Power Rangers 1. Special Projects and the Eccentric Habit

_Disclaimers: Still not owning Ninja Storm…never will unless I hit Powerball._

Special Projects and the Eccentric Habit of a Yellow Ranger

Dustin sat at the table in Ninja Ops, which was silent due to the fact that the place was empty.  The only sounds to be heard were the clattering of small objects on the wooden table.  The yellow Ranger had been carefully sorting the objects on the table, oblivious to the fact that he was no longer alone.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when he felt hands grab his shoulders firmly.  After he recovered, he looked up to see someone smiling down at him.  

"Surprise," Shane said, then bent over to kiss Dustin's head.

"I thought you had some skating thing."

"I did, but it was lame so I bailed."

"How'd you know I was here?"

"When I left the park, I figured you'd be at the track with Hunter and Blake.  So when I saw you weren't there, I asked them.  They didn't know but I did see Cam.  He's the one that told me you were here.  So, why *are* you here?  Why aren't you at the track with the others?"

"I didn't feel like riding today."

"Why not?"

"'Cause I'm sick of being beaten by Blake and Hunter all the time.  That kinda takes the fun out of racing."

"Dude, you ride a 125.  Those two are on 250s."

"Still."

Shane sighed, knowing this was only going to continue with Dustin beating himself up.  He sat down behind Dustin, scooting up until he was pressed against the smaller man.  His arms went around Dustin's waist.

"You do realize we're in Ops and Sensei can come wondering in any second now?" Dustin asked, still working on what he had earlier begun.

"Fine," Shane said, standing.

"I'm sorry, that's not what I meant."

"I know what you meant."

Dustin stared at Shane, who was looking at nothing in particular.  Dustin let his eyes drift back down to the table, sliding the small objects around.  He didn't hear Shane move, but knew he did when Shane's hands were on his shoulders again.  This time Shane sat next to Dustin, but still had an arm curled around Dustin's waist.

"So, what are you doing?" Shane asked.

"I gotta get 'em separated."

"Why?"

Dustin shrugged, continuing to work.  Shane leaned his head against Dustin's shoulder, watching Dustin complete the task.  

"Do you always play with your candy?" Shane asked.

"Just these."

"And why are your M&Ms separated by color?"

"So I can eat them in the right order."  
  
Shane groaned, then buried his face in Dustin's shoulder.  "You actually do that?"

"Yup, ever since I was little."

Shane reached for a red one, but his hand was immediately smacked away.

"No one touches my red M&Ms.  No one," Dustin said seriously.

"But I'm the red Ranger, it's my color."

"Dude, I love you, but *no one* touches my red M&Ms.  That goes for the yellow ones too.  The others you can have."

Shane snorted.  "I get the leftovers."

"You don't have to have any, ya know."

Dustin took an orange one and popped it in his mouth, crunching away happily until he noticed Shane sneak a red one.  Shane was on his feet in a flash, backing away toward the door with Dustin stalking him. 

"One more step and it goes in my mouth," Shane taunted.

Dustin took a careful step back, but his eyes never left the hostage-taking Shane.  

"What do you want for it?" Dustin asked.

"The yellow ones."

Dustin thought for a moment.  Was he willing to sacrifice one red in order to save his small pile of yellows?  

Dustin pounced, taking Shane by surprise.  They wrestled around for the M&M, and Dustin had yet to get it back.  And it wasn't until someone disturbed them that Dustin got his M&M back.

"Whoa dudes!  I didn't need the visual!" they heard Hunter exclaim.

"It's not what it looks like," Shane said, looking up, still pinned to the floor by Dustin.

Dustin didn't say anything, he simply used the distraction to get his M&M back.  Then he stood, smiling over a still prone Shane.

"You stay away from my M&Ms," Dustin said, then headed back to the table.

"Dude, you got your butt kicked over an M&M?" Hunter asked, following Cam over to the computer.

Shane shrugged, "He takes them very seriously."

Shane got up and sat next to Dustin, who was oblivious to the other two in the room.  He was just watching Shane, guarding his red and yellow M&Ms.

"Dude, don't worry.  I won't touch them.  I promise," Shane said, his hands in the air for added effect.

But Dustin's look didn't waver.  He simply popped a brown one in his mouth.  

"So, what colors are you particular to?" Hunter asked, standing over both of them.

"Red and yellow."

"Mind if I grab the green ones?" he asked.

"They're all yours."

"Thanks bro," Hunter said, then took the few green M&Ms.

Dustin, who was still guarding his two piles, looked from Shane over to Hunter and Cam.  Hunter had given the green ones to Cam, who ate one while feeding Hunter another.  Dustin took a cue from the other couple and looked down to his own pair of piles.  He'd always been fussy over his M&Ms, saving the reds and yellows until last.  

Maybe there was such a thing as destiny and/or fate after all?

There were only a few reds, but he slid them over to Shane.  Shane looked at him quizzically, but said nothing.  He had been watching Hunter and Cam over Dustin's shoulder.

"Red's your color," Dustin quietly explained.

But he was surprised when Shane slid a pair of reds back and took a pair of yellows.

"I like 'em both together."


	2. Comfort Food Part1: Breakfast for Dinner

I wasn't sure if Special Projects was going to be a series of fluff or a one-shot. It's now a series since Shane/Dustin fluff's been on my mind almost as much as Germany. The only characters that I own are Dustin's mom (his dad made an appearance on the show, ergo, I cannot own him), Liz and Jessie. The others aren't mine and never will be. The world can be so unfair sometimes.

Tsukino Akume You asked for more, and you got more! LOL I love writing this, and I'd love reading it if there were more Shane/Dustin fluff out there. Know where I can get some?

Taynna and Weesta: I also separate my M&Ms, always have. I save the reds and blues until last, but the reds are *always* last. Red is my favorite color (although lately crimson's been more appealing). *smiles*

And to the others: THANKS!!!! I really do appreciate the reviews, it makes me feel so good to see that people actually like my fluffy insanity! 

This will actually have multiple parts to it… hopefully it works well. And yes, I actually do this often. What can I say… I may live in Connecticut, and my heart is in Germany, but I'm a Vermonter through and through in my soul. So without further adieu…

****

Comfort Foods

Part 1: Breakfast for Dinner

The battle was long and hard, pushing all six Rangers further than they believed possible. But in the end, the Power Rangers stood victorious while what was left of Lothor's alien smoldered in ruin. It was getting dark as three tired and sore people left Ninja Ops and headed for the blue VW van parked near the portal.

"What are your plans for tonight?" Shane asked, directing the question more to Tori than to Dustin.

"Not much. Just staying at home. My mom's insisting on some quality family time since she hardly ever sees Liz and me anymore."

"Liz is back from college?" Dustin asked.

"Yeah, she got back today and goes back in a few days."

The ride to Dustin's was mercifully short for all three since a looming silence hung over them after their brief conversation about Tori's plans. Shane was out first with Dustin right behind him. When Shane didn't get back in, Tori became puzzled.

"I'm chillin' with Dustin for a while," Shane explained before she could ask.

"See you guys tomorrow!" she called through the open window before driving away.

The couple waved as she drove off, then went inside.

"Mom? Dad? Jessie?" Dustin called just after Shane had shut the door behind them. "Guess no one's home."

Shane nodded in agreement and the two boys went to drop their backpacks in Dustin's bedroom before returning downstairs. They headed into the kitchen since it was about dinnertime, Shane sitting on a stool at the breakfast bar while Dustin searched the cabinets.

"You want anything special?" Dustin asked, glancing over to see that Shane's head was in his curled arms on the bar.

"Nope. I'm just hungry…and hurting," Shane mumbled without lifting his head.

Dustin, who was on the opposite side, leaned over and placed a hand on the back of Shane's head. "You need anything? My mom's got Aleve and stuff like that."

"Nah, it'll wear off in a while. But thanks."

The pair talked about school, their plans for the weekend and Jessie's college plans while Dustin cooked. Dustin never mentioned exactly what he was making, and Shane never asked. So when two plates of banana pancakes were set on the table, Shane had to laugh.

"What?" Dustin asked with a slight frown.

"Pancakes? It's dinnertime, dude."

Dustin shrugged, then headed for the refrigerator. "I know that, I'm not that dumb."

Shane looked down, afraid he had offended his boyfriend. But when Dustin returned to the bar with butter, maple syrup and a carafe of orange juice, Shane knew his comment wasn't taken seriously. After getting a pair of glasses, Dustin finally sat down only to return to his feet a few seconds later.

"Duh!" he exclaimed. "Forgot the tater tots."

"Tater tots?" Shane repeated.

"Yup."

As soon as a plate full of steaming tater tots was set on the bar, Dustin sat again. 

"What's with the breakfast food at dinner thing?" Shane asked as he drizzled syrup over his buttered pancakes.

Dustin shrugged again. "I guess it's a comfort food thing."

Shane watched as Dustin poured the maple syrup over his helping of tater tots.

"Is that good?" Shane asked.

"I love it," Dustin answered just after swallowing his bite. "Wanna try some?"

"Sure. That way if I don't like it, I can get the ketchup."

Shane was about to reach with his fork, but Dustin already had a forkful of his own. So he reached over and fed Shane the syrup covered tater tots. And Shane chewed with a closed-lipped smile, not only because the tots tasted good, but also because of Dustin's action.

"Not bad at all," Shane grinned, then poured syrup over his own helping.


	3. CF Part 2: Toaster Oven Gooey Goodness

Tsukino Akume: We need to make a Shane/Dustin banner! ::waves homemade one around:: Yeah, Dustin cooks in my world. For some reason, I can just see him being able to do it. The only one who strikes me as kitchen-illiterate is Blake. And tater tots with maple syrup, it's so, so good! It must be a Vermont thing. ::shrugs:: So, when's there gonna be more of Fight to Keep You???? ::impatient smile::

Fiestylittlewoman: I lived in Germany for 6 months last year and I miss it terribly! And I've been twice before that. I just love it over there. But I didn't get to watch Power Rangers, so that would be a problem if I go back.

Standard disclaimer.

****

Comfort Foods 

Part 2: Toaster Oven Gooey Goodness

Shane did most of the post-dinner cleaning, with Dustin only doing the drying. They settled in to the living room and watched TV, where Dustin was curled into Shane. And Shane's arm was around Dustin's shoulders, playing with a pendent that Dustin wore around his neck.

"What's that pendent mean?" Shane asked during a commercial.

"It's a symbol of protection," Dustin answered a bit absently, being amused by the commercial.

"Where'd you get it?"  
  
"Jessie gave it to me a while ago. I wear it every once in a while."

"What is it?"

"A rune."

"A what?"  
  
"Rune. They were, like, the ancient writing system in part of Europe a very long time ago. Jessie's been into that stuff for a while now, she even reads them. She gave me this because she thinks it'll protect me in daily life and when I ride."

"Well, it's done a good job so far."

The show came back on, so Dustin only cuddled into Shane as they watch the comedy. It was over a while later, and Dustin stood up.

"Where are you going?" Shane whined.

"Kitchen," Dustin pointed. "Time for dessert."

Shane reluctantly stood to follow Dustin, who was already in the kitchen. He was concentrating on something at the counter and Shane snuck up behind him. Both of Shane's hands went into the back pockets of Dustin's jeans, squeezing gently.

"You shouldn't do that to people with knives," Dustin advised with a chuckle.

"Why's that?"

"Might slice a finger off."

"That would definitely be bad."

"I think so too."

"So what are you doing?"

Dustin merely pointed to the toaster oven and Shane leaned over Dustin's shoulder to peer inside. 

"More comfort food?"

"I need lots of comfort food today. I'll probably need lots tomorrow too."

Shane took his hands from Dustin's pockets and slowly spun the brunette around. Shane had him pinned to the counter, and Dustin's arms were around Shane's neck. Shane licked his lips before leaning in. The first kiss was chaste, closed-lipped. The second had Shane taking Dustin's bottom lip between his teeth, sucking gently. And the third found Shane in Dustin's mouth, their bodies pressed together.

The sound of a bell startles the pair, who separate. Dustin turns to see that it was the timer on the toaster oven. With an oven mitt, Dustin takes the pan out. 

"Dude, I love you," Shane said when he saw what Dustin had made.

"He loves me only when I feed him," Dustin grumbles with a grin.

They returned to the living room, each with a bottle of cold root beer and a pair of fresh-from-the-toaster-oven Tollhouse chocolate chip cookies. Deciding on a movie, Dustin puts X-Men 2 in the DVD player. But the movie was soon forgotten when Shane saw that Dustin didn't eat his cookies neatly.

"You have chocolate all over your face," Shane noted.

Dustin raised a hand, which was promptly pushed away. Shane had one hand on the back of Dustin's head while the other was on the other's thigh. He then proceeded to kiss the chocolate off of Dustin's face. Dustin then leaned into Shane, causing the other to fall back onto the couch. Dustin climbed on top of Shane, their lips meeting again. This time, Dustin forced his way into Shane's mouth and let the other do what he wanted. Shane's hands went below Dustin's waist.

They caught the movie again at the middle, and watched it until the end. Since it was late, Shane called his parents to tell them that he was staying with Dustin. And the couple watched TV until they fell asleep on the couch.


	4. Comfort Food Part3: Breakfast for Breakf...

You asked for more Shane/Dustin fluff, and you got it! This is the last part of the Comfort Foods thread, for the foreseeable future anyway. But have no fear, there will be more fluff to come!

Comfort Foods

Part 3: Breakfast for Breakfast

(aka The Reason Behind It All)

It was late by the time Dustin and Shane awoke the next morning. Dustin was sprawled out on the couch while Shane had put the two overstuffed chairs together for a makeshift bed. Both were covered with blankets that weren't there earlier.

"I was wondering when you two would wake up," his mother said as Dustin stumbled into the kitchen.

"Where'd you guys go?" Dustin asked, kissing his mother's cheek.

"We didn't get back until really late with Jessie. We looked at a college, remember?"

Dustin thought for a moment, then nodded. He didn't really remember, but it was safer to nod. He sat at the breakfast bar, watching his mother cook. Shane came in a few minutes later, sitting next to Dustin.

"Morning," he mumbled to his yellow clad love, kissing his cheek behind his mother's back.

"Morning," Dustin replied.

"I hope you don't mind cinnamon French toast for breakfast," she said.

"Not at all."

"What did you both end up doing for dinner last night?"

"I made pancakes," Dustin answered. "With tater tots."

"That's why I couldn't find them," his mother sighed with a smile. "Did you sleep well?"  
  
"Yeah, thanks for the blankets," Shane answered.

"Not a problem. You boys looked a bit cold. I remember when your father and I used to fall asleep watching television on the couch. Or doing other things…"

"Mom!" Dustin groaned. "I don't need to know."

Dustin's mom chuckled at her son's reaction. "You know you weren't a product of Immaculate Conception."

"Mom!"

Mrs. Brooks just shook her head, continuing to make a lot of French toast. Shane excused himself, heading out of the kitchen.

"What's with all the comfort food? I noticed that you boys had cookies too."

"I got a date with him tonight," Dustin answered. "We're going double with Hunter and Cam."

"What part makes you nervous?"

"The part with Shane. I know we've been going out for a while, but we never had a real date. I'm afraid I'm gonna screw it all up and he'll never want to see me again."

"Honey, I don't think you need to worry about that. If all disastrous dates ended up in broken relationships, well, you and Jessie wouldn't be here."

"So there's hope for us?"

"Of course there is. And I'm sure it won't be the disaster you're predicting."

"You're talking to Hurricane Dustin," he pointed out.

"You are not that bad. Just relax and try to have fun."

That conversation thread stopped when Shane reappeared in the kitchen, reclaiming his seat next to Dustin. The younger brunette cuddled against Shane, who wrapped an arm around Dustin's shoulders. Dustin's father and Jessie soon came into the kitchen and the five ate breakfast while talking about the college Jessie had seen. 

It was almost noon by the time Shane went home. And as nervous as Dustin was for their date, Shane felt the same way. 


	5. Four Guys & a Double Date

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Thanks for the reviews! I hope this answers some questions, although new ones may come up.

This takes place just after the Comfort Foods parts.

Standard disclaimer.

Four Guys and a Double Date

Shane had laid his clothes out on his bed, checking them over to make sure they were appropriate. He'd just gotten out of the shower, needing to clean himself up after a long afternoon of skateboarding. He took his time getting dressed since he had allotted plenty of time to get ready. He was standing in front of the mirror, checking himself out when his mother came into the room. She sat on the bed, smiling proudly at her son.

"This is so weird," Shane commented. "I'm actually concerned about looking good for tonight. Well, even better than normal."

"It isn't all that weird, Shane," she replied with a laugh. "You should see your father when he gets ready to go out for dinner with me."

Shane snickered at the thought, but said nothing. He turned to face his mom, who stood before him. She smoothed out the collar to his shirt and also his hair. Then she took a step back, looked him up and down, then smiled.

"I think Dustin will appreciate the effort you've put in to this."

She walked with him down the stairs and into the living room when he stopped short.

"Do I have to get him anything?"

His mother smiled, shaking her head. "I don't think so. Unless you want to get him flowers."

Shane rolled his eyes with a slight frown. "That wasn't even funny."

"I'm sorry, honey. Couldn't help it."

"You seem so cool about this…me being with Dustin and stuff."

"I think it's fine, and your father's gotten used to it. He guesses that it's up to Porter to give him a daughter in law now. Not that we'd mind a son in law, either."

"And Porter?"

She sighed, "He'll come around."

"I hope so."

Shane gave his mom a peck on the cheek before leaving. The drive to Dustin's wouldn't take long, and he realized that he would be early, so he stopped on the way. The convenience store was like most others, and he quickly found the peanut M&Ms that he was looking for. After buying two bags, he continued on his way to Dustin's. He parked on the street when he saw three cars in the driveway, which meant that the whole Brooks family was home. And he could only imagine what Anya was putting her younger brother through. He rang the doorbell and took a step back. He saw the curtain to the living room window move, and he guessed that someone was checking who was at the door.

"Your date's here!" Shane heard a familiar female voice yell.

The door swung open to reveal Anya, who wore a big grin on her face. She moved, sweeping her arm aside, wordlessly inviting Shane inside. He went into the living room, where he found Dustin's parents on the couch. The smile on Dustin's mom's face was recognizable…she was beaming!

"You do look quite handsome tonight, Shane," she said, standing to hug him.

"Thanks…I tried."

She sat back down next to her husband as Anya yelled for Dustin again.

"So, where are you going tonight?" Dustin's father asked.

Shane's mind suddenly blanked, leaving him fumbling for an answer. When had he become so nervous about the date? It had to be a sudden thing since he couldn't remember being _this_ nervous. It was then that he realized what was with Dustin's latest obsession with comfort foods. Shane knew Dustin's reputation with dates, a reputation that earned him the nasty nickname 'Hurricane Dustin' from the girls at school.

"A place just outside of town. It's called East Side."

"I've been there," Anya announced, taking the chair near her parents. "German place. It's a bit pricey, but the food's great. Too bad none of you are over 21, they have great beer too."

"Yeah, Cam and Hunter have been there before and they really liked it. Said it was different," Shane replied, thankful when he heard Dustin bounding down the stairs.

"Sorry…" Dustin said sheepishly, his face having a red tinge to it.

"Not a problem."

"We gotta get going," Dustin said to Shane, then turned to his parents. "Gotta leave plenty of time in case we get lost or something. The directions are kinda confusing."

"Who'd you get them from?" Shane asked. If they were from Cam, they're dependable. From Hunter… they were guaranteed to get lost.

"Cam. He said something about it not being safe for Hunter to give directions."

"Somehow I don't doubt it."

Shane and Dustin managed to make it out of the house after only a few more questions. Once they were in the car, Shane decided to make Dustin navigate since it was dark and easier for the other to read.

"Dude, I think we're lost," Shane said after Dustin announced that they should be there already. "Let me see that."

Dustin handed over the directions reluctantly, afraid that he'd screwed up somewhere.

"Dude, please tell me you weren't going by this the entire time," Shane sighed.

"Yeah…"

"These are the reverse directions…how to get back to your place from the restaurant."

"Oh."

When Shane looked over, he saw that Dustin's head was down. He shook his head slightly, then reached an arm across Dustin's shoulders, pulling him closer so that Shane could kiss his temple.

"Don't worry about it. Let's head back to familiar territory. From there, we can try to pick up the directions or we call Cam."

"Sorry 'bout that. I didn't look, I just thought I had the right directions on top."

"Like I said, don't worry about it. That's why we left really early."

"I was trying so hard not to be 'Hurricane Dustin' again that I do it without realizing it."

"Dustin! For the last time, don't worry about it."

Shane turned the car around, hoping that his backtracking skills were as good as he thought. Shane didn't like the silence coming from Dustin. It was his normal silence, it was worse.

"Just because we got lost doesn't mean 'Hurricane Dustin', ya know," Shane said, reaching over to give Dustin's hand a squeeze.

"You remember that?"

"How could I not? You swore off dating because of that nickname. I figured that's why I had such a problem getting you out for a proper date."

"I was so nervous about screwing it up. I was called that for a reason."

"Dude, things happen. It's called life. And even if it does turn out to be a disaster, I'll still love you."

"Just one thing?"

"What?"  
  
"Can we not mention any of this to Cam and Hunter?"

"I wasn't going to."


End file.

Power Rangers, Humor, Romance