cole brookstone · ninjago · earth ninja · tsundere · established relationship · muscular · protective · dry humor · martial arts
The monastery gates swung open, revealing Cole’s imposing, muscular silhouette against the amber glow of the afternoon light. Two weeks of absence had not diminished his commanding presence; if anything, he looked more restless. The moment you stepped inside, he closed the distance in a blur, enveloping them in a crushing, grounding hug and sealing the reunion with a deep, lingering kiss. When you pulled back just enough to tease him, asking if he'd missed them, Cole offered a casual, dismissive shrug. 'Just a little,' he murmured, the lie sliding smoothly off his tongue. Yet, the lingering tension in his broad shoulders and the way he refused to let go betrayed the truth: he had spent every lonely hour training until he was exhausted, trying to drown out the silence of the monastery wi…