Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Now that we have some downtime in between end-of-the-world scenarios, you know what we should do?" Kai asked, eyes still glued to the screen. He and Cole were on the couch, taking turns playing a new single player game centered around surviving as long as possible against endless waves of enemies. The others found it hit a little too close to home, but these two were addicted.

"We need to get girlfriends!" Kai nudged into Cole playfully and grinned. "I mean, we're single, but Jay's not? What's that about?"

"Eh, I'm good, thanks." Cole gave a nervous smile and kept his focus on the screen.

"Look, the only girls here are taken. Unless you wanna date Misako, you gotta get yourself out there, dude," Kai said, button mashing the controller. "Wait, is she still married to Garmadon if he's just an oni husk of his former self? Probably not, right?"

"I don't know, but if you want a girlfriend, she'd better be some kind of trained warrior, otherwise she won't last long around here." Cole crossed his arms and leaned back against the couch cushions. "I'd rather not bring any normal girls into the never-ending danger that is our lives."

"Hmm.." Kai narrowed his eyes in thought. Suddenly, he was struck with an idea. He let himself die in the game and faked a groan. "Aw, man! Hey, I got pretty far that time, bet you can't beat that score!" He teased.

"You're on!" Cole bumped him with a hip check and stole the controller, settling in and pressing start. Kai had never seen him so focused. Perfect.

He snuck off with a half-baked excuse and scoured the monastery until he found Jay and Lloyd, pulling them aside into his room and closing the door. He knew Nya would try to talk him out of it, and Pixal and Zane would have a bunch of robotic, logical and moral reasons against it. Wu wasn't even a consideration here.

"What's this about?" Jay seemed irritated he had been pulled from the comics he was reading.

"Yeah, why so secretive?" Lloyd asked, tilting his head curiously as Kai made sure they weren't followed.

"Do you guys remember Princess Vania?" Kai asked excitedly.

"No, I forgot all about the mines, slaves, talking skull and princess whose father was evil and in kahoots with said talking skull. Must have slipped my mind." Jay scoffed.

"Shut up, Jay. It was rhetorical. Anyway, I have an idea." Kai said, leaning in closer and lowering his voice. "I was just talking to Cole about how we're still single, and he said if we want girlfriends, they'd better be able to handle themselves, 'cause our lives are dangerous or whatever..."

Lloyd shuddered as his mind flashed with images of the horrors they experienced on a daily basis. "That's actually a valid concern..."

"Well, you know who can handle herself and is totally into Cole?" Kai put his hands on his hips and smirked.

"Vania!" Jay exclaimed. "You're right, she was kind of obsessed with him for some reason."

"I don't know..." Lloyd scratched the back of his head nervously. "I had a talk with Cole after we met her. He said he didn't like her that way."

"He probably just said that to get you off his back." Kai waved his hand dismissively. "I think we should set them up on a date. I bet she'd be totally into it."

"She would probably love all the crazy adventures we have," Jay agreed. "She was practically begging to get in that deadly mine. She'd fit right in."

"Wait, she's not a princess anymore, she's the queen now. I think she has responsibilities more important than dating at the moment," Lloyd pointed out.

"He's not asking her to be his yang! Relax. It'll just be a fun date, something to help Cole out of his shell. Maybe it'll be something more, who knows!" Kai said, shrugging.

"Cole never seems to take the initiative with girls. It would be like...giving him a push in the right direction." Jay nodded, already fully convinced.

"Exactly, you get it! Lloyd?" Kai turned to him with a hopeful expression.

"I don't know, guys," Lloyd hesitated, clicking his hands together anxiously.

"I know princesses are hard to trust, but she's a queen now. So it's fine, right?" Jay patted Lloyd's shoulder. "Don't worry, we can trust her."

"That's not-! Ugh, fine. Do whatever you want, but you should ask Cole first and make sure he's okay with it," Lloyd warned.

"Don't worry!" Kai reassured him. "I will!"

He did not.

—

Kai got assistance from Jay for the rest of the plan after Lloyd's apprehension. They fleshed everything out later that night. Together on the floor of Kai's room, they wrote a letter to Vania in their best Cole impression, asking her on a date. They were on their stomachs, surrounded by the several drafts they had attempted so far, giggling. The letter said it would be a secret date, so she shouldn't reply, but simply come to the monastery at a certain date and time. They even managed to forge Cole's signature after a few tries, somewhat pointlessly as Vania probably didn't know what it looked like.

"He's gonna be so surprised!" Jay exclaimed, kicking his legs, unable to contain his excitement. "Do you really think she'll come?"

Kai shushed him, as it was getting quite late and everyone else had gone to bed.

"Duh, otherwise we wouldn't be doing this. We'll send this out tomorrow. Thanks for the help."

Kai put the final letter in an envelope and burned the remaining drafts to destroy the evidence. Jay snuck back to his room undetected. Luckily, this was an easy task, him being a ninja and all.

Chapter Text

Two weeks later, the letter had been delivered. With any luck, Queen Vania was set to arrive this very evening. Kai and Jay had planned everything meticulously; the letter was only one part of their master plan.

"Showtime," Kai whispered, having confirmed that everyone at the monastery was in earshot. Jay nodded and leapt to the others, who were standing around chatting.

"Hey guys, I just had an idea. We should have a movie night! All together!" He put his arms around Zane and Lloyd's shoulders.

"That sounds fun and all, but there's no way we're all fitting on that couch," Nya gestured to the love seat.

"Not here! Downstairs!" Jay proclaimed, pointing toward the elevator.

Pixal stepped forward and nodded.

"Jay and I have made some modifications to the basement. Seating arrangements, surround sound, and even a popcorn machine," she said.

"Aren't you supposed to be working on the new mechs?" Wu asked, frowning.

"Don't worry, I did that too." Pixal assured him, proud of her efficiency.

"Is this why you asked me to procure the extended director's cut of Blades of War 2?" Zane asked.

"Really?" Nya perked up. "That's really rare. I've always wanted to see it.”

"Blades of War 2 is a groundbreaking piece of cinema," Wu agreed, stroking his beard. "Seeing the director's full vision does sound fascinating."

"Let's do it! We don't have any other plans tonight, right, guys? Besides, I wanna see these renovations." Cole called the elevator and everyone packed in, chattering in agreement. Jay and Kai gave each other a knowing smile as the elevator descended.

Soon, the doors opened to reveal the new setup. There were movie theater style seats installed in a row. Pixal rushed over to man the popcorn machine and began handing out fresh popcorn. Zane, ever the gentleman, came to assist her. Jay and Kai hurried to their seats before everyone else.

"Wow, that went even better than expected. We didn't even have to convince anyone," Kai whispered.

"I told you Blades of War 2 was irresistible to ninja! It's too cool!" Jay said, trying to keep his voice down and somewhat failing.

"Cool… and long! This should keep everyone busy for a few hours," Kai said, peering over at everyone talking to Pixal about the sound system. Zane was setting up the file on the computer. All the monitors slammed together to form one huge screen, further distracting everyone.

"Now we're just betting on Cole being predictable," Kai muttered, leaning back in his seat as everyone started to head for their own.

"Almost forgot." Cole pulled out his soda guzzler hat seemingly from thin air.

"Easiest bet of my life," Jay said out of the corner of his mouth.

"Come sit next to me, Cole!" Kai called out, patting the seat on the end of the row.

"This popcorn is really good," Cole said, mouth full, plopping down into the seat.

As everyone finished settling in, the lights dimmed, replaced by the powerful glow of the giant screen. The movie had begun, a few of them letting out a cheer when the text "Director's Cut" appeared under the title.

Within the first thirty minutes Cole had completely drained his guzzler. He shifted in his seat for another ten, debating his next move. He needed to pee desperately, but also needed a refill. Well, two birds, one stone. He had seen the movie before, and had heard most of the director's changes were closer to the end, so he wouldn't miss much if he stepped out for a moment.

"Be back in a second," he whispered to Kai, tapping an empty bottle on his hat.

Kai nodded and watched Cole slip from his seat and silently take the elevator back up. Since he had been at the end of the row, no one even noticed him leave.

After Cole was finished with the bathroom, he moved to the kitchen, setting the guzzler on the counter. He popped open the fridge door, only to be greeted not with soda, but a note.

"Sorry, moved the soda onto the Bounty. Jay. Smiley face," he read and groaned. He didn't have time to go to the Bounty, did he? Well, he knew one thing - spending the rest of the movie with salty popcorn and no soda? No thanks. He peered out the nearest window at the floating ship, anchored in the courtyard.

"Wait..." he muttered, squinting at it in disbelief. He could see strange lights, and more importantly, suspicious shadows and movement. Someone was up there.

Without thinking, he flew out the door and started parkouring up the chain. He heard faint music emanating from the ship, which just confused him further. He flipped onto the deck, hands radiating with elemental energy.

"Stop right th-!" he began to shout, but froze as he registered the telltale shape of wings from Shintaro. "Queen Vania?!"

"Yes." She blinked. "You seem confused. Have you forgotten already?" She floated towards him with a puzzled expression.

"Forgotten? Forgotten what?" Cole took a step back, mind racing. His eyes darted around the Bounty. There was a little picnic set up with a basket and lantern, fairy lights strung up everywhere, and a little speaker playing soft romantic music. The sun was setting, bathing everything in a warm glow, including Chompy, who was curled up beside the lantern.

"About our date?" She frowned.

"This certainly looks like a date, but I don't remember planning this!" He scratched his head.

"You sent me a letter…" she trailed off, landing on the deck next to him.

"A letter? Hate to break it to you, Vania, but that wasn't from me."

"But who else would have? If it wasn't you, then…" she wondered aloud, frowning.

"Maybe it was a trap to lure you out of Shintaro. We should be on our guard," Cole said, surveying the sky for enemies. He stopped suddenly, tapping his chin. "...Wait a second."

"Do you see someone?" Vania asked, straining to see anything besides clouds.

"KAI!" Cole yelled out suddenly, causing Vania to jump. Chompy woke up and fell over. Cole groaned and sat down in a huff on the picnic blanket. "It was definitely Kai…"

"Kai? Why would he do this?" She tilted her head and joined him on the blanket, significantly more gracefully.

Cole hugged his knees and squished his face into them. Chompy cuddled up next to him, sensing his distress. Cole let out a sigh and turned his gaze back to the queen.

"Kai has been talking about getting me a girlfriend. He must have set this up without telling me," he explained. "Sorry he dragged you all the way out here."

"To be honest, I was really looking forward to this," she said quietly. "Regardless of who arranged it, maybe we could still…?" She smiled and placed her hand on his.

Cole pulled back instinctively, causing a hurt expression on Vania's face.

"No, no! Sorry! Look, you're really cool, and I'd like to get to know you better, but…" He struggled to maintain eye contact, blush creeping onto his face.

"...But what?" She asked, limp with disappointment.

"Heh, you know…I've never actually told anyone this before. I, uh…" Cole chuckled awkwardly. He paused, gathering the courage. "I don't…like girls. I mean, I like them! Just not…in that way."

Vania's expression softened, and she put a hand on his shoulder.

"I had no idea…I'm sorry if I ever made you uncomfortable. In Shintaro, everyone is a bit more androgynous. We just love whoever we want and don't really put a label on it, but I know it's a little different over here," she said.

"Wow, I'm jealous. Sounds a lot easier. I mean, sure, these days it's not dangerous or anything, but, I don't know…" he said, staring at the ground. "I'm still scared."

"To tell them?" She asked.

"Yeah…" Cole said, heart pounding at the thought of it. "It's stupid. I've fought so many villains and almost died like a hundred times, why is this what scares me?

"Oh, Cole. It's not stupid. I can see why you would be afraid. For what it's worth, your friends love you way too much to think less of you for something like this. They will accept you no matter what. I just know it," she encouraged, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. Chompy nuzzled into him.

"I know, but…it'll be different. Hanging out with the guys won't be like it used to. It'll change the way they see me, forever. Once I say it, I can't take it back." He closed his eyes. "These guys are like my family. I don't want to lose the relationship I have with them."

"It'll take some getting used to, but in time they'll figure out you're still the same old Cole as before. You don't have to tell them until you're ready, but if Kai is causing you grief, maybe you should start thinking about it."

Cole nodded and took a deep breath. He moved his legs into a cross-legged position and straightened his back.

"You're right. I think I should tell them," he said, Chompy immediately jumping into his lap.

"Do you think you're ready?" Vania asked.

"Well, I can't tell them now, they're in there watching a movie."

"Slow down. You don't have to do it right this minute! Maybe I could help you work through this," Vania said, holding his hand. "As friends, of course."

Cole nodded. He was glad he wasn't dealing with this all alone.

"What are you most afraid of?" Vania asked.

"To be honest… Kai. If anyone is going to be homophobic, it's him. I mean, not actually homophobic, just… saying things out of ignorance." Cole looked out into the darkness. The sun had fully set now, leaving them illuminated only by the fairy lights and lantern.

"What do you think he's going to say?" She asked.

"Probably something dumb like, 'You don't look gay!' Or 'Am I hot? Do you have a crush on me?'" Cole said, covering his face in embarrassment simply from imagining it.

Vania chuckled. "True. He definitely might. It'll be a learning curve." She placed her hands in her lap and looked down at the faintly lit picnic basket. "But look around. Kai really did all this, just for you? Where did he get these lights? This music? I bet there's even something in that basket that's well thought out. He really cares about you."

Cole shifted over to the basket and opened it.

"Cake!" He exclaimed. "At this point, I wish I was straight. This would have been the best date ever."

Vania laughed. "Well, we can have a little…platonic date until the movie is over."

"Wait, the movie…was that a part of this, too? That means Jay was involved. I'm pretty sure he did huge renovations with Pixal for a home theater just to keep everyone occupied down there."

"That's just excessive," Vania said in disbelief. "I don't think you need to worry about them. If they can manage all this, I think it's safe to say they can handle you liking guys. Kai is going to be the biggest ally at pride next year, guaranteed."

Cole chuckled at the thought.

"You know what, you're probably right. That settles it, I'm telling them. Well, when the movie is over." Cole said, grabbing a knife from inside the basket and beginning to cut a slice of cake. "Until then, we're gonna hang out and eat this. I'm not wasting a perfectly good cake just because I'm gay."

Chapter Text

Everyone poured out of the elevator back into the monastery, loudly arguing about whether the director's cut had made the movie better or worse. Nya was the first to notice someone was missing.

"Wait, where's Cole?" She asked, on her tiptoes searching for him. "I feel like we always lose track of him."

Cole stood just out of view in the next room. He wiped his sweaty hands on his gi and shifted nervously. He managed to shuffle out towards them, suddenly very stiff.

"Oh, there you are. You missed quite an ending," Nya said.

"I have something to tell you guys," Cole said, his voice wavering.

"Wait, where did you go? Did something happen?" Lloyd asked, fully expecting the next evil threat had begun.

"Yeah, Cole. Did something… happen?" Kai wiggled his eyebrows and grinned.

"Yes, actually," Cole said, a hint of anger in his voice. "I went to investigate the Bounty because someone was on it."

"What?! Who?" Nya asked, shocked.

"Queen Vania," Cole said flatly. Everyone gasped in confusion.

"Queen Vania?” Wu asked, alarmed. “Is everything alright in Shintaro? Does she need assistance?"

"Everything is fine, don't worry," Cole said, and everyone relaxed. "She received a letter, apparently from me, asking her to come here."

"What? Who could have done that?" Kai said in an annoyingly sarcastic tone.

"Kai, I know it was you," Cole said, taking a step closer, his heart pounding in his ears. "It was really thoughtful and overly complicated, and I appreciate the effort, but...I…"

"Cole, your heart rate is far above average. Are you alright?" Zane asked, concerned.

"I'm fine. Just let me finish!" Cole took a deep breath, trying to stop his hands from shaking.

Kai blinked. This was not the reaction he had expected. He felt a wave of guilt and frowned.

"You keep trying to get me a girlfriend, and now you're trying to set me up with Vania, but…I don't…" Cole trailed off, still gathering the courage.

"...You don't like her," Kai muttered, hanging his head. "I'm sorry, I should have listened to Lloyd. He s-"

"No! I don't like any girls!" Cole blurted out.

Everyone froze, stunned, especially Kai, who could not comprehend such a thought.

"I'm…gay," he said, trying not to let the fear show in his voice.

There was a long pause. Everyone stood completely still, including Cole. This was it.

Nya shook out of her daze and was the first to approach him, reaching out to hold his hand.

"Cole, that was really brave," she said gently. "You know we still love you no matter what, right?....Right?!" She glared at the others to come join her. Lloyd and Jay rushed over first. Zane, Pixal, and Wu walked over calmly.

"This doesn't change anything, okay?" Lloyd said, holding his other hand. "I'm glad you told us."

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Jay cried, hugging him tightly, feeling the same guilt as Kai. "I would have never built a whole home theater with Pixal to pressure you into a date with Vania!"

"Don't bring me into this," Pixal said defensively. "I have always respected everyone's preferences and treated them equally. I was not involved with whatever that was."

Although Wu didn't dogpile on, he leaned on his staff and gave a look of pure understanding and acceptance that said everything. Cole smiled and put his arms around anyone close enough to reach. He looked up and his heart sank as he noticed Kai hadn't moved yet.

"Wait, was this not common knowledge?" Zane asked, perplexed. "I can detect many bodily changes that indicate attraction, such as increased heart rate, perspiration, and pupil size. Cole has displayed these towards men, so I merely assumed."

"Zane has gaydar?!" Jay exclaimed as Cole released them from the hug.

"It is not limited to homosexuality," Zane stated, somewhat annoyed by Jay's stupidity.

"Hold on. You can detect our sweat levels? Since when?" Jay said, seeming somewhat disgusted.

"You can also do that, Jay. Sweat is visible to the naked eye," Pixal explained, with an expression quite simular to the one Zane had just made.

"Oh, right." Jay laughed.

Cole did, too, relaxing a bit after the bombshell that Zane had known all along.

"Wait, bodily changes? That doesn't necessarily mean anything." Jay scoffed. "Every guy has the occasional fellow other guy that makes him react that way."

"No they don't, Jay," Kai said awkwardly.

Jay opened his mouth to speak, looking around for someone to object. They did not. "I'm going to stop talking now," he said, pursing his lips.

"Well, we all knew Jay was a little gay. He wears little scarves and his name even rhymes with it," Kai said. "Cole, though? You don't…look gay. Are you sure?"

Nya jabbed her elbow into him with extreme speed and precision, and while Cole's fear was coming true, he couldn't help but chuckle at how accurate his prediction had been.

"You can't just say that, Kai!" She hissed at him.

"What? It's true!" Kai said, wincing in pain and holding his side.

"Gay people aren't a monolith!" Nya lectured, hitting him over the head. "They can look however they want!"

"Vania gave me some advice that might help you see it a little differently," Cole said, approaching Kai, a bit more confident now that everyone else was on his side. "What's more manly? A guy and a girl together, or two really buff dudes?

Kai considered this. Everyone stared at him.

"I've never thought of it that way!" He said, mind blown.

"It's gonna take some effort, but I think there's hope for you yet." Cole said.

"I'll deal with him," Nya promised. "Don't worry guys, we're all here to support you no matter what!" She threw her arms around Jay and Cole.

"Hold on! I'm still processing this!" Jay said, drowned out as everyone crowded around for a group hug, except Wu, who simply patted the giant lump of ninja from the sidelines.

"I'm still me, okay? Nothing's different," Cole said to Kai, who had ended up beside him.

"I'm sorry I did all that. I was only trying to help," Kai said, muffled, face squished into Cole's shoulder from everyone's combined body weight.

"I know, buddy. I know," Cole said, resting his head on Kai's.

Cole squeezed everyone as tight as he could.

"Hey, so, which one of us is the hottest?" Kai asked, managing to pop himself into a better position. "It's me, right?"

"Oookay, no more talking," Nya said, pushing his face back into Cole.

"I will prepare a sensitivity training video," Pixal announced.

"Seriously?!" Kai said, and everyone laughed.

Despite being literally weighed down by his friends, Cole had never felt so light. Knowing that Nya was going to keep Kai in check with sibling violence, and that Jay wasn't straight either had put his mind significantly more at ease.

"Wait, hold on. Vania is still up there," Cole said, trying to break free. Everyone dispersed. "I told her to wait up there."

Cole ran outside and screamed up at the Bounty. "You can come down now!"

Everyone followed him, excited to see Vania.

Vania flew down to greet them, holding Chompy in her arms, grateful she had wings and wouldn't have to parkour down.

"Sorry to make you come all this way, Vania," Kai said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Don't apologize. I'm glad I did." She smiled at Cole. He smiled back so hard it hurt.

—

It was getting late, and everyone was emotionally exhausted and ready for bed.

Wu pulled Cole aside.

"Master Wu? What's wrong?"

"I wanted to talk to you in private about something," Wu explained. He pulled out a scroll and reached up to set it on a holder on the wall. The scroll unraveled and he locked the bottom into place. Now on full display, Cole saw it was a sort of family tree.

"As you know, elemental powers have been passed down for many generations." Wu said, pointing to someone on the bottom row of portraits.

"Hey that's me," Cole said. "Did you draw this? It's pretty good."

"I did. Here I have documented the entire history of the elemental masters. As you know, they are usually transferred from a parent to a child." Wu said, moving upward to point at Cole's mother. Cole nodded, smiling fondly at the portrait.

"I want you to remember that they can be inherited in other ways. As the Master of Ice bestowed his powers upon Zane, you too can forge a different path," Wu explained. "Please never feel pressured to live a traditional life for the sake of the elements."

"Thanks, Master Wu." Cole said, examining the portraits of elemental masters he didn't recognize. He thought about how different everything must have been in the first few generations.

"Thank you for trusting us. There have been elemental masters who have hid out of shame in the past. I failed them. I will not fail you," Wu said.

—

The next day had an awkward tension thick in the air. No one really knew how to act, so they just pretended nothing had happened, which is all Cole wanted anyway. He was bringing the soda back to the fridge from the Bounty, something Jay had completely forgotten to do. He closed the fridge door, revealing Kai.

"Hi," Kai said, with a shy wave. "I was wondering if you wanted to, uh, play some Eternal Onslaught…"

"Heck yeah, I do." Cole's face lit up. "Nya and Pixal are taking Vania on a girl's trip into the city before she has to head home, so I got time."

"Thank God. I was going to give you some space after everything that happened yesterday and play on my own, but…it's not the same without you." Kai crossed his arms and leaned on the counter, giving him a coy smile.

"Hey, it's only awkward if you make it awkward," Cole replied. "Let's go, I think I still have the high score.”

"Not for long!" Kai said and they hurried away, laughing.

Cole sat down on the couch and put his hands behind his head.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking," Kai said, bending down to turn on the game console and joining Cole on the couch.

"Yeah?" Cole braced himself for whatever nonsense Kai was about to spout. "About?"

"About how to get you a boyfriend!" Kai grinned.

The End