Zane, aka tinman and Nya had arrived on board, both looking a little worn out.
Though Zane was complete titanium and bore robotic components, he still looked dishevelled. Maybe it was the sand storm they had flown through shortly after take off. He turned to Nya, she was shaking the sand from her hair. "Lucky we took goggles too, right?" She said, looking back at Zane who simply nodded in return.
"It was good logic Nya. I enjoyed this day, despite the sand storm."
"I'm going to freshen up, meet you all back in the control room?" She said, flicking more sand from her short bobbed ebony locks. She bid the tall nindroid a fond farewell and turned her back. And, instead of going into her room to disrobe, she eyed her boyfriend's shared bedroom and made her way there instead.
Nya had knocked on the room she knew Jay to be in. She was certain he was in there, she could hear him singing behind it and there didn't seem to be any signs of her brother around, it sort of made it the ideal opportunity.
*Knock* *knock* "
Hello! Uhm Jay, can I come in?"
"H-hang on a second, I'm uh just not exactly presentable, haa." Jay mumbled but it was no good for Nya had walked in on him as he was drying his hair.
Jay had a towel draped around his shoulders, stopping the droplets of water from trailing down his lithe defined trapezius and oblique muscles marking where that tempting curve fell at the front. He was of course wearing a further fluffy white towel wrapped tightly around his lower waist.
"Did you miss me?" Nya swooned into his ear making him jump in shock at just how quickly she had snuck up on him.
"N-Nya." He regained his composure after almost jumping out of his own skin. "I-I did miss you. You had a good day with Zane?" Jay said whipping around quickly to look her in the eyes. He gently wrapped his arms around her and placed a small kiss on her lips.
"It was okay, got what we needed." She answered, reciprocating the kiss with far more passion.
A fine healthy blush appeared on his cheeks. It was so easy to get caught up in Nya's sweet tokens of affection. "Hope my parents didn't keep ya too long?"
She shrugged loosely. "A few hours at most, they want you to go and visit them soon. Edna mentioned something about some washing she had done for you." Nya smirked and pulled out of his grasp, placing her hands firmly on her hips in a semi disappointed stance.
Jay noticed the mocking reprimand and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Haa, w-well that was when the washing machine here broke down." Jay quickly reasoned and then mentally face palmed at just how lame his excuse sounded even if it was the truth.
His parents had insisted, well actually his mother had, she had just taken it upon herself to grab his smalls and other items of dirty clothing she had found. She had bundled them into their jalopy before driving off into the sunset honking their musical horn as they left.
All Jay had done in response was cringe as they drove off as loud as ever. Cole and Kai had simply looked at Jay with a smirk, they both shared the same expression and mumbled something under their breath loud enough so Jay could still hear: namely "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree."
But that whole episode was over two months ago, leaving Jay with a significantly smaller stack of clothes than he had begun with, as well as a multitude of odd socks leading him to believe that the other pile of corresponding socks would be in his room back at the junkyard. But he didn't have time to go back yet, at least not for a few weeks. Meaning simply that his odd's and sods would have to wait because getting Nya to accept his proposal was now more important to him.
"Seriously I-I can do my own washing. I-I don't need my mom around all the time." Jay said but hid his blushing face from Nya as he eyed his old dark wooden bedside cabinet. The drawer top was open and if he could see the box it would only be a matter of time before she would see it.
Jay quickly used his foot and kicked the drawer shut before Nya could even see the black jewellery box that there in there as clear as day between lots of freshly laundered pale blue and white smalls.
"Did ya get what ya needed?"
"Wow Jay, it was like a treasure trove of junk. Your father is almost as organised as Zane is, everything has its own place. We had a bite to eat before we got started and he had found what we both needed before lunchtime." Nya replied closing the gap again pushing Jay onto the bed and climbing on top of him.
"Nya I-I can't do this right now, I'm on patrol tonight with Zane and Kai's in the shower."
"Oh Jay, you worry too much." She said as she placed a kiss on Jay's lips leaning over him, allowing him to grasp her hips firmly.
"How far do you want to take this?" He mumbled breaking the kiss.
"I love you Jay," Nya whispered in response, remaining in position, delivering kisses upon kisses. "So much."
Typically on cue, Jay was jolted from his pleasured senses by an angry irate master of fire who growled at Nya to get off and get out.
"What the Hell are you both doing?" Kai screeched.
"What does it look like Kai?" Jay replied sitting up red faced as Nya climbed off and straightened herself up in front of her brother.
"I'm an adult Kai, we both are. The only one who is acting like a big kid in here is you." She said as she walked off out of the shared room.
"Oh and we are careful Kai, we use protection too." She said as she disappeared from view leaving Kai staring into Jay's wide blue eyes.
"I-I don't wanna know Jay so just shut it. I said you had my permission and you do but the least you could do is refrain from doing what it is you're doing until at least until you marry her."
"Kai? We didn't do anything."
"I mean it Jay, cos all you're doing is rubbing it in my face."
"Fine…" Jay replied and sighed, he knew Kai was beyond his reach for the moment so he stopped talking and just continued to grab at his cleaned clothes.
He stood quickly and grabbed his clean ninja gi and the relevant netted tank top for underneath, his wrapped vest was next and then he was ready. He left Kai to dress on his own as he duly followed the smell of food cooking. Leaving the master of fire to work it out for himself despite Nya telling him to mind his own business at what they both get up to.
Of course it didn't occur to Nya that Kai wouldn't have seen it if she had just listened to Jay and not pushed the matter further. But no she was just too damned pleased to see him after being in his parents' company for most of the day and the fact he was squeaky clean and smelled like fresh citrus and musk had almost driven her over the top, but all they were doing was kissing and even then Kai had blown his top like the steam kettles of old, his top was well and truly blown and whistling.
Once all the remaining ninja had returned from patrolling, dinner had been served, Sensei had mentioned that tonight's patrol would be shortened as they were due for a change of scenery and as such both Zane and Jay would be required back at 4am no later.
Jay and Zane had quickly gotten ready after they had eaten. They had secured themselves with adequate weaponry, their own favoured choices as well as the standard katana's, kunai and throwing stars. Zane took his trusty shurikens, where-as Jay took his nunchucks.
Both were armed to the teeth and dazzling with metal with the addition of communication devices in case they needed to be in contact with the Bounty quickly.
A few hours later they had returned back to the Bounty, having seen no trouble nor crime taking place. It would seem that Cole and Lloyd had taken care of the majority of criminals they had come across the night before. All the lowlifes Jay and Zane had come across seemed to cower when they saw the ninja uniform, even though the night time did an excellent job of obscuring the true colours they wore, save for Zane's impossibly white and silver gi.
Miraculously, the duo had encountered zero trouble on what was to be their last night patrolling. It was indeed their last night in Ninjago city because Sensei had advised them mere hours ago that their new destination for the following morning would be a breath of fresh air. They had been told that they were due to converge and train in an area cut off from all civilisation named simply 'Grassland wilderness' for a few weeks at least.
Once the majority of Ninja were sleeping, Wu enlisted the help of Nya and Zane to program the new coordinates into the ship's navigational system, auto pilot would get them there but just in case of the odd glitch or potential electromagnetic pulse; someone with a modicum of electrical knowledge would need to be awake enough to take urgent action. And, being that Jay had been patrolling for the last five hours and duelling for hours before hand meant he needed to sleep.
When the ninja team had woken, the ship was surrounded by dense green trees, the gentle rusting of leaves could be heard in the distance. Jay stretched wearily and stood up walking over to the window, he smiled happily at the change of surroundings. He loved this time of year, some of the cherry trees were late blossoming yet the Japanese maples still had bright blood leaves holding snug onto their life force. The green hues of the mock cherry trees looked stunning against the dark wood bark and the silver birches looked just as spectacular.
It had only been Jay's birthday a mere month ago but he hadn't really celebrated it with his brothers. Nya had turned the tables and had taken him out for a meal instead, she had bought him some useful gifts as well as some rather dapper cuff links which he was planning to wear again in a day for his surprise proposal.
His first action now they were closer to Jamanakai was to confirm his secret booking to the restaurant to secure the booking for two days from now.
He grabbed his iphone and walked to the bathroom careful to avoid waking his sleeping brothers, namely Kai, Lloyd and Cole.
"Hello, I'd like to confirm my booking for Friday."
"Name please!"
"It's booked under Walker-Gordon, open booking from 11:30 until 8pm." Jay replied and shook his head at how stupid it sounded.
A meal at lunchtime wasn't his idea of romantic at all, for it simply screamed business proposition or contracts and all that hard selling stuff. Then he realised that the majority of people he may see in a few days will be just that, all sales reps, directors and bankers all too loud and obnoxious for their own good.
'Urgh God, why did I let him sway my timing choices.'
"I'm confirming for 11:30 until about 14:00." He replied and leaned heavily against the porcelain sink.
"That's fine Mr Walker Gordon, we'll look forward to seeing you on Friday as arranged."
"Thanks, see you on Friday."
Jay replied and hung up the phone slipping it back into his hoodie before exiting the bathroom and strolling onto the empty deck. Once there he took a deep cleansing breath in, glad to smell something other than city dust, diesel or fast food joints.
'One more day, I got this. Just gotta pop that question and then she'll be my fiancé if everything goes to plan haa haa.'