Warmth

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Lol, angst time! Trigger Warning! Abuse, the public beating of a minor, anxiety, and injuries. This has Kid Lloyd, if you didn't already know, because I'm addicted to making him hurt. Also platonic Greenflame. Because Greenflame makes everything better! So do sparkles! When you throw them in someone's eyes and watch them cry in pain.

Lloyd's P.o.v.

"Stop it! Stop it, please!" I scream. The principal snarls and hits me again. I fall to my knees, screaming. The crowd that has gathered shows mixed emotions. Most of which are the same, pity, but afraid. This is the principal of Darkley's, a very unstable man.

"Wicked boy! You are worthless to me! Your mama doesn't care, your papa doesn't care! Who could love you, the son of Garmadon!"  He spits out.

The crowd gasps, stepping away from us a bit. I curl up on the ground and whimper. He doesn't stop. I scream out, not stopping until my voice breaks and my throat is sore.

"Someone call the ninja!" Someone shouts.

"Those bitches won't care either! Call them if you want! They'll just take him and use him for fun! That's all he's good for! A pleaser, if you know what I mean." The crowd looks horrified. He goes back to beating me. I can feel blood pour from my nose, and I realize I am covered in blood. I tuck my head in my arms and close my eyes.

"What's going on here? We don't- Oh, my god." A voice says. "Zane! We need medical help, now!"

I raise my head and force my eyes open, wiping away blood that's pouring from a cut on my head. Someone kneels and pulls my hands away from my head. Their hands are cold and bother me. I jerk away.

"No, no, no. Go away. Leave me alone," I whimper.

"I can't," They say, reaching out for me again.

"No! Cold! I don't like cold!" I scream. 

"Okay! Okay! Calm down,"

"No! I can't! It's cold!"

"Alright, sit here for a minute. Kai! I need you to come here!"

I whimper as another person moves closer. They reach out and stroke my hair. I freeze, a scream half stuck in my throat. His hand was warm. It felt nice. I watch them. I wipe more blood away and look at them. One has a white suit-looking thing and the others in red. The red one reaches out again and the warmth returns. Without a word, I scurry to him, curling up in his lap. He starts before wrapping his arms around me. The one in white moves forward and pulls my shirt up a bit. In the distance, I see two more working on dispersing the crowd.

"Okay, can you tell me your name?"

"L-Lloyd. Lloyd Garmadon."

"Okay, Lloyd. I need to asses your injuries. Please stay still." The cold one says.

"W-What are your names?"

"I'm Kai, and this is Zane. Cole is in the black Gi, and Jay is in the blue one." The kind one says.

"Oh," I say nodding. Kai rubs my arm. Zane moves my shirt up.

"Let's get him home." He says. "We should get him a warm bath and dress him in' better clothes. Once he's clean and feeling better, we will resolve the conflict of what to do next."  

Kai nods. I feel him shift his weight, so I clutch him harder, refusing to let go.

"Alright, guess I'm carrying him," Kai says. I smile slightly. They begin walking back, and Kai hums softly. I hide my face in the crook of my neck. I know it's stupid, to trust someone based on temperature. But he's warm, and I prefer warmth over the cold. And he seems like he has a warm personality. No pun intended. So when he whispers in my ear, telling me to sleep, I easily comply.

Kai's P.o.v.

I hold Lloyd close to me, supporting him easily. His small body feels cold. And thin. Much thinner than he should be. His head presses against my neck. It's a good thing the blood won't stain my red Gi.

"Okay, buddy. Get some sleep. You're gonna need it." I whisper. He yawns and closes his eyes. I rub his back as gently as I could, trying not to hurt him.

"How will Sensei take this?" Cole asks.

"I'm not sure, but the poor kid doesn't look like he could take any more added stress," Jay says. Zane nods. I adjust my grip and fall in step with the guys.

"Let's not worry about that yet," I say. Lloyd shifts in my grip, pressing against me. I smile as he nuzzles me, letting out a single soft snore. We walk in comfortable silence until we get home.

-------------------------Timeskip-------------------------

Lloyd's P.o.v.

"Hey, wake up. We're home." Kai's gentle voice says. I unwillingly open my eyes and see him still holding me. "Good boy. We need to get you a bath. Does that sound nice? A warm bath?" He asks, carrying me through a door. A teen, maybe fifteen, is washing dishes.

"Hey, guys! Welcome back! What was the complaint- Oh. I see." She says, noticing me.

"Hey, sis." Kai moves forward and gives her a one-armed hug. "This is Lloyd."

"Hi, Lloyd! I'm Nya." She tells me brightly.

"Hi," I manage, blushing. She smiles. Kai gently tugs her hair and walks away. She scoffs and goes back to doing the dishes. Kai brings me into a bathroom and sets me down. 

"Okay, I'll draw the bath, then step out for a minute so you can get in. I can either come back in and wait with you or outside. You chose."

"Can you stay with me?" I ask. He nods.

"Of course," He says. I smile and watch him. He adds something to the water, making the bath bubble and change colors. 

"Whoa!"

"Cool, right? It's a bath bomb." He waits a few more minutes. "Okay, I'm stepping out. I'll be back in five minutes." I watch him leave. Turning back to the water, I hesitate. Should I really trust him? I mean, he was so nice. Screw it, I decide. I quietly strip off my clothes and slide in. The water is extremely warm. I hear a knock on the door, and Kai comes back in.

"Hey, bud. Does the water feel alright?"

"Yeah,"

"Good. I can sit over here, so I'll just sit down and you can get to work."

"Actually, can you help me?" I find myself asking. "I'm still too sore,"

"Absolutely," He seems happy I asked. He moves closer and takes the washcloth. He starts on my back while I mess with the bubbles. 

"Do we need to wash my clothes?" I ask.

"Eventually. But Zane took Cole and Nya to get you some new clothes and some necessities." I nod. "Zane checked your clothes, so he knows your size." 

"You guys didn't need to do that," I say. "I could have worn it again."

"That would have been mean." He says, holding out my arm.

He works in comfortable silence, making me giggle when he puts bubbles in my hair. I cup some in my hand. I squish them, watching as they pop. Finally, Kai ruffles my hair.

"Alright, I'm done. Zane and the others should be back, so I'll be back. Here's a towel. You dry off." He stands and leaves. I get out and wrap myself in the towel, gently rubbing. Kai comes back and hands me soft pajamas. He steps aside and turns his back to me. I quickly get dressed, tugging on his arm when I was done.

"Yeah, buddy?"

"I'm done,"

He smiles and picks me up. He carries me to the couch and sets me down gently. Climbing behind me, he begins to comb my hair. I smile when he lets me pick a movie to watch. Finally, he sets the comb aside and I lean against him. He throws a blanket over us and runs his hands up and down my arms. Kai's sister comes downstairs and smiles at us. Kai motions for her to come over, and she does. I somehow end up between them. I take a deep breath to calm my rising panic. I catch some of Nya's scent. She smells like a salty seashore and chlorine. On a whim, I lean against her. Her arm wraps around me. I suddenly feel safe with both Kai and Nya cuddling with me. Kai adjusts the blanket and I close my eyes, suddenly tired from the sudden warmth. They cuddle me long after I fall asleep.

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