Power Rangers RPM fic Part The First
Title: The One Where Ziggy Kisses Everybody Except Dr. K
Fandom: Power Rangers RPM
Rating: PG-13 for some sexual content, no actual sex
Pairing: Ziggy/everyone... no really
UNBETAD- will be revised later, this is up for krisrat who could certainly use the distraction.
Summer was bored. It was the first Friday in awhile that Dr. K had given them the okay to go out and here she was, alone in the garage, with Scott. Flynn had grabbed Gemma by the hand and whisked her off to a dinner date before Gem could protest. Dr. K and Gem had strapped Dillon to a lab table again and were furiously working on anti-virus software while he stared at the ceiling. Even Ziggy had disappeared to the orphanage where he seemed to spend all his free time.
“Scott, I’m bored,” she whined, collapsing on the couch next to him. He didn’t look up from his book, but he did motion to a pile of them on the table.
“Read something,” he said. She looked at the stack and sighed.
“I’ve read all those. I’m the one that gave them to you.”
“Well, watch a movie,” he gestured in the general direction of the television. Summer smiled wickedly. She had a better idea. She bounced a little on the couch and turned to face him.
“I have a better idea. Let’s go out.” Scott put his book down.
“Out? Where to?” he asked. He was intrigued.
“We could go to Club Luisant!” She smiled brightly and turned on the charm.
“The gay club? Oh c’mon! Last time you took me there I got three phone numbers, a lewd offer, and felt up. Twice!” He gave her the pleading eyes.
“Well isn’t it nice to know you’re attractive?” she asked innocently.
“But I’m not gay!” he exclaimed.
“Oh, please, Scott? I don’t want to go out by myself and the only other club in town plays horrible music. Club Luisant has the best music and their dance floor is huge. Plus everybody is always so friendly.” She turned on the puppy dog eyes and knew she had him. Scott could never resist her puppy dog eyes. He sighed and that was the end of it. She kissed him on the cheek and bounded off to get ready.
An hour later, Scott’s car pulled into the parking garage down the street from Club Luisant. It was crowded, it always was on a Friday night, but they got in quickly enough. Summer had thrown on her best dancing dress and even put on a little makeup. Scott hadn’t dressed up at all, possibly hoping to avoid the eye of any of the patrons. They slid up to the bar and ordered drinks, Scott sticking to plain water. Summer carried her midori sour to the railing and looked down at the lower level. Club Luisant was built in an old warehouse. The street level was just the bar and some tables, but the real action happened below, in the basement level. It housed the massive dance floor with several platforms raised a good four feet off the ground. The lights strobed brightly while the music pumped. She could feel it go right through her stomach and she smiled at the thrill. She’d finish her drink and then go dance. She never minded dancing mostly alone or with people who didn’t find her the least bit attractive. She was here to have fun, not find dates, and this place never disappointed her.
Her eyes focused on one platform in particular tonight. It seemed to be the center of attention and she could see why. It was in the center of the room, more brightly illuminated than the others, and the pair dancing on top of it was nothing less than magical. There was an elfin young man dancing with a muscular, shirtless man. The elfin one wore pants so tight so could see every curve, every bulge. He wore a black silk shirt with an open neck that really highlighted the delicate plane of his neck and shoulders. The shirtless man was obviously enjoying his companion. They were sliding against each other in time to the music and the way they moved so fluidly, well she could only describe it as highly erotic. Summer swallowed hard as the elfin boy slid between the other man’s legs and then slowly danced his way up. He licked a trail from belt buckle to chest and took a moment to bite each nipple. He spent some time attacking the man’s neck before grabbing his head and pulling him down for one of the hottest kisses Summer had ever seen. Their tongues danced playfully and she could see the elfin boy smile into it. The entire time they never stopped dancing. Summer was enthralled. She couldn’t look away, not even when she felt a familiar tingle start to build. Scott joined her at the rail and sucked in a deep breath, pulling her out of her reverie.
“Ziggy?” he called out in surprise. He didn’t say it loud enough for anybody below to hear, not over the pounding music, but several people near them heard. Summer was startled enough to look, really look, at the men below. She took in the thin face of the elfin boy, his angular jaw line, and his mop of crazy brown hair stuck to his temples with sweat.
“Oh my god, it is Ziggy!” She nearly dropped her drink at the realization. One of the people standing near slid over to join them.
“Do you know Ziggy?” he asked. Scott nodded, his mouth hanging open. He couldn’t look away from the platform on the dance floor.
“Why, do you?” asked Summer. The young man nodded enthusiastically.
“Oh everybody knows Ziggy, or at least knows of him! He’s a regular here. Best damn dancer in all of Corinth. Best kisser too, or so I’ve heard. I’d give anything to be in David’s place right now. I don’t suppose you two could introduce me, could you?” He looked at them hopefully and Summer was still trying to catch up.
“That’s David?” she asked pointing. The young man nodded with a wistful look on his face. Scott hadn’t changed position; he was still staring at Ziggy and David. The young man looked from Scott’s stricken face down to Ziggy gyrating on the platform.
“Oh, is he your boyfriend? Are you two… together?” Scott’s silence was apparently answer enough for the young man. He at least looked apologetic. “Aw, hell. I didn’t know. I’m sorry.” He patted Scott’s shoulder and gave Summer a pained look. “I’ll just go get him for you, shall I?” he said and bounded off before she could stop him. Summer watched him take the stairs two at a time and weave through the crowd to get to the illuminated platform. He tugged on Ziggy’s pants and the elfin boy finally stopped dancing long enough to kneel down. She could make out the other man tell him something about his boyfriend and then pointed up at Scott. Ziggy followed the direction of the other man’s hand and when his eyes met Summer’s, she was sure he said “shit”. He gave David one last, long kiss before jumping off the platform and slowly making his way up to the bar level. When he got to the top, Scott grabbed his arm and pulled him back towards a quieter, dark corner.
“Please don’t hit me!” Ziggy held his hands up to his face and ducked, trying not to look at them. Scott immediately let go of his arm.
“Why would I hit you?” he asked. Ziggy slowly lowered his hands and stood up straight.
“Because… you found me in a gay club making out with another guy?” It wasn’t really a question, but coming from Ziggy, it sounded as such.
“I might have hit you for lying to us about where you were. How would we have found you if there’d been an emergency?” Scott asked.
“I have my morpher on me. You could have called.” Summer looked him up and down. It wasn’t on his wrist and his pants weren’t hiding anything. They were so tight she doubted he’d have been able to put a slip of paper in his pocket, much less his morpher.
“Where?” she asked, still scanning his body. She saw a blush creep up his cheeks and realized she was being a little obvious with her ogling. He lifted his shirt and she saw it then, strapped to the pale white expanse of his stomach. He had beads of sweat trickling down over the straps and she had to stop herself from licking her lips. This was Ziggy! She wasn’t supposed to find him attractive! He lowered his shirt and cleared his throat. She looked away hastily.
“So… is he… was that guy… are you dating him?” Scott asked hesitantly. Ziggy looked taken aback.
“Who, David? No, no, he’s just some guy I dance with sometimes.”
“That looked like more than dancing.” Scott sneered at him. Ziggy blushed to the roots of his hair and Summer noticed there was glitter in it. It was catching and reflecting the light. She imagined if he got in just the right spot, it might look like he had a messy halo.
“Are you… are you going to tell everyone?” Ziggy asked quietly. She wasn’t sure she’d heard him right at first. Scott laughed.
“Tell them what, Zig?” It was his way of saying he wouldn’t tell, but Ziggy was either too nervous or too scared to realize.
“That I’m… gay.” He looked up at Scott with pleading eyes. It was the saddest little face Summer had ever seen and she just reached out and wrapped him in a hug. She didn’t care that he was all sweaty or that he was getting glitter on her dress.
“Oh honey, of course we won’t tell if you don’t want us to. It’s nothing to be ashamed of though. The others, I don’t think they’ll care.” He ducked his head a little and grabbed her hand.
“Want to dance?” he asked, deflecting. He was good at deflecting. She smiled and nodded, but Scott stopped them.
“Now that you have somebody to dance with, Summer, does this mean I can go home? I mean, I know I said I’d come with you, but it’s just… well that guy over there keeps giving me lecherous glances. And I really don’t wanna get hit on. Again.” Summer laughed and waved him off.
“Oh go on then, party pooper. Ziggy will take care of me.” Ziggy flashed him a smile before grabbing Summer’s hand and dragging her down the stairs. Summer wasn’t sure how long Scott hung around watching them. Ziggy was a great dancer, better even than she’d seen on the platform, and he had no qualms about getting almost as dirty with her as he had been with David. He was more confident, more open, on the dance floor than she’d ever seen him before. The usually unsure clumsy boy she knew from her ranger team was nothing like this sure, confident young man dancing with her. It was just one more layer to what she was quickly realizing was an intricate puzzle of carefully placed shields.
They stayed until well after midnight when he finally collapsed at the bar and insisted on going home. They had to walk, Summer having ridden in with Scott and Ziggy not having a drivers license, but nights were always nice in Corinth so neither minded too much. Halfway home, she slipped her hand into Ziggy’s and leaned against him. He didn’t pull back, didn’t brush her off, but instead squeezed her hand and placed a kiss at her temple.
“Can we do this again sometime, Ziggy?” she asked.
“I’d love to,” he whispered.
“I promise to keep your secret. I’ll guard it close.” He chuckled into her hair and changed the subject. They giggled and chatted the whole way home, clinging to each other in the soft moonlight.
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True to their word, neither Scott nor Summer told the others about Ziggy. Summer had started to pay special attention to her new friend, though. She spent more time with him, more time noticing him in the group. It didn’t take her that long to figure it out, actually. There were little touches here and there. He always seemed to brush hands or bump shoulders. Sometimes she’d catch Ziggy out of the corner of her eye, playing with a loose strand of his hair. They seemed to lack personal space, but only with each other. They always rode together. And she caught more than one longing look. Ziggy was in love with Dillon. She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t seen it earlier. It was so obvious now.
It landed her stuck between a rock and a hard place, though. On one hand, she had Ziggy. He had become her best friend, seemingly overnight for all the others knew. She wanted him to be happy more than anything. But on the other hand she had Dillon. She was pretty sure Dillon wasn’t gay. At least, he didn’t seem that way when he kissed her. It’s not like they had a relationship, not really. There were a few kisses here and there, mostly when stress got really high. He flirted a lot, but so did she. He never took her out and she never suggested it. She decided she needed to define what she had with Dillon, compartmentalize it as best she could, and hope she could come up with some solution that didn’t leave one of the three of them hurt and alone. She liked Dillon enough, but she never felt the need to give those longing looks she’d seen Ziggy give. That boy’s face was made for sad and hopeless looks and it broke her heart every time to see it.
“Penny for your thoughts?” a soft voice asked. She felt the couch shift and a familiar weight leaned against her.
“I was just compartmentalizing, that’s all.” She leaned back into him and felt Ziggy’s arm wrap around her waist. Dillon sat down on the arm of the couch and held out a little box with yellow wrapping paper.
“We got you a present,” he said. She took it and raised an eyebrow.
“We?” she asked, looking up at Ziggy. He nodded and motioned for her to open it. She tore through the paper excitedly. It was a cd.
“It’s a mix.” Ziggy said.
“Ziggy helped me figure out what you like to listen to. We made it together.” Dillon took it out of her hands and walked over to the stereo. He turned it on while she looked at the little handwritten track list. There were a few love songs, but it was mostly dance tunes, things she and Ziggy had swept the floor with at the club. She hoped he hadn’t told Dillon that part when they put the list together.
“Aw, guys, I love it. What’s the occasion?” she asked. Dillon sat down next to her. She was still leaning against Ziggy, but he didn’t seem to care.
“No occasion. Just wanted to.” Dillon said, picking at a piece of lint on her pants leg. She leaned forward and gave Dillon a quick kiss on the cheek. She could feel Ziggy tense behind her, but before he could say anything, she turned and captured his lips in a chaste kiss.
“Thank you,” she whispered, looking straight in his eyes. He smiled, at least.
“Oy, what’s that then?” Flynn asked, coming down the steps from the bedrooms. Scott slid out from under his car when the music started and came over to join them.
“It’s music, duh.” Scott smacked him with his grease rag as he passed.
“Aye, I know that. What’s it for?” he asked. Summer looked at the boys around her and grinned wickedly. She stood up and held her hand out to Dillon.
“It’s for dancing.” Her eyes glinted mischievously. They were in a garage. There was plenty of room. Ziggy jumped up and started pushing chairs and tables out of the way, his eyes alight. Dillon looked horrified.
“I don’t dance,” was his only reply. He wouldn’t even take Summer’s hand. She pouted and looked towards Scott and Flynn. Scott took a step forward but stopped when he noticed something behind her. She felt familiar hands, strong and sure, on her hips. Instinctively they started to move to the beat just as they had done hundreds of times before in the middle of an overcrowded, dark club. It was cautious though, far more innocent than they were used to. Ziggy buried his face in her neck and she felt him inhale deeply.
“I’ll dance with you, always,” he whispered and she turned to ask about the others, but he shook his head. His eyes sparkled and she knew; he didn’t care if they saw. She smiled and nodded.
Her mind was screaming to let go, to dance as if they were in the middle of the club surrounded by sweaty gay men. Ziggy knew that look in her eyes and suddenly his entire demeanor changed. He stopped. He held his hand up to keep the others back and went to the stereo. He skipped five songs ahead and she recognized the tune immediately. He knew exactly what she wanted and as the music started blaring, he wrapped himself around her possessively and started to move. She let loose then, pumping and grinding against him, allowing Ziggy to lead her in whatever moves he felt like. They lost themselves in the beat, in the music, in each other. She could hear the whoops and hollers behind her from Scott and Flynn but she didn’t care. They danced as if no one was watching, as if they were lovers. They danced like they always did with no regard to anyone or anything. Dancing with Ziggy was like flying and she never wanted it to stop.
When the music did stop, she had spun around. Ziggy’s hand was tangled in her hair and her leg was wrapped around his waist. His other hand ghosted on her upper thigh dangerously close to her ass. They were mere inches apart, panting hard. She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss before untangling herself from his embrace. The room was silent. They looked over at the others. Scott was smirking. Flynn’s jaw was on the floor and his pupils were dilated, blowing out all the blue. Dillon just sat on the couch, practically smoldering.
“That was the hottest thing I’ve seen that I didn’t have to obtain illegally!” Flynn said and his face broke into a broad grin. He started clapping. Summer blushed, but Ziggy was just staring at Dillon. He stared right back. Neither would look away. They seemed to be having a silent conversation.
“Dillon…” Ziggy started. Dillon just shook his head and stood up.
“Whatever. I’ll be in my room,” he mumbled and walked off, slamming the door to his room. Summer looked between Ziggy and the door. She wasn’t sure what just happened, but she had a feeling it wasn’t that Dillon was angry about his sort-of not-really girlfriend dancing with somebody else. The room was tensely silent for a minute before she shook it off.
“Well forget him then. I was having fun. Scott, would you like to dance?” she asked. He bounded forward but then hesitated.
“I can’t dance like that,” he said. Summer laughed.
“It’s okay, just dance like we used to, okay?” Scott nodded and Ziggy moved aside to give them some room. He turned the music back on and started moving on his own until Flynn jumped in the mix. Ziggy had to make a conscious effort to watch his moves, but Flynn didn’t seem to care and Summer laughed. They could have fun without Mr. Broody.
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Summer wasn’t much in a kissing mood with Dillon after that. He didn’t seem to want to do much with her either. They’d barely even spoken. He was sulking and wouldn’t tell her what was going on. He had never seemed jealous of Ziggy before, or any of them really, and mostly he still didn’t. But he was angry and she didn’t know why.
She spent all her free time with Ziggy. The closer she got, the harder she found it to keep her hands off him. He didn’t seem to mind the ever increasing physical contact. He actually seemed to relish in it, often taking every opportunity to initiate it himself. It worried her though. She spent all her time wondering what they would do next and every minute with him she had to be touching him, caressing him, playing with him. She had shared more kisses, passionless though they were, with Ziggy than she had with all her ex-boyfriends combined, Dillon’s stress relief make out sessions included.
She knew she was getting too close, knew she was spiraling into something she shouldn’t, but part of her didn’t care. Part of her wanted that head over heels feeling, to be something special to somebody. It had been so long since she had that. She knew it wouldn’t go further than friendship. She knew it couldn’t, no matter how she felt. But while part of her screamed to stop and back off, another part, a stronger part, told her to go ahead, get attached, get close. Part of her wanted to be visibly loved, no matter how platonic it might be.
She was staring at the rain, contemplating her situation, when the subject of her thoughts came darting in through the garage door. He shook water off himself and dropped a kiss in the top of her head. He was carrying two plastic shopping bags full of… something.
“I have a surprise for you. Go get the guys for me?” He made his way to the kitchen and she, without question, went and rounded up the rest of the team. They gathered on one side of the kitchen and watched Ziggy. He pulled out six wrapped packages and passed them, colour coded to their ranger colours, to their owners. He waited patiently while they all tore through the tissue paper and held up new clothes. They were dressy, yet breathable. Summer knew immediately. They were dancing clothes.
“What are these, lad?” Flynn asked, holding a blue silk shirt up for sizing. It looked like it would fit him perfectly, snug in all the right places.
“Dancing clothes. We’re all going out tomorrow night to my usual haunt.” He looked at them as they skeptically fingered the new clothes. Nobody was quite sure what to make of it. Ziggy obviously had a plan, but rarely did Ziggy’s plans go off without a hitch.
“What’s in that bag?” Summer asked while attempting to peek inside the one bag he hadn’t opened. He winked at her and pulled it closer.
“My surprise. Go try them on. I want to make sure I got the right sizes.” She allowed herself a little pout before indulging in some girly twirling with Gemma. She loved new clothes and the deep purple Ziggy had picked would suit her well. Gemma had a brilliant sky blue dress in much the same style. Ziggy had tried hard to avoid coding them to their ranger colours, but Flynn had ended up with blue and Dillon with black anyway. They’d all started off towards their rooms to try on the outfits when Flynn stopped mid-step.
“Ziggy, where are we going anyway?” he asked. Ziggy flashed a wicked smile.
“Club Luisant.” Summer was about to ask if he was sure, but he winked at her again and the question fell silent before it even reached her lips.
“But isn’t that…” Flynn started, his face scrunched in concentration. It didn’t even take him to the end of the sentence to figure out what Ziggy was telling him. He put all the pieces together in rapid succession. “Och, aye!” he exclaimed. The biggest grin she had ever seen made it’s way onto his face.
“Yes, Flynn.” Ziggy said, knowing it would be a matter of minutes before the rest of the rangers knew exactly what going to Club Luisant meant.
“Save me a dance then, eh Ziggy?” He winked at the younger man and then dashed up the stairs. Summer had never been so surprised.
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They were all ready and waiting. Dr. K had waived them off with an exasperated expression and now they just needed Ziggy before they could go. Surprisingly, even Mr. I-Don’t-Dance had given in, dressed up in the clothes Ziggy had bought him, and was waiting to go. Flynn had ignored all jeers and put on his dress kilt. Summer and Gemma were admiring the kilt when Ziggy finally came flying down the metal stairs. He wore his super tight pants again and a dark green button down shirt, but it wasn’t buttoned. Instead it was hanging loose, flying out to the sides. Summer stared at his bare chest hungrily and knew exactly what he had planned. She wouldn’t be dancing with him much tonight and that thought disappointed her more than she cared to admit.
She felt Scott’s hand slip into hers and start pulling her towards his car. She saw Ziggy, glitter sparkling at the corner of his eyes and in his hair, slide into the passenger seat of Dillon’s car. Gem, Gemma, and Flynn piled into his Hummer. She supposed she and Scott could have gone with them, but she relished the quiet alone time with her old friend.
“He’s gay, Summer,” Scott whispered when they had left the garage.
“I know,” she said, looking down at her hands. Scott reached over and took her hand in his again and gave it a squeeze. Dependable Scott. He was always there when she needed him. He’d known what she’d been thinking and feeling, what she had been putting herself through, without her having to ever say a word. She was suddenly feeling very grateful and overwhelmingly guilty.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been around much lately.” He shook off her apology but didn’t let go of her hand. They rode the rest of the way in comfortable silence. Nothing else needed be said.
When they’d all made it to the parking garage, Ziggy led them as a group to the front of the line. The bouncer shook his hand and let them through the door, much to the dismay of the long line waiting behind them. Only Gem, Gemma, and Dillon had never been to this club before and they stood to take it in for a few minutes. Ziggy directed them to a table near the railing.
“I know you won’t dance, Dillon. Anybody who wants a break or just to hang out can sit over there. Watch, drink, whatever.” Dillon and Gem both pulled out chairs and sat down. Flynn led Gemma down the stairs to the dance floor and Scott hesitated.
“I think I’ll wait awhile.” He pulled out a chair with the others and Summer looked between the table and Ziggy. He cocked his head and she smiled. Maybe she would get some dancing in with her favourite partner. He shocked her by removing his shirt and throwing it on the table, claiming it as their own. He had streaks of glitter all across his chest as well. He would positively glow on the dance floor. She took his hand and pulled him towards the stairs, face alight with laughter.
They lit up the floor for half an hour before she relented and let some of Ziggy’s former dance partners steal him away. She joined the others up at the table. Flynn had Gemma in his lap and they were holding a quiet conversation, about what she wasn’t sure, but Gemma sure seemed excited. She moved off his lap and Flynn went bounding down the stairs to pull Ziggy off the dancer he was currently grinding against. Gem and Scott were discussing some new team maneuvers they wanted to try out at tomorrow’s practice session. Dillon was just staring at the dance floor. From this angle she could see she had been right. Ziggy practically glowed with the light bouncing off all the glitter.
“You okay?” she asked, pulling up a chair.
“Fine.” Dillon was brooding again. He had that same dark look he wore the day she and Ziggy danced for them. She followed his gaze to the dance floor. He was glaring at Ziggy, burning holes through the younger man she thought he once counted as his closest friend.
“What’s your problem, Dillon? I want to help. You know Ziggy and I, we’re just friends.” She reached out and took his hand, but he pulled away from her.
“I know. You’re not his type. You’re missing some important parts.” He still wouldn’t look away from Ziggy down on the dance floor. She watched as Dillon’s hand grasped the dark green shirt Ziggy had left puddled at the table. He absently rubbed the fabric between his fingers. It was then that she realized, then that she knew what the dark look in his eyes meant.
“You’re not mad at me for dancing with him. You’re jealous!” she exclaimed. Dillon didn’t look at her, didn’t seem to react, but he dropped the shirt. The last piece of the puzzle slid into place and it all made sense, finally.
“He didn’t tell me he was gay.” Dillon flinched and stood up, walking out of the club. She sighed and looked back at the dance floor. It was clear what made Dillon flinch. Ziggy was swaying with the music, his mouth locked firmly with Flynn’s. Almost instantly, Summer felt the tingle she was growing accustomed to feeling when Ziggy was involved. She felt Gemma take the seat Dillon had just occupied and was surprised to see a smile on the other woman’s face.
“Hottest. Thing. Ever!” she exclaimed. Summer shouldn’t have been too surprised. She found the make-out session between the Scotsman and the green ranger incredibly erotic, but she wasn’t actually dating either of them. She didn’t know if that gave her more right to be turned on by it or less. At the moment, she didn’t really care. She could see Ziggy’s knee pressed up between Flynn’s leg. He’d raised the kilt slightly and she could see him massaging Flynn’s inner thigh. The kiss was long and deep. Occasionally, when they would switch positions or move apart a bit, she could catch a glimpse of their tongues entwined, dancing in time with their bodies. Gemma jumped up and ran off to join her boyfriend. She sandwiched herself in the middle and Ziggy, in rare form tonight, had no problems making it a threesome.
Summer was still teetering between hurt at being left out and confusion at having actually developed a real crush on her very gay best friend when Scott once again slipped his hand into hers. He pulled her toward the dance floor and spent the next two hours making her remember that dancing with other people could be just as much fun as dancing with Ziggy.
She and Ziggy shared one last dance before the entire group departed for the evening. Ziggy caught a ride with Flynn while she slipped into the familiar passenger seat of Scott’s car. She leaned against him as he drove them home.
“Thank you, Scott. For being my friend,” she whispered.
“Always,” he whispered back.
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They beat the others back to the garage. Dillon’s car was there and his bedroom door was closed. The rest of the garage was quiet except the quiet hum of Dr. K’s computers. She left Scott with a hug and a promise to be up extra early for the training session. She was halfway through her nighttime routine when she heard the Flynn’s Hummer pull into the garage. The metal door closed and was locked for the night as the giggling rangers made their way to their respective bedrooms. She heard two doors shut, but instead of the third, she could hear a rattling. Then pounding.
“Dillon? Dillon let me in!” Ziggy yelled through the door. It was quite for a minute and then there was more pounding, more banging. Dillon had apparently locked Ziggy out of their room. She heard footsteps on the metal stairs and then the creaking of the couch. She opened her door and looked down over the walkway. Ziggy was shifting on the couch trying to get comfortable. She moved to go down and offer him space in her room, but a door opened across the way and stopped her. She shrunk into the shadows and knelt down to watch.
Dillon flung open the bedroom door and stomped down to the living area. He grabbed Ziggy by the arm and made him stand up.
“You didn’t tell me,” he said. Summer held her breath, trying to be as quiet as possible. She knew she shouldn’t be watching, but she couldn’t help herself.
“Why does it matter?” Ziggy asked, his voice cracking. He backed up some and put the couch between them as Dillon advanced towards him.
“It matters because you’re running around kissing Summer. And Flynn. And random men you barely know in the pits of some club. You’ve kissed practically the whole team!” Dillon was yelling now. He was angry. But so was Ziggy. She could see his face, dangerous and empty.
“Is that it? You’re mad that I’m kissing people? Well how about this then?” Ziggy yelled back and flew up the stairs opposite. He pounded on Gem and Gemma’s door and, when Gem opened it, grabbed him and kissed him full on the mouth. Summer tried not to giggle at the lost expression on the other man’s face. Ziggy didn’t give him a chance to do much before shoving him back and moving on. Scott and Flynn had opened their door by this point and Ziggy grabbed Scott first, pulling him down into a kiss. He was hard and rough, and when he let go, Scott staggered backwards with the force of it. Flynn actually stepped into his kiss, taking a minute to suck loudly at Ziggy’s lower lip. She would have to remember to ask him about that later. Ziggy didn’t even look back, but charged down the stairs and got right in Dillon’s face.
“Where’s Dr K, anyone know? Where does she sleep? She’s the only one I haven’t kissed yet. Wanna see that too, Dillon? Want your little faerie to entertain you?” Dillon’s anger flared and he stared down the younger man.
“Liar,” he said, his voice dangerously low. Ziggy actually took a step back.
“What?” he breathed. Dillon was silent, but never broke eye contact. She knew the others were watching as well, though she couldn’t bear to take her eyes off the pair to check. She hadn’t heard any doors close, though, and all of them had been opened by now. She could practically see the sparks between them and she willed Ziggy to see what Dillon was trying to say. Dr. K wasn’t the only one Ziggy hadn’t kissed yet.
“What do you want from me, Dillon?” he asked quietly. All the anger was gone from his voice. Now he just looked sad.
“I want… I want you… I want you.” Dillon stuttered. He turned around and ran his hands through his hair. Summer held her breath. This had been building up for so long the release would either be spectacularly good or spectacularly bad.
“What? You want me to what?” Ziggy asked. Dillon turned and grabbed him by the arms. Ziggy grimaced and tried to cower but Dillon’s grip was so strong he couldn’t get away.
“That’s all. You. I just want you.” Dillon leaned forward and captured Ziggy’s mouth in a fierce kiss. Ziggy didn’t even need a minute to catch up. He responded in kind, crashing into Dillon with a passion she had never seen him display before. Dillon released his arms and Ziggy immediately reached up to cup Dillon’s face. Dillon grabbed him by the waist and pulled him closer until Ziggy was crushed against him. She could hear soft, desperate little moans and she wasn’t actually sure who they had come from.
They pulled apart with as much force as they had joined together. Both were panting. Dillon’s hair was mussed and she could see Ziggy’s lips, flushed and slightly swollen. They stared at each other for a minute before Ziggy tenderly reached out and pulled Dillon in for another kiss. This one was softer, slower, far more gentle than she had ever expected. This was Ziggy’s romantic kiss. She’d never seen it before, never been on the receiving end. This was unique, special, a kiss reserved only for Dillon.
She heard two doors close softly and knew the others had gone back to bed. She wasn’t sure how long Ziggy and Dillon would stand there, but she was finally ready to give them their privacy. They had a lot they would need to work out, but she knew it would be okay now. She stood up and noticed Scott still standing in front of his door. He was watching her intently, quietly checking to make sure she would be okay. She smiled at him and nodded. He held her eyes for a minute and then turned to go into his room. She hugged herself, took one last look at the boys below, and then quietly went into her own room for the rest of the night.
Fandom: Power Rangers RPM
Rating: PG-13 for some sexual content, no actual sex
Pairing: Ziggy/everyone... no really
UNBETAD- will be revised later, this is up for krisrat who could certainly use the distraction.
Summer was bored. It was the first Friday in awhile that Dr. K had given them the okay to go out and here she was, alone in the garage, with Scott. Flynn had grabbed Gemma by the hand and whisked her off to a dinner date before Gem could protest. Dr. K and Gem had strapped Dillon to a lab table again and were furiously working on anti-virus software while he stared at the ceiling. Even Ziggy had disappeared to the orphanage where he seemed to spend all his free time.
“Scott, I’m bored,” she whined, collapsing on the couch next to him. He didn’t look up from his book, but he did motion to a pile of them on the table.
“Read something,” he said. She looked at the stack and sighed.
“I’ve read all those. I’m the one that gave them to you.”
“Well, watch a movie,” he gestured in the general direction of the television. Summer smiled wickedly. She had a better idea. She bounced a little on the couch and turned to face him.
“I have a better idea. Let’s go out.” Scott put his book down.
“Out? Where to?” he asked. He was intrigued.
“We could go to Club Luisant!” She smiled brightly and turned on the charm.
“The gay club? Oh c’mon! Last time you took me there I got three phone numbers, a lewd offer, and felt up. Twice!” He gave her the pleading eyes.
“Well isn’t it nice to know you’re attractive?” she asked innocently.
“But I’m not gay!” he exclaimed.
“Oh, please, Scott? I don’t want to go out by myself and the only other club in town plays horrible music. Club Luisant has the best music and their dance floor is huge. Plus everybody is always so friendly.” She turned on the puppy dog eyes and knew she had him. Scott could never resist her puppy dog eyes. He sighed and that was the end of it. She kissed him on the cheek and bounded off to get ready.
An hour later, Scott’s car pulled into the parking garage down the street from Club Luisant. It was crowded, it always was on a Friday night, but they got in quickly enough. Summer had thrown on her best dancing dress and even put on a little makeup. Scott hadn’t dressed up at all, possibly hoping to avoid the eye of any of the patrons. They slid up to the bar and ordered drinks, Scott sticking to plain water. Summer carried her midori sour to the railing and looked down at the lower level. Club Luisant was built in an old warehouse. The street level was just the bar and some tables, but the real action happened below, in the basement level. It housed the massive dance floor with several platforms raised a good four feet off the ground. The lights strobed brightly while the music pumped. She could feel it go right through her stomach and she smiled at the thrill. She’d finish her drink and then go dance. She never minded dancing mostly alone or with people who didn’t find her the least bit attractive. She was here to have fun, not find dates, and this place never disappointed her.
Her eyes focused on one platform in particular tonight. It seemed to be the center of attention and she could see why. It was in the center of the room, more brightly illuminated than the others, and the pair dancing on top of it was nothing less than magical. There was an elfin young man dancing with a muscular, shirtless man. The elfin one wore pants so tight so could see every curve, every bulge. He wore a black silk shirt with an open neck that really highlighted the delicate plane of his neck and shoulders. The shirtless man was obviously enjoying his companion. They were sliding against each other in time to the music and the way they moved so fluidly, well she could only describe it as highly erotic. Summer swallowed hard as the elfin boy slid between the other man’s legs and then slowly danced his way up. He licked a trail from belt buckle to chest and took a moment to bite each nipple. He spent some time attacking the man’s neck before grabbing his head and pulling him down for one of the hottest kisses Summer had ever seen. Their tongues danced playfully and she could see the elfin boy smile into it. The entire time they never stopped dancing. Summer was enthralled. She couldn’t look away, not even when she felt a familiar tingle start to build. Scott joined her at the rail and sucked in a deep breath, pulling her out of her reverie.
“Ziggy?” he called out in surprise. He didn’t say it loud enough for anybody below to hear, not over the pounding music, but several people near them heard. Summer was startled enough to look, really look, at the men below. She took in the thin face of the elfin boy, his angular jaw line, and his mop of crazy brown hair stuck to his temples with sweat.
“Oh my god, it is Ziggy!” She nearly dropped her drink at the realization. One of the people standing near slid over to join them.
“Do you know Ziggy?” he asked. Scott nodded, his mouth hanging open. He couldn’t look away from the platform on the dance floor.
“Why, do you?” asked Summer. The young man nodded enthusiastically.
“Oh everybody knows Ziggy, or at least knows of him! He’s a regular here. Best damn dancer in all of Corinth. Best kisser too, or so I’ve heard. I’d give anything to be in David’s place right now. I don’t suppose you two could introduce me, could you?” He looked at them hopefully and Summer was still trying to catch up.
“That’s David?” she asked pointing. The young man nodded with a wistful look on his face. Scott hadn’t changed position; he was still staring at Ziggy and David. The young man looked from Scott’s stricken face down to Ziggy gyrating on the platform.
“Oh, is he your boyfriend? Are you two… together?” Scott’s silence was apparently answer enough for the young man. He at least looked apologetic. “Aw, hell. I didn’t know. I’m sorry.” He patted Scott’s shoulder and gave Summer a pained look. “I’ll just go get him for you, shall I?” he said and bounded off before she could stop him. Summer watched him take the stairs two at a time and weave through the crowd to get to the illuminated platform. He tugged on Ziggy’s pants and the elfin boy finally stopped dancing long enough to kneel down. She could make out the other man tell him something about his boyfriend and then pointed up at Scott. Ziggy followed the direction of the other man’s hand and when his eyes met Summer’s, she was sure he said “shit”. He gave David one last, long kiss before jumping off the platform and slowly making his way up to the bar level. When he got to the top, Scott grabbed his arm and pulled him back towards a quieter, dark corner.
“Please don’t hit me!” Ziggy held his hands up to his face and ducked, trying not to look at them. Scott immediately let go of his arm.
“Why would I hit you?” he asked. Ziggy slowly lowered his hands and stood up straight.
“Because… you found me in a gay club making out with another guy?” It wasn’t really a question, but coming from Ziggy, it sounded as such.
“I might have hit you for lying to us about where you were. How would we have found you if there’d been an emergency?” Scott asked.
“I have my morpher on me. You could have called.” Summer looked him up and down. It wasn’t on his wrist and his pants weren’t hiding anything. They were so tight she doubted he’d have been able to put a slip of paper in his pocket, much less his morpher.
“Where?” she asked, still scanning his body. She saw a blush creep up his cheeks and realized she was being a little obvious with her ogling. He lifted his shirt and she saw it then, strapped to the pale white expanse of his stomach. He had beads of sweat trickling down over the straps and she had to stop herself from licking her lips. This was Ziggy! She wasn’t supposed to find him attractive! He lowered his shirt and cleared his throat. She looked away hastily.
“So… is he… was that guy… are you dating him?” Scott asked hesitantly. Ziggy looked taken aback.
“Who, David? No, no, he’s just some guy I dance with sometimes.”
“That looked like more than dancing.” Scott sneered at him. Ziggy blushed to the roots of his hair and Summer noticed there was glitter in it. It was catching and reflecting the light. She imagined if he got in just the right spot, it might look like he had a messy halo.
“Are you… are you going to tell everyone?” Ziggy asked quietly. She wasn’t sure she’d heard him right at first. Scott laughed.
“Tell them what, Zig?” It was his way of saying he wouldn’t tell, but Ziggy was either too nervous or too scared to realize.
“That I’m… gay.” He looked up at Scott with pleading eyes. It was the saddest little face Summer had ever seen and she just reached out and wrapped him in a hug. She didn’t care that he was all sweaty or that he was getting glitter on her dress.
“Oh honey, of course we won’t tell if you don’t want us to. It’s nothing to be ashamed of though. The others, I don’t think they’ll care.” He ducked his head a little and grabbed her hand.
“Want to dance?” he asked, deflecting. He was good at deflecting. She smiled and nodded, but Scott stopped them.
“Now that you have somebody to dance with, Summer, does this mean I can go home? I mean, I know I said I’d come with you, but it’s just… well that guy over there keeps giving me lecherous glances. And I really don’t wanna get hit on. Again.” Summer laughed and waved him off.
“Oh go on then, party pooper. Ziggy will take care of me.” Ziggy flashed him a smile before grabbing Summer’s hand and dragging her down the stairs. Summer wasn’t sure how long Scott hung around watching them. Ziggy was a great dancer, better even than she’d seen on the platform, and he had no qualms about getting almost as dirty with her as he had been with David. He was more confident, more open, on the dance floor than she’d ever seen him before. The usually unsure clumsy boy she knew from her ranger team was nothing like this sure, confident young man dancing with her. It was just one more layer to what she was quickly realizing was an intricate puzzle of carefully placed shields.
They stayed until well after midnight when he finally collapsed at the bar and insisted on going home. They had to walk, Summer having ridden in with Scott and Ziggy not having a drivers license, but nights were always nice in Corinth so neither minded too much. Halfway home, she slipped her hand into Ziggy’s and leaned against him. He didn’t pull back, didn’t brush her off, but instead squeezed her hand and placed a kiss at her temple.
“Can we do this again sometime, Ziggy?” she asked.
“I’d love to,” he whispered.
“I promise to keep your secret. I’ll guard it close.” He chuckled into her hair and changed the subject. They giggled and chatted the whole way home, clinging to each other in the soft moonlight.
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True to their word, neither Scott nor Summer told the others about Ziggy. Summer had started to pay special attention to her new friend, though. She spent more time with him, more time noticing him in the group. It didn’t take her that long to figure it out, actually. There were little touches here and there. He always seemed to brush hands or bump shoulders. Sometimes she’d catch Ziggy out of the corner of her eye, playing with a loose strand of his hair. They seemed to lack personal space, but only with each other. They always rode together. And she caught more than one longing look. Ziggy was in love with Dillon. She wasn’t sure why she hadn’t seen it earlier. It was so obvious now.
It landed her stuck between a rock and a hard place, though. On one hand, she had Ziggy. He had become her best friend, seemingly overnight for all the others knew. She wanted him to be happy more than anything. But on the other hand she had Dillon. She was pretty sure Dillon wasn’t gay. At least, he didn’t seem that way when he kissed her. It’s not like they had a relationship, not really. There were a few kisses here and there, mostly when stress got really high. He flirted a lot, but so did she. He never took her out and she never suggested it. She decided she needed to define what she had with Dillon, compartmentalize it as best she could, and hope she could come up with some solution that didn’t leave one of the three of them hurt and alone. She liked Dillon enough, but she never felt the need to give those longing looks she’d seen Ziggy give. That boy’s face was made for sad and hopeless looks and it broke her heart every time to see it.
“Penny for your thoughts?” a soft voice asked. She felt the couch shift and a familiar weight leaned against her.
“I was just compartmentalizing, that’s all.” She leaned back into him and felt Ziggy’s arm wrap around her waist. Dillon sat down on the arm of the couch and held out a little box with yellow wrapping paper.
“We got you a present,” he said. She took it and raised an eyebrow.
“We?” she asked, looking up at Ziggy. He nodded and motioned for her to open it. She tore through the paper excitedly. It was a cd.
“It’s a mix.” Ziggy said.
“Ziggy helped me figure out what you like to listen to. We made it together.” Dillon took it out of her hands and walked over to the stereo. He turned it on while she looked at the little handwritten track list. There were a few love songs, but it was mostly dance tunes, things she and Ziggy had swept the floor with at the club. She hoped he hadn’t told Dillon that part when they put the list together.
“Aw, guys, I love it. What’s the occasion?” she asked. Dillon sat down next to her. She was still leaning against Ziggy, but he didn’t seem to care.
“No occasion. Just wanted to.” Dillon said, picking at a piece of lint on her pants leg. She leaned forward and gave Dillon a quick kiss on the cheek. She could feel Ziggy tense behind her, but before he could say anything, she turned and captured his lips in a chaste kiss.
“Thank you,” she whispered, looking straight in his eyes. He smiled, at least.
“Oy, what’s that then?” Flynn asked, coming down the steps from the bedrooms. Scott slid out from under his car when the music started and came over to join them.
“It’s music, duh.” Scott smacked him with his grease rag as he passed.
“Aye, I know that. What’s it for?” he asked. Summer looked at the boys around her and grinned wickedly. She stood up and held her hand out to Dillon.
“It’s for dancing.” Her eyes glinted mischievously. They were in a garage. There was plenty of room. Ziggy jumped up and started pushing chairs and tables out of the way, his eyes alight. Dillon looked horrified.
“I don’t dance,” was his only reply. He wouldn’t even take Summer’s hand. She pouted and looked towards Scott and Flynn. Scott took a step forward but stopped when he noticed something behind her. She felt familiar hands, strong and sure, on her hips. Instinctively they started to move to the beat just as they had done hundreds of times before in the middle of an overcrowded, dark club. It was cautious though, far more innocent than they were used to. Ziggy buried his face in her neck and she felt him inhale deeply.
“I’ll dance with you, always,” he whispered and she turned to ask about the others, but he shook his head. His eyes sparkled and she knew; he didn’t care if they saw. She smiled and nodded.
Her mind was screaming to let go, to dance as if they were in the middle of the club surrounded by sweaty gay men. Ziggy knew that look in her eyes and suddenly his entire demeanor changed. He stopped. He held his hand up to keep the others back and went to the stereo. He skipped five songs ahead and she recognized the tune immediately. He knew exactly what she wanted and as the music started blaring, he wrapped himself around her possessively and started to move. She let loose then, pumping and grinding against him, allowing Ziggy to lead her in whatever moves he felt like. They lost themselves in the beat, in the music, in each other. She could hear the whoops and hollers behind her from Scott and Flynn but she didn’t care. They danced as if no one was watching, as if they were lovers. They danced like they always did with no regard to anyone or anything. Dancing with Ziggy was like flying and she never wanted it to stop.
When the music did stop, she had spun around. Ziggy’s hand was tangled in her hair and her leg was wrapped around his waist. His other hand ghosted on her upper thigh dangerously close to her ass. They were mere inches apart, panting hard. She leaned in and gave him a quick kiss before untangling herself from his embrace. The room was silent. They looked over at the others. Scott was smirking. Flynn’s jaw was on the floor and his pupils were dilated, blowing out all the blue. Dillon just sat on the couch, practically smoldering.
“That was the hottest thing I’ve seen that I didn’t have to obtain illegally!” Flynn said and his face broke into a broad grin. He started clapping. Summer blushed, but Ziggy was just staring at Dillon. He stared right back. Neither would look away. They seemed to be having a silent conversation.
“Dillon…” Ziggy started. Dillon just shook his head and stood up.
“Whatever. I’ll be in my room,” he mumbled and walked off, slamming the door to his room. Summer looked between Ziggy and the door. She wasn’t sure what just happened, but she had a feeling it wasn’t that Dillon was angry about his sort-of not-really girlfriend dancing with somebody else. The room was tensely silent for a minute before she shook it off.
“Well forget him then. I was having fun. Scott, would you like to dance?” she asked. He bounded forward but then hesitated.
“I can’t dance like that,” he said. Summer laughed.
“It’s okay, just dance like we used to, okay?” Scott nodded and Ziggy moved aside to give them some room. He turned the music back on and started moving on his own until Flynn jumped in the mix. Ziggy had to make a conscious effort to watch his moves, but Flynn didn’t seem to care and Summer laughed. They could have fun without Mr. Broody.
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Summer wasn’t much in a kissing mood with Dillon after that. He didn’t seem to want to do much with her either. They’d barely even spoken. He was sulking and wouldn’t tell her what was going on. He had never seemed jealous of Ziggy before, or any of them really, and mostly he still didn’t. But he was angry and she didn’t know why.
She spent all her free time with Ziggy. The closer she got, the harder she found it to keep her hands off him. He didn’t seem to mind the ever increasing physical contact. He actually seemed to relish in it, often taking every opportunity to initiate it himself. It worried her though. She spent all her time wondering what they would do next and every minute with him she had to be touching him, caressing him, playing with him. She had shared more kisses, passionless though they were, with Ziggy than she had with all her ex-boyfriends combined, Dillon’s stress relief make out sessions included.
She knew she was getting too close, knew she was spiraling into something she shouldn’t, but part of her didn’t care. Part of her wanted that head over heels feeling, to be something special to somebody. It had been so long since she had that. She knew it wouldn’t go further than friendship. She knew it couldn’t, no matter how she felt. But while part of her screamed to stop and back off, another part, a stronger part, told her to go ahead, get attached, get close. Part of her wanted to be visibly loved, no matter how platonic it might be.
She was staring at the rain, contemplating her situation, when the subject of her thoughts came darting in through the garage door. He shook water off himself and dropped a kiss in the top of her head. He was carrying two plastic shopping bags full of… something.
“I have a surprise for you. Go get the guys for me?” He made his way to the kitchen and she, without question, went and rounded up the rest of the team. They gathered on one side of the kitchen and watched Ziggy. He pulled out six wrapped packages and passed them, colour coded to their ranger colours, to their owners. He waited patiently while they all tore through the tissue paper and held up new clothes. They were dressy, yet breathable. Summer knew immediately. They were dancing clothes.
“What are these, lad?” Flynn asked, holding a blue silk shirt up for sizing. It looked like it would fit him perfectly, snug in all the right places.
“Dancing clothes. We’re all going out tomorrow night to my usual haunt.” He looked at them as they skeptically fingered the new clothes. Nobody was quite sure what to make of it. Ziggy obviously had a plan, but rarely did Ziggy’s plans go off without a hitch.
“What’s in that bag?” Summer asked while attempting to peek inside the one bag he hadn’t opened. He winked at her and pulled it closer.
“My surprise. Go try them on. I want to make sure I got the right sizes.” She allowed herself a little pout before indulging in some girly twirling with Gemma. She loved new clothes and the deep purple Ziggy had picked would suit her well. Gemma had a brilliant sky blue dress in much the same style. Ziggy had tried hard to avoid coding them to their ranger colours, but Flynn had ended up with blue and Dillon with black anyway. They’d all started off towards their rooms to try on the outfits when Flynn stopped mid-step.
“Ziggy, where are we going anyway?” he asked. Ziggy flashed a wicked smile.
“Club Luisant.” Summer was about to ask if he was sure, but he winked at her again and the question fell silent before it even reached her lips.
“But isn’t that…” Flynn started, his face scrunched in concentration. It didn’t even take him to the end of the sentence to figure out what Ziggy was telling him. He put all the pieces together in rapid succession. “Och, aye!” he exclaimed. The biggest grin she had ever seen made it’s way onto his face.
“Yes, Flynn.” Ziggy said, knowing it would be a matter of minutes before the rest of the rangers knew exactly what going to Club Luisant meant.
“Save me a dance then, eh Ziggy?” He winked at the younger man and then dashed up the stairs. Summer had never been so surprised.
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They were all ready and waiting. Dr. K had waived them off with an exasperated expression and now they just needed Ziggy before they could go. Surprisingly, even Mr. I-Don’t-Dance had given in, dressed up in the clothes Ziggy had bought him, and was waiting to go. Flynn had ignored all jeers and put on his dress kilt. Summer and Gemma were admiring the kilt when Ziggy finally came flying down the metal stairs. He wore his super tight pants again and a dark green button down shirt, but it wasn’t buttoned. Instead it was hanging loose, flying out to the sides. Summer stared at his bare chest hungrily and knew exactly what he had planned. She wouldn’t be dancing with him much tonight and that thought disappointed her more than she cared to admit.
She felt Scott’s hand slip into hers and start pulling her towards his car. She saw Ziggy, glitter sparkling at the corner of his eyes and in his hair, slide into the passenger seat of Dillon’s car. Gem, Gemma, and Flynn piled into his Hummer. She supposed she and Scott could have gone with them, but she relished the quiet alone time with her old friend.
“He’s gay, Summer,” Scott whispered when they had left the garage.
“I know,” she said, looking down at her hands. Scott reached over and took her hand in his again and gave it a squeeze. Dependable Scott. He was always there when she needed him. He’d known what she’d been thinking and feeling, what she had been putting herself through, without her having to ever say a word. She was suddenly feeling very grateful and overwhelmingly guilty.
“I’m sorry I haven’t been around much lately.” He shook off her apology but didn’t let go of her hand. They rode the rest of the way in comfortable silence. Nothing else needed be said.
When they’d all made it to the parking garage, Ziggy led them as a group to the front of the line. The bouncer shook his hand and let them through the door, much to the dismay of the long line waiting behind them. Only Gem, Gemma, and Dillon had never been to this club before and they stood to take it in for a few minutes. Ziggy directed them to a table near the railing.
“I know you won’t dance, Dillon. Anybody who wants a break or just to hang out can sit over there. Watch, drink, whatever.” Dillon and Gem both pulled out chairs and sat down. Flynn led Gemma down the stairs to the dance floor and Scott hesitated.
“I think I’ll wait awhile.” He pulled out a chair with the others and Summer looked between the table and Ziggy. He cocked his head and she smiled. Maybe she would get some dancing in with her favourite partner. He shocked her by removing his shirt and throwing it on the table, claiming it as their own. He had streaks of glitter all across his chest as well. He would positively glow on the dance floor. She took his hand and pulled him towards the stairs, face alight with laughter.
They lit up the floor for half an hour before she relented and let some of Ziggy’s former dance partners steal him away. She joined the others up at the table. Flynn had Gemma in his lap and they were holding a quiet conversation, about what she wasn’t sure, but Gemma sure seemed excited. She moved off his lap and Flynn went bounding down the stairs to pull Ziggy off the dancer he was currently grinding against. Gem and Scott were discussing some new team maneuvers they wanted to try out at tomorrow’s practice session. Dillon was just staring at the dance floor. From this angle she could see she had been right. Ziggy practically glowed with the light bouncing off all the glitter.
“You okay?” she asked, pulling up a chair.
“Fine.” Dillon was brooding again. He had that same dark look he wore the day she and Ziggy danced for them. She followed his gaze to the dance floor. He was glaring at Ziggy, burning holes through the younger man she thought he once counted as his closest friend.
“What’s your problem, Dillon? I want to help. You know Ziggy and I, we’re just friends.” She reached out and took his hand, but he pulled away from her.
“I know. You’re not his type. You’re missing some important parts.” He still wouldn’t look away from Ziggy down on the dance floor. She watched as Dillon’s hand grasped the dark green shirt Ziggy had left puddled at the table. He absently rubbed the fabric between his fingers. It was then that she realized, then that she knew what the dark look in his eyes meant.
“You’re not mad at me for dancing with him. You’re jealous!” she exclaimed. Dillon didn’t look at her, didn’t seem to react, but he dropped the shirt. The last piece of the puzzle slid into place and it all made sense, finally.
“He didn’t tell me he was gay.” Dillon flinched and stood up, walking out of the club. She sighed and looked back at the dance floor. It was clear what made Dillon flinch. Ziggy was swaying with the music, his mouth locked firmly with Flynn’s. Almost instantly, Summer felt the tingle she was growing accustomed to feeling when Ziggy was involved. She felt Gemma take the seat Dillon had just occupied and was surprised to see a smile on the other woman’s face.
“Hottest. Thing. Ever!” she exclaimed. Summer shouldn’t have been too surprised. She found the make-out session between the Scotsman and the green ranger incredibly erotic, but she wasn’t actually dating either of them. She didn’t know if that gave her more right to be turned on by it or less. At the moment, she didn’t really care. She could see Ziggy’s knee pressed up between Flynn’s leg. He’d raised the kilt slightly and she could see him massaging Flynn’s inner thigh. The kiss was long and deep. Occasionally, when they would switch positions or move apart a bit, she could catch a glimpse of their tongues entwined, dancing in time with their bodies. Gemma jumped up and ran off to join her boyfriend. She sandwiched herself in the middle and Ziggy, in rare form tonight, had no problems making it a threesome.
Summer was still teetering between hurt at being left out and confusion at having actually developed a real crush on her very gay best friend when Scott once again slipped his hand into hers. He pulled her toward the dance floor and spent the next two hours making her remember that dancing with other people could be just as much fun as dancing with Ziggy.
She and Ziggy shared one last dance before the entire group departed for the evening. Ziggy caught a ride with Flynn while she slipped into the familiar passenger seat of Scott’s car. She leaned against him as he drove them home.
“Thank you, Scott. For being my friend,” she whispered.
“Always,” he whispered back.
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They beat the others back to the garage. Dillon’s car was there and his bedroom door was closed. The rest of the garage was quiet except the quiet hum of Dr. K’s computers. She left Scott with a hug and a promise to be up extra early for the training session. She was halfway through her nighttime routine when she heard the Flynn’s Hummer pull into the garage. The metal door closed and was locked for the night as the giggling rangers made their way to their respective bedrooms. She heard two doors shut, but instead of the third, she could hear a rattling. Then pounding.
“Dillon? Dillon let me in!” Ziggy yelled through the door. It was quite for a minute and then there was more pounding, more banging. Dillon had apparently locked Ziggy out of their room. She heard footsteps on the metal stairs and then the creaking of the couch. She opened her door and looked down over the walkway. Ziggy was shifting on the couch trying to get comfortable. She moved to go down and offer him space in her room, but a door opened across the way and stopped her. She shrunk into the shadows and knelt down to watch.
Dillon flung open the bedroom door and stomped down to the living area. He grabbed Ziggy by the arm and made him stand up.
“You didn’t tell me,” he said. Summer held her breath, trying to be as quiet as possible. She knew she shouldn’t be watching, but she couldn’t help herself.
“Why does it matter?” Ziggy asked, his voice cracking. He backed up some and put the couch between them as Dillon advanced towards him.
“It matters because you’re running around kissing Summer. And Flynn. And random men you barely know in the pits of some club. You’ve kissed practically the whole team!” Dillon was yelling now. He was angry. But so was Ziggy. She could see his face, dangerous and empty.
“Is that it? You’re mad that I’m kissing people? Well how about this then?” Ziggy yelled back and flew up the stairs opposite. He pounded on Gem and Gemma’s door and, when Gem opened it, grabbed him and kissed him full on the mouth. Summer tried not to giggle at the lost expression on the other man’s face. Ziggy didn’t give him a chance to do much before shoving him back and moving on. Scott and Flynn had opened their door by this point and Ziggy grabbed Scott first, pulling him down into a kiss. He was hard and rough, and when he let go, Scott staggered backwards with the force of it. Flynn actually stepped into his kiss, taking a minute to suck loudly at Ziggy’s lower lip. She would have to remember to ask him about that later. Ziggy didn’t even look back, but charged down the stairs and got right in Dillon’s face.
“Where’s Dr K, anyone know? Where does she sleep? She’s the only one I haven’t kissed yet. Wanna see that too, Dillon? Want your little faerie to entertain you?” Dillon’s anger flared and he stared down the younger man.
“Liar,” he said, his voice dangerously low. Ziggy actually took a step back.
“What?” he breathed. Dillon was silent, but never broke eye contact. She knew the others were watching as well, though she couldn’t bear to take her eyes off the pair to check. She hadn’t heard any doors close, though, and all of them had been opened by now. She could practically see the sparks between them and she willed Ziggy to see what Dillon was trying to say. Dr. K wasn’t the only one Ziggy hadn’t kissed yet.
“What do you want from me, Dillon?” he asked quietly. All the anger was gone from his voice. Now he just looked sad.
“I want… I want you… I want you.” Dillon stuttered. He turned around and ran his hands through his hair. Summer held her breath. This had been building up for so long the release would either be spectacularly good or spectacularly bad.
“What? You want me to what?” Ziggy asked. Dillon turned and grabbed him by the arms. Ziggy grimaced and tried to cower but Dillon’s grip was so strong he couldn’t get away.
“That’s all. You. I just want you.” Dillon leaned forward and captured Ziggy’s mouth in a fierce kiss. Ziggy didn’t even need a minute to catch up. He responded in kind, crashing into Dillon with a passion she had never seen him display before. Dillon released his arms and Ziggy immediately reached up to cup Dillon’s face. Dillon grabbed him by the waist and pulled him closer until Ziggy was crushed against him. She could hear soft, desperate little moans and she wasn’t actually sure who they had come from.
They pulled apart with as much force as they had joined together. Both were panting. Dillon’s hair was mussed and she could see Ziggy’s lips, flushed and slightly swollen. They stared at each other for a minute before Ziggy tenderly reached out and pulled Dillon in for another kiss. This one was softer, slower, far more gentle than she had ever expected. This was Ziggy’s romantic kiss. She’d never seen it before, never been on the receiving end. This was unique, special, a kiss reserved only for Dillon.
She heard two doors close softly and knew the others had gone back to bed. She wasn’t sure how long Ziggy and Dillon would stand there, but she was finally ready to give them their privacy. They had a lot they would need to work out, but she knew it would be okay now. She stood up and noticed Scott still standing in front of his door. He was watching her intently, quietly checking to make sure she would be okay. She smiled at him and nodded. He held her eyes for a minute and then turned to go into his room. She hugged herself, took one last look at the boys below, and then quietly went into her own room for the rest of the night.