#lleddy

He remembered the first time he laid eyes on her. She was behind her desk in Borg Industries, and he’d needed help with a mission. Of course, he hadn’t told her that. Pretending the broken laptop he’d brought in was simply an accident between him and the rest of the team was much easier — and safer — than explaining he’d found it at the enemy’s headquarters.

Teddy had figured it out anyway.

It wasn’t just her intelligence that intrigued Lloyd. He loved the way her eyes smiled when he said a joke. He loved the sound of her giggles. He loved how her grin could light up an entire room in seconds. There was so much more to Teddy he couldn’t put into words, and oh god, maybe it wasn’t just a crush.

It didn’t matter anyway. Teddy was most certainly not single.

Little attention was needed to figure out what was going on between her and Cora. Whispering to each other and immediately breaking into giggles, holding hands and cuddling on the couch, kissing each other’s cheeks…

He couldn’t blame Teddy for having eyes for Cora. The master of sight was the funniest person he knew, maybe second only to Jay, and was a great and trustworthy friend, above all.

Lloyd glanced at her from his spot on the couch. They were watching ninja turtles — of course Cora would choose ninja turtles — and she was hugging every pillow on the couch.

“Eyes on the TV,” Cora said. “I’m kinda watching this whole thing through your eyes, remember?”

“Right,” Lloyd said, looking back at the television. He wasn’t used to watching anything with Cora; that was usually Teddy or Cole.

“Thaaank you!”

They watched in silence for a few more minutes. Lloyd had to admit, he did quite enjoy the series. There were a few jokes that cracked him up — God forbid if Kai ever found out the things he laughed at — and the action scenes weren’t half bad.

But there was something eating him up, had been for the past few weeks, and he needed to ask before he exploded.

“Okay, break time,” Lloyd said, pausing the episode with the remote control.

“Aww, come on!” Cora frowned. “This is the best part!”

“I just,” Lloyd said, “I needed to ask you something, okay? And I want you to listen- No, I need you to listen.”

“Okay? Shoot.”

Lloyd took a deep breath. “Are you and Teddy…?”

Lloyd let the rest be implied, looking at Cora. Her eyes were filled with Lloyd’s green color, staring into nothingness. He knew better than to look for too long though. The last thing he wanted was for Cora to comment on that too.

“Yeah…? What about me and Teddy?”

Lloyd gulped. “You know. Are you like… A thing?”

“Lloyd, what are you trying to-”

“ARE YOU AND TEDDY DATING?”

Silence.

Lloyd didn’t know why he felt the need to hold his breath in, but he did. It felt as if time had stopped, and there was nothing in the world but him and Cora.

Then laughter.

“Holy shit!” Cora cackled. “Are you for real?!”

“Just answer the question,” Lloyd mumbled under his breath.

“No, Lloyd, heavens, no,” Cora said, wiping a tear off her face. “We’re friends, that’s all. I swear to you.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, oh.” Cora let herself fall against the couches back. “Man, that’s gonna be a story to tell to Teddy.”

“You wouldn’t.”

“Would I?” Cora stuck her tongue out at him.

Under any other circumstances, Lloyd would have probably kicked her out of the Bounty. But, as relief entered his chest and an exhale left his body, he could only laugh.