Warning: male love interest. An adorable little gay one-shot. If you're homophobic then...sucks I guess I'm still writing this.

Title taken from Reinaeiry's Shop Full of Wonders
*******

The shrieks were deafening, splitting through the air like knives as the band waved and smiled at the crowd, taking their instruments and moving backstage. The grins and bright eyed expressions fell as soon as they stepped off, the group slumping in the chairs backstage with exhaustion.

Cole didn't have to drag is drums away so he simply tossed his sticks in his bag and smiled at the crew member, who handed him a doughnut.

"How can you eat at this time?" Jay asked incredulously, he laid his tambourine onto the coffee table and clutched his stomach. "I feel like I'm going to throw up."

"Here's some water, babe." Nya sat down bedside him, the only girl in the band wrinkled her nose at the smell of sweat and handed the water bottle to her boyfriend. "Gosh, I can't believe my keyboard wasn't plugged in. I nearly had a heart attack."

Kai strolled by, lazily handing his red guitar over to one of the stage hands and ruffling his sister's hair. "You did a good job playing it off until they could get it on."

"Thanks for slipping backstage and getting it on, Zane." Nya nodded to the quietest of the band, the tall, pale, bass player. He didn't answer, busy talking to head of the tech crew, Pixal. The obvious blush upon his light cheeks as they spoke. 

"I don't think he's paying attention, too busy flirting with Pix." Lloyd teased, the blonde boy's green eyes twinkled as he sat down. He helped when he was hit in the head roughly with his own guitar.

"Wu!" Lloyd complained, wrestling it away from his uncle.

Their manager gave a sly smile and handed over a cup of tea to his nephew. "What did I tell you about exercising your voice before you went on stage? I can hear how sore it is."

Lloyd sighed. "I did but then Jay ran in and starting screaming-"

"I wasn't screaming!" Jay cut in.

Kai raised and eyebrow. "Well you certainly weren't talking calmly."

Wu's brow furrowed. "What happened? Why wasn't a made aware of any problems?"

"It's nothing, Wu." Cole snickered, licking his fingers and leaning back, moving over on the couch so Zane could sit down. "Jay just found another thing on Instagram shipping Nya and Lloyd together and went nutty."

Nya patted her boyfriend's shoulder sympathetically as he pouted. "It was a really mean one!" He defended himself. "Besides, why do they always put the lead singer with whatever girl they can get their gossipy hands on? I'm attractive too!"

Kai snorted up his water but smothered it with a cough when Nya glared at him. "It's just the stereotype, Jay. Don't worry about it." Lloyd sighed, sipping at his tea. "Trust me, I'm not coming after Nya."

"Unless she steals your candy again." Zane teased.

Lloyd's face remained perfectly serious. "I will chase down anyone who steals my candy."

"Uh, Wu? There's a mob outside the doors we planned on exiting through." One of the crew members said anxiously.

They all groaned and got up to gather their things. Lloyd yanked on his green hoodie and pulled it over his face. "I'll draw them away and then double back. Place a car by the antique store."

"Thanks, green bean." Kai punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Can't have them getting all of The Ninja."

Lloyd gave a tense smile before taking his stuff and scurrying to the door. He didn't take the direct one and instead shimmied through the side exit. The fans saw him come out and went crazy, snapping pictures and lunging at the tapes and guards that held them back. Lloyd bolted, he would've stayed for autographs but unfortunately he had to get up bright and early the next morning and the signing could take hours.

He could hear them screeching behind him as he rounded the corner, slipping easily through the two buildings and into the next street. As promised his escape car was waiting. The boy stumbled into the back seat, slumping back with relief as the driver hit the gas.

"Hey Lloyd!" Dareth gave a grin as he glanced back, almost swerving into a mailbox.

Lloyd gripped the seat. Closing his eyes and cursing them for making him drive with Dareth. "Eyes on the road." He said tensely.

"Oh. Right. Sorry." Dareth turned back. Hitting the break hard when he realized he was about to go through a red light.

Lloyd face-palmed and slid down in his seat.

"Tough night?" Dareth asked.

"No." Lloyd sighed, looking out the window. "But it'll be a tough morning."

*****

The world was unnaturally sunny for such a somber morning. Of course, not everyone was feeling the same heavy emotion in his heart as he clomped slowly up the stairs. He raised his head, regarding the church before moving to the graveyard and skirting around it to the small little tombstone in the back.

Lloyd stood in front of it. He wasn't crying exactly, he had cried too many times over her to do it again. But he still felt that sorrow drag at his soul and consume him. His green gaze lifted from the grave and focused in on the name.

Harumi Jade.

Harumi has been a big time singer, going by the stage-name The Quiet One. Her family was of a lot of famous stars, like his, and they had bonded over the pressure it placed on them. He had fallen in love with her and he had been certain that she loved him too. Unfortunately, she had just been using him to get to his father and gain popularity working with him.

Her life was based on her wasting it away at trying to become the best of the best, even if that meant using people. It had broken Lloyd's heart but it was too late. She had practically ruined him by the time he found out. When Lloyd had finally regained his footing and started become a rising star again she had passed away when a earthquake happened. Rumi had been trying to save a child and their family, managing to get them out but resulted in being stuck inside the apartment as it crashed to the ground.

Lloyd has always told himself he was over her. He pushed on through like he always did. But the crack that ran through his heart said otherwise. The boy trudged into the church, watching the rising sun stream through the stain glass windows. He just sat there, alone. Milking his time before he had to go do meetings, interviews, and recordings throughout the day.

The blonde boy stood again, tucking his hands in his pockets and nodding to the startled janitor. Her mouth was agape as she recognized the celebrity strolling through the church.

Lloyd slid into a small room, hoping and praying that he'd get a few more minutes before the janitor leaked his location to the internet and Wu would call, forcing him to leave. In the room was a large, old, rickety grande piano. Chairs and other furniture were laid around, sheets placed over top of them to stop dust from collecting.

Lloyd walked up to the piano and sat down, running his hands over the dust on the instrument before he lifted up the lid. Keys stared back at him, reminding him of the old days when his dad wasn't corrupted by fame, his mom hadn't left, and it was just the three of them. All playing music.

"Move quickly but smoothly, let the notes roll off like waves." Garmadon told a young Lloyd. Of course he was only five so he had no idea what his father was talking about. The little musician opted to slam his hands around in the keys instead. Making Misako laugh when Garmadon winced at the noise.

"He's going to be our little singer." Misako would say, ruffling Lloyd's hair.

Lloyd smiled, a sad, melancholy smile as he placed his fingers on the keys. He began to play, picking together chords, notes, and tunes. Simply basking in the beautiful feeling of creating music. This was what it used to feel like. Emotions and passion flowing through his veins, translating into music as he thought and dreamed and imagined. It was nice just to pretend he could go back to those times when music wasn't work but a solid pastime that would get him through the day.

Lloyd didn't realize someone had stepped in, the boy was so absorbed that he began to sing softly to himself, letting the words radiate into the empty room.

"And I wish I could ask you why..." Lloyd whispered. "But fates always been cruel to me, cutting the tie so easily. But I just want to take back the moments when I thought that you loved me. I said I'd let go by the pain is permanent and you've let me scared..."

He broke off, hands collapsing on the notes with a horrible twang. All of his songs for the band has been more positive. Talking about rising up and overcoming. He supposed that had been his way of just forcing himself into that mentality. Refusing to allow him to let out the negative emotions. But Wu had given him too many lectures about toxic positivity for him to just ignore it longer.

"That was really nice."

Lloyd jumped so high his leg banged against the piano, making him yell out in pain.

"Oh shoot, are you okay?" Suddenly a boy was in front of him. Big blue eyes stared into his in concern.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Lloyd waved the boy off. "It didn't hurt that much."

Lloyd swallowed awkwardly, unsure what to do. The guy in front of him was around his age. Maybe slightly older by a year or two? Tall, much taller than Lloyd. With light brown hair that swept over his brow. A crooked nose was on his face as well as a small scar over his eyebrow.

"I'm Ali." The boy stuck out his hand, smiling. He had a dimple in the left corner is his mouth.

Lloyd hesitated a moment. But there was something in that crooked smile... that friendly gaze. It made his heart flutter in a way it hadn't in a long time.

His own lips turned upwards as he stared up at Ali. "I'm Lloyd."

Authors note****

Yeah... I was lazy and just ended it here but thank you so much for the 1K I really appreciate it!!!! It means so much to me! I hope you all are doing well! Feel free to make a prompt! I could really use some suggestions!

LuckyBugBooks 🐞