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Kai wasn't sure when he started caring for the little gremlin.
Honestly, he'd never wanted to.
The blonde midget had been a thorn in their sides from the moment he escaped Darkley's, raining 'chaos' down on any and every village he could manage to manipulate by whispering he was the son of the dark lord. He'd taken advantage of a lot of people, who would never dare to oppose Garmadon, and all for what? Candy?
Then Sensei just had to take him in.
He's my nephew. I am responsible for him in his parents' absence.
Then just dump him back at that stupid school where he belongs.
But Sensei Wu wouldn't, for one reason or another. The gremlin stayed and moved all of his feral child chaos under the sheltering roof of the Bounty.
Kai wasn't sure when the kid started to mean so much to him, especially after all the pranks he pulled, all the tail-chasing he'd sent them on with his demon-child 'antics'.
After a while though… the kid started to mellow out. He was less prank-y and more curious. He'd seen the kid trying to imitate Cole once, working through one of the kata's from the sanctuary of a shadow. Kai had almost called him on it. It might have been worth it, to see the flushed tips of his ears and the incoherent threats of what his father might do if he returned and found his son being 'bullied'.
But Kai didn't.
The kid started following them around, practically nipping at their heels, and if someone got fed up, he'd disappear.
Kai still never paid the kid more than a second glance. The gremlin was just the son of their enemy, the nephew of their master. He meant nothing to Kai.
Until he did.
He had to mean something. At least now.
Because when Kai, precariously perched from one stone to the next, reaching, straining for more than the fang blade pinned between the rocks, fighting to prove to everyone, to himself, that he was worthy of being the greatest spinjitzu master of all time, because in all of this, he hears a whimper.
Kai!
And it means something.
Kai can see him now, floating on a stone in the middle of a lake of lava, face flushed from the heat, green eyes impossibly wide with fear. His fingertips are starting to turn red from the strain of balancing himself on the rock, his hair plastered to his face with sweat, his tears…
And Kai wants to help him. Because this isn't just the son of the dark lord.
This is just a kid.
A kid he couldn't leave to die, even if he was the dark lord himself. A kid who'd been dealt a rotten hand and had come out of it swinging.
A kid that reminded him of himself, at that age, and the memories weren't exactly sweet.
A kid he, then and there, swore to be there for, like he'd always dreamed of someone being there for him.
A kid he was always meant to protect.
And just like that… it all clicked into place.
Kai, help me!
He feels a pull of anxiety and desire churn his gut, the need to save him and he tries to lurch forward-
His balance disappears.
Kai fell back against the rocks, his head hitting the wall and causing his ears to ring. He watches absently as the blade is overcome and sinks into the inferno.
KAI!
Kai shoves himself to his feet, staggering forward. He glanced up at Lloyd, a reassurance right there on the tip of his tongue, because would die before he let this kid end up in the Underworld before him-
But the rocks' not there anymore, the last of it sinking beneath the surface-
/-/-/
Kai bolted upright with a gasp that was more like a choked scream, near silent. The air seemed thinner than usual as it wheezed in and out of his chest. He felt cold and sweaty and dang, did he hate nightmares.
One trembling hand scrubbed at his face before coming to fist in his sleep-disheveled spikes, tugging lightly.
He was fine. He sucked a deep breath and released it on a silent whistle through his teeth. He was fine, he was in his bed, his brothers were fast asleep in their beds, he'd saved Lloyd, everything was-
The air in the room vanished, Kai's heart freezing.
Oh. Oh, no.
Jay, Zane and Cole were all in their beds, deep asleep and looking as comfortable as ever. Lloyd's bed looked just as slept in.
It was empty.
No.
Kai surged out of bed his thoughts alternating between screams of this is bad, this is bad, something's happened, something's wrong and calm down, the kid's probably just getting water or something.
Needless to say, the later thoughts weren't all that loud.
Kai bolted from the room, only the instinct to be discreet allowing his steps to be light and quiet as he hurtled through the halls, peering discreetly into room after room. The bathroom was open, the kitchen lights were off, the game room abandoned, the indoor training room empty, unoccupied, empty, empty, empty-
Lloyd wasn't below deck.
The panic was threatening to consume him as he burst above deck and into the open air, praying the boy didn't do something foolish, or was in the control room, or-
Kai zeroed in on a shadow, a faint outline perched on the rail, blocking the stars in that portion of the night sky from view. He edged closer and, finally, he could take a breath.
Lloyd, decked in his faded black skeleton hoodie, didn't acknowledge his presence. And he was very precariously perched. What if he slipped? What if he had fallen and no one had known until morning-
Kai squashed that train of thought. It wasn't helping.
Instead, he made his way to the rail and walked its length so that, even with the hood pulled up, Lloyd could just tilt his head and watch the red ninja approach. He made sure his steps sounded, his bare feet practically slapping the wood, as he went. He didn't want to startle Lloyd.
And it worked.
But Lloyd never acknowledged him, even after minutes of companionable silence. His youthful green gaze never left the sky.
"Lloyd?"
It wasn't much more than a whisper, but Lloyd glanced at Kai. Kai couldn't see his face all that well in the shadow of his hood, but his lips were thin, his eyes sparkling dangerously. The kid was upset about something.
Lloyd still didn't say anything.
"Couldn't sleep?" Kai tried again.
The Son of Garmadon shrugged.
"Not really."
Right. Vague answers because he was upset and he probably thought Kai wouldn't care or maybe the kid still didn't trust. Either option made Kai's heart hurt.
Kai wasn't all that good at this. Sure, he'd comforted Nya plenty of times, talked with her, ridden her emotional waves. But he knew her, knew what worked and what didn't, for her. Lloyd was foreign territory, and Kai never had a natural gift for empathy. It was all practiced out of necessity.
Still, he had to do something, anything. The kid was upset and perched over a who knows how many thousands of feet drop. Kai was going to lose it if Lloyd sat on that rail for much longer.
What if he slipped and Kai couldn't react fast enough? What if he fell and fell and fell…
"Don't you think it's cold out here?" Kai offered.
"Not really," came the soft, raspy reply, even as a small shiver shook his frame. That sweatshirt was worn thin anyway, it was probably doing nothing for the chilling winds threatening to even cut through Kai's cold tolerance.
"You really should come in," Kai frowned. "You'll catch a cold."
The kid was too thin. He'd only been back from Pythor's captivity a couple days, not nearly enough time to pack some meat back on his bones from so few solid meals. All the more reason to get him inside.
"Aw, you really do care," in the moonlight, Kai could barely make out a brittle smirk.
"Yep," Kai agreed, stepping forward to snag the kid. "And that means you're coming with me."
Kai expected the protests. Halfhearted as Lloyd didn't want to seem to be willing and cooperative, but not minding the attention as he was herded inside, likely expecting the cocoa to follow. Kai stopped dead at the broken pleas.
"W-wait," Lloyd said softly, edging away from Kai's outstretched hand no, that was the wrong direction-, "I'll head in in a minute, just a few more minutes. Please."
"Kid?"
The sniffle he got in response spurred him forward, only for him to stop again as Lloyd shied away.
"Please, please, Kai, let me stay. I'll be in in a minute, just-"
"Hey, hey, kid, easy, slow it down," Kai stomped his own panic as he held his hands aloft in surrender. "Relax, take some breaths. I'm not going to make you go in if you don't want to."
Lloyd's stuttering whimpers faded to astonished silence.
"You won't?"
Well, blazes. This kid had no right sounding so young, so vulnerable and scared.
Who did this to you?
"No, no, Lloyd. You want to freeze your butt off, who am I to stop you?" That drew a weak snort from the Green Bean. Kai almost smiled, before the snort quickly fell into a repressed sob.
"Lloyd? What's wrong? Talk to me, are you hurt?"
Lloyd was shaking his head before Kai even finished talking.
"I'm fine."
And that clearly wasn't true. But Lloyd wasn't exactly being forthcoming.
Kai let out a controlled sigh.
He wasn't getting anywhere.
"Do you mind if I join you?"
There was a faint head shake, and Kai took it as an invitation. He wasn't getting this kid off the rail any time soon, apparently, but he could be much closer, should anything happen.
Kai shuffled forward and folded his arms over the top rail, leaning heavily on it. Lloyd's gaze had gone back to the sky, intent and searching. Tear tracks still shone on his cheeks in the light of the moon, but he'd stopped actively crying. The urge to wipe at the kids' face with the hem of his hood was strong, but Kai held back, not wanting to startle the kid further. Kai tried to follow Lloyd's gaze, tried to see just what was holding his attention so absolutely, but all he could see was an impressive smattering of stars.
"What are you looking at?"
Lloyd was quiet for enough heartbeats to make Kai wonder if the younger boy had even heard him. Kai's gaze trailed back to Lloyd's face in time to watch his mouth open, his lips parting to whisper-
"The stars."
Ah. Yeah, Kai's brain was sleep deprived and adrenaline laced, he wasn't thinking all that straight. Give him a break.
He almost asked why, but thought better of it. If Lloyd wanted him to know, he'd say something-
Kai's brain stalled when Lloyd gave a light hiccup.
"I missed them."
Lloyd's gaze glued on a middle distance, the words poured forth, like he wasn't even aware he was saying them.
"They weren't there. Down there. When Pythor…he liked to make fun of me, liked to…he said I should get better friends and then he-he… he left me alone. All the time. In the dark. I- I couldn't see anything and I… I just missed them. They're bright and present and they break up the darkness so I can see something again, so I know I'm- I'm not…"
Alone.
Oh, Lloyd.
"Lloyd." Kai didn't realize how much of a growl it was until Lloyd flinched at the sound of it. He made a true effort to soften his voice, because dang it, he was pissed. At freaking Pythor, at Lloyd's dad, at himself for not just watching the kid when it was his turn, his own responsibility.
"Kid," Kai's voice was much softer this time. "I can't promise we'll always be there on time, or at the right moment, but Lloyd," the kid wouldn't meet his eyes. "From now on, you'll never be alone again. You hear me? If we aren't right there with you, we'll- no, I'll personally come after you. I think the others would do the same, but I can only really speak for myself. I will always come for you, Lloyd."
Lloyd tore his gaze from the stars, their light making his eyes sparkle.
"You can't promise that."
And the certainty with whish he deadpan stated it hurt. A kid his age shouldn't know life so well. Where'd his innocence go? Kai didn't want to think about it too much, didn't want to distract himself in this moment.
Kai met his gaze steadily, determination hardening his jaw.
"I can. And I'll hold myself to it. Never again, Lloyd. I will be here for you. Whenever you need me."
Lloyd searched his eyes, the boy's own looking dangerously hopeful and dishearteningly wary. But he finally nodded, not looking entirely convinced, but accepting.
When he made to turn back to the sky, Kai laid a careful hand on his shoulder.
"Please, come off the rail."
Lloyd's head whipped to him, hurt fracturing his eyes and making Kai feel sick.
"But you said-"
"I can't make you do anything, Lloyd," he rushed to reassure. "And I won't. We don't have to go inside, but I can at least grab some blankets and pillows and hot cocoa and we can camp out on the deck."
Lloyd looked hesitant, glancing briefly at the door that led below deck and the red ninja he barely had any reason to trust.
Kai waited.
/-/-/
Lloyd wasn't sure exactly what the spiky haired teen wanted.
He wanted Lloyd off the rail, but wasn't going to make him go below decks. He was… worried?
Since when?
Lloyd tried to wrap his brain around it, but his emotions were too raw to allow his logic to make any sense. It was supposed to be just him and the stars. Now Kai was there, too.
Lloyd wanted to know why, wanted to know what Kai wanted. Wanted Kai to leave...but not really.
He was too tired to try to piece it all together. He could try to figure out Kai's ulterior motives tomorrow.
Tonight, he just didn't feel up to a fight.
Lloyd slowly nodded his head, shifting his weight to turn and swing his legs back over the rail. Kai was watching him like a hawk, his face pinched with barely contained… fear? Why? It couldn't be because he feared Garmadon killing him if anything happened to Lloyd, could it? Kai seemed to be itching to fight Garmadon, he'd probably welcome the animosity.
Lloyd just didn't get it. Kai could say whatever he wanted, but if Lloyd learned anything at Darkleys, it was that words were cheap. He'd seen how much Kai had hated him in the beginning. Though he wasn't straight up ignoring Lloyd anymore, he still wasn't…
But he'd saved Lloyd. In the volcano.
Yeah, because, forget your dad, Wu would hate him for leaving you behind otherwise.
Well, hate was probably a strong word, but, maybe, disappointed? He'd probably make Kai run a million drills or something.
Besides, Kai'd probably be the green ninja if it weren't for Lloyd. None of his recent behavior made sense. Wouldn't he… want Lloyd gone?
Nausea churned Lloyd's gut.
Lloyd didn't really notice his foot catching on the railing, tipping his body weight, causing him to slip. The panic shot through him at the weightless feeling that gripped him.
Oh, FSM, he was so friggin stupid.
Now he was going to die stupid.
Kai was too far, his drop too fast. Even if the spiky haired teen wanted to catch him, he'd never reach Lloyd in time. And with the Bounty still making its way to the volcano to destroy the fang blades?
He wouldn't hit the ground for hours. He wanted to scream; nothing came out but a shocked, ragged gasp.
Oh, FSM, he didn't want to die-
Something wrapped under his armpits, catching his weight painfully- "I gotcha, I gotcha,"- and heaved him upwards. His hip clocked the railing as he was dragged over it, but he didn't have time to process it before he and his rescuer collapsed in a pile of limbs. Lloyd had landed on somebody.
And Lloyd would recognize that scent of shampoo and soot and slight leather oil anywhere.
"Kai?" The name came out a choked whimper.
"Hey, hey, it's okay," the reassurances spilled out like he was trying to reassure himself just as much as Lloyd. "You're safe, I've got you, you're okay."
The red ninja's arms didn't budge from around Lloyd's chest and at the moment, he didn't care. He felt raw and fragile and the tears were coming and Lloyd no longer had the strength to stop them. It had been so long since he'd been held like this, felt warm and cared for and safe in a way even his dad couldn't offer.
It hit him then that maybe Kai was right. Maybe the stars weren't his only companions anymore.
Squirming, Lloyd turned so that his face was buried into Kai's chest, lost in the soft fabric of Kai's nightshirt. Kai was still uttering words of comfort, his embrace firm. Lloyd took a deep, shuddering breath… and he cried.