Standard disclaimer.

Right now I'm happily camping in the Hunter/Dustin corner of the fandom. Thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate them! And as a thank you gift (free with your paid subscription to… sorry…) I've made this chapter pretty long… I hope you like it!

Chapter 9: Little Things

I wake the next morning, still in Hunter's arms. I look up slightly and see that his eyes are still closed. I smile, he looks so cute when he's asleep. I wiggle a bit so that I can move up a little and I place a chaste kiss on his lips. I watch him, and his eyes don't open. But I know he's awake now because he has one hand on the back of my head, and I willingly move in for another kiss.

"Morning," I say, rolling onto my side, my head resting on my hand.

He grunts something, moving to get his arm from underneath me. I cooperate, and he stretches his arms into the air before locking his fingers behind his head. I roll back, my head on his chest. One of my arms is tucked under me, the other is on Hunter's stomach, my fingers under his shirt and wondering over his abs. I feel an arm on my back, and watch the other swat my hand.

"It tickles," he says.

Our fingers dance for a while, then we get up. We find Blake in the kitchen and it looks like he's beginning to make something.

"You guys want something?" he asks, not even looking at us.

It's like he thinks it's the most natural thing in the world. I bet Jessie would be the same way. It's got to be a sibling thing.

It turns out to be an uneventful morning, which I'm happy for. Blake and Hunter leave soon after breakfast to go to Storm Chargers, and Hunter promises me that he'll tell Kelly that I'm too sick to work. I can't handle facing her yet, and it isn't fair for Hunter to tell her about us alone. Hunter leaves me the key to the apartment in case I want to go out, but I have no desire to go anywhere. And Blake had said that Shane would be by today, and I don't want to miss him.

It doesn't take me long to realize that daytime TV sucks. I've got the cooking channel on and I realize that the host of this particular show is hot. I have to tell Hunter about this show, I think he'd like it. I find a scrap piece of paper lying about and write the title down since I know I'll never remember it.

When it's over it's 3:30 and still no sign of Shane. I begin to wonder if he's going to come or not. I go into Hunter's room and sit on the bed, taking out a book that I had brought with me. I realize the comments that I would get from most people. After all, what airhead actually reads?

I'm trying to read The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks since I want to see the movie when it comes out. But it's going painfully slow. I get a chapter done when I set the book down on the bed and look around. Except for the bed, dresser and single nightstand, it's empty of furniture. No shelving, no pictures or posters on the walls.

The first thing I see is a small teddy bear on the dresser. I get up to study it since it wasn't something I had expected to see. It has a gold ribbon around its neck. The only other that strikes me is that it looks old, very worn. I take it from its place and continuing looking around. There are a few framed pictures. One looks like it was taken recently, of Hunter with his brother at the track. Blake has a trophy in his hands, and Hunter has an arm around his brother's shoulders. Both are smiling broadly, proudly. Another looks older, it's of both brothers, with a girl and an older man. I assume that the man is their Sensei and the girl is Leanne. The final one is of the two of us, taken at a moto show just after we started dating. His arm is around my shoulders, and I remember that mine was around his waist. Thank goodness there was no one behind us. At the time it was a random picture, Tori wanting to finish her roll of film.

I notice a CD book on the floor near the closet and out of curiosity, I pick up and bring it over to the bed. I zip it open, noticing that he has a rather large CD collection. But as I flip through, I also notice that most of the CDs are copies. Some I recognize, some I don't. And some I can't read. I never knew he knew another language. I definitely need to ask him about that. And I also wanted to ask about what he was saying last night… He keeps telling me I should write things down, that case I'll be reminded if…when I forget.

A knock at the door draws me out from Hunter's room, and I'm still clutching his bear. It smells like him, a mix of cologne and vanilla. So much vanilla. I check the peephole and confirm that it is Shane. I open it slowly and watch his face for signs of emotion. All I can get from him his nervousness, and that doesn't help me feel better.

"Hey," he says and I can barely hear him.

I smile warily in return, then step back. It's a silent invitation inside, but it's one that he understands and accepts. We go into the living room, where I sit on the couch and he's in a nearby chair.

"I'm sorry," he says after a few moments of silence.

"What happened?"

"I…panicked, I guess. I didn't see it coming… and with Hunter, of all people."

He looks up at me and he must be able to tell that I didn't like the sound of that last part. I was about to say something when he cut me off.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

"Then how did you mean it?"

"I freaked because I read you wrong, both of you. I thought I was the only one in the group who went for guys. Besides Tori."

"I didn't know you did either. But I still don't understand why you freaked so bad."

"Come on Dustin! I know you're not that dumb."

Then it hit me…damn it. This isn't good, this is, in fact, horrible.

"You want Hunter."

Statement, not question. What else could it be?

Shane only rolled his eyes. "I wanted you. But it's ancient history anyway."

If I wasn't confused before, I am now. "Huh?"

"I was crushing on you the second I saw you. Since I didn't figure you like that, I got over it. I guess it was a shock that I didn't see it coming. And it brought that back up, that I liked you like that before. I was left wondering what could've been, if I said something back then."

I want to say something, but I don't know what. Now I'm the one that's left shocked and speechless. I know I'm squeezing the bear, although I don't know how long I've been doing it.

"Oh."

Yeah, that sounded really intelligent. But hey, as the resident airhead, I'm allowed.

"So…now what?" Shane asks, like I'm supposed to know.

So I shrug. "Any ideas?"

"Well…are we cool?"

"I think so."

"Listen, I know you're going to tell Hunter all about this. Just make sure he knows that he doesn't have to worry about me. Like I said, the deeper stuff I felt for you is ancient history."

"Yeah, I'll make sure he knows it."

After a moment's pause, he asks, "What's with the bear? I don't remember ever seeing that in your room before."

Uh-oh. "It's Hunter's, actually. I think it was a gift from someone, probably his mother."

"It looks like it's seen better days," he comments, and rather carelessly too.

I glare, he really should know better.

"What looks trivial and insignificant to you could mean a lot to someone else."

I didn't mean to sound so snappy, but what he said bothered me. His eyes drift down to the floor and I think he mutters something like an apology. But I think what I said registered, because he looks back up at me, almost surprised.

"What?"

"Never expected anything like that to come from you."

"I know I can be an airhead, but give me some credit. I'm not completely stupid."

"I know! It's just…it sounds like something Sensei would say, that's all."

I can tell he meant no offense by it. I don't think he really meant anything by his comment about the bear, either.

"Actually, I think I picked it up from Hunter somewhere. From a movie we watched or something."

We continue talking for a little while. After he leaves, I'm surprised that I don't feel as relieved as I thought I would. Maybe it's because in the back of my mind, the fact that Shane felt something more for me bothers me. I go back into the bedroom and lie back in bed, inhaling the wonderful scent laced on the pillowcases. I think about the talk with Shane for a while, then come to a conclusion. It bothers me because I never felt anything more for him. I almost feel guilty. This is going to be one interesting talk with Hunter, one that I know is going to upset him some. But he does deserve to know, I won't start keeping secrets from him now. With the bear still in my arms, I close my eyes.