leyra left neteyam at his own home that night, she didn't speak to jake but she did spent little time with neytiri speaking to her of what happened.
"your mate." leyra spoke to her, eyes not looking at neytiri's.
"what jake?"
"he's too, too tough on them."
neytiri giggled.
"i know, i tell him he doesn't listen, the kids can deal with it."
neteyam walked into the room slowly, not wanting leyra to realise his presence.
"i know neteyam is strong; but he's still has feelings, my brothers are cruel."
"let them be boys leyra, are you and my neteyam dating already?!" she laughed.
"what? no!" leyra's face turned a dark red that she didn't even know could.
"i-i just was worried."
"ma, leave her." neteyam's deep voice spoke behind them.
leyra groaned; realising he could hear their conversation.
"ley? can i speak to you?" he whispered to her; a small smile across his face.
leyra was inclined to say yes, skipping off with him; he gave her butterflies that she loved.
but anoung and zaem.
"maybe tomorrow." she coughed out, seeing jake, kiri, lo'ak and tuk walk in.
lo'ak looked at her concerned.
"what's with you leyra?" he asked.
she didn't answer, simply pushing her way through the family to get back home.
what the hell did she get herself into?
neteyam's family all stated at him dumbfounded.
"your bruises." jake questioned.
"oh ley sorted them out; she's got a gift father honestly all my pain was gone in seconds."
"okay lover boy!" tuk giggled.
"neteyam and leyra kissing in a tree." kiri joined in with her,
"shut up!" neteyam growled at them.
"what?! its true; you look at her like she's your world." lo'ak added.
"i don't." neteyam grumbled.
"it's alright son; i think it's quite impressive. she protects you like she's your mate." jake ruffled his hair.
his face turned bright red.
"m-mate?" he spluttered out. the rest of the family laughing at him.
"yeah mate! they're gonna have sea and forest babies dad." kiri giggled dancing around neteyam.
"shut up kiri! i just followed her to the cove guys; it's where they meet their ancestors."
"why would she take you there?" jake asked concerned.
"i followed her. she didn't take me."
"so you're a lost puppy!" lo'ak shouted before leaving the hut.
"no! she went to see her mother."
"oh." jake and neytiri glanced at one another.
on the other side of the island.
leyra was getting it.
"are you insane?! why would you go off alone with a forest monkey?!" zaem shouted.
"don't call him that zaem!"
"then what am i to call him? your mate?!"
"what the hell are you talking about, he followed me! i went to go see mother!" she defended herself.
"leyra." her father came from behind her.
she pushed her father off of her.
"i miss her." she shouted to him.
"we all do my daughter." he placed his hands on her shoulders softly.
"no you don't! zaem and anoung don't even care! i'm left here all the time while you all go, while anoung learns all things from you, zaem trains and i'm left! all i want to do i see her and you stop me everytime." she cried.
zaem fell silent. anoung walking in to see his sister crying have dark eyes to his older brother.
"you skxwang why did you make her cry!" he pushed him.
"leyra." her father spoke.
"i went to go and see her father; i didn't do anything with neteyam, he followed me and i brought him, i don't want to see anyone get hurt."
"who cares about that forest monkey." zaem scoffed.
"you belong with your own leyra." her father agreed.
"i felt his pain father, i felt it all." she cried into his arms.
"what are you talking about?"
"i don't know, i can't explain it; i felt bound to him dad, i couldn't watch zaem and anoung hurt him like that."
her father let go of her in disgust.
"are you saying you mated with this man?"
"what?! no! father no!" she looked at him distraught.
"i did no such thing father, i swear to eywa; the great mother!"
"so this bond you speak of? feeling bound to him? what is that?!"
"i don't know! that's why i wanted to tell-"
"go." he breathed out.
"father." she walked to him.
"go! i don't want to see you leyra. you are embarrassing this family, your mother would be disgusted."
"father. i didn't touch neteyam like that. i would never, he is simply a friend of the metkayina."
"i said leave!"
leyra looked at her two brothers, zaem scoffed at her and entered his room.
anoung gave the girl sorry eyes and left to his room as well.
leyra felt unbelievably empty and alone.
she wished she'd never met neteyam.
"eywa, great mother. what is this." she cried to herself walking out of her home.
dhe heard loud laughs and voices from her left looking up to see the sully family playing around with one another.
she wished she were tuk in her mothers arms.
"leyra! join us!" kiri shouted to her.
she reluctantly walked over to them; their mood shifted seeing the red puffy eyes of the metkayina girl.
"everything okay?" neytiri placed her hand on her back.
she silently nodded, huffing and giving a smile.
"neteyam." jake grumbled to his son. gesturing to the girl.
"um, ley, can i speak with you?"
leyra shook her head.
"i think, i've spoken to you enough 'teyam." she giggled to herself.
" 'teyam?" lo'ak said way too loud.
"you sure you aren't in love with her neteyam seriously i-" kiri pushed her brother under the water to shut him up.
"hey!" lo'ak pushed her off.
"please." he grumbled.
leyra looked behind her to see her family had all stayed inside.
she nodded finally and he took her hand to guide them away from the rest of the sully's.
"ley."
"hm?"
"you're not okay, what happened." he jumped into the water to make eye contact with the girl.
leyra sat on the edge of their hut, legs touching the sea.
"father. he told me to go."
"because of me?"
"he thought we mated."
"what?!"
"i said i felt bound to you 'teyam, because i do! but... he didn't like that; i told him eywa gave me this but he doesn't believe me."
"i believe you."
leyra giggled.
"but 'teyam."
"yeah?"
"i don't think i can see you anymore."
"what i've been here 3 days?"
"i already lost my mother. i can't lose the rest of my family."
neteyam's hands gripped into the girls thighs; she gasped at the sudden movement.
"my father is very dear to me neteyam."
"dearer than i?"
eywa only knew how dear he was to her, how he made her heart swell, he reminded her of what life used to be like, what it was before her mother's death, she wanted to protect him with all she had.
she shook her head, looking away.
"you know i can't betray them neteyam."
"i know."
"so from now, i can't see you."
"okay ley." he mumbled.
"i'm sorry neteyam." she huffed.
"but i can't lose anymore of my family."
the boy sniffled a bit, they didn't know why they loved each other the way they did; but it felt right. he felt like eywa had betrayed him taking away the most beautiful and pure girl he had ever seen in his life.
"i see you." he muttered against her ears, before swimming away back to his family.
leyra remained silent as he left, when out of her sight she jumped straight into the sea, calling her ilu.
and when reminded of neteyam,
she felt warmth.