Chapter Text
Cole was in some sort if weird place, it was dark, but he could still see the cracks on.. whatever it was around him. But then something light appeared, something like.. a fire? He came closer. What were these voices? He didn't know but after some seconds he realised.
“Don't leave me, please, I just don't understand, why are you doing this.....“
“But I love him..“
“Didn't you love me too? Where is this feeling now?“
“Kai years have passed..“
“So what?! When you became a ghost, I didn't care, I loved you, when you fell into the pure evil cloud, I was ready to go look for you, when you were stuck under the mountain and nobody thought you will return I did, and I was fucking fighting monsters, seeing worst things in merged lands all on my own, looking for the others, looking for you, and you've been chillin out here in the land of lost things, going on a dates with him? Fucking him under the moonlight?“
“Shut up, you have no idea what're talking about!“
“Oh I know exactly what I am talking about, and believe and remember these words, you'll regret it.. And I will accept it, take you back, because I love you, Cole, I always did. And im fucking sick of this.. being the only.. You don't need to hear all that, just know, you'll regret it“
It was the memory of the day he told Kai about Geo, but why? It's been months since that happened. Kai was standing right here, in this weird place, showing him that day again. He looked so.. so cold and something inside just started to ache. He didn't want Kai to look at him that. He wanted to see the warmth in his eyes, to see his adorable smile, to feel his warmth. Fuck this was so wrong, he's in a relationship with another person, why did he still wanted to be with him that bad? Kai chuckled and Cole lifted his gaze.
“I told you so“ Kai smirked and looked Cole the eyes “You know..I hate to say it, but I told you so“
Cole woke up breathing heavily. He was all covered in cold sweat. His head fall into his hands and he tried to start breathing normally taking a deep breath. The master of earth looked at the other side of the bed where his partner was sleeping peacefully. So weird he didn't woke up... Kai used wake up every time Cole had nightmares, he just sort of always felt and woke up. He look at Geo, he was beautiful, kind, he was so caring and loving, and he always was there for "their" kids. And when the merge happened and Cole met him he thought Geo was everything he was look for. But this coldness.. he just always tried to ignore it, but he failed. So much times he thought about Kai and his warmth, physical and emotional. Fuck, I'm such a jerk, Cole thought. He was lying to himself, to Geo and Kai the whole fucking time..
He stood up from the bed, he couldn't do it anymore. Cole got outside. He looked around. Lamd of lost things. A place he know called his home.. but there was no training ground, no videogames, none of his best friends or master, almost no one to save, and he wanted to save people, he needed to stand up to those who are cruel and mean. He sat down to the ground, trying to feel it, his hands glew and he exhaled, he didn't know why he was always doing it when he felt bad... But Kai probably knew. Kai knew way more about him than Cole himself did.
The black ninja heard footsteps, still sitting on the ground. He turned his head. It was Geo.
“Cole?“ Geo sat down next to him, putting his hand on Cole's shoulder. Black ninja twitched, he didn't know why, but he did. “Is everythin alright?“ he asked.
“Everything's fin..“ Cole stopped for a second, how long will he continue to lie? Until he's fifty and there is nothing left to fix? “Actually, no, everything is not fine at all“ he buried his face in his hands.
“Do you wanna.. tell me what's wrong? Is it something I did?“ Geo asked with a worried look in his eyes.
“Its..I.. I don't love you, Geo“ Geo's eyes started turning wet, “It has nothing to do with you.. You're amazing, caring and wonderful in every way there can be. It's just, a made a huge mistake, and I don't know if I can fix it, but this doesn't mean I need to ruin your life too, I'm sure you will find someone that will love you the way you deserve to be loved, and I'm sorry that.. I couldn't“ Cole exhaled after finishing his little monologue, he looked at Geo's face, covered in tears, he was such a jerk. He didn't if he should hug him or not.
Geo covered his face with hands, trying to whipe the tears off. After a while he looked up, “I.. I understand.. I always, sort of, knew it.. I mean, since the day you introduced me to Kai, I did, but I tried to ignore it and convince myself I'm delusional.. but, I want you to be happy, so... Try your best to win him back, I'm sure he'll forgive.. You two deserve eachother“ Geo slimed sadly and stood up, Cole did too. The black ninja pulled him into a hug and Geo accepted it, taking it all in for the last time. When he pulled away he just said, “Go.“
Cole went straight to the Imperium's monastery, he need to get to their real monastery as fast as he could.
Chapter 2
Notes:
Sry if you had to wait long, and sorry bc its kinda messy
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Cole got out of the portal, in their real monastery. He looked around, it was a while since he was here, the black ninja has been avoiding this place since he and Kai had that argument. He went straight up to ninjas rooms. The master of earth looked at his own room with a pain in the eyes. He stopped for a while and got inside. It was so... it felt like home, like his real home. Bunch of pictures from Ninjago, their Ninjago. Of course his parents, a few with a team and master Wu, Karloff, Princess Vania and.. Kai sitting on his laps, wrapping his hands around Cole's neck a giving him a kiss on cheek. The black ninja smiled. Kai was so... his? The photo was taken by Jay. It hurt him to think about Jay, so he decided to don't, at least tonight. He took a deep breath, leaving the room.
He knew Kai was still probably up, it was about two o'clock, and Cole was pretty sure since there is no one to make Kai sleep properly he wasn't doing so. Or maybe he was. Maybe Cole didn't know him like he used to.
He got to Kai's door and knocked.
Kai was sitting in his room, it was late, he didn't know how late exactly, he didn't want to know. He was planning his trainings with Wyldfire, not that he needed to, but he really didn't like the pills he got for insomnia. He could remember these few years where he almost forgot about that cure. Years with Cole. But once Cole disappeared the illness got back, he was getting sick of it, but it was better than to take pills. He stood up from a chair, fuck his back hurt. The red ninja looked at the half empty package of cigarettes. Kai quit years ago, but always had one or two near by in the room, just in case everything will get more shitty than it already was. He thought about smoking one. That's when a knock on the door almost scared him. Everybody was asleep and if it wasn't Lloyd with one of his nightmares again, Kai had no idea who it could be.
“Door's open,“ he said loud enough for the one outside to hear it.
When Cole heard his voice, he felt a personal win in knowing that Kai was up. He sighed opening the door slowly. Kai pupils widen when his saw him.
Kai gasped. What was Cole even doing here? Didn't he had a “family“ to run? A boyfriend to fuck? Huh? He was mad, of course he fucking was. Cole didn't expect him to just forgive him while he had a perfect life, did he? Cole left him with nothing, but it never meant Kai stopped loving him. Thats exactly why he was avoiding Cole. He just couldn't.. hear his laugh, see his face. And so many others things he couldn't when it came to Cole. He also couldn't kiss him, even if he really wanted to.
“What are you doing here?“ Kai said quietly but strictly, not giving Cole a thought he was forgiven. Kai wasn't sure he will ever be. The red ninja pulled out a cigarette, quickly lighting it with his flame.
When Kai lit a cigarette, Cole knew things were bad. “Im.. I.. I came here to apologize,“ Kai's glance was cold, he raised an eyebrow, “I'm sorry, so fucking sorry, and I wanted to say that... You were right, about everything. You told me it's gonna be that way and it is and.. I don't expect you to forgive me. I just wanted you to know. I'm sorry for hurting you,“ he wanted to leave as he finished talking but Kai was faster, stopping him by taking one of his wrists.
“Cole, wait, we can talk, if you want,“ Kai wanted to smile, Cole was here, and it already meant something, still he didn't. They sat down at his bed. “You said.. I was right, does it mean that you and Geo..?“ not that Kai hoped but.. Look, Kai never hated Geo, the guy was kind, cool and fine, but, Cole chose him over Kai, and Kai did hate that.
“Yeah, I.. broke up with him like, twenty minutes ago? Fuck this sounds so wrong, but he.. he is the one who told me to get here you know. Can you imagine that? I really didn't deserve him. Or you, and I don't think I ever will,“ Cole smiled sadly, he really meant it.
“Twenty minutes ago..? Cole, I was up for I don't know how many hours straight, so please slow down, and tell me what happened,“ it was weird, he hasn't seen Cole for months and now it's suddenly all this, and oh the first Spinjitzu master, Kai needed some sleep.
“I had that dream tonight..“ Cole began to talk.
“Don't tell me just wanna make it up to me because of some dream?! You know I will need more than that, you made me wait for it for months and now..“ Kai interrupted.
“Hey, calm down and let me finish, “ Cole couldn't helped but chuckled.
„You're laughing at me?“ Kai started to look mad. Cole put a hand on his shoulder, smiling.
“No, it just reminded me of the old days.. good days, you're just as hot headed as you were, and I, I like that a lot, you know I always did,“ Kai rolled his eyes to keep himself from smiling. How could he be mad at Cole when he is saying things like that?,“So yeah and I had that dream, and you were there, showing me the day, you know, when we... When I..,“
“When you acted like a jerk and left me?“ Cole looked upset, but, Kai just couldn't forget that day for months, and he felt bad for saying it like that, still he did.
“Yeah, that day. And you looked me, like so cold, and you're always so warm it scared me to see you that way. That's when I realised what I've lost and you told me that it's going to be that way but I didn't listen. When I woke up it was like everything I was doing was so wrong. I couldn't be in that bed, couldn't be with him knowing you're somewhere out there, alone, probably having insomnia and definitely ignoring your mental health? I knew I could keep lying, keep a beautiful picture of me, him, the kids. But it wouldn't be right, because everytime I thought about my dream life you were always there next to me, in my bed, in my hands, kissing me, letting me love you.. It was just wrong there without you. So I came here, and I'm telling you this because I'm sorry. And I know this a lot to ask but.. will you give me a chance? I don't await you to forgive me today, not tomorrow, not a week later. It will take a long time but I'm ready to wait to earn your forgiveness as long as you need to forgive me, I will try my best,“ he smiled softly looking into beautiful brown eyes.
Kai sighed, Cole was right, it's going to take a long time for Kai to forget everything Cole put him through these past few months. But he loved Cole, and he was ready to work on their relationship. He needed time, but he wasn't saying no. “I... I think this a good idea, but you're right it's going to take a long time, but.. could we start this tomorrow or already today morning? Cause I really want you to stay today, I won't be able to handle another sleepless night..“ Kai didn't care how it sounded, how it looked like, he just wanted to fall asleep for atleast eight hours and rest. He just hoped that ninja wouldn't walk in on them, but didn't really care about that right now either.
“At this point I'm gonna do anything you want me to.. so,“ Cole took his shoes off once he got to the main floor of the monastery and he was still in his pajama so it wasn't hard to stay here. He layed down and spread his arms, wordlessly inviting Kai to lay down too. Once he did the black ninja wrapped his hands around him. Kai sighed starting to relax.
“Fuck, this is better,“ and Cole knew that now it won't take so long for them to fall asleep.
Notes:
Im going to write chapter 3 aswell