Lloyd decided he was either finally coming into his own as a ninja, or the others were all just completely wiped out from last night's escapades. When the young blond man had awoken, his four roommates were still fast asleep. Kai had his sheets tossed aside with just his pajama bottoms on exposing last night's love bites to any one who cared to look. Lloyd smirked with slight shake of his head at the memories of the night before. Kai must have gotten overheated in the night, the complete opposite of Zane. The nindroid was basically buried under his blankets and completely obscured from prying eyes. Cole slept peacefully with towels scattered all around his bed, conjuring inappropriate thoughts in the boy's mind about what his leader might have been up to last night. Green eyes widened when they rose up to see the final ninja's bunk. Jay was sprawled out like normal but there were several dark patches on his blanket and his nightshirt. There was even a smear of dried blood on his neck.
Alarmed, Lloyd silently stalked up to the blue ninja's bed, climbed up to his bunk, and firmly pressed his palm against the slumbering boy's mouth. Hazel eyes sprang open and Jay gave a start with a muffled noise but when he realized he was in no danger, he carefully removed the younger boy's hand from his face. "What happened to you last night?" Lloyd inquired with a gesture at the blood all over his friend's bed.
Jay groaned with fingers pressed to his eyelids for a moment before becoming alert and glancing at the other three still sleeping ninjas and relaxing with a slight sigh. "I might have miscalculated." The blue ninja declared with his eyes locked on Zane still sleeping beneath them. The hazel lenses were trembling as though he was trying to see all of the nindroid at once even though the ice ninja was covered from head to toe. Lloyd glanced back down at the bundled up blond and opened his mouth to speak but Jay forestalled him. "Lloyd, please do me a favor and keep Sensei Wu and Nya distracted while I clean all this up. Please, we'll come to breakfast as soon as I finish."
Lloyd bit his lip with narrowed eyes but nodded regardless. "Sure thing Jay, but you are going to tell me what happened or else." He let the threat hang between them as he pulled away from Jay's bunk. Once he toed on a pair of plush green slippers, he padded quietly out of the ninjas' room.
The old boards of the ship's halls creaked beneath his feet making the ninja in training wince knowing his friends could move silently here. His skin crawled with that thought. Anyone could have seen him and Kai last night if the hole was still there. Still, someone could have listened to them without his knowing. And then there was that strange feeling afterward. The green ninja paused and spared a quick glance over his shoulder before doubling his pace. There was no one there.
Lloyd drew up short with a start when he stepped into the kitchen area. "U-Uncle Wu!" He barked with a blush.
The old man smiled at his nephew while pouring himself a cup of tea at the table. "Good morning Lloyd. I was getting a bit worried that you all overslept so much but I must admit the weather disturbed my sleep as well." Uncle Wu murmured tiredly before sipping his beverage.
Lloyd blinked, not comprehending. "The w- yeah. Man, the noise was horrible. I kept tossing and turning all night." He fibbed. He looked around the room with a slight frown. "Where's Nya?" He asked.
Uncle Wu closed his eyes, savoring the taste of his morning tea. "She may have had a long night as well. The storm is still lingering a bit this morning. I anticipate the others may be joining us shortly." The elderly man set the fine mug down carefully as his long mustaches lifted in a smile. "How would you like to help me prepare breakfast dear nephew?"
Cole moaned and pulled his pillow down harder over his head when hushed voices and quiet shuffles roused him from his slumber. The earth ninja still felt clammy from being out in the rain so long last night. He took a deep breath to prepare himself for the onslaught and sat up with bleary eyes.
Jay and Zane were busy having some weird early morning private conversation while Kai busied himself with pulling on a pair of jeans. The fire ninja was still shirtless and sported a wide variety of bruises that were shaped suspiciously like the green ninja's mouth. Where was Lloyd anyway?
Kai turned back to the dark featured boy. "I dunno. He was gone when I woke up."
Cole rubbed his eyes before refocusing on his dressing brother, realizing that he must have been thinking out loud on accident. "How much of that did you hear?" He asked hesitantly, hoping beyond reason that he had not narrated the path his eyes took down Kai's toned body and how je- No. Just hoping he had not told Kai what he suspected the man did with the youngest ninja.
Kai looked puzzled. "How much of what did I hear? You awake dude?... Long night huh?" Kai added belatedly.
Cole perked up at that. Of course the others would know he snuck out last night. Were those bruises that fresh? They certainly looked like they were. But how had Jay and Zane slept through the mischief? A sharp smell that did not belong in the boys' room regularly assaulted Cole's senses but he could not place it. The black ninja did know another lingering along with it. "Did someone hurt them self last night?" Blood. That was definitely the smell of blood, sex, and just something else Cole could not quite place in the mix. Man their room smelled like men.
"Blood?" Zane leaned closer into Cole and Kai's conversation. "I do not detect any excessive blood, Cole. Perhaps your nose is playing tricks on you."
"Yeah, maybe you're the one who's bleeding Mr. Sneaky!" Jay butted in defensively.
Dark eyes narrowed at the blue ninja before last night came back to Cole. When he snuck back in, it was quiet, too quiet. Jay was not in the room when Cole finally went to sleep. Cole had been so careful but... Was he followed? That still would not explain the blood unless Jay- Jay would not attack McKaila.
Cole shook the crazies from his head. Jay was definitely the one bleeding here but he was clearly okay or he would be whining. Cole decided to dismiss it. "Look, if I stayed in bed last night, you stayed in bed last night. I think that sounds pretty fair. Do we have a deal?"
Zane's brow furrowed and Kai fingered the collar of his turtleneck shirt, no doubt thinking about the hickeys it concealed. Jay frowned at the black ninja though before snorting. "Yeah, I guess that's fair. We won't say anything if you don't say anything."
Zane frowned at the blue ninja's words. "Say anything about what?" He asked nervously. Or maybe he just asked, sometimes it could be hard to tell with the nindroid.
Jay rose his brows at the blond. "Last night. We won't talk about what happened last night." He said deliberately.
Kai shrugged seeming uncomfortable, not meeting the others' eyes. "I didn't see or hear anything last night." He confirmed before heading out the door standing tall. Cole smirked. Of course Kai would not want Sensei Wu to know what he was doing to the man's nephew late at night.
They all had something to hide. Well, all except Zane that is. Cole eyed the nindroid warily. He felt mildly ashamed at wishing the white ninja would mess up just to make sure he had leverage against everyone. Zane was just pulling on his shoes and it looked like he was wincing occasionally. Maybe he did have something to hide.
The last three ninja went to the kitchen together finding the others gathered around some really delicious jelly rolls that Cole knew Sensei Wu was responsible for. The old master was the only one not hanging around the kitchen when Cole came in though. Nya was in her nice dress but Cole could see she would probably put on makeup before their outing today. Next to her, all dressed up with her hair already done, Lloyd looked disheveled still in his pajamas with his hair sticking up wildly. The boy was like the poster child for morning after awesome sex except apparently Kai was not much of a biter.
Cole paused while reaching for a jelly roll but snatched it up before anyone could sense his hesitation. With Lloyd at his left, the ninja leader had a perfect view of the other three male warriors at the table. Dark eyes blinked a couple of times just to make sure the teenager was not imagining things but it was still there. Jay, Zane, and Kai were all already dressed for the day and if that was not strange enough, they were all dressed like it was the middle of winter. Zane and Kai wore turtlenecks while Jay had on a coat and a scarf. It was bizarre for them to even be dressed this early but their clothes screamed that something was up. Did Jay and Nya- But what about Zane?
"You should definitely get her some flowers."
Cole did not register the words at all. His thoughts were still buzzing around what Zane might be trying to hide. Jay and Zane? It was crazy, but then again, so were they.
"Cole!" Nya snapped to get the zoning boy's attention.
"Huh?" He so eloquently responded.
Kai shrugged with an apologetic look at his sister. "He's been acting like a zombie all morning Nya."
"Maybe he's nervous." Jay mumbled around a mouth full of food.
Lloyd snickered. "Yeah, his girlfriend might have let herself go since he's been gone. How long have you been away from home anyway?"
Cole frowned. "I left when I was thirteen so almost four years I guess." He batted the math around in his head. "Maybe five." It had been so long...
"Cole, man, she might have moved on." Jay said haltingly.
The black ninja shrugged. "I guess we'll find out soon." He should have thought of that. He and McKay had not written each other since Zane arrived at the monastery. Keeping a long distance relationship that long was just crazy.
Nya smiled at him consolingly. "I still think bringing her flowers would be a great idea." She urged. All Cole could think was that it did not look like she stayed up late with Jay last night.
The morning was subdued for the ninja. Zane mused while examining his reflection. He fancied this was what being sick would feel like. For once, he was tired immediately after waking and most of his body hurt just to move it. He dimly knew the pain was just sensors telling him that he needed to perform some serious maintenance but he was still sore.
The white ninja smiled. These feelings had been occurring more and more since he discovered he was not like the others. It was almost like now that he knew he was different, it was easier to see all the similarities he shared with his brothers.
His family was so admirable. Zane liked to pretend their feelings were so strong, they were contagious. The raw determination each of his brothers had made Zane want to try that much harder. Their incredible sense of justice had the white ninja loathing any mistake he might make. Their love... The blond's smile wavered into something a bit more solemn as the nindroid tried to imagine what his brother might have felt last night. Zane wondered if Jay felt at all like how he did with his arms wrapped around his wounded brother for so long.
The android loosely gripped his own biceps, careful not to disturb the breaks in his arms. He could feel the ghost grip of the blue ninja's arms around him. Zane had not really wanted the embrace to ever end. It was irrational but the touch had been pleasant even as Jay wept on his shoulder. He liked to think that was how Nya felt in her boyfriend's arms. It hurt, somehow more than the damage his body had taken in the fall.
"Zane?" Lloyd ventured, his green eyes catching crystalline blue in the mirror. The younger man looked concerned. Zane smiled at the teen's reflection and the green ninja frowned. "Where'd you go last night?"
"I-" Jay had begged him not to tell anyone. The fear in his brother's eyes had made the android feel like he would have agreed to anything Jay asked for just to try to calm him down. The two had come up with a lie to tell the others if they were asked about the night before. "Jay could not sleep and wanted to watch the storm so I stayed on the deck with him for a few hours to keep him company." The words tumbled out so easily as if it had really happened that way.
Lloyd looked skeptical but did not comment on the fib. "So what did you and Jay do on the deck in the middle of the night?" The boy asked with a smirk.
Zane turned back to regard the shorter blond face to face with a furrowed brow. "We watched the storm?" The nindroid knew he had just told the younger boy this.
Lloyd examined Zane from head to toe with his head cocked in a way that screamed he did not believe the ice ninja then grinned. "You and Jay. Man, Cole has no idea what he's missing out on. I mean if I weren't- I'd-" Lloyd licked his lips and turned his back on the taller male. "Jay too? If that doesn't get you thinking, nothing will." The younger teen lamented quietly to himself as he moved away from the white ninja.
The nindroid arched a brow at the green ninja as he left and straightened when the black ninja entered their room. Cole was wearing a graphic T shirt with a pair of jeans that fit him well, allowing plenty of movement, and comfortable walking shoes. Cole was not smiling. He seemed preoccupied.
"Is everything alright my friend?" Zane ventured tentatively. Dark eyes focused intently on the nindroid and the white ninja could feel the familiar pressure of his own hands on his biceps. Perhaps he was malfunctioning. His limbs did not ordinarily move of their own accord.
The dark featured ninja's lips quirked into not quite a smile and he shrugged. "We can't stay long. Lord Garmadon has been quiet for little over a week but we still have to train Lloyd for the upcoming battle. And who knows when or where Garmadon might strike next."
Zane could see himself in Cole's face. It was the first feeling he felt as a nindroid. It was what Zane could only call regret. Zane had wished he had been there for the last moments of his father's life but Cole actually had a choice to make. Zane knew his brother's decision. They all did. Cole would see his role through to the end but he was forced to leave something behind in doing so. That was something Zane may never have to face.
The white ninja dropped his arms to his sides and spoke quietly. "You wish to stay?" The thought was preposterous. Cole had never flagged in his training, not even when he was confronted with his disapproving father. Having second thoughts was something not in his nature.
The black haired boy shrugged again. "I always knew it would be hard coming back but seeing McKaila- it reminds me what we're fighting for and it reminds me..." The dark eyes fell away as Cole was lost in thought.
"It reminds you of what?" Zane urged. He could hear a strange whirring in his head but he was infinitely more interested in his friend.
Cole met his gaze again. "She reminds me of what we have to give up."
All the noise stopped, leaving Zane feeling frozen. 'We' he had said. Zane knew who he meant. Cole meant that he and Jay had to leave their lives behind to become ninja. Even Kai, Nya, Lloyd, and Sensei Wu had friends they had to leave behind in pursuing this path. Zane had not made any sacrifices. The choice was made for him. He had no idea how to console his friend but he knew he must say something.
"You never came back because you knew it would be more difficult to leave again if you had." Memories replayed in the nindroid's mind of trips Jay had taken alone to return home while he and Cole had stayed at the monastery training. Zane had never thought it was strange when Cole refused every trip home Sensei Wu had offered. Cole rarely ever wrote home either. The strong ninja had been worried his desires would overwhelm his sense of responsibility, Zane realized.
Cole gave his tall brother another almost smile that did not come close to reaching his eyes. "Don't tell the others. You have nothing to worry about. I'll do my part. You ready to go, Snowball?" Cole's countenance was arranged as though it was any other day aboard the Bounty. He was all business, no... Regrets.
Zane followed his leader to meet with the others up on deck. Sensei Wu had gone back to his room after breakfast, leaving the younger warriors alone to do their business. Cole looked excited as he chattered with Jay on the still damp deck. Kai, Lloyd, and Nya were engaged in their own conversation and Zane was suddenly overcome with disinterest.
Just knowing of his brother's trepidation made Zane want to stay on the ship. He did not want to see what Cole had left behind. Most of all, he did not want to see the woman who had caused his friend so much pain even if it was unintentional. Cole was all easygoing jokes and levelheadedness. The only reason Zane did not speak up was that he wanted to be there with his friend through it. It was his duty to make sure his teammate made it back safely.
Cole laughed briefly at a joke from Jay. The boy's dark features were crinkled with mirth. His head angled back for a moment exposing his neck before Cole quickly cocked his head back downward to hide the lingering chuckles behind his hand. It was an intriguing sight with Jay's grinning face drawn close to the shorter teenager's. Zane felt like he should not be watching this moment. To him, there was just as much emotion there as there was between Jay and Nya or Kai and Lloyd. The two were clearly enjoying each other's company but that was not how things worked.
Zane turned his head away with a stirring in his already aching stomach and watched how Lloyd and Nya were oblivious to how the fire ninja's gaze explored his lover's body. Kai's mouth tightened in his scrutiny with his brown eyes still lingering low on the younger boy's body and the red ninja actually flushed a bit. That was certainly odd. Kai's face rarely colored when he was not exerting himself.
"What do you think Zane?" Icy blue eyes wrenched off of the red ninja's flustered face to focus on the hazel eyed boy who had addressed him.
"What do I think of what Jay?" The nindroid politely asked.
Cole chuckled. "I told you he was in la la land."
Zane frowned. "No, I am on the Bounty." He pointed out getting an exasperated groan from the blue ninja and another round of laughter from the black one.
Jay put a grounding hand on Zane's shoulder before speaking deliberately to the blond. "Cole said he'd show us around town a bit before we show up at his girlfriend's house. He says she can't meet up this morning but she'll be home just after lunch."
Cole nudged the blue ninja playfully and chimed in. "Yeah. I thought in the mean time we could bring the kid to the arcade and maybe grab some pizza. Plus, if Nya doesn't want to go then she and Jay can have some 'alone time'." The dark eyed boy stressed the last two words as though they had some important meaning.
Jay smiled brightly at his girlfriend and caught the attention of the other group. "Hey Nya, the guys want to go to the arcade until Cole's friend gets back home, you want to go?"
The girl smiled brightly. "Sure. Sounds like fun."
"Hey wait a minute! You guys want to go to the arcade now? It thought you said that was kid stuff." Lloyd huffed crossing his arms.
"Whoa whoa! Don't go ragging on my childhood now." Cole chided, waving his hands around disarmingly. "I used to play at the arcade all the time. Plus, what else do we really have to do?" Cole smirked knowing the younger boy would probably really enjoy a visit to the children's entertainment center.
Lloyd pursed his lips, clearly seeing through the ruse but a quick glance at Kai had the green ninja smiling again. "I guess I could play a few games." He announced with fake exasperation tinging his voice.
Nya threw an arm around the young blond declaring, "Sounds like a plan then. Cole, lead the way!" She smiled, waving a finger around enthusiastically. With how enthused his friends were acting, Zane could almost forget his own hesitance about where they were inevitably going. Almost.