Delicate, microscopic snowflakes dusted down the brittle, cold air. It was the start of December, only weeks before Christmas, and the air felt crisp and full of excitement. Every block was decorated in jolly red, green, and gold, and the air smelled of hot cocoa and baked goods. Stores advertised giant dollhouses and the newest toys for kids to pull their parents to. The mayor of the city was organizing a tree lighting that was to take place on the 12th, where a brilliant pine was to be raised in the middle of town square, it's many lights and sparkling ornaments whom were to glow golden in the night. The wind blew steadily, all Ninjago citizens dressed in fluffy, warm clothing from head to toe.

"Look out!" I yelled as I shot a flame to block the robbers from escaping. It didn't help that the Ninjago citizens scrambled in the midst of the chaos, running in different directions like a chicken with its head cut off. I facepalmed and groaned, swiftly moving down the buildings to confront the robbers.

Can this get any harder than it needs to be?

"Hey, I need a little help over here. If y'all can deal with these people that'd be great."

"I am coming Kai. Focus on the robbers while I arrive for assistance." Zane's metallic voice sounded from the ear piece.

"On it." I landed in front of the thieves, hot fire flickering all around them, melting the cold snow that covered the floor.

"Sorry, I don't think you're gonna get outta this one," I felt the leather handle of my katanas, drawing them from my back. "but I'd like to see you try." it felt good to be in control. I knew I could take these guys on any day, 24/7.

They looked at me scared, reluctant to mess with the master of fire, debating on whether their gun was enough to get them through. I smirked.

Go on. I dare you.

The biggest one shrugged and turned on me, raising his weapon to my chest. He pulled the lever, the sound of gunpowder popping through the dark alley. Rolling my eyes, I quickly side stepped while blocking the bullet with the blade of my sword, the sound of metal hitting metal ricocheting. I pushed the end of his gun upwards, twisting it in his hand and getting hold of his weapon, leaving him defenseless. He stood there shocked, unable to move knowing he was in deep trouble now. Without thinking, I threw the gun behind me, discarding it from the situation and getting in guardian stance.

"Guns were never my thing. Dare to take me on or surrender?" the two scrawny robbers cowered behind the big one, obviously yielding. The leader had no choice but to do it for them, lunging on to attack. I easily blocked his punches, using my flexibility to make my kicks to head level, and agility to tire him out. Since he was heavier than me, his attacks were slow, and defenses stalled and unskilled. With a final blow to the midsection, he flew backwards with a thud in the snow, groaning and rubbing his head.

Hearing footsteps behind me, I elbow stricked the next robber in the nose, a small trail of red staining the white floor. She whimpered as I side kicked her to the alley wall, turning onto my next opponent. My eyes widened when the sound of a gun rang through my ears. A sharp pain drove through my shoulder, the lead of the bullet digging deeper into my skin. I had just realized that was the gun I'd thrown behind me earlier, and that last crook snuck behind me while I was distracted.

Gosh why am I such an idiot sometimes?

Clutching my shoulder and ignoring the pain, I dove behind a dumpster, shielding me from the bullets. I knew for sure my ego got me stuck in a real big pickle, and I needed backup, fast.

The robber rounded the corner of the dumpster, aiming the barrel at my face. Just as I was about to kick him, he was knocked out by a hammer fist to the back of his neck. Alarmed, I shouted when the body fell towards me, kicking him backwards to reveal Cole.

"Babe! You okay?" Cole helped me up and looked at the blood that stained my fingers.

"What happened!"

"Uhh," I hummed, trying to stall myself from sounding like an idiot. "I might have not been thinking and threw the gun behind me when I really should have kept it to myself." I extended the 'f'.

My fiancé pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing and shaking his head.

"Kai we talked about this-"

"Yeah yeah I know. But I'm okay," I raised my hands up to show I was fine, flinching at the pain in my shoulder. "and there's nothing to worry about?"

"Uh yeah there's something to worry about," Cole retorted unsatisfied. He pushed the button on the ear piece, calling for the other ninja. "Guys, we got the robbers. Kai got shot cause' he was being the idiot he is." annoyed, I punched him in the shoulder as he giggled.

"What! Is he okay?"

"Yeah, just the shoulder." I responded to my worried sister.

"We're on our way. Start gathering the robbers and we'll get the police." Lloyd ordered.

The thieves were escorted to Kryptarium Prison, given they tried to steal five hundred thousand from the bank.

That was probably the most action we'd gotten in a while. Nothing really happened in the past eight years and honesty, it was good time to plan Cole and I's wedding since he had just asked me about six months ago.

We arrived home and Zane hurriedly escorted me to the infirmary. He said not to stall since the lead might infect me, and that wouldn't be good. Cole insisted he came along, and so did Nya, but Zane said to help the others with their minor injuries.

"Swallow this. It will help ease the pain as I work on your injury." Zane handed me an ibuprofen and some water, turning to the sink to wash his hands. I took the pill, swallowing it and watched the ice ninja prepare the essentials. It felt sort of numb, considering it was exposed to the cold for a while.

"Kai, I need you to take off your gi. Though it may be difficult to do so."

"Eh, I got it."

I slowly untied my gi and shrugged off the robe piece. Taking off the long sleeve underneath was a lot harder, and it stung my shoulder badly as I rotated it upwards.

"Please do not move. This may be extremely painful, but it is not in a place where the wound will cause much damage."

I nodded, gulping.

Zane started to lightly dab the area with a warm, wet washcloth, getting rid of the dried blood and bacteria. He held a dry cloth to the wound, stopping the blood from pouring out. I hissed at the pressure, clutching the hospital bed sheets and biting down on my teeth.

Zane looked at me worriedly. "Are you faring okay?"

I nodded.

Zane continued to work. The pain slowly melted away once the pressure was taken off. He grabbed a pair of forceps and pulled out a small lead bullet. The skin around the injury started turning red and inflamed, and it felt like it was set on fire. Zane scanned my arm, a relieved expression washing over his face.

"Fortunately, the bullet didn't break into pieces so you will not have problems in the future," Zane started to wrap a gauze around my shoulder. "but when you take a shower, do not rub it but let the water gently run over it. When you dry, pat the outsides but not directly on the wound. It is imperative you follow my orders so that it does not get infected or reopened." he finished securing it in place.

"All done. You may leave now."

I jumped from the bed and gently touched the wound. It felt better, like there wasn't something stuck in there, but it obviously was stinging like heck.

"Thanks man, I appreciate it."

Zane smiled in response. "Please do not act impulsively next time. It is very worrying when my family gets hurt."

"Sure thing bud."

I admired Zane for being the great nindroid he is. Come to think of it, we may have never gotten through half of anything of it weren't for his robotic, accurate calculations and knowledge.

Cole engulfed me in a hug once I walked out of the door, squeezing the guts out of me.

"Kai! Are you okay? Does your arm hurt? Is it infected?"

"Can't-breath!"

"Oh sorry." he let go and I took a wheezing breath in.

"I'm fine Cole," I responded with a crooked smile. "just stings a little."

"Phew. Don't you ever think?"

I scratched the back of my neck embarrassed. "Eh, depends."

"Well you need to start doing it all the time."

"I will I will. I can look out for myself." I leaned in and placed a kiss on his lips. Cole deepened it and held me closer to his chest.

After a couple seconds, he pushed me away playfully, crossing his arms and groaning. "No! No. I'm not gonna fall for your stupid kisses."

"Aww why not?" I stroked his jaw with my finger lovingly. "I always getcha' with em' don't I?"

Cole pouted. He took a swift glance at my six pack, blushing and turning away embarrassed.

"Oh come on babe, you've seen me with my shirt off before."

Cole put his palm on my face to shut me up.

"You're insufferable." he joked. Smirking, I licked his hand as he drew it back, wiping the spit and protesting against my move.

"Kai! Gross!" that only made me laugh more. "if you get sick you'll know why."

"Then I'll just get you sick too, since you hug me so much." I half mumbled the last part.

"Why are you so annoying sometimes?"

"Why are you so fun to tick off?" I responded, putting my hands on my hips, waiting for his response.

He rolled his eyes and grabbed my hand. "C'mon, let's go out to the others."

The rest of the day was pretty laid back. We just ate and relaxed, meaning we played video games all day and stuffed our faces with sugar and chips. Cole went all out on the cake, of course.

Scrolling through the contents of posts on my phone, I rested my head against Cole's lap as he ran his fingers through my hair. I had to admit, letting my hair down wasn't so bad after all; it took me less time to get ready and I still looked pretty attractive if I do say so myself. But I'm never gonna let down the classic Kai hairstyle.

Lloyd, Jay, Zane and Nya battled in Mario Kart, the sound of their fingers clicking back and fourth on the game console. Zane was in first, Jay in second, Lloyd in fourth, and Nya, sadly eighth since she didn't play the game much. She was mostly a Minecrafter, probably better in survival than Jay, which was surprising. I wasn't much of either the games; mainly on my phone or Fist to Face Two. Cole drew and ate more than he played on screens, and Pixal didn't mind watching. She was either fixing her mech or creating something.

"I am the winner!" Zane threw his hands in the air, victoriously dancing in circles.

"Wha- that's not fair! That stupid blue thing hit me right before I was able to cross the finish line!" Jay whined while crossing his arms, acting like a child.

His wife rolled her eyes. "Jay, life's not fair. I can't believe you're like twenty five and you're still whining over video games. Forget having kids."

Jay turned on Nya with an incredulous expression, opening his mouth to argue back when she put her hands up to show she was joking. "Kidding!"

"You better be."

The sound of Sensei Wu's staff hit the tatami flooring, getting the attention of the ninja.

"Students. I know there isn't much to do because of the cold, but I hope there is something that is more productive for you all accomplish."

The ninja looked at each other, not knowing what other options they had.

"Uh, bake?" Jay suggested. The ninja shrugged.

"If that is what can get you off games, then it is fine with me."

Well that was the worst idea ever. For one, I didn't like cooking, much less baking. Two, I was horrible at it, and three, it takes forever. Preparing, waiting, cleaning, putting stuff away. I'd lost to a game of rock, paper, scissors with Jay and ended up having to do the dishes. Cole stayed back to help me, being the most amazing person he is.

Once we finished, I decided to take a shower since the bullet wound bled every once and a while. I grabbed some gauze and tape for after, and headed to my room. Cole was apparently taking a shower, so I had to wait.

A couple minutes later, he came out, the steam from the shower floating from the bathroom.

"Hey babe."

"Hi."

"Are you gonna take a shower?" Cole asked while hanging his towel on the door.

"Yup."

I grabbed my pajamas and pecked him on the cheek, closing the door behind me.

The gaze was pretty much covered in my blood. The hole didn't look too good either; it was puffy and swollen around the edges. I threw it in the trash and took off my ring, its gem flashing an array of colors in the warm light. Carefully placing it on the sink counter, I stepped into the shower, cringing at the stinging pain once the water hit the wound. I listened to Zane's instruction, careful not to get soap in it and let the water run it's way over the injury, slowly washing the beet red blood away.

I sighed, closing my eyes and letting the water brush through my eyelashes.

Why did I have to be so stupid? None of this would have happened if I just thought for a second and kept the gun to myself. Oh yeah, I've always wanted a bullet wound, seems like so much fun.

I opened the door once I was done, looking over at Cole who was peacefully reading a book on our bed.

"Whatcha' reading?" I asked and jumped on the bed next to him.

"Percy Jackson. I know I'm a little old for this but it was my favorite childhood book. Thought I could reread it."

I put my hands behind my wet hair, facing up towards the ceiling. "That's cool. Can't relate cause' I never really read books."

"You should. It's calming."

"I guess."

I turned on my side and laid on top of Cole's back, digging my face into his neck.

"What do you want Kai?"

"Can we cuddle?" my words were muffled from his hair.

"I'm reading!"

I whined. I could imagine Cole rolling his eyes. "Pleeasseeee?"

I heard him slam the hardcover book shut, placing it on the bedside table and rolling over to hug me. I smiled in his chest, snuggling into his warmth. He kissed my nose and held me tighter.

Gosh I love this guy.

"I love you." I muffled into his pajamas.

"Love ya hair gel."

"I don't wear that much hair gel anymore." I defended myself.

"True. But you've always done your hair with gel in general."

"It's my classic look!"

"You do you."

I took his hand and played with his fingers, feeling his soft skin touch mine. His ring was just as flashy as mine, if not flashier. I do have a good taste in rings.

I intertwined my fingers into his, closing my eyes and listening to his soft breathing. He gripped my hand tighter, almost too tight, but I didn't care. His hair smelled of the shampoo we used, and it was still damp and wet from the water.

I shifted around and looked up at Cole. His eyes were closed but I could tell he wasn't sleeping. I brushed the wet strands of hair from his face, my fingers trailing down to his cheek.

God why am I so lucky?

I longed to stare into his shining green eyes, but he looked like he wanted to sleep. Bummer. I didn't want to go to bed yet.

"Cole, dont fall asleep yet. It's too early."

"Kai it's ten o'clock. I think we should hit the hay."

He turned on his side, the back of his striped pajamas facing me. His comforting body heat instantly perished as he pulled away. I groaned and bothered him more, collapsing on his side and poking him.

"No I don't wanna."

"Why are you so annoying today?"

"Why are you so mean today?"

"I am not mean!"

"Yes you are." I pretended to speak in a childish voice.

"I cuddled with you. Now you gotta do what I wanna do and that's sleep."

"Ugh. Fine."

I got up and closed the lights, the shimmering glow from the bright moon filtering through the windows. I silently padded to the edge of the bed, snuggling into Cole as he pulled the blanket over us.

"Good night."

"Night'."

I stared through the window into the snow covered mountains. Luckily, Sensei canceled sunrise exercise since it snowed heavily the night before, but it gave me a good chance to meditate with Cole in the morning. We decided (more like he did) to meditate every morning at five so that my hot tempter could calm down. It did help, and it was calming to sit in the dark room and listen to the faint popping of the candles.

A warm bowl of pho was placed in front of me, the basil and chicken aroma drifting to my nose. Zane had made it from last night, and we had extra, so he whipped up a batch for breakfast.

I picked up the wooden chopsticks, picking at the noodles and slurping the delicious food.

"Good as always." Cole commented as he stuffed more noddles in his mouth.

The snow drifted down peacefully outside. It looked so fluffy and fresh, like it was calling out to me, giving me an urging feeling of jumping right in it. Cole rested his chin on my shoulder, his soft lips grazing just the slightest over the skin of my cheek.

"What's so interesting out there?"

I sighed. "I wanna go play outside."

Cole gasped excitedly. "You mean like a snowball fight?"

"Yeah! Exactly!" I stood up quickly, the screeching noise of the wooden chair legs sliding across the floors. "Guys, we should go outside and have a snowball fight!"

"I'm in!" Jay raised his hand with a mouthful of noodles. Nya giggled.

"The challenge is on. Great idea Kai." Zane's eyes lit up with a childlike glow.

"Already on it!" Lloyd sounded from the doorway, dressed from head to toe in fluffy, snow gear. He did look adorable with his green beanie, the white pom pom on top dangling around.

"Aww little Lloyd still likes to play." I got up and walked over to the green ninja, ruffling his head. He laughed and fixed his hat, his giggle giving me old memories from when we were young.

"When did I ever stop wanting to play?"

Cole shrugged. "We just think it's adorable little green machine." my fiancé flashed a goofy smile that made me want to laugh too.

"Well what are we waiting for? First one to finish wins!" Pixal yelled before stuffing her face. Lloyd and I scrambled back to the table, sending soup and noodles everywhere.