Lai'ra's heart sinks as she makes her way back to her Marui and sees Neteyam perched against the doorway, his arms crossed over his chest and his expression less than amused. She can feel the weight of his disappointment and anger bearing down on her, she braces herself for this conversation. "Hey." She says softly as she approaches him. Neteyam narrows his eyes at her, his jaw tight with anger. "Where were you last night?" He demands, his voice sharp and accusatory. "Let me guess, with Lo'ak, right? He wasn't home all night either." She knows that she should feel guilty, but she can't help feeling a sense of frustration and resentment towards Neteyam. After all, he's the one who's been acting weird lately, and she's been feeling neglected by the person who's supposed to be there for her. "You're right, I was with Lo'ak." She admits, her voice low and serious. Neteyam snorts with disdain, his eyes flashing with anger. "Are you fucking serious? What the fuck did you guys do?" Lai'ra takes a deep breath as she feels a surge of anger and frustration rise up inside her, but she tries to keep her voice calm "We went on a fucking adventure last night Neteyam! You know? Things friends do? Things WE are supposed to do."
Neteyam scoffs at her explanation, his expression incredulous. "Oh, so you went on an adventure with my brother, while I was out here looking like a skxawng, checking up on you in the middle of the night?" His voice drips with sarcasm, and Lai'ra can feel her frustration building. "You haven't exactly been around, Neteyam." She retorts, her voice tinged with anger. "Lo'ak has been there for me because you're too busy to spend any time with your fucking girlfriend." Neteyam's face darkens at her words, and he steps closer to her, his eyes flashing with anger. "I've been fucking busy, Lai'ra! You know how important our relationship is to me, and you're out here running around with my brother instead of spending time with me." Lai'ra looks up in his eyes, she's sick of his bullshit and she laughs. Neteyams eyes widen at her reaction. "Oh, now our relationship is important to you? Now you decide you want to spend time with me, the one night I wasn't home. You're so full of shit, you know that?" Lai'ra spits, her expression furious.
Neteyam's face contorts with anger as he takes a step forward, invading Lai'ra's personal space. "How dare you talk to me like that." He growls, his voice low and menacing. Lai'ra doesn't back down, her own anger fueling her bravery. "How dare you act like you're the victim here, when you're the one who hasn't given an inkling of a fuck about our relationship." She retorts, her voice shaking with fury. "You know what? I'm sick of this. Sick of feeling unimportant to you. You've been a shit boyfriend and an even shittier friend." Neteyam opens his mouth to respond, but Lai'ra doesn't give him the chance. "Fuck you, Neteyam." With those words, Lai'ra turns and jumps in the water, leaving Neteyam standing there speechless and shocked.
In the distance, Ao'nung, Rotxo, and Tsireya watch the whole altercation between Neteyam and Lai'ra. Their mouths hanging open in bewilderment. Ao'nung looks at the others, his eyes wide. "Well... that was unexpected." He says, breaking the silence. "I had no idea things were so bad between them." Tsireya looks at Ao'nung suspiciously. "Oh really? You spend the most time with him. You must know something." Ao'nung rolls his eyes at her accusation. Rotxo furrows his brow and looks out at the water where Lai'ra had disappeared. "Guys, come on. Do you think she's okay?" He asks, his voice full of concern. Ao'nung shrugs his shoulders. "I'm not sure. But we should probably go check on her." The three of them nod in agreement and make their way over. They see Lai'ra resurface a few meters away from them. She takes a deep breath and looks around, her eyes falling on Ao'nung, Rotxo, and Tsireya. Reya wades out to her, a concerned expression on her face. "Hey, are you okay?" She asks, her voice soft. Lai'ra nods, her eyes flickering with emotion. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just needed to cool off." Rotxo and Ao'nung join them in the water, concern etched on their faces.
Ao'nung speaks up first, "We saw everything. Are you sure you're okay?" Lai'ra takes a deep breath, trying to steady her voice. "Where have you been Ao'nung? You and Neteyam have been shoved so far up each other's asses that you can't even hangout with me?" Ao'nung frowns at Lai'ra's words, feeling defensive. "That's not true. We've been busy with our training." He says, his tone defensive. Lai'ra scoffs and rolls her eyes, "I've been wanting to talk to you about Neteyam for a while now, but you're nowhere to be found." Ao'nung feels a pang of guilt at Lai'ra's words. He knows he has neglected his friendship with Lai'ra. "I'm sorry, Lai'ra. You're right. I should have made more time for you." He says, his tone sincere. Rotxo steps in to try and diffuse the tension. "Let's not fight, guys." Tsireya nods in agreement. "Yeah, guys come on. Stop it." Lai'ra takes a deep breath, calming herself down. "Okay, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have blown up like that." Rotxo pipes up, chuckling, "So what did you and Lo'ak do that pissed off Neteyam so much?"
Lai'ra hesitates for a moment, feeling guilty about lying to her friends, but then decides to stick to her story. "We just went adventuring on another island, that's it." She says, trying to sound convincing. Tsireya raises an eyebrow at her teasingly, she knows there's more to the story but she was going to ask her in private later. Rotxo chuckles. "Well, you must have had quite the adventure then, for Neteyam to be so upset about it." Ao'nung shoots Rotxo a warning look. Rotxo looks over at him and gives a confused expression. "What bro?" Ao'nung shakes his head slightly, silently telling Rotxo to drop the subject. "It's nothing, Rotxo. Let's just move on." He says, trying to redirect the conversation. "We should probably head back to training, I'm glad you're okay Lai'ra. I promise I'll make more time for you, okay?" Ao'nung says softly, shooting her a smile. With that, the boys head off towards the other hunters.
Reya calls her Ilu. "Come on, get up here." She giggles as she holds her hand out to Lai'ra. She leads them to small island close by. They make their way on shore and sit across from one another.
"Okay, sis. Spill the fucking tea, right now. I know you're hiding something." Reyas eyes widen as she raises her brow at Lai'ra. Lai'ra sighs and takes a deep breath. "Fine you have to promise to not say a word to anyone, and not judge me. Okay?"
Tsireya nods eagerly. "Lai'ra you're my sister. Of course, I would never tell anyone! What happened?" She asks, her curiosity piqued. Lai'ra takes a deep breath and looks down, feeling ashamed. "I slept with Lo'ak." She admits, her voice barely above a whisper. Tsireya's eyes widen in surprise. "BITCH, NO WAY!" She shrieks as she falls over giggling. "I heard him say he wanted to talk to you privately, he must have said something right. Tell me EVERYTHING!" She squeals excitedly.
Lai'ra can't help but chuckle at Tsireya's reaction, feeling slightly relieved that she isn't judging her. "Girl, he confessed his love to me. It was.... It was the most beautiful and passionate night of my fucking life." She explains, feeling a flutter in her chest as she relives the memories. Tsireya leans in eagerly, wanting to hear all the juicy details. "Come on, don't leave me hanging! What's he like? I bet he's a fucking freak. He's such a weirdo." She says, wiggling her eyebrows. Lai'ra rolls her eyes playfully and starts to tell her everything that happened with Lo'ak. As she speaks, Tsireya listens intently, laughing and gasping at all the right moments. When Lai'ra finishes, Tsireya gives her a hug. "I'm so happy for you, matsmukit! You deserve to be happy. And to be honest... Neteyam can seriously go fuck himself. He really has been a shit boyfriend. And if I can be honest, I don't really like him anyway. I was so proud of you for standing up to him earlier." She says, smiling warmly.
Lai'ra returns the hug, feeling grateful to have someone like Reya to confide in. Lai'ra pulls away and sighs, "I don't really know what to do though, of course I still love Neteyam... but I'm in love with Lo'ak. It's not the same. He fucking gets me." She says falling back on the ground, putting her hands over her face.
Tsireya nods understandingly. "I get it, sis. Love is complicated. But you have to do what's right for you. I'm not telling you what to do... if you want to try to fix things with Neteyam go ahead. Or... if you want to be a little scandalous. Just have both for a little and then decide what you want to do." Lai'ra sits up as her eyes widen at her suggestion. "You're not serious are you?" She gasps. Reya giggles mischievously, "Why the fuck not?" Lai'ra chuckles nervously, feeling the weight of the decision before her. "I don't know, Reya. I really don't want to hurt Lo'ak."
Tsireya puts her arm around Lai'ra. "I know, sis. And I'm not saying it's the right decision. But it's an option. You just have to figure out what you want and what's important to you. And whatever you decide, I'll support you."
Lai'ra nods, grateful for her friend's support. "Thank you, Reya. I really appreciate it."
The two of them sit in silence for a moment, contemplating the situation. Lai'ra can't help but feel torn. She knows she needs to make a decision soon, but the thought of hurting either of them is overwhelming.
Tsireya breaks the silence. "You know what, let's take your mind off things for a bit. Want to go get some food? I'm starving."
Lai'ra smiles gratefully. "Yeah, that sounds great. Let's go."
A while passes and Lai'ra is approached by Neteyam. "Hey..." he mumbles as he sits down next to her. Lai'ra's heart races at the sound of his voice, and she feels a mix of emotions she can't quite put into words. She turns her head slowly to look at him, and her eyes meet his. For a moment, they just sit there, gazing at each other, lost in their own thoughts.
"Hey," Lai'ra finally replies, her voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes return to the horizon, not wanting to get lost in the depths of Neteyam's gaze again.
They sit in silence again, the weight of their fight heavily on both of them. Finally, Neteyam breaks the silence.
"I'm sorry Lai."
Lai'ra turns to face him again, her heart aching at the sight of his remorseful expression. She wants to forgive him, but she can't.
"Sorry isn't enough, Neteyam." She says, her voice harsh.
Neteyam fidgets with his hands, his eyes fixed on the ground. "I know. I know I messed up. I should have been there for you, and I wasn't. I took you for granted, and I didn't treat you the way you deserve. I'm so sorry, Lai'ra."
Lai'ra can feel the tears welling up in her eyes, and she blinks them away. She wants to believe him, to forgive him and move forward, but it's hard to let go of the pain he's caused her.
"I appreciate the apology, Neteyam." She finally says, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I don't know if I can just forget everything."
Neteyam nods, his expression resigned. "I understand. I just... I had to try. I couldn't let you go without telling you how sorry I am."
They sit in silence again. Finally, Neteyam breaks the silence again, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Lai'ra, I miss you. I miss us. I miss the way we used to be. I know I messed up, I still love you. I never stopped."
Lai'ra feels a lump form in her throat, and she swallows hard, trying to keep her emotions in check. She can feel her heart racing, and she's not sure what to say.
Neteyam reaches out and takes her hand in his, his touch sending a shiver down her spine. "Please, Lai'ra. Give me another chance. Let me show you that I can be the man you deserve."
Lai'ra looks at him, searching his eyes for any sign of deception. But all she sees is love and regret, and her heart aches at the sight.
"I don't know, Neteyam..." She finally whispers. "I want to believe you. But I don't want to get hurt again. I've been through enough." Neteyam nods, his expression resigned. "I understand. Our fight didn't sit right with me, so I wanted to apologize. Do... do you maybe want to hangout with me?" Lai'ra considers his offer for a moment before responding. "Sure, what do you want want to do?" He gets up and looks at her for a minute, cracking a small smile. "Want to go swimming?" She also stands, nodding slowly at him. The both jump into the water and dive.
Suddenly, Neteyam reaches out and takes her hand, pulling her closer to him. Lai'ra looks up at him, her eyes wide with surprise and anticipation. Neteyam leans in close to her, his eyes locked on hers. As they hover in the clear blue water, their bodies suspended by the gentle currents, Neteyam's lips meet hers in a soft, tender kiss. Lai'ra's heart races as she feels the warmth of his body against hers. They break apart and he begins to sign to her. 'I'm so sorry. You deserve better. I'm the worst boyfriend ever.' Lai'ra looks at him, studying his expression for a moment. She sees the sincerity in his eyes and feels the weight of his words. Slowly, she reaches out and places a hand on his cheek, tracing the lines of his face with her fingers. Then she signs back to him, 'I want to believe you. But I don't trust you.' Neteyam nods in understanding, his eyes never leaving hers. He takes her hand again and they swim closer together, their bodies touching.
They stay like that for a moment, just holding each other, before Neteyam leans in for another kiss. This time, it's deeper and more passionate, their bodies moving in sync with the water around them. Lai'ra feels a sense of regret, her mind goes to Lo'ak. He has completely consumed her. Even though kissing Neteyam feels comfortable and natural she craves the passion she feels with Lo'ak.
As they break apart again, Lai'ra feels conflicted. Neteyam looks at her, searching her eyes for any sign of what she's feeling. She bites her lip, unsure of how to express herself. Then, she reaches up and touches his face again, looking deeply into his eyes. Slowly, she signs to him, 'I want to believe you, Neteyam. I really do. But I need time.' Neteyam nods, his expression full of understanding. 'I'll give you all the time you need. I just want you to be happy, Lai'ra.' He signs back to her.
Lai'ra feels a weight lifted off her shoulders. Neteyam's willingness to wait for her, to give her space and time, which is warranted as fuck for what he put her through, feels like a sign of his commitment and love for her. She leans in and kisses him again, feeling a sense of warmth and comfort in his embrace.
For now, she decides to enjoy the moment and the peace it brings her, letting go of the worries and uncertainties that had been weighing her down. As Eclipse approaches they leave the water and walk back together towards Lai'ras Marui. As they approach the doorway Neteyam grabs her hand and pulls her towards him. He looks down into her eyes. "Can I hold you for a while, please?" He whispers softly. She gazes back up at him and nods. "Okay Neteyam." They both walk inside and lay down together.
Lai'ra leans into Neteyam as he wraps his arms around her, and he rests his cheek on top of her head. The two of them lay there in silence, enjoying the feeling of each other's presence. Neteyams mind begins to wander, and he realizes just how long it's been since he felt her skin on his, his thoughts begin to race as his gaze shifts down her body. His breaths become sharper as his desire for her grows but as he lets his hands feel around her body, Lai'ra quickly sits up, pulling away from him. "What are you doing?" She snaps. "I, I thought... you would want to fuck. I know it's been so long since we've been with each other. I miss your body. I just want to be inside you right now."
He sighs as he bites his lip. Lai'ra looks at him, bewildered. "Get the fuck out. Right now, Neteyam." She says sternly as she points towards the doorway. His eyes widen in shock. "You're not serious right now, right?" He furrows his brow at her. "I'm serious as fuck. You can't just come to me when you feel like you want to fuck after you've treated me like I don't exist. Get out. Now." Neteyam looks at Lai'ra, not quite understanding why she's pushing him away. He's confident in himself and his ability to win her back, despite the mistakes he's made. "Come on love, don't be like that. You know you want me." He says, smirking. "I miss the way your body feels against mine. Let's just forget about everything else and be together." Lai'ra's expression hardens as she glares at him. "You really think it's that easy, don't you? That you can just come back and expect me to fall into your arms? Get out! Now Neteyam!"
Neteyam's smirk fades as he realizes that Lai'ra is serious. He stands up, trying to gather his thoughts and figure out what to say. "Fine, I'll leave. I'll be back when you're ready to come to your senses." He says as he walks towards the door. Lai'ra snorts, "Yeah sure you will." Lai'ra watches him go, feeling a mixture of anger and sadness. She knows that she deserves better. She sighs heavily, feeling emotionally drained. As she lies back down on the bed, she thinks about how she misses Lo'ak and how they said they would see each other but didn't.
But just as she was about to scream into her pillow she hears footsteps and looks towards the doorway. "Hey mamas." Lo'ak whispers. Lai'ra's heart skips a beat as she sees Lo'ak standing in the doorway. Part of her is elated to see him, but the other part is still reeling from her confrontation with Neteyam. She's in emotional turmoil, and it shows on her face. "Hey." She replies softly, her voice catching in her throat. Lo'ak senses something is wrong and walks over to her, sitting down next to her on the bed. "I just saw Neteyam leave...are you alright?" Lo'ak whispers as he gently rubs her back. Lai'ra gazes up at him. "Lo'ak please, I want to be alone. I'm sorry love. But please just go away." She whimpers as tears start to fall from her eyes. He takes a deep breath and kisses her head softly. He knows better than to pry with her. "Okay mama's I'm sorry, I love you." He whispers as he slowly walks out of her Marui. He sees Neteyam making his way through the village, and not in the direction of their Marui. He decides to follow him and see what the fuck he's actually been up to.
Lai'ra lays back down, feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders. She tries to take deep breaths and calm down, but her mind is racing with thoughts of Neteyam and Lo'ak. As she lays there thinking about how different her relationships are with both of the Sully brothers. "FUCK WHY AM I STUPID? WHY DID I JUMP INTO A RELATIONHIP WITH MY FRIEND?" She sceams into her pillow, she lets her emotions flow and begins sobbing, she knows she fucked up. You don't date your friends, it never ends well. Lai'ra sobs uncontrollably, feeling the pain of her mistake. She knows that no matter what she does, someone will inevitably get hurt.
Meanwhile, Lo'ak quietly follows Neteyam, keeping a safe distance. As Lo'ak continues to follow him, he notices that he is being careful to make sure no one is around. Eventually, Neteyam stops at a gathering of palm trees, where Lo'ak creeps around to get a better view. What he sees next shocks him to his core.