a_to_z_prompts fic: "New Things", Sky/Z, G
OH FUCK
I'M POSTING A SKY ROMANCE FIC THAT'S NOT SLASH
THE UNIVERSE MAY JUST IMPLODE
Title: New Things
Author: Mary (shurimon & shurifanstuffs on Livejournal)
Fandom & Pairing: Power Rangers SPD, Sky/Z
Letter: W for Wine
Rating: G
Summary: Through a simple date, Z gets Sky to open up.
Disclaimer/Author's Notes/Spoiler Warning: Post-series, so spoilers for the whole shebang, though you all have watched it I'm sure.
It was, Sky was often forced to admit to himself, a lot harder than he ever imagined it could be to be in love and dating. Even harder, it seemed, than it was training and rising in rank in S.P.D., or fully adapting to being the Red Ranger after his unexpected promotion when Jack departed. At least physical exhaustion could be cured with rest- mental exhaustion and confusion from trying to figure out how romance worked wasn't so easy to get rid of. He was finding out that he had a lot to learn.
For one thing, he had to be extra careful to curb his tongue now. He had to make sure his words and his temper didn't upset his girlfriend- and they did, almost always unintentionally but still much more often than he would have liked, which meant he had to learn how to swallow his pride and apologize when it occurred, too. He also had to try and loosen up even more than he had since becoming a Ranger- which had been a lot, considering how strict and professional he had been when he'd first met his teammates- but, as his girlfriend often told him, he had plenty of room to improve. He had to let himself be persuaded to do new things now, as well, to occasionally bend the rules or look at the less-strict interpretation than what he usually stuck to, and more than that to simply be himself, Sky Tate, and not just the Red Ranger. Last, and perhaps worst, however, he had to be more open with his feelings than he sometimes felt was appropriate- not being so closed-off to the world, rarely letting anybody know how he truly felt, because his girlfriend would certainly not allow that attitude.
Girlfriend...
Calling Z that was pretty hard to get used to, too.
"Isn't this such a nice place?" Z asked, a soft smile on her face, looking around the Italian restaurant she'd chosen for their date on Jack's recommendation. Sky shrugged, pretending to be absorbed in looking at his menu, feeling uncomfortable, even though he couldn't quite say why. It wasn't a very formal place, but Sky had still chosen to wear his red dress uniform, feeling as though it was the proper thing to do, considering that it was their first "real" date and not simply going out for ice cream or Chinese food when they had the odd hour off together. "Why are you so nervous?" Z asked, snapping Sky out of his reveire.
"I'm not nervous... just... still getting used to doing this kind of stuff," Sky said, drumming his fingers on the tabletop and shrugging again. He couldn't help giving Z a tiny, fleeting smile as he did so, however. She did look beautiful in her simple yellow sun dress, he thought, her hair pulled back into a bun. Seeing her in something other than her uniform was still a little jarring, but not altogether unpleasant. "You know, boyfriend-girlfriend stuff," he added to her slightly puzzled look.
"Oh, that's right," said Z, rolling her eyes. "You're probably thinking about this way too much. And stopping yourself from really liking it because you need to be all macho. Like you always do. Relax and enjoy this, won't you?"
"I'm fine," Sky replied gruffly. "I am relaxed."
"True," Z conceded. "For you on an actual date, this is as close as I'm going to get for a while, huh?" She smirked as her eyes took in her own menu. "We should- I mean you should- order a glass of wine. I won't tell if you let me drink some." Sky looked at her incredulously.
"You're underage," he said pointedly, gritting his teeth. "And an officer of the law."
"You're of age, though. You have been for months."
"I don't drink. You know that, or you should."
"You mean to tell me you're not even slightly curious to know what it tastes like, at least? That you never have been in your entire life?" Z prodded, ignoring the furious, piercing looks her boyfriend shot at her. "We don't even have to get drunk! One glass for you and a few sips for me isn't going to kill us, and it's not like you're going to have to arrest yourself for simply giving me a taste. People do it all the time. You told me when we started dating that you were going to start listening to people when they tell you to try new things, because they're usually right about it being fun." Sky sighed and rubbed his face, knowing that she wasn't going to let up, and hardly believing that he was about to be persuaded to break the law... and more importantly, Academy regulations.
"Cruger would crucify us if he finds out. You know that, right?" he asked, but Z didn't answer, as at that point the waiter came to take their orders. Not knowing the first thing about wine, Sky merely ordered the house brand, then glared suspiciously at the glass when it was set down in front of him. Z stuck her tongue out at him from over the top of her iced tea.
"It's not going to bite you," she said. "Cruger doesn't have to know, and I think you're far overestimating how he'd react, anyway. It'd be different if you came home totally bombed, but what's the harm in one glass over dinner with your girlfriend? Come on, try it. Piggy says this restaurant's really good."
"Oh, well then, if Piggy says it's good, it must be," Sky replied, his voice thick with sarcasm, before taking a sip almost defiantly, recoiling a little at the tiny burn he felt in his mouth, but pleasantly surprised by the taste.
"Well, was I right?"
"...Yeah," Sky said, and before he could stop her, Z had seized the glass from his hand and tasted it herself. "Hey!"
"Hmm... not bad at all," she said, then added with a wink, "Not like I'd ever know the difference or anything."
"Of course not. And you won't have any more until you're 21," said Sky firmly, taking the glass back. "End of discuss-" He found himself silenced when Z got up, leaned across the table, and captured his mouth in a kiss, her tongue flicking in to part his lips and wrestle with his own. When she pulled back, stopping only to briefly cup his cheek with one hand, he found himself uncharacteristically at a loss for words.
"Uh-oh. Looks like I've found a way to shut you up and stop you quoting regulations and laws at me," she told him, laughing. Sky gave her another Look, but it was no use... both of them knew she'd "won" that night. Not only had she gotten him to try something new, she'd found a way to leave him speechless, and he was sure she would now use that against him at every opportunity.
But, a little voice at the back of his mind admitted, that voice that was growing louder and louder the longer he and Z were together, come to think of it, I'm sure I won't mind all that much.
(cross-posted to a_to_z_prompts)
I'M POSTING A SKY ROMANCE FIC THAT'S NOT SLASH
THE UNIVERSE MAY JUST IMPLODE
Title: New Things
Author: Mary (shurimon & shurifanstuffs on Livejournal)
Fandom & Pairing: Power Rangers SPD, Sky/Z
Letter: W for Wine
Rating: G
Summary: Through a simple date, Z gets Sky to open up.
Disclaimer/Author's Notes/Spoiler Warning: Post-series, so spoilers for the whole shebang, though you all have watched it I'm sure.
It was, Sky was often forced to admit to himself, a lot harder than he ever imagined it could be to be in love and dating. Even harder, it seemed, than it was training and rising in rank in S.P.D., or fully adapting to being the Red Ranger after his unexpected promotion when Jack departed. At least physical exhaustion could be cured with rest- mental exhaustion and confusion from trying to figure out how romance worked wasn't so easy to get rid of. He was finding out that he had a lot to learn.
For one thing, he had to be extra careful to curb his tongue now. He had to make sure his words and his temper didn't upset his girlfriend- and they did, almost always unintentionally but still much more often than he would have liked, which meant he had to learn how to swallow his pride and apologize when it occurred, too. He also had to try and loosen up even more than he had since becoming a Ranger- which had been a lot, considering how strict and professional he had been when he'd first met his teammates- but, as his girlfriend often told him, he had plenty of room to improve. He had to let himself be persuaded to do new things now, as well, to occasionally bend the rules or look at the less-strict interpretation than what he usually stuck to, and more than that to simply be himself, Sky Tate, and not just the Red Ranger. Last, and perhaps worst, however, he had to be more open with his feelings than he sometimes felt was appropriate- not being so closed-off to the world, rarely letting anybody know how he truly felt, because his girlfriend would certainly not allow that attitude.
Girlfriend...
Calling Z that was pretty hard to get used to, too.
"Isn't this such a nice place?" Z asked, a soft smile on her face, looking around the Italian restaurant she'd chosen for their date on Jack's recommendation. Sky shrugged, pretending to be absorbed in looking at his menu, feeling uncomfortable, even though he couldn't quite say why. It wasn't a very formal place, but Sky had still chosen to wear his red dress uniform, feeling as though it was the proper thing to do, considering that it was their first "real" date and not simply going out for ice cream or Chinese food when they had the odd hour off together. "Why are you so nervous?" Z asked, snapping Sky out of his reveire.
"I'm not nervous... just... still getting used to doing this kind of stuff," Sky said, drumming his fingers on the tabletop and shrugging again. He couldn't help giving Z a tiny, fleeting smile as he did so, however. She did look beautiful in her simple yellow sun dress, he thought, her hair pulled back into a bun. Seeing her in something other than her uniform was still a little jarring, but not altogether unpleasant. "You know, boyfriend-girlfriend stuff," he added to her slightly puzzled look.
"Oh, that's right," said Z, rolling her eyes. "You're probably thinking about this way too much. And stopping yourself from really liking it because you need to be all macho. Like you always do. Relax and enjoy this, won't you?"
"I'm fine," Sky replied gruffly. "I am relaxed."
"True," Z conceded. "For you on an actual date, this is as close as I'm going to get for a while, huh?" She smirked as her eyes took in her own menu. "We should- I mean you should- order a glass of wine. I won't tell if you let me drink some." Sky looked at her incredulously.
"You're underage," he said pointedly, gritting his teeth. "And an officer of the law."
"You're of age, though. You have been for months."
"I don't drink. You know that, or you should."
"You mean to tell me you're not even slightly curious to know what it tastes like, at least? That you never have been in your entire life?" Z prodded, ignoring the furious, piercing looks her boyfriend shot at her. "We don't even have to get drunk! One glass for you and a few sips for me isn't going to kill us, and it's not like you're going to have to arrest yourself for simply giving me a taste. People do it all the time. You told me when we started dating that you were going to start listening to people when they tell you to try new things, because they're usually right about it being fun." Sky sighed and rubbed his face, knowing that she wasn't going to let up, and hardly believing that he was about to be persuaded to break the law... and more importantly, Academy regulations.
"Cruger would crucify us if he finds out. You know that, right?" he asked, but Z didn't answer, as at that point the waiter came to take their orders. Not knowing the first thing about wine, Sky merely ordered the house brand, then glared suspiciously at the glass when it was set down in front of him. Z stuck her tongue out at him from over the top of her iced tea.
"It's not going to bite you," she said. "Cruger doesn't have to know, and I think you're far overestimating how he'd react, anyway. It'd be different if you came home totally bombed, but what's the harm in one glass over dinner with your girlfriend? Come on, try it. Piggy says this restaurant's really good."
"Oh, well then, if Piggy says it's good, it must be," Sky replied, his voice thick with sarcasm, before taking a sip almost defiantly, recoiling a little at the tiny burn he felt in his mouth, but pleasantly surprised by the taste.
"Well, was I right?"
"...Yeah," Sky said, and before he could stop her, Z had seized the glass from his hand and tasted it herself. "Hey!"
"Hmm... not bad at all," she said, then added with a wink, "Not like I'd ever know the difference or anything."
"Of course not. And you won't have any more until you're 21," said Sky firmly, taking the glass back. "End of discuss-" He found himself silenced when Z got up, leaned across the table, and captured his mouth in a kiss, her tongue flicking in to part his lips and wrestle with his own. When she pulled back, stopping only to briefly cup his cheek with one hand, he found himself uncharacteristically at a loss for words.
"Uh-oh. Looks like I've found a way to shut you up and stop you quoting regulations and laws at me," she told him, laughing. Sky gave her another Look, but it was no use... both of them knew she'd "won" that night. Not only had she gotten him to try something new, she'd found a way to leave him speechless, and he was sure she would now use that against him at every opportunity.
But, a little voice at the back of his mind admitted, that voice that was growing louder and louder the longer he and Z were together, come to think of it, I'm sure I won't mind all that much.
(cross-posted to a_to_z_prompts)