Ocean Eyes - Neteyam x Reader

CHAPTER THREE

"You can do it Lo'ak!" Tuk cheered, waving her hands at her older brother as he mounted his Ilu again, determined not to fail this time.

It had been around an hour since Neteyam had successfully bonded and rode his Ilu around, Kiri following close after him as Tuk's training was less intense. Due to her age, Ao'nung decided it would be best for her to limit bonding with an Ilu, instead he swam underwater with the child and showed her the different creatures which would prove useful if she ever was stuck with little breath. When hearing this, your heart warmed up, knowing he could be a genuine person at times.

Throughout Lo'ak's training, Tsireya never gave up. She stood by his side at each failed attempt and helped him with the next, not wanting him to give up so soon. You found such determination endearing, but you couldn't help but notice how she looked at the Na'vi with shining eyes each time he got back onto the sea creature.

Ao'nung and Roxto had decided to help Tsireya out with Lo'ak, trying to give him different tips and tricks while also making sure he was bonding with the Ilu correctly. Sometimes having the determination to impress others would result in the Ilu acting out, if the rider didn't have a clear mind with clear intentions, the creature would find itself confused and begin to act you. You had deduced this may be the case, but didn't want to discourage him or your youngest sister, who was trying her very best to teach him.

You ended up sitting on a nearby rock with the Sully siblings, Kiri was running her fingers over the different cracks and crevices before she jumped off of the rock and decided to lay down on the sand nearby and enjoy the sun's rays on her skin. Tuk jumped off after her, claiming she wanted to make a pretty sandcastle with Kiri.

That left Neteyam and yourself alone on the rock, watching as Lo'ak started to gain more and more confidence in his Ilu riding abilities. Your younger sister cheered him on while the boys had found themselves getting bored, floating on their backs and staring at the sky to pass time.

You found yourself playing with your braids, taking some of those which grew loose and rebraiding them tighter so they would last until the next time you rebraided Tsireya and your mothers hair. A pair of amber eyes followed your hands, watching as your hair was weaved in between your fingers to create perfectly even braids that fell to your mid-back.

"You're really talented with braiding." Neteyam broke the comfortable silence, causing you to whip your head around to face him. "I've noticed how quickly you finish each braid, it reminds me of how quick my mother braids our hair." He smiled, rubbing the back of his neck at the fond memory.

"Oh! Thank you." You rubbed your hands together nervously, "I do my family's hair most of the time, though it's quite difficult to do my fathers..." You trailed off, shuddering at the thought of needing to redo his braids.

"Maybe one day you could do Tuk's hair, she's already mentioned how pretty Tsireya and your hair looks." He stated, looking lovingly at his younger sister as she continued to build her sand castle next to the calm Kiri.

"I could come to your tent one night and braid her hair if she'd like?" You suggested, secretly wanting to find a reason to spend more time with the boy.

"Sounds like a plan." Neteyam flashed you a large toothy smile as he placed his hand on your shoulder. "How about tomorrow night? I wouldn't want to pressure you into doing it tonight."

"Oh it's no biggie! If Tuk would like her hair done tonight, I can come by tonight!" You spoke quite quickly, wishing for it to be sooner rather than later. "As long as that's okay with your parents, of course."

"I'm sure it'll be fine." He answered, his gaze focused on the water in front of him as he suddenly stood up. "Lo'ak is doing it!"

You forced yourself to look away from Neteyam and found yourself watching Lo'ak successfully ride his Ilu for longer than he previously had before. Tsireya cheered loudly as he rode around her, disappearing under the waves and resurfacing a couple of metres away, Roxto and Ao'nung swam towards the rest of the group, glad that it was finally over and he could stay on the creature for longer than 30 seconds.