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His heart belonged to somebody else.
That dawned upon Imala, scratching at her brain as she thought whomhis heart reached for.
Imala hadn't spotted anyone cosy with Neteyam back in the forest, and he had never once spoke about anybody.
All Neteyam talked about was keeping Imala safe and how stupid Lo'ak could be sometimes.
Had she been ignorant? Had she allowed herself to fall for him, as he fell for somebody else? "Neteyam, where are you taking me?" Imala asked, watching as his back lit with white freckles whilst the sunset behind Awa'atlu's sky.
"I found it when I was hunting, with my dad. It's, um, very pretty and I thought you might like it too," Neteyam explained before dragging Imala behind a waterfall, watching as colourful plants scattered across a glowing rock wall.
Imala's mouth dropped as her eyes widened. It looked similar to the one back in the forest, it felt like she was home again.
"Do you like it?" He asked.
But, Imala didn't respond.
Her head hung low as she thought about what Neteyam had said — my heart belongs to somebody else.
She felt stupid, so stupid. Imala allowed herself to fall deeper into her feelings against Neteyam. How could she not? Their late night conversations, the way he'd always touch her, how he comforted her the other night.
"Who does your heart belong to?" Imala whispered whilst her head hung low. Neteyam swallowed a pit within his throat, not wanting to admit his feelings to her face.
He didn't answer. Instead, Neteyam walked closer to Imala and took her jaw into his hands, guiding her face to meet his.
She consumed the look in his eyes, full of love. Neteyam bent down until their foreheads were touching and Imala held onto his wrists.
"You..."
That word had never relieved Imala more. Her body relaxed beneath his touch as she leaned closer to his head, their noses bumping together.
"You, Imala. Always you. Oel ngati kameie," Neteyam whispered before opening his eyes to look into Imala's, "I see you, Neteyam."
He smiled, smudging his face closer to attatch their lips together.
The kiss was soft, gentle and loving. Neteyam breathed in her scent, taking everything about Imala's kiss in. She smiled softly, pulling away only to have him rush forwards and press his lips against hers again.
"It has been so hard hiding this from you..." Neteyam told Imala, finding it amusing as she chuckled because her nose scrunched.
"I should've had an idea from when we were children. When you pushed me in front of you you whilst a palulukan chased us," Imala reminded him of the childhood memory, Neteyam laughing again, at his stupidity, before kissing her forehead. "I will always protect you, my sevin girl," Neteyam told her.
That nickname filled her with warmth — my pretty girl. His pretty girl.
