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Chapter Text

Lloyd sat on the living room couch, staring down at his sock-covered feet with saddened eyes. The usually bright shade of emerald green that possessed his eyes was gone, and was replaced with a much deeper, more overcast color. Underneath his gloomy orbs were bags from lack of sleep, and his hair was messy and sticking out everywhere. Lloyd's posture wasn't too good either, with the boy's head being hung between his legs and his arms covering his unkempt head.

The poor teen seemed like he came back from the dead, when, in actuality, he was suffering from intense night terrors for the past few weeks. They ranged from finding out that his team members were murdered, to being murdered himself, and to even worse things. It was just awful, and all he wanted was to get some rest, but he simply couldn't do that. The second Lloyd would close his eyes to sleep, some kind of horrific image would fill his mind, and any thought of resting would be thrown out the window.

His teammates had been suspecting something was wrong for a while, but they never said anything. At first, they wanted to speak up, but never did so. There wasn't an exact reason for this; maybe they just wanted Lloud to figure things out for himself.

However, one person in particular was incredibly worried about Lloyd, and was only being held back from asking about what was going on by his friends: Kai, Lloyd's boyfriend.

The brunette had been worried since the first day Lloyd had woken up looking like he was dead. However, his friends, more especially his sister, Nya, told him not to say anything, because Lloyd needed to get himself straightened out. In the beginning, Kai simply did what they asked, but as time passed and Lloyd seemed to grow worse and worse by the day, he became impatient.

Finally, after almost a month of watching his boyfriend miserably sitting on the couch, Kai walked over, fed up with waiting, and confronted Lloyd about the situation.

"Babe, what's been going on lately?" The taller male asked, sitting down next to his significant other and touching his arm. "You've been acting really..different, and it makes me scared. So, please, tell me what's wrong."

Lloyd lifted his head a bit, turning to look at Kai before looking down again. He really didn't want his boyfriend getting tangled into what was happening. Sure, they were just some harmless dreams, but if Lloyd wasn't getting any sleep because of them, it would make (and already has made) Kai worried, and Lloyd didn't want that. So, he simply shook his head and kept his gaze locked on the floor.

"It's nothing, Kai," The blonde boy replied in a quiet voice.

"It is something!" Kai yelled a bit too loudly. "And, I want you to tell me what it is! Please, Lloyd!"

The green ninja stared at the red one with a look of slight shock. He hadn't expected his boyfriend to raise his voice, much less yell. That tone of voice specifically made Lloyd think. Was Kai really this worried about him?

Sure, Kai was a hothead, and him yelling wasn't a rare thing. But never did Kai yell at Lloyd over something so trivial, if you could even call it that. And what's more, the brunette had a small amount of sweat dripping from his forehead, and his hands were shaking a lot. Kai never did these things on a normal day, so he must have been worried.

Eventually, Kai spoke once more.

"I'm sorry for raising my voice, Lloyd," He said, trying to meet the boy's eyes. "But, please, I wanna know what's been bothering you for the past few weeks. It's been making me and the others worried, so please, tell me what's up."

Lloyd was hesitant to speak at first, but soon spoke up.

"I..I've been having these...night terrors for the last few weeks," He started, meeting Kai's gaze. "They've always been of you and the others or even me being...m-murdered..or something. It scared me so much that...I wasn't able to sleep at all. I'm sorry..for not saying anything-"

Before Lloyd could finish what he was going to say, he was cut off by a pair of firm arms wrapping around his smaller form. He looked to the side to see Kai's dark brown hair in the crook of his neck and his body pressed up against his own. Lloyd was confused at first, until he heard his boyfriend's voice again.

"It's..It's okay, Lloyd," The Master of Fire said, holding the blonde tighter. "It isn't...real, I promise. You don't have to be scared. No matter what, I promise that these night terrors will never come true."

These words made the emotions that Lloyd had been feeling, the pain that he had been experiencing, and the fear that had been engulfing him, overtake his body, as a choked out sob escaped his lips. He threw his small arms around Kai's torso, tears running down his soft cheeks, never wanting to let go of his boyfriend.

Kai, meanwhile, was trying his best to soothe Lloyd. He rubbed circles on the boy's back, tousled his hair, and whispered small, comforting things into his ear, like 'it's okay' and 'it's not real'. These small gestures seemed to be working, as Lloyd previously loud sobs soon turned into soft hiccups and sniffles. Finally, the green ninja lifted his head from Kai's neck and stared into his amber eyes.

"Thanks, Kai," He said, his cheeks puffy and red. "I really needed that."

"It was nothing, baby," Kai smiled, rubbing Lloyd's temples. "Now, what can I do to make you happy?"

Lloyd thought for a minute, really wondering about what Kai asked. What could Kai do to make him happy? He wasn't sure, until a particular idea popped into his head. He scratched the back of his head in slight embarrassment, while Kai gave him a questioning look.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Well..." Lloyd started. "I think that...to make me happy, we should cuddle up for a movie..since, y'know, we haven't really done that before. And, maybe...it could be the new Starfarer movie?"

Kai looked a bit surprised, before smiling sweetly.

" 'Course we can, Lloyd," He replied, a soft yet happy tone in his voice.

______

"So," Kai spoke, holding Lloyd close to his chest. "Is this making you happy?"

Lloyd looked up at his boyfriend, his first smile in weeks upon his face. Currently, the TV had Fritz Donagan on the screen, saying his oh so famous line 'fear isn't a word where I come from!', and scattered around the two lovers was popcorn, bags of chips, and various types of candy. A good amount had already been eaten by Lloyd, while most of the chips and popcorn were devoured by Kai. This was, by far, the best Lloyd had felt in a long time, so he answered his boyfriend's question positively.

"Yes," He said, kissing Kai on the cheek lovingly. "This is making me happy, Kai."

Chapter Text

Cole stared down at his shoe-covered feet, a saddened and disappointed expression on his face. He couldn't believe that he had been so stupid, so naive to have let that happen. He had the simplest of things to do, and yet, he still did the opposite.

Why did he always have to screw up when things were just starting to get better?

_____Flashback_____

The Earth ninja's hand trembled, as he walked down the empty hallways of the Bounty, awaiting his best friend. He was incredibly nervous for what was going to happen, and couldn't stop thinking about how Jay would react if he did what he planned to do.

For a bit of insight, Cole had asked Jay to meet him in the shared bedroom they all had, because he wanted to tell the smaller boy something important. Jay had simply agreed with a smile and walked off to talk to Nya, making Cole's knees weak. That smile always lit up his world.

The thing that Cole wanted to tell Jay was going to be hard to put into words, as it wasn't exactly something that you hear your best friend saying everyday. However, Cole knew that Jay had the right to know.

The important thing that Cole wanted - no, needed - to tell Jay about was that he was...in love with him.

Cole couldn't help but feel scared and anxious about his best friend's reaction. After all, Jay couldn't have liked him in that way. He never showed any signs of attraction towards Cole, and he only ever referred to Cole as his best friend, nothing more. It broke Cole's heart to think that he could possibly lose his best friend after this if Jay didn't feel the same way about him.

But, the Lightning ninja needed to know. Cole had kept it a secret for years now, and it was time for him to come clean. So, he took in a deep breath and opened the door to the ninjas' shared bedroom.

"Oh, there you are!" Jay turned around with a small smile. "I almost thought you weren't coming."

Cole looked away nervously, his cheeks becoming warm. Was he really going to do this? Was he really going to admit to his best and closest friend that he was in love with him?

Heck yeah.

"Y-Yeah," Cole stuttered, still turned away. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be late."

" 'S okay," Jay replied. "So, what did you wanna tell me?"

Cole inhaled and exhaled, trying to keep his calm (or at least he hoped it was calm) and composed expression. Finally, after contemplating everything, his life, his friends, his family, and what he was about to do, Cole leaned in and kissed Jay.

Needless to say, Jay was unimaginably surprised. He was expecting something strange or odd, but certainly not this. He didn't know what to say, as his heart pounded outside of his chest and his cheeks became flaming red.

However, despite the kiss being unexpected, it actually felt really...nice. Cole's lips were soft and gentle on Jay's own, and the Master of Lightning was very tempted to kiss back. But, he didn't, in fear that it would scare Cole and the kiss would break.

Suddenly, Cole realized what he was doing. He hadn't realized in the heat of the moment that kissing Jay probably wasn't the best way to explain himself, and only now did that fact dawn on him. But, by then, it was too late, and the action had already been carried out.

Right as Jay was about to give into his temptation, Cole pulled away, nervously staring at his best friend. Jay also stared, completely speechless after what had just happened. The Master of Earth wasn't sure if his feelings were reciprocated or not, but from what he could see, Jay was confused and at a loss for words.

So, Cole did the only thing he could do: he bolted out the bedroom door and never looked back.

_____Flashback____

Now, here the black clad ninja was, on the Bounty's deck, staring down at the fog covered ground below. They were probably thousands of feet off of the ground, so Cole couldn't be sure if that was even the floor he saw, or if it was just the sky.

Cole held his legs up to his chin, shivering slightly at the light wind. He couldn't believe that he had just kissed Jay, his best friend. How stupid was he? There was no way that Jay would have ever felt the same way! Never in a million years! So, why did he do it?

Well, Cole wasn't too sure why he kissed the boy. Maybe he felt like words weren't enough? Or maybe, it was too hard to get any words out? Or perhaps...he was just too eager for his own good.

However, none of those explanations would work as a proper excuse for his actions, he understood that. No, he would have to tell Jay the truth. Somehow, someway, Cole would have to be honest with his friend, because if he didn't, it would only cause more trouble and more drama, which he didn't want.

As the Earth ninja thought and contemplated, he seemed to be unable to hear the footsteps that approached him from behind. In fact, he only noticed somebody was there when he felt a light tap on his left shoulder. Cole turned and came face to face with Jay, the smaller of the two with a firm expression.

Cole's cheeks instantly turned red and his heart immediately started pounding faster than ever before. He couldn't believe it; was he really going to talk to Jay just ten minutes after the kiss?

Apparently so.

"Hey," Jay looked down, hiding his red face.

"Hey..." Cole replied, also looking away.

The two boys remained silent, waiting for the other to speak first. Finally, the Lightning Ninja spoke up.

"So, uh...about what happened," He started, still refusing to make eye contact. "Why did you do it...Cole?"

The tone of Jay's voice panged at Cole's heart, as he quickly thought up a response. It was then that he remembered: there was no explanation that would cut it, aside from the truth. He would have to tell his best friend the complete and utter truth, even if it would take all of the courage Cole had left in him.

So, Cole took in a deep breath and began to speak.

"I...I've been..in love with you, Jay," He said, staring down at the deck below him. "I didn't know how to tell you, s..so I just went on impulse...and kissed you."

No one said anything, as the two teens thought and contemplated. Eventually, Jay broke the tense silence once again.

"Why did you feel the need to keep it a secret?" He asked, surprising and shocking Cole.

The black haired male stared at his friend, his brown eyes wider than ever before. What did Jay mean? Why had he felt the need to keep his crush a secret? Shouldn't the answer have been obvious?

"A better question is why wouldn't I have kept it a secret," Cole replied, turning his head back down.

"And, why is that?" Jay suddenly said.

Cole was surprised, once again, but replied anyway.

"Well, for starters, you're straight-"

Jay cut him off. "No, I'm not."

"Wait, what?" Cole asked, completely confused.

He thought Jay was straight; the boy never said otherwise.

"I'm bi," Jay replied, a small smile on his cheeks.

"O-Oh," The black clad ninja responded, feeling like an idiot. "Well, another reason, you're with Nya."

"I could break up with her," The blue clad ninja said once more. "If I needed to, that is."

Cole was astonished. He was sure that he had all the possible evidence to prove Jay wasn't in love with him, yet here he was, proving everything he was saying wrong.

"Okay, well, I have one final reason," Cole said, balling his hands into fists. "We aren't meant to be together. You saw yourself ending up with Nya in your reflection during Morro's possession, therefore, it's fate for you and Nya to be together."

After that, there was silence between the two boys, making Cole feel strange. Did he finally prove Jay wrong? Was he finally gonna settle this dispute and move on? And...was he gonna lose his best friend forever?

Only one way to find out.

Another minute passed, when Jay finally spoke, his words shocking Cole to his core.

"What if we rewrite the stars? Say you were made to be mine, not Nya," He said. "Nothing can keep us apart, not even fate."

Cole was in awe. Was Jay serious? Changing fate - or rewriting the stars, as Jay put it - was impossible. Things were made this way for a reason. Jay should've known that. After all, he's not that stupid.

"Changing fate isn't possible, Jay," Cole stated, keeping his head down. "Shouldn't you know that?"

"Nothing is impossible, Cole," Jay replied quickly, trying to meet his best friend's gaze. "I wanna be with you, and nothing's gonna stop me."

Another pause of silence engulfed the two boys. Nobody spoke or said a word. Cole was completely lost in thought. Was Jay really serious about this? Because if so, Cole was over the moon with joy. He never thought that Jay would have those feelings for him, but somehow, he did. He desperately wanted to be with Jay, more than anything. But, he wanted to make sure he was hearing and seeing things right. If his mind was playing tricks on him, what would he do?

"You're completely serious, right, Jay?" Cole questioned, turning his head slightly to meet his best friend's gaze.

Suddenly, Jay grabbed the sides of Cole's face and kissed him, pulling away after a few blissful seconds. The familiar feeling of Cole's lips on his own was incredibly euphoric, and all he wanted was for it to last. But, unfortunately, they couldn't kiss forever.

"Yes, Cole," Jay assured, smiling. "I'm serious."

Cole's cheeks turned a deep shade of red, as his heart pounded faster and faster. Jay must have been serious. That kiss was just amazing. Jay's lips were sweet yet passionate, and the feeling of their lips being interlocked was the most immaculate feeling ever. Now, he believed Jay.

"Jay, I..." Cole hesitated, before saying what he wanted to say. "I have been in love with you for so long, and I would be honored to change fate with you."

Jay smiled and hugged his soon-to-be boyfriend, euphoria completely taking over his body. The freckles on his cheeks seemed to glow with excitement and his beautiful blue orbs shone underneath the setting sunlight., which was surprisingly visible, considering the fog.

Cole himself also appeared to be even more cheerful than ever before. His dark, jet black hair moved slowly in tune with the wind, and his tan skin seemed to have a gorgeous glow to it, making it appear shiny. Finally, the two broke their hug, as Jay said one final line that would seal their fates.

"You mean rewrite the stars."

Cole and Jay, two boys who were thought to just be best friends, were gonna be together.

They were going against fate.

They were changing fate.

They were gonna rewrite the stars, and nobody could stop them from doing so.

Chapter Text

Zane anxiously tapped his foot on the carpeted bedroom floor, still awaiting his boyfriend's reply. The room was cold with Kai around, and frankly, the blue eyed boy was getting worried about his whereabouts. Finally, after what felt like hours, Zane received a text from Kai.

Kai <3<3<3: on mah way hume

Zane lightly giggled at his boyfriend's late night spelling errors before quickly typing a response.

You: Okay. See you soon, baby! Love you <3

Now, all that was left for Zane to do was wait for his lover's arrival, which was easier said than done. He greatly disliked waiting for Kai to arrive home late, for two main reasons: one, he was worried about something bad happening to the brunette, and two, he missed hugging Kai for warmth while he slept.

However, Zane understood that Kai had to finish his late hours, and simply hoped that his boyfriend would get home safe and sound.

_____

"Zane, I'm home," Kai said lazily, as he slid through the open front door.

Immediately, Zane leapt up from his and Kai's shared bedroom and went to the door, hugging Kai once he was close enough. As soon as their bodies made contact, warmth overtook Zane as a whole, and Kai's already warm body was chilled just a bit.

"It is good to see you home safe, my love," The taller male said, making a small, tired smile appear on his boyfriend's lips. "How was work?"

"Mmm, tiring," Kai mumbled, snuggling close into Zane's chest.

The ice ninja smiled at the sight of his drowsy lover, as he began to guide the boy and himself to their room. Once inside, Kai collapsed onto the soft, cozy bed that the two boyfriends shared, while Zane quietly removed the boy's shoes and placed them in the closet.

"Nngh, Zane?" Kai muttered, catching his lover's attention.

"Yes, Kai?" The white haired male replied, turning his head to face the male.

"Could we...cuddle?" The fire ninja asked in a somewhat hesitant manner.

Zane was a bit surprised at first by the boy's request, but smiled and nodded nonetheless. He enjoyed cuddling and being close to his boyfriend, especially at a time like this, when they were both tired. It meant that the two could fall asleep quietly in each other's arms.

"Of course, my love," Zane responded, walking over to his lover and laying down next to him.

Kai pulled himself closer to Zane, wrapping his exhausted arms around his broader body. Zane held Kai tightly, but not to the point of suffocation. He then began to stroke the boy's spiky, brunette hair, making the boy let out a light purring sound. He always enjoyed when Zane petted his head, which led the latter to believe more and more that Kai had the soul of a cat.

Despite how tired and drowsy he was, Kai smiled a little as he was cuddled up to Zane. It was moments like these that really made his revel in how long they had been together, and how much he loved Zane. Kai loved and cared about Zane more than anything, and would do whatever he could to keep his lover safe. There had been many times when Zane was hurt in battle, and Kai would spend hours and hours next to him, stroking his cheek and making sure he got well. Nothing could replace Zane.

Zane also possessed a strong love for Kai, and reacted similarly when the latter would get injured during a fight. However, unlike Kai, Zane was more compassionate, always doing small gestures of love that seemed small and unmeaningful, but were, in actuality, important and sweet. He also cared about and loved Kai more than anything in the universe, and would never trade him for anything, even the world itself. Many of the group members would marvel in how in love the two were, which only made them fall for each other more.

"Zane?" Kai suddenly said, breaking the comfortable silence.

"Yes, darling?"

"I love you...so much."

Zane's small smile grew wider, as he looked down at his lover. Kai looked up at the same time, and the two got rid of the gap between them. Their lips met for a sweet and tender kiss that lasted a few long seconds, before parting and returning to their old positions.

Eventually, Zane could hear the sound of light snoring, and looked back down to see Kai asleep on top of him. The blue eyed boy smiled and rested his head back as well, as he too began to drift off into dreamland.

I love you too, Kai.

Chapter Text

Cole shifted nervously in his seat, his fingers moving in circles and his face drenched in cold sweat. He was so anxious and scared for what he and Kai were about to do. He couldn't even sit still for a second. Eventually, Kai met Cole on the living room couch, and pulled the boy's sweaty hand to the side for a comforting squeeze.

"It'll be okay, hon," The fire master assured, looking deep into Cole's brown eyes. "I'm sure they'll be just fine with us being together."

"How do you know?" Cole asked, nervousness clouding his vision. "Have you briefed them about what we're talking about? Do you have a sure way of knowing how they'll react?"

Kai sighed, shaking his head.

"Of course not," He replied. "But, they're our friends, and if they truly love us, they'll accept us."

Cole shifted in his seat once more, as the feeling of pure fright and anxiety filled his body. He really wanted his teammates to be okay with him and Kai dating, as well as him being gay and Kai being bi. It was all he wanted since the earth and fire masters first started dating, and it was still what he desired most. To be rejected by his team, who were pretty much his family, would be like the whole world rejecting him, because his team was his entire world. He didn't have anything or anyone else to talk to, besides his father, of course. But, other than Lou and the team, Cole didn't have anybody who he was close to, much less considered family. So, if the group wasn't okay with him and Kai being together, and the fact that neither of them were 100% straight, he believed whole-heartdly that he would break down.

Suddenly, a cluster of scattered voices interrupted Cole's thoughts, making him turn his head to the origin of the sound.

The ninja team, consisting of Jay, Zane, Nya, Lloyd, Master Wu, and P.I.X.A.L, had all arrived. Cole analyzed their features carefully. They were smiling, laughing, even yelling a bit. That made Cole wonder. Would those expressions change after he and Kai admitted their relationship to them? Would they stop smiling, cease their laughter, and discontinue their yelling? Would they, instead, be silent yet rude about the subject? Would they simply disown the two males all together? Would they kick them out of the Bounty? He sure hoped not.

Finally, everybody was sitting down and facing Kai and Cole, awaiting whatever it was that the master of fire claimed was so important to know right before dinner.

There was nothing but silence for the next few seconds, before Kai cleared his throat and began to speak.

"So, Cole and I have something important that we need you guys to know, don't we, Cole?" The brunette started, nudging Cole's arm in an attempt to get the taller boy talking.

However, all Cole did was nod in hesitant agreement, as he still kept quiet. Nobody said anything, but there was obvious confusion on the teams' faces. Eventually, after what seemed like 30 minutes but was really only a few silent seconds, Cole cleared his own dry throat and said the words he had been dreading to say for months.

"I'm gay, Kai's bi, and we're dating."

The two were, once again, met with complete silence, as Cole's words sunk in. Meanwhile, Cole himself kept his head hung down, his gaze on the hardwood floor, and his hands intertwined nervously with Kai's.

"Really, Kai? You're bi, too?" Jay suddenly spoke up, shocking both Cole and said fire master.

"Yeah," Kai answered, a small smile on his lips. "Why, are you bi?"

"Yeah!" The auburn haired boy grinned widely, his freckled cheeks shining brightly.

"Well, I'm pan, if that's important," Lloyd imputed, smiling and waving.

"I believe I am pansexual, as well, Lloyd," Zane responded, putting a hand on the green ninja's shoulder.

"Since we're all coming out, I'm bi, too!" Nya exclaimed, smiling happily.

"And, I am asexual," P.I.X.A.L finished, also smiling.

Needless to say, Cole and Kai were both in shock and awe at the sudden coming out session. Then, Kai smirked and turned to Cole with an 'I told you so' look. The earth ninja's expression softened at the sight, and a huge grin overtook his face. He wasn't alone, Kai wasn't alone, and they weren't gonna be disowned! That alone made him happy.

The team then turned to the two boyfriends, all smiling from ear to ear, and came in with a bunch of questions.

"So, have you guys kissed?"

"How long have you guys been together?"

"How come you didn't tell us sooner?"

"Who asked who out?"

"Can we have dinner now?"

Everybody then turned to Jay with confused and shocked faces at his words, making the lightning master shrug his shoulders.

"What?" He inquired. "I'm hungry."

Cole laughed at his best friend, standing up from his seat and patting him on the back.

"Yeah," The black clad ninja agreed. "As much as I'd love to answer your guys' questions, I would rather eat our food before it gets cold."

Kai chuckled and stood up with the others, sneaking off to the side to give Cole a sweet kiss. When he pulled away, a smile adorned his face.

"You were brave. Good job," He congratulated.

"Thanks," Cole smiled. "I love you, Kai."

"Love you too, boulder brain," The fire master grinned, slinging an arm around his lover's shoulder. "Now, let's eat!"

Chapter Text

"No, Jay! No, Jay, no!" Cole yelled, as he shook his best friend's shoulder while holding him up by his waist. "You can't die! Please, stay with me! Please!"

The black clad ninja could feel tears prickling in the corners of his eyes, as he switched on his communicator and spoke loudly into it. Around him, dead snakes lay, completely motionless from the recent battle, but he paid them no mind.

"Guys, come quick!" Cole shouted, his teeth almost chattering from the cold rain. "Jay's really hurt, and he needs help! Bring the Bounty and come as fast as you can, please!"

Immediately Nya responded, sounding more calm than she should have been at the news.

"Okay, just calm down, Cole. We'll be there soon," The water ninja assured. "Tell me where the two of you are."

"By Mystake's old tea shop!" The earth ninja replied, as the feeling of true fear and panic set in.

Jay was not only Cole's best and closest friend, but the master of earth also had a huge crush on the blue ninja for the longest time. However, he never knew how he could tell the boy, since he was with Nya, until just a few weeks ago. Ever since then, Cole had become much more nervous and flustered around Jay, which the lightning master didn't seem to pick up on. Everyone else, on the other hand, had realized Cole's feelings, and would not stop pestering him about when he would tell Jay. Cole never answered their questions, but still desperately wanted to tell the blue ninja how he felt. He thought, however, that his feelings would ruin their friendship, so he didn't say anything, despite wanting to.

"What's the injury, and how bad is it?" Nya interrupted Cole's thoughts.

The earth ninja quickly remembered what was going on and answered quickly.

"One of the snakes threw a spear, and it struck Jay right in the abdomen. It looks..pretty bad. There's a lot of blood, and the spear is still stuck in his body. Sh-Should I take it out-"

"No! Don't remove the weapon!" Zane stepped in on his communicator. "Just apply pressure to the wound and wait for us to get there, okay?"

"Right," Cole responded, quickly turning off his communicator and turning to Jay.

The master of lightning was already unconscious, but he still had a pulse, from what Cole could understand. The master of earth immediately ignored his thoughts and pressed his hands down on the bleeding area, praying to himself that the Bounty would arrive soon. He didn't know how much longer he could stand to stare at Jay's injured body.

"Please, be okay, Jay," Cole mumbled, as a few stray tears dripped from his brown orbs.

_____

"How is he?" Cole asked, as he sat down next to Jay's sleeping form.

"Better than before, but not great," Nya answered before sighing. "If you hadn't called as quickly as you did or if we had gotten there just a minute or two later, he would've bled out."

Cole looked down and unconsciously grabbed Jay's hand. It was cold, too cold. Whenever Cole was able to touch Jay's hand, or Jay at all, he was always warm.

"I know you're worried," The water ninja spoke again, putting her hand on the earth ninja's shoulder. "But, Jay is strong. He'll wake up, and he'll get better."

"I know," Cole replied simply.

Nya narrowed her eyes in concern. She understood that Cole was scared and upset; After all, he was blaming himself for Jay's injury. During the fight against the snakes, Cole had looked away for just a minute, so that he could tell the others that they had defeated the enemies. While the black clad ninja did that, Jay walked around and looked around for any snakes that might've been alive. He believed that there weren't any, but it turned out that there was one, and that was the snake that impaled a spear in Jay's abdomen.

As soon as Cole heard Jay's blood curdling screams from behind him, he threw himself around and slammed his hammer into the snake's head, killing it instantly. Then, he saw Jay, as the blue clad ninja fell to the ground, with blood quickly spreading to his stomach and hips.

This was what Cole had told the others when they picked him and Jay up on the Bounty, and it worried them deeply. They didn't want Cole to blame himself for this. It wasn't his fault. It was the snake's fault. However, Cole wouldn't listen.

Suddenly, Kai rushed into the infirmary room, interrupting both Nya and Cole's thoughts.

"Guys!" He said in a scared tone. "You've gotta come see this!"

Immediately, Cole and Nya ran from their places and went to the bridge, where Zane, Lloyd, P.I.X.A.L, and Master Wu were standing around the large screen. In the center was a huge camera that was capturing an attack on a town led by snakes.

"We were just notified of this attack," Lloyd started. "So, for all we know, it could have been going on for a long time. For right now, we need to focus on getting to that village, so that we can settle things."

"But, what about Jay?" Nya interrupted. "He can't stay here on his own."

There was a pause of silence, when a certain black clad ninja stepped up.

"I'll stay," Cole said. "It's my fault he's hurt, therefore, I should stay behind to help him."

"Okay," The green ninja quickly agreed, as he began switching the route on the computer. "We'll head to the village now."

The Bounty sped towards the said village as fast as it could, only stopping to let the ninja out before taking to the skies again. Cole waited behind the wheel for a couple minutes, as he skeptated the battle. However, he then remembered why he was still on the Bounty, and quickly went back to the infirmary where Jay laid silently.

The earth ninja sat down in the seat next to the injured boy, taking in every inch of the lightning ninja's beauty. His freckles, his curly dark brown locks, his bright blue eyes, etc. Cole couldn't take his eyes off of him, and his mind began to wander once he was given the chance.

The black clad ninja's mind went from simple thoughts of Jay as a person, to the boy actually returning his feelings, and finishing off with the possibility of being in a relationship with the lightning master. When it came to that point, Cole covered his flushed cheeks, in fear that Jay would wake up at that exact moment and question why he was so red in the face.

However, before his mind left it's place and thought about something else, one last possibility popped into Cole's mind, and immediately, he became a tomato.

What would it be like to kiss Jay?

Just simply hearing the words was enough to make Cole's spine tingle, but then he began imagining it, and that turned him into a blushing mess. But, the question still remained: what would it be like to kiss Jay, his best friend, whom he trusted more than anyone else?

The imagined sensation played in Cole's mind, as he contemplated what he should do. Should he take the chance and kiss his best friend/crush, or should he ignore his urge and hold back on locking lips with Jay? The obvious option seemed to stick out, but Cole knew what he wanted to do, so he gathered up all of his courage and leaned down to meet Jay's cold lips.

The boys' lips were only centimeters apart, when Cole began having second thoughts. Should he really be taking advantage of the fact that Jay was unconscious to kiss him? Hearing it in his head made it seem a lot worse than he believed it was.

Eventually, the earth master backed away and tried to live with the fact that Jay wasn't interested in him, and that he wouldn't ever get to experience the feeling of Jay's lips on his.

However, before he could even sit back up properly, a pair of blue clad arms pulled Cole back down and connected the pair's lips. Cole was completely shocked, but quickly gave into the amazing sensation. He could tell that Jay was enjoying the kiss as well.

But, the two needed to breathe, so after almost a minute of lip locking, Jay and Cole separated for air. Cole was panting lightly, while Jay was smiling and snickering to himself.

Finally, Jay spoke up.

"You coulda kissed me," He said, smirking a little. "I wouldn't've minded."

"I-I..." Cole was at a loss for words.

After a couple seconds, the black clad ninja said something.

"I thought you were unconscious," He said in a confused manner. "Were you pretending?"

"Not at first," Jay responded. "But, around the time when you came back into the infirmary, I was just pretending. Sorry about not telling you."

"No, no, it's fine," Cole assured quickly, before speaking at his normal pace again. "Could...Could we maybe...do that again? If you feel okay to do it, of course!"

Jay widened his eyes for a second, before nodding his head with the same smirk still plastered on his face.

"Of course we can," Jay replied, as he pulled Cole down for another kiss.

Chapter Text

(movie!verse)

Jay walked down the school hallways, his hands clutching the stack of books in his hands. He had just finished a run to the library that the teacher asked him to do, and he was currently heading back to his classroom. He was in a hurry, though, since class had already started, so he really hoped that there wouldn't be any interruptions while he walked.

Unfortunately for him, a certain rude cheerleader and his gang decided to interfere with the freckled boy's errand.

"Hey, Jay Dorker!" Chen yelled from across the hall, interrupting Jay's quiet thoughts.

Jay's fluffy haired head shot up in nervous fear, not wanting to face Chen at the moment. The smaller boy then began shuffling away quickly, keeping his head down and trying his best not to make eye contact. But, the cheerleader wasn't letting him go that easily. After all, Jay hadn't even said a word, and that, to Chen, wasn't acceptable when it came to the school dorks.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" The taller brunette shouted, walking over and grabbing Jay by his sweater collar. "Don't ignore me!"

"Please, just leave me alone, Chen," Jay finally spoke nervously, fear coursing through his veins.

Chen and his gang laughed, as if Jay had just told a hilarious joke, and what the boy said probably was a joke to them. However, Chen wasn't letting Jay go. No way in heck.

"Hah! He actually thinks that asking me to leave him alone will do anything!" The cheerleader chuckled meanly, as he shoved Jay against the lockers. "Well, that ain't the case!"

Jay cowered in fear, knowing that he couldn't stand up to them, for two reasons: one, he was too scared, and two, because, if he got too fired up, his powers could accidentally act up, and he didn't want that. So, he simply whimpered and hid his face behind his hands, hoping that the group would leave him alone.

"What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?" Chen sneered. "Or, are you just too much of a chicken to stand up to me?"

The smaller brunette sat there, praying that Chen would go away, but unable to say a word. He just wanted this moment to be over. He just wanted to be left alone. He just wanted to finish his errand and get back to class, not to be harassed in the school hallways by the rude cheerleader boy and his posies. However, it seemed that hope was not on his side that day.

"Why the heck do you wear this crappy, old thing all the darn time?" Chen rhetorically asked, as he grabbed the hem of Jay's orange scarf and pulled it from around his neck. "Don't you know what fashion is, Jay Dorker?"

Immediately, Jay threw his head up in fear. That scarf, he didn't want them to tear it. It was extremely important to him, and if it got torn or broken, Jay wouldn't be able to forgive himself. See, Cole, Jay's best friend, had gotten him that scarf when they were in middle school together, and because of how close he and Cole were, and still are, he always wore it and kept it intact. If something were to happen to it, and Cole found out, Jay could only imagine how disappointed he'd be.

"Give that back!" The freckled boy shouted a little too loudly, as he reached out for the scarf.

"Hah! He thinks I'll actually give it back!" Chen laughed, dangling the piece of cloth in front of Jay's face. "Well, I won't! In fact, I think I'll rough it up a bit, and then after that, I'll do the same to you, Jay Dorker!"

Jay clenched his teeth in fear, desperately wanting to just tear the scarf from Chen's hands. But, he knew if he did that, the treatment he'd get would be worse than any other pain he'd felt before. So, he simply continued to ask Chen for his scarf back, without adding any physical violence to the situation.

Chen then began to slowly pull the scarf, until it was stretched out more than it should have been. The scarf started to tear in half, and all Jay could do was beg Chen to stop as he cried. He didn't want Chen to break his scarf, but what other choice did he have? Standing up to him would mean getting beat up beyond compare, and if he got too fired up, his powers would appear, and then everybody would know that he was the lightning ninja.

The scarf was around halfway torn, and Chen and his gang were laughing as Jay cried, wishing for it all to be over, when a loud, booming, yet familiar voice echoed through the halls.

"Leave Jay alone!"

Jay, Chen, and the gang turned their heads to see Cole, standing by the classroom door with his muscular arms crossed. From the look on his face, he was enraged, which made sense. He cared about Jay deeply, more than Jay himself would ever know. And, even though his care for his best friend was a little much at times, when things like this happened, it was just perfect.

"Oh look!" Chen shouted, directing his attention to the tall noirette. "It's Jay Dorker's boyfriend, Cole Dorkstone!"

Jay flushed at Chen calling Cole his boyfriend. Sure, him and Cole were close, closer than most, and maybe he did have some feelings for Cole, but it was nothing more. They weren't even close to dating.

"What are ya gonna do, Dorkstone?" Chen sneered. "Beat us up? Yell at us? 'Cause whatever you're gonna do won't drive us away!"

Cole then slowly walked up to Chen and his gang, showing off how tall he really was. He easily towered over Chen, who was now cowering beneath him, despite what he had just said. Cole then got right in front of Chen's annoying face and spoke once more.

"I said, leave him alone," Cole said in a deep, intimidating voice. "And, you don't wanna know what I'll do if you hurt Jay again."

Chen then threw the scarf into Cole's face before running off with his posies trailing behind him. Cole turned to Jay, a look of concern overtaking his previously angry expression.

"Jay, are you okay? Did they hurt you?" He asked quickly.

Jay didn't know what to say or do, so he just buried his face in Cole's chest and cried. It wasn't so much the experience that made Jay so upset; it was more of what Chen did to the scarf that really made him scared and sad.

"I-I'm sorry!" Jay sobbed, grabbing fistfuls of Cole's tank top. "I..I didn't know what t-to do! They ruined it, and I-I couldn't do anything!"

"Shh shh, it's okay, Jaybird," Cole assured, petting Jay's curly hair and holding him close. "We can fix the scarf. For now, let's go to the restroom and clean you up, okay?"

Jay nodded, and together, he and Cole walked to the nearest bathroom. After entering, the two boys sat down on the sink counter and Cole let Jay cry for a bit longer. He understood that Jay had a lot of pent up emotions, as did he, so crying would help Jay release all of that.

Once the freckled boy was finished crying, Cole used a napkin to wipe his face and get rid of any stray tears. All Jay could do was sit there and let Cole do all the work, while he did nothing. He felt bad, in a way, for being so useless, or at least, he believed he was useless.

After Cole was done, he sat with Jay for a little while longer, as the two just stared at each other. Neither boy said anything, for fear of breaking the calm silence. Eventually, however, Cole spoke.

"Do you feel better now, Bluebell?" He asked, rubbing Jay's arm in a comforting manner.

"Yeah, I do, Colebear," Jay answered, smiling a little bit at the choice of nickname.

The two boys had always made cute nicknames for each other, for no real reason. They just decided 'why not?' and started calling each cute names. This, and the amount of physical contact and verbal contact the two shared led Jay to develop feelings for Cole. He couldn't really help it; after all, who could? Cole was just amazing. He was handsome, funny, caring, supportive, and very cuddly. He would always engulf Jay in hugs when he was happy, and if Jay was ever sad, Cole would comfort him, just like right now.

However, Jay could never bring himself to tell Cole about his feelings. He was afraid that telling him would ruin the friendship they had, and Jay would rather be just friends with Cole rather than not know Cole at all.

"We should probably get back to class," Jay finally said, beginning to get up from his place on the counter.

But, before he could even get down, a large hand placed itself over Jay's own smaller hand. Jay looked up to see Cole very close to his face, which made Jay's cheeks turn red. What was Cole doing, and why was he so close to Jay's face?

Suddenly, a pair of soft lips connected with Jay's own, and before he knew it, him and Cole were kissing. Jay's bright blue eyes were wide open, but opted to close after a moment. The sensation he felt while kissing Cole was unlike any other he had ever experienced. Cole's lips were soft and gentle on Jay's, and it felt like he was soaring through the sky.

Eventually, the two parted, and Jay was left speechless. Cole spoke after a couple minutes passed.

"How was it?" He inquired, making Jay smile.

"It..It was amazing," The smaller boy answered. "But, I didn't know you felt that way."

Cole looked away, a light blush coating his tan cheeks.

"Well, I do, but I never wanted to tell you," The taller teen replied. "I wasn't sure if you felt the same way. Do you?"

Jay's small smile widened, as he threw himself forward and hugged Cole tightly. Cole was surprised at first, but hugged Jay back.

"Yeah, I do."

Chapter Text

(movie!verse)

"You're so cute," Kai cooed, as he made goo goo eyes at Jay from across the table.

Jay blushed and looked away, a wide smile on his face. His boyfriend always had such a way with words. Whenever Kai spoke in his smooth, soothing voice, Jay's heart would melt and he would feel like he was flying.

The freckled boy turned back around and faced his taller boyfriend, as he began drinking from the milkshake. Kai then did the same with his own straw, and the two boyfriends shared matching looks of lovestruckness. Jay's eyes were half lidded, and Kai's smirk remained, as they downed their drink.

After they finished their sweet treat, they split the pay and left the cafe, hand in hand. While they walked, Jay couldn't stop gazing at Kai, a look of pure, innocent love in his bright blue orbs. Kai eventually caught onto his lover's gaze and smirked at him, making Jay look away with a flushed face.

The two teens walked down the streets of Ninjago, never letting each other go. They loved each other more than anyone could comprehend, and they would do anything to protect one another. Everyone always called them 'The Stereotypical Highschool Couple', which they didn't mind. Because of this nickname, they always did the classic, stereotypical highschool couple things, like drinking from the same milkshake, making goo goo eyes at each other, cuddling, etc.

As Jay and Kai approached the small park, Kai turned to face Jay and locked eyes with the boy. Jay smiled and leaned forward, knowing what his lover wanted. The two grew very close to each other, until there was no space left between them, and their lips were interlocked. The kiss was soft and gentle, and it gave the teens a sense of freedom.

The significant others parted after a minute, but didn't move, as they stared deeply into one another's eyes. Jay's eyes, a bright, ocean blue, mixed well with Kai's, which were a shining amber color. They stayed like that, with Kai's hand around Jay's waist and Jay's arms on Kai's shoulders.

Soon, Jay suggested they go sit down, and Kai complied. The boyfriends sat down at a close park bench, which was right in front of a beautiful sunset view. Kai threw one of his arms around Jay's shoulders, keeping him close, while his other arm gripped the railing of the metal bench. Jay wrapped his arms around Kai's torso, hugging him even closer than he already was, as the curly haired boy nuzzled his head in Kai's neck.

The two sat there, comfortable and secure, without any interruptions. Jay's eyes fluttered shut, while Kai kept his half lidded, as he stared at his boyfriend lovingly. He was so in love with Jay. He always had been, and always would be. He knew that he had found the one, his soulmate. He had fallen for Jay the first moment he'd seen him, and with every passing day, he fell more and more in love with him.

Jay loved Kai more than anything else on the planet, no, in the universe. He wouldn't trade him for anything, and he knew that he would always love him. He cared deeply for his boyfriend, and he always had. The moment he first made eye contact with Kai, he knew he was the one. He knew that he would spend the rest of his life with Kai, no matter what.

Eventually, Kai turned his head and looked down at Jay. The freckled boy was snuggled close to him, with no intent of letting go, which Kai found adorable.

"Jay," Kai finally spoke, making Jay look up. "I love you."

Jay smiled his signature sweet smile, his freckles sparkling in the setting sunlight.

"I love you, too, Kai."

The two boys then leaned in and shared a tender kiss, knowing that they would never lose each other, no matter what obstacles laid ahead.

Chapter Text

(movie!verse)

Jay skipped happily to the movie theater, far ahead of Kai, Lloyd, and Cole. He was super excited to see this new movie that had just come out, and he was just too happy to stay with the group.

Meanwhile, behind him, Cole lightly chuckled at his boyfriend's antics, while Lloyd and Kai simply looked at the boy with looks of amusement. The two couples had decided to go on a double date to the movies that day, since it had been awhile since any of them had seen a new movie and they hadn't gone on a double date before.

As the small group approached the movie theater, where Jay already stood, each boy took out their wallets, so that they could pay for their tickets.

"Hello there!" The box office clerk started. "What movie will you be seeing today?"

"Starfarer: The Sword Awakens!" Jay responded, smiling and bouncing on the heels of his feet. "Four tickets, please!"

The box office clerk typed on her computer, before handing the group their tickets and asking for payment.

"That will be $16.00," She said.

Each boy paid their four dollars and after they were finished, they walked inside, marvelling at the size of the theater. They then walked over to the counters and decided on what they wanted to order. Lloyd, of course, wanted candy, and lots of it, while Kai decided on some Hot Cheetos and Skittles. Jay wanted a chocolate bar with a large popcorn and Cole eventually chose a medium bottle of Coke with a bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. The clerk at the counter took their orders and had them pay, before getting to work quickly.

The group of four sat down at a small bench that was right across from the counter, so they'd know when their food would be ready. Kai swung an arm around Lloyd's shoulder, while Jay snuggled close to Cole with his arms clung around Cole's torso. They were all so happy to be with each other, and nothing would ever change that.

Soon, the food was done, and Cole got up to bring his friends their respective snacks. Jay grabbed his popcorn and chocolate bar, while Lloyd grabbed his candy and Kai grabbed his cheetos and skittles. Finally, Cole took his bottle of soda and his Reese's cups, as they all began walking towards the theater. The movie was starting in a few minutes, so they had some time to spare once they found their seats.

Jay was seated on Cole's right, with Kai on Cole's left and Lloyd right next to Kai. The ads were still playing, so the group took this time to get settled into their seats. The theater was pretty much full, so it was a bit cramped, but they made it work.

Eventually, the movie started, and Jay got excited again. He was bouncing in his seat and his bright blue eyes were wide with sparkles in them. Cole smiled lovingly at his adorable boyfriend and planted a sweet kiss on Jay's forehead, making the brunette blush.

As the movie continued, Lloyd snuggled closer to Kai, since the movie theater was quite cold and all Lloyd had on for warmth was his usual green sweatshirt. Kai looked to the side to find Lloyd's hands wrapped around his chest and Lloyd's head on his shoulder. The fire master smiled at this and pulled his lover closer, surprising Lloyd. Nonetheless, the blonde smiled and took in as much warmth as he could.

Then, the most famous line in the entire franchise was said.

"Fear? Fear isn't a word where I come from!"

Jay yelled the phrase as Fritz Donaghan said it, making many heads turn towards him. The scarf wearing boy sunk down in his seta from embarrassment, not realizing that his boyfriend was laughing quietly. When he did, he grew even more embarrassed.

"Why are you laughing?!" Jay whisper yelled.

"Because you're too cute for your own good," Cole whispered through laughter.

Jay's already red cheeks grew redder and he simply did what he always did in embarrassing situations: he hid his face behind his orange scarf.

Cole finished his laughter, shook his head in amusement, and pulled Jay closer.

After around an hour and a half, the movie was over, and people started filing out of the theater. The small group left as well, throwing their trash away before they went home. They then went outside and began making their way back to their houses. Jay kept an arm wrapped around Cole's bicep, while Kai continued to sling his arm around Lloyd's shoulders.

Once Kai noticed Lloyd's apartment, the two said goodbye to Jay and Cole, before leaving. Now, just the freckled wonder and the intimidating teddy bear remained, as they walked towards the junkyard where Jay lived.

Eventually, they made it, and Jay walked up the steps to his door. Before he went inside, he pulled Cole in for a quick peck and then a fast hug. The brunette quickly retracted himself and went inside, leaving a completely lovestruck Cole outside.

This was a successful double movie date.

Chapter Text

Jay and Cole rode/flew their Spinjitzu vehicles through the blazing deserts, trying to get to the Mountain of A Million Steps before their time expired. Eventually, they made it, as they transformed their vehicles back into weapons and landed on the ground.

"Our vehicles won't traverse the steps," Cole stated, pointing upwards. "We'll go the rest of the way on foot."

"But, this is the Mountain of A Million Steps!" Jay interrupted. "Don't we have a limited amount of time?"

"Then, we'll take a shortcut," The black clad ninja smirked.

Jay didn't get the hint at first, but once he noticed Cole turned around in a manner of waiting, he understood. The blue ninja then got onto the master of earth's back and held on, as Cole began climbing up the mountain quickly.

"Am I holding on too tight?" Jay inquired when they were half way up.

"Light as a feather, Bluebell!" Cole responded, as he continued to climb. "Almost there!"

After another minute or so, the two ninjas made it to the top and Cole dropped Jay off of his back. The master of lightning noticed a hole that was carved into the top of the mountain, which had a rope traveling down it.

"Looks like Pythor was already here," The blue ninja commented. "Should we go investigate?"

"Just gimme...a second," The black clad ninja replied, panting. "Go on and..start without me."

Jay complied and began sliding down the rope, eventually hitting a small, circular platform on the bottom. He then jumped down and hit the floor, as he started to examine the drawings on the walls. They were strange, but Jay could tell that they meant something; after all, he didn't take that hieroglyphics class when he was seven for nothing! So, he began intently staring at each drawing, and then taking any clues to figure out what they meant.

Meanwhile, Cole had already slid down and was looking at the walls from behind Jay.

"Didn't Mama Snake ever tell them not to draw on the wall?" Cole joked, making Jay emit a cute laugh. "Whaddya think they mean, Jay?"

"I'm trying to read them," The blue boy said. "So far, I can see that one tribe will...unite them all and they can find the...four silver Fang Blades that will unleash...the Great Devourer...an evil that would consume the entire land...turning day into night."

Cole stared in disbelief at Jay's surprising smarts.

"You get all that from those little pictures?" He finally said.

"This isn't really laughing matters, Cole," Jay replied, although he himself wanted to laugh. "What if Pythor unites all the tribes together before Kai and Zane find him? What if they unleash the Great Devourer? What'll we do then? Tell me, what'll we do?!"

"Relax, Jay!" Cole quickly responded. "They're a bunch of dumb snakes that believe in fairy tales! If anything, we've got all the- did you feel that?"

The ground had suddenly moved halfway through Cole's reassurance, making him ask Jay if he felt what the earth master felt.

"What?" Jay questioned.

"There's something in the ground!" Cole replied, holding an arm out in front of Jay. "Don't move."

Jay furrowed his brows and held onto his Nunchucks Of Lightning tightly, while Cole squinted his eyes and readied himself to grab his Scythe Of Quakes. Out of nowhere, a large snake jumped out of the ground and wrapped his long tail around Jay's arms and torso, confining him.

"I've been waiting for you," The snake smirked. "Pythor sends his regards."

"Did you really stay- behind just to tell us that?" Jay asked rhetorically. "Stupid!"

"Look who's calling who stupid, Bluebell!" The snake sneered.

"Only I call him Bluebell!" Cole yelled, picking up his scythe and throwing it against the ground.

The snake released Jay and went back underground, as Cole shouted at his friend to go for the rope. However, as both boys ran for the thick string, the black clad ninja was pulled underneath the mountain, making Jay turn around.

"Cole?" He called out.

Immediately, said teen was thrown back above ground, along with his weapon a couple seconds later. Then, the snake started right back towards him from underground, as Cole fumbled for the sacred flute and began to play. The snake jumped up from his "hiding spot" and covered his ears, before quickly wrapping his tail around the master of earth, stopping the noirette from playing the instrument.

"J-Jay! Jay!" Cole squeaked out, as his breathing was halted.

Jay instantly dropped the torch they were using and Spinjitzued his way over to his friend and the snake. He yelled the usual 'Ninja go!' as he did so, before picking up the flute and continuing where Cole left off. However, before he even played three notes, the snake grabbed him by the neck and began choking him, but that didn't stop Jay from gaining justice. He played the flute, despite having to take in huge breaths of air in between, and finally, the snake let go with his hands over his ears.

"Wrap your head around this!" Cole shouted, as he grabbed his scythe and swung in into the snake's face, knocking the foe out.

"Hah! Good one!" Jay cheered after panting.

"Thanks, but if he was expecting us, I think Kai and Zane are walking into a trap!" The black clad ninja exclaimed. "Come on! Let's go!"

The two teens quickly made their way up the rope and jumped down from the mountain, spawning their vehicles in the process. They then rode off to the Toxic Bogs, but one ninja, Jay, had a lingering thought.

Why was Cole upset that someone else called me 'Bluebell'?

Chapter Text

Jay sat at his work desk, as he fiddled with one of his latest inventions. He was trying to create something that could make someone levitate, but it was proving to be difficult. The freckled boy continued to draw and scrap blueprints, until he made one that seemed doable.

It was a pair of shoes that had nozzles in the place of heels, and from those nozzles, with the flip of a switch, air would be pushed out and create flight. It would take a lot of work and planning, but he decided to give it a try.

Jay walked over to his tool closet and opened the doors, revealing dozens of rows filled to the brim with tools for inventing. He then began pulling out the ones he knew he'd need, such as a wrench, screwdriver, etc. Eventually, he found all that he needed, and closed the closet, as he made his way back to his desk and sat down.

However, before he could begin his work, a knock came at his bedroom door.

"Who's there?" Jay called out in question.

"It's Zane," A familiar robotic voice said. "May I come in?"

Jay yelled out a loud 'yes' and in came Zane, titanium and all. He seemed to be holding his stomach in a strange way, leading the blue ninja to suspect that something was wrong.

"Do you need something, Zane?" The master of lightning asked, turning to look at his nindroid friend.

"Yes, there is," Zane replied, looking slightly upset. "I think that I might need repairs. Would you mind looking through my systems to see if anything is wrong?"

"Why would I say no?" Jay smiled, as he grabbed his tools. "Come and sit on my bed."

Zane complied with a bit of hesitance, as Jay began moving his blueprints and unnecessary tools to the other side of the worktable. Then, he positioned his chair to face Zane, so that he could see what he was doing.

"Alright, let's see," The lightning ninja spoke to himself, as he opened Zane's chest compartment.

The brunette looked around and adjusted a few small wires that were slightly out of place, but overall, he couldn't find anything that was really wrong. This greatly confused Jay. What would lead Zane to believe that he needed repairs? Maybe he felt weird? Jay wasn't sure, so he looked up at the master of ice for questioning.

"You're all good, Zane," Jay lightly smiled. "Why would you think that you needed repairs?"

"Well..." The nindroid hesitated once again. "I have been feeling...strange for the past few weeks. I thought that it might have been something having to do with my systems, but after your recent check, I am not so sure."

Jay thought about what his titanium friend said, as everything sunk in. Feeling strange? What could that mean?

"What kind of feeling was it?" The freckled teen persisted.

"It was like the feeling of having butterflies in my stomach, but all the time," Zane responded. "My heat levels would rise, and I would begin to feel anxious and nervous. Do you know what causes this, Jay?"

As soon as Zane listed his symptoms, Jay knew exactly what was wrong: Zane was in love. He had to be. The question was, who was Zane crushing on?

"Zane, you're in love!" Jay exclaimed, startling Zane.

"In love?" The robotic boy inquired. "Is that what is wrong with me? I am in love with someone?"

"Yeah! You listed every sign of being in love with somebody!" The blue clad ninja smiled. "Is there a certain someone who causes you to have these feelings?"

At those words, Zane looked nervous and turned his gaze away. This act confused Jay, as he tried to catch Zane's eyes. Why was his friend looking away?

"I think I know someone who was making me feel 'in love'," Zane finally replied.

"Okay, who?" Jay asked, concern written on his face. "I won't tell anyone, if you don't want the others to know."

Zane continued to keep his gaze locked on the blankets that were sprawled out on Jay's bed. Now, Jay was really scared. Who did Zane have a crush on? For some strange reason, Jay hoped that Zane would say his name. Why he was hoping for that, he had no idea. Why would he want that? Zane was just a friend to him, nothing more, right? He didn't have any feelings for the nindroid that were more than platonic, right? Nothing romantic, right? However, Jay found himself doubting how he felt towards Zane. What if he did have feelings for him? Then what? Would Zane feel the same way? Jay had no idea. His only choice was to find out.

"Zane?" The curly haired boy called out. "You okay? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to-"

But, before he could say anything more, Jay felt a warm sensation on his cheek, making him turn and see Zane retracting himself from Jay. It was then that it clicked: Zane had kissed Jay's cheek.

"It is you, Jay," The master of ice admitted, finally smiling. "You are the one who makes me feel 'in love'."

Immediately, Jay smiled widely and went in to hug Zane. The nindroid quickly returned the gesture, and the two stayed like that for a minute before parting. Then, Jay admitted his own feelings for Zane, both to himself and Zane.

"I'm in love with you, too!"

Chapter Text

Lloyd glared at Morro, as the latter smirked. The green ninja did not wanna be there, especially considering the circumstances. Sure, Morro had helped them on the Day of The Departed, and he had given the Realm Crystal to Master Wu, but that didn't mean he was off the hook for everything else he'd done.

"Lloyd," Master Wu continued. "Please, let Morro make up for what he did. He wants to help."

"But Master Wu!" Lloyd began. "He hurt you guys! He tried to bring the Premminant to Ninjago! And, he is evil."

"Lloyd," Kai butted in. "Don't you remember when, on the Day of the Departed, Morro helped us find Cole? Or when he gave Master Wu the Realm Crystal before he died?"

"Kai is right, young nephew," Master Wu replied. "Morro has tried to help us, and even if he was evil before, he has changed."

"Besides," Nya finished. "Doesn't everyone deserve a second chance?"

Lloyd looked down at his feet, as he contemplated what his friends and master were saying. They were right; Morro had helped them twice, but he had done much more bad than good. He hurt his friends, he possessed him, and he tried to take over Ninjago by bringing the Premminant from the Cursed Realm. So, could Lloyd forgive Morro?

Nya's words specifically echoed through the blonde's mind.

Doesn't everyone deserve a second chance?

That really made Lloyd think. And then it hit him; he himself was given a second chance by the ninja, back when he was still a kid. He used to be a troublemaker, but after he met and befriended the ninja, they gave him a second chance, and helped him be good. If he, the son of Lord Garmadon, deserved a second chance, even after he released the Serpentine, why couldn't Morro be granted the same privilege?

"Fine," Lloyd agreed. "But, only if he promises not to use his powers unless it's necessary. And, not to possess anything."

"Of course," Morro smiled. "Thank you, Lloyd. I appreciate your forgiveness."

"Hey, just because you're getting a second chance doesn't mean I forgive you," The green ninja responded, crossing his arms. "You're not off the hook for what you did."

Master Wu simply shook his head, as he left the room. Kai and Nya went to show Morro to his new room, while Lloyd sat at the table, thinking about what had just gone down. It was sudden. Master Wu had told the others that he had an important trip to make a few days prior, and that he would be back with a new roommate. No one understood what he meant, until he came back with Morro that morning. At first, everybody stood beside Lloyd, unable to forgive the ghost for what he had done in the past. But, slowly, with some convincing from Master Wu and Morro himself, the other ninja forgave the master of wind, leaving only Lloyd disapproving.

Lloyd was still confused. Why did Master Wu bring Morro back to live with them? After all he'd done? How did that make sense? Well, whatever the reasoning was, it had to have been good.

"Hey," A familiar voice spoke, making Lloyd look up.

The blonde immediately came face to face with Morro, who had a small smile on his face. Lloyd, on the other hand, was not happy in the slightest, and turned away, so that he wouldn't have to look at his new roommate.

"Look, Lloyd," Morro began. "I'm sorry for what I did. I let the jealousy within take control of me, and I did some really terrible things-"

"Yeah, you did," Lloyd interrupted, looking at Morro for a second before looking away again.

"But," The ghost continued. "I want to change, I want to be better. Please, if your forgiveness is too much to ask for, can you at least look at me, and see that I do feel bad for what I did?"

Lloyd was about to say no, but something about the tone of Morro's voice made him agree. He wasn't sure what it was. Regret? Pain? Or maybe, the desire to apologize? Well, whichever it was, it made Lloyd turn around and face Morro.

The second Lloyd saw the ghost's eyes, he could feel every ounce of Morro's regret flow throughout his entire body. The look he gave, and the way he smiled despite how upset he appeared, it all told Lloyd one thing: Morro was telling the truth, and he did feel bad for what he had done. If Lloyd's feelings were right, then shouldn't he give Morro that second chance, and forgive him?

That would be difficult, however, considering all that Morro had done. But, if it meant that the master of wind would really try to make up for the mistakes he made, then Lloyd was willing to give him that fresh start as an ally.

"If you really mean what you said, about feeling bad and wanting to be better-"

"I do," Morro interrupted the green ninja.

"Then," Lloyd continued. "I'm willing to give you a fresh start, and...to forgive you for what you did."

Morro immediately smiled brightly and pulled Lloyd in for a surprise hug. The contact startled Lloyd greatly, to the point where he couldn't even bring himself to return the gesture. In fact, he was almost frozen in place. He could feel his cheeks heating up and his heart rate speeding up quickly. What was this foreign feeling? He had never felt anything like this before, so why now?

"Thank you! Thank you so much, Lloyd!" Morro exclaimed, as he hugged his new ally tighter. "I promise you won't regret this! I promise I'll do everything I can to be better!"

Eventually, the wind master let go of Lloyd and jumped up from the couch.

"I'm gonna go see Master Wu," He said. "That way, I'll know how I can make up for my mistakes. Goodbye, Lloyd!"

All Lloyd could do was wave silently, as Morro walked away to find Wu. A fuzzy feeling overtook itself inside of Lloyd's chest, making his lips come up into a smile.

Maybe having Morro around wouldn't be so bad.

Chapter Text

Cole smiled, as Zane held the small watering can in his hand and began pouring water into the potted flower. His boyfriend was always so good with plants, and it made him happy to see him taking care of such a delicate thing.

"So, how much do you put in there?" Cole asked, as he patted his lover's hair.

"Around five or six ounces," The ice master answered.

Cole hummed in response, the smile still evident on his face.

Once Zane finished his daily watering of the flowers, he turned around, only to be met with a slow and gentle kiss from his boyfriend. The nindroid melted into the lip locking immediately, and let the kiss last for as long as his lover wanted.

The two boys parted after a minute, smiles showing on both of their faces. They couldn't help but look away, red overtaking their cheeks. Although they had been together for almost a year now, they still weren't too experienced in physical contact, which prompted them to get very nervous whenever they kissed, hugged, or cuddled. However, they didn't mind, because they loved each other, and they would do anything to see one another happy.

"I think we should get back to the others, don't you think?" Zane finally said, breaking the silence between them.

"Yeah," Cole replied, stealing one last kiss from his lover. "We should."

Chapter Text

Jay could feel his whole body shaking, as he sat on his bed, surrounded by the cold, early morning air. The chill in the room was evident, and it made him feel like he was in the arctic. However, it wasn't just the cold air that made him shake.

Despite how chilly it was, Jay was sweating bullets, and he was trembling more than he should be. He felt dizzy, like his whole world was swaying around him. Everything was in blurs, without any details. He could barely feel his own hands. His breath was short, and even though he tried to breathe, it felt like he was choking. He wanted to cough, but he couldn't. The boy felt like he could puke at any given second, even though it was only four, and he hadn't eaten a thing. His limbs were tingling, and he could only just hold onto reality.

These were clear signs that he was having a major anxiety attack. He had gone through one before, and it was something he never wanted to experience ever again. The pain and the fear of dying that he felt was just awful. He wouldn't wish it on anybody, no matter how bad they were.

A warm flush overtook the freckled boy's body, as he held his arms in fear and anxiousness. He was so scared, scared of dying, scared of losing more people, and scared of never getting to be happy.

The reason for his sudden attack was most likely due to the sudden death of his mother, whom he was very close to. Hearing the news that she had passed the night before had crushed him, but the reality of the situation only set in just that morning. He hadn't realized before how bad it was, since death wasn't an uncommon thing for him to encounter. However, when he awoke from a nightmare at four am, he found himself finally understanding how terrible and how awful the situation really was. He had seen people die before, sure, but he had never lost someone that close to him. Unlike his mother, Nya had lived after the incident with Nadakhan, and even then, they weren't together anymore. But now, Jay's mother was really gone, and there was nothing he could do about it.

The others only heard from Jay's father about his mother's passing, but Jay wouldn't speak to them. He wouldn't even leave his room, which worried everybody greatly. Cole, who had also lost his mother, knew what Jay was going through, and he understood that it was hard, so he tried to get the team to give Jay some space, and to let the brunette think things over. The others had complied, but Cole couldn't stop himself from staying outside of his boyfriend's door and watching it, hoping that Jay would come out and talk to him. But, of course, he never did, and Cole eventually left to his own room.

Jay's trembling form continued to sob, tears of pure fear, sadness, and anger pouring down his face. He was so upset to the point where he could barely control his own body. He felt as if he could pass out at any second, but he still stayed awake, in fear that he would never wake up. In fear that he would never get to see their faces again. In fear that he would put his friends and family through the same pain that he was experiencing right now.

The sobbing echoed throughout Jay's room, and even as he tried to bring himself back up, he kept falling back down. His blurry vision wasn't improving, he was still struggling to breathe properly, and his body was only just keeping him inside of reality. The sweat that covered his freckled face didn't let up, and the nauseous feeling in his stomach wouldn't go away. No matter how much he pleaded inside of his head for the pain, the fear, and the anxiousness to leave him be, it never did. And it never would.

Anxiety was something that he had struggled with for a long time, and all Jay wanted was for it to let him be a normal teenager. Without his anxiety, Jay would've felt much better with his life, but the disorder alone kept him from doing and experiencing so many foreign things. He had never hated and despised something so much in his entire life, but anxiety deserved his hate.

This was it. Jay just wanted the fear and terror to go away. It was all he wanted. He would do anything to make it leave. Anything. He just wanted peace. He didn't want to constantly feel on edge and like he was going to drown in his own emotions. If going to sleep and never waking up would get rid of the agonizing pain, he would do it. Whatever he needed to do to make himself feel better, to make himself feel normal, he'd do it-

The small statured brunette's thoughts were interrupted by the opening of his previously closed bedroom door. No light flooded the room, and the dead silence was broken by a familiar voice.

"Jay, baby," Cole spoke softly. "Can I come in?"

Jay wanted to say no, but instead, his shaking figure made his head move up and down just once, further showing how Jay couldn't control any of his limbs. Cole nodded and walked inside, closing the door behind him and locking it. He didn't want any of the others to come inside. It would be much easier to help Jay if the two were alone. He then turned to face his anxious lover, and knelt down in front of him.

"Hon, please, if you're in there, talk to me," The noirette said, beginning to rub Jay's trembling, sweat covered arms. "I want to help you. I love you."

Jay said nothing in response, besides his crying, further worrying Cole. When he began examining his boyfriend, he noticed them, the signs. The shaking, the short breaths, the shaking, the sweat, and everything else. He knew what they meant, considering he had helped Jay with his first anxiety attack. If he didn't do something soon, he believed that his lover would only fall further down the hole of fear.

He had been in that position before, too. The position of loss. It was not a pleasant feeling, by any means, and the last thing he wanted was for Jay to feel the same way he had.

"Jaybird," Cole started, as he pulled himself up onto the bed next to Jay. "I know how hard this is for you. I've gone through it too. I know that you're scared and upset, and I know that you're having an anxiety attack, so I wanna help you. I want you to feel better."

All Jay could do was barely lift his head to look at Cole's face. He couldn't even speak. The feeling of true dread sat upon his shoulders, as he tried to open his mouth and reply to his boyfriend.

"I..I..." He couldn't say anything more, as he broke out into even more sobs.

The cries of sorrow and the anxiety attack pushed into one created a vision that Cole never wanted to view again. His poor lover was going through something that was unimaginably painful, and all Cole could do was sit and watch and hope that it would get better soon. Finally, however, he had had enough, and decided to take matters into his own hands. He had been told, by Jay, about the appropriate things to do when he was having an anxiety attack, but the brunette always requested that Cole not help, in fear of creating an unnecessary problem. But now, Cole was done.

"Jay, please, look at me," Cole spoke softly and calmly, hoping to not scare the boy. "Take a deep breath in and out for me, okay? In and out."

Jay, at first, just continued to cry, but after a second, his shoulders raised up and down, as he breathed in and out slowly. He did so many times, until his anxiety levels went down just a bit.

"Now, Jay, close your eyes," Cole softly instructed. "Think about good things. Don't think about the bad things that are happening. Think about happy things."

Jay did as he was told, his blue eyes slowly fluttering closed and his mind beginning to wander. Before any good thoughts could enter his mind, the bad thoughts arrived first, and the image of his dead mother came into the picture. He only sobbed harder at this, which prompted Cole to step in once again.

"I'm here, Jay. It's okay," He assured, as he rubbed gentle circles on the boy's arms and back.
"Picture something happy, like being with me. Picture something you like, for example, video games. Just, don't think about bad things. You can get through this, I promise."

Jay tried his best to comply with what Cole was saying, and began imagining him and Cole together with cheerful smiles on their faces. He tried to imagine himself playing a video game and winning the final level. And, he tried to imagine a better reality for himself. A reality where his mother wasn't dead. A reality where he wasn't having an anxiety attack. And, a reality where he was happy. That sounded great, and from then on, only positive thoughts filled his mind.

Soon enough, Jay stopped crying, and the sweat that previously covered his body faded away. The trembling of his body ceased, the dizzy feeling from before was gone, and he could feel his hands and feet again. He had clearer vision, he could breathe properly now, the tingling in his limbs was gone, and the nausea from before had ceased. Jay could finally feel reality returning to him, as he opened his eyes to see Cole's gentle face. At the sight of his lover's recovery, Cole's cheeks smiled a small smile.

He had done it. He helped Jay get through something that he himself most likely couldn't get through. He helped Jay get through a full blown anxiety attack.

"Thank you, Colebear," Jay finally spoke, a small smile gracing his own lips.

"Anytime, Bluebell," The earth ninja replied.

Jay then pushed himself up on his hands and planted a soft kiss on Cole's nose, before going in for a thank you kiss on the lips. Things were good again.

Chapter Text

"A..Achoo!" Jay sneezed loudly, as Cole handed him another tissue. "T'anks."

Cole furrowed his brows in concern. His boyfriend had seemed to be falling ill over the last few days, but he didn't say anything until that morning, when he was pretty much dying. Not literally, but he was way too sick to attend the mission they had planned for that day. Cole, being the loyal and responsible boyfriend he was, volunteered to stay behind and care for his lover, while the others went out and took care of the bad guys.

Because of how sick Jay was, his speech was sort of messed up, sometimes to the point where Cole could barely understand him. He didn't even want to relive the moment when the boy had crawled into the bridge, at seven in the morning, looking like a train had hit him.

____Flashback____

"...so, after we infiltrate the building and have secured the guards, we'll find the room that the boss is in, and then we'll take him down!"

Lloyd was currently reciting their mission plan for that day, which was pretty packed, for some strange reason. However, before anyone could say anymore, a loud and energy drained groan sounded from the hallway. The group of ninjas turned their heads as fast as a lightning bolt, to see Jay lying on the ground, his body sprawled out in all directions and sweat dripping off of his forehead. His face was contorted into one of discomfort and he had yet to change out of his pajamas, unlike his friends, who adorned their ninja gis.

Immediately, the five teens rushed over to Jay, concern written all over their faces.

"Jay, what's wrong?! Are you hurt?" Cole asked quickly.

Zane moved the taller male out of the way, as he pressed his metal hand to Jay's forehead, while making use of his inner thermometer. Finally, he turned to the others, his brows furrowed and his eyes downcast.

"I will need to check Jay in the medical room," The nindroid said. "I believe he may be sick."

The group of teens nodded, as Cole carefully picked his boyfriend up and brought him into said medical room. Once there, Zane began conducting tests and examining Jay, before coming to the others with a saddened expression.

"Jay is suffering from the flu, and has been for a while," Zane explained. "His temperature is 104 degrees, he is already suffering from a fever, and he has many symptoms of the flu, including a sore throat, stuffy nose, cough, chills, body aches, headaches, and nausea."

The ninjas looked down, concerned and worried for their friend, though, no one looked as worried as Cole. He and Jay had been dating for a while by that point, and seeing the master of lightning look so defeated was...heartbreaking.

"He'll have to stay here for the rest of today and most likely tomorrow, as well," Zane continued. "He also must be cared for and kept under watch, so that his condition doesn't worsen."

"But, what about the mission?" Lloyd butted in. "We have to go through with it, or else Ninjago will be in big trouble!"

There was a pause of silence, before Cole spoke up.

"I'll stay with him, while you guys go on ahead."

The group thought for a few seconds, before hesitantly agreeing and leaving the medical room. Before they all left for the mission, Zane educated Cole about what he would need to do for Jay while he and the others were away. Cole listened intently, taking in every piece of information. Eventually, Zane finished, leaving Jay and Cole alone on the Bounty.

____Flashback____

"...Cole.." Jay's hoarse voice filled said boy's ears, making him focus once again. "Can I 'ave anot'er tissue?"

"Oh! Yeah, of course," The master of earth replied, handing his lover the material.

Jay took the tissue and blew into it, creating a loud noise, before throwing it away in the trash bin next to his bed. Cole looked down sadly at his boyfriend, feeling very bad for the poor boy. Jay barely ever got sick, but when he did, his condition would always be terrible. Jay had only gotten sick once when he was a ninja, back when him, Zane, and Cole all lived in the monastery together, and just the memory was awful.

Cole ran his finger through Jay's curly hair, which was more matted than usual. All he wanted to do was scoop his boyfriend into his arms and hug him tightly, without letting go. However, he didn't want to fall ill as well, so he held back from doing so. Though, there was one thing he could do without risking his own health.

The black clad ninja leaned down and planted a long, gentle kiss on Jay's forehead, making sure that the brunette knew what he had done. Cole then retracted himself and stared into Jay's blue orbs, waiting for a response.

"T'anks," Jay responded. "Fow t'e kiss, and fow taking ca'e of me."

Cole, somehow, understood the boy's words, and smiled sweetly. Jay smiled back, his grin a bit brighter than his lover's.

"No problem, bluebell," The earth master replied, once again playing with his boyfriend's curls. "I'd do anything for you."

"Good to he- a..achoo!"

Before Jay could finish his sentence, he sneezed again, as Cole handed him yet another tissue.

Chapter Text

Jay stood in a completely white room, nothing around him, except for that one object. It just sat there, staring at him, like it didn't release an evil like no other onto him and his friends. He could barely stare at it, but for some strange reason, his body was stuck, and he was forced to look at the cup.

Or rather, the teapot.

The Teapot of Tyrahn.

An all powerful relic, that had not only a pretty, copper design, but also an evil being trapped inside of it.

A djinn.

Nadakhan.

The creature that went after Jay and his friends, tried to marry Nya, and almost got her killed. The creature that could grant wishes for anyone but himself, unless he married on djinn land. And, the creature that he absolutely despised.

He couldn't believe that it was here, right in front of him. He thought it was gone forever, after he used his last wish to turn back time and erase the events that had occurred.

However, apparently, he hadn't, and the teapot had found its way back into Jay's life.

It was odd. Jay desperately wanted to look away, to turn his gaze the other way, and to leave the relic in the past, like it should've been.

But, he couldn't.

It was as if he was glued in place,

Then, suddenly, the teapot began shaking. It shook and shook with so much force, until smoke swirled around it, and then, there was Nadakhan, in all of his disgusting, evil glory. He sat there, staring at Jay with a look of malice in his eyes. Eventually, he spoke in his creepy accent that was obviously forced.

"Hello again, Jay," He said, beginning to make his way towards said blue ninja. "It has been a while, has it not?"

"Not long enough," Jay responded, glaring at the wish granting monster.

"Hmm, is that so?" Nadakhan replied, finally getting close enough to stroke Jay's cheek. "Well, I believe it has been too long for me, and now, I think that I want to use my time back to give you a taste of pain, or in other words, take revenge."

Jay's stomach swirled, as he tried to move away from Nadakhan's touch, but seemingly unable to do so. He thought this was bad enough, having this disgusting djinn stroking his face with evil intent in his eyes, but he would soon learn that it could get worse.

Suddenly, five swirls of smoke covered the room, and their placements formed a circle around Jay and Nadakhan. When the smoke cleared, Jay saw his friends, all standing there, staring at him, each with fear in their eyes. Then, it hit him.

Nadakhan was going to hurt them.

He couldn't let that happen! His friends were all he had! Without them, he didn't know what he would do! But, unfortunately, he was glued in place, unable to do a thing, as Nadakhan first approached Lloyd.

"Look at your beloved Green Ninja, so scared," The djinn sneered. "Let's add a bit of pain to that expression of fear!"

Suddenly, Lloyd began choking, falling to the ground, and holding his neck, screams of agony escaping his throat. Jay screamed and begged Nadakhan to let his friend go, but the creature did not let up, and soon enough, Lloyd was dead.

Next was Kai, the fire ninja.

"It seems that the confident boy, Kai, is in fear," Nadakhan continued. "Maybe some suffering would calm his nerves!"

Kai then began coughing up blood and choking, just like Lloyd, as he fell to the floor and held his stomach in pain. Tears streamed down Jay's flushed cheeks, screaming and pleading for the evil monster to stop. But of course, nothing ever went his way, and after just a minute, Kai was dead, too.

Then came Zane.

"Ah, the nindroid of ice even has a face of terror!" The wish granting creature began shouting. "Perhaps a bit of torture will soften him up!"

Zane all of a sudden began malfunctioning, as if he was being electrocuted, and fell to the ground. He spazzed out in all directions, yelling for the pain to leave him. Jay sobbed, still unable to move from his place, hoping and praying for the pain to stop. But, it never did. The screams echoed through his ears, as the djinn moved onto Nya.

"And then there's Nya, the water ninja, and your previous love!" Nadakhan yelled once more. "She appears frightened, so I'll strike some affliction into her!"

Immediately, Nya screamed with agony, just like the last three, begging for the pain and suffering to go away. Jay couldn't take it anymore. He didn't want to see such a horrific sight such as this, but he still couldn't move, as Nadakhan approached his last victim.

Cole, master of earth and Jay's current boyfriend.

Jay loved Cole so much, and he couldn't stand to see him suffer. But, once again, he was rooted in place, with the wish granting creature heading straight towards his lover and nothing he could do about it.

"Finally, last but most certainly not least, Cole, your wonderful boyfriend!" Nadakhan smirked with malice. "He looks so scared, so frightened for you! I guess he could do with some anguish as a coping method!"

Cole's entire body suddenly began bleeding out, Cole's agonizing screams echoing both throughout the white room and throughout Jay's eardrums. Then, he was dead, lying there motionless. Jay's heart broke in two, as he closed his eyes, wanting everything to go away. At this point, he didn't care what happened to him. All he wanted was for the scene that had just befallen him to be erased from his mind.

But, it wasn't.

Nadakhan still circled around him, cackling at his achievement.

His friends were still dead.

And, worst of all, he was still upset.

It gave him a grim reminder, one that he would never forget.

Nothing would get better. Everything would be bad, and he could do nothing to change that.

____

Jay shot out of bed, cold sweat covering his body and deep breaths going in and out of his systems. Then he realized.

It was all a dream.

None of it was real.

His friends were alive, and Nadakhan really was gone.

But, that didn't change the fact that he was beyond traumatized. After such an awful nightmare, he couldn't just go back to sleep. He just couldn't. How could he?

Soon enough, tears built up in Jay's blue orbs, and he began to sob, forgetting completely about his surroundings. All that he thought about was what he had just dreamed about, and how painful it had all been.

Suddenly, a firm hand pulled at his waist, startling him from his distraught state. Jay turned, and saw Cole's grey eyes staring back at him, confusion and worry written all over them.

"Jaybird?" The taller male inquired, sitting up. "What's wrong? Are you okay? Why are you crying?"

Jay stared up at Cole's loving eyes, then remembered what had happened to him, and immediately broke down. He sobbed, wailed, and cried unlike he ever had before, gripping onto Cole's tanktop with no intent of letting go. He couldn't risk losing Cole again. No, not again. He believed that he had lost him three times now. He couldn't handle a fourth.

Cole, on the other hand, was completely confused and concerned for his boyfriend. Why was he crying and sobbing? Was he upset? Did he have a nightmare? So many questions circulated around Cole's brain, yet there was not a single answer to be seen.

"Babe, hon, what's wrong?" Cole finally asked, lifting Jay's freckled face from his chest. "Why are you crying? Did you have a nightmare?"

Jay, somehow, found the strength to nod, despite how much he was sobbing. Cole stared back at him, wanting to help him, but being unable to do so. Eventually, Cole spoke again.

"What did you dream about, sweetheart?" He asked, his voice gentle and soft.

At first, Jay couldn't even get a sound out, but after a minute, he explained what happened in his dream. The description was haunting to Cole, and he couldn't help but feel awful for his lover. The poor teen had dreamt about such a horrible thing, which he didn't deserve.

"Bluebird, please look at me," Cole started, as Jay lifted his head to face him. "I promise you, that will never, ever happen to you, or any one else. Nadakhan is gone, and he won't be back. No matter what happens, I will protect you and the others with my life. Even if it's not Nadakhan we're stopping, I'll be there for you, and I swear that you won't have to lose anybody like that."

Jay nodded, despite still being in tears. He held desperately onto the earth ninja's shirt, which the latter didn't mind. He knew Jay was scared, and after such a scary dream, his tanktop was the least of his concerns.

Cole smiled at Jay, before pulling him back into his chest and kissing the top of his auburn-hair-covered head. He then began to stroke Jay's curly locks, planting another kiss or two every once in a while, as Jay eventually calmed down.

After maybe an hour of this, Cole could hear light snoring, and looked to see Jay asleep in his chest. The sight brought a loving smile to Cole's lips, as he slipped back down into his sleeping position, and fell back into his deep slumber.

I promise I'll keep you safe, Jay.

Chapter Text

Lloyd sat on his bed, completely lost in his many thoughts. He didn't know what to think. His feelings over the last few months had been...complicated.

Ever since Morro moved in, he had been having these strange feelings when they were together. Even when they were just in a room together, Lloyd felt these feelings. His heart would beat faster, his body, especially his cheeks, would get all warm, and he couldn't help but feel nervous, which led him to stutter.

Lloyd was so confused. What were these foreign feelings? They were weird, and they made it hard to be around Morro. But, at the same, Lloyd enjoyed the feelings. It was strange that he did, but he did.

He wondered if maybe...Morro felt the feelings that he did. He wasn't sure, as he had never asked him about it, but, in a way, Lloyd hoped that Morro did feel the same way. Once again, he had no idea why he felt that way, but he did.

Suddenly, his mass of thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his bedroom door. Lloyd shot up and faced the door, before saying a quick 'come in'.

Lloyd was then face to face with Morro, the teen who had been causing all of Lloyd's strange feelings. While he stood there, Lloyd couldn't help but admire Morro's appearance. His shoulder length black hair with just a small amount of green, his lovely green eyes that shone underneath the sunlight, and his soft skin that felt like a baby's.

Lloyd's cheeks turned red at the thoughts he was having, despite them simply depicting Morro's appearance. Why was he feeling like this? Was it normal to have these feelings? He didn't know.

"Hey, Lloyd, you okay?" Morro's voice interrupted Lloyd's thoughts once again.

Lloyd jumped, startled from suddenly hearing Morro's sweet voice. He hadn't expected himself to space out while the wind ninja was talking, but he did.

"S-Sorry!" The blonde exclaimed nervously. "You were saying?"

Why did he stutter? Why was he so nervous? Why were his cheeks getting warmer and turning redder? So many questions swirled through Lloyd's head, and he still didn't have an answer to justify his strange behavior. However, Morro didn't seem to notice, and simply continued to speak.

"Well, I was just wondering if, um..." Morro tried to get the right words. "If we could go out on a date, maybe?"

Lloyd was completely speechless. What exactly had Morro just said? He wanted to go out...on a date? With him? Why did that statement make Lloyd feel so giddy inside? Why did he suddenly get more flushed and more nervous?

And...why did Lloyd really want to say 'yes'?

Before he could contemplate his answer, however, Lloyd suddenly blurted out whatever he could.

"Yes!" He said quickly.

Morro stood there for a second, before breaking out into a bright smile and grabbing Lloyd's hands.

"Great! Um, when and where would you like to go?" He asked, wanting Lloyd's input.

Being honest, Lloyd didn't really care when or where they went, as long as he got to see and talk to Morro - what was he thinking? He wanted to talk to Morro? Why was he feeling like this?

Suddenly, Lloyd, once again, blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Anywhere and anytime's fine!" His voice almost raised an octave higher when he said that, but why?

"Okay! Great!" Morro smiled. "How about Buddy's Pizza tomorrow at 11:00 a.m?"

"Y-yeah, sounds good!" Lloyd quickly responded, as Morro left the room with a smile on his face.

"Awesome! See you tomorrow!" Morro exclaimed, running back to his room looking as giddy as ever.

It was then that it hit Lloyd. His feelings when he was around Morro, they may have been strange, but now, he had an explanation for them.

Lloyd was in love with Morro, and now, he was going on a date with him.

Chapter Text

Blood trickled down Jay's bare arm, as his bright blue orbs stared down as his work. Around seven or eight cuts were scattered on his pale skin, and red liquid was covering the surface, so that you could barely see his usual peachy color.

Jay had just left his classroom in a rush, ready to inflict pain upon himself once again, after what had happened.

The pain of the cuts was unbearable, but it also felt good. It felt good to feel pain, especially after what he did to deserve it.

First and foremost, he had just failed his third test for history in a row. He couldn't believe himself. He had studied for hours just so he could pass that test, only to end up falling short. He was ashamed, angry, and sad, but that wasn't all that had happened.

The day before yesterday, while Jay and his friends were out doing ninja work, Jay had accidentally shot a bolt of lightning at Kai, making the fire ninja lose his fight with one of the villains. While Kai hadn't made a big deal about it, Jay was close to tears and apologized profusely until the group left for their homes. He still, to that day, felt awful about the incident.

And, to top everything off, Chen and his posies would not leave Jay alone. They were constantly picking on him, putting him down, and shoving him around. And, the fact that Jay's friends stood up for him only made him feel worse. It really showed how useless he was and how weak he always would be. He couldn't even get the bullies to go away on his own. He needed other people to save him. How pathetic.

Jay still wondered how he even had a boyfriend. Cole and him had been together for almost a year by that point, but Jay didn't know what Cole saw in him. Cole was funny, smart, kind, and thoughtful, while Jay was worthless, dumb, annoying, and disgusting. Cole deserved so much better than Jay.

All he wanted was for it all to go away, for the universe to give him a break and let him be happy. But, of course, the universe hated him, and wouldn't give him his wish. So, he was cutting himself, in order to get rid of the embarrassment, the inner pain, and the sadness.

As Jay began to go in for another cut, the bathroom door opened, and a pair of heavy footsteps bounded on the tile floor. Jay immediately silenced his whimpering and crying, waiting for whoever was there to go away. But, they didn't.

In fact, they stopped right in front of the stall he was in and knocked lightly.

"Jay, you in there, babe?" Cole's familiar gentle voice spoke, echoing throughout the bathroom.

Jay began to panic. What was he going to say? If he spoke, he would give away the fact that he was crying. Would he have to open the stall? If he did, then Cole would see that he was inflicting self-harm, and he couldn't put his boyfriend through that. So, Jay stayed quiet, praying that Cole would give up and leave.

"Jaybird, I know you're there," Cole continued. "I've checked all of the other stalls, and they're all empty."

Jay's heart sunk. He didn't know how to respond. He just wanted Cole to go away, so that he wouldn't have to see what he was doing. But, Cole was persistent, and he cared about Jay, so he stayed, despite how much Jay wished he wouldn't.

Eventually, Jay replied.

"I..I'm here. Y-You can leave now."

The freckled brunette cursed his stuttering and whimpering, knowing that Cole would everything out immediately.

"Bluebird, are you crying?" The noirette inquired, just as Jay suspected he would. "What happened? Are you okay?"

Jay wanted to tell Cole to go away and leave him alone, but he couldn't. He knew that Cole simply cared about his well being, which would have been great if Jay wasn't harming himself on the other side of the door.

When Jay didn't respond, Cole spoke again.

"Jay, please, tell me what happened. Are you hurt? Why are you crying? Please, come out."

Jay finally replied hearing the tone of Cole's voice. Whenever Cole was really worried or scared, he spoke in a particular tone of voice that would always bring Jay to tears. Hearing his boyfriend sound so scared and upset wasn't what he wanted, so he covered his arms, slid his knife into his bag, and walked out.

Cole instantly pulled Jay into a hug, continuing to ask what was wrong, but Jay didn't reply. He was afraid, afraid of what Cole would say, and afraid of Cole's own fear and sadness.

"Bluebird, please, I wanna know what's wrong," Cole said, staring into Jay's eyes. "Why were you crying?"

It was then that Cole noticed it. Jay's hands, they were...red. It wasn't the flushed kind of red, but the blood kind of red. That scared Cole. What had Jay been doing?

"Jay, hold out your arms for me, please?" Cole asked, becoming serious in an instant.

Jay's eyes held fear, as he looked away and tried to avoid doing what Cole wanted him to do. He couldn't show Cole his arms. If he did, who knows what would happen. But, it was Cole. Jay couldn't refuse those eyes, those grey eyes that held nothing but concern and worry.

So, reluctantly, Jay held out his sleeve covered arms to Cole. The taller male then lifted Jay's sleeves up and gasped. Cuts littered his lover's arms, and the blood hadn't dried yet either, so it began to spread onto Cole's own hands. Jay kept his gaze locked onto the floor, fiercely holding back tears. He couldn't cry in front of Cole. No, he wouldn't do that. He couldn't appear even weaker than he already was.

"J...Jay..what is this? Wh..What did you...do?" Cole eventually said, unable to look away from the self inflicted injuries. "Did...did you..do this?"

Jay was hesitant, but he nodded, making tears prickle in Cole's eyes. He never knew that Jay did these kinds of things, and he would have never guessed that he did. It was a horrific sight, all the blood and the cuts themselves looked deep. The warm tears that Jay tried to keep in slipped out, as his face scrunched up and he began to sob.

Cole pulled his boyfriend towards him, burying Jay's face in his chest. The noirette then started crying too, unable to keep it all in. He couldn't believe it. Why would Jay do something like this? Cole never thought that Jay would feel so awful as to even attempt self harm, much less do it so many times. Then, he wondered. How many times has Jay done this? Cole could only hope that this was the only time he ever had and would do it.

Eventually, Cole pulled Jay away and locked their eyes together. Then, he began to ask his questions.

"Jay, baby, why would you do this?"

At first, Jay looked away, not wanting to say anything, but soon enough, he broke, and started spilling everything.

"I..I just feel so worthless, and stupid, and dumb, and disgusting, and terrible, and annoying, and I-I couldn't take it anymore! S..So, after I-I failed my history test, I ran off and started hurting myself! It was all I could do! I-I'm so so so sorry, Cole!"

Cole could feel more tears coming on, but he held them back, and continued to ask questions.

"Why would you ever feel like that? You're none of those things, Jay! You're cute, and smart, and funny, and sweet, and kind, and so selfless!"

"B-But, I'm not!" The blue ninja exclaimed, continuing to sob. "I..I caused Kai t-to lose one of his f..fights, and..and Ch...Chen won't stop bullying me! I deserve it, though! I..I don't matter! I still need y-you and everyone else to stand up f-for me! I can't even do it myself!"

Cole thought about what Jay had just said, analyzing every word, before responding.

"Jay, just because you caused Kai to lose one fight doesn't mean that you're useless or worthless. It was one mistake! We all make those, don't we?"

Jay sobbed slightly less at his lover's words, but refused to look up, as Cole continued.

"And, the reason why we stand up for you, the reason I stand up for you, is because I care! Not because you can't do it yourself! We do this so that you don't have to!"

Jay's crying slowed and became quieter, and Cole went on and on.

"And, no, you don't deserve the pain and suffering! No one does, but most especially not you! You do matter, Jay! You matter to me, to Kai, to Zane, to Lloyd, to Nya, to your parents, and to all of Ninjago!"

Cole finished after that, hoping that his words went through to Jay. Little did he know, his words not only went through to Jay, but they also helped him. Jay's sobbing and crying stopped, with only a few sniffles and hiccups slipping out. Then, Jay reached up and pulled Cole in for a big hug, one which Cole returned, tightly.

The two boyfriends hugged it out, refusing to let go. The feeling of being in each others' arms was comforting already, and after hearing what Cole had said, Jay almost had the courage to return to class. But, he still wasn't ready. He wanted to stay like this for longer, to keep holding Cole close, and to know that he isn't worthless or stupid, and that he does matter.

After what felt like an hour passed, Jay and Cole parted and stared into each others' eyes, Jay's blue orbs mixing well with Cole's grey ones. The taller teen then pulled himself up, leaned in, and planted a love filled kiss upon Jay's forehead. Once he finished, Cole looked back down to his boyfriend, making direct eye contact and speaking again.

"Promise me that you'll never do that again?"

Jay nodded, smiling for the first time that day. Having such a caring significant other felt so amazing. Cole really was wonderful, and Jay was so lucky to have him.

Cole then hugged Jay one last time, before helping the latter stand up and then standing up himself.

"How about we bandage those cuts and then head to lunch, okay, Bluebell?" The noirette spoke gently and softly.

"Yeah," Jay replied. "I'd like that."

Chapter Text

Lloyd sat on his bunk, scrolling through his phone, completely bored. The last few days had been very uneventful, and all of the ninja, including him, were tired of it. All they wanted was some action, but it wouldn't come. So, all they could do was sit around and hope for something to come and attack the city.

A light breeze came in from the open window, as the Bounty flew around Ninjago, patrolling for any possible trouble. Suddenly, Lloyd's phone dinged, signaling a notification had come in. Lloyd excitedly opened the notification box, hoping for a danger report, but instead, it was a text from his boyfriend, Kai.

FiyahBoy: Hey babe, wanna go to a coffee shop? I'll pay!

Lloyd stared at his phone for a second, before replying. He wasn't a huge fan of coffee, but he did love tea, and the local cafe had delicious bubble tea. And besides, he loved Kai, and going anywhere with him would be great.

Me: Sure! I'll be ready in about 10 mins!

The green ninja then stood up from his bed, quickly changing out of his gi and slipping on a casual T-shirt and jeans with some sneakers. Then, he looked in the bathroom mirror, smoothing down any fly away hairs and then leaving the team's shared bedroom.

Lloyd smiled once he saw his lover sitting in the bridge, also adorning some casual wear. Kai wore a red T-shirt with some black jeans and white sneakers. Pretty simple.

"Hey, Fire Boy," The blonde called out, catching Kai's attention.

Kai smiled at Lloyd's presence, standing up and giving him a loving hug. Lloyd gladly returned the gesture, snuggling his head into the crook of Kai's neck, before parting and grabbing his wallet from the nearby table. However, the fire ninja's hand stopped him.

"Didn't I say that I'd pay?" Kai smirked.

Lloyd playfully rolled his eyes, smiling and letting his boyfriend do what he wanted. The two then interlocked their hands, as they made their way off of the already landed Bounty.

"Have fun, lovebirds!" Nya called out from behind them, making them laugh.

Kai then bent down and planted a sweet kiss on Lloyd's cheek, which turned the latter's whole face red. The master of fire laughed at his reaction, slinging an arm around Lloyd's shoulder and continuing to walk down the streets of Ninjago City.

They walked for a while, admiring the cherry blossom trees and the bright blue skies that were almost devoid of clouds. The coffee shop was just up ahead, so Kai and Lloyd decided to have a race to see who could make it there first.

Once Lloyd counted to three, they were off, sprinting quickly down the sidewalk. Eventually, they made it, with Kai just slightly ahead of Lloyd, which determined the winner.

"Aw, don't feel bad, baby!" Kai spoke in a joking manner. "I'll still buy your tea for you!"

Lloyd giggled, jumping up and ruffling Kai's spiked up hair. The latter shooed his hand away, as he laughed at the same time.

"Hey! No one messes up my hair!" The fire master shouted. "Not even my boyfriend!"

This statement made Lloyd's giggles turn into chuckles, and then pure laughter. The blonde was doubled over, he was laughing so much. Kai soon joined in and was laughing as well, as they completely forgot about their coffee and tea.

Finally, after almost ten minutes of cackling on the streets of Ninjago City, Lloyd and Kai sat up and walked inside of the cafe, a few more stray laughs still escaping their lips. The two lovers then walked up to the counter and ordered what they wanted, Kai with a non-fat, whip cream mocha, and Lloyd with strawberry milk tea with boba inside. After paying, they found a table and sat down, relaxing after their huge fit of laughter.

Kai stared lovingly into Lloyd's green eyes, the latter returning the gaze with just as much adoration. The red ninja then broke the comfortable silence with a quick peck on Green's lips, making said boy blush and giggle more. Kai giggled as well, before their names were called and they walked up to grab their drinks.

The two settled back down, as they downed their orders of tea and coffee. Although the date wasn't exactly perfect, it was still something special. Lloyd loved whenever they would just be able to have fun, with the little races and constant laughter. Kai also enjoyed those moments, but what he adored even more were the moments when Lloyd and him could just get lost in each other's love. It made his heart swell whenever that happened.

Once the two ninja finished their drinks, they threw away their cups and left the cafe, hands interlocked once more. They began making their way down the street again, wanting to find a nice park to sit in and talk. Eventually, they stumbled across a small field, which was good enough, so they found a peaceful spot and sat down next to one another.

The wind blew through their contrasting hair, as well as the soft grass they were happily sitting on. Their shoulders were touching and Kai's slightly larger hand was draped over Lloyd's own smaller one. They smiled, taking in every second, as they turned to each other and their lips met.

They kissed for a few blissful seconds, before parting and staring into each other's eyes. This was amazing. Just the two of them and the quiet, grassy field.

"I love you, Kai," Lloyd finally said.

"I love you, too, Greenie," Kai replied, ruffling his boyfriend's hair in the process.

They were so incredibly happy, and nothing was ever gonna change that.

Chapter Text

Cole stared down at his blue clad best friend, who had his head rested firmly on his shoulder. Jay's blue orbs were closed, and Cole was sure that he could hear light snoring coming from the boy's mouth. The master of earth didn't know what to do. They had just finished watching a movie in the living room, but Jay had fallen asleep by the end.

Should I just...carry him back to our room? Would that be weird?

Cole continued to think about his predicament, hesitant to even breathe differently. Finally, however, he came to a reasonable conclusion: He was gonna try and carry Jay back into the ninjas' shared bedroom.

The noirette furrowed his brows, as he began to position his hands around Jay, so that he could pick the smaller teen up. Normally, he would have just woken Jay up and made him get up and go to his room, but at the moment, things were not exactly 'normal' for Cole. See, Cole had a major crush on Jay, and he really wanted to earn the blue ninja's affections, so he didn't want to wake him up when he was probably having an amazing dream. It would be rude.

Once Cole eventually got his hands around Jay's body, he lifted the small form off of the couch and made his way into the bedroom. The lights were all off and everybody was asleep, except for him, which meant that had to be quiet. He knew that none of his fellow ninja liked being woken up, so he tried his best to keep his footsteps silent.

Sooner or later, the black clad ninja arrived at Jay's bedside, but he hesitated in putting him down. He almost...liked holding Jay. It was like he was cradling a porcelain doll, or cuddling a small animal. Immediately, Cole rid his head of these dumb thoughts. Jay didn't feel that way about him! He would have to get over it!

So, the earth master gently set his best friend on the latter's sheet covered mattress, pulling the covers over his shorted body and making sure he was comfortable. However, before he left, Cole took a risk, one that he was sure he would regret for the rest of his life. But, in the end, it would be worth it, for that small interval of time when he felt complete.

"I love you, Jay," He mumbled as quietly as he could.

Cole then leaned his face down right above Jay's, got closer than ever before, and lightly pressed his lips to the lightning ninja's. The sensation lasted for just a moment, as Cole pulled away and began walking to his bed. He then got under the covers quickly, hiding his completely red face. That was the first time he had ever kissed anybody, and it had been none other than his best friend, Jay Walker. He couldn't believe himself.

Little did Cole know, he wasn't the only one who was awake during that sequence of events. Jay's cheeks flushed bright pink, as he held his lips that were previously locked with Cole's. He could barely understand what had happened. Had Cole really...kissed him? It was like a dream come true. It was all Jay ever wanted. And, it happened.

As Jay turned on his side, still cradling his lips, a huge smile worked its way onto his face.

I love you, too, Cole,

Chapter Text

For the rest of the day, the events from the Mountain of a Million Steps continued to circulate around Jay's mind. He couldn't help but wonder about the reasoning behind why Cole was so upset about a silly little nickname such as Bluebell. Sure, it was what Cole almost always referred to him as, besides his name, but why was it so important to the earth ninja that no one else called Jay by that name.

As Jay pondered and thought, he paced around the shared room of the ninja. They had all returned around two hours ago from their sneak attack into the swears of Ninjago, which was where the Serpentine had been hiding. Since then, Jay hadn't spoken to any of the other ninja, Nya, Sensei Wu, or Lloyd. He needed to be left alone with his thoughts, in order to decipher what was wrong with Cole.

He had no idea what the problem could have been. Sure, Cole and him were pretty great friends, they got along well, and they wanted to protect each other, but that was all normal, right? And sure, Cole had a lot of admirable qualities, like he was kind, funny, handsome, sweet, and very cute...

Jay's heart began racing at the image of Cole in his mind. His cheeks started to burn with heat and they turned red and pink instantly. Jay could feel his hands sweating and shaking, as he tried to collect his thoughts and rationalize them.

Besides, those qualities were just the truth, right?

There was no way Jay thinking about Cole and thinking about the earth ninja's good features and trying to rationalize the incident at the Mountain of a Million Steps meant anything, right?

And, surely, Jay didn't have any other feelings, besides platonic ones, for Cole, right-

Suddenly, however, a knock came from the bedroom door, startling Jay. Then, a familiar voice called out from the other side.

"Hey, Bluebell," Cole said. "You okay in there? The others and I are pretty worried about you."

Jay desperately wanted to keep quiet and continue thinking, but his body acted before he could make a choice.

"Yeah, I'm fine!" The blue ninja shouted. "I'll be out in a minute!"

Great, now he had to come out and face Cole. Jay could feel his whole body grow hot at the thought of doing so. But, that didn't mean anything, right? It was all platonic, right?

Yeah, right, sure.

So, after a minute passed, Jay opened the bedroom door and was face to face with Cole Brookstone, the most handsome man alive - what?! No! Cole was his friend, his non-blood-related brother! Sure, Cole was handsome, but Jay couldn't think of him in that way!

It seemed that Cole didn't notice Jay's slight tensity at his approach, as he put a hand on the master of lightning's shoulder and smiled brightly at him.

"Good to see ya again, Bluebell!" He said, his eyes sparkling and teeth shining. "I was getting worried about you, but you seem fine!"

"Y-Yeah!" Jay tried to smile. "Just...inventing!"

"Well, that's cool!" Cole replied, before looking away.

Jay was confused at Cole's sudden change in attitude. Instead of smiling, Cole was now looking down and fiddling with his fingers. It seemed like he was at a loss for words, but Jay couldn't be sure. Then, Cole spoke again.

"Could...you maybe follow me onto the deck?" He asked, finally meeting Jay's blue orbs. "I have something important to tell you."

Jay didn't know why, but his heart began to speed up, just like before. What was this strange feeling he had in his chest, and in his stomach? It felt like butterflies were fluttering all around him and that he could do anything without the risk of getting hurt. But, why was he feeling like this? There had to be some explanation for it, right?

However, before he could think any longer, Jay nodded his head in response to Cole's request, and began to follow the latter onto the Bounty's deck. Once they got there, Cole turned to Jay and locked their hands together tightly.

The earth ninja looked scared and very nervous, and Jay couldn't pinpoint as to why. Did something bad happen? Did Cole have some deep, dark secret that he hasn't told anyone? Or, was it something harmless that Cole was overthinking? Jay wasn't sure.

Finally, after what felt like many minutes had passed, Cole spoke.

"Jay, you and I have known each other for a few years. We've fought battles together, and we will, hopefully, continue to do so for a long time," He started. "But, that's not why I brought you here. In all honesty, I have loved the times that we've spent together, because you're someone who I can be myself around. And, you are also a great person to hang out with. You're funny, kind-hearted, sweet, and really cute. And, although you can be pretty annoying at times and you do have a motormouth, I love those flaws, just as much as the good qualities you possess. So, I guess, what I'm trying to say, is that I love you, Bluebell."

Everything was silent. Not a sound was heard. Jay stared into Cole's deep, brown eyes, which meshed well with his own blue ones. It was then that Jay realized the answer to everything he had been contemplating over for the last few hours. The answer to why Cole was so upset, the answer to why he felt so strange, and the answer to everything in between:

He was in love with Cole.

He returned Cole's feelings.

At this realization, Jay pulled something that he would never usually do.

He stood on his tiptoes, gripped Cole's hands tighter, and pressed his lips to Cole's own. Cole was surprised at first, having not expected Jay to return his feelings, but kissed back nonetheless. The earth ninja placed a hand behind Jay's curly haired head and the other on Jay's hip, as Jay put his arms around the former's neck. The kiss remained gentle, yet passionate, with the two boys' suppressed love for each other being put into each second that they lip locked. It was only when they heard laughter from the side that they pulled away, faces red.

There stood Kai, Zane, Nya, Lloyd, and Sensei Wu, in the doorway, Nya and Kai holding out their phones and Lloyd making fake barfing faces. Zane simply snickered and Sensei smiled at the two boys, happy that they finally confessed their feelings for each other.

"Are you two done, or are we gonna have to watch more kissing?" Lloyd finally asked.

"How long have you guys been there?!" Jay yelled, ignoring Lloyd's question.

"Long enough to film you and Cole making out on the deck!" Kai laughed, as he put his phone back in his pocket.

Neither Cole nor Jay knew what to say, but luckily, Sensei Wu spoke first.

"While I am happy for the two of you," He said. "It is quite late, and we have a lot to do, what with Pythor and the Fang Blades. So, how about we all head to bed and discuss this in the morning."

The two ninja looked relieved, as Sensei ushered them all inside and into their rooms. They all changed and got into bed, but before Jay could fall asleep, a familiar voice whispered to him.

"You awake, Bluebell?" Cole lightly spoke, his head peeking up from his bed beneath Jay's.

The lightning ninja smiled, before replying.

"Yeah, I am," He said. "You can come up here, if you want."

Cole gladly did so, pulling himself up as quietly as he could and lying down next to Jay. The blue clad boy then cuddled up to Cole, the latter, in turn, wrapping his arms around Jay. They stayed like that for a few minutes, not saying anything to each other. After all, each others' presence was enough. But, eventually, Jay spoke.

"I can't believe the others caught us kissing!" He whispered, looking up to Cole. "And they filmed it! We're never gonna live it down!"

"Yeah, I guess so," Cole smiled at Jay's words. "But, at least I got to kiss you."

Jay blushed and buried his head in Cole's chest before asking a question.

"Was it..good? The kiss, I mean."

Cole's cheeks turned pink as well, as he answered quickly.

"It was amazing," He replied. "You're a great kisser."

Jay blushed even more, trying to formulate a proper sentence. Finally, he spoke.

"Thanks, you are, too. A good kisser, I mean."

Silence overtook the two boys once more, as they tried to think up something else to talk about. But, all they wanted was one, simple thing: to kiss each other again. So, that's what they did.

Jay reached up, pulled Cole's face closer to his own, and connected their lips. They remained soft and gentle, yet still very passionate and love-filled. They also tried to not be too loud, as they didn't want to wake the others. Cole placed his hands behind Jay's head and hips once again, while Jay simply held the sides of Cole's face in his small hands.

Their lip locking lasted longer than before, with each passing second being filled with blissful feelings. The two boys never disconnected their lips, as they only made small sounds here or there. Eventually, they parted, panting as they did so.

"Wow..." Cole breathed out.

"So..." Jay spoke. "Does this mean...we're dating?"

Jay made eye contact with Cole, before the latter smiled and nodded in response to the former's question. He then kissed the top of Jay's head and laid back down, finally replying verbally, as they drifted off into sleep land.

"Of course, Bluebell."