Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Night had soon fallen on Chen’s Island, peace enveloping the land. The moon hung low in the star-ridden sky, its silvery glow casting a shimmering pathway upon the calm sea below. A gentle breeze rustled through the, still not closed, curtains In a specific ninja’s room amongst the tournament home. It was relaxing to hear the soft sound of waves crashing and trees swaying, something he was only just getting used to.

The first night felt the strangest. Being away from home wasn’t something he was new to, but being in a place he wasn’t sure of definitely played with his nerves, especially since he knew his friend was locked somewhere nearby and was likely taking part in a very illegal fight club. The toughest part may not have been finding Zane, like the team had planned, but rather fighting those they weren’t even supposed to be against, including each other, which was bound to happen at some point.

The thought of fighting his own friends made him feel uneasy. It wouldn’t be the first time, but in the past there’s been a reason. This time, what reason did they have?

The Island was beautiful, however, perfect for a future holiday destination if they were to ever win and defeat Chen. Luckily, he didn’t seem that hard to beat but Garmadon insisted that his partner in crime, Clouse, had dark magic, which only made him feel worse about the situation. So many people had fallen for Chen’s convincing invitation. What if Zane wasn’t even here? What was being hidden?

The fresh air coming through his balcony door proved to be working very little to calm him down. Perhaps he needed a drink. One thing Chen had failed to provide in everyone’s specialised rooms was a decent sink so it meant he had to go searching for somewhere to get at least a bottle of water.

The rooms weren’t even that great. They were mostly based off their powers, and since his was earth, it meant his room would likely be less comfortable than everyone else’s. Why couldn’t he have been the master of awesome mattresses or feathered pillows? The pure stone his bed was made of proved to do his back no good when he attempted to sleep so it seemed he wasn’t going to get a good rest at this tournament at all. It’s not like he could room with anyone either.

Kai kept to himself. This was probably because he missed Zane, and, sure they all did, but the fire ninja seemed to miss his frosty friend more than anyone. The two were definitely close before the final battle with the Overlord. He hadn’t really spoken to anyone since then, including the earth ninja himself. Kai was a good person, and he’d let his friend stay in his room if he was asked but it would only end up being awkward in the long run, especially since red had been so quiet.

Lloyd would, too, let him in, but Garmadon was already sharing his room with him in secret and didn’t want to risk either of them getting caught.

One person he could never dream of asking was Jay. Knowing him, he likely had the best room out of everyone as lightning meant so many cool things such as electronics – meaning he was probably having the time of his life all on his own. Sure, Jay would typically let anyone in, maybe even someone that wasn’t a ninja if need be, but the earth ninja was most definitely at the bottom of that list.

Switching the room light off, he opened the ridiculously tall and wide door into the large hall. Almost everyone else’s lights were still on, except two. One of which he was sure was Jay’s. Sighing, he closed the door behind him quietly and started heading down the hall to where he remembered the stairs being.

It didn’t feel right. Not just the tournament itself and how they were doing this just to get their friend back, but how split the team still felt even when they were back together. Part of that feeling was his own fault.

After the team broke, he had so much time to think over everything, including the stupid arguing he’d done with the person he once considered his best friend. He never blamed Jay for being upset, and he wasn’t entirely sure why he argued back himself, but thinking back to it all now felt so dumb. Neither of them had seen Nya in a long while either, so what’s the point in still fighting?

Either way, he didn’t need to care about that right now. His top priority was finding somewhere to get a refreshment. As he casually made his way down the first flight of stairs, he found himself glancing over at everyone else’s rooms. Less and less lights were on as he made his way down, including Lloyd’s.

Perhaps it would be better if he tried to sleep on the couch in his room instead of the bed.

It wasn’t long before the silence of the building was ruined. The sound of the boy he’d only just been thinking of met his ears, muffled shouting coming from what he assumed was Bolobo’s room as the door slammed behind him and he began storming down the corridor towards the earth ninja. He looked frustrated, tired and also quite thirsty. It only took him a moment to realise the boy dressed in black was watching before almost bumping into him.

Jay glanced up, surprised to see his ‘friend’ stood there with a puzzled expression. He opened his mouth ajar, making it seem as if he were going to say something, but closed it almost immediately.

“What were you doing in there?”

Jay shrugged, still slightly annoyed, “his stupid vines keep coming up into my room.”

“So you went to argue with him?”

“No, I went to ask him to keep them to himself,” Jay corrected him.

Cole grinned for a second before frowning, his eyes locking upon what looked like a fresh cut on the blue ninja’s face. Jay looked at him with a confused expression for a second, before realising what he was gawking at.

“Oh,” Jay raised a single finger to it, tapping it lightly, trying to hide a light wince, “it got a little physical.”

Cole frowned, “he hit you?”

“Nettles.”

“Shit.”

“It’ll be fine,” he shrugged again.

Cole continued to stare at the injury, gaining another confused expression from blue, but this time he seemed more weirded out by the earth ninja’s presence and concern more than anything. He went to move away, but Cole grabbed his arm lightly, snatching it away almost instantly.

Cole cleared his throat, “you should clean it. You wouldn’t want an infection or anything. Plus, nettles sting pretty bad.”

“It’s a little tingly but, like I said, it’ll be fine,” Jay responded with a little less annoyed tone.

“I’m hoping to find somewhere I can get water if you want to come along, we might find a first aid kit or something on the way?”

Blue thought about it for a second, and Cole can see he was hesitant. He turned his head to look upstairs, where he was hoping to go back to, and then back at Cole, who gave him a semi-reassuring smile.

“We don’t have to talk.”

Jay shrugged, his favourite move of the evening, “sure.”

Cole waited for Jay to join him at this side before they began heading down the next flight of stairs together. Awkward taps of their shoes hit the steps in unison, Jay’s arm reaching up to the banister beside him. Cole gave him a slight glance, looking away as he thought Jay, too, was going to look. He didn’t.

Part of him wanted to remain in silence, no matter how weird it was, to prevent any unnecessary arguments, and just make light of the current situation, but there was another part of him saying otherwise. What harm would come from a little conversation?

“How were his vines going into your room?” Cole spoke after a minute, “were they like… going through the floorboards or…?”

“I thought you said we didn’t have to talk.”

“I was just curious.”

There was another moment of awkwardness before Jay cleared his throat. As much as Jay didn’t want to speak, a harmless topic would be fine, right? Besides, it’s not like he wanted to remain in silence either.

“The vines were going through my balcony doors,” he spoke quietly, keeping an eye on where he was stepping, “he said something about meditation, but I wasn’t really listening.”

“So you just asked him to stop?”

He nodded. Cole raised an eyebrow at him, the silence making Jay’s eyes meet his own deep brown ones.

“What?” Jay frowned.

“Did you ask him politely?”

“What d’you mean? Of course I did.”

Cole shrugged, a grin smearing across his lips, “I know you. Sometimes your ‘polite’ isn’t the same as anyone else’s.”

“So you’re saying I shouted at him?”

“That’s not what I’m saying at all.”

“Well, that’s what it sounds like.”

Cole went to respond but forced himself to stop. What was the point in arguing – even if it’s not a proper argument – about something so miniscule and unimportant? This was exactly what happened every time they interacted with each other; one person would say something, the other would respond with something even slightly annoying or ignorant, and then the other would start an argument (and eight times out of ten, it was likely Jay would start them). Cole was starting to get tired of it.

They continued to walk in silence once again, making it down the final flight of stairs. Neither of them knew where they were going, which was understandable since none of them had been given a tour of the building, but they hoped they’d come across something before one of them started an argument again. The last thing they needed was to wake everyone up with their bickering.

But there was still a small – or maybe large – part of Cole that wanted to have a proper conversation where there wasn’t a chance of a fight starting. Something harmless. Something that didn’t accuse anyone of anything.

But what?

He turned to look at Jay once again as they continued down the hall. He looked focused, an almost guilty but awkward expression on his face. Perhaps he felt the same, but wasn’t sure what to do? Or maybe he just felt uncomfortable?

After a few minutes, Jay cleared his throat again, which seemed to be the sign of him going to speak, as Cole cut him off quickly.

“I didn’t mean to accuse you or-“

“What’s your room like?” Jay butted in.

“Hm?”

“Your room.”

“Oh-“ Cole gulped, “uh… it’s kinda shit, I’m not gonna lie.”

“How?” Jay questioned. It confused the earth ninja slightly that Jay was even trying to make conversation, since every time he’d tried to since the team got back together, Jay either wasn’t interested or shut it down. It felt nice to finally talk again, especially after the long while where they hadn’t seen each other even once. Cole hated to admit it but he sort of missed the blabbermouth. There was something comforting about hearing him ramble every now and again, and First Spinjitzu Master, did he wish he hadn’t told Lloyd he was sick of him.

He wasn’t sick of him at all.

“I mean… the only interesting thing I really have in my room is the all-you-can-eat buffet, but nobody told me that would eventually run out…” he tried to chuckle.

“A buffet sounds cool,” blue responded, “have you not found a decent TV channel yet?”

Cole raised an eyebrow, glancing over at the lightning ninja, who continued to look back at him, “TV channel?”

“You don’t have a TV?”

“You have one?!”

Jay laughed, “Of course. Floor to ceiling. Absolutely huge.”

Cole smiled, staring back out at the corridor in front of them, “I am so jealous.”

He was right about Jay having the coolest room. Perks of being the master of lightning. Cole really was stuck with the most uninteresting power. But that only made him think about what everyone else’s rooms were like too. Did Kai have a lava pool in his? Perhaps the Bolobo guy’s was just a jungle. What was in Lloyd’s?

“The channels are a bit rubbish though, but I can play Fist2Face so-“

“You can play video games?!” Cole gasped, “Damnit, I really do have the worst room.”

“Yours can’t be that bad,” Jay smiled a wide, gleaming smile once Cole hadn’t seen in so long, “you had a buffet.”

“My bed is made of rock.”

“Rock?”

“Pure stone.”

“Jeez…”

A light chuckle left Cole’s mouth, staring down at the ground as they continued walking. Jay tried his best not to join in, trying not to give the earth ninja the wrong idea. They weren’t friends, but it felt nice to talk properly for once.

Just as Cole went to say something, he spotted a door reading ‘kitchen’ on the left-hand side of them. Stopping in front of it, he glanced at Jay briefly, who gave a very light smile in return.

“Finally,” Jay stated, pulling on the door handle.

As the door swung open, a bright light flickered on, revealing a spacious kitchen – one neither of them had seen the size of before – causing them both to grin. On one side of the room was a serious of ovens, fridges and countertops with numerous cupboards attached to them. An island was in the middle of the room with stalls by its side. They entered the room warily at first, Cole closing the door quietly behind them.

“A first aid kit!” Jay exclaimed happily, rushing over to it on the other side of the room.

Cole headed over to the first of many fridges hoping to find something to drink. By the time he’d reached in and grabbed a bottle of water, Jay had already made his way to the island with the first aid kit. As he opened the bottle before taking a swig of the cold refreshment, Jay rummaged through the kit, searching for something to use to clean up his injury.

The earth ninja stood opposite him, watching as he drank. Almost half the bottle was gone when Jay finally found the antiseptic wipes and plasters.

He placed them both on the table, closing the kit before opening the wipe. Although, Jay stopped for a moment, staring at the wipe in his hand before glancing up at Cole.

“Did you bring your phone down with you by any chance? I don’t have a mirror…” Jay spoke awkwardly.

For some strange reason, Cole beamed in a way he’d never done before. He felt happy knowing Jay needed help, but not in a way Cole from 2 days ago would’ve thought.

"I didn’t but…” he grinned, putting his bottled water on the counter, “I do have a pair of hands which may be… handy.”

“Uh-“ Jay placed the wipe down on the table, fixing himself in his seat, “that’s alright. I can do it blind.”

“Wouldn’t want you getting an antiseptic wipe in your eye.”

It was clear Jay wasn’t happy with the situation, and was slightly confused as to why Cole would even offer to help after everything – and considering they were supposed to hate each other – but it’s not like he declined. As Cole made his way round to the other side of the island where Jay sat, the lightning ninja fixed how he was sat again, sitting up straighter and fixing his shirt. Nerves didn’t usually get the better of him but there surely had to be a better reason as to why Cole offered a helping hand. Was it to lure him into a false sense of hope only to be backstabbed again, maybe even literally? But although his head was telling him it was a bad idea, his gut wasn’t.

Cole reached over to grab the wipe, standing in front of Jay, his chest in the lightning ninja’s direct eyesight. He soon glanced up to see Cole’s face towering over him.

Holding the wipe between two fingers, Cole reached for the cut on Jay’s left cheek, rubbing across it as gently as he could. Jay winced, moving ever so slightly, causing the earth ninja to move his arm away.

“You need to stay still,” he told him with a serious tone.

“It stings.”

Cole’s free hand reached up to Jay’s forehead, holding it in place while he continued cleaning the wound. Jay continued to wince, scrunching his eyes as Cole’s firm hold kept him grounded.

“This is pretty deep,” his concentrated look distracting Jay for a mere moment before the pain set in again.

Jay didn’t respond, only focusing on the black ninja’s perfectly smooth skin and golden-speckled eyes. And, just for a moment, the world stopped spinning. Cole wiped the cut again, quickly bringing him back to reality. His head threatened to move, but Cole’s firm hold grew stronger – not too strong to hurt him – but enough to keep him still and reassured. Why was he being so nice?

Once Cole finished with the antiseptic wipe, he placed it back in its packet for a second to stop bacteria spreading onto the nearby surfaces while he prepared the plaster. As he began to peel the wrapper, Jay smiled sheepishly.

“I’m gonna look so dumb with that on my face.”

Cole smiled too, “nah, you’ll look cute.”

As Jay’s head spun to look at Cole, their eyes locked for a moment. The earth ninja instantly looked away after realising what he’d said. A slight feeling of regret set into his chest as he struggled to open the plaster.

“Uh- I mean-“ Cole cleared his throat, “it’d suit you, y’know?”

The uncertainty in Cole’s voice made the corner of Jay’s lip tilt up a little. Eventually, black got the wrapper off, placed it on the counter behind blue and bent forward, getting a closer look at Jay’s face as he attempted to place the plaster.

Cole’s concentrated face distracted Jay once again, staring at his perfectly smooth skin once again, his breath warm on his somewhat cool skin. The earth ninja’s hands moved away from his face eventually, Jay’s eyes trailing back up to meet Cole’s.

For a brief moment, time seemed to stand still. It was as if the world around them faded into a blur, leaving only the two of them. Jay felt a strange flutter in his chest, unable to gaze away from his deep hazel eyes, a jolt of electricity fuelling his veins. Cole’s heart, too, pounded in his chest as he stared deep into Jay’s bright blues. He’d always admired how pretty the lightning ninja’s eyes were, but he’d never seen them up so close before. They were full of such joy and soft tenderness that filled him with such glee, a smile threatening to escape. Without realising it, Jay's eyes drifted down to Cole’s lips. It was only a fleeting glance, a momentary lapse in his composure, but it definitely didn’t go unnoticed.

Cole moved away, his eyes suddenly breaking from the prison they were trapped in. He cleared his throat, leaving Jay sat in surprise for a moment. He took the wipe and plaster wrapper from the counter and headed towards one of the many bins in the room.

“We should head back upstairs before one of Chen’s goons finds us down here,” he spoke, his voice a little raspy.

Jay nodded, his gaze not moving from the spot Cole had once stood, “yeah…”

That didn’t just happen, right?

Chapter Text

No, that definitely didn’t just happen.

So what was it that made his heart flutter and his electricity jolt? It most certainly wasn’t Cole. There had to be another reason. Perhaps if he just ignored it, it wouldn’t happen again?

Jay cleared his throat, blinking a few times before swivelling around on his chair, facing the island which was once behind him.

“Y’know, I’ve been thinking,” the earth ninja spoke up, “after losing to Kai earlier, Karlof ended up in a hole, but where does the hole lead? Where’d he go?”

It took a moment for Jay to process what he was saying, brining himself back to the painful reality they were in, before he could respond. He glanced over at Cole, who had just closed the bin, and was heading back in his direction. He looked somewhat cheery, cheerier than he should’ve been considering he was chatting with his supposed worst enemy – one in which they surprisingly weren’t arguing. Somehow, the soft smile upon black’s face felt comforting to blue.

He shrugged for the twentieth time today, “maybe they escorted him off the island?”

Cole hummed, finally reaching the island, standing opposite Jay and picking up his bottle of water. The once soft and comforting smile that lay upon his lips had faded, replaced with furrowed brows and focused eyes.

“I don’t know, but whatever it leads, I have an uneasy feeling about it.”

"How come?”

“I think it’s pretty obvious that Chen doesn’t have good intentions regarding the tournament. I mean, I don’t entirely believe this prize for the winner at the end of all this. What’s the point of pitting multiple elemental masters against each other in an underground fight club just for a lifetime supply of noodles? How’d he even come up with the idea?” Cole spoke, refusing eye contact, “would it really be surprising that whatever happens to the losers isn’t good? We don’t even know where Zane is or how he got hold of him.”

A puzzled expression appeared on Jay’s face too, glancing down at the table before him. Cole was right; none of them had really thought about Chen’s intentions until now. It was strange how none of them had questioned how this Noodle Empire owner had Zane, except that he had an elemental master as his sidekick and was once a sensei, much like Master Wu, but it still didn’t make sense. Besides, the island was so big, their chances of finding Zane was little to nothing, although perhaps wherever Karlof had been taken was also where Chen was hiding their friend?

“It’s no wonder Garmadon has a bad feeling about all this,” Jay responded quietly, still deep in thought, “but what are we supposed to do?”

Cole shrugged, “I guess we do our best to get to the end.”

"Some of us will lose eventually.”

“That’s not entirely a bad thing, right? It could help to find Zane.”

“I guess.”

The boys stood in awkward silence once again. It felt strange to not be arguing for once - who knows how long that would last – but somehow it was refreshing. Jay looked up at Cole again, who took a swig of his water. The confused and worried expression on his face made Jay’s stomach churn. Sure, he was concerned too, but there was still a part of him that was intrigued and sort of excited about it all. Cole was too serious about these things sometimes.

A grin crept up onto the lightning master’s face, “although, I guess if Chen really doesn’t have any malicious intentions… this could be sort of fun?”

“Fun?” Cole’s eyes met blue’s.

“We’re meeting a bunch of new elemental masters, people like us, and we get free noodles for life by the end of it!”

“It’s illegal, Jay,” Cole raised an eyebrow slightly.

“We’ve done loads of illegal stuff before.”

“For the good of the city.”

“And now we’re doing something for Zane,” Jay mentioned, “besides, even if we don’t all win, one of us will and we can share the noodles.”

Cole stared blankly at Jay for a moment, his eyes trailing slowly down his face. A smile crept onto his lips, glancing away quickly.

“What?” Jay questioned.

“Nothing.”

Jay gave Cole a blank stare in return, puzzled. It’d been a long time since he’d seen anyone smile around him, especially the earth ninja. Typically, if Jay said something dumb or even remotely stupid, Cole would tell him to shut up or act his age, jokingly, even before they started fighting. To see him actually grin at something silly Jay said made his chest feel light. It made him feel sort of happy.

Sort of.

Something he hadn’t been able to place a finger on all night, however, was why Cole was acting so strange. Earlier on in the day, they’d both been ripping each other’s throats out, glaring at one another every change they got, so why was Cole suddenly the opposite? Why was he trying to make simple conversation? Why did he help him clean up his cut? Why was he smiling at something small and stupid Jay on any other normal day would say? It was just like before. It was almost as if they were friends.

But they weren’t.

So why was Cole acting like it?

It knocked Jay’s thoughts for a moment, leaving him staring at the table with a loose look of confusion. Luckily, the earth ninja didn’t pick up on it. What was frustrating Jay a little more, though, was that he didn’t even mind it. He liked that Cole was smiling at him, even if his head was screaming at him that he hated Cole’s guts, and he sort of liked that weird feeling in his chest earlier when looking into his eyes.

But if it wasn’t friendship, what was it?

The door slammed open, startling them both. Jay jumped out of his chair, clutching onto the side of the island beside him while Cole almost dropped his water. In the doorway stood two of Chen’s goons – they were still unsure of the group’s name – with very angry expressions on their faces.

“What are you two doing in here?” One of them bellowed.

“Uh-“ Jay went to speak, choking on his words.

Cole glanced at him briefly before his gaze re-met with the goons’, “we were just looking for something to drink.”

“You aren’t supposed to be out of your rooms,” the other responds aggressively.

“Sorry,” Jay muttered, a light annoyance in his tone, “we’ll go back.”

Cole gripped onto his bottle tighter, attempting to hide it behind his back as they both glanced at each other with sort-of guilty looks, heading towards the door of the kitchen. Jay pushed the stall back under the island, following closely behind the earth ninja. As they headed down the corridor back towards the bedrooms, the goons followed their every move., making it hard for either of the ninja to talk, which normally wouldn’t be a problem.

Jay and Cole shared quick glances every now and then, both receiving smug grins. Jay knew they’d get caught no matter how much they tried to avoid it. It wasn’t like they were quiet, and Chen was likely to have guards dotted around so even if they didn’t get found in the kitchen, they would’ve walked into one anyway. At least they weren’t being punished.

They shared another quick look and sort-of smile as they both returned to their rooms. As Jay closed his bedroom door, his light flickered on, assumingly from the presence of his elemental power. His smile didn’t fade. Instead, it grew stronger for a moment as he glanced around his room, his much comfier bed and floor-to-ceiling TV with great channels and video games. Perhaps he was lucky, but a part of him did feel smug about it. Part of him agreed that Cole deserved a crappier room than his, and it was a little funny.

“I do have a pair of hands which may be… handy.”

It was nice to be able to speak for once. No arguments. No petty bickering. As much as Jay hated him for everything that happened, there was evidently still a small side of him lingering that still thought Cole was cool. It was clear Cole didn’t want to argue anymore. He stopped the bickering about the interaction with Bolobo and went to apologise before Jay rudely cut him off. Perhaps he was sorry? Maybe he regretted what happened? Or he could just want the arguing to end?

Jay did too.

It was pointless. It wasn’t solving anything and it definitely was only pushing Nya further away from them both. If neither of them didn’t grow up or act like the bigger person, it would likely go on forever, only tearing the team apart more.

“You need to stay still.”

Deep down, Jay knew Cole was a good person. He’d done so much for Ninjago, and especially for the team, and there had always been moments since their rivalry had proved Cole did still think of Jay as somewhat a friend – take tonight as an example – and it started to make Jay think of all the possibilities of the future. Tonight was proof that they could have conversations without arguing. They could help each other when needed. They could act like friends.

What was the point in arguing anymore?

As he glanced over at his bed once more, his mind darted back to the look they shared earlier. The way the world stood still around them… The light fluttering in his chest… The electricity jolting in his veins… The way Cole’s eyes were full of comfort and longing… The way his eyes drifted to Cole’s lips...

"Nah, you’ll look cute.”

No. He needed to focus.

Cole went behind his back. He betrayed him. He needed to remember that.

But it was sort of nice to see him again.

Jay made his way over to his bed, picking up his gaming controller on the way. Flopping down onto the comfort of his mattress and sheets, he let out a light sigh. No matter how stressful the thought of finding Zane and fighting other elemental masters was – ones that could potentially be a lot stronger than him – a small part of all this felt like a vacation to him. He was in the luxury of a fancy bedroom, one so much better than he had ever dreamt of, with as many video games as possible, that blended so well with the power flowing through his veins. What more could he ask for? It felt like a break from all the crime in the city, all the drama circulating online, and his parents constantly checking in on him. He finally had a little time to himself; time to think.

He was starting to sound like a middle-aged mother.

Eventuallly sitting up on his bed, he leant back against his pillows, ruffling the sheets as he did so. He stared blankly at the massive screen in front of him. Did any of this feel right, though?

His friend was out there somewhere, supposedly on this island, and who knew what kind of shape he’d be in. Did Zane have the same sort of luxurious room as he did? Was he being treated well? That led him back to the conversation he’d had with Cole. How did Chen even end up with Zane? There was not a sign of him anywhere when the team had emerged after his sacrifice.

Something felt off.

Instead of switching the TV on, like Jay had planned on when he entered the room, he placed the controlled on the bed beside him, letting out another deep sigh.

Jay always loved having company. He’d grown up constantly surrounded by his parents, ones who loved and protected him, leaving him with not much time to himself. He always dreamt of what it’d be like to be alone, but whenever he was by himself, it wasn’t the greatest of feelings. Instead, he felt relatively bored. Who would he have to ramble to? What did he have to complain about?

His phone chose the perfect time to chime. Glancing over at it briefly, sitting patiently on his bedside table, he reached over for it, hoping (for once) that it was his parents checking up on him. Instead, he was met with a message from Kai.

Meet in my room. We’re gonna figure out what Chen’s hiding.’

A small smile crept onto his lips. At least he had something to do now. Although Chen’s goons had only just escorted him and Cole back to their rooms so the likelihood of them still lurking outside was high. As sneaky as Jay was, he didn’t trust himself to not get caught, and he’d much prefer it if he wasn’t the only one left behind, sulking in his room, wondering what on earth was going on down in that hole Karlof ended up in.

He glanced out to his balcony, a lightbulb flashing in his mind. Kai’s room was on the first floor, right? He could just simply hop down to his balcony and knock on the door, it wouldn’t be that hard. It was sneaky and he’d be less likely to get caught.

With that in mind, he scrambled off the bed, leaving the sheets a mess, and put his phone in the pocket of his new gi. Jay headed towards his balcony, making sure to flick the light switch so that the lights would remain on while he left, hoping to make it look a little less suspicious. He slid open the large, Japanese style doors, peering out into the night sky. He hadn’t noticed it’d gotten dark, especially so quickly. There was something calming about it, the soft sound of the waves crashing and trees swaying. He could get used to it.

But he had to focus.

Peering down the side of the balcony to the other floors, he spotted Kai’s room. He stood waiting on his balcony, almost as if he sensed him coming. Perfect, he could get in quickly and easily without being spotted.

Hopping down onto the balcony below, giving him direct diagonal access to Kai’s, he stopped, glancing around to make sure nobody was watching.

“What do you think happened to Karlof?”

Whose voice was that?

“I feel horrible,” he recognised the second voice, “if I’d known what would happen-“

“You did what you had to do to stay in the tournament.”

Was that Skylor?

Jay perched on the side of the balcony above Skylor’s room, rolling his eyes as he glanced down at the master of fire. Eventually, Kai’s eyes trailed up above, shock setting in as he realised the master of lightning was waiting. He cleared his throat, looking awkwardly at Skylor.

“I’m sorry if I was cold to you earlier,” she continued, “maybe it’s good to have friends here.”
 Watching Kai attempt to flirt with her earlier was painful, especially since he thought he was so good at it. Part of him found it funny, while the other part cringed. But it didn’t make much difference to how he was when he first met Nya. That was bad.

He didn’t want to think about her right now though.

As Skylor glanced away from Kai’s view, red looked back up at blue, giving him an awkward smile.

“You had asked about my power earlier…”

Kai gave her another awkward grin before wrapping his hands around his arms and laughing nervously, “yeah, it’s so cold out.”

He began heading towards the door to his room, waving to Skylor as he did so.

“Better call it a night,” he laughed again.

“Oh,” she responded with a slightly annoyed tone, “okay. Sorry to have bothered y-“

“Alright!” Kai waved, stepping inside his room, his head hanging out from behind the door which he’d already half closed, “goodnight!”

Skylor sighed as Jay heard her footsteps head back inside, her door closing soon behind. He let out a light chuckle, being careful not to be too loud to disturb any of the other elemental masters. As Kai reopened his door to check that she was gone, Jay took the opportunity to hope down onto the balcony. The master of fire gave him a light glare.

“Thanks for ruining my conversation with the love of my life,” Kai muttered.

“You just had to leave me waiting, huh, Romeo?” Jay grinned.

“Why couldn’t you have come to my door like a normal person?”

“Didn’t wanna risk getting caught,” he responded.

Kai led him inside, closing the door behind him.

Kai’s room was warm, the lighting a mix of red and orange. It looked much cooler than Jay’s, the colours being a much better contrast and much nicer to his eyes. His gaze moved slowly across the room, taking everything in. Kai’s bed looked comfortable, much like his own, and there’s multiple pictures of master of fire himself dotted around. This was very much in character.

“Woah,” Jay smiled, “nice room.”

“I know!” Cole’s voice came from across the room, “his room is so much nicer than mine.”

Cole was lounged across Kai’s couch, Lloyd sat beside him on a chair he pulled up. The master of earth was feasting on some chocolate covered nuts, looking rather annoyed. Lloyd gave Jay a light smile to greet him.

Cole reached over to grab the bowl, “look, chocolate covered shell peas! I love these!”

He shoved a few in his mouth, Jay watching as he did so. A part of him was annoyed by Cole’s presence, remembering that he was in fact part of the team so would need to tag along, but the longer he watched him enjoy the snacks, the more he realised it didn’t matter.

Cole wasn’t that bad.

Kai crossed his arms, watching the earth ninja move over to his bed, flopping down with the bowl in his hands. Cole got comfortable, spreading his arms and legs out across the sheets, his eyes closing as his head reached the pillows.

“Look how soft your mattress is,” Cole sighed as if he were in heaven, “man, mine’s made of rock. What a crock.”

Jay shook of his light smile, glancing over at Lloyd and heading towards the couch Cole was once relaxed on.

“It was almost impossible to get here,” Jay began, “this place is swarming with guards. Any ideas on how we search the island?”

Kai headed over to the two as well, leaving Cole to his snacks.

“We travel by shadow; cover every square inch of this place until we find something.”

Jay frowned, “the islands big. We’ll need to stick together.”

“Uh, guys-“ Cole gulped.

The team glanced over, all but one of the pillows are on the floor. The sheets were messed up and the bowl of shell peas was suddenly gone. Cole looked distressed, sitting up slightly.

“The bed is-“

Kai grew annoyed, “Cole, I get it! You like my bed! Will you stop playing around?”

A smile crept onto Jay’s face, meeting with Cole’s eyes as he also grinned.

“I think I know how we can search the island,” he said.

The next thing they knew, they were all laying on the bed, confused and slightly uncomfortable. It was surprising how big the bed was, however, although it was quite cramped. Jay lay on the left of the bed, smiling. Cole was right, it was pretty comfortable, better than his own if he was honest. He nestled his head into the pillows as Kai and Lloyd got comfortable.

“Okay, I feel ridiculous,” Lloyd grinned, glancing over at the other three.

Jay sighed happily before glancing at Cole briefly, “you’re right. This mattress is soft.”

Lloyd groaned, Kai remaining in complete awkward silence. Cole attempted to get comfortable too, rearranging his position. He moved his head, also burying himself into the pillows, his arm moving left slightly. His finger brushed against the back of the lightning ninja’s hand gently. Jay’s arm darted away quickly.

Cole cleared his throat, looking at Jay awkwardly, “sorry.”

Lloyd groaned again, sitting up slightly, “is this a joke?”

Cole sat up a little too, breaking eye contact with the lightning ninja. He sat in thought for a moment, attempting to recall what happened.

“I must’ve done something to trigger it,” he lay back down, “I was laying here and then I stretched-“

As he pulled himself back a little, the pillow his head was resting on moved back ever so slightly, making a loud clicking noise. The team screamed in unison, clutching the bed as they were twisted sideways, the world turning dark all of a sudden. The pillows that were once on the bed were now falling. Their legs were dangling, the grip on the bed being the only thing keeping them up. Jay glanced over at Cole, who looked just as confused as he did. He grinned.

“Secret passageway!” he exclaimed cheerily, “cool!”

They all hopped down, landing on old wooden flooring. It was dark and eerie, with a strong smell of dust. The only sound around is their loud footsteps, echoing off the grey walls. Kai raised his hand, a focused expression as his hands lit with a small flame.

“Nice work, Cole. Maybe Zane’s not on the island but in it,” Kai turned to look at the team.

It didn’t take long for the team to get into trouble. Somehow, they found themselves running from Chen’s goons in less than ten minutes, dressed as if they were part of the gang, although their ‘face paint’ – which was really just chocolate – was melting down their faces.

A few moments prior, they had stumbled across groups of the Anacondrai Cultists – what they called themselves – wandering into a large, underground arena dotted with spray painted symbols, ones none of them had ever seen before. It looked almost as if they were in an abandoned forest temple. Little did they know, they were about to witness a ceremony. A ceremony in which Master Chen stole the former player, Karlof’s, powers.

In the process, they’d gotten caught and were now fleeing, attempting to get as far away as possible before anybody noticed it was them. The tunnels surrounding them looked exactly identical, making it so much harder to find their way out. Lloyd led the way down one of the last corridors, Kai following closely behind, then Cole and finally Jay, who was straying a little further.

It didn’t help that there were huge axes falling down almost on top of them. Whoever set up these traps knew exactly what they were doing.

Eventually, finding a break in the wall, Lloyd signalled to the rest of the team to quickly dip. As the axes neared closer, Kai and Cole ran into the dip too, meeting with the green ninja. Once Jay finally caught up, he almost sprinted directly past the gap, screaming as he reached his hand out for someone to take. Feeling the breeze behind his back as the axe fell, he was pulled sideways and only just into the dip into the wall in time.

The breathed a sigh of relief, glancing up from his hands which were intertwined with another’s, his eyes meeting hazel.

“That was close,” Cole said, a light smile creeping onto his lips.

Jay stared at him in disbelief for a moment before snatching his hands away. He was lucky Cole wasn’t bitter enough to let him die, and although he was thankful, he wasn’t quite ready to thank him for anything yet.

The team turned to face what they thought would’ve been a wall, instead meeting with a large hole leading both up and downwards.

Jay frowned, peering at his teammates quickly as the slight sound of hissing came into his ear’s reach. Hissing like he’d heard somewhere before.

“What’s that sound?” he questioned nervously.

As the rest of his teammates looked upwards, his eyes trailed down, locking onto purple scales and huge, bright purple, glowing eyes.

“That has got to be the second biggest snake I’ve ever seen!” Kai exclaimed.

The serpent, hissing even louder now, rattled its tail at a rapid speed before darting upwards towards the group. In a state of panic, the four jumped across the hole, grabbing onto the weak and slightly rotting wooden frames leading through the hole. They climbed as fast as ever, attempting to get away from the snake safely.

Eventually reaching another, much smaller, hole in the wall, Lloyd pulled his brothers through, Jay only just fitting on top. They all scrambled, cramped together, trying to get as far into the narrow gap as possible as the large serpent’s head attempted to poke through. Jay could feel the flicking of its tongue against his leg, its breath smelling like nothing they’d ever smelt before. Just awful.

Luckily for them, the fire ninja leant back, his elbow only just hitting a small button which launched them through the floor and onto something soft and bouncy.

Kai and Lloyd landed directly next to each other, staring up at the ceiling they had just fallen from. Cole acted as a cushion for Jay’s landing.

The hole they’d fallen from closed, revealing a bright red board, resembling one from Kai’s bedroom.

The fire ninja sat up, shock written across his face.

“Are we-?”

“Barely…” Lloyd muttered, raising a hand to his head.

Cole attempted to sit up too, pushing Jay off the top of him.

“Did we just-“ he said, groaning shortly afterwards.

Jay huffed and scrambled off the bed, struggling to find his feet, “no more sneaking around. From now on, let’s just follow the rules.”

Kai nodded, “we may not have found Zane, but we’ve found something just as important. This tournament isn’t about glory, it’s about Chen stealing all of our elemental powers.”

“But why?” Lloyd questioned, “what could he be planning?”

“I don’t know, but if we’re gonna find out and find Zane, we’re gonna have to play by his rules, especially since he may know it was us in that arena.”

“I don’t think we were,” Cole spoke up, “it was close.”

Jay sighed again, glancing over to the back of his leg, “yeah, too close…”

Just above his knee was a gap in the fabric, one of which had been bitten away by the serpent. The master of earth found himself staring at it for a moment, trying not to laugh. Jay was lucky it wasn’t anything worse; he could’ve easily lost an arm or leg completely.

“I think we should call it a night,” Lloyd pushed himself off the bed, stretching before heading towards the door.

“Yeah, I need my beauty sleep after that,” Kai chirped up before letting out a loud yawn.

“Did you guys wanna meet at the bottom of the stairs tomorrow morning?” Lloyd asked, receiving nods from the other ninja.

The three said goodnight to Kai, leaving together to head upstairs quietly. They didn’t discuss much, especially since they were all still in shock from the events that had just occurred. A few yarns were exchanged. Lloyd waved the masters of earth and lightning goodbye as he headed to his room on the second floor, directly above Kai’s room.

That just left Jay and Cole alone again.

It was awkward at first, but the silence soon fell into something semi-comfortable.

“Y’know…” Cole cleared his throat, “I’m glad you didn’t get eaten by that snake.”

“Knock it off,” Jay responded dryly, “we both know you would’ve enjoyed watching me get mauled by a giant serpent.”

Cole chuckled, “damnit, you got me.”

He peered to his side, hoping to see Jay smiling along too, but instead was met with a side glance that shared annoyance.

They were getting along earlier. What happened?

The rest of the trip to their floor was silent. Cole blamed it on Jay wanting to keep quiet in case there was anyone nearby who would catch them wearing the cultist uniforms, but he knew the real reason deep down. And he didn’t exactly blame him.

Jay’s room was the first next to the staircase. As sure as Cole was about how unhappy Jay felt with his presence, he still turned to him with a light smile, wishing him a good night. Jay didn’t gift one back, but only stared blankly at him for a second, watching him wander down the hall. The lightning ninja’s hand sat firmly on his door handle, a puzzled expression plastered on his pale face.

Something about watching Cole walk off to his room didn’t feel right. As happy and petty as he felt about Cole having a bad room, a large part of him still felt bad. It wasn’t his fault, he knew that, yet he still felt slightly responsible. He knew how much the earth ninja enjoyed his sleep – almost even more than food – so letting him sleep on a bed made of pure stone was cruel, right?

Jay sighed, closing his eyes briefly, almost as to say his own mind was torturing him. It needed to be done.

“I doubt you’re gonna get much sleep in there.”

Cole turned on his heel, shrugging as he did so, “it’s not like I have much choice.”

Jay nearly choked on his words, “you could… sleep in my room?”

The earth ninja stopped dead in his tracks, confusion written in his eyes for a mere moment before a grin appeared, growing wide the longer he stared at Jay’s straight face.

“Very funny,” Cole smiled, “you can stop bragging about your super cool room now. I get it.”

“No, I’m being serious,” Jay shrugged, “making you sleep on literal rock isn’t really fair.”

“It’s my element.”

Jay rolled his eyes, “just come in already before I change my mind.”

Chapter Text

He opened the door, not waiting for Cole to make his way over. He headed into the room, Cole catching the door right before it closed. Entering the room, his eyes lit up with joy and amazement, watching as Jay headed over to his balcony. Cole shut the door behind him, standing there awkwardly for a moment. The lightning ninja pulled across his curtains, taking in one last look at the great view – not that he could see much in the darkness.

“You were right about your room,” Cole grinned, “this is amazing.”

“Eh, I guess,” Jay shrugged.

“You guess?”

Jay wandered over to the bed, picking up his gaming controller. He handed it to Cole, who was still standing awkwardly, not knowing what to do with himself.

Jay shrugged again, refusing eye contact as best he could, “get comfy.”

“Thanks,” Cole gave him a wide smile, not that Jay even noticed it.

Jay headed to the bathroom, the light flickering on as he entered. He shut the door without a word, leaving Cole alone. The earth ninja took the chance to look around the room, and especially at his notice board. It wasn’t really decorated yet, which was understandable since they hadn’t had much free time to spend in their rooms yet, however, there were a few pictures of Jay and his parents, which Cole found pretty heartwarming.

There was something so joyous about seeing Jay with his parents. Cole loved his dearly, especially his late mother, so seeing someone else have such a loving and close relationship with their parents made him feel a little less empty. Besides, Ed and Edna were like parents to the whole team. Jay got really lucky in that department.

Although, it did often cross his mind whether Jay felt strange about being the only one with two parental figures. He had no reason to feel bad - the team’s situations were nothing to do with him - but Cole did find himself wondering about it some nights.

To be completely honest, Cole didn’t know that much about Jay at all except for his hobbies. The lightning ninja wasn’t very open about his childhood, and that was likely due to the fact he didn’t have much and probably didn’t want to upset anyone by talking about his parents. That bothered Cole slightly, especially since Jay deserved to be so open about his life. Perhaps tonight would be a good chance to actually get to know him and his past.

It never crossed his mind how wonderfully open yet closed off Jay was about himself.

Was he hiding something?

The bathroom door opened again and Cole could see the light flick off in the corner of his eye. Jay reappeared, changed into his actual ninja gi rather than the bottoms of one of Chen’s goons.

“This is a cute picture,” Cole chimed up.

Jay hummed, making his way over to where the earth ninja was. He stood not too far from him but close enough so that neither of them were uncomfortable. Jay smiled at the picture Cole was pointing at – a selfie of Jay and his mother back on the last Day of the Departed.

“I taught my mom how to use a phone camera so now she won’t stop taking selfies.”

“That’s sweet,” Cole grinned, glancing over at Jay briefly.

Jay leant over, pointing to a picture of his parents sitting outside the junkyard, building something that looked like a bike.

“This is one of my favourites though,” he smiled, “they look so happy.”

The two remained in silence as they glanced over the last few images. As Jay went to walk away, Cole let out a deep breath.

“So… you said you taught your mom how to use a camera?” he asked awkwardly, “you’d think considering how into technology you guys are, that she’d already know.”

“We’re not necessarily into technology,” Jay replied a little dryly, “we didn’t grow up with anything like that except a landline. My mom spent ages saving up for a proper phone.”

“Oh, right.”

“She said it’d be good for the business, but dad thinks she should’ve spent the money on a TV.”

“TVs are pretty cool.”

“Not when there’s no signal all the way out in the Sea of Sands,” Jay told him, “besides all the channels suck.”

“Not unless you find the good ones,” Cole smiled, “how’d you keep up with the news around Ninjago? Did your friends fill you in?”

Jay raised an eyebrow, “newspapers?”

“Did you not watch one of those dumb news report videos every day at school? I had to do that and it was the most boring thing on the planet,” earth asked, “most of my classmates spent that time making paper aeroplanes and trying to throw them into the trash from across the room.”

Jay stared at him blankly for a second. Cole’s smile quickly faded, a look of dread filling his eyes.

“Are you serious?”

"Yeah, it was pretty fun,” Cole shrugged one shoulder awkwardly.

“Cole, I didn’t go to school, remember?”

Cole frowned, “What? You didn’t go to school? Like at all?”

“I swear I’ve told you that a million times.”

“Oh.”
 

“I didn’t really have money. How could I afford to go to school?” Jay questioned, his tone showing slight offence.

“I just thought that-“ Cole gulped.

“Not everyone’s parents save the world or are world famous performers,” Jay responded bitterly.

“That’s not what I mea-“

“Yeah, whatever.”

The deadly silence made Cole’s spine shiver. Jay made his way over to his bed, plopping himself down on the edge, crossing his legs. He stared down at the floor, Cole watching as he did so.

How did they always end up arguing?

Cole knew continuing that conversation was pointless, but he still wasn’t ready to give up on his mission. He needed to know more about Jay’s life. Maybe thinking about what he’d say before saying it would be a good idea, not that he’d done much of that in the past.

“What did you spend your days doing?” Cole asked quietly, “if you… didn’t go to school.”

“Why are you asking?”

“I’m just curious.”

“You’ve never been curious before.”

Cole shrugged, “well maybe I am now.”

Lightning stared at him in disbelief for a moment. Cole’s behaviour today didn’t make sense to the blue ninja at all. When arriving at the tournament, the earth ninja hated his guts. He didn’t want to be seen dead near one another, yet he had such a sudden switch up. Whether it was an act to try and trap him or not was beyond him but he wasn’t going to fall for it. Not this time.

“Can we just talk about something else?”

“What would you prefer to talk about?” Cole asked.

Jay shrugged, “literally anything else.”

“How about Nya?”

“Not that either.”

“Are we ever gonna talk about her?” Cole wondered, sounding a little hopeless.

“No.”

Cole began to get impatient. Learning more about Jay was proving to be difficult. None of his acts were going noticed at all, and it was clear Jay was still dwelling on the past. It wasn’t fair.

“Why are you being so bitter?”

“I don’t know,” Jay glanced down at his hands, “maybe because you stole Nya from me?”

"I thought you didn’t want to talk about her.”

“We’re not.”

“You just said her name,” Cole poked.

Jay huffed, “you’re the one who brought her up first.”

As Cole went to make a snarky retort, he stopped himself and took a deep breath. Jay continued staring at his hands, his breath quickening.

“Can we please just have a normal conversation?” Cole sighed.

“I don’t know, can we?”

“It’s hard to do anything when you’re being like this, Jay.”

The pair stood in awkward silence, the tension so thick you could slice if cleanly with a knife.

Cole had had enough. It made no sense to try and mend things with Jay or at least try and have a civil chat if he wasn’t ready to have the much-needed conversation, especially let alone not be able to have just a normal conversation. Cole understood why he was annoyed, but the fact he wasn’t even trying to fix their friendship was slightly frustrating. What was the point in trying to reason with someone who didn’t want to be reasoned with?

And it definitely made no sense for Cole to remain in this strained space.

“I’m gonna go back to my room.”

The earth ninja took one last glance at the lightning ninja before leaving, hoping he’d call out for him or something. Just something to make him stay. But nothing.

Perhaps their friendship was long gone.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Jay hadn’t gotten much sleep. The fight he’d had with Cole replayed in his mind constantly, weighing down on his head, making him even more exhausted.

He found himself waking up late, choosing not to get out of bed until ten minutes before he was set to meet up with the team downstairs. Laying in bed staring at the ceiling likely wasn’t the best option, especially since it was just making him sleepier, but he couldn’t shake the feeling of ache and dread in his heart.

Why did he feel bad? Did the earth ninja not deserve it? Besides, in the moment, Jay hadn’t considered himself being harsh. He was confused and hurt and clearly wasn’t over his ‘friend’s betrayal. That was okay, right?

Jay switched off his light and locked his bedroom door, using the key he was likely going to lose at some point. He avoided eye contact with any of the other elemental masters; the floor being his favourite staring spot.

If his head was telling him Cole deserved it, and that he was being dramatic for being upset, why was his heart hurting so much? Why did he genuinely feel a light bit of remorse?

Enough questions.

Get yourself together, Jay. The team can’t see you like this, especially not him.

Trudging down the stairs, almost bumping into the master of the mind, he glanced down to see the red and green ninjas standing at the bottom, looks of boredom on their faces. Neither of them were really talking, which was good since the blue ninja didn’t really feel like talking anyway. He wasn’t even fully awake.

Yawning, Jay reached the bottom step, catching his friends’ attention. Lloyd struggled to hold back a laugh while Kai looked Jay up and down a few times, raising an eyebrow.

“What are you wearing?” Kai questioned.

Jay frowned, glancing down at himself. He’d been so engrossed in his feelings – and how confusing they were – to even notice he hadn’t gotten changed. Luckily, he wasn’t in anything too revealing and just his slippers, pyjamas, and dressing gown. At least it was comfy.

He gulped, briefly glancing at them with an awkward grin, “I couldn’t be bothered to get changed.”

“Really?” Lloyd smiled.

“If we’re gonna be here for a while, I may as well make myself at home, right?”

Good save.

“Where exactly are we heading off to?” Kai crossed his arms.

Lloyd shrugged, “the cafeteria.”

“Where’s Cole?” Jay asked, frowning as he started peering around at the room full of elemental masters, who also looked lost.

“He and my dad said they’ll meet us there. Cole must’ve had a rough night,” Lloyd responded, beginning to lead the way.

Kai and Jay followed along, although the blue ninja couldn’t help but trail behind slightly. Letting out a deep sigh, he watched his footsteps, his eyelids becoming heavy once again.

The cafeteria was relatively busy. Considering the island was owned by one of the richest, most successful businessmen in the world, you’d think it would be much bigger, and that the food would be a lot more gourmet, but it was pretty average.

It was hard to navigate where the start of the queue was, or where the rest of the team were, but they eventually stumbled across the food. Garmadon was already in the queue, holding a tray with a fresh cup of coffee balanced on top. Cole stood to the side slightly, looking at something intently on his phone. As Lloyd and Kai approached, Jay hung back a little, his eyes landing on Cole, who made his chest tighten just a tiny bit. Although, he was unsure whether the tightness was from feeling whatever he was feeling previously or if it was from anger.

He liked to think it was anger.

The master of earth eventually switched off his phone and looked up, and without noticing Jay, headed to join the back of the queue – the queue in which Jay hadn’t even noticed Kai and Lloyd join. The master of lightning, too, grabbed a tray and headed behind Cole. If he didn’t make a noise then they surely wouldn’t have to interact, right? Instead, he tried to listen in on everyone else’s conversations.

“There’s a valuable lesson here, son,” he heard Garmadon say, “if you turn your back on your first evil sensei in an effort to go straight, you may not be served creamy biscuits.”

As Garmadon walked away to find a table, the queue became shorter. Jay stepped backward a little so as to not bump into the person in front of him.

“Well, I know what we are being served,” Lloyd sighed.

The chef reached over and placed a creamy biscuit on the green ninja’s tray.

“A whole bunch of baloney,” Lloyd finished, glancing at Kai, “this isn’t a fighting tournament. It’s an alibi for Chen to steal everyone’s powers, but we still don’t know why.”

“Isn’t it obvious? Chen wants to destroy New Ninjago City. I don’t know what it is, but that place has had a string of bad luck,” Kai told him, the line moving down once again.

Cole cut in, “I’m not so sure. From what Sensei G’s told us about him, I have a feeling it’s something far more sinister.”

As Cole watched as the fire ninja walked away, he moved down too, allowing Jay to move in next to him. And for the first time, he noticed he was there.

“And may I remind us, we still don’t know where Zane is,” Jay slammed his tray down on the counter, “which is why we all need to take care of our first rounds to give us more time.”

The lightning ninja locked eyes with Cole for a second, who was staring blankly at Jay’s gown.

He didn’t know why looking into the earth’s eyes would fuel his angered heart so much but it sure did some damage. Quickly looking away, he moved a hand up to wave in Cole’s face.

“And don’t look at me,” Jay stiffened, “I’ve already moved on.”

“Your opponent got himself kicked out,” Cole responded after getting over what his ‘friend’ was wearing.

Jay chuckled awkwardly, “either way, it’s my day off.”

Jay’s hatred didn’t stray far from Cole either. The earth ninja huffed, rolling his eyes lightly and (almost) storming away. Once Jay was, too, finished, he wandered just behind Cole to meet with their team, who were standing waiting across the room with their food trays.

“Taking a day off?” Cole groaned, keeping the blue ninja in the corner of his sight, “and here I thought ninja never quit.”

“And I used to think ninja wouldn’t steal your girlfriend,” Jay retorted quickly, his voice sharp and raspy.

“Whatever you have to say to each other, say it now,” Garmadon cut Cole off before he could respond, “harbouring grudged hurts no one but yourselves.”

Lloyd nodded, “he’s right. We should be preparing to fight your next opponent, not each other.”

“What grudge?” Cole questioned, “I already dropped it.”

Jay scoffed, glaring at the master of earth, “I dropped it first.”

“No you didn’t.”

“I did-“

Cole chose not to respond, glaring back at Jay for a few moments before heading off to find a table. That pit in Jay’s stomach returned once again.

Why did such a little thing piss him off so much? Or rather, why did wanting to take a day off from all the stress and excitement annoy Cole so bad? He was usually up for things like that.

Thinking they could’ve stopped fighting was stupid, especially when Cole did nothing but bring up past drama, not even apologise or take responsibility for it. It wasn’t one sided and even though Cole was clearly showing signs of wanting to move past it, he still hadn’t properly acknowledged what he’d done to hurt Jay.

The only thing Jay wanted to do was make it clear that he wasn’t interested in becoming friends again if Cole didn’t even care about what happened. Moving on was one thing but trying to forget about what he’d done completely wasn’t fair. At least not to the blue ninja.

Perhaps they weren’t ready to be on friendly terms again yet.

But it’s not like it mattered anymore. Not after they saw the tournament fight brackets.

Chapter Text

No matter how hard they argued with Clouse, it wasn’t going to change what they had to face. Even with Neuro’s help, it was pointless. All that work Cole had gone through to try and fix things with Jay, although Jay still hated his guts, was all a waste.

Because of this stupid tournament, the team were going to be split apart even further. None of them thought it was possible until now.

What made Cole angrier, however, was that the fight brackets didn’t even say that earlier. Just a few hours prior, Cole was set up to fight the master of form – Chamille.

Now it read lightning vs earth.

It made sense; it was all part of Chen’s plan to split them up. Pitting the two with the weakest bond against each other was something they should’ve seen coming, and perhaps if it were to happen last night, the two would’ve been more grown up about it. Except it wasn’t last night and they weren’t on the best of terms whatsoever. But as Cole continued punching the dummy in front of him – a picture of Jay’s dumb face plastered on it – he couldn’t help but feel a lump grown in his throat, a strange feeling arising in his chest.

Was it nerves?

Luckily in his attempt to stop the fight, Neuro had discovered Chen’s secret. Whatever was on page 149 of Clouse’s spell book was said to be dangerous. Although they had no idea what it could be as of right now, at least they had an idea of where to start. It just meant the fight had to go on.

Jay and Cole were shoved into small cells on opposite sides of the fighting arena. They’d been beating dummies for almost an hour while the other tournament contestants arrived in their seats. Jay refused glances, but Cole took every chance he could to glance over at the blue ninja.

His mind kept drifting back to the events of the previous night.

“I’m gonna look so dumb with that on my face.”

Cole smiled too, “nah, you’ll look cute.”

As Jay’s head spun to look at Cole, their eyes locked for a moment, the earth ninja instantly looked away after realising what he’d said. A slight feeling of regret set into his chest as he struggled to open the plaster.

“Uh- I mean-“ Cole cleared his throat, “it’d suit you, y’know?”

What happened? They were getting on so well, even if it was just for a few hours, and now they were about to actually fight. It almost made zero sense and no matter how hard Cole attempted to come up with a reason why they didn’t just agree to forget it right then and there, he couldn’t think of anything.

But even if they did, would they still have had to fight?

Sighing, Cole turned to look over at the opposing cell. Kai was stood facing Lloyd – who was accompanying Cole – while Jay continued attacking the dummy with Cole’s face attached. He was beating the living daylights out of it and he swore he could almost hear Jay cursing. After driving a few punches, he stepped back, letting a large zap finish the dummy off.

Cole wasn’t sure why it pissed him off so much. Why couldn’t Jay just move on? Why was he so mad? Why didn’t Jay care? The fact he was willing to risk the team, and their mission, for some dumb fight that should’ve been over ages ago – or shouldn’t have even started in the first place – made the pit in Cole’s chest deeper. But this time it wasn’t plagued with confusion and guilt. He was angry.

If Jay wanted to play that game, then so would he.

With a grunt, Cole began attacking his dummy too, attempting to make twice as much noise as the lightning ninja. He threw punches and kicks, but nothing was taking away the ache. In a matter of time, Cole’s Spinjitzu destroyed the dummy altogether too.

It was only until the earth ninja peered down at the picture laying on top of the pile of rubble and dust did he realise how stupid hatred was.

He missed seeing Jay smile.

“That’s sweet,” Cole grinned, glancing over at Jay briefly.

Jay leant over, pointing to a picture of his parents sitting outside the junkyard, building something that looked like a bike.

“This one is my favourite though,” he smiled, “they look so happy.”

Lloyd sighed, cutting Cole from his thoughts. Black turned to face green, defeat written on his face.

“You don’t have to say it,” Cole spoke quietly, “it was inevitable we were gonna have to face each other. It may as well be Jay; this fight’s been a long time coming.”

“Well, I’m not at peace with this,” Lloyd spoke sternly, “but that doesn’t mean you still can’t find peace with each other.”

As much as he wanted to disagree with Lloyd and believe it was useless, a part of him knew there was still some sort of hope. There had to be. How else did they manage to get along the previous night?

Earth’s eyes drifted back across the arena, landing on a now-alone Jay. A strike of guilt jolted Cole’s heart briefly.

“We don’t have control when we fight, but we do have control how we fight,” Lloyd continued, “Jay’s not your enemy. Chen is. Remember that.”

“Wu once said the best way to defeat your enemy is to make them your friend…” Cole frowned, “but how are you supposed to defeat your friend?”

Before Lloyd even had time to respond, the bars came down, green quickly stepping back.

Whatever happened now was in Cole and Jay’s hands and neither of them liked it.

They both pulled up their masks, determination written on Jay’s face.

Music boomed and the crowd bellowed across the arena, confusion striking Cole once again as a spotlight landed on him.

“Let the tournament continue!” he heard Chen shout, “Jay, master of lightning, versus Cole, master of-“

Lightning didn’t even wait for the master to finish before lunging forward. Earth followed his lead, springing towards the centre of the arena. Cole only had a brief moment to glance at the man in blue – looking him directly in his sapphire blue eyes, filled firmly with built up anger – before bolts of lightning were thrown his way. If he hadn’t dodged just in time, who knows what kind of damage it could’ve done.

Jay had always controlled his powers well, yet Cole had never seen him this angry before.

Without a thought, Cole sent a wave of earth towards the lightning ninja, causing him to take a step back. Jay grunted, landing perfectly on his feet.

“That’s all you got?” Jay laughed, “least valuable ninja!”

“Eat dirt, bluebell!” was all Cole managed to spit out.

Jay shot back quickly with more lightning as he dodged an elemental hit from Cole. They went back and forth for what felt like forever until they found themselves in an element tassle. It was a game of who had the strongest power – or rather who was angrier. Every now and again, Jay’s power overshadowed Cole’s, and sometimes Cole had the upper hand, but now they were stuck, equal strength - which surprised the earth ninja significantly - and what felt like equal anger.

Cole was struggling to keep up.

“Stronger than you thought, eh?” Jay almost laughed, strong resentment covering his tone.

Much stronger.

Cole closed his eyes for a brief moment, trying his best to fight Jay’s attack. Even in battle, Jay’s powers had never been like this, and it didn’t appear he was losing control either. Instead, he was pushing further, encouraging Cole to try and attack him at his fullest – yet he was at his fullest.

“That’s your betrayal flowing through my veins,” Jay snarled, adding salt to the wound.

Cole grunted, reopening his eyes to see sparks only inches from his face. It didn’t matter what Jay said now, letting him win was the only thing he needed to avoid. What was happening to his image? He’s supposed to have super strength.

I’m looking forward to the peace and quiet when you’re out of the tournament,” Cole snapped, feeling his power crumble through his hands.

Blue suddenly became more frustrated, groaning as he forced his powers forwards more. Cole drew back slightly, gathering his breath briefly before sending his earth at full speed again, finally knocking back the lightning. He was launched across the arena, hitting the ground at such a force that winded him.

Jay’s weak body laying on the floor, surrounded by mounds of rock and stone, was enough to make Cole’s stomach turn. The ginger coughed violently, slowly leaning on his arms, bringing himself up into an almost upright position. He briefly glanced at the earth ninja, who was standing at least 8 metres away, his arms still out as if he were going to attack again.

“Stronger than you thought, eh? That’s your betrayal flowing through my veins.”

It made sense now. It made so much sense.

It was never Jay’s fault. He was never being selfish. He was hurt and for the right reasons.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be friends with Cole again, or act like everything was fine – which was evident in the little time they did get along – but it was the fact that they were acting as if they could just forget it. That Cole could forget what he did and get away with it. And as much as the earth ninja did want to forget, none of that was fair on Jay. Not after what happened.

“Can we just talk about something else?”

"What would you prefer to talk about?” Cole asked.

Jay shrugged, “literally anything else.”

"How about Nya?”

" Not that either.”

“Are we ever gonna talk about her?” Cole wondered, sounding a little hopeless.

“No.”

"Why are you being so bitter?”

“I don’t know,” Jay glanced down at his hands, “maybe because you stole Nya from me?”

“I thought you didn’t want to talk about her.”

“We’re not.”

“You just said her name,” Cole poked.

Jay huffed, “you’re the one who brought her up first.”

“Can we please just have a normal conversation?” Cole sighed.

“I don’t know, can we?”

“It’s hard to do anything when you’re being like this, Jay.”

Jay couldn’t move on because he had no reason to move on. He had no reason to believe Cole was trustworthy or that Cole even regretted what happened.

Why did Cole bring Nya up in the first place? What was he hoping to achieve?

Looking back on it now, it was a pretty stupid move and it’s not like he even considered Jay’s feelings the entire time he was trying to ‘fix’ things.

Jay didn’t call out for Cole to stay in his room because he didn’t want to suffer any more.

But why did it take seeing Jay on the floor, suffering for something that wasn’t his fault yet again, to make Cole realise?

He never wanted to hurt Jay. He never wanted to betray him. His stupid, selfish actions were making the innocent pay and it wasn’t fair. Why was he taking it out on the person he hurt by hurting him more?

“What are we doing?” Cole spoke up, hands shaking, “I don’t want you out.”

The only thing that confused Jay more than the fact Cole was even trying to fight him, was the fact he was completely going against what he’d said not even 2 minutes earlier. Ever since the beginning of the tournament, the black ninja had been so vocal about wanting Jay kicked out of the competition. Sure, most times it was a joke, but when he’d said it just now, it seemed very much real.

Unbeknownst to him, however, Cole often said things he didn’t mean. Too often.

“You’re not my enemy; Chen is.”

Jay pulled himself forward, putting one knee on the floor, his hand in a tight fist in front of it. His eyes laid on the tiled ground for a moment as he gathered his strength. The anger inside his chest burned and fizzled, growing more as he thought back to everything Cole had said.

How he’d acted completely normal when he was going behind his back with his girlfriend. How he didn’t care that he betrayed their friendship and acted as if nothing happened. How he chose a girl over his own best friend.

It wasn’t fair how Cole got to win everything. It wasn’t fair how he had the world on his side, how Nya had left Jay for him, now he was winning the fight that Jay was supposed to win.

It wasn’t fair.

His breath shifted, putting his right fist on the ground beside his other, pushing himself up off the floor, stumbling as he did so. He could barely look earth in the eye.

“Oh, sure. Lower my guard by pretending to be my friend, and then swoop in to steal the prize,” Jay snarled, “typical Cole manoeuvre.”

The lump in Cole’s throat grew massively. His fingers quivered and his spine shook as the lightning around his foe’s hand crackled and multiplied. The rage in Jay’s sapphire eyes ached his heart, the heavy sensation weighing down on his shoulders.

It was his own fault Jay didn’t trust him anymore.

The blue ninja began taking steps towards the earth ninja, his sparking fists kept firmly at his side, his furious eyes draining Cole’s guilty ones. No matter how much Cole wanted to run, knowing he’d only lose, he knew he needed to stay and take whatever was thrown at him. He knew he deserved it.

“I never meant to hurt you, Jay. If I knew it would destroy our friendship, I’d take it all back.”

He wasn’t sure why he was expecting it to work, but Jay didn’t stop heading towards him. Instead, the anger in Jay only built up more. Cole tried his best not to look down at the sparks around his enemy’s fists, but it was so great and bright that it was practically impossible.

He knew Jay wasn’t going to hurt him but it didn’t stop him thinking about the possibilities.

“I don’t want some crappy apology,” Jay’s voice cracked slightly, “you and I both know you don’t mean it.”

“I do-“

“You don’t. If you were really sorry then you would’ve said it sooner.”

Cole took a step back, noticing the gap between he and Jay growing smaller. He took a deep breath, trying his best not to break eye contact with the boy in front of him.

“I was wrong,” he paused for a brief moment, “I didn’t realise it sooner. I didn’t realise how hurt you were.”

Jay’s expression of anger changes to a mixture of confusion and betrayal. The lightning around his fists dying down ever so slightly.

“It’s not about realising how hurt I am.”

“I know that,” Cole sighed, “and I’m shit for only just now realising why things haven’t been working between us. I want to be friends again, Jay. I don’t want us to fight.”

Jay remained silent, stopping in his footsteps only a few feet away from the black ninja. The look casted on his face didn’t fill Cole with reassurance, but instead with more guilt than before – if that was even possible.

“I miss hanging out and pulling dumb pranks on Lloyd and going to get ice cream parlour in our gis to get free waffle cones,” Cole breathed out, “I miss us.”
 As the earth ninja got closer, Jay’s lightning slowly died out, but he kept strong form.

“I miss you,” Cole muttered.

Jay’s anger, too, was replaced with a look of guilt. Although he was still slightly confused and obviously hurt, he couldn’t bring himself to break contact with Cole’s hazel eyes.

For a brief moment, time seemed to stand still. It was as if the world around them faded into a blur, leaving only the two of them. Jay felt a strange flutter in his chest, unable to gaze away from his deep hazel eyes, a jolt of electricity fuelling his veins. Cole’s heart, too, pounded in his chest as he stared deep into Jay’s bright blues. He’d always admired how pretty the lightning ninja’s eyes were, but he’d never seen them up so close before. They were full of such joy and soft tenderness that filled him with such glee, a smile threatening to escape onto his dace. Without realising it, Jay’s eyes drifted down to Cole’s lips. It was only a fleeting glance, a momentary lapse in his composure, but it definitely didn’t go unnoticed.

It felt just like last night.

“I’m sorry,” Cole stood directly in front of him now, “I shouldn’t have ever gone behind your back. You’re my best friend and I should’ve never betrayed you like that. I will do whatever it takes to make it up to you.”
 Jay finally broke eye contact, staring down at his hands briefly before sighing.

“If we’re being honest… I was upset about losing Nya, but… I take blame for that. I was more upsetting about losing you.”

Cole was taken back slightly, a faint smile appearing on his lips. He did his best to ignore that weird fluttery feeling in his chest.

“That wasn’t your fault,” Cole told him softly.

Jay ignored it, “I want us to be friends again too.”

“Finally something we can agree on.”

The lightning ninja went to weakly laugh, Cole watching in awe, but was rudely cut off.

“Release the Condrai-Crushers!” Chen screamed, frantically pressing what looked like the buttons on his chair.

“The Condrai-what?” Jay frowned.

Before they knew it, three large cars with spinning swords on the edges were circling them, two Anacondrai cultists driving them.

The black and blue ninja turned their backs to each other, getting into fighting stance – although it likely wasn’t going to be that helpful in a battle against cars with swords. The two didn’t even have any weapons besides their elemental powers.

Cole backed up into Jay, his head turning ever so slightly so the blue ninja could hear him speak.

“I’ve got your back.”

Jay tried not to smile, “and I’ve got yours.”

It’s not like either of them wanted to battle these vehicles but if it was the only way to win then they had no choice. As long as they got through to the next round, what happened now didn’t matter.

It didn’t take long for them to defeat them, especially since they were now working together. It seemed like their bickering is what took up most of their time previously. Cole, using his super strength, picked up one of the cars and launched it across the arena, sending it crashing into another. That left Jay with the task of tackling the last one, which he shut down using his elemental power.

However, Chen caught onto their plan quickly.

Getting out of this fight together was proving to be difficult. The tiles on the ground beneath them were beginning to disappear rapidly, in an attempt to make either one or both of them fall into the dark abyss below. Hopping between tiles was easy until there weren’t many left, pushing both ninja into a state of panic.

Cole turned to Jay with a worried expression, in which Jay sighed.

“We can’t both lose,” Cole spoke up, glancing over at the Jade Blade sticking out of the pole in the middle of the arena, “Chen’s right; there can only be one.”

“Then it should be you,” Jay responded quickly, “you and I know I’m lucky to have even made it this far. You take the Jade Blade.”

As much as he wanted to argue it, there was no time. Cole took the opportunity to hop between the leftover tiles, and hop onto the pole. He made his way up as fast as he could.

But when he finally set his eyes on the fancy blade, he felt nothing but guilt again.

This wasn’t his fight to win.

He picked it up as quickly as he could before launching it across the arena, watching from the pole as it landed perfectly into Jay’s hand.

“Winner!” Chen bellowed.

As Cole hopped down from the pole, onto the finally stationary tiles, he glanced over at Jay to see a confused expression.

Cole lowered his mask, “she’s yours, Jay. I should’ve bowed out long ago.”

Jay glanced between Cole and the blade briefly, before his eyes finally locked onto his friends’ again.

“Win this thing,” earth spoke softly.

Before Jay could even think about responding, the tile below Cole fell, sending him down into the unknown.

Jay was left standing alone in the arena, a hundred eyes on him.

That didn’t just happen, right?

Chapter Text

Everything had been so weird since the tournament started. Going into this, Jay never expected to be friends with Cole again, he never expected to even get along.

Considering Chen’s Island was a place of such hatred, it made no sense how they’d come to terms with their friendship, but either way, they were both grateful. Perhaps being pitted against one another was what they needed.

Jay was sitting alone across the camp that the team had set up after recently escaping Chen’s Temple. It was a strange feeling being out of that place, but it made them feel all respectfully relieved. Now that they all had their elemental powers back, there was no stopping them. Although they hadn’t forgotten that Chen was close to completing his spell.

Jay, along with the other ninja, had been captured during one of the tournament trials, leaving them stranded on the island with nothing but a weapon. Luckily, they were all smart enough to escape the noodle factory and restore their powers, leaving Chen with nothing but a spellbook and a relatively shit army.

Now, the group were taking refuge deep into the forest on the island, hoping to remain as quiet as possible while they thought up a plan. A few had gone off in search of food, leaving a small group left at the camp in case something were to happen. They were in close contact, using GPS trackers and earpieces that couldn’t be picked up by Chen or Clouse. However, it was only a matter of time before they were found.

Jay sat on a log next to his mech – which he was almost done repairing – taking a break. Every now and again, he glanced over at the group left by the campfire. It felt odd to be over there, especially knowing those in that direction weren’t exactly keen on him, so fixing his mech was the best excuse he had.

Shade and Bolobo were never too interested in the master of lightning. It was obvious they found him annoying, and after the little hiccup he had with the master of nature on the first night on the island, he’d rather stay far away. Tox and Chamille were the same, not showing any interest in the blue ninja. They’d rather talk to each other.

The only other person over there was… Well, he didn’t even want to think about her. It still didn’t make sense how she managed to find the team, or how she even got here, but he’d rather not ask.

Even though he knew it wouldn’t be awkward, he still avoided her like the plague.

Why was he even avoiding her? They broke up ages ago. Time apart was what they needed. But the thought of doing or saying the wrong thing clouded his mind, or even that she’d be annoyed talking to him. So he stayed clear of her. It didn’t seem like she was too bothered about conversing anyway.

Every now and again, they’d share quick glances, but it only resulted in Jay nervously looking away, twiddling his thumbs or staring off into space. He hated that they couldn’t act normal – or that he couldn’t – but ruining anything, especially his friendship with Cole, was off the table right now.

Besides, if she wanted to talk then she’d approach him, right?

Watching her laugh along with the group made his heart ache, but not in the way you’d typically think. Maybe he was just lonely. The team still felt so split, despite having Zane back now, there was still some odd tension between them all. And besides, he didn’t really have anyone to talk to or hang out with. Everyone seemed pretty occupied.

Jay sighed, bringing his attention back to his mech. It looked good so far. Once he got the wiring sorted, it’d be back to new. He wasn’t sure why it was frustrating him so much though; he’d fixed much more complicated things before.

It wasn’t until he felt a hand on his shoulder that he noticed he’d been staring off into space for so long.

“Hey,” a deep, soft voice caught his attention.

Without trying to look startled, Jay’s head swivelled to meet the master of earth’s face, a slight smile upon his lips.

Not that he was looking there, of course.

“Hi,” Jay responded, gulping, “I thought you were off collecting food with the others?”

He shrugged, removing his hand from Jay’s shoulder and stepping to the front of the log.

“Eh, it was a little boring,” he stated with a light chuckle, “they’ve got enough people anyway.”

Cole sat down beside Jay on the (relatively small) wooden log. Jay shifted up a little, trying not to make the space between them awkward, but no matter how far he’d move, their shoulders still brushed ever so slightly. Jay tried not to think about it too much.

“Besides, I thought you could do with some help with your mech.”

There was something so soothing about Cole’s voice. It was soft and gentle, a calming tone to it. The blue ninja could listen to him talk for hours, which was strange since only a week ago did he hate the sound of earth’s voice.

The two hadn’t had the chance to talk properly since the fight. Everything had been happening so quickly over the past few days, and especially with Nya’s surprised appearance, they hadn’t really felt the need to. She still thought they were fighting so it was sure to be a shock if she saw them acting all buddy-buddy. Although, it was clear Cole didn’t care.

Jay’s eyes averted back to the mech, scratching his head a little.

“It’s almost done, it’s mostly just wiring left to fic. I should be able to do it no problem if I could focus,” Jay told him.

“Yeah? Maybe you could teach me a thing or two,” Cole smiled.

"It’s really complicated.”

“I’m a good leaner.”

“Mm, I’m not sure,” Jay smiled too, avoiding eye contact, “Nya tried to teach you how to hotwire a car once and that went horribly.”

Cole chuckled, “Okay, but in my defence, it was difficult.”

“That’s the easiest it gets.”

“Maybe you’ll be a better teacher,” Cole shrugged, his shoulder brushing against Jay fully.

The lightning master couldn’t help but glance down at their arms and how they sat together so perfectly. Cole’s arms were much more muscular and toned than Jay’s. The fact he didn’t need to work so hard for those muscles felt criminal, especially with how hard Jay had been trying.

Silence fell upon them, both peering over at the group opposite them. They seemed to have good conversation, somehow keeping it going. If only the masters of lightning and earth could do that too.

Cole cleared his throat a little awkwardly, “so, what are you thinking?”

The quieter, more caring tone in his voice made Jay slightly nervous.

“About…?”

“Nya being here.”

“Oh.”

He knew the talk about her would come sooner or later, but he didn’t think it would be now. He hadn’t even had the chance to sleep on it, or think about how he was going to speak to her for the first time since their break up. What was he going to say?

What would he say to Cole? It was a confusing topic and was especially messing with his mind in a time of crisis, when he really needed to be focusing on the mission and stopping Chen and his goons. But in the end, the conversation about her needed to happen at some point and leaving it longer would only make it more difficult.

Jay sighed, his eyes focusing on her, “I don’t know.”

Cole turned his head to look at Jay, his eyes averting across his features slowly, focusing on every small detail. Why hadn’t he noticed the light freckles before, or the little golden flecks in his eyes?

"We haven’t spoken yet,” Jay shrugged, bringing Cole back to reality, “and I just don’t know how to start conversation. Like, what do I start with?”

Cole nodded, “I’m the same. It’s awkward.”

“Yeah…”

“Do you want to?”

“Hm?”

“Speak to her, I mean. Did you wanna… I don’t know… rekindle your relationship?” Cole asked, a slight shake in his tone.

It was only a small crack, as if Cole sounded just a little worried about Jay’s response, but it didn’t go unnoticed. Jay’s eyes drifted to Cole’s, locking together in a dreamy prison just like on the first night of the tournament. But no matter how hard he tried, Jay couldn’t look away.

“I’m… not sure,” he answered, breathy.

Unlike last time, though, Jay was the first to break away. He decided not to pay attention to the slight – very slight – patting in his chest. He glanced over at Nya, who was happily laughing away at whatever conversation the group were having over there. He frowned, leaning forward slightly to place his head in his hands that were resting on his knees.

“When I first saw her, I didn’t… feel what I thought I would,” he stated, “it’s strange. I guess I’m not nervous about actually speaking to her because I don’t want it to be weird.”

“I get what you mean.”

They sat in silence for a minute, Jay taking the moment to investigate from afar. Cole took the opportunity to look over the rest of Jay’s features; the light orange tinge to his hair, the small freckles dotting around his ears… Seriously, why had he never noticed them before?

“So… you aren’t really interested in her anymore?” Cole didn’t mean to say it aloud, but didn’t seem phased that he did.

The question took Jay by surprise a little at first, his head whipping around to look at Cole. Their eyes met again, but instead of the weird, sort of compassionate, staring, Cole’s eyes quickly averted to Jay’s lips, and back up, a soft smile escaping onto his own lips. For a second, Jay thought about doing the same thing, but stopped himself.

“I… guess not.”

Why was Cole even asking? Had he been throwing Jay off this entire time so he could have Nya all to himself?

The most annoying part was that it didn’t even bother him that he wouldn’t get Nya, not that he wanted to sound weird or creepy, yet he couldn’t quite pinpoint the actual reason why he was annoyed by that thought.

“But I don’t want to think about her,” Jay broke away again, “not right now.”

Cole nodded as Jay sat back up properly, his arm brushing against Cole’s.

“So, are you gonna teach me about this wiring?” Cole glanced at the mech briefly.

Jay chuckled, “No way. You’d only mess it up.”

“How?”

“You’ll find a way to.”

“Bet.”

Jay laughed again, “there’s no way I’m teaching you. It’s not happening.”

“Okay, but my options are: I go over there and have an awkward ‘conversation’ with Nya, or I sit here and help you with your mech. I like the latter of the two.”

“You’d rather help me with something boring and confusing than speak to the girl of your dreams?” Jay raised an eyebrow.

“I can’t believe you just referred to her as the ‘girl of my dreams’,” Cole couldn’t fight back his laugh, “there’s no way you like her anymore. And just for the record, I don’t like her either.”

“You don’t?”

“Not really.”

Jay wasn’t entirely sure what to do with that information, but it did make his heart skip a little. But, again, why was he so bothered? And why did Cole ask Jay if he liked her if he didn’t actually care? Something wasn’t adding up.

“But… we aren’t talking about her,” Cole leant towards Jay slightly, intensifying the eye contact.

It wasn’t until Jay really found himself staring into Cole’s eyes again, did he realise how close they were right now.

What was going on?

This time, it was a battle of who would be the first to break away. To them, it may have felt like they were staring for much longer than they were, but the weird, pounding feeling in their chests made them not want to look away at all.

Shit.

This can’t be happening, Jay thought to himself, panic filling his veins ever so slightly. Yet, even though it did, he still didn’t glance away.

Another soft smile crept onto Cole’s lips, causing Jay’s heart to flutter. A soft, nervous, smile also found it’s way to Jay. The earth ninja didn’t fail to stare at it.

“You’re cute when you smile,” he spoke quietly, almost unheard.

Jay’s smile quickly faded, his heart rate rising rapidly and a look of surprise striking his face. Only then did Cole realise what he said.

"Uh-“ Cole looked away quickly, staring wide at the ground, “sorry- that’s not what I meant.”

Jay blinked, unsure of what to say in response. Instead, he just found himself staring into the space where Cole’s eyes once lay.

Shit, Cole, why did you say that out loud?

The earth ninja contemplated getting up and heading over to the group opposite them for a brief moment, his heart racing as if he’d made a huge mistake. Everything surrounding Jay over the last week had confused him so much, and now that he was starting to get just a slight inkling of what could be the issue, he messed it up completely.

What was he supposed to do now? How was he supposed to get away with this? They’d only just started repairing their friendship and he had to fuck it up? He wanted nothing more than to just act normal around Jay again, to act like nothing ever happened with the love triangle, so now why had the triangle completely flipped?

"What did you mean then?” Jay’s voice was low and sweet, almost as if it were searching for the truth.

“Just that…” Cole gulped, “y’know… I missed your smile, is all. It’s been a long time since we’ve been ourselves together.”

And yet that still sounded wrong.

Jay couldn’t help but smile.

Cole had called him cute twice now, and even though he corrected himself both times, it still felt good to be complimented, whether the master of earth meant it or not. It was strange, but oddly comforting, to hear.

“This past week has been weird,” Cole told him, refusing to glance in his direction, “I’m just glad we’re getting along again.”

“Me too.”

“Any chance we can stay like it?”

“I’d like that,” Jay smiled.

Cole smiled too, and even though the master of lightning couldn’t see it, he knew Cole was beaming.

Whatever was going on between them needed to wait – although, they could tell themselves that as much as they wanted. Jay was a firm believer in ‘whatever happens is meant to happen’ so the thought of what to come didn’t exactly bother him, but it definitely was confusing. For now, he needed to focus on his mech and the mission.

Jay sighed, peering back at his mech.

“I forgot about this for a second.”

Cole sat back up properly, his attention averting to the mostly finished mech, too.

“You sure you don’t want help?” he asked with a grin.

“Very sure.”

“You’d be missing out.”

“I think I’m fine with that,” Jay said a little cockily, finally getting up off the log.

As he headed to the wire panel, he heard Cole mumble something but didn’t pay much attention. Instead, he tried to focus on what he had done last. The wires looked like a mess, something Jay really needed to concentrate on.

“I’ll just sit here and observe,” Cole spoke up a little louder.

Jay smiled, choosing not to respond to avoid starting another conversation. It was nice to have company, whether Cole knew anything about wiring or not, and it was nice that they didn’t even need to talk. The fact Cole would happily sit there and watch Jay do his thing in silence made the blue ninja happy. He just needed to not let the thought of the earth ninja – who was sitting not even two feet away from him – distract his thoughts.

That would prove to be difficult for sure.

It wasn’t until when everyone returned did he realise how much he enjoyed the silence and should’ve been grateful for it while he had it. Perhaps Cole wasn’t as distracting as he thought.

Lloyd took wind of Chen’s goons heading towards their location and would only be a matter of time before they were all caught again. The green ninja suggested splitting up into pairs, trying to cover as much ground as possible for them to figure out what they were going to do without being stopped. As long as their earpieces worked, they’d be okay, and if they had each other, of course.

Everyone split off, Jay offering to pair up with Cole. It earned him a weird look from Nya but he chose to ignore it, focusing on the light beam on Cole’s face.

Since Jay’s mech was pretty much done now, he decided to risk it without the test run. Besides, there was no way of hiding it and if Chen was to find it, it was sure to be destroyed. All that hard work – and showing off in front of Cole – would’ve been for nothing.

Cole took his earth driller while Jay took his mech, and they both headed North of the island. They hoped so bad that they wouldn’t run into anyone since neither of them were really in the mood to fight, but it meant they had to remain as quiet as possible and with two large vehicles, it would be difficult. Good job they weren’t arguing anymore.

Their conversation was dull for a while, with only a few sentences here and there.

Now it was just a waiting game and hoping for Lloyd to radio to return back to camp.

Chapter Text

“Do you think we’re gonna have to take refuge here tonight?” Cole finally spoke up, sitting upright against the wall of an abandoned house.

“Yeah, and we’ll have to start a fire and feed on bugs and huddle together like penguins to keep us warm-“ Jay rambled from the opposite side of the room.

Cole chuckled, “very funny.’

This was the first time since Zane’s sacrifice that the team had been properly split again. Except, this time they were hiding from evil, and they had no idea if they were going to run into Chen’s goons or snakes. It felt sort of chilling.

If Lloyd hadn’t given the order to find refuge and stay hidden the pair would’ve already been fighting. It was nice to have a break, and to finally have time to chat, but there was a fine line between a good few minutes and hours – possibly even days – of complete boredom. Small conversations were always starting to get awkward.

For once, Jay was relatively quiet. As much as he wanted to ramble away, spewing complete and utter nonsense, his chest couldn’t handle any more. Talking about the same things over and over with the guy the world thought you hated was becoming boring, but sitting in silence was even worse. Every now and then, one would mention how cold it is, or how bored they were, or how they wished Lloyd would radio soon. Minutes turned into house and the little light they had in the abandoned village they’d managed to find was wilting away rather rapidly.

A light yawn escaped Jay’s mouth, earning a slight chuckle from the master of earth.

At least it would be nice to have a peaceful night’s sleep.

“We really should go out looking for food soon though,” Cole mentioned, catching Jay’s eyes.

Jay shrugged, “what is there to eat? There were berry bushes back at camp but we barely say anything up here.”

“I’m sure we’ll find something,” Cole spoke quietly.

Food was one of their favourite topics yet no matter how much it was brought up, it always ended in awkward silence. Cole was beginning to get tired of it.

“We should make the most of this time alone.”

Jay glanced at him, his eyebrow slightly raised.

“Y’know, like have proper conversations,” Cole continued, “deep ones.”

“Deep conversations? When have we ever done that?” Jay smiled.

“We can start now.”

“And talk about what?”

“I… don’t know.”

“Exactly,” Jay grinned, “that’s why we don’t do that.”

Cole smiled too, breaking eye contact for a moment. Perhaps Cole hadn’t thought it through thoroughly, but it didn’t stop him thinking about it. The two had always been close, but never truly close enough to talk about deep things. They’d only ever briefly discussed more serious topics, so it would be nice to think about them in depth, right?

But what topics did they have to discuss? Things that didn’t involve Chen, the tournament or Nya.

“Besides, I don’t really like deep conversations,” Jay added, “it’s just not that fun.”

“Not everything has to be fun.”

“I know that, but I prefer to keep things positive, y’know?”

Cole nodded.

Silence struck again. Even when the whole love triangle thing happened, it had never been this awkward between them. It felt odd to get along, but it definitely wasn’t the source of why they couldn’t talk properly. It was almost as if they were waiting for something to happen, but neither of them knew what. It was like something was missing.

Cole cleared his throat and pushing himself up off the cold, dirty floor. Jay watched as he did so, his mind completely blank. The master of earth stretched and yawned, showing off his muscles slightly. Jay tried his best not to notice them, rolling his eyes and glancing away.

It wasn’t until Cole stood in front of him, holding his hand out for him to take, for him to get that fluttery feeling in his chest again. God, what was that feeling?

“C’mon, let’s go for a walk.”

“A walk?” Jay raised an eyebrow.

“We’ve gotta find something to eat,” Cole smiled, “don’t wanna be living off bugs tonight.”

Jay chuckled, taking Cole’s hand. The earth ninja pulled him up, neither of them realising how close their faces were at first, and how Jay hadn’t let go of his hand.

“You sure? They might taste good,”

“You wanna try them?” Cole asked.

“Mm… not really,” Jay shrugged, a smile creeping up onto his lips.

“That’s what I thought,” earth smiled too.

Jay and Cole found themselves trapped in a daze. The room around them seemed to fade away as they locked eyes for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Everything became a blur, the grip Jay had on Cole’s hand softened.

Perhaps they didn’t need to be having a conversation to fully understand each other.

A sudden realisation washed over the lightning master, his eyes widening slightly before quickly looking away. It was as if an abrupt shyness had taken over – very odd for Jay. As the intensity seemed to die down, Jay snatched his hand away, letting out a small awkward laugh. Cole smiled.

“Sorry.”

“We should probably get going before it starts getting dark,” Cole spoke softly.

The pair remained in silence for the first few minutes of the walk, heading into the Nort of the forest before them. Heading back in the direction they’d come from was a bad idea, especially since they hadn’t really travelled that far from main camp. Hoping to find something edible – that wasn’t bugs – they walked together, Jay’s hands in his pockets nervously, Cole pushing the hair out of his face every now and then.

The awkwardness of the silence died down eventually, allowing them to enjoy the silence and sound of the birds chirping from the canopy above. They felt so small.

There was something so oddly soothing about the cold breeze brushing against their skin, the quick glances they made to each other every few minutes, and the sound of the grass crunching beneath their feet. The calm before the storm.

Within the silence, Cole found his mind drifting back to a few days ago. They still hadn’t had a proper discussion about what was said during the fight, and it had played on his mind constantly since then. They’d barely talked about it, and he was still certain it bothered Jay, especially with how nervous he seemed.

Jay didn’t want to talk about it, he knew that, but the earth ninja wanted to badly, to find out everything Jay had felt and for Cole to finally be held responsible for putting him through it.

He thought that maybe giving Jay the Jade Blade, sacrificing himself, would be enough to prove that he didn’t mean what he said during the fight, but the bottomless pit in his chest was telling him otherwise. Why did Jay have to suffer for someone else’s mistakes?

“I was upset about losing Nya, but I take blame for that.”

“You and I know I’m lucky to have even made it this far.”

“Peace?! One of us has to lose! It’s totally gonna be me. He’s got super strength and what do I have?”

It wouldn’t leave his head.

“Cole thinks you wouldn’t last long in a fight.”

It was no wonder Jay had thought Cole was the least valuable ninja. Ninja were supposed to fight alongside each other, trust one another and work as a team. Cole had done none of those things except humiliate him more to the world that already disliked him. What had Jay even done wrong?

He hadn’t been a good ninja and he most certainly hadn’t been a good friend.

“It’s not actually that cold out here anymore,” Jay spoke up, his voice breaking Cole out of his thoughts.

Cole glanced at him briefly, not saying anything, as he scanned his face. The slight grin on his lips painfully reminded him of how it was a snarl only a few days ago.

After everything that happened, it was weird how Jay actually wanted to talk to Cole as often as he did. It was as if nothing happened, well, except for the awkwardness, of course. Earth wasn’t sure if it was a joke and maybe lightning was trying to get the revenge he hadn’t gotten during the fight, but either way, it was starting to mess with his head. Whatever Jay was trying to achieve, it was working.

Jay yawned loud, stumbling sideways as he did so, brushing against Cole’s arm.

“I wonder what the others are doing. D’you think Kai and Lloyd have started arguing yet?” Jay asked.

 Cole shrugged, staring at the ground before him.

He caught a glimpse of Jay’s head turning to face him out of the corner of his eye. Cole kept looking forward, absorbing the fresh air. Jay’s eyebrows furrowed, watching as his friend watched their footsteps intently.

“Are you alright?” Jay asked softly, “you seem off.”

Cole glanced at Jay briefly, glancing at the worried expression in his eyes, his lips, and then his eyes again. The concern on his companion’s face made him shudder.

“Cole?”

His eyes seemed to like the ground more, “just… thinking.”

“Oh. About what?”

There was a long pause before Cole decided to respond.

“The tournament.”

“What about it?”

“I’m not sure,” Cole shrugged, “it’s all just very tiring.”

“I guess it’s hard to not think about it.”

“The fight?”

Sapphire meet hazel, “hm?”

“Have you been thinking about the fight?” Cole repeated.

Cole chuckled awkwardly, “Not really. Have you?”

Once Jay stopped giggling, it was almost like a sound blackout. The birds stopped tweeting and their footsteps seemed so much quieter. The auburn kept staring at the raven, searching for a response, but even when he didn’t get one, he didn’t bother glancing away.

In all honesty, Jay had been avoiding thinking or talking about the fight. He didn’t like thinking about how angry he was, and how he’d accused Cole of lying yet again. Remembering all the things he’d called Cole over a stupid argument really made his chest ache. He’d spent the past few days after the fight hoping they’d completely forget it, except Cole clearly didn’t want to.

“I really didn’t mean to hurt you, Jay.”

Cole sighed. Jay nodded, his eyes now replacing Cole’s spot on the ground.

“I don’t know what I was thinking. I don’t know why I said all the horrible stuff or did what I did,” he continued, “and I know a couple of apologies, or what I said during the fight, won’t make up for what happened but I just want you to know that I’m gonna do whatever it takes to make it up to you.”

Jay shrugged, “honestly, it’s fine. I’m just trying to forget about it.”

“It’s not just something to forget about, though,” Cole interrupted, snatching his head up to make eye contact with the boy beside him.

“Mistakes happen.”

“It was a pretty big mistake.”

Jay smiled, a light laugh escaping his mouth, “I guess. But seriously, I don’t want to be holding onto grudges for the rest of my life. It’s like Garm said; it’ll only hurt us. I just wanna forgive and forget, and focus on stopping Chen.”

“Hm,” Cole hummed, “so, what? We just pretend it didn’t happen? We just move on?”

Jay nodded, “I guess. Unless you don’t want to?”

Cole took a moment to think, taking in a deep breath. He looked off into the distance, spotting a little bunny jumping along the path in front of them.

“Can we get some stuff out in the open before we ‘forgive and forget’?”

“Sure.”

The memory loomed over Cole’s mind again. His own arms, his powers which were meant to protect those he cared about, launching the blue ninja across the arena, winding him, angering him, hurting him… Why did he do it? The memory of everything Jay said, how he didn’t trust Cole, how he was so upset over his actions, brought tears to the edge of his eyes, threatening to form fully. It wasn’t fair.

“Stronger than you thought, eh? That’s your betrayal flowing through my veins.”

Perhaps if Cole had realised how special their friendship was back then, he wouldn’t have done it. It was only until after he grasped how much he’d affected Jay that he noticed how much he really cherished the blue ninja. He’d much rather have a best friend who was obnoxiously loud, funny, and talented than a girl that was likely not even that into him.

The past few days had really shown how important Jay was.

“What I said… about wanting you out the tournament…”

Lightning watched as earth took a moment to gather his thoughts, refusing to make eye contact.

“I didn’t mean it.”

“I know.”

“No, seriously, I shouldn’t have said it. I shouldn’t be saying that kind of stuff to my friend,” Cole shook his head, “that’s the sort of thing you’d say to your worst enemy.”

“Cole, really, it’s-“

“No, Jay, it’s not fine,” the black ninja cut him off, “what I did was wrong. Everything I did to you was wrong. I don’t expect you to forgive me straight away, and it’s not something you can just forget about either.”

Jay sighed, “I just want to move on from all that. I’m tired of the drama and arguing.”

“I am as well but… It doesn’t mean I shouldn’t take responsibility.”

He thought for a moment, biting on his lip as Cole watched his thought process.

“Fine, I admit, what you did was shitty. You hurt me a lot, but you’ve already apologised and I trust you,” Jay responded, “besides, I’m not completely innocent either. I said some stuff I regret too, and I’m really sorry. I just need you to know that I’m not holding anything against you, okay? I just want to be friends again. I want everything to go back to normal.”

“Me too.”

“Then can we semi-forget?”

Cole thought for a moment before a slight smile appeared on his lips, “I guess.”

Silence fell once again, except this time it wasn’t awkward. They walked comfortable, a light skip in Jay’s step as they followed the little bunny that was still hopping in front of them. Living in the moment, forgetting about all their troubles, and how they were currently being hunted, proved to be exactly what they needed.

And perhaps they could have deep conversations.

“We aren’t eating the bunny by the way,” Jay added.

Cole laughed.

They continued walking for what felt like an hour, finding numerous bunnies and bugs – luckily none of them were consumed – until they found a series of berry bushes. It was sure to take a while to get back, especially with pockets full, but as long as they had each other for company, it would be okay.

They collected as many as they could, eating a few on their walk back to their hideout. It began getting colder and darker, making it significantly harder to locate where they were heading. Both of them were aware of the issues they’d face with the cold, and how they’d have to try to keep themselves warm if it reached night. It didn’t help that they were wearing thin, armless gis. Perhaps it would be warmer in the abandoned village.

Except it wasn’t.

It was almost pitch black outside when they arrived back to the village, only just being able to navigate it in the moonlight. Since neither of them had heard from Lloyd ad of yet, they knew they’d need to get comfy. It was sure to be a long night.

Cole placed his mask on the ground, allowing a place for them to put down their berries without the risk of getting them dirty. Jay gathered some sticks from around the village, or at least as many as he could see, and began making a pile in the middle of the room.

“What are you doing?” Cole raised an eyebrow, picking up a berry and popping it into his mouth.

“Making a pile of sticks? Duh,” Jay rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, I can see that,” Cole responded cockily, “but why?”

“For a fire.”

“Inside a building? Are you sure that’s a good idea?” he questioned.

Jay shot him a glare before continuing with what he was doing. Cole watched for a minute as he stacked them on top of each other, almost as if it were an art project.

The earth ninja always was amazed at Jay’s creativity. It made sense since he grew up with parents who constantly invented and made things out of scrap, and it was clear Jay spent a lot of his childhood doing it, but no matter how many times it occurred, Cole still found it interesting. He often found himself thinking about what Jay’s though process was.

“I don’t fancy dying of hypothermia tonight so unless you want to, I’d be quiet.”

Cole smiled, “I didn’t realise you got so grouchy when hungry and cold.”

Jay shot him another look, “this house is made of brick anyway, it should be fine.”

Cole decided it would be best to keep his mouth shut while Jay worked. Admiring from afar was something the earth ninja was good at, especially when it came to the master of lightning. Popping another berry into his mouth, he watched as Jay finished the pile, picking up another twig and holding it gently between two fingers.

He stared at it for a moment, eyeing it up and down. Now Cole really wanted to know his thought process.

Jay’s other hand raised towards the stick, a small bolt of lightning forming in his palm. He aimed it gently towards it, narrowing his eyes to focus on it as best he could. His breath was steady, his eyes locked into position as the bolt connected with the twig, eventually earning a small spark from the reaction.

Cole watched in awe, a smile creeping up onto his lips. Jay’s powers were something so special and cool, sometimes much cooler than his own, and its possibilities were endless. There was just something so oddly satisfying about watching Jay do what he did best. Something so calming.

After a minute or so, the sparks finally turned into a flame and Jay moved his hand away, placing the lit twig onto the pile.

In the soft glow of the room, Jay sat there before his creation, his eyes alight with joy. The fire spread to the rest of the fire slowly, he beamed more and more as it grew bigger, completely oblivious to Cole’s presence. Cole’s gaze, filled with awe and admiration, traced every detail of Jay’s face and how it glowed in the orange light. Jay, engrossed in his own world of artistic achievement, remained completely unaware.

As Jay moved back away from the growing flame, he finally noticed Cole’s gaze upon him. Their eyes met, and a genuine smile spread across his face. Cole, still in a state of awe, returning the smile with a nod of approval.

Finally breaking away from the look, Cole patted the spot next to him, encouraging Jay to move over so they could share the berries together. Jay took the offer and moved over, leaving a gap just big enough for their little pile of food in between them. The lightning ninja took a deep breath, relaxing as he leant against the wall.

“I didn’t realise you could do that,” Cole spoke softly, his voice quiet and calm.

Jay shrugged, reaching for a berry, “I’ve been practising some new stuff with my powers. I always knew I’d be able to start a fire but never tried it properly. I’ve never really been focused enough to do it.”

“Well, you seemed to do it pretty easy just now.”

“It was not easy,” Jay told him, “do you know how many times I had to stop myself from looking over at you?”

Cole chuckled, “careful, you’re starting to sound like you’re obsessed with me.”

Jay let out a small laugh in response, reaching for another berry.

As the glow flickered over the pair, the two friends found solace in the simple pleasure of each other’s company, and listening to the small crackle of the fire. Jay and Cole exchanged glances for a moment, sharing a brief smile. For a while, they were silent; enjoying the peace and moment they had to relax. It was nice to have some time to themselves, to not have to worry about anything.

Looking back at the beginning of the tournament, how on their first night they’d snuck out to the kitchen and talked about complete and utter nonsense even though they despised each other, felt so odd now. If you’d told them they’d be sitting in an abandoned building running from evil together in less than a week then they would’ve laughed in your face. They sure did have their moments back then.

Cole found his mind drifting back to when they were in Jay’s room. How he’d attempted conversation and it was pushed away. How he’d learnt so much about his friend that night that he didn’t even think about or consider before. How he’d always seen Jay as a happy, caring person who had a fantastic childhood with both his parents, but was truly, in fact, just like the rest of the team in different ways. There was so much to Jay that he still didn’t know.

The lightning master was so open yet mysterious and no matter how many times he’d sit there and watch him work, or mind his own business, there would always be that feeling of curiosity and awe.

What was it about Jay that made him so fascinating?

“Do you ever think…” Cole began quietly, staring at the fire, “what we’d be doing if we didn’t become ninja?”

Jay tilted his head so he could see Cole in the corner of his eye, “what do you mean?”

“Like… what if Wu hadn’t found us? Our lives would be so different.”

Jay thought for a moment, his eyes landing on a spot on the ground in front of him. He’d never really thought about it until now.

“I mean, my dad probably would’ve actually sent me to the dance school, and I’d be a professional dancer by now,” Cole shrugged, “which is weird to think about. But I guess it’s what he and my mom would’ve wanted.”

“Your mom?” Jay glanced at him.

Cole shared a look back, a smile on his lips, “she always wanted me to follow in my father’s footsteps, but I guess now I’m following in hers so I’m sure she’d still be proud.”

“She would be.”

Silent hit them again for a moment as Cole looked away, his eyes fixing on the fire once again. Considering Jay didn’t want to have deep conversations earlier on, they seemed to be pretty good at it.

“I wouldn’t have totally minded if I did go into performing like my dad wanted, but I don’t think I ever would’ve been fully happy. Not like I am now,” he continued.

Jay nodded, “I’m not even sure what I would’ve done. I always told myself that I wanted a good paying job so I could afford more things for my parents, but I had so many ideas and dreams, I never officially knew what I wanted. I still don’t.”

“What ideas did you have?”

“I went through phases. I wanted to be a train driver at one point because I really liked model trains, and then the next day I’d tell myself I wanted to be a chef because cooking was so fun. I changed my mind like every week but my parents always told me to go for something my heart truly wanted, and what I’d enjoy,” Jay explained, “but I couldn’t make a decision.”

“It’s cruel how we have to decide so young,” Cole added.

Jay nodded again, “it feels like we have to choose so quickly and then spend our childhood working towards it. What if I change my mind? All that time would be wasted.”

“I guess having parents who want you to follow in their footsteps isn’t entirely a bad thing,” Cole chuckled lightly.

It was nice to have a proper conversation, especially about their childhoods. Neither of them had ever been open about it, especially not with each other, so it was nice to share something in common. It was nice to just discuss things without being worried about starting an argument. Even though Cole was still worried about saying the wrong thing, much like that first night on the island, he had much more confidence in discussing such deep things like this, and it seemed Jay did too.

“What other things did you enjoy? Besides cooking and model trains,” Cole asked, sharing a glance.

Jay shrugged, “a lot of things. Mostly that and poetry. I don’t know why I ever thought I was good at it. Inventing was always my strong suit though, and even when I kept messing it up, I never gave up. It was odd since I always ended up giving things up, but with that it was just natural.”

“Is it because your parents were so interested in it too?”

“Maybe.”

“What about comics? Or did that just come about because of Lloyd?”

Jay nodded, swallowing another berry, “they always seemed pretty cool but I only read the same ones I had, so I couldn’t really get into it properly until I met Lloyd.”

Cole smiled, “you have a lot of hobbies and interests. I wish I were that interesting.”

“You are interesting,” Jay frowned, “I mean, your dad is famous, and you mom was a ninja too. I wish my parents were that cool. But even then, you’re such a skilled fighter and dancer.”

“We aren’t turning this into a compliment war,” Cole chuckled.

“Suit yourself,” Jay shrugged, a small grin appearing on his lips.

They shared a grateful smile, acknowledging the genuine appreciation they held for one another. As the conversation faded into a comfortable silence, Cole, unable to keep the feelings pent up in his heart, decided to speak his mind.

"Y’know…” Cole began softly, his voice hushed to almost a whisper, “watching you do stuff like lighting that fire, as simple as it may be, there’s something oddly fascinating about it. The way you’re capable of just doing whatever your mind puts you to is really amazing. It’s something I’ve always admired about you.”

Jay glanced at him, a modest twinkle in his eye. He remained silent as Cole’s words lingered in the thick air.

“And it’s not just that,” Cole continued, “you’re just a genuine person, and so caring towards everyone. Even when we were fighting, you were still there for me when I needed you. The team’s lucky to have you.”

Jay’s gaze dropped, staring at his hands for a brief moment, as a hint of bashfulness spread across his cheeks. The fire crackles, shaping a warm glow on their faces as Cole’s words settled between them.

Cole, sensing the shift, looked at Jay with a genuine smile, “sorry, I didn’t mean to make it awkward. I just… thought I’d be honest.”

For the first time, Jay found himself at an actual loss for words. Instead of replying with something totally dumb, he just simply nodded and let a small, grateful smile spread across his lips. The silence that followed was no long a voice, but something comforting and relaxing.

Jay felt the urge to lean to the side, placing his head gently against Cole’s shoulder. It was a subtle gesture but Cole welcomed it with open arms.

Their conversation was soft and full after that, only speaking when it felt like the space needed to be filled. Eventually, Jay’s eyes grew heavy, and Cole leant into Jay too,

Neither of them really knew what they were feeling, nor did they mind the patting of their hearts, but it felt oddly comforting in a way, as if they were always meant to be here together. Cole smiled, letting his own eyes shut until they were both eventually breathing softly, letting each other provide the warmth they needed.

Chapter Text

If it wasn’t for their radios going off at 6am, they would’ve had a completely peaceful night. Although it only grew colder as the moon fully rose, they huddled up to one another for hours, enjoying their shared warmth from the fire, which soon died out. It was a good job they found those berries too.

To their dismay, Lloyd requested they head back towards the main tournament building. Considering the team were supposed to be avoiding Chen and his goons, both Jay and Cole were confused but decided not to question it. They tidied up in the abandoned building they’d spent the night in, making sure the fire was out properly and that they left no belongings behind – not that they really had anything with them anyway – and took out on their vehicles. Jay’s mech seemed to be working completely find after its repairs, especially considering he didn’t test it. Cole just loved using his earth driller.

The current situation was unknown to them. They could run into anyone or anything so they had to make sure they were fully prepared. The pair did have fun coming up with wild ideas.

“Perhaps they just gave up?” Jay suggested, briefly glancing over at Cole in his driller.

Cole chuckled, “I dunno, maybe they realised how great elemental masters we are and thought ‘there’s no way we can beat them. Let’s stand down lads’.”

“Let’s stand down, lads?” Cole laughed again, but this time louder.

“Hey, don’t laugh,” Jay shot him a look, a grin upon his face.

“Try thinking of something more realistic,” Cole responded, “Lloyd and a few others probably just ran into them and took them out or something. Or they need us all to meet in one spot so we can battle it out.”

“Where’s the fun in thinking of it realistically?” Jay raised an eyebrow.

“It being realistic doesn’t mean it’s not fun. I for one am excited for a big fight,” Cole told him.

“No, you’re just making it sound boring,” Jay retorted, “you’re so dull.”

“Dull? You’re the one who called me interesting last night.”

Jay was quiet for a moment, trying to focus on the trees ahead of him. It was clear to Cole that he was trying to think of a response – and obviously failing – but Jay was just tired of his stupid remarks. They were dumb, very fun, but there was no way he’d admit that. Because, of course, Cole could never be fun.”

Cole took the silence as a way of winning the argument, something that didn’t happen often. It felt sort of tranquil, thinking back to all the fights they’d had, some not even a week earlier, that ended in them hating each other. There was something so relieving about it.

Oh, how he loved not fighting.

“It was… a moment of weakness,” Jay finally responded in a hushed tone.

“Uh huh.”

“But back to the original topic,” the blue ninja spoke up, “try to think about something more unrealistic. Something so crazy that it wouldn’t actually happen.”

“Give an example.”

“Chen turned into a snake.”

Cole burst into laughter, almost losing control of his vehicle.

Jay shot him another unimpressed look, “usually I’d be impressed that you’re laughing at something I said so much but I’m feeling more like it’s an insult than a compliment.”

“It’s so dumb,” he struggled to catch his breath.

“I don’t know, man,” Jay shrugged, a slight grin wiping across his lips, “we still don’t know what that spell in Clouse’s spellbook is.”

“And you think it’s gonna turn them all into snakes?” Cole questioned, humour in his tone.

“Not literally,” Jay rolled his eyes, “but it’s not entirely impossible. His entire army have Anacondrai tattoos, do they not?”

“You’re right there,” the black ninja finally caught his breath.

“I’m always right.”

Cole chose not to respond, leaving their odd conversation open. The earth elemental did often think about Jay’s wacky ideas, and how on earth he managed to come up with them sometimes. He was so creative, and it was something he admired him so much for. But he’d never admit to that, not even in a tired state. There was a lot of things he wouldn’t admit to when it came to Jay.

Jay, however, found it amusing, and he was, too, enjoying finally getting along with his teammate again. When they were fighting, not even a few days ago, he so badly wanted to just forget everything and go back to how things were. To how things were before the world became a mess. It was a good job Zane got kidnapped and ultimately resulted in them fighting for no apparent reason at an illegal fight club. Thanks Zane.

The two continued the rest of their journey in silence, with only a few small conversations here and there. It was surprising how far they’d actually travelled from the main tournament grounds, or even from their original camp. Perhaps it just felt longer because they were going slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible in case anymore cultists were hiding around.

It felt so nice to be back in action, though. As much as they liked (not really) their everyday lives, it was so repetitive and lonely, whether you’re on national TV or in the middle of the forest. You’d think the two were polar opposites, but they were much more alike than people thought.

Arriving outside the main building, they expected to see an army they had to tackle, zap with lightning and send flying through the air with dirt, but instead, it was quite different.

Everyone else had already arrived – which was probably thanks to the masters of earth and lightning’s slow travel – but to their surprise, small groups of Chen’s goons were tied up, sitting on the ground and looking defeated.

What had happened?

Lloyd was on the far end of the dock, along with Nya, and a few of the other elemental masters. Others were dotted around, guarding the cultists and most likely taunting them – something Jay would most certainly do.

They parked their vehicles up, jumping out and taking a walk over to the green ninja, and it was pretty satisfying. Although they would’ve loved to have been there for the takedown of the dumb army, it was just as great seeing them all looking tired and overcome. If only they hadn’t had to hide out in a random cold building in the middle of the night with nothing but a small fire and possibly poisonous berries.

“Huh, seems like your boring, realistic idea was right,” Jay muttered, glancing over at Neuro, who gave him a small nod as he poked at one of the goons.

Cole chuckled, “this is why you should start thinking realistically. You’re more likely to be correct.”

“No, you’re just boring.”

“We aren’t going back to that.”

“We sure are.”

The earth ninja sure was finding Jay funny today, “you’re an idiot, bluebell.”

“Bluebell?” Jay raised an eyebrow, “I thought you called me that ironically.”

“I did,” Cole nodded, “I do. It’s kinda cute though.”

A sudden rush of warmth flooded Jay’s cheeks. Ironic or not, this wasn’t the first time Cole had called him cute. Well, it wasn’t like he just directly called him cute, but rather the nickname he gave him so it sort of counted, right?

“Nah, you’ll look cute.”

He could feel his heart rate picking up, each beat echoing in his ears like a drum. His gaze on Cole momentarily dropped, as if attempting to hide his nervousness. Cole couldn’t help but notice the subtle change. He grinned a little.

“You’re cute when you smile.”

It was messing with Jay’s head so much.

“Nya really lost out.”

Jay’s eyes darted up to meet Cole’s, a soft expression in the hazel’s but a surprised on in blue’s.

What was that supposed to mean?

It had been so odd between them lately. Whenever Jay found himself in close proximity to Cole, a subtle but unmissable fluttering sensation would take over his chest. His heart quickened its pace with every passing moment spent in Cole’s company. The thud of each beat became a symphony of nerves. Cole had some sort of effect on him.

The earth ninja wore a soft smile, briefly glancing down at the blue ninja’s lips, before glancing away with that same, adorable beam. Jay couldn’t help but feel the warmth across his cheeks brighten even more. His hands became sweaty, his legs almost as if they were heavier. His head was so light.

Every glance they’d made to each other over the past few days was almost pulling Jay closer to his friend. Every accidental – or purposeful – touch sent shockwaves through Jay’s body.

He knew what it was but there was no way he could admit it. Not about Cole.

As the two approached the group of their friends, Jay finally looked away from the earth ninja, his heart still pounding in a way it had never done before. It was so breathtaking. He almost found himself smiling.

Not until he locked eyes with someone else though.

Her.

“Finally, there you two are,” Lloyd spoke up, greeting them.

“What happened? Seems like we missed the action,” Cole spoke up, taking another glance around at the cultists.

Lloyd nodded, “we heard wind about them nearby where I was hiding and sent whoever was nearest a message to come help take them down. We sort of had an idea and thought we’d just run with it.”

“Well it definitely seemed to have worked.”

Was Jay supposed to like Nya? There had been so many missed opportunities to talk with her – ones he could’ve easily taken himself but refused – but if he’d actually had a conversation with her, would he still like her? Would they get along?

“Cole, can you help Nya take these last two cultists over to the big group on the far left?”

The earth ninja’s expression fell at that, not that it was noticeable, although it was to Jay. Cole found himself glance at the boy in blue beside him, them locking eyes for a mere moment.

They’d previously discussed not being too interested in speaking to Nya, and especially last night where they had found themselves so bored that there really wasn’t anything else to talk about.

“Do you think that if you had the chance to properly speak to her, then you would? I mean, like not in a weird way because I know we’re all friends and she’s our teammate so we’re bound to speak to her but-“ Jay rambled on, his voice becoming quieter as he went on.

Cole shrugged, “if you mean would I be interested in discussing the love triangle then not really. As friends, of course I’d like to talk, but not as anything more.”

“No, that’s not what I was asking. I mean like… I don’t know… Having just a casual conversation be the first interaction with her?”

“I’m not sure,” Cole shrugged again, “it would be awkward, and that’s why I’ve been avoiding her, but I can’t avoid her forever, y’know?”

They’d really discussed a lot last night. Neither of them could really remember a lot of it because they were so tired and cold.

Cole gave him a weak smile before nodding at Lloyd. Nya and Jay shared one last look – awkward at best but somewhat comforting – before she headed off with Cole. Jay watched as they dragged (not literally) the two goons to the other groups, Nya evidently starting small talk.

His heart fell, a crushing weight forcing itself on his shoulders. Jay hadn’t even considered the fact that they may just get along so well that she chooses him and then it would be forever awkward between him and Cole. He desperately didn’t want that.

A light force on his shoulder brought him back to reality, something so subtle yet comforting, and distracting him from the sight he was so focused on moments before. He turned to see Lloyd giving him a reassuring smile.

Once all the goons had been gathered up and secured, everybody got together, making plans for what to do next. None of them had really thought of what to do with the cultists now that they were all caught, and it wasn’t like they had captured everybody anyway. There were still groups roaming free on the island and it was no doubt that Chen had a bunch with him too.

Coming up with plans as a team that felt so divided was hard, especially when none of them really knew what to do on an island that nobody really knew about. Zane, Kai and Skylor were still out so they were waiting on the whole team to arrive too before making any drastic plans or deciding on one idea.

It wasn’t until Garmadon curled over in pain that everyone noticed the actual severity of the situation.

“Dad!” Lloyd cried, towering over his father, whose upper left back was left revealed, the Anacondrai tattoo he’d been marked with so many years ago glowing bright purple.

Everyone crowded around, sharing looks of worry and confusion.

“Dad, what’s wrong?” Lloyd called out again.

“I… don’t know,” Garmadon muttered, struggling to catch his breath, “something inside of me…”

In a matter of time, the sensei was curled into a ball, his body fully glowing and beginning to change shape, expressions of shock written across everyone’s faces.

“What’s going on?” Nya questioned.

“The spell,” Lloyd responded, concern in his tone, “they’re completing the spell!”

There was nothing they could do but watch as Garmadon turned a shade of bright purple, his legs ultimately morphing into a long tail, his hair scruffier and scales across his skin. Fangs hung from his teeth.

Holy shit.

Cole and Jay shared shocked glances, blinking once or two just to show how utterly shocked they were. There was no way Jay could’ve actually been correct. Maybe having wacky ideas – that may not have been completely realistic – weren’t bad after all.

Garmadon pushed himself up, holding onto his son for support as the spell completed, him still hissing in pain.

“Everyone with the Anacondrai tattoo is infected. Which means…” Garmadon’s attention averted to behind the group that had crowded around him.

After sharing even more glances, everybody turned to face the many groups of Chen’s cultists they had only just finished tying up. Now in their place stood fierce Anacondrai, none like they’d seen before. They hissed and screamed, mostly out of confusion. The elemental masters watched as the snakes broke their ropes, screaming in unison and slithering away as they did so.

This wasn’t entirely the battle Cole had been excited for.

Although, no matter how hard they tried to fight the gang, they just couldn’t do it. Even their elemental powers were no match for the strong serpentine. But why couldn’t they take them down? The ninja team weren’t exactly new to snakes – not even Anacondrai – and they’d taken down many before, including Pythor. This time, they had elemental powers to help them but even that wasn’t enough. They had a much bigger group of strong fighters, but it still wasn’t enough.

The Anacondrai were too fast, too smart, too strong.

Garmadon called for everyone to retreat – something the ninja had never really done before. Lloyd directed everyone towards the main building as fast as possible, while still fighting the snakes off as far as possible to avoid them entering too.

The group, panicked and confused, ran behind the wall dividing the docks and the main building of the tournament home. Nya, Lloyd, Cole and Jay attempted to hold the door shut, using all their might and energy to avoid the snakes breaking in. Who knew what sort of damage they could do. Besides, the team needed to come up with a plan as soon as possible.

“First it was four arms,” Jay glanced at Garmadon briefly, “then you became a dragon, do you mind picking a body and sticking with it, please?!”

Cole, who was beside him holding the door, glared at him for a brief moment, earning a nervous look from the man in blue.

“Hey, he can’t help it.”

The snakes wouldn’t stop coming. They barged and slammed at the door, doing everything they could to break in. It felt like the elemental masters had been there for hours – days – and it was clear they weren’t backing down any time soon. Even Karlof was beginning to get tired.

They were sort of becoming relaxed, getting used to the constant banging at the gate, except for when the sharpest swords created from vengestone stabbed through the wood only just missing Cole’s head.

He cowered, holding his strength against the door but immediately sharing a shocked and worried look with his blue teammate beside him.

“You know any knock-knock jokes, because this ain’t funny anymore…” his voice was panicked and shaky.

As Jay went to respond – probably with something corny or incredibly dumb – the banging on the gate immediately stopped, almost like the aftermath of an earthquake. The team never noticed how numb and weak their limbs were, how their heads felt so light after finally finishing the battle with the bashing.

But why had it stopped so suddenly?

Did the Anacondrai have other plans? And if so, what were they?

They almost felt like it was too good to be true.

“Where did they go?” Nya spoke up quietly.

As they all stepped away from the door, Cole attempted to slowly open the gate, only earning Jay getting up in his face and pushing it closed again.

“Are you crazy?! It could be a trap!”

With that, the team headed up a ladder to the right of them. They gathered on top of the wall, shocked expressions hitting their faces as they watched the Anacondrai they’d only just been fighting climb into numerous jets and vehicles – including the ones the team had been using. Chen stole Cole’s mech, somehow making it fly?

The team ducked and ran across the little wall they had, trying to get away from the many blasts and gunfire shot at them from the earth driller, luckily leading to no injuries.

After all that work, all that planning, all that fighting at the gate, and everything was ripped away from them so suddenly. It was unfair. How was Chen winning so easily?

“This… this is just priceless!” Jay called from the back, glaring at the empty sky, while everybody just stood in complete shock, “he took the roto-jet and all of the blade-copters!”

“What have we done?” Nya sounded helpless.

"We all have families in Ninjago,” Turner spoke up.

“And we had to destroy any other way off the island,” Jay called out, his voice growing angrier, “whose idea was that?!”

Lloyd sighed, “we thought we had the upper hand, our guard was down and look what happened.”

“NOBODY LISTENS TO ME!”

Cole glanced at Jay, an annoyed frown rocking his eyebrows. He rolled his eyes as Jay finally looked at him, pacing up and down the back of the wall while everyone stood in silence. He huffed, grabbing Jay’s arm tight and pulling him away.

The earth ninja dragged him towards the other end of the wall, while he assumed everyone else started to discuss a plan.

“Get off me,” Jay attempted to snatch his arm away.

“Can you at least stop shouting?” Cole spoke softly, a much calmer expression on his face.

“Why? What use is anything going to do now? We’ve lost. It’s simple-“

“What? No,” Cole frowned, his tone quiet and patient, “I’m sure there’s still a way we can defeat-“

Jay finally managed to escape from Cole’s grip, his voice still a little too loud for comfort.

“How are we supposed to get off the island? We have nothing!”

“Jay…” Cole’s voice was hushed to a whisper, much deeper and delicate, so soothing to the blue ninja’s ears.

Jay was taken back for a second, that stupid thumping returning to his chest. It wasn’t until then that he realised how close they were standing to each other.

“We’ll get out of this. You know we will,” he continued.

He didn’t say anything for a minute, finding himself inexplicably drawn to Cole’s gaze. It was majestic – almost as if just staring into his hazel eyes was enough to calm him down instantly. The world around them seemed to fade away for a moment, leaving only the two of them in a cocoon. Jay’s heart rate sped up for what felt like the twelfth time today.

It wasn’t even just Cole’s eyes that fascinated him, but the way he always spoke to him with such a soft and gentle tone, something so alluring.

A sense of sudden calmness settled over Jay, almost as if it were grounding him. It was like time paused.

“I’m sorry,” Jay’s voice was quiet, so quiet that Cole could barely hear it.

“Just have faith, okay?” Cole told him, “everything will be okay.”

It was like a fever dream. Jay had always been panicky and loud, especially when things weren’t looking hopeful, so why was Cole so suddenly willing to calm him down? The only logical reason was that he was just sick and tired of him shouting, but surely he’d just tell him to shut the fuck up, right? Like normal?

This… felt so different…

So real…

Cole, sharing the feeling of whatever this connection between them was, extended his hand towards Jay’s, fingers tentatively reaching out. He broke the eye contact briefly to glance over at the larger group, noticing none of them watching, and ultimately returned to the contact, their eyes locking once more.

Jay’s heart quickened even more, his chest rising and falling more rapidly as he refused to look away. The mere proximity of Cole’s touch sent a surge of warmth through him, feeling a subtle electric spark around them. As Cole’s fingers gently brushed against Jay’s, a current of comfort and familiarity enveloped them. Their hands met, fingers intertwining. Time seemed to slow even more as they continued to gaze at each other, the world fading away.

Jay briefly glanced at his lips, speaking in a soft whisper, “why do you care about me so much?”

“Hm?”

“After everything…”

“I don’t know…” he paused, his eyes averting from Jay’s lips and back up, “I guess there’s just something so… captivating… about you.”

Jay’s heart leaped, the spark between them intensified. Perhaps it was from their connection, or from Jay’s element, but neither of them cared to really think about it.

His eyes traced every inch of Cole’s face, lingering for a moment on his lips. There was something so magnetic about whatever this feeling was. His heart pounded, his stomach fluttering as he felt an almost instinctive urge to lean in. To close the gap that separated them.

Just as Jay began to lean forward, completely captivated, Cole’s voice, a hushed whisper, interrupted.

“Not here,” he murmured, a hand gently finding its way to Jay’s shoulder.

Cole’s eyes averted over towards where the group of elemental masters were – still none of them looking – and back at Jay.

Their eyes locked again, and with that gaze Jay recognised the need for discretion.

This was not the time nor place, but, oh, did he so badly want to do it.

A soft smile spread across Cole’s lips. Jay, caught off guard, stood there dumbfounded, his heart fluttering in his chest.

Breaking the silence yet again, Cole spoke with gentle reassurance, “wait until all of this is over.”

His words hung in the air, Jay’s nerves instantly calming, knowing it wasn’t just him feeling this odd but addicting connection. The soft, determined tone in Cole’s voice filled him with ease.

Jay felt a rush of warmth floor his cheeks, left momentarily breathless. He nodded in silent understanding, unable to find the right words.

Cole’s hand drifted from the blue ninja’s shoulder and down to his lower arm, giving him a reassuring squeeze before gently pulling away. His soft smile lingered as he began to walk away, leaving Jay rooted in his spot, his mind in a trance.

That didn’t just happen, right?

Chapter Text

“Man, I hate having to do pointless missions like these,” Cole huffed, resting his arm on the kitchen counter.

“Does this even count as a mission?” Jay questioned, sitting down on the stool beside his friend.

Just over a week had passed since the defeat of Chen and his army of Anacondrai. It was long and painful, and most definitely one of their more stressful missions to date. In the following days of the fight at the corridor of elders, the team spent much time resting and getting used to being at the Destiny’s Bounty again. It had been a very long time since the entire time had been together again, and especially with nobody arguing. It felt nice.

Wu, Lloyd, and Misako spent most of their time together, reminiscing the ways where Garmadon was still with the team. Since sacrificing himself to the departed realm to save Ninjago, the green ninja had been significantly quieter, even around his teammates. It’s not like any of them could blame him. Garmadon hadn’t been back long, and he and his son were only just getting to really know each other. They were like two peas in a pod; inseparable. It sucked for the ninja to see their friend in such despair. For now, all Lloyd needed was time.

Kai and Zane were spending a lot of time together too. Xane had been attempting to show Kai how to fix simple things in the team’s vehicles. The fire ninja had never been that great at mechanics, even though he’d spent most of his life around and working with metals (although he’d still never been good at it before). The team rarely saw those two unless it was at mealtimes.

Nya potted around too. She often helped her brother and the nindroid but mostly stuck to doing her own thing. Nobody really minded as she’d always seemed to do that. Kai would state that it was because she didn’t truly feel like she belonged on the team – with her being the only one who couldn’t do the same things as the boys could – yet they always tried to reassure her she was always welcome.

That just left Jay and Cole,

It’d been weird between them. Not the sort of awkwardness you’d expect, but rather the ‘what are we supposed to do now?’ kind. The lightning ninja spent time visiting his parents in the past week – they’d helped at the final battle against Chen – so was helping them clean up the scrap yard in return. Cole hadn’t seen him much as he preferred to stay in his bedroom sleeping or snacking while watching movies he often called cringe. Whenever Jay wasn’t with his parents, he was often playing video games.

It’s not like the two had been avoiding each other. They didn’t really have a reason to, right? Although, Jay had been questioning whether he had gotten the wrong idea on the island. Since they got home, Cole had seemed a lot more distant, and it was only starting to worry Jay. Their closeness during the tournament had seemed so sincere but it was barely there now.

Luckily, Wu had assigned everyone to small tasks around the city, mostly just unclosed cases that the police department hadn’t picked up on yet. It kept the ninja on their toes, as well as still providing them with enough time to rest. Besides, it’s not like they were doing it alone, and it offered more alone time between the masters of lightning and earth, so overall they were grateful.

Now, the pair were just questioning about when to start.

“I thought a ‘rest period’ was supposed to mean that we sit back and do nothing for weeks? Why is it that not even a week later we’re being forced back into action?” Jay sighed, picking up the police case laid on the kitchen counter before them.

Cole shrugged, “typical Wu, I guess. At least it’s a sort of laid back one compared to everyone else’s.”

The kitchen counter was cluttered, and the room light wasn’t even switched on. They sat in the warm glow of the candles Zane had likely lit earlier while cooking but forgot to put out. Neither of them were complaining, however, it was sort of relaxing.

Jay ran a hand through his tousled hair, “looks like we’ve got a robber on our hands.”

“A robber? That’s easy. We just swoop in and handcuff him. Job done.”

“Mm, I’m not sure,” Jay responded, lightly reading over the file, “this guy seems slippery.”

“Slippery?”

“He sounds dangerous. It says here he’s well known for carrying axes, swords, guns, the whole shebang. We’re gonna need to be careful,” Jay told him.

Cole nodded as he leant in closer towards Jay, attempting to get a better look at the file. The lightning ninja’s eyes locked onto Cole’s for a second, but he managed to break away. He needed to keep focus.

“Right. So, we need a proper plan before we go ahead with anything,” Cole agreed, “what do you think is the best way to tackle this?”

“Perhaps the best way to do it is a stakeout? Y’know like all those cool cops in TV shows do,” Jay smiled.

“The ones that always go wrong somehow?” Cole raised an eyebrow at his friend, “where the two cops start arguing and give away where they are?”

Jay shrugged, a light grin appearing on his lips, “or the ones where they start making out and completely miss the criminal.”

Cole hummed in response, glancing away with a smug expression, “funny.”

“I reckon we could do it if we stay focused,” Jay continued, “plus, I think it’s the safest option and we likely wouldn’t get caught.”

Cole reached across the counter for his laptop, opening it up while Jay continued flipping through the case.

“There’s a vacant building across the street from the last crime scene. It’s got a few abandoned apartments on the top floor with a clear line of sight to the target. We could set up there. Stay hidden,” Cole squinted at the map he’d pulled up.

“Do you really think he’d go back to the same place?”

“Well the records say he’s been there a few times in the last few months so it’s not entirely impossible. If not, we’ll have to try a few different places,” Cole suggested, “we’ll catch him eventually.”

Jay’s eyes narrowed in thought, “alright, we’ll need surveillance equipment. Cameras, microphones, the works. We can’t afford any blind spots.”

“I’ll cover that,” Cole said, typing away on his laptop, “we’ll have the place wired up like a Christmas tree. If this guy makes a move, we’ll catch it all.”

Jay leaned back in the stall, folding his arms, “But just remember we’ve got to be careful, and we most definitely can’t let him catch wind of what we’re up to. No uniformed officers parked outside, nothing that screams ‘police presence’.”

Cole looked up from his laptop and finally glanced at the blue ninja, his eyes full of admiration and wearing a warm smile.

A sense of determination settled between them as they refined their place. After many, many coffees, they finally knew what they were doing, and arranged back up with the Police Commissioner if need be. It was finally all coming into place.

And what better duo would you want to carry out a mission like this? Fingers crossed they wouldn’t get distracted.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

The dusty windows of the vacant building allowed silvers of moonlight to filter through, casting a dim glow on Jay and Cole as they huddled in a corner, their eyes fixed on the building across the street. It was dark and slightly cold, but the pair were comfortable enough for what could be a long night ahead of them.

The air was thick with anticipation and light tension – they hadn’t been this physically close in what felt like weeks – but a quiet conversation between the two friends was kept.

“This feels exactly like how I thought it’d feel in the movies,” Cole muttered, his eyes fixed on the jewellery shop.

It felt so much weirder for Jay than Cole. It’s not like the two had kept in proper contact over the last week or even spent much time together. To be completely honest, they’d barely said two words to one another since the little ‘moment’ on the island.

Jay had almost kissed him.

If it weren’t for Cole’s reassurance about waiting for the tournament to be out the way with, for them to be completely alone, then he likely would’ve been freaking out about it. For now, Jay had tried his best to find distractions and excuses about why Cole had barely spoken to him. It’s not like Jay hadn’t done the exact same thing, however. Neither of them seemed to find any reason to speak to one another, except that they were both busy and resting. The question circling in Jay’s mind now though was ‘what happens now?’.

The uncertainty that Cole even felt the same way, or had even been thinking about him at all, was weighing down on his chest. It most certainly wasn’t helping with the close proximity they were currently in and the fact that they had to focus on the mission at hand.

“I feel like someone in Brooklyn 99,” Jay responded, his voice quiet and airy.

Cole nodded, “must be so boring to have to do this all the time though. Especially if you don’t end up having the right place.”

“Well, we better have the right place. I don’t think I’d be able to do this all over again,” Jay sighed.

“You never know, this may be fun,” Cole smiled.

“Yeah, because I find sitting in a dusty apartment in such close proximity just staring at one spot continuously so much fun,” Jay responded a little sharply, side eyeing his friend briefly.

The room was deadly silent for a moment, before Cole cleared his throat.

The earth ninja was so used to spending his time alone now. It wasn’t like he wanted to, but everyone had been so busy lately and he’d had so much to think about that he just found himself living in his bedroom. The comfort of his own bed, where he didn’t have to worry about anything, was nice. As much as he wanted to be around his friends – one in particular – it was just a lot weighing on his mind. He needed a break.

Cole frowned at Jay briefly, a concerned look appearing in his eyes.

“I can move up if you want…”

“No, it’s fine. I didn’t mean it like that,” Jay spoke softer.

“Seriously, I get it, I’ll move,” Cole told him, moving his hands to either side of his legs.

The earth ninja pushed himself up slightly, beginning to shift, but Jay’s hand gently landed on top of his, a silent plea for him to stay. Their eyes locked and in that shared gaze, Jay’s expression softened, and he offered a reassuring smile.

“It’s okay, Cole,” Jay whispered, his voice barely audible above the ambient sound of the city, “you really don’t have to move.”

Cole hesitated for a moment, uncertainty lingering in his eyes. Jay’s hand remained on top of his until the earth ninja slowly eased back into his seated position beside his friend.

“You being close, it’s… it’s fine,” Jay continued even quieter, “…more than fine, actually.”

Why did you say that last part out loud?

Jay cleared his throat, “you’re not intruding. If anything, I appreciate us being close. We’re partners- uh, I mean… teammates.”

Cole raised an eyebrow, “are you sure? Because it seemed like you had a problem.”

“No, I just…” he trailed off, trying to think of the right thing to say.

The two fell into an awkward silence, both their eyes fixing back on the shop across the street. Cole’s heart felt uneasy.

Even if Cole wanted to talk about whatever Jay was feeling properly, they’d likely only get into an argument, or something similar, where one person could accidentally get too loud and blow their cover, or they’d get so upset with each other that it would just be complete torture to sit there in the same room, let alone in close proximity, for the rest of the night. But if they didn’t talk about it now, would they even have a chance to talk about it later? When would be the next time they were going to be alone?

“Jay, I-“ Cole began with a sigh.

“Have I done something wrong?” Jay cut in.

The earth ninja’s fixed stare outside broke instantly, his head whipping round so he could meet Jay’s eyes. A confused expression lay on his face, a slight worried look within his eyes.

“What?”

“We were so close at the tournament but when we got home, it felt like we were two completely different people,” Jay explained, refusing eye contact, “it almost feels like we’re drifting apart.”

“I…” Cole sighed, “I know. I’m sorry, I’ve just been thinking, that’s all. And, well, you’ve been busy with your parents, so I guess we haven’t really had much chance to hang out properly.”

“Thinking? About what?” Jay frowned.

“A lot of things. It doesn’t matter.”

“Is it because of… well… I almost ki-“ Jay muttered, almost inaudible.

Cole’s eyes widened, his hand reaching out to his friend’s arm.

“No, no, it’s not that, I promise,” he told him, “usually after missions I retreat to my room for days and just think. Not about anything in specific, but it’s more of the thinking I couldn’t really do during the missions. I relive everything in my mind and just… appreciate the things I feel I need to appreciate. It’s complicated.”

The expression on Jay’s face told Cole he was confused, that he didn’t quite understand what he was saying, but that he understood enough. Cole always found himself confusing; that’s why he never bothered getting really close to anyone. He was so worried of getting attached to someone, only to push them away or for them to get the wrong idea. With Jay, it felt different, except now the same thing was happening. But this time, he didn’t feel like hiding from it, nor pushing his friend away.

“I should’ve communicated better. Or at least tried to talk to you,” Cole sighed, “I’m sorry I gave you the wrong idea. Our friendship means a lot to me.”

A soft smile appeared on Jay’s lips, giving him a nod of reassurance.

Cole shrugged, rolling his eyes light-heartedly, “friendship… whatever we have going on. You know what I mean.”

The airy giggle that came from the lightning ninja gave Cole all the reassurance he needed. Neither of them had been good about talking through their feelings, or being honest, but the tournament seemed to have brought out the best in them, and especially their friendship.

After a few minutes passed, and they finally fixed their attention back on the shop across the street, Jay took a brief glance at his friend.

“I get it. We all have our own battles. But we’re a team, right? We should be there for each other, like we used to be before everything with the Overlord happened,” Jay told him quietly, “if you need to talk about something, please do.”

Cole smiled, refusing to glance at him, “thanks, Jay. You always know the right thing to say.”

The ambient sound of the city continued outside the dusty window, but inside the building, Jay and Cole found themselves in a moment of comfortable silence. Sitting side by side, shoulders only barely touching, maintaining a watchful eye on the building across the street felt so much more reassuring than it should’ve been.

After a while, Jay broke the quiet, his voice carrying a hint of wariness, “you know, Cole, this year has been… rough. I can’t wait for it to be over. It feels like everything that could’ve gone wrong, went wrong.”

“This year didn’t suck entirely,” Cole spoke up, “I mean, yeah, the team spent half the year split up and we took part in a – probably illegal – underground fight club, but we became friends this year, didn’t we?”

“We were friends beforehand.”

“I mean like proper friends. Not arguing.”

Jay found himself chuckling, “dude, just call me your best friend. I know you want to. We practically are.”

Cole glanced at him with a raised eyebrow, “are we?”

“Yeah,” Jay nodded enthusiastically, “just think about it. We’ve gotten so close, and that’s not counting how we were being the whole love triangle thing happened. We have insane chemistry… And also, we bicker like best friends. We kinda sound like a middle-aged couple.”

"Now wouldn’t that be funny,” Cole chuckled.

“What?”

“Being a middle-aged couple.”

“We argue like one,” Jay grinned, “but it’s funny to think about too. We’re like polar opposites.”

“We aren’t completely different,” Cole replied, “we have a lot of similarities.”

“Oh yeah? Like what? Because all I see if a ginger cat and an emo,” Jay retorted.

“I am not an emo,” the earth ninja glared at him, his voice raising a little too much for comfort.

Jay smirked, giving Cole another side eye, “I don’t know, you seem like one to me.”

“Are you into emos?”

The question took Jay aback for a second. He knew Cole was joking but the mere surprise of it found him speechless. The two met eyes, the corner of Cole’s lip tilted up as Jay took the opportunity to look over all his features.

“I wouldn’t say I’ve ever been interested in emos before,” Jay shrugged, taking the question a little more seriously than he should’ve, “although I’d never met an emo until I met you.”

“I’m not an emo.”

“Uh huh,” the blue ninja’s grin reappeared.

“Would you like me better if I was?” Cole raised an eyebrow.

“Hm, perhaps. It would make you way more interesting. You’re so boring.”

“Oi,” Cole nudged his arm with more force than he realised, pushing Jay over, “you’re the one that called me super interesting on the island.”

Jay shot him a jokingly annoyed look, attempting to shove him back.

“This seems like a fake friendship to me,” Cole continued.

“That was not a secret, Cole.”

“I hate you,” the earth ninja grinned.

“No you don’t.”

Considering how separated the two were this time last year, it was surprising how well they got along. Their joking around hadn’t changed however, but there were definitely improvements to their friendship that both of them could appreciate, their honest and softness. God, the softness did drive them both insane.

Their eyes met, the sound of the city outside seemingly fading away.

As the seconds stretched, the intensity of their gaze deepened. Jay couldn’t help but feel the magnetic pull, drawing him closer to Cole.

Their glances travelled to each other’s lips, anticipation hanging in the air like a delicate thread. The desire to lean in, to close the distance, was palpable, but a soft whisper of reason echoed in their minds, reminding them of the time and place.

“We really should focus on the shop,” Cole spoke in a hushed tone, not breaking eye contact.

Jay’s heart raced and he hesitated, a conflicted look in his eyes. He wanted to bridge the gap yet the voice in his mind reminding him of what they were supposed to be doing weighed on him.

Cole, too, felt the magnetic pull Jay was feeling, but he, too, knew the consequences.

They couldn’t. Not right now.

The fragile moment between them shattered abruptly, drowned out the sound of broken glass and the blaring wail of a robbery alarm across the street. It pulled them away from their trance.

“Shit,” Cole’s eyes darted out the window.

Jay sat frozen for a moment, his eyes wide with shock. How did it nearly happen again? Cole quickly rose to his feet, his hand outstretched toward Jay. It was obvious Jay was in some sort of daze, so Cole took charge, gently pulling him up and towards him.

“C’mon, we better go,” the earth ninja continued.

Still processing the abrupt change, Jay allowed Cole to guide him, their hands entwined. Their eyes met again, except this time Cole’s lips held a warm smile.

Cole leaned in, placing a gentle kiss on Jay’s cheek. It was soft and reassuring, enough to make Jay almost completely fumble. The blue ninja blinked in surprise, his heart racing. His thoughts raced, a rush of confusion and joy that left him rooted to the spot.

Cole’s voice, steady and reassuring, pierced through Jay’s state, “just wait a little longer, okay?”

As Cole let go of his hand and left to investigate the disturbance outside, Jay took a steady breath, attempting to regain his composure.

He pressed a hand to his cheek, where the warmth of Cole’s kiss lingered like an echo. The sensation sent a shiver down his spine, his flustered state only seeming to worsen.

How much longer did he have to wait?

Chapter Text

If that stupid alarm hadn’t gone off, who knows where the night would’ve led. It felt like they were in that vacant building for hours, staring at that dumb shop, waiting for it to be robbed. Considering they were supposed to be stopping crimes from happening, it felt very weird to just watch it happen. Except they didn’t see it. The only thing they were seeing was each other’s eyes. Again.

“Just wait a little longer, okay?”

It didn’t stop circling his mind. What exactly did Cole mean by that? Well, it was obvious, but maybe Jay was just overthinking it? Perhaps he was just imagining Cole wanting to kiss him back? He’d never even properly admitted it, but it was so frustrating. Why did everything come in their way? Did the universe not want them to be together?

If Jay actually had the confidence to just do it, when they were alone and staring at each other like their lives depended on it, this all would’ve been over by now. What would they be doing? Going on dates? Telling the team? God, how would the team even react? What would Nya say?

Did Cole even want to be with him like that? Or was this just what best friends do? Did Cole even like guys?

This was probably the least of the blue ninja’s concerns right now, especially since they’d failed their missions and let the criminals get away. He should be out looking. He should be checking CCTB cameras around the city. But instead, he found himself sitting at the kitchen counter at 10pm, staring at a raw pot noodle in front of him. Finding the energy to cook anything even half decent this late at night was difficult on any normal day, let alone after what had happened just a few hours prior.

The drive back to the Destiny’s Bounty was pretty silent. It wasn’t necessarily awkward, not regarding the almost kiss anyway – or how Cole had kissed his cheek (Jay was choosing not to think about that) – but the two had separated when they got inside, Cole heading to his room to presumably shower. Jay hadn’t left his seat in the kitchen for what felt like hours.

What was he going to do? What was he supposed to say?

“I guess there’s just something so… captivating… about you.”

The way Cole had said that drove Jay insane. Everything about the way Cole spoke to him so softly and patiently and looking at him as if he was the greatest thing he’d ever laid his eyes on… Shit.

It was so obvious Cole liked him, it was the entire time, ever since that first night on the island when they locked eyes. It was the only reason he wanted to fix things between them. The only reason he offered to help him clean up his cut. He wanted to get close to Jay. Even that first day they escaped, and Jay was working on his mech, Cole left his group collecting food to sit with Jay instead.

“Watching you do stuff like lighting that fire, as simple as it may be, there’s something oddly fascinating about it. They way you’re capable of just doing whatever your mind puts you to is really amazing. It’s something I’ve always admired about you.”

The way Cole had wanted so badly to make it up to Jay, and apologise for everything even after the fight… the way Cole had been so interested in Jay’s past, and asking about his parents and his childhood like nobody had before… the way Cole opened up to him so easily about his own parents… Cole wanted Jay to sit next to him… the way he put his arm around him…

“Careful, you’re starting to sound like you’re obsessed with me.”

He was obsessed but Cole was even more obsessed with him.

It was under his nose this entire time. But if only one of them had the guts to be honest.

“Hello? Earth to lightning?”

Jay blinked, his eyes meeting a palm of a hand waving in his face. He sat confused for a moment, just staring at it before wrapping his head around what just happened.

“You good?”

Cole’s soft voice really woke him up again.

He nodded as the black ninja’s hand moved away from his face, his eyes meeting the pot noodle once again.

“You were off in your own little world there,” Cole laughed, reaching an arm up to ruffle Jay’s auburn locks.

Jay still didn’t really react, taking a minute to compose himself. It wasn’t until he finally glanced over at the boy standing next to him that he realised the situation.

Cole stood by the counter, a warm smile plastered on his lips, wearing a tank top, and attempting to dry his wet hair with a towel. Jay felt his heart begin to race, quickly glancing away.

“Are you gonna eat that?” he motioned towards the still unopened pot noodle.

Jay shrugged, “yeah.”

Cole raised an eyebrow, “seriously? Don’t you think you should have a proper meal after tonight?”

“What, like sitting in a vacant building is hard?” Jay questioned, his tone slightly annoyed.

Cole’s brows furrowed in concern, “are you okay?”

“Mhm. Just thinking.”

“Hey, that’s my job,” Cole shot him a reassuring smile.

The room fell silent for a second, Cole staring at his friend blankly. Jay glanced at him briefly, sighing.

Cole cleared his throat, “I was gonna make some spaghetti bolognese.”

The lightning ninja nodded awkwardly, his eyes breaking away from Cole’s gaze, and took the opportunity to stare down at his hands. Cole waited for a response, but when nothing came out of the blue ninja’s mouth, he continued.

“I’ve got enough ingredients for two if you want to help me make it.”

Jay’s head shot up, blue eyes meeting hazel.

“Are you… sure? I don’t wanna intrude.”

Cole chuckled, “I wouldn’t be asking if I didn’t want you to, zaptrap.”

Sure, Jay had been set on that pot noodle – it looked rather tempting – but spending some quality alone time with Cole was much better, especially cooking a meal together. It sounded sort of romantic.

And if they were ever going to find the right time to close the distance between them, this would be the perfect opportunity.

“Now, how about you try smiling and help me get set up?” Cole grinned.

“You’re cute when you smile.”

Gosh, the ever so subtle things Cole would say drove him crazy. He'd called him cute so many times now, and even calling him those stupid nicknames, especially when he called him bluebell...

Cole actually liked him?

Jay groaned, slamming his head on the table as gently as possible (it wasn't gentle at all). Startling

Cole a little, his eyebrows furrowed as he stared at his friend with worry.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Cole asked softly, taking a step closer to him.

“Yep.”

“Really? Because you don’t seem it. If you’re worried about the mission-“

“No, it’s not that.”

“Then what is it?” Cole frowned.

Jay shrugged, “it’s nothing, don’t worry.”

The lightning ninja got off his stool and hurried over to the kitchen cupboards.

It didn’t take long for them to get started. Luckily for them, Cole knew exactly how to cook it – not that he’d ever really been that good at it – but Jay was a natural at cooking so they sort of balanced each other out. Jay worked on the pasta while Cole cooked the mince and sauce, both of them engaging in mostly small talk while they worked.

And yet, it still wasn’t awkward.

“Just out of curiosity,” Cole cleared his throat, “if you had to choose to save me or a puppy, who would you save?”

“The puppy, sorry,” Jay responded quickly.

Cole was taken back slightly by how quick Jay’s reply was, an offended look plastering his face.

“Wow,” the earth ninja gasped jokingly, chuckling shortly after.

Jay shrugged, the corner of his lip tilting up, “I mean just think about it. I could choose to save the cutest puppy ever or the most annoying emo guy on the planet. Which one would I be more likely to save?”

Cole added a few spices to his sauce before shaking his head and grinning, “one, I’m not an emo. And two… am I also not the cutest puppy ever?”

Jay confidently shook his head, stirring the pasta, “nope.”

“You wouldn’t choose to save your very own irreplaceable best friend?”

“Wrong,” Jay waved a finger in his face, “you’re very replaceable actually I shall be replacing you with the puppy.”

Cole glanced at blue with a warm smile, “friendship over.”

“Finally,” Jay sighed.

“Well, if our friendship is over, we could just date instead,” Cole leaned in closer to him while stirring the mince.

Jay wasn’t entirely sure what came over him in the moment. He wasn’t sure whether it was a jokey tone that kept him from becoming nervous, or rather the fact he was so tired that he didn’t even want to think about it too much, but he leant towards Cole too with a grin.

“Smooth.”

“I’m not kissing.”

Now he was nervous.

“…You’re not?”

Cole looked away, his attention focusing back on the food while Jay continued staring at him, his smile faded.

“And the puppy will be our child,” Cole nodded.

Jay raised an eyebrow, “well, no, because I chose to save the puppy, not you, so actually you’d be dead.”

“Rude.”

Jay giggled, finally glancing away when Cole went to meet his gaze. The earth ninja watched him laugh, a soft smile appearing on his lips, looking at him with such adoration. His eyes traced every detail of Jay’s face. The very light freckles that specked his cheeks, how his lips curved… they were probably soft, right?

Cole smiled too, warmth filling his heart as he finally glanced away.

“If I were to actually ask you out, what would you say?”

Jay’s laugh died down completely, that nervous feeling returning to him. The pitter patter of his heart became more obvious now.

What?

Just as he went to open his mouth to respond…

“What’s going on in here?”

Jay’s gaze fell from the boy beside him to towards whoever just walked into the room, yet again ruining the moment. And it was the worst person it could’ve possible been.

“Hey, Nya,” Cole spoke up, flashing her a smile.

She smiled too, sitting down on the stool that had once occupied the blue ninja.

Jay sighed and returned to looking at the pasta he was supposed to be stirring. Cole shot him a reassuring smile before turning to face Nya properly.

“We didn’t wake you, did we?” he asked.

She shook her head, “no, no, I just came to be nosey. Plus, I smelt food.”

“Oh, right,” Cole chuckled, “we’re cooking spaghetti.”

“Bolognese?”

“You know it.”

The room went quiet as Cole went back to working on the mince, finally adding the sauce to it. He stole glances at Jay as he stirred, trying not to seem obvious that there was something going on prior to Nya walking in. Hopefully she hadn’t heard anything they were talking about. Or was that why she interrupted?

“Y’know, it’s really weird seeing you two get along,” she spoke from behind them, “especially on the island where I saw you two all buddy-buddy by Jay’s mech. It was definitely an odd sight.”

It was obvious Jay was uncomfortable. He avoided eye contact with both her and Cole, and no matter how many times Cole attempted to get his attention, or how many times Nya was trying to spark conversation with him, he really wasn’t interested. He used his left hand to stir the spaghetti slowly, his eyes fixated on them, while his free hand played with the hem of his shirt. It made Cole nervous seeing him so nervous.

“Yeah,” Cole finally chirped up, “we made up.”

“I can see that,” she laughed, “would’ve loved to have been there to see it, to be honest. I cannot even begin to imagine how awkward that conversation would be.”

Surprisingly, not as awkward as this one.

Cole shrugged, turning slightly to see her, “it wasn’t really awkward. I just apologised and that was it.”

“So everything’s fine between us all now? Because, I can’t lie, the fighting was very annoying.”

Cole frowned, “you don’t think any other apologies need to be made…?”

“Well, you just said you two have made up, no?”

Perhaps starting an argument in the kitchen while they were cooking wasn’t a good idea so Cole backed down, his eyes drifting towards Jay who had started stirring the pasta in the opposite direction, his jaw and shoulders tense. Cole brought his free hand up to rest on Jay’s shoulder, catching his attention for a brief moment.

"Well, we’re getting on a lot better than I thought we would. And it does feel good to not be arguing.”

Jay gave him a weak smile.

Yeah, they were definitely getting along better…

Nya smiled too, “great! I’m glad everything’s out in the open now. I don’t suppose you’ve got enough there for a guest?”

Cole moved his hand off Jay’s shoulder, and cleared his throat awkwardly, as he felt Jay tense up again.

“Uh, we’ve only got enough ingredients for two, sorry,” Cole told her.

“It’s fine, you two eat. I’m not really hungry anyway,” Jay stepped back away from the cooker, turning to face Nya.

Cole stared at him, a concerned expression on his face. He knew exactly why he didn’t want to be in there, and it wasn’t like he could blame him, but the fact Nya just intruded didn’t sit right with him, especially when it was supposed to be a cute little moment with Jay.

“Are you sure?” Nya questioned.

Jay nodded, refusing eye contact, “yeah, don’t worry. I’ll… see you later.”

Before Cole could say anything, he scurried out the room, leaving the earth ninja stood awkwardly while Nya smiled at him.

He wasn’t sure why Jay leaving the room made him feel so empty suddenly.

Jay, after considering just evacuating to his room for the night, decided to head outside onto the top deck. He stepped outside, the cold wind immediately hitting his face. The night sky stretched above him; countless stars dotted around that glistened like diamonds.

The wind tousled Jay’s hair, much like Cole had done earlier in the kitchen, as he gazed up at the display, making his way towards the edge. His breath formed small clouds in the air, taking in the peace he had so desperately hoped for. Although it was nice, much nicer than the atmosphere of the kitchen, being alone out here only provided him with more time to think about Cole.

He just wanted to be honest.

"If I were to actually ask you out, what would you say?”

Yes. Of course he’d say yes. It was a stupid question.

Except Cole wasn’t actually asking him out, was he? Why would he? Jay was just some stupid, insecure guy, and honestly, what was there to even like about him? What exactly did Cole see that Jay couldn’t?

As much as Jay wanted to kiss him, realistically what would happen when they did? Would they forget about it? Would they become a couple? They can’t even have a normal conversation about it, let alone have a proper conversation about being together. And even if they did end up being together, why would Cole want to be seen in public with him? The media weren’t big fans of Jay – they never had been – and Cole was the obvious favourite, so when he stepped out into the world holding hands with Jay in the street, they’d react badly, wouldn’t they? They all wanted him to end up with Nya – with a girl – and Jay was far from either of those things.

Would Cole even be happy with him?

God, it was stressful and confusing. He was probably in there enjoying a lovely meal with Nya, eating the food that he and Jay had made together, and to be honest, the only person to blame was Jay himself. If he hadn’t been so uncomfortable in a stupid conversation then he’d be in there laughing with Cole by now. They’d be enjoying a cute little meal together and who knows what would happen afterwards.

Jay glanced up, his eyes aligning with the stars. He took a moment to try to connect them, attempting to distract himself from his hurricane of thoughts.

He wanted nothing more than to be with Cole, so why was it so difficult to tell him the truth?

“Hey.”

And once again, the earth ninja had crept up on him. He was kind of expecting it, just not this soon.

Jay turned his head to meet him, Cole’s soft smile calming his stress immensely.

“You okay?”

Jay nodded, not that he was okay or anything, but lying just seemed like the simpler option.

Cole made his way over to stand next to Jay properly as the blue ninja turned back to look at the stars.

In the earth ninja’s hands was a plate of spaghetti bolognese. He nudged Jay’s arms to try to get his attention, waving two forks in the air.

“I thought we could share our accomplishment together.”

Jay’s eyes met his, a soft smile playing at his lips.

They sat down on the deck together, with nothing but the stars as company. Cole placed the plate down in between them and handed Jay a fork.

“I’m sorry about leaving,” Jay spoke up after eating a mouthful of the mince, which was surprisingly very tasty.

“Don’t apologise, I get it.”

“No, I shouldn’t have left you alone to finish cooking, that wasn’t fair.”

“It was practically done anyway,” Cole replied, “besides, you were uncomfortable. You had every right to leave.”

Jay shrugged, “I wasn’t uncomfortable…”

“You were,” Cole chuckled slightly, “I felt you tense up. I’m surprised Nya didn’t feel it too.”

He sighed, “I don’t know why it bothers me so much. I mean, we haven’t really had the chance to talk, although she never seems interested in wanting to converse with me anyway.”

“You deserve an apology.”

“I’m not that bothered about it.”

“You clearly are, and you should be. She went behind your back just as much as I did. It’s not fair that she can get away with hurting you like that,” Cole argued.

Jay shrugged again, “honestly, I just want to put it all behind us. I wasn’t expecting an apology from her anyway – or from you, to be honest – but… I’m just tired of all the love triangle stuff. Can we just… forget about it?”

“Semi-forget?” Cole smiled. Jay chuckled.

It became quiet for a second as they continued eating their meal, leaving the plate pretty bare. It wasn’t until Cole properly glanced at Jay that he realised their proximity.

Jay continued staring up at the stars, watching them as if they were the most fascinating thing ever. Cole watched with a soft smile, admiring how much interest Jay had in things like this. He seemed so interested in everything the world had to offer; it was amazing. He observed Jay’s features, appreciating the way the starlight danced across his blue eyes, and how the wind played with his hair so gently.

Jay turned to meet Cole’s gaze, a twinkle in his eyes that mirrored the stars above.

Kiss him.

As Cole’s eyes drifted towards the blue ninja’s lips, Jay’s eyes darted towards the sky, a gasp escaping his mouth.

He shot up, confusing Cole, as he sprinted across the deck and towards the edge of the ship.

“What is it?” Cole questioned.

“Look! Shooting stars!”

Cole got up too, his eyes fixed to the sky as hundreds of light flashes danced across the moonlit sky. The world around them seemed to fade, the only things left remaining being them and the cosmic ballet overhead.

Jay’s infectious energy became a magnet, drawing Cole to him more and more. The sky was beautiful, one of the most amazing things either of them had ever seen, but for Cole, the most enchanting thing was the person beside him. His thoughts were consumed by Jay’s joyous laughter and the way his eyes sparkled. Cole couldn’t help but feel warmth arise in his chest. Gosh, he was so obsessed with him, it was unreal.

Jay caught him in the act, turning to face the earth ninja with a wide smile. But Cole didn’t look away – instead they locked eyes, a warm smile tilting Cole’s lips.

“I need to be honest,” Jay sighed, breaking eye contact for a minute.

Cole frowned, not saying anything as if he knew exactly what was coming.

“Cole, I…” he took a deep breath, “I really like you. A lot. Ever since that first night on the island, I’ve felt a sort of spark between us and, well, I know it was kinda obvious but I wanted to tell you ages ago but everything kept getting in the way, and stopping us from… y’know…”

Cole smiled, his eyes fixed on the boy in front of him, so captivated…

“But I just needed to tell you because I didn’t want things to be awkward between us anymore or for us to kiss when we hadn’t been honest just in case we try to forget about it or something and-“

“Jay-“

“No, no, let me finish… I don’t know if you feel the same way, and I don’t really care if you don’t but – well actually, let’s be honest, I do care, I really care, because that would make me look real stupid, but-“

Cole stepped forward, his hands cupping Jay’s warm cheeks. Out of nervousness, Jay froze, locking eyes with him. The world around them faded away, time slowed down completely, as Cole’s eyes drifted down. Jay felt his heart race.

“You talk way too much,” Cole stated before pulling Jay towards him, their lips meeting in what felt like destiny. It was nothing short of magical, a gentle warmth around them as Cole felt a light spark through his veins, Jay’s heart feeling as if it were about to beat right out of his chest.

Cole leant into it more, his grip on Jay’s cheeks becoming firmer. Jay’s arms rested gently on Cole’s hips as he completely melted under his touch.

This isn’t happening, right?

Earth and lightning seemed like the perfect pairing. The ground and the sky becoming one. It definitely felt perfect.

Cole pulled away, his hands kept gently on Jay’s cheeks as they both smiled. Seeing Jay completely speechless was rare, but Cole gazing at Jay with admiration and affection was something so common.

“Jay,” he whispered, his voice soft and sincere, “I am so in love with you.”

Without hesitation, Cole pulled him closer, their lips meeting again, except this kiss was different from the first. It was almost as if neither of them had nothing to prove anymore, that they had nothing to hide. They could just be themselves, and just live in the moment.

Cole poured every ounce of his adoration into the kiss, breaking away for a second to breathe, before kissing him again. Jay completely melted into the embrace, their connection deepening with every heartbeat.

When they finally broke the kiss, their eyes met once again, and they stayed that way for a moment before they both broke into nervous laughter. After days – possibly even weeks – of waiting, it’d finally happened, and it’d been everything they hoped for.

“What do you say… you and I go on a date tomorrow, just us. No prying eyes or interruptions,” Cole suggested, finally moving his hands away from Jay’s cheeks and instead towards his hands.

Jay glanced down, watching as their fingers intertwined. Cole watched him with a soft gaze, awaiting an answer.

Jay nodded, “I’d love that.”

The blue ninja leant forward and placed a gentle kiss on Cole’s lips, giggling as he did so. Once he pulled away, Cole turned on his heel and began wandering towards the door, pulling Jay along with him.

“We really should head to bed; we’ve got training in the morning."

“Boo, you’re so boring,” Jay called out.

Cole turned to face him, a grin upon his face, “and yet you like that.”

“And you wondered why I chose the puppy.”

Making sure there was nobody else awake – luckily Nya had evacuated to her room already – Cole walked Jay to his room, giggling as they headed down the corridor. Gosh, it just didn’t feel real.

They stopped outside his door, Cole reaching for his hand as Jay smiled.

“We’ll talk properly tomorrow, yeah?” Cole whispered.

Jay nodded, his eyes drifting down towards Cole’s lips. The earth ninja took the hint, glancing down both sides of the corridor to make sure there was no one around. He leant forward, praying his arm around Jay’s waist as he pulled him towards him, pressing his lips against his own.

It didn’t feel real at all. This time, Jay was the first to pull away, trying not to laugh nervously as his eyes met Cole’s again.

“Goodnight,” Cole whispered.

“Night.”

As Cole let go of his hand, he gave him one last smile before heading off down the corridor towards his own room.

Jay watched, gazing at Cole with nothing but relief and care, it was almost light a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. It finally happened. They were finally together.

It was going to be difficult, of course it was, but they’d be able to work through it. Telling the team was bound to be the hardest part, but they’d navigate it when it came to the right time. For now, all that mattered was them.

That really just happened, didn’t it?

Chapter Text

Although slightly damp and humid, grass proved to act as a good cushion, a blanket to the earth and its secrets beneath. The sky was a perfect shade of light blue, clouds placed here and there that thankfully shielded the sun. A slight bustling could be heard in the distance - that of the city not far from where they were laying - but they barely paid attention to it.

Little bugs scurried across the grass around them, almost crushing them, but it was all worth it for that refreshing and relaxing feeling they once experienced when they were much younger. When life had been so simple.

It didn’t feel strange for the master of earth to be so close to his element, but for Jay, who was master of an element in the skies, he was finding a new connection with nature. It was helping to calm his nerves and mind greatly. There had been too many distractions lately. Too much stress.

But that was just the ordinary life of a ninja.

If only their lives reflected that of the little bugs and clouds. If only they didn’t need a care in the world. If only they could lay here forever and not have to worry about anything.

Jay’s head turned to the right slightly, almost colliding with the leaf of one of his favourite flowers. The lightning master had never taken a liking to such plants despite admiring them from afar, but now he could stare at one up close, noticing every little detail about the petals, the pigments, and every little creature that passed by it. This wasn’t just some plant he liked the look of but a home to so many, much like the home he had. It may seem like nothing compared to someone so much bigger, but it meant a lot to those smaller.

Bluebells did look nice though.

Not far from it, blue could see the petals from another flower, but this time admired by the boy beside him. Lilies had always been Cole’s favourite, especially since they reminded him of his mother, but there was something so graceful and elegant about them; something so pure.

"Good morning, bluebell,” Jay felt a pair of strong arms wrap around his torso.

Jay almost choked on the warm tea in his mouth, swallowing quickly as to not accidentally spit it out everywhere. He placed his mug down gently on the kitchen counter, lifting an arm up to rest on one of the arms securing him.

"Hey,” Jay smiled, leaning his head back to rest on the chest of the person behind him.

“Anybody else awake yet?”

"Not that I’ve heard.”

Cole took the opportunity to lean down and press a gentle kiss on Jay’s cheek, earning a soft giggle from the boy in blue.

Man, it felt good to not have to hold back anymore.

“Be careful, wouldn’t want anyone walking in on us,” Jay warned.

“That’s why I asked if you’d seen anyone,” Cole replied, letting go of his hold, “besides, it’s still pretty early, I doubt anyone else is awake. Speaking of which, I’m surprised you’re up so early. You usually sleep in.”

Jay shrugged as Cole made his way around the kitchen counter, aiming for the fridge.

“Couldn’t really sleep.”

“Because of last night?” his head turned to show off the wide grin on his face.

Jay rolled his eyes, “perhaps.”

"Me neither,” he spoke, opening the fridge and grabbing a carton of apple juice.

"Got any ideas for today?”

Jay frowned, “what d’you mean?”

Cole finished up his morning drink – having apple juice as soon as he woke up was always a daily routine for him, ever since he was a child. It was something his mother had engraved in his brain. Vitamins were important, especially for strength.

“Well, I thought you would’ve maybe come up with some ideas for our date?” he spoke in a more hushed tone, just in case someone was pondering about nearby.

Jay locked gaze with the boy opposite him, a smirk forming on his lips, eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

“You expect me to think about something other than us kissing?”

That earned a chuckle from Cole, “we could kiss more on our date.”

“Hey, this isn’t one sided,” Jay cut in, “have you thought of any ideas?”

“Oi, I’m the one who suggested it in the first place,” Cole waved a finger in his face, “and I’m the one who kissed first.”

"This has nothing to do with kissing.”

“Uh huh.”

Jay rolled his eyes, finally taking a sip of his – probably now cold – tea.

“Okay, let’s brainstorm. Date ideas, go.”

Cole stared off into the distance for a minute, Jay watching as he did so.

Doing anything coupley in Ninjago was a risk no matter where you went. As a ninja, you’re always being spotted by everyone, so going literally anywhere with even the slightest chance of seeing someone wasn’t a very good idea. But there weren’t many places in Ninjago that had literally no people around. It didn’t help that they couldn’t even be discrete because the media had no clue Jay and Cole were even on good terms yet. Either way, they were bound to get some publicity.

“Everything even slightly romantic involves being in public,” Cole sighed, “my mind has gone completely blank.”

“We need it to be quiet. No interruptions,” Jay reminded him.

Cole nodded, “but still romantic.”

Where on earth would be quiet and romantic? Literally every movie they had ever seen involved ice skating, aquariums, or restaurants. And, yeah, that didn’t mean they needed to do one of those things, but there were barely any movies that they could recall with discrete couples, or couples that actually got away with being a secret. They’re always found out.

That was when Cole’s face lit up.

“There was this flower field my mom used to take me to when I was younger,” he spoke up with a smile, “she said it reminded her of her and her best friend. It’s quite far out from the city, and super quiet, so there’s bound to be literally nobody around.”

Jay raised an eyebrow, “and what exactly are we going to do in a flower field?”

It was lucky Cole thought of this place. They would never have come up with something so good. A flower field in the middle of nowhere – filled with two flowers that represented them both so well. It was as if it were meant to be.

It was also Cole’s idea to have a picnic.

Considering it was supposed to be a sweet, calming moment, Jay’s chest couldn’t help but feel tight. If this place was so secluded, how did Cole’s mother know about it? Was it a common spot for families and couples? Why would such a beautiful place like this be so quiet?

Why did it feel like someone was watching him?

Was he just paranoid?

Jay sighed quietly, closing his eyes briefly, taking in the fresh air and sound of the fair breeze.

“You okay?” a soft voice said.

He nodded, not giving any form of a verbal response.

“You don’t seem it,” Cole continued faintly, “you’re not usually this quiet.”

“I’m just taking it in.”

“Jay, if you didn’t think this was a good idea, why didn’t you just say?”

Jay frowned, turning his head to see the earth ninja lying beside him with a concerned expression.

“No, this is a great idea,” he sighed, “I just… can’t help but worry that someone’s gonna find us.”

“They won’t.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to be seen with you but… the media… I don’t want them to start saying things and-“

“Jay, I know what you mean,” Cole interrupted, “I don’t blame you.”

“I know, but I just feel paranoid,” Jay shrugged, his gaze landing back on the sky,” what do we do if people find out?”

The world was a cruel place. It offered mostly pain and suffering. As ninja, they already had to go through so much distress, but with the added pressure of their lives being seen as something to be obsessed over by random people that didn’t know them made them feel so uneasy. Anything could be twisted. Not to mention, there were so many cruel people out there. What would they say about seeing them together after the whole love triangle thing, let alone them being two guys?

That drama was the sort of thing to tear couples apart.

Not that they were really a couple yet, were they?

They wanted nothing but a break. Time to be themselves. But with the world constantly crashing and enclosing around them, it was nearly impossible.

Cole reached to his side briefly, his attention eventually returning to the ginger laying by his side. Jay continued staring up, seeming almost completely lost in thought.

He knew Jay didn’t mean anything bad by it. Jay – being openly bisexual – was the last person to be ashamed about being publicly seen with a guy, so he had no reason to worry about that. Besides, the two seemed to have such an undeniable bond that pulled them closer together. Cole had his own worries about the world around them. As much as he tried to avoid the drama online, sometimes it was just plainly hard to ignore. It was everywhere, and it was so much worse when it was being pushed in their faces. None of them had ever admitted it, but it did take a toll on their mental health. Clearly it did more damage to Jay than anyone else.

He was worried. He didn’t want to lose Cole. He didn’t want Cole to go through the same kind of hate Jay went through when he first came out.

But it would come out eventually, right? They couldn’t remain a secret forever.

“Then at least we have each other.” Cole finally spoke up, “right, bluebell?”

Black nudged blue’s hand with his pinkie, pinching the other’s attention for a brief moment. Jay glanced down at their hands, almost touching, gently taking something from Cole.

A single bluebell.

Jay smiled, nearly letting out an airy chuckle, earning a grin from Cole too. If anyone could cheer lightning up, it would be earth.

The world was full of scary things, and this was new territory for them. At the end of the day, they both knew there would be struggles, but as long as they held hands right through it, it’d work out in the end, right?

“Hilarious,” Jay spoke sarcastically, trying to hide his smile.

“Actually,” Cole butted in, finally sitting up, “I wanted to ask you something.”

Jay considered staying led down for a moment but gave in, allowing himself to be pulled from his soft, natural cushion. He gave Cole a nod to continue, trying not to focus on his mind too much.

“What do you like about bluebells?”

The lightning ninja frowned, staring back down at the flower in his hand. It was a good question, one he hadn’t even considered before himself, but the answer almost came naturally to him.

He shrugged, “I mean… they’re blue.”

Cole snickered, “No, dummy, I meant about them in general, not just the colours. And they’re more purple than blue.”

“Alright, fine,” Jay shot him a glare before returning to staring at the flower.

He thought for a moment, staring at its tiny details and imperfections. There really was something interesting about it. He’d be looking at them for the past hour, admiring them every second he could. And it wasn’t even that. He’d always been interested in them ever since he was a kid. He just assumed it was because they were ‘blue’ and they were one of the first flowers he saw outside the Sea of Sands. Perhaps it was something different.

He shrugged again, “I guess there’s something comforting about them. Like their posture makes them look droopy – sleepy, even – and I guess it just reminds me of relaxation. It makes me feel calm. Also, their colour is somewhat comforting – blue or not.”

Cole glanced down at the flower too, focusing hard on it. After a moment, he nodded, one corner of his lip tilting up.

“I can see that.”

Jay smiled briefly, fiddling lightly with one of the petals.

“What do you like about lilies so much besides their symbolism with your mom?” Jay asked quietly, barely making eye contact.

Cole let out a curious hum, frowning to himself. He reached around him, grabbing one and bringing it in closer to get a better look. It was clear he’d never thought about it properly before, receiving yet another smile from the boy in blue.

He’d never taken moments like this seriously enough. If it were ultimately down to Jay to choose something for their date, they would’ve ended up playing video games, or at the arcade. It was nice to do something different; something they never would’ve thought about doing before. These settings were always overlooked and mostly ignored but now that he found himself sitting in a field of flowers, he thought were stunning, with the boy he was madly in love with, he wanted nothing more than to stay here.

“I guess there’s something calming about them,” he responded quietly, “I know this one in particular is white, but it sort of reminds me of innocence and purity, which I also resonate with my mom a little. She always stood up against those who were cruel and unjust, so it kinda fits, y’know?”

“Do you think it fits you too?”

“Hm?”

“I once heard someone say that your favourite flower matches you.”

Cole chuckled, “well, in that case, no. You are not calm or relaxed. Ever.”

Jay looked offended, “uh, excuse me! I’m very calm and relaxed right now.”

“Mm-hmm,” Cole smirked.

Jay leaned closer to the boy beside him, Cole eventually glancing at him, their eyes locking for a moment. Their faces were so close, it was so, so easy to close the gap between them, but as much as Cole wanted to – and he could see Jay wanted it as well – he took a fleeting glance at his lips before glancing away again, a wide grin resting upon his own.

“I do have a genuine question, though,” the earth ninja finally spoke up again.

“And that is…?”

“There’s no way lilies and bluebells actually grow naturally together, right?” Cole questioned, “do you think someone planted all these here?”

“Y’know,” Jay took a moment to think about it, “what I find weirder is how this field was a part of your childhood, and it ended up being our favourite flowers.”

Cole smiled, nodding, glancing at Jay again, “exactly my thoughts.”

Out of all the people Cole could’ve fallen in love with, it had to be the guy that he nicknamed bluebell. Coincidences were possible but with something so strange and bizarre, it surely had to be more than that, right? What was the universe trying to say?

“Fate?”

They sat there for a few minutes, staring up at the clouds, and peering at the endless amount of flowers around them, before Cole finally swivelled around to face Jay.

“Alright, I need your expert tips, okay?”

Jay raised an eyebrow as Cole reached for the picnic backet he’d brought along.

“On…?”

Cole pulled out a tub, placing it in his lap and glancing up at Jay briefly to see him frowning. He lifted the lid, revealing 4 neatly decorated cupcakes.

The way Jay’s face lit up warmed Cole’s heart.

“What flavour are they?” Jay asked.

“Red velvet,” Cole responded, “I’ve been working on perfecting my cooking skills. Hence why I cooked last night.”

"Can I try one?”

He held the tub out towards the blue ninja, “well I didn’t bring them for you to just stare at.”

Jay took one out, his eyes lit up as if he’d seen the most amazing thing ever. It wasn’t that Cole was nervous or anything, but this was the first time he’d actually tried baking something. He wanted it to be Jay’s favourite – mostly because he was trying to impress him – and thought that maybe, just maybe, if he’d messed it up really badly, then they could turn baking cupcakes into a little date. Jay was a great cook, after all.

Although, as much as he was hoping for a disgusted look, he was quite happy with the satisfied expression on Jay’s face as he chewed.

“So?”

“A little under-baked…” he said between bites, “but mostly very good.”

Cole breathed a sigh of relief, “I have your approval?”

“Definitely,” he finished, “although, I may have to teach you a thing or two. My mom has a secret recipe.”

“Your mom has a secret recipe for everything,” Cole laughed.

He shrugged, grinning, “she likes cooking.”

“Might have to get her to teach me instead.”

“You have a problem with me doing it?” he raised an eyebrow cockily.

“Yeah, you’re just slightly annoying,” Cole smirked.

Jay laughed out loud - the confident laugh that always seemed to make Cole crumble - and brushed a hand through his hair. Cole found himself losing focus, watching as Jay looked into the basket at the rest of the food.

He’d attempted to go all out. It wasn’t like he had ages to plan what to make – only a few hours – but he wanted it to be somewhat special for their first date. As time would go on, they’d be able to go out in public more, and experience what other couples got to experience, but for now, it was the best thing they had. They had to make the most of it, right?

They ate, and it didn’t actually taste that bad. Jay complimented Cole’s cooking a few times – not that Cole actually cooked most of it – and they chatted about random crap like they would always do. But this time, it felt different than before. It felt surreal and carefree.

It felt nice to just be themselves.

Once they were both relatively full, Cole began packing everything away, hoping to make a bit more space for them to relax again. The sun wasn’t setting just yet luckily, which meant they still had plenty of time before wild animals would come out looking for their nightly meal.

“I’m really hoping we get to spend more time doing things like this,” Jay started, handing Cole an empty tub.

Cole glanced at him with a smile, “picnics in flower fields?”

“No, I mean, just spending time alone. That doesn’t involve missions.”

“I hope so too,” Cole nodded.

After a moment of silence, he grinned that obsessive, adorable grin before leaning towards Cole over the basket. For a minute, the earth ninja thought he was going in for a kiss, but he instead raised a hand to his dark hair, pulling lightly on a strand.

Jay’s eyes were bright blue, his cheeks tainted rose, and his skin slightly sparkly.

It was strange how the closer you were to someone, the more you were to pay attention to the tiny details about them, such as how vague the freckles on his cheeks were, or how the sunlight perfectly reflected off the few golden specks in his eyes.

Cole’s own eyes travelled to Jay’s lips, noticing how soft and gentle they looked. But before he could focus on closing the gap between them, Jay moved back slightly, bringing his hand away from Cole’s head.

“You had some grass in your hair,” he told him.

“Oh.”

Jay knew exactly what Cole was thinking.

“Can I ask you something?” he frowned, his voice a lot softer and calmer than before.

Their proximity is much closer than it was before, the basket between them being the only thing keeping them from likely being closer.

“Sure,” Cole nodded.

Jay stared at him for a moment – a comfortable gaze – but, for once, he didn’t smile. Cole couldn’t bring himself to blink.

“What are we?”

Cole’s expression went blank, shock almost filling his chest. It wasn’t like he wasn’t expecting the question to come up, but he’d be lying if he said it didn’t take him by surprise.

“Because we… haven’t really spoken about it. And I know we’ve both been thinking about it for a while – especially when you said ‘whatever we have going on’ during that mission yesterday, so I just… I don’t know,” Jay shrugged, “I just wanted some sort of confirmation.”“Confirmation?”

“Y’know like…” Jay stopped himself, glancing away awkwardly, “you know what I mean.”

Cole raised an eyebrow cockily.

“Cole…”

The earth ninja chuckled, smiling widely at him.

“You’re gonna need to be more specific,” he smirked.

Jay glared at him, “stop it.”

“C’mon.”

“It’s awkward.”

Cole chuckled again, staring at Jay in such awe and admiration that it made the blue ninja’s heart spin.

The earth ninja pushed the picnic basket out the way, trying his best to not squash any flowers that may’ve been in its path. He reached for Jay’s hand, his fingers brushing lightly against his soft skin. There was something so accelerating about the connection he had Jay. Cole considered that maybe it was because of Jay’s element, which would also explain the electric rush he felt when they kissed, but then how was he not shocked? But either way, it felt good. So good. It was almost addicting.

That’s what he spent most of last night thinking about. Not just that but, also, about what they were. They never properly discussed it last night. Yeah, they admitted they had feelings for each other, but nothing was officially said, and even now, they still hadn’t discussed it. It was pretty obvious. But confirmation was definitely needed.

Cole’s fingers traced the palm of Jay’s hand, smiling as he watched their fingers intertwine.

If you’d told Cole right on that first night at the tournament that in a few weeks he’d be holding hands with Jay in the middle of a flower field, he’d be surprised.

But he wouldn’t necessarily not believe it.

He glanced back up at the blue ninja, who was staring at him with soft eyes, the golden specks glistening once again. Oh, he could stare into them forever.

Jay was right, it was awkward. But the comforting kind of awkward.

Cole leant forward slightly, bringing his free arm up to Jay’s face, cupping his cheek. He took a moment to admire Jay’s features as Jay likely did the same – glancing between each of Cole’s eyes, and down towards his lips every so often. Gosh, everything about him was so perfect. The earth ninja found himself getting lost in the other’s gaze, like a sky of familiar longing. They really were meant to be.

He lowered Jay’s head ever so slightly, as the lightning ninja closed his eyes, and Cole planted a soft kiss on Jay’s forehead.

It wasn’t until Jay looked back up again did he realise how lucky he truly was. How on earth had this happened? How did he end up with Jay?

He smiled, his thumb stroking Jay’s cheek briefly, “if this isn’t confirmation enough for you, I don’t know what is.”

Cole leant forward more, his hand reaching to the back of Jay’s head, his fingers tangling themselves in Jay’s ginger locks as he connected their lips. That same electric feeling flowed through his veins until it reached his heart, warmth and joy causing it to beat faster.

His lips were so soft and gentle. It was like kissing a cloud.

Cole broke away for a brief moment, taking another breath, before bringing Jay in for another kiss, but this time it was even softer. The hand that once held Jay’s hand drifted towards Jay’s waist, only pulling him closer more.

There was no other way to describe it other than… just pure magic.

As Cole finally broke away again, he let out a quiet, airy chuckle. Jay tried his best to hide back a happy giggle, but the earth ninja knew he wanted to.

Cole smiled, “it’s a shame this is almost over. We could do something else tomorrow?”

“Who said it had to be over when we finished eating?” he grinned, “we have a whole field to ourselves.”

“And?”

Jay got up onto his knees, smirking as he leant towards Cole slightly. He reached a hand out to poke at Cole’s rather buff arm, before standing up properly.

“Tag.”

“Are you serious?” Cole laughed, watching him run off.

“C’mon! You’re it!” Jay called out, barely glancing behind him.

The earth ninja sighed, chuckling again, before attempting to get up himself.

He ran after him, and he wasn’t sure why he thought he’d be able to catch up to the master of lightning – the dude could literally run ten times faster than him – but Cole thought it was worth entertaining him.

They ran in circles around the field for a few minutes, Jay didn’t seem to be getting tired, but it was evident Cole was. Even after slowing down slightly, the earth ninja still hadn’t managed to catch him.

After a minute, Cole stopped to take a breath, his eyes landing on the ground, his hands resting on his knees as he attempted to get some air back into his lungs.

When it came to training, Cole was always the stronger one – no thanks to his super strength – so it was only fair Jay was better than him at something. If that meant Cole had to lose every future game of tag, then so be it.

Except when he eventually glanced back up, his eyes were met with nothing but empty space. The flowers around him waved in the wind, the sun lowering even lower than he initially remembered. He frowned, turning around, expecting Jay to jump up on him, except he was met with nothing.

How could he lose a man dressed in bright blue in a large, open green field? It made no sense.

“Jay?” he called out, half expecting the blue ninja to pop out from a hole in the ground.

Except even after calling numerous times, there was still no sight of him.

Cole began pacing up and down the field, trying hard to not let the worry set in. This was just a joke, right? There was no way he managed to lose his boyfriend in a matter of mere seconds.

He didn’t even dwell on the fact he’d just officially thought of him as his boyfriend.

Where was he?

“Jay?” and yet there was still no response.

He stopped in the middle of the field, his eyes darting around in an attempt to spot even the slightly speck of blue. He was nowhere to be seen.

“Jay, c’mon, it’s not funny anymore!” he called out again, his tone anxious.

How’d he manage to lose the loudest person he knew? He was literally a dude wearing bright blue with bright orange hair. It can’t be that hard to lose someone so obvious, right? Oh, he was going down as Ninjago’s worst partner.

He stood there for a minute, staring out into the distance, frantically trying to come up with a plan. He didn’t even have his earpiece with him – he’d left it back at the Bounty in an attempt to block out any interruptions – so he couldn’t even warn the others that Jay had gone missing.

Gosh, everything was a mess.

It wasn’t until he felt a single tap on his shoulder that he screamed and jumped forward, swinging his fist before he could properly turn around to see who it was. A familiar shriek came from the person he was now facing as his fist aggressively collided with their cheek.

Cole’s arm came flying back towards himself, shock freezing his body as he saw a man in blue bend down, holding his face.

“Jay? What the fuck?!”

For some reason, the lightning ninja burst into laughter. Usually, Cole would smile, listening to Jay’s addictive laugh, but now he just felt nothing but anger and annoyance. What had he gotten himself into?

“You worried me! I thought you got kidnapped or something!”

Jay didn’t stop laughing. And, yeah, as upset as Cole was, it was literally impossible to stay mad at him. The blue ninja had always been a jokester, it was inevitable something like this was going to happen. At least he knew Cole really cared now.

Cole huffed and grabbed his legs, chuckling him on his shoulder. He began to run back to the picnic basket, a wide grin plastered on his lips.

“Cole! Cole! Put me down!” he continued to laugh, slapping his back gently.

“Not until you apologise.”

“Never!”

“Then I guess you better get comfortable.”

As they finally reached the basket, he gently let Jay get down, smirking as he did so. Jay nudged him slightly, laughing as he did so.

“I hate you.”

Cole smiled, “no you don’t.”

At least they’d finally had a day to themselves without any interruptions. Being able to be themselves without the worry of someone walking in on them was so freeing. If only they could feel like this all the time. Perhaps when they next needed an escape, this would be their go-to spot?

Now that they were official, they could focus on each other – and any missions obviously – but mostly each other.

Keeping it a secret, for now, was going to be challenging, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t make it fun, right?

Chapter Text

Waking up in the morning was such an odd experience. For a moment you don’t realise where you are. You don’t know the day. You don’t know the time. It takes you a while to adjust to your surroundings – mostly to the difference in light – and for a very brief moment you forget your name. For some, it wasn’t until you turn over when you realised the person laying beside you.

That was the case for Jay.

It’d been almost three weeks since he and Cole officially became a couple. Although they’d never fully discussed labels, it was pretty obvious what they were by now.

They spent almost every second of every day together; playing video games, baking, or often relaxing. It probably looked very suspicious from an outside point of view but neither of them really cared. They were happy – beyond happy – and nothing could get in their way. Well, except for missions.

Although crime rates had been low, they still had the odd job and most of the time, Jay and Cole were never put on the same team. That or one of them would be sent to do a job while the other found something else to do around the Bounty. The earth ninja took that time to perfect his red velvet cupcakes, which Jay had helped him with a few days after their first date. Meanwhile, any time Jay had freed himself from the clutches of his boyfriend, he played Fist2Face. Cole said it wasn’t productive, but Jay ignored him.

For the past week, Cole found his way to Jay’s bed, cuddling up together after watching some sort of action movie that Cole would force them to watch. Jay always preferred rom coms, but the earth ninja often fell asleep halfway through them.

Jay smiled – a weak, tired smile – locking eyes with his lover. Cole’s eyes were barely open too but was clearly focussing on the boy he was holding.

“What are you doing here?” Jay whispered, grinning.

“Good morning to you too,” Cole croaked in response.

“If you get caught in here-“

“I know, I know,” he rolled his eyes, “but how many times have we been caught so far? None. So I thought I’d take my chances.”

Jay chuckled, nestling his head into the crook of Cole’s shoulder. The perks of having a muscular boyfriend were that he always had a warm pillow in arms reach. He really chose the right person to fall for.

“Besides…” Cole continued, “I barely saw you yesterday.”

Jay scoffed, “we spent all morning together.”

“Mm, I’m not counting that as enough time.”

“And you stayed in here that night too.”

“I’m hearing a lot of yapping coming from your direction.”

“I’m just saying…” Jay cut in, dragging out the ‘g’ as long as possible, “don’ you think we’re pushing out luck a bit?”

Cole’s arm moved from around Jay, swinging around to reach for the edge of the bed, while Jay’s head peeked up to see what he was doing.

“If you want me to leave-“

“No, no,” Jay reached to grab Cole’s arm, bringing it back round to support him, “you aren’t going anywhere.”

Cole chuckled, pulling his partner closer towards him, burying his head in his messy nest of hair.

“That’s what I thought.”

“Speaking of yesterday, how was the mission? You got back pretty late I’m assuming,” Jay’s voice was muffled.

“I’ll give you two guesses as to how it went.”

“Uh… it was the greatest experience of your life and if you had to choose between going on vacation to a sunny beach for a year or that mission, you’d choose the mission?” Jay grinned.

“Try again.”

A light chuckle escaped Jay’s mouth, the warmth radiating off him making Cole’s heart fuzzy (which was odd because Cole was already very warm).

“Did they get away?” Jay asked after a minute.

“No, we get them. But it was just incredibly boring.”

“At least you weren’t stuck in an abandoned building for endless hours this time.”

Cole laughed, “No, but being stuck anywhere with Kai for 20 hours is torture enough. He doesn’t stop talking.”

Jay’s head moved from its comfortable position, his eyes looking for Cole’s. The earth ninja glanced down, noticing the raised eyebrow upon his boyfriend’s face.

“Okay, there’s a very big difference between listening to you ramble about nonsense and listening to Kai talk about himself. I actually like hearing you talk.”

The soft smile that appeared on Jay’s lips was enough to wake Cole up fully. God, if he had a dime for every time the blue ninja did something he was completely obsessed with, he’d be rich. They would’ve moved out into a place of their own by now – which was a brave thought considering they’d been together for literally less than a month.

Cole groaned, placing a gentle kiss on his boyfriend’s forehead, “you’re so annoying, I hate you.”

“That kiss says otherwise.”

“Shut up.”

Jay giggled again, one of those soft, warm giggles that no one else ever seemed to do except him, or perhaps maybe Cole never paid attention to anyone else doing it.

The pair laid there for a moment staring deeply into one another’s eyes – under any other circumstances this would’ve been very awkward, but they were tired so it was excused – waiting for the first person to make a move.

It was odd how comfortable they’d gotten with each other within a month. Sure, they were close beforehand, but it was more flirting than anything else, even during the tournament. It was strange how they managed to go from hating each other one minute to being so painfully obsessed the next. Now they were inseparable.

As Cole leant forward to connect their lips, the bridge alarm sounded – only another thing the universe tried to throw in their way. It was as if the world hated them.

“Are you being serious?” Jay groaned.

Cole laughed, pulling Jay closer to him again.

“Looks like we have to get up,” he smiled.

“It’s too early for this,” the blue ninja sighed.

The earth ninja gently planted a kiss on Jay’s cheek, before nudging him away in an attempt to get him to move.

This wasn’t the first time the bridge alarm had sounded while Cole was in Jay’s room. Usually it was while they were asleep, which was incredibly unhelpful as if they were to leave the room together then everyone would know of their relationship. Now, they had a plan that Jay would leave first and Cole would arrive at the bridge a few minutes later – making sure he wasn’t spotted.

As Jay dragged himself out of bed and changed into his ninja suit, Cole took the opportunity to get a few more minutes of rest. Jay before Jay was about to leave, he scurried over to the bed to kiss Cole’s forehead, earning a light groan from the master of earth.

“Don’t leave it too long before you make an appearance, ‘kay? Don’t want anyone getting suspicious,” Jay told him as he glanced down at his boyfriend covered in the sheets.

“Mhm.”

“I mean it because last time it took you five minutes.”

“I just needed to rest my eyes a bit…”

Before Cole could get another moment’s peace, his head was hit at such a force that almost knocked him out cold. His eyes shot open, met with the look of his annoyed boyfriend, holding a pillow he’d previously been laying on.

“Get up.”

“I’m getting up,” Cole groaned, raising a hand to his head where the pillow had just come into contact.

As Jay made his way down the corridor, he ruffled his hair, trying to get it to look at least a little presentable, his eyes slightly squinted to try adapt to the lighting change. It wasn’t too early in the morning, so it wasn’t quite that painful, but it still felt way too early to be up and running. He just hoped Cole was actually getting ready.

As he entered the room, the rest of the team were already there, chatting amongst themselves. It was a mystery how they always seemed to look presentable whereas Jay almost always looked as if he’d just dragged himself out of bed (9 times out of 10 that was the case).

Wu stood across the room, talking to Lloyd probably about the mission. It didn’t take long for Cole to wander in too, nudging Jay’s shoulder slightly to catch his attention. Once their mater had realised everyone was present, he began the meeting.

“Sorry to wake you all, but there’s been an update on the jewellery stealer overnight. The Police Commissioner received a complaint about alarms going off downtown Ninjago City late last night and sent a crew to investigate. Fortunately for us, they managed to track the criminals that broke into the jewellers and have sent us the address of what likely is their home. It’s best we head over there before he makes a run for it again,” Wu explained slowly, making sure the team were taking in every word.

“So what are we supposed to do exactly?” Kai was the first to speak up, “just walk in there and arrest them?”

“That’s too simple,” Lloyd cut in.

“Well,” Wu cleared his throat, “there’s not really much else we can do besides arrest them. The Police Commissioner has a crew on their way already, it would just be a case of breaking in and had-cuffing them before searching the apartment.”

“Do we really need a whole team for that?” Cole questioned.

“No, that’s why Lloyd and Nya are going to go. You four have been working hard recently so you should have a days break.”

“Oh. How generous,” Kai muttered to the nindroid by his side.

Just as the group were about to head off in their own directions – probably back to bed – Wu cleared his throat again to grab their attention.

“Since all of you are here, there is something I must say.”

“What is it, Master?” Zane asked with a curious tone.

“I’m retiring.”

For a moment the room was dead silent, expressions of both confusion and shock written on everyone’s faces. Jay and Cole exchanged glances.

“What do you mean?” Kai questioned.

"You can’t retire. You’re our teacher,” Zane frowned.

Wu nodded, “well, there’s not really anything I can teach you anymore. You’re all very skilled ninja. It’s about time I, too, have a break.”

“So, what are you going to do? Are you still gonna live on the Bounty?” Lloyd asked.

“Of course. I’ve decided to open up a tea shop.”

“A tea shop?” Jay questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“I guess it’s on brand…” Nya shrugged.

“And I thought, considering crime has been at an all-time low lately, you could all help me,” Wu added.

A few groans escaped the team’s mouths. Although they understood where their master was coming from, and they respected that he wanted to retire, it still felt weird – especially if he wanted them to also work there.

Wu deserved a break more than anyone. He was over a thousand years old, he’d seen and experienced so much – more than the ninja could imagine – so of course they weren’t annoyed about him wanting to quit.

As Nya and Lloyd headed off on the mission – the mission of which Jay and Cole had failed multiple times – the rest of the team headed to the kitchen to get breakfast. The boyfriends offered to make pancakes while they chatted with Kai and Zane.

Wu was their master – their teacher – it was bound to hit them hard that they were no longer his students. It felt odd to hear even though they knew it would come sooner or later.

Kai sighed, leaning his arm on the counter in front of him. Zane gave him a reassuring smile. Cole stirred the mixture in a large glass bowl while Jay prepared some fruit beside him.

“I can’t believe he’s going to work in a tea shop,” Kai groaned.

“Can you really blame him, Kai? It’s like he said, we haven’t needed him for a while. I’m sure he’d rather do something he wants than sit around here and wait,” Cole glanced up at his friend.

“I know that, but why a tea shop of all places? Doesn’t he want to go on vacation to some cool remote location or something? Working in a shop is hardly retirement,” Kai shrugged.

“He’s retiring from being a ninja master, not from life in general,” Zane told him.

“Still sounds lame.”

“I’m glad he’s doing something he wants to do, at least,” Jay spoke up finally.

Kai sighed again, placing his head in his hands.

“I get that,” he said, “But why do we have to work there? I can’t think of anything worse than spending your life working in a shop.”

“There’s a lot of worse jobs out there, Kai,” Zane smiled.

“Also, didn’t you spend pretty much your whole childhood working in a shop?” Cole raised an eyebrow.

Kai fell silent, smiles creeping up onto both Jay and Zane’s lips. The fire ninja shrugged and glared at Cole.

“Yeah, but that was different. And more fun.”

“It’s not like we have anything better to do with our time anyway,” Jay said, “besides, we might get paid for it.”

“Yeah, like a cent an hour.”

“Kai,” Zane sighed, placing a hand on his shoulder again, “try to be positive. We should be happy for him.”

“Hey, I am happy for him. I’m just not happy that we’re being dragged into it,” he shrugged off Zane’s hand.

Cole glanced at Jay for a brief moment, a warm smile appearing on his lips as he noticed the charmed look upon his boyfriend’s face. For a moment, the lightning ninja stepped back to grab a punnet of strawberries from the counter behind him.

“Don’t you think it’s a little odd that we’re always somehow involved in whatever he does?” Kai spoke up again, sitting up properly, “I know that we’re his students but to think we never would’ve even met if it wasn’t for him getting us involved in his business, is weird.”

The masters of earth and lightning shared looks of discomfort, trying their best to not let on. To be fair, they never really had thought of it. If Wu hadn’t approached them all, encouraging them to join his ninja team – which thinking about it now sounded a bit odd – they never wouldn’t met at all. Every single one of the ninja lived such different lives. Kai and Nya would’ve spent their entire lives running that blacksmith shop, Jay would’ve been helping with his parents’ business at the scrap yard, Zane never would’ve known anyone, Cole would’ve been at a performing arts school, and Lloyd… well, he would’ve been evil.

But as much as they all had Wu to thank for bringing them all together, he was still the reason for all of their suffering.

Although, if they’d never been approached, Jay and Cole never would’ve met. They never would’ve been together.

“I think you’re overthinking it,” Zane placed a reassuring hand on Kai’s shoulder.

The fire ninja shrugged off his touch, “Not really. You’re logical, Zane, don’t you think it seems pretty repetitive?

“I’m sure Wu doesn’t mean anything cruel by it,” Cole cut in, breaking eye contact from his boyfriend, “he’s always done his best to care for us.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I love Wu, he’s like a father to us, but I still do think he should draw a line at what we should be involved in,” the fire ninja added.

Jay shrugged, starting to chop the strawberries, his eyes focused on the cutting board, "I can see where Kai is coming from..."

The earth ninja turned back to look at the boy in blue, "hm?”

“I’m more than happy to help Wu with whatever, I mean, after all it was still our choice to join the team. But we’re still only teenagers, we’re still living our childhood.”

“Plus, we signed up to be ninja, not to work in some dumb tea shop,” Kai nodded.

“Hey,” Cole’s tone sounded sharper than intended, “have some respect. Wu’s done a lot for us, the least we can do is help out, paid or not. I, for one, don’t mind it. I’m pretty tired of laying around doing nothing.”

Jay frowned, raising his hand up to slap Cole’s arm gently, “Oi, I thought you enjoyed playing video games with me.”

“I do,” Cole leaned towards him, “but not every single moment of every day.”

Kai sighed, placing his head back in his hands as he watched Jay’s chopping intently.

“You’re only saying that because you keep losing,” the lightning ninja muttered.

Cole scoffed, “no, it just gets boring.”

A smirk appeared on Jay’s lips, “if I knew I was boring you then I could’ve made better plans. Like making out.”

The fire ninja’s head shot up to see Cole shoving Jay to the side. The couple could feel both Zane and Kai’s eyes on them but decided to ignore it. As much as they were trying to keep quiet about their relationship, they agreed to not keep it entirely a secret. There was nothing fun about feeling as though you were trapped. Without outright saying anything, they’d be fine, right? Even if they received a few confused glances every now and then.

Although, this was the first time anything like that had been said in front of the others, and it wasn’t exactly something discrete. They just hoped the two would put it down to ‘playful banter’.

The masters of ice and fire shared a baffled glance, Zane quickly shrugging it off.

As the pancakes were finishing up cooking, Kai took the opportunity to move the conversation back to its original subject.

“Whatever happens with this tea shop, I just hope we still get a break.”

Zane nodded, “me too. It’s nice being able to relax.”

“It doesn’t feel like the tournament was that long ago,” Cole agreed, “does time usually go this quickly?”

“Only when you spend so much time watching movies until you fall asleep in my bed,” Jay tried to speak quietly. Except, it still managed to catch attention.

“What?” Kai raised an eyebrow, Zane sharing a similar look of surprise.

Cole shot a glare at his boyfriend before smiling at the other two people in the room.

“He’s joking.”

“Uh huh…” Kai watched them intently.

The four continued talking for what felt like hours, sharing pancakes – and the fruit Jay had cut horrendously – discussing the tea shop and various other subjects, such as the current mission. There were no other ‘subtle’ hints towards Jay and Cole’s relationship, so they just hoped the other two would leave it. Trying to be discrete was difficult when Jay was making it so damn obvious (not that Cole really minded).

Once the group had finished eating, Zane and Kai offered to clean up, leaving them with some alone time to think about everything that’d been discussed.

“So… did that seem weird to you or…?” Kai began, taking a dirty dish from Zane.

The nindroid frowned, “what was?”

“Jay’s comments.”

“About?”

“Dude, did you not hear what he said?” Kai raised an eyebrow.

“He was agreeing with you, was he not?”

“What?”

“About the tea shop.”

Kai sighed, “no, Zane, I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about those flirty comments he made towards Cole.”

“Oh,” Zane breathed as he passed the fire ninja another plate, “well, I just assumed that was what you called ‘banter’.”

“No, that was like… straight up flirting, I swear.”

“Can you remind me of what was said?” Zane asked politely.

“Offering to make out with him? Saying Cole’s been falling asleep in his bed?”

Zane took a moment to think, frowning briefly. Kai turned to face him, drying his hands with a towel.

“I suppose falling asleep in each other’s beds can be seen as friendly, especially if he just so happened to drift off but… well… the making out? I can’t exactly see why that wouldn’t be romantic,” Zane explained.

“Exactly!”

"What are you trying to say, Kai?”

“There’s clearly something going on between those two,” the fire ninja told him, “they’ve been inseparable for ages, and even at the tournament, they were super close. They’re so touchy with each other and now the flirting? It’s so obvious.”

Zane frowned, “I’m confused as to why you care so much. If there is something going on between them, is it really any of our business?”

“It’s sort of our business if they’re flirting in front of us.”

“And that’s an issue because…?”

“It’s not an issue, it’s just it would be nice if they told us what’s going on.”

“Again, I can’t see how it’s our business,” the nindroid continued, “whatever happens between them has nothing to do with us. If they want to keep their relationship quiet, then they can. Just because they’re our friends doesn’t mean they have to tell us. And, it doesn’t mean they have to hide it entirely.”

“I know,” Kai sighed, “I just thought they trusted us enough to tell us, that’s all.”

Zane gave him a reassuring smile, “I’m sure they’ll tell us when they’re ready. For now, we should stop speculating.”

“Aye, aye, captain,” Kai saluted the nindroid with a slightly defeated smile.

Neither of them were upset about the two potentially being together, nor did they necessarily care, but it did seem intriguing that they ended up together out of everyone. Not too long ago, they were fighting for Nya, fighting against each other, and now they were making flirting jokes? It was crazy.

Although, perhaps since they were making those comments in front of them then they did trust them enough. Kai could never imagine them joking around like that in front of Nya, especially not this soon, so at least he had that to comfort him.

But now he was just thinking about something else…

Jay and Cole had been making out?!

Chapter Text

The sunset over the horizon was something the ninja truly cherished. They often went for nightly strolls along the city harbour or went for quick flights on their elemental dragons. The pretty blues, oranges and pinks of the sky always reminded them of the freedom they so rarely got but enjoyed.

However, this time, the ninja weren’t there by choice.

Since the Tournament of Elements, the ninja team had spent months waiting for something big to happen again, whether that be snakes, skeletons, or maybe even zombies. This time it was a quiet side mission to capture a large fish attacking fishing boats just off the coast of the city of Stiix. The whole team likely wasn’t needed, but it was much better than helping set up Wu’s tea shop.

Five elemental dragons soared across the vast ocean, a bright green energy dragon leading slightly ahead. However, that didn’t last long before the fire ninja decided to overtake with a chesty laugh.

“Getting ahead of yourself, Kai?” Lloyd called out with a smile, “I’m leading this charge.”

Pulling gently on his reigns, Lloyd’s dragon sped up, cutting in close behind the fire dragon. The two raced off, swerving in and out of each other until the energy dragon’s wing sliced across the water, splashing the red ninja. Kai screeched.

From behind, the lightning master let out a laugh.

“That’s one way to cool off a hothead,” Jay chuckled.

Kai took the moment to look back at his friend, “Hey! Nobody messes up my hair.”

Soaring on once again, Kai’s dragon swooped down, its wings, too, crashing against the waves. A splash of salty water hit Zane, causing him to cough.

Cole laughed, pulling up beside the nindroid, “you okay there, Zane?”

“Affirmative,” Zane grinned, “it’ll take more than a little water to take me out.”

“What about a big fish?” Jay’s tone shifted to panic, looking behind him and pointing towards the sea, “incoming!”

‘Big’ was an understatement. When the group had been told about a large fish attacking boats, they expected nothing bigger than a shark. However, this fish was enormous. It was bigger than all of their dragons combined.

The creature followed closely behind the ninja, chasing them up and down the current. Every now and then it would leap out of the water, attempting to snatch one of the elemental dragons.

“There he blows!” Cole exclaimed.

“This looks like the one,” Zane smiled.

Lloyd nodded, “and now that he’s taken the bait, we can reel him in and get him to the aquarium.”

As they continued heading back towards the village’s harbour, the dragons continued swerving around, trying to distract the fish as much as possible, and to prevent it completely swallowing them alive.

“Let me guess, Kai, you caught that one big once?” Jay questioned with a slight chuckle.

"Hell no!" Kai grinned, "he was twice the size.”

The monster leaped out of the water, aiming for the tail of Kai’s dragon, who only narrowly missed.

Jay smiled, “he’s almost as hungry as you, Cole.”

The earth ninja laughed, “and twice as ugly as you, Jay.”

“Was that a compliment?” the man in blue raised an eyebrow.

As the team laughed and joked around, Lloyd glanced back at them with a wide grin.

“It’s time for the catch of the day,” he beamed, pointing towards a small fishing boat in the distance, “in line formation!”

All the elemental dragons lined up behind Lloyd, aiming straight for the boat ahead of them. Taking glances back every now and then, they did their best to stay in formation. When finally approaching the fishing boat, Lloyd called to debunk the arrangement, the team finally taking a last-minute split above the boat. The fish leapt up out of the water and landed aggressively onto the boat.

Back at the harbour, the ninja were praised for their ‘bravery’ and help, which of course they could never turn down. They helped to move the creature into a large tank, ready for transportation.

With a little persuasion, the five decided to take a picture in front of the tank, wide smiles written all over their faces as they looked at their accomplishment. The camera man stepped back to try fit everyone in while Kai rested his elbow on Zane’s shoulder and Cole wrapped an arm around his boyfriend. Lloyd stood in the middle with a sweet grin.

On the way back to where Wu had set up his tea shop, Steeper Wisdom, they all joked and laughed about their victory, discussing how slow missions had been lately. Unfortunately, their fun was brought to an end as soon as they arrived at their destination.

Wu strolled out to the team as they landed their dragons with a large box in hand.

“You need to find customers,” Wu stated, holding out the box so the team could see it.

As their dragons disappeared, they all made their way over to their master.

“No hello? How’s it going? Glad to hear you saved the day?” Jay questioned, “Again?”

Cole hopped down off his dragon beside Jay, “yeah, sensei, we’re all a bit tired. Do you mind if we handle this tomorrow?”

“We will all have a share if this business succeeds,” Wu gave them a simple smile, “how else do you expect me to be able to afford all your new uniforms? Which reminds me…”

He placed the box down in front of him and knelt down to open it.

“Your new ones have arrived.”

Kai beamed, “what do they look like now?”

“Sweet!” Jay exclaimed.

“I bet they’re off the hook,” Cole grinned.

Although, when Wu held up the new uniforms, the ninja were met with a crème and blue t-shirt, with the logo of the shop (a blue teapot) on the front.

Zane frowned and took a step towards it, “those do not appear to be ninja uniforms. They resemble work attire.”

“Very observant, Zane, we must focus on furthering brand awareness,” Wu reached back into the box, pulling out a stack of paper, “and here are the leaflets I want each of you to pass out in the city.”

He handed them all a stack each, a print of Wu holding a teapot on them all.

Jay groaned, “if I have to pass all these out, I may be the one passed out.”

Once Wu had given them all a pep talk, and set out the rules, the team headed towards the city. Wu had made it very clear that the ninja weren’t allowed to use their powers and that they had to be polite – which sounded easy enough – however since they already looked stupid in these uniforms (including a teapot on their head) they thought maybe they’d be at least allowed to look cool using their elemental powers. But whatever their boss said they had to follow…

Luckily for Lloyd, he got called on a mission, leaving the OG four to head out with their fliers.

"Steep Wisdom,” Kai grinned awkwardly, trying to hand a stranger a leaflet, “enlightenment in a cup!”

“Steep Wisdom? Never heard of it,” she responded rudely, throwing the leaflet onto the ground.

Cole was stood on the opposite side of the road, attempting to get the attention of passing workers, “best tea shop in all of Ninjago!”

Neither Zane or Jay were doing well either.

“First cup is free! With the flier…” Zane sighed.

Jay followed behind a ginger girl, holding the leaflet out towards her, “why won’t you take the flier? Just take the flier!”

Starting to admit defeat, the ninja headed back towards the centre of the roundabout, a handful of leaflets still left.

“It’s as if I’m passing out a communicable disease,” Jay rolled his eyes, “I mean, sure I have chapped lips, but it’s not contagious.”

Cole glanced at Jay with a slight smirk, earning a light nudge from the boy in blue.

Kai narrowed his eyes at the two briefly, “yeah, probably from all that making out you were planning on doing.”

Both Cole and Jay stared at him blankly for a moment while Zane cleared his throat.

“Maybe if we use our powers, we could get this over with?” Cole suggested.

Zane looked uneasy, “but sensei gave us strict instructions not to use our elemental powers.”

“Well… sensei’s not here and what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. I’m in. Is everyone else?” Kai smirked.

The other three agreed, leading to them heading off in different directions. Jay and Cole went right while Kai and Zane went left, attempting to tackle the busiest places around the roundabout.

As the masters of fire and ice were walking, Kai took the opportunity to look back at the other two, watching as Cole shoved Jay into the road with a laugh. They continued shoving one another around a little before the earth ninja pulled in the master of lightning, wrapping an arm around his torso.

“Ugh,” Kai groaned, “they’re being so obvious!”

Zane raised an eyebrow and glanced at his friend, “Who is? What are you talking about?”

“Jay and Cole. They’re practically flirting again.”

Zane sighed, “I thought we were done with that conversation weeks ago? Whatever is happening between Jay and Cole is-“

“Their business, I know, I know,” Kai swatted a hand in the nindroid’s face, “but if they really are together and are keeping it a secret, they’re not doing a very good job, especially not in public.”

“Who said they were keeping it a secret? And, like I said before, they may not even be together,” Zane added.

“Have you even looked at them, Zane? They’re clearly something. Even if they’re not together, they will be in a matter of time.”

“It’s not right for us to speculate.”

“You’re such a killjoy, Zane.”

Jay and Cole continued strolling across the roads, heading towards the north facing street. The earth ninja’s hand was firmly around Jay’s torso, holding him close towards him.

“We really aren’t very good at keeping us a secret,” Jay chuckled quietly.

“You really think the other two are onto us? Surely they would’ve said something by now if they did.”

“I guess. That or they’re judging.”

“Or jealous.”

Jay laughed, shoving Cole away, “as if.”

The two stepped out into another street, neither of them looking before crossing. Before they could react properly, Cole spotted a car heading straight for the pair. He shoved Jay behind him, attempting to stop the car with his super strength as soon as it approached. The lightning ninja was taken by surprise but was prepared to help. Luckily, the driver had spotted the two and had come to an emergency stop less than almost a metre away.

“Hey, young man, watch where you’re going!” the driver exclaimed.

Taking the opportunity, the earth ninja knelt down, pushing his hands underneath the car. Before they knew it, Cole was completely underneath, holding the vehicle up with only his bare hands.

“Put me down!!’ the driver wailed.

Jay watched in amazement as Cole didn’t even struggle, a small crowd forming around them.

“Getting tired? Need a pick-me-up? Then head to Steep Wisdom,” he glanced at his boyfriend briefly, shooting him a wink.

The lightning ninja headed towards the nearest power generator, placing his hands on the wires. He sent a light current through them and to the nearby billboards, changing all the advertisements to show the Steep Wisdom logo.

Before the team could take in all the attention, the billboards switched back to normal, Kai could no longer use his fire, and Zane’s dragon disintegrated.

“My powers aren’t working!” Kai called out across the street.

“Mine either!” Jay cried.

Cole frowned, still holding the car above his head, “what do you mean your powers aren’t-“

In a matter of seconds, Cole fell, the vehicle landing on top of him with a thud. Cole screeched in pain as both Jay and Kai rushed over.

The masters of fire and lightning lifted the car enough for Cole to pull himself out. He got onto one knee, trying to catch his breath while Jay placed a supportive hand on his shoulder.

“I told you we shouldn’t have used our powers,” Zane sighed.

“What powers?” Jay questioned, “Where did they go? We’ve gotta go see Wu.”

The ninja hadn’t had their powers for long and yet it felt like they just couldn’t stop losing them. Except, last time there was a good reason for it. What could possibly be wrong this time? Did Wu know they were using their powers and somehow shut them down?

When they finally arrived back at the tea shop, the sun had fully set and dark clouds had appeared in the sky. It was pretty normal for Ninjago to be gloomy, especially this area, but it definitely reflected on the team’s mood.

“Sensei, we were getting the word out-“ Kai began.

Cole cut in, “and then there was this wind.”

“And our powers disappeared,” Zane sounded defeated.

“You were using your powers?!” Wu exclaimed.

Jay rolled his eyes, “yeah, I know we’re horrible students, but what happened to them?”

Wu gasped, “if your powers are gone, then something must’ve happened to-“

Suddenly a strong gust of wind swept through the doors of the shop, the dark clouds in the sky growing ever darker. Leaves blew around, almost looking as if it were some sort of mild hurricane.

In the distance, a figure in dark green could be spotted, having black hair and a devilish grin.

“Is that Lloyd?” Kai questioned.

“I know that wind,” Wu spoke quietly, holding his hat down, “that’s not Lloyd.”

The ninja rushed outside, confused to see their friend looking slightly different.

“Step aside,” he snarled, his voice, a lot deeper than usual.

“Lloyd, what’s wrong with you?” Jay called out, his voice being drowned mostly by the strong wind.

“I want a word with your master,” he bellowed.

“Woah, Lloyd’s gone through puberty,” Jay whispered to his boyfriend.

Cole shrugged, “what’s gotten into him?”

“I sense some kind of foreign entity has taken over his body,” Zane spoke up, “so the question isn’t what… but who’s gotten into him?”

“Whoever you are, whatever beef you have with sensei, you have with us. Give us back our friend,” Kai spoke sternly.

Lloyd laughed.

“How are we supposed to fight our friend?” Cole questioned.

“Let me show you,” Lloyd snarled again, sprinting towards the four, using the wind behind him to push. Sending a strong gust towards the ninja, the team were sent flying back into the shop. Kai hit a beam on the shop doorway, Zane hit a full force, and Jay landed on his back on the ground not too far from Kai, with Cole landing on top of him. Jay grunted at Cole’s body weight on top of him, the earth ninja being a lot heavier.

Cole pushed himself off, his eyes meeting Jay’s slightly pained ones.

“You okay?”

Jay nodded, reaching out his hand for Cole to take. The earth ninja grabbed it, pulling him up towards him.

The blue ninja sighed, “we don’t have powers, but he does?”

The four charged at this new master of wind, only finding themselves knocked back again by another strong gust. Only this time, Cole was blasted into a wall and he fell to the ground with a thud.

“Cole!” Jay called out.

The earth ninja managed to get himself up, ignoring the throbbing pain in his arm. He glanced at Jay briefly, giving him a comforting smile so as to not worry him.

“We may not be able to use our powers, but do know a thing called Spinjitzu,” Cole grinned before spinning towards their enemy, but yet again, he was sent flying into the wall, only stronger this time, by the wind.

Jay rushed over towards him, gently grabbing his arm and pulling up onto his knees. Cole looked in pain, his lips wearing a smile but his eyes showing nothing but agony.

“Are you hurt?” Jay asked. It was a stupid question, he already knew the answer.

Cole shook his head, putting his left hand in Jay’s. The blue ninja pulled him back up onto his feet with a stumble.

“He can control wind?!” Kai exclaimed from behind.

Zane stepped forward, his silver shurikens in hand.

Their enemy laughed, “shurikens? Cute. Try this one for size.”

He shot his arm towards his left, aiming his wind current at the wooden windmill across from them. The blades detached, Lloyd aiming it directly at the ninja. With unimaginable force, the wooden blades fell down on top of the ninja, sending them in different directions. Cole grabbed Jay’s arm as they flew, landing beside each other at such a force that winded them. Jay coughed violently, Cole weakly reaching for his hand.

The earth ninja managed to push himself up onto his arms, edging closing to his partner, placing a hand gently on his back. Once Jay had stopped coughing, he turned to Cole, a worried expression written on his face.

“What do we do?” he asked croakily.

“I… don’t know,” Cole shrugged, his eyebrows furrowed in concern.

Their enemy headed inside the shop towards Wu and Nya were. The door slammed behind them, the wind still wailing outside, making it difficult to move around even the slightest.

“Is everyone okay?” Zane called out, hoping for at least one answer.

Cole glanced over in his direction, a comforting hand still on his boyfriend’s back.

Suddenly, the door to the shop flung open and Nya and Wu rushed out, shouting to aim for the Destiny’s Bounty.

It wasn’t often that the ninja accepted defeat – or not really ever – but they simple couldn’t fight someone who was ten times stronger than them, and just so happened to be in their friend’s body. Considering multiple members of the group were already injured, the only safe thing to do was retreat.

Kai snarled, “I am not running away from Lloyd.”

"We won’t win this fight today,” Wu told him.

Everyone headed towards their flying ship, hoping to get there before their enemy surfaced.

The Bounty took flight, the wind working only against them. Just as they thought they were finally getting away, a strong gust of wind attempted to pull them back down towards the ground. Glancing over the edge, Kai spotted their foe using his elemental power to sabotage them.

With great difficulty, Nya hit the thrusters. The Bounty began to soar away from the strong gusts and out of reach of the master of wind.

“That was close,” Nya took a deep breath, “the coast is clear.”

The four ninja stood by her, staring at the stats on the screen. Cole held his throbbing arm, trying not to make it look like he was in pain, yet Jay could easily tell.

Jay sighed in anger, “spell it, sensei. What just happened back there and what have they done to our friend?”

“Yeah, who was that?” Cole questioned.

Wu stared at them in disbelief for a moment, likely thinking of whether he could come up with some sort of lie. Yet nothing that came to his mind would ever come good enough than the truth.

“You four were not my first pupils. There was one before you.”

The OG ninja shared confused expressions, glancing at their master in betrayal.

“Morro. The master of wind.”

“Something’s approaching,” Nya cut him off, catching everyone’s attention.

The team headed onto the main deck, keeping an eye out for their enemy. The sky was a deep, mysterious blue, with angry black clouds surrounding them.

Shortly, in the distance, a dark green dragon soared above, aiming for their direction.

Cole grabbed Jay’s shoulder briefly, “the canons!”

Breaking from his boyfriend’s grip, the lightning ninja headed for the ship’s newly built canons. Since he had some free time recently, Jay decided it’d be best to give the Destiny’s Bounty some new upgrades, and it was a good job he did. They really seemed to need it.

He jumped up onto the seat and grasped onto the handles. He narrowed his eyes, focusing intently on the sky and where he was pointing the large gun. As Morro’s dragon swerved between the canons, Jay continued shooting, hoping he’d get at least one on target.

Morro ranged out, his dragon sending a blast of acid wind towards the ship, which Nya only narrowly managed to miss. They rapidly turned left, causing Jay to fall out of his seat.

He took a deep breath, “let me get this straight. You’re just telling us now that you had another pupil before us and now his cursed spirit has possessed Lloyd all so that he could take your staff?!”

Wu was stood to his right, before glancing down at his staff, “Morro won’t stop until he gets what he’s after. There’s a secret message engraved on it. All these years, I had no idea.”

“Oh, of course, just another day in Ninjago,” Jay’s voice pitched higher, panic filling his veins.

Morro’s dragon edged closer to them, coming right up the side of the ship.

Cole stepped beside his boyfriend, “if this is as fast as the Bounty goes, I think we’re in for some serious trouble.”

The wind dragon headed for the top of the ship and disappeared within a matter of seconds, Lloyd’s – or Morro’s? – body falling down to the deck. He landed on one knee, a fist on the wooden boarding. It didn’t take him long to get into fighting stance, a corrupt laugh escaping his mouth.

Zane stepped in front of Wu, guarding him as best he could.

“I need ink and parchment paper,” Wu stated, gripping his staff tighter, “to make an imprint to see what’s on the staff.”

“Kai and I will take you to our quarters while Jay and Cole will keep him busy,” Zane stated, grasping on lightly to the old man’s arm.

The masters of fire and ice headed towards the stairs of the ship with their master while Jay and Cole stood looking slightly defeated.

“Oh, that’s honourable of you to nominate us,” Cole complained.

Jay stepped forward, “yeah, we didn’t fare so hot last time, why is it you who gets the easy task?”

“Because I’m the intelligent one,” Zane smiled before disappearing under the deck.

“It’s alright,” Cole turned back to the blue ninja, “we can take him.”

The two drew their swords, sprinting towards their foe. Using two blades that he’d somehow made appear out of thin air, Morro started attacking them both, knocking them both down and kicking them into the metal beam behind them. However, unlike last time, this didn’t stop them. The pair got back up, aiming right for him again. Managing to grab a hold of Cole’s arm, Morro lifted him and hurled him back towards the beam. The earth ninja fell to the deck with a thud and a grunt, catching Jay’s attention.

Before he could act on it, a rounded shuriken spun their way, wrapping around one of Morro’s swords and sending it flying out of his hand.

They all turned round to see Samurai X stood behind them in full gear. She reached her hand out to catch her shuriken, however, Morro’s sword, too, flew in her direction. Without enough time to think, she ducked, the sword smashing straight through the window of the Bounty and into the generator box.

“Oh crap,” she spoke, staring at the damage.

All of a sudden, the ship began tilting sideways, all the lights flickering and the sails beginning to close.

As the three team members slipped and aimed straight for the edge of the ship, grabbing onto the side panels, Morro took the opportunity to head below deck.

“What do we do?!” Cole exclaimed, “we’ll crash if we don’t stabilise the Bounty!”

With all her might, Nya pulled herself up back onto the deck and jumped towards the ship’s main room. Hauling herself through the door of the room, she aimed for the steering wheel, trying her best to pull it to turn the ship upwards.

Jay and Cole remained hanging onto the edge as best they could, although one of Jay’s hands was beginning to slip. Wrapping his fingers around the top edge of the panel, Cole pushed himself up and just about back onto the deck. He reached down to grab Jay’s wrist in just the nick of time.

As the wind pushed the Bounty sideways again, they fell backwards, Jay landing on top of Cole. Suddenly, the ship started lunging towards the ground, sending them both flying into the metal beam once again.

Cole bashed into Jay, crushing him between him and the beam.

“Shit, Jay, are you okay?” the earth ninja croaked, pushing himself up to check on him.

Jay nodded, trying his best to push himself up too, “I’ll be surprised if I haven’t broken a rib.”

Cole grabbed Jay’s hand, them both working together to reach the main room where Nya was. It wasn’t until they reached it did they notice their situation.

Their ship was aiming directly for a large mountain, and if they were to hit it, it would likely lead to the worst. Nya’s hands were wrapped around the wheel, trying with everything she could to pull it towards her.

“Are you aiming for that mountain?!” Jay exclaimed.

“Trying to rise above it,” she coughed, “a little help?”

The boys stepped to each side of her, grabbing onto the wheel too.

If they weren’t so busy worrying about potentially dying, the two would’ve thought more about the fact they were alone with Nya. They hadn’t spoken to her often since the end of the tournament. They didn’t really have a reason to. Cole wasn’t on bad terms with her – they spoke a few times – but Jay tried to avoid her at all costs, so they’d not had an actual conversation just yet.

The three pulled aggressively on the wheel, leaning back as far as they could. With enough might, they managed to tilt the ship up, only mildly hitting the tip of the mountain. As the ship levelled out, the three let go of the wheel, flying into the broken window.

Nya fell right through the crack, hitting the ship’s deck. Cole hit an uncracked part of the window, landing on his stomach next to the ship’s control buttons. Jay, however, managed to land on his back on a pile of glass, screaming as he did so.

“Shit, Jay!” Cole yelled, rushing to his side.

He helped his boyfriend up, very little damage had been done besides a few cuts to the back of his gi.

“Are you hurt?”

“Not badly, I’ll be fine,” Jay croaked, his hand raising to his throbbing forehead.

Cole gave him a reassuring smile, his hand slipping from Jay’s arm down to his hand. As Nya rushed in again, Cole pulled Jay up, trying not to look suspicious.

The couple headed straight for the wheel, trying to pull the ship to steady. Nya rushed to the controls, doing her best to save the ship from crashing. The lights flickered again, the screens, too, flashing in and out.

“Primary thrusters destabilised!” Nya shouted, “better hold on!”

“What does it look like we’re doing?!” Jay exclaimed in return.

But no matter what they did, the ship wouldn’t tilt back up. The world below them became so much clearer, not a cloud in sight, but trees only growing closer and closer.

Eventually the ship came to a stop, smashing into the ground beneath them.

After checking everyone was okay, and checking whether the engine was still working, they were met with disappointment. Deciding to set up camp for the night was the only option. However, while everyone else setup and searching for food, Cole’s main priority was cleaning up Jay’s back.

Luckily, the ship wasn’t too damaged. They headed to the medical room onboard to search for bandages and alcohol wipes. Since they were bound to be on a long mission now, at least they could have this little time alone together.

Jay hopped up onto the medical bed while Cole rummaged around in the drawers, trying to find something to clean Jay up with.

“You’re gonna have to take off the top half of your gi so I can get to your back,” Cole stated, picking up a pack of alcohol wipes.

As the earth ninja finished rummaging, Jay unwrapped his gi, pulling it down past his shoulders. He sat patiently as Cole made his way to the back of the bed, wipes and bandages in hand. Cole smiled, placing a hand gently on Jay’s shoulder.

“I didn’t realise you were so muscular,” he grinned.

“Shut it, you,” Jay rolled his eyes, “why do you think I don’t tend to walk around shirtless like you.”

“Hey, I don’t walk around shirtless. Besides, with muscles like these, why wouldn’t you want to show them off?” Cole asked.

Jay shrugged, “I just don’t feel a need to. It feels private, y’know?”

There was a moment of silence before Cole leant forward and placed a gentle kiss on Jay’s shoulder.

“I get you.”

Cole took an alcohol wipe out of the packet and started rubbing it across Jay’s back, attempting to clear up any blood. Jay winced in pain.

“Sorry.”

“You need to stay still,” Cole told him, putting his free hand back on Jay’s shoulder firmly, providing not only comfort but to keep him grounded.

“How is it looking?”

“You’re lucky there’s nothing deep. I don’t think any glass actually got in, but rather just scraped it. You should be good if I put some cream on it.”

It was nice to have each other whenever they were hurt. Being ninja, they often got injured, and more than often it was cuts they couldn’t quite clean themselves. Sure, friends could also help, but being boyfriends meant there was no awkwardness, and the closeness just felt so… surreal. It was somewhat calming.

Once Cole had finished cleaning up Jay’s back and applying cream to the cut areas, he headed round to the front of the bed, his eyes meeting with Jay’s. With a soft smile, Cole placed his equipment down beside Jay, raising a hand up towards his boyfriend’s forehead.

He brushed Jay’s ginger bangs out of the way, brushing a finger gently across one specific spot. Jay winced again.

“I didn’t even realise there was one there,” Jay chuckled quietly.

Cole didn’t respond, only let out a light laugh. Without saying anything, he took out another wipe. As the earth ninja focused on cleaning the cut, Jay’s eyes lay on Cole’s golden-speckled eyes. And, just for a moment, the world stopped spinning. Placing his hand back on Jay’s shoulder caringly, the black ninja couldn’t help but steal a glance at Jay’s lips. They both giggled lightly.

Weirdly, this wasn’t the first time they’d been in this position.

Holding the wipe between two fingers, Cole reached for the cut on Jay’s left cheek, rubbing across it as gently as he could. Jay winced, moving ever so slightly, causing the earth ninja to move his arm away.

“You need to stay still,” he told him with a serious tone.

“It stings.”

Cole’s free hand reached up to Jay’s forehead, holding it in place while he continued cleaning the wound. Jay continued to wince, scrunching his eyes as Cole’s firm hold kept him grounded.

"This is pretty deep,” his concentrated look distracting Jay for a mere moment before the pain set in again.

Jay didn’t respond, only focusing on the black ninja’s perfectly smooth skin and golden-speckled eyes. And, just for a moment, the world stopped spinning. Cole wiped the cut again, quickly bringing him back to reality. His head threatened to move, but Cole’s firm hold grew stronger – not too strong to hurt him – but enough to keep him still and reassured. Why was he being so nice?

If that first night on Chen’s Island hadn’t happened, who knows where they’d be now? Would they even have been friends?

“We really need to stop ending up in these positions,” Jay chuckled.

“I don’t know, I kinda like them,” Cole smiled sweetly, moving his hand off Jay’s shoulder so he could throw the wipe away.

He stepped away to search through another drawer, eventually bringing out a small plaster.

“Not again,” Jay giggled.

“Mhm, gotta protect that little forehead of yours,” Cole grinned.

“Little?”

“Be grateful I didn’t call it big.”

Cole leaned closer to his boyfriend, getting a better look at the cut so he could place the plaster on it correctly. His concentrated face distracted Jay, staring at his perfectly smooth skin, his breath warm on his somewhat cool skin. Cole brought up a hand to rest on Jay’s cheek while he placed the plaster with his other.

Jay had never quite felt such fluttery butterflies until now.

Their eyes met, time seemingly coming to a halt. The world around them faded into a lifeless blur, leaving only the two of them together. Their eyes connected, a glimpse of adoration lingering. One of Jay’s favourite features of Cole’s was his eyes; they were so pure and comforting, it was almost addictive. Jay’s gaze travelled down to Cole’s lips briefly, a sweet smile tilting his lips.

“It looks cute,” Cole’s voice was quiet and soft, something so satisfying to the blue ninja.

Snapping him back to reality, Jay rolled his eyes, showing Cole backwards.

“Shut up.”

Stepping back to his boyfriend, the earth ninja leaned in, planting a soft kiss upon his lover’s lips. Only, when he pulled away, Jay leant back in for another.

The Tournament of Elements was something the two cherished dearly. They often found themselves discussing everything that happened late at night, talking about how neither of them really wanted to fight, and that if things had gone differently, what would they be like now? It was nice to look back at such a similar situation to now and think about how dumb they were back then. It wasn’t even that long ago.

“Jay? Cole? Are you down here?”

And yet there was always one person who interrupted them. The same person.

As a head of short, black hair peered around the door of the room, Cole stepped back, picking up the wipe he’d placed down on the bed moments prior. Jay glanced over briefly but looked away almost instantly as he spotted who it was.

“Woah, what’s going on in here?” Nya frowned at Jay’s bare chest and then towards Cole.

Jay cleared his throat, reaching for his gi to pull it back up.

“I was just helping Jay to clean up the cuts on his back,” the earth ninja responded calmly, throwing the wipe away.

“Oh, okay,” she replied awkwardly, “well, Wu’s starting the fire now. We managed to find some food around, but it’s not really much.”

Once Jay had fully put his gi back on, Cole glanced in his direction. The lightning ninja avoided all eye contact whatsoever.

“Cool, we’ll be out in a second,” the earth ninja told her.

She remained in the doorway for a moment, looking at Jay awkwardly. It wasn’t until when he looked up at her did she give him a slight smile. As much as he wanted to give one in return, he just couldn’t bring himself to do anything more than look away. Nya took this as her sign to leave.

Once checking she was gone, Cole turned back to his partner, wearing a reassuring smile.

“You’re gonna have to speak to her at some point, y’know?”

Jay sighed, “I know, it’s just too weird. I mean, there’s nothing between us at all, but I can’t shake the feeling that we’d just be too awkward as friends. And besides, after everything that happened… I’m not sure I really want to be friends anyway.”

“I’m assuming she still hasn’t apologised then?”

He shook his head in response, staring down at his hands.

Cole sighed too, “it can’t stay this way forever, Jay.”

“We can talk to each other when we need to but… I’m just not ready to have a proper conversation with her just yet.”

The earth ninja reached for Jay’s hand, taking it carefully. Jay glanced up at him, their eyes meeting. Cole provided a comforting smile, using his thumb to gently rub Jay’s palm.

“Take as long as you need, ‘kay?”

Jay nodded.

“We should probably head out before everyone starts getting suspicious,” Cole told him.

Jay and Nya were good at not speaking about their issues – hence why they never actually discussed breaking up, it just sort of happened – which only made it more awkward. Jay wasn’t the best at social situations already, but the thought of having a simple conversation with his ex, who technically cheated on him, was the worst type of conversation he could think of. Especially if they were to act like nothing ever happened.

It was clear Nya wanted to forget about it all, and he didn’t blame her, but pretending like nothing happened altogether was stupid. It didn’t solve anything at all, and it certainly didn’t make Jay feel any better. No matter how long ago the love triangle happened, or if he was with Cole or not, it still hurt deep down. That deep-rooted fear of being left was still there.

Luckily, he had Cole, and he trusted him with his soul.

That conversation with Nya would come at some point, just not any time soon.

Chapter Text

It wasn’t often the ninja got a decent night’s sleep. There was always something going on in Ninjago, whether that be crime or just worries of their own that kept them up, but tonight seemed different. Sleeping in the forest would be something the team would come up with on a random evening – someone would suggest going camping and everyone would agree – however it really didn’t seem to live up to the expectations. Perhaps it was because they were worried about their friend, or about there being a sneak attack, but after the battle yesterday, they were all tired. They passed out rather quickly.

That wasn’t the same for everyone, however. After all the chaos of the previous day, the blue ninja had a lot to think about. He usually found himself deep in thought after big battles, or even after stopping smaller crimes. Since he couldn’t ramble about it all, he found thinking was helpful. Cole always reassured him he liked listening to his rants, but that wasn’t really helpful when some of what you want to rant about involved the person you were ranting to.

The campfire was still going strong. It likely wasn’t a good idea leaving it burning while they all slept, but what could go wrong?

After Wu explained his past with Morro and what on earth was up with that staff of his, the team settled down for the night. Wu remained near the fire since he claimed to keep an eye on it (he soon fell asleep). Zane and Nya leant against a log, shortly drifting off after Kai squeezed in between them. The fire ninja was practically a living radiator anyway so they didn’t mind the extra warmth. A little further out from the others lay Cole and Jay. They found the grassy forest floor to be a good pillow. As much as they wanted to snuggle up together, they needed to be discreet. They faced each other, whispering between them before Cole soon dozed off. Jay, however, couldn’t seem to get his mind to be quiet. As much as he tried to clear it and focus on something, the more strange noises he could hear from the world around them.

Jay wasn’t new to camping or sleeping outside. He and his father used to do it a lot when he was younger. Often, he found himself outside stargazing on a clear night. It was a shame the canopy was covering the sky. It was also a little chilly. Oh, how he’d love to be in that trio hug over there or curled up next to the fire like a cat.

Instead, he found himself staring at his peaceful boyfriend. It wasn’t often he got to appreciate Cole’s beauty without it being awkward or Cole making a stupid joke which would get him to stop. As nice as those brief glances were and the little pecks he’d earn from it, he was grateful for a chance to actually look over the black ninja’s features again. Just like that first night on Chen’s Island.

Jay relaxed, taking a deep breath in as he focused on his partner’s perfectly smooth skin and golden-speckled eyes. Those eyes were one of his favourite features about Cole. Everything about him seemed so perfect. Even the way his eyelashes lay was graceful. Jay wanted nothing more than to kiss him.

For so long, Jay had been so blind about how amazing Cole really was. The day they met, they became friends almost instantly. Despite the earth ninja being uptight and closed off, Jay managed to break down his walls enough for him to escape through. Cole opened up to him about everything – especially his parents – better than he did anyone else and even when they were fighting, they always turned to each other when needed. It had always been those two against the world. So why had it only taken until recently for Jay to finally appreciate Cole in all his glory?

Sometimes he found himself wondering whether Cole felt the same.

Everything in his head was a mess. He liked being with Cole, they felt so right together, but were they even on the same wavelength? A lot of what the blue ninja had been thinking of was about the events of the previous day and how they’d acted around everyone else. They often didn’t over think it, they just said what they wanted, but after Kai mentioned the flirting they’d done in the kitchen a few weeks ago and seeing the constant glancing they got from both him and Zane… were they onto them? It’s not like it mattered. They weren’t trying to be a secret really. But after Nya almost walked in on them kissing, Jay couldn’t help but worry. Were they being too obvious?

He knew that if he discussed it with Cole, he’d just say it was fine and that they weren’t trying to hide anything, but was that the reaction that Jay really wanted? The world wasn’t a great place, especially not to those two. The team finding out was one thing, but what would the media say when they found out the two guys that were not long ago fighting over Nya were now together? Jay didn’t want people talking about them. He didn’t want people in their business. And he sure as hell didn’t want Nya to know. That was another reason why he’d been avoiding talking to her.

He wasn’t ashamed to be with Cole, and he hoped the earth ninja felt the same, but sometimes it felt easier to hide. Their close encounters with the sleeping overnight in each other’s rooms, the flirting and people almost walking in on them was starting to get stressful. Jay didn’t want to feel trapped or on edge anymore. And what if someone did walk in on them? It didn’t matter so much to Jay that they found out he’s with a guy, but Cole had never been fully open about himself and the last thing he wanted was him getting outed.

But while Jay was thinking all this – what was Cole thinking? The earth ninja had been so kind and supportive. It was clear he liked spending time with Jay – hence why he always snuck into his room – but what did it all mean really? Jay had spent his entire life growing up with friends and partners (or rather one specifically) that acted as if they felt the same but deep down, they never truly liked him. They never truly appreciated Jay the way Jay appreciated them. If only he could read Cole’s mind.

Although, it seemed as if Cole could read his instead.

The earth ninja’s eyes fluttered open, raising a hand up to rub his eye. Jay was a little panicked at first, not expecting him to wake up at least for a while but settled as soon as he saw the soft smile appear on his boyfriend’s lips.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” Jay whispered.

Cole frowned, getting comfortable on the grass again, “dude, it’s dead quiet, how could you wake me up?”

Jay shrugged. They spoke in a hushed tone, trying their best not to alert anyone else. Besides, it’d be nice to talk between them without someone overhearing.

“How’s your back?” Cole asked.

Jay thought for a moment. He’d almost completely forgotten about it. Although it was sore, and pretty painful whenever he made big movements, he didn’t want to kick up a fuss.

“Mmm… it’s okay. Like nothing happened.”

Cole raised an eyebrow, “I know that’s not true.”

Jay tried his best to hold in a giggle. Cole always seemed to make him feel better. It was like he had some sort of superpower.

“How about you? You took some pretty big hits in the fight yesterday too,” Jay responded.

“Just some bruises,” Cole gave him a comforting smile, “I’m alright.”

Jay’s happy expression falls slightly. Cole had really taken some strong blows yesterday – first being flown into the walls of the tea shop and into the beams of the Bounty, and it wasn’t like Jay was the only one hurt in the main room either. The earth ninja had a habit of lying about his injuries.

“Are you sure?”

Cole nodded, “I promise.”

Jay took his word for it for now. They both fell silent, the blue ninja’s eyes drifting off to look at the trees behind his boyfriend. Now it was Cole’s turn to appreciate his partner’s beauty.

It was something Cole did often. Jay always drifted off, staring at something random for a short period of time, which gave Cole lots of chance to look over Jay’s features. It was one of his favourite pastimes. He frequently found himself counting the discrete freckles on his cheeks or just taking the opportunity to appreciate the range of ocean and sapphire blues in his eyes. Sometimes, for a brief moment, he thought he could see flashes of yellow in them, but Cole convinced himself that was just because he’d been staring for so long without blinking.

Jay’s attention drifted back towards the earth ninja, his lip tilting up lightly as he noticed what he was doing. Cole looked down towards Jay’s hand, deciding whether it was a good idea, but decided to reach for it anyway. Once Jay realised what he was trying to do, Jay awkwardly moved his hand away before Cole even had the chance to touch it. He placed his hand flat on the grass between them, looking up to meet his boyfriend’s eyes with a confused expression.

“Sorry,” Jay breathed.

“Did I… do something wrong?”

“No, no, I just,” Jay stopped, taking a deep breath, “…it’s just me.”

Cole couldn’t think of anything to respond with, so he just continued staring at him with a concerned look, hoping that Jay would eventually talk to him. He wasn’t the sort of person to force someone into telling him things unless it was really important, but even when it came to Jay, he had to push a little.

“Just not in the hand holding mood I guess,” Jay whispered even quieter.

The volume of Jay’s voice was what gave it away. It wasn’t really a secret that the lightning ninja was worried about everyone around them – they’d had brief conversations about it before. Cole just wished he’d be more honest about how he was really feeling about it. He hoped Jay would come to him about it in his own time, but seeing how much it was starting to affect how they were with each other was starting to worry him.

“Talk to me.”

“Hm?” this caught Jay’s attention properly.

“I know you’re worried about everyone seeing, especially Nya, but you’ve never told me specifically why you’re worried.”

Cole could feel Jay tense up, breaking eye contact as he did. As much as Cole wanted to reach out for him, to provide some sort of comfort, he knew giving Jay space was the best thing right now.

“You said you’re worried about what the media would say, and I totally get that, but I can’t help but feel like there’s something else. Something you’re not telling me.”

Jay trusted Cole. He knew that if he did tell him the full truth then there would be no judgement, but the last thing he wanted was for Cole to feel bad or that it was his fault, when in reality it was just Jay being insecure yet again. That seemed to be a recurring problem.

Jay shrugged and sighed, “I’m sorry, I-“

“Stop apologising,” Cole gave him a warm smile.

Jay reciprocated it but it soon faded, “I’m just worried about everything in general. Normally I wouldn’t care but with the uproar and the world hating us because of what happened with Nya… if anyone finds out everyone is gonna go crazy. I’m just not sure I can put up with that again.”

Cole nodded, glancing down at Jay’s hands again before back up towards his face, “I’ve thought the same thing. We were all painted as villains when in reality it wasn’t anyone else’s business.”

“The way everyone acted was weird. All the polls voting on which one of us should be with her… and the magazines and newspaper articles that just spouted so much misinformation…”

“I really don’t blame you, but living in fear of that happening isn’t going to help at all,” Cole tried to reassure him.

“I know, but I don’t want them to say bad things about you,” Jay continued, “or Nya.”

“And I don’t want them to say anything bad about you, but that’s what happens with everything. The world thinks they need to be involved with anyone’s lives, especially people with any kind of status. They just think they can do it more with us because we save the world. It’s like we ‘owe it to them’. There’s just really no way of escaping it,” Cole told him, “we just have to do what we did before. We ignore it to the best of our ability and continue with our own lives.”

“The difference before was that we practically disappeared after Zane’s funeral.”

“And people are still talking about it. In the end, you just have to remember that these people know nothing about you and what really matters is what your friends and family know. People will realise they’re wrong in time.”

Jay fell quiet, his eyes drifting back towards the trees behind Cole.

The pair were never great at talking about deep topics – it often led to awkwardness – but Cole liked to think they were getting better at it.

They needed to. They had no idea what was to come.

“And, if you’re worried about how the team will react, I know they’ll be nice. Even if Nya’s upset, she’ll be supportive, I’m sure. And I think you know that deep down too,” Cole told him with a smile.

“I’m not sure…”

“I’ve spoken to her a few times and I really don’t think she’s hung up about everything that happened. I mean, she did want to move past it, like she said that night we first kissed,” Cole explained, “I think she’d understand. It’ll probably be more of a surprise than annoyance.”

Jay thought about it for a minute. The times he had spoken to her, she’d been okay. It was Jay that was being awkward, but that didn’t mean things would be okay between them. For all Nya knew, Jay and Cole could still be madly in love with her. Although, would she feel better knowing they’re not?

Everything was a mess. At least he had Cole.

“We aren’t trying to necessarily keep us a secret, we’re just trying to keep it on the downlow, which means we can still be comfortable and do things like hug or hold hands in public. It just means we don’t need to straight up tell people,” the earth ninja smiled.

Jay smiled too, although it was nowhere near as energetic as Cole’s, “I guess you’re right. Maybe I’m just too worried about something that might not happen.”

The earth ninja attempted to reach for Jay’s hand again, a warm smile upon his lips. This time, Jay didn’t hesitate. Their fingers intertwined, Cole’s hand a lot warmer than Jay’s. The lightning ninja’s heart raced, his smile gleaming brighter. Cole always knew how to cheer him up.

“I’m not worried about people seeing us together. It’s not like I’m embarrassed to be seen with you or anything. I really like you Jay, and I care about you so much. I don’t want to push it to the side because of the way some people may act,” he stared down at their hands, his thumb circling the back of Jay’s hand.

Damn, he really had been reading his mind. At least Jay felt a little more at ease knowing they could make it through anything. Now all they really had to do was get through the battle with Morro.

Both their eyes fell down to their hands, taking in the moment. The forest was peaceful. Among the sound of the fire crackling, were distant bird chirps and the trees swinging in the light breeze. It was sort of relaxing.

Cole’s gaze drifted back up towards the lightning ninja’s face, stopping briefly to stare at his lips for a moment. A smile pricked at the corner of his lips, looking back over Jay's features again. He couldn’t quite place his finger on what it was about Jay that made him keep staring.

Not too long ago, back at Chen’s Island, Cole had been in awe watching Jay use his powers to light a fire. Back then, he was so confused as to why he was so fascinated in Jay to begin with, but now that it all made sense, the only questions he had was about why on earth the Gods made him so perfect. Everything about Jay was interesting. Cole almost felt completely grounded when they were together and there always seemed to be such an odd connection they could both feel whenever they touched. It was almost like electricity – which made sense considering Jay’s powers – but Cole had been struck by his lightning so many times. This felt different.

All Cole knew was that he was so madly in love with Jay and he couldn’t explain why. It made sense in his head. It made sense whenever he thought about him. But he couldn’t put a definition to it. He couldn’t put into words exactly how he felt.

And now all he was wondering was… this odd, obsessed feeling wasn’t something that was new to him. You’re probably thinking ‘perhaps he felt it for Nya’, but did he really? Nya never fully interested him, and the thought of her and himself together didn’t quite sit right with him, but it made so much sense, right?

Now thinking back, this hadn’t been the first time he’d felt this weird connection with Jay. Ever since they met, he’d followed Jay around like a lost puppy until Zane and Kai officially joined the team. They hung out every day, did everything together, and Cole felt so completely comfortable with him in a way he hadn’t felt with others. That’s why he opened up to him so easily.

Back at the tournament was when it all started piecing together.

That first day they’d met, Jay shook his hand. It was an energetic and firm handshake, and Cole had sworn back then he felt something. Something like a surge when their hands connected. Jay didn’t have his elemental powers back then.

And he’d especially felt it the day of Zane’s funeral.

Cole watched as his father left down the street, taking a deep breath as he glanced back over at the rest of the guests. The day had been a mess. Not just physically but especially emotionally.

Turning back to face where the centre of the event was, his eyes met the large titanium statue in the middle of the park and then trailed down to the picture on the stand in front of it. Nothing would ever feel the same again.

The statue and ground were now covered in a thin layer of frost and snow, which was pretty fitting for the occasion. Cyrus Borg and Pixal stood in front of the picture, talking among themselves about who knows what. To Cole’s left was Nya and Kai talking with a few other guests. He didn’t even want to imagine going over there. Cole and his father stuck together for the majority of the event as the earth ninja wanted to avoid talking to certain people as much as possible, not that they’d likely have any interest in talking to him anyway.

The rest of the guests were now behind him, muttering to each other likely about their time with Zane. Cole didn’t feel like a pity party. Instead, his attention was caught by a certain blue ninja and his parents that were to his right.

He stared at them for a minute, taking in their body language. Edna hugged him, but Jay’s hug wasn’t really all that energetic as usual. For once, the older couple were quiet and it was hard to tell what they were talking about, but it was likely either about Zane or about what had been happening between him and a few other members of the team. He hadn’t had a proper catch up with them since that day at the junkyard and they likely had questions.

Once they pulled out of the hug, Cole finally got a good look at Jay’s face. His eyes were red and puffy, the hoodie he was wearing was pulled right up to his chin, obviously trying his best to cover his emotion. Ed put an arm on his shoulder, and tears continued to fall down Jay’s cheeks. Cole couldn’t do anything but stare.

As much as he wanted to scold Jay – probably for some dumb reason – he couldn’t bring himself to feel anything but sympathy. They were all going through the same loss right now, if that was even what he was crying about. Jay and Zane were close. And since everything with Nya and Cole was awful, and he never really spoke to Kai all that much, he likely felt lonely.

Why did Cole even feel bad? They were all experiencing the same thing.

He continued watching until he wiped his eyes, and his parents gave him a final hug before leaving in the same direction as Lou did minutes prior. Luckily, the blue ninja didn’t glance over in his direction.

Instead, he headed over towards the statue, stopping in front of the plaque right at the bottom of it. His arms were crossed, his dark blue hoodie tear stained.

Cole wasn’t entirely sure why he got the urge to go over there.

Seeing Jay stood all on his own, wiping his eyes every few moments, was enough to make his legs move. The next thing he knew, he was stood beside the blue ninja – his supposed worst enemy – also staring at the plaque.

'For ninja Zane. The hero of our city.’

It could’ve been more heartfelt, but the mayor wasn’t even keen on the idea of having a huge Zane statue in the middle of the city anyway, so they just worked with what they were allowed.

They remained in silence for a minute, Jay refusing to glance at him, but it was obvious he was doing his best to keep his composure.

“When this is done, do you wanna go get drinks or something?” Cole finally spoke up.

Jay stayed silent for a minute, not knowing how to respond. It wasn’t until Cole cleared his throat that he finally snapped out of whatever trance he was trapped in.

“Who else is going? Jay questioned quietly.

“No one. I thought you and I could just hang out and-“

“Are you serious?” Jay glanced at him, a confused look written on his face.

“Zane wouldn’t want us to fight right no-“

“Don’t bring Zane into this,” Jay scoffed, “this has nothing to do with him.”

Cole took a step back, “we shouldn’t be on our own right now.”

"As I being with you is gonna make me feel better,” Jay muttered, turning back to the plaque.

Cole felt anger begin to boil in his blood. He’d tried to do something nice and yet again Jay was taking the opportunity to start a fight. Typical.

“Dude, all I asked was if you wanted to hang out so you weren’t on your own,” Cole folded his arms.

“And whose fault is it that I’m on my own?” Jay snarled, turning to face him, “you don’t get to pretend like everything is fine. You went behind my back with my girlfriend, Cole. I’m not just gonna forget about it for one day.”

“I’m just trying to be a good friend-“

“We are not friends.”

For once, in the hundreds of arguments the two had had, Jay left Cole speechless. It was clear they weren’t really friends anymore – it was clear that day they started fighting – but hearing it out loud and coming from Jay who really cherished everyone in his life, really stabbed him in the heart. It all became so real in a matter of seconds.

He was now enemies with his own best friend.

“Jay-“ Cole raised his hand out to reach for the blue ninja’s shoulder.

Jay wasn’t sure what to do but slap his hand away. For a brief moment, Cole felt a zap. It wasn’t a shock, but rather something different. He stared at his hand in surprise for a moment, confused as to what he’d just felt, and when his eyes trailed back up, he saw the blue ninja’s back to him, leaving the event, his arms crossed and the occasional raise up to wipe his eyes.

What had he done?

Cole didn’t know what that zap was back then, and he didn’t want to think about it either. After that conversation, the earth ninja swore he’d never speak to Jay again, that he would go to the middle of the forest and stay there forever. He was angry. Not at Jay, but at himself. Yet he wasn’t sure why.

Now it all made sense.

That zap was the connection he’d felt with Jay the whole time. Sure, his powers were a good explanation, but nobody else seemed to feel it, and it’s started long before Jay was even given his element. Perhaps the lightning ninja was doing it on purpose to mess with him? How would that explain the first day they met?

There was still so much Cole wasn’t sure of, but he did know one thing, and that was that he and Jay belonged together. It was obvious.

Did Jay feel it too?

Suddenly, a rough cough escaping from somewhere behind them startled the lightning ninja, causing him to snatch his hand away. Cole looked at him with concern while he perched up onto his elbows to check on everyone. After a brief glance around the camp, Jay let out a sigh of relief and got comfortable again.

“Sorry, I just wanted to see if everyone was okay,” Jay whispered.

Cole gave him a comforting smile even though he knew that wasn’t the reason Jay looked up. He couldn’t blame him. They were both on edge a bit, especially with the references Kai had made to their flirting, but he so badly wished Jay would loosen up a bit. The blue ninja was so worried about something that wouldn’t happen, and it was starting to weigh down on them. As much as Cole wanted to get annoyed, the look of genuine guilt on Jay’s face calmed him down.

Taking Jay’s hand again, he brought it gently towards him, lifting it towards his face and planting a soft kiss on the back of it. A gentle smile played on the blue ninja’s lips.

“Get some sleep, zaptrap,” Cole whispered, letting go of his hand after giving it a tight squeeze.

They couldn’t want to get home.

However, it didn’t look like it was going to be easy. In the morning, Wu explained the existence of the Scroll of Airjitzu which would help the ninja to form Spinjitzu in the air. He claimed it would be helpful against Morro as he’s the master of wind. The scroll had last been seen being stolen by a thief named Ronin, which determined the ninja’s next location.

Stiix was a small city on the Eastern coast of Ninjago. Not many people knew of it as they kept very much to themselves. As well as it being the main source of fish for the land, the crime rates were at an all-time high. That’s why Ronin set up shop there. And that exact shop would be where they’d find the scroll.

Wu decided it would be best that the group split in two. The four ninja set off towards Stiix while Wu, Nya and newly joined Misako headed back to the tea shop.

Now, the four ninja were travelling on yacks across the desert, trying their best to aim in the direction of the city. In the meantime, they chose to amuse themselves with singing and gossip. It did great at keeping their minds off the task at hand, and about how Lloyd was.

Jay and Cole rode slightly ahead of Kai and Zane, chatting between themselves about complete nonsense. Zane was silent, enjoying the scenery, while Kai watched the two in front of them like a hawk.

He couldn't quite hear what they were talking about but it was probably something uninteresting to the fire ninja anyway. All he was focused on was watching their body language and facial expressions. One thing Kai had learnt from the internet was that the best way to tell if someone was in love with you was paying attention to how they look in your direction. Kai rarely had the chance to observe a conversation just between those two and whenever he did, Zane would interrupt him and tell him it was wrong to speculate. Yet here they were again.

Since Zane was distracted, Kai took the opportunity to watch them. Every once in a while they would glance at each other, their eyes locking for a brief moment before one of them would look away nervously with a grin. Whatever they were discussing must’ve been interesting because Cole felt the need to reach out and touch Jay’s arm a few times. But that didn’t seem like anything new.

Instead, Kai paid very close attention to their eyes. The look of love in Cole’s eyes towards Jay, and then – the not even discrete – glances down towards Jay’s lips and the smile that followed upon Cole’s own was enough to almost knock Kai off his yack completely.

The fire ninja grabbed onto Zane’s arm for support, catching the nindroid’s attention.

“Kai? Are you okay?” the ice ninja smiled.

Kai steadied himself again, pointing towards the two in front of them.

“Cole was staring at his lips. His lips!” Kai whisper-shouted.

Zane sighed, “why are you spying on them?”

“I’m not spying on them! They’re right there. Doing it in the open.”

“I really don’t know why you’re so concerned about how they’re acting with each other.”

“Because,” Kai muttered, “isn’t it crazy that they were both fighting over my sister not that long ago and now they’re like… together.”

“We don’t know tha-“

“Zane, look at them. Tell me they aren’t dating.”

“I’m not going to invade their privacy.”

Kai groaned, “sometimes you’re too nice, Zane.”

“No, it is rude to keep speculating about their relationship, whether they’re friends or not. And I don’t want to talk about them behind their backs,” Zane responded.

“We’re not talking about them behind their backs. They’re right there.”

“We are literally behind them.”

Kai rolled his eyes, “look, I’ll just ask them.”

“Kai, no-“

“Guys!”

Before the masters of lightning and earth could finish their conversation, they both looked back towards their friends. Falling back a bit, they came in line with Kai and Zane, assuming they had some sort of plan on what to do at Stiix.

“Kai, I really don’t think you shou-“ Zane tried to tell him.

“We wanted to ask you two something,” Kai interrupted.

“About?” Cole raised an eyebrow.

“Well… we’ve noticed you two have been acting… how do I put it…”

Jay and Cole exchanged confused looks.

“…Overly flirty.”

Cole’s gaze directed over towards Jay, trying not to act too suspicious. Jay stiffened up, his eyes falling on the path in front of them.

“Y’know, you’ve been super close recently – which is fine obviously – but you’ve been saying some pretty flirty things to each other so…”

Kai looked over at Zane, who didn’t seem completely comfortable with the conversation.

“Is there something going on between you two?” Kai finally asked.

Jay’s head shot back up, his eyes meeting Cole yet again. The earth ninja didn’t seem completely opposed to the idea of telling them, and neither of them were all that worried about how those two would react anyway. They were their best friends, if anyone should know it would be them. Cole was just looking for any sign from Jay.

The blue ninja wasn’t sure on how they’d react. He knew it wouldn’t be that bad but would they make it a big deal? The last thing Jay wanted was attention, and what if Kai got annoyed because they could hurt Nya?

His mind trailed back to last night. His conversation with Cole helped to ease a lot of worry on his shoulders, and that included about how others would react.

‘Living in fear of that happening isn’t going to help at all.’

Cole was right. Jay needed to stop holding back because of those little voices in his mind.

“We won’t tell anyone if there is. It’s just driving me insane,” Kai spoke up again.

The lightning ninja let out a quiet sigh, releasing all of his pent-up tension. A warm smile crept up onto his lips, signalling Cole that it was okay.

The earth ninja grinned too, glancing between both Kai and Zane.

“We’re dating.”

“I KNEW IT!” Kai exclaimed, startling Zane.

Cole laughed, glancing back at his boyfriend, who was also smiling.

“How did this even happen? When did it happen? What about Nya? You guys don’t like her anymore?” the fire ninja questioned.

The earth ninja decided to cut him off before there were a million more questions, “it just sort of happened.”

“What do you mean it just sort of happened?” Kai raised an eyebrow, “you say that as if you woke up one morning and said, ‘hey let’s make out’.”

“No,” Cole scolded, “but it really did come out of nowhere. The first night of the tournament, we got talking and we sort of had a moment and-“

“The tournament?!” Kai exclaimed.

“Weren’t you still fighting at the start of the tournament?” Zane frowned.

“Also, what do you mean ‘moment’?”

“Listen, Jay had a cut on his face and I helped him clean it up. We were just talking and got close, that’s all. There may or may not have been some intense staring.”

“So, you’re telling me, the same Jay and Cole that was in Chen’s Noodle House, glaring at each other, were later on making eyes at each other?” Kai sounded shocked, “but that doesn’t explain how you got together.”

“We spent a lot of time together when we split from camp, and after the tournament as well. Like I said, it just happened.”

“And you kissed?”

“Kai, that’s not an appropriate question to ask,” Zane cut in.

Cole laughed.

Kai continued, “I knew there was something up between you two as soon as Jay mentioned making out.”

“I knew I shouldn’t have said that,” Jay groaned, earning a chuckle from Cole.

“Or when you said about Cole falling asleep in your bed.”

“Can we forget about that?”

“Besides, you two just aren’t discrete at all. Always staring at each other, touching as much as possible… It was so obvious,” Kai smirked.

“Do you know if anyone else is onto us?” Jay questioned, slight panic in his tone.

Jay’s question took Kai back a little. Rather, it was the tone that made Kai shudder. The two seemed a little hesitant to even tell them at first.

“Not that I’m aware of,” Kai paused, “I’m assuming you haven’t spoken to Nya then.”

“You’re the first to know,” Cole told him.

Jay sighed, “it’s my fault. I haven’t spoken to Nya at all and I’m not entirely sure if I want to. I know she’d be supportive, but I just feel like it’ll be awkward. How would she even react about Cole and I, especially since she probably still thinks we’re waiting for her to decide between us?”

“At this point, she probably doesn’t think that anymore,” Kai shrugged.

“Jay, it’s not your fault. She should’ve apologised to you,” Cole cut in.

Kai and Zane exchanged confused looks before glancing at the lightning ninja.

Jay shook his head, “Cole, I told you I’m not bothered about an apology.”

“Wait, what apology? What happened?” Kai questioned.

Cole glanced at Jay, giving him an expression as if to ask ‘can I tell them?’. Jay wasn’t entirely sure whether he could fully trust them. Zane couldn’t keep secrets and Kai was so close with his sister, if any of them said anything bad about her then he was sure to tell her. But at the same time, had Kai ever told one of his secrets?

Although it was a bit late for that now anyway. The cat was already out the bag.

“The night we got together, we were cooking a meal together and she came into the kitchen just kind of… third wheeling without knowing, y’know? She was talking about us getting along and I mentioned that we apologised to each other at the tournament, and she assumed everything was fine between us all.”

“Okay?” Kai raised an eyebrow, “what’s the problem with that?”

“I asked her if she thought there needed to be any more apologises and she said no. Yet here we are.”

“Right…” Kai thought for a second, his eyes landing on the path ahead of them, “why wouldn’t she apologise? I mean… most of it was her fault.”

“Exactly,” Cole chimed.

Jay shrugged, “maybe I should apologise first. I was also to blame. I shouldn’t have been so clingy or dramatic when everything happened and-“

“What?” Kai questioned.

“Jay, you weren’t to blame at all,” Cole reassured him.

No amount of reassurance from the others would put Jay’s mind at ease, however. He’d done a lot of thinking after the team split, and that included reflection on his relationship with Nya. Leading up to everything with the love triangle, Nya never seemed too interested in spending time with him. She always told him to back up when he got close, reminding him of boundaries. They barely went on dates or hung out alone, leaving Jay questioning exactly what he did wrong.

She avoided him as much as possible after everything was out in the open. They never officially had a conversation about breaking up. He never dared to bring it up and she never seemed interested in it either.

“All that fighting was for nothing anyway,” Zane finally spoke up, “even if you two didn’t end up together, she likely would’ve lost interest in Cole.”

“What do you mean?” Cole frowned.

“The Perfect Match Machine she used was hacked by the Overlord in an attempt to mess with the team. The result wasn’t accurate.”

Kai, Jay and Cole all exchanged looks of shock and confusion. Cole cleared his throat while Kai opened his mouth to say something, ultimately nothing coming out. Jay wasn’t entirely sure what to say either, rage beginning to flow through his veins. It felt almost as if his blood was burning, he could feel it travelling throughout his body.

“What’s a Perfect Match Machine?” Cole raised an eyebrow.

“It’s an unreleased game machine that Cyrus Borg created. Supposedly, it identifies you and accurately gives you a perfect match,” Zane explained.

“Hold on…” Kai chuckled, “Nya used a Perfect Match Machine?”

“Why would she even do that? She was with Jay,” Cole complained.

“Perhaps clarification?” Kai shrugged.

Zane nodded, “her result was Cole, and that’s why she started to like him.”

Jay remained silent for a minute, taking everything in. He tried this best to zone out, focus on the amazing horizon ahead of them, but his mind just kept leading back to all those times where he thought he was going crazy. He spent the entire time thinking he’d done something to upset her or make her uncomfortable, but in reality, it was all because she believed a machine rather than her own heart?

What did her heart even want in the first place?

“So that’s why she never gave me a reason,” Jay spoke up, staring off into the distance.

“You spoke to her?” Kai asked.

“Briefly. At the funeral. We never properly discussed anything, but I asked if I’d done something wrong and she didn’t say anything. We haven’t really spoken since then.”

Cole sighed. The funeral was hard for them all, but somehow Jay had managed to lose three people instead of one that day. Cole couldn’t help but think about how lonely he must’ve felt. Was that why he started that TV show? Did he need a distraction?

Nya didn’t seem like the type to be completely honest about how she feels. It would be no surprise if she knew who she wanted to pick all along but didn’t want to hurt anyone or cause more drama. In the end, it wouldn’t have ended well for anyone, and it was a good job she didn’t choose because would Jay and Cole have even gotten together?

Jay sighed, “I never knew our relationship was that bad that only a little machine telling her about a perfect match was enough to sway her entirely.”

“Hey, don’t doubt yourself,” Cole gave him a reassuring smile, “you’re a great boyfriend. It’s her loss.”

Kai smiled and nodded while Jay shrugged.

“I mean, it wasn’t like it was a secret she wanted to choose you. She spent almost all her time looking at you and trying to get close to you and just pushed me away. I just really don’t know what I did for her to change her mind about me so fast.”

Kai reached over and nudged Jay in the arm, attempting to get his full attention.

“Don’t let her get you down. That’s in the past now, right? You’re with Cole now, and you seem really happy, so don’t let her ruin it,” he comforted him.

Zane nodded, “do you think it’s worth having a proper conversation with her? You could get everything out in the open and tell her you’ve moved on.”

Jay thought about it for a moment. Zane was probably right – he always was – but the thought of him sitting in a room with his ex that cheated on him with his now-boyfriend didn’t sit right with him at all, especially when she didn’t seem to be remorseful about what happened. Would she tell him the truth if he asked? Would it just be awkward small talk until one of them left?

“Zane’s right,” Cole cut in, “I don’t think she means anything bad anymore, she just wants to fix everything with us so we can go back to being normal.”

“That’s easy for you to say, she didn’t go behind your back.”

“People can change, Jay, perhaps she’s realised her faults and wants to talk properly?” Zane suggested.

“I don’t know, she hasn’t seemed all that interested in talking to me.”

“How about we just deal with Morro, save Lloyd, and then worry about everything with Nya later on. After all, she’s back at the tea shop,” Cole told them, trying to lighten the mood, “and you have me now.”

Jay took a deep breath and sighed, forcing a small onto his lips, “yeah. Our number one priority right now is getting that scroll and saving Lloyd.”

Kai nodded, “I have to say, it’s odd knowing you two are together. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s great, but actually seeing you together is weird.”

“A good weird, I hope,” Cole raised an eyebrow.

“Of course,” Kai laughed, “I can’t imagine what the others are gonna say.”

Cole glanced over at Jay, who was staring off into the distance, deep in thought. As far as Cole knew, Jay was still worried about what everyone would say, especially Nya. Wu never really cared about their relationships with each other as long as they all got along, although Lloyd was likely to react very well. Cole understood why Jay didn’t want to tell everyone – look at how everyone reacted when they heard ‘Jaya’ broke up – so having a private relationship was bound to be better.

“Uh… we’re keeping it really on the downlow, so please don’t say anything to anyone,” Cole begged, “not even a little hint.”

“Dude, how do you think we found out? You aren’t discrete at all,” Kai chuckled.

“Okay, well, then let everyone figure it out themselves. Please promise you won’t say anything, especially not to Nya.”

Kai put his hands up in a surrender motion and nodded, “you have my word. I won’t say a thing.”

Jay cleared his throat, catching everyone’s attention as he pointed toward something in the distance. The team glanced over to see a small building to the side of the train tracks that looked a little like a station.

“Great, we’ll head there. There might be someone who can help,” Cole beamed.

“Finally, civilisation,” Kai breathed a sigh of relief, “I was starting to get sick of you guys.”

“Wow,” Jay rolled his eyes, “and after we had such a touching moment.”

Now that they’d officially told someone, it felt nice to not stay so secret. Knowing they weren’t being discrete, however, was a little nerving, but hopefully no one else would pick up on their flirting, right?

Either way, Jay had a lot of thinking to do. Since he didn’t have to worry about how they’re acting around Kai and Zane, he now needed to think of what he was going to say to Nya. He could be outright and honest, but from experience, that never ended well.

Chapter Text

The train station certainly wasn’t what they wanted nor expected. There wasn’t a single person around, no lights and most definitely no help. However, the experience did help in different ways.

Although there was no civilisation, they’d somehow managed to summon a ghost that was no doubt tied to Morro. The battle wasn’t hard, all they needed to do was avoid being turned into a ghost too, which was easier said than done. Morro and his army were prepared – equipped with weapons that would easily slash the ninja – but with teamwork on the team’s side, of course they’d win. However, if it wasn’t for a passing train that came rushing through, they would’ve been dead meat.

Luckily, a nearby water tower at the station tipped over, spilling water all over the ghost. That’s how they hit their jackpot.

The ghost exploded into wet, green goo, which was incredibly disgusting, but also great news. At least they knew how to stop ghosts.

After running to catch up with the train, they eventually ended up in the city of Stiix where Ronin’s shop was set up. With any luck, they’d be able to find what they were looking for. Although they’d managed to find the shop and discuss prices with Ronin, they only seemed to be hefty and very much out of their range.

“Alright, so my gut says-“ Kai began, bringing his teammates into a huddle.

“What do you think, Zane?” Cole cut him off.

“What, my opinion doesn’t matter?” Kai questioned.

Jay shook his head, “we don’t listen to your gut anymore, Kai. Zane’s the leader. You just get us lost.”

It was true. On their journey to Stiix, they’d been heading in the wrong direction for hours because they decided to listen to the fire ninja.

Zane thought for a moment before sighing, “I say we give him what he wants. I sense if we don’t, Morro will.”

Kai groaned, stepping out of the huddle, and taking the role of negotiator.

Standing face to face with the criminal before them, he kept his hands on his hips, attempting to look menacing.

“200,” Kai stated.

“400,” Ronin kept his arms crossed.

“300.”

“400.”

“350.”

“450.”

“Deal,” Kai nodded his head.

Behind him, the team groaned and shared facepalms. Trust Kai to mess it up.

With that monstrosity, the ninja now needed to make enough money to get the Scroll of Airjitzu before Morro could. They searched the city for most of the morning, eventually landing a small job finishing a pier in the south. It wouldn’t give them but hopefully, if they worked hard and took no breaks, they’d earn just enough for the scroll by the evening.

Except, that didn’t really seem to go to plan. Not only did they break everything they’d done, gotten fired and lost hope, but Zane’s voice was completely screwed with no way to properly fix it.

Now with Jay in charge, their last resort was to steal the scroll at midnight when the store was completely empty. They just hoped Morro hadn’t gotten there before them.

Cole groaned, “great, now we’re already on the hook for breaking and entering.”

“I don’t like sneaking around in the dark any more than you do,” Kai responded quietly, “so let’s just find the scroll and get out of here.”

The group took a look around the shop, searching in every possible nook and cranny. As long as they were as quiet as mice, they’d be okay, right?

“Hey,” Jay whispered, “when you guys were leaders, you never heard me complain. And if you don’t like sneaking around, why become a ninja?”

Jay reached down to lift up a blue floral pot, hoping to find something behind it. Nothing.

“The sooner we find the scroll, the faster we can work on the next clue that’ll lead us to the tomb. Then we can save Lloyd, and it’ll all be because of me,” Jay continued, placing the pot down and heading towards the opposite end of the room, staring at a large set of organs.

“I found it!” Cole exclaimed, startling the group.

Jay turned to him, an excited expression on his face.

The earth ninja turned to face him too, holding what looked like the fang blade trophy the team had won in what felt like forever ago.

“I found my father’s trophy. I’m taking it back, he danced hard for this,” Cole turned back to the shelf, glancing around at what else he could recognise.

Jay continued watching his boyfriend for a moment, admiring how proud he was to find his father’s winnings. However, maybe if the lightning ninja hadn’t been so engrossed in staring at his lover, he would’ve noticed the movement of the organ behind him.

The bronze pipes wrapped their way around his body, squeezing a tight scream out of him. He struggled, the pipes lifting him up with a ghostly pale green surrounding him entirely, screaming even more for help.

“Holy pipes! The organ’s got me!” he exclaimed, catching the attention of his friends.

Jay tried his best to wriggle free but no matter how hard he fought, the pipes grew tighter, lifting him higher into the sky.

“It’s possessed by a ghost!” Cole exclaimed, rushing over to the organ, “I forgot what we’re supposed to do!”

“Water!” Jay shouted, his back being shoved into the back of the organ, the pipes beginning to dig into his skin.

Kai ran across the room, picking up a plant and vase, “I got water!”

The fire ninja attempted to throw it over the organ, but as they should’ve expected, it was fake. The three rushed around the room, trying to find something that could help.

Jay struggled to break free more, only being jammed against the pipes more and shouting in agony.

“We’re in a city built entirely over water,” he groaned, “please, take your time!”

The earth ninja eventually found a water dispenser, grabbing hold of the bottle and launching it across the room towards the organ. He didn’t even take a second to think of whether it would hit Jay or not. Luckily, the ghost fled before the bottle could hit, dropping Jay to the ground with a thud.

“Sdneirf s’orroM fo eno rehtona!” Zane exclaimed.

“I think he said ‘another one of Morro’s friends’,” Kai translated.

The earth ninja rushed to his boyfriend’s side, helping him up onto his knees.

Before the group could come up with any kind of plan, or continue looking for the scroll, their own worst enemy stepped out into the room, his arms out, readying to strike.

“And there’s more where that came from!” he shouted, voice deep and raspy.

A small army of ghosts took over the room, circling the ninja. Jay remained on the ground, breathing heavily while Cole was crouched beside him. Kai and Zane reached for the aeroblades (which Ronin had claimed would be able to stop ghosts), passing two towards Cole so that he and Jay had some cover as well. As Kai and Zane took out the ghosts, Cole headed for Ronin, cutting him free of the ropes Morro had him trapped in. Ronin rushed straight for Morro, aiming a punch in his direction. As Morro dodged, he leant forward, pushing the criminal slightly, who then lifted a leg and kicked him backwards. Morro flew into the blue pot Jay had previously looked behind, smashing it. The scroll flew out of it, landing in front of Ronin.

“The scroll!” the ninja exclaimed.

“Only one of us shall possess it,” Morro snarled, raising himself up off the floor.

“Yeah,” Ronin snapped, “me.”

The criminal whistled, Morro lunging forward to reach for the scroll. Before he could, however, the ground beneath them began to shake, knocking Jay onto his back, as well as causing Morro to fall over once again. Ronin reached for the scroll, smirking as the ground opened up, revealing his small helicopter, Rex.

Ronin took off, Rex lifting through the roof and into the night air.

“Sorry to leave you hanging, but since the scroll is so important, I can’t just give it away,” he called out to the group below. Morro used his wind to knock him off the ship, landing who-knows-where. The ghost army rushed out of the shop in search for Ronin.

“We can’t let him get the scroll!” Kai exclaimed.

The earth ninja turned to Jay, who was struggling to get up. He let out a groan, attempting to push himself up properly.

Cole sighed, “you two go after them, I’ll stay here with Jay.”

Without questioning it, the masters of fire and ice ran off. All Cole could do was hope that they’d get the scroll otherwise there was no way they’d be able to defeat Morro and save Lloyd.

Cole sighed again, turning to Jay, who’d only just managed to push himself up a little.

“Are you okay?”

Jay nodded, “I’m surprised that thing didn’t break my back.”

“Can you stand?” Cole questioned, reaching a hand out for his partner to take.

Grabbing onto Cole’s hand, Jay pushed himself up properly, wincing as he did so.

“I’ll take that as a no,” the earth ninja smiled, “how do you keep getting yourself into trouble?”

“I’m just really unlucky,” Jay grinned too, letting out a deep breath.

“Hmm, I suppose you are an easy target.”

The lightning ninja let go of Cole’s hand, a shocked expression on his face that also harboured a slight smile, “hey, take that back.”

Cole chuckled, grabbing onto Jay’s arm lightly. He pulled him up straight, earning another groan from Jay. The earth ninja knew that Jay likely would do what it took to show he was okay, but deep down it was clear he wasn’t. They’d both been doing that a lot lately.

“I’m sure this didn’t help with the injuries you already had,” Cole wrapped an arm around his boyfriend’s waist.

Jay leant all his weight into Cole, resting his head on the earth ninja’s shoulder.

“You okay?”

“Mm… just tired,” he yawned.

“I’m sure being the world’s greatest leader must be so tiring,” the earth ninja grinned, patting his boyfriend lightly on the head.

“Shut up.”

“It’s too late for us to catch up to the others now, so we better wait outside for them, Cole told him, “you think you can walk?”

“Dude, I haven’t broken my leg, I can walk just fine,” Jay responded, rolling his eyes.

The two began heading towards the door of the shop, the lightning ninja stumbling with a slight limp, gripping onto the back of the earth ninja’s gi.

Cole laughed, “that’s why you’re using me as a human walking stick, right?”

“I prefer to walk in silence.”

“Uh huh.”

The two moved outside, the cold but refreshing breeze hitting their faces as soon as they swung the door open. Jay took in a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air as much as possible. He swore it wasn’t hot in that shop before. Cole smiled as Jay loosened up a bit, his grip growing less tight.

They stopped for a moment to take in the breeze and night sky – the stars looking down on them as they watched in awe, Cole bringing Jay in closer towards him. The earth ninja glanced around their surrounding area, searching for the nearest place they could sit down and wait. His eyes landed on a table that sat not too far away and urged to head over there.

The two were silent as they did so, a comfortable silence that not only calmed them but left a longing in the air for a much-needed conversation. It was obvious one of them wanted to talk but without knowing what was going on with the other ninja and Morro, what if they were needed? All that mattered was that they didn’t lose that scroll.

Cole helped Jay to sit down, wincing as he did so. The earth ninja sat down beside him as Jay placed his head on the table, sighing deeply.

“Are you sure you’re alright? I can take a look at it if you want,” Cole pushed on.

Jay shook his head, “it’s probably fine. I think it just pressed against my cuts which hurt.”

Cole wasn’t entirely sure what more to say. He couldn’t offer to clean anything up because they didn’t have anything nearby they could use. Resting was the best option for now. It was clear Jay needed something to take his mind off it.

They both looked out into the horizon, the water sparkling in the faint moonlight. It was starting to go down, a slight tinge of orange in the sky, but only slight. There was something so peaceful about watching dawn.

“So…” the earth ninja cleared his throat, “we told them.”

“Did we have a choice?” Jay questioned, “because technically they told us.”

Cole chuckled, “true. If we’ve really been that obvious, do you think anyone else knows?”

“I’m not sure,” Jay shrugged, “I think if Nya knew she’d definitely bring it up. Lloyd on the other hand… I don’t know… Maybe.”

“How do you feel about it all though? I mean, I know you weren’t too keen on letting people know just yet,” Cole asked, “you didn’t feel pressured to tell them, did you?”

“No, no,” Jay turned to look at him, “it was just… unexpected. I really didn’t think we were being that… I don’t know… open.”

Cole raised an eyebrow.

“Not that it’s a bad thing or anything,” Jay coughed, “uh… I just mean that… I’m glad we’ve told them because then we don’t have to hide so much, y’know?”

He smiled, “I get what you mean, don’t worry. Just when we thought we were being discrete, turns out we were being so blatantly obvious.”

Jay laughed and smiled.

They knew Kai and Zane wouldn’t ever hate them for being together, although there were slight doubts in Jay’s mind, but knowing they were happy for them really put them at ease. Not hiding so much felt nice, almost comforting, but they still wanted to be somewhat quiet about it around other people.

“Is that such a bad thing though?” Jay shrugged.

“Hm? I thought you thought it was.”

“Well… I know I said about it the other night and how worried I was but… I think I was just scared. I’m not sure what I expected from Kai and Zane honestly.”

“I really think the team will be supportive no matter what,” Cole reached for his boyfriend’s hand, “besides, I think we should focus on the present.”

Jay nodded.

Silence fell upon them again, their fingers intertwined underneath the table. Somehow, Cole’s hands were always so warm, it filled Jay with such comfort and happiness. It was like all his pain was drifting away.

If Jay was happy about anything that happened in the past year, it was everything that’d happened with Cole. Making up at the tournament was the greatest thing that could’ve happened to them, and then for Cole to reciprocate his feelings… It felt like heaven. As much as he felt bad for those hurt this year, he couldn’t help but feel grateful himself.

Cole meant so much to him.

The lightning ninja got comfortable on the bench, leaning his head against Cole’s shoulder. The earth ninja smiled, welcoming his boyfriend with a reassuring arm around him.

Cole couldn’t help but steal glances at his love. Thinking back to how far they’d come felt so surreal. That first night on Chen’s Island really helped Cole to realise how important their friendship was, and even though he didn’t know it back then, he cared for Jay so much. Looking at where they are now, it was unbelievable that only a few months ago they were fighting like their lives depended on it.

Although they may have been distracted recently, not having a lot of time to spend together alone, they were still grateful for small moments like this. Sometimes the world was on their side after all.

“Y’know…” Cole spoke softly, “this reminds me of that night in the abandoned village.”

For a moment Cole thought Jay had fallen asleep until he felt him shift on his shoulder, nudging ever so closer.

“Hm?”

“When we talked about our family and what we’d be doing if we weren’t ninja.”

“You wanna talk about what we’d be doing right now if we weren’t ninja? Because I know for a fact I would be curled up in bed dreaming of being a train driver.”

Cole chuckled quietly, “No, I was just thinking about how close we’d gotten that night, especially considering we’d only just made up.”

Jay smiled, glancing down briefly at their hands. Jay couldn’t place his finger on it, but they just looked so perfect together. It was almost like everything had finally fit into place. Like they were destined to be together all along.

But if he said that out loud, Cole would probably think it was childish.

“Ugh, didn’t I say something really cringe?” Jay questioned with a grin.

Cole nodded, “you mean, ‘do you know how many times I had to stop myself from looking at you’?”

“How do you remember it word for word?” Jay laughed.

“Because it was the gayest thing you could’ve said to your friend you’d just stopped fighting with,” Cole snickered.

Jay nudged his arm, earning an even longer laugh from his boyfriend.

Since fell upon them again, Cole’s mind drifting back to everything that happened that night. Jay was likely thinking of the conversations they had, but the thing the earth ninja’s mind always landed on first was one small element. One little detail he remembered so clearly.

Admiring from afar was something the earth ninja was good at, especially when it came to the master of lightning. Popping another berry into his mouth, he watched as Jay finished the pile, picking up another twig and holding it gently between two fingers.

He stared at it for a moment, eyeing it up and down. Now Cole really wanted to know his thought process.

Jay’s other hand raised towards the stick, a small bolt of lightning forming in his palm. He aimed it gently towards it, narrowing his eyes to focus on it as best he could. His breath was steady, his eyes locked into position as the bolt connected with the twig, eventually earning a small spark from the reaction.

Cole watched in awe, a smile creeping up onto his lips. Jay’s powers were something so special and cool, sometimes much cooler than his own, and its possibilities were endless. There was just something so oddly satisfying about watching Jay do what he did best. Something so calming.

Watching Jay in his natural element was something so soothing and was definitely one of Cole’s favourite pastimes. But that night was so different. So real.

It was when everything became so clear.

“I meant everything I said that night by the way,” Cole spoke softly.

Jay didn’t respond, only staring out at the distance.

“Watching you light that fire was so incredible and… I haven’t really stopped thinking about it. Just seeing you sat in front of that pile of twigs, so determined and focused to set fire to it… And the look in your eyes when you finally did it and just stared at what you’d created… You looked so…” he paused, taking a moment to think of the right word, “…perfect. The soft glow of the fire reflecting onto your face… Ugh. If I could watch you do it a million more times, I would.”

Jay was left completely speechless, completely unable to find the right words to respond with. He’d never been used to receiving compliments, mostly because he’d never really received any from anyone besides his parents. Even with Nya, it was always him complimenting her. Cole doing everything he could to make Jay feel good wasn’t something necessarily unexpected, but it still did take the lightning ninja back. It was almost as if he didn’t think it would happen at all.

The way Cole talked about him was so heartwarming, it filled the blue ninja with glee. His heart sung, his mind in a whirlwind of words just spoken to him. What could he possibly say?

“I think that was the night I realised I’m in love with you.”

Jay completely froze, his heart racing. Was it suddenly getting really hot out here? The breeze brushed against Jay’s auburn hair, his hands suddenly growing sweaty.

“I love you, Jay.”

The lightning ninja’s grip on Cole’s hand loosened, his head lifting off his shoulder. Turning to face his boyfriend, their eyes locked in a dreamy heaven, the world around them seemingly floating away.

As Jay opened his mouth to respond…

"Gniog peek t’ndluoc I. orroM retfa enog s’iaK,” a voice shouted across at them.

Cole’s eyes snapped away, letting go of Jay’s hand to wave over at their friend approaching. Jay continued staring longingly at his boyfriend for a moment before he was snapped out of his trance.

"Hey, Zane,” the earth ninja smiled.

Jay also turned to see the ice ninja arrive at their table, looking defeated.

“Where’s Kai?” Cole asked, frowning.

Zane shrugged, “Llorcs eht retfa enog s’eH.”

The pair stared at him blankly for a minute while he sat down opposite them, sighing.

“Did you catch any of that?” Cole whispered to the lightning ninja.

Jay shook his head, “not a word.”

“Ti htiw ffo ekat nac orroM erofeb ti teg nac iaK yllufepoh. Oot, escolc os erew ew,” Zane continued, sighing yet again.

The masters of earth and lightning exchanged confused looks.

“Zane, buddy, we can’t understand anything you’re saying,” Jay gave him a reassuring smile.

“Taerg,” he rolled his eyes in response.

“Once we get back to the tea shop, I can try fix his voice box,” Jay suggested, “but I can’t make any promises. I’m a bit rusty on nindroids.”

“Do what you can,” Cole gave him a warm smile, “we’ll have to pay a visit to Borg once all this is over.”

The three sat in silence for a moment, enjoying the view yet again, except now the sun was beginning to become visible. So much for a late-night heist. Fingers crossed Kai could get his hands on the scroll otherwise they really were doomed.

As much as they were enjoying the peace and quiet though, Cole’s phone chimed, startling the small group.

Cole reached into his pocket, dragging out his mobile.

“Damn, I completely forgot my phone. Think I left it on the Bounty,” Jay sighed. Zane nodded in response.

The earth ninja frowned, bringing his phone closer to his face to get a better look. Somehow that never seemed to work.

"Ti si tahW?” Zane asked.

“Is it Kai?” Jay wondered.

“Uh… no, it’s Nya,” Cole spoke quietly.

“Asking for updates I’m assuming,” Jay leant his elbows on the table.

“The opposite, actually.”

“Hm?” Jay frowned.

“Naem uoy od tahw?” Zane questioned.

Cole passed his phone to Jay, who, too, frowned at it. Zane watched as the blue ninja’s eyes danced across the screen, reading a message that didn’t look too long. The look of confusion on Jay’s face was what concerned the ice ninja.

“Gnorw s’tahw?”

“She said: ‘I hope you guys are looking for another ninja’,” Jay read aloud.

“What does she mean?” Cole questioned.

Jay read over it again, trying to find something between the lines.

“Dnatsrednu t’nod I, maet eht fo trap ydaerla s’ehs,” Zane spoke, earning a confused look from Cole.

Jay shrugged, “does she mean she’s becoming a ninja?”

“What, like an elemental master?” Cole asked, “how?”

“Srewop retaw dah rehtom sih gninoitnem iaK rebmemer I kniht I,” Zane told them.

Cole sighed, “Zane, can you maybe talk in a way we can understand?”

The ice ninja stared at his friend blankly for a moment before glancing around at their surroundings, his eyes landing on the body of water behind him. He pointed towards it and then turned to glance at his teammates.

“Water?” Cole raised an eyebrow.

Jay shoved the phone back to his boyfriend, a smile appearing on his face.

“Nya’s mother had water powers!” he exclaimed, earning an exaggerated nod form the nindroid.

“Wait, hold up,” Cole took his phone from Jay, “Kai and Nya’s father had fire powers and their mother had water?”

“Opposites attract, right?” Jay gave him a grin, winking slightly.

Cole pushed Jay to the side, rolling his eyes, “our powers aren’t opposite, Jay.”

“Ajnin a gnimoceb si ayN os?” Zane interrupted.

Jay shrugged, turning to Cole with a confused grin. Cole sighed, placing his hands flat on the table.

The ninja had considered Nya a part of their team since the beginning, especially since finding out she was Samurai X. Lately, she’d stepped back from the role to do her hobbies and help Wu with the tea shop, but knowing she was officially becoming part of the team was nice. As awkward as it might be at first, at least the media wouldn’t keep disregarding her if she was officially a ninja, right?

But if she had the ability to harness water powers all along, why wasn’t she a ninja from the start?

This also meant that Jay needed to fix whatever was going on between them. Teamwork was an important asset to battle and if the true trust wasn’t there, it was bound to lead to trouble.

“Whatever is happening, right now we need to focus on stopping Morro,” Cole placed his head in his hands, “however we do that.”

Jay groaned, “so after all this, Morro gets Airjitzu and we’re left with zip? I hate being leader but I hate losing even more.”

Cole reached for his hand, tapping it gently, “hey, we haven’t lost yet.”

“IaK s’ereht!” Zane exclaimed, peering behind him.

The other two glanced to see Rex, Ronin’s helicopter, heading in their direction, the master of fire standing beside the criminal. He looked disappointed, and slightly annoyed. Whatever it was, it was bound to be bad news.

Cole smiled, “we didn’t lose everything. At least Kai’s okay. Tomorrow, I’ll take command and figure something out.”

Ronin brought Rex down to the side of the wooden decking, letting Kai step off. The fire ninja groaned, turning to thank his foe.

"Thanks for the pick-me-up,” they heard Kai say.

“Remember what I said about second chances,” Ronin added, “and I’m gonna hold you to that deal. So long, and I hope you get your friend back.”

With that, the helicopter took off, leaving the ninja in its dust. Kai turned to face his friends, taking a deep breath before wandering towards the table.

“Second chances?” Cole questioned, “what did he mean by that?”

“We may have lost out on the scroll, but he thinks there may be another way to learn Airjitzu.”

“Really?!” Cole’s eyes widened.

“We’re still gonna learn to fly?” Jay exclaimed.

Cole’s happy expression shifted to one of unease, his head whipping back round to look at a slightly guilty Kai.

“Wait, Ronin only makes deals in his favour,” he raised an eyebrow, “and you’re a horrible negotiator.”

Jay nodded, “Kai… what did you give him?”

The fire ninja gulped, turning his back to his teammates. As he felt all eyes on him, he closed his eyes tight, taking the moment to appreciate the silence.

“I gave him… my shares of the tea farm,” he paused briefly, “…along with all of yours.”

“You what?!” Jay shouted, getting up from the bench. Cole followed, heading round to where Kai was stood. Zane wasn’t entirely sure what to say – it wasn’t like he was going to be understood anyway.

“I did what I had to!” Kai stepped back, “and for Lloyd, I’d do it again.”

“I guess,” Cole sighed, “but I have to ask… if Morro has the only scroll, how are we going to learn Airjitzu?”

“Well, Ronin said there was this legend about a sensei called Yang. The legend says he keeps another scroll in his temple,” the fire ninja explained, “if we can find the temple, we get the scroll.”

“That sounds easy enough,” Jay smiled.

“As long as we have no more surprises, we’ll be fine,” Kai nodded, taking a deep breath.

Cole’s gaze travelled towards his boyfriend, who was staring at Zane. Although the news about Nya wasn’t all that of a shock, who knows how Kai would react? Back when the team first came together, Kai did everything in his power to keep her safe, and now that she was about to become a ninja too, did he still want to protect her?

The earth ninja reached into his pocket, pulling his phone out. Kai watched confused. Jay watched them both intently.

“You might wanna take a look at this,” Cole handed his mobile to the man in red.

Kai stared at him blankly for a minute before taking the phone and reading over the message carefully.

He shook his head, rereading it multiple times before glancing up with a frown.

“Nya’s becoming a ninja?” he questioned.

“We don’t know for sure, but it seems like it,” Cole shrugged, “and if Wu’s training her to be the master of water, at least we’ll have a secret weapon against Morro and his ghost army.”

A secret weapon was definitely what the team needed, especially if they weren’t going to get Lloyd back any time soon. Fingers crossed they could get their hands on that scroll because without it, they didn’t stand a chance at all.

Chapter Text

If the team needed their secret weapon at any time, it would definitely be now. However, she was still in training, and was barely in control of her powers so they had to make do with what they had. Four slightly stupid elemental masters who were all slightly afraid of either the dark, ghosts or both. 

Unfortunately, they needed to focus, or at least try to. 

Sneaking into the temple wasn’t easy. It meant being unnoticed, laying low, and considering they were ninja you would think they were good at that. Except, all they managed to do was draw attention to themselves.

While on their way out of Stiix, the four had come up with a plan. Zane had done some brief research into this temple that Ronin had mentioned. Yang’s Haunted Temple. No, the sound of it didn’t please them all that much, only filling them with more dread, but they didn’t have any other option. The old temple that was filled with dust and spiders was their last resort whether they liked it or not.

Zane told them they needed to stay overnight, although there were tour groups that roamed the area around the site. That tour group was their only way into the temple without being spotted, however, it did mean they needed to keep quiet and hide once the tour led them there. They’d only be able to sneak in to see if the scroll really was there or not at night, when everyone had gone home.

That also meant if the legends were true about it being infested with ghosts, and Yang’s distant spirit, they were likely to face them. 

Jay managed to fix Zane’s backwards talking to an extent, but his obnoxiously loud tone of voice led them to be more noticed than anticipated. Luckily, nobody seemed to care or notice that they’d gone missing before everyone arrived back at the tour bus. They were in the clear.

Now, it was nearing 1am, they only had a few hours until sunrise. The legends also stated that anyone who was left in the building at dusk were to be turned into a ghost, and the team were definitely going to be doomed if that happened. So, they needed to find that scroll and get out fast.

They headed into the building with ease, entering what looked like a main hang out room. The door was creaky, the light in the room very dim and gloomy. Although, Jay couldn’t help but notice the soft colour hue looked great against Cole’s skin. Perhaps Cole should consider wearing green more often.

The four split out across the room, Zane heading towards the shelves of many books, Jay standing in the middle of the room deciding on where to search first, while both Kai and Cole headed towards the back wall. 

Cole felt fine until a spider dangled down in front of his face.

“Relax,” Kai laughed, “if this place is truly haunted, we just need to wait until he shows himself.”

“He should’ve been here by now,” Cole shuddered, “you heard the tour guide, if we’re not out by sun-up we’ll be ghosts!”

Kai placed a hand on his hip and grinned, “you didn’t buy into that malarky, did you?”

Cole took a step back, “hey, I don’t want to be a ghost. Who wants to be a ghost? And why didn’t anyone warn us this place would get so creepy after dark?”

Jay raised an eyebrow, leaning against a chaise longue, “remind me again why we decided to put the guy afraid of haunted houses in charge?”

“LISTEN TO THIS!” Zane screamed.

The three had almost forgotten about the change in Zane’s pitch. Jay had tried his best to fix him, but at least he wasn’t talking backwards anymore. Perhaps Zane’s shouting would scare off the ghosts.

The nindroid held a dusty, old book he’d taken from the bookshelf behind them. Jay scoffed and took it from him, deciding it’d be best if his slightly quieter voice read it out.

Jay took a good look over the page, Zane leaning closely over his shoulder.

He passed across the room, “it says here, they believed Sensei Yang’s unusually strict teachings drove his pupils away. Others admit to never seeing any of them leave the temple grounds, suggesting a more sinister plot.”

He glanced back up to see his teammates' slightly nervous expressions.

Jay laughed, “how awesome is that?”

“Not awesome,” Cole exclaimed, “not even a little!”

“Don’t believe everything you read,” Kai told him sternly.

Jay shrugged, returning to the book, “Yang was hard on his pupils for a reason, for in his words: ‘ as iron sharpens iron, sensei sharpens studen t’.”

If Jay’s uneasy tone wasn’t enough to frighten the team, the light draft that passed through the room was plenty.

Kai hummed, “I wonder what he means by-”

Jay jumped out of his skin, the large grandfather clock that stood behind him chiming loudly. He whipped around, his eyes landing on the dusty clock that was almost twice his height. It rattled and shook, a deep echoing escaping from its door.

As the other three watched in fright, Jay took a step back, finding his place beside Cole.

However, Cole was too busy freaking out to realise, “it’s the ghost of Sensei Yang! He’s in the clock!”

Jay grabbed his arm, not taking his gaze off the clock. He pushed Cole forward.

“You’re the leader, check it out!”

With shaky hands and a dry throat, Cole took a deep breath and stepped towards it. If he didn’t need to appear strong in front of the others, he would’ve definitely curled up in a corner and waited for it to go away. 

He reached out to the knob on the door, reluctantly pulling it. 

The door flung open and he screamed, stepping back quickly as something flew directly into his face. He watched as it flew over him and towards the other ninja, his heart pounding at a million miles a minute.

He cowered down, turning to face his friends. His gaze landed on the falcon that now rested on Zane’s arm. 

Cole stood up properly, putting his hand on his hips and staring at his friends with an annoyed expression. The others laughed.

“A prank?” Cole was angry, “really?”

“We were just tryna help you relax,” Kai chuckled.

Jay nodded, “yeah! You should’ve heard yourself scream.”

The three continued to laugh for a moment, however, they were soon interrupted by a loud bang above them. They stopped almost instantly, all glancing up.

Cole sighed and headed over towards the door of the room, “another prank? Real funny.”

He turned back to them, anger written on his eyebrows as he pulled the door open.

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you to quit while you’re ahead?” he questioned before slamming the door after him. 

The other three stood in awkward silence, Jay clinging onto the book he’d been previously reading out.

Kai cleared his throat, turning to Jay, “uh.. Was that you?”

Jay shook his head, “not me.”

“ME EITHER.”

“So he’s just walking into a trap?” Kai questioned.

“At least he’s not freaking out anymore,” Jay groaned, shoving the book into Zane’s hands, “I’ll go after him.”

If Cole had known they’d be stuck in a haunted temple overnight, he never would’ve suggested becoming leader. He told himself going into it that he’d remain brave to show the team there was nothing to worry about, but his nerves got the better of him. Jay knew that all too well, too. That’s why talking to him alone was probably good.

Jay wandered out into the corridor, looking right first. It wasn’t until he turned left that he spotted Cole strolling down the other end of the hall. He decided not to call out to him in hopes of not scaring him. Besides, maybe Cole did want to be alone. However, it wasn’t safe to be on your own in a place like this so Jay didn’t really have a choice.

Jay followed him down the corridor quietly, watching as he muttered things to himself and continued past the corner. It wasn’t until he stopped mid-way down the next hall that Jay finally decided to make himself known.

As Jay approached, Cole turned, his eyes landing on a figure getting closer to him. It was dimly lit, all he could really see was a familiar silhouette. 

Jay held up his hands as Cole shrieked and warned him to stay back. As Jay stepped into a patch of slight light, Cole finally took a deep breath.

“It’s just me,” Jay told him with a soft smile.

Cole groaned, raising a hand to his chest, “you scared me.”

“Sorry, I just wanted to check if you’re okay.”

Cole sighed and turned his back to his boyfriend, heading down the corridor again. Jay tried his best to keep up with him.

“You know it was just a joke, right? We didn’t think it’d get to you that much,” Jay apologised in a worried tone.

“I know,” Cole nodded, avoiding eye contact, “I know you guys were just trying to make me feel better, because as the leader I shouldn’t be so scared, but-”

“You don’t need to pretend, Cole,” Jay told him, “we’re all scared.”

Finally, the earth ninja glanced at him, and instead of being annoyed, he gave him a light smile. Jay didn’t really believe it, and neither did Cole, but it was enough to let Jay know the topic should be dropped. Besides, they had bigger things to worry about now.

“What do you think is down here?” Jay asked.

Cole shrugged, “could be anything. I’m surprised this place is so big for a training ground.”

“Maybe he has a room for every student he’s trapped here,” Jay suggested with a chuckle.

“Shhh,” Cole whispered, “don’t piss him off. Last thing we need is to become his prisoners too.”

The pair continued down the corridor, eventually coming across a large set of doors. They stopped before them, exchanging glances before one of them decided to push ahead. Jay leant against the doors, putting all his weight on them. They opened slowly, the hinges creaking deafeningly.

Cole covered his ears as Jay pushed them open properly, being met with nothing but what seemed to be an almost empty room. It was still dark, much like the rest of the building, but the air had an odd sensation to it, the floor looking exactly like what they had in their training room. Across the room was a shrine, candles laid out on a wooden table neatly, a picture of Yang above it and a couple of golden swords pinned to the wall.

“Huh,” Jay’s head tilted slightly.

“If those candles are lit,” Cole took a shaky step forward, “then there must’ve been someone here.”

Jay frowned, “maybe they’ve just been like that for a long time? Or maybe they have a housekeeper?”

Cole turned to him, an eyebrow raised, “why would an ancient haunted temple have a housekeeper ?”

“You never know,” Jay shrugged, “one of those tour guides might sneak in every now and then.”

Cole chose to ignore his stupid comments, “besides, if this had been left for a while, the wax would’ve burnt out by now.”

“Dude, the fire is green. It’s got to be some kind of ghost magic.”

Cole chuckled, turning back to his boyfriend again, “ghost magic? Really?”

“Yeah, we’ve seen more impossible things happen,” Jay stated before closing the doors behind him.

“Like?”

“Pretty much everything that happened at the tournament.”

Cole raised an eyebrow again, “you really think that’s more impossible than ghost magic?”

“So you agree that it could be ghost magic?”

“Whatever, Jay,” Cole chuckled, heading over towards the shrine.

Jay smiled, following after him. The two stood in front of it for a minute, Jay being more interested in the flames on the candles than the portrait.

“This is where he must’ve trained his pupils,” Cole mentioned in a slightly breathy tone.

“...or got rid of them,” Jay replied quietly, getting closer to the fire.

Cole grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back slightly.

“Will you be careful?”

Jay frowned, “c’mon, it’s just fire. What could it possibly do?”

“You literally just called it ghost magic.”

“I didn’t mean the actual flame would be magical,” Jay laughed, “besides, it just looks like normal fire but green.”

“What if you touch it and it turns you into a ghost?” Cole questioned, his voice a little shaky.

Jay couldn’t help but laugh more, “a green flame turning me into a ghost? Now I’ve heard it all.”

“C’mon, Jay, be serious.”

He smiled at him, “would you still love me if I turned into a ghost?”

Cole rolled his eyes and shoved him to the side before heading off towards the door again.

“Cole,” Jay grinned, watching him walk off.

“No.”

Jay took a moment to think. It was clear Cole was stressed, he didn’t blame him, but he was starting to get in his own head. This place didn’t even seem that bad, and the only weird thing they’d found so far was the candles. Jay didn’t quite know why Cole was so freaked out about coming across a ghost, perhaps he was scared of them, but all he knew was that he needed to get Cole to loosen up. They weren’t going to be able to focus to find the scroll if he was constantly worried. 

“So you wouldn’t?” Jay continued, following behind him.

“Jay, stop.”

Jay reached out, grabbing Cole’s arm. He pulled him back, Cole avoiding eye contact for a minute.

Standing in the middle of a creepy room in a haunted temple potentially full of ghosts was bad enough, but the fact Jay could see how nervous he was about something so stupid made Cole slightly embarrassed. Out of everything they’d faced, and every time Cole had told Jay to remain strong, why was he so scared of ghosts? They couldn’t do anything while they were dead, right?

“Look, I know you’re freaked out, believe me, I know how it feels, but we haven’t even found anything worrying yet,” Jay tried to get his attention.

Cole glanced behind him and over to the candles. Jay cleared his throat awkwardly.

“Besides that. But there could be another explanation for it, right?”

Cole sighed, “how are you managing to stay so calm about this? Didn’t you hear what that tour guide said earlier? If we don’t make it out of here in time then we-”

“-Turn into ghosts, I know,” Jay rolled his eyes, “but that won’t happen. We always get out of everything, and this place can’t be that big. It’s mostly empty. I’m sure we’ll find the scroll with plenty of time to get out.”

Cole took a deep breath and met his gaze, “..yeah. I’m sure you’re right.”

“I am right and you know it.”

Jay glanced down, his hands moving from Cole’s forearms down to his hands. Cole looked too, smiling as their fingers intertwined. Jay’s gaze met Cole’s face again.

“It’ll be okay. We’ll get the scroll, hopefully encounter zero ghosts, and get out of here all human. I promise.”

Cole nodded, feeling the back of Jay’s hand with his thumb, “thanks bluebell.”

Jay groaned, rolling his eyes, “I thought you gave up on that nickname.”

Cole chuckled, glancing back up at him, “never.”

“Now back to that question about if I was a ghost-”

“No,” Cole cut in, “definitely not.”

“You couldn’t love a ghost?” Jay raised an eyebrow.

“Okay, if I turned into a ghost, would you still love me ?” Cole questioned, watching as Jay took a moment to think about it.

The pair had often thought about what would happen if something happened to one of them, except ghosts had never come into mind. It never really seemed possible until now. As much as Jay wanted to defend his response to Cole’s answer, he couldn’t think of a good thing about it. There were so many negatives to possibly being in love with a ghost. First off, they’d be dead. Second of all, you couldn’t touch ghosts, right? Cole was so touchy he wouldn’t be able to last without physical affection. 

But Jay liked to think that if somehow Cole ever turned into a ghost, or something else, he’d still love him no matter what. However, with everything like touch taken out of the equation, it would be so much harder to be together.

Good job that was never gonna happen, right? 

“Hmm,” Jay tried to fill the gaps of silence.

“That’s what I thought,” Cole smiled.

“Okay, maybe I couldn’t love a ghost,” Jay sighed, “no physical affection would kill me.”

Cole chuckled, “let’s just hope neither of us turn into a ghost then.”

Jay smiled, their eyes finally locking.

Cole couldn’t wait to be out of here. He couldn’t wait to get Lloyd back and stop Morro. He couldn’t wait to go back to the mornings where he could cuddle up next to Jay and watch a shitty movie. The tournament seemed so laid back compared to all of this. Finding scrolls, defeating ghosts, going to haunted temples… it was so tiring.

He lifted a hand up to Jay’s cheek, pulling him in.

“And let’s hope this isn’t our last kiss,” Cole muttered.

Jay giggled as Cole pulled him in, their lips only centimetres apart before…

BANG BANG BANG

They both jumped, Jay grabbing on tight to Cole’s arm. Cole let go of him, both of them turning towards the door to the room. The lightning ninja stepped slightly behind him, his head peering over his shoulder.

“What was that?” Jay whispered.

“I think it was the door,” Cole stood stiff.

“Is it a ghost?” 

“How am I supposed to know? I’m in here,” Cole muttered.

“Go find out.”

Cole scoffed, “ you go find out!”

Before they could continue arguing, the door rattled again, except this time they were watching the handles move dramatically. They twisted and turned, threatening to open the door fully.

“I didn’t even know there were handles on the door!” Jay exclaimed, digging his nails in Cole’s arms.

“What do we do?!”

Just as Jay went to respond, the doors flung open. They both screamed, Jay hiding behind Cole properly, Cole jumping on the spot. It wasn’t until they heard the loud familiar screams of two other people that they stopped.

Their hearts raced, their eyes fixing on no ghosts, but rather their other two teammates.

“What the fuck-” Cole let out a loud sigh, clutching his chest.

“What are you two doing in here?!” Kai exclaimed, “you scared the shit out of us!”

“We went looking for the scroll!” Jay responded in a high-pitched tone, “ you scared us !”

“You were the ones shouting when we opened the door,” Kai huffed.

Cole frowned, “because we thought you were ghosts??”

“Do we look like ghosts to you?” Kai questioned.

Jay stepped out from behind Cole, “no, but you’ll definitely be dead if you scare us like that again…”

Kai and Zane took a look around the room while the couple calmed down. It seemed like perhaps Cole wasn’t the only one freaked out after all. 

They headed over towards the shrine, peering over the green candlelight and portrait.

“What’s with the green flames?” Kai asked, reaching out a hand to them.

“BE CAREFUL, KAI,” Zane screamed, startling them all, “IT COULD BE A TRAP.”

“Cole thinks it’ll turn us into ghosts if we touch it,” Jay nodded.

Cole groaned, “Jay said they were made of ghost magic.”

“ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN.”

Jay rolled his eyes, “Zane, can you try whispering?”

Not that whispering even mattered anymore…

“As iron sharpens iron, sensei sharpens student…”

If they weren’t already freaked out, that was definitely enough to scare them entirely. 

They all screamed, “it’s the ghost of sensei Yang!!!”

Quivering, they pondered on what exactly was meant, and then took a good look at their surroundings. They weren’t in the most desirable place if he decided to strike.

Jay turned to the shrine that was now behind them, his eyes fixing on the golden swords that lay pinned to the wall.

“Uh..” his voice was shaky, “what do you think he meant by sharpen…?”

Just as Jay finished his sentence, the swords started to wobble, the screws that held them up starting to twist out of the wall.

“I’d rather not stick around to find out!” Cole screeched.

 The four began heading out the room as the swords darted off the wall, pointing directly at their backs. They sprinted as fast as they could, slamming the doors shut behind them in hopes of buying some time. However, the swords weren’t all they had to worry about. 

Running down the corridor, every picture on the walls swung and cracked, bats flying behind them out of nowhere and the floor felt almost as if it were going to fall through. Yang’s distant sinister laughing in the background only made them feel more frightened. 

They continued at the speed of light, trying their best to get away from it all. After many sharp turns, they finally reached a window, however their hopes were all but mistaken. For whatever curse was on this temple also cursed them. Outside the window was a deep void, one the team wished not to mess with.

So they kept running, and eventually found themselves back in the main room they had started in. Perhaps the bookshelves could provide them with more information they hadn’t been able to find before.

Although, no matter how hard they tried to stay out of trouble, and no matter how safe they felt in that creepy room, they still managed to find themselves in a predicament. The clock chimed, the paintings moved, and perhaps if Jay hadn’t been so stupid as to touch the picture, the room might not have flooded with water. 

As iron sharpens iron, sensei sharpens student…

Trying their best not to freak out, they attempt to break out of the room, Kai inevitably facing his fear of water to burst open the door of the room.

They sat outside in the corridor, contemplating on what to do next. 

Cole sighed, “first the painting, now the water, what’s next?” 

“That’s it!” Jay exclaimed, “he’s testing us! Don’t you see? Cole’s afraid of haunted houses and Kai’s afraid of water!”

Kai frowned, “...as iron sharpens iron… sensei sharpens student…! He’s making us face our fears!”

“Which means whatever he throws at us next, we have to face together,” Cole nodded, “no running away.”

If they were going to do that, however, they needed to stick together. Kai had the brilliant idea of tying themselves to each other with a rope. It could lead either way; very dangerous and could sabotage them, or be very handy in fighting whatever Yang had in store for them. 

The four headed down the corridor, hoping to find something that’ll help them. However, their small conversation and peace diminished as soon as Zane turned around.

How was Morro behind them?

He already had the first scroll, he probably already knew Airjitzu. He was already multiple steps ahead of the ninja. Why did he need the second scroll too? Logically, trying to set the ninja back would only set himself back too.

Despite this, the four were still freaked out. They chased down the corridor after him, hoping to get some answers. It wasn’t until they reached the stairs to an attic - and attic they swore wasn’t there before - that they came to a standstill again. 

Discussing what they were going to do for a minute, it definitely seemed like a trap, however if it weren’t, could they get out soon? It was already nearing light, they hadn’t given it a second thought, but they didn’t have any other choice. If they didn’t do this now, they’d run out of time and have to wait yet another day before they could get the scroll.

They made their way up to the attic, their eyes piercing Morro’s back. He was turned away from them, focused on something across the room.

“Face him, Jay,” Kai stated to the boy behind him.

Jay hit his arm and exclaimed, “ you face him!”

Cole groaned, “we’ll all face him.”

As they slowly approached the ghost, he only seemed to disappear, leaving them not only scared but confused. Their gaze fell upon the ghost of the temple owner himself.

“As iron sharpens iron, sensei sharpens student… You have passed the test.”

Kai smiled, “then you’ll teach us how to do airjitzu?”

Yang lifted a hand from his back, it was evident he held the scroll, the one thing they’d been searching for all night.

“Only those who see things through will reap the benefit of the reward…”

Cole reached forward, taking the scroll from Yang. 

Jay spoke up, worry in his tone, “that’s not the only thing we see through. Why is it I can see through my hand?!”

The lightning ninja lifted his hand, it becoming almost completely transparent.

Yang laughed, “ now you will join my students.”

Cole shuddered, “he’s not just their mentor, he’s their captor..”

“The new dawn’s upon us, get out before the clock’s last chime. If you can…”

In a state of panic, the four flew down the stairs, tripping over one another. They rushed down the corridor, their heart rates at an all time high. 

CHIME

They’d never moved so quickly in their lives, light beginning to peek through the gaps in the windows. The only sounds that could be heard were their heavy footsteps and loud breathing, nothing but panic filling their bodies.

CHIME

They raced down the stairs towards the entrance of the temple.

“The door! Hurry!” Kai shouted, his teammates tied closely behind him.

CHIME

As they ran up to the door, Cole hit a post beside it, almost knocking him over. However, when he stood back up properly, there was no sight of the scroll in his hand anymore. He twisted to see it on the ground behind him, yet he couldn’t quite reach, feeling the strength of his rope attached to Jay. 

In a panic to grab the scroll, he untied himself, letting the rope fall freely behind Jay as the door burst open.

CHIME

Cole leant for the scroll, only just grabbing it around his hands. His hands that were now completely transparent. 

CHIME

Outside, the three other ninja sprinted down the steps of the temple, trying their best to catch their breath. They stood there for a moment, letting their heartbeat steady. 

Kai smiled as he glanced at his fully visible hand, “we did it!”

Kai and Zane appreciated the moment together, exchanging joyous glances. Jay wanted nothing more than to celebrate with his boyfriend.

However, when he turned around, Cole was nowhere to be seen.

He gasped, picking up the part of the rope that had been previously tied around the earth ninja’s waist. 

“Where’s Cole..?” Jay’s voice was quiet, holding a very obvious shake. His hands quivered as he looked at where the rope had been so obviously folded into a knot. Now, instead of being safely around his boyfriend, it was now exposed in Jay’s nervous possession. 

He could’ve sworn he was right behind him. He felt him tug right before they opened the door..

Jay turned to face his friends, meeting their concerned gazes. 

He didn’t want to think the worst. He wanted to be able to turn around and see Cole stood there, safely with the scroll, completely human. Or he wanted to wake up from whatever cruel nightmare this was. 

Cole was fine. He had to be.

“Don’t worry! I got the scroll!”

The voice was echoey, almost like it came from some distant realm. Like someone was trying to speak to him from the afterlife. Yet there was a familiar tone to it. Something that made Jay shudder entirely. 

Jay almost froze, his heart dropping before his mind could comprehend what was happening. Kai and Zane glanced past him, fear in their eyes, their mouths hanging agape.

He didn’t want to turn around. He didn’t want to be right.

It wasn’t until Zane glanced back at him with a tone as if to say ‘I’m so sorry’ that made him move. 

He twisted slowly, his legs feeling almost too heavy to move. His bright blue eyes stared at the floor briefly, meeting Cole’s feet. Why did they suddenly have a green hue? 

His gaze slowly made its way up Cole’s legs.. His torso.. They all looked slightly green. Why. Why…

His skin was so… pale.. It looked as soft as ever, almost... airy.

Why could Jay see the temple through his boyfriend?

It wasn’t until their eyes met, the usual deep brown he was so used to now an unfamiliar dark green, that the world around him completely fell apart. It faded to black, the only thing he could focus on was the confusion in the earth ninja’s face. The face he could barely see or recognise.

“What?” Cole frowned, “what’s wrong?”

Jay felt a lump grow in his throat. He couldn’t bring himself to say anything. He could barely even think.

“Cole.. you..” he thought he heard someone behind him mumble, “you didn’t make it out in time.. You’re.. You’re a-”

Cole lifted his hands, the scroll falling to the ground in front of him. He could barely see them, a green hint to not only his arms themselves but the aura around them too. He didn’t even want to think about what the rest of him looked like.

He continued staring at his hand in disbelief. However, his focus relayed onto something so much more important. Someone important.

Through his hand, Jay’s figure stood. He looked so distraught, so scared..  

Cole’s heart shattered.

“I’m.. a ghost…”

Chapter Text

His eyes lay stiffly on the ground beneath him, wide with fear and confusion. His spine shook, yet somehow not literally, as a slight breeze passed through him. His organs felt cold but he did have any organs? His fingers were green, the sleeves of his gi almost disappearing in the light. His entire body felt stiff and airy, completely lightweight. His knees were pressed to the floor, except he didn’t need to put any pressure on them to stay grounded. It didn’t feel like an instinct anymore. Why couldn’t he feel the grass beneath him? Why couldn’t he feel the heat of the sun against his chestnut skin? 

None of this made sense.

He felt like crying. It didn’t matter if he was supposed to be the strong leader of the team, it didn’t matter if he was kneeling in front of his friends; he just wanted to break down. His life was over. What was he supposed to do now? No matter how hard he tried, how much he felt the tears wanting to well up, nothing appeared in his eyes. He could barely blink. Did he even need to blink anymore?

He swore he got out on time. The clock chimed just as he sprinted through the door. He remembered it so clearly. The panic he felt in his chest had completely disappeared as he felt the Aijitzu scroll in his hand, his feet pounding down the steps with a wide grin spread across his lips. He wanted nothing more than to celebrate with his team, read through the scroll, and finally learn this flying technique. He was so excited to head back to the Bounty and joke with Jay about how neither of them would get the hang of it at first. They’d fall flat on their faces, the other laughing briefly before checking to make sure they were alright. And once one of them finally understood, they’d judge the other and make snarky joke remarks about how dumb they were. 

It was supposed to be perfect.

Now it had all been stripped away, much like his heartbeat. 

His hands shook, he couldn’t feel it, but the way his eyes focused so firmly on them was enough to see just how rattled he was. Trying to stop it was pointless, he could barely feel anything, barely control his own body - did he even have a body..? 

God everything was a mess. His mind, his emotions.. There were a million thoughts rippling through his head like a hurricane, and although it felt completely impossible, his heart ached. 

He promised he wouldn’t look up. The terrified, anxious and sympathetic expressions on his friend’s faces were enough to send him into a coma - he couldn’t deal with it. If he was feeling this shitty, how were they feeling about seeing their friend as a ghost ? One of their enemies ? What if they thought Cole was one of Morro’s goons now? What if they thought he was gonna turn against them? 

And fuck.. Jay . He was so traumatised. His pupils were wide, his own hands shook too. The way he couldn’t even speak.. The way he stared at Cole like he was a monster… What was he thinking? 

Their conversation earlier…

“Maybe I couldn’t love a ghost,” Jay had said, “no physical affection would kill me.”

“Let’s just hope neither of us turn into a ghost then,” Cole had replied.

He jinxed it. He fucking jinxed it and now he was a ghost. He was a ghost that couldn’t touch anything, couldn’t feel anything. He was someone Jay could no longer love. 

Was this some kind of punishment?

He was certain that even if he could be held or touched, Jay would never lay a hand on him ever again. 

They were both right earlier, how could anyone ever love a ghost? He was just air. Almost a figure of your imagination. Why would Jay love someone who wasn’t really there?

The only thing keeping him rooted to the ground, his eyes fixed down, was the thought of locking eyes with Jay again, for if he did that then it would become too real. He couldn’t lose him. He didn’t want to give Jay the chance to end it all. They’d been through so much, discovered so much about themselves. Cole hadn’t given their relationship his all yet - he’d only just told Jay he loves him for fuck sake. It can’t be over this soon. He can’t ruin something so special.

Trying with all his might, he pulled his eyes away from the spot beneath him. The dread that filled his chest was probably enough to make him pass out, his gaze landing on his boyfriend.

Jay looked terrified. It was clear he didn’t know what to do. He stood stiffly, his breath heavy, completely stunned. Cole didn’t blame him, how could he? He felt just as scared as Jay looked. He really wished it didn’t have to be this way.

Had he let Jay down? 

“Jay..” Cole’s voice was quiet, weak, shaky. 

For a moment, he regretted speaking. He could see the panic rise in Jay, the way his body tensed, the further widening of his eyes, the way his hands twitched. Watching as Jay looked him up and down, a glance of dread and disbelief, Cole felt his own body tense up. The earth ninja thought maybe Jay would decide to just turn around and run, or look at him with disgust, but instead he took a deep breath and took a reluctant step forward.

“It’s okay..” his tone was shaky too, clear he wasn’t certain.

“I didn’t mean to-” Cole gulped, taking a sharp breath mid sentence, “I-”

Jay got closer, eventually kneeling down in front of Cole. In any other circumstance - one where he hadn’t just turned into a ghost - he would’ve found Jay’s gaze comforting. He would’ve found Jay’s company relaxing. Now? He wanted to be anywhere else.

“Don’t worry,” Jay cut him off, “we’ll figure it out.”

This time, his voice was softer. Jay was never good at controlling his emotions, especially when panicked, however he was doing well, doing whatever he could to calm his boyfriend down. The soft, smooth tone Jay sometimes forced on his voice to keep his lover focused was like music to Cole’s ears. It was one of the things he most admired about him.

“We’ll find a way to turn you back, okay?” 

Cole spoke hushed, “what if we don’t… what if I-”

A slight warm smile tugged at his lips, “it’ll be alright, I promise.”

Out of habit, the lightning ninja reached for the other boy’s hand, Cole’s gaze following just as Jay’s did. He didn’t know why he thought it was a good idea. Perhaps he thought if he believed then it’d work out. But when his soft, pale hands drifted right through Cole’s airy ones, the shock that filled his veins was enough to make him move back, a light gasp escaping his mouth. 

The panic only fuels Cole more, his first instinct to get up and close his eyes tight. His chest felt heavy, his heart cracking, yet it only hurt more because how is that even possible? Does he even have them anymore? He swore he was nothing but air now. A spirit. 

He heard Jay get up too, and when he opened his eyes again they landed on his green hands, how different they looked, how he barely recognised them. Green wasn’t his colour. It wasn’t his colour at all.

“I’m sorry,” he closed his eyes tight again, taking another step back, “I’m so sorry..” 

His breath was rough, his chest only becoming tighter and tighter with every inhale. His voice cracked, letting out almost a loose cry. His hands were shaking vividly now, god he needed someone to hold them, he needed Jay to hold them tight, keeping them steady. He needed Jay to wrap his arms around him and tell him it’d be okay. Hearing those words strained through the pounding of his heart in his ears wasn’t enough. Nowhere near enough. 

“I didn’t mean for this to happen… I’m sorry..”

Jay took another step forward, trying to steady his own heart too. Except, no matter how much closer Jay took to him, the further Cole would step away. 

“Cole, listen to me,” Jay tried to control the vivid quiver in his tone, “there’ll be a way of saving you. We’ll save you, okay?”

Jay knew he should’ve stopped walking, he should’ve stopped approaching a clearly petrified Cole, but the panic he felt to calm Cole down as quickly as possible was overwhelming. He couldn’t think straight at all. It wasn’t until he noticed Cole’s back now pressed against the wall of the temple that he knew to stop. He was a few feet away, his gaze fixed upon his boyfriend’s unfamiliar eyes, crying for help.

“I’m sorry, Jay, I didn’t mean to ruin-”

He took another cautious step forward, “you haven’t ruined anything. Everything will be okay, just take deep breaths.”

He kept going, his eyes kept focused on Cole, holding that same comforting gaze. He could tell Cole was beginning to calm, but he was still tense, still strained. Jay wanted nothing more than to hold his hands, wrap him in his arms, give him a comforting kiss on the head…

He stopped in front of him, giving him enough space to breathe, but just enough space for Cole to focus on Jay and only Jay.

Cole could tell he cared. He could tell Jay was doing everything in his power to make him feel okay, and he appreciated it, he really did, but that didn’t stop that pit of doubt forming in his stomach. Forming in his head.

Jay’s eyes were a little comforting, it was clear Jay was trying to make it that way, but deep down Cole could see the panicked, scared undertones. The rest of Jay’s face may have been saying it would be okay, but his pupils were telling Cole the exact opposite. 

Yet for some reason, he felt his heart rate declining, the whirlwind of emotions swirling in his head coming to a stand still. He tried his best to focus on not Jay’s expressions, how afraid he was, but just Jay in general. His features. The light freckles on his cheeks, the softness of his skin, the way his bright blue eyes glistened in the sunrise. The orange light of the sky around them reflecting on Jay’s slightly sunburnt cheeks.. God he was gorgeous. 

He longed to reach out, for his fingers to touch Jay’s skin and to feel his soft lips against his own. 

Jay went to reach out for his boyfriend’s hand again but stopped himself. The last thing he needed was to panic him again. So instead, he stuck with comforting words.

“I’m right here, okay?” he spoke in almost a whisper.

Cole gulped, his eyes trailing down towards Jay’s chest. He watched the pattern of Jay’s breathing, every inhale and exhale, and although it was quicker than usual, it was certainly slower than Cole’s current pace. He focused on it, trying to match his own breath up to his boyfriend’s. 

He was prone to getting anxiety attacks back when he was at school. Every time he’d gotten into a fight and was sent home, he found himself sat with his mother, and she taught him to focus on her breathing patterns to help him focus. It also helped him to steady his own heartbeat.

Watching intently, he took a deep breath in every time Jay’s chest rose, and breathed out when it fell. For a moment, the master of lightning was confused, but he eventually caught on.

He’d gotten so lost in the moment that he’d completely forgotten where he was and what was going on. 

“The Bounty’s nearby,” Kai spoke up from somewhere in the near distance, “we should probably head out.”

Cole’s eyes trailed up to Jay’s gaze, and for the first time, that look of fright had ceased. Instead, Jay’s blues were filled with comfort and care. Everything Cole needed to see.

The walk to the Bounty was tiring and quiet. Zane didn’t say anything, afraid he’d frighten Cole with the excessive loudness of his tone. Jay didn’t really speak either, making a little response to Kai every now and again as he read through the scroll. Cole remained completely silent, his gaze fixed on the ground and the way his feet stepped with such ease. It felt weird, almost as if he wasn’t actually doing anything. He couldn’t feel it. Jay would steal a worried glance at him a few times.

When they finally reached the Bounty, Cole escaped to his room, avoiding everyone at all costs. As much as Jay wanted to go after him, to make sure he was okay, he knew giving him a moment to calm down and get his head around everything was needed. Besides, he was needed at the team meeting.

Wu discussed Airjitzu, explaining what the writing on the scroll meant. With a few mutters from Kai, complete silence from Jay, and multiple shouted sentences from Zane that were likely heard from miles away, their plan was clear. Nya, too, joined in her new ninja gi. It was odd, really odd, but it felt sort of.. right to have her there. Kai didn’t even bat an eye really. 

It wasn’t until Wu and Nya questioned Cole’s whereabouts that the conversation grew awkward.

The group were now outside training on the top deck, trying their best to master the flying art. It was difficult at first, they aimed to reach the flag at the top of the ship. Kai was the first to master the first part, however, after hours of training, Jay was the first to finally get a full flight up towards the flag. It was weak, pretty choppy, but it was a million times better. Kai was jealous but Zane reassured him it was likely that Jay picked up on skills pretty easily. After all, he was also the first to master Spinjitzu all those years ago.

After a little while and the three had finally learnt a shaky version of it, Jay decided to head inside to find his boyfriend. He’d hoped Cole would calm down and surface, joining them at least to watch, but he hadn’t been seen all afternoon. He was growing worried.

Heading down the corridor quietly so as to not startle him, he peered round the corner into Cole’s room. The door was wide open, allowing fresh air into the musty space.

The earth ninja lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. 

He seemed completely defeated, almost as if he’d been laying there for hours. Guilt panged at Jay’s heart. Why did he leave him alone for so long? 

Although, even if he’d come to find Cole earlier, what would he have said? There was no doubt in his mind that he would’ve tried to touch him again, only hoping that with at least some more effort that it was possible, but who was he kidding? Ghosts weren’t real beings, right? But if they weren’t, how was Cole here?

He felt bad thinking of him like that. He felt even more awful for questioning everything. It’d be a lie if he said he hadn’t been thinking about him non-stop during training. If he hadn’t spent so much time overthinking it all, he probably would’ve mastered it by now. 

The one specific thing his mind kept landing on was their conversation about ghosts earlier. How Jay, at first thought, had questioned Cole’s feelings towards ghosts but on second thought agreed. Really thinking about it, back then, how could he love a ghost? All he knew was that dead beings couldn’t think or feel right, that they didn’t have hearts to feel things such as love so loving a ghost would only lead to pain. However, that’d never been proven wrong as Jay had never met a ghost that wasn’t one of his enemies. That didn’t necessarily mean they were all bad, right? 

Besides, earlier, Jay’s main point about not being able to love Cole if he’d turned into a ghost was because he wouldn’t be able to touch him. That wasn’t a complete lie. He loved holding hands, hugging and of course kissing, but thinking about it all now, was he really all that dependent on it? 

Although, in complete contrast, seeing how Cole really needed a hug earlier, perhaps they did need it.

Jay’s thoughts broke away as he watched his boyfriend sit up, his back to him now. It was obvious Cole hadn’t noticed his presence and, for a split second, Jay considered leaving. He still didn’t know the right thing to say, how to cheer him up besides telling him it’d all be alright. It was clear Cole needed a lot more than that, some kind of gesture even, but Jay couldn’t provide that. How could he? Usually he’d pull him into a hug, give him a kiss on the cheek and make some dumb joke so they could laugh it off. Now he could only do one of those three things, and he still wasn’t even certain on the jokes. 

How could he make a joke about this ?

But leaving was wrong. Cole needed him. 

The earth ninja reached a hand out towards his night stand, his focus fixed on an empty mug left from a few days ago. He attempted to grab it, putting all his might into it, yet the only thing that happened was his hand completely phasing through it. He sighed again, Jay’s heart sinking. 

Why was he thinking about himself when Cole was suffering the most?

A light knock on the door was enough to snap Cole out of his trance. His head whipped around, his eyes landing on Jay’s soft, comforting smile. In any other circumstance, Cole would’ve greeted him with a wide beam, and the thought of a happy little kiss, but all he could think now was how this conversation was likely to go terribly. For if what he’d been thinking for the past few hours was about to happen, it was about to become the worst day of his life times ten.

Jay stepped in, reluctant at first as if Cole didn’t even want him there.

He took a deep breath before speaking, and for once thinking about what he was saying before saying it.

“Are you okay?”

It was a stupid question. The answer was obvious. But it was the only thing that came to his mind.

Cole didn’t answer, his head twisting back round so he could stare at the mug again. 

As awful as Jay felt, he gathered the courage to head over to the bed. He placed himself down next to Cole, leaving more space than he usually would’ve. 

They sat in silence for a moment, Jay gathering his thoughts as he watched how Cole’s gaze remained firmly on the mug. It was almost as if he stared at it long enough, something would happen. It didn’t.

“You’ll be alright,” Jay’s voice was unsettled, “it might take some getting used to but…”

What was he supposed to say?

“...I’m sure being a ghost has its perks.”

The awkward silence burnt its way through Jay’s ears. God, this was embarrassing. He wasn’t used to being the one to cheer others up in serious situations. His method of coping was usually make a joke, laugh it off, evacuate the scene. 

“We’ll figure it out,” Jay nodded.

Perhaps if Jay sounded more confident, it would instil some positivity into Cole too. For maybe, the only reason Cole was feeling miserable was because they thought ghosts were all bad.

Oh, who was he kidding? That obviously wasn’t the reason Cole was upset.

“We can make it work, okay?” Jay told him, “I’m sure there’s a way to change you back or-”

“How?”

Cole’s voice was sharp and raspy. He refused to glance at the boy beside him, although his eyes finally snapped away from that damn mug. 

“How can a ghost possibly turn human?” Cole questioned, “it doesn’t make any sense.”

Jay thought for a moment, and yet everything he came up with was far reaching, something completely made up in his own little daydream world. Although, if they were really in that daydream world, none of this would’ve been happening. Deep down, Jay knew Cole was right. He knew there was no coming back from this, but if he didn’t hold out hope, who knows what would happen between them?

Cole’s tone was exhausting, “I just have to accept the fact I’m useless now.”

“Hey, you’re not useless,” Jay frowned, “I’m sure you’ll get used to it.”

Yet the blue ninja couldn’t seem to let go of that daydream world.

“It’ll become easier,” his manner became happier, almost as if he’d thought of the most wonderful thing, and as much as it was usually infectious, in this moment Cole hated it.

Jay continued with a smile, “I mean, Morro can easily pick things up and touch things, right? Maybe you can learn-”

“That’s because he’s possessing Lloyd.”

Jay could feel Cole’s eyes on him like a dagger.

“Okay, then what about his army?” Jay questioned, “they’re just normal ghosts. I also once saw in a TV show that-”

“Jay, this isn’t some stupid TV show,” the earth ninja snapped, “this is real life. Nothing will be the same and you know it.”

Jay fell completely silent, his heart shattering as he looked at how defeated Cole really was. The earth ninja gritted his teeth, his hands clenched into fists on the bed sheets, his whole body tense. For a minute, they stayed like that. Cole remained strained as Jay watched him with a worried glance.

The master of earth felt his lover’s eyes on him, hurt and confused, just as much as Cole felt in his chest. He sighed. None of this was Jay’s fault. Taking it out on him wasn’t fair.

“I’m sorry,” Cole spoke quietly, loosening his fists, “I know you’re just trying to help but…”

Jay didn’t blame him, of course not, but it pained him to know he couldn’t help in the way Cole needed it. To be fair, could anyone really help? There was no solution, no way to turn him back, so what were they supposed to do now? Wait for something to happen?

Perhaps it wouldn’t have been so bad if they weren’t in the middle of a battle with Wu’s ex-student that was possessing their friend. They barely even had time to think.

Jay doesn’t say anything, his gaze drifting down towards Cole’s pale green hands. They looked nothing like the ones he’d held only yesterday, yet that didn’t stop him from wanting to reach out.

He really did think that if he tried hard enough, he could at least hold Cole’s hand. Maybe Cole can’t touch things, but that didn’t stop Jay from feeling it, yet the only thing Jay felt when he did go to touch his soft skin were the bed sheets. 

His hand lay through Cole’s, his fingers curled around the edge of the bed like Cole’s did. It would’ve been nice to at least feel a shift in the air, for it to feel at least a little different where Cole lay. He felt nothing, and neither did Cole.

The earth ninja’s eyes trailed down towards their hands, his eyebrows furrowing in guilt as he saw how Jay’s hand sat so comfortably through his own. Sat as if there was no other presence there. 

Jay sighed, “it’ll be okay.”

Yet the more times Jay said it, the more the earth ninja could tell that it was no longer Jay reassuring Cole, but rather it was Jay trying to reassure himself. The blue ninja was scared, it was evident, but now that he was, too, starting to believe there was nothing that could be done to fix this, the more real it became. 

Cole didn’t want to say anything, he didn’t want to make it worse, but the doubts playing on his mind would only get worse if he didn’t voice them. Besides, Jay was probably thinking the same anyway.

He was reluctant, “how is it gonna be okay if we can’t touch? You said it yourself.. You couldn’t date a ghost because of it.”

Jay had hoped it wouldn’t be brought up. It was likely the universe had heard their conversation and did everything in its power to make it happen, and it pissed Jay off much more than he could vocalise. Trying to remain positive about it all was difficult, and he could only imagine how Cole was feeling about it.

“I didn’t know what I was talking about,” was all he managed to say. He didn’t have a proper excuse or explanation. Everything he’d say was bound to make it worse, and it’s not like he could come up with anything anyway. 

Cole moved his hand away from where Jay’s lay, and for a brief moment, he thought he felt some kind of light spark. However, he was fully convinced it was just a trick of his mind. 

Jay’s eyes trailed down towards where Cole’s hand sat with his, “we can make it work. I mean… We don’t need to physically touch to be together, right? Company is enough.”

It was true. The pair found company great and they obviously weren’t always touching, especially not around the others. As much as they’d both miss the physical affection, it wasn’t entirely impossible to stay happy together without it. 

However, that didn’t mean Cole didn’t have doubts about it. He’d fully agreed with Jay earlier on when he suggested that he wouldn’t be able to cope without the physical side of the relationship, but now that they were really facing that situation, maybe it wouldn’t be too difficult. At least that’s what he wanted to think.

He was certain that if he kept going, kept on questioning how their relationship was going to cope, that he really would end up losing Jay. And besides, Jay was doing his best to cheer him up. Cole was just grateful he knew the time and place to make jokes, which he’d typically do. Any kind of joke was likely to tip him over the edge right now.

He took a deep raggedy breath and nodded, “yeah.. I guess you’re right…”

Jay gave him a soft smile, “once you get more used to it, it might be quite cool, y’know?”

The earth ninja mustered up a fake smile, finally turning to meet Jay’s gaze. His boyfriend looked hopeful, the hope that Cole wished he had too, and for a second he could feel a real smile tugging at his lips. Jay was so sweet, so innocent. God, he couldn’t imagine it being him in this place instead of Cole. At least he was grateful for that.

“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” Cole’s eyes drifted across Jay’s features, taking it all in.

Jay smiled more and his mouth opened to say something, Cole can’t really imagine what, but a small knock at the room door distracted them both. Jay’s head whipped around almost instantly while Cole’s gaze remained on his lover’s soft skin for a little longer than it should’ve. When he finally glanced towards the door, he was met with the sight of an awkward looking Nya.

“Sorry to interrupt..” she coughed, “could I get some help with fixing Zane’s voice box? I’d ask Kai but he’s useless.”

The lightning ninja smiled brightly, something Cole hadn’t seen in the same room as the girl who broke his heart in what felt like forever. 

“I’ll help. I tried to fix him briefly before we went to the temple but it only seemed to make him louder.”

Cole watched as he got up off the bed. This was truly the most comfortable he’d seen Jay around Nya in a while and, for some reason, it made him happy. Hopefully fixing Zane up would help them to finally have a conversation. 

Just before Jay reached the door, he turned around to face his boyfriend, wearing a soft smile. 

Nya spoke up, “if you need anything, Cole, let us know. We’re all here for you.”

And suddenly he felt worse again.

Jay shoved his hands in his pockets as the two headed down the corridor. The lightning ninja watched as his feet padded across the floor, clearly deep in thought. Nya glanced at him a few times, noticing his slightly anxious physique.

She was reluctant to talk at first. The two hadn’t spoken properly since their breakup - or rather lack thereof - since it was awkward, of course, yet she didn’t really understand why. Talking about it now was stupid, which is why she swore she wouldn’t. The last thing they needed was to get into some unwarranted argument while trying to fix up Zane. So instead, she settled for small talk.

“How is he?” 

Jay wasn’t even bothered about her speaking up.

He shrugged, his eyes still fixed on the creaky floorboards, “not great, but he just turned into a ghost so I don’t know what else you’d expect.”

She sighed and nodded, “it can’t be easy. I don’t think I’d be able to cope with not being able to hold anything.”

“I’m sure he can learn. I’ve seen Morro’s army holding things such as weapons, so even if Cole isn’t sure it’s possible, I think at least picking up objects isn’t completely out of reach.”

Nya smiled, “true.”

“I think he’s mostly concerned about us right now, typical Cole behaviour, always thinking about others over himself…” he let out a half-laugh but it faded quickly, “I just hope he knows we don’t care about him any less.”

Nya led the way into the mechanical room. It was a small space they’d transformed a little while ago, mostly for situations like this. It was pretty handy, especially considering how many times Zane liked to get into trouble. Jay smiled as his gaze met the Nindroid, who sat waiting patiently on a table in the middle of the room.

Nya headed straight to the back of the room towards the desk of equipment she’d laid out. Jay went straight for Zane, checking on the components in the back of his neck.

“I’m sure he knows that, just doubting it because of his.. well.. circumstances,” Nya spoke a little quieter as she focused on which tool to pick up.

Jay nodded, too beginning to focus. He let his mind trail away from their discussion for a moment, really looking in detail at Zane’s components.

The lightning ninja grew up inventing and tinkering with electronics but Zane always confused him. He was complicated, not that it was a bad thing, but it meant Jay could learn new things. He’d certainly learnt a lot from fixing him up.

Everything looked okay, he used a tweezer to feel around carefully, looking for anything that could be out of place. It wasn’t until he laid his eyes upon the wires going from his voice box up to somewhere in the lower head that Jay could figure out what was wrong.

“Looks like he’s got a broken wire,” Jay stated, “pretty burnt out, although that’s a little confusing considering I don’t think that’s what the problem was in the first place.”

“How do you mean?” 

“He swallowed a fly,” Jay continued, narrowing his eyes as he began shining a torch through the back of Zane’s neck, “I did remove it, so I’m not sure that’s what the problem is, but I suppose replacing the wire isn’t a bad shout either.”

Nya stopped herself from laughing at the idea of Zane swallowing a bug. She headed over to the two with a pair of small pliers. He glanced at her briefly, frowning before batting her hand away.

“Think I’m gonna have to power you down for a little while, Zane,” Jay sighed, “I don’t want to accidentally mess anything else up.”

Zane nodded, this time remembering to keep quiet.

Jay turned to look at Nya, who gave him a small smile.

“Could you grab some blue wires from the cabinet?”

She nodded and headed over. Jay continued taking a look at Zane’s wiring, hoping to find the real root of the problem. 

The room was quiet for a moment, the steady breaths coming from Jay as well as the occasional focused hum. Nya rummaged around.

“You two have gotten really close, right?” she spoke up.

Jay didn’t really pay attention to what she was saying, letting his voice go into autopilot mode while his mind focused on the Nindroid.

“Hm?”

“You and Cole,” Nya told him.

It took a minute for Jay to respond with a quiet, deadpan, “yeah.”

Nya finally reached into a polyester bag, pulling out a small blue wire.

“Then I’m sure reassuring him that nothing will change will help him to feel better,” she responded happily, “after all, it seems you two are pretty good at cheering one another up.”

Jay narrowed his eyes again, really focusing on the details. He entered his tweezers again, feeling around the wires, looking for anything abnormal.

“It’s not that easy..” Jay told her quietly, “I say it but I know he doesn’t believe it.”

He reached to his left for the flashlight again. 

“I mean, it’s easy to just enjoy each other’s company, and we do, but we rely a lot on physical affection,” he used the tweezers to pull at a green wire also coming from the voice box, “it’ll be weird without it.”

He remained focused, and although he should’ve noticed the deadly silence in the room, he just hummed again, frowning at the wire he’d previously been looking at. For a moment, he felt a shift in Zane’s body posture.

It wasn’t until he heard Nya talk a moment later that he snapped out of his trance.

“...what?”

Jay blinked, moving his tweezers from Zane’s neck, his hands suddenly becoming clammy. 

Shit. Why did he say that? Physical affection??  

He didn’t dare turn around to see Nya’s expression. Spending all this time trying his best to keep it from her had worked so far, there was no way he’d just given it away because he was so focused. It was stupid. Besides, this was the worst time for her to find out. Jay wasn’t even sure of the future of their relationship.

Jay cleared his throat and before he could come up with some half-assed excuse, Zane chirped up.

“I THINK HE MEANS A LOT OF BEST FRIENDS ARE VERY TOUCHY WITH EACH OTHER AND IT STRENGTHENS THE FRIENDSHIP-” Zane shouted, startling the pair.

Jay felt his heart race as Nya let out a light chuckle from surprise. As much as Jay’s ear drums hated it, his chest felt at ease. Thank god Zane had the perfect answer.

“Thanks Zane,” Jay breathed a silent sigh of relief, “but please don’t talk until you’re fixed.”

“I’m surprised he didn’t scare off the ghosts at the temple,” she laughed.

“I wish he did.”

Once the two had calmed down and Jay finished inspecting, he powered Zane down. Nya prepared all the equipment on the table beside Jay while he put his goggles on. 

The goggles weren’t a necessity but he’d always worn them while working on fiddly things like this. Jay was prone to getting easily distracted, focusing on the wrong things, so putting the goggles on helped his eyesight to remain on where he needed to focus. He also thought he looked cool but that was besides the point.

Nya stood beside him, shining a flashlight into the area. The two had suggested to Wu about getting a proper ceiling light for the room but he hadn’t quite had the time to get one yet. Jay didn’t mind. As long as he had some sort of light to help him see, that’s all that mattered. Besides, it sort of reminded him of the old times where he taught Nya all about inventing in a small lab he’d created in a spare room on the original Destiny’s Bounty. 

Every now and then Nya would glance up at him, appreciating the way he focused. It was the main reason it took her so long to understand inventing in the first place; she loved watching him do what he was most talented at. 

Seemed like maybe Cole wasn’t the only person who loved that about him.

For ten minutes, Nya didn’t dare say anything while she watched him carefully remove the wire. He was prone to having shaky hands and was very easily startled. 

Once he’d removed it, however, she felt it was the right time to speak up.

“Can I ask you something?” she spoke softly, trying her best to not break his focus.

“Hm?” 

She liked his soft hums. They were satisfying.

For a moment she considered just shutting up and letting him focus, but once this was all over he was likely to disappear back off to Cole’s room. She didn’t know when they’d get the chance to talk again, especially since she was still in training and he was about to go off on another mission. This was really the only chance she had.

“Why haven’t we been talking?” 

If Jay wasn’t so focused on what he was doing, he would’ve considered coming up with some stupid excuse and left as fast as he could. There were so many reasons he’d been avoiding her and all of them were too difficult to explain. 

Nya knew it wasn’t the right time nor place to bring it up, especially when Jay was a nervous worker, but she really didn’t want to risk him avoiding her again. Not until she had the truth.

Jay remained quiet for a minute, using the tweezers to double check the area in Zane’s neck. Nya waited patiently, noticing a hitch in his breath. Almost as if he were stepping on egg shells.

The lightning ninja found his mind drifting back to the conversations he’d had with Cole. That first night they got together, Jay was angry. He was upset. Nya didn’t understand the way she treated Jay at all. Now all he felt was guilt. Avoiding her wasn’t right, he knew he needed to have a proper conversation with her, and not only was it hurting himself but it was hurting Cole too. 

“It can’t stay this way forever, Jay,” was what Cole had told him the other day.

Perhaps Jay had been ready to talk with her for a while but now it just felt more like he was protecting himself from getting hurt again. Or maybe he was protecting Nya from if he said the wrong thing. 

Leaving her in the dark didn’t feel right anymore, no matter how much he wanted to hide. 

“I’ve noticed you’ve been evading me for a while,” Nya spoke up again, “at first I just assumed it was because you’d gotten so close with Cole.”

That was partly true. Jay hadn’t spent much time with anyone besides his boyfriend for a while, but he really hadn’t thought anyone noticed. 

“But seeing how you still avoid me during missions.. I feel like it’s something else.”

He felt a lump grow in his throat. God, this really was the worst time to bring this up. Jay became nervous, his hands becoming slightly sweaty. Was his heart racing?

“It’s…” his voice was quiet and raspy, “..complicated.”

She sighed, “it’s been awkward since… everything that happened. I know you weren’t expecting to see me at the tournament, and I definitely wasn’t expecting to see you and Cole getting along, but I feel as though I should’ve at least made an effort to talk to you.”

He frowned, glancing at her briefly.

Her gaze drifted from his eyes down towards Zane. Jay watched as her brows furrowed with guilt.

“It wasn’t exactly the best reunion, and we certainly didn’t leave on good terms after Zane’s funeral,” her voice was quiet and hoarse, “I should’ve given you a proper explanation for everything, I’m sorry.”

He stared at her in disbelief, almost as if he was waiting for a follow up line that completely contradicted everything she’d just said. It was almost as he was preparing himself to get hurt, just so it would be less painful. Except what he was expecting wasn’t coming. 

“I really don’t know why I did everything I did,” she continued, “I really never meant to hurt you, nor Cole, and I really am sorry for the way I treated you. And for the way I ruined your friendship with Cole.”

As much as his mind was telling him to read between the lines, his heart was happy. It was the last thing he’d expected from her, especially since it all happened a while ago, but late was better than never, right? 

She glanced back up at him, guilt written in her pale green eyes. 

The fact he didn’t even need to explain what was wrong eased his nerves, and knowing he didn’t need to ask for an apology felt relieving. 

“I’m sorry too,” Jay breathed, “I should’ve been more.. I dunno.. respectful? I didn’t exactly act mature about i-”

“It wasn’t your fault,” she cut him off instantly.

“I mean, some of it was,” he chuckled awkwardly, “but… I want to put it all in the past. Move on, y’know?”

“So no hard feelings?”

He shook his head.

It’d still take a while for things to go back to normal. It’d take a while for him to fully trust her again, and himself, but at least everything was out in the open now. They could finally leave it all behind.

Nya smiled. 

Before the two had gotten together in the first place, they were great friends to begin with. Jay had taught her to loosen up a little, they’d always discussed their interests and were there for each other. They could still do all that, just minus the chemistry. 

It was nice to know Jay didn’t feel he had to avoid her any longer.

But enough thinking about that. He had something much more important to do.

Jay glanced away, back down at Zane’s neck, while Nya snapped out of whatever trance she’d been trapped into by Jay’s gaze. He picked up the tweezers, the shakiness of his hands calming. 

“Could you pass me the new wire?”

Nya did just that. They fixed up Zane, made sure everything was up to scratch and did their best to power him back on as quickly as possible. 

He took a few minutes to boot up, a lot of pressing of buttons from Nya, but he was finally back with his bright blue eyes and warm smile.

“So?” Jay stepped in front of his friend with a nervous expression. Nya stood beside him, too, holding a gaze of worry.

Zane cleared his throat, took a moment to find his words and finally…

“I feel as good as new.”

Jay breathed a relieved sigh as Nya excitedly grabbed his arm. Zane stared at them both with a soft, friendly beam. It was enough to fill Jay with joy.

With fixing both Zane and his friendship with Nya, it seems things were finally looking up. Now he just needed to help Cole as best as he could.

Speaking of Cole…

Knock, knock.

Zane’s eyes travelled towards the door, an even brighter smile appearing upon his lips. Nya, still attached to Jay’s arm turned too, quickly followed by Jay.

Cole’s gaze lay on where Nya held onto Jay, and for some reason, some very strange reason, he felt his chest tighten. Jay didn’t seem to be bothered with the presence.

“Uh..” Cole gulped, “Wu told me to tell you guys we’re approaching the Wailing Alps.”

This is when Jay finally broke free from Nya’s grasp. 

“You’re coming with us?” Jay beamed.

Something about Jay’s smile always cheered Cole up. The corner of his lip tilted up, his gaze briefly falling towards his boyfriend’s own lips. All he did was nod.

“It’ll be great to get some practice fighting,” Zane got up off the table.

It made Cole feel uneasy. He knew his friends saw him as fragile, someone to be careful with now, and he hated it. Yet he couldn’t blame them.

Jay approached him with a grin, “I can quickly try to teach you some Airjitzu?”

“I’m not sure I can even do Spinjitzu yet,” Cole shrugged, breaking eye contact, “I’m just coming up the mountain with you. I don’t think I can go any further.”

Jay’s face fell at that. He didn’t blame Cole for feeling shitty about it all, but he was at least grateful Cole was willing to try. He just wished he could stay with him, not leave him halfway up the mountain and hope for the best. 

Nya stepped forward with a worried look, “are you sure? There’s still ti-”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

At least he was feeling a little better. There was still time to help him, save Lloyd and stop Morro. It was just a shame they didn’t have more time to focus on Cole right now.

Chapter Text

It seemed making plans and sticking to them was not that easy. 

Cole didn’t want to go up the mountain in the first place, and although he ended up being a good help against Morro, who apparently found out about the Wailing Alps too, he still wasn’t certain about actually going through the storm. 

He barely even knew the plan. All he knew was that sitting in his room all day, wishing he could do something, change something, wasn’t going to help. And it certainly wasn’t going to fix anything with Jay.

Not that he needed to fix anything with Jay. They were okay, right? 

Being a ghost was difficult. It made fighting harder, but at least he didn’t feel the cold going up the tallest snowy mountain in Ninjago. He wasn’t affected by the weather, nor the snow, so perhaps heading up the mountain (at least) was helpful. The last thing he wanted was to be kicked from the team if he wasn’t useful anymore.

And it was a good job he did go. Despite still being upset about becoming a ghost, he was slowly coming to terms with it more. The trip helped him to learn more about himself and his abilities - he could possess objects and control them. That and he could phase through everything, not just people. 

Objects were a lot easier to grab, although still very difficult. People were something he needed to work on, and he certainly would as soon as possible. The quicker he could hug Jay, the better.

Kissing may be out of reach though, but for now, he just wanted to focus on the basics. Holding hands.

Cole’s original plan was to just help the team up the mountain - FOMO getting the better of him - and then head back to the Bounty to possibly train or get used to his ghost abilities. As much as he wanted to accompany his friends on their journey, he didn’t feel confident enough.

However, in the panic of typing to jump through the eye of the storm before Morro, he was forced to go with them. It wasn’t like it was a bad thing, but it meant he had less time to train and practise Airjitzu. Jay had helped him to try to master it enough to jump through the storm at least, but it still wasn’t perfect. Not like the others.

Now the group of four were in Cloud Kingdom, far from home. Cole was trying not to panic, and especially not to distance himself from the team, but it was hard. It was hard knowing they all looked at him differently. Not to mention they were in the middle of nowhere high up in the sky. What if he accidentally phased through something and fell to his death? 

Although, could he really die when he was already a ghost?

The Cloud Kingdom was beautiful. Palaces and towers sat upon floating pieces of land, all majestic and fancy. Cole had never seen anything like it. He’d seen pictures of somewhere similar in his mother’s photo album - somewhere that looked regal and fancy - but it still looked really different to this. Perhaps he’d enjoy it more if he weren’t phantom though.

Cole walked slightly further behind the other three as they chatted and gasped about how gorgeous their surroundings were. He still didn’t know where he stood within the team, and although they’d been pretty clear about him still being included on the mountain, he still felt a million miles away from them. 

He glanced down at his hands, slightly trembling. He was never the type to get nervous, especially not when exploring, but the thought of falling or doing something wrong to mess up the mission was only weighing on his mind more. It’s not like he could talk to anyone about it either because they wouldn’t understand. What would he even say anyway?

He’d gotten into his own head so much that he hadn’t even realised Jay turned back to look at him. Jay gave him a reassuring smile, followed by a worried expression as he spotted how nervous Cole seemed.

He slowed down, leaving Kai and Zane ahead. Jay waited for Cole to catch up and walked beside him.

They remained in silence for a minute, listening to Kai and Zane’s distant conversation about the mission’s plan. Jay tried his best to keep quiet, to not make it awkward, but all he wanted to do was reassure his boyfriend. Cole was so clear about the fact he didn’t want to go through the eye of the storm, Jay only felt bad.

He couldn’t keep quiet for long.

“Isn’t this place amazing?” he beamed, trying to catch Cole’s attention.

Cole didn’t say anything, just giving Jay a small smile. It didn’t last long, however, as he went back to staring at their surroundings nervously.

“I’m sure they don’t hate ghosts,” Jay spoke lightheartedly.

Cole shrugged, refusing eye contact, “they’re probably on edge about everything with Morro and his ghost army right now.”

They continued walking in silence for a minute, Jay taking a second to appreciate their surroundings again. He glanced back at Kai and Zane, who were pointing at different things.

He wished things were different. He wished he hadn’t left Cole behind in Yang’s Temple. Perhaps if he’d helped, Cole wouldn’t have turned into a ghost. Or perhaps if he hadn’t said all those things about hating ghosts, Cole wouldn’t feel so bad. 

Everything right now would’ve been the complete opposite. They’d be exploring the world excitedly together, with two people that knew they were together, so they wouldn’t need to hide anything. Not that they really needed to hide anything from Lloyd or Nya, especially not now that he and Nya had talked, but it was awkward. It was awkward knowing who to tell and who to keep quiet from. Kai and Zane were supportive at least, but Jay knew they were likely thinking about it all. 

How were Jay and Cole to stay together when one of them was dead and they couldn’t touch?

Relationships could work without physical touch, right?

Jay cleared his throat awkwardly, watching their footsteps stride together, “at least you’re getting more used to it.”

This time, Cole didn’t respond or even acknowledge what he said. 

Jay was trying his best to remain optimistic in hopes that Cole would cheer up, or at least realise Jay didn’t want anything to change. He still cared for Cole, that was obvious, but that didn’t stop Cole’s worries taking over. Jay just wanted him to know the truth.

Cole did amazing on the mountain anyway. It was obvious he wasn’t confident, but he at least knew more about his abilities. He wasn’t useless as a ghost at all. Possessing things would be super handy, right? 

Jay glanced up at Cole, who was in a world of his own. He looked so sombre, so sad . Jay hated it.

The lightning ninja reached a hand up to Cole’s shoulder, trying to offer a reassuring touch.

“Cole, are you-”

And he forgot once again. He only ever phased through him. 

Cole glanced at him in the corner of his eye, only feeling worse at how Jay stopped mid sentence. Jay brought his hand back down, keeping his eye on the distance ahead of them. Neither of them said anything else, Jay especially in fear of doing something else to upset his boyfriend. 

This was gonna take some getting used to.

Jay was so touchy with everyone, it was how he showed he cared, and it was probably also due to the lack of touch starvation from when he was younger. It was just natural instinct for him to touch his friends. It’s how he offered support. In this situation, however, it was only making Cole feel like shit.

It was so weird not being able to touch, or hold hands, or hug. Jay didn’t want to think about the fact they hadn’t kissed since they were at Yang’s Temple.

He wished more than anything he could hug Cole, hold his hand, and tell him it’d all be okay. He just wanted to hold him. He’d really taken all of that for granted. 

Cole would be able to hold things soon, right? He seemed to do well in his mech on the mountain.

Perhaps Jay could try to learn to touch a ghost too. He knew it was possible because Morro and his ghost army could do it. 

Kai and Zane stopped at a large golden gate. Jay and Cole weren’t far behind them.

They opened, a much older looking man dressed in beige heading down the steps towards them with a welcoming smile.

“Welcome to Cloud Kingdom,” he beamed, “we’ve been expecting you.”

The team exchanged confused glances.

“I’m Fenwick, I’ve been asked to show you around,” he bowed his head, taking a step back.

Kai stepped forward though, “nice to meet you, I’m-”

“Kai,” Fenwick cut him off with a smile, “yes, we all know. You’re quite popular with the monks. Up here we see everything that goes on in Ninjago.”

Cole stepped forward too, “then you know-”

“You’ve travelled far for the Sword of Sanctuary,” Fenwick nodded, “a powerful weapon that can foresee your opponent's next attack. It’s also the second clue to finding the Tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master.”

“How did you-” Zane frowned.

“Finish your sentences? I know it’s rather annoying, but up here, let’s just say, we know what’s going to come next,” he turned on his heel and began heading up the steps, “come, I know Morro isn’t far behind.”

As if that was going to put them at ease. At least they didn’t have to explain anything though.

Fenwick directed them through the Cloud Kingdom, making their way towards the tallest building in the centre of the island. It was huge inside, with rows and rows of monks working at lecterns. They were writing on scrolls - scrolls of which were also stacked in piles of cubby holes in the walls. There was a large bell in the middle of the room, a gold and royal ruby rug lining the floor paths. 

As they headed down the first corridor, all eyes were on them, whispers between the monks.

“I know you’re familiar with a few of the realms,” Fenwick began, leading the way, “Cloud Kingdom is just one more of the sixteen realms that exist parallel to Ninjago.”

They made their way to the middle of the hall, their voices echoing off the tall walls. 

“Sixteen realms?” Kai questioned.

“In this realm, we strive for greater understanding and let go of distractions. There is no television, no video games-”

“No video games?!” Jay exclaimed, earning unamused looks from his friends, “huh, not impressed.”

“It appears all anyone does here is write,” Zane spoke up.

Fenwick turned to face them, “that is because, here, our words matter. You see, in Cloud Kingdom, we are the writers of destiny. It was here that it was decided that Lloyd should be the Green Ninja.”

Jay glanced at Cole with a worried expression.

So it was these guys who decided to make Cole a ghost? It was these guys who decided to ruin his life? 

Huh.

Fenwick kept walking, the ninja following behind.

“So if you know what’s going to happen next, then you know how important it is that we get the Sword of Sanctuary?” Kai asked.

Fenwick nodded, “yes. And I know you made a promise to save your friend, Lloyd, sadly we cannot ensure promises because we are not allowed to choose sides.”

He stopped abruptly, hushing his voice to a quiet whisper.

“And no one else will tell you this but we had intended for Morro to stay in the Cursed Realm.”

Cole frowned, “what do you mean ‘intended’?”

Fenwick sounded worried, “he was never supposed to escape. He somehow defied destiny.”

The team exchanged worried glances.

“And now we’re playing catch up,” Fenwick stepped towards Cole, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Cole glanced down at it and then back up at his face with a confused look. Jay couldn’t help but stare too.

How was Fenwick able to touch Cole without phasing through him? 

“Do you think we wanted you to become a ghost?” Fenwick questioned to Cole, “I know it’s difficult, but we’re glad to see you here. We’re honoured for you to be the first ghost ever here in the Cloud Kingdom.”

He stepped away, leaving Cole standing awkwardly with a sombre expression. Jay wanted nothing more than to provide him with some comfort. Perhaps he could ask Fenwick about it when he got the chance?

“Ever since Morro broke free, things have been happening outside of our control. To be honest, we don’t know how this will end.”

Jay felt his stomach churn.

So many things had happened between Morro escaping and now. So many things he didn’t want to consider ‘defying destiny’.

At least they knew Cole was never supposed to become a ghost. They had Morro to blame for that.  

But what about everything else? 

What if… Jay and Cole were never destined to be together? 

“Quit talking and give us the sword,” Kai told him, “we’ll find the tomb and stop Morro.”

Fenwick sighed, “look, we want to give it to you but first, The Master Writer wants to see you.”

They began walking again.

“Fine,” Kai tried not to sound impatient, “then show us to this ‘Master Writer’.” 

Fenwick directed them to a floating ship - which was crazy because how can a ship without an engine like the Bounty fly - which they all hopped on for the journey to whoever this Master Writer was. Fenwick remained quiet for the whole trip, steering the boat while the other four continued to discuss their plan. Cole sat down at the back of the small boat, Kai and Zane sat beside him. The masters of fire and ice talked away, Jay chirping in every now and then, but Jay’s focus was mostly on Cole. 

He sat nervously, although seemingly calmer than earlier, but Jay couldn’t help but feel bad for him. Knowing he was never supposed to become a ghost, and no thanks to Morro, he was… it must be so confusing. Jay wanted nothing more than to comfort him. It seemed like that was nearly impossible without being able to physically comfort him.

Jay knew the only other way to cheer him up would be to just pretend like nothing happened, act completely normal, but even that felt wrong. It seemed like every possible way to make Cole feel better would only make it worse. 

Jay glanced over at Fenwick, who was busy staring off into the distance as he moved the oar. 

He got an odd vibe from him. Fenwick was secretive and secluded, which was to be expected since he lived in such a secluded realm, but there was just something that Jay couldn’t quite pinpoint. 

But he’d been able to touch Cole without phasing through him. He was the only person that’d been able to do that so far. How?

Jay didn’t want to think about it too much, his mind just drifting to the fact he knew how to do it. Could he teach Jay? Or at least provide some wisdom and advice? 

The boat drifted between the different islands. Jay watched as Cole glanced over the side, staring down at what would’ve been the ground. Jay felt his chest tense.

He sighed, leaving his friends at the back of the boat and making his way over to Fenwick. The boat was only small so he needed to keep quiet. Cole probably wouldn’t be happy if he knew Jay was discussing their issues with a stranger.

He glanced back, Zane and Kai still chatting while Cole’s attention was on their surroundings. It’s like he hadn’t even noticed Jay’s disappearance. That was a good thing in this case though.

“Fenwick?” Jay spoke quietly, trying not to startle him.

Fenwick turned to him with a welcoming smile, “Jay. How can I help?”

“Could I… ask you something?” 

“Of course.”

Jay stood beside him, staring out at the distance. Fenwick waited patiently while Jay tried to find the right words.

It wasn’t easy to talk about. It was also difficult to word without making anything obvious - aka their relationship - but he needed to word it specifically so that he could receive the right advice. 

He just hoped this would be worth it.

“Back there, when you were talking about Cole becoming a ghost..” Jay began, taking a moment to think before continuing, “you touched his shoulder. How did you do that?”

Fenwick frowned, glancing at the blue ninja, “how do you mean?”

“Ever since he-” Jay stopped briefly, “..ever since it happened, we’ve all tried touching him. Y’know, offering support, but… we always seem to phase through him.”

Fenwick looked surprised for a moment before glancing away again.

“I assumed it was something Cole would have to work on, as well as us. Is there a way to learn how to touch a ghost without phasing through them?”

“Well, you don’t necessarily need to touch someone to offer any support,” Fenwick stated.

“I know but… it’s important,” Jay shrugged awkwardly, “and handy. For missions.”

“Right.”

“Is there any advice you can give?”

Fenwick hummed, glancing back at Jay briefly. Jay looked hopeful but all Fenwick did was shrug. 

Jay sighed. Perhaps he knew deep down there was no true answer to it but that didn’t stop him being delusional. Focusing on the mission was important, and saving Lloyd, but the temptation to drop everything and focus on helping Cole was strong. It would’ve been so much easier if this wasn’t happening in the middle of this Morro panic.

Or better; if Cole hadn’t turned into a ghost in the first place.

It was useless thinking about that now though. Even if it were never destined to happen, it did and there was nothing they could do to change that. Trying to find a way to turn him back human wouldn’t help either. 

The best thing they can do to help Cole now would be to help him accept it. To work with this new form.

Jay just wasn’t certain on how things would be after this.

If there was anything Jay hoped wasn’t permanent, it was this metaphorical distance between them. Cole felt a million worlds away. 

Jay headed back to the others, trying not to seem too defeated. This touching thing was something he needed to work out by himself. With time, everything would be okay.

Right?

As long as they stayed on track, got this mission over and done with, with no issues or setbacks, they could focus on Cole and their relationship. 

Cole finally glanced over at Fenwick.

“So this Master Writer will decide if we get the sword just by looking at us?” Cole questioned.

Fenwick looked over his shoulder at the group.

“It is an important decision, one that will not only decide the fate of Ninjago, but the fate of the sixteen realms,” he explained.

“Do you know what’s inside the tomb?” Kai asked curiously.

“I do,” he grinned, “Morro’s after the Realm Crystal. It’s the doorway to the sixteen realms. It is a bridge to greater understanding, or a gateway to ruin.”

The team exchanged glances.

“When the First Spinjitzu Master created it, he knew the power to freely cross realms could fall into the wrong hands, which is why he buried it with him in his final resting place. A tomb protected by impossible traps that only a Master of Spinjitzu could get by with the aid of the Sword of Sanctuary.”

Cole frowned, “but I thought Morro just wanted to be the Green Ninja? What does he want with the crystal?”

“It is not Morro who sees the power to ruin, but his master. The Preeminent,” Fenwick responded.

“The Cursed Realm?” Kai questioned, “he’s in charge?”

“Not he, but she ,” Fenwick corrected, “Queen of the cursed, an evil so vengeful she cannot cross over by any other magical means. But if Morro uses the crystal to free her, after cursing Ninjago, there would be no stopping her reign until every last realm falls under her control.”

Maybe it wasn’t his intention to stress the team out, but it sure did. They knew they were facing something challenging, but Morro and his team of ghosts were hard to fight already. Knowing if they didn’t succeed, they’d be faced with something a hell of a lot more difficult and evil, only put more pressure on their shoulders. It didn’t help that they had their own ghost coming to terms with himself on the team. 

Not that it was Cole’s fault.

The boat pulled up against an island inhabiting a much smaller, rounder building than they’d seen before. Fenwick didn’t say anything, just directing them up towards the large wooden doors. 

He opened the door, revealing a dark room with many objects - some looking like oversized toys - and turned to give them a smile. 

“If you just wait in here, I’ll be back with the Master Writer in a moment,” he told them cheerily.

The four headed in, taking a look around. They remained confused, taking in their surroundings, as the door slammed shut behind them. 

Lock.

They tried not to think about it too much. 

Spreading out around the room, Kai headed to the far right, while Zane went to the far left. Jay remained by the door, watching as Cole headed towards the close left. Jay wanted to talk to him, to make sure he was okay, but the last thing he wanted to do was annoy Cole about it all. There was a fine line between being supportive and just being straight up bothering. 

So instead he just stood there wondering what to do. 

“What a strange place to meet this Master Writer,” Zane spoke up, glancing over at the fire ninja. 

Cole nodded, “yeah, I thought this place didn’t have any distractions. Looks to me like they just shoved them all in here.”

Jay glanced around the room, spotting something at the far end. He gasped, a wide smile appearing on his lips, as he ran over to it.

“A pinball machine!” he exclaimed, turning it on.

“Hey, leave that alone,” Cole rolled his eyes, “we wanna make a good first impression.”

“Just one game wouldn’t hurt,” Jay replied happily.

Jay remained focused on the game, the other three noticing an odd sound. It sounded somewhat like a thump, something very odd considering this place seemed so quiet.

“That machine sounds odd,” Zane mentioned.

Jay frowned, stopping what he was doing. The game turned itself off after a moment, and much to their dismay, the sound didn’t disappear with it.

He backed up towards the team, “I.. don’t think that’s the machine.”

“So what is it then?” Kai questioned worriedly.

The thumping became louder and closer, the ground beneath their feet rumbling. They turned to a shadow in the corner of the room, something slightly taller than a blue stuffed bear almost ten times their height. The shadow began to move. 

The four backed up slowly, keeping their eyes on the figure. 

For a moment, they hoped it was a trick, or perhaps whoever this Master Writer was, just once it began to step out of the shadows, everything became so much clearer.

It was furry and ridiculously tall. It looked somewhat like a cross between a yeti and a werewolf - definitely something they didn’t want to mess with. There appeared to be an electrical patch on its chest.

“There goes our good first impression,” Cole muttered, trying not to draw too much attention to themselves. 

That didn’t seem to help though. It kept heading for them, getting closer and closer. Holding out hope that perhaps it wouldn’t destroy them was stupid because it only left them in a more dangerous position. 

They backed up quicker, beginning to split off into different areas of the room.

“Is this the Master Writer?” Zane questioned, “ he’s in charge of our destiny?!”

As the monster went to slash at the nindroid, Kai pulled him away, redirecting the creature to one of the other two. At least Cole knew he was somewhat safe - if this yeti/werewolf didn’t know how to hit ghosts.

“Whoever he is, I don’t think he’s handing over the sword,” Kai responded nervously.

Jay ran for the door. He pulled at the handle, rattling the door with as much might as possible. 

“It’s locked!” he exclaimed in panic, “why would it be locked?!”

Before Jay had time to run, the creature grabbed him. Jay screamed, the monster screaming in his face while sending a shockwave through the lightning ninja.

He shook, blue electrical currents sizzling around him. Only when the monster was satisfied did he throw Jay across the room, hitting the wall at full force, and landing on the floor with an aggressive thud. 

Cole sprinted over to him, calling his name, but Jay just lay there on his back, coughing and catching his breath.

“Shit, are you okay?” Cole reached to grab his shoulder, hoping to help him up.

Too bad he’d forgotten he can’t touch people yet.

Cole groaned, staring at his fingers, “ stupid ghost hands.”

“I’m fine,” Jay pushed himself up, letting out a sharp breath, “now I know how it feels to be electrocuted."

The monster glanced in their direction, Cole just staring down at Jay worriedly. 

“Hey, over here big guy!” Kai shouted from across the room.

Jay helped himself up, Cole running off to find a possible way out. While Kai distracted the monster with its toys, the other three moved furniture, hoping for a secret door at least some way of escaping.

As Cole went to pick up a small toy, his hand phased through it, and suddenly a light bulb flickered on in his head. 

“What am I doing? I’m a ghost!” he exclaimed, sticking his hand through the wall. 

He stepped out, the brightness of the sun slapping his face. 

Sometimes being a ghost did have its perks.

He rushed to the door, peering through the keyhole. It didn’t take long for his boyfriend to appear in the gap.

“You can undo the locks!”

“I’m a ghost, not a locksmith,” Cole rolled his eyes, “I need a key!”

“ Be the key, Cole, be the key!”

It was a good job Cole was here after all.

The door opened, the other three rushing out. Cole had formed himself into the lock, unlocking the door. Jay pulled it shut behind him quickly, Cole locking it before phasing out again. He let out a deep breath while the other three calmed down from their panic.

“Y’know, Cole,” Kai smiled, “I’m starting to like you as a ghost more and more.” 

Jay couldn’t help but spot the sombre look upon Cole’s face again.

Zane stepped forward, pointing across the island, “look, Morro’s here, with Fenwick!”

Jay felt his heart stop briefly.

“Oh, it was obvious!” he groaned, raising a hand to his head, “if Cole had really been the first ghost here, Fenwick wouldn’t have known how to not phase through him. It was right in front of us the whole time!”

Cole turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow. He hadn’t even considered that. Sure, he’d been confused as to why Fenwick was able to touch him in the moment, but he didn’t really think about it. 

Jay had noticed? 

Jay should’ve known not to trust Fenwick. He had an odd vibe from the guy, but it made sense now. Fenwick didn’t give him advice because he didn’t want to help the ninja. He didn’t want to blow his cover. 

It made so much sense.

If only it hadn’t blown over Jay’s head. 

Now Morro was going to get to the sword first. That or they’d have to fight him and none of them were in the mood for that.

Fighting Morro in the middle of the sky appeared to be harder than originally thought. He took the sword first, which only made him one step ahead of them at all times. It didn’t help that his little ghost army were prepared with a getaway ship. 

The ninja did their best to stop him but it grew impossible. Perhaps if he weren’t possessing a human body, he would’ve been easier to stop. 

They stole one of the flying boats from the Cloud Kingdom and followed Morro back through the eye of the storm. Falling at god-knows how many miles per hour from the top of the tallest mountain in Ninjago didn’t fail to be terrifying, but they did their best to control the boat. However, without the magic of the Cloud Kingdom, it couldn’t fly anymore. 

Luckily for them though, it landed on the mountain with ease and the team were now using it as a sled. Their ship being a lot smaller and lighter meant they could go faster and catch up to Morro.

“Haha!” Kai laughed as they slid up beside Morro’s ship, “got ya!”

“You really think so?” Morro laughed.

The team seemed to forget the thing pushing them down the mountain was not only gravity, but wind . Morro used his powers to redirect his ship, sending him further left while the ninja headed further down the mountain. 

The ninja’s path was much more dangerous. It would’ve been bad enough if you were skiing down it - not that you would - with the amount of trees and rocks in their path. Zane tried to warn the team about an upcoming obstacle but it was too late by the time they’d gotten the warning. 

Crashing into a tree, their boat was destroyed, splitting into multiple pieces. The ninja went flying, however, they all managed to maintain a piece of the boat, no matter how small or big it was. Zane was the first furthest down the mountain, using small pieces of the wood as a skis. Kai and Cole weren’t far behind with the same idea, but creating a snowboard out of the wood instead. They slid around, enjoying their time catching up to Morro’s ship. They had much more moverability, less chance of them crashing again. 

Jay, however, was much further behind the rest of the team. Instead of landing on a small piece of wood, he found himself on the remains of the boat, now acting as a sled. 

A much more dangerous and uncontrollable sled. It flew up in the air at every slight bump, Jay screaming as he held on for dear life. He eventually managed to catch up though. 

This didn’t help when his sled became even more uncontrollable, sliding right past his friends and Morro. The sled spun around, Jay now facing everyone behind him.

“Hold on, Jay!” Cole yelled out.

Jay glanced at him with panic, Cole focused on trying to catch up to him while Kai and Zane stayed near Morro’s ship. Morro, however, had plans to get rid of the ninja. The archer, aimed an arrow towards Jay, which he only narrowly managed to miss. 

“Haha! Missed!” Jay yelled excitedly.

“I never miss,” he snarled back.

As Jay’s sled turned around, the lightning ninja only once again narrowly missed the arrow flying back in his direction. It continued to follow him down faster down the mountain, the other ninja now much further behind. 

He managed to lose it however, the arrow hitting a log. Although it provided Jay with more ease and less stress, he was still going at the speed of light down the mountain. It would only be a matter of time before he crashed into anything. Who knows what kind of injuries he’d sustain. 

By now, The Destiny’s Bounty was in the air above them, Ronin directing the ship while Nya sat at the canons, firing water balloons.

Her aim didn’t seem fantastic as one almost hit Jay’s sled, almost sending him flying into a tree.

“Hey, watch it!” Jay shouted over the intercom.

“Sorry!” Nya responded in a panicked tone.

Jay glanced back at his friends, spotting the anchor from the Bounty dropping, Wu stood upon it. As it reached the snow, Zane jumped on, Kai refusing. 

“I’m going after Morro!” Kai told them. 

“Cole, get on!” Zane shouted.

Cole shook his head, going further ahead of the anchor, “I’m going after Jay.”

They likely would’ve gone after Jay anyway but it would be so much quicker if he went ahead and at least try to stop him crashing into anything.

It was difficult when he was a ghost but he’d rather try than feel guilty leaving Jay. So he swerved in and out of trees, heading in Jay’s direction. The lightning ninja was still screaming, skipping over rocks and just about landing in one piece. Cole wasn’t far away from him now.

But ahead. A big cliff.

“Shit.” Cole mouthed out, his heart stopping briefly.

If he didn’t do something now, Jay was gonna fall to - probably - his death . The team didn’t need two ghosts.

Cole took a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly. 

C’mon, Cole, you can do this. You just have to grab him. You can do it.

You have to do it.

Once he was becoming level with Jay, he began to reach out his hand.

“Jay, grab onto me!” 

He could see the panic in Jay’s eyes. Perhaps he didn’t truly believe in him, but Cole believed in himself, and that cliff was getting a little too close for comfort. 

“I can’t reach!” Jay exclaimed, trying his best to reach behind him.

Cole began to panic, “can you do Airjitzu?”

“I can’t, I’m too panicked,” he screamed.

Shit.

Cole tried his best to get closer, trying not to think about the cliff in front of them. Once he thought he was close enough, he reached forward again, keeping his balance. Jay reached out, Cole’s fingers outstretched in an attempt to grab even just his sleeve. 

Just a few centimetres and…

Shit. No, no, no. 

Jay almost tripped forward.

“Focus, Cole!” Jay told him in a stressed tone.

In a panicked second attempt, the cliff only less than a metre away now, Cole reached forward more, his foot hanging over the edge of the snowboard. Jay almost tripped forward again, fear in his eyes, but this time…

“Got ya!” Cole gripped his sleeve, pulling him towards him. 

As the snowboard fell under him, Cole pulled Jay closer to him, spinning into Airjitzu. 

His heart raced, Jay trying his best to calm down, as their feet landed firmly on the anchor of the Bounty. Zane grabbed hold of Jay as Cole’s grip on him faltered. Cole grabbed onto the anchor for dear life, catching his breath. 

Jay stood in shock for a second while Zane gave his arm a firm reassuring squeeze.

“You… you did it,” Jay breathed out in surprise.

Cole couldn’t believe it either.

Yet it’d only lasted briefly. 

Perhaps it was more simple than it was made out to be. Yet even though he did manage to grab onto Jay, he didn’t know how . It’d happened in the panic of the moment, something he could barely remember, yet he’d managed to do it. Once he was actually thinking about what he was doing, he lost grip of Jay entirely. Thank god it was once they were safe. 

Kai managed to retrieve the sword from Morro, with help from Lloyd who appeared to be fighting Morro’s control. Now all the team had to do was figure out where the tomb was and it’d be smooth sailing from there.

They hoped.

Now that Cole knew he could touch people, he needed to figure out how. At least they had some time. 

It also gave Jay some time to figure out how to touch Cole too.

And at least they knew Lloyd was okay. They’d get him back soon enough.

Chapter Text

Being back on stable ground seemed to help the whole team. As nice as the Cloud Kingdom was, it was nothing short of stressful. As soon as they’d all found themselves back in Ninjago, everything was fitting back into place. Nya had been training to be the water ninja non-stop with Wu and it was beginning to pay off. Zane’s voice was fully functional - not that it wasn’t before, but apparently it was a lot more stable - and Kai had retrieved the Sword of Sanctuary from Morro, who appeared to be being fought by Lloyd. Cole was working on his ghost abilities after grabbing Jay, ultimately saving him from death. He’d only managed to pick up a few objects since then though, even after trying to touch Jay again. Time would only tell though.

Jay seemed to be the only one that wasn’t making any progress. 

He was happy for his friends, and especially for Cole, but he felt pretty useless. Wu didn’t let him help with Nya’s training - a pretty sound restriction - Zane and Kai were discussing plans with Misako, and Cole was helping tidy up the tea shop after a few of Morro’s ghost goons had trashed the place while no one was there. Jay hung around for a while, waiting for something to come up that he could do but everyone insisted they were fine with what they were doing. 

So instead, he took to doing some repairs on the Destiny’s Bounty. One of the thrusters was a bit damaged, nothing too dangerous, but could do with some sprucing up. It didn’t take long for Nya to come and join him, trying to get away from Wu’s endless training for a few hours. Wu joined the others in trying to locate the First Spinjitzu Master’s tomb. 

Jay didn’t mind Nya helping him. It was awkward at first, and slightly weird, but Jay loosened up eventually. It was nice to spend time with her as friends again and for things to not be so tense. The two hadn’t done any work on anything like this in what felt like forever, not since they were together really (Zane did not count), so he felt really at home. Making conversation was easy too.

Nya reached into the thruster, pulling out part of a blade. She sighed, waving it in the air to get Jay’s attention. He raised an eyebrow at it, attempting to pinpoint what it was from.

“One of those weird shaped swords they carry around with them?” Jay guessed.

Nya shrugged, “probably. Whatever it is, this is what was causing the issues.”

“But it would’ve been fine if we kept it in there, right?” 

She gave him a puzzled look as if to say she didn’t really know, and threw the weapon to one side. She returned to looking in the back of the thruster, hoping to find nothing else wrong with it. Jay waited for the all clear before doing anything with the front of it again.

She groaned, “looks like some of these wires need to be reworked. Apart from that, it’ll be good as new.”

“What’s wrong with them?”

“The wires?” Nya questioned, “there’s a few been pushed out of place, but it’ll be an easy fix.”

Jay smiled sheepishly, “it’s a good job you came to help. I can’t believe I didn’t spot the huge blade right in the middle.”

“Yeah, I don’t know how you missed that either…”

As she reached into the back of the thruster again, Jay leant against it, trying to give his knees a bit of a break. He watched her for a moment, seeing the light from her head torch shine right through the mechanics. It didn’t take long for him to get distracted though, in true Jay fashion, as he found himself staring back at the tea shop across the courtyard.

Through the doorway, Kai and Zane could be spotted talking with Wu, probably about this ancient tomb they were supposed to be going to. Jay wasn’t entirely sure the place existed, especially since nobody had found it yet, but only time would tell if it was real or not. Jay just needed to wait it out. 

That’s what he had to do with most things it seemed.

Not gonna lie, he spent most of his time after coming back from the Cloud Kingdom on trying to research how to touch a ghost. It seemed pretty simple in his mind, yet there was nothing easy written down on paper. Not even Wu knew, although it seemed more like Wu was confused on why Jay wanted to learn to touch Cole in the first place. The master had already been discouraging of Jay and Nya being together before, who knows what he’d think if he knew Jay and Cole were dating. Although, right now, it didn’t feel like they were dating at all.

That wasn’t Cole’s fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault really. 

Jay just wanted to be there for him and Cole just wanted to be alone. 

“Are you alright?” Nya spoke up, “you seem pretty distracted.”

Jay pushed his thoughts aside and returned to looking at the water ninja. She was glancing up at him with a slightly concerned expression. 

He could be honest. He could tell her everything. Everything about Cole, everything about how they were dating and he was worried about the future of their relationship. About how he was worried he wouldn’t get to hold hands with his boyfriend anymore, about how he was worried Cole would never be the same again.. 

But that was the difficult route. Besides, it’s not like it was the only thing he was worried about.

He gave her a reassuring smile and nodded, “yeah, just thinking about what Kai was saying about Lloyd. I can’t imagine how hard it is to be fighting Morro like that.”

Nya returned to work, “he’ll be in need of a long rest when we get him back, that’s for sure.”

“I just hope he’s okay,” Jay continued, “I know the others have been talking about how desperately they want their powers back, and that it’ll be so much easier to defeat Morro when we have both Lloyd and our elements back but… I just can’t stop thinking about Lloyd .”

Nya glanced up at him briefly.

“I’m not saying that nobody else is thinking about him because they obviously are, but by what Kai described, it seemed like he’s not gonna have any energy at all. I don’t think we should be thinking about a final battle against Morro and this so-called departed realm queen with Lloyd as a main fighter when he probably won’t even be fit enough to walk .” 

“I get you,” Nya nodded, “and who says you’ll even get your powers back straight away? It could be a gradual thing. I think we should be focusing on a final battle plan without powers and without Lloyd present. At least then we’d be more prepared.”

“I’m just glad you’re being trained to be the water ninja,” Jay let out a light chuckle, “I mean, what other perfect time is there? Water is a ghost’s worst enemy.”

Nya seemed a little uneasy, “it’s okay, I guess. I’m just trying to be careful around Cole.”

“Right…”

“Sorry, could I get your help with this wire? I can’t figure out where it attaches to,” she spoke up before Jay could think about his sombre boyfriend.

Jay smiled, skipping over to her. Wires was one of his favourite parts about inventing. Not that this was inventing, but it was pretty similar. 

“Move aside, the wire master is here,” Jay grinned, “I got this.”

Nya rolled her eyes, stepping aside. She shone the torch down through the back of the thruster, watching as Jay began messing around in there.

“When I was 9, my dad and I once made this super cool robot. He taught me how to do all the wiring and I’ve been a pro at it ever since,” Jay rambled.

He moved one of the wires out the way, earning a weird look from Nya.

“I mean, the robot didn’t last very long before it blew up but nothing I wired after that blew up so it was fine. Besides, my wiring was the reason the Bounty was ever able to fly in the first place, right?”

“Didn’t your dad have to help with that because you’d done something wrong?” Nya replied cockily.

Jay cleared his throat awkwardly, “it was a simple mistake I would’ve fixed on my own… eventually .”

“Uh huh.”

“Seriously, it really was just something so simple and-”

The loud, gurgling sound coming from the thruster stopped Jay mid-sentence. He glanced at Nya with a slightly concerned expression. She raised an eyebrow at him, but he chose to ignore it. 

“Are you sure you’re doing the right thing?” Nya questioned.

“Mhm,” he didn’t sound so sure at all, “maybe that means I’m getting close.”

Hesitantly, he stuck his hands in the thruster again, feeling around the wiring. 

“I don’t think that’s what it means at all.”

Jay ignored her, choosing to laugh it off instead. Truth be told, he wasn’t entirely sure what he was doing. Maybe he thought he knew at first but he’d never been great at working on the thruster, and to be completely honest, wiring was not his strong point either. He just hoped sounding confident meant he’d be able to do it. It certainly did not work that way.

Just as Jay went to boast about something else in an attempt to reassure Nya that what he was doing was right, he inserted a wire into what seemed to be the wrong slot, or perhaps knocked another one while doing it, causing the entire thing to start gurgling again. Except this time, it was much more aggressive. Jay jumped back, Nya gasping at the thick layer of black soot now sitting on Jay’s face.

The lightning ninja stood awkwardly in silence for a minute, Nya turning the torch off. She couldn’t help but laugh. 

Jay was frozen. He liked to think it was because the soot was so cold but it was more likely about the fact he was completely and utterly embarrassed. After all that boasting too…

“You got this, huh?” Nya chuckled.

“It’s not funny.”

“It is a little,” Nya nodded.

“It really isn’t.”

He couldn’t help but feel a little amused though. That’s what he deserved for trying to show off as usual. He raised his hands to wipe his eyes before looking at her with an annoyed expression. Seeing how amused she was at it though meant he couldn’t quite be so upset. At least she found it funny.

“Oh, I do love to see a guy being humbled,” she sighed happily.

Jay smiled at her, “is it bad?”

Nya gave him a sweet smile, her eyes darting all over his face. Her head was tilted a little, a slight glisten in her soft eyes. It took a moment for her to respond, but she finally reached out a hand to move a piece of his hair out of his face.

“Yeah, you’ve got a bit- uh-”

He reached up just as she moved away, “just a bit..?”

As he brushed through his fringe, she let out a light giggle. She reached her hand up again but moved back, and for a second Jay thought she was going to brush some of the soot off his cheek. 

“A lot.. A lot of it..” she smiled.

“A lot?”

“Yeah.”

“Like just on my cheek or..?”

“Everywhere.”

He was surprised, “everywhere?!”

Nya smiled at him and chuckled. Jay couldn’t help but feel happy. They hadn’t spent much time together and for them to be talking so carefree together just like it was before everything went to shit made him so joyful. This is what it should’ve always been like. If only he hadn’t been too scared to talk to her sooner.

Just as Jay was about to say something else, probably about the wiring or the thruster, Nya’s smile faded, her gaze drifting from the man in blue, to something behind him. Jay frowned, turning to look back at the tea shop.

There, in the distance of the tea shop doorway, was a ghost stood looking rather sombre. Jay smiled but he did nothing but walk away. 

Jay felt awful. He was having so much fun out here, laughing away with Nya, while his boyfriend was all alone inside struggling with his ghost abilities. Although Jay had offered multiple times to help him, and Cole had denied it multiple times, he still felt awful about it. They hadn’t had much time to spend together recently, especially with all this ghost business going on, and Jay wanted nothing more than to just hang out with him without there being any pressure. Cole being so upset about being a ghost, thinking it changed everything, wasn’t helping. Jay didn’t blame him though.

He just wished he could show Cole how it wouldn’t change anything at all. Well, besides the physical affection thing.

Jay turned back to Nya, who gave him a reassuring smile.

“I’ll go talk to him,” he told her, “he’s probably still worried about the ghost thing.”

He began heading in the direction of the tea shop, hoping to find his ghost boyfriend waiting around for him. Perhaps he just wanted help after all. 

“Are you sure you don’t need to show off your super cool skills, wire master ?” Nya called out to him.

“I’m sure,” he laughed.

At least everything was fine with Nya now. In fact, their dynamic was a lot better when they were just friends. 

Heading inside the tea shop, he used his sleeve to wipe off some of the excess soot. It was difficult to tell where exactly it was, and considering Nya had been so amused about it being ‘everywhere’ he wasn’t certain he’d gotten it all off anyway. He’d need to wash it all off properly it seemed. That could wait, though. There were more important matters he had to attend to.

Kai, Zane, Wu and Misako were all huddled in the far corner of the shop, looking through books and scrolls. Who knows how long it would take them. On the other side of the room was Cole. He was kneeling against the floor, multiple boxes laid out in front of him. They weren’t too big; the perfect targets to practise with. 

It was obvious he was trying to find a distraction. 

Jay considered leaving him to it for a moment, not wanting to be yet another distraction from his current distraction, but after seeing him stood in the doorway just now, perhaps leaving Cole on his own like he wished wasn’t the best idea. 

He headed over quietly, but not too quietly to startle him. Cole was trying his best to focus, trying to wrap his fingers around the box in front of him. Every attempt only ended in a fail. 

“Do you want a hand?” Jay asked quietly.

Cole glanced up at him briefly, Jay stopping beside him. A weak smile escaped onto his lips, which Jay obviously didn’t miss the opportunity to stare at. Jay didn’t want to get involved, he didn’t want to annoy Cole, so he kept to himself for a minute.

Picking up other boxes and placing them on their respective shelves was simple. For Jay it was anyway. Cole… not so much. Jay glanced down at his boyfriend, watching as he struggled to get a grip of his own box. For a second, a brief second, he focused enough to be able to touch it. The light glee that lit up on his face was enough to warm Jay’s heart, yet it didn’t last all that long.

Although he’d managed to grip it for a few moments, Cole got too comfortable and phased right through it, the box ultimately falling to the ground with a light thud. Cole sighed, raising his hands over the box once again in an attempt to touch it. 

Jay knelt down beside him. Their shoulders would’ve been touching if Cole hadn’t been a ghost.

Jay hovered his fingers over Cole’s, resting them gently over the top - or rather through . Cole glanced up at him briefly, but Jay was focused on the box.

“I don’t know much about being a ghost, or grabbing things as a ghost but…” Jay spoke softly, “try putting all your force into your fingers.”

Cole quietly sighed, his focus returning back to the problem in front of him.

And how Jay’s hands fit so perfectly through his skin. The hands he longed to hold. The hands he longed to kiss… 

The hands belonging to the boy he cared so much for.

God, it was so cruel. 

“I’d do that if I could feel my fingers,” Cole’s response was sharper than intended.

Jay brought his hands away, moving back slightly in an almost flinch movement. He glanced at Cole with a worried expression and it only made Cole want to rip his insides out.

“Sorry,” Jay’s tone shook.

Cole sighed and shook his head, “no, no, it’s okay. It’s not your fault. I know you’re just trying to help.”

If there was something he could do to fix all this then he would, but there just simply wasn’t an easy solution. Trying to touch objects was hard enough, and he’d only managed to grab Jay in a panic of the moment situation before. He didn’t even know how he did it, and he hadn’t managed to do it again since. Perhaps whoever up there in the Cloud Kingdom felt bad for him or didn’t want Jay dead any time soon. Either way, it was a horrible prank and Cole hoped whoever did that would die. 

Not literally. Cole just hated everything right now.

That included himself.

Jay was doing everything in his power to help Cole. He was focusing on him more than anyone else. He cared so much and Cole didn’t even deserve it. Cole didn’t even have anything to give back after all this. He couldn’t hug Jay, couldn’t kiss him, couldn’t hold him. All he had was his words, and even they seemed to be failing. The last thing he wanted was to hurt Jay. 

There was a moment of awkward silence before Cole attempted to pick the box up again. Jay stood up, reaching for more boxes to slide onto the shelf. 

Jay didn’t say anything else in fear of saying something wrong. He wanted to help, he wanted to make Cole feel better, but it only seemed that he was doing everything to make Cole feel more upset. Although, it seemed like everything everyone was doing only made things worse. That wasn’t anyone’s fault really. 

Jay wished Cole was fully honest with him about it all. Sure, they’d had small conversations and Cole had opened up a little that first morning in his room on the Bounty, but he’d still been closed off about it. They’d been able to talk about things so openly in the past, especially during the tournament, and now Cole had changed into a completely different person. After everything Jay had done to try to help, he at least would’ve appreciated if Cole was fully honest. 

He’d let it all out eventually though, right?

Jay just needed to be patient.

“I didn’t realise you and Nya were getting along now,” Cole spoke awkwardly, a slight shake to his voice.

Jay glanced at him instantly, a small smile forming on his lips. Cole didn’t look at him though, he was just focused on trying to grab the box in front of him again. From what the lightning ninja could see though, Cole didn’t seem too happy. Jay assumed it was because of the box situation.

Perhaps knowing he’d been right about Jay fixing things with Nya would make him feel better. 

“Yeah,” Jay nodded, “we talked it out when we were fixing Zane’s voice box.”

Cole remained focused on his task while Jay kept stacking his boxes. After a few more glances in the earth ninja’s direction and noticing the sombre expression on his face, Jay decided to continue. 

“You were right about talking to her,” Jay added enthusiastically, “I don’t know why I left it so long. We’re getting along great . It’s like nothing happened.”

“Yeah, looks like it.”

Jay’s smile instantly disappeared, the beam replaced with a confused expression instead. Cole still wasn’t looking at him, just staring down sorrowfully. 

Cole had wanted them to get along, didn’t he? It’s what he kept begging Jay to do, in his own time of course, but it’s what he’d been encouraging. Now that they were finally getting along again and Jay had actually listened, why did Cole not seem happy about it?

Or was it Jay just reading the room wrong again? He seemed to be doing that a lot. 

There wasn’t really any explanation that came to mind. Jay was so sure it’d cheer him up, yet Cole seemed so sad about it. That dismal glisten in his eyes only weighed on the blue ninja’s chest. 

Was he… jealous..?

I mean, sure Jay was spending more time with Nya, but that wasn’t really on purpose. Nya was the one that came to help Jay with the thruster. And they were both the mechanics of the team which is why they fixed up Zane together. Besides, Cole had wanted to be on his own to figure things out, denying any kind of help from Jay. It wasn’t Jay’s fault for spending time with someone else.

Or was it something different?

Jay frowned, “are you-”

“Do you two need a helping hand?”

Cole closed his eyes and let out a small sigh while Jay’s attention was directed to the nindroid stood directly behind them. Box in hand, Jay gave him a small smile before glancing down at Cole again, who was just staring at the ground in front of him. 

As much as Jay wanted to continue this conversation, to question what Cole meant and ask how he could make things better, perhaps it was best to just leave it for now. Besides, they had much bigger things to worry about like the tomb and saving Lloyd. Not to mention Jay was still covered head-to-toe in soot.

Cole didn’t seem like he was in the mood to talk right now anyway.

Not that he seemed in the mood to talk at all recently. He seemed to only be pushing Jay away.

Was Jay’s presence making him feel worse?

“It’s alright,” Jay cleared his throat awkwardly, “I should probably go take a shower.”

He took one last glance at Cole, who didn’t say anything. Part of him wanted to stay but he knew it was best to leave. 

Zane gave Jay a reassuring smile. The lightning ninja handed the box off to him, earning a soft gleam from the nindroid. As Jay went to pat Zane’s shoulder, he instantly brought his hand back, staring at the black dust stuck to them.

“Yeah- I’ll uh-” Jay nodded nervously, “okay. See you later.”

As Jay headed off, he couldn’t help but steal one last glance towards his boyfriend.

He was starting to get worried. Not just about Cole himself - he’d been worried about him this whole time - but about them together . After everything in the Cloud Kingdom, how Jay had questioned the whole destiny thing, he was trying to ignore everything that could possibly go wrong. That didn’t mean he didn’t think about it every now and then though. Perhaps the chaos of everything right now, and Cole coming to terms with being a ghost, was just getting between them. It’d all straighten out eventually, right? Jay couldn’t help but be nervous though.

He really wanted things to work out between them. He was actively researching into how to touch ghosts, mostly because it’d be helpful for missions (but also because he wanted to hug and kiss his boyfriend) and it seemed like Cole was working on being able to touch others too. It was possible, hence why he’d been able to grab Jay before, it would just take some hard work to perfect it. That’d happen eventually. Once all this stuff with Morro was over, they could focus on it more and spend more time together. Time was what they needed most right now.

Until now, the two were floating between a rock and a hard place. Jay didn’t know what the right thing to do was anymore. If only there was a way he could make Cole feel better. To make him feel like Jay wasn’t going anywhere and that he was there for him. 

That was clearly harder than expected. 

But Jay would figure it out.

Chapter Text

Perhaps if the ninja hadn’t been sent to the completely wrong location to find the Realm Crystal, they would’ve had a head start on Morro. 

“We’re almost at the tomb of the First Spinjitzu Master,” Zane stated.

Cole nodded, “I can’t believe we’re almost there after all we’ve been through.”

It really was crazy when you thought back on it. They’d travelled the world to stop Morro, including travelling to a completely different realm. Although none of their experiences over the past few weeks were great, at least it was something they could tell their children when they were old and grey. 

Between all that, losing Lloyd and Cole turning into a ghost, at least they were finally getting somewhere. Well, that depended on whether or not this really was the First Spinjitzu Master’s final resting spot. 

Hopefully it’d all be over soon and they could all get some much needed rest.

“I can’t believe I’m underwater,” Kai groaned, his face pressed against the window of Ronin’s trusty helicopter.

“You?” Cole raised an eyebrow, “what about me ? Just how thick is this glass?” 

Nobody responded. Cole was hoping it was because none of them knew, rather than the option that they just didn’t want to worry him about it being easily crackable.

“You’re approaching the location now,” Wu told them over the screen at the front of the vehicle, “with Morro already ahead of you and able to foresee the traps with the Sword of Sanctuary, it’s going to be up to you four to find the Realm Crystal before he does.”

Did I fail to mention Morro had tracked the ninja down back to the tea shop and managed to steal the sword back from them without them noticing? Yeah. It’s a long story.

It was embarrassing to say the least but they were thinking positively.

Jay laughed nervously, “Cole’s a ghost, Kai can’t swim, we have no magical sword or elemental powers… What could go wrong?”

They were going deeper and deeper underwater the more they spoke. They weren’t entirely sure where they were going, nor what they were even about to face, but as long as they had a good outlook on it, they’d be able to get through it. Sure, they were nervous and confused, and didn’t really have anything besides their fists and airjitzu - and perhaps Zane’s smart thinking - but nothing could go seriously wrong, right?  

“I may not know the three tests you’ll have to face but I discovered a riddle that makes reference to it that may help,” Misako spoke while opening a scroll she held, “ a spinjitzu master can, a spinjitzu master cannot. To move forward, don’t look ahead to find his resting spot.” 

“Huh,” Cole hummed, “that’s food for thought.”

As Jay glanced to his left to make light of Cole’s food mention, his eye caught something large whipping past the window. At first, he wanted to ignore it and think of it as bubbles, or perhaps a figure of his imagination (he hadn’t slept much lately) but the longer he stared at it, the more tentacle-like it looked.

He did not like things with tentacles, especially not when they were ten times the size of him.

Jay gulped, “speaking of food… we’re about to be some.”

Cole grabbed hold of the steering wheel, locking in with a determined face. 

“We have to go faster, much faster!” Kai exclaimed, pressing his face against the window again to get a better look at the creature.

Cole didn’t dare to look, just focusing on making the vehicle go faster. It was difficult in water, especially with something that wasn’t typically designed for underwater, but he didn’t care much about that right now. 

The other three kept watch over the beast - something similar to an octopus (an octopus that was somewhat radioactive and a million times bigger than all of them put together). Kai jumped back into Zane as a tentacle flew at the window, the large suctions cracking it. 

“Why did the tomb have to be underwater?!” Kai exclaimed, gripping onto Zane’s arm.

Cole leant forward in the chair more, “hold on!”

They accelerated further but they were already going at full speed. Sharp turns seemingly didn’t seem to throw the beast off either, but that didn’t stop Cole from trying his best to get his friends to safety, not to mention himself.

Zane kept a close eye on the crack on the window, making sure it wasn’t going to burst. 

“What kind of weapon is that thing equipped with?!” Jay questioned in a panicked tone.

“It doesn’t need weapons,” Zane cut in, pointing an arm out in front of the ghost, “aim for that rock!”

“On it.”

Cole gripped the wheel harder, something he’d worked on on the way over here. He dove down, Zane now sat beside him, directing him. The octopus followed them closely, only barely able to keep up with them. Cole brought the helicopter through a small gap, just big enough to fit the vehicle, and rushed forward, hoping whatever plan Zane had would work. 

It really did seem to do the trick.

As the beast tried to follow after them, seemingly with less brain cells that tentacles, it got stuck half way through the hole, struggling to break free. Cole glanced back in the vehicle mirrors, still going at full speed. He let out a small smile as his friends began to cheer. 

They shortly pulled up into the cave Ronin had directed them to. It didn’t take them long to jump out of the vehicle and onto dry land. Cole couldn’t be happier to see something dry. It would’ve been a disaster if they’d come across any other creature that broke the vehicle screens for good. Kai and Zane remained in the helicopter for a minute, making sure everything was safe for when they left. The last thing they needed was to get what they’d come for only to realise they had no escape, especially if they came across Morro. 

Jay followed closely behind Cole, the two stopping in front of a large statue of their land’s creator. Cole didn’t say anything, and to be honest, it seemed like he hadn’t realised Jay followed. He seemed so lost, not that anyone could blame him, but at least he was cheering up a bit and getting more used to his abilities. After all, he’d managed to drive Rex. 

“The First Spinjitzu Master…” Jay sighed, stepping beside his boyfriend.

Cole was still mute, not even acknowledging who was near him. Under any other circumstance, Jay might’ve made a joke about his hearing disappearing with his mortal body but it didn’t seem like the right time. Cole hadn’t been in the mood for jokes recently. It was really the only thing Jay had going for him most of the time.

“I can’t believe he’s Wu’s father,” Jay spoke again, glancing at the ghost briefly. 

He was staring back at him from the corner of his eye and quite frankly it made Jay slightly uncomfortable. 

They hadn’t spoken much recently and whenever they did, Cole was so disheartened and didn’t seem interested in talking at all, let alone being around Jay. The blue ninja knew what was wrong. He knew Cole was upset because he wasn’t comfortable in his own body anymore, and he couldn’t touch Jay whenever he wanted - he still wasn’t sure how he managed to grab him on the mountain - but no matter how hard Jay tried to reassure him that it didn’t matter, that he was still happy, nothing helped. Cole still seemed just as down as always. 

Jay really couldn’t think of much else to do. He didn’t want to lose him, especially not when Cole was at his lowest, and he certainly wasn’t going to give up on him. He just needed to find the right words to make Cole feel better about everything. 

The two hadn’t spoken properly, or at least alone, since they were at the teashop. Cole had been trying to pick up boxes and Jay was attempting to help but the conversation just ended awkwardly, with Cole being seemingly jealous or worried about Jay and Nya talking more again, and Jay leaving to go take a shower. If they had the chance to talk about it properly then they probably would’ve, but they were just so busy with all this Morro business. 

Although, now was better late than never, right?

Jay sighed, trying to keep a hushed tone, “are you mad at me?”

Cole frowned, turning his head to look at his boyfriend.

Jay had stopped looking at him and was now just staring at the statue. He wasn’t stood as close as Cole had imagined, or at least would have liked. 

“What would I be mad at?”

“I don’t know..” he did in fact know, “..it’s just.. At the teashop you seemed annoyed at me. If I’ve done something wrong-”

“No,” Cole shook his head immediately, “you haven’t done anything.”

Jay knew what was bothering him, of course he did, but he wanted Cole to mention it himself. The last thing Jay wanted was for Cole to think he’s hurting other people because of his feelings so letting him talk about what was bothering him in his own time would help surely, or at least that’s how Jay saw it. In the past, whenever someone had mentioned something specific that had been bothering Jay, he hadn’t wanted to talk about it, or he wanted to hide his feelings more in an attempt to never have those conversations when he wasn’t ready. He wanted Cole to be able to talk. He wanted him to be honest. 

If now wasn’t the time then that was okay but Jay at least wanted him to get something out, even if it wasn’t completely relevant.

Jay glanced back at Rex briefly, checking to see if Kai and Zane were in ear shot. They sat at the wheel together, looking over the controls and talking among themselves, Zane probably being analytical and Kai not having a clue what he was saying. 

He turned to face his boyfriend properly, attempting to reach a hand out. Thankfully Cole didn’t notice it because it didn’t take long for Jay to bring his hand away, remembering he’d only make it worse if he couldn’t master being able to touch a ghost. 

Yet again.

But he was working on it.

“Talk to me,” Jay whispered, stepping slightly closer to him.

Cole looked at him now, not saying anything, but he didn’t miss the opportunity to glance over Jay’s facial features. He probably looked worried, that’s why Cole took such a long look, but for some reason, Jay didn’t think the long stare at his lips was any part of that. 

“I know there’s something wrong, you can tell me,” Jay continued, “I know things have been weird recently and kinda hectic with all this Morro stuff but, you’re still my boyfriend and I’m here for you.”

Cole turned back to looking at the statue for a moment, seemingly deep in thought. His brows were furrowed slightly, something Jay couldn’t quite comprehend, but he let him think. 

Cole gulped, closed his eyes for a second, and then turned back to look at his partner with soft eyes.

“It’s nothing.”

Jay wasn’t stupid though.

And he certainly wasn’t stupid enough to keep going back and forth with this ‘I know there’s something wrong’ and ‘trust me, there’s nothing’. He didn’t want to entertain it, and he definitely didn’t want to be tricked into believing it. So instead, he just stared at the ghost with worried eyes and hoped he’d give in eventually.

It took much longer than Jay had hoped.

Cole glanced away again, sighing. This time his gaze landed on the ground beneath him rather than at the statue. 

“I’m not even that upset about being a ghost anymore, I just wish there was something I could do to be better. I mean, being a ghost has its perks and I’m learning to grab things like I could before but… there’s still you ,” Cole explained with a strained tone, “and I’m not saying that’s a problem but I’m just so worried things won’t be the same. And they haven’t been and-”

“Things haven’t been the same because of all the chaos recently,” Jay cut in, “it’s not your fault.”

“I know. I just hate having to make you wait for something that might never happen.”

Jay frowned, “you grabbed me on the mountain, didn’t you? Sure, it was once and it was a panicked moment, but at least you know it’s possible. I’ve been looking into how I can touch a ghost and I’m sure once all of this is over, we can figure it out together, okay?”

Cole didn’t say anything else. He just stared at the boy standing in front of him. God, if he was human he would’ve kissed him - with an audience or not - because quite frankly Jay had been nothing but good to him ever since he became a ghost. All Cole’s wanted to do these past few days was embrace and kiss his boyfriend. Perhaps someday he could again, if it was even possible. He’d really taken it all for granted before.

“When Morro is defeated and we get Lloyd back, we’ll have so much time to work on it,” Jay gave him a reassuring smile.

Cole struggled to form a smile, but at least his heart was warm, and Jay’s soft expression made him feel much better, even if his chest was still tight. 

“Just don’t worry about it right now, okay? Focus on the mission and we can spend all the time in the world together once it’s over.”

It did sound like heaven but Cole wished all that time wouldn’t be spent on helping Cole learn how to touch people without phasing through them. And he certainly wished he didn’t need to wait to hug and kiss his own boyfriend, especially not when he was standing directly at his side all day every day. 

In the meantime, Jay had been fixing his friendship with Nya. They were getting along so well because Cole wasn’t in the picture. 

But perhaps that was a thought he should just push to the back of his mind and ignore. After all, Jay was stood beside him right now. He always was.

Not that Cole felt he deserved it.

Jay’s smile grew wider as he saw Cole perk up a bit more. 

“I know we can’t hug but I can at least pretend like I’m hugging you,” he brought his arms up, bringing them around where Cole was standing and joining them behind Cole’s back. Although he wasn’t touching him, nor even close to it, it was nice to pretend he was. Jay closed his eyes, a warm smile growing on his lips. Cole didn’t fail to stare at it, a loving expression in his eyes. But he still felt so exhausted, so tired. He didn’t really have the energy to reciprocate, or properly enjoy it. Jay was cheering him up slightly though. He always did.

“Do you feel it?” Jay chuckled.

“Yeah, totally,” Cole smiled.

“I’m glad.”

“Thanks Jay.”

They remained silent for a minute, Jay stood with his eyes closed, his arms technically around the ghost. Cole just stared at the person in front of him, taking it all in. 

He loved Jay so much. He loved how optimistic he was. He loved how encouraging he was. He loved everything about Jay. His laugh, his smile, his humour, how caring he was. He wouldn’t change anything for the world and he certainly wouldn’t want to be with anyone else. 

So why did he still feel empty?

Jay was right though. Once this mission was over, they could focus on repairing things. Cole could learn to touch things properly and then he could hug and kiss his boyfriend as many times as possible, right? 

It was only a matter of time before things were the way they were supposed to be again. 

Meanwhile, in Rex, Zane sat in the driver’s seat pressing some of the controls to make sure everything was in working order. He hadn’t spoken in a few minutes so Kai took to staring out the window, watching Cole and Jay talk. Although he couldn’t hear what they were discussing, it was pretty easy to guess what they were talking about. Perhaps neither of them had said anything outright to the masters of ice or fire yet, or even wanted to at all, but they were clearly going a lot. It was evident with how little time they’d been spending together since Cole became a ghost. Kai had done a lot of thinking about it.

Zane, on the other hand, just didn’t seem interested. The ice ninja was the only person Kai could talk to about it though considering neither Lloyd or Nya knew about the couple. Kai was a gossiper and he certainly wasn’t good at keeping secrets. Zane having morals about privacy was getting boring though. Whenever Kai mentioned the couple, all Zane would do was go silent until Kai stopped talking about it. Kai didn’t blame him though. It’s not like Zane could go against his morals. He was a nindroid. 

That didn’t stop him from encouraging him though.

“Are they still together?” Kai spoke up while Zane tried his best to focus on the screen in front of him.

Zane frowned, glancing briefly at the fire ninja. As soon as he spotted what Kai was looking at, Zane sighed and returned to what he was doing.

The vehicle was silent for a minute. Kai glanced at the nindroid, watching as he pressed some buttons briefly.

“C’mon, surely you’ve been thinking about it,” Kai told him, “I know they told us not too long ago but since Cole became a ghost, they’ve been so different.”

“You’re answering your own question,” Zane spoke quietly, still trying to focus, “I’m sure a lot of things have changed for them recently.”

“Well obviously, but do you think they’ll work it out or end things?” 

“I’ve said this before, Kai, we shouldn’t be invading their privacy-”

“I’m not! They’re our friends and they told us about their relationship. Am I supposed to just not worry about it?”

“Why are you worried about something that doesn't involve you?” Zane questioned.

“That’s not what I meant,” Kai groaned, “I just meant, how are we supposed to ignore something that’s right in front of us? It’s normal to be intrigued about a friend’s relationship, especially considering we live and work with them. You’re too stubborn about it, Zane.”

“I’m not stubborn, I just think it’s important to not discuss it behind their backs, especially if something is going on.”

“So you agree there’s something going on?”

“No.”

“That’s what you just said.”

Zane didn’t say anything, he just turned to look at Kai with an unamused expression. He hoped Kai would catch on and stop talking about it but Kai was, too, stubborn. It seemed they both were. 

It was never that easy though and Kai did not pick up on those hints well.

“They’re going through a lot right now. We shouldn’t be speculating. It’s not our business and to be completely honest, I’m not comfortable discussing their relationship,” Zane spoke sternly, returning to the controls.

Kai frowned, “why are you so upset about it? We weren’t saying anything bad about them.”

Zane ignored him.

“C’mon, Zane. It’s not harming anyone. I’m just intrigued as to how things are going for them.”

He still ignored him.

“It’s just two dudes in love-”

“I don’t know exactly what you’re implying but I’m not homophobic, Kai.”

Kai choked, “no, that’s not what I was implying at all.”

Zane glanced at him briefly, shooting him another unamused look.

Kai looked away awkwardly, “okay maybe I was, but you can’t argue that it doesn’t look odd. They’re your friends, Zane, you’re allowed to talk about them. It’s not morally wrong or going against their privacy. You never had a problem when it was Jay and Nya.”

“That was a long time ago.”

“And your opinion has changed since?” Kai raised an eyebrow.

“A lot of things change in time, Kai.”

“Like what?”

Zane fell silent again. 

Kai would’ve questioned it more if Jay hadn’t grown impatient and begged for them to leave. To be honest, they should move quicker than they were, especially if Morro was nearby. The two would just have to continue their conversation later. Perhaps then, Zane wouldn’t be so ominous or uptight. 

Getting through the puzzles and traps was simple with a nindroid on their team. He was smart, he knew exactly what to do, and stopped anyone making stupid mistakes. It didn’t take them long to find themselves at the bottom of the tomb, walking through an icy labyrinth. Thankfully it was just thick ice and not melting or necessarily wet otherwise Cole would’ve been screwed.

They’d been walking around for minutes, trying to find something that gave them some sort of clue about what they were doing or where to go. They couldn’t see an exit anywhere and it certainly didn’t help that this place was just a huge, repetitive maze. Knowing their luck, they’d just walk straight into Morro. 

The ice was a beautiful shade of blue and it wasn’t even that cold. They could see their reflections in it briefly, but nothing that really caught their eye. 

Jay stuck close to Cole. Although they didn’t really say anything, it was nice to be in each other’s company. Jay was glad they were okay now. As long as they focused on the mission and nothing else got in the way, it’d all work out fine. 

Kai and Zane walked a little ahead of the other two. Every now and then they’d all exchange confused glances, but they mostly remained in silence while waiting for something to happen. It felt too quiet, too relaxed, especially after the last few challenges. Something was bound to hit them when they weren’t expecting it. 

“Are you feeling better?” Jay muttered to the boy beside him.

Cole didn’t hear him at first, he was so lost in thought, but quickly processed it and gave him a sweet smile. He didn’t say anything but Jay understood. The smile was reciprocated. 

Even if they weren’t going to fix everything until after all the Morro stuff was over, it didn’t mean they were on a break or anything. They were still together and they could still act like it. 

They always would. They always had . Nothing was going to change that.

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

Just as Jay went to say something else, Kai gasped in the distance. 

“What? Did you find something?” Cole asked, sprinting up closer to the fire ninja. Jay continued to walk slower, watching from afar.

Kai was stood in front of the ice, staring at his reflection. Zane stood close beside him, frowning at what was in front of him.

“If my reflection means anything, I’m starting to think we won’t be breaking out of this maze any time soon,” Kai spoke up, raising a hand to his reflection. 

Zane stepped forward, surprised at what he was seeing, “my reflection… is that..me? I look older but our attire is different.”

Kai turned to look at him with a confused expression while Cole stopped in the middle of the both. Jay remained behind a little.

“I don’t believe these reflections reveal our inability to escape, but a mere glimpse of our future selves,” Zane explained, his eyes fixing on the robes his reflective counterpart was wearing. It was neat and looked somewhat similar to what Wu wore. Kai’s was the same except Kai had wrinkles and shorter, less messy hair. 

“Misako said ‘to move forward, don’t look ahead’, is that what it means?” Cole asked, stepping right up close to the ice, “why can’t I see my reflection?”

He stared into the ice, even rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t just imagining things (or rather nothing) yet no matter what, he couldn’t see anything at all. It’s like he didn’t exist.

“Where is my reflection?!” Cole questioned.

“It’s probably because you’re a ghost,” Kai rolled his eyes.

“Ghosts cast reflections, Kai,” Zane chirped up, “he’s probably just looking in the wrong place.”

“I am looking in the same place you are,” Cole argued back.

While the group conversed, Jay found a different spot in the ice, the nearest to him. He stopped in front of it, looking over his new attire. His robes were white and blue, something he probably would’ve sworn he’d never be seen dead in years ago, but seeing how cool he looked with a beard paired with the robe, perhaps it wasn’t so bad. Not to mention, there was something else too.

“Hey guys, guess what?” he smiled, “I get an awesome eyepatch!”

It was stupid. It’s not like he knew why he was wearing it. Maybe he loses an eye in the future - which wasn’t very ideal - or perhaps he has just a small injury, or was it a fashion choice? Was he cosplaying? Was he going to join a pirate crew? 

Either way, he was ecstatic. He’d grown up playing pirates and watching Pirates of the Caribbean so this was like heaven to him. Even if he lost an eye, at least he looked cool. The future seemed awesome.

It didn’t take long for his two eyes to catch a glimpse of something else however. Something that wasn’t an eyepatch, nor a piece of clothing. Something slowly drifting in from the right.

Or rather someone. Someone slightly taller than him - only by a few inches. Someone with short black hair. Someone, too, in robes.

And it made sense, right? Cole and Jay’s relationship was going so well, of course they’d stay together forever. They were made for each other. They got along so well. They loved each other so much. And it made so much sense as to why Cole couldn’t see his reflection.

Because his reflection was with Jay.

Oh, he couldn’t wait to call Cole over and they could squeal happily about it. It would cheer Cole up so much knowing they’d be okay - not that Jay ever had any doubt.

His heart was so warm and his head was so light, his mind racing with images of the future. They’d grow old together, have a home of their own, maybe some pets. They’d walk down the aisle, say I do and kiss on that altar. Who would take whose surname? 

Though, now that Jay looked closely, it certainly wasn’t going to be Cole’s surname. God no.

No, it wouldn’t.

It really… It really wouldn’t…

For when the person lifted their head, he’d expected a Brookstone. He’d expected his boyfriend .

Why the hell was there a Smith staring back at him?

Chapter Text

Perhaps it was his own fault for assuming the future before he knew the truth. Perhaps it was his own fault for assuming the future when they’d barely been together for long. Quite frankly, it was foolish to assume everything would be perfect anyway.

It was foolish to assume he’d end up with the person he loved so dearly and be clear of any drama. It seemed even though that drama was over a while ago, it clung to them like a leech. Jay couldn’t escape.

The media constantly reminding Jay of his time with Nya, how everything went down, how he was pitted against Cole, was bad enough but this? At least he was able to shut it out before. There was no shutting this out.

The longer he stared at the image in front of him, the more his head spun and the lump in his throat grew. He could barely breathe, struggling to swallow his building saliva. 

He had to be seeing it wrong. It had to be a trick. There was no way it was real. 

This wasn’t happening. 

This wasn’t happening, right?

Right?

His chest moved rapidly, his eyes blinking every few seconds, in hopes the reflection would change or that he was just seeing the wrong person. Did Cole just look different? Was his hair just longer? Perhaps in the future he’d be a woman. 

No. No, that was definitely her . It had to be. But why? How? 

It wasn’t fair. 

Sure, they’d been getting along recently but Jay had thought it was just friendly. Though, that didn’t necessarily mean they didn’t rekindle their relationship in the future, did it? God, this was a mess.

No wonder Cole was jealous. He knew there was something going on. But no, there wasn’t any feelings towards her at all. 

Jay didn’t like Nya. Not anymore.

But if he didn’t, why was she cuddling up next to his future self? 

He took in a shaky breath, his head light. Was he gonna fall over? What should he do? Tell Cole? No. No . That would be the stupidest thing to do. 

But would hiding it be wrong? 

Or would it protect Cole?

It wasn’t like Jay wanted to be with her. More than anything, he wanted to be with Cole . He wanted to be with Cole forever . Perhaps forever would be short considering his love was a ghost, but that didn’t mean Jay didn’t want it to be for as long as he lived. If Cole saw this, if he knew the future would be Jaya shaped, he’d leave. He’d hate Jay. 

Wouldn’t he?

The last thing Jay wanted was for Cole to find out and break up with him. 

“What is it?” Cole’s voice, though fuzzy, seemed so close. 

Was that footsteps behind him?

Jay shook his head, air catching in his throat, his eyes fixed on the reflection. He felt sick. Nauseous. Was it getting hot in here? 

He stepped back, his hands clammy and eyes welling with tears. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair at all. Why was the universe against him? After all this time trying to forget about Nya, to do everything he could to stay with Cole, this is what the universe gave him? This is what the universe trapped him into? 

Why couldn’t he just be happy? 

Why couldn’t he go one day without hurting someone?

Cole was already going through so much and he seemed so nervous about whether Jay would stay with him because of the whole ghost situation; this would only make it worse. 

If anyone saw this, it would become too real. He’d never live it down. He’d never forgive himself. 

The further he backed away from the ice, the more the reflection faded. Part of him wanted to stay, to see if it was just some cruel trick, something he was imagining, but the more the thought of Cole noticing clouded his mind, the more he just wanted to run. Get far away from this place. 

Just as the reflection was about to vanish, future-Jay lifted his head from where it rested on his partner and he went to give her a kiss, something Jay had to close his eyes at, taking an even further step back.

He was going to throw up. He really was.

“What did you see?”

Jay jumped back, his eyes opening in a flash as he heard the ghost’s voice directly behind him. His breath was heavy, though trying to hide it, and his head was light as a cloud. 

Cole was stood behind him for god knows how long, just staring at Jay with innocent, clueless eyes. The dark circles under his eyes and the somewhat longing, hopeless look in his gaze made Jay feel so much worse. 

He didn’t deserve this. 

“Jay?” Cole frowned.

The lightning ninja didn’t say anything, turning back to look at the ice. 

It was gone. 

Clearly Cole hadn’t seen it.

Everything would be okay.

He could just pretend it was nothing. Nothing exciting. Just the eyepatch. Nothing else. Nobody. Nobody was there. Just him. With an eyepatch. Wearing a cool robe. 

That was all.

He was a pretty good liar, right?

….Was lying wrong?

“Are you okay?” Cole took a step towards him, concern in his gaze.

Cole was so pretty. He was so amazing. Jay felt sick to his stomach.

He deserved so much better than this. Was it cruel to pretend like Jay wasn’t going to end up with someone else in the future? Even if he didn’t want it, was it still cruel to pull him on a string?

Jay sucked in a breath and nodded, letting out the fakest-warm smile he had ever smiled.

“Yeah.”

“Are you sure? You seem spooked.”

“N- uh- yeah, no, I’m okay. You just startled me,” it hurt, “..that’s all.”

Cole raised an eyebrow slightly at his boyfriend, his eyes then following to the ice behind him. Then back at Jay.

His stomach churned, dread filling his chest as he turned back to check the ice once again. There was still nothing there.

“Just- uh- just the eyepatch. That’s all.”

“Really?”

“Yeah- yep. Nothing to worry about.”

Jay gave him an awkward smile, one he hoped would convince Cole. He took some more steps back, eventually turning around to head towards the other two properly. Cole didn’t follow behind, he was just left standing alone awkwardly. 

He stared at the ice, finding nothing, not even his own reflection. Though this whole thing was odd, he couldn’t quite shake the feeling that there was something wrong with Jay. He was fine before. He seemed so excited when he said he had an eyepatch. Then when Cole approached, he seemed distant, freaked out even. 

Was it just Cole’s presence?

He’d said he spooked him.

Was he just in the way..?

…

Surprise, surprise, they weren’t alone. Morro was, too, in the tomb and didn’t pass up the opportunity to attack the ninja. 

They didn’t have any weapons which especially wasn’t helpful when Morro was heavily armed with the Sword of Sanctuary. Using teamwork and all of their (few) braincells together, they managed to trap him in an icy cage, giving them enough time to get away and reach the Realm Crystal before their enemy could. 

“How do we get out of here?” Jay questioned, his chest still tight, turning on his heel and heading in the direction they’d seen Morro come from.

Nobody seemed to have an answer.

Kai and Zane looked around the ice, hoping there'd be some kind of hidden lever or button. Cole looked above, much farther back than the other three, while Jay was in front of him. Unlike every other day, or every other part of this mission, he drifted far from his boyfriend. 

Perhaps he was just trying to avoid the issue. They had so much to focus on right now and the last thing he wanted to do was slip up or even think about it. He still felt nauseous. Not to mention he couldn’t let Cole find out there was something going on.

He just needed time to wrap his head around it. 

Or.. maybe it would just be easier to pretend it didn’t happen. If he pretended like he saw nothing, like she wasn’t there, and that it was just a trick then maybe everything would be okay.

But what if Cole started to catch on? What if he saw it and didn’t say anything? 

Surely all Jay had to do was reassure Cole that he only cares for him , right? 

That would fix everything. 

Right?

“To move forward, don’t look ahead,” Zane repeated, deep in thought.

Jay frowned, his eyes landing on a crack in the ice beneath them.

“Don’t look ahead..” something he should be taking as advice, “..look below!”

Kai gasped, rushing up to where Jay was staring, “there’s light! The escape is down there!”

The four began digging. Though the ice was cold and hard, the thought of reaching the Realm Crystal and stopping Morro from destroying the world pushed them hard enough. 

It didn’t take them long to break a hole in the ice and fall right through, their backs hitting the cold, rocky ground beneath them. 

It was quiet below, the height of their battle with Morro just now beginning to die down. The four were silent, taking in their surroundings. The cave was dark with some bright blue shines which led the way to what seemed to be their destination. 

As they headed down the slope to the main part of the cave, where rocks were surrounded in a small flowing stream, Zane spotted something. He ran ahead of them, the other three picking up on what their nindroid friend was doing. Before they knew it, they were stood before a skeleton that held a large crystal.

“It’s… the First Spinjitzu Master,” Kai muttered in complete shock.

The four bowed, and though the skeleton could not tell, there was every chance that the master was looking down on them, thanking them for protecting the world he created. It was the least the ninja could do to show their respects to the man that created their land too. They wouldn’t be here without him and they certainly wouldn’t be ninja without his son or grandchild. 

“The Realm Crystal,” Zane nodded at the gem sat neatly in the creator’s palm.

He stepped forward, taking it gently and admiring it closely. 

It was the most gorgeous jewel they had ever laid their eyes upon. It shone so brightly, glowing a bright blue, and one simple touch of it would send a magical shockwave through your veins. 

“How does it work?” Kai asked.

“How it works is you’ll hand over the crystal or say goodbye to your friend,” an ominous voice called from behind them.

They all turned instantly, spotting Morro stood upon the ledge they had entered the cave from. Except he wasn’t the same Morro they’d seen just now and all the days before. He was back in his ghost form - something the team hadn’t seen yet - and he held both the Sword in one hand and Lloyd in another, dangling him over the edge of the stream.

“I’m sorry,” Lloyd croaked, barely conscious, “I couldn’t stop him.”

The four didn’t say anything. They thought hard, weighing up their options. On one hand, they couldn’t give up the crystal because that would mean the end of the world, but on the other hand, they couldn’t give up on Lloyd. He’d fought so hard already and he was their brother.

“If we hand him the crystal, he’ll assure the reign of his master, cursing Ninjago and every realm,” Zane whispered to Kai.

“But if we don’t, when has he ever made good on a threat?” Cole questioned, “look at Lloyd. He’s too weak to protect himself.”

Jay groaned, “either option totally stinks. What do you think, Kai? What do we do?”

Kai didn’t say anything, just glancing briefly at Zane. Perhaps he was looking for a logical answer, but it didn’t seem like Zane had one either. The fire ninja took the crystal from the nindroid and stared at it with a helpless expression.

“Looks like the decision’s up to you, Kai,” Morro taunted, “so choose.”

Kai took in a deep breath, ripping his gaze away from the gem, now landing on Lloyd. The green ninja’s breath was short and raspy, only twisting Kai’s heart strings more. 

“Stop stalling,” the ghost groaned, “give me the Realm Crystal or else.”

“We’re not stalling, we’re thinking,” Kai snarled back. 

The four turned to each other, huddling closer so that the enemy couldn’t hear their plan. 

“He’s right, I’m stalling,” Kai whispered, anger in his tone, “what are we gonna do?”

Cole rolled his eyes, “ugh, this guy really chaps my hide. I swear, when this is all over-”

He brought his fists together with a small thud, the ground beneath them shaking a little. His eyes grew wide, glancing between the other three ninja.

“Our powers,” Kai smiled, creating a small flame in his palm, “now that Morro’s out of Lloyd’s body they’re starting to come back.”

Jay tried his powers too but it took him a while to create a spark, “but like Lloyd, they’re weak and we’re in no position to fight back.”

“Leave that to me,” Kai assured him, “be ready.”

“Time’s up!” Morro called out, “you leave me no choice.”

As Morro began to dangle Lloyd over the cliff edge more, Kai spoke up, telling him to wait. With his back still to Morro, he used his powers to sneakily heat up the crystal, making it almost too hot to handle. 

“We’ll give you the Realm Crystal,” Kai told him, turning on his heel. 

With little warning, Kai threw it. Morro watched as it flew through the air in his direction, a wicked grin escaping onto his lips as he let go of his hold on Lloyd. As he caught the crystal, his hand burned in seconds, his reflexes causing him to drop it in an attempt to save his ghostly skin. 

The crystal bounced off the edge of the cliff, falling to the flowing stream below. 

“The crystal! What have you done?!” Morro screamed, both in anger and pain.

Before he knew it, Lloyd was barely up on his feet and kicking the Sword of Sanctuary out of his hand. Before Lloyd could do anything else, however, Morro used his wind element to blow the green ninja off the cliff, following the fate of the crystal. 

The ninja screamed after him, watching as their brother drifted along the rough current, the Realm Crystal not far ahead of him. They sprinted on the rocks along the stream, hopping between different safe spots to try to catch up. Kai and Cole were ahead, Kai trying his best to grab onto Lloyd.

“I can't grab hold of him, I can’t swim!” Kai exclaimed.

“You can’t swim?” Cole questioned, panic in his voice, “ I can’t touch the water! I’m a ghost, remember? You at least had a reflection, what happens to me?!”

Further back, Zane and Jay decided to stay behind to fight Morro, hoping to give the team enough time to grab the Realm Crystal before Morro could. 

Jay was the first to reach Morro, throwing punches and kicks his way. Not that Morro was in his ghost form again, it was much harder to fight considering he would just phase right through him. If only Jay had already discovered how to touch a ghost properly… 

Jay tried his best to grab the Sword of Sanctuary first but Morro dived ahead and caught hold of it. He twisted it towards the blue ninja, Jay landing on his back while the tip of the sword pointed towards his neck. 

Morro swung it, Jay only just dipping out of the way. Morro didn’t back down though, bringing the sword closer and closer to the master of lightning. Jay did everything he could to back away but the rocks underneath him were too unlevel.

“Stay away from him!” Zane yelled, sprinting in with his arms out towards Morro. He used the majority of his energy to create his ice, directing it at the sword. 

The sword grew heavy, the blade now a complete icicle. Morro turned to face the nindroid, the panic leaving Jay almost instantly. Zane stood with more ice forming in his palms, his eyes angry. Quite frankly, Jay had never seen anything like it.

“Nice one, Zane,” Jay smiled as he rose to his feet.

Zane dove at Morro, trying to hit him with his ice blast, but the ghost darted out the way. Jay copied Zane’s movements. It seemed that whenever they tried to hit him, or even came close to it, he’d use his ghost abilities to just phase through them, avoiding all their attempts at a punch or kick. 

Meanwhile the other two ninja were chasing after their brother, who struggled to keep his head above water level. The further he drifted down stream, the harder it was to grab hold of him. 

“He’s gonna drown!” Cole exclaimed.

But it wasn’t like the ghost could do anything about it. 

“This is crazy,” Kai groaned, “what am I doing?!” 

Without a second thought, Kai dived into the water, trying his best to aim in Lloyd’s direction. Cole stopped, watching from the dry rock-side. 

As the green ninja’s head drifted below the water level, Kai dove deeper, using the strength Lloyd didn’t have to wrap an arm around the smaller boy.  The fire ninja held his breath, pulling them both up. 

The masters of ice and lightning were getting tired, not much energy left in them. Jay didn’t know what else to do other than use his powers. Maybe he just wasn’t thinking straight, but somehow he thought it wouldn’t pass through the ghost at all.

He really didn’t think it through when his powers did go through the ghost and struck Zane. He certainly wasn’t using a small amount of volts either. The nindroid sizzled up, Morro darting out the way to race after the other three ninja at the other end of the cave. Jay’s attention wasn’t on the ghost any longer though, it was on his friend that was now crouched on the ground, holding his chest. Zane sucked in a sharp breath as Jay reached forward, kneeling down to meet Zane’s gaze.

“I’m so sorry,” Jay put a comforting hand on his shoulder. 

Though Zane looked completely out of it, his head a daze, his body heavy, he at least had enough energy to glance up at the lightning ninja. His eyes were droopy and a lot less bright, but the soft expression in his gaze sure did make Jay feel better about it.

“Are you okay?” Jay asked, following Zane’s eyes with his own.

All Zane did was smile. His signature sweet smile.

Jay didn’t pass up the opportunity to glance behind him, watching as Morro headed in the direction of their teammates. Then his eyes drifted to his teammates. 

“Kai’s got Lloyd!” Jay sounded panicked, “but who’s got Kai?!”

Cole was racing beside them, Kai reaching out his hand for the ghost to take. In Cole’s experience, he’d not been good at grabbing people, except for Jay on the mountain. He hadn’t practised, and although he could grab objects, it was much harder trying to touch something living. He just needed to focus and try to remember how he’d caught Jay before.

Although, if he’d remembered, he would’ve already been able to touch Jay more.

Jay was helping Zane up in the meantime. Zane gripped onto the back of Jay’s gi while Jay’s arm wrapped underneath Zane’s arm, helding him to stand. It didn’t take long for Zane to lose his balance though, his hand moving slowly from Jay’s back, to his waist.

“You have to grab them, Cole!” Jay shouted, “before they both go over!”

Their ghostly teammate made his way to the edge of the stream, staring down at the never-ending waterfall below. If Kai and Lloyd were to drop, they’d never be seen again. The panic set it fully now, the pressure on for Cole to be able to grab hold of them. 

But he tried his best to focus, reaching down to grab onto Kai’s hand. 

But he phased through. 

Out of panic, Cole reached down again, narrowly missing the water and gripping hard onto Kai’s sleeve. He screamed, his hand burning from the dampness, but without a second thought, he used all his might to pull the pair up, dragging them out of the water and onto dry land. Cole caught his breath, staring at both Kai and Lloyd laying on the ground next to him.

Thankfully he could catch people when the time was right, even if it was painful.

Just as Cole looked back at the stream, however, his eye caught something blue floating towards the edge. It had already dropped by the time his mind registered what it was.

Though, it appeared it wasn’t gone for long. It arose again, the air bringing it up from the depths of the waterfall and up above the ghost’s head. Kai and Lloyd’s eyes followed the gem too, watching as it landed safely into their enemy’s palm. 

As Morro was staring at the jewel in his hand, the masters of lightning and ice arrived at the scene, looking over Lloyd to make sure he was okay. Cole remained at the edge of the cliff, his blood boiling at the sight of Morro’s win. And there wasn’t anything they could do about it either. He stood on the other edge of the cliff, somewhere the ninja couldn’t get to safely. 

It didn’t take long for Morro to evacuate the cave.

Once the ninja found a safe way to cross the small raveen, they too found the exit. They hadn’t seen sunlight in what felt like days. Lloyd clutched onto Kai, a limp in his step, while Jay kept hold of Zane, who he was certain could walk fine on his own now but he didn’t want to challenge it.

They arrived outside on a cliff, in the middle of the ocean. Thankfully, the Bounty wasn’t too far away, only barely in sight in the distance. They all waved, relief washing over them. 

Even if they hadn’t managed to stop Morro and grab the Realm Crystal, they at least had Lloyd back and that’s all that mattered for now. 

Kai checked over Lloyd while Jay made sure Zane was alright. Cole stood on his own, looking out at the horizon with a somewhat lost gaze. 

“Are you sure you’re alright? I can check your wiring or-” Jay unwrapped his arm from around the nindroid.

Zane gave him a soft smile, “I’m okay, Jay. Thank you.”

“You’re sure?” 

Zane nodded. Once Jay was sure he was okay, he left Zane and headed over to his boyfriend. 

Kai glanced up at the nindroid with a frown. The soft, affectionate glint in the ice ninja’s eyes certainly wasn’t discrete and it only seemed to confuse the fire ninja.

Everything today had been completely hectic. First all that stuff with the octopus, then the challenges, then the reflections… Jay had almost forgotten about that… and then fighting Morro. They all needed a nap.

Though, now that the blue ninja had been reminded about the future reflections, he couldn’t shake it from his mind. 

He didn’t want to be with Nya. Even seeing her just now, he felt absolutely nothing. Cole was his boyfriend and he didn’t want that to change at all. The only logical way to erase that thought from his mind completely and to move on, hoping what he saw was just fake, was to talk to Cole. Honesty was the key to everything, but that didn’t mean he was going to be honest about the reflection, but perhaps about something he should’ve said a while ago.

Something Cole had said but Jay hadn’t had the chance to say back.

Maybe hearing it would make Cole feel better, or at least reassured. Jay wouldn’t change anything for the world, not even for a stupid future reflection, and he wanted Cole to know that. He wanted Cole to be happy. 

He wanted to be with Cole .

Nothing was going to stop them being together. 

Nothing .

He stepped at Cole’s side, a soft smile upon his lips. This was such a beautiful setting, the perfect place to confess love, right? 

Though Cole might’ve already known that Jay loved him, there was just something different about thinking it and hearing it. Hearing it might just be what Cole needed right now, especially after such a long and stressful day. 

Cole didn’t look at him, but Jay could see the nervous, worried expression in his eyes. He seemed so defeated, it broke Jay’s heart. Jay glanced at him, hoping Cole would glance back, but he didn’t. 

“It’s such a beautiful view, right?” Jay beamed.

The ghost glanced down at the ground beneath him for a moment, but he didn’t seem to look any better. 

Just as Jay went to say something else, Cole turned to face him. 

“I need to tell you something.”

A soft smile broke onto Jay’s lips again as Cole’s dark eyes met his own. His chest was warm, his heart full, and for the first time in a while, their relationship felt… normal. 

“I do too,” Jay replied.

“I- uh-”

“Sorry, can I go first?” Jay asked nervously.

He’d never said it before. Not even to Nya. It was weird yet oddly exciting, yet he was so nervous. It would be so worth it when it was off his chest though, and he just knew Cole would feel better.

“I really think it would be best if I went fir-”

“ Please , it’s kinda important,” Jay begged.

“Jay-”

“Okay, okay, how about… we both go on the count of three?” 

“No, I-”

“One..” Jay chuckled.

“Jay, I just-” Cole tried to cut in.

“Two..” Jay beamed, nervously staring at Cole, but the adrenaline, the racing of his heart, was only making him more excited. 

“Three!” 

Jay took in a quick breath, a wide smile on his freckled face.

“I love y-”

“I think we should break up.”

Chapter Text

Hey. What’s up? 

God, this is so stupid. What do you even write in these things? Hey my life is a mess so here I am writing in a book. I sound pathetic. Zane said it would help though. Not that I need help anyway. I’m fine. All is good.

Speaking of Zane though, I’ve been spending more time with him recently. He’s great. I mean, not that we weren’t close beforehand because we obviously were but we never spent that much alone time together. He’s much more serious and clueless but he’s easy to talk to and really understanding. And besides, he doesn’t really treat me like I’m this broken mess that Kai seems to think I am. 

Which is super stupid because I’m not broken nor am I a mess. I’m completely fine. 

Hmm what else do I write in here?? 

Uhhhh I guess the battle against Morro went well if you care about that. We defeated him. Nya killed that stupidly ugly Preeminent (or however you spell it) with her true potential!! Which was so awesome. I’m glad she’s becoming one with her powers. I haven’t spoken to her much recently. Not since well y'know. The future reflection stuff. But who cares about that???

Lloyd has been working with Wu to regain his energy after being possessed by Morro. Misako is helping too but she’s been working on exploring a lot. I don’t blame her. I’d wanna get out of this place a lot too. Nya’s been working more on harnessing her powers. Kai and. Uhm. yknow who. Has been helping to shut up Wu’s tea shop. Turns out opening a tea shop and being attacked by this ghost guy and his army doesn’t give you a good look. Oh and Ronin didn’t care for the shop anymore either so he just straight up left. Typical. That just left me and Zane doing absolutely nothing all day. 

He’s good company. To be honest, Zane and I were always close to begin with but with the more people that joined the team, the more our friendship kinda drifted. He began hanging out with Kai more and well. I had other priorities. Neither of which are a priority any more. Am I just not great at keeping up with things?? First I lost Nya and then I lost Cole haha. 

Idk why I just wrote out a laugh. Cringe. 

Anyway. 

I’ll probably lose Zane soon too.

Jesus Christ Jay did you really have to write that????? Wtf

I’m talking to myself now. Ok.

I know Zane told me this was for ‘writing out my feelings’ so that I wouldn’t feel so bad (which i DON’T feel bad by the way, i am completely fine, but Zane does this thing where he pretends he has this feature where he can read minds or feelings or whatever and thinks i’m really sad because of the break up but i’m literally literally fine. He’s worried for nothing)

But i meeeeaan since i’ve brought it up now…….. 

The breakup was a few weeks ago now. It was awkward at first. Still is awkward. Not much to report.

I guess I just felt a bit shit for a while. I kinda still do. I didn’t realise how close Cole and I were until things ended. I get why he wanted to end things. He felt awful about being a ghost and not being able to be a good boyfriend or whatever and no matter how hard I tried to convince him it didn’t matter and that I was okay and we were figuring things out and that I literally didn’t care about holding hands or kissing or all the physical stuff, I still loved him. I still do. He just didn’t really seem to care.

Sorry, wrong choice of words. He DID care. I know he did. Idk if he still does. I haven’t spoken to him. Tbh I’ve barely seen him around which is crazy because we literally live together. 

The breakup was pretty sudden though. Idk if it was me acting weird about the reflection that pushed him over the edge, it probably was, but I couldn’t tell him the truth. It’d hurt more and it’d just be embarrassing. As much as the reflection shocked me though I still don’t want to be with Nya. I just want to be with Cole and I guess part of me thinks he’ll come back at some point and that’s why I haven’t fully processed the breakup yet. That’s why Zane doesn’t believe me when I say I’m fine.

But I've been through breakups before. A. Breakup. I’ve been through *a* breakup before. It was worse than this. I mean I was pretty upset back then. My girlfriend and best friend going behind my back!! Great!! This is NOTHING compared to that lol

God, I really do hope Cole comes back to me. I miss him a lot. If only it was him in the reflection. Is there still time to change it? Hm I don’t know how I’d even find that out. I’d have to ask someone. Maybe Wu. Though I don’t think he’d tell me because he’d tell me to “live in the present” or “not dwell on the past” or whatever. Besides he’d only ask why I wanted to change it. I can’t live with that embarrassment. Then he’d say it was a silly thing to change. Idk. Zane is another option though. It’s not like he’d judge me. I’m sure he’d understand. 

I think I would’ve driven myself insane if I didn’t have Zane. He’s the only reason I’m writing in here after all. Perhaps this book isn’t so bad. 

Though I still think it’s cringe to talk to myself in a notebook.

I guess one thing I’m lucky about is the fact only Kai and Zane knew about our relationship. At least we only had them to tell. I think it would’ve been more embarrassing if more people knew, especially Lloyd and Nya. There were a few times where I thought Nya would find out accidentally. Thankfully she didn’t. 

I really hope there’s a chance to tell them in the future if Cole ever feels better and wants to get back together. I shouldn’t set my heart on that though. If Zane knew I was thinking about that, he might suggest a therapist instead of a book. I think I like the book better. If it gets him to lay off, I’ll write in here more often. 

A light knock at the door distracts Jay from his writing. 

He was sitting cross-legged on his bed, his back against the wall, his notebook leaning on one knee as he wrote. He’d gotten comfortable, listening to some soft music while he wrote in hopes it’d get him in the mood. Zane had given him the book days ago but couldn’t think of anything to write, nor could he find a reason to. It still felt weird. 

Part of him hoped the knock at the door would be Cole, as if he just so happened to sense Jay’s writing and come running back, crying about how much he missed him and would then kiss him right on the lips - not that Jay cared about physical affection, of course. Though, perhaps Cole wanting to talk to him was good enough. He missed Cole’s voice, though ghostly.

When the door opened, however, he was met with a smiling nindroid. Jay took off his headphones, leaving them wrapped around his neck playing a small tune aloud. Jay gave the nindroid a light smile, closing the notebook discreetly. He’d already noticed it though.

“Oh, you’re writing,” Zane beamed, “I can come back later.”

“No, it’s okay,” Jay smiled, placing the notebook down on the bed, “what’s up?”

Zane came into the room properly, beginning to close the door behind him. He looked somewhat nervous but Jay didn’t seem to pick up on that properly.

“I haven’t seen you all day. I just wanted to make sure you’re alright,” Zane told him softly, “I’m glad you’re using the diary.”

Ah, diary. That’s what it was. 

Jay looked down at it and ran a finger gently across the rough cover. It was somewhat satisfying. Zane made his way over to the bed with a slight sheepish grin. 

“Have you written much yet?”

“Not yet, I just started.”

“Is it helping?”

“Helping what? There’s nothing to help,” Jay shrugged, avoiding eye contact for a moment, “I’m fine.”

Zane sat down on the edge of the bed, watching Jay with a hopeful eye.

“Okay.”

When Jay glanced up at him, Zane smiled sweetly. Jay couldn’t help but smile too. 

Zane had been in to check on him a lot, to keep him company too. They watched a lot of movies - Zane finally taking interest in the Star Farer series out of nowhere - and they sometimes listened to their favourite music and rated it. It was strange how different yet similar they were. It sure did make Jay feel better. Maybe the company stopped him from being upset about the breakup.

Zane could tell people’s emotions easily. Jay thought perhaps he was only spending so much time with Jay so suddenly because he could sense that if he didn’t provide a distraction, Jay would become upset. Though, Jay liked to think it was because he just wanted to be close friends. He was thankful for that. 

“You’re not allowed to touch it though,” Jay told him with a stern expression, “anyone who isn’t named Jay is banned from opening it.”

“Affirmative.”

All Zane did was stare at him with a sweet smile. Jay felt warm. He was lucky to have Zane as a friend. He was lucky to have anyone that wanted to spend time with him really. He was lucky Zane wanted to distract him.

“Do you want to talk about anything?” Zane asked with a perky tone.

Jay shrugged, “like what?”

“You haven’t properly spoken about the breakup yet, we could-”

“No, no, I already told you, I’m okay. That’s the last thing I want to talk about. Besides, it was weeks ago. I’m over it.”

“You’re over something that you said didn’t bother you?” Zane raised an eyebrow.

Jay stared at him blankly. Zane seemed innocent but he knew exactly what he was doing. Trying to get Jay to talk about everything that was wrong was nice, Jay appreciated it, but he’d find it less annoying if there was anything actually wrong. There wasn’t. Jay was fine. Everything was fine.

“Your blood levels are rising.”

“My blood levels are rising because you’re testing my patience,” Jay glared jokingly.

Zane blinked, “your patience levels seem fine to me.”

“Stop acting like you can read my mind, Zane. Just get over here and let’s watch a movie.”

Jay tapped a spot on the bed beside him, inviting Zane over. Zane watched as he tapped it and reached for the TV remote on the bedside table. Zane smiled, looking at Jay with an affectionate gaze before moving closer. He tried not to sit too close to Jay in fear of making him uncomfortable, but sat close enough to feel Jay’s shoulder and knee brush against him. 

Jay found the next Star Farer movie in the franchise and got comfortable next to Zane, sitting with his legs crossed still. Only a few minutes into the movie and Jay was already leaving commentary. Zane didn’t mind. He liked hearing Jay talk. 

It didn’t take long for Zane to glance down unwillingly, noticing Jay’s hand sat on top of his knee. 

“May I hold your hand?”

Jay was taken back by the question, glancing at Zane as if he thought it was a joke. When he saw the soft, serious expression on the nindroid’s face, however, he gave him a warm smile in return.

“Oh. Sure.”

So Zane did. Jay lifted his hand for Zane to slip underneath, resting their arms on both of their legs, their fingers intertwining at their knees. Zane smiled before glancing back up at the screen, returning to focusing on the movie.

“Are your hands cold?” Jay asked curiously.

“My hands are always cold.”

“Alright.”

…

Hey Diary. I feel like I should give you a proper name soon. For now, diary will have to work.

Today was nice. I finished another one of the Star Farer movies with Zane. Ate noodles at the table with him and Lloyd. We weren’t very talkative but it was great to have company I guess. I think Nya was still training and Kai and Cole were working at the tea shop until late. 

Sometimes I find myself wondering if their friendship is a bit like Zane and I’s at the moment. If Cole just needed someone to hang out with to distract himself from the breakup. Kai is good fun to be around, sometimes more fun than me. Maybe he’s happier now that he doesn’t have me to worry about.

It’s just strange to think about. Only a few weeks ago, Cole was feeling head over heels for me - or at least I thought so - y'know holding my hands and kissing me like nothing else in the world mattered. He literally told me he loved me like a day before he turned into a ghost. I don’t believe for a second he just stopped loving me. Or was I just too annoying and overbearing that he fell out of love with me that quickly? 

How do I write out a sigh? Hhhghhhhhhffgh 

Ew no, I’m never writing that again. It looks weird.

You get the message though.

Maybe Zane wasn’t exactly wrong when he said I needed something to get my feelings out. I guess I’ve been so distracted with trying to distract myself, and rewatching Star Farer, that I haven’t really had the time to think about everything. Besides, we were pretty busy with the whole Morro stuff up until early last week. We had to help clean up Stiix.

Cole and I haven’t spoken much since the breakup. When we were back on the Bounty after saving Lloyd, we sort of talked about it. He told me he didn’t want to hurt me, that he just wanted some time to focus on himself or whatever and that he didn’t want to lose me entirely because he still cares and wants to be “best friends” except as soon as the Morro stuff was over, he did not fail to avoid me like the plague. Maybe it was to protect both our feelings. It was awkward and we could barely speak to each other without awkward silences. That was when we couldn’t avoid each other though.

Well, I’M not avoiding HIM. I’m more than happy to talk to him. In fact, I WANT to talk to him. Emphasis on WANT. HE doesn’t want to talk to ME. Emphasis on DOESN’T. 

I don’t know why. I don’t know what I did. It’s not like I begged him to stay with me. It’s not like I’ve begged him to give me a second chance. I wished him the best. I told him I understood and wanted to still be close. I just copied what he’d said. I get wanting space but this is ridiculous. Not even a text? Not even a “hey”? Nothing???? 

If I told Zane any of this, he’d ask me to “talk out my feelings” or that it’s just the “grief of a breakup”. I’m not grieving. If I grieve it then it’s officially over. I refuse to believe that that was the end. 

And then there’s the other half of me that knows it’s over and that I need to just let it go. I know that it’s my fault he ended things. I know I was annoying and overbearing and overprotective or whatever and I didn’t listen to him properly. I didn’t leave him alone to process his new ghost body even though all I wanted was to tell him it’d all be okay. I was worried about losing him and that’s why I tried to stick by his side, but in the end I ended up only pushing him away. I thought I was being a good boyfriend.

It was no wonder he was getting fed up with me and being snappy. I just thought it was because he was going through a lot and was worried about things being different with me. Turns out it was just me being typical annoying me. That’s what happened with Nya, right?? She got fed up with how annoying, loud and clingy I was. 

Omfg when did this get so DEEP?? 

Eh I’m kinda right though. 

Maybe Zane wasn’t exactly wrong when he thought I wasn’t alright.

Perhaps talking to someone in person wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Writing all this out just seems sad and pathetic. 

JAY: are you awake?

ZANE: I am. Are you okay? 

JAY: do you have time to talk?

ZANE: Affirmative. On my way.

… 

Cole lay in bed, wrapped up in his bed sheets he’d only recently learnt how to keep atop of him. He didn’t even need them. He didn’t feel the cold. It just felt fitting for his mood.

He couldn’t sleep. He hadn’t slept properly in weeks. Becoming immortal, or dead?, was a weird experience and he was still unsure if he truly needed sleep to survive or not, but all he knew was that he wasn’t getting a lot of it. How could he? There was too much to think about.

Considering he didn’t really have any insides, he sure was feeling them. His heart ached, his head hurt like hell, and his entire body felt heavy 24/7. All he wanted to do was stay in bed and wallow. If he hadn’t been tasked with Kai to clean out the tea shop then he wouldn’t have a reason to get out of bed at all. It was good practice for picking things up though. 

He’d been training with Wu a bit during the late afternoons to help with his ghost abilities. It was becoming easier to grab things and he was dropping them less. It was also becoming easier to touch people without the need to be panicked. It was stepping stones at the moment but it was slowly working. Wu had told him the only thing holding him back from his true potential was his worry. The master assumed it was because he was worried about being undead, about being a ghost and what that meant for the rest of his life, but that was the least of his worries right now.

There hadn’t been a single moment of everyday that he hadn’t thought about his love. 

He didn’t know if Jay was okay. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to know to be completely honest. He hadn’t seen him in a while, not since the end of Morro’s terror. Not since Cole had decided to step back and give Jay some time to himself. As much as Cole wanted to be around Jay, as much as he wanted to remain close, it didn’t seem completely fair on Jay. That’s why he’d gone radio silent.

Kai had told him briefly that Jay and Zane were close now, spending most of the day together watching movies. Cole didn’t think about it very much until Kai mentioned Zane had been acting weird around Jay over the last few weeks. Cole questioned it but Kai didn’t expand. 

It wasn’t that Cole was jealous. How could he be? He was the one that ended things with Jay. And besides, by the sound of it, Zane was just being a good friend and making sure Jay didn’t feel alone. Something Jay had done only a few weeks ago to Cole…  

Part of him dreaded seeing Jay again. He wasn’t avoiding him on purpose, they just didn’t happen to cross paths, but every time he thought about seeing Jay’s perfectly smooth skin, bright blue eyes and messy auburn hair standing right in front of him, he felt nauseous. It wasn’t fair. 

He never wanted to end their relationship. Breaking up was the last thing he wanted, but the two were changing. Jay had become more cautious, and Cole could see how worried he looked every time he reached for his hand and drifted right through him. It wasn’t fair to worry Jay so much. Besides from that, Cole had become snappier and more miserable - not that it was necessarily his fault - but Jay constantly excusing it didn’t feel right either. He shouldn’t be treating anyone like that, especially not his partner he cared to love so much. 

And he knew as much as Jay spoke the words “I don’t care about physical affection”, Cole knew it was a lie. He knew Jay cared. He knew Jay liked being hugged and holding hands and the kisses… back at the Haunted Temple, Jay had specifically stated his worry about a relationship where physical affection wasn’t involved.

Despite all of that though, Cole was grateful Jay tried to change to fit Cole’s needs. He was grateful Jay cared enough to try to make things work. Seeing how strange Jay had become, how different he was and how odd he was acting around the ghost, made Cole feel uneasy though and it didn’t feel right to have Jay trapped in a relationship he could never feel fully wanted in. Sure, Cole could learn to hold hands and touch an arm here and there, but would he ever learn to kiss again. Was it even possible? 

Cole took in a deep breath. Usually deep breaths helped, his lungs filling with fresh air, except now that he was a ghost, he felt nothing. It just felt like breathing in nothing at all. He felt like nothing. 

He wasn’t sure what to do. He wanted to cry but would that hurt him? Would a tear kill him? Could he even cry? There was still so much he didn’t know about himself, but he just didn’t truly care enough about that right now. He missed Jay. He missed that loud, joyous presence in his life. He missed Jay’s smile and laugh. He missed those damn blue eyes and messy hair. He missed how annoying and clingy Jay was. 

Would they have stayed together forever if it weren’t for Cole turning into a ghost?

Would they be cuddling up in bed together, watching Star Farer, if Cole hadn’t been stupid and stayed in that haunted temple past sunrise? 

Would he still be able to hug and kiss Jay, tell him how much he truly loves him, if he wasn’t an undead green phantom? 

Or if he’d just waited it out longer would he and Jay still be together, cleaning out the tea shop together and spending every waking moment with one another? Jay teaching Cole how to hug and kiss and hold hands… 

Fuck, what had he done?

Chapter Text

“I’m really glad Wu decided to give up on this place,” Kai spoke loudly, shoving an unopened box of tea bags into a crate, “I was never keen on the idea to begin with. He should’ve just gone on vacation.”

He picked up the crate and shuffled to the main entrance of the near empty shop. He lifted it up higher, placing it on the back of the truck they’d hired to move all of Wu’s stock. The shop was looking pretty bare now, and a lot different than it did a few weeks ago. Part of Kai was happy about it, the only memories he really had with this place weren’t positive at all and it didn’t even remain here very long. The other part of Kai felt bad for his master though. Wu had spent a lot of time working on this place and he cared for it so much. Perhaps sometime in the future, he could try again and perhaps somewhere not so remote.

Kai turned on his heel, taking in a deep breath as he glanced around the room. There were still a few shelves that needed to be emptied and taken down but after a few days, they’d be ready to lock up for good. 

The fire ninja wouldn’t have minded spending so long clearing the place out if he had been paired with someone who actually wanted to talk. Sure, someone who talked as much as Jay was annoying sometimes, but he could really do with someone who would actually have a conversation. Cole seemed so lifeless nowadays - no pun intended.

Kai enjoyed hanging out with Cole, he always had. They were good friends and it wasn’t that Kai wanted to be around anyone but him right now, he just wished Cole wasn’t so blue. He understood why. They’d spoken about it briefly when they’d started clearing out, but it still seemed like Cole was holding back. The ghost was going through a lot even before the team defeated Morro, and for the breakup to hit him so hard despite him being the one to end things really did play at the ninjas’ heart strings. Everyone could see there was something wrong. Even Nya had questioned her brother a few days after defeating Morro about how weird everyone had been acting. He hadn’t said anything though. He managed to convince her it was just ‘post mission depression’. 

Kai just wished he could get Cole to open up more. Zane had been talking to Kai in the evenings sometimes about how Jay is doing. Zane had been suspecting he was also holding back, much like Cole was, but in a more delusional way, as if trying to avoid the topic completely. Cole was just silent and closed off. Kai had mentioned getting the two in a room together to talk things out or to at least get everything out in the open but Zane had convinced him against it. 

Since they only had a few days of cleaning left, perhaps now would be a good chance to get Cole to open up more. Once all this was over, he’d only start isolating himself in his bedroom and he’d never speak to anyone at all. 

Cole knelt on the floor in the far left corner of the room, slowly placing boxes of teabags into another crate, just like Kai had been doing. Whether he was doing it slowly because he was sad or because he was still getting used to his ghost hands was beyond the fire ninja but at least he was getting it done. Kai headed over to him and began reaching for things on the higher up shelves above him, packing them into the crate too. Cole didn’t bother questioning it.

“You should talk to him.”

It took Cole a minute to realise what Kai had said. He glanced up at the fire ninja briefly but Kai wasn’t looking at him. He was just focusing on grabbing the boxes. Cole didn’t respond though, just returning to what he was doing. 

Kai took this as an opportunity to fill the silence again, “he’s probably thinking the same thing you are.”

“I doubt that.”

“From what Zane’s been telling me, it sounds like he misses you,” Kai spoke a little softer.

Cole didn’t respond. 

“You could at least text him or something. You two clearly mean a lot to each other and you used to be so close, prior to the whole relationship thing. It’ll only get more awkward the longer you leave it.”

“And what am I supposed to say?” Cole questioned with a quiet voice, “ Sorry I broke up with you, I’m gonna act like nothing happened and attempt to be friends again! I don’t really feel like doing that.”

Kai chuckled, placing another box in the crate, “you’re making it more complicated for yourself. You don’t have to act like nothing happened. Maybe just send a nice, little paragraph explaining that you think you two needed time to process it all or whatever and say you don’t want to lose him. Ask if he wants to be friends or to hang out or something. Worst he can say is no.”

“Since when do you have good advice?”

“I’ve watched a lot of rom coms.”

Cole sighed, watching as his hands phase through a box for the first time today. He closed his eyes and tried to focus - something he’d been working on doing with Wu. It was becoming easier and easier to be in control of his hands and in control of what he touches, but sometimes he still had the odd hiccup. Wu told him to not let it get him down. 

“You’ve been so down recently, and not that I can blame you, but it’d be nice to have the lively Cole back,” Kai shrugged, “I know you’re going through a lot, but you can’t isolate yourself and expect everything to be better.”

Cole opened his eyes, his hands in his lap as he stared plainly at the box in front of him. He knew Kai was right and that’s what conflicted him the most.

“Feel guilty all you want but if you genuinely feel bad about Jay and hurting him, perhaps the best thing you can do is talk to him rather than just icing him ou-”

“Do you think I want to ice him out?” Cole’s response was sharp.

“I’m not saying you’re doing it on purpose, I just think that-”

“I still love him, Kai.”

Kai stopped, his mouth open as if he were going to say something. He stared at Cole with his brows furrowed, watching how Cole’s breath had gotten heavier, how his fists clenched - not at Kai but rather at himself. From what Kai and Zane (and probably Jay too) had understood was that Cole just didn’t want to be with Jay anymore. It never really made much sense to Kai and as much as he tried to talk to Zane about it, to hear some kind of possible explanation, Zane had sworn against talking about it behind the pair’s back. 

Cole sat in silence for a minute, taking in a deep breath. Kai stood in confusion, trying to piece it all together in his head. Though from the start Kai had never been keen on members of the team dating (maybe that was just because his sister was involved before), he’d at least thought Jay and Cole were a good pairing. 

“Did Jay do something?” Kai questioned, “like something that made you break up with him or..?”

Cole waited a moment before shaking his head. 

Kai blinked, “hold on, I’m confused. If Jay didn’t do anything wrong and you still love him, why did you break up?”

“It just wouldn’t work out.”

“What, because you’re a ghost?” The fire ninja raised an eyebrow.

Cole placed the last box on the shelf into the now full crate. He stood up, his fingers gripping the edge of it. Kai watched as he pulled it up and headed towards the entrance of the shop.

“Jay was doing a lot for me and of course I appreciated that but I couldn’t return it and I certainly wasn’t in the right frame of mind. It felt like I was disregarding him and sometimes I was rude. It’s nothing that Jay did, it was all me,” Cole explained with a sombre tone, “and we’re both pretty physically affectionate people. Not having that physical part of our relationship made it so difficult.”

“So it is because you’re a ghost.”

After Cole finished pushing the crate into the back of the truck, he turned on his heel to see Kai leaning against the shelf with his arms crossed. Though he didn’t necessarily sound pissed off or annoyed, he definitely looked it.

“Did you not hear the first part of what I said?” Cole questioned, returning the annoyed tone.

“Think about it, everything you just explained was a result of you turning into a ghost,” Kai stated, “Jay trying to support you and you being disregarding - and it only started because you turned into a ghost. You not being in the right frame of mind - and it only started because you turned into a ghost . The lack of physical affection…”

Cole let out a sharp breath and headed over to the other side of the room, hoping Kai would take the hint and back off. This had been the exact reason he hadn’t spoken to anyone about it because they just wouldn’t understand. To be completely honest, Cole didn’t understand his thought process most of the time either. He regretted it all, but it’s not like he could take it all back. And besides, he thought he’d done the ebay thing for both of them. Kai’s judgement was only making him want to isolate himself further.

As he turned to face the shelf, grabbing the first box he saw, he could hear Kai’s voice getting closer behind him. He tried to keep his impatience to a minimum.

“To me, it sounds like you two were completely fine before the ghost stuff happened. Hell, you were even being all lovey-dovey in front of Zane and I. You two clearly love each other and the ghost stuff is just a hiccup, right? A few weeks ago, you two’s biggest worry was Nya’s reaction and now you’re breaking up over something that can be resolved?”

“When you turn into a ghost and have to balance both relationship struggles and not being in control of your own body, then you can talk,” Cole responded harshly.

Kai rolled his eyes, appearing at the side of Cole. Cole huffed and tried his best to ignore his presence.

“Look, I just think it’s been blown way out of proportion. A simple conversation might’ve been the solution. Hell, even going on a break or something until you figured out the whole mental and physical thing could’ve worked. If you still love each other, and there’s a way to solve the things that were problems, why didn’t you?”

Cole shoved the box he was holding into Kai’s chest, catching the fire ninja off guard as he grabbed the box from the angry earth elemental. 

“Because I wasn’t thinking, Kai!” his ghostly eyes pierced through Kai’s own, “don’t you think I’ve been regretting it ever since? I know I made the wrong decision but it felt like the right thing to do in the moment.”

Cole’s gaze ripped away from him and he stormed back across to the other side of the room. Kai remained frozen in somewhat shock, one hand still holding onto the box. 

Cole took in a deep breath, trying his best to calm himself down. He’d been keeping it all bottled up, all his frustration for his own actions, his frustration he felt for Jay because of how he’d hurt him, was all coming out at the first chance he got. This was just the result of isolating yourself..

The earth ninja slammed his back against the wall, sliding down to the floor. He brought his knees up to his chest, and buried his head in his hands. Kai didn’t know what to say. He didn’t want to make it worse.

“I want nothing more than to talk to Jay, to give him a proper explanation and just... see him,” he groaned into his hands, “but I don’t know if it would be fair on Jay, or on myself. I want to be with him, I really do, but I don’t think I’m the right person for him, especially not now.”

Kai gently placed the box back on the shelf beside him and headed over towards Cole. He seemed so defeated, he had for a while, but Kai was at least grateful that he was getting it all off his chest, even if Kai didn’t necessarily know the right words to say. He leaned against the wall much like Cole did, taking a moment to just think. 

From what Zane had said about Jay, it seemed he was on a similar page about blaming himself, or questioning what’s next, or just wanting to be together, so perhaps there was still a chance to rekindle whatever they had. What right way was there without getting directly involved? It’s not like Kai could straight up say “well go over there and get back together with him” but he could at least nudge Cole in the right direction, especially if the two weren’t actually meant to be together. Perhaps Kai could ask Zane to nudge Jay in the right direction too, though it might take some insane persuading since Zane had always been so against getting involved in their relationship. That still confused Kai.

“Maybe it’s still worth talking to him, even if it’s not much or not an explanation. Sometimes actions speak louder than words, right?” Kai suggested softly.

Cole looked up at Kai, and though there were no tears, Kai could tell he wanted to cry out of frustration.

“What the hell am I supposed to say? We haven’t spoken in weeks,” Cole muttered.

Kai shrugged, “it doesn’t have to be much. Just a ‘hey’ while passing him in the corridor could be enough to let him know you don’t completely want to lose him, right?” 

Cole sighed, resting his head against the wall as he thought. He cared about Jay so much and the last thing he wanted was for Jay to feel bad about it all. Though, if Cole was feeling like this, there was every possibility that Jay was feeling ten times worse. 

“Give him some updates on your ghost control progress or something,” Kai suggested.

Cole wasn’t entirely sure if he was ready for a proper conversation yet, or if Jay even wanted one, but he could do a simple ‘hey’. Perhaps if he didn’t bump into Jay in the next few days, he’d text him instead. It might be easier. Fingers crossed seeing Jay didn’t make it all so much worse…

…

Last night, when Jay had messaged Zane, part of him regretted it instantly. If only Zane hadn’t been so quick to respond. The nindroid was at his room minutes later though and although he couldn’t back out of it now, he was at least grateful he’d asked Zane for company when he was in the mood for it. Now, he just felt like crawling into a blanket cocoon and dozing off. 

Zane wouldn’t let it rest that easily though so he knew he had to go along with it. After writing in his diary, he knew getting things off his chest was right.

When Zane had knocked and came into the room, making himself comfy on the bed after asking about fifty times if there was something wrong, Jay had tried to find the words he was looking for. Zane watched him with a sweet stare - if there was anything Jay liked most about Zane it was his patience -  and waited for the lightning ninja to be ready. It was pretty obvious there was something bothering him so Zane didn’t push for an answer.

Jay sat against his headboard, wrapped in his blanket and wearing one of Cole’s hoodies - he’d forgotten to give it back and honestly wasn’t planning on it - twiddling his thumbs while Zane sat opposite him with a soft glint in his eyes, completely focused on his friend at all times. 

Thank god he’d gotten close to the good listener rather than the arrogant one (sorry kai); Kai would’ve been begging for an answer already. Though Zane could probably read his emotions and that's why he was much more patient than anyone else, Jay was at least glad he respected his boundaries and waited. 

“Y’know when we were… at the First Spinjitzu Master’s tomb..?” 

Zane blinked, then nodded. The innocent doe face upon the nindroid almost made Jay want to stop talking.

“Uhm..” Jay cleared his throat awkwardly, glancing down at his fidgety hands.

“Take your time,” Zane reminded him with a small reassuring nod.

“Do you remember when we saw the reflections?”

“Affirmative. Kai and I saw ourselves as older. You said you had an eyepatch.”

Zane was pretty level-headed, so he’d have a good solution or explanation, right? He’d know what to do… At least that was Jay’s excuse for finally telling someone the truth. He hadn’t even considered telling anyone at all when he found out, but he didn’t completely hate the thought of Zane knowing. He knew Zane wouldn’t judge and would keep it a secret if asked.

The nervous pit in his stomach and nauseated feeling in his chest still didn’t make him feel good about it though. Was this going to be something he regretted in the near future?

“I didn’t… just … see an eyepatch.”

Zane frowned. 

“I saw someone else with me.”

As Jay looked up at the nindroid, he could see the wires working in Zane’s brain as he tried to piece his head around what Jay was saying. Perhaps he was thinking about how it was possible since Jay was the only person stood there, something logical no doubt, and that’s why he was so quiet, but the fact Zane was taking so long to come up with an answer didn’t fill Jay with confidence at all.

“Was it Cole? Was that why he didn’t see his reflection?”

Jay felt dread fill his body. His heart became heavy and suddenly everything he’d felt that day came rushing back to him. He’d felt so awful about it, especially since Cole was going through so much… He’d tried to act normal but only ended up pushing Cole further away.

It was his own fault he was broken up with and that was part of it.

Jay didn’t know how to respond to Zane so all he did was bite his lip and shake his head. Zane could read Jay’s nervous physique. He knew there wasn’t something right. 

“A villain?” Zane questioned with concern.

Jay shook his head.

The fact Zane was confused by it all made Jay feel a million times worse. He couldn’t even tell the truth, he didn’t want to speak it into existence… He didn’t want it to become real.

He didn’t want it to happen, did he?

“Who was it?” Zane questioned.

Jay didn’t respond. He was gathering the courage to speak it aloud… 

“A stranger?” 

Jay shook his head one last time.

“It was Nya,” he whispered. 

His chest weighed down on him much more than it had done in a while, the guilty finally catching up to him. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that he was being forced into this situation, despite it being a choice later on in his life, why did he have to find out now ? Why did he have to go through his life, through his current relationships (or current at the time) knowing who he’d end up with? Why did it have to be his ex? 

Zane sat in complete shock, his eyes wide and mouth open ever so slightly. He looked gobsmacked, somewhat pained.. Jay had never seen that kind of reaction from him, but he couldn’t blame him. He was shocked too.

Well, shocked was an understatement.

Neither of them said anything for a minute. Jay couldn’t tell if Zane’s reaction was good or bad - he hoped bad - or what he was going to say first. He wasn’t sure of anything. He just prayed that Zane had a logical answer and solution to all this. 

Zane gulped, taking a moment to wrap his head around it. There was part of him that didn’t want to believe it, mostly for Jay’s sake but some for his own… He’d grown fond of Jay. The thought of Jay and Nya being together… It made him feel odd. He couldn’t quite explain it, but it certainly didn’t feel right. In fact, he felt quite nauseous… 

And besides, he knew who Jay’s feelings lied with. 

“She was there as a friend?” 

Jay shook his head.

“Are you sure? You might have mistaken it for something else or- Are you sure it was Nya? It could’ve been anyone and-”

“We kissed.”

“What? When?” Zane looked alarmed.

“In the reflection!” Jay whisper-shouted. 

“Oh gosh.”

The fact Zane was so worried about it made Jay more panicked too, though it did mean he wasn’t being completely insane if someone else was having the same reaction as him. He wasn’t entirely sure why he expected Zane to have a more simple reaction, or to be level-headed, because it would’ve been shocking to anyone. It was pretty evident for a long time that everything with Jay and Nya was over. Jay had known for so long that he didn’t like Nya like that anymore. He and Cole had bonded over it back on Chen’s Island. That felt so long ago now…

Oh, the things he’d do to go back in time…

“What… what are you going to do?” Zane asked with a nervous tone, “Are you going to get back together with Nya?”

“No!” Jay continued to whisper in fear of someone walking past and overhearing, “I don’t want to be with Nya! She’s lovely but.. I love Cole . I want to be with Cole .”

Though it didn’t seem to matter what answer he had, Zane still seemed uneasy. Jay couldn’t blame him - he, too, felt uneasy about the situation. He’d been laying awake for weeks thinking about it, about if there was any possibility Cole had seen the reflection and that was the last straw..

If there was any possibility it had all been staged by Morro just to throw a spanner within the team… No, that wouldn’t make sense.

Jay had hoped Zane would have a reasonable guess but he seemed just as puzzled.

“What do I do?”

“Does Cole know?”

“About the reflection? Definitely not. You think I’d tell him that?” Jay questioned, “I’ve only told you.”

Zane didn’t respond, his gaze falling to a spot on the bed in between them. Jay really hadn’t expected a reaction this distraught from Zane. The main reason he’d decided to tell him was because he thought Zane would be smart about it and give some good advice. Instead, now he just felt worse about it. 

“Zane?”

The uneasy shake in Jay’s voice made Zane look back up, his brows furrowed in worry.

“You’re smart,” Jay let out a breathy, half-laugh, “what do I do now?”

The nindroid thought for a moment, his eyes drifting from one place to another. Jay watched and waited patiently.

“The… best thing you can do is ignore it.”

“Ignore it? I’ve been doing that for weeks,” Jay complained, “it’s all I’ve thought about.”

“Well, if you want to get it off your chest, the best thing you can do is be honest with Cole about it.”

“Are you crazy?!” Jay whisper-shouted.

“There is not really much you can do about it. It’s not like you can change the reflection. It’s set in stone.”

Jay groaned, shoving his head in his hands. Zane could understand his frustration - it was a difficult situation - but was it wrong to give advice that may or may not go badly? He wanted the best for Jay, he really did, but it didn’t seem like there was any good answer and it’d only continue to get worse.

“The best thing to do is be honest. I’m sure if you were honest with Cole, he wouldn’t be mad or upset. It’s not like it affected your relationship.”

“Zane, our relationship was over like 5 minutes after I saw the reflection,” Jay groaned again, “I can’t be honest with him, what if he takes it as a sign to not want to get back together?”

Zane sighed, “Jay, it’s been a few weeks. If he regretted it and wanted to get back together, he wouldn’t be avoiding you.”

Jay lifted his head, but this time his expression was a lot perkier. It worried Zane slightly.

“But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a chance in the future,” he beamed, “I want to be together and I know he only ended things because of the whole ghost thing, but once things get back to normal and he’s fully in control of his body, I’m sure we could talk things out and-”

“Jay, you should respect his decision.”

“I do! I’m just saying, we were completely fine before he became a ghost. He was just worried about how him being a ghost would affect us . I bet I could convince him-”

Zane reached forward and grabbed Jay’s hand. It took him by surprise, so much so he stopped talking mid-sentence, but as Zane shifted closer to him on the bed with that somewhat concerned but soft expression, Jay could feel the lecture coming.

“I know you want to be with him but I think it’s time to realise that sometimes things don’t work out. Even if it was about him being a ghost, his worries might never go away and it’d only lead to problems and holes in your relationship. The best thing you can do is give him space, respect his decision and boundaries, and live in the present .”

Zane ran his thumb along the back of Jay’s hand, keeping him focused.

“The future is so far away, especially our reflections. There’s nothing better than focusing on what’s happening right now, or in the near future if you really have to, but worrying over something that may not happen for over a decade is only upsetting you. Try centering yourself, focusing on your own mental state, on the present. Take a break.”

Jay blinked, “What, are you gonna start preaching to me about God too?”

Zane sighed and glanced away with a light smile. Jay watched as he did so, Zane’s hand shifting around his own.

The nindroid chuckled, “you’re a fascinating person, Jay.”

“Thank you?”

Zane’s eyes fell back on Jay, who looked somewhat confused but oh, so sweet. 

“You’ve been thinking a lot about the breakup lately, you should take a break. We could go for a walk tomorrow? I’ll buy us some ice cream and we can walk along the City Harbour? Just us two,” Zane suggested with a sweet smile.

Jay shrugged, “Sure, but I’m not waking up early.”

“Understood.”

Zane continued to stare at Jay for a moment, tracing over his features. If Jay wasn’t so blind, he might’ve noticed the admiring glint in his gaze. 

“You can let go of my hand now, Zane. You got your point across.”

“Oh-” Zane cleared his throat awkwardly, bringing his hand away from Jay, “I apologise.”

“It’s okay,” Jay gave him a friendly smile, “it was actually pretty comforting.”

Zane headed back to bed not long after that. They chatted some more about Star Farer and different ice cream flavours. Jay got sleepy so Zane called it a night. Hopefully tomorrow would be good. It’d be nice for them to get out and have some fresh air..

…

HEY! 

So i’ve got some cool updates i guess. When i stopped writing last night i messaged Zane and asked him to chat. It was something like that. I can't remember specifically. We talked for a bit. I may or may not have told him about the reflection.

Part of me regrets it. I don’t know why but someone else knowing, even though it’s Zane and I know he’ll keep it a secret if his life depended on it, I just feel uneasy. Like i’ve shared by deepest darkest secret with the entire world. Well, i mean, technically i HAVE shared my deepest darkest secret... just maybe not with the world. I hope it stays that way

I guess i’m just worried there’s some way for other people to find out. I don’t mind Zane knowing because i know he won’t judge me (not that he should because it’s not like it’s my fault) and he can give some pretty solid advice sometimes but if anyone else found out… i might just have to change my name and move to the other side of Ninjago. Somewhere remote. That doesn’t sound so bad actually.

What if someone hacks into his system or something and thinks ‘haha yeah this is a really cool piece of information i’m just gonna ruin this guy and his other two friend’s lives!!’ and i mean considering our past perhaps that’s not such a crazy theory, but i know deep down that it’s just my anxiety playing up. I know Zane will protect that secret. 

Speaking of Zane!!! We went to the City Harbour today. It was so nice to actually get outside lol I’ve been trapped inside for so long (my own fault) soooo seeing the world again felt great </3 It’s like I’ve been locked away for weeks. Well, i mean i’ve had the option to go outside (and i probably should’ve) but i was just not really feeling it. I’d HATE to not have the option. Being locked away for weeks on end sounds like torture. 

We got ice cream and saw some ducks!! They were so sweet :’) i just know cole would’ve loved them. 

I’m hoping if i start walking around a bit more rather than just laying in bed or watching movies, i might actually bump into Cole. It’d be nice to see Kai too. He and Cole have been so busy clearing out the tea shop. I lowkey wish i could help because it sounds so fun especially without Wu breathing down their necks. 

I’m feeling a bit better today thankfully. I'm hoping it stays that way. Let’s be honest though give it a few hours and I’ll be sat here under the duvet, writing down about how much i hate myself and my life. And next time i won’t be writing “wow this is so cringe im gonna talk to zane” because instead i’ll just write paragraph after paragraph after paragraph. No holding back. Sorry diary i love you 

I told Zane i’d help him with cooking tonight just to get me out my room more and i stupidly agreed because i was in a good mood and in the ‘i don’t want to go back into the dark pits of my room i want to be active and do things!’ and now here i am sitting in the dark pits of my room questioning why i was ever active and wanting to do things. I can’t let Zane down though, he’s been here for me a lot recently. So i guess i better go. 

Talk to you later diary :) 

I really need to give you a name

…

Jay placed the book down on his bedside table, leaving the pen on top of it, before jumping out of bed. He’d gotten so comfy, it was a shame he’d agreed to making dinner. He used to cook all the time back home though, maybe it’d be nice to be cooking up some delicious meals again (though the recipes were never as good as his mother’s).

He stretched, yawned as loudly as possible, and headed for his bedroom door. He made his way down the corridor, dragging his feet along as he did so, yawning again. It was only 5pm, he shouldn’t have even been that tired yet.

As he was nearing the kitchen, however, he suddenly found himself staring at two individuals leaving the room, one of them talking to Zane on their way out. He could hear Zane saying something to them from inside the room, but he’d stopped dead in his tracks, his ears going almost completely deaf, that he hadn’t actually heard it. Before he knew it, he was standing in front of the masters of fire and earth, puzzled expressions on both their faces.

Jay didn’t care to look at Kai though.

He froze, his eyes locked with Cole’s. 

His chest filled with guilt, sadness, while his heart felt warm and full, his eyes no doubt holding affection as it always had done. Maybe if Jay wasn’t losing his mind, or was sleep deprived, perhaps he would’ve known Cole wasn’t feeling that in return. Instead, he chose to believe he felt the same.. 

They stood staring at each other for a moment, Cole taking in Jay’s appearance while Jay just straight up stared into the eyes he loved so dearly.. He wanted nothing more than to reach out, to hug Cole like his life depended on it, but even if he were brave enough to do that, he couldn’t face the humiliation of just going straight through him. Cole probably wouldn’t like that either.

So instead, he settled for a

“Hi.”

“Hey,” Cole’s response was breathy but quick.

“Hey,” Kai added.

Jay glanced at the fire ninja briefly, earning a friendly smile, but his eyes eventually ended back on Cole. 

Jay wanted to be honest. He wanted to tell Cole everything. He wanted his best friend back. But it would all be too awkward, too difficult, especially if Cole didn’t want to be close again. It was even more embarrassing knowing Jay still loved him - everyone knew Jay still loved him because it was Cole who ended things.. He just prayed Cole wasn’t hating this interaction, at least not in a ‘I don’t want to see him’ way.

Despite being awkward, it still felt somewhat magical. Maybe that was just Jay being delusional again but the amount of connection he could feel from just a simple greeting and staring into each other’s souls was insane. Oh, the things he’d do to close the gap between them - in more ways than one.

As Cole opened his mouth to say something else, his eyes travelling down towards Jay’s lips for just a fleeting second, Jay felt a cold hand grip his arm, much tighter than it should’ve, and he was yanked to the side forcefully.

“Sorry to interrupt but Jay offered to help me cook and I’ve already started,” Zane spoke, dragging Jay into the kitchen.

Kai watched, his jaw dropped in both rage and confusion. Cole just felt deflated. It was his first time seeing Jay since the Morro battle ended and he’d already fucked it up. He could’ve said anything, literally anything, but instead he took so long to think of two words that Jay was quite literally ripped away from him.

“I’ll talk to Zane,” Kai groaned, heading back into the kitchen. 

Cole didn’t say anything, just letting in a deep sigh. Maybe he should’ve followed, but part of him knew Kai would only go in there to tell Zane off for not letting them have a conversation, so perhaps being there would only make it more awkward, especially if Jay was there too.

Maybe leaving it til they were alone was a better idea. 

Seeing Jay definitely did change something in him though. He felt somewhat better, like all his worries disappeared when he saw that Jay was okay. He looked happy, his hair neater than usual and his eyes seemed ever so brighter than Cole remembered… Maybe he was doing better now. 

Either way, Cole didn’t want to ignore him forever. It wasn’t fair and quite frankly it was impossible. With or without the input of Kai and Zane, Cole and Jay were going to have a proper conversation, Cole would make sure of it.

Kai, however, was going to make sure Zane wouldn’t hear the end of it. He marched straight into the kitchen, placed his hands on the counter and looked directly at Jay, who had just put on an apron. Zane was standing at the stove, stirring something in a pot. It smelled somewhat like stir fry. Kai loved stir fry and he also loved cooking it because it was easy. 

“I’m okay cooking, why don’t you go play video games or something?” Kai told Jay sweetly.

Jay raised an eyebrow and briefly glanced at Zane, who just gave Kai a light glare.

“Jay offered to help me. He is helping me.”

“Okay, well, he said he wasn’t feeling well outside just now, so I thought I’d let him go rest,” Kai glanced between Zane and Jay. 

Jay just looked confused while Zane was staring daggers through the fire ninja.

“Right, Jay?” Kai’s eyes fell on Jay.

“Oh, yeah, too much ice cream I think,” Jay let out an awkward chuckle.

“Oh,” was all Zane responded with, “are you o-”

“He’ll be fine if he rests, I’m sure,” Kai made his way around the counter while Jay took off his apron and handed it to Kai, “plenty of water, Jay, remember!”

“Mhm!” Jay said as he scurried off. 

“Let me know if you need anyth-” Zane began but Jay had already disappeared. 

Zane let out a light sigh, returning to stirring the vegetables. It didn’t take long for Kai to jump into gear, slamming a hand on the counter and turning to face Zane properly.

“What were you thinking?!” Kai whisper-shouted, trying not to sound too pissed off, “they were about to actually talk to each other for the first time in weeks and you dragged Jay away? Why?!” 

“Put your apron on please, Kai.”

“You told me literally days ago that Jay still loves Cole, and let’s be honest, Cole still loves Jay, I know that for definite now anyway. They both want to talk to each other at the very least , why would you interrupt it?” Kai questioned, “and don’t give me any of that ‘I didn’t realise’ crap because you’re smart and it certainly doesn’t take a smart person to walk into that corridor and see that they’re trying to tal-”

“I would greatly appreciate it if you put your apron on. It’s a hygiene risk and you risk staining your gi.”

“Are you even listening? We’ve been putting up with these two being mopey for weeks and the first chance they get to finally talk it out, you just-”

“I don’t think you realise quite how important aprons are, Kai, please put-”

“Enough about the stupid apron!”

Zane stopped stirring for a moment, turning his head so he could stare at Kai blankly. The fire ninja was staring straight through him but the lack of care coming from Zane really only pissed him off more.

“What are you trying to tell me?” Zane questioned.

“I’m trying to tell you that we’ve been sick and tired of these two ignoring each other, and all the tension in this place since they broke up, pushing them closer together will help! This was the first chance they got to actuall-”

Zane glanced away, continuing to stir the vegetables again, “we shouldn’t be getting involved.”

“Are you serious?” Kai blinked, his brows slightly furrowed, “are you actually being serious?”

“Whatever they decide to do is up to them. They can make their own decisions. It’s not our business.”

“What is going on with you lately?” Kai looked Zane up and down, “you’ve been acting so weird.”

“I apologise for respecting our friends’ privacy,” Zane spoke blankly, but Kai could tell it was meant with sarcasm, “now, will you please put on your apron?”

Kai stared back at Zane blankly as he threw the apron across the room. Zane watched as it hit the wall and fell to the ground with a light thud. 

“Ever since they started dating, you’ve sworn against getting involved, or even talking about them, yet you seemed so invested in Jay and Nya’s relationship back when they were together. And then you were giving advice to both Jay and Cole when they were arguing over her. You’re making it seem like doing even the slightest thing to make sure your friends are happy in a relationship is against some moral code. I don’t know if this is something in your new database since you got rebuilt or something but you need to snap out of it.”

“My database is fine. I do not feel comfortable discussing our friends behind their backs. May we please focus on cooking?” Zane spoke blankly.

Kai watched Zane as he stirred for a moment, staring at every little crevice in his face, trying to spot any kind of fault. Zane just didn't seem to care, yet at the same time he seemed so pissed off with Kai. Why? He seemed fine before he walked in and took over from Jay.

Jay…

Jay seemed to be the common denominator in all of these situations.

“Back at the tomb, we were talking inside Rex,” Kai began with an intrigued tone, “you were so against talking about them, but when I mentioned Jay and Nya, you said a lot of time had passed… That a lot of things had changed… What changed?” 

“We’ve all changed since then, Kai."

“I know that, I’m not an idiot. But you were being specific. What changed so drastically that suddenly you’re not interested in anything about a relationship, not even a little?” 

“I’d like to focus on cooking.”

Kai looked away from Zane for a moment, but this time it wasn’t because of annoyance.. This time it was like he was searching for an answer. Zane had been acting suspicious for a while, Kai had noticed it a few times… The few times though… they all had a common denominator. The common denominator. 

When they’d all come out of the tomb, Kai remembered staring at Zane with a weird look, watching him specifically for a moment.. There was something about his physique.. The way he looked..…. at Jay .

The fact Zane had acted so weird just now, so off, because Kai had taken Jay’s place.

The fact he chose to stick with Jay so much after the breakup… The fact he always decided against talking about Jay and Cole’s relationship, refusing to talk about it or offer advice… The fact Zane had been so quiet when the pair had told them the truth all those weeks ago on the way to Stiix… The fact he dragged Jay away from Cole not even 2 minutes ago… 

“You like Jay, don’t you?”

…

Cole sat in the dark pit of his room, wrapped in a blanket, staring at his wall across the room. He still had pictures of Jay hanging up. He couldn’t bear to take them down. It just didn’t feel right, and besides, he still loved Jay. He loved him more than anything. Seeing him tonight had proven that - not like he needed to prove it to himself anyway. 

But seeing how much better Jay seemed now, seeing how much more life he had in him as he came down the corridor, how much brighter his eyes were… Maybe ending things was for the better. Maybe Kai was wrong and just being friends was the better option…

Either way, there was something about seeing him again for the first time in a while that made him feel complete and even if he had to shove his feelings down to the deep depths of his heart and mind, he wanted to be friends again. He wanted to be close. And if what Kai had said was right about Zane’s tellings, it seemed like Jay wanted to be friends again too. Bumping into him in the corridor didn’t seem ideal though, especially with how it’d happened this evening, so perhaps there was an alternative. 

If Jay didn’t want to talk or wanted some more space, going to his door and forcing him into the position didn’t feel right at all so the next best thing was…

COLE: It was really nice to see you earlier. I missed seeing your face. Do you have time to talk? I want to talk properly and explain everything and just clear the air. I don't want things to be awkward and I certainly don’t want to lose you completely. You’re a really cool person and I miss having my best friend around. It’s completely okay if you don’t want to talk, I understand, just ignore this if so. But I just wanted to reach out because I know we’ve been busy and have just kinda kept missing each other for a few weeks. :) 

…

As it reached nearer to midnight Cole decided staring at his phone, waiting for it to light up with a response, was useless. Four hours passing seemed like a definite time to give up and call it quits, no matter how badly he wanted to send a follow up message. 

Jay didn’t want to talk and that was fine. He understood. Perhaps they’d pass each other in the corridor again in a few days. Or perhaps Cole had lost his best friend and love of his life for good.

He fell asleep not long after 1.

…

JAY: Omg sorry i fell asleep really early i’m so sorry i didn’t see this sooner. I’d love to talk :) i’ve been meaning to text or something to see if you were okay but i kept getting distracted im so sorry. I really don't want to lose you either icl i've missed you a lot :’) we could talk tonight?

COLE: It’s okay I assumed you went to sleep or something. Tonight works :) That’s if Kai doesn’t kill me with his constant jabbering all day

JAY: oh no is he that bad?? Worse than me??

COLE: definitely not worse than you but i can at least appreciate your yapping. Kai just talks about girls and hair gel

JAY: sounds like torture lmao

COLE: IT IS. but anyway i better go get ready. We can talk in my room around 8?

JAY: okay! 

COLE: Can’t wait to see you bluebell <3

COLE: Can’t wait :)

Chapter Text

COLE TEXTED ME!!!!

I know I should’ve started with a hey how are you what's the weather like today BUT I CAN’T. I knew I shouldn’t have gone to sleep early last night… 

I woke up like fifteen minutes ago from a text from Cole I’M SO EXCITED he wants to talk!!! I really wanted to talk to him yesterday in the corridor but Zane dragged me away :’) I love Zane but man his timing is notttt great. He didn’t come to check on me before bed last night so I’m assuming my ‘sickness’ kept him away :)) I wonder what he’s up to today..

BUT ANYWAY BACK TO MY MAIN POINT… Cole wants to talk TONIGHT !!!!! AT 8!!!! IN HIS ROOM!!!! I know i’d be called crazy for thinking perhapssss he regrets the breakup and wants to get back together ORR OR maybe he won’t outright say it BUT it’s pretty obvious.. The way we were staring at each other in the corridor last night GOD the chemistry was INSANE.. I’m convinced that if Kai wasn’t there, we would’ve made out on the spot honestly

Shit I forgot he’s a ghost. No kissing. Damn. 

BUT… he’s been training with Wu a lot recently as I’ve heard sooooooo holding hands might not be off the table?? Who knows.. But either way it’d be SO nice to see him again. I’ve missed him so much

Zane’s been telling me for WEEKS to get over it. Or not those exact words but he basically meant that. He says focusing on it isn’t healthy, and sure he might be right, BUT i’m not entirely crazy. If he really didn’t want to be together again he’d just ignore me right??? And if he just wanted to be friends then he’d just come see me himself right? OR… he’d just message me that?? 

I’ve been dreading the ‘jay i just want to be friends’ text. And I know the breakup was basically him telling me that but c'mon he didn’t mean it right?? He was just worried because he’s a ghost. I’m sure he didn’t get over me :’) 

I’m not gonna tell Zane though. I know he’d probably just tell me to not get my hopes up or to respect Cole’s decision (WHICH I DO) and IF Cole was to say he just wants to be friends (which i highly doubt) then I’ll respect that !! Zane is just too worried. To be honest he’s been acting off for a while. I’m glad I told him about the future reflection though. We talked about it a little yesterday but Zane usually just told me that I either need to tell Cole or I should forget about it and then he’d change the subject so i guess he doesn’t really want to discuss it. Which is fair..

I wonder what Cole is thinking right now. I know he’s probably leaving with Kai for the tea shop right now. Zane told me yesterday that they’re almost done clearing out. WHICH MEANSSS that when Cole and I finally rekindle what we have tonight then we can hang out!!!! Everyday!!!! I’m so so excited I can’t wait to see Cole again

Anyway I’m gonna go find Zane and see what he’s up to. I shouldn’t stay in bed all day I NEED THE ENERGY see you later diary!! 

…

“Zane, are you sure you’re okay? You just accidentally flipped the pancake onto the stove instead of the pan.”

“I’m sure, Lloyd, just a simple malfunction, that’s all,” the nindroid stated as he finished cleaning up the mess he’d made.

The green ninja turned to Nya, who was sat opposite him. They were both eating pancakes Zane had already made (ones made in a pan and not on a stove). Lloyd sipped away on some apple juice while Nya drank her morning coffee - not that it was particularly early.

The siblings had been watching Zane for the last 20 minutes, continuously making small mistakes. It made no sense. He made the same recipe almost every morning yet today he seemed completely fried, like he wasn’t even thinking.

“Do you want me to check your processor after I finish my breakfast?” Nya wondered, staring at him with a concerned glare.

“No, no, that won’t be necessary. I am okay,” Zane gave her a reassuring nod.

Nya and Lloyd exchanged confused expressions once again before Lloyd went back to reading his comic. 

Neither of them had spent much time with the other four recently. They knew the four were in a tight-nit little club and always had been. Lloyd still struggled to feel like an official part of the team despite being part of it for so long now. The others just seemed to have such a great bond Lloyd couldn’t seem to fit himself into. Nya felt the same but she had only become a ninja sort of recently, she was still learning the ropes. The two often stuck together though and helped each other out, much like the other four did. 

Though, the masters of energy and water had been discussing some things they’d noticed recently. There seemed to be some kind of divide, some kind of odd tension within everyone. Kai, not so much, but the other three definitely had something going on. Nya suggested it was because they’d all been doing different things recently and Cole and Kai didn’t usually get back until late. Lloyd wasn’t so sure though. Jay spent most of his time in his bedroom and Zane just seemed to be acting straight up weird most of the time.

Whatever it was, it made the other two slightly uncomfortable. They were at least grateful they were busy with their own tasks. 

“Good morning everyone!” a much more cheerful voice sang as they entered the room.

Everyone glanced up to see Jay make his way into the room. He didn’t tend to join them for breakfast anymore - he took every excuse he could to sleep in until midday - so Jay’s presence alone was surprising, but the fact he seemed so energetic was something entirely different.

Jay hopped over to the counter, his fingers gripping it tightly while he stared directly at Zane with a wide grin. Lloyd and Nya just exchanged tired glances. It was way too early for this.

“Good morning, Zane. How are you on this fine day?” Jay beamed.

Zane opened his mouth to say something but when he glanced up to meet Jay’s gaze, suddenly every word he’d thought of could no longer string together. His mind became a complete blur.

Jay raised an eyebrow, “Zane?”

Lloyd and Nya glanced over too, Nya taking a sip of her coffee as she watched the show. Lloyd just seemed confused.

“I-” Zane stuttered, “I.. uhm..”

Jay frowned, his face laced with worry. Zane wanted to disappear. Words had never really seemed to fail him, so why were they failing him now ? 

Zane had stayed up all night pondering his feelings, or rather his lack of, and about the conversation he’d had with Kai. 

“You like Jay, don’t you?” 

It made no sense. Zane couldn't like anyone, especially not one of his closest friends. He just couldn’t. And besides, Zane’s actions were all just because he loved Jay like a friend, nothing more.

But then why was he so nervous? Why couldn’t he think?

He blinked, forcing himself to glance away from the master of lightning - whose puzzled expression just so happened to be trapping him. He reached for a plate in front of him and pushed it across the counter towards Jay.

“I made pancakes. Help yourself,” he stated as blankly as he could, keeping his eyes firmly down.

“Oh,” Jay smiled, “thanks! Are you up to anything today? Do you wanna watch-”

“I cannot, I have errands to run,” Zane responded sharply, “I will see you later.”

And with that, he shuffled out the kitchen faster than you could say ‘First Spinjitzu Master’. Jay stood still, blinking at the spot where Zane had once stood. Nya watched with a frown while Lloyd just stared at the master of water with a confused expression. 

They all remained like that for a minute, taking it in, before they could realise what had just happened. Zane hadn’t ever really avoided anyone like that.

“Okay…” Jay turned to face the other two, “that was weird, right?”

“Weird for Zane, yeah,” Lloyd shrugged, picking up his glass of apple juice.

Nya shrugged, “I’ll check his wiring when he gets back later.”

Jay grabbed the plate of leftover pancakes, a fork left on the counter, and headed over to join the other two at the table. Lloyd was taking a sip of his drink when he arrived. Nya added some extra maple syrup to her pancakes.

“Y’know, he’s been acting weird for a little while now,” Lloyd spoke after downing the juice, “I tried to ask him if he was okay earlier and he just completely spaced out.”

“That’s unusual,” Nya frowned.

Jay shrugged, “yeah, he’s been acting off for a few weeks. I don’t know why.”

“What d’you mean you don’t know why? Haven’t you been hanging out with him every day?” Nya raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah but I can’t pinpoint what it is,” Jay stabbed his fork into a pancake, “I think Kai has noticed too.”

“Really?” Lloyd questioned, “I’m sure he knows what’s up. They’re two peas in a pod.”