ninjago imagines

dawn | cole b.

[ Cole feels even more detached from the world as a ghost. It doesn't help his loneliness. Jay's glad to help fix that, though. ]

A/N: geode shipping geode shipping geode shipping

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Cole hated being a ghost more than anything.

He couldn't touch, can't feel anything solid for more than a split second before he phrases through it smoothly. He can't sleep, eat, and drinking anything leads to an ending he doesn't want to come too.

And it hurt. It hurt as a dull pain from his chest, down to his fingertips and every cell in his ghostly form. His soul hung between the land of life and death, and it is a pain he can't get rid off.

The pain fades after he turns back into a real human, but the, well, ghostly pain twinges back every once in a while. Zane calls it an after effect of the curse, and Cole shrugs it off like it's fine, but it's really not.

He rubs his fingers together emptily, relishing the grounding feeling. The monastery is eerily quiet at this time of the night, everyone dead asleep. There isn't screaming from nightmares, not tonight, and Cole listens to early birds announce dawn outside, chirps slicing through the soft morning light.

It's as peaceful as a day can get, which is why he loves this time of the morning. It's a habit he gained after his mom dies, and after his dad buries himself in work at the studio.

There's no one around to pick him up after school, or to console him after he cries, so Cole learns to do it himself. He learns to cook dinner when Lou doesn't come home when the sky has turned dark, learns to struggle through his math homework himself and walk home from school as quickly as he can to avoid dusk.

Cole learns to grow up, all by himself, and it's lonely, but he survives.

A heavy crack sounds against the wooden floors, and he turns sharply, hands flying to his sword sheath in instinct.

Jay stares back at him in confusion, bright blue eyes wide in shock.

"I- uh, I came for a glass of water?" He stammers uncertainty, eyes trained on Cole's fierce glare.

"Oh." Cole drops his defensive pose, arms falling to his side.

"You're up early," Jay remarks, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion.

"Couldn't sleep." Cole mumbles in response, crossing his arms and trying to ignore Jay's expression.

"Go back to sleep, bluejay. It's really early." he says blankly, and turns back to glaring at the window.

Jay collapses onto the sofa next to him, weight sending the fabric tilting. A puff of coffee color curls fall across his eyes, and his face wrinkles in annoyance, pushing it away.

"What's wrooong?" He says, drawing out his words in a small attempt at humor. Cole doesn't say anything, just twists his fingers together silently.

"It's nothing." He says, and Jay frowns, climbing into his lap. He throws his arms around the earth ninja, leaning his forehead against his shoulder.

"Talk to me? I know you feel like you have to be a rock or steady or whatever around the team, but it's me, baby." Jay tells him, and tucks a dark lock of hair behind his ear.

"It's—" Cole's voice catches at a lump in his throat, and he struggles to come up with more words.

He can't.

"Nothing." He finished flatly, and Jay props himself up, looking into his eyes.

"Okay." He says quietly, and gives him a small reassuring smile. "Want me to sit here with you?"

"Yeah." Cole says, after a few moments of silence, he pulls the brunette closer. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry." Jay whispers, and leans into him. "Love you."

"Love you too, bluebell."

It doesn't feel all that lonely tonight, Cole decides, and smiles back.