A Ninjago Oneshots Collection

Kai's Mistake TW

TW: (mention of/implied) SUICIDAL THOUGHTS
Includes: Kai angst 🤩 sibling bond, comfort, team bond, wholesomeness

Kai cried to himself. He knew no one cared. He'd messed everything up again. All because he acted on impulse and didn't think about what would happen if he did it. He'd been selfish. Kai tried to stop his tears by holding his breath, but they only built up into a sob. He covered his face and desperately wiped at his eyes. He drew a shuddering breath as he looked up, over the city lights, twinkling brighter in his glossy eyes. Suddenly, he heard noises behind him and he quickly jumped up and spun around, ready to punch anyone in the face, but all he saw were his friends carefully jumping off their dragons on the building behind him.

Nya gulped as she met Kai's eyes. None of them spoke, only stared across the long gap between them. Lloyd opened his mouth to start speaking but decided against it when his voice didn't come out. Jay bit his lip, he didn't know how to react to Kai's tear-streaked face. Kai held his breath before realising that their concerned faces were mostly examining him, which is when Kai remembered his tears. Kai quickly wiped his face with his sleeve.

"Kai, y'know, we're not mad..." Nya said just loud enough to travel across the gap. Kai looked at the concrete. He did know that. But it only made the situation worse, because now his crying seemed even more stupid.

"Yeah, we know you were only trying to help," Cole continued for Nya, who had suddenly found her throat close up. Kai's face tightened as he felt his heart race with panic, anger, and despair. He glanced behind himself as he took a step backward. He was aware that he was near the edge of the rooftop. The thought that he could end it all popped up into his head but Kai quickly shook it off. He wasn't suicidal anymore. Right?

"Kai... why— why were you crying?" Jay asked with a strained voice, worried that it would trigger Kai's anger. Kai hugged himself, still looking down at the ground. He didn't know what to tell Jay. Oh, I simply was overwhelmed by the amount of things going on at the moment that when I made the smallest mistake that you guys half-jokingly got angry at me for, I had a complete emotional collapse and I did only what my instincts told me to do. Kai bit his cheek at the truth. He hadn't had a breakdown like this in so long, and the last time it did happen he had been lucky enough to be able to easily avoid his friends and deal with it himself— like he was supposed to. Why couldn't have this time been the same? Kai scowled to himself, slightly zoning out of the situation, before he heard Nya's panicked voice.

"Kai, please step away from the edge." The others blinked in surprise at such a comment. Nya's voice was pleading, as if expecting Kai not to listen. It made the others even more concerned than they had been just moments ago. They all looked back at Kai, their breathing suddenly heavier. Kai quickly looked up and met Nya's eyes. They were teary and terrified. It made Kai realise the worst thing. He had, in fact, worried Nya by not telling her about his emotions. Was he really still suicidal?

Kai's mouth had unintentionally parted but he gulped as he hesitantly glanced behind him and realised just how close he'd gotten to the edge. Accidentally. He wasn't thinking about it at all. Panic rose in his throat as he saw the moving dots of cars below and he hurriedly stepped away, letting his arms drop and his breath catch. He heard shuffling behind him.

"I swear, I didn't mean to..." Kai quietly whispered under his breath. He went to look up at Nya over the gap again— only to see her less than two metres in front of him.

"Didn't mean to get so close to the edge, or to throw the sword?" Nya whispered back with a still tense expression. Kai stared at her for a very long time before he felt his throat close up and his eyes water all over again.

"I don't know," Kai said breathlessly. Kai fell forward as Nya and the others ran up to him and caught him in a hug. He silently cried as he squeezed Nya as if he was scared of falling. "I'm— I'm so sorry..." Kai hiccoughed as the others simply held him. Jay shushed him gently.

"You don't have to say sorry, buddy, it's ok," Cole said softly as Lloyd stroked Kai's hair. And somehow, everything added up in Kai's mind. Each action he'd just felt, filled up his heart in a way he hadn't felt in such a long time. Love. True love. For the first time, he saw just how much he was loved, despite everything.