₊˚.༄ 𝐋𝐎'𝐀𝐊 𝐎𝐍𝐄-𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓𝐒 ₊˚.༄

𝟏. 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐃 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐒 ₊˚.༄

You were great friends with Neteyam, perhaps even more than the rest of his siblings. Maybe it was because the rest never really put an effort to get to know you, or be as close to being friendly.

So, usually, it was just you and Neteyam.

You had always been entranced by his family since the day they showed up on your island. You never minded them around unlike the rest of your clan.

This morning was no different.

You merrily skipped your way to the Sullys' pod, intending on stealing Neteyam for a little while.
Usually, he'd be up by the crack of dawn.

Instead, you reached their pod only to find Lo'ak awake instead, next to him his sleeping brother. The rest of the Sullys were drunk on sleep, too, you noted, eyeing the snoring family.

Lo'ak arches an eyebrow at you,
"You're here for Neteyam, I bet?"

You miss to realise the pink tinge over his cheeks and irregular hushed-kept tone.

You merely nod your head from where you were standing outside of their pod. Lo'ak looks at you again before flickering his eyes to his brother. His back is turned to you as he shakes Neteyam awake. You've always wondered why Lo'ak was quite shy around you, speaking only when necessary and silent most of the time. When he did spoke, it was only two or three words and that would be the end of it.

In truth, you thought he disliked you. Although, you hadn't completely ruled it out as it had only been a couple of days since their initial arrival.

Neteyam finally sat up, his eyes barely open and his arm covering his face from the beaming sunlight. "She's here for you," Lo'ak informs, motioning to you then getting up himself and walking past you out of the pod.

You glance at him as Lo'ak walks away, sultry.

"Heh, Lo'ak waking up before me? That's a historical moment to be remembered." Neteyam chuckles, rubbing his eyes.

Before you realised it, Neteyam was pushing past you playfully and out of his family's presence. You laugh, catching up to him and pulling on one of his braids slightly.

"Skxwang!" He cries, chasing after you.

°°°

You and Neteyam found a private cave at the corner of the beach where Aonung and his friends wouldn't find you both.

Neither of you had said anything since you two sat down, but then the memory of his brother urged you to ask Neteyam, (and his great older brotherly advice, of course,)

"Why is Lo'ak so distant from me?" You ask him sincerely, cross-legged and opposing of him.

Neteyam processed your question for minutes before settling a wide smile on his lips.
"Really? Don't tell me you don't know!" He laughs.
Your ears flick confusedly.

Taking in your unknowing expression, he laughs even harder, almost maniacal.

Frustrated, you smack his thin arms in comparison to your flipper-y ones. "What is it?!! Is it because he dislikes me very much?"
He seemed to have cackled even harder at that.

"Hah! I never pegged you as an oblivious person before. No, no, it's quite the opposite."

Now you were really confused.

You cross your arms, "Well, if that's the case why doesn't he ever talk to me in longer sentences like he does with everyone else? If he doesn't hate me, then-"

"Dear god, he likes you! As in, interested in you romantically!!" Neteyam yells, incredulously.

Your eyes widen at that and you both fall silent.
"W-what?" Your face grows hotter, despite being in the cool, shaded cave.

Neteyam rolls his eyes, with a playing smirk on his face. "You heard me the first time, skxwang."

Ignoring him, you tuck a loose strand of hair behind your ear. "Even if it's true, how would you know?" You ask him. He laughs again, only this time he's quiet about it and narrows his eyes.

"I'm his older brother. I can sense everything. Plus, the look he gave you the first day we were here... He was almost giving himself away."

Blinking at his raw words, you turn away. It was almost unbelievable. Well, supposedly, that does sum up his timidness around you. You just never guessed...

"Well," You begin, Neteyam lowering his eyes onto you. "It's good that I feel the same way, then."

You turn again to look at Neteyam's face to catch his reaction; an earnest smile.
"I wouldn't mind my skxwang brother falling in love with someone like you," He says, words hushed. For a second, you're reminded of his brother back in the Sully pod. You smile back, just as warmly.

The two of you strike a different conversation, although the entire time you had been talking, you couldn't stop thinking of Lo'ak.

What either of you had failed to realise, was that of the presence of a third, by the cave, listening to everything. Lo'ak's blue skin hued red, a small grin on his lips, feeling both embarrassed and amused at the same time.