summary: as a healer, y/n had taken an oath to treat every patient with their best interests in mind. this hadn’t been a problem, until loak’s petty injuries become a routine. she has to swallow her pride and feign concern, feign kindness, and face the ugly hate that has been brewing between them for years.
tags: enemies to lovers, eventual angst, best friend kiri, mentions of blood, mentions of war, language, eventual smut
✶✶✶✶
pairing: loak x f!omatikaya reader
summary: as a healer, y/n had taken an oath to treat every patient with their best interests in mind. th
pairing: loak x f!omatikaya reader
summary: as a healer, y/n had taken an oath to treat every patient with their best interests in mind. th
pairing: loak x f!omatikaya reader
summary: as a healer, y/n had taken an oath to treat every patient with their best interests in mind. th
pairing: loak x f!omatikaya reader
summary: as a healer, y/n had taken an oath to treat every patient with their best interests in mind. th
pairing: loak x f!omatikaya reader
summary: as a healer, y/n had taken an oath to treat every patient with their best interests in mind. th
pairing: loak x f!omatikaya reader
summary: as a healer, y/n had taken an oath to treat every patient with their best interests in mind. th
pairing: loak x f!omatikaya reader
summary: as a healer, y/n had taken an oath to treat every patient with their best interests in mind. th
summary: as a healer, y/n had taken an oath to treat every patient with their best interests in mind. this hadn’t been a problem, until loak’s petty injuries become a routine. she has to swallow her pride and feign concern, feign kindness, and face the ugly hate that has been brewing between them for years.
tags: enemies to lovers, pining, best friend kiri, language, emotionally constipated loak, awkward loak, smut, they're literally obsessed with eachother, mentions of jealous loak if you read between the lines, mdni
word count: 3k
notes: since chapter one both characters have been written to be 19+ years of age. also this cold has me acting like a victorian child on my deathbed in the throes of a mild ailment. Also idk how to write smut so make of this what u will xoxo gossip girl
⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺‧ ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺‧ ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺‧ ‧͙⁺˚*･
pairing: loak x f!omatikaya reader
summary: as a healer, y/n had taken an oath to
love when it makes you lose your bearings / it might be more of an obsession / you better lock your phone / and look at me when you're alone / won't take a lot to get you goin' / i'm sorry if it's torture though / that heavy breathin' on the floor / i’m yours, i'm yours
nova – a star that suddenly increases its light output tremendously and then fades away to its former obscurity
you force your heart to steady, trying in vain to remain level-headed as loak’s breath fans your face. your eyes follow his lips as he speaks and stay trained on them well after they still. he smells faintly of pine and ember, and in that moment you were able to place why such a specific scent had always been your favourite. he had wedged his way into your life uncompromisingly, but you found yourself relying on him being there; right there, infront of you.
the adrenaline that had shot up his spine earlier was taken in stride, and he was drinking you in like you were the only person who could provide it. suddenly, he ripped his eyes off of you. this was becoming too friendly, too familiar, and it reminded him of the consequences. loak smiles halfheartedly and offers you a hand up, albeit a little more jumpy than he wished to present himself.
the spar was repeated several times before kiri’s muted swears were heard through dense bush. “what the fuck, you guys? you missed lunch,” her voice stuttered when her eyes fell on your face. you were smiling and at ease. in loak’s presence. she was taken aback for a second before putting her hands on her hips, satisfied as if the good-natured environment was her doing. “and why are you in the middle of buttfuck nowhere? let’s go.” she made a mental note to prod you with questions later.
✶✶✶✶
over the next few days, loak and you fell into a pattern of early morning training sessions. the dawn crept into the sky just as the two of you crept into the forest, eyes still bleary and unfocused. maiya had caught onto the new trend, and secretly approved. she thought loak to be a good and upstanding boy; he was preparing you to heal navi warriors directly on the battlefield, which she couldn’t deny was a sorely missed position over the years.
she smiled quietly to herself as you worked alongside her in the healing hut. you were covered in small scratches, but your shoulders were calm and you hummed a miscellaneous tune quietly to yourself. no more teeth grinding, no more shaky hands. still, she couldn't see the turmoil brewing in your chest all the same.
you were hunched over a small plate of teylu when loak shuffled into the hut, tinted rouge with spattered blood on his torso. he grunts a hello, making himself known to you and maiya. you frowned at his battered cheekbone, moving him towards the counter. he wasn’t speaking much, only leaning down to let you pat a wet cloth gently on his cheek. you often found yourself communicating wordlessly with him as of recent; it had proven itself handy when approaching a delicate pray.
as you wipe the wound, you realize that the blood isn’t his own; there is no gash, no tear nor scratch in the flesh. loak’s eyes remain locked on the crowded counter. when his mouth is shut, he appears more reserved, unsure of himself. he felt almost ashamed to have found his way back to this place after so many nights spent with sweat slicking his back and heated pants leaving his mouth as a shaky hand found its way under his sheets, you in mind, but a few odd hours every morning just wasn’t cutting it anymore. he had always been greedy when it came to you. you don’t say anything about his undamaged skin, aware of maiya’s heavy eyes on the interaction.
her thin lips parted, despite the united prayers that they would remain shut. “you have become quite good friends. never thought i’d live to see the day,” she announced. you fight to keep your hands steady against his cheek as you reply, knowing she’d retaliate with examples if you didn’t. “i guess you could say that.” at this point it would be weird not to consider loak a friend, but the label rang sour in your ears, and when you agreed with her claim you could feel him bite his cheek. “i’m glad. you two were always so similar.” loak had never actually spoken all that much to maiya, but he got the sense that she knew more of him than he had willingly revealed. he was almost sure she was teasing him like one would a rabbit with a carrot.
after a few minutes of wiping away at unscathed skin, maiya exited the hut in search of her own lunch. loak knew you weren’t a fool, the blood obviously wasn’t his. he could see that you had noticed it the second you began treating him. he braced himself for you to snatch your cupped hands away from his face and confront him with sharp words, but even after she had left you made no move; instead clenching your jaw and quietly dipping the cloth in water as you continued to work.
maybe he had gotten into a fight with someone who was left in worse condition, maybe he had been hunting, you didn’t know to whom the blood belonged. for now, you devoted your energy to ignoring the sticky warmth that was pooling in your abdomen at his proximity. progress had been made between loak and yourself over the week, and his steady breaths become more familiar than his unlevel, angry ones. as you wrung the cloth and brought it this time to loak’s chest, his ears fluttered and his breathing pattern became arbitrary.
you straighten your back, realizing he was probably uncomfortable with how you had been hunched towards him. even after allowing him space, his face was a bit more flushed than usual. was he sick? you frowned, beginning to think that the bloody appearance was a red herring.
loak was not doing good. he made a mistake by coming here. really, he could have just washed himself off in half the time, but he wasn’t thinking with his head when he approached you. to be fair, he knew it was a slow day and it’s not like there were half-dead warriors lined up outside the hut, but he was in way over his head. it wasn’t necessarily intentional to get in a fight with that guy. he didn’t even know his name, only recognizing him as the injured navi from his last visit here. it was in poor taste, but he had hoped his natural recklessness would provide an excuse to visit you; it could’ve been read as an accident borne of poor depth perception.
loak winced at the thought, it didn’t even sound convincing to him. at this, you backed up. “what, does it sting? because i know you’re not hurt.” point taken. “you caught me. it was a test,” he laughs dryly. you rest your weight back on the balls of your feet, huffing a small laugh. “wow, you’ve got the time for that? i haven’t been working you hard enough.” loak’s shoulders relax, now settling into the lazy conversation that he had gotten accustomed to having with you. he leans back on his hands, muscles shifting under his stomach. “hmm. you’ve gotta try harder than that, sevin.” the word slipped past his lips quicker than he could catch it, and his abs tensed in apprehension of your reaction.
you squint a little at him before abruptly throwing your head back and barking a laugh. his throat bobs as he watches the gentle movements in your own, repressing the urge to touch it with either his mouth or hands. he can’t do it. he’s simply not brave enough. or stupid enough. loak neglects the want clenching in his chest, instead continuing the conversation until maiya returns with her own plate of teylu.
✶✶✶✶
you were a little embarrassed how much loak’s nickname had an effect on you. it had caught you by surprise and played itself on repeat in your head of its own volition, heating your cheeks. as you walked alongside him under the sunrise, you were vigilant about maintaining a casual tone. still, you couldn’t help but stare at his back when he walked slightly ahead of you towards what had become your usual spot.
his braid swayed lightly with his steps, and his shoulders held a light sheen from the humidity of the woods. yes, he had kissed you before, but it was your understanding that it was to be mean. over the years you had found anger to be a natural pretense to excitement. it was as if the two of you had been egging eachother on until somebody broke, leaving the other to admit to defeat when giving in. the ultimate upper hand.
both of you had agreed it was a good morning for a spar. you found it to be a more natural way to work things out with eachother. neither of you acknowledged the fact that he was supposed to be teaching you how to hunt; you felt as if you were almost hunting eachother to a point that the lines had become blurred. and loak couldn’t deny your progress. after only a few attempts, you had him virtually smashed into the soft forest floor.
your knee was pressed into his chest and your hands were enclosed around each of his arms, comically petite against his biceps. he silently cursed himself for having taught you how to properly keep someone pinned down. his chin raised defiantly, eyes meeting your own vivid ones. your eyes looked completely predatorial, as they often did when you were sparring seriously with him. loak arched his back, commanding his head upwards as if he hadn’t just been completely demolished by you both in the lesson and in his scattered mind.
you give yourself a minute for your breath to even out, keeping your eyes trained on him all the while. you felt particularly proud of yourself for finally being able to keep him flush against the dirt, and it left your bones jittery. your mind felt melted and far away from your body; you watched a seemingly different person slowly loosen their hold and trail their fingers on his cool skin only the few inches that an accidental brush could provide. your eyes were blown wide, pupils dilated on him. slowly, loak sat up, cautiously touching your hips with light hands and bringing you to rest on his lap. it took a monstrous amount of restraint to do so gently.
his fingertips itched towards your body, stuttering and unsure. he was holding his breath, expecting you to chastise him at any given moment while silently begging for your approval. you were beginning to understand his expression, blatantly wearing the same heated proclamation of yearning on your own face. your earlier confidence had quickly left you sober and vulnerable under his hungry eyes. you desperately grasp for a last-minute escape, heart twisting as he began rubbing circles into your hips. "loak. you're being mean," you whisper, almost so quietly that you weren't sure he had heard it. it wasn't fair, how he held your heart in his hands. he pressed his lips into a thin line, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear and following it with his eyes. "i'm not." so much time had been wasted fighting when it really just boiled down to a plea for the briefest touch.
he keeps his lips pursed, occupying himself with the hair he had just brushed out of your face. his eyes were locked on yours expectantly while his fingers fiddled with the ends. you tightly nod, once, and his restraint was gone. he sighs, shaky hands twisting into the hair at the base of your neck as he brings his lips up towards yours. his solid chest melted into your soft one, and he wasted no time before rolling his tongue into your mouth. you found yourself eager for his touch, bringing your hips down to move against his frantically while he bucked up with mirrored urgency. as his hands tugged at your hair and chestpiece, yours relentlessly clawed at his loincloth. this time, there were no conflicting thoughts in your mind, only a carnivorous want. hadn't you waited long enough?
loak let out a broken gasp in your ear as you removed him from his loincloth, gripping his base firmly before drifting upwards at an agonizingly slow pace, spreading precum over the tip of his cock. it was experimental, but you could gather that he appreciated it when his slender fingers began to stumble drunkenly against your breasts. loak's mind was in a frenzy, manically devouring your every action with a newfound alertness and obsessing over the feeling of your body against his. he didn't know it was possible to want something so bad.
this was sufficiently ruining every wet dream he had ever had of you. now that he had you here, very bluntly handling his cock between your thighs, he wasn't ever going to let you leave. it was overwhelming, and loak suddenly felt overheated under your warm body. he earnestly pushed you against the ground, now towering over your figure. his mind was on autopilot at the sight of your blownout lips and bare chest. "sevin, sevin, sevin," he growled against your neck, arms wrapped around your waist. "you're not getting away this time. please." he almost sounded like he was in pain, too lazy to remove his lips from your neck as he slurred the words. you caged his torso with your thighs, trying fruitlessly to meet his midsection again. you went to great lengths to pant out, "i wasn't–wasn't planning on it."
loak moaned lowly against your collarbone, the sound vibrating throughout your whole body. he licked a stripe from there to your right breast before sucking the budded nipple into his mouth, shamelessly rutting into the ground at your string of moans. he wasn't a gentleman about it; leaving spit and bite marks there before dragging his lips to your left. loak's heavy fingertips travelled down your stomach and pushed your loincloth forcefully to the side, pressing the pad of his thumb into your clit in taunting, slow circles. he couldn't deny himself the opportunity to watch your face. his eyes were dazed, but he swore he wouldn't forget the way your brows knitted and your lips parted as he brushed a finger against your entrance. loak let out a light breath, lips lilting into a cheeky smile before finding yours.
"keep your eyes open, sevin. or i'll stop." an obvious bluff, but you weren't willing to risk it. your lashes fluttered against his cheek as your slick tongue greeted his once more. you were both so drunk on eachother that the kiss was mostly just you moaning into eachother's mouths. despite his present euphoria, loak was not a patient man. he decided he had waited enough. he plunged two fingers inside of you, pumping slowly, dark eyes trained on your reaction. he knew you better than you had given him credit for; words were scarcely necessary, and piecing together a sentence right now seemed insurmountable.
his fingers were much longer and thicker than your own, and as he waited for you to adjust he pressed up against your walls with maddening pressure, tongue lazily licking into your mouth. you were essentially at your breaking point, and give always implied take. your hands blindly groped at his chest, indiscreetly tumbling downwards to his hips. given the awkward angle, you had to put all your strength into pulling him towards you. the swollen tip of his cock bumped against your inner thigh, and he detached his lips from yours with a string of saliva following along. "fuck!" he shouted, squeezing his eyes shut. he rested his forehead on your chest, groaning quietly and burying his fingers deeper in you. loak curled them upwards and began massaging the spot before adding a third one. in response, you dug your nails into his shoulders and came with his name on your lips like a prayer.
suddenly, loak ripped his fingers out of you, sliding them down to sloppily grip at your thigh for a moment to stabilize himself. he may have been seeing double at this point. you gasped at the emptiness, and your eyes began to swell with frustration. his shaky arms shielded your face from the forest, selfishly keeping you for his eyes only. loaks eyes were dark and devouring, and he clenched his jaw in an attempt to restrain himself from coming right in that moment. "i want all of you, y/n. let me have you." a wet laugh tumbled past your lips, hands moving upwards to rest on the nape of his neck. "rock my world." it wasn't perfect; your voice cracked from its seldom usage, and the joke was dry, but you were smiling all toothy at him and your honeyed eyes were filled with trust.
with little warning, loak pressed his entire cock into you, not stopping when he bottomed out. his hips were clumsy and stuttered, and the pace he had set was brutal, but it seemed to be right up your alley. your breasts jumped with each thrust, and he had a hard grip on your waist, pulling you down. it was unforgivable, how little you were able to control. half-conscious, you claw at his back and whined into his neck.
loak pressed into you four or five times before you were spent, and there were two more before he was in the same position. he frequented gorey battlefields, often stood between flying bullets and his own village, but to him the biggest challenge was ripping himself out of your heat before coming on your abdomen.
your glazed eyes cleared first, mind quickly catching up to what had happened in the past several minutes. when you gently brushed your fingertips against loak's ribs, he obediently turned to face you. you could see his brain shortcircuiting. and it was then that you decided you weren't that gracious of a woman. you were selfish, greedy, and uncharitable when it came to him.
summary: as a healer, y/n had taken an oath to treat every patient with their best interests in mind. this hadn’t been a problem, until loak’s petty injuries become a routine. she has to swallow her pride and feign concern, feign kindness, and face the ugly hate that has been brewing between them for years.
tags: enemies to lovers, confused and pining loak
word count: 2.1k
notes: im in poland rn and this is a little bit TERRIBLE but also very necessary.
⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺‧ ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺‧ ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺‧ ‧͙⁺˚*･
pairing: loak x f!omatikaya reader
summary: as a healer, y/n had taken an oath to
love when it makes you lose your bearings / it might be more of an obsession / you better lock your phone / and look at me when you're alone / won't take a lot to get you goin' / i'm sorry if it's torture though / that heavy breathin' on the floor / i’m yours, i'm yours
nova – a star that suddenly increases its light output tremendously and then fades away to its former obscurity
your eyes search loak’s for any insincerity. you had grappled with him over superiority for as long as you can remember, but for it to be offered to you made it feel like a default win or some dirty trick. you were still debating which would be worse. loak’s attention was glued to you so fiercely that you felt naked below his amber eyes; you abstain from looking at his face any longer, drawing your attention to the fresh scars that littered his body. you distantly note that they were healing nicely, fading slowly from harsh red to calm blue.
for him to come to you like this, almost grovelling–it was an insult of the lowest sort; if you had any respect for him before, it was because he wouldn’t back down. while he belittled you constantly, he never went easy on you, he would fight with everything he had. and now that he chooses to pity you, were you meant to fawn over his whimsical, clearly unplanned apology? familiar anger sank in your stomach and crawled up your throat. “i don’t owe you anything,” you shoot, crossing your arms over your chest. loak clenched his jaw, considering your words.
he begins to wonder if his decision to confront you was made prematurely; even now, he had to refrain from jumping your bones in aggravation, from pinning you down and trying to taste your comebacks. he worries his lip, ripping his eyes away from the curve of your neck as if he hadn’t been getting acquainted with it for several moments. “no, you don’t–owe me anything,” he assents gruffly.
you attempt to physically peel his heavy attention off of you, taking a further step back to rustle away the thick air. “oh, joy. our first agreement.” you begin to continue on your route, but he grabs for your arm in resolve, quick to stop you while his chest thuds wildly. you snarl at the path ahead. “wait. i can make you a deal.” it was desperate, and as the offer fled his lips he was frantic to come up with a feasible proposition. he couldn't afford to let you slip away a second time. you flinch, turning towards him once more with your patience wearing thin. he furrows his brows, averting his eyes as a panicked blush rises up his neck. “i can teach you how to hunt. formally.” he pauses, tilting his head towards you. “you could be a warrior.”
your ears perk at his proposal. of course, you were very familiar with the bow, but your failure to follow through with the pursuit of valid warrior training was a sore spot he consistently aimed at. you glare at him in warning, hoping for his sake it wasn’t just another jab to add to the pile. loak licks his lips, staring down at the grass. “it’ll be great,” he straightens his posture, flashing a hopeful, boyish grin. “promise.”
✶✶✶✶
your stomach filled with regret as you walked towards the archery grounds the next afternoon. you were skeptical about being taught by loak, but if you ever wanted to fight alongside real soldiers, there wasn’t much choice; those willing to take time out of their day for one-on-one training were scarce, especially if you consider their teaching capabilities. jittery, you stressed the drawstring of your bow as you waited.
loak approached the clearing with conviction in his step. he had never offered you help before, but he had quickly realized this past week that without you around, his focus and mood took a lethal hit; he’d be spacing out and then snapping at people for next to nothing. if he thought about it, this deal is moreso about helping himself rather than you. he just had to play nice, but not…not too nice. a tight smile crosses his face when he sees you, but it was directed a little over your shoulder instead of at yourself.
loak had seen you shoot before, but watching your calculated gestures up-close was different; his brain fogged as he analyzed the way your shoulderblades flowed under cerulean skin, and he tripped over his words more times than he’d like to admit once he noticed the way the drawstring prodded at your lips when you took aim. he pushed down the irritating emotions that lapped at his belly, biting his tongue.
after conquering every static target, the two of you shifted off-course towards moving ones. you followed him into dense trees for several minutes before coming across a yerik. crouching together behind a bush, you watch as it licks at a puddle and flicks its ear. it had been a significantly long amount of time since you had last pointed an arrow at a living creature, but loak gives you the go-ahead. you were annoyed that you put yourself in a position where you had to follow his orders, but still you take your aim, digging your knees into the dirt and straightening your back as you drew the string. you held your shoulders tighter than you knew was necessary, but you couldn’t shake off the fear of the probable humiliation you’d succumb to if you missed the shot. loak notices, shuffling closer and adjusting you with icy hands. you bristle under his touch, but keep your eyes on the yerik.
his chin dips slightly at your hesitation; obviously you hadn’t practiced hunting much and this was just your first session, but if you were thrown onto the battlefield at this moment (as warriors often are, with little warning), you’d be struck down quicker than he could react. he'd have to drill into you the impluse to shoot reflexively if he wanted you to succeed. behind you, loak leans towards your ear, hair tickling at your collarbone. “release.” his voice is low, soft but not whispering. you suck in a breath, holding your position strong before ripping your hand away from the nock of the arrow. it hits the creature in the heart, and you don’t turn to meet loak’s approving expression before removing yourself from the bush and praying at its side. he’s light on his feet as he joins you, cutting in to correct your words no more than twice.
✶✶✶✶
once you’ve finished carrying the animal back to the village to be preserved as dried meat, you’re quick to put some distance between yourself and loak in hopes of settling your nerves. he stands there quietly for a minute, permitting himself to indulge in the gentle sway of your long hair in the breeze as you leave.
dusk crept over the village, and loak declined dinner in favour of laying in his hammock. he splayed his fingers over his abdomen in thought, gradually digging his fingernails into the skin until it stings. the more loak thought, the more it was maddening; you danced around his mind, most recurrently in your usual, taunting manner. now, though, he is able to remember what your body feels like against his. he’s known before from heated arguments followed by tense healing sessions, but those came with so much doubt and conflicted thoughts that he couldn’t make sense of what was a fantasy and what was reality. now, he could remember feeling just one thing at a time. and it was a curse. he remembers the way your chest pressed into his when your breath would hitch, he remembers the way your nails grazed his back, and he remembers the way your warm tongue moved in synchronization with his.
sleep wouldn’t come to him. defeated, he rises to his feet with the intention of taking a cold shower.
✶✶✶✶
you walked hip-to-hip with kiri like a conjoined twin as the sun settled in the sky, having just finished weaving practice. you were making steady progress, now able to create small armbands given that they have no ambitious details. you were walking her home; she had promised neytiri to keep an eye on tuk while she and jake went out. you stopped at the door, watching with a small smile as neytiri kissed her daughter’s forehead and ruffled her hair before heading off.
loak sat in his hammock, looking up at you with tired eyes. you wanted to laugh a little; he looked kind of wimpy with his sunken shoulders and downturned ears, but you decide against it. you didn’t want to risk losing the shiny new deal. still, facts are facts. “loak, you look like shit.” he grumbled an unintelligible response, swinging his bow over his back and walking out of the hut on quick feet. for a second, you weren’t sure if he intended on teaching you today–he’s sensitive when he’s grumpy. “you coming?” he threw over his shoulder as he walked past you, decidedly avoiding eye contact.
you trudged deeper into the forest than before. the two of you didn’t talk, instead preferring to listen to the sounds of wildlife waking up. you came across another yerik, an older one that appeared to be female. you were ready to perform the actions you had yesterday, but before you could execute them, loak swiftly picked up a stone and chucked it beside the animal. he was not very talkative today, but it didn’t surprise you he’d do something like that without warning. still, annoyed, you toss him a questioning look. the fatigue had left his eyes, they were now bright and glowed in the shade. you wonder briefly when it had happened, and how it was possible you didn't notice until now.
“chase it,” he said, not waiting for you before running after it. you held your bow in a tight grip as you leapt over low branches, but you couldn’t deny it was difficult to properly place the arrow while keeping up. you shoot blindly before nudging past loak in the direction of the yerik’s wail.
✶✶✶✶
the two of you had taken a wrong turn somewhere. you were lost, chests pleading for air. frustrated, you whack him with your bow. “that was entirely your fault!” you snap, eyes wild. still heaving, he whacks you with his own in return. he wasn’t in the mood today. “you have to learn to chase them, y/n. just because you can’t on the first try doesn’t mean it’s my fault.” you seethe, considering his reply. “still, i have no idea where we are,” he says, looking around in vain for any familiar landmarks. you huff. “yeah. now what, genius?”
loak thinks for a moment, pouting his lips. the both of you could handle yourselves against the creatures of the forest, but the best thing to do was wait in the area until a search party was inevitably sent out. you'd be in a fuckton of trouble afterwards, but it'd do the job. “let’s spar,” he breathes. “good for training.” you look at him skeptically, eyes narrowed. “i think we’ve exercised that option enough,” you deadpan. loak chuckles, removing the quiver from his back and placing it on the ground next to his bow. he figures, if he can’t take his anger out on you, he has free reign to do what he will under the pretense of training. he’s convinced it’s a good idea, although maybe it has something to do with sleep deprivation. he nudges your shoulder. “hit me with your best shot.”
hesitantly, you put your bow and quiver next to his while eyeing him suspiciously, lips pursed. you had never hit loak because he asked you to, and this setting seemed…more formal than you were accustomed to. you lower your knees and place your hands out readily in defense. he mirrors your actions, feeling light; this was the first time he could breathe without a clenched chest in days. he felt alive. for a few seconds, you attempted to disarm him with telepathic mind games, but when it didn’t work, you made a kick for the back of his knees. he easily jumps around it, tail curling behind him with the adrenaline he had craved for days. loak grins, rounding your back to poke at it. you shiver, annoyed, before whipping around to meet his eyes.
“you’d be a sucker on the battlefield. don’t leave your back exposed.” you lower your arms briefly. he’s giving you advice, you realize. helpful, genuine advice. you feel a grin split your face. “noted,” you say, falling back into position. you circle him a little, keeping him in your line of sight with his words in mind.
you’re able to get a few pushes in, but it was mainly chalked up to the fact that you knew loak's movements and habits so well. heart beating rapidly, he sweeps at your legs with one of his own and you fall to your back. he leans over you, pausing for a second to make sure you’re not winded. “i win,” he smiles cheekily, eyes darting quickly to your mouth. he taps your leg. “same goes for your legs. keep them strong.”
summary: as a healer, y/n had taken an oath to treat every patient with their best interests in mind. this hadn’t been a problem, until loak’s petty injuries become a routine. she has to swallow her pride and feign concern, feign kindness, and face the ugly hate that has been brewing between them for years.
tags: enemies to lovers, slight angst, best friend kiri, emotionally constipated aka on-brand loak, language
word count: 1.4k
notes: im on vacation, my deepest symapthies go out to myself for making me wait so long to find out what happens next
⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺‧ ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺‧ ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺‧ ‧͙⁺˚*･
pairing: loak x f!omatikaya reader
summary: as a healer, y/n had taken an oath to
billie bossa nova: love when it makes you lose your bearings / it might be more of an obsession / you better lock your phone / and look at me when you're alone / won't take a lot to get you goin' / i'm sorry if it's torture though / that heavy breathin' on the floor / i’m yours, i'm yours
nova – a star that suddenly increases its light output tremendously and then fades away to its former obsurity
loak jumps back from you, heart in his throat like a deer caught in the headlights. he attempted to choke out a response, but his mind was slurred and his mouth had become dry, leaving his lips parted with a shaky breath. his mouth opened and closed repeatedly, almost as if he was trying to remember the fluidity of your own against it. he shook his head in a thrashing manner, snapping out of his daze. your fingers itched to touch his face, arms, chest, anything, but you were unsure if it was out of pleasure or anger.
slowly, loak began to speak, tearing you away from your inner conflict. he rolled his tongue over his lips before a coy smirk appeared. “same time next week?” you felt your face heat and opaque hate flooded into your stomach. of course he was toying with you; this man had so readily disregarded your career just moments ago. forcing yourself to hold his gaze, you take the bait. “are you deaf? i said get the fuck out of here,” you step towards him, shoving at his chest. “i hate you. don’t bother coming back to maiya’s hut, you’ve made it clear we aren’t needed.” your face sours at the image of him being left to fend for himself with a serious injury, but you quickly crush the worry when you recall his earlier words. he can go fuck himself.
✶✶✶✶
loak’s eyes darken as he walks away, fingernails forming deep crescents in his palms. it was his own fault. still, he blamed you equally; it was you that had approached him, you that provoked him into a physical fight. he only has so much willpower, and your baiting taunts were spoken through soft, inviting lips. for a split second, he was smug about having shut you up the way he had, but it was gone in an instant, replaced with the ugly, consuming fear that you would never speak to him again. despite your complicated relationship with him, you were always keen to jump back in the fighting ring the next day, and he had let himself rely on it too much.
he entered the family hut with his head tilted down, pointedly avoiding kiri’s questioning stare. he looked dishevelled, and his lips were swollen. she furrowed her brows. only y/n could make him as riled up as he looked; he would brush anybody else off with ease. “did you just suck face with a poisoned fruit or something?” his shoulders rose towards his ears as a shiver ran up his spine. “almost.” shocked, she dropped the wooden bowl she had been carving out. it rattled against the floor, completely forgotten the second it had escaped her grasp. “you made out with someone? you?” kiri has never been known for being subtle. or slow. he could see her visibly piecing together a puzzle in her brain, connecting this to their last conversation. “wait–” she starts.
loak closes the gap between them in four strides, frantically looking around the empty room as he presses a hand over her mouth. “quiet,” he hisses. kiri’s loud voice is muffled for a few seconds before she resorts to licking a long stripe on his hand. he jumps back, wiping it off aggressively on her arm. “ew, what the fuck?” she pays his complaint no mind. “you what the fuck. you kissed y/n?” she made a show of theatrically looking up at the roof in distress. “you’re in for it now.” he leans back, apprehensively looking away. “it was an accident,” he responds in defense. she balks at him. “look, i know. just forget it, i’m sure she’ll do the same.” it was an optimistic thought.
✶✶✶✶
you had not forgotten about it. days had gone past and you were still livid; loak had ruined any possible salvation of your relationship with the words he had said, and then proceeded to shove his tongue down your throat. still, you were angrier at yourself for the way you had readily accepted it.
avoiding him had proven itself to be a difficult task; dinners were communal and you could feel him staring you down expectantly, daring you to slip into your usual snide banter with him. what's worse is you had additionally been dodging kiri; you were sure she knew something was up, and you had no interest in being reminded.
you trudge into maiya’s hut, desperate for a distraction. you had yet to retrieve fresh plants from your regular gathering area this week, and stock was running low. she was beginning to ask questions. maiya’s eyes were trained on your stiff movements as you began to grind a paste, and she was worried that if you were to grit your teeth any more, they’d be sandpapered down to nonexistance. she placed a warm hand over your own. “y/n. take a break, maite. you can join me after you get some more supplies, hmm?” maiya was an assertive person; you knew she wasn’t asking for your permission on this. unwillingly, you set the bowl down and pick up your basket.
✶✶✶✶
loak was growing impatient. if that day by the creek made him uneasy, this was threefold. without your daily arguments, he had no outlet for pent-up stress and had been snippy with his father on one too many occasions. jake wasn’t a fan of this new, brash behaviour, and the lecture loak had received about it only served to make him more restless. you were like a nova; condensing all of your muddied emotions to suddenly clash divinely with his own, only to dissolve from his grasp all at once. abrasive frustration was eating away at his insides as the days went by, and he was more angry than ever. despite its overbearing presence, he couldn’t bring himself to regret what he had done.
loak watched your sudden dismissal from the healing hut, and determinedly recreated your footsteps into the forest. behind you, his eyes traced the slight sway of your hips and the gentle thumps of the gathering basket against your thigh. loak’s face twisted; he knew it was unfair of him to be irritated that you didn’t notice his presence once he had gotten close, but you had been actively ignoring him the whole week. he hadn’t gotten a rest from kiri’s interventions either; she would moan to him constantly about how it’s all his fault she’s been shut out by you and that he’d better fix it. he’s deluded himself to believe he was confronting you because of the soft spot he has for his sister, but it was in reality entirely for selfish purposes.
heart pounding, loak grips your bicep and flips you around to face him. “do you think this is funny? because i’m not laughing.” his syrupy eyes bore into yours, voice gravelly. you instinctually back up a bit, the small of your back now digging into rigid bark as you shift under his gaze. the corner of your mouth twitches in discomfort at his proximity. “what, have you gotten yourself another wound you want me to fix? not gonna happen, buster,” you respond evasively. loak grew more frustrated, but after so much silence, your voice rang in his ears as if it was his first time hearing it.
loak exhales sharply through his nose, involuntarily taking a few steps back. he doesn’t give you a chance to relax as he jumps head-first into the root of the issue. “i know you play a vital role in the clan. i never should have said you didn’t.” you eye him quizzically, waiting for him to continue. he struggled to keep himself from arguing against his own words, but if he wanted you to listen, they were unavoidable. “you were right to say my grandmother would be insulted,” he adds awkwardly, gesticulating poorly with his hands. it left a bad taste in his mouth, but after mulling the accusation over for hours on end, he came to the gruelling realization that it was accurate. he had never been disrespectful to moat; in truth, he actually admired healers a lot for the work they did. but watching as you would cradle him, care for him, all while having the upper hand, forced him to confront new feelings he was scared of. he will admit, it was a little immature in hindsight. you offer him no mercy, remaining tight-lipped and unmoving. persistent, he grunts his final proposal to you with an uneven tone, as if the word was unknown to him. “truce?”
summary: as a healer, y/n had taken an oath to treat every patient with their best interests in mind. this hadn’t been a problem, until loak’s petty injuries become a routine. she has to swallow her pride and feign concern, feign kindness, and face the ugly hate that has been brewing between them for years.
tags: enemies to lovers, slight angst, mentions of blood/injury
word count: 1.3k
notes: a little rushed cuz im leaving for the airport in literally twenty minutes but they kiss you guys
⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺‧ ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺‧ ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺‧ ‧͙⁺˚*･
pairing: loak x f!omatikaya reader
summary: as a healer, y/n had taken an oath to
love when it makes you lose your bearings / it might be more of an obsession / you better lock your phone / and look at me when you're alone / won't take a lot to get you goin' / i'm sorry if it's torture though / that heavy breathin' on the floor / i’m yours, i'm yours
nova – a star that suddenly increases its light output tremendously and then fades away to its former obscurity
it was debilitating, how loak had seen you for the first time. he so often had found comfort in your agitated manner and bitter tone, the two of you endlessly spitting hate at eachother in a vicious cycle; but just now, he had walked in on you talking to a man he didn’t recognize with relaxed features and soothing hands. it almost felt like he was invading, unwelcome and undeserving of the sight. and suddenly your hands were on him, foreign in their tranquility. fatigue clawed at his body as he stumbled away, but he was preoccupied; your delicate cheekbones and eased expression gripped at his chest. it was unbearable, agonizing, and loak felt antsy to get away. he all but ran from your hut, throat stinging with remorse.
loak felt the urge to scrub the ghost of your touch off of him; rid himself of your clouding scent. he lowered himself into a stream despite the newly applied medicine coating his skin. he wasn’t ignorant to the way it washed off and left him in searing pain, but it was your fingers that put it there. loak scrubbed frantically with uneven breath, labelling the emotion that clung to him as disgust.
✶✶✶✶
there was a large string of visitors pouring into the hut, fresh from the raid. uncertainty swam in your brain tauntingly, but there was no time to entertain it. it was hours before you and maiya sent the last of them off, both weary. as you collapsed into the seat beside her, your drained muscles screamed with exhaustion. after reveling in the stillness for some time, she slowly got up and brought an herbal tea to your hands. you glanced up at her and accepted it with gratitude.
“we did good work today, y/n. what you need now is rest.” looking down at the mug in your hands, you smile. you were relieved that your earlier argument hadn’t affected her attitude towards you, but your mind was elsewhere. why had loak left like that, disoriented and stand-offish? it made you suspicious, and slightly annoyed; his behaviour had been all over the place with you lately, and you didn’t have time to analyze the reason behind it. but still, the image of his shaking hands gnawed at your brain. finishing your tea with a final chug, you left maiya with an inattentive goodbye and went home.
✶✶✶✶
you had recently taken up weaving on kiri’s suggestion, but after a few sessions with her, your uncoordinated fingers still only left behind a knot in the material. you were perched on the ledge of a branch, not far from your usual gathering area. you groaned, toes curling in frustration after another failed attempt at making a simple pattern. how is it that you could stitch up a wound so easily but not command a single string of yarn to do your bidding? tossing it to the side, you mutter a few choice words before noticing movement on the ground below. you assumed it was kiri, watching as blue flashed through the leaves. she was the only other person you knew to walk this area. you hurriedly climb down the treetrunk, hoping to ask her for a little more help in the craft.
as you approached the navi, you see that is definitely not kiri. loak’s muscles rippled under the skin of his back as he took long strides, not stopping as he spoke. “walk louder, will you?” an annoyed frown passed over your lips. while your ears weren’t as refined as his, you really weren’t making a lot of noise. you nudge his shoulderblade with force, sneering. why did he go out of his way to be play nice if he was just going to be a dick afterwards? “what’s your problem, loak? whatever game you’re playing at, i’m not interested.” he abruptly turned to you, gritting his teeth. “for fuck’s sake! just leave me alone, y/n.” you laugh at the irony of his statement. “excuse me? you’re the one who won’t get off my back. walking into my hut all the time, following me, looking through my journal–what the fuck is wrong with you?” frustration was quickly seeping its way into your bones; this whole situation was way too out of depth for your usual petty fights. it was becoming too personal, too close. the words you threw at eachother now carried weight.
loak squinted his eyes, feeling defensive. “let me make it clear. you have nothing i want. you’re just waiting on the sidelines all day to put bandaids on the people who actually fight. don’t get mad at me because you’re incapable of doing any other job. even if you do, you’re stuck with it,” he snarled, tail whipping behind him as he loomed over you. your hands began to shake with rage. “seriously, what would your grandmother say? or are you already such a disappointment that she wouldn’t even be surprised?” loak’s fiery eyes flamed down at you, hand reaching to grip your bicep hard in warning. “that would make two of us,” he spit.
you aimed a punch up at his face. loak was able to dodge it, but not before your fist grazed his chin. he growled, shoving you aggressively into the ground and throwing a leg over your torso. the way his teeth were barred so close to your face should have had you scared, but you were high off the adrenaline; basking in the familiarity of the argument after so much recent unease. your skin practically glowed. you yank hard at his queue in a fruitless attempt to pull him off of you, but he was quick to make a grab at your hands, crushing them harshly above your head with his own as he seethed. your lips curled into your teeth as you hissed at him, his eyes dropping to trace the action. your breaths mingled for a fraction of a second, heavy with unspoken words, before he dipped his face down to yours. he was adamant about avoiding your eyes while his mouth moved against yours drunkenly, as if to say: this doesn't mean anything.
his heavy, clouded eyes analyzed you in a trance; suddenly wanting more, yet very aware of your stillness against him. he had to play it right. he nudged his leg between your own. when you began to kiss him back with equal force, he felt feverish. loak’s lips pressed into yours harshly, prodding your mouth open eagerly with his tongue. your teeth clashed together and you stuttered under the weight of his mouth. you raised your head from the grass and shoved back against him, biting at his lips. the sound of irregular, shuddering breaths passed back and forth between the two of you, as if it was a conversation in itself. it all felt like too much. you rip yourself away from the kiss abruptly as if you were burned, and his tongue instead travels down your neck. your breath comes out in hot puffs, brows knitting together.
he was everywhere, and your head was spinning. this wasn't supposed to be happening. you were supposed to confront him, push him around, make him feel sorry. that was always how it went, how it should be going now. you began to feel restless under his touch as his large hands detached from your wrists in favour of roaming your body. they glide down your waist, grip at your hips, caress your thighs. your eyes began to swell with frustration as you clawed at his back; you felt like you were jumping out of your skin each time you reacted to him. wordless conversations weren't enough. you take advantage of your free hands, roughly pushing him off of you before you could reveal too much. "get the fuck out of here, loak."
summary: as a healer, y/n had taken an oath to treat every patient with their best interests in mind. this hadn’t been a problem, until loak’s petty injuries become a routine. she has to swallow her pride and feign concern, feign kindness, and face the ugly hate that has been brewing between them for years.
tags: enemies to lovers, slight angst, best friend kiri, mentions of blood, mentions of war, language
word count: 2.2k
notes: you know exactky as much as i do what will happen next. its a secret to the both of us, babe!
⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺‧ ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺‧ ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺‧ ‧͙⁺˚*･
pairing: loak x f!omatikaya reader
summary: as a healer, y/n had taken an oath to
love when it makes you lose your bearings / it might be more of an obsession / you better lock your phone / and look at me when you're alone / won't take a lot to get you goin' / i'm sorry if it's torture though / that heavy breathin' on the floor / i’m yours, i'm yours
nova – a star that suddenly increases its light output tremendously and then fades away to its former obscurity
when the RDA returned to pandora six years ago, young and promising navi warriors got beaten to a pulp left and right. some of them never made a full recovery. now familiar with human weaponry, the omatikaya were able to push back in the war significantly, but this didn’t come without the help of maiya. she was swift to open the doors of an additional healing hut. moat, as tsahik, had hers located centrally in the village while maiya placed hers on the outskirts; readily able to patch up any injured that limped in from the forest by foot.
the raids became even more frequent, and maiya was quick to recruit new healers. you were seventeen, and roaming aimlessly with empty hands. while you were capable enough to be a warrior, she had convinced you it was better to have another healer than another soldier in the battlefield. at the time there were–what, three or four healers? and thousands on the frontlines? the ratio wasn’t effective, and she urgently needed help. you promptly agreed.
✶✶✶✶
humiliation twisted in your gut as she spoke. “i will not accept this behaviour in my own hut, y/n. you are too old for this.” you look down at your feet, ears ringing as her sharp voice filled the silent room. “do you know how bad it would look if my own apprentice was the cause of our soldiers’ injuries? i cannot allow it.” she rubbed her temple, sighing in defeat. you choked on the air in your lungs as if you were suffocating under the weight of her disappointment. “fix this,” she muttered, “don’t come back until you do.”
✶✶✶✶
loak thunders into his family’s hut, arm bloody and face pinched. kiri eyes him from the corner, placing her yarn down carefully. “what happened? you’re walking like an orangutan, i can practically see the stream leaving your ears.” he didn’t appreciate the joke, instead flopping onto his hammock with a defiant grunt. “so broody! loak, c’mon. fess up.” he tries to swat her off his conscious like a bug, but she wasn’t having it. “i can’t weave if you’re gonna be mumbling and grunting every few seconds.” he rolls over to face her begrudgingly, and she raises her eyebrows. her words are firm, and he sighs, giving in. “y/n and i got into a little spat. i’m sure maiya’s getting her good right now for it.” he winces, awaiting her response. he knows how it sounds, but you were a little too good at aggravating him. everytime you’re within his eyesight, his gears start grinding like an explosion in slow motion. you were electric, equal to him in emotion as well as verbal combat.
kiri’s eyes fall on his wounded bicep, and she points. “is this the result?” he’s quick to ease her alarm. “no–no, this is unrelated. that’s actually why i went to see her.” her shoulders relax and she takes her seat again. “grandmother’s hut is far closer. you could just go there.” kiri picked up her yarn once more, fiddling with it as she spoke. loak’s gaze lowered and he chewed his lip, hoping that stubborn silence would end the conversation. “you know, if you just pulled your head out of your ass, she might actually like you. she’s cool like that.” loak suddenly felt restless. he abruptly got to his feet, heading out as quickly as he came. “yeah, yeah.” he muttered under his breath, trying to brush her observations off in vain.
✶✶✶✶
your eyes swelled in frustration as you left the tent, but you were too embarrassed to cry. this was your own doing. your feet padded on the dirt, steadily increasing their speed as you travel deeper into the forest. after running for what felt like hours, the air was bitter in your lungs and they heaved with effort. you crumbled beside a small creek, throat still tight like a vice enveloped it as you dropped your feet in the water. you were unmoving for several minutes. a flat stone flies past your arm, and you look in the direction it came from with trepidation creeping into your muscles. loak follows the flying stone with his eyes as it skips over the water’s surface, face stoic. you don’t relax at the sight of him, instead rigidly turning back to the creek as you anxiously run your tongue over your teeth.
loak stands still for a moment, staring at the tension in your shoulders before apprehensively sitting down a few feet away from you, letting the water lap at his calves. eyes glued to the folded hands on your thighs, you ask, “why are you here, loak?” with quiet defeat in your tone. he begins absentmindedly moving his feet in the water. “i probably shouldn't have done that back there. it crossed a line.” you scowl at your hands, uncomfortable with his pity. “i don’t know what you’re talking about,” you bristle. there were never apologies, never any outright confrontations like this. not with loak. he throws his head back, sighing through his teeth at the clouds above as a silent plea for the virtue of patience. “cut that shit out. i know she yelled at you.” his eyes drop, watching as you twist your hands. “thanks for the pity, you can be on your way now.” you snap, challenging him as your narrowed eyes bore into his own.
loak huffed exasperatedly, laying on his back as his feet swayed in the cool water. “when my dad found out the RDA was back, he really grilled us with training. more than before. i got yelled at left and right,” he licks his lips, aware of your now attentive gaze on him. “and it fucking sucked. i’m just saying, i get it.” you hummed lowly, pursing your lips and pinching your brows together. “you probably had it coming,” you inhale sharply through your mouth, “but yeah. it fucking sucks.” this was uncomfortable; toying with an unspoken boundary. you didn’t like the vulnerability that hung in the air.
you bite the bullet. you knew you had to have a word with him eventually, for maiya, but you didn’t expect it to happen when you were still licking your wounds. “maybe i shouldn’t be beating people up in a healing hut.” laughter rolls through his torso, hands on his stomach. “you did not beat me up, y/n.” you allow a small smile to play at your lips, cautiously shuffling closer. if he noticed, he didn’t say anything about it.
the two of you sat awkwardly by the creek for some time. loak confided in you about how he felt he didn’t belong in his father’s squad, and you did the same. the conversation was timid, unsure, but wholehearted. as you spoke, his eyes fell to the dip in your cupid’s bow before snapping back up to your bright eyes. it happened so fast, he was sure you weren’t aware. to put it plainly, loak was nervous. your closeness made his heart pound in his chest, and he struggled to control his breathing. he didn’t know where to look; your eyes felt too intimate, but if his were to wander it would be moreso. he restricted himself to watching the gentle breeze rock the water, but still your voice infiltrated his ears, your scent filled his nose. you were overwhelming, everywhere, and it made him uneasy.
✶✶✶✶
loak had walked back with you to the village, tail stiff behind him. you now stood outside of maiya’s hut, fretfully alternating your weight on each foot as you listened to her soft hums inside. you were close to chickening out, but before you dejectedly turned back, you hear her sigh. “come inside, maite.” you suck in a breath before lifting the entrance flap, looking sheepish. “i am so sorry, maiya. it’s been resolved. please forgive me.” the words are escaping your mouth like vomit. she rests a heavy hand on your shoulder and rustles your hair with a soft smile on her face. “all is well. come, i need a second opinion on this paste.” she turns back towards the counter, mixing peacefully. you’re rooted to the ground for a moment, processing her words slowly, before stepping to her side.
the sky had grown dark, and you put your fingers to your forehead to bid maiya farewell. as you walked home, something curled in the pit of your stomach. you were sure you had overshared with loak, and regret was creeping its way into your mind. only when you climbed into your hammock did it begin to unfurl. it was unlike him to reach out to you like he had, and you feel skeptical about the unfamiliarity of the situation. hopefully, it was a misnomer you could write off.
✶✶✶✶
it was noon, and loak was flying his ikran closely above the treetops alongside his dad, brother, and a handful of other warriors. the raid had gone as planned, but there were knicks from bullets painting his skin and he was almost positive there was blood running down his spine. as they landed, loak removed his queue from the animal and walked wearily with heavy footing towards his grandmother’s hut; the fact that it was closer than yours and he was exhausted was a bonus, but his main concern was the on-edge feeling you had given him the day before. had he made a mistake, allowing himself to be close to you? he didn’t have the energy to entertain that line of thought. loak peeks into the entrance to find his grandmother already working on several of his colleagues, most of which are substantially more injured than he is. moat sees his shadow on the floor and looks up, pulling a tight smile. “tìrol, i am afraid i cannot assist you right now. will you need help getting to maiya?” he grimaced internally, before responding, “no grandmother, i’ll be alright. thank you.”
he departed swiftly, feeling pain shoot up his left leg with every step. you were prepared with abundant supplies, already tending to one other navi soldier. in the entrance, he watched your brows pinch as you stitched up a deep gash in the man's thigh. maiya wasped around you, analyzing your skill as she prepared gauze for the wound. loak almost forgot why he was here, why he didn’t come here sooner. his eyes drank in your graceful movements; after you expressed your lack of confidence in being a proper healer, he was sure you would go pale at serious injuries, but instead you worked fast and calm. he watched your hands caress the skin with calculated movements, watched as your smooth voice eradicated the fear in the warrior’s eyes. only when maiya took over with the gauze did you see him in the entrance, stricken with grief at your skill.
for an awful moment, there were flashes of envy in his gut; he had devoted his life to reminding you that he was better than you, but you were here all this time actively making a difference in the clan while he disappeared into a sea of identical soldiers. and the way the warrior looked at you kindly, with blind appreciation–he had never been able to wear that look on his face with you. loak suddenly feels cheated by life; it was really that easy? his gut became heavy. you offer him a clipped smile, motioning him inside. feeling sick, he was grateful to take a seat on the mat, tucking his legs underneath his thighs in earnest. “how are you feeling?” you ask, already bringing an array of remedies to the mat. “tired,” he mumbles distantly. you trip over your words, embarrassed at his blunt misunderstanding; surely asking on his emotional wellbeing was too intimate? “i mean–well, are there–do you feel any pain anywhere?” he feels dumb, a blush beginning to raise on his neck. “my leg hurts,” he admits uncomfortably. you nod, holding your hands out apprehensively in question.
loak understands, unfolding his legs and pushing the left one towards you silently. you feel for any fracture or break in bone, and allow yourself to breath out when there aren’t any. still, you apply a numbing cream and move to his back. your fingers were so light on his spine they almost tickled, and he shifted awkwardly under your touch. he prayed wordless thanks that he wasn’t in need of stitches; he wasn’t sure how much more of this he could take. tentatively, you fill the heavy silence. “okay, i think you’ll be fine–” your breath hitches as you move around to his front, catching his dazed eyes with your own. your interactions with loak now felt clumsy, full of doubt and hesitancy, and you didn’t like it; you could no longer predict his thoughts, much less his next move. he clenches his jaw and brings a shaky hand to the floor, pushing himself up and moving his eyes away from you. “thanks, i’ll be on my way now.” you share a look with maiya as he walks off, still shaking.
summary: as a healer, y/n had taken an oath to treat every patient with their best interests in mind. this hadn’t been a problem, until loak’s petty injuries become a routine. she has to swallow her pride and feign concern, feign kindness, and face the ugly hate that has been brewing between them for years.
tags: enemies to lovers, best friend kiri, mentions of blood, tension
word count: 1.6k
notes: i literally put one (1) drink into my system and feel the overwhelming urge to write them making out sloppily but i CANT yet. bear with me.
⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺‧ ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺‧ ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺‧ ‧͙⁺˚*･
pairing: loak x f!omatikaya reader
summary: as a healer, y/n had taken an oath to
love when it makes you lose your bearings / it might be more of an obsession / you better lock your phone / and look at me when you're alone / won't take a lot to get you goin' / i'm sorry if it's torture though / that heavy breathin' on the floor / i’m yours, i'm yours
nova – a star that suddenly increases its light output tremendously and then fades away to its former obscurity
maiya’s eyes were locked on you as you watched loak storm out of the hut, tail swishing wildly behind him. your shoulders were tense, and you stared at his back with a blaze flickering behind your eyes as if you were attempting to burn a hole straight through him. she pursed her lips before giving a resigned sigh. “y/n, dear, a healer must welcome someone in need with open arms. i realize you two have… issues, but eywa has chosen this path for you. do not throw it away for this boy. you have a strong heart and gentle hands, you will grow to be a fine healer.”
your stomach dipped at her words, surprised by the comforting gesture. you were happy to work alongside such an understanding woman, but you felt misplaced as a medicine man. the title weighed heavy on your conscience; everytime you were faced with a bloodied guest, you doubted the purity of your morals. were you even upstanding enough for them to put their trust in you? a twinge of guilt filled your lungs, compromised your senses, and made your cheeks darken in shame under her kind eyes. you turned towards her and offered what you hoped was more of a smile than a grimace before resuming your work.
✶✶✶✶
your apprenticeship left ample room for free time. you wandered the archery grounds, absentmindedly shuffling the stones under your feet. kiri would meet you there shortly for a round of target practice. you admired the way she carried herself, unburdened by responsibilities. this wasn’t to say that kiri didn’t have responsibilities; she frequently prepared meals with her mother, watched over tuk, and wove beautiful clothing articles for her siblings. sometimes she could even be found working with remedies at your side. but she was a free spirit, balancing these tasks with ease. no singular label tied her down.
as she approached the clearing, you offered her a beaming smile and waved her over with a bow in your hand. “hey girl, long time no see!” she shouted from the trees. “i saw you yesterday, kiri. although since then my life has drastically changed!” you sarcastically shouted back with an amused grin on your lips. a loud laugh waved through her body as she came to a stop beside you. “ready to get your ass beat?” she asked, removing an arrow from her quiver. you shoved her side lightly, “it depends, is that what usually happens to the winner?”
the playful jabs continued throughout the training, ebbing away at the worry you carried in your chest from the day before. you two were tied, each with one target to go. you straightened your spine and pulled the drawstring back, allowing it to rest lightly on your lips. you squinted an eye, inhaling sharply through your nose before letting it fly to hit dead center. you whipped your head in her direction, smug. “wow, i can’t believe i’m the best archer ever. i’d like to thank my family and also eywa for this opportunity,” you teased. she smacked you lightly with her tail, a smirk on her lips as she released her own string. “a tie again. one of these days i’ll get you. sleep with one eye open, y/n.”
you chirped at eachother the whole way back to hometree, eventually slipping into quiet, lighthearted conversation. you lay on your back, the grass tickling the nape of your neck as you chew your lip worriedly in a lapse of silence. “kiri,” you start cautiously, “have you ever felt like shit? generally? i mean, i love maiya like a mother, but i sometimes feel like i’m wasting my days in that hut. i don’t even know if i’m cut out for it.” you avoid her eyes, instead suddenly finding great interest in the trees above. she rolls onto her stomach, pinching her nose in thought. “sometimes. like, i don’t even know if i fit into any one role, i just wander. i think loak is the same; although he’s always training with dad, i’m not sure his heart is in it.” you tense at the mention of his name, chewing the inside of your cheek as you hum in response. of course, she knew you two weren’t on good terms, but he was her brother, and you weren’t daft enough to assume he would just disappear; nor would you ever ask her to censor her life for you. “and, y/n, you are not only a healer,” she adds. you meet her eyes now, pushing yourself to mirror her soft smile. she strays from the topic, leaving the sentence hanging with promise and assurance.
you find yourself heading back to the healing hut in hopes of finding maiya. instead, a lone figure was hunched over your fieldnotes, too tall to be the elder in question. loak, with trained ears, hears you in the entrance despite your quiet steps. you march over to him, peeling the journal from his grasp. “that’s not yours,” you spit. although the journal held only facts and data of wildlife, you felt violated that he’d looked through it. he leans back on the counter, peering down at you through his brow with a coy smirk tugging at his lips. “your writing is illegible. it looks like it belongs to some blind kid.” you seethe, flashing your canines passively while you hurriedly flip through the pages, half-expecting him to have ripped some out. they were pristine, as you had left them. your eyes meet his again, viscous like honey from the irritation swimming in them. “what do you want?” he clenches his jaw and manually removes his gaze from your own, putting his arm out to you defiantly.
his bicep is marred with blood, now dry and coppery against his cerulean skin. you surrender, remembering what maiya had told you after his last visit. while you didn’t have your heart set on being a healer, you didn’t want to disappoint her. she relied on your help; no longer swift or energetic enough to make the trip for gathering. he allows himself to be led towards the mat, feeling your prodding fingers pushing him down to sit. dusk had began to fall on the village, leaving a cool breeze gliding through the flaps of the hut. you take a cloth to his bicep, which he still holds out for you quietly. he clenches his jaw at the pressure you apply, refusing to let out a hiss of pain in your presence.
“looks like the trainee isn’t off to a great start. i’ve been here for about an hour,” he grunts. you furrow your brow, feeling it twitch with annoyance, and press the cloth harder into his wound. “ow, what the fuck?” he barks. “don’t be an ass, i’m the only one here to help you.” your jaw juts in anger, eyes trained on him for his next move. your interactions were like a game of chess; each word aimed at destroying the other’s ego. right now, loak was losing. and he knew it. quick to retaliate, he counters, “you’re hardly any help at all.” he was struggling to control his voice, hate rising in his throat like bile. but chess was a game of calculation; whoever breaks first is the loser.
you narrow your eyes, nipping at your cheek in a feeble attempt to keep your temper in check. you dip your fingers into the fresh pot of yalnabark that sat near your hip. “if you were a better warrior you wouldn’t get mauled every day, you wouldn't need my help,” you jeer. loak’s stomach tenses with rage, causing him to stutter under your touch. “if you were a better warrior, you’d be on the battlefield instead of fawning over every scratch in the clan,” he snaps, ripping his arm away.
it’s wrong to hurt someone who seeks assistance in your own healing hut. you know that. he was grasping for the upper hand, and overstepped. you could ignore it if you really wanted to. fuck it, though. you shove him into the mat, shouting curses in his face. he was able to keep up with your rapidly escalating anger, growling as he pushed you back. you jolt under his weight, hissing into his chest in a blind rage. a sly grin formed on loak's face, heavy amber eyes following the movement of your mouth as it cursed him to the moons and back. it was short lived as you weighed your options before choosing to knee him in the groin. his hand gripped your forearm as he groaned in pain, pushing you farther into the floor.
the anger you carried was usually shackled tightly, hidden desperately behind thick curtains. loak was the only person you revealed it to. and when you did, instead of the usual passive, clinical, and impersonal 'calming' techniques used by others, he’d bite back with equal force. you would dance with eachother using dangerous words and petty pushes. and the both of you craved it; an outlet to drown in.
maiya chooses then to walk into the hut, watching you aggressively jostle eachother around like children. disappointment etched across her face as she towered over the scene. loak’s eyes follow yours to meet her gaze. both of your cheeks reddened as you fastidiously removed your hands from eachother. he scrambles to his feet, providing you with one last private snarl before leaving you alone in the hut with her yet again. you locked your jaw, anticipating her reaction with a clenched, dry throat.
summary: as a healer, y/n had taken an oath to treat every patient with their best interests in mind. this hadn’t been a problem, until loak’s petty injuries become a routine. she has to swallow her pride and feign concern, feign kindness, and face the ugly hate that has been brewing between them for years.
tags: enemies to lovers, best friend kiri because i love her, eventual angst
word count: 1.1k
notes: i’m desperate for more loak x reader slowburns on this app. this is my first fic! (i gotta use this english degree for something lmfao) i cant do summaries but i want him so bad you guys
⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺‧ ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺‧ ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ ☽༓･*˚⁺‧ ‧͙⁺˚*･
pairing: loak x f!omatikaya reader
summary: as a healer, y/n had taken an oath to
billie bossa nova: love when it makes you lose your bearings / it might be more of an obsession / you better lock your phone / and look at me when you're alone / won't take a lot to get you goin' / i'm sorry if it's torture though / that heavy breathin' on the floor / i’m yours, i'm yours
nova – a star that suddenly increases its light output tremendously and then fades away to its former obsurity
you had known loak since you were four years old. he would scoff at your small achievements and be quick to retort with one of his own. if you climbed a particularly intimidating tree, he’d climb higher. if you had perfect aim with your bow, he’d rush to shoot at your target first. he antagonized you at every corner, and you quickly grew to hate him in return. his taunting voice was acid in your ears as it ghosted down your spine. when the two of you were twelve, you had gotten into your first physical fight. he yanked at your tail, and you did the same to his queue. by the time jake had found you, you were both covered in dirt and had tumbleweeds for hair, leaves sticking out haphazardly. you had gotten chewed out good for that, all the while sharing scowls with eachother across the room. now, you weren’t an ungracious woman; it didn’t matter who started it, but you’ll be damned if he gets the last blow.
at nineteen, loak’s shoulders had filled out and his scrawny frame became a sinewy, looming presence. you two would orbit around eachother, clashing periodically–inevitably. it wasn’t pretty, it was rather captivating like a car crash; addicting to watch the insults bounce off eachother like sparks. it was jarring to others at first; the way your usually reserved and civil manner morphed rapidly into something unruly, uncontainable. you were sure he got satisfaction from this, sometimes catching the twitch of a mocking, almost-smile at the corner of his lips at the thought of you losing face infront of a crowd. you had attempted to reel yourself in on countless occasions, but his teasing, expectant gaze was all the more infuriating. one day, you swore to yourself, you’d wipe the gratification off his face and hold it hostage as your own.
✶✶✶✶
you rose from your hammock in the early hours of the morning. healing the injured and unwell, waiting on their every ailment with eager and tender hands, didn’t necessarily strike you as a career path you wanted to go down, but the cards were dealt that way; the RDA was steadily seeping into the edges of omatikayan territory, and there was a pressing need for helping hands on the sidelines. as an apprentice healer, you mainly spent your time preparing various ointments for the warriors on the frontlines. this meant you first had to gather the ingredients, most of which grew deeper in the forest than most bothered to venture to. kiri was an exception, spending her early teenage years finding solace in branches far from hometree. it naturally became a routine for you to head out with her in search of plants with healing properties. she would watch you intently over your shoulder, smiling quietly to herself as you handled the flora with delicate, yet expert hands. as the dawn bled into the clouds above, you headed over to her hut, now knowing the path like the back of your hand.
“y/n!” her face split into a grin when she saw you standing in the entrance. you felt your lips lilt to match the expression of your best friend. you notioned wordlessly to the gathering basket in your arms, taking care not to startle tuk from her sleep. as you walked the forest floor together, you easily slipped into animated conversation about your elders. “i actually think maiya’s got it out for me, she rarely lets me work with the wounded. i’ve gotta be on my best behaviour so she doesn’t rip me a new one.” kiri snorted, bumping your shoulder lightly. “keep your chin up, maybe she’s waiting for your prince charming to waltz in with a missing arm.” once you reached your destination, you crouched to your knees, resting on the balls of your feet to harvest the plants.
satisfied with your diverse collection of leaves and flowers, you return to hometree just before noon, making a beeline towards the healing hut. maiya greets you with her lips pressed into a thin line, humming while you begin to sort your pile on the counter. as you grind the juice from a large alocasia leaf with a wooden mortar and pestle, loak enters the hut with his ears low and hands at his side, clasping them repeatedly like he didn’t know what to do with them. you offer him a brief frown and peer over at your elder, who decidedly doesn’t pause her task for his unceremonious entrance. you place the pestle down and bite your tongue, begrudgingly motioning for him to sit on the mat. his shoulder carries a small gash, and you notice there is a bruise forming on his ribcage. “fell down a hill. fix it up.” he bristles, feeling your heavy gaze roam his body. you wanted to laugh in his face, jeer at his crude appearance, but without this position you’d be lost and unknown to the clan. loak, on the other hand, had his duties made clear from birth–handed to him. you envied the clarity of his future.
loak watches as you gingerly apply the medicine, stomach knotting at the feeling of your slender hands on his shoulder. your eyes burn his skin, and he restlessly fidgets in his seat. “stop moving, jackass,” you snap quietly. he hates it, hates you. he hates that you hate him. when you first met, his eyes chased after your soft hair and his ears flicked at your melodic voice. all those years ago, he tried to impress you with his skills, and you took it as a competition. it was frustrating, but his pride wouldn’t allow him to admit to the initial intention behind his actions. had you not seen him as a worthy partner? was it not painfully obvious, you’d wait for him to say it? well, bullet dodged. he didn’t consider you someone to impress anymore. instead, he relished in the igniting glare you’d give him as he casually whispered provocations in your ear. loak wanted you to feel bothered, threatened by his effortless skill.
you feel his eyes crawling on your skin as you uncomfortably shift closer to apply the cream to his ribs. your fingers dance across his torso, and he grits his teeth in irritation. once you’ve finished, you’re quick to put space between yourself and him. his mouth twists as he looks up at you, about to say something, before he seems to change his mind. he abruptly stands with hands in fists, pivoting hard on his heel out of the hut without a word.
