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The thing about dating a vigilante ninja superhero type of guy is that sometimes you’re apart for a while.
A very, very long while in some cases.
Jay gets it; the work they do is important, civilians need help, they’re cleaning up bad guys blah blah blah. Hell, sometimes he’s the one on those long missions.
But never this long. Never this long without any communication at all, aside from Cole marking a tree in a local park every two weeks to let them know everything’s still going according to plan.
Maybe if he could have a text every few days, it would be easier. But he can’t. Because then the gang or whatever might get suspicious, and kill him, and that means Cole never comes back.
So he has to grin and bear it, plaster a smile on his face in front of the others, go back to their apartment alone every night, and sleep in a too-empty bed.
It’s been like this for six months.
The first few weeks were easy; Jay just used Cole’s aftershave whenever he missed him too much.
After the first month, things got a bit tougher, but he could still cope with it. Two months, and he started wearing Cole’s favourite hoodie. Three months and he immersed himself in as many new hobbies as he could, talking and talking to the other ninja until his throat was raw, anything to avoid being alone with his thoughts. He spent the fourth month terrified that something terrible had happened, despite Cole’s consistent tree markings, and blasted music through headphones until his ears ached; the fifth month he slept over at the monastery frequently, moping forlornly as Nya made him all sorts of teas.
And now month six. He wore exclusively Cole’s clothes, slept on Cole’s side of the bed, and was obsessed with cooking. Jay was making everything from ratatouille to little soufflés, and he was getting fucking good at it. When Cole comes home, Jay’s treating him to a million course dinner, complete with any dessert he asks for.
He missed him. Very much.
It’s not that he doesn’t know how to function without Cole; he definitely can, he’s his own person, and he doesn’t need someone else to complete him.
But it’s like being an odd sock. Complete within himself, but definitely missing the other half. And what if Cole comes back a holey, bloodied sock? What if Cole meets a different sock and wants to pair up with that one? What if Jay’s other sock never comes back at all?
Jay’s life is not right without his other sock. And if anyone hurts Cole, the most beautiful, perfect sock in the world, he doesn’t know what he’d do. Probably rampage.
Jay’s at the monastery, beating the shit out of a punching bag in the backyard training area when he hears the door open, and someone steps outside.
“Kai, I fucking told you, I’m not going clubbing with you!”
The someone laughs, and it has Jay’s fists immediately at his sides, turning around and giddy. He knows that laugh.
“Careful.” Cole calls.
Jay’s unsure what he means until the punching bag swings into the back of his head, making him stumble forwards.
And Cole’s already there to catch him in his arms.
He looks a little banged up- cut lip, bruises around his eyes, that kind of stuff. But he’s here. And he’s okay.
Jay throws his arms around Cole’s neck and kisses him like his life depends on it, the earth ninja pulling him close into an embrace.
They stay like that for what could be a lifetime, but is more likely only five minutes tops.
“Hey.” Jay stares into Cole’s soft brown eyes, soaking in every little detail - from the tiny flecks of gold to those dark lashes.
“Hey yourself.” The earth ninja smiles at Jay softly, before pecking a little kiss on his forehead.
“You’re home.” Jay cups Cole’s cheek, thumb brushing over his cut lip. “Not hurt too much, are you?”
“Eh, yknow, bruising here and there, nothing major. Only got stabbed once.”
“Only? Babe! That’s- Have you been bandaged and-?”
“Yes. Yes. It’s all okay now.” Cole glances at Jay’s torso, before tugging at his sleeve. “That’s my sweater.”
“My sweater now.” Jay squeezes Cole’s hand and stands on tiptoes to kiss him again. And again, and again.
Cole brushes their noses together.
“I’ve missed you so much.” He mumbles. “Every night, I went to sleep thinking of you. Thinking about everything I wanted to say to you when the mission’s over. And now that I can, I don’t wanna. I just wanna hold you. Forever and ever.”
“I’ve missed you too. More than you could know.” Jay rests his head on Cole’s shoulder, welcoming warm arms wrapping around him. “Don’t ever go on a mission that long again. Not without me. Please.”
“I’ll stay with you until the end of time. That’s a promise.”
“I love you so much.”
“I love you more.”
Jay snorts. “Impossible. My love conquers all.”
“Sure, sure. It’s certainly conquered my heart.”
“You think you’re smooth but you’re actually just cheesy.”
Cole pretends to gasp in offence, before kissing Jay again.
The morning after their reunion, Cole wakes him up with breakfast in bed, which is terrible, because that had been Jay’s plan.
It’s two slices of toast (both slightly burnt), because Cole is inept in a kitchen, but the coffee is nice and so is the company.
Jay cuddles into Cole’s side, and twines their fingers together. Realistically, they can’t stay with each other all the time; future missions won’t allow for that. But despite that, Jay knows that for every second they’re apart, they’ll have an hour together. Where they can stay warm and safe in each other’s arms.
It’s all Jay could ever ask for.