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The air was quiet.
The sun was setting behind the mountain, resting upon the clouds like a reflection upon still water. The air was warm, with the cool summer breeze wafting through the air and through the now deserted hallways of the monastery as everyone settled in for the evening.
The day had been long, and the training sessions were brutal. The summer sun could be a cruel mistress when you lived so close to her radiance. Jay had a light sunburn across his nose once they were done for the day, and Nya was currently applying aloe vera to it as if she'd done this a million times before. Probably because she had.
Zane was in the kitchen, prepping dinner with Pixal and Lloyd. They talked quietly as they began taking food out, comparing sparring techniques, discussing mission dates, and even throwing around a few jokes as they always did.
It was nice.
Down the hallway and to the left, past Jay's wild jungle of a bedroom, Pixal and Zane's neatly organized bungalows and Nya's personal hideaway, sat Cole's room, and across from it? Kai's.
Kai's room was vacant. His bed having been made like he hadn't slept there in a long time. A few of his belongings were laid out on the various surfaces in his room, such as his old training gi that laid out neatly on top of his dresser, folded neatly like a relic in a museum, but encased in a thick layer of dust as though it had been forgotten. It was evident Kai rarely slept here anymore. His posters were gone, his hair product and books had vanished from his shelves. His dresser lay empty, aside from a few dress shirts and formal wear he scarcely wore. His jeans, t-shirts, and assortment of jackets had vanished, as if they'd never been there at all. It looked more like a guest bedroom than it did his own.
But Kai still lived here.
Instead of being in his room, he was right across the hall, nestled on Cole's bed like he'd lived there all his life. His posters of punk rock idols and high fashion names slid right beside Cole's charcoal anatomy practices and rock posters. His hair products sat on a shared vanity dresser, where an assortment of his and Cole's clothes lay strewn about messily, continuously being put off to be cleaned later. Although later, never came. Cole's drawing supplies nestled neatly by the bookshelf with Kai's sewing stuff, as if they were always meant to be together. It was a beautiful collage of Cole and Kai's differing personal tastes and hobbies, all colliding together to build a beautiful space that only they could ever understand.
And right in the center of it?
Was them.
Cole sat on the side of the bed, one leg underneath the other as he held his bass in his lap. He leaned forward, and adjusted a couple knobs on his amp that lay idle on the floor as he plucked a string, the low tone that resonated from it vibrating through the floor and deep into his bones. Cole smiled upon hearing it, finally having gotten the tone he wanted. He leaned back, and began to play a tune.
Beside him, Kai was jotting down some sketches into a book, chewing on his lower lip as he focused. It was a terrible habit that he's tried many times to stop, but he always found himself doing it whenever he was focused on something. This time, it was a concept for a dress. Something for Nya, probably, considering the practical yet fashionable design. Pockets on the sides, hemline just a few inches below the knee to offer comfort, as well as a wide range of motion. Kai narrowed his eyebrows as he erased something from the top, and began to redraw it. He looked up, and saw Cole, staring at him. Smiling.
Kai couldn't help but chuckle as he began to mirror that stupid grin, retainer glinting in the light of the setting sun, despite Kai's personal insecurity about it. Cole never minded, so he didn't see the need in hiding it from him.
"What?"
Cole shrugged. "Nothing. Just looking."
Kai raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? Take a picture, it'll last longer."
Cole leaned in closer to Kai's space as he watched him return to his world of sketches. "I could, but I'd rather cherish the real deal right in front of me. A picture can't kiss back."
Kai groaned. "That was so cheesy."
"Please. Bitches love cheese."
Kai snorted at that. Cole relished smugly in his accomplishment before finding himself being temporarily stunned by a pillow to the face. He caught it as it fell, then tossed it back to Kai, who simply threw it to the side. "Do you ever stop?"
Cole clicked his tongue, and pointed his finger at Kai. "Not a chance, hot shot."
Kai stuck his tongue out as he went back to his drawing, and Cole didn't even bother retaliating once he found himself entranced with his bass again. Kai listened to Cole's gentle strumming as he began working out some of the finer details of his sketch. The tone was deep and rich, like if it was the musical equivalent to really good dark chocolate. Not the cheap store bought shit, but real, genuine dark chocolate. Both he and Cole shared a love for it.
Kai couldn't explain it, but listening to Cole play was like enjoying a bite of that same dark chocolate.
He watched lovingly as Cole's fingers slid along the fretboard, pressing down the strings with one hand, while another plucked out a delicious line that made Kai's ears beg for more. He couldn't quite place the artist Cole was covering. It had to be one of the classics they listened to often, he just couldn't place the name. It was right on the tip of his tongue...
"What are you playing?" Kai finally asked as he sat up.
"I'm not playing anything, actually," Cole admitted as he turned his attention back to Kai, who was looking at him as if he were an adoring fan in the pit below Cole's stage. Cole found himself blushing slightly. "It's just something I made up on the fly."
"Dang..." Kai muttered, looking impressed. "You can just...do that?"
Cole chuckled bashfully. "It's just a tune I threw together on the spot. It's nothing special."
Kai scoffed at that. "Okay, say that to my face once you're famous."
"Stop-"
"No! Seriously!" Kai remarked, stopping Cole's irritating modesty dead in its tracks. "You've got talent. Don't sell yourself short."
They sat in silence for a while, as Cole silently reflected on what Kai had said. He looked down at his bass, almost as if it were going to tell him something he couldn't quite hear, then turned his attention back to Kai, who had gone back to sketching yet again.
Cole leaned over as he tried to get a better look. "Whatcha workin' on?"
Kai tilted his head slightly to the left as he tried to figure out what pattern he wanted to use for the top of the dress. "It's a birthday present for Nya. Spoil the surprise and I'm telling Jay you beat his high score in Zombie Chase."
"Noted," Cole remarked as he watched Kai work, his graphite covered fingers wiping away eraser shavings as he continuously poured himself into this sketch. It came as no surprise to Cole when he found out Kai was into fashion design. He'd heard him sharing stories about growing up alone, having to raise Nya himself. He'd learned how to sew thanks to a kindly village elder, and he'd often make all of their own clothes when they didn't have the money to go out and buy new ones. It was fascinating to Cole, honestly. He loved how Kai shamelessly threw himself into a stereotypically "feminine" hobby, and not only owned it, but thrived doing it. He loved watching Kai stumble in the door with rolls of fabric under his arms, and fashion magazines held in between his teeth like some feral raccoon hauling away a stash of food. And when Kai worked? It was not only impressive, it was a spectacle.
Kai had earned a reputation amongst the others as the stereotypical hothead that didn't take anything seriously. When it came to the others, Kai was seen as the vain slacker, while Cole was seen as serious and responsible. He knew it was mostly a lighthearted joke, but it sometimes bothered Cole that the others didn't see this side of Kai; The passionate, hardworking guy that poured his heart into everything he cared about. Kai would spend days working at that sewing machine, trying to get every single part of a certain design just right. He'd handstitch rhinestones into a suit to avoid chipping the material, or ripping the fabric. The others would give Kai their torn clothes for him to fix, and he'd always give them back more than just a simple patchwork fix. Kai truly did care. He just had an unorthadox way of showing it.
And honestly? Cole found that beautiful.
"You're amazing, you know that?" He remarked as Kai lightly sketched some finishing touches on the sleeves. Kai played if off as if he'd expected it, but Cole saw his face flush clear as day.
"Thanks. I know."
"Don't let it go to your head now," Cole warned as he went back to his bass. "You're enough of an egomaniac without me constantly feeding it."
Kai pointed his pencil at Cole knowingly. "You love it though."
Cole laughed. "That I do, Kai. That I do."