Author's Note: I'm sick again everybody, so sorry! But I feel very warm—in a good way—that so many people have commented, faved, followed, and etc. You guys are all really awesome! It's sleepy time for me so…yeah…
Unexpected
By: Mad Betrayal
"In everyone's life, at some time our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit…"—Albert Schweitzer
Chapter 15 ~ Going against the Heart
Cole peeked out from behind the bathroom door into his and Jay's bedroom. His wife stood rigidly in front of their full-length mirror, staring warily at his reflection. The car ride back from the hospital had been spent in dreadful silence. And although it was true that the news they had discovered from Dr. Sugarbaker was consternating, Cole still believed it was something he and Jay had to discuss. And thus, he had tried more than once to get his partner for life talking. However, his efforts were more or less futile. All the brunette's responses had been either vague or clipped, leaving Cole little to no choice but to forfeit for the time being and leave his wife to his brooding for the remainder of the drive back home.
He watched closely as Jay suddenly turned and grabbed one of their pillows off the bed, and then with pursed lips, stuffed it under his shirt. Cole didn't try to restrain the smile that slowly stretched his lips upon seeing his wife's now protruding stomach. But when he caught sight of Jay's expression in the mirror, he instantly became worried.
He looked so scared. "Oh God…" Jay whispered fearfully to his reflection, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. Cole moved swiftly from his hiding place to join his wife before the mirror.
"You still look beautiful, Jason."
The other man hurriedly jerked the pillow out his shirt, and tried in vain to look unshaken. He folded his arms awkwardly across his chest—a weak grin of assurance twitching his lips ever so often as his eyes flickered back and forth from the reflection of his husband's concerned face to the floor.
"What? Heh… Don't tell me you believe that quack," Jay said, chuckling. But Cole could easily tell that there was no real mirth behind the subdued chortle.
"I hardly think she would lie to us, Jason," he countered, meeting his wife's shimmering blue pools from the reflection. "The possibility of you being pregnant…I believe it's true."
But Jay shook his head vehemently and ran a shaky hand through his hair. "No. No way! I can't be pregnant, Cole. It's against the laws of nature. Men can't have babies."
"Well…" The earth ninja briefly recalled what he had learned in Biology while obtaining his GED a year or so back. "…the male sea horse—"
"Are you really comparing me to a male seahorse right now?!" Jay snapped, and Cole wisely shut his mouth.
"No… No, I'm not." Cole knew that keeping Jay calm would be for the best, but given his wife's flustered and angry visage that goal seemed far away on the distant horizon.
"And the explanation she gave for the cause was completely ridiculous!"
Cole had to try to calm his wife down…stress was never good to have during a pregnancy. "Jason, I know you're scared, but—" He had reached out to lay his hands on the azure ninja's shoulders, but the other man quickly whirled around to face him.
"And you're not!?" Jay challenged indignantly. "Are you really trying to tell me that the concept of me having a child doesn't disturb you?!"
Cole frowned and let his hands drop back down to his sides. "No, I'm not. Because the idea of starting a family with you would be a dream come true."
Irate sapphires widened tremendously, and the gathered tears that had pooled within them finally began to fall. "Cole…that's not…" A quick shake of the head. "…That's not what I meant. It's—It's just the idea…children. We never really talked about it, but…when I agreed to marry you I, of course, eliminated the idea of having kids of my own. I figured we would try to adopt eventually as we became more financially stable. But now with this unexpectedly thrust in front of us… It's overwhelming—I'm shell-shocked… I don't know what to do. I don't know how to feel… I'm sorry. I-I do want a family with you—I do, it's just… It's just…"
Before his wife could completely crumble in on himself, Cole quickly enveloped Jay in his arms and held him close. "Shhh…" he soothed and kissed the chestnut locks tickling his nose. "…It's okay, Jason. You don't have to apologize, because yeah, I agree. This threw me for a loop too." Cole smiled when his wife's head bobbed against his shoulder. He then closed his eyes and pressed his face into Jay's hair, inhaling his delectable scent of crisp apples and cinnamon.
"But honey…can't we look at this as a blessing?" He whispered into the silken locks. "Think about it… I mean really think about it. You may have a baby growing inside of you, and it's comprised of both of our DNAs. Me and you. Isn't that exciting? Something that we thought was never possible before, just might be possible. And you know we wouldn't have to go through this alone. We have our clan—Kai, Zane, Lloyd, Brad, Sensei Wu and Sensei Garmadon. And our folks would definitely support us, and more than likely be ecstatic to be getting legitimate grandchildren." With each word Cole uttered, he could feel Jay's tension lessen and his breathing become calmer. "And remember what Dr. Sugarbaker said, honey. You wouldn't be the first man on Ninjago to experience pregnancy…not since the meteor shower. So if we're willing, we can set up meetings with other couples who have gone through this and see how they handled it."
Cole loosened his hold on Jay when the latter tried to ease back. His wife's cheeks were still wet with tears, though, the bashful smile on his face made the ninja leader inwardly sigh with relief. "Heh… You really think I'm pregnant, don'tcha?" Jay asked, his voice quiet with just a tinge of fear still apparent.
Cole returned Jay's smile and laid his brow against his, watching with interest as long dark lashes fluttered once before revealing those perfect blues. "Going by what Dr. Sugarbaker said and seeing how you threw-up every morning for the past week and half, yeah… I really think you're pregnant, Jason."
Jay's voice was soft and sweet as he breathed his next words. "Dr. Sugarbaker said I was so…I am?"
Whenever their chests were pressed against each other like this, Cole could always feel Jay's heartbeat—a fathomless link between two hearts—and the sudden increase in tempo matched his perfectly. "Excitement" was the emotion shared between the wedded couple, and Cole softly confirmed his wife's words. There being no reason to beat around the bush any longer.
"Yes…you are."
Sapphires remained locked with emeralds. "We have our friends and families to support us, but most importantly we have each other… We're going to have a child…and we're going to be fine."
His wife's optimism was returning in a flourish, and Cole had never felt happier…or more aroused. "Yes…" And thus with his passion ignited, Cole closed the miniscule gap between his lips and Jay's, soundly kissing his significant other senseless. He could taste the salt of Jay's tears from his previous cry, but it did nothing to diminish the deliciousness of mixed berries that had always imbued the lightning ninja's tongue.
Cole's hands—which had been idle on Jay's hips—swiftly moved downward to cup and squeeze perfectly round, denim-clad buttocks, subsequently causing the blue ninja to yelp and break the kiss. Deep blues stared incredulously into hooded jade. "Cole, what's that?! What are you doing?!"
The black ninja graced his lover with a sexy smirk. "Oh I think you know what I'm doing," he purred. "And you definitely know what that is by now."
It was as interesting as it was hot to see his wife blush like a virgin every time sex was either mentioned or insinuated, and with decisive swiftness, Cole swept Jay off his feet bridle-style. "Wait, wait, wait!" Jay sputtered, looking torn between flattered and irritated. "We can't do this! Not now! I mean…" He bit his lip nervously, a lovely blush spreading on his fair cheeks. "What if it's not safe for the baby…?"
Cole smiled happily, though, and turned towards the bed. "It is…for now anyway. You're still in the early stages—first trimester I believe it's called."
"What? Hold on…" Jay suddenly eyed his husband with wary suspicion. "When you said you forgot to ask the doctor something and went back... What did you forget to ask her?"
Not seeing any reason to be coy, Cole answered candidly. "About whether or not it was still safe to have sex with you, of course."
Jay's eyes bulged. "What!? Cole! You asked our doctor about our sex life!?"
Cole laid Jay gently down on their bed as if he was made of precious crystal, and promptly climbed on top of him, grinning all the while. "I wanted to make sure…" Brilliant forest emeralds became half-mast and smoldered into fine cuts of jade as they peered down lovingly at the blushing man below. "…You are everything to me, Jason."
Jay stared up at him for a moment before sighing and slinging his wrist over to cover his eyes. "Damn you…" he muttered, and the Master of Earth watched as his wife's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. "I love you too, Cole…with every fiber of my being…"
No matter how many times Cole had heard Jay say those three special words to him, it always left him breathless. Every day spent with Jay was like falling in love all over again, time after time. And Cole prayed that their children—however many they had—would take after their sweet mother more than they would him.
Feeling that unfathomable warmth consume his being, Cole gripped the wrist that shielded Jay's eyes and removed it, revealing those rare gems once more. He interlaced their fingers and kissed the back of the other's hand—the one with the scar etched across, the one that housed his wedding band.
Jay blushed. "Oh…uh…I-I just thought of something," he said, stuttering slightly and Cole cocked a thick eyebrow, Jay's hand still pressed to his lips.
"Hmm?"
"With this—me being pregnant or rather men being able to conceive with each other—Brad's premonition has reached full circle."
Cole blinked and lowered their joined hands. "Yeah, you're right…" He remembered that day, as it was a precursor to his and Jay's struggle to try to let go of their feelings for each other. More on Jay's part than his, but it was indeed significant. Half of New Ninjago City had been destroyed by the meteors…"destruction", but the mystical spores they had brought with them gave the Ninja "new powers", as well as gave men the capability to give "new life".
"Jay…?"
His wife below him was suddenly starting to distort and become hazy. And not just him: the bed they were on, the room they were in—all of Cole's immediate surroundings were slowly fading into the shadows. Until he realized he was standing up and enclosed in absolute darkness.
"Jay!?" He called into the abyss, his voice echoing as if he were in a big empty room.
"You know you don't deserve him… So why don't you just leave my kaasan alone, you bastard."
Cole recognized the voice instantly. "Lloyd?" But why was the younger ninja speaking to him in such a hateful way?
"You cannot be trusted… I should've killed you and that red-lipped bitch for hurting my kaasan…"
Cole was confused, his eyes darting from space to space, trying to locate his fellow ninja, but Lloyd's voice seemed to be coming from all around him. "Lloyd, what are you talking about? Are you talking about New Ninjago City? But that's behind us now—in the past. Jay and I have put that time of strife behind us."
"I won't let history repeat itself… I didn't do anything then—no one did anything then! But never again will I see my kaasan torn asunder… Never again will I see our clan rot and wither from the inside out! The incoming third piece will make sure of that… I have faith in him…"
Lloyd wasn't listening to him, his words cryptic and his voice low and quaking with barely contained fury. Cole's heart began hammering against his ribcage with trepidation. Something was coming—danger! Something was coming to rip him apart…but not physically…
A flash of white light—and there he was…Jay was standing just a couple of feet in front him. And though his profile was obscured by his long bangs, Cole could see the small downturn of his lips. His breathing became slightly less frantic at seeing his love materialize before him.
"Jay…" Cole swallowed and felt a hopeful smile tug at his lips as he took a step forward—to reach Jay. But whatever grin that was trying to form abruptly fell away, for another person suddenly appeared beside the lightning ninja—someone who got his heart pounding with terrible apprehension again.
Cole didn't recognize this man—not at all, but…it was strangely like looking in a mirror. He was slightly taller than Jay—about his height. He had roughly the same build as him too… Same dark hair but longer and more stylishly kept… Same olive skin tone… His roots could be from Southern Europia…like his were…
Cole couldn't absorb any more than that, for the man suddenly moved. He, on the other hand, couldn't… His body felt as heavy as lead. He could only stare, his feet cemented to the ground as the man's hand raised and brushed aside the limp curtain of chestnut.
Jay lifted his chin then, his soulful sapphires meeting the other man's soft caramels. Cole's heart had never beaten so madly in his entire life. He opened his mouth, outstretched his hand towards the pair, wanting desperately for them to stop as their faces grew closer to each other.
And then the man's lips moved…but no voice was heard… Only the words appeared in Cole's mind, emblazoning themselves, etching themselves, stitching themselves, burying themselves deep within the moist crevasses:
I won't hurt you like he did…like she did…like they did…
Tears fell from Jay's eyes…
"No…I…I…" Cole struggled to find the right words to explain his actions back then. But he couldn't… He looked on desperately as another man's lips were about to connect with Jay's, and could do nothing but shout—but then they froze before his words could ring out. It was unnatural, like they were locked in suspended animation…
But at least…at least…
"It hurts, doesn't it…?"
Lloyd's voice had returned. However, instead of being all around Cole like before…his voice felt dangerously close—like a hot whisper in his ear.
"Seeing the one you love about to kiss another…? Tell me, Cole… What does the pain feel like…?"
The earth ninja stared unblinkingly at Jay and the man, his heart feeling like it was about to implode. Surely, there was no greater agony…
"Jay and Nya were still in a relationship when the two of you did this to him, you bastard… You and that stupid bitch… But neither of you ignorant fuckers cared… So I ask you this… Why should he care about your feelings when you didn't care about his…? Huh? But do you really want to know what makes this scenario so very different from you and that bitch's?"
Cole could practically feel the smirk on Lloyd's lips.
"Do you see those tears, you bastard…? Jay cares…just like he always had… It's who he is… He cares even though you and him are not technically in a relationship… So just by knowing that, and knowing what you did…do you really think you deserve to have his love and loyalty…? Now…I want to hear you say it, you no-good piece of shit… No…I want to hear you scream it loud and proud how you didn't care about Jay—how you and that fucking whore played your little blissfully ignorant game of inconsideration and cheating… Go ahead! SCREAM IT!"
Infuriated and shameful, Cole whirled around to slam his fist in Lloyd's face, but in an instant the other ninja's hand was around his throat and effortlessly lifting him high into the air. Pure unadulterated primal rage was the only way to describe the green ninja's countenance as he spat his words up to his struggling leader and elder.
"Ha! Don't ever forget who I am, shit-for-brains! Now scream it! Tell me how you and Kai's slut of a sister didn't give a flying fuck about Jay! Tell me just how what a terrible friend, leader, brother, and just flat-out human being you are! Tell me, asshole! TELL ME!"
Cole's oxygen was completely cut off. Lloyd's hand around his throat was just far too strong. He tried prying the fingers from his neck with his strength, but the green ninja's might far surpassed his own for not only did the earth element dwell within him but all of the other Natural Elements did as well. The black ninja could only gasp, and peer down with pain into the belligerent scarlet stare of his younger brother.
But soon…his eyes widened as an old and conquered fear was reawakened with a vengeance. The fingers around his neck didn't feel like "fingers" anymore… They felt more like claws, and cold dread pierced his senses as they quite literally and painfully pierced his neck. The Lloyd that he knew was gone, and in his place was a menacing green dragon with flaring blood-red eyes, growling up at him, his voice guttural, animalistic, and full of hate. And what was more terrifying…was that Lloyd's tenor could still be heard within—spliced together with the snarl.
"What…? Do you have too much fucking pride to admit what a horrible person you are? Or are you and that bitch too oblivious to the heinous act you committed?! Admit it, you green-eyed fuck! Scream it! SCREAM IIIIIAAAAAAHHHHH-!"
With blatant fear, Cole saw the rising fire from down the dragon's throat as it continued to roar at him.
He knew what awaited him…
With his eyes snapping open, Cole bolted up from his bed with a fearful shout. He stumbled backwards through his sheets which were tangled around his legs until his back slammed against the wall and his rear hit the floor. Panting and gasping, his hands immediately went to his throat. The dream being still so disturbingly fresh that he thought he could still feel the sharp prick of claws around his neck. Feeling none, he tried his best to get his pulse under control.
*Knock Knock Knock*
"Hey bro! Cole, you okay? I heard a crash!"
The ninja leader turned wide eyes to his bedroom door. Kai. He shook his head in an effort to clear it before shouting back. "No! I'm fine! I just…haa…fell out of bed…"
There was a heartbeat of silence before Kai's voice reached him again, sounding most bemused. "You…fell…?"
Chest still heaving, Cole winced. He knew how ridiculous it sounded. Trained Shinobi don't just "fall" from clumsiness, but he'd be damned if he was going to admit the truth: "I had a bad dweam! Come in and hold me! And bwing me a nightlight!" Yeah, he wasn't going to say that.
Taking a deep breath, he ran a shaky hand through his thick shaggy hair. "Yeah, man! I'm fine!" he hollered again. "Just a trip-up!"
Another heartbeat of silence. "Alright… Well listen, Zane and I are the only ones here right now. Lloyd and Brad asked Jay to go with them to the park…and Nya tagged along…"
Cole took that little nugget of info with a grain of salt, hoping nothing terrible would happen while the four were out.
"Sensei Wu and Sensei Garmadon are also out," Kai continued. "They went for a stroll around the nearby village. When everyone gets back, we'll be on our way to New Ninjago City. Christmas is right around the corner after all."
Right…Christmas… Cole ran a hand tiredly down his face. He still had all of his gift-shopping to do, and the stress produced from his current relationship with Nya and nightly hallucinations this past week weren't exactly getting him into the holiday spirit.
He sighed miserably. "Okay, I got it. Thanks for telling me, Kai."
His brother of fire didn't say anything else, and soon his presence from beyond the door disappeared. Cole untangled himself from his sheets and got to his feet. And rubbing his neck, trudged a slow path to his adjoining bathroom. He flipped on the light and braced his hands heavily on the counter around the sink. He looked hard at the reflection of himself. To be frank, he looked horrible. His face was drawn, and his once vibrant green eyes were sunken and tired.
It was so obvious that his current predicament was draining his spirit, and whether in reality or tethering on the planes of his subconscious, he was constantly reminded that he wasn't living the life he wanted to live.
"Jay…" The one he wanted to be with was always within arm's length, but he couldn't touch him, couldn't hold him, couldn't kiss him the way his heart desperately desired. Cole bowed his head. Was there truly nothing he could do? Were these dreams just dreams? Truthfully, he didn't think so anymore. Since that night when he and Jay were sleeping together up in the observatory and he had his first dream of Jay, they hadn't stopped. And it's been over a week now. Their vividness, consistency, and duration seem to be strengthening.
His hand unconsciously reached for his throat again. "They're not just dreams; I have to figure this out…" He lifted his head and stared determinedly into his ragged reflection. "…I can't go on like this…" He lowered his hand and inspected his neck…no claw marks. He was unharmed.
*~XxX~*
It was Sunday, which meant no scheduled training. Which, for once, Cole was actually grateful for. The ninja leader finished his morning ablutions awhile ago, and keeping with his conviction and—taking a page out of Jay's book—optimism set out to accomplish what he said he'd do. So here he was, sitting on the couch in the Bounty's den with Jay's laptop in his lap, researching the concept of dreams.
As the computer booted up, Cole thought briefly about their new guest or quite possibly permanent resident and new clan member, Brad Tudabone. Over the last week, Brad had shown great physical improvement as well as stride to reacquaint himself with the outside world he had been deprived of for almost a year, especially after Jay and Lloyd took him shopping for some new clothes the other day. The bond between him and the green ninja was undoubtedly growing, and he was slowly getting a feel for everyone else on the ship. Overall, Cole thought that everything would work itself out with raven-haired young man…but the more he thought about Brad, the more his mind would wander over to his blond counterpart, Lloyd.
The Master of Earth frowned pensively, recalling the last half of his previous dream. Lloyd had been so antagonistic and hateful towards him in both words and actions. But in reality, their relationship was amicable as far as he could tell.
"I've never dreamt about Lloyd before, so why now…? And why did he…?" At a loss, Cole refocused on the computer screen and got to work. After fifteen minutes or so of surfing, he finally found an article with some semblance to what he was experiencing. His eyes traced over each word meticulously as he read out loud:
"Dreams have been seen as a connection to the unconscious mind. They range from normal and ordinary to overly real and bizarre. Dreams can have varying natures, such as being frightening, exciting, magical, melancholic, adventurous, or sexual."
Yes, these were the basic principles of dreams and he had experienced almost all of these prospects within his "Jay Dreams": The tranquility he had felt while simply lying under the shade of an old maple with Jay in his arms and soft gales going through his hair. The fear and sadness he had felt on that rain-chilled night where Jay had expressed his pessimistic doubts about love, which had resulted in him ultimately…ending his own life.
Cole clenched his teeth and shut his eyes tight. Even while facing his own demise by the claws of that Lloyd/dragon, nothing compared to the absolute terror of possibly losing Jay. He exhaled a shuddering breath and stilled himself. He had to get to the bottom of this. And he knew that categorizing each of his dreams was a step in the right direction.
After that one, his next dream was of his and Jay's wedding. And although he couldn't exactly see the scenery to clarify that it was actually a wedding, he could tell that that was the event happening by just looking at Jay and listening to the words he was saying. It was magical and very surreal, and the happiness he felt stayed with him even after waking up. However, the slew of dreams that followed were purely sexual. There were minimal words said between them and all he could see and adhere to was Jay, the highlight being the act of sex itself. The thrill, the excitement, the extraordinary ecstasy coursing through his veins and setting his body on fire as he made love to Jay over and over again utterly consumed him. And more than once, did he have to make that walk of shame to the laundry room to wash his semen-coated sheets upon awakening from his steamy encounters with his best friend.
Damn was that a time… The earth ninja fought down the blush that threatened to rise to his cheeks.
And now, there was his most recent dream. Or rather…a dream that segued into a nightmare. "Jay and I were living together…" Cole mumbled to himself. "…We were married… Coming back from the hospital… Dr. Sugarbaker… Jay…being pregnant…? How…?"
The answer was on the tip of Cole's tongue, but the words eluded him, being somewhere floating just below the surface of his mind. "…A dream come true… I wanted it so much...to have a family with Jay…" He knew he was in love with his best friend. Though Jay stopped him from saying the words out-loud, his feelings had been conveyed through actions. Cole touched his lips as they tingled, remembering the numerous kisses he and Jay had shared on their final night at his childhood home. He eyed his yogurt parfait on the end table—a little indulgence he had brought with him from the kitchen—and reached for it.
This was all he had really. The creamy combination of yogurt and mixed berries was all he had to remind him of Jay's taste. He closed his eyes in bliss as he stuck another spoonful in his mouth, making sure that he had an ample supply of blueberries and blackberries gathered. And, as always, once he started he couldn't stop. And in a flash he was scraping his spoon against the bottom of the cup.
The Master of Earth sighed despairingly as he looked down at his now completely empty yogurt cup. "…I haven't kissed Jay in a week and three days…" He shook his head and placed his cup and spoon back on the end table. "…God is this pathetic…"
Sighing deeply once more, he returned his attention on analyzing his previous dream. "Okay, I'll come back to that. It's the "Lloyd part" that's really bothering me…" As it should, for Cole hadn't experienced absolute terror like that in a very long time. The green ninja's words were jumbled in Cole's head, but the mysterious man's—the one that was… The black ninja's heart gave an extremely painful throb just then, the sound filling his ears.
He clutched his chest painfully, the agony of the nightmare resurfacing in a flash. Fear, disbelief, pain, and sadness were all rolled-up into one diabolical emotion: desolation. And those words that had been imprinted in his mind:
I won't hurt you like she did…like he did…like they did…
But…I apologized… Cole thought hopelessly. We both did… It's behind us… But then, he gave sudden pause when he realized there was another side of the spectrum… Nya… She didn't apologize to Jay. Plus, that strange nagging feeling of "not right" tugged at him again as it once did on the day Nya chose him over Jay.
Why did she really choose me…? The reason she gave Jay seemed very vague and inconclusive... I need to talk to her about this…
Recovered somewhat, brilliant emerald eyes found the computer screen again. "The events of dreams are generally outside of the control of the dreamer, with the exception of lucid dreaming, where the dreamer is self-aware…" Well, yeah, I can definitely say I'm self-aware during it all… Cole skimmed further down the page until he found something most interesting. "…Dreams can also be identified as yearnings of the subconscious and/or visions of the future, with the time and event happening either in the near or far…"
Cole promptly closed the laptop. "Fuck…" He thought quickly. Okay, "yearnings of the subconscious" I can understand, but there's no way in hell that I would ever yearn for Jay to leave me. So then…what happens on that cold and rainy night…and that man… No… No…
"Oh, so this where you were…"
Startled, Cole looked over his shoulder to see Kai closing the door behind him and strolling up to the couch. He looked quite serious… The ninja leader watched him curiously as the fiery ninja came around the opposite end and plopped himself down next to him.
Cole calmed himself and regarded his brother. "What's up? Is something wrong? Where's Zane?"
The red ninja crossed one leg over the other and leaned back fully, throwing his arms along the back of the couch. He then turned his head towards the other man. "Zane went back down to Jay's lab," Kai informed him casually. "Though there hasn't been any unusual activity around Ninjago's orbit, he believes it would be wise to remain vigilant until the twelfth has passed."
Cole nodded. Brad's prophecy still loomed over their heads, after all. "Alright so…what's up?"
Still sporting a serious mug, Kai's sharp golden-amber eyes narrowed critically. "Why are you with my sister when it's so obvious you'd much rather be with Jay?"
Cole's bushy eyebrows shot up into his hairline. Kai's question scattered all other thoughts from his mind and left it blank. "What?"
Sucking his teeth haughtily, Kai rolled his eyes. "Don't "What?" me, bro. Ever since the two of you got back from the Sea of Sand something's been up. First off, you've been giving him "looks" like no one's business. It seems like every time Jay enters the room your eyes shoot right to him, and everything else around you ceases to exist—including Nya."
Cole swallowed. He opened his mouth, but Kai didn't let him utter a single syllable. "And there's been all these weird things I've been noticing too. Like how you've been stuffing yourself silly with yogurt parfaits like you're hoping for a good bowel movement. And Jay's been walking around eating milk chocolate bars like he's Mello from Death Note, and complaining when he thinks no one's around about how it's so cold in his room at night." Kai huffed and turned away, his voice lowering an octave. "And I absolutely hate seeing that fake-ass smile on his face." He peered at Cole through his peripheral. "Back at the Sea of Sand…you two fell hard for each other. Enough so that not being able to express your love is making you both miserable. And the reason why you two can't be together is because of Nya, isn't it?"
There was really no point in refuting Kai's accusation, and in truth he didn't want to. Releasing yet another sigh, Cole tiredly relaxed against the sofa's cushions. The smile that curved on his lips was rueful. "I wasn't exactly trying hard to hide it, huh?" Emerald eyes strayed down to the laptop in his lap. "I bet you're thinking something like this has an easy solution—cut out the middle-man…or in this case woman…"
When Kai said nothing, Cole continued to release his qualms. "…But it's not just me, Kai. It's Jay too." He looked at his brother then, meeting his sharp gaze. "He still loves her, and cares about her happiness. Enough so that…he doesn't want us to be together." Cole grimaced, his brow puckering. "There's something wrong with that, isn't it? It's not right."
"Well of course it's not right!" Kai snapped vehemently. "You never want to be with someone out of obligation. Who cares if Nya chose you! You're not a Pokemon! You don't automatically have to bend over backwards to make her happy!"
Kai's words and brash tone shocked the older ninja into speechlessness. He stared at Kai as the latter just shook his head. "Jay has always been a character, but if there was one thing that I never worried about…it was his commitment to Nya. He adored her, and every one of us knew it and witnessed it. And as for my sister…" His expression suddenly turned somber. "…As much as I love her, and hate seeing her hurt…she still has some maturing to do, and has to face-up to her mistakes… She's not perfect…no one is…"
Was the fire ninja talking to himself or to him? It was hard for Cole to tell. "Kai…?"
His brother blinked slowly before turning to face him again. "My father told us something once…that love was as dangerous as it was consequential. That Newton's Laws were to be applied to everyday life, and not just the sciences… I wonder if Nya forgot that…"
"Newton's Laws…?" Cole thought for a second. …With every action there's an equal and opposite reaction…
Kai smirked. "What? Have you been dreaming about him too?" He asked coyly, derailing Cole from his inner musings. "You've been kinda sluggish during training the last couple of days. Sensei Garmadon was really riding your ass."
Recovering, the earth ninja removed the laptop from his lap and placed it on the end table. "Stop being so perceptive, it's not like you," he mumbled begrudgingly, causing Kai to chuckle. "But seriously though…I guess I was just fooling myself in thinking I could try with Nya." Cole's heart thumped readily in agreement—tired of being ignored. "I want to be with Jay. Being his best friend is just not enough."
"Then do something," Kai advised forcefully. "If you and Jay's love for each other is as strong as I think it is, then whatever the future may hold you two will be okay."
Cole licked his lips. "Yeah, I have to believe that we can make it no matter what."
In retrospect, the more he dreamt about Jay, the less interested he became in Nya. There was really no reason to compare the two, for they were both—despite sharing similar interests and hobbies—completely different people. Cole had to wonder really, that back during the travesty in New Ninjago City if he was more attracted to the idea of being with her, than being attracted to her. Given what he had observed and learned this past week in her insistent company, she really wasn't his type. She was pretty, sure, but beauty was only skin deep. And shockingly, he had discovered that she could be quite conceited and self-absorbed. In short, he simply missed spending the majority of his time with Jay.
I seriously doubt I have precognition like Brad. But if my dreams are really visions of the future, then I can't hesitate on this matter any longer. I have to keep my eyes open…
The ninja leader graced his younger brother with a grateful smile. "Thanks, Kai. Your blunt concern really helped me."
Kai shrugged. "Yeah well, the heart wants what the heart wants. And going against it will just fuck you up in the end. Plus, I don't want Zane worrying about you two. No siree…"
Cole eyed the suggestive smirk on Kai's face and sweat-dropped. "Yeah…he'd best be worrying about you—"
The abrupt opening of the den's door alarmed the two sitting ninja and they stood up immediately, whirling around to meet the intruder. "Zane?"
The Master of Ice turned to the pair anxiously. "I found something amidst Ninjago's orbit! Everyone must see this!"
Author's Note: I'm so sickly and tired…*sniff*… Please leave your thoughts, though!