Heart To Heart || Neteyam Sully

14. Picture of Us

" 'Cause I took a picture of that smile and stuck it in my heart. "

Third person POV

Neteyam was rummaging through the things that dad had brought with him when Eiwa went inside the cot. She saw him almost right away. Neteyam could tell she was just out for a swim. Her hair is wet and there is still water dripping from her clothes. He could never get used to the sight. Afraid to get caught staring, he quickly returned to whatever he was doing

"What are you doing?" Eiwa sat next to Neteyam. Over the past month, the two had gotten more and more comfortable in each other's company.

"Dad asked me to get something for him," Neteyam answered.

Eiwa scanned through the mess on the floor and beamed once she saw a camera lying on the corner, "Is that a camera?"

Neteyam followed her gaze and hummed in response.

"Do you mind if I—"

"Go ahead," he took it and handed it to her.

"I used to have one," Eiwa said. "But I broke it."

Neteyam furrowed his brow, "I hope you won't break this one, or I might just have to take it away from you."

Eiwa chuckled, "I was nine. I can assure you my seventeen year-old self will not repeat the same mistake."

"You better not," he said, as he found what he was looking for. A small orange device with gray buttons.

"Mind if I look through this?" Eiwa asked.

"Sure," Neteyam shrugged. "I'll come back soon."

He left Eiwa alone in the cot, while she began looking through the memory of the camera. The latest picture taken was several months ago. It was a family picture of the Sullys. Eiwa smiled seeing Neteyam in that picture. He seemed to have grown since then. Lo'ak didn't seem too happy in the picture, even though he was smiling. Kiri was visibly rolling her eyes. Eiwa didn't know who thought it was a good idea to take a picture with flash on though, because their eyes turned all white.

Eiwa continued to look through the gallery until one caught her eyes. It was a picture of Neteyam proudly smiling on a stage-like stone with white marks all over his body. She tilted her head, "He looks quite good in this."

She chuckled once she found a picture of a younger Kiri and Lo'ak sitting down side by side with both their arms crossed looking away from each other. Then there was a picture of a younger Neteyam holding up a fish on a spear, a wide grin on his face. Eiwa continued to scroll up till she reached the top and found an adorable picture of Neteyam, who just so happened to have returned to the cot.

Eiwa looked up to him, "You were adorable."

Neteyam saw what she was looking at and snatched the camera out of her hand, "Okay. That's enough looking at pictures for you."

Eiwa tsked, "You're no fun." She watched as he placed the camera back into a bag. "Are you not going to take pictures here? It's a beautiful place."

Neteyam sighed, "Fine, you can use it. Just be sure to put it back in here and don't look at the pictures from 16 years ago."

Eiwa smiled as Neteyam handed the camera back to her, she went outside of the cot with it and began to take pictures. She made sure not to take too much. Just a few would be enough.

Once Neteyam was done cleaning up the things that he had taken out of his father's bag earlier, he joined Eiwa outside. She turned around and saw him before that smile of hers that he likes so much appeared on her face. Eiwa held the camera up, "Smile! I'll take a picture of you."

Neteyam smiled, not because she told him to but because of her smile. He would, however, do it if she had just told him to do it.

Eiwa clicked the button on the right and once she got the shot, she pulled it down to see the result. Neteyam walked to her side to see as well. "I'm such a good photographer," Eiwa complimented herself.

"Or maybe, I just happen to be a great subject to photograph," Neteyam joked.

Eiwa rolled her eyes, "Sure thing, 'Tey."

"Let me take your picture," Neteyam offered as he took his hand out for the camera.

"You better make me look as nice as I did in the picture I took of you," Eiwa remarked before handing him the camera. She walked behind him, "I want you to get this background. Make it half-half. So there's the sea and also the big roots thing."

"What?"

"Just refer to my picture," Eiwa said as she stepped further away from him.

Neteyam did and held the camera up, prompting Eiwa to begin smiling. Neteyam adjusted the camera so that it would focus before it finally did. Eiwa still looked as breathtaking as she does in real life. He watched through the lens for a while, forgetting that he was supposed to be taking the picture.

Eiwa then spoke, though still trying to maintain her smile, "Got it yet? My cheeks are hurting."

Neteyam bit the inside of his cheeks, preventing himself from grinning too wide. "Eywa, she's so cute," Neteyam muttered under his breath before apologizing to her. "Sorry, the camera took a while to focus."

Eiwa smiled again as Neteyam finally took the picture. "Done."

"Done?"

Neteyam nodded. Eiwa quickly walked towards him to see the result. "Could be better, but good enough. Let's take one together now."

Neteyam turned to her and raised an eyebrow, "Do you like taking pictures that much?"

"What's wrong with that?" Eiwa said as-a-matter-of-factly. "It's nice to keep things in pictures."

Neteyam sighed, "Alright fine. I'll get the stick to hold it up."

Eiwa waited as Neteyam went back inside. Neteyam went back outside with the stick and set the camera. "I set the timer for three seconds," he told Eiwa. Then he stepped back and stood beside her as they both smiled. Just before the indicator blinked for the third time, Neteyam placed his arm around Eiwa's shoulders and pulled her closer to his side. Eiwa was obviously shocked, but decided that the end result of the picture would be more important and maintained her smile.

Neteyam let go of her and walked over to the camera to check the result. He then brought the camera to Eiwa and showed her the result with a satisfied smile on his face. "There it is. A picture of us."