Rivals || Lo'ak Sully

Chapter 7 : "React"💫

( POV: Lo'ak )

He couldn't get any sleep all night. He tried to... but it was useless.

It was somewhere around midnight when Ma'i's smell started to really get to his body.

He tried to rotate his legs and upper body from Ma'i, making sure she was still kept warm and asleep but it was useless.

Lo'ak cursed under his nose, wanting to withdraw from her.

But something in him stopped.

He thought about the girl laying in his arms.

About that little spark of hers. That dammed never-ending burn fire between them. That pounding in his heart every time she is near him. That feeling that he could just lean in right now and kiss her lips. Take her breath into him.

It drove Lo'ak insane.

He couldn't - and he most definitely didn't - feel attracted to Ma'i. No. It's just the tiredness getting into him at this point.

His head was spinning from all the thoughts and feelings he felt. The boy's eyes felt so heavy and he truly was tired. But he needed to get away from Ma'i first.

The cave was the huge and fresh air of rain was around them too, easily coming from the entrance. This, however, didn't help as almost all Lo'ak's nose could feel was her smell.

Ma'i smelled like the freshness of the ocean and soft owers mixed with some kind of other mild plants and her ikran, too.

Lo'ak never thought that a smell can be this addictive. He felt like all he ever wanted to be able to smell for the rest of his life was this exact scent.

After hours of internal suffering, Lo'ak decided to somehow move. He softly and carefully to not wake up the sleeping girl lifted her up and put her against the wall comfortably.

He took a final glance at her, making sure that Ma'i is not falling down.

Lo'ak quickly called his ikran and took off, leaving the sick girl laying there.

( POV: Ma'i )

A drop of water fell on Ma'i's nose, startling her out of sleep. She slowly opened her eyes, adjusting to the dim light coming from the front of the cave.

Ma'i felt a slight pain and looked at her body, remembering everything that happened after seeing her bloody bandages. However, she didn't feel like shaking anymore and that was a win already.

The girl adjusted her ears in hopes of hearing some sound as evidence of Lo'ak still being here.

When she couldn't do that, her body felt numb. Ma'i decided to not come to conclusions too soon.

She strugglingly stood up, almost falling if the wall was not behind her. The girl's head was still spinning in circles, making her feel slightly dizzy.

Her eyes roamed around the place, seeing that in the daylight it looked completely different. It was a beautiful place with crystals hanging from the bottom.

But her thoughts were not occupied by this. She looked at the entrance, hoping to see Lo'ak enter their hiding place. When she understood that this won't happen, Ma'i started to slowly limp towards the exit, still feeling the pain.

Her eyes squinted, trying to absorb the daylight. She looked at the horizon, visibly searching for his figure.

But it was useless. He was nowhere to be seen.

What were you thinking, Ma'i? You should've expected this from him.

She knew that her thoughts were completely right.

All she felt was a disappointment. She was foolish to trust him. She knew that.

Ma'i quickly walked back and collected her items.

She needed to come back home.

Ma'i quickly packed everything and called her ikran.

Ma'i was met with a surprising view. Her ikran was almost uninjured at all. There were a few marks but they were taken care of.

Her heart made a soft pulse as Ma'i brushed her hands through her ikran's skin.

He did it.

She was thankful to him. Even though he left her here, he still saved both of their lives.

Ma'i fondly smiled to herself.

"Leaving already?"

The girl jumped, almost hitting her ikran as she didn't expect anyone to be there, especially him.

Ma'i turned around and her eyes instantly met his. Lo'ak was standing with hands full of fruits and other foods.

She stared at him with widened eyes. The girl blushed out of guilt.

She actually thought he left her here alone.

Ma'i gazed at his golden eyes and smiled trying to play it off.

"I just wanted to get fresh air."

Lo'ak quickly ran his eyes all over her body examining the wounds as he walked toward her. He frowned at her.

"Get back, I need to put some medicine on you again."

Ma'i lowered her ears at the dominant tone Lo'ak had. But her stubborn self didn't let her back down.

"Who are you to tell me what to do?" She crossed her arms.

Lo'ak looked at Ma'i with are you serious? look.

"Ma'i." He breathed out, coming closer to her. "Get. Back. There." His tall figure hovered over Ma'i's fragile body and she felt insanely small next to him.

Ma'i decided to keep the stubbornness in herself and didn't even flinch from her spot.

Lo'ak let out a hissing sound, knowing very well that she won't move.

"Ma'i." His final warning was let out into the air.

The girl chuckled.

"Lo'ak."

He then quickly bent down, softly and almost effortlessly picking Ma'i up by her legs and then her upper body. Ma'i went still as she blushed harder than ever.

Lo'ak was now holding the girl in his arms, ready to bring her back.

Ma'i fell out of her trance state as she understood that her feet aren't touching the solid surface anymore.

"Let me down, Lo'ak!!" She stretched out her arms, pushing the boy in the chest and trying to kick her feet in hopes of him letting go. "What are you doing? Put me down!"

Ma'i looked at Lo'ak's face, seeing that he in fact was not even showing any signs of letting her go as he started to walk back inside.

"You are still not recovered." The boy simply explained as he almost effortlessly walked with her in his arms through the cave back into the deepness of it.

Ma'i felt like her stomach will explode. She just wanted to get away from him. This feeling was not what she needed right now.

"I am fine! Let go, Lo'ak." Ma'i said only to be completely ignored. "You will drop me!" She let out a shrieking sound, not trusting the boy at the slightest.

"I won't drop you, Ma'i." He couldn't let himself do that. Never.

By the time Ma'i stopped complaining, they were already there.

Lo'ak made sure that the girl in his embrace was not hurting as he laid her back, trying to ignore the way her hands wrapped around his arms.

"Freaking bastard." Ma'i humbled.

However, Lo'ak had to fight the strong urge to smile as he heard the words, not getting irritated at the slightest.

"Says you."

He tucked the girl in, gently moving around her.

Lo'ak was about to leave the healing girl there when suddenly Ma'i moved back a bit, making more free space in the small place she was tucked on.

"Sit next to me."