Flyte
••• Little White Lies •••

🛹🥺💖
where are you?
Sent 8.03am

Me
Picking up something special ;)))

Delivered

🛹🥺💖
:0
Sent 8.04am

I smiled at my phone as I exited the comic book store with Jay, bag in hand. It was a quick phone call and stop by, but at least I wouldn't be going into Lloyd's birthday empty-handed. I'll do something more heartfelt next year, when I have the luxury of time on my side.
"Thanks for taking me, Jay," I turned to the lightning ninja with a grateful grin. He shrugged, freckled cheeks puffing with a beaming smile.
"Hey, I should be thanking you!" he said brightly. "It got me out of doing the breakfast dishes!"
I giggled as we made our way to Mr. Robuntusson's store for the second part of my gift.
"What did you get him?" I asked Jay as we strolled down the nearly empty sidewalk. It was early for a Saturday morning, and aside from the joggers, it was just us.

"Mm, nothing," Jay shook his head. "He doesn't really like birthdays."
I blinked, shoulders dropping.
"Oh," I said, glancing down at the bag in my hand in disappointment. "Should I have not..?"
"Nah, don't worry about it," Jay shook his head as we crossed the road. "I'm sure he'll love it anyway."
"Why doesn't he like birthdays?" I asked, frowning softly. "That doesn't sound like Lloyd."
Jay shrugged. I suspected that he knew the reason very well and was keeping silent by choice. I pursed my lips but didn't press. I had more important things to think about, like remembering which candies Lloyd liked best.

After catching a ride back to the monastery on Jay's dragon, we bounded inside. It seemed that the only thing we were doing for Lloyd's birthday was a big lunch, which honestly didn't feel more special than usual. I was genuinely stunned - I assumed that Lloyd would be all about birthdays, but I guess not.
"Does he hate birthdays? Or just impartial?" I asked.
"Impartial," Jay replied as we walked up the steps to the entrance. "He doesn't love it but he doesn't hate it."
I nodded in acknowledgment, clutching the bags tighter. I hoped that he didn't think I was being pushy last night when we talked about it.

Lloyd was in the game room with Nya, playing on the PlayStation while shoving each other with snarling grins. Cole sat on the armrest, watching amusedly while Kai played on his phone, tongue sticking out between his teeth. Zane sat on the other side of Nya and read.
"Hey, birthday boy," I murmured, pressing a kiss to Lloyd's neck as I slung my arms around his shoulders. He brightened.
"There you are!" Lloyd chirped, pulling me around to sit in his lap after tossing Jay the controller. "I woke up without you. It was super sad."
"Sorry," I smiled, patting his cheek. "I had to get your present."
Lloyd's expression dropped slightly and a feeling of guilt crashed through me. My smile faded.
"You don't have... it's okay if you don't want me to-"
"It's alright," Lloyd smiled softly, arms tightening as I was pressed into his chest. "Thank you."

I caught Kai's gaze as I curled into Lloyd. His unreadable amber eyes dropped. My confusion only grew.

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

Things settled once more when Naomi arrived and I worked hard to push back my concern. She and Cole did that cute blushy awkward greeting and for a while, all felt right in the world.

The atmosphere was light as the bunch of us milled around in the large kitchen, all pitching in to help cook for the big feast that would be lunch. I laughed at a sarcastic joke Nya made while we stirred the noddles over the stove and I found Lloyd staring.
He winked, unashamed to be caught. My heart leapt and I dropped my gaze back to my task, shaking my head as my lips parted in a flustered smile. That boy.
The next time I glanced over at him, he was talking to his father with a serious look on his face. I watched as Garmadon asked a question, to which Lloyd disagreed with a shake of his head. His father said something a sharper voice and Lloyd's face twisted sourly. His answer was a spitting remark before his green eyes jumped to mine. I smiled worriedly and his was tense in return as he approached.

"Let's talk," he murmured, hooking a gentle hand around my elbow. Nya sent him a look with intense, unreadable eyes, one which Lloyd ignored, and I let him lead me out of the kitchen and towards his room.
"I- is this about the present?" I asked nervously as Lloyd shut his door. I wrung my hands nervously. "J- Jay told me about how you don't like birthdays- I'm really sorry-"
"Sunshine," Lloyd caught me off with a patient smile. "It's okay. Thank you."
"Are you... sure?" I asked tentatively. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable."
He raised a palm to my cheek and reassuringly pecked my nose. My worries melted away just from that little action and I sunk into his hold. My chest fluttered blissfully.
"You could never make me uncomfortable, doll," he murmured in a type of voice and wow my heart literally grew too big for my body to hold. Ouchies. Pleasant pain.
He smiled a little at my dazed eyes. I didn't notice the tension behind it.

"C- can I give you my present then?" I asked hopefully, shaking away the foggy ecstasy. "I really think you'll like it!"
Lloyd fell into an even gentler smile. He nodded so I squeaked in excitement and pulled away from his hold to grab the bag. In a second, I was back in front of him, bouncing on my feet in anticipation.
Lloyd amusedly shook his head at the beaming smile on my face and reached into the bag. He pulled out a bag of his favourite candy.
"Of course," he chuckled and I grinned. "I'm predictable, huh?"
I snorted. "Only when it comes to candy, honeydew. Go on, there's more!"
"You're so cute," he mumbled as he dipped his hand back into the bag. This time he found the book.
"Is this a first edition?" he asked as he turned the Batman comic in his grasp in awe. I nodded and he sent me a disbelieving look. "How the hell? I told you literally last night."
I shrugged a shoulder. "I pulled some strings. And those strings were Jonesy. He's a mad batman fan, too, and he let me have this one."
"I'll have to thank him," Lloyd beamed. "This is amazing."
"There's two more," I urged and his grin grew a little more.
"Two?"
"You underestimate how much I adore you, green boy."

"What did you do?" he laughed breathlessly. "Go for a rampage around the city before I woke up?"
"Yep," I nodded. "The City is now in ruins. Green ninja has to fight his girlfriend. So sad."
"The saddest," Lloyd agreed as he pulled out an authentic batarang. "You're kidding me."
I giggled. "Yeah! I thought that you might not know how to use one yet. We can learn together..?"
"It's similar to a star," he noted before sending me a twinkling grin. "I should get you throwing this thing like a pro in no time."
"Yay!"
Lloyd peeked into the bag before sending me a confused look.
"I think you miscounted."
"Hmm? Oh, right," I hummed, dropping the bag and reaching into my back pocket. "I wanted to save the best for last. After you went to sleep, Kai and I spent like... four hours designing and making this?"

Lloyd raised his eyebrows in intrigue.
"You gave me quite the timeframe," I said dryly and he chuckled. I held out my hand. It was a ring.
"Oh," Lloyd murmured, picking it up gently.
"To match," I said softly. "Well, not exactly, but you get the idea. It's my promise ring to you."
"Sunshine..."
"A- and I know that traditionally, guys don't get promise rings but I thought that you would like it because then it really-"
Lloyd huffed a laugh through his nose.
"Y/n."
"- solidifies us - not to say that our relationship can only be defined by promise rings-! But then it-"
He silenced my rambling with a soft kiss.
"I love it," Lloyd murmured when he pulled back, gentle hands on either side of my neck while his thumb caressed my jaw. I soaked into his warm touch. "I love you."
"Thank you," I sighed before I furrowed my brows. "W- wait, I meant to say love you. I love you, too."
"How much sleep did you get?" he snickered. I shook my head, blinking lethargically.
"Not much," I confessed. "After lunch I demand snuggle time and I am going to have a fat nap in your arms. I can't believe I bought a batarang. I can't believe I bought Batman stuff. My marvel heart is shattering - the things I do for you, I swear."

Lloyd's grin was easy and loving. I etched it into my mind.
"A- anyway," I exhaled heavily as I picked up a necklace chain that Kai had snagged from Nya's jewellery box and swung the ring onto it. "What did you want to talk about?"
His smile fell as I looped the necklace around him and did the clasp. The ring rested comfortably against his chest.
"... nothing," Lloyd shook his head. "I just wanted... to spend some alone time with you."
"Aw," I gushed, cooing as I held his cheeks. "Is this because I left before you woke? I'm sorry."
"Yes, that's it," he said sarcastically. "I was so sad that you weren't there when I woke."
I giggled, poking his stomach. "We've got plenty of time to wake up together, honeydew."
Lloyd's soft smile returned, red eyes almost pink with adoration. His hand rested above mine over his cheek and his fingers threaded through mine. A perfect fit.

"We do," he said in a voice that made my chest burst into a cacophony of warm love.

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

While the senseis, Misako and a few of the monks finished off lunch, the ninja, Naomi and I set up the table.

But mostly fooling around.

Nya and Cole were admiring Lloyd's new ring while Kai was grinning smugly from his job well done.
"We're matching now," Lloyd grinned, catching my eye from across the room while Naomi and I put out the utensils for lunch. "Like friendship necklaces."
He was hit in the head with a chopstick. He caught it with wide eyes.
"Did you just friendzone me, Lloyd Garmadon?" I gasped while Cole laughed at his bewildered expression.
"That's a pretty weird friendship you guys have," Naomi noted and Lloyd rolled his eyes. Nomes turned back to me, voice hushed. "So, you said he was acting weird?"
"Yeah," I huffed quietly as we continued our little conversation. "He said he wanted to tell me something. I think he chickened out."
Naomi shifted nervously on her feet.
"Maybe it wasn't important, then?" she offered. "You know how he gets. He's not the best with sharing."
"But that's bad," I murmured. "He doesn't trust me enough to tell me things."

Naomi sent me a reassuring smile as we worked our way down the table, placing out utensils.
"Give him time," she said softly. "Yeah, your relationship is supernaturally fast in how it's grown but at the end of the day, he's only know you four months. His life isn't exactly normal, Y/n. He's probably just trying to protect you."
I hummed in half-hearted thought. That seemed likely. It made sense.
"Besides, I think he trusts you plenty," Naomi continued. "Like how you trust him. It might be that he just doesn't trust himself."
"That might be it," I sighed to myself, straightening. I didn't want to be mopey on Lloyd's birthday. I grinned to Naomi "I reckon that if I run and leap at Lloyd, he will most certainly catch me in his arms."
She rolled her eyes at my Brooklyn Nine-Nine reference.
"Bet."
My eyes widened. "O- oh. Okay. Okay! BET!"
I took off at a head-first sprint at Lloyd. He glanced at me, spotting me out of the corner of his vision. He turned to me with a shocked look as I ate up the ground between us and leapt for him. He dropped the chopstick he was holding.
"Coming in!"

"OH, MY GOD," Lloyd cried in surprise as he stumbled to catch me, not prepared. I giggled, digging my head against his chest and sending Naomi an accomplished grin. Kashu barked in excitement, nipping at Lloyd's feet.
"Told ya!" I gushed, kicking my feet in joy.
"Oh, wow! He actually did!" Naomi laughed.
Lloyd sent me a dry look.
"Do I want to ask?" he asked, gaze unimpressed as he held me. I giggled, shaking my head.
"Nope."
The Senseis and Misako entered then, bringing in plates loaded with food. Garm made a beeline to us so Lloyd set me down.
"Did you..?" his dad asked and Lloyd sent him a subtle shake. Garmadon's expression fell into annoyance. "Lloyd."
"Dad," he replied with the same amount of irritation. I stood awkwardly.
"It, uh... looks like you guys need to talk about something," I said sheepishly, pointing a thumb over my shoulder as the two glared at each other, a silent argument. "I'll leave."

Lloyd broke his stare, turning to me. I was already scampering out of the room to help bring in the food.
We had to bring in another table to hold it all.
There were a lot of hungry people in the monastery.
Or maybe it was just the ninja, who knows.
"Birthday boy dishes first," Misako announced, making Lloyd huff in amusement as he stood up from beside me. Things still seemed to be tense between him and his dad. I hoped it wasn't too serious.
After Lloyd sat down with his plate loaded (where does it all go? I'll never know), thus began a line up of people getting their lunch. Kashu milled around, hoping for treats.
"So, Lloydie's the big one-nine, huh?" I hummed, filling my plate with food. The monk beside me stiffened. "Isn't that college age? Did you get held back a year?"
The table fell silent. I glanced over, confused. Did I hit a sensitive topic?
Lloyd shifted. His dad stared at him, deathly frozen.
"Actually, uh..." he began and every gaze turned to him with varying ranges of emotions. "I'm turning fifteen today."
"Right," I snorted, placing the tongs back down in the salad bowl. "And I'm thirteen. Very funny."
I turned to the table and stilled at the frozen group. Wide-eyed and assessing my every move. Nya had a hand over her mouth. Jay had dropped his chopsticks. My expression fell as something cold settled in my stomach.
"What?" I nervously laughed, zeroing in on Lloyd. He couldn't hold my gaze, a guilty look on his face. The plate slipped from my hand and shattered on the ground. "WHAT?"

"Lloyd, maybe telling her like this-" Garmadon begun quietly but was cut off by his son abruptly standing, chair falling back with a loud crash that made me flinch. I stared, shocked, as he silently and swiftly approached me, grabbed my wrist, and all but dragged my stunned body out of the room.
"Lloyd, what do yo- you mean?" My words were slurred and shaking, staring at the back of his head as I stumbled after his fast, stressed pace down the hallway. "Fifteen? You're joking, right? Is this one of your-"
Lloyd abruptly released my hand. His body was trembling as we stopped in the middle of the empty hallway.
"I... it's complicated," he began, voice small.
"Complicated?" I echoed, voice weak. "What... what's going on?"
Lloyd turned to me, desperation in his eyes. The look scared me. He gently grabbed my hand in both of his and held it up to his chest.
"Sunshine, promise... promise you won't leave me after I tell you this," he shakily begged.

Panic well and truly seized me now, proof in the way that my throat began to squeeze and stomach dropped. I stared at his eyes, red with intense dread.
"Wh- what are you talking about?" I whispered, face twisted with terror.
"Y/n, tell me. I need to hear you say it, please."
"I- I won't..." I shook my head. Lloyd closed his eyes and gulped.
"I'm fifteen," he muttered, terrified. "I'm not eighteen. I lied."
I blinked. Once, twice, three times. I looked him up and down and by the time I resettled on his eyes, they had reopened. Watching me forlornly.
"N- no, you're not," I shook my head slowly. "Y- you're... you don't..."
His face fell even further.
"I need to show you something."
I stared at the side of his face as he lead me to the scroll room, pace dragging but choppy in stress. The dining room was silent as we passed.

Lloyd shut the door behind us and pulled a photo frame from one of the shelves. He gently placed it in my hands and watched my expression as I took it in.
It was of the ninja, seemingly taken a few years ago. They looked shorter, faces rounder, eyes bright with youth. Hair different, gis different.
In the middle sat a blond kid, younger than the rest.
Lloyd.
"I- I don't understand," I whispered. "Why are you... but..."
"In that photo, the team are all fifteen," he murmured, eyeing me. "I... I was twelve."
"But..."
Lloyd took the photo from my hands and replaced it back on the shelf. I watched the smiling face of little Lloyd until my Lloyd turned back to me, expression broken.
"I was twelve when I had to use tomorrow's tea to save them and the city," he said in a voice that had my confused heart shattering. "It... it wasn't fair, but I had to do what was needed. I gave up what was left of my childhood and aged three years."

I stared at him blankly while my brain worked over his words. I felt so lost as I checked and rechecked his words, eyes glancing between the photo and the real deal. Such contrasting expressions, such a confusing statement. It gave me whiplash while I stood deathly still, working it over and over in my head. It was as if the air was floating with nothing but my confusion and Lloyd's desperate panic.
I subtly shook my head, words failing me. How could this be? It doesn't make sense.
Then again, Lloyd's life rarely made sense in the first place and I knew this going in, but... ageing three years? Skipping the last parts of his childhood? That can happen? That did happen?
But...
but that means...

"Y... you were fourteen when I met you?" I whimpered, feeling a headache grow behind my forehead. Lloyd nodded slightly, reluctantly. I let out a horrified exhale.
"I k... I kissed you. You... I kissed your neck and you're only..." I stumbled back, gasping breaths as it settled in and I began to panic. "You're just a kid! Oh, god, I'm- I'm going to hell-"
"Sunsh-"
"You LIED to me!" I cried a shout. He flinched, hurt. Guilty. "What else have you lied to me about? Is anything you told me true?!"
"No! No, sunshine-"
"Don't call me that!" I hissed and the hurt look that crossed his face almost had me faltering. My expression fell and I had to turn away, grabbing my throbbing head. "I'm such an idiot!"
"I'm not a kid!" Lloyd insisted, taking a step forward. It just sent me scrambling backwards, putting more space between us. He looked crestfallen. "W- we did all these tests a- and stuff and I am eighteen!"

"I don't care about that!" I screamed, throwing one of the pillows at him. He caught it with a startled look. "You deceived me for four months! Made me love you! You made a fool out of me!"
"Doll-"
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" I yelled, crying. "Was anything between us real? Were you just keeping me around for the prophecies? Hell, no need to tell me anything, right? I'm just another of the Green Ninja's pawns!"
"No, Y/n, I love you!" Lloyd cried, desperate tears brimming in his red eyes. "I always have!"
"Then why didn't you tell me!" I accused, throat sore from screaming. "You're so good at keeping things to yourself! First Morro, then Axon, now this! That's not how these things work!"
"Our relationship was developing so fast that I didn't have time!" he pressed, stepping forward.
"Then you make time, Lloyd!" I shouted, pushing him away and wiping at my tears. "This is not okay! You understand how this is not okay, right?!"
"Of course I do!"
"Then why didn't you tell me!" I sobbed heartbrokenly.
"I was scared!" Lloyd admitted in a desperate wail. "I was scared that you wouldn't love me anymore!"

"That is such a lame excuse!" I cried, the betrayal stinging deeper than any wound and burning in my hot tears. "I made it so obvious how I felt about you! And you doubted me?"
"I'm sorry!"
"I poured my heart and soul for you! I loved you with every breath I had and you deceived me?" I lamented, crying so many tears that they had begun to soak my hoody - Lloyd's hoody. "How do you call that love?! It isn't, Lloyd! That isn't love! You claim that you do but you're lying to me - you're lying to yourself!"
"I'm not!"
"YES, YOU ARE!" I cried a broken laugh, knees growing weak from emotion. It was hard to breathe and my head hurt so much that it felt like I was swimming in the thick, tense atmosphere. "I'm such an idiot - how could I have been so fucking blind?!"
I had to get out. I had to work this out on my own, so I started towards the door, only thinking of fleeing. Lloyd caught my arm.

"Wait, please- please don't leave-" he begged.
"I can't stay here!" I shouted, tugging on my arm. He held tighter, desperate.
"You promised me! You promised that you wouldn't leave!"
"That is so unfair!" I snapped, finally yanking myself from his hold. "You're so selfish, Lloyd! I can't be here just because you want me to!"
"N- no, please!" Lloyd tried, voice breaking. "I need you!"
"I c- I can't-!"
The door suddenly swung open. We glanced over to find Garmadon in the doorway, arms stiffly crossed as he took in the scene. He could probably hear us. Everybody could probably hear us.
"Lloyd," he said in a firm tone.
"Dad!" Lloyd cried, relieved. "Tell her she needs to stay!"
"I will not," his father shook his head, an unreadable expression on his face. "If Y/n wishes to leave, then she may. You cannot force her to do what she doesn't want to."
Lloyd fell into a sobbing exhale, turning away and running a hand through his messy hair anxiously. Behind Garmadon, Naomi appeared, not looking surprised but instead holding an expression of concern.

"Y/n," she said softly, guilty. I stared hard at her with my watery eyes. "I'm so sorry."
"You knew?!"
Naomi nodded sadly. I let out a frustrated cry before pushing past her and Garm, storming out of the room. The rest of the ninja were waiting and I bristled, feeling cornered. I stared at them with hurt eyes. I used to consider them friends. I used to consider them family.
"I c... I can't believe none of you told me..." I whimpered, shaking my head in disbelief. Their expressions mirrored mine but remained silent. I turned on Garmadon, who was joined by Misako and Wu. My tears seemed to never end. "You called me family! Family doesn't lie like this!"
"Y/n..." Nya reached out but I flinched away from her hold, shaking my head.
"I have to go," I said sourly, voice thick and croaky with pain. "I can't be here anymore."

I heard Lloyd cry for me again but I ignored him, as much as it viscerally pained me. I couldn't be around him anymore. I had to have time to mull things over, work it out in my head. I walked fast down the driveway, escaping.
Every kiss, every laugh, every hug. He lied to me through all of them.
All of them.
I let down all of my guards around him, I opened up in a way I've never done so before, I was vulnerable countless times.
And Lloyd never did it back. Lloyd never reciprocated.
He never talked about Morro or Axon, he never told me the truth about his age - it was Claire and the others who told me his name, it was me who found out that he was the green ninja. I was the first to say I love you.
He told me nothing. Nothing.
I'm such an idiot. I never saw it before, why must every red flag decide to show up after?
I was ten minutes down the gravelled driveway when a dragon landed behind me. I froze as it whined, stepping forth and nudging my back with its snout.

"At least let me take you home," Lloyd murmured in a croaky voice. I stared dead ahead, half of me wanting to pull him in close, the other half just wanting to be left alone. My breath caught in my throat and I closed my eyes tightly, clenching my fists as my body shook with untempered emotions.
I finally turned to him but his eyes were staring at the ground, eyes red and bloodshot as he held out a hand for me to take. I swallowed, staring at his open palm, rough from years of fighting. I thought I knew it. I didn't.
Still, I reached up and hesitantly slid my hand into his, and the familiar warmth almost made me break down again. He lifted me easily, having done it hundreds of times before and it was almost as if my whole world didn't just crumble from beneath me.
I settled behind him in the saddle while the dragon made crooning, broken howls in the back of its throat. The sound almost made me shatter into dust.
I reluctantly wrapped my arms around Lloyd's waist and the dragon slowly took off. Closing my eyes, I pressed the side of my face against his back. Just for a short while, I could pretend that everything was fine. For a short while I could amuse myself by thinking that Lloyd still loved me as much as I loved him.

The flight home seemed to stretch on forever. For an eternity. Every breath felt bated and I couldn't relax. I just wanted to sleep.
When we landed on my driveway, Lloyd quickly spun around and pulled me into a desperate, tight hug before I could get off. He was trembling, breath catching in his throat.
"Please don't go," he whispered.
"L- Lloyd, stop," I whimpered. He shook his head, pulling me closer with a choking cry. "Y- you can't do this to me..."
"Please," he begged. Pleaded with everything he had. "You are the only good thing that's happened to me. I'm sorry for lying, I'm sorry for not telling you things - just please don't leave me."
I didn't need his apologies, I just needed time. Time to soothe my aching head, time to work out through my emotions, time to go through every interaction I had with Lloyd and work out whether or not I could forgive him and the others for leaving me in the dark for so long.

But I was weak. So weak. With a broken sob, I fell into his hug and grabbed back at him, just as tight. Lloyd gave a relieved gasp as he dug his face into my neck, thinking I'd forgiven him. The promise ring that sat around his neck dug into my chin.
I clenched my eyes shut, feeling emptily hopeless as I pulled myself away.
"... bye, Lloyd," I said quietly and tears spilt from his eyes as he realised that I hadn't forgiven him. He stared, a hopeless look in his eyes, as I slid off of the dragon and landed on wobbly legs. I patted the whining dragon's muzzle with watery eyes as Lloyd stared at me.

I walked inside without another word.

"You're home early!" Mum chimed when I shut the door behind me. "How was Lloyd's birthday?"
I glanced up at her, snot and tears trailing down my pathetic face and she flinched in surprise.
"What the hell happened to you?!" Mum gasped, grabbing a box of tissues and wiping away the residue. I just shook my head, totally spent. I didn't want to talk about it. Not now. Not when everything was still so fresh.
"Are you okay?" she asked. "Do you need me to get you anything?"
I shivered, choked up.
"C... can you do that thing you used to do when I was younger? When I'd cry about dad?" I asked brokenly, sending her a desperate look as I trembled with tears. "Where you'd rock me in your arms and tell me that everything will be okay?"
Mum blinked in surprise before she fell into a gentle smile.
"Of course I can, sweetheart," she nodded reassuringly, wiping away my tears. "Go have a shower. It'll make you feel better. After that, we can order take out and watch your favourite movie, too. How does that sound?"

"That sounds really good," I agreed with a tight throat as I fell back into another sob.