Rivals || Lo'ak Sully

Chapter 8 : "New plan"💫

"Sit next to me."

Ma'i didn't know why she said it herself.

She hated his presence. Loathed him.

Just a few seconds she called Lo'ak names.

But at this moment her heart told her to let the shield down.

"I don't want to be here all alone."

And it was a complete truth. This morning when she awoke alone and thought that Lo'ak actually left her... Ma'i felt broken inside even if she was ready to go away.

Lo'ak looked at her, gazing through his lashes and softening his look.

"I don't want you to kill me."

"I won't." Ma'i rolled her eyes.

"Okay, okay." The boy chuckled and decided to risk his own life as he sat down.

Ma'i once again was at ease, feeling his warmth and her head fell on the wall behind her.

Lo'ak was looking forward, his hands brushed up and down his arms, trying to get the nervousness out of himself.

"We should get some proper rest. I think we could get moving tomorrow morning. Our parents will be really worried."

Ma'i told Lo'ak as she closed her eyes again.

"Yeah."

He looked outside, seeing the moon starting to set in and the sun laying down.

Lo'ak turned his head to Ma'i's side, instantly regretting his decision. The smell of Ma'i hit him again as Lo'ak closed his eyes and stopped breathing for a second.

Lo'ak was even ready to hold his tail, remembering the last time but he wasn't fast enough.

It brushed against Ma'i's back, and her body shook.

"Lo'ak." She spat the boy's name out.

"Sorry." A soft blush was now rising on his face and body. His eyes dipped up and down, and he took a sharp breath. He didn't have control over that stupid tail.

A cloud of silence fell between them.

Lo'ak wanted to break the quietness. A thought that haunted him for a few months actually was sitting at the tip of his tongue.

"Do you like Neteyam?" A sudden question made Ma'i furrow her eyebrows.

"What?" Her voice was up a little bit. She definitely didn't expect a question like that to come out of the blue.

"Do you like my brother?" Lo'ak repeated the question. "I see the way you look at him. You always seem so happy around him."

If Ma'i could've been able to see him, she would've seen that Lo'ak's ears were turned down as well as the corners of his lips, perfectly describing his inside thoughts.

But she didn't see him, she had her head turned away.

The girl smiled, remembering her time with Neteyam.

"I mean, of course, I do! He's amazing and I'm very fond of him. Neteyam taught me a lot of things and I'm grateful to have him. He's like my big brother!"

Ma'i lighted up, thinking about Neteyam.

"I see..."

Lo'ak felt awful. He expected an answer like that but maybe... just maybe his other side didn't really want to hear this. Even though Ma'i said that Neteyam is like an older brother to her... it didn't put Lo'ak at ease but he didn't want to admit it.

If Ma'i liked Neteyam, then it's totally okay for Lo'ak. Why would he not agree to that?

Lo'ak despised the girl and if getting her with his big brother meant getting rid of her - the boy was ready to do that, to help them get together.

That's how a new plan settled in Lo'ak's mind.

"Let's sleep. We are going back home tomorrow."

Lo'ak said, making a yawn.

Ma'i felt tiredness take over her too, and both of them closed their eyes, resting their bodies for tomorrow's journey.