Chapter 1: Homecoming
Author's Note:
Kia ora everyone! Looks like my muse didn't stay dormant for very long after I finished writing 'Violet Eyes'. So here I am, back again with another NeteyamxOC drabble that explores the plot-bunny of what if Neteyam had to leave a girl he was close to behind when the Sullies fled for the reefs in TWoW.
Neteyam was 15 years old (and by Na'vi considerations, already a young man) when his family joined the Metkayina, so it's entirely possible that he had an Omatikaya love interest whom he had to leave.
Welcome back to any of my Violet Eyes readers! This story is much lighter and fluffier than the mammoth that was my previous work. I have chosen to focus mostly on Neteyam and our leading lady, Naia, in this. So while there are flashes of other original characters and other OCs, majority of the interaction in this will be between our two main characters. For ease of writing, Spider, Kiri, Lo'ak and Tuk also do not really feature in this story arc.
Chapter 1 lays a lot of groundwork, especially for our lovely Manaia. There is a lot of emotion in this, so I felt it was important for you to really get a feel for her.
I've written almost all of this story and it will be four chapters long. Updates will be weekly. Enjoy!
Pronunciation note: Manaia – Ma-ny-uh, or Ny-uh for the shortened version of her name.
Manaia's disgruntled eyes seethed at the mortar and pestle before her as her hands furiously worked, grinding away at the tough roots in the wooden receptacle. If looks could kill, the implements she held would be smoking now, charred and blackened by her resentful gaze.
The tsahìk's hut was filled with her mother's exasperated voice, countered only by Mo'at's unruffled words as the Omatikaya tsahìk sat by Manaia, grinding her own roots and herbs in a separate mortar.
"Talk to her, tsahìk!" Ayepni implored, gesturing avidly toward her daughter while she paced to and fro before the pair of women seated on the ground, "She will not be betrothed to Tupou!"
Ever unflappable, Mo'at took in a slow and meaningful breath and her voice was placating as she addressed Manaia, "Tupou is in line to be the next olo'eyktan and as tsakarem (trainee tsahìk), it is tradition that you will be mated to him when the time comes for you both to lead this clan."
Manaia hissed acridly, repudiating the sentiment, "Well then perhaps the Omatikaya should appoint another tsakarem! Leylani perhaps?"
"You have trained as a healer and spiritual shaman for years! All through the Long War you have aided tsahìk Mo'at and studied under her. Will you throw all of the hard work she has put into you away?" Ayepni exclaimed, maddened, "All because of your silly feud with Tupou?"
"There isn't any silly feud!" Manaia refuted, slamming her pestle down into her mortar with enough force that chunks of masticated root flew out of the vessel to spatter the mat beneath her. She did not have any feud with Tupou, they simply did not get along. They never had, even when they were younger. Tupou found her mouthy impudence unladylike and she found his cocksure demeanour infuriating. She continued, "We're just very different people and we don't get along. Besides, Leylani has trained with me under Mo'at too. There isn't any reason the role of tsakarem can't be passed to her."
Mo'at surveyed the bickering mother and daughter with shrewd eyes. Manaia had been a conscientious student through the years and her bond with Eywa was strong. The girl had all the makings of a great tsahìk and Mo'at had sensed that this was to be the girl's path since she was a child.
A mild headache bloomed behind her temples and Mo'at sighed quietly to herself. If only her daughter's family had not had to leave the clan at the start of the Long War. Things would be so much simpler now with the hierarchy as it was then, with Jake as olo'eyktan and Neteyam as his successor. Neteyam and Manaia had been close as children…
"It has been many moons since the end of the Long War and you are a woman now, Naia. Time to grow up!" Ayepni admonished, ceasing her pacing to stand before her daughter, her tail swishing in annoyance behind her, "Tupou is an accomplished and well-respected warrior. He is handsome and well-bred. It would be an honour for you to have him as your mate."
Manaia bristled at her mother's patronising use of her shortened name. There had only ever been one person she accepted calling her by her nickname and she had not seen him in years. "I don't wish to be betrothed to Tupou! I have prayed to our Great Mother and I don't see him in my path. I don't see myself mating any man!"
Naia knew her last words were a heart belonged to a boy she once knew; a boy who would be a man now, living far away in the reef clans. She would mate him in a heartbeat if she could... Alas, dreams were free.
With a loud snarl of frustration, Ayepni swept out of the tsahìk's hut, leaving Naia alone with her mentor.
"I apologise, tsahìk." Naia breathed quietly, returning to her task of pulverising the contents of her mortar, "That argument should not have happened in front of you."
To Naia's surprise, Mo'at chuckled, "It's alright child. Your mother has always had a hot temper and a quick mouth. You are more alike than you know. She just wants what is best for you."
Naia grunted in acknowledgement, slowly decanting the mashed roots into a larger vessel. Her thoughts were running away with her now, leading her to the reefs of Pandora where she wondered how he was and how he was doing. Her heart whispered his name… Neteyam… How did he spend his days? Was he happy? Mated, perhaps? Naia banished the thought when it pricked sharply in her chest. It would not surprise her if he was. Now that the war was over, people had begun returning to their lives, finding love and happiness again. He was a world away from her…
The Long War against the sky demons had waged for six painful years. Many lives were lost and the balance of life had been upset. Victory had come about at the Great Mother's hands when she fed a hallowed plague to the waters of Pandora, poisoning the sky demons. The sky demons had perished, but all who held faith in Eywa had escaped unharmed.
The clinking of the wooden bangles around Mo'at's wrists as she worked was a pleasant and soothing sound, and Naia forced her thoughts away from Neteyam. He was a beautiful memory from her younger years and he would stay that way. There was no use stirring up her tender emotions from the past. After all, it was also a little awkward daydreaming of Mo'at's grandson in her presence.
Mo'at watched as Naia refilled her mortar; a sprinkle of pungent herbs, a dash of seeds and a splash of oil to make an invigorating infusion to energise and revitalise. The young woman was lost in her thoughts and a small crease knitted her brows in a frown. Mo'at's gaze trailed from Naia's face, down her seated form, graceful and lithe. Gone was the tomboyish girl who had refused to keep her hair any longer than her chin, who had hated excessive jewellery and elaborate clothing.
Not that Naia was vain now by any means, but she had grown more feminine as she had matured into a young woman. Her head was shaven on one side, but the intricately beaded braids of her hair brushed her shoulders on her other side. Large, gold eyes sat in an oval-shaped face with a delicate nose and smooth, wide lips. She was pretty, though Mo'at knew Naia would never agree. Not when Naia's days were spent learning alongside Leylani who was objectively considered one of the most beautiful young women among the Omatikaya.
Setting down her own implements, Mo'at reached out to clasp Naia's wrist gently, getting her attention, "Do you want to be tsahìk after me, child?"
Naia's eyes met Mo'at's piercing but tender gaze. She could not lie to the woman. Mo'at often perceived things without ever being told, courtesy of Eywa, she supposed. Naia had never spoken to anyone of the tender feelings she had harboured for Neteyam all these years, but as Mo'at's crinkled eyes bore into her, Naia could not help but feel as though the woman knew anyway.
Remembering then that she had been asked a question, Naia cleared her throat and replied, "I don't want to be tsahìk if it means I have to mate Tupou or any other potential successor in this clan."
"Because you think boys are gross?" Mo'at teased, chortling, and a toothy grin danced across her wizened features at the look of shock on Naia's face. It was a sentiment that Naia often used to proclaim as a teenager when all her peers had gone through the starry-eyed phase of discovering the opposite sex. Mo'at knew there were rumours that ran rampant about Naia's preferences. She had never so much as flirted or dallied with any of the clan's young males and with her tomboyish past, many thought she maybe preferred women. But Mo'at knew better; Manaia had only ever had eyes for one boy…
Naia gawped at the older woman and she felt a flush heat her face. She proclaimed indignantly, "I don't think boys are gross!" She pursed her lips and a sheepish grimace followed, "Not anymore anyway. I do like men, just not Tupou."
Laughing heartily now, Mo'at hushed the young woman, "Don't fret. I don't believe the gossip that goes around the clan."
"Good. People spout a lot of rubbish!" Naia gave an exaggerated roll of her eyes then, "Nimwey brought her boy in to see me the other day about the pustules on his face. It was just typical teenage skin, you know, hormones and all. Apparently she's been telling him his skin is like that because he never cleans his food bowls off properly, and every grain of wheat he leaves behind causes a pustule on his face!"
Mo'at guffawed at the ridiculous old wives' tale, and then her expression turned sombre as her laughter died down. She reached out to stroke Naia's cheek, her eyes meaningful, "If the Great Mother does not mean for Tupou to be part of your path, then he won't be. But you must be open to all possibilities, Manaia. Let not your heart cling on to tender hopes of the past, lest it forgo the opportunities of the future."
Rumbles of discomfort rolled in Naia's gut at Mo'at's words. She knew exactly what the tsahìk's implication was. While her mind agreed wholeheartedly, Naia could not snuff out the flame she held in her heart that seemed determined to burn bright for eternity. She had tried many times before and had failed miserably. Neteyam was her first thought in the morning and her last thought at night... The years that had passed since the Sully family's departure had done nothing to change that.
"If Tupou will be olo'eyktan after Tarsem, then Leylani should be tsakarem. She is skilled in your teachings too, as I am." Naia declared stubbornly, "They are close and Tupou much prefers her. They would certainly make a stronger partnership than Tupou and I."
Mo'at exhaled with a resigned sigh. The young woman was stubborn. Unease prickled at Mo'at's skin as she considered what arrangements would need to be made to formally appoint a new tsakarem. It was true that both Leylani and Manaia had trained competently under her, but Mo'at had always had a deep, unspoken sense that the tsahìk's path was Manaia's to walk.
Not wanting to cause any more dispute for the moment, Mo'at reluctantly acquiesced, "Alright, I will speak to the clan's elders. The responsibility can be transferred to Leylani."
"Thank you, Mo'at." Naia said, swallowing the tight lump in her throat. Healing was her calling though and while relinquishing her role as tsakarem would mean she would no longer be a spiritual leader, she still wanted to practise her healing skills. The thought caused her to add in quickly, "I'd still like to work with you and heal though. If you'll allow me to."
The tsahìk's expression softened and she graced Naia with an earnest smile, "Of course, child."
Naia's parents had been less than impressed with her decision to step down from her role as tsakarem. She had returned each evening after her workday to the disappointed gaze of her father, and her mother's cold shoulder was a silent force to be reckoned with. It had taken a few weeks for the storm to blow over before her mother started speaking to her again.
A chesty cough reminded Naia of her present surroundings and she returned her attention to the child before her. Little Entu was suffering from a severe bronchial infection and the toddler squirmed, fretting in discomfort as his lungs fought to draw in breath. She smoothed her cool fingers over the child's forehead to soothe him. Bringing a pungent smoke roll of medicinal herbs to her lips, Naia sucked a breath into her mouth and blew the smoke out over the child. The tsahìk's hut was already hazy with the spicy fumes and she prayed it would help relax the child's airways.
"He is better than yesterday," Mo'at remarked, tidying away a set of stoppered vessels from her work station in the corner, "Still coughing badly, but it is mostly an irritant to him than a threat to his life."
Naia sighed and nodded, "The cough just sounds so awful coming from a little one so young. He will need to stay here tonight still." Another whine escaped the child and she returned to pacifying him with gentle murmurs.
"Yes, Leylani will come and relieve you soon. She will take the night shift and watch him."
Eclipse was nearing and the horizon had begun to paint itself in shades of auburn and pinks as the light began to fade. The beautiful light illuminated the vast crevice at the mouth of the Omatikaya's High Camp stronghold, casting shadows against the rocky walls of the cave system as people milled about.
Naia stretched her neck from side to side, hearing the vertebrae pop and snap quietly from her movements. It had been a long day and she was looking forward to having some time to herself unwinding in her grotto. The grotto that had once been their spot.
There was commotion outside the hut then and Naia's ears pricked upward in alertness. Gasps and cries of surprise sounded from the people outside, followed by ululating calls of joyous welcome. Something was happening. Mo'at rose to her feet and she padded over the carpeted floor to the entry of the hut, sweeping the draping cloth aside to peer out the entrance.
The older woman gave a sharp inhale and a beaming smile swept across her sage face. Naia heard it then; the words and cries being shouted outside.
"Toruk Makto!"
"Toruk Makto's family have returned!"
She froze and a thick buzz settled over her ears. The only thing audible to Naia in that moment was the increasing rate of her beating heart. Was she dreaming?... Could it be true?
Naia's gaze flicked to Mo'at who stood smiling at the mouth of the hut, one wrinkled hand over her mouth as tears of happiness began to pool in her eyes. Naia urged the woman, "Go, Mo'at! Go to them. I'll stay with Entu."
As much as Naia wanted to jump up and run outside to see for herself, she was still working, and of course Mo'at should be the first to see her family. Mo'at shot her a grateful look and promptly left to greet her kin.
Vaguely, Naia wondered to herself… Was Neteyam back too?... Her heart thundered with a myriad of emotions. Excitement, disbelief, nerves… She dared not to hope too much. Perhaps it was only Jake Sully and Neytiri who had returned for a visit. The Sullys had called the village reefs home for many years now, all through the Long War and even after. There was a real possibility that they would choose to remain there permanently.
Looking down, Naia discovered that Entu had fallen asleep, the child's chest rising and falling in shallow but consistent breaths. The sounds of celebration and reunion continued outside, and the temptation to join the throng was strong. Glancing downward one last time at Entu, she figured a look would not hurt. She would not leave the hut, but she could at least watch from the entrance.
Approaching the flap at the entry, she reached for the draped cloth and shifted to stand in front of it, keeping it pushed out of the way with her body. Four splendid ikran stood perched on the edge of the cave mouth, heads tossing as a younger woman tended to them. Tuk? By Eywa, she had grown! Naia still pictured a gambolling seven-year-old when she recalled memories of the girl.
Naia recognised Jake and Neytiri immediately, surrounded by a happy horde of clan members who had rushed to welcome them. Hugs and clasped forearms were being exchanged, and she spotted Mo'at among them who held her daughter in a tight embrace. Three Sullys identified, but judging by the number of ikran, it meant there was still a fourth…
There was another individual standing on Jake's left, also being warmly received by several of the clan's younger warriors from Naia's generation. Was it Lo'ak or Neteyam? Naia shifted her feet impatiently, realising that the individual was being blocked by another male who had his back to her. She would recognise that flamboyant hairstyle anywhere; cropped on both sides with an elaborate cluster of braids trailing down the centre, adorned with beads and feathers. She rolled her eyes. Move your fat head, Tupou…
After what felt like an eon, Tupou stepped aside to allow a shorter young woman to greet the individual. Naia blinked scratchy eyes, squinting. Leylani's shorter stature allowed Naia to glimpse the individual and her breath hitched when she finally laid eyes on him then. Neteyam! She watched, speechless, as Leylani leaned up to speak into his ear and Neteyam graced her with a wide smile in response.
Naia's heart skipped a beat. The details were fuzzy at the distance she was watching from, but she knew without a doubt it was Neteyam. Eywa, she had missed that smile… He looked older, of course, grown up now, but it was still the same smile in the same face she remembered from her memories. He was so handsome…
More young warriors and hunters pushed forward to greet him. These were the people they had both grown up with and many of them had been close in their younger years. The eagerness to welcome their old friend was understandable. However, Naia did not miss Neteyam's distracted gaze in-between his politely returned greetings. She saw his head swivel about, looking through and around the gathered crowd. He was looking for someone.
A sliver of hope unfurled in the depths of Naia's heart. She followed the line of his golden gaze, flitting from person to person until he looked up then and his gaze locked with hers. His brows raised a fraction, as if in recognition and his eyes settled firmly on her. Heat flushed through Naia, prickling at the surface of her skin, rushing out to her fingertips and trickling down to her toes which curled slightly into the rug beneath them.
Suddenly feeling incredibly shy, she whirled away from the entrance, breaking the piercing eye contact and strode back into the hut.
It was stupid, it really was. She was being ridiculous.
Naia had spent the better part of the last seven years dreaming of this day, fantasising of Neteyam's return to the clan. Yet here she was, holed up in her little grotto like a coward. She had fled the tsahìk's hut the moment Leylani had arrived to relieve her of her duties. The other woman had attempted to strike up excited conversation about the Sullys' return, but Naia's nerves had gotten the better of her and she had waved Leylani away as politely as possible with a fib about being fatigued.
The flame in her lantern flickered, signalling its imminent expiry and she sat upright to add more oil to it so it kept burning. This grotto had been their spot years ago.
After the dreaded return of the sky demons and the forced move to High Camp in the Hallelujah Mountains, she and Neteyam had found this isolated system of small caves not far from the stronghold during one of their evening explorations. Its nooks and crannies had served as convenient hidey-holes away from the worries of life. The grotto had been a quiet place for them to just be themselves with each other.
Naia looked around herself at the rugs that cushioned the ground and the soft bolster rolls she had stolen from her family's tent to make the place more comfortable. The blanket around her knees was not even a blanket at all, but an old flying shawl that once belonged to Neteyam. With a growl of frustration, Naia pressed her fingers to her tired eyes and lay back again, peering up at the starry night through a fissure in the cave's ceiling. She knew why she was nervous, knew where the feeling of dread that plagued her now was coming from.
The reality of Neteyam's return had brought with it a confronting possibility, one that Naia had not thought of before as his return had never seemed likely. What if he did not feel the same way? What if he had not missed her at all?
What if she was the crazy one clinging sentimentally on to youthful feelings that for most people, would have probably faded away with time? Her heart squeezed at the thought. She had wished so long for this day and now that it was actually here, Naia ashamedly felt like she was safer in the illusory retreat of her dreams.
Naia had never planned to feel this way. Her feelings had crept up on her younger self and before she knew it, she had fallen in love. She remembered the day she had realised…
*** FLASHBACK - 8 YEARS AGO ***
Naia hovered by the entrance of the Sullys' family tent, wringing her hands absently. She tried her best to tamp down the roil of nauseous worry in her gut. It was a happy day after all. Neteyam had passed his final rite of passage; his Dream Hunt.
Only the males in the clan completed this last rite and it was a dangerous feat. There were Na'vi who died during this rite, where they were put into a chemically induced trance by swallowing a psychoactive alkaloid worm and stung by a toxic arachnoid. The men would then begin their spiritual hunt for their path in life until the trance wore off.
Neteyam had passed, but the exercise took people to the edge of death and Naia knew that the ordeal had been taxing on her friend.
The heavy cloth flaps of the tent parted then and Neytiri exited. She stopped at the sight of Naia, registering the look of deep concern on the girl's face. Neytiri cast a reassuring smile at Naia, knowing the girl would be worried for her son, "Hello Manaia. He'll be alright. He's asleep but you can go in and see him if you like."
"Thank you, I'd like that." Naia responded graciously, and she disappeared without any further preamble into the tent.
Neytiri bit back a chuckle. For a tomboy who proclaimed often that she found the opposite sex unappealing, she was certainly very attached to Neteyam. Naia certainly did not think Neteyam was gross.
Inside the quiet embrace of the Sullys' home, Naia padded carefully over to where Neteyam lay on his back on his sleeping mat. Folding her legs beneath her, she sat by his side and surveyed him. His breaths puffed slowly and evenly from slightly parted lips as he slept and apart from a slight sheen of sweat on his skin, he appeared otherwise healthy. Naia felt her worry dissipate at the sight.
Neteyam was her best friend. She did not know what she would do without him.
Naia knew she was not like the other girls who gushed over new jewellery and spent hours re-braiding their long locks into intricate styles. Naia considered herself groomed as long as she ran her fingers through her short hair in the mornings and put on clean clothing. She was not demure by any means and her smart mouth often took people by surprise. Her peers found her odd and she was often excluded from company as a result. But Neteyam had always accepted her as she was.
There was a large bowl filled with water by Neteyam's head and a clean pile of folded cloth squares sat beside it. Taking a square of cloth, Naia submerged it into the cold water and wrung it dry. She folded it in half and lay it across his forehead and repeating the same process, she lay another wet cloth over his chest. The warm season was humid and the cloths would help to keep him cool.
He looked so peaceful as he slept and Naia let her eyes follow the unique patterns of bioluminescent freckles that dotted his cheeks and trailed up the bridge of his nose to disappear under the cloth over his forehead. Dreamily, her gaze fell to the curve of his lips then. What would they feel like under her fingertips?... What would they feel like against her own?...
The last thought startled Naia out of her reverie. Embarrassment heated the pointed tips of her ears. Had she really just been thinking about kissing Neteyam? One half of her was aghast at the thought, while the other half wistfully pointed out that he was a nice boy and very nice to look at too. As she confronted her embarrassment, Naia let an involuntary groan of mock disgust escape her and it disrupted Neteyam's restful state.
Neteyam's face contorted and a pained groan left him. Cursing silently, Naia chastised herself for forgetting her surroundings and placed a hand on his chest to settle him with soft hushing. He squirmed even more then and his scrunched eyelids opened to reveal bleary gold orbs. Leaning over him so she could check his pupils like Mo'at had taught her, Neteyam jumped then at the sight of her.
"Hey, it's OK, it's just me." Naia breathed steadily, removing the wet cloth from his forehead to soak it again in the cold water.
Neteyam grunted and a wan smile lifted the corners of his lips, "Sorry, I thought you were Leylani for a moment."
Naia's brows lifted in question and irritation flashed through her, "Why'd you think that?"
A sleepy mumble, "Dunno. She's on duty today isn't she? I thought maybe Grandmother had sent her over to check on me."
"Well, I'm sorry I'm not Leylani and that you didn't wake to her beautiful face instead." Naia said, attempting to sound calm, though she knew she had failed miserably when her words sounded like a sour hiss even to her own ears.
Neteyam snorted and coughed as his laughter escaped him, "No, I just meant that I wouldn't want her to see me like this."
His words did nothing to assuage Naia's flaring annoyance.
"Ugh, you boys are all the same, honestly! Drooling after her big eyes and her pouty lips-"
"Naia-"
"She could easily lead all of you round by your cocks-"
"Manaia-" A slow and deliberate growl from Neteyam.
"What?!" Naia spat heatedly, further displeased by Neteyam's use of her full given name and his interruptions. She much preferred it when he called her 'Naia'. Only he called her that.
Neteyam pursed his lips impatiently at her and sighed, "Don't misunderstand me. I only meant that I wouldn't be completely comfortable with Leylani checking on me. I'm glad it's you. I don't feel like I have to put up any fronts with you."
Naia felt her irritation fizzle out at his sincere words. She gave a half-hearted harrumph in response and placed the cool cloth over his forehead again.
"Thanks Naia," Neteyam muttered, before a teasing glint sparked in his eyes and he asked, "Did you worry for me?"
"Yes, of course."
Neteyam snickered and he reached out with a hand to curl it over hers, causing a flurry of tingles to erupt in Naia's stomach, "I told you I'd be OK. I'm a mighty warrior."
Naia giggled in response to his quip. And there it was again, that warm and prickling urge to touch him. She wanted to nuzzle his cheek and kiss him.
Eywa help her, she was falling for him. Hard.
*** FLASHBACK END ***
They had grown particularly close in the last year before his family's forced departure, and their relationship had teetered on the delicate line between friendly and romantic affection.
The passing of Neteyam's final rite had meant that he was busy during the days with the rostered patrols and hunts that formed a warrior's duties to the clan. Their separation during the days had only served to bring them closer in the evenings once Jake and Neytiri were done with their own work and Neteyam was relieved of watching his siblings.
Naia rolled over onto her side, tucking her face against one of the bolster rolls as she recollected their evenings together, a pensive smile dancing on her lips. They would meet at the grotto after last meal and Neteyam would regale her with tales of what had happened during his day's patrol or the day's hunt. They would play a game of Five Stones and talk of menial things, and when the season got cold, they would lie alongside each other under the blankets by a small fire and watch the stars until they fell asleep.
There had been a secure comfort between them when they were curled around each other for warmth; their skin pressed against each other's as she lay tucked against him with her cheek against his shoulder. However, that was as far as their affection had gone.
In hindsight, Naia realised that she and Neteyam had basked in the luxury of the time they thought they had, unhurried and shy in their blooming bond. They had been young after all, fifteen-year-olds new to the idea of potential romantic connections. At least, Naia had assumed Neteyam felt the same way. She had never spoken of her growing feelings for him, nor had he given any verbal indication of his own, but she felt the tenderness between them had been evident in the way they were around each other.
When Naia had eventually made her feelings known to him, it had been out of sheer desperation as her world had crumbled around her; when they had run out of time.
*** FLASHBACK – 7 YEARS AGO ***
Tomorrow? They were leaving tomorrow? Naia stood stunned before Neteyam as her chest heaved with mounting panic at the revelation. Jake and Neytiri had broken the news to the Omatikaya earlier that day that the family would be leaving the clan to seek refuge elsewhere from the sky demons. It was both to protect their family as well as to protect the people.
Neteyam had managed to sneak away amidst the anxious bustle of his family while they packed their belongings and readied their ikran for the gruelling journey the morning would bring. He had known she would be waiting at their spot.
"How long will you be gone for? When will you return?" Naia asked tremulously, her golden eyes wide and frantic.
The burgeoning lump in his throat was beginning to hurt and Neteyam swallowed it down tightly, "I don't know. Probably not for a long time, not until the danger of the sky people is gone."
"I don't want you to go." Naia's voice was a keening moan as her throat constricted from her imminent tears.
"I don't want to go either, but it's not safe for the people if we stay. The demons are hunting my family!"
"I want to go with you!"
"No, you can't! You must stay here. Your family is here!"
Naia's expression twisted into a pained grimace and her vision blurred, her eyes pooling with barely contained tears. Her breaths hitched as her frame fought to suppress the sobs that threatened to tear their way from her soul. Neteyam was her truest friend. She turned to him for everything and losing him would leave a gaping hole in her heart.
"Don't cry, Naia. Please don't cry." Neteyam's voice wobbled unsteadily, his own emotion threatening to overwhelm him. Naia never cried and the pitiful sight of her now caused a painful stab in his chest.
Neteyam's words broke her and the floodgates of Naia's tears burst forth. Her hands moved to shield her face as she sobbed and she felt Neteyam's arms encircle her in a tight hug. One of his hands cupped the back of her head, pressing her face into his shoulder, while his other hand rubbed slowly up and down her back.
A voice he recognised to be his father's called his name in the distance and Neteyam muttered a strong curse. Burying his nose into the Naia's short choppy locks, he sighed softly, "I have to go now. I'll miss you."
Naia clung on even tighter to his shoulders at Neteyam's words of farewell. She could not deny the truth of her feelings anymore and it hurt to hold them in. She was in love with him and she had been for many moons now. She felt his hands come to rest at her hips, gently trying to pry her away.
By Eywa, she loved him. However, her words would not come to her amid her hitching breaths. No matter. She could show him all the same. Naia's grief made her bold and, stepping back, she cupped her face with both hands and leaned in to press a salty, tear-stained kiss to his lips. She felt him stiffen in her hold and his breathing halted. His lips remained unmoving beneath hers and Naia pulled away at the realisation.
Neteyam's face was stricken as she blinked perplexed eyes at him. Hurt speared through her chest and Naia wondered if she had made a gross miscalculation. He had not returned her kiss.
Jake's voice sounded again, this time in the much nearer vicinity, and Neteyam began his slow retreat as he made to leave. He cast a pained grimace at Naia and his head shook sorrowfully, "I've got to go, I'm sorry. Goodbye Naia, take care of yourself."
Naia's gaze never left Neteyam's back as she watched him stride away and she felt her wounded heart plummet like a stone into her stomach.
Goodbye my love…
*** FLASHBACK END ***
Cussing quietly to herself at the memory, Naia cringed. Perhaps he had not felt the same way after all. The recollection of her unreturned kiss twinged in her chest and she quickly pulled the shutters down over her heart. It had been seven long years and she was grown now. Time to let her daydreams and childish fantasies go. She would need to pay her respects tomorrow; it would be improper not to greet Toruk Makto's family and welcome them home. She would bury her feelings and treat it as a fresh start.
Letting her heavy eyelids droop, she tucked her knees closer to her chest and curled into a more comfortable resting position. Naia pulled the flying shawl up around her shoulders and turned to press her face into the soft bolster roll next to her. She resolved to sleep in the grotto tonight. Her parents knew she was very independent and if her occasional overnight disappearances bothered them, they had never remarked on it.
Sleep was almost fully upon her when a deep voice startled her out of her drowsy state, "Naia?"
Fright rushed through Naia in a powerful torrent and she leapt up in an instant to face the intruder, instinctively crouching low into a defensive position with a snarl, her tail lashing behind her. No one had ever found her here and the disturbance was a shock to her system.
The male at the grotto's entrance immediately took several steps back, holding open hands out before him in a non-threatening display of submission, "Whoa sorry! Hey, it's alright! It's just me."
Naia took in the sight of the large male in the burnished gold of the lamplight. Strong legs and narrow hips flared out to a lean torso. His chest and shoulders were well-muscled and woven armbands sat snugly around impressive biceps. The musculature of his stature was unfamiliar to her, but as her scrutiny stopped to rest on his face, she found his visage to be a very familiar one indeed.
Neteyam.
Author's Note: Can you feel the romantic tension in the air? :P Teehee! We will see their full interaction in Chapter 2! Thanks for reading and leave me a line with your thoughts!
