TW: anxiety attacks, bleeding, grievous injury
Jay wasn't talking.
Which, if Cole didn't know him well enough, he would have just probably brushed it off.
But, this was his boyfriend he was thinking about. And if the noirette knew anything, it would be that Jay was always talking. About nothing and everything, almost all at the same time.
Yet, the entire day, he'd been completely silent.
No humming, no tapping, no fiddling.
Nothing.
However, that didn't mean that the worry didn't surge in his heart when he found him, alone, huddled in the corner of their shared sleeping quarters.
Jay was tucked into himself, knees and arms brought in, covering his face.
Cole immediately rushed over.
"Jay..." he crouched down, calling to him in a soft voice. He reached a hand out, gently prying the brunette's hands away from his face.
"Jay, what's wrong?"
"It's...it's just an off day. I just...I can't I..." Jay started to breathe heavily, close to hyperventilating. He began to clench his fists, fingernails digging into his palms.
"Hey...hey, everything's okay, I'm right here." Cole reached out to one of his hands, wrapping it around his smaller fist. "Remember the trick we learned?"
Cole brought Jay's hand to his lips, pressing a quick kiss before placing it back onto the blue ninja's chest, his palm flat, Cole's hand on top.
"It's those slow, deep breaths, remember? The rise," Cole brought Jay's other hand to rest on Cole's chest as he took a deep inhale, "and the fall", he said, finishing with an exhale.
Jay began to follow Cole's example, his face becoming more relaxed.
"That's it. You're doing great," he praised softly.
They continued, breathing together.
...Thanks."
Cole smiled, moving his hand to rest on the side of Jay's face.
"I'll always be here for you, Jay. Always."
"Jay...why are you...why are you crying?"
He could feel Cole's eyes trying to focus on him. He ignored his boyfriend's question because he didn't want to give the answer.
He couldn't give the real answer.
Because you're bleeding. Because nobody is coming. Because you're dy-
Jay tried to shove the thoughts out of his mind, as he pushed his hands as forcefully as he could, applying pressure to the deep gash on Cole's stomach.
Cole tried his best to suppress the anguished groan that threatened to escape past his lips.
It didn't work.
This wasn't working.
He kept bleeding.
It. Just. Wasn't. Stopping.
He kept his eyes on his hands, on the wound, anything but Cole. Jay's vision was beginning to blur even more, tears filling his eyes, as they slowly rolled down his cheeks.
"Jay..." Cole's reached his hand out, trying to clasp at Jay's wrist. His hand felt weak, cold.
He finally looked into the eyes he was avoiding. "Jay...don't cry."
"B-but you're...I can't stop it-!"
"Oh Bluebell...didn't I tell you already?" Cole breathed out weakly, his gaze turning up towards the sky. "I'm...always going to be...here.
"...Always."
Jay couldn't say anything as he was left watching the love of his life, the strongest person he had ever known, struggle to keep breathing.
Focusing on every rise and fall.