ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴇᴀ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱʜᴏʀᴇ
❝ I WOULD KNOW HIM IN DEATH,
Neteyam's eyes flutter open again, he doesn't have to look around to know that he's back in the rivers where he fished countless times before. He's back home.
He looks down and almost starts to cry when he sees Kew'Itan under him, arms lazily placed over his shoulders as he watches him, concerned and loving.
He looks so wonderful splayed out on the forest's floor with the tips of his hair wet by the fresh water running under them.
"You spaced out for so long, are you okay?" The other boy runs a hand over the small healed cuts that paint his shoulders, he almost can't feel the subtle sting concentrating so much over the fact that Kew's hand is burning with life.
"Yeah," he mumbles and presses their foreheads together, bringing him closer "I missed you."
Kew's ears twitch adorably "I missed you too?"
The boy brushes his fingers under Neteyam's eyes, drying away fallen tears with a gentleness that only he possesses "Why are you crying?"
"I just want you."
Kew responds to his kiss after a brief moment, wrapping his arms around his neck to hold him close.
"I'm yours."
Neteyam is unworthy of everything, of the hands that are placed on his chest as a support.
"I'm sorry." He murmurs once, against the turquoise skin of his beloved.
He's unworthy to witness the softest of flowers bloom under his touch.
Kew doesn't protest, allowing him to maneuver him in a way where his body is half lift off the ground.
"I'm so sorry." He repeats a second time, leaving kisses every time he hears the steady beat on the chest of his mate.
"Neteyam.." Kew calls him, like his name was always meant to be his to say. And it is. Only his.
He isn't crying anymore but the other still runs his delicate lips over his eyes like he is, grounding him in the moment.
His eyes close under the warmth.
Because he killed the boy he loved with his life, he's unworthy. But Neteyam is selfish, he will take everything he can get and keep it to his chest like a shiny treasure.
And Kew is the most beautiful a treasure can get.
Neteyam opens his eyes again.
The metkayina na'vi surround him and the rest of his family, the sand is coarse under his feet. Their banshees are chirping behind them as they wait for acceptance to stay.
Tonowari turned to the rest of them and took a deep breath "Toruk Makto and his family will stay with us, treat them as our brothers and sisters."
"But they do not know the sea," He turned to them in amusement "So they will be like babies taking their first breath. Teach them our ways so that they do not suffer the shame of being useless."
"What do we say?"
"Thank you." Neteyam and his siblings echoed together.
"My sons, Kew'Itan and Ao'nung, our daughter, Tsireya." The man pointed vaguely at the direction of his children, Tsireya was the girl that held Kew'Itan's hand "Will show your children what to do."
"Neteyam." Tonowari turns to him and points at the boy Neteyam loves "My son, Kew'Itan."
And in another time Neteyam would have known that he had found the rest of his soul that moment.
In another world they would have instantly hugged.
But Neteyam is alright with now, with his head on his lover's chest listening to soft breaths as his hair is run through with delicate hands.
The ground could disappear right under his feet and it would be fine, the world is in his arms.
AT THE END OF THE WORLD. ❞
— FINAL NOTES
I've been working on this for months now.
Ever since I came up with this story my mind hasn't been able to concentrate on anything else.
I'm happy to finally press the complete button.
Now, all of the quotes I used:
PROLOGUE QUOTE
He is half of my soul,
as the poets say.
THE SONG OF ACHILLES
BY MADELINE MILLER.
━━━━━
PLAYLIST QUOTE
The rules of fair play do not apply in love and war.
EUPHUES: THE ANATOMY OF WIT
BY JOHN LYLY.
━━━━━
CHAPTER ONE:
IN SPITE OF MY CLENCHED FIST.
I suppose I love this life,
In spite of my clenched fist.
BY ANDREA GIBSON.
━━━━━
CHAPTER TWO:
A WORLD IN A GRAIN OF SAND.
To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour
AUGURIES OF INNOCENCE
BY WILLIAM BLAKE.
━━━━━
CHAPTER THREE:
IF THE MOON CALLS YOU BY YOUR NAME.
If someday the moon calls you by your name don't be surprised,
Because every night I tell her about you.
BY SHAHRAZAD AL KHALIJ.
━━━━━
CHAPTER FOUR:
THIS IS HOW PEOPLE DROWN.
His eyes were the sea.
This is how people drown,
[she] thought.
THE BOOK OF TWO WAYS
BY JODI PICOULT.
━━━━━
CHAPTER FIVE:
I'VE BEEN LOST, BUT I'M HERE NOW.
In my dreams I am kissing your mouth and you're whispering 'where have you been?'
I say, 'I've been lost but I'm here now. You're the only person who has ever been able to find me.'
BY SUE ZHAO.
━━━━━
CHAPTER SIX:
MIDNIGHT TASTES SO HOLY.
Kiss someone
who makes you
feel their magic
in your bones,
who makes you wonder
how can someone
who looks like
witchcraft
at midnight
taste so holy.
MAGIC IN YOUR BONES
BY NIKITA GILL.
━━━━━
CHAPTER SEVEN:
THE ONLY WAY I KNOW HOW TO BREATH.
I asked him, "Can you breathe okay with my head on your chest like this?" His answer was "It's the only way I know how to breathe."
WHEN BREATH BECOMES AIR
BY PAUL KALANITHI.
━━━━━
CHAPTER EIGHT:
MILENA, IF NO ONE LOVED YOU.
Milena, if a million loved you, I am one of them, and if one loved you, it was me, if no one loved you then know that I am dead.
LETTERS TO MILENA
BY FRANZ KAFKA.
━━━━━
CHAPTER NINE:
I'LL ENVY EVEN THE EARTH.
If you must die, I'll envy even the earth that wraps your body.
STATE OF SIEGE
BY ALBERT CAMUS.
━━━━━
EPILOGUE QUOTE
I could recognize him by touch alone, by smell; I would know him blind, by the way his breaths came and his feet struck the earth. I would know him in death, at the end of the world.
THE SONG OF ACHILLES
BY MADELINE MILLER.
━━━━━
THANK YOU FOR READING.