Chapter Twenty-One: Perfect
You guys! I think it was yesterday that this story reached TEN THOUSAND VIEWS! Thank you so so much!
You know how I said I wanted to keep this story going at least until quarantine is over? Well, even though it's kinda been over for me for a while now, being back to work and everything, it's still kind of a thing where I live and will be for quite a while. My school is planning to have several classes online for the fall, and it doesn't look like America will be free of COVID any time soon.
But the good news is that I'll be continuing this story for even longer! I don't really have a plan for it, but I love engaging with you amazing readers, and this fic is honestly so fun to write. Updates will still probably only be once a week or so while I'm busy with work, but I have a little vacation coming up next month and hope to churn out more chapters then.
One-shots will be uploaded when I get really inspired to write them, and while I'm not feeling super passionate about Second Wind, it's really important to me that I finish it. I also started writing Ninjago: Civil War, which I actually (kind of?) outlined, so hopefully I won't get a lot of writer's block on that one. I just felt like it was about time a story like that existed.
CaptainSteve1: Aww, your review made me so so happy, you have no idea! And yeah, I love "drunk Lloyd pining over the fire ninja"! The last time I was really drunk—which was a while ago, because of work (and the fact that I'm underage)—I sent clips from the end of March of the Oni to my friends and successfully convinced them that Kai and Lloyd are in love. They said "I don't even watch the show but I have eyes I can see they're in love" and "they have Lego eyes and yet I can see the love in their eyes" XD
CheezPretzel: Thank you! I love your work, by the way :)
And The Night Ninja, here's that Glacier chapter you requested ;)
Cole's brown eyes scanned the pages of his book, trying to process the words and bring the story to life in his imagination. Before his recent encounters with the master of ice, he had found the task of reading fairly easy and enjoyable. However, he could no longer focus on the words; instead, his mind was filled with thoughts of Zane.
He huffed as he read the cheesy snippets of romance in his fantasy novel. "I'd rather be reading Lloyd's story, to be honest," he muttered to himself with a laugh.
He didn't know how he'd managed to come across a book where the brave knight fell in love with the handsome prince, but he sure was glad that he had. Even though he had a hard time focusing on the story, it made him feel better about the sexuality that he was coming to accept himself as. Plus, he kept imagining himself as the knight and Zane as the prince...
A knock on the door made Cole look up from the page.
"Come in," the black ninja said. He smiled when he saw the master of ice standing in the doorway.
"Hello, Cole," Zane greeted. "I noticed that the door was closed. I hope I am not disturbing you."
Cole closed his book and set it on his nightstand. "You could never disturb me, Zane. I just closed the door because I didn't want Jay interrupting my reading...again."
"Then that was probably a good idea," Zane said with a chuckle. He stepped into the room and shut the door behind him before walking over to the bed with a black comforter.
Cole sat up straight, instinctively tousling his hair to make himself more presentable. "What's up?"
"Nothing in particular," the nindroid admitted, his usually steady voice twinged with nervousness. "I just wanted to spend some time with you."
Cole's grin widened. "There's nothing I'd rather do." He grabbed Zane's hand and pulled him onto the bed next to him, biting his lip nervously before placing a soft kiss on the ice ninja's lips.
Zane brought his free hand to Cole's face and kissed him back. It was short and sweet, and the two pulled away after a moment.
"That's what you really wanted to do, isn't it?" Cole teased. At Zane's embarrassed blush, he continued. "To be fair, I kept getting distracted from my reading by thoughts of kissing you."
Zane's ice blue eyes widened. "Really?"
"Yes, really!" The noirette replied. "And that was just when I was trying to read. You're the only thing I think about before I fall asleep at night." He looked away shyly. "Have been for a while, to be honest."
Zane placed another loving kiss on his forehead. "You know, ever since I met you, I have felt differently about you than the others."
"What do you mean?" Cole asked, looking up at him.
"Well, for one thing, I never really thought about love. I was familiar with the concept, but I did not understand it. When Jay would talk about his feelings for Nya, I was confused. I wondered why he felt that way for her, and even what that felt like. Then when I met Pixal, I began to understand him better. I felt as though she was my 'other half,' so to speak. But something was always missing. I was happy with her—I was comfortable. But I did not get the metaphorical butterflies in my stomach that I always got when I looked at you."
Cole blinked in surprise. "I...I always felt that way about you, too, Zane," he stuttered. "I kept telling myself I needed to figure out how to fall for a girl like Jay did, and even though Nya's gorgeous, I only felt that kind of chemistry with you."
"So our stories are not so different after all," Zane pointed out. He paused for a moment, thinking, before speaking up again. "If I may ask, why was it that you felt you should only have those feelings for the opposite sex?"
The master of earth shrugged. "I don't know. I guess that's just what I grew up hearing from people who didn't get it. My dad was always affirming, as were a lot of the people I spent time with, but there were always a few who thought it was okay to berate people for who they were attracted to. I never really understood why. I guess it was just different and weird to them, but..." He sighed. "I don't get why they had to be mean about it. A-And it hurt...a lot." He stared down at his hands, smiling when Zane took them in his own.
"I am so sorry you had to go through that," the nindroid said, giving Cole's hands an encouraging squeeze. "But you know everyone here fully supports and respects you—no matter what you identify as."
Cole chuckled. "Well, they'd better! They're all pretty gay themselves!"
"Fair point," Zane conceded with a shrug.
Feeling better, Cole continued. "Being in the performing arts, I was around a lot of people who weren't straight, and I never saw a problem with it. But...I didn't want to be a stereotype. Just because I'm a male dancer doesn't automatically make me gay, y'know?" He shook his head with another sigh. "I tried to like Nya, but I've kinda always known what my sexuality was, and that it would never allow for something like that to happen. At first, I wanted to try and make myself anything other than gay, but ultimately, I think I was really just trying to prove to myself that I was good enough...for you."
"Cole." Zane tilted Cole's face upwards to look him in the eyes. "You are good enough for anyone. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise."
The master of earth blushed. "I sometimes worry that I'm not," he conceded. "I mean, you're so perfect, Zane! And I'm so…"
Before he could finish, Zane kissed him again, this time harder than before. He wrapped his arms around Cole's waist and pulled him close, and Cole hugged his neck as he kissed back. When they pulled apart, Zane brushed his thumb over Cole's lips, admiring his gorgeous features.
"Perfect," the nindroid whispered.
Cole gave him a shy smile. "You really think so?"
"Yes," Zane replied. "I always have, and I always will."
The master of earth looked away. "Even though I'm a ghost?"
Zane let out a soft chuckle. "You seem to be forgetting that I am a nindroid."
"I never cared about that," Cole admitted.
Zane ran a hand through the ghost's long black hair. "And I never cared that you are a ghost. We'll figure everything out, I promise you. As long as we have each other, everything will be alright."