[ Ninjago: The Descendants of the Elements] 

[ Ship: Atlas x Lily ] 

[ Warning: teen drinking ] 

I'm stuck. Stuck in the worst kind of love I could ever get myself into. Falling in love with your best friend. Is falling in love with your friend a bad thing? - I have been asking myself this question for almost five years.

For someone yes, for someone else no. After all, we spend almost every free moment with each other, study together, train together, eat together... We've known each other practically since the cradle, so each of us knows the other's deepest secrets, we're constantly telling each other things that would make others think we're crazy, we complain about parents and teachers, and we're just always there for each other to help each other. We are an amazing duo that has a special bond.

However, best friend status is... not enough for me. Sometimes I would like something more than this playful, brotherly treatment. It's not enough. I want love.

I sighed. Who am I trying to fool? She sees in me no one other than a best friend or brother. How do I know this? Because the proof is right in front of me. She stands against the wall and listens with a wide smile to the chatter of some boy who smiles flirtatiously at her and whispers all sorts of things in her ear, making her laugh or her blush. 

I could only watch from distance with a cup of alcohol in my hand. Each of her smiles and laughter drove me to the edge of my endurance, but she paid no attention to me... only to this stupid human, looking like a common '' bad boy'' who has a new girlfriend every week. I hated, frankly despised this kind of person. Seriously, my blood was boiling with each passing minute, and my hand squeezed the plastic cup more and more until it crushed.

I rolled my eyes as the boy laughed at his joke, and Lily only giggled quietly. I felt jealousy, anger and annoyance, but my heart... my heart ached.

Me, Lily and our siblings were invited to a party that Tsakarem siblings had organized in their parents's absence. We were all happy and excited to have fun and went there together. But now I didn't feel the vibe of party, I didn't want to be here anymore. I don't want to watch Lily and that guy flirt.

My patience ran out when the guy leaned into her ear and whispered something, but it was hard for me to decipher over the loud music. I threw plastic cup behind me and headed toward the door. I passed a couple of teenagers on the porch and headed out into the night, toward Uncle Cyrus's house, where we were supposed to return after the party if we were drunk. Mostly Jake, Flame and Ophelia.

I sighed heavily, putting my hands in the pockets of my jacket, and stared at the sidewalk. It was late -- of course I knew the way home, which was illuminated by the streetlights. My phone in my pocket vibrated, but I decided to ignore it. Probably drunk boys sending snaps like crazy. I didn't know it was text messages from her.

- Atlas! Atlas wait! - I heard someone calling behind me. I immediately recognized the voice and turned my head toward her. Lily was running in my toward me and her hair was flying in the light, cool wind. I snorted and turned to face her completely with my hands in my pockets as I sent her a blank, frustrated look.

Lily stopped in a slight slide and put her hands on her knees to take a breath. She raised her head and sent me an annoyed look. - Atlas, what the heck? Why did you leave me there with our drunks? You promised that we would walk them together to Cyrus's villa!

For a moment I felt guilty, but she herself decided to leave me with that boy. I furrowed my eyebrows and snorted. - Just like then you left me with that boy?

Lily raised her eyebrows and after a moment she scoffed. - So that's what this is about? I guess I can talk to other people in our age! You and others are not my only friends, you know.

- I know, today you made yourself quite clear. - I hissed as fury took over again at the memory of her flirting with another boy. I turned around and started walking away.

Lily laughed in disbelief. - Gosh, Atlas. You act like you're my boyfriend who caught me cheating! You're terribly selfish! We are not a couple!

- Well, maybe I want us to be a couple! - I growled as I now looked at her. Lily quieted down and looked at me in shock. I widened my eyes in realization of what I had said and froze. It was quiet now, with only the sounds of the night surrounding us. I sighed quickly and my mind told me to back off.

- Never mind. - I quickly said.

- Atlas...

- No, it doesn't matter... Just forget about it, okay!? - I groaned suddenly frightened and felt great embarrassment about myself. I slowly took a few steps back and turned around to disappear and run away. My eyes began to burn and my sight became slightly hazy.

- Wait! Atlas! - Lily grabbed my arm and turned me to look at her. I furiously avoided her gaze.

- No, Lily! You don't have to say anything, just... I know you don't like me....

She interrupted me and sharply kissed my lips. I groaned inwardly terrified, shocked, disbelieving... What the fu...? I was too shocked to reciprocate. I awoke from my shock when Lily put her hand on my shoulder; I put my arms around her and pushed her closer to me, and she firmly grasped the collars of my jacket with her hands.

Our kiss became more needy as we tried and grasped each other greedily to get closer. Lily moved slowly away from me and looked into my eyes with a blush on her cheeks as I looked at her bewildered and with my mouth slightly open. We were both panting, struggling to catch air. Lily took my hands in hers and smiled slightly. I blinked several times and swallowed nervously.

- I love you, Atlas Cyrus Chumsworth. - she said with a voice so sincere that I almost fainted. I squeezed her hands to make sure she was real and it wasn't another one of my dreams. That's all it took for tears to appear in my eyes. Not tears of sadness, but tears of happiness. I pulled my nose quietly and giggled.

- I love you too, Lily Wanda Fox.

We now stood in comfortable silence, looking at each other with smiles and loving glances. Suddenly Lily's phone rang and interrupted our moment. She smiled apologetically and reached over to look who was calling... Tsireya?

- Hi, Tsireya. What's up? - Lily asked as she turned on the speakerphone function on her phone so I could hear as well.

- Hey... Can you please take Jake home?

- What's wrong?

- Erm... Cause there was a bang and... Jake's sitting on the fridge in the kitchen talking to Aonung's  turtle. - Tsireya replied quietly in a gentle, concern tone. Guests around her, including Flame, Eshter, Ernest, Rose and Ingrid stand in the kitchen and film with their phones the arguing Jake with the turtle, who is literally begging for help, while Aonung shouts at him to give him back the innocent reptile.

Lily and Atlas groaned togehter in exasperation. There was no better way to screw up their moment.