excuses to leave and do other things in order to take their mind off of Sky. Jack mumbled about how he needed to do his shooting practice for the day, Syd insisted that she needed a long bath, Z went to listen to her music and read, and Bridge paced restlessly for a few moments before he finally walked off to see if Kat and Boom needed help with anything in the lab.
When it was time for bed, Bridge punched in the lock override on his and Sky's door, with Jack, Z and Syd hovering anxiously behind him, only to find...
"He's sleeping," Bridge said in a whisper. "Go on and go to bed, guys; I'll come and get you if he wants to talk, alright?"
"Right," said Jack, squeezing Bridge's shoulder. "Good luck, buddy."
"Thanks," said Bridge, and the three left, the door sliding shut behind them, plunging the room into darkness. Trying to be as quiet as possible and not wake his roommate, Bridge tiptoed over to his nightstand, clicked his desk lamp on, and took his pajamas out, sitting on the edge of his bed and watching Sky while he changed. He lay on his side facing Bridge, apparently having been asleep for several hours, as his clothes were rumpled and his hair was messy. His mouth was open slightly, his breathing slow and steady. One arm was loosely hugging the familiar photograph of his young self and his father to his chest. Bridge frowned at him, then squirmed nervously when Sky suddenly whimpered before he stirred, yawning before opening his eyes.
"Oh... ...hey," he said to Bridge in a hoarse voice, lifting himself on one hand, setting the picture on his nightstand, and rubbing his eyes.
"Hi," said Bridge. "I..." He swallowed, remembering what Commander Cruger had said about pestering Sky, and trailed off. Sky didn't seem to notice his hesitation, looking down at himself with disapproval. He then sighed heavily and sat up, massaging his forehead before turning to stare out the window.
"I'm a mess." It wasn't a question, so Bridge still remained silent. "I didn't mean to sleep for so long..."
"It's alright," said Bridge. "I think maybe you needed that after... whatever it was happened. You don't have to tell me!" he added hastily, and Sky gave him a strange look before comprehension dawned on his face.
"Cruger must have..." Sky gave a mirthless laugh. "It's alright, Bridge, I planned on telling you guys anyway after I, ah... let some of my emotion out." Bridge couldn't disguise his surprise when Sky then shifted, scooting back to sit against the wall and patting the bed next to him. "...Come sit with me. You're probably going to think it's ridiculous."
"Why would I?" Bridge wanted to know as he took the invitation and sat down next to Sky, but got no reply, looking over and seeing that he was staring blankly into space. The two sat in silence for a long time before Sky finally said in a rush,
"I ran into my mother when I was visiting Dad's grave, and she told me... she told me that she's getting married again." Bridge's mouth fell open. "...Stupid thing to get this upset over, huh?"
"Oh, Sky... no, it's not," Bridge replied, hesitantly putting a hand on Sky's arm, but before he could reply further, Sky spoke again, and Bridge let him talk his feelings out.
"She ran off because she could sense that I didn't feel right about it, and I feel like a total jerk about that, too. I want to support her, because I knew this had to be coming eventually. She's been dating this guy for a while, and they really like each other, and he treats her well. I never expected her to just remain single for the rest of her life after Dad died, either... I-I know Dad would want her to be happy, too, even if- especially because he can't be there for her. It's stupid of me to get this upset, but to me, it also means she's finally fully letting go of Dad and I just don't know how to handle that..." Bridge put his arms around Sky, and much to his surprise, Sky leaned into the embrace and returned it.
"Don't feel stupid," Bridge said firmly. "Sky... that's a perfectly good reason to be sad. I can't say that I understand how you feel, but still."
"No, it's not a good reason. We've got so many more problems I should be worrying about, not just my own personal-"
"If it's important to you, then it IS one," Bridge interrupted. "You can't spend all of your time worrying about the rest of the world... you have to look out for yourself once in a while, too." Sky looked over at him and tried to speak, but found that he couldn't.
"Do you want me to get the others?" Bridge ventured. "They're really worried about you. We all were." Sky shook his head, taking a deep breath.
"No... I don't want to disturb them. That and I'm not sure I want Jack to see me like this." Bridge suppressed an impatient snort at that.
"Come on, you know he'd never make fun of you when you're this upset."
"...I guess." Sky hastily reached up to wipe his eyes, and Bridge squeezed him. "Still, I don't want him- or any of the others- to see me right now."
"Alright. Cry some more if you need to, Sky. I'll let you tell the others about this your way, in your own time. But tonight... I'll be here."
"I know."
* * *
When Sky first began to wake the next morning, he half wondered if yesterday had all been a crazy, horrible nightmare, as surreal as it felt now... especially because...
Reality came crashing back down when he realized that someone else was in the bed with him, a green pajama-clad someone, who was still asleep in an awkward-looking position against the wall, mouth open to give vent to a few little snores.
Sky blinked hard several times, rubbing his head and getting up to examine himself in a mirror. He still looked like a mess- he'd never bothered to change into his own pajamas, so he'd have to iron his jacket and pants before he could wear them again. His hair was still mussed and he definitely looked as though he'd been crying for a while. He knew he wanted to wash up and make himself presentable before talking to the others... but, he realized, there was one person he needed to talk to before Jack, Syd and Z, and that returning to his usual immaculate appearance could wait, too. He sighed, walking back toward the bed and watching the sleeping Bridge for a while before gently shaking him awake.
"BAH! Oh! Oh, it's just you, Sky," Bridge panted, pulling himself into a sitting position. Sky opened his mouth to speak, then let it hang there when he realized that he didn't know exactly what TO talk about. "AH. So, about last night..." Bridge bit his lip.
"Let's not beat around the bush. We spent the night in the same bed together," said Sky bluntly.
"Yeah," said Bridge.
"Breaking half a dozen or so regulations-"
"I know, I know, you don't need to quote the handbook at me," said Bridge, who was for some reason going red. "Nobody has to know about it, Sky, and even if Cruger or somebody finds out, which they won't because I definitely won't tell and I doubt you'll tell-"
"Alright, I get the idea," said Sky, and Bridge, looking hurt, turned his gaze downward. "I'm sorry," Sky said at once, plopping down on the bed, and Bridge nodded, scooting over and sitting cross-legged next to him. "It's just... I'm confused about this is all."
"Me too."
"I don't even really remember how it happened... just you hugging me while I was crying, and then I felt sleepy-"
"I shouldn't have stayed in your bed," Bridge interjected, not meeting his gaze. "I'm sorry, Sky, that was wrong of me. But you were so sad, and I wanted you to have someone close to you. I felt like that's what you needed." Sky nervously tugged his shirt down.
"Maybe it was," he mumbled, and Bridge looked at him curiously. Sky got up and began to pace back and forth, running his fingers through his hair distractedly, trying to think of the right words to express how he felt. His brain felt just as addled as it had when he'd gone to sleep, but for a different reason now. "I just don't know where we go from here."
"What do you mean?" Bridge wanted to know.
"You've seen me at my best, and now at my worst," said Sky. "You're the only person here who can say that. I- that makes us closer than the others." He sat back down next to Bridge, and it suddenly seemed as though he were looking at his friend in a whole different light now.
"Is that a bad thing?" Bridge asked nervously.
"No, it's not," said Sky, fighting down a sudden urge to smile at him. "And... as long as I'm being so honest here... if I hadn't liked lying here with you, I would've shoved you away."
Bridge didn't know how to respond to that.
He wasn't going to tell Sky about the butterflies in his stomach just yet, anyway.
* * *
"I'm so, so sorry about yesterday, Mom."
"Schuyler... I'm sorry, too. I overreacted, and now that I've had some time to think about it, that was a pretty big bomb to drop on you."
"It was. But I did mean it when I said I was glad that you're happy."
"I know. I hope you'll want to be a part of the planning."
"Of course." Sky covered the mouthpiece of his phone before he let out a deep breath he didn't realize he'd been holding in. "Listen, Mom... I know I always told you I'd be too busy to date while being a Ranger... that I wasn't interested in falling in love-"
"Which I knew wasn't true the moment you said it. Go on."
"Well, uh..." Sky hesitated. "...We haven't officially gotten together yet. We're still testing the waters. But, how would you feel about... about me and Bridge?" There was a pause; horrified, Sky thought for a wild moment that she was about to lash out at him, until there was the unmistakable sound of an "awww" from the other end. "MOM," Sky groaned.
"Oh, stop being so serious, or you'll drive him off before you even start to date," she replied. "I don't mind it at all, and I wish you the best of luck together... whether it works out in the end or not. If it's meant to be, you'll find a way to make it work."
"Thanks, Mom. I hope it does... there's so much that could go wrong."
"Then don't focus on that and focus on making it right." Sky bit his tongue, knowing that she made sense. "I love you, son. I'll call you later about the wedding arrangements."
"OK. Love you, too, Mom." Sky pocketed his cell phone and went back into his and Bridge's room, where his... Sky didn't know whether to call him "friend", "boyfriend" or something in-between... sat at his computer desk, tongue sticking out the side of his mouth as he stuck wires and screwed parts into some electronic or other he couldn't have identified if he tried.
"Oh, hey," said Bridge, noticing him and smiling, putting his screwdriver down. "So how did I go with the others?"
"Just like I thought," said Sky. "Syd fussed until I told her I was fine with it, then she ran off to e-mail my mom and order some bridal magazines. If Mom lets her help, the entire wedding will be done in pink no matter if she wants it that way or not." Bridge grinned. "Jack didn't really seem to understand, but he was sympathetic, anyway, and offered to go running with me if I ever need to vent. Z seemed surprised, then asked me if I was going to be a bridesmaid." Bridge snorted with laughter, then got up and went over to Sky. The two stared into each others' eyes for a long while.
"So..." said Bridge.
"Yeah," said Sky, a smile tugging at his lips.
"...Are you sure we can make this work?" said Bridge nervously.
"Bridge..." On impulse, Sky took one of Bridge's hands in his own. "We're two men, two police officers, two Power Rangers. Our relationship could get us separated at best, or at worst kicked out of the Academy. We don't even have any idea if our friends will be okay with it. I have never been less sure of anything in my entire life."
"So you're just as nervous as I am. Somehow, that's comforting," said Bridge, squeezing Sky's hand in response.
(cross-posted to shurifanstuffs)