Shooting Stars | Lo'ak¹

Chapter 24: Romantic Outings

"I know. Lo'ak asked for my help to plan a date for him and Ja'lia," Jake whispered back, causing Neytiri to raise her eyebrows.

"Did you help him?" Neytiri questioned.

"Yeah, I told him that he should take her star-gazing and that they would have a picnic with her favorite snacks," Jake said, and Neytiri nodded.

To Neytiri, that sounded like an amazing date, and she knew that Lo'ak and Ja'lia would enjoy it, even if they'd gone star-gazing hundreds of times before. She was proud of her husband for coming up with the idea and offering to help her son as she knew how nervous Lo'ak must have been asking Ja'lia out on a date.

But when Neytiri saw a soft smile on Ja'lia's face, she knew that there was nothing for Lo'ak to worry about.

It was as if all Ja'lia's emotions had finally surfaced when she told Lo'ak how she felt. She could no longer hide her admiration for the boy, and it showed.

When Kiri glanced up from Tuk's outfit, she scrunched her nose in disgust at the sight of the two love-sick teenagers. Don't get her wrong, she was extremely happy for them, but PDA was not something she was fond of.

However, she wouldn't say anything to Lo'ak or her friend because at least they were talking, and the atmosphere didn't seem as electrified with tension as it did at the party.

Eventually, it was time for bed, and everyone pulled out their mattresses.

Ja'lia was almost afraid that now that everyone knew that she and Lo'ak were going on a date that they wouldn't be allowed to sleep next to each other anymore, but when Jake nor Neytiri said anything, she let out a sigh of relief.

Although, she would understand their reasoning for why she and Lo'ak wouldn't be allowed to sleep next to each other.

They were two hormonal teenagers, and previous kisses suggested just that, but neither of them was ready to go that far. It would be a few years before Ja'lia was ready to take that step, but that didn't mean she couldn't kiss Lo'ak.

Kisses were completely harmless, most of the time.

As everyone in the Sully pod lay down, they tried their best to fall asleep as they had more training the next day. Ja'lia was also trying to go to sleep quickly because she and Lo'ak were going on a date after their training session was done, and she didn't want to fall asleep on her first date.

There wouldn't be much for the two to talk about, but it would be their first outing together as a couple.

The more she thought about their date, the more she grew excited, so she knew she would have to push the thought out of her mind to get a full night's rest.

But before she fell asleep, she whispered goodnight, to which he sleepily returned, and then the pod was filled was the sounds of Jake's soft snores.

~~~~

Ja'lia nervously paced around the pod as she was trying to calm her nerves before going on her date with Lo'ak.

"I don't understand why you're so nervous. You've been best friends with him since you were practically babies," Kiri grumbled, causing Tsireya to tsk at her.

"Going from best friends to boyfriend and girlfriend is different. Now, there are romantic feelings involved, and that can either go one of two ways," Tsireya said, placing her chin in her hand as she dreamily stared into space.

The Metkayina girl's words didn't soothe Ja'lia, in fact, they seemed to make her feel even worse, "What do you mean one of two ways?" She asked.

Tsireya pulled herself away from her thoughts to look at her friend, "Well-" She looked at Kiri from the corner of her eye, "It can either go really good, or-" Tsireya anxiously gulped as she didn't want to make Ja'lia panic, and back out of the date, "really bad." She finished.