Hello wonderful readers! Gosh, it's been an eternity since I last published something, hasn't it? This past spring was incredibly rough for me and my writing suffered as a result. I'm hoping that I'll be more free to get back into writing more frequently over the summer – it feels amazing to finally be publishing the next part of this fic! Thank you so much for your endless support and patience with me! I hope you enjoy reading pt 2 of Never a Perfect Moment!
Replies to reviews:
Hi: Ugh, sorry my updates have been so incredibly slow, haha! But I'm SO happy to hear you enjoyed the first part!
Jbomb 217: AH! Bet you thought I was dead or something, huh? I feel awful about being gone for so long – and hated not being able to write... But! I'm back now and that's all that matters! It's super great to hear that you liked the idea and I agree 110%, they definitely, definitely need a break. Kai... Has a lot going on, poor guy. Not girlfriend... Yet. That comes in the next chapter. (Hunted started a week after SOG so I'm guessing at least 2 weeks total before they were all reunited but don't quote me on that, haha). No more waiting for you! I hope you enjoy this next bit!
Eliss: Here you go, fren! A shiny new chapter to enjoy! Thanks for reviewing!
Guests: Yay! Glad you enjoyed reading the first part! I hope you enjoy this as well!
Kai blearily peeked out of his hammock, still fully ensconced in the fluffy blankets Lloyd was so taken with. He could just barely make out the sleeping forms of his family on the several hideaway beds, additional hammock, and one air mattress that had been hastily inflated a few nights back when they first arrived at the apartment that Lloyd had taken up residence in while the rest of them were off on their individual missions. None of the others were up yet. Why was he even awake? So early…. Misako and Wu were probably still fast asleep in the loft he was currently dangling from. He snuggled back down, hoping that maybe he'd fall back asleep. He'd take every bit of rest he could get at this point. Everything that had transpired recently was definitely starting to catch up with him. It was hard to believe that several days had already passed since they had all been reunited. Life had been a whirlwind of phone calls, hospital visits, takeout meals, and restoration efforts. So much clean up and repair work… that alone took up countless hours. The busyness was good, he supposed. Kai had less time to worry about Skylor's fragile health when he was distracted by the hundreds of tasks that needed doing in order to return the city to its former glory. Somewhere in all the chaos, however, a small glimmer of light had appeared. Late into the previous evening, they had received word that the master of amber's condition had been updated to stable. Even if she wasn't conscious yet, it was a vast improvement over the puking, seizures and assisted breathing that had initially plagued her. And this fact was enough to give Kai all the hope he needed. The master of fire planned to be present whenever her body decided that it was time to wake up. Part of him wanted to kiss her senseless when it finally happened. But given the… undefined nature of their relationship, he wasn't sure she'd appreciate the gesture. He didn't want to hurt her…And he wasn't quite sure how to go about bringing it up without making the entire situation even more complicated than it already was. The master of fire buried his face beneath a pillow, trying once more to lull himself back to sleep. When it didn't work, he gave a muffled groan. He was going to need a nap later at this rate. Giving up on the idea of sleeping more, Kai quietly slipped from his hammock, navigating his way towards the quaint little kitchen. If he were going to be awake, he might as well do something productive and fix a nice breakfast for them to enjoy before another hectic day began (even if his cooking was nowhere near Zane's level). The master of fire tiptoed past a snoring Cole, then edged around the hideaway that currently housed both Jay and Nya, who were currently cuddling more excessively than he would've preferred. It looked like Jay had graduated from hugging pillows to subconsciously clinging to his girlfriend. But, they had been through an awful lot lately. And he was fairly certain that he'd heard the master of lightning mention something about yin and yang symbols at least once while they'd been in the First Realm. So. He should probably leave them be. In the quiet gloom, master of fire nearly tripped over a sweatshirt that someone (Cole) had left on the floor. He stumbled into the kitchen, catching himself on the island. Kai froze for a moment, concerned that the small thudding noise he'd made would wake someone. When nothing happened, he kept going. His phone was right where he'd left it the night before, plugged in on the counter. The master of fire powered it on and started searching for pancake recipes. He was 100% confident that Lloyd would never have stocked the cupboards with mix under any circumstances. Foods like this simply weren't anywhere near as good when they came from a box, and the blonde knew it. They'd lived off of off brand cereal and cheap multi-purpose mix enough times to recognize the difference. The ingredients weren't hard to find. The milk was perhaps a few days past its best by date, and the flour was a bit clumpy, but he could make do. At least he, unlike some people, had never given anyone food poisoning. Which put the odds in his favor (in his opinion). Kai pulled a griddle off a shelf and began measuring things into various cups and pitchers he'd located while waiting for it to heat to an appropriate temperature. As he poured flour into a cup, he failed to hear the stealthy family member sneak up behind him. Which was surprising, considering everything life had thrown at him lately.
"G'morning, Kai!" Nya whispered drowsily. He dropped a measuring instrument, sending up a cloud of flour.
"Nya, you know you can't do stuff like that. You gave me a heart attack…" He complained, blinking the white powder from his eyes.
"Sorry…" She hissed.
"What're you even doing up?" Kai asked, still in shock. Nya was usually the opposite of a morning person. She shrugged as best she could, careful not to jostle her bad shoulder.
"I… nightmare, I guess?" She informed him with a slight frown. It wasn't like this was anything new. Glancing at the glowing numbers on the microwave, she added
"But it is almost 8:30 in the morning…"
"Already?" He rubbed at his face, trying to remove the rest of the substance that currently coated it. She'd tell him about her nightmare if she needed to.
"Here, you look ridiculous! Please let me help you before you manage to get it everywhere…" Nya requested, reaching for a towel that hung near the sink. She tossed it to him with a practiced air of ease.
"Thanks."
"So. Makin' pancakes?"
"Yep. Wanna help?"
"Sure. It's better than watching Jay snuggle with my pillow…" They glanced over to the boy's prone form. Sure enough, in the absence of the master of water, he'd managed to maneuver her pillow into his arms.
"I bet you wish you knew what he's thinking right now, huh?" Kai said with a smirk. His sister raised an eyebrow.
"What could you possibly know about Jay's innermost thoughts?"
"Psh… don't doubt my abilities. Clearly he's thinking 'Oh Nya, I could hold you in my arms forever and ever. I think of you every second of every day… No! Every millisecond! You're so beautiful and awesome and your hair smells like wild cherries on a Sunday afternoon.'" Nya's cheeks turned bright red.
"He does not sound like that!" She protested, biting back a laugh.
"Oh, really?"
"Really. His lips move about a million times faster than that. Now cut it out before you wake the others. Chocolate chips or no?" The girl busied herself, rummaging through a cupboard Kai had somehow missed.
"Do you even have to ask?" He replied.
"Chocolate chip pancakes it is, then."
"You two really went all put with this place, you know?" The master of fire stated after a few minutes of joint mixing and measuring (during which time several handfuls of chips mysteriously disappeared). Nya sobered.
"Y-yeah… we… we wanted it to feel like home. So."
"I get it. It was hard on both you and Lloyd to be left here while the rest of us were gone." He assured her. The batter was almost ready now.
"Even with all the video calls and stuff. It just… wasn't the same. And then I had to leave too, and then… just when we were all together again…" Nya commented absently, playing with a few pieces of chocolate.
"Hey, let's not go there right now… Things were bad, yeah. But they're getting better. We just gotta keep moving forward."
"You've been spending too much time with Jay lately, haven't you?" She accused in a slightly lighter tone.
"You try being stuck with him after he's suffered a mental breakdown and see if you like it." Asserted Kai.
"No thanks." His sister retorted, a weak smile playing on her lips, "You know what these pancakes need to go with them?"
"Bacon?"
"Bacon." Nya decided, wandering over to the refrigerator. By some stroke of luck, there was a slab that hadn't yet expired.
"Perfect. And we've got whipped cream, too. This is gonna make Lloyd's day."
"Yeah! No one will be able to resist the Smith siblings' world famous pancakes." Kai stated lightly, holding out his hand for a fist bump. The raven-haired girl obliged with an eye roll, but wasn't willing to let Kai off the hook.
"You mean Betty Crocker's world famous pancakes."
"Yeah, sure, that." He agreed dismissively, making an (admittedly weak) attempt to bash her over the head with a spatula. Predictably, she dodged.
"Missed me, dork."
"Only cause you won't hold still, shortie…" The master of fire swiped again. This time Nya grabbed her own weapon.
"I'm taller than you." She reminded, blocking his attempt and returning it with her own.
"Yeah, barely!" The two spatulas met with a soft clang, but the siblings no longer cared whether or not they woke the others (the food was almost done, anyway).
"Porcupine breath!"
"Mistletoe addict!"
"Oh my gosh Kai! That was one year."
"You say that like there's no way it'll happen again this Christmas..." Kai paused to flip the latest batch of pancakes. Nya gave a long-suffering sigh.
"How do you know you won't be the one using it as an excuse to kiss Skylor?"
"I… I haven't even talked to her about things yet. Let's not get ahead of ourselves here... I don't even know if…" He replied in a more serious tone. Her face fell slightly.
"That's... Okay, I understand..."
"Sorry… it's just… you and Jay make all of this look so easy, and…" Kai started. Nya snorted, shaking her head in wonder.
"Easy?! Kai. You know as well as anyone that we've had our fair share of rough patches. Super rough ones. There were days I thought we'd never make it to this point. And sometimes? I'm still scared I'm gonna mess up really bad and hurt him again…" She admitted softly. He put a comforting hand on her shoulder. He'd missed these heart to hearts with his sister. It felt good to be able to be so open with each other again. Even if there were still a few things he was keeping from her – Jay owed him big time.
"You've both come such a long way. I'm so proud of you, sis. And somehow, I don't think that's gonna happen. Something tells me you guys are gonna be just fine."
"Thanks… I think I needed to hear that…" She replied, leaning against him, "You're heading to the hospital as soon as breakfast's over." It wasn't a question.
"Yeah. If… if she wakes up today, I wanna be there for her. Not sure how she'll take the whole coma and being put on oxygen thing." The ninja of fire admitted. She nodded and snuggled against him, enjoying the quiet.
"I smell food," Came Cole's voice from the air mattress he was currently located on, "How soon're we gonna eat?"
"It'll be sooner if you come set the table like the gentleman that you are." Nya called back.
"Hear that, buddy? It's time to get up and make ourselves useful." The master of earth told Lloyd, throwing a perfectly aimed pillow at him. He sat up with a yawn.
"Gah! Fine. I'm up." The blonde stated with a groan, climbing out of his hammock.
"Want me to set out the juice?" Jay offered, also awake now and full of energy.
"Sure."
"And while we do that, can you guys fold up the hideaways? There's no point in having them take up all this extra space." The Green Ninja asked Zane and Pixal.
"Of course." The samurai replied.
"It shouldn't take us very long." Added the master of ice brightly. Like a well-oiled machine, the group set about accomplishing their responsibilities. Within minutes, several people were already in line to start filling their plates.
"So, obviously Kai will be heading to the hospital first, but then what?" Lloyd asked, spraying nearly an entire can of whipped cream on his food. Was he really that predictable? Kai briefly wondered in between attempts to confiscate the delicious topping before Lloyd could make himself sick.
"You gonna join us at the old monastery? Uncle Wu mentioned wanting to look into rebuilding it."
"Uh. Maybe. I was thinking of dropping by Master Chen's and seeing if June needs any help first, though, if that's okay with you guys?" He answered, piling some bacon onto his plate. Nya nodded.
"That poor girl probably does need some support. I can't imagine how chaotic things at the restaurant are right now. Maybe we should meet you there and all head to the monastery together?" She suggested.
"Yeah. That's a good plan. We'll work on helping with rebuilding efforts somewhere nearby and catch you on our way over." Lloyd decided. Kai gave his family a smile.
"Fine by me. I'll text you when I'm done at the hospital."
Kai was already far too familiar with the route that would take him to Skylor's room. He hurriedly scribbled his name on the check in sheet and turned leave, but was interrupted by Jen, the nurse who happened to be running the visitor's desk.
"I should probably warn you. Miss Chen is finally awake, but she was causing quite the commotion earlier..." She told him. He stared at her, confused. Oh. Now he wished that he'd arrived a bit earlier. Not that he'd pass up a nice breakfast with his family. He knew how much it meant to Lloyd and Nya.
"What do you mean commotion…?"
"Um… We had to give her a bunch of narcotics because her body is still recovering from being so sick, and she was in a lot of pain, and… Well… maybe it's better if you see for yourself…"
"That's… comforting…" Kai said with only a hint of sarcasm.
"I know... I promise it's not as bad as it sounds." She smiled apologetically.
"And I'm sorry for making you more worried. Maybe things have calmed down by now. Have a nice visit!" The nurse waved, watching him head down the hallway.
"Thanks. I-I will." He called back over his shoulder. Wondering what Jen could possibly have meant, he hurried along. He couldn't help but reflect back on all the memories they shared. All the times he'd come to her, looking for advice, or the days they'd bothbeen desperate for an escape and spent hours hiding from their responsibilities… Over the years, they had spent so much time together… Hopefully it wasn't too late for them to build something more…
As he grew closer to the room he knew was hers, he could hear voices carrying on a rather loud conversation.
"Miss Chen, please stop playing with the iv drip. It'll only work if it stays in your arm!" Someone, another nurse, probably, insisted urgently.
"But I can't bend my arm with it in… see?" An additional voice complained in a tone that was just barely audible. A machine beeped loudly. The owner of the first voice sighed heavily.
"Then don't bend your arm so much… keep it like this, okay?" The beeping stopped.
"Okay, okay. But… ammi gonna have any visitors today? This… this is boring. Like. Why izznt Kai here? He's so great. Betcha he'd make everything just… fade away…"
"I aware of that. You've told me already. Five different times, in fact." Hearing himself being discussed, the master of fire knocked softly on the door. There was the sound of footsteps on the other side, then it opened. A haggard looking nurse ushered him inside.
"Heeey, hot stuff!" Skylor called unsteadily. With a bit of color back in her skin and a noticeably less terrifying body temperature, she looked somewhat better than the last time Kai had seen her. But it was obvious that she had yet to fully recover from her ordeal. He wasn't completely sure she was even focusing on him and not some imaginary version of himself.
"I was juussst. Telling my good man Friday, here, all about you!" The nurse shook his head in exasperation.
"That's…. Not my name, but okay. I'm just gonna step out into the hall and let you two talk this out…Let me know if you need anything." The redhead giggled as Kai took a seat in the empty chair next to her bed.
"Oh Kai! I've missed you sooo much…. I'm really glad you're not dead, y'know? That would've been so sucky…"
"Uh... Yeah? I missed you too..." Was the only thing he could think of to say. She stared at him wide eyed, as if this were some mind-blowing piece of information that had rocked her entire world.
"Kai?" Skylor whispered, her perception of the room spinning slightly.
"Y-es?"
"Hazanyone ever tooold you how beautiful your eyelashes are?" She asked. Well, whatever he'd been expecting her to say, it hadn't been that.
"What?"
"They're so…. Long…a-and full… and. And every time I look at them I just! I wannem. Cause they're so lucious and pretty, and it's not fair!" The redhead cried loudly, "S'not fair…. Why'do you getta be the one with the such fabulous eyelashes when I'm stuck with…. These…?" She gestured weakly at her face (her eyelashes weren't unattractive in the slightest, he noted). He struggled to keep a straight face.
"I dunno Sky, I really don't."
"An' don't even get me started on the hair…. It's sooo…. Spiky. Like a porcupine… except cuddlier... I just wanna touchit…." Sniffling slightly, she continued, "But I won't. Cause I know you probably wudd'n wan' me to. So I won't. But I wanna."
"You're allowed to touch my hair if it really means that much to you. You just gotta ask." He told her patiently. Skylor perked up immediately.
"Woah… really?"
"Sure," Leaning forward, he shrugged. She reached out a trembling hand and gently petted his head.
"Oooh…. S'much softer thanni thought it'd be…" The master of amber mused, before growing serious again.
"Why're you always soo nice to me? Like even back when I was… eeeven back on the island. You were so kind…. And I was a big ol liar… M'sorry bout that… You're too pure for me to pull crap like that on you…. I shouldn't've… Oh! An, then, there was that time you asked me to the zoo? An I totally thought you were gonna backout, but ya did'n. I was so happy! Only, it made me fall more in love with you…. Onn'a these days I gotta get you to ask me out for realsies…." A dreamy look crossed her face as she stared into his eyes for a moment, "That'd be amazing… like maybe even the best thing ever… And you know what? I've been doing some thinking, and you know whattineed? A pet peacock!" Had Kai heard her right? Sure they'd gone out together a couple of times (but was it as friends?), and yes, he'd always hoped she was at least interested, but this was different. If Skylor really was in love with him, then…
"Wait. Say that again... Please?" He begged.
"Uh... I wanna peacock?" She replied confusedly.
"No, before that…" But it was already too late; the moment was gone. She scrunched her eyebrows in concentration, then frowned.
"Hm… I-I.… got nothing… Sorry..."
"It's... It's fine." Kai assured her once it had become clear that nothing was going to jog her memory. Skylor yawned, looking deflated. The energy she'd seemed to have when he first arrived was vanishing rapidly.
"These meds... have really got me all messed up, huh?" The master of amber noted sleepily, in a moment of surprising lucidity, sinking back onto her pillows. She didn't even know the half of it…
"I understand… Why don't you try to get some rest now, okay?" He suggested.
"Mmm… fink I will…" She agreed as she snuggled into the thin white sheets, "G'night Kai..."
"Sweet dreams, Sky." As she shut her eyes with a contented smile, the master of fires heart twisted. There was so much he wanted, no needed, to say to her… but he couldn't, not now, and he wondered if there ever would be a perfect moment. Sighing softly, Kai smoothed the sleeping young lady's hair out of her face.
"Goodbye," He whispered, knowing full well that she couldn't hear him.
"If I ever have to clean out another industrial sized refrigerator full of rotten food, it'll be too soon…" Chad stated dramatically, collapsing into the nearest chair as he exited Master Chen's storeroom. The table in front of him, which happened to be in restaurant's main office, was covered with cleaning supplies, paperwork, and half empty coffee mugs.
"It could've been much worse, and you know it, Mr. I've held literally every job possible at the Ninjago City Mall." June replied, powering on her tablet. She pulled up the checklist they had been valiantly attempting to complete for most of the morning (there was only so much that could be accomplished at once when working with someone possessing Chad's attention span) and made a note next to 'Clean and inventory all supplies currently in storage; remove rotted foodstuffs'. They still had a lot to do if they wanted to have things up and running again before Skylor was released from the hospital. The bespectacled young lady was holding out hope that this would happen sooner, rather than later. She'd nearly flung her phone across the room in panic a few days ago when Kai had texted her to inform her that her friend (and boss) had been rushed to the ER in the aftermath of the battle. Skylor definitely didn't deserve everything the world had thrown at her, especially not being so ill. And she'd do anything she could to lessen the burdens she knew she carried in the meantime.
"Okay, yes. Anything's better than toilet duty…" He allowed, peering over June's shoulder to get a better look at what she was doing. The level of organization on the screen would never cease to impress him. He could barely keep track of his car keys, let alone make sense of the notes he wrote himself during his journalism courses (which had been paused due to an evil warlord taking over the city). How on earth did she manage it all so effortlessly? But that was just the way June was. For as long as Chad could remember, she had always been good at this sort of thing. Being the one to make sure things would turn out okay, no matter what. The quiet, but comforting force, always there to cheer him on. She hadn't always seen her own strength to begin with, but once she'd found her voice, she'd become unstoppable. And he loved her for it.
"You know, the bathrooms are still on the list if you'd like to revisit your glory days…" The manager of Master Chen's Noodle House informed him with an innocent smile. Chad shook his head vigorously.
"I'm good, thanks. My internship at Ninjago Times is definitely a step up from that."
"I know it is." June sighed, slumping in her seat as she ran some calculations in her head, "I just wish we could make it a bit longer without the city being in danger... We've had giant snakes, evil robots, a cult… when will it all stop?"
"It would be nice to graduate on time… but I'm really just glad we're both alive at this point…" The young man told her, planting a kiss on her cheek.
"And besides, think about how different our lives would be without some of the things that have happened over the years. You might not have ended up applying for your assistant manager position, and I know how much you love working here! And I know Skylor's super glad she has you for a friend…"
"That's very true," She agreed, "And you can't deny that those awkward run ins with the ninja contributed to your decision to go into journalism." Chad stood, flashing her a grin.
"Yep, and I couldn't be happier. Life's good; I've got a career I'm passionate about, a wonderful fiancée who puts up with my crazy ideas… Well, most of the time at least!" He pulled her to her feet,
"And… a restaurant in desperate need of some tlc… we should probably get back to work, huh?"
"Yeah, probably. C'mon, let's go see what the others are up to. I'm sure they are wondering why we're not finished with the inventory yet." Decided June. Still holding hands, they wandered back into the main part of the building. The employees that had so graciously volunteered to come in on their spare time and help revitalize the restaurant were hard at work. Several people were scrubbing the conveyer that usually displayed a variety of dishes. Still more wiped furiously to remove smudges from the windows. A pile of broken chairs and a table that was inexplicably missing a leg sat in one corner – a staunch reminder of lawlessness the SOG had lived by during Garmadon's reign of terror. It was a good thing no one had been present when the restaurant had been torn apart in the search for the green ninja and his friends. That wouldn't have ended well, she was certain. The sight had been devastating when they'd first arrived earlier that morning. But things were starting to look up, now. Even if there was definitely going to be some lingering trauma for some of them.
"It's looking better already. We'll have this place up and running again in no time!" Chad cheerfully declared, knowing just how worried June had been.
"Hey you guys. We were starting to worry that you'd gotten eaten by some sort of mutated refrigerator monster or something." Greeted one of the waitresses as she glanced over at the couple.
"We… got a bit sidetracked…" June explained.
"That's okay – as long as you weren't sucking each other's faces off in there." A busboy replied.
"… Did you really just say that, Kyle?" Someone else deadpanned.
"Yeah, have some respect. June's our boss. You oughta know better than that!"
"Okay," June called, stepping in before the discussion could turn into an argument (a relatively common occurrence with this particular set of individuals), "Hey, you know what? Everyone take a break. You've all been working so hard. Go get some food. And water – hydration's very important. I don't want to see any of you back here working for at least half an hour. But seriously, thank you so much for coming today. I know Skylor would really appreciate your dedication if she were here." This seemed to relieve the sense of tension that had been beginning to grow amongst the employees. They scattered in groups and pairs, grateful to be free of productivity for the time being.
"So… what are we gonna do with all this damaged furniture?" Asked one waitress, who happened to be lingering a bit longer than the others. June and Chad walked over to inspect it more closely.
"Hm… Most of it looks salvageable." The young man mused. She nodded thoughtfully.
"Yeah… I don't suppose you know of any good furniture repair businesses, Daisy?"
"Not off the top of my head, but I can ask around, if you want?" Replied the frizzy haired young lady.
"That would be a huge help." June commented, looking relieved.
"Sure thing, boss." Daisy said with a cheerful nod before heading off in search of lunch. The pair looked at each other, smiling tiredly, already missing the chaotic atmosphere and sense of comradery the others had provided.
"Which non bathroom related task shall we tackle next?" Questioned Chad, nudging his fiancée, eager to begin another project. A few more minutes of hard work wouldn't harm anything. They could always retrieve their sandwiches from the refrigerator later.
"Hm... We could-" The sound of the bell above the front door ringing prevented June from answering him.
"I'm sorry, but Master Chen's Noodle House is not open for business at the moment. I'm afraid you'll have to come back later if you want any noodles." She stated absently, a bit surprised that someone would attempt to eat there at a time like this.
"I'm not here for the food. Didn't you get my text?"
"Wait – Kai?" The young woman spun to face their visitor.
"Hey June, Chad." The master of fire greeted sheepishly.
"Oh my gosh. I've had my phone on silent all morning… I must have missed it. I'm so sorry!" June apologized, frantically rushing over to him.
"Eh, it's fine. It uh, looks like you've had your hands full here…" Kai commented, glancing about curiously. He had to admit that he hadn't anticipated seeing the restaurant in quite this bad of shape.
"Yeah. You should've seen the place when we got here. Total disaster!" Chad informed Kai, nodding vehemently.
"What.. What exactly happened, here? Was it the SOG?" He asked, eyes drawn to the broken furniture.
"Uhuh... We weren't here when they arrived... The... Incident with the colossus was broadcast on the news and Skylor sent us all home as soon as she saw it. She was so shaken – didn't want any of us to get hurt due to her relationship with you guys. And of course, she was being her usual caring self and prioritizing everyone else's wellbeing over her own, but it was so difficult to stand by and not be able to offer her any comfort. I've never seen her so upset before..." June frowned, "But anyway, we watched the security footage when we got here, and it was... pretty terrifying... They tore the place apart looking for any sign of the resistance. One of them even suggested burning the place down when they didn't find anything..." She explained. Seeing the all of this play out had obviously been anything but pleasant.
"Oh." Kai said, the realization of how much the disappearance of him and his friends had impacted Ninjago suddenly striking him much harder than it had before. He'd known it'd been tough on Nya and Lloyd, but it was clear that Skylor and her employees were just as affected. He should've checked in on them sooner...
"Yeah, but we'll get through it. I mean, the worst of it is over now that we have all of you back and Garmadon behind bars. You should see how hard everyone's been working. I know we all adore Skylor, because she's an amazing person, but it's so encouraging to see all of them come together to help her like this." June told him, smiling optimistically.
"She is amazing." The master of fire agreed softly, thinking back to his earlier conversation with her.
"Have you been able to visit her?" She inquired.
"I... Yes, every day... And just before I came here, actually." Kai informed her.
"H-how is she?" Came the anxious, but hopeful response. He paused for a moment, not quite sure how to describe her current state.
"She's… Well… She was awake for a little while this morning, so that's a good sign…"
"But?" June finished for him, somehow picking up on his uncertainty.
"Skylor and pain meds are an… interesting combination. She was really out of it and said some stuff that was definitely… unexpected… but do I blame her? No… I mean… She didn't know…" Rambled the master of fire awkwardly. June nodded sagely.
"She told you she was in love with you."
"Uh…? Yeah, she did, and it caught me totally off guard and I'm not sure if- Oh… Why am I even telling you this?" He muttered, massaging his temples.
"Kai, can I ask you something?" She asked, motioning for him to follow her.
"Yeah, sure, I guess?" Kai joined her at one of the booths that was still intact. Chad slipped into the booth as well, obviously curious about whatever it was that June was about to ask.
"When you and Skylor so clearly have feelings for each other, why are you still awkwardly dancing around each other instead of asking her out? I figured you would've started dating a long time ago…"
"I…" He sighed, an unreadable expression crossing his face, "It's complicated..."
"Welcome to Ninjago, Kai. In case you somehow missed it, everything here is complicated." Chad observed, looking at the master of fire like he was a world-class idiot. His fiancée elbowed him gently.
"Everyone has a few hiccups in their lives, sure… but you shouldn't let that prevent you from being with the person you love." June stated wisely.
"It just never felt like the right time, you know?" He told them, not meeting their eyes, "We always had so much on our plates… from the moment she got here, Skylor had to deal with everything that came with suddenly having an entire culinary empire thrust on her and I didn't feel like I could add more to her plate by asking for a relationship… and then Morro happened, and everything else, and I didn't want to hurt her if something happened and my duties interfered with things so I…" June and Chad glanced at each other, then at Kai. The bespectacled young lady chose her words carefully, knowing that someone needed to give him some perspective on this situation.
"Look. As your friend, I'm going to be honest with you, here. I know right now it feels like life will never calm down, like it's just one crazy thing after another, especially for someone like you who has to carry far more responsibility than is really fair… but if there's one thing I've learned over the past couple of years, it's that there's no such thing as a perfect moment, and that if you keep on waiting for one," She eyed him meaningfully as she continued, "You'll come to regret it one day because you'll have missed out on a lot of incredible things."
"I…" The master of fire bit his lip, realization hitting him hard. June was right, and deep down, he had already known that. What had he been thinking?
"Just… talk to her... Skylor loves you, Kai. She has for a long time. She'll understand." She advised encouragingly.
"You're right... I've put this off for long enough. The next time I visit the hospital, I'll tell her everything." Kai determined, doing his best to look confident. It was time for him to do what he should've done a long time ago. Suddenly a future with the girl of his dreams didn't seem like such an unrealistic possibility.
Thank you for continuing to read my work, all you fantastic people! I hope you enjoyed the second installment in Never a Perfect Moment! There will be a third (and likely final) chapter eventually, but I cannot make any guarantees on when it will be published. As always, if you have feedback or suggestions you would like to share, reviews are a wonderful way of making them known! Have a great summer!