Fleeting Moments: Sky and Syd
by
BloomingViolets
AN: Hey everybody! Well, since Pink-Green-White-4ever and I are almost done with Ars Amatoria's Ranger Romance Themes Challenge, I was feeling kind of sad. Those challenges were really fun to write! So my little sister (and what a good little sister she is!) decided to give me a couple of challenges to write about to cheer me up! Needless to say, I was pretty much all cheered up at the thought of writing more Sky and Syd stories (grins). Anyway, this is the first of the challenges she gave me. These stories will be in random order -there is no time line for any of these challenges!
Sky and Syd are my absolute favorite pairing. Don't ask me why, I really don't know. I just love those two together.
Don’t forget to review!
Disclaimer: I don’t own Power Rangers.
xxx
Challenge #1 -Watching
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Following her with his eyes had become an addiction. He learned a lot about her from just observing her on a daily basis. The way her long, graceful hands moved when she spoke, the way her eyes sparkled when she was amused, the way those same eyes snapped with fire when she was angry... or annoyed.
The way she hid behind the curtain of long blonde hair when she knew that her reaction would cause hurt... or anger. Her eyes would flash with annoyance whenever she felt that someone would hurt her family and she would jump to defend the people she loved most. He especially loved her eyes.
The way her eyes softened when she looked at James; Bridge and Z’s brand new son.
As much as he watched her, the first time he'd seen that, he had been unable to look away. Her face had become more beautiful than he'd ever seen it, and he'd watched her, tenderly holding the newborn in her arms for the first time, completely in awe. When tears had sparkled in her lovely blue eyes, tears of happiness and joy at meeting this new addition to the Carson family, his heart had flipped over in his chest, and he'd realized, on some level, that Sydney Drew with a child in her arms was somehow exactly right, and an image that he'd carry with him always.
She had looked up at him then, caught him watching her, his heart in his eyes, and still he'd been unable to look away.
He loved her, that much he knew. But for some reason, he was unable to open his heart, unable to beak down his walls and let her in. He had tried though. There had been a period of time in the past, when they had been together and he had been so deliriously happy. As long as they weren’t talking about the past or the future, he would be fine. Then his insecurities had set in.
Memories of his own mother walking out on their family still haunted him, still scarred him. She had been unable to handle being a Power Ranger’s wife, and take care of a seven-year-old child. His father had been so heartbroken when she had left. He had barely been able to go on living. Sky had vowed to never let anyone hurt him the way his mother had hurt his father. His father had loved his mother more than anything and he had never recovered.
So when Sydney had brought up the subject of marriage, children and the future, it had scared him to no end. A few weeks later, he ended their relationship.
Things had been awkward between them for awhile, but eventually their friendship had been restored. Even though they were friends, he still missed her. Missed the way she felt in his arms, the way she would smile at him with a smile that was reserved just for him. He missed being with her.
At the thought of her, he looked up, quickly, instinctively needing to see her smile, her hair, and was startled when he caught blue eyes skimming over him, coming to rest as they met his. Sydney Drew was watching him, and she wasn't looking away.
xxx
Challenge #2 –Things Left Unsaid
Note: For the purpose of this fic, let’s pretend that Sky’s father never died, okay?
xxx
Lightning crashed, illuminating the city in flashes of light as thunder boomed from up above. Heavy rain poured down from the clouds, cleansing the city. Sydney Drew sat at the foot of her bed, staring out of the window, her cheek resting on her palm and her elbow on the window ledge. She listened as the wind howled outside and the pit-patter sound of the rain as it hit her window.
She had never liked thunder storms to begin with but tonight she felt differently. She sighed as lightning crashed again. The stormy weather matched her mood exactly.
They had been friends for eight years and for two of those years, they had dated. Then they had broken up. To this day, Sydney still didn’t know the real reason why she and Sky had broken up. All she knew was that one day she and Sky were together and happy, and the next, they were no longer an item. She had thought Sky had been committed to her. She had definitely fallen hard and deep for him. And she had been so sure that they had future together. Her world had stopped spinning when he had spoken the words she had come to hate.
“I think we should see other people.”
First, Sky had become distant. Then, he began making excuses and canceling out on their dates. Shortly after that, he began avoiding her. Then-
Sydney shook her head, trying to not relive the memories of that hurtful day. Her heart had been broken with just seven simple words. She would never be the same again. She had shouted, cried, pleaded, and begged; begged to know the reason why he didn’t want her anymore. He had only replied that it wasn’t her fault and that she was better off without him anyway.
But Sydney disagreed.
How could she be better off without him? He was the love of her life.
She loved him. She loved only him.
For months afterward, she lived in misery. She stayed in bed, crying and eating as much ice cream as she could find. Friends and family all told her that it was unhealthy to live that way, and told her that it was time to move on. But none of them had understood. They didn’t understand the feeling of being in love, didn’t understand the feelings of hurt and betrayal that she felt. They only saw it as another breakup.
Z had understood though. Thank goodness for Z. Z had been there for her; held her when she cried, and ate ice cream with her when she was feeling depressed. She was grateful to Z; their friendship had only grown stronger since their ranger days.
But even though Z tried her best to help her, she couldn’t always be there. Even Z couldn’t understand the pain and loneliness she felt –Z had Bridge. Z had someone to go home to at the end of the night, had someone to wrap his arms around her and tell her she was loved. Sydney had no one.
Eventually, she and Sky had become friends once more. After almost a year of not talking, she somehow found the courage to call him out of the blue. If she couldn’t have him as her boyfriend, she certainly wanted him as her friend.
Things had been awkward at first. There were periods of long silences –neither knew what to say to each other. Gradually, things started becoming the way they used to be –the way they were before they dated, the way they were when they had been Rangers. And together, they both had become instructors at the Academy, training new Cadets.
For awhile, Sydney had been able to push memories of their past relationship to the back of her mind. Their friendship was stronger than ever and she didn’t want anything to ruin it. Her heart still carried a torch for him, but she couldn’t act on her feelings, or rather, she was feeling too cowardly to do so.
But ever since the arrival of Z and Bridge’s new born baby, she had had enough. She was tired of hurting. She was tired of crying herself to sleep every night. She was tired of being lonely. She wanted to move on, but couldn’t do so if she didn’t know the reasons why. She wouldn’t be able to let go, if she didn’t make herself understand. She wanted to know what she had done for Sky to break up with her in the first place.
Sky wouldn’t tell her the reasons, she knew. That man was nothing but stubborn, and when he set his mind to it, she knew she wouldn’t get anything out of him. He had never spoken much of his past. Sydney knew that she had been the first serious girlfriend that Sky had ever had. She remembered once asking him about his family, and while he had enthusiastically told her about his father, he almost never mentioned his mother. Over time, Sydney had learned to never mention Mrs. Tate around him.
But enough was enough.
Thunder boomed once more as a lonely tear slipped down Sydney’s cheek. If she couldn’t get the answers from Sky, she would find out from someone else. Someone that would tell her exactly what she wanted to know so she could move on. Lightning crashed again as Sydney stood up from her bed and went to search for her phone book. She was going to find Sky’s father and get the answers she needed.
xxx
The next day was sunny and bright. The only remains of the storm from the night before was the nice, fresh smell in the air and the dew on the grass and flowers. As soon as she had woken up and had eaten breakfast, Sydney made a phone call.
Sky’s father had been surprised to hear from her, to say the least. Once she had explained who she was and mentioned that she wanted to talk to him, Mr. Tate had kindly invited her over to his house for their chat. Now, as Sydney approached the white door, she suddenly felt nervous. What if she said something wrong? What would Sky’s father think of her? Would he think she was good enough for his son? Sydney didn’t know, but she would soon find out.
The door opened and an elderly man stepped out and gave her a warm smile. Sydney instantly felt reassured. The man was in his late forties, she guessed.
He held out his hand. “You must be Sydney,” he spoke in a gentle voice.
She nodded. “Thank you for meeting with me, Mr. Tate.”
He held the door open for her and waved her comment away. “Please call me, Scott,” he replied. “Come in; from the sound of your phone call, I’m sure you must have a lot of questions.”
She nodded, and followed him into the living room. He gestured for her to sit on the couch as he stood near the doorway that led to the kitchen. “Would you like something to drink?”
Sydney shook her head. “No thank you, sir. I won’t take up a lot of your time.”
The man nodded and moved to sit down on the couch opposite of her. “Alright then,” he paused, making himself comfortable. “What is it that you wanted to talk to me about? It’s about my son, isn’t it?”
She nodded. For an hour, she explained her relationship with Sky to his father. She told him how much she loved Sky, how heartbroken she felt and how she wanted them to be together again. Through all this, Scott Tate listened in silence, his eyebrow furrowing every now and then.
Finally, after what seemed like a long period of silence, Scott Tate sighed and rubbed his forehead with his hand. “I should’ve seen this coming.”
“It was hard,” she spoke softly. “Things just ended so suddenly. I really thought he was happy with me.”
“Tell me,” Scott paused and stared at her seriously. “Did you ever mention children or marriage to Sky?”
She nodded. “Only once. But I was just imagining what my future would be like with him. I didn’t initiate that I wanted to get married at that very moment.”
Instead of replying, Scott shot off another question. “What do you know about Sky’s mother?”
Sydney was startled. “Nothing, really. I mean- I asked once, but Sky avoided the topic.”
Scott nodded. “I’m not surprised. He avoids the topic of his mother because he holds some resentment toward her.”
Her curiosity made itself known. “How come?”
“When Sky was seven years old, his mother walked out on us.”
Sydney’s eyes widened and she let out a soft gasp.
“Helen couldn’t handle being the wife of a Power Ranger,” Scott paused and gave Syd a significant look. “I’m sure you know all the dangers that a Power Ranger faces.”
She nodded.
“Helen couldn’t stand all the zord battles and all the people getting constantly hurt. She lived in constant fear that something would happen to me and that she would be left all alone to raise a young child. Helen hated that our time alone was always being interrupted. She wanted family vacations and romance,” Scott’s eyes looked regretful. “I loved Helen and Sky with all my heart. If she had told me of her feelings, I would’ve given up being a Ranger just for her. Instead, she decided that she had, had enough and just left; leaving me with divorce papers.”
Sydney had tears in her eyes and Scott stood up and moved closer to where the blonde sat. Sitting down next to her, Scott grabbed Sydney’s hand, patting it gently. “Do you love my son?”
“Absolutely.” She had no hesitations.
Scott nodded. “I thought so,” he gave her a gentle smile. “Keep holding on, Sydney. Don’t do what my ex-wife did. Don’t give up on Sky.”
Sydney stared down at the floor, and she sniffed. “I don’t even know what he feels for me anymore.”
He patted her hand again. “I know my son, Sydney. I know he still loves you.”
She looked up, hope shinning in her eyes. “You think so?”
Scott nodded. “Be patient Sydney. Show him that you’ll wait for him. Sky is afraid of being abandoned, and when you started talking about marriage, it frightened him. It brought back bad memories for him.”
“I had no idea,” she said softly.
“Just be patient, Sydney. Sky will come around. Soon enough, he’ll see that he doesn’t have to be afraid.”
xxx
Sydney took a deep breath as she stepped out of her car and headed toward the entrance of the Academy. All night long, the former Pink Ranger had thought long and hard about what Sky’s father had said.
Sky wasn’t afraid of commitment as she had originally thought. He was afraid of being abandoned. A part of her felt angry that Sky hadn’t trusted her enough to tell her his fears. But a larger part wanted to run to Sky and comfort him. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and squeeze him tight; reassuring him that she’d never leave him. To let him know that she wouldn’t hurt him the way his mother had hurt his father.
“Syd?”
Her thoughts were broken when a voice suddenly called out her name. She turned and felt her heart beat faster when she saw Sky walking toward her, trying to catch up with her. She stopped walking and smiled, thoughts of her conversation with Sky’s father still running through her mind.
Sky reached her and they continued walking toward the Command Centre.
“Ready to train those new Cadets?” he asked with a smile.
“Of course,” she replied. “The question is, are they ready for us?”
They shared a laugh as they stopped just outside the Command Centre. A silence fell between them.
Sydney stared up into Sky’s eyes and for a moment, time seemed to stop moving. She felt frozen in place and all of a sudden, everything just seemed so clear. She saw all the unspoken words that Sky’s eyes said. Recognized all the meanings in every simple action.
All the things he had left unsaid.
When he smiled at her. You’re beautiful.
When he gave her a high five. I’m proud of you.
Every touch. I miss you.
The way he looked at her. I love you.
All the messages that she had missed. Sky had been telling her things all along. Her heart soared. Looking up into Sky’s eyes reassured her. She wanted to dance with joy.
Sky still loved her. She could see it in his eyes.
How could she have missed all the things left unsaid?
“Just be patient, Sydney. Sky will come around. Soon enough, he’ll see that he doesn’t have to be afraid.”
The words came back to her.
Sydney grinned. All she had to do was wait for Sky to realize that she would always be there.
And wait, she would.
xxx
Challenge #3 – Advice
Summary: Sky’s father tells him its okay to love.
Note: For the purpose of this fic, let’s pretend that Sky’s father never died, okay?
xxx
When Sky woke up that morning, the first thing he saw was sunlight pouring in through the window of his bedroom. The sunlight lit up his room, giving it a cheery feeling. He shifted, rolling over to his side and groaned when he saw what time it was. The glowing red numbers were flashing 10:01am on his alarm clock. He let out a yawn, and stretched across his bed, rubbing his forehead. 10:01am? He never slept that late.
For some reason, he didn’t really care about the fact that he had woken up late that morning. Usually, he would be up at 7:30am, refreshed, energized and ready to go. But this morning felt different. He stretched across his bed, unknown feelings washing over him. He laid there for a moment, trying to pinpoint exactly what the feelings were and was unsuccessful. Sighing, he sat up and pulled back the covers before heading towards his bathroom. Standing over the edge of the sink, he stared up into the mirror, his thoughts still trying to figure out the nagging feeling.
He quickly brushed his teeth and exited the bathroom and headed towards his kitchen. He made a beeline toward the fridge, pulling the door open and grimaced once he saw what was inside.
Old rotten cheese.
His fridge was completely empty with the exception of the cheese. Sky groaned, quickly removing the rotten cheese and threw it into his trash can before slamming the refrigerator shut. Why did he keep forgetting to restock his fridge? Was he always that busy?
His stomach growled and he let out a sigh. Looks like I’m going to be eating out for breakfast. Again.
As he headed back toward his bedroom for a change of clothes, the phone in his kitchen rang. The Blue Ranger let out another groan. He wasn’t in the mood to play nice with anyone that morning… he just wanted some food!
He debated for a moment whether or not to pick up or let the answering machine get it and finally decided to answer. The shrill ring of the telephone was beginning to give him a headache. Whoever was calling him better have a good reason… Gingerly, he reached out and picked up the receiver and held it to his ear. “Hello?”
“Oh, good! You’re finally at home. I was beginning to lose hope of ever finding you this morning.”
The voice on the other end instantly drove away his bad mood and he perked up a bit more. Without being aware of it, a smile floated onto his face and he cradled the phone closer to his ear. “Hey Syd, what’s up?”
“Other than wondering where you were this morning, nothing much.”
Sky glanced up at the clock hanging on his kitchen wall. “It’s only 10:30am.”
“I know that, and now I’m wondering what you did with the real Sky. Because the Sky I know would be answering his phone when someone calls it.”
“Ah,” Sky paused. “Sorry about that. I just woke up about a half hour ago.”
“What? Really?” Syd’s voiced floated over the phone, sounding concerned. There were shuffling noises in the background that made him think she was in a hurry to get somewhere. “Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m fine, it’s just one of those days where I feel like being lazy, you know?”
“Okay, who are you and what have you done with the real Sky? You’re never lazy.”
“Haha, very funny,” he retorted sarcastically. “So, did you need something?”
“Not really,” Now Syd sounded amused. “But I hope you’re up for a visitor, because I’m bored and I’m coming over, okay? Bye!”
The line went dead before Sky could answer.
Sky pulled the phone away from his ear, and stared at the receiver. Grinning, he shook his head and hung up the phone. He started to head back to his bedroom once more, hoping to change clothes before Syd would get there, but the sudden ringing of his doorbell stopped him. Frowning, he headed toward his front door and cracked it open.
“Hey you!” Sydney grinned and breezed past him like nothing had happened. The short blonde waltzed into the kitchen, carrying two large paper bags. She set the bags on the counter and began moving around the kitchen, pulling out plates and other things.
“Yes, please come in,” Sky said sarcastically as he shut the front door. “What, you don’t wait for an invitation to come in anymore?”
Sydney grinned, looking amused as she stared at him from the kitchen. “Are you kidding?” she laughed. “I never needed an invitation before, why start now?”
Sky rolled his eyes and shook his head, grinning as he did so. He headed toward her. “So, what did you bring me?”
“Well, I knew your fridge was bare, so I went grocery shopping this morning. Why else would I be frantically calling you nonstop, huh? I needed to get into your house,” Syd winked at him. “Can’t have you eating out all the time, it’s unhealthy.” The Pink Ranger turned her attention back towards the bags that she had carried in. She pulled out packages of food and waved it at him. “You hungry?”
“You are a goddess!” Sky exclaimed, racing toward the petite blonde. “I’m starving!”
“Good,” the Pink Ranger giggled, before turning to the stove. “Pancakes sound good?”
“Pancakes sound great,” Sky answered. “I’m going to go and change clothes.”
“Take your time,” Syd replied, as the Blue Ranger headed towards his room. “Hey Sky!”
Sky turned abruptly and looked at the Pink Ranger questioningly.
Syd winked at him. “Nice boxers.”
She laughed as Sky turned bright red.
xxx
Sky let out a contented sigh and grinned as he waved goodbye to Sydney from the doorway of his house. Breakfast with the Pink Ranger had been fun and he had felt totally at ease. For a moment, he felt a pang of sadness as he watched her car speed away and was reminded of a time in his childhood when something similar had happened…
The phone rang, effectively breaking his thoughts and reminiscing. He quickly reached for the receiver, glad for the distraction. “Hello,” he answered.
“Hey son.”
“Oh, hey dad. How is everything?”
“Everything’s fine. I was just wondering if you’d like to stop by the house later for lunch.”
“Sure.”
“Alright, son. I’ll see you then.”
Sky hung up the phone, feeling confused. His father often called to check up on him, but this time he had a strange feeling about their lunch date. He couldn’t shake off the feeling that his father wanted to talk to him about something.
xxx
Lunch had been an enjoyable affair. He and his father had joked around and caught each other up with the events in each other’s lives. Scott Tate spoke of the latest activities he had done and Sky told his father of all the trainings he had done with the Cadets at the Academy. They had settled onto the couch in the living room and a comfortable silence ensued.
Scott Tate looked at his son. Sky was an adult now and he was extremely proud of him. What he had to say next was not going to be easy…
“Son, we need to talk.”
Sky’s good mood suddenly faded away and he sat up straighter, giving his father his full attention. “About what?” he asked carefully.
Scott stared at him for a moment, before asking, “Why haven’t you settled down and gotten married yet?”
Sky was sure his face had a pained expression. “Can we not talk about this?”
“No Sky, I want to discuss this.”
“Dad!”
“No Sky! You’re twenty-six years old for goodness sake. You have to settle down sometime!”
The Blue Ranger fell silent and Scott Tate sighed. This was not the way he had imagined the conversation to have started out.
“Dad,” Sky spoke quietly. “Relationships… they aren’t… well, they aren’t for me.”
Scott raised an eyebrow. “Give me a good reason why they aren’t.”
“Because… my life is SPD,” Sky’s eyes strayed to the floor. “I’m alone because I chose to be. Relationships just don’t work for me dad.”
“Bullshit.”
Sky looked up, shocked by the sudden tone in his father’s voice.
“Don’t look at me like that, Sky,” his father said sharply. “What you just said was complete and utter bullshit.”
Sky’s eyes narrowed. “How is that bullshit?”
“It wasn’t your decision to be alone. You’re alone because you’re afraid of your own emotions.”
“That’s not true!”
Scott looked weary and he sighed. “Sky,” his voice was soft once more. “It’s okay to love. You don’t have to be afraid.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about dad. I’ve never been in love.”
“No? Then tell me about Sydney.”
His father’s words effectively shut Sky up. He stared at his father, eyes wide and his heart beating faster. Scott looked at his son and smiled softly. “You’re not denying it. I guess it must be true.”
Sky sucked in a deep breath. “How do you know about Sydney?”
“You think I’m blind, Sky? I may be old, but I’m certainly not stupid. You were floating on cloud nine for two years. You think I wouldn’t notice?”
Sky could only shrug.
“Why did you and Sydney break up?”
The Blue Ranger stared at his father, not sure of what to say, but knowing he had to answer. He looked away. “I don’t know.”
“Again, that’s bullshit!” Scott gave his son a knowing look. “I think you do know, you just don’t want to admit it to me.” He moved closer to Sky. “Does it have to do with your mother?” he asked gently. There was a long silence and Scott knew his suspicions were correct. Sky had never fully healed from the impact his mother had made by leaving. He sighed.
“Sky,” he said gently. “Trust me, its okay to love.”
“No dad,” Sky finally burst out. “It’s not okay! Was all the pain and suffering really worth it? Mom was supposed to love you, dad! She was supposed to stick by you in sickness and in health till death do you part. But did that happen? No, it didn’t! You guys were supposed to be together forever! And she just left!” He was breathing hard, and he clenched a fist, trying to calm down. He sank lower into his seat. “She just left us,” he spoke more quietly.
Scott sighed, wishing that he had had this talk with Sky years ago. “Son,” he began quietly. “What your mother did was wrong, but you can’t let her actions ruin your happiness.”
“I just don’t want anyone, especially Sydney, to leave me, like mom left us,” Sky mumbled, then looked up. “Like mom left you. It hurts too much.”
Scott sighed again. “Yes, it devastated me when your mother left. But Sky, answer this question for me. Do you still love Sydney?”
The answer came immediately to Sky’s mind, but it took a moment to answer his father’s question. “Yes.”
“Are you afraid that she’ll leave you like your mother left us?”
There was no hesitation this time around. “Yes. I wouldn’t be able to take it if Sydney left me.”
“So, you left her first.”
Sky didn’t reply and the silence said enough. Scott let out another sigh. “Sky, Sydney is not your mother. Your mother couldn’t understand all the expectations that being a Power Ranger has. She didn’t like the battles that Power Rangers go through and she hated being the wife of a Power Ranger. She didn’t love me enough to overcome it.”
Sky stared at the floor, saying nothing.
“However,” Scott continued. “Sydney is different.”
Sky looked up, confusion swirling in his eyes.
“Son, Sydney is also a Power Ranger. She understands each and every feeling you get. She understands the feeling you get when you lose a life, she understands the joy of saving the world and saving lives,” Scott paused and gave his son a meaningful glance. “Most importantly, she understands because she was there for every moment and every step of the way, fighting right by your side. And that is the difference between Sydney and your mother.”
Scott looked at Sky. “I’m proud of everything that you have accomplished in your life, son. But trust me on this, life is too short to live alone. Go find Sydney. Tell her you love her and get married. Buy a house, have children and grow old together. I know you, Sky. You’re my son, I know what you’re like and I know the man you’ve become. I know that you don’t want to be alone for the rest of your life. It’s time to stop hiding behind those walls you built up.”
“What if you’re wrong?” Sky’s voice sound small. “What if I do all those things and she leaves me?”
“It’s called trust, Sky,” he spoke gently. “You have to trust her.”
Slowly, Scott stood up from the couch and headed back into the kitchen, leaving Sky alone with his thoughts.
xxx
The sky was cloudy and gray and the air was moist as the former Blue Ranger walked through the park. His earlier conversation with his father had left many questions in his mind. Was his father right? Would he really be okay? Could he trust Sydney not to break his heart?
As he walked along the path, memories, both good and bad, began swarming through his brain. The bad memories were mostly of his mother, but the good memories were mostly of Syd. Good memories that they had made in the very same park that he was currently walking through. And without realizing it, he began taking a trip down memory lane…
He felt cold. He had been sick for the past twenty-four hours and his illness showed no signs of leaving anytime soon. Coughs wracked his body and he sniffed, desperately trying to get some air through his stuffed up nasal passage. Without warning, he sneezed three times in a row. Leaning back into his pillows, he groaned. He hated being sick. He coughed again.
“Boy, you don’t sound so good.”
His head turned at the sound of Sydney’s voice. The petite blonde came into the room, carrying a tray of food, which she set down on his night stand before moving to sit next to him at the edge of the bed. She placed a hand on his forehead and frowned. “You don’t look so good either. You must have a serious case of the flu.”
Sky could only groan.
Sydney smiled. “Don’t worry, Sky. I’ll take care of you.”
Sydney had stayed that whole week, Sky remembered. In fact, now that Sky thought about it, Sydney had been there for every important part in his life. When he had been promoted to Red Ranger. When he had become Lieutenant Tate at the Academy. She had been there was he was feeling down, doing her best to cheer him up. She had been there.
Suddenly, his heart felt lighter and he wanted to dance with joy. The clouds above began to darken and there was a low rumble. Slowly, raindrops began to fall, damping his clothes. Sydney had always loved the rain, he remembered. He grinned and let out a laugh, causing onlookers to stare at him strangely. He loved Sydney. Loved her so much that he wanted to be with her for the rest of his life. He trusted her not to break his heart.
Sky’s grin became wider as he felt the raindrops against his face.
Now all he had to do was find her and tell her so.
xxx
Challenge #4 – Two Halves
xxx
Thunder rumbled loudly from above as rain poured down heavily onto the ground. He could hear his footsteps pounding against the pavement as he ran and he didn’t care that he was soaked from head to toe. All Sky cared about was getting to Sydney as soon as he could. He couldn’t stay away from her any longer.
He ran through the park, his heart pounding rapidly, partly from running but mostly from anticipation. Would he get a second chance? Would she forgive him for hurting her? Adrenaline flowed through him, giving him the energy to run faster that he ever had before.
Up ahead, he could see Sydney’s apartment building. Five more minutes, he told himself. Only five more minutes. Less than that, actually.
He rushed into the lobby and immediately headed toward the elevator, ignoring the strange look he was receiving from the receptionist. He pounded the button impatiently before deciding to take the stairs. He ran up four flights of stairs before arriving at Sydney’s door and knocking frantically.
Moments later, he was standing face to face with Sydney. Her blue eyes stared at him with concern and for a minute, all he could do was stand there and stare at her. Sydney stared up into his eyes, noticing that they were bluer than ever and then she realized that he was soaked to the bone. His eyes were conflicted with emotions as he stood there, breathing heavily.
“Sky,” she started to speak. “Why are you so wet? What’s wrong? Are you –“
In one swift motion, he grabbed her by her waist and had her pinned to the wall and was kissing her fiercely. Her words died in her throat and it took a moment before she responded. Her heart was beating rapidly and there was a rushing sound in her ears. It had been so long since she had been kissed like this…
After several intense minutes, they broke apart, each breathing heavily. The fronts of Syd’s clothes were slightly damp but the former Pink Ranger found that she didn’t care. She stared at Sky, looking dazed and shocked. A minute passed and suddenly it seemed she was back to her normal self. She shifted and moved to shut her front door before disappearing into her bedroom, acting like nothing had happened and leaving him to stand alone in the hallway.
Sky felt his heart slowly sinking. He was too late… She wanted nothing to do with him…
Almost as fast as Sydney had disappeared, she reappeared, holding a towel and a change of clothes. As she handed him the pile, he was surprised to see that the clothes were his own pajamas that had been missing for quite some time.
“Go change and get dry before you get sick,” she said softly, her blue eyes were filled with emotions. “Then we can talk.”
He nodded, taking off his shoes and reaching for the change of clothes. He headed toward the bathroom, feeling a bit more hopeful.
Sydney had smiled at him.
xxx
The heavenly smell of hot chocolate filled his nostrils when he exited the bathroom fifteen minutes later, making him feel all dry and warm. He headed towards the kitchen area where Sydney handed him a steaming mug and beckoned him to sit down at the kitchen table.
He sat in the chair next to her and for a few minutes, they sat in silence sipping their hot chocolate. Finally, Syd sighed and placed her cup down onto the table. She looked at Sky, her expression unwavering. “So, what was that all about?” she asked, staring at him straight in the eye.
He felt the familiar quenching fear that he always felt whenever he was about to reveal his emotions, that incurable feeling of doom in the pit of his stomach. He swallowed and stared at her with pleading eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but no sound came out. Instead, he placed his mug down and was suddenly on his knees, pulling Sydney closer to him, kissing her with more intensity than before.
She responded but after a few minutes, she pulled away and stared at him with a confused expression. “Sky?”
That was all it took. Without warning, Sky began rambling. “It all started this morning. I woke up with this empty feeling, like I hadn’t eaten for days – even though I wasn’t hungry, you know?”
That didn’t make any sense. Sydney opened her mouth as if to ask what that had to do with anything. Sky didn’t notice as he stood up and began pacing around the kitchen.
“Then you came over and my bad mood disappeared instantly. I felt so happy eating breakfast with you.” He stopped pacing and stared at her. “And then I had lunch with my dad and he asked me why I hadn’t settled down and gotten married yet.”
“Sky – “ Syd started to say.
“Syd, please let me finish this,” Sky knelt down in front of her again and took her hands. “I never wanted to hurt you – ever. Things had been so wonderful between us and I had never been happier. But then you started fantasizing about getting married and having kids – what was I supposed to think? Just the thought of it scared me. I was afraid of being abandoned, like how my mother left my father – I never stopped to think that you wouldn’t leave me for anything. At least not by choice.”
“Sky – “ Syd tried to speak again.
“But my father,” Sky interrupted once more. “He sat me down for a talk. Made me see the truth – Syd, I’m so sorry, please give me another chance. I love you so much – I never stopped loving you. I promise, I’ll open up more. I’ll tell you everything about me that you want to know, I won’t leave you again, I won’t –“
Syd reached out and gently cupped his face with her hands, bringing their faces closer together. “Idiot,” she said smiling as she rubbed her nose to his. “Of course you have another chance. You’ll always get another chance with me, I love you, you moron.”
And then she kissed him.
xxx
Hours later, their bodies were tangled together under the covers of Sydney’s bed. Sky laid flat on his back with Sydney dozing lightly on his shoulder. His hand was absent-mindedly stroking Sydney’s curls, twirling a lock of blonde hair around his finger, silently cursing himself for ever letting her go.
He had missed moments like this. His fingers ran slightly down her arm and he relished being able to feel her soft skin once more. Syd shifted slightly, drawing his attention to her face and he shifted a bit so that they were face to face.
He remembered the times when Sydney would fret over her looks, always pulling out a mirror to inspect her image. Now though, her face was free of makeup and she looked more beautiful than ever. How long had it been since he had last watched her sleep?
He brought his face closer to hers and kissed her temple; inhaling her scent as he did so. She always seemed to smell of vanilla and strawberries. He buried his nose into her hair, letting his chin rest just above her ear. His movements caused Syd to stir and moments later, sleepy cornflower blue eyes met his icy blue ones.
“Hey you,” the former Pink Ranger murmured, snuggling closer to Sky.
He felt warm all over and if possible, held her tighter. “Hi. Did you sleep well?”
She nodded. “Best sleep I’ve had in years.”
The implications were not lost on him and he pressed another kiss to her temple. “I’m sorry for that,” he muttered quietly. “If it makes you better, I can’t sleep that well without you next to me either.”
She grinned. “You were well worth the wait.”
“I’m sorry for making you wait.” He pulled her closer and they laid snuggled up for a few more minutes before Sky voiced what was going on in his head. “Why did you wait for me, anyway? I thought for sure you would’ve moved on by now. You didn’t date anyone at all in the whole time we’ve broken up.”
She laughed but it died down once she saw the serious expression in her eyes. She sat up and reached for his shirt, donning it as she got out of her bed. “I’ll be right back!” she announced, leaving her bedroom.
Sky leaned back into his pillow and listened as Sydney moved around in the kitchen, wondering what she was up too. Minutes later, she returned, carrying a small tray with an apple and a peeled orange and a knife. Sky sat up as Syd slid back under the covers; the tray settled on top the sheets. He watched with wondering eyes as Sydney craved the apple and the orange in half.
“Syd, what are you doing?”
“You’ll see” she replied as she grabbed one side of an apple and another side of an orange and then turned to face him. “Now look at this and tell me if you think this is perfect,” the former Pink Ranger continued as she held up an apple in one side and an orange in another side together.
Sky just blinked, wondering what apples and oranges had to with anything but decided to play along and shook his head no.
“Now what happens if I put the oranges back together and the apples back together?” She asked, as she grabbed each side of the orange and put them together and repeated the same process with the apples.
“They become a whole again,” he replied.
“Right,” Sydney replied as she set the tray with the apples and oranges on the nightstand. “Here’s my point. When one apple or orange is without it’s other half, it’s not whole. When it’s with it’s other half – it’s whole again. And just like these apples and oranges, I have my other half and it’s you. You’re my other half, Sky. I love you and when I’m not with you, I’m not whole. That is why I waited for you.” She smiled sweetly at him as she moved to snuggle with him.
Sky wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. “You’re my other half too,” he whispered into her ear.