It was about eleven in the evening when Lloyd returned to the Bounty. It was dark and quiet. Every one must have gone off to bed. Good. Lloyd snuck inside and turned to the hallway leading to his room. The door slowly opened with a creak. Lloyd entered and softly closed the door behind him. It was dark alright, but the moonlight shined through the blinds and landed on the wooden floor. As Lloyd tiptoed his way towards his bed, he felt something was off. He turned around and the first thing he sees were a pair of two bright blue orbs, followed by its silhouette of a body, accompanied by three others.
"Aw man," Lloyd said as the lights were flicked on with Kai leaning on the side of the switch. The rest of the ninja gave Lloyd a serious look. Lloyd swallowed.
"Hey, guys…" he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "What are you all doing up so late?"
"That's what we want to ask you, Mister-Sneaking-Out-Behind-Our-Backs!" Jay said in a tone more annoyed than angered.
Lloyd tried to evade as he pretended to yawn. "You know what I'd love to talk some more but I'm tired so let's just talk tomorrow okay- Hey!" He found himself being carried by Cole and the five of them headed out of their bed room.
"Hey put me down, Cole! I'm not a kid anymore! You can't do this! This is an invasion of personal space!"
"Can't do it, Green Machine," Cole told him. "We have questions that need answering, and you're not getting away easily this time." Lloyd crossed his arms.
"Fine, sheesh. At least tell me where we're going."
The group made their way to the bridge. Cole put Lloyd down. Zane stood near the table while Jay sat on it. Kai closed the door and leaned against it. Cole turned on the TV and switched to the local news.
"This is Gayle Gossip with breaking news, reporting live from Lotus Garden Hotel, where an interesting story awaits. It's that time of the year where the most prominent business people and corporate giants gather to celebrate what's known as Ninjago's Grand Business Gala. In the middle of the party some armed robbers crashed into the scene and began looting the guests. However, the Green Ninja appeared in the midst of the crime and thwarted said criminals. How did the Green Ninja arrive just in the nick of time? Witnesses believe that the Green Ninja attended the party as a guest. Others say he was attending as someone's body guard. Other sources also say that he went as someone's date. Perhaps a celebrity? We don't know for sure. This is Gayle Gossip-"
Cole switched off the TV. Kai then approached Lloyd with a stern look on his face. His arms were also crossed as he raised a brow. "So, you've got a sideline it seems."
"What?!" Lloyd replied. "No. It's not like that."
"I knew something was up!" added Jay as he jumped off the table to circle around Lloyd like some vulture. "Didn't I tell you guys something was up? You're on every channel, Lloyd!"
"Give him room to explain himself," Zane intervened. "Lloyd has never been one for brash actions." 'Thank you, Zane.' Lloyd thought.
"Zane's right," Cole said as he put a hand on Jay's shoulder. "Okay Lloyd, what's up with you? Why have you been sneaking out lately? You've become real distant from us. Is it because of those rich guys?"
"And what's with the fancy getup?" Jay added as he began feeling the jacket that Lloyd was still wearing. "Now that's high class tailoring right there."
"Lemme see that," Kai said as he put his hand on Lloyd's shoulders to feel the fabric. "Wow, it is! Lloyd, how can you even pay for such a suit? And why were you at the hottest party of the year?"
"Hey, quit it!" Lloyd abrasively removed his teammates hands off him and moved away from them. He then dusted himself off, as if Kai and Jay transferred some sort of disease on then removed his jacket and folded it neatly on his arm. "First of all, it was a gift. Second of all, I needed one for that party."
"Okay, but why were you at that party?" Cole continued to probe. "You endorsing a new product or something?"
"No that's not it!" Lloyd was starting to yell now.
"Then quit whining and just tell us!" Jay yelled back.
"I suggest you stop pressuring him, Jay," Zane spoke up once more. "Let him tell his tale at his own-"
"Shut it, Zane!"
"No way! I'll never hear the end of it! I have rights to privacy too you know!" Lloyd said to them, the volume of his voice higher than ever.
"Shhh!" Kai put his finger to his lips. "Not so loud! Or you'll wake-"
Too late. The door creaked open revealing Sensei Wu and Nya right behind him.
"Boys," Wu began. "Why are you raising your voices at such a late hour?"
"Yeah guys," Nya said as she rubbed her eyes to get a better view of what was happening. "What's all the- Oh." She stopped mid-sentence when she saw Lloyd still in his formal wear.
"You knew?!" Jay asked Nya, pointing a finger at her. Nya raised her hands in defense.
"Hey, I just knew a few days ago." She then turned around. "Guess I'm not needed here. I'll see you guys tomorrow. Try to keep the volume low could you?" She then shuffled her way back to her room.
"We're gonna have to talk about this tomorrow!" Jay called out to her as she disappeared. Kai then closed the door once more to enclose the ruckus they were making.
"So, Lloyd," Sensei resumed. "You're looking…sharp." Even he wasn't used to looking at his students or his nephew in such chic attire.
"Sensei!" Jay started. "He's been sneaking out, hanging out with rich people, and buying suits beyond his allowance!" He did this whilst pointing his finger at the Green Ninja accusingly. Wu paused before deciding to speak. He then stroke his beard as he started talking.
"What have you been doing, Lloyd? Why are you keeping secrets from your brothers? Don't you trust them anymore?" Lloyd hung his head. It's not that he wanted to be secretive about it, he just didn't know how to assess the situation, and he was so sure telling his brothers would turn things for the worse on his end.
"It's not that, Sensei."
"Then, what is it? You know nephew, trust is important to have in a good team. If one of them does something behind the others' backs, you are breaching their trust, and that will be hard to regain."
"I know Sensei. I just don't know if I'm comfortable in sharing what I've been up to lately. If I do, I don't think I'll ever have time for myself again."
"What have you been doing exactly?" Kai asked. The other ninja were already leaning forward, ever so curious to what their younger brother would say. Lloyd took notice of this and bit his lip.
"It is best you let it out, Lloyd," Wu coaxed him. "It'll be easier for you and everyone else in the near future."
Seeing that he had no choice but to come clean, Lloyd took a deep breath and exhaled. "Okay. But you guys have to promise me not to laugh about it, or bring it up to the point that you'll invade my personal space." He looked at his brothers dead in the eye.
"Got it," Kai said.
"Sure," Cole replied.
"You have my word." Zane then turns off his humor switch.
For Jay it was harder. He inhaled for a while before belching out an "Okay, fine!"
Lloyd took a deep breath before continuing. He had to make sure he said this clearly to avoid repetition. "Remember during Valentine's Day? I met someone, a girl."
"A GIRL?!" Kai, Cole and Jay yelled in unison. Sensei raised his hand to quiet them. They covered their mouths so that Lloyd could proceed.
"Well, I didn't think she was a girl at first, 'cause she dressed up like a guy that day. We ended up hanging out after that and she asked me to be her bodyguard tonight, because there's this guy who keeps following her. It just so happens that I was there when the guests were getting robbed. So yeah, that's what I've been up to." When he finished, he looked at his teammates. As expected, his teammates were stifling their laughter to the point that they were holding each other's mouths and not their own. Zane, true to his word, didn't say anything. Thus he was the first to speak.
"Who's this girl, if I may ask?"
"Her name's Jacquelyn, but she goes by Lyn."
GASP!
Kai, Cole and Jay finally let go of each other and began catching their breathes. They were too tired to laugh now and decided to regain the air they just lost.
"Okay- so-" Kai stated between breathes. "You met this Lyn during Valentine's day and mistook her for a boy."
"Yes."
"You pretended to be her bodyguard to protect her from some sort of stalker," Cole continued.
"Not pretend, but yeah I was her temporary bodyguard."
"And you just happen to be at the hottest party in town, where some crooks decide to drop by and loot, allowing you to kick butt and save the day?" Jay finished.
"Yes. That's what I just said." Lloyd said in an annoyed tone. For a while no one spoke. Then the three boys crowded around him and simultaneously gave him a slap on the back. Lloyd felt the air knocked out of him, and instead of hearing insults, he heard quite the opposite.
"Way to go, Lloyd!" Jay said.
"Can't believe my boy's now a man!" Kai exclaimed.
"Alright! Go Lloyd!" Cole added. Even Zane without his humor switch complemented for a job well done. Lloyd couldn't believe his ears.
"Wait, what?!"
"You've scored a good one, Lloyd. A girl who pretended to be a guy. A girl of surprises." Kai said. Lloyd rolled his eyes at this.
"And agreeing to be her bodyguard, even if you blew your cover. Nice!" Jay complemented.
"And singlehandedly defeating a bunch of criminals and saved the day! In an expensive suit no less," added Cole.
"Indeed," Zane concluded. "Your deeds were very noble."
"Wow you guys," replied Lloyd. "I never expected you to say that."
"Oh man Lloyd," Kai spoke up again. "You'll sweep this girl off her feet in no time."
"I- wait, what?"
"It's obvious you like this girl. Just continue what you're doing, and she's yours."
Lloyd put his hands in his face in frustration. Of course Kai would think this way. "That's not how it is, okay? We're just friends, nothing more. She sees me as a friend and I see her as a friend too. There's nothing beyond us than that." The ninja then peered closer at him like they were looking into his soul.
"Just you wait, Lloyd. It's not long before you fall for this girl," Jay told him.
"After a while, you'll start wondering, 'Are we still just friends or something more?'" Cole added.
"Then you'll realize you love her and can't live without her," Zane continued.
"And you'll do everything you can to be with her and never let her go," Kai finished.
"I-uh" Lloyd immediately turned around before his friends could catch him blush. Besides, it was too early to think about those things. They just met a few weeks ago. Surely that wasn't enough to start a romantic relationship. Besides, they were just friends. Right? "We're just friends. That's it. Can't you guys respect that decision?"
"Alright, that's enough, students," Sensei Wu finally intervened. "Do not push your brother to say anymore. Let's each respect each other's decisions and views. It's late. Every one back to bed. We still have a long day ahead of us."
Everyone nodded with a "Yes, Sensei" and proceeded to their sleeping quarters.
As everyone lay on their beds sound asleep, Lloyd still tossed and turned. He couldn't get what his teammates said to him. Is that the inevitable for him and Lyn? Can't he have a friend outside his team who just wanted to have fun? Someone who still saw him as someone other than the Green Ninja, but a young man, who at his core, was still a boy who wants to relive his childhood every now and then? Can't he at least have that? Lloyd pondered on these questions. He then checked his phone and saw that he had a text message. He opened it and a smile crept on his lips. It was from Lyn.
I'm sorry for the trouble l caused you, but I'm glad you agreed to go anyway. Thank you so much! See ya soon!
Lloyd turned off his phone and closed his eyes. 'Yeah, just friends.'
Yes! Another chapter posted within a week! Thank you again for all the reviews! What do you guys think of the ninja's reaction to their baby brother "growing up"? I'd love to know XD
MMM - Will Lloyd and Lyn get together? you're gonna have to keep reading to find out.
Would I write a one shot of Lloyd and Lyn doing M rated? No. I'm sorry but absolutely not. I'm not comfortable with writing M rated stories. I hope you understand.
Till the next chapter ~ SnowflakeShard