EXPECTATIONS | Neteyam

SECRET

It was completely silent in the village. People rarely came out after the sun set in Awa'atlu.

Tefiti walked along the net pathways connecting the pods as silently as she could. The moonlight and bioluminescence of the ocean lit up the pods as she sneaked as quietly as she could to the Sully pod.

She bit her lip, the ilus had noticed her presence and squeaked curiously as she creeped round the corner of one of the pods.

Sure enough, the sully pod was directly infront of her. She squinted into the moonlit pod.

6 people slept soundlessly all over the floor. She scanned the faces, frowning until she spotted him.

He lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. His muscular lean arms behind his head. His chest rose and dropped gently, and his eyes; those eyes of amber, the eyes of a sunset which blinked slowly, long eyelashes which curled up to his brow. He looked so peaceful, so angelic. The moonlight from the opening onto the reef hit his features so perfectly, she hesitated to disturb his daydream.

She watched him mesmerised for a moment, before shaking off her thoughts and crouching down in the doorway.

"Neteyam." The boy sat up gently, looking around the shadowed pod in surprise. his eyes landed on the doorframe, which the girl smiled to before slipping out of sight round the corner.

He emerged from the doorway after a few seconds of silent scurrying rubbing his eyes. 
Tefiti watched him yawn quietly, his half lidded eyes scanning the village. "what time is it?"

"Past midnight." She pulled his wrist gently, his eyes drifting down to his wrist, then to her eyes.

"I want to.. show you something."

The further they walked away from the village, the more Neteyam woke up. His eyes widened at the array of colours from the coral and fish in the reef below where they walked.

Realising he was lagging behind the girl, he stumbled to her side as they entered the more jungle-like area of the island. His eyes drifted to her empty hand which brushed against his own occasionally. He blinked, pretending to examine the reef as he brushed his fingers against hers again. She did it back gently, opening her palm which he gladly slid his hand into, interlocking her fingers. His cheeks flushed a rosy pink, biting his lip as he found his voice.

"What did Aonung say?" Tefiti inhaled, picking her way through the warped roots as they walked higher up the island. She forgot he was watching when she hugged him.

"He's sorry but I doubt he meant it. He said you were shooting him looks." The boy laughed sheepishly, sliding a braid behind his ear. "I thought he was going to do something funny. You know how he is with my siblings."

"He doesn't mean it. He really is okay deep down." Her brow furrowed at the thought of Aonung. Neteyam watched the girl frown, rubbing circles into her supple skin. She squeezed his hand gently, her hair falling infront of her face.

They emerged through the thick of the forest onto a platform of stone, high up out of sight from the village but close and well hidden enough to watch the people walk by below them. The reef was beautiful; blotches of pinks and glowing greens all over until the edge of the reef. "This.. is my spot."

The two sat down on the rock, their feet dangling above the drop. Tefiti shuffled into his touch cluelessly as the breeze turned from warm to cold.

"Do you.. want me to be honest about what I thought?" He exhaled shakily. The girl twisted towards him smiling playfully. "Enlighten me forest boy."

"I saw you at the feast. I don't think I'd ever seen you so unhappy." He smiled gently. "Apart from when you found out you were teaching me and my family."

"I thought you were going to bring war to my clan." She giggled, poking his thigh.

"And I knew from that night, and the day before, that.. you would never love him." he licked his lips, sliding his hand from the rock up to her hair, gently sliding her curls behind her ears. Her eyes widened, watching his eyes drift around her face.

"and.." He rested his hand on her jaw, biting his lip nervously.

"He would never, be able to make you happy, like I could."

Tefiti's breath hitched. She held Neteyam's hand closer to her jaw, the other holding the rock below them. Could the future Tsahik, the Tsakarem, a leader be doing this?

"Let me make you happy." He whispered. His breath fanned on the girl's lips, his smell filling her nose, his voice echoing in her ears. She leaned in further, hesitating; but the boy leaned in aswell, until they were inches away from eachother. What would Ronal think? Jakesully? What about her parents?

She looked into his amber eyes, which bobbed up and down to her lips and her own blue ones. She completely discarded her other thoughts as she pressed her lips against his hastily. He held her curls at the back of her neck as he pressed his lips against hers; again, and again, her arms tangling around his shoulders breathlessly, again, and again, and again.