umkansa - atwow highschool au

sixteen

lo'ak

"Can you pierce my nose?" Lo'ak asks as he barges into Neteyam's room. "What?" Neteyam gives his brother a questioning look as he looked up from his phone. "What do you mean what? C'mon please Tey," Lo'ak pleaded finally entering the room and closing the door behind him. He always barged in without knocking, and when he did knock he would barge in right after anyways. Neteyam never complained about it so he just kept doing it. "Absolutely not," Neteyam brings his attention back to his phone screen. "Why not? You pierced your own ears," "Yeah, and I got in a shit-load of trouble for it. I'm not piercing your nose for you bro," Lo'ak fell to his knees and began begging his brother. "Oh my lord Tey, please bro. I'm literally begging you," Lo'ak was completely desperate for this nose piercing. He had been asking his mom for months but she insists that he wasn't old enough yet. He even took out the garbage on time and everything for a month straight. She didn't budge. "Why do you want a nose piercing so badly?" Neteyam leg out a sigh before setting his phone screen down on his bed. "Because I would look fine as hell with a nose piercing? Duh," Lo'ak thought this was obvious. He also hoped that this reason would be convincing enough. He didn't actually want it cause he thought it would look good. He wanted it because he thought Tsireya might think it looked good. He saw her smiling at a boy in the hall who had a nose piercing, so he thought he should step up his game. Lo'ak had grown fairly close to the girl the past couple weeks, and he didn't like the idea of someone else catching her attention like that. He wasn't jealous. No, it definitely wasn't that. It couldn't be. Actually, he was, but he would never admit that to himself.

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"You have to hold still!" Neteyam hissed, grabbing his brothers face, centering it and holding it steady. "Stop yelling at me!" Lo'ak was lowkey scared as hell. He hadn't thought this through as much as he tried to convince himself he had. He knew he was sweating cause he could feel the puddles forming under his arms. "Okay wait, I think i'm actually kinda thirsty," Lo'ak slowly pushed the needle away from his face back to his brothers side. His anxiety was rising and he needed an excuse to get out of the situation. He could see Neteyam's visible agitation and started to feel bad. He wasn't a wuss. At least he didn't think he was. He just wasn't the calmest about a needle being stabbed through his nostril. "Look, it won't even hurt. I promise. The area's already sanitized, you just need to let me pierce it and put the stud in," Neteyam reassured, setting a hand on his brother's shoulder. Lo'ak nodded and took three deep breaths. He closed his eyes super tight and held onto the bathroom sink located behind him. He could feel his knuckles going white from the intense grip he had on the marble top. "I'm going to count to three, then i'm going to piece it. I wont go before three, I promise. Okay?" Lo'ak just nodded keeping his eyes closed tight. He didn't notice he was holding his breath until Neteyam smacked his chest reminding him to breathe. "Okay, one... two... three!" Lo'ak flinched as felt a sharp stinging sensation rush through his left nostril before it quickly lessened. "Now I just have to put the jewelry in, I'm almost done," Lo'ak's eyes remained close shut until he felt the pressure of the nose stud entering his fresh piercing. "Alright, done," Lo'ak opened his eyes and instantly turned to face the bathroom mirror. He turned his head to the right and leaned in to get a better view. "Woah, fuck yeah man!" Lo'ak turned back around and gave his brother an appreciative high-five. Neteyam shook his head laughing. "You have to leave it in and clean it every night until it's fully healed, that should take about 3-6 months. Oh and be ready to get a hell of a lecture when Mom sees," He threw the needle in the trash, messing up his brothers hair.

Lo'ak hurried to his room before snatching his phone and taking a bunch of selfies. He then made his way to the mirror located on his wall and took a variety of mirror selfies as well. He was truly feeling himself and the new accessory on his nose. The only issue was his mother finding out. He knew his dad wouldn't mind since he had given him permission to get the piercing long ago, but his mother interjected. She gets home from work in a couple hours so he needed to think of a plan fast. This wasn't a piercing he would be able to hide. He ran to his sisters room knocking on the door. He never barged into her room out of respect. "Come in!" Kiri yelled from the other side of the door. Lo'ak slowly opened the door before entering, aggressively slamming it behind him. "Well hello to you too. Try not to break my door next time, thanks," Kiri scoffed continuing beading a necklace she was currently making. "Omg did you pierce your nose? You're in so much fucking trouble," Kiri laughed mockingly. Lo'ak rolled his eyes at her as he tapped the new piece of jewelry set in his nose. "Stop Kiri, I need your help. Can you be there with me when Mom comes home? She likes you the most so maybe she will be nice if you like stick up for me," Lo'ak looked at her, eyes full of desperation. He knew piercing his nose was a dumb idea, but he did dumb things all the time it truly wasn't something new for him. "Ehh I don't know..." The uncertainty in her voice was not helping Lo'ak's nerves. He was used to getting in trouble, but he promised himself he would be better after their recent move. "Please Kiri, i'll do anything. I'll- I'll stop leaving my underwear in the bathroom after I shower," "Deal," Kiri held her hand out in front of her. Lo'ak hesitated before shaking her hand and exiting the room with a smile.

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Lo'ak was watching a movie on his phone when he heard the front door open. He was so screwed. He threw his phone on his bed and sprinted to Kiri's room, knocking on the door rapidly. "Kiri, Kiri. Kiri! Mama's home! Kiri!" he whisper-shouted, looking back gradually in case his mother snuck up behind him. He let go of the knob when he felt it twist. He backed away from the door as Kiri walked out the room. "I'm right here, don't pee your pants," she teased walking past him down the stairs. Lo'ak followed close behind her. He could see his mother hanging her keys on the key stand and setting her purse on the kitchen counter. His nerves were building. "I can't do it," he whispered. He was absolutely frozen on the steps. "What? Why not? I said I've got your back, don't worry about it," Kiri waved him off continuing down the steps. "No Kiri please," Lo'ak was scratching the skin on this arm, as he felt his chest tighten. He couldn't do it. There was no way. His breathing was rapid and his brain felt fuzzy. "Lo'ak, it's okay. It's okay, we can just tell her later," Kiri attempted to provide comfort as she heard the slight wheezing that escaped her brothers throat. She was the best at helping Lo'ak when his anxiety got bad. "Hey, look at me. It's okay, you're okay. I'm right here," she places her hands im his and squeezed them tight. "You feel me right?" Lo'ak nodded rapidly. "Yes, see? I'm right here, you're not alone," The concern that arose within her was hidden by the reassuring face she displayed.

Lo'ak knew what was happening and he wanted more than anything for it to end. He hated this and it hasn't happened in months. "Lo' you have to breathe. In for three, out for three. Just like we taught you," Kiri moved a hand from his shoulder to his chest and the other to his back. He was trying to breathe, he truly was, but his lungs weren't cooperating the way he wanted them too. "Kiri it's not working. I can't, please it's not- Kiri it's not- I feel like I'm dying," His eyes began to sting, and that's when he realized that he was crying. Lo'ak hated crying. It made him feel weak, yet the shakes of his body had already displayed that weakness in a way he couldn't hide. "Listen to me Lo'ak, you're not dying. Shit uh- Mom!" Kiri was trying her best not to panic and she was really trying to hide her fear. Lo'ak was a trembling ball of fear and the only noises that escaped him was the sound of his restricted breathing. He could still feel his sister's gentle pressure on his chest and back. It was nice for him knowing she kept her promise and hadn't left his side.

Rapid footsteps could be heard approaching the staircase, and Lo'ak knew it was his mother. "What's going-" Neytiri paused before taking a seat in front of her youngest son and resting a hand on his knee. Her eyes shot to the small stud located on Lo'ak's nose and she frowned slightly. She looked in Kiri's direction briefly, using her thumb the rub her daughter's cheek gently. She used her hands to wipe the salty tears from Lo'ak's face and raised his chin so his eyes were aligned with hers. She rested his forehead on her own using her hands to keep his head in place. "You're okay love, you're at home and you're safe. I'm not mad at you," Neytiri spoke softly, making sure the physical contact remained gentle. "Breathe with me love. In through your nose and out through your mouth, okay? In one...two...three. Out one...two...three..." Lo'ak could feel her breath on the tip of his nose as she guided him through his breathing exercises. He couldn't help but feel his body shake as he released his stiffened oxygen. After about three more rounds of breathing, the pressure on Lo'ak's chest had released and the stress from the scratching of his arm had left a small wound. His breathing had gotten somewhat normal and the shaking had stopped. "There you go, much better bud," his mother cooed running her fingers through his braids with a small smile appearing on her face. Neytiri went to fetch some ointment for the wound on his arm while Kiri held his hand. "At least she's not mad, and you look way cooler now," Kiri joked, rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb. Lo'ak let out a small laugh while nudging his sister in the shoulder.