strong - neteyam x oc

flight

Kireyi

Once they finished eating and cleaning up, they trailed back to the beach before parting ways. Lo'ak stole Tsireya away, giving her a flower as they went swimming; Neteyam, on the other hand, gave a slight nod to Kireyi, walking off into the forest. She waited a few minutes before deciding to finally go too.

(play "choices" by sam gendel, if you want to replay it go ahead or you can start "higher than the mountains" by sam garrett)

As she progressed to the cave, her heart sped up; she could never tell what Neteyam would do next. He was unpredictable to her. Swiping away the vines to walk into the cave, she saw the boy waiting for her, "You came."

His voice was laced with a slight sign of surprise; she nodded, eyes stuck to the grass in front of her. She could hear him walk towards her, "I'll call him over, just stay calm and don't look into his eyes." Ironically, the girl had raised her head, looking into Neteyam's eyes; he turned away, starting to call for his Ikran. Kireyi's breath faltered from the brief eye contact, but she couldn't think about it long because of the new wind from Neteyam's Ikran.

The boy's face had a big smile as he approached his Ikran, "Hey Kenali, I haven't seen you in a while." As he brushed his hand on his Ikran's head, it nuzzled itself into his arm, listening to the faint hushes and words from the boy. The two clearly missed each other... Kireyi could tell. Turning his head, he looked to Kireyi, "Come here, you can pet him."

She closed the distance between her and them, staying close to Neteyam, "Are you sure?"

Slightly nodding, he showed her where to pet Kenali, and her eyes gleamed at the interaction. She somewhat hid behind the boy, and her breath hitched at the feeling of the Ikran. His skin was scaled and cool to the touch, yet it hadn't been so rough it would leave marks.

"Would you like to go on a ride with me?" Like earlier in the day, she gave him another look of disbelief. This time, she was nodding before she could get words out, "Wait here."

Tapping his Ikran on the side, he lowered himself for his rider to get on; the boy swiftly got up onto Kenali and finished Tsaheylu. Now his hand was out for Kireyi, grasping it; she was sitting behind the boy in a matter of seconds. He took her hands into his own, placing them around his waist, "Just hold on, we'll keep you safe Kireyi."

It was silent for a few beats, "I trust you." With that, Kenali took off. Kireyi's arms squeezed Neteyam's torso, and her eyes squeezed shut as her cheek settled against his back.

Neteyam slowed Kenali, "You can relax a little," But the girl seemed to refuse, tightening her grip on his waist. It didn't matter what he said to her, the next few minutes she wouldn't budge. He chuckled before retaking her hands, "Are you sure you trust me?"

"Yes..." She whispered against his back.

"Then release me," He teased, but his breath shook when her grasp tightened. 

"No...."

"May I move you in front of me?" Her arms tightened again at the statement.

"What? You're insane-"

"You're safe with Kenali and me, I swear," The boy gradually released her arms from his waist before instructing her, "You can keep your eyes closed if you'd like, all I need you to do is get onto your knees. I'll take care of the rest."

He kept a hold of her arms as she paused; he could tell she was thinking, and ultimately she listened, getting onto her knees. Her arms were over his shoulders now, chest against his back, "Just keep your arms around my neck. I'm going to pick you up."

"How far up are we Neteyam...."

"Do you want the truth?" His voice was laced with a small amount of guilt; he himself couldn't believe what he was about to do, he'd only ever done it with Tuk.

Kireyi silently gave her answer as she placed her hands onto his shoulders, squeezing the muscle; he steadily turned his torso, gingerly grabbing her waist so she wouldn't freak out. As he stared up to look at her, the girls eyes were shut tight, she had fully put her trust in the boy, and he continued on. Before she could react, he quickly grabbed her waist, lifting her to sit in front of him. Her hands tightened around his shoulders, she faced him now, but either way- she screamed.

"You skxawng!!" Her breath shook, hands still strained on his shoulders. As his hands rested on her waist, he chuckled at the situation.

"Kireyi.... open your eyes."

This time she obliged, idly opening them to look at the boy, her cheeks had a slight tinge of pink, and her eyes stayed wide. He could tell she was still in shock from the whole thing. Her chest heaved up and down, hand slightly shaking, "I apologize, I should've had you sit like this from the start. I didn't think you'd be so freaked out, though.." He chuckled again, and she hit his shoulder.

"You.... you're so-"

"Stupid? Strong? Smart? Maybe a mix?" He laughed some more, and this time, she couldn't help but join in. Her eyes still held disbelief but turned upwards as she laughed.

"I cannot believe you...." She tapped his shoulder again, and her nerves dissolved.

"I know... look down though." They stared into the eyes of each other a second more before she listened, and she gasped at the sight. She had never been so high up before and certainly hadn't seen her home from this height. It was breathtaking. Neteyam watched the girl take the scenery in; although he wanted to speak, he wouldn't. The moment was too valuable. They flew around for a while, the girl genuinely enjoying herself. Stars surrounded the two, the ocean sung below them, its waves reflecting the stars light.

"We should probably head back before people question where we went." Kireyi's nose scrunched at the words, and he immediately knew she disapproved, it was something he had caught onto early on the more they interacted.

"Just a little longer?" Her eyes held a plead.

Sighing, he whispered, "How could I refuse you...."

"What?" She looked up at him, and his eyes widened, he gulped looking away.

"Nothing," He looked back at her, and they flew for a while more before heading back to the cave. As he said his goodbyes to Kenali, he walked back to Kireyi. The two wandered back to the main beach the group typically stayed at. Kireyi held her arm out, stopping the boy from walking any farther.

"Thank you for tonight... it was fun."

"Of course," He smiled at her fixing a strand of her hair. The two gazed at each other- that's all they ever did. They always found each others eyes first, and for some reason, it hadn't mattered that it happened so often or that instead of exchanging words, they'd look at one another. It was a mutual understanding between the two; they both knew more than anyone that they had come to understand each other. Neteyam's hand slowly lowered from the girl's hair and they kept walking the path back to the Marui Pods before saying goodnight. 

Neteyam

The boy stepped into his families pod, his siblings all slept on top of one another and he softly smiled. Even if he wasn't home, seeing his family at peace again brought serenity. He had also grown to love it here, and he could feel his mind slowly let go of his concentrated feelings of affliction and grudge. He silently nodded to his parents, thankful they hadn't asked where he was, and he laid next to Tuk. The young girl must've felt his presence, her eyes softly opened and she cuddled close to her brother before drifting off to sleep again.