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Scarlet Tanagers are strong fliers, making swift, direct flights and migrating long distances in fall and spring. Males arrive early on their breeding grounds to defend loose territories that include mating, nesting, and foraging areas.
Zane sat beneath a tree, the plant's overhanging branches and leaves providing plenty of shade, hiding him away from the sun's intense rays. The nindroid sighed in contentment as he felt himself relax.
It had been a good day so far. There were no missions to be done, no people to save, and Wu had been especially lenient that day, allowing the ninja time to themselves. They had landed The Bounty in an open field (per Kai's suggestion), and each of them had gone off to do their own thing. Jay had gone to a nearby town in hopes of finding a comic shop, dragging Lloyd along with him. Kai had gone to town as well, though he claimed he needed to shop for some new clothes.
"Being this handsome requires some work, you know?" The Red Ninja winked, earning him a few eyerolls from his peers. Nya had begrudgingly gone along with her brother in an attempt to regulate just how much he spent, having no doubts that her brother would spend a majority of his savings on a something really overpriced and unnecessary and come home claiming it was "totally worth it".
Meanwhile, Cole was currently foraging around the kitchen for something to snack on, the burly boy surely in the mood for some cake.
As he sat beneath that tree amidst the field, Zane felt a slight dip at the corner of his artificial lips. Being the saviors of Ninjago (and, let's face it, the entire world) didn't leave much time for leisure, so when he learned that he and the others would have the day off, the nindroid had hoped to spend his time relaxing with his boyfriends.
Seemed they had other plans, though.
The White Ninja sighed. The day was still young. Perhaps the four of them will spend time together later. Shaking his head from his thoughts, Zane turned his attention back to the book in his hands, his artificial eyes skimming over the various words to find the spot he'd left off of.
Territorial singing battles sometimes can escalate to confrontations, where one or both males spread and droop their wings and raise their tail in threat. If neither backs down, the standoff culminates in one male chasing another. Scarlet Tanagers are -
"Hey, Snowball. Having fun there?"
Zane looked up from his book, eyes slightly wide with surprise. There beside him stood Cole, the Master of Earth gazing down at the nindroid with a small smile on his face. He was dressed in a simple black tank top and matching pair of jeans, the dark fabric having been ripped and shred with a pair of scissors. Zane still didn't quite understand the need to deface clothing in such a way, but he recalls Jay saying something about "keeping up the aesthetic" or something like that.
And if it really made Cole happy, then Zane supposed he'd let it slide.
"Hello, Cole," the nindroid greeted, his attention now fully resting upon his burly boyfriend. "Is there anything I can assist you with?"
Cole blinked a few times before he glanced away, a sheepish smile creeping upon his face. "Uhh, actually, I was kinda hoping you could maybe... tell me where Jay hid his snickerdoodles? I can't find them..."
Zane blinked up at his boyfriend as he processed his request, then gave the other a stern (but soft) look. "Cole. You are aware that there's a reason Jay hides them in the first place, yes?"
The Black Ninja groaned. "Yeah, but it was just that on time! If he doesn't put his name on the box when he puts it in the pantry then it's free game!" Cole complained before giving his boyfriend a pleading look. "C'mon, Zane, he barely eats them anyway. I'd be doing him a favor by giving him one less thing to worry about!"
"Cole, no, if you wish to eat Jay's cookies then you must ask him for permission first. Also, touching his belongings without consent will only result in him distrusting you."
Cole sighed, his shoulders drooping in defeat. "Yeah... yeah, you're right. Bluebell would probably zap me half to death if I did that."
"I can assure you he won't, he cares too much to purposefully injure you like that... although, I suppose he would be rather displeased."
Nodding in agreement, Cole looked around before asking, "So, what are you doing out here anyways?"
Zane held his book up for the other to see. "I was just reading. I thought I might be able to finish it today and perhaps find another to read."
Squinting as he read the cover, Cole read aloud, "A Complete Encyclopedia of the Tanager Species."
Zane nodded his head, a delighted smile on his face. "Yes, it's quite the interesting read. If you'd like, I can let you borrow it as soon as I'm finished," He offered, despite knowing that the other probably wouldn't take up on the offer. Cole wasn't too interested in birds.
Speaking of who, the Master of Earth only looked down at the other warmly, his face adorned with a look of adoration and fondness that carried up to his eyes, the look causing the nindroid's artificial heart to beat faster. "Maybe some other time," Cole said as he walked behind Zane, the action confusing the White Ninja until he heard the other plop down behind him and weave his muscular arms around his middle as he rested his chin upon Zane's (literally) cold shoulder. "For now, though, I think I just wanna hold you for a while."
Zane felt his face heat up, his systems overworking as he was sent into a happy fluster. "I suppose I will allow it," he said with smile, then turned his head slightly to place a gentle kiss on the Cole's forehead. Cole only smiled dopely at the affection and nuzzled his head into the back of the other's neck as he squeezed him tighter.
So there they sat beneath the tree, Cole resting his back against the trunk while Zane read calmly, wrapped in Cole's strong arms. The scene was domestic, and while the nindroid was content, he knew he wasn't entirely so-- there were still two major factors missing from this perfect situation.
Zane had just finished the last page when he heard Cole break the peaceful silence. "Sooo... you sure Jay will get mad if I eat his snickerdoodles?"
A (fond) sigh. "Yes, dear, Jay will dislike it if you eat his snacks, especially the snickerdoodles. He worked very hard to make them, you know." Zane thought back to a couple days ago when the Blue Ninja approached him, nervous yet eager as he asked Zane to help him make some treats for his parents, knowing full well just how capable the nindroid was when it came to baking and cooking. In the end, partly due to Jay's excitement and Zane's willingness to help, the two had accidentally baked far more cookies than they had planned, resulting in Jay keeping some leftover to share with the team (and eat himself, obviously). Zane cherished that memory.
"Yeah, I guess," Cole agreed. "... But if he doesn't finish them by next week-"
"Then I'll throw them away because they'll be bad by then," another voice interrupted.
From their spot on the ground, both boys turned to see the Master of Lightning standing beside the tree, arms crossed as he directed a pout at Cole. He was dressed casually, with a pair of jeans, a blue sweater, an orange scarf wrapped around his neck, and he held a plastic bag in one hand. "I can't believe you'd plot behind my back like that, Cole. And here I thought you loved me!" Jay threw an arm over his head over-dramatically, swaying on his feet.
Thankfully, Zane had grown used to the Blue Ninja's dramatic and joking nature, so instead of freaking out over the prospect of his lovers fighting he simple chuckled. "Do not worry, Jay. I believe Cole is smart enough not to go through with something so devious."
"Wha- Hey!" The Black Ninja complained. "It's not devious! They're just cookies!"
Jay put his hands on his hips as he leveled the other with a look. "If Zane made you a cake and I ate it before you even got the chance, that'd be pretty devious of me, wouldn't it?"
Cole tensed at the prospect. "Well- I mean, yeah, obviously, but it's not like you'd ever do something as horrible as that, right? Haha..."
"..."
Cole's eyes grew wide with horror. "R-right? Bluebell?? You wouldn't do that to me, RIGHT???"
The Lightning Master burst out laughing and skipped closer to ruffle a distressed Cole's shaggy hair. "Aw, of course not, big guy! I'm not a gremlin."
Huffing in relief (and slight annoyance), the burly boy grumbled lowly, "That's obviously a lie."
"Rude!" Jay smacked a hand against Cole's shoulder. "And to think I was actually gonna give you the rest of my cookies."
"Oh, wait, no, I-"
"I'm kidding!" Smiling wide, the lightning master leaned down and placed a kiss atop the bigger male's head, giggling as he did so. "I was gonna give them to you anyway."
Ignoring the other male's sputtering, Jay moved from his spot standing above his two boyfriends and crawled between Zane's legs, wriggling his body between the ice Master and his book, his back against Zane's chest as he peered at book Zane held in front of him. "What'cha readin' about? Birds?"
"Indeed," the nindroid hummed. He looked down at the smaller ninja freckled face and smiled fondly. "How was your trip to town, darling? Did you find what you were looking for?"
Jay's cheeks flushed at the pet name. "Not really. They didn't have any comic shops." The pout on his face dissolved instantly as he beamed and gestured towards the plastic bag he had set off to the side. "But there was this really awesome game store- I swear, it was huge! I'm talking two story building, just completely PACKED with all these super cool consoles and games- me and Lloyd got lost, like, three times! And- OH!" Jay paused mid-babble to hastily pull out something small and rectangular out his plastic bag and held it up for his two boyfriends to see. "Ta daaaa! Cool right?"
Huffing in amusement, Cole stretched his arms further in order to wrap his arms around the blue boy as well, effectively holding both Jay and Zane close. "They didn't have a comic shop, but they had a two story video game store?"
"I mean, I'm definitely not complaining." Jay shrugged as he began to fiddle with the device in his hands.
Zane gazed curiously down at said device and shut the finished book in his hands before placing it on the grass beside himself. "What is that, if I may ask?"
Eyes wide, the Master of Lightning gazed at the taller with shock. "Wha- ZANE! It's a Game Boy!"
"Game... boy?" Zane stared at the device incredulously. "It... does not look like a boy??"
Cole snorted, his chin resting upon Zane's shoulder as Jay burst into a series of manic giggles while poor Zane could only sit there, hopelessly confused.
"Your too cute, sometimes," Cole insisted.
"You now what, I'll let you lack of retro game knowledge slide just because of how adorable you are." Jay leaned back and nuzzled his head against the nindroid who's cheeks instantly heated up at the display of affection. "It's not actually an android or anything, Flurry," Jay giggled. "It's just the brand name, you know?" Turning his attention back to the console, the blue buy turned the device on and Zane watched as the screen loaded up, the name Game Boy dancing across the screen. "It's one of the more retro game consoles, kinda like an old-school DS. I used to have one when I was younger, but I found it in the junkyard, so it was already pretty busted and didn't last long."
"Well," Zane hummed, running his cool fingers through the boy's ginger locks. "Hopefully, this one will live to see longer days"
Jay only snorted at that. "Yeah, if Kai can keep himself from smashing the buttons in. Seriously, that guys gets way too intense sometimes."
"Yeah, but you love me anyway, huh?" A voice chuckled.
The Red Ninja came into view and stood before the three males, his eyes skimming over them in amusement. Dressed in a dark pair of jeans and a red lettermen, he held a paper bag in his hands. "What's this? You guys are having a cuddle session without me? What the fuck, guys, I thought we were boyfriends."
"Nobody's stopping you from joining, Hothead," Cole replied, his eyes soft as he looked up at the other.
Kai smirked. "Well, if you insist..."
Without warning, the Fire Master sped forward with a leap, startling his boyfriends, Jay especially. The freckled boy was at the forefront of the attack and let out a gust of air as Kai flopped down onto him, the console flying out of his hands as the spiky-haired brunette happily buried his face into his abdomen.
"Gak! Kai, you idiot! That hurt!" Jay squawked and halfheartedly thumped a fist upon his boyfriend's head. Zane tried to comfort the blue boy by gently rubbing his arms while Cole held his head with a groan, the impact having sent his head thumping against the tree he was leaned against.
"Aw, baby, I'm sorry. I just got excited." Kai looked up at the Jay, his eyes slightly regretful as he gave his boyfriends an apologetic smile.
Unable to stay mad at the brunette, Jay only huffed with a pout as he began to pet the Fire Master's hair. "Whatever... you owe us all cuddles later, though."
"That seems like a sufficient punishment," Zane stated as he began stoking the brunette's hair as well, a smile on his lips. Cole only nodded in agreement as he joined his boyfriends in petting Kai's hair, the Fire Master melting under the gentle ministrations.
"Wait, is that a new jacket?" Jay asked suddenly, drawing everyone's attention to the Fire Master's attire. It did, in fact, appear that Kai had gotten something new to wear. it was a standard red lettermen jacket, a large gold 'K' sewn onto the back..
Kai turned so he was lying on his back, the grin on his face in full view. "Pretty cool, right? It was the first thing I saw and I knew I just had to get it."
"Looks expensive," Cole commented from his spot from behind the other two. He chuckled as he smirked at the Red Ninja. "So... how much did it cost?"
A pink tinge overtook Kai's cheeks as Jay snorted and Zane huffed out an amused sound through his nose. Brows scrunched together, the brunette bit out a defensive, "Whatever, man. It wasn't even that expensive. Besides, I had better things to spend my money on."
"Yeah?" Cole arched an eyebrow at his boyfriend. "Like what?"
"Oh... uhhh..." Face becoming considerably redder, Kai stole a quick glance at the paper bag he'd brought with him. Unfortunately, Jay had seen this and quickly snatched the bag, ignoring Kai's protests as he peeked inside.
The Lightning Master's eyes widened with a gasp before cooing loudly at the red-faced Master of Fire. "Awww, Kai! Look at you, being all sweet!"
Kai, who had thrown his arms over his face to hide his embarrassment, groaned loudly. "Sh-shut up!"
"What is it?" Cole asked, both his and Zane's interests piqued.
Jay handed the bag over to Zane and turned over to look at the nindroid, beaming excitedly as he watched his taller boyfriend reach into the bag and pull out it's contents.
Zane stared in awe at the book he held in his hands. It was large and rather thick, the cover a royal shade of purple with intricate gold designs weaving along the surface and along the spine. Delicate, golden letters came together over the cover to form the title, Avian Rarities of the World, while smaller letters settled just below to indicate the author. Zane opened the book and breathed in the pleasant scent of papyrus, a smile gracing his lips. The book had been released recently by one of the nindroid's favorite authors and was one he'd been meaning to read, but it was not yet in libraries and was rather expensive. He'd mentioned the book in passing, but it seemed someone had taken the comment to heart. Speaking of which...
Zane looked up, surprised to notice that it had gone quiet and all his boyfriends were watching him in anticipation, Kai included. The Fire Master had sat up a bit, his body twisted towards the nindroid as he looked on nervously, seemingly bashful (a rare emotion on the usually confident ninja).
"Uhhh... do you... do you like it?"
The Master of Ice only smiled adoringly at the brunette and cupped his cheek, pulling the other boy closer to press their lips together in a loving embrace. Kai breathed out his nose, his body relaxing from its tense position as he leaned further into the kiss, a hand reaching up to hold Zane's hand. Both Jay and Cole gazed at their boyfriends fondly, the Earth Master's hand encasing his blue boyfriend's smaller one as leaned down for his own smooch-- one that Jay gave with enthusiasm.
Kai and Zane leaned back after a while, their foreheads knocking together as they stared into each other's eyes tenderly.
"I'm guessing you like it, then?" Kai chuckled.
Zane nodded and brought his boyfriend's hand to his lips, pressing gentle kisses to each knuckle, smirking at how quickly the brunette turned red at the contact. "Yes, my love, I do. Very much so. Thank you."
Distracted by the act of affection, Kai yelped in surprise as he felt two arms wrap around his neck and a pair of lips smack against his cheek repeatedly. "Aw, Kai, i'm so proud of you! You finally realized that there are better things to waste money on than dumb, overrated socks!"
"I literally did that once-!"
"C'mon, Bluebell, let him enjoy this. it's the only victory he's had in a while." Kai flicked his gaze to the Earth Master, ready to protest at the jab, but was taken aback to see Cole nuzzling the palm of the brunette's vacant hand.
The three boys would have showered their boyfriend in affection for much longer, but Zane took one look at the Fire Master's beet-red face and suggested they pull back for a bit in order to ensure that Kai's blood would circulate his body at a healthy rate. The four eventually went back to the positions they'd started in, Cole leaned back against the tree, his arms wrapped around Zane, Jay, and Kai, who laid on his stomach and rested his head against Jay's stomach. They sat there for a while, silently enjoying each other's company, when Jay spoke up.
"So did you really go shopping for clothes, or was that just a cover story so you could buy Zane a present?" The blue boy asked, fingers smoothly carding through Kai's spiky hair.
"Heh, yeah, you caught me. It was pretty much the reason I wanted us to land here."
"And I appreciate it, my love," Zane cooed, a single hand running up and down the Red Ninja's upper back softly.
Cole propped his chin upon the nindroid's shoulder and eyed the new book Zane had carefully set off to the side. "Good thing you already finished that other book, huh, Snowball?"
"Yes, it was quite convenient. I'll be sure to lend it to any of you who wish to borrow it, I think you'll find it rather intriguing since it has illustrations."
Cole hummed at that, but an idea popped into his head as he stared at the book. A smile slowly forming on his face, Cole nuzzled Zane's neck. "Or you could, you know... read it to us?"
Jay let out a loud gasp and Zane looking down to see the blue boy practically vibrating in his seat, his head turned to beam at his buff boyfriend. "Omigosh, Cole, that's a great idea!"
Kai laughed. "Man, why didn't I think of that?"
Zane blinked in surprise, eyeing each of his boyfriends hesitantly. "Oh, um, are you sure? I do not wish to bore you."
"Wha- no way!" Jay chirped, looking at Zane with determination. "You could never bore us, Flurry!"
"Yeah," Kai agreed, "your voice is the least-boring thing around. It's all soothing and shit- I could probably fall asleep listening to it."
"But in a good way," Cole quickly cut in. He gently grabbed Zane's new book and brought it to his boyfriend's hands, a soft look in his eyes. "C'mon, Snowflake, you don't have to worry about us. We like hearing you talk."
Zane looked at his boyfriends, still unsure, but he quickly gave in at the sight of their encouraging smiles. "Alright," he chuckled softly, a light blush forming on his cheeks as he flipped through the book's first few pages, the three other boys settling themselves into comfortable positions and relaxing as Zane began to read aloud.
Zane couldn't have asked for a better day off.