Summer was already drawing to a close.

It was crazy; whereas last summer felt like it went on and on for an eternity (though I did blame that on it holding a couple more near-death experiences than this one had thus far), this time, summer went by in a blur.
Sure, an aching, sore blur, chock full of endless days of training, but fast all the same. It felt as if each day passed by in only a blink.
Perhaps that was why I felt that my training didn't progress as much as I had hoped it would.
Lloyd trying to teach me spinjitzu ended in a disaster and a sprained arm, so that was quickly suspended for the time being.
And despite the constant, gruelling trainings focusing on my powers, absolutely zilch came out of it. I was no closer to harnessing them than I was before I had even learnt of their existence.
I was ready to rip out my hair.

The only saving grace was my ability to pick up on archery fairly well.
The target training engrained in me from a young age, despite being for a different weapon entirely, proved useful. I was hitting bullseyes within the week.
Lloyd's surprise at my skill made me feel pretty smug. Only for about a day, though, as the very next morning I tripped over my own sword within the first five minutes of another simulated hunt and made Lloyd fall into a coughing fit from laughing so hard.
At least he was keeping my ego in check.
My lack in progress wasn't making only me uneasy - Lloyd was steadily growing more and more clingy once again, and while I enjoyed his presence immensely, I worried how he'd handle me going to college.
Obviously he wouldn't stop me from going, and I knew that it was the best thing for me and my self-interests, but part of me wished that I could just do the course online and at home - or even if Lloyd could come with me. But that was obviously impossible with all his duties.

And despite Ambrose and Chen (more so the former) looking out for me on behalf of Lloyd, it was no less troubling. The more worried Lloyd got, the more anxious I became. The vision on the rooftop did not provide any reassurance, either.
Guess I just gotta do my best to keep my feet on the ground and stick to where it's safe.
At least, that was the plan, until;
"Why don't you take Y/n out on patrol tonight?" Wu suggested during dinner, making the ongoing conversation about hotdogs halt in surprise. Jay's chopsticks fell into his dinner.
"What?" Lloyd spluttered, staring at his uncle as if he'd just grown another head.
"It would be invaluable experience and insight for you," Wu said directly to me. He turned to Lloyd. "She doesn't need to fight anyone. Just bring her along and keep to the shadows."

Lloyd fell silent, frowning in consideration as he assessed his two options. Option A; keep me safe and sound at home. Or B; disobey his sensei.
I decided to make it easier for him. Lloyd may be team leader, but I declared silently to myself that this was my decision to make.
"Sure," I agreed with a nod. "Sounds fun."
Lloyd whipped his head around to me. "Wa-"
"Then it is settled," Wu announced. Lloyd sent his uncle an exasperated look.
"Isn't it my-"
"You can wear one of my suits!" Nya offered. She grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. "This is going to be so much fun!"
"You can follow my usual route!" Jay said as he scrambled up to join us. We began to leave the dining room, much to my flustered confusion - I hadn't even finished eating yet. "It's quieter than the others."
"Yes," Garmadon said with a distracted murmur. "Good idea."

Cole nudged Lloyd with a small chuckle.
"This is going to be interesting," the earth ninja mused.
Lloyd raised his eyes to the ceiling in exhaustion. Wasn't he meant to be the team leader?

"Why do I even bother?" he sighed.

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

"How do you move in all this gear?" I bemoaned.

Nya peeked a side look from behind her mask. We were jogging through the backstreets of Ninjago City and I had a major case of sticking-out-like-a-red-thumb, tugging on the uncomfortable belts and buckles with a disgruntled expression. I could already see the confusion on stan Twitter about there being 'two' water ninjas.
"You get used to it," Nya snickered, enjoying my discomfort because it was apparently the only thing exciting on that warm, dead quiet summer night. "A lot of that gear's saved our lives more than you can count."
I huffed, which didn't quite work in my favour considering the gi hood concealing my mouth. The hot air just hit back and added to the uncomfortable boiling of the full-suit. It was like wearing winter pyjamas in a hot pool.
Despite that, I felt tingly with adrenaline. I never would've pictured going out with the team on patrol, even after finding out that Lloyd was the green ninja. I was sick with both nerves and excitement.
It was kind of weird seeing them all with their masks on.

"Are we splitting?" Kai asked as we stopped in the mouth of an alleyway.
"No," Lloyd answered with a shake of his head. "It's better if we're all together in case... anything happens."
"'Anything happens' - as in Axon's gang tries to attack Peaches again," Zane noted. Eyes turned to me and it took a second for me to realise that I was peaches. Oh, dang. I get a code name and everything.
Lloyd hesitated from the boldness of the ice ninja.
"Yes," he replied curtly. "We'll take our old route across the city."
"Question," I piped up. "Are we going to be jumping over rooftops?"
"Yeah," Cole answered. I felt my chest tighten in the universal fear of death.
"Swell," I squeaked.
"You'll be fine," Lloyd reassured with a pat of my shoulder. "Let's move."

At the order, the team took off. I was left discombobulated and scrambling to keep up, bringing up the rear. God, just when I was starting to be impressed by my improving fitness, these guys decide to show off.
They're not even showing off, I'm just that slow in comparison.
Lloyd lead the way up a fire escape and the team followed, swiftly launching lithe bodies up the steel platforms with the likeness of pristine cats. I was a Kashu in comparison, a three legged dog.
This metaphor, in literal terms, just meant that I made a bunch of sound as I ran up the old, creaky steps.
"I hope you're taking notes, Sensei Lloyd," I said once I made it to the rooftop. "Because there's a lot I need to improve on."
A couple of the others laughed quietly. Lloyd's eyes softened.
"Nya, take the lead," he ordered.
"Why her?!" Kai exclaimed, only to yelp when Nya punched him in the shoulder and thus proved Lloyd's point.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, watching as the team took off without its leader. The shame in my chest was astronomical. "I'm slowing you down."
Lloyd placed a hand on my arm in assurance. I turned to send him a guilty look.
"Don't worry about it," he said. "We'll take it at your pace."
"But I'm so slow," I groaned. My head dropped back to burns holes in the night sky.
"You're just inexperienced," Lloyd countered. "We all start somewhere. Besides, I'm... I'm happy you're here."
I lolled my head to the side and sent Lloyd a disbelieving stare.
"Seriously!" he chuckled. "I always miss you whenever we're on patrol. And yeah, it's dangerous for you to be out like this and yes, my worry is through the roof-"
"Worry wart," I uttered and went ignored.
"- but I love spending time with you."

My stilted expression crumpled into a soft look. I cupped his cheeks.
"Cheesy worry wart," I pouted.
"Ah- stop it," Lloyd chuckled.
"Soft boy," I insisted, standing on my tippy toes. "Precious baby."
He rolled his eyes.
"Lover boy Lloydie-pie," I continued to gush.
"Oh-kay," Lloyd said, grabbing my hands and taking them from his face. He stared out across the rooftops - the team had totally disappeared. "Back on track. Let's just think of this as parkour training."
"Pretty honey bunny!" I pressed on, reclaiming his attention. Lloyd clamped his palm over my masked mouth.
"Stop."
I stared at him with wide eyes. He slowly, warily, removed his hand from my face.
"Pretty baby boy," I chirped, much to Lloyd's chagrin. I giggled. "Okay, okay - I'm stopping, I promise."

"Alright," Lloyd began. "Let's start wi-"
"Hunny bunny," I interjected.
"Y/n."
"Sorry."
"Alright," he said with emphasis. "Let's start with jumping from this roof to the next. It's not too wide - just make sure you don't trip."
"Wow, I didn't think of that," I murmured, garnering a sharp look. I glanced at him and away. "I'll shut up."
"Don't look down," Lloyd said as he began backing up. "It makes you slump and drops your weight. Chin up."
He broke into a run before powering off into a mighty leap at the lip of the roof. His somersault was so smooth and fast that if it weren't for me admiring the way his lithe body moved in the liquid light of the moon, I would've missed it entirely.
Lloyd landed perfectly.
"Show off," I muttered.
"Your turn," he called, ignoring my comment. "Back up and take a jump."

I pulled a grimacing face at the gap between buildings before backing up. Glancing between the lip of the roof and Lloyd's waiting figure, I hesitated for a brief second before taking off into a sprint.
I jumped.
I completely did not make the jump.
My eyes widened when I reached the height of my leap far too soon across the gap than I should've. I barely had the time to look at Lloyd and shout a loud 'FUCK!' - charming last words, I know - before I was hurtling between the brick walls of the buildings.
The only thing going through my head was that this was such a lame way to die. Seriously, out of everything I'd been through, and some piddly jump got the better of me? This was like comparing a paper cut to a broken leg.
I didn't land on the unhygienic, grungy alleyway floor like I was coming to terms with. I instead landed on the back of a green dragon, and I clutched onto his hide as if my life depended on him - which it kind of did at that point.

Bentley awkwardly flapped his large wings in the small gap between the buildings of the alleyway before scaling up to the rooftop.
My nails were digging into his scales like a cat. Pretty sure I looked like one, too. I stared past Lloyd with wide, panicked eyes.
"Are you okay?" he asked. I managed a pitched, squeak of a confirming reply. A couple of long seconds passed by before Lloyd slowly spoke up again. "... are you going to get down from Bentley?"
I shook my head. He can pry me from Bentley's saddle when I'm dead.
"Jump bigger," Lloyd said as he approached Bentley's side. I shot him a shitty look.
"Are you kidding me?" I pitched. "I almost died!"
"But you didn't," he pointed out. His strong grip grabbed my waist and he pulled me from the saddle despite my grabby hands and rebellious squawking. "I had you the entire time."
"You did not," I scathed. I stood upright, still holding onto his arm with a death grip just in case.
"I can assure you that I did," Lloyd chuckled. "I know who you are, poptart. I wasn't going to take any chances."

My glare snapped to his masked face.
"You knew I was going to miss the jump?!"
Lloyd shrugged. "I was aware of the possibility. The large possibility. Now you'll make extra sure to jump bigger."
I stared at him in disbelief. Lloyd stared back at me with a nonchalant look.
"Hey, it was your idea that you wanted to join the team," he reminded.
"You're acting like an ass, though."
"I'm not your boyfriend right now, I'm your team leader. This is just how I lead."
"Can't you be both?" I grumbled.
"That's dangerous thinking," Lloyd replied, and it sounded as if he'd been memorising this exact reason extensively, as if it'd been drilled into him by somebody else. Wu, perhaps? Or Garmadon? "Come on. You'll pick it up in no time."
"What if I mess up again?" I asked. "What if you don't catch me?"
"Would I ever let you fall?"
"What if you don't catch me, Lloyd," I hissed.
"I will," he reassured with an easy grin. "Now, jump to the next roof."

I stared at Lloyd, chin jutted out and teeth gritted in defiance. He simply waited for my compliance. He seemed like he was ready to wait for hours for me to make my move.
"Fine," I sighed. "I'm going to be so mad at you if I fall and die."
"Sure."
I turned to the next roof and stared at the dark gap between buildings, chomping on my bottom lip anxiously. It seemed to grow larger and larger, like the pit swelling in my stomach. I wrung out my hands.
"If you make this jump without my help, I'll give you a kiss."
"I thought you said that you can't be my boyfriend while training?" I snapped.
Lloyd tilted his head. "You don't want a kiss?"
"I never said that."
I could almost see his amused smirk through his mask. I scrunched my nose and returned my attention to the jump. Just pretend it's like that river you jumped during hide and seek at the island. It's around the same length across, right?
Yeah. Yeah, sure it is. It's just a river.

God, I am so going to die.

I pushed myself into a run towards the edge of the building. Keeping my eyes locked to the turbine vent, I swallowed back every single instinct screaming at me to turn back around and go down the fire escape - and I jumped.
It wasn't pretty. The landing was shitty and I definitely almost landed on my face, but I landed on the roof and that held the same significance as personally winning the entire oscars to me at that moment. I spilt and tumbled across the concrete.
I turned my bruised body over until I was sat up and lifted my arms in triumph.
"I did it!"
"You did!" Lloyd cheered, joining in on my enthusiasm after silently landing before me. I stood with a wince and brushed off Nya's (now ripped - oops) gi. "Well done. Was I right or was I right?"
I rolled my eyes. "Don't push it. Where's my kiss?"

"Impatient," he chided, before pressing his mask to mine. When he stepped back, I stared at him with a dull frown.
"Is that seriously it?" I asked.
"Are you a kiss snob?" Lloyd teased. "Is that what you are?"
"If it means I get a proper kiss, then yes, yes I am a kiss snob," I replied. "Now can I please have a proper one?"
Lloyd huffed through his nose in amusement.
"Okay," he conceded, slipping up the bottom of his mask. "But only because you asked so sweetly."
"Yay!" I chirped and ripped up the mouth of my mask with less class than he. With the material bunched over the bridge of our noses, we couldn't see much - but Lloyd had no trouble in finding my waist and yanking me in closer. I hit against his chest with a dumb grin and comfortably looped my arms around his neck.

"You're such trouble," Lloyd said.
"You love it," I snickered. My fingers slipped past the material of his gi to run circles along the skin of his neck.
"I do," he sighed, before dipping down to press his lips to mine. My heart leapt up in time with me standing on my tiptoes to return the kiss with vigour.
A small, shrilling beep by my ear made me flinch.
"B 'n E at warehouse thirty-four on the docks, city side," Kai's voice spoke through the comms. Lloyd groaned and dropped his forehead against mine. He replaced his mask over his mouth before lifting his hand towards his ear.
"Copy that, we'll be right there," he replied. His hand fell away and he sent me a dryly bemused stare. "Break and enter. Good timing."
"Kick their ass," I frowned. Lloyd gestured towards the rooftops with his head.
"Think you can manage?" he asked.

I stared across the tops of buildings with an unsure frown.
"I can try?"
"That's the attitude to have," Lloyd said with a smile in his voice. "Let's go."
He took off in a slow enough pace for me to comfortably keep up with throughout the obstacles that came with free running across the rooftops of Ninjago City. The more I jumped and stumbled across the high buildings, the more I grew used to the sensations. I was capable of doing it - my extensive training over the past three months made sure of that. It was just a matter of confidence.
Lloyd didn't even need to catch me that much. He slowly increased the speed when he noticed I could handle it. It grew to be fun rather than terrifying, and I was exhilarated, but not downright afraid.

Lloyd held out an arm when we landed on a rooftop close to the docks. I peered around his shoulder and found the ninja already engaged in battle with some guy covered in mechanical parts. We peered over the ledge of the building, Lloyd to assess the scene and I to watch the fight in enraptured awe.
"Ugh," he groaned under his breath when he noticed who the enemy was. "This guy again."
"Fought him often?" I nudged his shoulder with a teasing grin.
"He's called the Mechanic," Lloyd elaborated quietly. "He keeps raiding these warehouses for parts."
"What's he trying to build?" I murmured. I winced when a grappling hook hit zane across the chest and made a loud metallic 'clang!' The chain was swiftly sliced by Cole's scythe, rendering the weapon useless and making the Mechanic yell in frustration.
"That's what we're trying to figure out," Lloyd sighed. I hummed in thought, watching the fight but focused on thinking.

"... you should let him steal something-"
"What?!"
I tapped his chest with the back of my hand, scoldingly.
"Let me finish," I ordered. My eyes jumped back down to the fight. "You should let him steal something that's embedded with a tracker, like what's in our phones. Modify it a bit to record audio - then you get the location of the base and whatever he might speak of his plan, all in one."
Lloyd stared at me. I turned to hold his gaze, watching as his brain ticked over my suggestion.
"... huh," he murmured finally. "That's not a bad idea. I'll run it by the others."
"Really?" I asked, dumbfounded. I expected him to just brush it aside or say that they already tried an idea similar - I wasn't exactly well versed in the art of the team.

"Yeah," Lloyd said. A crash from below made us grimace. "I gotta jump in. Stay here."
"Okay."
"I mean it," he pressed. He held up a gloved finger just to show how serious he was. I blinked.
"Yeah, I heard you."
"If you so much as step a foot off of this rooftop, you'll be doing reps for the next two weeks of training," Lloyd warned. "And if the, uh, the tugging starts playing up-"
"You know that I don't have control over myself when that starts," I whined.
"Try."
I scrunched my mouth in frustration from under my mask.
"I'll try," I grumbled, doubting that I'd actually have a chance to try and resist the tugs in the first place. They were pretty bodily controlling the every time they have decided to appear, even going as far as to once make me sleepwalk through the backstreets of Ninjago City in the dead of night (not that Lloyd knew that).

Lloyd bunched himself up to leap into the fight before hesitating. I watched him questioningly, as the green ninja never hesitates when it comes to easy battles like this, but Lloyd just simply turned his head to me and affectionately pressed his forehead to mine.
"Love you," he confessed quietly. My frustration totally melted away before the words had even finished falling from his hidden lips.
My chest warmed considerably. I felt like I was going to burst into a cacophony of butterflies and sunshine.
"Love you, too," I replied. My hand had mindlessly begun to reach up for his cheek, but Lloyd had to go. He leapt from me and the rooftop and the suddenness of his movement pulled a gasp from my mouth. My hand dropped back to my lap.
I watched as Lloyd landed into the mess of the fight between the Mechanic, his minions and the secret ninja force. The dark green of his gi blended into the insufficient lighting of the docks, but his energy bursts seemed to illuminate the entire world and left my retinas with impermanent stains.

I turned away from the fight and leant back against the rooftop's ledge. Every part of me screamed to join in, to help keep my family safe, but I wasn't strong enough to be anything but a liability.
I stared at my gloved hands. The leather was worn down, holding history and telling stories that I couldn't be a part of. I should be down there, but my powers were as unpredictable and unharnessable as the sun itself.
It was so annoying. I had the potential to be strong, but I had no clue where to begin. Even all the others had no clue where to begin. At least they had an idea of what their powers were - mine were still a total mystery.

I dropped my head backwards onto the ledge in defeat. The sounds of battle raged on.

"You are so lame," I whispered to myself.

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

"Do me a favour," Kai said the morning after I joined in on patrol. "Don't look at Twitter."

The team and I all looked up from the breakfast table, confused. The fire master sat down opposite me and rubbed his forehead in distress. Jay glanced at Cole, but the black-haired man could only shrug in return, at a loss as the rest of us. Kai grabbed a bowl of noddles and stuck in, still frowning deeply.
"What are you talking about?" Lloyd queried.
"Are you alright?" I asked worriedly. "What's going on?"
"It's-" Kai broke off to heavily sigh. A piece of noddle was stuck to his chin. "Well-"
A newspaper was slammed onto the table in front of Lloyd and I. My entire body jumped like a frightened cat.
"Would you mind explaining this?" Misako hissed from behind us.

Frightened by Misako's pissed off voice (she's usually so sweet and calming! Like the human embodiment of honey and chamomile tea), I immediately scanned the front page of the newspaper. The team leaned in to check out the huge photo print, sat right underneath a large, bold headline that chilled me straight to my spine.
"Oh," Lloyd reluctantly said. "... oh, no."
The photo was unmistakeable. Grainy and pixelated from being taken on a phone, sure, but unmistakable all the same. The green of Lloyd's gi was obvious, as was the kiss we shared. I understood why Kai warned us to stay off Twitter, now.
"Oh, man," I cursed wearily. I dropped my head to the table, as if hitting my forehead against the wood would make the proof disappear.
The only upside was that despite me wearing Nya's gi, there were also other photos of me with the team that proved that she wasn't me, nor I her. I couldn't imagine how awkward that would be.

"We sent Y/n out with you for training, not as a date!" Misako chided. Garmadon had entered the room, silent. It was clear that he was in agreement with his wife's disappointment. "How are we supposed to brush this one off, Lloyd? The ring was one thing, the photos with Y/n was another - but this?!"
"It's my fault," I quickly piped up after lifting my head. My eyes stared guilty holes into the wood of the table as I felt the stifling weight of attention shift to me. "I- I was scared of free-running over the rooftops. It was leverage. I- if I just wasn't so- if I just trusted that I could... I'm- I'm really sorry."
"Hey, no," Lloyd disagreed softly. His hand fell to my knee and gave a gentle, reassuring squeeze. "I suggested it in the first place."
"But I asked for it," I countered, glancing up at him. Please, let me take the fall for this one. Don't blame anything more on yourself. "I was being difficult."
"Being afraid is never the same as being difficult," Lloyd patiently argued. I gritted my teeth and went to retort before Misako cut us off.

"It doesn't matter whose fault it is," she snapped. "What matters is that you're all going to have to be extra careful now to make sure you're not seen when you're looking over Y/n while she's out. If anybody notices how close she is to the team..."
"It won't be anything good," Garmadon said in a grumbly voice. My eyes remorsefully dropped to the floor. Lloyd's thumb continued to brush circles over my knee.
I'm so stupid. Of course something like this would happen - it was so careless. I needed to remember that Lloyd isn't just Lloyd, that he isn't just the goofy, dorky boy that I know and am in love with.
He's the green ninja. He's more than just another guy walking down the street.
I needed to start respecting the ramifications of having such a title more.

I spent the rest of breakfast in mulling silence, contemplating the enormity that was Lloyd's role as the world's saviour. It was weird; I knew that he was a big deal - a huge deal - but I got so used to him being, well... him, that I'd totally forgotten my grasp on his role as the green ninja.
Before I met Lloyd, he was that of an elusive mystery, a shrouded idol that evaded every hint of unanimity. I had to remind myself that that was an image he had to uphold. Not at all for me, per say, but absolutely for the rest of the world.
What a stifling life.
"I'm going to have a walk through the garden," Lloyd mentioned to me in a hesitant voice after the dishes were cleared away from the sink. He wiped his wet hands on the towel. "Care to join me?"
My reply was a diluted smile and a nod.

Our hands found a home within each other when we stepped outside. My thoughts were still distracted, throwing themselves around in circles within my head, as if a minature tornado had found its home there. We strolled aimlessly, peppered with dapples of golden sunlight that dropped through the blooming maple and cherry blossom trees.
"I'm sorry," I began, watching the stone path beneath my shoes shift under our weight. "I should've behaved better. Your mum's right, it was training, not a date."
I saw Lloyd's head shift to face me in my peripheral vision. I pretended not to notice.
"I need to start treating training with more respect than I have been. I've been lacking on that department since day one."
Lloyd eased to a stop in the middle of the little slice of forest hidden in the zen garden. A stone statue of an oni sat nestled against the trunk of a tree behind him.

"What are you talking about?" Lloyd asked. "You've been wonderful. You're inquisitive, you ask questions and you're progressing faster than some of our monks that have been with us for years."
"I'm disrespectful," I argued weakly. I tugged my hand from his to anxiously twist them in my shirt.
"For what?" he chuckled lightly. "For wanting to kiss me?"
"Yes," I whined. "I wanna kiss you all the time. I'm sure this isn't normal."
"I'm sure it is."
"No," I said decidedly. "No, this is definitely some kind of disease. You infected me. Lloyd Garmadon, you are already absolutely irresistible enough as it is and it's not fair."
Lloyd snickered. "That sounds logical."
"Of course it does," I said. "It sounds logical because I said it and I am always right, except for when I'm wrong."
"That's just how it-" he cut himself off with a shake of his head and a bursting, breathy little laugh. "You dingus."

"Do you think it's actually going to be okay, though?" I asked, falling serious. I frowned as I watched a leaf fell from its branch, twirling in its descent to the ground. "What if someone finds out? What do we do then? Are we going to have to move? Or- or-"
"Don't overthink," Lloyd consoled. He hooked a finger under my chin and gently turned my head so I could catch his sincere gaze. The approaching autumn had the pink sakura petals drifting down behind him. "Take it as it comes. It's going to be fine. We've dealt with worse."
Somehow, I didn't believe that. Lloyd's ring that was on display a few months back was already scandalous enough. An actual kiss was a whole different level of gossip.
Oh my god. This was literally every celebrity scandal ever. This is what my life has come to.
And if people figure out that the girl in the photo is me, then it won't take long to realise that Lloyd is the the green ninja.

"It's okay!" Lloyd insisted when I wilted like a dying flower in a wondrous concoction of both shame and guilt. "Besides, it takes two to kiss, right? Please stop blaming yourself."
I looked up at him and wondered if he realised the irony of what he just said. The way Lloyd's expression ever so subtly twisted told me that he did. He sighed through his nose and tapped his forehead to mine.
"I'm sorry," he murmured and I instantly picked up on what he was apologising for. The feeling of watching your most loved person blame everything on themselves is sickening, and now we each had that experience.
I lifted my hands to rest against his warm, sun-freckled cheeks. Why couldn't things ever just simply be easy?
"Me, too," I whispered. Lloyd released a long, low breath between parted lips before breaking into a small smile.
"If it's any consolation," he began quietly, voice as gentle as the dying summer wind that carried the petals, "I think that you're the most irresistible person I've ever met, too."

I couldn't stop the flustered grin that popped up at his words. His own smile widened at the sight of mine.
"Dork," I finally managed after recovering from my mighty blush.
"Moron," Lloyd countered softly. His expression faded. "I'm going to miss you when you go to college."
I wanted to say that we had plenty of time, but the reality was that we didn't. My bags were already packed and ready to go. I could count the days I had left in Ninjago City on one hand. I stared at his stupidly perfect face and felt the ache I'd been trying to kick down for the past month return with wicked vengeance.
My throat grew thick as my hands fell to his shoulders. After spending so much time with him, how was I going to survive? An empty bed, night after night. He wouldn't be there to tease me when I tripped over my own feet and I wouldn't be there to patch him up and chide him for his recklessness after missions.
"You're gonna visit me, right?" I asked. My voice broke and I would've been embarrassed if I weren't already consumed entirely in despair.

"Every chance I get," Lloyd vowed. "It's going to be as if I'm right there living with you."
It won't be.
"It's so far away."
"Bentley's faster than any speed racer," Lloyd pointed out. "We'll get there in a quarter of the time it takes."
But that's still a three hour trip there and back, and Lloyd's already so busy.
Is... "is this a bad idea?" I breathed, glancing between Lloyd's red eyes. He consumed my entire existence - everything was wonderfully, perfectly him. I couldn't even imagine a world where he was absent, but I knew that I'd have to live it soon.
"Y/n, you've been unyielding about going to college," Lloyd reminded. "I'll be with you, every single night. We can talk on the phone for as long as we're awake. Hell, I'll even let you connect straight to my comm so we can talk while I'm on patrol."

I watched him reassure me with watery eyes. My teeth chomped down onto my lip to quell its tremble.
Lloyd stared me dead in the eyes and sent the most serious look I'd ever seen from him (out of his green ninja suit, of course). He planted his hands on my shoulders and furrowed his brow. He was deadly sure of his words, encouraging me to be the same.
"Don't ever let doubt stop you from doing what you desire."
I buried my face into his chest. He encased me instantly, circling my body with his arms. I never wanted to be let go.
"I'm going to miss your warmth," I choked into his shirt. He swallowed sharply. "I'm going to miss your smell and your touch and the way your eyes change colours." I didn't realise I was crying until I felt Lloyd's shirt grow wet. "I'm going to miss your stupid pranks and dumb jokes and your endless ability to be so kind."
I leant back to look at his face and commit what I already knew like the back of my hand to memory once again.

"I'm going to miss your smile. I'm going to miss your kisses," I whimpered, brushing my thumb over his bottom lip. "And your little fangs." He huffed at that one. "I'm going to miss the way your hair can never stay out of your face and the scar that's hidden under your fringe." My fingers trailed the slice of shiny skin that sat below his hairline. My voice had grown choppier and rougher the longer I spoke, I could barely understand myself. "I'm going to miss you so much."
"There won't be a second that I won't be thinking of you," Lloyd whispered, brushing away my tears. "My sunshine. My universe. My pretty little flower."
My breathing shuddered as I sunk into him, clenching my overflowing eyes tight and holding onto Lloyd even tighter. I never wanted this moment to end.
"I love you," Lloyd said, words softer than feathers.
"I love you, too," I replied, voice catching in the thickness of my throat.

And with each pink petal that fell to the stone path, my time to leave drew nearer.

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

We arrived to a scene of chaos.

Naomi had Ambrose in a headlock and was sat on his back. Grass stains covered the both of them. The elemental master seemed totally unbothered by the girl with her elbow around his throat.
Chen was quietly shuffling a deck of Uno cards and Cole was resorting his own, both ignoring them.
"You ass!" Naomi stomped her foot into the ground. A discarded hand of what looked to be twenty cards sat next to her. "You did that on purpose!"
Ambrose peered at his collection of cards with narrowed eyes. Naomi wiggled and yanked on top of him, grunting in effort for her attack to be noticed.
"Yellow," Ambrose declared as he placed down a wild card. Naomi glanced at her hand, which miraculously had no yellow cards, and bellowed a war screech. Chen calmly placed a yellow card down.

"Don't make Naomi too angry," I teased as I lead Lloyd, who lead Kashu, toward the group sat in the green grass of the park. "She can get super scary."
It was the last time we could all meet up before we headed off to our respective cities - Naomi to Ignacia City, Ambrose, Chen and I to Nom, and Lloyd and Cole to stay in the capitol. It was a bittersweet reunion.
"It's true," Cole piped up.
"Y/n!" Ambrose burst, leaping to his feet and tossing Naomi off with a yelp. He pulled me into a sudden and strong hug. I made a wretched sound at the back of my mouth in shock.
"Hey, Amby," I greeted with a chuckle once I recovered. The master of physics did the same to Lloyd, who was equally unprepared for such an enthusiastic welcome.
"Come, come, join us!" Ambrose said, ushering for Lloyd and I to sit down with the group. "We're all picking on Naomi."

He was hit with a flock of plastic cards and an 'I HATE YOU!'

"Sounds fun," Lloyd commented, garnering a warning glare from the blonde girl. Kashu immediately plonked himself down onto Chen's lap. Chen was very pleased. "What do you think, Y/n?"
"Absolutely," I grinned as I grabbed a grape from the spread of food before us.
Naomi threw her hands into the air in disgusted disbelief.
"I need to find better friends," she decided.
Chen doled out cards for Lloyd and I so we could join in. It was quickly clear that Cole was the undefeated champion, winning game after game. Our laughter carried over the park, which was full of people enjoying the last few days of summer before the chill of the fast approaching autumn truly began to hit.
It almost felt as if we were just a group of random, careless teens.
As if half of the group weren't descended from demigods.

"Does anyone else feel as if this summer went really fast?" I asked when we finally grew tired of Cole destroying us in Uno. I instead personally occupied myself with counting Lloyd's faint freckles, who stayed very still for me.
"Are you kidding me?" Chen replied in disbelief. "This was the slowest summer I've ever had."
"That's because you spent it working at a supermarket, dazzleboy," Ambrose reminded with a pat to his knee.
"Ugh. You're right."
"At least you get to have a summer job," Cole groaned. "What little money we get from the government goes straight to gear replacement."
"Wait, the government pays you?" Naomi asked, sitting upright in earnest. "I thought they hated you guys!"
"They've recently come around," Lloyd said with a shrug. "I guess they realised that it would cost them more if we didn't protect the city. We were just surviving on the Monastery's upkeep fund and Borg's donations before."

"I lost count," I said with a pout. Lloyd sent an apologetic smile.
"Sorry, sunshine."
Lloyd and Cole's watches suddenly beeped. I deflated and Naomi groaned, both too keenly aware of what the beeping watches meant.
"Oh, is it a villain?" Ambrose gasped in delight and halting his task of ripping out the long grass. "Can I come with?!"
"You can't," Lloyd said with a sheepish frown. "We need you to stay with the others."
"Oh, right," Ambrose said with a firm nod and a salute from a grass-fist. "Guard duty it is."
Lloyd turned to me. "I know that this is almost entirely useless because it always seems to find you anyway, but stay out of trouble. If you spot anything suspicious, you know how to get in contact with us. Listen to Ambrose-"
"My god, Lloyd, you're not her dad," Chen groaned. Lloyd shot him an irritated glare, but it was weak and half-hearted. Ambrose pulled him away with a snicker, and then abruptly dumped a pile of grass onto the cheerleader's head.

"I'll be fine, dragon boy," I reassured with a smile. "I've got the others. You go get this bad guy and kick their ass."
Lloyd didn't look convinced in the slightest, but still pulled me into a long kiss. It was worried and hesitant, reluctant to leave. I didn't blame him. I was still jumpy since the attack myself.
"It's okay," I whispered, recognising his fear instantly. Lloyd had yet to open his eyes as he rested his forehead on mine, clenched tight. "Nothing's going to happen. I'm with the others and you won't be far."
"I wish- I wish there was a way..." he said, voice stressed with doubt.
"Lloyd," Cole called.
"Yeah," Lloyd replied, pressing another kiss to my cheek before following the master of earth.
"I get what you mean about Lloyd being anxious, now," Naomi murmured. "He really is frightened."
"... frightened?" I repeated, mostly to myself. I didn't peg it to him being frightened, but I guess that did make more sense than simple worry. Frightened? Maybe Naomi was right.

"College will help," Chen said. "When he realises that you can live there totally fine, he'll calm down. It's just still too fresh in his memory."
"Yeah," I sighed, resting my chin on my palm. "Maybe."
"It'll be okay," Ambrose said. There was a hint of formality in his voice that seemed unusual for him - he was never this serious. "Nobody will hurt you."
"It'll be okay," I echoed.

I tried my very best to believe it.