"Unspoken Tension"

The usual hum of activity was gone from the monastery, replaced by the stillness that only occurred when the team was out on a mission. Lloyd, Nya, Zane, Jay, and Pixal had all gone off, leaving only Kai and Cole behind to keep an eye on things. Kai was sprawled on the couch in the main room, his legs spread wide, a game controller gripped tightly in his hands. The game on the screen was nothing new — just another action-packed adventure that Kai was losing miserably. Sweat glistened on his forehead, and despite his usually confident demeanor, frustration built up in waves. His muscles strained against his tight shirt, which clung to him even more as he shifted in irritation. “Damn it. Why’s this so hard?!” Kai muttered under his breath, slumping deeper into the couch. He had been at it for hours, but the game still wasn’t going his way. His frustration boiled over as he slammed the controller down onto the coffee table. He sighed heavily, staring at the screen with a defeated frown. He glanced around the monastery, his gaze lingering on the empty spaces where his teammates usually were. His eyes landed on the hallway leading to the lower levels. For a moment, he simply stared at the doorway, wondering where Cole had disappeared to. Kai stood up, stretching his limbs to shake off the fatigue of the game, and decided it was time for a break. He padded quietly through the monastery, his footsteps echoing in the silence. He knew Cole was probably somewhere around, maybe training or doing something else productive. Eventually, Kai found himself descending into the Samurai X base beneath the monastery, the familiar hum of the training area calling to him. As he rounded the corner, he froze for a moment. There was Cole, shirtless and focused, his fists landing in rhythmic thuds against the punching bag. Each punch sent ripples through his well-defined muscles, and the sight left Kai momentarily distracted. Cole didn’t seem to notice him at first, lost in his routine. Kai crossed his arms, leaning against the doorway and watching him, a smirk creeping onto his face. “Nice form,” Kai called out, breaking the silence with a playful tone. Cole froze, mid-punch, when he heard Kai’s voice cut through the air. He paused, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand and smirking as he turned toward the doorway. “Why thank you. Made it myself,” Cole replied with a mock bow, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He finally glanced over at Kai, but his eyes lingered for a moment longer than he intended. Kai’s tight shirt clung to his frame, accentuating his muscles, and his shorts—well, they seemed just a little bit… shorter than usual. The sight made Cole’s breath catch. His gaze flicked downward for just a second too long before he quickly snapped his eyes back to Kai’s face, hoping he hadn’t been caught staring. But Kai was grinning, as though completely oblivious to the effect his casual appearance had on Cole. Still, Cole’s mouth had gone dry, and he swallowed, trying to shake off the sudden tightness in his chest. “Uh, you… you know, you could give a guy a heart attack looking like that,” Cole finally muttered, his voice rougher than usual. He cleared his throat and quickly turned back to the punching bag, pretending to adjust his stance, though his mind was still lingering on the sight of Kai. Kai raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “What, this old thing?” he teased, looking down at his outfit and then back at Cole. “Not my fault you’re a little distracted, Stone.” Cole scoffed but couldn’t completely hide the small smirk tugging at his lips. “Distracted? Nah, just… admiring the view,” he shot back, his tone light but with an edge that suggested something more. The air between them shifted just slightly, the playful teasing covering up an unspoken tension neither of them was quite ready to address.