"Alright," he yawned, bringing me back to the present. 11pm. Lloyd. Phone call. Right. "Where were we?"
"You sound tired," I noted worriedly, sitting up a little. The duvet curled around my feet. "Are you sure you don't want to go back to sleep?"
"I'm fine," Lloyd said, a little louder. He must've made it to the deck. "I want to talk to you. How was your day?"
I rolled onto my stomach, relenting. If Lloyd didn't want to talk, then he would tell me and hang up. But if Lloyd did want to talk even though he was tired, he'd stay anyway. I was concerned.
"Boring," I hummed in a grumpy tone, dropping my chin onto the mattress. "The others were all busy so I had no one to hang out with today."
"That's so sad," Lloyd mourned mockingly. My face scrunched.
"Meanie."
"Injure anybody?"
"No," I rolled onto my back and picked dirt out of the bottom of my nails. "But I did accidentally make a guy drop his taco. He looked really depressed. It was sad."
Lloyd snorted loudly. He covered it with a soft laugh.
"You amaze me sometimes," he tittered.
I shrugged, even though he couldn't see me. "It's a talent. What did you do today?"
He heaved an inhale.
"Attempted to access my earth elemental powers by moving a mountain," he said wearily. I tried not to choke on my spit in shock.
"W- woW," I nodded, swallowing sharply. "That's uh... that's something."
"Not as interesting as making a guy drop his taco."
"No," I shook my head, grinning curtly at the ceiling, heart fluttering at the sound of his amused, sarcastic voice. "No, not quite."
"I swear to god, you didn't have fangs when I first met you," I said.
"They come and go," he murmured. "Like my red eyes."
I tilted my head. "How do they work?"
Lloyd smiled weakly and patted my knee. "I'll tell you later. It's... a sensitive topic."
My heart immediately stopped. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to pressure you."
"It's okay." He shrugged. "You're a curious person. I know this."
"I can be curious and still be tactless."
"You're not," he reassured.
For a beat, there was nothing but silence. I could hear Lloyd's soft breaths. It was soothing.
"There's so many stars out here," he said quietly. I hummed. "I wish you could see them."
"You're cute," I murmured, face red. "Seriously, Lloyd, you're giving me heart problems."
He chuckled lethargically. I pictured him lying down on his back on the deck, arm over his head in weariness.
"Aren't you tired?" I pressed, worrying a loose thread on the hem of my shirt. "I don't want you to get in trouble because of me... and I also don't want to get in trouble. Your parents scare me."
"Why?" he asked, amused but genuinely curious. "You don't need to be. They already adore you."
"I can't blame them," I sighed despondently. "I'm very irresistible."
"If that's the way you put it, then sure."
"Aw," I pouted, sliding down onto the floor and leaning my back against my bed. "You don't think I'm likeable?"
Lloyd was silent for a few seconds. My eyes snapped open and I was about to recriminate something in a rather sharp tongue when he spoke.
"I think you're exactly who I need in my life," he murmured, voice quiet with sincerity and bashfulness.
I paused, taken aback, before a rush of warmth made me sink in on myself and I softened. Smiling goofily, I felt my body shudder in the visceral, ethereal feeling of being wanted. I inhaled, preparing to show my most vulnerable side when-
"I think I-"
There was a sudden, loud scuffle on the other side of the line, making me pause in confusion. Did he drop it? Did he fall asleep?
"Y/n!" Kai exclaimed loudly in joy, causing me to wince and pull the phone from my ear briefly. Ah. It had been Kai, stealing the phone from Lloyd. I couldn't even be angry.
