"What are you listening to?" Jay walked into the room, and paused at the sound of whatever his android boyfriend was currently listening to. Lately, the blond had taken up finding random stations through his chest radio.
Zane looked up and flashed a smile as he slowly turned down the volume, "It's apparently a mix of screaming and singing, I never thought of that before." Smiling and patting the couch next to him, the blue adorned decided to sit down and listen, glad that the yells and growls were at least well executed.
The lightning ninja sighed and curled up next to him, and shut the chest cavity to be able to properly wrap his arms around the other, "It's not my favorite music, but whatever you want to listen to." He curled his legs so they bent under him, and sighed silently. It was his turn to train Lloyd and it was a bit tiring.
Then the song ended, and it became something with a very extensive and intense drum intro. Cole walked in and sat in the empty place next to them, "Cool, I love this band," he praised lightly at the selection, and sat back. It turned out he had placed a box on the table, and popped open the lid to prove it was a whole cake. Noticing the stares, he moved the cake a bit protectively.
"Dude, you can't eat it all," the youngest of the three scoffed, but also sort of wanted some too. Cole glanced at Zane, who seemed distracted by the music still.
"Fine," replied the dark-haired teenager, and went to the kitchen and grabbed three plastic forks, tossing them at the other boys lazily. Sitting down he shrugged, "Dig in, I'm not waiting any more." He took a bite and looked blissful, until the slamming of the door startled him into nearly choking.
Their fellow ninja, Kai, came in and smiled, "Cake? Sweet!" Noticing that Zane was the only one not eager to get at it, he frowned a bit, "Zane… Are you going to use that fork?" The bleach blond shook his head and handed the plastic utensil easily, getting up to leave the room, opening his chest and shutting off the radio finally, closing it as he went to the hallway.
Jay looked up and shrugged, sometimes there would be a glitch with the 'nindroid', and he would space out mostly and walk away. He felt a bit awkward for eating a cake like this, but it was pretty good and the strawberries were even baked into the chocolate…
"Are you alright, Lloyd?" Tried Zane as he saw Lloyd lying out in the yard, watching clouds go by.
The green ninja pulled down his hood, and sighed loudly as the android seat next to him, "I guess…"
The blond smiled, "There is cake inside?" He guessed the younger boy was saddened over something. When there wasn't a response, he gave a worried stare silently.
Finally the boy looked over and gave up, "Well, Brad said he'd come over soon, but that was a week ago, and he hasn't called or anything." It grew quiet after that, and he stared over at the android in question, "Does that mean he hates me?"
At the tone, Zane felt guilty, even though this really had nothing to directly do with him, "I do not think Bradley hates you, perhaps he is busy though." Thinking up an idea, he shared it, "How about you go visit him, then? I think he would appreciate that."
Lloyd sat up hugged the older eagerly, "Yeah, that's a good idea!" He grinned and got up fully, and began to rush off, "Thanks!"
-
The little blond never really thought things through, and realized he had to pass Dareth's dojo to get to his friend's home. With his luck, the brunet was out and making sure the newly built wall was evenly placed from the outside. He glanced over, and called after the mini ninja, "Hey, Lloyd, where are you going?"
There was a pause, and the child turned around was waved over, when he reached the other boy, he sighed, "I want to go see Brad."
The younger's father's boyfriend put his hands on his hips like the stereotypical impatient woman, "Really? By yourself?" Dareth raised a brow, "It's nearly dinnertime anyways, and did you ask the ninja?"
Feeling uncomfortable with his makeshift "mother's" questions, the green ninja replied, "Zane told me it's okay."
"Honestly, I don't doubt that, but you should be careful," it really was odd hearing such things from the drawn out vocals, but also nice at the same time. It was like having a parent to care for him directly. He was practically forced into the dojo with a hand pushing him on the small of his back, but it wasn't unwelcome. It was getting dark, and Lloyd was semi-afraid of that.
"I'm sorry, but it was light outside minutes ago," tried the boy; feeling embarrassed and took residence on the leather couch nearby. He then caught whiff of… "Pasta?"
Dareth nodded and answered the last statement, "Yeah, I'm practicing cooking, but clearly my karate skills are still more important."
'There's the old Dareth…' Lloyd got up and went to the phone hanging on the wall to tell them he was staying over in the dojo at the moment, but the ringing startled him.
Picking it up, he got an earful, "Lloyd, there you are, I'm seriously considering duct taping Zane's mouth shut," 'Good old Cole…' Who was pretty maternal himself, but he was too scared to be honest with the earth ninja.
"Sorry, but blame me! I was the one who really wanted to go." Hoping they wouldn't punish Zane for giving him the idea.
There was pause while Cole had a yelling match with Jay, surprisingly more over the fact that apparently the ice ninja got the remainder of the cake shoved in his face. It would take Jay 'forever' to clean out all the frosting and actual cake bits correctly… "It's fine, I'm more mad at the fact you didn't at least take someone," then Kai yelled something, "Oh, and Brad called while you were gone, he wants to hang out tomorrow."
Nearly dropping the cordless phone for having such bad luck, the boy nodded and sighed, "Okay, but I think I'm going to have diner with Mo- …Dareth."
The phone rustled on the other end, "Fine, but you get to train an extra hour tomorrow as punishment, 'kay? And have Dareth bring you back over after you're done." Before anything else could be conversed between them, the other line hung up.
"So you're staying?" Lloyd didn't miss that the stare he received was eager to gain an affirming statement.
The blond nodded slowly and eventually let out a grin, "Yeah, but I have to go home right after."
Glad they could have some needed bonding time, Dareth shuffled to the kitchen, "Do you like marinara sauce?"
It was quiet for a few moments until the brunet poked his head back into the doorway, to find a disbelieving stare, "If you have to ask me that, we really should get more bonding time." They both were now in the kitchen and Lloyd offered to set the table by now, even though there were only them… "Hey Dareth, can you contact Dad somehow?"
It grew quiet and then the little blond wondered how they even figured how to meet up for dates and such. Until, "I'll see what I can do."
