ℐ 𝓈ℯℯ 𝓎ℴ𝓊 •ℒℴ'𝒶𝓀 𝓍 𝒻ℯ𝓂 𝓇ℯ𝒶𝒹ℯ𝓇

6• A flickering flame

"Lo'ak you need to work on your breathing" I say attempting to catch up to him.

"Shut up, I can do it" Lo'ak said playfully as he mounted his ilu.

I was helping him learn to ride one rather than having ao'nung and his friends snicker and laugh the entire time drawing Lo'ak's attention away. I trust Lo'ak one hundred percent but he needs to control his breathing before going under for so long.

"Remember to make the bond slowly" I remind Lo'ak.

"Nala, I got this" he smiles at me gripping the ilu tighter as he gets ready to swim off.

I stood back waiting for Lo'ak to begin swimming off, he started off slowly gradually picking up speed as he got more comfortable. As he got faster he dove into the water.

I began playing with the bead in my hair out of nervousness as he hasn't resurfaced, I ducked up water looking for Lo'ak or his ilu, there was no sign of either one of them. I began to panicking swimming around looking for them, i resurfaced and began to yell for Lo'ak, maybe he had got thrown off and was swimming back.

"Lo'ak!" Nothing .

"Lo'ak?!" Still nothing.

I decided I'd go back under once more before going to get Jake that Lo'ak had gone missing. I began swimming through reefs and with schools of fish I when I saw something coming towards me, as it got closer it was Lo'ak on his ilu.

I reached my hand out for him to grab me and pull me on with him. He pulled me up and kept one hand on my thigh holding me tight so I wouldn't fall off. We were soaring through the water watching everything go past so quickly. The ilu had suddenly jumped out of the water and Lo'ak let out a yell of excitement as we did.

We landed back in the water safely and he turned back to look at me laughing.

"Where were you?" I hit his chest angrily looking at the boy who still had a smile on his face.

"You are so beautiful" he simply said.

I smiled at him taking his hand in mine intertwining our fingers moving closer to him on the ilu. He reached up and tucked a stray piece of hair back behind my ear cupping my face bringing me closer. He gently kissed me slowly moving our lips together, it was like two puzzle pieces finally found their match.

"Ha! I called it" neyteyam yelled from beside us just a little further back.

"Fuck off, neyteyam!" Lo'ak yelled to his brother turning towards him.

He laughed and rode off back to the beach leaving Lo'ak and I alone together again.

"That was impressive, you still have to work on your breathing" I told him with a smirk.

He groaned not wanting to practice but ended up doing it anyways.

I placed my hand on Lo'ak's lower stomach feeling him stiffen under my tough.

"Take a deep breath in" I instructed him.

He inhaled as told.

"Now exhale slowly" I said.

Lo'ak was exhaling way to quickly, I reached up and placed my hand on his heart feeling his heart beat, it was quick and not steady paced.

"Take another deep breath in and when you exhale imagine you are trying to flicker a candle flame, just hardly moving it with your breath" I told him moving my hand back down to his lower stomach.

I helped him practice breathing for hours hoping that we would get the gist of it, eventually he did and the look on his face was something I knew very well. He was proud of himself for doing something right, I was proud that he didn't quit.