Your Protector|| Lo'ak x reader
Context: When your husband Neteyam is on a mission you are left in the care of his younger brother, who, unbeknownst to everyone, would flat out lay down his life for you.
Themes: character death, slight fluff, slight angst.
You sat with a scowl watching as Neteyam prepared to leave for a mission with his father, the young olo'eyktan in training had to leave with his father, operating as second in command to the small squad Jake had rallied up. You wanted to go with him, begged him to take you so you can take care of him if he got injured, but Neteyam refused. You were a fierce warrior, nothing close to his mother but somewhere along the lines. He believed you would kill even if you would throw up seconds later, but he feared more than anything losing you. "Take me Neteyam." "Kehe. You know I'm not going to listen to your pleads any longer." You glare at the back of his head harder, arms crossed and lips at the verge of trembling. "We have enough fire power," he told you again, for the 5th time. He slung his bag over his shoulder and turned to face you, headdress chiming when he moved. "I need you here, y/n, safe and out of harm's way." He caressed your cheek, four fingers on your blue skin, leaning down to capture your lips in a quick light kiss. You were upset he didn't want to bring you along, but you couldn't resist his love for you, so with a heavy heart you returned his kiss. In a minute shared, he pulled away from you then to rub your braided head. "Be well yawne," "I will. I'm not a child, don't treat me so." Neteyam laughed at your quick wits. "Lo'ak will take care of you."
That, made you react. Ears perched and eyes wide, you get on you knee about to stand and protest on an entirely different topic! "Lo'ak?!" You yelled, dumbfounded, "why him?! Lo'ak doesn't care about me like Kiri does! You could have chosen a better sibling to watch over me." You were muttering by the last sentence, arms folded and standing nose to chin with the Na'vi. Neteyam laughed, kissing your forehead gently, lingering for just a moment longer than he was supposed to. "Now you're behaving like a child," he teased, "Lo'ak is perfect for the job. He's banned from this mission, so looking after you is the next best thing." He said, kissing your cheek next. The man couldn't get his lips off you! "Just try to get along with him. For me. Okay?" You were reluctant but the last thing on your mind right now, was to defy your leaving husband, having no idea when he would even get back. "Alright," you murmur, hand clenched to a ball, "I'll try." "That's my girl." Neteyam pressed his finger gently into your neck when you tilted your head up, lips capturing yours in a much more heated kiss than before. He stopped for a breath, a chaste kiss to your neck and a small pat on your rear. Heavy but striking. "Come see me off." You nod, face heated and lips swollen. If he didn't have to go right his instant, you're sure from that kiss alone he'd have you. You follow him to the departure area regardless, hands behind your back as you watched him mount his ikran, completely oblivious to the lurking tall figure that came up behind you slowly.
You watched the other warriors, father-in-law included as they got on their rides as well. Conversing briefly. Jake looked your way, towards Kiri who was sat on a log to your right and Neytiri to your front far left, her face you couldn't see, but her body language may have been the same as yours. Tense, anxious, but full of love for her son and her mate. "Be careful," Neytiri warned them, eyes low. You nod agreeing with her. Jake returned her look, leading the flight off as Neteyam did the same, then the other 5 warriors followed. Leaving the Omatikaya clan behind heading East.
You felt your anxiety coming back again, but Kiri's hand on your shoulder brought you back and a smile on your face. "He'll be alright." You smile softly, "yes, you're right sister." Turning to head to your marui, it was only then that you noticed the figure behind you. A startled yip left you, backing up quickly and looking up into the eyes of the man Neteyam left in charge of you.
Lo'ak looked so bored staring down at you, not a smile on his scarred face, not a light in his golden brown eyes. "Ah! Lo'ak! You scared me!" You yelled, glaring at the brother who didn't return your gaze. "Your social awareness is terrible." He rolled his eyes then, still staring down at you. "Whatever," you grumbled, walking around him. Nobody else was around. He turned heel too, walking behind you. It instantly annoyed you as you and Lo'ak did not get along. "What do you waaaant?!" You drag, still walking up the rooted paths. Lo'ak shrugged, grabbing a fruit from a passerby's basket and biting into it. "I'm following orders." Lo'ak says with nuance. Eywa, the one time he follows orders and he sticks to it, must it be now?
"I heard you were on probation. What did you do this time?" Lo'ak snickered. You thought your words would jab at him and make him go away, but it just seemed to fuel the asshole. "I shot an RDA in the head when I wasn't supposed to and caused our cover to be blown. Ruined the entire mission." You were not surprised to hear he messed up a mission, but the way he did it shocked you. "Oh," you say softly. Lo'ak again, did not react. When you made it to your marui, Lo'ak stood by the doorway and sat down. You noticed then when you turned to talk to him, to ask if he was going to come in as a mockery, the songchord across his chest. Decorated with Metkayina charms, shells, seaweeds and corals.
He was very attached to his chord, you noticed. He hardly ever spoke about Awa'atlu unlike his siblings. Maybe his time there was too painful. Maybe leaving, was too great of a burden. "Aren't you coming in?" Lo'ak shook his head, "that's your privacy. I'm going to sit right here." His chest rumbled, and he turned his head away from your door's flap. You close the zip, secretly celebrating not being able to see his face any longer, and then you get into your crafts, sitting in your bed and weaving, working on a blanket.
Lo'ak sat there for hours, like a patient pay'lin. It was only until dark that you left the marui and he finally moved. You didn't look at him when you walked out, nose stuck to the air and tail lashing with irritation behind you. "You're still here?" You grunt, eyes on the starry sky above. Lo'ak stood to his feet, towering over you. Not a smile gracing his face. "Yep. Still here." Ugh, how infuriating! Not even a second did you spare him a glance and you walked away to the dining hall, hunger had consumed you. All the other villagers were already eating. You join the Sulli clan's side and sit with your in-laws. Kiri and Tuk hardly ate, pushing at the fish and the fruits with boredom. "Why are we sad?" You questioned, sitting with them, Lo'ak sat opposite you all.
Kiri spoke up, "Spider and I got in a fight." Tuk was quick to interject, "Kiri pushed Spider and he left to go for a walk!!" Immediately Lo'ak smacked Kiri behind her head, "why would you do that? You know Spider's sensitive!" Tuk raised her hand, "that's what I said!" "And now you're sad because he reacted to your temper? Jeez." Lo'ak rubbed his face. "He'll be back. Just give him some space okay?" He tried to console his sister, but Kiri was still upset. She wanted nothing more than to hug her mate and tell him how much she loved him! Kiri tucked her knees in and rested her head on them, groaning. "I'm gonna go look for him," you tell her, patting her back; you were done with your meal. Your e/c eyes met the fierce golden brown ones of your brother-in-law. Lo'ak was pissed. But why? This didn't concern him.
"What?!" You yell at him, standing and walking away from the communal area. Lo'ak was on your tail. "You really want to go out at night to find Spider?" "Yes! And? Does this bother you?" You roll your eyes. Lo'ak held back a laugh from pure frustration. "It does. I'm in charge of you. Spider is going to be fine, literally go back to your marui or go to bed." You could hardly contain your laugh, staring at him like he was crazy. Telling YOU what to do?! "You're not my mate." "I am in charge of your physical well-being Y/n." "I will do as I please!" Silence. A leaf falls between you. You huff, walking away straight for the forest. You didn't have to listen to him.
You and Lo'ak walked in the forest for at least an hour, calling out to Spider and searching in bushes, tree trunks and trees. Neither of you spoke though. Lo'ak actually got so annoyed with your stupid idea of looking for this grown man that he left you like 10 ft behind him as he walked ahead. Incredibly childish, so Lo'ak. But you were independent! You were a warrior and you could take care of yourself! "I don't know why Neteyam married someone like you!" He called behind him. You snarl, "huh?! What does that even mean?!" He didn't respond and that made you angrier. "Stop walking! You're so rude to me! Ever since we met you've been nothing but an asshole to me! What did I ever do to you?!" Lo'ak remained silent, letting nature speak for him. You let out a long exaggerated groan, cursing him out under breath before you heard a low growl behind you.
It sounded like an animal, but nothing friendly. Instinct took over, you knew that the animal was not friendly, especially hearing the second dog like growl. You turned your head around slowly, eyes scanning the dark rainforest for whatever that sound may be, but you couldn't see anything! From the moonlight however it happened, the moon provided light, allowing you to see a slender razor teeth animal, it's skin was a deep shade of black, six legs and four green eyes, glowing and staring dead at you. A nantang. You hesitated. Opening your mouth as you backed away from it, trying not to trip, "Lo'ak..." Lo'ak was too far ahead though. He probably wouldn't hear you even if you yelled.
The nantang growled again, no longer hugging the earth, now it strutted towards you, teeth baring and saliva dripping at the side of it's mouth. You reached nervously for your knife in the back of your thigh's guard. Your chest moved with anxiousness, breathing way too heavy now. "Lo'ak!!" You cried for the brother, but again, he may have been too far. At your second cry, the nantang pounced at you, its sharp claws almost swiped at your leg. You were already running for it, jumping over fallen branches and snapping twigs beneath your feet. You screamed, running for your life with tears at the corner of your eyes. Terrified.
As faith has it, you slammed your foot into an uprooted root so hard you pitched, tumbling down the ground, unfortunately a hill, and your knee hit a stone. You yelled out of pain, a sharp inhale and getting up on your good leg. "Aghh! Lo'ak!!" You again yelled for him. Just as the nantang came stalking your injured being down the hill and sharp whistle of an arrow flew past your head and straight into the creatures eye. It howled, backed up and shrieked before he began to charge again, directly at you when another arrow came flying, flames at the tip of the weapon, hitting the nantang in the center of it's forehead and exiting out the other end. It dropped to the ground, deceased. You got to your feet at long last, screaming in agony and crying. Lo'ak's arms were already around your waist, giving you support as he lifted you to balance on your good leg. "Are you alright?!" He yelled, frustrated. "No!!" You cried, face streaked with tears and biting back groans, limping and walking back to hometree.
"I leave you alone for 3 minutes and you nearly die! That's on you, why can't you be more careful?!" You whip your head at him, "you were the one that was supposed to protect me!!" Lo'ak hissed in your face, like the irritated young adult that mimicked his teenage self. "You could have died." He mumbled, and in a split second tears fell from his eyes. You were shocked, not expecting that. "I think I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I lost you too." Your heart skipped a beat. What was he talking about?? Lo'ak sniffed, reaching down to look at your leg. he reached into his side bag, pulling out bandage cloths and wrapping it around your knee and your foot to suppress the blood. Lo'ak got back up, he resumed the walk. "Lost me too?" You questioned him. Lo'ak has never shown you an ounce of care. So why now? "Tsireya." You heart dropped. You've only ever heard that name twice. It was the girl from the reefs that he met. Is that who he grieved??
"Is she your mate?" You asked him, eyes heavy. "She was supposed to be." He confessed, fingers gently touching the seashell on his song chord. "What happened?" Lo'ak hesitated to talk, like saying what he wanted to say made his soul heavy. "She died." Your eyes dropped to the ground as you limped along. "I'm sorry." "It's okay. That was so long ago, I don't know why I still grieve." You rub his shoulder with your thumb, "because you love her." Lo'ak remains silent, his hand tightened just a bit on your waist.
"You mean so much to my brother," he whispered, "if you died because of me. I'd never forgive myself. Like Tsireya." He wiped his tears quickly. You kept your eyes on the ground. You didn't want to pry but, you were curious and you wanted him to keep talking. "How did she die?" Lo'ak swallowed slowly, hometree in sight. "She was shot by an RDA when we were at war," he begunk, voice getting deeper, "and I was in the line of fire. She took the bullet, straight through her heart. Died in my arms." You stop walking to look at him in the eyes. Tears welled in your own as you forced him to look at your face. "Oh Lo'ak. That wasn't your fault," you whisper, putting your head to his forehead when you made him bend.
"None of that was your fault." Lo'ak refused to hear it though. "You could've died and I would have been to blame too. I was supposed to protect her and I failed." He tapped your forehead with his fingers, "I won't let the same thing happen to you. I am your protector, I will act as it. Do better." You nod, knowing deep down Lo'ak would not listen any further, but now you knew why he was always so mean to you. "Oh," he finished, "and I found Spider. He was headed home." You face palmed, maybe coming out here really was a bad idea! "Ugh we came out here for nothing!" "I tried to tell you," Lo'ak laughed, giving you assistance as you climbed the hill to enter hometree. You were tended to, your injuries, bed ridden and given medicine to drink for fast healing and relief of the pain. Your knee was broken and foot swollen, but on the other hand Lo'ak and Neytiri took care of you. You got to learn more about Lo'ak, and when Neteyam came home two weeks later, seeing you bed ridden, he scolded his brother, but he also thanked him whole heartedly.
You never judged Lo'ak again, you two became very good friends, and he remained your forever devoted protector.
