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Holding On

Summary:

After Nya’s memorial, Jay goes for a walk to clear his mind. He knows she will come back, and believes the others don’t believe that.
The rain reminds him not of her, but a thing he lost.
Zane finds Jay in the accidental aftermath of the walk - cold, wet, and injured - and bathes him.

AKA: they deal with grief together.

AugustofWhump Day 12 - Storm/Stumbling

Notes:

I swear I uploaded this last night but I may have fell asleep while doing it😭😭 well,, here it is

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Nya wasn't dead, she can't be dead, so why host a funeral for her, pour water into a pot like its her remains? Why did it feel as if pouring it from his bowl felt like letting her go, giving up hope?

She would come back, the ninja always came back.

When they thought Zane died, he rebuilt himself, when Nya died in his arms, he wished, the timeline was reversed, and suddenly, she was back like nothing ever happened.

So why was this so different? Nya hadn't died or even dissapeared, she was right there, holding his hand, then for some reason, he didn't hold on for long enough. Jumping off the ledge, that's when she left, and thats the most desperate he was to get her back, he ran, screamed her name, but it did nothing.

All he did before that was stare into her; her water-form, made of the sea itself, glowing eyes, patterned body, she was so beautiful. But that didn't matter anymore, because all that played through his head was the moment she jumped into the ocean, then swam away. The last thing he rememberd of her was her body indistinguishable from the water she swam in.

The funeral was over, or as others liked to call it, a celebration of all she did for us, and Ninjago.

Jay didn't see it that way. The ceremony confirmed that she was gone to the world even though she wasn't, and he would prove it.

But right now, he didn't have the energy for any of that. The sky was dull, rain clouds, spitting, the sun was close to setting, it was a cold, miserable day, fitting for the funeral. He thought back to Zane's funeral, how there was a sense of hope when they said goodbye, it was the first time they truly lost someone, so they didn't expect him to come back to life. Back then, he knew he'd have to accept the loss eventually, deal with the grief forever, and miss his friend.

Back then, the snow fell down like Zane was sending a sign from the afterlife, a gentle reminder that he was okay, watching over them, and sacrificed himself because he wanted to, and loved his friends.

Nya didn't have such a need to sacrifice herself.

There was no Overlord, no immediate threat to anyone's life, besides…

Besides his own.

He nearly drowned, got stuck underwater in his flooding sub-car, couldn't even break the glass. Then, after Benthomaar got him out, he couldn't hold his breathe long enough to reach the surface. After that was when everything went wrong, and as he thrashed around in Nya's arms on that news building, he knew he wouldn't make it out of it without a miracle.

With the city mostly evacuated, who knew if there would even be people in the hospital? Then, how would the ninja get him there?

The others panicked once they got inside, he was already laid on a couch, half way to death already, barely able to breathe. Each breath he took until the sun rose the next morning was manual, he had to keep focusing on breathing in and out, or else he would stop, and die. He could just hold on until after the ninja defeated Wojira and Kaalmar, that was fine, he could do it.

But the breaths got harder, he felt weaker, and the world grew so much more distant from him, his mind in a daze from the lack of air.

He could still do it though, he could hold on. But… Nya thought he couldn't, she gave him a kiss on the cheek, held his hand one more time,, and left, and that moment was the clearest memory from thet day, that was when she really left.

Nya was dead… because of him, because he messed up the whole mission, driven to death by something so simple and so avoidable. She didn't do it for Ninjago, he believed that, she wouldn't have merged with the sea if he wasn't at death's door.

Rain spat onto his face, that water wasn't Nya, she was still out there, not "merged with the sea", she coulddn't be the entire ocean! Her body had turned to water, and that was it, and she was trying to find her way back, fight whatever force from the ocean wanted her to forget who she was, what he meant to her.

Jay couldn't handle being in the Monastery for now, the ceremony was over, and the ninja's closest family and friends had stayed behind for food. His parent's, for once, knew to be quiet, they tried to huddle him into hugs, and reminded him he was always welcome to stay over at the Junkyard, but didn't say much besides that.

"Sorry for your loss", "I offer my condolences", "We appreciate what Nya did for Ninjago."

They were all words that acted like she was gone, never to come back. He couldn't handle that anymore, so he snuck outside. The only person he told was Zane, he didn't look like he would react, all he said was that he urged him to return before the storm starts in an hour, and that he could get a cold.

What was a cold right now? When Nya was gone, well- when everyone believed she was gone. Before he left, Cole sat outside with his hands poking out to feel the spitting rain, he had a smile. It reminded him of when the snow at Zane's funeral reminded him of his presence, but that wasn't the case here, no one should be thinking that way.

He walked down the stairs, they were getting a little slippy as the rain got heavier. Then, a loud bang of thunder shocked him, he grabbed onto a nearby bush and steadied himself. He should have brought a sweater, but he didn't want to go back there now.

Looking up, he'd walked a long way down, the Monastery was covered with the lower clouds and fog, and then, another lightning striked behind it. It was storming like Zane said it would, but he wasn't so cold yet, so he could continue.

Counting the steps, he wanted to distract himself from the thoughts, the blurred image of Nya leaving that room, then, the pain that bursted in his chest when she started dragging the sea-water from his lungs. Even though he was so dazed and weak, he knew exactly what was happening immediately, and he hated it, he wanted it to stop because he'd heard Benthomaars warnings, the story of Nyad.

The others had talked about him once they settled inside as if he couldn't hear, but he heard it all clearly. They panicked, he heard Lloyd's pancing, the same pace at which he always does, so he could tell it was him even with his eyes closed. Zane explained that his condition will worsen if it isn't removed, Kai suggested that Nya draw out the water, Wu said it didn't work when they tried, Cole suggested more, then the team kept coming up with solutions only for them to be debunked right away.

He had to keep listening to their voices, Nya's hand, the pain he felt, because if he stopped, he would slip away.

When he took the next step down, he stopped counting, because when the rain hit him even harder, it was cold, but gentle, and it felt like Nya.

But it wasn't meant to feel like her, she wasn't meant to be like a soul drifting through the world in the afterlife, she was alive, merged with the sea, but alive in her unique way. But the rain kept hitting him, he looked up and closed his eyes, because the gentleness hurt so much.

One hand closed its fist, and the other rushed for his chest, he gripped his GI and his breath was taken away like back then. Each raindrop that hit him was colder, but it still felt like her, and he hated it so much, he wanted the feeling to stop.

Nya wasn't the sea, she was still herself, she was still trying to come home.

She wasn't trying to come home in the form of some raindrops, a cup of water, or a puddle on the floor; she'd come home in her strange sea-form, trying with all her might, then hold on for as long as she needed to while Master Wu found some solution.

He had to get away from this feeling, the feeling of Nya raining down on his face in tiny, cold droplets. He thought grief would make him embrace every thought and image of her, but it wasn't; so he suddenly turned around and ran upstairs, the rain pouring harder.

Zane told him to be careful, but he didn't care. He rushed, stumbled, caught himself repeatedly.

Usually, he would have advised him to not go out, would tell him the storm is too near and too strong for him to leave at the moment, but… he seemed distracted. They were all so wrapped up in their grief already, but he knew he wasn't, he knew he wouldn't ever give up on bringing her back, never believe she's truly gone like the others already did!

Hair clung to his head, with sweat and rain, then the rain droplets ran down his face, into his mouth and eyes, he rubbed it off him, but his GI was just as wet.

Like in the sub-car, trapped, the water spilling into the smallest cracks of the window despite him not being able to break out with his strongest kicks. It didn't make sense, nothing in being a ninja ever made sense, he never signed up for losing people like this.

He lost her.

Nya is gone.

He clutched onto his chest, his breaths scratching, as he continued running up the slippery stairs, but he still wasn't anywhere close to the Monastery. Looking around, he spotted a tree, a lush, green willow tree looking so much more alive with its now soaking leaves. Water was meant to bring things to life, but it was the thing that nearly killed him, the sea that took Nya.

Benthomaar said she merged with the sea, Wu was already considering a solution to reverse it, but that wasn't what happened. The sea stole her from him, and he never wanted to touch any water again, so he rushed to the tree on the smallest ledge of grass to hide from it.

Nya wasn't water, elemental power was not everything about who they were as people. She was kind, got angry often, passionate, confident, but sometimes really critical about herself, and he would help her, then she could help him. Her flawless skill with her powers wasn't what he loved about her.

He heaved, stumbled forward again, tripping on a smoother step, and rolled into the grass by the tree before he could retreat under it.

So the rain still launched onto him, clung onto his skin and clothes, then all he did was lie there. His ankle hurt, his face and GI was mushed with mud and grass, but he only cared about the rain shooting into him, he tried sitting up, but he stumbled back down with the wet, sloppy mud.

The ankle would distract him from the rain, right now, the rain hurt way more, so he peaked up at it, trying not to move so his body wouldn't go sliding around. It was… he winced, it was very twisted, and now, he was getting really cold, the storm was getting louder, more violent, and more frequent.

So cold, like when he was dragged from the sub-car, held in Benthomaar's arms as he tried to figure out if he was still alive.

Freezing, like when Nya took him into hers, she held on as he coughed hard and violent, but no sea-water came out. Finally, he felt warm, but only when she got him close, hugged him as he heaved harshly one more time, then gasped for air; then he was even warmer as she held his hand, the most conscious he was that whole night.

It wasn't like that now, she wasn't here, and not even the rain drops - once a part of the endless sea - that the others claimed were a part of Nya now, brought the comfort of actually holding her hand.

"Zane?" he mumbled, then dragged himself up, digging his fingers into the mud despite how disgusting it all felt. He should be able to ping his location straight into his system, a feature he implemented recently for emergencies.

He did just that. Then, he tried dragging himself to the tree, anywhere where the rain didn't pour, the rain that brought others comfort.

It couldn't bring him comfort because he knew Nya, more than the citizens of Ninjago who attended the funeral at the Monastery, or the people reading the newspapers at home. She wasn't some spectacle to look up to, or a saviour of Ninjago to him, she was Nya, his Yang, someone who had risked her life to save him, and his friends, more times than he can count.

So on the ground, he waited, he couldn't quite make it to the trunk of the tree, but he at least was mostly out of the rain: his legs were peaking out, and many droplets got through the leaves, but it was better than before.

But he was still so cold, he didn't want to feel cold anymore. Nya always had a way of making him warm inside.

Through sweatily asking her out on a date for the very first time years ago; how he was so cold in the cell on Misfortunes Keep, then, as they fell from it together, she urged him to hold onto her, her hands were warm, her face a small, comforting smile while he was terrified.

Nya always saved him, and this time, she was willing to go so far.

It was way too far.

Laying on the couch, he was in so much pain, felt so weak. Through the night, his vision gradually blurred, the sounds got more muffled, and the breathing more difficult. He was scared of letting go back then, but now, he wished he did before she did the worst.

It would be… fine if he died that night if it meant that Nya would still be here. She was the heart of the team more than he was, people on the team valued her way more than they did him, so maybe it would be fine for him to die right here. Maybe he could freeze to death, roll over into the mud and suffocate, it surely couldn't feel as awful as he did that night, or how more awful his life could get without her, right?

"Jay!" Zane yelled, gliding across the mud.

Without warning, the tears fell, mixing with the sweat and rain.

Maybe he didn't want Zane to save him, he just wanted Nya, most of him was still so used to her being the one that rushes to save him. He rushed to him and knelt down, "Jay, what has happened?" he asked while scanning him, then after he was gone, got him leaned on the tree.

He didn't mention the crying, so maybe it wasn't obvious. Jay didn't want to explain any of that right now, because he himself couldn't say exactly why he was sobbing on the wet, muddy floor, not even trying to get up. Did he really wish he had died, or just took Nya's place?

If this is how life without her was going to go, soggy, crying, and injured outside after going on a walk to take his mind off things, then he didn't want it.

"The rain." he answered, his voice was so scratchy, and that sent his body hurling forward into a coughing fit.

Zane hummed and looked at his foot, "It looks like you have sprained your ankle." he leaned forward and put his arms under his legs and at his back, Jay squirmed away.

"I don't- just…wait." he yelled weakly, then suddenly shivered harshly, Zane pulled away from trying to bridal carry him to the Monastery. He didn't know why he wanted him to stop, he wanted to go back inside, get warm, get away from all this rain that reminded him that Nya was gone.

"What is wrong?" he tilted his head and raised an eyebrow.

Jay turned his head away for a moment, and for once, paid attention to the blasting rain, the clouds were so dark, the rain that splatted right next to him made the mud bounce around the grass. He was fine with watching that for a moment, he wanted to wrack this all through his mind, and then maybe get some advice.

He turned back to Zane, sighed, hiding the wince of pain he wanted to make, and asked, "Are you… sad?"

His eyes widened and he froze, then he kneeled down again, his shoulders went less tense, but they didn't relax completely. Suddenly, he shook his head and went to reach for him again, "Jay, I must get you inside. Your ankle is sprained, and you need to get warm or you are at risk of—"

Jay interrupted, "No, no, are you- are you sad about this, do you believe she's…" he grabbed his hand to stop him from picking him up.

He just needed this answer, to know that someone still has any hope.

"I am… sad, I will miss her." he answered, then returned to silence again, but didn't try to touch him. His mouth was flat, eyes still wide, not tired like his, but he didn't blink very often either. With that answer, he leaned back into the tree and looked forward, he saw the slippery stairs up to the Monastery, the mud, the rain, the lightning that hurt his ears.

Their elements, at times, could be so harsh.

When water got into your lungs, it immediately tries to claim every piece of you, weakening you until you're a useless body the ninja have to find some way to drag around. Water wasn't comforting anymore, it couldn't be anything but the thing that invaded his body as long as Nya was gone.

And… she was really gone, wasn't she?

"I-" he coughed again, another large raindrop dripped from a leaf onto his nose, trickling slowly down. His face scrunched up, Zane got close, then guided him up.

In his arms, he couldn't feel as warm as with Nya, but for now, and for a while - until she comes back - it was all he was getting. So, he hugged tighter, and his head fell into his chest, "I miss Nya." This time, he sobbed, loud, painful, and very wet, then silently, Zane hugged back.

 

 

When he got him inside, Jay whispered that he didn't want anyone else to see him like this, he complied, and whisked him to the bathroom quickly. After that, they were silent. Zane worked, got the first-aid kit out and made some ice, wrapped it around some gauze, put that on his foot, then wrapped all that with more gauze.

They never looked directly at each-other until after the injury was dealt with.

"I told you to be careful." Zane sighed, then, without warning, tried pulling Jay's shirt off.

"Woah, what're you doing?" he flinched back and chopped his hand away, Zane's face remained blank as he stared at him. Jay still shivered, he was still so cold, the rain droplets soaking into his GI, but he was glad to be inside.

Once he was inside, his breathing calmed down, all that chaos before was some shock, his emotions, probably, and he didn't really like that. These emotions were… grief, and he wasn't meant to be grieving, he was meant to be finding a solution.

But he ended up crying into his chest, weeping while he talked about how much he missed Nya, it set in stone that she was gone. But… it just meant it would take time, he might be without her for a very long time, but she would be back, the team would keep trying, there was always a solution.

"You should get into the bath, you need to get warm." he looked to his side, the bath was already filling, but he'd been too distracted with his crying, and fear of being caught in this state, to notice.

Pulling the blanket already over him closer, he shook his head. "I'm warm enough in this." he said as his teeth clattered.

Zane raised his eyebrows, his hand raised in the air half-way to him, "You are shivering." Jay pulled away again, tried pulling the blanket tighter, but his numb, shaking hands dropped it, "You need to get out of these clothes, at the least."

Jay fumbled trying to pick up the blanket again, then, when he continued explaining, he thought to prove that he could bathe himself. He tried pulling the GI from his shoulder, but his hands were useless, they flopped around, not even knowing where they were to go. He sighed, admitted defeat, and let Zane take off his shirt.

"Are you in pain anywhere else?"

He shook his head, shivering when his shirt was off. Zane grabbed more bath towels and wrapped them around his shoulders.

"Okay, and are you going to take a bath?" he asked again once he took his pants off. Jay shyed away, his face growing red, he got more towels for privacy.

"Only if you get out." he answered harshly, it was too loud for his sore throat, maybe he was right in his predictions. But then, he wondered why Zane didn't warn him of any of that, and why now, he didn't protest as sternly as he usually would.

He kept watching, and Jay took that as an invitation to hop to the bath, still partly clothed, that was good at least, but Zane was still watching, observing him for any mishaps. The bath towels weren't the best for keeping him warm, but he wouldn't allow him to go fetch some actual blankets, because Zane hauling a mountain of them into the bathroom would look very suspicious.

No one could see him like this, but… Zane was okay.

Just when he thought he was in the clear, he nearly slipped, since he was hopping around a damp tiled bathroom floor. He rushed up and steadied him.

"Perhaps I should help."

"I don't need help bathing myself!" he snapped, but much weaker this time, and the second after that Zane remained silent was probably another medical scan. He often wondered how invasive they really got, but… they helped, and maybe right now, as much as he hated it, he needed help. "Fine…"

He was guided down to the tub, then the warm water hit. Not too hot, not cold, finally.

Jay had sloppily rubbed as much mud off his face as he could while his foot was being fixed up, but he didn't do the best job.

The first thing Zane did was grab a wet washcloth and rub it over his face. It was warm, and his hands were gentle and precise. He wanted to grumble and complain, but he quickly realised how tired he was, how much the cold had grabbed at him.

"Are you feeling any better?"

Leaned in the headrest of the bath, he had his eyes closed, Zane suddenly spoke much louder, "Please don't sleep, it is best to stay awake right now."

He didn't realise how comfortable he was getting being bathed by his friend. Grumbling, he opened them, "Why not?" above him, his face was still being rubbed of all the mud, dirt, and grass, and he was feeling better already.

"You have a minor concussion. I'd like to keep monitoring you."

'Oh', he mouthed, and fell back again, but opted to look at the wall tiles this time instead of try to sleep.

If he did sleep, he'd probably dream about Nya.

"I'm… feeling better." he replied to the latter question, Zane smiled softly and moved onto his hair, in it were clumps of dried mud, clinging as far to his scalp. He tried focusing on the subtle sounds of the bathroom, the sound of his skin being cleaned, his head being scrubbed, the occasional drip of the sink, then… the swaying of the water in the bath, the water warming him up.

At least he wasn't cold anymore, at least he had someone to help.

"Please keep your foot still, or it will take longer to heal." Zane noticed his slight movements and urged again.

"It's just a sprain, I'll be fine." Admittedly, it still hurt, but finally being warm overpowered any of that hurt. His hands weren't as numb anymore, but with Zane there, he was easily convinced of how unable he was to wash himself right now, and it was fine, his support was all he needed.

But the sink still dripped, the storm still blasted outside, so he looked up at Zane, distubring his gentle hair-washing. "Are you… okay?"

Zane pulled his hands away, soaked with shampoo, then they went back to scrubbing again. He assumed he wouldn't answer the question, but he just needed the words to linger, he wanted to at least think that someone was as sad about this as he was, but… were working through that sadness, trying to bring her back.

Unexpectedly, he answered, "I am holding up. But I am more worried about you at the moment."

"You don't sound that worried." he was quick to notice, he looked to Zane, his face so emotionless, but speaking words that displayed many emotions; concern, some annoyance, sadness, "Have you tinkered with your code?"

That would explain why he didn't warn Jay of the storm as much as he normally would, why he was so much quieter now, and when he got to him outside.

Again, he didn't think he would answer, but he did. "I… turned down my emotion meter." his scrubbing slowed, then started back up even quicker. Jay pulled away and looked up.

"What? Why?"

Zane wasn't one to avoid questions, but he avoided this one. His lips pressed together flat, and he slowly turned Jay's head to the front again so he could keep scrubbing the dirt away. He was great at this, and he assumed if any of the others found him there, they would have totally panicked.

Cole, most of all, he would panic. Yes, he was great at emotional comfort, and often helping you stay calm during physical pain and injuries, but when it came to dealing with those injuries, behind his firm, calm voice was a jumbled mind forgetting every lesson Master Wu taught them about first-aid.

If he didn't want to talk about it, he understood, he didn't want to talk about this whole thing either, how his emotional state ended with him being coddled and bathed by his friend. His ability to be humiliated even more may as well be thrown down the mountain.

Jay wasn't the best at reading people, he knew that, but he knew Zane had the tendency to hide his true emotions, so that made it all the more difficult to decipher what he was feeling.

But he knew what he felt, well, what he believed. Nya would come back, the team would try their hardest to make that happen, maybe that's what he needed to hear.

"We're going to get her back." he exclaimed.

Wow, he sounded awful, his voice was still scratchy - his breathing was fine, according to Zane, this sound was just total exhaustion. Despite the warm bath, he was still feeling the affects, it would take a while to warm him up.

"It is good to believe that, but, I find it difficult."

Jay froze, Zane was just about finished with his hair. He knelt at the side of the tub and sighed, "Please may I get you blankets, and carry you to your room?"

How could someone find it difficult to believe such a thing?

They were ninja, evaded death so many times, Zane of all people should have belief that Nya will come back when he'd came back from the dead two times now! Did no one have trust in her? She was the heart, the foundation of the team, she loved them all more than anyone could imagine, she would keep trying.

Right now, she was out there, still thinking about the team, trying to fight the ocean and get back.

Wouldn't she?

"The others will not judge you for this injury, Jay." he advised. He was lacking emotions, not emotionless yet, but much duller than usual.

How could grief settle in so quickly? And was what he felt today grief?

At first, he thought it was determination to get her back, hope for the future, but maybe it was desperation. He shook his head and looked to Zane while he still hung in the bath half-naked. Though, it didn't feel so strange with him, it was simply just happening.

Helping him from the bath, Zane dried half of his body, while he tried to do the other, but often he invaded his area to speed up the process, battling with his slow, useless hands. "'Kay, carry me to my room, but… quickly. Make sure no one's down the hall… please."

Zane nodded, "I will fetch your pyjamas."

"I don't need them, just do get me there quickly." Zane's head tilted, and his face was getting duller by the second, but with the burst of pain in his foot when he was picked up, any questione he had to give were replaced by sharp, jolting yelps.

"Are you okay?"

He gripped his GI, a little wet, and sunk into his chest again, "Yeah, yeah, fine."

"I will immbolise your leg more efficiently in your room, when you are laid down." he opened the door, "I assume you don't want to go to the Med-Bay?"

He shook his head, and Zane waltzed him out the bathroom. His head peeked over his shoulder, looking at the wet floor and mud still littering the ground, so he gripped harder, his nose hanging over him.

Once they successfully reached his bedroom with no one spotting them- mostly him only in his boxer shorts - he was placed on top of the bed. Zane put his hands to his hips, and slowly nodded, "Where are your pyjamas, Jay?"

Being on the bed brought relief to his arms and legs, but laying down flat made it a little harder to breathe, so he pushed himself up and rushed to get a blanket on top of him. Being half-naked in his bedroom was a lot weirder than in the bathroom.

But he wondered why Zane was so willing to do this? And why so calmly?

He turned down his emotion metre, but what emotions? Once he got a blanket over himself, he pointed, then Zane fetched his pyjamas, walked back to him and kneeled down with his pants. But he paused for a moment, "Would you like to do it yourself?"

"Whatever." He kneeled back and avoided watching as he immediately whisked his pants onto him, trying to keep the pain in his leg to a minimum.

He screeched when he did it a bit too hard, "Are you okay?"

"Zane, why would you turn down your emotions?" Jay asked, holding eye contact for a second, but turned away again. He froze as he grabbed his shirt and put it on himself, he was much warmer now, his hair still wet, but comfortable, he grabbed the towel and threw it over his head.

Zane didn't move, he'd frozen right where he was, staring into his legs.

Before, he already asked, but he never answered his question. Zane said it is good to belive that Nya will come back, but did he believe that? Was he living in a world he thought would be without her forever, and he couldn't deal with that?

"Zane." He leaned forward.

"My strong emotions are not needed right now, I have no other way to control them."

"Yes you do, you're- you're Zane, you're much more than the buttons in that chest of yours!" He exclaimed, leaned further and tapped his chest hard, making him stumble back a little.

Zane sighed and stood up, grabbed his legs, took a pillow and propped it on top. Then, he was under the covers, the wind, rain and lightning still howling outside, but in here was calmer. In here, it didn't remind him of the sea that Nya became. For now, the memory of her when she was… normal was fine, the pendant on the bedside table, the picture frame.

He grumbled when he saw Zane's blank face again.

There would be no more of this, if it continued, what hope would they have at bringing her back?

"Zane?" He sighed, and leaned further into the pillow, the fluffiness hitting his cheeks, still a little puffy from the warm bath.

"Yes, Jay? Is your leg comfortable?" He responded while he produced ice, wrapped it in a blanket and placed it on his leg. The sudden cold sent a shiver up his spine.

"No- I mean, yes, it's fine." He wiggled his good foot and fidgeted with his hands above the blanket, but he still wasn't so warm yet, so he got himself further inside. "Zane, just… turn your emotions back up, you deserve to feel." He wiped his eye while the other hand gripped the sheets.

Admittedly, he wasn't feeling so much, he walked to avoid the feelings.

But this is where he ended up, and he didn't want any my thing bad to happen to Zane too.

Gripping the door, he was ready to walk out the room to leave him alone, but he wouldn't mind him staying, really. Zane wasn't a reminder of what happened to Nya, the ninja could keep him steady, make him realise that they could still go on as they work together to get her back.

"I don't think I'm able to do that right now." He hunched over a little and looked to the floor.

Jay looked to the ceiling, then back to Zane, and shook his foot around to bring his attention to him, which worked, and his face was blank, everything except for his eyes. "Okay, then just don't turn off your emotions."

"I will try."

He huffed and waved him off, maybe he needed some alone time too, hopefully he would think about doing what he wants to do, "'Cause you're actually pretty funny. I don't want you to lose that."

Finally, a chuckle. Zane creaked open the door and peaked outside, before waving back, "I will try my best."

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