𝗼𝗰𝗲𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 | lo'ak x tsireya

𝟏𝟖 - bliss

author pov

pulling back the string of his bow, lo'ak stared at his target as he took a deep breath. he heard the distant sound of birds calling and the wind rustling the palm tree leaves above his head. this time, there was no yuka to bother him. he tilted his head instinctively and prepared to release the arrow.

meanwhile, tsireya happened to be escaping her tsakarem duties to find some alone time in her secret spot. she took one step between some grass fronds, taking a quick peek behind her at the village in the distance before fully immersing herself in the forest.

she stepped carefully over the overgrown roots, sometimes even sliding under them if she needed to. she started to feel more peaceful, knowing that it would soon just be her and nature. no cranky villagers to help, no strict mother nagging her, and the absence of people constantly praising her.

a small part of tsireya felt guilty for leaving her responsibilities behind in the middle of the day, but she knew it could wait. she needed a break desperately, even if it wasn't for long. she hoped some quiet could calm her nerves.

the forest became thicker with more bushes and trees the deeper she went, and tsireya could hear the familiar sound of a trickling stream nearby. she smiled to herself and pushed back the leafy fronds to reveal her secret spot. to her surprise, she saw someone already in the clearing.

tsireya's eyes widened in shock when she realized it was lo'ak, in the middle of what looked to be a hunting session. he was holding his bow and arrow in a very discreet angle, his head tilted ever so slightly. she watched him smoothly release the arrow, and a small cry of an animal was heard soon after.

she smiled when he rushed excitedly into the undergrowth, pulling out a small rodent and cheering silently to himself.

tsireya did not want to disturb him, but she had not seen him or had the chance to be alone with him in a while, so she took a few cautious steps to approach the boy.

lo'ak jumped when he heard a snap from behind.
he whirled around to see tsireya standing before him. he had not seen her in so long, it felt like he was meeting her again for the first time. his body relaxed and he grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"oh, hey tsireya." he greeted her, hiding the caught prey behind his back.

"hello, lo'ak," tsireya smiled warmly at him, holding her hands in front of her. "it's strange to see you here, i-"

"oh yeah, i was, uh... i was hunting here because i was out in the ocean yesterday and i just missed hunting in..." lo'ak motioned with his hand to the trees. "... the forest."

tsireya nodded, looking up at the trees around them. she suddenly did not want to mention that this was her secret spot that she had kept to herself. if lo'ak could find peace here, then she would be more than happy to share it with him.

"yes, i understand. the forest is still your home. i also come here sometimes to find peace and quiet." she giggled lightly, making lo'ak smile.

"yeah, i was getting pretty tired of warrior training," lo'ak admitted, moving his gaze to the forest floor and kicking a nearby pebble.

he looked back up at her, his ears perked upward. "if i may ask, why did you come here?"

"the same reason as you," tsireya smiled shyly, rubbing her arm with one hand. "escaping duties..."

"wow, the tsakarem herself?" lo'ak teased, smirking at tsireya's reaction. "i must be rubbing off on you."

she laughed out loud, leaning over to touch lo'ak's arm lightly. "no, it's definitely not that."
her gaze dropped down to notice the prey behind him.

"so, i see you caught something?"

"y-yeah, i did," lo'ak admitted as he held it up. "i was planning to eat it here."

"may i join you?" tsireya asked politely.

"yes, of course!" lo'ak exclaimed, a little too enthusiastically. his face flushed when he noticed tsireya's eyes widen. "i-i mean, yeah, sure."

tsireya giggled. "thank you. i can help you prepare it."

"that would be great." lo'ak grinned as the two began to gather sticks. they started a small fire and lo'ak set the animal over it to roast. then he began to cut it into small pieces with his knife and gave some to tsireya first.

"mmm, this is perfectly cooked," tsireya commented as she bit into the meat.

"it is?" lo'ak's ears perked up as he began to serve himself. "i'm glad to hear that. usually i've been told otherwise by my mom."

tsireya smiled at his comment. "yes, it is very good, lo'ak," she affirmed.

the two ate in silence for a while as the sun began to set behind them. they enjoyed each other's company and shared stories of their days apart since they had last seen each other. it was mainly tsireya who listened, as she loved hearing lo'ak talk about the things he found interesting.

on the other hand, lo'ak gushed about everything to her, happy to finally be talking to tsireya again and being with her. they clearly missed being around each other as time seemed to slow and their laughter only grew. their conversations eventually died down as they finished eating and the fire dimmed to a small flame.

"hey, uh... we should meet up again here sometime," lo'ak suggested as he picked up his bow.

"yes, i would love to." tsireya nodded with eagerness, clasping her hands together as she stood up.

lo'ak grinned and followed her action, clearing his throat.

"also, i've been meaning to ask you... would you like to ride my ikran with me sometime? like, maybe... tomorrow night?" lo'ak asked her, rubbing the back of his neck.

tsireya smiled, her dimples poking through her cheeks. "i would like that very much."

"awesome! see you then," lo'ak called over his shoulder, waving at her.

the two parted ways with both of their hearts pounding synchronously in their chests.