"Ugghhh," Jay groaned, dropping his forehead to the dining table with a heavy smack. "We've been studying for hours. I can see equations when I close my eyes."

I hummed, forehead creased in concentration as I scrawled down some answers in my notebook. My head throbbed from the unending hard work.
"Jay's right," Kai said with a grunt as he stretched tall. "We should take a break. What if we go for a walk and get some lunch? Fresh air would be nice."
"Uh..." I said, biting my lip as I scratched in the last answer. I dropped my pen with a thump and straightened. "Sure. I could go for some lunch. Do you have somewhere in mind?"
"Oh!" Jay piped up, suddenly bursting with energy once more. "I know the best place!"
"Usually Jay's ideas are terrible," Kai grunted as he stood. "But I'm too hungry and tired to argue. Lead the way, buddy."
"I guess it'll have to do," I sighed.
"I'm choosing better friends," Jay muttered to himself. Kai and I snickered.

On the way back home from lunch, I spotted a bunch of sunflowers for sale outside of a florist. I trailed off, mid-conversation with the lads about the newest Starfarer comic (they got me into the series, curse them) as I stared at the yellow flowers.
They-
They remind me of Lloyd.
I'd never gotten Lloyd flowers before.
"Y/n?" Kai asked, waving his hand in front of my face. I snapped back to reality, gaze jumping to the amber-eyed teen. "You good? You're spacing."
"Oh. Yeah," I nodded, glancing back at the flowers. "Yeah, sorry. I'll just- I'll be right back."
"Huh?" Jay asked, but I was already hurriedly making my way across the street. I patted the soft petals of the large flowers and felt my stomach twist with warmth and happiness as I gazed at the yellow plants. They really did remind me of Lloyd.

"Are you thinking of buying some?" Kai asked, peering at a bunch of lilies beside them. "Yeah, I suppose it would be nice to have in the house - especially with this crazy weather."
"I'm buying them for Lloyd," I corrected, checking the price tag. It was manageable - what you couldn't put a price tag on would be the look on his face. A giddy, giggly sense of joy swept through me. I hoped he'd like them.
"For Lloyd?" Jay echoed, gasping. He held his chest and squeed.
"Aw!" Kai pitched, joining Jay's excited reaction. "That's so cute! Lloyd's gonna love them! Oh my gosh, that's just so romantic-"
"Okay," I snickered, picking up the bunch. They even had green ribbon tied around the stalks. "Calm down, Casanova. They're just flowers."

"They're never 'just flowers'!" Kai countered passionately. "Flowers can mean the world to people!"
"Flowers have different meanings, too!" Jay piped up. He eagerly brought out his phone. "Let me look up what sunflowers mean-"
"They mean adoration, longevity and loyalty," chimed in a new voice. "My mother was really into the meanings behind flowers."
We glanced up at the person who'd entered our conversation in confusion.
"Dimitri!" I grinned. "What are you doing here?"
"You think the zen garden takes care of itself?" the kind monk snickered. "I'm here to pick up some more fertiliser. A couple of the shrubs needed perking up."
"Y/n's buying Lloyd flowers!" Kai coed. "Isn't that the sweetest?"
"I think he'll love them," Dimitri agreed.
I rolled my eyes with a grin at the boys' reactions, stepping inside the little florist to pay. When that was said and done, I returned outside.

"I'm going to buy Nya some flowers!" Jay decided.
"I'll get some for Skylor, too!" Kai added on.
"And the revolution begins," Dimitri murmured to me while the ninja scoured for the perfect bunch to give their girlfriends. I hid a snort with the back of my hand. "Lloyd got back from his mission just before I left."
"How bad?" I asked, clutching the sunflowers to my chest while the boys bought their flowers. Kai barely said his goodbye before he was off and racing, eager to see Skylor with his roses in hand.
"Just a few scrapes and bruises," Dimitri reassured. "Nothing major. He has been acting weird lately, however."
I frowned as we began to follow Jay down the street once more. He was merrily humming to himself while clutching a small bouquet of tulips.
"How so?" I asked worriedly. Dimitri gave a sigh through his nose. The bucket of fertiliser swung from his grasp.

"Quiet, when you're not around," he murmured as he watched our feet walk down the pavement. "He seems to be deep in thought - yet, there's this look on his face that I can't quite decipher. I'm unsure whether he's frustrated or irritated, Lloyd's difficult to read. Perhaps you could follow up on what's bothering him?"
"He's good at hiding his emotions," I said quietly. "Thanks, Dim. I'll check up on him."
Dimitri gave a small nod. I pushed down my concern - there was no use worrying all the way to the monastery. I'll just end up overthinking.
Instead, I chose to focus on trying to pin down what his face would look like when I showed him his little gift.

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

Lloyd was in the dining room, having a late lunch when I returned.

"Hey, sunshine," he greeted before I even stepped foot into the room. I grinned at the back of his head while he ate, holding the sunflowers behind my back.
"Hey, handsome," I replied, dropping my chin as I stood behind him. Lloyd looked up and gave me a tired smile. "How'd you know it was me?"
"I can tell by your footsteps," he replied, turning back to his lunch. "Everyone has different footsteps. Still can't quite pick your heartbeat from others, though."
"I'm insulted," I gasped in mock horror. "How long have we known each other, again? And you still don't know my heartbeat from other people's?"
Lloyd sent me a dry, teasing smile. My grin was goofy in response.
"Almost a year."
My smile dropped in surprise.
"Damn, really?" I asked, stunned. "Already? It feels like it was barely yesterday when I was hitting you with my skateboard and then my car."

"A telling first impression, clearly," Lloyd hummed, using his chopsticks to slurp some noodles. "Why are you standing? Take a seat."
"Oh!" I piped up, dropping down on the zabuton beside Lloyd as I brought out the flowers. "I got you a gift."
Lloyd dropped his chopsticks.
"You... you got me flowers?" he asked, staring at the sunflowers in surprise. His red eyes jumped to me. "What for?"
I shrugged, gently placing the flowers on the table.
"They reminded me of you," I hummed, pushing Lloyd's arm aside so I could slide into place on his lap and rest my head on his shoulder. I sent him a teasing grin. "'Cause you always brighten up my day."
He snorted. "Moron." But his flustered, overwhelmed smile and the blush on his cheeks betrayed just how much he appreciated the flowers. "Thank you. They're pretty - but not as pretty as you."

"Oh-ho!" I laughed, catching his free arm and pulling it around me. "Smooth, mr. green eyes. Very smooth."
A small smile pulled across his lips, but his expression remained dim. My mood dampened somewhat.
"Are... are you okay?"
"Yeah," Lloyd sighed, bringing his chopsticks to his mouth as he answered. "Just tired. I guess patrol, missions and trainings are catching up with more more than usual in exam season. This is why I don't plan on going to college."
"Fair enough," I murmured worriedly. "Hey, if you ever need anything..."
"I know who to call," Lloyd finished with an appreciative smile. He tucked some hair behind my ear. "Thanks, doll."
I hummed with a nod, staring at the sunflowers on the table as Lloyd ate. I wished sunflowers also gave people energy, because the green ninja was in need of it.
"You hungry?"
"Hm? Oh. kind of," I shrugged. "I'll get something from-"
"Open up," Lloyd said. I blinked at him.
"O- oh, well," I began, voice small and staring at him with wide, innocent eyes. "When I was five, my father had to move out due to his job and-"

"I meant your mouth, dimwit," Lloyd snickered, holding some food in his chopsticks.
"I know," I giggled. "I'm just pulling your leg."
He rolled his eyes with an amused huff as I took the food from the chopsticks.
"Ooh, who made this?" I asked while my mouth was full. I had manners, but only sometimes. "It's nice!"
"I did," Lloyd said, smiling proudly. My eyes widened.
"Really?" I asked in awe. "But you're not- the, uh-"
"Just say it."
"You're not usually this good!" I burst. Lloyd grinned, taking another bite for himself. I ah'd, asking for more.
"I've been taking lessons from Zane."
"It's paying off," I complimented as I eagerly watched the chopsticks grow near. They swiftly diverted and I whined in complaint as Lloyd took the bite instead with a cruel snigger.
"Meanie," I pouted.
"Please," he scoffed, pulling me into a snugger hug by his arm. "This is hardly me being mean. You should see my pranks. Those are mean."

"I'm sure," I said, turning around his lap and resting my head on his shoulder. "I'm still waiting on whatever you're going to pull on me. Okay. I'm gonna nap, now. Don' prank me while I'm sleeping."
"But that's the best time to prank someone," Lloyd sadly sighed. "Fine. I'll protect you from pranks."
I huffed an amused scoff, sliding my eyes shut as I sagged against my personal pillow.
"Please," I murmured. "I'm the one protecting you."
"If you say so."
I didn't actually fall asleep while Lloyd finished off his lunch, rather I just rested there and let my mind wander. Had it really almost been a year since we met? So much had happened. I'd been hurt more times than I cared to count, traumatised and sad more so than I have been before.
My fingers threaded through the soft, blond hair at the back of Lloyd's head. A rumbling purr vibrated through his body.
But I wouldn't change it for anything. I'd grown as a person, Lloyd had grown. We learnt so much from and about each other.

"Lloyd?" I asked quietly.
"Yeah?" he hummed softly, cradling me close like his personal teddy bear.
"Have you gotten any new powers?" I asked curiously, voice muffled against his shoulder.
"I'm learning how to control water," he announced in a whisper.
"Wow," I murmured dozily, patting his cheek. "You are the avatar. With benefits."
"I'm better than the avatar," Lloyd declared, hushed. "I've got more powers. And I'm cooler."
"Dork plus dork still equals a dork," I snickered.
"Ouch," Lloyd playfully winced before patting my thigh. "Hey, don't we have that study session with Cole and Naomi?"
My eyes snapped open. "Oh, shit, I totally forgooooot... can we cancel?"
"No," Lloyd said, lifting my head from his shoulder. I cried a whine. "You said so yourself that you needed to study for social sciences the most."
"Uugghhh," I crooned sorrowfully, slumping into his hands that held my cheeks. "I did. But I don't wanna study. I wan sleb."
"I do, too," Lloyd sighed sorrowfully. "But I can't fail this year. So let's go."
"Bleehhhh," I groaned as I stood with a frown. "Studying. This is too-"

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

"- tiring," I groaned, dropping my head backwards in exhaustion. "This is too tiring."

"You've only said that every ten minutes," Lloyd chuckled, stifling a yawn. "But - you're saying what we're all thinking."
We'd been studying for the better half of three hours and my head was right mush. It felt like my life was an endless cycle of studying for the exams. At least Zane had stopped by with some snacks for us, bless his robot soul.
"I think I'm done for science," I sighed, dropping the large textbook to the floor. I sent the pile of textbooks I had yet to cry over a scornful glare. "History's next."
"I'll be history if I don't get a good grade for these stupid exams," Naomi grumbled, dropping her head into the maths book. I felt her pain on an emotional, mental and physical level. "I'm going to get grey hairs at eighteen! And Y/n is babey! She's going to get grey hairs at seventeen!"
"No," I whispered, clapping my hands over my roots.
"If I get any more stressed, I'm going to be in a grave," Lloyd grumbled.
"No," I whispered louder, swinging my arms around his shoulders.

"I'm getting some water," Cole sighed, standing up and a stretching his arms. He squinted his brown eyes at the wall. "Am I supposed to be seeing double?"
"Oh, my god, please take a rest," Naomi said, shooting upright and sending her boyfriend a concerned look.
"I'm fine," Cole said, brushing aside Naomi's worries before promptly walking into the doorframe. He stumbled, blinking in surprise. "Less fine. Maybe I should take a rest."
"I think you should," Naomi stressed, swiftly padding over to Cole and slipping his arm over her shoulders - though, it wasn't as if she'd be able to hold his weight. Naomi and Cole was akin to a mouse and an elephant.
"Sounds like a good idea," I nodded, troubled by his clear exhaustion. I turned my attention back to Lloyd while Naomi led the master of earth to get some water as he held his head.
If Cole's that exhausted, then how bad was Lloyd? He just had a solo mission himself only that morning.

"Are you okay?" I asked, bringing his head around to face me. "Are you seeing double? Do you need water? How's your head-?"
"Sunshine," Lloyd chuckled, gently taking my hands from his cheeks and rubbing his thumbs in my palm. The soothing touch had my nerves melting. "I'm okay. Trust me. Let's go, history right? One last push 'till dinner."
I frowned as Lloyd turned his green eyes back to the textbook. He didn't look too swell and my worry only grew.
I gave a sigh through my nose. Another five minutes. I'll give another five minutes before I manhandle Lloyd into taking a rest. Maybe I could tempt him into taking some time off for the rest of the night? I could run him a bath and get some sakura petals from the garden - oh, the onsen! Perfect! And I could bribe him too with candy and offer to help him with some pranks on the others-
"Sweetheart," Lloyd said, snapping his fingers in front of my face. I jolted, jumping back into reality. I caught his gaze.
"What?"
"You've got your head in the clouds," Lloyd noted with a soft smile. "Stop worrying, I'm fine. I know how much I can take, trust me."

I stared at him for a few, brief seconds before giving a little nod.
"Yeah," I agreed. Of course he'd know how much he could handle. Maybe. Probably.
Oh, my god he's totally going to overwork himself.
"H- hey," I said suddenly, voice loud in the quiet room. I snagged the history book from Lloyd's grasp and clutched it tight. "Let me read to you! It's romantic!"
Lloyd blinked in surprise. Then the stare he sent me was so dry, it would make a desert of the ocean.
"You're going to read to me-" Lloyd said blandly before stopping to check the title. "- Histories of The Era of the Serpentine?"
"It can be romantic!" I pushed.
"More people died in one fight than there are people in this city," Lloyd reminded, raising a brow. "A lot of blood was spilled."

"And the greatest love stories blossomed from tragedies!" I countered before stubbornly opening the book and starting from a random point. He let me deliberately read for a couple of sentences before he grabbed the top of the book and pushed it down, sending a suspicious look.
"You're reading it slow on purpose!" he accused, pointing his finger into the tip of my nose. "You're trying to get me to fall asleep, you little traitor!"
"No!" I squeaked, raising the book as a shield.
The crease between Lloyd's eyebrows deepened and I felt panic at being caught out spike. "MAYBE - gotta blast!"
I scrambled away but of course, Lloyd was faster than I could ever be. He leapt, tackled me to the floor and I went down with a yelp. The only thing saving my head from cracking against the tatami flooring was his careful hand, cushioning the blow. My wrists were caught above my head.
"I need to pass," Lloyd stressed, hovering above me. He faltered at my expression. "... you're really that worried?"

"I just wanna make sure that you're taking care of yourself," I said quietly. He regarded me for a few, brief seconds before releasing a huff.
"Fine," he caved and I brightened at his acceptance. "We'll take a break."
"Thank you," I raved gleefully. "What do you want to do? Watch a movie? Take a nap? Hell, we can watch the monks make tik toks if you want."
"I want to do absolutely nothing," Lloyd murmured, lowering down to press a kiss to the corner of my lips. They twitched in a barely hidden flustered grin at the affection.
"Absolutely nothing, you say?" I mused, raising my brows. "Well, I don't know about you, but I think I- HRHK OH GOD-!"
"Absolutely nothing," Lloyd sighed after having dropped the weight of his entire body onto me, muscle mass and all.
"LLOYD-" I coughed, smacking his butt with my foot in a desperate attempt to gain my freedom. "GE' OFF- HEck yOU'RE SO HEAVY-!"
"Oh, doll, you were right," he said, nuzzling his face against mine. "I think I did need a rest."
"YOU- JERK-!" I wheezed - but it was the laughing that made it truly hard to breathe. "DAD! DAD I'M DYING!"

"You did not just bring my dad into this," Lloyd laughed incredulously. Garmadon was at the doorway in the next second, eyes wide.
"Oh," he said, losing tension as he realised that I wasn't, in fact, dying. "Lloyd, behave."
"She said that I could relax how ever I want," greenie pointed out calmly, not even moving an inch. I dropped my head onto the ground with a groan - but his hand was still between it and the floor. "This is how I choose."
"Green ninja who?" I puffed at the ceiling. "All I see is a jerk face."
"You love my face," Lloyd pointed out.
"I have better things to do," Garmadon sighed as he left the room. I whined for his help, but none was given. Darn. I turned back to Lloyd's smug grin with a pout.
"Jerk face," I repeated. "At least shuffle down so you're not right over my lungs."
Lloyd gave a melodramatic sigh before doing as told. To do so, he had to release my wrists from his iron grip. I flicked his forehead the first chance I got.
"Ow."
"Suck it, Garmaboy," I huffed. "That's what you get for bullying me."

Lloyd rolled his eyes with a grin, resettling into his new position. My fingers found his soft hair and I fiddled with the velvety locks, twirling and brushing the strands. Lloyd's purr was quiet. His free hand stroked circles on the side of my ribcage and I felt my own little sense of exhaustion begin to crawl up and take me. Even on the hard floor with only Lloyd's hand for a pillow, I'd never felt quite so comfortable before.
"I feel like I don't spend enough time with Zane," I announced quietly. Lloyd mumbled something incoherent in reply. "I spend heaps of time with everyone else but not Zane and now I feel bad."
"Y' should spend more time w' me," Lloyd muttered into my stomach. I gasped.
"Oh, my god, you're so right," I said in mock shock. "Darn, it's not as if we spend almost every waking second together - and sleeping, too."
"Always room to improve," he pointed out.
"Improve - as in you'll just move me in," I said dryly. Lloyd made a happy sound of acceptance and I gently smacked the back of his head. "No, it was a joke."

He groaned.
"Just read the damn history book," Lloyd grumbled. "It'll hurt less than your false promises."
I rolled my eyes at his dramatics but grabbed the book anyway, flipping it to a random page. Holding it open with one hand, my other returned to Lloyd's hair to encourage his purring. It took me a few pages of reading aloud to realise that his purrs had slowly and quietly slipped off into nothing.
He fell asleep on me. My plan worked.
With a smug, proud smirk, I placed the book aside and settled down for a nap myself. There was nothing wrong with taking naps at three in the afternoon. We're not old, we just smartly conserve our energy.
I was just beginning to drift off to the soft melody of Lloyd's breaths and the songbird that had perched on a tree outside of the window when he suddenly woke with a jolt, knocking me back to full consciousness.
"The square root of three is six!" he squeaked loudly, pushing himself up by his arms. I stared at him.
"N- no. No, it isn't."

"Sorry," Lloyd sighed, dropping his head back onto my shoulder. "'M just so tired."
"Shocker," I hummed sarcastically, combing my fingers through his hair again. "Honeydew, you're overworking yourself. You have to ask your uncle for some time off."
"And who's gonna look after Ninjago?" he replied, raising his brows as he leant back upright. I sent him a look as I followed, sitting up.
"The police. Your teammates. My father's troops. Pick any of 'em," I replied dryly. "Lloyd, seriously. You're going to burn yourself out. Take a weekend for yourself, please I am begging you."
"It's nothing a little meditation won't fix," Lloyd pressed stubbornly.
"If you don't talk to your uncle, I will," I threatened before my strength crumbled and my facade faded. "I'm sorry if I'm being pushy, but you've got so much going on right now. If you're overtired and make a mistake during a mission - greenie, I wouldn't know what- I can't lose you-"

"Hey," Lloyd laughed sympathetically as he took my shoulders in his hands and caught my distraught gaze with his own. His voice sounded sad and tired. His eyes were reassuring but exhausted. "Who said anything about you losing me? I'm not going anywhere. I'm always vigilant on missions-"
"It takes one slip up," I pressed.
"It won't happen," he promised, sliding his hands down my arms to catch my own. He brought my knuckles up to his mouth for a soothing peck. "I've lived this long. Means I'm doing something right, huh?"
My stare was unconvinced. I regarded the dull red of his eyes and his hair that looked to need another wash. With a shake of my head, I brushed aside his promises - they were empty, even if he himself knew it or didn't.
"You look so tired," I murmured, nudging his nose with mine as I sent him a sad look. "Please relax, for once. That five minute doze was nothing."
"Sunshine-"
"Just for one day, at least," I begged. Lloyd sighed, tapping his forehead against mine and closing his eyes.

"Okay," he hummed. The crash of relief that swamped me was so visceral that I was almost tossed back. "I'll take the rest of today off."
"Thank you," I breathed, pressing my face into his collarbone.
"We should make a date out of it," Lloyd continued. "When was the last time we went on a date? We'll do something super cliché - movie and dinner."
"Lloyd, you need to relax-"
"And I will be!" he insisted, pulling back to cup my cheeks with an excited smile. "What's more soothing than going on a date with my girlfriend?"
I huffed. His hopeful smile would be my downfall one day.
"Cruel move, buzzy bee. Alright, but only if the dinner is fast food in the parking lot," I said. "I can't be bothered getting dressed up again. I don't want to get changed out of my fat pants and slides."
"You read my mind," Lloyd agreed with a ready nod and a growing, handsome grin as he watched me bring up the schedule for movies playing that night. "I don't want to get dressed up, either."

"We've got a choice between a zombie thriller or a cheesy romance," I sighed. "Everything else is booked out."
"Romance," Lloyd suggested, just as I said "I'm leaning towards zombie."
We paused.
"I thought you'd want to see the zombie one," I said.
"I thought you'd want to see the romance," Lloyd countered. "Do... you want to see the zombie movie?"
"... kind of? I don't mind. Do you want to see the-?"
"No," Lloyd said with a quick, telling shake of his head.
"Zombie it is," I snickered, booking the seats for the film. "We've got a couple of hours to kill. What do you wanna do?"
Lloyd shrugged. "Wanna spend some time with Zane?"
I brightened, grinning. Lloyd smiled at my reaction as he stood and pulled me to my feet.
"I'll take that as a yes," he noted in amusement. I answered with a large nod. "Let's go find ourselves an ice ninja."
"Yay!"

Zane was in the zen garden with Kashu, reading a book aloud to the not-so-little puppy. The mastiff raised his head from the nindroid's knee when Lloyd and I stepped out onto the path that lead past the sand and pond.
"Hello, troublemakers," Zane greeted.
"Hello, babysitter," Lloyd teased in response as he knelt to pat Kashu. I perched on the rock beside Zane. "What are you reading?"
Zane twisted the book to show us the title. It was in old ninjagoan. I blinked blankly.
"Huh," Lloyd said, nodding his head as he rubbed his chin. "Tales of the first elemental masters. Interesting read. Dad said it was a bit exaggerated, though."
"I figured as such," Zane replied, flipping to a specific page and squinting his chilly blue eyes. "I doubt that Ray truly did woo every woman in a ten-mile radius and beyond. Or that he left a trail of broken hearts before finally meeting Maya."
"Like father like son," Lloyd snickered. I watched the two ninja converse, totally lost. Who were Ray and Maya? "Didn't Kai claim that he did the same thing before he met Skylor?"
"Unfortunately."

Something clicked. I turned a bewildered stare to the blond boy.
"Wait- wait. You can read that?" I asked, glancing back down at the ancient gibberish in Zane's grasp. "Seriously?"
"Yeah," Lloyd said, leaning back on his arms as he soaked up the spring sun. "I may not know how to do algebra but I can decipher ancient prophecies so who's the smart one now, Mr. Jackson? Stingy old man."
"You should have paid attention in class," Zane said, voice quiet but still just as cut throat as he intended. "It's a place for learning, not a place to take a nap."
"One, I was tired," Lloyd defended. "Two, when on earth am I going to need algebra to, what - calculate the chances of success for a plan? Judge the distance of one roof from another?"
"Argument heard," Zane said simply. "And disregarded. My point still stands."
"And so does mine."
Things were heating up in the ninja team. I decided to change the subject before Lloyd could have a patty.
"So, uh," I shifted on my makeshift seat. "Rocks, amirite? Pretty nifty."
The boys stared at me. Kashu barked. I nodded at the puppy.
"See?" I gestured to Kashu. "He gets me."

Zane gave a small, clear chuckle. I beamed at his soft laugh - had I ever heard him laugh before? I don't think I had. This was a milestone.
"Would you like to understand more of the previous generations of elemental masters?" Zane offered, lifting the book in suggestion. I gave him an appreciative smile.
"I'd love to, Zane, but I can't read that scripture," I said with a small shrug. "Thanks for offering, though. If I ever get curious, I'll just bug one of you guys."
"Nonsense," Zane brushed it off. "I can read it out loud."
"Seems people reading aloud is today's theme," Lloyd murmured, occupied by tapping Kashu's paws and pulling his hand away when the puppy would get playful and nip at his fingertips.
"If you're sure, then yeah!" I nodded enthusiastically. I slipped from my rock and sat beside Lloyd, in front of Zane's feet. It was now story time.

The nindroid gave an amused smile before turning to the first page and beginning to read.

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

"Oh, shoot," Lloyd said just as Bentley burst into existence, the green, sparkly barbie mist fading against the pink of the evening sky. "I forgot my wallet. I'll just be a second."

I was going to reply to him but was cut off by a dragon shoving his snout into my stomach, practically begging for attention. Bentley gave me the biggest set of puppy dog eyes, pupils all dilated in adoration with a whine that could have melted the coldest of hearts. I coed an amused laugh, kissing the beast between his eyes. His purr was happy.
"Attention stealer," Lloyd hissed. He was struck in the face with a sharp 'thwack!' from Bentley's tail. He stumbled back with a yelp. "Ow!"
I snickered. Lloyd sent me a betrayed look.
"Can you do something?" he whined. I just pulled Bentley's face up by his chin and pressed my mouth against his muzzle.
"Hear that, Bents?" I asked in a gasp. The dragon crooned a chiming bark in response. "The green ninja needs my help!"
"Don't encourage him!" Lloyd complained, crossing his arms with a childish huff as he sent Bentley an irritated glare. "He's been disrespectful ever since that night he ran off to you. Can you tell him to stop?"
"I'm not his master," I snorted.
"Yes, but he actually listens to you," greenie grumbled. "For some reason."
"Good taste," I shrugged playfully. Lloyd just scrunched his face at me before turning to retrieve his wallet from inside the monastery.

I returned my attention back to Bentley. His tail thumped on the gravel driveway while giving a little whine and a bump from his nose to my cheek.
"You're precious," I sighed, dropping my forehead against his. "Such a good boy."
Bentley's body began to shake in excitement from my praise. He was just a dog. A large, green dog. He coiled himself around me and slumped, curling like a cat and bringing me even closer with his paws. I had to sit on his arm.
Snuggle time. Hehe nice.
"I missed you, buddy," I sighed, relaxing against him. He replied with a rolling growl. "Why aren't you listening to Lloydie, huh? You shouldn't be fighting him anymore. I'm here, see?"
Bentley's eyes regarded me. He stared with his yellow eyes, unblinking at my face. He waited.
I stared back, confused. He was clearly trying to make me think or notice something. Communicate without talking - because I couldn't understand dragon tongue.

"Is there something wrong?" I asked, brows pulled in worry. Bentley didn't move. "Is it something to do with Lloyd?"
He leant forward and delicately nudged my shoulder. The bite mark twinged a little in pain.
"Oh," I said, fighting back the pathetic wince. "Is he still worried about that?"
A grumble crawled from Bentley's throat. I took it as a 'yes.' Trust his dragon to be more communicative than Lloyd himself.
I gave a sigh, glancing down at the pink scars. It was still a little yellow from bruising. But I couldn't find it in myself to hold it against him - I was weirdly chill about the whole thing, while Lloyd was still paranoid to even touch me around that area. I could see the reluctance in his eyes whenever they'd sneakily glance down at the injury.
It was annoying, yes, especially when I knew that I was fine and told him time and time again. I didn't know how I was so okay with it, but all I knew was that I was.
I wondered if the imprint had anything to do with how I felt.

"When did things get so complicated, Bentley?" I asked, dropping my head against his scaled neck. "Sometimes I wish we could go back to before Morro arrived. Since then, it's just been an uphill battle. Things used to be so much easier."
A low, reverberating croon was my response.
"But you're both worth it," I hummed, patting his rough scales. I watched my fingertips dip across the edges. "Aren't you, baby? Yeah. You're my favourite boy-"
"I'm suing for emotional damage," came Lloyd's voice from out of nowhere. "I can't believe you prefer my dragon over me."
I jumped in surprise, glancing at Lloyd. Arms crossed and a brow raised, he looked gorgeous outlined by the setting sun's rosy gold. The amused smirk on his lips reminded me of where I was. Bentley rumbled a reptilian, growling laugh at Lloyd.
"I can have two favourite boys," I defended with a huff. "... aren't you technically the same person, though-"
Bentley lifted his snout to the sky and gave a disbelieving, insulted puff of green smoke.
"Wow," Lloyd said dryly. "Thanks, Bentley. Just for that, we're taking the car instead."

"What?" I snickered. "C'mon, greenie. You don't have to be jealous, I've got enough love to share."
"And I believe you," Lloyd replied with an amused glint in his eyes. But Bentley still disappeared from beneath me and I teetered unsteadily, barely landing on my feet. I shot him a confused look. "But we've gotta make a pitstop first - and it's more inconspicuous if we take the car. Plus Mum yelled at me for being too careless from using my dragon all the time."
I gave a nod. "Fair enough." Misako can be pretty scary.
"After you, madam," Lloyd said as he opened shotgun. I placed a hand on the hood of the car and copied his dramatically posh accent.
"Why thank you, good sir," I replied with a sneaky grin. Lloyd straightened and I caught him by the front of the collar of his shirt before he could step away. His brows raised in soft surprise. I gave a bashful, pink-cheeked smile in return.

"My lady?" Lloyd asked, tilting his head curiously. His blond hair shifted with it. My gaze dropped to the stones beneath our shoes as I bit my lip, cheeks darkening in colour.
"Would it be so bold of me," I hummed, eyes jumping back to Lloyd's. My chest felt full and heavy with anticipation. "To ask for a kiss, Mr. Garmadon?"
Lloyd's eyes widened briefly before the irises were absolutely consumed by an ink-bleeding act of telling red. He swallowed, being gently and slowly drawn in by my fingers hooked around his shirt collar.
"Perhaps just one," he breathed, nose brushing mine. My small smile grew into a giddy, beaming grin as I swiftly stepped up into the kiss.
Kissing Lloyd was something I sorely missed. His kisses could melt the rest of the world away. He could do anything and I'd have no inhibitions - an earthquake could set off and I wouldn't care. Everything becomes him and I was swimming in the bliss of this small world that encompassed just us.

He was all I could feel - warm and strong and soft. He was all I could hear - his heartbeat, his caught breaths, his whispered incoherence. He was all I could taste - his lips, his cheeks, the tip of his nose. He was all I could smell - springtime manuka honey and lush grass and warm springs. My sight was gone, eyes closed in bliss, but I didn't need it. Lloyd was totally etched into my mind's eye already.
My chest was vibrating in adoration as I pulled him in even closer before resting my palms against his chest. His heartbeat pounded under my hold and my own gave a stutter when his arms slowly wrapped around my waist and pulled me deeper against him.
Feeling curious, I tested the waters - my lips parted and a breath slipped against his mouth. Lloyd gave an unsure falter before tenderly touching his teeth to my bottom lip and giving the softest of tugs. My heart thudded with it.
He pulled away and I was tempted to chase his contact, stepping a smidge forward with him. But the gap grew too far and we had to part. Despite the want to continue, my stomach was still giving satisfied flutters; twisting in emotion and relief. I'd been wanting to kiss him ever since he did in the locker room.
The tongue piercing had me feeling all kinds of fired up. But I had to be patient.

Lloyd dropped his forehead to my good shoulder, resting one arm on the hood of the car beside my head. We were both silent aside from our slight panting.
"Still jealous of Bentley?" I whispered breathlessly.
"Shut up," Lloyd muttered. I gleefully giggled, lifting a hand to slide through his hair and tilt his head so I could press an affectionate kiss to his temple.
"Come on, or we're gonna be late!" I urged, poking his stomach. He deftly caught my wrist with his free hand, not moving from his position. I stared at him in surprise. "... are you good?"
"... yeah," he hummed, thumb rubbing circles on the soft skin of the inside of my wrist. "Just... gimme a minute."
I gave a quirk of my brows at his request before a proud, smug feeling blossomed in my gut when it clicked in my head. Usually he was the one leaving me breathless and out of it. It was nice for it to be the other way around for once.

"You are rudely addicting, you know that?" Lloyd mumbled, lifting his head only to press his forehead against mine. My gaze flickered between his eyes, so close and perfect. His red irises were cut through with little hints of orange and yellow, creating a spectrum of a gorgeous hue. I wanted to burn that colour to memory. So I did.
"I never asked you to stop," I pointed out quietly with a teasing smile. "But seriously, we have to leave - you said you wanted to make a pitstop first, right? Let's go!"
"You're the one who asked for a kiss," Lloyd scoffed, standing back and giving me a perfect view of his messy hair and red face.
"And you bet your ass it was the best damn kiss you've ever had," I said before pushing his shoulder and making him step back so I could slip inside the car and close the door. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!"
Lloyd snorted, shaking his head at my antics before walking around the front of the car and slipping into the drivers seat.
"You're such a kid," he snickered.
"Says you," I laughed, feeling giddy from the start of our date. The old car rumbled to life.

"Yeah, yeah," Lloyd caved with a roll of his eyes as he kicked the car into drive. The gravel crunched under the weight of the vehicle. "Says me."

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

The pitstop Lloyd was talking about turned out to be Mr. Robuntusson's candy store.

It was so nice to catch up with the old man. It'd been a while since I saw him - was it really the day of Lloyd's birthday? But it seemed that the ninja himself had been in frequently, as per usual.
We couldn't stay long, due to the start time of the movie growing closer and closer. Lloyd sped (while staying within the speed limits, because he's a good samaritan like that) to the cinemas after receiving our haul while I stuffed the bags of assorted candy into my bag. We managed to get to our seats just as the previews ended.
"This is weird," Lloyd whispered to me as he settled into his seat. I glanced at him as he watched the screen with an almost bewildered expression. "This is so... normal."
I bit my lip to hide my stupid grin. Was a movie and take out dinner cliché and totally plain? Yeah, but it was something kids our age were doing. It was nice to pretend that we were normal too, even if it was just for one night. Ignore the weight of the world on our shoulders - especially for Lloyd.

My only reply as the large screen darkened to begin the film was my fingers threading through his and a kiss to the back of his hand. The movie opened to screaming and gunshots and zombie boards stumbling after a blonde girl, but I was too occupied with giddy, happy thoughts full of a ninja in green to pay total attention.
Halfway through the movie, Lloyd removed his hand from mine so he could stretch his arms and slowly place one of them around my shoulders. I wanted to roll my eyes - what a cliché, normal teenage boy thing of him to do. I shuffled closer into his hold, loving the romance between us while people got melodramatically eaten on screen.
Who needed a corny romance movie? We had enough cheese to last us a whole series of films.
But then a jump scare did take me by surprise and I flinched into Lloyd's side.
"Scared?" he whispered, amused.
"No," I whispered back, insulted. "I have Bentley to protect me."
He snickered, nuzzling the top of my hair with his nose.

The movie was over with a happy ending that just made you feel good. After a brief discussion in the lobby of the cinemas, we decided on Burger King for dinner. Lloyd slipped his hand into mine as we walked down the streets of the city - stars bright and lights brighter, voices and laughter carrying over the hustle and bustle of the citizens. We ignored the glowering as we wandered towards our destination, giddy and happy and warm.
"Did you like the movie?" Lloyd asked after brushing a lock of my hair back into place. I gave a happy nod, swinging our arms between us. "That's good. We should do more movie-dinner dates. Relax for once."
"We should!" I agreed with a smile as I squished my cheek onto his arm. I was practically buzzing from the positivity I was feeling. "I loved spending this afternoon with you."
"Me, too," Lloyd said as he gave a soft grin. "And it's about to get even better - food!"
"Yeah!" I cheered as we entered the establishment and ordered our dinner. I was too caught up in the bliss of being with Lloyd to even notice the sharp tongue and the glares of the cashier.

"How do we always end up here?" I asked in amusement as Lloyd pulled the car to stop at the empty parking lot that looked over the city. He shrugged, setting the radio to play quietly.
"It's the best place in the city," he reminded, grabbing the brown bag filled with our food as he opened the door. I gave a shrug of agreement before following him as he took a seat on the hood of the car. We dug into our dinner, eating in a peaceful, comfortable silence. His legs swing over the side of the car leisurely. I crossed my legs in an attempt to battle of the chill.
"Are you cold?" Lloyd asked, noticing my hunched form. "I can hear your teeth chattering. They're as a loud as a chainsaw."
"A little," I admitted, suppressing another shiver as I stared at the stars while chewing on my chips.
"C'mere, sunshine," he offered, lifting an arm. I glanced at him and stared for a second before diving into his hold. "Better?"
I hummed with a satisfied nod of my head as I curled into his side. We fell back into another silence. This one took us to the end of our food and beyond.

"... Y/n?" Lloyd asked, staring out at the city. The bright lights danced upon his skin in the prettiest of ways, reflected in his eyes.
"Yeah, honeydew?" I murmured, brushing nonsense patterns on the back of his hand as I leant against him. The city lights glinted against our promise rings.
"... do you think we're not going to have a kid because of me?"
I stilled, eyes widening as I stared at my fingertips against his scarred knuckles. Truthfully, I tried not to think too hard about the whole kid scenario after Lloyd told me the bad news. I didn't want to dwell too much on the implications.
This was such a heavy way to end such a fluffy and warm evening.
"I think that everything's going to be okay," I said softly, bringing his knuckles up to my lips.
"It's my fault," he muttered, dropping back onto the windscreen with his hand over his face in clear distraught. I frowned sadly. "I should've walked away when I overheard Nya and Jay talking - and now I've erased that little kid from existence before they could even step foot in this world."

"It's not your fault," I reassured, shuffling forward and pulling his hand away from his face. I gave a small, sadly amused smile. "Hey. Repeat after me. 'I, Lloyd Garmadon.'"
Lloyd's red eyes jumped to mine, recognising the scenario - only this time, it was reversed.
"... Y/n, this is worse than a little ghost possession-"
"'I, Lloyd Garmadon,'" I pressed, lifting myself to lightly straddle his stomach. I gave him a determined pout and he stared back. He finally caved with a sigh.
"'I, Lloyd Garmadon,'" he dutifully repeated in a dull echo.
"'Hold no responsibility whatsoever to what happened with the kid.'"
Lloyd's jaw tensed. I waited patiently and he slowly echoed my words.
"'Because it's not a crime to be curious,'" I finished.
"I mean, in some cases-"
"Lloyd," I warned. He gave a barely-amused smile.
"'Because it's not a crime to be curious,'" he repeated softly. "... thank you."

I gave an adoring, sympathetic smile as I traced his face with my finger. He leant into the whispering touch with a loaded exhale, tired eyes fluttering.
"I don't blame you at all for what happened, Lloyd," I murmured, leaning forward so I was resting on him. "It's not your fault, so please don't blame yourself. You couldn't have known this would happen."
"If not me, then who?" he mumbled, pressing his mouth into my hair. "There's always someone to blame, Y/n. And I can't blame Nya."
"Then don't," I whispered, brushing my nails gently against his cheek. "There isn't necessarily always someone to blame... but if you really need to, then blame the nerds in cloud kingdom."
The sky gave a warning rumble. I rolled my eyes.
"Yeah, whatever, you dorks," I grumbled. Lloyd snorted a laugh, coiling his arms around my waist. We fell into a comfortable silence once more, this one looser and more free than before.

"What did the kid look like?" Lloyd asked, quiet voice almost carried away by the slight breeze atop the look out. I closed my eyes as an ache passed through my chest before pushing it down. I didn't need to feel that sadness - not when Lloyd was feeling enough of it for the both of us.
"She was a little girl," I began, threading my legs through his as we made ourselves comfortable on the hood of his old, beat up car. The radio played music in the softest of tunes. "Messy brown hair in a ponytail. Freckles and red eyes."
"Red eyes?" Lloyd asked in disbelief as he stared at the starry sky.
"Yeah," I sighed, trying to press the stinging of my eyes away. "Such pretty red eyes, just like yours."
His arms tightened. He cleared his throat.
"Did... did we look happy?" Lloyd asked, voice strained. I nodded. "Are... are you happy?"
My glossy eyes opened. Lloyd stared down at me with a guarded look, but it wasn't guarded enough to hide the anguish. I lifted myself with an arm and sent him the most infatuated look I could.

"Lloyd, today was perfect," I whispered, cradling his cheek with my free hand. "I wouldn't have changed a thing. I loved spending this time with you. I've never been happier."
"But-"
"Butts are for sitting," I murmured, brushing his hair with my fingertips. "And on the occasion if we're feeling bold, slapping."
Lloyd couldn't stop the snort. I couldn't hide my relived, amused grin at his shift in mood.
"Futures change," I continued, voice carrying over the melody of the bustling city below as I patted his hair. "We know that, now. We may not have that future anymore, but at least we have each other, right?"
His brow crinkled in emotion. Lloyd nodded. I gave a soothing smile before pressing a kiss to his forehead.
"And if we can't get that future back, then we storm the cloud kingdom and demand for it, deal?" I asked, holding up a pinky.
The stars danced overhead. They held secrets we would never hear a breath of. The cars on the streets below sped and raced and beeped their horns. Faint laughter and shouting filled the night air.
But up here, on this lookout, none of that reached us - it was just him and I.
Lloyd linked his pinky through mine. He gave the prettiest, softest, most adoring of smiles.

"Deal," he said.