This wasn't how I pictured things ending up, but I'm oddly proud of the result. Something about it makes me smile. Meet the end product of watching All About Beevil. Dustin was so adorable when he looked hurt. He practically screamed 'give me a hug'. This is a roundabout way of Dustin getting his hug.
Enjoy! ^_^V
Love Hurts
Shane was lurking. He knew he was lurking, but he didn't care. Dustin had been avoiding him for days, and then there was this whole 'Marrah' thing. He clenched a fist. They *would* talk, even if he had to wait outside Storm Chargers until Dustin finally got off his shift.
In the end, that was what happened. He was tired, but he refused to fall asleep or leave his post. The moment Dustin emerged, he stepped out of the shadows. "Dustin."
The Yellow Ranger snapped into a defensive stance, then sighed as he caught sight of him. "Man, don't do that! I almost had a heart attack!"
"We need to talk." Shane informed him.
Dustin winced, making a face. "Can't it wait? I'm wiped."
Shane took a moment to study his face and was surprised to realize he did have shadows under his eyes. He sighed as the need to take advantage of the opportunity won out, insisting "It's important."
Dustin sighed, too. "Sure. What's up?"
"Come on." He jerked his head for Dustin to follow, and started to walk toward the other's house. Dustin fell in place beside him, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Shane shot him a concerned glance. "You okay?"
"Just tired. It's been a weird day."
He frowned. "Did you really like Marrah?"
Dustin shot him an irritated glare. "Dude, I told you I'm gay. Why do you think I liked her just 'cause I wanted to help her out?"
Shane shifted, suddenly uncomfortable. "I was jealous." he mumbled.
"Say what?"
"I was jealous." he repeated louder.
"Jealous." Dustin sounded incredulous.
"I've been trying to talk to you for awhile now." Shane said, abruptly changing the subject. "Why are you avoiding me?"
Now it was Dustin's turn to look away. "I just...wanted some space."
"Why?"
"You could have told me!" he burst out suddenly.
"I've been trying to!" Shane retorted, then paused with a frown. "Wait, how'd you know?"
"I saw you!" He ducked his head, closing his eyes tightly. "Look, I can deal if you and Hunter are together. I just wish you'd said something."
Shane had stopped walking the moment 'Hunter' had been said. "Me and Hunter?" he demanded incredulously.
Dustin grit his teeth. "I *saw* you." he repeated. "Like I said, I can deal with it. Just...let me have some space for awhile, okay?"
Shane was twitching now. "Me and Hunter." he said again.
"Yes, all right! I get it! Stop rubbing it in!" Dustin shouted back at him. His fists clenched and he looked away quickly.
Shane took a deep breath to try and calm himself. He silently asked Hunter for forgiveness. "Hunter's dating Cam."
It was another minute before Dustin turned, blinking. "He's dating...Cam?"
Shane nodded. "Since Cam became the Green Ranger."
Dustin closed his eyes again. "So he's not homophobic."
"Nope."
"Oh."
"That's about what I said."
Dustin frowned a little, opening his eyes. He almost jumped when he realize Shane was standing directly in front of him. "Um, Dude? What are you-"
Shane leaned down and kissed him.
Two seconds later he stumbled back, one hand to his gut and the other covering his nose. "What was that for?" he demanded angrily.
Dustin was shaking. "Don't." he growled. "Don't *ever* do that again."
Disappointment and hurt flashed over Shane's face. "Why?"
"Because you don't love me that way!" Dustin was closer to tears now than Shane had ever seen him; his eyes were nearly black and sparkling with moisture, pain etched across his face.
"I never said that!" Shane yelled back. "I was trying to tell you that I didn't know how I felt about you!"
"Oh, so now you suddenly do?!"
"It's not sudden! I've been thinking about it since you told me! I didn't want to say anything before I knew for sure because I didn't want to hurt you!"
"Well, it's a little late for that!"
Shane's fist clenched. "For crying out loud! I just wanted to tell you I love you! You weren't supposed to hit me for it!"
Dustin shook his head, a choked noise escaping his throat. "Stop it! Stop lying!"
"I'm not lying!" Shane snarled. "I *love* you!"
"Knock it *off*!"
He tackled Shane without warning, sending them both rolling across the ground. They struggled against one another, pushing, shoving, blocking punches that weren't nearly as hard as they could have been. Eventually Shane ended up straddling Dustin's waist, glaring down as he finally pinned the other boy. Dustin glared back, fighting to get free.
"Get it through your thick head." Shane growled. "I. Love. You."
"Liar!" Dustin shouted back.
Shane's glare turned icy. He leaned down, kissing Dustin hard. The other began to struggle again, but he held him still. He broke away after a minute, still glaring. "Are you listening to me yet?"
"Liar!" was the hissed response.
Shane kissed him again. "Now?" he whispered when he pulled away again.
"Liar."
Another kiss. "Now?"
"Liar."
It was hard to say how long this went on, but eventually Shane was forced to acknowledge the fact that Dustin's lips were swollen and bruised, and he'd stopped asking when he believed him some time ago. The defiant 'Liar' had died down to a murmur, long since faded away. He sat still, trying to breathe as he stared down at Dustin. The other boy was just as breathless, and something about his tossled curls, hazy brown eyes, and heaving chest was suddenly enticing.
He leaned down again, this time for a light, gentle kiss. Dustin responded just as gently, leaving them both with a tingling sensation over the sudden sweetness of the moment. Shane chuckled when he sat up again, rolling over to lay beside him. "Only us." he sighed.
Dustin smiled a little. "Only us." he agreed softly. He shifted to watch Shane, his eyes suddenly nervous. "You mean it?"
Shane paused before responding to take in how fragile Dustin seemed in that instant. It didn't happen often, but there were times when he had that look. It always made him want to protect the other, keep him safe from anyone who would hurt him. "Yeah." he said at last. He reached out a hand, tucking a curl out of Dustin's eyes. His mouth quirked when it fell back in the way.
"Really?"
"Really."
"Promise?"
"Now you're just trying to make me mad."
Dustin smiled again. "You're kinda cute when you're angry." he admitted.
"You're always kinda cute." Shane teased, and was rewarded with a blush. He reached out and pulled Dustin closer, wrapping an arm around him with a sigh. The oddity of his behavior occured to him, but he decided he liked the end result too much to care. "I think I could get used to this."
"Me, too." Dustin murmured, laying his head on Shane's shoulder.
A thought occured to Shane suddenly, and he glanced over at Dustin, only to wince at the rumpled hair and clothing, bruised lips and face, and various slight scratches from the cement. "Your mom's gonna kill me when she sees you."
Enjoy! ^_^V
Love Hurts
Shane was lurking. He knew he was lurking, but he didn't care. Dustin had been avoiding him for days, and then there was this whole 'Marrah' thing. He clenched a fist. They *would* talk, even if he had to wait outside Storm Chargers until Dustin finally got off his shift.
In the end, that was what happened. He was tired, but he refused to fall asleep or leave his post. The moment Dustin emerged, he stepped out of the shadows. "Dustin."
The Yellow Ranger snapped into a defensive stance, then sighed as he caught sight of him. "Man, don't do that! I almost had a heart attack!"
"We need to talk." Shane informed him.
Dustin winced, making a face. "Can't it wait? I'm wiped."
Shane took a moment to study his face and was surprised to realize he did have shadows under his eyes. He sighed as the need to take advantage of the opportunity won out, insisting "It's important."
Dustin sighed, too. "Sure. What's up?"
"Come on." He jerked his head for Dustin to follow, and started to walk toward the other's house. Dustin fell in place beside him, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Shane shot him a concerned glance. "You okay?"
"Just tired. It's been a weird day."
He frowned. "Did you really like Marrah?"
Dustin shot him an irritated glare. "Dude, I told you I'm gay. Why do you think I liked her just 'cause I wanted to help her out?"
Shane shifted, suddenly uncomfortable. "I was jealous." he mumbled.
"Say what?"
"I was jealous." he repeated louder.
"Jealous." Dustin sounded incredulous.
"I've been trying to talk to you for awhile now." Shane said, abruptly changing the subject. "Why are you avoiding me?"
Now it was Dustin's turn to look away. "I just...wanted some space."
"Why?"
"You could have told me!" he burst out suddenly.
"I've been trying to!" Shane retorted, then paused with a frown. "Wait, how'd you know?"
"I saw you!" He ducked his head, closing his eyes tightly. "Look, I can deal if you and Hunter are together. I just wish you'd said something."
Shane had stopped walking the moment 'Hunter' had been said. "Me and Hunter?" he demanded incredulously.
Dustin grit his teeth. "I *saw* you." he repeated. "Like I said, I can deal with it. Just...let me have some space for awhile, okay?"
Shane was twitching now. "Me and Hunter." he said again.
"Yes, all right! I get it! Stop rubbing it in!" Dustin shouted back at him. His fists clenched and he looked away quickly.
Shane took a deep breath to try and calm himself. He silently asked Hunter for forgiveness. "Hunter's dating Cam."
It was another minute before Dustin turned, blinking. "He's dating...Cam?"
Shane nodded. "Since Cam became the Green Ranger."
Dustin closed his eyes again. "So he's not homophobic."
"Nope."
"Oh."
"That's about what I said."
Dustin frowned a little, opening his eyes. He almost jumped when he realize Shane was standing directly in front of him. "Um, Dude? What are you-"
Shane leaned down and kissed him.
Two seconds later he stumbled back, one hand to his gut and the other covering his nose. "What was that for?" he demanded angrily.
Dustin was shaking. "Don't." he growled. "Don't *ever* do that again."
Disappointment and hurt flashed over Shane's face. "Why?"
"Because you don't love me that way!" Dustin was closer to tears now than Shane had ever seen him; his eyes were nearly black and sparkling with moisture, pain etched across his face.
"I never said that!" Shane yelled back. "I was trying to tell you that I didn't know how I felt about you!"
"Oh, so now you suddenly do?!"
"It's not sudden! I've been thinking about it since you told me! I didn't want to say anything before I knew for sure because I didn't want to hurt you!"
"Well, it's a little late for that!"
Shane's fist clenched. "For crying out loud! I just wanted to tell you I love you! You weren't supposed to hit me for it!"
Dustin shook his head, a choked noise escaping his throat. "Stop it! Stop lying!"
"I'm not lying!" Shane snarled. "I *love* you!"
"Knock it *off*!"
He tackled Shane without warning, sending them both rolling across the ground. They struggled against one another, pushing, shoving, blocking punches that weren't nearly as hard as they could have been. Eventually Shane ended up straddling Dustin's waist, glaring down as he finally pinned the other boy. Dustin glared back, fighting to get free.
"Get it through your thick head." Shane growled. "I. Love. You."
"Liar!" Dustin shouted back.
Shane's glare turned icy. He leaned down, kissing Dustin hard. The other began to struggle again, but he held him still. He broke away after a minute, still glaring. "Are you listening to me yet?"
"Liar!" was the hissed response.
Shane kissed him again. "Now?" he whispered when he pulled away again.
"Liar."
Another kiss. "Now?"
"Liar."
It was hard to say how long this went on, but eventually Shane was forced to acknowledge the fact that Dustin's lips were swollen and bruised, and he'd stopped asking when he believed him some time ago. The defiant 'Liar' had died down to a murmur, long since faded away. He sat still, trying to breathe as he stared down at Dustin. The other boy was just as breathless, and something about his tossled curls, hazy brown eyes, and heaving chest was suddenly enticing.
He leaned down again, this time for a light, gentle kiss. Dustin responded just as gently, leaving them both with a tingling sensation over the sudden sweetness of the moment. Shane chuckled when he sat up again, rolling over to lay beside him. "Only us." he sighed.
Dustin smiled a little. "Only us." he agreed softly. He shifted to watch Shane, his eyes suddenly nervous. "You mean it?"
Shane paused before responding to take in how fragile Dustin seemed in that instant. It didn't happen often, but there were times when he had that look. It always made him want to protect the other, keep him safe from anyone who would hurt him. "Yeah." he said at last. He reached out a hand, tucking a curl out of Dustin's eyes. His mouth quirked when it fell back in the way.
"Really?"
"Really."
"Promise?"
"Now you're just trying to make me mad."
Dustin smiled again. "You're kinda cute when you're angry." he admitted.
"You're always kinda cute." Shane teased, and was rewarded with a blush. He reached out and pulled Dustin closer, wrapping an arm around him with a sigh. The oddity of his behavior occured to him, but he decided he liked the end result too much to care. "I think I could get used to this."
"Me, too." Dustin murmured, laying his head on Shane's shoulder.
A thought occured to Shane suddenly, and he glanced over at Dustin, only to wince at the rumpled hair and clothing, bruised lips and face, and various slight scratches from the cement. "Your mom's gonna kill me when she sees you."