It Will Be Okay {Ninjago One-Shot}

It Will Be Okay

Cole wasn't able to sleep that night. He lied on his bed with his eyes closed nonetheless. He wasn't sure why he couldn't sleep. It was just one of those nights. It was around two in the morning when he heard footsteps leaving the room. He gently opened his eyes and saw Jay stumbling out of the sleeping quarters. Curious and bored, Cole got out of bed to follow.

When he reached the doorway, he watched Jay stumble down the hall and up the stairs to the deck. Cole followed. Jay was unable to hear the ghost.

The Destiny's Bounty was on autopilot, hovering hundreds of feet over an empty desert. The clouds were thin, and the stars gleamed. The air was cold and the moon was full. A chilly September night. The wind was light, yet still a breeze.

Jay made his way onto the deck. He walked near the middle's edge and held on to the railing as he looked over. He closed his eyes and sighed. It had been 6 months since time turned back. About how long Jay was taken. He and Nya kept everything that happened between themselves. He had nightmares about the experience more and more often now, like this night. He would usually make jokes on those days about him having nightmares, and the others just assumed that they didn't bother Jay too much if he were making jokes about it. He'd never tell them what they were about, just that he had them. Nya never heard the jokes, but Cole had a feeling that something was wrong. He could tell.

"It's a beautiful night," Cole said, walking towards Jay, breaking the silence. Jay slightly jumped and turned to him. "Oh, hey Cole."

Cole made it next to Jay, then turned to face the railing and looked over the edge. Jay turned back to the edge and made a quick glance over at Cole before staring back at the distant ground. He leaned against the railing, and Cole did the same. There was another moment of silence.

"Nightmares again?"

"Yeah, but it's fine," Jay attempted to joke, but didn't have the energy to change his somber, solemn tone. He couldn't even muster a smile. Cole looked over at his friend, who's gaze was fixated on the ground, yet who's eyes appeared glazed over. He put his hand on Jay's back, in which Jay couldn't really feel. The ghost sighed.

"You wanna talk about it?"

"Not really."

"You can talk to me if anything is wrong. You know that, right?"

Jay waited a moment before answering. "Yeah."

"Did something happen that you haven't told me about?"

There was no response.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I want you to know that I'm here for you."

There was no response. Cole noticed that Jay was becoming more tense, his hands gripping the railing tightly and his eyes narrowing though looking like he'll burst into tears any second. He knew there was something wrong.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to trigger anything," Cole tried to keep his composure, but was starting to panic and was concerned for his friend. Jay started shaking, before quickly turning to Cole and hugging him tightly. He was sobbing.

Cole wrapped his arms around Jay and caressing his hair. "It's okay, I'm here. I'm here."

It was minutes before Jay's tears started to slow. Cole was still caressing his hair. "You're safe. I'm not going to let anything happen to you," he said gently. Jay tried to take deep breaths to calm down through his tears. "You're okay, just breathe."

After a few moments of silence, Jay broke free from the hug and nervously laughed. "Oh, wow. Sorry about that!" He faked a smile and rolled his eyes, though obviously shaking. One hand was on the railing, and Cole put his hand on it. Cole wiped a tear off Jay's cheek.

"Whatever happened, no one's asking you to get over it immediately. Take your time. You don't have to pretend you're okay. And you don't have to tell me if you're not comfortable with it. Just know that I'm here for you. We all are. Okay?"

Their eyes met. Jay's gaze slipped to the wood of the deck under their feet and he nodded slightly. He wasn't smiling, rather the opposite. Cole used his other hand to lift Jay's chin. Their eyes met again, and there was a moment of stillness. Cole gave a soft smile, and Jay returned it.

"Don't worry, Jay. It will be okay."