Surface| Neteyam

12.

"I like this" Neteyam leaned back, his eyes shone like gold.

"Like what?" I looked over at him, the moonlight perfectly carved around his face.

"This, just us, you don't have to pretend for anyone else."

His words stung me like a thousand arrows directly to the heart, but they didn't hurt, it was like they were made out of tenderness and warmth.

"I don't pretend" I guess I wanted to keep the 'mysterious girl' act up, something that would define me from Riuwe, she had her whole life story plastered across her face. Though, It turned out to be more of a 'mean girl' in the process.

"Yeah, and I can breathe fire" He joked, I nudged his shoulder in defense but I couldn't stop a smile from slipping through my lips. Still not wanting to give the satisfaction of being right I quickly looked away to conceal it.
He was right though, in a different sense, I liked this it felt real and I was also sure he could hear my rapid heartbeat.

A few hours had passed, after Ronal had tended to Kiri she began to slowly regain her strength. I stayed around just to comfort Neteyam, and perhaps to have an excuse to spend more time with him, but I would never admit to that.

We sat outside their pod, dangling our legs above the water just looking out into the sea; I noticed Aonung and a few friends awkwardly climbing off their Ilu's while looking behind them anxiously.
Neteyam saw them too and began watching them closely,

I tried to think of something else to bring up, nothing too deep or forcefully funny, something that could distract him, it worked for me when I lost my mom.

"I've never had any siblings of my own, it was just me and my father for as long as I can remember." The words drifted out my mouth without a second thought. He looked over at me, watching thoughtfully.

"What about you, what is it like having brothers and sisters?"

He shuddered in response which made me laugh,

"My sisters are sweet, wouldn't trade them for anything."

As he said that I remembered one of the first times we met, he gave me the silent treatment when I mistreated Tuk.

"Lo'ak, well.." He hesitated at this, I could tell he had mixed feelings for his brother even though he loved him.

"He's always in his own world, he's really quite unless you get to know him, funny as hell though"

"It sounds nice" I laid my head back, watching the stars shift across the endless sky, the moon settled right in the middle perfectly.

"It's a lot of responsibility" he replied collectively, scratching his head lightly.

"Lo'ak is brave, i'll say that" I smiled, the moment just felt right, the waves crashed against the shore harmonically and my dad hadn't yet found out I had almost spent the last 12 hours with forest people. I placed a soothing hand over his, slowly moving a finger at a time so it didn't feel rushed, I wasn't sure how he would react and I didn't want to take advantage of him in such a vulnerable position. I just needed to let him know I was here, I heard him, I could hold him even if everything felt wrong, we might not end up being friends but what if we could be more?

He let me intertwine my hand with his, we gazed at each other, not wanting to look away.

"Wait," Neteyam shook his head, counting each one of Aonung and his friends.

"Lo'ak '' he muttered. I looked around, not seeing his brother, then back at Neteyam.

He got up slowly before making his way to Aonung. Still confused I lifted my legs back onto the floor and kneeled so I could see what was happening a little better.

I couldn't hear much but I could tell he was mad by his body language. I stood up as Neteyam grabbed Aonung by his braid and began to forcefully drag him in my direction.

"Neteyam, what the hell are you doing?!" I tried to stand in his way but he just gave me an enraged look so I stepped back.

I trailed behind them as he pulled him into his pod. Aonung's boyfriends, I mean friends circled around the two anxiously but I stopped them before they could get inside.

Neteyam pushed Aonung in front of his dad and yelled,

"Tell him what you told me!"

I didn't understand what was happening so I hurried over to his friends who must have been a part of whatever was going on.

"What is happening?"

They all mumbled quietly refusing to give me and answer,

"Tell me!' I hissed loudly pursing my lips but just wide enough where they couldn't see my fangs.

"That, jungle boy, the younger one, he came over to us and just wouldn't leave us alone so we let him come with us beyond the reef to do some fishing but-"

My expression dropped from furious to shocked,

"You brought him where.." They all swayed nervously waiting for one to step forward.

"Where is he now?" I asked.

"Like you care, Sira, you said you hated them just as much as we do" one of them laughed timidly.

"I said, where is he?"