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Kai's feet dragged heavily against the wooden boards of the bounty. "That mission was exhausting," Kai groaned.
"Yeah! I'm not even sure I have enough energy to play video games," Jay whined.
Cole grinned, despite his similar exhaustion. "Does that mean you won't be able to stop me from beating your high-score on Galamorph X-Post?"
"Don't you dare!" Jay shouted, his hunched back suddenly shooting up straight before he shoved Cole's shoulder. The two ninjas seemed invigorated by their bickering as their aching legs suddenly rushed into action. They pushed and raced against each other, their footsteps thundering across the deck, both trying to reach the gaming room before the other could, as if that act alone would earn them the achievement of the highest score.
Zane smiled fondly and turned to Kai. Although when he turned his head, Kai was not where Zane assumed he'd be. Instead, Kai was walking in the opposite direction of the gaming room. Rather, he was walking towards the sleeping quarters. "Kai? Do you not wish to join us in gaming? You can play chess with me until the others finish fighting and decide to play a multiplayer game instead," Zane offered.
Kai shook his heavy head. His mind felt too foggy to play chess against Zane. Not like it was entertaining even when Kai's mind was sharp. Kai saw no point in it and could not understand why Jay subjected himself to the torture of playing against Zane over and over. No human was ever going to beat Zane, a nindroid. Well, except for Master Wu, somehow. Even Zane can't compute that. Still, Kai felt Zane's worried eyes on him. "Too sweepy," Kai mumbled. "Sleepy," he corrected, speaking louder. Kai cringed; he had to get away from Zane. He didn't want his friends to see him like this.
"Rest well," Zane said before heading to the game room, where the other two yelled that no, he got here first and the other was the one who was slower. Even if Kai couldn't feel his conscious slipping smaller and smaller, Kai wouldn't want to get involved in that argument.
Kai felt his knees growing wobbly as he made his way down the hallway. He felt as if he could collapse. Sleeping right here in the middle of the hallway didn't sound too bad at the moment. Sure, the other ninjas might find him and ridicule him for weeks about being too tired to make it to the end of the hall. Frankly, Kai couldn't bring himself to care at the moment. Just as Kai was about to give in to the urges and let himself fall to the floor, a person dressed in red appeared before him. Kai looked up from the floor to her face and sighed at the sweet image of his mother- oops, he means his sister- standing before him.
"Kai! You're back from your mission finally?" Kai nodded his head and stumbled closer to Nya before dumping his body against her. Nya wrapped her arms around her older brother and steadied herself with the additional weight. He was lucky that Nya had enjoyed building muscle and that just because she wasn't a ninja didn't mean she wouldn't train like one. Although Kai kept putting on muscle faster than she could keep up with. Nya worried that one of these days her brother would lean against her and send them both toppling to the ground. "Hard mission?" Nya questioned, only receiving a nod and a soft hum from Kai. "Hmm… Feeling small?" This time Kai hesitated before nodding curtly. "Awe, c'mon, little guy. Let's get you cleaned up and into bed."
"'M not that little," Kai grumbled but took his sister's hand and followed behind her as Nya guided him to the bathroom.
With practiced speed, Nya swept around the room, starting the hot water for the tub before gathering all of Kai's soaps and self-care supplies. Nya found the term quite silly, seeing as for Kai it was never himself applying the moisturizers to his face and body, but Nya who was the one to do it for him. Not that Nya minded. Her big brother had gone through so much. From their rough childhood, which lacked parents, forcing Kai to grow up quickly, to his new career keeping all of Ninjago safe. It seemed like there was never a moment to rest. He played it cool and maintained his persona of the confident hot-head. But when he got home, he wanted nothing more than to lie down and be small. He was forever grateful that his little sister, whom he had sworn to take care of and protect, wanted to take care of him back.
He was so embarrassed by it at first. He was supposed to be her big, powerful brother and take care of her. When Kai had admitted that, Nya punched his shoulder. He knew better. He knew that Nya never wanted to be completely reliant on anyone and wanted to take care of Kai just as much as he took care of her. So, if Kai needed her to take care of him like he was a child and she was his mom, that's just what she'd do.
Nya dipped her fingers into the bathwater and immediately yanked them out with a hiss. Steaming hot. Just as her brother liked it. Nya could never understand why. She just wished he could stand it to be even a touch colder. Her hands always felt raw and painful from the searing heat of Kai's bathwater. Nya flipped off the water and turned back to Kai. Her taller brother now had his back hunched as he curled in on himself, making him smaller than Nya. Kai had his hand up to his lips, nibbling on his forefinger. He knew how mad Nya got when he sucked on his thumb, and this was his little act of rebellion.
"Alright, Little Guy," Nya said as she plucked Kai's finger out from his mouth. "Time for your bath." Nya ignored Kai's protest that he wasn't little. He most definitely was as he struggled to pronounce even simple words. Nya untied the sash from his waist and folded it properly, more proper than her brother even treated his gi. She still couldn't believe that Wu determined he was worthy to be a ninja when, if Nya wasn't there, he'd put on his gi wrong every time. "Arms back," Nya instructed, stepping behind her brother to slip the uwagi from his shoulders and down his out-stretched arms. The robe joined the obi on the bathroom sink. Nya stepped back around, making a full circle around Kai, her eyes flicking up and down, checking for any fresh cuts she'd have to be wary of and dress after Kai's bath. She sighed in relief, noting that her big brother had finally listened to her lectures and was more careful. This time he only bore light scrapes, which did not pass the epidermis. She'd have to give him a reward for being a good boy later.
Nya pulled at the string holding Kai's pants until the bow popped free. Nya knelt to retrieve the red trousers as they dropped to the floor. She carefully guided Kai's feet out of his pant legs, taking his footwear with them while he could still focus on his balance. Although he still had little balance remaining as he let out a tiny whimper and grabbed onto Nya's head to steady himself. Kai was lucky her short bob made it easy to fix whenever he messed it up. While she was down, Nya pulled down his remaining clothing, leaving Kai bare. "Mama," Kai whined, covering himself with his hands.
"It's okay, Little Flame," Nya assured, standing at his level. "You can't take a bath with your dirty clothes on, can you?" Kai shook his head, still pouting. "C'mon, you'll feel better in your warm bath." Nya led Kai by his hands, keeping hims steady as he stepped into the slippery tub. He slowly lowered his body beneath the waterline, and slowly a smile graced his face. "Better, Little Flame?"
Kai excitedly nodded his head. "Much better, Mama!" Nya smiled, seeing her brother looking so happy and carefree. She loved moments like this with him. Where the stress of the years slipped away and all that remained was the innocent kid from before their parents' abandonment. It was so long ago, and she was so young that the memories had faded. Sometimes Nya thought maybe she had imagined that sweet giggle from her brother's lips. Perhaps there was never a time when Kai did not constantly fret for her safety, all while covering it with his laid-back and hotheaded personality. Perhaps she read too deeply into her brother's emotions. Yet when she first found Kai regressed, trembling with his thumb in his mouth and tears streaming down his face, Nya knew her memories were not a lie. Once she calmed him down, out rang that adorable sound of Kai's giggle. It was real, and it was beautiful. Nya would dedicate her life to making Kai that happy, just as he had dedicated his childhood to keeping Nya happy.
Nya took a deep breath to prepare herself before dipping her hands into the steaming water, wincing at the heat, and lifted her cupped hands to pour the water over Kai's hair. She watched as all the water dripped down his shoulders and back into the bath, leaving his hair still appearing dry. Nya poured more water over his head, and what remained on his head beaded together into a pool between the spikes of hair. Stupid hair gel. It always made washing Kai's hair a pain. Nya rubbed the water into his hair, slowly breaking up the gel until the water could finally penetrate the strands.
Kai sank deeper into the water as he relaxed from Nya's fingers in his hair. Now the water kissed his collarbones. Nya knew that was as far as he would go on his own, so she didn't worry about it. Instead, she preoccupied herself with pouring a healthy amount of shampoo into her hands and massaging it into Kai's hair. She rubbed and rubbed until a thick white foam covered his hair. Even then, it was not enough to remove all the gel. She lightly rinsed his hair using her hands, getting out most of the grim and hair products. Then Nya applied another helping of shampoo. She worked the soap through the brown strands until they no longer felt sticky.
Now, was the hard part. "Alright, Little Flame, time to lean back," Nya cooed.
Kai's eyes shot open, and he scrambled to sit up, pushing himself out of the water. "No," Kai cried.
"It's okay," Nya shushed, grabbing hold of his shoulder and rubbing to soothe him. "I won't make you put your face under the water. Just your hair, okay?" Kai whimpered and shook his head. "C'mon, Little Flame, it's okay. Mama's got you. Have you ever known me to let anything bad happen to you?" Kai hesitated before shaking his head. "Exactly. I won't let you drown. I promise."
Kai was still hesitant but lifted his hand with his pinkie extended. "Promise?"
Nya curled her pinkie around his and gave it a shake. "Promise."
Kai took a deep breath and scooted forward. Nya braced one hand on his back and leaned him back until only his face poked out from the water. Kai's lips trembled, and his hands gripped the slippery sides of the smooth tub until his knuckles turned white. Nya was quick as she rinsed the soap from his head. The hand on his back urged him up and which Kai did not take lightly. He sat up so fast he slung water forward, soaking the wall and ground in front of him. A mess that Nya would have to clean, but she chose not to groan in complaint. This was far better than what sometimes happened, where his hair cleaning turned into sobs and his bath ended with soap suds still clinging to his hair while he similarly clung to Nya, drenching her shirt with bath water and tears. Although looking down at her shirt, she was still wet, only missing the tears this time.
Now, she sighed. She could put up with her sleeves growing wet, despite how uncomfortable it was, but having the front of her shirt cling to her body as well was too much. Nya leaned back from the tub as she pulled the drenched shirt over her head, cringing as the water in it dragged over her face. At least she could bathe her big brother in peace without the sensory nightmare of wet clothing.
Nya leaned back in, now filling her palm with conditioner and slathering it over Kai's hair. She rubbed in the extra to his ends; the First Master knows that without it, his ends would be split to the underworld from all the damage of his styling routine. Kai leaned in closer, wanting her fingers on his scalp again. He leaned and leaned until his upper body was over the side of the tub and his temple rested on her collarbone. "You're ridiculous," Nya chuckled. She lowered her head and pecked Kai's forehead. "Now, don't make this too difficult for me." Kai pouted as Nya pushed him back into the tub. "I promise you'll get more attention the sooner bath time is over."
Nya drizzled body wash over Kai's red scrubber. Now with the promise of attention, Kai was obedient and held out his arms for Nya to scrub free of dirt and sweat. Some things, such as Kai's desire for the spotlight, never changed. Nya made quick work of cleaning Kai. It was such a relief, as she never realized how horrible his sweat stench was until the sweet scent of a fruit salad replaced it.
Dead skin and dried sweat rolled into clumps and fell into the water below, leaving Kai's skin smooth. Nya continued until every inch of her older brother's body was fresh. Once his body was clean, Nya grabbed his face cleanser and smoothed it over Kai's face. "There. Now we just need to dip your head one last time and then it's nap time, okay?"
"Wan Mama's attention," Kai huffed.
"Nap time and attention. But only after we finish." Kai glared at Nya, but with his young demeanor, it only came out looking cute. Kai, of course, didn't want nap time, despite his obvious exhaustion. Nya knew better than him, especially when he was little like this. She knew as soon as Kai's head hit the pillow, he would pass out. Nya only had to get him to that point. "You'll have to be extra brave for me, though. I need to rinse off your face too."
Kai shook his head, sending droplets of cleanser and conditioner flying. "I'll be right here. I promised you I wouldn't let you drown." Kai still looked unsure about the idea. It was already scary enough to have his head partially underwater. Dipping his face below? That was too much. "You can have your nose poking out, that way you can still breathe," Nya offered. Kai finally nodded his head. He wasn't feeling feisty today, and he knew Nya would keep pushing until she got her way. At least he had an insignificant victory of not going completely under.
Nya rested her hand against Kai's back once more and lowered him down into the water. "Deep breath," Nya instructed. Kai loudly sucked in air, filling up his lungs and cheeks with oxygen, puffing his face up. Nya lowered him further until only his nose remained, poking out of the water like a volcano in the ocean. Her soft fingers smoothed over Kai's face, using the water to wipe away all the soap. Once his face was clean, Nya lifted him until just his hair was still beneath the water. "Keep your eyes closed, Flame." Kai squirmed as the water muffled the voice of his beloved sister. She sounded so distant. Kai's chest heaved as his nerves set alight with the sensation and thought that he was drowning. Nya wiped the water pooled in his eye socket with her fingers. Noticing water still trapped on his eyelashes, Nya grabbed her discarded shirt and used a dry section of her sleeve to dry his eyes. "There, now you can open."
Before Nya could even finish her sentence, Kai's eyes opened wide. His eyes scrambled, ensuring that he was not drowning, before locking onto Nya. "Mama," Kai whimpered. He reached out and grabbed her arm. Kai's eyes wetted once more, now with tears.
"It's okay, my Little Flame. I've got you. Mama's got you." Nya hurried her fingers through Kai's hair, removing all the conditioner into the water. As soon Nya couldn't see another speck of the white cream in the brown strands, she lifted Kai back up. "There's my brave boy," Nya cooed. Kai crawled closer and wrapped his arms around her. "I know, Little Flame. It's scary. But you're safe. Mama kept you safe, didn't I?"
Kai nodded his head softly and buried himself in Nya's shoulder. She held him close and dipped one hand into the tub, tugging on the plug and letting the water drain. "Look, the water's all gone now! You did so well for me, Flame." As she spoke, she carefully peeled Kai off of her, leaving her pouting boy in the tub. "Hold on, Little Guy."
Nya twisted open Kai's face cream and picked up a dab with her finger. Kai pouted as she smeared it over his face. "Oh, don't give me that face. I know you would give me that exact expression once you're big again if I skipped your beauty routine." Next, Nya grabbed his lotion and slathered it over his body, paying extra attention to his rough hands. Years of blacksmithing and ninja training had formed thick calluses on his palms. Nya recalled that they were once soft. They used to glide through her hair when Nya was a little girl and refused to brush her own hair. His hands used to make quick work of her hair, turning the black strands into smooth braids. Then his hands grew rough and caught in her silky hair. That was when Nya cut her hair into a short bob. If Kai was not the one brushing her hair and keeping it orderly, then she didn't want it.
"There. Now you won't be so grumpy when you wake up." Nya grabbed Kai's red towel and held it out. Kai stood on weak legs and hid his body in the outstretched towel. Nya wrapped it around his shoulders and tucked the towel around him so it stayed snug like a hug. Nya stepped away and unlocked the bathroom door. She turned her head as she couldn't hear Kai moving behind her. "Come on, Little Flame. We can cuddle now."
"But Mama, my legs are tired…" Kai mumbled.
Nya took a deep breath to prevent her groan of annoyance. It wasn't far, just next door down. Yet Kai always liked to be carried when little, and Nya had spoiled him by always giving in to his demands. It was only beginning to be a problem now. Nya returned to the side of the tub and wrapped her arms around Kai's thighs before hoisting him into the air with a grunt. Nya made shaky steps to the door, but couldn't manage to exit the bathroom with Kai's weight. She huffed and set him back down on his feet.
Kai looked down at her and frowned. "I'm sorry, Mama… Am I getting too big?"
"No," Nya lied between ragged breaths. "Mama's got you. Just a little tired, that's all." Nya took a few more deep breaths before sighing. She could do this. At least for now. She'd need to go to Cole for help in weight training after. She wouldn't disappoint her little boy. Nya grabbed Kai's arm and slung it over her left shoulder while her right arm picked his legs up. Nya strained as she lifted Kai onto her shoulders but then came a sigh of relief as the hold eased the effort it took.
Now Nya could leave the bathroom with her big brother and made the few steps to arrive at her room, where she tossed him onto the bed. Kai let out a little giggle as he bounced on the soft mattress. His little sister was more focused on shutting the door and rummaging through her dresser. From it, she pulled out a pair of fuzzy white shorts with ruffles at the hem and a tiny red bow at the waist, along with a plain white camisole. Nya reached into a separate box, one filled with items just for when Kai was feeling small. Which included underwear so that Kai didn't need to borrow Nya's anymore. Although the underwear was still girls' undergarments as Nya often found herself too embarrassed to shop in the boys' section.
Kai looked at the items in his sister's hands and huffed, " 'M not a girl!"
"I know that. But you love how soft my clothes are! I thought it'd make you feel more comfortable," Nya said with a roll of her eyes. She brought the fuzzy shorts to Kai's face and gently caressed his cheek with the soft fabric.
Kai instantly relaxed and leaned into the gentle touch. "Okay…" Kai mumbled. He'd be fine wearing girl clothes just this once if it meant he got to feel the soft material against his skin. Just as Nya knew he would feel. Every time they cuddled, especially when Kai was little, he was always so jealous of how soft Nya's clothes were.
Nya nodded and slipped the red underwear up Kai's legs, following with the shorts close behind. Now she could remove the towel from his body without making Kai feel self-conscious. She briefly rubbed his head with the towel, getting out a large part of the water. "Arms up!" Kai did as Nya instructed, and she slid the satin shirt over his head. She tugged it down as far as it could go, yet it still fit Kai as a crop top. Nya couldn't help but giggle at how ridiculous and cute her big brother looked. His big innocent eyes and adorable sleep set clashed harshly with his big muscles, numerous scars, and healing wounds. Nya squeezed the remaining water out of Kai's hair before tossing the towel onto her dresser. "Alright, now it's cuddle time!"
Kai cheered and made grabby hands at his sister. Nya smiled and laid down in her bed, holding out her arms for Kai. The elder quickly scrambled into her arms and wrapped his own around her midsection. "I love you, Mama!"
"I love you too, my Little Flame." Kai giggled and nuzzled closer, resting his head on Nya's chest. She kept one hand wrapped firmly around Kai's back while her other lifted to Kai's head to fiddle with his damp hair. She couldn't run her fingers through the strands like Kai enjoyed, so instead she ran her nails between the strands to gently scrape his scalp. Kai's eyes flittered shut, and his body slowly followed suit in limpness. "Tired?" Nya murmured.
"No…" Kai whined. "No sleep… Want Mama…"
"Mhm. Sure you aren't tired, Little Flame," Nya giggled. That was the last thing Kai heard before passing out.