The Stars in Your Skin

CHAPTER 24

Neteyam lets out a cleansing breath. He stands outside Sateya's family home, his parents behind him. They have to tell her family of course. He really doesn't want this headache but it was a decision they'd made and they'd clean it together. He hoped whatever favor she requested was private. He enters the home with his parents on his heels.

Sateya and her family sit cross-legged on the floor, a clay teapot on the family fire pit. He greets them politely and drops into the seiza position. His gaze shifts to her and her family. Sateya's gaze is filled with suspicious curiosity.

He glances over his shoulder when the flap opens. Naawri enters a second later and drops down near him. His eyes automatically glue themselves to her, noting her subdued demeanor the tiredness in the line of her posture. He wants to hold her in his arms. She doesn't look at him until after she's respectfully greeted everyone. He swallows. The soft, humorless semi-smile she gives pains him.

Once the tea is done and everyone suitably refreshed the former couple divulge their secret. Dead silence pervades the home when they finish. The reactions are as expected, her parents are livid and express their displeasure. But it's not their reactions he cares about. It's Sateya's. She's the one who by tradition they owe the favor and she has two options: private or public. A public favor could definitely prove problematic for him, yes but he's more concerned about Naawri. If she chose public for Naawri... He digs his nails into the skin of his thigh, preparing to diplomatically convince her to ask a private favor for Naawri's sake.

Naawri clenches her fists, fingernails digging the skin of her palms. She hoped Sateya doesn't give in to the whims of her feelings of betrayal but in case she does Naawri prepares herself. She is fully prepared to use diplomacy to convince her to choose a private favor if she decides to continue the relationship. For Neteyam's sake.

She casts a side glance to Neteyam, his spine is rod straight, expression carefully blank, but she catches the tightness in his jaw. Her hand twitches. She misses the warmth of his hand around hers of the quiet strength he exuded that made her think she could face anything as long as they were together.

Neteyam does his best not to meet Naawri's gaze not now. But he wants to do badly, he wants to entwine his tail with hers, assuring her everything would turn out well, but he could not afford to feed Sateya's ill feelings. He regards her. Her eyes burn with razor sharpness, nostrils flaring, and her tail thrashes behind her.

"Despite this act of dishonor you two have done against me, I still feel deeply for you Neteyam." Neteyam resists the urge to scowl. "I choose to continue the relationship. I also choose a private favor from both of you." Neteyam's shoulders loosen. Thank Eywa.

Naawri holds the woman's gaze when it snaps to her, refusing to cower from the sheer animosity swimming in it.

"Naawri, until Neteyam and I are mated, I ask that you no longer be in his presence alone. Someone must accompany you. Do you accept?"

Naawri fights the urge to flick her tongue over her fangs. "Yes," she manages without a tremor. She finds comfort in the gentle touch Eyvir presses against her shoulder.

"Neteyam," she starts, "whatever heart gift she gave you. I ask that you return it. Do you accept?"

Neteyam doesn't reply at first, too busy cursing the triumph in her eyes. Eff no. He did not accept. He did not accept any of it. He didn't accept that she basically had control of this entire situation. That they were cleaning this mess up apart, not together. That he had to give up something precious from her. No. He opens his mouth with the no on the tip of his tongue but her mother catches his eye. Her gaze reminds him of a hungry nanteng and it's aimed at Naawri.

"Neteyam," his love says softly.

His attention shifts to her. Her gaze is full of reassurance coupled with a gentle plea. He doesn't answer but reaches up to the strand of beads he's worn so proudly for these few weeks and with great reluctance slides them off. Once he takes the last one off he hesitantly hands them to Naawri. She takes them, her eyes downcast the entire time. He notices the way she clenches them in her hand before turning away.

"Ok then." Sateya beams at him and it sours his stomach. "Don't worry Neteyam, I'll make you more suitable beads."

He hears more than sees Eyvir stand. Everyone's gaze snaps to the towering warrior. The man isn't exactly known for his temperance. Rayka rises as well. Surprisingly instead of exploding, he merely gives a nod.

"Thank you for your time. Yawntusyip," he beckons his sister. Naawri rises along with him.

They exit the home without a word. He maneuvers around his parents then Rayka until he's next to Naawri. "Are you ok syu- Nawri?"

She manages a weak smile before nodding. "Are you?" The genuine love and concern in her gaze warms him despite the lousy situation.

"Yeah." His tail twitches nearly brushing against her as if it's own volition.

"Are you getting enough sleep?"

How could he? His heart was in tatters. "How can I?" She drops her gaze. Tsahey. "I'm sorry." He reaches up to touch her cheek but stops himself. She catches his hand before it drops to his side, giving it a gentle squeeze. The grieved expressions on her face spears his heart.

"Goodnight Neteyam." She gives another tiny nod, eyes sweeping over the lantern lit streets of High Camp before following her family towards her home.

He watches her go, forcing his anger at the situation down. He continues in the direction of home without a look back at his parents. His siblings greet him when he enters, Kiri wrapping her arms around him.

"What a crappy situation," Lo'ak observes.

Tuk, who doesn't truly understand the entirety of the situation mirrors her older sister. "It'll be ok, Neteyam you'll see."

He really wished he could believe her words. He takes in a mental breath to compose himself. This was his mess, his siblings had their own affairs to shoulder. He was the one that was supposed to be their support, the strong one. He steps back, giving Tuk a kiss on the forehead. "I'm fine." With that he strides to his private space, takes up his knife and whetstone and starts sharpening his knife. He ignores his parents when they linger near the entrance.

A.N.
Hope you enjoyed it.