Chapter Text
Kiri had started her day being brought up behind the village to a small place tucked away beyond the eyes of curious villagers. In between the strong roots of the mangrove trees was a confined space, which she would share with Rotxo. Laying down on the grass, she feels at home, and although it lacked the forest animals she had once grown up with and the view left her with little food for thought, Kiri felt like it was home away from home,
"I wish you could visit the forest, Rotxo, I'd bet you would love my Ikran." Kiri knows she's spoken of this before but, Rotxo takes it in like he's hearing it for the first time.
"Your, Ikran. What was her name?" Kiri has a prominent grin on her face. Rotxo can see she's glowing with awe. "Aio. Meaning, peace." So simple yet, so fitting for a calm and placid creature, who among most Ikran, was very unbothered by most interactions.
"She was so pretty. She was dark blue and had small black dots around her body, and on the underside of her left wing was a small scar."
Rotxo grinned, tilting his head and staring at her as though she belonged to the sky. "And she was really fast. She would pick up speed the further we went up and then she'd stopped flying and we would fall. She was also a skilled hunter, one of the best." Even if it sounded like she was overexaggerating it, who was Rotxo to stop her?"
"Aio, would have loved you, I know it."
"You are very certain that your spirit sister will like me." He laughs, almost not believing her.
"She might not be as social as most Ikran are but, you would be her favourite." He feels nice to know her spirit sister would take a liking to him.
Sun gapes through big gaps in the trunks of the trees and she rolls over on her side to avoid the light hitting her eyes. So now, as she stares at Rotxo she just has to ask, "Your spirit brother. What's his name?" She glances at his eyes and sees them light up at the thought of his spirit brother.
"Tangaroa. Meaning, voyager of the sea." She finds it a little funny that his name connects but, feels it suits him.
"I'd say you chose a pretty great name." He then begins to describe the type of tulkun he is.
"He is very smart, too good for his kind. He has a temper like most male tulkun do. But he is very shy and kind to those who meet him."
Rotxo turns on his side and Kiri is now making direct eye contact with him, leaving a very flustered Kiri to smile awkwardly. "He knows about you. He finds you very curious and even nicknamed you, Arihi, meaning a woman of noble kind." She audibly gasps, no creature has ever named her. Seeing the proud look on her face Rotxo smiles.
Kiri can see the outline of his smile lines on his face, and she finds them pretty. "Oh, if only Aio could know of you. The stories I'd tell her." She laughs with such a passion for both her Ikran and Rotxo that he could almost feel the energy emitting off her.
"What kind of stories?". He gives her a smug grin, proud to be the topic of conversation.
She begins to overexaggerate. "I would tell her how you are a mighty warrior. Rotxo, warrior of the sea." Her voice changes to imitate him and she belly laughs, holding her stomach. He laughs lightly, watching her happy made him nonetheless happier.
"I would tell her about the time, you accidentally mistaken a girl for me so, you sat there talking to her and she didn't even care." Oh, now she's hysterically laughing. It courses through the air. "I thought we agreed to never speak of that?" His mouth agape making Kiri giggle.
"If she was here, I would tell her you are far better than the boys back home." Her laughter dies down to giggles, and he rolls his eyes. He had to tilt his head up as now she was standing up.
She leans on her thighs, her height reducing immensely so now she was eye level with him. "She will come to know you as intimately as I know you and you, me." She mentions softly, his face is soon dusted with a purple hue.
Eywa, what did she mean by that?
"If you see her, again."
"When, I see her, then yes." She corrects, sitting down again and running on a confidence she never knew could soar so high, she turns to Rotxo and asks him a simple question. "Can I lay down on you?", she doesn't know where it came from and it disappears, leaving an awkward tension in it's place.
"Ignore that, I didn't mean to say that." Rotxo can only look on, making her more nervous. "Do you think we should head back?" She doesn't want to but having embarrassed herself like that, she would take her own advice.
Rotxo stops her, "Kiri, if you feel better laying on me, then do as you must. I do not offend easily." He reassures her and she hesitates. She takes a deep breath and moves to lay her head on his thigh, a new surge of confidence overcomes her, and she takes his hand and places it on her heart, just above her breast.
He flushes and his skin goes a deep purple, an intimate act leaves him flustered. She giggles at his shameful attempt to hide it. He glances down, and she takes her other hand to play with his curls. Rotxo tries his hardest not to smile and fails. The urge to smile is prominent in the fond gaze that he casts down at her. He admits that she was very pretty.
Kiri admits that her view is far better than any sunsets on the open ocean.
At oftentimes throughout the period of the day, Kiri was always with Rotxo and the same would go for him but, now as the day slows and the late afternoon sky blooms over the ocean, she could be seen down on the beach with Tsireya.
They had been collecting sea glass for Tuk and were now looking out at the water. Tsireya had a small grin on her face, “What is it?” Kiri laughs.
“I don't know if I have seen this side of, Rotxo. He speaks confidentially about you, and he does so without fear.” Kiri smiles, knowing she has helped Rotxo more than anyone else has in years.
“When he speaks of home, he is with you. Maybe, you are what he's needed all this time. You are a good mate for him.” There it is, that one word that Kiri can't escape from.
“Mate? We are not mates.” Tsireya is confused, “You are not? He speaks of you like he is bonded to you. Are you sure?” Kiri nods, they weren't mates, only friends who couldn't be anything more.
“When he comes back, we must tell him before it is too late. It's very tragic to watch the one you want to bond with have the special connection with someone else.” No, she can't tell him. She can't, it will ruin everything.
Tsireya has turned to her, “You must tell him. Do not wait, you have waited long enough for this moment and he must know.” Kiri is uncertain of the consequences that might follow if she does.
“But, what if-” She starts. Tsireya interrupts her. “No, Eywa has destined you to meet him. Do not make it destined for him to choose someone he does not want.” Her words were spoken out with a force that cowers in her stomach.
“Okay..” The uneasy feeling grows. All she needed to do now was speak three words to him. All it takes is three simple words.
They are disturbed by Lo'ak and Rotxo, and as Tsireya gives Kiri one last smile to reassure her it will be okay, she leaves with Lo'ak and Rotxo has a very big smile on his face.
“I have something for you.” He voices softly.
In outstretched hands lay a neck piece that had sea glass remnants on either string. Kiri placed it around her neck and smooths over it with her hand. No one has ever hand made her a neck piece before, and seeing someone think of her so fondly made her nearly shed some tears.
“Do you like it?” He asks. “Very much. It's pretty.” She's in a state of shock, her mouth curls up into a smile.
And damn, Rotxo could stare at her and never get bored.
“Thank you, I love it so much.”
They were back where it all started. Just the two of them, one wading in the water and the other, not so awkwardly this time, standing in silence next to her. Kiri tells him to sit down.
“That day, when I saw you down on the beach. I remember trying to find ways to say hello, it didn't turn out the way I wanted it to.” He admits sheepishly, slightly embarrassed.
“You are here now, with me. I don't see what could be better.” Kiri adds, and the sun has slowly started to set, bringing with it the orange haze that is the sunset.
“That's the thing, I always want to be with you. Never apart, together as one.” He points out, being away from her made his heart strain.
“Like a bond?” She asks. Not entirely clear on what he's trying to say.
“Yes, like a connection.” He states. He moves his hand a little closer to her's and the feeling intensifies.
“But, we have a connection. Do we not?”
“Yes. You're correct..” His voice trails off and he's trying so hard to get her to notice.
Kiri has now faced away from the beautiful landscape that has pleased her since she was here and moves her whole body towards Rotxo so now she was facing him.
“What is on your mind, Kiri?” This boy and the way her name rolls off his tongue, she wants to hear it again and again until she's sick of hearing it.
“Is it more boy troubles?”
She laughs because he's right. It was boy troubles. She nods. “You are having doubts, yes?” Wow, it felt like he was in her head.
“Do not worry for him, there are many more warriors in our village who will make you happy.” His tone lacks the enthusiasm. Why? Because Rotxo wants it to be him.
“No, it's not that..”
“Then what is it?”
She shudders, overwhelmed by her nerves. It didn't help that Rotxo was here either.
“If I tell this boy, what I've wanted to tell him for a long time. I'm afraid of what he will say.”
Rotxo begins to tell her. “Afraid? Why must you cry over such a thing. You must speak without fear, speak those words with confidence and he will come to understand you.”
She snorts from how ridiculously easy he's making it sound. “If he does not see you, then I will be here to help you.” Oh, the gut wrenching twist inside her stomach doesn't do much to quell her fear.
“You are the daughter of Toruk Makto. He will come to fear you or he will come to walk beside you.”
She chuckles lightly and decides to turn the conversation onto him. “How about you, Rotxo? Are you afraid?” He shakes his head.
He reaches out for her hand. Their fingertips gently touch and he begins to smooth his fingers over her hand. They lock eyes and she sees him take a deep breath. “I have chosen, but this woman must choose me.” The sun has set. And the torches in the village light his face with a warm light. Rotxo is certain that the woman he see's will see him in return.
This is how she sees him, a warm light for her. She gazes through her lashes, and looks him in the eyes. Giggling, she tilts her head and looks at his lips before moving back to his eyes.
“She already has.” She speaks softly. He rests his hand on her cheek, and this is it.
This is the feeling she has been searching for, since she got here. Rotxo. It has always been Rotxo.
“I see you.” He whispers.
“I see you.” She whispers back with a grin on her face.
The moment was tender, he placed a soft kiss to her forehead and brings them closer. Their temples are touching and she moves to cup his face, thumbs smoothing over his skin. The intimate act is met with a careful lean as her hand weighs down.
It's like the Metkayina say;
The way of water connects all things. Before your birth and after your death. The sea takes and the sea gives.
The sea gave her Rotxo and the 'sea' had taken her heart as his own.
FIN.