Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

No one's pov:

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Kai was not having a good day. It had started with have to help Nya with homework, followed by getting the shop ready for the day ahead. Now, he was tasked with the most dreaded mission of all: a grocery run. He couldn't believe Nya had talked him in to this.

"It's your turn," she had said, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "Besides, you need to learn how to deal with normal life once in a while."

Normal life, to Kai, was about having to deal with Karen's all the dang time. just giving him a really annoyed look, that only bitches could give, was a torment. A crowded supermarket, however, was a special kind of torment. The cloying smell of fresh-baked bread, the relentless beeping of the check-out scanners, and the sheer number of slow-moving people pushing trolleys were all too much.He navigated the aisles with the focused intensity like a ninja on a mission, snatching items from the shelves and tossing them into his basket.

"Energy drinks, snacks, more hot sauce," he muttered, ticking off the list in his head. The sooner he got out of here, the better.

He rounded the corner near the fresh produce, his basket overflowing, when a small, huddled figure caught his eye. A kid, no older than 12 or 14, but pretty small for his age, was sitting alone behind a large promotional display of leafy greens. He was scrawny, with an oversized green hoodie covering most of his face. The kid was gnawing on a half-eaten lollipop, his eyes darting around with a mixture of fear and defiance. Kai's first instinct was to ignore it. It was none of his business. He was a blacksmith, after all, not some kind of babysitter. But something in the kid's posture—the way his shoulders were hunched, the way he flinched every time someone walked by—struck a chord in Kai's fiery heart. He remembered his own childhood, how he and Nya had to fend for themselves after their parents disappeared.He paused, lowering his overflowing basket to the floor. The kid noticed his stillness and shrank back further. "Hey, kid," Kai said softly, trying to sound less intimidating than usual. "You lost?"

The kid shook his head, licking his lollipop with an intensity that suggested it was his last meal. "No," he whispered, his voice thin and reedy.

"Where's your family?" Kai asked, his voice softening even more.

The kid looked away, his eyes fixed on a spider crawling up the wall. "Gone," he mumbled.

Kai's heart ached. The single word hit him harder than any punch Nya had ever thrown. He looked around the bustling store. No frantic parents, no store employees searching for a missing child. Just a little boy, abandoned and alone.He made a decision right there, one that would change the course of his life, and the life of this little kid, forever. He picked up his basket, set it next to the boy, and crouched down.

"Look, I'm Kai," he said, holding out a hand. "I can help you."

The boy looked at his hand, then at Kai's face, his eyes wide and uncertain. The soon to be fire ninja's spiky brown hair and confident smirk were a far cry from the people who had abandoned him. But Kai's kind tone and genuine concern were something the kid hadn't seen in a long time.Hesitantly, the kid took Kai's hand.

"I'm... Lloyd."

Kai smiled, a genuine, warm smile that reached his eyes. "Well, Lloyd, my basket of groceries just got a little heavier. You wanna help me finish this list?"As they walked toward the checkout, Kai with his overflowing basket and Lloyd with his small hand tucked safely in Kai's, the noise of the supermarket seemed to fade away. The world had just changed. For the better.

Ok! that's the end of the chapter! sorry its kinda short

Chapter Text

The Black Smith shop was a chaotic symphony of groans and creaks, a stark contrast to the quiet of the alley. Kai led the boy to the living room, his mind still reeling from the impulsive decision. What was he thinking? Nya was going to kill him.

"Just... stay here," Kai instructed, gesturing to the couch.

The boy, clutching on a box of instant noodles that Kai handed him earlier, huddled near a stack of helmets. Kai went into the kitchen, the smell of fried rice and dumplings assaulting his senses. He found Nya in the kitchen, making the rest of the food that they had, the particularly reason why Nya made Kai go to the store.

"Nya, we have a... situation," Kai said, trying to sound nonchalant.

Nya turned, her ocean blue eyes blinking. "What is it?"

Kai sighed. "I found a kid. He's in the living room."

"Kai, why did bring in a child? did he come willingly, or did you just kidnap him?"Nya said in a slightly annoyed tone.

"No He was hungry, and alone, and... look, I just brought him home for now. He was on the streets. I'll figure it out." Kai ran a hand through his hair, the gesture of a man in over his head.

"Hmm," was all Nya offered, before returning to cooking. Kai headed back to the living room, where Kai found Lloyd fast asleep. Kai felt bad for the kid, he probably didn't have a decent sleep in a while. Then, Nya came out of the kitchen, probably finished cooking. Lloyd woke up by hearing Nya walk in. She approached the boy slowly. "Hey, little guy. What's your name?"

The boy didn't respond, just buried his face further into his knees. Nya glanced at Kai, a silent question in her eyes."He's not talking," Kai explained, feeling the weight of his actions settling on his shoulder. Nya started looking through the cabinets, looking for something that might cheer up the boy a little. "Oh, here it is!"

"Nya, what were you looking for?"

"you'll see." was all she replied with, and then she held out a colorful, foil-wrapped hard candy. The boy's green eyes, still filled with suspicion, flickered towards the candy. He hesitantly reached out and took it."See? We're not so bad," Nya said with a wide, reassuring grin.

Then, Nya turned around to Kai. "Kai," she said, her voice sounding like she wanted some more answers. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

The boy, sensing the tension, flinched. He looked from Kai to Nya and back again, his face a mask of fear. He was an unwanted guest, and he knew it. He clutched the candy in his hand, the small, sweet gesture from Nya a brief reprieve in a world that had, once again, proven to be too confusing, and too loud. He just wanted to go back to his alley, where at least he knew what to expect.

Chapter Text

Nya glared at Kai. If looks could kill, he would be dead right now. the glare pinned Kai in place, rendering him speechless as Lloyd looked on in a mix of confusion and dismay. The boy, still huddled by the helmets, seemed to sense the brewing storm and made himself as small as possible.

"Kai," Nya began again, her voice a low, dangerous rumble. "Walk me through this. So You went to get groceries. You came back with a Kid.."

"like I said earlier, He was alone!" Kai blurted out, the words tumbling over each other. "In an alley! He looked hungry, Nya, and he was just a kid!"

"hmmmm, so he came at his own will?" she questioned, a hand on her hip.

"wha- its not like I was kidnapping him!" Kai protested, flinging his hands up. "I offered! He came willingly!"

The boy's head snapped up at the word "willingly," a flash of defiance in his green eyes. It was a momentary thing, but Kai caught it. The kid wasn't just a victim; he had his own pride.

Just then, a customer arrived, looking at all the armory and weapons. His gaze swept over to the trio, from the disheveled Kai to the indignant Nya, and finally settling on the boy. he looked towards Kai.

"are you the one in charge?"

"umm.." Kai looked to Nya. "I guess I am.." he answered, walking towards the man. "so would you like to buy a specific type of weapon? or do you want to get armor? or both?" Kai asked

"Both is fine" the man answered.

while Kai was tending to the customer, Nya walked over to Lloyd, a calm and steady presence

"Hey, Lloyd," she said softly. "It's a little loud in here. How about I show you where you can sit down and have that candy?"

The boy hesitated, but Nya's gentle demeanor was disarming. He nodded slowly. Nya led him to the kitchen, giving Kai a meaningful look over her shoulder. after Nya found Lloyd a spot to enjoy his candy, she walked up to Kai, who had just finished tending to a customer.

Nya sighed, annoyance draining from her face, replaced by a deep-seated frustration. "Kai, you can't just go around adopting stray children. We have a lot of responsibilities. We can't just be... parents."

"Maybe not," Kai said, his voice softer now. "But we can't just turn our backs on him either, Nya. We're blacksmiths. We help people. Isn't he a person?"

Nya fell silent, the logic of his words slowly sinking in. She knew he was right. They couldn't just throw the boy back onto the streets. Later that evening, after the yelling had subsided and a truce had been called, Kai found the boy in the kitchen. Nya had given him a bowl of cereal, and had provided a warm blanket. The boy was huddled in a chair, eating slowly, watching the television from under his hood.

Kai approached cautiously, sitting down across from him. He gestured to the bowl.

"Is it good?"

The boy nodded, not looking up.

"Look," Kai said, running a hand through his hair. "I know this is... a lot. And Nya's a little mad right now, but she's not a bad person. We're not bad people. We're... a little weird, but we're good people."He paused, searching for the right words. "You can stay here. For as long as you need to. It's not a lot, but... it's a home. A messy, loud, kinda weird home. But it's a home."

The boy finally looked up, his green eyes meeting Kai's. There was still fear there, but something else had crept in: a fragile, uncertain hope. He said nothing, but he pulled the blanket tighter around his shoulders.For the first time since that impulsive decision, Kai felt a warmth spread through his chest. He had done something reckless, stupid, and probably dangerous. But looking at the small, fragile hope in the boy's eyes, he realized he might have also done something right. For a small, lost boy with green eyes, it was the sound of a new, unexpected, and very strange home.