Not So Perfect [Avatar The Way Of Water]

9

Miyara's pov:

"What are you doing?" Aonung asked me, I yelped as I hadn't expected him. I quickly got up and smiled at him as I held up what I had made.
"You made yourself a bracelet?" He asked as he looked at the brown fabric that was decorated with small white shells before looking back at me with a questioning look in his eyes.
"No, I made this for you!" I said and sighed, "happy birthday!"
"You made this for me?" He said as a smile grew on his face.
"Yes, I've worked all week on it," I said as I took his right arm and started to tie it around his bicep, "now we match." I said as I pointed at the betrothal necklace he had made me a few weeks earlier.
"Thank you," he said with a soft chuckle as he leaned in and kissed me, "it's amazing."
"You like it?" I asked him and he laughed.
"Like it?" He questioned as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me off the ground making me yelp as he twirled around with me in his arms, "I love it!"
"I'm glad you do," I chuckled as I cupped his face and leaned in for a kiss as he still held me up in his arms, "are you ready for your birthday party tonight?"
"Now I am," he said softly, looking into my eyes, "thanks to my very creative and pretty girlfriend!"
"You're very much welcome," I giggled as he gently let me back down on the ground, cupping my face and kissing me passionately.

Neteyam's pov:

I saw how Aonung twirled Miyara around, the way she yelped and kissed him right after. I scowled at the sight of it, ever since she kissed me on my cheek I had been having a harder time denying my feelings for her, they only seemed to grow. And then there was the fact that she got asked the question between me and Lo'ak and she chose me, without hesitation according to Kiri. But I was certain if the question was between me or Aonung, she'd chose him. I was beginning to realise that for her it would always be him, I was such a fool to actually allow my family to think she was into me. Ever since that dinner at Mo'iki's I had talked to her everyday, the conversations were short because she cut them off before I could continue. Kiri said that she did that because she was trying to deny her feelings for me, I say it was because she knew I had feelings for her and this was her way of letting me down easy. Still I hated seeing her like that in his arms, making him gifts and kissing him with a smile upon her face.
"Looks like he finally got what he wanted," someone suddenly said. Slightly startled I looked to my side, a boy with messy, short black hair, a big nose and a nasty scar on his face stood besides me staring at Aonung and Miyara. The boy was quite skinny for Metkayina and also much taller than I was but he seemed to be around the same age as me.
"What?" I asked him confused.
"I saw the way you looked at them, believe me I despise it too," he grinned, "I'm Yrritsyo, by the way."
"Yrritsyo," I repeated as I tried to remember where I had heard that name before, "you were friends with Miyara right?"
"I was," he said, "I was in love with her, I mean only a fool wouldn't be attracted to her."
"She said you got into a hunting accident and stopped talking to them," I said and he scoffed, placing his hands on his hips and shaking his head in disbelief.
"Of course he didn't tell her," Yrritsyo said and I frowned, "this scar was no hunting accident."
"I'm not following, bro," I said as I saw Miyara and Aonung walking away together hand in hand, they were too busy with each other to even notice me and Yrritsyo further down the beach.
"A few months ago, maybe a year by now," Yrritsyo began, "I confessed my feelings to Miyara and asked her to be my girlfriend, she kindly turned me down but still somehow Aonung found out. He and his friends, Oimliän, Niokä and Kìeytxar pinned me down later that day and Aonung cut my face open with his dagger as a warning to never come close to Miyara again. I took off for a few days after that and when I returned I told everyone it was a hunting accident."
"I'm sorry that happened," I said as I let the information sink in, "why didn't you just tell the truth?"
"Because she has to mate with him, she has no choice," Yrritsyo said, "I don't want her to hate him for something he did to me because I know if she finds out she'll hate herself and I can't have her hate herself for the rest of her life. It would only cause trouble if she knew, it's best to let her fall in love with him because she can't escape him. Her father won't let her and I don't think Tonowari and Ronal will either."
"Why did you tell me then?" I asked him sternly as he cleared his throat.
"As a warning," he said, "don't get too close to her, it might get you killed."
"I'm not into her," I lied as I continued to make more arrows for myself.
"Don't lie, I saw you scowling at them," he sighed, "just save yourself, danger lingers around that girl and it goes by the name Aonung."
"I'm not afraid of him," I scoffed because I wasn't, I knew I could take him if I had to.
"You should be," Yrritsyo said, "just don't tell her what I told you, I don't want to ruin her life."
"I won't," I said looking at the sad look in his eyes, "are you still in love with her?"
"No," he said, "but I do still care. She's a good person."
I nodded as I watched him walk away, I turned my gaze back to Miyara and Aonung but now I looked at them more disgusted then I was before. I now knew how Aonung dealt with competition, Miyara thought he was good but in reality he'd hurt everyone who looked at her for too long. The glares he shot at me made sense now, the fact he'd smirk when he knew I'd seen them kiss, all of that made sense. He saw me as competition as well, which meant he feared for Miyara to fall for me instead of him. I dropped the arrows as I began to walk to where Lo'ak was hiding out with Tsireya, Kiri and Rotxo, I had to talk to him.
"Lo'ak!" I shouted as I waved him over, "come alone, bro! It's important."
He frowned as he let go of Tsireya's hand and made his way over to me. I saw Kiri shrug when Tsireya asked her what this was about and even Rotxo seemed to be confused.
"What's wrong, bro?" Lo'ak asked and I pulled him away with me, "Neteyam?"
"Remember when the girls were talking about this guy named Yrritsyo who used to be friends with them but then had a hunting accident and got his face cut open?" I asked him as I saw the oblivious look in his eyes.
"No, I don't," he said waiting for me to further explain.
"I met that guy just now and that scar is no accident," I said but Lo'ak still looked at me like I was talking in another language, "Yrritsyo had a crush on Miyara, he told her and Aonung found out."
"Bro, you're making no sense," Lo'ak exclaimed as I saw him get annoyed with me.
"Aonung and his three, creepy friends are the reason that guy got his face cut open," I explained, "Aonung cut Yrritsyo's face open because he admitted to liking Miyara. Because he had asked her to be his girlfriend."
"For real?" Lo'ak asked as he looked at me with a shocked look in his eyes, "bro, you've got to tell her."
"I won't tell her," I said in disbelief.
"Why not?" Lo'ak asked me confused.
"Because she's gonna end up with Aonung, Lo'ak," I explained, "she has no choice, I don't want to ruin her life."
"Fine, I'll do it," Lo'ak said as he began to walk off but I stopped him by grabbing onto his arm and pulling him back.
"You can't, Lo'ak," I said sternly, "promise me you won't?"
"Why would I-"
"Just do this one thing for me, okay?"
"Fine," Lo'ak sighed, "I promise. Are we done?"
"Thank you," I said as Lo'ak got loose from my grasp.
"I disagree with you, but whatever," Lo'ak said, "you deserve her more than he does and you're allowing him to have her. Just get that through your thick skull, bro."
"That's not for me to decide," I said, "I won't jeopardize their relationship."
"I think that's stupid," Lo'ak sighed, "anyway, I'll see you tonight."