The first part of this chapter is dedicated to Weesta, my shiny new beta for Fade to Darkness, for agreeing to join my dark corner of the fandom. *Waves her little Shane/Dustin flag* It was also inspired by the song Stories, by Trapt. Very cool song. The second part is for Dingo, who asked for it. I hope you like it. ^_^
I also must thank my sister and her husband for Hunter's 'obsession', as they introduced me to it and allowed me to formulate that opinion. I'm not sure why Hunter watches it, but it works. *Shrugs*
Moments
It was a beautiful setting. The sun was sinking slowly below the horizon, bathing the academy grounds in soft shades of orange and pink. Grass and vines had already begun to grow over the ruins of the buildings, giving the feeling of an ancient site. The view of the waterfall and surrounding mountains was breathtaking.
In the midst of all this, a figure in red-trimmed black leapt a pile of rubble, catching an absurd amount of air that wasn't humanly possible. He landed with ease, sprinting forward. A burst of smoke in front of him had him hastily dodging to the right as another figure, this one trimmed in yellow, erupted from the ground. The figure chased after him as he laughed triumphantly.
They made it through the sunken quarry area where the academy buildings had once been and onto the grass around it. Dustin was gaining when suddenly one of the last remains of the Wind Ninja Academy made itself known. Its appearance was so surprising, both boys actually stopped running, turning to look at one another in confusion.
"The sprinklers are still working?"
Dustin shrugged at Shane's bewilderment. "I guess so, dude."
They looked at one another for a moment, ignoring the sprays of water soaking them liberally. Both took off running again at some abrupt, unseen signal. Shane weaved in and out of the sprinklers, just managing to stay ahead of Dustin. Not that he was really trying to outrun him anymore.
A yelp and thud made him turn to look back. He couldn't help the chuckle as he slowed, turning and heading for his fallen boyfriend. "You know, you'd think you'd have gotten over those klutz attacks after becoming a ninja." he teased, squatting down beside him.
Dustin's head came up, revealing a muddy scowl. "Dude, wet earth makes mud. Mud doesn't move real well, okay?"
"A likely excuse." he taunted, pulling him to his feet.
Dustin glanced down at his mud-soaked uniform, then back at Shane. "Out of the sprinklers?" he suggested hopefully.
"Out of the sprinklers." Shane agreed, grinning.
Dustin swatted him, but followed him to a drier spot of grass. He flopped down with a sigh, focusing his gaze on the colors in the sky. Shane settled in beside him, automatically lying with their heads angled towards one another as they always did.
"You know I'm not really mad about you for the microwave, right?" Shane asked suddenly.
Dustin shook his head, accidentally shaking water from his curls. "You never stay mad at me for more than like, a couple minutes."
Shane nodded, relieved. "Good."
"We don't act like we're together, you know." Dustin announced abruptly.
Shane made a noncommittal noise to show he was listening.
"I mean, Blake and Tori like, flirt all the time and stuff. We just act like best friends. Like we always have."
Shane smirked slightly. "Except for the kissing part."
"Except for the kissing part." he agreed. "It's more like we're like, friend who kiss, or something."
Shane raised an eyebrow. "So you want me to start calling you sweetheart and bringing you flowers?"
Dustin socked him in the shoulder. "I'm not a girl, dude. I'm just saying."
They fell silent for a moment. "So we're best friends who kiss." Shane declared at last.
Dustin turned his head to look at him. "I can go for that." he said quietly.
Shane smiled. "Cool."
They leaned closer, exchanging a few quick kisses. At last their gazes returned to the darkening sky. Neither even noticed the moment their hands become intertwined.
They did notice however, when the sprinkler system rotated to water the grass they were laying on.
****
Despite Sensei's teasing, Hunter and Cam were actually sparring. Without an audience to make any comments or a referee to warn them to back off, they'd agreed to go all out. Sparring wasn't meant to be rough, and they followed the rules in general. There were simply times when they wanted a real fight without worrying about the safety of those around them. Both had tested each other enough to know that while their skills were different, they were evenly matched. Neither boy trusted anyone else for an all out match.
Cam twisted out of the way of Hunter's roundhouse, striking the middle of the other's back as he moved. Hunter rolled with the blow, pulling out of the summersault for a sweep kick. Cam jumped over his leg, launching a series of rapid punches at Hunter's face. He had backed Hunter into the wall before the other managed to jerk a knee up to his stomach. He doubled over, only to be nailed to the ground as Hunter tackled him.
He opened an eye to glare at the face leaning over him. "That wasn't a ninja move."
Hunter blinked innocently. "We agreed all out. Can I help it if I know a few other tactics?"
"You're never watching WWE again."
Hunter pouted, batting his eyelashes. It was a bizarre effect on him. "But then I'd miss the Jerico, Christian, and Trish match at Backlash next week! And Jerico's such a hottie."
Cam rolled his eyes. "Stop that. It looks like you have something in your eye."
Hunter grinned in response. "You just don't like me saying Jerico's a hottie."
"It's disturbing, if that's what you mean."
"You don't like me looking at half-naked guys."
Cam snorted. "If you like watching grown men run around in speedos groping each other, that's your prerogative."
Hunter sighed, looking irritated. "Can't you just pretend to be jealous?"
"Why? You're the one with possessive tendencies."
He scowled. "Very funny."
"Very true." Cam countered.
Hunter sighed again, then smirked. "So you think I have a thing about guys groping each other?"
"That's all wrestling is."
He lowered one hand down Cam's hip, leaning forward as though to kiss him. His other hand drifted to the ribs, preparing to shift for a tickle fight. Cam was horrible at tickle fights. The pains of being an only child...
"Hey, are you guys done ye-aaaahhhh!"
Both boys' heads shot toward the door as Blake stumbled back, hands flying to cover his face. "Oh my go-sh!" The stumbling in his words as the censor in his Thunder Powers kicked in proved just how horrified he was.
Hunter scrambled off of Cam, hurrying toward his brother. "It's not what it looks like!" he protested.
"That's good, because it looks pretty bad to me." Tori retorted, rubbing Blake's shoulder soothingly.
"Hunter was merely demonstrating his obsession with men groping each other." Cam commented mildly as he walked out.
Blake sobbed something that sounded vaguely like "Didn't need to know."
Hunter glared at Cam. "You are *evil*."
Cam smirked. "Not really. Just...inspired." His eyes seemed to flicker to something behind them for a split second, and his smirk widened. "If you'll excuse me, I have coding to do."
He passed a rather soggy-looking Shane and Dustin on his way out. "What happened to you two?"
"The sprinklers are still working." Shane informed him.
Dustin looked at the hysterical Blake curiously. "What'd we miss?"
"Let's just say Blake saw something that no little brother ever wants to see." Cam answered vaguely, still smirking.
Dustin blinked, glancing back and forth between Cam and Hunter. At last his eyes widened and he took several steps away from Cam. "Dude...that is *so* wrong."
I also must thank my sister and her husband for Hunter's 'obsession', as they introduced me to it and allowed me to formulate that opinion. I'm not sure why Hunter watches it, but it works. *Shrugs*
Moments
It was a beautiful setting. The sun was sinking slowly below the horizon, bathing the academy grounds in soft shades of orange and pink. Grass and vines had already begun to grow over the ruins of the buildings, giving the feeling of an ancient site. The view of the waterfall and surrounding mountains was breathtaking.
In the midst of all this, a figure in red-trimmed black leapt a pile of rubble, catching an absurd amount of air that wasn't humanly possible. He landed with ease, sprinting forward. A burst of smoke in front of him had him hastily dodging to the right as another figure, this one trimmed in yellow, erupted from the ground. The figure chased after him as he laughed triumphantly.
They made it through the sunken quarry area where the academy buildings had once been and onto the grass around it. Dustin was gaining when suddenly one of the last remains of the Wind Ninja Academy made itself known. Its appearance was so surprising, both boys actually stopped running, turning to look at one another in confusion.
"The sprinklers are still working?"
Dustin shrugged at Shane's bewilderment. "I guess so, dude."
They looked at one another for a moment, ignoring the sprays of water soaking them liberally. Both took off running again at some abrupt, unseen signal. Shane weaved in and out of the sprinklers, just managing to stay ahead of Dustin. Not that he was really trying to outrun him anymore.
A yelp and thud made him turn to look back. He couldn't help the chuckle as he slowed, turning and heading for his fallen boyfriend. "You know, you'd think you'd have gotten over those klutz attacks after becoming a ninja." he teased, squatting down beside him.
Dustin's head came up, revealing a muddy scowl. "Dude, wet earth makes mud. Mud doesn't move real well, okay?"
"A likely excuse." he taunted, pulling him to his feet.
Dustin glanced down at his mud-soaked uniform, then back at Shane. "Out of the sprinklers?" he suggested hopefully.
"Out of the sprinklers." Shane agreed, grinning.
Dustin swatted him, but followed him to a drier spot of grass. He flopped down with a sigh, focusing his gaze on the colors in the sky. Shane settled in beside him, automatically lying with their heads angled towards one another as they always did.
"You know I'm not really mad about you for the microwave, right?" Shane asked suddenly.
Dustin shook his head, accidentally shaking water from his curls. "You never stay mad at me for more than like, a couple minutes."
Shane nodded, relieved. "Good."
"We don't act like we're together, you know." Dustin announced abruptly.
Shane made a noncommittal noise to show he was listening.
"I mean, Blake and Tori like, flirt all the time and stuff. We just act like best friends. Like we always have."
Shane smirked slightly. "Except for the kissing part."
"Except for the kissing part." he agreed. "It's more like we're like, friend who kiss, or something."
Shane raised an eyebrow. "So you want me to start calling you sweetheart and bringing you flowers?"
Dustin socked him in the shoulder. "I'm not a girl, dude. I'm just saying."
They fell silent for a moment. "So we're best friends who kiss." Shane declared at last.
Dustin turned his head to look at him. "I can go for that." he said quietly.
Shane smiled. "Cool."
They leaned closer, exchanging a few quick kisses. At last their gazes returned to the darkening sky. Neither even noticed the moment their hands become intertwined.
They did notice however, when the sprinkler system rotated to water the grass they were laying on.
****
Despite Sensei's teasing, Hunter and Cam were actually sparring. Without an audience to make any comments or a referee to warn them to back off, they'd agreed to go all out. Sparring wasn't meant to be rough, and they followed the rules in general. There were simply times when they wanted a real fight without worrying about the safety of those around them. Both had tested each other enough to know that while their skills were different, they were evenly matched. Neither boy trusted anyone else for an all out match.
Cam twisted out of the way of Hunter's roundhouse, striking the middle of the other's back as he moved. Hunter rolled with the blow, pulling out of the summersault for a sweep kick. Cam jumped over his leg, launching a series of rapid punches at Hunter's face. He had backed Hunter into the wall before the other managed to jerk a knee up to his stomach. He doubled over, only to be nailed to the ground as Hunter tackled him.
He opened an eye to glare at the face leaning over him. "That wasn't a ninja move."
Hunter blinked innocently. "We agreed all out. Can I help it if I know a few other tactics?"
"You're never watching WWE again."
Hunter pouted, batting his eyelashes. It was a bizarre effect on him. "But then I'd miss the Jerico, Christian, and Trish match at Backlash next week! And Jerico's such a hottie."
Cam rolled his eyes. "Stop that. It looks like you have something in your eye."
Hunter grinned in response. "You just don't like me saying Jerico's a hottie."
"It's disturbing, if that's what you mean."
"You don't like me looking at half-naked guys."
Cam snorted. "If you like watching grown men run around in speedos groping each other, that's your prerogative."
Hunter sighed, looking irritated. "Can't you just pretend to be jealous?"
"Why? You're the one with possessive tendencies."
He scowled. "Very funny."
"Very true." Cam countered.
Hunter sighed again, then smirked. "So you think I have a thing about guys groping each other?"
"That's all wrestling is."
He lowered one hand down Cam's hip, leaning forward as though to kiss him. His other hand drifted to the ribs, preparing to shift for a tickle fight. Cam was horrible at tickle fights. The pains of being an only child...
"Hey, are you guys done ye-aaaahhhh!"
Both boys' heads shot toward the door as Blake stumbled back, hands flying to cover his face. "Oh my go-sh!" The stumbling in his words as the censor in his Thunder Powers kicked in proved just how horrified he was.
Hunter scrambled off of Cam, hurrying toward his brother. "It's not what it looks like!" he protested.
"That's good, because it looks pretty bad to me." Tori retorted, rubbing Blake's shoulder soothingly.
"Hunter was merely demonstrating his obsession with men groping each other." Cam commented mildly as he walked out.
Blake sobbed something that sounded vaguely like "Didn't need to know."
Hunter glared at Cam. "You are *evil*."
Cam smirked. "Not really. Just...inspired." His eyes seemed to flicker to something behind them for a split second, and his smirk widened. "If you'll excuse me, I have coding to do."
He passed a rather soggy-looking Shane and Dustin on his way out. "What happened to you two?"
"The sprinklers are still working." Shane informed him.
Dustin looked at the hysterical Blake curiously. "What'd we miss?"
"Let's just say Blake saw something that no little brother ever wants to see." Cam answered vaguely, still smirking.
Dustin blinked, glancing back and forth between Cam and Hunter. At last his eyes widened and he took several steps away from Cam. "Dude...that is *so* wrong."