The Breath of Water | Neteyam

43 • Txanwetseng

A/N: the title translates to personally significant or beloved place

•-•-•

The two were now laying in each other's arms, Liyanin fiddling with her songcord as it lay on her neck.

"...I think our relationship status has somewhat...evolved, wouldn't you say?" Neteyam mentioned, his arm rubbing perpetual circles on her shoulder. "...we should place something new on our songcords..."

Liyanin looked up at him, then snuggled further into his neck. "...I get to pick what to put on this time."

This caused him to laugh, which in turn made Liyanin do the same.

"We...do you think we should keep this from our parents for now?" She asked hesitantly, afraid of ruining the moment.

"...I take your mother still does not like me...so I don't see why we have to rush ourselves." He responded. Liyanin sat up suddenly, her hand lying on his chest as she looked down at him.

"Really? You are not mad I asked?"

"Why would I be mad?" He said while laughing. "...the whole reason I hesitated to tell you how I felt was because of your parents...well, really your mother..."

"...you...hesitated?" She repeated.

"...I did. I did not...I did not want to ruin the relationship you had with your mother by being selfish..."

Her eyes widened slightly upon hearing this. "Neteyam, it should have been a mutual agreement—"

"Which is why I decided to tell you now." He said, cutting her off, his hand that was rubbing her shoulder now playing with her hair. "I realized this was not something just for me to decide..."

Liyanin could understand where he was coming from. He was only trying to look out for her. And this made her like him all the more. She leaned down to kiss his lips, their mouths moving slowly against each other. Their tongues slightly touched one another, the sensation making the both of them jump with surprise, breaking the kiss. They stared at each other for a second then bursted out into laughter.

Liyanin was about to go in for another one, when she had heard voices outside. She looked up and saw the villagers heading back to their pods, so she then moved out of the cuddle with Neteyam. He turned his head to see why she got up, then understood why. She had grabbed her hairband, putting her hair back up into a ponytail, wanting to make herself look like she did before they left. She then straightened out her top, making it look neater. Neteyam smirked at her as she did as such. She noticed and asked him what he was laughing at.

"...you know Kiri and Lo'ak know about us, right?"

Her ears then sprung up, her eyes widening. "What?!"

"Neteyam!" a certain little girl shouted, making the two's heads snap in the direction of the voice. Before Tuk could plop on him, Jake grabbed hold of her and held her at his side.

"I'll be holding you. Your brother doesn't need you jumping on him right now." He said to her. Neytiri walked over to him, kneeling by his side. She rubbed his head, tears on the brim of her eyes.

"Mom, don't cry, I am okay." He said, a smile on his face.

"I cannot help it...you just keep getting hurt." She responded. "Did the tsakarem help you feel better?"

"...you have no idea."

Kiri and Lo'ak's eyes widened upon hearing that, knowing that there was a double meaning to it. They looked at each other, snickering, knowing that their plan had managed to work.