Chapter 4 – Five Different Crayons
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"I'm pretty sure it didn't require four of us to ice this cake."
It was a grumble, but only for show. Dustin knew this, because Wes couldn't completely fight the smile off of his face as he said it, the same way Hunter couldn't hold onto his grumpiness for anything when he was trying to play the cool-tough guy in the face of Dustin's obvious hilarity. Please, who was he fooling?
Seriously, Dustin wasn't sure why Hunter even tried to play the uncaring-apathetic dude, he was terrible at it. In the yellow ranger's very humble opinion, it was far more hilarious to watch Hunter (and new best-friend Eric and like, half a dozen of the other 'too-cool-for-school' rangers, because apparently this was a popular attitude) pretend to feel all consternated when everyone else knew they were amused. Dustin had a couple pages devoted to it in his scrapbook.
Shane had been very generous with this assistance when it came to making those pages.
Ever the practical one, Tori met Wes' 'annoyance' with a sly grin. "True, but four people will make it more fun."
"If it is worth the trade in efficiency, only time will tell," Kai murmured, his eyes focused on smoothing down the red layer of base icing on the bigger rectangular cake. Dustin was tackling the smaller rectangular that would make up the 'top tier' of the cake, making extra especially to exactly replicate Kai's motions.
The blue Lost Galaxy ranger was a chill dude, but hard to get a read on. Though Dustin was, with time, getting better at understanding people, when it came to rangers, it was both harder and easier to test his skills. Easier, in that they were about as quirky as his team was (which was awesome in the way that it should be awesome, and no amount of Hunter's grumbling would convince Dustin otherwise), and harder, because even with the emotional extremes he had become accustomed to, there were some who were just…different.
Kai was one of those, and Dustin still had no idea how the blue ranger saw him. He tried not to worry about it though. Even if every other ranger hated him (for the whole laser-gun-stealing thing that they all said was cool and behind them but, you know, that was a big enough catastrophe that Dustin wouldn't blame people for residual feelings on the subject), at least he had his team, and that was enough.
At the very least, Dustin was pretty sure Eric liked him, which was what made this surprise party cake decorating fiesta all the more important. It had to be perfect.
Tori paused in her duties of loading up one of the piping bags, a dollop of black icing hanging on the end of her spatula. "Think of it as a team-building exercise."
"Like we don't have enough of those," Wes chided, but there was laughter in it. Whatever tightness Dustin had felt in his chest dissipated with the sound. "But you know what? I'm good with 'the more, the merrier' mindset right now. Anything to keep me from ruining this cake."
"You won't ruin it," Dustin assured. "And not just because of us. The cake's from you, that in itself makes it un-ruinable."
Kai's icing knife slid across the cake top in a fluid motion, his ministrations gentle – almost graceful. "While that logic is…unique," he began, and Dustin absolutely was not looking on like it was some kind of food preparation ballet, even if it seemed awfully close. "It does have merit."
"Three against one," Dustin said, bring the argument home before Wes could try and do something silly like object. "We win. Now finish loading up the icing bags."
"Sir, yes sir." Wes laughed – and it was– that was relief there.
That much Dustin could tell, had felt before, the relief in teamwork and knowing someone had your back.
It filled Dustin with a comfortable warmth, a small amount of elation that he would remember on a rainy day. For now, he enjoyed the moment. It was a pretty good one, he had to admit.
"But speaking of four…" Wes continued, dolloping white icing into his own bag, careful to keep the metal piping tip covered to stop any premature icing delivery. "Weren't you on music duty with Cam?"
Tori shrugged. "We delegated after Blake texted me," she replied – which was her diplomatic way of saying 'I knew Blake was acting like a pain and have now deprived him of my company as recompense', because Tori was actually the secret mastermind of their team, and Cam did nothing but add fuel to that particular flame.
Dustin really loved him for it.
Wes shuddered. "If we end up listening to classical music all night, I'm blaming you."
"Maya's supervising." Tori's grin transformed into a patented Hunter-smirk.
"Sure, pick the non-earthling to help sort through music they've never heard before," Wes chided, but he was grinning nonetheless. "You may as well have added Zhane to the mix."
"Who says I didn't?" Tori replied, her eyes dancing with mischievous possibilities.
Never had Dustin been more grateful that she was on his team.
"Is there a problem with classical music?" Kai asked, breaking up the banter with a frown that edged on concern.
That was one fear Dustin could assuage. "Nope," the brunette replied, "It's good. Like, there's this one song – I don't remember the name – but it has this really good bit with a flute-"
"And that's what's wrong with classical music," Wes declared.
"There's nothing wrong with flutes," Kai chastised, because he and Dustin were like, having a moment here, and it was awesome. Dustin one hundred and ten percent agreed.
"No," Wes tried to backtrack. "Not that, the-"
"Flutes for everyone!" Dustin cheered, pumping a fist into the air. "Flutes for all!"
"Agreed." Kai nodded his head sagely, shooting a (fond?) glance at Dustin.
Oh yeah, they were totally having a moment.
Awesome.
"Flutes for everyone," Tori echoed, lifting her spatula up in solidarity.
Alright, so maybe it wasn't bumper boats and mini golf, but this-
This was pretty spectacular too. Dustin wouldn't trade it for anything.
Well…maybe for Cam to be here too. But who was he to comment on the inherent obviousness of his existence?
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"Redemption!" Hunter's fist was thrust into the air in a picture of triumph, unwavering to the point where it looked like a trophy. His walk was decidedly jauntier, Adam surmised, watching the act with a level of steady amusement as the crimson Thunder ranger waved his lazer tag score card above his head. "Suck it, Myers. What I lack in golf-swagger I make up for in practical combat proficiencies."
Eric, trailing a few feet behind the younger ranger, rolled his eyes at the blond's display.
He also, Adam noted, kept his scowl directed firmly away from his own scorecard that was crumpled in his hands. "You still did worse than Carter."
In a predictable show of good humor, Hunter did not allow this to dissuade him. "Everyone did worse than Carter, that was a guarantee. Like breathing, we knew what was going to happen going in."
"I didn't realize that my blaster training would translate to lazer tag," Carter offered sheepishly, the same way he had when the scoresheets had initially come out.
The red Lightspeed ranger had won by a huge margin, but Adam didn't mind. Even the more competitive in their group didn't seem to fault Carter for his abilities. The Lightspeed ranger was a legendary sharpshooter, it surprised a grand total of none of them that he had swept all three rounds of lazer tag.
Knowing this, it was only a natural progression that everyone else would be vying for the number two spot. That honor had gone to Hunter twice, and Eric once – though Alex had proven to be a surprising up-and-comer in the third round, when Leo had convinced him to actually play the game.
The brunette Time Force agent was currently attempting to keep the peace between Taylor and Lucas, who had spent the majority of the games shooting at each other, and not much else.
From beside him, Rocky wore the beginnings of a particularly mischievous look – enough to tell Adam that his boyfriend had every intention of fanning the flames.
"I thought we had agreed to no special abilities," he said lightly, grinning. "You've got a ninja-skill advantage, how is that fair?"
"That argument's bogus from you, Mr. Ninjetti," Hunter replied, eyebrows furrowing in a comedic manner. "But the fact that you dare to question my honor aside, I'll have you know that these skills-" The blond waved his scoresheet in emphasis. "Are a hundred percent al naturale, pooh bear. Face it," Hunter stopped and broke into a little dance, shimming his hips in spastic circles to the ire of one Eric Myers. "My skills have skills."
"And my stomach has nausea," Eric replied without missing a beat. "Before we have to go on watching this…" He gestured towards Hunter's celebration, which Leo had eagerly joined. "-monstrosity any longer, what's next?"
"Go-karts!" Lucas declared, abandoning his normal cool reserve in a fit of rarely-shown excitement. "I mean-" He shot a quick glance to Alex, realizing he had forgotten himself. "We haven't raced go-karts yet."
"And it wouldn't be a celebration if we didn't do that," Eric drawled, but he was already walking away, heading around clusters of young children to move towards the go-karts queue.
"Did I say that lazer tag was a bad idea?" Leo asked, sidling up on Alex's other side as they followed the Quantum ranger. "Because that actually seems relatively harmless in comparison to this."
"At least it's not the batting cages," Adam offered with a shrug.
Predictably, Rocky stifled a series of giggles beside him. Somehow, the other man managed to find that particular nightmare more amusing to dwell on than horrifying. A small gift.
Leo made a face, earning a few chuckles from Alex. "That doesn't really comfort me."
"Good thing it's not your birthday," Lucas replied, eyes narrowing in what Adam assumed was a threat assessment. The Blue Time Force ranger reached out and grabbed Alex's shoulder. "Come on, let's try to line up ahead of Hunter. If he handles a go-kart like he handles a golf club-"
"I heard that." Hunter's response was indignant, the thunder ninja darting back to 'defend his honor' once more.
Lucas used that as an opportunity to move ahead, pulling Alex along with him.
Away from the company of Leo, it should be noted.
Rocky leaned over; chin brushing Adam's shoulder in a way that could be considered friendly. "Do not tell me they aren't five thousand percent adorable," he whispered. "How long do you think it will be before people start placing bets?"
Adam shrugged, lips twisting into a smirk. "I already started one with Taylor. You're welcome to join if you'd like."
After a beat, Rocky laughed. "You're an evil, evil man Park," he murmured quietly. "Good thing you're on our side."
"You're side," Adam repeated. "Always."
"If you two are done being adorable and like, perfect-" Hunter appeared the same way he always did, silently, quickly, and without warning. "There is a crowd of impressionable young children who do not need to witness your unbearable charm."
Rocky turned towards the blond, and Adam regretted the warmth pulling away from his shoulder. "Their parents have to cover 'the birds and the bees' at some point."
"I was referring to these children," Hunter waved towards the backs of the retreating rangers. "Don't be ridiculous, the adolescents can fend for themselves."
"Spoken like a real hero," Adam drawled.
With an absolutely straight face, Hunter replied, "Darn tootin'."
He then turned away on one heel, his one eighty oozing the precision of numerous training sessions, of skill and grace and years and years of practice.
Adam could sympathize with that.
"I'm really glad that kid has Dustin," Rocky noted quietly. "You gotta admit, that was some Dustin-influence, right?"
"I actually think that was a hundred percent Hunter."
"Huh," Rocky tilted his head to the side, considering. "I think you're a hundred percent correct."
"I think we need to stop throwing around percentages on my day-off," Taylor grumbled as they made their way to the back of the group. "Math is for the working."
"Math is for life!" Rocky cheered.
Adam grinned. "Never thought I'd see a red ranger declare that."
"Had to happen at some point," Rocky replied, and his chuckles weren't entirely drowned out by the cumulative sputtering of the other rangers.
It was a good day. It really was.
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Endnotes:
KLS, whoever you are, sign in next time so I can message you back, because our origin story is pretty much the same. Where one day it's like, oh hell, I actually really like this thing that's been around forever and I must read ALL THE THINGS and devouring every reading material in sight. I have been in that boat (and then gave up and started writing for that boat). I totally have recs for you, if you have not already discovered them. Thanks for the review, it was awesome in every way a review could be, prompting me to post the last two chapters of this story and get back into gear for posting the Reprise. If someone wants things to read, I can definitely do that. Thanks for the motivation
Until next time :D