Garmadon Oneshots! Of Many Flavours And Forms

Better Than Before・Movie ((since updated))

((Update: April 2024 - rewritten and overhauled. Now 1487 words.))

Sixteen years. Sixteen bloody years Lloyd had spent alive, and for (almost) sixteen years Lloyd had lived without his father with such ease, aside feom the whole warlord-conqueror thing ruining his life so maybe not, but he was used to it. So used to it that he was stunned each time he walked into the living room to find his father babbling and yapping about whatever came to mind.

The Lord had been under house arrest for he last month, and it was already exhausting. Garmadon was being thrown inbetween houses like a divorced child, something Lloyd was glad he didn't have to grow up with because only old masters of another realm (Fsm) would know how llcould have turned out with two very opposite parents teaching him opposing morals.

Side rant over, Garmadon was jumping between staying at Wu's lovely ship (which was baby-proofed so he could touch the weapons and challenge Wu) and staying with Koko and Lloyd.

But it was this very nature of his stays and visits that allowed them to catch all sides of his behaviour; his obedience and playful nature with koko and Lloyd, no matter how much they reject it, and his destructive need and violent tendencies when left with Wu, though those details are never actually discussed in detail.

However, neither mattered as either way he was causing issues. Koko worked more so she could afford to support an extra person and feed three mouths each night, especially when one of them would only eat meat- as if Garmadon was finished ruining their lives once he was done being evil. Punished by having a family. Thanks, justice.

With all the added stress of being recognised as the green ninja and dealing with the horrific stand-in he had for a father, Lloyd was starting to consider getting a part-time job to help his mom and maybe convince his uncle to help him afford therapy (not for himself, of course..)

It was messy, but it was just a little better than before.

When Lloyd returned home from an overcrowed day at school, Lloyd was a little stunned to find his mother scolding Garmadon like he was five years old, the warlord's usually arrogant and boisterous manner now that of an ashamed dog who was caught chewing a chair.

Koko spoke in a firm and clear voice, her galre never breaking her line of sight even if Garmadon's eyes were directed to the floor. "How many times do I have to tell you - make yourself useful when we're gone." She huffed, pinching her brow in a vain attempt at soothing her stress caused by her ex.

Garmadon, in a quiet voice, much unlike his usual attitude, murmured an apology, his fours hands fiddling with each other as he anxiously listened to her rant on about how difficult he made it to live no matter what he did.

"Seriously, Garmadon. You waltz back into our lives and only make them worse. Now I have to feed three people and one of them only eats meat. The most expensive thing in even the cheapest markets. You cost us a fortune!" She went on, ignoring how heartbroken the man before her appeared.

Lloyd watched on as he threw his bag softly on the counter and emptied out his lunch, his head turned awkwardly to listen in on the conversation in the bedroom. The green ninja took another peek at his father before heading off to his own room, glancing at his very upset expression with an amussed yet pitiful grin. It was off how he felt both bad for his father and also pleased his mother was able to break down the insuferavle attuide he wore.. Still, he felt bad.

((I mean, he did look like a kicked puppy left out in the gutter.))

"I'm sorry, koko.. I promise, I'll try and find something." He mumbled, unable to meet her eyes for more than a moment; no longer could he use his wit against her. He liked her fire, no- he loved it, but sometimes he was terribly frightened by her warth.

Lloyd sighed and knocked on the door, grabbing their attention.

Immediately, koko's face lit up, her expression turning soft and welcoming as she noticed her son. "Oh, Lloyd, honey, how was school?" She asked as if nothing had happened.

"It was alright." Lloyd shrugged. "What's happening?" He asked, cutting back to the very situation bugging him..

Koko turned back to look at Garmadon eith glare. His eyes instantly dropped to his feet. "Your father here was louging around all day again." She scowled, her eyes balzing with frustration.
"I found him asleep when I thought I asked him to at least clean up the pans from last night."

Somewhere beneath his breath, Garmadon mumbled another apology. Only she could make him this way..

With a sigh, Koko dismissed the subject at last, ushering Lloyd out before dragging Garmadon out behind her, forcing him in front of the sink. "You. Clean the pans." She ordered the warlord. Her eyes settled onto Lloyd.

With lightning speed, she dragged Lloyd to the sofa and sat him down, briefly fixing her flaming hair back into its bun as she waited for her son to gather his bearings. "But, Lloyd, sweetie, tell me about your day."

With nothing more to do, he told her.

Minutes passed, and for a moment, the two felt like things were normal again: just mother and son.

That moment was interrupted when a hesitant, yet somewhat recovered lord stepped to the sofa behind them and announced his success in the task. "I am finished." He proudly proclaimed only to earn a daggers stare from his ex.
"Are you sure?" Koko questioned, sending sweat running down the back of his neck, but he nodded nonetheless.

"I am done." Though he had two hands on his hips, he felt as if they were being pinned behind his back as he was being stepped on - god, he loved her fire.

...

Damn, that's a thick silence.

Lloyd cleared his throat and bought his mother's attention back to him to spare his father from her wrath: "What's for dinner tonight?" He asked rather happily, hoping for something enjoyable or meat related as he had been having freezer meals for the last three nights.

Koko smiled and stood up to start cooking, a hobby she had grown to love in recent years with her son, especially when Lloyd was younger and they cooked together back when Garmadon was less active...

"Well, I was planning to make chillie again, I know how much you enjoyed that last month." The former warrior smiled softly, already staring to grab the ingredients for the dish.

Lloyd smiled until he remembered his father, who stood awkwardly at the edge of the room, steadied making his way to the sofa in hopes to engage in conversation with his son while koko cooked.. consdiering his father, Lloyd almost began to ask: "What about dad?" Garmadon hushed his son immediately by placing his large hand over the boys mouth before backing off before koko caught him.

"It fine. There's meat in it..." he excused, sitting back in his place in the sofa like he hadn't moved from the space all day..

"But aside from your mother's fabulous cooking-" he hoped she caught his compliment, "what are you looking forward to this weekend?" Garmadon grinned at his son with a hopeful manner.

Lloyd chuckled, admittedly stumped by the question. "Well, I suppose I was going to meet up with Kai and Nya on Sunday and maybe try and convince Cole to go with me to the mall on Satur-" Lloyd pasued in mid sentence as he caught sight of his mother's stare form the kitchen-

Ah, yes. He forgot about that. "Actually, maybe we could go out and try and fish..?" Lloyd asked his father, whose face lit up. "Like, on Saturday we could go and try fish, or play ball, or..anything really." He smiled with a glint of hope.

"Yes! We could - o could show you how to catch, and fish, or bike, or- or-" Garmadon rambled about the multitude of things the two could do on a father-son bonding day, overcome by his excitement to have Lloyd want him in his life, especially after the verbal beating he received from his ex.

Lloyd laughed midway through Garmadon's, yapping. "Okay, then it's settled - we'll go out on Saturday, just you and I." The green ninja felt his insides go warm at the grin his father gave him. "Oh, Luh-lloyd! We'll have such fun!" He grinned with such childlike enthusiasm, cleary thrilled to be apart of his sons life finnaly..

Meanwhile, Koko smiled as she prepared their meal. Hopefully, she'll have the husband she deserved and the father Lloyd needed...

Maybe things could be better for them both.. for them all.