Towards Love

35.wedding

Neteym pov

Neteyam hadn't had the authorization to visit his hut since the evening before. Apparently the tradition was that the bride and groom couldn't see each other before the ceremony. That upseted him a lot because since they got together, Lola and him had never spent more than a few hours apart. Not a whole night! Obviously he knew that they would be soon reunited but he didn't see the point in this tradition. It was just stupid.

The young man spent the night with Lo'ak and Spider. This made him realize that he did not spend as much time with them as they did before. He actually missed their boys talk, their silly bets and their bickerings. He had built a family, he now has responsibilities and thus, he did not have time for them anymore. He thought that he would have to do something about it after the wedding. "Bro you're getting old. You've got a daughter, a mate and now you're going to have a wife. How is the ostheoarthrisis?"

"Ah ah very funny brother. You'll be there soon. By the way, how is Tsireya? Dad told me that you're going to see her every now and then." Spider chuckled seeing Lo'ak's bushing face. "She's fine thank you for asking." He scowled, angry at being caught at his own game. Neteym smiled, proud of himself. "Yeah? When are you going to mate? Have you scheduled a date yet?" His little brother's eyes widened embarrassed by this question. Spider couldn't hold his laugh any longer and was now laughing heartily. "Why are you asking this? It's not like that!"

"Right, you're flying more than six hours every two weeks just to see a friend." Neteyam mimed quotation marks with his fingers. Lo'ak buried his face in bus hands. "Fine! You win. You're not at all getting old, in fact you have your while life ahead of you." Neteyam smirked. "That's better."

The next day was the day of the wedding. As Lo'ak helped at the Spirit Tree for the last preparations, Spider and Jake helped Neteyam get dressed. "Bro, you look fine." Spider and him did their special handshake, Jake looking at them amused by their behaviour. His son wore his favorite necklaces fully made out of colourful beads. Some had been put in his hair as well to make his face stand out. On both his triceps, he had put on bracelets showing off his muscles. Around his waist, a loincloth of noble fabric fell on his hips, matching the necklaces. Jake had a bowl full of white paint in his hand. They were going to draw traditional Omatikaya symbols on his body. Him and Spider dipped their fingers in the bowl and concentrated themselves, the young human on his friends back and the village chief on his son's face.

Father and son stared at each other intensely. "I'm proud of you, you know." Neteyam smiled, happy with his father's recognition. He hadn't always been so demonstrative about his feelings so the young man always appreciated when Jake let himself go. "I know dad." Warrior marks were soon painted on Neteyam's face. On his back, Spider drew the clan symbols and on his torso, both painted Na'vi symbols representing life, Eywa and family. "You're good to go son."

***

Neteyam arrived at the tree before Lola. He was supposed to already be there when the ceremony would begin. Tuk and Kiri were Lola's bridesmaids and Norm the equivalent of the religious person supposed to marry the couple. As he was also human, he knew how that worked. "Stressed much?" He smiled at Neteyam while they were all waiting for the bride, trying to do small talk. "Yeah pretty much." Norm looked behind the young man's shoulder and winked at him. "She's here. She's beautiful."

Neteyam breathed out to give himself courage as the Omatikaya chants began to echo behind his back. He didn't want to turn around, wanting to keep the surprise of discovering her mate once she was at his side. And after what seemed like and eternity, he felt her steps getting closer to him. He didn't turn to face her right away. His hands were shaking in apprehension. What if she didn't want this anymore? What if he didn't live up to her beauty? He felt a hand slip into his and his bad thought got away immediately. She loved him and she was there because she wanted to reinforce their bond. There was no reason for her to say no.

Turning his body to face her, his jaw nearly dropped in front of so much beauty. The white dress she was wearing fit her body perfectly, the white bringing out her skin and the bioluminescence of her freckles. Her long black hair framed her face and highlighting her golden eyes. She was perfect. "Hey." He whispered. "Hey." She blushed due to her mate reaction. "You look... Stunning. Actually no words could transcribe your beauty now." She chuckled and put her head down ambarrassed by his compliments. Pulling her chin up with his fingers she looked at him with piercing eyes. "You look very handsome yourself. I love these necklaces on you. You should wear them more often." The young man smiled happily, relieved that she liked his outfit.

Norm started the ceremony. Apparently, he had to talk about both the bride and the groom. About their lives, how he knew them, and what he wished for their future life together. Everyone in the audience was listening carefully. No noise other than the ones coming from the forest could be heard. Neteyam and Lola held hands tightly, as if letting go would make the other disappear. "Now is the moment for the exchange of vows. Who wants to start." The young parents had prepared something for the other. Something intimate but that the others could listen to. "I'll go first." Lola had spoken clearing her throat. They faced each other holding hands, their gaze fixed on each other as if nothing existed around them.

"Neteyam. Who would have thought when we first met that we would end up here today? It seems to me that at the beginning, you didn't really have me in your heart. I think it was the beauty of my avatar that made you change your mind." The assembly laughed and Neteyam blushed. "Now you are the most important person in my eyes along with our daughter. Thank you for making me laugh every day, for giving me your love and for standing by my side even at the risk of your life. Eywa is a witness to this, you are the perfect person for me."

"Now Lola, repeat after me." Norm motioned for Sylwanin, who was sitting on Jake's lap, to join him. The little Na'vi jumped to the ground and ran towards him, a wooden box in her hands. She handed it to him and clung to her father's leg. Neteyam stroked her hair tenderly. "Thank you, my dear. Good. I, Lola Aubrey Green, accept to cherish Neteyam Sully here, in sickness and in health and to be by his side for eternity." The young woman repeated after him. "Neteyam, it's your turn now." Both of them had watering eyes now, realizing that it was real.

"Lola. I will never thank Eywa enough for putting you in my path. You are the sweetness, love and support I need every day to move forward. You are the person I want to grow up with, to grow old with and to have many more children with. I would risk my life for you every day if I had to. Thank you for wanting to learn our ways, for considering us as your family and for staying. It is the most beautiful gesture that one can hope for from his half." "Now Neteyam, repeat after me." Norm turned towards him. "I, Neteyam Sully, accept to cherish Lola Aubrey Green here, in sickness and in health and to be by his side for eternity." He repeated after him. "Now I will give you the rings and you'll answer my last question before giving them to each other." They both nodded, the young man taking the wooden box from his hands.

"Lola Aubrey Green, do you agree to take Neteyam Sully as your husband?" The young woman took the ring from the box and before putting it to Neteyam's finger whispered looking directly into his eyes. "I do."

"Neteyam Sully, do you accept to take Lola Aubrey Green as your wife?" He took the ring in his hand. Looking at Lola a single tear rolled down his cheek. That was it. After this she would be entirely his on Pandora and on Earth and nothing could bring them apart. "I do." They smiled at each other holding hands. "By the power vested in me by Eywa, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Neteyam did not hesitate. He seized Lola's face in his hands and greedily crushed his lips on hers. He knew that everyone was watching them but he needed to feel her against him, to be one with her. And when nothing else existed around them, an explosion of joy broke out among the guests, all full of joy for the young couple.

Author's note
We love cheesy moments! Don't forget to vote and comment if you liked this chapter :)