Warning: Chapters marked (R) contain non-graphic erotic content and/or gentle sexual dominance. "Week Fourteen" is rated for two boys having sex, and "Month Nine" is rated for two boys' sex and mild dominance play.

Chapters:

1. Day One

Tap. Sizzle. Tap. Hiss. Tap.

He probably should have turned the burner down sooner. He stopped tapping the spatula against the side of the stove and grabbed the handle of the frying pan, tilting it up on one side to get a better angle. The batter was only just bubbling around the edges, but the other side was already a dark brown. It hissed again as the uncooked side hit the pan, and he frowned. Definitely too hot.

He turned the stove down even further and pressed the spatula on top of the batter, to flatten it out and make it cook more evenly. Or as evenly as it could on a too-hot pan. He wasn't used to electric stoves, but he supposed the gas company didn't come out this far.

The sound of a creak and the shuffle of feet against the floor made him smile, but he didn't turn around. Of course. They had strangely similar schedules.

There was a pause that must have been his company assessing the situation. He apparently came up short, because he finally inquired, "What are you doing?"

Hunter considered the pan carefully. "Making pancakes."

Silence.

He tilted the pan again and slid the spatula underneath the pancake, flipping it off onto the plate next to the stove. Reaching for the bowl, he traded the spatula for a spoon and asked, "You want?" Without waiting for an answer, he started pouring another one.

"You're making pancakes at two in the morning."

Hunter started tapping the spatula against the stove again. "Yep."

"Why?"

"Because I'm hungry." The pan wasn't cooling off that quickly, but it was enough to keep this one from burning. "Get a plate."

Without a word, his visitor padded across the kitchen to extract a second plate. Entering Hunter's range of vision, he came over and deposited the plate next to the stove. "I didn't know you could cook," he remarked, hitching one hip up against the counter.

"It's a mix." Hunter tapped the box with the spatula for emphasis. "Don't get excited."

There was no answer. He looked up from the stove for the first time, smirking as he got a good look at what had only been a black blur out of the corner of his eye. "Nice t-shirt."

Cam folded his arms, covering up the words "killer coding ninja monkeys do exist." Red slitted simian eyes were still visible above his crossed arms, and he looked a little defensive. "A friend gave it to me."

Yeah, and he hadn't expected Cam to wear it at all. Let alone sleep in it. "Cool friend," he offered, pressing the second side of the pancake against the pan. It didn't hiss, but he gave it another minute anyway.

"Modest, too," Cam muttered.

Hunter just grinned, reaching for the empty plate. "I doubt that."

Cam opened a drawer and traded him silverware for the plate, but not without a raised eyebrow for its contents. "These pancakes are huge," he remarked, not as though it mattered.

"It's a small pan," Hunter countered. "Might as well use all of it."

He leaned back against the counter, cutting into his pancake with the fork and watching Cam covertly. The Green--well, the former Green Ranger didn't seem to give the food a second thought. He just took a bite, chewing thoughtfully, as though it was perfectly normal to wake up in the middle of the night and find someone cooking in the kitchen. Someone who just happened to care enough to feed you, at that.

On the other hand, maybe Hunter was the one who was intruding. Between the rescued ninjas and the suddenly displaced Thunders, it had gotten pretty crowded around here pretty quickly. Some of the students and teachers were actually supposed to be on site, but there wasn't any place for them to live anymore. The majority of them belonged at other academies, which unfortunately were in a state similar to this one.

Cam had yet to complain--at least in Hunter's hearing--about the sudden crowd. Was he used to it? Not anymore, certainly. But he had lived at the Academy before that, hadn't he? Growing up with ninjas... Hunter wondered why they had never compared notes before.

"Why are you really up?" Cam asked, and Hunter realized abruptly that Cam had been studying him as closely as he had been studying Cam.

He glanced over at the counter beside Cam, lifting his chin without a word.

Cam looked down, frowned a little. He tilted his head to read the card that had been tossed there, and his frown deepened. "Factory Blue?"

"He told Blake to give it to me."

"He?" Cam repeated. "Roger Hanna, you mean?"

Well, wasn't that interesting. He really did pay attention when they talked about motocross. "Yeah," Hunter agreed, sawing off another piece of his pancake. "Roger Hanna."

Cam considered that information for a moment, then asked the question Hunter had been dreading. He had already fought with Blake over it--really fought, and it wasn't an argument he cared to rehash. "Why didn't you test?"

"I dunno," Hunter muttered, avoiding Cam's gaze. But he couldn't say nothing, not when he'd practically brought it up himself. "I guess... some reasons that don't matter, now. Some that still do."

"Rangering?" Cam suggested.

"That was part of it," he said uncomfortably. "For Blake, too--we both knew we were needed here."

"Lothor's gone," Cam reminded him. "The Power's dormant. There's nothing keeping you here if you want to go."

Nothing? Yeah, thanks. That was really reassuring. He just shrugged, spearing part of his pancake and reaching out to turn the stove back on. Good to know he could just pick up and leave without anyone missing him.

"Is it Sensei Omino?" Cam asked after a moment. "The teaching position he offered you?"

"Sort of." He made the mistake of catching Cam's eye, and he caved. "It's just--I've been trying to make ends meet for months now, right? Without Kelly, we wouldn't have made it. We definitely would have had to give up racing.

"Now, all of a sudden, it's like I can have anything I want." A factory ride, or his old school. A racing career, or a position as head teacher. The future he'd always wanted, or the past he was still a part of...

And then, of course, there was Cam.

Cam, who would never follow him if he ended up on the national racing circuit. Cam, who probably wouldn't even attend a race that wasn't in Blue Bay Harbor. And what about the other ninja academies? Would Cam visit them, if he had friends there? If someone invited him?

"I can't have everything," he said with a sigh. "And sometimes that's almost as frustrating as having nothing."

"Almost," Cam echoed, but his tone disagreed.

"When you have nothing you have no choice," Hunter said, tapping his fork against his plate. "So if you're unhappy, it's not your fault, right? But when you can have whatever you want... what if you pick the wrong thing? Then if you're unhappy, it is your fault."

"We're all responsible for our state of mind, no matter what the circumstances," Cam informed him, not like he meant it but like it was just one of those things he knew he was supposed to say.

Hunter shook his head, setting his plate down and reaching for the batter bowl. "It wouldn't kill you to take a night off from being the sensei's son, you know."

Cam didn't answer, just watched as Hunter poured another generous helping of batter into the pan. It didn't hiss this time, which was a good sign. He lifted the spatula absently, about to tap it against the stove when he caught himself.

"Do you have any jam?" he asked, setting the spatula down again.

Without a word, Cam went over to the refrigerator. A moment later, he set a glass jar on the counter and gave it a push in Hunter's direction. Hunter caught if before it could hit the stovetop, and he couldn't help an amused glance in Cam's direction. "Raspberry, huh?"

Cam rolled his eyes, leaning back against the counter. "Sometimes a color is just a color," he informed Hunter.

Hunter shook his head, sticking his fork in the jar and dripping jam across the top of the pancake. Cam watched, and Hunter could feel his skepticism clear across the distance between them. He didn't bother to defend his technique. Cam must have improvised plenty of odd breakfasts himself.

The jam sizzled the instant he turned it over, and he considered it dispassionately. Probably should have asked Cam if he wanted a plain one first. The next few pancakes were going to be raspberry flavored whether he added it or not.

"You want jam?" he asked, somewhat belatedly.

He saw Cam shrug out of the corner of his eye. "Sure. Why not."

"Because it's weird?" Hunter suggested, to cover his surprise. He had expected at least a token protest.

"Hunter. My mother named me after myself." Cam sounded genuinely amused--not annoyed, not snarky, just amused. "On a weirdness scale of one to ten, jam pancakes rate maybe a point five."

Hunter snorted. "No lie," he admitted.

They stood in companionable silence for a few minutes, waiting on the pancakes. Hunter offered the first one to Cam, and though he took it he set the plate down on the counter without tasting it. "Gonna wait till I prove it's edible?" Hunter suggested, pouring the rest of the batter into the pan.

He could hear the smile in Cam's voice. "Something like that."

The jam did burn onto the pan, which tended to make the second pancake a little messier than the first. But he knew from experience that it didn't interfere with the taste, and appearances weren't everything. Cam picked up his fork when Hunter did, though whether out of honest skepticism or actual politeness it was hard to tell.

First bite? No reaction. Cam was way too good at that Mr. Spock expression of his. He just chewed thoughtfully, staring at the stove as like he was thinking about something else entirely. When he took another bite and still said nothing, Hunter gave up.

"Well?" he demanded.

Cam gave him a surprised look. "What?"

"How is it?"

"The pancake?" Cam looked at it as though he had just noticed what he was eating. "It's pretty good. Thanks."

Hunter nodded, somewhat mollified. Setting his plate down, he put his hands behind him and boosted himself onto the counter. The kitchen was too small for chairs, and it had been a long day. He really hadn't slept yet, either. He had tried. But there was just too much on his mind.

"Are you really considering this teaching position?" Cam asked suddenly.

Hunter raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't think I can do it?"

"Surprised you'd want to," Cam countered. "People skills aren't exactly a priority for you."

"Look who's talking," Hunter retorted. "What are you gonna do? Go back to being your dad's assistant?"

Cam didn't rise to the bait. "I'm not saying you couldn't do it," he insisted. "I'm just saying, someone asked you to teach. No one asked you to do motocross. Maybe you should do what you're going to do anyway and get paid for it, instead of trying to fit it in around something else."

"Like you?" Hunter inquired. "Are you doing what you want to do? Or are you just fitting it in whenever your father can spare you for a few hours?"

Cam studied his plate with more attention than it deserved as he cut off another piece of pancake. "I have a position here as long as I want it," he said evasively. "I'm not ready to walk away from that."

"You could have a position anywhere." The words were out before he thought about them--he had meant to press his point, ask if Cam really wanted to be his father's helper forever. But instead what came out was, "Any of the academies would take you on. Samurai teachers aren't so easy to find."

Cam just shook his head. "I'm not a teacher any more than you are. And I've only been a samurai for a few months myself--I still have plenty to learn."

"Being a teacher doesn't mean you know everything," Hunter informed him. "Sensei Omino would laugh in my face if I told him I didn't have anything left to learn."

"Let me get this straight," Cam said. "You think I should teach--just not here. Is that what you're getting at?"

Hunter hesitated. That wasn't what he'd been trying to say... but he wasn't sure he could deny it, either. "I'm just saying," he answered, stabbing his pancake harder than was strictly necessary. "You could teach, if you wanted to. And you could do it anywhere."

With a deceptive casualness, Cam inquired, "Like at the Thunder Ninja Academy?"

Hunter shrugged, avoiding his gaze.

Neither of them said anything for a moment, and he wondered if Cam was actually thinking about it. Nothing would make him agree to be head teacher faster, not that he would admit it to anyone--least of all to Cam himself. But the idea of starting over somewhere... together...

"I couldn't do that to Dad," Cam said finally.

Right. Obviously. He didn't really want Cam there anyway; he was just tired and it was late. Plus Cam was being more friendly than usual, and on top of the whole t-shirt thing... he was just getting sappy, was all. It was hard to accept that their time as Rangers was really over. That maybe their time--doing whatever they were doing, was over.

Dating? They were dating. Kind of. They went on dates, anyway. They did things together that were just the two of them. Of course, so did Blake and Tori, and they didn't call it dating. They just "hung out."

"Maybe you're right," Cam mused, startling Hunter out of his thoughts. "Maybe this isn't what I want to be doing."

He didn't sound like he was done, but he didn't say anything else. Hunter made an effort to participate, pointing out, "You're as good at your nerdy hobbies as I am at my cool ones. No reason you couldn't make a living at it."

Cam grimaced at him, an unappreciative look that nonetheless acknowledged his remark. "True, but I don't think the computer industry can offer much that compares to zord upgrades."

"So, go private. You'll have a dozen patents by the time you're thirty."

Cam was quiet for a moment. "You know," he said at last, "We've been through trauma and major upheaval in the last forty-eight hours. All of it coming at the end of a period of prolonged stress. Anyone on the outside would tell us not to make life-altering decisions for a few weeks, at least."

"We don't have a few weeks," Hunter pointed out. "The Wind Academy's already put out the call for new students, right? Sensei Omino's not gonna be far behind."

"That's what bothers me," Cam admitted. "As teachers, we have to commit to at least a year at a time. Maybe I don't know what I want right now... but I'm not sure I want to wait a year to decide, either."

"I hear you," Hunter agreed, setting his empty plate down on the counter beside him. "A year's a long time."

Cam turned the last piece of his pancake upside down and used it to mop up the remaining jam on his plate. "Good pancakes," he remarked. He put the last bite in his mouth and dropped his fork back on the plate, glancing over at the sink.

"Just leave it," Hunter offered without thinking. "I'll do 'em later."

"Traditionally," Cam countered, picking up Hunter's plate and stacking it on top of his, "I think the person who doesn't cook is supposed to clean."

Hunter shrugged, not about to stop him. "If you say so."

He watched Cam wash the dishes, half-tempted to go over and dry for him. But that would be insanely domestic, and there was no need to get carried away. He felt weird enough already, sitting here in the kitchen with his sometimes-date, discussing the future while at the same time carefully avoiding any mention of "us."

Was there even an "us"? Maybe there was when it was convenient, but they certainly didn't have any obligation to each other. Sometimes he wondered if Cam only went out with him because he was there. Maybe Cam was as eager to start over as he was. Alone.

He looked over at the business card on the counter. He should call that number. He really should. He could take Roger Hanna up on his offer, see what it was like to ride a factory bike--maybe catch up to his little bro. He couldn't deny that the thought of Blake leaving was painful. The possibility of separation had helped fuel their earlier argument over Hunter's refusal to test, but like he had told Cam... some of those reasons were still valid.

"I'll be better next season," he said abruptly. He wasn't sure he had said it aloud until Cam turned around, plate in one hand and a dishtowel in the other.

"Better at what?"

"Motocross. It's not like Factory Blue is going anywhere, right? If they want me this year, they're not gonna turn me down next year."

Cam seemed to consider that as he set the dry plate down and reached for the second one. He barely lifted his eyes from the dishtowel in his hands. "Seems unlikely," he agreed at last.

"So maybe I will give this teaching thing a try, after all. I mean..." He couldn't help grinning. "Someone taught me, right? How hard can it be?"

Cam's mouth quirked, but he turned to put the plates away and the rest of his expression was hidden. "You'd put motocross on hold that long?" he asked over his shoulder. "Just because Sensei Omino asked you to?"

Like he was doing it for Sensei. "I'm still gonna race," he informed Cam. "I'm just saying... maybe you're right. Maybe we all need some time."

Cam refrained from mentioning Blake, and Hunter found himself relaxing as he nodded slowly. "I really do feel like I owe my dad some time, after everything that's happened," he admitted. "He's been through a lot, and I... well, we haven't exactly been there for each other, lately.

"Maybe teaching isn't my dream job," Cam added ruefully, "but I know this place, and I know the life. I wouldn't mind seeing it from the other side for a while."

"Yeah?" Hunter risked a smile. "Gonna give it a year, after all?"

"Hey, if you can do it--" Cam raked his gaze across Hunter, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't have to.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hunter demanded, trying--unsuccessfully--to glare at him. "I could be a great teacher!"

"So could I," Cam replied, straight-faced. "Brick-throwing and all."

Hunter chuckled, that day flashing through his mind with unmistakable clarity. "So, the first student who can't break the block? You gonna throw it at them like you did with Dustin?"

"Save me from more students like Dustin," Cam said, a little too emphatically. "I'm not sure I could handle that. Maybe dad will let me do something other than novice training."

"You really should think about transferring," Hunter teased. "Bet there's at least one head teacher who'd be easy to negotiate with."

"Yeah, thanks," Cam said dryly. "Strings attached, I'm sure."

"I said 'negotiate,' not 'bribe.' I'm very sympathetic."

Cam snorted. "I can just imagine. Clearly this is going to be a recurring argument."

If that was a promise, then Hunter was all for it. "A year?" he suggested, holding out his hand. "To teach, not to argue," he added, catching sight of Cam's expression.

Cam clasped his hand and hooked his fingers around Hunter's before letting go. "A year," he agreed.

Hunter sighed inwardly, more relieved than he could justify even to himself. Probably because he'd finally made a decision. One that he could live with and defend to others, even. The food and the company hadn't hurt, either.

Maybe he'd be able to sleep after all.

2. Week Two

He couldn't do this.

He took a deep breath, let it out. Eyes closed, he knelt in the center of the floor and tried not to think. He took another breath, letting it out only when his lungs were completely full. The mat pressed against his knees, his ankles, the tops of his feet. His hands rested on his thighs, palms against the bracers of his training uniform and fingers slightly curled.

He breathed in. The air was cool against his bare feet. He breathed out. He could feel his hair resting against his skin, the weight of his eyelids against his face. He breathed in, noticing the wrinkle in his sleeve between his upper arm and his ribs. He breathed out, aware of the almost inaudible hum of generators even here.

Taking another breath, he hesitated over the idea of allowing thoughts into his mind once more. But that was all it took, that moment of uncertainty, and there they were in front of him again. Reluctantly, he considered the problem again.

Yes, he was calmer. No, he wasn't going to run screaming from the grounds. But otherwise, nothing had changed. He couldn't do this, he didn't want to do it, and agreeing to be involved in any way had been a huge mistake.

He had gotten used to having time to himself. He had gotten used to making choices that didn't affect anyone else. He had gotten used to a certain level of competence from those around him, hard as that was to believe. Which wasn't to say that all of that was gone, but it was certainly... reduced. Greatly reduced.

He felt like a prisoner. He hadn't left the Academy grounds since the new students arrived. The only block of free time he had longer than a hour was barely enough to sleep in. Sometimes even that was devoted to the mandatory patrol rotation or the supervision of some Academy-sponsored social event. He was always, always on call.

The first week it had been a challenge: one that he had enjoyed meeting, in fact. Between the influx of new students, the lack of appropriate accommodations, and the reorganization of a staff that had been decimated by Lothor's attack, the chaos that typified the grounds lately had in many ways eclipsed the larger concerns. He did have some administrative experience, and if there was one thing he knew very well, it was how to get things done. He had let the logistics of the Academy be the only thing he worried about.

Now, as they reached the end of the second week of "normal" operation at the Wind Academy, it was becoming painfully clear just how far they still had to go. The psychological trauma of ninjas who had not only been imprisoned but had lost an entire year of their lives with no way to get word to those they loved was not something to be taken lightly. The construction of new facilities on a devastated site that had been allowed to grow wild for a year was made more complicated by the fact that said site and facilities were not supposed to exist in the first place.

And finally, the head teacher was about to have a nervous breakdown. He really had no idea what he was going to do. He had no time for anything outside the Academy, in truth wasn't even sure that a world still existed outside of the Academy grounds. The holographic shield that concealed their presence also interfered with radio signals, so unless he was in Ninja Ops with a direct satellite linkup, he had no contact with the outside world at all.

If he admitted it to himself, though, that wasn't even what bothered him the most. What bothered him, other than the all-consuming nature of the work, was how familiar all this seemed. Strange, given the upheaval of the past year, that anything about this could be familiar. But it was, and it bothered him. Sudden responsibility aside, it was almost as though the Rangers had never happened, and he was back at school with nothing more to look forward to or care about than he had ever had.

Not that he had ever felt like he lacked something to look forward to, or to care about, for that matter. But after the last year... well, the grounds, the formality, the routine that had once been known and reassuring was now old and stifling. He hadn't realized how much he had changed until he was forced back into the place he'd used to be--with a different title, maybe, but a role that was disturbingly familiar nonetheless.

He was the sensei's son. He always had been, and while he had sometimes enjoyed the authority it gave him, he had never appreciated just how limiting it was until this past year. With the Rangers, he felt like he had finally grown out of that and into something he could call his own.

Was that gone, now? That identity he had found? Had he given it up by agreeing to remain on the grounds of the Wind Academy after the school was reestablished? Was that why Hunter had pushed him to get out, to leave while he still could--because he knew what would happen? How quickly "Cam" would become "Cameron" again, whether he wanted to or not?

He hadn't seen Hunter since the day next year's students were admitted for testing. Not that it mattered. He didn't know why he was even thinking about it. Him. He wasn't thinking about Hunter, not really... just about something Hunter had said. That was totally different.

He sighed, clenching his fingers around his bracers and then deliberately relaxing them, trying to regain the slow rhythm of conscious breathing. He was thinking about Hunter. He'd been thinking about Hunter a lot lately, to tell the truth. With all the activity, the frenetic schedule, the million other things that should be distracting him, he found there was at least one thing he couldn't forget. Paradoxically, the crazier things got, the more he thought about Hunter.

Letting out his breath in exasperation, he gave up and pushed himself to his feet. This was going nowhere, and apparently he was as calm as he was going to get. Which, unfortunately, wasn't all that calm. If he was lucky, it would be enough to get him through the afternoon lessons. He should be able to come up with an excuse for skipping supper, even if it meant going without food--he was at the point where peace of mind was more important than a full stomach.

He had made it halfway across the room before he realized there was someone in the doorway. So much for ninja reflexes. It took his brain another long moment to recognize Hunter, and he stopped where he was and stared. Because "Hunter" and "here"... it just didn't make sense to his admittedly overworked brain.

"Surprise." Hunter's offhanded greeting was as careless as ever, but he didn't move from the doorway. He was actually leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed and a decidedly guarded look in his eyes. He didn't look at all sure of his welcome.

"What are you doing here?" It was the first question he could get his mind around, and he regretted its harshness the moment it was out. He didn't know whether to apologize or take it back or just plow on, so he ended up saying nothing.

The corner of Hunter's mouth lifted in a familiar smirk, and he jerked his chin in Cam's direction. "Wondering what your students think of that uniform, for one thing."

Cam looked down automatically, despite the fact that he knew perfectly well what he was wearing. It was his training uniform, the one the other Rangers had made for him when he first got his powers. It was standard ninja gear, except for the Samurai badges... and the green trim.

"Heard you got promoted," Hunter offered, when he didn't answer right away. "Guess we're even now, huh?"

He hadn't been promoted. He had never been a teacher to begin with, not like Hunter. He had gone directly from Samurai Ranger to head ninja teacher, and the change was not only disconcerting but overwhelming.

"You don't look very happy to see me," Hunter observed at last. He still hadn't moved, and it was hard to tell whether that was disappointment or annoyance in his tone. "Did Tor tell you I was coming?"

He shook his head, trying to remember the last time he had seen Tori. Yesterday at supper, he thought. Why hadn't Hunter tried to tell him instead of Tori?

"You're a hard person to catch up with these days," Hunter answered, as though he had asked the question aloud. "I left a message with Tor because no one else was too sure they could find you. Don't you eat?"

Not if he could help it. Teachers were encouraged to eat with the students, and after dealing with people the entire rest of the day, meals were just too much. He avoided them whenever he could, which wasn't even as often as he would have liked.

"Look, if I'm talking to myself here," Hunter began.

"No," Cam said hastily, wishing there was any way he could communicate what he was thinking without coming off as a total basket case. "You're not, I'm just--I'm just tired. It's hard to think. I'm glad to see you."

That should make his tiredness excuse more plausible, he thought with a wince. He never would have said that if he'd been thinking. Hunter looked surprised, but not displeased.

"Yeah?" he asked, pushing away from the doorframe. "Same here. You got stuff to do this afternoon?"

"I always have stuff to do," he retorted, a little more sharply than he meant to.

"You know what I mean," Hunter snapped. "If you don't want to hang out you could just say so. It's not like I don't understand the word 'no'."

"If that's true, then you give up easier than you used to," Cam shot back.

Hunter glared at him. "What's up with you? I thought I knew all the stages of Tired Cam, but Cryptic, Repressed, Vaguely Hostile Cam hasn't made an appearance for a while. You want to explain that one?"

Insults notwithstanding, even buried under all of Hunter's adjectives, it was nice to be just "Cam" for a while. He couldn't suppress the tiniest smile, and to his surprise, Hunter relaxed visibly. "Hey, what do you know," he remarked offhandedly. "Smiling Cam. You should stick around; I don't see you often enough."

"There's not a lot to smile about lately," Cam said with a sigh. "The Academies are a disaster, Hunter. Between the rebuilding and the counseling, I don't know how we have any time left over to teach, let alone train."

Hunter grimaced. "Counseling, huh? I figured we weren't the only ones having problems with that. What do you tell a ninja that's been locked up on a spaceship for a year when he finds out that his family buried him?"

"There were contingencies." Cam felt obligated to defend the system. "Ninjas have to disappear all the time. But when we lost entire schools, there was no one left to carry them out."

Hunter just shook his head. "It's not the Academies' fault. No one could have known something like this would happen. But how are we supposed to explain it to the rest of the world?"

"The explanations aren't the hardest part," Cam said quietly. "We have contingencies for that too. At least most of the ninjas have someone to explain themselves to. What do you tell the ninja who's been gone a year and comes back to find out that no one missed her?"

Hunter was silent, and Cam sighed again. "Being head teacher... you ever feel like you have to fix the world?"

"No," Hunter replied immediately. He offered a lopsided grin. "Not alone, anyway. You hungry? Let's get out of here for a while."

"I can't," Cam said reluctantly. "I have afternoon classes."

"So give them to someone else." Hunter frowned at him. "Delegate, Cam. It's not a four-letter word."

"Everyone else has other things to do," Cam pointed out.

"So do you," Hunter retorted. "You're in charge of the other teachers. Make them work a little."

"They are working," Cam said, on the defensive without knowing how it had happened. "My students aren't their problem."

"The students are everyone's 'problem,'" Hunter informed him, and his use of the word "problem" was clearly mocking. "You're not just a teacher, you're a role model. You need to take care of youself, because you aren't going to do the students any good by falling apart."

"I'm not falling apart!" Cam shouted. "I'm not doing any more than anyone else!"

Hunter was undeterred. "Cam, it was cute when you used to fall asleep in Ninja Ops. You had people to look out for you then. Now no one can even find you, let alone make you stop working long enough to eat or sleep."

Before Cam could interrupt, Hunter continued, "I didn't call Tori, all right? She called me. She's worried about you, and to be honest, I can see why. You're doing way too much, and I'm gonna get you fired if you don't back off a little."

"You don't have to blackmail me," Cam snapped. He knew he should be indignant, offended, downright furious with Hunter for threatening him like that. But somehow, he couldn't quite work up the enthusiasm. Maybe he was just tired. Or maybe it was because getting fired really didn't sound so bad right now.

Maybe he was so glad that someone was telling him what he wanted to hear that he didn't care how they did it.

"It's not blackmail if it's for your own good," Hunter told him. "No one around here knows how to push you around. You and I are gonna have to hang out more often."

"Yeah, that's just what I need," Cam said without thinking.

Hunter gave him a dangerous look, and Cam knew he'd gone too far. "You got something to say to me?" Hunter inquired, voice perfectly even. Too even. Hunter would take a lot of abuse in the name of camaraderie, but he didn't put up with it from Cam unless he got something in return.

"I'm just saying that I don't need anything else on my schedule right now," Cam told him. "And I need to get to class." He hesitated briefly, but he wanted to know more than he cared how it sounded. "Are you sticking around till supper?"

"No," Hunter said brusquely. "And neither are you. I want to talk to you, so find someone to take your class or I'll do it for you."

Cam folded his arms and stared at him.

Hunter held his gaze for a moment, then shrugged, apparently giving up. He turned and left without another word. Cam watched him go, torn between running after him and just staying in this room for the rest of the afternoon. Neither was really an acceptable option, but he was leaning toward "staying here," preferably with the door locked and no interruptions.

Would it have been so hard to find someone to take his class? He swallowed, trying not to think about it. Hunter didn't deserve his temper. And... he hadn't really wanted him to leave. But there was nothing he could do about it now.

With a sigh, he trudged across the room and started down the long hallway back to Ninja Ops. They were lucky to have these facilities at all, and he knew he shouldn't be taking advantage of them just to meditate. But sometimes he needed the quietest place he could find, somewhere that only the staff could access, somewhere he could ignore the chaos taking place outside for a while.

He made his way through Ninja Ops, barely seeing the destruction anymore. It wasn't exactly a priority, although he had managed to salvage the mainframe during those first few unstructured days after the ninjas were freed and Lothor was defeated. He thought about changing into his teaching robes, but the only way he was going to get through class was by doing something straightforwardly physical. He would want his training uniform.

He made it outside and halfway past the mess tents when someone grabbed his arm. He was so surprised that he didn't even resist, just let whoever it was pull him in the opposite direction. No one would touch a teacher without--

It was Hunter. Of course. Since when did Hunter give up, just like that? He should have known. "What are you doing?" he demanded, trying to yank his arm away.

Hunter didn't let go. "Kidnapping you," he replied. "You're going to change, we're going to get some food, and then we're going to have a long talk about what the hell I'm doing here."

"My class," Cam protested half-heartedly.

"Dustin's got it covered," Hunter answered. He didn't say another word until they reached Cam's tent. He finally released Cam's arm and pointed at the tent flap. "Change," he said, in no uncertain terms.

"How did you know which one was mine?" Cam demanded suspiciously.

Hunter just folded his arms and smirked at him. "I have spies. Would you change already? I'm hungry."

"Why can't we just eat here?" Cam wanted to know.

"Because I don't want to," Hunter told him. "You got a problem with that?"

Cam sighed, but it was only a token protest. He didn't really want to eat here either. "What are you going to wear?" he asked. "Your uniform's no better than mine."

Hunter shrugged, as though it didn't really matter. "So give me your killer monkeys t-shirt. Is everything a crisis with you lately?"

Cam frowned at that, but decided it was safer not to reply. He ducked into his tent, changed into something that wouldn't draw stares in downtown Blue Bay Harbor, and then spent longer debating over a shirt for Hunter than it had taken him to dress himself. He couldn't really give him the "killer monkeys" t-shirt, could he? Cam had been sleeping in it literally for weeks. But he didn't have much that wasn't green, and black was really their only common ground. A lot of his clothes wouldn't fit Hunter anyway.

Cam grabbed the t-shirt and shook it out. If Hunter had asked for it then it wasn't his problem. Folding it up, he pushed the tent flap aside and looked around for Hunter.

And he froze.

Hunter had already removed his uniform jacket, leaving him in solid black and a form-fitting t-shirt that, frankly, would draw more stares on the street than his uniform. He was turning now, probably alerted by the sound of canvas. His face lit with an unguarded smile when he caught sight of Cam... and it took his breath away.

It was just a moment, a split-second impression of beauty and welcome that was completely unlike Hunter. Cam swallowed, offering him the t-shirt without a word. Hunter traded him his jacket, jerking his head toward the tent. "You mind if I leave this here?"

"No," Cam muttered, already turning away. He was grateful for the excuse, for the seconds it gave him to regain his composure. When he reemerged, Hunter was just Hunter again, and he could handle that.

Even if Hunter was making Cam's t-shirt look a lot better than Cam did.

"So?" Hunter teased, holding his arms out to either side. "How do I look? Will killer coding ninja monkeys accept me as one of their own?"

Cam rolled his eyes, refusing to give him more than the most cursory inspection. "You won't make people wonder which ninja school you came from, at least."

Hunter just shook his head. "Great. I've awoken Sarcastic Cam. At least you're better than your depressed counterpart."

"I'm not depressed," Cam snapped. They were making their way toward the holographic portal, and he had fallen into step with Hunter without even thinking about it. "Are you going to name every one of my moods?"

"Yeah," Hunter said carelessly. "I figure by the time I get done, I'll have forgotten the first ones and I can start over again."

Was it just him, or was Hunter in a weird mood today? It belatedly occurred to him that Hunter seemed a little more... edgy than usual. Not sharp, not irritated, just... uncomfortable. But that didn't make any sense. It was probably just his imagination.

Hunter continued to talk as they made their way off the grounds--and that was unusual enough, when he stopped to think about it. Since when was Hunter... chatty? Cam didn't make a conscious effort to keep up his side of the conversation, but Hunter knew what to ask. He managed to make small talk all the way down the mountain, and by the time they got into town Cam really wanted to ask what was going on. There was no way Hunter was going to all this trouble just because Tori had told him Cam was working too hard.

Not that he wasn't going to have a little talk with Tori when he got back to the Academy. Why had she called *Hunter*? And without saying anything to him?

"Here okay?" Hunter asked, as they approached the coffee shop just across the street from Storm Chargers. "We can get something and eat outside."

"Sure," Cam said distractedly. There were several tables set up outside, all empty at this time of the afternoon, and he couldn't deny that being somewhere quiet and uncrowded was a welcome change. "That sounds fine."

Hunter got to his wallet first after they ordered, which normally wouldn't have bothered him but he couldn't remember who had paid the last time. He didn't like the sudden feeling that Hunter was taking care of him. He collected his food with a frown, and headed for the door without bothering to wait.

He was sitting down by the time Hunter joined him, apparently having stopped for napkins. The only thing that kept him from saying something right then was the fact that Hunter didn't try to give him one. He could see Hunter shooting covert looks at him while he ate, though, and it only took a few minutes for that to get really old.

Finally he set his sandwich down and glared at Hunter, catching him just as he darted another look from his own meal to Cam. "What?" Cam demanded.

Hunter blinked, held his hands out to the sides, and swallowed once. "What?" he echoed.

"You keep looking at me," Cam said irritably. "You haven't stopped talking since we left the school. And since when do you have 'spies' at the Wind Academy? You knew where my tent was?"

Hunter looked down, and now his discomfort was obvious. "Yeah, well," he muttered. "Just because you don't talk to Dustin and Tori doesn't mean I don't."

"You knew where my tent was?" Cam repeated incredulously. The strangeness of the situation was finally catching up with him. "What do you guys talk about, anyway? It's only been two weeks!"

"Cam--" Hunter put his fork down and shook his head, giving the table a half-smile as though he couldn't believe Cam didn't get it. "It's been two weeks of hell, all right? And believe me, I have a lot of experience with hell," he added wryly.

Cam could only stare at him. "What are you talking about?"

"What, you want a list?" Hunter demanded. "The week my parents died, the week Lothor attacked, the week--"

"That's not what I meant," Cam interrupted hastily. "I mean, I thought you liked being the Thunder Academy's head teacher. What made the last couple of weeks so bad?"

Hunter folded the corner of his napkin, creasing it with his thumb. "They weren't bad, exactly," he told the table. "Just, you know. A lot to get used to. A lot of new people."

"And a lot of old people," Cam said, frowning. "You must have a lot of old friends at the Thunder Academy."

Hunter snorted. "You'd be surprised." Then he lifted his gaze, giving Cam an intent look. "Do you have a lot of old friends, at the Wind Academy?"

Taken aback, Cam's frown deepened. "I know everyone there," he said evasively. "I'm glad everyone who came back is safe."

Hunter's mouth quirked. "Yeah, see? You're not any more social than I am."

"What's your point?" Cam demanded.

"My point is that I missed you!" Hunter exclaimed. "Geez, Cam, what do you think? You think I just come running every time Tori says she's worried about someone? I'd never sleep!"

Cam gaped at him, too stunned by his outburst to reply. Hunter looked away. "I know it's only been two weeks," he said, fiddling with his napkin again. "Two days was too long. Two weeks felt like--"

Hunter broke off with a self-deprecating laugh. "Listen to me. I sound so gone. Look, I just wanted to see you, okay? I'm not gonna to stalk you or anything, I just... I want to hang out. Like we did before."

Cam swallowed hard, nodding when Hunter shot him a sideways glance. "Yeah," he agreed quietly, not sure his voice could handle anything louder. "I miss that too."

Hunter smiled. That was it, just smiled, and Cam felt better. He knew he was smiling back, saw Hunter's eyes brighten, and he looked away to keep his smile from widening into a ridiculous grin. Hunter shouldn't make him this happy. It shouldn't matter so much that he was missed, missed as much as he missed Hunter, if he admitted it to himself. But it did.

"So?" Hunter prompted at last, reaching out to tap the table for his attention. "What are you doing this weekend?"

Cam raised his eyebrows at him. "Going to Disneyworld?"

Hunter just grinned. "Not unless I'm going too."

3. Holi Day

"You know I can't approve this now. Half the school is on vacation."

"With respect, Sensei, my timing isn't an accident. I'd prefer not to make more of a fuss over this than absolutely necessary."

"You want to leave without telling anyone."

"I don't belong here, Sensei. Everyone can see that, and to be honest, it's not like anyone will miss me. Lothor's attack proved that."

Cam sighed, considering the withdrawal papers in his hand. "I can't approve this," he repeated. "We have procedures with regard to student departures, and I'm not going to waive them just because you have the holiday blues."

He handed the papers back to her, but she refused to take them. She was just short of glaring at him as she replied, "I do not have the holiday blues. Sensei. What I have is an increasingly clear understanding of my place in the world, and I don't think it involves this academy."

"Why not?"

She blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You seem to think your reasons for leaving are self-evident. I don't think they are, so I'd like to hear why you think ninja training isn't for you."

"Because..." Her stoic facade wavered and for a moment her self-consciousness showed. "I'm not any good at this, Sensei. It's my third year and I'm still a novitiate. All of my classmates have moved on, and I'm not--I'm just not contributing anything."

"We do ask people to leave, Nena."

She looked at him uncertainly. "Sensei?"

"You know that, right?" The question was rhetorical, since she knew that perfectly well. Every first year student knew that they would be constantly re-evaluated. "The academy will ask students to leave if we, as a community, feel that they are not meeting expectations."

Cam paused, giving her an inquisitive look. "Have you been asked to leave?"

"No, Sensei," she said with a sigh. Her expression was more resigned than relieved.

He studied her. "Do you think you should have been?"

"Yes!" she burst out. "What am I doing here, Sensei? I have no ninja abilities! I can't complete the most basic lessons, I'm behind for the third year in a row, and I have no friends! What's the point of keeping me here?"

A little red flag went up, and Cam confirmed "lonely" as a secondary source of her discontent. Instead of addressing it directly, though, he observed, "You're here to learn, Nena. Lessons are just a tool to help you accomplish that. They're not an end in and of themselves."

"What am I learning if I can't complete the lessons?" she demanded. "Sensei," she added belatedly.

"What are you learning if you can complete the lessons?" Cam countered.

"I wouldn't know, would I," she said dryly. This time she made no effort to add the honorific, and he knew it was indicative of her frustration level.

"You won't be able to complete them until you understand what they're trying to teach you," he told her.

She sighed, loudly, and he almost smiled. He knew that feeling. "With all due respect, Sensei," she said, in a tone that implied very little respect, "I've been hearing that kind of circular reasoning for more than two years now, and it hasn't helped me yet. I don't understand why you're so set on keeping me here when I've proven I can't advance past novitiate level."

Cam considered that, considered all of the standard replies, from "nothing is proven except by the negative," to "setting oneself up for failure with negative thinking," or even "I'm the teacher so I get to decide." But she was in her third year. She'd heard it all before. He would only exasperate her more by giving it to her again.

"About a month ago," he said abruptly, "a friend of mine gave me some advice. I didn't take it. He was right, and I was wrong. I've wished I'd listened better, but the fact is that he saw things I didn't because he was on the outside and it made him more objective about what was happening."

"What was the advice?" she asked reluctantly.

"I can't tell you," Cam said with a smile. "It would undermine my position as dispenser of wisdom. But I will make a deal with you: if you stick out the rest of the year, at the end of it I'll tell you what my friend told me."

"Will you really?" Her curiosity was obviously piqued.

He nodded. "My word as a samurai."

She actually looked a little amused at that, but she did reach out to take the papers back. "Is that more or less valuable than your word as a teacher, Sensei?"

He just smiled. "Maybe by the end of the year, you can tell me."

There was a sharp rap on the doorframe, and they both looked around automatically. Hunter, of course, leaning into the room with a barely patient expression. "Seven-thirty," he reminded Cam. "You ready?"

"Give me a minute," Cam answered, and Hunter gave him the most neutral look in the world. His face was completely devoid of expression as he nodded, in the way that could only mean "I am deliberately keeping a straight face because my reaction is so obvious that an expression is unnecessary."

"See you out front," Hunter agreed calmly, turning to leave without further protest. He didn't have to. His exasperation was obvious.

"Will you come caroling?" Cam asked. Nena wasn't dressed for it, but he wasn't going to dismiss her without an awfully convincing argument on her part. It was just the sort of non-clique-y social activity that would do her good.

As expected, she shook her head. "Thank you, Sensei, but I think I'll go and... train, or something."

He suppressed a sigh. Had he ever been that martyr-like? "Nena, the answer isn't to train more. It's to train differently."

"And how do I do that, Sensei?"

Cam smiled a little. "Maybe you do it by caroling with your classmates."

She gave him a look that was just the polite side of annoyed, but she refrained from pointing out that none of her "classmates" were her peers. "I can't sing, Sensei."

"Neither can Hunter," Cam informed her. "You don't see it stopping him."

He had the satisfaction of seeing a small smile blossom on her face, though she struggled to hide it. "I appreciate the effort, Sensei, but I really don't think it's appropriate. I don't celebrate the holidays, and frankly, I think people would be more comfortable if I wasn't there."

"I think you're wrong," he said bluntly. "This isn't a club, a worship service, or an elite training activity. This is an effort to build community among the students who have, for whatever reason, chosen to spend the holidays on site. The usual social rules don't apply. This is the perfect time to enjoy yourself outside of class, rank, and discipline."

She actually hesitated, and he pressed his advantage. "We're not leaving for half an hour. If you're not on the steps outside the library by eight o'clock, you can tell me why the next time I see you. If you somehow manage to avoid me until class, don't think I'm above embarrassing you in front of your classmates."

Her lips twitched, and she looked up at him from under her eyelashes. It was the same expression Hunter used to mean, "You wouldn't *really,* would you?" He didn't get it. Did everyone think he was a sucker for that look?

"Blackmail, Sensei?" she inquired. "If I may, that doesn't seem very suited to the way of the ninja."

"Then I guess it's unfortunate for you that I'm a samurai," he told her. "Besides, someone once told me that it's not blackmail if it's for your own good. I'll see you out front at eight."

She held his gaze just long enough to make it clear that she wasn't going to be bullied. Then she lowered her head, her bow as precise as any third year student's, and replied, "Yes, Sensei," before turning to make her way out of the room.

He stared after her for a long moment, wondering if the third time really was the charm. She was right, after all... she had been here for more than two years now, and she wasn't showing any significant progress. What made him think this year would be any different? How would he convince her to keep trying if it wasn't?

Apparently he hesitated too long, because Hunter appeared in the doorway before he had even taken a step in that direction. Arms crossed, with a distinctly amused look on his face, he remarked, "I heard that crack about my singing."

Without moving, Cam raised an eyebrow in his direction. Interestingly, all trace of exasperation was gone, and in its place Hunter's amusement seemed genuine. He wasn't even pretending to be offended.

"I figured you would," Cam said at last, allowing a small smile. He was getting used to Hunter's tendency to lurk, just out of sight, waiting for his opportunity to pounce. Some people called it eavesdropping. Hunter called it tactical strategy.

"You call me 'Hunter' to all the kids?" Hunter asked abruptly. He was studying Cam with a casual intensity that made Cam frown a little. He hadn't thought about it. But... no, he didn't call the other teachers by their first names.

"They're hardly kids," he said, trying not to let his discomfort show. How long had he been doing that? Had he ever referred to Hunter as "Sensei Bradley"? He honestly couldn't remember.

Hunter gave him half a grin. "All students are 'kids,' Cam. It keeps 'em humble."

"Right," Cam said dryly. "Because overconfident students is really a problem I've been seeing a lot of lately."

"You did a good job with her," Hunter offered, jerking his head toward the door. He seemed willing enough to drop the question of formality, which was an unlooked-for relief.

"I didn't offer any great insight," Cam said, still a little frustrated with the answers he didn't have for Nena. What was keeping her from completing her lessons? It wasn't attitude, or a lack of trying, either of which could have gotten her an invitation to leave long before now.

"You can't give someone insight," Hunter countered. "That's why it's called 'insight.' It comes from within. When you try to give it away it just sounds stupid."

Cam gave him a skeptical look. "I don't know if that's supposed to be reassuring or insulting."

"Hey, you gave her the only thing you could," Hunter told him. "Encouragement. That's what she needed, and that's what she got." He paused deliberately, then added, "Too bad she couldn't appreciate the irony of social advice coming from you."

Taken by surprise, Cam grimaced at him. "She's soon to appreciate the irony of you taking kids caroling." As soon as the words were out he realized he'd called them "kids" too, just because Hunter did, and he waited for Hunter to latch on to the slip.

Hunter's smile was warm and not at all mocking. He strolled across the room, his attitude entirely too casual for someone who ought to be generating a sarcastic reply even now. "Where did you get this idea that I can't sing?" he inquired, out of the blue.

Cam just blinked at him. Hunter wasn't taking the bait, and he looked amused in a way that was sincere and a little bit disconcerting. Caught off guard again, this time Cam couldn't come up with an answer before Hunter continued.

"I don't sing, as a general rule," Hunter said, coming to a halt in front of Cam. He was just close enough that Cam had to lift his head a little to meet his eye, and it was as annoying as it was intentional, Cam was sure. "But I can sing. Very well."

Cam snorted, sure now that he was being had. "Very well? I suppose you took voice lessons at the Thunder Ninja Academy. In your spare time. In between being the youngest ninjas the Academy had ever seen and being groomed as future Power Rangers."

Hunter just smiled, and it was a look that said he knew Cam was flustered and he was enjoying every minute of it. "As a matter of fact, I did."

Perversely, his pronounced calm only made Cam feel more off-balance. "Did Blake get home safely?" he asked abruptly, folding his arms across his chest.

"Why, yes." Hunter was positively smirking now. "Just yesterday. I'll tell him you were concerned."

Cam frowned at him, but Hunter was just waiting: smugly, knowingly, wanting to see what else he would come up with. "You probably haven't seen him much," he said, knowing he was doing exactly what Hunter expected but unable to help it.

He wasn't as good at staring Hunter down as he used to be... at least, not when he was standing that close. He would have to practice. Once he managed to distract Hunter. "Tori left as soon as classes ended and we haven't heard from her since."

Hunter only shrugged, not taking his eyes off of Cam. "We have an unofficial timeshare. She gets him this weekend; I get him when she goes home."

Cam opened his mouth to point out that, when she left, Tori had seemed fairly determined to introduce Blake to her family. But he didn't even get a word in before Hunter reached out, running one finger down his throat in a strangely intimate gesture. Cam just stood there, gaping at him, too startled by the way that gentle touch made his skin tingle to formulate a coherent thought--let alone a whole sentence.

"What I want to know," Hunter said, his voice dropping, "is how well you can sing."

He couldn't help it. He swallowed, and Hunter smiled again. He stepped closer, his fingers caressing Cam's throat again. "You didn't come by yesterday when you said you would," he said quietly.

Hunter was going to kiss him. A dozen things ran through his mind, none of them particularly romantic, ranging from the public nature of their location to the last time he had brushed his teeth. It wasn't that public, but the door was open. What time was it? If they were late would any of the students know to look for him here?

Suddenly it occurred to him that Hunter's remark deserved a response. "I told you I couldn't--"

"I know," Hunter murmured, and he took advantage of the interruption to cover Cam's mouth with his own. It was just a gentle exchange of breath, affectionate, warm, and close... everything that Cam hadn't associated with Hunter until recently. Still didn't associate with him, to tell the truth: it took him by surprise every time Hunter turned that look on him.

Hunter drew back, his expression still fond but more guarded than it had been since he first appeared in the doorway. "Missed you anyway," he said offhandedly, as though it didn't really matter.

And that, at least, was uncertainty that Cam understood. For all of Hunter's bluster, the way he enjoyed pushing the boundaries and seemed to positively revel in the unexpected, he was just as scared of putting his feelings on the line as anyone else. His hesitation was the only thing that made Cam reply in kind instead of tossing off some easy one-liner.

"I missed you too," he admitted. He glanced down, self-conscious whether Hunter had said it first or not, but Hunter's movement got his attention almost immediately.

Still wearing his coat, Hunter paused with his hand in his pocket and gave Cam a mock-frown when their eyes met again. "I thought about embarrassing you in front of the kids," he said. "As payback for ditching me yesterday. But then I figured you wouldn't speak to me for the rest of the night, so..."

Hunter offered his hand to Cam, and only then did he realize there was something in it. "But you said--"

"I know," Hunter interrupted. "And I meant it. But hey, Blake and I haven't really had money to burn these last few years. It turns out shopping isn't so bad when you can actually afford things."

Cam frowned, but before he could say anything, Hunter put a finger over his mouth. He was touchy tonight. Literally. Going anywhere with a bunch of ninja students was going to be interesting if this kept up.

Cam accepted the little wrapped box with a token sigh. Hunter had grumbled so much about the coming holidays that Cam had half-expected him to go to ground until they were over. He had been startled when Hunter agreed to a joint field trip--but that was nothing compared to his surprise now. Hunter? Shopping? His brain couldn't even produce a suitable visual.

Hunter let his hand fall, and Cam glanced up at him as he sliced the tape open with one finger. "I knew you weren't a tearer," Hunter grumbled. "It's not like there's enough paper there to use it again, you know."

Cam didn't answer, but when he started to fold the paper he had pulled off, Hunter snatched it away. "Open your present," he ordered impatiently.

It was a plain white box, and he had no idea what to expect when he opened the cover. He prodded the green tissue paper aside until silver glinted up at him. His eyes remained fixed on the silver links as he hooked one finger under them and lifted them out, unable to suppress a smile when he caught sight of the shape at their center.

"I just figured, well, it's not every day you see an eight-pointed star," Hunter offered. He sounded a little too casual, as though he had thought the words out ahead of time. "I know you don't usually wear that stuff, but I kind of stumbled over it and it made me think of you."

"That stuff" was a silver necklace, not unlike the one Hunter wore from time to time. A quick glance revealed that he wasn't wearing it today, but Cam knew Hunter's occasional jewelry better than he would ever admit. Where Hunter's was plain, unadorned, this one had at its center the symbol of the samurai--a symbol worn by no one at the Thunder Academy, and only by Cam himself at the Winds' school.

There was no way Hunter had just "stumbled over" this.

"Thank you," Cam said abruptly, realizing that some response was called for but not sure exactly what it should be. "You didn't have to do this."

Hunter shrugged. "I wanted to. It's not like I have a lot of people to buy for, right?" He looked around uncomfortably, then added, "We should go outside; the kids'll be gathering by now. And Leane'll probably get bored if we leave her alone too long."

"Leane came?" Cam asked. He knew it wasn't what he should say, but it was the easiest thing and he couldn't think of anything else.

"Yeah, I figured we needed a female chaperone. Plus then you guys can meet each other and maybe she'll stop bugging me about dating someone she doesn't know," Hunter muttered. It was such a passive remark that Cam almost didn't catch its significance.

Leane wanted to meet him? Since when? He'd barely heard two words about Leane since she came home... almost a month ago, now. That she cared in any way was news to him. That Hunter talked about him to the rest of his family was news in and of itself.

"You ready?" Hunter asked, already moving toward the door.

"Wait." Had he thought about it, he wouldn't have expected Hunter to pause at all, let alone come to an instant and complete halt the moment he opened his mouth. "Hold this," he said, pushing the box at Hunter.

Hunter took it without a word. Studying the chain, he decided it didn't really have an inside and an outside, so he just lifted it up and fastened it around his neck. The metal links felt cool and foreign against his skin... but then, his amulet had felt strange at first too, and now that it was gone he felt its lack more than he had ever noticed its presence.

Hunter had come back, standing no farther than he had been when he first demanded Cam open the box. This time Cam wasn't surprised when he reached out and touched his throat, tugging the necklace a little to center the star. "Nice," Hunter said, with a certain amount of satisfaction.

"Yeah." He didn't even realize he'd said it until the word was out, and he didn't mean the necklace. Hunter's lips quirked. Cam leaned forward to kiss them before he could change his mind. "Thanks," he repeated quietly.

"Yeah, well." Hunter kissed him again, but the warmth in his eyes belied his casual tone. "Merry Christmas, or whatever."

Cam couldn't stifle a smile. "Or whatever," he agreed.

4. Month Three

Pale blonde strands mixed with light brown as he ran his fingers through hair that was softer than it looked. Softer than it had any right to be, really, given the way Hunter abused it. Between his racing helmet and the ninja field uniforms, not to mention his apparent aversion to any sort of comb, it was amazing it looked as good as it did. Not that he noticed, of course... it was just that...

Well, the things that seemed important at four o'clock in the morning were very different from the things that seemed important at any other time of the day. If two o'clock was the snacking hour, and three o'clock was the laughing hour, then four had to be the hour of idle reflections. Things that had never seemed worthy of thought before now became sources of inexpressible interest.

"Do you dye your hair?" he asked abruptly, fingers stilling as he considered the possibility.

Hunter's eyes opened, and the look he gave Cam was one of lazy amusement. Not sleepy--strangely, he didn't seem the least bit sleepy despite his recumbent pose and recent quiet--just content, and utterly relaxed. And a relaxed Hunter was something worth appreciating.

"No," he answered. His blue eyes were dark in the dimness, pupils widened to take in as much light as they could. "But I bleach it, sometimes."

Something about his expression made Cam smile a little. "Why?" he wondered aloud.

Hunter didn't so much as shrug, as though it was too much of an effort to disturb his boneless sprawl for such an insignificant question. "Because it looks cool."

Cam let out a breath of amusement. "It does," he agreed solemnly. "No argument here."

One of Hunter's eyebrows twitched, making his expression shift from tolerantly amused to curiously amused. "Was that a compliment?"

Cam shrugged, curling his fingers through Hunter's hair again. "Maybe," he admitted.

Hunter didn't answer, but a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he closed his eyes again. Cam leaned back against the dresser--really the only thing in his tent solid enough to lean on--and let his fingers continue their idle wanderings through Hunter's hair. He didn't want to close his eyes. It was late, and morning classes would start too soon, but he liked this scene too much to banish it to the other side of his eyelids.

Hunter was lying on the ground, still dressed in the same jeans and bright crimson shirt he'd worn to the movies last night. He had one bare foot propped up against the bottom of Cam's camp chair, with the other leg stretched out across the woven mat that formed the floor of the tent. Hands folded across his stomach, he had his head on Cam's lap, and he seemed no more likely to move from that position than a log would be to suddenly get up and walk away.

Of course, Hunter was a little more comfortable than a log. Most of the time he was a better conversationalist. And he was certainly a lot easier to look at.

"You know," Hunter said out of nowhere. "Valentine's Day is coming up."

Cam thought about that for a moment. "Is it?" he asked at last, as though he hadn't been assaulted by advertising every time he left the Academy grounds.

"Well..." Hunter's eyes were open again, he realized suddenly. He just wasn't looking at Cam. "In a couple of weeks, anyway."

Cam didn't answer. He didn't really know what to say to that, truth be told. It wasn't like it hadn't occurred to him. He and Hunter were, at this point, officially dating. At least to the point where they both admitted they weren't just "hanging out"--that, when kissing was involved, it was an actual date. And they'd agreed not to hide that fact from anyone.

But... Valentine's Day? It was like the adult prom. You didn't celebrate it with someone you *weren't* dating, but on the other hand... celebrating it at all made whoever you were with seem that much more important.

"So?" Hunter prompted, still gazing at the far wall through half-lidded eyes. "You wanna do something?"

"Like what?" Cam found himself asking.

Hunter shifted a little, apparently losing some of his relaxed ease in the face of Cam's reservations. "I dunno. Nothing girly. Just, you know--dinner or something."

"Sure." He told himself sternly to get over it. It was just a holiday. "That sounds good."

Hunter moved again, looking up at him this time. "You got something against Valentine's Day?"

Hunter didn't? "Nothing girly," he'd said. If he could think of a holiday more "girly" than Valentine's, Cam wanted to know what it was.

"No," he said slowly. "It's not... I don't know. I guess it just seems strange."

Hunter didn't say anything for a moment. Finally, though, he asked, "What seems strange? Valentine's Day with a guy, or Valentine's Day with me?"

Cam couldn't help smiling. Yes, Valentine's Day with Hunter was an odd thought. But that wasn't what had made him hesitate. "Neither," he said at last. "Valentine's Day, period. I never--I mean, Dad and I never made a big deal of it. And I've never been seeing anyone this time of year that cared."

He could have worded that better, but Hunter didn't seem to notice. "Is it weird that I care?" he wanted to know.

Cam shook his head wordlessly. It was weird, but not in a bad way. More like a "something he had never expected from Hunter" way. Not that that list wasn't getting longer every day.

"Good." And that was all Hunter said, apparently content to resume his log impression with closed eyes and a quiet sigh.

Cam let his head rest against the dresser for a moment. No one passing by would think the light in his tent was unusual; he often stayed up late to finish work, or got up early to have some time to himself. And past experience had proven that none of the students would question him either way. It was only the teachers that made an effort to socialize, and they only after they had seen his easy, informal interaction with Dustin, Tori, and Shane.

Once upon a time, he had thought that was the way it was supposed to be. The teachers held themselves apart from the students on purpose, in order to instill the proper respect for their discipline. Now he realized that the students held themselves apart--held themselves back--as much as the teachers did, and he couldn't tell which action was the cause and which was the effect.

He wasn't entirely sure it was a good thing, either. Surely the students would benefit if the teachers were more approachable? Couldn't they maintain school-wide respect and discipline without socially isolating the ranks?

Says the head teacher who's making Valentine's Day plans with another head teacher, he thought wryly.

Hunter rolled one shoulder back, and Cam lifted his head as fingers tapped his ankle. "What are you thinking about?" Hunter wanted to know, shifting again to hook his elbow over Cam's knee. His wrist settled against Cam's shin, and his fingers started to trace idle designs on his skin.

And he had just been noticing that his feet were cold, too. It seemed there were more advantages to not wanting to disturb Hunter than he had realized. His toes twitched involuntarily, and Hunter's hand moved across his ankle to the top of his foot. "Ticklish?"

Cam shook his head, mesmerized by the motion of his fingers. "Not really."

"Too bad," Hunter said, the hint of a grin in his voice.

Cam cleared his throat, deciding to answer the question before Hunter got any ideas. "Just... I was just thinking about the separation between students and teachers. I'm not sure it really helps anything."

Hunter's fingers slid under the arch of his foot, stroking absently as he remarked, "Sorry. Too cryptic for me this early in the morning."

Whether he was ticklish or not, that really was distracting. "I don't know," Cam muttered. "I'm not sure what I mean either."

"Let me know," Hunter offered, barely stifling a yawn. "What time is it, anyway?"

Cam disentangled his fingers from Hunter's hair and turned his wrist over. The light was just good enough to make out the display. "Four twenty-three," he said, and it had to be the power of suggestion but he found himself trying to suppress a yawn of his own.

Hunter didn't move, except for the hand on his foot that could easily drive him crazy if he paid too much attention to it. "I should probably go," he said at last.

Cam breathed out, letting his hand settle carefully on Hunter's head again. "You said that an hour ago," he reminded him.

Hunter chuckled softly, shoulders twitching as he settled himself more comfortably against Cam. His fingers didn't stop their idle designs. "I said that five hours ago," he corrected. "I said that back when today was still today."

Cam considered that, wondering if it was the hour. That didn't make any sense. "It is today," he pointed out at last.

"No," Hunter disagreed. "Today is tomorrow until you sleep. We haven't been to bed yet, so yesterday is still today. And I have classes tomorrow."

"Today," Cam said automatically.

Hunter's shoulders twitched again, but despite the smirk on his face he insisted stubbornly, "No. Tomorrow."

"All right," Cam agreed after a moment. "But tomorrow's classes start in less than four hours."

"Two," Hunter said with a sigh. "I'm leading Leane's sunrise meditation for her this morning."

Cam stared at him in surprise. "What did she bribe you with to make you do that?"

"She took my night class yesterday," Hunter said simply.

Cam closed his mouth. They really didn't get any time off. Just to justify the movie last night they had spent an hour beforehand going over lesson plans, and more than an hour afterward comparing notes on ninja re-adjustment and teacher hierarchy. He felt a flash of resentment for the entire Academy system and tried to accept it, to let it wash over him and dissipate on its own. It wasn't anyone's fault.

"Hey." Hunter squeezed his foot gently, commanding his instant attention. "What's the matter?"

He shook his head, trying to relax. "Nothing. Why?"

"I don't know." Hunter was completely still now, fingers warm but unmoving against his skin. "You just seemed... you know, different for a minute."

If Hunter was learning to read his reactions without even looking at him, he was in trouble. "I guess I'm just..." He sighed, aware that he was whining. "I just wish we weren't so busy."

"Yeah, me too." Hunter's immediate agreement was somehow reassuring. "But hey, the job's not always like this. We just got a tough year."

Cam was silent, wondering if that was it. "Maybe," he said at last. "But I can't help thinking you were right. This isn't what I want to do. I don't like it, and the only thing that--well..." He broke off abruptly, trying to change what he had been about to say at the last minute and failing to come up with anything.

"The only thing that what?" Hunter prompted. "It's not all bad, right? I mean, it's hard, but... well."

Cam smiled a little, letting his fingers slide through Hunter's hair again. "Yeah," he said quietly. "Well."

Neither of them said anything for a few minutes. Hunter's thumb resumed its small circles across the top of his foot, and Cam gave up trying to ignore it. He leaned back, closed his eyes, and stopped trying to think. He just felt: Hunter's easy closeness, his relaxed trust, his casual touch. Hunter was very physical. The more Cam got used to it the more he enjoyed it--even, secretly, sought it out.

"I really should go," Hunter said reluctantly. This time he pulled his hand away and took a deep breath, as though preparing to sit up.

Cam opened his eyes, glancing at his watch out of habit. "Would you leave at all if I didn't kick you out?" he wondered.

Hunter tilted his head back. "That depends," he said, an irresistible glint in his eyes. "Are you kicking me out?"

Cam tried not to smile, but he couldn't help it. What would it be like, playing hooky with Hunter? The longer he knew Hunter, the less surprised he was that he didn't know. Hunter liked to feign irresponsibility, but in truth, he was probably the most reliable person Cam knew. He knew what it meant to depend on someone, and he knew what it meant to have someone depending on him. Or, in this case, a lot of someones.

"No," he said, just to see what Hunter would do. "I'm not kicking you out."

"Damn." Hunter's grin was rueful. "And I really wanted to make you the bad guy, too."

He sat up with a sigh, the motion surprisingly fluid for someone who had been lying on his back for the better part of an hour. Cam didn't even pretend he wasn't watching as Hunter stretched, not bothering to avert his eyes when Hunter caught him at it. Hunter turned sharply, bracing his arms on either side of Cam's legs, and leaned in for a kiss.

He tilted his head and closed his eyes, breath deserting him as Hunter's mouth found his. One hand settled tentatively on Hunter's shoulder, sliding toward his neck... longing to touch as casually as Hunter did, but not sure how to start. Hunter's weight rocked back onto his knees and he lifted both hands to Cam's face, holding him in place as Hunter pressed in close.

Cam fought the urge to pull away. The sensation might be overwhelming, but it certainly wasn't unpleasant and he was actually starting to get used to Hunter springing this kind of thing on him. His hand was behind Hunter's head and Hunter's tongue was in his mouth and it felt really good...

Hunter drew back, just far enough to whisper, "I think you'd be good at being bad." Then he was sitting back on his heels, hands falling to his sides as he regarded Cam with a look of rueful respect.

Cam couldn't resist. "One of us has to be," he remarked, deadpan.

A grin spread across Hunter's face, and he pushed himself to his feet. He held out a hand without a word, hauling Cam up after him. He didn't let go when they were both standing, and Cam didn't step away. He found he liked being that close... for once it felt natural, and he didn't think twice about lifting his face to Hunter's. Hunter was already there, as though he had expected nothing less.

This time their kisses were slow, exploratory, and he lost all track of time as they stood there, trading breath between them. It was the last time they would see each other for several days, and there was no guarantee that they would have any time alone the next time they met. He tried to remind himself that it wouldn't be any different if they weren't teaching--that it would, in fact, be worse, because who knew what directions they would have gone in if they hadn't stayed with the ninja academies?

He was in love. Just like that, it hit him, and it was all he could do to keep from pushing Hunter away and trying to regain his equilibrium. It was an incredible thought. He didn't want Hunter to leave. He wanted to see him more often. He was more than vaguely resentful of anything that kept them apart... and he was acting like a kid with his first crush.

He was hopelessly in love with Hunter Bradley.

"Yeah," Hunter whispered, pulling back with a smile. "Really good."

Cam froze for half a second, then gave his head a shake and stared hard at Hunter. Nothing about him had changed. Hunter was still Hunter: abrasive, temperamental, wise-cracking, familiar, warm. He was a good friend, a decent kisser, and he knew his way around Cam's psyche. But he hadn't done anything to make Cam love him.

"See you on Saturday, right?" Hunter was watching him with a certain amount of curiosity, obviously having another "Cam's acting different" moment but choosing to keep it to himself.

"Yeah," Cam said with a sigh. He leaned in for another kiss before he thought, following through without hesitation. His subconscious might be playing tricks on him, but that was no reason to ignore an opportunity. "See you Saturday."

He helped Hunter gather up everything he had brought, stuffing it in his backpack with what looked like a complete lack of organization. It might have been, or it might not, Cam couldn't tell. But when Hunter hesitated just inside the tent flap, he could read that message loud and clear. If they hadn't had a goodbye kiss yet, they had it now--reluctant, bittersweet, and wholly unsatisfying.

Hunter said "good night," Cam countered with "good morning," and he offered a token smirk when Hunter frowned at him. Hunter's expression softened, fingers ghosting across Cam's face. Then he turned abruptly, pushing out into the predawn light, and Cam let the tent flap fall behind him so he wouldn't have to watch him go.

He wasn't really in love with Hunter. He couldn't be. Because if he was, then being in love sucked.

Whining. He was whining again, and he'd promised himself he would stop. He couldn't think about this now. He needed whatever nap time he could get before his first class. He would walk to Ninja Ops, do something mindlessly complicated, and come back before the first students were up for sunrise meditation.

He changed his shirt, so it wouldn't be completely obvious that he was still wearing yesterday's clothes. He pulled on the "killer monkeys" t-shirt he slept in, wrapped a sweatshirt around his shoulders, and turned off the lamp before he stepped outside. It was cooler than he'd expected.

Glancing around in the glow of first light, he decided to blame Hunter. He hugged his sweatshirt closer around his shoulders. He couldn't be expected to know how cold it was when he'd had a very large, very warm, log-like object sprawled across him for--

Hawks didn't typically perch that low at dawn. For one thing, they didn't hunt at dawn. For another, no self-respecting hawk would claim territory inside the residential camp. Prey was scarce and activity too unpredictable to make hunting anything but very, very difficult.

Cam considered the bird dispassionately. It was considering him right back. And, unless he was seriously mistaken, it had an unnaturally good view of his tent.

He turned away, torn between irritation and outright disgust. Was that the first time his dad had used his transmogriphication ability to spy on him? He'd never noticed before. But then, he'd never been looking, either. And somehow he couldn't believe it was just this once.

"Cameron."

Well, what do you know. He was going to admit to it after all. "Yes?" Cam said testily. "Dad?" He stopped where he was, but he didn't bother to turn around.

"I would speak with you, if you have a moment."

Cam considered his options. He could say no, and his father would probably let him put this conversation off. But that wouldn't make having it any easier. He could say yes, and his father would probably start questioning him right here, in the middle of the teacher tents. Neither option was particularly appealing.

"I'm on my way to Ninja Ops," he said with a sigh. "You're welcome to join me."

"Welcome" might be overstating the case, he decided a moment later. Nonetheless, his dad paced thoughtfully--and thankfully silently--beside him the entire way. It wasn't until they had descended into the heart of the complex, passing DNA locks and conventional doors to reach a place where repairs were progressing even more slowly than they were on the surface, that his dad spoke again.

"It was not my intention to observe you without your knowledge," he said at last, regarding Cam with a calm and all-too-familiar look.

Cam kept his expression as neutral as he could. "No, I'm sure that was an accident."

His dad nodded once, as though taking the words at face value. "Hunter has been spending a good deal of time on Wind Academy grounds," he remarked. He managed to make it sound like he was commenting on the weather, but since he must have seen Hunter leaving Cam's tent just a few minutes before, there was nothing idle about it.

"It's his school too, Dad." Cam went over to the power shield next to the mainframe and started booting up the diagnostic systems. If his father wasn't going to come right out and ask, Cam saw no reason to make it easy for him. "He graduated from the Wind Academy with the rest of us."

"One would think that his duties as head teacher of the Thunder Academy would keep him too busy to visit neighboring schools with any frequency," his father observed.

Cam shrugged, watching the lights flicker from red to green one at a time. "He makes time for his friends."

"Is that what you are to Hunter?" his father asked, point blank. "A friend?"

Cam stilled. Staring at the diagnostic in front of him, he realized that it was harder now to disillusion his father than it had been to come to terms with the relationship himself months ago. "We've been more than friends for a long time, Dad," he said quietly.

There was no answer. He didn't turn around, not sure he wanted to know what his dad's expression looked like right now. If making Valentine's Day plans had been an unexpected commitment, then telling his dad just made the whole thing seem that much more permanent.

"Why would you keep something like that a secret?" The tone implied more than just parental disapproval. It implied superiority, as though his father already knew the answer and was leading him toward it because he couldn't find the way on his own.

It was amazing, really. He had lived with his father all these years, and they still didn't know anything about each other. "It's not a secret, Dad. Everyone knew but you."

His father must have been ready for that one. "Perhaps a better question, then, would be why you didn't tell me."

"I didn't tell anyone," Cam said evenly. "I'm not like that. I don't broadcast everything I do." He couldn't help adding, "I thought you knew that."

There was a quiet moment. "You are saying, then, that I should have known what was happening without having to ask?"

"I'm saying Dustin knows." He didn't reach up to touch the silver chain around his neck, but he wanted to. He was very aware of it, as though it declared his loyalty in some secret code for everyone to see. "It hasn't been a secret for months."

That, too, gave his father pause. "How long have you been seeing Hunter?"

Hunter had asked him out the week he and Blake returned to Blue Bay Harbor. "A long time," Cam said evasively.

His father considered that. "I see," he said at last.

It wasn't particularly supportive, but it wasn't exactly a condemnation, either. At this point, Cam figured he'd take what he could get. Pushing away from the mainframe, he turned to face his father's stoic demeanor. "I'm going to try to get some sleep."

His father just nodded, once. "Yes," he agreed impassively. "That would be wise."

He did reach up to touch his necklace as he made his way out of Ninja Ops. It was the most comforting sign he had, and he couldn't help feeling like the world needed to go away. He didn't know what to think. Not about Hunter, not about his dad, and not about his feelings for either one of them right now. His stomach was churning, and he knew none of this was going to go away on its own.

He needed some sleep. He needed sleep half an hour ago, actually. Before Hunter had kissed him like he was the only person in the world. Before his dad had surprised him with a question so obvious it hurt. And before he realized that, whatever he was doing with Hunter, it was going to affect him for a long time.

5. Week Fourteen

"No country!" Hunter shouted, as the unmistakable sounds of a fiddle and steel guitar burst into the air and echoed down the hallway. He knew who the culprit was without even having to look. "I mean it, Jamie! Take it back or turn it off!"

There was the sound of snickering, and then nothing--the music stopped as abruptly as it had started. He frowned, as surprised by the lack of protest as he was by the sudden silence. The stereo had been on all morning, providing background noise while they moved into the newly completed teachers' wing. It hadn't been this quiet for hours.

He gave his Academy issue trunk one last shove, pushing it far enough out of the way that he wouldn't trip over it in the foreseeable future, and stepped back to find out what had happened. It wasn't just the music that had stopped. There weren't even voices coming through his open door. Unless the entire wing had emptied in the last thirty seconds, that was even less likely than the absence of music.

Before he could turn, though, a voice from just behind him made him grin. "You have something against country?" the calm and slightly superior tone inquired. He made it sound like he was giving Hunter a chance to take the words back before he embarrassed himself.

Hunter swung around, taking in Cam's attitude, attire, and early arrival in a fraction of a second. He wore a small smile that dissolved into an actual laugh when Hunter yanked him out of the doorway and into an endless hug that he felt he was owed. It warmed him all the way through that Cam was happy enough to laugh at him, and he hugged him tighter, deciding he would hold on all day if Cam let him.

Something flashed, and it occurred to him that they had an audience at the same moment he realized someone had just taken their picture. "Lose the camera," he ordered, not lifting his head from Cam's. "And don't forget, I know where you live."

"Sure thing, Sensei." Ethan didn't sound the least bit intimidated--not that he should. He could knock Hunter on his butt with a bo without even trying. And he did, regularly. It was a humbling experience.

He heard someone mutter something about the Academy yearbook, and he released Cam with an exaggerated sigh. "All right, clowns, back to work. We only have a day to get this done."

The teachers who had gathered in the hallway dissipated with surprising celerity, but he supposed they were still slightly in awe of the Wind Academy's head teacher. While Cam commanded respect just by being who he was, Hunter went out of his way to make his students see him. He wasn't infallible, and he couldn't afford to have anyone thinking he was. Any awe of Hunter had worn off the day he confided to the other teachers that being a Ranger was more about the wardrobe than the power.

"You got all this stuff moved in here yourself?" Cam had wandered into the room while he was giving the entire hall the evil eye, and now he stood still, considering the suite to which Hunter had been assigned.

"Nah," Hunter said, shaking his head in exasperation. "I was helping the guys with their stuff, but every time I turned around they were sneaking this stuff in here behind my back. It's a good thing I didn't leave anything embarrassing in my tent, 'cause I think it's pretty much cleaned out by now."

Cam paced around the room, peering through doors until he had figured out where everything was. "That was nice of them," he said, turning away from the bedroom to consider the main room again. "This is all Academy furniture, isn't it? Where's the temporary stuff from the tents going?"

"Back into storage," Hunter said with a shrug. "Until the next call for students, anyway. We'll probably spend the afternoon putting the camp furniture away and breaking down the tents."

"It's pretty ambitious to try to get the entire staff moved in a day," Cam remarked, glancing out the nearest window. The campus was crawling with teachers and trunks and personal belongings--the only thing that was missing were the students, who had been given a free day while the staff tried to sort itself out.

Hunter was completely content to watch Cam, standing there in the winter sunlight while chaos streamed past outside. This was the first quiet moment he'd had since breakfast, but he knew that wasn't where this peaceful feeling came from. Cam would really laugh if he knew that Hunter found his presence relaxing in a way that nothing else seemed to be lately.

Cam turned toward him, giving him a curious look that made Hunter realize he'd said something. Something to which he had apparently expected a response. "Sorry," he muttered. "What?"

"Ambitious," Cam repeated, as though Hunter was just being difficult. "To only plan for a day."

To move, that's right. He remembered hearing the words now. "We're very efficient here at the Thunder Academy," he informed Cam.

Cam snorted. "Is that what it's called," he replied in kind.

Hunter raised an eyebrow at him, recognizing a challenge when he heard one. "You have another word for it?" He was perfectly willing to give Cam an opening, if only to see him smirk.

"Several," Cam agreed. "Authoritarian. Inflexible. Obnoxious."

And this was Cam in a good mood. "You make it sound like no one would ever want to come here," he observed, watching Cam without really knowing what he was looking for.

"Well, there is the extremely good-looking head teacher," Cam admitted with apparent reluctance. "He makes up for a lot."

Yeah. Cam really was in a good mood. He tried not to grin, fumbling for words to cover his reaction. "So you come just to look at me, is that it?"

Cam just smiled. "Among other things."

The grin escaped, widening as it spread across his face, and he wouldn't have passed up an opportunity like that if every teacher in the school were in the room with them. Cam shuffled idly toward him, as though he just happened to be wandering in that direction anyway as Hunter advanced. They met in the middle of the room, sharing a chaste kiss that would have disappointed their nonexistent audience.

Hunter couldn't say that it disappointed him. He was glad just to have Cam here. It had been a week and two days since he'd even seen Cam, and he would never admit that he counted the days but he did and it was more than just loneliness that made him keep track. He was good on his own--he rarely sought out friendship that wasn't offered to him first, and he didn't consider himself particularly peer-conscious. He missed Blake, more than he'd ever expected, but as the head teacher of his own school he had found whatever companionship he did want was surprisingly easy to come by.

Except for Cam's. He had ninjas to train with, people to learn from and students to teach. The other teachers had accepted him without protest, even the ones that had been disciplining him little more than a year before--some of that Ranger awe had lasted just long enough to make them give him a chance, and he was good at what he did. But it didn't get him any closer to Cam.

Since returning to the Thunder Academy, he had been startled to realize that he made friends more easily than he once had. It was nice to think that maybe, just maybe, the Rangers hadn't been a fluke. That maybe they hadn't just put up with him because he was there. Despite that, though, he wasn't any better at relationships than he'd ever been, and most of the time he was just relieved to be holding ground when it came to Cam.

Cam hadn't pulled away. Hunter kissed him again, trying to keep his mind on something else. Cam wasn't easy, but somehow Hunter had gotten this far without totally screwing up and he wasn't about to start now. Because, yeah, he'd thought about serious make-out sessions with Cam, and he still remembered the close heated nights at Ninja Ops that they never, ever talked about afterward.

Remembered, hell. He dreamed about those last weeks before Lothor was defeated all the time. They hadn't known what was coming, but the ninja elements had been humming, strengthening around them, practically vibrating in the air. It had put them all on edge, sparking tempers and passion and squabbles everywhere he looked.

He and Blake had fought over Factory Blue. Cam had actually thrown Shane out after a fight about skateboarding in Ninja Ops. Even Dustin, normally the most laid back person Hunter knew, had flipped over a misplaced order and shouted at Kelly for it.

It wasn't all bad, of course: their training just before the Action Games had been something to see. They had been able to channel a degree of force he'd never felt before--or since. And as irritable as they had all been, they had felt everything more strongly. He had convinced Cam to break his "no kissing at Ninja Ops" rule not once, but over and over... they would make out like it mattered, then, like they meant something.

Cam had managed to avoid being alone with him for two whole days after the Abyss of Evil. Hunter still didn't know whether that had been intentional or not. He had gotten the message regardless: he was there, Cam was there, and emotions were running high. They hadn't talked about it then, and they weren't going to talk about it now.

Cam's hands were on his waist, and he took that as an invitation to slide one arm off his shoulders and around behind his back. Cam accepted the half-embrace without protest, his slow, open-mouthed kiss enough to drive a lesser person utterly insane. There was no way Hunter would give this up, but he was running out of Innocuous Things To Think About While Kissing Cam.

Actually, he had run out of innocuous things a few minutes ago. Now he was just trying to think of anything that would distract him, because they were Grown Up about their relationship now. Now it was about being there for each other, and supporting each other, like any mature couple in a serious relationship.

Except that he was pretty sure even mature couples got to have sex. Not that he was after sex, specifically... but there were things his body remembered that it complained bitterly about missing now. He remembered what Cam was like when he was too mad to hold back, how rough he was when he stopped caring. He remembered finally understanding that Cam's restraint didn't come from aloofness at all, but from a fear of how easily he might hurt someone if he lost control.

He remembered Cam's tongue down his throat. He remembered the tattoo on his left shoulder blade, and how Cam had refused to tell him what it meant. He remembered a lot fewer clothes and a lot more skin.

"Sensei!" The shout came from somewhere outside the room, but he couldn't tell from how far away. He did notice, as Cam stepped back, that the music was on again and Jamie must have won, because it was a distinctly country sound. Any revenge he exacted now would be half-hearted at best, so he elected to ignore it.

"Yeah," he said, raising his voice and offering silent thanks when it didn't break. "Need something?"

"Nah." The caller had given them plenty of time, and he barely even poked his head into the room as he added, "Claire's doing a coffee run; you want any?"

Hunter glanced at Cam, who shook his head wordlessly. "I'm good too," Hunter said. "Thanks though."

"Sure thing, Sensei. And Sensei." He managed to make it sound more respectful than comical, disappearing as quickly as he had come.

There was a quiet moment, one in which Hunter wondered whether to be disappointed by or grateful for the interruption. Cam was the best stress test his self-control could ask for, and he didn't even know it. Given the chance, he would see Cam every day, but if he did they wouldn't still be dancing around each other like this. One of them would have snapped by now. He still didn't know whether that would be a good thing or bad, though, and until he knew for sure he wasn't going to push it.

"So," Cam said uncomfortably, being the first to break the silence and not looking particularly thrilled about it. "How can I help?"

"Depends whether you've been sleeping," Hunter said, given him a critical look. "You up for physical labor?"

Cam narrowed his eyes. He hated being taken care of, he knew Hunter knew it, and he knew Hunter didn't care. "Why else did I come?" he asked rhetorically.

"To see the extremely good looking head teacher," Hunter reminded him. "I'm just glad you're here; I don't care if you work or not."

Something about that softened Cam's glare, but he didn't back off. "The sooner you tell me where you want things, the sooner we can have lunch."

There actually wasn't as much to do as he'd expected, thanks to the teachers he had helped earlier. They really had carted all of his stuff into the building while he wasn't paying attention, and now that Cam was here all that remained was rearranging the furniture and assigning boxes to the appropriate rooms. It went a lot faster with someone to help him, though, and he wasn't sorry that they ended up with more time than he knew what to do with.

He was sorry that Cam didn't know how good he looked helping to shove the bed into place against the wall opposite the windows. He was maybe a little sorry that Cam didn't look at all suspicious when Hunter straightened up and circled around behind him, ostensibly inspecting the room from his perspective. But he wasn't even slightly sorry for the mischief that made him shove Cam forward, tumbling him onto the bed when Cam automatically resisted and pinning his arms to keep him from pulling away.

Satisfied with Cam's open-mouthed astonishment, Hunter grinned down at him. "So you're not ticklish, huh?" You didn't forget a challenge like that, no matter when or why it was made.

Cam just stared at him, his expression of shock frozen in place until Hunter released his arms and made his fingers spider across Cam's midsection. It was the first and only clear shot he would get and he made it count, delighted by Cam's gasp before he curled into the assault and grabbed for Hunter's hands. Hunter evaded his grasp with practiced ease, too used to having a younger brother to let anyone squirm out of a tickle fight that easily.

Cam was an only child. His grin widened as he realized just how bad Cam might prove to be at this game, and he renewed his attack. He slid his hands under Cam's arms, raked his fingers across Cam's stomach, and tugged his shirt free before Cam could protest. Cam was laughing, truly laughing as he caught one wrist and then the other, trying to stop the onslaught instead of retaliating--he really didn't know anything about tickle fights, but his laughter was the best sound Hunter had heard all day.

Then Cam lunged for him, as though he had heard what Hunter was thinking or just remembered something about tactics, it was impossible to tell, but Hunter flinched away at the first brush of fingers against his ribs and Cam pressed his advantage mercilessly. Doubling over in self-defense, he felt Cam's entire weight shift onto him, trying to confine Hunter's hands while keeping his own free and only partially succeeding, but wasn't that the whole point? He didn't know whether to laugh or scream because hadn't he known what it would mean to be on a bed with Cam!

They were panting, gasping, totally wrapped up in a silly game that was fast driving Hunter out of his mind. Cam tried to sit up, knees on either side of Hunter's hips, and Hunter yanked him down and rolled him over with more force than he needed because no, he was not going to have Cam straddling him no matter how goddamn adorable he was when he laughed like that. His hands were under Cam's shirt and he wasn't even sure how they'd gotten there, but between Cam's laughter and his almost supernatural ability to twist out from under an attack, any tickling Hunter did was so accidental that he didn't even notice when he hit a sensitive spot--

Except that Cam's breath caught and he choked on his laughter and his grin was fading as he stared up at Hunter, his eyes very wide and very dark. Hunter slid his hands free, rueful, aching, chest heaving as he braced himself on one elbow and told himself to pull away. He couldn't, and he was sorry, but he needed this and he couldn't turn away from an expression like that when his entire body was singing with hunger.

He lowered his head, pressing his mouth to Cam's as tentatively as he could and almost shaking with the effort of holding back. Cam's mouth opened to his and he groaned in relief, feeling the heat surge between them as he leaned in closer and took everything Cam would give. Kissing consumed him, for the briefest moment filling every part of his awareness and satisfying the lust that had somehow caught him by surprise.

Until Cam moved under him, and a sharp stab of desire made him whimper. He tried to pull away, he tried, but Cam's arms snaked around him and drew him closer, kissing him, clinging to him, drawing him in. And he fell into that embrace, losing himself in it so deeply that there was no denying what it made him feel. He wanted.

Cam rolled over on top of him, making it look easy, effortless. He held Hunter down with a strength that he didn't often exert, his breath hot and harsh on Hunter's skin as he whispered, "Door's open." And he just hovered there, so close, so controlled, eyes glittering as he waited for... for what?

If he was waiting for Hunter to care, then he was in bed with the wrong guy. "So close it," Hunter growled, his breath little more than a gasp as he rocked his hips up, into Cam's, and felt every point of contact between them begin to throb.

Cam squeezed his eyes shut, not moving. But his shoulders trembled, and the sudden realization that he was struggling just as hard as Hunter was to control himself was a total turn on. Hunter arched up against him, and one of them made a sound as those brown eyes snapped open again. Cam flung a hand out without even looking, power erupting from his fingertips and the door slammed shut so hard the entire floor must have felt it.

Then Cam's tongue was in his mouth, his body hot and hard against Hunter's as his hands crawled across bare skin, and if this wasn't heaven he didn't know what was. His fingers dug into Cam's shoulders, long sleeves crumpling in his grasp as he tried to wish the shirt away. When the hell had Cam's hands gotten under his t-shirt, and why didn't he just yank the damn thing off--

He moaned as Cam's fingers found a nipple, his thoughts dissolving into a pleasant shock of restless need. His breath was swallowed up by an aggressive kiss just before Cam drew away, tugging at his shirt impatiently and apparently reading his mind. He lifted his shoulders just far enough that Cam could pull it off over his head, then strained toward him again even as Cam shoved him down.

There was a wild look in those dark eyes, a ferocity he hadn't seen since the last days before the Abyss opened up. Now, as then, he couldn't help wondering if it was really him Cam wanted, or just someone. And just as he had then, he decided he didn't care. When you were burning up inside, you didn't question the guy with the water.

The guy... and wasn't that ironic, he thought distantly, closing his eyes and surrendering to Cam's insistent demand. He had girls falling all over him, and it took a guy to turn him on. And not just any guy, but Cam. Cam, with his stupid computer and stiff superiority and insults that were as easy as "hello" and "goodbye." His gorgeous eyes. His rare laughter. His surprising vulnerability, and his buried passion.

God, he loved Cam.

He was in so far over his head that he couldn't even see the surface anymore.

His breath hissed between his teeth as Cam's tongue flicked across his chest, and only child or no, that was the ultimate in tickle torture. He writhed under the assault, wanting it, wanting it to stop, choking back a cry as Cam's legs tangled with his and he found something more solid pressed up against his groin. He arched into it instinctively, heat flooding his body, felt Cam falter as his hands clenched convulsively where they were.

He lifted his hips off the bed again, scrabbling for leverage he didn't have but it didn't matter because just the friction made him groan. He didn't care if it was right or sophisticated or clever; he had never been this close to someone before and all he knew was what felt good--and that felt really good. He wanted more, and he wanted it now.

It could have been minutes or it could have been hours, and all he felt was the heat and the rush and the pounding need that had crashed down on him seemingly from nowhere. He was embarrassingly aware that he was doing little more than responding to Cam, but what else could he do when those hands were everywhere and the sensations they evoked demanded all of his attention? He couldn't focus, couldn't speak, could barely breathe as he gave up any hope of control. Cam was in control, he trusted Cam, and oh god he hadn't known it would feel like this!

He cried out, shoulders digging into the mattress as he flung his head back, overwhelmed by those long fingers in places no one else could touch. He reached for Cam blindly, struggling to return at least this invasion of privacy in kind. He heard Cam's moan, abruptly choked off, like he couldn't lose himself completely even now, and it only made Hunter more determined to shatter his restraint. After... after--

For one timeless moment, their rhythms matched. It was all he knew, all that mattered. Slick fingers tangled around each other in their haste. There was a suffocating need to move, an ache so harsh it screamed. A pressure he couldn't hold back. Cam's eyes: open, desperate... honest. The world exploded silently around him.

He would have sworn he couldn't hear anything for several seconds. Except that he heard Cam's strangled gasp, felt warmth not his own on his skin, saw Cam move and didn't care. Didn't care about anything but the shocks still rippling through his body, the fading waves of pleasure prompted by Cam's movement as he squirmed free and crumpled bonelessly onto the mattress beside him.

He found himself staring up at the ceiling, then, and that was really about all he could handle. He watched until it started to get dim and sparkly, and he blinked hard. His breath was finally catching up with him, the panting that was now the only sound in the near-silent room starting to abate. He felt maybe moderately capable of movement, but not in any way motivated. He could at least turn his head, he thought.

Cam sprawled next to him, one arm across his face to hide his eyes, like it was too bright for him to look. His clothes were disheveled and haphazard, but surprisingly present, and Hunter wondered when he had tugged his unzipped jeans back up around his hips. He was almost naked. Cam was almost completely dressed. How did that work?

"Have you done this before?" he blurted out, his voice rough in the oppressive quiet.

Cam didn't stir, and the mumble that replied was curiously free of inflection. "Once. A long time ago." He moved his arm, then, just enough that he could peer sideways at Hunter. "Don't tell me you haven't," he muttered, searching Hunter's expression.

Hunter considered that for a moment. "Okay," he said at last. "I won't."

Cam let out his breath in a sigh, but his tone as he lowered his arm was more curious than anything. "You don't seem like the type," he admitted, rolling onto one side to regard Hunter through half-lidded eyes.

"To be a virgin?" he guessed. If this was afterglow, he'd take it, because nothing could bother him right now. "I wasn't supposed to grow up gay, either. Look how that turned out."

"Are you?" Cam wanted to know. "Gay?"

He didn't have the energy to muster the appropriate indignation. "That's a really stupid question."

"Well." Cam sounded a little defensive. "Some people experiment."

Was that what this was to him? An experiment? It was a crushing thought, but not one he'd never entertained before. "I'm not experimenting," he said evenly. "Trust me, if I only wanted to jump you, I'd have tried it a long time ago."

There was some of Cam's usual sardonic humor in his voice as he replied, "I'm sure you mean that in the most positive way."

Hunter wasn't sure of anything, but he didn't say so out loud. "I just mean..." He hesitated over the rest of that sentence longer than he should have, but ultimately he chickened out. "Thanks for helping me break in the bed."

Cam's breath escaped in what was almost a chuckle, and his eyes flicked across them both critically. "No sheets," he said, a hint of chagrin in his voice. "I wonder what the penalty is for defacing an Academy mattress."

"Too bad there's no one to turn us in," Hunter remarked, deadpan.

He could hear the smile in Cam's voice. "I guess being head teacher's not all bad."

It wasn't bad at all. Lying on a bed with Cam, sweat drying on his skin and an open invitation to talk sex--as long as he could stand the answers... life didn't get much better. No, it wasn't so bad being where he was. No matter what happened at the end of the year, he wouldn't trade the choices he'd made for anything in the world.

6. Day One-Fifteen

"Kiotsuke!"

Cam looked up in surprise as the shout penetrated the clash of wooden practice laths, unconsciously maintaining his guard until he saw his current opponent draw back. The class snapped to attention all around him, a testament to their training that not a single blow fell after that cry. There weren't many people whose presence would merit that kind of instantaneous response--

Sure enough, his eye fell on Hunter at the edge of the arena, looking a little sheepish for bringing the entire practice to a halt. Cam knew he didn't make his students come to attention at his arrival, and thus could be forgiven the intrusion. Here at the Wind Academy they followed the old rules of respect and discipline.

"At ease," Hunter offered, with an apologetic shrug in Cam's direction. He was almost four hours late. He couldn't have intended to disrupt the class, but his first reaction on finding Cam's office empty would naturally have been to seek him out.

Cam bowed to his own opponent, then gestured for her to join and divide the nearest trio. "As you were," he told the group, waiting until the sparring resumed to join Hunter at the edge of the practice field. He deposited his lath in the rack as he passed.

"Miss the ninja bus?" he inquired of Hunter, when he was close enough to keep his voice from carrying. There were enough rumors flying about the two of them without him adding to them. The thought wasn't quite enough to keep him from appreciating the fit of Hunter's training uniform out of the corner of his eye.

No teacher insignia, he realized suddenly. Hunter wasn't just wearing a training uniform, he was wearing an old training uniform. He really was spending too much time at the Wind Academy if the students could recognize his face in the midst of combat training.

"Sorry," Hunter muttered. He too was keeping a wary eye on Cam's class, and Cam wondered, not for the first time, what he was hearing from the students at the Thunder Academy. "Student emergency."

Cam nodded once, understanding.

"You gotta teach this class?" Hunter asked under his breath. It was a genuine enough question, delivered in a tone that implied he wouldn't make a fuss no matter what the answer. But--and it might have been Cam's imagination--it seemed that there was a hint of wistfulness to it.

Cam nodded again, this time lifting his chin toward the tall, dark-skinned woman nearest their edge of the practice field. "Remember Nena?" he said softly. "She went caroling with us over the holidays?"

Hunter tipped his head slightly, considering her, but his answer was quick enough. "Sure. How'd she end up in an advanced swordwork class?"

Cam folded his arms. "She's been here two and a half years," he murmured. "She's had plenty of time to move up. And she has the talent for it."

Hunter raised an eyebrow, polite enough not to comment. Cam knew what he was thinking anyway, and he agreed. It was the only thing she was any good at, and she had thrown herself into it with the same determined fervor with which she did everything else. The only difference was that, this time, it had paid off.

"She's never missed a class," he said quietly. "So I've never handed it off." He glanced at his watch, then added, "We're almost done, though. The dinner warning will--"

Something caught his attention, just at the edge of his perception, and his awareness reached for it instinctively. "Matte," he snapped, striding onto the field and narrowing in on the source of the illegal movement. "Simawe, when is it appropriate for a samurai to release his sword?"

Every student had come to come to attention when he ordered them to stop, but Simawe bowed his head respectfully when Cam stared him down. "Only when it's knocked from his hand, Sensei."

"Yet you've let your weapon go twice in this practice alone--this time after I specifically asked you not to do so. Why is that?"

Simawe didn't lift his head, but his shoulders were tense and the words became ever more curt. "Sensei, the weapon was still within my control. I did not at any time endanger my classmates by... expanding upon the versatility of the sword."

"I'd commend your creativity," Cam said dryly, "if it didn't come at the expense of class discipline. There's a time for that kind of innovation, and this session isn't it. Was our agenda for today somehow unclear?"

"No, Sensei." His response was immediate, if unquestionably grudging.

"If you can't abide by the rules," Cam said, more quietly, "I'm going to ask you to leave this class. This isn't a game. This is the way of the samurai, and if you're not interested, I suggest you try a different weapons' program."

"With respect, Sensei?" Simawe lifted his head, looking Cam straight in the eye. "I'm not a samurai. I'm here to learn how to use a sword, not to follow the archaic traditions of a lost people."

"Sensei Hunter." Cam didn't take his eyes off of Simawe. "How archaic is the samurai tradition, exactly?"

He didn't have to look to know that Hunter had just folded his arms across his chest, a gesture that made him look about twice as threatening as he did just standing around looking like a ticked off bouncer. "If I remember right," he said, not as though that were in question, "it's about three hundred years more current than the ninja tradition. But what's a few centuries between friends?"

Simawe's gaze had shifted to Hunter the moment he spoke, but he wasn't having much luck holding that icy blue gaze. He was staring down at the ground again as he muttered, "The samurai don't have a monopoly on sword work."

"No," Cam agreed calmly. He turned to Hunter. "Care to demonstrate?"

A grin spread across Hunter's face, and Cam knew he wasn't going to go easy on him just because he had something to prove. Quite the opposite, in fact--which was all to the good. "Any time," Hunter answered with a smirk. "Sensei Cameron."

Hunter snatched Simawe's wooden lath without bothering to ask, and Cam saw a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye. He reached out to catch Nena's practice blade without even looking, bringing it up to block before Hunter could finish his lunge. The resounding "crack" echoed in the suddenly quiet field.

For just a moment, their eyes met and neither of them moved. Then his mock-sword slid under Hunter's and threw him back, the motion easy as the samurai power gathered at his fingertips. It was both like the ninja elements and not, a cumulative skill and a sense of human history whispering to him, rather than that of the earth itself. But it was strong and it was real as their blades met and tested and probed for any quarter the other might unintentionally give.

They were evenly matched, he and Hunter. More than a year ago, the Bradley brothers had surprised him in his own home and taken him captive. He had managed to overpower Blake, but Hunter could fight him to a standstill--and had, on more than one occasion. Since that day, their encounters had been all in the name of training, but the knowledge that holding back would mean certain defeat hung unmentioned at the edge of every session.

They were evenly matched. But Hunter's weapon of choice was the bo, while Cam's had become the sword. He had the advantage, he knew it, and he pressed it for all it was worth. Hunter gave ground, and Cam would have backed off--but Hunter caught the "blade" end of his lath and used the double-handed grip to shove Cam back, swinging the weapon like a bo as he scored a "kill" point just above Cam's shoulder.

There was absolute silence from the class, interrupted only by the sound of the gong announcing dinner in the distance. Cam's mouth quirked. "You can't do that with a sword," he remarked.

Hunter's gaze didn't leave his. "It's not a sword," he replied. "Know your weapon."

"Point." Cam shifted his weight and hooked his foot around Hunter's left ankle, jerking forward and yanking his feet out from under him. Hunter went down with no dignity whatsoever, which Cam figured he deserved after a stunt like that. "There's no such thing as a fair fight," he added calmly.

Hunter looked more rueful than annoyed, a half-smile on his face as he held up his hand. Cam hauled him to his feet, and they bowed perfunctorily to each other. He looked over at Nena, caught her eye as she came forward to retrieve her practice lath. She bowed too, and he inclined his head in thanks.

Turning back to Simawe, he considered his rebellious student carefully. "There's time for ritual," he said at last. "And there's time for improvisation. But the fact remains that this is my class, and I will teach it as I see fit. The next time you disregard a guideline I set, you will find another class. Do you understand?"

The rancor was gone, or at least better concealed, as Simawe bowed his head. "I understand, Sensei."

"Good." Cam's gaze flicked across the rest of the group. "Kiotsuke!"

They came to attention quickly, and he felt Hunter shift beside him. Another thing Hunter didn't bother with, though the rest of the Thunder teachers had yet to follow his lead. His informality was probably regarded--and dismissed--as youthful eccentricity.

"Rei!" As one, the students bowed, and Cam didn't keep them any longer than he needed to. "Class dismissed."

Voices rose to fill the silence, punctuated by the clatter of laths returning to their racks and the harassment of students who didn't move fast enough for the ninjas in charge of equipment this week. Hunter watched them all through narrowed eyes, but Cam knew who he meant when he asked quietly, "What's that kid's name again?"

"Simawe," Cam answered. He didn't bother to point out that the "kid" had at least a decade on Hunter. "Why?"

Hunter had slid into his personal space before he even noticed, twisting Cam's arm gently behind his back in a maneuver eerily reminiscent of their first encounter. "I like to know my enemy," he whispered, the words just reaching Cam's ears.

Cam smiled even as he trod lightly on Hunter's foot, forcing him to step back without letting go of his wrist. "Sometimes your 'enemy' is more than he seems," he replied in kind.

Hunter's soft tone managed to be rueful as the tips of his fingers curled around Cam's. "I've noticed that."

Before Cam could answer, he added, "Your dad's headed this way."

Great. The students were scattering, motivated by the late dismissal and followed closely by those taking care of the equipment. "Want to go?" he asked, knowing it would be rude and not particularly caring.

"Too late," Hunter said with a sigh, careful to keep his voice low. He also kept his fingers loosely hooked around Cam's, and even if their hands were behind Cam's back it wasn't hard to guess what they were doing.

"Cameron." It was possibly intended as a greeting. "Hunter." He didn't bother to address them by their titles, which had once been a sign of affection but lately might mean any number of things.

"Dad," Cam replied evenly. Hunter just inclined his head, in what could have been interpreted as a sketchy bow. Or not.

"That was an interesting performance," his father remarked.

Cam decided to take that as a compliment. "Thank you."

"It was a demonstration, Sensei," Hunter said unexpectedly. He didn't move, still standing too close to Cam and apparently not the least bit self-conscious about it. "Not a performance."

His dad seemed to consider that, but Cam suspected the distinction was lost on him. "What, then," he asked at last, "are you demonstrating now?"

Cam set his jaw, but Hunter's tone was polite and maybe even a little bemused as he replied, "I don't know what you mean, Sensei."

"I refer to your overt affection for my son." His father might not choose the direct route first, but he didn't avoid it when the indirect approach got him nowhere.

Hunter didn't flinch. "If you know that I'm demonstrating affection, Sensei, then what was the question?"

His dad smiled slightly, in the "I know something you don't know" way that had gotten Cam's hackles up ever since he'd been old enough to recognize it. "Does your father permit this sort of display at the Thunder Academy?" he inquired.

Cam stiffened, dismayed by the careless question. His father had to know that Sensei Omino had never officially adopted Hunter and Blake. What had made him word it that way? And since when had he let policy at the Thunder Academy have any effect whatsoever on the school of Wind?

"My father is dead, Sensei Watanabe." Hunter's even tone had turned just as cold as Cam expected. "And my sensei doesn't pass judgement on the people he loves."

"It was not my intent to pass judgement," his father replied mildly. As though Hunter was the one overreacting. "Merely to draw attention to inappropriate campus conduct."

Cam opened his mouth, but Hunter beat him to it. "When Blake comes home," he said, his voice still distant and cool, "and he visits Tori? Do you threaten to expel them for holding hands?"

Cam shifted, and Hunter squeezed his fingers warningly. Still out of sight, but nowhere near invisible. Hunter wasn't going to back down. Unless Cam wanted to either interrupt or walk away, he was going to have to stand here and listen. He hated this, for Hunter's sake, but he couldn't tell him to let it go. It would be like siding with his father.

"Blake is not the head teacher of a Ninja Academy," his father pointed out, not ruffled in the slightest by Hunter's comparison.

"Blake has a girlfriend," Hunter shot back. Therein lay the unacknowledged issue, Cam thought with a sigh. Hunter obviously agreed. "Excuse me for wondering if that's the real problem here!"

His father tilted his head to one side, considering them. "Would you now pass judgement on my motivation?" he asked calmly. Again, putting them in the wrong! Cam wasn't going to stand here and listen to this, but Hunter was too quick.

"I inherited my values from my sensei," he informed Cam's dad. "Lucky for me, Cam didn't do the same. That's not a judgement. It's a statement of fact."

"You waste no time in assigning me values that I am quite certain I have not articulated."

"Any time you want to share, Sensei," Hunter told him. "I'm listening. So far all I've heard is you sounding disapproving and vaguely threatening."

His father actually sighed a little, but it was more martyr-like than anything that indicated Hunter was getting through to him. "All I'm asking is that you show a little restraint when surrounded by a campus full of students."

"You want to see restraint?" Hunter demanded. He stepped far enough from Cam that he could lift their joined hands into view. "This is restraint! This is as good as it gets, Sensei! I'm freakin' holding hands here, and you want me to be more restrained?"

Cam couldn't hide a smile. They really were more discreet at the Wind Academy. His father didn't know what he was missing. A little more confident in Hunter's ability to hold his own, he added blandly, "There's only so much you can ask of a person."

Hunter shot him a look that was exasperated and speculative at the same time. "Are you asking to be kissed?"

It was hard to tell whether Hunter was serious, but the expression on his father's face was too good to pass up. "It does sound like it, doesn't it," Cam said mildly.

That was enough for Hunter. He leaned in, eyes dropping and then closing altogether as their mouths met in a slow, easy kiss. It was more comfortable than it had once been, the feeling more familiar and the angles more instinctive. They didn't make a production out of it, but it felt good to be that close--even just for a minute.

Their eyes prolonged the contact as they drew away, and his father's voice was pained. "Perhaps you could take this somewhere else."

"Dinner?" Cam asked, still looking at Hunter.

"You're on," Hunter agreed. "Thanks for the thought, Sensei." He did look over at Cam's dad then, and even bowed, but the gesture was not returned.

"Off site?" Cam said under his breath, as they turned away. He hadn't bothered to take his leave, and he could practically feel his father watching them go.

"I don't know." Hunter's hesitation surprised him, but then he added, "It's kind of like... letting him win, you know?" He paused again. "How do you feel about eating in the dining hall?"

Cam considered that. They actually had a dining hall now, instead of just a mess tent, but it was no less noisy and demanding than the old arrangement had been. He tried to avoid it as much as possible. But with Hunter there...

Well, it was potentially both better and worse, at the same time and for the same reason. Better, because just having Hunter there would make the dining hall bearable, even entertaining. And worse, because just having Hunter there would make the dining hall bearable--and he didn't doubt that it would be obvious to everyone who saw them.

"Ambivalent," he said at last. "But I don't mind trying it." He glanced sideways at Hunter's street clothes, and added, "Give me a minute to change."

Hunter shadowed him back to his tent. The Wind Academy was bigger than the Thunder Academy, and their reconstruction wasn't proceeding proportionately quickly. He was still living in a tent, and Hunter teased him that the two nights spent at the Thunder Academy were more about the room than the room's occupant.

Cam didn't contradict him, if only because Hunter's ego didn't need any encouragement. The fact that he would have gone absolutely anywhere to spend a night with Hunter wasn't something he was going to bring up. And the fact that Hunter was slowly insinuating himself into every aspect of Cam's life wasn't something he would even think about. The implications were vaguely frightening.

Hunter ambushed him the moment they were inside his tent. The feeling was purely physical, unthreatening, and far more welcome than he had expected. It still surprised him to feel how quickly he responded to Hunter. Those blue eyes distracted him like nothing he'd ever known, and when he came close enough to touch Cam couldn't think about anything else.

"Could have fooled me," Hunter murmured, nuzzling his cheek and trailing his fingers down Cam's back. "I dunno what Sensei's complaining about. You're nothing but Sensei Cam out in those practice arenas."

Cam drew back in surprise, trying to care through the warm haze of kissing. Had he said anything aloud? What was Hunter talking about?

"Which is good," Hunter said quickly, catching sight of his expression. "You're, you know... professional, out there." He hesitated, and something unreadable flickered in his eyes for just a moment. Then he smiled, a sly look to which no description could do justice. "But I like you like this better."

That admission made the entire day worth it. Sometimes it was enough that Hunter saw him, when so many others didn't seem to. That Hunter knew he was more than what he could do, that just because he was good at something didn't mean he cared about it. His mouth found Hunter's again, eyes closing as Hunter leaned into him. He cared about this.

They didn't speak for several minutes, exploring each other carefully, quietly, out of sight of the rest of the Academy for a too-brief period of time. It couldn't last--being too late to dinner would cause more of a scene than skipping it all together--but it was easy and it felt so good. He wished they could see each other more.

"Are you mad?" Hunter whispered in his ear.

He had no idea where that came from, and to be honest, he'd rather kiss. But the question required an answer. "No," he said, taking advantage of the fact that Hunter was wearing jeans. He slid his hands into the back pockets, pressing closer and evoking an appreciative sigh from Hunter.

"You're not talking," Hunter observed a moment later, obviously not distracted enough. "Are you sure you're not mad at me? Or your dad?"

Talking made it real, and real meant he had to think about it. "Dad needs to mind his own business," he muttered. "You were--" He caught his breath as Hunter's teeth grazed his earlobe. "You were fine," he murmured at last.

That seemed to satisfy Hunter, finally, and they were close enough that nothing else seemed particularly important. There was something strange about that feeling, or there had been the first few times he'd noticed it, but now it was just another thing he tried not to think too much about. Hunter was good, being with Hunter was good, and being alone with Hunter was really good. That was all.

And they were going to be really late to dinner.

He finally pulled away, disentangling himself from Hunter with more than a little reluctance. Hunter let him go without a word of protest, but his eyes were glued to Cam as he changed and he didn't even try to hide it. He didn't comment on Cam's clothes, but he smiled when their eyes met and Cam couldn't help returning the expression.

So he could add that to the list of things he couldn't help doing around Hunter. Smiling. Laughing. Admiring. Kissing. Wanting. He really wasn't used to this. He had never dated someone long enough to have an anniversary--which, in this case, was approaching rapidly and without any acknowledgement whatsoever--and it made him nervous. When it wasn't making him crazy.

What was he supposed to do with a relationship that was not only working out but actually seemed to be progressing? Hunter had yet to get bored, angry, or exasperated with him, and contrary to all expectations, Cam's interest had grown rather than fading as it ought. Their continued, even deepening, closeness was as much of a mystery to him as it was to anyone else.

Cam had honestly thought, when they first started going out, that he was only dating Hunter because it was contrary to everything that was expected of him. He was supposed to be the good, responsible son, the one that followed in his father's footsteps. Of course he was the only son, and that had only increased the intangible pressure placed upon him and he had needed to do something that proved he was his own person. That he could make his own decisions, shape his own destiny.

He had no idea why Hunter had asked him out. But his mood had been just bad enough at the time that he agreed, and he had taken a perverse pleasure in doing the unexpected. Not only was he dating a guy, he was also, figuratively at least, dating one of the "bad guys." One his father had every reason to dislike, although he'd told himself it wasn't his father specifically that he was trying to thwart.

Something had changed since then. A lot of things had changed since then, actually, and he hadn't even noticed when those changes began. He had simply realized one day that he found Hunter familiar, maybe more familiar than anyone else on the team. When he couldn't walk away after the Rangers broke up, he had finally known that he wasn't seeing Hunter because of anyone but Hunter himself. And then one night, the shattering revelation that he might, possibly, love Hunter...

They were walking between the tents now, heading for the completed part of campus while Hunter made sarcastic comments about the Wind Academy's inability to finish reconstruction. He was chatty tonight, making up for Cam's quiet. His hands were in his pockets, but he was walking close enough to bump Cam's shoulder every now and then, and he was definitely doing it on purpose.

This wasn't what was supposed to happen. But Hunter was right when he said Cam hadn't inherited all of his father's values. He could live with loving Hunter. He just didn't know--when he let himself wonder--whether Hunter could live with it. Or wanted to.

7. Month Six

Beeeep. Beep-beep. Beeeep. Beep-beep.

He was so gonna ignore that. There was no freakin' way it was seven already. He was dead. Totally inert. Like, not even able to peel his eyes open tired. He knew what it felt like to wake up at seven after a night like that, and this was definitely not it.

The damn alarm just kept beeping. It was only pulling him farther away from the comforting depths of sleep, and the more coherent he became, the more he realized that ignoring it was the wrong approach. At least, ignoring it before it had been stopped.

He rolled over on his side and fumbled for the "off" button. Screw snooze. He was free today, and if he was this out of it at seven then breakfast could just--

Big red numbers glared back at him as he squinted blearily at the now-silent alarm. "Four o'clock?" he blurted out. Too tired to be outraged, he made a mental note to get mad later. "What's wrong with you? Four in the freakin' morning? On a day off?"

The lump beside him stirred, mumbling something that could have been an apology. It made no further effort to resolve itself into a semi-conscious human being, and Hunter regarded it with grudging concern. It was testament to Cam's exhaustion lately that he couldn't count on his internal clock to get him out of bed.

But really... four in the morning? No wonder he couldn't get up.

"You're such a freak," Hunter muttered. Tugging the nearest corner of the blanket back over his shoulders, he dropped his head onto the pillow with finality. He closed his eyes as he tried to squirm back into a comfortable position. Stupid alarm. Should have checked to make sure Cam hadn't tampered with it before he fell asleep.

The lump moved again, and this time it was a decidedly more proactive gesture. Hunter growled, annoyed when his comfy nest was disturbed a second time. He was so tempted to tell Cam to stop moving or get out. Unfortunately, he knew the option Cam would pick wasn't the one that Hunter would choose, all other things being equal.

So he bit his tongue, opened his eyes again, and tried to be patient. "Where d'you think you're going?"

"Back home," Cam mumbled, the words still slurred from sleep. "Students will be up for sunrise meditation soon."

"So?" Hunter demanded. They were both free today, and he was damn well going to enjoy a morning in bed with his boyfriend. Even if it was just sleeping. "You're not doing it."

"I should go anyway," Cam muttered. For a moment, Hunter thought he meant the meditation, and he was opening his mouth to correct him when Cam added, "So I won't be here when they get up."

Oh. Hunter closed his mouth. That was kind of... depressing. He liked to think that the only reason they weren't together more was because they were too busy. He had never actually mentioned this theory to Cam, since he didn't really want to have it shot down. But the idea that Cam didn't want to be seen leaving his room in the morning did that pretty effectively.

"Everyone on the floor knows you're here," he grumbled, cross at having his vision for the morning challenged. "It's not like you'll be shocking anyone."

Cam didn't move, which Hunter took as an encouraging sign. "Plus I'll just have to go meet you at the Wind Academy later," he continued. He strained his eyes in the dimness, trying to see by the meager light from the window. "Be easier to go together, hook up with Tori then..."

Okay, so it wasn't a good argument. Either way, they all had to meet at the Wind Academy before they got on the road for Blake's race. But it was four in the morning, and all he really wanted to do was sleep. With Cam.

"Well," Cam hesitated. "If you don't care..."

When had this become about him? Obviously he cared. He wanted Cam to stay right where he was. Hunter wasn't the one making him leave. On the other hand, if Cam was going to give in if Hunter accepted responsibility, that was a whole different thing.

"Of course I don't care," he grumbled. "Stay all day. Stay all week. Stay the rest of the year, for all I care. Just quit waking me up at four o'clock. We'll both be happier."

There was silence for a moment. Finally, Cam shifted again and this time it seemed to be a downward movement, back into the comfortable haven of bed and blankets and no ninja responsibilities. "Get back to me," he muttered, "when you stop talking in your sleep."

Eyes already closed, Hunter smiled into the pillow. He had won. Three more hours of sleep. And the next time he woke up, Cam would still be here.

There was no alarm this time. Just the sunlight in through the windows and a vague sense that the day had already started. That was the Academy's fault. Between the so-called "sunrise" meditation, teacher prep, and the ninjas on breakfast duty, it was almost impossible to get up early enough to catch the campus sleeping. Not that he tried very often. Not that he tried at all, actually, but once or twice his return from the Wind Academy had been late enough to be that early.

Cam was curled on his side, facing the wall and apparently still asleep. Firsthand experience had taught him that Cam was an incredibly light sleeper, so he held as still as he could, watching Cam's shoulders shift slowly, minutely, with his breathing. Seven o'clock and he still hadn't woken up on his own. Cam seriously needed some time off.

Hunter shifted just a little, turning his head enough that he could stare comfortably. The fine black lines of Cam's tattoo stood out in sharp contrast to his skin, and he resisted the urge to reach out and run his finger over them. He had finally managed to memorize the Japanese characters, shown them to one of the other teachers and asked her to translate.

Kazoku, she'd told him, proving that his drawing ability was better than he'd thought. Family.

The two parallel lines beside the characters still stumped him, though. They weren't part of the meaning, or so he'd been told. So they were either something else entirely, or just--literally--the number eleven. That didn't make any sense to him, but he hadn't dared to ask after the first time Cam had told him to mind his own business.

Maybe he would ask today.

He heard a sigh, and Cam shifted onto his back. His eyes were still closed, but they opened incrementally as he tilted his head toward Hunter. "Hey," he murmured, his squint easing slowly as he transferred his gaze to the ceiling. "What time is it?"

Without moving from his stomach, Hunter lifted his head and looked over at the clock on the table. It was actually a little after seven... maybe he shouldn't make a fuss over Cam's lack of an internal alarm after all. "Seven-twenty," he said, sliding his arm across the pillow as he laid his head back down on top of it. "You sleep okay?"

Cam considered the ceiling a moment longer. "I seem to remember someone calling me a freak in the middle of the night," he said after a moment. Turning his head toward Hunter again, he added, "Other than that, though... yeah."

"Don't go there," Hunter told him. "If you get upset over the name-calling, I'll have to get upset about the alarm. Trust me--it won't be pretty."

Cam's lips quirked. He pushed himself up on his elbows, and his gaze slid past Hunter. "Hand me my sweats, would you?"

Hunter didn't move. "You mean, my sweats?" He couldn't help the smirk that spread across his face. "Get 'em yourself."

Cam did a pretty good glare for someone who had just woken up. "Has anyone ever told you that you have the emotional maturity of a fifteen-year-old?"

"You've mentioned it once or twice," he agreed smugly. Cam was surprisingly self-conscious about his body, and he usually wouldn't even get out of bed without clothes. Hunter didn't mind embarrassing him every once in a while.

Cam slid out of bed without a word, shooting Hunter a "touch me and die" look as he went. Hunter just smiled, staying right where he was until the sound of Cam's feet on the floor and the whisper of fleece made it safe to stare at him again. He rolled over, glad of the warmth that made Cam forego socks or a shirt as he padded across the room.

"Cam," he said suddenly, catching him just before he would have stepped through the door. Cam looked back at him, a questioning look on his face. "Why eleven?" he asked, reaching up to tap his own shoulder when Cam frowned.

His expression cleared, but he didn't smile. "It's not eleven," he said neutrally. "It's three. In binary."

Binary. Of course. Because everyone used--

Oh. Three? "Family of three," he said quietly, watching Cam's face for confirmation.

Cam hesitated, very still. "You read kanji?" he asked at last.

Hunter propped himself up on one elbow, studying him. "Just yours."

Cam didn't answer right away, but finally he nodded once. "Family of three," he agreed softly.

"When did you get it?" Hunter wanted to know.

Cam shrugged, like it didn't matter. "When I was eighteen," he answered. "Like everyone else." His mouth twisted, maybe wry, maybe something else. "Dad doesn't know I have it."

Definitely wry. "Funny that he wouldn't," Hunter said carefully, not sure how far he was allowed to push.

"Yeah," Cam said shortly. "Funny." He looked like he was about to say something else, but then he shook his head and vanished through the doorway.

Hunter rolled onto his back again, staring at the ceiling as he thought about that. If there was one thing he understood, it was how strong the bonds of family could be. And if there was one thing that bothered him about his relationship with Cam, it was the distance it seemed to be causing between Cam and his father. It was none of his business, really... but he felt somehow responsible.

By the time he got out of bed, pulled on a pair of boxers, and made his way out of the bedroom, Cam had already been and gone from the bathroom and was stretching on the floor in the main room. He woke up disgustingly fast, Hunter decided, especially for someone who consistently got way too little sleep. He took his turn in the bathroom, still thinking about Cam's "family of three."

When he emerged, he made his way over to the couch and leaned against its arm. He wasn't totally sure he was welcome right now, but he figured he would find out. "Can I ask you something?"

Cam glanced up, not releasing his stretch. "Sure," he said, turning his face back to the floor.

Hunter frowned, hitching one hip on the arm of the couch and wondering how to ask. "How much do you remember about your mom?" he asked at last. If nothing else, he thought, it should matter that he cared.

Cam didn't move. "Before I went back in time, or after?" His voice was maybe a little amused, which was a good sign.

"Either," Hunter said with a shrug.

There was another pause, and then Cam said quietly, "Not enough."

Hunter's mouth quirked. He knew that feeling. "Yeah," he agreed sympathetically. "Same here."

Cam lifted his head, shifting the direction of his stretch, and he contemplated Hunter for a moment. "You know what's strange," he said, his tone more intent than it had been before. "Sometimes I feel like... almost, like I know her better than I know Dad."

Hunter waited, but he didn't say anything else. "Because--of us?" he guessed. "The way he is about us, I mean?"

Cam just nodded. "I've known him all my life," he muttered. "I never would have thought he wouldn't be okay with this."

"He'll get over it," Hunter offered, a little uncomfortable. He really didn't know what to say. "I just... you know, take some getting used to."

That made Cam smile, but he shook his head slowly. "It's not you he doesn't like," he said. "It's--I think it's me. The fact that I would... you know. Be with another guy. He's really traditional about some things."

"So is Sensei Omino," Hunter countered. "He's cool with it."

"You're not his son," Cam pointed out.

Hunter opened his mouth, then decided to let Cam have that one. How did he know how his parents would have reacted? Otherwise normal people seemed to freak out over gay issues. He knew there were students at the Academy that didn't like his relationship with Cam, but their view wasn't encouraged and they had so far kept their mouths shut around him. It was only through teacher gossip that he knew the sentiment existed at all.

"I don't know," Cam said with a sigh. "It's not like he lectures me or anything. He didn't disown me. I guess I got off pretty easy, in terms of coming out to family members."

That was a really sad statement. He had gotten off easy because he hadn't been disowned? Hunter frowned. He had a strange family, that was a given, but he'd have laid down the law if any one of them didn't like Cam.

Of course, it was possible that he was thinking a little longer term than Cam was. To him, Cam was family, and even if he didn't dare say it out loud, Cam had become just as important to him as the doofs he called "brother" and "sister." Sure, it would've hurt if they had decided that straight was the only way to be... but he just couldn't wrap his mind around the idea.

Maybe that was what it came down to. He couldn't picture it. He just couldn't imagine people who called themselves "family" turning their back on one of their own because of the way they loved.

He was such a sap. And he couldn't even admit it aloud, because none of it helped Cam. He also couldn't ask whether it was Hunter, specifically, that Cam wanted his father to come to terms with, or just the idea of being gay in general. Maybe it wasn't a fair question... but teacher contracts would be up for renewal soon. He wouldn't mind knowing where they stood before he committed to another year.

"We should go," Cam said abruptly, unfolding himself from the floor and turning toward the bedroom. "I'm going to go change."

"Wait--" That had deserved an answer, and he had totally dropped the ball. This wasn't all about him. "Cam, your dad's gonna come around. He's open-minded. He accepted his three worst students as Rangers, right? And us. Me and Blake... he accepted us even after we were on the wrong side twice, right?"

Cam had paused, his back to Hunter. He didn't answer, and Hunter continued, "Maybe he just needs to get used to it, you know? I mean... you said he doesn't lecture you. So he's not trying to change you. He's just... maybe he's just--surprised. I don't know."

Cam turned, lifting one hand to push his glasses up before he seemed to remember he wasn't wearing them. "Yeah," he said reluctantly, catching Hunter's eye. "I want to think that's true."

"I think it is," Hunter said firmly. A little conviction would probably go a long way here. "So... let's go, eat breakfast or something, and let your dad work things out for himself."

Cam just looked at him. "I thought we were going to eat on the road."

"I'm hungry," Hunter replied. Actually, he just wanted to know whether Cam would go to breakfast with him "in public," so to speak. "It won't take long. And maybe it'll keep Tor from complaining that all I do is look for places to eat."

"I thought you just did that to annoy her," Cam remarked, looking more amused than anything. Was that a yes, Hunter wondered?

"Can I help it if she eats like a girl?" he inquired. "Between her and Blake, I don't know how either of them has the energy to do half the stuff they do."

"It's called nutrition," Cam informed him. "They don't eat empty--"

"Don't want to hear it," Hunter interrupted, talking over him. "Nutrition is about not going hungry, okay? After that it's way too much work. Point me toward the buffet line."

"Which opens at eight," Cam said smoothly. Maybe they had argued over food one too many times. "So if we're going to get to the Wind Academy when we said we would, we need to get moving."

"You don't think we should go like this?" Hunter did his best to project an air of puzzled curiosity.

It was worth it for the look Cam gave him. He smiled to himself as Cam headed for the bedroom without another word. That was definitely a yes. Score one on the relationship front. He wondered idly if Sensei Watanabe would hear about this, and if he did, whether he would say anything to Cam. If holding hands was bad, breakfast was probably a whole other level of inappropriateness.

Cam was dressed before he was, probably because he had everything he needed in a knapsack and didn't have to go searching for it. He amused himself by watching Hunter change, making sarcastic comments about anything that caught his eye, and generally warming up for the day's road trip. He had a tendency to spend his time on such trips either being snarky or staring at Hunter--sometimes both simultaneously--and Hunter couldn't say that he minded very much.

Cam was a lot funnier than he gave himself credit for. It was just because he was so smart, Hunter often thought, that some of his humor went over other people's heads. Or maybe they just weren't looking for it. Cam did deadpan so well that sometimes it was hard to tell whether he was serious or not.

And as far as the staring went... well, Cam was in good company on that one. Hunter tried to make up for all the time he didn't get to see Cam by watching him like a hawk--or maybe, a beetle?--when they were together. It could be its own hobby: Cam-watching. He could go pro in a matter of hours.

Finally they were both ready, and only a few minutes after breakfast had officially begun. The morning meal was an informal affair on the weekends, with so many students off-site or just sleeping in. The hallway was empty as they left, although they passed Ethan at the door on their way out. "Senseis," he said, nodding to them and continuing without a second glance.

Things were quiet outside too, although there was a subtle hum in the air that would linger and intensify throughout the day. The concentration of ninjas did something to the local elements, making them... easier to read, or more responsive, or something. Hunter hadn't quite figured it out yet, but he knew that the more people there were around, the more energized the site felt. In downtown Blue Bay Harbor the reverse was often true.

Most of the occupied tables in the dining hall only had a few people at them when they walked in, and after they had collected something to eat they claimed their own empty table. It was typical of early Saturdays that the people who were up were up for reasons other than socializing. There were never enough of them to fill the room, either, so people tended to spread out.

"Good morning, Hunter."

He didn't jump, but if he had been anywhere else he might have. "Man, Sensei, way to scare a guy out of his wits. Are you on stealth duty this morning or what?"

"I fear it is no testament to your ninja skills that you can not detect a person approaching you from behind in a nearly empty dining hall," Sensei replied, his grave tone belied by the amusement in his eyes.

"Good morning, Cam," he added, ignoring Hunter's snort. "Perhaps you could assist our head teacher in rediscovering the true way of the ninja?"

Cam smiled, just a little. "I'll do my best," he replied.

"Hey!" Hunter exclaimed. "I don't need you two ganging up on me! I get enough of that from the teachers!"

"You will find, I think, that there is a reason for the traditional discipline of the Thunder Academy." Sensei's tone was mild, but Hunter knew a reproof when he heard one. Sensei Omino didn't think Hunter ran his classes as strictly as he should, although it was a discussion they'd had several times.

"We'll see," Hunter said noncommittally. He didn't know whether being so close to Sensei had given him more or less leeway in his duties as head teacher, but he was allowed to make his own mistakes. He wasn't going to do anything just because "that's the way we've always done it."

"You will be off to Blake's race this morning?" Sensei inquired, letting the old argument slide. He knew perfectly well what they were doing, too. It was just a polite way of changing the subject.

"Yeah," Hunter said, reaching over to steal one of Cam's grapes. "We're going over to the Wind Academy right after breakfast to pick up Tori. We'll tell Blake you wished him luck."

"Do that," Sensei agreed with a small smile. "Tell him also, if you would, how proud I am of him. Although he has not chosen to pursue the way of the ninja at this time, I hope he knows that I find his current endeavors equally worthwhile. He will always have a place here."

Hunter swallowed, shooting a quick glance at Cam. "I'll tell him, Sensei. He'll be glad to hear it."

Sensei saw and correctly interpreted the look. "You too are always welcome here," he told Cam. "I know that your Academy has not been completely... tolerant, this past winter. You will not find such a reaction here, from me or from any teacher I employ."

"Thank you," Cam said quietly. He lifted his eyes for a moment, and there was a glint of gratitude in his expression. "I appreciate that."

Sensei nodded once. "I will leave you to your day off," he told them. "Greet Tori for me as well, if you will."

"Sure thing," Hunter said with a grin. "We'll tell her you're waiting up."

Sensei raised his eyebrows, but he said only, "Stay out of trouble, Hunter." Giving Cam a pointed look, he reiterated, "Do your best to keep him and trouble apart."

Hunter sighed loudly, but Cam looked amused. "I try," he told Sensei Omino. "I really do try."

"We are all grateful for your effort," Sensei said, very seriously.

"Don't you have cryptic things you should be telling your students or something?" Hunter demanded.

Sensei smiled. "Good day, Senseis," he said, inclining his head formally.

"Good day to you too," Hunter muttered, but the grumbling was just for show. He was thoroughly pleased with Cam's reception. He caught Cam's eye as Sensei turned away. "Feel at home yet?"

Cam's mouth quirked, but his reply was serious. Toying with his breakfast, he said quietly, "I wish home was like this."

8. Day One-Seventy

He didn't consider it eavesdropping. It was really just another form of tactical assessment. It was always a good idea to know what you were walking into. Cam was hard to read, and Hunter took any advantage he could get--up to and including listening outside his office door. After all, it was open. How confidential could the meeting be?

Confidential enough, he decided a moment later. Dustin's voice was unmistakable, even if he sounded more flustered than usual. "They could get expelled over this!"

"Dustin, the only reason they weren't expelled two months ago is because you vouched for them. This isn't the first time it's happened, and I can't keep looking the other way."

"You don't know what it's like," Dustin protested. "They've done it all their lives! They can't just give it up cold turkey--especially with the other students egging them on!"

There was a brief pause, and Cam's reply was measured. "The other students are encouraging them?"

"They're totally trying to get them in trouble! Like they don't take enough flak for where they come from, you know? Who they're related to, what they've done, what they can do... there's nothing about them that people don't bag on!"

He knew who they had to be talking about. And at any other time, he would have been terribly curious. But right now he had other questions, and he strode into the office with only a token knock on the open door. "Can we talk?" he asked, catching Cam's eye and ignoring Dustin's surprise.

Cam frowned, glancing from him to Dustin and back again. He actually hesitated, which was a good sign. They were obviously in the middle of something important, but he wasn't dismissing Hunter out of hand. "Can it wait?" he asked at last.

"No." Hesitation wasn't enough. He needed to know that Cam would drop whatever he was doing just because he said so. It wasn't a trust he intended to abuse. But he needed to know that it existed.

Cam sighed, but it was Dustin who got the apologetic look. "I promise not to expel them before lunch, all right? Can we talk about this then?"

"Dude, I have a student meeting at lunch." Dustin was uncharacteristically upset, Hunter realized. Running his fingers through his hair, he gestured absently with his free hand. "I could meet right after. Are you teaching?"

"Yeah." Cam, too, was tapping his fingers on his desk. Was he just picking up on Dustin's concern, or was he worried himself? He did, after all, consider them family. "Maybe Tori could take my class."

Dustin was already shaking his head. "She's got field tests today. I don't think she'll be back till late."

"What about Karyn?"

"She's out there too," Dustin said distractedly. "She took Ash's place when he twisted his knee."

Cam flattened his hand on his desk, stilling his impatient fingers. "Hunter..." He shot Hunter a pleading look. "Does it have to be now?"

He was such a sucker for that look. It was a good thing Cam didn't use it often. "I'll take your class," Hunter said gruffly. "After lunch, so you can talk with Dustin."

"You don't even know what class it is," Cam pointed out.

"It can't be a samurai class if you were going to have Tori teach it. You were going to hand it off anyway. I have some time, so quit it with the gift horse thing."

"You don't have to--"

"I want to talk to you," Hunter interrupted. "Now." He glared at Dustin for emphasis, but the Earth ninja didn't seem to notice.

Cam did. "Okay." He raised his fingers on the desk, stopping just short of holding up his hands in surrender. "Dustin, I'll meet you here after lunch. All right?"

"Right," Dustin agreed, looking from one to the other. He finally seemed to get that something was up, because he turned and left without any further protest.

Hunter reached back to close the door behind him.

Cam got as far as "What's--"

"I hear the Wind Academy's looking for a new head teacher," Hunter said, turning the full force of his glare on his sometimes-lover. "Care to explain that?"

Cam's gaze flicked away, though whether out of embarrassment or annoyance, it was hard to say. "I didn't renew my contract," he said simply. "It expires in six months."

"So does mine!" Hunter burst out. "Early renewal just started this week! It started today! They're already looking for a new head teacher?"

Cam shrugged, but he still didn't meet Hunter's eye. "I told Dad I wouldn't be coming back weeks ago. He only waited until contract renewals came up so it wouldn't look so much like I was quitting."

"Weeks?" Hunter repeated. "You decided weeks ago? Didn't you think maybe I'd like to know that?"

Cam finally looked up, and there was an edge to his voice that took Hunter by surprise. "I thought you did know," he said sharply. "I hate it here. I hate this job. I hate being stuck on site all day every day. I hate being responsible for everyone on this campus."

He paused, and an alarmingly bitter smile twisted his lips. "You've listened to me whine about it for months, Hunter. What could possibly make you think I'd renew?"

Hunter opened his mouth, but he couldn't think of any defense. It wasn't that he'd expected Cam to sign on for another year. It was just that he'd wanted to talk about it. He'd expected to be consulted. When he'd realized that he wouldn't be... it had hurt. He didn't like it. He didn't like trying to hold onto Cam and feeling like he was slipping through Hunter's fingers.

"Look..." Cam reached out, sliding a pen across his desk and tapping it idly against his free hand. "Only two things made last winter bearable, okay? You, and the fact that it was only a year. Only two things have made the spring bearable. You. And the fact that it's only a year."

He lifted his gaze again, letting the pen roll out of his fingers. "See where I'm going with this?"

"No," Hunter said with a frown. He was done avoiding this issue. Totally over it. He wanted an answer, a straight answer, and he wanted it today. "Do I matter? Or am I just part of what you're trying to get away from?"

And Cam was looking away. His words almost made up for it. "You matter," he said quietly.

Almost. "I won't chase you," Hunter warned. "You say you want me gone, and I'm gone. You don't have to try and sneak off just to get rid of me."

Cam was on his feet before Hunter had even registered the chair being shoved back. "I'm not trying to get rid of you! I'm not sneaking off, and I don't want you gone! It's not you, Hunter! What--"

He took a deep breath, making a visible effort to calm himself. "What did I say that made you think I was trying to get away from you?" he asked, more quietly. "Did you hear me when I said you're the only thing that got me through the last six months?"

Cam couldn't know that his flash of alarm at Hunter's words, before he reined himself in, had only tangled him deeper in Hunter's heart. He was such a freakin' sap. That was all there was to it... At least he knew it, though, right? That was better than being one and not knowing it.

"I just thought we'd talk about it," Hunter muttered, staring down at Cam's desk. Sure, he had known Cam wasn't happy. Maybe it wasn't his dream job either. But he wasn't going to abandon anything that kept him near Cam without some kind of assurance that he wouldn't lose that.

"If there was any way I could stay," Cam began quietly, "I would have. Talked about it, I mean. If you wanted to."

"Of course I wanted to." He kept his gaze on the desk. "Maybe... I don't know. Maybe you're just fooling around. But--I'm not, you know? I don't... I don't just sleep with anyone, right?"

"What the fuck makes you think I'm fooling around?" Cam snapped. Hunter's head jerked up, startled to hear him curse and caught by the anger in his eyes. "Do you know how many people can make hell worthwhile for me? You know how many people I lie awake at night agonizing over? How many people I let take over my life whenever they want? Just you! You're the only one!"

Hunter opened his mouth, but he couldn't find anything to say.

"I am not leaving because of you," Cam continued, face flushed with anger or embarrassment or maybe just the intensity of his words. "You're the only reason I've stayed. I'm sorry I didn't tell you before."

"I am too," Hunter managed, still staring at him in surprise. Cam had stayed because of him. Because of him? Every secret hope he'd had about their relationship had just come true. Or... almost every one. There was still the future.

"So would you--" He broke off at a knock on the door.

Cam looked a little wild-eyed, but his voice was steady as he called, "Yes?"

The knob turned and the door was pushed open enough for Sensei to peer in. His gaze flicked across Hunter without visible acknowledgement. "If you have a moment, Cameron," he said, with the voice of someone who expected to be accommodated.

"We're kind of in the middle of something," Cam told him. "I'll get back to you."

"This is important," Sensei said sternly. "I expect the Wind Academy's head teacher to put professional commitment before personal indulgence."

"Well, you know what, Dad?" Cam held his hands out to his sides in a gesture reminiscent of their Ranger days. Very "bring it on." Hunter couldn't help but smile as Cam informed his father, "Sometimes the personal stuff comes first. I don't know what else to tell you. This is important too, so unless the school is burning down you're just going to have to get in line."

"The Academy is not on fire," Sensei said with a disapproving frown. "It is in poor taste to joke about such things. Additionally--"

"Sensei," Hunter interrupted. "Could you give us a minute here? I'm trying to tell your son I love him and you're not exactly making it easy!"

There was absolute silence. He hadn't really meant it to be such a conversation stopper. He had, in all truth, expected that it might be, but he had hoped he was wrong. In the end, he had just gone with it because it seemed like the right moment might never come, and he'd better just get it out there and work with the response.

His life plan. First you show up. Then you see what happens.

"Dad." Cam was staring down at his desk, but the angle did nothing to conceal the smile spreading across his face. Finally he gave up, lifting his head and making no attempt to hide his amusement. "Can it wait till lunch? I'll catch up with you in the dining hall."

To Hunter's surprise, Sensei only inclined his head in tacit agreement. He backed out of the doorway without another word of protest, closing the door quietly behind him. If Hunter hadn't been a lot more nervous about Cam's reaction than his dad's, he might have asked if Sensei was feeling all right. Any sudden illness, alien abduction, demonic possession...

A friendly demon, of course. If there was such a thing.

Instead he just waited, trying not to look as invested as he was. Nope, nothing to see here. Just another day in the life. He was totally casual. After all, he'd shown up. Now he would see what happened.

If Cam didn't say something in the next two seconds, he was really gonna freak.

"Interesting timing," Cam said at last. He was still smiling, and that had to be a good sign.

"What?" Hunter asked innocently.

"You want to try that again?" Cam inquired. "This time without my dad?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Hunter maintained. He tried to frown, but he couldn't quite manage it. Cam was definitely not running in the other direction. He couldn't stop the relief flooding through him, the feeling that maybe, just maybe, he had said it and it was cool and they were okay.

Cam just shrugged. "If you say so. But I'm still not renewing my contract."

Cam was slipping, Hunter thought, his emotions balanced on a razor edge between elation and disappointment. That wasn't funny. "Would you--" He stopped, took a deep breath. He'd tried to ask last November, hadn't been able to get the words out. "Would you think about teaching at all? Just teaching, somewhere else?"

"For the Ninja Academies, you mean?" Cam considered him, weighing his expression the way Hunter was trying to weigh his. He wondered if Cam was having any better luck than he was.

"For the Thunder Academy," Hunter said with a sigh. "Would you think about teaching at the Thunder Academy next year. Is it just being the head teacher that you don't like, or teaching in general?"

Cam's expression hadn't changed. "I've thought about that," he admitted quietly. "Transferring, I mean."

That was all he said, and finally Hunter demanded, "Well? What about it?"

His impatience made Cam smile a little, and he wasn't sure whether that was funny or annoying. "I don't know," Cam confessed. "I just... I don't know. But I have thought about it."

"You don't know about teaching?" Hunter pressed. "Or you don't know about moving to the Thunder Academy?" As soon as the words were out, he wished he'd chosen them a little more carefully. That last came out sounding perilously like "moving in," which wasn't what he was asking at all.

Not that he wouldn't if he thought Cam would go for it. His mind shied away from the idea, determined not to even take it seriously. Space was an issue for both of them, maybe even more for Cam than for him. Sharing it on any kind of permanent basis would be tantamount to Ultimate Commitment, and he was still waiting for Cam to say the "L" word.

"Teaching." Cam was staring down at his desk again. "Have you decided to stay? At the Thunder Academy?"

Hunter opened his mouth to say no, then realized how that would sound. "Well... not--" He frowned. "Maybe. I mean, if you were there--" He stopped again. "I don't know," he muttered at last.

Cam's soft breath of amusement was unexpected but not unwelcome. "Want to talk about it?" he offered hesitantly. He looked... open. Uncertain. Totally sincere. He wasn't just offering to listen, Hunter thought. He was offering to contribute.

"Yeah," Hunter said, watching him carefully. "I kind of do."

Cam didn't look away. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I wasn't coming back," he said quietly. "It wasn't really about knowing, was it."

Hunter shook his head wordlessly.

"Okay." Cam drew in a deep breath, and this time his gaze did slide away for a moment. It flicked across the rest of the room before coming to rest on Hunter once more. "I don't know what I'm going to do. You're right, I've thought about just teaching. I've also thought about getting a regular job."

He paused, then said the magic words. "It really depends on what you do," Cam admitted. "If you stay in the area, I might look for work nearby. If you decide to race, I might go back to school. I could cover expenses as a TA, and my schedule would be a little more flexible..."

Hunter couldn't hide a smile as he trailed off. Cam really had thought about it. He wasn't just saying that because Hunter had asked, and he didn't know how to answer. "This one of the things you lie awake at night agonizing over?" he teased.

Cam gave him an annoyed look that Hunter was sure was just for show. He didn't answer, either, which as far as Hunter was concerned meant yes. Hunter tilted his head down, not taking his eyes off of Cam. "Me too," he said quietly.

Cam folded his arms. "You need to stop that."

Startled, Hunter frowned at him. "What?"

"That." Cam pointed at him. "That look. The one you're doing right now. My students have started doing it."

Hunter didn't know whether to back off or laugh. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the fact that my students now think I'm a total sucker for that under-the-eyelashes thing you do, and the girls have gotten very good at it. Even Nena does it. It's ridiculous. You're too tall for it to be an accident."

He was too surprised to do anything but laugh. "I don't know what look you think I have, but it's all in your mind. You want to talk embarrassing expressions--that whipped puppy look of yours is a real tearjerker. It's the only thing that could make me volunteer to teach on my afternoon off."

Cam frowned. "I do not have a 'whipped puppy' look," he informed Hunter. "You must be projecting. Repressed feelings of submissiveness?"

"You did not just say that!" Hunter lunged for him, fingers just missing Cam's arm as Cam took a single step backward. Hunter swung around his desk and Cam's serious expression dissolved. With a sound that was suspiciously close to a snicker, the Wind Academy's head teacher darted around the other side of the desk, keeping it between them as Hunter circled.

"You are so gonna pay for that," Hunter growled, trying not to ruin it by grinning. Then something occurred to him, making it even harder to keep a straight face. "Unless you want to talk about your borderline domination tendencies? They have clubs for stuff like that, you know."

"Are you complaining?" Cam inquired, dangerously close to the desk as he tried to guess which way Hunter would move.

"I didn't say that." Hunter lunged forward, straight across the desk, getting nothing but air as Cam jumped back. "This is like a metaphor for our relationship. You think hard-to-get is cute?"

"No." Cam backed up, pulling a chair between them as he went. With an impossible smirk on his face, he added, "But you do."

Outraged, Hunter grabbed for him as he tried to seek refuge behind the desk again. This time he came up with Cam's arm, yanked him close, and didn't bother to hide his grin at the look on Cam's face. "Maybe you're right," he admitted, staring down at him. "Maybe I like a challenge."

Cam rolled his eyes, clearly not impressed. "You're more of a challenge than I'll ever be." Hunter's grip had loosened, but he didn't pull away.

"You saying you're easy?" Hunter teased.

Cam's lips quirked, but he didn't back down. "Easier than you," he declared.

"I wouldn't say that," Hunter said softly, leaning in to kiss him. Cam met him halfway, and he knew what he was going to do before it was over. As they stood there, close enough to touch, he squeezed Cam's arm gently and asked, "Did I mention the part where I love you?"

Cam just looked at him, and he tried not to flinch. He had handed Cam the perfect opportunity, and he'd done it on his own terms. He wasn't about to back out now. Even if Cam was giving him that look that could mean absolutely anything.

"I love you too," he said calmly, as though he had just decided and that was all there was to it. Then he spoiled it by adding, "And I can't tell you how strange it's made my life."

Hunter scoffed, eyes wandering across Cam's face. "Your life? Your life was weird enough, believe me. A loner growing up at a secret Ninja Academy with evil family connections and not enough fluffy toys?"

It hit him the moment the words were out. "Don't say it," he warned, seeing Cam open his mouth. "Don't even say it."

Cam said it anyway. "You mean me or you?"

He should be indignant over that remark. He knew he should. It was part of the game. But he just couldn't do it, not right now. Instead he found himself blurting out, "You're serious, right?"

Cam gave him an odd look. "It's not like I haven't given it some thought. And there's nothing about your life that's more normal than mine."

"No--" Hunter stopped, reaching up to run his finger along the frame of Cam's glasses. He wore them more now, Hunter thought, rather than less. Maybe an anti-ninja thing. "I mean the part about loving me."

"Oh." Cam didn't move. "I've given that some thought too," he admitted carefully.

"Just some?" Hunter demanded.

"Some," Cam repeated firmly. "In the way that some is every waking moment, yes. I've given it some thought."

Yeah, that sounded familiar. "Okay," Hunter conceded. "If that's all, then 'some' is about right. And, you know, you were thinking about next year, so points there."

"I was thinking about next year," Cam echoed, his expression pensive. "Does that mean that we... I mean... you're thinking about next year too. Right?"

To admit it? Why not. He was on a roll today. "I've been thinking about 'next year' since last year. Maybe you were kidding about every waking moment, but... I'm not." Something in Cam's face made him plow on. "I really love you, you know? It's kind of--it's a weird feeling. Good, but weird. And I think about you... well, a lot."

There was an awful lot in there that Cam could mock. But Hunter trusted him enough to say it, and sure enough, Cam didn't let him down. "Yeah," he said softly. There was no hint of amusement in his dark eyes now. "I think about you a lot too."

Hunter kissed him again. Because he could. Because Cam would let him, and because it felt right. Because next year was no longer sneaking up on him with a sense of impending doom while he tried not to think about it. It was still coming, maybe fast enough and maybe not, but the knowledge that Cam was still planning to be with him twelve months from now was enough to make the future a good thing.

9. Week Twenty-Eight

The silver samurai star sparkled out of the mirror at him as he fastened the chain around his neck. It wasn't quite as bright as it had once been, the places where the links overlapped turned dark with tarnish and the rest polished only by constant wearing. He hadn't realized it was sterling silver until a week when he forgot to put it on gave the metal an odd gold tint.

A muffled knock made him glance at the clock by his bed. Hunter had either dismissed his class early or broken some kind of speed record getting here. And what, after all that he couldn't just walk in? Grabbing his shirt, he leaned around the bedroom door and called, "Come in!"

As the door of his suite swung open, Cam opened his mouth to comment on his time. "You're--" That was as far as he got before he realized that it was his dad in the doorway. "--not Hunter," he finished.

"A common misconception," his father agreed gravely.

The corner of his mouth quirked, but his dad's timing couldn't have been worse. Hunter would be here in minutes, and having all three of them in the same room seemed like asking for trouble. On the other hand, he couldn't exactly throw him out...

"I'll be right out," he said. Ducking back into the bedroom, he offered silent thanks for the new residence halls. At least there was more room here than there had been in their tents.

He pulled his shirt on, checked his reflection again, and leaned on the bed long enough to tie his shoes. He thought about paging Hunter. Unfortunately, the Academy's cloak made it almost impossible to use cell phones on site, and they didn't have morphers anymore. Sometimes he missed them more than others.

Finally he stepped out of the bedroom, reminding himself not to cross his arms as his father looked up from the picture by the sofa. He wasn't on the defensive here. This was his territory, and if there was a lot of Hunter in it, well...

There was a lot of Hunter here, wasn't there. He was suddenly aware of it in a way he hadn't been before. That was Hunter's sweatshirt in the chair by the desk. Hunter's origami crane, made out of a restaurant napkin when he was bored, perched on the windowsill. The water bottle he'd lent Cam weeks ago was still here, the logo of the Thunder Academy upside down where it sat in the drainer by the sink.

And of course, the picture his father had been looking at. It was a roller coaster candid of the two of them at the amusement park, one that Hunter insisted on paying for because he said it showed "the real Cam." Cam personally didn't see what was so real about someone screaming in terror, but he had to admit that it reminded him of their Ranger days. How it had ended up in his apartment, though, he still wasn't entirely sure.

"You look very nice," his father remarked, and Cam looked back at him in surprise. "I hope I am not interrupting your plans for the evening?"

"I--" Cam paused, cautious. "No. Hunter and I are going out."

It had come out sounding more confrontational than he had meant it to, but his father just inclined his head. "It's Hunter birthday today, is it not?"

Cam's eyebrows went up. It shouldn't startle him that his father knew that, but it did seem a little odd that he had bothered to remember. "Yes, it is." He offered a half-smile. "He gets to pick, so of course we're driving halfway across the state just for dinner."

The attempt at humor was a thinly veiled peace offering, and his father didn't turn it down. "I suppose you will insist upon somewhere equally inconvenient for your birthday?"

He managed a real smile this time. "Of course."

"Cam." The nickname was more tentative than usual, and his dad actually hesitated. "You know that my father did not approve of the life I chose for myself."

Cam's smile faded. "You've mentioned it," he said warily.

His father looked away, uncomfortable with the story or just distracted by something through the window, it was hard to say. "My father wanted me to follow in his footsteps," he told the window. "He wanted nothing to do with the way of the ninja. Not for him, nor for anyone related to him. Least of all his son."

He refused to actively participate in this conversation until he knew where it was going. "That must have been hard," Cam said neutrally.

The shoulders rose, but his father didn't sigh out loud. "In truth, his convictions only strengthened my resolve to join a ninja academy. I had something to prove, after all: that I was my own person, that I could make my own decisions." He shifted his gaze back to Cam, then. "It is a sentiment with which I think you can identify."

He still wasn't sure what the point of this story was, and he wasn't going to back himself into a corner by admitting to something his dad could use against him later. He hadn't grown up with a ninja master for nothing. "Maybe," he said at last.

"You know the rift this caused within our family," his father said quietly. "It has only widened over time. I have no desire to see the same thing happen between us."

His resolve softened a little. "Neither do I," he agreed carefully.

There was a moment of silence, and some cynical part of his mind whispered that this was the point where his father would deliver an ultimatum. He tried to ignore that voice, wanting to believe this was an honest effort to reconcile. He waited, wondering whether it would help anything if he spoke. He really didn't know what to say.

"In the beginning," his father mused, "I attributed your relationship with Hunter to the same rebellion that led me to the Wind Academy." He paused, considering Cam's expression before adding, "Recently, I have come to believe that this is not the case."

Cam tried not to frown. If that was an apology, it wasn't a very good one. "Hunter's a lot more than just a way to assert my independence, Dad. He's--" He shrugged uncomfortably. "He's the person I love." Hard as that is to believe, his mind added wryly, but he didn't dare say it aloud and risk undermining his point.

"So I see," his father said gently. He actually looked... well, not upset. Cam couldn't pin the expression down further than that. "I am glad you have found someone about whom you feel that way."

Cam opened his mouth, hesitated, then decided it was too late to back out now. "So you're not... disappointed, that Hunter is--Hunter? I mean--that I'm..." He couldn't find the words.

"You have never disappointed me, Cameron." His father paused, then smiled a little. "Had I been looking for it, I might have seen it earlier. Your relationship with Hunter was, after all, the way of the samurai for hundreds of years."

It was hard to say whether he was teasing or not. But just the fact that he might be lifted a huge and hitherto unnoticed weight from Cam's shoulders. You have never disappointed me. What he wouldn't give to be assured of that a little more often.

"It was your mother who was unusual in that respect," his dad added thoughtfully, the smile still lingering when his far-off gaze once more intersected with Cam's. "Not you. She would no doubt be gratified to learn that she did not weaken the spirit of the samurai in your blood."

"You're kidding," Cam said uncertainly. The idea that the woman he remembered mostly as Miko could have weakened anything was laughable.

"Indeed," his father agreed with a small smile. "It was not a concern of hers. That does not change the fact that if she could see you now, I know she would be as proud of you as I am."

He didn't know what to say to that. There weren't any words for the warm feeling in his heart, the gratitude he felt for his father at that moment--and he would probably feel silly saying them even if there were. So he settled for, "Thank you," and could only hope his father knew how much he meant it.

His father inclined his head, but before he could say anything else there was another knock at the door. This time the visitor didn't wait for Cam's okay, just pushed the door open and poked his head in. Hunter must have been listening outside. It was the only way to explain his reticence, since he normally barged right in.

"Hey," he said, glancing from one to the other before his gaze settled on Cam. "Am I interrupting?"

Like that had ever stopped him before. "No, of course not." He tipped his head to one side, inviting Hunter in, and Hunter gave his father a second glance as he stepped into the room.

"Sensei." Hunter nodded to him, tone ostensibly neutral but maybe a little less cool than usual. He had definitely overheard something.

"Hunter," his father replied. Then, unexpectedly, he added, "Happy birthday."

Hunter blinked. Whatever he had heard, he clearly hadn't seen that coming. "Thanks. Sensei." The honorific was belated, but it was there.

"I will leave you to your evening off," his father remarked. He paused a moment, then continued, "Cameron, I will attend sunrise meditation tomorrow in your place. You need not be up first thing in the morning."

Surprised, it was all Cam could do to swallow his instinctive protest and echo Hunter's thanks. His father smiled slightly, nodded to them both, and turned deliberately to leave. Silence followed him through the door.

"Wow," Hunter commented, as soon as it had closed behind him. "Someone got up on the right side of bed this morning."

Cam finally gave in to the temptation to fold his arms. "Tell me about it," he murmured. "That was almost surreal."

"What'd he say to you?" Hunter asked curiously, as though he hadn't been standing outside the door the whole time.

"How much did you hear?" Cam countered.

Hunter's mouth quirked upward at the corners. "That predictable, huh? I gotta learn some new tricks."

Cam only raised his eyebrows, and Hunter admitted, "Just the part about him being proud of you. And, you know, the part where you looked all teary-eyed. Seemed more good than bad, so I tried to be nice."

"It was good," Cam agreed quietly. He decided to overlook the teary-eyed comment. "He said... he's proud of me. And that he thinks Mom would be too."

Hunter didn't say anything, but he had his listening face on, so Cam continued, "He said he's glad I... that I have you."

Hunter gave him a skeptical look, but his expression wasn't totally incredulous. "He's glad? Since when?"

Cam couldn't help smiling a little when Hunter just took those words in stride. He "had" Hunter. It was kind of a nice thought. "Since... maybe since he found us in my office a few weeks ago. I don't know. You said you loved me, and--I think he didn't realize how much I cared about you. Until then."

"Hey, wasn't I the one being a sentimental idiot?" Hunter demanded. "How exactly did that prove to him how you felt about me?"

Unperturbed, Cam just smiled. "Still mad that you had to say it first?"

"I'm just about done with being supportive," Hunter informed him. "So if you have anything else you want to share, you'd better do it now."

"Actually, I do." Cam managed to keep a straight face, but he was sure his tone tipped Hunter off. He ducked back into the bedroom without another word, closing the door behind him to prevent Hunter from following. He put something in his pocket and grabbed the stuffed animal off of the bed before turning around.

"Here," he said, tossing the toy to Hunter as he emerged. "Happy birthday."

Hunter caught the big red dog by its ear, flipping it over with an amused but not particularly surprised expression on his face. Surprised or not, Cam still wouldn't have minded having a camera at that moment. The stuffed animal was big enough to be an armful, and Hunter just didn't look like someone for whom hugging a giant teddy bear was an everyday occurrence.

"If I had known how much that 'fuzzy toys' remark would haunt me," Hunter complained. He didn't look all that upset. "You're not gonna let me forget it, are you." It wasn't a question, since Cam had succeeded in bringing it up every time they'd seen each other since.

"I'm just saying," Cam told him. "There's no one closer to me than you. So if I don't have enough fuzzy toys, whose fault is that?"

Hunter gave him an oddly intent look. He had gotten good at Hunter's expressions, but he couldn't for the life of him read this one. "I hope you know," Hunter remarked at last, "that you've just condemned yourself to getting a stuffed animal on every major holiday for the rest of your life."

Cam rolled his eyes. "Leave it to you to make everything into a big deal."

"No," Hunter said firmly. "You do that all by yourself." He waved the big red dog pointedly in Cam's direction.

"Hey." Cam held up his hands. "That was your idea!"

"You saying that my birthday present is for you?" Hunter's advance was less than menacing, most of the effect negated by the fluffy dog in his arms. Nonetheless, an evasive strategy seemed called for, since Cam had visions of being suffocated by a pile of red fur and obnoxious boyfriend.

"Not really," he said, freeing a small box from his pocket and holding it up like a magic charm. "Since you haven't actually gotten your birthday present yet."

Hunter paused, but only for a moment. "You," he said at last, then shook his head. "I don't know how to finish that sentence."

Cam found himself with his arms full, not entirely sure how custody of one present had been exchanged for the other. But he was holding the dog while Hunter tore through tape and wrapping paper like he was opening a package the size of a refrigerator. Cam tried not to smile, found he couldn't help it, and just settled in to watch, enjoying Hunter's enthusiasm.

Hunter's expression of unrestrained glee softened a little when he pulled the box free, and he caught Cam's eye for a moment. "You draw this?"

Cam nodded once. It was Hunter's Ranger symbol scratched into the top of the box, and it had better be good because he'd spent long enough getting it exactly right. It was the same image he had given to the jeweler. Eight-pointed stars might not be impossible to find, but Crimson Thunder? It was custom or nothing.

Hunter gazed back at him, maybe looking for something, maybe waiting for him to speak. When he didn't, Hunter cracked the box open and Cam watched his expression carefully. He wasn't sure he would ever have done it on his own, but... Hunter had started it. And he had taken a far bigger risk with his gift than Cam was.

Blue eyes flicked upward, mouth quirked, and the look alone was enough to make Cam smile. Yes, that was the one his female students kept trying to duplicate. Then Hunter was pulling the necklace out, the faint tinkle of metal on metal just audible over the rustle of tissue paper. His Ranger symbol flashed gold in the middle of the collar, and Cam knew the exact moment when Hunter saw it because his face lit up with a delighted grin.

"You did draw it," he said, unnecessarily. Catching Cam's eye again, he looked so gratified that it made every moment Cam had spent worrying or wondering whether this was the right thing worth it. "You had someone make this?"

Cam nodded again, still a little self-conscious about it. Ranger symbols weren't something you just waved around, asked for, or wore without attracting some amount of attention. At least, not Ninja Ranger symbols. Not in Blue Bay Harbor. But that was nothing next to Hunter's obvious appreciation, and even if he wasn't going to tell the story, he wasn't complaining either.

Hunter didn't press for it, already reaching up to take off the plain gold chain he was wearing. Letting it crumple in his hand, he fastened the one Cam had given him around his neck with the ease of long practice. He raised his eyebrows at Cam inquiringly, and Cam smiled in response.

Hunter found the symbol with his fingers, a return smile spreading across his face. "I like it," he declared, eyes not leaving Cam's. "I like it a lot." He paused then, as though about to say something, and he was quiet just a moment too long.

"What?" Cam wanted to know.

Hunter glanced down at the floor, sneaking a look at Cam that made him sigh. He didn't look at everyone like that, he couldn't. Or Cam would have even more competition than he already had. If admirers could really be called 'competition,' when Hunter had made it clear that this relationship was the only one he wanted.

"I think--well..." Hunter was clearly uncertain, but that wasn't going to stop him from saying what he wanted to say. "Would it be weird if I said I'd like it on you even more?"

The words were so quick that it took Cam a moment to sort them out. Unfortunately, doing so didn't leave him any closer to deciphering their meaning. "What?" he repeated.

"If you wore it," Hunter clarified. "I'd like it. And I'd wear yours."

Cam just stared at him, fighting a smile that seemed determined to work its way free as that sank in. Hunter tried, he really tried not to be sweet or cute or in any way romantic. He did his best to project an image that was tough, fair if maybe a little vengeful, and aloof despite his genuine desire to be involved. But he couldn't keep it up all the time. Lately, especially when they were alone, he seemed to bother with it less and less.

"I mean," Hunter said uncomfortably, "I'm just saying--"

"You're asking for trouble," Cam told him. He finally remembered to set the stuffed dog down when he went to undo the clasp behind his neck. "You think this is a good idea? You really want to advertise this to the whole school?"

"Yeah," Hunter said, watching him pull the star free. Somewhat belatedly, he mimicked Cam's actions and they traded one symbol for another. "I do. What can I say?" he added rhetorically. "I like to show off."

"Yes, you do," Cam muttered. Then he frowned, giving Hunter a suspicious look. "Show off?" he repeated dangerously.

Hunter smirked at him, but--wisely--chose not to reply.

He wouldn't admit it, but this wasn't the first time he'd put on the gold chain with the symbol of Crimson Thunder at its center. He already knew what it looked like on him. Somehow, he was struck by the urge to look in the mirror again anyway.

Looking at Hunter turned out to be enough of a distraction. Hunter wearing the samurai symbol... now that was something he'd never seen, and truth be told, something he'd never been able to picture. He liked it. He suppressed a smile. As Hunter would say, he liked it a lot.

"So, once again," Hunter drawled, regarding him critically. "My present is for you."

My present is you. He would never say it aloud, but the words popped into his mind unbidden. "I know how to get what I want," Cam said calmly.

It made Hunter grin. "That makes two of us. Lucky for us we want the same thing."

Lucky was one word for it, Cam thought. He could think of others. Intense. Overwhelming. Frightening, and addictive. Strangely exhilarating. He could go on, but he didn't share. "Yeah," was all he said.

Hunter looked over his shoulder, peering at the clock in the kitchenette. He still refused to wear a watch, something Cam had no idea how he got away with, between classes and training and private lessons... Not that he was always on time, but Cam was probably late more than he was. He was too quick and too together on top of that for someone who never knew what time it was.

Turning back to him, Hunter was already saying, "Guess we should get going, huh? It's gonna be a while before we get dinner. You want to stop anywhere on the way?"

"Dinner before dinner?" Cam suggested wryly. "We have to go to Anaheim... why, again?"

"An after-class snack before the meal," Hunter corrected. "And we're going because it's my birthday and I say so. It's not like you don't have fun there, after you quit whining about how far away it is."

All right, so he had developed a fondness for arcade games. Anaheim wasn't the only place to find them. It was, possibly, the only place to find them and restaurant-quality food simultaneously, but that wasn't the point. Nor was the bar, the TVs, or the fact that no one would give the two of them a second glance there. This might be California, but there were conservative pockets. ESPNZone wasn't one of them.

Or maybe that was exactly the point. He let out a token sigh, but if they were stopping for food on the way that would alleviate his only major complaint about the evening. "Fine. I'll stop whining." He paused, then added, "Once we get there."

"Nice try." Hunter took a step closer, gaze intent despite the smile playing about his lips. "Kissing first. Then dinner."

Okay. So his two major complaints about the evening had been addressed. Anaheim was looking better and better.

10. Independence Day

The setting sun was still warm on his back, grass tickling his skin where his elbow hung off the edge of the blanket. He probably could have taken over the whole thing when the others went off to play frisbee, but it seemed like too much work to get up and move himself. Even to roll over would require effort, and right now he was just as happy to lie here undisturbed.

He didn't think he dozed off. He could hear the shouts of kids, and the occasional excited teenage exclamation, when they pierced the low rumble of a crowd that was already hundreds strong and spread out all over the track and surrounding area. The fireworks would be set off from the far side, the staging area marked off with orange tape while the barbecues and family picnics and even racing kids kept a respectful distance.

Someone had firecrackers, his sleepy brain noted distantly. He could make out the pop and snap from where he was without even lifting his head. There had been a kids' moto earlier, and a couple of the 50ccs were still puttering around at the edge of his hearing. And as always, there was more noise from entertainers either tuning up or blowing off steam than there was from people actually performing.

It was a typical Blue Bay Harbor style event. The whole town had turned out for the fourth of July, and for once he was glad to be in the middle of such a crowd. There wasn't a ninja uniform to be seen, nor would there be for the rest of the evening. No one would call him "sensei" until he set foot through the Wind Academy's holographic entrance later that night. Much later. Tomorrow, if he could manage it.

Someone ruffled his hair before he even registered a person sitting on the blanket next to him, and when he lifted his head it was harder to open his eyes than he had expected. He really thought he hadn't been asleep. But he barely knew it wasn't Hunter, and Tori's voice seemed to come from far away.

"Hey, Cam," she called, in a tone that was probably soft but sounded unreasonably harsh to his ears. "Wake up. Our boy toys are here."

"Our what?" he mumbled. Yeah, his voice was questionable. Whether he'd been napping or not, he definitely sounded like he had. He squinted at the figure beside him, wondering when sunset had gotten so bright.

"Hey, did you just call me a boy toy?" Blake's voice demanded. He sounded more amused than anything, but in that street-smart way that he had, making it sound like you should be happy he was amused because if he wasn't he'd kick your butt. "Really Tor, I'm flattered, but I think Hunter's more the type."

"Oh, is that how it is?" Hunter sounded considerably less dangerous, tough-guy attitude totally gone when he was relaxed. He didn't need it, after all. He had the look. "This boy's gonna take his toys and leave again if he doesn't get some respect around here."

"Don't look at me," Cam muttered, putting his head back down on his arms. He smiled to himself when he heard Hunter's brother laugh out loud.

"You are so whipped!" Blake gloated. It might have been completely spontaneous, but Cam couldn't help the sneaking suspicion that the comment was a continuation of an earlier conversation. "I gotta say, bro, I never thought I'd see the day."

He couldn't let that pass. Just as Cam opened his mouth, though, Tori beat him to it. "Blake," she said sweetly. "I'm kind of thirsty. Would you get me something to drink?"

"Sure thing, Tor." The response was gratifyingly immediate, and Cam's smile widened. "What d'you want?"

There was a moment of silence, and he could only imagine the looks that were being exchanged. Blake's sigh was drowned out by Hunter's whoop of laughter, and Cam finally pushed himself onto his elbows and turned into a sitting position, staring up at the Thunder brothers. Blake's expression was unusually tolerant, both amused and resigned as Hunter did some literal ribbing. He only laughed when Blake shoved him back, and Cam glanced over at Tori.

She just rolled her eyes at him. "Boys," she said, making the word an affectionate epithet. His mouth quirked, and he offered a half-shrug of silent commiseration.

"I saw that," Hunter declared, throwing himself down on the blanket. They were both forced to shift when he wasted no time insinuating himself between them. He draped an arm over Cam's shoulders and turned to Tori.

"Hey, why am I automatically the boy toy?" he wanted to know. "What about him?"

"Cam is much too mature to be a boy toy," Tori informed him. "He's more the type to have one. Or more," she added impishly.

"More?" Hunter's tone was dangerous, and his reaction would have made Cam laugh if he wasn't too busy being alarmed that Hunter's arm had dropped to his waist and his hand was on Cam's stomach. Low on Cam's stomach. "You saying I'm not man enough for him?"

"How do you know his other 'boy toys' are men?" Tori teased.

"Tori," Cam said with a sigh. The interjection was half-hearted at best. He knew how hard it was to stop the two of them once they got going. They only egged each other on. Hunter was really the only one of the former Rangers who challenged Tori on a regular basis. Cam got the impression that she didn't mind.

"Cam?" Hunter countered. "You got something you want to add, here?"

"You need an excuse to be even less mature?" Cam said sharply. "No, I don't."

Hunter took the hint, unsubtle as it was, but he didn't resist dragging his hand across Cam's... stomach, as he freed his arm and rested it over his shoulders again. "Spoilsport," he murmured, but he turned his attention back to Tori. "So, let's talk about how many boy toys Tori keeps in reserve!"

"Dude, that's one conversation I definitely missed the beginning of," Dustin's voice remarked, and Cam didn't know whether to roll his eyes or sigh in relief.

"You didn't miss anything," he informed the Earth ninja, craning his neck to look up at Dustin as he regarded the blanket with a bemused look. "Believe me."

"Oh, but I did!" He could always count on Marah to miss any and all social cues about what wasn't a good topic of discussion at any given moment. "Tori has boy toys? Why isn't she sharing?"

"Hey, Blake," Dustin added belatedly. "I hear you're on a winning streak, dude; that's great!"

"I was," Blake corrected. "Some punk beat me a couple days ago..."

"But he's got it coming next weekend," Hunter finished. He and Blake smirked at each other, and Cam looked away to hide a smile. They certainly hadn't grown apart any since last fall.

"Where?" Marah wanted to know, giving the blanket a worried look before arranging herself very carefully on the corner opposite Tori. What was that, Cam wondered, the cleanest spot on the blanket? "Will we get to see?" she asked of Blake.

"Nah, probably not." Blake barely looked at her, less accustomed to her occasional presence than the rest of them were at this point. He was polite, but it was odd to see Hunter paying more attention to someone than Blake was. Cam suspected that Hunter had his own reasons for tolerating Marah.

"It's in-state, but barely," Blake was saying. "The travel time is the bad news. The good news is the down time," he added, throwing Tori a grin. "I'll be in town most of the week."

Tori must have already known that, because she just smiled up at him and inquired innocently, "Going to guest teach, like Shane?"

"I should guest train," Blake countered. His grin turned rueful, and he added, "I'm way too out of practice to be in charge of students."

"Not really one of those things you forget, bro," Hunter put in.

Blake just shrugged, but it was Tori who redirected the conversation by commenting, "I'm sure you'll find something to do. I mean, this is Blue Bay Harbor."

"Yeah," Blake added smugly. "I hear there are some hot surfer chicks around here."

"I wouldn't know about that," Tori said, with a clearly feigned casualness that dissolved the instant Hunter leaned over to tickle her. "Okay, okay!" she yelped, squirming away from him in between giggles. "I might know one!"

"I only want one." Blake was positively leering at her, and Cam just shook his head. He had forgotten how bad they could all be together. He was thinking about getting up when Hunter's fingers closed around his arm.

"We embarrassing you?" Hunter asked with a grin. "Afraid some of your students are gonna see you hanging out with us?"

With me? The unstated question was there, in his eyes if not in his words. It was maddening and endearing at the same time: there were things Cam had trouble saying once, let alone a dozen times, and yet... Hunter wasn't as cocky as he seemed. Who'd have guessed? And when had he gotten so good at reading Hunter's eyes, anyway?

"Don't you think his students are used to it by now?" Dustin asked, oblivious as ever to the less than flattering implications of his remark.

"Not the ninja students." Hunter gave him a sideways glance, silently asking if he was going to tell this story or not. "I mean his future college students."

Tori got it immediately. "You decided to do it!" she exclaimed. "Congratulations, Cam--that's really great!"

"Do what?" Marah chirped. "What are you going to do, Cousin?" She had no trouble dropping the "sensei" appellation off-site, Cam noted.

"I've been accepted to grad school," he said, to forestall any other versions of the story.

"Like that was ever in question," Hunter added. Cam shot him a look, but Hunter just raised an amused eyebrow in his direction. He wasn't mocking, Cam realized belatedly. He actually sounded friendly. Sort of... fond?

How long had he been subconsciously expecting Hunter to make fun of him in public? And how long had Hunter not been doing it? Thinking back, he was struck by sudden uncertainty: Hunter talked about him often enough, even talking for him on occasion, but was he teasing? Or--bragging?

"For programming, right?" Tori was saying. "And you've already taken some of the classes? Did they ask you what you've been doing since you graduated?"

"Hello, saving the world from his family!" Marah exclaimed. Then she paused, and added in a more subdued tone of voice, "Oh. But I guess you can't really tell them that, huh?"

"It probably wouldn't go over too well, no," he told her. Glancing at Tori, he added, "Yes, I took grad classes as an undergrad, and when they asked what I've been doing I said I was helping my father run the family business."

"Which is true," Hunter admitted. "Defending the earth from your uncle... your cousins... your boyfriend..." He stopped and gave Cam an arch look. "You really like evil, don't you?"

"It's drawn to me," Cam said dryly. "It just followed me home, Mom, I swear."

"Your mom would probably buy that, too," Dustin put in. "She was kind of an evil magnet herself, right?"

"Must have been the amulet," Blake said with a grin.

Cam just looked at him. Then he looked at Hunter, and when Hunter caught his eye, he transferred his gaze to Marah. Very deliberately, he looked from one to the other until Hunter protested. "Hey, we're not evil now!"

Tori was laughing at them. Dustin grinned like he wasn't really listening, which didn't surprise Cam. Blake took it with good-natured humor, but Marah just looked confused.

"You know," she said, frowning down at her fingernails as though the color wasn't what she remembered. "It's not like we went looking for Cam. Any of us, really. I think maybe you've got it backwards."

She lifted her gaze expectantly, eyes wide and a small pout on her face. It was an innocent expression that had long ago started to trigger warning bells in Cam's mind. She really wasn't stupid, and he tried not to forget. But her demeanor was a defensive act that had been honed by years of necessity--her survival instinct--and it still threw him sometimes.

Hunter's startled laughter said that he wasn't the only one who underestimated Marah. "Yeah!" Hunter crowed, extending a hand in Marah's direction. She slapped it happily, comfortably, the way she and Kapri high-fived each other all the time. How Hunter knew that they did that, or what made him think of it now, was beyond Cam.

"What about it?" Hunter added, bumping his shoulder deliberately. Cam nudged him back without thinking about it, ignoring the smirk on his face when Hunter continued, "You drawn to the dark side, or what?"

"Hey, dude!" Dustin was still staring off into the distance, and his shout distracted everyone from their new focus. Apparently the words didn't have the desired effect, though, because after another moment of looking at something they couldn't see, he waved a hand over his head and shouted again.

"It's Shane!" Tori leapt to her feet, joining Dustin in the effort to get the attention of someone Cam hadn't been able to see before and definitely couldn't now with the two of them in the way. "I thought he wasn't going to be able to make it home this weekend!"

"Change of tour plans?" Dustin suggested.

"He's so not seeing us," Tori said at the same time.

They looked at each other. "Last one there wears the other's color for a day?" Dustin suggested.

"Oh, it's on now!" Tori exclaimed. They took off, the slight blurring of their forms in the fading light the only indication that the contest wasn't just one of physical speed. The effect was invisible if you weren't looking for it, but it still made Cam shake his head. How the population of Blue Bay Harbor had lived with a Ninja Academy on its outskirts all this time without more of a clue was a mystery to him.

"Dustin's gonna look good in blue," Hunter muttered in his ear.

Cam scoffed, very quietly. "Dream on." He had seen Dustin training the other day. "Tori won't know what hit her."

He could feel Hunter's speculative gaze on him. "Want to put money on that?"

"Cost of an ice cream says Dustin wins," Cam agreed.

"You're on," Hunter said with a grin.

Blake's exclamation drew their attention, but he was staring across the track. "No way!" he declared, again with that amusement that existed in between tolerance and danger. Months on the road had definitely perfected that tone, Cam thought, catching Marah's eye by accident.

She was smiling. It was a delighted, pleased-with-herself smile, childishly smug and about as close as she came to smirking. It vanished like it had never been as her eyes widened, and she jumped to her feet to hover a respectable distance from Blake. "Ooh, what happened?" she demanded, clapping her hands. "Did Dustin win?"

Cam shook his head, wondering if she would ever be herself around them. Or anyone. The fact that she had let him see her smile probably said more about her comfort level than anything else, and he supposed that was improvement. But he couldn't help wondering what exactly went on behind those guileless brown eyes.

"Damn," Hunter muttered. "You'd think I would have learned my lesson after last time."

"You should stop betting against me on people I know," Cam remarked, squinting past Blake to catch a glimpse of flickering red and yellow and blue. Tori and Dustin were using Shane as a shield as they tried to tag each other, hindering their forward momentum significantly. "Especially my own students."

"No one in the entire school thought Nena could beat Sensei," Hunter informed him. "That whole bet was ridiculous."

"And yet I won," Cam pointed out. "You shouldn't underestimate her. She knows a lot more than she can do."

The Wind teachers were close enough now for Shane to call out to them, and Hunter lifted his hand to wave. Cam just watched as Marah bounded out to meet them. Blake had folded his arms, wearing the same lopsided smile that Hunter favored. Cam wondered idly if they had known someone who smiled like that when they were younger. One of their parents, maybe? It certainly hadn't been Sensei Omino.

Suddenly Hunter asked, "You ever think that maybe she just isn't a ninja?"

Cam gave him a sharp look, but Hunter was still watching the others. "No," he answered, sounding a little more defensive than he'd meant to. "She thinks that enough for both of us."

"No, I mean--" Hunter glanced at him. "What if she's something else? You said she does better in your classes than anyone else's. What if it's not just because she thinks you're cute... what if she's a samurai?"

"Hey, guys," Shane greeted them all with a laugh, clasping Blake's hand and nodding to Hunter when he unfolded himself from the blanket. "You miss me?"

"Nah," Blake teased. "It was quieter without those skateboard wheels around."

"Look who's talking!" Shane retorted with good-natured disbelief. "Hey, Cam," he added, inclining his head in Cam's direction with maybe a little more reserve than he once had.

"We saved you some food," Tori was saying, and Cam felt Hunter's hand on his elbow the moment he stood up.

"We'll be right back," he interrupted, catching Blake's attention first but not avoiding anyone's gaze. "I owe someone about two-fifty in ice cream."

"Did I say I was getting a kiddie ice cream?" Cam inquired. "I think you'll be paying more than two-fifty to settle this one."

Shane's gaze slid away with the barest acknowledgement, but Blake grinned. "Sure thing. Make sure you eat it before it melts this time."

"Ha ha," Hunter told him, ignoring Tori's bemused look.

"Dude, what?" Dustin wanted to know.

"Cam has you to thank for that," Blake was saying as they walked away. Cam rolled his eyes, catching Hunter's smirk out of the corner of his eye. "You been running a lot lately?" Blake added.

"Yeah," Hunter said under his breath. "That's what I want to know, too."

"Like you've ever bet against Tori," Cam responded, just as quietly.

"Hey, she's good," Hunter defended himself. "I'd have bet against her if I'd expected her to lose. But I didn't."

Cam didn't bother to reply to that. The silence was as good an answer as any, and he was just as happy to turn his attention back to Nena's situation. Could Hunter be right? There shouldn't be anything to prevent samurai from learning ninja techniques: he had done it, after all. As he reviewed her classes in light of that distinction, though, there was no doubt that she was consistently and significantly better in those that involved the training style of the samurai.

"Whatcha thinking?" Hunter wanted to know. He had let his hand fall, so that they were no longer in contact. Cam could tolerate being steered occasionally, and it was less conspicuous than holding hands... but it wasn't easy to make it look natural for an extended period of time.

"I'm thinking," Cam said with a sigh, "that if you're on to something with Nena, I'm going to kick myself for not seeing it earlier."

He saw Hunter shrug. "Just a thought," he offered. "A totally uninformed thought. It's not like I know anything about her that you don't."

"Sometimes people on the outside see things better than you do," Cam murmured, mostly to himself.

He could feel Hunter's inquiring gaze. "Something I said to her once," he explained. Then, reluctantly, he added, "About something you said to me, actually."

"Oh?" That was all, just the one syllable. His tone was more curious than amused.

He caught himself just as he started to reach for the choker at his throat. That was a habit he really had to break, he thought, aborting the motion. It had started back when he was wearing the star of the samurai, which had been innocuous enough. But he really didn't need to draw any more attention to the gold chain than it already got--especially on Academy grounds.

"You asked if I really wanted to stay on at the Wind Academy," he said at last. "One night, in the kitchen... right after the Abyss. Before you and Blake left. You made pancakes," he added inconsequentially.

"I remember." Hunter's tone was neutral, but he was staring ahead like he was trying for "casual" and failing. "Weird night."

Exactly three nights after the security camera in Ninja Ops mysteriously failed. The first time they had been alone since the back of the Storm Chargers' van, and the infamous "cruising" incident that followed. Cam still didn't know how much of that had gotten back to Blake, and through him, to Tori and the others.

"Yeah," he agreed finally. "But... you were right. Just before Christmas, I told Nena that sometimes people who aren't involved are more objective about what's happening."

"Because," Hunter prompted.

"She wanted to drop out." Strange that it was easier to talk about it here, in a crowd of strangers, than it was to mention it anywhere on Academy grounds. "I wouldn't let her."

"She wanted to drop out," Hunter repeated thoughtfully. "I didn't know that."

"Yeah, well." Cam grimaced. "Between her wanting to leave, and everyone else wanting Marah and Kapri to leave, sometimes I feel like teaching is secondary to just maintaining a class."

Hunter didn't say anything for a moment. "Funny that you used my argument for you leaving to convince someone else to say," he observed at last.

Cam decided not to mention his promise to tell her what Hunter had said.

"Hey, sparklers!" Just like that, Hunter had caught his arm to make him stop and was pointing to someone he apparently knew near the vendors' tables.

"Ice cream," Cam reminded him, but Hunter was already changing course for this shiny new distraction. Cam followed, more amused than resigned and in truth just as happy to be away from the others for a while. Between Shane's discomfort and the combined tactlessness of Marah and Dustin... well, the word "relaxing" wouldn't be the first adjective he chose.

Hunter would have a lighter with him at a fireworks display. By the time Cam caught up with him, he had conned someone Cam only vaguely recognized out of a box of sparklers and was happily peeling the top open. With the lighter in one hand and his nose to the near end of the box as he shook it impatiently, he could have been the poster boy for What Not To Do With Fireworks.

"You do know that you should take them out of the box before you light them," Cam commented, pausing at what wasn't nearly a safe enough distance. "And that no one here will thank you for catching them on fire?"

Hunter looked up long enough to scan their surroundings, his gaze settling on the nearest edge of the crowd and then catching Cam's to make sure he would follow. "Come on!"

He did follow. He was admittedly intrigued by the promise of handheld fireworks, and he was secretly enjoying Hunter's enthusiasm. He wasn't surprised to find a piece of metal wire in his hand a moment later. Giving the coating a cursory inspection, the snapping sound caught him by surprise when the one Hunter was holding caught fire and started to spark.

"Hold still," Hunter said impatiently, tilting his lighter in Cam's direction.

Cam met the flame halfway, and the end of the wire lit up in a miniature explosion. It glittered and fizzed, casting off glowing magnesium dust and gas as the sparkler's coating slowly burned itself up. He hadn't realized how dark it was getting, or even that the sun had set, until he looked up and saw the shadows flickering across Hunter's face.

"I don't care who sees us together," he said suddenly. "You know that, right?"

The look Hunter gave him was impossible to read in the unsteady light. "Yeah?" he said at last. It was more a question than an agreement.

"Yeah." He wasn't embarrassed by Hunter. Annoyed, overwhelmed, occasionally driven to distraction, yes. But not embarrassed.

Hunter was smiling at him. "Cool," he said easily. The response was sincere--unusually so. Hunter made it sound like this kind of thing came naturally to him, but it didn't. He was only now beginning to realize how much trust Hunter had put in him.

And if that was the case, Cam's own trust might not be misplaced.

11. Month Nine

There was a time when just the fact of someone entering the room, whether they made any noise or not, would jerk him out of a sound sleep. He had always been a light sleeper. It had taken a long time to adjust to sharing a bed, and he still couldn't sleep through anyone's presence but Hunter's.

When he felt someone's touch on his shoulder, though, it was a drowsy awareness, the sense that he wasn't alone but no adrenaline reaction to shake off the comfort of somnolence. There was only one person who could get that close to him without waking him up, and he rolled over when the pressure on his shoulder disappeared. What time was it?

Hunter was a darker shadow against the dimness, nothing but his outline visible in the flickering light through the windows. He was supposed to remember something about that--something about tonight. What was Hunter doing here, anyway?

"Hi," he mumbled, squinting in a futile effort to make out Hunter's expression in the unlit room. "What's going on?"

"We had a date," Hunter informed him. He kept his voice low out of deference to the hour, but the amusement was distinguishable nonetheless.

Cam remembered that much. "Which you canceled," he muttered, pushing himself up onto his elbows as he contemplated the energy required to sit all the way up. He was really, really drained. He couldn't have gone to bed more than a few hours ago.

"Yeah." The amusement was gone, now. "Sorry about that." A brief pause, and then a more hopeful tone. "Can I make it up to you?"

"Yeah," Cam echoed, squeezing his eyes shut as he barely suppressed a yawn. "A vacation and three days' sleep. You can cancel as many dates as you want."

"And behind door number two..." Hunter lowered himself onto the edge of the bed, a hint of sympathy in his otherwise teasing tone. "A night with your favorite head teacher."

Cam sighed, turning to the side and slouching a little further down on one elbow. It was a token measure, an intermediate step on his way to lying down again. "A night that involves sleeping?" he wondered.

Hunter apparently took it as a condition, not a request. "If that's what you want," he agreed, with his own overly dramatic sigh. He threw himself down on the bed next to Cam, bringing the familiar smell of his leather training uniform very close as he declared morosely, "I'll just, you know. Lie here. While you sleep."

He didn't have to deal with this. It was his room, his bed, his sleep that would be sacrificed. He could roll over, face the other wall, and Hunter would probably take the hint. It wasn't like there was anything sexy about training uniforms, or taking them off. Or about overbearing boyfriends who were willing to do whatever you told them to do. Go away... go to sleep... go d--

The world tilted as the darkness moved and for a moment he wasn't sure what had happened. Then he realized it was the mattress against his back and Hunter looming above him. "I can hear you thinking," Hunter's shadow informed him. "Stop it."

"I wasn't thinking," Cam told the shape that was blocking most of the window's meager light. He wished he could sound a little less awake, but some quiet part of his brain sat up and took notice when Hunter pushed him around. "I was falling asleep."

"Uh-huh." Hunter's hands fumbled across his stomach, knees on either side of Cam's hips as he found the bottom of his t-shirt and tugged. "Bet you'd sleep better without this on," he remarked casually. That was the only warning before he peeled it up, barely giving Cam time to lift his arms as he yanked it off over his shoulders.

Cam shook his head free, blinking, startled, and decidedly more awake. He moved automatically to pull his arms free but the t-shirt tangled around his wrists when Hunter didn't let go, leaning forward and holding Cam's hands above his head as he pressed their mouths together. The kiss wasn't unexpected, and Cam returned it without thinking even as he relaxed.

He could slide his hands free right now. But Hunter had to lean in close to hold them down, closer than just kissing, close enough that the lines of his uniform traced their own pattern on Cam's chest... and the feel of leather on skin was one that he really, really liked. And Hunter knew it, too.

So maybe being woken in the middle of the night wasn't so bad. Not if it meant Hunter's weight holding him down, a mouth he knew as well as his own pressed against his, and the luxurious warmth of denim and leather on skin that was beginning to tingle to life. A shudder ran through him as he stretched, wanting to feel more of a body he couldn't see.

He mumbled a protest when Hunter's mouth abandoned his own, tongue trailing across his jaw and then fastening on the pulse point beneath his chin. His hands twitched involuntarily, too accustomed to retaliation to wait patiently and let Hunter kiss. And yet...

He curled his fingers around the t-shirt still encircling his wrists, felt Hunter's absent grip loosen and disappear as he kissed his way down Cam's neck, into the hollow of his throat, across his collarbone, and still he didn't move. The attention was nice. The gentle slide of one kiss after another, the tickle of bangs that were too long... the slightly selfish realization that for once, he didn't have to do anything but be here.

Hunter shifted, rocking his weight back as he moved lower, and the unexpected sensation drew a groan from Cam. He bit his lip, but Hunter didn't chuckle. Instead he shifted again, their hips grinding together more deliberately this time, and Cam closed his eyes and let the heat wash over him. That felt good. That felt really good, and the urge to reciprocate was making him restless.

But he didn't. He just waited, concentrating on his own breathing--harder than it should be--and on Hunter's patient distribution of kisses, dangerously close to places that could make his breath stop altogether. He really wanted to see how far this would go. Because as demonstrative as he was in public, Hunter was rarely the demanding one when they were in bed together.

Without warning, Hunter's mouth closed over a nipple and Cam drew in a sharp breath. When Hunter's fingers found the other one Cam arched his back instinctively, his whole body shifting in restive response. Hunter sucked hard on his skin, a silent gasp that told Cam he wasn't the only one who felt that sullen throb of connection. He twisted again but Hunter was ready for him, rising up on his knees and bracing his hands on either side of Cam's head.

He couldn't make out Hunter's expression, but he could feel the smile on his lips as he leaned down to kiss him. The loss of the full body contact made his skin crawl, a tingling itch that made his fingers clench on his t-shirt before letting go entirely. He opened his mouth to Hunter's, warm tongue almost distracting enough even when he couldn't stand it anymore.

He grabbed the front of Hunter's uniform, lifting his head up and pulling Hunter closer as he bent his knees and braced his feet against the mattress. He heard Hunter's grunt of surprise as Cam curled into him, his mouth taking up the slack when Hunter hesitated and his fingers tearing the velcro on his vest free. Cam dragged it off his shoulder, the metal badge of the Thunder Academy flashing in the dim light, and he was perfectly happy to shove Hunter down onto the other side of the bed with it when he didn't resist.

The hard thrust required to roll them both over felt so good that he wished it hadn't worked, just so he could do it again, and he wasn't the only one if Hunter's appreciative groan was anything to go by. He settled for planting one knee between Hunter's legs as he scrambled across his body, not immune to the way Hunter immediately rocked against him--and hard. He would have to, being in his training uniform while Cam wore only boxers... but the roughness made him grit his teeth to hide a smirk.

He liked this.

He was aiming for Hunter's mouth when Hunter's hands landed on his shoulders, holding him back, careful not to hit him as he surged up and took over a kiss of his own. Cam's breath deserted him as the lunge made his body jerk against Cam's, knees in almost identical places now, and he was torn between the urge to grind down or to press forward into the kiss and the leather-clad chest.

Hunter made the decision for him, twisting the leg he was sitting on out from underneath him while Cam tried desperately to drown himself in kissing. He couldn't ignore movement like that. Hunter was still shifting, clumsily trying to keep up, chuckling a little as their kisses managed to lose each other just slightly in the dark. Cam followed his mouth with determination, ignoring everything but the feel of bracers on bare skin and the rasp of Hunter's jacket across his chest.

Only when Hunter's balance returned and Cam felt a heated pressure against his thigh, accompanied by a quiet moan as Hunter leaned into him with more assurance, did he realize what had happened. Hunter was kneeling now too, mimicking his position, groin grinding down against Cam's thigh and leaving Cam with an open invitation to do the same. He shifted eagerly, as close as they could be and still have clothes between them, and as the rush of sensation made him strain to be even closer he gasped, "You remember?"

He felt Hunter's hands slide over his boxers, forcing them to coordinate the hungry shift of bodies and friction that was so good but nowhere near enough. "Yeah," he muttered, breath warming Cam's skin as they bumped noses, each tracing the other's face with their own in the dark. "Course I remember."

They used to make out in Ninja Ops like it was their own bedroom. The first time they had ended up in front of each other like this, Cam had been horrified to realize that clothes were the only thing keeping them more than a breath away from actual sex. Or rather, a part of him had been horrified. Another part, one arguably influenced by the escalating energy emanating from the Abyss, had been fiercely delighted and urged him on without another thought.

"Did you ever think," he mumbled, a sigh escaping as Hunter started to kiss his neck again. "What if someone had found us?"

Hunter's soft puff of amusement chilled his damp skin and Cam shivered. The pressure shifted as he rocked forward, and warmth sparked everywhere in his body. It must have affected Hunter too because his voice was little more than a whisper when he replied, "Not sure I would have noticed."

His mouth was on Cam's again, silencing him, stilling him as he pushed them apart--out of each other's laps--and focused everything on a kiss that made Cam's grip on his uniform tighten. He dropped his hands to the zipper on Hunter's jacket, fumbling with it, feeling for the teeth with his fingers while his tongue fought a losing battle in its own territory. He didn't care. The kiss was more of a tease than anything, a distraction from the truly important work of pulling Hunter's clothes off.

Once the zipper was started it was easy to undo, and he pushed the jacket back with one hand while the other stayed right where it had ended up. Hunter was just as ready to lose the jacket, shrugging out of it impatiently until Cam's other hand closed around his belt. His breath hissed as Cam's fingers slid underneath.

He explored. Hunter swore. Cam tugged at the belt again with his free hand and Hunter's fingers came to his aid, actually trembling a little as he continued his idle investigation of the inside of Hunter's pants. It didn't happen often that Hunter was wearing more than he was for any length of time, and he had to admit he was enjoying it. He squeezed experimentally, less than used to the restriction of clothing, and Hunter groaned.

"Could we--" Hunter choked on the words. He shifted awkwardly, breath caught, and tried again. "Could you--"

Despite the desire to shove him onto his back and strip those pants off of Hunter himself, Cam took pity on him. "Back off?" he suggested, hearing the huskiness in his own voice even when he tried to make it clear.

"Yeah." Hunter's voice was strained but grateful as Cam let him go. "I need--" The words were muttered but audible as he struggled out of what remained of his uniform. "Some actual skin contact, here..."

His voice trailed off again as he peeled his shirt off over his head, and Cam took that moment to attack. He went straight for Hunter's ribs, letting his momentum carry them both down onto the mattress because he knew enough to avoid a collision when tickling an unsuspecting Hunter. Hunter started just as violently as Cam had expected, the reaction somewhat softened by his impact with the bed, and he yelped indignantly as Cam landed on top of him.

"You--!" He cut off, dropping his voice abruptly as he whispered, "You are so predictable!" He pushed Cam off, laughter bubbling out despite his best efforts, and Cam bit back a grin of his own. Not predictable enough for Hunter to be able to predict, obviously.

He edged away, just far enough that Hunter's first grab for him came up empty, and repeated his assault. This time he must have seen it coming, because Hunter had both arms up in a defensive guard that was disappointingly effective. Cam tried to stifle his own laugh as Hunter snuck an arm around his stomach, pivoted on his knees, and pressed Cam's back up to his chest in an intimately restraining grasp.

A second later he felt Hunter's hot kiss against the back of his neck. He squirmed, not really trying to break free, and Hunter's other arm slid over his shoulders as the first one dropped into his lap. Fingers danced across his skin, strong and shameless, but all he could focus on was that hand. He distantly felt the swipe of Hunter's tongue against his jaw, gasped at the pinch of first one nipple and then the other... and bit back his protest at the one touch that seemed determined to elude him.

Hunter's hand teased him through the thin fabric of his shorts--why hadn't he taken them off when Hunter was distracted--but his touch was too light to satisfy and too fast to anticipate. Cam didn't know which way to move. He couldn't move; Hunter had a hold on him worthy of the head teacher of a ninja academy. A hold on every part of him except the one that mattered, and he gritted his teeth in frustration.

Fingers closed on his nipple, teeth grazed his neck, and that hand gripped him firmly all at once. Cam cried out, head back against Hunter's shoulder as he pushed his hips forward. And Hunter let him, holding him, offering just enough resistance... shifting slightly with each motion. Through the haze of intent, Cam realized why. He stopped straining forward quite so hard, settling back against Hunter between thrusts, and was rewarded by a muffled moan as Hunter buried his face in Cam's neck.

It was good. It wasn't good enough. He wanted more than friction through boxer shorts, whether Hunter would let it happen that way or not. He tried to pull away, found himself anchored in place and overwhelmed by the pounding rush as Hunter pushed him back just as hard. He tried again, a little awed by the sudden comprehension that he wasn't moving until he convinced Hunter to let him. It was a graphic reminder of their evenly matched strength--there was no reason to hold back.

"Hunter," he gasped, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to ignore the roaring in his ears. "I want--" Hunter's fingers contracted, and he choked on the words. Cam swallowed hard, no easy task when his mouth was this dry, and managed, "Let go."

He did, reluctantly, grip loosening just enough that Cam could pry himself free with difficulty. He slithered free of his shorts, hands shaking as his fingers tripped over each other in their haste, and Hunter had the nerve to laugh at him. Cam turned, intending to advance on a waiting target, and he was caught off guard when Hunter went for him first.

"Feel better?" Hunter drawled, immobilizing him with nothing more than the grip on his shoulders and a demanding kiss that made his skin burn.

No reason to hold back. He pushed Hunter, more roughly than he'd intended but an aggressive Hunter put him off-balance and he was only reacting. There was no rational thinking going on at all, only the heat in his body and the ache that Hunter could cause just by staring at him. Or by lying next to him, when it was too dark to stare.

He wasn't surprised to feel Hunter's body yield beneath his, sinking back onto the bed without a word of protest. He was surprised to find that he was the one on his back a moment later, pinned under a solid weight that didn't have to do much of anything to make him gasp. But it did. Careful fingers traced their way across his skin, fingernails scraping over the places that tingled and pads drifting softly over the ones that didn't--or hadn't, until Hunter touched them. Cam tried to suppress a moan, almost failed, struggled to take control of the situation.

Hunter didn't try to hold him down. But he wasn't switching positions, either, and Cam found himself confronted by someone who was just as willing to do as to have done. It was... not Hunter's typical role. He pushed again, and Hunter pushed back. Hard. He shoved Cam down, and Cam was left to blink up at the shadow above him in surprise. When had Hunter started taking lessons from--well, him?

This time, when Hunter ground their hips together there was nothing in between. Cam's head came up, but that was as far as he got before hands on his shoulders pressed him back down. Hunter didn't stop moving, his rhythm aggravatingly slow and too drawn out to appease the hunger that had been growing ever since he pulled Cam's t-shirt off. Cam twisted his head to one side and closed his eyes, breath harsh in his ears, determined to ride out this building torture in any way he could. Hunter's hand closed around them both and he stiffened, jerking his head to the other side with a gasp.

"Hunter!" His back arched. He couldn't breathe, couldn't move, not enough--

Hunter didn't stop. Cam strained against him, drowning in sensation, beyond caring about anything but what Hunter was doing to him. He needed more, had to have more than this... and for once, it wasn't up to him. The words tumbled out of him with a gasp. "Hunter, please... harder--"

And he cried out as Hunter surged against him, heat pouring through the darkness, touch sparking between them as he gave himself up to the storm. It roared through him, a rush of intensity that fed on itself and consumed all other concerns. There was nothing but him, this feeling, and the person who was causing it.

His heart was thundering in his ears even as the sensation began to abate, draining out of him little by little and leaving him trembling in its wake. He could barely bring himself to shift enough to make room on the near side of the bed--Hunter's preferred side. He heard a wordless grunt of appreciation, felt the lazy weight of a lover who refused to go very far, and that was all the awareness he bothered with for some time.

He was light-headed, sleepy and half-dreaming by the time Hunter moved again. He mumbled in wordless protest, objecting not so much to the resettling of Hunter's body on the mattress next to him as to the fact that he had woken Cam to do it. Should he even be sleeping now? He had the nagging feeling that there was something he was supposed to be doing, but it was the middle of the night. Even head teachers were allowed to sleep.

"Awake?" Hunter asked, very softly, and Cam took it back. Some head teachers were allowed to sleep. When they weren't being pounced upon, seduced, or otherwise kept awake by their fellow head teachers.

"No," he muttered, deciding those other head teachers didn't know what they were missing. "Dreaming. But it's a pretty good dream," he admitted grudgingly, trying to stifle a yawn.

Hunter's murmur of agreement made him smile. He moved a little, and remembered why they were both crowded onto this side of the bed. He subsided, eyes still closed, and sighed silently. Here was good too.

"You never..." Hunter's whisper drifted to him in the darkness. "Asked for it, before."

Hunter's voice wasn't teasing, or even curious. It was careful, maybe a little tentative, as though he was trying very hard not to sound obnoxious. During the day, it was hard to convince Hunter that he came across as obnoxious at all, let alone force an admission that he did it on purpose. But here, where it was just them... he went out of his way to open up. It made Cam feel like he mattered.

And the least he could do was reciprocate. "I never had to," he told the darkness quietly. It was true. Hunter had always let him do whatever he wanted in bed, and while he had tried very hard not to abuse that trust, he had never had to return it until tonight.

"Yeah." Hunter hesitated. "About that..."

That was a loaded statement if Cam had ever heard one. He waited.

"Was it--okay?" Hunter asked finally.

The question made Cam's mouth quirk, and he waited until he could answer without a hint of amusement in his voice. There was something vaguely insincere about "yes," whether it was the truth or not, and he wasn't about to go into just how much he'd liked it. Which left him with a rhetorical question that he hoped wasn't quite as embarrassing as it felt.

"Would I have begged if it wasn't?" he muttered.

There was no answer, but a moment later he felt the gentle swipe of a tongue tracing the outline of his ear and a kiss pressed against his skin. He couldn't help smiling to himself. Embarrassing, maybe. Worth it, definitely.

His awareness drifted again, succumbing slowly to the haze of sleep. It was a comfortable lassitude, one punctuated by Hunter's occasional shift and the warm but restless presence of someone sleeping too close. He was too tired to care. He didn't want to move, and in all truth, he didn't want Hunter to go anywhere either. He was just as happy to wake up every five minutes, knowing that morning was a long way off yet and he didn't have to do anything but lie here and doze.

The screech of an alarm made him bolt upright, startled to feel someone beside him and utterly unable to identify the sound. The lack of comprehension lasted several seconds, until he heard Hunter groan and suddenly he remembered. Hunter was here. He hadn't planned to stay the night. And that alarm signaled the beginning of their scheduled attack drill.

He didn't know whether his father was going to be amused or horrified. He didn't have time to worry about it, either. Not when he was supposed to be out there already, and Hunter was making it abundantly clear what he thought about the circumstances.

"You've gotta be freakin' kidding me," Hunter groused, his shadow already fumbling in the dark of a room he didn't know quite as instinctively as Cam did. But he heard a dresser drawer slide open as he pulled his t-shirt over his head, and fleece sweats landed next to him a moment later. Hunter had irritatingly good aim even when he couldn't see.

"You had an attack drill tonight?" Hunter continued, slamming the drawer shut. Cam was on his feet, heading for the living room. "You couldn't have told me about that?"

"I forgot." He had reached the door by the time Hunter caught up, yanking his shirt on as he went. "Didn't think you were coming," he added over his shoulder, "and I was kind of distracted when you did show up."

"Oh, right," Hunter scoffed, catching the door and managing to stay right behind Cam as they made their way through a hallway that was discharging teachers right and left. "So this is all my fault?"

"Yes," Cam said, raising his voice to be heard over the general chaos. "Tori!"

Blonde curls and glittering black spun toward him at the bottom of the stairwell. They weren't the only ones not in uniform, despite the fact that most of the teachers had known about the drill for days. He really hoped it would make a difference. Having the head teacher of the Wind Academy running around campus in sweats during a supposed "attack" was not going to do anything for his image.

"Did you pass the perimeter guards on your way in?" he demanded. She nodded, and he caught a flicker of red out of the corner of his eye. "Ash!" The air ninja backtracked immediately, and Cam told him, "You and Tori go out through the holographic entrance. I want a simulated diversion as fast as you can do it, to see if we can disrupt the organization of counterattack units."

Tori and Ash exchanged glances, nodding to each other. "You got it," Ash answered. Cam had meant to set that up earlier, before the alarm actually sounded, but it looked like they would just have to improvise.

"Nice pajamas," Tori added, backing away as Ash made for the door.

Cam looked down automatically. He knew what he was wearing. Tori had teased him about the crimson eyes glaring out over top of a sword slash before. Killer coding ninja monkeys do exist. "Funny," he told her. She just smirked, turning to streak after Ash.

He glanced over at Hunter, who was apparently taking a headcount as teachers dashed outside. Dressed in navy sweats and a deep red t-shirt that had a cartoon bunny on it, he couldn't have looked less professional. The bunny was standing on its hind legs, paws over its ears with the words I'm not listening printed underneath. Catching Cam's eye, Hunter held up two fingers followed by four.

Cam nodded, jerking his head toward the door. That was everyone. As they shoved their way out into the night he could see teachers already falling into their designated defense, students rallying around dorm leaders... and off in the distance, a concussive boom that had to be Tori and Ash's staged diversion. He strode through a sea of elemental color, checking off each section in his mind and nodding in approval as one of the outer teacher contingents grabbed two perimeter guards and a group of upper level students to investigate.

Hunter stuck close to his side, his presence all the more obvious because of their rank. Cam caught the flicker of another Thunder Academy uniform among the students--but the students hadn't known what was happening tonight. He saw his father's distinctive energy signature from up ahead, marking their impromptu center of command, and he sighed a little as he altered his course. It could be months before he lived this down.

12. Day Three Hundred

The rose was wasn't like Cam.

Since when did they give each other flowers? Let alone roses?

Well, one rose, to be fair. Hunter frowned, staring at the teachers practicing in front of him without really seeing them. He taught an advanced element class three days a week, and if they didn't know what they were doing by now then he ought to have quit a long time ago. So he didn't worry about their safety while he daydreamed.

The rose wasn't pink, which he would have known was a joke. It wasn't white, which he had once seen Cam use to commemorate his mom's death. No, this was a red rose, and it had been delivered to his table in the dining hall anonymously just before breakfast. The very public stunt had ensured that the Thunder Academy's head teacher would be subject to campus-wide teasing for the rest of the day.

And that, at least, was exactly like Cam.

A hand was being waved in front of his face, and he glared at its owner reflexively. Jamie was taking advantage of his distracted to state to mock him, as usual, and the glare had zero effect on her. "Gonna get lucky on your birthday, loverboy?"

"It's not my birthday," he snapped. Without thinking, he added, "It's his." The words had the unfortunate effect of proving that he was thinking about exactly what she thought he was.

Of course this elicited a whoop of laughter, and Hunter sighed. He loved these kids. Really, he did. But didn't they have anything better to do than to live vicariously through him?

"I think you're the one who's supposed to be sending flowers," Clare advised him, abandoning her own practice as the others started to look up and take notice. If he didn't shut them up now, he was going to be surrounded by a group of gossip-y teachers in minutes.

"We don't do the flower thing," Hunter told her. Frowning suspiciously, he amended, "At least, we never did before."

"It's a message," Jamie decided. "Flowers, from now on. At least you're taking him to dinner, right?"

"Not that it's any of your business," Hunter growled, "But no. I was informed that he'll be taking me to dinner, and I have no say in the destination."

"Where are you going?" Clare wanted to know.

Hunter raised an eyebrow in Ethan's direction as the weapons' teacher joined them. The other ninja just returned the look, letting his amused expression speak for him. "I don't know," Hunter grumbled. "Supposedly I won't be embarrassed. Probably."

"Probably?" Ethan repeated, deigning to participate in the girl gossip for the first time.

"His exact words." Hunter gave Jamie and Clare a pre-emptive glare, not that it would do any good, and recited, "Don't worry, it isn't anywhere that'll embarrass you. Probably."

"In other words, definitely," Clare said, smirking.

"Did anyone ask you?" Hunter retorted. "What time is it, anyway? What are you all still doing here? Go on, clear out. Class is over."

"Yes, Sensei," Jamie teased, and her tone made it very clear that she was teasing. Ethan caught his eye as the girls turned away, and the understated wink made Hunter shake his head. They were way and beyond too involved in his love life.

He made a tactical decision to avoid the dining hall come lunch time. He didn't mind the teachers' constant commentary half as much as he pretended, but there was no reason to invite it in a public forum. He was also just the slightest bit paranoid about finding another rose waiting for him at his place when he arrived... so he headed for his apartment instead. There was food there.

Nothing seemed off to him when he entered. It was empty, quiet, and something of a relief from the campus outside. Everything was where he left it, and he dropped his gear bag by the door before he shucked his uniform and headed for the refrigerator.

He didn't see it until he went to collapse on the couch. It didn't even strike him as odd at first, but he hesitated before sitting down, mug of milk in one hand and a slice of cold pizza in the other. There was a CD on top of the stereo. He didn't leave CDs lying around, as a general rule. Jewel cases were a waste of space, so the only ones he tolerated on his entertainment system were Cam's.

Cam had cleaned his music out last weekend, complaining the whole time that he could never find the stuff he left with Hunter when he wanted it. But now there was another CD case, just sitting there, weirdly deliberate on the otherwise clear surface. Hunter set his mug down and approached the stereo with caution.

A black CD under a clear cover, with the word "Memorex" emblazoned across the top and a single phrase printed in gold marker underneath: play me.

Hunter grinned. It definitely wasn't Cam's style, but no one else knew him well enough to stalk him like this. And if it came right down to it, what was Cam's style? Unpredictable. That was the sum total of his style.

And no question, this qualified.

Hunter put the CD in the stereo and powered it up. He took a large bite of his pizza while he waited for the system to detect the CD and figure out what to do with it. When had Cam expected him to get this, he wondered? He must have figured Hunter wouldn't have time to come back until evening... but on the other hand, he'd gone to the trouble of smuggling it in early. Maybe he had spies?

He must've, Hunter decided, to pull off the rose thing. So that left the question of which of his fellow teachers Cam had subverted to help him with his devious plot. And how much of the plot Hunter had yet to discover. Didn't the guy even take a day off on his birthday?

The opening screech of an unfamiliar song made Hunter narrow his eyes, even if the pounding guitar that started up a moment later marked the music as unmistakably country. He ragged on country because he could, and most of the time Cam let him get away with it. So what was this?

This was a really loud woman, he realized a moment later. "I'm an eight ball shooting double-fisted drinking son of a gun," she began. He wondered if he ought to recognize this song. Something Cam expected him to remember? Or something that was meant to, as Jamie thought, send a message?

"I wear my jeans a little tight just to watch the little boys come undone," the singer screamed, and Hunter's lips quirked. Cam, Cam, Cam... where did he get these songs? "I'm here for the beer and the ball-bustin' band, gonna get a little crazy just because I can..."

Okay, he had officially never heard this song before in his life. Which left the "it's a message" option. He had to admit, he was starting to like that option more and more as the song went on.

Abruptly, Hunter remembered that he was supposed to be eating lunch. He took another absent bite of pizza, but he didn't move from his place by the stereo. This whole country thing was rapidly becoming one of Cam's more entertaining idiosyncracies.

"I may not be a ten but the boys say I clean up good--" And here Hunter scoffed, about to roll his eyes before he realized how stupid he would look responding to the lyrics of a song like they meant something. "If I gave 'em half a chance for some rowdy romance, you know they would..."

Of course, if this was about tonight, Hunter thought with a smirk, then it was on.

Just like that, Hunter's perspective shifted. Cam loved that cowboy hat. And if he was the cowboy, then that made Hunter--

He actually laughed aloud, shaking his head as he took another bite of pizza to hide his amusement. So I wear my pants a little tight, do I? he thought. He might not be country music's biggest fan, but he knew an invitation when he heard it.

The song ended with a siren wailing in the background, which only made him grin again. He waited until the CD stopped and the stereo display reverted to "ready" mode to make sure that was the only thing on it. Then he reached for his cell phone.

He wasn't surprised to get Cam's voice mail.

"Hey," he said, turning away from the stereo to make his way back to the couch. "I think I have a secret admirer. I dunno, maybe we shouldn't go out tonight after all... you two might run into each other, and I'd hate to see you get all upset on your birthday.

"Plus," he added, like it was an afterthought. "That whole police thing, witnesses, giving statements about whose fault it was after you'd wiped the floor with him--that would really slow things down. So, y'know. Let me know if you want to cancel."

He hung up deliberately. He wasn't done, but he was making these separate messages on purpose. He counted to three before redialing. "By the way," he told Cam's voice mail. "Happy birthday."

He snapped his phone shut and tossed it on the table. The fact that the phone worked at all was thanks to Cam, who had finally gotten fed up with terrible cell service at the academies. Hunter didn't know what he had done, but the cloak still worked and now the phones worked too, so no one was complaining.

Hunter settled onto the couch, using the stereo remote to start the CD over again. The best thing about cold pizza--other than the fact it required no prep time--was that no matter how long you ignored it, it couldn't get any colder. The worst thing about cold pizza was that it made you remember when it had been hot pizza, and those memories were invariably better than whatever you were doing while you ate the leftovers.

He picked up his mug, ignoring the UCLA logo on the side. He didn't know why stores even bothered to sell mugs. Everyone in the world had at least a dozen, and as fast as you got rid of them other people were always giving you more. Case in point, colleges and other places of employment. Nothing said "cheap free gift" like a mug.

Except, of course, that people used them. He was using this one, and it wasn't even his. Which was why he liked it, he argued silently. But no, that wasn't much of a counter-argument, because the fact that it was Cam's cheap free gift didn't change the fact that it was a cheap free gift. It just meant that he was hopelessly in love with someone who didn't keep very good track of his free gifts.

Almost of its own volition, his hand went to the silver chain around his neck, fingers brushing the eight-pointed starburst at its center.

His phone rang.

He grabbed the remote and turned the music down before he picked up the phone. "Hey," he said, trying to sound casual. "Weird stuff happening around here today."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Cam's voice informed him. "But my spies tell me you skipped lunch in the dining hall."

Hunter raised an eyebrow, trying to keep the smirk out of his voice. "Obviously the right choice. Turn over your spies and I'll reconsider my revenge."

He could hear Cam snort over the phone. "I'm sure you will. You'll reconsider it right into a more widespread application."

He was grinning and this time he knew Cam could tell. "I gotta get some new tricks. I'm not gonna be seeing any more roses today, am I?"

"No promises," Cam replied. "I have to go; I've got a meeting."

"Where are we going tonight?" Hunter wanted to know.

"You'll see," Cam answered, and he actually sounded amused. "My birthday, my choice."

"At least tell me what to wear," Hunter objected.

Cam seemed to consider that for a moment. "Dress for clubbing," he said at last.

Hunter raised his eyebrows. Dress for clubbing?

"See you at six," Cam added.

He just shook his head. "See you," Hunter agreed, still pondering that as he hung up. Clubbing. Since when did Cam go clubbing for fun? Since when did Cam go clubbing at all, if not to humor Hunter? He had expected something a little more... cultural, for Cam's birthday.

And his spies had told him Hunter wasn't in the dining hall? Hunter did a mental review of Thunder Academy teachers that Cam had hit it off with. Jamie was working through lunch. Clare had been leaving campus immediately after class, but might have stopped by the dining hall before she went. Ethan... Ethan could be anywhere, and he was just quiet and devious enough to have been part of a scheme.

It's always the ones you least expect, Hunter thought darkly. Yeah, it could definitely be Ethan.

He had time to start "Here for the Party" again before he finished his pizza, and he left it on while he washed his hands and put the mug in the sink. He didn't bother to rinse it out--if it was still dirty when he saw Cam tonight, he wouldn't be able to give it back. He cleaned up everything else and turned the stereo off on his way out the door.

Clubbing, he though, as he headed back to work. What was that supposed to mean?

Cam made good on his threat, and Hunter had two more roses before the end of the day. The third one, rather to his relief, was waiting in a vase when he finally made it back to his room. But the second one had been delivered to the teachers' room just after lunch, when everyone and their brother was getting ready for afternoon classes. So much for avoiding a scene by staying away from the dining hall.

Revenge, Hunter decided, would have to wait until after tonight. He needed to know the extent of Cam's plans before he could properly retaliate. After all, a few flowers and some music could be answered with one or two judiciously placed phone calls. But more than that--particularly if it involved drinking and club clothes--would demand a more thought out response.

He caught himself smiling and tried to frown instead. This wasn't funny. This was serious. This was war. The war of the cute. The war of the romantic. The war, in short, of everything he had tried to spare Cam in the face of the vaguely anti-gay sentiment that had seemed to pervade the Wind Academy earlier this year.

It was also what one might consider a natural escalation of hostilities. This realization came when he stepped into his bedroom to change and was confronted by a giant green plush dragonfly with iridescent wings. Cam had flat-out refused to carry it back to his own academy last night, after Hunter presented the stuffed animal to him as an early birthday gift. So it joined the large red dog on Hunter's bed, and it occurred to him that they were already way more familiar with each other than flowers implied.

They had skipped the flowers stage of the relationship, Hunter thought. Or had they both just agreed to ignore it? Flowers were, if it had to be said... well, girly. Since when did two guys give each other roses?

Since when do guys give each other stuffed animals? he wondered.

Since Cam had made it okay with his joke about fluffy toys, that was when. And if he was going to make flowers okay with his rose torture, then, well--Hunter was pretty okay with that too. He didn't think there was much Cam could do that he would mind.

Famous last words, he thought, wondering whether it was safer to be amused or worried.

It wasn't until he had changed, grabbed his jacket, and pocketed his keys that he saw the note on the door. Just a single post-it, stuck to the inside of the door to his apartment, with the words "Think about locking your door," scrawled on it. It was signed simply, Ethan.

Hunter's mouth quirked. Guess confirmed.

Cam was waiting when he arrived at the Wind Academy, standing outside his door and chatting with Dustin. Chatting? Cam? Hunter couldn't help smirking. It made a pretty, if somewhat implausible, picture. Cam's outfit didn't hurt any, either.

Cam smiled at him when he joined them, and Dustin greeted him with typical enthusiasm. Nice to see that extra responsibility hadn't changed Dustin in the slightest, Hunter thought, grinning. He was just as effusive and scatter-brained as ever.

"So yeah, thank you so much for the stuff that was all, well, you know." This appeared to be directed at Cam, so Hunter ignored it. "And dude, happy birthday!"

Okay, not that scatter-brained. Hunter regarded him with grudging respect. If Tori was to be believed, Dustin had once forgotten his own birthday, so this sudden knowledge of Cam's was pretty impressive. Maybe they were bonding over Marah and Kapri more than he'd realized.

Cam accepted Dustin's farewell with equanimity. Hunter managed a belated "See you," when Dustin waved at them both before disappearing, then turned a surprised look on his boyfriend. "Getting pretty chummy with Dustin, huh?"

"I seem to recall you criticizing me for not being 'chummy' enough when the school first reopened," Cam said dryly. "Changed your mind?"

Hunter frowned, falling into step beside Cam. "Did I say that?"

"Which?" Cam countered. "We're trying to keep my cousins enrolled, that's all. It's harder than it sounds, unfortunately."

"Trouble?"

"No more than usual. Why, are you looking for excitement?"

Hunter smirked. "No more than usual."

He didn't mention the roses until they reached the truck, and Cam didn't seem inclined to bring it up either. But for the first time, it occurred to him to open the passenger door before getting in himself. Cam accepted the courtesy without comment.

"So," Hunter said, settling into the driver's seat and putting the keys into the ignition. He didn't start the truck. "Want to tell me what's going on?"

Cam gave him a look like he had no idea what he was talking about. "What?"

"The roses," Hunter said patiently. "Traditionally, one expects to get flowers on his birthday, not give them away." There was a pause in which Cam said nothing, and Hunter added, "I liked the song, by the way. Any hidden meaning there?"

"Were you looking for some?" Cam retorted, but his protest sounded half-hearted.

"Yeah, I kind of was." Hunter studied him. Cam wasn't looking at him, was in fact staring at the racing sticker peeling on the glove compartment. "Since it's not standard you behavior. Sending flowers, I mean. Breaking into people's rooms and leaving them music. That kind of thing."

"I didn't break in," Cam disagreed.

"Your spies did," Hunter informed him. "I know. One of them left me a note."

Cam shook his head, wearing an expression that was too solemn to be anything but mocking. "Traitor."

"Right. So spill," Hunter demanded.

Cam sighed, but he didn't look particularly upset. Maybe a little uncomfortable, but not upset. "Okay. The ninja academies... well, they know us, right?"

Hunter raised an eyebrow. "Right," he said cautiously, when Cam seemed to expect an answer. What did that mean?

"Maybe my dad has some problems, but he puts up with it because he knows us." Cam grimaced at the dashboard. "It's going to be different when we leave. People won't... accept things, just because they know us."

Cam was being annoyingly cryptic, but Hunter had a bad feeling nonetheless. "Things," he repeated. "Us, you mean? Being together?"

"Yeah, us." Cam didn't look up. "UCLA's different, Hunter. The academies are traditional. The university... it's current. It's... open. Liberal."

"I wouldn't have guessed," Hunter said dryly. He hadn't thought about it, but it didn't sound like a bad thing. Cam's discomfort was really making him nervous, here. Different. Different how?

Cam finally turned to him, catching his eye and keeping it. "I'm not going to hide who I am there, Hunter. Or who I'm with."

Hunter just looked at him, unsure what he was supposed to say to that. Yeah? So?

Cam looked like he was bracing himself for something. "I don't know if you're okay with that."

Hunter frowned a little. "Sure I'm okay with it. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Okay enough to go to the Transfer Bar?"

He wouldn't have had any idea what that was if one of the teachers hadn't invited him a couple of weeks ago. "That one of the gay bars in the city?" he guessed.

Cam just nodded, and Hunter finally got it. "Is that what this is about?" he demanded, hoping to hell he was right, that the relief he felt was justified. "Being out?"

"Kind of." Cam sounded defensive. "Yeah."

Hunter was grinning. "A gay bar?" he teased, hard-pressed to keep from laughing at Cam's reluctance to spell it out for him. Like he might somehow be embarrassed to be seen with Cam... And all this time he'd thought it was the other way around.

"Is this a warning?" Hunter demanded, and he wasn't hiding his delight at all. "Should I be worried? The second you get away from the academies you're going to turn into a mushy, romantic fool? With the flowers, and the music--"

"Shut up," Cam snapped reflexively, and Hunter couldn't help it. He laughed aloud.

"You're a closet softie!" he crowed. "I should have guessed! You're not coming out as a queer, you're coming out as a romantic!"

Cam folded his arms, glaring at the dashboard, but his lips twitched and Hunter knew he wasn't angry. Annoyed, maybe, but hell, he deserved it after all that "It's going to be different when we leave" stuff. And come on... he could have just asked.

"Hey," Hunter said, grin still threatening to spill into laughter as he laid a hand on Cam's shoulder. He leaned over, deliberately provocative, and brushed his cheek against Cam's. "I love a romantic," he murmured.

He felt Cam exhale softly, turning his head just the slightest bit, and Hunter decided to go for it. Kissing Cam's skin, he breathed in his ear, "I love you."

There was another soft huff of air, probably amusement. "Love you too," Cam said softly.

Man, was that sweet to hear. And hey, if Cam thought he could handle a gay bar, then Hunter wasn't about to stand in his way. But...

"You know they're gonna card you," he teased, pulling away.

"They won't," Cam said, irritatingly calm. "But they'll card you."

Much to Hunter's annoyance, he was right.

13. Week Fifty

It was more than three hours after the last student had completed the physical part of their element test. Cam had been in conference after conference, meeting first with the teachers of each elemental discipline to hear their recommendations, and then with selected students who hovered on the line between passing and not. Those were always the hardest, the ones the teachers couldn't quite agree on and so the decision fell to him.

He wasn't surprised to find both Marah and Kapri in that group in each of their respective disciplines. In fact Marah was the only earth element whose promotion was in question, and out of all the questionable students she was the only one with a Ranger teacher on her side. Even Dustin's support, it seemed, was not enough to qualify her unconditionally.

Kapri's story was somewhat different. She had three air teachers in favor of passing her, and two against. If elemental promotion were done by majority vote, she would have earned her element easily. But elements were awarded to first years by consensus, not majority rule, and the two teachers who were against her were unwavering in their decision. They could not be convinced--and the three who supported her weren't any more willing to yield.

So Cam met with Marah, then with Kapri, with a second air student, and with one of the water students. It was rare that four students would be so disputed. Typically even one was a rarity. Teachers knew their students by the end of the year, and the tests were more of a formality than anything else. It wasn't that the results didn't matter... it was more that any good teacher could predict which students would perform well and which would not when the time for testing arrived.

It was a testament to the degree to which Lothor had shaken up the academy, Cam thought, that the teachers couldn't agree on whether or not to promote so many students. One of the teachers had actually told him that the reason she wouldn't pass Kapri was because the girl couldn't focus in a fight. Never mind the ability and the progress she displayed in other areas--if she couldn't defend herself she didn't pass.

Cam thought that was a terrible way to judge a first year student, and he said so.

One name he was pleased to see missing from the list of disputed students was Nena's. The committee of water teachers who had administered her physical test all agreed that she should be promoted out of the novitiate class. He had no doubt that she had passed the written test, given that she had already passed it twice before, which meant that she had finally earned the element she had been chasing for three years now.

Whether or not she had passed the second test he had given her remained to be seen.

The teacher conferences were dismissed as soon as he finished with them, and the non-residential students were sent home after he talked with the last one whose test results were in question. It had been a long couple of days, for him and all of them. But he still had one more evaluation to make, and he was going to do it tonight.

The way of the samurai is the way of human strength, Nena had written. It differs from the way of the ninja in that its power comes solely from within. Where a ninja must be at peace with the world around her, a samurai must be at peace with the world inside of her. A samurai draws on the power of human awareness, the awareness of the self, rather than the awareness of worldly elements.

Cam sighed. That wasn't what he had asked. She was trying too hard, looking for the "right" answer. All he wanted was a little personal introspection on her part, some insight into who she was now and how it compared to who she had been at the beginning of the year.

Cam started to grin. That's what he wanted. An honest answer; that was all he asked.

It's also built my confidence, she continued. It's given me a wider perspective on the history of martial arts training, and that's something that's helped me in samurai and ninja studies alike. They aren't independent disciplines. They're related philosophies, each with its own focus and application.

Cam's eyes narrowed, and his smile vanished. What was so hard about it? Was there something about the word "you" that had been unclear? He didn't need her to recite everything he had taught her back to him. She was his only samurai student; he knew perfectly well which parts of it she understood and which she was still struggling with. He just wanted to know how she felt about it.

He flipped through the rest of her test, exasperated at the string of too-perfect answers. She might as well have been presenting a lecture on her discipline for people who had never heard of it before. Every once in a while, some snide remark about free time or social integration would slip in, but for the most part she seemed to be more interested in impressing her nonexistent audience than in being herself.

He tossed the papers down on the table and got to his feet, ready to go ask her what she had been thinking. He hesitated, then, remembering her utter focus during the weapons drills. She had worked harder than anyone else the last two days, doing his tests on top of her water element practice, and confronting her now would be both unfair and unproductive. If she couldn't answer the question in writing, how could he expect her to be any less defensive when he put her on the spot?

Her element. That was what she needed right now. That was what she had earned, he reminded himself, and that would mean more to her than the results of her samurai test anyway. The other students wouldn't find out how they had done until later, but Nena had waited long enough already.

Cam left his office and headed for the holographic entryway. The teacher conferences might have officially ended, but he'd be surprised if the teachers were actually gone. Testing week was one of the most intense experiences anyone at the academy went through, for the teachers no less than the students. Most students didn't realize that the teachers were tested too--just in a different way.

As he'd suspected, four of the five water teachers were still gathered by the pool outside the holographic entryway when he arrived. Tori was among them. Her presence, and Dustin's in his own discipline, was unusual in a group that tended to involve only the more experienced teachers.

"Hey, Cam." She was the first to greet him as he joined them by the edge of the water. "Need more information?"

"No, I'm done with the student evaluations." He glanced around at the assembled teachers, all of whom he had known for years. In fact, Tori was both his most recent and closest friend here. "Do you have the element badges with you?"

"I do," Chandra offered, after a brief pause. "Here."

"Did you pass our disputed student?" Tori asked curiously.

"This isn't for him," Cam answered, accepting the badge from Chandra.

"Going to make yourself an honorary water ninja?" Tori teased.

He gave her a look. "You know, it wasn't so long ago that you were falling in this pool instead of walking on it."

"Don't hate me because I have attitude," she replied impertinently. She gave him a little smirk as she said it, and he tried not to smile back. They were all like that, all the former Rangers... he just got it from Hunter more because he was around him the most.

"I try to overlook it," he said, and wouldn't that make Hunter laugh. Hunter, who claimed Cam had more attitude than all of them put together.

It made Tori laugh too. "Nothing annoys us more than seeing ourselves in someone else," she informed him, obviously quoting from one of her classes. But was it one of the classes she taught or one of the classes she was taking, Cam wondered?

He was still pondering her words as he made his way back to the main academy building. Tori did have an attitude, and it was what made her a Ranger when she'd barely been allowed to stay on as a student at the academy. Nena, too, had some of that same attitude: the wit, the intelligence, the ability to see through things and turn people on their head just by understanding them.

But Nena tried to suppress that attitude, tried to keep it under wraps, hidden beneath a veneer of proper, obedient, carbon copy model student behavior. Just as he'd felt he had to in order to win his father's approval. Maybe that was why he fought so hard for her... and why her test answers had annoyed him more than they should.

She wasn't in the dining hall, but he found her on the second try in the student lounge just outside the water element classrooms. There were two other students there as well, but she wasn't participating in their conversation. She was sprawled out on the couch, one leg hanging off the side and a book held up over her head. Her eyes flicked toward the door when he appeared in it, and she lowered the book in surprise.

Cam tilted his head back the way he'd come. She looked around, like she'd lost her bookmark somewhere, and finally just tossed the book on the table and got up to follow him. Her movement attracted the other students' attention, but though they looked as startled to see him as she had they didn't offer a word of greeting or inquiry.

Cam didn't speak until they were out of earshot of the lounge. "I know it's been a long day," he began. "Would you mind stepping outside for a moment?"

"No, it's fine," she said immediately, but she sounded nervous and he supposed she couldn't blame her. For all she knew, her test results had been disputed and he was here to interview her the way he had the others.

"It's not about your test," he said over his shoulder, as they made their way toward the door. Which wasn't strictly true, but at least it wasn't anything negative--not about the test she was thinking of.

When they got outside he led the way down one of the side paths toward a meditation gazebo. They were only about halfway here when he said conversationally, "Actually, I lied. It is about your test."

He came to a halt, pulling the element badge out of his teaching robes and holding it up for her to see. "You passed," Cam said simply.

Nena looked torn between disbelief and hope. "Are you serious?"

For once, he didn't give a question like that the kind of sarcastic reply it deserved. She had every reason to be skeptical. But she also had a water element, and he reached out to pluck the school symbol off of the front of her training uniform.

"You won't be needing this," Cam told her, pocketing the generic Wind Academy badge. "You have a new one now."

Nena took the metal disc slowly, looking from it to him and back again and she held it up. The blue dolphin tail glinted in the light, the Wind Academy's symbol of a trained water ninja. She ran her thumb across the surface, a smile gracing her expression at last.

"I wasn't sure I would ever get this," she said at last. She didn't look up at him right away, taking the time to attach the new badge to the top corner of her training uniform.

"What made this year different?" Cam asked casually, turning away to continue his walk down the path. Just because he'd decided not to "confront" her didn't mean he couldn't steer the conversation.

Nena fell into step beside him without protest. "It was the samurai training." She didn't have to think about it and she didn't sound self-conscious about it, which amused him after the careful thought she must have put into her written test.

"It made me..." She trailed off, then started again. "I was good at it without studying," she said. "I mean, I did study, but there were parts of it that I just learned, I just figured out--parts of it that came naturally. It was good to be good at something for a change. And it made me realize that maybe there was more to ninja training than just studying, too."

"Training... any kind of training," Cam amended, "has as much to do with confidence as it does with skill."

"Yeah." He could see Nena nod out of the corner of his eye. "That's what I didn't have. I know a lot of my teachers thought that being a terrible ninja destroyed my self-confidence, but it didn't." He could hear the rueful note in her voice, but she kept going. "I didn't have any confidence to begin with. Samurai training changed that."

"Why did you have confidence in your samurai skills when you didn't have any in your ninja skills?" Cam wanted to know.

She hesitated this time, and she did sound a little self-conscious now when she answered. "Because you did. I've never... well, don't take this the wrong way, Sensei. But I don't ever remember someone believing in me before. I mean, it's not like I have a terrible life or anything, but..."

She didn't have any family. No parents, no siblings, just a series of foster homes and one failed attempt at higher education on state sponsorship. The academy had recruited her from the seasonal tourist ship where she'd worked three years ago, and she hadn't even bothered to say goodbye. She had told them she didn't have anyone to say goodbye to.

When Lothor abducted all of the ninja students and imprisoned them aboard his ship for an entire year, Nena had been the only one to slip into her old life like she had never left. Because as far as anyone knew, she was just another drifter, another anonymous sometimes-employed minimum-wage worker who for once wasn't collecting government aid. Her disappearance had caused no ripples because the only people who would know she was missing were at the academy.

"I understand," Cam said, when she didn't seem inclined to continue.

"It's just that you telling me I had this ability really mattered," Nena insisted. "I want you to know that. It made a huge difference to me. This--" She tapped the badge on her uniform, fingernail clicking softly against the metal. "This is because of you."

No, it wasn't, but Cam let that slide for a moment. "So what does the way of the samurai mean to you?" he asked quietly, keeping his eyes on the view from the edge of the gazebo.

"It means a second chance," she answered. "Or maybe even the first. Not the first chance I've had... but the first one I've taken. And once you've taken one chance..." He could hear the smile in her voice as she trailed off.

"Going to become a risk-taker now?" he suggested dryly.

"Now that I have something to risk?" she countered. "Yeah. Maybe I am."

He smiled. There was the attitude.

Cam turned to her, his gaze flicking to the element on her uniform and then back to her face. "That's not because of me," he told her. "It's because of you."

He reached into his teaching robes and drew out a second badge, this one emblazoned with an eight-pointed star. "And so is this," he said, holding it out to her.

She just looked at it for a long moment, then lifted her eyes to his. "I don't want anything I didn't earn, Sensei."

He didn't lower his hand. "Your written test sucked, Nena. You told me everything I taught you, which isn't even close to what I asked. I wanted you to teach me something. The way you did just now."

She gave him a skeptical look. "So I failed, but you're going to pass me anyway? No thank you."

"Not every test comes on a sheet of paper," he reminded her. "I don't pass students that didn't earn it."

Nena stared at him. "That's my written test," she said finally. "What about the physical?"

If she didn't take the badge soon, he was going to put it on her uniform himself. "You can't seriously think you failed the physical test," he said, somewhat impatiently. "I hope you'll think about teaching a weapons' class next year. Novice ninja, too: we have a shortage of compassionate first year teachers right now."

She didn't stop staring at him. Cam raised his eyebrows at her. "You know, false modesty is a particularly annoying vice. Get anymore self-deprecating and I'm going to re-enroll you as a novitiate just to teach you a lesson."

Nena snatched the samurai badge out of his hand with a less than flattering grimace. "What do you want me to do," she demanded, "wear both of them?"

"Yes," Cam agreed, trying not to sound too smug. "That's how they do it in Japan. Element on your chest, training style on your shoulder. For most people the training style is ninja, so they wear the badge of their academy. For you, your training style is samurai."

She considered the badge for another long moment, then reached up and removed her dolphin symbol. She put the samurai badge in its place. She proceeded to take the school badge off of her shoulder and replace it with her water element. "I'd rather wear it like this," she said calmly.

Cam shrugged. "Suit yourself," he said, amused by her defiance.

He really had gotten used to the Rangers' audacity, hadn't he. Now he was looking for it. He almost shook his head at himself.

"So tell me what your friend said," Nena said abruptly.

He gave her a puzzled look.

"During the holidays," she prompted him. "I tried to leave the academy, and you wouldn't let me. You said a friend gave you some advice you should have followed, but you wouldn't tell me what it was unless I finished out the year at the academy. I did," she added, as though he might not have noticed. "Now it's your turn."

He couldn't help it. He laughed. He hadn't forgotten, but the story was going to sound all the more implausible in light of what she had confessed to him.

"The 'friend' was Hunter," he said. She nodded, like she had expected that. "He told me not to teach."

Nena just stared at him. "What?" she managed at last.

"He told me not to teach," Cam repeated, perfectly aware of the irony. He should have listened to Hunter--but if he had, Nena wouldn't still be at the academy today.

"He told me it wasn't what I wanted," he offered, taking pity on her shocked expression. "To live in my dad's shadow, to go back to the world I'd lived on the outside of just to prove I could do it... and do it better than anyone else. I think I took the head teaching job in revenge," he admitted. "For all those years when my dad wouldn't even let me train."

She didn't answer right away. He wondered what she was thinking, but it was only the truth. That was what he'd asked of her, and that was what he was giving her in return. He hoped it didn't make him seem less in her eyes.

"Wow," Nena breathed finally. "So this isn't what you want to do at all."

"Teach at a ninja academy?" His mouth quirked upward. "No, I guess not. I thought it was... All my life, I wanted to be a ninja when I grew up. But I guess what we want isn't always what we need."

Nena's scrutiny was a little bit disconcerting, as though she'd heard more in his words than he had said. "What do you need, Sensei?"

He held her gaze evenly, but he didn't have an answer for that. "I'll let you know when I find it," he said at last.

She was smiling now. "Your word as a samurai?"

He didn't miss the insinuation. "I told you it was more valuable than my word as a teacher."

Nena shook her head slowly. "No, Sensei. I don't think it is." She paused--to make sure he understood, he thought. "Your word as a teacher would be enough for me."

"Then you have it." That meant a lot to him, even if he didn't tell her. "Keep in touch, Nena."

Her smile brightened. "Same to you, Sensei Cam."

He nodded. It was past time to go, and he took a single step away from the gazebo. Her voice stopped him before he could take another.

"Cam?" It was the first time she had called him only by his name. "If you're this good at something you don't even want to do," she said, her voice laced with some secret amusement, "I pity the competition when you find whatever it is you do want to do."

He turned just enough that she could see him smile before he headed back up the path.

14. Thanks Giving Day

It was nine-thirty in the morning and he hadn't even gotten dressed yet. That, right there, was as much of an omen as he could ask for. It was going to be a good, good day. The kind of day where you sat on the couch in your sweats and watched TV and ate junk food and no one bothered you, because you weren't on call for the first time in almost two years.

Hunter put his feet up on the low table in front of the couch and pulled his bowl of dry cereal closer. Cocoa Puffs were like chocolate popcorn, and whoever had decided that they counted as breakfast food was a genius. As was the first person to realize that sweatpants were more than just the "exercise" clothes they were marketed as. And the person who'd invented the remote control.

Yeah, he decided, resting his head against the back of the couch. He couldn't really see the TV screen that way, but then again, he didn't really need to. It was definitely going to be a good day.

Something meowed. He rolled his head to one side to glare at the cell phone beside the couch just as it burst into an electronic jingle that was completely unrecognizable. The phone meowed again, and he narrowed his eyes at it.

No good. He couldn't read the display from where he was. He lifted the Cocoa Puffs and sat up, rescuing the phone just as another meow interrupted the music. He silenced the sound before he had even registered the name: Tori.

You win the answered call lottery, he thought, lifting the phone to his ear. "Hey, Tor. What's going on?"

There was a brief pause. "Hunter?" she asked, sounding a little more surprised than he thought she should. There were only so many people who answered this phone. Who was she expecting?

"Yeah," he said anyway, because she seemed to be waiting for a reply. He didn't elaborate. He was not on call, damn it. He was officially off duty. He had the clothes and the TV and the snacks to prove it.

"Is Cam around?" Tori wanted to know.

He looked around the room, mostly as a way to keep himself from snapping at her. "I don't see him," he drawled, deliberately slow and maybe a little more pointed than he'd wanted it to be. He wasn't trying to be short with her.

"Well, do you know where he is?" she prodded. "It's about the demo."

She might have won the lottery for answered phone calls, but she'd just lost the one for helpfulness. "I got up late," he told the phone. "I'm still tired, I haven't had any coffee, and right now I'm completely alone. I don't know what else to tell you."

"All right, okay." Tori did know when to back off. "I'm sorry; I just have some questions and I was hoping Cam would be able to help me out."

"Yeah, well." He used his free hand to fiddle with the remote, turning the volume up just a little. "He'll be at the academy this afternoon, right? For dinner. You can ask him then."

"Right," she agreed, and he could hear her reluctance. "Okay. I guess I'll see you later, then."

"Yeah." He hung up and tossed the phone back where it belonged, settling himself comfortably on the couch again. Chocolate popcorn and a remote control and the whole day off. Life was good.

The muted rattle of a doorknob and the sound of a door being pulled open made him glance in that direction. A familiar figure shuffled out, emerging from the relative dimness and quiet of the bedroom into the light of day. His dark hair was rumpled, his feet were bare, and his sweats and t-shirt looked remarkably wrinkled for clothes that hadn't actually been slept in.

"Morning," Hunter offered, turning back to the TV and slouching down a little further on the couch. With any luck, he'd have company on the cushions in a few minutes. Days really didn't come any better.

"Hey," Cam answered, his voice still rough with sleep. "Is that--" He cleared his throat and tried again. "Who was that on the phone?"

Hunter didn't look away from the TV screen. "No one."

"Was it Tori?" Cam was disturbingly quick for someone who had just woken up. "I should call her... see how things are going."

"You'll see her tonight," Hunter reminded the television. "She'll be back at the academy before we leave."

Cam made a noncommittal sound, but he wasn't reaching for the cell phone he'd left out and that was at least partly a win. There was a long moment where he might have been considering the issue more seriously, but then he asked, "What is this?"

Hunter glanced over at him and Cam tipped his head at the TV. Hunter reached for the remote, clicking the volume up a little more now that Cam was awake. "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade," he said, trading the remote for his bowl of cereal as he leaned back on the couch again. "You don't watch it?"

"You do?" Cam countered. His skepticism was mitigated by the fact that he had wandered over to the couch and dropped a hand onto Hunter's shoulder while he considered the screen. "I guess I expected something more... football-like."

"Doesn't start till afternoon," Hunter said, resting his head on the back of the couch as he looked up at Cam. "Cocoa Puffs?"

His saw Cam's eyes flick toward the bowl on the couch beside him. "Those are candy, not cereal."

Hunter tried to suppress a smile. "Yeah? And?"

That got an eye roll from Cam, but the effect of his supposed disdain was muted by a yawn. He was wearing his old killer monkeys t-shirt, the one Hunter had given him as a joke more than a year ago now, and it made him look more like a gamer than a geek. Hunter reached back and fisted his fingers in the shirt, tugging gently. "C'mere."

Cam might be sleepy, but he knew an invitation when he heard one. He braced his hands against the arm of the couch as he leaned down for a kiss. Hunter didn't try to make it into anything familiar, just let Cam figure it out on his own. And after a moment, he did. Their mouths fit together, warm and easy and comfortable, and when Cam pulled away Hunter was already missing the closeness.

Yeah, he thought, satisfied with the experiment. Cam could even kiss well upside down. He released Cam's shirt and nodded at the space beside him. "Wanna join me?"

"Is that your new euphemism for 'make out'?" Cam asked, lips twitching when Hunter pretended to be offended. "Because I was up late last night and I don't have enough energy to really participate."

"Is it my fault if you have sex on the brain?" Hunter countered. "I'm watching TV. I figured maybe I could get you to watch with me. That's all."

Cam was smiling, and lately, that was all he asked. "In a minute," he agreed.

Hunter watched him wander across the room, disappearing into the bathroom briefly and then stopping in the kitchen to rifle through the mail they had tossed on the counter the night before. It had been so late when they got in that they didn't even bother to look through it. The academies forwarded mail from places that hadn't gotten their change-of-address forms weekly, so it tended to come in bursts.

"Huh," Cam said, holding up an envelope as though Hunter could read it from where he was. He added something that was possibly an explanation, or maybe a name, but was rendered incomprehensible by his yawn.

"Didn't get that," Hunter told him.

"Nena," Cam repeated, looking around the kitchen. "Coffee?"

Assuming those were two separate statements, Hunter shook his head. "Don't need it," he replied. "Don't have to wake up today."

Cam hesitated, as though there was something fundamentally debatable about that point... but he didn't contest it. Instead he came over to the couch, dropped his envelope on the table beside Hunter's feet, and then headed back toward the bedroom. Hunter raised an eyebrow, but he didn't say anything.

A moment later, Cam reemerged with a sweatshirt and a blanket, and Hunter smiled. He moved the bowl out of the way and put the remote on the arm of the couch, making room for Cam. Cam dropped the blanket at the other end of the couch and pulled his sweatshirt on before sitting down next to Hunter. He picked up the envelope and tore it open, and Hunter could see the handwritten note on a piece of notebook paper as Cam leaned back.

He looked away, watching the TV in case this was one of those things that Cam didn't think was any of his business. Sometimes he seemed annoyed by Hunter's willingness to involve himself in any situation and sometimes he didn't. Today it wasn't really worth arguing over.

When Cam was done, though, he passed the note to Hunter and reached for the bowl of Cocoa Puffs. Hunter read it, then handed it back rather going to all the trouble of sitting up to reach the table. "Nice," he remarked.

"Yeah." Cam set the paper down and pulled his legs up to sit cross-legged on the couch. It was an annoyingly ninja thing to do, mostly because it kept him from leaning against Hunter in any way, but Hunter knew him well enough by now to know that he'd probably just done it to keep his feet warm.

"She's right, you know," Cam added. He took another handful of Cocoa Puffs before offering the bowl to Hunter. "It's a good time of year to tell people what they mean to you."

"Is that a hint?" Hunter wanted to know. He took some cereal but left Cam with the bowl, because having someone else serve him food was way better than having to hold it on his lap. The parade had gone to commercial, and he had to turn the volume down a little because this was a particularly obnoxious one that Cam was going to complain about if it didn't stop soon.

"No," Cam said quietly, and for once he didn't seem to be paying any attention to the commercials. "It's a preface to something I'm about to say."

"Oh." Hunter considered that, then turned the volume on the TV down even further. "Okay."

Cam smiled a little at his sudden attention, but he must have planned what he was going to say before because he didn't hesitate. "Thank you for telling me the truth about the academy," he said. "Last year, when I said I wasn't ready to give up my place there..."

Cam paused, then shook his head. "I wasn't doing what I wanted to do. I was doing what I was expected to do. You were right about that, and I was wrong."

Hunter looked at him for a long moment. "I didn't say you were wrong," he said at last.

Cam raised an eyebrow at him. "You strongly implied it."

Hunter tried not to smile. "Maybe."

"I didn't belong there," Cam said quietly. "And no one even saw that, because I was so good at it. They only saw what I did for the school--not what it did to me. Except you," he said, lifting his gaze from the cereal bowl to Hunter's face. "Once I knew you were right, it meant a lot to me that someone knew me that well.

"And of course," Cam added, looking away, "having you around kept me from having a nervous breakdown, so thanks for that."

He couldn't keep from smiling at that. "Yeah, well. Anything I can do."

"You've done," Cam finished softly.

"Hey." Hunter caught him just as he would have pulled away, realizing too late that he was just reaching for the blanket. He cleared his throat, shrugging uncomfortably. "I had an interest, y'know."

When Cam just looked at him, he clarified, "In keeping you sane, I mean."

The hint of a smile touched Cam's face, and Hunter said impulsively, "I would've tested. If you hadn't stuck around."

Cam went very still. "I didn't ask you not to."

"I'd never have seen you," Hunter muttered, shrugging again. "I didn't want to... y'know, give you up. If I didn't have to."

There was a long moment where the TV was the only thing talking. "You might not have seen me," Cam agreed at last. There was another pause, and then he said, "You would now, though. Even if you went pro."

He knew that, and it was one of the biggest reasons he had for not trying. Cam had already said he would work around Hunter's schedule if he wanted to race professionally, and Cam was not an accommodating person. If he said he'd do it, then he had to have as much invested in this relationship as Hunter did. And Hunter had zero desire to walk away from that--even temporarily.

"You said," he reminded Cam. "But it turns out there's stuff I want more."

He paused, but Cam had been all sentimental first, so maybe he owed him that much. "I guess I have you to thank for that, too," he blurted out. "Cause this is my home now, and I thought I was ready to give that up, but maybe I wasn't."

He stared at Cam, but the man he had stayed for just smiled down at the table, so he added, "Thanks for... y'know. Making me realize that."

Cam lifted his head, shooting him an amused look that was as warm as his tone. "Anything I can do," he echoed lightly.

Hunter recognized the joke and was actually pretty proud of himself for figuring out the right response. "You've done," he finished.

Cam smiled more easily these days, but that didn't make the expression any less desirable. And this time when he reached for the blanket, Hunter let him, and he was rewarded by a very comfortable Cam pressed up against his shoulder while the parade continued. They mocked it idly for a while, which was easy and familiar and more entertaining than the parade itself.

When Cam slouched down further and closed his eyes, Hunter finished off the Cocoa Puffs and set the bowl aside quietly. He didn't say anything, satisfied to have his boyfriend dozing the morning away in their shared apartment. The apartment thing had been a little more spontaneous than Cam's dad would have liked, but pleasing Sensei Watanabe had always been an uphill battle. It was working out all right so far.

He thought Cam was asleep until, out of the blue, he remarked, "Tori will be a better head teacher than I was."

Hunter glanced at him, but his eyes were still closed. "You think?" he said, because he didn't know what else to say.

Cam just nodded.

Hunter considered that. "She won't be teaching under the same conditions," he said at last. "Not much of a comparison."

Cam opened his eyes then, and he looked thoughtful. "You were a better head teacher than Ethan will be."

Hunter raised an eyebrow. "Where did you get this gift for seeing into the future? And why do you want to rank everyone, anyway? We all do the best we can with what we've got.

"I did," he added. "You did. Now it's someone else's turn."

"I could have done better," Cam muttered, shifting to pull the blanket closer around him.

"No, you couldn't have," Hunter said firmly. "Because you didn't. Whatever you did is what you could do, okay? Just figure nothing's perfect and move on, 'cause you're not gonna make things any better by obsessing over the past."

Cam turned his head to look at him. "Is that your life philosophy?" he wanted to know. He sounded less guilty, though, maybe even a little bit appreciative when he added, "Stuff happens. Move on."

Hunter thought about it briefly, but Cam didn't seem to be looking for more so he just shrugged. "Seems to fit my life so far," Hunter told him.

He heard Cam let out an amused breath. "Yeah. Mine too."

They watched the parade mill on for a few minutes before Hunter said, "Okay, forget moving on for a second, 'cause I have something to say about your predictions."

This time, Cam actually laughed, and that was a cool thing to hear. "Go for it," he agreed. He sounded happy and warm and more relaxed than he had been even a few minutes ago, so Hunter continued.

"One, Ethan is more traditional than I am, better with weapons, and has more experience teaching, so don't underestimate him." Hunter glanced over at Cam, who was sitting up and rearranging his blanket. "He'll make things run more smoothly than I could.

"Two," Hunter went on, narrowing his eyes a little, "if Tori's better than you, it's only 'cause you've made her co-dependent. What's she doing calling you on Thanksgiving morning?"

Cam paused, then cleared his throat. "Well, I did mention that she could call me any time if she needed help with the demo. Since I have more experience with it, and I didn't have to do it last year."

Hunter just stared at him, because he could tell from Cam's tone that he already knew what was wrong with that explanation. When Cam didn't say anything else, though, he decided to remind him anyway. "Do you remember what you were dealing with last year?"

"Indelibly," Cam said dryly. "Yes, I know. It wasn't--"

"The year-end demo wasn't even a possibility," Hunter interrupted, talking over him. "We were still trying to find places for them to live! Tori and Ethan don't have to provide grief counseling or reintegration services or mess tents, so I think they can handle one demonstration!"

Cam was giving him a tolerant look. "Bad memories?" he inquired gently.

Hunter blinked, surprised by the idea that maybe he was angry on his own behalf instead of Cam's. Then he heard the question--really heard it--and he relaxed enough to smile at Cam. "Nah. Not all of them."

That made Cam smile too, and so it was worth it.

"It was worth it," Hunter repeated aloud, without really thinking about it. "The whole year."

Cam surprised him by not hesitating. "Yeah," he agreed. "It was."

Hunter shifted where he was, getting more comfortable, and Cam settled back into the couch beside him. A moment later he asked, "Any more Cocoa Puffs over there?"

Hunter glanced at the empty bowl automatically. "Nope." Inspiration struck, and he gave Cam a speculative look. "I could make some pancakes, if you're hungry."

Cam returned his look with a knowing expression of his own. "With jam, I suppose."

Hunter passed the remote to Cam before he got up. "I don't think we have any jam," he admitted, snagging the empty cereal bowl on his way to the kitchen. "You might have to settle for chocolate chips or something."

"I guess everything changes," Cam called after him. Hunter could hear the smile in his voice, and he figured it was a good thing that was true. Because a year ago last week he'd been awake way past midnight--the only time he had to himself--trying to figure out what exactly it was that he wanted.

Today it was almost noon and he hadn't even gotten dressed yet. Cam was sprawled on the couch in his sweats, watching TV and making fun of him, and no one had bothered him all morning. Because for the first time in almost two years, they weren't on call.

He knew what he wanted now. And it was a good, good day.

It might be red, but it wasn't flashy. Dark red, really, and with the dull look of a surface that had been exposed to the elements for too many years. No sparkling paint job or shiny reflectiveness built into this vehicle's exterior. It had never been new, not since Hunter owned it, and probably not for some time before that.

The truck was long past secondhand, moving rapidly through the last stages of just plain old. They would have to get rid of it eventually, he supposed. But as much as he knew that day would come, as much as logic said they should at least donate it to someone if they couldn't trade it in or sell it... he just couldn't see it gone. It had been with them for so long, such a part of their relationship that he couldn't imagine being without it.

Hunter had gotten it back in the chaos that followed Lothor's defeat, restored ninja academies and old students with new teachers and nobody really knowing what anyone else was doing. It had been so hard to keep in touch with each other, and the truck had been nothing compared to the shattering news that seemed to come in waves, week after week. But he still remembered the first time he had seen it, parked out on the access road outside the Wind Academy site.

It hadn't been particularly impressive, even then. But it had made him smile, seeing the bike supports in the back and the jury-rigged CD player in the front, knowing how much it meant to Hunter and a little flattered that he got no lecture on proper treatment of the doors or restrictions on music selection. He had seen the logging roads through that windshield more and more as the months went by.

When the Academies became too restrictive for their continuing relationship, more things began making a permanent home in the back of Hunter's pickup. Backpacks, extra food, spare clothes... sleeping bags. They got away so infrequently, it helped to know that they didn't have to go back right away. The truck parked in town, at the beach, sometimes just deeper in the mountains. Sometimes they stayed with it. Sometimes they didn't.

Back when we were young, Cam thought wryly. Back when "truck bed" was a thing to be appreciated, instead of an oxymoron. They knew every bump in the back of that pickup, every ridge and scrape and scratch--including the ones they had put there.

It had stayed with them even when they left the ninja academies, following them to the apartment Sensei had warned them against sharing so soon. Hunter had finally taught him to drive a stick shift, and the vehicle unofficially became "theirs." Even when Hunter was gone, he had left the truck behind--a promise to return, maybe, or just a way of acknowledging that whatever was between them had meant something after all.

It had been a long time, sitting there in the parking lot. Cam had been reluctant to drive it after a while, disturbed by the memories it held. Finally he avoided it altogether, pretending it wasn't even there. Until the night the phone rang, and he didn't hang up until the sky had started to lighten and the birds were singing in the dawn. He had taken the truck to pick Hunter up the next day.

They had taken to considering the truck neutral ground. Especially when it took them to places that one or the other of them didn't want to be. How often had "I'll meet you at the truck" been their compromise between going and staying? A cell phone on the front seat meant whoever had left didn't want to talk, didn't need a ride, and would find their way back home on their own. Only once had Cam left his cell phone behind when he ducked out of one of Hunter's engagements.

More often, whoever left last would simply call the other, pick them up, and together they would rate the likelihood of ever repeating the event in question. After what little they shared in common had been stripped away by their departure from the academies, they had both had to work harder at maintaining their relationship. Their separation only made Cam more willing to try. He thought it had done the same for Hunter.

It hadn't been easy, but so few things worth doing were. Now he could look back and honestly say that Hunter was one of the best things that had ever happened to him. Funny how they came full circle, back at the Academy after all this time... an interim stop after their return from Nepal, but they were training and teaching and he couldn't help reliving some of the old days.

He hated to owe Lothor anything, after all the man had done. But would he and Hunter even have met if the academies hadn't been attacked? The romantic in him wanted to believe that they would have, but his practical side refused to consider it: they had met, they were together, and "what ifs" didn't matter.

He heard footsteps behind him, whisper-soft but audible to any trained ninja. A hand settled against the small of his back, and Hunter's voice was quiet and curious in his ear. "Whatcha thinking about?"

"The truck," Cam answered absently.

"Forget it." There was no room for argument in Hunter's voice. "We're not getting rid of the truck."

Cam shrugged, deliberately casual even as he smiled to himself. "Okay."

End of discussion.