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Lloyd tossed and turned that night, unable to quiet his mind enough to fall sleep. His thoughts were a whirlwind, recircling back to the events of the prior day and turning them over in his head as if he could figure out a different way to interpret what had happened. And how it made him feel.
But-- nope, he couldn’t rationalize it any other way. Lord Garmadon, his dad, had flirted with him. And it had made him feel flustered.
“What’s wrong with me,” he groaned miserably, burying his face in his pillow and curling up like a dying bug. He felt like scum. But he couldn’t stop thinking about it, heart racing under the cloak of night.
It was during another attack, which were unfortunately routine for Ninjago City. The Ninja raced from their class to their secret base, hopped aboard their mechs, and surged forth to defend their home from Lord Garmadon’s devious marine forces.
Lloyd tried to stay focused during these battles, unwilling to let his emotions compromise his ability to fight. He had to focus, because innocent lives counted on him. His friends, his team, counted on him to stay alert and lead them. He could do that pretty well, usually. But lately Garmadon had been getting under his skin and… and driving him nuts. Just the sound of Garmadon’s voice booming from his latest shark-themed mech’s speakers was enough to get Lloyd to falter, let alone seeing that bastard smugly trample over his home…
So, in a momentary lapse of judgement, Lloyd responded to his father’s taunts.
“Wow, you got here fast,” Garmadon noted. “Sheesh, it’s like you’re obsessed with me or something. Am I right, Green Ninja?” He laughed, loud and obnoxious.
Lloyd grinded his teeth behind his mask, fists clenched over the dragon mech’s controls. “No I’m not! We got here fast because we have to protect the city from you villains!”
Garmadon turned to his nearest lackey. “I think he’s obsessed with me.”
“No, yeah, he is.”
“Absolutely, sir.”
Lloyd growled. “It’s not like that!”
“Oh, yeah? Then why are you always the first to confront me?” Garmadon directed his mech forward, the great mass of it crushing a (probably) (…hopefully) evacuated building beneath it.
It was true, though. The other Ninja were scattered around the city resisting Garmadon’s soldiers, protecting the civilians, but Lloyd tended to race right for Garmadon without waiting for backup, a single-minded obsession. What did he hope to accomplish by going after him each time? He didn’t know.
“Oh, I get it! The Green Ninja has a crush on me.”
Lloyd froze. Over the comms, he could hear the others gasp quietly.
“No, nonono.” Lloyd’s hands were shaky and sweaty on the controls. “What are you saying? Y-you’re delusional.”
“You have a crush on me~” Garmadon sang, because he was annoying. “Don’t deny it, Green Ninja. Though I pity you, I really do.”
“Shut up!” Lloyd blasted a rocket that Garmadon managed to barely knock away before it exploded in the air, the windows of the buildings it was closest to shattering from the force of the bomb. And they were back to fighting, clashes of metal and giant swords versus dragon claws, energy blasts, neither giving up ground. Except Garmadon wouldn’t shut up.
“It’s a tale as old as time,” he sighed dramatically. He made a sweeping, grand gesture at the chaos around them. “Two warriors split by enemy lines, but a passion ignites between them. It’s taboo, but you can’t deny what your heart wants. Believe me I would know, it happens to me all the time. You hero types can’t stop falling for this hot piece of ass--”
Lloyd clapped his hands over his ears, mortified. “Shuuut uuup!!” It was bad enough that Garmadon was saying any of this, but even worse that it was projected from his speakers, so EVERYBODY on the block could hear it.
Over the comms the Ninja were deliberating, but they were all too preocuppied with saving people to come over and intervene, try to distract Garmadon from saying things he would really regret if he knew the full truth of the situation.
“It would never work between us,” Garmadon was saying now, like he was softly letting the Green Ninja down. “You’re cute, but you’re not my type. I think. Huh, maybe you are. I haven’t seen you under that hood. Can’t knock it till you try it, eh?” And then he winked.
“Oh my First, just SHUT UP!” Lloyd shouted, trying very hard not to picture any knocking going on between them. “I don’t have a crush on you, you’re my d--“ but he cut himself off with a coughing fit before the word could be spoken. Close call.
Garmadon tilted his head as if to hear Lloyd better. “What was that?”
“You’re my enemy. And I hate you.”
“Whatever lets you sleep at night,” Garmadon shrugged.
It was way past midnight now.
Lloyd’s friends had all texted him after the battle was over, reassuring him it wasn’t his fault and Garmadon didn’t know any better and he would never say that stuff if he knew the Green Ninja was his son, and if Lloyd wanted to talk about it they were here. Kai in particular kept stressing that he’d be here if Lloyd needed to talk, and Zane suggested counselling, not like Lloyd would ever see a therapist in Ninjago City. Because, like everybody else except for the Ninja, they all despised him.
It was hopeless. Lloyd’s eyes were blurry with exhaustion but he just couldn’t sleep. Fitfully he kicked his covers off and crept down to the kitchen with his super sneaky ninja abilities to make himself tea. While the water boiled, he drooped on the counter and let his thoughts run in circles.
He thinks I’m cute, Lloyd thought, then cringed and dropped forward to press his forehead into the countertop’s surface, hoping it could cool the blush warming his face. “I hate you, Dad,” he muttered.