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The first time, it was weird and made her freak out in private. The second time, it was confusing. Kimberly has lost track of how many times it’s been now, and it’s just annoying and has never been explained.
It’s not like Tommy’s subtle about checking out Jason’s ass! They can all see him do it. She doesn’t blame him- Jason has an awesome ass and she knows it- but still.
Kimberly sighed, watching Tommy and Jason spar and counting every single time a touch lingered that didn’t have to. She was at twelve. No- thirteen, it wasn’t necessary to linger on his leg like that.
“I think he’s a mistake,” Trini said suddenly, tapping her foot against Kimberly’s stool.
Kimberly choked on her smoothie. “What?”
“Richie,” Trini explained. “I think he’s a mistake. He’s just...so bland. You know? What do we actually know about him?”
Kimberly opened her mouth, then closed it. She had a point. Sure, Richie worked at the Juice Bar, and he was a decent martial artist, and he was sweet, and he was sort of good looking, but beyond that he was a blank slate in her mind. “That’s so weird. I actually don’t know anything else about him...we’ve known him for...how long? At least a month, and that’s all we know.”
Trini nodded. “And if, after a month, that’s all I know, that screams ‘MISTAKE.’ But enough about me- what’s got you in a tizzy?”
Kimberly bit her lip. “Have you ever noticed Tommy and Jason acting...weird?”
Trini raised an eyebrow. “Flirting, you mean? Not in any way you have to worry about.”
Kimberly blinked. “That’s not yes or no, Trini.”
The Yellow Ranger rolled her eyes. “I’m pretty sure they’re both bisexual, attracted to each other, and repressing both of those revelations. And Jason’s trying to repress feelings for you as well.”
Kimberly choked on her smoothie again. Trini helpfully whacked her on the back.
“There’s no way...” Kimberly coughed, trying to breathe properly. “Jason? Into me? And Tommy? But he never said anything...”
Trini sighed. “Jason? Making the first move? He’d brood himself into a fit before he’d actually talk about his feelings.”
Okay, she had a point there.
The sudden sound of someone thudding against the mat caught Kimberly’s attention, and she looked back over to see Tommy straddling Jason and laughing as Jason rolled his eyes and tried to get up.
Suddenly she couldn’t sit still.
Tommy rolled off of Jason and sprang to his feet easily, extending a hand to help Jason up, and Jason took it when he could have easily been up on his own- Kimberly had seen him get up from worse more easily than Tommy just had. Grinning obliviously, Tommy pulled Jason up and walked over to Kimberly, kissing her cheek. Kimberly giggled but kept an eye on Jason, finally noticing the strange look on his face when Tommy’s mouth touched her, almost as if he was jealous but not sure of whom. Impulsively, Kimberly took his hand. “Can we go for a walk?”
“Sure,” he said, smiling at her as if she was the center of the world. She smiled back and looked at the door, where Jason was leaving. She took his hand (the same one used to pull Jason up) and walked outside with him.
“Is something wrong?” Tommy asked as they walked.
Kimberly bit her lip again. “It’s nothing, really.”
Oh, what had prompted her to say that? Shoot.
“Could it be something?” Tommy asked, squeezing her hand gently.
Kimberly worked her bottom lip between her teeth. “Maybe.”
Tommy shrugged. “I’ll be with you if it does.”
Kimberly smiled, a little relief loosening her shoulders. Even if Trini was right, and she probably was, Tommy would never cheat on her. They were still okay.
...And now she was thinking about Tommy and Jason sparring again. Oh, if she was on the train of thought she thought she was, this could be a problem.
Jason tossed Zack a football.
“Okay, seriously, didn’t you just spar with Tommy?” Zack complained. “Where the hell did you get your energy from?”
Jason shrugged. “Got a little more energy to work off. You wanna play or not?”
“I’m in, dude.” Zack sighed. “You know, it’s not Tommy’s fault you didn’t make a move on Kim.”
Jason froze, hand clenching instinctively. “I’m not mad at Tommy.”
And he wasn’t. That was the strange thing. He’d been in love with Kimberly for as long as he’d known her, and he’d never gotten up the guts to do anything about it, but he had never been jealous of her interest in Tommy. He’d hated many of her crushes on sight, but never Tommy. He’d even been the one to vouch for him and ease him into Rangering.
It didn’t make sense. It never had. The fact that he had to work off energy to stop thinking about Tommy straddling him, warm smile, and he could see Kimberly watching and instead of being embarrassing it was- he didn’t know what it was.
The football hit Jason in the chest and he got distracted by the air rushing out of him.
Tommy watched Kimberly as they walked back into the Juice Bar, worried. Whatever was bothering her hadn’t left, no matter what she said, and he had no idea how to help.
Trini and Billy waved them over and the idea immediately hit him. Trini could help! Even if it was a girl thing or something Kimberly didn’t want to talk about with him, Trini could talk to her and help her!
...And he had no idea how to ask her to help. Well, crap.
“I’m going to practice,” Kimberly said, going to the balance beam.
Trini smiled. “Got it. Billy, don’t you have a compass for that magnetic storm to work on?”
“True. Procrastination makes for extremely shoddy work that I would not wish to show in public,” Billy said. Tommy blinked and watched him leave, confused.
“So,” Trini said, smiling when he looked back at her. “What’s wrong, Tommy?”
Tommy blinked, looking away before forcing himself to look back at her. “Kimberly’s got a problem that she won’t talk to me about. Can you talk to her?”
Trini snorted. “I kinda prompted her problem, and it’s not one I can help with.”
Wait, what?
“Tommy,” she asked, voice impossibly calm, “how do you feel about Kimberly?”
“I love her,” he said instantly, easily, because that was true.
“And Jason?”
That stopped his breath. Because Jason...Jason had always been a quandary. “I- I don’t- he was really helpful after the Evil Ranger mess and he’s a friend.”
Trini’s gaze was far too clear. “Is that all he is?”
“I’d never cheat on Kimberly!” Tommy snapped.
“I know,” Trini said, way too calm for this kind of talk. “But that wasn’t what I asked.”
“It’s...” Tommy sighed. “He’s my friend. That is all he is.”
Trini nodded. “You know, Jason’s been head over heels for Kimberly since they were kids. He’s been a jerk to every guy she’s crushed on...except you. He actively befriended you and is a lot more touchy-feely with you than with Zack, even. And Kim, well, when we were younger we all thought that they’d get together, and I think the only reason they didn’t was because Kim got skittish about deep feelings with her parents’ relationship going downhill. She was pretty flighty with guys...again, except you. She loves you.”
Tommy swallowed, trying hard not to think of Jason and Kimberly dating and why the thought of watching them kiss and date didn’t hurt as much as it should. “What’s the point to all this, Trini?”
“Kimberly’s actually thinking about this now,” Trini said, still so calm. “There’s a choice to make.”
“What choice?”
Trini rolled her eyes. “Tommy, if you chose Kimberly, why do your hands linger on Jason when you spar? Why do you watch him when he spars with anyone that’s not you as if you were jealous?”
“I don’t-”
“You do, Tommy.” Trini shook her head. “You do. And you need to deal with that. Preferably with Kimberly.”
Tommy swallowed. It wasn’t- this wasn’t-
“Are you okay, Tommy?” Kimberly asked, suddenly behind him.
Tommy reached up and grabbed her hand.
"I'll go so you two can talk," Trini said cheerfully. For a minute, Tommy hated her.
"What's wrong?" Kimberly asked, sitting in Trini's seat and still holding his hand.
Tommy opened his mouth, closed it, and finally blurted out, "Trini thinks that we're both into Jason and each other."
Kimberly's eyes widened, and Tommy instantly regretted saying anything. "I mean-"
"Are we?" she asked. "I didn't even- that makes sense."
Tommy looked away. "I think- it works."
"What are we going to do?" she asked.
Tommy looked back at her and squeezed her hand. "I have no idea. We can talk to Jason when he comes in?"
She nods. "We should."
Well, that game hadn't worked at all. Jason walked back into the Juice Bar, still full of energy that he had to expend somehow. He sat at the bar, alone for the first time in a long time, and tried to think.
Jason tensed in his seat as Kimberly and Tommy sat down on either side of him.
"Hi, Jason," Kimberly said, sounding nervous. "Um. We need to talk. All three of us."
Jason suddenly had a really bad feeling about this.
Tommy cleared his throat. "...It's- we-"
"We're both into you and we're pretty sure you're interested too," Kimberly blurted out.
Jason froze, eyes darting to either face. Kimberly looked mortified and Tommy nervous.
"I- how did you-" Jason swallowed. "How did you know?"
"Trini," they said in unison.
"...That sounds like her, actually." Jason rubbed at the back of his neck. "But what can we do about it?"
"That was what we were wondering," Tommy said.
"Unless we want to make a threesome of it, we can't do much," Kimberly said. Jason had to close his eyes at the thought of threesome and touching them both at once-
"Would that work?" Jason didn't realize until after he said it that he had spoken. Well, crap.
They both stilled, Tommy's eyes wide and Kimberly's scrunched up in thought.
"I think it could," Kimberly said. "We might want to keep it on the down-low, but if we can cover being Rangers, why can't we cover being lovers?"
Jason swallowed and glanced at Tommy, who nodded.
"...Well, okay then," he said weakly.
"I feel like we should at least try kissing to seal the deal," Kimberly said.
Jason swallowed again at the thought of it. "...Not here."
"Good point," Tommy said. "You want to leave first, or shall we?"
"We should," Kimberly said suddenly. "I'm the one with directions to our makeout spot."
"...I feel like the dumb one today."
Kimberly laughed and kissed his cheek, getting up to leave.
Tommy looked around for Jason, fidgeting.
Could he have backed out this quickly? Had they pressed too hard? Where was he?
Kimberly tugged his elbow, and Tommy turned to see Jason coming in from the other side of the car.
...That worked, okay.
Jason had barely stepped onto the bridge over the river when Kimberly walked up to him and cradled his face in her hand.
The amount that turned him on was really taking him off guard.
Jason was finally the one to lean down and kiss her, wrapping his arms around her, and Tommy finally understood why so many people looked askance at those with more than one partner- this was far too hot to be legal.
Kimberly moaned and then broke away, smoothing her dress down and taking Jason by the hand.
Tommy walked over to them, finally breaking. Kimberly laughed and leaned up to kiss him, and Tommy wrapped an arm around Jason to stop him from moving away. He lost himself a little in the kiss, letting her sweetness overwhelm him.
She broke away, smiling, and Tommy turned to Jason. Their Red's eyes had darkened, and he was looking directly at Tommy with his tongue running over his lips.
Tommy took the opportunity and kissed him soundly, slipping his tongue into Jason's mouth. Damn.
Kimberly laughed suddenly, and Tommy turned to look at her, breaking the kiss.
"You think Zordon called this coming?" Kimberly asked, giggling. "You're White and Red and I'm Pink."
What- oh.
Tommy burst out laughing, hearing Jason join in, and wrapped his arms around them both.