Your personal Tumblr library awaits
A/N- Breaking up the Whumptober posting because @yumizurueleonora were talking Power Rangers SPD, as we often do, and I got the idea for this.
I started working on it yesterday, you know a bit in the morning, a bit on the train ride to New York Comicon, and then at Comicon I ran into Dwayne Cameron, the actor who plays Dru (and more significantly to my childhood, Tyzonn in Operation Overdrive) and I had look this man in the eye like I wasn't writing gay fanfiction about a one-off character he played 20 years ago five hours earlier.
I took this as a sign maybe I should post this. So enjoy.
~
Sky is so bored.
Yes, he got thrown from the Megazord and would have been crushed by a giant robot if he hadn’t thrown up a shield that left him so drained he blacked out and had to be dug out from the rubble.
But honestly that doesn’t mean Cruger has to confiscate his Morpher and order him to relax.
First of all, Sky is perfectly capable of relaxing. Hitting his punching bag, training, and studying ARE relaxing.
Second, what if they need him?
But Cruger threatened him with paid leave if Sky didn’t take the week to “actually heal,” and he lives at the Academy, so he’s here in the infirmary with RIC staring at him to make sure he doesn’t hurt himself.
At least it’s been a quiet week, and Cruger’s returning in the morning and Sky will be back on active duty.
Sky reaches for the next book on his pile, and a piece of paper falls into his lap. It takes him a second to make out the language.
Tangarian.
Angel, will you come meet by our favorite spot at 09:30?
Sky blinks and rereads the paper. There’s no way.
But who would prank him like this? Who would even know? Syd and Bridge had been at the Academy at the time but they hadn’t really talked, and Sky wasn’t sure they’d ever shared classes with him.
It's not like he has to stay in the infirmary, he’s been ordered to do no SPD work. Sky makes up his mind in seconds and runs to grab his clothes and head out.
Just after 9:30 Sky’s worried that he’s wrong, but then a familiar head of light brown hair pokes out of the bushes and his heart stops.
“Angel!” Dru says. “I was scared you wouldn’t come.”
“Dru,” Sky breathes before rushing forward to crush him in a hug. “What are you doing here, I thought you were…”
“Well I’m not,” Dru says, “it’s a long story.”
“This is real, isn’t it?” Sky asks. “I’m not dreaming?”
Dru kisses his palm. “Did that feel like a dream?”
Sky isn’t sure whether he wants to laugh or cry.
Dru chuckles. “Here I thought you’d be mad at me for keeping you waiting for so long.”
“How could I be mad at you?” Sky says, “I’m just happy you’re here.”
“Well that’s a shame, because I have a whole romantic ‘get Sky to forgive me’ brunch planned.”
“Oh,” Sky says. “Well I mean if you want.”
“Really? Not too busy?”
“For you? Never.”
Dru leads Sky to a shuttle, and in the back area there’s a picnic basket, candles, and the floor is littered with rose petals.
“If you’re up for making this a whole day thing,” Dru says, “there’s a special place I want to take you.”
Sky doesn't even have to think about it. This is Dru. His Dru. Back from the dead. Sky would follow him anywhere.
“Let’s go,” Sky says, holding up his wrist.
There’s a familiar clink from Dru’s coil against his, and for the first time in a long time something in Sky’s life feels right.
-
While Sky’s in the back of the shuttle settling in, Dru heads to the front console and sets the autopilot with the coordinates.
Viara-10 is supposed to have the most beautiful sunset, and it's the closest to a special magnetic storm on Tangar that’s supposed to appear if a marriage is auspicious.
That's where he’ll lay everything out for Sky, and they’ll be able to run away together.
They just have to get there first, which means–
On cue, a call comes on when they leave the airspace.
Jack appears on the monitor. “You don’t have authorization to leave Earth’s airspace, Agent Gren.”
Dru laughs. “Have you not already received reports of his death? I stole his credentials days ago. SPD really has gone downhill.”
It was a simple plan. Claim to be an SPD agent after a criminal, act injured, get into the Academy and shoot Cruger.
His timing had been a bit off since Cruger wasn’t there, but no one had suspected he wasn’t Agent Gren.
“Well what do you want me to call you?” Jack asks.
“I prefer my business associates refer to me as Giganis.”
“We’re not associates.”
“I was paid very well to handle Cruger, so yes you’re part of my business,” Dru says.
“I have authorization to shoot you down.”
“Oh sure, but you’ll lose a cadet in the process.”
Jack’s eyes widen. “You have Sky.”
Dru tilts his head. “I’m surprised you know a random cadet by name, but yes we’re taking a little trip, and I don’t want anyone interrupting us.”
“Let me see him.”
“No, sorry. Gotta go, bye Jack! It really was nice meeting you.”
-
Jack slams his fist on the monitor as soon as the signal cuts off. “Damn it!”
“Giganis,” Syd mutters, pulling up his file. “This guy’s wanted for… a lot of murders.”
“Video feed from the infirmary shows Sky receiving a letter and leaving just before Giganis shot the Commander,” Kat says.
“A threat, maybe?” Z says. “That’s how he lured Sky out?”
“Is Sky a weird choice?” Bridge asks.
“What’s weird about it, he knows we won’t destroy a ranger,” Jack says.
“But we wouldn’t destroy any cadet,” Bridge says. “Why not grab someone less able to fight back? How’d he find out Sky didn’t have his morpher on him? How'd he know Sky wouldn’t tell us anything?”
“I don’t know and I don’t care,” Jack says. “I’m getting in a shuttle and following them.”
“I think you mean we?” Syd says. “We’re a team, we don’t let some ugly monster kidnap any of us.”
“Be careful, Rangers,” Kat says. “We don’t know what he’s doing to Sky, it might be a delicate situation.”
“We know, Kat,” Z says. “But we’re going to get our jerk back.”
-
Sky doesn’t know what he did to deserve the most perfect boyfriend in the universe.
Or.
“Is it ok if I still call you my boyfriend?” Sky asks.
Dru looks at him like he’s stupid. “I didn’t give you that coil because three years apart could come between us.”
Sky relaxes a bit and takes a drink of his mimosa. “Sorry I guess I was just– what have you been doing this whole time?”
Dru looks sheepish. “Well, I actually had amnesia, so I’ve been wandering around the galaxy taking… odd jobs.”
“Then how’d you end up back on Earth?”
“While I was out exploring, I kept having this nagging feeling, you know? That there was someone out there waiting for me. I saw… amazing things out there, Sky but it always felt a little… incomplete without you.”
“C’mon Dru, you’re going to make me blush.”
“Oh you should see what’s out there, beyond SPD. A whole galaxy!”
Dru’s eyes are glittering, and Sky’s heart skips a beat. Then Dru looks at him and grabs his hands.
“You should come with me!”
“Huh?”
“I was going to ask when we got to our destination but, Sky there’s no one I want at my side more than you!”
“Me?” Sky asks. “A-and come on I know you can leave SPD but I can’t.”
“Yes, you can!” Dru says. “You don’t owe them, or anyone, anything! I mean they didn't even make you red ranger even though you gave them everything!”
Sky steps back. “You know about that?”
“I saw a fight, and I could tell without even seeing his face that Red wasn’t you.”
“Disappointed?” Sky asks. “All that talk and–”
“Why would I be disappointed? Sky I don't care what color you wear, I just care about you.”
“Why?” Sky says, “I mean I’m… god I got told to take a break and I had nothing to do. Outside of SPD I don’t…”
“Why? Because, Angel, you’re the most beautiful, perfect, thing in the universe. I saw stars explode, different societies, wonders that would put what they’ve got on Earth to shame, and the thing I kept thinking was ‘I want Sky with me.’” Dru laughs. “I’m genuinely obsessed with you, I can’t get you out of my head.”
“Ha,” Sky says. “I’m a jerk, my friends–”
“Are they really your friends if they don’t see how amazing you are?” Dru asks, “or are they just people you’re forced to put up with.”
“If everyone forced to put up with me says the same thing–”
Dru pulls him close and kisses him. “Sky, Sky, Sky. Shut up. I can’t even put into words how I feel about you, it's like…” Dru’s eyes light up. “Like that ancient Earth song.”
Dru walks over to the panel and strings and piano fill the room.
“Dru, what is this?”
Dru smiles and starts singing. “You’d be so easy to love, so easy to idolize all others above”
“Dru–”
But before Sky can protest, Dru sweeps him into his arms and they start dancing.
“So sweet to waken with,” Dru sings, “so nice to sit down to eggs and bacon with.”
Sky wants to protest more, but Dru gives him a look that tells him to just enjoy it, and Sky finally cracks a smile and follows Dru’s lead.
“We’d be so grand at the game, so carefree together that it does seem a shame that you can’t see your future with me ‘cause you’d be oh so easy to–”
The moment is shattered as the shuttle shakes.
“Damn it,” Dru says. “Just HAD to ruin the moment.”
Sky races to the cockpit and checks the scanner.
“An unidentified ship is firing on us?”
“They’re probably trying to disable the engines,” Dru mutters. “I can–”
“Hey, piloting was the only thing I beat you at,” Sky says, taking the controls.
He dodges away from the blast and turns the ship sharply upward.
“You’re crazy,” Dru says with a smile. “We’re heading to that planet over there.”
Another shot barely misses them, and Sky spots the landing spot through a pair of moons.
“I don’t like that look,” Dru says.
“You love it,” Sky says.
At the last possible second, Sky twists the ship sideways through the asteroid, and whatever ship was firing on them pulls away.
Sky lands them on the planet, and once the gear is engaged, Dru opens the hatch.
“That was amazing,” Dru says. “Now let’s get out of here so I can reward you properly.”
-
Z manages to land their ship roughly, and Jack immediately jumps out to check the damage.
“Damn, who knew Giganis was a good pilot?” He says. It’s gonna take forever to repair the damage.
Bridge is pacing around the open part of the ship. “We’re on Viara-10, right?” he asks. “Syd didn’t your magazine mention this place?”
“Uh yeah,” Syd says, “it’s the top ten most romantic date spots in the galaxy but what–”
Before she can finish her sentence, Bridge is on his head and thinking. “And that asteroid trick, where did we see that before?”
Syd tilts her head. “Oh yeah I guess that was pretty similar to what Sky pulled back in our first year.”
“You think Sky was piloting?” Jack asks. “Why would he do that?”
“That was a partner sim,” Bridge says. “Who was the guy Sky was paired with?”
“God his boyfriend?” Syd says. “Shit I never saw him without Sky, what was his name? Dru…” Syd's eyes go wide.
“Harrington,” Bridge says.
“I can’t believe I didn’t recognize him!”
“He was always hanging around Sky and talking to no one else, I mean I didn’t recognize him either without Sky next to him.”
“It all makes sense though, of course that’s what makes Sky go running from the infirmary.”
“Hold up,” Z says, “wanna fill in the guys who weren’t at the Academy?”
Suddenly a sound like thunder goes off, and Syd starts running. “We have to hurry, we can explain later!”
-
“How much further, Dru?” Sky asks, keeping his eyes closed.
“Just a little more… and, now!”
Sky opens his eyes and gasps. They’re on a mesa overlooking cliffs covered in vibrant blue flowers, and the sky is a deep purple highlighted by yellow streaks of lightning.
“We made it just in time,” Dru says. “The magnetic storm, it’s important here and similar to something on Tangar. Here it's just romantic, but on Tangar, you’re supposed to consummate your relationship beneath it if you want something that’ll truly last forever.”
“Oh, is that why you’ve kept me waiting so long?” Sky asks. “I did think it was weird you didn’t rip my shirt off as soon as we got on the shuttle.”
Dru laughs. “Ha, I've been very patient, do I get a reward?”
“You have a lot to make up to me Dru,” Sky says, pulling him close. “I mean a year and a half thinking you were dead…”
“Oh, Angel, let me show you how sorry I am!” Dru puts his arms under Sky’s shirt, and Sky is so ready but–
“Sky!” He turns back and sees his friends running towards them, out of breath.
“Oh good,” Syd says. “They still have their clothes on.”
“Why wouldn’t they have their clothes on?” Z pants.
“Don’t you rangers have better things to do than interrupt your cadets’ dates?” Dru says
“Date? As if we’d believe that,” Jack scoffs.
Sky frowns. “Why not?”
“Are you kidding me right now?”
“You’re the ones who spent the whole week saying I need to learn to relax and then I go on a date with my boyfriend and you just assume I was kidnapped?”
“Hold on!” Bridge says, “hold on guys this is all a big misunderstanding! See we didn’t know Sky knew Dru, or Agent Gren, or Giganis, and Sky didn’t know he’s an assassin who shot Cruger, and Dru didn’t know Sky was a ranger!”
“You’re a ranger?!” Dru gasps.
“You’re an assassin?” Sky asks. “And wait, wait was this whole thing, the brunch, the rose petals, the music, this was all just… a way to use me as a shield so SOD wouldn’t shoot you down?”
“No!” Dru says. “Angel, my plan was always to come see you again, I was going to tell you when the moment was better but, come on is SPD really the place for you? There’s a whole galaxy out there, we could be free! You’d love it, I know you would.”
“To be clear, if we didn’t show up and you’d asked Sky this post-coitus, would he be able to say no?” Syd asks.
“I could convince him if you would just leave us alone!”
“To be clear,” Bridge says, “you're under arrest for injuring an officer and your many, many, many other crimes.”
“Stella would you all just shut up!”
“Did you even have amnesia?” Sky asks. “Or did you just run off and let me think–”
“Sky, Angel, my stars and moon, I wasn’t lying when I said I was thinking about you, about running away together, about wanting to give you everything! I swear I just–”
“You’re just also a space mercenary?” Sky says. He takes a deep breath and pinches his nose. “Dru that’s…. you need help. You realize you're talking crazy, right? Let’s just… go back to Earth and we can–”
“You’re the one who needs help, Sky! SPD has done nothing but hold you back and bring you misery. But you won’t see it with these rangers getting involved every minute!”
Suddenly, Dru shifts into a monster form, and Sky stumbles back.
“Here,” Jack says, handing Sky his Morpher. “Cruger’s back, so you’re officially back on duty.”
Sky nods and swallows. He forces out the words “SPD! EMERGENCY!”
“Don’t make me do this, Dru,” Sky says.
“I’m really sorry to have to do this to you too, Sky,” Dru says. “But you’re clearly not going to realize anything while they’re around.”
“Speaking of us,” Bridge says, “you're under arrest for, what was it, murder counts across ten planets, attempted murder of an officer, identity theft, and getting someone to come with you under false pretenses is still kidnapping even if you didn’t hold him hostage!”
“Yeah, payback time for the cargo bay,” Jack says.
“You know,” Dru says, “Cruger was nothing personal, but I’m going to enjoy destroying you and then smashing Sky’s morpher into dust!”
~
After the fight, they put Dru in a card for transfer and Sky collapses onto the ground.
“Is there any chance,” he asks, “that this is a coma? That that robot actually knocked me out and now I’m hallucinating a near death experience where my boyfriend comes back from the dead but he’s evil?”
“I mean anything's possible,” Bridge says, “we could all be brains in jars imagining we’re talking to each other.”
“But in this case,” Syd says, “no, sorry your ex sucks.”
Sky fiddles with the coil on his wrist.
“Come on, Cruger and Kat are worried about you,” Z says.
“Yeah, whatever.” Sky says getting up. “At least I can get back to work. This will be my last day off in a while.”
“See, I don’t think this is the lesson you should take from this,” Jack says.
“Shut up. Where’s the ship? I need to sleep for a bit.”