Chapter 5 – Coming Home Again
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"I would call that a birthday celebration well done fellas." Hunter reached both arms above his head, folding his hands together and pushing outward in a gradual stretch. "Give yourselves a pat on the back."
"Don't brag about it too much," Eric grumbled. More for appearances sake than anything else. Gun to his head, he would admit the kid had done a good job with…well, today.
The whole thing stunk of Hunter's planning, but Eric couldn't find it in himself to mind. It was weird, still, having people – friends – who cared about him this much to organize a stupid day of kid attractions. It would never have been anything that Eric would have picked out for himself – as he had taste and was, you know, a mature human being, but it had been…nice.
Dumb, thoughtless entertainment with no repercussions. He could be competitive for fun, but if he failed, he didn't really lose anything.
It was good. Different, but god.
"En contraire, mi amigo." Hunter turned to wag a knowing finger in Eric's face. "I plan to brag about this for quite a while."
Taylor rolled her eyes. "You don't get to feel smug about buying nine fun passes."
"Eight." Leo raised his hand, as though waiting to be called on. "I got my own."
"None," Rocky added, arm looped around Adam's neck as he leaned into the black Ninjetti ranger. "I'm pretty sure Wes paid for all the tickets."
Hunter did not seem at all deterred by this fact. "Yeah, but I hit him up for the money, so that makes me a producer."
"Facilitator, at best," Rocky shot back.
"I still bought my own fun pass," Leo added. "Do I get to be a producer as well?"
Eric rolled his eyes at the lot of them. These, he considered friends. "There are no ending credits here."
"Only pizza celebrations," Rocky added. The guy had 'perpetual optimism' on lockdown, but Eric had become accustomed to that. Long-term exposure to Wes had made it mandatory.
"Yes!" Hunter cheered, both hands thrown into the air. "Pizza-time!"
"We could get to it faster if you hadn't made me park down the block," Eric grumbled.
The kid had demanded they stop further down the street so they could 'stretch their legs', but Eric had a sneaking suspicion the blond was aiming to make the walk back to their cars as long as possible to deter/profit-from any future inebriations.
Guy after Eric's own heart, not that the Silver Guardian would ever say as much.
"Q-bear," Hunter drawled, eyes half-lidded with amusement. "Darling, you've got to learn to stop and smell the roses."
Eric felt his right eye twitch. "I can't even escape that dumb nickname on my birthday." He shot Leo a dirty look.
Beside him, the red Lost Galaxy ranger seemed completely unapologetic as they strolled down the sidewalk. "You can escape the cost of a fun pass," he offered, smile brilliant.
At Eric's expense, maybe, but he had figured out a long time ago that the things Leo threw out in jest never intended injury, even if it was presented as such. Low self-esteem, maybe, that the brunette goaded others into disliking him, like maybe he deserved it.
It struck an eerily similar chord in Eric that he didn't bother to pursue. Leo was his friend, as strange as it was – Eric wasn't going to stress the small stuff. If it wasn't broken, why fix it?
"And pizza!" Rocky's exclamation brought Eric back to the present, the red Ninjetti ranger playfully resting more and more of his weight against his boyfriend. Adam, to continue his show of perpetual peace, remained unbothered. "It seems wrong to make you buy your own pizza."
"Got it covered, ape-man." Hunter cut around them on someone's lawn, launching to the front of the group in a backwards stroll, keeping all of them in his sight. "Because I'm amazing."
"Because Wes gave you pizza-money along with the fun-passes," Lucas shot back, deadpan. The blue Time Force ranger was behind Eric, but the Silver Guardian didn't need to see him to know he was rolling his eyes.
"I am a great producer," Hunter declared, hands propped against his fist in what he probably considered a heroic superman pose.
The effect was somewhat lost by the fact that he was still walking backwards, but if the kid was anything, it was stubbornly unconcerned of 'details'.
"Facilitator!" Taylor called back. She had taken up the rear of their motley precession (or, more accurately, Carter had tricked her into a conversation with his responsible-adult-eyes to keep her separated from Hunter).
"Laser Blast champion!" Hunter countered. On cue, he whipped out his scoresheet from seemingly nowhere, waving it around with a mad flourish. "Bow to me, peons. Well, first bow to Carter, and then bow to me."
"There's nothing quite like second-hand adulation," Leo noted quietly, probing a soft elbow into Eric's side.
"Us pitiful orphan boys take what they can get." Hunter's response was blithe, but the tension in his shoulders gave away how close the statement hit to home.
Kid always tried to make light of it – Eric understood why, he just wished…hell, he didn't know what he wished. Hunter had obviously come to terms with his parents' deaths, but the die-hard revenge thing for Lothor-
There was a quick jab against his side, nothing hard, just enough to gather his attention. Eric blinked, looking over to Leo and trying to hide his confusion.
The red ranger didn't say anything – sometimes he didn't need to. When Leo cut the crap, his eyes did all the talking for him, going for earnest and comforting and understanding in a way that Eric would have previously found sickening.
Somehow, since that stupid Doompot Incident, it didn't seem to bite as much as it used to. With practice, Eric had come to understand the words Leo didn't say.
Those were worries for another day. When they weren't celebrating…you know.
"As a fellow pitiful orphan boy, I can confirm this."
The voice came from behind them, and it took Eric a few moments to place it, even though they'd been together all day. Over his shoulder, he could see Lucas consider the future-red, Alex, with a look that was torn between concern and anger. Alex didn't seem to note it though, his weirdly stoic face (odd, because it was so like Wes', and the blond was rarely stoic) appearing almost-thoughtful.
Once he realized he had gathered their joint attention, Alex shrugged. "Survival mechanisms."
"Exactly!" Hunter pulled their focus back to the front, jumping in overdramatic obnoxiousness. "You get me Al, you are a welcome member of our brotherhood."
"His name's Alex," Lucas muttered, but it was drowned out by Rocky's, "Can we be a brotherhood of pizza-lovers instead? You know, be all inclusive?"
Leo thrust a hand into the air, cheerfully, "I second that motion."
"Third," Adam continued.
"Sold!" Hunter jumped to emphasize this fact, landing at the base of the walkway up to Eric's house. "The motion carries. Pizza for all, no takesies-backsies."
Rocky pressed his face against Adam's ear, quietly murmuring, "Now that was Dustin."
Leo chuckled into his hand. "Can't argue with that," he whispered.
Why they bothered with collusion when all of them had enhanced senses, Eric would never know, but Hunter made a show of not paying them any attention.
"Q-bear!" the crimson ranger motioned towards him. "As the great bearer of the keys, you must lead the way."
"Pretty sure all of you ninjas know how to pick locks," Lucas snarked. "Isn't that how the whole Doompot-thing started-?"
"La-la-la, I'm ordering pizza and can't hear you, la-la," Hunter replied, pressing his cellphone firmly against his ear.
"We're trying for a more lawful entrance," Adam offered, pulling Lucas away from the blond. He nodded his head towards Eric and motioned towards the door. "Shall we?"
Eric shrugged his shoulders. "Sounds good enough to me." He started up the walkway, the others following behind him like a line of dysfunctional, highly-skilled ducklings. "Fair warning though, I wasn't expecting company today, so I don't want to hear anything about clutter."
"Us?" Rocky asked, mock-offended. "Be critical? Never."
"Especially since we've all seen Rocky's pad," Leo laughed. "It's a wonder you put up with him Adam."
"You offend me to the deepest caverns of my soul, Corbett," Rocky gasped. "How dare you even question-"
Eric unlocked the door in quick, practiced movements, the conversation fading behind him as he stepped into the entryway and reached for the light switch, already contemplating which pieces of his furniture would most likely be goners by tomorrow morning.
Roughhousing was an inevitability with this group. The tactician in Eric wanted to get ahead of the damage, maybe pull some of the items he was more attached to out of harm's way, not that none of it was replaceable, it would be stupid to be attached to material-
"Surprise!"
Eric had summoned his Quantum Defender just as something – thousands of paper bits – exploded in his direction.
Confetti, he realized belatedly. Why would there be confetti? It didn't make sense-
"Happy birthday!" The voices cheered together as a staggered group.
A group. There was a group.
Of people.
In his house.
It did not make sense.
The most prominent of the voices was Dustin, who stood at the front of the crowd.
It was difficult to compute- it wasn't just the kid, it was the entire Ninja Storm team. A few steps behind Dustin was Jason, bumping elbows with Tommy and Andros.
In almost numb disbelief, Eric took it in. Zhane and Maya – the rest of Lost Galaxy, all squeezed into the left side of his entryway. The Time Force team – the rest of the louts – had taken up position in the entryway to the living room, chatting excitedly with Kole and Wild Force on one side and the rest of Carter's team on the other. Justin was off to the side, near Shane and his conglomerate, trying to coax what looked to be five confetti poppers away from Trip. It appeared to be a battle he was losing, much to his chagrin and Trip's obvious delight.
"Surprise!" Dustin was in his face before Eric could process what was happening, one hand shoving something hard and plastic on his head. "Come, we have cake!"
"What?"
That was all Eric got out before the kid had latched onto his wrist and he was pulled into a sea of rangers. Eric found himself nodding along to various arm clasps and half-hugs and high fives, reciprocating from pure confusion more than anything else.
What the hell was happening?
"Sword brother!" Zhane cheered far too loudly into Eric's ear after reeling the Quantum Ranger in for a bear hug. "Happy birthday!"
"What?!" Eric echoed, again.
This had to be some kind of hallucination, Eric had – they had done putt-putt, for his birthday. This couldn't be for- What was this?
Like some kind of knight in shining armor, Dustin batted the silver Space ranger away. "Less congratulating, more cake."
"The good wishes are kind of part of the birthday deal, Dusty," Jason – who had either appeared in a whirl of goodwill at that very moment, or had stealthed his way into the conversation two seconds ago – noted with a bright grin. He offered Eric one of the beers he'd been holding.
For lack of knowing what else to do, Eric took it – Dustin allowing a few seconds for this transgression before he tugged Eric along again, towards the kitchen.
Behind him, near the front door, he could hear celebratory cheering.
"I told you I was an awesome producer!"
"We are the best at secret missions!" Rocky responded to Hunter's declaration, echoes of laughter following in the wake from the group that had kept him out all day.
Distraction, Eric managed to note. They were keeping me distracted from this.
It had been difficult to wrap his mind around the fun day out, but this-
Eric had never had a surprise party. Truth be told, he had never had a real birthday party. When his mother was alive, it had just been the two of them. Sometimes they went bowling, or saw a movie, but a lot of times they stayed home.
The few years after they had beaten Ransik, Eric had lied about having birthday plans when Wes asked. He wasn't embarrassed, exactly, he just wasn't a guy for birthdays. It wasn't his thing.
Finally, Dustin dragged him into the kitchen. The modest place he had left this morning had been transformed into a monstrosity of craft streamers – Trip or Dustin's doing, had to be, but Eric wouldn't put it past Zhane to join in the fun. There were tacky Power Ranger wall stickers posted on all of the cabinets, the generic kind you could get at the grocery store for kids' birthday parties. His worn kitchen table had been covered in a red plastic tablecloth, pictures of the Mighty Morphin' rangers dancing along the outside edges. He was surprised the poor thing could hold up to the amount of food that was laid out on it – dozens of plates stacked with finger foods that all smelled delicious. And all of it, Eric noted, were things he had mentioned having a preference for in the past, from Kai's fancy cheese plate to the pizza rolls to the mac n' cheese cups. There were mini burgers and spring rolls, a plate piled high with hot wings and at least three different dipping sauces on the side. Off in the far corner was the obligatory vegetable plate, but even that had stuff Eric had an inclination for – snow peas and cherry tomatoes and slices of bell pepper.
He didn't get much of a chance to look at it – be awed and confused and torn – before Dustin was dragging him away, towards the kitchen island.
"Check it out!" the earth ninja cheered, and there, low and behold…
Was Wes Collins, standing on the other side of the island , Kai Chen flanking his other side. The blond had a lighter clutched in one hand, hovering over the side of a red cake placed on the counter.
But Wes was- He had a trip, he had said-
Dustin waved at the frosted desert in a mad flourish. "Wes made you a cake!"
Wes smiled, cheeks reddening at the enthusiasm. "Technically, we all made you a cake," the blond added, averting his eyes to look anywhere but Eric.
"But Wes was the leader!" Dustin insisted. Tori, at some point, had snuck up beside him, one arm looping around his neck with a satisfied smirk on her face.
Dustin was- but he was supposed to be gone too.
"What," Eric shook his head, still dazed. "I thought…"
"Family emergency," Dustin nodded, answering the question Eric had not verbalized. "Had to bake a cake."
"Team cake-building exercise." Kai nodded thoughtfully, relieving Eric of the burden of everyone's focus.
He would consider it strategic and tactful, but for Eric it was a kindness that allowed him to gather himself, swallowing down a stubborn lump that had caught in his throat. It was a dumb thing to get worked up over, the kid threw out off-hand comments all the time, oblivious of their weight. It was part of his charm.
"So you…"
"It's called a surprise party, my friend." Hunter came from behind him like the deadly silence of night, stopping to obnoxiously lean against Eric's shoulder. "And as much as I'd like to take credit for it, this was all Wes' doing."
Wes flushed. "It wasn't all-"
"Supreme mastermind," Dustin noted sagely.
"Whipped us all into shape real good." Leo's voice came from behind them, but his footsteps were deliberate, noisy so as not to startle anyone.
Wes gave a nervous laugh. "I didn't-"
"Hey, is that the cake?" Trip came into the room as he always did, in an explosion of energy and cheer. There was a mess of confetti tucked into the neon green tuffs of his hair. Flurries of rainbow paper fell behind him as he walked, freeing themselves from the folds and pockets of his oversized clothes.
"Good job Wes!" the Xybrian continued. "It looks great."
"Better than the last three, at any rate," Justin added. He had followed in behind Trip, and the amplitude of multi-colored confetti trapped in his hair indicated just how badly he had lost that particular battle of wills.
Wes opened his mouth, eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but Dustin cut him off. "Blake sent them pictures."
"No good sneak," Hunter drawled. "I'm proud of you."
Eric frowned. "Who-?"
"Thanks!" came cheerfully from above – and how Eric had missed it, he would never know, but the youngest Bradley had somehow managed to glue himself to the ceiling, video camera tight in his grasp as he took in the entire scene. "Love you too."
"I…" Eric blinked, taking in the decorations, the cake, the food, all of the rumble of conversation resonating from his living room – words upon words blurring into unintelligible sound, but voices familiar. "What?"
It didn't make sense. They had already given him more than he could have ever wanted. And that- that had just been an afterthought, not even the main event. They had set this out for him, they had invaded his home, filled it with all the things he liked most, for him.
And he was kind of an asshole.
In his peripherals, Eric could see Justin lean around Trip, frowning. "I think we broke him."
"I got this," Leo said confidentially, his constant attitude of easy surety taking control. He looped an arm around Eric's neck. "Look, it's easy big guy. Drink your beer, eat some cake, and gorge yourself on snack food. When you're ready, you can tackle that pile of presents that is slowly taking over your living room."
Eric narrowed his eyes at the brunette, ignoring how grounded the point of contact made him feel, the closeness of Leo comforting in a small way. "You did not get me presents."
Hunter threw his head back and laughed, unrestrained and loving every moment of it. "Oh, we got you presents."
"All the presents," Dustin added, nodding slowly.
At some point, Cam had snuck into the kitchen and wrapped himself around the earth ninja, arms secured around the kid's waist and head resting against his shoulder, like it was easy.
"There will be tears, if you do not open these presents," Leo said quietly. "That, and a couple of angry yellow rangers."
"All hail the might of the two-K connection," Blake intoned silently. "Katie and Kelsey are a force to be reckoned with."
"And Tori?" the aqua ranger asked, raising one challenging eyebrow at the ceiling.
"Goes without saying." Blake gave her a two finger salute, but kept the camera on Eric.
Leo ducked his head in towards Eric's ear. The movement was friendly, not intimate, even if it made Eric's pulse jump.
"Just don't think about it too much," Leo murmured. His breath was warm and smelled faintly of those chocolate mints Rocky hoarded. "For now, why don't you start with blowing out your candles?"
"Don't forget to make a wish!" Dustin bounced on the balls of his feet, unable to contain his excitement. His boyfriend, apparently used to such outbursts, simply moved along with him as though it were some kind of training exercise, his expression one of amused peace.
"He's got us," Leo declared, switching his hold to grab onto Eric's wrist as Dustin had earlier, and dragged him to the other side of the island. "What more could he wish for?"
"I would wish for the playlist to include something other than 'Bootylicious'," Justin grumbled, throwing a glare at Cam. He hadn't made any effort to shake off any of the confetti.
The green Samurai ranger returned Justin's ire with a half-lidded, put-upon look. "In some skirmishes, retreat is the most effective option. I yielded to the majority."
"The non-earthling majority?" Justin's incredulous tone was somewhat tempered for Trip's benefit, though the Xybrian showed no signs of offense.
Cam gave a half-hearted shrug. "They like jelly."
"And no one is ready for jelly!" Zhane cheered from the living room. "No one!"
As one, they eyed the clumps of people laughing in the living room, then turned their eyes to the speaker system.
"I'll fix the playlist later," Tori volunteered.
There was a mutter from Cam that sounded suspiciously like, "Good luck with that." that everyone chose to ignore.
Eric's attention was brought back to the counter as Wes turned the cake, nudging it to face Eric. It was two…layers? Tiers, maybe, whatever you called two rectangular cakes stacked on top of each other. The borders of both layers, on bottom and top, were covered in decorative piping. The upper layer was smaller, and the surface area it didn't cover was iced with black and white patterns similar to his helmet.
On the top layer, surrounded by a mess of candles, were the words 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIC'. They were done with a plain tip - straight, drafters' lettering - not anything fancy. They didn't look as confidently done as the outside piping, a little sloppy, not all of the letters the same size but…it looked like it had been done with care.
"I did that part." Wes volunteered it quietly, having caught where Eric was staring. "I don't ice that many cakes, so…"
"Thank you."
Wes snapped his mouth shut, but Eric kept his gaze resolutely on the cake.
Way back when, any time Eric actually had celebrated his birthday, his mom had always made sure there was enough saved away to bake a cake herself. It seemed better, the thing being homemade, but realistically he knew that baking the thing herself had been the cheaper option, instead of ordering one. Even if it was from a box though, it had been the best damn desert Eric had ever tasted.
Wes couldn't have known that, but something had pushed him to make a cake anyway. For Eric.
They didn't do this, that often. The touchy-feely friendship stuff. That was Wes' territory, but if…if the blond was going to take it upon himself to do all this when Eric had mentioned maybe getting birthday drinks, possibly, then the least he could do was set aside his normal attitude of not-thinking-too-hard about Wes and Wes-related things and express his appreciation.
To whatever god was out there, Eric would always send his gratitude for the blond's inclusion in his life. While vocalizing it felt dangerously close to crossing a threshold he had promised to never entertain, in this instance, it needed to be done.
"All of you," Eric continued, the words somewhat clumsy. Out of practice. "Thank you. You didn't have to-"
"Lalalaaa, I can't hear you-" Hunter shoved both hands over his ears, just as Dustin started to wave his hands emphatically, "Nope, nope, nope-"
"What they mean to say," Kai spoke over them, eyes taking in their antics with subdued curiosity. "Is that this is our privilege. Please-" He tilted his head ever so slightly, a minute bow of respect, maybe. It was hard to tell with Kai. "Permit us this."
"Because we want to," Wes added.
With Wes and Kai an unyielding wall in front of him, and Leo a reassuring warmth behind, it was difficult to say anything to the contrary.
Unlike Justin, Eric knew a losing battle when he saw one.
He yielded with grace, swallowing down feelings he couldn't articulate, and didn't really want to try.
"Alright," he said quietly. "Let's have cake."
A hand ruffled through his hair, followed by Leo's laughter, the brunette's hand falling to the base of Eric's neck as he leaned against the other ranger. "I think that's the smartest thing you've said all day."
Eric focused on the cake in front of him, counting the red and white candles, and ignored the warmth of Leo's hand. "Yeah well, I have my moments."
The brunette chuckled. "Don't we all?"
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"Friends aren't supposed to sneak compromising pictures of friends when they're unconscious," Justin grumbled.
The protest was half-hearted at best, what with the fact that the Turbo ranger had not, in fact, made any move to stop Blake, so the thunder ninja felt a grand total of zero guilt for ignoring other teen.
There were some opportunities in life that could not be ignored. This was one of them.
By hell, was this one of them.
"At least take the crown off his head." In his peripherals, Blake saw Justin fold his arms stubbornly, averting his eyes to look anywhere but the tableau before them.
He still hadn't left.
From Blake's other side, Trip was performing some kind of minimalistic happy dance that came across as a joyful need to use the bathroom. "I kind of like the crown. It's festive."
"I like Leo's tiara," Dustin whispered, hanging upside down from the ceiling, legs folded beneath him in a meditative position.
Despite knowing them for a good few months, Justin still jumped at the comment. How he hadn't learned to look up yet was beyond Blake, it was the best hiding place.
As though reading his mind, Justin aimed an annoyed glare Blake's way. "Damn ninjas."
At this, Trip paused his spastic dance, seeming to take offence on Blake's behalf. "This is a place of love," he informed Justin sagely. "No 'damning' allowed."
"Not when there's a cuddle pile nearby," Dustin added.
"Part of the pile can hear you."
It was totally reasonable for the onlookers to jump at the sudden intrusion, though Blake managed to school his face free of any guilt, even if Tweedle dee and Tweedle Trip refused to do so beside him.
Kai met Blake's expression with an unimpressed look of his own. With Wes wrapped around him on one side and Eric cuddling in on the other, it shouldn't have been as effective, but Kai kind of had the 'overprotective papa bear' thing going on.
Blake had enough survival instincts intact to know when to retreat.
Naturally, Dustin didn't.
"Hey Kai." The earth ninja waved at the blue Lost Galaxy ranger happily, even as the hands wrapped around Wes and Eric tightened in response. "Happy post-friend birthday."
For a moment, Kai considered Dustin, his face trained to apathy, but Blake knew that expression better than anything else. It was the one Cam had levered Dustin's way many times in the early days of team Ninja Storm, when the samurai ranger was still attempting to fathom the enigma that was Dustin Brooks.
"Thank you," Kai responded after a pause, nodding his gratitude in the yellow ranger's direction. "Happy post-friend birthday to you as well."
"Is this the part where you tell us to leave?" Justin asked.
As a fellow blue, and all around smart person, Justin tended to cut to the point when approached with subjects that could affect the safety of their lives.
"Yes," Kai responded without missing a beat. "This is the part where I tell you to leave."
On Eric's other side, Leo grumbled unintelligibly in his sleep. He knocked his tiara – it had been won over from Kendrix, Blake was pretty sure, but he'd have to check the tapes – askew when he burrowed into the Quantum ranger, not that the birthday boy seemed to mind. Eric gave a few incoherent grumbles before wrapping an arm around the other red ranger.
Blake almost wasn't mad that Hunter had been right, when it provided with such a beautiful picture.
His glee was short-lived when Kai narrowed his eyes at Blake, the quiet acceptance disappearing in a look of cool threat.
"Leave the camera," the blue Lost Galaxy ranger ordered.
"But-" It was a new camera (that Blake may have 'borrowed' from Cam).
Justin plucked the device from Blake's hands and tossed it on Eric's dresser. "Leaving it," he muttered. "Let's roll out, team."
"Who died and made you red ranger?" Blake grumbled on principal, even as he followed in Justin's annoyed wake.
Behind him, he could hear Dustin land on the red carpet of the bedroom floor, even if the other two couldn't. "I think the more important question here is, do we have any cake left?"
"I think so," Trip replied. He had looped his arm through Dustin's the moment they hit the hallway. It was some kind of bonding thing that had popped up after watching one too many musicals together. The rest of them had learned not to talk about it. "Why do you ask?"
Dustin looked at him with wide eyes. "Two words," he began. "Breakfast cake."
Justin shot a glare over his shoulder from where he had been leading them downstairs, back to the piles of sleeping rangers. "No."
"We can have cake for breakfast?" Trip replied over him. "That's awesome! Jen never let us do that when we were in this century."
Dustin narrowed his eyes in his interpretation of 'steely determination'. "That's a problem that needs to be rectified."
"No," Justin said, continuing shaking his head. Blake was pretty sure he'd never stopped. "It really isn't."
Blake gave him a helpless shrug. "Majority rules," he reminded. "What can you do?"
"Many things that don't involve cake for breakfast," Justin replied, giving him a half-lidded look.
Dustin pulled ahead of them, dragging Trip in his wake in a chorus of giggles. "Sounds boring."
Whatever argument Justin had in place was interrupted by Trip, laughing open and bright and in that very particular way that had awing effects on certain blue Turbo rangers.
"This is the best birthday ever," Trip declared. He turned his gaze on Justin. "Don't you think?"
With all the grace in the world, Justin managed to look just a little more dumbstruck. "I…"
Ah hell, this is painful to watch.
Out of blue brotherhood, Blake took pity on the guy.
"Totally agree," he finished. "Justin totally agrees. We should do this more often."
"Or at least have brunch," Dustin concluded.
"Alright," Blake said. "First brunch, then world domination."
Beside him, Justin sputtered, but Trip was already nodding.
"Sounds good to me. We can enforce mandatory breakfast-cake then."
"Or fruit salad," Dustin added. "If you're gluten-free."
Blake cocked his head to the side. "What about diabetics?"
"What about not taking over the world?" Justin countered.
As one, they ignored him.
"Sugar substitutes," Dustin replied. "But first-"
"Cake." Trip grabbed his arm, dragging the earth ninja around the cuddle pile sleepover that had overtaken the first floor of Eric's house. "That, is true happiness."
"I think we can do better on the happiness scale than 'cake'," Justin muttered, still following behind them despite his objections towards their selected breakfast. "A well-balanced meal, for instance."
"Silly Justin," Trip laughed, echoing the phrase of that damn Trix commercial Dustin had gotten him hooked on. A commercial, not even a movie. Who did that? "Happiness can be anything. The levels don't matter."
They pulled into the kitchen, taking care to step around the Jason-Zhane-Mike ranger heap.
Justin rolled his eyes. "Of course they-"
"Happiness," Dustin began, half of his body already in Eric's fridge, no doubt searching for the remains of the cake. "Is breakfast cake."
"Happiness," Blake added. "Is mini golf."
Trip clapped his hands together in the delight. "And surprise parties."
"And people to invite to those surprise parties," Dustin professed triumphantly as he pulled the cake platter out of the refrigerator, his grin huge. "And people to throw surprise parties for."
"Happiness is a firefly."
Blake paused, pulling his focus from Dustin making room on the kitchen island to Justin, who remained a few feet behind them.
The Turbo ranger's arms were folded across his chest, the perfect example of defensive behavior, but the hitch in his shoulders told a different story.
It seemed social awkwardness was a common trait among ranger-team geniuses.
At their pause, Justin continued, "If happiness can be breakfast cake, it can definitely be a firefly."
"Or an ice cream cone," Trip added, bounding over to the brunette's side. "Or a secret."
"Or daytime." Dustin rifled through Eric's drawers, searching for a clean knife. "Or nighttime. Whatever."
"'Whatever'," Blake echoed with a laugh. "Way to specify."
"I mean-" Dustin narrowed his eyes in concentration, smile lighting up his face when he discovered an appropriate cutting utensil. "If you love it, that's happiness."
"Sounds like perfect logic to me."
For the moment, Blake was glad they didn't have the camera. Something like this didn't need to be shared with the rest of the world. He liked keeping it as this. As them.
Dustin looked at him, all at once wise and playful and aware and lost and the total conflicting formula that was Dustin. "That's because it is."
And really, who was Blake to argue with that?
Some things didn't require specification.
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Endnotes:
Thanks everyone for sticking around. It's been another great year. My goal's to post more in 2016, we'll see how it goes.
And double thanks to The Real Vampire – I've learned so much from you Vamps! Wouldn't be the writer I am today without you.
Until next time :)
'Happiness is, morning and evening, daytime and nighttime too. For happiness is anyone, and anything at all – that's loved by you." – 'Happiness' from 'You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'