*A bit unedited*
"So, you're telling me, a random ass cheerleader gave this to you? And you have no idea where she got it from?"
Tsireya nods, chewing on the small piece of chocolate, "She's the same one who gave me the blunt last time."
Lo'ak perks his eyebrows, nodding to himself as he finishes his piece of chocolate, gazing out to the forest on the branch they're sitting on. They've been here for a while now, taking small bites of their piece of edible, embracing the sight of the forest and stars along the sky.
Peaceful.
As though time never really phased that quickly.
Not a surprise whenever they're together.
"It's so quiet tonight," Lo'ak suddenly whispers, feeling his body relax.
Tsireya sighs heavily with a small smile, "Yeah it is," She whispers back, her legs dangling on the branch as she looks down for a moment with a frown, "I uh... I want to apologize."
"Tsireya-"
"No really, I want to apologize," She says back firmly, looking at him now, "I'm just.... Look, it's not easy always having to hear negative narratives about my brother. He can be a good guy, and has good intentions. So, it just pisses me off whenever I hear people targeting him, especially you."
A frown edges Lo'ak's lips, listening to Tsireya while playing with his fingers, unsure what to say, but Tsireya suddenly shrugs and shakes her head, "But I put our friendship on the line and honestly.... I hate fighting with you."
"Me too," Lo'ak scoots closer beside her, taking her hand gently in his, "I'm sorry, it's just when it involves my brother or even Kiri, it really riles me up when they go through a tough time. I don't want you to think I always see your brother as the enemy, but -there's just a lot of misunderstandings. I spoke to Neteyam though, got a lot of shit cleared up, so now... I feel like I get it. But I hope this would be the last time we fight in correlations to them."
Tsireya agreed, looking down to their hands and interlaces them, laying her head on his shoulder, "Do you see the world spinning yet?"
"Not with indica," Lo'ak snorts, laying his cheek on her head, "It makes me sleepy more than anything."
"Maybe I should've told her to give me hybrid."
"Nah you're fine, it's late either way and I need a good sleep."
The two giggle quietly, the tension around them slowly easing away as they fall into their own bubble of tranquility. They stayed like this, embracing the tender night with the gentle caresses of the wind, finding this ease with nature while the world rotates slowly.
Letting the effects trinkle their senses slowly.
Before Tsireya turns her head and pecks Lo'ak's cheek, closing her eyes as she rests back to his shoulder, "The world is spinning for me."
"I got you don't worry," Lo'ak assures her gently, gently wrapping an arm around her waist as support, rubbing her skin, "Did you drink a lot?"
"A little," Tsireya yawns, "Ao'nung went off though."
Taking this into mind, Lo'ak made a mental note to make sure to accompany her to make sure she gets to her dorm safetly, "We should go, you need to rest."
Tsireya didn't respond, so Lo'ak looks at her to see her with her eyes closed. Not asleep, but clearly out of it. He stares at her face for a moment, drinking every inch of her face with his heart pounding fast in his chest, unable to help the soft smile from edging his lips.
Oh Tsireya, what would Lo'ak do without you?
Chuckling to the thought, Lo'ak shakes his head to himself and decided to call it a night. He carefully gets to his feet and somehow managed to get Tsireya on his back. Thankfully she was cooperative and awake enough to secure herself around his body, which made it easier for Lo'ak to climb down the tree and then make his way back to the dorms.
He was careful with every branch, insects, or tree to make sure nothing by accidental knocks Tsireya out of nowhere, but thankfully as a blessing from Eywa, they had a smooth trip back to the dorms. It's still quite noisy from the party, but not as much as one would expect, which was a good thing for letting Tsireya sleep well.
Arriving to her maruis, Lo'ak was gentle when he put her on her bed and gentle cleaned her face - since he knows she hates feeling icky the next day. With eyes closed, he also dressed her up in pajamas since she likes going into bed with clean clothes, before finally tucking her in.
Tsireya isn't much of a hassle to help while she's drunk, unlike Lo'ak since he get too chaotic - which explains why he tries not to drink so much unless Neteyam or Kiri is around.
One time he really thought he was able to fly and leaped off a tree - to which thankfully Neteyam was around to catch his fall, not exactly by choice since he was in the midst of walking around, so it was a shock for him for sure.
Giggling to the faint memory, Lo'ak stares at Tsireya with a lovesick grin before turning around and exits outside.
Just as he bumps into a wobbling Rotxo.
The sudden impact startled Lo'ak, but not as much as Rotxo - who almost flew into the water by how unstable he was.
Not just drunk wise, but he's an emotional sobbing mess.
Lo'ak has never seen him cry before.
"Rotxo? Dude, you good-"
Rotxo shrieks a sob, draping his arms around Lo'ak with his trembling body.
Lo'ak's body tensed up like a brick rock, eyes widen to the unexpected act.
"Bro, I j-just want to t-tell you that I-I appreciate you and - You're a c-cool dude!"
Okay..... What's going on?
Snapping a little away from his shock, Lo'ak pats his arm awkwardly, "Umm.... You good bro -"
"And Spider - Dude," Rotxo pulls away and cups Lo'ak's jaw in near desperation, his eyes blood shot in tears, "Take care of that guy man. He h-has so much respect f-for you guys and - He has a g-good heart man!"
Lo'ak blinks at him, unsure on how to even react or say to him but seems like he didn't have to because Rotxo only cries louder, hands now to his shoulders, "I know I can b-be goofy and I don't s-say it often, but you guys a-are my family. I l-love you guys - especially Spider and Kiri."
Past Rotxo's shoulder, Lo'ak could make out Kiri approaching them - who seemed quite amused but the sight with an eye roll, especially to Lo'ak's stern gaze between her and Rotxo to handle the situation since he's not so good with these things.
Kiri couldn't prevent his giggles as she got behind Rotxo, patting his back, "Alright there buddy, let's go for a walk."
Rotxo snaps his eyes to Kiri, smiling widely with teary eyes and goes to squeeze her in a hug but Kiri eases a hand out, "Um no, you know how I am with touchy contact."
Frowning childishly, Rotxo slouches his shoulders but respects the space. Meanwhile Kiri looks at Lo'ak, nodding to him, "Dropped Tsireya off?"
"Yeah," Lo'ak sighs, glancing back to her maruis, "Long night. Heading to my dorm right now."
Rotxo whirls to him abruptly, "W-Wait! Can you stay with Spider? He's in my dorm."
"Um - I think he'll be fine -"
"Please!" Rotxo pleades with wobbly lips, "Just... Until I get back, please."
"It's so late-"
"Not like you're going to sleep when you get back to your dorm either way!"
"Well... That's true," Processing it heavily, Lo'ak rolls his eyes, "Fine, but don't take long!"
Rotxo grabs his face and kisses his forehead, "I love you! I love you! I love-"
"And we're leaving," Kiri wraps her arm around Rotxo's shoulder, laughing to her brother's horrified face, "Have fun babysitting!"
Lo'ak does a face back to her, turning to storm to Rotxo's maruis while cursing under his breath for not going to his dorm sooner than expected. He knows Kiri and Rotxo will take their time to do their walk, so he's already expecting to knock out in sleep with Spider if anything.
Hopefully Rotxo maruis is clean -
Stopping just as he steps inside, Lo'ak sees Spider sitting up, tears gliding down his cheeks silently as he stares at the ground with a deep look on his face. Yet when he noticed Lo'ak standing there, he wipes his tears away with his shakily hands and masks a smile to him.
"Hey cuz-"
"Don't do that," Lo'ak stops him, going to sit beside him on the ground, "Why are you crying?"
Spider's smile grew weak, and he looks to his knees, shrugging, "I don't know."
"Yes you do."
More tears blurred his eyes and he suddenly starts to shake, taking a deep breath with both hands to his face, exhaling heavily, "I'm losing my mind."
"Seems like that's a reoccurring theme tonight."
Breaking a weak laugh, Spider hiccups and nods, "Yeah, y-you could say that."
Lo'ak stares at him deeply, scooting closer and places a hand to his small neck, rubbing his skin, "Did Rotxo do anything?"
A weak whimper escapes Spider's lips, shaking his head, "N-No," And he tries to compose himself, "He..... He's so sweet to me."
"Mhm."
"And he's like my best bro, you know?"
"Yeah I know."
"So I shouldn't be-" He pauses, hands off his face to have one rubbing his chest, eyes stoned with tears, "I... I shouldn't be caring the way I do."
..... What's that supposed to mean?
Lo'ak perks an eyebrow, confused, yet still continues to comfort him, "In what way?"
Spider now wraps his arms around his legs to his chest, his lips wobbling, "Like how you do to Tsireya. Neteyam and Ao'nung. You know... How I also do for Kiri."
His tail shifts up, the realization slowly processing Lo'ak's to understand what Spider meant - yet clearly taken back by it.
To Kiri and Rotxo.... At once?
"I don't understand it as much as you probably think," Spider sniffles, staring off into the sky from the opening with a frown, "It just.... Happened... But I don't know what to do. I'm human, I'm nothing like them. They'd never notice me."
Oh how deep Lo'ak felt those words to a certain extent.
Instead of being human, he still has a lot of human characteristics because of his dad. Him and Tsireya are completely different, literally, and he always thought she'd never notice him - even as a friend - because of how different they are.
Yet she still accepted him with open arms.
Even if it's just as friends.
However with Spider's case, he's literally all human.
Two completely different worlds.
No doubt he sees his chances being close to known with them.
Maybe nothing at all, but it's not impossible.
But, Lo'ak will have to be honest, "I wouldn't say they won't notice you, but it would be difficult. More so because of their personalities. Kiri is literally a caged box, and Rotxo is too chaotic. Anything feelings wise won't be exactly taken too seriously."
Spider is quiet as he hears this, frowning since he knows that's true.
He knows there's no point for these feelings, but can't blame his feelings for feeling.
They just... Happen.
"I know," He whispers, rubbings his eyes before laying back down to his side, "That's why I'm taking this to the grave."
"Spider-"
"Just.... Don't say anything, please," He pleads, closing his eyes, "I'm tired."
Lo'ak's ears tucked back in sadness to him, granting his wishes and lays back down too in this silence.
Nothing but silence.
Unlike how it was on the beach.
Tracing by the dorms and back to the beach, now empty of people except for two, is Rotxo singing his lungs out to the open air while Kiri snaps to quiet down.
But this is Rotxo.
He never quiets down.
"TALKING TO THE MOON! TRYNA GET TO YOU-"
"People are sleeping-"
"IN HOPES YOU'RE ON THE OTHER SIDE-"
"SHUT UP!"
Rotxo howls lowly instead, stumbling between his feet before he crashes to the sand, sitting down with glossy eyes to the ocean, and he throws his hands in the air, "I feel so much better!"
Kiri eyed him momentarily with a cringe, sitting down beside him while stilling eyeing him, "So much for Vodka making you cry."
"Oh it does!" And he looks to her, "But you're here and it makes me feel happy!"
Ew...
Ew.
A sickening warmth tingled Kiri's stomach, feeling like throwing up for a moment there, "You're disgusting."
"I meant that lovingly!"
"I'm sure you did."
Rotxo whines grumpily and latches to Kiri's arm, his head on her shoulder blade, "Kiri, I hope you know you and Spider mean a lot to me."
Kiri raises an eyebrow, not shoving him off, "Because we tolerate you."
"Yes and no," And Rotxo sways them side to side, "Because you make me feel wanted and strong."
A shiver tingled down Kiri's spine to the tender yet bold words coming from Rotxo, not expecting that at all from him. Sure, he says stupid shit all the time when he's drunk, especially his proclamation of love earlier, but this.... Something about it sounded as though it came from deep inside him.
It felt strong.
Just like how he said they make him feel.
Kiri grimaces and eyed the oceans glowing colors, "That's hard to believe while you were a crying mess earlier just because you hit a realization that you felt soft for Spider."
"I really do," Rotxo whispers, gentle eyes to the sand, "He's special. I try to make him feel that him being human isn't a big deal at all, but I know the little dude feels left out sometimes. Human or not, he means a lot to me."
"Yeah.... To me too."
Rotxo smiles and then perks his head up, "And me?"
"You're pushing it."
A joyful laugh perks his lips and he sudden shoots to his feet, facing her, "I know you adore me!"
"Keep gaslighting yourself."
"But it's true!" Rotxo sings as he skips around the sand, now edging to the water, "And I adore yo- AH!"
Suddenly Rotxo slips back into the water, somehow, letting the ocean wave swallow him. Kiri's barks out a hard laugh, squeezing her eyes with a head tilted back to his clumsiness.
Something that didn't last long since Rotxo didn't rise to the surface.
Kiri's smile drops, "Alright stop playing around."
He still didn't rise up.
And that's when it re-hit her mind that Rotxo is still heavily intoxicated.
Shit!
Shooting to her feet, Kiri with her heart pounding fast in her chest moves through the water and ducks down to where Rotxo was last seen. Finding his body and grabbing it, lifting him up to the surface.
"ARE YOU OK-"
A loud laugh bellows back to Kiri's face from Rotxo's lips. That's when Kiri processed his foolish joke and lets him go, murderously glaring at him.
"You asshole!" She splashes water to his face, "I thought you drowned!"
"I'm a metkayina! I live for the water-"
"And you scared me to death!"
Kiri continues splashing him until his hands found her wrist, still giggling as he looks to her clear raging eyes, "See, I knew you cared about me."
Scowling in aggravation, Kiri scoffs, "Maybe not anymore."
Rotxo cooed to her, gentle easing her closer before wrapping his arms around her waist almost comforting and rests his face on her neck, "Don't worry, I'm okay."
Wanting to be stubborn, Kiri only continues to frown, but the more Rotxo held her like this in his arms, something about it felt.... Warm.
She's not used to long hugs, more so preferred avoiding it, not because of anything bad but she's just not heavily used to it.
Yet having Rotxo gently holding her, the boy who she trusts and deeply cares for, really set a different perspective for her. Kiri is always the type to have her guard up, yet right now she feels... Safe in a way. A weird tingling feeling that felt so warm and not alone.
A reassurance.
Something she didn't know she needed.
Letting herself for once dive into the feeling, she wraps her arms around his shoulders and closes her eyes, liking the way the ocean seemed to have relaxed just like their moment.
Allowing her to feel it.
And they weren't the only ones to feel the tenderness of a warm embrace in this night.
All the way in the dorm tree laid Neteyam on a branch - strange enough not on his hammock. Right now around where his hammock is, it's flooded by people still drunk and talking loudly within themselves. So Neteyam found himself on one of the highest branches in the tree, where no one is around, and leans against it while gazing to the stars from the peaks of leaves giving him the sight.
He's not tired, not as he expected to be. Today has been an emotionally driven day; with his parents, fight with Ao'nung, conversation with his siblings - it was a mess really.
He should be tried, but he can't find himself to do just that.
Not yet.
And seemed as though he wasn't the only one.
Rustling from the branch perked his ears, turning his head to the side to see someone who he didn't quite expect, but at the same time did.
Ao'nung.
He's definitely one to keep his word, especially when he's out of it.
Neteyam grimaces and looks back to the sky, "And here I thought you'd go to sleep."
"As if it's so easy while knowing you got a little jealous."
Rolling his eyes, Neteyam argues back, "I wasn't jealous, how did you find me?"
Ao'nung sits lays down beside him - wait no, he rolled over to Neteyam's chest instead, cuddling to his side, "This used to be our other spot to escape the world."
"Impressing how you found it while being drunk."
"I'll always find you, drunk or not," And Ao'nung rubs his abdomen, "I didn't mean to do it with Zarra-"
"You're single," Neteyam says flatly, not nudging a muscle, "Feel free to explore."
Ao'nung doesn't say anything, not immediately that is, but then he perks his head up to look at his face, "Will you be messing around too?"
Neteyam flickers his eyes to him, seeing the obvious signs that this guy is really everything but in the right sober state right now, "That's not in my plans, but if someone comes around and I'm tempted, I will."
There's a long pause between them, and Ao'nung slowly nods and lays back to his chest, closing his eyes, "I'll support anything you do."
"Support it or not, I'll still do whatever I want," Neteyam sighs, his fingers twitching, "But don't think about doing anything for me. If you're going to do something, let it be for your growth and maturity."
"I know," Ao'nung murmurs, pressing a peck to his neck, "I wish you could teach me to stop loving you the same way you taught me to love you."
Neteyam gulps thickly to those words, his heart tugging in his chest, letting that be what made him wrap his arms around him, defeated, "Bold of you to say that after tonight."
"Yeah you're right, I'm still an asshole," Ao'nung weakly laughs, closing his eyes to the way Neteyam runs his fingers over his braids, "I feel like I just need to get away for a bit."
"Back home?"
"Maybe yeah," He says back, "I just want to see you happy, even if it's not with me."
Hands now shakily, Neteyam continues to run them through his braids, "Me too."
"You won't disappear in the morning right?"
"Maybe I will."
Ao'nung closes his eyes with a weak smile, nodding, "I know."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Note|:
I have no idea why this chapter took so long for me to write lol I did start to write a chapter for Flawless, and now I'm focusing on Hate Me More and then to We Will Be Loved.
I think for Hate Me More, which is a Tsireya and Lo'ak story, I will have to rethink the idea. I still want it to be kinda like enemies to lovers kind of thing, but I really want something that grasps the attention and won't be so expected.
We'll see, I know I'll come up with something lol
Thank you for reading! <33