Tw: mild gore, mentions of death, kinda horni

Even as I slept, I worried.

It was an endless, empty void of concern. It felt boxy and claustrophobic. I seemed to just doze, not quite unconscious, yet not quite aware. My slumber was restless and I may as well just stayed awake, for what good it did.
But it wasn't worry for me. It was for Lloyd, for how another dissatisfying scenario had befallen him. I was tempted to believe that either he had terrible luck or, as the self-proclaimed fate's warrior, he was under herculean trials to prove his worth.
I wished there was more I could do. If it was what I suspected, then Lloyd shouldn't have to prove himself anymore than Uchū did - he's saved the world countless times. How much more worth could someone have in regards to Fate's finicky opinion?

It was weighing him down. With each hit, more weight was added. It was tiring him, I could tell. Mentally draining, sipping away his resolve. I worried that he'd crack. He'd break and shatter. There was only so much a person could deal with before it drove them off the edge. And none of it was even his fault, yet Lloyd's bravado, his duty or whatever excuse it was, seemed to make him think that it was.
But what could I do? Every time I tried to reassure him, to explain that he shouldn't shoulder this much blame, my words deemed useless.
That's not to say that he ignored me. It's just that no matter what I did, it seemed to concede in a restart, a reoccurring fiduciary that benefitted off of his downfall - I'd reassure him of something and then something worse would go wrong, and Lloyd would take the blame once more.

He'd stay stuck in the same position as before, forever at a stalemate.
And it seemed that I couldn't do anything to help him, except for tirelessly continuing to support him. To hope that he would let me shoulder at least some of the weight that came with who he is. But I doubted that he would. He feared that even the slightest bit of it would crush me.
I was scared for myself, of course. If this vision really was some kind of prophecy dream, then it would mean that I wouldn't die old and peaceful as I hoped - I would be murdered. And like any other sane person, the thought of my impending homicide made me uneasy.
I just hoped that Lloyd and I could do what we do best - fuck up the prophecy.

The morning was subdued and thick with unspoken words. My eyes peeled open tiredly, feeling not at all rejuvenated. My chest felt heavy, as if the prophecies themselves decided to make my lungs their perch.
I dragged in a breath and looked for Lloyd.
Unsurprisingly, I was alone.
A sigh slipped from my lips at the revelation. The sun was above the sea, and I found myself finding it odd to wake so late in comparison to the past couple of months, which had me waking well before the sun. Waking so late made me sluggish and dreary. It was still so early in the morning, probably only eight, yet I felt as if I had just ruined the entire day.
Well, nothing I could do about it. What's done was done.

My bare feet hit the wood of Lloyd's room and I found myself sitting on the edge of the mattress instead of standing like I had intended on doing. I stared at the drawings done in the clumsy hand on the walls, roving my eyes over the crayon graffiti. My heart caught when I found the first of many sketches of a green figure next to one of peach.
The weight continued to press down. Maybe Lloyd was right. Maybe I couldn't handle it.
Then how on earth could he shoulder it all on his own?

A present-day Atlas, keeping the world from collapsing.

He's not even a proper adult yet, not really. Nineteen is still so young. Was this what fate had intended? A child soldier to fight their wars?
I should stop thinking like that. My thoughts would lead me down a path of things that I couldn't help and the helpless pull on my heart would continue to swell until I was nothing but a husk of despair and hopelessness.
Hopelessness is dangerous. Hopelessness is death.
My feet lead me through the halls of the Bounty, summer humidity pressing down onto me and curling my hair. If I had to remove any more layers then I may as well remove the very skin off my body. It was even hotter on the deck.

I closed my eyes and tried to think of where Lloyd would disappear to. With Bentley, the boy could literally slink away to wherever he wanted. Travel was not a limitation when one has an elemental dragon.
I released a huff of despair. I couldn't think of where he would go. Try as I might, I was unable to picture the place where Lloyd would find sanctuary - if that's what he was doing in the first place. I didn't know him well enough to be a step ahead.
I swallowed dryly. Any semblance of an appetite was nothing but nonexistent. I felt sick, honestly, and very alone on a small, empty island with nothing but a highly-advanced ship that I didn't know how to use.
I decided a walk would do me good. Yet, even as I pushed my way through the familiar forest and engrossed myself with the little critters who had somewhat became used to me, I couldn't relax. How could I? Lloyd was gone.

I tried not to think about being stranded on a far-off island with no means of reasonable escape. I tried not to let my cursed habit of overthinking take over my rationality.
But it was so hard when there was nothing to distract myself with. I didn't have it in me to train. My phone was practically useless without connection (I needed Lloyd to send my Christmas texts - the wonder of the element of lightning). And indulging myself in the secrets of the island just felt inherently wrong without him.
I sat on the beach and curled my toes through the sand. And I waited.
'I'm pathetic,' I concluded. I tried to think of myself as an independent individual, but it seemed that as soon as Lloyd left, I didn't know what to do with myself. I used to be so good at being by myself.

The salt water lapped at my feet. I watched the waves softly rise and fall, as languid and calm as breathing. I matched my own breath to the rhythm and felt my eyes slide shut. If there really was nothing else I could do, then maybe I could try to at least soothe my frazzled mental state. Learning about your impending death seemed to take a lot out of a person.
I tried my best not to think about how a sword, sharp and precise, would feel like.
I recalled Lloyd's instructions on how to meditate. He'd sat me down one time a few weeks ago when I was stressing about college and attempted a second try at manually teaching me to meditate. It did nothing for me then. But maybe it could do something for me now?

I sighed out through my nose slowly and shifted into a comfortable position. Water still tickled my toes, but it felt natural to keep them there.
What was first? Right. Scan. I directed every bit of my attention to my body. I ran a mental evaluation of myself, down from my head to my toes. Slow and calculating and taking notes. The slight twinge between my furrowed brows, the tightness in my shoulders, the anxious twisting in my gut, the restless bobbing of my knee.
One by one I forced them to settle, to calm. Then, when my body was still and relaxed, I focused on my breathing. In through the nose, out through the mouth. I felt how my lungs expanded in my chest, how the salty air dragged through my trachea to pool inside me. How the exhale slipped through my parted lips, warm and heavy.
Then, I turned my attention to the weight of my body holding me the ground. The gravity curling around me. The heaviness of my limbs. The sand beneath me, the air fluttering through my hair, the sounds of the forest and the ocean. The taste of the salty breeze on my tongue.

I focused on the sensations. The smells, the feelings, the sounds, the tastes. My eyes were blinded but it was as if I could see everything. I could see myself. My other senses stepped up and took in the scene for me, giving me a new type of sight.
Thoughts came and went. I let them slide through my fingers like a stream. Constant, yes, but never faltering in its rhythm. I didn't focus on them, as much as they had once would've.
No overthinking. Just me. Just being in this moment, grounded. Keeping my frazzled brain down to earth and soothed.
My eyes slowly opened and it took me a few belated seconds to realise just how innately calm I was. My body had relaxed. My mind was no longer jumbled. It was as if I had turned a clean slate. No worries, no anxieties, no fears.

I should've tried meditating sooner. No wonder Lloyd did it so often. No wonder he pushed and pushed for me to try it.

I stared out at the sea and felt a little more put-together. My appetite returned and I decided that getting some breakfast was probably a good idea. What else was I supposed to do? Sit on this beach for the rest of eternity, waiting for my Prince Charming to return?
But I knew that I would, without complaint. If Lloyd wouldn't chastise me for not taking care of myself upon his return.
It was lunch by the time he had returned. Bentley landed on the beach and I stared as Lloyd approached the rock I had chosen to make my perch. I closed the book I'd been reading.
A quick once-over showed Lloyd in his pyjamas with the green ninja hoody thrown haphazardly on. His hair was a tangled, fluffy mess, evident of having his hands run through it a number of times. Heavy bags sat under his eyes. He looked terrible.
Bentley disappeared before I could get my designated cuddle.

"Hey." Lloyd sounded exhausted. He lumbered towards me, feet dragging through the sand.
"Where were you?" I asked. "You should've left a note."
"Sorry," he sighed, rubbing his green eyes. "It took longer than expected."
My brow furrowed in concern. "Did you manage to sleep?"
"No," he said quietly. "Watched over you instead. Had to keep telling myself that you're okay."
My throat began to swell. I pushed down the building worry.
"Where were you?" I asked, trying again. He didn't seem to hear me the first time. Or he forgot to answer.
"I was at the Cloud Kingdom."
I almost dropped my book into the sand. My wide eyes watched Lloyd as he leant on the rock beside me, crossing his arms and closing his weary eyes.

"You went to the Cloud Kingdom?" I asked, blinking in shock. "Why?"
It was a stupid question. I blamed my lack of adequate sleep.
"Wanted to see if they could change the vision," he answered. His head lolled, slumping over to rest on my shoulder. My cheek instinctively pressed against his hair. "They don't know anything about it."
"What?" I breathed. "How?"
"They only control prophecies," Lloyd explained. "This was not one. It's not within their jurisdiction, and even if it was, they wouldn't write you off when they've got so many prophecies for us to fulfil."
"Did we mess something else up?" I whispered. He cracked a smile.
"Knowing us? Probably."

As much as I wanted to joke it off, I couldn't help the pit of fear forming in my stomach. I didn't want to believe that it meant nothing - Lloyd didn't react to nightmares the way he did to the vision he got last night. But if it wasn't the Cloud Kingdom, then who?
"Do you think it was Uchū?" I asked, staring at the sand. He was the only other logical reason.
"Maybe," Lloyd sighed. He shrugged off the hoody and revealed the batman shirt he must've quickly shoved on before leaving. "It would make sense that it was a warning from him rather than the Cloud Kingdom. They just wouldn't write it. Something must've gone wrong and this- this was-"

Me dying was the consequence. Lloyd didn't say it, yet the words still hung heavy in the air.

He stood. I watched as his expression hardened into something determined.
"I'm not going to let you get hurt," Lloyd vowed. "Not ever again."
I sent him a patient, charmed smile.
"Lloyd, as much as I adore you and your promise," I began softly, "protecting me from every tiny little thing is impossible."
His resolve didn't falter under my reality check. Lloyd balled his fists. He was much better at pushing worries down and carrying on with life than I was. I wondered whether or not that was a good thing.
"Let's continue training," he said, already seamlessly switching to Sensei mode. "I want you able to at least execute effective basic self-defence before you leave for college. Hands up."
Oh, shoot. I guess we were doing it right then.

I placed my book to the side and slid off the rock. My bare feet landed in the giving sand, positioned almost instinctively at the spots Lloyd showed me. My hands raised, protecting my face. I would've thought that he'd at least get changed before we started, but alas.
Lloyd didn't give me the luxury of asking whether I was ready. Then again, I doubted street fights would pause just so I could get my footing. He was on me instantly, leaping into the attack with haunting ease. I was immediately on the defensive, swiping his blurred punches away with my arms before they could land a hit.
"Shouldn't you rest?" I asked, sweeping my leg and yanking it back when Lloyd's hand brushed over my calf to grab it. I had saved myself by the skin of my teeth. "You're exhausted, greenie."
"Gotta train you," he replied, as if the matter shouldn't be of anyone's concern.

"I'm sure I'll be fine for half an hour," I muttered, but didn't push. It was clear that Lloyd wanted to do this. He probably wanted to train as to clear his conscience and I couldn't blame him. It was a very effective distraction.
But Lloyd found an even better distraction - the aftermath of slamming me into the soft sand when my defences slipped.
I didn't have time to reorient myself before he found me in a searing, feverish kiss, the kind that had my heart beating out of my ears and toes curling. I jumped in surprise, not expecting anything like this (he was very serious about his duties, to the extent that I began to find Sensei Lloyd boring), but the way that his cold palm slid up my side and left a trail of sizzling nerves had me thoughtlessly reciprocating.
Without warning, Lloyd deepened the kiss and his taste exploded into my mouth. A shuttering gasp pulled from my lungs and a groan escaped his, while the hand that was cupped behind my neck moved to lift my head, as if he could throw himself into me any further.
My hands found his hair and I curled his locks tightly through my fingers, locking him into place against me. My mind was swirling, a hot mess and I was sure I looked the same.

Some training, a part of me thought, but I barely had time to dwell on it before my attention was wholly snagged by Lloyd hurriedly shedding his shirt and throwing it to the side. Enraptured, my hands drifted down with my gaze, dragging my finger tips of his heated skin. They slid over the ridges and bumps of his scars and I found myself committing him to memory once more.
I barely had time to drink him in with my eyes alone before Lloyd began leaving kisses down my neck and along my collarbone, littering my skin with the small affections. He divulged in me as much as I indulged myself in him, brushing my palms along the curves and planes of his body while his own hand dragged up my thighs.
My eyes fluttered closed as to heighten the feeling of him on me. My body burned wherever his touch lingered and my stomach dropped in anticipation when the hand tracing my ribs yanked my shirt up so he could continue his kisses down my stomach.

I was drowning in the feeling of Lloyd, but this was a death I wouldn't mind succumbing to. He hitched my leg up around his waist and my heart did an enthralled twist. My mind was blank, driven by nothing but the desire burning through me and the instinctual need to have more of him.
And despite the warning in the back of my head, telling me again and again that this was just an unhealthy product of stress, I found myself fully prepared to do whatever Lloyd asked of me. Besides, isn't the best way to deal with stress is to vent?
But then I realised, while Lloyd's hand inched up my inner thigh in a way that had me digging the back of my head deeper into the sand, that I didn't want this.
Oh, my god. My heart shot up my throat. I didn't want this.
If Lloyd's thought process was on the same train as mine were, then I really didn't want our first time to be just some meaningless vent session. And wasn't he just worried about his instincts taking over the other day? Was he that scared that every lick of logic went right out of the window?

"Lloyd," I murmured. He hummed, throat vibrating with quiet purrs, thumbs stroking circles on the soft flesh of my leg. His mouth had returned to my neck and I struggled to keep my head from submerging into the relishing delight of his hard kisses. My voice turned to a hiss. "Lloyd. Stop."
His red eyes drifted to my face, dazed through with foggy desire.
"Hm?" he mumbled. The hand on my leg graciously left and my mind fell numb to the lack of touch. I blinked hard in an attempt to refocus my head.
"I don't want to do it like this," I whispered. "I'm sorry."
"Do what?" Lloyd asked dumbly, still disorientated. His face was incredibly flushed and his eyes were lidded as he held himself over me. I took a mental picture to save for later. I swallowed.
"Y'know..." I muttered awkwardly. I began to grow aware of the world around us. The sand made my hair itchy. Lloyd's eyes lit up in realisation.
"Oh," he murmured, pressing his forehead against my cheek. "No. No, not that. Just a kiss." He proved it by leaving a mirage of pecks across my jaw.

Gee. That was an incredibly progressive 'just a kiss.'
My leg fell to the ground and I felt spent. Lloyd continued to leave lazy kisses along my cheek and I let him, content to swirl my fingertips through his hair. His soft purr continued, eyes dilated on my face, like how Bentley's would when he found a bit of light to chase. He really was a dragon boy.
Lloyd sat up and I watched the way the sun bounced off of his bare chest, eyes closed. He took a few seconds to breathe deeply and compose himself, before he was holding out a hand to lift me up into a sitting position.
"Sorry," he whispered, refocused now. His green eyes looked incredibly guilty. "I don't know what came over me."
"It's okay," I reassured, tugging my shirt back into place. "I just-" I broke off to sigh. "I want it to be special, I guess. I don't know. It's dumb."
"It's not dumb," Lloyd countered with a soft smile. "I think I would prefer it if I actually had control over myself. But I don't... I don't know when or even if I will ever be able to control these stupid instincts."

I smiled sadly, playing with my fingers nervously as I stared at the sand. He continued.
"I keep telling myself to be in control over my urges when I'm around you but-" Lloyd rubbed his temple, as if the very thought stressed him right into a migraine. "It's so hard. You're a temptress."
All of the blood in my body rushed right to my face. Temptress? Lloyd called me a temptress. The idea filled me with a sense of smug bravado, despite the situation.
"I'm glad I'm not alone," I confessed, shooting Lloyd a sly smile. "If I'm a temptress, then you're a downright addiction."
He snorted, but his blush betrayed his nonchalance. Lloyd caught my eye and his expression turned to one of guilt.
"Do you ever... regret dating me?" he asked quietly. "Since I carry so much baggage?"

"No." I shook my head. "Not once."
His lips turned to a smile, but it didn't hold enough conviction to stay there.
"I feel like I can't do anything right," Lloyd confessed in a small voice. "I can't treat you right. Your life has been in danger ever since you met me. And now this vision..."
"Hey," I said, catching his face in my hands. "How many times do I have to tell you that you're my life for you to believe it?"
"I don't know," he murmured. I shuffled closer and pressed a kiss to the tip of his nose.
"If I'm an over thinker, then you're riddled with doubt," I murmured. Lloyd didn't argue. "Why do you keep entertaining the idea that I could ever do better off than being with you? My fate was sealed the first time I saw you. I'm yours, Lloyd. I will never be anyone else's."
"All you're doing these days is reassuring me," Lloyd said humourlessly.
"And I'm completely happy to," I noted before standing. "Alright, dragon boy. You said that I have to train, so let's train. And maybe don't start making out with me this time."

Lloyd broke into a heartthrobbing grin.
"No promises," he teased, before leaping to his feet.

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

We spent the few remaining days throwing ourselves into training and skirting conversations around the vision.

Lloyd's sleep didn't fare much better ever since that night, and though they weren't visions, nightmares seemed to be just as jarring and damning as one. More than once I'd wake up from his thrashing and have to whisper reassurances into his ear, cradle him close, card my fingers through his hair until he settled once more.
Only when he was dead asleep without trouble did I dare close my eyes.
In spite of our interrupted sleep schedule, Lloyd and I pushed through with the morning trainings. There seemed to be a sense of serious urgency as the days of our getaway dwindled. We'd have to go back to the real world soon, and the real world was where the danger lay.
"I'm going to tell my dad about the vision," Lloyd said on our second to last day on the island, taking me by surprise. We hadn't dared utter a word about the vision since the day after Christmas. "He might know what to do."

"Okay," I said, staring at my toes in the surf of the water. The remains of the sandwich I had for lunch was being picked apart for the seagulls to feast upon.
"I don't think you should go to college."
I released a sigh. I could see that coming.
"Lloyd," I chastised with a frown. "I can't just put everything on hold. What kind of life would that be?"
"At least you'd have one," Lloyd grunted.
"I'm going to college," I said sternly, turning to him with a determined glare. "I'm not backing down from this one." Besides, I was leaning towards picking my major and electives, and I'd started to grow excited. That is, of course, if I got accepted by Borg for a scholarship.
"What if you get attacked again?" Lloyd stressed. "I can't go with you to Nom. It's too far away."
"They have campus security," I shrugged, picking another piece of bread from my sandwich and lobbing it into the gentle waves.
"Campus security," Lloyd scoffed.

I raised my brows at his attitude.
"I didn't realise you were such a security snob," I said dryly.
"I'm a snob when it comes to the safety of my girlfriend," Lloyd grumbled. "Does Borg even know about Axon?"
"Why are you asking me?" I shot with a chuckle. "Besides, I haven't even been accepted. This whole discussion is theoretical."
He harrumphed, but stayed quiet. I could see the yearn of it ticking over in his head.
"I'll tell him when we get back," he decided.
"I haven't been accepted yet," I repeated. Lloyd rose to his feet.
"You know," he began as he stared at the ocean. "If you didn't go to college, we could get married. Right now."
I rolled my eyes. "So there's your ultimatum. Why are you so obsessed with the idea of getting married?"
"I'm not obsessed with the idea of getting married," Lloyd denied. I went to retort that uh, actually yes, he was, but he bet me to it. "I'm obsessed with the idea of marrying you."

My mouth gaped and I tried to find a reply, but my brain blanked out on me. So instead, I gave a flustered huff and turned my blushing face away.
"Why are you so obsessed with the idea of not marrying me?" Lloyd countered, slipping back down onto the sand beside me and leaning in close. I tilted myself away, pretending to be annoyed.
"I never said I was," I sniffed.
"Yet, you keep turning me down," Lloyd hummed sadly. "I'm being rejected time and time again. It's very disheartening."
"You keep guilt tripping me and I'm going to shove your foot into your mouth," I threatened, shooting him a glare. Lloyd easily chuckled, unperturbed.
"One day," he whispered a promise. He held out his hand for mine, offering. I didn't even need to think of an answer before I slipped my hand into his. Lloyd's thumb played with the promise ring. "One day, and I'll have a proper ring on your finger."

"Don't hold your breath," I whispered back. "I don't think you can hold it for three years."
"Three years," Lloyd groaned, dropping back onto the sand. "You're breaking my heart."
"You're such an overdramatic," I grinned. "You make it sound as if I don't ever want you to be my husband."
"It feels that way," he sad sadly, exaggerating his pout.
"As soon as I get my degree, it'll be me proposing to you," I snickered. My hand reached out to brush his blond hair out from in front of his face.
"Not if I beat you to it," Lloyd shot.
"Is that a challenge?" I goaded.
"I don't know, is it?" he teased, lifting himself up on an elbow. His confident smirk urged me to press a kiss against it, so I did.
"Challenge accepted, mr. green ninja," I whispered, looping my arms around his shoulders. "But let's raise the stakes."
Lloyd raised his brow, a silent implore for me to elaborate.
"If I agree to marry you before college ends, then..." I hummed, narrowing my eyes in thought.
"Then I get to name the kid," Lloyd presented. "I'm not letting you name her Gertrude or whatever other old-fashioned name you come up with. The dragons are enough. Also I get to have you do whatever I want for a day."

I pulled a face at his blatant insult at my obviously superior naming skills, but I agreed with a nod.
"Fine," I said. "But if I don't agree to marry you before I get my degree, then I get to be a part of the team. Officially. I go on every mission with you... and I get to have you do whatever I want for a day."
Lloyd faltered, taken by surprise by my side of the deal.
"... alright," he said, agreeing reluctantly. "But I won't go easy on you. I'll woo you until you can't take it anymore."
I giggled. "I'm looking forward to it. Shake on it?"
Lloyd lifted a hand between the small space between us. I dropped an arm from around him and shook it.
"May the best man win," Lloyd purred. I yanked on his hand and pulled him in for a kiss.
"I will," I confidently whispered.

As I stood to retreat into the bounty for some much needed ice water, I found myself slipping in bolster. My god, would I even be able to handle three years? Did I want to handle three years? At first, it was just a malleable base, but now it's steadfast.
I got so caught up in the competitive momentum that I didn't think. Goddammit. And Lloyd was able to turn the charm on in such a way that it rendered me useless putty, even without thinking about it.
Oh, man.

I am so screwed.

I glanced back over my shoulder and found Lloyd staring thoughtfully out into the water, probably already coming up with devious plans to make me fall even harder in love with him (if it were possible) and agree to slide a ring onto my finger.
I found myself almost wanting him to succeed.
Dang it, why did I have to turn it into a stupid bet? Now I really was going to have to wait three years.
Idiot.
Idiot, idiot.
I smacked my forehead as I retreated into the bounty.

At the rate Lloyd was seducing me, he could have me engaged to him by Monday.

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

Friday rolled around. It was time to go home.

The great thing about having a moving base, is that you don't have to pack until you arrived at your non-moving base.
"Hey, wifey," Lloyd called before pulling a faux frustrated expression. "Drat, I mean sunshine!"
I set my jaw. His beginning was weak, but I knew Lloyd better than that. He was the devious prank master, according to Kai. His attempts would grow in complexity until I succumbed.
"Yes, bane of my existence?" I replied humourlessly, pulling a chuckle from him.
"Come up here," Lloyd said normally, gesturing for me to join him by the large, wooden steering wheel of the Destiny's Bounty. I placed my book to the side and approached, watching as the large ship sailed over the ocean. It slowly rocked with each wave.

Lloyd gently guided me until I stood before him, hands on the wooden prongs of the wheel. He pressed against my back. His warmth was intoxicating.
"Have you ever steered a ship before?"
"Did you seriously have to ask that question?" I asked. The answer was blaringly obvious.
Lloyd huffed in amusement.
"I guess not," he admitted. His hands slid from over my own and replaced themselves on my waist. My heart leapt.
"Steady," he whispered into my hair.
"I am steady," I snapped. I was definitely not steady.
"Slow and smooth," Lloyd continued, just as his hands began rubbing their own slow and smooth circles on the skin of my hips. My mouth ran dry. "Like a swan over a lake."
I felt myself shiver. I would've blamed it on the chill if it weren't so darn hot.
"Hey, gorgeous?" Lloyd whispered, lips brushing against my neck. I swallowed sharply before giving a strange reply in the form of a strangled grunt. "You should marry me."
Fuck. I knew this was going to turn out badly. It'd only been a day and already I was in agony.

"No," I whispered, voice shaking. The wheel trembled with my arms.
Lloyd chuckled, taking the rejection in stride. His lips traced the shell of my ear and I felt my insides shatter in coherency.
"You sure?" he asked in a low murmur. "We get married, we could have our own place. Our own home. Bring Kashu with us."
God, that sounded perfect. That sounded so good.
"Not yet," was my half-hearted compromise. Besides, homes were expensive as hell and Lloyd needed to stay near his team. It was only an empty promise, don't fall for it.
"We could have a wedding in a forest," Lloyd continued. "You in a pretty white dress. Me in a suit. Anabel and Nelson can be the flower girl and ring bearer."
My heart ached. Against my better judgement, I closed my eyes and imagined the scene.
"And you would look so pretty in white," he murmured.
"You would look beautiful in a suit," I whispered. "It would be a perfect day."
"The best day of our lives," Lloyd agreed, voice tantalising and soft. "We would become one."

I soaked into his chest. We would become one.
I could almost imagine the weight of the engagement and wedding rings on my fingers, so perfectly heavy. It would feel as if they had always belonged there.
"I so badly want to make you mine," Lloyd breathed, pressing soft kisses down my throat. "I want to be able to say that you're my wife. My Mrs. Garmadon."
"Mrs. Garmadon," I echoed in a wistful sigh. I felt Lloyd shift and then heard a switch being flicked. Autopilot. He turned me towards him and cupped my cheeks, thumbs rubbing circles behind my ears. I almost melted there and then.
"It's just an answer away," Lloyd said quietly, breath brushing against my parted lips. My eyes slowly slid open and I found myself gazing at the most beautiful man I'd ever seen in my life. Lloyd's gaze, dark and lidded and almost pleading held me in a gentle caress. "What do you say? Will you marry me?"

"No," I sighed a soft breath. Lloyd's face fell in shock. I grinned, brightening now that the ploy was over. "But I will in three years. Better start crossing out the days on your calendar, sweetheart."
"Are you kidding me?" Lloyd asked in disbelief. "But you- I thought-!"
"You think I can't act?" I teased with a coy smile. Lloyd stared at me in shock.
"I can't believe..." he muttered to himself, trailing off.
"Patience, baby," I giggled, patting his cheek. "Good things come to those who wait."
"I will get you," Lloyd declared. "I will put a ring on your finger within three years."
"The only ring on me is this one," I announced, wiggling the finger with the promise ring. "Better get used to it."
I turned on my heel and fled from the room, smile falling as I left Lloyd's sight.
He almost got me. I was so tempted to say yes. I could see the wedding in my head and my heart ached for it to be true.

But, I made a bet. And as much as I loved Lloyd, I was competitive and stubborn just as well.

We arrived home before the sun set, landing in the clearing of the forest left specifically for the bounty. We packed and grabbed our bags before exiting the ship and walking the short path towards the monastery.
"I hope Zane's cooking," I said into the silence. Lloyd hummed in agreement.
We stopped at the entrance to discard our shoes before picking up our bags once more. We could hear the others laughing in the dining room, probably eating. It felt weird to be back, but a good weird. A great weird. I missed this place.
"Lloyd?" Wu called. Of course he could hear us with his superior hearing. I surprised myself by almost wanting to weep at the sound of Wu's voice. I missed them all so much.
"Just a sec!" Lloyd called back as we began making our way to the dining room. A loud bark and the padding of footsteps alerted us to the bombardment of Kashu, who was practically vibrating from excitement. His tail was a certified weapon.

"Hey, boy!" I gasped, dropping to my knees and opening my arms for the fully-grown mastiff to leap into me. I coughed at his weight, face attacked by overjoyed licks. Lloyd snickered.
Only when Kashu moved to Lloyd did I notice the exaggerated limp. My eyes widened at the surprising sight of a fully functional prosthetic on his hind leg, which was still raised precariously.
"Oh," I said, staring at the machinery in awe. It looked flawless. A cyborg dog.
"Wow," Lloyd said when he got the time to look at it. "They really outdid themselves, huh?"
I agreed with a wide-eyed nod.
"You finished the leg," Lloyd noted as we walked into the dining room, impressed. Jay made a show of scrambling from his seat and leaping into us for a hug. I oof'd in surprise before returning the hug with a giggle.

"You're back!" Cole said with a smile. "We missed you guys!"
"We missed you all, too," I replied, holding Jay as he cuddled me like a baby koala. I was overjoyed to be home.
"How was the city?" Lloyd asked, taking a seat. I struggled to my spot. Jay was still latched to me.
"Nothing we couldn't handle," Kai nonchalantly shrugged. Nya shot him a look.
"Like hell!" she exclaimed. She turned to us with an exasperated look. "The first day that you guys left, there was a huge theft from the museum which took us three days to track down. Then after that, there were people tampering with the city's gas lines and then there were multiple cases of serpentine sightings which we had to handle."
Lloyd blinked. "Sounds like a lot."
Nya stared back at him. "This was only four days in."
"Oh."
Jay slinked back to his seat. I took the opportunity to start eating the dinner set out.
"How was your training, Y/n?" Misako asked, and a whole new round of conversation began.

Soon after dinner, the team and I left for the gaming room to waste some hours before bed. They thought the marriage bet was the most hilarious thing ever, and I once again, felt incredibly silly for suggesting such a thing.
Too late. My pride was worth more.
"It's going to take some time for Kashu to learn how to use his underdeveloped hind muscles-" Zane was explaining to me about Kashu's limp when I asked before being interrupted by Jay.
"Just say his butt."
Nya cheered in triumph when her kart crashed into Cole's and sent him spinning off of the track.
Zane looked tired. "It will take some time for him to correctly use his butt to walk."
Jay cackled. Lloyd smiled, but he seemed distracted.

He caught my curious gaze before leaning into me to speak quietly.
"I'm going to talk to my dad about the... y'know," he said. I swallowed. I'd been trying my best to forget about second countdown that had joined the marriage proposal for three years. Only with this one, we didn't get a number.
"Okay," I whispered. Lloyd pulled a forced smile before pressing a kiss to my temple and slipping away.
"So," Kai began with a smirk once Lloyd had left the room. "How's that bet going?"
I felt my face fall. I dropped my head back onto the couch with a groan.

"I've made a mistake," I cried.