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.