A vicious spring storm was passing over Ninjago City.

I sang a show tune to myself as I stumbled around the kitchen, prepping dinner. It was an apology to my mother, who'd I'd all but abandoned spending time with the past few weeks.
In favour, of course, for Lloyd.
Mum wasn't pleased.
But alas, I was free from exams, the ninja were out on a mission that had been dragging on for days and I was finally in my own home. Thunder cracked overhead as I placed the last piece of parsley over the plate of bacon and mushroom carbonara, Mum's favourite.
I hoped my sucking up paid off. I really didn't want to have to deal with being grounded after I just got my freedom.

"Hello!" I chimed from the kitchen when I heard the front door slam open from the force of the wind and the familiar mutter of a curse. "I made dinner!"
I could hear mum drop her bags and give an exhausted huff. She kicked off her heels before stopping at the entrance to the kitchen and pulled a dramatically surprised look.
"Hi, stranger," she said. "Excuse me, but I don't think this is your home." She held up her hand to her ear to mimic a phone. "Hello, police? Somebody's broken into my home. No, I don't know who they are-"
"Okay, ha-ha," I said dryly, picking up the plate of dinner and a fork. "Very funny. I'm sorry for only spending time with Lloyd, please don't ground me."
Mum took her dinner with a judging, thoughtful frown. Her hand returned to her ear.
"Police? It was a mistake," she said blandly. "It was just my daughter. I forgot what she looked like because it's been almost two weeks."

"I've popped in!" I defended, grabbing my own plate of food.
"For ten minutes at a time!" Mum accused, leading the way to the dining table. "You know, one good thing about your split was that I actually got to see my daughter for once."
"Alright, I get it," I groaned as we took a seat at the dinner table. "I'm a terrible daughter, I'm sorry."
Thunder cracked loudly. Mum pointed at the ceiling.
"Even the gods agree with you."
"More like the nerds do," I grumbled under my breath.
"What are you planning to do over the summer?" Mum asked, picking up a new topic of discussion as she scooped some food onto her fork. "I hope you're not going to be living in Lloyd's pocket. You're your own person, too."
"I know," I sighed. "But it's kind of hard when... y'know-" I tapped the bullet wound on my thigh. "It's not like I can get a summer job or anything. I have to be babysat."
"You could spend the summer at the site again?" Mum suggested, stabbing some bacon with her fork. "You used to can't wait for that."
That was before I met Lloyd.

"I don't know," I murmured, staring pitifully at a piece of parsley that I'd stuck into with my fork. "That'd mean I wouldn't be able to hang out with my friends as much - and then I'll be moving away next year for college, anyway."
"Where you go, Lloyd will most likely try to follow," mum noted. "I guess, for the sake of the city, you should stay home for the summer."
"Yeah," I agreed with a nod and a secretive grin. I'll stay home for Lloyd and the others. "For the sake of the city."
We ate a little longer in a comfortable silence. The storm created an interesting background song. Rain thrashed against the window and I felt a twinge of worry - I hoped the team were doing okay in this volatile weather.
"Who's going to be your bodyguard when you go to college?" Mum asked amusedly.
I paused.
"I... I don't know, actually," I said slowly, brows pulling over my eyes as I stared at the pasta. "I hadn't even thought about it."
She hummed, placing her fork down with a gentle clatter.
"Something worth thinking about."
I made a small sound of agreement, still lost in thought.

An hour later, I was listening to the storm while using the large green ninja plush as a makeshift pillow. The sound of the heavy rain was too alluring to drown out with music and I didn't want to read, so I just stared at the ceiling while the minutes wasted away. Sometimes I needed quiet times like this; doing absolutely nothing. A moment to myself while I prepared my mind for sleep.
My bed felt empty without Lloyd and I just couldn't seem to relax into slumber. I stared in irritation at the ceiling - why couldn't I fall asleep this time? Sure, I was relaxed and nicely so; but my brain refused to power down for the night.
Alright, body. I see how it is.
So I did laps of my room, pacing the confines while my feet scuffed against the carpet. I counted the seconds between the lightning and the thunder just to keep me mentally occupied.

Lightning flashed beyond my curtains.
Thunder rumbled dangerously overhead.
My phone gave a merry chirp.

I paused, attention snapping to the device on my bedside table. Lightning brightened the world, outshining the soft glow of the fairy lights and coating my room in brief white.
Lunging across my room, I grabbed the phone and feverishly turned it on to my recent notification. Results were always a 50/50 chance when it came to missions - either it went well, or it didn't.
I hated when it didn't.

🛹🥺💖
10 mins
Sent 9.54pm

Looks like I wasn't going to get some sleep anyway. My heart leapt up my throat in excitement as I quickly sent an acknowledging reply back to Lloyd and swiftly made my way to grab the first aid kit and a towel.
Thunder gave a deafening growl as I stepped back into my room.
"Yes, yes, I hear you," I said to the thunder, just incase it had ears - hey, you never know. This is Ninjago, after all.
I pulled my curtains back and sat on the end of my bed, impatiently bouncing my knees as I crossed my legs. I watched the lightning, because it's pretty. I listened to the thunder, because it demanded me to. The moon had snuck out from behind some heavy clouds, peaking its glow through the ferocious storm.

A figure landed on the roof of a house down the street, interrupting the magnificent illuminance from the moon. My gut gave a tug that had me scrambling to open the window just as the green ninja landed on the side of my house and slipped inside. Thunder rumbled. I quickly slammed the window shut before more rain could make its way inside and ruin my carpet.
"Heck," Lloyd said breathlessly after lithely and silently crashing into my room. "That is one helluva storm- hey!"
I had caught him off by barreling against him and burying my head into the cold, wet material of his gi. He fretted, placing his glove against my hair.
"I- I'm soaked, kitten, you're gonna get-"
"Don' care," I mumbled against his chest. "Missed you too much."

Lloyd paused before his hand softened and slipped down to my back. He dropped himself into the hug. My pyjamas immediately got submerged in rainwater.
"I missed you, too," Lloyd whispered. "I hate long missions."
"Me too," I murmured, ignoring the uncomfortable chill his wet gi brought me. "When am I allowed to come?"
Lloyd released an exhale against my head. It fluttered through my hair and he slumped more into my arms.
"... when you have proper control over your powers," he said finally, pressing a kiss to my hairline. "And when you can defeat me in a one-on-one match."
"Easy," I snorted, untruthfully. Lloyd gave a breathy laugh - then his chilled shiver had me slipping back and dragging him towards the bathroom.
"How bad are the injuries?" I asked as I helped him unbuckle his packs from around his waist before undoing the knot of his belt. Lloyd peeled off his mask with a grunt.
"About a four out of ten," he replied, dropping his mask just I helped pull the gi from his body. Both fell to the bathroom floor with a wet smack. We started on his wraps.

"I'll grab the kit while you have a shower," I murmured as I unravelled the material from his arm. "Are you sick? Broken anything?"
"I broke the hierarchy of a drug trade," Lloyd replied smugly before his tired, red eyes jumped to me. "But personally? No."
My lips quirked into a quick smile at his pride - I took it that the mission was a success. Before I left to grab the kit, towel and some spare, warm clothes from his haul in my draw, I gently grabbed his cheeks and pulled him down for a quick kiss.
"Tell me all about it when you're finished," I offered, pressing another peck to his cheek. "My hero."
Lloyd's face flushed a bright red as I stepped back. His hands faltered on unravelling the wrap around his other arm, slipping slightly as he stilled. I paused at the expression on his face.
"Do... do you like being called that?" I asked slyly, smirk growing.
"N- no!" Lloyd frantically shook his head, which obviously meant yes, he did. My smirk grew all the more wider and I struggled to keep a straight face.
Achievement unlocked! I just found out Lloyd's kink.
"Alright then," I said with a nonchalant shrug, stepping out of the bathroom and turning to head towards my bedroom. "If you say so-" I paused to shoot a teasing grin over my shoulder. "- my hero."

I had to hold back a cackle from the look on his face.

An interesting concept, really, I thought to myself as I made my way to my bedroom. Did he like to be called that because he was so unsure of himself for almost a year? Did he like the reassurance that those two simple words gave him?
Or was it something so primally rooted in the male psyche that I had naively uncovered? Historically and biologically speaking, men are the traditional 'protectors' of tribes. Men were the guards and the kick-ass of the villages - until, of course, it became apparent that girls and others could kick ass, too.
My foot caught on the doorframe and I stumbled just as a thought pitched itself into my brain; if I wanted so viscerally to protect him with everything I am, then what did that - in a historical standpoint - make me?
A kick-ass girl then, I suppose.
I really needed to pester Lloyd about my training.

Lloyd was in the shower when I returned with the haul from the bedroom. I dumped the stuff onto the sink and tossed him a towel from over my shoulder when the water was cut off.
"Alright, what's the damage?" I asked, tugging the first aid kit towards me and pawing through its contents. I faltered only when warm hands landed on my waist.
"The damage is," Lloyd murmured while his teeth gently traced the shell of my ear. A vicious tremble caught through my limbs. "I didn't get to see my girlfriend for almost a week."
"That's so tragic," I sighed, heart jumping into my head when he gently nosed the crook of my jaw.
"It really is," Lloyd mumbled, pressing kiss after kiss along my cheek. I relaxed into him, body melting like butter into his firm hands. He gave my waist a brief squeeze that had my nerves shooting into the stratosphere. "Missed you, kitten."
"Missed you too, greenie," I replied in a breathy sigh, intoxicated by the bliss of having him close. Lloyd's hands gently guided me to turn and I eagerly did, following his lead as he stepped in even closer. I was pressed between him and the sink with his head bowed over mine. A pretty trap.

Warm water dripped from his dark, soaked hair and traveled down his bare skin before collecting at the towel tied around his waist. I was too enraptured by his precious, gorgeously red eyes to notice anything else. My hands crawled through his wet hair. His purr was quiet. The storm tumbled.
For a while we did nothing. Just existed like this - and it was a perfect little moment that we both wanted and needed after the long week apart.
"My pretty girl," Lloyd whispered, gently dragging a hand down the side of my face. I leant my cheek into his palm, enraptured by his touch. "I couldn't stop thinking of you."
My chest glowed in warmth. My adoring smile grew just that little bit more.
"I couldn't stop thinking about you, either," I confessed quietly, slipping one hand from his hair to slide down his warm neck. "I was worried."
"I'll always come back to you," he promised in a breath, pressing his lips to my forehead. "Like a boomerang."
He grinned as I quietly huffed, closing my eyes in soft mirth.
"I'm holding you to that," I murmured, slipping my arms around his neck. My eyes opened and I found him with a softer look on his face.
"Kissy time?" Lloyd asked, pulling out the puppy eyes. I huffed shortly in amusement before giving a gentle nod.
"Kissy time," I agreed in a soft voice.

Lloyd gave an excited smile before immediately dipping and pulling me up into his kiss. It was sweet and gentle; it was the unspoken declaration of just how much we missed each other - it may have only been a week, but it seemed to feel like an agonising eternity. Every second without Lloyd was like a second not able to breathe. Every night was cold and alone.
How on earth was I supposed to survive college without him?
That thought made a flood of sadness toss through my body like laundry in a tumble dryer, shaking me to the very core of myself. If I could barely handle a week, how was I going to be able to handle three years?
I decided not to dwell too much on it - not now, not when Lloyd's hands were pressing me deeper against the sink and his warmth was unfolding against me in the sweetest of ways. Eager, breaths catching between reconnections, I gripped him tighter because I had to, kissed him more because I wanted to. The desire was easily reciprocated and had my heart racing. I could feel Lloyd's own heartbeat thundering under from where my palm was pressed to his skin.
His energy had me leaning back into the gap between the wall and the sink and then his arms were the only thing keeping me from falling. His breaths grew shorter, more ragged and so did mine and then I was pulling my head to the side in panic when he made a small grunt of pain.

"What-" I breathed, head still swirling from the bliss of his enamouring kiss but stomach growing cold in worry. My eyes scanned his face before falling.
"I'm fine," Lloyd insisted, dropping his head to distract me while gaining another kiss, but I'd already spotted the wound my hand was placed against. I recoiled my arm as if burnt, eyes widening.
"Oh my god, oh my god," I rushed, throat growing dry as I swiftly turned to grab a small towel to stop the bleeding. "I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Lloyd repeated.
"You're bleeding!" I squeaked.
"It's nothing new," he said. I shot him a warning look.
"Still," I pressed, bringing the towel back to look at the damage. It was a little deep, but nothing too serious. "We don't want it getting infected. Any other wounds?"
"Do I get a kiss for each booboo?" he tilted his head with a pleading smile.
"No."
"Then only the one," he sighed in disappointment while I grabbed some disinfectant and cotton pads. My gaze flickered up to his face when he dramatically grimaced at the sting.
"You can hold my hand if it hurts," I said, raising a brow.
"Life hurts, Princess," Lloyd replied smoothly, despite the wince. "Can I hold your hand all the time?"

"Oh, smooth!" I laughed, placing the dirtied cotton pad down and reaching for a large bandage. "Got any more pick up lines up your sleeve, green ninja? We can pretend that we just met. Hit me with your best shot."
"Alright," Lloyd smirked, readily accepting the challenge. "Did it hurt when you f-"
"When I fell from heaven?" I finished dryly while gently smoothing the bandage over his skin. "Not impressed. Zero out of ten."
"Actually," Lloyd pressed on, nonplussed by my reaction. "I was going to ask if it hurt when you fell for me."
My jaw dropped open wide as my eyes jumped to his. I hadn't heard that rendition before! A stunned, amused laugh slipped through my open lips.
"WOW," I said while Lloyd grinned stupidly at my reaction. "I'm... wow. That- that was good."
"That was good?"
"That was good," I nodded, blinking owlishly as my cheeks dusted bright red. I turned to wash my hands. "Okay, you're done. Get changed - have you had any dinner?"
He shook his head when I faced him once more.
"I'll grab you someth-"

Lloyd placed a finger over my lips. I paused, eyes wide.
"Sunshine, I can grab some food myself," he said with a gentle smile as his hand shifted to cup my cheek. "You should get changed into something dry. I don't want you getting sick."
I glanced down at my pyjamas, which were still cold and damp from the bear hug we'd shared. I'd just realised how uncomfortable I was in them.
"O- oh," I nodded. "Okay."
Lloyd's red eyes softened in emotion.
"Thanks for taking care of me," he said quietly.
"You take care of me." I pressed a kiss to his nose. "I take care of you. I'll go get changed, there's leftovers in the fridge."
His hand passed through my hair affectionately before I left the bathroom and shut the door behind me, giving him the privacy to change.
A few minutes later, Lloyd returned to my room with a plate of dinner in hand just as I was throwing my old pyjamas into my laundry basket.
"Is that my shirt?" Lloyd asked as he did a double take. I glanced down at the green material, whose hem sat halfway down my thighs. The storm continued to roll dangerously overhead.
"Yeah."
"It swamps you," he smirked, taking a seat on my bed.
"Exactly," I smiled shamelessly and crawled onto the mattress beside him. "Perfect size for a nighty."

"That's so hot," he sighed between bites of his dinner.
"You're easily impressed," I snorted, shuffling us under the covers. The lone bedside lamp casted warm light amongst the confines of my room.
"Only when it's you," Lloyd teased, to which I had to snicker as I threaded my legs through his.
"Cheeseball," I mumbled as he continued to eat his dinner. He was back and relatively unharmed, aside that one injury. Considering the length of the mission, it was better than I could've hoped for. All was right in the world. "G'night."

His reply was quiet and lovely, almost drowned out by the storm.
"Sweet dreams, love."

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

"Oh, great," Mum said, nursing a mug of coffee as Lloyd and I entered the kitchen the next morning. "There goes any chance of spending time with my daughter."

"Mum," I insisted, tilting my head in pleading warning. She just raised her brows and took a long, telling sip of her morning beverage. Lloyd hid a laugh within a cough as he pulled out some breakfast.
Soon, mum had to leave for work. Lloyd and I were still eating breakfast.
"What's on the agenda for today?" I asked, grabbing his empty plate and putting both his and mine in the dishwasher.
"I'm all yours this morning," he announced, leaning against the bench.
"Yay!" I cheered, bringing the lid of the dishwasher up with my foot. "I love it when I have you to myself."
Lloyd smiled as he crossed his arms leisurely.
"We have a meeting with the serpentine in the afternoon," he continued. "Then after that, training and evening patrol."
"Sounds busy," I mused, wiping my hands on a kitchen towel and tossing it onto the bench. He still looked pretty tired from his mission - but at least Lloyd wouldn't have to worry about attending school and doing assignments any longer. "That means we can have a lazy morning."

Lloyd gave me a small smile.
"Thanks," he said gently. I grabbed his hand and pulled him back down the hallway to my bedroom. I shrugged in nonchalance.
"Gives us an excuse to nap," I said with a grin shot over my shoulder at him. He pumped his fist in triumph.
It seemed that napping together had become our favourite past time.
It was easy to see why though, I thought to myself as I dove back under the warm covers and waited for Lloyd to join me. With the chaos that had become our normal, it was nice to relax when we could. Even so, I wasn't overly sleepy (unlike Lloyd) so instead, I wasted the morning away reading a book from my nightstand while patting Lloyd's hair as he dozed on my shoulder.
It was a perfect way to spend the morning.

The storm had even dissipated, leaving nothing but spring sunshine and tittering birds in its wake. It was a shame that we'd be going underground to the serpentine tombs for the meeting - it was a beautiful day.
Lloyd shifted in his sleep and I touched a kiss to his forehead in response, dropping my arm with the book to my side. Sunlight filtered through the window and draped us in warmth. It was almost as warm as the tangled covers that swamped our legs.
A bluebird flew past the glass with some sticks in its beak. It was time to make a nest.
I snuggled more into Lloyd's soft hair, discarding my book in favour of cuddling my sleeping boyfriend. With everything that's happened, everything that's still going on, Lloyd's duties... I found worth in every second I got to spend quiet time like this with him. No missions, no gangs, no prophecies. Just his slumbering face pressed close to mine.
A small smile played on my lips. He was such a cuddly sleeper.
Indulging in his instinctive desires to hold someone close - and indulging in my own - I picked up his limp arm that had been tucked between us and shuffled in closer to his chest. He mumbled something incoherent but relaxed into me, falling back into a state of dreams once more.

Unfortunately, this peace couldn't last forever. I sighed through my nose and poked Lloyd's side, trying to rouse him from sleep. It was time to head to the tombs and as much as I would prefer to stay here with Lloyd forever, I didn't not want to face the wrath of his parents if we failed to show up.
Besides, I was looking forward to meeting up with the serpentine again. Aside from their narcissistic attitudes, I'd grown fond of a handful of the scaly dudes. Of course, none held a candle to Raptra. She was by far my favourite.
"Lloyd," I murmured, poking his side again when he failed to wake up. He grumbled. "We have to go."
"No," he whined, digging his face deeper into my chest. "Wanna stay here forever."
An amused smile pulled at my lips. I tucked his blond hair behind his ear and pressed a kiss to his forehead.
"I know, cutie," I sighed. "But we gotta go. We've got a job to do."
He groaned into my (his) shirt before finally forcing his eyes open. The groggy green of his irises found mine in a disgruntled frown and the sight of him with that expression and his messy nap-time hair had me grinning in amusement.

"Gimme a second," Lloyd mumbled, catching a yawn by pressing his mouth into my shoulder. I fought back my own urge to yawn before failing.
"I've gotta get changed," I said, grabbing his hand from around my waist and pulling it away. He gave a tired, disagreeing, quiet little growl and pulled me back into his chest.
"Lloyd," I stressed, despite finding his affectionate little nuzzles absolutely endearing. "We have to go."
"Gimme a second," he repeated.
"I've given you plenty," I countered before successfully slipping from his hold. "Wake up, lover boy. It's time to go."
Lloyd hid his face into the pillow and muffled a groan. I snickered at his tired reluctance as I grabbed some clothes to get changed into.
"I'll give you a kiss if you hurry up," I tempted. Lloyd sat upright so fast that he had to hold his head. "Just kidding, I was going to give you kiss either way. But preferably when we're not running late. So hurry up."
"Had me at kiss," he slurred, untangling his legs from the covers and standing.

I snickered, holding my clothes to my chest as I left the room to change.

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

This was going to be my first time in the caves with Lloyd.

Considering their history, I was intrigued to see how both Lloyd and the serpentine will react upon seeing each other again. Will there be civility or crude behaviour? Introductions or name-calling? Who knows?
We met up with Lloyd's parents at the entrance to the tombs. Garmadon and I immediately began discussing the trials and errors from the last session we'd had with the generals while Lloyd and Misako trailed behind us.
"Hey, Grogtev," I greeted the constricti guard when we hit the actual entrance to the large, twisty caverns of an underground city.
Grogtev replied with a nod. I smiled to myself. We were making progress - even if they were only just baby steps.
"Y/n!" yelled a familiar voice as a small, green snake came barreling towards us. I just had time to open my arms before she had leapt towards me.
"Raptra!" I gasped in delight as I stumbled to keep my footing from catching her. "I've missed you!"
"Missssed you more!" Raptra insisted with a mischievous little smile.
"Impossible," I denied with a shake of my head. "I've missed you more than there are stones in the earth."

Raptra's yellow eyes widened.
"That'sss a lot," she said in amazement. I poked her soft stomach and she giggled, hunching in my arms.
"Exactly!" I said with a grin. Raptra's yellow eyes peeked open mid-laugh and she suddenly inhaled, silencing. I followed her gaze over my shoulder. Lloyd was watching. Garm and Misako had moved on ahead, greeting the serpentine council.
"He'sss got red eyes," Raptra whispered, hiding a little behind me as she stared at Lloyd.
"I know," I replied just as hushed. "Aren't they pretty?"
Raptra hid her face behind my shoulder, still staring at Lloyd. My gaze flickered to his and we shared an amused look.
"Do you want to meet the green ninja?" I asked softly. Raptra gulped. She gave a small nod, so Lloyd slowly began shuffling towards us.

"Hello," he greeted in a small, soothing voice. "I'm Lloyd."
"... hi," Raptra replied in a tiny voice before hiding her face more against me.
"I think she's a little star struck," I mused quietly. Raptra shuffled deeper into my arms. "Can't blame her."
"I think I'm a little star struck," Lloyd confessed amusedly. "I heard that Raptra's the reason for this treaty going through at all."
The venomari poked her head back up to Lloyd, eyes wide.
"I did good?" she asked, in awe. Lloyd nodded.
"You did great," he complimented. "Better than great! You're a hero."
Raptra broke into the proudest of beams. Lloyd and the little serpentine smiling at each other was quite positively the cutest thing I'd ever seen.
Hehe. They both have fangs.
They're both green!
I am so smart.

"Ah, my favourite stick in the mud," drawled a voice. The three of us glanced over to find Pythor approaching with the usual sourpuss sneer on his face.
"Pythor," Lloyd greeted stiffly. Raptra wriggled for release so I set her onto the ground. She made a beeline for Garm, who almost got knocked over by Raptra barrelling into his legs. "How have you been?"
"Positively delightful," Pythor replied sarcastically. His slitted eyes found interest in my hand, zeroing in on the promise ring - which, yeah, still looked like an engagement ring, not that I'd complain. "I see you're properly integrated into the Garmadon clan, Y/n. How dreadful."
"I see you're still a total scaled asshole," I countered with a raised brow. Our stern stares held before we fell into little chuckles.
"What's this? What's happening?" Lloyd asked in confusion when I gave a snicker and punched Pythor's arm. "Are... are you guys seriously friends?"
"Jealous?" I teased.
"No," Lloyd said blankly. "No, I can comfortably say that I am not. But I am confused. How did you even become friends?"
"She cried to me about her boy problems," Pythor said with a pointed stare. I slapped his arm with a scowl.
"I did not."
"You did to."

Lloyd watched us bicker unemotionally.
"You know what?" he said when I got the snake in a playful choke hold. "Not gonna... just. Not gonna."
"Fair enough," I agreed before Pythor gave a mighty shove and I was thrown back with a squealed laugh.
"I will never understand how you're able to make friends with everyone," Lloyd said with a shake of his head in disbelief. He helped pick me up from the ground and dust off my shirt.
"Maybe it was me who made friends," Pythor countered in a dramatic hiss. "I quite like making friends, if I say so myself."
"You never made friends with me," Lloyd pointed out dryly. "You just used me."
"Oh, yes," Pythor sighed heavily. "A dreary past we share. Y/n certainly made me regret it."
"I yelled at him!" I piped up with a beaming smile. "I said that what he did was very disappointing!"
"That you did, you little... delight," Pythor sneered with a false grin. I flicked his chin in response before leaping to hide behind Lloyd when the anacondri swiped out his arm.
"Besides," Pythor continued after clearing his throat. "She's more fun."
"I- I can be fun," Lloyd muttered.
"You're about as fun as a worm on the pavement of a summer's day," the purple snake drawled. Lloyd narrowed his eyes.

"Heyyy," I spoke up and stepped out from behind Lloyd. I sent the boys a pointed look. "We're all working together on this treaty."
"Lloyd started it," Pythor said. Lloyd gasped in outrage.
"Pythor," I warned. He groaned with a roll of his eyes.
"I'll behave," he grumbled joylessly.
"Lloyd?" I turned to him and crossed my arms. The green ninja gave a sigh.
"Best behaviour," he muttered.
"Yay!" I cheered, grabbing the boys by their hands and pulling them both up the council. "This is going to be so much fun!"

The meeting was so not fun.

We went over the rights and laws that humans of Ninjago had and all but copied and pasted them to the draft of the treaty. Then there was a heated discussion about the workforce and whether serpentine would be allowed to travel where the heat goes - as they got very lethargic, sick and slow in winter. It wasn't impossible for a handful to even fall into hibernation.
Handling that was tricky.
Handling their national holidays was even worse.
They made Uchū's death a national holiday - and not in the good way. When us Garmadon's (plus me, the honorary Garmadon) heard about that, we weren't too impressed. However, on the other hand, the serpentine weren't too impressed with the humans celebrating the day we won the serpentine wars, so we couldn't exactly boast our morals; it'd just be a pot calling the kettle black situation.
All in all, it was boring and long and fussy.
Lloyd fell asleep against my shoulder half way through it. Raptra had followed route, finding my lap to be her new perch as she snoozed in my arms. I didn't mind being a pillow for them both.

But things got interesting when a hypnobri burst into the room, interrupting our discussion. Raptra flinched awake and Lloyd leapt to his feet, ready in case danger decided to fall.
"What is the meaning of this?" Pythor snarled.
"Thisss is a private dissscussion!" Skales snapped.
"Pardon the intrusssion, generalsss!" the blue snake apologised frantically. "But it- it'sss the cave of propheciesss! They're... they're being rewritten!"
As if turning on a dime, the expressions of the generals fell into shock.
"Rewritten?" Misako asked in disbelief. "Is that even possible?"
"Which prophecy?" Fangtom asked.
The hypnobri's red eyes nervously flittered to Lloyd and I. A heavy weight settled on my shoulders.
Garmadon stood.
"Dad-" Lloyd tried.
"Go home," the Sensei ordered. His son pulled a frustrated expression.
"But-"
"Go. Home," Garmadon said again. His green eyes dropped to his son and the look in them made me involuntarily shiver. "I will not tell you again."

Lloyd gritted his teeth and glared at the wall. I glanced between the two unsurely. Raptra sunk into my arms.
"Yes, father," Lloyd said, voice hinted with exasperation.
"C'mon, Raps," I murmured, readjusting the little serpentine in my grip as I stood. She was silent, watching as the generals and Lloyd's parents hurried out of the room to inspect this anomaly. "Lloyd," I whispered, tugging on his gi's sleeve. "Let's go."
With a huff, Lloyd turned to follow us back to the entrance.
"Do you have to go?" Raptra whined when I set her down to her feet. "We never get to play!"
"Next time," I vowed, touching her cheek affectionately as I crouched before her. "I promise, we'll play next time. But right now it sounds like we really should be going."
Put off, Raptra frowned sadly and it made my heart sink. I didn't like to see her disappointed.
"Hey," I said, catching her attention again. "I'll visit sometime next week - no meetings. We can hang out all day together, how does that sound?"

At that, Raptra brightened. She gave an excited nod before leaping into a hug that had me falling back into Lloyd's legs. Then she pounced up to give him his own hug, too.
"I'll see you next week!" Raptra said with a wave before running off back home.
"Sweet kid," Lloyd murmured as I stood. I hummed, giving a nod. We watched the spot where she disappeared in silence until he spoke up again. "Can I vent?"
I glanced at Lloyd in surprise. I was still getting used to him actually wanting to talk to me about his problems - but it was a good surprise, a nice one.
"Absolutely," I nodded, threading my hand through his as we began to make our way back to the surface. "I'm all ears, greenie."
Lloyd released a heavy sigh and we walked for a minute in silence as he sorted out his frustrated thoughts. I had an inkling of an idea about what he was annoyed about; and truthfully, I shared the same inhibitions about the situation.
"I'm just so tired of being kept in the dark all the time," Lloyd stressed, rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand as we meandered through the dark cavern. "If it's not about your powers, then it's about the prophecies. If it's not about the prophecies, it's something else. I just want to know things without being punished for it."
This was about the kid again. And about our relationship.
"It's just so-" he groaned, running his hand down his face. "It's so frustrating."

"I know," I said, dropping my chin on his arm. "I know, it's so annoying. I want answers, too. I want to know about my powers; what they do, how they affect me, when I'm going to be able to actually control them. Where they came from. Even Uchū doesn't know where they came from - and he knows everything!"
Lloyd huffed a laugh through his nose. I lifted our hands and stared at his scarred fingers through mine.
"I guess I'm a little scared, too," I continued, voice softer in thought. "What if they're not as cool as we think they might be? What if I'm never able to control them? What if we get to a prophecy and I'm completely useless - what if I get somebody killed because I couldn't protect them-?"
"You're overthinking," Lloyd reminded gently. "You'll be fine, sunshine. You won't have to do this alone - I'm with you every step of the way."
I sent him a grateful smile, bumping into him affectionately.
"Thanks, Lloydie," I sighed, pressing my nose to his jaw. He snickered, nuzzling me back. "You're the best. I love you."
"No you."
I gasped.
"How dare you use the 'no you' on me," I said. "For shame!"

"Shame on me then, I guess," Lloyd smirked with a nonchalant shrug. We emerged into sunlight and he pulled his hood over his head.
"Bentley!" I coed excitedly when the dragon burst into existence. "My other favourite reptile!"
The dragon elatedly grumbled at me, shoving his snout into my hands.
"Alright, dragon whisperer," Lloyd said in amusement as he settled into the saddle. "Let's get going, I've got to get to training."
"God forbid you're late," I giggled. "I would not want to make Wu angry."
"I don't wanna make anyone angry," Lloyd said with wide, innocent eyes as he helped me onto the saddle behind him. Bentley snorted, shuffling beneath us. I snorted, too.
"Sure," I said, wrapping my arms around his waist. "Tell that to all your enemies."
"They don't count," Lloyd scorned. I giggled, pressing a kiss to the side of his mask.

"You just proved my point, green ninja," I murmured in amusement while Bentley spread his wings for flight.