Together for Forever ♡ Neteyam x Fem oc

10. The Jungle

Just as the two did the night before; they met outside of Neteyam's home and made their way to their usual private beach quietly. This time Neteyam had brought his bow and arrow, just as a precaution in case they needed it. Nani eyed the boy as he walked, he wore a leather armguard and guards on his legs. She hadn't seen him in all of his traditional omaticayan wear since his family arrived, he looked like a true warrior, she thought.

"Are you sure about this?" Nani'ite asked as they stood in front of his ikran.

"If you want to back out at any time, I promise I will take you straight home." Neteyam hopped on the ikran and held out his hand for her, "Just give it a chance, Nani." 

She nodded her head, taking his hand and climbing onto the ikran. He called out to his ikran and made their way into the sky, hovering over the jungle trees. Nani held onto his waist tightly, it was still new to her being up in the sky.

"We should go by waterfall," Neteyam said back to Nani loudly, "it should be safer by the water." 

Nani nodded her head and Neteyam guided his ikran into the trees. She closed her eyes and held on as tight as possible, scared of what was below. Nani felt them land but did not release her grip from Neteyam's waist, still afraid.

"Open your eyes Nani." Neteyam chuckled lowly.

She opened her eyes and slowly her arms dropped from around Neteyam's waist. Her eyes adjusted to the colors around her, and her pupils dilated bigger than they ever had before. 

"This is it." Neteyam said with a smile, "This is your island." 

Nani slowly got down from the ikran, in pure utter amazement of what was around her. 

"Neteyam." She whispered, walking just a short distance from the boy before falling onto her knees. She touched the plush grass below her; she looked over at all the plants surrounding them and how they glowed. "This cannot be real." 

"It is." The boy said from behind her, she turned to look at him.

Neteyam had showed Nani something she probably would've never experienced if it wasn't for him. She never could've even imagined Eywa's creations to be so beautiful. She was experiencing a new life, new scents, new sounds, a new scenery. She stood up and made her way to the boy.

"I cannot put in words how thankful I am for this." She said up to him. "I love it here."

"You are doing me a favor," Neteyam looked around, "it is different from my forest, but it reminds me of home." looking back towards Nani, thinking before he spoke, "You remind me of home."

The words spoken shocked Nani'ite, she quickly looked up at his face, looking to see if he meant what he said.

"You are beautiful; like the forest." he said, moving a strand of hair from her face, "You stand confidently; like the trees of the forest. You are intelligent; like the forest animals" he moved his hand to cusp her face. "You have many layers, just like the forest does."

"Neteyam." Nani whispered, scared of letting the boy see her any more vulnerable.

"I did not get to tell you this last time," Neteyam said, not breaking their eye contact once, "but I see you too Nani'ite. I. See. You."

She closed her eyes with a smile. Leaning her head into his hand that caressed her face. She had never been touched so affectionately before. She could hardly even remember the last time her family had held her out of love, without thought a tear escaped her eye.

She felt Neteyam wipe her tear away with his thumb, causing her to open her eyes. Their bodies only inches apart, their faces only gapped by their height difference. Neteyam's eyes flickered down to her lips and back up to her eyes. She let herself gaze up at him as Neteyam stroked his thumb on his cheek as he held her face.

Neteyam leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on Nani's lips. He separated only an inch apart from her face just to look back into her eyes. He smiled down at her, taking in every moment of it. Admiring her beauty and gentleness, a type of gentle he thought he would never get to see her wear.

Nani looked back down at his lips and leaned up to kiss him again. This time more passionately. She pulled her hands up to his chest and crept them up to the back of his neck. Neteyam moved his hand from her face and ran it through her hair, running his hands straight to her waist. They both smiled into the kiss and separated their lips.

"I've been wanting to do that from the first moment we met." Neteyam said so low that it was nearly a whisper.

"I wanted nothing to do with you the first time we met." Nani giggled, Neteyam let out a laugh and threw his head back. It was true, it took a lot of work to make Nani fall for him, but it was worth if it meant he got to have her, at least for this moment together.

Their laughs subsided and the pair still held onto each other making eye contact.

"We should head back, before our parents realize we are gone." Nani suggested.

"We can come back here again, right?"

"Yes of course," she blushed, "this can be our spot."

"Our jungle." Neteyam smiled, grabbing her hand and led her to the ikran.

The two flew back to the private beach they always went to and walked through the village hand in hand until they arrived right outside of Nani's home.

"I will see you tomorrow." Neteyam whispered very quietly, leaning down and giving her one last kiss on her lips. He waited outside and made sure she snuck back inside her home safely.

Nani crept into her home, finally exhaling as soon as she made it to her room. She put her hands over her face and smiled, what just happened? The jungle is beautiful, she thought, Neteyam is beautiful. She blushed and softly touched her lips; just this morning she had never been kissed but tonight she was going to bed thinking of that forest boy who had made his way into her heart. Everything was changing.