You will fall (Neteyam x Oc)

CHAPTER 31

CHAPTER 31
CALM

Sao'Nae went to bed that night more afraid than she'd ever been in her entire life. It was nice that her father reassured her inheritance as Tsahik but that did nothing to ease the gnawing fear of losing Neteyam. The girl laid on her cot and picked at her nails, the wind rushing from outside the marui, sharing in her rage and hurt.

" Ma'Tanhì?" A voice whispered from her window-tarp. Sao'Nae turned her head to see Neteyam climbing into her room, stumbling slightly. He titled his head and smiled, crouching as he made careful and quiet steps towards his chosen mate.

Sao'Nae chuckled in disbelief, feeling him sit beside her and raise his hand to caress her cheek, " Ma'Teyam?" Sao'Nae questioned, " What are you doing here?"

The blue boy shrugged and leant his head against hers. Their noses touching.

" Ao'nung came and told me you'd gotten into another argument with your mother. I wanted to come sooner but I figured it'd be wisest to wait till they went to bed..." He said, planting a gentle kiss to her nose, " Are you alright?"

Sao'Nae smiled and nodded, feeling his hands soft yet rough against her skin. Neteyam had the hands of a warrior, but with her, he seemed as soft and kind as seafoam. The girl wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him before nodding, " I'm...fine. I think."

Neteyam hugged her back, " I'm sorry you have to go through this...I...I can't imagine what you're going through."

" That's not all." She assured him, sighing deeply as they pulled apart, " My mother said she wanted me to marry Kol'Zaro from the Ta'unui clan..."

Neteyam was silent.

" I told her I refused. I'm glad to say my father seems to be starting to understand my situation, I told them...." She paused and rephrased, " I told my father that I loved you and wouldn't take any other mate..."

" And what did he say about that?" He asked.

Sao'Nae smiled and cupped his cheek in her delicate fingers, " He said we'd discuss it further with your parents in a few days...just until my mother calms down. He said the stress wasn't good for my unborn sibling nor my mother."

This brought hope to Neteyam's eyes. A genuine and firey hope.

" That...that is---" His smile became so wide she swore it'd crack from his face and turn into the moon, "---Amazing, my star!"

As he raised his voice Sao'Nae quickly covered his mouth and looked over her shoulder, expecting to hear footsteps approaching. Luckily they never came. Sao'Nae turned back to Neteyam and slapped his shoulder.

" Skxawng!" She whispered, rolling her eyes.

He laughed with her and titled his head, holding her chin with his thumb and index finger, " Apologies, Ma'Tanhì..." He took a shaky breath, " That's just...the thought...the mere possibility of being able to truly be yours seems like a dream I'll never wake from."

Sao'Nae smiled against his grip and nodded.

" We're one step closer to what we want." She assured.

Neteyam smirked, " What we want?" He couldn't help the chuckle that befell his lips, " That sounds extraordinary, my star."

Sao'Nae returned his gaze, still puddy in his grasps, " You wanna know what else I want?" She muttered innocently, feeling his opposite hand sooth her wild mane she had the gull to call hair. Neteyam stared at her like she was the only star in the sky. Like she was water in the desert. Like she was key to the universe.

" Tell me what you want, my love, and I'll get it for you." He promised, his eyes unblinking, " Anything at all..."

She couldn't help but blush, " A kiss will do..."

He smirked once more, " A kiss?" He repeated, " My girl wants a kiss?"

Sao'Nae only nodded.

He sighed dazily, " Good."

Neteyam slowly led her lips to his and softly kissed her just as she wished. It was slow and passionate. Something that made both of their stomachs flip in unison. Neteyam's fingers pushed hair behind her ears as he rested his hands against her jaw, furthering his pleasure as he felt her cold skin against his.

Sao'Nae was on cloud nine. She felt like the wind was being stolen from her very lungs and pulled into his. His lips were endearingly soft.

" Nete..." She whispered against his mouth, " Oel ngati kameie."

Neteyam smiled in return, " Oel ngati kameie, Ma'Tanhì."

Even the next morning his kiss felt warm against her lips, despite being long gone to his family marui. Liquid gold streamed through the window as if Neteyam had snuck through it night after night, as if that window wasn't the only thing keeping them close to one another, and lathered the woven floor in sun. Sao'Nae laid in bed, her fingers tracing her lips.

Like every other morning she got up, got dressed, tamed her hair, and went out to her mothers tent, ignoring the tension between them and indulging her studies. Ronal stared at her daughter.

The hut was quiet and dark just as it always had been, and fire raged from the center pit.

Ronal sighed and continued stitching whatever project she'd decided on, hardly guiding Sao'Nae through the steps of making a simple medicinal paste. So, Sao'Nae decided to use what knowledge she'd acquired from her time during her Inknimaya and with Zari of Ta'unui clan.

" You're doing it wrong. You're meant to use silk leaves." Ronal suddenly chimed after an hour, causing Sao'Nae to give her a brash look. Not an angry one per say, but definitely aggravated.

Sao'Nae huffed, " So you do speak."

Ronal rolled her eyes, " Nae-Nae----"

" Don't call me that."

" Sao'Nae, then." Her mother barked softly, her eyes only softening once she had gotten that out, " Sao'Nae...I...."

Sao'Nae stared, waiting...aching...wanting. Please say anything.

Ronal closed her eyes, " Just use the silk leaves." She said curtly, standing up and walking out of the Tsahik tent and stomping off, leaving Sao'Nae alone on the floor in front of a brindle fire. She took a deep breath and felt unwanted tears prick her eyes, but just as quick as they came she wiped them away. She wouldn't beg for her mothers attention.

She refused to.

She wouldn't succumb to her mothers temper or frustrations, and just like her mother, Sao'Nae was stubborn as a direhorse with a impudent rider.

Angrily, Sao'Nae tossed the silk-leaves into the fire.