Coin Flip - Lo'ak

4:

Everyone was getting bored of breathing. We have been at this for at least an hour and our patience grew thinner by the minute, especially those who already knew the breathing technique - like myself.

With one final breath, I knew it was time to stretch out my limbs and do something more thrilling.

"Alright, I'm done. I'll catch you guys later," I breathed out, not able to take it anymore. I stood up to leave the rock only to see everyone except Tsireya and Lo'ak move with me.

"Should we go swim?" Ao'nung asked me casually under his breath. I knew he wanted some alone time with me since we hadn't seen one another in a while.

"Yes, I'm dying to get in the water," exclaimed Tuk.

I could tell Ao'nung grew annoyed at the fact that someone heard him other than me. To cheer him up, I gave him a small giggle and bumped his shoulder.

"I'll race ya!" I shouted while simultaneously starting to run full speed at the ocean water.

I heard the group laugh while they struggled to catch up to me from my head start.

I was winning too, feeling the wind in my hair and the sand at my feet. My smile couldn't help but grow so wide it hurt.

Moments like these kept me going, they gave me an ounce of hope, of life.

The groups giggles and laughs warmed my heart more than I thought. I needed this, I needed people around me.

I felt the sand grow wetter as I neared the ocean. Soon my feet were submerged in the water up to my ankles, my knees raising higher the further I ran, as the water was slowing me down.

I was about to dive in and exclaim my victory to everyone when I saw to my side that someone was gaining speed, threatening my win.

We both dove in, desperate to take the lead.

As I reached the water's surface, wiping my face to see better, I heard a laugh close by.

"And you lose!" The voice belonging to Neteyam laughed breathlessly.

"What? How'd that happen, I was in the lead the whole time," I was so confused how he gained such speed despite my early start.

"Guess you're just slower than you thought," he gently replied, still a little out of breath.

I looked at him with a mock shocked expression.

"That's not nice!" I poked his side in a teasing manner, earning a breathless laugh. It was music to my ears.

He was beautiful. And I only just realised it. His brother's constant negativity was blinding me from anything else. But this, him, he looked beautiful.

His eyes shut as he gave a wide tooth laugh while his arm was clutching his stomach, as if easing a stitch starting to appear. I couldn't help but watch as a smile appeared on my lips, growing with each second he laughed.

The others soon joined us within the water, all splashing around and happy to cool off from the burning sun.

Breaking my eyes away from the laughing boy by tilting my head back to re-wet my hair, I got a view of the rock we were sitting on for the past hour.

Lo'ak and Tsireya continued breathing, her left hand still on his stomach.

They both looked so relaxed and unbothered that we all left to do something more fun. Both in their own little world.

They're happy to be in each other's presence, no need for anything or anyone else.

I'm thrilled for Tsireya, she always talked about how "one day" she'll meet someone and will know they're the one the second they meet. Such a daydreamer. Her infatuation with love at first sight stemmed from her parent's love.