Losing Game ~ Lo'ak Sully

.+Chapter Eight+.

The next day Aonung comes to our Mauri. When he steps inside he greets everyone before coming over to me. He wraps an arm around my waist and kisses the top of my head. It felt wrong, but if this gets Lo'ak's attention then it will be worth it. Everyone has confused looks and I see Neytiri give me a side eyes. I know she can tell something is up. You can never slip anything past that woman.
"My parents would like to speak with you," he tells me with a smile. I nod before looking over at everyone else. Lo'ak is glaring daggers at Aonung.
"I'll be back," I say, but before they can respond Aonung and I are out the door. He grabs my hand leading me down the pathway. Once we are far enough away we let out laughs.
"Did you see the look on his face?" Aonung laughs and I nod.
"Our plan is in motion," I tell him with a smile. We reach Aonung's mauri which is slightly bigger than everyone else's. When we step inside we are greeted by his whole family. Tsireya comes over and gives me a hug.
"Oh, I just love that you two got together," she tells me and throws me a wink, letting me know that she knows. I smile back at her:
"Me too," I say. "I couldn't be happier." Tonowari and Ronal stand behind her. Ronal examines me before nodding her head, getting her approval.
"I know we got off to a rough start," she says. "but i'm willing to put that behind us for my son." I nod, letting her know I feel the same. "And I can see that you have fire within you. I can respect that." Tonowari chuckles before pulling me into a hug, showing how happy he is.
"My son has finally got himself a girlfriend!" he booms. "You know a Metkayina and an Omaticaya. This could form an alliance between such two clans for eternity." I give him a smile but inside am feeling a sense of guilt knowing this isn't real. "Leyreya you will make a find Tsahik!" I keep smiling but look over at Aonung like 'why didn't you tell me he wanted me to be Tsahik!?'.
We all sit down for breakfast together while Aonung and I try to keep up our charade, with a bit of help from Tsireya. After breakfast Aonung and I walk out hand in hand. Everyone that we pass by gives us a confused look and I take him to a more secluded area behind one of the mauris.
I hit him upside the head before whisper yelling, "Why didn't you tell me he wants me to be Tsahik?!"
"It slipped my mind," he apologizes. "I'm sorry."
"But I can't be tsahik!" I remind him.
"I know, I know," he says. "My father has come to the impression that now that I'm seventeen and of age, I need to find my mate so that I can become the next Olo'eyktan. We will just have to stall."
(just so you guys know the age that you can have a mate is sixteen and Tonowari is just becoming impatient because Aonung is now seventeen.
"You know he's going to have to find out eventually," I tell him sympathetically.
"I know," he says. "I don't even want to be Olo'eyktan. Tsireya already told me that if I didn't want to do it that she could be the Tsahik once she finds her a mate. All of this will be put into motion though once I come out and I'm not sure that I'm ready for that right now." I pull him into a hug.
"I know, I know," I rub his back soothingly. "Everything is going to be fine."
"Hey guys!" we hear someone yell and we pull apart and turn around. We see the whole group coming up to us. "We should all hang out," Tsireya says.
"Yeah we should," I tell her. I look over to Lo'ak and he sends me a confused look. We all walk off to sit on the rocks by the ocean. Aonung leans against a tree instead and pulls me by my waist to lean against him. Lo'ak glares at him but starts to tell us about his adventures with a tulkun.
"I wish I'd been there," Kiri says. "The ocean blessed you with a gift brother."
"The tulkun have not returned yet," Aonung tells him. "And anyway no tulkun is ever alone."
"Well, this one was," Lo'ak counters with anger in his voice towards the Metkayina boy. Lo'ak turns to the others. "He had a missing fin. Like a stump. On the left side.
"Poor tulkun," Tuk says.
"Payakan," Tsireya speaks up.
"What?" Loak asks.
"Payakan," she repeats.
"Who's Payakan?" I ask her.
"A young bull who went rogue," Roxto tells us. "He's outcast. Alone." I look over at Lo'ak and I can tell why he seems so close to the animal. The can relate to one another. "And he has a missing fin."
"They say he is a killer," Tsireya says.
"No, no," Lo'ak counters.
"He killed Na'vi and other tulkun," Aonung backs her up. "Not here, but far to the south."
"No, he's no killer," Lo'ak says.
"Lo'ak," Tsireya warns. "You are lucky to be alive."
"I'm telling you guys," he goes on. "He saved my life. He's my friend."
"My baby bro!" Neteyam speaks up, walking over to him. This isn't going to help and I try to shoot Neteyam a warning look. "The Mighty Warrior who faced the killer tulkun and lived to tell about it, huh?" Lo'ak shoves him off before standing up.
"You guys aren't listening," he says.
"Lo'ak, I'm listening," Tuk tells him before he walks off. I give Aonung and pleading look and he nods internally telling me 'well, go on. what're you waiting for'. I rush off after him and grab his arm to which he just shrugs me off.
"Lo'ak," I say as he continue to walk away from me. "Lo'ak please." He stops and turns around to face me.
"Why don't you go back to your little boyfriend, Leyreya," he says coldly.
"Don't be like that, Lo," I tell him with a sad expression on my face.
"Why are you even with him?" he asks. "Didn't he just call you a freak."
"It's complicated," I say.
"Well, I don't want to hear about it. Loving you is a losing game," he begins to walk off again and I can't take it anymore.
"Aonung's gay!" I yell out, glad that no one was around to here me. He stops dead in his tracks and turns around, walking back to me..
"What?" he says confused. I take his hand in mine and look into his eyes.
"It's all pretend," I tell him. "His parents want him to find a girlfriend and he's telling them thats me so they will get off his ass." A look of realization comes off of his face.
"Well, if it's not real can you at least keep the lovey dovey stuff to a minimum?" he asks me.
"Aww is someone jealous?" I tease. He rolls his eyes.
"Come with me," he tells me, running off and pulling me with him. We arrive at the docks and he calls for his ilu. I start to calm for mine, but he stops me. "You're riding with me." It's not even a question. More like a demand.
He gets onto his ilu and holds out his hand to help me get on behind him. I take it and sit down. He has one hand on the handle bar and places the other on my thigh to keep me from falling off. He looks back at me as I blush, but I hide my face in his shoulder.
He chuckles and says, "Don't hide that blush pretty girl." This makes me blush even harder and he sets off into the water. We ride until we are at the edge of the reef, stopping. My eyes widen as I realize where we are going. "Do you trust me?" I nod. "I need words, Reya."
"Yes," I tell him looking into his eyes. "I trust you." He sets off again jumping over he barrier and into the open ocean. He can tell that I'm nervous and starts to rub soothing circles on my thigh. Once we reach a certain area he stops.
"Payakan!" he yells trying to summon the tulkun. Even the ilu splashes his fins trying to get the attention of it. "Payakan! Payakan!" Just then the tulkun surfaces and I am amazed by the creature. He is certainly very beautiful. Lo'ak gets off the ilu, helping me as well and we swim over to Payakan.
"It's good to see you," Lo'ak tells him. Payakan grunts but I understand him saying 'it's good to see you too'. Lo'ak hops onto his fin and I do the same.
"Hi, Payakan," I say. "It's nice to meet you." He says 'you must be the girl he's always talking about'. "What girl?" 'The girl he's madly in love with'. "What's her name?" I see Lo'ak giving Payakan a look before he responds with 'Leyreya'.
My eyes widen and I look over to Lo'ak to see him looking down as Payakan just sold him out.
"Y-you're... in love with me?" I ask him shocked that he feels the same way.
"Well you see..." he tries to say something. "I... uhh... well..." I take his hand in mine causing him to look up at me. I send him a smile.
"Lo'ak... I'm in love with you too," I say nervously. What if he says it was all a joke? What if he's trying to embarrass me? Without another word spoken he grabs the back of my neck and placed his lips on mine. I'm shocked but I start to kiss back. Our lips mold together, like two pieces of a puzzle. He's the missing piece in my life that I didn't know I needed.
His hands move to my cheeks and I place my hands around his arms not letting him let go. As the kisses begin to slow we pull away, out foreheads resting against each other as we catch our breath. When I open my eyes I smile at him and he smiles back before giving me one more kiss. Payakan clicks happy for us. We pull away, laughing.
    "I love you, Leyreya," Lo'ak tells me, moving a stray strand of hair out of my face.
    "I love you too Lo'ak. Maybe it isn't a losing game."