the act | ninjago au - hiatus?

3 - THE BOY NEXT DOOR

Cole and I go way back. Practically back to when I was born. We were the best of friends, living right next door, a yard away from each other.

As kids we would open our windows and shout back and forth the most random things, like the innocent kids we were.

But as we grew older, our friendship grew brittle, slowly fracturing and crumbling into nothing. Until highschool, that is.

Due to Ninjago's strange school system, age groups were all mixed up for several subjects. Art History being one of them. Cole and I were together for that subject, and considering we knew literally nobody else in the class, we only had each other.

We both hung around each other, and the tension melted away and we resumed our friendship like nothing happened.

But something else sparked underneath. I thought both of us felt it, but alas, I was wrong.

⚪⚪⚪

START OF THE NEW ACADEMIC YEAR
NYA

"Mm, this place is good." Cole set the milkshake down, resting his arms behind his head. I grinned, dipping a fry into the thick sweet liquid, "It's a good price too. But I get the close friends discount thanks to Kai."

"Does he even know I'm here?"

"Kai's at work. So are my parents. We've got time, relax. So, what exactly brings you to mon chambre?"

"I see Honours' French is still of use to you. Anyways, I just wanted to check in. Feels like forever since we've spoken."

"And your idea of making an entrance was a week after a detox attempt, having nothing but green juice all week, before climbing through my window, throwing up all over my floor and passing out in your own vomit? Bravo, I must say."

"Again, sorry for that."

"It's all good. You're lucky I don't have carpet anymore. And this impromptu dinner's on you."

The moment Cole had woken up, I stole his phone and ordered a round of fries, milkshakes and cake for dinner, to detox the detox juice out of him. And because I was getting hungry too.

Also because, and even though I wasn't planning on it for a while, now was a perfect time to tell Cole about my feelings for him.

As we grew closer, my liking for him grew stronger. He had to have felt something too, right?

"So listen..."

"Hmm?" Cole looks up at me, milkshake smeared across the corner of his mouth. I stifled a laugh, grabbing a tissue and creeping towards him, "Here, you have something on your..."

Using the tissue, I gently dabbed at his cheek, wiping the beverage away. He looked at me, breathing now hitched. He was nervous; that makes two of us.

"I..." Cole looked me in the eye, clearly confused by my sudden change in mood.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I just..." It's now or never. 

Dropping the tissue, I cup his cheeks, pressing my lips to his. The faint taste of milkshake lingered in his mouth. But Cole didn't move.

Perhaps he was in shock?

It wasn't until the last minute when I felt him kiss me back.

But only for a second, before pulling away, cheeks red.

"I like you, a lot," I confessed, "and I didn't want to keep quiet about it. More like I couldn't, but..."

Cole slowly stood up, dusting himself down, "I should go."