Moonchild | Neteyam

30

"What did he say?"

Neteyam grimaced. He did not want to be the one telling her about this - he knew it would only hurt her.

"Tell me," Erìhe said.

"Just that you'd - led him on or something," Neteyam said hesitantly.

"Did I do that?" Erìhe was now the one wearing a frown. She hates to believe that she'd done that - she wondered how many other people she'd have led on if that was all it took. She'd just been nice - or that's what she thought.

"No," Neteyam shook his head, "He's just delusional."

Erìhe did not respond. For a while she just looked at him.

Her mind was all over the place - why was she feeling butterflies? Was the fact that Neteyam had started a fight with Ao'nung over her affecting her like this?

As her eyes scanned his face, she realized how good looking he actually was. Has he always been so pretty?

Finally she cleared her throat, "We're going to have matching scars now," Erìhe changed the topic as she stood up to gather all the things that littered the ground around them.

Neteyam's hand lifted to touch his bottom lip, "That's fine."

"Don't get in fights again," Erìhe told him. She was getting ready to leave. She'd suddenly realized that she had to leave.

Had Neteyam always been that protective?

The answer was yes - just not of her.

What had changed?

Neteyam reached out to hold her wrist, "Are you okay?"

Erìhe glanced down at his hand briefly before looking back up at his face. Then her eyes snapped back to his wrist.

There - hanging loosely from his wrist - was a bracelet. One that was not his. It was not the one that he'd made.

With her other hand, Erìhe held his wrist, assessing the bracelet.

It was Aluva's.

"Why do you have this?" She asked him, holding up his hand as she referred to the jewelry.

Neteyam's eyes widened as a coat of blush coated his cheeks. He did not want Erìhe to misunderstand. He could not let her misunderstand. "It was Aluva's - but she told me it meant nothing."

Erìhe frowned, "Did you not hear them talk about the meaning of this bracelet?" She asked him.

Neteyam was still seated on the root as Erìhe stood in front of him. It was then that he realized how close she actually stood. She stood between his knees, and iff he reached out he could easily hold her waist.

"I did hear them talk about it," Neteyam said. "But she said it wasn't like that-"

"Why else would she give it to you?" Erìhe cut him off. "Are you two close enough to call this a friendship bracelet?"

Neteyam thought about it and his eyes widened, "You don't think she meant it when she gave it to me, do you?"

Erìhe scoffed, "Of course she meant it."

"What do I do?" Neteyam asked her as he held her hands.

Erìhe glanced down at their hands. "Take the bracelet off," she pulled one of her hands free and waited with that hand held out.

Neteyam did not hesitate for a second. He'd soon ripped the jewelry off and placed it in her hand - not even feeling bad for Aluva who had given it to him.

Erìhe's fingers folded around the bracelet as she looked down at her closed hand. She wondered why him wearing this bothered her so much - she thought about how quickly he'd taken it off. That could only mean that he really felt nothing for Aluva, right?

Erìhe's eyes snapped to his. She realized she was envious.

She fought to control her heartbeat as she leaned down.

Neteyam's heartbeat mimicked hers and sped up as well. Her face was mere inches from his and he waited with baited breath to see what she would do. If she kissed him now, would it mean nothing like it had when she'd kissed Ao'nung?

Erìhe turned her head and softly kissed the bruise on his cheekbone. "Thank you for sticking up for me," she said quietly as she leaned back.

Though he was slightly disappointed that she had not kissed him on the lips, he was also happy that she hadn't.

Neteyam nodded, "Always." When he said that, it sounded more like a promise and that made Erìhe's heart race quicker than it had before.

Erìhe's ears twitched as she came to a conclusion to all her questions. Why she cared so much about the bracelet. Why she'd felt butterflies when discovering that he'd gotten in a fight because he was sticking up for her. And why she'd felt such jealousy.

She realized she liked him.

Simultaneously, Neteyam's brain was racking just as fast as hers. But he was thinking about something entirely different.

Kiri had earlier said that Erìhe often kissed them on the cheeks - it was a sibling thing. Was this a sibling thing?

How would he ever find out?

If only the two knew that their hearts beat for each other - everything would be so much easier.

But fear of rejection and being made fun of was something hard to get over - and both of them were far too proud to admit to their feelings first.

-
A/n:
I feel like this chapter is so fast paced but I don't know how to fix it :")