A Ninjago Oneshots Collection

Sunshine Lit Up The Night (small)TW

TW: (mention of) ABUSE, (depiction of) PANIC ATTACK
Includes: my main AU! (MU) Implied Greenflame, wholesomeness, comfort, and the return of Sunny!
Omg guys I found this while looking through my docs and 🥺 THIS MIGHT BE THE MOST CUTEST YET DEPRESSING THING I'VE EVER WRITTEN 😭😭

Kai's eyes shot open as he quickly sat up in bed, sweating and heart racing, he quickly adjusted to the dark but still felt his chest constrict. His breathing got heavier and heavier and somehow, though he didn't remember telling his brain to move, he found himself hobbling down the hallway and to the kitchen for a glass of water. He shakily took a cup and filled it up, before taking it to the back door. He took a sip and instantly felt his insides cool, and his breathing stall, but his chest still felt crushed as his eyes stung with tears Kai desperately fought to keep back. He gulped down his emotions and sat on the floor with his cup of water, silently staring through the glass back door at the still backyard, faintly lit by the moon. Kai let his eyes slowly close as he continued to take short sips of water. Suddenly, he heard a soft sniffling from behind him. He quickly looked back and found a small silhouette standing in the opening of the hallway.

"Papa...?" Sunny kept his voice quiet as he rubbed his eyes. Kai gave him a small sleepy smile.

"Hey buddy, whatcha doing out of bed? Did I wake you up?" Kai leaned back on his free hand. Sunny played with the front edge of his pyjama shirt.

"Uhm, kind of, but I'm glad you did..." Sunny quietly walked over to Kai, looking at the floor. Kai set down his glass and gestured to Sunny to come and sit down between his crossed legs.

"How come? Did you have a nightmare?" Kai asked him softly as Sunny nuzzled into Kai's arms. Kai heard him sniffle and found himself growing more worried. He gently tucked some of Sunny's hair behind his ear and tilted his head to see his face. "Sunshine?" Kai took Sunny's hand and Sunny squeezed it.

"He came back. He said you weren't my real parents and that I'll never be loved," Sunny quietly said, tears forming in his eyes. He looked down to hide his face and Kai swore that Sunny seemed to almost shrink. His chest tightened again, but this time he used the tightness to hug Sunny just as tight.

"Sunny, no, no... he's just in your nightmares, anything he says isn't true." Kai gently rocked back and forth with Sunny in his arms, who, just like his Papa, was doing everything to keep his tears at bay. "He won't be coming back, Sun, I promise, he won't ever hurt you again." Kai's voice broke as a realisation seemed to come to him. All those times anyone had told him that Mathew would never come back and hurt him, he hadn't believed them. There was always the eminent fear that he was right around the corner or hiding in the shadows. And yet here he was, trying to say the same thing he never believed to his kid. Kai shook his head. "Scratch that, I swear to you, Sunshine, if he ever shows up and tries to hurt you, he won't know what hit him." Kai tried to catch Sunny's eyes, and hesitantly, Sunny looked up at him with teary hope.

"I'm... safe?" his voice so small Kai felt his own shrink too.

"Yes, now and forever, you're safe." Kai gently used his thumb to wipe away a tear that fell down Sunny's cheek. Sunny sniffled and hugged Kai as tightly as his sleepy body would let him and Kai hugged back. They sat together on the floor, hugging and crying until Kai noticed Sunny's breathing grew slower and slower. He sighed as he looked out the door one last time, looking at the starry sky, the same sky that had given him hope for escape, the same sky that had told Kai to never give up on his dream of freedom, the same sky that blanketed Kai and Nya on the unfortunate nights they had to spend outside.

Kai gulped down the memories and looked back down at Sunny. His little boy. The little ray of sunshine that had been bestowed upon Kai and Lloyd by fate. Kai drew his breath with a smile as he gently brushed Sunny's hair with his fingers. Kai kissed the top of Sunny's head and then carefully and quietly, stood up and carried Sunny back into his room, tucking him in and making sure his favourite teddy bear was in his arms. Kai left a gap in the door, just like Sunny liked it, and went back into his and Lloyd's bedroom. He smiled to himself when he saw his favourite greenbean sleeping soundly in bed. He climbed in and sighed silently as he felt his eyelids grow heavy with comfort.

In the morning, Lloyd would find an empty glass on the floor and question Kai about it. Kai would glance at Sunny, giving him a wink with a smile and then shrug.

"Must've been the wind."