The Cabin in the Snow (Chapter 3)
Summary: M’Baku and Akari get stuck in a snowstorm in a cabin during an assignment. What’s a couple of Jabari warriors to do? This fic is based on M’Baku a short time before he became the leader of the Jabari Tribe.
Author’s Note: This is a very dialogue-heavy chapter, but what else are you gonna do shut in a cabin? I know it won’t be the most exciting chapter in teh world as the conversation gets heavy, BUT I did feel like more background and depth and bonding was needed. Hope you guys likey!
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 4
@readsalot73 @skysynclair19
Akari woke to the sound of loud incessant crunching echoing from the other side of the room. In a daze she turned over onto her back stretching her arms outward. She had such a good sleep surrounded by the warmest blankets and furs which slid through her fingers as she lay her arms down. Akari was in such a refreshed state that it took her a while to register the crunching noises that were still going.
Aaaand that she wasn’t at home and didn’t know where the hell she was.
As she sat up, Akari was greeted by a half-naked M'Baku lazily eating banana chips staring back at her. "M'Baku where are we-
But as soon as she had started to talk, Akari felt a cool breeze on her chest, only to look down and realise why.
Akari rushed to pull the furs up to her neck before registering her surroundings.
Runi is going to give me hell for this.
Both their clothes on benches far away from the bed.
I can’t believe I lost it to M’Baku.
Oh Hanuman I hope we used protection.
M'Baku continued to work on his snack, amused at Akari's thinking face, knowing full well what assumptions were dawning on her. "M'Baku, please tell me we didn-
Akari's jaw dropped to the ground.
Akari's nostrils flaired as she tried to search for anything near her to throw at his face, but it was in vain. "Look under the covers." Akari took a quick peek underneath and saw that she still had her drawers on, breathing a sigh of relief. She was then bombarded with a wad of fabric that flew towards her face blinding her eyes, which M'Baku chucked at her.
Diving under the covers in the same fashion as the night before, she quickly ambled on her bra. While M'Baku turned around she crawled out of the bed to finish getting at least her singlet and pants on. Her memories had started to drift back to her: the hike, the cabin, the snowstorm, although after M'Baku started the fire her memory was still a bit fuzzy... until Akari darted her eyes to M'Baku and realised what he was doing.
"M'Baku are... are you eating our supplies? The only ones we have here in this snowstorm???""
M'Baku stopped crunching.
"Thats what you said last night."
"OH MY- wait I thought you said we didn't do anything?!"
M'Baku smirked. "Well we didnt have sex, but we did something," grinning mischeviously as he munched on another chip. "Or, more like you did something."
Sitting down on the bench that once dried her clothes she tentatively asked. "What did I do?"
"Well that doesnt sound-"
Akari almost fell off the bench. Studying M'Baku, she knew he had no reason to lie other than to joke, but she also knew that in a severe hypothermic state anyone could do anything.
"I cannot say I blame you, I mean I am irresistible." M'Baku waggled his eyebrows and laughed. Meanwhile Akari had turned a fiery red.
"You also insinuated that I was turning you on."
"YES." M'Baku started laughing again, her face even redder than before. "You went from happy to horny to nervous to lovey dovey all in one night!"
Seeing her tense up into a bundle of embarrasment, M'Baku decided shed had enough teasing and it was time to change the subject. "How are yo-"
"Hmm? For what?" M'Baku questioned, confused since he hardly ever heard Akari apologize to anyone.
"Hey, I never said I didn’t enjoy it." M'Baku chuckled. "I mean you are beautiful Akari." The words left his mouth before he could stop them, and the flush in her cheeks was back. Trying to cover it with humor M’Baku added, "Underneath all that seriousness and temper and stubbornness-" (M'Baku was about to say "and the clothes," but decided against it considering a firepoker was well within Akari's reach.)
"Hey! I'll have you know I know how to have fun, i just do it at the appropriate times unlike someooooone," Akari drawled.
"We're young aren’t we? Wouldn’t now be the best time more than ever?" M'Baku countered.
"Pfahahahaha easy for you to say. Some of us have responsibilities you know.... And I’m kinda suprised that the future leader of the Jabari tribe isn’t more..." Akari drew quotation marks in the air with her fingers, "leader-ey."
M'Baku copied her actions in a mocking tone. "Leader ey, really?"
Trying not to laugh Akari snorted into her hand. "You know what I mean."
“I’m sure you know I wasn’t the one meant to be the future leader, my brother was. Uuka. But the time came to choose who was to be king, us brothers were meant to defeat each other in ritual combat. To make sure no one in the future could cause strife among the royal siblings, this fight was to prove that the strongest warrior would rule our tribe.”
“I expected Uuka to win. We all did. He was the oldest, tallest, and most level headed when it came to battle. None of us thought we would have a chance, but that didn’t mean we weren’t going to fight him with all we had.”
“When it came my turn, I went at full force. But somewhere along the way, I went blind. Next thing I knew Uuka was on the ground beneath me. And I was claimed as the crown son.”
“I remember that time, both of you didn’t come to class for the next week or so.” Akari reminisced, remembering that when the two brothers did finally turn up to school, they both look like they had been hit by a rhino. “So, you don’t want the throne?” Akari chose her words carefully.
M’Baku sighed. “Each of us were prepared for the possibility from a young age, and although I was prepared I did not crave it. I never wanted it, but my brother did not believe me for a long time.” M’Baku would never admit it, but that hurt more than the bruises and broken bones that he had received from the fight. The fact that his own brother, and some of his younger brothers believed he was capable of such spiteful ambition. They believed him now, but he could never forget the look in Uuka’s eyes after the fight was over.
M’Baku stared at her, meeting her unmoving eyes.
“Yeah, I mean I definitely believe you. There’s no way you would’ve gone for chieftan other than to have the front seat at banquets ” Akari fell back in laughter. “And while I know you love pranks and jokes, I have never seen you act in a way that was
“No, the way you were chosen was in fair combat, yes? A fight that happened in the eyes of Hanuman. So, maybe it was his will that you were chosen for a reason. Who won that fight may not have been up to you, regardless of your intentions.”
M'Baku stared at this girl. No one had ever told him that they believed him, or that maybe it was fate, not malice or greed that won the fight that day. “No one has ever told me that.”
“Well maybe you should start surrounding yourself with people who will.” Akari countered. Not in a condescending way, but in a considerate way that made M'Baku ponder her words thoughtfully.
“What about you Akari? What secrets do you have? C’mon, and eye for an eye.” M’Baku grinned mischievously.
Akari gave in, seeing as he opened up to you, you didn’t mind doing the same. “Well, what do you want to know?”
“Well, first off, you’re very uptight.” She chuckled. "We’re you always so?”
“You don’t remember do you?” Akari’s smile dimmed slightly while M'Baku shook his head quizzically.
“I didn’t think you would, we were very young and its not like our families are close.” Akari bent down to pick up several small pebbles from the stony floor and turned to the fire, throwing them one by one. “Well when I was 8 I…. lost my mother.”
“It was a harsh winter, and she had come down with an illness the healers could not cure. I was young, my older brother was 12 I think? And little Kaia was only four. Four years old. My father was beside himself. So, both my brother and I had to grow up very fast. Me more than Zahkele since I was the one who took over looking after Kaia. Runi and her family were always there. Her parents were there for my father and Runi was my rock. They were the only ones I remember at that time. So that’s why Runi and I are so close. I get on well with others, but I trust Runi. And she knows if she ever needed me I’d be there.”
Continuing her throws Akari concluded. “So, I guess that is why I’m serious a lot of the time. I am a riot when I’m with Runi, but that’s why I keep all other friendships surface level yknw? I’ve never been looked after, I’ve only been looking after others. It’s what I know.”
"Don’t be. The thing I hate the worst is pity.” She scoffed.
“No, I was going to say, I admire you.” Akari stopped mid-throw, watching M’Baku’s serious face as he clasped his hands together. “I have never been through anything close to that, and hearing you take care of your family like that, I don’t know if I could have ever done what you did.”
"Well.... thank you M’Baku." Akari threw the reamining pebbles into the fire before pulling one leg up onto the bench. "The pressure isn’t as bad as it was, my family is doing okay now. But I still have to make sure I do what I can to care for them. I guess the responsibility just sunk into my bones haha.”
M’Baku returned your smile, but your moment was interuppted as the howling winds brought his attention to the surrounding landscapes that could be seen through the window. “On the bright side, we should be able to head back down tomorrow.”
“Because its almost evening. I… let you sleep considering I thought you needed it.”
Akari scrunched her nose. “Was it that bad?”
“Yes.” M'Baku pursed his lips. Last night was more than eventful, but he wouldn’t forget the way Akari looked in that storm, and how he shivered in his arms. It was the first time he had ever been close to someone who was in that kind of state, and he still cursed himself.
“Akari, I am sorry for yesterday. Truly.”
Akari raised her brows. She wasn’t used to seeing this side of M'Baku, but she could tell he felt extremely bad. Wanting to ease M'Baku of his guilt-pained expression Akari spoke “It’s alright M'Baku, mistakes happen. And we probably would have made it down yesterday if it wasn’t for this freak snowstorm.”
M'Baku’s head snapped back up, his expression more hopeful than before.
“I saved you some chips” M'Baku offered the bag that was only a quarter empty and you couldn’t help but laugh hysterically at the ¾ empty gesture looking at his cheesy smile. She couldn’t help but warm up to this literal goofball of a gorilla, and she didn’t know why. Maybe it was the way his eyes watched her with concern as she told her story, like he actually cared. Maybe it was the way he had taken care of her while she was out of it, the fact not lost on her that he had possibly saved her life.
Maybe that was why when he dragged her closer to him in his sleep and cuddled her waist with his huge forearm, nuzzling into her cheek as he buried his face into her hair, she didn’t think to move away.
She just curled her arm over his and smiled as she fell asleep.
