The hard side of growing up-Part4-New Year's
Thanks @master-jarrus for the request!! Sorry, I know it took to long..
Garmaodn and Wu were always forced by TFSM to eat healthy and train. When it came to New Year, they couldn't enjoy themselves like the others.. Misako and Ray decided to help them overcome the mental consequences of growing up like that, but could they disappear?
"Come on, Wu and Garmadon!" young Ray laughed and called the brothers inside.
"Why don’t you want to eat cake with us? It’s New Year’s!" Young Wu and young Garmadon exchanged glances.
"We’re just not in the mood..." Garmadon explained for both of them.
"You must celebrate with us!" Lilly came onto the balcony. "Come on, calories don’t count on New Year’s. It’s not the same without you."
"You don’t understand," Wu said quietly, and everyone looked at them in surprise.
After a few more attempts to persuade them, they finally gave in.
"Where are Wu and Garmadon?" young Misako asked when she woke up at nine in the morning.
"They’ve been running since six," Maya sleepily replied.
"Don’t tell me it’s that New Year, new me thing..." Misako sighed.
"That’s just how they are all the time." Ray clenched his jaw. "You know, they had a strict father. He always pushed them hard about health and training..."
"That’s..." Misako couldn’t find the words to express her thoughts.
"Weird, yes," Ray said. "A bit abusive, but he wanted the best for them..."
"Wu!" Ray had been trying to find Wu for a while.
He searched everywhere in the house where they were celebrating, but it seemed Wu didn’t want to be found.
"Found you!" Ray exclaimed when he saw him standing with his head in his hands, sitting in a corner.
"Are you okay?" Ray looked at him with concern.
"No..." Wu said somewhat hysterically.
"Wu..." Ray cautiously sat down next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He had never seen him like this.
"I ate too much!" Wu gasped. "A piece of cake, two pieces of pizza, and..."
"It’s okay, it’s okay," Ray tried to calm him down. "Why is that such a problem? It’s New Year’s..."
"But my father always insisted that we’d die eating unhealthy," Wu said as he slowly began to calm down.
"Your father hasn’t been around for a long time... And you know that once in a while, an exception doesn’t hurt."
"I know, but..." Wu continued to gasp.
"But what?" Ray gently patted him on the shoulders to help him relax.
"But I can’t help that feeling... Every time I do something like this..."
"You have to pull yourself out of that mental state," Ray hugged him. "I’ll help you, my friend, I promise."
"Thank you," Wu returned the hug. "If it’s possible..."
Garmadon was panting as he checked the time. Eight o’clock, which meant two hours of running...
"Hey," Misako said, and Garmadon jumped.
"What are you doing here?" he said in surprise.
"I tried to get up at six, but I didn’t manage..."
"You were partying until five," Garmadon smirked slightly.
"Why aren’t you with us?" Misako raised an eyebrow. "You and Wu both went to sleep a second after midnight."
"We had to rest," Garmadon sighed.
"Anyway, I got up at seven and have been waiting for you since then."
"You were waiting for me?" Garmadon asked, his heart fluttering at that, but he wanted to push it aside.
"Yes... Didn’t you tell me you hated these morning runs?"
"And I do," Garmadon said as he sat down.
"So why do you do them?" Misako sat across from him. "Especially on New Year’s..."
"I have to," Garmadon rubbed his head. "It’s a mechanism that has really been instilled in us... If I don’t do it, I don’t feel... Actually, I can’t not do it."
Misako frowned and looked at him. "Are you happy doing that?"
"Of course not," Garmadon sighed. "I can’t even enjoy myself... But it’s stronger than me."
"Maybe there’s a way to overcome it," Misako suggested optimistically. "Slowly but surely."
Garmadon looked at her in surprise.
"Do you really think so?"
"I’m sure," Misako said, smiling. "I want to help you with this."
Saying that, she reached out her hand. If anyone else had told him this, he wouldn’t have believed them.
But this was Misako... He didn’t yet know what he felt for her, but he was sure he could trust her.
"I’d be very happy to," Garmadon smiled and shook her hand. "Thank you. But please go back to sleep; you look like you’re about to collapse."
"Okay, these are trial cookies for Maya’s birthday," Misako said as she placed them on the table. "They’re good, but they need to disappear before Maya arrives."
"I’ll get a trash can!" Wu offered, but Misako’s gaze stopped him.
"I think we have to eat them," Ray said. "All of them."
"What?" Garmadon looked at Ray and his fiancée in surprise. "But..."
"Exceptions aren’t always bad..." Wu repeated as he ate a cookie.
"Actually, it’s not hard to get used to this." Garmadon said in surprise, "But I still feel a bit guilty..."
"All of that will settle with time," Ray reassured them.
"I agree," Misako smiled.
