(no subject)
Title: Hyperopia (3/?)
Series: Power Rangers Ninja Storm
Characters, Pairing: Cam Watanabe, Hunter Bradley
Rating: PG
Author: Anthy
There was nothing worse than cleaning a motorcycle filter. Nothing. Hunter thought as he lifted the element from the solvent bin, it was better than having to figure out what to do next. Another day passed and Cam seemed content with ignoring him, again. The first kiss was just a diversion, a last minute move that he rationalized as being a now-or-never opportunity. He could barely register the experience in his memory, much less relish it since the action seemed to ruin all chance of even befriending the aloof technician of the Wind Academy. Then Cam had to ruin -that- idea by tracking Hunter down and kissing him. It was as brief as the first, and in its wake left nothing but discontent and confusion. To which, Cam didn't seem bothered enough to care.
"You're going to ruin the foam if you keep wringing out that way." a female voice chided as she breezed past his shoulder.
"Sorry, Kel." Hunter glanced quickly over at the retreating red-head, the filter slipping through his fingers back into the bin. He was handling the filter properly, so why-?
"And don't forget to clean the filter cage, yeah? It looks a bit overdue for it." Kelly grinned, her voice light as she stood next to him. "Is everything okay? You usually fight me tooth and nail over maintenance."
"Yeah," he sighed, moving away from the solvent bin to the sink. "It's just relationship stuff."
"Trust me, that stuff is never just stuff. And it never gets easier."
Hunter glanced over his shoulder. "What do you do?"
"When I'm having trouble with a guy, never fails to ask around." Kelly paused before pointing at him, her voice stern. "With a grain of salt, because the best source is the direct one."
"The direct source isn't talking." Hunter shrugged. Don't have many 'sources' to go to either...
"Well, best to get it out there." Kelly gave him a comforting pat on the back before returning to the front of the store. By the time the filter was rinsed and set out to dry, the three wind rangers and his brother could be heard laughing in the lounge. Hunter removed his gloves and sighed, his mind preferring to give out free filter cleanings to every motorbike in the immediate area than what he had to do.
"I don't like you." The words flew out of Hunter's mouth the second he was able to pull Tori away from the core group. She blinked before grinning disarmingly at him, completely amused at his knee-jerk reaction to being left alone with her.
"Your jealousy is cute." She stated, leading him to the outside of Storm Chargers (and prying ears). "And the epiphany of yours is apropos-"
Hunter rolled his eyes. Everyone had to be a smart ass. "Concerning, the fact that you're the only one I can talk to about this." He interrupted, his tone a bit smug. Even still, Tori was undaunted. It was annoying to be around someone unfazed, why couldn't she be like that dumbstruck girl whenever Blake was present?
"So, what's the problem?" she pressed, leaning against a corner of the building.
"Cam." He stated, glancing around the corner to see if they were followed. "How much does he tell you about himself?"
"Enough." Tori smiled, glancing away.
"About me?"
"Not enough." Tori's voice changed from amused to faint curiosity, but her expression remained unreadable when she turned her full attention back to him. "What did you do?"
"Why do I have to be the one who did something?"
"He wouldn't do anything otherwise." She grinned up at him. "So, spill all of the sordid details, then I'll call you an idiot and then give you the advice you need."
"I did something that was unexpected to him. He reacted like anyone would, then nothing. Days pass, he tracks me down and pulls the same thing on me. Then nothing from him. Am I supposed to ignore it, call it even or am I supposed to keep this back and forth thing until we kick each other's asses for the trouble?"
"What did you do?" Tori asked again, inching closer. Hunter wasn't going to give her such easy fodder to mess with him later so he glared in response. After a pause, she shrugged and leaned back against the wall. "So why did you do it?"
"Because-I don't know, he was getting all defensive and was shutting me out so I just wanted to jar him a little."
"What if Cam did it for the same reason?"
Hunter shrugged. “You tell me.”
“You are an idiot.” Tori said with a fair shake of her head. She put a hand on Hunter’s shoulder, her tone conciliatory. “Just tell him what you did and why in the most subjective way as possible, and if you’re lucky he’ll do the same.”
“And if he doesn’t.”
“He hates you and it’s a lost cause?”
“That’s comforting.”
“But the truth.” She poked Hunter’s chest. “You and I both know he can be difficult, but he doesn’t know any other way. I’ve noticed you’ve been trying to get him to loosen up more and do things outside of Ninja Ops but, really, he likes being in Ninja Ops. Maybe if you tried spending more time doing things his way instead of putting him out of his element, he might warm up to you. Then you can introduce him to new things.”
“Hmm, that easy huh?” he asked, giving her a sideways grin.
“Mmm-hmm.” she nodded, giggling at him. “Anything else?”
“What’s the deal with the glasses?”
“You tell me, I always thought they were a Linus thing.”
“Linus?” Hunter asked, but Tori was already walking back to the entrance of the building.
“Ask Cam.” she called over her shoulder. “You’re welcome.”
“Thanks,” Hunter said half-heartedly as he rolled his eyes and walked away from Storm Chargers. As annoying as she was, he was grateful.
Series: Power Rangers Ninja Storm
Characters, Pairing: Cam Watanabe, Hunter Bradley
Rating: PG
Author: Anthy
There was nothing worse than cleaning a motorcycle filter. Nothing. Hunter thought as he lifted the element from the solvent bin, it was better than having to figure out what to do next. Another day passed and Cam seemed content with ignoring him, again. The first kiss was just a diversion, a last minute move that he rationalized as being a now-or-never opportunity. He could barely register the experience in his memory, much less relish it since the action seemed to ruin all chance of even befriending the aloof technician of the Wind Academy. Then Cam had to ruin -that- idea by tracking Hunter down and kissing him. It was as brief as the first, and in its wake left nothing but discontent and confusion. To which, Cam didn't seem bothered enough to care.
"You're going to ruin the foam if you keep wringing out that way." a female voice chided as she breezed past his shoulder.
"Sorry, Kel." Hunter glanced quickly over at the retreating red-head, the filter slipping through his fingers back into the bin. He was handling the filter properly, so why-?
"And don't forget to clean the filter cage, yeah? It looks a bit overdue for it." Kelly grinned, her voice light as she stood next to him. "Is everything okay? You usually fight me tooth and nail over maintenance."
"Yeah," he sighed, moving away from the solvent bin to the sink. "It's just relationship stuff."
"Trust me, that stuff is never just stuff. And it never gets easier."
Hunter glanced over his shoulder. "What do you do?"
"When I'm having trouble with a guy, never fails to ask around." Kelly paused before pointing at him, her voice stern. "With a grain of salt, because the best source is the direct one."
"The direct source isn't talking." Hunter shrugged. Don't have many 'sources' to go to either...
"Well, best to get it out there." Kelly gave him a comforting pat on the back before returning to the front of the store. By the time the filter was rinsed and set out to dry, the three wind rangers and his brother could be heard laughing in the lounge. Hunter removed his gloves and sighed, his mind preferring to give out free filter cleanings to every motorbike in the immediate area than what he had to do.
"I don't like you." The words flew out of Hunter's mouth the second he was able to pull Tori away from the core group. She blinked before grinning disarmingly at him, completely amused at his knee-jerk reaction to being left alone with her.
"Your jealousy is cute." She stated, leading him to the outside of Storm Chargers (and prying ears). "And the epiphany of yours is apropos-"
Hunter rolled his eyes. Everyone had to be a smart ass. "Concerning, the fact that you're the only one I can talk to about this." He interrupted, his tone a bit smug. Even still, Tori was undaunted. It was annoying to be around someone unfazed, why couldn't she be like that dumbstruck girl whenever Blake was present?
"So, what's the problem?" she pressed, leaning against a corner of the building.
"Cam." He stated, glancing around the corner to see if they were followed. "How much does he tell you about himself?"
"Enough." Tori smiled, glancing away.
"About me?"
"Not enough." Tori's voice changed from amused to faint curiosity, but her expression remained unreadable when she turned her full attention back to him. "What did you do?"
"Why do I have to be the one who did something?"
"He wouldn't do anything otherwise." She grinned up at him. "So, spill all of the sordid details, then I'll call you an idiot and then give you the advice you need."
"I did something that was unexpected to him. He reacted like anyone would, then nothing. Days pass, he tracks me down and pulls the same thing on me. Then nothing from him. Am I supposed to ignore it, call it even or am I supposed to keep this back and forth thing until we kick each other's asses for the trouble?"
"What did you do?" Tori asked again, inching closer. Hunter wasn't going to give her such easy fodder to mess with him later so he glared in response. After a pause, she shrugged and leaned back against the wall. "So why did you do it?"
"Because-I don't know, he was getting all defensive and was shutting me out so I just wanted to jar him a little."
"What if Cam did it for the same reason?"
Hunter shrugged. “You tell me.”
“You are an idiot.” Tori said with a fair shake of her head. She put a hand on Hunter’s shoulder, her tone conciliatory. “Just tell him what you did and why in the most subjective way as possible, and if you’re lucky he’ll do the same.”
“And if he doesn’t.”
“He hates you and it’s a lost cause?”
“That’s comforting.”
“But the truth.” She poked Hunter’s chest. “You and I both know he can be difficult, but he doesn’t know any other way. I’ve noticed you’ve been trying to get him to loosen up more and do things outside of Ninja Ops but, really, he likes being in Ninja Ops. Maybe if you tried spending more time doing things his way instead of putting him out of his element, he might warm up to you. Then you can introduce him to new things.”
“Hmm, that easy huh?” he asked, giving her a sideways grin.
“Mmm-hmm.” she nodded, giggling at him. “Anything else?”
“What’s the deal with the glasses?”
“You tell me, I always thought they were a Linus thing.”
“Linus?” Hunter asked, but Tori was already walking back to the entrance of the building.
“Ask Cam.” she called over her shoulder. “You’re welcome.”
“Thanks,” Hunter said half-heartedly as he rolled his eyes and walked away from Storm Chargers. As annoying as she was, he was grateful.