A Ninjago Oneshots Collection

Lloyd's Curious Question (small)TW

TW: (mention of) BULLYING, (implied) ABANDONMENT/DEATH
Includes: Our Younger Years universe (I love it sm)/movieverse, platonic Greenflame, comfort, wholesomeness, and a tiny bit of angst about Kai's past

Kai laughed as he picked up his football from the other side of the clearing. He turned around and grinned at Lloyd. Lloyd only shrugged but Kai almost started laughing again as they met in the middle of the field.

"That's actually amazing." Kai held out his fist to Lloyd, and Lloyd gave him a fist bump but made a face at the compliment.

"I didn't mean to do it." Lloyd rubbed the back of his neck. Kai shook his head at him.

"I wish I could've seen it! Nathan had it coming for a while now." Kai sighed with disappointment and contentment as he walked to Lloyd's side and swung his arm around his shoulders. He started to lead them away from the clearing and Lloyd shrugged again.

"Are you sure he deserves... revenge?" Lloyd asked Kai wearily. Kai hesitated, glancing at Lloyd, trying to find what Lloyd really meant in his eyes. Lloyd had grown used to Kai's searching gaze and didn't bother trying to cover himself away from them, but that didn't mean he didn't feel slightly tense. Kai made a concentrated face.

"He's tormented you since like, forever. Sure, no one deserves pain, but he has to learn how to be a human being one way or another!" Kai attempted to convince Lloyd to not be guilty, as he had seen in his eyes, but Lloyd only raised his eyebrows before looking down at the ground. "Besides, Lloyd, you didn't hurt him, you just embarrassed him, that's all." Lloyd held his breath, contemplating Kai's words, before sighing and looking back at Kai.

"I just can't help but think about what I saw in his notebook, Kai, what if... what if he's..." Lloyd trailed off, lost in his thoughts. Kai gulped, looking forward as they made their way out of the park. He drew his breath and let his arm drop from Lloyd's shoulders, adjusting his hold on his football.

"If you're that concerned, tell Mr E or Ms Mystake," Kai said plainly, throwing his ball from one hand to the other. Lloyd glanced at him, fiddling with his fingers.

"Right." Lloyd felt awkward as he thought about maybe mentioning that he hadn't been talking about Kai when he had said 'revenge'. But just as Lloyd opened his mouth to speak again, Kai spoke first.

"I really admire your empathy," Kai said adriftly. Lloyd paused before he looked at Kai. Kai shook his head to himself before glancing at Lloyd only to notice his staring. Kai caught his breath and quickly began avoiding Lloyd's eyes. "I just mean like, not everyone would care about their bully. Like, I could never. I just think you're really... sweet, for caring so much." Kai's voice grew quiet as he spoke, playing with his football to distract his eyes. Lloyd felt his cheeks warm up at the admiration and he looked away and straight ahead. Lloyd hadn't really gotten that kind of compliment from anyone before.

Kai and Lloyd walked in silence to the bus stop and then stood waiting together, a little bit apart. Eventually, Lloyd drew his breath, twiddling his thumbs.

"Thanks," he simply said. Kai glanced at him and let go of his breath dramatically.

"Way to draw out the tension." Kai placed one of his hands on his hips, giving a look to Lloyd. Lloyd shrugged with an awkward smile.

"Sorry..." Lloyd looked down the road. Kai sighed and rolled his eyes with a smile, following Lloyd's gaze to look at the road. Slowly, without Lloyd even noticing it, his eyes drifted to Kai and his mind began involuntarily thinking. I wonder— but before Lloyd's mind got to finish its thought, Kai interrupted.

"Our bus!" Kai whipped around with a grin and jumped out to the edge of the pavement to stick out his hand while desperately searching his pockets for his bus card. Lloyd giggled at Kai's silliness and walked up behind him, ready to shelter his face away from the driver. The bus drove up to the sidewalk and opened its doors. Kai knew Lloyd's fears so he took his wrist and gave the driver a quick smile, tagging on before pretending to be in a rush to sit down with Lloyd. Lloyd quickly tagged on as well and avoided the driver's eyes, letting himself be dragged down the bus and up the stairs to the very back. Kai sat them down in the corner and let out a breath looking at Lloyd with a reassuring smile. Lloyd gave him an appreciative look when all of a sudden, his mind continued the thought, projecting it right above Kai's head.

What were Kai's parents like? Lloyd sat looking at Kai for a little too long without even noticing it, but Kai did. Kai searched Lloyd's eyes and saw a question on his mind.

"What? What is it?" Kai quickly turned around and looked in the window to see his shaded reflection, as if it were his appearance that made Lloyd stare. Lloyd shook his head out of his thoughts and drew his breath, trying to decide whether now was an appropriate time to ask such a question. But before he had reached a decision, a bump in the road made his breath slip out, and his words followed.

"What were your parents like?" Lloyd blurted out. Kai's eyes widened and he almost lost his grip on his football. He panicked as he fumbled with it to not let it roll around the bus and he gulped as he stared at the floor, frozen. Lloyd held his breath before he started to panic. "I— I didn't— I was just—" Lloyd couldn't find the words to justify his sudden question but he realised Kai didn't need justification. Kai looked thoughtful, and sort of empty, Lloyd noted, now more curious.

But slowly, a small smile grew on Kai's face. He closed his eyes as he leaned back in the seat and rolled his head to the side, opening his eyes to meet Lloyd's. His smile grew wider when he saw curiosity and not concern on Lloyd's face.

"They were great, my parents, my Mum was a lot like your Mum and my Dad was a lot like your Uncle Wu, just not old." Kai giggled at his playful joke and Lloyd smiled at the unexpected cheerfulness. Kai drew his breath still grinning, looking distantly at the ceiling of the bus in thought. "I remember they were blacksmiths, my Mum and Dad, and one time Dad got out two dull swords and he taught me how to wield it properly, before pretending to fight me." Kai placed his football between his feet and then imitated holding a sword to Lloyd as Lloyd watched him with wonder. "And then my Mum, she sometimes acted a lot like a teacher, y'know," Kai dropped his hands and picked up his ball again, glancing at Lloyd as he spoke. "She took like, every opportunity to teach me something, like a skill or a life lesson. Like there was this time I burned my finger and she plummeted it into a bucket of ice water and she told me all about how if you get a burn, you must instantly put it under cold water for like, ten minutes and then it won't be as bad of a burn."

Kai shook his head, still reminiscing about his memories with a smile as Lloyd quietly watched him, deciding he wouldn't interrupt Kai at this moment. But slowly, Kai's smile began to fade and he gulped as he stared blankly at the ball in his hands, spinning it around.

"Sometimes I wonder whether Mum knew that they were leaving early," Kai whispered not so quietly. Lloyd caught his breath silently, taking the edge of his shirt in his hands out of nervousness. "That maybe that's why she tried to teach me so much at every turn." Kai tried to make his breathing smaller to hide the fact that his throat had begun closing up; his least favourite feeling in the whole world. "But then that makes me angry, that what if they left—" Kai held his breath, stopping his hands to concentrate on not letting his pain show. Kai suddenly turned to Lloyd, making Lloyd sit up straighter. "What if they left because they wanted to?" Despite all of Kai's efforts his voice still cracked, making him panic slightly and hold his breath again as he looked away. Lloyd stared at Kai, unsure of how to help him. It was never Lloyd helping Kai, it was always Kai helping Lloyd. How was Lloyd supposed to comfort Kai? Lloyd gulped and looked down at his hands in thought, making a concentrated face.

"No." Kai quickly perked up at the simple response from Lloyd, glancing at him through the layers of hiding he'd put himself under. Lloyd looked up at Kai again with a flat expression. "No, I don't think they wanted to leave you and Nya. I think they didn't have any choice. In the same way you were expelled from your old primary school before you met me, you were forced to leave. You didn't have a choice." Lloyd gave Kai a small smile, hoping what he'd said was what Kai needed to hear. Kai stared at Lloyd for a bit before letting his shoulders drop with his gaze.

"So... You're saying that... you think my Mum and Dad were... forced to leave us?" Kai repeated what Lloyd said, looking back at him. Lloyd nodded and Kai bit the inside of his cheek, looking down at the ground again. "That's what everyone says," Kai said blankly, fiddling with his football again. Lloyd drew his breath awkwardly.

"Well... because it's the truth! I don't think it makes sense for them to 'plan' to leave you guys." Lloyd tried again to comfort Kai but this attempt made Kai think. After a long pause, Kai spoke again, quietly.

"No, you're right, it doesn't." Kai looked at the back of the seat in front of him as he spoke before hesitantly looking to the side and smiling at Lloyd. Lloyd let go of his breath, happy he seemed to have helped Kai and smiled back. They sat in a comfortable silence, both smiling to themselves as they watched the window for their stops.