Deep Water | Neteyam

23.

"Lo'ak." He called out with almost no voice, swimming over to him. Lo'ak left Payakan's fin as he saw Khalo.

Khalo's way over to Lo'ak was painful. Physically and mentally.

But as soon as they reached each other, Khalo pulled Lo'ak into a hug.

He didn't care that it made it more difficult to stay over the water surface, than it already was; he was just glad to see Lo'ak. To feel Lo'ak. It might sound weird, but feeling Lo'ak assured Khalo, that Lo'ak was with him. Truly with him.

Lo'ak was his best friend, who would deny that he was his best friend.

The best friend he was able to keep as a best friend cost him only his boyfriend.

Khalo let go off him, knowing that his family was waiting.

"Khalo." Lo'ak choked out. And Khalo immediately understood. But he didn't want this. He didn't want what Lo'ak wanted.

"Go to your family, Lo'ak." Khalo whispered, wiping a tear from his cheek. He didn't want everyone to always feel bad for him, when they had to grieve themselves.

He didn't understand why they thought Khalo's situation right now, was worse than their own.

"Come with me. You need the rest." Lo'ak said, trying to pull Khalo with him back to Payakan's fin. "You're part of my family."

But Khalo brushed his hand off, a sad look in his eyes. It meant a lot to him; Lo'ak considering him family, but Khalo couldn't right now.

He had to be somewhere else right now.

Suddenly, he felt a wet nose on his shoulder.

Mameí.

He turned away from Lo'ak. "I'll see you later, Lo'ak." He said, his voice as stable as possible.

He glided on Mameí, while forming Tsaheylu, glad to see Mameí. Mameí was for a reason his favorite Ilu.

Khalo, spotting his sister a few meters away from him, let go of his Ilu.

Tsireya tried to hold some water in her hands, before standing up, turning around to walk back to wherever she came from. Khalo couldn't see since some higher-laying rocks blocked his view.

But he could guess.

"Tsireya." He called out.

"Khalo!" Tsireya turned around, dropping the water out of her hands and running over to him. Tears started running down her cheeks, as she finally reached her brother.

She pulled Khalo into a hug. "Khalo, you're safe; you're not hurt, are you?" Relief filled her body, pressing Khalo even closer to her.

She was glad to have one of her brothers back.

"I'm not hurt." Khalo assured her, sobbing into his younger sister's shoulder. "You're safe." Khalo's breath hitched. "You're safe too."

Tsireya sobbed, and Khalo cried. They cried and sobbed together. Khalo could feel Tsireya's heavy breathing, her heart beating fast, and his sister's tears falling on his shoulders.

"You know where Ao'nung is?" Tsireya had to ask, breaking the short silence they had.

Khalo pulled a little back, looking down at his little sister. "He's safe. He was never on the ship." He let out a sigh, only now realizing that Ao'nung had to be safe and Tsireya was too. His family was safe. His siblings, at least. The tense in his body, of which he hadn't even realized he had, faded a bit.