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“I said I was sorry.” Nya sighed again, restraining her urge to reach out to her boyfriend. Jay continued to look for items in the fridge.
“I know.” He closed the fridge door after finally reaching for the mustard. It took place on the counter next to the sliced honey ham. Nya walked around the counter to stand next to Jay, leaving a foot or two of space between them.
“I can’t do anything about your video game, y’know. You and Cole will just play it tomorrow, like always.” Nya’s knuckles turn white as she grips the counter. She’s right, the video game is just a video game. It’s code displayed on a screen.
Nya didn’t break the tv, the console, or the remotes. Jay is upset for no good reason.
Jay put down the butter knife he was using to spread the mayo onto bread. “I was almost done with the boss battle on Prime Empire. Cole, Lloyd, and I spent two months getting there, Nya. Two. Months.” He returned to his sandwich, focusing on the lettuce.
Nya huffed. She watched Jay rummage around in the fridge (again) and return triumphant to the counter with a slice of cheese in his possession.
Jay kept sneaking a look at her. Obviously, he’s mad, Nya can see it in the way his jaw is tight with restraint. Why hasn’t he yelled yet?
Nya rolls her eyes. Clearly, Jay doesn’t want to talk about it. She thought he was mature enough to discuss their issues instead of fight about it.
When Kai and Nya fought back in the forge, when life was normal, Kai would raise his voice and express what he needed. Nya would then respond, and the two would eventually work it out. Yes, it’s a loud solution, but it worked for them.
Even when Cole is frustrated, he avoids eye contact and squeezes out the feelings he’s embarrassed or ashamed to say out loud. For him, it’s like stomping on a toothpaste tube. He gets it all out in one boisterous, loud rant.
Nya has seen Jay get angry before. Before he mastered spinjitsu, Nya could sometimes find him beating a punching bag and yelling frustratedly. When Cole keeps failing at the same level in the same spot in Prime Empire, Jay tackles him, yelling at him to “Lock in already, idiot!” She can’t tell when he’s really mad at her, it’s impossible to tell when he’s serious.
What happened to their days as teenagers when she got so flustered at an amusement park date?
Nya stomps back to the living room. Cole and Lloyd sat there, pretending to not listen to the conversation, attention halfway on the television. After Nya jokingly unplugged the console, Lloyd had turned on a movie to lessen the tension.
“You okay?” Lloyd puts a hand on her shoulder. She has half a mind to shake it off. Clearly, Jay is the one who isn’t okay. Nya is fine.
Nya gives a noncommittal grunt and slumped further into the worn-down cushions.
For a while, she lets herself be absorbed in the movie. The actors float across the screen and Jay’s fairly quiet in the kitchen. Nya notices the light outside has all but disappeared and decides she just needs to start over tomorrow.
Her bedroom is just as messy as it was the previous night when she stumbled in after a long day of training. Nya misses the way Jay’s face softened as he cracked open her door to say goodnight. For all his gentlemanly acts, why can’t he man up just this once and get his feelings out already?
Yelling is logical. Debate and arguing makes sense. In battle, at the monastery, back at the forge… Shouting is what solves everything, even when Master Wu puts any of the ninja in their place
Nya collapses on her bed, duvet already strewn on the floor. She turns her head to the glass of water on her nightstand and controls the drink to fly into an empty cup beside it.
A knock sounds at her door. It’s the same thump-thump-thumpthump-thump Jay uses to let her know it’s just him. Nya considers not letting him in. She eventually gets up and cracks open the door, just enough to see his face.
Jay’s hair is still messed up from running an angry hand through it after finding out his file on Prime Empire deleted. He still looks mad, but he’s still quiet and reserved.
“Babe, you’ve got to get it all out at one point or another. Let it out, I can take it.” Maybe if Nya lays it all out for him, this crumby situation can sort itself out.
“What are you going on about?” Jay’s alert now. Nya opens the door further and Jay steps in and closes her in. “I just wanted to talk.”
“But you never talk! Kai does, Cole does, hell, even Zane will sometimes! But you’ve never really let your feelings out with me.” She’s avoiding eye contact.
“Nya, yes I have.” Jay takes her hands in his, ducking his head to catch her eyes.
“You talk, but you never raise your voice! You never raise your voice at me. But you do with everyone else.” Nya collapses down on the bed, head in her hands. “Just, yell, for once, so I know you’re mad or not.” A weight dips the mattress next to her.
“Nya, I’m not going to yell at you. I love you too much for that.”
“Kai always-“
“I’m not your brother.”
He’s right. Jay has been so frustratingly patient with her.
“I mean, I was hurt by losing my progress and everything, but you were right, it’s just a game.” Jay smiles when she meets his eyes. His face suddenly falls. “Were you waiting for me to yell at you?”
“Maybe.” She feels her cheeks grow hot.
Jay starts laughing. Nya half-heartedly slaps at his shoulder.
“Wow, I guess being raised exclusively by Kai messes you up, huh?” Jay wraps an arm around Nya’s shoulders, and she leans her weight onto him.
Nya pulls away from his embrace, pushes him back onto the bed, and wraps her arms around Jay. He laughs again, entertained by her embarrassment.
Nya pulls her duvet up to cover them both, and Jay switches off the bedside lamp.
“Go to sleep, sparky.”