So, they don’t teleport naked, right? Their clothes come with them. Their phones in their pockets come with them. People don’t come with them, as they found out so tragically, but things do.
Things they’re carrying.
Changed by the grid, the Rangers can carry a lot.
On their own and together.
A red and pink light coalesces into the hangar of the ship. Between them is a white outline, edging red and pink. The light resolves into Alec and Taylor, holding a couch between them.
Two regular humans could lift a couch between them. The rangers are holding it one-handed.
“Fuck yeah!” Alec drops his side and fist pumps into the air. “We can get furniture up here!”
“There’s already furniture up here.” Taylor pushes her hair behind her ear, frowning. “Our rooms have beds.”
“Fuck that, I want an entire back-up loft. I want couches. A fridge– well, maybe a fridge. Depends on the electricity situation.”
“We have a cold-stasis area.” Taylor confirmed. “The ship has a kitchen, you just don’t cook in it.”
“Anyway.” Alec said, unbothered. “I want couches in here. A cozy arm-chair. I bet Lung has, like, a fantastic armchair he looms in. Like a throne. I bet it’s leather.”
“We’re not stealing from Lung.” Taylor paused. “Not as Rangers, anyway.”
“The Undersiders have totally stolen from Lung before.” Alec sat down on the couch with delight. “It was a whole thing, we almost died. You were there.”
“Coil set you up for that, though.” Taylor frowned at him. Alec made grabby hands and, the faintest touch of color appearing in her cheeks, Taylor shuffled closer.
“He totally did, that asshat.” Alec slid his hands around the back of her knees. “Mm, wanna sit in my lap?”
“Um.” Taylor blinked. “Wouldn’t that look stupid? I’m so much taller than you.”
“Wow, hurtful.” Alec laughed quietly, mostly air. “I don’t care how it looks, ma luciole.”
His voice took on a low murmuring quality: “It’s just us here, isn’t it?”
An offer and an invitation, as his hand traced over the inseam of her jeans.
As if on cue, another vaguely-person-shaped fuzzy light spawned in.
Alec groaned, pressing his forehead into Taylor’s hip.
“Really?” He asked the yellow light that shimmied into an entire Lisa.
The Thinker took in her teammates with a little smirk.
“Am I interrupting?” She asked, flipping hair over her shoulder. The golden gemstone on her silver cuff gleaned from her wrist.
“Yes.” Alec said, even as Taylor shook her head. “I was convincing Taylor to sit in my lap, you cad.”
“That’s working well for you, I see.” Lisa laughed as Taylor awkwardly maneuvered away from him, sitting on his other side instead.
“It was.” Alec grumbled. “Did you want something, or are you just here to cockblock?”
Lisa ignored him.
“How did you two get a couch up here?” She asked, walking over and feeling the material.
Alec started to answer, paused. “Trade secret.” He lounged back against the cushions, scooting closer to Taylor as he did.
Lisa got a funny expression and then hustled over to sit on his other side.
“What–?”
“Shh, smile at the teleport point.”
Blue light in the hangar, slowly turning into Brian.
The darkness-Shaker returned to matter facing them– three of his teammates sitting on a completely ahistorical couch, watching him with varying expressions.
“Is this an intervention?” Brian asked, wary yet unable to smother a smile.
“We, the people who love you–” Alec started immediately, only to break off laughing as Taylor elbowed him.
“Not an intervention.” The brunette informed the Blue ranger. “Alec wanted to see if we could get a couch up here.”
“Well, clearly you succeeded.” Brian walked over and Alec wiggled his fingers, asking a silent question. When the larger boy came within range, their teammate snagged him shamelessly.
“I can’t sit in your lap, babe, you’ll literally break.” Brian said, in surprise.
Alec’s insistent hands pulled him down.
“I’m going to crush you, stop!” He protested, laughing, but Alec did not care.
“Someone on this team is going to sit in my lap, goddamnit.” He smoothed hands on Brian’s hips as the larger boy basically straddled him, comically much bigger than Alec.
“There– Jesus, are you happy?”
“Ecstatic.” Alec radiated smugness. “My couch plan worked, and we’re all sitting on the couch. It’s almost perfect.”
“If you suggest an orgy, I’m moving the couch back down to Earth.” Lisa said dryly.
“You wound me.” Alec put a hand on his heart, between his and Brian’s– well, not chests, since Brian’s belly was even with Alec’s. Between their torsos, maybe.
“I’m not participating in an orgy.” Brian and Taylor said at once.
“I’m not inviting you to one!” Alec protested, laughing. “Lisa’s slander aside. I didn’t even say that!”
“Right, it was all her idea.” Brian said dryly. “Lisa, you deviant.”
“Guilty.” She rose a hand lazily. “Clearly all part of my evil plan to establish that harem I’ve always dreamed of.”
“Not worth it.” Alec said immediately, nose wrinkling. “You can’t keep everyone happy, if you even care to, and they fight for your attention. Also, the logistics are a bitch. Food, childcare, birth control– ah. You weren’t serious.”
They were all looking at him.
“Fuck off, you know how I grew up.” His brow furrowed. “I guess Lis would be a better harem-master than Heartbreaker, anyway.”
“Damned with faint praise, Jeezus.” Lisa said. “I’d hope so.”
“Harem genre sucks.” Taylor said, chiming in. “I mean, most dark romantasy that goes there does it poorly. I keep waiting for the boys to kiss and they never do, because they’re not all dating, the girl is just dating each of them.”
Waiting for the boys to kiss echoed between them for a moment, as Brian looked down at Alec and then abruptly away.
“That’s reverse-harem.” Lisa said. She cleared her throat. “It’s a romance-fantasy book genre, where the girl has a ‘reverse’ harem of a bunch of pretty boys. And if you want them all to kiss, like, each other– you’d need to go to the polyamory genre instead.”
“That’s a thing?” Taylor asked with interest. “I haven’t really seen it.”
“It’s unusual for more than three people to feature in a novel, honestly.” Lisa allowed. “I think it evolved out of distaste for the love triangle thing, readers wanting the triangle to resolve in everyone dating. Of course, you’d be surprised by how often polycules– dating groups of polyamorous people– spring up in real life.”
“Your power tells you that?” Alec asked, curious. His thumbs brushed over Brian’s hip bones, a soothing little rubbing motion.
“There’s this one network in the docks that I’m trying to map out.” Lisa admitted. “I think I’ve got most of them, but it’s a massive ‘cule. I’ve also heard Seattle has the highest population of poly people.”
“Not California?” Taylor asked, curious.
Lisa was already shaking her head.
“I doubt there’s been actual data or studies done.” Lisa said. “It’s probably all gossip and guestwork.”
“Your bread and butter.” Alec laughed. “You good up there, Bri?”
“Mm.” The other boy said. “I’m holding my weight up so I don’t squish you.”
“You won’t.”
“Like a bug,” Brian continued, heedless.
Alec whined.
“C’mon, this is like the thing where girls won’t sit on your face. If I die, I die. Let me feel your weight.”
Brian took a breath, cheeks a little red.
“You’re so little.” He said, and Alec pulled a face. “Wait, don’t– make that a dick joke.”
“A dick insult, more like.” The Pink ranger huffed. “I am not, for the record, little.”
“The ancient Romans were into that.” Taylor said, amused. “A small penis was a sign of intellectual superiority and was quite desirable at the time.”
“A small penis— Taylor. Ma trésor. I’m so offended right now.”
“You are not.” Lisa poked his cheek. “You’re laughing.”
“Offended.” Alec insisted. “First Brian, now Taylor. I apparently have something to prove to you two.”
“I’d be more afraid if you were in a position to flash us.” Brian rolled his eyes. “You can’t really do anything with me up here.”
“True.” Alec dropped the wounded voice, stroking up and down Brian’s hips. “And what a lovely sight you are up there.”
He sighed forlornly.
“Mourning the orgy that’s not to be?” Lisa teased, and Alec made a blaghed noise.
“I told you, that’s your thing!” He protested, voice amused. “Don’t lump me into that. The most I want is some… nevermind.”
“Oh?” Brian looked not to Alec, who shut his mouth and looked away, but to Lisa. Resident Tattletale.
“Don’t–” Alec started, half-heartedly jerking his eyes back over, but even Taylor was leaning in.
“Sorry, luv, it’s kind of what my power is made for.” She patted the curly-haired boy’s arm consolingly, pressed close still. After a moment of watching him: “Huh.”
“That’s some bullshit. You can’t hold it against me, I didn’t even joke about it, let alone ask.” Alec looked up at the ceiling.
“Well now I’m curious, too.” Taylor said, looking from him to Lisa. Brian made an agreeing noise.
“You two hate when Lisa spills your business.” Alec grumbled. “But it’s free game when it’s me? I see how it is.”
“Hey, it’s not like that.” Brian said smoothly, leaning forward– and incidentally giving Alec a touch of his weight. He looked unsure for a moment before resting his hands on Alec’s shoulders.
That got blue eyes to look up at him, Alec’s mouth parting softly. He slid his hands around, resting them on the small of Brian’s back.
Taylor made… a noise. A choked little sound.
They both looked her way. Pink stole into her cheeks.
“Nevermind. I mean, nothing. It was nothing.”
“Fair for fair?” Lisa hummed, leaning in even closer. Her cheek brushed Alec’s shoulder. “I can ‘tell’ everyone’s business, keep it even. For example, Taylor just really liked the look of you two.”
“Lisa!” Taylor hissed, at the same time as Brian asked, “You like it?”
Alec watched them both with a relatively blank expression, eyes going from blue to red teammates like he couldn’t decide who to pay attention to.
Taylor wrestled with the question. Finally, realizing it was futile in the face of a Thinker 7, she jerked a nod.
Brian’s breathing changed, a shaky little exhale heralding the speeding of his heart.
“And Brian is into that.” Lisa said quietly, playfully enough to almost cover up the touch of shake to her voice. “He likes putting on a show for Taylor. For all of us.” She corrected.
“Hey– I don’t… okay fine I do, but damn. Don’t you usually let us keep this stuff to ourselves?” Brian frowned at her.
“Usually.” Lisa agreed. Her eyes trailed over to Alec, and she rose a brow pointedly.
“Oh my god, you’re the worst.” His hands briefly tightened on Brian, pulling him a smidge closer. Brian’s breath caught.
Alec stared at him. Glanced over at Taylor. At Lisa, who nodded subtly.
“Alec?” Brian pulled one of his hands closer, cupped the smaller boy’s jaw. “What would Lis tell us about what you like? About what you want?”
He made a hurt noise and Brian’s entire expression softened.
“We all… want to kiss you right now.” Lisa whispered, so close the words were in the pretty boy’s ear. “It’s not just you.”
“Fucking Christ, Lis.” Alec shuddered a little. “You say that, but I’m feeling fantastically unkissed right now–mmph.”
Brian, in the most auspicious position, leaned in to press their lips together– though Taylor had been moving to do the same, stymied only by the problem of the angle.
Alec’s surprised noise melted into the kiss and Brian shuddered, pulling back.
“Fuck, your mouth is so soft.” He marveled, leaning forward to kiss the slack surprise off of it before Alec could respond at all. He made another noise into the kiss and it wasn’t one of protest.