Surface| Neteyam

18.

"I told you so" Kiri mumbled to Lo'ak as everyone sat still sharing looks. Neteyam chuckled nervously, seeing as Aonung and Rotxo were glaring at him, I knew exactly what was on their minds. I then saw Tuks innocent smile drop as she didn't understand what was happening as well as everyone else.

"Um, my top got ripped off so he lent his waistband to me.." I felt my stomach stiffen as everyone let out a gasp.

"I'm sure it did. '' Aonung whispered, still staring daggers at Neteyam.

"No its not, he didn't, we were just looking for Lo'ak and then we went to an island together where-"

"So how about diving!?" Neteyam cut in watching his little sister's ears droop. Everyone reluctantly agreed realizing it would just make it weird to keep asking questions.

As we walked down the shore Neteyam stopped me,
"Sira, i've been meaning to talk to you."
I tried to play it as cool as possible as the words came out of his mouth, that could only mean two things.
"I've really enjoyed having you around and helping me feel more comfortable here but before this gets out of hand I think we need to see eye to eye on some things."

My heart dropped. I didn't like him, I was sure, but somehow I still found myself praying the next things he was about to say weren't what I thought they were gonna be.

"It's just complicated, right now the sky people are targeting my family and who knows what they would do to you if they realized you had some connection with me." He sighed as his ears folded back.

I felt my sadness quickly drain into anger,
"Who are these sky people to decide the outcome of my life, even if it puts me more in danger I don't care! I've seen what they can do first hand but why should that stop us?"
I watched as his eyes widened, probably not expecting me to care so much for him.

"I could never live with myself if something were to happen to you" He strained. We gazed at one another,

"I can't lose another friend"

My heart sank, I bit the inside of my cheek, so that was the closure I wanted I guess, friends.

"Another one?" I tried to change the subject, his ears tucked back and I realized it was a tough topic.
"Back in the forest, I had a human friend" He peered over at me, unsure on how I would respond to that.

"A sky person?"

"Yes, but he was nothing like them, not the bad ones anyways" Neteyam said defensively, It never occurred to me till now that he must have been around many sky people. I only heard them from stories, but many said the 6th toruk makto was a sky person, meaning Jake was..

"His name was spider, everything just happened so fast, we couldn't save him"

I could hear the sadness in his voice, the regret he must feel was all coming back. How could I have been so selfish to not consider his feelings.

I took his hands, bold I know, but right now he needed someone to comfort him, a friend.

As our hands intertwined I pulled him close for a hug, he rested his chin on the top of my head. Somehow this opened a emptiness in my heart, all of this, he didn't really mean it, he didn't see me the way I saw him.

"I won't let them do the same to you" He whispered; I pulled away from him and stared into his deep eyes. It felt like these feelings came out of no where, I could barely even understand what he was saying.

"I can't do this" I sigh, he tilts his head in confusion.

"I can't go back to how it was before, Neteyam" I didn't want to confess to him, I already knew what his answer was but didn't I already make it clear how I felt about him? I hated how it felt like he was playin me right then.

"You don't understand" He lifted my face in his hand, I tried to look at the floor, the sand, anything but his daunting eyes.

"Sira those people, they won't stop until everything is gone. I've seen it, they almost killed my mother right infront of our eyes. What happened back at the other clan was only the surface of their power, they will hurt you and I can't let that happen."

He talked so possesivly about me, it made me forget everything else.

Stop, reality check Sira, he called you a friend, but maybe he said it flirty like friends with benefits? Oh Eywa no, why is everything so hot? My palms are so sweaty. Don't look at him, don't look at him.

I looked up at him.
Just then something cut through the silence,

"You two come on, everyone is waiting!" Rotxo called out to us, we looked over at his direction than back at eachother. I was kind of glad he interrupted us since this was dragging on for so much longer than I wanted it to.

"Come on" I repeated, letting go of him. Somehow this left me even more confused as to where we stood. Perpahes he did think of me the same, then what? Lie to everyone, they would never let us be together, especially not my own father. It was to hard, anyways I needed to focus on other things right now.

I began walking off as Neteyam quickly trailed behind me

"Is that it?" He coldly asked, his tone was unusual. I turned back to him, still walking twords the beach.

"Meet me at forest tonight" I replied before hurring off, as I made my way to the others I remembered the bonfire I would need to attend at dinner, It would be a hard get away but I needed this with Neteytam, I needed to know his truth.