Where's My Love? - Lo'ak

Chapter 46: Bottle It All Up

Lo'ak can find another mate in the future, but he can't find another brother.

It's a painful realization to come to, but all Esmyrie can think is Eywa showed her this for a reason. Eywa wants Neteyam to live for a reason. She has come to that conclusion. And it isn't like Esmyrie has a sad life, she still gets to have kids and be with Lo'ak, her time will just be cut shorter than others.

And she knows Lo'ak may hate her for this decision, but she would rather save Neteyam than herself. Neteyam has a purpose in this world, a family that loves him, siblings that need more time with him. Esmyrie just has herself and Lo'ak. And Lo'ak will have his family to grieve with when it's her time to go. The only problem with this conclusion, she has no idea how or when Neteyam gets shot. She knows it has to be during the battle, it would only make sense, but how and when and by who is still a question, one Eywa doesn't seem to want to answer.

"I missed you so much, bro." Lo'ak whispers, hugging his brother a little tighter.

"I uh... missed you too. Why are you crying?" Neteyam asks, pulling away from his brother when he feels tears from his younger sibling hit his back.

"Just happy to see you're okay." Lo'ak whispers, knowing he can't tell his brother the sick truth. "Thought Ao'nung would tag team on you."

The sick truth which is I see you dead in the future and it frightens me so much I would rather die than see that vision again. So instead, he just goes for the joking approach, once again swallowing his feelings up as if nothing was wrong.

Bottle it all up. Act Normal. Don't break. Don't show weakness.

"Ao'nung? I mean I hung out with him but tag team? Why? Did you hear that they were going to team up on me or something?"

"No! Just... just though Ao'nung was being Ao'nung I guess." Lo'ak shurgs.

Neteyam looks at him, not truly believing his story but decides to shrug it off, patting his brother on the shoulder before moving over to the girl that smiles at them fondly, her cheeks still stained with tears.

"Sis, what's wrong?" Neteyam asks, pulling Esmyrie into a hug, his hand moving to her forehead as his parents told him what happened.

He panicked when Neytiri explained they had to use the medicine on Esmyrie because she was in pain, and freaked out when he realized Esmyrie and Lo'ak were missing. Now though, his nerves have calmed seeing the two okay.

"Hey bro?" Lo'ak interrupts, shoving Neteyam off Esmyrie jokingly "Maybe don't call Esmyrie sis in front of me."

"Why?" Neteyam asks, confused.

His eyes following Lo'ak and Esmyrie's posture. Lo'ak having an arm wrapped around Esmyrie while Esmyrie has her arms wrapped around Lo'aks middle.

"Because she's my mate, it's kind of weird having my brother call my mate sis." Lo'ak drops the bomb, a proud smile on his face when he sees the expression Neteyam gives the two.

Neteyam's eyes go wide, his jaw slack, and his ears pinned to his head in confusion and disbelief.

"What?"

"Yep." Esmyrie clarifies, giving Lo'ak a kiss on the cheek for good measure.

She can tell Lo'ak wants to act like his breakdown didn't happen, like they both don't know Neteyam's fate is to die soon. And so she plays the part, acting like everything is okay as well.

Bottle it all up.

"Wait... Hold up. Hold up. You're telling me, that you and her.... no way. You're lying." Neteyam can't believe it.