Tw: alcohol intoxication 

Everything was hands on the morning after Lloyd got back home.

"Alright, team," the leader said, voice firm and commanding even at five in the morning. Kai was still teetering on his feet and leaning against Zane, not yet awake. "Morning patrol. Jay and Kai, you take upper east. Nya, Zane, you take parkside. Cole and I will take downtown. Comm the team if you see anything suspicious. Let's get em' early."
Nya yawned into her sleeve.
"Then we can have a nice, relaxing afternoon?" she asked, her tired voice hopeful. Lloyd sent her a baffled look.
"Of course not," he answered with a curt shake of his head. "In the afternoon we're visiting the ancient tomb that had recently been unearthed. There's weird sounds coming from it and they want us to check it out."
"We have morning patrol and a mission this afternoon?" Cole whined. "Lloyd, we need time to rest. We're ninja, not machines."
"Aside from Zane," Jay unhelpfully murmured. Zane opened his mouth to retaliate.

"We can't slack," Lloyd snipped at his team. "People depend on us. Now, c'mon, we should get to patrol before our villain of the week makes their move."
Lloyd strode from the dojo, sliding his mask down over his face and leaving behind a weary team. The sun had barely risen, and yet the rest felt drained already.
"Uuughhhhh," Jay groaned as he dramatically slumped against Kai. "I hate it when Y/n's not here. He always gets so serious and boring."
Kai patted Jay's curly hair with his palm while stifling a loud yawn. The team sluggishly followed after Lloyd's brisk march, severely lacking his stern energy.
"Welcome to the next three years of our lives," the fire master declared. He raised his brows as an idea popped into his head. "You think Y/n would be mad if we kidnapped her?"
Nya sent her brother a baffled glare.
"Yes?" She replied as if the answer should've been obvious. Which, in favour of her case, it was.
"Nah," Cole answered with a shake of his head. "She'd love to be home. I say we pick her up right now."
"What, no," Nya insisted with eyes narrowed in incredulity. "You can't just- she literally only left yesterday."

"Exactly!" Jay chimed forlornly, turning to drop his chin on his girlfriend's shoulder with a mighty pout. "And look how terrible our lives are already. You think we can survive this for three years?"
Nya sent a disgruntled look towards Zane. The smartest, the most composed, the proverbial rock of the team; the one that held all the braincells. The working ones, at least. She willed him for assistance.
"We have a low chance of sneaking away from Lloyd without him noticing," Zane declared to the team solemnly. "But that is a risk I am willing to take."
"Zane, please," Nya groaned. The nindroid just gave a helpless shrug in return.

"Do not attempt anything that may tamper with the durability of your team's trust."

The team started, whipping around in surprise to face the old Sensei who stood at the dojo's entrance. Garmadon's voice was distant and thoughtful, but his eyes were blank. It was almost as if his body was in the material realm, yet his mind was detached, in an entirely new plane of existence.
"It may be your only strength one day," he finished.
He walked away, pace slow. Jay sent a confused look to Nya.
"That was..."
"Weird," Kai finished Jay's audible thought. Zane nodded in agreement. "He's been kind of... off? For a while, now."
"Might be worth mentioning to Wu," Nya murmured. She blinked and was back in main hoe mode. "Do you think Lloyd's realised that we haven't followed him yet?"
"He's probably daydreaming about Y/n again," Kai snorted. He patted the hilt of his sheathed katana for good luck before starting off after the team leader.
"We better get going," Cole agreed, following after Kai.

"Wait, so we're not kidnapping Y/n?" Jay asked. When no response came from the team, he dropped his head back with a grumble. "Ugh, this is so lame."

They quickly caught up to Lloyd on their dragons. Kai stared in disdain at the barely-risen sun.
"Alright," Lloyd said through the comms. "Keep your eyes peeled and call if you see something suspicious. Good luck, team."
The ninja split off into their respective pairs, taking off over the rooftops of Ninjago City.

And, as per usual, it took about three minutes before trouble found them.

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

"Oh, damn," I murmured, scrolling through my phone as I read the recent Twitter thread that kept up to date with the ninja's doings.

I was finally brave enough to venture back into Twitter. The toxicity had reduced somewhat. If I knew where to look.
"What's up?" Violet asked, planting her hands on the back of my chair and leaning over my shoulder. Her dark, purple-streaked hair tumbled between us.
"A crime syndicate's been discovered in NC," I replied, tilting the screen to show my roommate. "They're called Deathmarch. Pretty heavy metal name, if you ask me."
Violet scoffed, unimpressed. She turned from where I was sat at the common room's kitchen table and flicked on the kettle.
"They're lousy," she sniffed, snatching a mug while I discretely sent a text to the ninja's group chat to see if they were all okay. "I wouldn't be worried about it."

"And you know that they're lousy, because..?" I taunted, turning my phone off and sending Violet an intrigued look.
She sent back a smirk, dark eyes lidded as she leant back against the kitchen bench.
"Don't you know, Y/n?" she teased, lazily stirring her tea with a black fingernail. "I'm real friendly with the criminal side of NC."
"Oh, I'm sure," I agreed with an amused grin. "I bet they all know you by name."
Her smirk curled wider.
"Exactly."
She placed her mug down with a clatter and leapt forward, planting her forearms onto the kitchen bench.
"What are you doing today?" Violet asked, changing the subject. I sighed, leaning back in my seat and giving my cereal a disinterested stare.
"I'm having lunch with a couple of friends at the student cafe," I answered. My eyes darted to my phone, lying silent and devoid of responses.

"Oh, that sounds... uh, fun," Violet murmured, green eyes sliding to the side in obvious boredom. I sent her a dryly amused look.
"What are you doing today, Violet?"
"I'm going to scale the side of West Hall and shoot spitballs at nerds," she announced before proudly standing upright.
"Well," I said as I stood up to put my dishes into the sink and wash them out. "I'll make a note to bring an umbrella."
"I'll aim for you. One hundred points!"
"I'm flattered," I said, just as my phone buzzed. I all but leapt for it, ignoring the raised eyebrows Violet sent my way as I held it to my ear with an elated grin.
"Jay!" I greeted happily before quietly sending Violet a farewell wave. She just turned back to her coffee with an exasperated huff. I stepped out of the hall. "What's up?"

"We need you to come back," Jay began solemnly. My stroll stopped in its tracks, lurching my body to an abrupt halt. I felt my chest fill with ice.
"Is- is everything okay?" I asked quietly as my heart thundered in my ears. I stared at the cobblestones beneath my slippers with a frozen face. "Is the team okay? Is Lloyd okay? What's going on?"
"Oh," Jay said. "Oh, nah. We're all fine. Easy fight."
I opened my mouth to reply before finding myself wordless in confusion. My brow furrowed.
"So, uh. You need me back because the fight was fine?" I asked cluelessly, truly confused by this call.
"Forget the fight, Y/n!" Jay insisted. I raised my brows at his tone. "We need you back for our sake. Lloyd goes all goo-goo eyes and soft when you're around. He's going to drive us into the ground! I miss Starfarer!"
I stared at the fountain blankly.
"Goodbye, Jay."
"W- wait, Y/n- please-!"

My phone was ringing again as soon as I hung up.
"Good god," I sighed before answering. "Hey, Cole."
"Y/N!" Jay screeched. I pulled the phone away from my ear with a wince. "PLEA- no, Cole, I SAID JUST A SECOND. Y/N, PLEASE WE NEED YOU BACK-"
"Goodbye, Jay," I said louder before abruptly cutting off his sobs. My phone rang again and I groaned.
"For Pete's sake, Jay, it's eight in the goddamn morning-"
"Whoa," definitely not Jay cut me off in amusement. "It's good to hear you, too, sunshine."
I stumbled in surprise at the sudden change. Warmth burst in the confines of my chest.
"Lloyd," I breathed. Even just saying his name had me feeling lighter on my feet and the sun brighter in the sky. "I..."

There was so much I wanted to say.
I love you, I miss you, I wish you were here, I wish I was with you, I need a hug, I want a kiss, I adore even just the sound of your voice christening my mornings like this.
Unfortunately, my mouth didn't work as fast as my brain.
"... Lloyd," was all I could pull out of my failing vocabulary. "I- I'm-"
"I know," he said softly, already knowing exactly what I was struggling with. I took a seat on a concrete stair and clenched my eyes shut. "Me, too."
My breath caught in my throat.
"When are you going to be able to visit me again?" I asked vulnerably, tugging on a thread from my shirt. He chuckled.
"You only moved in yesterday."
"I- I know, but..."
How could I word this out without sounding absolutely pathetic? If Lloyd could face unknown and immeasurable dangers everyday, then I could survive a school term without him in my bed every night.

"I'll visit whenever I can," Lloyd answered. His voice sounded hesitant, and we both became increasingly aware of how little time he really did have to spare. It was a long flight to Nom as it was, and he was stepping up in responsibility regarding his team and the monastery.
We were both going to be so busy.
I cradled the phone closer against my ear.
"I'll be waiting," I whispered. "I love you."
"I love you, too, my little warrior." My heart thrummed at the nickname. "We'll talk again tonight."
"Yes," I agreed too fast but found myself unable to care. "Yes, that's perfect. How was the, uh-" I glanced around nervously before dropping my voice to a whisper. "The thing you guys did this morning?"
"It was pretty good," Lloyd replied, amused by my deflection skills. "No major injuries on our side."

A weight lifted from my shoulders.
"That's good," I sighed, pulling a satisfied smile at the swell well-being of my family. "What happened?"
I could almost imagine Lloyd shrugging in nonchalance, as if taking out an underworld crime syndicate was something most nineteen year olds do.
"We found them handling their recently delivered 'stock.' Usual stuff like high-level drugs and illegal weapons."
"Oh, yeah," I nodded seriously. "Usual stuff."
Lloyd tsked. I pulled my cardigan tighter over my body as I listened to the alluring voice of my lover as he recounted how Nya and Kai made a smokescreen to disorientate the criminals, allowing the team to swiftly and effectively capture the members for the police to take to Kryptarium Prison.
The commissioner had even said a thank you to the team, which was certainly new (and awkward, apparently) territory for both parties involved.

"Best part is that they used a bakery as their front," Lloyd chatted on, laughter evident in his voice. "You know Old Mrs. Takahashi? She was in league with the Deathmarch. She's also a brilliant actress, she is not a sweet lady! I'd never been afraid of an old woman so much before. Y'know, aside from Mistaké."
I giggled, lounging against the uncomfortable concrete rim of the stairs.
"Sounds like you had quite the morning," I noted with a grin.
"It was," Lloyd agreed. "But I was pretty distracted."
I bit my lip to stop them from growing into a stupid smile. He could slip some flirtatious remarks into a normal conversation so effortlessly, it left me flustered and struggling to keep up.
"That's very irresponsible, Lloyd," I said.
"I miss you."
My heart jumped.
"I miss you, too," I mumbled.
"I couldn't sleep at all because you weren't with me," he mentioned and I had to start walking again to keep me from falling into jittery shivers. "Do you know how hard it is to sleep not having you beside me? Wondering how you're doing, if you're okay?"

I thought back to my own restless night before.
"I have a pretty good idea," I breathed.
"You wanna know what I did instead of sleeping?" he asked, voice dropping an octave and sending my stomach into spirals. My imagination went wild. The butterflies in my stomach went on a rampage.
"Wh- what?" I whispered. I had to swallow, my throat having long gone dry.
"I unsheathed..."
My cheeks flushed a burning fire, head a spinning mess. I could picture him perfectly, perched on the edge of his bed, scarred back bent over himself, at a loss for breath and eyelashes fluttering-
"The swords in the weapons room, y'know, just to check on their upkeep and maybe I'm a perfectionist but the blades really were appalling. I spent half of the night sharpening them until I finally got sleepy enough to-"
"You are a jerk," I hissed, horrified by how I so easily fell into his trap. God, how many times had I fallen for the exact same thing? I never learnt. I really was easy to toy with.

Lloyd laughed, much to my flustered outrage. I wished I was with him, only to punch him in the arm and scowl in his face. I'm sure it wouldn't have discouraged him any less, but it sure would be nicer than standing in the middle of the University's near-empty courtyard with a red face and angry pout.
"I would pay to read your mind right now," Lloyd snickered.
"Let me make it easier;" I said sweetly. "It involves a lot of curse words and you in pain."
His laughter grew louder, knowing that my words were empty of malicious intent. I tried to remind myself that I should be pissed off with him for the prank he pulled, but the sheer loveliness of his laugh made it super duper hard.
His laugh died down into loose chuckles as he settled.
"You know, there is one way for me to stop teasing you like this?"
"Oh, yeah?" I asked with a snarl, stopping at the mural of the green ninja and Lord Garmadon, only to send the green-eyed hero with the wrong shade of green eyes a glare, because I couldn't send the actual man one. "How?"

"Marry me," Lloyd offered sweetly and despite knowing that it was a joke and that it really was just so he could win the bet (and also despite him having asked me a million times already), my heart did an enthralled twist at the notion. "Marry me and I'll be the best, most well-behaved husband in the history of the world."
"I hardly believe that," I scoffed.
"You'll never know until you try it," he wagered.
"Lloyd, we're basically already married anyway," I pointed out with a roll of my eyes. "Seriously, what would change?"
"You'd have my name, for one."
"Uh-huh," I nodded, unimpressed. "And what if I don't want your name?" Lies.
"Then I'll just take yours," he answered simply. My chest gave an elated shiver.
"Alright," I said, feigning disinterest. "What else?"
"What's mine is yours and vice versa," he offered, to which I rolled my eyes.
"We already share the same closet," I pointed out. "Anything else? Because you're really not sealing the deal for me right n-"

"I'd ask you to move in with me."

My scathing words died on my lips. Any thoughts of discouraging him solely for the purpose of the bet vanished.
"Wh- what?" I asked, voice pitched in disbelief.
"Move in with me," Lloyd repeated, voice more sure now that he said it the second time. "Properly. Move all your stuff to the monastery. And we'll build a little house in the forest, close to the others, but for us only."
Move in the with the family, only to then later on move into a small cottage in the woods?
Finally, some real privacy with Lloyd. Only us. Only us.
And sure, he'd have to be in and out in regards to his team and the city needing him, but he'd come home to me, and it would be just us. Quiet, forest critters passing across the lawn, sunlight dappling through the leaves. Only a stone's throw from the monastery, but far away enough to feel isolated from the rest of the world. A porch to eat dinner outside during the nice season. A fireplace for the cold winters. Kashu to keep me company while Lloyd's away, or another dog if Jay doesn't let us take him. And a cat, too.
A training yard. A study for me to work from.
Room for our daughter to play to her heart's content.
Only us.
That sounded magical.

"Yes," I breathed, nodding despite that he couldn't see it. "Yeah, okay."
Lloyd was silent for a few seconds. His breath caught in excitement.
"Really-?!"
"In three years."
Another silence followed. I chewed on my lips in amusement.
"You really are a buzzkill."
I couldn't stop the giggle that bubbled from my throat.
"I'm serious," I said, twirling a lock of my hair as I stared at the mural of the green ninja with a softer expression. "Three years, let's make it happen. A house to ourselves. I'd like that."
"So would I," Lloyd murmured.
"I want a library," I said.
"Done," he replied. "And we need a nursery."
My smile was dopey. Yes, a nursery. We would definitely need that. Perhaps not right away, but absolutely in future.
"Of course," I agreed. "And an art studio for you."
"I-" He broke off into a chuckle. "If you want."
"Yeah," I sighed. "I really want that. I want you to be my future."
"You already are mine."

I huffed a breathless, flurried laugh. I was absolutely swept up in the thoughts of loving Lloyd, for now and for the ever-lasting future. It cradled me in a warm hug.
"I have to go, princess," he murmured. "We have to go back on patrol. I'll call you tonight."
I laid a hand over my fluttering heart.
"Okay," I whispered. "I love you."
"I love you, too." I could hear the smile in his voice.
After Lloyd hung up, I stared at the mural for a little more time, silently chastising the way his green eyes weren't the right shade. How hard was it to get the right colour of spring-green paddocks and huckleberry leaves? The dark emerald of seaweed and forest trees?
...
Okay. Maybe I was being a perfectionist about his eyes. But I had a right to be! His eyes, no matter which colour they changed to, were gorgeous. Clouded and guarded, at first, but when his walls finally melted away, it was like I could see into his very soul. His eyes told stories, and I loved to listen.

To pass by this mural everyday, knowing that he was too far for me to reach out and bring him into a hug, was agony. To look into the wrong shade of green was excruciating.

Good lord. There was no way I could ever hope to survive without him.

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

I stared at yellow eyes.

Yellow eyes stared back.

"Your roommate isss crazy," he said.

I glanced up at where Violet was standing on the rooftop of one of the university's buildings during the height of the sun. She was shooting spitballs at unfortunate passerbys. Every time she got a hit, a student would let out a cry of horror and disgust, and Violet would cheer to the sky before downing a sip of what looked to be a flask of vodka, but was actually just capri sun.
I saw her pour it in this morning after I got back from my little walk around campus. Right out of the little foil hole where the straw was meant to go. Squeezed out the juice like one would squeeze out toothpaste. She went through three packets.
I was too stunned to look away.
"I know," I sighed, turning my dull gaze back to Kvasir, who sat across the cafe table from me. "What's your roommate like?"
"He hasss an innate fear of reptiliansss," the venomari replied dryly. "Ssso it'sss going ssswell."
"Ah," I said.

Silence. I tapped my foot and pushed air in my puffed cheeks, eyes glancing around the quaint cafe. Kvasir looked like he'd really rather be somewhere else.
Me too, buddy. Me too.

"Alrighty!" Ambrose announced as he bounded up to our table with a grasp full of laminated menus, oblivious to the awkward tension between the snake and I. Chen followed, hands stuck into the pockets of his shorts while he took in the student cafe's interior. There was a wall of printed out memes, with new ones added daily by students. It was magical. Ambrose divvied out the menus. "Let's see what we've got to choose from."
My eyes scanned the menu but my brain was somewhere else entirely. It was obvious that Kvasir still didn't like me (which wasn't his fault in the slightest) but I was the one who suggested the human-serpentine alliance, I'm supposed to be the responsible one, I'm the person who's supposed to be composed and show him around and integrate him and the human students into each other's culture.
Part of me thinks that he didn't expect the one to propose the treaty to be a ditzy eighteen year old girl who got thrust into the ninja life just a year prior. Maybe he thinks I'm too inexperienced as a person to do this correctly?
Maybe he's right.

"Do they sssell ratsss?" Kvasir asked quietly, surveying the menu intensely. Chen choked on a cough in surprise.
"I can ask!" Ambrose happily offered, unperturbed by the request. Kvasir's four yellow eyes flickered to me. I smiled small in response.
"Perhapsss it would be bessst if I bring my own lunchesss," Kvasir said, eyeing my expression. It felt as is he were testing me for my response.
"I can always ask you-know-who to ask Borg if a serpentine-friendly menu can be set up?" I suggested.
Kvasir's eyes narrowed somewhat before they dropped to the menu.
"That would be nice," he murmured. His forked tongue flicked from between his fangs. "Thank you."
I let out a quiet sigh of relief. I think that was a pass. Ambrose cluelessly glanced amongst our little group with his brows furrowed.
"Am I the only one who doesn't know who you-know-who is?"
"It's Lloyd, dingus," Chen answered. Ambrose leant back in his chair with an enlightened expression.
"Ohhh."

"Do you find anything on the menu appetising?" I asked Kvasir. "If not, we can have lunch somewhere else. Maybe a picnic?"
"It'sss fine," he sighed, staring at the menu with unreadable eyes. He didn't seem particularly taken by anything. "I can manage."
Chen frowned.
"Have you tried any kind of human food?" he asked.
"No."
"Okay, well, what do you usually eat?" Ambrose interrogated, leaning forward in interest. "'Cause I know what snakes eat, but not serpentine. I want to be prepared in case we have dinner parties-" he turned to me with an amused grin, "like how adults do."
"Oh, boy," I said, and took a sip of my water.
"Just saying, I've been an adult for over a hundred years so I have a pretty good idea on how to be one," Ambrose pointed out. He waited a few seconds before turning in a bashful smile. "Just kidding, nobody knows how to act like adults. Adults are myths, we all just live in constant confusion while pretending to know what we're doing."

Kvasir stared at him.
"Good... to know," he murmured. "I think I'll have the, uh... passsta."
"Pasta it is!" Ambrose grinned. "Has everyone else chosen?"
"Have you chosen?" Chen asked with a raised brow. Ambrose's face fell.
"Oh, my god, you're right," he whispered before dropping his nose into the menu.
When all was decided, Chen and Ambrose went up to order for us, jostling and snickering to each other the whole way. They looked so happy together. Their relationship looked carefree and effortless. They really were a good match.
I glanced down at the table with a sad smile. I was happy that they had each other, I really was, but admittedly, a part of me was jealous.
I knew why Lloyd couldn't be the guardian instead of Ambrose, but I still wanted to ask;
Why couldn't it be Lloyd?

"You missss him."

I glanced up at Kvasir. He was watching me intently, and even more so than the usual person could. He had four eyes to survey my every move.
I smiled sheepishly.
"Am I that obvious?"
"You don't make it hard to tell."
I exhale through my nose and dropped my face into my hands. He was right. It felt as if a hole had been dug out of my chest and that every part of me was yearning for Lloyd. Only he could fill it. It wasn't normal to feel this passionately, but then again, our relationship was hardly normal anyway.
I was just glad that the tugging hadn't started up again. Small victories.
"Am I stupid that I love him so much that it hurts when we're apart?" I murmured. Kvasir titled his head and was silent for a few contemplative seconds.
"No," he answered surely. "In fact, I would sssay that a lot of people would be jealousss of what you have. Soulmates are very rare."

I peeked up through my fingers. It wasn't a term I hadn't used before, but that's because I've been caught in the throes of inexplicable love ever since I met him.
To have someone else mention it made my stomach twist.
"You think Lloyd's my soulmate?" I asked quietly. Kvasir shrugged.
"I wouldn't know what elssse to call it," he answered. "This type of intensity is not common."
It almost sounded as if he had experience with it. My head tilted to rest in my palm.
"Have you ever been in love, Kvasir?"
His yellow eyes stared into mine. Deeply, but shrouded.
"Once."
I lifted my head in interest. I opened my mouth to query, but the two boys had returned before I could.
"All ordered," Chen smiled. "Are you guys coming to the party tonight?"

"Party?" Kvasir asked, almost seemingly grateful for the change in topic. I eyed the side of his face before deciding to let it go and come back to it at a later date.
"Yeah!" Ambrose grinned excitedly. "The first party of O-Week!"
"... O-Week?" I asked, sending a confused glance to Kvasir. He just shrugged, as clueless as I was.
"Orientation Week, baby," Chen smirked. "A themed party every night. It's how you meet your friends for the next three years of hell."
"Tonight's is ancient Ninjago," Ambrose said, leaning in for effect. "I can finally crack out my old clothes from the early twentieth century."
"I- I don't think that counts as ancient Ninjago," I piped up with an unsure smile. "They'd be meaning kimonos, yukata and ancient warrior armour. Probably made out of cardboard and bed sheets, though."
My mind did jump to the kimono Zane made me for my birthday, but that was back in Lloyd's closet. Also, I wouldn't want to ruin it.

"Aw." Ambrose deflated. He perked up once more. "Are you coming?"
I shrugged. "Maybe? I was kind of looking forward to a quiet night. I want to finish my new book before classes start."
"Booooo," Ambrose groaned. "This is tradition, Y/n! You've got so many years of quiet nights with your books. You only have one orientation week."
"People also said that about prom and then I got shot in the leg," I reminded dryly. Kvasir raised his brow bone. Chen winced.
"Yeah, but this time I'm here," Ambrose pointed out. "And I promised Lloyd that I would take care of you, so really, you have nothing to worry about."
"You? Responsible?" Chen snickered.
"Hey!" Ambrose shot at his boyfriend. "I have a few tricks up my sleeves, thank you very much." He turned back to me. "So, whaddya say?"

I sighed. "I'm so going to regret this."
Ambrose cheered.

🍃🍂🍁🍂🍃

The music was incredibly loud.

I was beginning to think that Kvasir had the right idea of staying in for the night. Bodies jostled me to and fro, drowning their apologies by the booming base from the speakers and the laughter, yelling, cheering of over a hundred other students.
Chen was already chatting to a group of girls about the cheerleading team. They seemed more than excited about him joining, oblivious to the fact that the man was securely taken. I don't even think he noticed the hopeful gleam in their eyes. Ambrose stuck right beside me, as promised.
I tugged on my homemade kimono in order to get some air. The heat of a hundred bodies was stifling and sweat was beading along my brow. The drink in my hand only made me thirstier, which was horrible, really, when I wasn't resorting to water just yet.
But the excitement was electrifying and it was easy to get lost in the enthralment of loud music and dim lights. I couldn't say that I hated it.

"Isn't this fun?" Ambrose yelled over the music. I laughed incredulously.
"It's certainly an experience!" I shouted back. "But it's too hot!"
Ambrose shrugged. "You don't need to keep your kimono on. See?"
He pointed to a group of sweaty people who had discarded their homemade outfits and stood in their singlets and shorts, taking shots from the bar. I breathed in relief and shedded my extra layers, letting it hang from my waist. That was much better.
Another drink was in my hands, gifted from Ambrose. He knocked his own back while I preferred to take little sips. I didn't want to drink too much, only because it would mean that I'd have to pee a lot. That'd just be annoying.

Ambrose and I made a couple of new friends with some drunk but really sweet people. I didn't know what people meant by drunk teens being annoying. They were all very polite and hilarious.
"Go dance with Chen!" I encouraged a few hours into the party when I caught him staring at his boyfriend. "I'll be fine."
Ambrose sent me a worried look. I nodded to make him know that I wanted him to have fun. Babysitting must be boring.
"Alright, but only for a bit," he said reluctantly. His hands suddenly landed on my shoulders and he sent me the most serious look he could while being tipsy. "If you're in trouble, order an angel shot, okay? Promise me that you will."
"I- I promise?" I answered. "What's an angel shot?"
"It lets the bartender know that you need help," Ambrose replied, shouting over the music. "They'll take care of you if you're feeling uncomfortable."
"Oh!" I said, brightening. "That's actually super cool! Okay. Angel shot, got it."
Hopefully I'd never have to use it.

Ambrose gave a grateful smile before slipping away to meet up with Chen. The looks on each of their faces made me beam. I loved seeing them together.
I turned back to the bar and ordered a water. The buzz was nice and my legs were unsteady, but I knew that I was at my limit. I didn't trust anyone here to go too far, as much as other people were.
"Good music, huh?"
I turned, glass of water to my lips. A dark-haired boy leant with his back to the bar, watching the dancing crowd in amusement.
"Oh, uh," I stammered, realising that I actually hadn't really been paying attention to the music. It was too loud to discern. "Yeah, I- I guess."
He turned his head and sent me an attractive smile.
"You here alone?"
My paranoia was off the charts. SAY NO. Even though I wasn't already? Brain, I get that you're on the verge of being drunk, but please.

"No!" I said a little too loudly before falling into a sheepish smile. "I'm here with friends."
"Oh, me too!" he grinned. "But I'm not much of a dancer."
"Me either," I commented, grabbing a hold of my glass and taking a big sip of water.
Except it didn't taste like water.
I coughed, grimacing at the violent burn in my throat.
"Holy- holy shit," I hacked, face twisted in displeasure.
"Dude," the man laughed. "You just chugged my vodka."
"Who drinks straight vodka?" I cried, gagging. He pushed my water towards me.
"I do?" he answered with a chortle. "I'm a heavy weight. Are you okay?"
"I- I'm fine," I replied, taking heavy sips of my definitely water. "Just- just taken by surprise. Sorry, I'll buy you a new drink."
"Only if you have one, too," he said with a smile. He turned to lean his arm against the counter. "Purely because I'll feel bad if you buy me a drink without having one yourself. It's curtesy."

I faltered.
"Uh. Alright," I agreed. I was in control of myself enough to trust that I'd be okay. Besides, I was by the bartender and I knew the secret shot if things started to get too uncomfortable. I'd be fine.
The unnamed man got another vodka while I ordered myself something less strong.
"Hey, sorry if this is too fast, but do you wanna come back to my room?" the man asked as he leant in close. My heart almost stopped.
"Huh?" I asked nervously, feigning innocence as I clutched my half-finished drink. My body was swaying but my brain was still as sharp as ever. The implication of his question was not at all lost on me.
The man blushed bright red. He clearly didn't want to elaborate.
"I'm- I'm sorry," he stammered, pulling away and rubbing the back of his neck when he noticed my reluctance. "You're not interested."
I didn't feign well enough.
"I'm sorry," I winced awkwardly. "You're sweet, really, but I have a boyfriend."
"Don't sweat it," he smiled good-naturedly. "Your partner's lucky."

I flushed at his compliment.
"I think I'm more so the lucky one, but thank you."
"I'm Dylan," he said over the loud music. He held out his hand for me. "Sorry for hitting on you."
"Y/n," I greeted with an amused smile as I shook his hand. "Apology accepted."
Dylan dropped his gaze with a smile. His hand fell back to his empty glass. I drank the rest of my own, scrunching my nose at the aftertaste of alcohol.
"I'm gonna go find my friends," Dylan said, only slightly slurring his words. "You're okay here?"
I answered with a thumbs up. He waved goodbye before slipping into the crowd.
He was nice.
"Was that your boyfriend?" a guy asked as he approached, stumbling. I frowned.
This guy was less nice.
"No," I said, turning back to the bar and hoping to catch the eye of the bartender.
"You got one?"
"Yes," I sniffed, rapping my knuckles against the sticky surface of the bar.

"Where is he?" the guy asked, slumping against the bench and sending a coy smile. It looked more like a grimace. "I don't see him around. That's a pretty lousy boyfriend, if you ask me."
"I'll make sure to pass that on," I lied through a fake smile.
"You could pass on some other notes, too," he smirked, lifting a hand to touch my cheek. I stepped aside. He followed.
Angelshotangelshotangelshot-
The bartender was busy pouring another drink. I glanced out at the crowd, but Ambrose and Chen were too swept up in the dancing bodies for me to spot.

Wait- I know how to fight. This was the whole reason as to why both my father and Lloyd taught me. Duh.

The second time he reached out to touch me, far lower this time, I grabbed his wrist and twisted his arm into his back. He yelped at the swift movement. It was one I'd perfected with Lloyd, and a spike of pride blossomed in my chest as I successfully did the movement again.
"What the- what-!"
"My god, are you blind?" I groaned, jerking his arm deeper into his back. He cried out. "Back off."
"You're f- fuckin' crazy!"
"Oh, so I'm crazy for defending myself when you were clearly trying to get into my pants without my consent?" I scoffed before shoving him forward. He stumbled against the bar. "Get fucking sober, you asshole."
He scrambled into the crowd, disappearing. I shook my head from the buzz, but it remained. That last drink may have been a bit much. It was definitely starting to kick in.
Shit. Did I mix drinks?
Oh, fuck. I definitely mixed my drinks.
"Y/n!" Chen shouted as he shoved through the crowd. "Are you okay? I saw what happened."
"Was my form good?" I asked. He furrowed his brow.
"I- I think? I don't know how to fight."
I huffed. That wasn't helpful.

"I should get you back," Chen said warily. "You look out of it."
"Excuse me, I am not out of it," I chided. "I just fought off a guy who wanted to sleep with me. And I had a lovely conversation with Dylan."
"Who?" Chen asked before shaking his head. "Never mind. I'm taking you home."
"Wait, no, this is fun!" I cried. "I wanna fight off more assholes! I am the patron saint for people who don't know how to fight!"
"You sure are," he agreed before lifting me over his shoulder. Ambrose appeared not a second later. "But you can't protect them if you can't even walk."
"I can walk!"
"You were literally slumped over on the seat," Ambrose said.
I paused. I was? I didn't even notice.
The chill of the night air hit my skin hard when Chen and Amby stepped out of the small on-campus makeshift nightclub. I shivered. The cold air brushed away some of the fogginess.
"I'm not even drunk," I grumbled unhappily.
"You really are," Chen disagreed. "Can't you tell-?"
My phone buzzed with a call and I gasped in delight. I scrambled to grab it and Chen stumbled, trying hard to stay upright. Ambrose stepped back to avoid my flailing legs.
"H- hey, quit it!" he shouted.

"Lloydie!" I coed into the phone.
"Y/n?"
"Lloyd!" I said again, totally overwhelmed to hear his voice. My smile began to hurt my cheeks but I ignored the burn. "My Lloydie! I love you s' much-"
"Are you okay?"
"Oh, my god," Chen groaned before snatching the phone from my grasp. I cried out in anger, wiggling in his grasp. He deposited me into Ambrose's arms, who simply held me out like a misbehaving dog. "Hey, Lloyd. No, wait- she's fine, you really don't need to... and he's hung up." Chen shoved his phone into his pocket with a sigh. "Lloyd's coming."
"All the way from NC?" Ambrose asked in bafflement. "Shit, man, I know that we're in love but at least we're not like these two lunatics."
"Tell me about it," Chen muttered with a roll of his eyes.
"Stop being mean!" I cried, struggling in Ambrose's grip. I gasped, glancing at the elemental master. "Did you see me take out that guy?"
"I did," Ambrose said. "It was very impressive."
"REALLY?" I beamed. "I am so fucking cool."
"She's not a humble drunk, is she?" Chen murmured. Ambrose snorted. "Let's get her back to her room."

With some effort, my dorm was located and I was tossed onto my bed while Chen raided my cabinet for coffee. Ambrose perched on the edge of my bed and kept me from falling off.
"Has she ever been drunk before?" Chen asked as he set the kettle to boil. Ambrose shrugged.
I sloppily pulled the bedsheet from my waist and dropped the pile onto the floor. I looked up at the two boys.
"Wh' are you guys gonna get married?" I asked. Chen almost did a spit take of his coffee.
"What!?" Ambrose asked incredulously.
"I wanna be the maid of honour!" I demanded.
"I want you to have some sleep," Chen said dryly as he patted some coffee from his shirt.
"But your wedding-!" I cried.
"Was brilliant, thank you," Chen said with a smile. I blinked. "Now go to sleep."
"Oh," I said before dropping myself onto my pillow. "Th's good."
"... what?" Ambrose asked again. Chen shrugged as he settled into the chair to wait for Lloyd.
"Tell her what she wants to hear and she'll calm down on her own," Chen replied nonchalantly. "It's like taking care of a little sister, really."

"Ha-ha," I drawled a laugh from my bed. "I'm y'r sister."
"That you are," Chen said, taking a sip from his coffee. "Now sleep."
And as if on cue, my eyes slid closed.
"You are freakishly good at that," I heard Ambrose say before everything else faded.

Voices roused me from my nap a few hours later.
"... just used this as an excuse to visit, didn't you?" Ambrose's smug voice came into focus.
"Uh, yeah. Maybe," came Lloyd's reply. My eyes shot open.
"Lloyd-!" I went to sit upright before slamming back down onto the bed as my head spun. "Oh- oh, god."
"I've got it from here."
"Alrighty," Chen's tired voice replied. "Night, man. Good luck."
The door closed. I held my throbbing head with a grimace. My chin was titled up gently.
"Hey, sunshine," Lloyd greeted quietly. I made a sound from the back of my throat in response. "How are you feeling?"
"You're here," I whispered.
"We barely lasted a day," he chuckled. "First day gone and you're already drunk. What am I going to do with you?"
"Kiss me!" I smiled dopily, leaning into his palm. "Kiss me everywhere. Kiss me all over. I wann' be covered in Lloyd kisses."
"I'm not going to kiss you when you're drunk," he said blandly.
"Please?" I pouted.
"No."

"Booooo," I groaned, dropping my head into his chest. "I'm not even drunk."
"You are."
"I'm not!" I whined. My eyes snapped back open. "Lloyd! You're here!"
"Uh, yeah," he said in confusion. "We've already been through- UGHK!"
I leapt into his chest and wrapped my arms around him tightly. He was quick to catch me before I could bring us back into a tumble as a pile of limbs.
"Oh- okay-" Lloyd breathlessly laughed. "Alright. I know. I'm here."
"I missed you!" I cried.
"I missed you, too," he murmured before gently untangling myself from him as he stood, ignoring my whines and grabby hands. "You need some water."
"I'm not thirsty for water, Lloyd," I said coyly as I leant against the bed. My knee gave out and I crumbled to the ground. "Ow."
He watched, unaffected by my obviously otherworldly flirting skills.
"Wow," he said. "Very sexy."

"Shuddup," I groaned, rubbing my sore elbow. "I can be incredibly sexy, but the power would be too much for you."
"I'm sure it would," Lloyd agreed. He poured a glass of water and handed it to me. "You know what I think is sexy? You getting the rest that you really need."
"Well, that's a weird kink," I mumbled teasingly, before yelping when he flicked my forehead. I took a sip of water before glancing up at him. "Why did you come? It's a three hour flight to Nom."
Lloyd shrugged. "Wanted to see my favourite girl."
"Aww."
"Also I wanted to see what you're like drunk. You don't change much."
"Oh," I said dryly. He took a seat across from me and smiled.
"I'm kidding," he chuckled, nudging my foot with his. "I just wanted to see you."

I smiled into my water.
"Dork," I murmured.
"Moron," he countered effortlessly. "How are you feeling?"
"Wobbly," I said as I took another long sip. He hummed. "But I'm still alert. I thought I was meant to go dumb dumb when I'm drunk but my brain's still working."
Lloyd tilted his head. "I wouldn't know."
"You wouldn't, mr. goody goody," I mumbled before downing the rest of my water. "I got hit on tonight. It was weird."
My eyes flickered up to take in his reaction. He was still sitting calmly as he listened.
"The first guy took rejection surprisingly well," I commented offhandedly. I was testing the waters, seeing how much I could share before his instincts decided that they had enough. "He was nice. His name's Dylan. The second guy, though, I had to put him into an armlock and shove him off. That was pretty cool."
"Now that," Lloyd said, lifting a finger in emphasis. "That would be sexy."
I knocked his foot with my own.
"You would think that," I laughed. "Well, you were the one who enjoyed being pinned down during training."
Lloyd spluttered, face red. My giggles died.

"But... you're okay with me being hit on?" I asked unsurely.
"I'm not okay with you being put in a situation that you're uncomfortable in," Lloyd corrected, making my eyes jump to his. "But you can handle yourself pretty well. Not incredible yet, but good enough for now. And I trust you."
"Really?" I beamed. "I- I mean. Of course. Obviously. It's just- if I told you six months ago that some guys were flirting with me, you'd go berserk."
Lloyd grimaced. "I was still... new to the whole relationship thing."
"Tell me about it," I snorted, relaxing back against the side of my bed. "Remember the fiasco with Morro?"
Lloyd groaned and ran a hand down his face in regret.
"Please don't remind me."
"You thought you were so cool," I snickered, playing with the empty glass.
"I was so dumb," he whined. "I was an asshole."
"Nooooo."
He sent me a disbelieving stare. I grimaced and lifted a shoulder.
"Maybeee," I backtracked.

"How are you feeling now?" Lloyd asked, changing the subject. I tilted my head.
"Better," I murmured. "My headache's gone. But I'm still out of it. I'm never doing this again."
Lloyd's brow furrowed in curiosity. "Out of it how?"
"Out of it as in I'm having to think really hard about keeping myself composed," I answered. "My brain is going at twice the speed just to make me look coherent."
"Composed?" Lloyd tilted his head, genuinely intrigued. My gaze dropped to his lips before I tore them away.
"Composed-" I swallowed. "Composed as in that I had guys hit on me today but I really wanted them to be you."
I risked a glance. Lloyd's cheeks flushed a precious pink.
"That's how I feel whenever somebody flirts with me as the green ninja."
My hands turned into fists as I remembered a particular archeologist who blatantly flirted with him in front of me.
"Cassandra," I hissed under my breath. Lloyd's eyes widened.
"How do you remember her name?" he laughed in disbelief.

"Next time somebody flirts with me in front of you, I'll ask if you remember them in five months," I sniffed. "And Jas. Sweet girl, but I will cut someone."
"I should teach you my mediation for self-calming," Lloyd mentioned amusedly. "Looks like you need it, kitten."
"Is it so bad if I just want to make sure people know that you're mine?" I scoffed, falling into a ramble. "I mean, really. It's agony seeing all these Twitter stans simp for you and be so blatantly open about what kinda shit they want to do with you in bed, especially when you won't even-"
I abruptly shut myself up with wide eyes, but the damage was done. The word vomit had been unfiltered and spilt and my brain had failed to warn me of my stupid fucking vent that I didn't even really mean.
Lloyd dropped his gaze, staring at his nails as he picked against them. Guilt twisted his lips.
"Sorry," he murmured.

"No!" I rushed, eyes wide as I scrambled towards him and placed my hand against his cheek. Lloyd faltered, confused. "Nonononono! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean it! I love you so much and I want you to be comfortable and you mean the world to me I'm so sorry I said that-"
Lloyd's brow raised in surprise at my outburst.
"Hey, it's-"
"I'm so sorry, you mean so much more to me than just that and I want you to be happy and safe and I'm definitely okay to go at your pace-"
"Sweetheart!" Lloyd chuckled, wiping away my tears. "I know, sunshine. It's okay."
"It's enough just to have you in my life," I whimpered. "I'm so sorry. I'm so stupid."
Lloyd shook his head. He cradled my cheeks delicately, in a way that I felt he shouldn't. He should be angry at me for saying what I did, but he wasn't. He was just understanding and gentle and calming.
"You're not stupid," he said calmly, looping some misplaced hair behind my ear. "Thank you for being patient with me. I know it's hard."
"Am I still allowed to make dirty jokes?" I asked tearfully. He snorted.
"Yes, you can still make dirty jokes," Lloyd murmured, tracing my cheek softly. "Though I don't understand half of them."

"Okay." I sniffed away my tears. "'Cause that's not the only thing that's hard-"
"I regret it, I regret it," Lloyd announced, quickly backtracking with a blazing fire dancing on his cheeks. "You're not allowed, nope, never again-"
"It's too late, you said I could!" I argued with a laugh. My smile faded. "Can... can I ask why..?"
Lloyd sighed, bringing me in tighter. He rested his chin on my shoulder as he mused.
"I... I dunno," he murmured. "There's just so much that I'm still learning about myself. These instinct stuff is... is crazy. I have no idea what I am, but it's so controlling and fierce. I'm scared that I'll lose myself again."
I sat silently, soaking in his words. He tightened his arms around my waist.
"If I hurt you like I did back then... if anything worse happens - I couldn't live with myself," he murmured into my shoulder. "But we should talk about this when you're sober."
I rolled my eyes.
"I'm fine."
Lloyd wasn't convinced.
"No, you're not."
"I'm fine!"
"You can't fool me, princess," he said with a loose grin as he sat back. I smiled softly and reached up to caress his awfully pretty face.

"You won't hurt me," I murmured, brushing my palm over his forehead and shifting my fingers through his soft hair. "I trust you with my life."
"I wish I could trust myself as much as you do," he said quietly. "But I can feel my control slipping when I'm with you. You're unprecedented. No training could have ever prepared me for what you do to me."
I fell silent, not knowing how to respond.
"It's... good, right?" I asked unsurely as I fidgeted on his lap. "What I do to you? It's good things?"
"Sweetheart," Lloyd began with a smile. "You make me lose my breath just by existing. Everything you do to me is good."
I blushed and ducked my head into his chest. Even without his super-hearing, I was sure that he'd be able to hear my thundering heart.
"Can I kiss you?" I whispered into his shirt.
"Yeah."

As soon as I turned my head up to make sure that he had answered what I thought he's answered, Lloyd had enveloped me in a searing kiss. My heart imploded in a supernova explosion, flooding me with warmth and pleasure and all good things.
Everything in me sang for him, purred for him, yearned for him. I could never grow tired of kissing Lloyd.
"I don't want you to go," I whispered against his lip as I caught my breath. I knew it was selfish, but I just couldn't stop myself.
"I have to."
I closed my eyes.
"I know." Take me back home, I wanted to add, but held my tongue. I worked so hard just to get here.
"You should get some rest," Lloyd murmured, lifting me with ease. He carefully deposited me on my bed and pressed a lingering kiss on my forehead. My body tingled. My eyelids fluttered.
"You should, too," I whispered, catching his arm before he could pull himself away. "It's late. Stay. Just for a little while."

"Okay," he breathed, readily agreeing. I felt my entire self brighten at his acceptance before shuffling over to make room in my bed. "I have to leave early, though. I'll be gone before you wake."
"That's okay," I said, trying to ignore the sinking of my heart. Shove it down, Y/n, be strong. "Thank you for coming."
Lloyd pressed a kiss to the top of my head as I shuffled into closer to him. The night was warm but I couldn't care less - I just wanted to be as close to him as possible.

"Thank you," he said into my hair. It wasn't specified what exactly he was saying thank you for, but I had a feeling that I knew already.