𝐓𝐖𝐎 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐒; neteyam

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

SEVENTEEN

"And I'd give up forever to touch you, 'cause I know that you feel me somehow."
-iris, goo goo dolls

THEY COULD FEEL the air brushing through their hair, untangling the knots from the oceanic water beneath them. They could feel the twists and turns of the woven netting beneath their feet. They could feel the laughter and joy swarming around the air. Most of all, they could feel themselves and each other - the strong beating of their synced hearts.

"Stop running!" Neteyam shouted with a grin as he chased after Namaoyi, the girl deciding to ignore him and continue sprinting away. She laughed, her voice mixing into the windy air around them, as her feet continued to pound against the path.

"Never!" She shouted. Neteyam shook his head, letting out a low laugh as he ducked his head, but hurriedly looked back up once he stumbled over a bump in the road. He laughed to himself, watching as the girl before him spared a glance back before running even faster.

"Come on, I just got close!" He whined, pretending to be exhausted as he slowed down and let out heavy breaths. Namaoyi groaned but began to slow down with him, looking back with an annoyed frown. However, what she was least expecting was for him to sprint up to her and pick her up.

She squealed as his arms wrapped around her waist, his hands holding her steady as he lifted her into the air and spun them both around with a cheerful yell. She looked down, her hair falling over her face and trapping the two heads in a small tunnel. They smiled, their eyes focusing on one another, as Namaoyis hands found themselves traveling towards both his cheeks.

She reached down, her fingers brushing against his blue skin and its pattern, as her head leant down to kiss his lips. His elbows instinctly bent to draw her closer, his neck craning upward to get more of her, before they heard a cough.

Neteyam lowered her to the ground beside him, coming face to face with a laughing Lo'ak, an unimpressed Neytiri, Kiri rolling her eyes and Jake trying to hide his smile. Neteyam and Namaoyi widened their eyes, they knew what was coming.

"Oh, shit, bro!" Lo'ak laughed, his hands on his knees as he ducked his head to the ground as if he was struggling to breathe. Neteyam gulped.

"My son, oh Eywa, when did you- are you laughing?" Neytiri exasperated as she turned to her husband, the mans hand covering his mouth as his other held his hip.

He covered his smile and light laughter with a cough, his brows straightening as he set his jaw. "Uh-no." She slapped his shoulder.

"Unbelievable, all of you," she tsked, looking from her husband to the two teens before her. She furrowed her brows, watching the two fidget uncomfortably as Kiri walked away with a chuckle and shake of her head. Neytiri sighed. "I am sorry." She rubbed a hand down her face.

"Your faces . . . hilarious," Jake laughed as he looked from his wife to the teenagers in front of him, walking away from them. He moved between his son and his girlfriend, patting their shoulders as he passed with a smirk, before disappearing out of their line of sight.

The two shared a nervous look before glancing back to the boys mother, her staring at the two with an equally as nervous expression. "Um, you two . . . have fun," the woman tried with a strained smile, Namaoyi smiling back at her gratefully as she gave the older woman a nod. She glanced at Neteyam, saying her goodbyes through her eyes, before walking towards Neytiri.

She pressed a kiss to the womans forehead as she passed before walking away with an even bigger smile.

From behind the girl, Lo'ak smirked. "You wish that was you, huh?" He asked Neteyam, causing the older boy to shoot figurative daggers at him while Neytiri reached over to slap the boys shoulder. "What- ow!"

"You have to learn how to shut up, lil' bro," Neteyam laughed as he passed him.

Lo'ak sneered as his older brother walked by, turning his head with the boys movements. "You shut up."

Meanwhile, Namaoyi had walked off to go to the beach. She wanted to clear her head - not that anything was going wrong, but everything was happening at once. She'd moved homes, discovered how her parents passed away and how she made it safely to the forest, and she'd kissed the boy of her dreams, all within the span of a few weeks. Her head was spinning, and she realized the only way to halt it was to let it all out. That was how she found herself in front of Tsireya, the girl smiling up at her from the water.

"Hey, Nam!" She cheered from the ocean, her hair slicked back on her head from the waves. Namaoyi smiled and waved before jumping in beside her, sending water up over the girls face. Tsireya groaned as she retreated, hands moving to cover her face, before she let out a laugh. "Namaoyi, what was that for?"

The girl in question emerged from the water with a smirk and a shrug. "Just felt like it."

Tsireya rolled her eyes before sending an even bigger splash her way, a joyous grin forming on her lips. "Just felt like doing that, too."

Namaoyi laughed as she ran a hand down her face, wiping away the water as she blinked away the salt. "So," she teased, her smile brightening as she watched Tsireyas brows furrow in confusion. "How is Lo'ak?" And she watched the girls face bloom.

At the mere mention of the boy, the girl in front of Namaoyi became a stuttering mess. Her eyes grew, her cheeks flushing a deep red, as the pulse within her body increased at a rapid rate. "Uh- very well," the younger girl smiled, dimples pushing into her brightened cheeks.

Namaoyi laughed. "You know that is not what I mean," she teased, dimples forming in her own cheeks as she stared at her friend. Tsireya laughed as she shook her head, looking at the creatures swimming in the ocean beneath them.

"I know, I know, it is good. I- I really like him, Namaoyi. Do you think I have a chance?"

At her words, Namaoyis jaw dropped, letting in water from the bobbing, faint waves. She coughed it back out, eyes staying wide as she looked at the nervous girl. "Reya, are you serious?"

Tsireya furrowed her brows, slowly nodding her head in confusion, causing Namaoyi to laugh. "He is obsessed with you," Namaoyi said with a smile, watching the girls face light up once more. "Like, you're all he ever talks about. I have never seen him like this before, so trust me, he likes you, Tsireya."

The girl laughed. "Okay, okay!" Her smile slowly twisted, morphing into a smirk. Now you have to tell me about Neteyam, because I know what you both do," she said, wiggling her brows, leading to Namaoyi falling into a fluster like the girl speaking once did.

"We . . . well- we are together now," she smiled, causing Tsireya to let out a gleeful cheer. "He asked me yesterday- no, we kind of both did. It was weird, but . . . gosh, I love him, Tsireya," she admitted, speaking from her heart. The girl before her smiled, holding her hands between her shoulder and her head as she tilted it to the side.

"Stop it, you guys are adorable!" She squealed, both the girls holding each other as they laughed.