Title: The Bad Girl Who Lives Next Door
Prompt: "My name isn't even Jimmy!"
A/N: Is it bad that I had a sudden urge to write a trashy teen romance jaya AU? I am stepping out of my comfort zone and trying first person POV. Check out these covers:

Or

oOo

One of the many weird things about living in Ninjago is that there is always a fight going on somewhere.  Usually a pointless fist fight, a dumb disagreement, or alpha bros butting heads. Shows of force are an everyday occurrence. Ninjago is full of interesting characters, a handful of them not human.

There's the snake people (Serpentine), the skull people (Skulkin), ogres, gnomes, ghosts, dragons, giant spiders, and other weird creatures. Then there's the mafias, pirates, cartels, and gangs, whose members will smash your face in for looking at them the wrong way. Everyone has got a bad attitude and a bone to pick.

It gets pretty tribal in Ninjago.

So that's why I wasn't surprised when I got awoken from my impromptu afternoon nap by the sounds of a fight. Normal background noise, even in the sleepy suburbs.

"Don't touch me!"

In my half asleep state, I vaguely registered the voice belonging to my neighbor, the girl next door.  Correction: the bad girl who lives next door.

Nya Smith, a raven haired beauty with a fiery temper.  Most of the time she is liquid cool, but push her buttons - she has many to push - and she will roast you where you stand.  Like a firecracker, waiting for its fuse to be lit.  

She moved in next door when I was ten and she was nine.  Her brother, Kai, was with her, two years older than her.  This was their fifth foster home.  I don't know much about foster care in Ninjago, but I do know the system is broken and trying to get out of it is nearly impossible, not until you turn 18.  Then the military or pimps come knocking, looking to scoop up the broken pieces.

We used to play together all the time when we were small.  Then Jr. High happened and my parents didn't like the new friends she was making, telling me to keep my distance.  Nya morphed into a knockout with an attitude to match.

I used to have a crush on her, I think every guy did at one point.  Most at our school idolize her.  She is insanely popular despite her reputation. I guess that is part of the appeal.  It also helps that there are rumors constantly swirling about her.  She is surrounded in an air of mystery and uses it to her advantage.

"You are the dumbest girl I've ever known!" A deep male voice shouted back.  The voice belonged to her foster father, Eyezor.  He had a glass eye, weird tattoos, ruled his household with ruthlessness, and overall gave me the heebie-jeebies.

"This is your third suspension from school and for what, drugs? One more and you are out!"

"I told you they're not mine!"

"Do I look like I was born yesterday? That is the worst excuse of all excuses!"

I heard banging sounds, and assumed there was a light skirmish unfolding in the kitchen of the house next-door. At this point I had collected my weapons and concealed them carefully, on standby if I needed to go over there and intervene.  I walked to my balcony and kept an eye on their kitchen window.

"I said don't touch me," I heard her scream again.

The front door slammed and I saw a Nya dart across the yard.  Her hair was pulled up in a high ponytail, twin katanas crossed on her back with the sheathes strapped over her black leather jacket.

She made a beeline for the street, daring a look over her shoulder at the house she was fleeing from.  As she turned her head back towards the street, she noticed me on the balcony.

Our eyes locked.

I almost jumped, realizing that she caught me eavesdropping. I was fairly certain I saw a smile spread across her face before she returned her attention back to the street and the man on the motorcycle. 

Unfortunately, I recognized the man. Ronin. I scoffed. Nya knew better than to hang out with men like him, but then again, she had a reputation to uphold.

Ronin, on the other hand, should know better. He was literally flirting with jailbait, and I had zero sympathy for him if he got caught.

Nya quickly put a helmet over her head, jumped on the back of the motorcycle, grabbed onto Ronin and they sped off down the road.

I stretched and sighed, enjoying the fresh air on my balcony, debating if I wanted to go back to sleep. The altercation next-door wasn't going to be the only excitement I got today, I still had training in the evening.

A fun fact about Ninjago: almost everyone trains.  You would be stupid not to. I didn't get serious about my training until age 14. No one does until they get curb stomped. Hard. I guess that's a valuable skill to have: to know when you're losing. Then you can adjust and keep pushing forward.

Unlike most people in Ninjago, I was recruited by my Sensei.  Confession time, I have a secret: also unlike most people in Ninjago, I have elemental powers, which was probably the reason why I was recruited in the first place.

Elemental powers are extremely rare in Ninjago. There is a lot of misinformation and lore feeding into rumors. A generation ago the elemental masters were highly regarded, especially because of their role in the Serpentine wars. Then something happened. No one knows for sure, but it seems like all the elemental masters went into hiding.

I have a suspicion that Sensei Wu knows, but he's tight lipped about everything.  He probably thinks it adds to his charm, but to me it's just annoying.

My stomach growled and I decided food was a better option than more sleep. I lumbered down the stairs towards the kitchen, only to find that it was empty.  A small white note on the countertop caught my attention.

Jay sweetie~

Snacks and dinner are in the fridge. We are staying late at the junkyard tonight to finalize some deals and may not be back until the morning.

Love, Ma and Pa

I frowned and crumpled the note. I have another secret: I hate being alone. I love people, I love being around people, I love interacting with people, and I love making friends. To me strangers are just friends I haven't met yet. My best friend Cole calls me an extreme extrovert, an energy vampire. He's just jealous because he's an introvert.

I ate my snack in silence while absentmindedly scrolling through my phone. I love my parents but they haven't been around much lately. A huge scrap metal boom followed the technology boom.  My parents own and operate a multi-city scrap metal and recycling business throughout Ninjago.  After business picked up, they are rarely home anymore.

I usually spent my weekends at our largest facility located in the Sea of Sands. There is an endless supply of materials and I love to invent. However, I've lately been spending more time on training and schoolwork.

My thoughts shifted back to Nya. Summer break is almost over and we will be starting our senior year. Despite her reputation as the bad girl, she's surprisingly smart. Skipped a grade too. I frowned though, even when she graduates early, she is still stuck in that house until age 18.

Her older brother Kai graduated this year, then bounced. I heard rumors that he's making good money fighting in the slither pits. I'm mad at him for abandoning Nya, yet I understand that there's nothing he can do to remove her from that house until she turns 18.  Nya is no damsel in distress, she can handle herself.

After I finished my snack, I collected my gear and weapons, then headed to the dojo.  Training would last all evening, and I decided I would try to catch dinner with my teammates before heading home.  I didn't feel like eating another meal by myself.

Training was uneventful and I stayed out late with my teammates, Cole, Zane, and Lloyd. Cole and Zane are seniors like me, but Lloyd is just a sophomore.  He is also Sensei Wu's nephew. 

I got home past midnight and immediately took a shower.  Sensei had worked us hard today and the hot water soothed my aching muscles.  I was probably going to be sore in the morning unless I used ice or some menthol medicine.  After my shower, I paused in the mirror to flex.  Years of extensive training helped me build up bulk and tone.  I looked good.

The doorbell rang, pulling me out of my preening.  Who would be ringing the doorbell at almost 1:00 AM in the morning?  Did my parents lock themselves out?

I quickly pulled on a blue T-shirt and basketball shorts, then tucked my nunchucks in the waistband behind my back and grabbed my gear holster.  It fit over both shoulders and had a clasp across the chest to secure the pauldrons and sheath with my katana on my back. Yeah, I looked kind of silly with my weapons over my house clothes.  Let's just call it causal badass.  Only idiots in Ninjago answer the door unarmed.

The doorbell rang again.  Whoever they were, they were impatient.  I grabbed my phone and checked for messages.  Nothing from my parents.  Then I pulled up the security camera feed of the front door.  I frowned.  The porch light was out, and I couldn't identify the person from the infrared light.  They had a small frame and a hood pulled over their head, blocking the view of their face. I watched as the punk rang the doorbell again.

Whoever this clown was, they had to go.  I pulled my katana and headed to the front door. If worse came to worst, I could shock them with my elemental power of lightning and pretend I hit them with a taser.

I opened the door, ready for a fight. Instead, I sheathed my sword and tried not to gasp.  Nya was standing there, arms crossed and swaying slightly.

"Took you long enough," she slurred.

I inwardly sighed and resisted the urge to run my fingers through my hair in annoyance. Why was she here?

"This is the wrong house," I stated flatly.

She wobbled in her stance. "I'm not going home tonight."

A flash of light caught my eye and I noticed she still had her twin katanas strapped to her back, the beaded charm reflecting the moonlight. I briefly wondered how many other weapons she had concealed.  Drinking and carrying weapons, not a good combination, but hey, this was Ninjago.

"You can't stay here," I informed her. Ma and Pa probably were not coming home tonight, and there was no way I was letting a drunk teenage girl inside my house while I was home alone. 

This was Nya Smith. I didn't need any drama from her reputation, and I certainly didn't need her using my hormones against me. I may be dumb but I'm not stupid.

"Yes I can," she fired back. "Your mom said I was welcome here anytime."

I balked.  My mom told her that ages ago, but the offer still stood. She was playing the Edna Hospitality Card against me, knowing full well if I refused, I would be on the receiving end of my mother's wrath. Don't get me wrong, I love my mother and she is one of the greatest people in the world, but don't cross her when it comes to hosting guests. 

"My parents aren't here right now." I tried to argue. 

The corners of her mouth pulled upwards, revealing a toothy grin. There was a glint in her eye as her expression changed from staggering drunk to predator on the prowl.  I suddenly realized that was the dumbest thing I could have said.

"I know a secret," she giggled, face cut in half with a cheeky grin and I felt my heart sink into the pit of my stomach. I tried my best to keep a poker face.

"You're drunk," I retorted. I was done verbally sparring with her, it was time to end this before one of us got hurt.

"Shhhhhh," she pulled her finger to her mouth and stumbled a few steps.

"I know your secret, and if you don't let me inside I'm going to shout it to the world."

There was no way she could know about my elemental power. I could call her bluff, or let her inside.  Neither one of those options sounded fun.  Perhaps there was a third option, keep distracting her so she would get bored and leave.

"Drinking and carrying isn't a smart combination," I said, pointing to her katanas.

She careened forward and slammed into my chest. Her hot breaths tickled my clavicle and I could smell that the alcohol choice of the evening was Maotai.

"Then disarm me," she murmured.

Whoa.

I felt adrenaline surge in my veins and my heart raced. She leaned into me, forcing me backwards and inside the house, using her foot to shut the door.  Her arms wrapped around my torso and her hand slipped under my shirt.  My eyes went wide as I reflexively grabbed her waist to pry her off and push her away. 

She quickly grabbed my nunchucks that were sticking out of my waistband at my back and stepped away with her prize.

"I get to disarm you too," she half slurred, half purred, manhandling my nunchucks in a way that made my cheeks flush with embarrassment. I quickly snatched  them from her grasp.

Nya pouted then stumbled backward. "You are no fun."

You're drunk, I wanted to say again, but part of me was starting to believe that maybe she wasn't that drunk. Besides, that line was getting old, she was becoming immune.

She stretched her arms over her head with a dramatic yawn. "I'm tired."

"I'll show you the guest bedroom," I automatically replied.  Wait what was I doing? She should be leaving, not spending the night.

She cooed and rushed up the stairs, seemingly knowing where to go. It had been years since she was over at my house, yet still remembered the layout like it was her own.

"I need a shower," she announced as we made it to the top of the stairs.

"Third door on the right. Fresh towels are inside . I'll grab you a change of clothes."

I cringed at myself. I needed to stop being so accommodating but I couldn't help it. My mother's hospitality was ingrained into me.

"Thanks Jimmy!" She chirped and stumbled into the bathroom.

I scowled. "My name isn't even Jimmy!" I huffed under my breath.

Okay. Maybe she was super drunk. Did she even remember who I was? Or was I just the convenient nice guy who lived next-door?

I went to my room and grabbed a T-shirt and a pair of comfy shorts, then took them to the guest bathroom. I was right, Nya had been conceal-carrying a lot more weapons, and was haphazardly throwing them onto the bathroom counter.

"Thanks!" She grabbed the change of clothes from me then slammed the door. 

Irritation crawled up my sides as I stared at the closed door.  Nya wasted no time making herself feel at home.

I let out a long sigh then trudged downstairs. If she was going to spend the night, I was at least going to make her sober up. I was losing my patience in dealing with a drunk-Nya, and I certainly didn't want to deal with hangover-Nya in the morning.

I collected water bottles, some snacks, then started brewing a specialty Sobrie-Tea, one that I had snagged from Sensei Wu's collection. Shhhh, don't tell him.

When I got back upstairs Nya was done with her shower and I was greeted with a sight that made me freeze.  I almost spilled the tea.

Nya was in my bedroom, bent over and rummaging through my dresser drawers, wearing the T-shirt that I had given her but not the shorts. I got a spectacular view of her creamy thighs, strapped with a dagger on each leg near her hips.

She stood up and turned towards me, closing the drawer behind her. I was too distracted to even question what she was doing. I was stunned stupid and staring at her like an idiot.

When she stood up the hem of my T-shirt covered the daggers and swallowed her tiny frame. She looked small and vulnerable. A strong urge to protect her bubbled to the surface.

She smiled at me. "Your room hasn't changed."  She gestured towards the Starfairer collection and posters I had on the wall. "Nerd," she added, a smug smile not leaving her face.

That pushed me out of my trance.

"Drink this," I thrust the tea at her, determined to keep my eyes on her face.

"What is it?" She eyed the teacup suspiciously.

"Something to make you less annoying," I snapped.

She cast me a smoldering glance and I felt my blood run cold.

"Drugging a girl in your room? That's beneath you, Jay," she responded coolly.

She must've known she was getting under my skin because the smug smile never left her face.  Also, she did remember my name.

"It's Sobrie-Tea!" I blurted out.

"Ooooo! Where did you score something like this?"

I hesitated.  For some reason I didn't feel like sharing my training activities with her. "I have my sources," I answered lamely.

She considered me for a moment, her eyes, speculative and bright, sliding over me with unrestrained interest.  I almost felt violated by her sweeping glance. How did she do that?

"Hmmmm," was all she replied before downing the tea.

What was that supposed to mean?

She gently set the teacup down on my nightstand.  "Thanks for the tea," she mused. "I'm going to bed now."

Finally, the headache named Nya Smith would be gone and I could get some sleep.

She smiled at me, then did the unthinkable.  She flopped onto my bed. 

Oh.

Heck.

No. 

I marched over and pointed at the door. "The guest bedroom is that way."

She cuddled my pillow and wiggled in the sheets. "But your bed is so comfy."

My nostrils flared and I resisted the urge to pick her up and throw her out of my room.  She quickly dove under the covers and cocooned herself, looking like a Nya burrito.  I was 1000% done.

"Fine, take my bed, I'll go sleep in the guest bedroom."

"Wait!"

I turned to glare at her again but my face softened and my eyes almost fell out of my head.  She had opened the covers, her arms outstretched like she was ready for a hug, and the hem of the T-shirt had ridden up to her hips. I was frozen in my stance.

"Come here," she said gently, her expression warm and genuine.  I tried my hardest to not let my breath hitch.  "Please?" she added, beckoning me with her fingers.

Holy FSM.

My brain was having a hard time processing all the events that just happened.  That, or it was completely shutting down on me.  I was staring at every man's dream: a beautiful woman welcoming him to bed.

"I'm cold," she purred.

Then put more clothes on, I should have said, but didn't.

Warning klaxons were going off in my brain.  Red flags were flying everywhere. It's a trap clamored through my mind and I ignored all of it.

How was this possible?  Women were deadly and I was not trained for this. A little bit of flirting, a little bit of charm, and she had me wrapped around her finger.

I took a step forward, feeling like I was no longer in control of my body.  My hand came up and released the clasp of my gear harness.  The metal of the weapons clanged as it fell to the floor.

I stopped at the edge of the bed and considered what I was about to do. I didn't want to get teased within an inch of my sanity then my throat slit in my sleep.

She cast me a wanton glance and my brain officially shut down.  The bed dipped as I climbed in next to her.

My body was on high alert, every inch of my being at full attention.  I was wired. My pulse was thundering in my ears and my elemental power was thrumming wildly. 

"You're so warm and tingly," she murmured into my neck as she wrapped her arms and legs around me, possessively.

Tingly? Could she sense my elemental power?

"Uhhh," I answered, my voice shaky. 

"Shhhh," her breath tickled my neck and I felt my elemental power shudder through my frame.  I hoped she did not feel it too.

"It's time for sleep," she breathed.

Ha! Easy for you to say. 

"Mmmmm, Jay?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you for taking care of me."

My heart swelled and that strong urge to protect came rushing back.  Nya Smith was the bad girl whose reputation precedes her, but even she needed help sometimes.

My hand came up and gripped hers. "Don't mention it."

"Mmmm," she sighed, almost asleep.  She was fading fast, now if only I could do the same.  Time for some of Sensei Wu's meditation techniques.  I desperately needed sleep because I was uncertain what tomorrow would bring.

oOo

Thoughts? Is this an AU you would like to see more of? Because I might drop everything and work on only this. XD