Power Rangers Celebrating Love: An AAR Anthology Story

8/14/05

Spoiler: AAR & D&H

Disclaimer: Power Rangers belongs to Disney, which considering their non-violence stance seems hypocritical, but who am I to judge?

Relationship: T/K

Summary: Tommy and Kim celebrate their first wedding anniversary.

Author's notes: 1. This is being posted in 2 versions, 1 for fanfic net and then the "other" version everywhere else (wink, wink) . 2. Dedicated to my own future teacher… who will never read this, but who is the Tommy to my Kim.

Hi all. I'm back! Miss me? Anyhow, here is one of two of my offerings to the anthology project. And yes, there is a version that is wholly inappropriate for posting on some sites – although I have tamed this down to post here. You know where you can find that other version, right? Anyhow, Gina, there's something for you in the "extended" version… (wink). Hope this was worth the wait. And now to the story…

-x-

Tommy looked at his watch and sighed again. While it was great that he had three whole months off during the summer, the fact that now, October and almost a month into the school year he couldn't just up and take a vacation like he desperately wanted.

Because today was his and Kim's first wedding anniversary.

While some couples could take vacation time together and go on a second honeymoon or even just a long weekend getaway, they had jobs, responsibilities and just no time.

Walking to his jeep, he pulled out his cell phone and hit the speed dial for his wife. He smiled widely at that. His "wife". How long had he thought that they'd never find each other again, and now… they'd been married a whole year.

And they were going to celebrate that fact tonight.

On the other end, the line rang, and after a few rings, Tommy wondered if Kim had left her cell in the locker room, but then he heard the line pick up.

"Hey handsome!" said Kim, having checked her caller ID.

"Hey Beautiful. You going to make it home before dinner?" Tommy asked as he fished his keys from his pants pocket and fumbled with his bag, the phone and the keys in an attempt to open the driver's door of the jeep.

"You made the reservations, right?"

"Yes, and I called and confirmed them yesterday."

Kim laughed on the other end, and as Tommy threw his bag into the passenger seat and shoved the key into the ignition as he sat in the driver's seat. He sighed as Kim's laughter finally died off. After all this time, his infamous memory was still haunting him.

Of course there were some things that he remembered vividly; the smell of his wife's hair, the color of her eyes, the curve of her face… no, he had his priorities in place where his memory was concerned.

"Okay then… but no, you're right, I'm running late, Samantha called in sick so I had to take her afternoon class. I'll try to get there with enough time to spare to change. How about you set something out for me. You know what I like."

"And you know I know what I like," he suggested with a leer in his voice, letting his meaning seep through the phone line.

"Ah… so is there a reason we're not just staying home and…." Kim asked simply, her tone going smoky as her voice trailed off suggestively.

"Yes. Mostly because it's our anniversary, and besides ravishing you, I would like to show you off, maybe have a nice time out, and make sure you're properly fed so we can spend the weekend engaging in wholly inappropriate for TV acts… unless it's HBO or Cinemax."

"So that means you have to decide if you want to lay out my sexy lingerie or if you want as little between you and me as possible when we get home…"

There was a momentary pause as both of them had visions of what they'd do when they did get home from their evening out. Finally Tommy forced the thoughts aside long enough to answer his wife's statement.

"Trust me, you could wear your armor and I still could find a way to get it off in under a minute," he retorted, remembering one afternoon when they'd come back after an encounter with Mesogog's goons when they'd tossed their helmets aside on the hard stone floor in the basement before making their way upstairs and pulling the spandex uniforms, boots, gloves and belts off as they headed to the bedroom.

"It took longer than a minute," Kim shot back, her voice dreamy as she recalled the incident.

"That was because we were kissing and groping at each other trying to go up the stairs."

Tommy finally backed up and then turned the jeep down the street, heading for the house. It never ceased to amaze him how they could be like this, simply giddy with love and wanting one another as much as they did. But they had been apart for so many years, he figured that they'd be trying to catch up till they were fifty. Either that or they just were destined to be like this forever… so in love that just the thought of the other had their hearts beating faster and breathing harder. Which when he paused to consider it, didn't seem like such a bad thing.

"Anyway, I have to get back to work. I'll see you in an hour or so," said Kim, her voice turning soft as she prepared to break off the call. "Love you handsome."

"Love you too Beautiful… see you soon."

Tommy thumbed off the phone and slid it in his pocket just in time to shift into second gear, turning into the drive at the house. In truth, he was actually glad that Kim would be late. It gave him lots of time to get ready for tonight… while dinner was all planned out, he still wanted to make things at home a little more special… including changing the sheets and cleaning up a bit. As well, they had all those "emergency" candles…

You only had your first wedding anniversary once. And he wanted to do it right.

Grabbing his bag, Tommy threw the stick shift into neutral and pulled the parking break before he shut off the engine and got out of the car, walking up the path to the front door. It was a practiced habit now: get out of car, open front door, throw keys and bag on table by door, kiss Kim. Well, he could do all but the last today.

Still, he had all night, and the rest of his life if he was honest about it.

Yanking his tie from his neck, he strode into the bedroom to strip off his school teacher garb and prepare for the night ahead.

Standing in his briefs, his other clothes in the hamper, he stared at the closet and considered the choices.

Carefully he laid out a pair of dark gray dress slacks and a black long sleeved dress shirt for himself, and moved to select and then set out Kim's clothes from her side of the closet. He grinned at that thought for what had to be the hundredth time… they had sides of things. Whatever powers there were had blessed him with Kim. No matter the darkness, the duty, if anyone offered to let him go back and do it all over again, he never would, because he had her.

After what he felt was an eternity sliding the various items of clothing across the bar in the closet, he settled on a dark rose colored tea dress that she had bought just after her arrival in Reefside and had worn to the team's graduation ceremony. It hugged her curves but the skirt flowed around her legs as she walked. And it would allow him an easier time in sliding it up if he decided to "play" at dinner. Not to mention the buttons down the front would be easy to get it off of her when they did finally get home.

Tossing the dress on the bed, he moved to the dresser drawer where her lingerie was stored. Sifting through the silky and lacy items, he pulled out the black lace bra and panties that Aisha had bought Kim as a bridal shower/bacherlorette party present.

They'd gotten a lot of use out of the gift in the last year… after all, they were his favorites.

With their clothes laid out, Tommy stripped off his underwear, tossing them in the dirty laundry as he snatched up a towel from the linen closet and strode into the bathroom for a hot shower. He wanted to be ready to go when Kim got home, or he'd ravish her before they left for dinner. Grinning and whistling, he waited for the water to heat up as he thought about "dessert".

-x-

"So, how was class today?" Kim asked, her eyes studiously fixed on the menu rather than her husband, as she fought her instincts to just toss the menu back on the table and drag him home.

"Funny, I was going to ask you the same question," remarked Tommy with a smirk as he looked up from his menu at her, the neatly combed caramel locks just peeking over the top of hers. He knew she was doing her level best not to look at him until they ordered. Once they had placed their order, it would be impossible to just leave.

But until then… all bets were off. And he knew just how she felt.

It had been agony waiting for her to get home, catch a quick shower and get dressed to make their reservations. There had been a few stolen kisses, but they both had pushed themselves back, knowing if they started, they wouldn't make their reservations. And Tommy had impressed on Kim how much he wanted to do this, take her out, have a nice evening to celebrate their anniversary. But in the long run, they both knew that it was going to be worth the wait.

Even so, while Kim wasn't meeting his eyes, her dainty pump covered foot was rubbing up and down along his calf. She was going to test his resolve, big time.

"Guess that's the danger of two educators in the same household."

"Well, I wonder sometimes if you're better at it than I am. At least you actually see some long-term progress from the gymnasts in the academy. Me, I'm lucky if they can pass their tests, let alone retain anything," Tommy replied, his eyes fighting to focus on the words on the menu and his head to keep on the subject at hand, rather than his own anatomy starting to get uncomfortable as his wife brushed his calf with hers.

"Love, you know for a fact that you're a good teacher," Kim said seriously as she let the menu fall to the table before her, reaching over to pull his menu away and catch his hand tenderly in hers, her foot quickly coming to a halt under the table, all thoughts of sex being swept away for the moment under the more important issue at hand. "You've graduated one class and will keep doing so year after year… unless you want to quit…"

There was that question… one that had come up after Mesogog's destruction. He wasn't tied technically to anything here anymore. The team was dispersed, and with Billy and Hayley's help, he could pack up and move the command center pretty much anywhere. Kim could find work in any location that had a gymnastics school…

But he didn't want to leave teaching. He wanted to stay in Reefside. He liked their home, with its small water heater and the basement command center. This was his home… not so much for the fact that he'd lived here for nearly two years and fought here nearly half that time, but because it was where he and Kim finally put the pieces of their relationship back together. Where they'd first made love, and the place where they'd gotten married.

He had everything he really had ever wanted… he just had to remind himself of that. And today of all days was the time for him to celebrate everything he'd gained he thought intently as he fiddled with Kim's wedding ring with his thumb.

"No. I really do love teaching. While I admit that before college it would have been teaching karate in a studio somewhere, when I took up geology and paleontology, I found that I had an affinity for it all. One that makes teaching it to others rewarding in its own way, and without it… I would never have met Hayley, Anton Mercer, and in a round about way, found the dino gems, made the new team or had you move out to be with me. So, no…I'm happy with "all" my choices."

Kim smiled at him, that stunning smile that made his knees buckle and his lower body parts swell even more with images of other activities. But they were here, they were going to have dinner and that was all there was to it. Finally he gave Kim's hand a small squeeze and pushed her back to the menu, moving to pick up his own.

"So, what's good on this menu?" Kim asked out loud, expecting Tommy to suggest something.

When the waiter spoke suddenly, she nearly jumped out of her chair.

"The lobster bisque is good, as well as the beef Wellington. I personally recommend the pasta primavera, as the cook tonight is spectacular with the pasta dishes," said the lanky blond haired waiter, who smiled at the couple. His niece had graduated Reefside high in the summer, and he'd seen the professor and the woman who obviously was his wife or girlfriend at the ceremony.

"Hmm…

"I think those carbs and calories might be a good idea. What with all the planned activities we have this weekend," remarked Tommy with a dark, seductive tone just light enough for the man not to catch his real meaning.

"You're suggesting something without meat? Isn't the protein necessary too?" she commented in reply, her eyebrow rising slightly as she smiled at him.

"True… maybe we should have a little of both."

"Well then, I think I'll have the seafood pasta and a Caesar salad," said Kim, handing her menu up to the waiter, who quickly scribbled her order down before tucking the menu under his arm.

"And I'd like the t-bone, medium well, with the baked potato… everything on that and the house salad. Oh, and a carafe of wine… the white zinfandel I think."

"Very good," stated the waiter, reaching down to take Tommy's menu and then wandering off to put in their orders and bring back their wine.

"Wine?" asked Kim with a look of surprise.

"I could have ordered champagne I guess," Tommy began with an apprehensive tone.

"No. I just… was shocked. We never really drink more than a beer or more, except the bachelor and bachelorette parties, and we maybe had a glass or two of champagne when we got married…"

As Kim trailed off, she remembered again that they were here, in this restaurant celebrating that exact moment. So not choosing the champagne had been somewhat of a departure and concession in some ways. Why he'd decided on the wine…

"True, but I thought we should have something special with dinner… to toast with, and the carafe is only enough for really a glass each. Besides, it's just enough to get a taste but not enough to keep me from driving home."

"Sure, for you. But a glass of wine can sometimes be enough to make me buzzed… Are you sure that you aren't just trying to get me buzzed so you can have your wicked way with me?" Kimberly questioned with a mock smirk.

"Last time I looked, I didn't have to ply you with alcohol to get you to do any of the things I have in mind tonight," retorted Tommy, just in time for the waiter to return with their wine and the salads.

The young man poured out the wine, finishing off three-fouths of the container, then set down the salads before taking his leave. The two reached for their glasses, poising them for a toast.

"To the first of many years to come," said Tommy simply, his heart and soul in his eyes for Kim to see.

"I'm all for that."

The two glasses made a quiet tinking sound above the table before they both moved to sip the fruity wine. It was tasty, but the salad called Kim, having eaten a banana and some yogurt for her quick lunch and her stomach made its interest in the food before her known. With Tommy looking at her with amusement, she picked up her fork and proceeded to spear some lettuce and a crouton before popping it in her mouth. Chewing, she watched her husband carefully pile a wad of lettuce on his own fork and stuffed it past his lips. She couldn't help staring at them… she loved that mouth, and what he could do with it.

"I heard from Kira today. She called to wish us a happy anniversary," Kim mentioned between bites. "She and Conner seem to be doing well. She said that she thinks of this as sort of their anniversary in a way, the day that Conner made his first move towards the two of them being together."

"Understandable. It's true. Oh, and Trent called, but he got the answering machine. That whole East coast time zone is still giving him problems. Jase and Aisha called as well, and I expect that Hayley and Billy, along with some of our other friends sent cards or e-mail…"

"I would have expected Billy and Hayley to have come by…"

"I'm sure it has more to do with the fact that I told them that we'd be spending the weekend celebrating, and that any visitors would be shot on sight," joked Tommy, even though Kim had a feeling that it was actually half true.

"For shame on you Mr. Oliver. Suggesting that you'd deal out violence on our friends…"

"Wouldn't be the first time," he retorted quickly before the humor of the comment fell under painful memories. Before they could take up residence, Kim's hand was quickly in his, tugging him forward and making him jerk his head up to meet her gaze, chocolate brown meeting doe brown.

"Don't," she whispered thickly. "You have nothing to be guilty for. It's the past and you know we all forgave you years ago."

"I know Beautiful, just… sometimes…"

"I understand, just… let it go. This is supposed to be a good night, remember?"

Her smile, her skin on his and the love he could feel pouring out of her brought him to his mental knees. How he loved this woman… He flashed her a lopsided grin and squeezed her hand briefly before turning back to his salad.

"Did your parents call?" Kim asked, directing the conversation back to a normal path as they went back to eating and keeping things light.

"They sent a card. David too."

"I still cannot get over the fact that you have a brother."

"It still is strange to me, even after all this time," Tommy confirmed. He cared deeply for David, but they were truly from different worlds.

"I guess," Kim mused, and Tommy looked at her with a piercing, questioning glance that requested an explanation. "I mean, him growing up on the reservation, and then the years knowing you existed, but having no way to find you… it really had to have been surreal when you finally met."

"Well, for one thing, the circumstances weren't exactly ideal," he mused, remembering the circumstances of him actually meeting David, and the danger that he'd brought on his brother by his life as a ranger. "Still, it means a lot to me to have him and Sam in my… in our lives."

Kim smiled at that, the reminder that their lives were irrevocably entwined. The rings on their fingers, the silver metal gauntlets and the connection between them made it so on more levels than most couples would ever know. She took a deep breath as the power of it swept over her once again.

"The seafood pasta madam," spoke the waiter suddenly, taking her salad plate away and replacing it with a bowl of creamy noodles, scallops, clams and shrimp before moving to remove Tommy's salad before placing his t-bone down before him, "and the steak for you sir. Enjoy."

Taking fork and knife in hand, Tommy attacked his steak, bringing a juicy piece up to his mouth and chewing it happily. Across from him, Kim stared at him, making him nervous. Had he dripped something on himself?

"What?"

"Don't do that," she said tightly, her eyes drifting from his and returning to his lips.

"Do what?" he asked again, slightly confused, but as Kim kept staring, he started to get a clue. "You mean this?"

Immediately he took another piece of the steak and slowly opened his lips to slide the meat in his mouth, closing his lips and pulling the fork away with every ounce of sexual foreplay he could muster. In response, Kim shivered slightly and her lower lip disappeared behind her front teeth as they lightly chewed at the flesh, her mind thinking of every wonderful thing those lips could do to her.

"Yeah… that."

He tried but failed to suppress the smirk that appeared on his face. He knew it was easy to get to her, but…

Then Kim had a piece of her pasta swirled around her fork, and popped it in her mouth, a single strand not fully inside, and she sucked lightly to suction the wayward linguine into her mouth. Her rose colored lips raised ever so slightly as she watched her husband's mouth drop open a fraction of an inch.

"All's fair," she reminded him with a larger smile as she went on to spear a shrimp on her fork.

"Okay, truce, or I won't be able to keep from clearing this table and making love to you right here."

"Especially since I do recall we have a perfectly good kitchen table for that."

Tommy took a deep breath, his memories of eating 'her' as his breakfast on said table coming to him instantly. The memory made him shove his left hand under the tablecloth and readjust his equipment.

"Let's just eat, so I can get us out of here…"

They silently finished their meals, their eyes doing the talking for the rest of the minutes that consuming the food before them took. They both made record time of their food before both let their silverware clatter to their plates, signaling to the bus boy that they were done.

"So, would you care for dessert?" asked the waiter as he came over to check on the couple, the bus boy moving away with their plates as he moved to the table.

Tommy looked at Kim, watching her eyes darken and her tongue sneak past her lips, barely sweeping across her lower lip. They'd been walking the tightrope all night, and that small peek of her tongue was all it took to finally break what was left of his resolve.

"No… just the check please," he replied, thrusting his credit card at the man with more force than necessary.

The man took the card and nodded, not needing to be told that the couple were not long for the restaurant.

-x-

The moment that they walked into the house, Tommy shut and locked the door behind them. Kim's purse dropped to the floor and Tommy tossed his keys blindly at the coffee table before grabbling Kim around the waist and kissing her soundly. Their mouths clashed against one another. It was as if they were trying to prove the depths of their emotions for one another by kissing the sense, speech and motor skills of the other.

"Bedroom," mumbled Kim around their briefly disengaged mouths.

Nodding even has he held her head in his hands, angling her mouth to better ravage it, he backed them up to the bedroom door. Luckily it wasn't the first time that they had blindly wandered through their home in the throes of passion. And he'd been sure to pick up anything that could possibly hinder them earlier in the day.

They kicked off their shoes just inside the bedroom door. It was tricky, lips locked and hands roaming to not trip over them. Still, it was one more thing between them and shedding their clothes and bringing the evening to its true, inevitable conclusion.

It was a matter of minutes till they were at the bed. Tommy turned Kim so she stood at the side before reluctantly pulling away.

"Tommy?" she nearly whined.

"Just a second," he replied, fishing for the matches he'd pocketed from the restaurant.

With a move worthy of ranger speed, he struck a match and proceeded to lit the tapered candle closest to the door on the bookcase that they'd recently moved into the room. With that candle he went down the line he'd set up earlier until the room was filled with a soft, warm glow. Setting the candle in his hand back down on the book case, he turned to Kim to find her standing there, bathed in the rich tones of the light behind him.

In nothing but her underwear.

"Kimberly," he breathed huskily, the sight of her never failing to awe him.

"Come here," she said throatily, her finger beckoning him to where she stood by the bed.

Clothes were removed and they fell to the mattress, coming together in a symphony of ecstasy, their bodies becoming one for eternity and yet the briefest of moments. When they finally came down from the high they'd reached with one another, they rolled on their sides, their hearts still pounding.

Tommy gathered her close to him, their limbs tangling as they lay spent, elated and complete. He smiled at the woman in his arms before she leaned up and kissed him simply on the lips.

"Happy anniversary Mr. Oliver," she said as she pulled away from his mouth, the smile gracing her face bright enough to light the room.

"Happy anniversary Mrs. Oliver…" he murmured back, still thrilled with the ability to call her that after having given up on this dream. He smiled brightly at her and moved to kiss her again, his lips whispering, "and here's to many more years to come."

-End-

Thanks! I hope to have the second story done soon!


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