Towards Love

16.caught

Since the conversations Lola and Neteyam had separately with Norm and Jake, the atmosphere wasn't as light as it had been for a few days. The boy thought a lot about how he was going to talk about this body issues with the young woman. He didn't want to offend her by making her think that he didn't like her human body. He wanted her to feel good whichever body she was in. In short, it was a slippery topic. And as a result, the boy tried as much as possible to keep his distance not to be disapointed by what he might hear. On her side, Lola wanted to speak with Neteyam. Communication didn't seem to be their forte.

The young woman arranged to be on the same patrol with him and Lo'ak. Flying over the forest looking for any strange situation, silence reigned between the three Na'vi. Lo'ak sensed that something was going on between his brother and Lola, he wasn't stupid. When they landed on a treetop to overlook their surveillance area, the boy grabbed a branch to pull away. "Okay you two need to talk, I'm not listening. Let me know when you've got your business sorted out."

Surprised to be so easy to understand, they watched him pull himself up onto a higher platform and remained silent for a few moments. Lola could not stand Neteyam's behavior. She went first. "Why are you avoiding me? Everything was going well. If I did something wrong you have to tell me." Neteyam's eyes widened. "Something wrong? No, not at all! I'm the one who's afraid of doing something wrong."

"Why?" Lola didn't understand what he meant.

"Because ... There is something I wanted to talk to you about and I don't know how you are going to take it."

"Shoot and we'll see." Neteyam took a deep breath thinking of how he was going to start. "I ... I was wondering if you feel okay having two bodies."

"Are you really asking about my time management?" The boy panicked at her reaction. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to be rude I just ... I just want you to be as comfortable in your human body as in your Na'vi one that's all." The young woman chuckled. "Neteyam, I'm not angry at your question, I'm actually quite surprised. I was having that very conversation with Norm two days ago."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"I was having this conversation with my dad."

"With your dad? That's weird." Neteyam laughed. "Said like that it kinda is." Lola smiled. "So what were you saying?"

Neteyam told her about what Jake said about killing a healthy human body and the will of Eywa. Exactly what Norm had told the young woman. "...but in the end I feel like it is your choice. No one should impose you to live with two bodies."

"Neteyam. I want to fully be a Na'vi." There. She said it. Lola was relieved that her lover knew how she felt. She thought that maybe she would feel a bit like betraying human kind but not at all. She was just speaking the truth.

The boy was speechless. Deep down, he expected Lola to tell him that she had no interest in remaining a Na'vi. That it was actually a burden. "You ... You do?"

"Of course I do you skxawng. Why do you think I've come to Pandora? To count flowers? I've been wanting to know everything about you for a very long time. I applied to the program because we would have our own avatars. I'm not going to throw all that away at the first occasion." With a wave of her arm she embraced everything around them. 

Lola got closer to him and took his hands in hers looking at him straight in the eyes. "I am not throwing us away." Neteyam relaxed. That was all he wanted to hear. He would do anything to help Lola and keep her close to him, no matter how hard it would be. The boy suddenly took he young woman by the waist and pressed his lips to hers. He let go of all the anxiety, all the doubts he had had over the last few days. It was a reunion kiss, like a promise to never let go. "We need to talk to my parents." Lola nodded, laughing.