One, two, three, MESS.
Cole shivered, wrapping the scarf around his face tighter. He was walking alone that morning. Jay was sick and Zane had left school early to go on vacation with his father. He could walk to school with Kai, but he did not know where the brunet lived. It was a bit odd since Jay and Zane knew, but he did not mind. Just like how he did not mind walking alone.
He did mind the cold though.
It was almost winter break and the boy was rather excited to stay home for fifteen whole days with minimal homework to do. All the food he could eat over the holiday. All the cake...
"Cole!" The noiret heard someone call his name. He turned to look behind him and, sure enough, there was Kai running to catch up with him. The brunet grinned. "Hey, Cole! Glad I caught up to you. I get lonely after I leave Nya at her school." Stuttering, the darker boy looked the other up and down. He was wearing an oversized red hoodie and a beanie. It was several degrees below freezing.
"How are you not cold?!" Cole shouted, finally finding his voice. Kai looked down at what he was wearing. He must have seen something on the noiret's face because he smiled softly and put his palm against the still exposed flesh of Cole's cheek. Kai had no gloves either. "What are you- oh, whoa. You're really warm." It was like Kai had a fireplace burning in his gut. No human being should be this warm!
(Not hot. No, Cole will not admit to that.)
"Yeah, I know. Nya was cold, so I had her stand on my feet and be in my hoodie while I walked to her school," Kai explained. He put his other hand on Cole's cheek, and the other boy knew his face was growing warmer for other reasons. "It's funny. Ignacia is usually warm with very little snow. Nya and techāito are really cold. Værmisha is okay since she's not from there, but I'm more than okay. I guess I just don't get cold easily."
"That must be nice. Even when it doesn't snow, the city gets really cold and I hate it," Cole commented, shuddering when Kai removed his hands. They walked in silence for a few minutes when Cole realized that he did not really want that, now that Kai was with him. "What are you going to do over winter break?" The brunet shrugged.
"Depends. I don't know what my parents want to do," the boy answered. He grinned and turned to face the other boy directly, walking backward in doing so. "Cole, you have your own phone, right?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Can I have your number? I don't have my own phone yet, but I can call you from our house phone!" Kai said excitedly. "Maybe we can hang out over break! I hope Jay gets better soon so he can play with us, too." The brunet almost tripped over the curb for not paying attention to where he was going.
"Be careful!" Cole scolded. He added, "I guess so. Wait, do you have Jay and Zane's numbers?" The other boy nodded, continuing to walk backward. Cole sighed through his nose. Of course, Kai had his friends' numbers. Zane trusted too quickly and Jay was a hopeless romantic. "I'll write it down and give it to you at school."
"Hytäl!" the brunet cheered and hugged Cole. The noiret cringed at the sudden contact but did not say anything. He felt really warm.
And it was totally because of Kai's impossibly high body heat. Totally because of that.
Cole shoved the front door closed, glad to finally be back home and for winter break to start. Mrs. Garmadon had left no homework for the students to do, and the boy was grateful that such a miracle could happen. His fingers felt frozen. He rubbed his hands together and kicked off his boots. He wondered when it would start to snow. He liked the aesthetic of snow on the trees, roads, and buildings, but Cole did not enjoy having to trudge through it.
"Hey, Dad! I'm home!" he called out in the quiet house. He knew his father was home; who else would be playing music so loudly? He peeked into his father's studio and, as expected, there he was, dancing to the music despite his bad leg. When his father noticed him, Lou smiled.
"Ah, Cole! There you are! I have some great news!" his father shouted over the music. As Cole took off his outer layer of clothing, Lou announced, "I'm going on a short tour with the Royal Blacksmiths! And you're coming with!"
The room froze with tension.
"Dad!" Cole shouted, dropping his coat to the floor. "I thought I told you the last time that I never want to do those things, especially on school breaks! Dad, why would you do that?!" The boy ran his hands over his face and hair. The last time his father had done this, Cole had almost missed an entire month of school and spent weeks catching up on schoolwork and homework. Slowly, Cole took a deep breath and calmed himself. "I don't want to go. You should have told me beforehand you were going to do this."
Lou frowned. In all honesty, he had been so excited to be invited to go on a tour with the boys that he had not considered how his son would feel. Now that he thought about it, he had not been doing that since his wife had died...
"I'm sorry, son. I should have asked you, you're right. But I can't back out of this now. Maybe you can call one of your friends?" Lou offered a solution.
"Thanks. Sure, I'll try that." Cole frowned and clenched his fist, leaving the studio. Zane was immediately canceled out; he was on vacation. Jay could easily get Cole sick and the boy did not need that right now. The only person he could call was... "Kai." He was so lucky Kai had also offered to give his house number to the other. He pulled out his phone from his pocket and the slip of paper with Kai's number. He dialed and, taking a deep breath, pressed "CALL". It barely completed one ring before someone on the other line picked up.
"Hello?" Cole easily recognized the thick accent of Kai's voice. The brunet on the other side of the call gasped. "Cole, is that you? Hytäl, you called me!" Despite himself, Cole smiled and leaned against the wall.
"Yeah, I did. But it was actually to ask for a favor."
"Oh? What is it?" Cole took a deep breath. It was either Kai complied or he would have to accompany his father on tour. Please, please, please, please, please, please, please.
"Would it be okay if I stayed with you and your family over break? My dad is, uh, doing something really important and I can't really tag along with him." The line was silent and Cole was starting to get worried that somehow Kai was offended.
"Okay, I'm going to give you my address." Cole had a double take.
"Wait, aren't you going to tell your parents?"
"They won't mind. Do you have something to write with and on?"
Kai's home was small but seemed cozy. Cole shifted his backpack full of necessities and shuddered before knocking on the door. Hopefully, the house was warmer than the outside.
Cole heard running footsteps just before the door opened. He looked down and smiled at the young girl before him, wearing a hoodie that he recognized as Kai's from that morning. "Hey, Nya."
"Hi-hi! Are you going to live with us forever now?" the little girl asked, pointing to the overstuffed backpack. Cole shook his head with a smile.
"Nah. Just staying over break. Can I come in?" he asked. Nya nodded enthusiastically, even resorting to grabbing Cole's hand and pulling him in. He was right, the house was warmer.
"Eppêchójo bultīka. Take off your shoes," Nya ordered, pointing to the carpet. There was a neat row of shoes by the entrance. Obediently, Cole removed his shoes and placed them next to the second smallest pair that was most likely Kai's. Nya giggled. "Your face looks funny." It was true. The dark-skinned boy could not believe he was being ordered around by a third grader.
"Pyunìchi, is that Kai's friend?" a woman's voice called from the kitchen. Maya leaned out of the door and smiled warmly at the children. "Come in, you two. Cole, are you hungry? I'm in the middle of cooking dinner, so it will be ready soon."
"Yes, uh, thank you," the boy stuttered. Now he knew how Jay felt when looking at Kai and Nya's mother. She was like a siren. "Um, where's Kai?" Maya clicked her tongue.
"Nya, could you get your brother and father out of that room already?" she asked kindly. The young girl obeyed and skipped down the hall. Maya shook her head and smiled at Cole. "I'm sorry. I keep telling Ray that Kai doesn't need to know how to make his own knife, but that man never listens."
"Cole!" the aforementioned boy shouted and hugged Cole around his shoulders, taking the other by surprise. Cole came to a conclusion: Kai was definitely a hugger. The brunet pulled away and Cole got a better look at him. He was wearing a red cloth headband that kept his bangs out of his face and a white tank top that had probably seen better cleaner days. Cole may or may not had let his eyes skim over Kai's exposed freckled shoulders and muscles. Being a blacksmith's son had its perks.
Especially when Ray followed, wearing similar attire and had the muscles that would even make gods jealous. Cole swallowed thickly. Ray suddenly seemed a lot larger when he was standing and letting out bellowing laughter. He picked Nya up and sat her on his shoulders. The young girl cheered.
"I hope you're comfortable staying here, Cole. If you need to stay longer than previously thought, it is alright with us," Ray said with a grin and, for some reason, a wink. "Here, let me take your things." Cole held out his backpack and Ray grabbed it by the straps with one hand, the other on Nya's leg so she would not fall. He spoke to Kai quickly in their first language, the young boy nodding and going upstairs. "Don't worry, he is just changing. So will Nya and I. Stay in the living room?" Cole nodded, still a little uneasy with the titan of a man standing before him.
As Cole sat down on the couch, he inhaled the delicious smells from the kitchen. He recognized several foods like chili and some stir fry recipe. His stomach rumbled louder than he would have liked.
"I hear you're hungry," chuckled Maya. Cole's face reddened. "Well, dinner is ready. You wouldn't mind helping me set the table?"
"Of course not," Cole responded, standing up and entering the kitchen. The smells hit his nose even harder than before. Maya handed him three large plates with heaping servings of a vegetable-and-rice stir fry. Balancing the plates the best he could on his arms, Cole placed them on the placemats on the table.
"Thank you, Cole," Maya said, holding two more plates and a bowl of chili. "Oh darn, almost forgot the utensils. Here, sweetie." Maya grabbed five spoons. "You can start eating." Cole sat down in one of the chairs hesitantly.
"Are you sure? I don't want to be rude or anything," he tried to object, but Maya only held up her hand.
"No, you're hungry, and I will not allow anyone under my roof ever be hungry. Now eat. Kai, Nya, and Ray should not be long now." Grinning, Maya sat down across from Cole. "Here, I'll eat with you so it'll be less awkward for you." The boy smiled and picked up his spoon.
"Mommy!" Nya jumped down to the bottom step and ran to her mother. "Food now?"
"Yes, baby girl. Sit by me," Maya said, pulling out the chair on her right. Kai and Ray soon entered. Kai still wore the headband but wore more comfortable clothing. Ray sat down on his wife's left, which could be considered the head of the table, leaving two open seats left. The brunet just so happened to sit next to Cole. Suddenly, Cole found the meal in front of him to be incredibly fascinating.
As the family and their guest ate, Kai pulled something out from behind him and held it out for the darker boy to see. "Cole, look. I just made this today." His mouth slightly overstuffed with chili, Cole looked up to see a knife that was... well, there was no other way to describe it than ethereal. The shape of the blade was rather simple, having the appearance of a carving knife. However, there were indentations that made the blade seem like it was wrapped around by either vines or flames. The brunet grinned and Cole could not help but think of how much Kai looked like a puppy. "I finally got it right today. I wanted to show someone, so you're the special person to see it first aside from techāito." Cole could feel his face warm, but he was glad that his skin was too dark for the obvious blush to show. He just did not get why he was blushing in the first place.
"I wanna see!" Nya pouted, leaving her seat and crawling under the table to stand next to her brother. She giggled when Kai held the knife to show. "I like it. When can I make one?"
"Oh no, you're not doing anything like that," Maya interposed, shaking her head. "You've seen your brother. I don't want you getting hurt either."
"Mommy," Nya whined. She hugged her brother's leg, pushing her bottom lip out to emphasize her disappointment. It was at that moment that Cole realized Nya was a bit spoiled.
"Aw, pyunū, it's okay. I can always show you what I make and we can play with the wood," Kai offered, picking up his sister and sat her on his lap. Nya cheered and hugged her brother by his neck.
And Kai is the main culprit, Cole thought. He smiled. He had always wanted a sibling. Whether they were older or younger, a brother or sister, he did not care one bit. He just wanted someone to hang out with whenever he came home.
He laughed along with the family as they ate the rest of dinner.
"I hope you don't mind sleeping in my room," Kai said as he entered his bedroom. Cole followed almost bashfully. Kai's room was rather simple with a poster and drawing here and there. He handed Cole his backpack and smiled. "I don't want you to sleep on the couch. That would be rude."
"No, I don't mind. Thank you," Cole thanked, grabbing his backpack and opened it to search for his pajamas. "I'm really sorry for intruding on your break. I'm sure you had some sort of plans to do." Kai shrugged.
"Not really. Mostly just studying the common language. I can read some more complex texts, but it's still hard," the brunet explained. He turned around and, before Cole could even process what was going to happen, Kai had stripped down to his underwear. Quickly, he slapped his hand over his eyes.
"Whoa, dude! Give me a warning before you get naked!" he shouted. He could not see it, but Kai raised an eyebrow in the darker boy's direction.
"But you don't seem to mind when I do the same during P.E., especially since you do it as well and the other boys," Kai said and continued to change. "Besides, Nya and I shared a room in Ignacia and neither of us minded changing our clothes in front of each other." Cole sputtered.
"Yeah, well. That's different!" Cole groaned. "Whatever. Where's your bathroom? I want to change in privacy," he emphasized.
"Downstairs, the room opposite the kitchen."
"Thanks." Cole attempted to walk out of the room with his eyes still covered. Instead, he only succeeded in walking into the bedroom door that was left ajar. "Ow!"
"You should probably uncover your eyes."
"Yeah, I got that."
Kai had insisted Cole sleep in the bed, saying that he did not mind sharing and did not want Cole sleeping on the floor. Cole refused and wrapped himself in a better blanket burrito underneath the futon Maya had brought upstairs. He said he did not want to intrude more than he already had. While that was true, he had other reasons.
One, he almost saw Kai naked and that was... a surprise, to put it simply. Two, Kai was probably always unbelievably warm, so even if he was cold, the brunet might make the space under the covers too hot for the noiret. Three, Kai kept giving Cole funny feelings in his gut and he did not like them at all. (Cole decided to also ignore this reason.) Four- no, three now- Kai might get really clingy in his sleep. He was already touchy when he was awake, he was probably worse in suspended consciousness.
Still... he kind of did want to sleep in Kai's bed. That wasn't weird, right?
Cole listened to the brunet's soft snores and, despite himself, smiled. He wondered if Jay felt like this whenever he was near Kai. Cole's body felt tingly and he felt just a bit warmer than he did a few minutes ago. He shook his head and groaned in the pillow beneath his head. He really needed to sleep. Cole turned onto his side and looked up to try and see Kai's face. The brunet's long eyelashes brushed his cheeks, his mouth slightly open as he breathed.
Suddenly, Cole felt a lot warmer than before. He snarled and pinched his arm. He needed to stop whatever it was he was doing. In the end, Kai was just someone who somehow found his way into Cole's group and became friends with the three of them. Just a guy who happened to be genderfluid and wore what he wanted, had developing muscles as a blacksmith, could speak two languages, had braces, looked a lot like a puppy, really liked to hug others, with freckles that would never win against Jay's, skin that Cole really wanted to feel under his fingers...
Cole groaned and covered his head with the duvet of the futon. This was going to be a long night and an even longer break.
Poor Cole, he doesn't realize he's about as much of a disaster as Jay.
Quick little thing: since Ninjago is mostly based off Chinese and Japanese myths and culture (obviously), it would make sense that the majority of the people there would come from the same descent. I like to think that the reason the civilians have different hair colors is that of the different regions you live in, much like in the real world. So I like to think the same goes for their skin. (Thank god they're all yellow because they're Legos because then I can headcanon what they would look like! :D) Quite obvious with Ignacia, since it looks like an almost desert/tropical area. Cole could be considered African with how dark his skin is, probably about a medium brown tone. His ancestors were probably immigrants that left a tropical climate for the city. Jay has more fair skin from living in more temperate regions. Zane is a pale boi because of winter. Yeah.
Hytäl: This word has no direct translation, it's usually used as a cheer of happiness
Eppêchójo bultīka: Take off your shoes (Although Nya did explain this one.)
Also, Maya and Ray definitely would have spoiled their kids had they not been taken away, no one can convince me otherwise. And Kai spoils Nya whenever he can. C'mon, have you seen the boy?
Also, I'm serious about the poll on my profile. VOTE. ON. IT! Thank you.