I See You (N. Sully)

Chapter 11

Sighing, Jake rested a hand on Neteyam's shoulder. And, with a moment of thought, he rested a hand on Ahurewa's head, pulling them both in close. "Never do that again. Either of you. Understand?"

Ahurewa and Neteyam merely nodded, nothing more to say on the matter. What had happened was difficult for everyone, and clearly even Jake had felt the difference.

Smiling sadly, he held them both at arm's length. "Thank you," he said, turning to Ahurewa, "for saving Tuk and Lo'ak." He brought his hand to his forehead. I see you. For an Olo'eyktan to extend such gratitude was a great honour.

Ahurewa matched his motion with her own. This time, she really meant it. She could understand a fraction of his fear for his family.

"What's going on with you both?" The question broke the contemplative silence, stunning her out of her thoughts, and taking Neteyam so off guard he physically recoiled.

"What?"

Jake's eyebrows pulled forwards in concern, "did you have an argument?"

It was the questions that took the two of them off-guard. They were the questions they were asking themselves.

"Any other day..." The lines of age started to show on Jake's face, the frown lines and crow's feet at the corners of his eyes. Ahurewa had gotten to know them very well. He was exhausted. He and his oldest son had the same tell in that regard. "Just not today please."

Neteyam nodded, not even questioning it. So, Ahurewa did the same, noting the way he hesitated before walking off, after his father had left them. Their eyes had met briefly in an awkward moment, but both had come to a silent agreement to leave it until another time. Jake was right. Not today.

Later that night, Ahurewa was heading towards the tent for an early night's rest, when she saw all of the Sully children huddled around a small gap in the tent. The light was spilling out onto the ground, most of it blocked by Tuk's face, plastered sideways against the tents walls in an attempt to hear the conversation going on inside. Neteyam was the only one to notice her approach, and he snapped his head back to face the tent when their eyes met.

Kiri shushed her when she opened her mouth to ask what was going on, and it was then that she heard Neytiri's voice pouring out from inside of the tent. "Jake, please don't make me do this." Ahurewa wasn't sure if she was supposed to be there, listening to such a raw and emotional conversation, it felt too personal. "Please don't make me leave my people. I can't go through that again."

Lo'ak slapped a hand over Tuk's mouth before she could say anything.

They all looked at each other, both knowing and questioning in their eyes. Ahurewa didn't like being out of the loop, but she couldn't imagine being in the loop was any better going from the last part of the conversation she'd heard.

Neteyam looked up at them all then from his crouched position, shooing them away before his parents could see them on their way out. "You too." He whispered. It wasn't a whisper that made her feel warm inside, not a whisper like she was not accustomed to. It was like how he had spoken to her at the start. Dismissive and exhausted, as if it was a waste of breath saying the words to her. So, she left. Not a word was spoken to him as she left, swivelling on her heels and wandering off back in the direction she had come from.

Neteyam had found it hard to sleep that night. Overthinking the way he had dismissed her so easily, and how she had just accepted it without putting up a fight. Her walls were rebuilding themselves, and it didn't sit comfortably with him.

Ahurewa hadn't given him an indication of what it was that stopped her. That's what he was thinking about the most. Out of nowhere, she'd jumped up like they'd been caught doing something they weren't supposed to be doing.