Ma Neteyam

35

Vareya woke up the minute she felt Neteyam, begrudgingly, get out of the hammock. His movements were slow and careful so he wouldn't disturb her, but he clearly didn't understand how much his presence affected the space.

Simply from having him beside her, she doesn't remember the last time she had such a well rested night, doesn't remember the last time she slept without having a nightmare. Once she had fallen asleep early in the morning, after throughly explaining to Neteyam the phrase his sister taught her, she never woke up once.

All she remembered was feeling so comfortable, so warm, and so protected. Something about being wrapped in his arms made her feel ridiculously special. Enough so that she hoped this wouldn't be the last night it happened.

And it wasn't until she felt him brush her hair from her face and heard his footsteps reside that she slowly opened her eyes.

Keeping her gaze on him, she watched as he diligently moved around her hut. What was once a space no one had ever dared to even near, Neteyam acted as if they shared the home. Knowing exactly where everything was, he began to get tasks done.

Gathering the water from outside and placing it into a bucket, she heard the quiet gulps of him drinking some before using it to wash off his face. Then placing that aside, he went over to her collection of supplies, all placed inside baskets, and gathered everything he needed.

After getting distracted, she was almost caught staring when he suddenly turned around, but luckily she was quick enough and closed her eyes before he saw her. She'd be lying if she said that didn't get her heart beating just a bit faster.

Would be lying if she said she wasn't struggling to hold back a smile at the feeling of his gaze on her. But she somehow managed to compose herself enough to keep her expression stoic. Then it wasn't until she heard the crackle of a small fire begin that she dared to open her eyes.

And the sight now presented before her wasn't one that she would ever find herself complaining about. Neteyam was sat down, his large back facing her. By the looks of his movement and a constant small thud, it was clear that he was cutting something.

Yet at the moment, that was of no concern to her. For some reason, her eyes couldn't deter from the boys back. With merely the small movement of his arm, what seemed like hundreds of muscles were working hard as well.

She watched intently as they rippled beneath his skin with each movement, the muscles in flexing and shifting, a showing of strength in motion.

His broad shoulders tensed whenever he brought the knife down on the food, the lines of his back undulating with the rhythm of his work. She couldn't help but notice the way his muscles contracted, each subtle shift of his body sending a flicker of tension and power that draws her gaze, making it hard to look away. It's not just his defined body that caught her attention, but the controlled strength Neteyam truly has.

Simply doing something as small as preparing food his power can't be hidden, but then she still felt the soft touch of his hand grazing her. Yet she still felt the ghost of his gentle arms wrapped around her the entire night. And then as if she had no control over her body, Vareya quietly stood.

She wasn't sure what she was planning on doing, but she does know that the closer she got, the more she could feel her arm stretch out towards him. So when her eyes still refused to look at anything but the stripe above his scapula, the one that sat on the most active muscle of his, Vareya was completely willing to face any consequence afterwords as long as she could just feel it. As long as she can admire it from up close.

But just as her fingertips were about to touch him, she had to snatch her hand back to cover her mouth. Then her stomach gurgled, a loud and embarrassing sound that caught Neteyams attention. He turned to look at her, " Varey-" yet before he could even finish saying her name, she had already sprinted to the edge of her hut and begun throwing up.