Shooting Stars | Lo'ak¹

Chapter 03: Lab Rats

"Again, you what?" She seethed.

Lo'ak was Ja'lia's safe space, and Neytiri feared that if Jake separated the two that Ja'lia would go back to the way she was before. She feared that the teen girl would revert all of the progress she had made in the past couple of months. Neytiri wouldn't let that happen if she had anything to do with it.

"Neytiri, they are always with each other. They could benefit from some separation," Jake said.

Neytiri stalkingly walked toward her husband, and Jake knew that he should stop while he was still ahead, but the man genuinely thought he was doing what was best for them. "Do you remember what happened the last time we tried forcibly separate them?" Neytiri questioned, and Jake sheepishly nodded his head.

"So then, what makes you think this time will be any different?" She asked, and Jake saw how pissed off his mate was.

"But it would be different this time-" Jake was cut off by his mate, "Finish that sentence, and you can find another tent to sleep in tonight," The mother threatened as she walked over to her son and Ja'lia.

"Come on, let's go get some breakfast," Neytiri said, and Ja'lia glanced back at Jake triumphantly as he blankly stared, wondering what the hell just happened.

Jake had just been bested by a teenager, his son's best friend. He knew that it wasn't a good idea to separate the two, but he was just thinking of their future. Of course, Jake would be happy if they got together one day, but he never saw any signs of one of them liking the other.

The father didn't want Lo'ak or Ja'lia to get hurt when one of them found their mate one day, and if the two teens kept going the way they were, it was bound to happen sometime soon.

~~~~

When Ja'lia walked into the Sully family's tent, she was immediately greeted by the other three siblings. "Lia!" Tuk cheered as she ran over to the teen girl. "Where were you?" The little girl asked.

"Lo'ak and I went to our spot last night," Ja'lia informed, and Neteyam smirked at his friend, who glared at him in return.

"Can I come next time?" Tuk questioned eagerly.

"No," Lo'ak bluntly stated, causing his little sister to pout. Ja'lia smacked Lo'ak upside the head as she went to sit beside Kiri. "Hey, Kiri," She greeted.

Kiri was working on a new outfit, and Ja'lia watched in awe as Kiri meticulously worked on her top. "Is that for you?" Ja'lia asked, and Kiri looked up at her friend with her eyebrows furrowed. "Didn't you want me to make you a new outfit?" Kiri asked, and Ja'lia's eyes widened in shock.

"I was just joking, Kiri. I didn't think you would take me seriously," Ja'lia said.

"You need a new outfit anyway," Kiri murmured, and Ja'lia felt her heart clench.

The girl had been switching between the same three outfits for an entire year as they were some of the last things she had that her mother made her. She did need new outfits, but she had been clinging onto the ones her mother made, and putting off having new ones put together.

As Ja'lia watched Kiri piece together her new outfit, she noticed that it looked almost identical to what her mom made her, with Kiri's special twist.

"Thank you, Kiri," She whispered.

"It's no problem, Lia," Kiri said as she placed the final pieces on Ja'lia's top and handed it to her. "I tried to make it as similar to the outfits that your mom made you, but I did give it my twist. I hope that's okay," She continued, and Ja'lia pulled the girl in for a tight hug.