***Set during Season 6, while Jay and Nya are at the lighthouse together. She hasn't yet confessed her feelings for him ;)

Welcome to some angst. This is what I did while warming up to write "Compatible".***

***(Nya's POV)***

Stuck together. Why does that always seem to describe Jay Walker and me? On our first date, I was captured by Serpentine and tied to a broken roller coaster. If their plan had gone right, I would have caught fire and fallen to my death.

You know who was up there with me, ready to die with me if that's what it took?

Jay.

I think that was the moment I realized he'd found his way into my heart. I'd never meant to let him get that close – I hadn't intended to let anyone that close – but that's what happened. We were stuck together.

And there were so many good moments we had after that. But he got too close – I got too close – and...I confess, that scared me.

So I left. I didn't want to be stuck together with him.

And then there was Chen's island. I ran for who knows how long from a wizard and a crazy noodle salesman who wanted me dead. And who do I run into in that forest, but Jay Walker himself?

We were stuck together.

And once that whole fiasco was over and we got back to Ninjago, it just seemed like he kind of forgot about me. You could tell sometimes in the way that we talked that he might've missed what we had, but...I resigned myself to the idea that maybe we wouldn't be stuck together anymore.

And I promised myself I'd be okay with that. I persuaded myself I didn't need anyone.

What am I saying? I still don't need anyone.

But – well, maybe now...I do?

I hate these mixed feelings inside of me.

It all started up a few months ago. I could tell Jay had changed when I destroyed the Cursed Realm. I had thought he'd left his romantic feelings for me behind, but they suddenly seemed to be back. He started flirting with me again, doting on me again, excessively worrying about me when anything seemed wrong.

And I just wasn't the girl who wanted that anymore. I'm still not.

"You look lost in thought," Jay says softly.

I look up to see his blue eyes, one red and irritated from his time on Nadakhan's ship. He won't talk about what happened, and that bothers me. Jay never has trouble talking.

His eyes are too caring. It hurts my heart to look into them, so I glance down.

Once again, we're stuck together. And I'm running as hard as I can to escape that.

Why does it seem as though destiny is always trying to thrust us back together? I can't take any more damage to my heart. I can't let him be so close to me.

His hand rests on my shoulder. "Nya?"

I bite my lip. Part of me wants to spill all, to tell him that I really do love him. That I always have, and that I'm sorry for all the pain he's gone through because of me.

But I'm stronger than that. I don't need anyone. I don't want anyone.

I shrug out of his touch. "I'm fine, Jay. Just feeling cooped up." Just feeling like we're stuck together.

"I understand that," he says nervously. "Um, my parents love to tell the story of the time I accidentally locked myself in my closet. I got so anxious, being closed in there and all, that I built a battering ram out of toy blocks and punched through the drywall." He laughs timidly.

I smile in spite of myself. It's a tale I heard a hundred times from Ed and Edna. They told it back when Jay and I were dating. They always liked me, always said I was good for him.

But who are they kidding? I don't know that I'm good for anyone. I'm not even good for myself.

"Did I say something wrong?" Jay frowns. "You look upset."

And this is the problem with being stuck with an over-nurturing, incredibly caring ex-boyfriend who can read your feelings like an open book.

Stuck together.

"Jay, do you ever feel like...like fate is chasing you down, and it won't let up no matter what you do?" And believe me, I've tried everything to stop it. I don't want to be this close to someone.

Who am I kidding? It's all I want.

"Fate?" he asks, sitting beside me. "You don't mean with Nadakhan, right? Believe me, Nya, I won't let him hurt you. He's not your destiny."

I don't miss his unspoken message: He believes he's my destiny. He says he saw it.

I told him that I believe he saw it. He just has no idea that I saw it, too.

I scoot my chair a few inches away from his. "I can take care of myself, Jay. Thank you for offering to protect me and all, but...I'm not helpless."

"I know, but...I just can't bear the idea of anything happening to – "

"I get it, Jay." He's broached the topic of our relationship so many times in the past forty-eight hours. He's wearing me down.

He sighs. "I'm sorry. I know you don't like to hear me talk about 'us'."

"I..." It's not like I'm not already thinking about it. "Jay, I just...think we should maybe..." Kiss and make up. "Never mind."

"It's okay. You can talk to me." He holds out his hand, offering it to me.

Do I dare take it?

I wouldn't take it to prove a point just a week ago. But now? When we're mostly hopeless, except for the hope we have in each other? When it's very likely I'm going to be kidnapped by an evil Djinn and forced into marriage? When...Jay and the rest of Ninjago could very well die, given that Nadakhan will have infinite wishes?

I slowly place my hand in his, and warmth floods me at the touch. It always does. I'm powerless to stop these feelings I have for him.

The first words I want to say are "I love you". Thankfully, those aren't what come out of my mouth.

"Jay, you're a really great fr-friend."

He smiles, but the expression is pained. "That's all we are, and that's all we're ever gonna be. I get it. But just so you know, I really do love you, and I'm going to protect you."

Back when I was younger – when I was just a teenage girl dating the cute and dorky class clown – I would've liked that. I would've enjoyed Jay's protection.

But now I'm older, and I don't revel in that kind of thing.

"You mean a lot to me," is all I manage to say.

"Thanks, Nya." He looks at the ground. "Um, just to keep your mind off things...do you want to check out all the traps we've set again?"

We both know that our traps are as good as they're going to get, but that's not his point.

I smile at his attempt to make me feel better. I can tell he's scared, too.

"Thanks, Jay. I'd love to." I rise, still holding his hand, and lead him down the hall.

I know that letting him feel like he's doing something to help me is therapeutic for him. And he's been through a lot these past few days – he needs some therapy.

And since we're stuck together, I might as well nurse him through his anxieties.

Something tells me that even if we weren't forced together by cruel kismet, I'd still help him recover.