Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
A/N: Quick disclaimer for this chapter. I decided to swap the dates where Kiri and Neteyam were born, I just felt like it would be funny to have Kiri tease him about her being older by a few months only.
After the heartfelt gratitude expressed by Kiri, the girls kept on talking. The conversation from earlier did not make the space between them awkward, if anything it only made them more comfortable, especially Kiri. She felt like she had finally dealt correctly with the uneasiness that the recurring night in her thoughts caused. She had talked with Neytiri and Jake about it, but this felt different, telling it to someone that hadn't experienced it and them understanding her feelings somehow felt more relieving.
"So, how was the class?" Asked Zaytxe, her head tilted in curiosity as she awaited Kiri's response. For Zaytxe this class had felt very different from the others, her distracted mind had caused her not to be as enthusiastic about it as always, she hoped Kiri had forgotten how much she used to talk about the topic.
"It somehow was better than expected" Kiri's soft voice answered as she raised her eyebrows in surprise. She was glad she had gone to class instead of just letting Jake teach her, which would have resulted in many hours of boredom and Jake completely drifting the class into a long story about something that had occurred to him during his time on Earth. And don't get her wrong, she wouldn't mind listening intently but wanted to learn english, and learning with Jake simply wasn't the best option. "But something was wrong with you and I know it"
'Damn, it' thought Zaytxe, her hopeful thoughts about Kiri forgetting her passion for the forsaken language weren't answered the way she wished for. But maybe acting like she was oblivious would get her away from Kiri's gaze which seemed to look right into her.
"What do you mean?" Zaytxe questioned, trying to get away from the curious Kiri. But to her expectations, she was met by the roll of Kiri's eyes as her face expressed nothing but disbelief at her friend's inquiry. "Okay, okay, no need to roll your eyes at me, geez" Zaytxe laughed lightly as she adjusted her position to sit more comfortably once she lowered her hands from their mocking defensive position. "I guess I was distracted- by what? I don't know- but I just could not concentrate for a long period of time before my mind drifted into another thought"
"Any thoughts in particular?" Inquired Kiri as she looked at Zaytxe with her full attention on the huntress before her. The question was answered by Zaytxe shaking her head from side to side with her lips pursed. Kiri thought back from the moment she had arrived to now just in case she could pinpoint any moment that could be causing her friend's attention from her favorite subject. And then she recalled the perfect moment, even if it wasn't the source of the problem it was the best moment to bring it up. "Not even a specific Omatikayan boy? I saw the way you checked on each other the other day"
The second that Zaytxe connected the dots shivers were sent all along her body. 'Neteyam? No way' she thought. Her body unwillingly tensed so suddenly that she sat up and took a step back. She brought up her right hand, index finger loosely pointed at Kiri when talking, her brows furrowed in confusion. "Neteyam, as in, your brother Neteyam? The boy I couldn't even stand seeing as a child?"
