Chapter Text
He was just walking around. He swears he was just taking a walk. He needed fresh air to clear his head, to stop thinking about this fight with his parents, especially with his father. He needed to be in a place that made him feel comfortable. At home. So he decided to go for a walk in the forest behind the village. He had sunk deeper than he wanted to. He was on alert, Tsireya had told him about a variety of fairly poisonous snakes hanging around the area.
Lo'ak was just walking around. And yet there he was, standing in front of Ao'nung who was terrified, even though it seemed his ego wouldn't let him show it. He holds the inside of his left thigh with his shaking hands. Tears stuck in his eyes that refuse to flow. The ears of the metkayina are glued to its skull. Lo'ak felt bad.
"what's going on?" The omaticaya asked him with a falsely disinterested air.
Lo'ak was really curious about what had happened to him. Ao'nung didn't answer, his lips quivering as he tried to stop himself from crying. So instead of giving an answer, he withdrew his hands slowly to reveal a large red plate, enthroned in the middle two small red dots. Like bites.
Lo'ak crouched down and grabbed his thigh to get a better look. He was careful not to press too hard so as not to hurt the metkayina.
"Were you bitten by one of those snakes Tsireya told me about?" Now Lo'ak was a little worried, he remembered his friend telling him that if the venom wasn't removed soon, the victim could die. Or something like that.
Ao'nung nodded, his fists clenched. Lo'ak bit his lip, panic starting to set in his stomach. Okay he and Ao'nung weren't bestfriends, but Lo'ak didn't hate him enough to let him die. He could quickly go back to his marui to get his mint leaves... Oh no, that's no longer possible.
And anyway, they were too far from the village. They had to act fast, right? Ao'nung's thigh took on a really not reassuring color. And the metkayina realized it. Panic was slowly taking its place in his stomach too. His breathing was becoming jerky. His eyes finally let out the tears they were holding back.
"I don't want to die..." His voice was whisper but Lo'ak still heard him. And that didn't help his anxiety.
"you won't die. We still have time..." Lo'ak started, but Ao'nung cut him off, "The village is too far from us!" He was angry. Lo'ak had to think fast. He was right, the village was too far.
Come on, Lo'ak, think !
The omaticaya's eyes were glued to Ao'nung's thigh. Therefore, he didn't miss the little slippery drop from the bite. Lo'ak wiped it off and looked at it.
Transparent.
A memory of his father telling him and his siblings a story of when he was a warrior on Earth. When one of his comrades was bitten by a snake. His dad said it was dangerous, but it worked.
Lo'ak took a deep breath and grabbed Ao'nung's face to lock his gaze in his.
"I have an idea. It's weird, but it can work. Enough until we get to the village. You trust me?" Lo'ak asked.
The metkayina looked at him with misty eyes. He didn't trust him. But his life depends on it, and he doesn't want to die, so he'll deal with it. He nodded, and the younger boy relaxed his face. Lo'ak positioned himself between his legs, grabbing the left one and resting it on his shoulder. That way the bite was right in front of his face.
"Wow, what are you doing?!" Ao'nung was surprised. He wasn't really expecting that. Lo'ak gave him a reassuring look, then steadyed the leg on his shoulder. He stared at it for several seconds, wondering how he was going to do it, then decided to go for it.
He gently put his mouth on the wound and ran his tongue over the two small spots. Ao'nung inhaled in surprise. His hands found refuge in Lo'ak's hair and arm.
"what are you doing?" Ao'nung repeated. But Lo'ak did not answer. He gently grabbed the skin with his teeth and sucked in slowly. For the first two seconds, nothing happened. Then a liquid settled on his tongue. He didn't swallow it, he put it in the side of his mouth. It worked!
Ao'nung moaned slightly in pain. His hands tightened. Lo'ak pulled his head away and spat what he had harvested, on the ground. Transparent. Without the smell and taste of blood.
"Lo'ak?"
The forest Na'vi met the insecure gaze of the metkayina. He smiled slightly at him and went back to his task. Ao'nung laid down his body to be more comfortable, occasionally letting out curses and moans of pain that Lo'ak thought could easily be interpreted differently. No but seriously, who lets out that kind of noise when they're in pain?
After the third spit, Lo'ak pressed his fingers on the wound and more venom came out. He sighed and went back to work. Yet this time, the pain was stronger than before, perhaps because we were nearing the end? Either way, the mounting pain took Ao'nung by surprise and startled him. Which also surprised Lo'ak, biting into the flesh in reflex. Ao'nung screamed and pushed his thigh away as best he could, even though Lo'ak was still holding it. The younger one tilted his head away to glare at Ao'nung.
"Damn, Skxawng, what's going on with you?!" Ao'nung looked at Lo'ak's toothmark and scolded.
"And you? What's your problem? Why did you bite me?!" He asked while yelling. "Because you scared me, it was a reflex!" He answered.
They looked at each other for a moment, then Lo'ak rolled his eyes with a sigh and returned to his task. Ao'nung was squirming all over the place, it was quite funny to see. On the other hand, the noises he made could really be considered obscene without the context.
Lo'ak spat out the rest of the venom one last time, this time mixed with a little blood. He sighed in relief.
"Please tell me it's over..." Ao'nung asked slowly.
Lo'ak couldn't stop a smirk from appearing on his face upon seeing Ao'nung's face. His eyes swollen with tears and his cheeks flushed after crying made him…cute.
"I like it when you beg me." Ao'nung rolled his eyes but didn't move.
Lo'ak sneered, then looked back at the bite. The marks of his teeth were clearly visible. If anyone saw it, Ao'nung would be in trouble.
"What are you laughing at?" If a look could kill, Ao'nung would have already killed Lo'ak.
"Nothing at all." Bah, Lo'ak found it amusing to make fun of Ao'nung. A suspicious noise reached Lo'ak's ears. He turned his upper body towards the noise but saw nothing.
The omaticaya massaged the contours of the bite gently. Ao'nung sighed contentedly. His body relaxed.
"Where did you learn that? I've never heard of such a method..." His eyes closed and his hands fell to his sides. Lo'ak smiled with more amusement. He put Ao'nung's leg on the ground and then sat down beside him.
"Of course, it's a technique that comes from the Earth."
"The sky people?" Lo'ak nodded. He looked at the sky then smiled.
Tuk was worried. Lo'ak and his father had a fight and Lo'ak ran away from the marui right after. All because of mint leaves.
Tuk was playing with her toy when she tripped over Lo'ak's blanket, landing on his things. A glass jar filled with leaves had rolled out of its bag. Tuk took it in his hands and showed it to his father, who immediately recognized the contents. He had said that mint leaves had a different effect on a Na'vi unlike the human body. The mint leaf has the same effect as the drug, making anyone who takes it addictive. So inevitably when his father saw the jar, he was worried and that's why he was angry.
When Lo'ak returned, he returned with Neteyam. Kiri was somewhere with Rotxo. Lo'ak's smile faded the second he saw his jar in his father's hands.
"Dad, it's not what you think..." Lo'ak had tried to explain himself, but his father was angry. Very angry.
"So what do I believe, huh? Do you know what these leaves can do to the body?" It is true that in addition to being addictive, mint leaves have a harmful effect on the cells of the na'vi. The smell itself could be dangerous, it is also because of its smell similar to mint on Earth, that scientists have nicknamed it so.
"I know but..." His father interrupted him, he didn't want to hear anything. Tuk was scared. She had never seen her father so angry. Especially for leaves. The little girl saw her father open the jar and take the leaves in his hands. He walked towards the fire.
"Wait dad! Please don't do this, let me explain..." Lo'ak tried but his father did not wait for the rest and threw the leaves into the fire. Tuk saw Lo'ak stop short and stiffen. His eyes were glued to the fire. Everyone had backed away. Except for his mother, who was slowly approaching Lo'ak. She was worried that her son was taking dangerous substances.
"Lo'ak, my boy..." She tried to touch the top of his head but Lo'ak clapped her hand with his and walked over to his father as the entire family looked on indignantly.
"Lo'ak, how could..." His father didn't have time to finish as Lo'ak violently pushed him further. Tuk had never seen so much anger on his big brother's face and eyes.
"You… jester! You won't even let me explain! You yell at me, and you throw away my mint leaves! How did you find them in the first place? Did you go through my stuff?!" His voice rose in anger with every word he said. Tuk took refuge in Neteyam's arms. His father seemed as angry as Lo'ak.
"You'll calm down right away..." His father started. "No!" Lo'ak interrupted his father in turn. He was so angry that Tuk could swear she saw smoke billowing from her big brother. "You are the one who will calm down and listen to me!" He snatched the jar from his father and walked away.
"You have no right to rummage through my things and set them on fire. Even if it's mint leaves! In addition to drawing the wrong conclusions, you are getting angry for nothing!" He exclaimed.
"I'm getting angry for nothing?!" His father said.
"Shut up!" A surprised and heavy silence settled over the family. Lo'ak tossed the jar onto his pallet and, miraculously, didn't break.
"Yes, you are angry for nothing! I did not use these leaves to drug myself but to heal! If you had the savvy to listen to me, you would know that when mixed with fairy flower pollen and heated to a certain degree, mint leaves help release venom from a body!" Lo'ak caught his breath. Tuk looked at his older brother in wonder. How could Lo'ak know when even Kiri didn't?
"How do you know?" His mother asked much more calmly. Lo'ak had turned towards her with such speed that Tuk was sure he had been dizzy.
"I discovered it with Max and Norm a few years ago" He answered. He sighed very loudly, trying to calm himself down. He ran his hands over his face, then groaned when he realized he couldn't calm down. "Anyway, it's too late. It was grandmother who gave it to me, she told me to make good use of them..."
Anger brought tears to his eyes. He sighed again and turned towards the door. His mother tried to stop him from leaving but Lo'ak was faster. Tuk was not calm and she knew that Lo'ak could do weird things when he was angry.
So she decided to follow him. His family remained at the marui, fortunately. Lo'ak had gone into the forest behind the village. He was fast. Faster than her and her little legs. So inevitably when she realized that she had lost sight of him, it did not surprise her.
She was about to give up when she heard a scream. Followed by Lo'ak's voice. Oh no, Lo'ak got himself into trouble again. Tuk thought. She rushed towards the noise, worry clinging to her stomach.
When she arrived at her destination, she hid behind a tree for safety just in case. Her ears perked up when she heard strange noises coming from someone behind the tree hiding her. Then she heard spitting, and someone say:
"Please tell me it's over..."
This voice is Ao'nung's! But that means Lo'ak is with him. And what did he mean by that? Tuk was no fool. She knew that sometimes some people did adult things, and as a result they had a weird voice. And Ao'nung's voice was really weird. But all of Tuk's doubts faded when Lo'ak answered him.
"I like when you beg me."
Tuk's cheeks darkened. To be really sure, the little girl poked her head out of her hiding place. She couldn't help a small sound of surprise when she saw Ao'nung's leg on Lo'ak's shoulder. The metkayina's face was hidden behind Lo'ak, but Tuk could visualize what was happening.
Lo'ak turned his head towards her as she put hers away. She held back her breath. It would be too much of a shame if her older brother saw her while he was having fun with Ao'nung. Especially for him.
When she was sure that Lo'ak was no longer looking at her, she ran away. She should not repeat what she had seen. But it was dangerous because Tuk doesn't know how to keep secrets, especially in front of her mother.
When she arrived in her marui, she found her whole family there with the Olo'eyktan. He was talking with his father.
"Tuk?" Her mother took her in her arms and hugged her tight. Tuk thought her mother was exaggerating, she was only gone for a few minutes. Her father turned to her, Tonowari was looking at her too.
"Tuk, have you found your brother?" Her father asked her. She pursed her lips. She shouldn't say anything. She had promised herself. The Olo'eyktan walked over her and smiled gently.
"Tuktirey? Have you seen my son? I've been looking for him since this morning." Tuk puffed out her cheeks and turned her head away. She shouldn't say it. Her mother stroked her hair gently and forced her to look at her.
"Tuk, have you seen the Olo'eyktan's son?" Her mother asked sweetly. She didn't answer right away. But under the insistent gaze of everyone she ends up cracking.
"I saw him with Lo'ak" Hearing his son's name, Jake Sully stepped forward to hold his daughter's head in his hands.
"Were they fighting?" Tuk shook her head. Her flaw is that sometimes she talked too much. And now, well, she was talking too much. "They were both in the forest. Ao'nung was lying on the ground and Lo'ak had his leg on his shoulder. And Ao'nung was making weird noises." It was when she saw the eyes of the adults that she realized that she had said too much. Sorry Lo'ak, Ao'nung. Tuk thought.
Jake and Tonowari exchanged a look and then the Olo'eyktan coughed and excused his departure. The atmosphere at home was really awkward and heavy afterwards. Especially when Lo'ak came home. Neteyam was quick to check for any mark or smell on his little brother. Much to Lo'ak's displeasure. Even though the older one had found nothing, he was not satisfied.
At dinner, Lo'ak and his father were face to face but neither looked at or spoke to each other. Neytiri occasionally glanced at her youngest son. Kiri and Neteyam were on either side of him.
Lo'ak did not last ten minutes. He felt claustrophobic, squeezed between his older brother and older sister. So he got up, claiming that he was no longer hungry, and went to sit on the edge of the beach. Looking at the sea in the distance.
Lo'ak was so lost in thought that he didn't see his father sitting next to him. When he saw him, Lo'ak nearly jumped. He really didn't want to see his father now. He still resented him for the mint leaves. Jake tried to bring up the subject, to say something but nothing came. Instead of saying everything Lo'ak probably wanted to hear. He simply says to him: "I'm sorry"
Lo'ak's ears turned to his father. But he didn't look up from the ocean. Jake took that as a sign to continue.
"I shouldn't have thrown away your leaves..." Lo'ak rolled his eyes. "You know, I didn't go through your stuff. Tuk found them."
Lo'ak looked at his father for the first time with a sigh. "I know, she told me before eating,"
He took a deep breath and then looked back at the ocean. "I apologize for pushing and insulting you. I was angry…"
Lo'ak expected his father to tell him that he should have controlled himself, that anger is not the solution. But instead, Jake put his hand on his son's head and gave him a small smile. Then he got up and walked back. Leaving a completely lost Lo'ak.
Lo'ak and Ao'nung exchanged a look before feeling their cheeks blush.
Did their parents just insinuate what they think?!