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Lloyd always tried his best to not cry in front of the kids.
Really, he did! He was a dad to Sora now. And a big brother to Arin. And an uncle to Wyldfyre, Frak, and Euphrasia. He was someone they all looked up too!! He was supposed to be composed, at least some of the time!! Lloyd wanted the kids to see him the way he saw Master Wu. Composed. Full of knowledge. Skilled.
And even though Lloyd was….pretty much the polar opposite of all those things, he still tried. And the kids said he did a good job every day, and that they’d look up to him even if he wasn’t all of that.
But one thing Master Wu almost never did in front of them….was cry.
So Lloyd didn’t either.
Not when Kai was lost in Nether-Space. Or when he found out Master Wu caused the Merge. Not even when Arin and Sora left the team.
But after their final battle with Beatrix, the kids are asleep. And now all his family is back. And Lloyd just couldn’t keep it in anymore.
Everything was so loud. He was hearing and sensing and feeling so much! He already felt overwhelmed at how quick things had progressed—this just made it worse.
What really made it worse, was when he walked out into the Courtyard in the middle of the night to get fresh air, and found literally everyone out there already.
Jay was sitting next to Nya in front of the doors, whispering frantically to each other. Kai was raking his hands through Cole’s hair as the two leaned against each other on the steps. And Zane was jotting something down quickly on a sketch pad.
Lloyd stepped out and took a sharp breath upon seeing them. All of them. Together. Without fractured memories or lost Elemental Powers, or a million things to do and bad guys to stop.
Just…..them.
”What are….you all doing out here?” Lloyds frail voice spoke. Despite his quiet tone, everyone looked up immediately.
”Same as you, probably,” Nya answered first, smiling tiredly. “Jay had a nightmare.” She admitted sadly. Jay huffed and hurried his face in Nya’s shoulder.
”Frak and Wyldfyre woke up screaming,” Kai mumbled, staring out into space.
“We couldn’t go back to sleep after that. Not after what they told us about their dreams..” Cole finished. “They’re asleep with Arin and Sora now.”
”I do not require rest like the rest of you,” Zane commented. “But even I could not get my mind to shut off tonight. A lot has happened to us all.”
”What about you, Lloyd?” Nya asked softly.
Lloyd’s eyes immediately shifted to the floor. He didn’t even try to sleep. He was fussing over the kids getting to bed and getting a good nights rest, and then he tried cleaning up the Monastery, and THEN he had to make sure the Finders and Geo had a room to sleep in—it had been a lot.
He’d done anything he could to keep his mind off….this….
”Lloyd?” Kai pressed softly, glancing up at him in worry. Everyone else turned to watch him too. Even Jay was looking a bit concerned.
”I—“ Lloyd’s voice cracked. He paused, letting out a trembling sigh. His entire body was shaking as he tried fo fight back tears.
Unfortunately, his mind won over.
Hot tears began rolling down his cheeks as he stared at his team—his family. He felt like he was ten years old all over again.
”Is—is this real?” Lloyd whispered. “Are you all here? For real?? Are we—did we finally—are you all—“ Lloyd stammered as his tears began to crowd his vision.
He felt so helpless. He could barely think straight, and everything was so loud—
A pair of arms wrapped around him, forcing him out of his mind once more. To his surprise, they were Jay’s. Lloyd gasped quietly, staring at the long brown hair that blocked Jay’s face.
”We’re here, Lloyd,” Jay whispered. His voice was shaking too.
In fact, now that Lloyd was paying attention, Jay’s entire body was trembling.
”We’re here and we’re real. We’re all together again.”
“Jay—!!!” Lloyd let out a choked sob. He gripped Jay’s Gi tightly, bringing him closer. Lloyd held Jay tight, fearful that if he ever let go, he’d disapear again; vanish to a place Lloyd cannot find.
“Oh, Lloyd…” Kai whispered. He and Cole got up next, wrapping their arms around the two smaller men protectively. Soon, their own cries mixed in with Lloyd and Jay’s.
Nya and Zane joined theme mere milliseconds later. And soon, everyone was sobbing. Cries of terror despair, mixed with joy and hopefulness filled the night. The Ninja dropped to the floor, one tight little ball of fear.
But the fear was theirs. They had been sitting with this fear for years. All alone, scared, in strange places they’d never seen….the fear was all they had.
But now they were together again. And this fear that they collected over the years of them being Ninja had no place here anymore.
Lloyd understood that now. There was no reason for this to be afraid, when his family was by his side no matter what. Even if they were separated during the early years of the Merge, Lloyd could always feel their presence.
”I guess that’s the funny thing about family,” Lloyd realized as their sobs began to die down. He smiled, feeling warm in their embrace. “They’re with you everywhere you go. No matter what.”
”And mine will always find it’s way back to each other.”
”No matter what.”
They ended up all bunking in the living room that night. Nobody wanted to leave their little pocket of safe.
It felt like old times before The Merge.
But with new comfort that made it ten times better.
Lloyd realized it’s okay to cry.
He was mentally, like, fifteen after all.