Chapter Text
There's no advertising. No flyers, no posters, no big signs or announcements.
Queen's Masquerade operates through word of mouth, and the allure of mysterious strangers, meeting for a singular night.
That, and the overall lack of gay bars in Ninjago City make it a bit of a hotspot for the homosexual community.
And all of the secrecy means it rings alarm bells within the ninja team.
"... Dude. It's a gay bar."
"Is it? It doesn't say that anywhere. Maybe it just wants us to think it's a gay bar. It could all be a front for some gang activity or something. Why else would there be so much secrecy?"
Jay rolls his eyes. "Lloyd. Are you trying to tell me that this building - named the Queen's Masquerade - that is decorated with rainbows and glitter... is not a gay bar, but actually part of some conspiracy?"
"First of all Jay, that's a bit stereotypical of you, don't you think? We're not from the dark ages, just because something's a bit flamboyant doesn't mean it's gay. Secondly, explain the masks! The silence! The hush-hush of it all! Whenever we walk past, it looks empty and dark as hell, there's gotta be something going on."
"I'm nearly a hundred percent sure you're reading into things."
"Jay has a point." Nya sides. "There haven't been any alarm bells raised. I think that maybe you're being a bit too vigilant."
Kai clears his throat. "Well. Yknow. That last bad guy probably wouldn't have gotten so tough if we were vigilant and spotted him before he became all strong."
Cole closes his eyes as he listens to everyone debate this. Personally, he doesn't really care.
Things have been a bit slow lately. It would be nice to have an investigation to conduct or something. On the other hand. Rest is good too.
The two sides bicker back and forth, and Cole knows he's bound to be dragged in at some point, but he hasn't been paying too much attention.
He's not in a super decisive mood. Whoever calls on him first, he'll agree with.
Or maybe he can make his own team. The 'I don't care, I am just scrolling through Twitter' team.
"Cole!"
"Mhm?"
"Tell them I'm right."
"Uh..." He retweets some random image he finds funny. "Lloyd's right."
There's a triumphant noise from the green ninja, but it's interrupted by Zane's tut.
"We're evenly split. You can't start something we don't all agree on."
Cole's pretty sure he hears Lloyd mumble something, Jay snorting and then everyone walking off separately.
He likes another tweet.
He'd pretty much forgotten about everything until the night Lloyd sneaks into his room, Kai trailing behind, about a week or two later.
The fire master is holding some oddly-shaped beak thing in his hands, black and sequined.
"Cole."
"Uhuh?"
"We're doing it in secret."
He glances between Lloyd and Kai. "Oh. Um. Congrats?"
Lloyd blinks, and then Kai starts sputtering.
"No! No, no, no, we meant like... Like the - we're not - He meant we're investigating the bar. Not - What the fuck Cole!"
"Oh." Cole says again. "Have fun with that."
Kai throws the beak thing at him. "You're going."
Cole catches it, and stares at what he realises is a mask shaped somewhat like a bird, feathers poking from the sides, and glittery speckles around the eye holes.
Or rather... where there should be eye holes.
Instead, there's thin film there, black and translucent. It takes a few seconds for Cole to realise it's two cameras, like the ones Nya used in her sunglasses on a mission involving a gopher and two thugs.
Everything clicks.
"You... want me to go to the bar and stake it out?"
"Yes."
Cole frowns. "The gay bar."
"Yes. Supposedly."
"The bar that gay men go to."
"That is the definition of a gay bar, yeah." Lloyd rolls his eyes. "We can't do it because one of the bouncers caught us skulking around outside. So. They know what we look like."
"Why are we so suspicious of this place again?"
"Because it's shady!"
"And I have to do it because..?"
"You're the only one left on our team!"
Cole looks at the mask in his hands.
"Fine. Only if you promise I don't have to, I dunno... kiss a dude or whatever."
They arrange it so that neither Jay, Nya or Zane will notice Cole's missing, all off doing their own thing.
Both audio and visuals are being recorded for Kai and Lloyd to evaluate once Cole returns, and the mask is only slightly uncomfortable.
It covers half of his face, only his lips, chin and jawline on show, so that he 'has room for making out'.
Cole had whacked Kai after that, and no one had mentioned the potential need to kiss afterwards.
After a quick google search of 'gay men clothes', Lloyd had pulled the Most Homosexual Attire from Cole's wardrobe.
Apparently, Cole's clothing taste matched well. Something he didn't really want to spend much time thinking about.
So here he is, large glittery mask on, leather jacket open loose, his chest hairs peeking out over his low necked tank top.
Standing in the doorway of a bar.
A gay bar.
Where he is investigating a criminal or something.
He nods at the bouncer slightly, and steps inside.
Already, it seems not very suspicious, just loud music pumping, colourful LEDs flashing about.
Notably, only about a half of the visitors are wearing masks, the others just barefaced (save for makeup or glitter) and dancing.
And only now does Cole realise he's not entirely sure what he's supposed to be doing.
So he stands, slowly looking left to right, trying to get as much as he can recorded.
Someone bumps into him, and then someone else does the same.
Cole stumbles around, looking around for some kind of quiet corner where he can hide and observe.
He spots one. All the way across the dance floor.
No thanks.
Cole starts skirting the edges of the large room - really it's more like a club than bar - squeezing past an insane amount of people kissing.
There is far too much grinding here, he decides after accidentally looking at another horny pair.
Hopefully, this will prove to Lloyd that he was worrying over nothing.
Once he makes it to his quiet corner, he spots three things that worry him.
A staircase up, a staircase down, and a side door.
Lloyd's gonna want all of that searched, because he's a paranoid weirdo.
Cole leans against the wall, the flashing of the neon lights casting strange shadows on the dance floor.
He'll formulate his plan here.
First though. A breather.
It's so crowded, for no reason.
He tilts his head back, letting out a soft "fuck".
Never been very good with busy places.
It doesn't help when a hand is suddenly pressed to his arm.
Cole yelps (in a manly way), and recoils, turning to look at the perpetrator.
And-
Oh.
Jay's hand floats back to his side, a shy smile on his maskless face.
Cole stares at him, wide-eyed.
Did Lloyd and Kai seriously slip up already?
They should never be put in charge of stealth missions ever again.
As he's about to explain himself, justify things, Jay speaks.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to make you jump. Are you alright?" He threads a hand through his hair.
Cole numbly notices that Jay's got sparkles on his face, like makeup or something. And - And he's wearing very very short shorts. Nice legs.
"Helloo? Are you in there?"
"Um." Cole clears his throat. "I'm okay."
Jay's lip quirks. "You sound very familiar... Have we met?"
"Uh..." He coughs again. Is Jay tryna play a game or something? "No."
"Ah. Must've gotten a bit confused." Jay smiles, and the way his cheeks catch the light make them sparkle more. "Maybe it's because I've dreamt of this before."
Everything about this is mindboggling.
Cole shifts. "Was... that a pickup line?"
"Depends on whether or not it worked."
And it's so very Jay to respond like that, eyes glittery as he waits for a response.
"Um." Cole doubts he's hesitated this much in one conversation.
Jay picks up on it, and his eyes soften.
"You're new to this."
Cole hums, in a way that's hopefully suitable for whatever Jay's implying.
"Going to a gay bar when you've only just figured yourself out? Ballsy." His tone feels so gentle, so much more gentle that Cole's ever heard him. "I'm assuming you've never really flirted with a guy before."
"I haven't." And at least that's truthful. Cole's chest hurts from the idea of how upset Jay would be if he knew that it was him under the mask.
"That's okay. I can help you. If you want." Jay's fingers glide along his leather-covered bicep. "I remember what it's like to be unsure. My first few experiences were stressful. Not to - Not to put you off or anything. It gets way easier once you get comfortable."
And there's something about that soft, soft voice, that just gets Cole to nod.
Jay offers his hand. Cole takes it.
Jay's leading him upstairs.
Helpful, considering his mission to scope the whole place out.
Worrying though.
Maybe Jay's going to punch him.
It's certainly more quiet up here, and once Jay opens a door, Cole realises why.
This... is a bedroom.
There are presumably more of them along the floor.
Which means-
"I don't want sex!" It blurts out with more force than he wants it to, and he wonders if Jay can tell if he's blushing.
"I know. Just here to get away from all the loudness of downstairs." Jay sits on the bed. "Don't worry about paying. I'll cover the cost, however long we're in here."
"Um. Can you - can you, like, I don't know... afford that?"
Jay raises a brow. "Calling me a broke bitch? Wow. Can see how this is your first time."
But he's got a little grin on his face, and in the warmer light, Cole can tell he's definitely wearing makeup, because all his cute freckles are covered up.
Tentatively, he sits next to his best friend.
"Good mask by the way. You make it yourself?"
"... Uh. My friend did."
"Oh! Is he here too? Did I steal you by accident?"
"No. No, no, he uh..." Cole's brain whirrs. "He actually... dared me. To come here. He thought it would be, uh, funny. Because I'm new at this."
"Ah. For a second, thought I might have contracted a serious case of Flirting With A Straight Guy Disease." Jay snorts, and Cole hears himself join in. "But seriously, kinda not cool to get forced here if you're not ready."
"I know." He nods, maybe a little too eagerly. Jay's hair looks fluffier than usual. "I, uh- Yeah."
There's a second of silence, and Jay's eyes dip, like he's checking Cole out.
Like he's attracted to him.
The thought sends a weird fizz through him.
On the other hand-
"Since when have you been gay?" He says it without his brain's permission, and Jay looks a little shocked.
Cole's certain the jig is up, and that's a slight relief. Lying to Jay's always sucked.
"Uh. I realised a few years ago." He looks away, reddening slightly. "I had a fight with my best friend. And, uh... figured out I was in love with him."
Cole blinks. He's pretty sure he's never seen Jay fight with anyone other than himself. Hell, he didn't know Jay even had other best friends.
"Ah. Uh." Cole pauses. "Did... things not go well?"
Jay bites his lip. "Uh. We made up. But... clearly, I'm single. Otherwise I wouldn't be here."
"Right. Yeah."
"And you?"
"What about me?"
"When did you figure it out?"
Cole freezes. Shit. What's a suitable answer? Yesterday? A month? A year? Fuck, shit, he should've come up with a backstory.
"I'm... still figuring."
Jay nods. "That's fair." He leans back slightly. "You know if you like any guys? Or is it just a kinda... experiment thing?"
It feels like there's a wrong answer here.
Maybe Cole should leave, and go back to his mission.
On the other hand, he's never seen Jay like this. Never gotten to know this side of him.
"Um. I like you."
And Jay giggles, leaning back in, rolling his eyes with a little smile on his face.
"Really now?" He rests his chin on his hand. "I thought you weren't good at flirting..."
"I can flirt!"
"Mhm?"
"I can!" Cole can feel his tongue practically twisting over itself to get the words out. "Uh, look, hold on, um..."
Jay takes his hands. "Settle down there. I believe you. No need to get so flustered."
Jay's thumb brushes against Cole's.
"Your hands are - they're very nice."
Jay laughs again. "Thank you. I think they look nicer when they're with yours though."
Cole glances at the way their fingers are slowly twining together.
His hands, dark and calloused, do look better when next to Jay's softer lighter ones.
Jay touches one of the callouses, and tilts his head.
"You do a lot of hard work?"
"Um. I... handle crimes." Cole's hairs are raised as Jay studies his palms. For unknown reasons, he really, really wants Jay to keep holding them. Even if it means pretending to be someone else. "Um. What- What do you..?"
"I clean streets." Jay says it casually, and then looks into Cole's mask's eyeholes. "I've just realised I don't know your name."
"Oh. Um. Co- Chris."
"Chris? I'm Jay."
Cole nods, and gets closer despite himself.
Jay smiles, grazing his knuckles up Cole's thigh. "You know, you don't have to be afraid to talk to me."
"I know." Cole lies. He's gonna fuck this up any second now, and Jay is going to hate him, hate him for leading him on, for taking away his right to come out in his own time. "I'm just... worried. That I'll disappoint you."
"Aw. Chris." It feels so wrong having Jay say another man's name right now. "You won't. We don't have to do anything you don't want to."
"I - Can... Do you come here often?"
Jay hums, tilting his head to the side, evaluating his answer. "About twice a week."
"Do you treat all guys like this?"
"Only the hot ones."
"Ah, nothing I love more than self-declared shallowness."
"Shut up!" Jay rolls his eyes, lightly pressing his hand against Cole's shoulder. It lingers there, fingers lightly trailing against the skin on show. "Do you let any guy that approaches you get this close?"
"Only the hot ones." He's not really thinking as he says it, too busy looking at the way the light shines on Jay's glossy lips. Have they always been so pretty? They look so soft. Jay looks soft.
And his words have made Jay flush, looking away slightly, before brushing lock of hair out of his face, curly and auburn.
If Jay was a girl, Cole would probably have asked him out years ago.
He has an objectively pretty face, and really, really nice legs - it should be illegal to have legs that good, all shapely and smooth - and yknow... he has a good ass. In a heterosexual way. When you combine that with all his cute facial expressions and his charming goofiness - and apparently, this hidden suave persona... Jay would be great to date.
If he was a girl.
He must've been staring as he thinks, because Jay starts smirking.
"If you wanted to ogle me, you could've just said."
"You're just a bit pretty."
"Only a bit?" But he's laughing. Cole's always liked Jay's laugh.
"Maybe a lot." Cole's struggling to breathe. "A lot pretty."
And Jay's hands are crawling around his waist, he's getting closer, and fuck, his eyes are just gorgeous, it should be a crime for anyone, let alone his best friend, to be so enchanting.
Cole closes his eyes as Jay's face gets nearer.
Closes his eyes as their lips meet for a few seconds.
Jay tastes like lemonade.
And then there's the overwhelming 'this is wrong, this is wrong, this is so so wrong' feeling that screams in his head.
Cole pulls away, heart thumping.
Jay bites his lip, looking to the wall. "Sorry. I thought that's-"
"I need to go."
He doesn't give him time to reply before he runs out the door, and back onto the street.
When he's safely locked away at home, he's immediately bombarded with the two idiots that brought this on.
"So? How did it go?"
Cole can't think. Can't stop shaking.
Jay kissed him, Jay kissed him, Jay kissed him.
And Cole liked it.
Fuck, fuck, shit, fuck.
"Cole? You look spooked. Is it... Are you okay?"
Lloyd puts his hand on Cole's arm to steady him. It doesn't feel weird, not like it did with Jay, not like it did when Jay ran his fingers over his bicep like he was touching something magical.
"Dude?" Kai frowns. "It's okay. You don't have to talk about it. We'll look at the footage, it's okay. Just... calm down, alright?"
The footage.
Shit.
"No." Cole's throat feels dry, his tongue heavy. "No, no. I - No. The cameras are messed up, no point looking at it."
"I mean, there's no harm in-"
Lloyd reaches out to grab the mask, and the footage concealed in its lenses, but Cole snatches it away from him.
"No. There's nothing to see there. I didn't even get a full recon."
A silence strangles the room.
And Kai starts laughing.
"Holy shit! When I said you had room for making out with people, I didn't think you'd actually go for it!"
"Sh- Shut up, I didn't - That's not..." Cole clutches the mask to his chest. "That's - I didn't, we just - I mean... There's nothing important. I didn't see anything."
Lloyd gasps. "Who's 'we'?"
"No one! Just me. And... and the mask."
Kai cackles. "Soo, what's his name? You gonna see him again?"
"No, shut up, it's not like that, I didn't - Shut up! Fuck off!"
Lloyd responds with overexaggerated kissy noises.
"I didn't even know you swung that way!" Kai gets out in between giggling at Lloyd, like the absolute immature bastard he is.
"I don't!"
"Was he just super irresistible? The hottest hunk alive?"
"I'm not gay!" Cole yells at them, forgetting it's the middle of the night, and the rest of the the household is probably trying to sleep.
Kai blinks, and Lloyd shrinks back.
"S-Sorry. We were just joking."
"Fuck off. Just. Let me go to sleep."
They shuffle out the door with their heads hung low, and Cole stares at the mask in his hands.
He takes out the lenses slowly, then crushes them with his fist.
No one will ever look at that video.
He conceals the mask in his sock drawer, trying to rationalise with himself that maybe it was just the atmosphere getting to him, that's why he was thinking so dangerously about Jay.
No one will ever look at that video.
If that's the case, why is he still thinking about it now? Thinking about lemonade smiles and glittery cheekbones, cute curls of dark ginger hair and pretty, pretty hands.
No one will ever look at that video.
Cole's gonna make sure of that.
No one else is gonna invade Jay's privacy like he has.