Everything, for one moment, was really...perfect. Or at least what Jude thought of as perfect as he'd never had a perfect moment in his life. Living
life on the "his side" of the island and being raised by an uncle who had a "Ruin every moment that could be enjoyable to Jude" sensor pretty much
cancelled chance of perfection in his life. Or so he thought. Because this, right here, was pretty damn close. The stillness of the space around he
and Kaili as they sat on the couch, their fingers intertwined, a smile on her face that he was sure mirrored his own. Nothing was confusing for him as
he held her hand. Of course, things were still as confusing as they had been as he sat there, trying to figure out if Kaili's happiness or his ability
to breath was more important. But none of it mattered. There was just a moment of...quiet. Almost like life decided to stop sending every curve ball
it could at him so that he could stop swinging and just...watch the game. Okay, bad analogy, but that didn't change the perfection of the moment,
Kaili's smile and the light blush that colored her cheeks the only thing that held his gaze. He knew, at that moment, that he'd made the right choice.
Sure, it was going to be hard to hide the fact that he had a girlfriend (he had...a girlfriend?!?!?!). Unc was more...snoopier, his eyes
rarely leaving Jude for more than two minutes until he was on the job and Kaili's brother and father would continue to watch her the way they always
did...so dating on the Shore was out of the question. But it still...felt...right. And good...and...
Snatching his hand from Kaili's, Jude's "male family member" sense went off just in time as the unmistakeable sounds of the front door opening sounded
in the living room. The wind whipped loudly, but failed to tune out the voices that carried into the house. Three males spoke, not two.
Three. One was aged, more mature, admonishing. That had to be Kaili's father. The other two were young and unmistakeably familiar. For
certain, Jude knew them both...horrible memories of his life flashing before his eyes accompanying them. Keahi and Nui. Hesitantly his eyes
found the door as the three men emerged...well, two emerged. One stopped in the doorway, his eyes finding Jude's and darkening as quickly as they had
when he'd caught Kaili and "the outsider" kissing on the trails. Jude's eyes couldn't help but follow suit, darkening as he took in the man's
appearance. Still tall. Still huge. Still menacing...and still hated Jude's guts, the very unfunny nickname that he'd given Jude slipping out of his
mouth and confirming his unwavering dislike.
Jude stared at him stubbornly, refusing to answer Nui's question to his presence in a home that wasn't his. It wasn't his damn house! Why did it
matter why Jude was there. If Keahi or Alemana had asked the question, maybe Jude would've thought about answering. But Nui? Yeah, he should've been
glad he didn't get a really impolite hand gesture. But it didn't seem like Jude had to tell him to "fuck off" with his figures as Alemana did the job
for him...in kinder words, of course. He was a guest...and he was welcome. All eyes went to Alemana as he spoke, his deep, steady voice quenching the
question from Nui...and Nui alone as, surprisingly, Keahi had been keeping pretty quiet. Jude thanked god for small blessings and smiled weakly at
Kaili's father, his eyes returning to his lap as he felt like that was the safest place for them at the moment.
As if the Moku gods heard him, Kaili's mom entered the room, handing out towels to the dripping wet new arrivals.
Man has a choice and it's a choice that makes him a man...
Kaili had to agree. For the short time that her hand was in his and they shared a happiness that neither one of them had ever experienced, things were
exactly perfect. For the first time she was his and he was hers...and even though she couldn't tell anyone, she couldn't have been happier. Too bad
the feeling was short lived, their quiet celebration cut short as her father, brother and Nui arrived. Shit. Why Nui? She should have guessed
that he would be here. Trapped in his auntie's for hours at a time was not his thing on nights that didn't include monsoons so she could have guessed
that he would stay here...And now that he was, he was trapped here like Jude. She knew her mother was letting no one leave, and even if she was, she
knew Nui wasn't leaving her "alone" with Jude. Of course they still wouldn't be alone. It didn't matter how much Alemana liked Jude, there was no way
he was taking his eye off of him with Kaili. And on the off chance he did, Keahi was taking watch too. Ugh! She knew it was going to be a long night,
but with the three of them there now, she was beginning to realize how long.
Especially as Nui spoke, calling Jude out of his name again, already pushing her buttons. She opened her mouth to defend him but Alemana beat him to
it, simply calling Nui's name to get him to stop. Good. Hopefully that shut him up for the night. Of course, she'd be stupid to believe that it would.
She was surprised Keahi hadn't joined in the fun yet. He'd made his distaste for Jude just as vocal as Nui had over the past few weeks yet, he
remained quiet; more than that, he too was telling Nui to relax. It probably should have put her mind at ease but, somehow Kaili only found Keahi and
her father defending Jude more troubling than them shunning him.
But she would count the blessings the gods bestowed without asking questions. She smiled at her father, her eyes voicing a silent thanks as he
informed the group that Jude was a welcome guest...Maybe the two of them being together wasn't the huge deal they thought it was. Jude had gone from
outsider to guest in just his second visit to her home and considering who he was accepted by maybe she was wrong about the tribe...maybe it
didn't matter much that Jude wasn't from the Shore...but she would air on the side of caution for the night and keep their relationship as it was.
Quiet.
As things fell quiet, Nui and Keahi moved into the living room before her father excused himself for a shower and her mother disappeared back into the
kitchen. Oh good. Alone with the the two people that shared an irrational hate for her boyfriend and no one but her to defend him...and worse than
that...nothing to talk about. Ugh! She might have asked the question with the most obvious answer but, she couldn't mention the Pueo in front
of Jude...she had nothing. So sadly she would have to wait for someone else to speak...and she knew it wasn't going to be nice...And of course it was
her brother, taking a seat in the chair across from the two of them.
"Sitting kinda close aren't you-" his first question to Jude, "And where are the rest of your clothes?" his second question to Kaili as she cut her
eyes at him. What the hell was he talking about?! This was how she always was when she at home! He was only doing this because Jude was here and it
was embarrassing.
"Stop it, Keahi. We'll get through this night a lot sooner if you don't-" her words stopped as a damp Nui filled the extremely small space between she
and Jude, pushing him down a bit as he fit himself in. She sighed. Awesome. Great.
I'll let you put your hands on me in my skin-tight jeans;
be your teenage dream tonight.
Nostrils flaring, Nui stared holes. He stared holes into the only place that he could...right into that dirty blood asshole, Jude fuckin' Kāne.
Little twerp couldn't even look Nui in the eyes. Pussy. Everything about the little jerk made Nui's skin crawl. That long...flowy hair that
he probably thought made him look more Moku, but it didn't. It just made him look more...gay. He would never be Moku, no matter how long he
fucking grew his hair. And then, there was the way he kept hanging around. How he just couldn't seem to stay the fuck away from people...family that
wasn't his. Nothing on the Shore belonged to Jude. Nothing. Especially not Kaili. But the fucker just couldn't seem to stay the hell away from
her...and it looked like he was weaseling himself into her family too. And Alemana was just letting him do it! Nothing...nothing could
explain that. Why it was okay for Jude to be sitting there, on Alemana's couch, like there wasn't anything WRONG with him being there. Everything was
wrong. Completely fucked up. And no one was saying anything about it. Not even Keahi! His best friend didn't even speak up for him, shushing him like
a little bitch. The hell was that?! Yeah, everyone could tiptoe around this bitch ass outsider, but Nui wouldn't.
Grinding his teeth to keep the curses from coming out, by Alemana's orders, his stare didn't shift. And the dumb kid showed a sliver of genius by not
looking up from his lap. Not even once. What a fucking...pussy! He was right to have kept his head down as he was the weak one in the room, surrounded
by men that were ten times more powerful than him. Well, Nui wasn't so sure that all of them were equally as powerful as Alemana was losing it.
Apparently. The dirty blood kid sitting on the couch was evidence of that. Sitting close enough to his pureblood daughter that he was nearly sitting
in her damn lap. This kid was an insult. His presence was an insult and Nui didn't have to even express the fact that he was going to break the kid's
face as soon as Alemana and 'Ano'i exited the room, his eyes only leaving Judy's face long enough for him to thank Alemana's wife for the
towel, a smile making the effort to break through the grimace that was tattooed on his face.
And he got his wish, both soon leaving the room...and Nui's eyes returned to Jude's face, smirking as Keahi ripped into his sister immediately. There
was the Keahi that Nui knew. The Keahi that would rather spit on an outsider quicker than defend them. Hmmm. She and Judy were sitting pretty
fucking close, weren't they? Nui would fix that shit...quick.
"Don't mind if I sit here, right Judy?" Nudging Jude with his elbow, Nui cleared a space between the two on the couch, leaning back as he
propped his damp, socked feet up on the coffee table. With a quick smile at Kaili, he turned back to Jude, his smile melting from his face as he
stared at him...silently. Okay, menacingly.
"Like I asked before...the fuck are you doing here?" The question arose again, his arm coming up and to Kaili's shoulder, pulling her to him...his
attempt to get the message to Jude that he certainly wasn't at the Akame house for Kaili. Definitely not for her...
Ugh! Already this night was giving her a headache. She knew as soon as her parents left it was going to be chaos. Keahi hated Jude and even though he
was hating him silently for now, it wouldn't be long before he made his feelings obvious. Of course Nui was wasting no time in that department, his
eyes never leaving Jude as he probably murdered him twelve times over in his mind. This shit was absolutely ridiculous. Why did they hate him so much?
They hadn't spent more than ten minutes with the guy ever! Sure, he wasn't pure Moku and maybe he wasn't like them, but he wasn't completely an
outsider either! He was...different...A difference they'd both see if they just stopped to give him a chance. But she wouldn't hold her breath on the
matter. She knew how stubborn Keahi was and Nui was completely a lost cause but, if Jude could sway her father--however the hell he'd done that--she
was sure Keahi would come around...Eventually.
But this was not "eventually" this was right now and right now they were trapped in this living room, Nui about to spit fire, Keahi tense as ever, and
Jude as quiet as ever...and Kaili stuck in the middle of it all. That was until Nui took that position literally, coming to sit directly between she
and Jude as he kind of pushed Jude off to the side. Damn him! He was always completely rude for no reason...of course everyone in the room knew Nui's
behavior wasn't "for no reason". Jude was a threat for a reason other than him simply being an outsider. He was also into Kaili. More into her than
Nui now knew...and pity for Nui, Kaili was into him too. So her reaction to his smile after he sat could have been expected, her face remaining stoic
before he turned back to Jude. Wonderful.
She sighed. Wasn't it obvious why he was here? If it was any consolation, he didn't want to be. On top of being stuck here with them, his uncle was
probably looking for him right now, and when he finally made it back home who knew what he would have to deal with. Couldn't he just lay off
for the night? No. Instead he was laying it on thick, his arm coming to pull Kaili into him. Ugh!
"Nui stop it-," she said, her hand pulling at his fingers as she pulled away, "You're wet and gross right now. Please-," she leaned away, most of her
resting against the arm of the couch as she looked to her brother for help. He always pulled Nui back when he got too handsy and he saw Kaili really
wasn't trying to play with him...not today. Her brother looked away from her, his eyes finding Jude as well as he just kind of...read him. Ugh, today
it would seem she was on her own. With fighting off Nui and apparently fighting for Jude.
I'll let you put your hands on me in my skin-tight jeans;
be your teenage dream tonight.
This was the seventh layer of hell. As he sat, wedged against the arm of the Akames' couch and Nui's huge body, Jude was definitely SURE of that.
This was where the people that defied Moku law went. This was where the ignorant outsider boys that decided that they were going to
date the daughter of Elders went. There would probably be eye gouging and the pulling off of toenails later that night. Shifting uncomfortably, he
couldn't help but...stare at his lap like he'd been doing from the moment Alemana and the two boys that mirrored him in size and stature entered the
living room. He couldn't even...look at them without feeling the obvious. He didn't belong there. He didn't even fit in! Every man in that
house, with exception of Kaili's little brother (the kid was what...twelve?) was taller, thicker, and had ten times more testosterone than Jude. They
carried machetes for Christ's sakes. And they hated him...well, at least Keahi and Nui did, which was becoming more and more apparent the longer Nui
glowered at Jude. But the loudest thing that kept screaming out to Jude? That he would never...never be good enough. Not for the Shore and
not for Kaili. What would that mean for him now? What would that mean for them now that they were a...."them"?
Still looking at his clasped hands, Jude felt frozen. He really couldn't move himself. It was probably "fight or flight" kicking in and in that case,
he should've been out of his seat on the sofa, through the front door and off into the dark night and the storm. But he couldn't move. Nothing would
let him run...not in fear. Never in fear. Fear wasn't something that his Unc looked too highly on, so he could've only guessed that his dad wasn't too
hot on the idea of fearing anything either. So, it wasn't fear. Avoidance was more of the word that Jude was thinking, sitting there next to a guy
with arms as big as tires and so much hate for him that he could feel it rolling off of his skin. Avoiding the inevitable was exactly what he wanted
to do at the moment but it seemed like he was being forced more and more into it with Keahi standing there, glaring at him and Nui...putting his arm
around Kaili's shoulders, her voice objecting as soon as he touched her.
Nui was touching her... And the avoidance that was pushing a crazy excuse for Jude to leave the house in the middle of one of the worst
storms of the season kind of...died at that realization. Before he could stop himself, Jude's head snapped up as he watched Nui's arm close around
Kaili, pulling her into himself and her voice, telling him to back off. And Jude...well, he...bit into his cheek so hard that he was sure he felt the
metallic taste of blood in his mouth. What!? Of course he did nothing. What WAS he going to do? He was in the middle of a Moku elder's house, his son
and his son's best friend hovering over him like wolves, just waiting for him to move or breathe so that hey could lay into him. Oh and Kaili was
there. Right. There was no way that he was going to even attempt getting into Nui's face to defend a girl that wasn't even supposed to be his. No
really, Kaili wasn't supposed to be his! Two seconds of dating and Jude was already moments away from revealing their secret by standing up to Nui.
That was a no go. But what else could he do? Especially with Keahi watching him...waiting for him to do that one thing that would end up in him as a
bloody pile of pulp on the carpet.
Man has a choice and it's a choice that makes him a man...
He was watching. Waiting. Waiting for Jude to man up and look him in the eye; something he hadn't done since he came into his own home. By
the Gods, he could practically smell the fear on this one, his hands in his lap and his eyes there as well, as if half of him would disappear
when he looked away. Coward. He couldn't even look Keahi in the eye in his own damn house...what exactly was he afraid of? Oh Nui had told him exactly
what Jude was afraid of. Jude was probably waiting on the fallout from their little whatever it was on the trails. Yeah, he knew but, he'd
said nothing to Kaili yet. He'd said nothing in hopes that she would tell him herself that this kid tried taking advantage of her that night on the
trails...but she never did. Which was beginning to make him think this outsider was important to more than one Akame in this household.
He didn't like that. He didn't like anything this outsider was changing about his family. His father was bending over backwards for this prick in the
slow and steady progression of whatever his plan was for him and his sister was basically on top of him already...the haole wished. Or if he
knew what was good for him, he didn't wish. The kiss was enough for Keahi to have the asshole's head already...Kaili wasn't ready for all this. Boys
and kissing and...no. No. His baby sister was just that. A baby. And he wasn't about to let some dickbag from the other side of the fucking island
come in and corrupt her. He couldn't keep Jude away from the Pueo but, he could definitely keep him away from Kaili.
So yeah, she was going to have to fend for herself with Nui tonight. Usually Keahi would call him off, his advances becoming too much for Kaili
sometimes. Good fun or not, if she wasn't happy neither was Keahi and Nui would have to calm down...tonight however, they were going to see just how
much her new little friend cared. And if his eyes didn't decieve him, it seemed he cared...a lot more than he should have. Keahi watched, Jude's head
finally snapping up as Kaili protested to Nui's touching. Well that was interesting...More so because he knew what that look was...
"Jude..." he began, his name slowly leaving his lips for the first time that night. "You look...uncomfortable, brah. Something you'd like to
say?"
Would she just the crap? Nui rolled his eyes, a heavy sigh escaping him as Kaili attempted to pry his fingers from around her shoulder. What was so
fucking hard about her just admitting her buried love for Nui and telling Judy to beat it and stay the hell on his side of the island...with
his own kind? Oh yeah. Her new infatuation with the kid. Which was stupid because looking at the scrawny runt, Nui should've been her first choice.
Come on! His head had been down since the moment he, Keahi and Alemana had walked through the door! The smell of "bitch" was quite strong in this one,
yet Kaili couldn't seem to get enough of him! Not like he'd been the first pussy she'd found interest in. There was some high school kid whose brother
was Pueo. Scrawny little fucker and hopeless, all the same. He tried his hand at Kaili Akame, got his ass kicked and never looked her direction again.
But that wasn't exactly happening this time around. For one, the kid was still sitting on the sofa, breathing, his jaw and other body parts still
intact. Why? Nui still couldn't figure out and Keahi and Alemana sure weren't handing out answers. So, Nui sat back...did what he was told...and kept
himself from squashing this outsider ass like the insignificant bug he really was.
"C'mon Kai. You don't have to play pretend just because little Judy is here." Nui snickered and pulled her closer to her than she'd been
before, his fingers tightening against where she'd attempted at loosening them. With a short glance, he looked to Keahi, his best friend's expression
unreadable. Nui couldn't believe it, honestly. He couldn't believe that Keahi's killjoy voice hadn't sounded out in the middle of all of Nui's fun,
telling him that "that was enough"...ruining all his fun. Like usual. Sure, they had good times. A lot of good times. But if their was a voice of
reason between the two of them, it belonged to Keahi. Not Nui. Nui didn't have the whole tribe watching his every move like his best friend did. He
didn't have the eyes of every member of the kapuna elima watching him either. But that was Keahi's problem. Not Nui's. He could have all the
fun he wanted and right now, he couldn't have been more grateful that for whatever reason, Keahi was allowing it.
And then...there was the voice. Immediately, the scowl started on Nui's face at the sound of his friend's voice. But Keahi wasn't calling Nui. No, he
was talking to...Jude? Focusing back on that annoying little bitch for the second time that night, Nui's anger (that had taken a break with Kaili
underneath his arm) flared all over again, especially once he met the skid mark's eye as soon as he looked at him. And the look that Nui met? It
wasn't like the scared stare that he'd been doing into his lap since they'd entered the room. No, there was something else in his eyes. And apparently
Keahi had seen it too as he questioned Jude in his silence. Was there something that he wanted to say? As if his eyes weren't talking enough. He was
pissed. Totally pissed. And Nui could guess who and what that anger was directed towards. But what he really wanted to know? Just how far
that anger would go...
With a bite of his lip, Nui looked down at the still struggling Kaili and smiled, the fingers that had been fastened to her shoulder were now playing
with the ends of her hair, the long strands twisting around his thick fingers. "Yeah, Judy...what's on your mind? Looks like you've got a
mouthful to say and I'm dying to know what's going on up there in that haole head of yours." With a laugh, Nui's free hand ruffled at Jude's long
locks, pushing his head a little too roughly.
There was no crap to cut! Kaili did not like Nui. She had made it clear to him so many times before, it still amazed her that he didn't get it! She
was not interested in him as anything more than Keahi's friend Nui. They were barely friends and she was leaning more toward the idea of acquaintances
the more he touched her. She heaved a heavy sigh, already exhausted with the idea of entertaining Nui for the rest of the night. She didn't want to
have to focus on him at all. Jude was here. And they were together...Ugh. She could only imagine what this was doing to him right now. Nui's arm
around her, the way Jude's should have been...of course she wouldn't struggle with Jude...and she was on the verge of stopping the struggle with Nui.
Not that she liked him anywhere near her but, she could only try prying him off for so long. Eventually he'd get bored with being underneath her and
move himself. That was her theory anyway as usually it was Keahi who told him to move and leave her alone. But she couldn't count on him tonight.
"I'm not playing anything, Nui. I just want you to get off of me-," Ugh. By the Gods she just wished he'd go the hell home! Again, Nui was fucking up
everything and all that Kaili could hope for was that he'd bore with doing that soon...Heaving a defeated sigh she sat still, a pout
plastered to her face as Nui held her against him. She couldn't bear to look at Jude, knowing how he must fell about this crap. Together for under 20
minutes and already things were fucking horrible. This wasn't a sign. She would not take this as a sign of she and Jude's relationship. It was just
Nui. Being an ass. As usual. And it would pass...eventually. Until then, it seemed they would just be riding it out; suffering in silence under Nui's
tyranny with no help what so ever from Keahi.
In fact, Keahi seemed to be instigating, his voice calling Jude's name causing her eyes to instantly snap to her brother's face. He looked
uncomfortable? You fucking think? With the way Keahi was staring at him and Nui's annoying advances on his girlfriend, a girlfriend he
couldn't claim was more than his friend...She would be fucking uncomfortable too. She pulled away as Nui's fingers began playing with the ends of her
hair that had fallen from her bun. Would he ever stop fucking touching her?! Nui co-signed his friend's question, asking Jude what was on his mind as
Kaili's eyes finally found the strength to glance at Jude. His expression had done a complete 180, going from timid to pissed beyond recognition in
just the time it took for her to look at him. Shit.
"Nui, Keahi stop it-," she interjected, finally swatting at the hand in her hair speaking directly to her brother. Keahi was the only one that would
be able to tame Nui today, as Kail's threats meant nothing with him around. She opened her mouth to begin again, to take up for Jude because she knew
how lost he was, and being attacked wasn't helping things at all. She made to speak but, Keahi stopped her, his hand rising in a silent hush as he
spoke over her.
"No, if the man has something he's like to say, I'd like to hear it. He looks a little peeved...-," a smirk graced his lips as he turned his attention
away from Kaili and back to Jude, "Problem?"
I'll let you put your hands on me in my skin-tight jeans;
be your teenage dream tonight.
And he would just sit there...and take it. Jude would sit on that couch and take every thing off of the two men in the room that were just beefy
enough to punch him into a coma if he didn't. But preservation of life wasn't the reason behind his silence. Respect was. Respect for Nui and
Keahi? Shit no. Jude had as much respect for their words as he did for his Unc Li's, which was little to none considering that Jude had defied his
uncle's wishes, yet again. No, there was only respect for...who they were. The Moku. Even if Jude didn't belong, didn't carry the name...would never
belong, he still respected what and who they were. He was on their side of the island. He wanted to learn their ways. There way no way that he would
fuck up his "free pass". And the way that they guys were at him let him know one thing...they wanted him to fight back. They wanted him to do the one
thing that he was sure would get him carted off the Shore faster than he could say "outsider". Jude wouldn't give them the pleasure of seeing him
inside of Alemana's house. It would be totally disrespectful and there was no way that he was loosing Alemana's respect...or whatever it was that kept
him in Alemana's good graces. Keeping a closed mouth was his best defense, even if it meant that he looked like the weakest thing in the room as even
Kaili looked like she was two seconds from taking Nui's hand that lay around her shoulders and shoving up his...
A long stream of air left him as Keahi joined Nui's jerking around, Jude's eyes rolling as he directed them back to his lap. Great, now Kaili's
brother was joining in on the fun. Not like Jude thought that it would've stayed "just Nui" for long. They were partners in crime, those two...and
they seemed to have a common goal. Annoy the shit out of the foreigner and keep him the hell away from Kaili. Oh and not to mention,
break his face in the process.... But it wouldn't be that easy... Not breaking his face. Jude knew that was all too easy. Getting rid of him.
No, that wasn't going to be easy. If there was something that he knew that the men on the Shore never would accept or respect- he shared their blood.
In some way, he was connected to the strength and the bravery that ran through their veins. And whether it was dirtied up by life on the other side,
that didn't matter. Jude had just as much will as they did and with all of the things that the Shore meant to him...Kaili included, getting rid of him
now wouldn't be as easy as they thought it'd be. No way. So he'd play smart, keep his head down, mouth shut...he wasn't going to give them a reason
to...
"Don't do that." Without meaning to, those words slipped from Jude's lips, Nui's hand ruffling his hair, pushing his head away more roughly than he
really needed to. He...didn't need to touch Jude. Words were just fine. Touching Kaili like she was his was working...just fine. Touching him,
unnecessary. With cold eyes, Jude looked back at Nui, staring the stupid brute in his face, the sneer on Nui's face looking back at him. Keahi was
speaking, but everything was muffled. Like there was a bag over his head. Like sound was there but it wasn't. All that echoed in Jude's head was...the
pounding. Rushing blood. The beat of his own speeding heart. The quiet was getting to be too much. The shutting his mouth. The silence...all of it,
even though he knew was the best thing to do in the middle of a place that teetered on safety and danger...it was becoming too much.
Problem? Between Keahi's goading and Nui's stares and his damn wandering fingers, Jude didn't know what to answer first. Eyes shifting to
Nui's hands playing with the ends of Kaili's hair, Jude swallowed hard, his eyes like cold, hardened amber.
"She asked you to stop." He spoke directly to Nui, ignoring Keahi's question. "Maybe you should figure out what the word means...and try it."
Man has a choice and it's a choice that makes him a man...
He wouldn't. He wouldn't dare look Nui in his face and claim the girl under his arm as his. For one, it wasn't true and for two, he didn't have the
balls. The boy hadn't looked at Keahi nor Nui square in the eye since they'd come into the house. To hear him speak at all would have been a near
miracle; to hear him say something against the relationship that his best friend and his sister--even if that relationship was all in Nui head--would
have been...hm. He wasn't sure what word he was looking for but, entertaining was the first to come to mind.
Keahi listened to Jude heave a frustrated sigh as Nui co-signed what he knew the both of them had seen. That short flash of rage from Jude was about
to spark quite the conversation and how long it lasted depended entirely on how long he planned on being a little bitch and taking Nui's shit. Yes,
Nui was Keahi's best friend. That was why he could say, with confidence, that Nui was an asshole. He said what he wanted to when he wanted to and did
what he wanted when he wanted. He knew what he was and he embraced it. It was a freedom Keahi couldn't know and he respected Nui for it. Jude on the
other hand had none of his respect. For as long as he sat stoic, unnerved, and spineless, he would not have Keahi's respect and especially
not his sister. She deserved better, more. Of course, it would never come to that. His father was changing in a lot of ways but, he knew that would
not be one of them. Jude was...important. His father's words, not his but, he was sure that importance would disprove itself
event-...What?
Keahi's thoughts were halted as...he spoke. How bout that? The kid could form words to make sentences. And what was this? Was he growing a pair? A
smirk came to his face as he leaned back, the tension in his body becoming weak with this humorous situation. Nui had pushed a button and now the
tables were turning...this was about to get interesting. Especially with the way the two of them were staring at one another, Nui's hand in Kaili's
hair stopping mid-stroke as Jude's outburst caught him by surprise too...And then he spoke again...
She asked you to stop. Oh shit. The smirk on Keahi's face slipped as he looked to Nui. He knew what was coming. Nui was going to make sure
this kid didn't have a nose to stick in anyone's business...ever again. Keahi knew what was coming and while he personally thought a good ass whooping
would be good for the kid, he knew his father would think differently. And his mother was in the other room...Nui's eyes met his, not so much to ask
for permission, but probably to make sure Keahi knew what he was about to do. The part of him that didn't want this outsider in his house wanted to
give him the go-ahead; a nod of approval. The part of him thinking for the tribe however, shook his head, softly waving Nui off if that was possible.
The kid needed to hope it was...but again, Nui was an asshole.
Nui had to be dreaming. He had to be fucking laying on the couch, in the middle of the Keahi's living room, tongue lulling out of his fucking
mouth...and dreaming, because none of this made sense. He was ready to believe that everything that had just come out of that pansy ass bitch's mouth
was...just a dream. And that...would've kept that little retard from getting his shit kicked in. But nothing about this situation was made up or
pretend. And it wasn't some crazy shit that his brain had put together because he'd thrown a couple too many back at Johnny's. No, this was all real.
Real and un-fuckin'-believable. The fact that this dirty blood was sitting in a home that should've been off the map to him was ridiculous and the
fact that he was mouthing off to someone with blood that would FOREVER be purer than his was even MORE fucking ridiculous. But he was being protected,
by Alemana himself. The man that taught Nui that the dirty bloods were a threat. The man who would quicker spit on someone who didn't call the Shore
his home than to shake his fucking hand. The man who saw the men that "shared our faces but not our blood" as traitors, their women as whores and
their children as fucking inbred. HE was protecting someone like this? Someone who didn't even deserve to speak a single person in that living room's
name? All because of some little plan that didn't involve anyone but the Akame kapuna elima. Nui was over it. All of the secrets that by all
goddamn right, he should know. It wasn't official, but the position of the right hand had always belonged to Nui. When Keahi ascended, Nui would be
right next to him...he knew it. Birth rite missed him on that bull, but he knew the truth. And any plan that involved the little cunt sitting on the
couch, giving him eyes that only grown men that believed they could defend themselves gave...he felt he had the right to know. Especially if
it prevented him tearing this little bitch a new one. Well...almost prevented.
"Big fucking words for a little bitch like yourself." Nui leaned forward, the smirk on his face dangerous as he watched Keahi out of his peripheral
view. He knew that the signal to calm down was coming soon, but he didn't give a fuck.
"Maybe..." Pushing Kaili from underneath his arm a little too roughly, Nui stood to his feet and popped his neck. "...you should let me show you what
to do with that pretty mouth of yours. What do you think about that...Judy?" Big words for a little boy who didn't know who the hell he was
challenging with his smart ass comebacks. But Jude had had way too many passes. On the beach...when he stepped to Keahi in his own fucking
driveway...too many. He was getting too big for his lady panty drawers. And if Keahi couldn't put him in his place in the middle of his father's
living room, then by all means...Nui would. And he'd do it with a smile on his face. Someone had to teach this little bitch a less...and if he knew
what was good for him...he'd back down...quick.
Stepping towards him, his hand in front of Kaili as she made to move from the couch and block his way, he hovered over the pussy, glaring down at him.
Waiting for him to make a move off of the couch. And if he didn't move...mostly because he was too much of a vagina to do it himself, Nui did NOT mind
doing it for him.
This was a complete nightmare! When had things changed? She had been irrevocably happy mere minutes ago. Jude had not only acknowledged their kiss
but, agreed to give them a chance. And even if their relationship was one of secrecy...she was with Jude. She didn't care who knew or didn't
know. They knew, and that was all that mattered to her... Or at least that was how she felt before her father brought Nui and Keahi home. Now
she kind of wanted to shove the fact that she was taken directly into Nui's throat and make him swallow it. She hated him right now. His touch, the
smell of the storm still on his skin, his voice...She hated everything about him as he sat there, his arm still weighing on her after she'd asked him
to move it. All of this shit was completely unnecessary! Nui was forever making things harder for her with people that weren't him. It was
fucking weird! What part of they're not together didn't he get?! Usually, it wouldn't bother her so much as Keahi was a cockblock in himself but, now?
Now that she was allowed to see Jude without her brother's interference? Now that she and Jude were actually together? No. He had to be stopped. And
if Keahi wasn't willing to do it for her, she'd have to figure out a way to do it herself...Like she hadn't been trying forever...
Until then, they were going to be here. In this situation. With Nui between them and neither of them able to say anything about it...She couldn't help
but feel bad for Jude and again she found herself wishing she'd said no when he asked to come to the Shore today. She knew the storm was coming and
she knew he might not make it out in time, but she selfishly told him to come and now they had to weather a storm of a different kind together...only
not together because the men in her family for some reason had something against her dating; without question, against her dating outsiders.
But Jude was so different! Why couldn't they see that? Why wouldn't they listen when she tried to explain it? He wasn't like the other boys on or off
the Shore, he was...well, she couldn't pinpoint what he was but, it was something she liked and something her brother might have liked too if he
opened his eyes and pulled the stick out...And if Nui stopped being an ass.
She opened her mouth to tell him to quit as his hand pushed Jude's head, something that might have been playful...if Nui was ever at all playful with
people he didn't know, but before she could Jude stood up for himself, telling Nui not to do that. She smiled a little, her eyes somehow finding him
around Nui. Good. She'd said it before and she'd say it again; Jude was entirely too...polite when it came to Nui. Nui wasn't fucking
important! He was well within his rights and tribal law to tell him exactly what level of hell to go to and there wasn't anything Nui could do about
it...well, not...officially. He would still be welcome on the Shore and he would still be welcome in her home. Because contrary to what Nui thought,
Alemana Akame was the end-all-be-all of this tribe. Not him. And if her father was fine with Jude being around, he would accept it and...what?
Jude spoke again, ignoring Keahi's question and telling Nui...the same thing his eyes had said moments ago. Kaili's smile faded, her eyes immediately
snapping to her brother, sure of what Nui would do and hopeful that Keahi would stop it before it got out of hand. Jude wasn't wrong for saying what
he said but, Nui would think he was and that could only mean trouble. And she wasn't wrong, watching as Nui leaned forward a little, that fucking know
it all smirk that failed to match her brother's on his lips before he spoke. He did as Jude had asked, pushing Kaili to the side as he stood.
Fuck.
"Nui, stop. Seriously-," she moved to block his way but, he was quicker, his hand in front of her and he came to hover over Jude, glaring at him, his
eyes daring him to even blink too loud so that Nui could have his satisfaction. No! "Keahi-," her voice was pleading as she turned to her brother, her
eyebrows drawn together as frustration, anger and fear for Jude all set in at once. He had to stop this! But the look he gave her...it only told her
what she'd known from the beginning. They were on their own tonight. Why the fuck was he doing this to her?! Keahi had never left her on the ledge
like this and he was doing it now? Over a boy that she liked? He was taking Nui's side? Fine.
"Fine-," she pushed Nui's hand out of her face to stand herself but, Jude moved first...Uh oh.
I'll let you put your hands on me in my skin-tight jeans;
be your teenage dream tonight.
Shit! Shit, shit, shit. As a quiet that Jude couldn't ignore fell over the room, he realized one thing...he had to learn to listen to his
better judgement when it told him to keep his fucking mouth shut. His anger, when it surfaced, was good at getting the best of him. Whether with the
kids that went to AJW, his uncle, or with muscle-necked Nui, there was only so much that his patience could stand before he abandoned it and put on
the much more comfortable irrationality that he wore, according to Unc' Li, quite well...sarcasm intended. And how his uncle put it, all of that anger
and rebellion wasn't too unfamiliar. Mostly because his father had had the same personality. Ticking time-bomb. Impulsive, hot headed. A
doer, not a thinker. And dangerous. Well, that was how Unc Li' saw it. Jude didn't think that way. He'd always thought that description made his dad
sound...braver. A whole lot braver than his uncle had ever been, which made it hard to believe that his father was really Mauli's older brother. Mauli
was quieter. More pensive. Thoughtful. Strong, but at the same time, weak because he hid his strength behind doing what was "appropriate"...what was
"wise". What would keep him alive. Like running scared. Patrolling land that was rightfully he's in the day and then fleeing like some...thief at
night. Sometimes, Jude wanted to do what was right...not wise. Like defending Kaili...even if she was underneath Nui's massive ass paws. Sure, the
thought that Mauli could possible pummel the shit out of him in one breath crossed his mind. But Kaili's eyes and the disgust on her face called out
to Jude louder.
In the quiet of the room, Jude's kept watching Nui. He didn't let go of the gaze he held on him, even when Nui's reply came. Challenging his words.
Probably giving him the opportunity to take every single one of them back and whimper a tiny, pitiful apology and scamper back into some hole on the
other side of the island where he "belonged". No. That wasn't the way that things were going to end this evening. Not at all. Jude would hold Nui's
menacing stare. He would stand his ground. And most of all, he would defend his...his girlfriend. Yeah. His girlfriend. And despite the fact that he
and Kaili were the only two people that knew that she wore that title, Jude would defend her like their relationship was front page news.
Nui, stop. Seriously... Kaili's voice was the only thing that snapped his unmoving stare from Nui's cold, dangerous eyes. If only for a
second, his eyes drifted to her before he let them connect with Nui's again, the jerk finally complying with Jude's command to take his hands off of
Kaili. He'd done it...and he made sure that he did it a little too roughly, Kaili's back falling into the worn couch's cushions a bit forcibly for
Jude's liking. No, he didn't like that at all, his top lip curling slightly as he watched, unblinkingly, as Nui started the course towards him. Kaili
was still trying, calling out Keahi's name. The plead in her voice was ignored by her brother who, just as much as Nui, wanted to rip into him with as
much violence and pain as he could. Anything for the foreigner whose face neither of them really saw when they looked at Jude. They didn't see Jude.
All they saw was a threat. All they saw was the face of so many of the "outsiders" that shared the heritage of the Mokus, but were satisfied in the
ignorance and tainted blood. They saw the "threat of the other side" when they looked at him. There was no way Keahi was going to be be any help to
Jude that night. Good thing Jude didn't want it...
Grimacing sourly, he heard Kaili speak again, but instead of letting her get up and waste another moment going toe to toe with Nui, Jude stood to his
feet. All five-foot, eleven inches of him stood up to Nui, barely reaching the giant's chin. But he glared right back into his eye, unafraid. Their
chests were nearly touching, Nui's fists clenching at his sides. There was a hesitance there...almost like he was waiting for something before he
decided when and how to lay into him. His teeth clenched in his thick mouth, breath huffing out of flared nostrils like a beast. Jude only...stood
there, staring him in the eye...waiting. Bracing. He was facing the giant...and he wouldn't back down until Nui did.
Man has a choice and it's a choice that makes him a man...
He saw it when it happened. When shit stopped being a joke at Jude's expense and got real. Nui bent when the kid told him not to touch him but, broke
when he tried defending Kaili. That wasn't his place and he was overstepping in a way that Keahi already knew Nui wasn't going to respond well to. And
as his best friend leaned forward, pushing Kaili aside as he stood, he knew exactly how Nui planned on handling it. If Keahi had to be honest, he was
okay with Nui beating the haole hell out of this kid. Keahi, the man, didn't give two fucks either way but, Keahi, the leader, had to think of what
was best for the tribe...and according to his father this kid was it. Nui wasn't going to touch him. He couldn't allow it, especially not with Alemana
mere feet from the situation...That didn't mean Jude wouldn't get the message Nui was trying to send. It'd just be a lot...cleaner.
Hell, maybe it wouldn't come to that at all. Keahi watched as Jude held the stare Nui was giving him, unfaltering as Nui asked if he really wanted to
take this ass whopping. He did it seemed. Kaili spoke for him again, telling Nui to stop. That shit irritated him to no end. The fucking
outsider was old enough to speak for himself and answer for his actions. Kaili didn't need to speak for him and if she'd pull the wool from over her
eyes, she'd see that this kid wasn't worth standing for anyway. That and she wasn't helping him. The shit only made him look weaker and the fact that
he was letting her speak for him solidified his assumption as fact. The kid was weak...He'd give him two. In a fight with Nui the kid might take two
hits before he was either knocked out or...hell, he was kinda small; Nui's hits might kill the poor boy if he wasn't caref--.
Keahi's thoughts were interrupted at the sound of his name, another short plea from his sister to help the kid clean up his mess. No. If what his
father said was true, the kid was going to need to learn to hold his own anyway. Keahi wouldn't be around always and just like Kaili, the kid needed
to learn to rely on himself. And besides, there was no mercy in his heart for the boy that probably had no interest in his family beyond getting his
sister in the sack and he'd be damned if he let that shit happen either...But the way she was looking at him...The way her eyes cut when she finally
looked away...fuck. Keahi sighed, preparing to call Nui off and make things right with his baby sister but he didn't get the chance. Jude
stood, the top of his head barely reaching Nui's chin as he took his challenge further, looking into Nui's eyes rather than his own lap. And what
Keahi saw there? It wasn't fear...
"Nui-," Keahi began, his words slow as his eyes stayed on the outsider. "You're in my mother's living room." Excuses. Keahi hated excuses and more
than that he hated when he was the one to use them. It was true he didn't want Kaili's little friend to bleed out on his mother's floor but
that was not the reason he was telling Nui to stop. The less than timid Jude was beginning to show and Keahi was sure he was starting to see what his
father swore he'd known was there years ago.
Keahi stood finally, his hand coming to Nui's shoulder as he pulled him back, "Relax, brah-," he said, quickly stepping in front of Nui before the
protest he knew was coming could be made. His eyes connected with Jude's now as they stood toe to toe and Keahi saw he was not mistaken. The look in
Jude's eyes was courage. Pure determinism. To what end, Keahi wasn't sure but, he wanted to find out. A silence settled in the living room as Keahi
held the boy's gaze for a minute longer, waiting to see if he'd react. An amused smirk emerged before he spoke "You not too smart are you kid?" he
waited for the response that he was sure was coming as his question had not been rhetorica...'then he realized who he was talking to.
"Right...You'll learn that while ignoring Nui here might get you hurt, ignoring me might get you killed. My question wasn't rhetorical, outsider.''
Nui's breath was coming out in heavy huffs, his chest rising and falling violently, those large hands clenching at his sides. The eyes that normally
wore a dangerous smile were empty of humor. The only thing that could be found in them was the danger...and violence and the end of the threat that
literally stood between he and Kaili. There were two problems. One was obvious, being the little haole fuck that had wedged himself into their lives
when his presence and existence should've been ended the second he found himself on Moku...real Moku soil. The second problem? The little
jerk was standing in front of Nui like he was right as rain where he was, defending someone's honor that he didn't even own. Kaili wasn't his. Kaili
would never fucking be his. Never. Yet this entitled little priss ass put himself right between her and Nui and tried to set him right when
it came to how to treat her? Fuck. Him. If anyone knew what Kaili needed, what she wanted...it was Nui. He had known her since she
lay in 'A'noi's womb and this ass had known her for what? A couple of fucking months? Oh, this kid could really shut the fuck up and know his role
before Nui got the "go ahead" from Keahi to show him.
"Whoa...look at Judy." Nui said, a chuckle coming from his mouth that didn't quite reach the rest of the features on his face. Stepping
closer to where Jude stood, he came to look down at the boy, his eyes staring directly into Jude's. Searching him. Waiting for a flinch that would
tell him that the pansy ass's fake bravery was about to break and the cowering, bitch outsider that he really was would come out, begging Nui for
mercy, asking him to not break his face...like his pleading would make a difference. But there was no pleading. There wasn't even a fucking inkling
of...fear. But there had to be fear. There had to be some part of Jude that knew that he was about to get his fucking face smashed in. And whatever
part that was, he wasn't responding to it. But it had to be there. Nui was easily twice the boy's size. He was sinew. He was muscle. He was brawn and
still...Jude's eyes stared into Nui's without a single...fucking...stitch of...fear. Well...that, as well as his ignorance could be remedied.
With a sick smile, Nui's clenched his hands quickly, the knuckles popping, ready. Ready to end this stupid stare off. Ready to make words in to
action. A meeting with Jude's flesh was on their fucking itinerary and...it would have happened until Keahi stepped in between them. The fuck? Keahi
was going to save the day? Now? Why!? Nui's eyes asked that question as Keahi slid between he and Jude, blocking the boy from his view. No, this
wasn't right. This...none of this was right. In the past, when there was an outsider that needed to be reminded of his place, he and Keahi were in it
together. The handled the problem, ridding the island of another ignorant outsider that thought they were beyond the law of the land. But tonight was
different? Tonight, one could hole up in the house of an Akame elder and...live? Confusion spread over Nui's face as Keahi ordered Nui to stand down,
in so many words, and spoke to Jude, his voice calm with someone that should not have had words wasted on him by a future elder. Shaking his head as
he stared at Jude...or the place where Jude should've stood behind Keahi. He backed up a couple of steps, his anger stretching past Jude and focusing
on the actions of his best friend.
And it looked like the party was still on as Keahi's words jabbed at Jude, tried to get him to react. Sure, he'd taken the fight from Nui and made it
his own, but the end would be the same. Either he would rise up against Keahi, which would mean death without explanation...or he would back down,
pack his shit and get out with his life...which he still didn't deserve. Either way, little Judy would be out of their lives. And whatever
outcome they got...Nui was ready for that party.
She could read the pissyness all over Nui's face as Keahi finally "big brothered" up and took control of a situation that was only getting worse by
the second. He had to know what Nui was about to do! He had to know that Jude only had an inkling of what Nui was actually capable of and it would be
mere seconds before he really found out. Keahi knew that and he had to do something, if for no other reason, for the one he used as an excuse. He was
in their mother's living room. He knew how 'A'noi felt about violence and so did Nui. For them to take it there in the home that they shared...He
didn't want to upset her like that. Kaili knew her brother. He couldn't upset her like that. Keahi could be cold when it came to keeping
order but, he had soft spots for a few select people. Most of them he shared a home with. One where he would respect the boundaries that were set. So
no, Nui wouldn't fight Jude in their home and Keahi was making sure of that, his body coming between his best friend and a new enemy.
Why couldn't he see that Jude wasn't the enemy? He was a good guy. A friend. Her boyfriend. Not that he had to know that just yet but, it didn't
change the facts. Jude hadn't done anything wrong since she met him in that hallway of AJW on one of the worst days of her life. He'd been great and
conscientious and above all, respectful. Of her history, her customs, her people, her body...He'd done nothing wrong! Yet here he stood being
persecuted for the one thing he couldn't help; his upbringing. It wasn't Jude's fault his folks had made the move to the other side of the island and
it wasn't Jude's fault he wasn't pureblood Moku. Not everyone in South Shore was...Of course that wasn't an argument because they hated those few the
same as they hated Jude. It was crazy how once they considered a part of your heritage the other half was completely ignored. They were still
Moku...You'd think they get to keep a little of their respect...
But Keahi was shredding Jude's, basically asking if he was as stupid as standing up to Nui made him look. Kaili didn't see it that way. Jude wasn't
stupid for standing his ground with Nui, and Keahi knew that too. She could see it in the way that her brother looked at him. He was impressed. Jude
had gained a pinprick of respect for flashing his backbone and Keahi acknowledged that by telling him the rules of the Shore rather than slapping them
into him. He needed to answer him. There was no getting around that and his answer needed to have at least the tiniest twinge of respect on it...but
did he know that?
Kaili opened her mouth to try to help but Keahi's eye caught hers before she could form words, flashing the warning that she heard loud and clear. She
wasn't to speak for him. She was to watch. She was to leave Jude on the ledge by himself and hope Keahi didn't push him off...She couldn't do
that to him! Jude didn't know enough not to do the very thing that might get him marked. No, Keahi wouldn't touch him here but, accidents happened
when he wasn't in this house. Jude didn't know enough not to piss Keahi off because Kaili hadn't been able to tell him and it wasn't for to leave him
hanging like this. Someone had to speak up.
"Really? You boys can't play nice for ten minutes?" Her mother's light and sweet voice cut the tension in the room, her hands carrying to plates of
her aforepromised pie. She gave them both to Kaili, the only one that had been forced to remain seated in the room, before turning her attention to
the boys. "You two-," she motioned to Keahi and Nui, "get nothing until you shower. Nui-," she turned, her eyes falling on him as if she knew he
started this. "Would you like to go first?"
I'll let you put your hands on me in my skin-tight jeans;
be your teenage dream tonight.
Staring into Nui's eyes should've been the first step to "backing down" for Jude. And honestly, any other guy in his situation probably would have.
Those eyes held a lot of dark, endless...nothing. And that was dangerous. For eyes to be windows to the soul..."empty" definitely wasn't the first
thing someone wanted to see when they looked there. And though every drop of blood inside of his veins should've run cold at the stare Nui was giving
him, Jude didn't budge. He didn't blink. He didn't move. He wasn't intimidated by Nui. Not in the least bit. He knew the way the situation
would play out, lest Keahi let it go that way. Him on the floor underneath Nui, whatever bloodied mess that was left of his face underneath Nui's
fist. But he didn't give a damn. He wasn't backing down. Not for Nui. If there was one thing that being a permanent outsider on the other side of the
island prepared Jude for, it was this. This feeling of never belonging. This moment where almost everyone in the room was against him and he was
standing alone. He was ready...because he'd lived this all of his life. He wasn't rebellious because he grew his hair too long, drew
when he should've been hanging out with friends he didn't have and rode a crappy, pieced together motorcycle. He was a "rebel" because his skin was a
little too dark, his eyes were a little too "slanted" and his attitude was a little too "fuck you". And all of that was a personal affront to the
administrators, teachers and probably the entire football team. Yeah, he'd had his share of bullies. And once you meet one, you meet them all. Nui
wasn't different. He never would be and that was why Jude wouldn't back down...not until Nui realized that he couldn't control any and everyone with
his stupid, fat fist.
Relax, brah... Great. No really. Fantastic. Jude could've actually rolled his eyes as Keahi's body slid into view, nearly blocking Nui from
his view. This was all he needed. Nui giving him grief and nearly a second away from giving him a lot more with the the two sledgehammers he called
"hands" and now Keahi was adding himself to the mix...coming between his best friend and the "problem that refuse to go away"...also known as "him".
And surprise, surprise. Wonder whose side Keahi was going to take. Jude didn't really care. Because his fight wasn't with Keahi. It was with
Nui...completely disrespectful towards Kaili, ASSEY Nui. But there was no way that Keahi was going to hear that. It was "everyone let's get a piece of
Jude" night and he was going to stand right in line, pushing his best friend aside so that he could get the first piece. Jude refused to make eye
contact with him, his gaze still focused on the problem in the room...even as Keahi spoke. Really? A question about his intelligence? The corner of
Jude's mouth twitched in response, a small signal that he'd heard the ignorant question that he wasn't even THINKING about responding to. What good
was Keahi doing with asking questions? If he was going to start the round of "kick ass" on Keahi, he didn't need to speak. But he didn't move to
strike. Instead, he spoke again, warning Jude about the stupidity of not answering the question that would have him underneath a fist, no matter what
his reply was.
...you boys can't play nice for ten minutes? If there was anything that could've made Jude's eyes leave Nui for the second that they did, it
was Kaili's mouther's voice cutting the thick tension like a knife. She strolled into the room, her hands carrying the promised pie, like she saw and
heard nothing. Like there weren't looks of death on the faces of the three males in the room and like her daughter wasn't caught in the middle of it
all. She fearlessly walked between them and removed Nui from the room with talks of innocent things such as warm baths and changes of clothes. It took
a mother to dispel the drama...well only a smidgen of it as Keahi still stood in front of Jude, looking down on him and waiting for an answer to a
question that he couldn't have honestly expected him to answer. Jude's gaze shifted from the space where Nui'd stood to Keahi's, his eyes finding it
difficult to connect with Keahi's as easily as they had with Nui's. And he could see Kaili out of the corner of his view, her face reading a loud,
clear message.
Stand down...
Hesitantly, Jude's eyelids lowered as his gaze shifted to the floor, his feet moving backwards a couple of steps. "If taking Nui's shit makes me
smart..." Jude's voice was steady, careful. "...then I'll be stupid." Smirking sourly, his face changed, his mouth relaxing, his eyes growing
apologetic.
"I didn't mean to disrespect your father's home. I'm...sorry...about that."
Man has a choice and it's a choice that makes him a man...
Keahi rolled his eyes at the entire situation playing out in front of him. None of this shit should have even been happening. Jude wasn't supposed to
be here and Nui wasn't supposed to be on the verge of mopping the floor with his least favorite outsider. Life before Jude was simple. Easier. All he
had to worry about was keeping his sister and Ailani out of trouble and taking what his father threw at him for the tribe...Who ever would have
thought that he would be throwing him a curve like this kid though? Defiant, ignorant, and completely disrespectful. Keahi hadn't forgotten the look
he'd given Nui when he touched Kaili and he knew exactly what that look had been. This kid thought he had a chance with his little sister and he would
find out soon enough how dead wrong he was about that. Nui wouldn't be the one to tell him though, and it certainly wasn't about to happen in
his home...Not if he mother had anything to say about it.
And just like that it was over. His mother was good at that; killing...drama. Conflict made her uneasy. Who would have known with who her husband was,
but she'd never been one for disagreements and with Nui around she had gotten pretty good at bringing any situation back to ground. This time she
simply sent him off. The promise of pie to follow the shower Keahi was sure Nui wasn't interested in right now. He could see as he skulked off, the
rage in his eyes never dying, that all Nui wanted to do at that moment was rip Jude in two and make one half eat the other. He was angry. But what
could he do but ignore it and obey? Sure, 'Ano'i wasn't at all someone with official power; hell Keahi could have easily ordered Nui to kill and there
would have been nothing his mother could say about it...why didn't he? For almost the same reason as Nui, she was the wife of an Elder, and of course
Keahi's mother. He couldn't upset her like that.
So he wouldn't. But he would stand on principle. Jude still hadn't answered his question and it was beginning to strike a nerve. So still he waited, a
wait short lived before Jude finally gave an answer. Ha. The kid was funny. Keahi smirked as he continued, an apology for...well that was new for an
outsider...
"Oh, Jude stop. Don't apologize-," 'Ano'i interrupted, the smile returning to her face as she took one of the pieces of pie from Kaili and placed it
in his hands, "Keahi's just a little overprotective." She smiled at him then, her attention never returning to Keahi as she started an
entirely new conversation, asking Jude about school. Ugh. Keahi sighed, rolling his eyes before he simply walked out of the living room. It was going
to be a long night...
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