Unexpected

By: Mad Betrayal

"Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light."—Helen Keller

Chapter 4 ~ Share With Me

Jason. The name just wouldn't leave Cole's mind. It wasn't a particularly unique name, quite common really, but for some reason he couldn't let go of it. Did anyone on the Destiny's Bounty know Jay's real name? Did Nya? Or was he the only one that just happened to stumble across it?

Cole kept his eyes trained on Jay's back as he followed him up the spiraling metal staircase. He tried to take in the sights of the Walker residence, but he was currently too fixated on the simple aspect of his best friend's true name. Cole wondered if it held any significant sentimental value to Jay. Would he allow anyone outside his family to call him by it?

Would he allow me?

The abrupt and loud thumping of Cole's heart informed the ninja leader that he would undoubtedly like that…very much. But he knew not to get his hopes up too high. For one, Jay wasn't in the best of moods right now. The issue with his parents was taking a real toll on his psyche. Of that, Cole was sure. And unfortunately, the Earth Ninja wasn't the best person to come to for consolation. He had simply lucked out on the chipmunk-talking and baiting Jay to race earlier. And the last thing Cole wanted to do was fire off at the mouth and say the wrong thing. He had learned his lesson the last time.

No poor choice of words here, Cole. Jay is really sensitive right now, so maybe just inquiring about his name would be a safe route… When the right moment presents itself…

"Okay well, on the first floor besides the kitchen and the living room, there's also a bathroom and a den area that my folks use for recreational stuff like: pool, table tennis, and I think my old foosball table is still in there," Jay said just as he and Cole reached the second floor. He turned to the slightly taller man beside him and graced him with a small grin.

"Now that I think about it, you're actually the first person in our little clan to see my house firsthand," Jay said. "We've been to the junkyard, sure, but no one has seen or been inside my childhood home… Don't you feel special?"

Cole eyed that fragile grin on Jay's face carefully. The blue ninja had never been one for euphemism, but he could easily tell that his friend was a little nervous about him being here despite what he just said.

Cole chuckled lightly. "You're not exactly what I would call an enigma, Jay." Raising an easy eyebrow, Cole caught the slight defensive edge within sapphire gems and delved forward honestly. "But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious, and just from stepping foot in your house, I've already learned something that intrigues me."

There. Subtlety. A ninja's best friend. A hint that he was interested in Jay's life without appearing overly eager. And Jay—quick to decipher—blushed and looked awkwardly away.

"Uh…yeah…about that… Listen, let's just get through the tour first and then we'll talk about…that, okay?"

Cole smiled. "Sure…and, Jay?" Blue eyes peered at him with slight trepidation. "You don't have to tell me everything, okay? Just whatever's comfortable with you. I'm not here to pry, and I'm sure as hell not here to judge," Cole ended seriously.

The dimming wariness dissipated from Jay's eyes and a breathtaking smile brightened his face. "Heh…I know Cole, and thanks." He flicked his head forward and snapped his fingers, flooding the once dim hallway with light. "C'mon follow me."

Now relaxed and optimistic, Cole rerouted his gaze and really started to survey his surroundings as they passed. Regardless of the technological blitzkrieg the outside of Jay's house personified, the interior appeared homier and somewhat eclectic. The spacious hallway they ambled through was aligned with beautiful translucent sconces that radiated a calming luminosity, and while some of the doors impersonated wood, the nuts and bolts etched through and bordering around the frames kept Cole guessing at their true consistency.

"The two doors we just passed are used mainly for storage," Jay explained diligently. "One for electromagnetic equipment and the other for radioactive synthesized alloys…safer to just stay away, trust me."

Cole made a mental note.

Jay then jutted a thumb at two double doors on the left. "This here is the library/study and further down is my parents' room." The two young men then stopped in front of a large steel door painted blue that had a sign on it that read: JASON'S DOMAIN! KEEP OUT! Of which Jay hurriedly took down.

"Uh! Just ignore that!" He said in one quick breath and glanced at Cole uneasily before pointing down the hall to another blue steel door across from his parents' room. "That right there was my own private lab from where I tinkered about and stuff. A lot of fond memories were created in that room."

"Yeah, I bet," Cole responded softly, trying to ease his friend's apprehension. He knew that both Jay and Nya were engineering buffs, but such topics always flew over his head. All he got were the basics—the bare, simple basics—though there was a time when he had asked Jay to enlighten him about some of his inventions back at the monastery. Cole smiled fondly at the memory. Jay had nearly overwhelmed him with his vast knowledge of robotics and unbridled enthusiasm on the subject matter. The utterly enthralled cadence of his voice, the way his deep blue eyes sparkled—yes, it was an unforgettable time. But in all actuality, that time spent with Jay was when Cole came up with his first nickname: The Mouth of Lightning.

"And um…there's a bathroom that connects to the lab that also connects to my room, which is, of course, right here…" Jay grasped the handle to the door, but hesitated. A brief frown of indecision fleeted across his face before he closed his eyes and muttered: "It's him…so it's fine."

Cole's acute hearing caught the breathless whisper, but didn't get a chance to comment, for Jay had already opened the door to his room. A brisk snap of the fingers later and light instantly engulfed the gargantuan space.

"Whoa…"

Cole's eyes roved Jay's room with anxious abandon. Yes, it was impressive in size and quality, with its king-sized bed, massive state-of-the-art entertainment system, personalized workstation and laptops, latest video game consoles and many other jewels that would make any guy envious. But what took Cole's breath away was the color scheme. Yes, he had expected Jay's room to be swathed with deep blues, but he never would've guessed that the bold shade of burnt orange would accompany them.

Orange was blue's compliment as blue was orange's compliment. The two brought out the best in each other, and perhaps coincidently…orange was Cole's favorite color.

"Damn Jay…" Cole breathed in awe, "…your room is amazing…"

Not hearing a boisterous come-back like he was expecting, Cole turned to find Jay sitting on the edge of his humongous bed with a strange chrome-colored sphere in his hand. Cole frowned in concern at Jay's melancholic profile and went to sit beside him, letting his duffel bag drop to the floor next to Jay's.

A pensive silence ensued, and Cole debated with himself whether or not to break it. Jay suddenly tossed the sphere over at Cole, and it was the ninja's quick reflexes that saved the object from falling to the carpeted floor.

Cole held the somewhat large and heavy sphere firmly in one hand and looked at Jay curiously. "You're a strong guy, Cole," Jay said. "See if you can open it."

Cole's brow furrowed, slightly taken aback by the younger's request and looked from his friend to the strange object in his hand. The sphere's smooth metallic surface appeared to be covered with inscribed runes across its center, and green eyes stared blankly at the little cryptograms until Jay enlightened him.

"The runes along the center reads: Two lovers take hold, and pull to connect thine souls."

"What?" Cole asked, deadpanned and Jay chuckled.

"Yeah, I know right? That's the same thing I said when my dad first told me what those runes meant." Jay scooted closer to Cole so that their knees soundly touched, but neither of them noticed. "Cole, what you have in your hand there is the Walker Family Heirloom. It's been passed down for a total of ten generations now through the hands of Walker men. Dad gave that to me as a present on my fifteenth birthday, and said that when the time comes for me to truly commit to someone I love and they were ready to commit to me, then I was to use this for clarification."

"Clarification?" Cole asked, glancing from the sphere in his hand to Jay. "Clarification for what?"

Jay's lips twitched into a wry smile. "To see if my partner and I were going to make it through the long-haul—through eternity. I was skeptical of course—still am really—but, I remember when Dad and Mom demonstrated it to me. They each simply took a hold of it and…it opened when they pulled."

"What was inside?" Cole asked next, enthralled by the story as well as by Jay's reflective expression.

"Light," Jay answered. "Connecting rays of brilliant white light. I thought it was a gimmick, ya'know? Just a silly little trinket that one of my ancestors made to make themselves feel better about their relationship. But then Dad assured me that it wasn't made by any Walker—or any human for that matter. As the story goes, it was Cloud Walker who solved the mystery of the sphere's origins, and proved that it belonged to an ancient race that dwelled on Ninjago long before we or even the Serpentine did."

Jay shook his head. "Anyway, supposedly what it does is that it takes the emotions from the hearts of the individuals who hold it, and then converts them into a type of energy. The energy is then used to break apart the sphere while still holding the two halves together. And that occurrence symbolizes the couples' undying love for each other. It proves that they are soul mates."

Jay turned away and bowed his head, his chestnut bangs casting a shadow over his eyes. "I want that to be true now more than ever," he whispered. "The sphere proved that Mom and Dad's love for each other was everlasting. Love can't just…disappear, can it? How can love be so complicated?" Jay's gloved hands gripped his knees tight, and Cole caught a glimpse of the first splash of tears as they hit the lightning wielder's knuckles. "I don't want them to split up, Cole. God, if only I had visited more, then maybe…"

Cole eyed the Walker Heirloom in his hand, and then moved to place it on a small crystal pedestal standing erect on Jay's nightstand where he was sure the former had gotten it from. He settled himself beside his best friend once more and placed a supporting hand on top of Jay's.

"Jay…I don't know if this helps any, but…I know what you're going through. My parents separated when I was five."

Jay's head snapped up abruptly and he turned wide, glistening eyes to the one beside him. Cole sat calmly as vivid images of his past circulated through his mind's eye. Even after fifteen years, he could still recall his mother's face perfectly: Long, wavy auburn hair, eyes like polished jade, a healthy dark olive complexion, and when she smiled…a dimple would show in her left cheek.

His mother's tearful farewell echoed within the chambers of Cole's heart:

"A can't stay here in a loveless marriage, sweetie. And if only you didn't have your father's face, I would take you with me. But he'll take care of you…I know he will. Be good, sweetie… Goodbye."

The memory stopped hurting Cole years ago, and he still hoped that wherever his mother was, she was happy. Cole took a deep breath and soldiered passed his surfacing emotions. Jay was still watching him wordlessly, shock and concern etched across his face, but the ninja leader assured his friend with a serene smile.

"My mother, Francesca, she left Pop because she felt he loved music more than he loved her. And I can understand why she felt that way. Back then, Dad was obsessed." Cole's lips curved sardonically. "Well, you all saw my house. Kinda easy to figure out, right…?" He shrugged. "Anyway, she felt she had to leave and Dad… He tried to reason with her and convince her that he had enough love for her too. And I tried as well. I didn't want my parents to split up, but in the end I was powerless to stop the inevitable…"

"Cole…you never said anything," Jay whispered and Cole gave another half-hearted shrug.

"Well, it's not exactly something I'd go around bragging about, Jay."

Jay blinked, a few wayward tears wetting his lashes. "I'm sorry," he said mournfully and Cole squeezed his hand.

"It's okay. Mom was strong and I'm sure she's happy. And Pop ultimately moved on too. I had a fairly rough childhood, but Dad took good care of me…just like she said he would." Cole then slowly leaned forward and stared deeply into Jay's troubled sapphires, his mouth pulled into a serious frown.

"But there's a difference between your parents and mine, Jay. There's still hope here. Remember what your dad said, he just went to go think about some things for awhile. Nothing is set in stone yet. And in any event, it isn't like you to fall into pessimism." An encouraging smile. "Right? Mr. Positive Thinking?"

Being this close to Jay was having some bizarre effects on Cole's body. His motives and intentions towards his best friend's dilemma were pure. And yet… He thought he was calm, and yet…

Why do I feel so…hot all of a sudden…? Why is my heart pounding so frantically…? Why…?

"Thanks, Cole…" Jay's quiet tone did nothing to pierce the heavenly fog Cole's mind was currently wrapped in. If anything, it enticed him more. "Thanks for being my friend, thanks for coming with me, and thanks…for sharing with me…"

Cole became spellbound by Jay's soft sincerity, captivated by his rare, pristine gems. "Don't worry about it," he whispered gently. "I know you would've done the same for me."

Jay suddenly leaned back and wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand. "Damn it... I'm crying way too much." He gave Cole a pointed glare. "Don't tell anyone, okay?"

Cole blinked, the blissful fog disrupted, but something still pulled at him. He didn't want Jay to act tough when it was obvious he was hurting. He wanted Jay to open up further to him, to be able to relax completely in his presence. He wanted Jay to share more with him.

"You have every right to cry, Jay," Cole reasoned firmly, and took hold of the hand that was still lying beneath his and lifted it. "It doesn't make you any less of a man for showing emotion." He moved Jay's hand to his shoulder and let it rest there. "I promise I won't tell anyone though, if that's what you want. This can be just between us. Only don't be ashamed, okay? You can let yourself go around me."

Jay stared at Cole as if he'd never seen him before, but Cole didn't say anything else, only smiled his support and loyalty to his friend. And soon, fresh tears gathered within ocean blues. However, Jay said nothing as he leaned forward and encircled his arms around Cole's shoulders.

Cole released an inaudible sigh and returned the warm embrace, coaxing Jay forward by rubbing soothing circles on his back. Hugging while sitting down was a little awkward, but the feeling of closeness was engaging all the same.

This feels…really nice… One of Cole's hands moved to Jay's head and the black ninja cursed the obstruction of his gloves as he caressed the silken chestnut locks experimentally. Hmm…he smells nice too…

Cole closed his eyes contently—the heavenly fog permeating his mind once more—and placed his lips next to Jay's ear. "I'm here for you, Jason," he breathed in a wanton pitch.

Jay shuddered in his arms and leaned back, his brow creased and his eyes searching. "Cole…?"

Cole licked his lips at the soft inquiring intonation of his name. Heat steadily rose inside of him and his heart thundered its tempo in his ears. Cole's deliciously fogged gaze diverted from questioning sapphires, and lowered to full baby pink lips. The pull within him was near gravitational! It was so strong!

God…what's happening…? I want… I want to…

The space between the two friends was dwindling. So much in fact, that Cole could feel Jay's warm breath on his lips.

Jason…

"Boys, dinner!"

Both ninja pulled abruptly apart like two electrons and rocketed to their feet. Cole's face was on fire as he stared at Jay with wide-eyed fear. But the Master of Lightning was not much better and nearly mirrored Cole's deer-caught-in-the-headlights look.

What the hell!? What did I almost do?!

Swallowing thickly, he lifted a trembling hand towards his friend. "Jay, I—" But no sooner did he get the other's name out, Jay zipped passed him and out the door. Cole cursed under his breath, but didn't give into the urge to dash after Jay. Instead, he stood awkwardly in Jay's room by himself and worked to regain his composure.

"Calm down, Cole. It was just… It was just…"

Just what? Cole's mind didn't offer up any answers, his heart, however, happily gave him one, one that he wasn't quite willing to agree with.

"No…it was just…a mistake."

With his heart still refusing to settle normally, Cole made his exit and trekked a purposefully slow trek back to the top of the stairs. Once there, he could already hear Edna's voice inquiring about him, although he couldn't hear Jay's response…if he even gave one.

Steeling himself, Cole began his descent down the spiraling metal staircase, thinking about how he was going to apologize to his best friend…for almost kissing him.