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It’s raining hard, which wasn’t ideal. Kiri doesn’t seem to mind though, because she’s twirling around with her arms above her head, smiling one of those distracting smiles that make Spider laugh. He watches her as she sweeps her hands over her shoulders and down her body, giggling as they go, and the action is so utterly fascinating to him, how she can find joy in something so normal.
“I didn’t think it would rain,” He says. He shakes his head, an attempt to clear the droplets of water running down his mask. Kiri thinks he looks like a sad, wet forest animal and it makes her giggle some more. The sound bites through him, and it makes him a little more disappointed in the weather.
“The rain is good. I’ve always liked this,” She says, and her arms are above her head again, doing their little dance. It’s about to hit eclipse, but Spider can’t bring himself to care. The sky has already taken on a violet color, and the rain makes a little pattering noise as it hits the pond they’re standing around.
“You’ve always liked to stand in the rain?”
Kiri rolls her eyes. “Not the rain, monkey boy. I mean having you to myself.”
She takes his hand and leads him to the pond, and even though swimming together had been his idea and the whole reason they came here in the first place, his heart still skips a beat. She’s smiling as she walks, and the sheer size of her punches the air out of him. He can’t help but scowl at her lean legs and arms, how her hand dwarfs his so easily.
They sink into the pond together, and Spider wastes no time sending a splash of water her way. Kiri gasps, covering her lips with her fingers, and Spider swallows at sight. She swiftly wrestles his arms under the water and flattens him under her weight until only his face is above the water. He likes it like this, and ponders her size against him. He remembers how she’d felt like the heaviest thing on the planet when they were children, how she grounded him every time she pinned him to the forest floor. It’s no different now, he realizes, as he smiles up at her.
“Are you done?” He laughs, and she rolls her eyes again as she lets go of him. “Here, you’ve got something on your face,” He pretends to wipe the rain off her cheeks but instead just pushes her under the water with all of his force.
It’s funny for about four seconds, and then it’s exciting: Her legs against his under the water, her clutching hands, her tail grazing him. When she comes back up she gasps again, wiping her eyes. Rain pelts down on her face, running down her lips and cheeks, and Spider wants to rub it all away with his thumbs.
“I should kill you,” She hisses, placing her hands on his shoulders to keep herself above the water.
“You’d miss me too much,” He says.
“You wish,” She sticks her tongue out, and she looks pretty like that, with her lips parting around labored pants. He watches as she leans back to float against the water, and the sight of the rain coming down hard on her lean belly makes his mouth dry. He feels feral suddenly, like a forest animal, and can’t help it when he folds his arms on her stomach and rests his chin on her wet skin.
It’s nothing they haven’t done before, they’ve touched like this since they were kids. It reminds him of the time years ago when she’d pinned him down and refused to let him up until he cried. They’d been only nine then, and she’d had at least fifty pounds on him. He remembers struggling, his mask fogging up, her smooth skin against his own, hands on him, unforgiving. He remembers her triumphant smile once he’d been worn down to a pitiful, whining mess. He’s quite fond of the memory now, and wonders if she remembers, almost wants her to. He shakes his head to will the thoughts away, and is happy she doesn’t perk up at his bold move. He uses a finger to trace the dark strips against her toned belly, and watches the raindrops pool together in her bellybutton. He briefly wonders if Eywa had sent this girl to Pandora just to punish him for who his father was.
They float in the pond like this for a while, with Kiri on her back, hands folded against her supple chest, hair fluttering against the water. Spider keeps his head and arms on her, drifting by her side. He’s sure he’s gone out of his mind with savage happiness, his skin thrumming with warmth from falling into place so easily against her. The silence was different for them, but it didn’t feel strange. His chest is doing some weird ricocheting thing and he forces himself apart from Kiri when he notices how late it is.
He gently takes her shoulders into his hands, frowning at their size, before giving her a delicate shake when he notices she’s asleep. He doesn’t know when she had drifted off, but her breaths are slow and her mouth is slightly parted, so he assumes it’s been a while. It takes a minute of coaxing whispers and shakes to get her to wake up, and when she does she is the prettiest thing he's ever seen.
“Oh, I did it again, didn’t I?” She says, moving her bangs out of her face.
“Yeah, but it’s alright. Let’s get home before your mom tans my hide and makes tweng strips out of me,” He laughs half-heartedly, taking her arm in his hand. The slide of her skin against his fingers feels natural, as if her arms were meant to be handled by him. It makes the blood rush to his head and his oxygen mask fog up a little.
“You know I wouldn’t let her,” Kiri says, letting herself be dragged from the pond. Her face and limb markings have begun to light up as eclipse settles upon them, and Spider loves the sight, wants to capture each little glowing spot under his lips.
“I hope you aren’t under the impression that you’re a good liar.” He teases back. She pulls a strap on his mask before letting it snap back to his head, causing him to wince. They start towards the clan’s village side by side after a few minutes of shaking the water off of their hair.
Spider hasn’t gotten used to the wonder of the forest, despite growing up in the thing, and he doesn’t think he ever will. There’s a sense of belonging that thrums under his skin when he’s in it, and he’s never felt more at peace than he does right now. He scurries across the forest floor, touching flora as they pass. Kiri falls in step behind him, occasionally pausing to stroke some sprouts and ferns. Her inquisitiveness makes Spider’s chest ache with something like adoration, and the fact wrings his stomach. He’s troubled by it all, by the way his ears go warm and his heart hammers against his chest when she’s around. His head is swimming when she moves to walk in front of him, tail twirling and flexing against nothing. The sight makes a fire lick up his belly, and he thinks about wrapping his fingers around it and yanking it, how she’d whip around and hit him for it. He settles for catching the tip between his fingers teasingly, and she turns her head to scowl at him.
“Watch it back there, i’ll feed you to a viperwolf so fast,” She scolds, but she’s smiling like an idiot, and her tail curls around her thigh so she can hold it in her slender hands. Spider can see the goosebumps on her arms, and the sight makes his head spin. The rain has let up a lot, now reduced to slow droplets that run down her skin. He imagines her in one of the showers at the lab, how she’d have to bend and twist her body to get under the shower head to bathe. He wonders if he’d have to help her, lathering her skin while she folds in on herself. He smirks at the thought.
“The viperwolves are my friends,” He spits back. They really weren’t, and they both knew that. She laughs anyway, which is good.
“You don’t have any friends, skxawng.”
“Ha ha.” Spider rolls his eyes and speeds up to walk beside her. “Do you remember the first time we were allowed in the forest together?”
The first time they’d been alone in the forest was the closest he’d ever been to kissing her. He remembers it vividly, how he’d swung from Jake’s arms and begged the man to let Kiri come out and play with him deeper in the forest. It took days of convincing for Neytiri to give the greenlight, and Spider was sure he was the happiest he’d ever been when Kiri followed him into the forest for the first time. He wasn’t sure why she’d fascinated him the most back then. Maybe it was the fact that she was the only girl, or how her hair was most like his. Nonetheless, he’d wanted her and her only. They ended up hiding inside a cramped tree hollow after hearing viperwolf hisses following their path. They stood pressed against each other in the tight space, and the way her small chest touched his own with every breath drove him wild. He itched to just rip off his mask and kiss her on the cheek. They’d stayed like that, in agony, until Jake found them hours later, gripping them both in a spine-crushing hug.
Kiri uses her hand to hide a giggle as she thinks about it, and Spider wants to move it away for a better look at her smile. “Only every time I’m here. Lo’ak was so jealous. You know, me and him used to hate you for being so cute.”
Spider swallows at that, face growing warm. “What?” He asks with a stuttering laugh.
“It used to make me so mad, how you looked. Me and Lo’ak hated sharing you. I wanted you all to myself, still do.” She giggles again, giving his shoulder a teasing shake as she walks.
He smiles, enjoying the idea of being some cute little pet to her that she just couldn’t resist. He wants to sit in her lap and let her pet his head and arms until he can’t bear it anymore. He watches her out of the corner of his eye, love gripping his heart in a slow beat. A few more excruciatingly quiet minutes later they’re arriving at the scattered villages of their clan, and Spider can’t help but miss Kiri already. She wastes no time bounding toward where her family are sitting together, attempting to tuck Tuk into bed. She makes sure to ruffle Spider’s locs before leaving though, and tells him goodnight. He watches her go while rolling his bottom lip between his teeth before heading back to Hell’s Gate.
He doesn’t mind the walk back alone, if anything he’s appreciative of the opportunity to clear his head. This is common practice for him after even the simplest interaction with Kiri, has been for years. His mind is a muddled mess, and he rubs his hands over his arms to pretend that it’s Kiri’s touch keeping him grounded. As he gets deeper into the forest and closer to home, the more sensual his thoughts get. She’d be really gentle, of course she would. She’d tell him that he’s doing a great job, how he’s a brave boy for getting back safe. His fantasies help him keep light-feet on the trek home. They seem to make his trip seem shorter too, because when he stands in the presence of Hell’s Gate he’s sure he’s beat his record.
Once he’s inside, it’s no different than how it always is. The lab is bustling despite how late it is, with the human’s disconnecting from their Avatars and finishing up whatever they do when Spider’s not there. Norm is the first to see him, gripping him by the shoulders and pulling him aside.
“A bit late, don’t you think?” He scolds, but his tone is soft and forgiving.
“I lost track of time. I was in the forest.”
“I know. I’m not the one you need to reassure.” Norm tilts his head to their left, where Mary is barreling toward them, her white coat sending papers fluttering off desks as she passes them.
“I’ll buy you some time. Move your ass,” Norm gives Spider a hard shove in the opposite direction, causing the latter to shake his head in amused disbelief.
He settles into bed that night with a full head. The lights in the lab feel wrong and artificial, and he puts his arm over his eyes to block it out. Everything about the lab is too bright, and Spider thinks about how Kiri is probably tucked under Jake’s arm right now, splayed out under the stars, her breath hitching as she dreams. A fit of jealousy mangles his thoughts and he uncovers his eyes to stare at the ceiling, scowling. He can hear the rattle of the oxygen filtration system and the scuffling of feet as lights are turned off around the lab. Spider forces himself to block the noise out, letting his mind focus on Kiri again and only her. He’s almost addicted to the thought of her. Just the way she speaks strikes through him, but it’s worse when she says his name. She says it with so much certainty, as if she knows his true worth, as if just speaking his name was all she wanted to do in life. He’s not certain about much, he can't afford to be while being an orphan, but he’s certain he’s finally going to do something about her assault on his mind. He falls asleep a little while after, and dreams of Kiri holding his head under water until he can’t breathe.
Dragging Kiri into the forest the next morning is almost too easy. She’s stumbling to catch up as Spider makes a path for them, holding some foraging leaves to her chest. The sight of her thin arms flexing as she moves makes him nervous. His voice will crack if he tries to speak, so he just waits for her to catch up quietly.
“Someone is eager,” She scolds, slapping a leaf over Spider’s head. He gives a shove to her lower belly and her skin feels almost too good to touch.
“The best stuff is farther this way, remember?”
“Sure I do. You’re not trying to take me to some secret place to finish me off once and for all, are you?” She says, and the sentence makes a match strike in Spider’s belly.
“You wish.”
“That’s my line.” She huffs. He grabs her by the wrist to drag her deeper into the forest, and she lets herself be led.
Foraging was never Spider’s favorite thing to do in the forest. He prefers climbing and racing Lo’ak to the treetops, but it isn’t so bad with Kiri there. She is the first to spot a bush of clustered berries, and they both cheer at the sight. Spider bends down to collect them while Kiri unfolds the foraging leaves tenderly, and Spider swears her long, nimble fingers will be the death of him. He’s so caught up in what he's doing and where his mind is heading that he jumps when she yells his name.
“What?” He barks, and is immediately sorry for his tone, lowering his gaze.
“You were reaching for the root. Here,” She states calmly, pulling her hunting knife from its sheath at her hip before slipping it into Spider’s palm. His heart hammers against his chest when she takes his hand and leads it to the thick stem of a cluster.
“Cut , don’t pull. It’s better this way, it’ll grow more.” She says, and her voice has taken on a low, womanly tone that makes Spider bite his lip. She brushes his thumb with her own, and he brings the knife down through the stem, causing the berries to collapse in a pile near their feet. Kiri makes a happy noise, taking the berries and wrapping them up into one of those foraging leaves before tying it off with a long blade of grass.
They gather a few more clusters before moving on to the boring stuff, medicinal plants and the like. Spider does a good job of cutting away parts they need and leaving the rest for it to grow again, but he almost wants to mess up a few times just to feel Kiri’s hand on his again, taking the lead. He feels a little mad with excitement, happy to do what he’s told. They’re in the forest for a few hours when they finally settle into a little nook underneath a rock to begin looking over their findings. Spider watches as Kiri unfolds some leaves of remedial herbs before sorting them in piles. He takes it upon himself to sort the bundles of fruit, narrowly managing to slip a few berries under his mask and humming at their tartness after catching his breath.
Kiri watches him with a tilted head, and her smile is as blazingly beautiful as a Pandoran sunrise. He chews and swallows slowly, licking his lips before rolling a few more onto his fingers. He uses his left thumb to lift his mask, taking a breath before taking some more into his mouth. It’s excruciatingly awkward, and he damns the fact that he’s an oxygen-breather. He smacks his lips a few times to tame the silence engulfing them, and frowns at the sticky wine-colored spots the berries left behind on his fingers.
“Those are good. Stained my hand to hell, though.” He says, biting his lip. Kiri smirks and slaps the top of his head.
“That’s why I’m letting you handle them.” She teases. She sorts a few more leaf bundles before giving him her attention again.
“Ha ha.” He rolls his eyes and threatens to wipe the residue on her, and she leaps away with a cute noise. “Here, have some.” He says when she’s still again, lifting a handful of the berries to her face.
She spares him an eyeroll, and then a smile. Spider swallows, his heart beating in his throat, and he practically melts when she takes a hold of his fingers and begins to eat from his hand. He can feel her tongue rasp against his palm in little strokes, and her molars tickle his skin. His mouth parts, and an embarrassing noise escapes his lips before he can think to stop it. She doesn’t stop, even when the berries are gone, instead licking the sticky residue off of his fingers. When she pulls back to chew and wipe her mouth with her wrist, Spider is breathing hard and trembling with triumph. He nearly keens when her eyes meet his own.
“They are good,” She agrees calmly, as if she’s unaware of how severely she had just wounded him.
Spider sputters, staring at his hand. It’s wet and shiny now, and so are Kiri’s lips. His mask fogs due to his labored breaths, and he just wants to bite, mark her all over. He’s suddenly aware of her smell, a natural moss, and he wants to rip his mask off and nuzzle into her neck, let her be the last thing he smells before he dies.
“Spider,” She breathes, her voice small. He reaches out to touch her hair, coiling it around his fingers. She shuts her eyes hard for a moment before opening them, and there’s that inquisitive look on her face he loves so much, as if she just wants to pick him apart in curiosity.
“Wanna know something I’ve always wanted to do?” Spider asks crazily. Kiri tilts her head again, urging him to continue.
He searches her eyes for a moment, and her expectant gaze gives him the confidence he needs. He takes one powerful breath and reaches for the straps on his mask. Her face contorts into a confused and fearful expression as he rips it from his face, letting it fall limp into his lap. Panic creeps up his spine as air escapes him, and his chest lurches with spasms. Kiri reaches to shove his mask back on, but he stops her by gripping her face in his hands and arching up to kiss her.
It’s soft and uncertain at first. Kiri wilts against him, and Spider appreciates her newfound smallness. Her hands flutter and fidget against her stomach, and he leads them to rest on his chest, covering them with his own. It takes a few seconds for Kiri to kiss back in earnest. Spider tastes the berries on her lips, and he tilts his head back, letting her have him, not daring to answer with his own determination. He isn’t sure what to do next, so he rubs her wrists with his thumbs, feeling her jumping pulse. She lets out a delicate breath, and he feels it travel through him like she’s giving him air to breathe.
It doesn’t work though, because he can feel himself going weak against her and his eyes rolling back underneath his closed lids. When Kiri pulls away, he gives a painful gasp and falls over onto the ground, clutching his chest. He’s panting hard, chest heaving and fighting for oxygen. Kiri lets out a frightened cry, wrangling his mask and pulling it over his face hastily. She looks pretty like that, face flushing an indigo color, lips shiny, and eyes wild. Spider can’t help but smile when his mask is in place again and filtering the oxygen from Pandora’s air. He coughs and pants a few times before laughing at her broken expression, and she does too, because she’s in just as much shock as he is.
“Are you crazy?” She breathes, crawling over and straddling him. Her arms are on either side of his head and she stares down at him, flustered. He slips a hand over her thigh to pull her closer, wordlessly asking her to crush him. His response to her question is merely a smirk and labored breathing.
“I really should kill you for that.” She says, reaching up to touch her wet lips.
“Well, I’m right here.” He teases, voice strained, reaching to yank her tail that is swishing furiously behind her.
“No, I. I can’t,” She says in defeat. “I’d miss you too much.”
They lay like that for a while, with Kiri folding her arms over Spider’s chest and watching him with those curious eyes, smiling at eachother like kids. Spider wants to tell her everything, the extent of his feelings, how every little thing about her fascinates him. He wants to tell her that he loves her, but she looks so peaceful like this, resting against him, crushing the air from his lungs, so he settles for asking if she remembers the time she had wrestled him to the ground and refused to let him up until he cried, and she says yes, how could she forget?