Lloyd smiled and kept up with his disguised father as they made their way down the familiar street. It was his tenth birthday, so he got to choose the gift at last. Fighting the mindset to rush off and all over the place, he waited to pass where he liked best.
Garmadon looked down, his more human-like self out, but it would eventually zap too much energy from him. Using a warmer tone, "What would you like for your birthday, Lloyd?"
The boy stayed a mysterious form of quiet, until the store he loved came into sight. Getting next to it, the parental caught on. The pet store wasn't over-sized, but still popular. Lloyd didn't really wait for his father to catch up as he rushed inside. Moving back towards the most treasured place, at least to the boy, it became crystal clear what was wanted.
The black-clad boy began to coo at the glass, and moved a bit for the older to see the creature. It had to sleek and elegant form of a Siamese, but was midnight in coloring. Oddly hypnotic, the adult feline looked over the stranger next to the almost daily visitor. With his best and ironic puppy-dog facial expression, Lloyd begged, "Please can we get her? She's been here for so long!"
"What did I say Lloyd?" Sighed the adult, hating to repeat himself, "No pets."
"Why not?" Not backing down, the blond felt desperate. Thinking of what he was going to reason with, "I'll feed her, wash her if she lets me, play with-"
Silencing his adopted son with a sharp glance, he took his turn, "You're going to a boarding school soon, so randomly leaving her wouldn't be fair."
Quivering slightly, the boy looked on the edge of unwanted tears, "But you'll be there to take care of her, and I come back on weekends too." It was strange for the bad boy's school to allow that, but to make sure they stayed in business they made that change.
Ignoring the widened and saddened baby blues, Garmadon shook his head firmly, not back down either, "How about that Hello Kitty plush you saw earlier, instead? You liked that."
"No, I love Hello Kitty, but I want a breathing cat," not budging, the boy tapped gently on the air-hole covered glass, causing the cat come up to the hand in question. She rubbed her forehead across the area Lloyd's hand rested, hoping a petting fest would be in order.
An employee came up, smiling at this display of child and animal, "Would you like to play with her again today, Lloyd?"
Not even blinking, he nodded eagerly. Not ruining the birthday any further, Garmadon stepped aside, noticing he was beside a weak metal pen for animal greetings. Getting the cat out gingerly, the worker plucked the feline out and onto the floor of the pen. Lloyd stepped over it, and giggled as the adult cat came over to get scratched behind a delicate ear. She climbed into the boy onto the inviting lap of the crossed legs, purring fiercely.
Quietly, the man sat down beside his child, "Look, you get why we can't have her, right?"
Shrugging up his shoulders, the blond held the cat up to his face, and giggled as she tried to get footing on the pullover. It was if Garmadon never said anything in the first place. He figured Lloyd wanted to savor his moments with his could-be birthday present. Shaking his bowl-cut head lightly, he clicked his tongue to get the cat's attention, "You're too cute, Ima!"
'Ima? Why name a cat after something that means present time?' Confused, but tired of how this was going, Garmadon got up and peered down at the frozen boy, "Please Lloyd, I'm sorry, but we'll find something just as good."
"You can try," grumbled the said male as he got up and cuddled the cat to his chest sweetly. Then he put her into the glass container-like home. Waving back to her, he practically stomped out of the store.
Following after quickly, the adult sighed to himself, this would be a long day. They barely made it far enough down the sidewalk before Lloyd whipped back around, startling the other. Blinking, Garmadon began, "Ll-"
"I hate you!" Never before had it been spoken with such fierce venom as today.
Letting his hands become fists, the older glared back, "Fine, blame me for not letting you get that cat. But I know you, and you'll grow bored of her, or dump the bigger responsibilities on me! And another thing-" He stopped in his rant as he watched the tears run down the plump cheeks slowly, "I…" He had to keep the temper in check, especially around his sensitive boy. Wrapping his arms around the shorter, he smothering the sobbing mess, "I'm so sorry, Lloyd… I know how much that cat means to you… Maybe someday, but not now, hm?" He broke their embrace to find a hopeful stare.
"Promise?" The tears practically dried themselves, and they both gave weak smiles.
"Of course, you matter to me too much to lie," said the older matter-of-factly.
*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*
"Lloyd," Garmadon started up on the boy's seventeenth birthday, never mind he get hit with an aging potion too, "Remember when I said we could think of getting the cat sooner or later?"
In the dojo, the blond shrugged as he waited for the rest of the team to arrive from getting supplies, "It doesn't matter anymore, Dad, we have Hinder now!" To show his approval, he picked up the tortoiseshell despite how the cat squirmed every which way.
"Oh really?" Intrigued, Garmadon picked up a cat kennel and let the latch and door open simultaneously.
Nearly screaming, Lloyd gently let down Hinder next to him on the couch to pick up the unsure Ima gingerly, "Hey kitty-kitty," he cooed and cradled the tensing cat until she calmed to the neutral setting she was in. With eyes glittering with tear, he looked at his father, "You kept your promise!"
"Why are you so shocked? I'm a man of my word." Letting the cats to get acquainted, the teenager nearly crushed his adopted father in a tight hug, but it was returned just a fiercely. The others weren't there, and it became the best birthday he's had. It could only get better for here…