The Fire Between Us {Neteyam x Reader}

14.

Everyone else gets on their ilu and I look at Neteyam who seems to be extremely uncomfortable as Lana is hugging him from the back. This pain in my chest doesn't seem to go away. It's only growing. I just hope I don't act wrongly, I can't get in more trouble.

We take off and Ao'nung keeps his ilu above the water for now. After a few minutes we stop where the water reaches our shoulders. Ao'nung gets off his ilu and swims directly beside it while looking up at me.

"I will teach you how to swim here—"

"I will help." Neteyam swims up to us while Lana follows behind him on his ilu.

"We don't need your help."

"I insist." Neteyam looks at me with so much emotion and I'm not sure how to feel. I've never been this wanted before, it is quite nice. It makes me question who I have become.

Both boys stare at me while I sit atop this ilu, waiting for an answer but when I am about to speak, Lana says something. "How about she stays on her ilu and Neteyam you help me swim better. Ao'nung you can support me too."

Ao'nung begins to laugh sarcastically and then says "no" with a straight face which makes me snicker. Neteyam also grins at this.

"Ao'nung how about you take Lana swimming for a bit and I'll stay here with Neteyam. Then i'll show you what he has taught me." Ao'nung hesitates but then nods and swims away, Lana following behind him while frowning. It's clear that she doesn't want this but it's nice to make her mad.

After they leave I get off the ilu and begin to swim perfectly.

"It's interesting how everyone here assumes I can't swim because I come from volcanoes. We have water there as well but the only differences is that it's boiling hot. Now come on, let's go diving."

Neteyam just stares at me in awe and I wait for him to snap out of it but he won't stop staring.

"Neteyam, you do swim do you not?"

"Oh I swim pretty girl—pretty good, pretty good- Good! Swim good, pretty good, I swim great."

I smile at this and his eyes widen more, his face turning a dark shade of pink. He then looks away, his braids swinging fiercely. That was so cute it's making my heart melt.

I dive in the water and see that he's still floating on top. I continue going deep in the water and admire the coral that forms different shapes and colours. Different forms of fish swim past me while the water glides through my hair and around my body, calming me down.

I'm terrible at holding my breath and I think I have reached my limit so I begin to swim upwards but I get pulled back down. I look to see my foot being placed between two pieces of coral and it gets stuck. I look at who did this and see Lana smiling and swimming away.

I can't believe she just did that I can't breathe. I try to break away, shaking my foot harshly but it's not working, it's stuck too good. My chest hurts as I continue to hold my breath and I attempt to send heat down my leg but it's no use. I look back up, struggling to breathe and see Neteyam swimming up to me. He goes to my foot and moves the coral away quickly. After a few attempts he manages to break me free and I swim to the surface as fast as I can.

I inhale deeply and cough uncontrollably. Neteyam comes up and calls his ilu. I get on the creature and continue to cough while Neteyam rubs my back.

"Breathe love, it's alright. Let's head back ok?"

He gets on his ilu in front of me and I hold onto him as we swim back to shore, the rest of the Na'vi doing the same. I'm trying to calm myself down but all I can think of is how i'm going to beat the living shit out of Lana.