Where's My Love? - Lo'ak

Chapter 17: New Bruise

Lo'ak is pissed to say the least.

"Go apologize to Ao'nung." Lo'ak mimics his dad's voice. "Yeah right, uhh no. Why would I go and apologize to guys that were bullies? Next he'll say I'm the disappointment to the family, like it isn't already obvious." Lo'ak says, throwing rocks into the ocean.

His hands are still bloody and anytime he looked at them his heart pounds in his chest and anxiety creeps up his neck. But in a sick and twisted way, he believes he deserves to feel that anxiety. Which is the main reason he hasn't cleaned his hands yet.

He is the protector. He has been given that role since he was just a little boy. And yet he couldn't protect Esmyrie.

"I'm not your protector Esmyrie... I'm not like you say I am." Lo'ak whispers out, throwing another rock, this one landing farther into the sea then all the others.

"One rule Lo'ak, one rule. Stay out of trouble and you can't even do that." At this point Lo'ak has abandoned throwing the rocks and it is now hitting himself on the head. "Stupid. Stupid. Stupid."

"Lo'ak, baby please don't hurt yourself." Neytiri says from behind the boy, causing Lo'ak to flinch.

Neytiri went inside the hut and saw that Jake had sat Neteyam down by a bowl of water, and was using one of the rags Jake stole from his time as a human, to rub the dried blood off his sons hands.

Neteyam was crying and sniffling but was trying his best to stay quiet. Luckily Tuk and Kiri were there to help. Kiri talking her mouth off about how awesome some of Neteyams hits were to try and get the boy's mind off the injured girl, while Tuk was sitting in his lap, playing with his hair.

When Neytiri asked Jake where Lo'ak was, Jake just shrugs his shoulders saying 'I was too hard on him'.

Neytiri left after that confession, knowing that Lo'ak gets into his own head way too easily and that scoldings from his father never end well. She also knows that Lo'ak is probably trying his best to think positive thoughts about the girl and probably just wants to see her.

Neytiri went searching for her youngest son for quite awhile, until finally she saw him at the beach where the fight broke out, sand still red from the girl, and walks over to him.

Neytiri sighs when she hears Lo'ak mumbling to himself, cursing himself out, and she has to make her presence known when she sees him hit himself.

She sees how he flinches when she speaks up, and it breaks her heart to see him so on edge.

"S-sorry mom. I didn't hear you come over here." Lo'ak mumbles out, dropping his hands to his sides.

"It's okay. Why are you out here all alone? It's almost eclipse." Neytiri says, going to move closer to her son, sighing when she sees the bruise forming on his forehead from where he was just hitting himself and dried blood on your nose from the fight.

"Oh Lo'ak." Neytiri tries to move closer but Lo'ak backs away.

Lo'ak doesn't know why but he feels cursed. He feels like he is the reason Esmyrie got hurt. Like Ewya is trying to make him pay for his sins and mistakes by hurting the ones he loves.

"I don't want you to get hurt." Lo'ak confesses not knowing for sure if his mom will understand.

"Baby, you couldn't hurt me." Neytiri says, trying to understand why he is so scared to be around anyone.

"I couldn't but... But maybe something bad would happen to you or to dad or my siblings because Ewya doesn't like me." Lo'ak cries out, his hand going to scratch at his irritated skin from the dried blood.