There but hidden

Part 3

It had only been a few minutes on the boat ride back to Heart. Raya and Namaari sat close together but didn't exchanged anything but quick looks.
Raya didn't really know how to start a conversation. Though she was excited that Namaari was coming, she feared that preparation was going to be like this too. She hears a soft hum and looks over at the princess sitting next to her. It was barely noticeable but pretty. She waited till the humming stopped before daring to speak.

"So you a singer too Dep la." Raya questions keeping a snarky tone.

"What." Namaari responds.

Raya could tell something was up. She seemed in a trance, thinking about something. Her face was dull and her perfect posture was no where to be seen.

"Hey, you okay?" Raya asks switching the tone of her voice to match Namaari's energy.

"I'm fine. These boat rides really give you time to get into your own head don't they." Namaari laughs softly.

"Yeah, they do. Usually I can distract with conversation but I feel like there's nothing to really talk about." Raya lied.

There was so much to talk about. But she didn't want to. Moments came where she wished to scream. When she wanted to just let everything in her mind come out, but she knew the person her words would attack. They had just started becoming friends, she didn't want to ruin anything.

Namaari stayed silent. She knew what Raya had said was a lie. There's so much to say. So much she wanted to say. She felt weak, how could she be this strong warrior princess and not even be able to have a conversation about what happened. Maybe it's because she knew that if she were to have a conversation with her old but new friend, every wall would break down. The curtains would be completely pushed aside. She knew that if she were to speak about this one thing, she'd have to speak about everything.

Standing up Namaari walks over to Tuk Tuk and sits beside him. Animals have always been a comfort for her. They had a way of knowing even if they didn't fully understand. They'd just sit in silence with you while you're happy or sad, and they'd show more support than a lot of humans without even saying anything.

Raya follows Namaari's steps with her eyes. She watches her sit down and start petting Tuk Tuk. She tries to hide the smile growing on her face and the giggle that escapes her mouth.

"What!" Namaari retorts

"I don't know, it's just what's happening right now is so adorable. Your bonding!"

"Don't start." Namaari says bluntly.

"Okay okay." Raya smirks

Namaari stays next to Tuk Tuk for a while and Raya looks over, watching the water. They both didn't know what they expected during this boat ride. But what they didn't expect was complete comfort in silence. They both knew they were in each other's presence and felt good knowing that, but they didn't have to say a word. It was new, and it was accepted.

After a little bit of time talking to her Ba Raya looked back to see Namaari leaning her head on Tuk Tuk fast asleep. She smiled a little feelings her cheeks heat up just slightly. She's never seen Namaari so peaceful, so still. She found herself walking closer trying not to make a sound. She sits beside Namaari as quietly as she possibly could just enjoying this moment. Raya found herself scanning Namaari slowly, looking over the way her face relaxed and her body went limp. Looking at her eyes,her lips,her arms, she felt a little creepy but she just couldn't stop. She felt a smile so common whenever she was around the princess appear. She accepted the smile knowing only she would know it was there. After a moment she found herself leaning against Namaari dozing off with a feeling of only comfort.

Waking slowly Namaari opens her eyes to feel a weight not there before. Looking down she sees Raya with her arms wrapped around her torso breathing softly. Namaari stares at the princess not reacting right away, but instead just enjoying the feeling of Rayas arms around her. She didn't exactly know what this feeling was rising in her, but she knew she didn't want it to go away.

"We're almost there." Namaari hears Cheif Benja say quietly giving her a smile.

"Dep la" Namaari whispers pushing back some stray hairs out of Rayas face.

Raya feels a soft hand on her face, opening her eyes slowly she sees Namaari looking back at her. Raya realizes what position she was in and draws back quickly.

"Sorry." Raya says awkwardly

"No, it's fine." Namaari responds feeling a little disappointed that the feeling of Rayas arms around her is gone.

They both fall into a silence, except this time it wasn't comfortable. As the tension rose they both felt as though they would suffocate.

Getting up Raya walked over to the end of the boat helping release the tension.

"Have a good nap dew drop." Chief Benja says smirking the tiniest bit.

Raya looks over at her father and rolls her eyes a little.

"Yeah yeah" she laughs and looks ahead as they approach her home.

"Okay princesses we're here." Chief Benja smiles

Namaari gets up and walks beside Raya, trying to keep her eyes from wandering to the woman beside her. A part of her was glad they were finally here, but another part of her was scared. Maybe she keeps doing all these actions to try and make up for the past. They'd never be enough though, setting up a party doesn't make up for missed memories, all those birthdays, all those years. Sighing Namaari gets lost in thought.

"Dep la!" She hears Raya yell from outside the boat. "You gonna stay up there or what?"

"Oh right." Namaari laughs awkwardly and steps off the boat

"You seemed lost in thought." Raya tells Namaari as she walks up beside her "were you thinking about me." She nudges Namaari and smirks

"Yeah whatever." Namaari laughs but quiets when Raya starts walking away.

She was thinking about her. Everyday there's always moments where her mind focuses on one thing. Raya.