What You Own, a power rangers fanfic

What You Own

I don't own Power Rangers, or Rent

Summary: Dustin slowly begins to invade Ninja Ops. Cam is unsure how to feel about the whole situation.

Cam/Dustin, established couple

Takes place mid-series.

-:-:-:-:-:-

The exceptionally crafted invasion strategy began harmlessly enough, a single yellow toothbrush slanted lazily opposite Cam's atop his bathroom sink, breaching the walls of his sanctuary in a completely innocent fashion, broadcasting an air of harmless existence, (surely a toothbrush belonged with other toothbrushes, what qualms could anyone have with this?) so insignificant that Cam was completely unbothered by its presence.

He was unaware of the significance of this action, nor the significance of the initial play.

Though in retrospect, he's not sure if he would have bothered to alter his reaction.

-:-:-:-:-:-

It took until the second intrusion for Cam to recognize that the groundwork for a greater scheme was commencing, though again, at the time he didn't think much of it. He assumed that this, like most of Dustin's plans, were of the short-term, instantaneous gratification sort. It wasn't a large fault in his nature; the yellow ranger simply lacked the patience and dedication to be able to execute anything of greater proportions. At least, that generally tended to be the case.

There were some goals, it seemed, that the mechanic valued so highly he was willing to mend his shortcomings for.

By the end of it, Cam was flattered, though he was still slightly miffed by his failure to distinguish these deviations from Dustin's normal behavior sooner.

Alas, he cannot "win them all".

The green ranger had been running several scans through Cyber Cam's mainframe (to ensure all the glitches were thoroughly removed, he did not desire any repeat hostage incidents) when he discovered excess activity transpiring in the main room of Ninja Ops. This alone was not too unusual an occurrence; Cyber Cam had been designed to run most of his security checks through the main console there, but what was odd, and Cam immediately set out to discover the source of this alteration in normal operating procedures, was that atop of the standard energy Cyber Cam consumed for his usual executions, there were added levels that were confirmation of Cyber Cam physically materializing and interacting. Which meant someone was in the main room and Cyber Cam had decided against informing his creator about it for whatever reasons (Cam cursed his abilities to create such a lifelike AI, perhaps he should have gone and made a complete duplicate, it would save him from aggravations like this).

As he crossed down the hallway from his lab, sounds validated the tech's assumptions, though his grimace gradually turned into a smile once he realized who it was.

And then he cursed again, because apparently Cyber Cam's preferences were so similar to his own that he was willing to bend the rules for Dustin. Granted, Cam would do the same in a heartbeat, it was just unsettling to know his own creation, run by him, was very willing to bend his designer's rules for the yellow ranger. Given his introductory into the world, Cam was not terribly surprised by this, though that didn't mean he wasn't going to do his damnedest to rectify the situation later.

Real Cam got the guy, and Cyber Cam could satisfy himself those mindless video games he seemed so fond of.

Yeah…between the exhausted nights he spent programming the guy (as Dustin so fondly called him, because "machines are people too Cam", even if by their very definition they were not) and experiments gone wrong that fractured at least half of his hardware (Cam had thought by this point he had repaired all the damage), Cam was not entirely sure what went wrong with Cyber Cam to make him so…him.

So long as he continued to coordinate battles, keep the zords and power disks in working condition, and monitor the security systems in a manner that was at least optimal, Cam didn't care.

…unless he started hitting on Dustin.

Then, the circuit boards would be flying.

As the tech drew closer to the door he listened as his creation and the yellow ranger bantered back and forth, Dustin apparently occupied with...a box, by the sound of it, and Cyber Cam attempting to offer his services. When these were denied, he settled for offering words of encouragement.

Or whatever Cyber Cam interpreted as words of encouragement.

"Seriously dude, if you and that box got in a fight, I think the box would win." A muffled huff, Cam could just picture Dustin glaring at the hologram, and then the rustling continued, the sounds of cardboard sliding across the floor as Dustin wrestled with…whatever he was messing with. The box then. "Look, at least let me get you a knife or something," Cyber Cam offered, legitimately trying to be helpful, and the rustling stopped for a moment, Cam assuming that Dustin was waving at the program distractedly.

"No," the curly-haired teen stubbornly replied, tone of voice evident of a pout, "I'm a Power Ranger, I got this."

Before they could continue their argument (and they would, for a very long period of time until somebody interrupted them) Cam calmly walked into the room, casually observing the scene before him. Dustin was perched innocently on the ground, fighting with the tape on a box containing some build-it-yourself furniture. On closer inspection Cam recognized it as a small DVD case. Cyber Cam, usual programs running on the screen behind him, sat idly in Cam's swivel chair, watching the yellow ranger struggle to open the cardboard container with a look of barely concealed amusement.

The yellow ranger perked up immediately on seeing him, abandoning his self-appointed task and leaping off of the floor, capturing Cam in a quick hug that passed the border of excitement and went straight into unrestrained enthusiasm. The tech returned the gesture easily, reveling in it for a moment before getting back on track, reminding himself of his original enquiry.

What was Dustin doing here that Cyber Cam didn't want him to know about?

"Dustin," he began, only mildly distracted by the yellow ranger's fixation with nuzzling his neck. "The box?" he asked, gesturing to the offending item, and Dustin pulled away from him slightly, arms still locked around the green ranger's waist as he innocently batted his eyes.

"You like it?" he asked, bouncing up and down steadily on the balls of his feet, as though he was barely able to contain the enthusiasm inspired by this…box.

Cam opted against responding to the question and moved on, releasing Dustin and gliding around him until he was nestled into the tech's side, view of said box now undisturbed.

"Why is it here?" Cam asked, glancing back and forth between Dustin and his cyber duplicate (the latter now disregarding all attempts at hiding his amusement and waving happily, smug look immediately informing Cam he would get nothing from him).

Dustin smiled widely, squeezing his side tight, "It's from my sister!" he exclaimed, motioning to it. "Well…kind've. She bought this for her apartment, but it turns out she doesn't like it, or like, it doesn't go with her fung sway or something-"

"Feng shui." Cam corrected, and Dustin nodded absently, eyes still glued on the box.

"Yeah, shway, right. Anyway, she doesn't like it and she can't return it so she just left it at home, and I thought, you know, I could bring it here so you wouldn't keep tripping over all the games and stuff."

'The games', being one of Dustin's more fortuitous discoveries. Even before they began dating Dustin would often storm into Ninja Ops with the intention of coercing Cam into trying out the latest video game or whatever was the rage that month, convinced that because of Cam's programming prowess and intellect he would be a seasoned gamer, which, of course, was not the case. Cam very rarely set aside time for such wasteful endeavors and he could barely tolerate solitaire in the few moments he had to wait for something to load. As expected, the curly-haired teen was disappointed when he discovered this, though Cam's position on gaming did very little to dissuade his attempts at engagement, all of which Cam had prominently ignored.

Until, that was, he discovered that Cyber Cam (because Cam programmed him to be up-to-date on the latest and greatest technology had to offer) was more than willing to play with Dustin, even going so far as to allow the yellow ranger to win from time to time.

Cam couldn't decide whether to be pissed or thankful for the situation, so for the time being he allowed it to continue because Dustin was happy, and the yellow ranger had made it very clear by this point who his favorite Cam was.

The tech nodded slowly, deciding to appreciate the thoughtfulness of the gesture (he was getting rather sick of tripping over miscellaneous game cases, and he was never one to discourage organization) and he subsequently expressed his gratitude, ignoring Cyber Cam's backtrack of holographic fireworks as he pulled Dustin into a slow kiss. Together, he and the yellow ranger managed to construct the small bookcase and tuck it neatly away out of sight, alphabetizing Dustin's current selection of games while the mechanic and Cyber Cam excitedly chatted about cheat codes. Cam knew this was leading to something bigger, or at least, slightly larger then this, he just wasn't aware of what it could be.

With Dustin, he had learned that accurate assumptions could never really be made based on exhibited behavior; so for the time being he would simply have to sit back and observe.

So he did.

-:-:-:-:-:-

It was a well-known fact that Dustin was an enthusiastic fan of pillows.

By 'enthusiastic', as Tori has so dubbed him, they meant that the yellow ranger collected as many of the fluffy accessories as he can manage, organizing and arranging them in nonsensical patterns that could only be justified by his person.

Cam had barely noticed their introduction into the Ops at first; there were only a select few here and there. One on the couch in the tv room, a couple tucked away in the corner for post-battle debriefs, when they were exhausted (Dustin convinced they had special healing powers of fluff the rest of them were just continuously unaware of), there was one in the kitchen…for whatever reasons. They had trickled in slowly, one-by-one, allowing Cam to become slowly adjusted to them.

Of course, that was until Dustin hit his bedroom. Apparently when beds were involved, it was either "Go big, or go home" in his book.

It was quite a sight to see.

Cam had stumbled in upon him accidentally. He was aware of the yellow ranger's presences in the Ops but hadn't bothered to keep track of it, Wednesday's were game days and Cam had assumed that the power readout he had received from the main room was evidence of Dustin and Cyber Cam's usual transactions, though it was now clear that wasn't the case. Dustin, incapable of fighting off a guilty face if his life depended on it (and Cam very grateful it never did or they would all suffer for it), fidgeted in place shyly, not attempting to disguise the massive mound of pillows haphazardly dumped on Cam's bed.

So this was the secret mission that Cyber Cam was covering for.

The green ranger lifted an eyebrow slowly, evaluating the disorganized mob of cushions that decorated his bedspread, and Dustin grinned broadly, flopping down on the mess and beckoning him over, tucking himself under a neon green pillow to allow Cam access. The tech slid in carefully, not wanting to knock any pillows off (despite their intended purpose Dustin was kind've touchy about their care) and looked at the mechanic in question, patiently awaiting the explanation the other teen had no chance of holding back.

He didn't have to wait long.

"You're bed's not cozy," Dustin immediately burst once he was properly cuddled into Cam's side. "Well," he picked up again, and Cam prepared himself for the amendment that was to follow. "It is," yes, Cam knew. "But like…not 'home' cozy." He blinked innocently and turned his head to Cam in conformation. "Like, its soft and all, but it needs to feel a little more like…"

"Home?" Cam offered, opting not to point out the flaws in this logic. This was Cam's home; therefore his bed is incapable of "feeling" like anything but home.

Yet, he digresses.

"Yeah!" Dustin cheered, happy to have successfully communicated his point, and he magiced a bright yellow pillow out of nowhere, stroking its worn-out edges fondly. Were Cam to dwell on it, he would assume that was Dustin's favorite pillow. A warm feeling spread through his chest at the idea of Dustin so willingly sharing it with him.

Cam cleared his throat quickly, needing to switch his focus before he could act on these feelings. Usually he was all for embracing this, but being aware of your surrounding was key in ninja training, and he would rather not instigate any actions on a bed they might grow to regret later.

Lothor had been quiet for the past three days; it was about time for him to rear his ugly head.

But Dustin seemed content with snuggling, so Cam decided to go for a joke instead, casually drawing his fingers through the other ranger's curly hair. "There's not going to be enough room for us, at this rate."

"Dude," Dustin sighed, epitome of content. "We'll just get a bigger bed"

Cam smiled, small but present, attempting to contain his mirth. "Contrary to popular belief," he chided, entertaining himself by listening to Dustin's satisfied hums. "Our funds are not unlimited."

Dustin stilled for a moment, frowning in thought, and then frowning deeper when Cam similarly halted his movements, shooting the tech a glance that clearly communicated his lack of appreciation, and Cam resumed his massage, Dustin settling back down. It took a few minutes (painstakingly long, now that Cam's curiosity was peaked) before Dustin recalled his sudden reflection, and he turned back towards Cam eagerly, eyes shining bright.

"How do you guys pay for stuff?"

Cam paused this time, unaware as his mind pondered the subject, and he realized with a start he was not entirely sure how his father managed to provide for Ninja Ops. Mind still churning, he answered distractedly, bothered by his lack of intel. "An underground Black Op organization finances us."

It wasn't until Dustin began to stare at him in that specifically unique, half-confused, half-amazed way that Cam comprehended his joke. The yellow ranger continued to stare at him, doubt sinking in, and Cam tried again.

"Thoroughly planned jewelry heists," he offered, shrugging his outside shoulder while Dustin just continued to stare.

After a moment Cam looked off to the side, lowering his voice as he eventually admits, "…I don't actually know."

Dustin's reaction was immediate, and as expected, completely illogical. He perked up quickly, darting his eyes around the room as though he were expecting an assault of some kind.

"What-" Cam began to ask, but Dustin held up a silencing hand, eyes still investigating their surroundings.

"Shh," he whispered, looking around some more. Eventually he was satisfied that whatever he had anticipated was not going to happen and lies back down. "Huh," he exhaled, curling back into Cam's side. "The world isn't ending."

Cam blinked slowly, then glared at the top of Dustin's head, unappreciative of the joke.

Dustin, as though seeing his actions, simply laughed, patting the tech's chest comfortingly. "Hey, maybe you guys won the lottery," he proposed, voice jubilant, and Cam flicked his head playfully, earning a distracted swat.

"Sure," he grumbled, mind thoroughly distracted from the pillow nest, completely occupied with this money conundrum.

The mechanic, unaware of his mental absence, continued on, happily weaving together a story, complete with vivid hand motions to illustrate his point. "If I ever won the lottery I would totally get one of those bull riding machines," he declared, waving his arm like he was holding an invisible a lasso. "I've never been on one, but just the idea of having one…" he settled back with a dreamy look on his face, mind a million miles away. "Awesome"

They didn't discuss the pillows anymore after that, their minds far too absorbed with imaginary victories and loose money trails.

-:-:-:-:-:-

The couch was an unexpected touch, though its presence and desired location ultimately seemed fitting, once Cam thought on it.

He caught the team, (and by team he meant that all of them had been recruited for this particular endeavor) unloading a dingy, worn out sofa, brown and frayed and littered with stains of assuredly mysterious origins into the Zord Bay. None of them looked particularly sorry, Shane and Hunter (the two currently designated as movers) simply continued to maneuver the thing against the wall by Cam's main zord console, after they registered his presence. Tori directed them while Blake and Dustin offered words of encouragement, none of them bothering with the simple act of explaining until Cam prodded Dustin as forcefully as he could while still remaining in friendly bounds.

Blake sent him a knowing look and drifted away, regrouping with his girlfriend, while Dustin smiled at the tech shamelessly, clearly proud of this furniture accomplishment.

"It's a meditation couch!" he grinned, motioning to the aged sofa victoriously. "Like, this place is great for connecting with your Zord-" This was the first Cam had heard of anything even remotely pertaining to Zord connection ever. "-but there's no comfy place to sit." Dustin patted Cam's back enthusiastically, staring at the couch as though it were his greatest masterpiece. "Besides," he added, "it was free."

Which did very little to settle Cam's nerves.

Cautiously he glanced over to Shane to receive some kind of confirmation, because Dustin had been known to…misunderstand the applications of the word "free" in certain situations. Returning a refrigerator was not a particularly conventional use for ninja training, but their backs had been against the wall. Besides, Cam had been able to label the entire incident as a training exercise, so no real harm had been done.

Shane smiled in return, aware of his hesitations, and nodded his head.

Good, Cam thought.

It hadn't exactly been pleasant dealing with Dustin after he discovered he had accidentally stolen something.

Before Cam had any chance to continue his inquisition Dustin was bounding off, testing out the couch with Shane and Hunter now that it had been placed in the proper position, and high fives were offered all around for a job well done.

In the meantime the tech's mind wandered, musing over the new addition, pondering its significance.

It was a couch; a couch in a completely useless place that any of them rarely visited. It was dark and ugly, but comfortable with its shaggy fluff, and in the end Cam simply decided to label this entire incident as inconsequential to the bigger picture.

-:-:-:-:-:-

When he checked back a few days later, the couch was littered with a rainbow assortment of pillows, at least one of each of their colors present.

Cam rearranged the yellow and green pillows to be next to each other, and ignored Cyber Cam's attempts at goading him on the subject.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Try as he might, Cam could not understand the necessity for Dustin to procure his own personal blender. There wasn't anything wrong with the one provided in the Ops kitchen (aside from neglect, but Cam had been sure not to allow it to fall into disrepair) so the necessity for another, no matter the color, was completely illogical.

But logic and Dustin were two contrasting agents, so Cam wasn't surprised when he discovered the bright yellow appliance shining gallantly atop his kitchen counter on a not-so-notable Sunday.

He should put his foot down, there was no reason for this, there was no…it didn't add up in Cam's mind, and if there was one thing he loathed, it was when the pieces refused to mash together. He had prepared a rather compelling speech to address this matter whenever he next saw Dustin, perfectly thought out, planned, simply awaiting execution. Cam had stages, he made spreadsheets, he had mapped out all possible detours (and with Dustin, there were a number of possibilities) that could conceivably be thought of.

Cam had been more than prepared.

And then he walked in on what could only be described as an adorable scene, Dustin covered in the failed attempts of a milkshake as he struggled to find the misplaced lid.

The make out session that followed allowed Cam to see the opportunities this blender could provide, and from then on he endorsed it and all other kitchen-related appliances Dustin desired.

He was not wrapped around the others finger; he merely… appreciated the potential of Dustin's eccentricities.

Yes, potential.

-:-:-:-:-:-

As purposeless as the couch was in the Zord Bay, Cam couldn't help but feel that the newly constructed blanket fort in the tv room might just be a greater waste of effort. Truly, it could serve no actual purpose, it was tucked out-of-the-way, completely out of sight of the tv. It wasn't near anything and it didn't provide anything, it simply…existed.

However, this did not stop Cam from taking a few minutes to make it more structurally sound. If Dustin did spend time in there, Cam would hate for the yellow ranger's private…whatever this was to collapse around him.

If Dustin noticed his alterations, he only communicated so with a smile.

-:-:-:-:-:-

A few weeks later, Cyber Cam was as unsuccessful at distracting him as he had been the first time he had been issued the task, for this time Cam immediately set out to his room to in order to discover why his AI was nulling out the signals of the motion sensors Cam had just upgraded in the hallways.

What he discovered was…a mess.

His old bed, still in perfect, working condition, was discarded in the hallway, bed frame completely dismantled beside it, and a mattress, at least queen size in bulk, was sticking half out of his door, grunts of exertion echoing from beyond it. As he watched, the bed was slowly dragged into the abyss, two distinct voices (Tori and Dustin's, if he heard correctly) passing loving jokes back and forth as they made their progress.

Cam didn't stick around to witness any more, he didn't want to allow his emotions to control him, even though he couldn't quite fight off the feeling of violation that struck at his core. He left before he could say something he would regret, choosing to keep to his silence until he could safely carry out a conversation without fear of lashing out.

-:-:-:-:-:-

His silence lasted two weeks.

Two weeks where there were no new arrivals in the Ops, two weeks where he was both increasingly exceptional in productivity and so sub-par in his work output that it was pathetic, depending on his mood at the time. He still talked to Dustin and the others as normally as he would have before; he was simply…occupied, with his work.

That was all.

At two weeks and one day Dustin slid into his lab quietly, during one of his less-successful work periods. The guilt was there, on his face, twisted in his restless thumbs, gripping at the edges of his sleeves, strong enough for Cam to cease his attempts at work and give him his undivided attention. It was disarming to see that on further inspection; underneath the guilt was fear, uncertainty, because while Dustin was aware of what lines he had crossed he was unsure of how to rectify the situation without worsening it.

Cam, weakened by his other half, decided to take the lead for him, addressing him in a manner that was slightly cooler than he had intended.

"It wasn't that you didn't ask," he explained, keeping his voice level, and Dustin leaned forward, eagerly soaking in his explanation, grappling for something to anchor to. Cam picked up again, forcing himself to ignore Dustin's reactions. "It was that you assumed I would say no."

Yes, he had been mildly upset that his home was being continuously invaded without his permission, but what bothered him more, far more than that ever could, was the fact that Dustin believed he was so strict that these changes…these inclusions into his life were going to be outright denied.

He didn't want to address how deeply this wounded him.

Cam had looked off to the side after his confession, preparing to turn back to his work, but Dustin was there in an instant, interpreting and understanding all the things he didn't have the strength to say. He tugged at Cam's arms, pulling him into an embrace and firmly holding him, squeezing his sides.

His admission was muffled by Cam's shirt, but the tech still heard it, adamant and strong as his lips wrestled against the green material. "I wanted to surprise you," Dustin said, hands fisting in Cam's shirt. "I just wanted…" he trailed off, resting his ear against Cam's chest, listening to the steady pounding of his heart. "I wanted you to feel special."

Cam was frozen at the thought, face flushing bright red as he realized how terribly he had misinterpreted Dustin's intentions. He had been so used to having absolute control over his environment, to the very last detail, because he was its sole occupant. He was alone in a base built for dozens, and Dustin, in his oddly bizarre way, was just trying to let him know that he didn't have to live that way anymore. He had a team, a family and a boyfriend, all of which wanted to keep him involved in the process of living.

It was touching and almost too monstrous for him to comprehend, so Cam settled for pressing a loving kiss atop Dustin's forehead, letting him know it was all okay.

Everything was okay.

-:-:-:-:-:-

There was a variety after that, of objects and clothes and ideas that sleuthed their way into Ninja Ops. Dustin informing Cam about some of them and allowing others to remain surprised delights, hidden in plain sight. The movement no longer bothered Cam, not when his lab chair was replaced by a dark green replica or when Dustin's clothes started appearing in his closet, or his favorite foods in the kitchen. Much like his bed, Dustin had made his home feel more like…home, and Cam couldn't be anymore grateful.

He was in the garage, replacing one of the Mobile Command Center's tires (the third one this week) when he stumbled upon Dustin's toolbox left open near the Tsunami Cycles, probably abandoned just before an attack. Cam inspected the well-used tools fondly, marveling at how comfortable Dustin was with… all this. He was ridiculously fearless about this whole situation, tackling things with ease where others would halt, clouded with doubt.

The yellow ranger had a particularly simple approach to life, something that Cam was beginning to get behind.

A small cough, muffled by fur and size, reverberated throughout the shop, preceding the appearance of his father, undoubtedly coming to check up on him.

Cam titled his head towards the toolbox, gently setting down the wrench he had been examining. "Dustin's," he explained, and his father simply nodded, fully aware of the increasing presence of the yellow ranger's personal effects in Ninja Ops.

"I see," he murmured, keeping, as he always did, the majority of his opinions to himself.

Cam couldn't blame him for that, there had to be a fine line between father and Sensei.

They stood there in silence for a time, each occupied with their separate thoughts, until his father timidly spoke up again, turning to face Cam with his usual poise and reverence. "You are aware of the couch occupying a portion of the east wall in the Zord Bay, correct?"

His father had always been difficult to read, and the added fur and animal features did little to aid Cam's ability to interpret his facial expressions, but if he was forced to describe how his father looked right now, Cam would say he was…confused.

What a novel experience.

The tech nodded in reply and his father turned away again, facing back towards the discarded toolbox. "Are you aware of its purpose?" he asked, genuinely puzzled, and Cam smiled, recalling how he had faced similar queries.

But Cam was feeling selfish today, as selfish as his job could allow him to be, so he decided against sharing the reason why, because the couch itself, the couch was meaningless.

What it stood for, on the other hand…

That was something special.

"No," he replied, not troubling himself with hiding the smile that adorned his face as his father stared at him quizzically. Before he could shoot off another question, Cam countered with a query of his own, something that had been plaguing him for quite awhile. "Father," he asked, leaning casually against the counter. "How exactly is Ninja Ops funded?"

His father stiffened immediately, attempting to hide it as he slowly folded his arms across his chest. Eventually he gave his answer, though, as Cam expected, it was completely unsatisfactory.

"There are some things Cam," the brown-haired guinea replied, tone unwavering, "that a ninja master must keep to himself."

So, Cam thought as his father made a hasty retreat, you don't know either.

Well…it wasn't the end of the world.

Dustin had already proved to him how beneficial it could be to remain in the dark.

And at the end of the day, he was all Cam cared about.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Endnotes:

Hi, all! I was struck with the urge to write a Power Rangers one shot, as I hadn't done it before, and ended up with this!

Yes, I know, it's fluffity fluff and captures a lot of the stuff I've been putting into my other stories (for those of you who have read those. For those that haven't, hi, I'm Paisley!), but I just wanted to put out a little taste of my writing without having to make people commit to the longer stories.

I couldn't help but comment on how Ninja Ops is funded, because that's not something you really discuss in a kid's show but really, how do they keep up and running? Do they play the stock market? HOW DO YOU DO IT SENSEI KANOI?

Yeah, I've got nothing…we all just, glaze over that little fact

*shrug* Whatever works.

If you semi-enjoyed this reviews would be great! If you didn't….review anyway?

Yes, I believe that is right.

Until next time.