Ocean Skies - Loreya

Sneaking in the Night

Lo'ak watches Neteyam sneak off again in the middle of the night with a protective itch in his brain, telling him to follow. So, he does just that, sneaking after his older brother like he has so many times before. He's quiet and unseen, golden eyes glowing in excitement. 

Lo'ak knows what Neteyam does in none of his business, but he's a cheeky little brother and he wants something to tease his brother about.

However, Lo'ak never expected to stumble upon this specific scene.

It makes his blood freeze in his veins.

Neteyam slips into a little clearing, very small, hardly fitting the two of them (Ao'nung has been waiting for him).

Ao'nung turns to face Neteyam, a gentle, unusual smile on his face and Lo'ak has to admit, he radiates safety. Ao'nung seems nervous about something. Neteyam even more sore.

There's a pretty, soft woven blanket laid down on the ground. There are pearls, white ones, scattered around the corners. Lo'ak chews on his lips when he spots a small container or clear oils. 

His heart pounds in his throat. He's trapped on this branch.

Wide eyed, he watches as Ao'nung lays his brother down on the blanket gently, fingers ghosting over Neteyam's body and grasping him by the back of his knee, pulling his legs around his waist.

Lo'ak doesn't know what to do. They're so impossibly quiet — he knows Neteyam's sensitive ears would pick up any noise he made trying to get away. So he stays frozen, scared. He doesn't care about Neteyam's love life all of a sudden, promptly put off by the scene about to unfold. 

He feels gross and wrong for imposing, but he did think they would wait until properly mated, so, in his defense, this is not his fault. 

It is your fault, though — a voice nags the back of his mind. It sounds too much like Jake Sully scolding him for being a bad boy. 

To distract himself, he turns away and closes his eyes, pressing his hands on his ears to block out any noise, though Neteyam isn't being loud (Lo'ak wonders if anything is happening at all, but he's too embarrassed to look).

Lo'ak lets his mind drift to the secret Neteyam has not been telling him. He wonders what it might be, but he keeps hitting dead ends. It's not this, because they wouldn't be fumbling around so nervously if it was. 

He hears a thud even over his covered ears and lets his hands fall down, eyes blinking open in worry. His brows furrow when he hears his brother's panicked breathing. 

"Ao'nung, I'm not–" Neteyam begins, voice fading into a quiet whisper that Lo'ak cannot make out.

So, he turns to look, sighing in relief when he spots the two of then sitting in front of one another, fingertips grazing along knees, not daring to go any closer. 

Ao'nung seems patient and understanding. "I can wait for you, love."

Ah, Lo'ak thinks. His brother isn't ready to get busy with Ao'nung. And by the looks of things, he would have been on the receiving end anyway.

Somehow, Lo'ak is relieved by this outcome. He thinks back to Tsireya, and how sure she had been. Her brother is the same. Ao'nung is confident where Neteyam is not — and Neteyam is the better fighter, the better warrior. Lo'ak is also biased, maybe not just a little, but a lot, and his brother is definitely much smarter than Ao'nung — and if nothing else, Neteyam is beautiful. Not something he'd ever call Ao'nung. He'd rather be eaten by Akula.

Neteyam is similar to Lo'ak. Even more shy, maybe. Lo'ak grins, covering his mouth. His big brother had always been a shy, gentle child.  It fills his heart with love. Lo'ak adored Neteyam, adores him even to this day, now that they're adult.

Ao'nung tugs Neteyam into a warm hug and it gives Lo'ak an opportunity to slip away unnoticed, scurrying back home.

He is about to slip back into bed when he notices his father's golden eyes peering at him. Lo'ak freezes, knees already a little bent. Jake sits up and points to the entrance (the same one Lo'ak has just entered through).

Lo'ak steps outside, heartbeat picking up. He glances back inside and notices that Neteyam had arranged a very Neteyam shaped lump out of his blankets. His bed looks occupied. 

It takes only a breath of a moment for Jakesuli to step outside too. He grabs Lo'ak by the upper arm and tugs him further from the marui. The male's fingertips dig roughly into his son's arm. It hurts.

"Where were you?" Jake's voice rings out in the silence of the night, mingling with the soft sounds of the lapping ocean waves. 

Lo'ak swallows and stands up a little straighter. It isn't even a lie.  "I stepped out to get some air. I couldn't sleep."

"Lo'ak, it is the middle of the night," Jake rasps out, clearing sleep from his voice. "Do you know what it feels like to wake up to my youngest son missing from his bed?" 

"Sorry, sir," Lo'ak murmurs, glancing around nervously and wringing his fingers behind his back. His tail swishes behind him, the Black tuff of fur stirring up some dust.

Jake heaves a sigh, grip tightening on Lo'ak's arm. "No, Lo'ak. Sorry doesn't cut it. I need you to stop being so goddamned selfish and think about how your actions affect your family."

Lo'ak nods slowly, ears flat against his skull.

Jake's gaze hardens. "I can't hear you."

"Yes, sir." Lo'ak sags in relief when his father lets him go, reaching up to rub at his arm. Jake shoves him by the shoulder, urging him to go back home.

When Lo'ak lies down after that, he cannot sleep, but he's glad Jake falls back asleep before Neteyam could attempt sneaking inside. 

Lo'ak can hear his soft footsteps and light breathing as Neteyam slips into his bed, curling up. Lo'ak turns to face his brother, making sure his hair covers his face. Neteyam shuts his eyes tightly and covers his face — for a second, Lo'ak is scared that his precious big brother is crying — but then Neteyam's hand slips to his forehead and his holding back giggles. 

Lo'ak almost sits up just to question him, but stops himself, merely observing through squinted eyes, as Neteyam traces his fingertips over his lips (as if Ao'nung hasn't kissed him a million times before). Neteyam delicate fingers trail down and he tangles them in a brand new necklace.  

Lo'ak's breath hitches. 

That's a necklace that symbolises betrothal. A completed mating.

He's been making one very similar for Tsireya too.