TW: slight sexual content

I was scrolling through the monks' tik tok account during breakfast, excitedly showing my favourite ones to Lloyd. He'd smile when I did even though he'd probably already seen them. He was in a handful of them himself.

My day was planned for me, as was the rest of the week. As was the rest of the summer, aside from weekends (presumedly for recovery). I was just glad that the only thing I had down in my summer to-do list was to spend time with Lloyd and my friends. I was technically doing that by training at the monastery.
Except that I wasn't good enough yet to join the team's training, so I had to follow a different schedule - some classes with the less experienced of the monks along with private lessons to mainly focus on my powers. I was nervous for both.
The team had training that morning after breakfast. I had a class at the same time, and then Lloyd and I were to meet Garm and Wu right after lunch in one of the smaller dojos for more training in the afternoon.
I had a feeling that it was going to be a long day.

"Eat, Y/n," Lloyd chuckled when I turned my phone to show him a video where Jay, in his gi, was running along the rooftops of the monastery. Dimitri was yelling at him. It was very chaotic. "You'll need the energy."
"But I'm not hungry," I whined. Lloyd just loftily shrugged, lifting a glass of water to his lips.
"You'll regret it," he merrily hummed before taking a sip. With pursed lips and a harrumph, I grabbed an apple from Cole's plate and took an angry bite. I glared at Lloyd while I chewed. He smiled back contently.
"I was gonna eat that!" Cole whined.
"Excited?" Nya asked, leaning forward over the table. Jay wiped a grain of rice from her cheek.
"I can't wait until I can kick Lloyd's ass!" I said with a bright grin. Lloyd barked a laugh before catching it with a hand over his mouth. I shot him a look, raising my eyebrows.

"Is that doubt in your snicker, I hear?" I sneered playfully, inclining close with narrowed eyes and a grin. Cole had taken to pestering Kai for some food from his plate, which resulted in a war using toast. Nya and Jay cheered them on. Zane watched blandly.
Lloyd cleared his throat and shook his head, closing his eyes in the perfect poker face.
"Who, me? No, of course not," he said calmly, and I almost couldn't hear the amused sarcasm in his voice. "You always astound me, especially with your fighting skills that are obviously far superior than mine."
I tilted my head to the side with a smirk, taking another bite of my apple.
"I'll let you know that I got more than a few jabs against you during Jay's birthday," I reminded airily, slyly mumbling through a mouthful of the sweet fruit. Lloyd's cheeks went red.
"We don't speak of that."
"Sure," I said smugly.

Lloyd eyed me with a squinted gaze as I joyously ate my apple.
"Eat," he demanded with blushing ears, clearly stuck back in that day I reminded him of. I laughed between bites and had to catch the bit of apple juice that dribbled from my lips.
"I am eating!" I exclaimed, hiding my mouth with a hand.
"Eat more," Lloyd pressed, sliding a small tub of yogurt towards me. "You can't survive this morning's lesson depending on a single piece of toast and an apple alone."
"I totally can!" I scoffed as I placed the Apple core down onto my plate, before stilling with wide eyes. "... is it really that bad?"
"For you?" Lloyd rhetorically asked with raised eyebrows. "Yeah. You've never done Ninjitzu before. It's going to be both mentally and physically draining."
I pulled a daunted look.
"Can I back out or are these lessons non-refundable?" I asked, tapping my fingers together sheepishly. Lloyd cocked his head to the side and pulled the look he got when he was about to drive a point home that I couldn't dispute.

"Do you want to be able to go out without escorts?"
"Babysitters-"
"Escorts," Lloyd insisted, but he lacked the playful tone I used. My smile fell a little at the serious look on his face. He realised that I had sobered and a small, encouraging smile passed his lips before he gathered my sticky, apple-juice covered hands in his. "You'll be fine, sunshine. But you need to fuel your body and eat-"
"Oh, my god, yeah, I'm eating," I groaned, going to remove my hands from his when I found them stuck. My attention jumped back to Lloyd.
"Love you," he purled softly, dropping his head closer to me. My heart did a cartwheel worthy of Chen in my chest and a tiny, love-filled smile of mine grew in response.
"Love you more," I countered with a grin. His lips parted with a gasp.
"Impossible."
"Nuh-uh." I shook my head. "It's totally true."
"No way!" Lloyd denied teasingly, curling his fingers through mine and probably getting his hands apple-juice-sticky in turn. He didn't care. "I love you so much that all the stars in the sky are made of just my love, because my body can't hold it all-"

"Oi!" Nya shouted, and our close faces was suddenly hit with a zabuton at full force, both of us in one shot. "Stop being lovey-dovey at breakfast!"
I blinked, taken aback by the pillow-based attack. Lloyd snickered, tossing the zabuton back over the table.
"Sorry," he apologised with a sheepish grin, and the mischievous glint in his eyes warned me that he had something up his sleeve. "But if we're not allowed to be lovey-dovey, then you aren't, either."
"Huh?" Nya asked before glancing down at her hand when Lloyd nodded to it. Her fingers were clasped snuggly through Jay's atop the table, for all the world to see. "Ah." But she seemed reluctant to remove her hold in Jay's, and he was beginning to pout, so the water mistress shrugged and hooked her thumb around her boyfriend's when he shifted his fingers to move. "You may proceed."

"Ugh," Cole grumbled, slumping. "That's it. I'm calling Naomi to move in. You guys make me feel too lonely."
"Oh, good move," I agreed with an excited nod before my lips twisted into a contemplative frown. I pulled off the top of the yogurt carton. "But also good luck convincing her mom. You might need to, like... make a PowerPoint presentation or something."
"Like schoolwork?" Kai asked, scrunching his nose. "Eugh, we just got out of school."
Undeterred, Cole had already pulled out a little notebook and started scrawling down some ideas. Lloyd turned to me with a pleasant smile.
"You should move in, too."
"Mm," I hummed in contemplation as I ate my yogurt. "Nah. I'm here enough as it is already. If I move in, I'll hardly see my mother at all."
He pouted but didn't argue. I didn't know why he would, considering we spent most nights together anyway. The only inconsistency was whose bed and whether Lloyd's patrol ran late or not.

When I finished my yogurt, I leapt to my feet to brush my teeth. It was almost time for the first class with Garmadon as my Sensei and I was jittery with excited nerves.
Lloyd walked beside me as I wrung my hands, leaving the others to fool around in the dining room. The blond beside me kept sneaking glances at the side of my face while I nervously chewed on my lips.
It seemed he had another way of making me excited.
"Oh, hello," I said in pleasant surprise when he guided me against the wall of the quarter wing's hallway, gently pressing a warm hand to my chest with lidded eyes. My heart rate picked up when he tilted his head to the side, using his supernaturally good hearing to listen for anyone approaching.
Satisfied, his hazy, red eyes landed on me again and my cheeks blushed just as dark. It was too early in the morning to get all hot and sweaty from something that wasn't training, but I found myself not objecting in the slightest when Lloyd leant forward to press a delicate, brushing kiss to the underside of my jaw.

I sighed at the feeling, dropping my nose into the soft waves of his blond hair. The smell of springs and clean forests and dry meadows enveloped me wholly as I sunk into him. His hands held just below my ribs, loose enough to not hurt, tight enough for me to use as my rock.
"Greenie," I breathed a groan when Lloyd left a trail of wet kisses down my neck, lips dragging against my skin. I instinctively tilted my chin away from him, allowing more room. "Wh- why are you doing this to me?"
His teeth grinned against my pulse. A violent shiver dragged up my spine as I curled into him.
"Doing what?" he whispered innocently, mouth gently latching onto the soft skin just below my ear. I had to bite my lip to catch a shuddering breath.
"You know, Mr. Garmadon," I grumbled before breaking into a sharp inhale when his teeth grazed my earlobe.
"Hmm?"
"D- driving me crazy," I whimpered, lacing my fingers through his hair. "It's only eight in the morning, you jerk. I need t-"

I cut myself off with a sudden, loud gasp when Lloyd's hands dipped up the bottom of my shirt. He wore a lazy smirk.
"Need to what?" he asked, tilting his head. I gritted my teeth, squinting my eyes.
"I need to-"
His fingers brushed along my stomach and left me almost convulsing from his feathery touch. Sweet and slow, languid, like dripping warm molasses upon my skin. My breath lodged in my throat and I scrunched my eyes closed. Whether it was to focus more on this pleasurable feeling to optimise it, or to deny a smug Lloyd the gift of letting him watch me break down through my eyes alone, I wasn't sure. Perhaps both. Definitely both.
He stepped in close, lips brushing against my temple as he pressed his chest to mine.
"Didn't quite catch that, kitten."
I shot him an irritated glare, cheeks hot.
"Ass."
Lloyd snickered, fingers splaying across my ribs and sliding around to flitter down my spine. The soft, slipping, stroke had me arching into him, eyelids fluttering.

"You're gonna make me late," I whined under a breath, dropping my head onto his shoulder while his calloused hands continued to explore my soft skin. His touch reached everywhere he wanted it to. I was putty in his hold. If it was up to me, I'd stay against him like that forever.
"S'okay," Lloyd murmured, smiling softly against my hair when my arms lazily drooped around his shoulders. His fingers dug a little deeper into the flesh of my waist and I sighed heavily through my nose. "Dad won't mind."
"That's not the point," I groaned, stuffing my face into his shirt. "Everyone's gonna be able to tell that we were up to something. And if we are, you could at least properly kiss me, blondie."
Lloyd pulled back, smile playing along his lips.
"As you wish, princess," he readily agreed before slipping his lips to move in tandem, perfect harmony, with my own. Fire burst from behind my lips at the blissful sensitivity, enraptured by him shifting with me and enthralled by the way my body instantly reacted, finding any way to be closer to him. Lloyd moved closer, too, pressing me fully against the wall while our kisses sent our heart rates into the sky.

"Don't worry," Lloyd breathed as I dragged my lips down to his jugular. His body tensed as I nuzzled kisses to his neck, following the bob of his Adam's apple as he sharply swallowed. His hands massaged my hips, rolling soothing, slow circles that I breathed in time with. "I didn't leave any marks on you."
"Shame," I whispered, parting only to breathe that one word along his skin. He shivered, pausing in question. It was answered by me latching an open-mouthed kiss to the crook of his shoulder and brushing my teeth against his flesh. Lloyd inhaled, grip faltering on my waist only to crush his arms around me in a hold even tighter than before.
I jolted from the sudden movement, holding no qualms against the squeezing hug. It didn't make me falter in my loving assault, only smile at his hearty reaction. It meant I was doing it right.

Lloyd's breathing picked up and he snuffled his nose into my hair, pulling in a shuttering breath. I could feel his jaw trembling against my temple. My lips pulled away from his heated skin with an audible pop, and I hummed, tilting my head as I stared at the reasonable sized hickey that I left on his neck. I gave myself a congratulatory smile.
"Hmm, no, you're right," I said, nodding to myself as I restyled the hair of the marginally less-composed-than-me Lloyd. He watched me with dazed eyes and pink cheeks, speechless. It was always nice to be able to reduce him to his - a flustered, wordless mess. At least it meant that it was reciprocal. "That was a good way to start off the morning." Though I doubted it went in the way Lloyd intended to.
He blinked, regaining his senses slowly. He shook his head in disbelief, hands slipping back to place on the warm skin of my hips, shirt bunched over his wrists. He gave a squeeze. My heart jumped up my throat in response, fluttering madly.

"You amaze me, sunshine," Lloyd breathed, brushing his nose against mine. He frowned a little, one not directed at me. "But now my team's gonna give me shit for the hickey."
I shrugged, totally aware that his fingers were still slow dancing along my sides. Not that I was complaining, however. In fact, I was overjoyed that Lloyd was becoming this comfortable with me - and I with him. I felt like we were growing together, now.
"You're the one who wanted to feel me up," I said, raising a brow. His hands stopped.
"Hands-on appreciation and 'feeling up' are two very different things," Lloyd defended, and I had to laugh.
"'Hands-on appreciation'?" I echoed in bemused question, smile tugging at my cheeks. He grinned his own. "What on earth is that?"
He shrugged. "I dunno. I just made it up."
"Obviously," I giggled.
"Alright, okay," Lloyd said, slipping back and adjusting my top. "Fine. We get what we give. So, I'll give you plenty of love bites tonight. Deal?"

My eyes narrowed teasingly. My heart positively burst into a pit of fireworks at his words, but I pretended to act nonchalant.
"That sounds like you'd enjoy that too much," I accused, raising a brow.
"Fine," Lloyd said with a playful smile. "When we go to bed, you can feel me up, too. Happy?"
"I thought it was called 'hands-on appreciation'?"
"Y/n," Lloyd warned, pressing his toothy smirk into my cheek. "What d'you say?"
I tilted my head to the side in thought and pursed my lips. My gaze darted back to him, silent as I weighed my options - as if I had any trouble choosing.
"Yeah, I'll take that," I replied with a careless nod, as if the incredibly tempting offer wasn't all that grand. My core gave a twist at the promise and I patted his chest, stepping away towards the bathroom. "But I really gotta get ready for training. You're supposed to be the team leader, Lloyd! Why are you distracting me? It's really unprofessional of you."

"Ah, my mistake," Lloyd said, raising his palms in surrender as I backed towards the bathroom to brush my teeth. He followed, slower. "I can't help myself sometimes around you. It's really unfair, you know."
I rolled my eyes with a grin, turning on my heel. After quickly brushing our teeth, squeaking shouts at the time and then booking it back towards one of the two smaller dojos, Lloyd stopped me outside the entrance.
"I can't stay, my love," he said with a dramatic pout. "But I'll keep you in my heart. I'll be thinking of you, always."
"Okay," I said plainly, clutching my shirt as I stared at his nose. "Um. Have fun, or... Yeah."
"Okay, I'll have fun or yeah," Lloyd nodded with a super serious look. His spirited attitude softened into reassurance as his fingers gingerly traced the line of my jaw, bringing me up into a brief, soft kiss. "You'll be fine."
"Uh-huh," I nodded distantly, though couldn't really hear him over the loud beating of my heart.
"Hey," Lloyd said, genuinely trying to grab my attention. He cupped both of my cheeks and manually turned my head to face his. "I promise you that it'll be okay. You're going to have heaps of fun!"

Garmadon poked his head out of the dojo and set Lloyd a look.
"Stop distracting my student!" the sensei demanded. "Class has started."
"Five seconds, dad," Lloyd insisted. His dad grumbled under his breath but slipped back inside the dojo, anyway. Lloyd turned his attention back to me. "Hey. You're the one that got the one-up on the green ninja and smacked him in the head with a skateboard. You helped us defeat the preeminent. You kicked Morro in the balls. You can handle a little beginners ninjitzu class."
My eyes snapped to his face.
"Wait, it's a beginners class?" I echoed in relieved disbelief. "I didn't even realise we had beginners at the monastery! Oh, thank god. Okay. I'm okay, now."
Lloyd stared at me, taking a brief while to comprehend what I was saying. His brows suddenly raised.
"You thought we'd put you in a class out of your skill level?" he asked, stunned. "Of course not! Developing the skill takes time and dedication, but everyone starts off as beginners. We don't expect you to know everything about the technique."

My eyes dropped to his shoulder. Ah. Sensei lessons are paying off; He's sounding like a better, more sure leader every day.
It worked.
"Okay." I nodded, majorly more pumped. "I'm ready."
Lloyd smiled proudly before ducking in to steal a quick kiss.
"Minty fresh," he murmured with a grin before he cleared his throat and gave a professional nod. "Alright," he said. "Protect the face. Light on your feet. Make sure you stretch. Dad will go through all that. Pay attention!"
"Yes sir, sensei Lloyd, sir," I said with an amused roll of my eyes. "Anymore pieces of wisdom, lover boy? It's not exactly a duel to the death."
"I can never be too sure with you."
I froze in thought before lifting my shoulders. I could give him that one.

"Alright, I gotta go," Lloyd said before pushing one more, final kiss to my lips and my chest thrummed with warmth in appreciation. He slipped into the dojo across the hall and laughter from his team welcomed him - probably because of the unmissable hickey.
I was gonna get shit for that, too.
But first, I had a class to attend. Inhaling deeply, I settled whatever jitters I had remaining before sliding the door open.
I was immediately met with a crowd of ten year olds.

Ah. So that's how it is.

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

"How are you feeling?"

I collapsed against Lloyd as I limped out from the beginners class. Everything was sore.
"I have never felt so babey in my life," I whimpered into his shoulder. "Never, I swear."
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"
"I don't know," I bemoaned, voice muffled by his shirt. "I'm sore and I'm tired, can I please have a hug?"
"Sure can, my little warrior princess," Lloyd said with a gentle chuckle. His arms wound tight around me. "How did you find it?"
"Uh..." I thought back over my first class - tripping over my own feet, stumbling into kids, barely able to balance whenever we did any of the exercises, getting owned by a ten year old when we did mini-matches at the end. I was both a danger to myself and everyone else around me. At least Garmadon was enjoying himself - probably because I was such a laugh. "It was good."
Lloyd saw right through me. He threaded a hand through my hair and gave a small smile.
"I'm sure you did great for your first time."
I grimaced. My arms gave an ache and I buried my face into his chest. His palms rubbed circles on my back.

"Define 'great,'" I grumbled, clutching his shirt. He smelt slightly of sweat, which was a given considering. I probably smelt worse. "All we were doing was going over the basics of the basics and I still couldn't get it."
"Give it a few weeks," Lloyd said kindly. "You can't expect to pick it up right away."
I sighed an exhale into his shirt. That was my only answer. He pressed a quick, doting kiss to my forehead before pulling away with a smile.
"You hungry?"
"Oooooh yes please," I cried. My stomach felt more empty than a night club during the day. "My stomach is eating itself. I'm going to disappear."
"Now, we can't have that," he grinned, stepping back and sliding his fingers into my hand. "Jace and Hiyori made lunch. It's all ready."
"True heroes," I dry sobbed, clutching my arms around Lloyd's bicep in a hug. I limped beside him.
"What happened to your leg?"
"A little devil landed a kick on me. I high-fived her through the pain."

I dropped onto a zabuton with an aching body. My own limbs were cursing me out for daring to use them. Meanwhile, the ninja looked totally fine - and they definitely would've had a far harder training than I did.
One day. One day, I'll be at their level.
"How did your class go?" Zane asked while we filled our plates with rice from the large pot in the middle of the table. My movements were slow and trembly from exertion. Curse my weak body.
"Well," I began as I loaded mixed greens onto my rice. "I got totally schooled by a ten year old. That's always fun. A lot of it was strength training and etiquette and now I can't feel my limbs."
Lloyd simpered, hiding his amusement with a shake of his head.
"But other than that, it was fun!" I continued brightly. "I mean, yeah, it only reinforces the idea that I'm a danger hazard, but fun!"

Kai snickered. "And your afternoon training?"
"Oh, well, this is surely the day I perish," I announced with a shrug. "Or lose motor function, who knows. Play the Twilight soundtrack at my funeral."
"Got it," Nya noted. I sent her an appreciative finger gun.
"Oh, right," Jay said, kicking my foot from under the table. "Hey, Y/n. Nice mark."
"Hm?" I hummed from behind a piece of carrot. The lightning master smirked at Lloyd's neck and I followed his gaze, finding the pretty, red love bite. Lloyd rolled his eyes while I gave a proud smile. "Oh, thanks! I think it's my best one yet."
Cole coughed from spontaneously bursting into laughing while eating. Zane smacked his back.
"I'm gonna get you back for that," Lloyd muttered under his breath for only me to hear. I gave a beam in response, feeling my heart do a drop kick against my ribs. It was not the reaction he expected.
"Oh, yes please!"
Lloyd amusedly ruffled my already messy hair before shoving my cheek away with a smirk. I laughed.

Sated from lunch, the rest of the ninja left to go out on patrol while Lloyd and I made our way back to one of the dojos. I was beginning to madly stiffen up and even simply walking was getting tough. 'Twas not fun.
"How's your body?" Lloyd asked as he sat on the tatami flooring. I followed, crouching slowly with a wince.
"It wants to murder me," I grunted, collapsing onto my ass with a groan. Some blessed angel had left the doors leading out into the garden open, providing both a gorgeous view and a cool breeze. "Is it usually this bad?"
Lloyd shrugged. "You get used to it. Tell me if it gets too sore, though."
"Whoopee," I cheered blandly. "What do you usually do to remedy?"
"Stretching," he replied, crossing his legs. I grimaced as I did the same, hamstrings physically cursing at me for doing so. "Also heat packs. If it's really bad, the onsen. Last resort is the tea."

The old-looking-but-actually-still-rather-new bullet wound on my thigh gave a twisting twinge of discomfort, as if to say 'hi hello I heard you were talking shit about me.' I forced my hands to keep from itching at the light scar.
"But most important is restoration," Lloyd continued and it felt like I was taking a class again, except that this was one I didn't have to work at on paying attention. "You've got to drink a lot of water and replenish your body with good food..."
He continued talking, beginning to ramble on about what kinds of foods did what and about how the meals we all ate at the monastery were specifically made and/or picked with the optimisation of body control, strength and blah, blah-blah, blah. I stopped coherently listening after seven minutes of him speaking, instead trading that attention to focus on the look on his face that he got when he was passionate about something. The spark in his red eyes, the enthusiasm in his posture, the enthralled energy with the way his hands gesticulated as he spoke.

He's just so pretty. And sweet, and protective and kind. Serious when he needs to be, goofy when he doesn't. Lloyd always managed to make me laugh, even when I was feeling down. And he made such a considerate boyfriend, too.
He did this all while leading the secret ninja force, too. Protecting the city full of people who hated the real him.
Even with his trauma.
The amount of respect I held for him was equal with my love. Both so astronomically high.
Shattered through the scale. Broke through a billion other galaxies and looped the entirety of the universe a gazillion times.
There wasn't a thing I wouldn't do for him.
"... you stopped listening, haven't you?"
Except for continuing to pay attention, it seemed.

"Sorry!" I squeaked, lifting my chin from where it had been resting on my palm. "Sorry. Sidetracked. I got the gist of it, though - good food good, bad food bad."
"An incredibly vague summary," Lloyd noted with a beguiled, raised brow. "Where did you go?"
"I was thinking about how much I love you," I replied in a coo.
"Understandable," he relented, tapping a finger to my thigh. I smiled through the ache of my exhausted muscle. "I also frequently find myself thinking about how much I love you."
My smile grew, as did my heart.
We both fell into a small silence as we waited for his father and uncle. I tapped my fingers on my sock while Lloyd began to humour himself with playing with a tiny flame atop his fingertips, dancing it across from one pinky to the other. I watched, entranced by his powers as always.
Wanting to join in, I shuffled closer and held out a finger. Lloyd's green eyes jumped to me before giving a small smile, letting the tiny flame jump from his finger to mine. It was pleasantly warm but the sudden rise in temperature still gave me a little bit of whiplash, like walking into a heated room after standing out in the blistering cold.

We watched as the tiny flame flittered along my hand, dipping through the valleys of my knuckles and slipping around my fingers. It left my entire hand submerged in warmth, as if I was wearing only one mitten.
"Have you ever thought of making art with your powers?" I murmured. Lloyd tilted his head, a silent request for me to elaborate. The flame jumped onto the tip of my nose and I flinched in brief surprise. I went cross-eyed to stare at it. "Like you know how people draw with sparklers?"
"Oh," he said, and the flame petered out of existence. "We can give it a try."
Lloyd put his hands in front of him and summoned a ball of wispy, green energy. His green eyes jumped to me.
"What do you want to make?" he asked. I furrowed my brows in thought as I stared at the hovering, glowing sphere. I brightened and immediately stuck my hand into the energy, gently grabbing and tugging tendrils into place with a crooked finger. Lloyd watched, silently intrigued.

"Ta-da!" I sung, sitting back to appreciate the sculpture. It was the very basic, messy three-dimensional form of a dragon. The only reason as to why I didn't need a reference was because I was so accustomed to Bentley that I had no need to refer to a photo.
"Very nice," Lloyd complimented with a grin. His expression faded into a look of curious concentration, and then suddenly the dragon began to move, arcing around me while crookedly flapping its wings before slowly fading into nothing. We were both stunned.
"Dope," I said, blinking in shock.
"The more you know," Lloyd noted as sweat beaded on his forehead, probably from the effort to manipulate the dragon the way he did. He gasped, turning to me with an excited beam. "This just opened up so many opportunities for pranks!"
"Oh, boy," I sighed, thinking of the chaos to come. I smiled at that. "I'll record."
"Deal," Lloyd agreed and our verbal contract was solidified with a fist bump.

After another few minutes of silence, Lloyd suddenly groaned and threw his head back in exasperation. I glanced up from where I'd been picking at a loose thread on the hem of my top.
"What is taking them so long?" he grumbled, chin tilted to the ceiling and face scrunched in annoyance. "We said after lunch!"
"We did leave early," I pointed out, eyes immediately jumping to the wonderfully exposed love bite. The way his neck was arched back was just inviting me in for a round two - it wasn't fair.
"I'm so bored," he continued to complain, dropping his shoulders like a toddler in a patty. "I hate waiting."
I swallowed dryly as I watched the soft bruise enticingly shift with each word he spoke. It was staring me dead in the eyes. Either he was intentionally toying with me or was being genuinely innocent - and toying with me, anyway. Whatever way it was, any longer and I'd be pouncing or ripping off my sock to lob it at his face to get him to quit.

"I could think of a few ways to pass the time," I offered, taking the former option. Lloyd lifted his head to send me a confused look before noticing my dazed expression while I leant forward slightly in earnest. It was if I was being dragged in, a magnetic force too demanding to ignore.
Lloyd's eyes widened at the connotation behind my stare before they lidded. His irises flooded a dark red.
"Go on," he challenged, a teasing smirk curling the edge of his mouth. My heart rate doubled, attention jumping to his gaze as it scoured over me smoothly, picking me apart and causing my lower stomach to heatedly twist. I eagerly shifted forward.
And fell flat on my face.
"Ow."
Lloyd stuffed his fist into his mouth to stop himself from falling into a laugh, moment shattered.
"Are- snrk- are you okay?"
Face still planted into the floor, I slumped in defeat. I didn't even make a move to lift myself. The floor was my home now.
"No," I replied, voice muffled and barely cohesive. "I can't move."

"You needed to keep moving to stop your muscles from stiffening," Lloyd noted helpfully. I scowled into the floor.
"Then why did you let me just sit here?"
"Why do you think that I ever think?!" he argued his defence in a squeak. Lloyd let another, small laugh slip and then he pulled himself closer to help me up. "How's your face?"
"Sore," I frowned pitifully at him, to which he copied my pout. I sent him a pleading look and batted my lashes. "Kiss me better?"
His pout fell into an amused smile. His caring turned to teasing in less time than took to blink.
"Sure thing, princess," Lloyd coed, dragging the tip of his nose along my throat and pulling a long inhale. His lips parted and his breath crashed against my skin. My back straightened impulsively at the feeling, nerves singing in electric pulses.
"Wait," I whispered, placing my fingers in front of his open mouth just as he was about to riddle me with kisses. Lloyd paused, red eyes widening in concern. "Do you hear anyone coming?"

Lloyd blinked in understanding, red eyes unfocusing from my face and darting against the wall behind my shoulder for a few breaths. His breath was hot against my palm.
Only when Lloyd gave the all-clear did I let my hand slip from his mouth to cup the side of his face. His cheek tilted into my hold, soaking into my touch while he leant forward to press a kiss to my lips.
My heart caught in its pacing rhythm, stumbling over itself in the confines of my chest. It slammed against my ribs like a racehorse in the starting gates, drawing me closer, bringing me into him. It was all I could hear, my heartbeat roaring in my ears. Only briefly and occasionally did I catch Lloyd's shuttering, soft gasps as we each caught our breaths before slipping back into another round of chasing and pulling.
At some point in time throughout the mini make-out session, I was hauled onto Lloyd's lap, thighs wrapped tight around his waist. His grasp hardened. His kisses grew more demanding of attention, which I happily gave. I grew more commanding, too, wordlessly ordering for him to forget about everything except for the feeling of me in his arms. I did the same.

We could wait for as long as an eternity for this lesson, for all I cared. I would wait until the end of time if it meant that I got to sit in that dojo with only Lloyd for company. Even the stiff ache in my body couldn't put a damper on the wonderful, magical sensations that smooching with Lloyd gave.
I gently bit down on his lip and gave it a tug, eyelids slowly squinting open in languid pleasure to see Lloyd, red-faced, messy-haired, flustered as he leant forward with me. He was the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen. His darkened eyes slid open, catching my gaze in a red, drifty haze as I fell back into a kiss and then my heart turned into a total supernova explosion when he parted his lips.
The heat bumped up another level; one of his hands threaded tightly through my hair while the other squeezed my thigh around him. My fingers dug through his blond locks, eliciting a shudder, a soft moan through his mouth into mine. My nerves were on fire and ice, tingling with adrenaline, painful with exhilaration. When his piercing traced my tongue I almost perished then and there, ecstasy dropping like a nucleic bombardment on my everything. He wrapped his arms around me and dragged me deeper into his lap, moulding my chest against his.

For once, it was me who heard our sudden audience before Lloyd. When the shoji doors slid open, I shoved myself off of him in shock, still bursting with adrenaline that made me move faster than usual.
"Ah," Garmadon said dryly while my cheeks burst into flame. Wu was beside him, staring at the wall blandly. "Delightful."
"H- how long have you been there?!" Lloyd stammered in alarm, face a bright red I hadn't seen before.
"Only a second," Wu said, rubbing the bridge of his nose in subtle distress. "But it felt like a blasted eternity."
"Sorry!" I blurted, embarrassment trickling through every one of my veins. Garmadon waved us off with a sigh before turning to file through some folders with his brother. I turned to Lloyd with wide eyes.
"I told you to keep an ear out!" I hissed whisper, cheeks unbelievably red and heart pounding in shame for being caught.
"I- I was!" Lloyd winced. His ruby eyes darted to the side. "Kinda."
"Then how did you not hear them?" I quietly groaned, dragging my hands down my face.

"Uh..." Lloyd began sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. "You know when you hyperfocus on something and forget everything else around you?"
"Oh" I sighed before pausing, running his sentence through my head again. I turned to him with a soft look. "Aww."
A flustered smile pulled at his lips.
"Alright," Wu said, and the little moment ended with a snap of the folder in his hands being shut. "Let's begin."
My face twisted in discomfort as I stood. Lloyd leapt to his feet with far more ease and grace and I silently cursed him for making me seem so inadequate after such a piddly training session in comparison to his. Then he steadied me when my stiff legs began to teeter, so I revoked my curse, because he is only a sweet boy.
"Lloyd, she is your student," Wu began. "You will be taking this training session."
Lloyd and I pulled a look.
"I am?" he asked.
"He is?" I questioned at the same time.
"But aren't you going to be teaching?" Lloyd continued, genuinely confused. "I thought this was also my power training slot. You said that you were just merging them."

"I changed my mind," Garmadon said simply, to which his son's frown deepened. "Consider this your first proper step into becoming a Sensei."
"Can I trade sens-?" I began to ask, but was cut off by Lloyd jabbing me in the side. I giggled.
"But won't there... be a conflict of interest?" he asked, before his face turned a darker shade of red. "Considering our relationship?"
"Unless you start snogging in front of us again, I see no issue. Do you, brother?" Wu asked. Embarrassed, we stiffened.
"I do not," Garmadon said, calm despite the amused glint in his eyes that both he and his son got when they were being particularly mischievous. "We will train you while you train Y/n. It's a very simple process, really. So, Sensei-Lloyd-in-training, what would you propose we start off with in regards to unlocking Y/n's power?"
Lloyd's green eyes jumped to me in thought. I tried my best not to stare him down or go cross eyed or do anything generally immature. It was difficult, but I managed. I felt like we disappointed his father and uncle enough today.

"I would start with assessing what we already know about it," Lloyd said critically, taking a seat. Wu and Garm copied. I held my groan as I slowly sat back down, muscles yelling in protest. "The first time her powers appeared was when we were having that sword training and-" Lloyd suddenly stopped, brows furrowing. I tilted my head to the side, waiting. "No, that's wrong."
What? I pulled a confused look.
"What do you mean?" Wu asked. Lloyd was staring hard at the light tatami flooring as he thought.
"The first time I noticed something... unusual about Y/n, was when Borg's drones got hacked into by Axon last summer," Lloyd noted. My jaw fell a little in bafflement - this was news to me. "Her eyes changed colour. I thought I was just imagining it. The training was the second time. A couple more while I was, uh, possessed-" He grimaced. "And then when she went off on her own one time and Nya found her in the alleyway."
That time, I grimaced. That particular episode was after I found about my ex-friends' true natures - downright petty and nasty. That was not a fun time.

Garmadon was nodding, green eyes squinted. Wu was alternating his attention between the tea he was pouring and his nephew.
"What do you make of that?" his dad asked. Lloyd sighed, deeply concentrating as he leant back on his hands and stared at the ceiling. His crossed knees bounced restlessly.
"They were all fighting situations," I piped up, eyes wide as I blurted the words that instantly popped into my head. I shrunk in a little, meek when they turned their eyes to me. "O- oh, sorry, should I not have said anything?"
"You may contribute as much as you see fit," Wu smiled kindly. "Different perspectives are crucial to our growth and development as rounded people. Would you agree with Y/n's assessment, Lloyd?"
"Uh... yeah," he said slowly, eyes searching the ceiling as he thought. They dropped to his uncle. "Could it be something to do with adrenaline?"
"A wise hypothesis," Wu nodded. "But not a sure answer. Anything else before we may commence with trials?"

"Oh." I eagerly sat up, thinking back to the pleasantly warm flame as it pranced along my hand. "I want to test to see if the others' powers affect me. We know that I'm totally immune to Lloyd's, but does that branch out to other elemental masters, too? Like how the dragons all, er..."
"Adore you?" Lloyd smirked.
"I didn't want to say it," I said under my breath, disconcerted. My voice returned to normal. "But do they all treat me the same way Lloyd's does since the powers stem from his lineage, like the dragons, or would they affect me like anyone else?"
"A relevant query," Garmadon agreed. "Certainly one worth looking into. What I would like to know is that if your immunity to Lloyd's powers are specifically because of the nature of your powers, or simply because he is so sweet on you."
Our cheeks burnt bright red.

"We will hold off on training for this afternoon," Wu announced. "Considering that Y/n's body isn't used to this type of intensity yet."
I sighed in relief.
"Instead, Lloyd, take her for a run through the forest," his uncle continued. "She must grow used to travelling on uneven terrain at a fast pace."
I groaned in horrified disbelief.
"I'll go slow," Lloyd promised with a cheeky grin.
"Slow for you is still fast for me," I bemoaned, following him dutifully to grab our sneakers. "Just don't laugh when I fall."
"No promises," he said as he tied his laces. "But only when I know that you're alright, of course."
I stared at him dryly.
"Of course," I echoed with a scowl. He snickered, pressing a kiss to my forehead. The scowl melted away faster than ice in a microwave.

The run was agonising.
'Nuff said.
When we got home, it was dinner time. The reason as to why we took so long was simply because I ran all of the way to the mid-way point and walked back. Stitches dug into my side and from the combination of that morning and the difficult run, I felt like I was genuinely going to throw up.
It was not gucci.
I silently scoffed down dinner faster than I should've, almost choked on multiple noodles multiple times, then limped down the hallway to have a shower after quietly thanking Zane for once again, making a wonderfully delicious dinner.
I lethargically scrubbed myself clean. I had to stop myself from nodding off under the warm water more than once. When I was finished, I sluggishly pulled on my pyjamas, drowsily brushed my teeth and stumbled to Lloyd's room.

Lloyd was already washed and ready for bed. Or, more accurately, lying on bed and ready for something else.
"Alright, sunshine," he grinned, lounging along the length of the mattress. "Just as promised."
I stared at him, eyes dragging over his shirtless figure as he drew himself nonchalantly over the bed. His defined muscles; proof of a hardy lifestyle. His pale skin, imperfect only by scars and a few small bruises from training and patrol. His large scar that marred his torso, his blemished knuckles, his general imperfect perfectness. His smirk was encouraging, his open arms and hooded, red eyes were pulling me in. I could indulge myself in worshipping him to my heart's content, divulge in exploring his body with wandering hands for as long as I wanted.
"You're beautiful, Lloyd," I sighed quietly, kneeling on the edge of his bed. He shifted proudly, opening his mouth to reply when he hacked a cough at my sudden weight.

I had landed face-first into his stomach and immediately fell dead asleep.