*takes place after Lloyd's father sacrifices himself*

*also spoiler for Order Of The Phoenix (Harry Potter)*

You should have been expecting this, really. It was probably one of the most obvious things Lloyd would do.

You sighed and gave your roommate an apologetic look. "Maybe it's a welcome gift?"

"Thousands of packing peanuts? Three months after we moved in?" she asked, clearly unimpressed.

Lloyd, the blond little shit, had filled up your cupboards with styrofoam packing peanuts. Your roommate, Lily, had only wanted some fruit snacks. Instead, she got a practical joke from your boyfriend.

It was beyond your knowledge on how Lloyd kept getting into your dorm, what with all the security, unseen. But you suppose that it was simply because he was a ninja. It's his job to be unseen.

Still, you were mad at him for doing it in the first place. Like when he wrapped your dresser in duct tape early in the week. You were late to a class because of it. But when you called him to chew him out for it, he denied (snickering as he did so) being in or near your dorm at all.

"You can't keep doing this, Lloyd," you said. "I don't have my own room anymore. It's not just me you're pranking."

He had said nothing for a while, then muttered a quiet "okay" before hanging up.

Now it looked like he was back at it again after two weeks of peace. You sighed, heading towards the closet for the vacuum.

You already knew there would be more packing peanuts in the closet before you opened it.

"Are you serious!?" you yelled, tugging on your shoes harder. This did nothing, though, seeing as how they were glued to the floor.

"No, he's dead!" your roommate called from the kitchen. She was kind enough to make breakfast for the two of you before you went shopping for things for your dorm.

"Not helping!" you called back, dropping the laces in defeat.

Lily poked her head in your doorway, frowning. "If Lloyd is such a problem, why don't you ask him to stop?"

You sighed. You have told him, but he hasn't stopped, and hasn't showed any sign of wanting to.

"I swear" Lily said narrowing her green eyes, "if he pops up from one of the discount bins at Target, I'm kicking him."

You smiled, amused. "How do you plan to do that? He's a ninja."

She huffed. "I took a week long self defense class. And I'm always armed with pepper spray."

"I'm shaking in my imaginary boots." You said. Lily had the hand-eye coordination of an asparagus, and if she was going to kick anything, it would probably end in her falling on her ass.

"Well, you can't even shake in your actual shoes! You really need to sit down and talk to Lloyd. This is getting ridiculous." She then turned around and went back to the kitchen, presumably to finish making breakfast.

You sighed, and leaned back. You knew it would be next to impossible to have a serious conversation with Lloyd, but it had to happen.

Besides, maybe it won't be that bad. Maybe he'll just listen to what you had to say.

It was obvious he wasn't going to listen as soon as he stepped through the door. He kissed you hello, then proceeded to talk, completely avoiding the topic of his pranking.

"Sometimes I swear" Lloyd says, chewing on a sandwich that he found in your fridge "The guys think it's funny to give me the worst chores. I had to clean the bathroom after taco tuesday, and let me tell you, not fun."

Tuesday he had covered your car in sticky notes.

"Lloyd-"

"Then on Saturday Jay forced me into shopping with him. He made me carry ten of his bags. And that wasn't even half of them!"

Saturday he filled your entire dorm with cups full of water. It took hours to clean up.

"Lloyd-"

"And Monday! Cole tried cooking something, and I got put on dish washing duty. I have no idea what he was making, but he ruined fourteen plates."

Lloyd put chocolate syrup in your shampoo Monday.

"Lloyd!" you yelled, finally getting his attention, and startling him so much he dropped his sandwich.

"Jeez y/n. You scared the crap out of me." he frowned at the floor. "And you made me drop my sandwich."

"You need to stop pranking me." you said, not letting the conversation turn onto something else.

You swore you saw something like hurt flicker behind Lloyd's green eyes. "What?"

"Don't play dumb."

"I'm not doing anything!"

You sighed and pinched the bridge of your nose. "Look, it was funny the first couple of times. But now its affecting my daily life! It's not just me you're pranking anymore Lloyd, it's my roommate as well."

"I didn't mean to-"

"I know." you interrupted. "I know you didn't. But things are different now. You can't keep doing this."

The green ninja said nothing for a moment, then, "Why does it have to be different?"

You looked at your boyfriend, confused, as he kept talking.

"Everything is different. You're gone at school all the time, I'm supposed to be some sort of leader, my dad is gone," Lloyd met your eyes and you nearly cried. He never really talked about his dad's sacrifice, but when he did he got  an awful empty look in his eyes.

"Why can't this stay the same?"

And finally you understood.

Lloyd's life was always changing unexpectedly. It was kind of part of his job to be used to the unexpected. But time after time in his personal life, things have changed too.

He found out he was the most powerful being in all of ninjago. He found his mom. He lost Zane. He lost his father. Everytime he would get used to something, it would change. You could understand why pranking you was so important now, why he wouldn't stop.

He just wanted a constant.

"I'm sorry Lloyd. I didn't know you felt that way."

"I should be the one apologizing." He said, looking at his feet sheepishly. "It's stupid, really. I shouldn't cling onto things like this. Change is natural."

"But it's happened to you so much, I can understand-"

"It's fine-"

"Its really not." you interrupted.  "You didn't tell me- I didn't know. You should have told me!" you said, suddenly angry for a whole other reason. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Now you're mad at me for two things? Geez, y/n. I'm not even trying."

He pulled you into him, arms wrapped around you, his face in your hair.

"You've been busy with school. I didn't want to distract you with something so dumb." he muttered.

"It's not dumb. I'm never to busy for you." you pulled away from him. "And getting back to the subject on your pranks...."

He gave you a guilty smile. "No more pranks?"

"I wouldn't say that. I'm limiting you to three times a month. And," you added, smirking "you need to step up your game. I'm seeing some repeats."

"You dare insult my ability of practical jokes? I am offended." Lloyd said, his face the very definition of mischievousness.

"Ugh." you heard from behind you.

You turned around, cheeks heating up as you spotted Lily in her doorway, chewing on a granola bar.

"Lily! How long have you been standing there?"

"Did you forget I live here too? I heard your angst fest over my episode of Riverdale." she took another bite of granola, and looked at you both for a second. "You guys are so married."

"Lily!"

Well, you weren't yet.

But when you actually did get married, she somehow always knew when to show up in the middle of supposed-to-be-private moments. 

LATER GOLDER HEARTS!!!!

~ HeartOfGold12