Disclaimer: Apparently I think that Hunter swears and Cam doesn't. It must be the jewelry. Buena Vista owns the Power Rangers.

Running
by Starhawk

He jogged along the shore, sneakers digging into the wet sand while the crash of the surf drowned out any sound more than a few feet away. Occasionally, the shouts of kids farther up the beach would reach his ears, high-pitched shrieks mingling with the cries of gulls overhead. But mostly it was just his breath in his ears, the packed intertidal beneath his feet, and a beach that seemed to go on forever.

Cam didn't usually run down by the water. Most people jogged on the boardwalk, where there were more diversions and it was easier to keep the mind occupied during a long run. Most of the time, he liked the feeling of being in the middle of things, being marginally social without actually having to put any effort into it.

Today, though, social was the last thing felt like being and he'd prefer to empty his mind rather than fill it up with new problems, whether they were his own or someone else's. So he concentrated very carefully on his feet, watching where his steps fell, where the waves were dissolving the edges of footprints that had come before his, and the drift line that filled with seaweed and shells at high tide. He didn't pay any attention to how long he'd been jogging or how far he'd come.

So he was surprised when he heard someone coming up behind him, labored breathing giving away their approach before the sound of footsteps. Though he hadn't expected to be overtaken, he didn't think much of it until the other jogger fell into step beside him. Longer legs pacing his easily, of course it had to be Hunter that sought him out on a crowded beach in the middle of the afternoon.

Aside from a glance to confirm his identity, Cam didn't bother to respond to his presence. He was here to avoid people, which should be obvious even to someone who didn't make interpersonal relations his top priority. He didn't know whether to be flattered by Hunter's persistence or irritated by his unfailing assumption that he was welcome no matter where Cam was or what he was doing.

"Stopped by Ninja Ops," Hunter said at last. He sounded remarkably casual for someone who had probably run just as far as Cam had, and fast enough to catch up with him too.

Cam didn't answer. So he'd said he would be there. Plans changed. What if he'd sat around all afternoon while Hunter was busy doing something else?

"Left your pit pass on the computer," Hunter added. "Your dad said you'd gone running."

If Cam had had any breath to spare, he would have groaned. "You asked my dad where I was?" he demanded.

"Yeah." Hunter paused to gulp a breath of air. "Why? Is that a problem?"

Disgusted, either with himself or with Hunter he didn't know, Cam just gritted his teeth and kept going. "It doesn't matter."

"Hey." Hunter caught his arm, forcing him to slow down, to stop. Panting, he squinted at Cam with a look that was just a fraction away from a frown. "What's going on?"

Cam jerked his arm away, probably harder than was necessary, but he had let Hunter stop him. He might as well assert some kind of independence here. "Nothing," he snapped, breath rasping in his throat. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"I'm getting bitched at for trying to be friendly," Hunter shot back. "What's up with you?"

"Oh, now stalking me is considered friendly?" He wanted to take back the words the moment they were out. Hunter might have invited himself into the middle of Cam's activities a time or three, but never without Cam's tacit permission.

"Look, you had your chance!" Hunter's voice was harsher than usual, though whether it was because of the running or just because he was trying to be heard over the surf, it was hard to tell. "You could have told me to leave you alone when I asked!"

"How do you know I wouldn't have?" Cam demanded, provoked by the accusatory tone in Hunter's voice. "You didn't even wait to see what I'd say!"

"You didn't say anything!" Hunter retorted. "And it's not like you haven't had a chance since then! You haven't exactly told me to get lost!"

They were face to face, close enough to hear each other over the waves, breathing harder than they were arguing. And suddenly, Cam was tempted. Just like that, tempted, and sorely so. Unfortunately, he wasn't sure whether he was tempted to tell Hunter off or just lean a little closer--

Hunter was staring at him, something fighting it out behind his eyes while the echoes of that internal battle were reflected in his gaze. They both stood there, frozen, until Hunter frowned and looked away abruptly. The moment was lost, and Cam found himself glaring at the other Ranger. Since when was Hunter the model of restraint?

"You want to tell me what's going on?" the Crimson Ranger said at last. He was still frowning out at the ocean. "I expect sarcastic and condescending, but angry and bitter is new for you."

He could argue that, but there wouldn't be any point. "It's my dad," Cam muttered.

"What?" Hunter had turned back to him with an expression that said he really hadn't heard.

"It's my dad," Cam repeated, louder. He was staring at the ocean now too, but he glanced over at Hunter when he added, "I think he saw us last night."

"So?" Hunter didn't seem alarmed by this news. "Your dad got a problem with me?"

Cam grimaced at him. "You're a guy."

"And we're back to condescending," Hunter noted. "It's better than bitter, anyway." He didn't wait for Cam's reply. "If your dad has a problem with guys, he's going to have to find a lot of new Rangers pretty fast."

Cam ignored this latest attempt at humor, gazing steadily out at the waves until Hunter got the message. This wasn't funny. This wasn't going to go away--in fact, he was pretty sure it could only get worse. And this was his dad.

"Look. Cam." Hunter didn't use his name often and it got his attention, reluctant though it was. "I don't really want to advertise this, you know? But I don't think your dad misses much."

Cam rolled his eyes at this self-evident observation. "He doesn't miss anything. Unless it has to do with computers, or zords, or basically any kind of technology, in which case he's pretty much useless."

"He knows about other things," Hunter pointed out.

"Yeah," Cam grumbled. "I just wish one of those things wasn't my social life."

Hunter gave him a deadpan look. "You have a social life?"

"It's not something I cultivate," Cam said wryly. "But occasionally people force their way in."

"Really." Hunter seemed to consider that. "They force their way in, huh? That sounds kind of rude."

"Not to mention inconvenient," Cam agreed. "I have enough to do as it is."

Hunter shook his head in mock-reproach. "Didn't you learn anything about balance at ninja school?"

"Can't balance what you don't have." He kept his tone deliberately casual, but Hunter was ready with an immediate reply.

"Most people don't have what they don't seek out. Maybe you're lucky some of us forced our way in after all."

Cam just looked at him, and Hunter offered a half-smile. "Come on, it's not all bad, right? Where would you be if you didn't have people to yell at and push away from your computer? Ninja Ops would be boring without us."

It would be a lot more boring without Hunter, he was sure of that. The Crimson Ranger hadn't made the best first impression, and he hadn't done much to make up for it since. He was outspoken, obnoxious, and occasionally right about something, which only made his attitude worse. Yet without him...

"It's not all bad," Cam admitted, as grudgingly as possible to get his point across. Then he added with a smirk, "There was the free ice cream."

"Is that all it takes?" Hunter smirked back, and the sense of a shared joke was a little bit disconcerting. "Consider it a weekly delivery."

He must have seen Cam's expression, because he added, "I'm only kidding." He paused for a moment, then asked, "You want me to stay away from Ninja Ops for a while?"

Cam sighed, knowing it sounded stupid even as Hunter offered. "No. Don't do anything you wouldn't have done anyway. My dad hasn't even said anything to me. I just got this feeling last night..."

"Like what?" Hunter wanted to know. "Like he thought something was up and wanted to know, or like he knew something was up and didn't like it?"

"I don't know," Cam said, frustrated. "And I couldn't exactly ask him. 'Hey, Dad, did you see Hunter and me--"

He broke off, at a loss, and Hunter just grinned at him. "'Hunter and me' what? I want to know how you were going to finish that sentence."

"Did you see Hunter and me making out in the dark at twelve-thirty in the morning!" Cam exclaimed. "I don't know what the signs of a heart attack in a guinea pig are, but I'm guessing we could find out pretty quickly!"

"That wasn't making out," Hunter said with infuriating calm. "This is making out."

If he had been given more than two seconds worth of warning, Cam might not have been so surprised to find Hunter's mouth on his. A tongue flicked against his lips to moisten them before withdrawing, and his lips parted involuntarily. This time he returned the kiss with some trepidation. Hunter didn't fight him for it, and they worked on the mechanics of two mouths moving against each other for several moments.

"You do know how to kiss," Hunter said thoughtfully, drawing back to take a breath. "I wasn't sure, before."

"Kissing someone out of the blue and expecting them to respond in any meaningful way isn't what I would call a fair test," Cam retorted.

Hunter just smiled a little. "Your eyes do this cool thing when you're mad," he remarked. "Speaking of which, did I tell you that you look good without your glasses?"

Cam opened his mouth to protest both observations, and found that Hunter had a new addition to his list of Unscrupulous Ways To Win An Argument. This latest was in the form of kissing his opponent, a tactic that would probably work on most members of the team but might require some explanation afterward. Cam decided to forego the explanation in favor of further research.

It was just a kiss. Well, a couple of kisses and Hunter's hand on his shoulder. And if he put a hand on Hunter's arm in return, that was only fair. But they were barely touching, they weren't surrounded by hordes of people, and it would have been perfectly acceptable if they didn't spend all day at it.

"We're in the middle of the beach," Cam muttered at last, pulling away.

"So?" This apparently didn't bother Hunter. "You embarrassed?"

"Yes," Cam said, annoyed by the challenge in Hunter's tone. "As a matter of fact, I am. I don't usually go around kissing people in public places."

"Me neither," Hunter said with a grin. "It's kind of fun."

Cam sighed half-heartedly. It was kind of fun, but nothing would make him admit it out loud. "Is there anything you won't do?"

Hunter's grin didn't fade. "You're probably gonna find out."