Word Count: 6,262
Lo'ak x Makini (Omatikaya)
Fluff
Warnings: contains movie scenes, mentions of bleeding, cuss words ig
'Run.'
'Just run.'
'Don't look back.'
'Run.'
Those were the thoughts running through Makini's mind as she ran from a battle of Na'vi versus humans in robotic vehicles.
Her feet ached the more she ran, the more she fled.
Pressing the mic she was wearing on her neck, she called for her best friend. "Lo'ak! Lo'ak, where are you?!" She exclaimed desperately, hoping for an answer.
He was meant to pick her up on his ikran right after she played bait for the humans.
"Makini! Lo'ak's down! I will get you!" Neteyam answered, which only worried her more.
"Down?! What do you mean, Neteyam?!" Her breathless voice alarmed him, but he kept his cool.
"Knocked out by flying debris. He is with me, don't worry. I will be with you shortly, stay put!"
———
"Lo'ak! You're okay!" Makini excitedly squeezed him, which earned her a scolding from the Tsahik. "Sorry." She whispered, ducking her head.
"What happened?" Lo'ak groaned, sitting up and taking in his surroundings.
He was no longer scouting the battlefield with Neteyam. Instead, he was getting patched up by his grandmother.
Neteyam scoffed before ruffling his brother's hair. "You got hit by flying debris. You got knocked out, baby bro."
"You were reckless." Makini adds.
"I was trying to get to you in time. You shouldn't be playing bait out there." Lo'ak says as he pokes at Makini's shoulder.
"I was doing what our clan needed me to do." Makini states, standing up and pacing around the room.
She hates it when Lo'ak gets protective over her, especially since she is older. Being Neteyam's age would make others think she was closer to the eldest Sully kid, but it wasn't that way.
Lo'ak and Makini were much closer than others perceived.
Jake walks in and pats Makini's back. "You did a good job out there." He praises, which makes a smug smirk appear on Makini's lips.
"Thank you, sir. Your youngest son thinks otherwise." She calls him out, and Lo'ak rolls his eyes.
Neteyam speaks before Lo'ak can. "He is just worried for you, Makini."
"And rightfully so. Next mission, we won't need bait. We are going to stop a cargo shipment. Blow up a train. You and Lo'ak will be spotters. From afar, you copy?" Jake eyes his sons, waiting for a response.
"Yes, sir." They reply in unison.
"Then what is my job?" Makini asks, waiting for him to lay it on her.
"You stay. Get some rest. You deserve it." He pats her shoulder before leaving a dumbfounded Makini behind.
"That is not fair." Makini sighs, to which Lo'ak grins.
"Serves you right."
"Shut your mouth, Lo'ak, or I will knock you out once more." Makini threatens, making Neteyam laugh.
"You should listen to Makini, you know she will do it." Neteyam adds fuel to the metaphorical fire.
Makini clicks her tongue. "He knows I can't because his Grammy Mo'at is here," She teases the Tsahik, who raises her browline at her.
"You make me sound old."
"Experienced, ma'am," Makini bows jokingly before receiving a push on her leg by Lo'ak's foot. She yelps before turning her gaze to the boy. "Okay, okay! I will leave you now, dying warrior."
Lo'ak gives her a sarcastic laugh before she leaves, making him turn his attention back to the Tsahik.
"She is the girl you like?" Mo'at asks, at which Neteyam snorts.
"Bro, did you tell her?" Lo'ak scolds Neteyam.
"I promise I didn't!" He quickly exclaimed, defending himself.
"Obvious things do not need to be told," The Tsahik comments. "I have seen how you both look at each other."
"It's obvious to everybody but them," Neteyam sighs, dropping to his knees to sit near Lo'ak.
"You're both crazy. We are just friends," Lo'ak says.
"But you like her," Mo'at points out. Lo'ak can't deny it.
"Who wouldn't? She is basically part of our family already. Did you see the confidence she had when speaking to you? She is the warmest person I know," Lo'ak admits, and Neteyam smiles.
His brother pats his shoulder, causing him to hiss lightly at his sore body.
"Good to see you've found your person, Lo'ak," he says.
"Keep your sappy words to yourself. You don't know that. Makini is close to everyone. Heck, she might even have a crush on you, bro," Lo'ak expresses, lightly slapping Neteyam's arm.
Neteyam shakes his head at his oblivious brother. "Makini and I are like brother and sister. She has eyes for you man,"
"It is true, but let them find this out on their own time," Mo'at tells her eldest grandchild, who nods as a response.
———
The day of the mission comes and Makini helps Lo'ak prepare. "Put some paint on me, please," He kindly asks, to which Makini couldn't say no to.
He sits on a log as she approaches him with fingers full of two different colors: yellow and black.
Lo'ak's breath hitches once her legs come in contact with his as she stands between them.
"Did I hurt you?" She asks with concern.
"No, no, you can keep going."
She smiles as she leaves gentle strokes of paint upon his face, giving him the look of a warrior.
Lo'ak watched her face closely, barely breathing well as his brain registered her face being inches away from his.
"You're really pretty, Makini. How come you don't have a boyfriend?" He blurts out.
She laughs lightly at the unexpected compliment. "Thank you, Lo'ak. You are very kind," She says, still concentrated on painting his face.
Lo'ak realizes she ignored his question, but decides not to bring it up again as her fingers come in contact with his lips.
They make eye contact for a split second before Makini places her gaze back on the paint she was leaving on his face.
Lo'ak gulps, nervous and new to the sensation of her fingers on his lips. He wanted to kiss them at that moment, but he didn't dare.
Makini lowers her hand, taking in the view of Lo'ak with his freshly painted face. She tucks his two stray braids behind his ear, only for them to pop back out again.
This makes them chuckle, lightening up the mood.
"Be careful out there," Makini whispers before placing a light peck on his nose.
This affection was normal to them, as they do it every time they might do something dangerous. Makini called it an "invisible good luck charm".
It started when Lo'ak had a bloody nose when he was five years old. Makini kissed it for good luck, and his blood stopped miraculously, so they have been doing it ever since.
Except, for some reason, they never did it in public.
In public, they were very passive aggressive towards each other. Very salty and sarcastic.
She waves the Sully boys away as they leave on their ikran.
"They will be fine." Kiri assures, but Makini isn't sure if those words are for her or for herself.
Makini sighs, shaking her head. "Lo'ak is too reckless, you know that." She says as she places her hands on her hips, adding a bit of sass to her words.
Kiri mimics her, "He is, but Neteyam is not."
"Alright, you have a point there."
To their surprise, once they arrived, Neteyam was the one bleeding.
Kiri walked over to Neteyam's side while Makini walked over to Lo'ak. She scanned him with her eyes from head to toe.
"Are you alright?" Makini asks him, and he nods, trying not to interrupt his father's scolding at Neteyam.
Once he is done, he dismisses him so he gets some medical attention to his wounds. Turning to Lo'ak and Makini, Jake asks Makini to leave so he could have a moment with Lo'ak.
Makini takes a quick look at Lo'ak for approval, and he nods for her to leave. "It's okay," He whispers.
Makini gives Jake an up and down look before speaking, "It is not like he will not tell me about it later," she says, lifting up the mood a bit before she left.
She decided to visit Neteyam and check up on him and ask about his physical state. He was getting treated by Mo'at and Kiri, who was trying not to argue with her grandmother over the best way to do so.
Spider soon arrived at the scene, greeting Makini briefly before placing his attention on Neteyam.
Makini and Spider were not as close as they both were with Lo'ak, but they would manage an easygoing friendship.
Soon enough, Lo'ak arrives, pulling Makini out of the place and asking for her to help him get the war paint off his face.
Makini obliged, even though he pulled her toward the nearest water source without asking first.
Lo'ak handed her a piece of cloth for her to use after soaking it in the water.
They both kneel on the floor, facing each other.
"I hope this will not scrape you, Lo'ak." She says as she holds the cloth close to his face.
He scoffed. "Of course not."
Makini starts rubbing his paint away, watching how her own art disappeared from his face.
Lo'ak took the opportunity to watch Makini from up close once more. He thoroughly enjoyed intimate moments like these with Makini, even if he wouldn't show it.
He admired every single one of her features, down to the small scar on her upper lip.
That happened to her at a young age when Spider grabbed her tail unexpectedly and she fell face forward, earning that cut.
This is why she and Spider weren't all that close, Makini's parents did not approve of her spending too much time with a human.
But they were no longer around.
Makini suddenly smacked the cold cloth against Lo'ak's cheek, "Lo'aaaak?" She calls to his attention, even as he wipes a hand down his newly smacked cheek.
"What the hell, Makini?" He asked, confused with her sudden aggression.
"You spaced out," She stated with a soft smile as she rubbed the cloth on his cheek to remove the smudged color.
"I was just thinking."
"Uh, oh." Makini giggled.
Before he could speak, she placed the piece of cloth on his lips, rubbing it gently.
Lo'ak stared at her focused eyes intently. "Don't look at me like that," Makini says, startling the love struck boy.
She removes the cloth from his lips, allowing him to speak. "Like what?" He asks, raising an eyebrow at her as if he didn't know what she was talking about.
"Like you want to-"
"Makini, Lo'ak!" Spider calls out, interrupting them.
They both quickly stand up, watching as the human boy nears them.
"Kiri and I are going to the lab, you wanna come with?"
Makini pushes the piece of cloth onto Lo'ak's hands. "Of course!"
They take a short cut, seeing Norm in his avatar on the way. He playfully slaps Spider with a towel.
"Your ass is mine," Spider says, pointing at the avatar.
"I'm right here!" Norm provokes.
"Avatars only, go around!" A scientist says, at which Kiri mocks.
Lo'ak quickly says sorry before they exit the area, nearing the lab.
"You know, those blue stripes don't make you any bigger bro," Lo'ak bothers Spider, who turns his head to give him an eye roll.
"Yeah, well, I can still kick your ass."
Makini laughs, imagining a scenario where Spider actually takes down Lo'ak as they walk in through the first lab doors.
"What's so funny, Makini? You think I can't take him?" Spider smirks as he takes off his air mask.
"I would definitely like to see you try."
Kiri adds on to the conversation, "It would be entertaining, wouldn't it?"
They walk through the second door, getting into the actual lab. "Yeah, ha ha. Real hysterical guys," Spider says as Kiri shuts the door behind her. "You know what really sucks though? You guys can breathe Earth air for hours and I can only breathe your air for like ten seconds." He says this as Lo'ak and Makini grab their small air masks that they can use every now and then to breath some of their own air. Spider, on the other hand, can free his face from the face mask he usually wears.
"Yes, monkey boy, that really sucks... For you." Kiri teases him before turning around to grab her own air mask, at which point Spider pulls on her tail to bother her.
They greet Max and Norm in his human form before Lo'ak, Kiri and Spider head to Grace's capsuled body.
Makini stays with Max for a moment, "Any sign of them yet?" she asks the scientist, who shakes his head at her.
He sighs, knowing he has to give her the dreadful news. "Nothing at all, Makini. No trace, no clue, nothing we can really use to track them."
Makini slumps her shoulders. "They could not have just disappeared like that, Max. There should be some sort of evidence," Her voice had a concerned tone as she looked over to Max's desk.
Max shrugs his shoulders while giving Makini a saddened look. "I am so sorry. I do want to give you hope that your parents are out there, but we can't keep looking forever."
Makini solemnly nods, "It is alright. You can call off the search. It has already been years, after all," she says.
"Are you sure?" Norm cuts in, surprised at her sudden decision.
"Yes, I am. Thank you both for your efforts," She gives them a small smile, which they gratefully return.
"No problem, Makini. We're here for you,"
Makini nods before leaving the area to go find the others. She notices Kiri hugging Spider from behind before spotting Lo'ak who simply stared at them.
Walking over to the small group, she speaks. "Is everything okay?"
Spider and Kiri quickly turn, nodding at her without hesitation.
Lo'ak places his arm around Makini's shoulders lazily. "We were just trying to guess who knocked up Grace."
"Gross, Lo'ak." Makini chuckles, pushing his arm off and walking toward Grace's capsule.
She stares at the contained avatar, and Kiri walks up beside her. "Your mom is very pretty," Makini tells her.
"Yes, she is." Kiri sighs.
"All the more reason to think Norm did it." Lo'ak interrupts, causing Kiri to shove him away.
————
"Guys, wait up!" Tuk calls out as the run on the vines of the Hallelujah mountains, "You are going too fast!"
Makini slows her pace so Tuk can catch up to her. "Hurry, Tuk! Or they will leave us behind!" She says as she motions with her hand for her to pick up the pace.
Tuk giggles as she catches up to her. "Thank you, Makini."
Later on, Kiri slows down her pace as well as they trek through the forest. She keeps an eye on her sister while the boys maintain their fast pace.
Tuk stops to play with some plants, which annoys Lo'ak. "Tuk, keep up!" He exclaims.
"Okay, okay." She sighs.
"Bro, why'd you bring her anyway?" Spider asks, which makes Tuk roll her eyes.
Makini stays closely behind Tuk, urging her to move forward.
"She's such a cry baby, she's all- I'm telling, you're not supposed to go to the battlefield. I'll tell mom if you don't let me come." Lo'ak speaks in a high pitched voice, mocking Tuk's as they stop walking.
Kiri sighs in disapproval, "Don't pick on her." she says.
Tuk sticks her tongue out at Lo'ak, earning a small smile from Makini. Lo'ak notices this, which bring a smile of his own to his face.
They keep going, climbing tree trunks and spotting beautiful flora.
Eventually, Kiri wanders on her own, which the others didn't mind as they spotted a ship hanging from vines.
Tuk asks if there are any dead bodies inside while the boys investigate it. Makini stayed back, watching over Tuk as the boys played around in the broken down airship.
"I don't think that is something we should find out," Makini tells Tuk as she sits on the ground.
A while later, Spider suddenly dropped off from the ship. "Hey, where's Kiri?" He asked the girls, who shrugged in response.
Lo'ak dropped down next, scanning the area. "We have to get back," he says.
"Enough exploring for one day?" Makini asks him as she stands up, losing balance. She almost tripped, but Lo'ak caught her arm in time, helping her get steady.
"Careful."
Makini nods before taking Tuk's hand and helping her get up as well.
Spider clears his throat to gain their attention, "Come on, we have to find Kiri."
Lo'ak, Tuk and Makini stay close together as they call for Kiri, but Spider's impatience made him wander off alone.
Eventually, they find the girl, who Spider found first. They start their journey back to their home, but Lo'ak stops as he spots something on the ground.
"What is it?" Kiri asks, growing impatient.
"We're always supposed to be home by eclipse." Tuk warns as they all surround what Lo'ak is looking at.
"Is that a shoe?" Makini asks, analyzing the footprint Lo'ak found.
"Yes, but it's way too big for a human."
Spider's eyes widen, "Avatars?" he asks.
"Maybe. But they're for sure not ours." Lo'ak claims, standing up and following the trail.
"What are you doing?" Kiri asks as they all start to follow him.
He shushes her, saying he is tracking.
"Lo'ak, this is dangerous." Makini states, even as she follows closely behind him.
"That's exactly why we need to find out who did this. It could be a threat."
"A threat to us! You are going to put us in danger," Kiri urges, which Lo'ak ignores.
Tuk worries, "We should go back now, Lo'ak."
Soon, they peek through leaves, seeing an old lab from afar. "We are never supposed to come here," Kiri whispers, now careful with her tone. "Dad is going to ground you," Lo'ak shushes her and asks for her to stop. "for life." she finishes.
Lo'ak turns to Spider, "Bro, we have got to check this out. Let's go."
Makini grabs on to his arm before they can leave. "Lo'ak," she warns. "This is not safe."
Lo'ak huffs, annoyed with the persistence. "I will be fine," he says before quickly pecking her nose. "This will be quick." He leaves with Spider, getting closer to the area they spotted.
Kiri gives Makini a look, "What was that all about?" she asks, pointing at her nose.
Makini, now embarrassed, noticed he did it in front of his sisters. "It is our way of saying good luck," Makini explains, trying not to make it sound weird. "It is a long story."
"And I want to listen to every part of it when we get home," Kiri says, which embarrasses Makini further.
Soon enough, Lo'ak and Spider come back. "I'm going to call this in," Lo'ak says before pressing on the mic on his neck.
He explains to his father what they have found, which is some avatars in camo with guns. Lo'ak hesitates to say their position, but he is honest anyway.
Once Jake asks who he's with, he hesitates even more. "Me, Makini, Spider, Kiri, .... and Tuk."
Jake asks for them to pull back and leave the area immediately. Kiri and Makini stop listening in, pulling Tuk to her feet.
They all rush out quietly as their heart rate picks up. "You're going to be in so much trouble," Kiri tells Lo'ak.
Makini holds on to Lo'ak's forearm as he asks for Kiri to stop once more.
Tuk is somehow faster than them, urging for them to hurry. "It's almost eclipse, come on!"
She suddenly screams, being held by an avatar. Kiri yells for her while the rest take defensive positions, ready to attack whoever was coming their way.
They're surrounded by the avatars they had spotted earlier, with nowhere to go. Lo'ak drops his weapon, telling Spider and Makini to drop theirs as well.
Once they're rid of their weapons, each of them is grabbed by an avatar, being held closely and dropped to their knees.
Kiri tries to calm Tuk down, to no avail.
One of the avatars stands in the middle of it all, speaking with a menacing voice.
The avatar holding Kiri shows her hand to the one who seemed to be the leader.
Makini could not understand what they were saying, as she never learned to speak fluent english. Since the scientists and Spider knew how to speak their language, she didn't find the need to learn english.
The menacing avatar then turns to Lo'ak, ordering something. The young na'vi then proceeds to flip him off with both hands, and Makini held back the urge to smile at his antics.
The avatar says something with a smile that made Makini feel uneasy.
Lo'ak hissed at him, showing him that he was not scared. Unfortunately for Lo'ak, the avatar took him by his hair, bringing him to his feet.
"Lo'ak!" Makini cried out before being pulled by her own hair.
Lo'ak hissed in pain, watching as the avatar asks him a question. "Sorry, I don't speak english with idiots," Lo'ak says, surprising Makini once more.
"Where is your dad?" The avatar asks, which Makini could understand, due to him using their native language. He pulls Lo'ak's hair harder, causing him to hiss more.
The others frantically cry out for him to stop, being ignored by the evil avatar, who takes out a knife.
Freaking out, Kiri, Spider, Tuk and Makini struggle to break free. Since Kiri was the one making the most noise, the avatar let go of Lo'ak, now giving his attention to her.
"Kiri! No!" Lo'ak yells.
"Hey, hey! Don't touch her! Hey!" Spider yells out, which makes the avatar turn to him.
Makini watches as they start having a conversation, unaware of what was being said. She understands Spider saying his full name, which makes her gaze turn to the avatar, awaiting his expression.
Spider is freed, to the other's surprise.
"Miles?" the avatar asks, which Makini recognizes as Spider's birth name. 'Is this his dad?' she thinks to herself, deciding against the idea due to the fact that she had been told that he was dead.
When the conversation is done, Spider is back in an avatar's grasp as the leader speaks into his collar's mic.
They are then moved back to the place where they had found the avatars in the first place, being pulled and thrown around.
Time passes and it starts to rain, making the experience all the more unbearable. Makini was hoping Jake, Neytiri and Neteyam were still looking for them as she was being held tightly by her braid.
Kiri had been praying to Eywa for a while, which visibly annoyed the avatar holding her.
They hear a couple of hollers, making their ears perk up at the familiar sound. Makini gave Lo'ak a discreet smile, knowing they were soon to be freed.
Kiri resumed her prayers, being told to shut up by the avatar holding her hostage. That avatar was soon shot down by an arrow, causing everyone to frantically move around for the source.
Lo'ak releases a toxic gas from one of the avatar's vests before biting down on an arm. Tuk and Makini did the same thing, freeing themselves from their holders. Lo'ak helps Tuk move forward while Spider yells for Kiri to run.
"Go! I'm right behind you!" Makini yells as she notices Lo'ak constantly looking behind him to make sure she is there.
Lo'ak, Makini and Tuk suddenly find Neteyam and Jake, who asks each of them if they are hurt before grabbing Tuk and pulling her into an embrace.
Neteyam briefly hugs Makini before patting Lo'ak and making sure he is completely safe. They are freed from their restraints before watching as the avatar airship leaves.
Neytiri and Kiri arrive, Tuk immediately running to hug her mother.
Jake takes both his sons into a hug while repeating, "It's okay," with a breathless voice. Lo'ak pulls Makini into the embrace, placing his arm around her shoulder as she cries into his chest.
Neytiri takes both her daughters into the embrace, thanking Eywa for their safety.
Neteyam lets go of father while Lo'ak turns to Kiri, asking for Spider.
"They took him." Kiri cries.
The news only makes Makini clutch harder onto Lo'ak's body, seeking for comfort.
"It's okay, babygirl. Take it easy." Jake pulls her into a hug while she cries into his shoulder. "He's gonna be okay, we're all gonna be okay," he adds, placing his hand on the back of his daughter's head.
———
Makini wakes up in her hammock, wishing it was all a nightmare. She gets up and heads to the lab, hoping Spider will be there once she arrives.
Unfortunately, he is still kidnapped, making Makini wish she had been a little friendlier to Spider previously.
At this point she knew he had been taken by his father, Jake had explained to them how dangerous he was once they arrived at camp.
She was hoping he would be safe, knowing that his father was an evil man.
Heading back to her lonely home, she sat on her hammock, thinking about a way they could get him back. She could play bait once more.
"Makini," a voice interrupted her
thoughts, and her gaze turned toward it.
She stood up, rushing toward the boy at the entrance of her hut. "Are you alright?" she asks Lo'ak, who wore a sad face.
"Yes, may I come in?"
"Of course."
They walk in further inside as Makini watches Lo'ak's unusual unmotivated behavior.
"Is this about Spider?" Makini asks as she holds his arms, carefully caressing them with her thumbs.
Lo'ak shakes his head, "I have to leave." he says, which only confuses Makini.
She withdraws her hands and crosses them in front of her chest. "What are you saying?"
"Me and my family. We have to leave. We overheard mom and dad arguing about it earlier," Lo'ak explains, taking a step closer to Makini as he spoke.
Makini drops her gaze to the floor, her eyes darting everywhere as she processed the information.
"Dad says that this is for our safety and the people's. Everybody is better off if we don't bring the war here," He adds.
"Why is fleeing the best option?" Makini asks, deciding to make eye contact with Lo'ak once again.
Lo'ak shrugs, "We can't risk putting the people in danger just because Quaritch is looking for my dad,"
"So you're leaving me?"
Lo'ak sighs, placing his hands on her arms as he tries to soothe her. "I am so sorry..." He says.
Makini untangles her arms and places them around his waist, pulling him into a hug. "As long as you are all safe, I will be happy," she says as her breathing wavers. "Thank you for being my friend, Lo'ak. You have been the best, best friend I could ever ask for."
He pulls away slightly, noticing the tears streaming down her face. Cupping her cheek with his hand, he strokes a tear away with his thumb. Makini gives him a sad laugh, closing her eyes to hold back tears.
Lo'ak eyes her lips, gathering all his bravery to do what he wanted to for a long time. Lowering his lips to hers, he captures her in a longing kiss.
Makini's eyes widen in surprise before she gathers the courage to push him away. Taking a breath, she stares at Lo'ak with concern. "What are you doing?" she asks, taken aback by his actions.
Regretting his decision, Lo'ak looks downward, "Nothing. Forget I did anything," he says.
"No, Lo'ak. You cannot do this to me," she says, looking around as she takes a deep breath.
"Do what?"
"You tell me that you are leaving, only to kiss me afterwards! It is like giving me more pain than I have to endure,"
"I didn't mean to, Makini. I love-"
She interrupts him, "Shut up, Lo'ak."
"Makini-"
"Just go, please."
"Okay."
Lo'ak leaves and finds his family preparing their things for their journey to find a new home.
"Lo'ak, I thought you were bringing Makini over to say goodbye," Kiri says as she notices her brother walk in their home.
"Oh, no, I haven't seen her," He lied.
"Good, because we're taking her with us," Jake announces, which makes the other Sully kids smile.
"How come?" Kiri asks.
"She's like family, and she doesn't have her parents to watch over her. Neytiri and I decided it was best to take her with us." Jake explains with a wide smile on his face. "Especially since she's Lo'ak's favorite person." He adds, teasing his son.
Lo'ak cringes slightly at his dad's comment before turning to his things and starting to pack them. He wanted to be happier that Makini was coming with them, but after the embarrassment he put himself through with her, he couldn't help but feel hurt.
"Hear that, baby bro? Your girlfriend is coming with us?" Neteyam teases as he nears his brother.
"Nice joke," Lo'ak scoffs.
"What's the matter with you? Why aren't you happy about this?"
"Some feelings are better left behind. We're supposed to start over now, remember?"
Neteyam eyes his brother, looking for a reason as to why he is acting the way he is. "Okay then," he started, "you won't mind if I tell Makini the good news, right?"
"Knock yourself out."
Arriving at Makini's home, Neteyam sees her lying on her hammock, looking up at the roof in deep thought. He knocks on the wall to make her acknowledge his presence.
"Neteyam," she gasps as she straightens up in her hammock.
"Reporting for duty," he jokes. "May I come in?"
"Sure, make yourself at home," she tells him as she stands up. "Well, I guess you won't be here for long."
"What do you mean?" Neteyam asks as he walks in.
With a sigh, Makini drops her shoulders. "Lo'ak told me you guys are leaving."
"He did?"
"Why are you so surprised?"
"He told us he had not seen you today," Neteyam explains, at which Makini sighs.
"He lied then."
"I can see that. Do you have any idea why?"
"Promise you will not tell him I told you?"
Neteyam nods, awaiting the answers he desperately sought.
"He kissed me,"
Neteyam eyes widen at the pleasant surprise, "But that's good, isn't it?" He asked Makini, who shook her head.
"You guys are leaving. It was selfish of him."
"I can see where you are coming from, but he has liked you for a really long time, Makini. You have to understand his recklessness," He says, defending his brother's actions.
Makini sighs, looking at the floor. "Look, I have liked him for a very long time as well. I tried to hide it because I knew it would not be a wise choice to start a relationship with him in the middle of war," She confessed, leaving Neteyam stunned. "so of course I would feel hurt if he decided to show his feelings for me now that he is leaving." she explained.
"Makini, I came here to talk to you about that. You are coming with us," He announces, which makes her eyes widen almost instantly.
"But Lo'ak said-"
"He didn't know until he got back home. Mom and dad want to take you with us because you are a part of us now." Neteyam grabbed Makini's arm, making this all the more dramatic. "Please, forgive him."
"Neteyam... this changes everything. But how am I supposed to face him after this? I pushed him away and told him to get out. He must be so hurt."
"You can start by telling him how you really feel."
Neteyam and Makini head over to the Sully family's home, realizing they were finished with the packing.
"Makini, you are just in time!" Neytiri calls out, walking over to her. "Did you pack your things?" Something about Neytiri's tone made Makini think she was not feeling well.
Lo'ak looks over at her due to the mention of her name. Makini makes brief eye contact with him before looking back at Neytiri. "I did not know I had to," She says, sincerely.
"Oh, then you should go, quickly. We are going to leave soon." She urges Makini to go back, not letting her have an opportunity to speak to the others.
She rushes back to her home, scavenging for anything that she may want to keep.
Opening a box labeled 'Memories', she finds a friendship bracelet Lo'ak had gifted her when she was eleven years old. Taking it, she puts it on, seeing that it still fits.
Maybe that would lift up his mood.
She brings her belongings with her to the Sully's home, noticing Neteyam carrying out some of his stuff as well.
"Where are we taking this?" She asks him.
"To the ikran. Are you bringing your ikran?" He questions as she follows him down the path.
"I had not thought about it. But I should not. She has lived here for so long, I could not imagine taking her away from her home," Makini says, at which Neteyam nods in understanding.
"Well, we have no choice, we will be flying far from here. You can ride with someone else," He explains as they near the ikran.
They find Jake and Lo'ak roping things around the ikran, getting ready for their journey ahead.
Jake motions with his hand for Makini to walk toward him. "Makini, hand me your things, you will be flying with-"
"Neteyam," Lo'ak says, cutting Jake off.
"Are you sure?" Jake asks Lo'ak, knowing it wasn't what they had planned.
"Yes, sir."
Makini frowns, noticing Lo'ak's distance. Neteyam walks up to her, "Will you be okay with that?" he asks.
Makini shrugs, "Guess so."
———
A ceremony is held for Tarsem to become the next Olo'eyktan now that the Sully family was leaving.
They were now on the ikran, leaving their home.
Makini held onto Neteyam's shoulders as she sat behind him on his ikran, trying not to hold him too close.
"I suggest you get comfortable," Neteyam says, somehow reading Makini's mind. He sighs, looking back at their home. "It is going to be a long ride."
Makini nodded, moving her hands to latch around his waist. She looked around to spot Lo'ak, noticing him watching as the forest grows far from them.
"Neteyam?"
"Hm?"
"How am I ever going to find the correct moment to tell your brother how I feel?"
"That is now up to you."
——
The ride was long, tiring and dangerous.
When they finally reached their destination, they were exhausted. Still, their interest peeked when many na'vi of the Metkayina clan joined around them, watching as Jake and Neytiri asked for uturu.
A certain girl kept staring at Lo'ak, which made Makini uncomfortable.
Little did she know, Lo'ak did not like the looks she was receiving from other Metkayina na'vi.
Once uturu was given, the Olo'eyktan's daughter, Tsireya, led the family to their new home.
Tsireya turned to Makini, letting her know that there was a free hut next to theirs that she could use. Makini nods gratefully, then turning to Jake as she sought for approval.
"You can go if you need the privacy; either way, we will be here for you," He says, reassuring the girl.
Makini let Tsireya lead her to the next place, knowing it would be awkward to live in the same place as Lo'ak.
"Thank you, Tsireya." She waves goodbye to the girl, then turning to her things, ready to unpack.
As she settles in, she hears someone walk in her new home, clearing his throat to gain her attention.
She stands up and turns to see the boy who had not spoken to her for the entirety of the way there. "Lo'ak..."
"Neteyam told me I needed to speak with you. I'm guessing you have something to say?" He asks, nearing her as he enters the place.
Makini nods desperately, taking his hands in hers. "I need to explain myself."
"Go ahead."
"Lo'ak, I am so sorry. I did not mean to push you away, or make you feel bad for what you did. I thought you were leaving me," She says, feeling as Lo'ak starts rubbing her knuckles with his thumb. "I thought I was never going to see you again. So when you kissed me- I freaked out."
"Why?"
"I did not want my last time with you to be something that would give me hope of us ever being more than friends, just for you to leave," She explains, pulling his hands to bring him closer. "Because I want to be more than friends, Lo'ak."
Lo'ak starts to smile, making Makini feel giddy. "Why didn't you say so before?"
"I thought being your girlfriend in the middle of war would not be a good idea," She responds with honesty.
"Fuck that." Lo'ak takes her face in his hands, pulling her close to lock their lips together.
This time, Makini reciprocates the action as she places her hands on his chest. The kiss turns into two, then three, then four kisses before Lo'ak licks Makini's lips, asking for entrance.
To his dismay, Makini pulls away, taking a few breaths. "Mawey, Lo'ak. You got a bit carried away there," she teases, poking at his chest.
Lo'ak gives her a grin, "I've just been wanting to do that for so long."
Makini laughs before pulling him into a hug. "Good to know."