* Mostly fluff and family content on this chapter, main conflict is coming up soon 👀. I appreciate and love all of you.
"RITI!"
I ran behind Netyeam as Lo'ak stormed behind me.
Lo'ak had found me. And he was mad.
"What did you do?"
"Nothing...much.." I said sheepishly.
I really wasn't trying to do anything, I swear. I knew Tsireya liked him so I just tried to give a little push.
"RITI YOU SNAKE! COME HERE!"
I panted and used Neteyam as a shield as Lo'ak tried to lunge at me.
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO SAY ANYTHING TO TSIREYA!"
" I DIDN'T MEAN TOO!"
"IT WASN'T YOUR PLACE!"
"I KNOW I'M SORRY."
Lo'ak shook his head, "Stay out of my business. I never asked for your help, and I don't fucking need it. Just go and continue to fuck Neteyam, and keep your advice to yourself."
I flinched. Damn, I knew he was mad but that was harsh.
"Did it work at least?" I asked meekly.
Lo'ak hissed and lunged for me.
"Lo'ak your out of line." Neteyam said harshly, stepping forward.
His lips pursed angrily, ears going back.
I loved Neteyam's angry face, but I just wished it wasn't directed at Lo'ak right now.
I placed a hand on his shoulder, "no he's right."
"I'll stay out of it." I said simply.
Loak glared.
"I have a feeling you aren't going to accept my apology."
"Just because you had it easy and got everything handed to you doesn't mean that you have the right to step in where you're unwanted."
I felt like he just slapped me.
He said I was unwanted, and that I had shit handed to me.
"I didn't get things handed to me." I say tightly.
He opened his mouth to say something but Neteyam stepped forward, hissing at him.
"Watch your words little brother."
Lo'ak rolled his eyes and stormed back to the tent.
Is that what he thought? That things were handed to me? That everything was easy as soon as I met everyone?
It wasn't just fucking rainbows and sunshine when I entered into the clan. I had to learn the language, I had to learn the culture, I had to learn how to act and how to behave, how to interact with others. I was surrounded by people I didn't know, didn't trust. Everything was ten times harder for me. I was petrified half the time, and scared shitless. Half the time I wanted to go back to the forest, just to feel comfortable again.
The only reason I stayed with the clan was because of them.
"He didn't mean it like that. You know he just lets his anger control him."
Neteyam held my face in his hands, watching me with concern.
I stayed for him.
"He was right."
"He wasn't."
"No he was, I overstepped."
I was just going to ignore the other things he said.
"He overreacted." He kissed my forehead. "I'm going to kill him."
I kissed his jaw. "You won't."
I took a step away, Neteyam reached out to me but I said nothing.
"Let's head back." I turned away.
He stepped in front of me. Blocking me from walking away from him
" I know how hard it was for you. I saw how you struggled, I saw how you persevered through it. You are strong, so fucking strong. You know that right?."
He clenched my hand.
I kissed his hand in thanks and we walked back to the tent.
As soon as we got there we saw Lo'ak hiding outside.
Loak put a finger to his lips as he listened to what was happening inside.
I had a bad feeling.
Me and Neteyam glanced at each other and copied Lo'ak.
"We must hunt this demon. Trap him, kill him." Neytiri's voice spoke with vengeance as we heard her aggressively chopping up fruit.
"We gotta be smart."
I looked at Neteyam confused as hell.
Neteyam's ears were back and his face was cold. He was obviously getting something I wasn't.
"If we attack Quaritch, they are gonna know where we are, and they're gonna come here with everything they got."
Neytiri gave a sigh, she followed Jake. Because she trusted him.
My ears went back, I understood what was happening now.
I saw Tuk and Kiri pop up but I stopped them with my hand.
Kiri whispered into my ear "I heard that Quaritch ransacked villages, burnt everything to the ground. He killed an Ilu."
I winced, he was searching for us.
Jake and Neytiri kept on speaking in low tones but I stood up and walked away. I knew he would follow. I knew it. We should have just stayed in the forest, why deny the inevitable?
What was the purpose of leaving our home when war follows everywhere?
Everything was temporary. Happiness, safety, life, all of it can be gone in a blink of a second.
And that scared the shit out of me.
—--------------------
3rd person pov:
A few days have passed since everyone found out about what happened in the villages up south. Things were so tense you could slice it with a knife.
Riti trained day and night. She put her daggers to her thighs, blisters and cuts littered her hands.
Riti felt it in her core, something was coming. And she needed to be prepared. She couldn't run off like she used to in the forest so she isolated herself in her mind.
"MaRi. Please come here."
Neteyam begged watching the love of his life lose the battle to her mind, was killing him inside.
Riti believed she needed to be strong, strong enough to protect her family.
To protect, Kiri,Tuk, Lo'ak...Neteyam.
"You have been out here for days."
He walked towards her, slowly. He had been on the other side of her knife, he didn't want to be again.
Well not under these circumstances.
She used the dagger on her thigh to throw it at the center where the other daggers laid.
"Your hands are blistering."
He tried to grab her hand but she ignored him.
"Don't push me away. Not now. Please not now" He begged her.
She shook her head, she couldn't let herself get distracted.
"Ma Meuia, please."
He wasn't going to leave her, not now. Not ever.
His voice broke her resolve.
"I can't lose you." Her voice was croaky when she finally spoke.
She finally looked at him with tears in her eyes, "I can't lose this family."
The sentence was heartbreaking. Losing any one of them would crush her.
"You won't." He gently took her hands, avoiding the blisters. Riti was hardworking, so hardworking that she would forget about her health.
"I could, I could and that's the whole point."
"You guys deserve to live your life to the fullest.Tuk deserves to grow up and meet kids her age, get her own Ikran. Lo'ak deserves to get his chance with Tsireya and go out and do the amazing things I know he's capable of. Kiri deserves to explore her heart's desire. You deserve...you deserve everything."
She ran her hands through her hair stressfully. Thoughts have been filling her head all night making her unable to sleep.
"What about you?" Neteyam watched her, his brows furrowed.
"What about me?"
"What do you deserve?"
She didn't say anything for a while. Her mind going in another direction.
"When I was younger I didn't have anything that was truly mine. Now I do. I protect what belongs to me." She looked at him and tears rolled down her face.
"This family is mine."
Neteyam pulled her into a tight hug.
"Everything is going to be okay." He soothed her, twirling her braid with his bead.
"You don't know that." She rested her forehead on his chest.
"I have to believe it's true."
He pulled back using the pads of his thumbs to cross over the purple under her eyes. It hurt his heart to see it.
"When was the last time you slept?"
"...."
"Riti.." He sighed.
He would have checked on her sooner, if he could have found her. She had been avoiding him which made him upset. He thought they were done with the hiding. He wanted her to depend on him, she didn't have to feel all alone inside.
"Let's get you some rest." He whispered to her, slowly taking the knife out of her hands.
She shook her head but he gave her a stern look.
" Okay dad." she said with sarcasm, getting a little bit of her spark back.
He rolled his eyes, "Let's go love."
Little did the two know that Lo'ak sat behind a tree listening to their entire conversation. Guilt eating him alive.
He had been mad at Riti but he had forgiven her probably the same day. He knew he lashed out. He had totally blown it with Tsireya. He blew up and took it out on Riti.
Neteyam picked up Riti as she was dragging her feet on the floor.
She wrapped her legs around his waist, and his hands under her bottom to support her weight.
"Come on, princess."
"Don't call me that." She groaned and rested her face in the crook of his neck.
"...I wish you would have talked to me."
"You have enough on your plate."
"Never enough to not care about what you're going through. Share with me. Depend on me, I'm here. You're not alone.You'll never be alone ever again."
Neteyam held her close, breathing in her scent.
He waited for her reply but he realized she fell asleep.
Walking into the tent everyone shot up seeing the two.
Neytiri frowned, "Ma baby."
She petted Riti's head as she took her out of Neteyams arms.
Neteyam stepped forward not wanting to let her go.
"It's okay son." Jake put a hand on his chest.
"Where was she?" Kiri asked
"In the woods, training. She hasn't gotten any sleep."
"Is she okay?" Kiri asked, placing her hand on Riti's head.
"She's just scared." Jake reassured everyone.
"We all are." Neytiri said giving Jake a side eye.
Riti would have laughed if she was awake.
"We will be okay."
They all looked uncertain.
Riti started murmuring in her sleep.
"Neteyam..."
Neteyam immediately stepped forward and laid down next to her. Wrapping his arms around her.
"Everytime." Kiri shook her head with a smirk.
Tuk came in with a makeshift stick doll that Riti made her.
"I finally decided on a name!"
"I named P. Ennis." Tuk stood there proudly
" NO!" Everyone shouted
"Why? Riti said it was perfect?"
"Of course she did." Jake muttered under his breath.
Neteyam smiled, in only a matter of seconds she had eased the tension. Without even being awake.
"It's a good name." Riti muttered, nuzzling her face into Neteyams chest.
He guessed the shouting woke her up.
They whispered to each other as everyone was trying to help Tuk find another name. Even though she was persistent to keep it.
"It's not."
Riti's eyes kept on dropping then popping back open.
"I named your dick lil Nari."
"...you named my dick Nari?"
He wasn't even surprised that she nicknamed his dick. He got used to the randomness a long time ago.
He pondered that for a second, "Nari....Neteyam and Ri."
He shook his head.
Riti had a smirk on her face, "it's half mine so..."
He looked at her with heated eyes.
"Go to sleep Ri."
"Why is lil Nari acting up?"
He sighed, "You just had to do it huh?"
"Who's little Nari?"
They both froze, Ri closed her eyes and acted like she was sleeping.
Neteyam had a panicked look on his face.
Ri pretended to snore, and Neteyam put a finger to his lips.
"Shhhh."
Tuk slowly nodded, putting a finger to her own lips. She went to get a blanket and put it over Riti.
"Sweet dreams RiRi. I love you." She kissed Ritis head and walked away.
Riti smiled into Neteyams chest.
Even with the danger of Quatritch out there, they felt content in each other's company.
It was just as Jake said. They were each other's fortress. No matter what happens.
—----------
Riti's Pov:
Light hit my eyes and I groaned. I couldn't breathe.
I tried to shift but something was holding me down.
I looked down at Neteyams arm holding me to him.
Glancing up I saw the morning light hit his face.
Thank you Eywa for bringing such a pretty boy into my life.
I let my fingertips graze his face, admiring him. Memorizing him.
I'm in awe of him every day. It hasn't changed in the past 8 years since I've met him.
"Nobody ever told me that loving you would be the best part of my life."
God I hope he wasn't awake to hear that. He would tease me endlessly.
He groaned and opened his eyes.
Oh shit he heard.
He looks at me sleepily and smirks.
"Like what you see?"
He didn't hear. Relief washed through me.
"I was just thinking about how ugly you are."
He frowned, "ouch."
"It's okay, I can be beautiful enough for both of us."
I was lying so hard. But he didn't need to know that.
I tried to push his arms off and get up but he dragged me forward and nuzzled his head into my chest.
I couldn't be mad when the action was so cute.
I ran my hands through his braids. His arms tightened around me.
I really didn't want to get up, I wanted to stay in this position forever and never leave.
It made me forget everything else, it was just me and him.
We heard Neytiri and Jake calling our names.
Neteyam groaned "Is it too much to ask to stay with you like this forever?"
He stretched and I leaned back on my forearms just staring at him.
" imma poke your eyes."
He suddenly made a poking motion with his fingers.
I slapped them away, "I have the right to stare."
" thought you said I was ugly?"
" Oh you are. Indefinitely so. You're so ugly I can't look away."
He tickle attacked me.
I curled into a ball to try and escape the attack, breath wheezing out of me and tears coming out of my eyes.
" NOOOOOO!"
" Why is it that when I call for you, you ignore me?"
Jake irritated voice made us freeze
I smiled sheepishly, Neteyam rubbed the top of his braids
" Ah sorry sir."
Jake had a stern look but his eyes were kind
I raised my hands with a evil smile
He narrowed his eyes at me
" What do you think you're doing?"
I lunged at him and tried to tickle him but he placed a hand on my head, pushing me away
I grunted with effort to try and reach but his arms were too long for me. I swung my arms, a pathetic attempt to at least get any body part, but it was useless.
" Good try kid, " amusement stretched all over his tone
Neteyam pulled me back shaking his head. "It never works."
"Go help your mother with the food." Jake sighed
I saluted him " YES SIR!"
Neteyam pulled me along by my arm
Neytiri kissed my forehead as a greeting and I took a seat next to her. Tuk was playing with her doll from last night, I still think the name was amazing. Granted I was the one that came up with it.
"how are you feeling?"
"Better."
She hummed. I nibbled on some of the fruit that she had cut up, she slapped my hand and I yanked it back.
It stung, she pointed a hard finger at me, "Wait."
I frowned and I heard Neteyam snickering across from me.
I stuck my tongue out at him.
"Have you been working on your sign?" Neytiri asked
" A little bit."
"Show me."
I raised my hands, and signed.
"I need."
"Food."
She gave me an unamused look.
I gave her a wide smile and she handed me a plate of cut up fruit.
"VICTORY!"
Neteyam suddenly popped up from behind my shoulder, "what about me?"
I hugged it to myself.
Kiri popped up on my other shoulder with a grin, "me too."
I stood up with my plate of food.
"Don't be greedy."
"Yea, Share."
"Where the hell is Lo'ak. He needs to defend me." I say forgetting that he wasn't talking to me.
Kiri snorted, "you know damn well he would be on our side."
Kiri lunged and I ran.
"Don't run with your food!" I heard Neytiri yell.
Kiri and Neteyam chased after me but I came to a halt when I heard a screaming noise.
"Gotchuuuu!" Neteyam went to tackle me but I moved.
He fell into the sand.
I stared at the sight in front of me.
There was the girl from the bonfire, crabs crawling all over her.
She looked like a crab monster.
She had a whale bunch of crabs, on her skin, on her clothes, on her legs, her arm's, hell I could barely see her skin.
She was screaming bloody murder, running around in circles, swatting them off.
But no matter how many she swatted off, there was always more.
In the tree above her, I saw who was responsible for this amazing scene in front of me.
Lo'ak had a bucket in his hand throwing more and more crabs onto her, as she ran around.
I covered my laugh.
Lo'ak gave me a thumbs up when he saw me looking.
He mouthed, "forgive me?"
I waved him down. I wasn't mad at him in the first place. Yeah I was hurt but not mad.
The girl was now sobbing, so reducing her to tears has been checked off of my bucket list.
I should probably feel bad....but I don't.
"Poor girl." Kiri shook her head.
Neteyam looked at me with suspicious eyes.
"Did you have anything to do with this?"
"Me? I'm innocent!"
He totally did not believe me.
What I was going to do was totally different.
Lo'aks way was more civilized than mine was going to be.
Neteyam smacked the back of Lo'aks head when he saw him.
"Ouch! Bro!" He rubbed his head
Lo'ak turned to me with a sheepish smile.
I offered him my plate of food. He deserves it.
I heard Kiri and Neteyam complain.
He took a fruit and I wrapped my arm around his shoulders as we walked back.
Neteyam started murmuring under his breath about favoritism and I rolled my eyes.
"YOU!!"
I turned and saw the girl storming to us with rage in her eyes.
I shoved the plate of food into Neteyams arms, with a smile.
"Love you."
I grabbed Lo'ak and ran.
Lo'ak laughed as he watched Neteyam stare flabbergasted at the girl who was yelling at him.
Kiri watched with covering her laugh. She took the plate out of Neteyams hands and ate the fruit, while the yelling continued.
We ran back, "Thank you." I say to Lo'ak.
He shrugged, "she disrespected you, I already dealt with the other guy too."
I froze, narrowing my eyes at him.
He lifted his hands, " I know I know, that's not a good-"
"Why didn't you come get me?!" I groaned "I had the perfect plan!"
He looked down sadly, "I'm really sorry."
"I know, kid."
"I blew it with Tsireya and I took it out on you. Hell you gave me the perfect opportunity and I wasted it."
He clenched his jaw.
"Come on tell big sister Riti everything. I shall fix it."
He rolled his eyes at me.
"She asked me if I saw her as a sister? I was so confused, I kinda just stared at her. Obviously I don't but she was staring at me expecting something.When I just shook my head no she kinda stood there for a little bit before walking away. Murmuring about how it didn't work.Now she's ignoring me, and I don't know what to do."
I slapped his head, "Bro she was waiting for you to confess."
He frowned, "She was?"
"Yes, stupid."
I breathed through my nose, " Okay so this is how you win her back...."
I sat him down and we made a plan.
—------------
While Lo'ak was off getting Tsireya ,I sat with Tuk making another doll.
"No Ri, you're doing it wrong ."
"Excuse me little miss. I made the first one. I know how to-Oh you're right."
My stick doll wasn't looking like a stick doll right now. It was pretty fugly.
"Dang."
Tuk shook her head disappointingly, she's been hanging out with Kiri too much.
She took the doll from my hands. Giving me a look.
"I'll fix it."
I raised my eyebrows at her, then I picked her up.
"RIRI!"
I turned her upside down.
"WHERE IS TUK!?"
"I'm here Silly!!" Tuk said laughing
"No You're imposing as her. What did you do with my Tuk?" I shook her upside down.
I used to do this when she was a baby.
Now she wasn't as little anymore...I hated this nostalgic feeling. She was growing up.
"Put me downnnn!" She shrieked, laughing as I jumped around.
Neteyam suddenly swooped in.
"I'll save you!!'
He grabbed her arms and I had her feet, we started spinning.
"Put her down, before you all get hurt."
Neytiri took Tuk out of our arms and we wobbled, bumping into each other out of dizziness.
I fell on top of him and he laughed.
"How do we always end up in this position?" I complained.
He played with my matching braid.
"I quite like it."
"Guys, let's go!" Kiri called
"Common loser." I tried to pull Neteyam up but he was dead weight.
"I can think of so many other things we could be doing with our time."
He was murmuring into my ear, in his husky voice.
"Oh yeah like what?" I teased.
"Like I could have my head in between-"
I clasped his mouth shut.
"Do not finish that sentence."
Mostly because my heart couldn't handle it.
I felt his smile under my hand.
"Hurry Up, lovebirds." Kiri dragged my arm
"Hopefully it worked." Kiri muttered, I shoved her.
"It will. My plan was amazing."
She nodded, "for once it was."
I smiled, but then it slipped
"what do you mean for once?!"
We snuck up to the beach. Trying to be quiet.
We settled behind a bush, where we could see the beach lit up with lights, flowers and leaves decorating the ground. On the beach right next to the water there was a blanket with a bunch of food and snacks. The water had a whole bunch of Gill mantles making it light up with pink hues.
"We did a damn good job"
We all had spent the rest of the afternoon helping Lo'ak set this up. It better work.
"Shut up." I smacked Neteyam as I heard Tsireya and Lo'aks voices.
We all huddled together as Lo'ak came into view.
Tsireya was covering her eyes, Lo'aks hands guiding her forward.
"Lo'ak..." Tsireya complained
"We're almost there." he promised
He placed her in the middle of the blanket.
He stood back, his tail swishing anxiously.
He looked at me with scared eyes, I gave him a nod and a thumbs up.
"Okay. You can open your eyes now."
Tsireya immediately took her hands off her eyes, and looked at him.
Her once irritated face was now filled with awe.
"Lo'ak did you do this?"
He nodded, rubbing the back of his neck.
"It's beautiful." She gasped, staring at the water and the collection of flowers and fruits around her.
Damn right it was.
"What is all this for?" She raised her eyes back to Lo'aks.
Okay now just as we practiced.
He took a deep breath, "You. It's for you."
He cleared his throat and stepped closer to her.
"I know I've been taking my time...and I wanted to tell you..I don't see you as a sister. I like you Tsireya, I like you a lot. I'm sorry that it's taken me so long to tell you, and I know it must have been frustrating and thank you for all the patience you've had. I just couldn't figure out how to tell you, and I started overthinking about it and-"
"Lo'ak stop talking please."
Tsireya giggled and he immediately shut up.
"I like you too."
He blinked at her.
"As if it wasn't obvious." Kiri muttered, Neteyam snickered.
Tsireya took his hands in hers, "Will you be my boyfriend?"
He blinked again and he was taking too long to respond.
All the noises coming out of him were incohesive.
I smacked my forehead.
"I-ugh-ugh."
"Lo'ak yes or no?" She sighed
He immediately nodded aggressively, "yes! Yes, I want to be your boyfriend."
She laughed and pulled him into a hug.
"Took you long enough."
He smiled and pulled away. They sat down on the blanket and started talking.
It worked. It actually worked!!!
"Can't believe she actually likes the doofus."
"Yeah there's definitely something wrong."
"C'mon guys, lo'ak has some sort of charm."
They both just looked at me.
"Yeah, you're right." I sighed.
"Can't believe my little brother has a girlfriend," Neteyam smiled.
I pointed at Kiri "Your next!"
She immediately shook her head, "No! I do not want a relationship!"
I shimmied towards her, "I know someone has a crush on youuuu."
"I do not want to know." She walked away fastly
Neteyam chuckled and swung his arm over my shoulder. His tail wrapped around my waist.
"I should have done that for you."
I interlaced my hand to his, "we still have time."
He kissed the side of my head, "that we do."
Jake and Neytiri where waiting back at the tent
"So how did it go?" Jake asked as soon as we had one foot inside
"Horribly."
Jake's face fell and he winced, "Shit."
"Swear word, daddy." Tuk pointed out
Neytiri frowned, "Well where is he then? We must do something to cheer him up. There are other girls out there, I know a lovely girl-
Kiri shoved me, "she's lying. It worked, they're dating now."
Neytiri let out a sigh of relief, "Thank Eywa, I knew no girl."
"Really?" Jake's face was unbelieving. Neytri smacked him on the head and he winced, rubbing his head.
Eywa really said copy and paste with Jake and Lo'ak.
Tuk frowned, "I wanted to come."
I rubbed her head, "next time. For Kiri."
Kiri yelled from across the tent, " NOT ME!"
I rolled my eyes as Tuk giggled.
Neteyam came up behind me and wrapped his arms around me.
Nowadays he was always needing to hold me, not that I was complaining.He whispered in my ear and I stopped breathing.
"The best part of my life is loving you too."
I blushed so hard it felt like blood was going to pool out of my nose.
"Thank you?"
He laughed, " don't be embarrassed. It was cute."
" I don't know what you're talking about."
I pretend that I didn't say anything earlier.
Neteyam noticed how embarrassed I was and he started a cheese fest.
"I would be nothing without you."
"You have my entire heart."
"I love everything about you."
" I love your hair." He touched my hair
"I love your eyes." He touched underneath my eyes
"I love your smile." He trailed his fingers against my lips
"I love your heart." He put his hand to my chest
"I love your humor."
"I love your beautifully weird mind."
"I love your hugs and how warm and comforting they are."
"okay fine I get it." I laughed before he could continue.
"You are definitely the cheesy one in this relationship." I kissed his nose.
"Eywa, I hope Lo'ak isn't like this with Tsireya." Kiri groaned.
She watched us with a disgusted look, "I can't handle any more of this grossness. "
I suddenly turned to Neteyam and grabbed his face. I started pretending to make-out with him and she gagged. He added to the allusion by rubbing his hands up my back.
Lo'ak suddenly popped in with a huge smile on his face.
"Ew guys." His smile immediately dropped when he saw us.
I pulled away from Neteyam, we looked at each other and started laughing.
Neytiri and Jake looked very disturbed in the corner.
Now I felt even more embarrassed. I forgot they where right there.
"I'm going to act like I never saw that." Jake rubbed his eyes
Neytiri snorted, "Do you remember when we where in front of my mother that one time and we-"
Jake cleared his throat.
It was our turn to be disgusted now. Neytiri had no filter when talking about her and Jakes relationship. She was confident and I loved that for her, but sometimes she would tell us a little too much and I got an image I did not want to see.
I think she needed a girlfriend. Someone to talk to on the side. If Ronal didn't hate us so much I would think that they would be perfect for each other.
"We what?" Tuk asked curiously
Neytiri opened her mouth but Jake cut in hurriedly, "We danced all night."
"That's one way to put it." Lo'ak muttered
Jake glared, "Hey."
Lo'ak raised his hands in surrender.
Neytiri immediately sat down, "Tell me all about what happened with Tsireya."
Lo'ak narrowed his eyes at us, and we all looked away.
"Thank's guys."
Neytiri forced him to sit down and started pestering him.
Jake called me over.
Crap, I didn't think I did anything wrong. I mean there was the beach incident but I think they forgot about it with everything else going on.
I sat down next to him and he brought out a bandage.
"You still haven't wrapped them." He reprimanded me.
"They aren't hurting."
"Your blisters are going to burst and then they're going to hurt."
I sighed and held out my hands.
He carefully wrapped them.
He said nothing for a little, " This reminds me of the old days."
I smiled, "Except then I didn't have blisters."
He shook his head with a sigh, "No, it was worse. I'm glad you became smarter."
I gasped, "You thought I was stupid?"
"Who grabs a knife by the blade?" He rose his eyebrows at me.
"Uhhhhhh..." He got me there.
"You can train with me, you know?"
I looked at him in surprise.
"I can help you."
I smirked at him, he narrowed his eyes at me.
"Have you missed spending time with me, daddio?"
He rolled his eyes, "No."
He was a Lieerrrrrr. He totally missed him and me time.
"I was actually thinking we should start teaching Tuk."
He immediately shook his head, but I defended my statement.
"Not anything with weapons but maybe just show her how to get out of a hold or something. Like self defense."
He finished wrapping my hands, "She's too young Ri."
I nodded, "She is...but the world is different now. In case of an emergency it could save her life."
His eyes softened. "Sweetheart, I'm going to protect this family."
"I know...I know but the reality is your not going to be here forever."
I looked at him, "And what if something happens to you? To me, or to anyone? What will she do then?"
He rubbed his dreadlocks, he looked so much like Neteyam in that moment.
"You can teach her how to throw a punch..Like I taught you when you where young. Start small and then rise up."
I smiled wide, and then launched myself into his arms.
"Thank you."
He patted my back, "I love you kid."
I felt tears hit my eyes. I cleared my throat and stepped back. Jake rarely ever said it, and it was easy to forget but we all knew he loved us. It was nice to be reminded though.
I got pretty lucky with the family that was handed to me.
"You're welcome to join training with me and Tuk. I had a pretty good teacher."
He smiled and nodded, "Sure."
I nodded and turned around to where Neteyam was conversing with Lo'ak.
I shivered when the wind hit me, it was cold as hell.
I smiled with the idea that popped up in my head.
I waited until my hands got cold before I snuck my way back to Neteyam.
Lo'ak looked at me but I shook my head.
He smirked and looked back at Neteyam.
I placed my cold hands and spread them all over his torso.
He jumped, "Ah!"
He tried to cover his body from my cold assault. I felt goosebumps appear.
"COlD! COLD!"
"WARMTH!" I yelled back. I shoved my feet under him and he jumped from the extra coldness.
"Why meeeee?' He groaned, giving up.
"Cause its your job as my personal heater." I rested my head on top of his.
He kept on muttering under his breath but he ran his hands up my arms to start causing warmth.
I cheekily smiled.
"Shut up." Neteyam said to Lo'ak who was looking at us with a raised eyebrow.
Neytiri placed a blanket around both of us.
"Thanks mom." Neteyam smiled.
She placed a hand on my head.
"I am getting old. Everyone is growing up." She sighed sadly. "You used to come to me for warmth."
There she had to go and make me feel bad.
I immediately tugged her into a hug with me and Neteyam.
" I want to Join!"
Tuk ran in, and Neytiri laughed.
I waved Kiri over but she shook her head.
I glared at her over my shoulder and she rolled her eyes placing her entire body weight on me.
I looked at Lo'ak who immediately shook his head.
"You owe me." I mouthed.
He groaned and placed his arms around us.
We all where in the hug now. Mission accomplished.
"This is very uncomfortable for me." Neteyam sounded muffled.
Everyone was suffocating him.
I looked up at Neytiri who looked happy. I wanted everyone to be happy like this all the time.
But the world doesn't work that way. All good things come to an end eventually.