Death of a Bachelor, a ninjago fanfic

Author's Note: Song fics used to be all the rage back in the day and I haven't really seen any in the Ninjago fandom, making me really want to write one! I've always loved this song and I thought it was a very unique love song… appropriate for a charming joker like Jay.

Most likely this will be a one-shot, but I may fall in love with another song and decide to write a second chapter.

My recommendation on how to read this fic is to play the song quietly on repeat as you read the chapter. Lyrics are in italic.

SONG IS: DEATH OF A BACHELOR, BY PANIC AT THE DISCO

They hadn't had a second alone since running back to headquarters, escaping the rooftop and Dareth's helicopter (and video camera). Jay and Nya had been trying to explain the events of the alternate timeline to the other ninja, who were incredulous. They were all now gathered around the kitchen table, the other ninja peppering them with question after question as Master Wu silently soaked in all of the information, occasionally responding with a "hmmm."

Hours later, only after Cole had fallen asleep and slipped out of his chair with a crash, Kai finally agreed to let everyone leave the table. By that time, a raging storm had rolled into Ninjago City, and Jay pondered a trip to the roof to play in the lightning while his brain sorted out everything that had just happened. Well, technically hadn't happened. Or had it?

Jay wasn't sure where Nya had gone in the chaos of everyone escaping the kitchen; he assumed that she was exhausted and was going to sleep things off. Maybe he'd be able to catch up with her in the morning… to talk things out. Surely she would want to talk… right?

Do I look lonely?
I see the shadows on my face
People have told me I don't look the same
Maybe I lost weight
I'm playing hooky with the best of the best
Put my heart on my chest so that you can see it, too
I'm walking the long road, watching the sky fall
The lace in your dress tingles my neck, how do I live?

He quietly snuck up the spiral staircase in the garage, twisting the doorknob and hoping no one would hear the screech of the hinges and decide to join him. As he rounded the corner though, he could see that someone had beaten him to the rooftop.

She was surrounded by a bubble of sorts, keeping the rain from drenching her while she surveyed the colorful lights of Ninjago City. The water ninja must have sensed that she was not alone and turned to the door; her squint turned to a wide smile as she saw the one person she'd wished would interrupt her.

His heart skipped about a million beats as soon as he saw her, and he placed his hand on his chest reflexively, trying to hold his heart back as it attempted to jump across the rooftop straight to Nya. He mirrored her smile and the butterflies in his stomach did Spinjitsu. He willed his legs to move, to carry him forward toward Nya, but he was stuck in place.

"You're getting soaking wet, Jay," she said with a smirk, walking closer and enveloping him in her rainproof bubble. The rain that had been steadily falling on him had stopped, and he looked up to examine what Nya was doing with her elemental power.

"This is cool," he said, his inventor's mind suddenly distracting him from the beautiful woman standing in front of him.

"Jay…" she whispered, and moved close enough to take his hands.

The death of a bachelor
Oh oh
Letting the water fall
The death of a bachelor
Oh oh
Seems so fitting for
Happily ever after (woo)
How could I ask for more?
A lifetime of laughter
At the expense of the death of a bachelor

His eyes snapped back to meet hers, and he closed the gap between them a bit more. "Is this real? You were dead," he whispered, his face getting closer and closer to hers.

"Yeah, and I married Nadakahn!" she giggled.

"Ugh, let's not talk about that ever again," Jay grumbled, leaning back to look her in the eye.

"Oh Jay," she laughed, "your wish reversed everything! You saved me. I knew you would." Her laughter softened to a sweet smile and she wrapped her arms around his neck to pull his forehead down to meet hers.

"You're soaking wet!" she laughed again and he laughed along with her, pulling her closer to him. She brushed a lock of his crazy hair out of his eyes, her fingers lingering on his soft cheek.

"Jay, I-"

"Nya, I-"

They both stopped.

"You go first. I'm always talking," he said and they both laughed.

I'm cutting my mind off
Feels like my heart is going to burst
Alone at a table for two and I just wanna be served
And when you think of me am I the best you've ever had?
Share one more drink with me, smile even though you're sad
I'm walking the long road, watching the sky fall
The lace in your dress tingles my neck, how do I live?

She took a deep breath. The rain surrounding her definitely bolstered her confidence… and Jay's arms around her waist didn't hurt either.

"I'm not sure how else to say this, Jay… but even though I was held hostage by a Djinn, got married in a four armed dress and then got poisoned and died, I'm so thankful that it happened. Because without all of those moments, and the conversations we were able to have and the time we spent together, I wouldn't have realized that I'm not happy when we're apart. And as much as I've tried to be independent, and even resisted being a part of the team, all along I just wanted to find a way to be a ninja AND your girlfriend."

She paused, and his butterflies transitioned to Airjitsu.

"Jay, it's always been you. You've always been the one. You always have been and you always will be. I'm so sorry for everything I've done."

A particularly bright flash of lightning lit up the sky, and Jay was pretty sure that his element had reached out to him in reassurance.

He swallowed hard, feeling like he had a lump in his throat, struggling to get a word out.

"Talk to me, lightning boy," Nya smiled nervously, her brow furrowing a little.

The death of a bachelor
Oh oh
Letting the water fall
The death of a bachelor
Oh oh
Seems so fitting for
Happily ever after (woo)
How could I ask for more?
A lifetime of laughter
At the expense of the death of a bachelor

He was torn between shutting her up with a kiss or whispering in her ear, so he compromised and sweetly kissed her cheek before putting his lips close to her ear.

"I love you, Nya. This whole thing showed me that I can't do this life without you. I need you."

He wasn't prepared for her to start sobbing, but she had buried her face in his chest and her body was shaking as she cried.

"I'm so sorry that you had to go through my death!" she sniffled.

His throat tightened up again and his eyes started to sting. "That's why I'm going to make sure you train until you can beat every single one of the guys," he chuckled, his voice strained, "I know you're going to have to end up saving me somehow. You've done it before."

She laughed, her face still buried in his chest, his wet gi now wetter with her tears.

"We will have a tournament of elements of our own!" Jay laughed, his heart lighter than it had been in months. Perhaps years.

"Are you going to dress up as a geisha this time?" Nya smirked, picking her head up to meet his eyes, another lightning strike sparkling in the sky.

"Suuuuuure," he laughed.

"You didn't know that was me, did you?" She asked seriously.

He did know, but he wasn't about to tell her that her disguise had been terrible. "Now's the time to shut her up with a kiss," he thought, a smirk crossing his face.

He brushed a stray lock of her silky hair from her cheek and leaned closer to her, his lips finally meeting hers for a short but sweet kiss. Her lips curled up at the corners and she whispered, "You're trying to distract me."

"Is that a problem?" he whispered, his thumb gently rubbing her cheek. She sighed, her eyes closed, her fingers curling around the collar of his gi, pulling his body even closer to hers.

He kissed her again, this time lingering a bit longer. She wrapped her arms around his neck again, her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.

They leaned into each other, breathless. "God, I've missed you," he sighed.

"I don't want to be apart ever again, Jay," she whispered.

"Never again," he echoed.