Prologue

Sensei Omino looked around the Thunder Academy, watching the students taking advantage of a well-deserved day off. He looked around and saw that two students were missing from his sight. He decided to check the woods for them. He walked into the woods and looked around. 'Of course,' he thought as he saw the missing teenagers, 'I should have known that they would be together,' He smiled as he saw the that they were asleep in each others arms. 'Even when they're asleep they can't stay away from each other. Who would have thought that those two would've become best friends?' Sensei Omino thought, smiling. His eyes caught a little glimmer onthe Asian student's fingerand he stared, shocked. 'When in the world did that happen?' He took pride in knowing everything that happened to his pupils. Suddenly, the sleeping teenagersstarted to stir. TheAsian studentawoke and felt a presence behind him. He jumped into a fighting stance, but calmed down once he saw it was only his Sensei. "Hello Sensei. How are you?"Heasked, bowing.

"I'm all right, but I would like to ask you where and when you got the ring on your finger," Sensei asked him, who blushed and looked at his hand. Theblonde haired teenagerwoke up at the comment about the ring. He yawned and said "Morning Sensei. What time is it?"

"It's about 3:30 in the afternoon, Hunter Bradley. And, when did you and Cameron decide to get engaged?"

"Sensei, Cam and I aren't engaged. The rings we wear are promise rings, not engagement rings. They show how committed we are to each other," Hunter told Sensei as he walked up to Cam and put his arms around him. Cam stiffened at first, but relaxed into Hunter's arms.

"And they're show how in love we are," Cam added. "Wait, did you say 3:30?" Cam asked Sensei Omino. At his nod, he pulled himself out of Hunter's grasp. "I need to go pack. I'm going home soon," Cam said as he walked out of the woods, completely missing the sad look on Hunter's eyes.

"Apparently, Hunter, you don't want Cameron to go back to the Wind Academy," Sensei asked him, correctly reading the look in his eyes.

"No, I don't Sensei. I mean, he's so excited to see his father again, but at the same time I know he's worried about what his father will think and do. I mean, from what he's told me, his dad is very old-fashioned. Doesn't like homosexuals at all. And he didn't want Cam to learn the ways of the ninja. I'm worried that he might flip out and do something to hurt Cam. I know I should be happy for him, but I'm not," Hunter said, spilling his heart out to Sensei. "I'm going to go help him pack," He said, then sprinted after Cam.

Sensei stared at his student's receding body and sighed. "You're not the only person worried for Cameron."

Cam's room

Cam packed his clothes away carefully, taking his time to make sure everything was packed away neat and proper. He was just about to start packing up his laptop when Hunter burst through the door. "Cam, I don't want you to leave," He said to him.

Cam sighed at the outburst and put down his laptop. "Hunter, we've been through this. I need to go back. As much as I love it here, the Wind Academy is my home. But I swear I'll come and visit," Cam told him as he sat down on his bed.

Hunter sat down next to him. "I know we've been through it. We've been through it every week for the past 5 months. But I still don't want you to go. I mean, what if your dad flips out when you get back and he hurts you?" Hunter asked, his eyes showing off every emotion he was feeling.

"Hunter, my father would never lay a hand on me," Cam told him, taking Hunter's hand in his own.

Hunter squeezed their intertwined fingers a little and spoke with worry lacing his voice, "I know, you tell me that every time I try to talk about this. But you've also told me that you haven't told your dad about your sexuality, seeing as you know his views on homosexuals. So technically you don't know what he'll do. Now I know you miss your father a whole lot, probably more than Blake and I miss our parents, but are you sure you can live with a man that could hurt you in an instant?"

Cam sighed again, resting his head on Hunter's shoulder. "Hunter, you could hurt me in an instant. Anyone could hurt me in an instant. I just feel that I should go home. I haven't seen him in 4 years. He probably misses me as much as I miss him. You know that if Dad does anything to me I'll come back here in an instant," Cam said to Hunter, trying to reassure him.

"I know you will. I'm just scared for you. And for our relationship," Hunter told him, wrapping an arm around Cam's waist. "I mean, what if we can't handle a long distance relationship? I don't wanna break up."

"We won't break up Hunter. We can handle a long distance relationship. Our love'll withstand anything that happens. Whether it be my father or the fact that we're apart from each other," Cam said, comforting him. "Hunter, are you sure that's all the pent-up emotions you have?"

"Yeah, why?" Hunter asked.

"Empathy and compulsion bring a lot of people's emotions to the surface, and I know of at least one we have in common right now," Cam said, staring at Hunter hungrily.

"Cam, are you honestly sure that we should...," Hunter said, feeling Cam use his compulsion powers on him, drawing up his hormones above all others. "Damn you Cameron," Hunter said, pushing a laughing Cam down on the bed and making use of the free time they had before Cam had to leave.

2 hours later

"Cam, if you ever use that compulsion power on me again, I'll hurt you," Hunter said as he, Blake, and Cam arrived on the Wind Academy with Cam's luggage in their arms. "I'm serious. I don't care if you're the hottest guy in the world, I'll still hurt you."

"Uh huh, right Hunter. Then I'll just use the power to mess with your emotions again and turn you into a horny Crimson Ninja," Cam said to him as they walked back to his old room. The newer students just stared at them as they walked by, and the older ones just gave each other a look that clearly said 'Hey look, the computer geek's back'.

"Do they always have that look when they come near you, bro?" Blake asked Cam as they walked closer to Cam's room.

"Yes. They usually make snide remarks too. I'm suprised they didn't," Cam said to them. "Well, here it is. The old room," Cam said as they stopped walking. Cam kicked the door and it swung open revealing Cam's father sitting on the bed with a picture of a toddler aged Cam dressed in a green long sleeved shirt and blue jean overalls. "Dad, I thought you said there would be no embarrassing pictures of me being shown to anyone today," Cam said as he entered the room.

"Cameron, you're back. I've missed you," Sensei said as he put the picture down. He took the bag from Cam's hands, set it down on the floor, and gave his son a huge hug. Blake and Hunter put down the stuff they were holding and looked around the room. Barely anything was there, seeing as Cam's stuff was in the bags they had just put down, but there were still some pictures on the walls. There was a picture of Cam as a baby being held in his mother's arms. There was a picture of Cam, about age 5, in what appeared to be a park holding a black and brown kitten. The only other picture on the walls was one where Cam looked to be about 15. He was on his knees in front of a tombstone with a somber expression on his face. There was a bouquet of blood red roses at his side. 'I guess this was taken at his mother's grave' Hunter thought somberly.

"Dad, I love you, but I really need to breath," Cam told his father.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Cameron," Sensei said, letting go of Cam. He then noticed the Thunder Brothers, and gave them very disapproving looks. "Who may I ask are you?" He asked in a hostile tone.

"Dad, the one in the navy is Blake, and the one in the crimson is Hunter. I've told you about them in my letters," Cam told his father before they could answer.

"Why are they here, Cameron? You know that only Wind Ninja Academy students are allowed on campus,"

"Dad, they helped me bring my stuff back. And they're my friends, so they can come onto campus. Well, actually, Blake is more like a brother to me and Hunter and I are dating," Cam rambled. Hunter couldn't believe what he'd just heard come from his lover's lips. And by the look on Sensei's face he couldn't believe it either.

"Cameron, did you just say that you're dating the one in crimson?" Sensei said, not believing it for a second.

"First of all, his name is Hunter. Second off, yes, I did say that I'm dating him and that's the truth. Hunter and I are lovers," Cam said as he tried not to use his empathy powers to check and see what his father was feeling. Sensei, momentarily stunned by the news of his son's sexual preference and his choice of partner, quickly came back to reality and walked out of the room.

Cam sighed. "Hey, do you guys wanna go out to town and get a bite to eat? I'm famished," Hunter and Blake readily agreed and walked out of the room.

'This is going to end up being an interesting visit.'