A bit of Normalcy
"We really appreciate this, dudes." Dustin said gratefully as he set down a large box.
"No...uhn...problem." Hunter grunted, hefting his end of the couch.
"A little to the left." Tori directed. "A little more...perfect! Let it go!"
There was a loud bang and Blake cried out in pain.
"The neighbors are gonna love us." Shane remarked to Dustin.
"You're not supposed to just drop your end, bro!" Blake growled at his older brother as he hopped on one leg, clutching his left foot.
Hunter shrugged, but concern shone in his eyes. "She *said* to let it go."
"Not like that!" he moaned as Tori brought ice.
"To think; you have the Power of Thunder." Cam commented as he passed, carefully placing another pile of boxes.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Hunter demanded as he inspected his brother's injured foot.
"Good thing they *are* the neighbors." Dustin told Shane.
"Where'd you guys get all this stuff, anyway?" Tori spoke up as she and Hunter fussed over Blake. Blake seemed to be enjoying the attention more than anything else.
Shane shrugged. "Some of it's mine. Dustin picked up the rest."
Dustin fidgeted a little. "I had some money left in a savings account and I figured, well, what's an apartment without furniture?"
Cam raised an eyebrow. "You must have cleaned it out after buying all this."
He coughed, looking uncomfortable. "Uh...not exactly."
Hunter looked up, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "What do you mean, not exactly?"
"I only used about half of it." the Yellow Wind Ranger mumbled. "...And I've got some money in other banks."
Blake blinked. "What, are you rich or something?"
Dustin flushed as Shane and Tori snickered. "You could say that." Tori teased. "You guys know the Radelle Mansion, right?"
"Everyone does." Cam answered, looking suspicious. "It's the biggest house in Blue Bay Harbor. Why?"
"That's where Dustin lives."
"Used to." he muttered as everyone stared. "I'm gonna start unpacking my room." He grabbed a box and swiftly shuffled off into one of the bedrooms.
Hunter winced. "Ouch." he murmured.
Shane sighed to himself and went into the kitchen. They hadn't done any grocery shopping yet, but there were still various cooking utensils to be dealt with. One of their first agreements had been that the kitchen was his domain. Dustin wasn't allowed to touch more then the dry goods and the refrigerator. He'd been known to set fire to microwaves. "I swear he's secretly blond." he muttered.
"How are you holding up?"
He glanced back over his shoulder at Tori and shrugged. "All right, I guess."
"So Dustin convinced you to get a ground floor?"
He glowered. That had been a particularly heated debate; Air Ninjas liked heights, and Earth Ninjas hated them. "He used the eyes on me."
She smiled. "You always have been a sucker for puppy eyes."
He sighed, stopping to lean his head against the fridge. "I'm scared, Tor." he whispered. "Kelly's been covering for us all day because we didn't want to see anyone. What if Ms. Radelle tries to get us thrown out of here? What if Dustin's dad shows up? What if-what if my dad-" He cut himself off to bang his head. "We aren't even officially dating and now we're roommates? What if something goes wrong? It's not like we can go home at the end of the night and get some space from each other."
She moved up to wrap her arms around him and leaned her head on his shoulder. "It'll work out, Shane. You're not alone. You guys have all of us to back you up." She paused. "What do you mean you're not officially dating?"
He rolled his eyes. Trust Tori to pick up on the important things. "I never actually had the chance to ask him out."
"So why don't you? It's not like he's going to say no."
He sighed. "I dunno. It's sorta like the point of no return, you know?"
"You're already at the point of no return." she reminded him. "I don't see what the big deal is."
"Like you're any better?" he shot back defensively. "You and Blake haven't had your first real date, either."
She pulled away to glare and put her hands on her hips. "Fine, then. We'll double date. I'll go ask Blake."
"Fine!" He froze as she stalked out of the kitchen. "Wait, what?!"
He rushed out just in time to watch her approach Blake, looking determined. "Blake, are you busy this Friday?"
Blake blinked. "Uh, no."
"How about dinner and a movie? Double date?"
"Sure." He paused. "Double date with who?"
But she was all ready turning to smirk at Shane. "Your turn." she said smugly, pointing toward the room Dustin was still hiding in.
He swallowed back the protests he wanted to make, forcing his feet toward the room. He made it inside and closed the door behind him. For this at least, he wasn't allowing any witnesses. He opened his mouth, only to pause as he registered the sight of Dustin sitting in the middle of the floor, staring at a picture.
He sat beside him wordlessly, putting an arm around his shoulders. Dustin leaned into the touch with a soft sigh, giving him a better view of the picture. The last family photo, when his dad had managed to be in town for more than a few hours, and May and Emi still lived at home. He'd been so excited the day the pictures had come back; photos of all of them together were few and far between, and Dustin treasured each and every one.
"It's funny, y'know?" Dustin spoke up softly. "We don't get along. We're like, from totally different planets. I mean, I don't care about fashion or computers or art or music or any of that stuff. The only thing we ever agreed on was that Grandmother's really Satan in disguise. They probably just figured I ran away for a while again, like I always used to do. But I miss them." He swallowed hard. "I *really* miss them."
"Even Laura?" Shane asked quietly.
Dustin made a face. Laura was the older of the two housekeepers, had never let him get away with *anything*. She'd often threaten to burn his clothes rather then wash the caked on mud. "Maybe not so much Laura." he admitted.
Shane took a deep breath. Now or never. "You wanna go out Friday?" he asked. "On a date?"
Dustin blinked up at him. "Date?"
"Double date." he amended quickly. "With Tori and Blake."
Dustin blinked again, then smiled. "Sure. Someone's gotta keep him in line."
He snickered along with him as the ice was broken and relief swept through him. At least that part was over with. He didn't get up though, just stayed where he was and held his boyfriend.
Oh, man. What was he going to *wear*?
"We really appreciate this, dudes." Dustin said gratefully as he set down a large box.
"No...uhn...problem." Hunter grunted, hefting his end of the couch.
"A little to the left." Tori directed. "A little more...perfect! Let it go!"
There was a loud bang and Blake cried out in pain.
"The neighbors are gonna love us." Shane remarked to Dustin.
"You're not supposed to just drop your end, bro!" Blake growled at his older brother as he hopped on one leg, clutching his left foot.
Hunter shrugged, but concern shone in his eyes. "She *said* to let it go."
"Not like that!" he moaned as Tori brought ice.
"To think; you have the Power of Thunder." Cam commented as he passed, carefully placing another pile of boxes.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Hunter demanded as he inspected his brother's injured foot.
"Good thing they *are* the neighbors." Dustin told Shane.
"Where'd you guys get all this stuff, anyway?" Tori spoke up as she and Hunter fussed over Blake. Blake seemed to be enjoying the attention more than anything else.
Shane shrugged. "Some of it's mine. Dustin picked up the rest."
Dustin fidgeted a little. "I had some money left in a savings account and I figured, well, what's an apartment without furniture?"
Cam raised an eyebrow. "You must have cleaned it out after buying all this."
He coughed, looking uncomfortable. "Uh...not exactly."
Hunter looked up, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "What do you mean, not exactly?"
"I only used about half of it." the Yellow Wind Ranger mumbled. "...And I've got some money in other banks."
Blake blinked. "What, are you rich or something?"
Dustin flushed as Shane and Tori snickered. "You could say that." Tori teased. "You guys know the Radelle Mansion, right?"
"Everyone does." Cam answered, looking suspicious. "It's the biggest house in Blue Bay Harbor. Why?"
"That's where Dustin lives."
"Used to." he muttered as everyone stared. "I'm gonna start unpacking my room." He grabbed a box and swiftly shuffled off into one of the bedrooms.
Hunter winced. "Ouch." he murmured.
Shane sighed to himself and went into the kitchen. They hadn't done any grocery shopping yet, but there were still various cooking utensils to be dealt with. One of their first agreements had been that the kitchen was his domain. Dustin wasn't allowed to touch more then the dry goods and the refrigerator. He'd been known to set fire to microwaves. "I swear he's secretly blond." he muttered.
"How are you holding up?"
He glanced back over his shoulder at Tori and shrugged. "All right, I guess."
"So Dustin convinced you to get a ground floor?"
He glowered. That had been a particularly heated debate; Air Ninjas liked heights, and Earth Ninjas hated them. "He used the eyes on me."
She smiled. "You always have been a sucker for puppy eyes."
He sighed, stopping to lean his head against the fridge. "I'm scared, Tor." he whispered. "Kelly's been covering for us all day because we didn't want to see anyone. What if Ms. Radelle tries to get us thrown out of here? What if Dustin's dad shows up? What if-what if my dad-" He cut himself off to bang his head. "We aren't even officially dating and now we're roommates? What if something goes wrong? It's not like we can go home at the end of the night and get some space from each other."
She moved up to wrap her arms around him and leaned her head on his shoulder. "It'll work out, Shane. You're not alone. You guys have all of us to back you up." She paused. "What do you mean you're not officially dating?"
He rolled his eyes. Trust Tori to pick up on the important things. "I never actually had the chance to ask him out."
"So why don't you? It's not like he's going to say no."
He sighed. "I dunno. It's sorta like the point of no return, you know?"
"You're already at the point of no return." she reminded him. "I don't see what the big deal is."
"Like you're any better?" he shot back defensively. "You and Blake haven't had your first real date, either."
She pulled away to glare and put her hands on her hips. "Fine, then. We'll double date. I'll go ask Blake."
"Fine!" He froze as she stalked out of the kitchen. "Wait, what?!"
He rushed out just in time to watch her approach Blake, looking determined. "Blake, are you busy this Friday?"
Blake blinked. "Uh, no."
"How about dinner and a movie? Double date?"
"Sure." He paused. "Double date with who?"
But she was all ready turning to smirk at Shane. "Your turn." she said smugly, pointing toward the room Dustin was still hiding in.
He swallowed back the protests he wanted to make, forcing his feet toward the room. He made it inside and closed the door behind him. For this at least, he wasn't allowing any witnesses. He opened his mouth, only to pause as he registered the sight of Dustin sitting in the middle of the floor, staring at a picture.
He sat beside him wordlessly, putting an arm around his shoulders. Dustin leaned into the touch with a soft sigh, giving him a better view of the picture. The last family photo, when his dad had managed to be in town for more than a few hours, and May and Emi still lived at home. He'd been so excited the day the pictures had come back; photos of all of them together were few and far between, and Dustin treasured each and every one.
"It's funny, y'know?" Dustin spoke up softly. "We don't get along. We're like, from totally different planets. I mean, I don't care about fashion or computers or art or music or any of that stuff. The only thing we ever agreed on was that Grandmother's really Satan in disguise. They probably just figured I ran away for a while again, like I always used to do. But I miss them." He swallowed hard. "I *really* miss them."
"Even Laura?" Shane asked quietly.
Dustin made a face. Laura was the older of the two housekeepers, had never let him get away with *anything*. She'd often threaten to burn his clothes rather then wash the caked on mud. "Maybe not so much Laura." he admitted.
Shane took a deep breath. Now or never. "You wanna go out Friday?" he asked. "On a date?"
Dustin blinked up at him. "Date?"
"Double date." he amended quickly. "With Tori and Blake."
Dustin blinked again, then smiled. "Sure. Someone's gotta keep him in line."
He snickered along with him as the ice was broken and relief swept through him. At least that part was over with. He didn't get up though, just stayed where he was and held his boyfriend.
Oh, man. What was he going to *wear*?