Lo'ak yawned again, forcing Kayra to restrain herself from leaning over and swiping him over the head playfully; they weren't close friends enough for that. Instead, she imagined herself doing it which at least brought her a little satisfaction.

On the outside, she settled with looking at him pointedly. At least he had the audacity to look slightly ashamed as he grumbled an excuse about not being a morning person.

It was after breakfast and they were walking towards the beach, ready to start the lessons. Tsireya was leading the way, chatting peacefully with Neteyam who was holding Tuk's hand. Behind them were Kiri and Rotxo who seemed to be walking in a comfortable silence, occasionally broken by Rotxo who leaned forward to add to Tsireya and Neteyam's conversation.

The morning sun cast a warm glow over the group as they strolled toward the beach, the weaved walkway bending softly under their feet as they walked. Kayra chuckled at Lo'ak's mood, reminded slightly by her own brother; he wasn't a morning person either.

"That's nothing a dip in the ocean won't fix," Kayra smiled, briefly wondering if Lo'ak would hate her forever if she pushed him off the walkway and into the water to wake him up. She imagined herself explaining that it was all in good fun as he resurfaced spluttering, looking up at her appalled. No, they definitely hadn't established a good enough friendship for that yet. "We'll be at the beach in a second." She settled with saying, earning a noncommittal/half-asleep hum from Lo'ak.

Kayra had been right. As soon as Lo'ak had waded into the cool water and submerged himself, he was back to his slightly less grumpy self, as he and Tsireya made their way further out, Lo'ak accidentally brushing his arm against Tsireya's. Kayra couldn't help the small grin that spread across her lips, wondering how accidental the touch had been when she saw her sister innocently lean into the touch for a second. She'd have to ask Tsireya about that later.

"This is the first time I've seen Lo'ak so awake this early in the morning," Kiri said from behind her, and Kayra turned to look at the girl, whose eyes were trained on her brother, "Maybe we should start waking him up every day by throwing a bowl of water on him."

Kayra laughed, dragging a hand through her messy hair, "I once woke my brother up like that. He didn't speak to me for the rest of the day."

Kiri looked at Kayra, one side of her mouth twisting up a little so that Kayra could see that she had found what Kayra had said amusing. "All the more reason to do it then."

--

Kayra repressed a yawn, partly because she didn't want to disrespect Tsireya and partly because she'd already chided Lo'ak about it earlier and if she was to yawn herself, she'd be a huge hypocrite. But she was starting to feel the few hours of sleep she had gotten the night before due to arriving back late after spending time with Teol and then waking up early to get breakfast and help the Sullies. They had gathered by some of the pools that were closer to the beach, but on a patch overgrown with plants, and the softness of the foliage seemed to whisper to Kayra, tempting her to lay down and shut her eyes for just a minute.

"Can we do something else now?" Tuk interrupted Tsireya who had just demonstrated – for the millionth time – how to breathe properly so that the lungs would obtain as much air as possible. The Omatikaya hadn't improved much since they'd started this morning but that was only to be expected; Kayra and her clan had grown up learning the proper breathing techniques. The Sullies hadn't needed that for survival in the forest.

But Kayra understood why the little girl found the repetitive motions boring. They'd been at it for hours now and though it was important, it wasn't exactly the most exciting thing to learn for hours at a time.

"Tuk, be nice." Kiri chided the small girl, but Tsireya was quick to reassure Kiri that it was alright.

"Tuk is right. This is getting a little repetitive," Tsireya chuckled, smiling sweetly at Tuk, "Maybe we should do something else?"

Tuk's excited, toothy smile filled her face when Tsireya suggested that they could start learning some sign language so that they could communicate underwater. Tsireya chuckled at Tuk's excitedness and looked around at the group, "Rotxo, if you take Kiri and Tuk, I'll take Lo'ak and then Kay can teach Neteyam?"

There were collective murmurs of agreement, and everyone shuffled around on the rock to their assigned partners.

Kayra smiled politely at Neteyam as she settled down in front of him, crossing her legs. He smiled back, mouthing hey to her. She ignored the way her stomach curled with heat. She quickly glanced around unsure of how she should start the lesson, quickly spotting what words Rotxo and Tsireya were leading with. She cleared her throat and looked back at Neteyam who was watching her patiently, a small smile on his lips.

Kayra furrowed her brow slightly, "What?"

Neteyam tilted his head slightly, his vibrant eyes gleaming with an innocent sparkle. "'What' what?"

She let out a soft huff, amused by his antics, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Neteyam's lips curled up further at the corners, his expression taking on a playfully innocent quality. His gaze remained fixed on her, almost as if he was trying to convey something beyond words. "Like what?"

Kayra rolled her eyes with a smile, seeing through his façade. She couldn't help but admire how the sunlight danced on his dark skin, making his features even more striking. "You know what I mean." She accused, trying to ignore the way her heart sped up slightly at the way his eyes danced over her.

His grin grew more pronounced, but he relented. "I'm just waiting for you to begin."

A sigh escaped Kayra's lips. This was the first time they'd talked properly today, besides their morning greeting and the occasional comment each other's way. She wanted to say that it was a coincidence that they hadn't talked yet, but that would be lying. She'd put a bit of distance between them, choosing to sit with her friends at breakfast and then walk beside Lo'ak when they'd headed to the beach. She hadn't exactly been sure why she'd done it, but now she knew why. Neteyam made her nervous and she didn't like to feel nervous.

She steeled herself, determined not to allow him to affect her anymore. "Right." She cleared her throat and flashed him a smile, getting back on track, "This is how you sign 'swim'." Her hand traced a fluid motion through the air as she watched Neteyam focusing on her hand movements. "And this is how you sign 'swim with us'."

Neteyam's eyes sparked with a glimmer of recognition, "That's what you said to us yesterday right? In the water?"

Kayra grinned, "That's right, yeah." She was pleasantly surprised that he'd remembered. She bumped his knee with hers gently, "Now you do it."

Neteyam was a quick learner. With each sign Kayra introduced, he absorbed the information eagerly, his determination evident in his focused expressions. At first, Kayra had been glancing around at the others to check what Rotxo and Tsireya were teaching the others, but as she had gotten more confident in her teaching abilities and more comfortable with Neteyam's eyes on her constantly – either on her eyes or on her hands – she'd spoken more freely, guided his hands to correct him at times, and almost forgotten the others around her.

He not only asked her questions but also listened with unwavering focus when she answered. It was as if every word she spoke held a profound significance to him, and his genuine interest in what she had to say and teach made her like him even more. She wasn't used to teaching – that was Tsireya's thing – but the way Neteyam paid attention to her as if she genuinely conveyed what he had to learn in an interesting way, made her comfortable and seen in a way she hadn't felt in a long time. She was starting to see him as a boy she could actually befriend and not just someone she was excitedly nervous to be in the presence off.

He'd even asked how she signed her name. When Kayra had wrinkled her nose and mentioned that names weren't a concern beneath the sea, he had regarded her with genuine surprise and curiosity, and asked her why.

She'd laughed, pleasantly surprised at his different way of thinking. She'd never given the fact that there were no names in their sign language a second thought; it was strange that it was that particular aspect Neteyam focused on.

She'd mulled over the question for a second before responding, "Names are used to get someone's attention or to identify someone. I guess there's no need for that in the ocean when you can't draw the attention of the person you're trying to communicate to anyway."

He'd studied her for a heartbeat, his eyes locked onto hers in a thoughtful gaze. Then, his mouth curled upward. "You should make me a name."

"Pardon?" Kayra's eyebrows had knitted together in confusion.

He'd laughed, a low rumble that had sent a pleasant shiver down Kayra's spine. "I want you to create a sign for my name."

Kayra's expression had shifted from bewilderment to curiosity. She'd regarded him with a mixture of surprise and interest. "Why would you want that?"

He had shrugged, his eyes sparkling with a playful glint. "It's fun?"

Kayra couldn't help but chuckle at his response. She'd shaken her head with a smile, teasingly feigning exasperation. "I don't think I've ever met anyone like you, Neteyam."

He leaned back, his grin unapologetically carefree. "Is that a good thing?"

Kayra's laughter joined the gentle sounds of the waves, the evening breeze carrying their lighthearted banter across the beach. As the sun's rays painted the sky with vivid colors, she turned to Neteyam with a contemplative expression. "Alright, I'll make you a name. But I can't promise it'll be any good."

"Don't sell yourself short." He chuckled, looking at her expectantly, and leaning back on his hands.

Kayra bit her lip as she looked out over the ocean, her thoughts dancing like the waves on the horizon. She could feel Neteyam's eyes studying her as she thought but she was adamant on ignoring him.

After a brief moment of reflection, she smiled, turning her attention back to Neteyam. His gaze was still on her, his anticipation evident. "Alright, I got it." she finally declared, a confident smile curving her lips.

Kayra watched as Neteyam's eyes followed the graceful movements of her fingers as they traced an elegant path down her collarbone and then, in a fluid motion, flicked her palm outward.

He swallowed, his gaze still fixed on her hand suspended in the air. Slowly, his eyes lifted to meet hers, and a smile formed on his lips. "I like it," he said softly. "Does it mean anything?"

Kayra's smile transformed into a playful grin as she lowered her hand, leaving the symbol's meaning suspended between them. "I'm not going to tell you just yet," she quipped, her tone lighthearted. "You'll have to earn it."

Neteyam's grin grew wider, his eyes flashing with a lively glint. "Is that a challenge, Kayra?"

"Yes," she answered without a moment's hesitation, her lips twitching to suppress a smile. "Okay, now it's your turn. I want a name too," she declared, her gaze steady and expectant, awaiting his response.

Neteyam's laughter joined the gentle sounds of the ocean, his eyes dancing with amusement. With a spirited glint in his eyes, Neteyam leaned back slightly, his posture relaxed. "Alright, a name for you, huh?" He mused aloud, feigning a contemplative expression, "Give me a second," He shut his eyes, thinking for a second before he grinned, satisfied with what he had come up with. His eyes fluttered open, "Alright, you ready?"

Kayra nodded expectantly, subconsciously leaning a little closer as she watched his hands. Her stomach dropped when his hands formed the word and a flush crept across her cheeks. She couldn't get herself to make eye contact with him and her eyes veered to the ocean, subconsciously grazing the small bumps on her thigh with her fingertips.

"What, you don't like it?" he arched an eyebrow at her, a lopsided smirk playing on his lips.

Kayra's eyes flickered over the horizon, her mind momentarily preoccupied. "No, it's not that. It's just…" She swallowed self-consciously, forcing herself to sound nonchalant and matter-of-factly, "That word already exists."

Neteyam cocked his head slightly, clearly waiting for her to continue.

Kayra sighed, hating herself for feeling so flush, "It means 'beautiful'." She explained, finally meeting his gaze.

"Huh," Neteyam's response was relaxed, unsurprised. He seemed remarkably unperturbed by her revelation, the slight smile still occupying his lips, "Well, more reason for that to be your name then."

Kayra felt a curious mixture of emotions swirling within her. For a fleeting second, his words seemed to make her heart stop. Then, the playfulness in his eyes, the way he was schooling his features into a neutral expression, and the way he hadn't seemed surprised by the revelation made her more wary. She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, "You already knew that, huh?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," He blinked innocently, only betrayed by the small smile that was creeping across his face as he finished speaking.

Kayra scoffed, "You totally did, you skxawng," she exclaimed, swiping him over the arm, her fingers brushing against his skin.

"A little bit, yeah." He grinned and Kayra rolled her eyes at him, though her attempted exasperation didn't come across well, her smile betraying her, "I overheard Rotxo teach it to Tuk a few moments ago." He confessed.

Kayra crossed her arms as a breeze blew by, ruffling her hair, "That was really corny." She accused, suppressing a giggle.

He chuckled, running a hand through his hair. "You're right. I'm sorry." He shook his head at himself, a wry smile on his lips, "I'm better than that."