Albert Hammond Jr

••• Set To Attack •••

tw: blood & gore

"Alright, what did you want to ask us?" Jay asked, crossing his arm as he, Lloyd and Kai snuck into the green ninja's bedroom. Lloyd glanced around before shutting the door.

"I need your advice," the blond said quietly as he turned to his brothers. "I spoke to my mum about this before and she's all for it but..."
He stared at the blank expressions before him and sighed.
"It's better if I show you," he mumbled, grabbing something out from under his pillow and showing it.
"Oh, my GOD," Kai yelled, staring at the little object in Lloyd's hand.
"Are you sure you're ready?" Jay asked, staring at the team leader with wide eyes. "Dude, you still haven't even told her about your age!"
"I- I know but she's the one," Lloyd whispered, staring at the little heirloom. "She's the only one."

Kai and Jay shared a look. The lightning master shrugged.
"I mean, if you think you're ready, then go for it," Jay said. "But if you're getting doubts, wait a little longer. You've only known each other for two months."
"Doubts?" Lloyd broke into a gentle smile. "I've never had any doubts."

🍃🍂💞🍂🍃

Sunday.
One more day of freedom before my last year of high school begins.

Sunday. The day Simon's coming over to my house.

Saturday night was spent sleepless, pacing my room as my brain overworked itself by replaying what ifs and the worst scenarios behind my eyes. I had no idea how dangerous Axon was, but going by the reactions of the others, he seemed to be pretty high up on the priority list.

"What's your problem?" Mum asked as I stumbled into the kitchen after realising that the sun had risen. I rubbed at my tired eyes and mumbled a reply even I couldn't understand.
"Rose and Simon are coming at noon," mum reminded as I nursed a coffee in my hands. My panic level did a dull spike at the mention and I sighed through my nose. "Make sure you're on your best behaviour."
"Yes, ma'am," I muttered, staring a hole through the kitchen floor as my fingers clenched tighter around the ceramic.

To ease my anxieties, I went for a short walk to a tiny park that lived on the next block over after texting Lloyd the time Simon would be coming over. A dash of movement caught my peripherals. It seemed that my babysitter today was Zane.
"Hello, Y/n," he greeted when I sat down in the middle of the deserted field.
"Heya," I hummed a reply, picking at the recently mowed grass. Zane took a seat before me.
"You look tired," he noted in a concerned voice. "How did you sleep last night?"
"Not a wink," I smiled tightly, peeling away half of the grass strand I'd been fiddling with. Zane's masked face stared at me with a soft look.
"You need not worry," he said quietly, but firmly. "We will take Axon down today. That, I can promise. Then we may all rest easy tonight."

"How are you handling it?" I asked, glancing up at the ice ninja. He blinked, tilting his head. "What do you usually do when you're..."
"Panicked?" Zane finished.
"Yeah," I murmured.
"Hmm," Zane sighed, looking out at the forest bordering the park. "I usually read. Sometimes meditate. If those do not work, I will ask someone from my team to distract me. Chances are, they need distracting, too."
"My mother stress bakes," I smiled dryly. "My father does target practise. I don't have a habit that helps me relax."
"Perhaps Lloyd helps you relax?" Zane suggested. "It seems that the prophecy has certainly sealed your bond. I have not seen any two people quite so compatible for each other as you are with him."

I smiled at the ground, bigger. This one was genuine.
"Enough talking about me," I slapped my knees, straightening as I sent Zane a smirk. "I wanna hear about you and that cute robot girl that was with Borg. Pixal, was it? You guys are totally in love, right?"
"I do not..." Zane trailed off, failing to speak. I swore I could see the error message in his ice-coloured eyed. I grinned.
"When did you meet her?" I asked, grabbing my feet as I spread my bouncing knees like a child. "Was it love at first sight?"
Zane shot me a look but then it fell.
"... actually, it may have been," he said, blinking in surprise. I giggled. "I met Pixal when Borg helped us defeat the Overlord virus."

"Wasn't that when that huge black out happened?" I asked, tilting my head. He nodded. "Damn. I was so mad because I couldn't charge my Nintendo."
Zane huffed in amusement.
"What happened during that?" I asked, brow pulled over my eyes. "Nothing was said about it afterwards. Nobody saw what happened. It was crazy."
"Ah, yes," Zane nodded. "My body was destroyed as I sacrificed myself to save Ninjago by facing the Overlord alone."
I blinked.
"What?" I asked, leaning forward. Zane watched my flabbergasted reaction amusedly. "Y- your body was-"
"Destroyed, yes," he nodded. "But Pixal helped rebuild me."
"OH," I gasped. "Oh, that's SO CUTE."

Zane smiled. His eyes crinkled and his cheeks lifted.
"It was her who gave me the idea to make myself able to disguise my true body," he continued before the exposed part of his face suddenly flickered away to reveal metal and bright, luminescent optics. "That way I could continue being, well. Me."
Even his voice sounded robotic without his disguise up. I stared, shocked, stunned and speechless.
"Oh, my god," I whispered. "And here I was saying that I was mad because I couldn't charge my Nintendo, I'm so sorry, Zane-"
He chuckled, waving it away easily.
"You could not have known," he eased.
"I still feel terrible," I grumbled.
"You should be heading back," Zane suddenly said as he stood. "It will be noon soon. You must be back before Axon arrives or else he may grow suspicious and do a runner."

I nodded, swallowing nervously. Zane patted my shoulder.
"You've got this," he said encouragingly and despite his mask, I could see the soft smile on his face.

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

The moment Simon arrived, I got a text from Lloyd. I opened up my phone, lounging on the couch while mum greeted her sister and not-nephew.
He had sent me a dancing puppy gif. I snorted, shaking my head. Another buzz from my phone made my lift the screen.

🛹🥺💖
all eyes on you, sweetheart. he makes a move and we pounce.
Sent 12.07pm

I smiled gently, tapping on my screen as Rose and Simon shuffled into the room.

Me
That is if I don't claw out his eyes myself
Delivered

🛹🥺💖
sp ic y
Sent 12.08pm

Me
Mic check?

Delivered

"How's your boyfriend?" Simon asked, yellow eyes piercing mine. I sent him a dry look, ignoring the urge to run and hide. Also ignoring the urge to throw the couch onto him.
"He's recovering," I said dryly, tone dark and eyes narrowed.
"From?" Simon asked, raising a brow. There was a glint in his eyes but I forced myself to remain calm.
"... a migraine," I sneered quietly.
My phone buzzed.

🛹🥺💖
mics good.
Sent 12.11pm

🛹🥺💖
zanes insulted that you doubt his technological skills
Sent 12.12pm

"Oh, you have a boyfriend?" Aunt Rose shuffled closer to the edge of the couch, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ears. It gave me no time to reply to Lloyd. "What's his name."
"Lloyd Garmadon," Simon said with a coy smirk, eyes narrowed in poison. Aunt Rose's face dropped.
"A Garmadon?" she asked, clearly shocked.

🛹🥺💖
here we go.
Sent 12.15pm

"Is he cute?" Rose asked once she noticed the expression setting on my face. Simon rolled his eyes, turning to the side. I smiled.
"Very."
"How long have you known him?" Rose pressed, a smile growing on her face.
"Two months," I replied, heart thumping as I hoped she wouldn't ask a rather risqué question while his entire team could hear.
"Can you grab me a cup of tea?" Simon asked Rose, turning to send her a hard glare. She looked like she was going to argue, but Simon pressed down harder with the look in his yellow eyes and she relented with a sigh, standing up to join my mother in the kitchen.

"What do you want?" I crossed my arms as Simon stood, leisurely pacing the confines of the living room.
"Why must you always be on the defensive with me, cuz?" he shook his head as he stared at some of the framed photos above the mantel piece. He scoffed quietly at a new one added of Lloyd and I.
"Because last time you were here, you threatened my boyfriend," I shot, standing up. It no longer felt safe to sit. My fight or flight responses were poised and ready to activate when necessary. "You think I'm just going to let that one slide?"
"You certainly are protective of him," Simon hummed, spitting the word as if it meant something deeper. "I wonder why you're so prepared to lose everything for a boy you hardly know."

"Stop acting like you know us," I scowled, clenching my fists.
"I barely need to know you for that conclusion," Simon snorted, yellow eyes drifting to send me a gaze that almost yanked the breath out of my lungs. A look that could genuinely kill. Disassembling my very molecules just from one little glower. "You walk into school tomorrow with Garmaboy draped all over you and you'll be a target before you step foot on the grounds."
"What's it to you?"
"Aren't I allowed to look out for my cousin?" Simon asked, taking a slow step forth. "We share genetics, we're bound by blood. When everything else falls, you will always have family. Isn't that right, Lloyd?"

I stiffened. My gut urged me to drop to the floor so I did, and glass went flying as a the team landed inside.
"What the hell?" Rose yelled as she scampered up to the scene. She took one look before my mother quickly steered her away. We caught eyes. I gulped.
"Ahh, Lloydie, Lloydie, Lloydie," Simon sighed, clapping his hands together as he continued his leisurely stroll around the room. The green ninja shifted, crouched in front of me while glass dug into my palms. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"
"We know what you did," Lloyd snapped.
"The thing with Morro, manipulating Chen," Jay took a threatening step forward, lighting zipping between his outstretched hands. "Not cool."
"I've been thinking," Simon mused, ignoring them. "It's silly that I've been wanting your head. I should've done something far more damaging to your parents who sent my mother to her death."

"It was war, Axon," Zane said in an unfeeling tone. "Your mother fought and died for a good cause."
"She fought and died for a lie!" Simon screamed, taking a step forward as an expression of pure rage flashed across his face. "The cause was a sham set up by your precious grandfather and fulfilled by your naive dad and his brother!"
"You don't know what you're talking about," Nya hissed. "You're deranged, Axon. Come peacefully and we can get you the help you need."
"I DON'T- need help," Axon grinned behind a snarl. "I just need to avenger my mother. And I know the perfect way."

He disappeared from view. Genuinely. Faded from sight. I felt a prick of glass pierce my throat and I tensed.
"Y/n!" Cole gasped and Lloyd took a step forward.
"Ah, ah, ah," Simon sing-songed, digging the glass deeper against my neck. Blood ran down the edge and Lloyd growled like nothing I've ever heard before. It ripped from his throat like thunder, eyes red. "Take a step and I plunge this shard straight into her jugular."
"She has nothing to do with this!" Lloyd roared.
"Oh, she has everything to do with this," Simon gleefully laughed and I swallowed, feeling the sharp edge of the glass bite as it shifted against my skin. "What better way to destroy their son? What better way to destroy them? I lost my mother. You lose your-"
"You have failed the vibe check," I whispered and Simon faltered, stopping mid-villain monologue. He sent me a confused look, taken aback.
"Huh?"

Taking his momentary distraction to my advantage, I dug my elbow into his side while sharply cracking my head back against his, slipping from his grasp. He stumbled back, crashing against the crouch and tumbling to the ground, disorientated. Scooping up a glass shard, I plunged it into his shoulder while he was down.
For a beat, nothing happened.
But then Axon cracked a grin.
"You want to play rough?" he laughed, straightening faster than I could see and knocking me to the ground. I grabbed his wrist and lifted my shoulder. We rolled and I was thrown out of the way by Nya.
"Lloyd, look!" I said excitedly as I was slammed against the wall. "I did that bridging move and it worked!"
"That's great, sweetheart, but this is not the time."

"My mother died because your grandfather wanted to play god," Axon sneered, glaring at Lloyd as he stumbled upright, blood tumbling to the floor.
"Wait but he is a god I don't get it-"
"He could've swept those serpentine away with a wave of his hand," Axon continued, ignoring Jay. "But he sat back! He did nothing! And when your father and uncle declared war, they recruited my mother! I was SEVEN!"
"I'm sorry this happened to you, but this isn't right!" Cole yelled as Axon spun, caged. "I've lost my mother, too. I know-"
"This isn't right because Y/n isn't dead yet!" he bellowed, voice shaking the house. Axon stilled before a wickedly cruel grin curled across his lips. Another one of him stepped out. And then another. And another until the room was full of Axon's.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" Nya growled.
"This is some sci-fi level bullshit if you ever ask me," Kai spat.
"Find the real Axon and take him down!" Lloyd ordered, unsheathing his sword and slicing at a copy. It burst into dust. Lloyd turned to me, mask half hanging off his face. He was huffing, red eyes livid as heavy breaths heaved past his fangs.
"Let's get you out of here," he ordered, grabbing my wrist and tugging me through the chaos, slicing at copies that blocked our path. We had almost escaped the ensuing fight when a hand yanked me back by my shirt and I was ripped from Lloyd. I yelped, coughing against the collar that dug into my cut.
"Y/n!" Lloyd called, distracted. He was caught by another copy who held him back. A different Axon grabbed his sword. The rest of the team were flooded by attacking copies.

"Nuh-uh," Axon laughed, holding me tightly in such a way that I couldn't escape. "I've waited far too long for this. I am not about to let you escape."
I eyed a copy of Axon as he approached with the sword, grin glinting against the reflection of the blade. Lloyd ducked, throwing the copy that was restraining him over his body before launching, fangs longer and sharper than I'd ever seen them.
And I supposed that helped, because Lloyd had swept the sword-wielding copy into the wall before kicking off of the back of the couch and landing on Axon - real and breathing - like a lion on a gazelle. He ripped his teeth into shoulder, eyes predatory, and Axon made a sound like squealing prey, staring death in the face. Death was Lloyd, red eyes slitted paper thin and teeth shredding through flesh as he tore a chunk and tossed it to the side.

Axon was trembling on the floor when Lloyd pulled back, picking him up by the collar and throwing him against the wall, cracking through the plaster. The copies had disappeared. It seemed that he was down for the count.

"Lloyd..." Zane whispered as they stared at the green ninja in shock when they saw what he had done. He was breathing heavily, body tensed and ready to spring.
"Lloyd, he's down," Kai said, voice shaking slightly as he slowly edged towards his brother. "You got him."
Lloyd snapped out of it, glancing at his team and registering their expressions. He turned to me and I flinched, curled up against the wall, heart hammering. Blood dribbled down his chin, eyes still a dangerous colour of red. It matched the chunk of flesh that sat in the middle of the room.
Lloyd stumbled back, wiping at his chin and seeing the blood. His eyes widened and he wiped at it more, but the vast amount seemed to be never ending. Panic consumed his eyes as he hit the wall, hiding against it.
"Oh, Jesus," mum gasped as she reappeared at the doorway.
There was a tense silence before Axon coughed a chuckle.

"I see," he cracked a weak grin. "I see it now. Lloyd Garmadon, you are a monster. A spawn from hell itself. But hey-" he shrugged his one shoulder before wincing, miraculously still conscious. "At least you don't have to worry about making Y/n's life a living hell, not after a display like-"
He didn't get to finish his sentence. He was knocked out.
"Fucking bastard," mum muttered, wringing her red hand as she left the room. "Can't believe he destroyed my living room. Now Jamie's going have to come out again to sort this out..."
Another silence fell and it was so tense that I struggled to breathe. Nobody seemed to know what to do. The scene of Lloyd launching onto Axon like a blood-thirsty beast played behind my eyes again and again and I couldn't stop my shaking. Terror gripped hard at my throat. I didn't know he was capable of something like that.

"We should call the senseis," Zane murmured quietly. Lloyd was trembling in his spot, across the room from me. We couldn't be further away from each other, but it still seemed too close. I could feel his gaze on me.
"C'mon, Y/n," Kai said, pulling me to my feet. "Show me where the first aid kit is. Let's get those injuries cleaned and bandaged, huh?"
I shakily nodded as we slowly shuffled out of the room.

Lloyd's stare burnt holes into the back of my head.

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

Kai hummed a show tune to himself as he cleaned my wounds, forging a look of nonchalance. The catch in his voice that would sometimes take him off guard betrayed his true feelings.

"What was that?" I asked the burning question, voice scarily small as I sat on the edge of my bed before the fire ninja. His amber eyes jumped to mine.
"I'm... I'm not sure," he confessed, sitting back with a stressed swallow. "He's never done that before."
"No kidding," I mumbled, voice breaking halfway through. I wiped away my scared tears with my forearm, bandaged hands useless.
"But... it was to protect you," Kai murmured, slinging his own bandaged arms over his knees. "You know that, right?"
I nodded. Of course I knew. If I wasn't there, he wouldn't have lost all sense of rationality like that.

"H- he even looked different," I stammered, unable to get the look of his face out of my head. The slitted red eyes, the long fangs, the ridges bumping along his forehead and cheeks. "He looked..."
"Like an oni," Kai finished for me. I nodded, wringing my hands nervously. The cut along my throat was irritatingly itchy. "Maybe the senseis will know what to do-"
"Lloyd fled!" Zane yelled as he crashed into the room, eyes wide with panic. "He left on his dragon before we could stop him!"
Kai cursed. He left with Zane.

Night grew colder. Darker. I curled up on my bed while people bustled in the living room, not willing to leave my room.
Jay was keeping me updated. There was still no sign of Lloyd.
I was scared. For a lot of things. Of Axon's condition, of Lloyd. But I was mainly scared for him. Where was he?
The panic had grown until I couldn't sit around doing nothing anymore. I pulled out my phone and called his number. He picked up on the first ring.
Neither of us spoke. A heavy silence passed between us. Until, finally-

"Lloyd," I choked out, heart hurting. "Come home."
He was quiet for a while.
"... okay," he finally said. His voice had never before been so broken.

Half an hour later, there was a tentative knock on my window. I hesitated, gulping, before pulling back my window and letting him in. His ripped mask was crudely tied around the bottom half of his face, hiding the bloody mess that laid under there.
Lloyd stared at the ground, eyes hard and watery. I slowly slipped my hand into his and pulled him with me to the bathroom.
He was silent as I sat him down on the edge of the bathtub and returned with warm, soapy water and a rag. I wiped off Axon's blood, hand shaking. He still hadn't looked me in the eyes. I still hadn't looked at him, either.
"Why are you doing this?" he asked, voice scratchy. I scrubbed at his chin gently. Red water trickled down my arm and landed on the floor in a tinted puddle.
"Because I love you," I replied quietly.
"Still?" Lloyd asked, green eyes finally, finally drifting to mine. I held his stare and ignored the instinct to run.
"Still," I promised in a whisper, lifting a hand to pat his blond hair. "Why did you run?"
"I was scared," he murmured under his breath, eyes dropping to the side once more. "I couldn't handle the way you looked at me after wh- after what I'd done."
"I'm sorry," I whispered.

Not another word was said.

After peeling off his gi and getting my own clothes and his boxers soaked in the shower, I scrubbed him with the soap until the blood was gone. I was careful over the his huge scar that sat across his torso. Lloyd stared at me apathetically as I worked - my wordless apology. My silent reassurance. Water dripped down his face. Some of it may have been tears.
Dressed and dry, we sat on my bed after Lloyd used up half of the toothpaste and worked the spare brush to the bone. I curled up against my pillows as he sat on the end, picking listlessly at the hem of a hoody that he'd left here.
"Thank you," he said quietly, breaking the silence. My gaze lifted from my phone, where I'd been catching Jay and the others up on Lloyd's condition. "F... for calling."
"I love you," I murmured, setting my phone aside and crawling forward, confidence rebuilding. I cradled his face like porcelain in my hands. "I love you so much that it hurts."

Lloyd's face crumpled until he was sobbing in my arms. I held him tightly, so impossibly close, as if he'd disappear.
"You're insane," he cried into my chest and I laughed gently, threading my fingers through his hair.
"Maybe," I smiled soothingly as I lifted his face back up to mine. "But if that means I get to love you, then oh well."
Lloyd shook his head in teary disbelief before I dropped to press my lips against his. He returned it desperately, fingers gripping bruisingly tight against my waist and pulling me tight against his chest. My arms looped around him to press the back of his head more towards me, as if we could physically get anymore closer than we already were. We melded together, melted into each other, and I whispered my adoration towards him through the way my lips danced with his.

He pulled back to breathe, pupil-blown red eyes fluttering open as he pressed his forehead against mine. I stilled at the colour and he turned away.
"S- sorry," Lloyd stammered as his eyes returned to green. I shook my head, shifting him back to face me.
"Don't hide from me," I whispered. "Please. Intense emotion right? Angry. But also love, yeah?"
He nodded. "Yeah."
A smile fluttered across my lips and I pressed another kiss to his lips. Lloyd reciprocated unhesitatingly. This one was softer and more adoring. He breathed a thank you against my lips and I pressed harder, tilted my head in response. To prove my love. To show him just how much he meant to me.
We shifted away with deep inhales and I pulled him back towards me with a smile, dragging him with me. We fell back onto my bed in a mess of limbs and Lloyd landed beside me, a soft, happy smile on his face.
"I love you," he said, nuzzling into the crook of my neck. I huffed through a grin, threading my fingers through his blond hair.
"I love you, too," I murmured, dropping my lips into his hair while he threaded his arms around my waist and pulled me tighter against him.

Lloyd hummed, throat vibrating against my shoulder. He pressed a kiss to my collarbone before pulling back, his red eyes searching my face in silence. A smile grew across my lips.
"What?" I asked, watching him watch me.
"You're gorgeous," he sighed, reaching up to tangle his fingers through my hair. My face burst aflame and I had to drop my gaze to the pillow.
"Shuddup," I slurred, flustered and drunk on infatuation. He chuckled. My eyes shot to his and I leant up, pressing kisses to his face in the ultimate revenge. He scrunched his face but didn't pull back and-

and a rumbling vibration within his chest made me pause.

"Wh... what was that...?" I asked, pulling back to send him a confused look. Lloyd seemed just as bewildered.
"I- I don't... I don't know," he stammered, face growing red. I blinked before leaning forward and pressing a kiss to the tip of his nose. He stared at me. I scratched down his scalp gently and he sighed. The rolling vibration returned and it reminded me of his dragon when... oh.
"Lloyd, you're- you're purring!" I laughed a little in shock, pausing my hands. His red eyes fluttered open, wide in embarrassment.
"N- no!" he shook his head as he quickly sat up. "I can't- I've never been-"
"Well, it certainly sounds like it!" I said, a stunned grin growing across my lips. I gave another experimental rub of his head and he caught my hands.
"This is serious!" Lloyd hissed in alarm.
"But it's so cute!" I gushed before and idea made a grin curl across my lips. I giggled, shuffling closer before pulling a deep voice. "Racers, start your engines!"

Lloyd sent me a confused look before he melted into a rumbling purr at the scratch behind his ear. I laughed gleefully as he ripped himself away, an embarrassed blush flooding his cheeks.
"Cut it out!"
"Doesn't it feel nice?" I raised a brow giddily. He faltered. "It seems like it does."
"This is serious!" he repeated with emphasis. "I have to talk to my dad about this."
"And until then," I pulled Lloyd towards me until he collapsed on top of me. "I'm going to keep making you purr because it is uber adorable. You think it's because of your elemental dragon? 'Cause Greenie Jr. can purr."
"Please do not call my dragon Greenie Jr.," Lloyd whined as he slumped against me.
"Dave," I suggested.
"No. The dragon doesn't have a name."
"But that's so sad!" I pouted. "Don't the others name their dragons?"
"No, they do not," Lloyd denied, struggling to keep his composure as I raked my fingers through his hair. His purrs kept erupting in short bursts, as if he was struggling to hold them back. "Wait, Jay calls his one Sparkplug."

"Sparkplug," I gushed as I pulled Lloyd tighter against me. He seemed to have given up, letting me have my fill while he purred quietly. "That's such a dumb name, I love it."
"Of course you do," he huffed, voice growing sleepy. "You're easily impressed."
"Hence why I'm dating you," I teased. He grabbed my thigh and squeezed warningly.
"Ouch," he said and I huffed a laugh.
I paused, shooting up and scrambling to my bag. Lloyd was immediately on edge again until I tossed a bag at him. He instinctively caught it.
"I forgot to give you this yesterday," I said as I nodded at the bag of candy at him. He brightened, immediately ripping it open and grabbing a handful to shove into his mouth.
"Charming," I mused dryly. He grinned.
"Want some?" he asked behind a mouthful.
"Yeah, alright," I nodded. He stuck a gummy worm and lifted his head. My brows fell. "Lloyd."
"Take it," Lloyd mumbled. "Take the candy, Y/n."
I rolled my eyes and grabbed a hold of the gummy worm with my teeth. Lloyd lurched forward to press a kiss against my lips with a triumphant chuckle.
"Wow," I said monotonously after I bit off my section of the candy. "I totally did not see that one coming."

He grinned, eyes squinting. I reached for his bag and he gently slapped my hand away. I widened my eyes in shock.
"I paid for them, mr!" I exclaimed. He sighed before letting me take a small handful of the haul.
"Speaking of names, what did you call the puppy?" I asked, popping a candy in my mouth.
"I'm thinking Kashu," Lloyd murmured. "It means singer and he's so loud."
I giggled before repeating the little puppy's name, testing how it sounded. "I like it."
"Kashu it is, then," he smiled.
"Are you going to go home tonight?" I asked. "The others are worried."
Lloyd sighed, falling onto his back.
"Can I... stay here?" he asked, shifting his head to settle an emotional stare on me. "... with you?"
I smile tugged at my lips. I pushed his knees apart and crawled until I dropped myself onto of his chest, snuggling into the crook on his neck.
"You can stay for as long as you like," I offered, voice muffled by his shirt. "But you should really call your parents."
Lloyd sighed as he dropped his head atop of mine.
"I will," he said. "I promise."
I nodded, accepting that. Mum knocked on the door before entering at my call.

"How are you two holding up?" she asked, leaning on the frame. I gave a thumbs up while Lloyd made a so-so gesture with his hand from underneath me. "I'm ordering noodles. Lloyd, you staying?"
I nodded before he could reply.
"What do you want?" she asked, pulling out a phone to write his answer down. Mum left to make the call and I settled back down onto his chest. His fingers trailed up and down my spine and I relaxed into him at the contact.

"The fight's over but the war had barely begun," Lloyd murmured and I sent him a confused look. "Are you sure you want to go to school with me tomorrow?"

I groaned loudly as I dropped my head into his shoulder.
"I FORGOT ABOUT SCHOOL GOD DAMMIT-"