It's been about a week since my parents let me go train and be a ninja. I felt a bit lonely most the time, my training never really getting a start because of Sensei Wu so concentrated on finding the other three main ninja. He did show me basics one day, and requested to be told when I figured out what my element was, explaining that using these moves would eventually show me. It confused me, but I agreed nonetheless so I didn't convince him I was a bad choice. Clearing my mind; finally I felt sparks flow through my fingers during a forceful punch in a simple wave, but it didn't go too far.
I rushed back into the monastery to find Sensei Wu, wondering if he were currently around. Then I remembered he was off to find Zane, some other ninja that he knew it would take a bit some time. I felt alone, but I tried to keep it away by convincing myself a nearby wall's scripture was very interesting. As I nearly finished reading it, I heard a close of a nearby sliding door and felt curious. I knew I was socially awkward, but that was probably because I was homeschooled and my parents didn't really let me out of the junkyard much.
A blond teenager began to move through the hallways, curiously looking around with grey-blue emotionless eyes. Fearful, yet I knew he was probably searching for me, I decided to use my quicker speed work its magic and allow me to flash past rooms, but as I passed him… I had to stop, and glared down at what was stopping me. My feet were frozen to the ground, but I could barely notice the translucent ice holding them in place. I peered over as the pale new ninja recruit came over slowly, tilting his head.
We spoke somewhat before the ice melted, but then I realized I had a friend here now. Grasping his somewhat cold arm, I eagerly moved us to the gaming room a few halls away. I pushed him gently, making sure he knew to sit down as I got some games. Barely noticing a gasp as I leaned down to grabbed some controllers, I turned around to hand him one and seat myself next to him. We clicked some buttons, but it was clear he had no idea what to do.
I asked him if he's ever played the game we were on or if he ever played video games ever, and he shook his head and disagreed for both answers. I was surprised, figuring he would at least have tried one, but I would change that. I laughed and told him he was strange, yet I could help but add he was a good guy into it, for whatever reason. He looked oddly hopeful there was something else to it, but then realized I didn't catch on or something. Shaking his head slightly, Zane wondered if I'd show him how to play, but something told me he just wanted to get closer… I blatantly ignored my enjoyment of it too.
~~
"Hey again," I told Cole as he moved into the training area, adorned in his pitch-black ninja suit finally. This was when he was new here and Zane just finally got settled. I wondered if I could get close to this dark-haired individual, yet I thought at how Zane and I actually were like. The blond usually stared at me like I was the most interesting thing in the world, and I treated him like he were my first ever friend that didn't resign at the junkyard.
Cole rolled his eyes and made his way over quickly, overlooking us curiously. I guess he wanted to size us up, but it grew really unsettling anyways, "Alright, let's get training." Looks like he fit in fast, but then I felt myself glare as I realized he told me what to do. I knew it was childish to throw a fit over this, but I was here first. Noticing he pulled up his hood, I sighed and mine went up as well, Zane beating us both to it. I faintly noticed the ground rumbling around me as I gained a glare, causing me to be uneasy...
He grew less crude as we got used to each other, and eventually we all got along fairly well. I knew that Sensei Wu was on a mission to get us all together. By "us", I mean four individuals. Yet, we had no clue where our missing ninja was. He- was all we had so far- was out there, but Cole always complained, pointing out three was good enough. Sensei Wu would raise a brow, and chide him with judging so quickly.
- -
Then one day, we all were together playing videogames together eagerly and crying out at fouls and whenever we scored, besides Zane of course, who seemed content going along silently and staring at me from the corner of him eye every so often. Then we heard the door that led out to the training area open, and all three stared at each other. Cole stood up abruptly and stormed over, eager to fight the intruder and I got Zane to follow behind silently as backups. Then we heard him call the person out and rushed onward to show the ground ninja sizing up a teenager in a similar red kimono. Our training came in handy as we zipped to the side, then came at him from both sides.
We were surprised when he leapt enough to dodge and knock our heads together, landing on our backs with starting up headaches. The mysterious thief walked forward as if challenging Cole now. As they moved closer, they glared, but never fully made eye contact. Scared for my friend for a moment, I shot some lightning from my fingertips to get the stranger's shoulder. He winced in pain as he finally looked at our strongest ninja at last; I noticed the softening in Cole's eyes as he got down on his knees with the opposing boy, sweetly touching the tender shoulder bone.
Pulling back the hood, it revealed a tanned boy with dark eyes and brunet hair held up in spikes with hairspray. I then figured they were totally for each other, and couldn't help but stare at Zane as I though of that. Ignoring my confused blush, I coughed and pretended the force was what caused a change to my face as the blond looked back. Sensei Wu walked out and introduced the new boy as Kai, the fourth ninja. There still had to be the green ninja, but it wasn't worried about since Kai was chatting up and flaunting himself as Cole got to show him around; pretending to ignore it, but really grinning stupidly deep down and blushing.
~~
As Nya kissed my cheek when I had my eyes closed, I suddenly felt a rush of power and found myself able to easily stop the rollercoaster car, bringing it back down to land. Afterwards, everyone was so excited, mostly about how she ended up being the Samurai after all. We laughed after Kai tried to get everyone to believe he'd be the green ninja based on the idea he found out his sister's alter ego first, and then we decided to disagree on a quiet whim. I blushed when I walked near Zane to get back to the flying ship, realizing that I couldn't deny my rush of feelings anymore and it hit me like a ton of bricks. I hadn't gotten my true potential unlocked from Nya… I got them from imagining it was Zane actually able to return my feelings after subconsciously wanting him all this time.
I felt like a jerk for trying so hard to like Nya, yet never truly feeling that spark after all. I'd have to tell her, but it's not like we could be friends. Noticing her after dinner, I caught up to her and she also looked guilty. My face probably twisted awkwardly as I got the gusto to say-
"I don't feel that way for you," we both blurted out at the same time, and then it sunk in. We grinned at our dumb luck, and she sighed with relief.
Her smile was friendlier than our "date", "Oh good, I felt bad for not feeling that… certain something?" As I nodded in agreement, she smirked a bit, "And I know you like a certain someone, and you should come out about it."
My face was surprised, "He, what?" I tried to brush of the creeping embarrassment eagerly taking home upon my cheeks, "I don't know what you're talking about."
She raised an eyebrow, "I kissed your cheek so he could take your first kiss," then she blushed herself, "Which would be totally hot if you two just kind of made out right on the-"
My blush grew darker at the thought, "I doubt Zane even knows what that is."
"Then stop doubting, get your man soon, and I'll make sure everyone knows we're no longer 'into each other'." Nya announced and about broke my spine in a tight hug.
Feeling better and returning it for the next split second, we parted and I sighed contently, "I think this is working out pretty well so far, but I think I should wait until Zane says something… right?"
"I knew you were the 'girl'," coughed Nya and she quickly left to the conference room before I could protest.
- -
Shaking my head at how weird she could be, I glanced around and wandered to my bed after having the long day. Using your potential power was seriously tiring and then I noticed Zane come in the room too. To throw him off guard and hopefully give him a hint, I grabbed the android into a tight hug and got on my tiptoes to rest my head on his shoulder. After a bit, I slowly let go and he looked down at me, "Are you upset about you and Nya not working out?"
"I guess," I tried with some emotion and got into my bunk bed and grabbed my pajamas to change into, padding over to the bathroom and he blushed as he found himself walking after.
Getting that I caught on, he stuttered like he were suffering a malfunction, "I-I… was going to brush m-my teeth…"
Rolling my eyes, I winked playfully at him and then caught myself and practically flew into the open restroom, slamming the door nervously behind me. I slid down the door and landed on the floor softly, wondering what I was even doing.
~~
"Zane, do you think we'll last together longer than our teens?" I questioned him randomly. We were currently lying on the couch, me lazily on top, hogging it all to get back at Kai and Cole for using it for a heated make out session earlier that nearly ruined whatever innocence Lloyd had. 'Why's Cole's tongue going-?' Shivering from awkwardly walking the boy into that, he got his own revenge by making them take him to get new clothing; which he was pretty passionate about… besides probably Brad.
His stormy-like eyes gazed down at my tilted up face, "I think so, but you may need to fix me so I'll grow older with you."
"Nah," I joked with the blond, "I think after twenty-one you'll be grown enough for me."
He caught on, after much practice by now, and raised a brow curiously, "So when we get older, and we're celebrating our fiftieth wedding anniversary, you'll be sixty-eight, and I'll be twenty-one? Who will believe us, though?"
I about countered that we'd never get married, but he grasped up a newspaper off the coffee table and I looked at it oddly. My mouth dropped, 'Same-sex Marriage Allowance At Last?' Skimming it, now intrigued, I found that Dareth had come out as dating another man, and after getting attacked by random men, went to a hospital and formed a peace riot somehow. Then it dawned on me why Sensei Wu told us that the dojo was empty and why the cheeky man had come back, grinning like he accomplished something. And he had, it was really a good thing for him to do.
Then I stared up at Zane and dropped the paper back onto the table, and moved up so we could kiss sweetly. After a bit, and not wanting a repeat of earlier, I gulped a bit, "So, you actually think we'll stay together… forever?" Wow, I'm a hopeless romantic.
"I would rather have you all my life, and since I have probably been around for many years already…" he smiled and pecked my forehead gingerly, "I think I can't wait for you to be eighteen," a peck on my cheek, "and I may need tweaking in my designs soon, because I hope that if this does go according to plan, I will live as long as a human should."
I think he wins romantic of the year, though, honestly, "Why not stay young and beautiful, then go on to share with the future?"
It was silent for a moment, perhaps he didn't know what to speak of, then "I could, and that would be an idea I would like, if I were not infatuated with a human. Inside and out, no matter what gender or by looks; which seems to be what people try to sell to everyone else as something relevant," he sighed and rubbed my cheek with a hand, "I would hope they learn soon that feelings matter more than urges… I can say I have found who I believe to be the one…" He trailed off and looked at me whimsically.
Fighting back happy tears, I lay my head so it under his chin safely, "I can honestly say through out all this; I haven't met a better person for me. You're so amazing that it doesn't matter you're a robot or that you are way too nice for your own good. It matters that you care for who you love and you do that so well."
"I love you Jay, and I figure you are in knowledge of this, but… I have such butterflies…" he sighed, "Do you?"
Smiling sweetly, though he couldn't see it, "Yes, I do, I-I…" this wasn't too fast like I feared, this was just right, "I love you, too, Zane," we grinned together and I leaned up to get us kissing again, me desperately awaiting my eighteen birthday in a couple years. "Wait do you really have butterflies flying around in there, again?"
"No, but maybe I am around you enough to start feeling such things for real," I swore he had a tear loose down his pale cheek, but I didn't say anything in fear he'd think I was mocking him. I was crying too, trying to keep it cool. I realized how cheesy we both were, having each kiss scream romantic or fluffy values, but that's how we were. We understood each other perfectly, and after all this time, still felt out of breath by being sappy. I suddenly blushed at the idea of our last names colliding, but it was as if he read my mind, "How would you like to be 'Jay Marcus Julien' someday? Unless you would rather keep your last na-" I kissed the doubt out of him, sparks and icicles colliding eagerly.
