Work Text:
Saturday
June 12,
20XX
Cole's always been like the big brother to our team.
Everyone on our team has a sort of role that they play both on and outside the battlefield. It wasn't decided or planned, it just came naturally, like it was our first instinct, our subconscious minds all collectively working together at the same time to pull together a solid unit. It's crazy. I don't exactly know what my role is yet, but I have my friends pretty much figured out.
Lloyd is our leader. He's the glue that holds us together. He makes sure that we're at our best, allowing us to function as a well-oiled machine. I can't believe I ever wanted to be the leader. The stress he must go through on the daily makes my head spin. He not only has the weight of the entire country resting on his shoulders, but he also has the weight of his friend's well-being on them as well. I kind of feel bad for him in a way, but you know what they say about fate. Besides, he seems alright. I still worry about him though.
Zane is our tactician. His sharp wit helps us strategize against the enemy, while also keeping us grounded mentally. With so much emotional baggage that all of us carry, it's easy for us to let our emotions control us. He helps keep us in check I guess.
Jay is our engineer and our comic relief in a way. Don't get me wrong, he's absolutely brilliant. His mastery of robotics is unmatched, and sometimes I have absolutely zero idea how he can pull off some of the things he does. But he also keeps us laughing. His antics and wit keep us sane when it gets hairy, and if we didn't have him on our side, this team would have crumbled a long time ago. Sometimes I wish he got a little more appreciation. We pick on him a lot, and I worry that it gets to his head. I don't mean anything I say to him. Sometimes I wish I wasn't so shitty with words, because he means a lot to me. He really does.
And Cole...
Cole is our rock. He's our foundation, our supportive structure that helps pick us up when we crumble. Whenever one of us falls behind, Cole's the one who goes back to help pick us back up. This team is basically nothing without him. He's so kindhearted, and he cares so much about everybody on this team. He'd gladly take a bullet for any of us, which is something I absolutely adore about him. He looks scary and brooding on the outside, but on the inside, he's a big ol softie. He's such a warm fella inside and out, making him so easy to talk to. He's also really mature, and wise too, it's like he has advice on every life situation on the planet. Everybody knows that when you need somebody to talk to, you go to Cole. That's just who he is, who he's always been.
Our Big Brother.
He's always been the one to go to if we needed a shoulder to cry on. You could go to him at 3 in the morning crying your eyes out, and he'd immediately rush to your side. He wouldn't even have to think twice. He'd just take you by the shoulder, lead you into his room, and hold you till sunrise. He wouldn't even get pissed that you woke him up. Hell, that would be the least of his worries at that moment.
I remember when Zane died a while back, after defeating the overlord. About three weeks before the team split up, I was in absolute shambles. I refused to eat, or even sleep. All I did was train. I needed some way to release everything, to get all of that...hurt, out of my system. My hands were practically bloody from punching the wooden dummies so many times. I knew it was unhealthy, and I knew that I needed to talk to somebody. So, I went to Cole.
It was late at night, everyone else had gone to bed, and I knocked on his door. When he opened it, he saw the state I was in, and without even thinking, he pulled me into a hug. After that, I couldn't keep it in anymore. For the first time in what felt like for fucking ever, I cried. Like, actually cried. But he didn't shun me, or call me weak. He just...held me. He brought me into his room and held me for hours, letting me scream, cry, and just vent all of my anger and pain into him until I eventually fell asleep. The next morning I woke up in my room, tucked into bed like a small child. God...if he wasn't there, I don't even want to think about what would have happened to me.
I think that's why I fell for him like I did. He cares so much about this team, and everybody in it. He's selfless, wise, and incredibly kind. I wish the whole world was filled with people like him.
Although sometimes I wonder who Cole has. I mean, we have him, but who does he have? Yeah, he has us, and God knows I'd do what he did for me, a thousand times over if I needed to. But he's so closed off, he never comes to us with his problems. He focuses all of his time on us, but he never spends any time on himself. It worries me honestly. Holding onto the emotional baggage of the entire team can't be easy on him. He can only carry so much weight, weight that his super strength can't help him with.
Cole, if you're reading this, 1- get the hell out of here, and 2- please just open up buddy. I care about you, a lot.
Hell, I fucking love you.
-Kai