The Breath of Water | Neteyam

17 • Suppressed, Now Divulged

On her way to the cove, she ended up running into her sister. Liyanin tried to stifle a smile, but thought of Neteyam liking her back made her too ecstatic. Plus, the fact that her tail was wagging out of control was a dead giveaway to how she was feeling. Tsireya obviously noticed her sister's excitement and began to laugh.

"Liya, what is happening with you? Why are you so...happy?" Tsireya asked, trying to grab Liyanin's tail in order to calm it down, but the attempt proved to be fruitless, for she was much too joyous.

"Reya...the Sully boy...the eldest...he..." her voice trailed off, for she was still trying to sort her thoughts and feelings together.

"He what, sister?" Tsireya said while laughing, finally managing to hold her tail.

"...he walked away from me...!" Liyanin replied, a bright smile on her face.

Tsireya was dumbfounded, not understanding the appeal of what her sister had just told her. "...and that makes you happy...?"

"No, you do not understand...he never did that before...and it was after we..."

Tsireya's eyes widened, anticipation rising for what her sister would say. "...you guys...!...did you guys...?!" Liyanin was confused, so Tsireya touched her fingertips together to portray what she was referring to.

Liyanin hissed slightly, embarrassed by her sister's actions. "We did nothing of the sort! I just...performed a nerve ritual on him."

"The nerve ritual...?" Tsireya gasped, for she knew how that one was performed.

"Yes...I do not know how I managed to do it without getting flustered...but after I finished he decided to leave...! Just how I did when I...when I found out I had feelings for him..."

Tsireya grabbed her sister by her shoulders, forcing her to face her. Liyanin was shocked by the sudden grab.

"Sister, tell me right now. How did he look when you finished the ritual? When he left?" Tsireya asked. Liyanin thought to herself, trying to find the best word.

"He seemed...flustered..."

"Ma Eywa, Liya!" Tsireya shouted, jumping up and down. "...I think you have found yourself a muntxatan (male spouse) ~"

The oldest laughed, shaking her head at her sister's silliness. "You are being too optimistic...and fast...!"

"And you are being too pessimistic!" Tsireya exclaimed, giggling.

"No...I am just not being too eager." Liyanin sighed. "I...really like him, Reya. I do not...I will not get my hopes up. If I do, I am afraid the disappointment I will feel will be too great."

Tsireya's excitement finally cooled since her sister's words came with a heavy mood. She realized that Liyanin had a point, that she shouldn't be too hasty. Assumptions like that could ruin what Liyanin and Neteyam already had going on.

"...I will be patient. I will let him make the first move..."

Tsireya stared lovingly at her older sister, proud of how far she has come with her emotions and expressing them. Never in a million years did she expect Liyanin to end up liking someone. This much, at that.

Liyanin had noticed her sister's prolonging gaze, and lightly hit her shoulder to snap her out of it, which made Tsireya giggle.

"I am going to finish going to my destination. You can come with if you so please." She said, walking off. Tsireya rushed to catch up with her, wanting to follow after her.

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Neteyam tried a number of things to calm down his heart, but it just kept beating like it was trying to get out of the confines of his chest. His ears and cheeks felt hot and everything that he was feeling in the moment, were feelings that were foreign to him. He didn't know how to describe them, but he knew one thing: