Author's Note: Sorry for the wait!
Neteyam looks around quietly, shaking the dark thoughts from his mind. He admires the bows on the wall again, eyes tracing the most intricate one at the top of the three. He lifts slowly from his bottom to sit on his legs, his tail cramping from the angle it was twisted for so long.
Finally, after a few moments of silence, he asks, "Is that yours, Jake?"
Jake pauses, blinking rapidly in Neteyam's peripheral. He follows the eyes of the youngest in the room to the wall. "What are you talking about? The bows?" Neteyam nods. And to this, Jake smiles. "So, the plain one at the bottom, that one's mine."
Neteyam looks over at him, surprised. "Really?"
Jake nods. "Yep." He goes back to gently braiding the strands he's working on. "I told you right when we met that Tsu'tey was one of the best hunters in our clan. He's far better than I am."
"So, it's yours?" Neteyam asks, looking over at Tsu'tey.
Tsu'tey smiles at him but shakes his head. "No. The one in the middle is mine. The one on top is Neytiri's."
"Because she's the best?" Neteyam asks, excitedly. His ears and tail perking at that. Jake and Tsu'tey chuckle while Neytiri purrs behind him, pleased.
"It was my father's bow," Neytiri says instead. Her voice is tinged with both sadness and pride. "He died before you were born, defending Hometree from the Sky People. He gave me his bow as his last dying act."
Neteyam's shoulders droop, looking down at his lap. "I'm very sorry. I... I shouldn't have asked."
"You couldn't have known," Neytiri says softly. She gently pets his shoulders in a motherly act that his own mom has done for him a numerous number of times. He relaxes a bit beneath that gentle touch. "Ma'Jake honors myself and my father by placing his bow at the top."
"And while it's arguable on who's the better hunter between Tsu'tey and Neytiri, they are both leagues above myself," Jake says easily, finish another braid and starting on the next one. More and more of his hair is settling down his back in tight braids and Neteyam can't help himself but get more and more excited for the end result. Especially when Neytiri grabs hold of all of the braids that are already done, letting them fall through her fingers, and he feels them hit against his lower back, clacking softly with whatever it was that they wove into his hair.
Neteyam smiles to himself as they descend into silence.
"Thank you," Neteyam says softly. "I'm so sorry to make you do this but... I really do appreciate it. I didn't know how much this bothered me until... well... I'm sorry to impose on you but I am very thankful." He kneads his hands onto his lap.
"You don't have to thank us, Neteyam," Jake says quietly. "It's the least that we can do. And when it's time to change them, we would be happy to help you out."
Neteyam is quiet for a moment. Then, softer still, he says, "I'm sorry for being such a burden."
"You aren't being a burden," Tsu'tey says firmly. "We are just happy that you were willing to let us help you with this. It is an important bonding exercise for forest Na'vi and we are happy to share it."
Neteyam smiles softly, shoulders pulling together, wrapping his arms around himself as his gaze just drifts around the space. It's pretty, unique. The touch of the forest and the growing influence of the water.
"Neytiri?"
"Yes, my love?"
Neteyam flushes at the name, a small smile pulling at the corners of his lips. "Will you be joining us for lessons soon?" His question is met with immediate silence, and while it only lasted a few seconds, Neteyam panicked, feeling like he had to elaborate. "I mean, I know that you were setting up the home and everything. And I was just wondering because I have basically taken over for Jake and Tsu'tey and I was... I mean, I was just thinking that it would be easy to get you caught up. I just... I..." He brings his hands up to his face. "I am sorry. It is not my business. I shouldn't have asked. Please, forget I said anything. I'm so sorry."
Neytiri stands up, moving around until she can kneel down in front of Neteyam and he doesn't realize that he's shaking until she grabs onto his hands, holding them tightly in her own. Neteyam forces his hands steady, flushing deeper.
"I'm sorry. I don't - I didn't mean..." He closes his eyes and lowers his chin to his chest. "I'm sorry."
Neytiri presses her forehead to his, her hands moving up to wrap around his upper arms. She presses hard enough against his forehead for him to raise his eyes to meet her own.
"Do not be sorry, my love. I just..." she hesitates, then, "I am not in my element. I do not know how to do these things. Ma'Jake and Tsu'tey handle it all with grace, but I am not... I don't know how to be like this." She gestures a bit while still holding his arm. "I am not like you, Neteyam."
"No, you are better," he says softly. He twists his hands around so that he can grab onto Neytiri's upper arms too. "When I touch people, sometimes I get a sense about them. Ever since I met Jake, sometimes I can even see things. My powers are still growing stronger and changing in ways I don't fully understand, but there is greatness in you. I can feel it, see it even. Like a vail cast over you."
Her eyes widen as she studies him, as if his own eyes held all the secrets of the complicated world that they live in.
Reassuring her is helping him calm down. "I will help you any way that I can. I promise. I will be with you the entire time, and I'm sure you'll do wonderful. I have the upmost faith in you." He presses a little closer, meeting her eyes. He pulls one of his hands flat to her chest and he says to her what he used to say to Rowee whenever he was scared of doing something. "Strong heart. Okay? Have a strong heart."
Her expression goes from surprised to gentle, releasing his arm to place her hand over his own. "Where did you learn that?" she asks softly.
Neteyam blinks, surprised. Then considers, remembering that he has always said that ever since he was little. He's not really sure where he picked it up from. "I don't know," he admits. "I probably heard it before, when I was really young. But I like it. I think it helps." He blushes.
Neytiri's smile is breath-takingly beautiful. "I think so too."
"Does it make you feel better?" He asks, tilting his head a bit.
She nods, still smiling. "Yes. You too?"
He smiles back. "Yes. I promise that I'm going to be there with you. I'll show you everything I know. If I can do it, if Tsu'tey and Jake can - especially Jake - can do it, then you can too," he teases, glancing over at Jake to make sure he didn't actually hurt his feelings, only to see Jake throwing his head back in a laugh. Tsu'tey chuckles on Neteyam's other side while Neytiri laughs behind her hand. Neteyam places a hand on Jake's arm, happy to see that the tormented look is gone for now. "I am kidding. You are doing very well, you should be proud."
Jake's eyes are sparkling as he grins down at Neteyam. "You're feisty just like your - " He cuts off, abruptly, catching himself.
Neteyam tilts his head a bit. "I'm like..?"
Jake swallows, hesitating, then admits, "Tsu'tey. He's good at sliding jokes into a conversation like that. You... remind me of him."
Neteyam smiles, not sure why Jake hesitated to admit his thoughts. Tsu'tey seemed like such a good male, and it's obvious that Jake is reminded of his male mate in affection, so it's a little strange as to why he was unsure of what to say. And yet, Tsu'tey seemed so pleased by what Jake had said, his tail curling up over his shoulder with a little smile pulling at one corner of his lips.
"Is that a bad thing?" Neteyam asks, teasingly. "You seem almost sad by that."
Jake's expression is soft, flickering over Neteyam's head to the male behind him. "No. My mate - both of them - are wonderful. There are a lot worse people in the world to be like than Tsu'tey and Neytiri. But very few that are better. I was just... surprised by my own words."
Neytiri pushes a dreadlock over Jake's shoulder, leaning down to kiss his forehead and nuzzle his cheek before moving around to sit behind Neteyam again, getting back to work on his hair. Following her lead, the two males do as well.
Carefully, Neteyam moves from sitting on his legs to maneuvering down to his butt again so that he can stretch out his legs in front of himself, carefully rolling his ankles so that they crack while trying not to dislodge their hands.
After a few minutes of silence, Neteyam asks, "Is Lo'ak doing okay?"
"He's okay," Jake says, carefully. "Why? Did something happen?" Then, as if a thought occurred to him, he asks, "Is this about those boys?"
Neteyam nods. "I think about it a lot." He runs his fingers lightly over his kuru resting over his shoulder. "When I speak to him, he says that it's fine, but I don't want them to make him feel bad. He's trying really hard, I am very proud of him. Tsireya was telling me that he was taking to her lessons very well." He sighs. "I just hope that they aren't dragging him down. They aren't there as often but..." he sighs again.
"You are a very sweet boy," Neytiri says softly. "Thank you for checking in on him. But he assured us too that he's fine, that they were just annoying boys..." A moment of hesitation, then, "You don't think it's anything more than that, do you?"
"No," Neteyam says, shaking his head. "They were just bullies as kids. But words are cruel. I just don't want them to kill his confidence."
"I'll talk to him again, just to check in," Jake assures him. "Thank you for your concern. If you hear anything, or see anything, you'll let us know, right?"
Neteyam nods. He pulls his legs up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. His tail curls around his ankles loosely, tapping against his thigh a bit. Most of his hair is now almost done and he can feel anticipation and something else just swirling around in his stomach.
A knock on the outside of the marui makes all three of them pause.
"JakeSuli?"
Neteyam perks. That was his mom's voice.
"I'm sorry to bother you on your day off. I was told that you were probably home. I... I'm looking for my son. Um, for Neteyam."
Neteyam blinks, surprised. He told her while he was getting ready for the day that he was going to be with Jake and Tsu'tey this morning.
Jake climbs to his feet and walks over to the front entrance, pulling the curtain back. "Good morning," he says pleasantly. "Yes, he's here."
A sigh of relief. Then, softly, "May I speak with him?"
"Of course, come in." Jake steps aside, holding open the curtain and his mom appears, eyes locking onto him immediately.
"Neteyam, when you said you were going to be with the Suli family, I thought that you were going to be - " she stops. Blinking rapidly, she takes in the scene before her. She places her hands against her stomach, eyes tracing his hair. "Oh. You're... you're getting your hair done."
"Yes," Neteyam says softly, running a hand over his kuru. "I had asked Jake and Tsu'tey if they would help me with my hair. I just... wanted to..." he shrugs his shoulders. He catches this look on her face and immediately regretted his choices. And he can't believe he hadn't even thought about it. Hadn't even given his mother a single thought before making this decision. Selfish, cruel, horrible son. He brings his hand up to grab onto Tsu'tey's to stop his braiding. "Stop, please. Can we take them out? I'm sorry. I didn't... I wasn't thinking. Can we - "
"No!" Rhalwari lurches forward and drops down onto her knees. "No, baby, wait! I'm sorry. I - I'm sorry. I was just caught off guard. No, please. Don't take them out."
"No, I shouldn't have done this. I don't know what I was thinking. I'm sorry, mama. I - " Horrible, ignorant, disrespectful.
Rhalwari kisses his crinkled forehead. "I'm sorry, baby. Listen, you..." she gently cups his neck. "Baby, you look so beautiful. And your hair isn't even fully done yet! So, so beautiful! Don't take it back. Don't let them take them out. Please, baby. Let them finish. You look so..." her voice cracks, eyes filling a bit. "You look so beautiful."
Neteyam shakes his head a bit, stomach hallowed out. Tsu'tey's fingers were tangled in his own, squeezing comfortingly. "I'm sorry, mama. I don't know what I was thinking. I shouldn't have done this." Bad, bad, bad.
Rhalwari shakes her head too. "You didn't do anything wrong, Neteyam. I'm sorry for what my face looked like. I was just surprised. You're so independent. You haven't let me do your hair in years. I... I know I wasn't very good. I just... I kept thinking that..." she hesitates, scooting closer before admitting, "After I kept messing up, I had hoped that I would be better the next time so that it wouldn't hurt you but... but then you stopped asking me. You started doing it on your own. You didn't let anyone do your hair for you. I was just surprised."
"And hurt," Neteyam points out, softly. He could feel the sadness washing off of her in waves. "I hurt you. I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking." Neytiri's hands stop moving, and from over the top of his mama's head, he could see Jake frowning, his arms crossing over his chest.
"No, baby, no. Not you. Me. I'm hurt because I should have tried harder to be better. There is nothing wrong with you letting others do your hair. Please, Neteyam, I'm sorry, baby. Really."
Neteyam's ears fold back. "I don't want to hurt you. I shouldn't have done this. It was silly of me."
"No, baby, listen," Rhalwari says, moving her hands from his neck to his cheeks. "My pain isn't because you hurt me. My pain is because I wasn't good enough to give you what you wanted. What you needed. It is because of my shame, not because you were able to find someone who was able to give you these things." She gently untangles his hand from Tsu'tey's her smile is thin, but kind. "Let them finish so that you can make those braids beautiful."
"You mean, so those braids can make me... beautiful..." Neteyam mumbles, blushing a bit. Calling himself beautiful? That was the last thing he thought about himself.
"No, baby, I don't." She smiles a little fuller at him. "You are so beautiful, inside and out. This looks so good on you, baby, and it's not even completely done. Please, let them finish."
"Are you sure that you don't mind..?" Neteyam asks softly. Evil, conniving, manipulative.
She pulls him forward to meet her part way sot that she can kiss his forehead. "I promise. Please. Let them finish. I want to see it."
"Okay..." Neteyam says softly. Tsu'tey gently places a hand onto Neteyam's back, running it over his shoulder blades until he looks over at him.
"It is up to you," Tsu'tey says softly, but his eyes are sad. "If you want us to take them out, we can, and if you want to finish, we can. If you want to put this off until another day, then we can do that too."
Neteyam hesitates, looking at Tsu'tey, then to Jake. Both are watching him, studying his face. His ears press back, and he pulls one of his hands over his shoulder to grab a handful of braids. He just... touches them, smooth and even between his fingers. Unlike what he's been able to do, and his scalp doesn't hurt. When he closed his eyes and wished that he was different, that he could look at himself, he always imagined... braids. He did what he could, but he knew they looked bad. Knew that his clan had next to no reference, but in his heart, he knew he looked bad. Sloppy, disgusting, unkept.
"Can we... finish it? If...I mean - "
"Yes," Tsu'tey says, rubbing his back once more before getting back to work. "It's no problem. We aren't inconvenienced in any way, okay?"
Neteyam flushes. He looks down at his lap, chewing on his lips. "Okay... thank you."
Jake quietly uncrosses his arms and walks back over to Neteyam's side, lowering down and undoing then restarting the braid he abandoned. Neytiri keeps going too, not saying a word. Rhalwari pulls back, tucking her legs underneath herself and just watches them. They sit in silence for a few minutes, his mom just watching as the forest Na'vi expertly braid his hair, adding whatever it is that they are adding to the end, then pulling more hair off the increasingly lessening mop on the top of his head.
"I asked them to help me," Neteyam says softly, feeling like he has to be honest. He can't take the strained silence any longer. He has to have her understand. Maybe have all of them understand why it is that he needs this. Well, he doesn't need it. It won't be the end of him if he doesn't get it. He just... really wants it.
His mom lowers her gaze to his eyes, tilting her head slightly. She presses her lips close together, nodding as if she understood. "I know, baby. I understand. You want to connect to this part of yourself. It's normal. I'm sorry for making you feel bad about it, that hadn't been my intention."
"That's not it," Neteyam says softly. "Well, I mean, it is, but it's not just that." He looks down at his lap. "I can't look at my reflection. I look at myself and all I see is how ugly I am. How I don't look right. I don't fit in. I just..." he swallows thickly. "I just wanted one moment of not feeling that way. That... that I might finally be able to look at myself, even if for just a moment..."
"What?" Mama asks, her face contorting in confusion. "Why is this?"
"I don't know. I just... I feel it. I can't stop myself from just... not being able to look at myself," Neteyam says softly. Tsu'tey frowns in his peripheral but Jake, his expression turns horrified. "I just... I can't." He puts his hand on his stomach, feeling sick just thinking about it. "I'm hoping that this will help me feel better. I feel better just thinking about it, so... maybe?"
"But I don't understand," his mom says softly. "How have you been doing your hair if you don't look at your reflection?"
"Muscle memory and just... feeling it. It's why I don't do it at home. I can't... look at myself and I know that dad would say something if he saw it. If he realized. And I wouldn't know how to tell him. He's so worried about me all the time and I hate that I make him like that. I just... have never liked looking at myself. My darker skin. My strange markings. My golden eyes. All so different. So strange. I didn't like it. So... eventually I went from... avoiding looking to stopping all together. I don't think I've actively looked at my face in a long time," Neteyam admits quietly.
Horrified, Rhalwari softly asks, "How long?"
"I don't know," Neteyam admits. "Two or three years since I've actually looked at myself. Like, in the water. I see my body and stuff and it's fine, but..."
"Not your face?" Rhalwari asks, creases forming between her eyes.
Neteyam shakes his head slowly. "No. Not my face."
"But..." she says softly. "But you're so beautiful? How can you not see that? But what about..." she stumbles through her memory, trying to think of the last time he would have possibly done it outside of doing his own hair. "What about... oh! When Ao'nung gave you your betrothal shell? You looked at your..." she stops. Then, silence. She must be remembering it as he did. He was by the water, yes, and he looked out over it to cover the fact that happy tears had been streaming down his cheeks, but he never looked down at the water. Not once.
Rotxo had made a joke about how Neteyam surprisingly wasn't vain enough to check himself out even when he was just proposed to. And they had all laughed, because to them it had been a joke. Harmless, innocent. And from that moment, Neteyam had turned from the water and any opportunity to catch a glimpse of himself. And no one noticed, despite the joke. Which had been what Neteyam wanted. He was already making a big deal out of something that was more symbolic than anything, as a child can't actually be promised to an adult.
"It's in your head..." Jake whispers, eyes wide.
"What?" Mom asks, frowning at him. "How can something be in your..." She stops, blinks, stares at Jake for a moment, before the color just... fades from her face.
"What?" Neteyam asks, looking over at Jake, his eyes blown wide. "You know why I feel this way?" Jake's expression twists into something Neteyam doesn't understand. He wars with himself, as if trying to figure out how to say what's whirling around in his mind. Neteyam feels it. The worry, the dread. Something else. Something spiking and intense. Familiar to Neteyam when things are starting to look bad. "Oh... it's something bad..."
"No," Jake says. "Not..." he sighs. He rubs at his forehead, trying to find the words. "It's... called mental illness. It's something that a lot of people get. It's a very broad term that encompasses a lot of different things. When I say it's in your head, I don't mean that you're making it up, I mean that... that it's your brain that's doing this. A part of it could be simply because you're a forest Na'vi having grown up around reef Na'vi and that left you with a sense of disassociation, I'm not an expert. But... it could also have something to do with being... one of us..." he says delicately, frowning at his own words. He glances over at Rhalwari and there is something akin to anger in his eyes, for just a moment before it's gone.
His mom covers her face with her hands. "Oh, my son, why did you not tell me?"
Tsu'tey stares hard at her covered face, lips pressed tightly as Neteyam quietly admits, "I don't know. I guess I thought... I thought that it was strange. Unusual. I guess I thought that you wouldn't be able to understand."
She drops her hands, looking down at her lap. But she doesn't argue and Neteyam realizes immediately why - because she can't. She doesn't understand. She doesn't understand why he doesn't fit in his skin. He doesn't even understand why he feels this way. He's spent so long pretending it wasn't happening that any time he's forced to even so much as think about it, he turns into a blubbering mess. When he cried asking if they would braid his hair. When he talked himself out of doing it. The first, tiny bit of push back he got, he wanted to stop right away. He just feels... thin. Too thin. Like the slightest bit of pressure is enough to break him.
"I don't understand," Rhalwari admits softly, her eyes gentle and sad. "But for you, I will try to. I don't want you feel like this. I want to help you however I can. I want you to be happy. I want you to be okay. I will do anything for you, my son. I'm sorry you couldn't trust us with this. I'm sorry we don't understand. But I want to. For you, I would do anything."
"I'm sorry, mama," Neteyam says softly. "I just... didn't want to burden you." He's already burdened her and his dad so much already. It's not right that he keep piling on more and more and more.
"You have never been a burden," she whispers. "And I'm so sorry I never noticed."
Neteyam takes her hand. "I didn't want you to. I didn't want to be a burden." Before she could further protest, he looks over at Jake. "This illness of the brain... how do I fix it?"
Jake's shoulders droop. "I... I don't know. Give me some time, let me see what I can figure out, okay?" There is a sadness that just washes over him, and a sense of... failure. Like he did something wrong. Neteyam doesn't understand.
"Okay..." Neteyam says softly.
"Just... talk to me, okay?" Jake says, reaching out to cup his cheeks and turn his face to look at him. There is fear, not in his voice, but in the feeling washing over Neteyam, sliding down his spine. Fear, for what? Is what he has something really bad? Now he's scared to know. "If it gets bad... whatever it is. Talk to me, please. I will help you."
"Okay," Neteyam says again.
Jake nods, leaning forward to press a kiss to his forehead and Neteyam is confused by the action. It's tender, gentle. But there is this feeling from Jake. It's intense, overwhelming, like it's controlling his very being, dictating his actions. A need to protect him and take care of him. A need to save him.
Neteyam doesn't understand, but there is something about it... he should be freaked out by it. He should think it's strange. And a part of him does. But there is also a part of him that recognizes it. Like a parent's need to protect their child. It's an overwhelming thing to feel. Jake feels responsible for him. Maybe he could... he could grow to even lo-
No. Impossible.
Why would anyone choose to love you, that evil little voice whispers. It's probably just because you're a kid, and his teacher. Don't read into it. Don't pretend it's more than what it is. Don't fool yourself.
"Last little bit," Neytiri says softly, a few minutes after Jake released his face.
Neteyam blinks out of the dark whirling thoughts, watching his mom's expression soften. Neytiri reaches her hands forward, lowering two framing braids over his face. A few minutes later, the last of his hair is done. Despite their conversation and how it's freaking him out, he excitedly reaches into the pouch on his side and grabs out Ao'nung's betrothal gift. His mom takes it from him and helps to put it onto his forehead, sliding some braids into it to hold it down. Neytiri helps to adjust it.
Tsu'tey steps away, going to one of the corners of the room, digging around in a deep basket for something. Then he comes back with... something? Neteyam's not sure what it is, until Tsu'tey says, softly, "It's a mirror, ma'yawntu. It will show you your reflection. If you want to see it."
Neteyam's entire body flinches in revulsion at the idea despite having known this was a very real possibility the whole time. And that action made his mom tilt her head in confusion, Tsu'tey frowned with concern marring his expression, but Jake looks mortified.
"Oh," Neteyam says softly, clearing his throat a bit to try and cover for his slip up. "Thank you." He reaches out for it, but Tsu'tey shakes his head. He pulls it apart and Neteyam realizes that there is two. Neteyam blinks in surprise as Tsu'tey passes one to Neytiri and then angles the one in front of Neteyam until he can see the back of his head. "Oh!"
Tsu'tey smiles faintly. "Look, ma'yawntu."
Neteyam looks at his braids as they slide down his back to his waist. Long, smooth, even, perfect. Nothing like the ones that he would do. Jagged and uneven. No, his hair looked so nice - smelled it too. He was so used to half his hair being down, that... all of it being braided, looking so nice... he could just feel the swell of confidence building in his chest.
"It looks so nice..." he says softly. He brings his hands up over his shoulders to pull the long braids down to his chest. The ends of his hair has small beads there and even behind his left ear, the side Tsu'tey was on, is a wooden leaf and a more beads woven in. He just keeps running his hands over the braids, twisting and turning them, touching the adornments woven in, and his chest fills with warmth, eyes watering. "It looks so... so..."
"Beautiful," Tsu'tey says, smiling gently. "Your mother is right, ma'yawntu. You are beautiful."
Overwhelmed, Neteyam brings his hands up to cover his face, eyes hot. He squeezes his eyes shut, trying to reign in the swelling emotion, building up in his chest. He takes a few, shaky breaths, fighting to compose himself when he feels his mom wrap her arms around him, kissing his cheek before nuzzling it a bit.
"You look so good, Neteyam! Sweet boy, please don't cry. Okay, maybe we'll accept happy tears. But only if they're happy tears." She kisses his cheek, then his braids, wrapping her arms around him.
He presses into her, hugging her tightly. "Do I look strange, mama?"
"No, sweet boy," she says, squeezing him. Her voice catches and he feels... love and adoration flowing off of her. "No, you are so beautiful. Thank you for doing this. Thank you." She runs her hands over his braids, pulling them back over his shoulder so that she can run her fingers down the length of them. "Beautiful, Neteyam. Well? Do you like them?"
Neteyam sniffles, blinking away the moisture in his eyes as he nods, looking down at the few braids resting by his ribs. "Yeah..." he says softly, bringing his fingers down the silk smooth, sweet smelling braids. "I do." His mom pulls back, and he just keeps running his fingers over his hair, completely enraptured by the feeling.
"You really like it?" Tsu'tey asks, putting the strange reflective... what did he call it? A mirror? Yes, put the mirror down.
"I... I love it..." he says softly, turning to Tsu'tey. "I... I really do..." He hesitates before deciding it was fine. He just... he needed to be happy for a moment. So, he moves up onto his knees and wraps his arms around Tsu'tey's neck, realizing too late that he really shouldn't - he is probably making the older male uncomfortable. But before he can pull away, Tsu'tey hugs him back tightly.
And just like Jake, Neteyam can feel strong emotions of affection and care rolling off of him. Even lo-
Well, no, that can't be. But it's nearly overwhelming. They want to look out for him. Protect him. Help him. They're so kind to him. So caring. He has no idea what he did to deserve this, but he's so... so thankful.
"Thank you for doing this for me..." Neteyam rasps, looping his arms tightly around the older male's neck. The feelings are caught in his throat, threatening to choke him but he just keeps on saying, "Thank you so much," over and over again. His hands shake against the back of Tsu'tey's neck, but instead of freaking him out, he simply hugs Neteyam closer and Neteyam is thankful for that too.
He didn't do anything to deserve the Suli family's kindness, but he is so incredibly thankful. He will find a way to make it up to them. To show them just how much he appreciates their kindness.