Deep Water | Neteyam

14.

Time passed. Time passed, and everything moved on.

Khalo and Neteyam grew closer and closer, while Ao'nung grew to accept the fact that they were boyfriends now. Ao'nung even kind of befriended Lo'ak, while Kiri opened some kind of gossip club with Roxto.

Of course, Tsireya and Neteyam joined the club, being way too interested in the drama to not. They mostly talked about Tsireya and Lo'ak for Neteyam's amusement. He feared that as soon as he joined them, he and Khalo would be the only ones to talk about.

Tsireya already threatened them with leaving the club if they didn't stop. Of course, she never did.

Tsireya's old friends still didn't talk to her, but by now she had found peace with the thought they would never hang together again. She found new friends and, with them, new things to do. So she didn't have time for them anyway.

Khalo was strictly against the gossip club. He still asked Neteyam after every meeting what they talked about anyway. During these meetings, Lo'ak and Khalo mostly played with Tuk since they're Neytiri and Jake often pressed Lo'ak, Neteyam and Kiri to take care of her.

Also, not so often, since Tuk found a few friends. Weird new friends.

Khalo pov

"Eclipse is the best time of day to be here." Tsireya told the others. With the others, I mean Neteyam, Kiri, Roxto, Tsireya and Tuk. Lo'ak was, as we suspected, visiting Payakan again, and Ao'nung was out hunting with his other friends.

I was riding Mameí on the left side of Rahil and Neteyam, Roxto and Tsireya were a little bit further in front, as Tuk and Kiri were on his right side.

We held our hands in front of our faces as the sun blended us.

"This is our most sacred place." Tsireya continued as it got darker and darker. I looked at Neteyam, watching his eyes serve the surroundings; I guess it had to remind him of the forest.
His eyes twitched around, finally landing on me. I smiled at him, looking forward again.

I still struggled with realizing that Neteyam was now my boyfriend. Even though time has passed, it still feels so unrealistic. Being in love was never something I thought I could experience. As my comment showed, a long time ago.

Before I fall in love, one of us is gonna be dead.

And here I am, ready to grow old with him.

Khalo and Neteyam

They slowly got off of their Ilus, gliding into the water and taking their last breaths before getting ready to dive under.

"It's beautiful." Neteyam mumbled under his breath before he followed Tsireya and Roxto, who were already on their way down. Khalo waited a moment to make sure Kiri and Tuk got along before he also followed.

He quickly made sure to swim next to Neteyam, sharing a glance with him when they passed the first few parts of the underwater tree. The direct connection to Eywa.

They swam right through it before Tsireya slowed down and signaled the others that this was the place. The place to connect to Eywa.

Neteyam looked first at Tuk to check on her, and then at Kiri. He watched Kiri a little. How she made the connection to Eywa and then closed her eyes.

She's home, he thought.

He felt a hand touching his shoulder, and in an instant he knew to whom the hand belonged. Khalo.

'Don't you want to make Tsaheylu?' Khalo signed.

'I just wanted to check on them.' Neteyam signed back, giving Khalo a small smile.