Calling Lloyd seemed to become a regular occurrence after he left.

You see, it's funny because I'm terrible when talking on the phone. I get horrible, horrible anxiety. It's actually really bad.

So that made the first time that Lloyd called a total blast and a half.

The majority of the call (which was only a pitiful two minutes) pretty much consisted of us saying hi, Lloyd complaining that his 'brothers' were being annoying, then a hasty goodbye when an old man called him out for being on the phone while training. I shrugged the abrupt ending off.

As the number of conversations increased, so did the amount of time we spoke together did. Two weeks on, and we were having hour calls deep into the night without having a breather to think of a new topic. With Lloyd, words just seemed to roll right off the tongue. I began to grow comfortable around him.

At least, on the phone. In reality, I absolutely had a long way to go.

More than a couple of times had I talked to his friends, or 'brothers' (plus sister), or the rest of his team. Either way you put it, it was still the other five teenagers he hangs out with. Whether it was from them stealing his phone or butting in on our conversations. It always pissed Lloyd off to no end, but I just found the whole predicament hilarious.

"So what's the verdict for today?" I asked after I chimed a hello to Lloyd. He sighed.
"Mountain moving. With my mind."
I tried not to gasp aloud or huff in disbelief at his dismissive tone.
"Cool," I said, struggling to withhold my awe. Gotta keep it cool, gotta keep it cool. "Wish I could see it."
Lloyd chuckled from over the line, still warm even through the static. It made my heart flutter.
"I wish you were here, too."

The rest of the call lasted two hours. I shuddered to think of how my mother was going to react when she got the phone bill.

Eh. Lloyd's worth it.

The next day, I had organised to go hang out at the mall with Claire, Naomi and Aaliyah. We were supposed to go watch The Greatest Showman in the cinemas, but Claire decided last minute that she'd rather go see Jumangi: Welcome to the Jungle. I tried not to look hurt as Aaliyah eagerly took Claire's side, as I was looking forward to hearing Hugh Jackman sing. Naomi patted my shoulder, sending me a sympathetic smile as we lined up for our tickets. Maybe another day.

After the movie, the others insisted on going to Hot Topic and splurging their money on clothing. I trailed along behind them, trying to look at least interested as they fawned over material possessions they had yearned to obtain. I nodded when I supposed to, shook my head when I was practically urged to, not really putting in my personal input because honestly I didn't care if that peach shirt went with Aaliyah's streaks.
Claire ended up spending over one hundred and twenty dollars on a new leather jacket. I'm pretty sure that's her seventh.
Naomi just bought a shirt that was on sale.
As we left the store, she discreetly handed me a keychain with the green ninja symbol on it. I tried not to look panicked as a sudden thought of holy shit she knows crossed my mind. When I glanced up, there wasn't an indication that she knew that Lloyd was the Green Ninja. I almost sighed with relief.

"I know how much you like the ninja, and I saw that they had these at the checkout," Naomi said with a warm smile. "Claire can be a stubborn brute at times, and she seems to be targeting you recently. I hope this at least makes you feel a little better about today."

Targeting me? I tilted my head in confusion, but sent Naomi a thankful grin as I attached it to my keys. I quickly wrapped my arms around her, pulling her into a swift hug.
"That's really cool of you," I said before stepping back. "Thank you."

Yeah, just wait 'till Lloyd sees it and teases the hell out of me.

Naomi waved me off, blowing a raspberry nonchalantly.
"Really, it's nothing," she insisted, before her expression dropped and sent me a curious look.
"How're you and Lloyd?"

I swiftly dropped my gaze to the ground, cursing how quickly my cheeks began to burn. Naomi grinned, playfully elbowing me in the ribs.
"Alright you love bug," she began cheekily. "Spill for 'Nomes."

I soon caved, sending her an excited smile with flushed cheeks.
"He's adorable!" I gushed, subconsciously playing with the green ninja keychain. "He's so sweet. He's on holiday at the moment, but we have these really long phone calls and he's honestly made me the happiest I've been in a long while."

Naomi happily smiled for me, slinging her arm around my shoulder and pulling me close.
"Man, I'm so happy for you!" she exclaimed proudly. "He sounds a lot nicer than how people describe him as."

I eagerly nodded.
"He's nothing like what people think - I'm pretty sure there isn't a mean bone in his body."

"What are ya guys talking about?" Aaliyah chimed in, flinging her arms around our shoulders. "Sorry!" she chirped when her shopping bags accidentally hit us on our sides. We just laughed it off, before Naomi filled Aaliyah in.

"Getting serious," she noted with a sly grin. "Kissed yet?"
I snorted, shaking my head.
"As if."

"But he likes you back, right?" Aaliyah asked. I shrugged as we walked.
"I think so? Maybe," I replied. "How do you know if a boy likes you?"

"Alright, well there's at least five indicators," Naomi said as she put her hand out in front of us, spreading her fingers. She touched her thumb with her other hand's index.
"One;" she began in a serious tone. "You guys don't go a day without at least some basic form of communication."

Check. I nodded.

"Two;" Aaliyah inputted. "You've hung out somewhere, just the two of you."

Check.

"Three;" Naomi continued, "he's introduced you to his closest friends."

Checkaroo.

"Four;" Aaliyah frowned in seriousness. "He's made at least some basic romantic moves on you."

Life hurts, can I hold your hand all the time?
I blushed. Check.

"And five;" Naomi began triumphantly. "He's trusted you with at least one thing, whether it's a secret or a personal possession, anything of the like."

I blinked. Yeah, that's a definite check.

"Yeah, that's all of them," I breathed, glancing down at the green ninja symbol in my fingers. I could feel that my face was a bright red.

Aaliyah laughed joyously, while Naomi squealed and clapped her hands. I giggled as they grabbed my arms in excitement.
"This is amazing!" Naomi cried, gaining stares from passerbys. "You're both head over heels for each other! That's so cute!"

"I - I don't know about head over heels," I mumbled, staring at the ground and pushing a lock of hair behind my ear.

"Don't be stupid, Y/n!" Aaliyah exclaimed with a wide grin. "The indicators don't lie!"

I huffed a short laugh at my friends' enthusiasm.
"I just don't want to get my hopes up," I claimed with a shrug.

"We're teenagers, Y/n!" Naomi reminded. "We're supposed to have high hopes, we're supposed to take risks! We're at the part of our life where we live through experiences. How can you live through this experience if you don't have the guts to charge into it, head held high?"

Aaliyah and I stared at Naomi in awe with gaping mouths.
"That was... strangely poetic," Aaliyah commented, glancing at a store as we passed.
"Thank you," Naomi grinned. "I've been taking extra classes through summer school."

We giggled, huddling together. I was smiling wide, elated to hang out with Naomi and Aaliyah again, just like old times. Before Claire came along.

"What's Lloyd doing on his holiday?" Aaliyah asked. I frowned in thought. All I could remember was that he said something about a flying boat.
"He's on a cruise," I bent the truth. "He says it's pretty cool, but tiring."

"Oof," Naomi commented while clutching her stomach. "I don't understand how anybody can handle big long cruises like that."
Aaliyah sent Naomi an amused look.
"Not everybody has sea sickness, genius."

"What are you guys talking about?" Claire interrupted our conversation, bowling up and slinging an arm around Aaliyah and Naomi. I turned my gaze to my shoes, frowning softly.

"Lloyd and Y/n absolutely adore each other," Naomi gushed, grinning wide. Claire didn't look impressed.
"Kissed yet?"
I shook my head. Claire snorted in amusement, shaking her head.
"Boys don't like you until they kiss you," she explained offhandedly. "It's a fact of life."

My frown deepened as my shoulders began to slouch. Naomi and Aaliyah drew silent, not daring to speak up against Claire. I sighed, before breaking off from the group.
"I'm gonna grab a drink," I said to them, forcing a smile. "I'll meet up with you guys later."

They left without a word, Naomi sending me a small wave as Claire steered her away. I dropped my facade, revealing my sad frown as I turned to the cafe. As I stepped back towards it, I bumped into a body, making me gasp and instantly apologise at the grey-haired man.

I glanced up at his eyes and was immediately struck by how familiar they were. I narrowed my gaze, wracking my brain to try and figure out what I was making a connection to.

"Can I help you?" the man asked politely. I jumped, shaking my head and returning to the real world.
"Sorry," I apologised. "You just remind me of somebody."

The man frowned at me, confused.
"I don't believe we've met before," he claimed. I shrugged, before realising that people were staring at the man with frowns and grimaces. I glanced back at the man, concerned, but saw that he didn't seem bothered by he blatant glares.

He smiled warmly, and then it struck me - Holy shit this is Lloyd's dad.

"You're- you're Lord Garmadon," I breathed, staring at him with widened eyes. Garmadon shifted on his feet, smile faltering as he struggled to keep from scowling.
"It's Sensei, now," he explained, trying hard to keep his voice steady. I couldn't blame him. I now understood why everybody was staring - and how rude I must've come off as.

"Oh," I simply nodded, grinning weakly save it save it save it. This is your crush's dad, if you don't make a good impression on him, you may as well say goodbye to having anything with Lloyd.
"No wonder you looked familiar to me," I continued, despite Garmadon's rapidly steeling glare and forced smile. "You're Lloyd's Dad."

Something flashed in Garmadon's eyes. Anger, with a hint of regret and self-pity. His smile instantly dropped into a scowl.
"Listen," he snarled, making me shrink under his glare, fuck fuck fuck you ruined your only chance. "If you have anything against my son just because I'm his father-"

I instinctively caught him off with a "what? No!" and wide eyes. Garmadon stopped mid-sentence, caught off guard by my sudden exclamation. "No, no. I'm a friend of his. I'm Y/n."

Garmadon's scowl was instantly replaced by a wide, genuine smile as his glare changed into an apologetic expression.
"You're the Y/n that's he's been going on about?" he asked, but didn't leave me time to answer because then he grabbed my hand and shook it, smile not fading anytime soon.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you," he claimed. "Sorry about my behaviour."

I shook my head, softly returning his smile.
"It's absolutely fine, Mr. Garmadon," I accepted his apology. "I can't blame you, people can be..."

"Quite prejudicial," Garmadon finished.

I grinned sadly, though it felt more like a grimace. "Unfortunately."

Garmadon's expression soon turned amused as he lightened up the conversation.
"So, you're the girl making my son lose concentration during training," he stated. I blushed, laughing a little in embarrassment.

"Uhh," I mumbled, not quite sure how to reply. "Sorry?"

Garmadon laughed, patting my shoulder.
"Don't be sorry," he shook his head, before walking towards the cafe. I trailed beside him. "I'm actually very thankful for you."

I blinked.
"You are?"

"Indeed," Garmadon nodded as he scoured the menu, sending me a grateful smile. "I'm glad he found a girlfriend. He's a lot more happy now, thanks to you."

"O-oh, we're not dating," I corrected, cheeks aflame. Garmadon took one look at my blushing face, before sending me a look with raised eyebrows.
"Are you sure?"
I nodded.
"Huh," he mumbled, before stepping up and ordering a flat white. The cashier kept peeking at Garmadon with wide eyes, but it didn't seem to bother Lloyd's dad.

I ordered a hot chocolate, grabbing my number and following Garmadon to an empty table. I took a page out of Sensei Garmadon's book and ignored the stares being sent my way as I took a seat across from Lloyd's dad.

"I hope you don't mind me asking, but why aren't you with the others?" I asked as I hung my purse on the back of my chair.
"Not at all," Garmadon kindly shook his head. "I trust you know that I recently got rid of my evil ways..?"

I sent him an awkward smile.
"Uhh, no, sorry," I apologised. "I've just moved back from Jamanakai, and I never really kept up with the news."

Garmadon nodded in understanding, not minding that I was clueless.
"Thanks to the ninja, I was drained of the evil that coursed through my veins," he explained. "Because I spent so many years away, I missed time with my wife, Misako. Now that I'm back to normal, Misako and I are using the three weeks as a way to get to know each other again."

Whoa, that's ultra cute.

I sent Garmadon a smile as I leant my arms on the table.
"That sounds really sweet," I complimented. "So, now that you're a Sensei, do you help train the ninja, too?"

Garmadon nodded.
"Yes," he said, smiling as a waitress placed his flat white on the table with shaking hands. "Wu and I share the responsibility of training them."

I nodded in acknowledgement, before frowning.
"You guys live in a monastery, correct?" He nodded. "I thought fighting wasn't allowed in Monasteries?"

Garmadon smiled as he raised his coffee.
"Observant," he noted. "Yes, that's correct. However, training is allowed. Have you been to our home yet?"

I shook my head.
"No, but it must be really cool to live in a monastery," I said with a small laugh. "At least, much better than an apartment."

Garmadon's smile grew amused as he took a sip of his coffee.
"The culture is very interesting," he agreed. "I'm sure if you ask Lloyd, he'll be more than happy to teach you."

My expression brightened.
"Really? That would be awesome!"

"You're welcome to come around whenever," he invited. "I'm sure Misako would love to meet you."

"I'm looking forward to meeting her, too," I commented, taking a sip of my hot chocolate that was just placed down. "They're coming back Friday, right? Would I be allowed to visit the monastery then?"

Garmadon nodded.
"Of course, I don't see a problem with it," he said, making me smile.

"Cool! I can't wait."

"Focus, Lloyd!" Wu ordered the blonde boy. Lloyd grunted, straining as he directed all of his energy at a small mountain from aboard the Destiny's Bounty. "If your concentration slips, even just a little bit, you will never achieve your goal."

Lloyd exhaled heavily, glaring at the mountain with his hands outstretched towards it. He called for his power, dipping down into his very core to take control of it and will for the mountain to move. The rest of his team were watching silently, under the orders to not move a muscle. If they so much as coughed, Lloyd would lose focus and have to start all over again.

Sweat beaded on his forehead, running down his face in warm, salty rivulets. Still, Lloyd didn't dare so much as flick away his hair that covered his face, in fear of losing concentration and having to start all over again.

There was a rumble in the distance, making Lloyd's hope soar. He'd spent three hours trying, and that was the most he'd achieved in one burst.

With renewed energy, he pushed more of his power onto his task, and he could see a crack forming through the top of the mountain, rocks and shrubbery tumbling down the side of the mountain.

Lloyd's phone suddenly beeped with a text notification, and he felt the field of concentration shatter around him. He collapsed against the mast, heaving, while welcoming a helpful splash from Nya with open arms.

Jay grabbed Lloyd's phone before he could protest, and immediately began busting a gut laughing.
"Lloyd!" he cried in amusement. "Your dad just met Y/n, and get this! He sent you a list of baby names!"

Lloyd's face paled for a second, before turning a shade of furious read as his team laughed at his expense. Even Wu chuckled.
His teammates surrounded the phone, pointing out their preferred names while Lloyd just sighed and held his face in his hands.

"Oh, Dad," he shook his head, leaning against the mast.