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Lloyd wasn’t unused to movie nights.
He and his mom had plenty.
Quiet ones.
Normal ones.
Ones where the biggest problem was deciding who got the last blanket.
This—
This was not that.
He winced as he got squeezed from both sides, shoulders compressed between bodies that absolutely did not understand the concept of personal space.
Someone’s elbow hovered dangerously close to his ribs.
He leaned away instinctively.
If I stay very still, maybe I won’t get crushed.
“La-Lloyd, you’re missing all the action!”
Of course.
Of course that was his father.
Garmadon leaned forward enthusiastically, four arms gesturing at once and blocking the screen for at least half the room.
Lloyd closed his eyes briefly.
Of course he is.
Kai’s glare could have melted stone.
Lloyd immediately made himself smaller, shoulders curling inward like that might somehow make him less associated.
Not that it worked.
It never worked.
He knew his dad was… a lot.
That was putting it kindly.
He just wished—
Just a little—
that the others wouldn’t say anything.
Not tonight.
Not after everything.
Unfortunately, the ninja did not believe in restraint.
At all.
Jay had to be physically restrained.
Which, honestly, felt like progress.
Lloyd covered his face with his hands.
I’m going to disappear. I’m going to actually disappear.
An arm slipped around him.
Warm.
Steady.
Nya.
He peeked up slightly.
She squeezed his shoulder—gentle, grounding, like she was saying yeah, this is a mess, but you’re fine.
His face warmed.
He opened his mouth to say something—
Tap.
He blinked.
A girl a few seats over smiled at him.
Not teasing.
Not awkward.
Just… normal.
Like this—all of this—was normal.
Lloyd’s brain stopped working.
Oh.
Oh no.
His entire face went red.
Nya snorted softly.
“First time getting smiled at?” she teased.
He groaned immediately, dropping his face back into his hands.
I’m never recovering from this.
He considered moving.
New seat. New life. New identity.
He turned toward Kai—
Opened his mouth—
“Achoo!”
Everyone paused.
Jay sniffed miserably, rubbing his nose.
“Can someone take her tail off me?” he asked, voice strained, as Meowthra’s tail flicked across his face again.
Lloyd blinked.
Oh.
Right.
Problem.
“Are you… allergic?” he asked, already reaching to move the tail away.
(It helped. Focusing on something practical always helped.)
“Y-yeah, the f-fur—achoo!”
Zane tilted his head slightly.
“I was not aware of this condition.”
“It never came up—achoo!”
“Tragic,” Cole said, waving a hand dismissively.
“More importantly—someone get the cake away from Sensei!”
Lloyd turned just in time to see Cole lift a cake box out of reach—
—and Sensei Wu already holding a plate.
“…How.”
“Dessert is meant to be shared,” Wu said calmly.
He was upside down.
Lloyd did not question it.
He had learned better.
“That better not be the strawberry piece—!” Cole lunged.
Zane nodded.
“It is the most optimal portion.”
Jay, teary-eyed and holding a handkerchief, gave a weak thumbs-up.
“Worth it.”
Kai dragged a hand down his face.
“One day,” he muttered. “I just want one day of peace.”
Lloyd smiled.
Small.
A little helpless.
Yeah.
Good luck with that.
The room was loud.
Messy.
Too full.
Too chaotic.
Nobody filtered themselves.
Nobody held back.
Not for him.
Not for his dad.
And somehow—
That made it easier.
Because no one was pretending.
No one was being careful around him like he might break.
They were just…
being.
His dad was still blocking the screen.
Jay was still sneezing.
Cole was still fighting for his life over cake.
And the city outside was still… recovering.
But here—
Right here—
It was warm.
Lloyd let himself relax into it, just a little.
They’re safe.
They’re here.
I’m here.
Things weren’t perfect.
They probably never would be.
But as he leaned back into the chaos—
shoulder still pressed between too many people—
Lloyd exhaled softly.
This is mine.
And, for once,
that felt like enough.