Chapter Text
Lloyd's life is officially over.
He will never recover from such humiliation.
Please just let him die in peace.
And no, he wasn't being overly dramatic. Really, he wasn't.
With great effort, Lloyd rolled over in bed, buried his face into a pillow, and let out a muffled scream.
He could still feel his face and ears turn red with embarrassment, even though the mortifying incident happened a whole- he quickly checked the clock- four hours ago.
Kai had just got back from getting groceries, while the others were still at Borg's tower (at the man's insistence to investigate a "suspicious employee", though Lloyd knew it was probably to show off some new invention as well, and also, to see Pixal again.)
The only reason Lloyd did not attend with them, was because of a stupid leg wound. It wasn't even serious.
Not even a stab wound, just a graze of a knife.
Still, the others forbid him to go. He wanted to protest, but with Kai looming over him with that look™, he had no choice but to stay.
At least Kai volunteered to stay behind to keep Lloyd company, so it wasn't too bad. But still, bummer.
And so, him and Kai played video games for some time, but later, they wanted something to eat, and Lloyd really, really wanted the pillow mint candy.
There wasn't any in the monastery, curse his luck.
Lloyd practically had to beg Kai to go buy it for him, assuring him that yes, I will be careful, no I will not die, and no, I will not disappear under mysterious circumstances.
Although grudgingly, Kai left to get some groceries.
"Hey kid, I'm back! and before you start, yes I did get you candy." Kai yelled out, before shrugging off his jacket, already feeling better inside the warm halls of the monastery, and near his little brother.
He didn't want to leave Lloyd on his own, especially with a still healing leg, but what could he do other than comply, when Lloyd used his 'sunshine child' expression, big smile, with crinkled eyes and everything.
It was one of Kai's biggest weaknesses.
He heard Lloyd let out a 'Yessss' and the sound of him scrambling off the couch in the living room, "Whach out for that leg!" He yelled.
"I am!" "Uh huh, you sure are bud."
Lloyd came down the hallway leading to the kitchen, where Kai was already putting away the groceries in the cabinets.
With his back turned, he threw the candy bag at Lloyd. "Here ya go kid, don't eat it all in one sitting,"
He caught it, "hell yeah, thanks dad!"
Only after the sound of Kai choking on air and his head hitting the cabinet above him, did Lloyd realize what just left his traitorous mouth.
Lloyd whipped around, and sprinting down the hall towards his room with a "okayseeYaLATER GOODBYE-"
With the door slamed shut, he was gone.
Admittedly, it took an embarrassingly long moment for Kai to recover.
His head hurt all little, but he paid it no mind.
'Thanks dad-'
His chest felt a little tight. And his eyes were starting to burn.
He was not tearing up. Not yet anyway. Nuh Nuh.
Kai covered his eyes, choking down a sound between a snort and a sob, as a strong feeling of Deja Vu hit him.
It was just like the time Nya called him dad.
Or the other time she called him mom.
That bittersweet feeling of being addressed as a parent, in place of someone who should have been there instead, but weren't.
It would always sadden Kai a little when Nya referred to him as such.
He wasn't a parent. Not in the traditional sense.
But he would be damned if he was going to be anything less. He owed Nya that much.
The sadness upon being addressed as a parent, or the times when Nya would give him a mother's day card, or a father's day gift, never really left.
Instead, it quickly got overshadowed by the amount of love and affection he would experience in those moments.
And here Kai was, years later, no longer a scared and anxious child, but a grown man, feeling the exact same amount of adoration for his little brother.
Kai laughed, a quiet, choked sound.
He wanted to follow Lloyd, to assure him it's okay, to say things he often keeps hidden, deep down, inside his heart-
-but he knew from experience, confronting embarrassed teenagers right away was a bad idea.
He'll just have to wait a little bit.