Long Journey Home

The Long Journey Home 3

 
 

He was breathing hard while he waited for the disorientation to pass;
with a shudder, Jason straightened as soon as it was over and was promptly
hit by a blast of hot water full in the face.
 
*What the hell ...!*
 
Jason narrowly avoided bumping his head on the shower head.
 
*I distinctly remember adjusting the height of this thing! Tommy’s
so much taller here ....* He glanced at his hand, which still rested
against the tiled wall. What he saw caused his heart rate to speed up,
and hardly daring to hope, he looked down his body. His breath rushed out
in a relieved sigh. While the last week hadn’t been all bad (a pleasurable
shiver coursed down his spine as he recalled the last hour or so), he was
infinitely relieved to be back in his own, male body. He spared
a thought for Tommy and Jess; he hoped everything turned out allright for
those two. Jason chuckled to himself as he automatically checked himself
over.
 
*Yep, everything’s present acc accounted for!*
 
It was slightly ridiculous, but he couldn’t help it -- as he rearranged
the shower equipment, he ran his hands over his own body, searching for
possible discrepancies but finding none. His mood, already elated at finding
himself back to ‘normal’, rose accordingly.
 
*Now for the rest...*
 
Hardly daring to hope, he dried off and stepped into his room.
 
His room looked like he remembered it from before his adventure began;
on his chair were a pair of jeans shorts and a black muscle shirt, like
he was used to wearing, and at the back of his desk drawer was the box
containing a red and a black communicator.
 
*YES!!!*
 
Jason dressed and let himself out of the house. It was all he could
do not to run as he made his way over to the Juice Bar to see if this really
was ‘home’; he was sure that seeing his friends would give him final proof.
 
 


***

Once he arrived, he let his eyes roam around the gym area. Rocky was
practising his splits; not that he needed to -- watching him made all the
male Rangers wince and fight the urge to cross their own legs; Adam and
Tanya were going through a few stances -- no serious sparring, just enjoying
the smooth flow of motion; Kat ... she waved to him from the ballet barre,
her left leg arching gracefully out behind her as she bent over. Jason
checked the room a second time. No, Tommy wasn’t there, but then he remembered
that for the last few months he usually came later on Saturday afternoons
-- he took some extra sword practice with his former sensei, who was on
a visiting teaching assignment at AGU.
 
Feeling giddy and almost lightheaded, Jason settled at 'their' table,
waiting for his friends to join him. Could it really be that he was home
again, in his own reality where he belonged? Slowly, everyone drifted over,
and nothing in their conversation was even slightly out of the ordinary,
just their everyday easy banter about school, their weekend plans and mutual
acquaintances and interests. Jason relaxed; he was sitting with his back
to the door, and so didn’t see Tommy’s arrival.
 
"Hey, guys!"
 
Jason turned around at the familiar sound, and a relieved smile lit
up his face. It was Tommy, in shorts and a red t-shirt, long hair
caught back in a ponytail, grinning at him with his usual warmth. A sight
Jason had seen countless times, but which had never been so welcome. His
delight was evident in his voice and his smile as he greeted his best friend.
 
"Hey, bro."
 
Tommy bounded up the steps, put a hand on Jason’s shoulder and squeezed
gently. Same as always. Brown eyes sparkling with mischief, he waited until
Jason looked up at him, then asked, winking at the others, "Miss me?"
 
Jason chuckled, covering the firm hand on his shoulder with his own.
His voice slightly husky with relief, he met the warm gaze. "You could
say that."
 
"Good."
 
Within a split second, Jason’s world crashed around him -- again. Because
Tommy, his best friend, brother-in-arms, fellow Power Ranger, leaned over
and kissed him full on the mouth -- right in the middle of the Youth Center,
surrounded by all their friends.
 
Jason froze. This was not a teasing peck, calculated to make
everybody laugh; Tommy’s tongue traced the seam of his lips, and instinctively
he opened to let it inside. The kiss deepened, became just the slightest
bit demanding, and Jason couldn’t help the moan that seemed to rise out
of nowhere. It brought him back to his senses, though. Tearing his mouth
away with a gasp, he sat back, stunned, staring at his friend with wide-open
eyes.
 
Tommy grinned, obviously pleased but slightly surprised by his reaction.
Sliding a teasing hand around his neck, he briefly caressed the short hair
in back before straightening and sitting next to him.
 
"What’s up, Jay? You look as if I’ve never kissed you before."
 
*Oh my God, not again!*
 
Barely able to collect himself, Jason stumbled to his feet. His chair
toppled over with a crash, but he didn’t care. Shocking his friends with
the desperate expression on his face, he backed away, shaking his head
in a futile attempt to deny the obvious.
 
"Y-you haven’t."
 
Then, Jason Scott did something he’d never done before in his life,
as a person or as a Ranger -- he ran away.