Doodle commissioned from @/Jenny_nounanibi on tiktok and @/Sunny_sunshine_jenny on Intagram! I have their special permission to use it in this chapter :)
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Summers are fun, the days are long and full of promises. However, they can be hard sometimes, especially at night. You have been suffering from a repetitive lack of sleep, the insomnia is caused by heat, for once. Not a Ninjago-level threat.
Everyone has been sweating tons in the monastery, thanks to the lack of airflow in the old establishment. You have been fighting over who uses the showers first, who gets the last popsicle, and who gets to cuddle with Zane. Fans are no help with the heat. Anyway, there is not enough of them for all of you. The nights are no better than now even when you have a fan. You get lulled to sleep by its white noise instead.
You decided you had enough of waiting for the sun to rise to start your day and got up. You can hear a faint breeze outside. You hope it will be your saviour for the night. If you remember correctly, there are hammocks near the cherry blossoms and cushions on the flat portion of the roof. With your mind deciding to sleep outside, you pray to the first spinjitsu master that Wu asked the monks to light up the citronella candles outside to be spared from the mosquitoes.
You head down the halls slowly. Everything is calm inside, it is a nice change from the lively days. You hear the soft snores of Jay through his door. You laugh silently to yourself, it is a surprise he is this quiet during his sleep. You glide silently, careful in waking anybody up, thanking your ninja training for allowing you so.
At last, you find yourself outside. You close your eyes and smile: the breeze feels nice in this chocking weather. A sigh escapes your dry lips. You stretch, feeling the slight wind at the tips of your fingers. Opening your eyes, you take in the outside world. It is dimly lit by the moon's rays, showing you the scenery anew. It is quite beautiful. You wander through the shadows, admiring the scenery before you. It is unusual for this place to be this calm. Even when nothing threatens the world, your friends are usually up and about doing something. It is rarely quiet.
"Can't sleep either?" You hear a voice asking near the hammocks. You turn your head to see a silvered-haired boy under the moonshine. His golden hair turned pale and shined in your eyes. He smiles at you softly, wondering what you will say next.
"I'm surprised the others can, actually. The only sleep I'm getting is when I get knocked out by the excess tiredness." You answer softly, returning his smile. He gets lost in your eyes before continuing.
"Yeah, me neither. Wanna join me? It's pretty comfy here..." Lloyd trails off, showing off his upgrades of the place with his hands. He moved the hammocks out of the way and installed himself on the little patio under. He brought some stuff from his room, as most cushions were green or purple. Lloyd sits on a soft blanket, patting the place next to him. You giggle at his antics and join him.
"I didn't know you were renovating the place, I like what you did with the walls," you say pointing to the hammocks he moved further away. Lloyd smiles and leans back on his hands.
"Yeah, I felt like an open area would suit the place better," he says, turning to you. "But the best is the open roof" the boy points upward. "We have the best view here, you should definitely stay, I'm sure you'll enjoy the calm rest from the heat from inside," he playfully says.
You let escape a small laugh, covering it with a cough to regain your supposed serious composture. "Hm, seems like a delightful offer, I won't lie, except like this," you say, lying down laughing.
"Wow, was that supposed to be a joke?" Lloyd says laughing, shaking his head in disapproval. "You're spending too much time with Kai, he's rubbing off on you," he says looking down at you.
"I don't know, I thought it was funny. I'm sorry I cannot please your fancy sense of humour greenie," you smirk at him, knowing he does not like the nickname that much. Lloyd dramatically gasps, faking a heart attack and lying next to you.
"Ouch, my fancy humour taste got the best of me. Adieu, sweetness," he finishes, closing his eyes and letting his tongue out. You laugh at his childish foolery, appreciating the tender moment in the cool night.
Lloyd loves moments like this, where it is just you two being normal in the world. He knows he can be unserious by your side, forgetting his duties and enjoying living a little. The green ninja would be lying if he said he did not expect your nightly outing tonight. It is not the first time he heard you from his room groaning, trying to find sleep. Usually, you would take a walk around the monastery or watch the stars before returning inside. He knows because he noticed in the following mornings that you would have grass or leaves in your hair. Lloyd likes to tease you about it and take it out for you. However, tonight he got lucky because he had the guts to get outside and you chose to stay by his side.
You are watching the sky, eying for a possible shooting star diving across the sky. You are in awe in front of the numerous little lights hanging from the dark sky. You have never been more thankful for the monastery emplacement than this moment. It was just... breathtaking.
Lloyd watches you reach for the sky with your hands, trying to trace the constellations in the void in front of you. For you, the sight in the sky is beautiful, but to him, it is when he lays his tired eyes upon you. You look really hugable right now, and he is fighting with all his might to not grab you and pull you closer. The blondie does not want to risk you leaving.
"Lloyd, are you still awake?" You ask him softly while turning your head towards him.
"Hmhm," he mumbles. If both of you were honest, you would not stay alone in the night outside. However, since you are both with each other, fighting the urge to sleep seems harder. Plus, Lloyd's blanket really is soft.
"Do you see that installation?" You point to the star, explaining to him how it is supposed to resemble a crane.
"Hm, I'm not really sure I see it. Honestly, a crane? I just see a sea of stars," Lloyd answers softly. You sit up to get closer to him, he looks over at you confused. You are lying flush again on his left side, your head resting on his arm. Suddenly, the small chill he was feeling due to the night was quickly replaced by a blush creeping up on his face.
"Okay, give me your other arm," you tell him, completely focused on your task to show him the constellation, not realizing how fast you made his heartbeat. Lloyd secretly wishes to his grandfather that you cannot hear his heartbeat because his mind is totally blank and he would not be able to find a proper excuse. He complies with your request after a short time.
"So, do you see that big star that looks like it's flashing purple and yellow?" You asked him, bringing your head closer to his to get his arm pointing in the right direction. You shiver a bit, tonight was colder than the other nights, glad for the proximity you had with the blond man.
"Uhm, yeah, I think I see it," he says raising up his arm under you against your arm to pull you in closer. "Is this okay? You looked cold" Lloyd manages to ask you without stuttering.
"Sure," you say softly, remembering how to breathe properly. Being this close to him suddenly felt very different than before, and it was a feeling you both welcomed. However, it did not stop you from feeling nervous.
"So, about that star, is it the eye of your crane?" he asked, cuddling closer, smiling at the situation.
"No," you answer simply. "It's not because it's the one that shines the brightest in the constellation that it has a special place. Actually, it's quite the opposite. That star is not part of the constellation I'm trying to show you but is merely an easy landmark to find. Even though it is technically also an important star for other things," you ramble on, Lloyd listening closely to what you are saying.
"So, a little to the left and then I'm supposed to see a crane? I won't lie to you, I still don't see it," he says truthfully. "Do you lack enough sleep to actually see the shape of a crane up there sweetness?" He asks you.
"Well, yes I am tired, but no, I do not see a crane, I see the basic lines that would build the crane. It's like, its foundation if you want," you try to make him understand.
"Oh. Why didn't you say so earlier? I was so confused!" Lloyd laugh loudly.
"Well, excuse me mister I-go-stargazing-but-I-don't-do-constellations, I couldn't have known you didn't know the basics!" You laugh at him back.
"Fair enough, fair enough. I guess you'll just have to teach me?" Lloyd says with a questioning mark in his voice. You happily comply with his request.
One of the only things Lloyd used to do that was fun a Darkley's Boarding School For Bad Boys was to climb up the roof and stargaze. He knows pretty much all of the constellations by heart. The blond can even remember them by seasons and around where they would be. He feels a bit bad at the moment for keeping it from you, but he just could not help himself. You looked so adorable, ready to teach him the things you picked up upon your journey. He smiles proudly, knowing that what you are saying about the night sky is true. Lloyd is glad you feel comfortable enough to lay close to him and talk about one of your fascinations.
At that very moment, both of you wished the night were longer than the day, so you could stay there just a little longer. After talking for a bit, you two fell asleep in each other embrace. Lulled by the soft wind brushing against your skin and the crickets signing alongside the frogs. The moon will keep watch over you two until the morning. Maybe the heat in the summer nights would be so bad if tonight were to happen once more.
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1789 words.