We woke to a gun pointed at Lloyd's head.

"Well," he greeted grumpily, digging his head back into the pillow and totally unphased, as per usual. "Good morning to you too, Jamie."
"What did mom say about guns inside the house?" I mumbled, snuggling closer into Lloyd's body warmth and sliding my eyes shut once more. "And what did I say about pointing guns at my boyfriend?"
"And what did I say about Lloyd sleeping in the same bed with you?"
"Actually, nothing," I pointed out in a matter-of-fact voice as I dug my face into his neck. "You've said absolutely nothing about Lloyd sleeping in my bed so ha. Suck it, old man."
"Ha-ha," Lloyd laughed tiredly. I felt him shift and I instinctively bumped his fist with mine. "Nice."
"It is so tempting," dad groaned, pulling the gun away. "It is so tempting."
"Yes, but I love him!" I called as he sullenly stomped down the hallway.
"That's the only reason why I didn't pull the trigger."
"Aw," Lloyd hummed while I lost myself in the smell of spring storms and forest clearings. "That's sweet."
"He had it on safety the entire time," I mumbled, breathing him in. "He's protective, but not a complete idiot."

The drive to school was like most of the others, a calm quiet. A brief crumb of peace before the storm that was a normal day during our last year of high school. Prom was fast approaching - only a month away - and right after that was exam season, so we soaked in the blissful morning company that was each other in my car. The radio played quietly. Old, classic songs leaked from the speakers while Lloyd dozed and I drove.
And then we were hit with the usual chaos that was ten minutes before class.
"Did you hear?" Aaliyah gushed as she slid up beside me, eyes bright and energetic. "The green ninja has a fiancée!"
"You don't say," I hummed behind a yawn. Lloyd's hand briefly squeezed around mine, a silent reminder to tread carefully.
"I do!" my friend squealed, shoving the phone into my face. It was the photo that had taken the internet by storm. "Everybody's talking about it. Hell, even the night show had a huge discussion about it last evening! People are going crazy over it!"
"I know," I smiled as Aaliyah impatiently tucked a curl of dark hair behind her ear, scrolling fruitlessly through whatever social media she was on now. It looked to be Instagram. "I saw a bit of it on Twitter. It's wild."
"Right?!"

"Aaliyah!" Claire appeared out of nowhere, grabbing onto her arm. Her dark eyes regarded Lloyd coolly before dropping to me. "C'mon. You're going to be late to class."
"I don't suppose you know who the green ninja's fiancée is?" Aaliyah suddenly spoke up, brown eyes jumping to mine. I stilled. Her voice was loud. People silenced. "Since your dad works with them, or whatever."
"O- of course I d-"
"Y/n doesn't even know who the green ninja is," Lloyd spoke up, brow furrowed in confusion. "What makes you think he'd let her know who his fiancée is? He's kept his identity a secret this long, what would be the point of letting her know?"
Aaliyah stared at Lloyd for a few beats, digesting his words and trying to find a loophole. Satisfied that there was none, she gave a small nod.
"Oh, right," Aaliyah murmured. "That makes sense."
I gave her an awkward smile. Lloyd tugged my arm subtly, telling me that it was time to head to class and ditch the conversation before anything wrong could happen.
"I'll see you at lunch." I waved her and Claire a goodbye before letting the green ninja hidden in plain sight lead me to class.
"Too close for comfort," Lloyd grumbled, leaning close to me as we squeezed our way through the crowded hallway. He skilfully stepped over a leg that was suddenly and deliberately propped in his way.
"It'll die down," I reassured, voice quiet over the loud hum of the student body. He could still hear me clear as day.
"Yeah," he agreed tensely. He didn't seem to believe his words.

We stopped outside my English class. Lloyd pulled me in to press a soft kiss to my forehead as a brief farewell until next period, which he would walk me to as well. I couldn't even be annoyed with the babysitting. Who would I be to complain about spending more time with Lloyd?
The only good thing about English was Naomi. I struggled to pay attention as the teacher droned on about the contextual similarities between The Tempest and real world politics. Naomi was far more interesting, who was doodling little ninja on the margin of her workbook while I watched. I reached over to colour one's eyes in green. She replied to my addition by colouring in another's soft gaze with a brown pencil. We shared a snorting, secretive grin.
Both Cole and Lloyd were waiting outside for us and god, fifteen year old Naomi and Y/n would be so jealous that we had sweet as all hell boyfriends waiting to walk us to class (truly the stuff from old live-action Disney movies)(or twilight). We went our seperate ways.
Next class was maths with Kai and Jay, which was another I didn't pay attention in. It was mostly spent catching up on homework that I'd already completed one evening while the team went on patrol, so I discreetly gave the boys the answers while the teacher was looking the other way.
We met the others in the cafeteria for morning tea, where Lloyd immediately pulled me into the seat beside him and dropped his head on my shoulder. We ate, we laughed, we talked about whatever crossed our minds. The perfect lie of normal teenagers.
Everything was going smoothly. Everything was normal and fine and sure, people stared a little more than usual - probably because of Aaliyah that morning - but it was difficult to pay attention to them when Lloyd had my total focus as he made me snort at stupid jokes. It almost felt as if there wasn't a huge target on my head.

But I got an itch in psychology while we talked about the laws of attraction. All I could think of was Lloyd. I wanted to run my fingers through his hair. I wanted to pull him in close by the collar of his shirt, I wanted to kiss him, I wanted to- I wanted to- I wanted to-
I caved. I pulled out my phone, hiding it on my lap.

Me:
lloydieeee can u pls meet me in outside the old gym?
Delivered

🛹🥺💖:
why? its the middle of class
Sent 10.47am

Me:
pleeeaaaaseeeee
Delivered

🛹🥺💖:
???? ok
Sent 10.47am

He was already there when I slipped from class. I gave him a rushed hello before grabbing his hand and pulling him to where I was intended to go.
There was a locker room in the old gym that no one used anymore and it far away enough that nobody could even see the entrance from neighbouring classes. Apparently, there was flooding in the floorboards and it needed an entire upheaval but the school had yet to do anything, so they just closed it off. Which is probably the worst thing to do in a high school.
But it worked for me, so I wouldn't lodge a complaint (also snitches get stitches).
I dragged Lloyd inside after checking that it was for sure empty.
And, like any other teenager with an itch to scratch and boyfriend to help relieve it, I was going to make full use of the privacy.
"Wait, sunshine," Lloyd murmured, glancing around the deserted locker room. "This is- why are we here?"
"Look me in the eyes and ask me that question again," I ordered blandly, turning around to face him. It was no secret that this was the now new common spot for general misdoings. There was a faint smell of cigarette smoke and something sickeningly sweet that I guessed was the reminiscence of people vaping in the air. I pushed the instinctive grimace down.
The joys of a public high school.

"Are... do you take drugs?" Lloyd asked, voice suspicious with a hint of disappointed disbelief.
"Wh- what?" I spluttered, narrowing my eyes. "No! Oh my- oh my god, no! Lloyd, what the hell?"
"This is the place where people go to take drugs!" he defended, raising his palms while his voice squeaked an octave higher.
"I don't take drugs!" I hissed.
"Then why are we here?" Lloyd asked, kicking aside an empty spray paint can.
"I want to kiss you."
He tilted his head as his green eyes jumped back to mine. A small smile played on his lips. "Oh?"
"A lot," I continued, cheeks growing red as I grabbed his hand and slowly pulled him in closer. "Like. A lot a lot."
"I'm intrigued," Lloyd said with a growing grin as his hands found my hips, "about just how much you mean by 'a lot.'"
I huffed a smile, reaching up to thread my fingers through the hair above his neck. The blond locks softly parted, feather light and velvety smooth as I ran my fingers over his scalp. A quiet purr rolled from his throat.
"We were talking about the laws of attraction in psychology," I hummed, slowly sliding my hand up his arm. Lloyd swallowed, breath caught. "It has absolutely nothing to do with how attractive we find people and yet- all I could think about was you."
"Aww," Lloyd coed as he dropped to nuzzle his nose against mine with a small purr. "You think I'm pretty?"

"On a scale of one to ten, you've smashed through the stratosphere," I replied with a grin, making him give a small laugh.
"If I'm through the stratosphere, then you're in an entirely new galaxy," Lloyd countered in a murmur while his eyes shifted to a dark red. I snorted, bringing him down closer.
"That's so cheesy," I whispered, feeling my own breath on his lips.
"The cheesiest," he agreed, barely audible. I gave a small nod before reaching up on my tippy toes to finally capture his lips in my own. The response was automatic; Lloyd's large hands squeezed around my waist before lithely sweeping me closer into his chest. I crashed against him with a squeaking laugh, lips pulled into an amused beam as he kissed me sweetly. Pleasant fireworks exploded deep in my gut, a tingly, shivering, pulling sensation that crawled up through to my chest and enveloped it in a warm swelling bliss. It left me breathless. My head spun, drunk on Lloyd.
This was exactly what I needed, exactly what I wanted, I mused to myself as I looped my arms around his shoulders while guiding the kiss in delight. It was impossible to not feel like I was walking on air around Lloyd. He was sunshine sweetness embodied, personified into a walking, talking, beautiful blond boy fighting machine. He couldn't be real. People like him just didn't exist.
The kiss took a dramatic shift when I opened myself into it - a sweeter, more private replica of the kiss on the deck of the bounty from the week before. Lloyd was eager to follow my lead, giving an exhilarated, sharp inhale before pressing deeper into the intimacy. I shivered at his warmth, at his presence, at the feeling of him everywhere and when an involuntary, shaky whimper slipped from my mouth and into his, the world beneath my feet disappeared.

I gave a gasp when my back hit the wall and Lloyd used my parted lips to his advantage - his tongue slipping back inside and making my heart do erratic tumbles in my chest. One of his hands slammed onto the tiled wall beside my head while the other, grasp achingly soft, curled around my waist as if I would break by the littlest of pressure. His arm that caged me clenched and something cracked beside my ear but I was too lost in the alluring ecstasy of the kiss to pay it any mind. I was far too focused in the sweet battle, the fight to both lose and win, the way we moved perfectly in synch.
This should've been it. This should've been the first kiss with the step deeper in intimacy, not the one on the deck with the unwilling audience. Not the one with an underlying jealous rage and a score to settle. This - passionate and sweet and gentle and hard. Conflicting, yes. Amazing? Absolutely.
I had to part to quickly breathe before Lloyd guided me right back into the dance, curling his body against mine as I was pressed between him and the wall. I felt like I could bundle up in this spot and fall asleep with the comfort he brought.
My hands drifted out of his hair and slowly descended down his hoody, following the dips and curves of his torso. Lloyd's breath hitched, a brief pause before continuing the kiss and when the cracking sound got louder, I didn't pay attention to it. My fingers dipped under his shirt to rest flat against his heated skin, sliding up over the bumps and valleys of his body, brushing over the protruding scars, working it into memory. Lloyd's fingers dipped up the back of my shirt, gentle hand hot against the skin of my spine.

And that's when the room shattered.

Seriously shattered. Like, lightning strikes of cracks that struck through the tile and concrete, all originating from Lloyd's feet as if it were a spiderweb. I flinched in surprise at the loud sound, pulling away. The moment was all but lost.
Lloyd stepped back, hazed and stunned but alert, staring around him in disbelief. The broken ground scattered beneath his scuffing feet.
"What the-?" he spoke quietly, mostly to himself, as he glanced around the carnage. It seemed the cracks had found their way around me. The spot where I was leaning against seemed to be the only part of the room unaffected. "What happened?"
"Uh," I said eloquently while my heart thundered for more than one reason. He just broke a room. A whole fucking room oh my god. "I- I think you happened, Lloyd."
He shook his head, not believing my words at first before it clicked and he straightened, face paling as the gravity of the situation crashed onto his shoulders. I could feel the weight of it pressing down on him.
"Th... this hasn't happened before," he murmured, shaking his head. "I d- I don't slip like that."
"Well. You did, so..." I trailed off, picking up a shard of tile. The strikes cracked right through the concrete foundations of the building, too. The shard fell. "What are- what are we going to tell-"

"Nothing," Lloyd said, taking a large step towards me and placing a finger against my lips. "You don't say a word of this to anyone. I- I'll talk to the faculty. They'll believe anything the green ninja says."
"What are you going to say?"
"I don't know yet," he confessed, chewing anxiously on the inside of his cheek. "I'll work something out. Then- then I need to talk to my parents about this. Maybe they'll know what's going on."
...we overheard the sensei's and Misako talking one night. They seem to think that Lloyd's really strong. Like, first spinjitzu master potential kinda stuff.
This was what I got for stalling.
"Can I be there?" I asked a little too quickly while Lloyd tried in vain to attempt to bring the room back together. Unfortunately, earth powers don't extend to tile and drywall. He glanced up, green eyes confused and baffled and panicked. "When you talk to your parents about your powers."
"Uh," he said, dropping his gaze back to the broken floor before slowly exhaling in defeat. "Yeah. Yeah, okay. You should get to class. This place is dangerous."
"Yeah, but you're here," I countered, to which he dryly smiled. "And you seem pretty shaken up. I'm staying."

"I appreciate the sentiment and your faith in my abilities, sunshine," Lloyd murmured, standing upright and bringing my hands into his. "But I can handle this. I've kind of gotten used to my body betraying me over the past few months."
My brow furrowed in confusion. I glanced downwards before I could stop myself and Lloyd's face burnt a terrible red.
"N- not like that," he stammered. "God, Y/n. I meant the instincts stuff."
"Technically, that can still play into-"
Lloyd tugged me in closer, leaning his forehead down on mine. I squeaked a giggle.
"Stop," he insisted, though amused. "Go to class, you little minx."
"Okay," I grinned, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. He was struggling to hide his smile. My foot hit a shard of tile. "If you insist, horny boy."
"Oh, wait-" Lloyd piped up, pulling me back into him when I went to move away. "I forgot to ask you something - marry me?"
My brow twitched and he snickered.
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," he reassured, leaning down to press a kiss to my neck. I shivered. "We're doing a little family outing over the weekend. Care to come? We can ask about whatever this was then."
"A family outing?" I tilted my head towards his. "You sure you want me to?"
"Let me rephrase," Lloyd said blandly, squeezing my sides and making me jolt with a giggle. "My parents insisted that you come with."
"Well, now how on earth can I say no to that?" I teased.

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

"You're gonna what."

"I'm going to teach you how to fly my dragon," Lloyd repeated himself as I stood in the driveway to the monastery on the Saturday. He hitched my backpack to Bentley's saddle before turning to me with a charming grin. A stark contrast to my pale face while I patted Bentley's nose.
"Lloyd, the first day I met you, I hit you with my car," I reminded. "And you want me to fly Bentley?"
"Yes," he nodded. "It's an easy flight to where we're headed, don't worry."
"Ah, yes," I sighed dramatically. "The mysterious destination that you've yet to tell me. Wonderful. Why the sudden want to teach me how to fly?"
Garmadon summoned his dragon in the corner of my eyes. It was a gorgeous black and purple and was similar in frame to Bentley, if way larger and more refined. He made Bentley look like a poodle.
"Geoff," I whispered under my breath. "He's a Geoff."
Lloyd rolled his eyes as I watched Misako pull up her dragon - a monstrous beige and green. She was even larger than Garm's.
"Valerie." I clenched my fists.
And last was Wu's dragon, the return of the white and gold beauty. All three dragons were staring right back at me, which I guess made sense since I was now the real-life Daenerys, according to uh. The fact that dragons like me because of Lloyd, I guess.
However that worked.
"Benedict," I decided, staring into the peaceful blue eyes of Wu's dragon.

"Why do I love you again?" Lloyd questioned blandly as he turned my head to face his.
"I'm sure you have better options."
"Should've gone with Claire," he sighed with a shake of his head. I snorted. Loudly. Before clapping my hands over my face in horror.
"Oh no," I whispered. "That was so mean of me."
"What?" Lloyd grinned. "No, it wasn't."
"Yes, it was!"
His smile dropped. "Y/n, you know your friends are terrible, right? Aside from Naomi."
"N- no, they're not," I shook my head. "Sure, they're a little... abrasive at times, but they still care about me."
Lloyd was silent, staring at me with an unreadable expression. Clearing his throat, he glanced at Bentley (who was also regarding me with squinted eyes) and clapped his hands, plastering on a smile as he forced a topic change.
"I'm teaching you to fly so if you suddenly get an elemental dragon, you know what to do," Lloyd announced. All thoughts of my friends were thrown out of the window.
"Wa- wait, me? My dragon?" I questioned, wide eyed. "I get a dragon?!"
"Maybe," Lloyd pressed.
"Maybe is good enough for me!" I cheered, bringing Bentley's heavy face up to mine in excitement. "Hear that, buddy? You're gonna get a girlfriend dragon!"
His tail thumped the ground, happily confused.
"Ready?" Misako called.
"Get on," Lloyd nodded. I froze, staring at the saddle that was very high up. Usually Lloyd pulled me up but- "you have to learn how to mount a dragon yourself."
Just when I was about to admit defeat (because there was no way I was going to be able to do that without slipping and falling on my ass), Bentley settled down onto his belly. It made mounting remarkably easier.

"Oohoho, thank you, baby," I coed while I clambered up to the saddle, much to the dragon's delight.
"Traitor," Lloyd quietly sneered as he settled behind me. "Alright. Hands on the reins."
I picked up the large chain. Lloyd placed his palms over my hands, moving them into position. He kept them there, to absolutely no one's complaint and definitely not mine.
The other three dragons took off and Bentley shook his head, wanting to join in and making my stomach lurch in panic. He remained firmly on the ground, though, awaiting my command.
"Okay," Lloyd said quietly, trapping my thighs with his for the take off. "You're going to give him a gentle squeeze with your heels."
"What- what if I-"
"Don't worry, he's an extension of me, remember? He'll take care of you," Lloyd murmured before leaning in close, lips brushing against my ear. "Just like how I do."
I gulped. My stomach twisted with warmth.
"Dirty move," I muttered.
His lips grinned against my ear. I inhaled deeply, trying to ignore his presence (and failing miserably) and gently pressed my heels into Bentley's side. His wings unfurled and I tensed, squeezing my eyes shut. The dragon gave a low rumble.
"He's asking if you're okay," Lloyd chuckled. "Relax, sweetheart. Bentley won't do anything to put you in danger."
I giggled breathlessly.
"You called him Bentley," I murmured. I could feel Lloyd roll his eyes.
"Just fly the dragon, Y/n."
I gave a second soft squeeze with my feet and Bentley crouched backwards. With a few bounding steps, he was in the air, his large wings scooping through the wind and pushing us higher.

"Breathe, sunshine!" Lloyd called over the loud, rushing sound of flight as we caught up to his parents, uncle and their dragons. "I don't want you fainting on me."
I purposefully inhaled a sharp, short breath. Also opened my eyes, because they were still definitely clenched shut. I'd sat in the front before but it was different when I was the one flying him.
"To get him to slow down or stop," Lloyd said, voice right in my ear so I could properly hear him. "Just sit back and pull on the reins."
I nodded.
"To get him to go faster, squeeze with your heels again. If you want him higher, stand up in the saddle. If you want him lower or to land, lean forward and down."
Okay. Seemed simple enough. In theory.
"How's our little learner driver?" Garmadon chuckled as he pulled Geoff up beside us and wow, his dragon was much more massive than I initially gave him credit it for. One wing was the size of Bentley himself.
I wanted to raise a hand to give him a shaky thumbs up but I found that my palms were glued to the reins.
"Doing great!" Lloyd called back for me with a hearty laugh. "I have to remind her to breathe, though."
Oh, right. I inhaled deeply. Tree tops blurred beneath us. The coat I wore did little to keep me warm from the chilly spring air, frigidness tenfolded by flight.

"I think Y/n's ready for a race!" Misako called as her dragon, good lord, even bigger than Garm's, hovered in the air while they waited for us to catch up. "If we keep flying at this pace, we won't get there before Monday."
"W- what?" I stammered. I would've tensed if I weren't so already. "I c- I can't-!"
"Yes, you can," Lloyd reassured. "It's easy. The dragons know where we're going."
"But what if I fall?"
"You won't," he said with a soothing squeeze of his arms around my waist. "I'm your seatbelt."
"What if you fall?"
He laughed. As if the very idea was preposterous.
"I don't fall, doll."
Alright, cocky.
The others had already taken off at a higher pace and Bentley was crooning to catch up. I bit my lip in contemplation before gently squeezing my feet against his side. He shot forward, throwing me back into Lloyd. He laughed. I screamed.
By the time we got to wherever we needed to go and landed, my body was shaking and my voice was shot. Lloyd snickered, letting go of my hands from over the reins. I couldn't move. I was stuck into my spot.
"How was that?" Lloyd asked merrily as he slipped from the saddle with ease. Misako had destroyed everyone in the race and was smugly setting up some candles in a small shrine.
"You cheated," Wu grumbled.
"Did not," Misako said with a proud smirk. Garm rolled his eyes at the bickering siblings-in-law.

"Y/n?" Lloyd called again. His brows dropped over his eyes when I didn't respond. "Okay."
Bentley disappeared from beneath me and I was suddenly tossed back into reality with a strangled, surprised gasp. Lloyd caught me in his arms.
"You doing okay?" he asked amusedly. Despite his grin, there was a hint of worry in his green eyes. I stared up at him with a stunned gaze.
"That was awesome," I whispered, making his worry slip away. He gave a short laugh before setting me on my feet while I stared around us. It was the top of some mountain, far, far from human contact. It was strangely warm - not freezing cold like it should've been. "Where are we?"
"This is the spot where Lloyd's grandad created Ninjago from," Garmadon replied while Misako and Wu still argued in the background over who was the true winner of the race. "This day, hundreds of thousands of years ago, he first stepped foot in this empty realm and built everything you see from nothing."
Now I truly forgot how to breathe. Lloyd pulled my windblown hair back into a manageable plait.
"I- I'm sorry, this is the anniversary of the creation of all of Ninjago?" I asked, stunned. "Is this why the others aren't here?"
Garmadon nodded. I turned to Lloyd, shaking from an entirely different reason. I shouldn't be here.
"Why didn't you tell me?" I said shortly, stressed.
"Because then you'd start overthinking like you're doing now," he replied, one brow raised. I faltered. He had me caught.

"Okay, but-"
"We wanted you to come," Lloyd said. "Well. Dad wanted you to come. He wouldn't let me leave the monastery until I promised him that I'd ask."
"Oh?"
"I just want to spend time with my daughter-in-law," Garmadon said with a pout. "Is that so much to ask?"
"Ohhahaa," I laughed awkwardly. "But we're n- we're not married."
"Well-" Garmadon shrugged.
"Dad," Lloyd chastised dryly.
"What?"
"Right, gonna ignore that," I mused, making them chuckle. The sky was darkening with early evening. Butterflies flittered around the shrine.
"What Garmadon means is that you are more than family," Wu said as he approached, having lost his argument with Misako. She looked a million times more smug than before. "You are a part of Lloyd's life."
Oh, wow, Wu? Out here, making me want to cry? It's more likely than you think.
"While the others are considered family, this is more of a small tradition for just us," Misako explained, pulling me into a little side hug. "Don't worry. I felt like how you do the first time I was brought here. Right. Go on, Lloyd. Make use of your new fire powers."
He nodded, bounding into the shrine to light the candles. The fire flickered a comforting green.
"What do you usually do?"
"We just have a small dinner together," Garmadon replied. "This place is the connecting point between this realm and the others. It's the thinnest part of the veil between worlds. And, well. There's something a little special about this night, too."
"Is that why it's so warm?" I asked, beginning to feel a little overheated in my winter jacket.
"Yes," Wu replied just as Lloyd bounded back to my side with an elated grin.

"Ready?" he asked, taking my hand in his. I stared up at his excited red eyes in confusion.
"For what?"
Lloyd licked his teeth, positively thrumming in anticipation. He nodded his head towards the shrine where an invisible breeze began making the flames lick higher, almost touching the roof of the shrine.
"For the something special," Lloyd replied, squeezing my hand in his. "Tonight is the night where the most magic is in the air. It gets us the chance to do something that can only happen on this day every year."
I stepped back in shock when the green fire totally encased the shrine before abruptly slipping away with a few crackles of electricity and a shake from the ground.
"Ugh. That always makes me feel so uncomfortable," muttered a voice while the smoke from the fire faded and cracking of ice slipped away. A figure stepped through, wearing robes that looked like they'd cost more than my house and a rice hat like Wu's. In his hand was a staff and on his face was a gentle smile and green eyes that looked like they'd seen a million years.
"Ah, my family," the man greeted with an easy grin as he scanned the group. His gaze stopped on me. Lloyd lifted a hand under my chin to close my gaping jaw, having dropped in shock. "Is it that time already? It goes by so fast."
"Hello, father," Wu said as the man stepped out of the shrine and stretched, cracking his back.
"My son," the first spinjitzu master hummed as he placed a hand on Wu's shoulder. During that, I was having a whole ass crisis. "How has the year treated you?"

"Long," he replied. "But well."
"I see," the fsm nodded. Wait but- wait- we were in his tomb. But- I'm- what? Lloyd's grandad turned to me with an amused smile. "You are allowed to breathe."
Misako hid a chuckle with a cough. Lloyd lead me forward with a small, proud smile.
"Y/n, this is my grandfather," he introduced, red eyes shining bright. I kept glancing between them, subconsciously finding similarities. Shouldn't the first spinjitzu master be like, a gazillion years old? He looks like he's mid-thirties. He also kind of looks like a young Alain Delon, but with the same green eyes as Lloyd and Garmadon instead of blue. "Grandpa, this is Y/n."
"Extraordinary," he breathed, gently grabbing my face and turning it side to side. I glanced at Lloyd, a little weirded out by the lack of personal space. "Power unlike I have ever seen. I've been waiting to meet you for a long time."
"I- hah-"
"Told you it was too soon," Lloyd muttered to his dad. Garmadon shrugged.
"She would've met him sooner or later."
"I thought you were meant to be dead!" I blurted before inwardly cringing so hard that I felt my stomach turn in on itself. Lloyd caught a snort with his hand. The first spinjitzu master gave a loose chuckle, as if he were expecting this. He probably was. An actual god. Wow. What even is life.

"The usual laws of nature don't quite apply to me," he smiled. "I see you have many questions."
"About a million," I breathed.
"I may not be able to answer a million," Lloyd's granddad smiled. "But I will answer what you ask while we have dinner. It feels like I haven't eaten in a year!"
"That joke got old a thousand years ago, dad," Garmadon said dryly. His father chuckled while Wu set up the small cooking set they brought along. Oh. Even gods are capable of dad jokes. Neat.
"I see Lloyd and Y/n have something they need to share," the first spinjitzu master said as he settled down to help cook. Ah. Right. Master of the mind powers originated from this dude.
If he can read my mind. Probably. Shouldn't call him dude.
"You may call me Uchū," he said kindly. "The first spinjitzu master gets a little long a title after a while."
Oh. Can definitely read my thoughts. Neato.
"Ah, yeah," Lloyd said, shifting uncomfortably as he handed around small cups of miso soup. "My powers have recently been playing up more than usual."
"'Playing up,'" I repeated incredulously. "He destroyed the locker room."
"Y/n," he accused, gaze narrowed. "C'mon."
I raised my palms in defence.
"It's what happened!" I pushed.
"How did it happen?" Misako asked while Garmadon poured some noodles into the boiling water. They were both incredibly calm at the mention of Lloyd destroying school property. A totally different world. "What was the lead up?"
Thoughts don't betray me thoughts don't betray me thoughts don't- FUCK my thoughts betrayed me. Uchū took a sip from his tea, amusedly smug. I closed my eyes in shame.
"Uh..." Lloyd glanced at me in a panic. "It- uh. We..."
"Oh," said Garmadon flatly.
"Just kissing!" Lloyd insisted before wincing. "A... a lot."

I nodded in agreement, turning my head to the side while my face flushed a bright red.
"A lot," Uchū echoed beguilingly. I sunk in on myself a little.
"With some tongue," Lloyd admitted. My eyes snapped open.
"YOU DIDN'T NEED TO TELL THEM THAT!"
"What?" He raised his palms in defence. "Its what happened!"
"But you didn't have to say it!"
"Nice," Uchū said with a snicker. I groaned a cry, dropping my head into my hands.
"Stop embarrassing her," Misako snapped. "Back on topic, boys. This is serious."
"Yes, ma'am," Uchū nodded. "Sounds like you're getting more access to my powers."
Lloyd settled beside me. I shot an irritated pout to the side of his frustratingly pretty face, which he ignored.
"Is that possible?" he asked, stirring his soup. "I get that I have these, uh. Instinct things, but power-?"
"There are many things I wish I could tell you," Uchū said with a sigh before his face grew irritated and sent a glare at the sky. "But the nerds in the cloud kingdom are so precious about their prophecies!"
Thunder rumbled in reply. He scoffed.
"Hypocrites," Uchū muttered. He cleared his throat and reset his focus back on Lloyd. "I apologise for my lack of clarity. You will have your questions answered, but not now and not by me."
"And about Y/n's powers?" Wu asked.
"Oh," Uchū scoffed an unhelpful laugh. "I have no idea where they originated from. Sometimes, there a questions that can never be answered."
Perfect. I'm a freak.
Aren't we all? asked a voice that didn't belong to me.
... fair point, Mr. God.
Uchū hid a smile with his cup of tea.

"There is something I can answer," Uchū confessed, setting aside his tea when Garmadon handed him a bowl of dinner - a noodle dish with a tantalising smell that had my mouth watering. "Your theory into whether Lloyd will be the next me? Correct."
"Oh," Misako said, shocked.
"Wh- what?" Lloyd spluttered. "Excuse me?"
"Why do you think you can access these other elements, kid?" Uchū asked as he grabbed some chopsticks and slurped a bite.
"'C- cause of the prophecy?" he squeaked. "My powers are the other ninja's combined into one, so it would make sense that I can-"
"And Morro's," I interrupted. Lloyd stopped, glancing at me. "You can use Morro's power."
"What?" Wu said, stunned. "You can access Morro's power?"
"Uh, y- yes?" Lloyd nodded. "But I thought that was because he possessed me-"
"Nope." Uchū shook his head. "That's because you're getting more and more powerful. Much like how you kickstarted Y/n's powers, she kickstarted yours. Think of it as puberty."
"But we're already going through puberty," Lloyd whined.
"Ah, well," Uchū shrugged. "Sucks to be you guys, I guess."
Lloyd's face fell. I swallowed.
"Um, while we're all here," I piped up, changing the subject. "I wanted to propose a, uh... a peace treaty. With the serpentine and the government."

"Oh?" Uchū shuffled closer. "Now this is interesting."
"A peace treaty?" Garmadon asked, rubbing his chin in thought. "It could be something worth looking into."
"I tried to propose a peace treaty with the serpentine back when I was still alive, but those anacondri were a stubborn bunch," Uchū sighed. "However, this is an entirely new generation. I pray you have better luck."
"But how will we get the government to agree?" Wu asked. "They aren't exactly on good terms with the serpentine."
"What if we skip the government?" Lloyd suggested. "Go straight to the emperor and empress? Surely their decision will sway them."
"The problem is that we don't trust each other," Garmadon murmured. "If we go to the serpentine then they'll accuse humans of betrayal. If we go to the emperor and empress, they'll never hear a word of it."
"Then what if we go at the same time?" I chimed in. "Lloyd and I can go to the serpentine and Misako, Garm and Wu address the emperor and empress?"
"Something tells me they won't want to talk to the old Lord Garmadon," Garm said dryly. "But they might talk to the green ninja. I can go with Y/n to speak with the serpentine council instead."

Lloyd looked apprehensive about the switch but didn't argue, frowning into his noodles. Uchū shook his head.
"You're so protective, it's stifling," he complained. "I can feel it. Believe me when I say that she'll be fine."
Lloyd smiled. It didn't reach his eyes. I glanced between the weirdly young-looking god and his grandson, watching as they had a silent conversation.
"Now you're just paranoid," Uchū scoffed, making Lloyd squint a glare. "And it's my time to go."
"Already?" Misako asked.
"Unfortunately," he replied. "I can never stay too long."
Uchū stood, brushing down his robe and placing his rice hat back on. There was a brief farewell between the family members and even I got a pat on the shoulder in parting. Then, as dramatic an entrance that Uchū arrived in, he left, the fire bursting before sliding back into a calm flicker of candles.
"Well," I said while we cleaned the dishes in a small spring to the side. The adults worked on sorting out the bedding for the night. "I honestly cannot say that I ever expected to meet your granddad."
Lloyd smiled, dropping his head on my shoulder while he scrubbed at some stubborn noodles with his thumbnail. They would have to have a proper scrub back at the monastery due to the lack of soap.
"I've wanted to introduce you to him for a while. I've been waiting years to meet you, but he's been waiting centuries. Or so I'm told."
"I'm... honoured?"
"You're weirded out."
I squinted my eyes, pressing my fingers close together. "Just a little. But I'm used to it, now."
"I sure hope so," he said tiredly. "Considering how much you've had to deal with since I met you."
"Yes, but you make it worth it," I hummed before kicking his weight-bearing arm and making him tumble. "Except for when you went tmi about our kiss! Christ, Lloyd, do you have no dignity?!"

Lloyd laughed at my accusing tone before falling into a sigh.
"Uh oh," I hummed, turning to him. "I know that look. C'mon, spill."
Lloyd rolled his head with a groan, dropping his hands over his eyes.
"I've had enough trouble with just the powers I have now," he muttered as he lay in the long grass. "And they expect me to be able to handle more?"
"Well, if anyone can, it's you," I said.
"Wish it were someone else," he grumbled.
"No, you don't."
Lloyd glanced up at me. I smiled softly, shuffling closer and lifting his head into my lap.
"You love your life," I hummed, curling my fingers through his hair. He went to scoff but I cut him off by continuing. "You love the monastery and the monks and the team. You love helping people. I know you, blondie. You wouldn't give it up for the world."
"I would give it up for you," he said quietly. I gave him a small grin, leaning down closer while my heart fluttered in response.
"Then it's a good thing you don't have to choose," I said softly. He swallowed.
"These... these powers... sunshine, you make me lose control," he whispered. "What if I hurt you?"
"You won't."
"But what if I do?"
"You won't," I stressed.
"You don't know that."
"I do, actually," I said with a tilt of my head. "Because your powers don't hurt me, anyway. Lloyd, you legitimately exploded in a ball of golden light and I was right beside you back in Stiix. I was fine. Better than fine!"

Lloyd's red eyes drifted to the side. He didn't seem convinced despite the very obvious proof I'd given.
"Stop worrying so much," I soothed, dropping a kiss to the tip of his nose while I carded my hands through his hair. He sighed, relaxing into my touch. "You can handle this. I know you can. And I'll be beside you the whole time."
"Thanks," he whispered. "You're the best."
"No," I disagreed, making him furrow his brow. "Bentley's the best."
He scoffed a small laugh, shaking his head at me. My smile grew at my successful attempt of making him feel better.
"C'mon," I urged, patting his shoulders. "Let's get back to the others. I don't know about you but I am mentally strained from today and sleep sounds absolutely fantastic."
"You did well," Lloyd complimented, sitting up and pulling me into a quick kiss before I could slip away. I soaked into it.
"I usually do," I murmured when I parted, talking against his lips. "I'm pretty great."
Lloyd rolled his eyes. I snickered.
"I'm kidding," I laughed, pulling him up to his feet. "Let's go. I wanna look at the stars before I get too exhausted that I pass out."
"Can do," he nodded. "I'll tell you all about my astronomy expertise some more."
"Oh, you mean the constellations that you pull outta your ass?" I asked, linking his fingers through mine with a grin. He nodded.
"Yep. Exactly those ones."
"Perfect," I sighed softly. "I can't wait to be fed lies."
"They're creative truths," Lloyd corrected, making me snort. "If you actually want to know about constellations, you should talk to Wu. He loves the stars. He's even got this huge telescope in his room. I think it's bigger than me."
"Tempting," I shrugged. "But I prefer your 'creative truths.' They're more entertaining."

Lloyd grinned, unlinking a hand to sling his arm around my shoulders.
"Okay then," he agreed with a kiss to my temple. "Prepare to be amazed by facts I make up on the fly."

🍃🍂✨🍂🍃

We returned to the monastery Sunday afternoon. Thank god I brought my homework, otherwise I would never have gotten any done over the weekend.

Lloyd, however, didn't understand why the first thing I did when we got back was delve into doing my schoolwork.
"It's so boring," he complained when I logged into my google account on his computer. "The others are having a Starfarer tournament. You should join!"
"I would love to, but I have to get this done," I replied, reaching up to scratch his sweet spot when he dropped his chin onto my shoulder with a pout. He gave a grumpy purr. "It should only take me a few hours."
"You'll go into dinner," he pointed out.
"Then I'll go into dinner," I shrugged. "Priorities, baby."
"Your priorities suck," he muttered, pressing a kiss to my cheek before slipping away when I pulled up my essay that needed to be completed before Monday.
He returned about an hour later, dinner in hand.
"Here you are, Princess," Lloyd said, sliding the plate onto the desk beside the computer.
"Thank yooouuuuu," I chimed, still typing and running my hand through my hair in agitation. I hated doing it in bulk, but I left myself no choice. This was what I got for procrastinating.
"You look stressed," he hummed, pulling a hand through my hair gently. "I can distract you again, if you want."
"I never know what version you mean by 'distract,'" I grunted, finishing up the last paragraph before powering onto the conclusion. Victory was so close and tasted so sweet. "There's two versions when it comes to you. There's distract and then there's distract."

Lloyd brushed his nose up my neck, contact whispering and alighting my nerves on fire.
"Take a guess," he whispered with a rough edge to his voice, pressing gentle little kisses to my throat. I swallowed.
"Enticing, but I'll have to pass," I replied with a shake of my head. He carded his hand through my hair and I sighed at the feeling. "I need to get this done."
"It'll only be a second."
"Sure, it will," I scoffed, catching him eyeing my neck. I rolled my eyes. "If you bite me, I'll bite you back. This is a threat."
I knew it was a mistake as soon as it left my mouth. His red eyes darkened from the promise. He bit me, so I hit him with a slipper.
"Down boy!" I grunted, pushing him away. "Goddammit, Lloyd! I seriously have to work on this!"
He pulled away with a dramatic groan.
"Why do you care so much about grades?" Lloyd shook his head, frustrated. "I don't get it. School doesn't even matter in the long run."
"Well, not everybody can train to be a Sensei," I said with a sniff. "I need to pass this year if I want to get into college."
"College?" Lloyd's expression turned intrigued. "I didn't know you were thinking about college. What ones do you have picked out?"
"A couple," I said, scrunching my face when I reread a sentence and hated the flow. "If you have the patience, maybe I'll show you my list."

Turns out, he did. I finally pressed saved and gave a grateful moan, dropping my head onto the table. Lloyd bounded up from where he was lounging on the bed, playing on Jay's switch that he totally stole.
"Alright, doll," he said excitedly, scooping me up to drop me back into his lap. He hugged me tight to his chest. "Show me your preferences."
So we started the relatively lengthy process of going through my list while Lloyd read up about them. Jay burst into the room with a 'stop stealing my stuff!' before leaving with the switch, but Lloyd was too invested into reading about the colleges I was interested in pursuing to care.
"These are all so far away," Lloyd said quietly when he finished. "You're not going to be able to stay in the city. What's wrong with Ninjago City College?"
"It's not the best," I replied, curling his fringe around my fingers. "Go big or go home, right? I want to go to the best college I can."
"You or your parents?" Lloyd said dryly. I gave a shrug.
"It's a bit of both," I admitted. "Honestly, dad would be happy to have me on the military site but I don't know. It's not want I really want to do."
"What do you want to do?" Lloyd asked. I stared at him, frowning in consideration.
"I'm not sure," I said in a quiet confession. "But I know that I want to pursue study on something. Maybe forensics. Psychology. Maybe even therapy? I don't know. There's so much to choose from."
Lloyd sighed, dropping his head against mine.
"You going to college will suck," he muttered. "I'll hardly get to see you, knowing Wu and dad. They'll have me training twenty-four seven."
"We'll make it work," I said with a smile, brushing back his blond hair. "It won't be so bad. Now, c'mon. Maybe we can catch the end of the Starfarer tournament. My money's on Zane!"

"Oh, you're so on!" Lloyd laughed, leading me out of his room to join the rest of the team from where they were loudly laughing down the hallway.