ATWOW:Neteyam

It’s late but it’s beautiful, Neteyam knows he should be inside with the rest of his family or at least somewhere near their home but he’d rather take a walk along the shoreline instead. He can’t bring himself to go home yet, not when he knows Lo’ak has done something stupid. Usually, he’d rush to defend Lo’ak and take all the blame but he’s tired. Lo’ak is always getting into trouble, always doing something he shouldn’t. How can he stay out of trouble when his younger brother is dragging him into deeper shit?

That question runs through his mind, he doesn’t snap out of his daze until he hears your footsteps behind him. He shouldn’t feel anything for you, not when your brother has been giving his family shit, but he can’t help it. You’re just so pretty, so perfect. Just like him. Sure you’re the youngest sibling of your family but that doesn’t mean you can’t think the same. You’re quiet, soft, you listen to him. A part of him wonders if he should turn you over to Lo’ak, see if you can set his younger brother straight, but he can’t bring himself to do that. Besides, Lo’ak has Tsireya. At the very least he can fantasize about having you.

He steals a few glances toward you, looking away when you meet his eyes. Maybe you’re going to comfort him, like you always do. He can never be in a good mood when you decide to show up, much to his eternal annoyance. He’d love to comfort you for once, to put his hand on your shoulder and hold you close. Aonung would try to kill him, a part of him genuinely doesn’t care. He locks eyes with you, sighing under his breath when you give him an all too familiar look. Concern. You’re worried for him, maybe because he’s always sad or angry when you stumble upon him.

He should say something, ease your worries a little, but he lets himself be lost in the moment. The two of you, walking side by side in the middle of the night with nobody else around. He lets his hand brush against yours, and he fantasizes about the life he wants to live with you. You as his Tsahik, him as your Olo'eyktan. He hates it here, hates being away from his birth place. The forest is his home, the sea is yours. He should adapt like his father did, forget the life he used to live. He wants to go home, and for once he doesn’t know if you can fix the ache in his heart.