A/N: hiya everyone, sorry about that little pause. with spring coming up, classes are calming down for a while. so many people have been reading the story, though! that's super cool, thanks guys :) hope everyone's staying safe out there. here's some fluff.

oOo

Nya grew up living with guys, first her uncle, then just her and Kai. So she'd thought the monastery life would at least be easy in that area.

As is customary in Nya's branch of luck, she's proven wrong.

Living with her brother is one thing. Living with four teenage boys (plus Sensei) is a completely different ballpark, not to mention—they're all ninjas. Or is it ninja? Nya doesn't know for sure.

Either way, Nya's Why I Hate This list is growing longer by the day. The guys are nice enough, but they're also guys, and by the looks of it, they're not very familiar with girls. Not that she'd been expecting or needing any special treatment, but Nya would appreciate some privacy every now and then.

One bathroom. That's all this place has, and it appears that some people don't know how to lower a toilet seat when they're done. Apparently ninja don't bother with cologne or anything along those lines, so it's hard to find a room that doesn't smell like sweat—and if she does happen to get that lucky, there's always someone else there.

Zane and Cole frequent the kitchen, popping in and out as they please, sometimes cooking, sometimes eating (Cole usually does the eating, since FSM knows he can't tell the difference between pepper and paprika). If Zane's not standing over the stove, he's meditating in a corner somewhere or practicing Spinjitzu in the courtyard.

Zane is—not exactly cold, but definitely less involved in conversation. A bit strange, jumping in with comments or jokes that don't quite make sense. Nya thinks he's just awkward, like her. The other guys tolerate Zane's perpetual obliviousness with surprising patience, except for maybe Kai, who's never had patience in his vocabulary.

Cole has been the warmest so far, in terms of openness. Nya's only complaint is that he doesn't know his own strength—yesterday he clapped her on the back and nearly sent her through a wall. From what she's gathered, he's the oldest, coming in at 16. He's also conveniently the leader, though she doesn't know if it's related to his age.

Then there's Jay. He's older than her, but only by a few months. Wherever Nya is, Jay is usually soon to follow, trailing after her most days like an "eager puppy", in Kai's words. Jay leans heavily on the dorky side and talks often—and quickly. Cole calls him "mouth of lightning", "zaptrap" and other punny names that sound rude but are actually just affectionate. Jay's full name in itself is a play on words: Jay Walker. He'd seemed embarrassed by it, but Nya laughed and assured him it was simply unique (while, simultaneously, a little funny).

Yeah, Jay's cute. But Nya's also thirteen and knows that feelings are quick to come and even quicker to go. She misses Aiden a little (a lot) and still wallows in frequent homesickness, so she doesn't pay Jay's obvious crush any mind.

He'll get over it, Nya thinks. After all, Jay is a ninja. He could find someone way cooler than her, she's not gonna hold him back from having an epic romance someday. Plus, Kai shoots daggers every time Jay glances in Nya's direction.

Not—not real daggers, of course, but Nya worries it might escalate to that eventually if she doesn't keep an eye on things. She's content staying just friends.

She's been living in this male-infested monastery for four days. Things are . . . not horrible, but does Nya often find herself wishing she'd stayed in bed on the day of the Skulkin invasion? Yes. Yes she does.

Unfortunately, she's becoming resigned to the facts. No matter how different it is from what she's used to, this is Nya's life now. There's no running from the inevitable. Resignation is one thing. Adjusting, though—that's the hard part.

No, she still doesn't have a bed. But when Kai found out she'd spent a night outside, he made it known that something had to be done. There weren't enough beds for an extra person, though, and there's no freaking way she'd share with Kai. Not in front of all these guys. Not even Nya is that shameless.

So the guys had put their four collective brain cells together and built Nya a blanket fort in the bunkroom. It's—something of an eyesore, if she's being honest, but the gesture was sweet. The hodgepodge of quilts is held up by two chairs, spaced apart so she can sleep in the middle. They'd thrown a few blankets and pillows in there and presented it proudly with a chorus of "ta-da!".

Yeah, it's not ideal. But at the very least, it gives her some much-needed privacy. The guys seem to forget every now and then that Nya is not, in fact, a boy. With all the roughhousing that goes on, one would think it was a monastery of pro wrestlers. She's narrowly avoided two games of tackle football in the courtyard, not to mention that one time—

"Good morning, Nya."

She starts, splashing some of the milk in her cereal. She's been sitting in the dining room, alone, for twenty minutes. The guys are—somewhere, probably training. Sensei Wu is in the doorway.

"Morning," she says. Nya's aware she probably looks like a mess, bags under her eyes and hair in disarray. Sensei is a fan of "sunrise exercise"—which is exactly what it sounds like. She doesn't participate, but she sure does hear the alarm clock go off every morning. Then all the guys getting ready causes such a ruckus that she can't fall back asleep.

"I realize I've failed to check in with you lately. How are you adjusting?"

Adjusting . . .

"Uh—okay, I guess." She stirs the cereal in the bowl.

"Are you alright? You look tired."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just not used to the—schedule."

"I see. Perhaps some tea would do you good."

Nya looks up from the bowl, frowning. "Tea?"

Sensei gives her a knowing smile. "Come with me."

He walks her to his quarters, an area she hasn't been able to explore thus far; Kai said it was off-limits to everyone except Sensei. Nya had expected a minimalistic layout, maybe some incense. But Sensei's room is decorated in such a beautifully chaotic fashion that she's pleasantly surprised. (There is incense, though, which was gratifying in a strange way.)

With oriental pillows and gold accents, the space is inviting and warm—not at all intimidating. Nya hasn't spoken much with Sensei yet, so yeah, her nerves are spiking a little bit. Thankfully he doesn't seem to have any malicious intentions, so Nya sits where he instructs, crossing one leg over the other.

"Tell me, Nya," Sensei says, pulling a teapot from—nowhere, somehow. "What can I do for you?"

Nya blinks, affronted. "I don't—I'm okay, I don't need anything."

"You're adapting well?"

"I'm . . . getting there." She tries to laugh, hoping to appear convincing,

"I understand this transition must be difficult for you, adjusting to your brother's new lifestyle." Sensei gestures. "One sugar or two?"

"Uh—one is fine."

He slides the teacup towards her and she cradles it, watching the steam wisp off the top. It smells . . . foreign, yet oddly compelling. She sips at it cautiously.

Not bad.

Sensei pours himself a cup, stirring in a syrupy substance resembling honey. "How is Kai?"

Nya blinks again. How's Kai? "Kai is—I mean, he's fine. This is, like, a dream come true for him. He loves it."

Sensei smiles at her again, fond with traces of sympathy. "You wish for Kai to be happy."

"Yeah. Of course I do."

"Admirable. I understand you two have seen each other through hard times."

Nya wonders exactly how much Kai has told him. Does Sensei know about Liam? About the shop? About living alone, missing out on school, on a normal childhood—

"Yeah, we've—been there for each other. It's always been us two, so I'm glad he has a family now."

Sensei looks up sharply, nailing her with a long look. She's startled by the intensity of it, the piercing gray eyes staring right through her. Everything inside her suddenly feels exposed. Vulnerable. Nya hastily looks down.

"Kai has found friends," Sensei says. "But you have always been his family."

Suddenly Nya is struck with the overwhelming urge to cry, but instead she takes another drink of her tea, holding the cup close to her chest as if it will protect her from this man's invasive insight.

"Thanks." She doesn't know what else to say.

"I should hope this change has not affected your relationship."

"With Kai?"

Sensei nods once, asking again, "What can I do for you, Nya?"

Nya fidgets, thinking. Truthfully, she's not exactly happy here. This is her chance to make a change, to throw in her opinion. But what can Sensei do? It's a den of boys, there aren't many effective ways to make the environment any better. She sighs.

"I wish I knew. I just—it's all these guys, and they have these really cool powers and stuff . . . and then I'm just—" Nya frowns, "—normal."

Pondering, Sensei continues to make slow progress on his tea. "You feel as though you don't fit in?"

"I guess so. I just don't wanna be—I dunno, an inconvenience or something."

Nya has often felt like an inconvenience, though she's never expressed it out loud like this. Heck, it's been a backseat fear of hers ever since she was a kid (or—a little kid, whatever). Liam is surely the root of that insecurity, since Nya can remember at least ten separate times he'd explicitly stated, "You kids are nothin' but problems."

Living with just Kai had been marginally better. He never told her she was annoying or loud or in the way. But just the same, Nya worried consistently that maybe Kai didn't want her around. There were times he'd get frustrated, or days he looked particularly stressed, and Nya spun through scenarios in her head, wondering if it was because of her.

Those fears had mostly subsided after Kai joined a ninja group to save her from Garmadon, but still. Being the only girl in a house full of guys is—exhausting, to say the least. What if they all secretly hate her? Kai's probably wishing he'd left her in Ignacia—

"Nya?"

She blinks, looking back up to meet Sensei's eyes. "Yeah?"

"I assure you, you are not an inconvenience."

"See, you say that, but I think the guys might be better off if—I dunno, if I went back home, or if they didn't have to—"

Sensei sets his teacup down with such force that Nya jumps a little, shoulders tensing. Taking a moment to compose himself, Sensei tugs on his beard for a moment. Then he leans forward, compelling Nya to make startling eye contact yet again. She holds her breath.

"You are just as crucial to this team as anyone else." Nya starts to interject but Sensei interrupts her. "No, Nya. I understand your concerns, and I'm sorry you feel this way. But I cannot sit by while one of my students feels overlooked."

Wait, what?

"S—student?" Nya frowns, thinking she must've misheard something. Kai and the others are his students. Not her. Not—not a short, powerless, thirteen-year-old girl that can't even—

"Student," Sensei affirms.

"But I don't—I don't have elemental powers or anything. I can't even, like, do Spinjitzu, or—"

Sensei laughs, shaking his head in a way that makes Nya feel like she's just said something very stupid. "Spinjitzu does not make you a ninja. Nor do elemental powers. Your abilities come from a different place, but that does not make you any less of an asset."

"What abilities," Nya mumbles, downcast. She swirls her tea absently.

"Kai tells me your smithing abilities rival your father's."

Nya looks up, feeling the air rush from her lungs. "Wha—he did?"

"Among many other things, yes. Your brother seems to think you are also quite skilled in mechanics, as well as gymnastics and sparring."

How is she supposed to respond to this? Kai was saying nice things about her? In front of his sensei? What kind of universe is she living in?

With disbelief, she raises on eyebrow. "Kai said all that stuff?"

Sensei chuckles. "He's quite fond of you."

Well, now Nya's going to melt, for sure. She feels her cheeks heating up, not bashfully, but something close. Maybe her stupid big brother is alright after all.

If Sensei notices her shifting expression, he doesn't comment. Rather, he says, "I'd like to spend some one-on-one time with you, every few days. Perhaps we could hone your skills on the training course."

Fireworks go off in Nya's mind, bright and flashing and raining color down on her like confetti. She feels the edges of her mouth twitching upwards, the beginnings of a tentative smile.

"You're serious? Like, you wanna train me?" Somewhere in there she'd forgotten to be cordial, or however she's supposed to talk to Sensei, she doesn't know. But right now she doesn't care. Besides, Sensei deals with those four boys every day, and they use words like gnarly. Nya's doing fine.

"If it's alright with you, of course."

She doesn't hesitate. "Yes! Yes, I'd love that, thank you!" Nya launches across the mat like a viper, throwing her arms around Sensei before immediately yanking herself backwards because whoa, she just crossed a line, probably. Stammered apologies fly out of her quicker than lightning but Sensei just laughs softly, awkwardly smoothing his robes.

"Don't apologize," he says, eyes twinkling. "I look forward to working with you."

Nya nods her thanks, still feeling a bit uncomfortable with her unannounced display of gratitude a few moments ago. But she takes that as her cue to go. The teacups have disappeared, somehow (how does he do that?). Nya stands, a little wobbly with glee, and walks to the door with as much composure as she can convincingly pull off. As soon as she's in the hall, though, Nya brings her fists to her chest and squeals, bouncing up and down with barely contained energy.

She's gonna train. With, like, a professional! With the son of the First Spinjitzu Master—holy heck, Nya is over the moon—

"Someone's happy."

Nya yelps, spinning around to find Kai behind her, looking apprehensive. He glances to Sensei's closed door, then raises his eyebrows at her.

"Were you talking to Sensei?"

"Um. Yeah, actually. He's . . . super cool."

Kai gives her an odd look but lets it drop, surprisingly. "Okay. Well, do you have a second? There's somethin' I wanna show you."

Of course, Nya's first instinct is to be suspicious. She frowns, backing up one step as though something is going to pop out from around the corner. "Show me what?"

"Just—c'mon, okay?"

Nya figures the least she can do is humor him, so she follows him down the hall, all the way back to the bunkroom. The door is wide open and when Nya looks in, she sees the other three boys scrambling around, bumping into each other. Upon noticing her presence, they halt, eyes wide.

"OH—h-hey, Nya," Jay stammers, untangling his left leg from a pile of blankets on the floor.

Cole rubs the back of his neck, looking at Kai. "Did you tell her?"

"Tell me what—"

Kai nods at the mess in the bunkroom. "I thought it was ready?"

"It is, we were just grabbing some stuff last minute," Cole assures.

Jay grabs the blankets from the floor. "Finishing touches!"

Even Zane looks excited as he says, "We are ready!"

"Ready for what?" Nya barks, feeling ignored. They all turn to her.

"For your surprise!"

Nya's confusion turns into outright shock when all four guys start herding her even farther down the hall, buzzing with anticipation and overlapping chatter. There's a hint of panic rising in Nya's chest, though. They're probably about to pull the world's worst prank on her and she's gonna be humiliated and it's—

The group stops abruptly, at the end of the hall. There's a door here. Nya remembers that it's a storage room, Kai showed her on the first day.

Okay, it's definitely a prank. What're they gonna do? Lock her in? Is there something freaky inside? Maybe Sensei's in on it and he's gonna jump out and—

"Open the door," Kai urges, giving her shoulder a little shove.

Nya glances at each ninja in turn, reading their expressions. Cole's chewing his tongue. Zane is utterly unreadable, as always. Jay's bouncing on the balls of his feet, grinning. Kai just looks anxious. Surely it's not anything crazy, right? Kai knows she's not having the best time, he wouldn't let them totally embarrass her.

. . . Right?

Well, Nya doesn't have much dignity to lose, at this point. She steels herself and turns the knob, pushing the door open and closing her eyes, one foot still in the hall. But after a few moments of reassuring silence, Nya peeks and—

"What!" she shrieks gleefully.

The guys break into uproarious exclamations, jostling each other in the most boyish display of adrenaline that Nya's ever seen. But she doesn't mind them. She's focused on the storage room, which has been converted into an organized (albeit a little small) bedroom.

Nya steps in, spinning slowly to take it in. Somehow they've crammed a bed and dresser in here, which is the only furniture that will reasonably fit. But the best part? The lights.

A while ago (it feels like a lifetime, now), Nya had configured her own strings of lights. She hung them up around her room, proud that she'd made the power source herself. Even Kai was impressed. And it seems that he's not as airheaded as Nya often claims he is, because those same lights are now strung from corner to corner, illuminating the tiny space with purple and blue.

She turns to her brother. "You brought these?"

Kai grins smugly. "Yep. I thought you'd notice they were missing but you didn't. Worked out for me, I guess."

Nya reaches over to smack him. Typical Kai, pretending it was all an ego boost for him and not a thoughtful act of kindness. She supposes he can't risk lowering his cool factor in front of the others.

Jay bounds over, cheerfully depositing the blankets onto the bed.

"Now it's done!" he says, spreading his arms out. "We wanted ya to have your own space, ya know?"

Zane pipes up, "It was originally Kai's idea, but we offered to assist him with the furniture!"

Nya blinks, realizing. "Wait, yeah. Where did you get the bed?"

The boys all exchange alarmed glances, then collectively chime, "Nowhere!"

Although the response is concerning, Nya figures it's probably for the best that she doesn't know. Anyway, it's probably the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for her. Maybe—well, maybe it's not so bad, living here. Sure, she misses home. She always will, probably. But this is nice. They care. That's more than enough right now.

Nya thanks them all earnestly, gaze lingering a little longer on Kai, who she knows deserves the majority of the credit. Now that the excitement has died down, the guys split off to their respective tasks and duties for the day (most of which probably include a lot of video games). Still smiling, Nya returns to her new room, giving everything another look.

It's small, but she'd shared a smaller one with Kai when they lived with Liam. This is hers. She might actually get some sleep now, since sunrise exercise won't interfere with her personal schedule. Or—maybe it will. Boys can be exceptionally noisy without even trying. Nya knows that now.

But they can actually be decent, too. Who would've thought?

So things come together after all. Living with all boys is loud and fast-paced and messy and—kind of gross, sometimes, but honestly? Nya can't really complain. Her fears from earlier have mostly diminished, fading into something more manageable. Not as painful. At the very least, she can always count on Kai.

Speaking of Kai. That idiot never stuck around so she could properly thank him, but that's fine. Nya's always been an expert at tracking him down.

He's not gaming, which is unusual, so Nya checks the courtyard, which is empty. But she hears low tones coming from somewhere outside, like someone's talking. And she'd recognize the voice anywhere.

Nya bounces out to the path, carefully navigating around until she can hear Kai more clearly. She pokes her head around the corner and sees him standing right outside Flame's stall, the dragon's huge snout visible as Kai pets it.

"I think they'd be proud of me," Kai is saying. Nya realizes he's talking to the dragon, which is . . . well, kind of sweet, actually. She remembers how mistrustful Kai had been at first, how he'd approached Flame with so much caution and impatience. And now here he is, confiding in the creature as though they've been companions for life.

She doesn't want to intrude, but this is Kai she's talking about.

"Caught ya," she says, rounding the corner. Kai whips around, eyes wide, then rubs a sheepish hand behind his neck.

"Yeah. Caught me. What can I say, the big guy is growin' on me!"

Nya grins. As soon as she's close enough for Flame to notice her, his head lifts, mouth opening to roar in greeting. She scratches his snout, a little smug. "I'm still his favorite, though."

Scoffing, Kai says, "Debatable."

Soon they find themselves plopped on the edge of the path, legs dangling over the cliffside as the morning sun crawls higher in the sky. Nya has to admit that the view is spectacular from up here, all rolling clouds and the faint traces of civilization down below. The air is cool, as it always is at this altitude, but Kai's body heat is as present as ever, radiating like a personal furnace.

He looks normal today. No cartoonish ninja outfit, no glistening sword hanging from his back. No throwing stars or red hoods or lame superhero banter. Just jeans and a hoodie. Just Kai.

"I like you best this way," she says, immediately wondering if maybe she should've kept her mouth shut. Kai's been a bit defensive lately.

Surprisingly, he just raises a brow. "What way?"

"Ya know, just regular old clothes, regular old shoes . . . regular old brother."

"What, ninja suit not cool enough?"

"No, it's totally cool! Super cool. But—it's not—I dunno."

Something in Kai's expression softens, like he understands. "Yeah, I know. I'm still getting used to it, too. Crazy stuff."

"Yeah."

They laugh.

Nya angles her head down, squinting against a gust of wind. "I wanted to say thanks, though."

"For what?"

"You know what."

Kai doesn't admit it, of course. He's too mature and manly to take credit for something kind or loving. He's always been a teddy bear, but never very vocal. Which Nya is fine with, since she sees right through him anyway.

"Are you accusing me of doing something nice for my sister?" he asks, feigning astonishment.

"That's exactly what I'm doing."

"Well, you've got the wrong guy. I would never stoop so low. But if I had . . . I'd say you're welcome." He turns to her. "So. You're welcome. Hypothetically."

"Hypothetically."

Another beat of silence. Then Kai slings an arm over her shoulders.

"Sooo, you and Jay, huh—?"

"I am not having this conversation—"

"No, I'm curious—"

"Nope, no—"

"Hey get back here!"

So, to say the least, the ninja lifestyle is nothing Nya had expected it to be. It's noisy and complicated and different than what she's used to. Boys are still weird and heights are still scary. Kai is still a total nerd.

But there's also fun training equipment and dragons and a sensei that wants to teach her! There's still her samurai mech project (currently on hold) and a future to look forward to. She might not have any cool powers, but maybe she can ask Sensei for one of those dorky outfits. That seems like a compromise.

In the meantime though, Nya's content where she is, squealing with laughter as she darts away from Kai, whose smile is bright as he chases her back to the monastery.

oOo

A/N: hopefully the next chapter will be up sooner, we'll get to see some jaya and a few more canon moments (reimagined, mostly, but still relevant). thanks for reading!