TW: mentions of old gunshot wound, mentions of old sword wound, mentions of almost dying

A soft kiss to my forehead was what woke me initially. I managed to slowly peel open my eyes just in time to catch Lloyd leaving the room.

I must've fallen back asleep because when I roused once more, he had returned with damp hair. Lloyd crouched, sending a smile that had my heart fluttering.
"Morning, sunshine," he murmured, lifting my hand to press a soft kiss to my fingers.
"Mornin'," I replied, humming in bliss.
"How are you feeling?" Lloyd asked, shuffling onto the bed beside me. I stretched my arms before draping them over his chest. His grin grew as I slumped over him, snuggling in close.
"Fine," I replied within a sigh, dropping my head under his chin. The venom's side effects from before seemed to have been totally eradicated from my system. "I feel normal."
"That's good," Lloyd smiled, pressing a kiss to my forehead.
"I see you've washed your hair," I mused, digging my hands into his wet locks gently.
"Only took me a week and a half," he teasingly grinned. I stuck out my tongue in mock disgust.
"Gross, Lloyd."
"You still kissed me," he pointed out, grin growing.
"Alright, fair," I caved with an amused roll of my eyes. "Only because I love you."

His face softened at my words, smile growing warmer. His eyes turned a pretty shade of crimson pink. I'd have no qualms to losing myself within them.
"You can't imagine how nice it feels to be wanted," Lloyd sighed, closing his eyes and threading his arms around my waist to pull me into a hug. "When I've been pushed away my entire life. Thank you."
"You're welcome. My payment is undying affection."
"Done."
"Also free access to your closet."
Lloyd peeked an eye open. His red iris shone with giddy amusement.
"You've already got two of my hoodies at home," he countered.
"True," I shrugged before brightening. "And pizza! Definitely pizza."
"You're pushing it, sunshine."

I nudged his shoulder with a sneaky grin, enjoying how his fingers began tracing light patterns on my back absentmindedly. It made my spine shiver with delight.
"I'm just messing with you," I grinned, pressing my face deeper into the pillow. "Except for the undying affection."
"I promise to love you 'till my dying days," Lloyd vowed with a cheeky smirk. I smiled sweetly, hooking my finger under his chin and pulling him into a short kiss.
"That's a long time, mr. demigod," I reminded, looping my arms around his neck. His hand slid down to rest against my waist and a trail of fire that danced upon contact followed the movement. "You sure you can love me for that long?"
"Without a doubt," Lloyd reassured. "Besides, who else would be stupid enough to love me?"
I hummed, nuzzling into his chest.
"True," I murmured, teasing. He pulled away with a snicker and my eyes shot open once I had ran the words though my head once more. "Wait- did you just- hey, OI!"

But he was already halfway down the hallway. I scrambled after him with a yell, pulling the duvet with me. It rustled behind my feet as I raced after him, kicking at the back of his calf when I caught up. He easily dodged with a giggle.
"Bully!" I shouted. Lloyd laughed, the sound of it pitched in glee as he caught my body.
"Aheh," he chortled, pulling me forward into his chest. My foot stumbled and I collapsed against him. "Sorry, sweetheart. I'm sure you're very smart."
"Smarter than you at least," I pouted. "You and your D grades."
"Oh, ouch," Lloyd hissed, grinning. "Maybe I just need a really pretty tutor to help me raise them."
"I'll keep an eye out for one," I said with a snigger as I pulled the duvet tighter around myself.
"Don't bother," Lloyd shook his head. "I've already found a really pretty tutor. Cole."

"Have fun fighting Naomi for him," I singsonged, turning away to trudge with my oversized blanket to the kitchen. Lloyd caught my waist and pulled me back with a sharp yank. I yelped a laugh.
"I'm talking about you."
"You don't say!" I giggled as Lloyd swayed us from side to side. "I hardly qualify."
"How about study buddy, then?" Lloyd bargained, his cheek against my ear.
"Like we'd actually get any work done," I snorted.
"You're right," Lloyd sighed despondently before a curling smile pressed against my temple. "I'm too distracting. Isn't that what you said?"
"I don't recall ever saying that ever," I chirped with an abrupt shake of my head. He snickered, pressing a kiss to my head before stepping away.
"C'mon," Lloyd gestured with a tilt of his head. "Let's get some breakfast."

The others were already eating in the dining room when we joined, taking our places beside each other. I rested my knee over his and the contact made me feel like my heart had been punched through my chest. The duvet fell back around me, folding onto the floor.
"Good morning!" I beamed, strangely happy. The team sent each other looks before satisfied smiles crossed their faces.
"So, everything's okay?" Cole asked, leaning forward.
"Everything's okay," Lloyd chirped with a charming grin.
"Got everything off your chests?" Kai interrogated, dropping his chin on his hand.
"Yep!" I nodded. The boys gave a sigh of relief but Nya eyed me skeptically, assessing my every move. She wasn't convinced that we had spilt all our secrets.
And she was right.
I couldn't tell Lloyd about the kid I saw in the cave. Our kid. Because if what Ronin told me was correct, Lloyd, that little girl and I had our own prophecies to fulfil.
A prophecy had already been screwed up once when Lloyd peeked at it when he was younger. Who knew what kind of effect that had, how many outcomes had shifted because of it. Prophecies were fickle things, able to be altered and potentially destroyed. What if, by telling Lloyd about the little girl, I ruined her (eventual) life? What if, by splurging to him, I took that little girl's future and tossed it into the trash can before she was even born?
I don't think I could mentally handle something as finalising and disastrous as that.

Yes, I hated myself for it. Yes, I was a hypocrite by asking Lloyd to confide in me while I kept this precious information from him, but if I had to choose between potentially ruining our future child's life or keeping Lloyd in the dark about her, I'd picked the latter every time.
I didn't know enough about how prophecies worked to comfortably reveal this information to everybody else I crossed, which was why Nya had been the only one to know.
As is, it was a moment of weakness that had me spilling to her.
"Naaaw," Jay coed, throwing his elbow onto the table and dropping his chin onto his fist with a dopey grin, pulling me back into the present. "Lloyd finally opened up! Our lil' boy's growing up."
Everyone at the table grimaced. Cole cleared his throat and shot the curly-haired ginger an irritated look.
"Jay..." he called under his breath, ghosty-eyes narrowed with warning. "Ixnay-on-mentioning-'age'n'hay."
"What? Oh..." Jay sat up, face blushing from embarrassment. He rubbed the back of his neck, genuinely apologetic. "Whoops. Sorry guys-"

"Ah," I suddenly sat up, turning to Lloyd. "That reminds me. I want to talk to your dad about that."
Lloyd nodded, falling a little into a relieved smile at my nonchalance towards the situation. The others stared in surprise.
"You are okay with Lloyd's age?" Zane asked, tilting his head.
"Yeah," I nodded. "Totally fine with it. I do want to learn more about what happened, though. Lloyd said it'd be best to go to Garmadon about it."
"Yeah," Lloyd grinned smugly, pulling me off of my zabuton and making me land awkwardly in his lap as he hugged me tight. He sent a cocky smirk to the group. "My girlfriend's cool and accepting and I love her."
"Aw, man, he's gonna be even more clingy than before," Kai groaned. "Now we're never getting him back. No more green ninja, sorry city. He's too busy coddling his girlfriend."
"So sad," I snickered. My gaze jumped to Lloyd's. "Did you tell them about why you're clingy?"
He shot me a warning look.

"Wait, there's a reason?" Nya asked, amber eyes wide in intrigue. Lloyd stiffened in embarrassment. "What is it?"
"Hey! I think it's time to find my dad," Lloyd suddenly piped up but Zane had grabbed him by the shoulder and shoved him back down onto the zabuton. I jostled from the movement.
"Lloyd?" Zane asked innocently, as if he didn't just use strength I didn't know he possessed to keep the equally as strong (or even more so) boy down.
"Uh-uh," blondie shook his head in sharp denial. His cheeks were red. "Nope. Not telling."
My hand snuck up to his hair but he caught my wrist before I could do anything. His piercing glare was fierce as he stared down at my stupidly grinning face, still half-sprawled across his lap.
"Do not."
"Oh, good, you're on speaking terms again," Misako said as she poked her head into the room. Her brown eyes caught mine briefly and I did a double take at the mischievous look in the her gaze. "We need to test your purring."

The reaction was chaotic.
"MOTHER!" Lloyd shrilled, mortified as he spun to send Misako a withering, pathetic glare. I laughed loudly at the turn of events, slapping my hands over my mouth as I struggled to breathe right.
"PURRING?" Kai echoed in pitched disbelief.
"Like a dragon?" Jay chimed, laughing in shock.
"N- no!" Lloyd denied with a feverish shake of his head, the liar.
"We can test it right now, may as well," Misako, the absolute mad woman, said, nonplussed by her son's reaction.
"N- not here!" Lloyd hissed, bristling. I patted his arm, still breathing through uncontrollable giggles as I untangled myself from his hold.
"Aw, c'mon," I teased, pressing my chin onto his shoulder. "Show us your purr, pretty dragon boy."
"y/N!"
"And the growling, right?" Miskao tilted her head with a widening grin. Lloyd whined, dropping his head into his hands.
"And the marking," I giggled, tucking a lock of his blond hair back into place.
"MarkING-"
"OKAY!" Lloyd yelled, leaping to his feet and cutting off Cole. "I'm done! Bye!"

He swiftly fled from the room as I chuckled. Lloyd retuned a second later, only to grab my arm and pull me back out of the room with him. I giggled harder as he dragged me along. I didn't get to pick up the duvet before we left.
"You suck," Lloyd chided while I beamed in amusement as we started down the hallway.
"Yeah," I agreed with a nod, pulling him back towards me with a sharp tug. "But it's out of love."
"Sure," Lloyd snorted as I brought him down for a giggling kiss. My chest fluttered upon contact and his easy eagerness to return my warm affection.
"Alright," I hummed as I pulled back, pressing a chaste peck to the tip of his nose. Lloyd's cheek dusted a sweet pink. "Let's find your dad. We've got a lot of stuff to talk about."
"Okay," Lloyd nodded. "I think he's in the garden."
"Lead the way, dragon boy," I said, face pulling into a smug grin when he sent me a disgruntled look.
"Don't call me that."
"Would you rather I called you katana master daddy?" I offered sweetly, tilting my head. My smirk twitched as I struggled to keep it from growing too wide and falling off my face.

This time Lloyd's glare was downright irritated. I cackled at the look on his face.
"I hate you."
"You love it," I betted, cooing as I slipped my palms over his cheeks. It was like gently holding my entire universe in my hands. My universe looked grumpy with me.
"Let's go," my universe grumbled. I cheerfully giggled, slipping my hand into his as he tugged me out into the garden, where Garmadon was sat on a large boulder and watching Kashu chase butterflies. The three-legged puppy kept stumbling and falling onto his little puppy face, but I admired his little puppy determination nonetheless.
Beside him sat Wu. They were both drinking tea. Absolutely nobody was surprised that they had tea. It seemed to be their main source of sustenance.
I don't think that's healthy, but to each their own. I guess.
I mean, they lived for this long, right?

"Ah, my favourite non-biological daughter," Garmadon greeted with a warm smile. "It's good to have you back, Y/n."
"It's good to be back," I chirped with a grin before it fell a little awkwardly. "Sorry about, uh... last week."
"Entirely warranted," Garmadon waved it off while Lloyd and I took a seat on the stone pathway before the two senseis. "Especially with the way this dumbass spilled the beans."
"Language," Wu mumbled as he sipped from his tea, watching the puppy.
"You're not dad," Garmadon snapped, frowning. "And you're not the oldest."
"Eldest."
Garmadon shot his brother an irritated sneer.
"Actually, we're here to talk about that," I interrupted before Garm could (probably) start an argument with Wu. They may be senseis, but they were brothers first. The two turned to us, the little scuffle already behind them.
"Oh?" Wu asked, tilting his head.
Lloyd shifted beside me and I paused.
The little spring beside us bubbled gently from the trickling stream. The bamboo shoots swayed in the gentle wind. Kashu yapped playfully at the butterflies. This was probably the best place to talk about it, surrounded by total peace and Lloyd had seemed absolutely okay with talking about it before.

So why was I faltering?

I swallowed, gaze dropping to the decorative sand that surrounded the spring. It had been raked into pretty circles and I followed the lines with my eyes as I tried to find my words.
"She wants to know how it happened," Lloyd murmured, plucking a grass strand from the ground and playing with it.
"Ah..." Garmadon replied slowly. I swallowed. Why was I hesitating?
Maybe my brain had been overloaded from before. Maybe it couldn't take much more before it shut down. My eyes snuck across to Lloyd, catching his green gaze. If I could barely handle all this information, how damaging would it have been to have lived through it?
No. No, I can be strong. I will be strong. Stronger. The strongest. For Lloyd. For when he needs a break, I'll take up the mantle.
This was a test, I told myself. This was a test to see just how far I could go without shutting down.

"When... when Lloyd and I... fought," just the word itself seemed vile as it slipped from my mouth and we winced at the memory. I turned my eyes to the senseis. Lloyd continued to watch me. "He said that you did... tests? A- and I believe Lloyd when he says that he is nineteen but... I never got to hear the full story. What kind of tests did you do? How... how can you tell if he is nineteen?"
Garmadon hummed, rubbing a hand over his chin.
"Well, I'll start off by saying that the entire situation was my fault."
I blinked, inclining my head a little in shock.
"I- I'm sorry?"
"When I was still Lord Garmadon, I used a spell from the combined four golden weapons that helped my father create Ninjago," Garmadon explained, eyes jumping over my shoulder. The green of them seemed foggy and his face subtly twisted as he was lost in a memory. "I wanted to bring the grundle back to life from an exhibit in the museum. In the process, I accidentally turned the ninja younger. Lloyd had to sacrifice what was left of his childhood to save the ninja and use Tomorrow's Tea to return them to their usual age. He grew up with them."
"I got caught in the crossfire," Lloyd gave me the TLDR in a murmur.

"Oh..." I said, just as what was left of my breaking heart fell into shattered pieces. That... that's awful.
Lloyd's fingers subtly linked through mine. I gave them a squeeze of reassurance and he released an almost inaudible sigh of relief.
I wasn't going anywhere.
"We did a few tests with the help of Mistaké that focused on his intellectual development," Wu began, swirling his tea leisurely. "And CAT scans of his brain with Borg. Though he may have missed out on a few years of education, his brain structure was no different than anyone else his new physical age."
"The way he thought, his ideologies, his planning," Garmadon continued. "It all pointed to signs of him having aged mentally along with his body."
"Basically, I was a guinea pig," Lloyd gave me the short and sweet for a second time.
I closed my eyes for a second while my brain spun. This was all- so confusing. The idea of it wasn't, the process of it wasn't, but just the situation as a whole was hard to wrap my head around.
"Think of him as nineteen, but with a few years of amnesia," Garmadon said, noticing my struggle. "He is mentally developed, through and through an adult, but chronologically, his body has been in this realm for fifteen years."

"Right..." I inhaled through my nose slowly, soothing the ache in my cranium. "Okay. I think I get it."
I wanted to ask about his emerging powers. About how Lloyd unlocked Morro's elemental ability. I wanted to ask just how powerful they thought Lloyd was and what the drawbacks of said power might be. Maybe they linked to his instincts? Maybe not? What I did know was that his red eyes linked to the evil in his DNA that he got from his dad when he was still Lord Garmadon. But that seemed to be the only thing that made a lick of sense.
Just another piece to the puzzle of this precious boy's sad life, I guess.
And wow, his life really was sad. Horrible, really. Everything he went through - god, I couldn't imagine living through that. And for him to still come out of it as he is? Yeah, a little unsure when it came to opening up, but to still be kind? Still be sweet and forgiving and playful? Helpful, merciful, benevolent?
How?
Lloyd astounds me.
His resolve is incredible.

I gripped Lloyd's fingers tighter as I suddenly straightened, bringing him up with me. He followed, staring at my trembling face in confusion as I stood before the senseis.
"Thank you for telling me," I said in a strained voice before turning abruptly and pulling Lloyd with.
He ambled beside me as I tugged us back inside the quarters wing. Lloyd didn't have to break the silence for me to be aware of his confused concern.
Once we were out of sight, I immediately stopped and slung my arms around him in a tight hug.
"H- hey," Lloyd said with a short, surprised laugh. "What... what's this..."
His words faded. We both knew exactly what this was for.
"I'm sorry," I gasped into his chest, eyes burning as I clenched them shut. I held him close, so close, a desperate attempt to reconcile what had already been resolved and apologise through my actions. "I'm so sorry. I- I shouldn't have yelled at you, I should've stayed and listened-"

"N- no," Lloyd shook his head as he wrapped his arms firmly around my waist, as if to never let go again. "That wasn't your fault. None of it was your fault. Please don't blame yourself. Dad was right, I should've told you sooner and in a better way than I had."
"But-"
"Sweetheart," Lloyd gently pushed my head back from his chest and dipped until his nose brushed mine. "It's okay. It's over, now. You're here and that's what matters."
"I still feel awful," I shook my head as my fingers nervously tugged on one another behind his neck. "Y- your life... was so hard on you. And I just- I yelled and-"
My eyes jumped to his.
"I'm going to make it up to you."
Lloyd blinked.
"You don't have to-"
"I do," I nodded, grabbing his wrists. "Not just for the fight. For everything you missed out on. We're gonna let loose and just be a couple of stupid kids for the rest of the day."

He tilted his head, baffled but intrigued.
"Oh?" he said before a smile began to grow on his face, matching mine. "How do we start?"

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

"With this!" I shouted, throwing a pile of mud at an unsuspecting Lloyd. He stumbled back from the attack, spluttering in disbelief.

"What the- hey!" he complained, wiping the mud from his cheek and flicking it to the ground covered in foliage. "You said we were just going to take a walk through the forest!"
"I bent the truth," I giggled as I poked my head out from behind the tree I was using as a blockade. I ducked back behind it with a squeak just as a handful of mud came sailing past. "Never had a mud fight?"
"I've been in mud while fighting, if that counts."
"It does not," I shook my head, sending him a grin as I scooped up some more mud. It caked under my nails but I couldn't find myself to care. I swatted it at Lloyd but he just expertly dodged and sent a retaliating attack that hit me right in the chest.
"Oh, fatal wound!" I cried.
"Gotcha!" Lloyd chuckled a laugh, bending down to scoop some more up. He stopped.
"Worm."

"Buggie?" I perked up, scampering to his side. I gasped at the insect that wiggled through the mud. "I got dared to eat a worm once."
Lloyd sent me a look out of the corner of his eyes.
"... did you?"
I sucked my lips into my mouth and my eyes darted to the side. His jaw dropped.
"No," he gasped.
"I was promised a kiss by my crush! I was six!" I argued as Lloyd grinned. "And I didn't even get the kiss. All I got was the nickname worm-breath for a year."
He snorted loudly, scoffing at the put-off look on my face as he swiped some mud on my cheek. I didn't even complain.
"Little me was heartbroken," I glumly grumbled as my head tilted to the side from his touch.
"Who was your first kiss?" Lloyd asked as we sat in the mud. There was literally no salvaging our clothes. We looked like we'd taken a whole mudslide. I sent him a look, brows raised.
"You, ya dumbie."
"Aha, nice," Lloyd smirked to himself. I went to roll my eyes before they caught sight of something moving through the trees.

I sharply inhaled in excitement, grabbing onto Lloyd's arm suddenly. He tensed, ready to spring into action.
"It's a doe!" I hissed under my breath, releasing him to slowly crawl forward through the undergrowth. He relaxed with a sigh, following me. "Aw, man. I missed this."
"You used to watch deer?" Lloyd asked, voice quiet as he pressed himself close beside me. I nodded.
"When I was younger and things got a little too much to bear, I'd go into the forest," I murmured, slipping my hand into his. "There used to be a herd that would sit right outside my window. I miss that house."
"I can see that," Lloyd whispered, staring at the side of my mud-covered face. "Little you, watching deer."
I smiled softly.
"I can also see you eating a worm for a dare."
My smile fell into a scowl.
"Shut up."
Lloyd turned my head towards him. I eagerly let him, melting into his touch as he leant his head closer to mine. My eyes fluttered shut.

"Yeah," he whispered and I hummed, putty in his hands while his breath tumbled against my cheek. "Definitely smell the worm breath."
I gasped in outrage, eyes ripping open while Lloyd giggled loudly, pulling himself away.
"LloYD-" I yelled, doe forgotten (and miles away). "You're so MEAN to me!"
He bit back a smile but couldn't get his poker face to stay.
"What, like a little kid?" he snickered. "Isn't that the point of this?"
I went to argue but found no point to push. I fell into a frustrated frown, silent. His grin grew.
"C'mon," Lloyd offered his hand and I stared at it with and angry pout. "Let's wash off in the river while it's still warm enough."
My scrutinising eyes jumped back up to Lloyd and they narrowed. His breath caught in quelled laughter, being caught in his own throat. I finally put my hand in his and let him lead me to the river.

"It's gonna be so cold," I whined as Lloyd expertly threaded through the thick forest. I hoped that he knew where he was going, because I had no clue where home was and my body compass was all sorts of screwed. The crashing of the river grew louder with each step.
"You'll be fine," Lloyd reassured as we broke out into the river that cut through the forest and ran down the side of the mountain range. "If you get cold then we can just cuddle. Win for both of us."
"That was your plan all along!" I clicked my fingers as Lloyd lead me into the freezing water in a particularly calm, deep spot. He chuckled. "Very devious. I love it."
"Yeah?" Lloyd said before abruptly pushing me backwards into the deep water. I gasped a shrill scream at the frigid chill, crashing through the chilly water as I scrambled for purchase. "How do you like it now?"
"You are a HORRIBLE PERSON," I cried, thrashing upright. "I'm so getting sick and it's gonna be all your fault."

"I'll nurse you back to health," Lloyd promised with an amused glint in his green eyes. "Maybe we can go in the onsen when we get home to warm up."
"Okay," I agreed with a snicker as he crashed into the deeper end, closer to me. "Sure."
Lloyd surfaced before me and I pushed back the soggy locks of blond hair that fell over his face. His green eyes flooded with red and I felt a similar sensation overcome my heart with adoring warmth.
A violent shiver made me grimace.
"Okay, too cold," I shook my head as my limbs clenched in agony. "I'm getting out. It's literally winter why did we decide to do this?"
My only answer was a snicker as I crashed through the water to get to the shore. I sat, shivering on a rock, watching Lloyd as he dunked himself under the water to wash off the mud on his face. And then he started trying to catch fish. He is now a bear, apparently.

I dried out in the weak winter sun, definitely knowing that I was going to be sick for the next week. Just as I began counting my dwindling brain cells for letting Lloyd lead me into a river in the middle of winter, the boy himself shouted in shocked delight.
"I CAUGHT A FISH!" Lloyd screamed, holding the wiggling beast above his head as proof. It slipped from his hands and landed back in the water, but not before smacking his face on the way down.
I lost my sanity.
"StoP LAUGHING!"
"I C- I CAN'T!" I wheezed, falling back on the rock as I gasped for breath, replying the stupidly cute face he made when the fish backhanded him with its tail. "Oh, my GOD!"
"I got fish juice on my face," Lloyd whined, pulling a look.
"That's what you get for trying to be the next Bear Grylls," I laughed, panting from the humour.
"I caught a fish with my bare hands," Lloyd grumbled as he splashed water onto his face before trudging to join me. "And the only thing you focus on was that it smacked my face."
"Naturally," I giggled. "I wouldn't be me if I didn't."

Lloyd just huffed before grabbing my hand and pulling me along to a small clearing that wasn't filled with just rocks. We sat down on the springy, green grass while the sun hung low overhead.
"Fish face," I pointed out and he groaned, pouting. I snickered, dropping my back onto the grass and tugging him down with me. I could feel my sinuses tightening from the chill, a punishment for letting Lloyd drag me into the freezing water.
The grass bent under my body, cushioning me against the cold, hard ground as I stared at Lloyd. He stared back with the softest of smiles, water still dripping down his face. His barely-there freckles illuminated in the sun's glow.
"You're so pretty," I hummed, reaching up to catch a drop of water with my finger and wipe it away. His cheeks flushed a sweet pink in fluster and the view before me only grew prettier.
"Not as pretty as you," he countered, if a little late. I smiled lethargically, eyelids growing heavy as the sun slowly warmed my damp clothes.

"Oh!" Lloyd suddenly said, making me jolt back awake. "You know what I haven't done in ages? Climbed a tree for fun!"
I wanted to whine because I'd just found a comfortable spot to nap but the excited look in Lloyd's eyes made me quickly cave.
"Alright then," I said with a smile, forcing my eyes open. "Find us a tree."
Lloyd was quick to find one and scale it easily. I followed slowly, taking my time to scramble up the large truck to the branch Lloyd had sat on. It looked out over the river and you could just see part of the roof for the monastery some way away. It was steadily getting darker, afternoons shorter because of daylight savings.
"Wow," I hummed as I took a seat on the large branch beside Lloyd. He shuffled closer, hand grabbing the branch that sat over my head. "The view's amazing."
And it was. The forest seemed to stretch on forever and the mountain range seemed to do the same. The only thing that could disrupt the forest's strength was the river itself, which crashed and roared below us, a force of nature demanding attention and trepidation. Our legs swung over the side. My feet linked nonchalantly.
"I've seen better," Lloyd murmured and my cheeks burnt red.
"If you say something stupidly cheesy like how I'm a better view, I will push you off of this branch, so help me-"
"Well, gee," Lloyd grumbled, grumpy from being so predictable. "Turns out I haven't seen a better view after all."

I grinned, dropping myself into his side gently. The sun had slowly began to set and the sky had turned into a mural of bright oranges and pinks.
Lloyd shifted, his arm that held the branch above me more caging than anything. He caught my chin and dipped his head into a kiss. The blissful feeling of euphoria returned and I leaned into the affection, chasing the nirvana he offered with open arms.
My hand lifted to cup his cheek and help steady myself on the branch, find something to ground myself to, because goddamn did his kiss leave me woozy and disorientated. Lloyd pulled back, smiling softly in infatuation. My face was surely similar in expression.
"Damn, now I have boy cooties," I sighed. Lloyd barked a quiet laugh.
"Oh, the horror of girl cooties," he grinned.
"We're some pretty weird kids if we're already kissing in trees like Tarzan and Jane," I pointed out with a smile. "Oh, by the way, I'm totally Tarzan in this situation."
"What? How does that work out?"
"Because Tarzan isn't blond, duh," I pointed out.
"Neither is Jane!" Lloyd countered, amused.
"Yes, and?"
"Your reasoning is incredibly flawed."
"Yes, and?"

Lloyd snorted, shaking his head as I goofily grinned, shuffling closer. It had started getting more chilly, the onset of a cold night fast approaching.
"I love you so much," he murmured lowly, voice raptured with adoration and I almost got whiplash from his sudden change in mood. "Worm breath and everything."
"STOP bringing that UP!" I shouted, slapping his shoulder. He laughed, hooking his arm around my neck and bringing me in to press a kiss to my forehead.
"We should get back before it gets too dark," he suggested and I nodded, already shivering from the night chill. Lloyd helped me down to ground level before leading the way back home, knowing the path back even if he had his eyes closed. My teeth chattered as I pressed up closer to Lloyd's side.
"Can we actually go in the onsen?" I asked.
"Sure," Lloyd said, unphased until he paused. "You sure you want to?"
I nodded, appreciative of his double checking. Onsen seemed to be a regular practise for them at the monastery and I'd been dying to try it out. I've only heard good things.
Plus it was suddenly freezing and a heated natural spring bath sounded amazing.

"You have to bathe nude," he reminded. "The water's milky enough that you can't see anything, though."
"Then you better have your eyes closed when I get in," I pointed out, wrapping myself around his arm.
"Scouts honour," Lloyd vowed. My brow furrowed.
"You were in scouts?"
He faltered.
"Ninja's honour," he corrected and I grinned in amusement. "You have to shower before the onsen. Keeps the water clean."
"Okay," I nodded. "Anything else?"
"Two towels," Lloyd continued as we finally reached the monastery. "A small one for washing and a normal one for when you get out. I'll get them for you."
"Okay," I said again, growing excited. It was almost totally dark. "How often do you usually go in?"
"A couple of times a month, give or take," Lloyd shrugged, opening the door to the quarters wing and letting me inside first. "They're really nice after long missions. I spent almost every night in it after Morro."

I smiled lightly. Our hands swung between us.
"I bet."
"I'll see you out there, then," Lloyd smiled as we stopped outside a bathroom and my heart tumbled through my chest and landed in my gut. "I'll leave the towel outside the bathroom."
I nodded, not trusting my words. Was I nervous? Excited? Apprehensive or looking forward to it? A weird amalgamation of all? Maybe. Probably.
I showered quickly before opening the door a smidge and grabbing the towel. Once that was wrapped around securely, I quickly sped across the hallway to the door that opened up out to the garden, where the onsen was hidden by maple trees.
"Decent?" I called, holding a hand over my eyes as I stepped out onto the little courtyard surrounding it.
"Decent," Lloyd answered. I dropped my hand and found him staring at the sky with his head resting against the rock he was leaning against. The milky water lapped at his chest, steaming heavily from the heat.

I slowly walked forward, suddenly losing confidence with each step. God, why did I think that this was a good idea? Lloyd seemed totally at ease, at least. He'd even draped an arm over his eyes for good measure. This was his culture, right? May as well get used to it.
I dropped my towel and quickly slipped into the hot water.
"Okay," I said quietly once I was shrouded from view. Lloyd dropped his arm into the water and gave me a reassuring smile.
"Nice, right?"
I could feel my tense body relaxing into the water. I gave a timid nod.
"Yeah."
We were on seperate sides, at least five meters away from each other. Under normal circumstances, the amount of space between us would've bothered me, but now I was wishing for more.
Two bros, chillin' in an onsen, five metres apart because they're not comfortable enough around each other yet to be close while buck-ass naked.
Well, I'm not.

I tilted my head, eyeing Lloyd. His hair looked weird.
"D... did you..?" I asked, gesturing to his hair. "Did you tie it back?"
"Oh, yeah," Lloyd nodded, turning his head to show off the widdle ponytail at the base of his neck. "Keeps it from getting wet."
oH HAH. Okay. Breathe.
"It- it looks good," I stammered, eyes dropping to a maple leaf that had fallen into the water and was drifting along.
"I need to cut it," Lloyd sighed. "It keeps getting in the way during missions."
"Fair enough, but know that if you do cut off too much I will cry," I announced, eyes jumping to Lloyd's. He sent me a grin. "Your hair is too pretty to be cut short."
"Noted," he replied, eyes squinted in amusement. "Why are you so far away?"
My face blushed. "Ah..."
"Do I embarrass you?" he snickered teasingly. "Do I make you flustered?"
"As if," blatantly lied. A lie anybody could see through. Lloyd's grin widened.
"Then join me."
Fuck. Dammit. My own pride has made me stumble and horrifically fall and absolutely nobody is surprised. I tensed my jaw. But dammit, my pride was still too haughty for me. I pushed off from the rock and made my way towards him.

"Now we don't have to shout across the whole onsen," Lloyd noted with a smile as I settled on a rock a metre away from him. I gave a strangled hum of agreement, unable to look him in the eyes. I am my own worst enemy.
Lloyd opened his mouth to say something else when there was a clear of a throat from the wing.
"We are going on a mission."
"Oh," Lloyd replied to Zane's disembodied voice. He prepared to hop out, pulling himself up barely halfway before abruptly remembering that I was there. My eyes caught sight of the gnarly scar that slung across his torso and I turned myself away. "Do you need me?"
"No," Zane turned his offer down. "We agreed that you two deserve this day to reconnect. Tomorrow you will be back on the front lines with us."
"Gotcha," Lloyd nodded, relaxing back down and using a curled finger to tilt my head back towards him with a sweet smile. "Thanks, Zane."
He disappeared. At least, I think he did. I could never hear their footsteps, but it was silent for a while so I guessed that we were alone again.

Lloyd's thumb brushed across my lips briefly before his arm dropped with a leisurely sigh, turning his head back to stare at the clear sky. I tried to join him in relaxing, but I was too tense. Was it always like this? Can I just skip to the part where I'm comfortable already?
I stared at the stars without really staring, mind running a mile a minute.
"I can hear your nervousness," Lloyd murmured and I wilted in shame. "You don't need to be nervous."
"Sorry," I apologised, cheeks dusting a shade darker.
"Do you want me to distract you?" Lloyd offered, sitting up a little. The gnarly scar peeked from above the lip of the milky water.
My face turned a horrendous shade of embarrassed red. Last time he offered to distract me we both ended up with hickeys. Those were bad enough as is, but here? Now?
But then Lloyd jumped into tales of his and the ninja's past, recounting every hardship, every fight, every friend and ally they met along the way. It was long winded and it seemed like Lloyd would never stop talking, go on forever, but that would be okay with me. I could listen to him for forever.

I forgot all about being self-conscious around him. I forgot about being silly and nervous. At the end of the day, he was just the same Lloyd. Goofy, sweet, kind Lloyd. What was there to be nervous about aside from a little chastity, truly?
It must have been an hour and half gone by now and Lloyd finally caught me up on the roller coaster that was his life. I forgot half of what he said, a result of both taking in too much information as well as occasionally losing focus and just finding myself staring at him as he animatedly talked.
After a silence, I hesitantly reached out to trace the scar across his chest with a whispering touch. Lloyd caught my wrist in a tight, instinctive grip with wide eyes and I stared right back at him, apologetic and stunned. The hot, milky water sloshed from the movement.
"S- sorry-"
"Sorry," Lloyd and I murmured at the same time. He loosened his grip but didn't let go. I dropped my gaze and inwardly kicked myself at my impulsive action.
What the hell was that?

"I, uh..." Lloyd began, chewing on his bottom lip in deep thought. His thumb rubbed circles on the inside of my wrist but I was unsure whether it was to reassure me or himself. "It's not... pretty."
"What isn't?" I asked quietly.
"Both," Lloyd murmured, staring at the water between us. "The story and the scar."
"Some scar doesn't make you ugly, Lloyd," I shook my head. "Scars are maps of where life's taken us and what we've been through. Look at this."
I lifted my arm until it revealed an old wound on the inside of the juncture between my upper arm and shoulder. Lloyd's brows raised.
"Is... is that a bullet wound?" he asked in disbelief.
"Yep," I smirked shamelessly. "I shot myself in the arm when I was thirteen. I thought I put the gun on safety. I did not."
"Sunshine, that's-"
"Incredibly stupid but so on par for me?" I finished, grin growing. I placed my arm back into the hot water. "Uh-huh, it was. Dad was in so much trouble."

Lloyd licked his lip and grinned in amusement. His thumb kept pressing in circles on my wrist. His smile faded and then he pressed my hand to his scar, his fingers threaded through my own. The skin felt odd. Bumpy and jagged, but glossy from healing. His heart thumped beneath my touch and my throat grew dry at the feeling of it.
"It was a simple mission," Lloyd began, staring me dead in the eye. "In and out kind of thing with some Kryptarium prisoners who had tried to escape. But there were more members than we accounted for and I made a stupid mistake and dropped my sword. One of the prisoners grabbed it and while I busy fighting off another one, came up and... well-"
Slice. The silence hung thick between us.
"Apparently it was a miracle I made it," Lloyd murmured, fingers clenching a smidge harder over mine, red eyes lost in memory. "It came uncomfortably close to piercing my heart. To the millimetres."
I swallowed sharply, body tense and chest hollow. I expected a horrible story, yes, but... but actually hearing it made it worse.

"Hey," I whispered quietly, using my free arm to reach up and clasp his cheek. "You're here."
"I am," Lloyd smiled softly, sinking into my hold. "And I've never felt so alive."