ColexKai = Lava = Perfect♥️

IV

TenTailsDragon

It was night, and the monastery layed still in the moonlight, protecting it's sleeping residents.

Not Kai though. Kai was awake.
He lay staring at the ceiling of his cabin, his mind racing with thoughts of training techniques, missions,...

​As suddenly, a muffled sound broke the silence.

​It came from the room next door—Cole’s room.

It wasn't the usual deep, rhythmic snoring Kai was used to hearing through the thin walls.

It was a sharp, hitched gasp, followed by a low, pained groan.

​Kai sat up, his brow furrowed. He waited, hoping it was just a one-off movement, but then came a sob—thick with fear and desperation.

​He didn't hesitate.

Kai threw off his covers and stepped into the hallway. He reached Cole’s door and knocked softly. "Cole? Hey, buddy, you okay?"

​No answer.
Only the sound of frantic, uneven breathing that was quickly escalating into a full-blown panic attack.

​"Cole, I'm coming in", Kai whispered. He pressed the latch and stepped inside.

​The room was bathed in a pale, silvery glow from the moon outside.

Cole was tangled in his dark blankets, his body shaking violently. His eyes were squeezed shut, tears streaming down his face, and his hands were clawing at the sheets.

He was whispering something over and over - Mom - , his voice cracking with long supressed grief.

​Kai’s heart twisted. He moved toward the bed to shake him awake, but he paused, his hand hovering in the air.

He remembered reading somewhere that waking someone in the middle of a night terror or sleepwalking could be dangerous or incredibly disorienting. He didn't want to startle Cole or make the panic worse by forcing him back to reality too harshly.

​Instead, Kai sat on the edge of the mattress. The bed dipped under his weight.

​"I'm here, Cole," Kai murmured, his voice as soft as the wind. "You’re safe."

​He reached out and began to stroke Cole’s shoulder and arm with a steady, rhythmic motion. Cole flinched at first, a fresh sob breaking from his chest, but Kai didn't pull away.
He kept his touch firm and grounding.
​
Seeing his friend in such distress was more than Kai could stand.

He knew nightmares, he had them himself sometimes. Also Nya had quite a lot when she was younger and Kai was taking care of her at their blacksmith shop.

But not like this. This seemed brutal, and more than poor Cole could stand. Kai's heart was aching for his hurt friend, who was sweating and crying and trembling. Muscles tense and a deep frown on his forehead.

Moving slowly and carefully, the master of fire shifted further onto the bed and pulled Cole toward him.

He leaned back against the headboard and guided Cole’s head to rest against his chest, tucking the Earth Ninja into his lap. A trick that had always worked with Nya.

​Cole was still caught in the nightmare, his breath coming in jagged, terrifying bursts, but as Kai wrapped his arms around him, something shifted.

​Kai focused on his own breathing—deep, slow, and steady. He pulled Cole closer, letting the solid, rhythmic thrum of his heartbeat act as an anchor.

​Thump-thump. Thump-thump.

​Slowly, the frantic gasps began to sync with Kai’s pulse. Cole’s hands, which had been clenched into white-knuckled fists, gradually relaxed, his fingers curling into Kai’s shirt instead.
The trembling slowed until it was just a faint tremor.

​In the quiet of the night, the heat from Kai’s Fire Element seemed to radiate a comforting warmth, chasing away the cold shadows of the dream.

Cole let out one last, long sigh, his face finally softening into a peaceful expression as he sank deeper into a true, restful sleep.

​Kai didn't move. He stayed right there, watching over his brother, making sure the ghosts of the past stayed far away.

-----

The first rays of dawn began to creep through the porthole, painting the room in soft hues of amber and gold. Kai hadn’t moved an inch. His legs were numb, and his back was stiff, but seeing Cole’s chest rise and fall in a steady, peaceful rhythm made every cramp worth it, and his stomach tingled at the sight of Cole's cute facial expressions he does in his sleep.

​As the light hit Cole’s face, his eyelashes fluttered. He groaned softly, his brow furrowing as he slowly transitioned back to the waking world.

He felt warm—unusually warm—and the surface beneath his head was steady and humming with a dull, familiar heartbeat.

​Cole’s eyes blinked open. For a second, he just stared at the red fabric of Kai’s shirt, confused. Then, he realized he was curled up in Kai’s lap like a child seeking shelter from a storm.

​"Kai?" Cole’s voice was a dry, embarrassed rasp. He scrambled to sit up, his face flushing a deep beet-red.

"What—what are you—did I... ..What..Kai..?"

​Kai didn't jump or act awkward. He just leaned his head back against the wall and gave Cole a tired, lopsided grin. "Morning, sleepyhead. You had a rough night"

​The memories hit Cole all at once - the darkness, the cold, the sight of his mother’s face fading away while he tried to reach for her, unable to breathe. The phantom weight of the panic attack still lingered in his chest, his body was aching, but the overwhelming terror was gone.

He looked at Kai, then at his own hands, which were no longer shaking.

​"I was dreaming about her," Cole whispered, his usual bravado completely stripped away. "Kai, I...I couldn't breathe, Kai. It felt like there was weight on my chest... And my mom... Kai... my mom....", Cole was on the verge tears again.

​"I know," Kai said softly. He reached out, squeezing Cole’s shoulder firmly, stroking it again. Cole sniffed.

"You were calling for her. I didn't want to wake you up and freak you out, so I figured... well, I figured I’d just stay until the monsters went away."

​Cole looked down at the bedsheets, a small, grateful smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. The Earth Ninja was usually the "rock" of the team - the one everyone else leaned on - but in the silence of the early morning, he realized how much he’d needed someone to hold him up for once.

​"You stayed the whole time?" Cole asked, looking up, tears glistening in his eyes, this time as an expression of thankfulness.

​"Of course," Kai shrugged, though his eyes were heavy with exhaustion. "What are brothers for? Besides, you're a great pillow. Very solid"

​Cole let out a genuine huff of laughter, the last of the tension leaving his shoulders.

"Thanks, Kai. Really. I... I feel a lot better."

​"Good," Kai said, finally shifting his legs with a grimace of pain. "Now, help me up. My legs are officially dead, and if I don't get some coffee, I might actually turn into a statue"

​Cole chuckled and hopped off the bed, extending a hand to pull Kai up. As they headed toward the kitchen, the sun finally cleared the horizon, signaling a new day—one that felt a little brighter than the night before.