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When Cole fell through the darkness, Kai had no choice but to repress his despair. Unfortunately, there were more pressing matters at hand; an oni invasion.
And when Cole returned alive and well, Kai, again, had to repress his emotions. He hadn’t even processed that Cole was back. He had hardly begun to process he was gone before he returned. He worried about the only thing that mattered at the time: his survival. Defeating the oni.
The gravity of Cole’s fall almost hit him as the team barricaded themselves in the monastery courtyard, preparing for their final fight. His life with Cole, their life, flashed before his eyes as he was briefly overcome with emotion. However, Kai wasn’t able to acknowledge it, as Lloyd soon strategized with the tornado of creation. Again, the only thing that mattered to Kai at the moment was his survival.
After the initial battle was all said and done, the focus soon shifted to Lloyd as he was unconscious under debris. The only thing that mattered to Kai at that moment was his brother’s survival. When Lloyd came to, Kai instinctively hugged Cole; yet he had an epiphany. It was assumed Cole didn’t survive. He wouldn’t have been there, hugging Kai. Kai squeezed Cole tighter before he pulled away.
Kai sat alone in his room afterward, attempting to decompress. He replayed the events of the day in his head, feeling a heavy pit growing in his stomach. He’d encountered many villains before and fought many battles, but he never realized how life-threatening this one truly was. The fate of the world depended on him and his team. While everyone survived by some miracle, no one was left unscathed.
As Kai’s thoughts and emotions spiraled, he heard the floor outside his room creak and a knock on the door.
“Kai?” Cole opened the door, stepping inside. “Are you okay?”
Kai stood up, tears welling in his eyes. “Cole…” he stumbled forward and sank to his knees. Cole grabbed the brunette, minimizing Kai’s fall. He also sank to his knees, putting his hands on Kai’s shoulders.
“Kai, what’s wrong?” Cole gingerly hugged him as his crying turned into muffled sobbing.
“I thought I lost you,” Kai said between sobs, “I thought you were gone, I thought I lost you,” he repeated. Cole hugged him tighter.
“Hey… I'm okay. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere.” He ran a hand through Kai’s hair, rubbing his back with the other. Kai grunted, pulling away slightly.
“Are you okay?” He put his hand on Cole’s cheek, rubbing it with his thumb.
“Why wouldn’t I be?"
Kai furrowed his eyebrows. “Cole… It’s okay to not… be okay, y’know?”
Cole frowned, pulling Kai closer.
“I don’t know.”
Kai hugged Cole back, slowly exhaling.
“That’s okay.”
The two boys stayed in their embrace for a long while. They were safe again, for now, and together. That was all that mattered.