Hmm, well some late night bruise! I spent days and hours editing and rewriting this. Like, wow.
Tonight was the night.
Jay was either going to die here or forever put to rest his aching heart and be content with himself.
He had devised a little plan in his head earlier today and was now only waiting for the perfect opportunity to execute it.
What started practically years ago, constantly felt like just yesterday to Jay.
It had been around the time when he and Cole set off on a tedious but exciting, because they had each other, adventure to find Wu.
They would pass jokes to kill time, often tease one another like they always did, but sometimes, they'd end up cuddling in their constantly changing shelter, making sure to keep each other as snug as a bug. And Jay was small so he fit perfectly in Cole's arms, wrapped up like in a bundle of pillows and blankets.
Needless to say, Cole himself was like a bunch of pillows and blankets.
Anyways, he hadn't really been paying attention when Cole spilled the beans and told Jay that he liked his laugh.
Instead, he kinda just sat and stared at Cole, as if looking right through him. Then, Cole had said another thing and told Jay that he always was fond of the way he smiled and the way his eyes shone with this indescribable happiness.
See, Jay hadn't been paying attention to any of it.
He hadn't really been paying attention, because he was too busy taking in all the features of Cole. He wondered how and when his hair got so long. How his eyelids kind of dropped more, and when he started wearing sleeveless shirts and ninja gis more often. His thoughts had caused him to drag his own hand through his own hair, feeling the tangled curls that sat atop his head.
He wondered, what would it feel like to touch Cole's hair? Would it also be a mess of tangled knots, or was it just as silky and soft as he imagined?
"Laugh… my laugh?" Jay had choked out, trying to recall what Cole had said earlier.
"You're so cute when you don't know what's going on… it's adorable," Cole simply stated.
"You're cute too," he stammered, his mind elsewhere.
And then the rest just kinda took off from there.
Neither of them had actually confessed, per say. Their feelings still hovered, occasionally whopping the other in the face.
Neither had mentioned a relationship, nor even mentioned the mutual feelings they felt for one another.
However, as time went on, Jay's feelings only continued to grow, and grow, and grow.
It spread like wildfire. Heck, whenever Cole was nearby he felt like a wildfire.
It was frustrating.
But now he was here. And where was here?
Well after saving Ninjago City (again) from Lord Garmadon's tyrannical rule, citizens of Ninjago wanted to put together a special little celebration for thanking them (again).
Everyone was asked to dress in style and for the occasion. It being in the evening, Jay threw on an extra coat, just to keep him warm. And a scarf. The scarf Cole had gifted to him.
On the other side of the room, not too far away from him, Cole was standing by the buffet, an empty plate in hand and hungry eyes scavenging the table. Jay wondered if Cole had touched any of the food yet.
There weren't very many options, truthfully. Half of the food was bland and the rest of it was just decent.
Jay sighed, looking down at his empty cup.
He had run out of punch. Bummer.
With a glint of hope in his eyes, Jay strode towards the table, using his empty cup as an excuse to get closer to Cole.
"Hey. Cole!" Jay shouted a little too loudly. When he realized how loud that had came out, Jay's cheeks heated immensely. Nonetheless, it grabbed Cole's attention and he turned around at the sound of his name.
His plate was still empty.
"Hey, yourself, Sparky. Getting more punch?"
The blue ninja looked down furiously, shaking his head at the red cup and setting it down on the table.
"I'm done with punch for tonight. And man, Cole with an empty plate? Am I living in some alternate universe?"
This earned a laugh out of Cole and he chuckled, clearly amused.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but there's nothing good here to even look at." Cole's eyes drifted to Jay's figure. "But… You're looking sharp as always, Sparkplug," Cole noted, gesturing to Jay's attire.
The master of lightning tried incredibly hard to keep himself from blushing, but it only served to deepen the shade of red on his cheeks.
Of course he had to say that when Cole was really the one who looked, well, out of this world.
Although his friend had cared less to comb his hair down, leaving it a wild mess as usual, he still managed to pull off a dashingly handsome appeal. Jay wanted to curse him for his naturally good looks, something Jay felt he couldn't pull off himself.
To Jay's eyes, everything about Cole spoke to him.
The way he smiled; the way he spoke and the way his words just flowed so smoothly like he hadn't a thought in the world.
The way his eyes shone whenever music or cake was even so briefly mentioned.
"You too. Obviously. Look, I, um," Jay took a deep breath, nervously scratching the back of his neck. A habit of his when he had trouble clearing his mind. "Let's blow this party. I, I mean, if you want. It's kinda lame. Actually, it's boring." He stated bluntly, squeezing his eyes shut for fear of what Cole's reaction might be.
After a moment of silence, Cole cracked a toothy grin, tossing his empty plate over his shoulder and into the bin. "Yeah. Sure, alright. Let's get outta here, Sparky."
Cole and Jay walked side by side down the empty streets of Ninjago City.
No one had seen the two of them slip out of the party. Nor had either of them received any missed calls or unread texts from the others.
Jay figured he made the right choice, ditching the party to be with Cole outside and the fresh air.
As the wind blew colder, Jay snuggled his head deeper into his scarf, desperate to keep his face warm.
They passed by a couple of places which brought back some old memories. They shared some laughs and secrets, used to the comfort of the other's company, and used to being alone together.
"Hah! Remember when we used to all go to this cafe together? Then we'd order some boba, but you'd always get cake. And a new one every single time?" Jay beamed at the memory, feeling nostalgic. "But then they stopped. And it was just the two of us going down here."
Cole grinned, zipping up his jacket completely and burying his face beneath the collar. "I remember how you would buy the same exact boba every time we went. How's that compared to getting a new flavor of cake all the time, hmm?"
Jay wrinkled his nose and he bumped Cole lightly in the hips. "I- whatever." He caught a hint of Cole trying to tuck his head in deeper.
Though a part of him regretted handing his scarf off to Cole, he couldn't say no.
Cole raised his eyebrows, taking the scarf from Jay's hand. With a non-verbal 'thank you', Cole wrapped the unbelievably soft fabric around his neck and rubbed his cheek against it, enjoying the silky touch of Jay's scarf.
The pair stumbled into the empty park, street lights dim and the wind blowing just ever so slightly.
"You know we're always up and about saving the world, we need time to settle. Don't you think?"
Cole lifted a brow. "Go on."
"I mean, we never did go into anything, did we? Or, you know, talk about it. I, uh, we just never seemed to find the right time, hey?"
"Whatcha tryna say to me, Sparky?"
Jay bit the inside of his cheek, screaming at himself internally.
He just wanted to be with Cole. He wanted this moment with Cole. He already got the two of them alone outside and away from everyone else. But he wanted more. Or at least, one last little thing of the day. One last special thing.
"Do you - would you like to dance?"
Cole wrinkled his eyebrows, looking deep in thought. The teasing acted as more fuel to Jay's confidence and he immediately threw out his hand in front of Cole, insisting.
"Dance with me."
"Here? In the park? In the dark? With nobody else around?"
"Yes."
At first, Cole was taken aback by the statement. Never had he seen Jay this eager and insisting, and never had he seen Jay with so much confidence. It surprised him, really. But his eyes lingered on the hand out in front of him. The hand that was just begging for the warm touch of Cole's own hand.
Jay's voice intruded his thoughts suddenly. "Well, technically it's not totally dark. There's a couple of street lamps on, and I could play some of my music if you insist!"
Within a second Jay had already whipped out his phone, setting his music to shuffle and turning up the volume to its max. He set it down carefully on the bench in a way that the music would be heard sound and clear.
Cole stared, heart beating wild. He wondered if Jay could also hear it or if he was the only one and it was just all in his head.
Regardless, Cole suddenly found his hand in Jay's.
Instinctively, his other hand came forward and rested itself along Jay's hip.
They moved closer, bodies almost touching and their eyes locked on one another's.
"Hey," Cole spoke, his voice low but loud enough for only Jay to hear. "So, how about you answer me this one question?"
"Shoot away," Jay said, stepping to the left to keep up with Cole.
He moved so fluently. So gracefully. It was like a perfectly rehearsed routine. No, it was like Cole didn't even need memorization. It just all felt natural.
"Your face is red,"
"That's not a question, Cole-"
"And what's up with you being adorable when you're nervous?"
Jay choked.
Without a second thought, his feet had stopped moving. Cole, realizing this at the last second, stepped right between Jay's feet and lost his balance.
Jay fell backwards onto the grass. His breath hitched the second Cole's hands hit the ground on either side of him. His eyes grew large and he couldn't speak. He just couldn't form the right words to say. It was useless.
He felt useless. Like he was trapped.
Boy, did Jay want to take back every thought that said this was a good idea. Because now that he was living the moment… Jay sighed.
"Well, that was unfortunate," Cole chuckled, locking his eyes with Jay's.
"Y-Yeah," Jay stuttered.
"Can I ask another question?"
Jay only found that he was capable of nodding.
"May I kiss you?"
"W-What?" Jay drew in a shaky breath.
Did Cole really just ask permission for a kiss?
Did Cole really just ask permission for a kiss?
Why was he such a gentleman? Why was he so frustratingly polite and good looking and goddamn gentle?
He gulped, eyes travelling from Cole's own to the scarf hanging around his neck. "Y-You, me? Wow, I. Yeah."
"Okay-"
Without a second to lose, Jay yanked fiercely on the scarf, pulling Cole flush against him on the ground.
And all at once, Jay forgot everything. Where he was, what he was doing, why he was even here.
The only thing on his mind was the feeling of Cole's lips on his.
It just felt so amazing.
It felt so right. It felt so warm.
Jay could feel himself slowly slipping and losing his only grip on reality.
Unknowingly, Cole had unravelled the scarf just a tad, letting it drape around Jay's neck as it bound the two of them closer.
When they finally pulled apart, Cole allowed a gentle smile to weave its way onto his face. Jay did the same, grinning helplessly up at Cole, the scarf still intertwined.
"You have no idea how long I had to wait to do that," Cole sputtered.
Jay smirked. "Oh, I think I have a good idea." He leaned up to kiss him again, trapped in the moment.
"We're a thing now, right?" Jay asked, pulling away for a split second.
"I dunno," Cole teased, holding out the 'I'. "Will you be my boyfriend? Jay Walker?"
"Eh, some Dangerbuff guy already asked me first."
Cole gasped sharply, throwing a light punch at Jay's shoulder. "You little monster! Well tell Dangerbuff, who I assume is just as handsome as I am, that I'm coming for him. And when I find him, he'll be sorry he ever tried."
Jay exploded into laughter, scrambling into a sitting position. Cole did the same, soon finding himself laughing along with Jay. "We should probably, really, get back to the others before they find out we were gone for so long." Jay sniffed the scarf, feeling a warmth overcome him.
"We're boyfriends now."