Brooke knew she was going to hate herself when she was sober when she would have to face Jayden again. That much was a given at this point, and she knew she would have to lie her way out of potential punishment for leaving the Shiba House without telling anybody. It was going to be awkward looking him in the eye- as sometimes Alex's voice sounded a little too much like the red ranger's, which was probably because of the alcohol. She hoped so, at least, because it was already awkward enough as it is. Brooke didn't know if she had the dignity to sleep beside Jayden and flirt with him after getting drunkenly fucked into a mattress by another man. Not like it was a first-time thing, the one-night stands at least, but it was the first time she would have to look the person she might've fallen in love with in the eye after one. It somewhat felt like cheating, when her own vision and mind weren't betraying her and making her picture that Alex was actually Jayden on top of her. Which he wasn't, and she knew that. In fact, she didn't know what was more worrying, the fact that she was having a one-night stand with someone, picturing herself having said one-night stand with her leader or Jayden actually being experienced with anything social that wasn't leading meetings. Well, the fact that she was even thinking about Jayden right now was worrying. Very much so.
It was starting to get annoying about how much Brooke thought of him, especially now. But, taking a shower (that included Alex) and drinking more did help, along with being in clean clothes. She didn't remember leaving clothes the last time they had seen each other, but she was glad her past self thought ahead. She didn't have to take the potential walk of shame in dirty clothes, at least- and she also had packed pajamas. So now, it being almost 10pm, she was content, wearing one of Alex's t-shirts and a pair of running shorts, laying next to him. He was almost built the same as Jayden, only being an inch or so taller, so it was like nothing had changed. Brooke was latched onto his side, his thumb running over one of the bite marks he had left. They were laying in comfortable silence, just basking in the affection the two gave each other because they knew they'd have to forget each other in the morning. That's how it always worked, they fell in love for a night and then acted like they never met. It was easier that way.
"Hey." Brooke slurred, breaking the silence and propping herself up on an elbow so that she was looking down at Alex. She actually found him attractive, as the bad boy aesthetic did fit him, and the tired smile he gave her made her feel giddy for some reason. Perhaps it was because she was the reason he was tired, and one of the hickies that she left became visible as he turned his head to look at her. It was a stupid thing to be proud over, but here she was.
"Hey," Alex replied, letting out a yawn, his lip ring reflecting in the dim yellow light cast by a lamp on his bedside table. "Fuck me, I'm sore. You have…" He trailed, Brooke grinning as she finished his sentence.
"A lot of stamina? I know." Brooke bragged, beaming when Alex laughed quietly and shook his head. Perhaps if Jayden wasn't in her life, she'd want to date him instead. It wasn't like he was a bad person, he was pretty sweet when he wanted to be. Though maybe it was just the alcohol, it was probably the alcohol. It's not like they saw each other as true friends anyways, Alex was just an "alcohol dealer with benefits", which was a title Brooke found was fitting.
"You're cute, c'mere." Alex laughed, lightly grabbing the collar of the shirt Brooke was wearing. He pulled her down, moving his hand to cup her face as he kissed her. Compared to earlier, the kisses were gentle, almost loving. It was almost like Brooke was actually in a healthy relationship, instead of just hooking up with someone. The keyword being almost, as she tasted the beer on his tongue, but that didn't stop her at all. Despite Alex's complaints about being sore, things were escalating again, and she could feel his hand slip under the oversized shirt she wore, playing with the waistband of her shorts.
She didn't stop him- she just wanted to be touched. Wanted to be loved, even if it was only for a night, and even if it really wasn't love. Alex had no idea who Brooke really was, and it was that aspect that made this all so appealing. There was no reason for him to be scared of her, no reason to tell him how fucked up her life really was. She felt normal here- human, even. Alex didn't know anything, and ignorance was bliss.
"What're these from? Looks like you got mauled." Alex questioned when they pulled away, running his fingertips over the, now scabbed, gashes on her neck that Brooke didn't remember getting. His touch made her break out in goosebumps, it was all just so nice.
"Dunno," Brooke mumbled, trying to force her brain to form coherent thoughts. It was starting to get extremely difficult at this point, as she knew she drank too much. Plus, now there was more exhaustion and her body was sore, but, on the bright side, Alex was warm. He smelt nice as well- but Brooke couldn't really describe it. Perhaps she was just too shitfaced to do so, and all she could focus on was the hand that was still resting by the waistband of her shorts. Not that she minded.
Alex shifted his position so that Brooke was laying next to him again, his arms now loosely wrapped around her waist. "I think it's time-" He started, only to be cut off by what sounded like someone trying to break the front door down, a fist harshly hitting the door three times. The sudden noise startled Brooke fully awake, the warning bells in her mind blaring.
What if it was someone from the team? She couldn't explain Alex easily, nor the fact that she was drunk. It would probably lead to her being put on house arrest or something- but the potential embarrassment was much worse. Brooke didn't even know if she should share a bed with Jayden anymore. She didn't want to hurt his feelings though, and she knew that he enjoyed it as much as she did. It made her heart hurt strangely, and she hated that. A part of her knew that she shouldn't have the feelings she had for Jayden, anyways. Maybe it was time to finally draw the line. He deserved better.
"What the fuck," Alex groaned, the blankets rustling as he sat up. "I've got it, stay here. I'll be right back." He promised, Brooke nodding faintly in response. With that, he rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands, getting out of bed and leaving his bedroom, grabbing a hoodie that was thrown over his desk chair. He pulled the fabric over the head as he walked, reaching his front door just in time for the person to knock again. Wincing at the noise, Alex opened the door, scowling at the person who now stood at his doorstep, who had his fist raised, getting ready to knock again.
"Rise and fucking shine," Casper Green spat, narrowing his eyes, which were framed with dark circles. He fit the stereotypical look of a college student going into a medical field or going for something related to a medical field, the hood of the grey hoodie he wore over his head- which proudly read the University of Canterbury in red letters across his chest. Paired with the black sweatpants and black converse, he looked like he had just gotten out of bed, that fact causing Alex to shoot him a curious look. "I'm looking for Brooke, and guessing by the hickey on your neck, she's here. Or did you find another girl with an alcohol addiction to manipulate into having sex with you?" His voice was dripping with venom as he practically hissed out the words, Alex just letting out a sigh. This wasn't the first time he'd had Casper nearly throw hands with him on his doorstep, as the seventeen-year-old made sure that his overwhelming hatred was visible from the get-go.
"It's not manipulation if she comes on her own accord," Alex corrected, stepping to the side and letting Casper inside. He really didn't want to, but he knew it was either letting him inside or him punching down his front door. And he really didn't feel like paying for another front door. "I'm just saying." He added, and if glares could kill, Casper would've killed him a while ago.
"She's mentally ill and you know that; plus, you knew she was sober. It's still manipulation, you just offered her shitty coping mechanisms and alcohol so you could fuck someone. You're in the wrong as much as she is," Casper argued, pulling the hood of his hoodie off of his head. He ruffled his hair, letting out a sigh, which turned into a yawn. "Please tell me-" He started, but was cut off by the sound of footsteps hitting the wooden floor, Brooke stumbling into the living room.
Grey eyes were glossed over as she scanned the room and when her gaze landed on Casper, she instantly broke into a wide smile. "Casper!" She drunkenly cheered, instantly making her way over to her friend, wrapping him in a tight hug. "I missed you, I love you." Brooke proudly stated with an obvious slur to her words. Still, her excitement caused Casper's angry expression to soften, a small smile working its way onto his face, the corners of his lips twitching.
"Hey, Wolfie, I missed you too," Casper murmured, returning the hug. He then pulled away, inspecting Brooke and cringing when his eyes landed on the gashes on her neck. Still, he said nothing about it, only running a hand through her hair once. "C'mon, I'm taking you back. You've done enough here." He stated, shooting a glare at Alex, who shot him a deadpan expression in return.
However, Brooke didn't seem to want to go back, shaking her head rapidly. "I don't wanna," She objected, hugging herself as she looked down at her feet. She had scared them. "I- I don't. They're afraid." Her voice was quiet, and it was the first time in a while Casper had seen his best friend look so small. It also explained why she was even doing this in the first place, meeting up with Alex when she had been sober for almost a year. He had figured that there had been a main stressor that caused her to relapse, the one-night stands and alcohol acting as coping mechanisms when she had wolfed out in the past. It all made sense, but it wasn't an excuse, and he knew that. He knew Brooke knew that.
"Don't worry, I'm taking you back to Greensbrook. You're okay, just go get your stuff." Casper promised, shooting Brooke a tired but reassuring smile. She looked up at him again, taking a while to process what he said, but once she did, she nodded happily and quickly made her way back to Alex's bedroom.
"They're afraid?" Alex echoed, knitting his brows and turning his attention to Casper fully. "What's that about?" He wondered, the younger of the two sighing for what seemed like the umpteenth time and running a hand through his brown curls.
"She has roommates now, that's all I really know." Casper lied, snapping his attention to Brooke's discarded leather jacket when her phone started ringing. Walking over and digging the device out of the pocket, he scanned the caller I.D. with a small frown, which read Nate Wolfe followed by a wolf emoji. He recalled Brooke telling him about her biological father, but he knew it was bad if he was calling. That most likely meant that shit had hit the fan. Still, he let the phone ring and let the call go to voicemail, then checking Brooke's notifications as new texts started coming through.
Nate Wolfe: I just got a call from Ji about you not showing up for dinner, or answering any calls
Nate Wolfe: We've talked about this, Brooke. I don't know what happened, but there are better ways to deal with bad days, I promise
Nate Wolfe: You're not in trouble, we're all just worried. Call back when you can, okay? I love you
Nate Wolfe: I'll be at the Shiba House when you come back, we can talk about it then
Well. Casper blinked in surprise at the tone of his texts, as his attitude was almost the complete opposite of James Wolfe's, which was less than pleasant the one time Casper met him. Still, he was happy for Brooke, as it seemed like she finally found the family she had wanted. Plus, Nate seemed to understand that there were underlying issues that caused Brooke to act the way she did, as he was obviously less judgemental. He seemed like a good father, Casper unlocking Brooke's phone, them both having each other's fingerprints in their phones just in case something happened, and typing out a response. Not before glancing in Alex's direction, who had seemingly gone back into his bedroom to help Brooke, who obviously couldn't form coherent thoughts or function properly.
Brooke (Casper): this is her friend Casper Green, she's with me now. I take it you know what she does, and she relapsed with drinking bc of something that happened w/ her team.
Brooke (Casper): she's drunk currently but she said "they're afraid", so take that as you will. I'm going to take her back to my place, bc I feel like if her team sees this, it'll just make things worse all around.
Brooke (Casper): my address is 134 Veitches Road, Greensbrook in the Christchurch province
Brooke (Casper): my phone number is (027) 8138-357, and I'll call you from that number when I can. im picking her up from someone's house rn
Nate Wolfe: I figured that was the case, and thank you. I greatly appreciate it
Brooke (Casper): of course, I care about her
Nate stared down at his phone for a moment before opening his contacts and creating a new one, labelling it Casper Green. He didn't like the fact that he knew his daughter was drunk and most likely had sex with a random person, not to mention the fact that it was incredibly dangerous, but at least she had someone who would keep her safe. It was better than nothing, but he still found himself running his hand over his face, unable to lessen the tension in his shoulders. It was the stress of not knowing whether or not his daughter was somewhere safe- stress he's sadly become accustomed to feeling over the years. And despite it being familiar, dealing with it never got easier.
"Was that her?" A voice at the doorway asked, grey eyes meeting light green. Both of Brooke's legal guardians got called to the Shiba House when she didn't come back or answer their calls, both Jane Wolfe's sister and ex-husband not having the most pleasant memories associated with the wooden walls and floors. The two felt out of place, especially as six teenagers were usually trying to eavesdrop on their conversations, and doing a very poor job at it.
"Her friend, Casper," Nate answered, running a hand over his face. Letting out a sigh, he pinched the bridge of his nose, then turning his attention fully to Mary. "Do you know how to go about this? I mean- there are obviously deeper rooted issues that're contributing to this. I feel like she's just going to get defensive if we even bring it up in the first place," He thought aloud, turning his gaze to the wooden ceiling as he racked his brain. "I know how to parent a twelve-year-old, not a seventeen-year-old. Let alone a shifter, I always thought Jane would've helped in that regard." He muttered the last part of the sentence bitterly, subconsciously curling his hand into a fist. The silver ring he wore, his wedding ring, dug into his skin, and times like these made Nate wonder why he even still wore the damn thing. He always found himself putting it on in the morning before he had to go to work, a part of his mind telling him not to take it off. As if he wore it enough, he'll come home one day to his ex-wife and daughter. That this was all a bad dream.
"Casper's a good kid- they both are. It's just a matter of circumstances," Mary spoke softly, light green eyes distant. "When I told her about Jane being a ranger, and her becoming a ranger, that seemed to help, and Maxx. He would sometimes get upset if she was out too late or didn't come home, and she would always listen to him if he wanted her to come back. I think, if Maxx wasn't a part of her life, Brooke wouldn't even be alive. It was obvious that he was her only reason for sticking around for a long time," She speculated, remembering the morning where the two had shown up on her doorstep, standing hand-in-hand. Maxx had followed Brooke around like a lost puppy, even after they were safe. The two had relied on each other to survive. "She doesn't have him anymore, or at least for right now. While there's the team, I doubt it's the same."
"That makes sense," Nate replied, turning his attention from his wedding band to Mary. "How's he doing? Maxxwell?" He asked, his sister-in-law breaking into a small, almost sad, smile.
"He's doing quite well, actually. He was struggling in school for a bit, as he went into a depressive episode after, well… Everything regarding Brooke and Jane. But, we talked some things out and went to therapy. Obviously, I couldn't tell the therapist everything, but it still helped," Mary let out a shaky sigh, curling her hands into fists and then uncurling them, making eye contact with Nate, who raised a brow. "I'm sorry. About everything, she's your daughter. You had every right to intervene, and, and I regret it. Watching her grow up- she deserved better. You deserved better, you deserved to have Brooke in your life." She blurted, blinking away tears before they could form.
Nate stayed silent for a couple of moments, then humming in thought. "I won't argue with you on the fact that I deserved to watch her grow up," He stated, closing his eyes for longer than a standard blink. "...We all deserved better. The kids here now deserve much better, but here we are," Laughing bitterly, Nate clasped his hands together, crossing his legs from where he was leaning against one of the counters in the Shiba House's kitchen. "Just- fuck it. This is all one giant shitshow that's gone on for far too long. Christ." He ran his hand over his face, Mary letting out a watery laugh.
The last time the two had been in the Shiba House at the same time was when they got told that Jane was dead. They both could remember the moment in vivid detail, and it was also the moment when Nate had met James for the first time. It was that one moment when they both realized that being a part of a samurai ranger's life wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. It was at that moment when they had realized that they both had hated the war from the start, hated the damage it caused. Nate could remember feeling as tears ran down his face, but he was just trying to focus on Brooke, who had fallen silent. The small hand that was clutching his was shaking, her staring at the bloodstained samuraizer that sat on the coffee table with wide eyes and a pale face. In fact, the red ranger before Jayden didn't need to say anything, the fact that all of the important people in Jane Wolfe's life were gathered in the Shiba House and the blood-covered samuraizer made the message abundantly clear. Nate had been one minor inconvenience from losing his shit, but he had tried to keep it together. It all made sense then- why Jane hated the war that painted her as a hero.
"I think it's time for me to go," Mary announced, reading the digital clock that was on the stove. It read 11:36pm, the two have been at the Shiba House since 6pm. They didn't want to overstay their welcome, plus they both felt awkward staying in a building with six other teenagers that they didn't know. "If you're okay with it, will you let me know when she comes back, and what happened? I know I royally fucked up, but I still miss her, and she's still my niece." She added, Nate nodding with a tired smile.
"Sounds good, and I'll try to get her to talk to you," Nate answered, Mary blinking owlishly at him in surprise. Her expression caused him to let out a quiet laugh, his smile growing slightly larger. "We've had enough family drama, plus it would be good for her to see Maxxwell." He explained, Mary nodding.
"Thank you, Nate."
--
Jayden rolled over onto his back for the umpteenth time, letting out a quiet groan as he stared up at his dark ceiling. The beds that once felt too small now felt too big without Brooke, and the cold air acting was a poor substitute in the space where she was usually curled up next to him. He didn't even know where Amaris was, so he couldn't even ask her to fill the empty spot in his bed. Which was pathetic in its own right, he practically spent seventeen years of his life sleeping alone, and now he couldn't. Letting out a sigh, he reached out, awkwardly patting his nightstand until he found his samuraizer, knocking his lion zord off in the process. The zord instantly unfolded when it came in contact with the wooden floor, the mechanical lion taking the fact it was knocked to the floor incredibly personally. At this point, Jayden wasn't even surprised to see the lion hovering in front of his face, the green LED lights that acted as its eyes being the only source of light in the room as it let out a roar.
"I'm sorry." Jayden apologized, but the zord seemed unimpressed, standing on his chest and staring at him. This wasn't unusual in the eleven years he's had the zord, as it was given to him before seventeenth generation's red ranger, his father, ran into a losing battle. He had always said that zords always shared personality traits with their owners, so he also wasn't surprised when the mechanical lion turned out to be the most stubborn thing he's ever met. Shiba and stubborn were practically synonyms, for better or for worse.
It was that same stubbornness that caused him to flip open his samuraizer, bringing up his call log. His last three calls to Brooke went unanswered, much to his worry and annoyance, but he didn't want to come off as clingy. However, Jayden knew that Brooke knew that he was clingy, so maybe he was worrying too much. It was just a call, and the worst-case scenario was that she didn't answer again. So, he made up his mind, letting out a sigh and calling her, swatting the lion zord away when it tried to knock the device out of his hand. The mechanical lion bit his hand in return, Jayden biting back a curse as he glared at the zord, who seemed rather proud of itself, then folding up into its pentagram. The pentagram fell onto his white comforter with a dull thump, Jayden placing the zord back on his nightstand as he waited for Brooke to either answer the call or for the call to go to voicemail. He was betting on the call going to voicemail, as that was the recurring theme for the night, but was pleasantly surprised to hear the sound of the call being answered.
"Red!" Brooke was louder than usual, Jayden wincing slightly at the sudden increase in volume. Still, he was happy she finally picked up. "Whatcha up to?" There was an obvious slur to her words, which was worrying, but he just summed it up to her being tired.
"Getting ready for bed," Jayden answered, letting out a yawn. "I was worried about you, you didn't answer." He admitted, an out-of-character giggle coming from the other line, which made him knit his brows. "Are you alright? You're acting strange." He questioned, confusion laced in his tone. Okay, maybe he shouldn't have called. It was obvious that something was going on as Nate, and a woman he assumed was Mary Wolfe, were seemingly speaking in code, keeping everything just vague enough so that the others couldn't understand them. There was obviously a bigger picture to all of this, he just didn't know what.
Brooke didn't seem to share his concerns, as she sounded more positive than Jayden's ever heard her before when she answered. "Mhm! I'm good, I'm good. You don't need to worry, either, I was with someone," The joy in her tone made the irrational jealousy surface, but Jayden tried to shove it down. Keyword being tried, as it just got worse as Brooke continued rambling. "He made me feel really good- he always makes me feel really good." She gushed, Jayden feeling as his face flushed.
Please let this be me overthinking things, please let this be overthinking things, Jayden inwardly begged, praying that Brooke didn't just indirectly tell him that the reason she didn't come home for dinner was that she was having sex with someone. Because while he was bad at the whole romantic relationship thing, he assumed "making someone feel good" meant having sex with someone. However, he was praying that his assumption was wrong and that he was overthinking all of this. "Oh. Uh, um, that's nice?" He forced out, instantly cringing and kicking himself for the way that his voice came across. However, when his heel connected with his shin, he regretted the action and bit back a scream. He didn't even know what he was screaming at anymore, the fact that he kicked himself like a dumbass or the fact that the girl he loved had sex with someone that wasn't him. Not that he's thought about it in detail, but he just assumed that what they had was special; that she wouldn't want to be with anyone else.
"It would be better with you. I saw you, y'know? For a moment, he was you, and it was so much better." Brooke giggled, Jayden's eyes widening as he felt his face flush and heart rate increase. It took all of his willpower to not choke on his saliva, and he nearly flung his samuraizer across his bedroom in shock.
What the fuck, what the fuck, WHAT THE FUCK. Was that somewhat what he wanted? Of course, Jayden wanted Brooke to think of him, but he didn't know how to react or what to say. What do you even say in a situation like that? He had no fucking clue, but, luckily, he didn't have to worry for long. There was a voice, presumably scolding Brooke, followed by the sound of blankets rustling and her samuraizer being ripped out of her hands. At least that's what Jayden assumed because he heard her complaining.
"Hey, it's me. Just letting you know that she's shitfaced drunk right now, so don't take her words at full value. Don't let them have any value at all, actually," Casper sounded tired, and slightly annoyed, his tone making Jayden wonder about what actually happened. "She said some weird shit, didn't she? You're silent." He pointed out, Jayden shaking his head in response. The realization then dawned on him that Casper couldn't see him, and that caused him to let out a sigh.
"Uh, no! Not really," Please kill me. With the way the call was going, Jayden was debating throwing himself in the Sanzu because that would be far less embarrassing. Well, the fact that Brooke was drunk was strangely relieving, at least, so maybe she was just making all of it up. That's what he wanted to believe, anyways. "How'd she get drunk?" He asked, switching the topic before Casper could call him out on his bullshit.
"Being a dumbass- and that's all I'm going to say. It's not my place to tell," Casper answered, and Jayden heard the faint sounds of footsteps on wooden floors followed by a door closing. "Though, she did say that she scared you guys and that usually causes her to flip shit. Can I ask what happened?" He wondered, Jayden letting out a sigh as he recalled today's events.
The second part of the battle hadn't been bad, well, his body ached from where he got hit with an attack, but that was normal. However, remembering when Brooke pushed him out of the way and got hit with an attack head-on made him cringe. It was because of that attack that they were now in their current situation. "It's going to sound bizarre," Jayden warned, Casper letting out a faint laugh.
"I've heard, and seen, enough to not be fazed by it anymore. Hit me with it."
"There was a nighlok, like usual," Jayden started, sucking in a sharp breath. He didn't know why he was suddenly nervous, perhaps because he was worried Casper was going to get pissed at him because it was partially his fault for Brooke doing what she did. And while Casper seemed to be pretty understanding and kind, he had a gut feeling that pissing him off wouldn't end well. "I don't know how much you know, but, the nighlok always have some kind of special attack, an attack that's only unique to them. This nighlok's particular attack was shooting dirt at people, and it caused them to feel like they're starving, no matter how much they eat. And Brooke pushed me out of the way of an attack, so she got hit head-on." He explained, Casper humming in thought for a moment before speaking.
"That all makes sense, in its own fucked up way. So, she got hit with the dirt, which made her hungry, causing her to wolf out."
"Yeah, that's about it. But," Jayden started, covering his mouth to stifle a yawn. Talking about the issue did make things easier, and he found himself actually getting tired; as if his body realized what he had done today. "Brooke didn't just run off, she kinda freaked out. Antonio tried walking up to her, but she lunged at him. So, when she walked back inside of the Shiba House, we all subconsciously moved away from her. Which is probably what caused her to leave- I didn't even know she was gone, honestly." He admitted, regretting the fact he didn't check up on her. It was obvious that something had been wrong, but he just assumed that she was tired. He never really considered that he hurt Brooke's feelings, that he could hurt her feelings. That was a slip-up on his part.
The silence on the other line drove the point home for Jayden. It was silent for too long, the seconds seeming like an eternity before Casper sighed. "That would do it. Not the first time something like this happened, either, but you wouldn't have known that," He was mostly muttering to himself, and Jayden was impressed on how quickly he caught onto the power ranger part of Brooke's life. Though, he did seem rather smart overall, so that probably had something to do with it. "She's staying here for the night, but she's safe. Just… don't go telling everyone she got drunk, okay? I know for a fact that Brooke always regrets it- it's just the only way she knows how to deal with it. Everyone questioning her will just make her upset," Casper stated, a sound of a door opening following his words. There was an instant barrage of what were presumably drunken complaints, Jayden easily picking up on the slur and pout in Brooke's voice. "He's right here, Wolfie. He's okay, you're okay. Say goodnight, you've caused him enough trouble as it is." Casper's voice sounded distant, but there was the sound of Brooke grabbing her samuraizer from his hand.
"G'night, Red, see you tomorrow!" Brooke was quieter than before, but still upbeat and peppy. "I miss you!" She added, the fact that it sounded genuine making Jayden's heart hurt. This was something that was out of control, something that he couldn't fix. But he wanted to fix it, he wanted to fix her.
He didn't voice those thoughts aloud, only shoving down the bittersweet feeling that filled his chest as he spoke. "Goodnight, Brooke, sleep well. I'll see you tomorrow." Jayden spoke softly, and he so desperately wanted to tell her that he loved her. He always wanted to, but now more than ever. To somehow prove that he was the only one she needed in her life. But, he didn't, only ending the call and flipping his samuraizer shut, placing it back on his nightstand.
With that, he rolled onto his side, grabbing the second pillow he had on his bed, hoping it could act as a substitute for human contact. Jayden saw a familiar flash of silver, his bed creaking slightly underneath the sudden weight, the faint glow Amaris omitted cutting through the darkness. She said nothing, only laying beside him and placing her head on his side. She didn't need to say anything, as Jayden had the feeling she knew what he was thinking without having to read his thoughts. His heart hurt, but he knew it shouldn't be hurting. Perhaps this was what Ji meant when he warned that Brooke was nothing but trouble. However, Jayden didn't want to be feeling the way he did, so he scolded himself for it as he felt as sleep finally overtook him. After what seemed like an eternity, he fell into one of the most restless nights of sleep he's had in a while.
The next morning, Jayden woke up earlier than the others. Which wasn't uncommon, sometimes he was even up before Ji. Well, only when he slept alone. He couldn't just lay there and be alone with his thoughts, as that usually never ended up well. He needed something to keep his mind busy, usually, he just ate a quick breakfast and buried himself in dusty archives and books about leadership, but now he was pleasantly surprised to see someone occupying the kitchen before him. It was Nate, who was leaning against the counter and holding a to-go cup of coffee in one hand, his thumb on his other hand typing out a message on his phone. He seemed quite absorbed in his message but raised his head as soon as he heard footsteps, a small smile growing on his lips as grey eyes met blue.
"G'morning, sorry if I woke you up. Also for the fact that I'm here," Nate greeted, sending the message on his phone and then shutting the device off, putting it back into the pocket of his blazer. "I really don't mean to intrude." He added, charcoal grey dress shoes making light taps on the floor as he pushed himself off of the counter, standing fully upright and turning to face Jayden.
"No, you're fine, I get it," Jayden responded, shaking his head faintly. He instantly debated telling Nate that Brooke called him, but the whole conversation that he had with her made him cringe. He also didn't want to relive the embarrassment mixed with jealousy that he felt last night, either, so he instead turned his attention to the charcoal grey suit and black dress shirt the older man was wearing. "Did something happen?" He questioned, nodding towards the suit, Nate raising an eyebrow and then looking down at the outfit he was wearing.
"Oh, I have to work after this," Nate replied, taking a sip of his coffee and waving his free hand nonchalantly. Upon noticing Jayden's confused expression, he let out a faint laugh, a warm expression on his features as he spoke again. "I'm a lawyer- a defense attorney, to be exact. I have to go to court to defend a client today, though this is usually the standard uniform. I was supposed to go in earlier, but I explained that I had some family issues to attend to, so now I'm here." He explained, Jayden nodding slightly.
He then started his usual morning routine, walking over to the fridge and pulling the door open. "I thought your work still had to do something related to being a ranger, honestly," Jayden replied, getting out what he needed to make a quick breakfast. He wasn't very hungry; his appetite was still somewhat fucked up from yesterday's nighlok attack, but it was something to keep his hands busy. He wanted to keep himself occupied for as long as he could, and while he didn't know how to cook, he started to debate whether or not he should teach himself in the current moment. He had a feeling that he'd be better than Mia no matter how well he did. Plus, he assumed Nate would help, if he really wanted to.
Jayden could easily see the resemblance in the two Wolfes, other than their physical appearances. They both carried themselves the same way, which was with an air of confidence, even if Nate's was more subdued than his daughter's. They even had the same certain habits, talking with their hands or running a hand over their faces when they were disgruntled or stressed. Maybe that's why Jayden felt strangely comfortable around Nate. That and he was a genuinely nice person, and not in the way his daughter was. His emotions were all up-front, no dancing around a subject with jokes or just changing the topic entirely. Though it might also be related to Nate being a lawyer, as he radiated a certain kind of patience and seemed to be open-minded about a lot.
"Not anymore, no," Nate stated, taking another sip of his coffee. "I don't even know how I ended up being a guard at the Tengen Gate, I was just trying to pay for college at the time. Law school was expensive and surprisingly long, and I didn't want to join the army to get paid. So, somehow I ended up there, stuck with it until I became a lawyer and met Jane. It was relatively peaceful, most of the time. However, it wasn't something I would prefer doing for all of my life," He started, grey eyes distant as he looked down at the silver wedding band on his ring finger. "I also thought, when Brooke was born, that the war would end, so I wanted to get something of a normal life before everything ended and I had nothing to go off of- hey, look who's home." The older man cut himself off when he saw someone out of the corner of his eye, turning his attention to the entrance of the kitchen.
Brooke stood there awkwardly, her eyes flashing multiple times as her gaze flickered between Nate and Jayden. A small grey backpack was slung over her shoulder, and she readjusted her turtleneck before speaking. "I am, hello," She greeted with a nervous smile, shifting her weight from one leg to another. "I know we need to talk." The statement was directed at Nate, but Jayden noticed how her grey-gold eyes lingered on him for a moment longer than necessary. They shone with fresh guilt, but it was quickly snuffed out when her eyes flashed as she turned her attention to Nate fully.
"We do," Nate agreed, his lighthearted tone from earlier being replaced with a softer one, one that was laced with concern. "Let's go talk, I won't keep you for too long."
--
That's how Brooke ended up in a grassy clearing in the woods with her father, his work attire causing him to look incredibly out of place. More so than she did, who picked at blades of grass as she sat cross-legged on the ground. She didn't know why she was nervous, these were the consequences of her actions. To be honest, it was actually going better than she expected, sans the awkwardness between her and Jayden. Casper told her that he had called and that she had talked to him, but she couldn't remember the conversation. However, she had a feeling that it wasn't exactly a good conversation, it was only a matter of time before she had to face him. Plus Antonio, because apologizing for almost ripping out his throat seemed like a good idea. That part wasn't her fault, however, or at least it was what she tried to tell herself. The feelings of guilt and shame weren't foreign, she almost always felt them after hooking up with Alex, but it was worse this time around. Brooke had disappointed other people this time, and that was worse than punishment. She could deal with punishment, but disappointment? She wasn't used to actually fixing the problems she caused. She usually never had to, but now that wasn't the case. If it were, Nate wouldn't be sitting next to her.
"So, you know what this is about. Frankly, you worried all of us, Brooke. There are other people in your life, it isn't just you. You know that," He started, and the only good thing about the conversation was that he wasn't yelling. They both knew that that would lead nowhere. "Where even were you, and who were you with? I assume your friend told you, and you saw, that he told me that he had to pick you up from someone's house." Nate questioned, and Brooke clasped her hands together to prevent them from shaking. Her claws pricked her skin, the slight pain acting as a way to ground herself.
"A friend, I was at a friend's house."
By the look on Nate's face, he was unimpressed with the answer. His expression caused Brooke to turn her gaze away from his almost unwavering stare, but she didn't argue her point. She felt bad lying to him, but she didn't feel like digging her own grave. It was already half-dug from her drunken call from Jayden. Technically, she had already started digging it when she texted Alex and asked if he wanted to meet up somewhere.
"You mean a friend with benefits," Nate corrected, and when Brooke nodded, he seemed to visibly age ten years. "I'm going to choose to ignore the legality problems with your actions because I know they're probably not a minor because that's a whole clusterfuck in itself. You can't do things like this anymore, not that you should've been doing them in the first place, you're needed here. I hate saying this, but, this war is your duty. You have to be here." He reminded his daughter, taking in the dark circles that framed her eyes, dark circles that were too dark to be considered from just one night of a lack of sleep. He recalled seeing Jane with the same dark circles, and the thought alone made his heart hurt and his stomach lurch.
"I don't want to be needed here. I'm tired, I want what I had back. I tried so fucking hard and fought so much, to get where I was. I was safe," Brooke heard her own voice crack, and she gritted her teeth, blinking back hot tears that pricked her eyes. Don't cry, don't cry, she chided herself, feeling the familiar lump in her throat form. "I said I didn't want to be like Jane, and at first I wondered why she hated the war, that it actually wasn't too bad. Now I understand why she felt the way she did," She was choking on the words at this point, her canines uncomfortably scraping against her bottom lip. "The reason I even do what I do is that he doesn't know who I am. I get shitfaced because I can't shift, and at that moment, I'm fucking normal. I want a fucking real life, I miss doing the things I loved, hell, I even miss Maxx, even though he's a prick! I- I want- I can't do this." Don't cry. Don't cry, you're better than this.
"You're going to have to, Brooke," Nate's voice was hesitant, it was clear that he was obviously struggling with finding the right words to say. An almost uncomfortable silence fell over the two Wolfes, the older of the two let out a weak laugh after what seemed like an eternity. "Trust me, I don't like it either. But, this is all we can do at the moment. We just have to take it one step at a time. Your coping mechanisms aren't helping the situation, though. You know that." He added, Brooke shaking her head rapidly.
"It's all I have!" She defended, the words reverberating from the back of her throat as a growl. "You don't get it, what I have to deal with! I'm so tired- all the fucking time!" Brooke wiped away the tears before they could fall with the palms of her hands, brown and white fur starting to grow on the back of her hands. "You don't get it- you're human! You'll never get it!" She exclaimed as her voice cracked, but she didn't turn to make eye contact with Nate. She knew she would lose all the remaining emotional control she had.
"You're right, I don't get exactly what you have to deal with. I never claimed that I did, but, as your father, I can tell you that getting drunk and having sex with some random man won't help. It's not all you have, I promise you that. You have people who love you and care about you; you have an actual support system. You're never going to be alone, Brooke. Once this whole war is over, we'll work this out completely," Nate promised, resting his hand on top of Brooke's hair and stroking it gently. The action caused her to look at him, the warm smile he wore almost made her burst into tears. "Just make it a little longer, I know you can. I'm proud of you, you're just too headstrong for your own good." He stated, his voice gentle.
"I- I can't… I'm- I can't," Brooke choked out, turning her gaze away from her father, just so that she didn't have to see the care shining in his grey eyes. "I tried, I swear I tried. I- I can't do this anymore, Dad. I've given up almost everything in my life for this damn war- I've gotten nothing in return. I'm so so tired." Tears rolled down her cheeks and fell onto her hands and sunk into the brown and white fur. The fact that there was even fur on her hands made her sick to her stomach, she didn't want it to be the case.
"Brooke-" Nate started, but he was quickly cut off by his daughter shaking her head rapidly.
"Why did they have to do this to me?" Brooke whispered, but it wasn't long until she started sobbing, her chest heaving. She sucked in air with ragged breaths as fur sprouted on her cheeks and face, her canines finally breaking the skin on her lower lip and causing it to bleed. "I'm not a soldier- I can't be one. I hate being one, I hate being a shifter. I hate it, I'm so tired," She sobbed, vaguely feeling as Nate gently pulled her closer to his side, his hand dropping from her hair to rub small circles on her upper back. "At this point, I just don't wanna exist. I don't want to die, I know I can't, but I just want to be by myself and not have to deal with anything anymore. I don't want to be here."
What wasn't necessarily silence fell over the two, as Brooke was sobbing, Nate racking his brain for a response. He didn't know what to say that wouldn't trigger a panic attack, and that was the last thing he wanted to do. He wasn't a stranger to these feelings, as he noticed his daughter displayed the same signs of mental illness that his ex-wife had displayed, but Jane reacted differently. She had always gotten more angry than upset, she was more likely to yell than cry. Back then, Nate tried to give her space to herself, to work out her feelings on her own accord, but he realized that it wasn't the right thing to do. So, he sucked in a deep breath, praying that what he was about to say didn't get taken the wrong way.
"You're stuck here, kiddo. You know that as well as I do," Nate spoke quietly and hesitantly, bracing himself for Brooke to blow up and scream at him. Luckily, it didn't happen, so he continued and kept his voice as gentle as he could muster. "I didn't want this to happen either, if I could go back and fix every mistake, to make sure you could be happy, I would. Sadly, I can't. So, you're just going to have to keep taking it one day at a time for now. I'll get you the help that you need, just hold on until then, alright?" He urged, getting met with a sob as a response. "If a day seems like too much, try an hour, or even just ten minutes. It goes by much quicker than you think, it will get better. I know it sounds stupid, but it does." He reassured Brooke, who sniffled and let out a weak, watery laugh after a couple of minutes.
"Sure as hell doesn't feel like it does," She muttered, wiping the tears off her cheeks with fur-covered hands. Brooke then met Nate's gaze with her own and let out a sigh at his expression. "I know, I know. "My coping mechanisms aren't making it any better", right? You look like that's what you wanna say." She questioned, and Nate shook his head with a ghost of a smile on his lips.
"At least you're somewhat self-aware," Nate replied and received an eye-roll in response, which caused him to raise an eyebrow at his daughter. "You're not winning this, you know that." He reminded Brooke, who let out a shaky sigh.
"I can try."
"You can, but it won't get you anywhere. Admit defeat when you need to, Brooke."
Brooke didn't respond directly, only staring at her father with a deadpan expression. Nate met her gaze with his own and raised his eyebrows in an "I'm right and you know it" sort of manner, which caused her to let out a shaky sigh. She turned her attention back to the blades of grass that she had been picking at earlier, going back to that task to keep her hands busy. Nate seemed to have the same idea, gently stroking her hair in a comforting manner.
"...I need to apologize to Mary," Brooke muttered after about five minutes, which broke the silence between the two. "I was thinking about sleeping there some nights when things get too bad. Because…" She trailed, her eyes flashing as the corners of her lips twitched into a frown.
Sleeping in her old bedroom could act as an escape. More importantly, an escape from Jayden, because Brooke wasn't sure how long she could force herself to sleep alone when the temptation to share a bed with him was right across the hall. However, she knew that sharing a bed with him was something she needed to stop doing, mostly because of the fact that he deserved better. Not that she was for the idea of pushing her childhood friend away, but it could nip potential heartbreak in the bud, stopping everything before it started getting bad. At this point, she wasn't even sure if she truly loved Jayden, as Alex still existed. Not that she loved Alex Hawthorne, as she knew that would be the moment she hit rock bottom plus the fact that Casper would probably kill him, it was more of the fact that she decided to have sex with him without much hesitation. Brooke figured that, if she loved Jayden, she wouldn't be so open to the idea of sleeping with someone who wasn't him. In fact, it was probably her getting attached to the red ranger because he was nice to her and physically affectionate. That was probably it.
"Because?" Nate echoed, Brooke shaking her head in response.
"It's nothing," She mumbled, yanking a blade of grass out of the ground and flinging it a couple of feet away from her. "I just… need to apologize. I dunno if Maxx is gonna be a brat like he usually was, but I miss him. I- I want my family back, not just you. I love you, don't get me wrong, but- it's just- I partially grew up there. It would be good for me, I think. I'm hoping," Brooke laughed faintly, shaking her head. "Never thought I'd want that life back."
Nate hummed in response, his hand dropping from Brooke's hair. "Both Mary and I got called to the Shiba House last night, actually. We talked about that, she said that Maxxwell was doing well, and the fact that she missed you," He recalled and then let out a heavy sigh, running a hand over his face. "I obviously can't wholly forgive her, but, I know she feels guilty. Jane had made Mary the victim as much as she made you and me."
"Sounds like Jane Wolfe was a real bitch." Brooke joked, grinning at Nate, who frowned.
"You shouldn't talk about your mother like that… Not that you're far off the mark," He agreed, which caused Brooke to snort. Nate shook his head with a sigh, a bittersweet smile soon growing on his lips. He opened his mouth to speak, only to be stopped by his text tone. He let out a sigh and pulled his phone out of his pocket, reading the message with furrowed brows. After a moment, he unlocked his phone and typed out a response, sending the message and then turning off his phone again. "I'm sorry I have to leave, but I have to go to work, plus I've taken enough of your time. Call me if you need anything, I love you, kiddo. I missed you." His voice was barely above a whisper, Brooke raising her head and blinking at him, her eyes welling with tears.
"I missed you too, even if I can't remember it. Thanks for being here," Brooke found herself being wrapped in a warm hug, the smell of a campfire mixed with what seemed like an expensive cologne filling her senses. The smell caused her to bury her face into the charcoal grey blazer he was wearing, a sense of comfort washing over her. "I love you, I'm happy you're here." She murmured, her voice muffled by Nate's blazer, its wearer tightening his hug around her.
"I love you too, with all the stars and the moon. I'm happy to be here. Shitty coping mechanisms and all," Nate replied, a certain sense of pride filling his voice and shining in his eyes when he spoke again. "I'm proud of you, and I'm going to be proud of the person who you become. You're going to make it, I'm certain of it." He stated, Brooke nodding.
She knew it would work out, and Jayden seemed to be a lot easier to deal with now. While Brooke hated to admit it, crying and talking about her problems did help. She knew it would work out, for better or for worse. It almost always does.
--
After walking Nate to his car, which was parked near Mary's apartment, Brooke made sure her cheeks weren't wet with tears and set out on her task to find Antonio. She headed towards the pier, as the gold ranger was somewhat predictable, he was probably fishing. He almost always fished before training, and Brooke was happy that he had something that kept him happy. That at least one of them could have hobbies despite being a ranger because she couldn't. She wanted to dance again, she wanted somewhat of her normal life back.
"It is alright to wish for the things you lost," Amaris stirred in Brooke's mind, the white wolf's voice gentle. "This will get better." She promised, Brooke subconsciously curling her hands into fists and letting out a heavy sigh.
"Sacrifices make the world go round," Brooke joked bitterly, shoving her hands into her pockets before her claws broke through her skin once again. The palms of her hands were mostly scarred, so it didn't hurt, but the angry gashes were not a good look. "How's everyone else?" She asked as she reached the pier, wrinkling her nose at the smell of fish and saltwater.
"They are worried for you, but alright. Everyone is fine."
"That's good to hear." Maybe it'll make things a little easier when she had to show her face again. But first: Antonio.
It was easy to pick out the gold ranger amongst the other people fishing, and not just because of his golden color scheme. It was clear that Antonio was the youngest at the pier, the seventeen-year-old wearing golden headphones and bobbing his head to what was presumably music playing through them. The scene caused the corner of Brooke's lips to twitch upward, the silver ranger starting to walk over towards the gold. It wasn't long until she made her way over to him, reaching out and tapping his jacket-clad shoulder to get his attention. The action caused him to jump in surprise, lowering his headphones from his ears quickly and snapping his attention to his childhood friend, who stuck her hands back into her pockets and wore a nervous smile.
"Hey, you're back!" Antonio greeted with a cheerful smile, setting down his golden fishing rod and turning to face Brooke. "Let me guess, you're here to apologize." He guessed, Brooke furrowing her eyebrows as her eyes flashed.
"How did you-"
"Two things: one, you're predictable, and I know the whole "I don't care" attitude is an act. Two, you apologized to me once when Jayden hit me over the head with a training sword once when we were little. You may not remember yourself, but I remember you. You've changed, but not at the same time."
Brooke blinked rapidly in surprise, peering at Antonio skeptically. "I'm… going to ignore the fact you put me on blast," She replied hesitantly, the silver ranger scowling at the gold when he beamed at her. "Still, I'm sorry for almost mauling you. It wasn't my intention." She never thought she would find herself apologizing for almost mauling someone, though she never thought she'd be a power ranger. So, Brooke couldn't act too surprised, in the back of her mind she knew this was going to happen eventually.
"Don't worry about it," Antonio replied, waving his hand in dismissal. The action caused Brooke's eyes to widen and flash, her staring dumbly at her childhood friend. "I'm fine, we're all fine. I know you can't control yourself when you're like that, and if anything… I should apologize for being scared of you. It obviously made you upset." He added, Brooke shaking her head rapidly.
"You have every reason to be afraid of me. You all do- even with what we deal with on an almost daily basis. Deker was right, in a sense." She retorted, only for Antonio to stiffen, his carefree expression turning into one of worry. "What?" Brooke wondered, raising a brow and crossing her arms over her chest.
"Deker? You saw, and talked to, Deker? When?" Antonio questioned, realization then dawning on his features. "That would make sense, though. It explains a lot. What did he say to you?" It was a barrage of questions Brooke was trying to sort through, but part of his questioning was welcomed. It showed that he cared, and a part of her felt happy at the fact.
That happiness was snuffed out quickly when Brooke recalled her conversation with Deker, well, when she tried to recall the conversation. "It's all fuzzy at best, but I remember him asking why I'm still a ranger, and fighting with you and the team, even though Red's dad was the one who stripped me of my humanity. He also said something like when I went back, you all would be scared of me. Not for me, of me. Of the monster that I was," Brooke mumbled, turning her attention to the horizon. She wrapped her hand around one of the metal rods that separated the pier and the beach, her claws scratching at the metal and making a sound that caused her to wince slightly. "So, pretty much, he knew exactly what I'm insecure about. He can read me like an open book." She joked bitterly and felt as Antonio placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. It caused her to look at him, grey-gold eyes meeting dark brown.
"Sometimes I forget that not everyone's a ranger because they wanted to be. Makes me feel like I got off easy," Antonio laughed faintly, shaking his head. "I know it probably doesn't mean much right now, but I'm happy you're a part of the team. I'm happy I've gotten to see you again." He offered, Brooke breaking into a bittersweet smile and turning her attention back to the horizon.
"At least you're here, Red's gonna kill me," She stated, shaking her head with a weak laugh. "I fucked up this time, more than I usually do. He called me last night- and I was drunk off my ass. I don't even remember the conversation, Casper just told me he did, so god only knows what I said." Brooke explained, Antonio frowning slightly.
"It can't be that bad- what did you do?" Antonio questioned when Brooke cut him off with a glare. Her eyes then flashed as she averted her gaze from him, tightening her grip on the metal rod. "Brooke?" He persisted, the ranger in question letting out a heavy sigh.
"What I say right now stays between us, and maybe Red if I said something stupid last night, okay?" Brooke asked, and when Antonio nodded, her expression turned into one of shame, guilt shining in her eyes. "There's this guy- and I've, uh, known him for quite a bit. He- he buys me alcohol, and, I, uh, have sex with him after I get drunk. It's a mutual exchange, he's an alcohol dealer with benefits," She explained quickly, and when she met Antonio's expression of disappointment mixed with a slight shock, she broke into a nervous smile. "If it makes you feel better, he thinks I'm nineteen?" Brooke added with a nervous laugh, only to be met with Antonio lightly swatting the side of her head with the back of his hand.
"Dumbass."
"I know. To make it better, I found out that Nate's a part of the justice system."
"You're so stupid," Antonio retorted, pinching the bridge of his nose with a sigh. "Good luck with Jay, I don't even know where to start with that. That's on you- you might even have to explain what happens when a person gets drunk, he might be that sheltered." He joked, but it wasn't really a joke, and they both knew that.
Jayden Shiba's disconnect from the world was something that shouldn't be underestimated.
Brooke knew that, and the thought alone made her cringe. Would she really have to have a sex-ed class with a master of war who was also her childhood friend? Possibly, but she decided she would stab herself beforehand. The potential pain was better than the potential embarrassment any day of the week. At least Alex didn't live in Panorama, so she didn't have to worry about him showing his face here, even if they acted like they didn't know each other. It became difficult to do so after the second time they hooked up.
"God, I need mental help," Brooke muttered, running a clawed hand over her face. On cue, her samuraizer started beeping, and she dug the device out of her pocket, flipping it open and bringing up the map of Panorama. She scanned the map, her eyes flashing as she turned her attention to Antonio. "On another note, you ready to fight the big baddie of the day? It's not far from here." She asked, the gold ranger nodding at the silver.
"Let's see if you can make more mistakes by the time we get there." Antonio joked with a grin, and Brooke flipped him off in response. It caused him to laugh, the two rangers racing away from the pier.
The two morphed in an empty alleyway, their ranger suits appearing in flashes of gold and silver. After that, it wasn't long until they reached the area, the silver and gold rangers appearing a couple feet away from the nighlok in a flash of silver. The two tried to take in the scene, only to duck quickly when the nighlok shot a ball of what seemed like glue at the two. It prevented them from being stuck together, which presumably happened to Kevin and Mike, as the two morphed rangers were on the ground, tugging at the restraints that bound their wrists together. Brooke shook her head slightly at the scene, then, with a wordless nod to Antonio, the two rangers rushed forward. They quickly fell into a routine, dodging the glue that the nighlok shot at them, and it worked quite well. It wasn't long until the light zord fired off its scattershot move, the zord being wielded by Antonio, the multiple blank disks coming in contact with the nighlok, which caused it to run off.
"I'm not sticking around for this!" The monster exclaimed as it ran off, disappearing into a crack with a flash of dark red.
"Hey, come back here!" Mike instantly tried to run after the nighlok, only to be slowed down by the fact that he was currently glued to Kevin. With the blue ranger's yell of warning, the two fell to the ground, their discarded spin-swords clattering beside them. The two rangers groaned as they demorphed in flashes green and blue, their chests heaving as they staggered to their feet.
The other rangers didn't say a word, only demorphing and watching as the two seemed to be in their own little world. It was clear to see that they were struggling and trying to hold back their frustrations as they started walking back to the Shiba House, the five other rangers trailing a couple of feet behind them. Brooke could pick up on the quiet arguments Kevin and Mike were getting into with ease, mostly about who should step first and them snapping at each other to "stop pulling". She kept a grey-gold eye trained on the two, bracing herself to step in and break up a potential fight if necessary, which at least gave her a distraction so that she didn't have to look Jayden in the eye.
The red and silver rangers were walking side-by-side per usual, but both of their shoulders were tense, the two childhood friends walking stiffly. Not stiff enough that it couldn't be written off as mild stress and annoyance from the battle, but still somewhat out of character for the two. Brooke noticed the stiffness in her posture and tried to relax, but it was difficult. Especially the fact that the faint smell of Alex's soap and cologne was lingering on her body and hair, even after spending the night at Casper's and getting changed. Plus, her body was sore, and it wasn't the usual after-workout soreness she carried following a battle. It wasn't noticeable before, as she had been caught up in her emotions during her talk with Nate and her apology to Antonio, but now, without anything to really keep her mind busy, it hit her at full force, as it actually hurt to walk. The sleeveless turtleneck and denim shorts she wore rubbed uncomfortably against her skin and the marks Alex left, and the neck of her turtleneck was slightly suffocating. However, Brooke knew she couldn't wear a normal t-shirt, as it would reveal the partially scabbed gashes on the side of her neck, let alone the bruises that were in the shape of fingerprints that were on either side of her neck. Which wasn't really surprising in its own right, as she had a fuzzy memory of drunkenly begging Alex to choke her.
Yeah, she really needed mental help at this point. Though, that was evident since the beginning. It wasn't Alex's fault, as she was the one who lied about her age, though Brooke knew she should probably cut ties with him. It was either that or Casper doing it himself, as he made it abundantly clear when he drove her back to Panorama at five in the morning. It was something they both didn't want to have to do, but the good thing was that Brooke didn't have to deal with the consequences of her actions while she was hungover. That was one of the only times when she was thankful for being a shifter.
"Hey, Brooke," Mia's gentle voice broke Brooke out of her thoughts, and the silver ranger snapped her attention to the pink. "Are you doing alright? You're quieter than usual." It was a question directed at her, but Brooke noticed how the pink ranger's dark eyes flickered from Jayden back to her.
The awkwardness between the two was probably incredibly obvious, though, now the red ranger was engaged in a quiet conversation with the gold. The two had somewhat fallen back, but Brooke noticed how blue eyes quickly snapped to her figure. They were shining with worry, and it made her come to the conclusion that Antonio most likely told Jayden about how she talked with Deker. Though, Brooke quickly shook those thoughts out of her mind and turned her attention to Mia.
"Yeah, yeah. Sorry, I've just been tired," Brooke lied, waving her hand nonchalantly. "I'm okay." She added when she noticed that Emily was looking at her with concern as well, but the blonde soon wore a warm smile.
"It's good to have you back, you don't have to feel like you have to keep everything from us, okay?" Emily stated and Brooke nodded, a tired smile on her lips.
She honestly debated Emily and Mia about her night with Alex, just to get some advice. Or at least Mia, because Brooke knew that Emily was too innocent to really understand. Which was fine, the yellow ranger should keep her innocence while she still could. The war took too much, to begin with.
--
Once the team returned to the Shiba House, Brooke silently thanked Mike and Kevin for being glued together. Sure, it was bad for them, as the two didn't get along most days due to conflicting ideologies, but it was excellent in the fact that it meant the others, mostly Jayden and Ji, were too busy dealing with the blue and green rangers' current predicament to even acknowledge the fact that she was back. Kevin and Mike were sitting on the wooden floors of the Shiba House with their legs cross-legged, Brooke and Jayden standing at either side of their bound wrists. This was their last attempt of forcibly removing the, now hardened, glue that bound Kevin and Mike together, and they were doing what they did best: solving their problems by swinging a sword and hoping for the best.
"Ready guys?" Jayden asked, readying his spin-sword and readjusting his grip on the hilt. His eyes flickered to Brooke, who gave him a curt nod in response and did the same with her kunai.
"Go for it, we're ready as we'll ever be," Mike answered, and despite the confidence in his statement, worry shone in his and Kevin's eyes. Though, they did have a lot of things to worry about, such as the fact that they were even having to deal with the fact that they were glued together.
"Alrighty, don't say we didn't warn you both," Brooke teased as she spun her kunai in her hand. She instantly picked up on the way her voice sounded, strained and hoarse, and she couldn't figure out what was the direct cause of that. Though, it was probably a mixture of last night with Alex, as she knew she wasn't the quietest when it came to her one-night stands, plus crying her eyes out when she talked with Nate this morning. For the most part, she just felt tired and defeated. "Ready?" She addressed Jayden, who nodded and, without a second wasted, the two swung their weapons.
The two metal blades collided with the hardened glue, which caused sparks to fly and caused a sound that grated Brooke's sense of hearing to reverberate across the room. The laws of physics also came into play, as the energy from the weapons coming in contact with the glue sent the two rangers staggering backwards. Jayden was lucky enough to fall onto a seat, but Brooke tripped over her own feet and fell on her butt on the wooden floor. Her kunai disappeared in a flash of silver as she did so, Amaris quickly bounding over to the silver ranger and nuzzling her cheek in a comforting manner.
"Shit… Heya, Amaris," Brooke greeted as she regained her bearings, ruffling the fur between the white wolf's ears. She then went to go scan her teammates' faces, the corners of her lips twitching into a frown and her eyes flashing as she took in the slight amusement on Jayden's expression. It was almost hidden, but she knew him well enough to know that he was biting back a remark. Asshat. She also waved away the other rangers' questions of concern, pushing herself to her feet and wincing as she did so. "Well, that went as expected." She summarized, clapping her hands together once.
"I'm sorry, guys." Kevin apologized, and Emily, being the ray of sunshine that she was, quickly shook her head.
"It wasn't your fault," Emily reassured Mike and Kevin quickly, the yellow ranger crouching down next to the green and blue. "You guys didn't do anything wrong." She added, Mia nodding.
"When the nighlok comes back, we'll fix this." The pink ranger's statement caused the green to shoot her a skeptical look that was laced with faint frustration.
It wasn't frustration directed directly at anyone, but still evident nonetheless. "And what if it doesn't? What then?" Mike questioned, and this time Amaris piped up from where she was sitting by Brooke's feet.
"It is not a matter of "if", but rather a matter of when the nighlok returns. This nighlok, in particular, has the incentive to return, due to you two being in your current positions." Amaris stated, her voice gentle and her ears flicking.
"It'll come back, they always do," Jayden added with a faint nod. However, as his spin-sword disappeared in a flash of red particles, Brooke picked up on the emotions that laced his tone. It was slight bitterness and exhaustion, subtle enough to go unnoticed by the rest of the team, but not enough to avoid her heightened sense of hearing completely. She had a feeling that his tone was partially due to her, a sense of guilt stabbing her heart. It was all the more reason to push him away, he already had enough on his plate.
"When the nighlok does return, you two will be in no condition to face it." Ji addressed both Kevin and Mike, the blue and green rangers instantly getting defensive.
"What?"
"No!"
However, the two rangers' arguments fell on deaf ears. Jayden scanned the two with knit brows, presumably coming up with a battle strategy, the red ranger nodding after a couple of moments of silence. "He's right. The rest of us will have to handle it." He agreed, but, not surprisingly, Mike and Kevin weren't going down without a figurative fight.
"We won't let the team down again. C'mon, Mike, we'll learn to fight like this." Kevin stated, a mix of determination and stubbornness lacing his tone as he rose to his feet, pulling Mike up with him. After some effort, the two were staggering towards the outdoor dojo.
The three of the five other rangers followed, leaving Brooke, Jayden, Amaris, and Ji in the meeting room. An awkward silence fell over the three for a moment, which was broken when Ji spoke. "Brooke." The older man started, said ranger shaking her head with a bitter laugh.
"Don't worry, I know where this is headed," Brooke mumbled, grey-gold eyes falling on Jayden and then Ji. "Is it just me, or is Red joining me for the wonderful lecture that I'm thrilled for?" She asked, then scowling at her childhood friend and leader's deadpan expression. "Humor is subjective, y'know. At least act like it was funny."
"I would if it wasn't obvious that you're deflecting." Jayden retorted, Brooke looking almost offended and opening her mouth to argue as her eyes flashed.
However, the two were stopped quickly by Ji's tired sigh. "Enough, you two. Jayden, go help your team, we both know they need it." He commanded, raising his eyebrows before Jayden could even respond. His mentor's actions caused him to sigh and run a hand through his hair, but he left the meeting room without a word of protest, his leather boots making light taps on the wooden floors.
And that's how Brooke ended up in Ji's office. The room itself was small and carried the same aesthetic as the Shiba House, with light brown wooden walls and floors. In the center of the room sat a desk made of dark wood, a neat stack of papers, Brooke guessed that they were bills, a small desk lamp, and a cup of pens laying atop the desk. The wall behind the desk was lined with bookshelves that were full of books that looked like they dated back at least a couple generations of samurai rangers, along with a houseplant that had a blooming red flower. The entire room smelt like green tea and the usual woody smell that the Shiba House carried, but there was an extremely faint hint of spice and smoke. Brooke wasn't surprised, she honestly pictured the red ranger occupying the room on more than one occasion. Which, surprisingly enough, this was her first time being called into the older man's office. She was actually quite proud of herself for it, as it had been her longest streak of being sober and not relying on her shitty coping mechanisms. It was the little things.
Brooke sat in a leather seat across from the older man, Amaris sitting at her feet. She was thankful for the white wolf's presence, who seemed to know that, as her white and silver tail hit Brooke's legs in a comforting manner. The action caused a small smile to grow on the silver ranger's lips, but it quickly fell when Ji started speaking. It was obvious that the older man didn't know how to go about the current situation, perhaps because of how meetings with Jane played out in the past, but it was amusing to her. Plus, Brooke knew she couldn't be grounded too harshly, she needed to fight, the samurai rangers needed the soldier they made. So, she wasn't really worried at all, crossing her leg over her knee and sliding the compass charm of the necklace she wore back and forth on its chain.
"Both your father and Mary told me about your…" Ji trailed, Brooke raising a brow as her eyes flashed. She didn't expect the conversation to start instantly with that, and she didn't expect Ji to be so touchy with the subject. Well, Jayden did grow up extremely sheltered, so Brooke figured that the older man wasn't prepared for this sort of conversation.
"The fact that I have problems with alcohol?" Brooke finished, dropping her necklace and readjusting her position in the leather seat she was sitting in. Sitting did not help with the soreness in her body, in fact, it made it worse more than anything. Still, she tried to ignore it, reaching down and petting the fur in-between Amaris' ears.
"Yes," Ji sighed. "I, obviously, cannot control what decisions you make regarding your mental and physical health, but your actions endanger the team, along with yourself. If a nighlok so happened to show up while you were in that state, it would do more harm than good." He stated, and Brooke's eyes flashed as she knit her brows.
While she had thought about that, it seemed highly unlikely. Brooke had walked the streets of both Panorama and Greensbrook at night, and under the influence, the only threat was human traffickers and being kidnapped. Not that those were great, but Ji technically was wrong. Still, she kept those thoughts to herself. There was no point in starting an argument that could potentially worsen her punishment. Not that she knew what her punishment was, but she didn't want to push the older man past his breaking point. So, Brooke let him continue. The entire lecture went on for about five minutes, just the usual talk of "you're putting yourself at risk and it's unhealthy". Which she had heard before, it was also something Mary had told her. And Casper. And Nate. At this point, the horse was beaten to death, resurrected, and then beaten to death again.
"This cannot happen again, for both yourself and the team. I may not be your legal guardian, but I have the right to say that. You are also prevented from leaving the Shiba House without my permission, or you have to take someone with you," Ji lectured, Brooke nodding along. She wasn't really paying attention anymore, she was mostly zoning out and staring at the wall behind him. "Also, regarding Jayden."
That made Brooke snap her attention back to Ji, her eyes flashing. "Red? What about him?" She questioned, uncrossing her legs. She didn't expect the conversation to go down this road, but she necessarily wasn't surprised.
"I understand that you two are… close, but you're a bad influence, Brooke. Your relationship with each other is affecting the mission at hand."
Since when? Brooke thought as she set her jaw and pursed her lips. She honestly felt offended, as Jayden had his own free will and it was his choice to hang around her. Though, this could be an excuse for pushing him away, because she didn't want to explain her other reason as to why she was pushing him away. Telling him that "this is affecting the mission" was much easier than "I think I love you but I still had sex with someone else" and far less awkward. So, she made up her mind, nodding.
"Okay, I'll get right to that," Not like it wouldn't affect the mission more, for the both of them, but Brooke knew what needed to be done. "Though, that being said, if Red gets upset, you're explaining this. Him being in a bad mood because I called our friendship off is on you."
Ji obviously didn't expect her positive answer, as the older man's eyes widened slightly. He then tried to mask his shock, a small smile growing on his lips. "Thank you for understanding," He thanked, opening his mouth to respond, only to be cut off by a loud thud followed by yelling. The noise caused him to let out a sigh, his smile falling quickly, especially when he noticed that the door to the office was wide open, the leather seat empty.
However, while Brooke was gone, Amaris stayed. The white wolf blinked at him, her tail flicking once. "Making the two push each other away will not end how you are expecting it to. It will only make them both upset, it is also highly improbable that they will stay away from each other for long." She warned, disappearing from the office in a flash of silver and reappearing at Brooke's side, who had an expression of amusement on her face.
Mike and Kevin were laying on the floor in the meeting room surrounded by trash, a ripped trash bag, a broken lamp, and a bent lampstand. The blue and green rangers looked up at the silver and white wolf, Amaris slowly blinked at them in complete silence, then disappearing completely, while Brooke wrinkled her nose at the smell of trash. Still, she nudged the bent lampstand with the toe of her platforms, her eyes sparkling in amusement as she spoke.
"You two are incredibly fucked." Brooke announced with a snicker, ignoring the two rangers' yells of protest. She stepped over the trash as she heard footsteps approaching and smelt green tea, quickly making her way out of the meeting room before both Ji and Jayden arrived.
She didn't want to deal with the red ranger, not until she actually had time to have a proper conversation with him. It would be just her luck that the nighlok would decide to show up in the middle of that clusterfuck, so Brooke just decided to be safe. Even if it meant avoiding Jayden like he was the plague. The thought of even facing him made her stomach turn and made her break out into a cold sweat, but she also knew they could be withdrawal symptoms. Even though she technically wasn't a true alcoholic anymore, the addiction had reared its ugly head and so did its withdrawals.
So, to combat her feelings and symptoms of withdrawal in a way other than drinking excessively, Brooke fell back on a reliable option and took refuge in her room quickly. She shut and locked the door behind her and kept the light off, trying to ignore her racing heart and the anxiety she felt. She hoped it didn't affect her too seriously, because she knew she needed to fight. If she didn't fight, or she couldn't, it would be letting the team down. That was the last thing she wanted to do, she couldn't let them down. It would be a personal failure, but even with that motivator, she couldn't find the mental strength to act okay. Casper had always told Brooke that she needed to mourn over the broken pieces before she put herself back together, or attempt to put herself back together, but she didn't want to mourn. She didn't want to, but she knew she had to.
"Amaris," Brooke thought as she sat down on her bed, quickly pulling off her platforms. She knew she fucked up this time, the soreness in her body made her want to cry. It was almost always like this after hooking up with Alex, she remembered waking up in the woods covered in blood after it caused her to spiral into a panic attack. She didn't know why she kept doing it to herself, but here she was. "Amaris, please. I need help."
Luckily, the white wolf answered her pleas and quickly appeared in a flash of silver, the silver glow she omitted cutting through the darkness. Amaris said nothing, only bounding over and sitting next to Brooke, nuzzling her cheek in a comforting manner as she drew her knees to her chest. Her body screamed in protest at the action, which caused her to choke back another sob. She wanted to call Casper, but she knew she couldn't. He had already done enough for her, Brooke still didn't even know how he found her. Or why he was such a good friend, she couldn't even do that right. Nate had to work, she overheard him talking about how he was a lawyer, and the last thing she wanted to do was ruin some client's case because she was a mess. A mess that she made herself.
"You are overthinking, my dear. People love you, they help you because they care, do not ever think that they do not. I have a strong belief that they will listen to you and offer assistance when you need it," Amaris chided, her voice gentle.
Brooke said nothing in response, only squeezing her eyes shut and nodding hesitantly. It took some time, but with a couple of deep breaths and silent pep talks, she forced herself to shift. Her bones cracked and popped, her point of view lowering as her senses sharpened. At least the soreness didn't transfer over, plus Amaris curling herself around the brown wolf was comforting. The smell of lavender washed over her, her body finally getting the rest it needed.
--
She didn't know how long she slept, but the gap sensor startled Brooke awake. In her half-asleep haze, her actions were hazy blurs, her body on complete autopilot. It wasn't a very reliable autopilot, as unlocking her door had proven to be a struggle, but still autopilot nonetheless. Ignoring every signal in her body that was telling her to rest, she quickly sprinted out of the Shiba House to reach downtown. One of the things she usually prided herself on was her speed and stamina thanks to her wolf form, but now every stride felt like agony. Still, she forced herself to run and morph into her ranger suit, the team of rangers, sans the blue and the green, skidding to a stop in front of the nighlok.
"Hey, nighlok! We've got unfinished business, you and I!" Antonio shouted as he wielded his Barracuda Blade with one hand and the light zord with the other, gaining the nighlok's attention.
"Oh, I'll finish you alright!" The nighlok threatened, but it wasn't the worst threat the rangers have ever heard. It was almost on par with Jayden's bad puns and taunts, so it was hard to take seriously.
Bad threats aside, the rangers ran forward, only to be stopped suddenly. Brooke found herself slamming into the concrete ground, which was something her already sore body didn't like, which caused her to look back at her feet. One of her booted feet was stuck in the nighlok's glue, the silver boot reflecting the sunlight as she tugged violently. She knew she should've expected this, or at least should've seen the glue before she stepped in it, but, in her defense, she was tired. It's not like she was the only ranger stuck, either, she was in between her two childhood friends and Mia, who all were trying the same plan to pull their legs free. It didn't work very well, it wasn't long until the nighlok let out a laugh.
"Hah! You literally fell right into my trap!" The nighlok mocked, sitting in front of the five rangers cross-legged. "Do you have to work hard at being this dense, or does it just come naturally?" The monster questioned in a mocking tone, a growl reverberating from the back of Brooke's throat.
Truthfully, it depended on the day, but this was aggravating as all hell. She couldn't even get Amaris to teleport her out of the glue, as it got so much worse in a matter of seconds. There was a flash of dark red and Brooke felt as her body got glued to the pavement, the sheaths of both her kunai and her katanas digging uncomfortably into her body. The smell of nighlok the glue carried was suffocating, and the glue also obscured a large portion of her vision, so all she could really do was let out a sigh. Out of all the ways to lose a battle, this was probably one of the worst. Though, Brooke found herself on a losing streak, which wasn't necessarily the best thing when you were a soldier in a war. It wasn't the best thing, to begin with.
Luckily, in two minutes, she heard two familiar voices, followed by the sound of samuraizers being flipped open. "Go go samurai!" Both Kevin and Mike yelled, and while she couldn't see much, the silver ranger concluded that the blue and green could handle the nighlok on their own. Which was good for the others, because they couldn't do much.
Her assumption was proven correct. It wasn't long until Brooke found herself in the cockpit of her wolf zord, the silver and black wolf bounding towards the nighlok. With the combined efforts of her two childhood friends and their own zords, the nighlok went up in a large explosion. This time, she didn't even have the heart to mouth along to Jayden's usual finishing line, her hand dropping from the wolf zord's control panel to her side. As his voice floated through the comms, all she could think about was the fact that she had to hurt his feelings. It made her heart hurt.
"Samurai Rangers: Victory Is Ours."
--
The rest of the day and most of the night were relatively normal. She had spent most of her day trying not to have a mental breakdown, subsequently avoiding almost everyone. Casper had called her, which was nice, and while she didn't tell him about her problems, he knew her well enough to know something was up. The two had fallen into their usual light-hearted banter, it was enough to get Brooke through dinner in a somewhat decent moody. After dinner, however, was a different story.
Brooke was about to turn into the hallway to make her way back to her room when she was stopped by a warm hand grabbing her wrist. She slowly turned on her heel and met her gaze with Jayden's, grey eyes flashing as they met blue.
"Heya, Red," She greeted him, the red ranger dropping her wrist and letting out a quiet sigh. It wasn't a sigh laced with exhaustion like his sighs usually were, but instead, it was laced with worry. In fact, it seemed like worry was etched onto his face, his facial expression causing Brooke to frown. "You're… worried about me." She concluded slowly, the corners of his lips twitching upwards for a moment.
"It seems like I can't hide anything from you," Jayden muttered softly. He then acted on autopilot, reaching out to cradle Brooke's cheek with his hand, but he seemed to realize what he was doing. His hand froze, his fingertips barely brushing her cheek for a moment, then dropping to his side. "Do you have time to talk?" He asked and Brooke nodded.
"Yeah, we can go in my room, if you want?" She offered, motioning to her bedroom door with her thumb. "I needed to talk to you, anyways," Brooke added, shifting her weight from one leg to another. She didn't know why this was so awkward for her, but she really wished it wasn't. What she would have to say to Jayden would make him upset, it was also going to make her upset. She hated this, from the bottom of her heart.
Still, Jayden nodded, so the show went on. At least that's what Brooke tried to tell herself. That this needed to be done, these were the consequences for her actions. She deserved this, he deserved better. Even though that was the case, her clawed hand was still shaking when she wrapped it around the doorknob. With a deep breath, Brooke pushed open the door and in one swift motion, did what she had to do. She pulled Jayden into her room, ignoring his quiet noise of surprise, grabbed both his flannel and hoodie that were laying on her bed, practically flinging the two articles of clothing in his direction.
He caught them with ease, looking down at both his flannel and his hoodie with a confused expression. "... Brooke?" Jayden started hesitantly, looking up at the silver ranger to find her an absolute mess. It was the little things he hadn't noticed before, such as the scratches and bruises covering her legs, the angry gashes that were barely scabbed on the palms of her hands. The way that he knew she had been crying.
"Take them," Brooke replied, her hands twitching. She knew she should stop tearing up her hands with her claws, she was usually better than that because it wasn't healthy. However, the pinpricks of pain did help her calm down, in some twisted way. "I can't have them anymore." She explained, her hoarse voice barely above a whisper. She averted her, now gold, eyes away from Jayden. Eating dinner had proven to be a mistake, now her stomach lurched and she felt nauseous, which she didn't even know if it was anxiety or withdrawals.
"Why?" Jayden wondered, knitting his brows as he set the two red articles of clothing on Brooke's desk chair. When Brooke shook her head in response, he took a hesitant step forward. "Talk to me. What's going on?" He pressed, getting met with a shaky sigh and watery gold eyes.
"You… you deserve better. We- I- this, whatever we have, because I know damn well it's more than just friendship at this point- I don't know. You just deserve better than me."
Silence fell over the two for a moment, a crease appearing above Jayden's eyebrow as he thought up a response. He eventually did, blue eyes quizzical as he peered at his childhood friend. "Did Deker tell you this?" He questioned, his voice soft. "Because Antonio told me that he talked to you. If so, he doesn't know you, you don't have to-" He started but was quickly cut off by Brooke shaking her head rapidly and choking back a sob.
"It's not Deker, it's me. You just deserve better than me, a better friend, a better teammate. I fucked up, I'm a fuck up," Brooke replied, her voice barely audible. He wasn't reacting the way she wanted him to, she was hoping that he would just get angry and leave. In all honesty, she should've expected his stubbornness. At any other time, it would be comforting. "You deserve better." She repeated herself for emphasis, only to be met with another small step forward.
"...You don't get to decide that. I'm going to be here whether you think I deserve better or not," Jayden replied, the corners of his lips turning into a frown. "You're just not doing well, Brooke. Talk to me, I'll always listen, you know that."
She didn't respond directly, tears rolling down her cheeks that she didn't move to wipe away, Brooke's gold eyes distant as her shoulders started shaking. "Just hate me. It'll make this easier," She whispered, her voice cracking. Her eyes then snapped back to Jayden's, taking in his worried expression and the care shining in his eyes. It hurt to look at him, the entire conversation hurt. "Please, just go. You deserve better than this, than me." It hurts so much, please just go.
"I'm not going anywhere, not when you're like this. You need someone around." Another step forward, the two rangers only standing a couple feet apart from each other. "I won't leave until you tell me, Brooke. I don't have anything else planned for tonight, anyway, I'll stay here for as long as I have to." Jayden stated, the red ranger making it abundantly clear that he was unmoving on his position.
It was the stubbornness that she both loved and hated. Brooke wanted him to love her more than anything, she wanted him to hold her and listen to her worries and fix her problems. She wanted him to kiss her and tell her that everything was going to be okay. She wanted him to do a lot of things that she shouldn't be wanting him to do, things that she didn't deserve. She wanted to scream at him, that everything was his fault and if he hadn't been nice to her, she wouldn't be where she was. However, that wasn't true, she knew that. Despite her incredibly weak attempts to force him away, Jayden was still standing in front of her. He was still looking at her with eyes full of concern and sympathy, something that she usually didn't want.
"Why do you care so much?" Brooke asked, her voice barely audible as tears rolled down her cheeks, sinking into brown and white fur. She looked at him, his expression turning from one of concern to one of care.
"Because you mean the world to me," Jayden answered, his voice equally as quiet. He reached out and cradled her cheek in his hand, using the pad of his thumb to wipe away some of the tears that fell. "I know you want me here as well. You wouldn't still be here if you didn't. Despite what you did or whether or not you think that I deserve better, I'm still here. I made a promise to myself, and you, that I'd always be here. I'm not breaking that promise anytime soon."
There was sincerity in his words, a genuine promise and confession. There was love shining in his eyes, unconditional love. It was a love from a boy that was brimming with it, love to a girl who had tried to achieve it by turning to self-destructive coping mechanisms for far too long. So, the girl instantly latched onto the boy, her body shaking with every sob.