butterflies. [ninjago oneshots)

Worried (Ray x Maya)

"So are you gonna tell em what's wrong, or are you just gonna let me mess with your hair in silence?" Ray asked, while gently curling a lock of her hair in his fingers as letting it go moments later.

Maya looked at him, a hint of quote unquote "confusion" in her eyes while she turned around to him. "What do you mean "What's wrong", I'm perfectly fine." She responded, still a bit perplexed by the sudden question. When she turned around again to carry on reading her book, she didn't receive soft hands running through her hair anyone. Instead, she earned a hand moving up and down her back gently and slowly.

The previous Fire Master rubbed her back for a few moments before hugging her from behind and resting his head on her shoulder. "What I mean by "What's wrong" is if everything's alright." He murmurs. "You've been quiet ever since we first got back here, and you've not talked to me or our kids much at all." Once he explains why he thinks something is up, he peers over at the book his wife is reading, and noticing that she hasn't turned the page in a while, she's probably taking in what Ray had just said.

"I know that you don't like talking about your emotions, and you don't like crying, but I promise if you talk to me about it you'll feel at least a little better." Ray told her, keeping his tone soft and his physical affection in check for now. If she's hurt physically, he doesn't wanna do anything that could hurt her more.

Maya — from behind herself — reached a hand around, trying to find his. Ray intertwines it with his own and softly squeezes it, reminding her that it's okay. And then after around thirty seconds, she turned around and looked down at the ground beneath them.

He knew that she didn't know how to talk about how she was feeling, so what he decided to to do was talk to her gently and ask her. a few questions. "Okay, firstly, is it about our kids?" His first question seemed simple enough. If it was a no, then he keeps asking. Yes, then he moves onto a knee question.

"It's about you." Maya says, still not making eye contact with her husband. "I-I'm- uhm..I-" She stammered, struggling to form the sentence and desperately needing some help.

"You're sad about me? Okay, what about me makes you upset? Did I do something to you in the past, or..?" He used his free hand to rub her side, awaiting an answer.

She nodded, slowly starting to shake. "K-Kinda, yeah.." Her throat closed up with what seemed to be tears that she was trying to keep in at the time. She still didn't make eye contact with him, afraid that if she did she would start uncontrollably crying.

"Shh," Ray hushed, leaning to her cheek and pecking it tenderly. "So what caused this thing in the past that involves me to make you upset now?"

"It-It was when you almost..almost died in my arms.." She starts, going from using one hand for comfort to grabbing his other wrist and squeezing his hand. "After you were hit with the forward blade..I-I was so scared you were die and-and it would be too late by the time they returned and-"

Ray had to cut her off, she was getting way to overwhelmed. "Maya, hon, take a deep breath. C'mon, you're okay.." He says, looking into her eyes happily. "It's alright. Look, I'm here now, aren't I?" He says, a small smile forming.

She nods, get carries on anyway. He doesn't mind, as she's finally talking about her emotions and that's all he's proud of right now.

"I-I was just terrified that you were gonna pass..a-and I'd be left all alone. C-Cause if our kids didn't return either I would've had no one left and-and I think I'd probably do something to myself if that ever happened. I'm scared of loosing you, I keep having weird daydreams w-where you never survived and I had to leave you there!"

Ray had to intervene again. "Okay, uhm- alright, Maya, dear? Look at me. Stop hiding yourself in your hair, look at me." He orders. She obeys and does so moments later, tears falling from her eyes. It was so, so rare Ray would see her like this and when he did, he always felt his heart break. She was upset, and that hurt.

With both hands he cupped her face, using his fingers to wipe her tears away and to make sure that she knew he was properly there, and it wasn't just a fever or a strange daydream. "I'm here now. I didn't die, and I'm not going to die. Not anytime soon. I promise you. Do you know how much I love you? I think I'd beat the shit out of myself if I ever died and/or left you. These daydreams are just stupid little visions to make you upset. We both know they aren't real, so every time you have one, come to me and I'll hug you, and I'll remind you that I'm never leaving. Okay, honey?"

Maya nods and hugs him tightly, wanting to be in his arms for as long as possible and begging to be promised that he'll never leave.

Ray wraps his arms around her still slightly shaking body and pulls her close. "I promise that I'll never leave you and I'll never die." He mumbles throughout many pecks on the face and lips and anywhere else.

Maya was no longer worried.