Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Whoa, did you see that?"

"WOW! HOW DOES HE DO IT?!"

"KC! KC! KC!"

Crowds of people were hollering over each other. Many flung their arms in excitement, chanting the name "Cobra!" over, and over again. They were all smiling, their eyes carefully watching the figure in front of them beyond the fences. They were all here for one thing. The one celebrity they came to see.

Kid Cobra!

The masterful snakeboarder and athlete, the cool collected mysterious fighter from the ARMS league. The famous and most certainly talented snake endorser.

Kid Cobra had been thrillingly snake boarding across the Snake Park, showing off his many moves and tricks for all to see. Countless numbers of fans had come here on foot, showing their unrelenting dedication to their biggest inspiration. He didn't break a sweat. His quick, snake-like posture made each move look easy. Fans watched in amazement, each posing the biggest grin on their faces. A few fainted!

He flew majestically upwards, and came back down with such conquered speed. Just like a snake.

His eyes pierced the heart of his fans. Those sharp engaging daggers struck many fans off guard, causing them to praise the delicate snakeboarder with chants of his name.

And let's not ignore Kid Cobra's arms. With each move, his arms struck the sides of the park and launched him up like a jet! Forget about jet engines.

But soon after many of his signature moves, the show was concluding. Kid Cobra performed one last striking trick, propelling himself like a missile against the night sky and twirled coming back down in a unparalleled fashion. Fans hollered in awe, each clapping and throwing their hands in a joyous manner. Cameras were placed all around the park, catching each moment in high definition for millions to see all around the world.

And with that, Kid Cobra swooped on the board and raised his arms in victory. The crowds went absolutely wild! Barbaric, even.

With one swift enduring movement, Kid Cobra slithered off the stage and vanished from the scene. Fans cheered and turned, joining their friends and families to share with them what they saw, even if they all saw the same thing. What seemed like hundreds of people disbanded and had proceeded to go home, their aura of excitement still lingering strongly across the region. Their voices strained but still obviously animated. One by one, they departed from the Park.

The night seemed to have calmed a bit since the show ended. The cameras were turned off, the snakeboard laid off in the distance in the Park center. The moonlight hugged the concrete ground surrounding the park. It's grey smile stretched from one end to the other. The lights were dimmed, too. Everything was... a lot more quiet.

Kid Cobra had disappeared from the scene awhile ago.

Now, he was placed outside of the stage in the shadows. He was slouched over, the light of his phone mirrored on his helmet. Something about the soft light shining off the mysterious fighter's head would give anyone chills. But his eyes weren't hostile. Instead, they seemed... gentle. Almost as if he was going to meet a good fan or a life long friend.

Moments passed as Kid Cobra sat. A soft breeze brushed the fighter as he silently waited for something. Something obviously important enough to keep the adept Kid Cobra halted from his usual schedule.

Another soft breeze swept the area, causing him to finally sit up. With a careful scan, he lowered his eyes and looked all over the Park. In a second, he spotted another figure casually approaching him. It was alarming at first, but the observant fighter recognized who it was almost instantly. He managed a grin underneath his helmet.

"...That was quite a show you put on." The figure spoke, their path closing in on Kid Cobra slowly. They seemed relaxed and spoke softly, just barely enough for Kid Cobra to hear.

"The crowd was wild tonight. 'Suppose you were in it somewhere?" Kid Cobra's deep voice rumbled in response, his head lowering a bit in a friendly gesture.

"Well, something like that." The figure raised their head. The lights of the Park revealed that the figure wasn't a stranger nor the average fan. It was Ninjara, one of Ninja College's best students and a highly valued ARMS league
fighter! His light green hair glowed from the lighting surrounding them. He was in a very casual outfit, something most of his fans never see, with slick framed glasses place on the bridge of his nose. He was smiling too, the serious
undertone of his character fading. It was an odd sight, seeing the tense Ninjara in such a loose setting. It didn't seem to bother Kid Cobra, though.

Ninjara turned and pointed up towards the top of a nearby warehouse roof. "I watched from afar. Had to hide from the fans." He chuckled and slipped his hand back in his hoodie pocket.

"Yeah, don't want to steal the attention from me, huh?" Kid Cobra said jokingly, his eyes seemed welcoming. Ninjara responded with a shrug and looked around the Park.

"...Wanna go get something to eat?" Kid Cobra's low voice grew steady as he asked the question. He was turning to grab something from the side, his out stretched arm reaching around. It swiped up a light vest coat from
the corner, along with a sports bag.

Ninjara looked back at him. "That was the plan." He let out another small smile as he began pacing back out the Park. Kid Cobra wrapped the bag around his lanky body, looking a bit awkward at first. He quickly fixed his cool
posture and wiped himself down, turning and beginning to follow Ninjara.

The two fighters walked around the weakly lit city streets, stopping by a ramen shop owned by Min Min and her family. They each gave a bonus for the efforts of Min Min's business, supporting their friend and continued on exploring the
city. They found themselves walking most of the night, talking casually about their days and their plans for the next few weeks. Who would've thought the two most serious and favored ARMS celebrities would be talking about
having normal lives!?

"Do you think the others are gonna be busy this weekend? I wanted to hang out with 'em sometime soon."

"Well, I know Min Min has something to attend on Saturday. Spring is most likely going to be at the gym. It might just be us." Ninjara answered, his eyes wondering around the buildings scattered around them. Kid Cobra giggled.

"That'd be just fine wit' me." His voice spoke smoothly, catching Ninjara off guard. "We need as much time together as we can get."

Ninjara looked at him for a moment, addressing him with a Look. He broke it with a laugh and looked away, his face a bit red. "Yeah... guess you're right. Life's been stressful. The school's been cracking down lately and the ARMS
league situation has been pulling me, too. I'm afraid-" He cut off, forcing out a sigh.

Kid Cobra caught on, letting the ninja finish his thought. "I'm afraid it's going to get in between us." Ninjara's voice sounded weak, as if he struggled to finished the sentence.

After several moments, Ninjara shook his head a bit. He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could Kid Cobra spoke in a low, reassuring tone. "Hey... listen. You're the smartest person I know. Ain't nothin' here in this world gonna
stop you from reaching your goal. I know that's a FACT." The tall snake leaned over a bit, facing the bothered fighter standing next to him.

Ninjara returned the tone, straining a hopeful look in his eyes. "...Guess you're right. We just both have a lot on our plates right now." Ninjara's green hair seemed to sparkle under the light of the city lamps. They both stood under one, it's
warm light reflecting off their outfits. You could spot all of the dust passing by them both like a highway, seeing the breeze push each particle to the north, then west.

Abruptly, the dust blew in the opposite direction as Kid Cobra let out a sigh, too. The staggering snake moved his arm, not knowing what to do with it for a moment. It eventually found itself wrapping around Ninjara in a
gentle manner. Ninjara's face lit up, just almost as bright as the lamp above them as he felt the arm placed on his shoulder.

"We've got each other. That's all that matters right now." Kid Cobra's voice had never seemed so tender, it even took Ninjara in complete surprise. The ninja's eyebrows raised as high as his glasses' frames!

Seeing Ninjara like this made Kid Cobra let out a hearty laugh, making the situation less awkward. Ninjara returned the laugh.

"You're not too good with PDA, are ya?" The snake asked, his eyes glistened humorously. He leaned in to nudge the ninja, letting his arm untwurl and reach down to Ninjara's hand.

In a matter of seconds, they found themselves holding each others hands. Ninjara remained quiet, his mind calming at the thought of holding hands with his partner, just as Kid Cobra nodded and gestured for them to continue venturing out into the inviting city.

Chapter Text

It was getting pretty late now. The city was whistling with a few passing cars, sidewalks were brushed with leaves, with the occasional sound of wind dancing along the brisk air. Nothing was in sight except the warm, bright lights pouring down from the street lamps. Everything was perfect about tonight.

So what about those two fighters, huh?

Kid Cobra and Ninjara had found their way outside the city, amongst the outskirts. There was a beautiful opening that led out to the ocean, beyond the highways and webbed roads. Multiple overpasses were left behind as they made their way to this spot. Up high mirroring the reflection against the calm water was the moon, shining as bright as the many lamps surrounding them in the city. They stood at the railing that connected the concrete below their feet to the neatly placed pillars. It was an overlook into a giant portal, in which the ocean swayed back and forth gently.

Ninjara had placed his arms on the railing casually, leaning over a bit. Kid Cobra had done the same, but only a bit more leaned in which looked like two directions at once. His long torso made it difficult to understand if he was comfortable or not...

Whatever the case was, they were both smiling, laughing and enjoying the time they were spending together. After what Cobra had told him earlier, Ninjara seemed more relaxed, adjusting his glasses every now and then. The night was growing a bit too old but the two continued to chat without any signs of exhaustion.

"By the way, d'ya see what was on the news the other day? 'Parently Biff slipped on the Big Dude's wrap and fell. It was really funny." Kid Cobra scuffed out a laugh, reaching an arm behind and into his pocket.

"Really? I haven't seen any posts about that yet." Ninjara's eyebrow lowered, trying to imagine the situation. Everything about it seemed too hysterical, too much to be true.

Kid Cobra slipped out his phone and fiddled with it. Within a few seconds, he pulled up a video and gestured Ninjara to come look. Sure enough, it was Biff, the famous and well-known ARMS commentator clumsily slipping and falling on live television. Ninjara found himself bursting out in a hefty laugh, followed by Kid Cobra with a deep chuckle.

The video ended as the two stopped laughing, with Cobra trailing a humored hiss. "I'm gonna show that to my viewers tomorrow."

"Biff is NOT going to be happy knowing that got so much attention." The ninja turned his head back in front of him, returning his gaze back into the swaying ocean. He adjusted his glasses. "What time is it?"

"Almos' 10." Kid Cobra responded almost immediately, "Why, you gotta go somewhere?"

Ninjara's eyes widened, his nerves jolting for a moment. "Well, technically no, but I have things to do tomorrow. It's just... the distance from here and my apartment might take us another hour to get to. I don't want to stay up too late."

"What? You afraid of the fans seein' us...?" Kid Cobra's tone wasn't serious, but his eyes hinted a more personal proposal to the question. He knew Ninjara wasn't ready to show the fans how close they were.

Ninjara answered with a weak shrug, his shoulders buckling downward for a moment. His face narrowed with a blank expression, his eyebrows lowering. He didn't know how to answer the question.

Cobra shuffled as he placed his phone back in his pocket, reading the awkward atmosphere as a conclusion to the night they had together. "Alright, we can head back now." His posture elevated and rose, unwrapping itself like a curtain. He peered over at the roads behind them, hoping to spot a cab nearby. Luckily, to the far right was a crosswalk with a late-night taxi cab sitting at rest. He turned back to Ninjara and gestured for them to move.

The ride was a nice break. It was short lived, but it was new from the endless walking Cobra and Ninjara had done the whole night. It was mostly silent, with the hushed hum of the car radio up front. The driver had been nice enough, his attitude a little much this late at night. Must've been driving for a long time. He politely asked them their destination with a wide smile, his newsboy cap lowered but not too much. Thankfully, he also stayed quiet, allowing the two fighters in the back to catch up with their thoughts.

The streets were lit with the cozy street lamps, those same lamps that came in like ocean waves throughout their night adventure. There weren't many people out this late, so the sidewalks were lonely. Traces of dim moonlight aligned with the cracks in them, leaving room for the orange haze raining down from the lamps to sweep them like a holographic broom.

Kid Cobra had drawn his attention to his phone, checking up on the media and doing his own thing. Ninjara had done the same, but threw a few glances out the window to enjoy the sights out from the car. He adjusted his glasses, thinking to himself. He caught himself frowning a little, obviously frustrated with something.

"Should I just... go home and let him leave alone?" Ninjara questioned himself, shooting a quick glance over at Cobra His eyes were staring down at his phone, completely blank of emotion. Ninjara found it impossible to come up with a good solution. He didn't want him to go yet.

Just as the ninja was opening his mouth to speak, the cab driver parked the taxi alongside a sidewalk. He turned to face the fighters behind him, curling on an iron grin again accompanied by two friendly eyes. "Hey you two, we've reached the stop!" He swiped a hand over his hand and gestured a small bow, pulling off his cap all in one swift motion. "My pleasure fellas. Hope you have a good night!" Cobra was already pouring coins into the drivers hand just as he reached over to collect it.

They gathered their things and got out, hushing brisk 'thank yous' to the driver. Just as the cab was revved up again, the driver stuck out his head and hollered, "Good luck you two! BRING ON THE ARMS!" He took off and laughed the whole way until he turned the corner down the street. Something about it made both of the fighters laugh, walking over to the apartment front doors.

Ninjara strolled in first into the lobby, the cool lights buzzing off the front counter invited him over. There, he was greeted with a familiar face. "Hey arms guy, how's it goin'?" Sitting there was an older woman, working late. Seemed like she'd been there for a couple of hours.

"I told you my name, you know. Do you remember it?" Ninjara sounded rude, but he meant it in a playful way. The woman didn't seem to mind.

"Yeah, nin...jaga... or somethin'." She remarked, smiling. Within an instant, she cocked an eyebrow as Kid Cobra stepped into her vision. His lanky body caught her attention fast, revealing an inner most curiosity. "Hey, aren't you that famous snake fighter dude, too? What? I got not ONE fighter, BUT TWO?!" She managed a hefty laugh, amazed by the situation.

Kid Cobra put on a stone face, growling a low tone "...Yes." as her fit of laughter died down. She took his tone in consideration and nodded them off. "Alright you two, bet you're tired from all them fights you get yourselves into." The woman turned and went into the back room. "See ya ninja dude!"

Her figure vanished beyond the back room door, and with that, the two shrugged and made their way to Ninjara's part of the building.

The halls were like a complex puzzle, a maze to anyone unfamiliar to the layout. The same hazy blue carpet was sprawled and extended it's arms (haha FUNNEY) to the walls, connecting with them at the bottom. Kid Cobra moved cautiously, a little afraid to run into anyone who would've interrupted them from moving. He had been thinking when Ninjara abruptly stopped, turning to face a clean, grey door. The green haired ninja sighed, his eyebrows lowered again like earlier. He tried his best to mask the frown with something else and turned towards his partner.

"Well, guess I'll see you soon...?" Ninjara's tone seemed frail and lacking of emotion. Cobra had blinked once or twice, hovering in the same spot he stood in for a few moments. Something buzzed in his helmet, forcing him to speak.

"Right. I'll see ya whenever I can, Nin." His voice hummed a bit, seeming frail too. But before he could sliver towards Ninjara for a goodbye hug, the ninja huffed.

"Y...you know what?" Ninjara sounded a bit frustrated with himself, pointing his eyes towards Kid Cobra. "...Let's just... stay here tonight. And like... watch something. I... I don't want you to leave yet..." He managed a smile afterwards, knowing what he had asked was too invasive. He quickly looked away, feeling a bit embarrassed to ask something like that to Cobra on a night like this. Even hours of spending time with him, Ninjara still insisted on having him around.

Kid Cobra's eyes narrowed, curious and surprised. He was NOT expecting that. He thought he would've gone home alone like usual. But he wasn't expecting something like this, not in a thousand years. Especially from someone like Ninjara.

The ninja sniffled, shifting to get his key. His face was brushed with pinks and reds, still obviously embarrassed by his statement he made only a few seconds ago. He turned the doorknob to enter the apartment. Before he could, he stopped and looked at Cobra, waiting for a response.

Ninjara sighed, almost forcing himself to muffle a "goodnight" when Cobra finally said, "Okay." It was gentle and genuine, enough to make Ninjara smile wide.

The two entered the apartment and set down their belongings by the door. Inside, the living room had a faint inviting scent. It was organic, as if the winds of a rain forest broken the walls and infiltrated the room. Everything about it made Kid Cobra feel oddly relaxed. He stood, staring around his partners room. Everything was neatly placed, the shelves held books and the coffee table sat with a clear surface. No stains, no scratches. Nothing.

The carpet was a pleasant milky color, with no alterations in it, similar to the coffee table. It spread across the entire room and into the kitchen to the left. The curtains next to the 5 foot tall window pane were a dark pale green, which were
knotted to keep the night sky in clear view. Next to it lay the couch and the television set, with Ninjara making his way over.

"Well... I've got a few good movies we could watch. I stole some from Spring awhile back." The ninja chuckled, continuing. "Let me find them really quick." He kneeled down, shuffling through a drawer he pulled out from the TV stand. Kid Cobra insisted on waiting, moving himself over to the couch and sitting down. Patiently, the snake sat while Ninjara searched for a film. He peered over at the kitchen, examining the simple decorations that were put up. He noticed the little clay frog figures on the counter, spotting one on top of the refrigerator. Cobra scoffed, finding it amusing. Finally after several moments, Ninjara got up, turning around with a sly grin on his face. In his hand was a familiar movie.

"This good enough?" He asked, his glasses lowered.

"Wha'ever you want. I'm fine with that." Cobra hissed politely, his cool posture emitting as he laid back on the couch.

Excited, Ninjara quickly went to set up the film, gathering blankets and rounding up multiple snacks (Healthy ones, of course!). Within a few moments, the movie began and the two fighters joined together to watch.

Chapter Text

About a half hour in the movie, both Ninjara and Kid Cobra found themselves closer on the couch, with Ninjara leaning over to Cobra's body. It was a wholesome sight, the two obviously happy to be in each other's company. They were intent on watching the film, but something was preventing them in giving it their full attention.

Cobra's cool eyes darted from the TV to Ninjara, his hardened posture giving away. He wanted to be soft, but found it difficult to prove that. He shuffled a bit, leaning more over to Ninjara and pressed a little to get more comfortable. The action made Ninjara press too, the snack bowl conjoining the two together into a small cuddle. Kid Cobra huffed out a small laugh as the bowl slide a bit on the blanket they were sharing. Ninjara giggled too, and brought it closer to his partner.

"There's still some popcorn in here, if you want it." The ninja spoke softly, not wanting to speak over the movie.

"I'm fine, but thank you."

They placed the bowl over to the coffee table and leaned back again, shifting to an even more comfortable cuddle. It was a little past midnight now, with the cool summer night breeze passing by outside on the small patio. The room was painted with a rainbow of colors as the movie progressed, and came to a close. Throughout the entire night, Kid Cobra and Ninjara sat and watched quietly. Nothing said was exchanged, just both enjoying their time together before the morning sun came.

5 minutes passed, then 20, and before they knew it, the movie was finishing. Ninjara shifted from his spot on the couch, ready to grab the disk when he felt a hand gently place itself on his shoulder.

A low hum strummed his ears, saying "Hey... you ain't gotta move from here yet." Before he knew it, Cobra had pulled him back over. In a swift movement, the snake had pressed his helmet onto Ninjara's forehead, grinning. This took NInjara completely by surprise, his face heating in an instant. He looked into the helmet and knew Cobra was smiling by his overly-friendly glance. His eyes spoke for him.

Kid Cobra giggled, sounding like a light-hearted growl. "Sorry, wuz that too sudden?"

Ninjara adjusted his glasses, trying to hide his blushing face. "N-no! Just, worried about hitting my glasses."

Cobra reeled back to allow Ninjara to check them, laughing at his own mistake. He felt bad for being too embracing out of nowhere. He began to move his arms away to give Ninjara space, but stopped after realizing Ninjara wasn't bothered by his movements. The ninja pressed his head up to Cobra's helmet, exchanging a tap on the chin piece. It was silly, leaving them both chuckling lightly.

"Now... was THAT too sudden...?" Ninjara spoke jokingly, closing his eyes and leaning into the chin piece again. Before Cobra could tell what he was doing, the ninja puckered his lips and pressed onto it, emitting a quiet sound. He then lowered his head and placed it just below Kid Cobra's helmet. The two leaned back and plopped softly on the couch, conjoining them as Ninjara peacefully rested on Cobra like a pillow.

They said nothing else and joined hands as the TV replayed the movie menu over and over. Within moments, both fighters had fallen asleep, their breathing becoming synchronized. Ninjara still had his head underneath Kid Cobra's helmet, his glasses tilting a little. Cobra had fallen asleep with his head lowered, just enough to cover his partners head but not enough to fall over. Their hands were still wrapped together, intertwining like the untapped roots of a tree.

The morning sun reached over and forced it's way in Ninjara's apartment through the huge patio windows. It touched the surface of the coffee table in front of the couch, slowing hovering it's way to the sleeping fighters. With enough surprise, the two hadn't moved all night, remaining in the same sleeping positions they were in when they had fallen asleep. The room still lingered with that forestry smell, as if the wilderness miles away invited itself back in. It was silent, aside from the TV that was left on all night. The menu replayed itself as the sun's direction changed, climbing more and more into the apartment.

Eventually, the sun reached Ninjara's resting face, forcing him to wake. His eyes were shut tight, causing him to frown and let out a mighty yawn as he rubbed them. His glasses almost fell off the bridge of his nose when he swiped them back up. He looked up at Kid Cobra, who's deep, soft snores rumbled outward in the room. Ninjara smiled, tightening his hand on Cobra's.

Minutes passed as Ninjara finally decided to get up, gently nudging Kid Cobra awake.

"...Hey... you want breakfast?" He spoke in a tender voice, getting up from his spot.

All Cobra could muster was an almost silent groan. His eyes were tightly shut, feeling the sun edging upon his body. His body curled upon itself, bringing up his legs to his torso. Ninjara took it as a yes and decided to cook something for them both to enjoy.

It was only about 10 minutes or so when he came back with two plates full of eggs with a few slices of toast on the side. He placed a plate on the coffee table, making sure it's reachable for Cobra to grab.

The slump of a snake rose, sitting upward and slithering his arm over towards the plate, taking it with his rather large hands easily and pulling it back. He took the fork that was on the side and quietly ate.

"Does it taste fine to you?" Ninjara asked politely, making sure to talk after he was done chewing.

"It tastes great, babe." Kid Cobra's voice echoed in the room, looking over and winking at Ninjara. He mysteriously ate without taking his helmet off, making Ninjara giggle a bit.

Another hour passed as Ninjara and Kid Cobra settled from eating. They cleaned the living room up a bit together and set out to get Cobra ready to leave.

"You sure yer not gonna miss me?" Cobra asked jokingly.

"Well, of course I am. Last night was... really pleasant." Ninjara broke into a grin thinking about it. "...We should do it again soon."

Kid Cobra's eyes dimmed, sparkling with happiness. "'Course... Anytime, Nin." The snake picked up his shoulders and stepped towards the apartment's front door. Ninjara followed shortly afterward, stopping when Cobra stepped into the halls of the building. There, the two sat in a moment of silence, with the slight hum of the air conditioning vents blowing. They both thought of something to say, but couldn't find the correct words.

The silence was broken by a short sigh several seconds later escaping from Ninjara. He crossed his arms casually, finally speaking. "Well. I'll see you soon, Cobra. Stay safe." He leaned over and placed a small peck on Cobra's chin piece like he had done the previous night. Kid Cobra was cool about it, looking affectionately at his partner. Then, the snake unfurled his body from where he was standing and moved quietly down the hall.

Ninjara watched him, smiling. When he saw Cobra turning around the hallway corner, he waved him another last goodbye. Cobra returned it, his eyes glistening with warmth. He disappeared as he exited the hallway, leaving Ninjara stationed at his own front door alone. The ninja thought to himself. He never broke the smile the entire time he sat, leaving himself blushing as he finally faced the inside of his apartment again. He stepped inside and gradually shut the door.