Black eye (L. Garmadon x Reader)

f i v e

A cheerful woman in her late twenties approached the counter, her radiant smile cutting through the lingering tension of the café. "Hi there! Can I get a caramel latte, please?" she chirped, her gaze flicking curiously between Mina and the ice pack (Y/N) held to her face.

Mina's posture softened as she quickly took the woman's order, her usual warmth returning with a practiced ease. Yet, (Y/N)'s attention strayed, her focus drifting back to Lloyd, who stood beside her, leaning casually against the counter. The edges of a smile still clung to his lips, though his eyes wandered across the café as if absorbing the rhythm of the place.

Slowly, (Y/N) lowered the ice pack from her face, wincing as she assessed the damage in a nearby reflection. The bruise had already started to darken, a telltale mark of the chaotic scene that had just unfolded. The thought of facing her parents with a growing black eye made her sigh inwardly.

Lloyd shifted beside her, his concerned gaze finding hers as he spoke, "Seriously, though, you didn't have to do that." His voice was low, threaded with genuine guilt, and he seemed to fidget, shifting his weight from foot to foot. "I feel really bad about what happened."

"It's not your fault," (Y/N) replied, her lips curving into a faint smile despite the ache. "I couldn't just stand there and let them treat you like that. Someone had to show them they couldn't get away with it."

Relief washed over Lloyd's face, the tension in his shoulders easing as his smile widened. "You were really brave. Most people would've just ignored it."

She shrugged, feeling a spark of confidence at his words. "Maybe I've got more fight in me than I realised."

Lloyd hesitated, glancing down at his shoes before looking back up at her, the air between them thick with unspoken thoughts. "I could... help you out," he began, his voice unsure. "Like, maybe I could say I forced you to defend me, or something—"

(Y/N) raised an eyebrow, cutting him off with a look of surprise. "Is this because you don't want to be seen with the girl who got a black eye for you?"

"What? No!" His eyes widened with shock, his earnestness palpable. "I just don't want you to become a target. Those guys can be relentless, and... I don't want you to deal with that because of me."

(Y/N) couldn't help the amused smirk that curled at the edges of her lips. "It was my choice to step in, Lloyd. I'm not about to let you take the blame for that." Her eyes gleamed with mischief. "Besides, I'm pretty skilled in headbutting."

Lloyd chuckled, a spark of amusement lighting his green eyes. "Oh yeah? Story time?"

"Maybe next time," she teased, crossing her arms. "Just know I'm tight with the Green Ninja. Don't mess with me."

Her laughter filled the space between them, and Lloyd shook his head, grinning. "I'll keep that in mind." But as the laughter died down, a shadow of seriousness crept back into his voice. "I mean it, though—you shouldn't have to get hurt just because you stood up for me."

(Y/N) waved off his concern with a casual smile, though she felt a tightness in her chest at how sincere he was being. "I've handled my fair share of trouble. I'm not about to let a couple of assholes scare me off." She flashed him a playful look. "And if they want to mess with me again, they'll get a front-row seat to my headbutting skills."

Lloyd smiled at her determination, but the worry in his eyes didn't fade. "Just promise me you'll be careful. I don't want you getting hurt again."

"Sure thing, hero," she quipped with a dramatic eye roll. "But I can handle a little drama. Just keep your phone handy in case I need backup."

"Backup it is," he agreed, pulling out his phone. "Let's swap numbers—just in case I need to swoop in and save the day."

"Good idea," (Y/N) said, fishing her phone from her pocket and handing it to him. "But seriously, don't go giving it out to the whole city."

Lloyd chuckled, his fingers moving deftly across her phone screen as he typed in his number. "Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret. Your undercover identity as the girl with a black eye is safe with me."

Smiling, (Y/N) wrote her number in his phone, her pulse quickening slightly as their hands brushed for just a second. The bustling café noise faded into the background as she watched him concentrate on entering his number, the world seeming to narrow to the soft click of fingers on the screen. Everything else fell away in that brief, shared moment, before he handed her phone back with a satisfied smile.

"Here you go," Lloyd murmured, his voice softer now. For a second, their eyes met, and something unspoken passed between them—gratitude, maybe even admiration, as though he couldn't quite believe what had transpired.

"So," (Y/N) began, slipping her phone back into her pocket with a teasing grin, "does this mean you're going to be my personal hero now? Swooping in to save the day whenever Ninjago City's bullies strike?"

Lloyd chuckled, the sound quiet but warm. "If you ever need me, sure. But something tells me you don't really need rescuing." He smirked. "I mean, you are tight with the Green Ninja, right?"

(Y/N) raised an eyebrow, mock-challenging him. "Okay, maybe not that tight," she admitted with a grin. "But it's nice to know someone's got my back."

"Definitely," he agreed, but his gaze flicked toward the door where the group of bullies had left. His smile faltered slightly. "But seriously, what you did back there... No one's ever done something like that for me before. It's... new for me."

(Y/N) felt her own smile soften as she looked at him, noticing the vulnerability in his expression. Lloyd, son of Garmadon—the boy with the infamous name. How much had he dealt with over the years? "Maybe people are just too scared of what they don't understand," she said gently. "But I'm not. Besides, I don't think you're the kind of guy who lets his name define him."

Lloyd blinked, as if her words had caught him off guard. A small, grateful smile tugged at his lips, though his eyes remained distant. "Thanks. I try not to let it. But it's harder than it looks."

Before she could reply, Mina's voice sliced through the intimate moment. "Alright, you two," she said, amusement evident in her tone, "don't go getting too deep on me. This is still a café, not a therapy session."

(Y/N) laughed, brushing off the heaviness in the air. "Don't worry, Mina. Just lightening up after, you know..." She gestured to her bruised face, her grin returning. "This little fiasco."

Mina smirked. "Well, make sure you get home and ice that eye before it swells up any worse."

Lloyd nodded, his concern returning. "She's right. You should take it easy. No need to be a superhero all the time."

(Y/N) grinned. "Oh, don't worry. A nap is definitely on the agenda. Being a hero is exhausting."

He chuckled. "Well, if you ever need a day off, I'll be around. Maybe I can return the favour."

"Deal," she replied, winking as they exchanged a knowing look.

As they parted ways, (Y/N) couldn't help but feel a strange warmth blooming in her chest, something deeper forming between them. And as Lloyd glanced down at the new contact in his phone, a quiet smile crossed his face.

"(Y/N), huh?"