Flowing Melody || NETEYAM

Hold Me Tight

"You will need to ride with me, as an ikran bonds for life and will not respond to others."

Fae nodded, running her hand along the ikrans green skin in wonder, a pure smile spreading across her face, she turned suddenly, catching Neteyam staring, as he blushed deeply, turning and mounting his ikran as a means to lessen the intensity of the moment.

It had been difficult to persuade his father that this was a good idea, especially after coming back to the hut late the night before. Lo'ak slimly missing a lecture as Neteyam took the blame for gettinf them home so late. He only succeeded in convincing his dad due to tuk pleading with Jake with wide eyes, fulfilling a favour she owed to Neteyam.
"Dad, itll be fine, it wont go out past the reef and ill keep her safe."
"Thats not what im worried about, think its more likely she'll need to keep your sorry ass safe."

He helped Fae'voila up behind him, taking her hands and putting them around him waist.

"Hold on tight, yeah? This aint an ilu, if you fall it wont be the water catching your fall, itll be the ground."

Rolling her eyes she moved closer to him, gasping as Neteyam gave a sudden command and they were lifted into the air.

She stifled a surprised scream, closing her eyes, Fae tightened her arms around his toned waist, pressing her forehead against his strong back, muscles pumping with the movement of his ikran.
Eventually, she calmed her heart enough to open her eyes, only to have a laugh bubble up as she was greeted by the clouds and vast sky, she reached out dispersing a cloud, her laughter musical.

"You having fun, sea star?" Neteyam called out, looking behind his shoulder at her as his ikran slowed, soaring through the sky.

"So much!" she had to talk louder, wind ripping her words from her mouth and failing to reach the boy beneath her fingers.

"Cant hear you Sunshine!" he called behind him as the ikran banked.

She shifted, lifting herself higher slightly, so her mouth was beside his ear, feeling Neteyam tense where her hands lay on his stomach.

"Go faster."

Neteyam just grinned, his hand holding her thigh as his ikran sped away, diving through clouds and twirling past tall, thin trees.

He whooped, fae following his lead, trusting his grip on her thigh and her hand tightly wound around his waist to keep her firmly on the ikran, as she reached up with her other hand, feeling the air rip her hair away from her face. The boy and the sun whose touch warmed her skin, felt like freedom.

When they eventually landed on the beach again, Neteyam hopped off reaching up to grab her waist and swing Fae'voila off aswell. She turned, leaning her forehaed agaisnt the ikrans own,
"Thank you for everything, i see you."

It clicked happily before turning, and going to find its flock.

"Im surprised, she doesnt even like me that much and we're supposed to be bonded."
Neteyam mused, towering over fae with that signature grin he seemed to wear only around her.

"It's understandable really," she teased, walking off with a sway in her hips, resulting in Neteyam chasing after her, grabbing her tail playfully as she laughed, "oh! Starting my fighting classes so soon?"

"You dont need them, ive seen you dance, terrifying stuff."

"Oh shush skxawng"

A yell from the shore caught their attention, Neteyam looking over only for the joy in hid eyes to harden, his mask returning. Fae'voila knew better then try to stop him as he tore away.
"Fuckers."

They crowded around pushing kiri and then lo'ak aswell, grabbing their tails and their hands.
Neteyam could hear them taunting his brother, "babytail! awh its sp cute!"
He stormed in in, vision red as he pushed Ao'nung off lo'ak.

"You heard what she said. Leave them alone."

Fae had caught up, moving to stand next to kiri, taking her hands and checking for injury. Before sighing a breath of relief, and standing beside her in an act of solidarity.

"Awh big brother coming into-" Ao'nung silenced the metkayina boy with a wave of a hand, not taking his eyes off of Neteyam.

"Back off," Neteyam all but spat, protectiveness for his family reflecting his mother. "Now."

Ao'nung held up his hands in mock surrender, backing out off Neteyams space, flicking a look to fae, clearly disapproving on the side she had taken and her face still flushed from the fly.

Neteyam walked towards where the others stood, bringing lo'ak with him, a hand on baby brother's head protectively.

They could hear Ao'nung and his friends mutter, lo'ak stopping suddenly and turning, walking back towards the group, his shoulders set in determination.
"Lo'ak." Neteyam warned.
"I got this bro."

Fae made a move to go after him, but Neteyams arm in front of her, stopped her, a smirk of anticipation playing across his lips,
"Let him learn."

"I know this hand is funny, look," lo'ak held out his extra digit, waving it in ao'nungs face,"im a freak. Alien. But it can do something really cool, watch. First i ball it up tight like this.okay, then"

Lo'ak swung. And again. And again. Until Ao'nung was on the floor.
"Its called a punch, bitch!"

And thats when it went to shit.

Lo'ak ended up on the floor, scrabbling with Ao'nung.

"Ow my tail!"
"My ears!"

Neteyam huffed a laugh, clicking his knuckles before running to his little brothers aid, landing a swift couple punches before being tackled.

Kiri had long given up trying to persuade her meathead brothers to break it up, covering her giggles with her hand.
Her laugh was infectious, as Fae'voila hid her laughter in the girls shoulder, as they bonded over the idiocy of the 'men' in front of the two girls.

Neteyam did not like disappointing his dad.

And he was pretty sure that lo'ak took no pleasure in it, despite the amount that Neteyam burdened the blame.
He was the big brother, he knew that. He had a duty to make sure lo'ak and his sisters stayed out of trouble and safe.

"How did the others look?"
Jake asked, letting his younger self breath for a second, curiosity in his gaze as he looked at his boy with a sense of pride.
"Worse" Neteyam smiled shyly, "a lot worse."