Disclaimer: I do not nor have I ever owned PR. I just like to borrow the characters from time to time.

AN: And we're back with my first writing love. I've recently had the chance to catch up on Megaforce and I can already see my ships for this team forming in my head. The one that I'm becoming particularly attached to is Troy and Emma. I think they have some real chemistry and I'm having fun exploring it through fic.

This fic is set after episode six "Harmony and Dizchord" and will be the first in a series of related oneshots that I'm currently working on.

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Troy could feel the pressure behind his eyes building even as the 'music' from Ernie's disappeared as he ran for the curb with the others. Apparently he was still sensitive to the sound despite the monsters defeat which made him glance at Emma seeing as they'd been the most affected earlier and he found that she had a wince on her face and a hand at her temple.

"Headache?" he asked her as he did his best to keep his voice down as she looked up at him and nodded.

"Those sound waves did a number on us didn't they?" she asked.

"Definitely putting a dent in our plans that's for sure," he replied because he had been looking forward to spending the rest of the afternoon with his friends before heading home. Now all he wanted to do was go home, lay in the dark, and maybe take a nap.

"Well there goes the rest of our afternoon," Jake grumbled.

"Afternoon? Try our hangout if he keeps playing that," Noah told them.

"Oh he's not going to," Gia assured them. "Because tomorrow one of you is going to distract Ernie long enough so I can go behind the counter and delete any and all traces of that recording before he plays it again."

The four remaining rangers paused and stared at her.

"You are devious," Noah commented. Gia grinned.

"Which means you'll help?"

"I'm in!" Jake interrupted before anyone else could. Troy bit back the grin that threatened to escape and a glance at Emma told him she was going the same thing. "Why don't we go in there right now and get it done?"

"Because I have an English essay that I need to start on before the next monster attack," she responded before she smiled at Emma. "Want to go to the library?"

"Can I take a rain check?" Emma asked. "My head's still aching from earlier and hearing that sound again didn't help. I think I'm just going to go get my bike from the woods and head home for the night."

"Are you sure? I can come over too," Gia said. Emma smiled as she shook her head.

"No you go work on your essay. I'm going to be super boring tonight," she said.

"Maybe you shouldn't walk into the woods alone if you're not feeling well," Noah said. "What if you get attacked?"

"Maybe all of us should go with you," Jake suggested.

"It's not the worst idea," Gia mentioned.

"Guys that's really sweet of you but…" Emma tensed as she watched Gia get ready to counter whatever argument she was about to make and when it came to her best friend Emma found it hard to say no. Especially when said best friend was only worried about her. But the thought of all of them going out into the woods was making her headache a little worse.

"I have a suggestion," Troy interrupted before anyone else could say anything. "My head's doing the same thing as Emma's right now so I think I want to call it a night. I live closer to the woods than most of you so I'll walk with her, make sure she gets her bike, and then the three of you can get that studying done."

Emma shot him a grateful look and he smiled at her in return.

"Studying? Dude we," Jake motioned to himself and Noah. "Never said anything about studying."

"But it certainly wouldn't hurt to start studying for that chemistry test next week," Noah told him.

"Dude really?" Jake whined even as Noah shot him a look.

"Are you two sure you'll be alright?" Gia asked. "That thing hit you pretty hard earlier."

"We'll be fine," Emma promised. "We probably just need a good night's sleep to get rid of the side effects."

"And if that doesn't work then we'll call Gosei tomorrow," Troy promised. "Sound like a plan?"

The others nodded and he turned to focus on Emma.

"Ready to go?"

"Absolutely," she smiled as they turned away from their friends and started to make their way towards the gaggle of trees in the distance. Gia watched until they disappeared, noted how they walked so close together, secret little smiles on their faces when they thought the other one wasn't looking. She shook her head and sent a silent wish that this worked out for both of her friends before she turned to the other two.

"Library?"

"I'm in," Noah told her.

"Definitely need to get some studying in," Jake said. Gia rolled her eyes at his enthusiastic answer but let them walk with her all the same. He was definitely starting to grow on her and she could use the time to get to know the both of them a little better outside of the Ranger side of their lives. She hoped that Troy and Emma would take the same opportunity so she could get all the details tomorrow.

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The sounds of the city faded away as the forest got closer. Emma let out a breath of relief as the pounding in her head lessened. It was still there but definitely more manageable than before. All she had to do now was walk with Troy to get her bike, get home, change into her sweats, and curl up in a ball for the night.

"Thanks for the save earlier," she remarked. His gaze focused on her and a smile crept onto his face. It made Emma flush because there was absolutely no denying that Troy was attractive but the smile on his face just made him light up. In the short time that she'd known him, come to call him friend, teammate, and leader she could say that she loved it when he smiled.

"No problem. The others definitely meant well," Troy answered.

"And I love them for it," she told him. "But sometimes you just need peace and quiet."

"Especially after that monster," he winced. "I think that was the worst music I've ever heard."

"Same," she laughed. "I will have nightmares about that music."

"I'd say the same thing but I'm still focused on your voice and-" Troy stopped talking and his eyes went wide. Emma watched as a flush spread across his cheeks and felt the one that had been creeping along her own deepen. "I just said that out loud didn't I?"

"Yep."

"And there's no chance you'll forget it?"

"Nope," she bit her lip when he nodded and for a fleeting moment she wished Gia was here. Gia who had more experience with this sort of thing, who'd give her advice, who'd help her interpret looks and blushes on boys that had been quietly working their way into her mind. But if Gia were here things wouldn't be like this, she wouldn't get his smile or his blush and she wouldn't get those butterflies moving around in her stomach. And she wanted all of those things in a way she never had before.

"Emma?" Troy's question brought her back to the present and the fact that they'd stopped moving just inside the forest and the fact that he looked so worried. "Please tell me that I didn't just ruin our friendship by saying that?"

"Of course not!" she told him. "It would take a lot more than that to scare me off. I was just… I was…I'm just not good at any of this."

"Not good at what?"

"With guys and flirting and-," she cut herself off before she could say anything else and made sure to look at a tree behind Troy rather than right at him. She had had no intention of blurting that out but it seemed the buzzing in her head also took away a bit of her brain to mouth filter as well.

"I think you're doing just fine," Troy told her. She blinked in surprise and took her gaze back to his.

"Really?"

"I wouldn't mind if you wanted to keep trying," he smiled at her again and the butterflies in her stomach swirled around. "And….if you wanted I could try too. I don't have that much experience either. We could…try together."

"Are you…asking me out?"

"Yes. I think so. Unless you don't want to and then we can forget this ever happened and-"

"I want to," she interrupted.

He looked surprised at the response but she smiled.

"I want to," she repeated. "If you want to."

"I definitely want to," he responded.

"Great."

"Good."

"Dessert on Friday night after the monster inevitably attacks?" he suggested, she nodded.

"I'll meet you at Ernie's and we can go from there?"

"I'll be there," Troy promised.

"Awesome," she grinned. His smile got wider.

"We should keep walking…go and get your bike."

"Right, my bike," she turned to continue their walk into the forest and was surprised when she felt Troy's hand brush against hers. She looked at him again and he had a blush on his face that spread down his neck when she echoed his action from earlier. "Come on," she took a chance, laced their fingers together, and squeezed his hand. He looked surprised for all of two seconds before he squeezed her hand right back and let her lead the way into the forest.

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Thank you for reading.