TW: blood, vomit

I wasn't sure when I exactly came to but when I did, I noticed Jay carrying me.

In between total blackouts, I found myself being flown on Sparkplug, Jay's dragon, and then carried through the monastery. I think I saw Dimitri. Definitely saw Naomi. Maybe saw Garmadon?
I was placed on a gurney in the med bay. The hallucinations had worn off but had only been replaced by terrible headaches and pangs of rolling nausea. My forehead throbbed. My stomach surged.
Naomi sat by my head, brushing back my hair as I shivered on the gurney. Nya was rushing around the med bay while speaking hurriedly to Garmadon. Their voices were watery and indiscernible. My body spasmed again.

What my ears did catch, however, was Lloyd's name while Nya was murmuring to Naomi. The tugging on my gut renewed with vigor and it paired unpleasantly with nausea.
Lloyd. His name tumbled in my aching head. Lloyd. My hands curled around an invisible grip.
My lips trembled as I stared at the grey ceiling while Naomi sat over me with my head in her lap. Cole and Kai had entered when I hadn't noticed, standing to the side. Nya went off somewhere. Garmadon was leaning against the wall.
"You should try to sleep it off," Kai said quietly, his voice barely making sense in my throbbing brain. I shook my head. I didn't want to fall asleep, scared that I'd see the false visions of Lloyd attacking me as he did with Axon. The fangs and the eyes and the oni-like ridges pushing up through the skin of his face. The blood pouring from his mouth.

I didn't want to see it again. I didn't want this deep-rooted fear that had sprung up ever since the incident with Axon to ruin the image I had of him. I was so sick and tired of being scared and tip toeing around it.
I didn't want to be afraid anymore.

My body lurched as a new wave of shivers shoved down my spine. I coughed, throat dry as my head spun. Breathing was short and hard. Maybe I should try to sleep it off.
"Do you want me to get you anything?" Nya asked, patting my hair.
"Lloyd," I gasped between heaves. "P- please. Get Lloyd."
There was a brief pause. She glanced at Naomi and then Kai and Cole. A silent conversation.
"Of course," Nya soothed, turning back to me. Cole left the room. "Do you want some water?"
I desperately nodded and Naomi helped me to sit up. Nausea surged and I felt it in the back of my throat.
If my body wants to throw up, then can it just make me throw up already god please.

Nya returned with a glass of water and I eagerly chugged it, the chill a relief for my sweaty, clammy body.
"How long will it take?" Naomi asked as she took the empty glass from my shaking grasp.
"A couple of hours," Kai murmured, crossing his arms with a sympathetic look. Garmadon had left.
"And there's nothing else we can do?"
"We just have to wait it out," Nya replied, pulling back a lock of hair that had fallen in front of my perspiring forehead. "Let her body process it. It's not fatal, just has some nasty side effects."
No kidding, I wanted to grumble but didn't have the motor functions to do so. The tugging gave a sharp stab and I glanced up just as Lloyd stopped at the entrance. He was breathing heavily, wide-eyed. Reluctant.
I stared back, sharing his expression, before it became obvious that he wasn't going to move from his spot. He seemed to be bolted to the ground.

I slipped from the gurney, heart thundering. My feet hit the floor and I stumbled, legs weak and body trembling, eyes trained on Lloyd.
He was the first to react when my legs gave out, shooting across the short distance and scooping me up before I could fall to the ground. His arms wrapped tight around me as I wobbled blankly, digging his face into my neck desperately, hands regripping my waist, keeping me steady.
I could only see the green of his shirt in my eyes before everything hit fast and my vision began to blur with tears. I hugged him back as strong as my numb arms would allow me.
Lloyd's breath caught at my wordless response, hitching a dry sob as he pressed his head against mine. My fingers latched onto the back of his shirt, the material caught in a tight grip. As if he'd disappear if I let go. I couldn't risk that. Not again.
"She should get some rest," Kai murmured as his hand gently landed on top of my head. "It'll still be a few hours until she starts feeling better. Venomari venom is potent stuff."
I felt Lloyd soundlessly nod before he bent down to easily scoop me up. My arms looped back around his neck, tears soaking into his shirt as I hid my face into his chest.

"Hey," Kai gently poked my shoulder. "Actually get some sleep, you silly thing. You need it. Besides, it's bed time, right?"
"It's seven," Nya replied dryly.
"... 'kay," I croaked, eyes fluttering shut with heavy breaths.
"Make sure she does," Kai said to Lloyd. He nodded again, words still not working.
"Feel better soon," Naomi called softly just as Lloyd began to walk us out of the med bay, footsteps slow and deliberate. There was a collected sigh of relief from the others before we left earshot.
Lloyd was quiet as he carried me through the hallway while my head still sloshed with aching pain. I really hoped that I didn't throw up on Lloyd.
There was something about being close to him again, having this much contact, that soothed the reaction to the venom. My ears were no longer ringing and while I was still clammy, I didn't feel like I was burning up from nothing.
There was a huge sense of relief.
God, did relief feel good.

Lloyd gently placed me down on his bed, hands lingering as my weight dipped into the mattress. My eyelids were heavy but I still managed to drag them open to catch his red gaze, concerned and hesitant. He slipped back and I lifted my hand weakly. My dry lips parted.
"W- wait," I murmured as my head swam, making him pause. My fingers did a weak grabby motion desperately so he slid his warm hand into mine. "Please. Please stay."
A watery smile crossed Lloyd's face. He dropped his front onto the bed, curling over the side. Our hands fell back between us.
"I'm not going anywhere," he promised in a soft, quiet voice and I felt my throat close up. He brushed away some of my tears with his thumb, fingers curling to hold my cheek. My eyes fluttered shut at his blissful touch. "How are you feeling?"

"Mmmtired," I sighed, hasty in wanting to fall asleep and wake up feeling better. Begging to press restart on my body.
"You should sleep," he whispered, finger gently tugging a lock of my hair back. My lethargic eyes dragged open to stare at him.
"You won't leave?" I asked in a small voice. I'd never felt more vulnerable before him. Lloyd smiled with a tiny shake of his head.
"I won't."
"Promise?"
"I promise," he vowed, hand curling tighter against mine.

And despite the stinging of betrayal that had sat in my veins throughout the past week, I whole heartedly trusted his words.

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

I woke when it was dark and the monastery was quiet. It was the dead of night. I must've slept for a couple of hours.

Lloyd was still slumped over the side of the bed, head dug into his arm as he slumbered. His hand was tightly holding mine, fingers threaded closely. Kashu slumbered at the foot of the mattress.
I stared at Lloyd as he slept. A lock of golden hair fluttered with his slow breaths. I hoped that he was having pleasant dreams and that his sleep wasn't plagued with nightmares forged from his reality. He'd already been through so much.
My eyes slid shut once more, thumb brushing the back of his hand. I still didn't feel ready to talk to him about us yet but god, if not now, then when? I'd keep procrastinating, keep letting my panic fuel me. We'd get nowhere.
My fear would be the catalyst for us.
I shifted slightly before the movement rudely reminded me as to why I'd been woken up in the first place. Nausea pushed hard up my throat and I shoved my body off of the bed, slamming through the bedroom door. I heard Lloyd call for me in confusion but I was already swinging myself into the bathroom and retching into the toilet.

Lloyd had been quick to follow, switching on the light and pulling my hair back from my face as I trembled over the toilet. Silent in his support, I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the feeling of his hand soothingly rubbing my back and not the sour taste that sat on my tongue.
"S- sorry," I stammered, too loopy to feel truly embarrassed but apologetic all the same. I sloppily wiped away the tears that had sprung up. Lloyd flushed the toilet and shook his head.
"You don't need to apologise," he murmured, letting my hair fall back down and grabbing me a glass of water. They seemed to have prepared for this. I took it from his outstretched hand and swirled the water in my mouth before spitting it out.
He returned with my toothbrush and I mumbled a weak 'thank you' as I took it. The toilet was flushed again. The tile was cool against my feverish body.

Lloyd helped me to my feet when I needed to spit out the toothpaste, arm firmly wrapped around my waist as I leant my weight against him. He was my rock. I missed my rock.
"Do you want to go back to bed?" Lloyd asked quietly when I'd finished. I shook my head.
"C... can we stay in here for a while?" I asked, voice tiny as my head swam unpleasantly. "The tile feels nice."
Lloyd nodded wordlessly at my request, letting me sit down between his legs. He pressed a hand against my forehead, remarkably chilled as he tapped into what was normally considered Zane's element. I relaxed against him, taken by the coolness of his touch. With his other hand, he gently pulled his fingers through my hair, softly working out any tangles. My eyes fluttered shut and I sighed through my nose.

"What happened to Raptra?" I asked, small voice seeming loud in the silence.
"Who?"
"The little serpentine."
"Oh," Lloyd hummed as his fingers brushed my hair. I could hear his heartbeat from where my head was resting against his chest. "Zane bandaged her wounds and walked her home."
I smiled a little in relief. At least she was safe.
Lloyd swallowed, apprehensive. The tense atmosphere grew tighter.
"Do I... scare you?"
My smile dropped. Heavy eyes cracked open to stare at his legs curled around me.
"... what?"
Lloyd inhaled deeper. His fingers paused in my hair. I could suffocate on how thick the air was between us.
"The Venomari venom," he murmured. "It makes you see your greatest fear. Yours was- was me."

"It... was," I grimaced slightly, head pounding dully. I bit my lip.
"... why?"
I shut my eyes tightly. I was tired and sick and I wanted to do nothing but sleep it off, but Lloyd was asking me a genuine question. If I wanted him to be open with me, who would I be to shut him down? A hypocrite.
"It... it was when you attacked Axon," I confessed in a minuscule tone. Lloyd stiffened. "I guess it... scared me more than I realised."
He went silent. His hand dropped from my hair but the other continued to chill my burning forehead.
"Oh..." Lloyd finally said, barely audible. I'd never heard his voice so brokenly sad. "I... how do I..?"
"Talk," I replied, turning around and sending him a desperate look, grabbing his hands in mine. "Just... talk to me. Please."
Lloyd hesitated. A look of reluctance crossed his face before it was pushed down with a small nod.

"... okay," he finally agreed, despite it being the middle of the night. He stood, pulling me up with him. "Let's... let's talk."
A relived smile broke across my face. I leapt into a hug, murmuring my thank you's into his chest. He was slow to return it, troubled.
"Let's go to the dojo," Lloyd suggested, brow pulled tight over his green eyes. "That way we don't accidentally wake anyone up. You warm enough?"
I nodded. I'd yet to remove his hoody and I didn't plan to anytime soon.
"Can you walk?"
My nod was slower. I think I could handle walking across the monastery, as far away the dojos were from the quarters as they were.
Lloyd swallowed. He looked scared and tried to mask it with a shaky smile.
"Alright, then," he murmured, taking my hand in his as he began to lead me out of the bathroom. "Let's talk, then."

Despite those words, we were silent as we made our way to one of the dojos across the other side of the monastery. Lloyd was slow, whether to account for my admittedly still shaky legs or because he was stalling as much and as subtly as he could, I wasn't able to tell.
But finally, he could stall no longer. Lloyd shut the door to the darkened monastery behind us and lead me to the centre of the mat. I kneeled while he lit the candles around the room with a match, not bothering to use his green fire. Maybe he was too tired. Maybe he was too scared.
The warmth of the small, orange flames flickered, licking against the silver of the moonlight that leaked through the windows. Lloyd's red eyes, hesitant in nature, glinted silver and gold from the contrasting illuminance as he kneeled before me. It was like that time when he tried to teach me Jiu Jitsu.
Except entirely different.

We sat in silence, the shadows playing against us. Lloyd seemed to be struggling to start, unable to find the right words.
"It... it hurt," I began quietly, taking the lead. "It really hurt to find out that you'd been lying to me for the entirety of our relationship. Ever since I met you."
Lloyd winced, eyes dropping to his lap. I backtracked.
"B- before we begin," I murmured, shuffling forward and placing a hand against his cheek. His red eyes jumped to mine. "I want you to know that I love you. I still love you. I never stopped loving you."
Lloyd's lips parted as his breath caught in surprise.
"But that doesn't mean I'm going to forgive and forget that this happened," I continued, thumb brushing his cheekbone. I swallowed, eyes searching his. "What you did wasn't good. It wasn't okay."
"I- I'm sor-"
I gently pressed my thumb against his lips, slowly shaking my head. It was still my turn to talk. He silenced, eyes watching me.

"I don't... care about your age-" my brow twitched. "Wait, no, I do, of course I do, but you told me that you really are eighteen... so I'll believe you on that. But that wasn't what had hurt me."
Lloyd's face fell a little. My thumb traced his bottom lip whisperingly and I stared at it, because staring him in his sad eyes hurt too much.
"I just... I feel like I don't even know you," I shook my head, throat closing with impending tears. "I- I've never- felt like this towards anyone and yet... I hardly know you, Lloyd. You don't let me know you."
I clenched my eyes shut and sniffed, wiping at my face with my free hand.
"And it's dumb," I continued, voice an octave higher while I tried in vain to settle my building emotions. "It's so dumb that I still wholeheartedly adore you after this but I do. This past week was agony without you but... but the thought of being with you while you actively lied? Kept things from me? That hurts worse."
Lloyd's watering eyes shut. He nodded a little in understanding. My thumb still gently brushed against his lip.

"It just... it stings. That you didn't trust me. Not to the same extent that I trusted you. It's making me question everything - every word, every hug, every kiss. Every time you said 'I love you...'" I wiped away Lloyd's tear with my free hand and did the same to my own. "I don't want to doubt you but you're making it so- so hard. I- I don't want to question us-"
My voice had broken mid-sentence and it was like a crack in a dam. I dropped my head against his chest with a sob, chomping hard on my bottom lip to keep myself quiet. Lloyd reacted instantly, hands curling through my hair as he held me close, pulling me into his lap.
"A- and I know that stuff with Axon and Morro scared you," I cried, hands tangling into the blond locks at the back of his neck as I pressed my head into his chest. "H- hell, I can't even begin to understand what you went through-"
Lloyd's inhale shuddered as he held me close.
"B- but I want to try, I really do," I sobbed, pulling back. He dropped his forehead against mine, eyes shut tight as his tears fell down his cheeks. "I- I want to be able to help you through things like this, I want to be able to talk th- things through with you! I just want to communicate. And I want to talk to you about Morro and Axon, too. Th- they scared me. When you were possessed, I didn't know if you were coming home and god that week was terrifying. A- and then Axon happened and I j- I just got scared because I'd never seen you lose control like that... but I love you more than I'm afraid of you! I just- I need to talk about this and I don't know if that's selfish of me or not but this trauma is scaring me and I wish that we could talk this over together. I wish you trusted me more that you can confide in me the way I want to confide in you!"

We were both shaking by the time my vent dried up, hands holding each other in tight grips. Lloyd's shirt was soaked from my tears and the hoody I was wearing was damp from his.
"I j- I just..." I sighed, voice shaking as I wrapped my arms and legs tight around him, resting in his lap. I felt drained but we still had a lot more to talk about. "... want you to trust me. We're a team... right?"
Lloyd nodded, red eyes opening to look into mine. They were still filled with tears.
"Y- yeah," he agreed, voice breaking. "We're a team."
I fell into a small smile, wrapping my arms tighter around him. His grip was just as firm. Lloyd swallowed, strained, before dropping his head atop of mine.

"I-" he stopped himself short with a stressed sigh. "I never wanted to be the green ninja."

I stilled, eyes shooting open as I laid against his chest. My breath had caught between my teeth in surprise. I didn't expect... that.
"A- and I love my dad, I do," Lloyd continued, voice catching. "B- but sometimes I wonder what my life would be like if... if I was normal, y'know? If my dad wasn't- wasn't Lord Garmadon."
I slowly pulled my head away. He was watching me with a sad smile. It was shaking.
"I sometimes think how different my life would've been if he was there from the start," Lloyd continued, swallowing thickly as he began pulling on a loose thread of his hoody that I wore. "Same with my mother. Y- you know, I was dropped off at a boarding school when I was four, right?"
"Wh- what?" I blinked, brows pulled up in shock.
"Yeah," Lloyd laughed breathlessly, humourlessly. He tugged harder on the thread. "Sh- she worked out that it was me who'd have to fight Lord Garmadon and devoted her time into working out a way for us to avoid it. B- but obviously that didn't work. I didn't have a mother for so many years for nothing."

I sucked my bottom lip into my mouth in sympathy, cradling his face. He was smiling ruefully, the warmth non-existent as he stared at the thread in his calloused fingers. He swallowed before continuing.
"Darkley's... man, Darkley's sucked," he chuckled bitterly. "Everybody hated me. I even got kicked out when I was eleven. I was- I was homeless for about six months before the team found me."
"God, Lloyd-" I gushed in horror, bringing a hand to my mouth. Hold back the tears. Hold them back.
"I- I have so much baggage," Lloyd said sourly, dropping his hands on top of my thighs. "I didn't want you to change how you acted around me just because of it. B- but I'm the green ninja, right? I have to keep calm, keep collected. I've lost count how many times I've almost died - I've only been alive fifteen years!"
He ran a hand through his blond hair with a shake of his head. His breath was shuttering, on the verge of a total break down.
"Green ninja. The saviour. I've learnt how to keep my emotions in check in battle, bottle things up," Lloyd murmured. "I guess... I guess that made me bad at communicating when I'm just being myself. Even when I'm with you... I'm sorry for pushing you away when you needed me. I think I have some trust issues in there somewhere. I'm not good at emoting. I'm broken."

Fresh tears sprung in my eyes as empathy struck me through the chest. I had no idea about him. His childhood. My lips trembled and I shuffled closer, sinking my head into his shoulder. He welcomed the closeness eagerly.
"I- it wasn't fair," Lloyd choked, hands gripping my back, trying to find purchase in the folds on his own hoody. He was trying to ground himself. Keep himself from floating away.
He sniveled, dropping his head against mine as his voice grew strained with tears. "None of this was fair. Wh- when I got home that day I turned older, I... I punched the mirror. Made my hand bleed because it wasn't fair. It felt like I'd been stolen from. I just- I just wanted to be normal! I just wanted to have a home."
My body trembled as his did, sharing our pain. I'd never hugged him so tight, hoping to help him ground himself. Keep him with me.
"Y- you became my home, sunshine," Lloyd admitted breathlessly and I felt my heart skip a hundred beats. "The person I looked forward to seeing the most."

I blinked a million times, trying to unblur my tear-filled vision as they flooded my eyes and spilled down my cheeks. Lloyd cradled my cheeks with his gentle hands, palms growing wet from my crying.
"Why I attacked Axon was to save you and I'm so sorry that you had to see that. I'm sorry that I lost it!" Lloyd cried. "I'm sorry that I scared you. I'm sorry that I still scare you. I'm sorry that you looked at me the way you did- l- like I was a monster. I'm so, so sorry, sunshine. Please know that I'd never hurt you."
I nodded tinily, feverishly. A relieved smile tugged on his lips.
"A- and with Morro, the reason I fought so hard when I was possessed was to get back to you," Lloyd whispered. His nose bumped mine. "I wanted to give up so badly. To just let it happen. It was agony, it felt like hell. But- but I wanted to get back to you so much more."
A hard sob cracked through my chest.
"I need you," he continued, voice trembling. "I can't not have you in my life. B- But if you want to... date someone else-"
"Whoa, whoa," I suddenly sat back, pulling a confused look as I wiped my tears. "Where did this come from?"
Lloyd sent me a sheepish look.
"I- I saw you with Chen in the gym and-"

I barked a loud laugh as soon as it clicked and Lloyd had to quickly place his hand over my mouth as I hysterically cried in amusement. He looked disgruntled.
"CHEN?!" I giggled loudly when I pulled his hand away. "Are you serious?!"
Lloyd's brow twitched. His jaw stiffened.
"Yes."
"Oh, Lloyd," I shook my head in amusement, still snickering. "I know that you get possessive when I smell like him but god, you think I'd actually date him?"
"I-" he faltered.
"Lloyd, the dude's like a brother to me," I reassured, grinning largely as I held his cheeks. "Even if he was the last man on earth, I wouldn't date him. And I'm fairly certain that Chen feels the same way about me. You are adorable."
Lloyd puffed his cheeks, brows dipping.
"No, I'm not!"
"Yes, you are," I coed, brushing my nose against his.

He pulled away with a swallow, hands gripping mine. I sobered at the look on his face.
"I can't... I can't give you a normal life," Lloyd reiterated and my smile fell. "Dad said that there's a way to get you out of the prophecies, so if you want-"
"He's already told me that," I cut him off with a soft voice. "Way back when we first met. I turned it down. I don't want a normal life."
"But-"
"Lloyd," I stressed, giggling still from aftershocks, shaking my head and reaching up to push his fringe away from his face with a smile. My fingers threaded through his soft hair. "I want you. Only you."
"But-"
"It's always been you, Lloyd."

He held his breath, staring at me with wide, watery eyes, brow pulled up in disbelief. Or maybe he was just overwhelmed. Either way, he still dipped down to place a desperate, hurried kiss on my lips. I eagerly reciprocated, sitting up taller in his lap as my eyes fluttered shut and I wound my arms tighter around him. Lloyd pulled me closer and I felt everything he felt, his pain, his fear, his anger, his panic. I quelled them with my love, my reassurance, my promise. I wouldn't leave. Not again.
The sparking in my stomach calmed to a smooth roll when Lloyd softened, the kiss pulling back into a slow dance that had my heart soaring.
"I love you," Lloyd whispered when he parted only to kiss me again, shortly. "I love you so much." He pressed his lips to mine for a third time. My chest swelled with warmth as I tried to keep up with his quick pecks. He began trailing them up my nose and to my forehead, gently squeezing my jaw in firm grip, as if he couldn't believed that I'd stayed.

"I l- I love you, too," I giggled when he pressed kisses to the spot above my eyelid. Lloyd pulled back, tears still spilling down his cheeks, matching mine. I was surprised we still had enough water in our bodies to cry. "I love you more than words can describe."
"I love you more," Lloyd betted, nipping the tip of my nose. I gasped.
"I love you most," I pledged, tugging him back into a kiss by his hair.
"I love you more than most," Lloyd competed, grinning against my lips. I pulled back with a mocking scowl.
"You can't do that!"
"Hell yeah, I can," he snickered, pulling me up to my feet and wrapping his arms around my waist. I stepped on his feet to press myself closer, smiling goofily up at him while he grinned dopily back.
"I pull an uno reverse," I whispered and his face fell in shock.
"I've been bested," he cried, throwing a hand to the ceiling dramatically. "Make sure my memory lives on!"

"Always in my heart, honeydew," I giggled. "Right beside Chen."
Lloyd's face slowly fell into a scowl and I laughed at his expression.
"I'm kidding!" I snickered, patting his cheek. "Again, you're adorable."
"Whatever," he grumbled, lifting me and holding me tight against his chest. My legs swung over his arm. "I'm tired. Let's go back to bed."
I hummed, nodding in agreement as I looped my arms around his neck. The venom must've worn off, because I hadn't even thought of the side-effects. I seemed to be all better, anyway.
"Do... do you think we can talk about your age situation tomorrow?" I asked timidly. Lloyd nodded.
"Yeah," he agreed, eyes catching mine with a warm smile. "We can do that. Dad's the expert on it. We can talk to him."
I nodded, brightening. Another crash of relief had me floating. Things were better than they were before our little fight. The comfort I had with him almost made the past week worth it.

"Oh! I've been meaning to show you this!" Lloyd chimed excitedly, attitude doing a full turn around. "Watch this!"
Lloyd blew in the direction of the candle to closest to him. The wind curled around the room, dragging along the little flames until all the candles had been put out. I stared at the darkened room in surprise.
Did he just..? That power, wasn't that-?
"I picked something up from Morro," Lloyd said smugly, highlighted by the silver of the moon. My eyes slowly drifted to his.
'They seem to think that Lloyd's really strong. Like, first spinjitzu master potential kinda stuff.'
'They think that Lloyd will be able to eventually fully control each individual element that his grandfather had.'
God-like abilities.
The beast instincts.
And did he accidentally unlock Morro's power?

Lloyd's smile fell at the expression on my face.
"What's wrong?" he asked, growing concerned. "Was... was it too soon-?"
"I- I think we need to talk to your parents about more than your age," I said, words barely audible in shock. Lloyd paused in confusion.
"What?"
I closed my eyes as my head swam with an overload of information.
"C... can we talk about it in the morning?" I whispered, pressing my head against his chest. He hesitated but agreed, beginning making his way back to his room while I curled up tighter in his arms, eyes wide.
I didn't realise it would be this soon.
Lloyd shut the door to his room with his foot before crawling onto bed. I pushed my worries aside, leaving it for the morning. I had sleep on my mind and a pretty boy to fall asleep with.

Lloyd opened his arms and I eagerly dove into them, dropping my head onto of his chest as if he were my pillow. His arms rested comfortably against my body as he quickly fell into slumber while holding me tight.

I stared up at the ceiling, suddenly and overtly aware of just how many unanswered questions I still had left.