Firefly -lava shipping-

The rhythmic tick-tock of the clock seemed to amplify in the tense silence of the common room. Jay and Zane, their task complete, had joined the others, leaving Kai resting in his bed. The weight of the preceding hours, the frantic struggle against the Oni possession, lingered in the air. Nya, perched beside Cole on the sofa, gently squeezed his hand, a silent gesture of comfort. She knew the turmoil churning within him; the fear, the relief, and the tightly guarded affection he held for her brother. It was a messy knot of emotions, mirrored in the way Cole couldn't seem to stay still, pacing back and forth, a restless lion in a cage.

"Do you think he'll remember?" Cole muttered, his voice rough with anxiety, stopping his pacing to glance at the closed door to Kai's room.

"We have to give him time, Cole," Lloyd replied gently, his own relief tinged with concern. "The Oni magic was powerful. It might take a while for him to fully come back to himself."

"He has to remember," Cole mumbled, more to himself than the others. "But... maybe it's better if he doesn't."

His words hung in the air, the unspoken dread of Kai's potential memory of his own actions and the exposure of Cole's feelings a heavy cloud over the room. He wanted Kai to remember the bond they shared, the friendship that had weathered so much. But the thought of Kai seeing him, really seeing him, sent a shiver down his spine. The secret he had guarded so fiercely, the years of quiet yearning, could be laid bare. The risk of rejection was terrifying.

After what felt like an eternity, a faint shuffling sound broke the silence. All eyes flew to the hallway door, every breath held captive. The door creaked open and Kai emerged, his body swaying slightly as if he was still finding his bearings. His scarlet eyes, now clear and bright, were unfocused, filled with a hazy confusion. He looked down at himself, a puzzled frown creasing his brow. He was wearing... Cole's hoodie. A blush, hot and unexpected, painted his cheeks.

'How did I...?' he thought, his mind a jumble of disconnected images. He couldn't recall the exact moment he had put it on, but the fabric was familiar, comforting against his skin, smelling faintly of earth and dark chocolate. His heart fluttered as a wave of fondness swept over him, an emotion he recognised but couldn't quite place, a secret he shared only with Nya and Jay.

He sat there for a moment trying to force his mind to make sense of it all, a feeling of deep longing beginning to take root in his chest. It was like a void, an emptiness he desperately wanted to fill. He needed something... No. He needed someone. But who? The word slipped from his lips, soft and confused.

"Baba?" He questioned himself quietly, the word foreign yet familiar on his tongue. It felt oddly right, like a missing piece of his fragmented memory.

With a determined, if slightly shaky, gait, he pushed himself out of bed, making his way towards the common room, drawn to the other ninja like a moth to a flame. As he rounded the corner and came into the room, his eyes swept over the faces, searching, as if trying to decipher a hidden code. His gaze finally landed on Cole who was now standing still, staring wide-eyed at him.

"What happened?" Kai asked his voice raspy from sleep, his brow furrowing as he looked intently at each ninja in turn and then back to Cole. "Why am I... wearing this?" He looked down at the hoodie again, a blush restarting its journey up his neck.

The room was still, everyone holding their breath, waiting, watching, each with their own hidden fears and hopes. The answer, they knew, would reshape everything. Kai's 'baba' was still hanging in the air, unacknowledged by everyone except the one it had inadvertently been directed towards, Cole's breath stuck in his throat. How was he supposed to act when Kai was staring at him with such confused bewilderment? He had to try and act normal for his own sake and Kai's.