A.N. Happy New Year All! I hope that 2022 is kind and we fill it with joy.
Interlude 3
They're exhausted, bruised and battle-stained from another rough fight. Another close call. Almost too close, this time. They nearly lost one of their own. Hell, Shane was sure they had lost someone, when that glider-cycle-thing vanished over the cliff and hearing the navy ranger's distress… Blake still doesn't look great, but Tori has him; the water ninja is already leading him out of Ninja Ops, probably for a meal at her parents and a distraction from the day's events. She glances back at Shane before they leave and the red ranger gives her a nod.
It's fine; go. He'll deal with the aftermath here.
Cam's already running diagnostics; Dustin his now ever-present shadow, hovering at his shoulder and leaning in to squint at the screen as more information — unintelligible to Shane — scrolls past. He knows the Samurai is hoping that by making sense of what Motodrone created there will be a breakthrough, something, anything that might help them against Lothor. That might give them that illusive edge they need to win.
Speaking of Motodrone, there's one team member conspicuously absent.
The one they almost lost.
He finds Hunter in the shower room, sitting on one of the hard wooden benches, head in his hands and still in his full ninja uniform, not even sparing a glance at Shane's approach.
The red ranger clears his throat awkwardly. "Hey man, you okay?"
He's expecting deflection, bravado; a cocky grin and lies. The usual Bradley behaviour. What he gets is a muttered, defeated "No" that freezes him to the spot; an admission so out of character for the thunder ninja that Shane is half-wondering if Motodrone hasn't caused some further damage that is only just making itself apparent.
The crimson ranger glances up at Shane in the stunned silence, expression for a fraction of a second somehow lost. Haunted. But then Hunter's on his feet, standing in a fluid motion to slam his hands against the wall. "I can't believe I was so fucking stupid. Do I have a sign on my back or something? 'Come kidnap me.' Mr. Gullible right here." Shane can see the whites of Hunter's knuckles as he presses into the wall, whole body rigid and a vicious self-loathing in his words that Shane's never heard before. Not from Hunter. Never from Hunter.
Shane doesn't even hesitate, sliding a hand over Hunter's shoulder, muscles tense under his palm, even beneath the worn leather of his uniform. "That's not true. You trusted Perry; you weren't to know. Never beat yourself up for trusting a friend."
Hunter's head hangs loose, body slumped; all his usual fire and fury dowsed into unsubstantial embers. "I'm sorry," he rasps. "You don't need to be dealing with my shit. Blake-"
"-Is with Tori," Shane interrupts. "And we're teammates. Today was rough but it wasn't your fault."
At that, the blond turns to face him, letting Shane's hand slip from his shoulder and the red ranger steps back, giving him space. Hunter scrubs his hands over his face, pushing his unruly hair back from his eyes and managing a smile that is far more like the teen Shane's come to know. "Thanks man."
"You don't have to thank me. Although you scared us today. Thought we'd lost you for a moment."
Hunter swallows, Adam's apple bobbing as if he's on the verge of saying something; pauses and Shane gets the distinct impression that what comes out is not what was originally intended. "You can't get rid of me that easily; sorry to disappoint."
And there it is, the trademark Bradley bravado; all self-assured bordering on arrogance. But Shane's seen beneath now, seen the cracks that it attempts to paper over, and somehow he can't bring himself to return the sentiment, not even to fake it.
He sees the thunder ninja's expression falter, as if thrown by the red ranger's lack of response; a frown settling on his face.
Shane shrugs, gaze dropping to the tiled floor as he says, "It feels like it's getting worse. Every battle I keep thinking, this is it. This is where is ends for us."
There's a second of stunned nothing, and then it's Hunter's turn to reach out, strong fingers cupping Shane's chin, raising his head to meet steely blue eyes. "Don't say that. Don't you dare say that. Not you. You're meant to be the positive one."
"What if I don't want to be?"
The words are out before he can truly consider their implications; before he realises who he's speaking too. These sentiments that have only ever been half-whispers in the darkness, never to be voiced aloud except perhaps to close friends. And yet he hasn't; not even to Dustin or Tori. Of all the team — all his friends — Hunter is the last one he'd ever have considered showing weakness to. To admitting doubt.
But then again, of the whole team it's Hunter who is his de facto deputy. His second-in-command. Hunter, who is more experienced and more skilful and more calm than Shane could ever be. Hunter, who is not the one in charge, despite his abilities.
Shane can't bring himself to meet the blond's eyes; stare fixed to a point on the wall behind Hunter's shoulder, ignoring the warmth of Hunter's hand as he says, "I dunno man, the way things have been recently… the stuff with Dustin and Marah… CyberCam… It's like we're fighting Lothor and ourselves. Sometimes I wonder if we're really strong enough."
If I'm really strong enough.
Hunter's grip tightens on his jaw, tipping his head so Shane has no choice but to look at him. "You can't think like that. As soon as we start thinking like that — doubting ourselves — it's over. It's over and Lothor's won and I can't- we can't let him win," he finishes breathlessly, eyes wide and cheeks flushed; an intensity radiating from him, lighting the dark shadows that normally haunt him.
It's the most animated Shane's ever seen him, the most real, and it's…
… It's hot.
The thought barely has time to register in the red ranger's mind before he's moving towards Hunter.
Or maybe it's Hunter that moves towards him.
It doesn't matter; all Shane knows is one minute they're staring at each other and the next Hunter's lips are crushed to his, Hunter's hand is on his jaw pulling him close, and Shane is kissing him back, allowing his fingers to tangle into Hunter's hair, sweat-damp from their helmets and the earlier battle. It's messy and desperate; both of them clinging to the other tightly, frantically; as if they could drown out the day's events by losing themselves in each other.
Hunter's lips move to the red ranger's neck, his hands coming to rest on Shane's hips, teasing at the hem of his shirt. The air ninja gasps in a breath, pushing the other man's leather training jacket off his shoulders; the blond shucks it off eagerly before sliding his arm around Shane's back to press their bodies together. Shane can feel the thunder ninja firm against him and Hunter's fingers finally slide under the edge of his t-shirt to draw hot lines over his skin; the sensation causing Shane to groan against Hunter's mouth, breath ragged and heart racing in his chest. His hands drop to tug at the blond's waistband, ungraceful and fumbling.
Who the hell made these uniforms so fiddly-
Fingers wrap around his wrists, drawing him back, away; Hunter extracting himself, gaining slight distance.
"This isn't going to change things?" he asks, voice unusually hoarse, pupils wide as he looks at the air ninja.
Shane blinks, trying to think through the fog of lust that's enveloped him, head spinning despite his best efforts to focus. He hadn't even thought of kissing Hunter until it was happening and now-
"No," he manages to get out. "This is- This is something we both need right now." Oh god, I need this. And if the look on the blond's face — and the reaction of his body to Shane's a moment ago — is anything to go by, the crimson ranger wants this too. Wants him. Shane swallows hard. "It isn't going to be a thing."
"Good." Hunter's grin returns as he tugs Shane's shirt up and over his head, a hitch in the thunder ninja's normally-controlled breathing that does something down low in Shane's stomach as the two of them stare at each other, and then Hunter's pushing him backwards, towards the shower. "As long as we're on the same page."