pathway., neteyam x reader

chapter eleven

—

After that conversation with Lo'ak and the rest of the group, you and Neteyam officially had time together. Even though you kept thinking of Lo'ak and this whole payakan situation.

"Aren't you worried Neteyam?"

"I am. But I'm not sure how bad this..Payakan really is, I mean, he is fine. He is alive no?" Neteyam pushed you forward sitting you up very gently, you now off his chest.

"That is why Tsireya told him he is lucky to be alive." You accustomed yourself to your seat, he stood beside you.

"I don't know then." He replied, shaking his head as if he was shaking the thought away. He held his hand out to you, "I thought we were going to train together?"

"Well now that we didn't train at all, we can." You took his hand, helping yourself up. Once you were on your feet, you pulled your hand away from his, stretching your arms into the air. "You ready for more swimming lessons, forest boy?"

Neteyam huffed, his eyebrows furrowed at you. You hadn't said a single thing like to that to him since he got here. A smirk appeared on his face, and a small hummed followed after that. "Always, water girl."

—

"I want you to dive correctly, none of this—jumping in recklessly nonsense." You and Neteyam stood side by side at the end of the dock, where you remembered watching him and his siblings mindlessly jump into the water on the first day.

You stood straight, pointing your arms out to the sky, your head pointing straight ahead as well. "You can start off like this," You began, Neteyam copying. "Now, when you begin, you just.."

You threw yourself head first into the water, your body straight then curving slightly to the flow of safe diving into the sea.

You poked your head out after a few seconds. Neteyam didn't keep the position you just showed him, his arms were lowered down his to stomach as he watched your every move.

You motion for him to come, to jump, to dive.

His arms immediately moving back to where they were originally. He made the jump, it wasn't as smooth as yours was, but it was definitely better than whatever he did before.

As he dived into the water, you swam around him, moving below and on your back as you signed to him. 'That is good. Could be better.'

So far, Neteyam has only learned the basics of Na'vi sign language. Like hello and thank you. So naturally, he just looked at you with an awkward smile. You pointed to the surface, both of you swimming towards it. "It could be better, but it is not that bad. We will continue our training."

Neteyam hummed, a small nod coming from him. His smile stayed on his face, yours slowly appearing. The two of you float in the water, eyes on each other's and after a few seconds you broke it off. You always wondered why it was never weird with Lo'ak or Kiri the way it was with Neteyam. Even with other Na'vi you have spoken to in your clan, it wasn't this weird.

Your ears and cheeks were tinted with an almost burgundy color, due to your aqua blue skin, it was much darker than a blood rush a human would have.

"Ahem, right. Follow me up to the dock." You broke the sudden tension, you wondered what Neteyam was thinking of the whole time it occurred.

You kept yourself put together, for the most part at least. Up until you sat yourself at the edge of the dock and Neteyam sat right by your side. "You get sunburned? Or is there another reason why you're so red?" The second you turned to look at him, he sat there with a sly smile. You nudged his shoulder, shaking your head as you looked down to your feet that hovered over the water. "Sunburn maybe." You replied to him, you lifted a hand up to your cheeks. Running your finger tips over them as you felt the hotness emit from them.