Zane wasn't oblivious, and Kai knew this. He knew that out of the four of them, Zane was the most observant. Not just of their surroundings, but of the people around them. He could close his eyes and detect where all their opponents were, how many, and where they would strike. Time after time he said it was a guess—a surprisingly accurate prediction. Kai didn't by it. Once or twice, perhaps, but every time was almost scary. About that time is when he stopped keeping secrets, because Zane could pick up on them almost instantly. Though he rarely spoke of his findings, it was uncomfortable knowing that he knew and refused to acknowledge that he knew.

He knew of Cole's stash of cheesy romance novels under his bed; he knew how Jay would absentmindedly pull on the left sleeve of his shirt when he was uncomfortable, the right when he was nervous. He had picked up on their habits, knowing that Cole only let himself sleep in until seven, on a good day. Jay would sleep in until noon, if allowed. Kai was always different—on a good day it was nine, on a great day it was 10:30. Zane himself rarely slept, rising with the sun was practically second nature to the guy. That's probably why he didn't mind Sensei's early morning practices. Kai was almost positive he wasn't human—not that it mattered to him or anything.

He could also cook better than any person he'd ever met. He knew just what they liked, probably because of his keen observation skills. Even Kai took forever to figure out that Jay preferred his food slightly sour, with a mix of bitter and spicy aftertastes. It was something different, just like him. Cole liked his sweet, but there was always a spicy undertone to balance it out. He himself liked it spicy, no influence from his element needed. So, when it was his turn to cook, there was at least a full pitcher of water next to each seat at the table. Usually it was Jay's doing, as he was the joker, but Cole would occasionally join in the fun. Not that Cole could cook any better. At least his food had some flavor.

It was about when Lloyd joined the group that he realized his feelings for the white clad ninja had changed from a friendly manner to something more extreme. They had gone from white to scarlet in an instant, perhaps even brighter and more extreme than that. He knew it was only a matter of time before the highly observant ninja figured it out, so he began to avoid him. Blatantly refused to sit by him at meals by inviting the young Garmadon to sit by them (although that wasn't much better—the kid was just as chatty as Jay, perhaps even more so.) He didn't talk to him much either, or spar with him.

Cole was beginning to pick up on the hidden tensions, and he noticed how much it hurt Zane. Once warm eyes were turning empty, blank. His greatest fear was that Zane would distance himself from the four of them, and as their leader he knew how much it would hurt them all. It was already beginning to hurt them, because with this tension it was so much harder for them to focus. Pretty soon Jay would feel it too, and try to meddle where he wasn't needed. Kai would probably snap, and everything would fall apart. So, he decided to consult with Zane, because out of the two he was the most likely to take his questioning well.

"Hey Zane, do you have a minute?" He spoke casually, trying to ease his nerves. Zane seemed to notice and graced him with a smile.

"Of course, Cole, what is it?" He spoke easily, questioning as if he didn't already know what was going on.

"It's private," he added under his breath, just loud enough for him to hear.

"Ah, I see. I'm coming." Zane's smile fell instantly, replaced with a calculating frown. He followed Cole apprehensively, no longer sure about what direction this conversation was going. He had a very vague idea, and if it was like any of his other guesses, it was correct. He followed his leader into the kitchen, feigning a smile as Cole shut the door behind him.

"Is this about what's been going on? About Kai distancing himself from me?"

"Yeah," Cole let out an exasperated sigh, "listen, without us all working together, this team will fall apart. While you and I can certainly manage on stealth, Kai makes up for what he lacks in brute force. Without him, we're not as potent. Why is he avoiding you, anyway? Aren't you guys really close or something?"

"Something like that," Zane spoke cautiously, treading carefully. "I'll fix it Cole, don't worry. Why don't you send him in here so we can talk?"

"Yeah, whatever. Don't mess up."

"When do I?" Zane cast him a gentle smile, watching him leave the room in a huff. Ah, his leader could be quite interesting, but he had to get back to matters at hand. Kai was feeling something different towards him, that much he could tell. When he did look at him, his glances were usually quick once-overs, but if he was feeling daring he would study his face for a few moments before looking away and immersing himself into something to avoid any questions on the subject. The only time he could really get away with looking at him for an extended period of time was when he sparred with either Jay or Cole, leaving him the opportunity to study him. If he was honest with himself he found it quite flattering. But it was tearing his team apart, so he had to get to the bottom of it.

"I'm coming in," Zane jumped as Kai spoke, pushing the door open. He looked mildly annoyed, practically slamming the door behind him. "So, what is it? You've got me corned, just make it quick."

"I'm not entirely sure, but I have a few guess."

"So you know exactly what I'm thinking, great."

"I didn't say that," Zane nearly laughed, "I merely have a guess or two. I want to know what you feel, first. Because I know you've been feeling something different about me."

"And if I have?" It took a lot of control not to start shouting. If he shouted, he'd just draw unwanted attention to them, and that's the last thing he wanted. So, he'd have to have a little more self control than usual. "I'd feel either very concerned or apologetic," Kai scoffed at that, narrowing his eyes, "or very flattered, depending on the way you view me."

"If I told I was possibly interested in you romantically?"

"I'd feel very flattered." Zane gave him a smile, slowly inching towards him. "There was no need to avoid me Kai; you could have just told me." Kai smirked, grabbing Zane by the collar. "Could've just told me that, idiot." Zane's grin grew just a smidgen, as his hands met the one at his throat. "Are we okay now?"

"Almost, but I still have to spar with you. I've got quite a bit to make up for."

"I suppose you're right. I love you."

"Yeah, same here. Let's go before Cole decides that we've killed each other." Zane nodded as Kai let go of him. He supposed he was half-right, but he still had a rather pressing question on his mind.

They were fire and ice—how was their relationship supposed to last?

-0u0-

So, this took me forever. Sorry. I'll try harder; they were kind of hard to write.

And to one of my reviewers-it doesn't matter what other people think of what you write. If you like writing, and love what you're writing about, then go for it! I'd love to see what you've written, if you do write it.

So, next up I have to choose between Nya x Cole, Nya x Zane, and Cryptor x Pixal….

Sorry if Zane seems a bit OOC, like I said, these two were kind of hard to write together.