The Green Ninja doesn’t fall in love.

That’s what I keep telling myself.

I’m supposed to be focused—disciplined. I’ve got too much on my shoulders to let my guard down. People look up to me. Enemies hunt me. There’s no room for distraction.

No room for her.

But she doesn’t feel like a distraction.

She feels like the only thing that still makes sense in a life that’s constantly on fire.

It starts small—too small to name. The way I notice her laugh even in a crowded room. The way I glance over when she walks into training, and how the air feels lighter when she does.

Then it becomes harder to ignore.

Today, she brushed past me on the way out of the war room. Just a touch—her fingers barely skimmed my arm—but I felt it like a lightning strike. I couldn’t think straight for the rest of the meeting.

Kai elbowed me, said I was zoning out. I laughed it off. Played it cool. I always do.

But inside, I was still replaying the way she looked at me when she smiled. Like I was someone worth smiling at.

I catch myself watching her. Too often. Watching the way she trains. The way she handles herself in the field—fearless, focused. But there’s something softer there too. Something quiet.

She doesn’t know what she does to me. How every look chips away at the walls I’ve spent years building.

She doesn’t ask me for anything. Doesn’t expect me to be a hero. She talks to me like I’m Lloyd, not The Green Ninja. Like I’m just a person.

And that’s the problem.

Because I want to be that person—for her.

I want to sit beside her after missions and let the world fall quiet. I want to be the one she turns to when she’s scared or angry or exhausted. I want to be hers.

But I’m not allowed to want things like that.

Every time I get too close, I pull back. I make excuses. Train harder. Sleep less. I remind myself of what’s at stake.

The Green Ninja doesn’t fall in love. He leads. He protects. He sacrifices.

But when she laughs—really laughs—it’s the only sound that drowns out the noise in my head.

And when she looks at me like I’m more than just a title, more than the weight I carry…

The armor I’ve spent years forging around my heart starts to crack.

And I’m not sure I want to fix it.