Behind Those Eyes | Aonung (Enemies to Lovers)

12. attention to details

Katiya stood at the entrance of her family's Marui, completely soaked from head to toe.

As you can imagine, her little underwater skirmish with Aonung did not go as well as she had hoped. The wound on his arm didn't stop him from overpowering her in strength.

While she was still shaken by the fact that he actually kept his word this time and kissed her foot, her heart remained calm.

After all, a bet was a bet. And he lost.

"Wow, did you go for a late-night swim?" Jake asked with a double take.

"No, I drowned the Olo'eyktan's son," she joked, sarcasm barely noticeable as she squeezed out water from her hair.

Jake looked at her, bewildered.

"Kidding," Katiya rolled her eyes. "Although it was very tempting."

Neteyam walked over and handed her a dry cloth.

"You had another scuffle with Aonung?" he asked quietly, smiling.

Katiya thanked him for the cloth and dried her hair. Then she leaned over and whispered, "He kissed my foot."

In shock, Neteyam almost choked on his spit. Given how much Aonung and Katiya hated each other, he didn't think Aonung would have followed through with it.

"The food has arrived!" Neytiri's cheerful voice captured their attention as she, Kiri, and Tuk walked in with bowls of delicious food.

"My arms are about to fall off!" Tuk cried, and Neteyam immediately grabbed the bowls from her little hands.

She smiled at her brother. "Thank you, Netty!" Then she skipped toward a space on the floor.

"Why is there so much food?" Katiya asked, taking two bowls from Kiri and placing them on the floor in the center of the Marui.

Providing light and warmth, the little stove in the middle was lit.

"We're celebrating Neteyam's win," Jake answered, touching the top of Neteyam's head as everyone gathered in a circle around the food.

"Wait, where's Loak?" Kiri looked around for him, but he wasn't inside.

Then his voice was heard outside in the distance as if he had been summoned. Loak entered, smiling brightly and seating himself between Katiya and Neteyam.

"Sorry, I was saying bye to Tsireya," he said.

"Oooh, you fancy her," Tuk blurted, provoking laughter from the others as warmth spread on Loak's cheeks.

"I do not, okay?" He protested. "Can we just get started?"

"Oh, really?" Katiya added, smirking. "The other day you told me she was really sweet and pretty, did you not?"

"Shut up! I was just trying to make a point." Loak hissed, embarrassed since he didn't want his parents to know about his developing feelings for the reef girl yet. But now, here he was, being ridiculed by his siblings.

"Loak," Neytiri looked at him sternly. "Do not do anything with her until your father and I give you the talk first."

"La, la, la!" Loak lowered his head and covered his ears.

Having seen Neteyam and Katiya go through it in the past, their uncomfortable expressions were clear about what the talk from their parents was like. And Loak was not about to have this conversation with them in front of his siblings.

In the aftermath of his chaotic reaction, everyone laughed and Katiya cracked a smile, finally feeling relaxed.

She realized how much she had missed sharing these moments with her family.