⯠Lo'ak x Fem!oc , POV (second person),
⯠All Characters are aged up.
‷ , Angst, mutual pining, slow burn, friends to lovers (eventually), unspoken feelings, emotional miscommunication, yearning, emotional confusion, guilt, jealous Lo'ak, new male interest
Days of built up resentment, words left unsaid. Things between Mey'ira and Lo'ak don't seem to be improving. After talking to Tarey, this is the breaking point for Mey'ira. Lo'ak keeps spiraling and it's not getting him anywhere, with anyone.
âBut you did,â you reply immediately. âAnd Iâm so tired of it. Of you hurting me all the time.â
He steps back like you struck him.
âIf you cared,â you say, âyou wouldâve trusted me. If you loved meââ you stop, swallow hard, then finish anyway, ââyou wouldnât have destroyed the first thing that made me feel like I could breathe.â
âBut you ruined it,â you say flatly.
Later, Loâak sits outside the village.
Knees pulled to his chest, staring out at the water like it might give him answers if he looks long enough.Â
His knuckles ache. His jaw is tight.
âI come in peace,â a voice says calmly.
âWhat do you want,â Loâak mutters.
Tarey stops a few steps away, hands open at his sides. No weapons. No challenge.
âIâm not here to fight,â he says. âI just⊠wanted to check on you.â
Loâak lets out a bitter laugh. âYou serious right now?â
âI know how this looks,â Tarey says evenly. âBut I didnât ask for this tension. â He throws up air quotes.
Loâakâs eyes narrow. âDonât go there.â
âI care about her too, you know.â Tarey continues anyway, voice careful. âBut I donât want to come between anything you two haveâor had.â
Loâak stands abruptly. âYou donât know anything about us.â
Tarey doesnât flinch. âTell me where I stand. Letâs settle this.â
Finally, Loâak exhales, tired in a way that reaches his bones.
âYou donât,â he says. âNot with me.â
Tarey nods slowly. âIf being around me makes things worse for her⊠Iâll back off.â
âYouâd just⊠leave?â Loâak asks.
âIâd step aside,â Tarey corrects. âBecause I donât want to hurt her. And I donât want to be the reason you tear yourself apart.â
Loâak looks away, fists clenching again.
âYou think youâre better than me,â he mutters.
âNo,â Tarey says quietly.Â
Tarey takes a step back. âFigure it out. But Meyâiraâshe deserves honesty.â
Loâak stays where he is, staring out at the seaârealizing, slowly, painfullyâthat the fight isnât with Tarey.
Itâs been days since Loak's outburst.
Youâve noticed the disconnectâthe distance between you and Tarey.
Well finally, Tarey waits until the training grounds are empty.
Until the noise fades, the adrenaline settles, and youâre rinsing your hands in the water like youâre trying to wash the day off your skin.
âMeyâira,â he says gently.
You turn, already tired. âYeah?â
He hesitates. Thatâs new. Tarey is usually steadyâgrounded in a way that makes you feel safe without even realizing why.
âI talked to Loâak,â he says.
You still your hands. âWhy? About what?â
âAbout you,â he answers honestly.
You straighten immediately, walls sliding back into place. âThereâs nothing to talk about though.â
âThatâs what you think,â Tarey replies. âHe doesnât.â
Silence stretches between you, thick but not hostile.
You exhale, rubbing at your wrist. âWhatever he thinks is on him. Weâre just friends. Thatâs it. Thereâs no us.â
The words come out fast. Too fast.
Tarey watches you closely, eyes softâbut sharp.
âYou know,â he says slowly, âit sounds like youâre trying to convince yourself more than me.â
Your breath stutters just a little.
âIâm not,â you say, quieter now.
Tarey steps back half a pace, giving you space instead of pressure.Â
âI donât want to be in the middle of something unfinished.â
âThere is nothing unfinished,â you insist, voice tightening. âWhat Loâak and I hadâwhatever it wasâit didnât work. For a reason. Iâm not waiting around for someone who doesnât know what they want.â
Tarey nods. âThatâs fair.â
Thenâgently, âBut I wonât be a distraction from him either.â
You look up at him. âDistraction?â
âI wonât train beside you, laugh with you, let you lean on me,â he continues, âif itâs only because youâre trying to run away from your feelings for someone else.â
âThatâs notââ you start, then stop.
Because the truth is right there. Burning. Obvious.
Tarey sighs softly, rubbing the back of his neck. âI like you, Meyâira.â
The words hang between you, unplanned.
His eyes widened just slightly, like he didnât mean to say it out loud.
âI didnât plan on saying it soâsoon,â he admits. âBut itâs true.â
âI like how fearless you are. How you listen. How you soften when you trust someone. Whatâs there not to like?âÂ
His voice stays calm, even as the confession slips free.Â
âI wonâtâI canât be the one you choose just because it hurts less than choosing him.â
âI donât want you to back off because of Loâak,â you whisper.
Tarey shakes his head. âIâm backing off because of you.â
âWhen youâre readyâactually ready,â he says, âto choose me without worrying about hurting him, then we can talk.â
He offers a small, sad smile. âUntil then, I wonât put myself between something that still matters to you.â
And you realize that safety doesnât always mean easy.
Sometimes it means someone liking you enough to let you go.
You donât notice him at first.
Youâre too busy rewrapping the leather around your forearm, fingers moving out of habit, jaw tight. The sounds of the village blurâwaves, voices, life going on like nothing cracked open yesterday.
You donât turn when you hear him.
Your jaw tightens. You keep working the strap around your arm like your hands donât know his voice by heart.
âYouâve been avoiding me,â Loâak says.
You let out a breathy laugh. Slow. Mean.
âHave I? Didnât notice,â you shrugged your shoulders.
âI just want to talk.â
You spin around so fast it almost surprises you.
âI donât want to talk to you.â
He opens his mouth. You donât let him.
âYou didnât want to talk when I was standing right there,â you snap. âYou didnât want to talk when you decided to turn training into a damn blood bath because you felt insecure.â
âI was protecting you.â
You step closer, eyes blazing. âExcuse me?â
âDid I ask you to protect me,â your voice projecting. âBecause if you really thinkâfor a secondâthat was protection, apparently you donât know me at all.â
His jaw tightens. âHe was getting too close.â
âAnd?â you shoot back. âSo what?â
âSo what?â he repeats, incredulous. âYou really donât see it?â
âSee what exactly Loâak?â You ask, voice rising now.Â
âWhat I see is you barging in, starting a fight, humiliating himâyourself because you couldnât stand watching me do something that didnât have to revolve around you.â
âAnd instead of trusting me, you tried to control the situation. Like always.â
The ocean roars behind you, but itâs nothing compared to the pounding in your chest.
âThatâs not fairââ
âWe canât still be talking about fairness,â you cut in. âYou donât get to say that after what you did.â
âI was trying to protect you,â he repeated.
You step closer, eyes flashing. âFrom what? From training? From learning? From being happy for five minutes without it somehow becoming about you?â
âYou ruined it,â you continue, words spilling now, sharp and unstoppable.Â
âThe one thing I wanted. The one thing that was mine. Training with my father, with Jakeâlearning, growing, feeling like I didnât have to just⊠react to you all the time.â
He takes a step toward you. âI didnât mean toââ
âI donât care about what you meant Loâak,â you interrupt. âI care about what you did.â
His voice cracks just slightly. âYou think this is easy for me? Watching you get closer to someone else?â
You stare at him. Really stare.
âAnd whose fault is that?â you ask quietly. âBecause last time I checked, this is because of you.â
His breath stutters. âThatâs notââ
âYou never said anything,â you press. âYou never claimed anything. You wanted me close enough to stay.â
The words hang between you, heavy.
âAnd the second I start moving on,â you continue, voice trembling now with something dangerously close to tears, âyou tear it down.â
Loâak shakes his head. âI was scared.â
âAnd that makes it okay?â you snap. âYou donât get to destroy things just because youâre afraid of losing me.â
âI liked him,â you admit. The words feel raw leaving you. âActually liked himââ you shake your head.
âAnd you took that from me,â you finish. âYou didnât protect me. You were protecting yourself.â
The silence that follows is deafening.
âI didnât mean to hurt you,â he says hoarsely.
âBut you did,â you reply immediately. âAnd Iâm so tired of it. Of you hurting me all the time.â
He steps back like you struck him.
âIf you cared,â you say, âyou wouldâve trusted me. If you loved meââ you stop, swallow hard, then finish anyway, ââyou wouldnât have destroyed the first thing that made me feel like I could breathe.â
âBut you ruined it,â you say flatly.
âThe one thing I wanted for myself,â you continue. âNot for you. Not for us,â you gesture between the two of you.
âFor me,â you say as your voice shrinks.
âThere is no us,â he snaps.
The village is alive tonight.
Drums echo across the water, voices weaving together in song as the ceremony begins.Â
Firelight dances along the reef, reflecting off shells and skin and joy you feel completely removed from.
You sit inside your mauri instead.
The flap is half-closed, letting in only slivers of soundâmuffled laughter, rhythmic chanting, the distant sounds of celebration.Â
You press your forehead to your knees, arms wrapped around yourself like that might keep everything from spilling out.
You told yourself you were fine.
You told yourself this was the right choice.
Your chest tightens anyway.
The tears come quietly. No sobs. Just the slow burn behind your eyes, the kind that makes breathing feel like extra work.Â
You swipe at your face angrily, frustrated at yourself for still hurting when the world has clearly moved on.
You donât get to be upset.
Outside, the drums grow louder.
Aoânung ducks inside without waiting for permission, already halfway through a sarcastic comment that dies the second he looks at you.
You turn away fast, scrubbing at your cheeks. âGo away.â
Instead, he lowers himself onto the woven mat across from you, movements slower than usualâcareful.
âYouâre missing the ceremony,â he says lightly. âWhich is, basically⊠a crime. Mother is already at myââ
He stops when your shoulders shake.
âHey,â he says, softer now. âHey. Look at me.â
Aoânung exhales, a hand on his chest. âOkay. Thatâs fine. You donât have to.â
The drums outside fade into background noise, replaced by the sound of your uneven breathing.Â
You hate that he sees you like this.Â
Hate that you couldnât hold it together for one night.
âWho? Who is making you feel this way?â Aoânung asks eventually.
That question breaks something open.
You laugh wetly. âOnly youâd think it was something like that.â
âIâm serious,â he says. âBecause if this is about Loâak, I willââ
âItâs not just him,â you cut in, voice cracking.
 âItâs everything.â
You wipe at your face again. âI thought I was finally doing something for me. Training. Learning. Feeling⊠proud of myselfâfather was proud of me.â
 Your throat tightens. âAnd now it just feels ruined.â
Aoânung shifts closer, sitting beside you now instead of across.Â
âItâs not ruinedânothing is,â he says firmly.
You shake your head. âIt doesnât feel that way.â
He scoffs softly. âMeyâira, youâre allowed to be hurt. Youâre allowed to be upset. Thatâs what your feelings are for.â
You let out a shaky breath. âI feel stupid.â
âFor caring?â he asks. âPfft, yeah, no. Yeah, youâre definitely not allowed to do that.â
You huff despite yourself.
Aoânung glances at you, then nudges your shoulder gently. âYou know⊠when I mess things upâand I mess things up a lotâI always try to act like it didnât get to me.â
âYeah,â you mutter. âYouâre terrible at hiding it.â
âRude,â he says, then softens. âBut when it really hurts? I want to disappear too.â
His expression isnât teasing now. Itâs honest. Protective in a way that makes your chest ache.
âYou donât have to be strong tonight,â he says. âYouâve been strong enough.â
The tears spill over again, faster this time.
 You cover your face, embarrassed, but Aoânung gently pulls your hands down.
âHey,â he murmurs. âYou cry in here. Iâll stand guard.â
âYouâre so bad at guarding.â You say through your sobs.
âIâm excellent,â he argues. âI scare people.â
 Inside the mauri, you lean your head against Aonung's shoulders, solid and warm.
âYouâll find your way back to it,â he says quietly. âTo training. To everything. This doesnât get to take that from you.â
You rest your head against his arm, exhausted.
âPromise?â you whisper.
He nods without hesitation. âWhen has your big brother ever been wrong?â
You snorted. âYou want me to answer that?âÂ
He looked away a little too quickly,Â
You couldnât keep the laugh from escaping.
The training grounds have cleared, but the tension hasnât.
Neteyam stands near the edge of the sand, arms crossed, jaw set so tight it looks painful.
 Aoânung paces in front of him like a caged predator, tail flicking with agitation.
âThis isnât nothing,â Aoânung snaps. âYou saw it. He turned training into some sort of dominance competition.â
Neteyam exhales through his nose.
âShe was doing well,â Aoânung continues, voice low but furious.Â
âShe was focused. Confident. He fucked it upâhe couldnât stand it.â
Neteyam rubs a hand down his face.Â
âLoâakâs always been like this. He feels things too greatly and thenââ
âAnd then he wrecks them,â Aoânung cuts in. âHe doesnât get to walk all over her just because he doesnât know how to sit with his emotions.â
Neteyam doesnât argue. That alone says everything.
âShe cried,â Aoânung adds quietly.Â
âAlone. In her mauri.â
Neteyamâs head snaps up. âWhen?â
âDuring the ceremony,â Aoânung says. âWhile everyone else was celebrating.â
Neteyamâs fists clench.
Before he can respond, footsteps crunch against the sand.
He stops short when he sees them both, shoulders already tense like he walked into a fight he expected.
âWhatâs this,â Loâak mutters. âGroup discussion about me?â
Aoânung turns slowly, eyes sharp. âYou donât get to joke.â
Neteyam steps forward. âLoâakââ
âBoth of you need to mind your business,â Loâak snaps, jaw tight. âThis doesnât involve you.â
Aoânung laughs once.âEverything involving her involves me, thatâs my little sister.â
Loâakâs eyes flash. âI donât care who she is to you. Stay out of it.â
Neteyamâs voice hardens. âWatch yourself, Lo'ak.â
âOh, so now you care?â Loâak fires back. âWhere was all this when she stopped talking to me?â
Aoânung steps closer. âYou donât get to act betrayed when youâre the one who keeps fucking everyone over.â
Loâak shoves a hand through his hair. âI was trying to protect her.â
Neteyam shakes his head. âFrom what?â
âYou donât get to claim her. She doesnât even want anything to do with you anymore,â Aoânung says flatly.
Loâakâs chest heaves. âSay that again.â
Neteyam steps between them instantly. âEnough.â
Loâakâs voice drops, dangerous. âYou donât understand. Nobody understandsâ
Aoânung meets his stare without blinking.Â
âNo. I understand perfectly. Youâre too much of a baby to use your words.â
âYou canât even communicate that youâre scared she doesnât need you anymore.â
Thatâs when Loâak turns away.
The crafts shelter hums with quiet life.
Sunlight filters through woven palm above you, dappling the sand and catching in the soft shells scattered across the floor.Â
The smell of sea resin clings to your fingers.
You sit cross-legged, braid resting over your knee, fingers working on instinct alone.
Tuk sits beside you, knees tucked under her chin, fiercely focused as she threads beads onto a thin cord.Â
Around you, three younger girls chatter in half-whispers, giggling every time someone drops a shell or messes up a knot.
âNo, noâlike this,â Tuk insists, scooting closer to one of the girls. âIf you donât pull it tight, itâll break.â
The girl groans dramatically. âWhy is this so hard?â
You smile softly, reaching out to guide her hands. âYouâre rushing. Slow down.â
She watches your fingers closely, mimicking the motion. âOhh.â
âThatâs it,â you encourage. âYouâve got it.â
The girl beams. âYes!â
A sudden shadow stretches across the entrance.
Tarey stands just outside the shelter, posture careful, like heâs not sure heâs allowed to be there.Â
His hair is still damp from training, curls clinging to his temples. His hands rest awkwardly at his sides.
âYou!â she points at him immediately. âYouâre the warrior!â
Tarey blinks, startled. âI suppose?â
One of the younger girls gasps. âThe one who trains with Tukâs father!â
Another leans forward, eyes wide. âYouâre very strong.â
Tarey shifts, suddenly bashful. âIâthank you?â
Tuk scoots over, patting the sand beside her. âYou have to sit. Weâre making things.â
He looks to you again, silently checking.
You shrug lightly. âYouâll survive.â
Something eases in his expression. He steps inside, folding himself onto the sand carefully, like heâs afraid he might break something just by being there.
Tuk hands him a bundle of fibers. âMake one.â
âI donât know how,â he admits.
âThatâs okay,â you say, moving closer. âNeither did I at first.â
You lean in, guiding his hands.
He listens. Really listens.
The girls exchange looks.
One of them grins. âYouâre sitting very close.â
Your cheeks warm instantly. âWeâre justââ
âOhhh,â another singsongs. âThatâs how my parents sit.â
Tarey stiffens slightly. âSheâs just teachingââ
âTeaching you to be the perfect husband?â Tuk blurts.
The shelter erupts in giggles.
You choke on a laugh. âTuk!â
âWhat?â she defends. âYou two match.â
The younger girls nod enthusiastically.
âShe braids,â one says. âHe fights.â
âThatâs perfect,â another adds seriously. âHe protects. She makes things.â
Tarey clears his throat. âI think thatâs⊠very nice. But it's not true.â
Tuk squints at him. âWhy not?â
He glances at you, eyes soft.Â
âBecause she hasnât said yes,â He teases the girls.
The girls lose itâthey squeal and scream excitedly.
âYou have to ask first!â Tuk exclaims.
âYou should make her a necklace!â Another one adds.
âTheyâll have the biggest mauri and live by the water!âÂ
You laugh, flustered, shaking your head.Â
âYouâre all ridiculous.â
But you donât pull away.
And thatâs what he hears.
Loâak stands just beyond the shelter, half-hidden by a support post.
He wasnât trying to listen.
He just⊠stopped when he heard your laugh.
That sound punches straight through his chest.
âDo you think theyâll have kids?â one of the girls whispers loudly.
Tuk nods decisively. âMany.â
Loâakâs breath catches.
He watches the way Tarey smiles, just warmly. The way your shoulder brushes his arm and neither of you moves away.
It feels like watching something slip through his fingers in slow motion.
Inside the shelter, you gently nudge Tarey with your elbow. âIgnore them.â
He chuckles softly. âI donât mind.â
Thatâs when he says itâquiet, meant only for you.
âI like seeing you like this.â
Your hands still. âLike what?â
You look away go focus your attention back on the girls, but your mind never stops thinking about the man next to youÂ
Outside, Loâak turns away.
He doesnât stay long enough to hear your reply.
Because hearing you say it back might actually break him.
The Sully home smells like cooked fish and sea herbs.
Everyone sits in a loose circle, plates balanced on the makeshift table, the quiet hum of evening settling over them like a blanket.Â
Neteyam eats silently, as ever.Â
Kiri pokes at her food, distracted, eyes somewhere far away.
Loâak barely touches his.
Jake notices. He always does.
 But tonight, he lets it go.
Tuk, on the other hand, is vibrating.
âSo,â she blurts suddenly, mouth half-full. âGuess what happened today.â
Loâak stiffens immediately.
Jake raises a brow. âYou usually donât need an invitation. Go ahead babygirl.â
Tuk grins. âMeyâira was making crafts with us.â
Loâakâs jaw tightens at her name, but he says nothing.
âAnd Tarey was there too!â she adds brightly.
Loâakâs fingers curl slowly into his palm.
âOh?â Jake says, neutral. âThat's nice?â
âIt was more than nice,â Tuk insists. âThey were sitting really close. Likeâreally close.â
Neteyam flicks a glance at Loâak, subtle but sharp.
Kiriâs head tilts. âClose like⊠friends?â
Tuk shakes her head violently. âNooo. Like mates.â
Neteyam snaps his head up. âTuk.â
âWe decided theyâre going to get married,â she announces proudly. âThe girls said it first but I agreed.â
Neytiri chokes on her drink.
Jake coughs. âAlrightââ
âAnd theyâll have kids,â Tuk continues. âProbably a lot. Tarey would be a good dad.â
Thatâs when Loâak stands so abruptly his plate tips, fish sliding into the sand.
Tuk blinks, startled. âWhat? I was justââ
âYou donât know what youâre talking about,â Loâak says sharply.
Neytiriâs voice lowers. âLoâak donât scare your sister.â
But Loâak isnât looking at herâat anything. His eyes are fixed on nothing, chest rising too fast.
âYouâre too young,â he continues, voice tight. âYou didnât see anything.â
Tukâs excitement falters. âIâ I was right there.â
Loâak laughs once, bitter. âYeah. Whatever.â
Kiri frowns. âLoâakââ
He grabs his things. âIâm done.â
Jake stands. âHey. Sit back down.â
Loâak shakes his head. âI canât.â
The sound of his footsteps fades into the night.
Tuk looks between them, confused. âDid I do something wrong?â
Jake exhales slowly. âNo, babygirl.â
Neteyam sits back down, jaw tight. âBut heâs just not okay.â
A/N: this is so long and overdue, life got in the wayyyy. I love to see the traction all my other chapters have been receivingđ«¶đŸ 9 out soon!!
If you made it here thanks for reading!
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