Title: Closet No More
Fandom: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Pairing: Tommy Oliver/Adam Park

Tags: Romance, Angst, Drama, Closeted Character, Coming Out, School Dances, Episode: s02e29 Goldar's Vice-Versa

Summary: The Vice-Versa Dance at Angel Grove High School is coming up; the theme is the girl asks the guy to the dance (instead of the other way around). Adam's gay, but the prospect of coming out to his friends and peers is daunting. He can either go with a girl (safe/easy) or a guy (totally scary). And the only guy Adam wants is Tommy Oliver.

Notes #1: Based on the MMPR episode "Goldar's Vice-Versa" (season 2, episode 29)

Note #2: Okay, so you know how MMPR's (original series) dialog was kind of... happy/upbeat/light? It's also very 90's. How they speak, it's awkward and not entirely realistic in my opinion (I *face-palmed* more than once) but my writing intent was to reflect this series. And the dialog of my story is... yeah. It makes me laugh, but that's kinda how they talk. Very cheesy.

Note #3: Adam's whole coming out thing at the end, it's also very Power Rangers, since by the end of each episode, whatever problems the characters were dealing with were overcome/solved (which also isn't realistic in my opinion).

I really did have a good laugh writing Tommy and Adam's dialog bits. I don't usually write like that, so it was a fun experience.

BETA: TheSupernova

The Vice-Versa Dance at Angel Grove High School was coming up and Adam was not looking forward to it, for a variety of reasons.

Generally speaking, he wasn't a fan of school dances because the lot of them pretty much required asking a partner (of the female persuasion) to accompany you, or risk going alone, both of which were equally as awkward for him.

Back in Stone Canyon, the last dance he bothered to go to had been with a girl who only asked him to go with her because she wanted to make her boyfriend jealous. Unsurprisingly, that did nothing for his self-esteem. And going to a dance alone was about as awkward as pretending he was interested in his date beyond friendship (they were always under the impression he was interested in more).

Once Adam transferred to Angel Grove High, the first dance of the year (as far as Adam, Rocky and Aiesha were concerned) was the vice-versa dance. The female was expected to ask the male to the dance, instead of the other way around; Adam never understood the stereotype of why the female couldn't be the askee under typical circumstances. In his experience, he's experienced both as equally, although being gay, the female-male dynamic made even less of a difference.

Adam had two options: get a date to the dance or go alone. He wasn't about to go alone. After lamenting over not having a date Aiesha had the bright idea to set him up with a girl from the volleyball team.

"I think I know her," Adam said. Yeah, she's the girl he's been pseudo-flirting with, just because he couldn't figure out a way to tell her he wasn't interested. Apparently she was more invested in their not-really relationship then he realized and besides, he hadn't actually thought she would be asking him of all people.

"She totally likes you, you know," Aiesha said, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet. "She's been trying to work up the courage to ask you to the dance. Why don't you show up at her next volleyball match? Give her a chance."

Adam was uncomfortable, because it was bad enough he was leading her on; he didn't actually want her to think this was anything more than just a friendship/dance thing.

"I guess I can," Adam replied hesitantly. "I'm free after school, I can drop by."

He was digging himself a hole and Adam wasn't sure he could find his way out of it alone.

Adam may not have had much experience dating—or flirting—with the same sex, but that didn't mean he couldn't.

The object of his affections: Tommy Oliver. Now, whether or not his advances towards the white ranger were being reciprocated was another story. He thought maybe they were, because he knew the tell-tale signs of all that flirting entails. The last few weeks they were getting on well, extremely well, but Adam had his doubts, the source of which belonged to the pink ranger, Kimberly.

He never claimed to have finesse in his flirting techniques, and he may have been a bit clownish or ungainly at times, but he was a Picasso compared to the bull in a China shop Kimberly was. Tommy didn't seem put off-the opposite almost. They were most likely at the very-close-friends stage, which was never far from the dating stage.

Adam resigned himself to another year of pitiful hiding and decided to visit the volleyball game; it wouldn't be so bad going with her, as long as he had fun with his friends as well. He saw Tommy, Kimberly and Billy in the crowd surrounding the game. Great. The girl he was going (begrudgingly) to the dance with (if Aiesha was correct) and Tommy, who Adam really wanted to go to the dance with.

He couldn't do this, couldn't ask her (or vice-versa) when Tommy was right there. Unsure what to do, Adam slowly backed away, down the other side of the hilltop overlooking the volleyball game.

He must have been pacing the grounds longer then he realized, because next he looked, the game had ended and the setup crew was tearing down the nets and posts. The remnants of the crowd were milling about, along with a few members of each team, but the girl Aiesha had told him about was gone and so were his friends.

Adam made his way back towards the Angel Grove Youth Center. His friends would probably be headed there as well, and there was no reason to avoid them just because he didn't have a date for the dance.

Tommy caught Adam just before he entered the youth center.

"Can I talk to you?" Tommy asked. "In private?"

Adam grinned, "Of course."

They walked around towards the back, which overlooked the park. Under the shadow of the building, Adam planted himself on the bench next to Tommy; looked nervous about something, unable to sit still.

After a minute or two of watching the park vista, Adam prodded Tommy with his elbow.

"Everything okay?" Adam tilted his head, worried. Tommy wasn't the nervous type, not usually.

Tommy went straight to the point. "You know I'm bisexual, right?"

"I had my suspicions." Adam said. Mostly because I'm pretty sure you've been flirting with me, though I couldn't prove it.

"Are you going to the dance? I know it's supposed to be the females asking the males but..." Tommy trailed off, but Adam picked up the thought.

"But for some of us, it doesn't work like that, huh?"

Tommy shook his head. "Not really."

Silence stretched out between them and Adam could almost feel the anxiety thick in the air. Tommy wasn't saying anything, so Adam decided to bring up the Kimberly thing, since it was Tommy who decided to bring up the bisexual-dance thing.

"Hasn't she already asked you to the dance?" Adam questioned, confident that Tommy knew exactly what he was talking about. He did.

"Yeah, but she's not the person I want to go with. She doesn't..." Tommy sighed, shaking his head. "It's difficult. I'm not interested in her like that, and she knows it but sometimes I don't think she does. She's never crossed the line, she respects our friendship. But I don't mind being close to her if it's only between friends."

Adam wasn't sure what to say to that; he didn't want to get his hopes up that Tommy might be interested in him like that but the fluttering in his stomach wasn't listening.

Tommy turned towards Adam, taking one of Adam's hands within his own.

"Come with me." Tommy asked. "To the dance."

"I-"

"Not just that. I want to take you on a proper date. I want you to go out with me, please."

Adam broke Tommy's gaze, lowering his head. "I will." He said. "But I'm scared, too. You know I'm in the closet and going in public, means... means I'm scared, I guess."

"I'll be right here. I'm out and our friends-they know, and they don't care." Tommy smiled at him. "They'll understand, even Aiesha."

Apparently Tommy had been informed of Aiesha's little setup.

Adam looked up at Tommy. "I don't want to hide anymore."

Tommy pulled Adam up to his feet, holding his hand. He refused to let go. "I think we should tell the others that we're going to the dance. And I want to show off the man who accepted my invitation."

"No more closets." Adam dipped his head, smiling shyly. "If it's you? Not even Lord Zedd can convince me to hide who I am anymore."

They broke out in laughter as they made their way to the front doors, Adam lagging slightly behind.

"Come on," Tommy said. "They're waiting for us inside."

+End+