𝙇𝙡𝙤𝙮𝙙'𝙨 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙞𝙙𝙨

Chapter 7: Stone-faced

     She's simply staring at him, with softened eyes. Jay narrows his eyes. Nya asks again. "Why are you crying, sweetheart?" And Lloyd swiftly brushes away the tears sparkling down his cheeks. He's grown, he should be better than this. But the way she's looking at him, Jay too, he can't handle it. Not with the additional stinging in his hand, and arm, and the bruise that'd eventually be purple and swelling on his leg by morning. And Kai. He pries his lips apart in a feeble attempt to mumble out an answer, yet talking feels like climbing mountains.
"It's hurty." He squeaks out in a voice cracking like a wine glass. Nya bats her lashes, and swivels around to his side. She nudges his head against her, burying his face into her shoulder, warm against her skin, and the comforting fabric of her tank top. Jay hisses air in through his teeth at the sight, and runs a hand through his curled brown mop of hair.
      "Kid's a bit of a mess, huh?" He utters. Lloyd feels Nya shrug.

       "You know he can't help it, Jay. Although, I do hate seeing him in such a state." She replies. Her fingers weave through his golden hair rhythmically. Lloyd pulls his face away, and wipes up his tears. All of the effort of the day has caught up, leaving him lacking energy.
         "Hey, bud." Jay waggles his fingers at him. Jay, whilst typically well-intentioned, never had the best spirits when it came to dealing with Lloyd's littlespace. All spectacular, and equipped to play, but helpless on the arrival of any tears, or tantrums. Lloyd shyly waves at him, rubbing his eye. He can't help or mask it anymore - this is just the turn the evening has taken. "Do you want your little panda thingy?" Jay asks. Lloyd nods, and watches as he rises from the floor, in search of Bamboo. Nya picks up her mug, and blows on the surface to cool it. She doesn't speak when Lloyd creeps onto her lap. He's heavy, but she doesn't mind. She, as can the rest of the team, still recall when Lloyd was a genuine child. Four foot seven, and huffy, and pouty, and getting himself in all sorts of trouble, sniffly, and lonely. He had scrapes on his knees, and dirt on his face, and food on his shirt, and a tremendously dumb haircut, but none of it mattered because he was nine. And he was scared.

        Lloyd's eyes wander. Zane is no longer in the room, and neither is Sensei. Cole sweeps in through the doorway, sweatpants on, and Beatles band shirt on. He has a mug in one hand, and his phone in the other. He pauses in front of Nya and Lloyd. Cole has always had one of those faces. The ones that look perpetually angry, or brooding, if not actively presenting an emotion. And on the first few meetings with Cole, Lloyd had been the most jittery boy. Until he realised what everyone else on the team knew about Cole, that he's squishy, and kind, and silly, and insecure, and curious as a tiny black kitten.
        "Something up?" He says finally, after studying the pair on the floor, silently for a moment. Nya shrugs.

         "He was a bit upset. I'm not sure if it was just the fight today or what." She pats the boy's head. "Don't really seem in the mood to talk do you, sweetheart?" Lloyd shakes his head. His face isn't so warm now, and being in his big sister's arms makes him feel safe. Maybe if he were bigger, he'd feel a larger wariness of Cole after what happened with Kai. Although he didn't hear more than a question from Cole. Ultimately the more harmful things were from Kai. And besides, he was too small to care about whatever Cole had done. Because Lloyd really wants cuddles, and nobody on this funky flying boat can cuddle quite like Cole. The man sips from his mug, and puts his phone in his pocket.
         "Want me to carry you to bed, kiddo?" Cole sighs, scratching the back of his neck with his gigantic hand. Nya looks as if she's inclined to interrupt, when Jay reappears, Bamboo in hand.
         "Got em, Lloyd." He grins, plonking down on the floor beside the blonde, and thrusting the worn out stuffie in his face. Ah, precious Bamboo. Lloyd grabs on to the furry thing, and snuggles it to his chest, as Jay coos, and ruffles his hair. "You kind of remind me of when I was a teeny squirt." He chuckles. "I was so attached to my teddy." Cole raises an eyebrow.
        "Yeah, til now, hey?" He purrs, leaving Jay to scoff. Nya rolls her eyes.

         Jay's eyes flash, and his hand dives into the pocket of his shorts.
"I also brought this." He says, presenting Lloyd's binky. Cole tilts his head.
      "Wait, how old is he?" Nya's face scrunches up in confusion, but it looks rather silly, and Lloyd begins to giggle. He hasn't the strength to partake in the conversation, and his binky is looking back at him longingly. It'd be nice to snuggle up in bed with Cole keeping him warm, and his panda cuddled against his cheek.
       "Putting my bets on four." Jay states, with the seriousness of throwing in a few coins to a real, actual horse race, and Nya tuts, taking the green pacifier from him. She holds it up to Lloyd.
     "If he takes it, he's probably under five." She says. Everyone is staring at him now, awaiting this little boy's decision. Lloyd yawns a huge yawn, and latches on to the binky to suckle on it. He can't think anymore. Cole smiles.
       "That was easy enough." He shrugs. "Jay, take my mug for a minute, I'm taking him to bed. He's practically falling asleep right now." Big brother Cole is gonna carry him? Lloyd giggles quietly, outstretching his arms, and letting the man scoop him up into his muscled, hairy arms. Jay takes an extremely fast, and discreet sip from Cole's drink. Nya fidgets, readjusting her sitting position, now free of Lloyd's weight. Lloyd clings to Bamboo, and chews on his pacifier. His eyes getting heavier and heavier, as the colours of the walls, and doors pass by, Cole carrying him back to his room at the end of the hallway.

        "Remember to take your binder off, okay, Lloyd?" Cole says in a hushed tone, nudging the bedroom door open with his butt, and stepping inside. Lloyd manages a sleepy nod. Binder... Cole... Snuggles...
      "Is it bedtime...?" He mumbles through his pacifier. Cole rests him down on the bed, and pats his head.
      "Sure is, kiddo." He sighs, and his face loses something in it, keeping it so light, and happy. He crouches down in front of the boy, and squeezes his knee. Is big brother sad...? Did Lloyd somehow get himself in trouble? He fidgets with his hands, Bamboo propped on his lap. "Lloyd, I'm sorry if you feel like you're a burden sometimes, okay?" Cole says it, and it's so quiet. Everything is so very quiet. "I never want to make you feel like that - none of us do, okay? You're a good boy, remember that, alright?" His hand tightens on Lloyd's knee as he squeezes it, like he's trying to imprint the message into his skin. Lloyd carefully tugs his binky out of his mouth, and nods in a small way.
        "I'm a good boy?" And his tired eyes twinkle. Cole nods thoroughly.
"The best boy in the whole world." He smiles.

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A/N: hi hi sillies sorry this took like a whole month to be updated, I've been enjoying my time away from classes, amongst other things. Thanks for being patient with this hehe