Rivals || Lo'ak Sully

Chapter 20: "Return" 💫

(POV: Ma'i)

"No way you're back to training."

Ma'i didn't even look back to know that it was Neteyam speaking.

"What else did you expect from me?" Ma'i laughed slightly while fixing her bow and pulling the string to see if it is tied strong enough. "There's a war going on, Neteyam. I need to train so that I can protect myself and the others. You know that." The girls tongue was slightly out as she focused on tying the knot on the bow.

Neteyam sighed.

"I know." There was a moment of silence. "Kiri is worried for you, you know. She even asked others to look after you and take it easy on you."

Ma'i sighed.

"I know. But..." Ma'i turned her head a bit away from Neteyam. "I need to train. I need to get stronger and no one is there to do that for me."

Warm breeze danced around them and a fresh air hit their faces.

Then Neteyam pulled out something from his back that he was carrying around. "This is from Txarey'kan." His slender arm stretched out towards Ma'i. "He couldn't come to see you when he came back but he gave you this. Wanted you to have it."

Ma'i's eyes widened.

"He..." she stopped. "He was back?" For the first time in such a long period, she felt like the air was pushed out of her body.

"He IS back." Neteyam smiled. "He will actually be free after a few hours or so. Half of our clan went out picking fruits for the paint, of course Txarey'kan tagged along. You know how he loves painting."

Ma'i smiled wholeheartedly.

"I know." Her face felt warm all of a sudden.

"But yeah..." Neteyam scratched his neck. "He should be back soon. I'll tell him to meet you if I see him."

"Right. Yeah. Thanks." Ma'i blabbered out as Neteyam waved goodbye and went his way.

Txarey'kan was one of the closest Ma'i's friends, when they were kids: they trained together, ate together, played together - of course with Neteyam and Lo'ak in the presence. But Ma'i felt instant pull towards Txarey'kan, and even if she wouldn't admit it to herself - over the years, she formed a small crush on her friend.

But Txarey'kan was often away. His family was a part of "food pickers" in their clan, so they traveled a lot to find some new species of food and sometimes even found new animals roaming around. Therefore, Ma'i tried to make the best out of the short time they had together.

Suddenly, Ma'i was forced out of her running mind when her eyesight went completely black.

"Guess who." Hot air hit her neck and she instantly rolled her eyes.

"You could be sneakier, you know."

She hit his stomach softly with her elbow, making him grunt a bit and back off.

"That's not the nicest welcome." Txarey'kan laughed as his hand brushed his stomach.

Ma'i snickered while turning around.

"That's the welcome you get for the welcome you give."

She laughed while looking at her friend still trying to soothe the pain.

Suddenly the look in Txarey'kan's eyes softened as he extended his arms.

"I missed you."

Ma'i didn't even notice how her legs started moving on their own and she melted into his warm embrace, hooking her own arms around his now-better-feeling stomach.

The soft heartbeat and fresh scent calmed her running mind and she instantly felt at ease. Txarey'kan softly brushed her back and hair.

"I missed you too." Ma'i mumbled into his chest and after a few seconds added "asshole."

Txarey'kan laughed, the sound vibrating through his chest and transmitting into Ma'i's skin.

She pulled away to look into his smiling face as  his hand brushed her strand out of her face. Txarey'kan's face suddenly became worried.

"How are you feeling?"

Ma'i smiled, trying to cover the fact that her body was still in some pain and definitely not fully recovered. But nobody needed to know that.

"Perfect. I'm so happy to be back in training."

Txarey'kan smiled softly.

"I've heard Lo'ak looked after you for a bit."

All of the good mood that Ma'i had upon Txarey'kan's return was erased by the name of the last man she wanted to think about. His face popped up before her eyes and she had to fight an urge to roll her eyes.

"I guess so." She shrugged.

"Then I own him a thanks for looking after my girl while I was away." He smiles at her again.

My girl.

Every-time Txarey'kan called Ma'i like that she felt butterflies all in her stomach. The girl tried to ignore them and say that it's just them playing around but her brain always went numb on this matter.

Ma'i was sure that Txarey'kan did not see her like that. It was more of a friendly name calling and he probably thought of her like a sister - just like Neteyam.

But the little voice in her head wanted it to be true. Her heart wanted it to be true.

What she didn't want was for it to break into a million pieces because of her own feelings.

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A/N: So happy to introduce a new character who shakes things up for a bit!

Ma'i is truly living a crazy life.