Moonchild | Neteyam

24

CHAPTER 24

       "Erìhe."

Erìhe groaned and moved closer to the person beside her. For the past two minutes someone had been trodding and poking her, trying to get her to move from her comfortable position. With her eyes still closed, she smiled when she felt the persons arms constrict around her.

"Neteyam!" The person got frustrated and kicked the boy next to Erìhe instead of her. This jostled the entire path that they had been sleeping on, and caused Erìhe to finally open her eyes.

She pushed herself up from the ground with her arms, feeling empty once the arms that had been embracing her fell from around her. "What?" She demanded, annoyance evident in her voice.

"Oho - that's what I get for saving your neck?"

Erìhe's eyes widened when she saw Aluva crouched on the other side of Neteyam - who by the way was still trying to deny the fact that he had to get up. His hands sought for Erìhe's warmth, and his frown relaxed when his hands grasped onto her arm.

Erìhe's head whipped around as she took in her surroundings. It was the crack of dawn and her and Neteyam had fallen asleep on the path where they had stayed the entire night. They had fallen asleep again.

"Aluva?" Erìhe asked, confused.

Aluva smiled and poked her cheek, reaching over Neteyam, "That's me."

"Oh great mother-" Erìhe gasped as she hurriedly pulled her hand away from Neteyam's reach. He frowned once more before sitting up, groggily rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"What's up?" He asked. Both of the girls looked at each other - his voice was damn attractive so early in the morning.

Aluva was the first of them to speak, "Um - I just saved your asses, that's what's up."

Erìhe glanced back at the pod.

It was still quiet which meant that Tuk had not gotten up yet. She breathed a sigh of relief - if Tuk wasn't awake, that meant that nobody else was either. She leaned over Neteyam to grasp Aluva's hands, "Thank you so much," she said dramatically.

Neteyam looked at their interlaced fingers that hovered right above his lap. He looked between the two girls - wondering how they could so easily initiate physical contact.

It went without saying that he was jealous of Aluva. Though he was giddy that he had once again slept while cuddling Erìhe.

At this point you might just call it the new normal - or Neteyam hoped that it would become that. It had already happened twice and Neteyam could not wait for the third - if he was fortunate enough to be allowed a third time, that is.

Aluva laughed as she shook Erìhe's hands, "Of course," she said in just as a dramatic tone, "You two better head back before you get your heads chopped off. Food is soon too."

By now Neteyam had gotten rid of the disoriented feeling of having been woken up the way he had. He looked around and suddenly he was very aware that they had slept like that - in each other's arms in front of anyone that may have walked past.

Though he hoped that not many people had seen - he also wished that Ao'nung had stumbled across them like that. With Neteyam's arms holding Erìhe close as her head had rested on his chest, their feet tangled and tails wrapped around each other's legs.

Oh what he'd do to see Ao'nung's reaction.

Erìhe nodded to her friend as she let go of her hands, "See you after breakfast."