Archive of Our Own

They’re so close. The Bounty finally touches down and Nya powers off the engines. Jay watches the bright and glaring flames flicker out of existence while contemplating whether or not he should even head inside the Monastery, or just crawl into his bunk on the Bounty. His much bigger, softer, and cozier bed in his room inside the Monastery is calling his name though, so he ultimately decides that it’s worth sucking up the few dozen steps it’ll take to make it there. 

He can’t even remember the last time he was this tired. Well, on second thought, it’s not actually that hard. Fighting and working on the Misfortune’s Keep left him so drained that he could barely stand, running on a shaky mix of adrenaline and sheer determination. Anyway, he feels more or less the same after the last few days. Somehow, the inmates at Kryptarium Prison managed to knock out an entire wall, which ended up letting just about every criminal in Ninjago loose on the city. It had been nonstop work for nearly two full days now, a repetitive cycle of tracking, fighting, and capturing that left the ninja run ragged. Jay’s pretty sure he saw Kai fall asleep standing up earlier, chin resting on his crossed arms, which were propped on the hilt of his sword. 

All he wants now is to flop into bed and to stay there for at least a week. But, in order to do that, he has to actually make it inside the Monastery. Gathering what little strength he has left, Jay hops out of the Bounty, knees nearly giving out when his feet hit the ground. A chorus of thuds sounds on either side of him as the rest of the team jump down too. 

“Let’s never do that again,” Lloyd says around a yawn, the words loose and jumbled by said yawn. The kid looks worse for wear, with dirt caked into his scruffy blonde hair and a fresh scrape etched into his right cheek. His shoulders are sagging too, weighed down by the same leaden exhaustion that clings heavy to Jay’s limbs. 

“I don’t know, sounds like my idea of a fun time,” Kai replies, sarcasm coloring his tone. It lacks a bit of his usual enthusiasm in the delivery though, the weak effort making his point all the stronger. 

“It was important work, even if it was rather draining,” Zane adds from where he’s helping Pixal down, moving to support her weight as she hits the ground. Her left knee took a hard hit when she was forced to leave the Sam X mech behind in order to follow Ultra Violet down a narrow alley, the carefully constructed joint now looking more like scrap metal. She assured them all that it would be a quick fix, nothing she couldn’t handle, but Nya still insisted on helping with the welding and wiring in the morning. 

“I’m just glad it’s finally over,” Jay says, scuffing his soles along the slate colored stones that make up the courtyard. “I thought we’d never get them all.” His voice takes on a raspy, exasperated quality, and it feels rough in his throat. Too much yelling. 

“You can say that again,” Nya replies from somewhere on his left. When Jay manages to muster the energy to look over at her, vision swimming slightly with the motion, he’s greeted by the sight of Cole, arms draped over Nya’s shoulders, as he attempts to lean his body weight into hers, taking some of the burden off his own taxed limbs. She either doesn’t mind, or is too tired to shoo him off, because she just keeps shuffling forward, paying no mind to his chest pressed against her back, and his chin coming to rest in the tousled black locks of her, now thoroughly disheveled, ponytail. 

“Maybe Master Wu will let us take the day off tomorrow?” Cole mumbles from his perch in Nya’s hair, a hopeful lilt to his words. 

“Ha! Fat chance,” Kai replies, spinning around to face everyone as he steps backward up onto the wooden decking that lines the front of the Monastery. “Maybe, if we’re really lucky, he’ll let us sleep in an extra hour.” Pivoting to face forward again, he wedges his fingers into the crack between the sliding door panels, and shoves one aside. 

“Ugh, why are you talking about waking up already?” Jay whines, a frown tugging at his lips as he trips up the step, nearly colliding with the bright red back of Kai’s gi. “That’s not allowed until I’ve spent at least a whole day in bed.” 

Zane chuckles, a warm and mellow sound that’s shaped by the metallic timbre of his voice. “Perhaps unfortunately to you, sleeping and waking are inextricably linked. You cannot have one without the other. Even if sleeping for quite a while does sound appealing right now,” he says, helping Pixal up the step and into the Monastery with a care that makes Jay’s heart go a little squishy. Nindroid love makes him sappy. 

“I would be rather glad that you can wake up. Considering the alternative is,” Pixal hesitates a beat, “less than pleasant.” 

“Don’t go getting all morbid on us Pix.” Lloyd scrunches up his nose, but there’s a teasing lightness to his tone. 

“I’d blame Jay. He was the one to bring up this topic of conversation,” she says, lips quirking up in a barely there grin, the purple markings lining her features shifting slightly with the expression. 

“First of all, it was Kai’s fault,” Jay levels, ignoring Kai’s offended scoff, “and second of all, just because I don’t want to think about waking up, doesn’t mean that I don’t want to wake up at all.” Jay turns down the hall where all their bedrooms are located, and he’s never been so happy to see a hallway in his life. 

“I’m glad you don’t want to die Blue Jay,” Cole says sleepily, voice colored warm by a grin and a sly playfulness. 

“Glad to hear it,” Jay replies flatly, aching legs stopping in their tracks briefly to school his features into an unamused look and send it in Cole’s direction. 

“Well, we’re off to bed,” Zane cuts in, stopping at the first door on the left: Pixal’s room. The wooden trim boxing in clean white panels has all been stained a deep navy blue, a perfect match to the paint job on both the Samurai X mech, and the fabric of Pixal’s outfit. Each door down the hall follows the same pattern, the wood beams painted to match the room’s respective ninja’s color. It had been Cole’s idea. He thought the hall could use some color, and having so many doors in one spot was, frankly, a little confusing. It wasn’t exactly uncommon to find another ninja passed out in your bed, just because they got the room wrong and were too tired to notice.

“Good night everyone,” Pixal adds as the pair disappear into her room, sliding the door shut behind them. A bunch of good nights follow closely behind, and one by one they all peel off into the haven of their own bedrooms. 

As they reach the end of the hall, only Cole, Nya, and Jay are left. Two blue doors, one cerulean and one turquoise, sit on either side of the hall, with the one trimmed in a deep ebony sat just beside Jay’s. He pauses for a moment, jaw cracking in a yawn, before turning to face the others. Cole is clumsily trying to extricate himself from Nya, swaying on his feet as he pulls himself upright and forces his legs to carry his own weight. Nya offers a hand in support, but Cole waves her off, a quick dismissive gesture. Jay finds a warm smile curving across his lips, content to watch his two favorite people in all of Ninjago, despite the exhaustion making his brain feel like it’s full of sand and his limbs— well, his limbs also feel like they’re full of sand. 

He takes a few steps, moving into their space, and lays a hand on each of their shoulders. Pushing up onto his tip toes, Jay stretches to press his lips to the dark skin of a cheek, an errant black curl brushing against his forehead as he does. Easing back, Jay lets his hand slide down a solid chest, then turns to face his room. “See you both in the morning,” he says with a little wave, leaning into the door as he slides it open. It’s been sticking in its track lately, and he’s been meaning to take a look, but a ninja’s work is never done. 

“Yeah,” Nya replies, slow and drawn out, almost suspicious, if Jay didn’t know any better. It strikes him as a bit odd, but he’s way past cognitive thought at this point, so he chalks it up to being so tired he can barely see straight. Cole doesn’t say anything at all, remaining strangely silent. He must be even more exhausted than Jay, which wouldn’t be entirely shocking, considering the circumstances. They all put in quite a long couple of days, and Cole is certainly no exception. 

So, Jay puts the slightly off responses aside and slides the door shut behind him. A relieved sigh escapes his lips as he crosses the room in a few strides, and collapses face-first onto the bed. A little crawling up the fluffy surface of his blanket, and he’s able to flop down into his pillows, the feathery softness heavenly under his head. Too tired to even think about changing clothes, he simply shuts his eyes and allows the pull of sleep to wash over him. 

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It’s almost noon by the time Jay ambles into the kitchen. Wu must’ve decided to take pity on them after all, and allowed the ninja to sleep in as long as they wanted. Jay takes full advantage, not waking up until the sun is high in the sky, streaming in through thin curtains. There was never a need for thick ones, since they were more or less always forced to get up at the crack of dawn, the sun typically didn’t pose an issue for sleep. Jay must’ve been so tired that even the sun couldn’t wake him, since he managed to sleep for several hours in near broad daylight. 

Anyway, he managed a quick shower and change of clothes before heading out for breakfast, washing away the grime from days of fighting. 

“Look who’s finally up,” Lloyd says from his perch on one of the kitchen chairs, a lazy smile stretched across his face. Jay spots a steaming mug of tea cradled between his hands, and figures that the kid only had him beat by half an hour, tops. 

“You’re lucky I got out of bed at all,” Jay calls back, making himself busy with finding a quick breakfast. He’s never been much of a cook, so unless someone else (usually Zane) has made a meal for everyone, Jay resorts to things like toast and cereal that don’t require a whole lot of effort. He stretches for a bag of granola from the top shelf, a wince twisting his features as the motion pulls at his left shoulder, and the nasty swollen bruise pressed into his skin and muscle. The Mechanic had tossed him squarely into a window-mounted flower planter and his shoulder blade had taken the brunt of the hit, wood cracking and splintering against bone. It’s nothing too serious, but that doesn’t mean the constant, throbbing ache, or the sharp sting when he moves, doesn’t still suck. 

Plus, a litany of other scrapes and bruises litter his skin, a testament of how tired he got by the end written right into his complexion. It’s pretty common to leave a fight with at least a handful of minor injuries, but not the dozens that currently mar his pale limbs and torso. And, to top it all off, his muscles carry a dull soreness, protesting their overuse and lack of rest, only made stiff and achy by the night’s sleep. 

“Have you seen Pixal yet?” Jay asks, retrieving a bowl from the cabinet. He hopes the repairs aren’t too extensive, and that she’s back to her feet with minimal issue. The damage looked nasty, metal ripped and crushed, but sometimes the internal mechanisms don’t take as much of a beating, and it ends up being a quicker fix than they initially thought. 

“Zane said that her and Nya have been patching up that knee for the last couple hours. I think they’re actually about done,” Lloyd replies, tone light, but there’s an undercurrent of relief running through his words. Jay feels it too, calming nerves he didn’t quite realize were frayed. Whenever one of the team is injured, even if it’s somewhat minor or an easy fix, everyone tends to be a bit on edge until the problem is taken care of, nindroids repaired or humans given proper medical attention. 

“That’s good,” Jay hums, pouring the cinnamon scented granola into his bowl, followed by a generous splash of milk. He makes quick work of returning the milk to their, unfortunately rather empty, fridge, grabbing a spoon, and settling in at the table across from Lloyd. As soon as he’s sitting down he takes a bite, eager to get some food into his growling stomach. 

“Yeah,” Lloyd pauses to take a sip from his mug, the one that’s got a Starfarer comic panel printed on its surface, the one that always brings a smile to Jay’s face, before continuing. “You know, I’m glad we have so many engineers and technologically minded people on the team. I wouldn’t even know where to start.” His expression shifts into something a bit sheepish as he breathes out a light chuckle. Jay doubts Darkley’s encouraged actual learning of any kind that didn’t involve villany, and while they’ve made sure that Lloyd’s education wasn’t lacking since he started living with them, it was mostly just stuff like science, math, and history, not wiring and circuitry.  

“If you ever want to learn, I’m sure we could manage to squeeze in some time to show you the ropes,” Jay offers between bites, making quick work of the bowl. 

“Thanks, but I think I’ll stick to ninja-ing. It’s more my speed,” Lloyd says, but Jay doesn’t miss the way his mouth curls into a grin at the offer. 

“Suit yourself,” Jay replies, fishing for the last few oats floating in the now speckled milk, colored by flecks of spices. Guiding his spoon along the bowl’s side, he scoops them up and tips the excess milk off, watching it drip back into the bowl, sending a ripple across the liquid’s surface. Bringing the utensil to his mouth, he finishes off the last bite, savoring the warm, cozy flavors of cinnamon and clove and nutmeg that cling to the surface of the granola. 

Setting the spoon back in his now empty bowl, Jay shoves it toward the middle of the table, clearing off a space in front of him, and folds his arms atop the wooden surface. He rests his chin on his forearms, half laying on the table. He can’t even remember the last time he had a lazy morning like this, no rush to get to training or deal with some new bad guy. A pleased smile tugs at his lips as he watches Lloyd sip at green tea, probably something with jasmine if the scent is anything to go by, a filtered sigh escaping him as he relaxes into the table, practically ready to melt into it. 

They should have chill mornings like this once a week, Jay thinks, with only the presence of a bad guy overriding it, obviously. It’d be so nice to have a day to sleep in past sunrise, hang out with Nya, Pix, and the guys, have a delicious breakfast, and then get to training when everyone is ready. It’d be a much needed change of pace from Jay’s usual scrambling to get his clothes on right-side-out, grabbing whatever food he can shovel into his mouth the fastest, then still getting scolded by Master Wu for being late. 

“Pixal is good as new!” Nya announces suddenly as she strides into the kitchen, her words breaking Jay out of his relaxation induced daze. 

“You two got that done fast,” Lloyd replies, setting his mug down on the table, but he keeps his fingers wrapped around the warm ceramic. “Color me impressed,” he offers a smile, kind and encouraging where it curves his lips, “although, I suppose I should expect it at this point.” Lloyd trails off with a chuckle, watching as Nya crosses the room and plops down in the chair beside Jay. Jay spots a fresh soldering burn on one of her fingers when she sets her hands on the table, skin flushed red in an irritated splotch. 

“Thanks! Though the speed is mostly Pixal. I know she’s a nindroid, but man does she work fast!” Nya replies, meeting Lloyd’s smile with her own grin, lighting up with the praise. Jay has always admired how Nya owns any compliments she receives. She’s grateful and humble, but she also knows how talented and skilled she is, how hard she worked to get where she is, and accepts the kind words with the knowledge that she does deserve them. Plus, she does it without coming across as cocky or arrogant, unlike a certain sibling of hers does from time to time. (Kai’s really not that bad, at least anymore, but that doesn’t mean Jay isn’t going to mess with him for it.)

“Oh, and Jay,” she adds, shifting in her seat so she can face him. “I’m glad you’re up. I wanted to talk to you.”

That makes Jay straighten up, pulling himself off the table. He starts thinking through options of what she could want, and why she wants to talk to him in particular. You don’t start conversations like that if you just want to chat about the weather. He knows it’s not their anniversary or Nya’s birthday—he has both of those dates marked on his calendar in big red letters. Besides, she doesn’t sound angry with him, in fact her tone was pretty casual and light. 

“Sure,” Jay replies, nerves creeping into his voice, just a little bit. “What did you want to talk about?” He asks, catching the way Lloyd gives Nya a questioning glance, as if to ask if he should leave, and Nya just gives him a little smile in response, clearly not bothered by his presence. 

Jay pulls the sleeves of his t-shirt over his palms and knuckles, so he can pull the soft fabric between his fingers and toy with it, twisting and folding it in a loose grip. 

“Well, I figured we should probably talk about last night,” Nya replies, a certain knowing quality to her words that makes Jay feel like he is very much missing something. Last night? Nothing happened last night. He barely managed to stay awake on the way home, stumbled into the Monastery with all the grace of someone trying spinjitzu for the first time, said goodnight to everyone, then promptly passed out as soon as he hit his bed. What is there to even talk about? A quiet, unsettled unease washes over Jay, wrapping around his skin and sinking into his stomach. 

“Uh, yeah, last night,” Jay says, tone so unsteady and unconvinced that it completely betrays his feeble attempt at feigning to be in the know. 

“Yeah, you know, how you kissed Cole goodnight instead of me,”  Nya deadpans, shifting her gaze to land squarely on Jay’s face. 

Before he can even react, Lloyd is hacking up a lung, choking on the tea he was clearly in the process of swallowing. He coughs and sputters until his airways are free of the warm liquid, then immediately dissolves into a barely contained laughing fit. 

Jay, still attempting to process the words that just came out of Nya’s mouth, stares at her wide eyes, before the protests begin to tumble out. “What?” he starts, the word a pitchy thing, “I didn’t. There’s no way! I clearly remember telling you both goodnight, kissing you on the cheek, then going to bed,” Jay says, the words all coming out in a rush. He tries to recall that moment, but he was so tired he could barely see straight, and everything is a bit hazy. He knows he meant to kiss Nya goodnight, a quick press of his lips to her cheek before he fell asleep on his feet, but he can’t pull the memory into focus. All he can muster is swimming flashes of his hands on a pair shoulders, warm skin beneath his lips, a mumbled goodnight, and then the velvety softness of his blanket. 

“You kissed Cole, then went to bed,” Nya corrects, gauging his reaction with appraising eyes. 

Jay wracks his brain, trying his best to dredge up the exhaustion-addled memories, since Nya seems quite confident in her version of the night’s events. Last night, he walked over to them both, balanced himself with a hand on each of their shoulders, stretched up onto his toes, and— 

Up onto his toes. 

Jay and Nya have always been roughly the same height, with Nya only reaching about an inch or two taller than himself. Cole, on the other hand, is at least a whole head taller than Jay, his cheek decidedly out of reach for Jay with his heels on the ground. 

Once he puts it together, all the details come rushing back, the dark brown skin, the stray  black curl that brushed across his brow, the solid, muscular chest that Jay’s hand slipped down as he backed away. 

It was Cole. 

Upon realizing that fact, Jay drops his head to the table, forehead colliding with wood and producing a healthy thud. 

“Seriously, Jay?” Lloyd’s voice comes from across the table, amusement threaded into each and every letter. 

“I didn’t mean to,” he whines, muffled into the solid surface beneath him. This is so bad. So, so bad. He meant to kiss Nya, his Yang, not Cole. Cole is his best friend and nothing more. Sure, Jay can acknowledge that Cole is objectively very attractive, the sweetest and most caring person he’s ever met, and he values Cole’s presence in his life more than almost anything, but that doesn’t mean anything. 

He’s in love with Nya, and beyond happy with their relationship, thank you very much. He would face every criminal they’ve ever fought all on his own if it meant keeping Nya by his side. She’s his everything, and he likes it that way. He handed her half of his soul when he offered her the Yin-Yang medallion and it’s a promise he stands by. 

Then, it’s Nya’s turn to laugh. The cheerful sound fills the room, bright and beautiful like a melody, and it prompts Jay to turn his head, temple pressing into the table while his eyes land on Nya’s face. He’s met by warm brown eyes carrying a playful sparkle. Her lips are parted with the chuckle, and she’s brushing a flyaway strand of hair, escaped from her messy ponytail, behind her ear. Jay can’t help but feel a little better at that sight, like he only made the world’s second biggest mistake, instead of the biggest. 

“Relax, Jay. I’m not mad. I couldn’t care less,” she says, light yet genuine, a smile evident in her voice, as she reaches out to pat his shoulder in a reassuring gesture. 

“You’re sure?” he questions, sounding quite unsure himself. It’s easy for his brain to spin a thousand different scenarios where this blows up in his face, with Nya dumping him, and therefore shattering his heart, and Cole never speaking to him again, rendering him sad and alone forever. Yet, he knows Nya and Cole better than that, and has to course correct into mild anxiety instead of the world ending dread he’s so quick to conjure. 

“Of course. You were so out of it, I shouldn’t have even been surprised,” she replies with a laugh. 

“I don’t know if I should be relieved or offended,” Jay mutters, cheek still squished on the table. Nya leans in a little closer, sliding her hand to rub a soothing pattern across his back, taking care to avoid his bruised shoulder blade. 

“Let’s stick with relieved,” Nya offers, leaning her free elbow against the table and propping her weight on it. 

Jay sprawls his arms across the table, collapsing onto it in a dramatic heap. “I can’t believe I did that,” Jay says, burying his face in the vibrant blue fabric of his shirt, nose pressed into the crook of his elbow, cheeks suddenly going warm as the realization continues to sink in, becoming more concrete. Even if Cole is as cool about it as Nya, it’s still totally embarrassing, and Jay certainly isn’t naive enough to think he won’t hear about this for the next several months, at least. He’ll never live it down. 

And that’s just if Cole doesn’t mind. Jay can’t see him getting too torn up over it. They are best friends after all, and a kiss on the cheek is hardly the worst offense Jay’s committed over the course of their relationship. And Cole has always been a physically affectionate person, wrapping Jay up in big bear hugs whenever the opportunity strikes, leaning his weight on Jay’s shoulder after a tough mission, or tucking Jay into his side when they’re watching movies or playing video games. Jay just hopes this isn’t crossing some kind of line. 

“It was an honest mistake,” Lloyd says, a genuine edge to his tone that makes something in Jay’s chest loosen slightly. Jay shifts a bit, in order to look at Lloyd, and the kid’s wearing a reassuring smile that looks so at home on his features, eyes crinkled slightly around the edges, a warmth to the expression like sunshine filtering in through an open window. 

“Besides,” Nya adds, “You should’ve seen Cole.” There’s a growing enthusiasm in her voice, tempered by the sugary fondness hiding underneath. “He totally froze and went all red in the cheeks,” she says, a grin forming on pink lips. 

Jay tries to not think about the implications of whatever that could mean, hoping it was simply the surprise that prompted that response. Still, he wishes he could have seen it. Cole isn’t too hard to fluster, a well timed teasing comment will usually do the trick, but blushes are hard won, and Jay’s seen few over the years they’ve known each other. They’re something to behold though, a perfect dusting of a deep pink spreading across strong cheekbones and the ridge of his nose. And, they’re usually accompanied by a sheepish grin or an embarrassed duck of his head and a pout drawn across his lips. 

Jay doesn’t let himself dwell on that train of thought too long, knowing it could be a rather slippery slope that he’d rather not find himself sliding down at the moment. 

“It was actually kind of adorable,” Nya says, and the words sound right as they roll off her tongue, the observation so natural, so sure. Cole is adorable, Jay thinks, so it only makes sense that Nya sees that too. Really, all of the ninja probably see that. With Cole’s sweet demeanor and big brown eyes, how could they not?

“Did it look like that?” Lloyd asks, a curious slant to his voice. It catches Jay off guard, and his face scrunches up in confusion. Look like what? Trying to parse the meaning of Lloyd’s question, Jay musters the will to pull his face away from its pillow on his arm to cast a glance around. His eyes track where Lloyd’s turned in his seat, shifted to face the doorway where the kitchen meets the hallway. He follows that line of sight, and his eyes land on Cole, speak of the devil. 

Then, Lloyd’s meaning clicks into place, as Jay takes in his appearance. His feet are rooted right inside the entryway, only having made it a step or two into the kitchen. Embarrassment is scrawled all across his features, brows slanted above his eyes and lips pressed together in a wobbly line. There’s a lovely flush of red splashed across his cheeks, spreading over his nose and out to his ears, partially hidden by a mop of black curls. His eyes are cast down, pointedly avoiding every other figure in the room, as he stares holes into the wood flooring instead. 

It is adorable. Like, indescribably so. Jay feels a warmth blazing across his own cheeks as he takes in the scene before him, and the memory from last night of soft skin beneath his lips comes rushing back. He can practically feel the sturdy muscle against his fingertips, the fluffy frizz of Cole’s curls brushing his skin, and he swears his heart actually stalls in his chest, seizing up. 

“More or less,” Nya replies, a grin evident in the upward lilt carried in her voice. “Although, there was a bit more surprise last night,” she adds, almost contemplative. At that, Cole buries his face in his hands, covering up that beautiful blush and hiding his expression from them all. 

“You guys!” Cole whines, all stretched out and a bit pitchy, as he manages to will his legs into moving. He stalks over to the fridge, impressively not bumping into anything with his eyes still covered, and turns his back on the table as he busies himself with digging through its contents. 

Jay follows Cole’s example and ducks his head back into the bend of his elbow, ignoring how his chin digs into the wood beneath him. The heat still lingering on his cheeks is incriminating enough, and he’d rather not share that with anyone else. 

“Come on, it’s not that bad.” Lloyd’s voice reaches Jay, a bit muffled where one of his ears is pressed against soft fabric, and Jay appreciates the sentiment, even if the words do little to settle his pounding heart and uncomfortably warm skin. 

“Yeah,” Nya says, jumping to back up Lloyd, “this’ll be a great funny story to tell.” Her hand leaves where it had settled on the curve of Jay’s back to ruffle through his mop of copper waves, before leaving altogether. He’s not sure if that makes him feel better or worse about the whole situation. 

“Not making me feel better,” Cole replies, and from the sound of his words when they reach Jay’s ears, he’s still buried in the depths of the fridge, not willing to face anyone else at the moment. Or, maybe he’s just looking for food. With Cole, he can’t be sure. Either way, Jay heartily seconds the sentiment. 

“I really don’t need to be the center of any more funny stories,” Jay grumbles into the table, a little put-out. He’s always happy to make everyone laugh, but the stories where they’re laughing with him instead of at him are certainly preferred, kicking any lingering insecurities and doubts about whether or not he’s the weak link, or if the other ninja would be better off without him, to the curb. 

Besides, this one dredges up a wonderful new problem, namely one with drool-worthy lines of muscle, gorgeous deep brown eyes, and a smile that makes him feel like nothing will ever go wrong again. 

“Okay, so maybe you just chalk it up to a sleep deprived mistake and never talk about it again,” Lloyd offers, and Jay decides he likes that option a whole lot better than the first. 

“Now you’re talking,” Jay replies, finally risking a peak from the safe space of his elbow. Cole is, as Jay suspected, still in the fridge, arms now wrapped around his frame like he’s trying to ward off the cold chill rolling out of the appliance. It makes the bare beginnings of a smile tug at his lips, mood lifting slightly at the sight. 

“Or you could, I don’t know, deal with this like the adults you are and actually talk about it. Especially since it’s not that big of a deal,” Nya levels, a hopeful expectancy clinging onto her words. 

At that, Jay ducks his head again, dropping his forehead onto his arm. At this point, he might just start living with his head tucked into his arms. It seems like a safer option than risking locking eyes with Cole or catching Nya’s gaze. “But it’s so embarrassing,” Jay whines, “You’re not the one who kissed your best friend.” Cole makes a slightly pathetic and rather flustered sounding noise that Jay takes to be an agreement. 

“I don’t know why I bother with you guys,” Nya says, a knowing sort of resignation in her tone. 

“Because you love us?” Jay prompts, lifting his head and reaching out for her hand, now resting on the surface of the table. Maybe he’s just fishing for the answer he wants, but it comes out a little too much of a real ask, the letters a little too genuine as something hidden away and rooted deep in his chest digs its claw into the soft flesh of his heart. 

“Sometimes I don’t know why,” she starts, and the talons tighten their grips, squeezing until traitorous nerves burrow under his skin, “but yes, I love you two dorks.” There’s something unmistakably fond in her voice that causes the claws to immediately release, and a warmth floods in to take their place. Hearing those words from her, whether it’s a quick love you as she heads out for the day, or as a grand declaration, will never cease to amaze him. He’s still not sure how he got lucky enough to earn her affection, but he’s more than grateful for it every single day. 

“You too, Lloyd,” she adds with a grin, and Lloyd breaks out into a blinding smile of his own. It’s sweet enough to distract Jay for a few beats, before his mind starts to wander to plans for the rest of the day. If Wu hasn’t come to bother them about training yet, it means they’ve got the day off. And since days off are such a rarity, Jay resolves to make the most of it. He’ll get in some good video game time, maybe spend a little while chatting with Nya, check some auction sites for that vintage train model he has his eye on, and generally just laze around while he has the chance. 

Then, Lloyd gets to his feet, the now empty mug hanging loosely in his grip. It gets Nya’s attention, and she turns to face him. “Off to go make the most of your free day?” she questions as he pads into the kitchen and sets his mug down in the sink. He casts a glance back over his shoulder, and the mischievous glint in his eye makes dread crawl up Jay’s spine. 

“Not quite yet,” he starts, making his way toward the hall, “I’ve got to go tell Kai about this first.” The pleased yet slightly smug tilt to his voice reminds Jay all too much of the little kid he first met stealing candy at Jamanakai Village. All he needs is a black hoodie and a tragic haircut, and the picture would be complete. 

“What happened to not telling anyone?” Cole calls, finally swinging the refrigerator door shut. He’s notably empty-handed, with a pleading look in those brown eyes. 

“Not Kai! He’ll never let me live it down,” Jay adds, tone taking on a pleading quality as well. It’d be one thing for Zane or Pixal to find out: they’d probably find some amusement in it, but give him mercy when it came to teasing. But Kai? Kai will be absolutely ruthless in his playful assault. Especially since Jay started dating his baby sister, Kai has accrued a particular fondness for teasing Jay at every available opportunity, and this will be way too good for him to pass up. 

“Even if he doesn’t tell Kai now, it’s going to get out eventually. Nothing stays secret around here for long,” Nya reasons, and as much as Jay would like to argue, he knows she’s right. He’s pretty sure his best kept secret was when he was planning to ask Nya to be his Yang, and that only worked because he just needed to keep the secret from Nya, not everyone. Besides, it’s a miracle they kept her from finding out about that anyway, what with how loud Kai and Cole could be in their excitement. 

Jay heaves a dramatic sigh, shoulders slumping as he exhales a long breath. “Go ahead and get it over with,” he says, waving an encouraging hand toward Lloyd, motioning him out of the room. 

“Sorry about this,” Lloyd calls as he leaves the room to hunt down Kai, ready to spill Jay’s embarrassing blunder.

“I don’t think he’s actually sorry,” Cole mutters, leaning back against the metal surface of the fridge. And yeah, the smile never slipped from Lloyd’s face as he threw out the quick apology. 

Jay has the distinct feeling that the next few days will be long ones. 

------------------------------------------------------

Well. 

Lloyd told Kai. Kai told Zane. Zane told Pixal. Then, Pixal told Master Wu. In the span of  a few hours, everyone in the Monastery was privy to the failings of Jay’s sleep deprived brain. The nindroids and Wu were kind enough to not bring it up to his face, even if he’s pretty sure they talked about it behind closed doors. And, as to be expected, Kai came to him laughing so hard he could barely breathe. Surprisingly though, he didn’t give Jay too hard of a time, instead just thanking him for the entertainment and going on his way. Maybe Jay’s the one making this out to be a bigger deal than it needs to be, even if Cole seemed pretty embarrassed by the whole situation too. 

Anyway, a few days passed without major incident, and while Jay is quite relieved about that, he’s encountered a new problem. And that new problem is why he finds himself standing outside Zane’s door, chewing his lip and debating whether or not to knock. He needs to talk to someone or he might explode, either into a wild cascade of sparks like a firework, or into a massive fit of word vomit, all of his pent up thoughts tumbling out of his mouth before he can stop them. Neither option sounds particularly appealing, so Jay sucks in a steadying breath, raises a hand, and raps his knuckles on the door a few times. 

While he waits, he rocks back and forth from heel to toe, shifting his weight to help dispel the nervous energy. He flicks his gaze around too, eyeing the end of the hallway before snapping his attention back to the door in front of him. He can hear Zane rustling around inside the room, the sounds of footsteps soon to follow. Then, the door slides open and Jay’s greeted by a comfy looking Zane, clad in a pair of white flannel pajamas speckled with little blue snowflakes.

“Oh, hello Jay,” he greets, a warm smile coming to his lips. The expression shifts slightly though, a confused tilt pulling at his brows. “Is there something I can help you with?’” The question comes quickly, and a fondness sparks in Jay’s chest. Zane’s always so ready to help, wherever or whenever he’s needed. 

“Well,” Jay starts, all long and drawn out as he toys with the ribbed cuff edging one of his sleeves, “I was kind of hoping to talk to you about something.” 

Zane’s expression immediately softens, and he steps back and pulls the door open wider. “Of course. I’m always happy to listen,” he says, the mechanical timbre of his voice filling the Monastery’s evening quiet. 

Jay steps through the doorway and ambles a few steps into the room. Zane’s room is always pretty orderly, everything tidied away into its proper place. It’s quite unlike Jay’s own room, with clothes strewn across every free surface and clutter piled on shelves and tables. Cleaning and organizing isn’t exactly his strong suit, but he doesn’t mind the mess. It makes his space feel more homey, and more like it suits himself, so as long as it isn’t posing a hazard, he leaves things where they are, for the most part. 

The only signs of clutter in Zane’s room are the training shuriken scattered about the space, likely dropped wherever after today’s exercises. Well, that and the orange ball of yarn perched atop his spare pillow, the one on the right side of the bed, and the knitting needles threaded through a half-finished scarf. It isn’t exactly clutter, more like he just set it down when Jay knocked on the door, but still. It makes the divide between Zane’s bedroom and Jay’s own feel less like a chasm when he thinks of it that way. 

“Thanks,” Jay says, plopping down on the foot of Zane’s bed, his comforter velvety soft beneath Jay’s fingers. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if you said no. I mean, I can’t talk to Cole or Nya for obvious reasons, and Kai’s definitely out of the question. He’d reduce me to ash in two seconds flat if I told him. And Lloyd “Trust Issues” Garmadon wouldn’t have been much help,” he rambles, lifting his hands to make air quotes as he mentions Lloyd. The kid has a heart of gold, but Harumi really did a number on him. 

Zane shuts the door with a soft thump as it hits the frame, then strides over to settle down beside Jay, the mattress dipping with his weight. “I’m afraid I don’t follow. What is this about?” he questions, that puzzled quirk returning to his brow. 

“Cole,” Jay moans, flopping backward onto the bed and sprawling his arms across its surface. “Ever since the—” he pauses, hesitating for a brief moment, “incident the other night, I can’t stop thinking about him.” Jay stares up at the ceiling, the overhead light blessedly turned off in favor of a few lit lamps scattered across the room. 

“I assume you are speaking of when you kissed him instead of Nya, correct?” Zane clarifies, and it makes a frown tug at Jay’s lips. 

“There aren’t exactly a whole lot of other incidents to go around,” Jay says, shifting slightly so he can nudge Zane with his knee, a small show of his annoyance at having his failings spelled out so clearly. Zane thinks nothing of it though, and places a comforting hand just above the joint. 

“Just making sure.” One corner of Zane’s lips pulls up with the comment, something almost playful about the expression. 

Jay huffs a dramatic sigh, but continues. “It’s like, my brain only ever saw him as a best friend—I mean, I always knew he was, like, ridiculously attractive, but that’s just an objective fact. Just look at him and that much is clear. But anyway, I thought my feelings were always platonic, but ever since I kissed him, it’s like all that was hurled out the window and now I just want to kiss him again.” Jay throws an arm over his face to hide the growing warmth blazing across his cheeks, and the red rivaling Kai’s gi that is surely accompanying it. 

“My feelings toward him feel like how I feel about Nya,” Jay says, scrunching his nose at the overuse of the word feel. “But that’s the thing. I still love Nya so much, and I want to be with her all the time, but now I feel like that with Cole too, and I don’t know what to do.” The words come fast, only picking up steam as each one leaves his lips. “Zane, you’ve gotta help me,” Jay pleads, rolling onto his side so he can face Zane, where the nindroid has twisted to observe Jay’s antics. 

“I do not believe you need my assistance with this,” Zane starts, voice kind as it wraps around the syllables, not dismissive. 

“No, no, no, please,” Jay says, all in a rush, “I’m so confused and I have no clue how to deal with this and you’re so smart and I need you.” Jay curls slightly, just enough that he can reach for Zane’s hand, taking the cyan metal between his fingers. “Plus you and Pixal are basically perfect together, and I want that,” he adds, prompting a fondness to wash across Zane’s features. There’s a little something else there too though, a pleased quality slipping in beside the warmth. He smiles down at Jay, moving to take Jay’s hands between his own. 

“I was not saying that I wouldn’t help,” Zane says, and instantly, some of the gripping urgency dissipates, leaving Jay a bit less frantic. “I only meant that I believe this will be more easily solved than you think. And as far as Pixal and myself, we are not perfect, but no good relationship is without faults.” Jay thinks that all sounds well and good, and that Zane believes his words, but Jay also caught the satisfied spark in his eye at the compliment, giving away his pride in their relationship. 

“Easily solved? Are you sure?” Jay questions, disbelief coloring his tone, “I was ready to call this a category five, world-ending, cataclysmic event, but what do I know?” He rolls onto his back again, head sinking into the plush softness of Zane’s mattress. Jay isn’t quite sure why, maybe it has something to do with the solid and unyielding build of his frame, but he’s found that Zane is rather fond of soft surfaces, more so than the rest of them. What Jay does know, is that it means Zane has the comfiest bed out of all the ninja, which has led to more than a few sleepovers in his room over the years. 

“I do not believe it’s quite that serious,” Zane replies, a twinge of amusement creeping into the edges of his voice. His icy blue eyes seem to glow brighter in the soft lighting of the room, their shine growing alongside his mood. “You have known both Cole and Nya for a long time. If you just tell them what’s on your mind then—”

“Are you crazy?” Jay cuts in, prompting Zane to level a flat look at him. “There’s no way I can tell them! What if Nya thinks I don’t care about her anymore? Or what if it ruins my friendship with Cole because I had to go and get weird about it?” he questions, worst-case scenarios already flooding through his brain. They have a way of running rampant, even when Jay logically knows they’re not likely to happen. His head isn’t always quick to supply logic though, especially not in situations where so much is at stake. 

“My logic circuits are in perfect working order,” Zane says, a firmness to his words that’s edged with a gentle reassurance. “Your bonds are strong enough that they will not be broken by something like this. And I find that honesty is nearly always the best solution when faced with a dilemma.” Zane regards Jay with warm eyes, watching for reactions or interruptions. “No good will come from hiding your feelings. It will only make things harder for you.” He squeezes the hand clasped between his own lightly, a comforting gesture that makes everything seem a little smaller, more approachable. 

Jay takes a moment to digest Zane’s words, mulling them over and processing their meaning. Then, he breathes out a huff and hauls himself upright until he’s sitting up. “Why are you always right?” he asks, a playful grin pulling across his lips. 

“I suppose it is the curse of being a nindroid,” Zane teases, his demeanor brightening into something a touch more lively. 

“I wish you could teach me your ways,” Jay says, nudging Zane’s side with his elbow, “I’d kill to be the smartest person in the room. It doesn’t happen nearly as much as I’d like.” He flashes a grin, all white teeth and freckled cheeks. 

“I believe you are smarter than you give yourself credit for,” Zane replies, making both Jay’s chest and his skin go all warm and tingly, “If a little too prone to forgetting that intelligence in stressful situations.” Zane’s expression morphs from wonderfully fond into something far more mischievous, the curve of his smile sliding into a lopsided grin. 

“Hey!” Jay exclaims in mock offense, putting on an affronted look. “Well, actually you’re probably right,” he caves, a short chuckle spilling past his lips as he rubs a hand at the back of his neck. “As always,” he adds.

Zane just smiles at that, the conversation dipping into a quiet lull. It’s the comfortable, companionable kind of silence that reminds Jay of home. It doesn’t matter which home, whether it’s back at the junkyard with his parents, sailing through the air or on the sea with the Bounty, or settled in cozy common areas inside the monastery. They all carry that cozy feeling of company, even when nothing is being said. He supposes it has more to do with the people than the spaces, but they make him feel grounded nonetheless. 

Letting out a long, sifting breath, Jay slides to the edge of the bed and gets to his feet. “I guess I’ll let you get back to your knitting,” he says, waving a hand in the direction of the curling and looping strand of yarn. “Thanks for letting me dump my problems on you.” A short laugh follows the sentiment. 

Zane reaches out and lays a steadying hand on Jay’s shoulder. “Anytime,” he replies, warmth threading into his tone and soaking into his voice. “I’m quite certain that this will work out well,'' he adds, a welcome reassurance that settles itself in Jay’s bones. He just has to believe in Cole and Nya—well, and himself, and trust that it will all be okay. Maybe a bit easier said than done, but still. He has faith in his friends on a daily basis, and while this is about an entirely different matter, he can still do his best to hold tight to that belief. 

“Fingers crossed,” Jay replies, holding up both hands with his middle finger crossed over the index, an anxious-edged smile paired alongside the gesture. He’s not one to get too wrapped up in superstition, but right now, he can use all the luck he can get. 

“Good night, Jay,” Zane says as Jay lays a hand on the sliding door. Jay smiles a little wider at the words, the kind domesticity of it making his heart feel full. 

“Night,” he shoots back, offering a little wave as he slides the door open and steps through. Shutting it behind him, Jay lets his eyes drift to the black and turquoise lined rooms, as well as letting his thoughts drift to their occupants. It’s just Nya and Cole. They’re his best friends and the people he loves most. They’ll understand. 

Right? 

Shoving the creeping doubt to the back corner of his mind, Jay makes his way to his own room. He’ll think on it for the night, then tell them how he feels tomorrow. It’s best to not drag these things out too long, or he’ll psych himself out and end up ignoring it completely, resigning himself to a life filled with second guessing, always wondering if he should’ve spoken up. 

He’ll do it tomorrow. 

------------------------------------------------------

He didn’t tell them the next day. 

Or the next, or the one after that. It was at least a solid week before he worked up the nerve to say anything. 

------------------------------------------------------

“So, let me get this straight,” Nya starts, “You’ve been acting strange ever since that night because you’re in love with Cole, but you were too afraid to say anything about it because you thought I’d be mad or Cole would be weirded out?” 

Jay nods, wishing Cole and Nya’s eyes didn’t feel so heavy where they met his frame. The room sits in uncomfortable silence for a few beats, and it makes Jay want to crawl out of his skin. He shouldn’t have said anything. He should’ve just taken this to his grave. That would’ve been the better option, he’s sure of it. He’s ruined everything and now he’s going to be alone forever and—

“Why didn’t you just say something?” Cole questions, tipping his head to the side in a fond, albeit slightly puzzled gesture. “Neither of us would’ve judged you for it,” he adds, kind and soft. 

“Besides, Cole and I have actually talked about this before,” Nya adds, a little sheepish. “Sorry we didn’t keep you in the loop, but we didn’t want you freaking out about anything, so we didn’t want to say anything until we were totally sure.” 

Jay feels his brain stalling. Talked about what? About Jay getting traitorous mushy romantic feelings for his best friend? Was he that obvious? Was it happening even before the incident? 

“About?” Jay questions, not trusting himself to voice any more of a question than that, in case something stupid decided to come out of his mouth instead. 

“About bringing Cole into the relationship,” Nya offers. “He’s always been so important to both of us. It just feels right having him be a part of this with us, at least to me. I wanted to ask you about it soon, but I guess I don’t really need to now,” Nya trails off with a chuckle, Jay’s recent admission serving as all the confirmation she needs. 

“So what?” Jay asks, mind reeling, “Cole’s just with us now?”

“If you’ll have me,” Cole replies, cheeks gone that beautiful shade of pink all over again. Jay can tell he’s doing his best not to stare down at the ground, eyes darting from the floorboards up to Jay’s chest, then floating around Nya’s hair, before settling on their faces. 

“Are you kidding? I’d be so lucky to be with the two coolest people in Ninjago!” Jay exclaims, throwing his arms out to yank them both into a clumsy hug. Nya brings her arms around their waists and Cole buries his hands into their hair and tucks them into his chest. It feels more right than anything in the world. 

Jay’s right where he wants to be. All because of a silly, sleep-deprived mistake. 

Maybe he should send a thank you card to the inmates at Kryptarium Prison.