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Imala could tell Jake was angry.
He didn't even bother to ask if his kids were okay, even when seeing the blood drip from their faces and knuckles.
Instead, he grabbed Lo'ak by his neck, Neteyam by his arm and dragged them both to their pod. Imala was curious, so she followed them, and Jake couldn't tell her no.
"What was the one thing I asked? The one thing," Jake reminded them, Imala watching the scene unfold before her.
"Stay out of trouble..." Lo'ak replied, not greeting Jake's stare towards them both.
"Stay out of trouble! Right—" Jake began to talk but Neteyan stepped in, pushing Lo'ak to the side and holding his hands up to his dad in defence, "It is my fault."
Imala's ears fell flat, Jake watching as she pushed by him and stood besides Neteyam. Her head shook at him, knowing that the conversation was soon going to fall on the fact Ao'nung was picking on herself, and Kiri.
"I don't think so. You gotta stop taking the heat for this knucklehead!" Jake told Neteyam, he stepped back but Neteyam didn't fail to let his fingers grab at Imala's hand.
She conjoined their fingers, smiling and rocking their hands back and forth.
Lo'ak looked at Imala before beginning to defend his actions, "Look, dad, Ao'nung was picking on Kiri and Imala. He called them freaks."
Jake stopped looking at Lo'ak and dropped his eyesight to Imala. She was looking at the floor, other hand scratching at the skin on her thigh. His head tilted at the sight, though he couldn't see her full face, he could tell she was upset about the whole situation.
He sighed: "Go apologise to Ao'nung."
Lo'ak was taken back by his dads orders, "What?"
Imala scowled at Lo'ak, just wanting it all to be over with. "He's the chiefs son. Do you understand? I don't care how you do it, just go and make peace," Jake told his youngest son, looking around the area in attempt to find Ao'nung and his friends, "Just go!"
Imala cleared her throat, stroking her fingers over the scrapes against Neteyam's knuckles.
"Imala, is it true?" Jake asked her causing her to look up at him and nod her head in reply. Jake growled lowly before holding onto her shoulder, "If anything happens again, come to me, kid. I don't want these two in another fight, okay?"
Imala sighed, "I didn't want them to get in a fight. It just... escalated." Jake smiled at her words before the two of them began to walk out of the pod, hand in hand.
"What did the others look like?" Jake asked Neteyam, trying to keep his voice a whisper.
"Worse," Neteyam replied. Jake nodded his head once, "That's good."
Neteyam couldn't help the smile creeping against his face: "A lot worse." Imala chuckled before Jake cocked his head, telling them to continue on their walk, "Get outta here."
Imala and Neteyam laughed as they walked out, guiding themselves towards a secluded spot after Imala picked up some yalnabark.
She told Neteyam to sit, following her own instructions and placing herself in front of him.
Imala took his hand into hers, picking up some yalnabark and rubbing it into his sore knuckles. "Thank you..." Imala whispered, Neteyam snapping his eyes to meet her face. He let a smile fill his lips, "I'll always protect you, Imala."
She nodded her head, understanding that.
When did Neteyam never have her back?
"I know. I, just, don't want you getting harmed whilst doing so," Imala told him before facing him, Neteyam shuffled forwards so his face was closer to hers.
Their eyes met, Imala feeling a tingle in her chest. As much as she tried to ignore it, the feeling travelled around her whole body and burned at her bones.
Why did he have to do this to her? "I don't care what happens to me," Neteyam began to talk before she smudged yalnabark into her fingertips again, "As long as you're safe."
That made her roll her eyes and gently smile to herself, it was nice having someone treat her like this. "It was stupid," Imala couldn't help but laugh as she replayed the scene in her head.
"Stupid..." She confirmed to herself before placing her free hand onto his chin, guiding him closer to the point his breath was fanning her face.
Her other hand raised to place the yalnabark onto his lip, helping the small cut heal.
Neteyam met her eyes, watching as she nervously pulled her expression into a smile. "You promise what they said didn't hurt you?" Neteyam asked, watching as her smile dropped as did her ears.
That gave her feelings away.
Imala sniffled back her tears, her mind being full with every teasing interaction she had endured almost her whole life. "Neteyam..." She whispered before he watched as one tear slipped.
That tear was enough to fuel him.
He pushed the yalnabark aside, pulling at Imala's body to land atop his. Imala didn't detest, she allowed herself to sit on his lap and rest her cheek against his chest.
His hand reached her hair, stroking through the soft locks. "It's okay," Neteyam calmed her, feeling her body shake as she began to cry.
Imala didn't want Neteyam to see her like this, so vulnerable. But she was.
"It's okay," He repeated, Imala nodding against his skin before feeling his soft lips plant a gentle kiss atop her forehead. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders, his resting around her waist as he stroked his thumb against her flesh.
