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The day had been filled with dancing, sorrow and the discovery of self identity. The ninja had spent their time dancing away to get their hands on the Fang Blade and long into the evening Cole’s skin buzzed discreetly, not only did he find his true potential he also confessed to his father. Cole felt the victory threatening to shine beneath his skin, he pondered on how Zane and Jay had felt after discovering their own true potential. His thoughts were endlessly exciting but also equally exhausting and Cole didn’t know what to do with himself.
Cole recalled the look in his dad’s eyes and the words that spewed from his lips earlier in the day, verse after verse, confessing was never easy.
But Cole had enough. The boy spent so long hiding such an important part of himself to the man who helped create him. Standing in front of him then made Cole realize how unfair he had been to himself. He was a ninja and a damn good one at that. But besides that, the lies were buried thick and Cole knew he wouldn’t have been able to walk away that day without coming clean.
Maybe his father would’ve been able to but Cole himself could not bring himself to commit to a guilty conscience. Cole wasn’t one for scheming and ongoing lies. It went against his morals to keep internal mischief on the front burner of the stove, a rusty stove inside his conscience that was bound to catch aflame.
Usually, Cole always ended up facing the consequences of his actions and sometimes he believed it was an earth ninja thing. His plans and mischievous actions always seemed to come crashing down a lot quicker than the other ninja and their chaotic missions. Yeah, It must be an earthbound thing.
Cole could recall the lingering eyes at the back of his head. Eyes that belonged to the souls that he had grown to consider his family, his home. More than his hometown had ever been to him and sadly more than own father had been to him growing up. “Dad, I’m a ninja.” The words echoed greatly in his mind, almost having the same effect on his mind that they had backstage.
Cole hummed peacefully bringing a spoon to his lips filled to the brim with cake, chocolate cake. It was tasty and baked at the hands of Zane. After the events of the day, Zane snuck away to the kitchen on the bounty to bake late into the evening. Cole knew the reason, it was Zane’s way of comforting him after such an eventful taxing day.
When Cole’s father had returned after his performance to apologize and offer acceptance, he was shocked at his dad’s behavior. Cole felt like his heart was being tugged around with every shift of emotion in his dad’s eyes. He would scowl, noticing his own faults, his heart on his sleeve for Cole. It had been a long time since he last saw that scowl, it brought him back to his childhood home. He would watch that scowl rest on his face back when his mother was alive and disappointed in his dad. He would scowl and apologize to her, a bouquet always remained gently in his hands whenever he acknowledged his mistake and asked for forgiveness.
His mother in pink would frown and then sigh, affection taking over her gaze. They would enwrap each other in a gentle hug. Cole’s mother was beautiful and nobody could blame the groveling that the man had done to win back his true love. Their arguments were almost always small, like who should wear the color to compliment the other’s outfit for their date nights.
Cole shifted on his feet during then, wondering if he would ever grovel over someone like he had watched his father do for his mother as a young boy. But the thought left his mind as soon as it had crossed in that moment of acceptance coming from his father. “I was wrong, I shouldn't have pushed you so hard to follow in my footsteps.” it echoed like Cole’s confession before.
Cole dug his spoon into another chunk of cake at the thought of his father’s words, completely oblivious to the sounds of shuffling coming into the dinning area. Blue sat down across from him with two tea cups in his hands. Jay was smiling softly with smeared makeup on his face, allowing some of his freckles to appear before them. Cole’s lazy mind snickered at this and blooming in his chest followed it. Jay sighed and placed a cup in front of Cole, it was his favorite kind of tea. Cole knew because it was being served by his best friend, who knew everything about him, almost everything at least.
“Cake, huh?” Jay raised one of his eyebrows at Cole and it should’ve been illegal with some of his freckles splattering his face. He looked soft even with a shaky passing judgment. It wasn’t the first time Jay had caught him late into the night munching, it was a coping mechanism. The lightning ninja knew this but also was aware of how much Cole disliked the habit. Cole sighed at Jay’s words.
Jay placed two twin teacups down on the low-rise table and Cole allowed him with a lack of words. Jay wouldn’t leave him, even if he told him he was alright and didn’t need the support.
Cole’s eyes fell away from the plate of cake to loom at Jay again. Cole smirked, it was late but never too much so to tease Jay. “You fell asleep in your makeup again.” Jay scoffed loudly at his best friend, too loud for the hour. “Thanks for the update, as if i didn’t already notice.” Cole abandoned the spoon he once clutched to bring a cup of tea to his lips, a detour from cake to experience the softness of tea and the comfort it brought. Sometimes he felt like Master Wu with how caught up he got with tea, something the two found themselves bonding over when they had the spare time.
He enjoyed having tea with the ancient man and it almost always ended in some meditation.
Cole hummed deeply in his throat after he felt the warm sensation disappear, Jay visibly perked up at the sound. The small freckles that were exposed due to the smeared concealer drifted and tugged with every movement and fleeting smirk he gave Cole. “As usual, It’s good.” Cole praised the man in blue who sat before him and Jay practically blossomed at the words of encouragement. Jay in response waved a hand at the praise before clutching his own glass tighter and bringing it to his lips.
Truth be told, Jay wasn’t the best cook aboard the bounty but when it came to tea he was probably the second best when it came to making it and it remained a skill even when adding his own little twists within them. Cole was surprised when he first met Jay and tasted what the boy had brewed. Cole wasn’t really much of a tea lover either until he taste tested what Jay had crafted with what little supplies the ninja had at the time.
After a week of knowing each other, Cole quickly learned how much of a clumsy chef the boy really was. Jay had somehow managed to completely burn through a pot of ramen on the stove in their monastery that afternoon. Kai and Zane were off training outside while Cole had been taking a much needed break. Kai was just on fire as that pot had been that day, overdoing it to perfect his moves in time to bring Nya back and Zane was barely hanging on by a thread.
Cole was sitting on a step with a cold water bottle pressed against his forehead, pushing his black bangs away in the process when all of a sudden he caught a whiff of smoke. He quickly stood tossing the bottle to the side. “Dude.” Cole marched over to Kai. Zane whirled around at the entrance on the battlegrounds. “Kai, you need to take a break.” Kai was sweaty and hung up on the fact Cole had broken up their fight. Kai huffed, catching his breath alongside Zane. “I smelled smoke, are you alright, Zane?” The ice ninja turned his head to the side in confusion but Cole didn’t relent. He stood with a sweaty hand on his hip, watching the other two with intense dad friend energy. “Why, of course I am, Cole.” with that news, he fixed his gaze on the red ninja.
Cole huffed but couldn’t deny the smell of smoke growing thicker by the minute. “Alright, then why do I smell smoke?” Zane shrugged in response and Kai seemed to calm down, his heart finding a steady rhythm. “No idea, man. I’ve mostly switched to more hand to hand combat since you stopped training.” Cole frowned at this, his eyebrows threading in confusion. Just as Zane was about to dive back into the conversation they heard a loud smoke alarm and a shrieking high pitched yell.
The three boys all stiffened at the sounds of lightning fast reflexes until Jay stood in the archway that led to the training ground. He was wearing oven mitts that were too big for him and he had an elated look on his face. Kai burst into laughter at the sight of Jay, who was clutching a burning pot on fire with both hands. “HELP ME!” Jay exclaimed, stomping his foot in unmatched energy that he rarely seemed to lose, especially this early on in his ninja career.
Suddenly, Master Wu wandered onto the scene of the crime with an angry look and pestering eyebrows. “What in the world is going on here?!” He watches Jay flailing around and his look turns from elated to sickening fear at the sight of their new found Sensei.
Zane suddenly swung into action blasting immature ice sparks at the pot, consuming it fully with his ice, it steamed in response but remained contained. Jay’s chest heaved greatly, as he yanked the oven mitts off in anger. “That’s it! I’m never cooking again, Zane. I now declare you chef.” Kai whined out at this change of development. “Why Zane? I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid.” Cole felt himself frown at this and the fact that Kai seemed to be fine about the strangeness of the duties bestowed upon him so early on.
Jay huffed at Kai’s protests. “It’s simple, Zane is the only one I trust to put out a fire. You’d just start one.” Cole chuckled at this and Kai drew his attention back to Cole and just glared. “You heard the motor mouth, the council has decided.” It appeared that Jay wanted to protest at the newly placed nickname but Zane soon swung into gear. “I’m honored, I guess I better start now.” Zane walked over and picked up what was left of the iced pot. “Thank you, Jay.” The other ninja just stood there watching Zane walk over to the archway.
Sensei Wu greeted him and in return he waved. Once he was gone, Wu glared at the problem child with the name of Jay. “You owe me a new pot. Now go make sure Zane doesn’t unthaw that block of ice to cook with it.” Wu disappeared before the others could respond. “Wait, Zane!” Jay soon ran after the blonde boy after Wu’s enlightening instructions.
Cole felt himself bristle at the memories of what seemed to be so far away now. He watched Jay sip away at his own tea and knew that Jay had brewed two kinds of tea tonight just to share the comfort with him. Cole watched freckles wiggle with the tasting of warmth and for some reason Cole wished he had his camera on hand to take a picture. Jay was so undoubtedly himself in this moment, blistering in the hum of moonlight preening from the windows of the bounty.
“Did you ever replace that pot from the first time you attempted to cook lunch for us?” The tone was curious but with an edging tease. Jay’s eyes flickered up from behind the glass and that rendered Cole speechless as he watched Jay take another sip. Jay put a pin in the question until after his lips disappeared from the tea cup. Jay placed the glass down and huffed at the memory. “Are you kidding me?” Jay whined at him.
Cole smirked at the reaction. “Oh you totally didn’t-” Jay launched himself over the table shifting to his knees and placed his hand on Cole’s mouth. “Shush!” Jay paused but did not remove his hand from Cole’s lips. “H-he’ll hear you, you know.” The stutter was involuntary and Cole was used to it. But with Jay’s hand pressed up against his lips, he felt his shoulders burn with a strange heat. Cole’s eyelashes flickered and he knew that someday those pale hands would be littered with scars. There was actually a faint one that Jay had received after using his powers to help bring Nya back home.
It was quite ironic, considering the obvious feelings Jay has been harboring for the red lipped girl. It was how Jay discovered his true potential after all… and for some reason it made Cole burn more. Cole lifted a hand to move Jay’s wrist. “Relax. I know Wu has a strange sixth sense but it’s the middle of the night” Cole sighed, his brown eyes beaming at the boy in front of him. “And I’m not gonna tell anyone.” Jay recoiled his wrist slowly from Cole’s grasp. “Really?” Cole smiled but he grieved over the warmth that Jay took with him. “Your secret is safe with me.” Cole’s voice was soft and the smile never left his face. Even when his mind was still pondering and reeling on the fact that Nya was part of the reason Jay discovered the strength of his powers.
Jay leaned back onto his knees and disbanded, he crossed his legs over each other and he decided to bring his elbows down onto the table.
Cole noticed the lack of manners and didn’t stiffen the laugh that echoed out of his chest. It whirled around in Jay’s mind like electricity. Cole’s eyes crinkled at the look of bewilderment written like a love sick poem across Jay's messy dotted face. “What?!’” He leaned further onto his elbows and that only made Cole preen more at the action. He slowed his laughter, trying his best to bring it to a halt or at the very least a quieter tone. But it wasn’t half as loud as Jay’s endless questions.
Cole’s father came to mind, even after spending the whole day with a pretentious man who lived on Broadway, Jay hadn’t learned an ounce of manners. It was interesting to see how his dad had practically adopted his found family at the end of the day, even at the sight of Jay’s ‘trailer trash’ manners. Cole wasn’t exactly fond of that phrasing and it was something he had heard Lloyd say in passing.
Although it was clear that Lloyd didn’t understand what the stereotype or phrase meant. It was something he picked up on after being exposed to the television in the common room. He remembered the laughter that exploded from the fire ninja the first time Lloyd declared Jay as the stereotype, all because Jay was talking with his mouth full of the lunch Zane made that afternoon. The man in blue was baffled that day and Zane made a small comment in passing.
“Well, Jay did technically grow up in a trailer.” Zane’s voice was free and light. But it did nothing to soothe the flushing Jay, he swallowed quickly in order to defend his name and background. Nya was next to speak and her words rang true, she pulled Lloyd off to the side with a gentle nudge. “Lloyd, those sorts of comments are a tad bit inappropriate.” Lloyd glanced up at the taller girl with imploring eyes. “Huh, how?” Nya beamed down at the kid with a bowl for hair.
Kai chimed in next, pulling himself off the couch where he had been lazily lounging before his fit of laughter. He groaned as he stretched loudly, almost taking the attention off Lloyd completely. Nya rolled her eyes at older brother and his need for the spotlight. “Cause, it’s a stereotype.” Zane quickly stole the cushion where the red ninja had been sitting before and sat down with the kind of grace that would put a skilled ballerina to shame.
“From my knowledge, people usually use these stereotypes to demean a person, correct?” Zane’s eyes shifted to Jay who was a mess, blubbering over how just because he lived in a trailer within a junkyard didn’t mean he was trash. “That’s right, Zane!” Nya finished soon after the blonde. Nya’s lips were red as per usual and Cole was sure that if Jay hadn’t been busy motoring about a hundred miles per second he would be swooning over the girl, glaring at her lips as he usually did when they all bundled up in the common room.
Lloyd's eyes shifted to something clear of understanding. Sometimes the group forgot how young he truly was, that was until instances like this took place. “Oh, I get it!” Lloyd’s voice was full of understanding and when it dawned on him that he insulted the electrifying blue ninja, he hissed. “Sorry.” Lloyd nervously smiled at Jay who was gaping at the younger kid. He sighed and then smiled, bringing a hand to Lloyd’s shoulder. “No damage done. Just a bruised ego.”
Kai laughed in response, slapping his hand across Jay’s back. “Your ego had it coming with how you’ve been ogling my sister.” Those words made Cole want to sink further into the couch cushions, he didn’t understand why Nya and Jay made him feel this way. Zane, who sat beside him seemed to notice this but made an effort not to draw attention to it.
Cole was pretty thankful for that in the moment and even now as he looked back on the memory, which he seemed to be doing quite often tonight. It’s strange how simply coming out to his father as a ninja managed to throw him through a time loop. He simply didn’t connect the dots that most of the reflecting memories were caused by the man in blue sitting in front of him.
Jay’s eyes were wide and words were falling out his mouth when Cole snapped his attention back to the boy after his walk down memory lane. “Come on, just tell me!” Brown eyes flicked down to the elbows resting against the table again. Cole smiled. “You spent a big chunk of the day being corrected by my dad for your…” Cole trailed off again, eyes flickering back up to Jay’s face who begged in silence for the first time that night. “Mannerisms, as he’d say.” Jay stayed quiet for a couple minutes which were somehow deafening to Cole, he found himself hanging on to every sound the boy made as he brought his lips to his tea cup. He didn’t understand why he found himself watching Jay so intently at times, he was appealing to watch. He had a flare about himself that was different from the others. Jay danced to the beat of his own drum despite being ostracized in the past for it.
But Cole couldn’t find himself continuing that train of thought for very long because Jay pulled the tea cup away from his lips. He queried a smirk at Cole, one daring him to stop the words that were about to leave his lips.
Cole didn’t want to, as much as Jay talked. He found himself never wanting Jay to end his words and stories, as stupid as Cole found them at times. He couldn’t bring himself to hate them especially when Jay had a way of making people feel like they were watching it unfold in real time, with flailing hands and bright eyes that Cole swore were brimmed with glitter at times.
“Good thing he's not here, isn’t it past your bedtime?” Cole felt his eyes roll and Jay snickered at this. Cole had accepted the challenge long before the words left Jay’s lips, he wasn’t going to back down now. “I’ll be safe once he catches a glimpse of where your elbows are resting.” Jay looked down quickly, shaking the teacup in the process. Some tea dribbles down his hand but he’s unfazed. Cole knows that the tea is cold now as for his own. “Touché” Jay narrows his eyes at Cole and the black haired boy shrugs in response with a small smirk resting on his face.
Jay lets go of the fake-intense stare and sighs, he was content. Cole was growing tired but he loved these nights where the two just sat together, when the others were in dreamland. Jay did too and Cole knew this, how could he not?
Especially when Jay was the first one to initiate them originally. Cole enjoyed that it was just the two of them and it made it seem like for a moment that there were no possible threats of danger or the interruption of training or Nya flowing into a room and catching Jay’s full attention, ruining the softness between him and Cole and making it almost insufferable to watch him.
Almost lost in his thoughts again he heard Jay place the teacup down completely and waited for Cole’s attention to snap back to reality. When he was back he began, wasting no time knowing the risk of Cole slipping away again. How did Jay always catch on?
“You know, I’m glad you aren’t like him.” Jay spoke softly searching for Cole’s brown eyes. Cole felt his gaze on Jay expand in slight surprise. Cole let out a dark chuckle. “I’m a little like him.” Cole wouldn’t lie to himself, he knew part of the reason he couldn’t bring himself to be around his dad in the past was because of their scary similarities. He didn’t wanna become him but he couldn’t forget about the pieces that had been forced upon him, whether it was his childhood or his birth right.
Jay frowned at Cole’s gloomy expression. “Maybe.” he paused warily, almost as if he was debating speaking on his thought process. It was a sensitive topic, Jay may have idiotic tendencies but he’s a mastermind underneath it all. “I think you're a lot more like your mom.”
Cole felt his heart shatter and slice through his ribcage, these words ringing deeply in his ears. It felt like he was being struck by lightning and for a second he wondered if Jay had done something to him but the only thing his best friend did was enlighten him greatly. So much so his hands clasped the cold teacup, fingers shaking and trying to itch their ways to Jay’s paler ones.
Cole was his father’s son but in the same passing breath was his mother’s son too. He was a piece of them and in return they were a piece of him. His mother was long gone but Cole wasn't. He was far from it, he was alive and sitting across from his best friend. They were adrift on the bounty that had been switched to autopilot for the time being, waiting for the next chapter of their stories. He was very much breathing and inching towards Jay’s hands on the table. Cole couldn’t bring himself to speak yet, his brown eyes flickered and soon his hand felt smooth warm hands. He forced himself to glance back up and was met with a huge contrast.
Jay smiled, his eyes were much brighter and lighter than Cole’s very own. There was a noticeable difference between the two of them, in almost everything. That was okay and to the two ninja interlocking their hands, it was a good clash of differences. “Uh-” Cole trailed off feeling the distracting stroke of Jay’s thumb against his hand. His heart rebuilt itself in his chest and escaped from his ribs at the feeling.
“Thanks, Jay.” Brown eyes wanted to flutter shut at the motion but Cole refused to allow himself to do so. “I needed to hear that.” Cole continued but Jay’s hand never left his darker one.
It was official. Jay Walker had seen the gloomiest sides of him and didn’t turn a blind eye to it either. Jay squeezed his hand tightly before losing the grip. The faint scar he barred flexed with the movement.
“I figured and it’s something I've been trying to bring up for a while.” That piqued Cole’s interest but he let the curiosity pass along. Jay didn’t know a lot about Cole’s mom, just that she had passed. Cole didn’t go deeper into and hadn’t brought up since the other ninja and Jay asked about his family early on. “But um-” Jay continued and withdrew his hand gently from Cole’s larger one. In the moonlight Jay seemed flustered for a moment. His freckles looked much more noticeable now that pink dusted his cheeks. “I did wanna talk about something.” Cole’s mind lingered on Jay’s strange change of beat. “Sure, what’s up?” For a moment, Cole was afraid Jay would bring up his crush on Nya again, asking for input and advice.
But he was wrong, exceptionally wrong. Jay had a way about shocking him sometimes, must've been a trait that came with his elemental powers. “Your speech, about being a ninja? Well- it really touched me, Cole.” Jay’s thumb that once stroked his skin was now rubbing up against the side of his teacup. It was sweet of Jay, really. “It kind of just slipped out honestly.” Cole’s voice was laced with sleep. Jay nodded at his words in understanding.
“It was powerful and it made me wonder about where it came from..” Cole cocked his head to the side at Jay’s suggestion. He wasn’t sure what to think about it. His speech was simply a long overdue confession about being a ninja… Wasn’t it? Cole’s mind drifted to other things about himself he didn’t dare say out loud. Jay seemed to watch him with the want of inquiring knowledge and a hint of what Cole read to believe as hope. Cole thought back to the last eighteen years of his life to search for whatever Jay seemed to already know. Soon it clicked for him.
Jay was questioning his sexuality. Jay had viewed Cole’s speech as something more. Cole felt like he had been thrown into an alternate universe after discovering his true potential, so much was happening and unfolding. It was frightening and the fear was growing within him but Cole couldn’t deny the trivial excitement that came with the new stories.
“Are you-” Cole trailed off. “Are you asking me if I’m gay?” Suddenly Jay flushed furiously as the pink that dusted his cheeks from earlier took over his entire face, stretching down to his neck. It made Cole wonder where else it drifted too. “No! Well, actually.” Jay bringing his hands to his face. Only peeking out through his fingers when he heard Cole laughing up a storm.
Jay slowly removed his hands from his face and took a deep breath in. “I-I guess I am.” he locked eyes with Cole to search for any hostility but none rested there, fondness owned those brown eyes at the moment. “Ah well, I can see why you would wonder that, especially after that speech.” Cole’s voice was distant and it was a dead giveaway. Jay believed that Cole was wondering whether or not he should answer. “It’s okay, you don’t have to share! I mean we’ve already had one major heart to heart tonight, why ruin it?” Jay nervously laughed to himself.
Cole frowned at that. “That’s- no. It’s not what you think, I'm just not sure..” Jay stopped being a motor mouth once again, becoming deadly silent like he was earlier and it filled Cole with a weird feeling, something like dread. He trusted Jay with his life so he didn’t understand the feeling of lingering dread. Almost like disappointment too, was it due to the boy’s sudden silence?
Jay broke the silence noticing a halt to the conversation. “You aren’t sure about what?” He said with a voice laced with exertion. Like Jay had just returned from combat practice with Kai and got his ass kicked and then handed to him like a prize for losing. “That I’m gay, I just don’t know what I am.” With the words finally out in the open, Cole wished that his tea hadn’t gone cold. Jay’s eyes shifted strangely at this and Cole for once couldn’t see past his display.
It was like Jay had suddenly switched to a Halloween mask of his own face and replaced his real genuine one. The only difference between them was that Jay’s enlightening eyes didn’t hold the same power as before. It was hidden from Cole, on purpose. Cole didn’t press though and just waited for Jay’s response like before, it was a game of chess.
But all that escaped from Jay’s motormouth was a simple and soft phrase. “Oh, I see.” Jay spoke lightly, the pink dust was back and alighting the slight smeared concealer.
“Yeah.” Cole breathed out his response because he suddenly remembered the words of Jay at the beginning of this conversation, about how Jay had been so touched by Cole’s speech. Cole felt that familiar gleaming that met him and his skin when he had discovered his true potential but this time he wasn’t glowing and nothing about Cole seemed to be amiss. Jay was sitting in front of him and he would have noticed right away and said something. This was strange, did this conversation make him feel like he was beaming or was it the idea that Jay could be something other than straight? That shouldn't be something that makes him feel this way, but he wouldn’t rule it out just yet.
Jay seemed to be hovering over a response in his mind, a comment the lightning ninja just couldn’t bring himself to spill. For once the dread Cole felt over a simmering response from Jay didn’t stem from the fact that sometimes Jay just let the most random things fall from his lips, no matter how ridiculous it sounded. No, this time around Cole was afraid of how this conversation was deemed to change how Jay views him as his best friend, as a member of their team, as a ninja.
Truthfully, Cole never viewed Jay as intolerable. As ninja they were sworn to help and protect those who needed their abilities no matter how different a citizen was from them. Judging someone for a harmless identity or a different lifestyle was completely off the table.
Sensei Wu had actually made that clear early on, at least he did to Cole. Did Jay not receive the same conversation?
The silence from Jay didn’t add up at all. After all, Jay was the one who asked and brought on the conversation. Cole clears his throat and it feels as if he swallowed a jar of nails from Jay’s workshop back home. This grunt of noise seems to bring Jay back from whatever ruckus going on inside of his head. Cole was beginning to lose patience for the quiet game Jay had suddenly decided to play without him.
He sighed and readjusted in his spot to leave Jay alone in the moonlight with his thoughts. But at the movement Jay’s eyes frantically looked for him through the dark and he exhaled loudly before abandoning the game. “I-I’m bisexual.” The man in blue confesses, searching for Cole’s reaction.
Cole paused his movements and seemed to slowly sink back into his spot in front of his best friend. Jay was like a crewmate on his ship, he was Cole's right hand man. Jay was delivering such an important piece of news to his friend, like a shared secret of what would become their treasure.
He called out his captain to deliver the news of the discovered treasure. Cole gave in, wanting to stroke his strong hands along the golden aura of coins. In his presence he wanted Jay to light up and dig into the buried treasure with him, up until they were both covered in the smell of old copper.
Cole didn’t realize how quiet he was until Jay spoke again. “That speech, it meant so much to me. Not only because you were finally being true to yourself. But because it spoke to me, it was full of things I’ve never had the courage to say.” Jay threaded his fingers together as a distraction from Cole’s brown eyes.
Cole felt a small smile return to his face and those brown eyes were taken over by black pupils at the sight of Jay looking away from his threaded hands on the table to look at Cole. “I was afraid you were going to turn against me just now.” Cole chuckled with relief. Jay’s fingers separated with a rush. “Oh come on!” Jay’s hands flung into the air with a theatrical flare he once saw from his parents when they danced together. “Like I would ever judge my best friend.” Jay popped a smirk at him and Cole felt an incoming scoff from his throat.
Cole raised an eyebrow at Jay and his idiotic smile. “You cannot be serious. Just the other day you judged me for eating peanut butter.” Jay’s eyebrow slit raised at the challenge. “That’s because it was like- 1am, Cole!” Jay slammed his hands down on the table, it nudged in response to the clattering collusion.
Cole’s laugh echoed in the room and he then quickly covered his mouth. Jay leaned forward on the table, his hands that were damned to a future of scars held his body weight as he gave Cole the stink eye. “Okay! I get it.” He raises a hand to push Jay’s face away. Jay was a quick-witted person and it showed through other aspects too.
Such as his agility and the ability to make quick decisions in a moment's notice when it was important or during training. Jay had actually managed to get the upper hand on Cole during training in the recent past, which he would never admit willingly either. Jay was quicker, smaller and that came in handy in hand to hand combat. But alas, Jay’s slight overthinking and his level of strength could not compare to Cole’s own abilities and had been his own worst enemy.
He could recount the times Jay had somewhat bested him on one hand and only once out of those times did Jay actually win. Sometimes he could still feel Jay’s bruised knees digging into his back. Cole was too slow that afternoon to keep up with Jay’s quick jabs, they had been training together since that morning.
Jay’s amount of sass overloaded Cole’s heart and tugged on the strings of his mind. This moment between them would forever be engraved, and the connection they shared would only continue to grow and challenge each other in ways the other ninja haven’t yet accomplished with each other yet. Cole pictured Jay from his hectic day fighting for the Fang Blade. It was always nice seeing Jay in civilian clothes because whatever he chose to wear just screamed dorky lightning ninja. “It’s because twinkle toes here couldn’t deliver the goods” It was bold, competitive and insightful with a dash of humor and worst of all, it was true.
Jay was competitive and a born natural star too. Cole always found himself engaging with that competitive nature too. They shared a special bond. “But this is your hometown, Cole. Don't you wanna try and win it?” He challenged him. The others thought it, but Jay was the only one to let the words escape from his mind and soul and this would be a continuous theme throughout their friendship, echoing loudly from both sides.
Jay always knew exactly where to aim, just the same as Cole too. So these small moments and heartfelt interactions meant so much. Moments where they can just simply exist in each other’s energies without that competitive streak, it makes for a wonderful evening full of connection and unconditional love.
Which is important to the both of them in this world and their line of work. Jay beamed at Cole as he settled back in front of his best friend. “Thanks.” Cole spoke out and it was quiet like a passed note in class. Jay cocked his head to the side in confusion. “For?” Brown eyes flickered for a moment before they landed on the table, avoiding eye contact. “You know, talking to me. It’s been nice.” Jay laughed in response. “Getting cold feet?” His smirk was electrifying and despite Cole’s love for the conveying grin, he found himself wanting to tumble some rocks Jay’s way to put a stop to him.
“Jay-” The black haired man carried on, dragging the name out with warnings wrapped up all around it. “I know I know.” he queried. But the silliness disappeared within seconds and a much more mature look rested on Jay’s face. The freckles that normally added to his childlike goofiness didn’t take away from his seriousness either. “You don’t ever have to thank me for being there for you.” Jay added and it rang a bell in Cole’s mind. “You’re my best friend and I’m always gonna bug you.” Cole smiled at that news, deeming it the truth. “Good, I don’t know what I would do without my favorite weight.” Jay snickered at Cole’s woe. “Probably curl up and die!”
Cole shook his head at that. He tried to detest Jay’s words but some wicked part of Cole knew that it could very well be true. Jay was his best friend, his teammate. He needed Jay to fight alongside him during his heaviest battles and for some odd reason, that Cole was sure he wouldn’t have seen coming when they first met, he desired his friend’s company.
Things were just better with Jay somehow, meals, games. You name it. Cole was young but he was sure there was some sort of name for it that he’d find eventually. But, in the meantime, he would continue to stare at his best friend and grow warm and thankful. Frustration of some kind would visit now and then, but it was meant to. The pair knew that much already. “Maybe, but you’d be lost without me, too.” Cole spoke out into the late night and called for Jay to respond.
With glittering eyes, Jay met his challenge without fear. “Well, I won’t deny that.” The blue ninja smiled gently, Jay's face was draining of it’s pink but the cheeks clutched at it lovingly, begging the color to stay in the presence of his best friend and Cole silently pondered on if he would ever clutch onto Jay in the same loving way.