Garmadon stared down at his glass of water. A few birds chirped cheerily outside, and the morning sunlight drifting through the kitchen window in rays of beautiful white light. He sat at the kitchen table, hands clutching his glass.
Garmadon was tired. He hadn't managed to sleep much. After tossing and turning for a couple hours, he'd given up and came in here. He yawned, then sipped his water. Yesterday had gone really well with Wu, and he was able to stay at the monastery, but…the thought of Ichor possibly coming again sent shivers of dread down his spine. What would he tell Wu next? Was there anything else to tell him…? He was sure there was.
He sighed. He blinked tiredly, staring at the water sitting peacefully in the glass. Anxiety, dread, and fear seemed to be the only emotions he felt nowadays. And guilt. Rarely was there happiness or relief or peace.
"Dad?"
Garmadon jumped, the water wavering. He looked back, seeing Lloyd standing in the doorway.
His son gaped, blond hair disheveled, eyes wide with shock. "Y-you're…you're back?"
"Um…yeah. Last night."
Lloyd stared at him for a few seconds. Then his hands clenched, eyes growing glassy. "W-why…why did you leave? Again?"
Garmadon frowned, stomach twisting. I hurt him. AGAIN. Why had he run off? "I…I'm sorry, Lloyd. It's…" He stood. What excuse could he possibly come up with? He'd been a coward. And left his son alone once more. He walked over to him in a couple quick strides. He needed to fix this.
Lloyd watched him, biting his lip, looking like he was desperately trying to keep himself together.
His broken expression sent shards of guilt into him.
Garmadon pulled him into a hug. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, I said I'd never leave and then I did again…" He bit his lip hard, blinking back the sting of tears. I'm such a failure.
Lloyd choked on a sob, then burst into tears, flinging his arms around him. "Please…don't do something like that again. Please stay here. I don't…I don't want…" He sucked in another choked sob. "Promise you'll never leave again."
Garmadon bit his lip hard, leaning his head on Lloyd's. "I…promise." He wasn't sure if he'd be able to keep that promise. He'd already broken his promise to stay. But…he didn't want to hurt Lloyd again. He wanted to be a good father to him. He didn't want his son to have to worry like this, to wonder if his dad was ever going to come home again, if he was going to stay for once, permanently.
He rubbed his son's back slowly, his grip on him tightening slightly.
Lloyd's sobs slowed ten minutes later, leaving him sniffling and shaking.
Garmadon ran his fingers through his son's blond, soft hair, trying not to feel sick. He had messed up so badly. And Lloyd was heartbroken, again. "Hey, um…you want something to eat?"
He shook his head. "I'm not hungry…"
His heart sunk. "Well…you've got to eat something." He pulled away, ruffling his son's hair. "Come and sit down, and I'll try to make something."
"Try…?" Lloyd rose an eyebrow halfheartedly, eyes red and puffy from crying.
"Yeah." He smiled awkwardly, then took him by the arm, leading him to the table. He sat him down next to his glass of water.
Lloyd looked at the water, then to Garmadon, sitting straighter. "What are you going to make?"
"Uh…maybe eggs?" Garmadon picked up the water. "You like eggs, right?"
He nodded slowly. "Can I help?"
"Sure." He smiled, gulped down the rest of his water, and then set the glass by the sink. He turned and opened the fridge.
Lloyd leaped out of his seat, running over. "What can I do?"
"Do you know how to crack eggs?"
"Um…I can figure it out, I think."
"Okay." Garmadon smiled, then took the egg carton out. He set it on the counter. "Do you know where pans are?"
"Yup." Lloyd bent down, opened a cupboard, and then pulled out a pan. "You…know how to make eggs, right…?"
He smiled awkwardly again, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well…mostly. Wu usually did the cooking…" He took the offered pan from Lloyd, setting it on the stove. "Let's see…we need butter or something first."
His son grabbed a stick of butter. "How much?"
"Just a little."
He cut a little off with a knife, then plopped it into the pan. He set the knife back by the butter.
Garmadon turned the stove on. He fiddled with the temperature for a few seconds, then left it on high uncertainly.
Lloyd took an egg out of the egg carton. "How many eggs do you want?"
"Um…just a couple."
He nodded, walking over with four eggs in his arms. "Hold these, and I'll crack 'em."
Garmadon blinked, then hesitantly took them.
Lloyd held one egg, looking it over, then hit it against the pan. It cracked, almost squishing into itself. He carefully opened it, plopping the egg in. A few eggshells came with. "Uh…the shell is edible, right?"
"Think so. It's fine. It'll just…have the consistency of sand."
Lloyd smiled a little, then took another egg, He cracked it, this one actually squishing into itself, and making a yoke mess. He winced, then tried to get the egg part into the pan, filtering it through his fingers while trying to keep the shell out.
Garmadon watched, biting his lip to keep from smiling. "If…you don't want the ones with shells in, I can have those."
"Uh…yeah…maybe you should crack the last two." Lloyd stepped back, holding his hands away from himself to keep the dripping egg off himself.
He set the last two eggs on the counter, still trying not to smile. He took one egg, then cracked it against the pan. He managed to open it up and plop it in with only one shell escaping into the pan. He took the other egg and did the same.
Lloyd walked over to the sink. "I'll…uh, wash." He stared at the sink, then tried to figure out how to turn it on without egging the sink.
By this time, the eggs in the pan had started to sizzle, large bubbles popping up on them. Garmadon grabbed a spatula, then turned on the sink for Lloyd.
"Thanks—"
An egg popped loudly, spraying some juices onto the floor.
Garmadon winced.
"Dad, you sure you don't have that on too high?" Lloyd rinsed his hands in the water, then dumped some dish soap on.
"Uh…I have no idea." Garmadon quickly ran to the stove, turning the temperature down. He winced, staring at the dials. They were…much too similar to Ichor's machine stuff. He swallowed, shaking his head. He could not be thinking about that right now—
Another egg popped.
—especially while he was trying to cook and the eggs were exploding.
He flipped the eggs, breaking them terribly. They continued to pop and sizzle angrily.
Lloyd walked over, wiping his wet hands on his pants. "How's it going?"
"…I think I killed them."
He looked into the pan. It now had smoke starting to rise, the eggs browning crunchily at the edges and tangled into a white and yellow eggy, shelly mess. "Yup…they're pretty dead." He giggled, then quickly slapped a hand over his mouth.
Garmadon smirked, laughing. "They should still taste good. Want to get some plates out?"
Lloyd nodded, smiling wide, then grabbed two plates. He set them on the counter.
"What are you two doing?"
They both jumped, turning to see Misako.
She smiled awkwardly, walking in. "Sorry, I'm not trying to interrupt. Carry on. Are you making eggs?"
Lloyd nodded. "Uh…yeah. Sort of." He rubbed the back of his neck.
Garmadon put two eggs on each plate—though the eggs were so broken that he couldn't tell one egg from another.
Misako walked over, looking at them. "I'm glad you both seem to be having fun."
"Did you want an egg?" Garmadon looked at her.
She smiled. "No, thank you. I think I'll take my chances with something else."
He smiled awkwardly, nodding, then grabbed his plate.
"Wait, you forgot the salt and pepper." Lloyd grabbed the salt and pepper shaker.
"Oh…right."
"At least I know how to do this part…" Lloyd put salt and pepper on both their plates of eggs, then grabbed two forks from a drawer. He set one fork on Garmadon's plate.
"Thanks." He walked to the table and sat down.
Lloyd sat next to him, experimentally tapping his eggs with his fork.
Misako started some toast, watching them with a small, soft smile.
Garmadon stared at the eggs, then stirred them slowly.
Lloyd stuck some in his mouth. He crunched on a few eggshells, making a face. "Zane's eggs are better."
He laughed. "I'm sure." He took a bite, ignoring the crunchiness of the eggshells. He'd eaten worse in the Underworld.
Lloyd couldn't think they tasted too bad though, since he scarfed them down quickly.
Misako came and sat by them, taking a bite of her toast. She looked at Lloyd's empty plate he was scraping clean. "Was it good?"
Lloyd shrugged. "Meh. But I was hungry."
She smiled. "Okay."
He stood, picking up his plate and fork, and went and set them in the sink. He walked back over. "Thanks for the eggs, Dad." He smiled.
"You're welcome, but I didn't do all the work." Garmadon took a bite of the eggs. "You helped."
Lloyd hugged him. "Thanks anyway."
He smiled.
His son stepped back and quickly left the kitchen.
Misako watched him leave, then looked at Garmadon. "I'm glad you two are bonding."
He nodded. "Yeah…me too."
They ate in silence, and Garmadon found he enjoyed Misako's presence. He did wonder where Ochre was, though. Usually, he'd come in begging for eggs.
As if on cue, there was an excited bark.
Garmadon looked as Ochre padded into the kitchen, tail wagging. He sat down by him, ears pricked and yellow eyes fixed on him.
Garmadon smiled, then gave him a bit of egg.
Ochre gobbled it down.
"He has his own food now, right?" Misako asked.
Garmadon nodded. "Yeah. I've been feeding him it every day."
"Hmm." She watched the dog, then stood, finishing her toast. She set her plate in the sink.
Garmadon also finished and stood, following her over, and put his plate and fork in the sink. Ochre followed, begging for more scraps.
"You hungry?" Garmadon walked over to Ochre's food and water bowl, giving him some dog food and refilling his water bowl.
The dog happily gobbled down the food.
Garmadon smiled, patting his back. "Good boy, Ochre."
Misako watched Garmadon and Ochre, leaning against the counter. "Garmadon?"
"Hmm?"
"Could we talk?"
He looked at her, straightening. "Oh…sure." He rubbed Ochre behind the ears, then walked over.
Ochre continued to eat his food.
"I just wanted to talk about what happened yesterday. With that man who cut your face and beat you up." Misako bit her lip, watching him closely.
Garmadon blinked, suddenly looking uneasy. "Oh."
"You know that was wrong of him to do, right?"
"Um…" He shrugged, looking away.
"You didn't deserve that."
"But I did. You know what I've done."
"I do. But it's in the past, most of it wasn't your fault, and you're trying to be better. Besides, whoever that creep was, doesn't have any right to exact 'justice' onto you. Please don't let someone hurt you again. Alright?"
Garmadon bit his lip.
Misako sighed. Maybe this conversation wouldn't convince him, but it was something they should work on. She paused, though. They? She watched Garmadon.
He shifted, looking away.
Ochre walked over, tail wagging as he licked his jaws.
Garmadon patted his head, smiling a little—that same, cute, crooked smile that had drawn her younger self to him.
Her face reddened, but she didn't look away. They. The word made her wonder…was it possible for them to be together again? Had too much happened between them? I…really do love him. She suddenly didn't doubt it anymore. It was no use trying to deny it. She briefly thought of Wu, guilt hitting her.
What do I do?
And watching Garmadon and Lloyd cooking eggs together… It struck something in her. Lloyd needs his father. And they'd been so happy, too.
But did Garmadon even love her? Did he have feelings for her? So much time had passed… When he'd become Emperor Garmadon, it was clear he had none. When he'd seemingly turned good, he didn't either. But now… What did he think of her?
She bit her lip, sticking her clenched hands in her pockets. Her heart raced, her body feeling hot and tense.
Garmadon looked at her, then frowned. "Are you okay…?"
Misako stuttered for an answer, then pulled out her phone. "Y-yes, I-I'm fine. I'm sorry, I should get to work."
He blinked. "Didn't you lose your phone at the museum last night?"
"Oh…yes. But I got it back this morning. And P.I.X.A.L. managed to fix it." She smiled awkwardly. "Um…don't you have therapy this morning?"
Garmadon frowned, his mood instantly lowering. "Probably…"
She nodded. "You should get ready to go—it starts soon." Misako walked out, staring at her phone and trying to keep her hands from shaking, gripping it tightly. What should she do? She stuffed her phone in her pocket, taking a breath. It would be fine. Everything would somehow work out okay.
Right?