"How'd you go?"

"I don't want to even think about it," I groaned, dropping onto the grass of the field beside Lloyd with a pitiful cry. It was the last high school exam I'd ever have to sit - but rather than feeling relieved and exhilarated from my early start to the holidays, I just really wanted to hole myself up in my room and sleep for twenty years.
Lloyd snickered at my whine as he played with a blade of grass. I fell onto my back and draped my arm over my eyes. At least the spring sun was nice and warm.
"How do you want to celebrate?" he asked, relaxing beside me on an elbow.
"Hhhhsleep," I mumbled. A low chuckle was his reply.
"Well, I have training from two to four and patrol at six, but I think we can squeeze in a quick nap between then," Lloyd offered.
"Sounds perfect," I sighed. Lifting my arm from my face, I turned my head to gaze at him. He was smiling softly. "I don't think it's set in yet. Finally finishing high school."
"Yeah?" Lloyd hummed, poking my cheek with the blade of grass he was messing with. It tickled. "It has for me. Will you miss it?"

With a furrow of my brows, I lifted my gaze to the blue sky. A gentle breeze had the lush grass of the school field swaying. Aside from the civilian symphony of the city, it was quiet.
"I don't know," I replied honestly. My eyes followed as a fluffy cloud dragged itself slowly across the sky. "Part of me can't wait to leave this place behind, but... I dunno. There's a bunch of memories here that I'm not sure if I want to let go of yet. I feel like I'm not ready to be an adult."
"You're scared of what the future may hold," Lloyd murmured, still resting on his arm as he sprawled out on the grass beside me. There was nothing more for us to do but wait for the others.
"... yeah," I hummed, admitting to his correct educated guess as I pushed myself up with my arms. "But who isn't, right? I'm not special."
"I dunno," Lloyd said with a teasing tilt to his voice. He followed me up. Just two dumb kids, sitting crisscross apple sauce on the school field. "You're pretty special to me."
I snorted, eyes jumping to his.
"I didn't mean in that regard."
"I know," he grinned shamelessly before his fingers whispered across my cheek and gently held my jaw. My head tilted to the side with no complaint, finding his affectionate gaze.

"There will be some parts of this place that I'll miss," Lloyd admitted, voice quiet as he dipped his forehead to gently tap against mine. My eyelids fluttered at his warm proximity. "Funnily enough, most of my happy memories are after you arrived."
"Cheesy," I hummed with a smile, bumping my mouth against his cheek.
"It's the truth," he countered breathily before dropping his lips to capture mine in a sweet kiss. The grass was a little dewy from the spring shower that had passed over the city only that morning, but I paid it no mind. I was too enraptured in the sweet thralls of Lloyd's kiss.
"Oi!" yelled a voice. "No snogging on school grounds!"
Lloyd gave an irritated growl in his throat that had me snickering. He pulled away to send our interrupter a glare.
"Hey, Chen!" I greeted with a giggle as the cheerleader approached with his arms crossed and a smirk that rivalled Kai's.
"Hey, lovebirds," Chen teased.
"We were in the middle of something," Lloyd grumbled with a pout. Chen rolled his eyes in amusement.

"How'd your exa-?"
"Nope!" I yelled, plugging my ears and cutting him off. "Don't wanna!"
The cheerleader blinked in surprise before falling into a snigger that I couldn't hear. I unplugged my ears only when I noticed the large art tube that sat beside Lloyd - how did I not see that before? Damn, exams really did take it out of me.
"What's that?" I asked, gesturing to the art tube.
"Extra credit stuff that I have to hand in," Lloyd replied with a careless shrug. "Had to pick something up so I wouldn't get held back."
"Can I see?"
Lloyd's cheeks brushed a pretty pink.
"... no."
His averted gaze just made my curiosity skyrocket. I gave him the best puppy eyes I could manage.
"Please?"
But he was steadfast, cheeks growing darker.
"No."
"Pretty please?" I begged. "Pretty please with a cherry on top? I'll do anything you want?"
"Go on, Lloyd!" Chen cheered. "Show us your masterpiece!"
"Nope," Lloyd refused. He snatched the tube away before I had even leapt for it, predicting my movements with expertise. In a blink, he was on his feet and five meters away, clutching the tube to his chest when Chen went to make a snatch. The cheerleader slumped.

"I don't know why we even bother to try," Chen grumbled, staring at the green ninja with a pout. I huffed.
"Too fast," I mumbled my reply. "Meh. I knew this would happen - I'm going to sleep."
"What?" Chen cried in revolt. "But you're finally free! All your hard work has paid off!"
"I know!" I said excitedly before dropping back onto the grass and closing my eyes. "Time for a nap."
"I'm going to drop this off," Lloyd spoke up from where he was watching us with a squinted, suspicious gaze. I peeked my eyes open. "Then we should get some lunch. The others won't leave their exams until later on."
I picked myself up with a sigh. Nap time would have to wait - preferably until it was snuggle time with Lloyd between his training and patrol. I swung my bag onto my back.
"Okay," I hummed my reply, tiredly stretching my arms over my head.
"... you can see the art."
My eyes snapped open. They jumped to Lloyd. He was already unscrewing the top of the tube.
"W- wait, I was just messing around," I rushed, words slipping. "I'm sorry! You don't have to!"
But he was already pulling out the paper and Chen was shamelessly stepping forward to gawk. I slapped my hands over my eyes with a squeak.

"I'm sorry for pressuring you!" I rattled, turning my back to the boys. "It's okay if you don't want to show me, really!"
"Wow!" Chen said. "That's awesome! Y/n, you really should see this!"
Screw you, Chen.
"No, no!" I chimed in a panic. "It's fine!"
"Sunshine, c'mere."
"It's fine!" I repeated.
"You said you'll do anything I want, right?" Lloyd reminded with a smile in his voice. I paused, listening. "I'll be holding you to that. Come look."
I shifted on my feet, unsure, before relenting with a groan and dropping my hands.
"It better not be something like cleaning the bathroom with a toothbr..." I trailed off after having turned to face Lloyd, holding up the painting to me. My eyes found my own staring back. "... oh."
The artwork of myself was purposefully unfinished, some details polished in paint and others, like the line of my cheek and chin, was still shaded in pencil. Surrounding the portrait was an abstract collage of yellow; sunflowers and sunshines and dragons. Hints of peach - an inside joke that only those of us that knew about the prophecies would understand - shot through the background in a watercolour splatter effect.
"Oh," I said again, because I was truly lost for words. Lloyd's smile grew a little.
"You like it?"
I wordlessly nodded, staring at the art in stunned amazement. He may not know how to do maths, but boy could Lloyd make some breathtaking art. It almost wasn't fair.

"What's with all the yellow?" Chen asked, taking another look at the artwork. "I trust you have a reason."
"I do," Lloyd nodded, smiling a little more proudly at the positive reaction. "Yellow is the happiest colour. It's what I feel whenever I think of Y/n."
"Ew," Chen gagged. "That's cute as fuck."
My eyes drifted up to Lloyd's, who was an even better work of art than the painting itself. My heart swelled to immeasurable lengths - how could I be so lucky? I wanted to say just how much he meant to me, just how willing I was to trudge to the end of the earth and back for him, to travel across the sixteen realms just to see him smile. I wanted him to know just how much I loved him - but I don't think words of that magnificent caliber had been invented yet. Even if they had been, I still wouldn't have been able to speak. My voice was silent and still from adoring shock.
"I think you broke her," Chen whispered. Lloyd snorted, rolling the art back up and slipping it into the tube. But his red eyes were soft.

"C'mon, moron," greenie teased, grabbing my hand and giving a gentle tug. I took a blank step forward, still staring at him. No thoughts only Lloyd Garmadon. "Let's get this to Mrs. Peralta and get some lunch. How does that sound?"
I could only manage another soundless nod.
"Damn," Chen blinked as we slowly began to make our way toward the art block. "I think you really did break her."
"Hey, at least if this ninja stuff falls through, I have a back up career as an artist," Lloyd joked before his smile fell in thought. "Though I'd probably have to be super disowned by my family for that to happen..."
"No more green ninja? In this society?" Chen snorted as he opened the door for us. "Unlikely, bro. You're the reason why the city's still standing."
"Oh, well..." Lloyd gave a smug shrug. "Yeah. Okay - no more ninja talk. There's too many people in here."
It was just before between periods and a handful of the younger students were already milling about the halls, headed for their next class. Unlike the seniors who had either finished their exams (like me) or were studying for the last of them, the juniors still had another three weeks of school.
Ahah. Suckers.

Chen and I waited at the entrance of the art room while Lloyd dropped off his extra credit assignment. The juniors of the class sent Lloyd judging, withering stares and I pushed down the yearn to knock the little twerps down a peg or two.
"Alright, home free," Lloyd said in glee. "I can't wait to never do a school assignment again."
"God, I wish that were me," I groaned, already worrying over the amount of work I had waiting for me at college.
"I need to grab the stuff from my locker before we leave," Chen said. "I won't be long."
"Lead the way," Lloyd said as he slipped his hand into mine with an easy hold. My heart bumped as his fingers latched through my own.
Chen's locker was only the next block over, so the walk was short and nice in the sun. It was truly between periods now, and younger students were bustling through the halls. With a nostalgic sigh, the cheerleader opened up his locker and unzipped his bag.
"I need to go to the bathroom," I said, patting Lloyd's arm and slipping my hand from his. He gave a nod of acknowledgment. Chen threw a thumbs up over his shoulder as he scoured through his locker.
I slipped between the juniors and found the closest bathroom. I paused once inside, scanning the walls graffitied in sharpie about who loved who, snapchat users and general gossip. It was so mundane.

Since when did I feel reminiscent for the days when I thought my life was boringly plain?
At least things were easier. But too easy, now that I thought about it. That life wasn't one that was really living. I used to do so little - I hardly hung out with my friends in Jamanakai as is. I'd spend day after day reading books and going for walks by myself.
Although I appreciated that time for the peace that I doubt my life could ever hope to replicate, it felt like a life that belonged to somebody else.
I stared at my reflection as I washed my hands.
I'd grown up so much.
It was kind of scary - but exciting, in some ways. I was preparing to leave the nest, to step out into the real world. The world was my oyster, as adults would repeatedly say again and again.
But if this was the trial period, if this past year wasn't what I was told to be 'the real world,' then pray tell, what has the future got in store for me? What was worse than possession, Ninjago nearly falling to ruin, being hunted down by Axon's gang like foxes to a bunny? What could be worse than breaking up? What could be worse than being forced to face the truth about my ex-friends?

I didn't want to know.

I dried my hands on my (Lloyd's) hoody and stepped out of the bathroom just as I noticed a red-faced, panicking Jas pulling a confused-looking Lloyd away from Chen. Towards me, though she was unaware.
I swiftly stepped back out of view, hiding as I pressed myself against the edge of the lockers. My heart was hammering in my ears - what was she planning? I liked Jas, I really did; she's a sweet girl and was one of the few that wasn't rude to Lloyd or I - but jealous anger still threatened to curl dangerously in my stomach. Unreasonable, of course, because I didn't even need the promise ring that sat on my finger to be sure of Lloyd's loyalty. Emotions can just be annoying like that.
I think I was beginning to understand why Lloyd's beast instincts were so possessive. If his instincts made his emotions tenfold towards me (and I was barely handling my own, very-non beast-affected emotions) and he could still keep himself in check... I just gained so much more respect for his self-control.
Maybe I should give meditation another go.
By some stroke of luck, the oblivious pair stopped only a few steps away. I chomped down hard on my lip to keep me from doing something stupid.
"What did you want to tell me?" Lloyd asked, clearly unaware. I wanted to roll my eyes - Cole was right, he truly was clueless when it came to girls. No wonder why it took us almost the entirety of summer to become official - even with our supernaturally sped-up relationship.

"I, uh. I like you," Jas confessed in a small voice that should've sounded unsure and sweet but was nails on a chalkboard to my ears. "I... I was wondering if you wanted to go out somewhere on Friday?"
Lloyd was silent. I waited for his reply but when none came, I peeked around the locker and found him glancing over Jas' shoulder at me with a panicked look. He was blanking. He had no idea what to say.
Through the jealous rage that had my stomach swirling, I couldn't help but find his flustered expression adorable. Part of me wanted to see how he'd handle it, but a bigger part of me told me to help the poor guy out.
"Thank you, I appreciate the sentiment," I whispered under my breath, hiding back behind the locker. "But I'm already in a relationship."
"U- um, thank you," Lloyd stuttered, clearing his throat. "I- uh, I appreciate the s- sentiment. But I'm already in a relationship."
Another silence. I anxiously twisted the promise ring on my finger.
"O- oh, I'm sorry," Jas apologised, stammering and blushing in mortification. "I thought- I thought you guys weren't together anymore."
It took Lloyd a few beats to realise that I wasn't helping him out anymore. I waited for his response curiously.
"We- uh, we recently got back together," Lloyd said, voice pitched and quick.
"Oh..." Jas said, disappointed. "... how much do you love her?"
My agitatedly fiddling fingers stilled. Now this, I really wanted to hear.

"More than words can describe," Lloyd confessed quietly, sure in his words. My heart skipped a beat before racing, feeling all warm and tingly. A giddy smile crossed my lips.
"No chance for me then, huh?"
"Sorry, Jas," Lloyd said sympathetically.
I quickly flipped the hood over my head as Jas made her embarrassed escape. I felt bad for her - I'd been in the same position a couple of times and getting rejected was never a nice feeling. But also please don't put me through that again.
"You're a disaster," I announced, only turning around the edge of the lockers once I was sure Jas was out of range.
"That's never happened before," Lloyd admitted, taking my hand in his as he lead me back towards Chen. His green eyes were still wide in shock.
"And it better never happen again," I said with a frustrated pout. "You're mine. Only mine."
"Only yours," Lloyd reassured with a grin. He glanced over his shoulder before shaking his head in bewilderment. "I didn't even know she had a crush on me. Crazy."
I raised a brow. "Then why did you ask her to dance at prom?"
Lloyd's eyes jumped to mine in shock.
"Jas asked me!" he squeaked in defence. "I thought she was just being nice!"
I stared at him. What a clueless, naïve, adorable boy.
"You are an idiot," I decided.

"Oh, no," Lloyd whispered to himself in horror. "Was I leading her on?"
"I think you can only lead someone on if you're actually intending to either eventually return their feelings or are aware of how they feel and are just being a dick," I said, but my words didn't reach him.
"I'm a horrible person," Lloyd bemoaned mournfully.
"No, you're not," I reassured with a sigh. "You didn't know."
"Are you sure?" he asked, green eyes jumping down to me. He clearly looked distraught.
"I'm sure," I soothed, grabbing his hands and giving them an affectionate squeeze. "Don't worry, greenie. Your status as being the most morally right boy in this city still stands. Now, c'mon - Chen's waiting for us."
Still looking troubled, Lloyd let me lead him back to the cheerleader. Chen shut his locker with a clang and a thoughtful look. It seemed that he, too, was thinking about how much he had grown. Or maybe wondering what he wanted for lunch. I could never tell with him.

"There they are," Chen grinned when he noticed us approach. "What did Jas want?"
Lloyd was still lost in his own head.
"She asked him out," I answered, because it was clear that he wasn't going to. Chen's eyes widened.
"No shit!" he laughed in shock. "What happened?"
"Turned her down, obviously," I snapped protectively before clamping my mouth shut. My cheeks burnt an embarrassed pink. "Sorry."
Chen only laughed at my outburst, unphased.
"Watch out, Lloyd! You've got a fighter there."
"Huh?" Lloyd's drifting attention snapped to Chen. His green eyes jumped down to me as the sentence replayed into coherency in his head. "O- oh, yeah. I know."
I gave the boys an unimpressed look. Chen continued to snicker. Lloyd was beginning to come back round.
"Alright, lets go," Chen said, still snorting to himself as he pulled a packet of crisps from his bag (presumably one that he left in his locker) and began walking down the hall. Lloyd and I followed.

"I still can't believe that happened," Lloyd murmured to himself. He glanced at me and found my face turned into a sour twist, still quietly disgruntled by Jas asking my boyfriend out. "I think my social status has been alleviated."
"Well, it definitely wasn't because of me," I muttered. Lloyd and I glanced over at Chen, who was trying to balance a crisp on his nose. A group of students giggled amusedly (and perhaps, flustered?) at the cute cheerleader as the three of us walked down the hall.
"It was Chen," I noted.
"Definitely Chen," he agreed before glancing back at me with an amused smirk. "Now that I'm no longer a bottom feeder, girls are going to be throwing themselves at me. You gonna be able to handle it?"
My glare was dry and unamused. Lloyd snickered, pulling me in close to giggle boyishly against my forehead.
"You're a jerk," I muttered.
"I know."
"And an asshole."
"I know."
"And if someone flirts with you again I'm going to rip their face off," I said. "But also I won't, because that's mean. But I will be angry. Silently. Like a cat."
"Cute like one, too," Lloyd grinned, brushing a thumb over one of my cheeks when they began to turn pink. "My little kitten."

The added nickname made my pink cheeks flush a burning red. He chuckled merrily as I hid my face into his shirt with an embarrassed whine, heart thumping in my ears.
"Do you mind?" I asked, flustered. "We're in public."
"I thought you wanted it to be obvious that I'm yours and vice versa?" Lloyd teased.
"Shut up," I groaned. Chen was still busy trying to balance the chip on his nose. He hadn't heard a word of our conversation. "What time do you thi..."
My words trailed off as I spotted sight of a group of people that made my stomach drop to my shoes. Lloyd hummed, sending my pale face a confused look. I paused, stilling as I caught Claire's glare. A panicked twist of my stomach had me turning around.
"Let's go the other way-"
"But the exit is right there," Lloyd reasoned, confused as his arm snaked around my waist to halt my flee. I shot another panicked look over my shoulder in Claire's direction. Chen was the first to pick up on why I was behaving that way.
"Don't let them push you around, Y/n," Chen said, frowning. Lloyd followed my gaze before I dropped it, finding the group with sneering snickers and harsh words only he could hear out of us three. His arm around me clenched, dragging me in closer.

"P- please, can we just go the other way?" I begged, grabbing at Lloyd's arm desperately as I began to panic. I glanced up at him, sending my best pleading look. Lloyd almost looked ready to crumble under my request.
"Oka-" he began to say, agreeing, before we were both taken by surprise by Chen swiftly picking me up and depositing me over his shoulder. I gasped in shock as he began off at a fast pace down the hall.
"Hey- oi!" Lloyd yelled, giving chase through the populated hallway. Students parted, staring. "Give me back my girlfriend!"
"Gonna have to get her yourself, Garmaboy!" Chen laughed. I clapped my hands over my face.
"What is going on?!" I squeaked. Chen's loud snicker was my only response.
"You're dead, Daniels!" Lloyd shouted and I peeked past my fingers just enough to catch his amused grin. We turned a corner and the cheerleader abruptly stopped.
"See?" Chen grinned smugly as he dropped me to my feet. I stumbled, heart racing from adrenaline. He was puffing excitedly. "That wasn't so hard now, was it?"
Lloyd arrived not a breath later, crashing me into his arms. He sent the other boy a protective, playful leer.

"Don't take my girl again," he grumbled, dropping his chin against my cheek. Chen rolled his eyes.
"I got her past them, didn't I?" the boy snickered as he passed, reaching for the door to leave the building. "You can thank me by not ripping my shoulder out like you did with Axon. That dude sucked."
Lloyd and I tensed, though for entirely different reasons. He tensed from the memory of not one, but two attacks. I tensed because I knew that mentioning it wasn't the best considering how Lloyd felt.
He hastily let go of me, face pale. I tried not to let my disappointment show - we'd come so far. Chen turned around when he noticed us not following and his face dropped upon seeing the expressions his words resulted in.
"D... did I say something wrong?" he asked nervously.
"No!" I stepped up, quick to shake my head. I was suddenly hyperaware of the mark on my shoulder. "No, no. You're fine. Lunch, right? Where should we go?"
Chen didn't look convinced, but he gave me the benefit of the doubt, anyway. He turned to lead the way out of school and I took the opportunity to take Lloyd's hand in mine. His green eyes, guarded in all that they held, hesitantly dropped to mine. I gave a small, sad smile.

"Hey," I said quietly. I poked my chest before poking his. "Team."
Lloyd's walls softened. Not by much, but they did so all the same. His smile was flickering and unsure, but at least there was a smile to begin with.
"Team," he echoed, barely a whisper. My hand squeezed in his before I lifted myself up on my tip toes to press a kiss on the bridge of his nose. His lashes fluttered.
"Let's go," I said softly. "You must be hungry. You're always hungry."
"Yeah," Lloyd replied. He forced a wider, brighter smile - though couldn't fool me. But there was a time and a place for a conversation about what was bothering him, and this neither the time nor the place. I gently tugged him with me and we set off after Chen, who was hovering awkwardly outside the building.
"Okay," he said when we emerged into the spring sun. "I totally said something wrong that must've triggered you guys. I'm sorry."
"It's fine," Lloyd murmured. Chen's brown eyes darted between us unsurely. I gave him a reassuring nod.

We found a little cafe close by that did larger dishes for lunch that Lloyd seemed interested in. The three of us took a window seat and ordered. Then silence fell.
I tapped the heels of my shoes on the floor awkwardly, scanning the outside world from my vantage point. People bustled to and from, rushing to get wherever they needed to. Chen found much interest in the menu while Lloyd stared blankly at the table salt.
"So," I said with a final tap to the floor. "No more high school, huh?"
Chen hummed, brown eyes jumping up to regard me and then Lloyd. He returned to scanning the laminated menu with more interest than what should be considered normal. Lloyd was quiet. It seemed that I'd have to carry the conversation myself.
"I'm excited for the pasta," I said, filling the silence with a barely repressed grimace. "It sounded really nice."
Lloyd made a sound of acknowledgement. Chen only nodded. I scrunched my nose and chewed my lip.
"Exams... sucked..." I tried before finally relenting with a groan. "I'm just going to keep quiet now. It's obvious you guys don't want to talk."

They couldn't even find it in themselves to reply to that. The mood really had shifted.
I crossed my arms while I waited and the excess sleeve flopped with them.
Food was delivered after another tense ten minutes and we all ate silently. Lloyd took my leftovers when he had finished.
"Y/n?" Chen asked, the first to break the agonising quiet.
"Yeah?" I replied, probably a little too quickly.
"I've been meaning to ask... is that a bullet wound on your leg there?"
I blinked, glancing down at my leg. The shorts I was wearing left my healed injury exposed to the world.
"Oh, yeah," I said with a nod. It looked far older than what it actually was. "Forgot about that. I've got a matching on one my arm too, see? Battle scars and all, ri-"
Lloyd stood. I silenced and both Chen and I watched as the green ninja silently picked up his empty art tube and slung it over his shoulder.

"Are- are we going?" I asked in surprise. We hadn't even given the food time to digest a bit.
"I'll send one of the others to escort you home," Lloyd mumbled as he slid his chair back into place before starting towards the exit. Worried, I went to stand before finding myself torn between being polite and paying for mine and Lloyd's share or going after him.
Chen made the decision for me.
"I'll handle the bill," he said sternly just as Lloyd left the cafe. Time was running out. "You go after him. He needs you."
"Thank you," I said, swinging my bag over my shoulder hurriedly. "I'll pay you back!"
I scurried after Lloyd, frantically scanning the street for his blond hair. I spotted him just as he ducked into an alleyway.
"Hey," I said as I snuck in after him, trying to be discreet as possible. He glanced at me with a frown. "Please don't push me away again. Let me come with you."

He closed his eyes tiredly.
"Okay," he said, reopening them and holding out his hand. I eagerly took it. "Can we go home?"
"Of course we can," I answered readily. "Taking Bentley?"
Lloyd nodded and the next second, a green dragon was taking up most of the room in the alleyway. Bentley shoved his face into my hands, as per usual, and I fluffed over the beast as Lloyd pulled himself up into the saddle, as per usual. I only left Bentley to grab Lloyd's outstretched hand and scramble up onto the saddle behind him.
"I know I'm saying this so often that you can probably hear it in your sleep," I murmured against Lloyd's shoulder, trusting that his heightened hearing could pick my voice up over the crashing wind of flight. "But you can talk to me. I'm always here for you."

Lloyd was silent. I waited, before my patience began to turn into the beginnings of panic. Did I say something wrong, this time? Maybe he decided that he didn't want to confide in me after all.
Instead of answering, Lloyd made Bentley veer a sharp right. I clutched his waist tighter to keep myself from slipping off of the saddle with a gasp. The dragon was all but shooting through the air and I could barely peel my eyes open against the wind to see what our new destination was.
Bentley heavily landed in a forest clearing and promptly vanished. I landed unsteadily on my feet while Lloyd was already trudging through the long grass. He stopped, standing in the middle of the clearing. A few seconds passed. Then he let out a frustrated, enraged yell to the sky.
I watched, wide-eyed and concerned as Lloyd slumped and fell onto his back with a grunt. It took a solid couple of beats for me to get myself back into gear and slowly push my way through the knee-high grass.
"... Lloyd?" I asked tentatively as I approached the demigod. I crouched beside his head. His anguished red eyes shifted from the sky to me. "Are you okay?"

"No," Lloyd stressed, lifting himself up and clutching his head. "I'm- I just-! I don't even know how to talk to you! How pathetic is that!"
I blinked, the recesses of shock still making me slow. I had to run his words through my head a couple of times before I broke into a soft, sympathetic smile.
"That's not being pathetic, honeybee," I murmured, slipping my hands down his arm as I shuffled closer. "You're not pathetic in the slightest. You're the strongest, wisest person I know."
"You're biased."
"No, I'm not," I disagreed with a shake of my head.
"Yes, you are!" Lloyd snapped before he could catch himself. He gave a frustrated growl and turned to me, expression holding nothing but self-loathing. "You keep getting hurt! Whether it's this-" he tapped below the bullet wound on my thigh. "Or this-!" his hand moved to hover precariously over the bite mark. "Or any of the other times you've been injured - and it's my fault!"
I stared at him as he slumped back, cradling his face in regret. His voice was broken and catching when he spoke up again.
"How can I be called the saviour of Ninjago if I can't even keep the most important person of my life safe?"

"Oh, Lloyd," I sighed, shuffling closer through the long grass. "That's not your fault. Don't blame yourself for this-"
"Who else is to blame?!" Lloyd shot, distressed as he ripped his hands from his face. "I should've gone after you when you ran off, but I just stood there like an idiot!"
"I was an idiot to run away-"
"That's different!" Lloyd pressed with a humourless, dry laugh. "I'm the leader - I should know how to handle these kinds of situations! I should know how to talk to people or- or-"
"Hey," I said softly, catching his cry off as I leant in close and cradled his cheeks. His words died on his lips. "I understand. You're trying to be perfect - the perfect leader, the perfect son, the perfect boyfriend. But there's no such thing as being perfect. There's only trying your best."
"But-!"
"Lloyd," I stressed, grabbing his hand. I placed his palm over my chest. "Do you feel my heartbeat?"
He faltered, eyes flickering from between my face and my hand over his.
"... yeah."
"Am I alive?"
"Yes," Lloyd nodded.
"Then what are you worried for, sweetheart?" I murmured, tightly threading my fingers through his. "You're the reason I'm still here today. God - I've lost count of the amount of times you saved my life and I came out unscathed. A few piddly little wounds is nothing in comparison."

"But I caused this," Lloyd said, brushing a thumb over the bite. I held back a shiver at the light touch, still a little sensitive. He snatched his hand back quicker than light. "I'm the green ninja and I hurt you."
"And?" I shrugged. Lloyd sent me a desperate look. "We knew that your instincts are new and difficult to get a hold of. Just because you're the green ninja doesn't mean you have to do everything perfectly. You're still human... mostly."
"But don't you hate me?" he asked. My heart shattered at the soft, self-hating tone of his voice.
"Oh, honey," I sighed, pulling him into my arms. He held my waist tightly and swallowed. "I could never hate you. Never."
"... never?"
"Never in a million years," I reassured, brushing my lips against his temple. "Not after giving me everything I could've ever wanted."
"Like what?" he said blandly. "A life where you can't even leave the house without one of us? Where you're being hunted down by some stupid gang because someone has a vendetta against me? Where I can't even keep you safe from harm?"
"You gave me you, didn't you?" I asked quietly and Lloyd fell into contemplative silence. "You didn't have to love me, but you do. That's a gift worth a thousand lifetimes."

"But I'm supposed to be protecting you," he choked out.
"And you are," I reassured. "Every day, you make sure I'm safe. Getting hurt is just a part of life and I'm no exception - but I know how hard it is to watch someone you love be in pain. How many times have I had to stitch you up after a battle, huh?"
He mumbled something incoherent.
"It hurts to see you hurt," I continued, talking into his hair as I held him close. "But I can't stop you from going out and saving the city. Just like how you sometimes can't stop a couple of accidents. Even great leaders make mistakes - hell, ask your parents. Ask Wu."
"I just... I feel like if I don't do everything right, then I'll be a failure," Lloyd mumbled against my ear. "How can people trust me when I can't even trust myself?"
"How long has this been bothering you?" I asked quietly. He went silent for quite some time.
"... probably since Axon sent those drones."
That was almost a year ago.
"You blame yourself for that?" I asked softly. He nodded.
"If I didn't get shot then you wouldn't had to have jumped in and-"
"Lloyd, you saved my life that night," I gushed, recalling back to so many months ago. "If I remember correctly, you saw my name on that list of targets and you dropped everything to get to me. We barely even knew each other!"

"And you still got hurt," he reminded bitterly. "Because I couldn't protect you like I should've."
"It would've been far worse if it wasn't for you," I pointed out, pulling back from the hug to send him a small smile. "Look at it from my point of view; you saved me that night, saved me from when Kami threw that knife, saved me from the gang that showed up when I went off by myself... Lloyd, despite everything you may think of yourself, you're my hero. Everyday you remind me why you're my hero. I just wish you could see that, too."
Lloyd's face twisted in conflict, battling between my words and what he thought he knew about himself. His red eyes drifted to mine.
"You really think I'm your hero?" he asked quietly.
"Green ninja or not," I replied, voice lilting with promised infatuation and the most caring smile I could pull. "Lloyd Garmadon, you are the best thing that's happened to me. Flaws and all."
His face crumpled.
"Really?"
"Really really," I assured with a soft chuckle as I raised my hand to push back his messy hair. My gaze caught sight of the pretty promise ring and my affection only swelled. "Garm once told me to not worry about the past, to live in the now. It helped me then. I think his words can really help you, too."

Lloyd gave a little nod. He sniffled.
"Yeah," he murmured. "Dad's pretty wise like that."
"It's where you get it from," I noted with a grin. "Did this feel good? Getting it off your chest? Talking about it?"
"... it- it did," he replied, dropping his cheek into my palm as it dragged down from his hairline. "It really did."
"I'm glad," I sighed, smiling in relief and glee. "Is there anything else you want to talk about? Any worries? Any troubles? I'm all ears, blondie. I'm all yours."
"No," Lloyd shook his head. He seemed lighter, somehow. Not entirely - but as if he'd unloaded a little bit of the stress that weighed him down daily. "Thank you... is there anything you would like to talk about?"
I hummed, tilting my head in thought as I traced his collarbone with a finger. It brushed past the tapered end of his large scar.
"Nothing troubling," I replied airily, catching his eyes through my lashes. "I was thinking earlier, though. About how boring my life was before I met you."
"Now it's chaos?" Lloyd guessed with a tiny grin.
"But chaos can be beautiful," I chimed with a lopsided smile.
"I know," he answered, grabbing me by the waist and tugging me with him as he fell backwards. I squeaked in surprise before landing atop him and Lloyd laughed, head crowned by grass and wildflowers. His grin was more him than it had been for months. "Just look at you."

"Oh, ha-ha," I snickered. "Very smooth."
"Thank you," he said in a velvety voice. "I've been working on my flirting just for you, princess."
"I'm flattered," I teased, stupid smile growing more and more. "You've swept me off my feet once again."
"Literally," Lloyd smirked, squeezing my waist. I rolled my eyes amusedly. "Can we do something special?"
I tilted my head curiously.
"Like what?"

His smile was brighter than the sun itself.
"You'll find out."

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

"I'm still confused as to what we're doing," I confessed as Lloyd got me to sit down on one of the rocks in the zen garden.

The flight back home was short and quick and Lloyd said not a word about what he was planning. His spirits were high though, higher than they've been for a long while, so I decided to just sit back and enjoy him enjoying himself.
But this rock was not best to relax on.
"Something I've been wanting to do for a while," he replied, which only made me more suspicious.
I squirmed, trying to get comfortable before abruptly pausing when Lloyd picked up a sketchbook that I had somehow missed. My shocked gaze jumped to his pleased smile.
"I don't like to model-"
"I'm taking my IOU," Lloyd said, cutting me off. "You said that you'd do anything. This is what I want."
"You could literally get me to do anything," I said. "And you want me to pose for a drawing?"
Lloyd's red eyes jumped up to mine with a giddy glee that immediately had me caving. Dammit - how could I say no to that face?
"Fine," I relented quickly, shifting into a position that would be the most comfortable. "Draw me like one of your French girls, then."

An eraser bonked me square on the head. I yelped in surprise.
"Muses don't distract their artist," Lloyd chided. I chucked the eraser back at him with force but he just easily plucked it from the air.
"Yeah, yea- wait," I stopped myself, watching in surprise as Lloyd sat cross legged on the ground with the sketchbook in his lap. "Did... did you just call me your muse?"
Lloyd hummed an agreeing uh-huh and lightly pressed the pencil to the page. His red eyes jumped to mine.
"I like drawing things that bring me peace," he murmured, concentrating. I suddenly felt awkward in my skin - I hadn't had somebody look at my body, break it down, transfer it onto paper before. At least, not the way Lloyd did it. "Just so happens that you're the thing that brings me the most peace."
"I can ruin that peace with a poorly timed dad joke," I offered.
"It seems I also like drawing things that bring me agony."
My lips curled into a snicker. The eraser was thrown again and this time I hit me on the nose.
"Oi!" I yelled, tossing it back.
"Stop moving," Lloyd demanded as he caught the eraser for a second time.

I gave a huff but tried my best to stay perfectly still. I turned my gaze to the sakura trees and countered the flowers in my head. All I could hear were birds in the trees, the scratching of the pencil on paper, and the faint laughter of Jay.
"Lloyd?" I asked when I had gotten bored of counting. He hummed. "Why'd you start drawing? Like, you're super good at it. How did you find the time?"
"Wu offered it as alternative to meditation when I was younger," Lloyd replied, brushing aside some eraser bits. "I was too jumpy to sit still for an hour so he told me to find things I found peaceful and draw them. It's why there's so many drawings on the wall of my room in the bounty."
"Oh," I said quietly. "Do you enjoy it?"
"I like creating things," he mumbled, squinting his eyes at the paper while I tried my best not to squirm. "I suppose I got that from Uchū."
"S'pose," I echoed languidly, closing my eyes. My ass had gone numb, but at least it was warm in the sun. It was so calm and peaceful and content. I was tempted to doze off.

Lips softly pressed against mine. I inhaled sharply in surprise before melting into Lloyd's kiss, hands catching themselves on his cheeks.
"Have you finished?" I whispered.
"Not even close," Lloyd mumbled his reply, pressing a kiss to the tip of my nose. I felt myself smile goofily at his small affection, falling further and further into the intoxication of him. "You're a distracting muse."
"I literally haven't moved."
"You know what I mean," he countered, dotting kitten kisses up my cheek. "Can't help myself - you're so pretty."
My grin turned flustered at his compliment but he was already stepping away before I could say anything or press another kiss to his lips. I gave a pout but didn't complain. Lloyd picked up his pencil and continued from where he left off, as if he didn't just leave me with a skipping heart, pink cheeks and a want to be kissed again.
I was freed after another half hour. I groaned as I stretched before adjusting my hoody with a yawn.
"That made me tired," I noted in quiet surprise.
"Everything makes you tired," Lloyd corrected with a snort. I clicked my fingers and pointed at him.
"You right," I agreed. Lloyd turned the sketchbook around to show me his drawing and once again, I was stunned to silence. "Wow. That's amazing."
"I have an amazing muse," he replied with a smile. I slapped his chest with an 'aw, shucks.'

"Did I ever thank you for the drawings you dropped off at my house?" I asked, genuinely not able to remember. "Either way, thank you."
"You like them?" he asked as I hugged his arm while we ventured back inside the monastery. I have an enthusiastic nod.
"They're incredible! I like the one of Bentley and Kashu!" I chirped, recalling the afternoon I had spent carefully slipping the pieces into an unused plastic file I had bought for school. "You're so talented. But can I make a commission?"
Lloyd's red eyes dropped to me curiously.
"... sure?"
"Can you draw me a self portrait of yourself?" I asked, bumping my nose to his jaw with a hopeful smile. "I want to hang it on my wall. How much do you charge?"
Lloyd hummed in thought, dragging his gentle fingers through my hair as we swayed to a stop at the entrance to his room.
"A lifetime by my side," he replied with a small, teasing smile after tossing the sketchbook to his bed. "That's how much I want."
I pursed my lips in mock thought, pretending to weigh my options. We drifted back down the hall, mindless wandering.
"Yeah, okay ," I finally nodded, happiness growing as Lloyd's goofy smile did. "I think that's pretty doable for me."

"Perfect," he sighed as he pressed his forehead to mine. I twined my fingers through his soft hair and pulled him closer, reaching up to press my lips to his-
"Training time!" Cole said as he slapped Lloyd's arm on his way past and sent the boy stumbling. I barked a sudden, amused laugh at the bewildered look on Lloyd's face as he turned to face the snickering earth ninja.
"Cole!" he whined. The rest of the team followed, each having their own giggles. Lloyd huffed. I barely kept my own in check. "Sometimes it feels like they don't even respect me as their leader."
"Sure they do," I snickered before abruptly coughing when he sent me a dry stare for my laugh. "But they're your family first. And family means pissing each other off."
"I guess that's true," Lloyd grumbled before holding out his hand with a charming smile. "You coming to watch? I'll show off just for you."

I placed my hand in his with an amused grin.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world, Greenie."