bruiseshipping short stories

midnight stroll

This one's a one shot I wrote sometime around the beginning of this year! But I hope you all enjoy!

***

Tonight was the night.

Jay was either going to die here or forever put to rest his aching heart and be content with himself.

He had devised a little plan in his head earlier today and was now only waiting for the perfect opportunity to execute it.

What started practically years ago, constantly felt like just yesterday to Jay.

It had been around the time when he and Cole set off on a tedious but exciting, because they had each other, adventure to find Wu.

They would pass jokes to kill time, often tease one another like they always did, but sometimes, they'd end up cuddling in their constantly changing shelter, making sure to keep each other as snug as a bug. And Jay was small so he fit perfectly in Cole's arms, wrapped up like in a bundle of pillows and blankets.

Needless to say, Cole himself was like a bunch of pillows and blankets.

Anyways, he hadn't really been paying attention when Cole spilled the beans and told Jay that he liked his laugh.

Instead, he kinda just sat and stared at Cole, as if looking right through him. Then, Cole had said another thing and told Jay that he always was fond of the way he smiled and the way his eyes shone with this indescribable happiness.

See, Jay hadn't been paying attention to any of it.

He hadn't really been paying attention, because he was too busy taking in all the features of Cole. He wondered how and when his hair got so long. How his eyelids kind of dropped more, and when he started wearing sleeveless shirts and ninja gis more often. His thoughts had caused him to drag his own hand through his own hair, feeling the tangled curls that sat atop his head.

He wondered, what would it feel like to touch Cole's hair? Would it also be a mess of tangled knots, or was it just as silky and soft as he imagined?

"Laugh... my laugh?" Jay had choked out, trying to recall what Cole had said earlier.

"You're so cute when you don't know what's going on... it's adorable," Cole simply stated.

"You're cute too," he stammered, his mind elsewhere.

And then the rest just kinda took off from there.

Neither of them had actually confessed, per say. Their feelings still hovered, occasionally whopping the other in the face.

Neither had mentioned a relationship, nor even mentioned the mutual feelings they felt for one another.

However, as time went on, Jay's feelings only continued to grow, and grow, and grow.

It spread like wildfire. Heck, whenever Cole was nearby he felt like a wildfire.

It was frustrating.

But now he was here. And where was here?

Well after saving Ninjago City (again) from Lord Garmadon's tyrannical rule, citizens of Ninjago wanted to put together a special little celebration for thanking them (again).

Everyone was asked to dress in style and for the occasion. It being in the evening, Jay threw on an extra coat, just to keep him warm. And a scarf. The scarf Cole had gifted to him.

On the other side of the room, not too far away from him, Cole was standing by the buffet, an empty plate in hand and hungry eyes scavenging the table. Jay wondered if Cole had touched any of the food yet.