Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

All systems at full functionality. No issues detected.

Zane furrowed his eyebrows in a mixture of confusion and frustration at the message written across his field of view. This did not make sense.

He ran another full body diagnostics to double check, but to no avail. It gave him the same response.

How could that be? He knew he was not running as smoothly as his examination told him. He had been experiencing… glitches. They were small, usually harmless blips, but it was concerning that his systems could not detect a problem.

Perhaps this is an external complication my scanners cannot pick up, he thought, I should investigate further into this problem.

He decided going to his friends would be the most logical solution to get an answer to this dilemma.

Zane found Jay and Nya in their makeshift workshop in the hull of the Bounty. It felt like only yesterday they had used the room to house equipment to train Lloyd to become the green Ninja. Now all the training supplies were replaced by desks and work benches littered with different kinds of computers, spare parts, and tools. Nya was sitting in front of one of the aforementioned computers, looking thoroughly engrossed in what she was typing on the screen. Jay was wearing large goggles to protect his eyes while he worked on soldering wires to a motherboard. Zane knocked on the doorframe to gain their attention.

On his second knock, Jay raised his head from his project and put down his soldering iron to wave. “Oh, hi Zane!”

Nya looked up from the monitor at her boyfriend’s greeting, tilting the screen of the laptop down so she could see over it. “Oh, hey. Sorry we didn’t notice you sooner, I hope you haven’t been waiting long.”

Zane shook his head as he came further into the room. “Think nothing of it. Besides, I only just arrived.”

Jay untangled the goggles from his auburn hair and placed them down on the work table as he leaned onto it. “What brings you to our laboratory today, Zane? I really hope you're going to say you made another batch of chocolate chip cookies.”

Zane shook his head. “While that is not the reason I have come, I will remember to bake some for you soon.”

Jay cheered as Nya rolled her eyes good-naturedly.

“Then what is it?” she questioned.

Zane walked the rest of the way into the room as he replied. “I have been experiencing malfunctions, but my scans do not pick up on anything wrong. I was hoping you could assist me in locating the source of the issue.”

“Oh, yeah! Of course, buddy.” Jay pushed aside the circuit board he had been fiddling with, making room for Zane to sit atop the table. “We’ll have you checked over and fixed up in no time.”

Zane was used to this routine, as they often had to run repairs on him after a fight, no matter its proportion. Normally it was nothing more than a dent or jostled wire, but it happened often enough that he had become familiar with it.

He sat down on the metal tabletop as Nya got up from her seat and Jay plugged a wire into the side of his head. Nya carefully opened the nindroid's chest panel, exposing a complicated jumble of multicolored wires, different switches, and his pulsing blue power source. Times like this always made Zane feel slightly on edge and exposed, but he trusted his friends. Both in the way that he believed they know what they are doing, and that they always have his best intentions at heart.

“Everything looks fine here.” Nya commented as she gently sorted through some wires connected to Zane’s heart. Zane felt a pang of discomfort from her actions despite her care, but it was nothing out of the ordinary. (He was programmed to be human, after all. Pain was human). Nya closed the panel and looked over at Jay, who was scanning over something on the computer monitor. “See anything, Jay?”

Jay shook his head. “No, everything seems like it’s running smoothly. No virus, bugs, misplaced code, nothing.” He turned in his chair to look at his friend with an eyebrow raised in question. “Are you sure you’ve been having glitches?”

Zane nodded. “Yes. I am certain I have been experiencing problems in my functionality. They are small, but they are there.”

“Maybe you should describe what’s been happening,” Nya suggested, “that could help us narrow down what the problem could be.”

Zane thought back to the times he first noticed when these errors happened, which was nearly a month ago. At first he had dismissed them, as they did not concern him until they began to appear with more regularity.

“My system will sometimes overheat with no reasonable explanation, especially around my facial area. I have experienced surges from my power source that are as if my heart is, ‘skipping a beat’, as you would say." He explained. He ran his hands over his heart, looking down at his chest. "Occasionally my midriff will have this unusual fluttering sensation, as if I had butterflies trapped inside, but there are no winged insects there when I check.”

Zane looked back at his friends, and he was met by them both wearing an expression of surprise. Why, he wasn’t sure --but before he could ask-- Jay spoke up.

His tone was cautious, as if he was broaching a sensitive topic. “Zane, these hiccups, they wouldn’t happen to be, I dunno, happening at specific times? Maybe even around a specific… Person?”

Zane began to shake his head. “No, of course not. I would have noticed if they occurred in any… sort of…” As he spoke, he automatically began running tests to see if there was indeed a common factor. Before he could finish his answer, his computer brain had taken the new information that a person could be causing them, and gave him a clear answer.

…Cole.

Cole was the common factor.

As Zane recalled more times the malfunctions took place, he realized they were unfailingly around the Master of Earth. Usually when he had physical contact with him, such as a touch on the shoulder or hand, or when they shared an embrace. But they also happened with non-physical situations. When Cole smiled at him, or even laughed in his vicinity.

Zane put both hands down on the desk he was sitting on to steady himself as his head swirled with questions. What did this mean? Why was Cole the correlation to his system having errors? This made less sense than when he thought they were random. Why would a person be having these effects on him in the first place? The confusion made him feel a little disoriented.

“…ane? Zane, are you alright?”

Zane raised his head to look at his friends, who were staring back at him with concern and confusion written across their faces. He must have been lost in his thoughts for longer than it had felt.

The white ninja cleared his throat, before he nodded his head slowly. “Jay, to answer your earlier question, I have come to the realization that… There is indeed a pattern to the occurrences of my malfunctions. And it is… a person.”

Jay’s face changed from worried to elated nearly faster than Zane's system could observe. The blue ninja clapped his hands together as he let out a few laughs. “Zane, this is great! Do you know what this means?”

Zane shook his head, feeling even more puzzled. He agreed it was good that they had found the source, but it didn’t seem like that was the only reason Jay was so excited. “No, I am afraid I do not fully understand. Could you elaborate?”

Jay was practically bouncing up and down in his excitement. “What you, my naïve nindroid friend, are experiencing, are all symptoms of love.”

Love?

Jay leaned in closer, his grin growing. “So… Who exactly is this mysterious person who managed to capture your heart—”

Nya put a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder, pulling him a little ways backwards to interrupt him. “Jay, he’s clearly confused enough as it is, he doesn’t need us prying.” She scolded. She turned her attention to Zane, and offered him a small smile. “You don’t have to tell us anything else, Zane. Just know that there’s nothing wrong with you, you’re only suffering from a very common virus called ‘catching feelings’.” She turned back to Jay, “now c’mon Jay, we should give him some space.”

Jay began to protest, but it melted into incoherent stammering as Nya took his hand and led him out of the room, closing the door behind them.

Zane sat in silence for several minutes, contemplating this new development.

Love.

He analyzed himself, his feelings, and most of all… Cole.

As he sorted through his data about the black haired, brown eyed man, he came to see that he had a surprising amount of recordings of Cole’s laugh, and even more photos of him smiling. He had always known he found Cole’s smile charming, but he hadn’t realized how deep that admiration ran.

He felt his system overheat the more he thought about his feelings and for whom they were directed. This time, though, it didn’t feel worrying.

I am… I am in… love. Zane placed a hand over his heart as a small smile expanded across his lips. Perhaps… Perhaps these glitches are not so unpleasant after all.

Chapter Text

Sometimes, Cole wished he could just catch a break. One day off was all he wanted, but apparently that was too much to ask. Stupid Serpentine.

He sighed as three Constricti surrounded him, but it was nothing a quick spin of Spinjitzu didn’t take care of. The snakes went flying in different directions, one landing in a fruit stand that had been abandoned when the snakes had first attacked the small village.

He grimaced as the fruit was demolished. He hoped that the vendor hadn’t staked too much on its profit.

Even though he couldn’t see his red or blue teammates, the sounds of crackling lightning and Kai’s continuous shouts of “Fire!” reassured him they were faring well on their side of the town. The Ninja had decided to divide and conquer by splitting up into two teams, that way they could cover more ground. Kai and Jay came from the east, while he and Zane went in through the west. The sooner they got this over the better, in Cole’s opinion.

Before all this , the ninja had been enjoying a day off from training to unlock their true potentials. Kai and Jay had been competing to see who was the ultimate champion at Fist to Face: 2 , while Cole and Zane had been preparing lunch in the Bounty’s kitchen. Well, Zane had been preparing lunch, Cole was just there for moral support --and to steal bits of food while Zane wasn’t watching. After a little incident that nearly burnt the Bounty down, Cole had been banned from the kitchen without supervision.

Zane had been wearing that cute apron of his again. Looking back, Cole felt horrible for laughing at him for wearing it before. Sure, it was a little ridiculous, but he shouldn’t have judged if Zane liked it. It had surprised him, and he hadn't been quite sure what to do about that funny feeling that had bloomed in his chest when Zane came out wearing--

“Cole, behind you!”

Cole snapped out of his thoughts and whipped around to face whatever Zane had warned him of --just a little too fast. He inhaled sharply as he felt something in his right ankle give, but managed to stand his ground as he used his scythe to block an incoming attack from the Serpentine warrior. He pushed the snake away from him with a sharp shove, but he put too much pressure on his leg as he lunged. He let out an exclamation of pain as he fell to his knees, hyper aware of how vulnerable he had just made himself.

But before he could even lift his head, he heard quick footsteps and a recognizable voice shout; “Ice!”

A wave of cold washed over Cole before he looked up. The familiar white form of his friend and teammate standing over him. Zane was in a crouched position with his arms out, obviously having just caught the golden shurikens in his hands. The Serpentine around them were all frozen in solid blocks of ice.

Zane promptly turned around to face Cole, and even though it was hard to read his expression with his hood up, his bright blue eyes looked concerned. “Cole, are you alright?”

Cole waved off his teammate's worry and used his scythe as a makeshift cane to help him stand. “Yeah, yeah, all good. Don’t--” Pain flared through his leg as soon as he tried to put his weight on his right foot, causing him to stumble forward and hiss in pain.

Zane moved his hands to Cole's biceps, light and cautious, yet prepared to help keep him steady. Cole furrowed his eyebrows in confusion at why that made his stomach feel so… funny.

Zane’s voice drew him out of his distracted state. “Cole, you are not ‘all good’. You have possibly severely injured your ankle, you should seek medical attention immediately.”

Cole shook his head. It didn’t matter if it hurt, he could still fight. He was the strong one, a little twisted ankle wouldn’t stop him. “Zane, I’m fine. I just have to--” He attempted to pull away from the taller boy’s touch, but in order to walk backwards, he put his left foot back. His leg gave out from underneath him when he tried to step back, and he would have fallen flat on his back if not for Zane’s quick reflexes.

The Master of Ice quickly put an arm behind Cole’s back to halt his fall, so he was essentially leaning him in a dip. Cole's face began to warm under his hood.

“I was going to ask if you could walk, but clearly you cannot,” said Zane. He gave a curt nod. “And since I am certain you will not cooperate in going back on your own…”

“What’s that supposed to--”

Cole gave a yelp in surprise as Zane bent down and hooked his arm around his legs, lifting him into his arms in one swift motion.

The white ninja looked down at the passenger in his arms, and Cole could've sworn he was smiling. “Hold on tight, I do not want to drop you.”

Cole felt like from his neck to the top of his head was on fire as he wrapped his arms around Zane's neck. His breath caught when Zane tightened his grip around him as he leaped up to the rooftops to run along them. He suddenly felt like he should be looking anywhere but at the boy carrying him, so he turned his face away. His heart was pounding against his chest, which probably had something to do with the rush of blood to his face. Why was he feeling so flustered around Zane today? Why was he feeling flustered at all?! Unless…

Oh.

Oh no.

Cole would've slapped himself in the forehead if he had an arm free to do so.

You’re crushing on your teammate. Great job, Cole…

Chapter Text

Zane ducked under an attack sent his way by one of the thousands of Oni surrounding the Monastery, narrowly missing the blow targeted at his head. He used his ice to blast the dark creature backwards, throwing it off balance so that it would fall off the cliff face.

He would normally aim to stun, or disarm, but it didn’t matter. It would be back, the nearly indestructible beings made of darkness did not fall so easily, and besides…

These monsters were the reason Cole was no longer standing by his side.

The thought of his fallen lover had filled him with grief --indescribable, numbing, soul crushing grief like he had never experienced before. But he had to push it aside, allowing himself only a small window of time to process, to grieve. Ninjago needed him, his friends needed him. He needed to be strong, stable. Just like Cole had for all of them.

Now, at the sight of all the demons that had caused this pain, not just for him, but for worlds full of others… all those repressed feelings had welled up inside of him, igniting into an emotion he would normally dare not let fuel his actions.

Anger.

He struck down more Oni with his golden shurikens. They felt good in his hands again. Familiar. But now they held the weight of loss. They all did.

Rage.

He was so blinded by the consuming feeling that he barely registered the relieved, tearful shouts of his friends.

He threw his weapon with deadly accuracy, but then he heard something (some one ) that froze him in place. He heard… Him.

“Hey guys, couldn’t wait for me, huh?”

It was as if time slowed to a near stop as Zane turned to face where the voice had come from, bright blue eyes meeting dark brown. The same dark brown he never thought he would see again, that he thought he lost forever.

Zane never made the decision to run towards Cole, but next thing he knew he was across the battlefield and being enveloped in strong, loving arms. Zane held -- clutched -- his lover tightly, a part of him terrified that this was all just a cruel, cruel dream. That he would wake up, and he would be without him once again.

Cole’s grasp on him was firm, and yet gentle, in the way only he could manage. The Master of Earth had a hand on the back of his head, buried in the metallic hairs there to pull him as close as physically possible. His grip loosened to begin stroking his silver hair as he murmured apologizes.

"I'm so sorry Zane, I never meant to leave you, any of you, or make you worry, I'm so sorry…"

For what Cole had to apologize for, Zane wasn’t completely sure, he was too overwhelmed by the fact that Cole was here and alive and talking to him to be paying attention to the actual words he was saying.

Zane pulled away slowly, just enough to make eye contact with the love of his life. So many emotions swirled around his head in a confusing blur, but one thing shone crystal clear through the haze. He shifted his grip from clutching at the back of Cole’s gi to up to his cheeks, cupping his face gently within metallic hands.

Cole returned the gaze, his eyes heavy with guilt. He opened his mouth --presumably to apologize again-- but he didn’t get very far, for he was suddenly silenced as Zane pulled his face close and pressed their lips together.

By the time Zane registered the slight tense in Cole’s muscles, he had already relaxed, returning the kiss eagerly. Cole’s hands fell to Zane’s waist, covering the majority of the nindroid’s torso. He brought him closer still with his purchase on him as the couple shared their first kiss.

Zane's power source pounded in his chest, making him feel lightheaded in all the right ways. While he had no need for breath, he found himself short of it. Cole was so warm and comforting and real , like a sunny spring day after the rain.

After what could have been ten seconds or an eternity (who could tell when you’re lost in the euphoria of your partner’s loving embrace?) Zane and Cole eased away from each other, cheeks flushed a bright blue and red, respectively.

Zane softly ran slender metal fingers over a bruise on Cole’s temple, making a mental note to check and care for any other injuries he could have acquired once this was all over. He moved his hands to curl around Cole’s thick black hair to ground himself and confirm to himself yet again that this was real; genuinely, truly real.

He tipped his head forwards, resting his forehead on Cole’s to gaze deeply into his eyes.

“You are here now,” Zane whispered, “and that is all that matters.”

Cole’s smile was all the response possibly needed.

They began to lean back in, but were interrupted by a certain fire elemental.

“Hate to ruin the moment, but we’re kind of fighting for our lives here!” Kai shouted. “We could probably use your guys' help!”

That dragged them back into reality, the reality that they were being surrounded by thousands of demons, that they were Ninjago’s last hope.

As much as Cole and Zane wanted this moment to last forever, they knew what they had to do. They pulled away from each other, keeping one hand firmly intertwined.

They turned to face the incoming waves of Oni, together once again, never to be separated.

Chapter Text

Never was a long time. He had wanted to be there before. Sometimes it never came.

Cole had always loved to look at the stars. With his back against solid earth, staring up at the endless abyss, observing the countless specks of light. He was connected to his element, but not tied down to it. His mind could wander. He felt… free. That was the simplest way to describe it.

He and Zane would go out every clear night and find somewhere to lay side by side. Sometimes they would talk. Sometimes they wouldn’t. But they always enjoyed it, because they were together.

There was something special about being somewhere quiet with your favorite person in the world.

Now… It almost felt too quiet. The uncomfortable kind of quiet. The kind of quiet Cole couldn’t recall having around Zane since they had taken the time to get to know each other.

It was strange. Not necessarily all bad… but… not like it had been before. Before…

Before the Never Realm.

Cole felt a small, involuntary tremble travel down his spine at the memory of that place. The place that had stolen Zane away from him. The place that no one was ever supposed to come back from. The place… that had kept a part of his Zane.

The nindroid’s hand was so cold within his own. It had always felt chilled, but now… It was freezing. But he wouldn’t let go. Even though the painful numb wrapping around his fingers begged him to.

A simple sentence broke the silence.

“The stars look beautiful tonight.”

Cole looked away from the aforementioned lights to glance over at his companion. Zane’s face was passive. Emotionless, nearly. 

But Cole was too afraid to admit that to himself.

Zane’s eyes looked far past the dazzling array above the two of them. He raised his non-occupied hand up towards the sky, slowly moving it in an arc across the void of space before he stopped in front of his face. “I… I had forgotten what constellations looked like in Ninjago.”

Cole felt his heart twist in his chest.

He held onto Zane’s hand even tighter, and he never planned on letting go.

Never was a long time. He had been there before. Now he hoped it never came.

Chapter Text

Cole flexed his fingers before curling them into his palm just to feel his fingernails press into his skin. He repeated the action twice more before he finally let out a breath.

Even though he had been feeling things for nineteen years before turning into a ghost, after being without it for so long, it still felt… new, in a way. It was strange. At least it wasn’t overwhelming anymore, unlike the sensory overload he had after the whole Day of the Departed event.

He looked up from his hands to stare at the waterdrops racing down the windowpane he was standing in front of, letting his hands fall onto the wooden ledge. He used to love going for walks in the rain. But ever since becoming spectral… he had to give it up. It had been petrifying that something as simple as rain --a drop of water, a speck of moisture-- could’ve taken his life from him.

It was still petrifying.

“What are you thinking about?”

Cole jumped at the break of the silence, even though it was softly spoken. He looked over at the person who had joined him by the window, his dark brown eyes meeting glowing blue. Zane looked curious, but also mildly concerned. Only then did Cole notice the nindroid’s hand placed gently over his.

“Oh, uh… nothing much.” Cole lied. He turned back to the window so he wouldn’t have to look Zane in the eyes, but not in time to miss the white ninja’s skeptical look.

Ugh, he knew him too well. How was Zane so endlessly patient and caring?

Cole sighed as he brought his non-occupied hand up to rub at the back of his neck. He still couldn’t meet those bright blue eyes.

“It’s just the rain. I… I used to enjoy it. Now it… scares me.” He huffed out a berating laugh. “I know it’s stupid. It’s only rain. I’m not a ghost anymore. It shouldn’t scare me, b-but…” he cursed himself for stuttering, “…it does.”

Zane’s comforting touch on his hand tightened into an embrace. “It is not stupid. It is understandable that you hold a lingering fear of water in any or all of its forms.” Zane’s other hand came up to encase his larger one. “Being scared is not stupid. It is natural. While it can be inconvenient or overwhelming… it does not have to be.”

Cole finally raised his head to look at Zane’s face. His smile was soothing as he took a step back, telegraphing that he wanted Cole to follow him. So he did.

Zane led him away from the window and across the main floor, right to the front entrance. The nindroid took his right hand back from around Cole’s to open one of the large wooden doors. The sound of rain hitting the roof and ground of the temple became louder the wider the door was open.

Cole's heart rate picked up.

Zane took a step across the threshold so he was outside, but still covered by the roof that stretched a few feet out past the door.

His heart was thudding against his chest.

He can’t.

Zane was now in the rain, just his hand still intertwined with Cole’s underneath the shelter of the oning.

It was pounding in his ears. He can’t .

Cole snatched his hand back before it could touch the downpour. “I-I can’t!”

Zane didn’t look frustrated, or disappointed. He just continued to hold out his hand, raindrops running down his face and arms. “Yes you can, Cole. You are the strongest person I know, physically and mentally. You can do this if you wish to. If you do not, I will not force you, but know that you can .”

Cole looked back and forth from between Zane’s outstretched hand and his reassuring smile.

He can.

He can .

He will .

Cole took Zane’s extended hand, a deep breath, and then a long step out into the rain. He still flinched as he felt the first few drops land on his dark skin not covered by his gi, but his hesitation quickly faded as he registered that it didn’t burn, or hurt, or anything. It just… was.

He reopened his eyes (he hadn’t realized they had been closed) as he looked around.

He was standing in the rain. Getting wet. It didn’t hurt. He was fine. No, more than fine. He was amazing! This was amazing! He felt giddy as a grin expanded across his face. He looked up towards the sky, enjoying the drops falling on his face. He had almost forgotten how incredible it felt.

He laughed as he turned his head to Zane. "I'm doing it!"

"You are." Zane said, pride radiating from his smile.

It was then Cole noticed they were still holding hands.

It felt… right. He couldn't find another word to explain it. Something about the way Zane's cool, metal fingers interwoven with his own felt… perfect.

With the soft smile sent his way, he knew Zane thought so too.

Chapter Text

How could something so simple hurt so much?

Every touch.

Every laugh.

Every smile.

Every look.

It felt cliché. He’d seen this story a million times before.

Then why did it still ache?

Cole watched as Zane and Pixal held each other. Touched each other. Laughed with each other. Smiled with each other. Looked at each other with love in their eyes.

It hurt, it hurt so much, it was unbearable. He wanted it to stop, why couldn’t he make it stop ?

Zane held Pixal. Pixal smiled —gazed— back at him. 

Zane sweetly kissed Pixal on the nose.

Cole sweetly shattered.

He had to get out of here. He needed to leave. It felt like he was drowning. He couldn’t breathe, his splintering heart pounded a steady beat in his ears.

He had seen them together like this a thousand times. Why did it still hurt so much? His stomach churned like an ocean in a hurricane, caked in the froth of longing for calmer days. He needed to get away, away somewhere far, far away—

“Cole?”

A smooth, metallic hand caught his wrist as he tried to leave the room. No, no, no, no no leave me alone—

“Cole, are you alright? My scans indicate your anxiety levels have severely increased in the last—”

Cole ripped his hand away from Zane's caring grasp. He couldn’t speak, he could barely think. His wrist ached where his friend's hand had been, as if the cold metal had burnt its impression into his skin. Fire encased his throat, yet it was so tight he could not extinguish it. His eyes stung with the tears building in them. He needed to get away before everyone watched as he fell apart at the seams, so many broken pieces he thought he had sewn back together.

Apparently he had only been as strong as the feeble threads of denial he had woven with.

“Cole, you are concerning me.”

Zane was in front of him now. Bright blue eyes so full of regard, even though they were nothing more than glowing glass panels. How could something so dull be so expressive and full of life?

Because Zane was expressive. He was full of life. The same life he was sharing with Pixal not him it would never be him never never never—

“Please, tell me what's wrong, I want to help you.”

He couldn’t do this anymore.

His body and mind were screaming at him in such perfect harmony, he was sure his dad would finally be proud.

“Cole, what are you—”

Run away now,

“Cole! Where are you going?”

leave him behind,

“Cole! Come back! Please!”

and never look back.

Chapter Text

Zane picked up a jar of tomato sauce off the shelf, quickly scanning its ingredients before placing it in the shopping cart in front of him. While not all his teammates were terrible chefs, it didn’t hurt to have certain premade items for when it was their turn to cook supper.

Zane was out on a grocery run to stalk up on some various food items they were running low on. He had planned on doing it himself, but Cole had asked to join him, so of course he said yes. Not only did he not want to exclude the master of earth, but he genuinely wanted to spend more time one on one with him. Their lives had been unusually normal recently, and Zane wanted to take full advantage of the calm while he could. He knew sooner or later another threat would rise up and put Ninjago at risk, he had done the calculations. Taking their previous experiences into account, there was over a sixty five percent chance of them fighting a world calamity in the next six months. Ninjago was rarely at peace for more than a year at a time.

He pushed the thought aside and busied his mind by sorting through the grocery list he had mentally prepared prior to this shop. Aside from general items for the whole household, he made sure to collect the things his family asked him for. Nya and Cole needed more whey protein powder (chocolate, not vanilla as he was specifically instructed), Jay wanted another box of his favorite marshmallow cereal (which Zane disagreed with him eating, but he never managed to dissuade his friend from consuming it), Kai wanted another bottle of ghost pepper hot sauce (his elemental resistance to heat apparently extended into the the Scoville scale as well), and Lloyd had begged Zane to buy him some candy (which they both knew he wouldn’t do, but Cole would somehow sneak some back to him anyways).

As if Cole knew he was thinking about him, his voice drew Zane out of his distracted state. “Hey, Zane, look at this.”

The nindroid dismissed the digital list taking up the majority of his field of vision to look over at his friend, and he had to hold back a giggle at what he saw. Cole was holding two bananas in front of his mouth, presumably to resemble fangs, or tusks.

Cole was grinning. “I’m a walrus.”

Zane rolled his eyes at his friend’s childish behavior, but he still found it endearing. He turned back to the cart to hide his smile, continuing to push it along the aisle. “I hope you realize we will have to purchase those now.”

Cole jogged up to him and placed the yellow fruits in the cart. "That's okay with me, they make a great snack. Not as good as cake, but really, nothing is."

Zane chuckled as he maneuvered the cart towards the front of the store. "Yes, the berries are a good source of potassium, which helps maintain normal levels of fluid inside blood cells."

Cole stopped walking. "Whoa, whoa. Did you just say… berries?"

Zane slowed to a stop and looked back at his companion, curious as to why he seemed surprised. "Yes, bananas are classified as botany berries."

Cole put a hand on his head as if he had just been given life changing news. "I've been living in a lie."

Zane arched an eyebrow. "I feel that is an overreaction to finding out the scientific orientation of a food."

Cole ran his hand through his long black hair, smiling, although he still looked slightly stunned. "Yeah, yeah, it's just… they don't look anything like berries!"

"I could go into the details of its classification."

"Ah, that's not necessary, Tin Can." Cole smiled with a hint of bashfulness, "I'd probably only understand about half of what you were saying anyways."

Zane hummed in response as he began to move forward again. "That is a fair assessment.” He resumed his path towards the checkout, gesturing for Cole to follow. “Now, we must hurry. I have to get home in time to prepare supper.”

《☆》

Zane was surprised to see how dark it had gotten when they exited the supermarket, but less so when he checked his internal clock. It was already past six PM. It was unusual for him to lose track of time, but his attention had been solely on Cole and enjoying his time alone with him. How he could make something as mundane as shopping so immensely enjoyable was a mystery to Zane, and one he found he didn't care to unravel.

With the numerous groceries safely packed in the backseat of Cole’s drill, Zane drove unburdened along the nearly empty streets of Ninjago City, picking the shortest route to the Monastery.

Maybe everyone took the time to prepare something healthy for supper in my absence, rather than ordering take-out again, Zane thought. He discarded that notion while shaking his head with a small smile and a sigh. He knew the odds of that were comically low, as even with Jay, Nya, Kai, and Lloyd working together, they could barely cook a meal of noodles without something going wrong.

Perhaps it is because they are all together is why the chances of a successful dinner are so low, he mused.

His thoughts were interrupted by a small but consistent beeping coming from his dashboard. It was coming from an alarm program Pixal had made. The program scanned for any police alerts or calls and sent them straight to the Ninja's own database, that way they could act quickly if they could reach the place of trouble sooner, or if the police were not equipped enough to deal with it themselves.

Zane opened the alert to see where the distress call was located. It was coming from a security system in an electronics supply warehouse near the docks. It was only a short detour from the route he and Cole were already on.

Zane pressed the button on his dashboard that opened a communication line to Cole’s vehicle. “Cole, I’m afraid our trip back to the Monastery will be longer than expected.”

Cole’s melodious voice was quick to answer. “ Why, what’s up?”

“There is a crime taking place at a warehouse not far from here,” Zane explained, “it is most likely a small robbery, based on the facts that whoever broke in neglected to disable the security alarm, and this particular warehouse stores nothing but used electronics. It should not take us long.”

“ Alright, I’ve got the coordinates on my map. ” Cole said. Then, in a much more playful tone he added; “ Bet I can get there before you, Frosty .”

Zane grinned at the challenge. Normally he wouldn’t fall for such a ploy, but something about Cole made him want to indulge in activities he would usually brush off as childish games. Perhaps it was simply because they were doing it together.

Zane shifted into a high gear. A reminder of the fragile groceries in the back of Cole’s drill pinged him in the back of his mind, but he ignored it. “I believe that is where you’re wrong, Cole.”

" Ha, I'd like to see you— "

Zane suddenly hit the gas and shot off down the road, leaving Cole with his surprised "Hey!". The Master of Earth was quick to increase his speed as well, but his larger vehicle was no match for Zane’s head start.

“ No fair, Zee! ”

Zane chuckled. “All's fair in love and war.”

Cole huffed out a laugh, but the speakers in Zane’s vehicle did not do the beautiful sound justice.

Zane shook his head. He needed to stay focused on the road, and they would be at their destination soon.

《☆》

Zane slowed the speed of his vehicle as he approached the warehouse his computer was directing him to. The element of surprise would be helpful to make this a swift apprehension. He pulled up behind a collection of large wooden crates and leaped from the vehicle once it was parked.

Cole's drill pulled up seconds later, and the driver soon exited the vehicle to join Zane's side. Cole had his arms crossed like he was upset at losing the race, but the smile on his face said otherwise.

"It seems that I have won this time." Zane announced.

Cole put his hands on his hips as he gave Zane a disbelieving look. "Is that a hint of smugness I detect, Zane?"

Zane smiled. Despite how calm and level headed he usually was, he had to admit, he rather enjoyed the feeling of winning. “Perhaps.”

Cole grinned as well, before pulling his hood over his face which hid the dazzling sight from view. “C’mon, let’s stop this robbery so we can get home.”

The two men parkoured up the building, Cole moving to the roof, while Zane perched on an open windowsill. With his high vantage point from the window, Zane could see the entirety of the front half of the warehouse. It was quite cluttered with its rows of heavy metal shelves stacked with boxes of all sizes and material, though many of the storage containers were not lined along the shelves, but instead laying on the floor, some overturned. He scanned the area for vitals, picking up three heat signatures on the far left of the building. There were muffled sounds of talking coming from that direction as well. He signaled to Cole, who nodded and jumped down from the glass paneling on the roof to a stack of boxes. Zane lost sight of him when he slipped into the shadows, and he decided to follow his teammate's lead.

Zane silently slipped behind the crates piled what appeared to be randomly around the warehouse floor. Not very organized, but convenient. He was soon close enough to hear what the perpetrators were saying, so he stayed hidden and listened in hope of finding more information about his soon to be opponents. Hopefully Cole would have the same idea.

The first voice was one of a man's, but it was on the higher end. "Hey, boss, what're we lookin' for again?"

"What are you, dumb or something? He's told us six times!" This voice was female, followed by a smacking sound.

"Ouch! No need to be gettin' mean 'bout it, I was just askin' a question!"

The next voice was familiar to Zane. Male. Gruff. Accented. "Shut up, the lot of you. I'm tryin' to concentrate!"

Zane peered around the box serving as his hiding place to confirm the voice belonged to who he thought it did.

Unsurprising yet unfortunately, the Mechanic stood in the clearing between two shelves of boxes, rummaging through a box storing what seemed to be old hard drives. He clearly wasn't happy with his findings, as he kept throwing the devices over his shoulder after giving them a quick look over. He had four others dressed in black with him, each of them holding a crowbar or baseball bat.

Zane clenched his hands into fists, the presence of this man making him feel unreasonably tense. He did not understand, the Mechanic was a lower tier villain, and had done nothing in particular to invoke such a reaction from him. He had easily taken him in on past occasions. Yet there was something about him… as if there was something his memory banks just couldn't recall…

He shook the feeling off, returning to the problem at hand. This would unfortunately not be as quick of a fight as he had first hoped, because while the Mechanic was no large threat, he certainly put up more of a fight than an average thug.

Zane began calculating the possible scenarios that would lead to the success in apprehending these criminals. He could utilize them not knowing he was here, and—

Cole leaped out from his hiding spot, holding his hammer over his shoulder as he stood tall on the top of one of the metal shelving units and announced his presence. "Hey, I couldn't help but overhear that you're looking for something? Maybe I can help you find it!"

Zane sighed. So much for the element of surprise.

The five villains stumbled back in surprise at Cole's entrance. The henchmen seemed afraid, but the Mechanic looked up at the Master of Earth with anger.

" Ninja ," he spat.

“That’s my title, don’t wear it out!” Cole quipped. He landed on the ground around ten feet away from the criminals, swinging his hammer into his opposite hand. “How about we just do this the easy way, guys? No one has to get hurt, and you put back anything you’ve stolen.”

“Oh, let me just think about that for a minute…” The Mechanic tapped his chin like he was considering Cole’s offer. Then he clenched his hands into fists and got into a battle stance. “How ‘bout; no.”

He pointed towards Cole with his cybernetic arm, shouting orders at his henchmen. “Get that ninja, and watch your backs! Where there’s one ninja there’s sure to be more of those varmints!”

The black ninja raised an eyebrow. “Varmints? Did you just call us varmints ?”

“Annoying little pests that get in the way, it sounds ‘bout right to me.” The Mechanic sneered.

Cole readied his stance, feigning feeling hurt. “Now that was just mean.”

“Enough of this talk, I said get him!” The Mechanic yelled.

The henchmen hesitated a moment, before running at Cole with their weapons drawn. He easily dodged the clunky attacks from the criminals, even with his cumbersome hammer.

Zane decided there was no point in staying concealed any longer, so he jumped down from his hiding place. He landed on the head of one of the men attacking Cole, before gracefully hopping off and joining his friend’s side.

“Nice to see you’ve decided to drop in!” Cole said.

Zane could hear the smile in his voice, and the pun was not lost on him.

"I believe you have been spending too much time with Jay." Zane commented as he dodged a poor attempt at a blow to his head by the henchman he had earlier taken down. "You're being more playful than usual."

"What can I say," Cole landed a kick in his opponent's stomach, sending them flying backwards. "I must miss the annoying presence he brings to every fight!"

Zane had a response ready for that, but he was interpreted by the sudden need to dodge to the left, out of the way of the Mechanic's extended fist. As his mechanical arm returned to his body, Zane noticed something different about it. There was no longer a blowtorch affixed to the end, but instead an intricately designed hand. It mimicked almost impeccably one made of organic matter.

The Mechanic must have noticed him studying his arm, because he smirked and flexed. “Like what you see, droid? I’ve gotten a few upgrades since our last fight. Been meanin’ to… try ‘em out.” He pressed a button on his forearm, and his fist crackled to life with electricity. “Looks like you’ve given me the perfect opportunity.”

Zane jumped out of the way of another attack from the Mechanic, narrowly avoiding the electrified punch. From across the aisle, Cole turned to help, but Zane stopped him with a shake of his head.

"You deal with the others," he instructed, "I can handle the Mechanic!"

Cole hesitated for a moment, but he then nodded and turned his full attention to the three thugs left on him.

The Mechanic charged into the fray to get closer, his attacks coming in rapid succession. Zane ducked and dodged to evade the blows, noting that the Mechanic had become much more competent at fighting than during their last encounter. He sent two blasts of ice to freeze his cybernetic arm and leave him much less dangerous, but as soon as the rays of frost incased his appendage, the Mechanic merely hit his arm against the ground to shatter the attempt.

The villain laughed mockingly. "Ha! Is that the best you've got? I could keep this up all night!" He shot his fist forward, moving so fast that Zane was unsure he would be able to dodge the—

"Zane!"

Cole suddenly struck the ground with his hammer, sending a shockwave of cracks towards the Mechanic and sending him reeling. The cyborg stumbled to the side, his extended fist striking some boxes balanced precariously on the shelf above Cole's head. The large metal enforced wooden crates fell from the height, headed directly towards where Cole was standing.

Zane's eyes widened in panic. No!

He hastily turned and used his elemental powers to shield Cole from harm, creating a strong dome of ice over top of his friend. "Cole!"

The boxes hit the barrier, but slid harmlessly to the ground as the ice held.

Zane barely had enough time to register that he had left himself vulnerable before he felt something hit him in the side, followed by a painful electrical current.

Zane cried out as warning symbols appeared across his vision, alerting him that he was reaching unstable levels of power. He felt his body begin to shut down as its automatic defense mechanism against overloading his heart, first losing control of his limbs as he went limp.

Everything went black before he hit the cold cement of the warehouse floor.

Chapter Text

Cole put his arms above his head instinctually as the heavy crates hurdled towards him, no time to move out of the way. He heard Zane shout his name, and cold washed over him as no contact came. Zane must have created an ice barrier for him. He sighed in relief and went to thank his teammate, but the words died in his throat as he heard Zane cry out in pain.

Cole snapped his head up in time to see the Mechanic's fist on Zane's side, blue veins of electricity crackling around it. He watched in horror as Zane fell to the ground after the Mechanic's blow, his eyes gone dull.

Cole wasted not a second to scramble out of the protective dome of ice to run to his friend's side, his thoughts set on nothing but checking on him and getting him to safety. He dropped to his knees at Zane's fallen form, inspecting the damage with his limited knowledge of engineering and shaking hands.

Zane's eyes had lost their glowing blue quality, but Cole was relieved to hear his power source still thrumming out a repetitive beat in his chest. Zane's crisp white gi now had a large, blackened electrical burn on his side, some of his metal skin beneath burnt as well. Cole felt anger and panic rising in his throat, but he swallowed it back down. Zane had a built-in alert for whenever he went offline, but someone would have to notice it going off in the Samurai X cave, so there was no guarantee that they would be receiving immediate backup. He had to get Zane out of here, he needed to call direct--

Cole noticed movement out of the corner of his eye and quickly leaped backwards, out of the way of a crowbar flung at him before it embedded itself in the opposite wall.

He turned in the direction it had been thrown from, making eye contact with the Mechanic. The villain had a crooked grin on his face, clearly proud of taking down one of the famed Protectors of Ninjago. He was proud of himself for hurting someone! Not just someone, hurting Zane.

Cole's breathing became shorter as he brought out his hammer, his grip tightening to a level of strength that he should probably be monitoring, but he didn't care about that right now. He didn't really care about anything right now. He grit his teeth, the overwhelming sensation of anger filling his body. His emotions were giving him a kind of tunnel vision he wasn't used to.

“I’m giving you one more chance,” Cole said in a low, warning tone. He narrowed his eyes. “surrender and drop your weapons.”

The four henchmen Cole had taken down before had all gotten up again by now, but they were clearly too frightened to rejoin the fight. They all gave each other looks before letting go of any remaining weapons and backing up tens of feet.

The Mechanic stood his ground, a repulsive smile plastered across his face. He let out a scathing laugh.

"Oh no, have I made the widdle black ninja sad because I played too rough with his friend?" he mocked, his tone as if his words were directed at a little kid.

It was childish, but it aggravated Cole even more. He could hear a voice in the back of his head telling him that he should calm down and get out of here, but he ignored it, advancing on the Mechanic.

He wouldn’t get away with this.

“Oh-ho, you really are mad! Guess I should apologize for breaking your toy.”

Cole felt any remaining restraint snap.

His arms lit up with a familiar orange energy as he swung his hammer towards the ground, it connected with the cement with a resounding CRACK! A fissure nearly ten feet wide extended from the place he had struck, headed towards the Mechanic with startling speed. The criminal dove to the side to avoid the attack, the arrogant look on his face faltering.

Cole would’ve been surprised at his own power if he didn’t feel so angry!

He charged at the Mechanic, but he dodged and returned with a blow to his ribs. Cole didn’t flinch. They fought back and forth, and while Cole would normally have the upper hand in close combat, his anger was making him clumsy. Neither of them landed many hits, doing more damage to their surroundings than each other.

Cole twisted his grip on his hammer mid swing to use its force to slam the Mechanic into the wall, pinned there by the heavy metal weapon and Cole's super strength. Cole's breathing was labored due from physical strain and his anger, though the majority of the encompassing emotion had been burned up like a dry log to a flame during the fight. The burning feeling was still there, but the blind rage he had felt earlier had begun to fade to embers.

The Mechanic looked at him with wide eyes, the satisfying look of knowing he's been beaten. He pushed against the hammer once, twice, but he was no match for Cole's elemental strength. Cole expected him to give up, but then the villain's face contorted into a smirk.

"Think you're forgettin' something, dirt boy."

Cole's scowl sharpened. "Oh yeah? What's that?"

The Mechanic gripped the handle of the hammer with one hand. "Metal conducts electricity."

Cole couldn't even process what that entailed before his body exploded in pain, electricity coursing through the Mechanic’s cybernetic arm, through the hammer, and into him.

He cried out as he tried to let go of his weapon, but his muscles wouldn’t respond. His brain spun, nothing registered but pain, pain pain pain pain--!

The current of /electricity stopped abruptly, but Cole was too weak to do anything but fall to his knees.

That was when he heard it. The faint roar of approaching motors and a crackle in his earpiece.

“Cole! We’re nearly at your location, just hang on!”

Each breath came as more of a gasp, but he made himself keep his eyes up and on the Mechanic. He smiled, and he didn’t care that he wouldn’t be able to see it.

“And I think you’ve forgotten something, Mechanic…” He used his hammer to help him get up on one knee. “I’ve got friends.”

Confusion flashed across the Mechanic’s face, but then he whipped around towards the sound of vehicles coming to a sudden stop outside the building. He stumbled backwards and shot a glare over Cole’s shoulder, the same direction the sound of footsteps approaching could be heard. He narrowed his eye.

“This isn’t over, ninja.”

The Mechanic took something circular out of his overcoat and threw it at the ground. Cole stumbled back, expecting it to be some kind of bomb, but only smoke exploded from the point of contact.

He coughed and turned his face, just as several familiar voices came within hearing distance. He thought he heard someone say something about following the Mechanic, but it was hard to hear over his own coughing.

A hand was placed on his shoulder. Jay’s recognizable blue hood was visible through the haze left by the clearing smoke, but it was soon pulled down to reveal worried blue eyes.

“Cole! Cole, are you alright? What happened? The others have gone after the Mechanic but Zane’s panic alarm was going off in the Samurai X cave but we didn’t see it right away and--”

“M’fine,” Cole took Jay’s hand to help him back on his feet. Once he was upright again, he brushed off the Master of Lightning’s concerned touch. “Don’t worry about me, I’ve got to check on Zane.”

Jay's eyebrows were still furrowed in concern, but he nodded. The two of them ran towards where Zane still laid, leaving the others to find the Mechanic.

Cole held his side as he dropped down beside his friend once again, ignoring the stab of pain from his ribs as he gently moved Zane onto his back. His eyes were still dark.

Jay’s eyes anxiously scanned Zane’s unconscious form and kneeled down, muttering to himself something Cole didn’t really understand. The blue ninja pulled Zane’s gi to the side just enough to open a panel on his upper chest.

Cole didn’t want to seem impatient, but the worry over Zane’s wellbeing was eating him alive. “So?”

“He got overloaded, I don’t think anything was damaged too badly. If I just…” Jay flicked a switch on the nindroid’s chest.

Zane’s eyes flashed and he sat up with a gasp, his hands glowing with elemental energy as he readied himself in an offensive position. “I-- Cole! Where--!”

Cole put a hand on his shoulder and cheek, getting him to look at him. “Hey, Snowflake, I'm here, you’re safe now.”

Zane immediately relaxed and leaned into his touch, cold hands coming up to rest over both his own. His eyes flickered. “How… How long have I been out? H-Has the Mechanic been apprehended?”

The tremble in his hands and voice weren’t lost on Cole.

“Don’t worry about that right now, let’s just get you back to the Monastery so you can get fixed up.” He wrapped an arm around Zane and guided his arm over his shoulders, helping him to his feet. “Lean on me, Zane. I’ve got you.”

Zane did as was asked of him, placing a hand on Cole’s chest. “Thank you…”

Don’t thank me, I couldn’t even protect you…

He shook the thought from his head and refocused on helping Zane to his drill. 

Jay hovered around them. “Pixal is waiting in the Samurai X cave to begin any repairs on Zane that may be necessary, and I’ll be right behind you.”

He broke away to get to his vehicle, updating the other’s on the current situation through his communicator.

Now at the drill, Cole lifted Zane into the back seat. He flinched when his ribs cried in protest, but managed to set the nindroid down carefully.

Don’t worry, Zane, I’ll get you there safely.

《☆》

Cole paced back and forth, back and forth in the living room of the Monastery. He couldn’t decide on where to put his hands, so he settled on wringing them.

The “secret” entrance to the Samurai X cave was open, but the elevator was closed. As soon as they had all arrived back at the Monastery, Jay and Nya went down into the cave with Zane to repair him with Pixal’s help. Kai and Lloyd had decided to stay out and sweep the area for the Mechanic before giving up.

As much as Cole wanted to go down and help his friend’s with Zane’s repairs as well, he knew he would mostly just be in the way. He didn’t know much aside from the barest basics when it came to technology and engineering, and that lack of knowledge never stung as much as it had today.

He… He had been so helpless. Useless. Even if he had managed to stop the Mechanic on his own, he couldn’t have done anything to help Zane afterwards. He would have just had to sit and wait until his friends arrived.

He didn’t like that. He didn’t want to feel… dependent. He was supposed to be the one they all depended on.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the elevator doors sliding open. Though part of him hoped it was Zane standing there, fixed up and good as new, he wasn’t surprised to see Jay leaving the elevator.

Cole opened his mouth to speak, but Jay beat him to it.

“Zane’s doing fine, Pixal just needs to run some scans to make sure everything’s working smoothly.” Jay said as he adjusted the goggles sitting in his hair.

Cole’s entire body relaxed as he let out a deep breath.

“Now, what about you?”

He could have sworn he felt his ribs twinge at the mention of his health. “I already told you, Jay, I’m fine. Just… pulled a muscle in my ribs or something. That happens all the time during training.”

Jay didn’t look particularly convinced, but he sighed and uncrossed his arms. “Fine, if that’s the story you’re sticking with.”

Since it was, Cole stayed silent. He picked at his thumbnail for something to do, and to help release some of the nervous energy sitting in his chest.

He couldn’t shake that feeling of… uselessness he had felt when Zane went offline. He hadn’t been able to do anything besides sit there and wait for someone else to come and help.

He never wanted to feel like that again. Not with Zane. Not with anyone.

“Jay…”

Even though it was softly spoken, it caught the blue ninja’s attention. He made a motion to continue.

“Can you… Can you teach me about tech and repairing electronics and… stuff?” Cole sighed and ran a hand down his face at how awkward his wording came out. He resumed his pacing. “Even specifically for Zane, in case something like this happens again. I want to be ready this time.”

“Listen, I… I know I'm not the smartest guy, but… I want to learn. I need to learn. Even just the basics! I-I can't feel like that again. I was so helpless, Jay…” His next breath came shakily and he ran a hand through his hair. “It was awful, I felt like I was drowning and there was nothing I could do to help him.”

Silence fell between them for several beats.

“You really need to tell him. You know that, right?”

Jay’s statement made Cole tense. He turned away from his best friend to face the wall, it was easier to stare at than those eyes who knew him and his secrets too well.

“What? No. Not-- not now. Not yet. Why would you bring that up? I'm not-- We're not--” He groaned and hit his fist against the wall, barely using enough restraint to not punch right through it. “I just want him to be okay. I'm not going to say anything about my feelings for him. This is not the right time.”

“Then when is going to be ‘the right time’, Cole?”

Cole whipped around, his fists clenched as tightly as the knot in his stomach. “I don’t know!”

The wide eyed look on Jay’s face was enough to instantly deflate Cole’s frustration.

He took a deep breath, followed by several more. “I-I'm sorry, Jay… I just-- I…”

He covered his face with his hands. They were still gritty from the fight. How had it only been hours ago?

Jay’s hug may have been small in size, but he made up for it in support and warmth. Cole didn’t hesitate to return it.

“I’m sorry, Cole…”

Cole knew he wasn’t apologizing for anything or anyone specific, but the simple phrase was comforting anyways.

Jay gave him a few pats on the back as he pulled away. “Of course I’ll give you some tech lessons, and considering how I’ve seen you handle your phone, you’re going to need them.”

Cole appreciated the wisecrack to lighten the mood. He chuckled and gave him a good-natured hit in the arm.

Just then, the elevator doors opened once again. Nya was the one to exit this time, wiping her hands on a cloth before she threw it over her shoulder.

“He’s all fixed up and ready to go. It’ll take a few buffs to get the burn mark off his side, but soon you won’t even be able to tell it was there. Can’t say the same about his gi, though.” Nya moved her attention directly to Cole, a small, knowing smile on her face. “You can go see him now.”

Cole thanked her as he rushed to take her place in the elevator. He tapped a finger against his leg in an anxious beat, the short ride down to the cave beneath the Monastery never feeling longer.

The doors slid smoothly open to reveal Zane and Pixal talking to each other, though Zane still had several wires attached to connect him to the computers. Any lingering worry still weighing on Cole cleared up in the next breath. He ran up to the repair area and practically threw himself onto Zane, who gave a noise of surprise at suddenly being wrapped up in a bear hug, but returned it without question.

“I’m sorry,” Cole muttered. He didn’t let go of him. “I should have done something, anything, to help you. But I--”

“You have nothing to apologize for.” Zane’s tone was stern, but not sharp. “My injury is not your fault, so you should not blame yourself. Please don’t blame yourself.”

“I know, I know… I just…” Cole tightened his grip around his friend, ever mindful of his super strength. “I was so worried.”

Zane reciprocated the strength of the embrace. “I am sorry for worrying you.”

Cole pulled away to softly hit him in the arm. “Hey, if I’m not allowed to apologize, neither are you.”

Zane’s light laughter trailed off into comfortable silence. Neither one made an attempt to move away or break their connected gaze, both content with taking comfort in each other’s presence.

They were startled apart by Pixal (who, Cole was embarrassed to admit, he had completely forgotten was in the room) clearing her throat. She had her arms crossed over her chest, but she looked more amused than annoyed.

“Excuse me, I must finish with Zane’s final assessment scan.” She stated. She uncrossed her arms to type something into the computer beside her. “Though I can see the two of you are sharing a ‘moment’, Cole being present may affect the accuracy of the scan.”

Cole and Zane laughed awkwardly as they separated, though Cole kept his hand intertwined with the nindroid’s for as long as possible as he stepped away.

He gave his metallic hand a squeeze before finally letting go. “I’ll see you later, Frosty.”

Zane’s smile was softer than freshly fallen snow. “I will be looking forward to it.”

Though the fluttering of his heart and heat on his cheeks was only a temporary side effect, Zane’s smile danced through Cole’s mind well into the night.