CHAPTER 39
Sleeping back in the pod was torture for Neteyam.
Thanks to his darling father, Neteyam and Erìhe slept in the furthest corners from each other and he could not even hold her hand.
Oh and the scolding he'd gotten the other day..
Jake had been nice enough to let Erìhe scurry off before yelling at his son - after all he had been a teenage boy once and knew how horrible it was to be embarrassed by one's parents in front of the person they like.
He did not wish that for Neteyam - though Erìhe had already witnessed all his embarrassing moments.
"It's not fair," Neteyam groaned as he sat beside Erìhe by the beach as the sun began to hide, "He did not say even one word to you about being out all night - but me? I got grounded again!"
"Are you saying you'd wish for me to be grounded as well?" Erìhe raised a teasing brow as she turned her head to look at the side of his face.
Neteyam leaned back on his elbows and looked back at her, "No," he laughed, "But at least we could spend time together."
"We're spending time together right now," Erìhe pointed out.
Neteyam reached out with his hand to hold hers, "Suppose so," he shrugged, looking down at their hands as his thumb drew circles on the back of her palm. "Don't go out after eclipse without me, though."
The sentence sounded like a demand, but by the tone of his voice and the way that his brows furrowed, Erìhe could easily tell that it was a request. He did not want to be stuck in that pod while she's off having fun.
With who though? Erìhe had no clue.
"I won't," she laughed.
Neteyam smiled at her and Erìhe returned the gesture - though her smile fell soon as she saw a familiar Metkayina walking toward them. She shook her hand out of Neteyam's grip and sat up properly, straightening her back while clearing her throat.
Neteyam also sat up, a disappointed look on his face as he looked around for the reason why Erìhe had switched up so fast.
"Erìhe," Tsireya said as she sprinted to the two of them. She plopped down on the sand beside her grabbed her hands.
"Tsireya?" Erìhe blinked stupidly.
Neteyam rolled his eyes in annoyance and rested his chin in his palm.
"Hi," Tsireya grinned.
"Hey.." Erìhe replied hesitantly, "What happened?"
"Look!" The girl said as she swept her hair past her shoulder. While her open hair was bunched in one hand and out of the way, one measly braid hung by itself.
Erìhe recognized the beads that decorated the braid to be Lo'ak's, and a smile split on her face. "Finally!"
Neteyam turned his eyes on the two girls, wondering what this big reaction was about. It was just a braid - and a badly done one.
"I know right?" Tsireya laughed as she twirled the braid.
"It-" Erìhe trailed off as she leaned forward to inspect the braid. As she got closer she saw just how horrible it looked. She cursed herself for forgetting to teach Lo'ak how to properly braid, "-it looks like crap," she snickered.
Tsireya pushed her back by her forehead lightly, "I can say it."
"Yeah, yeah," Erìhe laughed as she waved her off, "Want me to redo it?"
Tsireya snorted before shuffling so that she sat in front of Erìhe. "Yes please - I love Lo'ak but what is this?"
Now Neteyam's eyes widened and he leaned over Erìhe to get a closer look at the braid which the girl was now unraveling. "Are those Lo'ak's beads?"
Erìhe nodded happily and hummed as she worked on removing the beads from the braid, "Here - hold these," she told him.
Neteyam just held up his hand so that she could place the beads in his palm.
He couldn't believe his brothers luck. He'd gotten the chief's daughter? Lo'ak was more like their father than Neteyam had given him credit for.
Laughing silently, Neteyam sat back on the sand comfortably as his hand was extended for the beads.
"Is this some kind of sign to show that you're taken?" Neteyam asked while Erìhe placed yet another bead in his hand.
Tsireya shrugged, "That's what Lo'ak said it was. He told me it was something you did back at home."
"We do?" Neteyam asked.
Erìhe elbowed his ribs lightly as she gave him a playful glare. Neteyam was wearing a grin as he looked back at her.
"Yes, we do," Erìhe told him. "These two are just so inexperienced," she rolled her eyes as Tsireya giggled at that, lifting a hand to cover her smile though no one could have seen it anyways.
"Ouch," Neteyam laughed.
"Well, that's assuring to know," Tsireya said, "I've never had a boyfriend before."
"Lo'ak has not had a girlfriend before either," Erìhe chuckled, "He's kind of stupid - so please give him credit for trying."
"I've noticed," Tsireya smiled to herself.
Lo'ak was rather slow when it came to anything romantic and he was aware of it too - which is why it did not matter that the three of them laughed now.
Erìhe pinched the new braid with her two fingers to prevent it from unraveling as she reaches over to take the first bead from Neteyam. She had been around Lo'ak long enough to know what order he preferred his beads to be in.
As Neteyam watched the two girls - well, Erìhe - he ran his hair through his own braids, stopping by the two decorated braids that framed his face. They were his absolute favorite ones that he had, and he wondered if Erìhe would wear his beads for him.
Looking closer, he could see a small braid peeking through Erìhe's else unruly hair. Neteyam was sure that he'd seen it before - just never payed real attention to it.
"What are you doing?" Erìhe turned her head to look at Neteyam.
Lost at thought, Neteyam had not even realized as he'd reached out with his free hand to examine the beads on her braid.
He forced himself to remain cool though he mentally cursed himself for getting caught, "Just looking," he said nonchalantly while still holding her hair delicately.
Tsireya glanced at them over her shoulder and didn't even bother hiding her smile. She had always known that something was going to happen between the two.
Ever since that day when Tsireya, Erìhe, Neteyam and Aluva had sat in that pod and Erìhe had gone to talk to Ao'nung, she had known of Neteyam's feelings. It was just extremely obvious - it was unbelievable that Erìhe did not realize.
And today when she'd approached them she'd known full well that she'd stumbled across a moment. But she still did it because she really did need Erìhe's help.
"Sure you were," Erìhe shrugged to make him let go of the braid.
Neteyam met Tsireya's eyes and forced a smile. The girl only looked away again as her brain racked for answers.
Neteyam liked Erìhe, that was for sure. Tsireya was fairly sure that Erìhe liked him back - but so did Aluva.
Sure, Aluva had never told anyone, but the way she acted around Neteyam was exactly as someone with a crush would. Constantly stealing glances, smiling, teasing, trying to spend time - for sure she liked him.
Tsireya even remembered the bracelet that Aluva had given Neteyam. He'd worn it for a few days before it mysteriously vanished from his wrist and reappeared on Tuk's a few days after that.
Aluva had noticed this - and she'd been rather pissed.
At the time Tsireya hadn't understood why. She'd been present when Aluva had given Neteyam the bracelet - she'd heard the girl telling Neteyam how it meant nothing, and how she'd just like for him to wear it.
But looking back on it and her behavior - saying that Aluva only thought of Neteyam as a friend sounded ridiculously.
Hell - she'd even asked Erìhe many times about her feelings for Neteyam when they'd first been making the bracelets. At the time it had seemed like innocent interest but thinking of it now it could have also been attraction.
Erìhe broke off Tsireya's train of thought by tapping her on the shoulder, "All done!" While Tsireya's mind had raced ahead and she'd tried to piece together this puzzle, she had managed to finish the braid which now hung against her back.
Tsireya turned to look at her as her hand reached up to feel the braid. A smile split on her face, "Thank you, Erìhe. What would I do without you?"
Erìhe laughed, "Go to Riik'o, probably." It was unanimous that Riik'o had become their groups official braider.
Tsireya giggled as well, "She would mess up the order of the beads."
Erìhe nudged her gently as she grinned, "Doubt it."
"I just had to ruin your moment," Tsireya teased.
Erìhe's smile slipped, "Huh?" She thought she hadn't seen.
Neteyam did not miss the change in her expression. He sat ever so slightly behind her, so all he could see was a small part of her face, but from the way her ears moved he could sense that she was no longer smiling. Shifting slightly to the right, he was able to confirm his suspicions.
He looked down at his lap, wondering why she'd be so against Tsireya seeing them holding hands.
It kind of stung.
"Nothing," Tsireya smiled as she pushed herself to her feet.
Neteyam sucked in a breath before smiling up at the Metkayina, "Hey - treat my brother well, alright?"
Tsireya burst into a fit of her signature giggles as she nodded, playing along with his joke, "Will do."
Erìhe grinned once more as she nudged Neteyam with her elbow, "I believe you should be telling him to treat her right."
Neteyam smiled back at her, though in his head he was wondering what was wrong. Her constant switch ups were confusing to him.
One moment she held his hand, the next she would not look at him - then soon she'd be acting friendly again.
-
A/n:
I love dilfs so much
(Yes I'm talking about Pedro Pascal and Oscar Isaac)