The vibration of the van, the steady rumble of the engine, the scenery flashing past through the window that he wasn't staring out. It was enough to lull Shane to sleep, and he wouldn't make any bets about Dustin's consciousness up there in the front seat either. Blake and Tori were leaning against each other, their whispers perfectly audible in the quiet vehicle, muffled laughter occasionally interrupting the steady drone of their conversation.

Cam was trying to meditate. Or at least, that was what he told himself. What he was really trying to do was to ignore the fact that Hunter was sitting next to him and, if Cam's ninja senses were any good at all, had been staring at him for the last half hour. He didn't dare open his own eyes, because then he would have to meet that steady gaze and there were no guarantees about what would happen next.

Ninja senses. For once, he could have done without them. And it wasn't just because he could feel Hunter watching him, either. The elements were... stronger, lately. It was the only word he could think of to describe it. The only word any of them could come up with, really, since it had finally come out that they were all feeling it. His father had agreed with their perception when Tori nervously put the question to him--thus ending all doubt about it being a figment of imagination, or some strange byproduct of their Ranger powers.

If it only affected their training, that would have been one thing. Unfortunately, it seemed to be making itself more and more felt, and in every aspect of their lives. It had gotten to the point where Cam could make his own skin tingle just by looking at his hands, the sensation of power at his fingertips growing by the day. His father confirming that it was real didn't bring them any closer to knowing what caused it, and to tell the truth it was a little frightening. When would their increasing awareness stop? How far would it go before it did?

He didn't like not being in control of himself. And if the last few weeks were anything to go by, the others weren't too happy about it either. They were fighting among themselves over things they had resolved months ago, things that had never really mattered but had been part of establishing who they were as a team. Now the old rules were being challenged, tested, tempers flaring as former conflicts were rehashed and--worse--new ones began to surface. Everything was exacerbated by the constant sense that something was just plain wrong.

The Action Games were supposed to be a diversion. He suspected they had all hoped that getting away from Ninja Ops and Ranger responsibility for a while would give them a chance to cool down, a chance to just be themselves again. A chance to be apart from the world of the ninja and the honor and obligation that came with it. A chance at real freedom, some actual downtime for a change, and maybe a way to forget that they weren't as normal as they pretended.

The problem, as Cam was just now starting to realize, was that the chance to be themselves only helped if they still were who they thought they were. He didn't know about the others, but his self-image had been radically reconstructed since becoming a Ranger. One revelation had been piled on top of another. He had shoved them to the back of his mind as they came, plowing on with everyday life in the name of sanity and necessity. Now that he was getting away from the usual demands, the revelations were dusting themselves off and reminding him that not only had they not gone away, they also had no plans to do so in the foreseeable future.

He wasn't meditating. And this wasn't helping. He opened his eyes, tired of his own thoughts and impatient with the pretense. As he had expected, Hunter's dangerously pretty gaze stared back at him from not nearly far enough away.

Pretty. It annoyed him that there was no other word to describe Hunter. He wasn't remotely feminine, and yet there was something about him that drew the eye. The body, the expression, the attitude... all were dangerous and defiant and alarmingly desirable. It hadn't taken Cam long enough to admit that he noticed, and the fact that Hunter hadn't bothered to fight it only made the whole thing seem less strange than it should.

Cam let his breath out in a sigh, noting distantly that Tori and Blake's whispering didn't so much as pause. Hunter's mouth quirked, and his eyes stayed right where they were. This was, all things considered, a really terrible time for the ninja elements to be interfering with their self-control.

Hunter blinked first. He leaned forward deliberately and Cam looked away, watching out of the corner of his eye as Hunter drew something out of the backpack he'd stuffed under the seat. A notebook. For what, Cam had no idea. He supposed it wasn't impossible that Hunter might write something down from time to time. Just because he'd never seen it happen didn't mean it couldn't.

Hunter was writing something now, a hasty scrawl that he tilted in Cam's direction almost immediately. A single word on a blank sheet of paper, surprisingly legible and clearly a question he didn't want to ask aloud: Tired?

Cam just shook his head. He didn't know how Shane and Dustin could nap, no matter how long the drive was. He himself was barely sleeping at all, and he wasn't feeling the lack. Of course, part of that could be due to how he was spending the time he wasn't sleeping, but he was pretty sure that whatever was making them all hypersensitive to the environment and to each other was boosting their physical stamina along with their ninja abilities.

Hunter wasn't done. Did you fix the camera in Ninja Ops?

Cam grimaced, and he saw Hunter's eyebrows lift slightly as he tried not to smile. There was nothing wrong with that camera, and Hunter knew it. Funny how lately it seemed to stop functioning whenever Hunter entered Ninja Ops. Alone. At night.

You going to glare at me the whole ride? Hunter's expression was innocent as he held the notebook up again.

Cam gave up. Snatching the pen out of Hunter's hands, he took the notebook and laid it across his lap. Yes, he wrote back. Because it's less obvious than anything else I could be doing. He almost added something else, but Hunter tugged on the edge of the notebook before he could even begin the sentence.

"Could you be a little less patient?" Cam hissed.

Hunter smirked at him, but the remark had gotten Blake's attention. He craned his neck over the seat to give them a curious look. "What are you guys doing?" he asked, quietly enough that it didn't seem to disturb Shane.

"Tic tac toe," Hunter answered in kind.

Blake appeared to accept this at face value, or maybe he just didn't really want to know. He faced forward again even as Hunter scribbled something else on the piece of paper and passed it back to Cam. Want to have notebook sex?

I can't believe you just said that, Cam mused, for lack of any more clever comeback. You're going to have to shred this notebook.

Hunter took the notebook back, smirked, and wrote something large at the bottom of the page. The words, Then burn it, were visible when he held it up. He didn't hand it over, though, just turned the page and started writing something else. He looked up at Cam once, not bothering to lift his head, and the speculative gleam in his eyes was too much.

Cam unfastened his seatbelt and slid across the backseat, peering over Hunter's elbow. Tori turned this time. She gave them an amused look, and Cam informed her, "I'm winning."

Hunter scoffed, but he was just as careful to keep his voice down. "You wish."

Tori just rolled her eyes. Hunter was forced to hand the notebook over when her interest made him stop writing, and Cam read it while she turned around again. This seat's not big enough. Too bad we didn't take separate--

Okay, now he was just being obnoxious. So the kissing sometimes got a little out of control. They hadn't done anything else. And they weren't going to. Sneaking a sideways glance at Hunter, though, he admitted to himself that some of that kissing wouldn't be unwelcome right now.

He should tell Hunter to stop it. He should just hand the notebook back and refuse to play anymore. Instead, something made him tease. What, you didn't take enough abuse last night?

He heard Hunter's muffled snort of laughter as the other Ranger hung over his shoulder. There was heartbeat's pause while they waited to see if anyone would look back at them, then he felt Hunter shift. The movement drew his attention, and Hunter tugged the collar of his shirt down just a little. Sure enough, there was a round bruise visible on his skin.

He really, really wanted to kiss that spot again. He looked away quickly, concentrating on the notebook instead. Don't talk to me about hickeys. I can't even wear white today. There's a reason I have two layers on.

This time, Hunter barely moved the notebook when he took the pen. He just held it where it was--in Cam's lap--and wrote sideways. Thought it was just to hide how sexy you are. As usual.

Cam reached for the pen, but Hunter twitched it away from him. You failed, by the way. As usual.

"Give me that," Cam muttered, torn between embarrassment and amusement. Hunter surrendered the pen without further protest, and Cam wrote, The only thing I'm hiding is my paranoia that one of the others is going to turn around and steal this notebook.

News flash. You're not hiding it. Hunter still didn't take the notebook from him, and having his hand on Cam's thigh wasn't helping anything.

Hunter's hand let go of the notebook to slide up Cam's leg. All the way up. Cam managed to stifle a gasp of shock, but it was a near thing. He did it only by not breathing at all, which wasn't exactly a long-term solution.

Not really. Hunter's words were nonchalant, but the writing suffered a little from his audacious multi-tasking.

Cam turned his head, just enough to breathe "Move!" in Hunter's ear. It was hard to put much determination into a whisper, especially when it had to be soft enough to keep others from overhearing. He tried anyway.

Hunter only looked at him, eyes inches away from Cam's. He did indeed move his hand. He just didn't take it away from where it was first. Cam swallowed hard, uncomfortable heat making his lips part, and breathing was no longer an option. Suddenly Hunter's mouth looked so, so appealing.

He was closer, tongue a breath away from Hunter's skin when Blake's whisper stopped him cold. "Bro," the Navy Ranger muttered. He had turned in his seat enough to get their attention without actually looking at them. "Just so you know, we can see you in the mirror."

Hunter shifted awkwardly, twitching the notebook out of Cam's lap and clearing his throat. Cam was too busy being mortified, experiencing firsthand the transition from flushed to burning with embarrassment, to notice the smirk Tori gave him when she turned around. "Way to go Cam," she teased softly.

He didn't see how being groped by Hunter was anything he should be complimented for, but he wouldn't have been able to come up with a reply even if he had. What had possessed him to do that? They were in the back of a van full of people who didn't even know they were together--although that list appeared to be getting shorter every day--and he had almost kissed Hunter with no regard for the consequences.

The van was slowing now, and the shift in motion seemed to have roused Shane. At least, Cam hoped it was the change that had woken him up, because the alternative really didn't bear thinking about. Shane was lifting his head, looking just aware enough to be alarming. Shouldn't he be... sleepy, or something?

On the other hand, his sudden consciousness was enough to silence Blake and Tori, and for that if nothing else Cam was grateful. Then Kelly was waking Dustin up, Dustin was protesting that he hadn't been asleep--which Cam hoped was untrue--and traffic had slowed to a crawl. There were signs everywhere, roadside diversions, and the energy level in the van was climbing by the second.

In some ways, that was good: they were all distracted. In other ways, it was bad: they were all wired. If Cam hadn't been wound tight enough before, now he was both wound up and restless, and that was just a dangerous combination. Especially around Hunter, who seemed to be feeling exactly the same way. They seriously needed to get out of this van.

The minutes dragged. Hunter was roughhousing with Blake over the back of his seat. Shane was protesting vocally while Dustin laughed. Tori exchanged commiserating looks with Cam. Then Hunter jerked away, slamming into him and making no apology for where his hands landed when he went to steady himself. Cam found himself getting in Blake's face, just for the excuse to lean across Hunter. They jostled back and forth, more physical than they had ever been in front of the others, and it wasn't enough.

He was going to go crazy if he didn't get away from Hunter. He really was. This was ridiculous. He couldn't think about anything else and he knew he was overcompensating for the fear that they were broadcasting everything they thought or felt to the others. In short, he was acting weird, he was feeling weird, and the only comfort he had was that everyone else was just as keyed up and so probably wouldn't notice.

Kelly was sick of them, though. He didn't blame her for stopping by one of the gates and ordering them all out. They piled out of the van--not fast enough--and Hunter insisted on hanging on the van door while Cam climbed out. Cam hesitated, wanting the casual contact, afraid of how it would look... he finally pushed himself away. Hunter followed.

"Why don't you guys check in," Kelly called from the front of the van. "I'll make sure your gear's okay."

A not so subtle, get out of my way so I can park the van, Cam thought. He wondered what she made of their attitudes lately, if she noticed anything wrong or just chalked it up to anticipation. Hunter had actually answered her, but it took a moment for Cam's brain to catch up with what it had heard.

"We'll check this place out," Hunter had offered, but after that he seemed at something of a loss. It was clear that when he said "we" he was including Cam, but Cam wasn't sure the others had gotten the memo. "For, uh..."

"Let me guess," Tori interjected dryly. She shot them an arch look over her shoulder. "Chicks?"

Hunter was unfazed. "Well, now that you mention it," he teased. Cam just rolled his eyes.

"Come on," he said, knowing he shouldn't but unable to keep himself from going along with it. "I'll cruise with you."

Blake gave them the same look Tori had. "CyberCam?" he demanded, with clearly feigned surprise. Yeah, very funny.

"I'm not CyberCam," Cam retorted. He was very aware of Hunter, sticking far closer than he should at his shoulder. "Who says real Cam can't cruise?"

That earned him a cheer from Hunter, a snicker from Blake, and an odd look from Dustin. He didn't have any idea what to make of Dustin's expression, actually, but Hunter pulled him away before he could wonder too long. Literally hauled him off, and wouldn't that look inconspicuous in the middle of this crowd.

Especially since they didn't head for the gate. They were definitely going against the current. Cam didn't know what they were looking for, but it wasn't hard to guess. He was starting to understand why bathroom stalls were such hot make-out spots.

"Hunter." They were out of sight of the others. He didn't recognize any of the people around them. Maybe it was exhibitionism, but at this point he really didn't care. "Cover any more ground and I'm going to think you really are looking for chicks."

Hunter had stopped at the sound of his name, and now he was eyeing Cam like he really, desperately needed them to be on the same page but he wasn't sure they were. "You know what I'm checking out," he remarked. His voice was flippant but his gaze as it traveled across Cam was undeniably thorough.

"Another stunt like the one in the back of the van," Cam warned, but Hunter cut him off.

"Yeah?" he interrupted, looming closer. Cam didn't answer. "And you'll what?"

Knock you back against the seat and make you glad you're gay. Cam had no idea where the thought had come from. Half of him cheered while the other half was scandalized that the words had so much as been formed, even in the privacy of his own mind.

Hunter was watching him through half-lidded eyes. "I don't know what you're thinking," he said, with a small smirk that said he could guess. "But I bet it's not as fun as what I'm thinking."

There was only one real answer to that question, and it felt so, so good to finally get his hands on that body. It wasn't much of a relief, but it was the air that fed the fire, and however much worse it made things to have Hunter's tongue in his mouth he couldn't deny that he wanted it. They shouldn't be doing this here--they shouldn't, he knew it, and he couldn't stop. It would take more than a voice in the back of his mind to pull him away from Hunter now.

It would take the tingling warning from his amulet, the sense of an approaching friend or foe. He jerked away from Hunter with a gasp, scanning the passersby as quickly as he could. "Someone's coming."

Hunter swore, and for once Cam completely understood. "No Ninja Ops tonight," Hunter muttered, the words barely audible as he dragged his gaze away from Cam.

"Ninja Ops isn't the only place we can be alone." He turned, careful not to look at Hunter. It was as close as they'd come to talking about the nights at Ninja Ops during the day. But Hunter had broken the silence first, by asking about the camera--

"They're inside," Cam added, focusing suddenly. Whoever the amulet recognized was somewhere in the direction of the gate, and he started toward it without thinking.

He could feel Hunter's eyes on him again. He threw a warning look over his shoulder, and Hunter grimaced. Turning toward the girls at the gate, he poured on the charm and talked his way in while Cam waited. He noted with some amusement that the girls weren't fooled, but he was just as glad for the chance to regain his composure.

He couldn't keep his hands off of Hunter when they were in each other's company, and he couldn't think of anything else when they weren't. Shouldn't be together, wouldn't stay apart... Being with Hunter just got more interesting every day.