"Is something bothering you?"
"No." You continued your pace across the elastic bridge. Neteyam caught up behind.
You huffed quietly, swinging a handmade necklace in your fingers, a gift for your new sibling.
"Well you walked away from me," Neteyam pointed out, gently turning you around by your shoulder. You stopped swinging the necklace, looking at him with an uninterested expression as you waited for him to say something. A small smile crossed his face, he stayed silent for a few seconds before responding.
"All I did was help her, Y/N,"
"Yes, and she was fine," you retorted. His hand moved to your wrist, soothingly rubbing it.
"And we are reef people, Neteyam. She can swim." You responded. With more attitude than intended. Your ears laid flat against your head as you flipped your wrist and pushed his hand off. Neteyam was rather taken back, his smile grew into more of a menacing one. Teasingly, he shrugged. "Can she?"
Your eyes widened slightly, and your ears flicked around a bit.
You composed yourself as much as you could, beginning to swing the necklace again. "She can. I know she can."
"You have nothing to worry about." He held his hand out to you again, hoping you'd accept it this time.
"I'm not worrying." Your eyes looked at the necklace, you bit the inside of your cheek feeling slightly sick to your stomach.
Neteyam stepped forward, grasping your hand lightly as he pulled you much closer to him. You lifted your head slowly, hovering your free hand over your midsection.
"I promise." He firmly states, trying to move his head so that you'd make eye contact with him. "Trust me."
A small smile pulled at the corners of your mouth, that weird sickness in your stomach was lifted but not completely. There was something else making you feel uneasy still, and it has been for some time but now more than ever.
"Stay with me longer, I will take you back after."
Your eyes moved down to the necklace, you suppose it wouldn't hurt to stay with him longer. You had already spent your time making the necklace with him, and you probably needed to fully cool down before returning home anyway.
You exhaled lightly, nodding in agreement and with a hum.
His smile grew, and he pulled you back toward the direction you had just came from. As far as you know, your sister was helping the children with some training in the water, which you were supposed to be doing as well. But lately, you hadn't been so eager to swim, you would get waist-deep in the water then you just didn't want to swim after all.
You wrapped the necklace around your upper arm, securing it tightly there as you figured it would be easier to hold onto it that way rather than swinging it around.
Neteyam had kept himself close to you, you followed him as it seemed like he knew where he wanted to go.
He noticed your sudden disinterest in swimming lately. Which was entirely odd to him as you, like you said earlier, were reef people.
And of course, he would take notice of this, he was your boyfriend. And your mate, it's not hard to tell when something is off when you're spiritually connected to someone.
Also, Neteyam had always been on the lookout for the people he loves. He is the oldest and a warrior, after all, it was in his nature to be so observant.
The two of you sat down on the bridge, a little close to his marui, you could see it from a distance. Shoulder to shoulder, you leaned forward and looked at the water beneath you, the sun rays diving deeper than you had been lately.
Neteyam had his hand on your thigh, slowly rubbing as if to soothe you.
