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Neteyam couldn't help but glance, couldn't help but bump into him, and couldn't help but try to catch his scent. He always tried to end up near him, despite how many disdainful names that the guys exchanged every time they interacted. Behind the condescending and annoyed looks, Neteyam still had his mind enveloped by the ringing thoughts about him. They were so loud that he couldn't hear anything else. In a way, he let them be this loud, hoping that by a miracle, Aonung would also hear them. He tried to convince himself that they were involuntary and unreasonable. However, each time, his inner monologues broke down under the fact that they were embarrassingly voluntary and conscious. Something that Neteyam had mistaken for anger and irritation was eating him alive from the inside, digging through his chest and desperately wanting to get out, to find Aonung.
Since the day the Sully family landed their ikrans on this beach, hearing Aonung's name made Neteyam suddenly very aware of his surroundings. As the chief's eldest son, Aonung had this invisible but quite palpable authority over Neteyam, the demon-blooded outsider. Neteyam also felt the need to be more competitive, to prove his worth as a warrior in front of his father, the Toruk Makto himself. So when he learned that Aonung, amongst all, was assigned to teach him the ways of the Metkayina clan's life, it was definitely upsetting. "Either drown and die, or die from annoyance due to being bossed around by this aquamarine asshole" he thought. Neteyam didn't have any other option rather than to surrender to his fate. At least it was an opportunity for him to try to get under Aonung's skin and maybe learn about his weak spots...
Blindingly bright rays of sunlight reflected from the clear and sparkling waves on the beach. By the time Neteyam, as a responsible older brother, dragged Lo'ak out of their tent, the Metkayina kids were already waiting for them. There was Tsireya, the chief's daughter, already having a sweet conversation with Kiri and Tuk. Funnily enough, Neteyam noticed that seeing her definitely made Lo'ak so much more enthusiastic about their upcoming diving lessons. However, Neteyam's attention suddenly shifted when he spotted Aonung near the bunch as well. Despite his inclination to scoff at the fact that the proud guy couldn't escape the task of babysitting his “beloved” guests, something else happened. Neteyam caught himself hypnotized by the way droplets of water shined on Aonung's skin, the color of which also became very prominent in Neteyam's eyes. He thought he already got used to a slightly different appearance of Reef Na'vi, but Aonung's big hands and tail, perfect for deftly moving in the water, didn't want to let go of his gaze.
The free diving lesson also didn't go particularly smooth. Neteyam definitely tried to enjoy the refreshing water and mesmerizing view of the reefs. But ungracefully gasping for air after a while of holding his breath and trying to catch up after the local swimmers didn't look good on him. Neteyam decided to set himself a new goal: to become as good, if not better at diving than Tsireya, or even Aonung. He was determined to endure any challenge and look past any distraction the ocean decides to throw at him, an ambitious plan soon to be failed.
The next thing he knew, Neteyam was forced to sit next to Aonung in a stupid circle, while Tsireya tried to teach the Sully kids the proper way of breathing, to maximize their ability of to stay underwater for longer.
“Deep slow breaths, in and out”, she repeated. "Try to slow down your heartbeat."
Hearing Aonung's deep belly breaths so closely for the first time startled Neteyam. "Are you trying to show off" he thought and inadvertently gave Aonung a judging look. Both suddenly met eyes and just as quickly looked away from each other, though the structure of the tension between them has undoubtedly changed. After accidentally brushing his hand against Aonung's knee, Neteyam became completely confused. It felt like a zap of electricity, but at the same time very warm and soft. This also didn't help him during Tsireya’s exercises for slowing down one’s heartbeat. She put her hand on Lo'ak's chest to guide him, while he just sat there dumbfounded and eyes wide open. It was only funny until Tsireya gestured to Aonung to do the same for Neteyam. The two complied with exaggerated frowns on their faces, both rethinking all their life choices that led each of them to this moment. Surprisingly, Aonung's hefty hand rested gently on Neteyam's chest, and he indeed looked quite focused while trying to feel the other's heartbeat. On the contrary, Neteyam lost any meager bit of control he had over his heart to begin with, solely spending these surreal moments feeling the outlines of Aonung's palm on his skin. It didn't make sense to Neteyam, how he so willingly accepted this weird and inexplicable sense of peace brought upon him by someone like Aonung. He wondered whether the guy in front of him also felt anything like that. He had no way of knowing it.