1. Written for PRSW challenge, link available on my profile or at the LiveJournal community prsw22.

2. Love: for Roie, friend and beta.


Stars shone brightly in the ink-blue sky, visible through the branches. It was a beautiful, crisp evening. He was past the day's training session, and had no homework to do. He was at the skate ramp, and until a moment ago he was having a good time. Now, though, Shane was pissed off. Some people, he thought irritably, never learn. "Her name's Tori", he told Rob. He bit back his smile at the guy's involuntary step backwards. Yeah, you'd better feel intimidated.

"Dude, she's still a babe", said Rob. "You gotta be a fag not to notice it."

"Just don't try hitting on her", muttered Shane. "She'll break your nose". Then he got off the ramp's top as fast he could, before Rob could say another stupid comment that was would make Shane angry.

Tori was waiting for him at a short distance from the ramp. "What was that all about?" she asked. "I thought you were going to throw him off the ramp top."

"He was just being an idiot", said Shane. He looked back at the ramp. Rob was looking at them. "Can we leave now?"

"Sure", said Tori.

"So", she asked once they were out of sight – and of earshot – from the skating ramp.

Shane cut her off. "Why'd you drop by?"

Her eyebrows shot up. "What happened?" she asked. "You're really worked up over something."

"No, I'm not."

"Shane…" Tori shook her head. "Did I ever tell you that you're a sucky liar?"

Only whenever I try to hide something from you. "Okay. So he called you a babe."

"What's wrong with that? Do you disagree?"

"Hey!" Shane raised his arms – last thing he needed was Tori chewing him out about that yet again. "That's not what it's about, okay? He's always calling you 'that babe', and he knows your name perfectly okay. It just irks me, that's all."

Tori's irritation faded - mostly. "I can pick my own fights", she told him. "But thanks, anyway."

"Yeah, no sweat." They walked in silence for a few more moments before Shane asked, "So, since when are you dropping by at the ramp when there isn't a demo and we're not late for anywhere?"

She shrugged. "Just came by to talk, I guess"

"Talk?"

"Yeah. We don't do that anymore"

"What do you mean? Of course we do. We hang together all time"

Tori shook her head. "Shane, we've know each other how long?"

"Since fourth grade", he answered promptly. "I nailed your braid to your chair, and you almost broke my nose for it"

Tori smiled at the memory. "So would you say I know you pretty well?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So, you've been clammed up lately. I can't remember when was the last time you said something that wasn't about homework, or work, or Ranger-related. And, you talk all the time, you know?" She smiled a little, but her eyes were serious. "You had me distracted for a while."

Shane's hands were deep inside his pockets. "So?" he said nonchalantly. "There's been a lot going on."

"Exactly". She stopped, and put a hand on his shoulder, effectively stopping him, too. "We've know each other for half our lives, Shane, and I can't think of a single time you held something back from me. What's going on?"

"Nothing's going on."

"Shane…" her tone was caring, but there was no mistaking the steel underneath. "Now I know there's something you're not telling me."

"Yeah? How?"

"Because you're a lousy liar, which you should remember as I only told you that two minutes ago", she retorted.

Now he was busted. Tori didn't know how to let go, and if she were certain that he was holding back on something, she wouldn't let go until she got him to tell her. Certain that anything he could say would be used against him, Shane just shook his head. Which may not have been the best idea, because now Tori was looking seriously worried.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"But something's up."

"Kinda."

"And you don't want to tell me what it is."

"Right."

"How about talking to Sensei?"

Shane shook his head sharply. "No way."

"Hunter?"

"What?" That took him off guard. "Where did that come from?"

She looked down. "Dustin's not exactly someone to discuss issues with", she admitted, "and you and Hunter seem to be getting along okay."

"You think?"

Her gaze snapped right back up, and the open palm on his shoulder turned into a finger jabbing into his chest. "This is about Hunter, isn't it?"

Shit! And I can't tell her 'no' or she'll know it's a yes! "Why'd you think that?" he asked, hoping his voice was stable enough to fool her.

"Because you sounded hopeful when you asked that", she told him. "Like you weren't sure how you and Hunter are doing."

"You said yourself, everything's cool."

Her eyes narrowed. "No, it isn't, and it's about you and Hunter."

He was this close to just turning away, when Tori's shoulders suddenly slumped, both arms resting against her body. "I thought you trusted me", she said quietly.

"Hey". He touched her shoulder, carefully. "I do trust you, okay?" She just looked at him. She didn't say anything aloud, but her eyes said, clear as day: Yeah? Shane sighed. "I'm still coming to terms with this myself, so I guess I'm just not yet ready to talk."

"Coming to terms with what? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"You say that, but you're really defensive about it". She looked at him seriously. "You can't keep something that that's important to you a secret forever", she told him. "Maybe I noticed first, but I won't be the last. How long do you think until someone else notices, too?"

She was right. Shane shifted uncomfortably.

"I really can't think what you possibly wouldn't talk about", she said quietly. "It's not that we always talk about everything, but we're friends, and we're teammates: if you feel that there's something you can't talk about, it's just wrong."

"I guess I'm afraid", he said awkwardly, after a moment's pause.

She snorted. "Like I didn't figure that out already."

Another moment passed in silence.

"C'mon", she said. "I'm not going to let it go."

He'd considered talking to Tori, in the very first days of dealing. He'd really needed to talk to someone, then, but eventually he couldn't. He didn't know if Dustin's generally mellow approach to life stretched that far – not to mention that Dustin was on too good terms with Hunter and Blake, and didn't know how to keep his mouth shut; the same was applied to Tori – he had no way of anticipating her reaction, and she and Blake were too close for Shane's comfort.

Tori was right, though. Knowing something like this and not telling anyone was eating up at him. Maybe he could shake Tori off now, but sooner or later someone else would get on his case; not Dustin, but someone like Sensei, Cam or Blake – Hunter's brother was almost as perceptive as Tori.

Shane swallowed. Hard. "Tor… just you, okay?"

She didn't understand. "Okay."

"I mean it", he insisted. "No-one can know. Especially Blake."

"Well, duh, if it has to do with Hunter".

His hands, no longer in his pockets, clenched into fists. "Promise not to get mad at me?"

"As long as you didn't betray us to Lothor or something. Hey!" she protested at the Look he gave her. "You were being ridiculous first!"

"Don't go saying stuff like that", he muttered. "Okay". He squared his shoulders and took a deep breath. "I…"

He had never thought how to actually explain.

"I think I'm…" He closed his eyes for a moment, and opened them again, looking right into Tori's eyes. "I'm not straight."

Tori blinked. "That was the whole big deal?"

Shane's mouth dropped open.

"Okay, wrong way to put it", she said hastily. "But seriously, Shane, all this drama…" She paused. "I suspected, you know."

Now, that threw him for a loop. "What?"

"Ever since the entire Dill thing." She shrugged. "Friends since we were nine or not, you should have noticed me growing curves."

"Dustin didn't notice either," he had to point out.

"Dustin's generally oblivious. You're not. And…" she hesitated. "Guys look at girls, okay? Even if they don't specifically mean to check out a girl. You and Dustin see me in beachwear all the time. Dustin looks. You don't."

He didn't like how she made that sound. "Am I that obvious?"

"Lucky for you, I'm the only girl on the team", she offered with a smile. Then she hesitated for a moment. "So, Hunter?"

Shane closed his eyes again. "Yeah", he admitted quietly.

"Did you know… before?"

"No". He opened his eyes. "I didn't."

"Oh". She said it so quietly he barely heard it. "How long?"

He shrugged uncomfortably, looking away. "Remember when he ran out of Ninja Ops?"

It took her a moment, but she got it. "The day Lothor brainwashed Blake and Hunter? After it was all over, and we were hanging about Ninja Ops?"

"Yeah."

"That was months ago". That seemed to disturb her. "I can't believe you didn't tell me."

"You're practically Blake's girlfriend", Shane pointed out. "Dustin's too talkative. And there was no way I was going to talk about something like that with anyone else on the team."

"Yeah", she agreed. "I should've thought about that." Another moment of silence. "Are you sorry for telling me?"

"Honestly? No."

"Want me to find out if Hunter's gay?"

"Tori!"

"What? He has too much fashion sense to be straight, you know!" She laughed at his horrified expression. "Seriously, Shane. I promised not to tell anyone, right?"

"Right. Don't you ever scare me again like that."

"Shane, of course I wouldn't tell Blake - even if I hadn't promised. I do have some common sense – and we're friends."

"You're practically Blake's girlfriend."

"And that makes him more important than my other friends how, exactly?"

He just looked at her.

"There's more than one kind of love, Shane. Boyfriend or not, I'm not going to betray one person I love for another."

"You know", he said slowly, "I don't think I ever thought the world 'love' about anything outside my immediate family". Tori didn't interrupt him, thankfully, but rather waited for him to gather his thoughts. "I think I should've. What?" he added at Tori's odd expression.

She shook her head. "Nothing", she told him. "It just doesn't come as easy to some, I guess."

"Yeah", he agreed. "So… friends?"

She squeezed his hand. "Friends."