Just a quick heads up for language and 'scenes of an adult nature' for this chapter. Nothing major but almost certainly PG-13. It is from Hunter's perspective after all!
Part 6.
Hunter never expected to find love in Blue Bay Harbour.
If he's being honest, he'd never expected to find love full stop and was fully prepared to spend the rest of his life – however long that may be – alone. Kinda sad for someone so young but given all the shit that's happened to him, everything he's gone through, he figures he has the right to be bitter and jaded if he wants to be.
He'd never planned to spend long in Blue Bay. But the Bradleys' original plan of 'get in, get revenge, get out' didn't materialise, which in retrospect is a good thing because if they'd been successful they'd probably have destroyed the world. Or helped it down that path at the very least.
Instead the plan becomes 'hang around and make sure the Winds don't accidently let Lothor win'. Despite Blake throwing himself into their new life, Hunter knows it isn't meant to be permanent. It isn't meant to last. It's temporary; another stopping place before they move on again. That's how Hunter views it anyway. It soon becomes apparent his brother has other ideas and, while the fate of Earth still hangs in the balance, the older Bradley is content to… not dissuade these notions. He has to concede Blue Bay isn't a terrible place to stay, for a time. It's not like he's going to be here forever. And love definitely isn't on the cards.
He certainly never expected the person he'd fall in love with would be Shane.
Shane.
The leader. The teenage skater who somehow ended up in charge of Earth's defenders. The guy Hunter clashed with more than anyone he'd ever met before. Who somehow became the guy Hunter allowed behind his defences, to get close to him. To get close enough to hurt him.
He doesn't remember the exact moment his feelings towards the air ninja changed, but he recalls the moment he'd noticed they'd changed vividly.
It was when they started running together.
They'd been running at the same time for weeks, ever since Sensei Kanoi had made them compete in that stupid Total Trek to try and put an end to their vying for the team leadership.
And sure, Hunter knows how Ranger teams work, knows the history; the red guy is the leader and the Wind Rangers have been operating as a team way before Blake and him showed up, no way are Tori and Dustin going to follow anyone else. And in fairness it's the Bradleys joining them, and without the probation they almost-certainly deserve so the blond should just suck it up and fall into line but there's ego involved and he'll be damned if he's just going to roll over without a fight. Especially for him.
And okay, Hunter can admit it now, he was being a dick towards Shane but in his defence the red ranger deserved it for being so godammed annoying and forgiving and trying to be friends even though it's pretty damn obvious the dark haired teen really doesn't like Hunter. The blond doesn't blame him for that; he just wishes he'd be honest about his dislike instead of doing the whole 'reaching out' thing.
But working together felt… good, he guesses. Winning as a pair… meant you had someone to share the joy with, someone else to celebrate with. It was nice, in a way (not that winning by himself wouldn't have been, and he totally could have beaten Shane, everyone knows it; they're just playing Sensei's little game, trying to prove to him and Shane that they can get on, work together without killing each other).
It wasn't so much that they agreed to continue running together once the competition was over, rather they just didn't stop. The morning after Total Trek Hunter turned up at their previous meeting point to find Shane waiting. Neither of them commented on it, or even really greeted each other; they just ran. And kept on running, every morning without fail.
But whatever the others might think (them of the knowing smiles and not-so-subtle nudges), they're still not friends. Hunter's not sure he even likes Shane all that much. Winning a competition does not get rid of all the other things the blond doesn't like about the air ninja like… like… Well, to be honest, the only thing that Hunter really dislikes about Shane is the air ninja's insistence on telling him what to do. It grates on him, to be treated like an amateur, a rookie, when he's been commanding the thunder rangers for months (and yes, he knows that there's only two of them, and that Blake would follow him no matter what, and yes, there was the whole 'we-thought-you-guys-were-evil-so-we-blew-up-your- zords' fiasco that should not be mentioned but he was still in charge so it counts, dammit). Hunter isn't stupid. He'd independent and self-reliant and he does not appreciate being ordered around by a guy barely older than his brother.
It's Blake that tells him to give Shane a break, to cut him some slack. "Bro, he's okay, you know. He'll make the right calls."
Hunter grumbles that he doesn't trust Shane to make those calls, not when it's his little brother's life at stake (and his own, and the whole damn world, but Blake is his number one priority, as always) but actually that's not strictly true; Shane's calls aren't bad. The first few times the red ranger gets them out of scrapes Hunter's more than willing to put it down to luck, but as one survived battle turns into many, the blond has to admit Blake may be right. Not out loud though. And he'll never let Shane know.
The running kinda helps though. It gives them a… basis for discourse at least. Shane gets to learn how Hunter operates and Hunter learns how Shane thinks. They talk tactics, battle strategy and team dynamics, all the while keeping away from anything personal, because heaven forbid they actually get to know each other. That would be too weird.
Shane's awkward revelation to Hunter about his sexuality surprises the blond. Not the fact Shane's gay – Hunter's the last person to be passing judgement on an individual's choice of partner – but that he seemed to be so concerned about how Hunter would react, worried he was going to be disgusted, expecting him to disapprove. He senses there're some underlying issues here, perhaps disappointed parents or something, that's made Shane wary so he figures the least he can do is make the air ninja feel more comfortable by letting him know about his own bisexuality.
It's not like it's a big deal to him; he came to terms with the fact he finds both men and women attractive many years ago. There was no big revelation or moment of realisation; he'd never seen sexuality as an 'either-or' sort of thing – as a binary; 'men or women', 'straight or gay' – but rather a sort of a sliding scale. Phrased as degrees of human sexuality, Hunter happily inhabits the middle ground.
He's aware he's lucky in many respects; for him there was no trying to reconcile his attraction to men with notions of religious guilt, no feelings of shame or abnormality, no having to come out to his parents. Plus, he has the added benefit of not caring less about what others think of him. The only person he ever really had to tell was his brother and given everything they had been through together, by this point their relationship was not going to undergo some radical change just because Hunter slept with men. Compared to murdered parents and the struggle to make ends meet and worrying about where your next meal will come from, who you happen to find attractive really doesn't enter into the grand scheme of things. Blake was – and still is – the only person Hunter feels he has to answer to, and Blake barely blinked. Everyone else can just go to hell.
Despite this improvement in the red rangers' relationship (which is an understatement; a leap-and-bound in trust might be a better way to put it), there's still a distance between the two men. It's something Hunter can't quite put his finger on, but then again, he doesn't spend any time dwelling on it. The last thing he's interested in is making any extra effort with his 'leader'.
After all, it's not like they have anything much in common.
But then the Red vs. Blue afternoon happens and Hunter sees a different side to Shane, fun and goofy and weirdly similar to him, at least when it comes to humorous web shows about snarky soldiers. And more than that, he finds the other man surprisingly easy to talk to, and he's sharing stuff with him before he fully realises what he's doing. It's… odd. But nice. Oddly nice.
He finds himself looking forward to their morning runs and, as their friendship develops, he can't resist spending time with the air ninja. It's a new sensation, to feel wanted. To have someone to spend time with now his brother's dating Tori. Shane seems to like his company; he doesn't discourage the blond from visiting and even if he's not impressed his little sister is. So suck it, Blake; look who can make friends. She might be a small child but it totally counts.
Hunter doesn't spend time analysing this change, this shift in dynamics; doesn't attach any meaning or significance to it. It's merely a distraction for him, a way to pass the time when he's not working or racing or fighting aliens or trying not to die. It's… convenient. That's all. At least, that's what he keeps telling himself. None of this – the hanging out and the getting on and the not wanting to kill him quite so much – means he likes Shane. Not in that way. Hunter's not one to fall for a pretty face. Which, yes, okay, that does mean he finds Shane good-looking but there's not harm in admitting that. It's a fact; an objective truth. Shane's got the 'tall, dark and handsome' thing down, that's obvious, but there's… something else there too. Maybe it's the way the corners of his eyes crinkle when he laughs, or the way his black hair sticks up at funny angles after he demorphs, or maybe it's the exasperated-but-strangely-fond looks he gives Hunter whenever the blond voices an (almost always unnecessary) objection to the leader's newest battle plan or... Okay, so maybe that's all subjective, but there is something very… alluring about Shane and whatever it is, there's nothing wrong in with Hunter acknowledging it, is there?
As long as he doesn't get any ideas, or get attached, or compromised… Everything's fine.
He realises he's failed already when they start running together. Not just side-by-side but in step; legs and bodies moving in sync, perfect mirror-images of each other. It's so… natural and unforced, even their breathing is coordinated and when Hunter glances over to check Shane's pace their eyes meet, only for the briefest of moments but the blond suddenly feels like he's been punched in the chest and… oh fuck.
As realisation finally breaks through the denial he's been cultivating, Hunter's foot catches on the corner of a raised paving slab that's gone unnoticed due to his mind's preoccupation. The blond stumbles sideways, knocking into Shane and they would probably both have fallen if not for the quick reflexes of the dark haired teen, who somehow manages to keep them both on their feet.
"Woah there," Shane says, keeping a steadying hand on the thunder ninja's arm as he gives him a look tinged with concern. "What was that? Are you okay?"
Hunter feels his face heat; totally because he's embarrassed he almost fell over and not because the pressure of Shane's hand on his arm is making his stomach do little flip-flops and his heart beat faster in a way that isn't to do with the fact he's been exercising.
"Someone needs to fix up the sidewalk," he mutters, shaking free of the supporting grip as he struggles to get himself back under control.
Shane's laughing at him now, brown eyes shining, and Hunter glowers at him, attempting to re-gather some of his lost dignity.
"Race you back to Ops," he says, and then takes off in a dead sprint, partially to get away from Shane and partially to try and erase the sensations the other man's presence is starting to kindle within him. It works… for a while at least.
Lying in bed that night, unable to sleep because of the thoughts dancing around his head, the blond tries to push down those- Not feelings, because that sounds all teenaged and hormonal and melodramatic and Hunter doesn't 'do' feelings… but maybe attraction? Yeah, Hunter can live with 'attraction'. He shouldn't even be considering his teammate in this way. It'll just cause trouble and they don't need that; the team's just started to run smoothly and, despite himself, the blond's beginning to feel a sort of kinship with this bunch of mismatched misfit. Not that he's getting attached to them or anything. He just wants to make sure they don't mess up the whole saving-the-world gig; someone's got to keep them focused. He doesn't care about them.
And he's sure, so very sure, Shane couldn't possibly like him back. Just because he told him he was gay… It doesn't mean anything. Hell, Hunter was the last to know anyway. Shane probably didn't want him to feel left out. Besides, the red ranger would be stupid to like him back, which he isn't, he isn't; Shane's smart and intelligent and witty and cute when he laughs and Hunter… Well, he knows he's all kinds of messed up, that he has issues. It's one of the reasons he's never got close to anyone; never allowed anyone to get close to him. And he's cool with that, well acquainted with disappointment and how sucky life can be.
Hunter Bradley is used to not getting what he wants.
And yet, there are little signs, hints, that he might be wrong; that Shane may indeed be harbouring some feel- an attraction of his own towards the blond. It's the way Hunter catches Shane smiling at him when he thinks the crimson ranger isn't looking. It's the small, unnecessary touches for no real reason. It's the flimsy excuses he makes to spend time with the blond. It's letting him into his home, his life, so easily.
It's the look in his eyes the afternoon that Hunter had almost given in to the urge and kissed the younger man. It hadn't been one of concern or worry, more… disappointment, like he'd wanted Hunter to kiss him, had been waiting for it, and if Tia hadn't interrupted them at that moment Hunter wonders what would have happened.
Going against all his cold logic, against every bit of sense telling him not to, the blond allows a tiny flame of hope to ignite in his chest; hope that perhaps his burgeoning feelings towards the other man aren't as unrequited as he thought.
But there's no time to really explore this idea further, or indeed act on anything that may or may not be between them, because the Power Rangers thing is kinda a big deal and there's just too much at stake to risk him being wrong and cause strife within the team. Or worse, a distraction. Personal relationships have to take a backseat when you're fighting for the survival of Earth.
He suspects their leader has the same reservations, so he carries on as normal, ignoring his attraction to Shane, pushing it down and pretending it doesn't exist, that it doesn't matter. It's harder than in should be, but Hunter is damn good at keeping his emotions in check; fear, anger, pain, lust… All can be controlled if you try, and Hunter's had a lot of practice.
He doesn't see the end coming. None of them do. But suddenly it's done, mission complete. Lothor is defeated, gone; Earth is saved; the Academies are back where they belong and they're free. Finished.
And nothing is ever going to be the same.
Hunter's not one to dwell on the past, but even he has to acknowledge the twinge of sadness that comes with all the joy of graduation. Somehow during all the fighting and training and just always being there, the group has wiggled their way past most, not all, of Hunter's carefully constructed barriers until he can no longer deny the affection he has for them. And he's going to miss them, he knows it.
He's going to miss Dustin's cheerful enthusiasm, Tori's wonderfully calming presence, Cam's dry humour and even his grumbling.
He's going to miss seeing Shane every day.
He thought the air ninja would say something to him, give some recognition of the time they've been spending together at the very least; possibly give an indication that he wants their friendship to continue. He's not expecting a declaration of love or anything so melodramatic (because he'd totally have run a mile should that have happened) but he'd been hoping for something.
But the evening draws to a close without a word being spoken of it – of them – and Hunter swallows down the disappointment, mentally chiding himself for reading more into a situation than is actually there.
He leaves the restaurant with Blake and Tori, but doesn't stay with them for too long, electing to give them the apartment to themselves. He doesn't begrudge his brother for it, but it's disquieting, knowing that somewhere along the road someone else has become the most important person in Blake's life. And although both him and Tori made it clear they didn't mind Hunter being there, didn't want to push him out or make him feel unwanted, he knows they really need some time together. For whatever reason – again, who is he to judge what two consenting adults get up to? It's not as if he's a virgin. As long as they're safe (yup, he's had that conversation with Blake; no, he doesn't ever want to have to repeat it) because he's too young to be an uncle.
Hunter doesn't mind leaving them to it, not much.
Being outside, by himself, gives him time to clear his own head.
He's always known Blake would leave one day. His little brother's always talked of joining a racing team and travelling the country, though Blake always seemed to assume it would be the two of them, together. But Hunter knew better; knows his brother has more passion and more drive to succeed than he does and, as loathe as he is to admit it, Blake's- not the better rider (because there's pride at stake here and Hunter would like to make it clear he can still teach his brother a lesson or two) but his riding style – impulsive and fiery compared to Hunter's cool logic – is more… suited to competitive racing. Blake'll be good, be successful, while Hunter's only ever wanted to race for fun.
Hunter knows all that and yet he still can't grasp that his brother – his little brother who he's looked after and cared for and grumbled at and been responsible for since their parents were cruelly killed in front of them (and yes, Hunter still has nightmares about that; thank you for reminding him how fucked up his life has been) – is heading out into the big wide world alone. Without him. They haven't spent more than a day or more apart since… since ever. Which probably isn't healthy; the words 'dangerously co-dependent' are hovering on the edge of his consciousness but he ignores them.
He's walking down the boardwalk, enjoying the fresh, salty sea breeze that's blowing in from the ocean, when he sees a familiar figure sitting alone on a bench. He wonders if he should go and speak to Shane, or leave him in peace. He's about to turn away, when he's seized by an irrational desire, a sudden yearning to not be alone. He's so sick of being alone. And maybe… maybe Shane is too. Is it so wrong, to want… someone?
He pauses, torn with indecision.
What if he's wrong?
Does he dare risk opening himself up to possible pain and rejection? Does he let someone in, when it's the people closest to you that have the power to hurt you the most? Is he strong enough to put himself through that again? He must be stupid to be even considering this and yet…
Every ending is a new beginning…
What does he really have to lose?
Nothing, not now the ranger part of their lives is over.
Him admitting to Shane he likes him isn't going to cause the destruction of the world. Probably. The worst that could happen is Shane never wants to see him again and Hunter's pretty sure the air ninja's not that malicious. Unless he really messes this up.
Which obviously he doesn't because there's a bit of talking followed by a lot of kissing (which, for the record, is good) and then, suddenly, they're a "they"; a couple, together, which might have freaked Hunter out more if it wasn't for the fact he's not sure how he'd have got through those first few weeks without Blake if it hadn't been for Shane.
The air ninja is amazing, a steady, grounding presence without being suffocating. Somehow he manages to know when Hunter needs space, and when the blond actually needs someone to be there, to distract him from his thoughts and empty apartment. There's no pressure, no deep discussions or mentions of their relationship developing into anything other than what it currently is. There's just time spent together, hanging out and, apart from the kissing part, not much changes.
As the weeks pass, Hunter is struck with an irrational feeling of guilt, unable to stop himself wondering if he is just using Shane to distract himself from missing his brother. Are his feelings (and yes, Hunter realises the absurdity of him even acknowledging he has those; let's not make a big deal out of it because it's not a big deal, okay?) towards the air sensei anything more than lust? Is he really so damaged that he can't tell the difference? Well, clearly.
These worries keep niggling at him and he starts to wonder what Shane's getting from this… relationship. Is Hunter being fair on the other man, keeping this thing they have going for selfish reasons; for the fact that he'd miss it – whatever 'it' is – if it ended?
He doesn't even know what the air ninja's thoughts on their relationship actually are. It's not like they've talked about them since the night they got together. And sure, Shane said some pretty nice things then but that was before he tried dating Hunter. The blond is under no allusions; he isn't exactly the easiest person to get close to, even when he is trying. Maybe their mutual reluctance to acknowledge the fact they're a couple in public is a sign neither of them have much invested in the relationship.
All these thoughts make him doubt not only himself and his own intentions, but Shane's too. Because honestly? He can't see what the air sensei is getting out of this thing. So when Blake phones him last-minute to say he's not going to make it back in time for Christmas Day – something about snow in Michigan playing havoc with flights – Hunter swallows down his disappointment and keeps quiet.
It's not like he's actually been looking forward to the holidays this year or seeing his little brother or anything. Because that would mean he cared, and he doesn't. Nope, Christmas alone is just another day.
He doesn't tell Shane. Hunter figures that whatever there is between the two of them, he's not going to ruin the other man's family time by making Shane worry about him being by himself.
So the blond stocks up on take-away and microwave meals (because he'll be damned if he's going to spend his time off cooking just for one) and happily holes himself up in his apartment, perfectly content in his solitude. If he stuffs the Christmas tree out of sight behind the sofa in a fit of pique, well, he's angry at his brother, not sad at being alone. Who needs family anyway? Families suck.
The day dawns just like any other, California's winter sunshine still bright outside the apartment's windows, and that's exactly how Hunter treats it. He does nothing different, nothing special, except shy away from typical array of seasonal movies plastered across every tv channel. Instead he seeks relief in a box set of True Blood that Shane's lent him and loses himself in trashy vampire romances (that are nothing like Twilight, just for the record). As days alone go, it's not bad.
Just as he's beginning to think he's gotten away with it – done good – 5pm arrives and brings with it a knock at the door. Opening it, Hunter comes face-to-face with an irate air ninja.
It's only after Shane finishes cursing at him – for being so damn stupid for not letting him know that he was going to be alone and how he didn't like having to find out these things from Tori who'd found out from Blake and then phoned him (because although she hadn't said in as many words both men were pretty sure she knew what was going on between them because she was Tori, the very definition of female intuition) and-did-he-mention-Hunter-was-stupid? – does the dark-haired teen dump a box into his arms and stride past him into the apartment.
Hunter trails in after him and finds Shane standing in the middle of the living room with his hands on his hips, surveying the scene. As his eyes take in the discarded take-away cartons, random items of clothing and motorcycle parts scattered about and the conspicuous lack of decorations the look on his face says it all; disapproval with just a hint of… sadness?
"Where's your tree?"
Shane's voice is brusque and Hunter gestures vaguely to the corner behind the sofa where he's stuffed the rather pathetic excuse for a Christmas tree. Limp branches missing their needles wrapped with a single tatted piece of silver tinsel and a couple of chipped baubles, paint flaking away to reveal cheap glass underneath.
"Blake normally does the decorating," the blond says in an effort to justify himself to the other man, jamming his hands into the pockets of his jeans.
Shane doesn't say anything for long moment, then turns to Hunter with a bright smile, no trace of his earlier annoyance remaining. "Could be worse I guess," he says lightly before adding, "Pass me the box?"
Hunter does as he's told.
When he gets back from retrieving the cardboard container from where he'd dumped it on the kitchen counter, the thunder ninja finds the younger man busy rearranging the living room; take-away containers shoved to one side, sofas pushed back slightly to make a space where he's chucked down a blanket and some cushions. He's even, the blond notes with indifference, pulled the bedraggled little tree out of its hiding place and tried to smarten it up some, with little success.
Shane looks up as he returns, gesturing to the box in his hands.
"Open it," he says, a smile wanting to spread across his face but he's holding it back, a hint of apprehension behind his cheerful façade.
Setting the box gingerly down on the carpet, he lifts up the flaps and stares at its contents, strange emotions rolling through him.
"Figured you wouldn't have had a proper dinner today," Shane remarks as the blond pulls out some tupperware containers. "Mom always gets in too much for us, so I thought we could have a sort of, indoor picnic Christmas dinner."
He keeps his voice light but Hunter is painfully aware of the trepidation apparent in the darker man's attitude, as if Shane's expecting a negative response. Hunter frowns, trying to get a read on the air sensei's intentions, then his heart sinks as he realises Shane is waiting for him to yell or chuck him out or dismiss his attempt at… at…
… caring.
There's a sudden rush of emotion running through Hunter, a jumble of fear and joy and weird relief as he understands at last; he gets it. He's probably known it for a while but it's taken him a stupidly long time to admit it, to accept that Shane does care for him and that maybe, just maybe, this 'thing' is a little more serious than he's been giving it credit for.
Impulsively he leans over to give Shane a quick, firm kiss on the lips.
"What was that for?" the dark haired man asks, some of the worry he'd been carrying visibly leaving him. "Not that I'm complaining or anything…"
Hunter laughs and kisses him again. "Just, thank you, I guess. And sorry, for being an idiot."
Shane grins back at him, giving his hand a squeeze, brown eyes soft. There's a pause, a moment of expectation where Hunter thinks he should have kissed the air ninja again but then Shane's turning away to pull a couple of dvds out of the box.
"Right," he says, holding them up for Hunter to see. "You have a choice: 'Hook' or 'Miracle on 34th Street'?"
"Uh… Hook?" Hunter suggests. He has an aversion to cheesy family holiday movies. The whole 'perfect family' theme is a little hard to swallow when it's just you and your little brother huddled down in some dive of a room, trying to forget everything you've lost.
By the widening of the grin on Shane's face Hunter knows it's the right answer. They settle down on the cushions, close to each other but not quite touching, and tuck into the leftover Christmas dinner as the opening of Hook starts playing across the screen.
After the food's gone, the focus on the movie doesn't last. Sly nudges turn into little kisses which turn into bigger kisses; the sort that leave Hunter breathless and dizzy and definitely wanting more. His fingers slide under the hem of Shane's shirt, brushing against the smooth, tight muscles of the other man's back and eliciting a groan from the air ninja, his breath hot against the blond's mouth. Shane pushes his body into Hunter's, deepening the kiss and twisting his fingers into Hunter's hair, the playful atmosphere changing into one much more… charged, more serious and intense.
They haven't really discussed taking their relationship beyond kissing and Hunter hasn't pushed his less-experienced partner. The last thing he wants to do is take advantage of Shane, to play on his naivety and abuse his trust and this, right here, this is doing exactly that.
He can't do this.
As if sensing the thunder ninja's hesitation, Shane draws back slightly, face flushed and eyes shining, pupils dilated. Tilting his head to one side, the air sensei smiles at the blond. "Stop thinking," he orders, ducking back in to recapture Hunter's lips with his.
The older man pulls back, hand gently pressed against Shane's cheek, holding him back. "Shane…" He tries to shake off the fog of desire that's descended, his head spinning from the rush of adrenaline flooding his body as he fights for clarity.
"I want this," Shane states, voice husky as reaches up to take Hunter's hand in his, meeting his gaze. "Do you?"
"Yes but-"
He's cut off as Shane grabs Hunter's other hand, their fingers entwining together as he's pushed back onto the floor, the other man using their linked palms to pin Hunter's arms above his head and straddling his hips. "Then… Stop. Thinking," Shane growls, grinning down at the blond.
Hunter makes a half-hearted attempt to twist out from under him, t-shirt riding up and the words 'rush' and 'you' flitter vaguely across his consciousness but are lost, forgotten, as Shane leans down to press his mouth firmly against his, tongue sliding between his lips, fingers running across the exposed skin of the thunder ninja's stomach, fiery lines following his touch, and Hunter… gives in because this… this feels amazing. It's sparks and electricity and… wow. Okay, Hunter's been intimate with other people before but it hasn't… it hasn't been like this. He's never felt like this.
This just feels so natural and so right (-so, soright-) and all his fears, all his worries fade away as their hands start to explore each other's bodies, learning and testing and… "Dammit," Hunter breathes, causing his partner to pull back, confused. "Too many clothes," he complains, levering himself up into a seated position with Shane still straddling him and tugging insistently on the air sensei's shirt.
The darker man gives a low chuckle, raising his arms to allow Hunter to pull his top over his head, and then he's unbuttoning the blond's shirt, fingers clumsy with lust. As the garment falls open, the thunder ninja shrugs it off one arm at a time, the other pressed into Shane's lower back, minimising the distance between their bodies, lips never leaving each other.
Shane switches tactics, trailing hot kisses down Hunter's neck and over his collarbone, making the blond gasp, eyes shutting involuntarily at the sensations the air ninja is invoking in him. Thoughts dissolving into a swirling, melting mess of incoherency.
"Ahem."
Hunter's eyes snap open at the embarrassed cough that comes from somewhere near the front door; the unexpected noise causing the two men to spring apart, turning as one to face the source of the interruption.
Seeing who the intruder is, Hunter snatches up his shirt from the floor, turning a deep shade of crimson. "Shit, Blake. Haven't you heard of knocking? What the hell are you doing here?"
The younger Bradley brother averts his eyes as they get dressed. "Merry Christmas to you too, bro." He risks a glance back to check they're decent and gives a small wave. "Hi, Shane."
"Hey," Shane greets the other thunder ninja, sounding half-mortified, half-amused.
Hunter finishes doing up the buttons on his top and crosses the room to give his brother an awkward hug. "So what are you doing here? Not that I'm not glad to see you or anything," he adds hurriedly. "I just wasn't expecting you until tomorrow."
"Clearly," Blake replies, a laugh in his voice and humour dancing behind his brown eyes. "Managed to get a flight after all. Thought I'd surprise you. Remind me not to do that again." He glances between the two men, grinning. "So… this is new?"
"You didn't tell him?"
Hunter shifts awkwardly, rubbing a hand over his face, hearing the disappointment in Shane's voice.
"… No?"
He angles his body towards his brother so he can avoid looking at the air ninja, unable to meet his gaze. "You were busy," he says to Blake with a huff. "And we were… taking things slowly. I didn't know what this-" He gestures vaguely in Shane's direction "-was and I didn't want to spring a boyfriend on you when we- when I wasn't sure that's where things were really going."
Blake nods, gaze shifting from Hunter to Shane and back again. "Well, it looks like things are going pretty well from what I saw." There's a smirk playing on his lips and Hunter flushes red, studiously not looking at Shane.
"Yeah," the blond says, risking a small smile at the memory before deciding to go on the offensive. "Well, it was until you walked in. Bro, talk about ruining the mood."
The shorter teen laughs, shaking his head. "Well if you'd told me about your boyfriend I'd have been a little more careful when opening the door, wouldn't I?" He gives Shane a wink and Hunter knows immediately that his little brother more than approves of their relationship. "I'm so glad my room isn't right next to yours," he adds, heading for his bedroom to dump his bags.
As Blake disappears, Shane turns to the thunder ninja, hands on hips and an unreadable expression on his face.
"So I'm your boyfriend then?" he asks, no trace of inflection in his voice.
A sudden fear spikes in Hunter. What if he's read this all wrong after all? What if Shane doesn't see this going anywhere? What if it is just casual?
"Uh, maybe?" he mutters, eyes fixed firmly on a point on the floor, waiting for the rejection he's sure is coming.
Instead one soft hand reaches up to raise his chin, forcing him to look at Shane and one look at the air ninja's face is enough to dispel his worries. Shane's beaming at him, eyes dancing with life and mischief and just… joy.
"If I'm yours, you're mine," he says, tenderness and promise in his voice; his thumb brushing against Hunter's lower lip, sending shivers running down his spine. The blond can't resist leaning back in to capture the other man's soft lips with his, feeling Shane's hands come to rest on his waist, pulling him in close and-
"Ugh dudes, you're not going to be doing that every time I turn my back are you? Oh Hook!" Blake finishes, catching sight of the forgotten movie still playing on the tv.
The two men break apart once again, heat rising in Hunter's cheeks as he turns to his brother. "Well now you know how we all felt when you and Tori first got together," he tells him tartly and Blake laughs.
"Whatever makes you happy, bro," the younger Bradley says blithely, attention focused on the screen. "So… are we going to restart the movie or what? I bet you guys didn't see much of it," he adds, sticking his tongue out.
Hunter sees Shane turn red and he punches his little brother on the arm fondly. "Hush you. You can have the floor for that."
"Pssh, I wouldn't want to sit on the sofa with you two anyway," Blake retorts, already fiddling with the dvd player.
As Hunter and Shane drop onto the sofa, the ex-navy ranger settles himself on the cushions at their feet, leaning back against his brother's legs. Hunter gives him a prod in the back with his foot but Blake appears oblivious and the blond concedes defeat, letting him remain. As the film starts again from the beginning, Hunter feels Shane lean into him and he can't resist sneaking an arm around the air ninja's shoulder, drawing him against his chest. When Shane reaches up to interlock his fingers with the blond's, and with his brother's weight resting against his shins, Hunter is struck by a feeling of rightness, of family, of home.
He decides this must be what happiness feels like.
They attend the Wind Academy's New Year's Eve party together; their first official outing as a couple. No one blinks an eye. Perhaps, Hunter has to concede, they hadn't been as sneaky and clandestine about their relationship as they'd thought.
It's as they see in the New Year together – Shane standing behind him, his strong arms wrapped around his waist and his chin resting on Hunter's shoulder, warm breath tickling the blond's neck, with fireworks exploding overhead, turning the night sky alive with colour and light – that Hunter allows the fragile flicker of hope he's been clinging onto, that tiny flame, to burst into life. It's a new year, a new beginning, and perhaps a chance to, not erase the past, but leave it behind. Finally move on with his life.
Leaning contentedly back into his boyfriend's embrace, Hunter can't remember ever feeling so happy. Clichéd it may be, but for the first time ever he starts to believe that he has a future, and that future will be shared with someone.