Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

One thing that Lo'ak loved the most was riding his ikran. He trusted him to take him everywhere and when they flew together, he felt free and untouchable. The bond hadn’t been a success on the first try like his older brother, Neteyam, but he had not given up and had tamed the biggest banshee he could have found.

Lo'ak was constantly trying to prove his worth and his disability didn't help at times. His dad had a hard time trusting him and let him contribute to missions, and everyone was overprotective of him.

Taming an ikran was his biggest achievement, especially when he wanted to convince his parents to let him join in a battle. They had reluctantly included him in their missions and Lo'ak had become a fierce warrior and hunter. Neteyam was clearly better than him, but at least, he could show them his strength in many ways. He had always had a good eye when using his bow and arrows and a good nose for tracking, even way before he had lost his hearing.

The only thing that annoyed him was that his brother had to be paired with him at all times. Firstly, because he couldn't hear instructions through radio and secondly because he tended to be a little reckless. Just a little, nothing to make a big deal out of it, like his parents constantly would.

But then, everything had turned into a nightmare when they suddenly had to leave their home to hide from Quaritch, and his brother Spider had been kidnapped. Lo’ak had wanted to rescue him, but for safety reasons they couldn’t do anything, except fleeing. So, they reluctantly abandoned their home to find refuge within the Metkayina clan who lived close to the reefs.

Lo'ak and his family came from a long way on the back of their ikrans, flying to the unknown. And when they arrived, they were not welcomed like they had hoped. His father insisted enough so the Olo'eyktan, Tonowari was willing to let them stay. He had to, anyway. It was the rule. When another clan seeks refuge, you must grant them that right.

He had become really good at interpreting people's expressions, and at reading lips when he needed to. But during the negotiations, his focus was on the scents around him, the clear blue of the water and the light shining on it, the sand tickling his feet, the breeze caressing his skin. He didn't pay attention to what was happening in front of him until he had to.

He mimicked his brother when he saw him touch his forehead to politely greet them. He even hardly noticed one young Metkayina accompanied by his friends talking to him. Something about his tail. He understood it when the boy touched it and seemed to laugh at him and his brother.

It was easy to ignore him, he just had to look away. But after a few days, the Metkayina named Aonung, according to Neteyam, started to bother him all the time. Talking to him at every chance he got and the more Lo'ak ignored him and the more eager he was to get his attention.

Didn't someone tell him? He was used to his parents having to explain his disability to others. In the Omaticaya clan, everyone had learned to speak with Lo'ak through sign language. Even him had to learn when he had lost his hearing as a child.

Maybe his siblings found it amusing to let him in the unknown, because they kept letting him talk to Lo'ak and smiled when Aonung was frustrated by his lack of reaction.

"Do you even speak?" Aonung told him, one day.

Lo'ak had made out what he’d said from where he was sitting near the shore. He finally decided to give him attention. Especially when the water boy insisted this much to talk to him. He would get bored when he would have to make efforts to understand Lo’ak anyway…

So, he stared at his lips with concentration when the Metkayina continued, "Why are you ignoring me? It's annoying."

"Because I can't hear you, I'm deaf," Lo'ak signed. "I can read your lips though."

Aonung gaped at him in shock. "Why didn't anyone tell me about it?"

The Omaticaya shrugged and then focused his gaze on the waves crashing onto the shore.

Aonung waved at him to get his attention back.

"I'm sorry for um... sorry I made fun of you the first time," Aonung signed to him as he sat right next to Lo'ak, sheepishly. 

It wasn't exactly how Lo'ak would have signed this. It was clearly another type of Na’vi sign language, but it was close enough so they could understand each other.

He was surprised. He hadn't expected him of all people to be able to sign. "You know sign language?"

"Everyone does here. It helps us communicate underwater, and with tulkuns," Aonung explained.

Lo'ak made an impressed face, and then signed to him that he was mind-blown by the revelation. Aonung chuckled and he oddly wished he could hear it.

The Metkayina tapped on his arm to make sure he looked at him. "I'll show you when I help you learn our ways, tomorrow."

"So now, you want to teach us when you clearly didn't want to when your dad asked you yesterday." Lo'ak scoffed and shook his head. "Do you pity me or something?"

"Not at all," Aonung immediately signed back. "I just didn't want to babysit, but I would be an asshole not to help."

Lo'ak huffed. "As if you haven't been an asshole from the start."

Aonung rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. He stopped signing and watched the waves as well.

Lo'ak saw his mouth moved slightly from the side. He poked Aonung’s arm so he would turn to him.

"I'm sorry," the water boy repeated.

That made the young Omaticaya rolled his eyes. He didn't like when people changed their attitude when they learned that he was deaf, like he was some fragile thing.

"I'm not weak." Lo'ak emphasized with his facial expression that he was really annoyed.

Aonung shook his head. "I know, I didn't say that."

"Oh yeah? How would you know though? All you did since we got here was mocking all of us because our tails are short and then getting all triggered because I ignored you."

"My bad, I'm not usually like that..." Aonung replied with guilt in his eyes.

"Sounds like you have an inferiority complex," Lo'ak teased him with a smirk.

That infuriated Aonung and he forgot to sign. "That's not true. Shut up!"

"Oh? Did I hit a nerve?" Lo’ak chuckled.

The Metkayina didn't reply. His lips were parted, and his brows furrowed, but he had no argument to give.

"You'll see tomorrow what I can do!" Aonung finally signed before walking away angrily.

The next day, Lo'ak was ready to show the stupid chief's son that he was stronger than he thought. That he should feel threatened by his abilities.

Everything went fine until he and his siblings learned how to ride an ilu which he failed at first. He could see Aonung laughing, and he wanted to knock the smirk off him.

He had been pleasantly surprised to know that the Metkayina boy could speak in sign language at first, but now that he had properly met Tsireya, he realized that she was easier to talk to. More approachable, nicer, patient and she didn't pity him just because he was deaf. She even took the time to ask him about certain signs that she didn't fully understand and made her signing closest to Lo'ak's. A huge improvement compared to her pathetic brother who just wanted to prove that he was superior to everyone.

Lo'ak was back at ignoring him. Closing his eyes when Aonung started to sign something to him. He focused his gaze on Neteyam instead who chuckled. He probably had flashbacks himself where Lo'ak used that trick on him when they had a fight and he didn't want to talk to him.

After that, Lo'ak spent more time with Tsireya and then, they all gathered together near the seawall terrasses so Tsireya and Aonung could teach them how to breathe properly and stay longer underwater.

Lo'ak's breath hitched in his throat when Tsireya put her hands on his chest to help him control his breathing. It was the first time someone touched him like this and this long.

He noticed Aonung tsked as he watched them. His gaze following every movement his sister made until Lo'ak wondered why he was so focused on him all the time. Showing off his skills at any chance he got, doing all kinds of things to get his attention.

Eventually, Lo'ak successfully managed with his brother and sisters to breathe better in water, staying several minutes under until their lungs couldn't take it. He learned quickly because he was always eager to improve and show that his disability wasn't a weakness but a strength.

Aonung eyed him silently when he let out a victorious laugh, almost shocked to hear the sound of his voice this clearly. He could actually speak but chose not to. It was too frustrating for him not hearing how he sounded like now, so he'd rather only use sign language. Also, he felt like he didn’t always have to accommodate himself to others.

The memory of his accident was still fresh in his mind. He had fallen from a tree when he was six and the head trauma had caused him some irreversible damages. After his accident, it had been a lot of change at such a young age, trying to adapt with the sudden loss of his hearing. It really had been brutal, but he had overcome it with the help of his family.

In the afternoon, The Metkayina came to him and place his hand on his shoulder to signal his presence. "I think we started off on the wrong foot," Aonung said slowly. "Can we start over?"

"I don't know." Lo'ak sighed heavily.

“I’m really sorry I made fun of your tail and I apologized to your siblings too.” Aonung urged to sign.

Lo'ak shrugged. "Good for you."

"I actually like your tail, there's really nothing wrong with it," Aonung continued. "I've just never seen your kind before."

The Omaticaya just stared at him with annoyance. Not impressed by what he had said. He didn't need him as a friend. He already had Tsireya and was actually better in the water now thanks to her. Why would he need Aonung for?

"Please, finish ignore me!" Aonung wrongly signed with desperation.

Lo'ak frowned and accentuated his signs. "Why do you care?"

"Because I can't stop thinking about you!" Aonung finished without signing this time, but Lo'ak had read his lips.

He didn't have time to reply, the Metkayina was already gone.

Lo'ak thought about Aonung's last words. They were running in his mind and keeping him up at night. The older boy was really starting to get on his nerves. Why was he all over his space for some reasons? If it wasn't pity, what was it?

He was trying to nap in their family's marui pod some afternoon when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around and discover Kiri smiling at him.

"Why are you here all alone?" she signed slowly.

"I'm avoiding Aonung," he replied with honesty. He actually hated naps. That was just an excuse to be alone when he needed some peace.

Kiri laughed and he watched her with unexpressive eyes. "Why is it funny?"

She eyed him knowingly and then sat next to him.

"He probably has a crush on you or something," she said, emphasizing on the 'crush' sign.

"That would be gross," Lo'ak quickly signed back with an exaggerated disgusted face.

"Why?"

He didn't even have an answer to that. The idea just made him uncomfortable. He didn't know what to think about it. He had always thought that there was a wall between him and hearing people, and he couldn't see anyone being attracted to him. They would be tired of his disability at one point or another or overprotect him like his parents.

He just wanted to be a normal Na'vi who happened to have lost his hearing but was as strong and as much of a warrior as anyone in this village. He would make sure of it, anyway.

Kiri nudged him to get his attention. "He's not bad looking," she added with a grin.

"Well, date him then!" Lo'ak protested.

But suddenly, he thought about Aonung's laugh and wanting to hear it. His blue piercing eyes looking at him attentively, his stupid beautiful hair when he would tie them back after their training in the water. His annoying smirk and his abs and...

His eyes widened. Since when had he started to see him this way? He had worked so hard on ignoring him and still he had noticed all of these details about him? Lo'ak could feel his cheeks get warmer and warmer, but he pretended he wasn't perturbed in front of Kiri.

She rolled her eyes when he glanced at her. "You can say he's hot, there's nothing wrong with it."

Lo'ak gasped and was trying hard to hide his flushed face. "He's not!"

Kiri moved closer and wiggled her eyebrows playfully. He shoved her away from him.

The next morning, Lo'ak was woken by his father. He rubbed his eyes slowly, but his father shook him hurriedly.

"Come on, son... Up... Fishing..."

Lo'ak still in a state of sleepiness, hadn’t quite caught everything his dad had signed.

"What?" Lo'ak finally replied, opening his eyes properly.

"We're going fishing with the clan, come," his dad repeated.

At first, Lo'ak was excited to be responsible for such a task this soon until he realized that he and his siblings would be put into groups with the young Metkayina so they could learn. He thought that Eywa was clearly against him when he was put in Aonung and Rosco's team.

Aonung smiled at him, but Lo'ak turned his head. That smirk again. He definitely hated this guy. And now he was probably going to see him every day in an undetermined period of time...

"Keep a look on Lo'ak for me." Lo'ak lip-read what his dad said to Aonung not far from him. And the Metkayina dared to nod.

This angered him. He hated when his father was overprotective and thought the worst would happen to him all the time. He knew it was because of his accident but that didn't mean he had to treat him like a baby.

As they rode their ilus to get to their hunting area, Lo'ak was fuming. Aonung seemed to notice when he got closer and waved at Lo'ak so he looked at him.

"Are you okay?" Aonung started to ask timidly.

"Can you get off my back?" Lo'ak finally told him, face scrunched up in anger.

"It was just a question!" Aonung retorted.

Lo’ak huffed. "Stop pretending you want to be my friend! You already have Rosco here."

"It's Rotxo you skxawng!" the short-haired Metkayina shouted, making an effort to sign it at the same time.

Then, he continued, "You guys are so annoying, just shut up and kiss already!"

Aonung looked at him in utter shock.

Rotxo hadn't signed this last sentence, but Lo'ak had watched his lips. He splashed water at him, very embarrassed and Rotxo rolled his eyes before leaving.

He and Aonung were alone now. Lo'ak wanted to scream. Eywa must really hate his guts for something like this to happen!

Aonung inhaled and then concentrated to sign. "Look Lo'ak, when I first saw you I thought you were so cute and I didn't know what to do so I made fun of your tail to get your attention. And I didn't know that you were deaf at the time."

Lo'ak pouted. "I knew you feel pity for me! You completely changed your attitude when I told you."

"Because I felt dumb. I thought you ignored me because you were playing hard to get!" Aonung defended himself.

Lo'ak was blushing hard. "You’re sure it wasn't because of my disability?"

"No. It doesn't change anything. Just that I misinterpreted everything..." the Metkayina assured him.

"Well, I'm not looking for a boyfriend!" Lo’ak protested, crossing his arms.

"Oh... So, you're looking for a girlfriend then? That's why you got closer to Tsireya?" Aonung asked with disappointment.

Lo'ak frowned. "No, I'm just not looking for someone in particular and Tsireya is just my friend."

"So, can I have a chance?" the water boy signed more energetically, suddenly hopeful.

"You think you're so hot, but you're not!" Lo’ak didn’t know what else to say.

"What?" was the only single sign that Aonung managed to do as he was confused.

"I think your friend is better-looking," he elaborated, knowing it would get under his skin.

Aonung scoffed. "Who? Rotxo?"

"Yeah," Lo'ak replied nonchalantly.

"Are you kidding me?" the Metkayina exclaimed, offended.

Aonung got closer to him and then pushed him off his ilu. Lo'ak didn't expect it and fell into the sea, nose and throat burning from the water invading his orifices.

And then, he felt hands grab him and his head was suddenly out of the water. Aonung had jumped off his ilu to get him.

Lo'ak coughed loudly, his eyes blurry and then he could see Aonung looking at him with worry.

"I'm sorry..." He could make out him say.

"Stop apologizing all the time," Lo'ak signed in a fury, struggling to keep his balance without using his arms in the water.

They gazed at each other without saying anything. Aonung swam closer. Lo'ak could see his big blue eyes staring into his soul and he swallowed slowly, salty water still burning his throat. He noticed the stripes, different than his, wandering across his face in beautiful hues of darker turquoise. His eyes fell on Aonung's lips, but not because he was speaking to him. He just wanted to...

But he didn't have time to process his thoughts, Aonung's face was inches away from him and he tilted his head just slightly until their lips touched. Lo'ak would have lied to say he didn't want it, so he didn't protest.

Their mouths moved slowly, finding the right pace to start. It was his first kiss, and he wouldn't have thought it would happen in the middle of the sea with some Na’vi he was supposed to hate. Why did it feel so good though?

Their noses touched when they changed the angle and shivers ran through Lo'ak's body. A million sensations were happening all at once. The water splashing on their skin, the droplets running on their faces, the warmth of Aonung's mouth against his own, the taste of salt, the seaweed smell, the tingling, the feeling of his heart thumping against his ribcage. He was almost overwhelmed, especially when Aonung's hand slid on his neck and went down to caress his shoulder blade.

Lo'ak didn't know what to do with his body, so he just stayed still at first. He was also curious what the Metkayina's skin would feel like under his fingertips. He placed his hands on the boy's chest, feeling his heart echoing with his, in unison.

They kept kissing and exploring until they broke away for air.

"I’ve liked you since the moment I saw you," Aonung confessed, forgetting to sign, but Lo'ak saw everything, every movement of his lips as his eyes were still glued on them.

"You like me? All I did was reject you!" Lo'ak chuckled, trying to find the right balance to keep his face out of the water as he signed.

"I like a challenge." He replied playfully.

Lo'ak genuinely laugh this time. When he looked back at Aonung, his eyes were wide, and he gulped slightly.

"And I really like your laugh," Aonung added. He shook his head and tried to repeat what he had said in sign language.

"I got it the first time you said it."

Aonung smiled and leaned again to kiss him, but then stopped abruptly. Lo'ak didn't know why until he saw Rotxo reappearing from afar.

He was shaking a fish in front of them. When he got closer, Lo'ak could make out him saying, "I caught a big one!"

His friend narrowed his eyes, visibly irritated to be interrupted. The Omaticaya just got back on his ilu and pretended nothing had happened.

"What were you guys doing?" Rotxo messily signed to Lo'ak with a sly smile.

Lo'ak tsked. "None of your business."

"Bro, I got the fish for us, and you guys did nothing apart from kissing, so don't give me this attitude!"

"We were not kissing!" Aonung replied in indignation.

Lo'ak watched his embarrassed face and couldn't help but smile fondly.

When they went back to the shore with more fishes and Rotxo had finished complaining, Aonung turned to him and signed just for him to see. "Do you like me back?"

Lo'ak hadn't thought about it. Well, he had thought about Aonung, because the Metkayina had been on his mind a lot lately, but he just realized it was mostly because of his attraction to him. He just couldn't accept it because he was scared to open himself to someone else and show vulnerability. He had always preferred to stay alone so he wouldn't get hurt by anyone. Aonung liked him and it was enough to let all his worries go away. There was still time to explore this little relationship they had and discover more about each other. But Lo'ak could admit it now, from the moment he saw the Metkayina, it had been love at first sight.

"I do," he finally answered with his own voice, just for Aonung to hear.

Chapter Text

Lo'ak could feel his father's eyes on him, so he looked up. He was making a face as if he had something to tell him, but his lips remained pinched together and his eyebrows were slightly furrowed.

They had been helping sewing fishing nets, even if Lo'ak was pretty bad at it so far, but his determination was always high when there was something new to learn. Especially if his dad was watching. 'Look, I can do it. I can be better than Neteyam,' was all he wanted to demonstrate.

It was just the two of them in the common area, apart from the other Metkayina. The rest of the family were helping in other activities such as collecting fruits, picking up crustaceans, sorting the fish, cutting or drying the skins for later.

His dad finally stopped his movements and put the net down. "Is there something going on between you and Tonowari's son?"

"What makes you think that?" Lo'ak feigned innocence.

"I saw you two kiss the other day," he revealed, uncomfortable to actually sign those words. "I didn't say anything because I wanted to give you the chance to tell me."

Lo'ak shrugged. "Well, now you know."

There was a pause, but Lo'ak could see that his dad wanted to say more. He was fidgeting and the way his ears fluttered clearly showed signs of concern.

"I don't think it's a good idea," his dad signed hesitantly, like he wasn't sure himself he was saying the right things.

The younger son frowned. There he was, in his "overprotective dad" mode. Lo'ak hated it. He was old enough to know what he wanted!

He got up abruptly, the net falling from his lap with the movement. "Why? Everything's going fine!"

"I just don't want you to get hurt, that's all." His dad replied.

Lo'ak was even more triggered by his answer. "I'm not hurt, I'm happy! So why is it a problem?"

His dad sighed. "You're still young and you don't know what’s good for you."

"I'm 14!" Lo'ak signed angrily, emphasizing on the numbers. "I don't need protection!"

"You're young, and Aonung is older, so I want you to be careful," his dad insisted.

Lo'ak had enough. Anger boiling up inside of him like a volcano, ready to explode. "He's just a year older, it's not a big deal! Why are you like this?"

"Like what? I'm just looking out for you! Lo'ak, just listen to me!" His dad was getting impatient, but Lo’ak didn’t care.

"So, I can't have a boyfriend? I can't have anything because I'm deaf?" He signed angrily. 

"That's not what I mean, just don't rush anything, you still have time. In a few―" His dad started to say.

Lo'ak closed his eyes and turned his head before leaving. He was done watching his dad dictating his life, keeping him in a shiny prison so he couldn't experience anything. Meanwhile, Neteyam could do whatever he wanted without anyone telling him what to do. Their parents trusted him and not only because he was older. He was better at everything, stronger and most of all, he could hear! He had been free to grow up as he pleased, but Lo'ak had been sheltered, confined, suffocated.

Tears pricked the corners of his eyes as he remembered everything, the coma after his accident, his pain, his recovery, his mom never letting him out of their home, his dad feeding him, bathing him when he couldn't move. He had felt hopeless, lonely and he'd had no friends because he couldn't discover the world and meet other people. When he had gotten better and he had been old enough to venture in the forest by himself, his brother had always been with him. He couldn't climb on trees because his parents had been too scared for him, he couldn't train like Neteyam, couldn't help with anything. He felt useless, alone, even when his family was with him. An outcast…

Many times, he had wished to see more of the forest so he would sneak out to train on his own, explore and go back to his home without his parents noticing. Until they had noticed.

After that, they had watched him at all times and if he had wanted to go out, it had been constantly with either them or Neteyam. It was a miracle that they had finally let him tame an ikran and participate in missions! 

It had been really rough for him. And now they had more hardships to face with Sky People on their backs. But Lo'ak had finally had a little bit of happiness despite everything. He felt at home with Aonung, wanted and appreciated. He wasn't undervalued or overprotected. For the first time he felt normal.

Lo'ak went to hide somewhere to calm down. He was still close to the shore but apart from the village.

These past few weeks, he had learned so much about the reefs, the oceans, and the ways of water. All the Metkayina traditions and rites. He could even hunt, not alone, but he liked having this responsibility at least.

He loved spending time with Aonung. He had discovered so much little details about the Metkayina, like the constellations of the bioluminescent dots on his skin at night, the way he threw his head back when he laughed, his softer smile when he was with his sister, or the way he mounted his ilu. He started by getting slowly into the water and then clicked his tongue to call for him, caressing his head when he would arrive and patting his back before riding him. He was the most gentle. Lo'ak loved that.

What he loved the most was when they were together. He liked the way Aonung including him in the clan's activities, explaining everything to him. He also had learned quickly the way Lo'ak would sign to match his signs and was even more accurate now. He loved the way his boyfriend touch him to get his attention. A hand placed on his thigh, a soft pat on his head, his hand intertwining with his... It was still weird for him to even think of Aonung as his boyfriend!

He stayed alone sitting in the sand for a while until he felt a hand on his back. It was soft and comforting and he knew right away who it was. He looked up at the newcomer.

"Hi, Lo'ak," he said and the Omaticaya beamed.

Aonung sat beside him and interlaced their fingers for a few seconds before he started to sign.

"I've missed you," Aonung told him. "Been looking for you everywhere."

"I was busy with my dad and then I came here to be alone, sorry. But I missed you too." Lo’ak replied with a small smile.

Aonung cupped his face and kissed him tenderly. Then, he left a trail of kisses from his nose to his forehead. Lo'ak giggled and then pushed him away gently.

"Calm down," he said.

The Metkayina’s eyes lighted up. "I love hearing your voice! Why don't you speak more?"

"I speak when I want to," Lo'ak immediately signed. 

Aonung's lifted his hands up defensively before continuing, "Yeah, yeah, of course. Sorry." He kissed his cheek.

Lo'ak was not offended, it was only a reminder. Then, he remembered his argument with his dad and shut down. Lost in thoughts, he didn't focus on Aonung's signing anymore. The Metkayina slid his hand on his thigh, and he finally looked at him.

"What's going on?" he asked with worry.

"Nothing," Lo'ak replied. "Just had a stupid fight with my dad." He didn't elaborate more but Aonung didn't insist.

He just wrapped his arms around him and held him close, Lo'ak's back against his chest as he rested his chin on his head. The Omaticaya leaned into him and relaxed. The warmth of Aonung's body enveloped him in a safe cocoon and soothed him.

They stayed like this for a little while and then Lo'ak turned his head and looked at him softly. The Metkayina pecked him on the lips and then pulled away to sign.

"I have an idea that would clear your head and make you think about something else," he said with a sly smile.

Lo'ak tilted his head inquiringly. "What?"

"We should go hunt, just you and me," Aonung suggested. "What do you think?"

"I think it's a great idea!" Lo'ak grinned.

They ran to the water and call for their ilus. When they arrived at their usual hunting area, they started to play in the water and forgot completely about fishing. They raced each other or dived underwater and signed silly jokes. They kissed, and laughed and kissed some more until their lips hurt.

Lo'ak felt so free and happy, but he also felt his stomach starting to rumble.

"We should probably catch some fish to eat," he told Aonung.

He nodded and they started to hunt but for some reasons, they couldn't find anything substantial.

"There are way more fishes at the Three Brothers but it's off limits," Aonung said without signing, more to himself than Lo'ak.

Lo'ak nudged him. "Let's go there!"

"I don't think it's a good idea," Aonung then signed to him. "It's a little bit dangerous."

Lo'ak rolled his eyes. "It'll be fine! We'll just be careful!"

Aonung seemed to have a debate in his head. "I don't know..."

"We won't stay long, please." Lo'ak showed him his best pleading eyes. Aonung wouldn't resist long, especially when he was making this face. It had always worked on Neteyam.

Aonung sighed. "Okay..." He kissed Lo’ak’s cheek, and they quickly got back on their ilus.

When they arrived at the Three Brothers, Lo'ak watched in awe the towering rock structures in front of him. The water was so clear, and the sun washed them in warm light.

Lo'ak turned to Aonung and smiled. As he signed him to give him the speargun, the Metkayina shook his head.

"I changed my mind. I don't think it's a good idea to hunt here," Aonung told him, worry apparent on his face. "We could attract an (...)"

The Omaticaya raised his eyebrows. "What is that? What was the last sign you did? We could attract what?"

Aonung made sure to spell the letters for him, A-K-U-L-A, before explaining that it was a ferocious sea creature that wouldn't hesitate to attack them.

Just in time, something seemed to move around them. Lo'ak could see a shadow in the water and suddenly a big creature jumped out of the sea and separated them. The speargun fell and sunk while Lo'ak found himself swallowed by water. He tried to open his eyes and searched for Aonung. He spotted him quickly. The Metkayina was grabbing the speargun before it went too far and then swam to Lo'ak.

Aonung didn't hesitate to aim and shoot the creature which was most likely the akula he had described earlier. Lo'ak swam closer to the Metkayina but the shot only angered the akula. It opened his huge mouth and attempted to bite Lo'ak. Aonung, still holding the speargun, hit it with full force to distract it.

The akula turned to Aonung who swam away and followed the Metkayina to attack him next. With the force of its movement, Lo'ak was propelled by the current. His body slammed against something hard that caused a searing pain through his body. But his pain was quickly replaced by panic when he realized he couldn’t see Aonung anymore.

The Omaticaya soon had to regain the surface to breathe so he swam as rapidly as he could. He inhaled sharply the moment his face was out of the water. He looked around to see if Aonung was there, but he didn't resurface. He knew that he could stay longer underwater, but he hoped he was okay. He dived back and then felt a hand grab him abruptly. He was pulled along by Aonung to hide inside a coral structure.

They stayed there for a while, close to each other. Lo'ak was relieved to see that the Metkayina wasn't hurt. However, the akula was already trying to break through their protection to catch them. They were supposed to hunt, not be hunted down!

"Can you hold your breath?" Aonung asked, signing with one hand as his other hand was clutching Lo'ak's waist protectively.

"Not for long," Lo'ak signed back, feeling his lungs scream for air.

Finally, the akula seemed to have given up and was gone after a minute. Aonung took his hand and pulled him to the surface with him, but Lo'ak lost consciousness before they even reached it.

When he woke up, he felt something hard and surprisingly warm under him. He opened his eyes and realized he was, seemingly, on the back of another creature. Aonung was right next to him and rushed in to hug him. Their eyes met and Lo'ak could see fear written all over his face.

"I was so scared!" Aonung exclaimed forgetting to sign for a moment.

"I'm okay," Lo'ak reassured him.

"No, you're not!" Aonung retorted, his eyes scanning him thoroughly.

Lo'ak frowned and noticed the different cuts and bruises on his body. Probably from the thing he had hit against earlier or the corals. He had a big cut on his arm that was bleeding, scratches on his belly and another small cut on his thigh. It stung when the salty water splashed on his skin, but he felt fine, so he didn't understand Aonung's alarming face. He had suffered worse than this.

The younger Sully looked closer to see on what creature they were. "What is it?"

"It's a T-U-L-K-U-N, remember?" Aonung said, reminding him at the same time the Metkayina sign for it. "But not any tulkun. P-A-Y-A-K-A-N. He saved us when I thought you were going to drown. Usually, tulkuns live in groups but he's an outcast."

It really intrigued Lo'ak. He slid down to stand on Payakan's fin and approached to look him in the eye. "Hello, I'm Lo'ak. I'm deaf so I can’t hear you." He signed. "Thank you for rescuing us."

Payakan blinked his eye slowly. Lo'ak took that as an answer. And then he saw a strange red steel thing piercing through his fin. He recognized that it was human material. It looked like it hurt. He tried to take it off, but he needed to remove the part that was under his fin first.

Aonung immediately joined him. "Be careful, you're hurt."

"Help me get rid of this," he just replied to his boyfriend.

The Metkayina sighed but didn't protest. He grabbed the red thing and pulled with him. They struggled for a while, until finally the metallic thing was off his fin. It looked less painful now. Lo'ak knew what it was like to be in pain. He had suffered for years after his accident. He was happy to have given some relief to his new friend.

Lo'ak caressed his head and said, "We're friends now, right?"

Payakan moved in a way that indicated him he was nodding. It made him really happy to have helped the tulkun. He could finally heal now.

They spent some time with the tulkun, after that. Aonung was a little reluctant at first, but he finally enjoyed playing with him in the water and they stayed with him until it was dark.

"We should get back to the village," Aonung told him, looking at his wounds worriedly. It wasn't a big deal for Lo'ak, it didn't even sting anymore. The Metkayina had also some scratches on his shoulders but nothing serious.

Lo'ak just nodded. Payakan helped them get back to their ilus that they found outside of the Three Brothers and then he quickly left. The Omaticaya hoped he would see him again soon. He already loved the tulkun. He had never seen a creature this big before. And he understood his sign language!

They finally arrived at the village and Lo'ak wanted to hide when he saw his parents and Aonung's parents waiting for them by the shore.

Aonung was forced to explain what happened and he could see his parents get angry, wide eyes and fear palpable. Everyone was talking animatedly, but Lo'ak couldn't follow what they were saying, they were talking too fast and made no effort to face him so he could read their lips. He was completely excluded from the conversation.

His mom grabbed his arm and showed his wound before pointing her finger at Aonung.

"I'm sorry... It ... it was an accident," he watched Aonung say.

"It's not Aonung's fault!" Lo'ak signed to his mom.

His dad finally turned to him and signed back, "No more hunting from now on! And I don't want to see you with Aonung again!"

Lo'ak was horrified. The idea of not seeing Aonung anymore and their parents preventing them from talking to each other broke him.

"It won't happen again! I swear!" He saw his boyfriend exclaim.

"I insisted to go to the Three Brothers," Lo'ak signed urgently. "It was my fault, not Aonung's."

"... it was a bad idea to have demon blood here," He could see Ronal say dismissively.

Another thing to add to the outcast thing for Lo'ak. He was part Avatar which meant he inherited five fingers and eyebrows from his dad. Kiri was also like him. She knew what it was like to feel different, and they were the closest among their siblings, almost like twins sometimes. But she wasn’t deaf. He had the whole package. 

Tonowari placed a hand on his mate’s shoulder. "They are our guests, demon blood or not it doesn't matter. They're under our protection," he reasoned her.

The adults went on a rant again without them being part of it until they seemed to stop arguing and have concluded on something.

"Dad, please," Lo'ak begged. "I'm fine! Don’t do this!"

"We decided that Tsireya will help you from now on," his dad declared. "End of story!"

"I'm sorry Lo'ak, but we don't want you two to hang out together anymore," his mom added. "You’re grounded! You don't go out of the marui until we say so!"

Lo'ak scoffed. No way. They wanted to imprison him again. They were taking away his freedom and… his boyfriend. They had no right. He wasn't a child anymore! Fury surged through Lo'ak as his fists clenched.

"I hate you!" He screamed as loud as he could, tears of frustration running down his cheeks before he left.

He ran far from them, not knowing where until Kiri and Neteyam stopped him.

"Lo’ak! Finally, you’re here! What's going on?" Kiri asked him.

Lo'ak couldn't hide his rage and sadness. Kiri suggested to go to their marui pod so he could explain everything. Tuk was already asleep when they arrived.

He told them what had happened. Kiri rubbed his back to calm him down, but for him it was the end of the world. 

"I'm sorry baby brother, but I'm siding with mom and dad on this one," Neteyam said. "You could have died."

"Nothing happened!" Lo'ak frantically signed. "We're both okay!"

"Neteyam, I don't think that's what he wants to hear right now," Kiri responded.

Neteyam made sure Lo'ak was watching him before signing again. "You can be mad at us all you want but you can't imagine what it was like almost losing you the first time!"

"Why are you all so afraid all the time! I'm not a child anymore!" Lo'ak was irritated.

"Stop acting like a child then!" his brother snapped.

"Okay, maybe it was a bad idea going to the Three Brothers and I own my mistakes, but I'm sick of everyone treating me like this!" Lo'ak defended himself heatedly, talking and signing at the same time.

Neteyam sighed. "Lo'ak, I was seven when you had your accident, and it traumatized me. I don't want you to be hurt again."

Lo'ak didn't expect that. He didn't know that it had affected his brother this much. Well, he knew his accident had a big impact on his family, but not to the point of causing emotional trauma.

"You stayed in a coma for months! Kiri, Spider and I were so scared for you. Max told us he didn't know if you'd survive and you stayed at the lab for so long. I missed you and I didn't want to lose you. Mom and dad were not the same anymore, they hardly slept, and they stayed by your side every day." Neteyam took the time to sign everything calmly and slowly.

Kiri had stayed silent the whole time but had nodded when she agreed with him.

"And it was mostly my fault, what happened…" the oldest Sully continued, tearing up. "All those years I have been trying to be the perfect son because I want mom and dad to forgive me."

"What are you talking about? They don't blame you!" Lo'ak saw Kiri say.

"But I see it in their eyes sometimes..." Neteyam looked down and rubbed his arm.

"What? I didn't fall because of you!" Lo'ak replied, shocked by what Neteyam had signed.

Neteyam smiled sadly and then wrapped his arms around him. He made sure Lo'ak could see his lips. "You probably don't remember, but I made you climb up that tree. We were too young, and it was too high. I'm the older brother, I should have protected you."

Lo'ak didn't know what to respond at first. He didn't understand how his brother would think it was his fault when they had been just two kids playing. He did remember. They had sneaked out together and had thought it would be fun to climb the biggest tree in the forest without thinking about the consequences.

"I don't want anything to happen to you again. Hearing that you could have died again today made me realize that I understand mom and dad..." Neteyam resumed.

He could also understand their point of views. It must have been a terrifying experience and if something like this had happened to one of his siblings, he would have probably reacted the same way. He tried to take his parents' feelings into account, but their overbearing protectiveness was too much. Aonung was off limits. He was the light brightening his life at the moment. He couldn't stop seeing him.

"I want to be with Aonung. I want to be happy. I haven't been happy in a long time," Lo'ak confessed.

Neteyam looked at him with wide eyes. He bit his lips and then nodded. "I understand... I'm sorry you have felt that way, Lo'ak."

Kiri just smiled empathically. "Come here, fake twin." She hugged Lo'ak tightly and he was almost sure he heard one of his bones cracked. Neteyam joined the hug and ruffled his braids affectionately.

"I'll talk to mom and dad about Aonung," Neteyam finally said. "But no more dangerous dates, okay?"

"It wasn't a date!" Lo'ak protested.

"What do you mean? Isn't he your boyfriend?" Kiri laughed.

"How do you know he's my boyfriend? I didn't say anything!" Lo'ak retorted, feigning innocence. He didn’t want to admit it in front of them, it was too embarrassing.

"You literally just said he is your boyfriend," Kiri replied mockingly.

Lo'ak got up abruptly. "I didn't!"

Neteyam chuckled. "You said that you wanted to be with him because he makes you happy a minute ago. Are you sure you're okay little brother?"

"You did, and dad told us he saw you two kiss, anyway," Kiri added with a mischievous grin. "He asked a lot of stuff about Aonung." 

Lo'ak opened his mouth in shock. He wanted them to stop making fun of him, but he was relieved that he had talked with them. He felt so much better. Especially knowing that his brother and sister supported this little relationship they had.

"What do you think of Aonung?" Lo'ak asked curiously. He wanted to be sure that they were okay with it.

"A little bit cocky in my opinion, but you challenged him. I think your personalities kinda go well together." Neteyam answered with a small smile.

"He's alright. Although, he seemed to like you very much, so I approve," Kiri concluded.

Lo'ak smiled. "Thank you."

The next day, Lo'ak was sulking alone inside the family’s marui pod. His siblings had been allowed to go wherever they wanted while he had been staying here all day. He had tried to stay busy by making necklaces and armbands out of seashells or braiding his hair and adding beads to it.

He knew his parents had entered the pod when they signaled their presence by tapping on his shoulder lightly.

"Neteyam talked to us about Aonung and I think we may have been a little harsh..." his dad told him.

"He said you've been unhappy? Why?" His mom asked with concern.

"Because you're suffocating me all the time. I feel imprisoned. I just want to be free and be a kid again. I always felt alone until we came here." Lo'ak tried to explain his point of view.

His mom seemed to gasp in shock and his dad's eyes widened. It was the first time he actually shared his true feelings with them.

"We're only protecting you," his mom said with guilt in her eyes.

"But I can't breathe. Please, let me breathe. Let me grow... Let me go." Lo'ak hesitantly signed. But he wanted them to understand that they needed to let him live his life.

Lo'ak waited a few seconds, but his parents were speechless, so he continued. "I made a mistake, I shouldn't have gone to the Three Brothers, but I will continue to make mistakes and evolve, but only if you let me."

They seemed to consider what he had said. He could see how touched they were. His mom started to cry, and then held him tightly.

She sniffed and mouthed, "I'm so sorry, Lo'ak."

His dad approached them. "We... You're right. You're growing up and you want to do the things boys your age do and I'm sorry we didn't let you grow like you should have."

Lo'ak was fighting hard not to cry too. He needed to hear that. He should have told them how he had been feeling way sooner.

"Come here," his dad told him softly.

He placed Lo'ak’s head against his chest and let his hand rest on his head affectionately. Then, he pulled away to continue the conversation.

"All we want for you is to be happy and safe, okay? You need to do better, but we need to do better too." His dad concluded. "Look Lo'ak, I only wanted the best for you. I know what it's like to be disabled. You feel weak and powerless, and I didn't want you to go through this. But I realized that I made you feel that way and I'm sorry, it wasn't my intention."

Lo'ak knew what his dad had gone through before he had become an Avatar and how free he had felt when he had been finally in a body that was functional. Just like his dad, Lo'ak had gotten back on his feet, and was ready to face the world.

"I'll be okay, dad." Lo'ak finally signed with a soft smile tugging on his lips. His dad smiled back.

His mom nodded and kissed his forehead. "We love you."

"I love you guys too." Lo'ak assured them.

Now that everything had been cleared up, Lo'ak asked permission to go see Aonung. They accepted and he didn't wait any second. He saw him alone, close to the shore, looking miserable as he was sitting on a palm tree root.

"Aonung!" Lo'ak called him.

It must have been loud because the Metkayina snapped his head toward him in shock. His eyes softened when he realized it was him.

"Did you parents change their minds?" He asked when the Omaticaya approached.

Lo'ak nodded. "What about you?"

"My dad convinced my mom. He thought it was a little bit too much to keep us apart as a punishment," Aonung signed excitedly.

"So that means..." Lo'ak started to sign with a grin forming on his lips.

"Yeah." Aonung finished.

The Omaticaya joined him on the root and wrapped his arm around his boyfriend. Their eyes met and Lo'ak's breath hitched. He leaned in to kiss Aonung. It was sweet and soft, just what Lo’ak needed in that moment. Aonung’s hand cupped the side of his face, and his thumb stroked his cheek lightly. They stayed close, their faces inches away from each other and their hot breaths mingling together.

"I lock you," Aonung suddenly signed.

Lo'ak furrowed his eyebrows, confused and then he snorted. "Is that Metkayina slang?"

"What?" He looked at Lo'ak who was giggling. "That's not how you would sign it?"

"For me, this sign means 'lock', so I don’t know what you tried to say there," Lo'ak explained between chuckles.

Aonung flushed in embarrassment. "Shit. No, I meant I love you!" He replied without signing this time.

Lo'ak watched his lips turned into a pout and laughed. It felt good to know that he wasn’t the only one who felt this way. He couldn’t stop blushing now.

"I love you too." He signed the correct way while he mouthed the words as well. Aonung's eyes lit up.

They held hands and stayed there until the eclipse started.

Chapter Text

A lot of things had happened. Lo'ak had bonded with Payakan and had actually learned why he had been outcasted. He had been obviously scolded by his parents and Tonowari and Ronal hadn't been happy he was associated with a "murderer" but Payakan had had attacked the RDA marine because they had killed his mother.

Quaritch had found them, they had saved Payakan from a certain death and then he had been allowed to participate in the last battle. They had taken the advantage, the SeaDragon had sunk and Neteyam had been shot in the shoulder. He was okay now, they all survived and Quaritch was finally dead. They could live in peace… for now. No one knew when other Sky People would disrupt their tranquility again, but they were prepared for any possible attack.

Two weeks later and things were getting better for Lo'ak, his relationship with his parents had improved, they were less on his back since he had proven his worth in battle. They were all over Neteyam now, making sure he healed properly. And the most amazing part in all of this was that Spider was back. They had almost left him on the boat, but Lo'ak had insisted to rescue him and Neteyam had agreed to help. He had gotten injured in the process, but not fatally. Lo'ak couldn't thank Eywa enough for that. His brother was safe, and his other brother was back in his life.

He had missed Spider. There were a lot of things he had wanted to tell him. These last two weeks, they had made up for lost time. He had told him he had a boyfriend, introduced him to Payakan, showed him how rich the Metkayina culture was, the sea and the incredible ecosystem. Spider had been fascinated by everything but had been also uncomfortable by the stares he got from the Metkayina until everyone had gotten used to him. Everyone, except Aonung…

Lately, whenever he was spending time with Spider, Aonung would pop up out of nowhere and find excuses to stay alone with Lo'ak. There was even one time, he had pushed the poor human boy in the water and had pretended it was an accident.

"I think Aonung doesn't like me," Spider signed to him one day. "I mean, I'm not surprised when people despise me because I'm not Na'vi, but he seems to really hate my guts."

"I don't know why he acts like that, sorry." Lo'ak replied. "I was so excited for you guys to meet!"

"Well, he seems to like you very much so I'm happy for you..." Spider shot him a kind smile.

Lo'ak beamed and hugged his brother and best friend. Back in the forest, it had been hard for him to make friends outside his family sphere but he had always considered Spider his friend as well as his brother. They had had so many good times together, and even more with Kiri. He, Kiri and Spider had always been the chaotic trio, catching themselves into foolish situations which had stressed his parents even more. Being the older brother, Neteyam had tried to stop them many times, but in vain…

Just when they broke their hug, Aonung approached them. "It's getting cozy here," Lo’ak saw him say. His face was tensed, jaw tight and a vein was almost popping out of his forehead.

"I forgot I have something to do!" Spider immediately signed and disappeared without giving him the time to respond.

Aonung watched Spider run away and then tsked. Lo'ak was slightly irritated by his strange behavior. But he didn't bring it up and let it go.

They stayed together by the shore and exchanged a few signs. Lo'ak then put his head on his shoulder and Aonung gently kissed his temple. He shifted and cupped Lo'ak's face to give kisses all over it.

Lo'ak chuckled. "Stop!"

Another thing that happened a lot lately, Aonung always found a way to kiss him. It was even worse now that everyone knew about their relationship. Every chance he got, the Metkayina would kiss him or hold him close. When he wasn’t hunting or diving, all his time was dedicated to Lo'ak and even Rotxo complained that he was obsessed.

It had all started when Spider had been accepted in the clan, strangely enough. Lo'ak didn't mind the attention. Since the first time he had set foot in Awa'atlu, Aonung had sought for his attention. He had given in to his advances and had liked spending time with the Metkayina. He liked the kisses, the little intentions, the small gestures. He liked that Aonung was really interested in him, about what he liked, his hobbies, his life in the forest. Lo'ak had even shared a little bit about his accident, not completely, and Aonung didn't treat him any differently. He didn't treat him like he was fragile, and would break at any minute and it felt good.

Overall, Aonung had been a great boyfriend. Exactly like Lo'ak had imagined his first love to be. Well, not exactly because he had always thought he would end up alone, especially when he had been excluded from other Omaticaya his age. Neteyam was quite popular and had gotten a few girlfriends and a boyfriend while he had been stuck at home and couldn't even imagine having one of those.

Eywa had led them to this place, and he had been able to meet someone who had become really important to him. But still, it was strange to feel loved like this. He always wondered if one day everything would stop, and he would go back to the starting point…

"I want to stay forever with you," Aonung signed to him. "I want you to be my mate."

Lo'ak blushed so hard that he almost felt smoke coming out of his head. "We… We have time for that…" He struggled to sign back.

"I know, but I just want you to know how much I lock― shit, I love you." He replied, getting the sign for ‘love’ wrong again at first.

As a response, Lo'ak kissed him hard, harder than ever, and even let Aonung slide his tongue inside his mouth. They had experimented a few ways to kiss and this was their new favorite. It was definitely strange to be loved like this, but it sure felt right.

Lo'ak was playing with Spider and Kiri in the water. Spider jumped on his back and Lo'ak carried him until he threw him off him. The human boy was laughing so much, he started to cough inside his mask. Lo'ak and Kiri burst out laughing and they continued to have fun as the sun shone on their skins and warmed them agreeably.

Kiri eventually left to grab a snack and Lo'ak was alone with Spider, teaching him a few techniques he had learned for hunting. He called his ilu and showed his brother how to connect with them. He let Spider mount her while he connected his queue and then, they both went on a ride. Spider clutched at his sides and Lo'ak could feel him giggle behind his back, his body shaking slightly against him.

When they got back to the shore, Lo'ak helped Spider to get off the ilu. He turned his head and saw Aonung waiting for him.

"There you are!" He signed energetically. "I've looked for you everywhere. Kiri said you were here, but I couldn't find you!"

"I went on a ride with Spider," Lo'ak answered with a smile.

Aonung looked at Spider and his eyes narrowed. He kept side eyeing him when his brother told them he was going to join Kiri. When he ran away from them, Lo'ak turned to Aonung and frowned.

"What's your deal with Spider? Is it because he's human?" Lo'ak asked accusingly.

"It's not that. I just don't like him." Aonung replied, like it was a good excuse.

Lo'ak gasped in surprise. "Why? He's not like other Sky people, he's different. He's one of us."

"He gets on my nerves," Aonung responded. "But enough talking about him. Can you help me braid my hair again? I like when you do it."

"No, I want you to apologize to Spider," Lo'ak signed with annoyance.

Aonung rolled his eyes. "Why?"

"Because you were rude to him!" He accentuated his signs, more and more irritated.

The Metkayina bit his lips and then threw his hands up. "Fine! I'll do it next time I see him!"

"You better!" Lo'ak smiled, reassured.

Aonung wrapped his arms around Lo'ak's waist. The Omaticaya hesitantly put his arms around his neck, still a little annoyed, and the older boy pulled him closer. Aonung kissed his cheek lightly and then his lips found his mouth. Lo'ak gave in. They kissed slowly until the Metkayina lifted him up and kept kissing him like this.

When they had dinner with the clan in the common area, Lo'ak joined his siblings while Aonung sat next to his dad. Neteyam confessed to him that their parents had been insufferable ever since he had been shot. Lo'ak knew his dad was also angry at him for putting Neteyam and others at risk. But he had just wanted to save someone important to him, save everyone. He had wanted to show he was strong enough and that they could trust him. It was going to be hard to prove that now, considering what had happened to Neteyam… Something was sure, his brother had his back no matter what, and he was grateful he had helped him save Spider.

Lo'ak was happy to have his siblings by his side. They had helped making things better for him despite his struggles. The fall had not only caused him a head trauma, but also caused him to break his back. He had not been able to properly walk for a year. But they had been great company when he couldn’t move or when he had gone through rehabilitation. They couldn't understand what he had been through, and, in that way, he had felt alone in his own battle, but they always had been a great support, as well as his parents.

Neteyam had constantly looked out for him and taught him a lot when his dad had allowed him to train. Kiri was the funniest and they would joke all the time or fight, but everything was always entertaining with her, so the days were less boring. Tuk was the last addition to their family and the most energetic. She liked to talk to him in sign language and play with him. She had always made him feel like he was strong and heroic. Spider, though not truly accepted by his mom, was an important piece in their family. He was so fun to hang out with and he was adventurous like him. They would sneak out to the lab with Kiri sometimes and play around. There was so much banter between them, good laughs, and genuine love. He loved all his siblings in their own ways, without them, everything would have definitely been so much more depressing.

Spider had a big impact on his life, so it was bothering him that Aonung didn't like him. He clearly didn't know him like he did and had most likely based his opinion on Spider being one of the Sky People. He had told him it wasn't because of that but Lo'ak didn't believe him.

Neteyam nudged him to get his attention and smirked. "So, how are things with Aonung?"

"Good," Lo'ak answered, though a little flustered by the question.

"Why do you look upset, then?" He really couldn’t hide anything from him.

"Do I?"

His brother nodded and waited for him to elaborate his answer.

Lo’ak sighed. "It's just that Aonung doesn't like Spider and I don't know why…"

"Well, Spider is… You know… Human and the Metkayina are certainly not fond of people like him." His brother signed hesitantly.

"I guess, but I want him to like him because I love Spider like my own brother," Lo'ak added and then sighed once more.

"You should talk to him about how you feel, then," Neteyam concluded with a soft smile.

Lo'ak returned the smile and nodded toward his shoulder. "How's your injury?"

The bandage around his shoulder wasn't as spread as two weeks ago. Norm and Max had said that it was healing properly, and that he would be able to hunt again with the clan in a few weeks.

"Fine. It doesn't even hurt anymore," Neteyam replied, glancing at the bandage on his left shoulder.

They finished eating and were allowed to stay at the beach after dinner. Spider and Rotxo were wrestling while Kiri acted as a referee. Neteyam, Tsireya and Tuk were having a late-night swim, and Lo'ak and Aonung were watching them on the sea terrasse. They had their feet dipping in the water as the bioluminescent plants around them illuminated their faces.

Aonung kissed Lo'ak's shoulder and he turned to look at him. "You look cute with your hair down," he signed and Lo'ak blushed.

He usually liked to tie them when he would hunt with the clan and participate in diverse activities, but today he had decided to let them free.

Lo'ak made a mental note that he needed to let his hair down more often from now on. Especially if it meant having Aonung tucking a beaded braid behind his ear. Lo'ak felt himself shudder. The Metkayina took his chin between his fingers and tilted his head before kissing him tenderly.

The Omaticaya melted and let himself be held by his boyfriend. All too quickly, it stopped, and he opened his eyes to see Aonung looking at him with wide eyes.

"What?" Lo'ak immediately signed with confusion.

"You just moaned and I... I didn't expect it." Aonung was so stunned that he forgot to sign back.

Lo'ak gasped in shock and he felt his ears heat up. He couldn't hear himself, he wouldn't know when he made embarrassing noises while they were kissing.

He was so embarrassed that he didn't realize that Aonung had suddenly focused his attention on something else. He followed his gaze and saw Spider on top of Rotxo hitting his chest, but it looked playful. He didn't have time to think or ask what was the matter, Aonung was already gone.

The Metkayina strode toward the wrestling duo and yanked Spider off Rotxo. Lo'ak couldn't make out what they were saying from afar, but Aonung seemed to yell at him. He used his height to intimidate the smaller human and then pushed him on the sand.

Lo'ak ran to intervene. He grabbed Aonung's shoulders to stop him and saw Rotxo hold him back too. Tsireya, Neteyam and Tuk came closer to see what had happened.

Then, he rushed in to check if Spider's mask wasn't broken after his fall. It looked fine. He sighed in relief. Spider was just surprised by the sudden outburst, but didn't seem hurt.

"What the hell man?" Rotxo asked as surprised as everyone else. Lo’ak focused hard to follow the conversation.

Aonung frowned. "He was literally hitting you! I helped you out!"

"… weren't fighting for real, we're just playing," Rotxo answered while shaking his head lightly. "It's not like he can hurt me anyway. Look, how small he is, so cute!"

"… not small!" Spider smacked Rotxo's arm, but the Metkayina just laughed.

"Why are you friends with this demon now?" Aonung asked, eying Spider with a frown. "He's a freak!"

Lo'ak’s eyes widened when lip reading Aonung’s last sentence. He had enough of him disrespecting his brother. "He's not a demon or a freak! Fuck you, Fish lips!" Lo'ak shouted angrily at him and got everyone’s attention.

Aonung just seemed to realize that Lo'ak had been here the whole time. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I'm sorry Lo'ak but I'm only telling the truth! He’s not like us, he’s dangerous!" Aonung said defensively.

Kiri yelled something at him, and everyone started to speak at the same time, but he didn't have time to catch what was said. Neteyam tried to ease the tension, but Lo'ak didn't miss Spider's hurt expression. By the way his fists were clenched, Lo'ak could tell that he was stopping himself from making a scene.

Lo'ak felt Aonung's hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off him. He was too upset about what he had said to forgive him right now. So, he only showed Aonung his middle fingers and left.

Aonung came to see him the next day, apologizing. But Lo'ak was still disappointed by his behavior. He had been finishing weaving his fishing net, so he could use it tomorrow to catch some fish and crustaceans. He was pretty good by now and had already made two of those.

Lo'ak glanced at the Metkayina but pretended he wasn’t paying attention to him.

"I shouldn't have pushed him, I'm sorry," Aonung repeated when Lo'ak kept ignoring his apology, making sure he saw him sign.

He didn't reply for a few seconds and then stopped his activity. "Do you think I'm a demon too?"

"What? No!" Aonung hastily replied.

"I have five fingers exactly like the avatars, dreamwalkers, and you said Spider was a demon! A freak! Is this how you see me?" Lo'ak remarked, eyebrows furrowed.

Aonung seemed embarrassed. "I was just mad, and it was the only insult that came through my mind! Sorry, okay?"

"But Spider did nothing to you!" he signed animatedly.

"I thought he was hitting Rotxo!" the Metkayina protested.

Lo'ak shook his head and huffed. "No, you only found an excuse to be mad at him for no reasons!"

"I have reasons, since he's been here everything has been so different!" Aonung retorted.

"How? Nothing has changed!" Lo'ak frowned.

Aonung paused when two Metkayina walked past them before resuming. "You're constantly with him!"

"Well, sorry if I missed him! He had been kidnapped, remember? Back in the forest, we were inseparable." Lo'ak was completely baffled.

Aonung looked hurt but he didn't understand why. "Well, I don't care! Stay with him then! You look happier with him anyway!" the water boy said pitifully.

Lo'ak frowned even more at that. The Metkayina was talking crazy. He wanted to sign something back, tell him that he was imagining things, but this time, Aonung left.

Anger boiled up inside Lo'ak and incomprehension and disappointment. He thought he and Aonung were okay. Everything had been good until... Well, until Spider had come into the picture. It didn't make sense to him! But what did he expect? On their first encounter the Metkayina had shown hostility toward him and his family, it wasn't something new… Aonung had really a problem with strangers coming to his home. Maybe that was it? He must have trust issues. Why didn’t Aonung trust him, though?

Lo'ak groaned, frustrated by the situation. He went to his marui pod and stayed there alone, angry and irritated. He munched on some fruit, lazily biting into the skin as juice dripped down the corner of his mouth.

A hand tapped his shoulder. He looked at the newcomers. Spider and Tuk with a bag full of seashells.

"Why are you here all alone?" Spider asked him, leaving the bag on the floor to sign properly.

"Avoiding Aonung," Lo'ak answered before sighing. Seemed like a déjà-vu…

"Because of yesterday?" Tuk asked. "Are you guys fighting again?"

"Yes! He acted like a di― like an idiot!" Lo'ak quickly corrected himself. "I don't want to talk to him anymore…"

Tuk didn't seem to want to hear about her brother's quarrel with his boyfriend, so she petted his arm compassionately and then said she was going to pick up more seashells at the beach, leaving him and Spider alone to talk.

Spider sat next to him. Lo'ak stared at him blankly, lost in his thoughts. He hated this situation. He had fallen so hard for Aonung and everything had been so perfect lately. He hated that they were fighting.

"Lo'ak," Spider began to sign. "It's okay, I'm not mad at Aonung."

"You should be!" Lo'ak exclaimed while he signed.

"I'm just happy to be with you all again," Spider replied. He adjusted his exopack on his hip. "When I was with Quaritch all I could think about was finding you guys."

Lo'ak smiled. He had really missed Spider. "Well, I'm glad you found your way back to us."

Spider grinned and nudged him playfully. They didn't sign anything after that, just enjoyed the presence of one another. Spider eventually put his head on his shoulder. Lo'ak thought about what Rotxo had said. Spider did look small and cute. He wanted to protect him from any harm, especially knowing how he had been tortured by the RDA. The Omaticaya's smile faded, and he wrapped his arms around his brother protectively. Spider curled up against him too and he looked at him with fondness.

Lo'ak only realized that Aonung was in front of the entrance of the marui, watching them when Spider shifted and moved away from him.

The Metkayina just stood there for a few seconds with some kind of necklace or armband ― it was hard to say ― in his hand.

"Aonung?" Lo'ak actually said without signing.

He didn't reply, though his lips were parted. He left without saying anything.

Lo'ak turned his face to Spider who shrugged, as confused as him.

"Just go after him," Spider signed to him.

He nodded and looked for Aonung. He wasn't that far, crouched down next to a palm tree, throwing rocks in the water.

Lo'ak stepped closer until he was right by his side. He looked down at Aonung and waited for him to acknowledge his presence. After a minute, Aonung turned his attention to him. He looked hurt and Lo'ak couldn't understand what he had done to make him feel this way.

"Why are you acting like that?" He asked.

Aonung shrugged. "Like you don't know..."

"How is this my fault when you were the one acting up yesterday?" Lo'ak signed back angrily.

"I'm sorry, okay? But anyway, I was right."

Lo'ak was getting impatient. "About what?"

"I can see it. You can't fool me!" the water boy continued.

Aonung was really frustrating and Lo'ak didn't know what was happening in his head. It was their first fight as a couple, and he didn't know how to handle it.

"What the hell do you have against Spider?" Lo'ak asked, exasperated.

"I think he's in love with you," Aonung answered bitterly.

Lo'ak gaped at him. "No way! He's my brother!"

"He’s not really your brother, and I see how he looks at you!" Aonung retorted.

"But we were raised as brothers!" Lo'ak made a disgusted face at the thought. "And he's human, that wouldn't even work!" He added trying to reason Aonung.

"Okay, but he has a crush on you! I have eyes!"

"Well, you need glasses…" Lo'ak said while signing at the same time.

"What is 'glasses'?" Aonung asked, puzzled. He had repeated the English word hesitantly as it was foreign on his tongue. Lo'ak remembered asking Max why he was wearing glass circles when he had been a child. That had happened before his accident, and at the time, the word had felt strange to pronounce too.

"A human-made object that helps you see better." Lo'ak explained.

"Hey!" Aonung protested. "My sight is perfect!"

"If you say so..." the Omaticaya scoffed. There was a pause.

"You're not in love with him, are you?" Aonung asked after a few seconds.

Lo'ak gagged. "No! What's wrong with you?"

"I don't know, I just thought you guys were so close and you look so happy with him, and I just wished we had that…" Aonung finally confessed.

This was getting ridiculous… "This is different, he's like my best friend and I consider him as another brother. We're close because we grew up together! You wouldn't say that with Neteyam!"

Aonung’s eyes darted around with uneasiness. "Yeah, well okay, I know I sound dumb now... But I didn't exactly know what kind of relationship you had with him before we met so I just imagined things. I'm sorry, I overreacted..."

Lo'ak finally squatted down to be at his level. Aonung was still taller than him, though. "Look, I like being with you, you make me happy too. Except when you're acting like that."

Aonung looked down, shamefully. "Sorry…" And then his eyes met Lo'ak's. "You're right. I'm lucky to have you… You're the best thing that has ever happened to me in a while." He added, barely signing as he uttered the words.

Lo'ak thought he hadn’t seen right. He didn't expect Aonung to say something like that. But his heart swelled with happiness. "I feel the same way."

Aonung grinned and then he looked like he was thinking of something before his grin turned into a pout. "Do you really think I have fish lips?"

Lo'ak laughed. "No, I just wanted to get back at you because you were mean to Spider!"

The Metkayina sighed in relief and moved closer to Lo'ak before pecking him on the lips.

"I'll apologize properly to Spider. I promise," he finally signed with a soft smile.

"You better this time!" Lo'ak replied.

Aonung was suddenly fidgeting, and he glanced at Lo'ak awkwardly. Lo'ak raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"I... I have something for you," Aonung finally signed. "Sometimes I make armbands for myself, and I thought about you when I made this one, so... Here."

He held out a beautifully crafted armband made with sea hemp fibers and iridescent seashell chips, similar to the one he already had on his arm.

Lo'ak couldn't contain his smile. It meant a lot to him. He didn't think that it was possible, but he fell harder for the Metkayina right there and then.

He took the gift gently and Aonung immediately helped him tie the armband around his bicep.

Lo'ak wanted to play it cool, but he couldn’t. He was way too happy. He looked at it in awe and then threw himself into Aonung's arms before kissing him deeply.

"Thank you," he then signed with sparkling eyes, his heart full of love.

He was glad that everything had turned out fine in the end and that they were okay. It had all been a misunderstanding and Aonung loved him, and he loved Aonung with all his heart. It was what he was feeling in the moment, and he wanted to hold on to it as long as he could.

When he told Spider why Aonung had been acting this way with him, the human boy broke into a fit of laughter. Aonung eyed them with embarrassment and looked annoyed that he had told Spider.

"Me and Lo'ak?" Spider cackled, tears in his eyes. "Don't worry, it's never going to happen!"

Lo'ak agreed and laughed too. Even if Aonung was clearly ashamed, Lo'ak could see some relief in his eyes, like he had been waiting for a confirmation, anyway.

Rotxo and Kiri joined them, curious about why Spider was laughing like this. He told them everything and everyone was laughing except Aonung.

"Aonung is definitely the jealous type!" Rotxo signed between giggles.

Lo'ak liked the effort they made to speak in sign language when they were all talking together so he could follow. Well, sometimes they forgot, but at least they tried as much as they could, and he still appreciated it. It wasn't always easy to read lips in a group setting.

What Rotxo had just said picked his interest. "He has been jealous of someone before?" He asked wondering if Aonung had liked another person before him.

"Not like this! At first, he thought I was after you," Rotxo explained. "And anyone who looks at you for two seconds makes him mad."

Lo'ak looked at Aonung with judgement. "Really?" His boyfriend gulped.

"And he―" Rotxo continued, but Aonung slapped his friend's arm to make him stop talking.

Lo'ak couldn't quite hear the yell Rotxo had let out but judging by his face, Aonung had hit him pretty hard.

They both started to argue and Lo'ak rolled his eyes while Kiri and Spider laughed at them. He felt something tugging his arm and noticed Tuk behind him. She was shortly followed by Tsireya and Neteyam holding bags in their arms.

"Do you guys want to help us collect seashells?" his little sister asked.

"Why?" Lo'ak answered, a little bit annoyed. He was in a mood to do something more fun than this.

"Come on!" She insisted. "It’s for my project!"

"What project?" Lo’ak was slightly intrigued now.

"You’ll see when it’s finished!" Tuk answered excitedly.

"Okay, I'll help," he saw Aonung tell her. A wide smile was plastering his face.

"Come on Lo’ak, it’ll be fun," Neteyam said, and the others nodded in agreement.

Lo'ak finally agreed to the delight of Tuk. They all helped her pick up seashells and actually had fun together. From afar, he noticed that Aonung was speaking to Spider more friendly than ever. It made him happy to see his boyfriend make an effort to get along with him. It was all he had ever wanted since Spider had been here.

They both suddenly turned to look at him at the same time with soft smiles. Lo'ak smiled back and immediately joined them.

Chapter Text

The eclipses had gone by so quickly, and lately, Lo'ak felt like he was stuck in an unbreakable routine, and it started to bore him. Hunting, clan activities, training, ikran riding, hunting, and training… His relationship with Aonung which had developed more was the only thing that really excited him. He had set some boundaries because the Metkayina had been very clingy for a while. But they had found a good balance between their own personal time and some quality time together which had made their dates even more thrilling.

And then, something finally broke the repetitive cycle. A big meeting was organized by Tonowari and Ronal to talk about strengthening their defense and protecting the reefs with all the clan leaders of the Eastern Sea. They would come to Awa'atlu to discuss these political strategies, and a big celebration was planned after that. That meant a lot of things had to be prepared before the meeting that was coming in a week. He was glad to help organize such an important event during the week and hoped to prove how useful he could be so his parents would trust him more. He didn’t want to disappoint…

It was early in the morning when he went to the beach with his siblings so they could get ready to go hunting together. They joined Aonung, Tsireya and Rotxo near the shore, and the three of them were surprised by Spider's new look.

"Why did you cut your hair?" Rotxo asked him with wide curious eyes.

Lo'ak chuckled at his reaction. He had helped Spider cut his hair with his knife yesterday, at his request. Spider wanted to change his appearance apparently because his hair had been too uncomfortable for him with the heat and the humidity of the reefs.

"Why do you care?" Spider responded with a shrug.

"You look different," Rotxo remarked thoughtfully. "But I don't hate it…"

" … looks good on you," Tsireya added with a smile. Aonung politely nodded but he didn't seem interested.

"Thanks…" Spider replied, flattered. Lo’ak smiled and turned his attention to Rotxo just in time to see his response.

"Your hair is short like mine now," Rotxo continued as he came closer to take a good look at Spider. "Are you trying to copy me? Are you obsessed with me or something?"

Spider turned his head toward him to yell something, but Lo'ak couldn't see his mouth. Judging by his stance and his hands moving everywhere, he seemed triggered by what he had said. Kiri ruffled his hair roughly and laughed. Neteyam only looked at the scene, arms crossed, but amused by their shenanigans.

Aonung rolled his eyes. His relationship with Spider had definitely improved since last time, but he was usually annoyed by Rotxo, Kiri and Spider's antics. These three had grown a lot closer in the past two months. Mostly because Spider loved hanging out with Kiri and Kiri was now always found with Rotxo.

Later, they all helped organize the meeting and celebration. As the week finally came to an end and the day finally arrived, everything was ready, food, decorations and ceremonial dances had been prepared. Lo'ak had never seen this much bustle since he had come to the village. It was so lively and busy; it boosted his energy to another level. He didn't like to slack off. He liked when things were exciting, and when he could be useful to others. So, he had helped however he could.

"Do we all wear special clothes today?" He signed to Aonung when they were alone in the leaders' marui pod. Sometimes, Aonung invited him, especially when his family wasn't there.

Their marui was the biggest of the village, more spacious and more decorated compared to the one his family lived in. Aonung had even his separate space. Some unfinished armbands were lying on the floor, and a firm woven mat was covered by a blanket made of a light and soft fabric.

Aonung didn't answer, completely absorbed in his thoughts. He was absentmindedly stroking Lo'ak's arm with his thumb as they were sitting near his bed. The Omaticaya tapped on his thigh to get his attention.

"Hello? Come back to Pandora."

Aonung chuckled at that, finally reacting. "Sorry, I didn't hear what you said, I didn't pay attention."

"I can see that," Lo'ak smiled as he signed.

"Sorry," Aonung repeated before placing a kiss on Lo'ak's forehead. He responded by kissing him on the cheek. "Kiss me again. Right here." The Metkayina said and he lightly puckered his lips.

Lo'ak giggled and rolled his eyes but gave him what he wanted. The kiss was soft, and their lips kept reaching for more. Aonung breathed out something against his mouth, but he didn't know what, so he continued to kiss him as they embraced each other.

The older boy relaxed and seemed less preoccupied when they stopped their sweet kisses.

"Do you want to tell me what's on your mind?" Lo'ak asked him.

Aonung hesitated at first but finally conceded. "I had kind of an argument with my father earlier. Well, he scolded me about something, and I just shut up as usual."

"Why? What happened?"

"He thinks I'm not focused enough and that I should act more like someone of my status," he explained. "Even if Tsireya is the heir and will be the next Tsahìk and I won’t be the next Olo'eyktan. That’s not even what I want, anyway so I don’t care that my father didn’t choose me."

Lo'ak nodded. "I get that. I always felt like a disappointment to my father. Neteyam was supposed to be the next Olo'eyktan of our clan and I was just the second son, you know."

"Yeah…" Aonung looked at Lo'ak sadly before adding. "I mean, what's the point of doing anything if whatever I do is not enough and he's always disappointed in me?"

Lo'ak frowned slightly. He hadn’t realized until now that Aonung had a similar relationship with his dad. Just like him, he didn't want to disappoint his father and was trying hard to please him in any way. He had seen Tonowari being harder on Aonung sometimes, pushing him to do better and excel at everything. Lo’ak knew his dad didn’t actually expect this much of him, but all he wanted from him was his unwavering trust. And the only way to achieve this was to be the best.

"I know the feeling," Lo'ak told him.

Aonung sighed, frowning as his ears flattened. "With the meeting coming, my father wants me on my best behavior and expects so much of me. I don't want to let him down but it's so stressful."

Lo'ak only nodded. He cuddled up to his boyfriend and put his head on his shoulder. He felt him relax even more under him. They stayed like this for a moment, content, until it was time to join the others and finish the last preparations.

Tonowari and Ronal were already dressed in their special attires, Lo'ak didn't know how it was called for the Metkayina, but they looked great. Turned out, it was only the leaders and their families who had to dress up. Everyone else wore their usual garments with perhaps more jewelry than usual.

The sentinels blew in conch shells to announce the arrival of the other clan leaders. They all greeted each other solemnly and he could see Aonung next to his sister, both welcoming politely the guests. Aonung and Tsireya also looked great in their attires, and he couldn't stop looking. Especially because Aonung was wearing his hair down for the first time. He had the irresistible desire to slide his fingers in his curls and kiss him. He shook his head to make the thought disappear.

Lo'ak guessed that two of the leaders were from the Ta'unui clan, and the others from the Tayrangi clan if he recalled correctly. They all seemed to have brought their children with them, probably their heirs.

When all the leaders went to the meeting hut, their children stayed with them. One boy was from the Ta’unui clan and the two others were, from what he had understood, the daughter and son of the Tayrangi clan leaders. The Tayrangi were physically like the Omaticaya, but they had nonetheless adapted well to their environment as they lived on the coast. It was nice to see other Na'vi looking more like them after months of being surrounded by the Metkayina.

"I'm Saelyra and this is my little brother Valki from the Tayrangi clan," the girl said. She had long braids and part of them were tied on the top of her head, embellished by beads and feathers. Her attire was also really pretty and colorful. Her brother seemed younger, possibly a year younger than Lo’ak. He was dressed just as well for the event, but his hair was not braided, it flowed freely on his shoulders.

And there was the Ta'unui heir, standing proud and tall, his abs poking out and his magnificent hair flowing in the wind. He was a little bit taller than Aonung, long hair, cut on one side of his head, cornrow braids on the side too. Lo'ak had to admit that he was pretty handsome. But something about him annoyed him for some reason.

"Na'aku of the Ta'unui, Olo'eyktan in training," the tall Na'vi said with a smug smile. Lo'ak didn't miss a word, his eyes hadn't really left the Ta'unui boy.

Everyone else introduced themselves, even Lo'ak, but he didn’t use sign language. He was trying hard to look "normal" in front of the guests.

Na'aku suddenly grabbed Aonung by the shoulders and started to rub his head with his fist. "I missed you!"

"I didn't!" He could see Aonung replied, struggling to free himself from Na'aku's strong hold.

" … leave him alone," Tsireya told him, rolling her eyes. The way she acted seemed like it was a recurring thing. 

The Ta'unui let go of Aonung, but a smirk was tugging at his lips. The Metkayina glared at him and stepped away to move to Lo'ak's side.

They all started talking, really fast, Lo'ak couldn't make out what they were saying. It was hard to focus in such a big group of people. So, he just stayed quiet. He was used to hearing people forgetting that he was deaf, and he did a good job to make them forget, especially when he could lip-read.

Na’aku seemed to be close to Tsireya too. It wouldn't surprise him if their parents arranged a union between them since they were both heirs of their clans. But what really surprised him was Aonung's behavior with him. He looked grumpy and mostly hostile toward the boy.

"Are you close to Na’aku?" he asked Aonung discreetly.

"He's an old friend…" He didn't say more than that, and it intrigued Lo'ak, but he decided to ask later.

After the meeting, the celebration could start, and everyone gathered in the communal area to drink and eat and dance to the music. Several Metkayina were playing the drums and other instruments such as flutes.

It was nice at first to see everyone having a good time, but Lo'ak felt out of place. He had been so excited to participate in a big event like this, only to forget how overwhelming it could be for him. Aonung was busy talking with his parents and other leaders, and everyone was in their own little groups. He didn't know how to enter the conversations that had already started without him. Incapable of following, he had given up and had sat on a tree root.

Kiri, Spider and Neteyam finally joined him when they had seen that he was alone. They joked and had some fun together and for a small moment Lo'ak could ignore how he had been struggling since the beginning of the celebration.

"Let's go dance!" Kiri signed to him. But Lo'ak shook his head. He didn't enjoy music as much since he had lost his hearing. He hadn't lost it totally, but enough to be considered deaf. The sounds he did catch when they were loud were muddled and indistinctive. And he couldn't even dance, anyway. There was no way, he would make a fool of himself in front of everyone.

"We'll guide you," Neteyam tried to convince him, but Lo'ak was not feeling it so he refused again.

"I'm okay, just go without me," he said in a few quick signs.

His siblings were disappointed, but they eventually went dancing with the others. Most of the people were dancing. Rotxo had asked Kiri for a dance, and she had gladly accepted. Lo'ak didn't know what was happening between the two, but they could be a cute pair. Spider eventually danced with them, Neteyam had found a pretty Metkayina girl to dance with, Tsireya was dancing with Na'aku, and Tuk with their mom. He could spot his dad talking with Tonowari and other clan leaders, drinking and laughing together. Lo'ak just observed from afar and then his focus went on Aonung. The Metkayina was finally available and had joined the musicians to play the drums.

This picked his interest, and he got up abruptly to go see him up close. Lo'ak watched him for a minute, completely enthralled.

The Metkayina's fingers moved so quickly on the skin of the drum, like he had been playing it for a long time. And with his hair down like this, he looked really attractive, even more than usual. He couldn't help but stare at him in shock and wonder. The older boy who had been focused on his task seemed to finally notice him. He looked up, his fingers still moving with dexterity until they stopped.

"What? Are you falling in love?" He asked teasingly, a smug smile forming on his lips.

"Shut up!" Lo'ak protested, embarrassed. "I was just surprised to see what a skxawng face you have!" But his flushed face betrayed him.

Aonung rolled his eyes but chuckled. "You're the one to talk, you have the most skxawng face of them all."

Lo'ak slapped his arm playfully and Aonung pretended to be hurt. They laughed about it for a bit, and Lo'ak sat next to him.

"My plan didn't work," Aonung signed with a small smirk. "I thought if I played for you, I could see you dance, but … not a dancer, uh?"

"It's not fun when you can't hear well, if not at all. Music for me is … muffled." Lo'ak replied trying to find the right word. "Neteyam wanted to guide me, but I don't like to dance anyway…"

Aonung nodded and suddenly placed Lo'ak's hand on the back of his drum before he started playing again. Lo'ak understood what he was trying to do and felt the vibrations of the instrument. His eyes lighted up. He liked it. He could tell that Aonung was very good at this. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling under his fingers for a little while until it stopped. His eyes snapped open and stared at Aonung questioningly.

"You're sure you don't want to dance? At least with me? You can just follow my movements." The Metkayina seemed nervous as he signed this to him.

"No, I just want you to keep playing." Lo'ak knew that Aonung wanted to dance with him, but he was too self-conscious and really didn't want to embarrass himself.

Aonung didn't insist, though Lo'ak could see that he was slightly disappointed. "Alright."

This time, the rhythm was slower as his hands moved again, the vibrations less energetic under his palm. Aonung was watching him as he played, his eyes glued on him. A curl fell on his face, and he stopped momentarily to tuck it back quickly behind his ear in a delicate movement. The scene had strangely happened in slow motion for Lo'ak. He had seen every detail so closely. A weird feeling came without a warning, tingling at the pit of his stomach and his breath hitched. He had the sudden urge to kiss him.

Lo'ak ignored the feeling and put his hand on Aonung's arm gently. "Teach me how to play next time."

"Sure." Aonung agreed.

"I bet I can be better than you!" Lo'ak then signed, trying hard not to glance at his boyfriend's lips.

Aonung rolled his eyes but seemed amused. "Not everything is a competition, Lo'ak…"

Suddenly, Lo'ak could hear a ringing in his ears. It did that sometimes for no particular reasons. Max had told him he would have tinnitus very often because of his hearing loss, but it hadn't happened to him in a while. His face scrunched up. Although it was uncomfortable, he just had to wait for it to stop on its own.

Aonung seemed to see that something was wrong. "Are you okay?"

Lo'ak nodded and put his hands against his ears as if it could make the ringing stop. The older boy pushed his drum from his lap to approach Lo'ak slowly. He looked at his ears, puzzled.

"Are you hurt?"

"I have a ringing in my ears sometimes. Don't worry, I'm used to it." Lo'ak reassured him.

Aonung made a worried face and checked Lo'ak's ears. His thumbs brushed his earlobes as he cupped his face. The soft hands on his face felt good and Lo'ak didn't realize he had closed his eyes. He opened them when Aonung caressed with the tips of his fingers a scar at the back of his head, behind his braid. This made him smack his hand away and Aonung looked at him, dumbfounded.

"What is it?" He asked, frowning.

Lo'ak swallowed slowly. He didn't like his scar. It reminded him too much of his accident, and he wanted to forget about it. But he also didn't want to hide anything from his boyfriend. He trusted him immensely. Since they had been dating, Aonung had respected his boundaries and he knew he could tell him anything.

"I got this from my accident," Lo'ak finally told him nervously, his tail moving back and forth.

"Yeah, you told me something about an accident that caused your loss of hearing, but you never got into any detail," Aonung replied with soft eyes.

"It's a sensitive topic…"

"We don't have to talk about it then." Aonung assured him.

Lo'ak shook his head. "No, it's okay. I want to, but not here. Can we go somewhere more private maybe?"

"Of course, my sun." The pet name came out of nowhere and Lo'ak blushed furiously.

They found a spot near the shore, but away from the celebration and sat next to each other.

Lo'ak took a deep breath and started to recount everything, from his fall to his coma and his recovery. He didn't get into the details that were too painful to talk about but at least the most important parts. Aonung was attentive, drinking every sign Lo'ak gave him. When Lo'ak finished, his eyes were wide open. The Omaticaya gulped in anticipation. He had no idea what Aonung was thinking at that moment.

"You're really incredible." Aonung started to sign calmly. "I complain about some things, but I don't know what real struggle is. Before I met you, everything was so easy for me, I knew I was good at a lot of things and I wanted to show off."

Lo'ak wanted to reply but he could see that his boyfriend hadn't finished yet. He had a lot more to say. There was a small pause where he seemed to think about how he would sign what to say next.

"You were the first person to not care, and it changes my perspective completely. I fell for you because you saw the real me. I used to fool everyone, pretend I was perfect, but I couldn't fool you. You saw right through me. I wanted you to like me so badly because I was used to everyone liking me. But with you it was different…"

Lo'ak was stunned. He hadn't realized Aonung had seen things that way. He had thought that the Metkayina was arrogant and smug at their first meeting, but now he knew who he really was inside. He loved a lot of things about Aonung but his perfectionism, his pursue to be better, he admired that. That was what made him such a great hunter and diver. They were more alike than he had first thought. Both wishing to please their parental figures, to be the best versions of themselves while trying to stay true to who they were. It was hard to do that, but they had a lot more growth to do.

"I like you the way you are," Lo'ak only responded after a pause.

"Why?" There was some apprehension in his eyes.

Lo'ak smiled softly. "Because you see me. All of me." Aonung gasped, his lips parted and his eyes widening.

"Do… Do you see … me?" He signed hesitantly, glancing down.

"I see you," Lo'ak uttered slowly, accentuating every syllable. He didn't know what these words sounded like as they came out of his mouth or if he even used the right tone, but judging by Aonung's face, it had the effect he had wanted to make. He wanted Aonung to hear him clearly and to remember those words.

The Metkayina didn't hesitate an instant and smashed their lips together, grabbing Lo'ak face and deepening the kiss immediately. Lo'ak didn't expect the passionate embrace but fell into it as he closed his eyes. Aonung's warm lips moved on his own with purpose, hard and urgent. His tongue slipped into his mouth, and a shiver ran down his spine. Lo'ak wrapped his arms around Aonung's waist, bringing him closer. And then he had the urge to slide his hand in his boyfriend's loose hair, tug gently at the curls.

They made out for a little while until they slowly pulled away. Panting and eyes wide, they finally let go of each other. They had never kissed like this before, so passionately and desperately as if the other could disappear at any minute. It had left them shaken.

"Wow…" Lo'ak murmured, breathless.

Aonung gave him another quick kiss and then got up. "Let's go back to the party."

Lo'ak nodded and they went back to find their siblings.

Chapter Text

As they went back to the celebration, their siblings were not dancing anymore, but sitting next to a tree and eating together.

"There you are!" Rotxo signed with a smirk. "What were you guys doing?"

Aonung blushed. "Mind your business!"

He could see Kiri and Spider start giggling. He rolled his eyes. These two could be really annoying sometimes. And the ringing in his ears was back. The buzzing was annoying too. Their magical moment had put him in a good mood, he certainly didn't want it to be ruined by his stupid ears!

Fortunately, it passed after a few minutes. He could talk with his brothers and sisters without any inconvenience.

"I almost finish my project," Tuk signed to him happily.

"What is it? You still haven't told me." Lo'ak answered intrigued. His sister had been doing her thing in secret and hadn't let any of their siblings see anything.

"You'll see when it's completely done!" She replied proudly.

Lo'ak smiled. He only knew that it involved seashells but nothing else. Seeing his sister excited about something she was making on her own, made him happy.

"Are you okay?" his sister then asked with worried eyes.

"Of course, why?" Lo’ak was confused by her question. Maybe she noticed that he was struggling with tinnitus. He didn’t want her to worry, though.

"Well, you didn’t stay with us, and you don’t look like you’re having fun today…" Tuk signed, emphasizing on the sign “fun”.

"Yeah, it’s like you’ve been avoiding us," Neteyam remarked, frowning.

"That’s right! You didn’t wanna dance with us!" Kiri added.

"You guys, Lo’ak don’t like big gatherings like this!" Spider intervened.

"Really? Why?" Aonung asked, intrigued.

It was true that he hadn’t been pretty sociable since the beginning of the celebration, but it was mostly because he had to make so many efforts to follow conversations. He didn’t want to be the deaf kid, he just wanted to be Lo’ak. Just for this day. But he just realized that it wasn’t possible, and he needed sign language to communicate better with everyone. He had to ask for others to sign to him more often. Sometimes his pride got the best of him… He had to be honest with them.

"Sorry, guys," Lo’ak started to sign. "It’s just that it’s hard for me in this environment. Music that I can’t hear, I can’t dance, and I can’t read people’s lips every time, it’s tiring."

Neteyam lowered his head, guilt on his face. "Yeah, you’re totally right! Sorry, little brother!"

"We shouldn’t rely only on you to follow our conversations, sorry." Kiri admitted.

"I haven’t realized, sorry man!" Rotxo finally said.

They all apologized and promised him to be more careful and use sign language whenever he was with them or with other people. Lo’ak was happy that they took his feelings into account. He was always trying hard to accommodate to others, but he should have expected others to do the same.

Na'aku chose this exact moment to show up. "Why are you all talking in sign language? We’re not even underwater," he remarked, his smirk not leaving his face. Lo’ak really started to find him annoying.

"Why do you even care!" Aonung replied, accentuating his signs as he did.

"Lo'ak is deaf, so we use sign language with him," Tsireya signed calmly.

"Oh really?" Na'aku started to say. "Well, I’ll use sign language then." He finally signed to Lo'ak. That was surprising. Was he actually considerate?

His eyes fell on Lo’ak’s hands. "You really have five fingers. I couldn't believe it when my dad told me! I haven’t paid attention earlier, but that’s freaky. Are you the only freaky one? Or…" He looked at the others and spotted Kiri and Spider. "Her too. And even that human demon again. No offense man, but seeing you here really disgusts me."

"Hey, watch your mouth!" Neteyam snapped.

Aonung clenched his fists. "Don't talk to them like that!"

"Shut your hole! Take that back!" Rotxo signed angrily.

"Stop it," Lo’ak could see Tsireya say to Na'aku, close to his ear, but he didn't pay attention to her.

Lo'ak's lips tightened, and his nostrils flared as he tried to contain the anger bubbling inside of him. He could take any insult, but he hated when someone picked on his siblings. He knew that a lot of Na’vi were not familiar with them, even Aonung had some reluctance at first, but Na'aku was a complete stranger with an annoying smirk on his face all the time, clearly feeling superior to them. His jaw almost hurt from how tense it was, trying hard to show some restraint. Just one more word from him and he would explode.

"When I become leader of my clan, I'll make sure to kill all Sky People left, including you," Na'aku continued, not signing anymore, and pointing at Spider at the end.

Lo'ak walked toward Na'aku, ready to let his rage burst from him. "You see this? Five fingers, disgusting, right? Well, when I make a fist like this…" Lo'ak suddenly punched the taller boy's jaw hard. He stumbled back and fell on the ground.

"How's that bitch? Still have something to say?" He yelled at the Ta'unui, his fists in front of his face, prepared to fight him.

Everyone was shocked. Lo'ak walked away when Na'aku, full of rage, grabbed his tail and yanked him on the ground before punching him in return. Lo'ak fought back and kicked and punched as much as he could. He knew how to fight; his dad had taught him the basics, so he quickly took the upper hand. He couldn't see what was happening around him and didn't care, he just wanted to beat the shit out of the older boy and teach him a lesson. Na’aku used his unfair height and body weight to wrap his legs around his waist and hold him by the neck. But Lo’ak was suddenly pulled to the side, and he saw Aonung punch the Ta’unui too while the others tried to stop the fight.

All of a sudden, everyone froze, and he soon noticed that the adults were here. All the clan leaders were standing in front of them, including his parents, eyes dark and menacing. Lo'ak gulped when he realized what he had done and that he was probably going to be punished. But he couldn't help but feel satisfied when he observed the bruises on Na'aku's face.

Lo'ak took the lecture from his parents without any protest. When his mom had almost dragged him to the meeting hut so they could have a serious talk, he had seen what was coming for him. He knew he had gone too far, even if the Ta'unui had deserved it.

"Today was really important for our clan's future!" His father signed vigorously. "We expected you on your best behavior and you get into a fight? Have you not learned anything, Lo'ak? You complain that I'm always on your back, but you do things like this when I'm looking away!"

Lo'ak stayed silent. It was no use defended himself anyway, he was clearly in the wrong.

"We trusted you Lo'ak and you really disappointed us today," his mom added, frowning as she crossed her arms.

"I'm sorry…" Lo'ak finally signed back. "It won't happen again. I shouldn't have punched Na'aku, but he said something really horrible to Spider. I know it's not an excuse but…"

"We know. Your brother and sisters explained it to us, but you have to stop acting so impulsively!" His dad replied, visibly breathing heavily from anger.

"I'm sorry," Lo'ak repeated, sheepishly. It was the last thing he had wanted, disappoint his parents, and lose their trust. He felt really defeated.

Tonowari entered the hut. "Can I speak to your son, please?" Lo'ak watched him say to his parents.

His mom and dad looked at each other for a bit and then turned their faces toward the Metkayina to nod.

"Thank you, it won't be long," he said looking mostly at Lo'ak.

His parents left and he was found alone with the Olo'eyktan. He started to get nervous, but he calmed his nerves quickly to look confident.

"I take full responsibility for my actions," he signed calmly. "Aonung has nothing to do with what happened."

"Your loyalty to my son is commendable, but he hit the future Olo'eyktan of the Ta'unui clan," Tonowari responded, his brows furrowed. "He is at fault."

Lo'ak lowered his head, even more defeated, but he still tried to defend Aonung. "He just wanted to help me."

"I do not care," Tonowari replied with a hard stare, towering him with all his height. "Lo'ak, I have nothing against you nor your relationship with my son, but if you become a distraction for him, we'll have a problem."

The Omaticaya's eyes widened, and he immediately looked up. "No! Wait, I won't be a distraction!"

"I had hoped that he would act the proper way as the leader's son of his clan. Especially among guests, important guests! We're talking politics here, Lo'ak, alliances with other clans, the protection of our reefs. Do you understand how important this event was today?"

"I do… And I'm really sorry. But you have to understand, Na’aku insulted my family and family is really important. That's what my parents have always taught me." Lo'ak tried to argue.

"Then, show me that Aonung is important to you too, and you won't be a liability to him."

Lo'ak swallowed hard, lips dry and tears threatening to fall. "I promise you, I won't."

Tonowari seemed satisfied by his answer and put a hand on Lo'ak's shoulder. Even though the Olo’eyktan had a softer face, he had given him a clear warning and Lo’ak knew he had to keep that promise if he wanted to stay with Aonung.

"You'll have to apologize to the Ta'unui, now." He said, this time without signing.

Lo'ak followed him and his parents to the Ta'unui leaders and their son, Na'aku. The boy looked ashamed when his parents forced him to kneel in front of Tonowari, Ronal and his parents. His siblings and Rotxo were present too, probably because they had told their own sides of the story to the other leaders. Then, Aonung and Tsireya approached to stand beside their parents.

"It's my fault," Lo'ak signed, taking all the blame. "I hit him first. I shouldn't have and I'm sorry."

"We accept the apology," the Ta'unui’s Tsahìk answered in sign language. "But our son had an undignified behavior."

The Ta'unui’s Olo'eyktan hissed at his son. "Apologize now!"

"Please accept my sincere apologies," he urged to say, looking specifically at Lo'ak, Kiri and Spider. They accepted and Na’aku got up slowly, biting his lower lip and avoiding their gazes.

"Now, let's enjoy the end of the day in peace," Tonowari declared. Everyone went back to the festivities, but Aonung was asked to stay. He sat by the bonfire with Tsireya, Rotxo and his siblings.

Lo'ak watched them from afar as Tonowari and Ronal seemed to scold their son. Aonung joined them after a few minutes, scowling. He crouched next to Lo'ak and didn't even look at him. Lo'ak put his hand on his shoulder comfortingly. He felt his boyfriend get less tense, but he didn't react either.

He patted Aonung to get his full attention. "I'm sorry Aonung. It's my fault."

"It's not. Don’t worry about it." Aonung answered and gave Lo'ak a small smile.

"You told me Na'aku is an old friend. Has he always been like this?" Lo'ak signed, glancing at the Ta'unui boy across from them, alone by the fire. The eclipse had started, and the sky was progressively getting dark.

"No, not really," Aonung replied, looking in Lo'ak’s eyes. "He's a year older than me and he’s actually my biggest rival. He's good at everything! He and I became friends when our clans visited each other. We have a weird friendship because we always fight and I can't stand him most of the time, but he has always pushed me to be at my best, you know…"

"I’ve never liked him, to be honest. He’s so smug for no reason." Rotxo shrugged.

"So, he's always been a prick?" Lo'ak asked, chuckling.

"Not like this. He definitely crossed the line. But at the same time, I understand him. I was scared too of people like you and Spider until I met all of you. I was wrong, though." Aonung signed, a serious look on his face.

"Well, I get that, but he seems really arrogant." Neteyam was frowning as he said that.

"He has a good heart, but I think what had happened to their village really changed him, not that it's an excuse," Tsireya intervened. "But you have to forgive him."

"Why?" Kiri asked, still annoyed by what had happened.

Tsireya was about to answer, but Na'aku chose this moment to appear. He walked slowly to them, clearly embarrassed. They were all crouching down, and he mimicked them to get to their level. As if it was a way to show that he was coming in peace.

"I wanted to apologize properly to you three," he started to sign, not forgetting about Lo'ak. It was a good start. "I know that it doesn't excuse what I said, but when Sky People set foot in our village, we lost a lot. They put our homes into flames and the fire killed some of our people… And I lost someone that I loved very much."

"I'm so sorry for your loss. I tried to stop Quaritch but… I was powerless." Spider quickly responded, guilt written all over his face. Rotxo put a hand on his back comfortingly.

"I understand your feelings," Kiri interjected. "But it's not a reason to wish him dead! He's not responsible for what had happened!"

Na'aku sighed. "I know, that's why I wanted to apologize again. I thought about everything, and I was wrong to say that. All my rage and my hatred were directed to you because you were the only people I could blame for this. But I understand that you guys are not them, so I'm sorry." 

Lo'ak nodded, understanding his point of view. He was not mad at him anymore. He shouldn’t have said that to Spider, but his apologies seemed really sincere. The person he loved had been killed by Sky People and, even if he was still young, love was a powerful thing. He couldn't help but think of what he would have done if he had lost Aonung. The only thought of it just made him nauseous.

"Mo'reng was the nicest person I've ever met," Aonung said after a few minutes of silence. "He's at peace with Eywa now, he's safe and protected." He put a friendly hand on Na'aku who started to tear up. But he shook his head immediately and got up.

"I said what I had to say, now I let you losers alone," Na'aku signed, the smirk back on his face.

Lo'ak rolled his eyes, but Aonung seemed amused.

"You're the loser! Just stay here or I'll beat the shit out of you again!" Aonung replied with a smirk as well, not focused on signing anymore.

"You wish! Want a rematch?" Na’aku crossed his arms.

Rotxo nudged Lo’ak. "I'd like to see that." He slid his arm around Spider’s shoulders, but the human boy shrugged it off.

"Not me…" Neteyam commented.

"No, stop! Guys, not again!" Tsireya complained, next to Rotxo.

Aonung and Na'aku ended up talking and everything was okay again. Some bitterness was still there lingering, but a certain cordiality was present. Tuk who had been playing with other kids her age, finally joined them. She was quickly followed by Saelyra and Valki who had been sitting apart the whole time.

"No more fights I hope," Valki spoke for the first time. Now that he looked at him more closely, Lo'ak noticed that he was the same height as him, he had a huge necklace and orange paint on his chest. A soft smile was on his lips.

Lo'ak smiled at him. "Only if someone else mess with me." He signed. Valki seemed to realize that he was deaf, and his eyes went wide.

"Sorry, I don't understand sign language. But you can read my lips?" Lo'ak nodded and he beamed. "Wow! That's amazing!"

"I wouldn't have guessed," Saelyra said, moving her lips slowly.

Lo'ak chuckled. "You can speak normally, just make sure I’m looking at you."

"Oh okay, sorry. I will." She smiled warmly and seemed to blush, but Lo'ak wasn't sure.

Everyone started to converse in small groups. Spider and Kiri debated on something while Rotxo listened to them and occasionally laughed. Neteyam was talking with Tuk and Tsireya and Aonung with Na'aku. Meanwhile, he got to know Saelyra and Valki a little better as they continued to talk. He learned that she was his age and was a Tsakarem like Tsireya. Her brother Valki was a hunter and he explained how the Tayrangi people had learned to adapt to the sea even though they didn't have fins or long tails like the Metkayina. Lo'ak was fascinated by everything.

A hand tapped his shoulder. It was Tuk. "Did you eat something, Lo'ak?" She asked in signs.

Lo'ak blinked and realized that he hadn't eaten much. Some fruit earlier, but then nothing else for a while.

"I took that for you," she continued to sign.

He was surprised she had noticed, even more when she gave him a bowl with fish and some vegetables. He took it gladly. Now that he thought about it, his stomach was rumbling.

"Thank you, Tuk."

Neteyam smiled softly. "Such a thoughtful sister."

"Yeah, I'm the best!" Tuk grinned.

Saelyra moved closer to Lo'ak and drew his attention to her. "I liked how you defended your siblings earlier. You guys seemed to be close, just like me and my brother."

Lo'ak rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Well, yeah. Thanks…" Back in the forest, he didn't interact enough with people of his age, so it was strange for him to have her openly flirt with him. He had liked a girl once, but she had never noticed him. Aonung was the first person to have been interested in him and the first person he had truly fallen in love with.

Suddenly, Aonung got closer to him, and his arm slid around his waist. He wasn't even looking at him but at Na'aku. Lo'ak couldn't really see his lips from the side, but he knew he was saying something.

"Really? This is your boyfriend?" He saw Na'aku say.

Aonung finally looked at him. "Yeah!" And he smiled proudly.

Lo'ak immediately blushed. Saelyra moved a little bit away, embarrassed. He hoped Aonung hadn't done that just because he was jealous, but it didn't seem like it. It seemed that he really wanted to introduce him as his boyfriend to Na'aku and it warmed Lo'ak's heart.

It was getting late and the leaders of the Ta'unui and Tayrangi clans said their goodbyes. The fight had been forgotten, and the rest of the celebration had gone smoothly. Lo'ak was relieved that this little incident hadn't gone out of proportion and had been solved immediately. Knowing more about Na'aku had changed his perspective. He didn't hold any grudge and they all separated on a good note.

His parents didn’t seem disappointed anymore and were glad he actually made up with Na'aku. Even Tonowari and Ronal were not angry at him, all things considered, and he hoped things would be better with them and Aonung.

When everything had been cleaned up, they all headed to their marui pods. Aonung had insisted on accompanying Lo'ak. They held hands as they walked to his marui, stopping when they finally arrived. His family didn't wait for him and got inside, tired of the day. Kiri turned to smirk at them before entering their home.

"What a day…" Aonung started to sign as they were alone.

"Yeah." It was the only word that came out of Lo'ak's mouth. The constellations on Aonung's skin caught his interest. With his hair down like this, he looked stunning.

Aonung got closer and stroked his cheek with his hand softly. "How are your ears? Has the ringing stopped?"

Lo'ak didn't expect him to ask him that. He had forgotten about it. The light buzzing was gone and the overwhelming stimulation too. All there was left was muffled sounds that he couldn't make out, that seemed like nothing, barely existing. Sometimes he wanted to hear again, hear his siblings' voices, their laughs, his parents' voices too and at this instant, Aonung's voice.

"I'm fine," Lo'ak replied, grateful to be able to create memories with the people he loved even if a part of him had been lost.

Aonung kissed his cheek as he brought their bodies closer. "I'm glad to hear that." He let go of him and Lo'ak already missed his warmth and comforting scent, a sweet aroma of mangrove leaves and the flower oil he had put in his hair.

"Okay, well, I'll see you tomorrow. Goodnight, Lo'ak." He signed before walking away.

Lo'ak watched him leave for a few seconds and then his legs moved on their own.

"Wait!" The word came out of his mouth suddenly.

Aonung turned around surprised. Lo'ak ran to him and cupped his face to kiss him without any warning. It was gentle and full of tenderness, a demonstration of love in the most typical way, but with the desire to leave a mark on his lips, so he would wake up with his kiss still ghosting on them tomorrow and remember him.

When Lo'ak pulled away, Aonung was stunned. A smile was soon forming on his lips.

"Goodnight." Lo'ak signed before turning his back and heading toward his home.

Chapter Text

Aonung had been helping his mother a lot lately. She was at the end of her pregnancy and soon his brother or sister would be born. She seemed more tired than ever, and her feet hurt most of the time, so he and Tsireya had tried to relieve her of her tasks as much as they could. Tsireya would help prepare different medicine and other Tsahìk things he didn't know about. Anything his mother asked him to do, he would do it in the blink of an eye. He didn't want to cross her in any way because when she was angry, it was pretty scary…

His father had also asked him to assist him in many activities, and he had never had this much responsibility before. Ever since the little accident with Na'aku, Aonung had made sure to do everything in his power to show them they could trust him again. He had wanted to be reliable as possible. Everything had been pretty good with his parents. They seemed to have noticed all his efforts. He had been in a fantastic mood despite all the works he had and was actually excited to meet his new sibling. It was going to be strange to have a new addition to the family, but he had gotten used to the idea by now.

More than that, his relationship with Lo'ak was amazing. He had fallen harder and harder as time had gone by. Lo'ak had become his whole world within these past few months. It felt so good being with him and discover so much more about him as they enjoyed the little moments they had together. They had fought about silly things, but their bond was strong, and he loved him more each day. Nothing could separate them… At least, he hoped.

He just wanted to be with Lo'ak as much as he could. Although, he liked spending time with his friends as well, especially Rotxo. They would go hunting together or explore their surroundings in the search for materials they would use to make spear guns. They enjoyed playing games in the water too, it was their moment to relax and have fun just the two of them. Tsireya would join them sometimes when she wasn't busy with her Tsakarem training? She had also helped him a lot with various tasks since their mother had been unable to do them. It was always nice when he hung out with her. She was easy to talk to and he could be vulnerable with her, well, when he felt like it. He actually loved spending time with his sister, but he would never admit this to her.

One afternoon, he was weaving baskets for his mother. Sitting on a log, he had spread everything he needed at his feet, and had started to get to work. He was halfway through one basket when Neteyam approached him. He eyed him curiously as he got closer.

"Hey, Neteyam, what's up?" He asked and then continued to weave without looking at him.

"Hey, Aonung." Neteyam replied in a calm voice. "Do you know where Lo'ak is? I thought he would be with you."

"Probably still with Payakan," he answered with a shrug. "We're not always together, you know." He added after a small pause, looking straight at the Omaticaya.

And he hadn’t really said that sarcastically. Lo'ak loved to go see Payakan. Aonung knew that he had begged his parents so many times to go on his own and they had finally found a compromise. Payakan would come close to the reefs so Lo'ak wouldn't go too far. The younger boy had told him this morning that he would meet with the tulkun.

Now and then, they gave each other some space and some time alone. He had been a little bit clingy at the start of their relationship, but it was mostly because he hadn't been sure about Lo'ak's feelings, and they hadn't started on the right foot. He had wanted Lo’ak to like him as much as he did. It had been the first time he had feelings this strong for someone. But now he was sure how Lo'ak felt about him, and their relationship was easier.

Neteyam chuckled. "Every time I look for my brother, he's with you so…"

"You're exaggerating!" Aonung scoffed, slightly annoyed. He liked being with Lo'ak, but it had definitely been a coincidence if Neteyam had seen them together every time.

"Okay, don't be mad." Neteyam responded with a teasing smile. "I'm glad you guys enjoy being together. You love my brother, I can see that."

Aonung hesitantly cracked a small smile. "Yeah…"

"You won't hurt him, right?" The oldest Sully asked in a sudden serious voice that made Aonung frown. There it was! He knew that Neteyam would give him the big brother lecture again.

"I already promised you, I won't!" Aonung retorted, putting his unfinished basket on the ground. He had already had this conversation with him. Neteyam had been way too protective over his brother and since their first arrival in Awa'atlu he had shown to be suspicious of Aonung. Probably because he had made fun of them at their first encounter, so it was fair enough, but things had changed now.

"Good." Neteyam elbowed him gently as he sat next to him. He smiled at him sincerely. "I'm just happy that Lo'ak is happy. And you make him happy so… Don’t worry, I trust you now."

Neteyam could be really nice and compassionate, and he was a strong warrior. Aonung actually liked him. Sometimes they teased each other and even train together. Neteyam was usually calm, but when it came to Lo'ak, he would change into his protective brother mode, and you didn't want to cross his way when that happened. However, he had gained Neteyam's trust over the months and he had shown to be pretty supportive of his relationship with Lo'ak. Well, after a lot of threats about gutting him like a fish if he ever hurt his brother. Aonung had laughed but he had seemed rather serious when he had said it at the time.

"That day you told me you would gut me like a fish if I hurt Lo'ak, you were joking, right?" Aonung asked with a light chuckle, reminiscing the scene again.

Neteyam smirked. "Hm? Yeah…"

Aonung gulped. He didn't like the smile and his sudden dark eyes. Neteyam stared at him for a minute and then burst out laughing. The Metkayina was speechless when he realized that he was messing with him.

"You're a dick," he mumbled and elbowed him hard in the ribs, making Neteyam yelp in pain. The oldest Sully pushed him off the log, and they started to wrestle. Just when he thought he was winning Lo'ak walked up to them, and he stopped his movements altogether. Neteyam took this opportunity to throw him on the ground and sit on him, so he couldn't move anymore.

"What are you two doing?" Lo'ak actually uttered, his eyes scanning them judgingly.

Neteyam bounced a little on Aonung's back when he tried to move, and the abrupt movement made him eat a little bit of sand. "Neteyam, you little shit!" He grumbled, trying to keep his mouth away from the ground.

Suddenly the weight of the Sully was gone. He shifted in a crouch and then got up slowly. Lo'ak was signing something to his brother, but he couldn't see his hands well with Neteyam blocking his view. He came closer to see better.

"No… I was just messing with him!" Neteyam signed, smiling at his brother.

Lo'ak rolled his eyes. "Anyway, why were you looking for me?"

"Mom wants to go on a little flight together. You're in?"

Lo'ak seemed to think about it and then looked at Aonung with a tender smile.

"No, I'm good. I'll stay here." Lo'ak replied confidently.

Aonung’s grin gradually turned into a smirk when Lo'ak added, "With Aonung."

"I told you, you guys were always together," Neteyam commented to Aonung who tsked.

Aonung loved how smaller Lo'ak was, how he fitted so well in his arms. He could kiss the top of his head and hold him close to his chest. Lo'ak would trail his fingers on his pectorals, tracing the aquamarine stripes as they kissed.

They had been alone in the Sullys' marui pod after an underwater swimming session. It had started with them laughing about stupid things and teasing each other affectionately and then Aonung had just taken a proper look at Lo'ak, really looked at him with tenderness, almost in bewilderment. He still couldn't believe that Lo'ak was his boyfriend. He had gotten a few crushes and two short relationships that hadn't gone anywhere. He had not been really in love, not like he was with Lo'ak. His love for him was breathtaking and aching. It felt raw and genuine, and natural. Lo'ak had been a light in his life. His sun.

Aonung wondered if you could suffocate from love as Lo'ak enveloped him with his arms, warm and soft, gold irises fixated on him, boring into him and he couldn't breathe.

"Kiss me," Aonung whispered, knowing that Lo'ak could see his lips perfectly. He requested that even if that was all they had been doing since they had sat in the marui.

As they kissed more and more, Aonung felt a new passion blossoming in his belly. It was burning, a fire going bigger and bigger. He held Lo'ak closer, stroking his skin, letting his tongue travel inside his mouth with want and then, he decided to pepper kisses on Lo'ak's neck. He licked his skin curiously and drank all the whimpers and moans his boyfriend let out.

He slowly pulled away a little to look at Lo'ak again and dived in to kiss him hard as the Omaticaya climbed on his lap, his tail wagging in excitement. His hands traveled on Lo'ak's back when he heard a noise and immediately stopped his kisses. He looked where the noise came from and saw with horror Jake Sully, Toruk Makto, standing in the entrance of the marui with a fruit basket in hands.

Aonung shoved Lo'ak away from him in a quick motion, and the younger boy groaned in disappointment. His boyfriend was about to protest but he nudged him and nodded towards his father. Lo'ak looked confused at first and then turned his head. He went livid, his ears were pulled back, and he let out a small scream of surprise when his father walked in, finally.

Jake cleared his throat, uncomfortable, looking anywhere but his son. He didn't look mad; it was a good sign… Right? Aonung tried to reassure himself as much as he could in a situation like this, but he wanted to bury himself in the sand and never come out again.

Toruk Makto approached them slowly, hesitantly, but he looked like he had something to say. "I know you two are in that age, but… you're too young to have… sex." He said carefully while he signed too. Aonung could see that he was trying really hard to stay calm.

Lo'ak gasped and turned to look at Aonung with round eyes. Aonung rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed. He just wanted to hide. Lo'ak's eyes focused back on his father.

"We're not having s-sex!" He retorted, exaggerating his signs and his facial expressions. "We were just kissing!"

"I'm not stupid Lo'ak, I know where this is usually going and I'd rather have a talk about this with you and your mom later," Jake replied, his slight anger starting to show. "I don't want you two to be here alone when we're not there, okay?"

"Why? We're not going to have sex!" Lo'ak exclaimed without signing, and Aonung wished to die on the spot.

"It was so embarrassing, Rotxo," Aonung told his friend later when they hung out by the beach, near a mangrove tree. "I don't think I can look at Jake in the eye ever again…"

Rotxo was laughing so much that he started to choke and cough. When he finally calmed down, Aonung was glaring at him. "I'm sorry, but this is so funny. Like what were you thinking? Never make out in a place your parents can walk in!"

"I know! I got caught up in the moment and didn't think!" Aonung grumbled. "Especially when Lo'ak told me we would be alone for a while."

"Were you really?" Rotxo smirked.

Aonung frowned. "What?"

"Trying to have sex?"

"No!" The chief's son yelled, defensively.

"Alright, alright. Just asking, we have needs sometimes so it's fine…"

There was a pause where none of them spoke and just looked at the waves crash onto the shore in a comfortable silence.

"Well, I mean…" Aonung started to speak again. "Sometimes I have these… feelings, you know, but um… It's just, we're not there yet."

"Right. Well, that's fine. You have time." Rotxo simply answered with no mockery in his voice. He was one of the few people he could actually trust to talk about his feelings without feeling like he was being judged. Rotxo liked to tease him, but not when he actually talked to him seriously like this.

Aonung nodded and then Rotxo started fidgeting, clearly thinking about confessing something too.

"What is it?" Aonung knew when Rotxo was bothered by something. He kept running a hand through his thick short hair.

"Do y-you think it's weird to find a human attractive?" He stuttered, his cheeks slowly changing into a light purple.

Aonung had his opinion about it and thought Rotxo would want him to be sincere with him. "Yeah, kinda."

He was okay with humans like Spider or the few scientists remaining on Pandora who weren't a threat to them, but physically, Aonung found them quite odd looking. Humans were short, had no tails, but strange ears and tiny eyes. They couldn't climb on trees or swim well; they were fragile and unable to breathe the air and were mostly useless in a world like Pandora. He found them pretty ugly and didn't understand that anyone could find them attractive in any way. It was surprising for him that Rotxo even suggested that. He had figured he was thinking the same way as him about humans.

Rotxo looked really disappointed. "You really think so? Why?"

"I mean look at them! They are some ugly-looking creatures with hairs everywhere and creepy tiny eyes. I've seen fish with better appearances than that." Aonung was straightforward with his words, but he knew he could be with Rotxo.

His friend fell into silence and had a conflicted look on his face. It wasn't the reaction Aonung had expected from him. He had thought he would have laughed and agreed with him, but he just looked disappointed and sad.

"Why are you asking me that anyway?"

Rotxo bit his lip. "Okay… Please, you're my best friend so don't laugh, but uh… I think that I might be interested in… Spider."

Aonung's eyes widened. That was the last thing he had expected from Rotxo. He had seen something going on between him and Kiri, but Spider? He hadn't seen that coming.

"You have always been after the pretty girls in the clan, not even Na'vi boys. But a human boy?" Aonung was speechless.

"I don't know, it feels weird for me too!" Rotxo replied hastily. "At first I just liked teasing him, and then I started to have these feelings when I looked at him and I didn't understand…"

Aonung was even more shocked. "What about Kiri?"

"Well, I like her. She's nice and funny. I think she might like me more than a friend, but I can't stop thinking about Spider. I really don't know what to do…" Rotxo was starting to blush.

"What do you like about him?" Aonung asked, confused.

Rotxo blushed even more and looked at the ground. "I don't know, he's just cute and small and I just want to protect him. When we talk about Pandora or our culture, he's always so interested and his eyes sparkle. He learned a lot of things pretty quickly and doesn't let the fact that he's human stop him from doing what he wants to do. He's just… He's just awesome!"

He was smiling giddily when he finished and that was enough for Aonung to understand. He knew what it was like to be in love, and he couldn't judge Rotxo for that, whether his love interest was human or not.

"Okay, I get it." Aonung mumbled, still a little bit stunned by his friend’s revelation and Rotxo grinned. He seemed relieved and they fell into silence again.

Rotxo gave him one of the fruits he had brought. They both bit into the juicy fruits at the same time and munched quietly until Tsireya ran to them.

"Aonung!" She called him urgently when she was close enough. "It has started! Mother is giving birth!"

"Seriously? Where is she?" he jumped on his feet immediately. Rotxo got up too.

"Father brought her to the Cove of the Ancestors," Tsireya said excitedly, bouncing on her feet. "Let's go join them!"

They quickly called for their ilus as they ran to the shore. When they arrived there, they could see their parents in the water, above the Spirit Tree.

"Mother!" Aonung called and both of their parents turned to look at them with smiling faces. In his mother's arms was the baby naked against her chest.

He swam closer with Tsireya to have a first look at their new sibling.

"Let's get out of the water," his father told them softly. He looked beyond happy, and he couldn't stop smiling as the corners of his eyes were creased.

They stepped on dry land and sat close together. Their mother stroked the baby's cheek gently. "This is your sister. Mireyni."

Tsireya brought her hand to her forehead. "I see you, my sister." Aonung mimicked her, in awe. It was strange to finally see his sister.

His mother let them hold her and when she was finally settled in his arms, her eyes opened and eyed him curiously. She had clear blue eyes and her turquoise skin seemed smooth and perfect. A small patch of hair was already on her head, but her queue was still bare. Aonung loved her right away.

He didn't remember when he had met Tsireya for the first time, he was only one year old, so this was a new experience to share with his family. He had never seen his father with such a bright face and his mother smiling like this. Clan leaders or not, Tsakarem, chief's son, duties… None of that mattered in that instant. They were a family first, and it felt good. It felt right.

His mother took her daughter back and then proceeded to make the first connection with her. She linked their queues together and Mireyni babbled in her arms, probably feeling her mother completely.

Aonung put his hand on her small belly, and Tsireya followed to put hers on his hand. Finally, their father joined the contact, and they stayed like this until Mireyni's first tsaheylu was over.

His parents organized a celebration for their newborn the next day. It was colorful, happy and full of life. Lo'ak had given a gift for Mireyni, a little bracelet that he had made with the remaining material he had left from his home. He didn’t know Lo’ak had made it in secret, it had been a pleasant surprise when he had shown him the gift. It made him feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

As Aonung held his sister, Lo'ak tied the bracelet around her little wrist. He looked at it with wonder, tilting his head with focus.

"I think it's a little big, I'll make some adjustments." He took the gift back, a little disappointed it didn't go as planned, but Aonung tried to reassure him.

"It's perfect, Lo'ak. Thank you," Aonung assured him with loving eyes. Lo'ak looked at him softly, taking in the compliment with a pride smile.

The embarrassing moment with Jake had been quickly forgotten with his sister's birth and celebration. There was no awkwardness between them, like he had imagined, and Jake didn't talk about it again during the festivities.

Tsireya asked to hold her sister and eventually everyone came to look at her more closely, Rotxo, Kiri, Tuk, Neteyam and Spider swarmed around her curiously.

"She kinda looks like you, Aonung," Kiri commented as she examined Mireyni.

"I think she looks more like Tsireya," Neteyam added as he signed to Lo’ak.

"Actually, I would say more like Ronal," Spider signed back.

"Yeah, it's crazy. Almost like we're the same family," Aonung remarked sarcastically. Lo'ak snorted and shook his head, smiling.

After the celebration ended, Aonung kissed Lo'ak goodnight and headed towards his family's marui.

As he watched his mother feeding his baby sister, Aonung already imagined himself teaching her how to hunt or use her first weapon. The idea made him grin widely and his heart burst with joy.

"What is that face?" His mother asked with some tiredness in her voice. She had participated in the organization of Mireyni's celebration not even a few hours after her birth. They had tried to force her to rest, but it was impossible with her.

"What face? I'm just happy." Aonung shrugged, smiling widely.

"You look happy, indeed," she confirmed. "You have been happier lately."

"You think so?"

"Yes, ever since you met that boy." That made Aonung blush. Tsireya beside him, chuckled lightly.

Aonung nodded, trying hard to hide his flushed face. "Lo'ak is great."

He expected his mother to agree too, but she made a face. It was that face she made when she didn't like something. He gulped when he realized that she was about to say something he wouldn't like to hear.

"I don't really approve of your relationship, you know that." She started to say. "Lo'ak has demon blood and I'd rather want you to be with someone of our clan. I don't want you to get too excited for something that is not going to last…"

Aonung lowered his head. He had expected her to say something like that. She had been the less supportive of his relationship with Lo'ak since the beginning, but he had hoped she would have warmed up to it by now. He couldn't help but feel disappointed.

"My love," his father intervened. "Don't tell him that. He's in love and there's nothing you can do about that. Remember how your mother didn't like me at first? That didn't prevent us from being together."

He was thankful that his father had come to the rescue. Unlike his mother, he was more supportive. As long as Lo’ak didn’t distract him from his duties. He knew his father wanted him to experience things his age and enjoy his youth. Despite everything, he let him be a teenager.

"That is true, but I'm just worried for you, my son. I told you not to get too attached… From the beginning, I told you. It will be painful when he's going back home." His mother continued.

She had told him that several times, but Aonung didn't care. He just wanted to be with Lo'ak as much as he could so he would have no regret when Lo'ak would actually go back to his home. He knew it would happen at some point. But that didn't mean they would be over, that they would never see each other again. Their bond, whether it was romantic or even platonic, was strong. That was why he wasn't worried. They would always find each other; he was sure of that.

"I know. But let me be happy while it lasts," he just answered, his voice firm. Tsireya turned her face to him and smiled proudly.

His mother pursed her lips, not entirely convinced, but he could see he had touched a chord with her. "Alright… Don't say I didn't warn you." She finally said stubbornly.

His father approached her, slid an arm around her shoulders affectionately and kissed her cheek before taking his daughter into his arms. Mireyni cooed and grabbed her father's curl with her tiny hand.

"I'm glad that you're happy with Lo'ak, but I think we're going to set some boundaries," his father began to say. "I spoke with Jake earlier and he told me that—"

Aonung didn't let his father finish, he immediately jumped in the water under the marui. He didn't want to hear it, not now, not ever. He could find another island far away from everything and start a new life there. That seemed like the best idea…

Chapter Text

Lo'ak was impatient. He had waited all morning for Max and Norm to arrive in Awa'atlu. He kept looking at the sky, expecting the helicopter to just appear.

It was an important day. Norm had contacted his dad a few days ago and told him that they had developed new hearing aids for him. There had been some tests in the past, but they had been unsuccessful. Making hearing aids for Na'vi was not the same as creating them for humans. Their ears worked differently and every time Lo'ak had tried a new pair, it had not helped him hear better. He could hear faint sounds here and there, perhaps more distinctively than usual as he could guess what the sounds could be associated with, but it wasn't enough. Lo'ak wanted to hear properly, he had seen how it worked on humans in videos.

Max was convinced that they could find a way to make hearing aids that would suit Lo'ak and help him improve his hearing. Lo'ak knew that his injury was irreversible, but a part of him wished that he could be fixed.

When his dad had told him they would come, it had just brightened his day. He couldn’t stop grinning to himself, and his brother teased him about it thinking it was because of Aonung. After returning from hunting with Neteyam and Tsireya, he stayed at the beach. He looked up at the sky again, waiting to see if the two scientists would come soon.

His mom walked towards him when she saw him standing there alone. "They are coming, Lo'ak… staying here won’t make them come faster," she signed to him with a soft smile.

"I know but I can't wait," Lo'ak replied energetically. "I want to hear you, Mom… And dad, Tuk, Kiri, everyone!"

"Lo'ak, I don't want you to get your hopes up," his mom signed with precision, facing him entirely so he didn't miss one single sign.

He sighed. She was right but he was still excited. "Yeah, but this time, I can feel it, it will all work out!"

"There will be some progress eventually," she just concluded and then put her hand on his shoulder. "I’m going to go see Ronal, I’ll see you later." She added before kissing his temple. He reluctantly let her and then she left.

Lo'ak decided to wait close to the shore, at the foot of a palm tree. Aonung joined him minutes later. He was holding a flower. It was a flower that Lo'ak had mentioned that he liked. A beautiful flower that Aonung slid in his hair, between two braids just behind his left ear.

"I thought it would look pretty on you," Aonung signed with some awkwardness. He seemed apprehensive of Lo'ak's reaction.

"Thanks Aonung," Lo'ak said at first and then decided to tease him. "You're way too nice… Do you expect something from me? A kiss perhaps?"

Aonung didn't fall for it and smirked. "Seems like you want a kiss."

"I don't, but if you insist…"

"Come and get it then, forest boy." Aonung signed slower than usual and winked as he finished.

Lo'ak chuckled and came closer. His lips were inches away from Aonung's, getting closer and closer until he could feel his hot breath against his own. But instead of pressing his lips onto his, Lo'ak tilted his head to place a small kiss on Aonung's cheek.

The Metkayina groaned in frustration. "So, you're really being a tease right now." Lo'ak smiled and feigned innocence. Aonung shook his head, amused, and finally gave a peck on Lo'ak's lips. Light and soft.

Aonung looked past him and smirked. "Look behind you. Rotxo and Spider."

Lo'ak turned around to see what Aonung was talking about. Rotxo and Spider were playing near the water. Rotxo carried Spider on his shoulders, his small legs dangling over the Metkayina’s chest. Spider had his arms wrapped around Rotxo's neck, looking at him from above, and they seemed to be laughing. Lo'ak was surprised. He was used to seeing them with Kiri all the time. It was strange to see them without her. Well, he had seen them having fun, just the two of them, but not like this. Not this intimately. He didn't know if they even realized.

Rotxo was now running in the shallow water, splashing it at every step. He was holding Spider's legs firmly so he wouldn't fall. They seem to be talking, but Lo'ak wouldn't know what they were saying. He was just glad to see Spider being happy like this.

Lo'ak felt Aonung take his hand and snapped his head back towards him.

"I don't know if I should tell you this, but Rotxo told me he was in love with Spider," he then signed to Lo'ak.

He was stunned by this revelation. He hadn't seen that coming at all! He had seen how they had gotten closer since Spider had been here, but not this close. Lo'ak had no idea what Spider felt about Rotxo, though, he had never asked.

"Does Spider know?" He asked inquiringly.

"Not to my knowledge," Aonung replied with a small frown. "But don't you think it's weird?"

"What?"

"A human and a Na'vi… together?" Aonung had signed this with a repulsed face and Lo'ak didn't understand why he was so freaked out about this.

"I mean, yeah they're two different species, but if they love each other then, it's fine." Lo'ak retorted, shrugging.

"Humans are so disgusting, though," Aonung added, a grimace not leaving his face.

"Have you looked at yourself? You ugly ass fish lips!" Lo'ak countered with a smirk and Aonung jokingly hissed at him. It was their usual banter so obviously he wasn't offended in the slightest.

He grabbed Lo'ak by his shoulder and peppered kisses on his face hungrily, a little bit too intensely, like it was a punishment.

Lo'ak broke free by pushing him. "I insult you and that makes you want to kiss me?" He signed with a teasing smile. "Is that your kink?"

"I don't even know what the hell you're talking about." Aonung answered and then held Lo'ak by the waist and pulled him against him. He was about to kiss him but stopped to look around for a few seconds.

There were not many people where they were, most of them were in their marui or doing some work in the communal area. They were close to a tree, almost imperceptible, only them could watch everyone else. But Aonung seemed to be scared to get caught anyway and Lo'ak knew exactly why. That day they had kissed in his family's marui, his dad had seen them. It had been the most embarrassing moment he had ever experienced. After that, his parents had given him a speech about growing up and sex, and it had scarred him for life. His mom had told him that it was normal for Na'vi teenagers to explore their sexuality before mating for life with the partner of their choice. But only at a certain age and they still thought he was too young to experience this. Lo'ak had protested because it had not been the plan at all. They had certainly enjoyed a steamy moment that day, but not to the point of having sex. They were not there yet, anyway…

Finally reassured, Aonung leaned in and gave Lo'ak one of the best kisses of his life.

Lo'ak smiled giddily, the kiss still tingling on his lips, his heart thumping loud in his chest and his stomach fluttering because he was in love, and it felt like the most incredible feeling in the world.

They kept kissing under the big tree almost covering them and when he was satisfied, Lo'ak let go of him. He walked away from where they were and looked up again, searching for any sign of the scientists until he saw something.

It was coming, closer and closer. That was when he saw the helicopter approaching. Lo'ak couldn't quite hear the loud noise of the engine, he remembered the sound vaguely, but judging by Aonung covering his ears with his hands, it was very loud. Norm in his Na'vi form finally stepped out of the helicopter with Max when it landed on the ground. Sand had flown everywhere and Lo'ak had a little bit in his hair.

He jumped in excitement and ran to them. He realized Aonung had followed him when he tapped his shoulder.

"Why are they here again?"

"My hearing aids!" Lo'ak signed rapidly before greeting the scientists. He had told Aonung about it before, but he hadn't seemed to quite understand how it worked. Small devices made by humans that could make him hear again must have been crazy to him.

His mom and dad arrived to greet them too, seeing them coming from afar. Their arrival had alerted a few Metkayina, but it seemed that Tonowari had informed the clan. Some kids came running to see what was happening more closely.

It didn't take long for them to settle in the Sullys’ marui so they could examine Lo'ak. Aonung had joined the family, mostly curious about the whole process.

"Been quite some time, Lo'ak," Max said warmly. "How are your ears? Any pain? Anything?" Max and Norm weren't fluent in sign language, so Max mostly talked and made sure Lo'ak could see his lips.

It had certainly been a while, but Lo'ak was used to the usual examination. They had done it every year since his rehabilitation.

"All good, except for the regular ringing in my ears." He shrugged, not really caring about the formalities. He was too impatient to have his hearing aids.

Max nodded. "Okay, let's see." He used several instruments to check his ears and Lo'ak could see Aonung wince every time an object came closer. That made Lo'ak chuckle. Meanwhile his parents and his siblings were all attentive and watching quietly.

"Well, Lo'ak. It seems good. I don't see any more damage to your eardrums. It had healed properly since your last surgery. Everything's fine."

Lo'ak was happy to know that. He turned his head to see his parents sigh in relief. They had been worried about him all the time, scared that they had to do another surgery. He had gotten too many in the past…

Finally, Norm pulled the objects of his fantasies out of his bag. It hadn't been the first test over the years. This pair of hearing aids was the eighth attempt, a new prototype that everyone hoped would work. Especially Lo'ak. He had dreamt about hearing again last night and it had felt so real. His ears fluttered with excitement at the thought. He was ready.

"Just one thing Lo'ak," Norm warned him, trying to sign as best as he could, but it was quite messy. "This a test… No idea how your ears react… We correct… things but… it's (…) hard with Na'vi ears. Please, keep in mind (…) not work."

Lo'ak barely made an effort to read his lips. He guessed that it was something about it probably not going to work. He knew about this already, but he had a feeling. He wanted this to work so badly, he just wanted Norm to shove the things in his ears already.

He eagerly nodded and Norm smiled before taking the hearing aids. He pressed on a button and then put the devices one after the other on each ear. Lo'ak held his breath, waiting patiently. It wasn't as heavy as he had thought, it was pretty light, but it felt weird to have something around his ears like this. It had been a long time since he had tried these.

He waited for something to happen, to finally hear a noise, a voice… His eyes darted on everyone, waiting for them to speak to him. Max made a face and checked the hearing aids again before putting them back on him. Still no sound, nothing new. Something was wrong. Lo'ak started to panic. It was not how he had hoped things would have gone.

"Guys, say something," he mumbled, still hopeful.

Tuk, close to him, put her hand on his arms and her lips moved, but Lo'ak had the crushing realization that it was not working. He couldn't hear her. He had never heard her voice before. She had been born a year after his accident.

Max and Norm took the hearing aids back and seemed to manipulate them, turning buttons, using their tools to make some adjustments.

"Last try, Lo'ak," Max signed to him with a soft smile. But Lo'ak could see that he was worried for him because he knew how excited he had been.

When they put them back again on his ears, Lo'ak was confused. At first, he had thought he heard something, it was definitely better than before. The muffled sounds were louder, more present and continuous, but then it was faint, still imperceptible.

Neteyam got closer and started talking to him. He could hear his voice like it was far away, incomprehensible, and distorted. Everyone started to say something to him when they saw him reacting to the noises. It was uncomfortable. Their voices sounded like nothing, low and humming. He knew they were saying words, but he was too focused on the weird sounds to actually pay attention to their lips and understand what they were saying.

The slow realization that there was nothing else they could do struck him. It didn't work again. It had definitely improved since last time, but he couldn't hear well, couldn't make out the voices. It was scary to think his last hope just vanished into thin air. He had thought he would be fixed someday. But his hearing was never coming back. He would stay like this for life and when it actually sank in, it broke him.

It wasn't fair. He just wanted to hear everyone again… He watched the concern and sadness on his parents’ faces and his siblings trying to reassure him despite the fail, and Aonung's puzzled look on his face as he held his hand.

Lo'ak didn't wait for Norm to take off the hearing aids when he saw him shift and extend his hands to him with an apologetic and nervous smile. He got up abruptly and ran out of the marui.

He hated everything right now. He hated being like this, vulnerable, broken. He felt like Eywa had taken something from him and realizing that he would never get it back when he had so much hope, completely destroyed him. He felt the tears well up in his eyes.

Lo'ak stopped when he was far away from the village. He was breathing heavily. Feeling the objects still on his ears, he took them off and threw them on the ground. He watched them for a few minutes, exasperated, and then screamed his lungs out.

He felt a mixture of disappointment and despair, and sadness. He had so many expectations and it had all come crashing down, reality hitting him hard.

It had been hard to accept his disability in the past. It had happened so fast. One day he could hear his brother's laugh and the next, everything was a blur. When he had woken up, a lot of time had passed, and he remembered his head hurting and not being able to hear a thing. That time had been the scariest moment of his life.

He had adapted to the situation, but it had been tough. He remembered times when he cried himself to sleep because his life had changed so much and he felt different and alone, secluded when he couldn't walk, and not hearing a thing and being disoriented. The healing process and acceptation had been quite hard.

Having his hope crushed again was the last straw. He felt like he was crumbling, not controlling his emotions. He fled far away from the village and ended up at the Cove of the ancestors. Sometimes, he came here when he wanted to be alone. That day was the right time for that. He thought he would be by himself for a while, but Aonung had decided against it.

Lo'ak watched him come closer and stopped in front of him as he was crouched on the ground. "What are you doing here? I want to be alone." He signed half-heartedly. He felt like all his energy had been drained out. He had been so happy when Max and Norm had arrived earlier and progressively all his joy had been gone. The truth was vividly there, and he couldn't ignore it.

Aonung examined him for a small moment, lost in thoughts, probably trying to find the right words to say. Comforting words perhaps, that wouldn't work because Lo'ak was too far hurt. And still, the Metkayina lifted his hands up and started to sign with more precision than ever.

"I understand that, but everyone is worried about you. I told them I'll go find you. I knew you'll be here." He tried to ease the tension first, Lo'ak could see that clearly. However, anger was bubbling inside him, and it wasn't even directed at him. Unfortunately, he was the only other person here.

"I don't care! I want to be alone, Aonung!" Lo'ak attempted to calm the fire in him but couldn't.

Aonung raised his hands up defensively before signing again. "Alright. But hear me out. I don't understand completely how important these little things from Sky People are but… I understand your frustration and if you need me, I'm here, okay?"

Lo'ak looked up at him. It actually struck a chord with him, and for a few seconds, he wanted to surrender and tell him what he felt. It didn't last, though. Rejection was the only thing that he could come up with to protect himself, so he didn't have to talk about his feelings. Not when he was feeling like he had no control over anything.

"You don't know how I feel, and I don't need you, I don't need anyone!" Lo'ak spat, shouting words without signing. He didn't know why he had said that, he was panicking.

"You're not thinking straight right now…" Aonung signed sheepishly.

Trembling, Lo'ak got up and shouted, "Just go away!"

"Lo'ak, you can talk to me. I love you and I will always be there for you, deaf or not, it doesn't matter to me. I swear!" Aonung insisted, a soft expression on his face. He tried to take his hand gently, but Lo'ak swatted it away.

And then, all the words he didn't want to say, that he had avoided because it would make it real, came out. "It matters to me! I want to be normal! I want to be able to hear my family again, I want to hear Tuk for the first time, I don't want to feel excluded in conversations, I want to hear music, I want to hear Payakan… There are a lot of things I want, and I hoped everything would change today!"

Aonung tried to reach him again and put his hand on Lo'ak's shoulder, squeezing lightly. Lo'ak shrugged his hand off and then ran his hand in his hair in frustration. The flower Aonung had given him earlier fell on the ground. He grabbed it and threw it at Aonung.

"Take back your stupid flower, I don't want it!" He shouted some more in a desperate attempt to make Aonung leave.

He knew he was taking it too far, but it was the only way he had found to finally push Aonung away. It had the right effect. The Metkayina frowned, pain written all over his face.

"You can talk to me! Why don't you trust me? I thought you did!" Aonung protested and still not leaving. It seemed that he really wanted to be there for Lo'ak and it broke him that despite everything he had said, Aonung was giving him a chance to confide in him. He wanted to support him no matter what. Lo'ak didn't deserve him, especially in this moment.

"I have nothing to tell you," Lo'ak replied pitifully.

Aonung's lip twitched with anger. "Fuck you, Lo'ak! One minute you're all over me and the next you're pushing me away like I'm nothing to you?"

"Not everything is about you, okay?" It came out without Lo'ak controlling anything anymore.

"Well, fine! You don't need me? I don't need you either! I'll leave you alone!" Aonung signed angrily and walked away.

Lo'ak watched Aonung walked back to the shore through tears that were starting to blur his vision. He didn't want him to leave, not really. He was just so angry, frustrated and hopeless, his overwhelming emotions had made him lash out on his boyfriend. His boyfriend… He regretted all he had said now, bitterness leaving a bad taste in his mouth as he licked his dry lips.

He jumped on his feet and ran to Aonung desperately, grabbing his arm when the Metkayina was calling for his ilu. Aonung turned around but he looked annoyed.

"Let me go, Lo'ak!" He said without signing but facing him. "Just make up your mind!"

His fingers brushed the turquoise skin as he took his hand off.

Aonung seemed to want to reach out one last time, hesitated a second, but the moment his ilu arrived, he hopped on him and departed without a glance.

Lo'ak didn't say anything and let his tears fall down.

Chapter Text

Hello everyone ! 

No this is not a new chapter, sorry! I was quite busy these past few months, we've had a very busy summer in the publishing company I work at so it has been hard for me to update like I wanted.

Anyway, just wanted to let you know that I'm gradually writing again and I'm currently finishing the next and last chapter of this story. I think it's the right time to wrap things up and give you a satisfying ending... well I hope! 😊

Thank you for the continuous support on this fic with your lovely comments and kudos, it really means a lot ❤️ 

See you soon! 

Chapter Text

A week had passed since Norm and Max had come to Awa'atlu and tried hearing aids on Lo'ak. It had been unfortunately unsuccessful, and Lo'ak had not taken that very well. He had stubbornly stayed at the Cove of the ancestors, but Neteyam had finally convinced him to go back to the village with him. He had given back the hearing aids he had thrown away to the scientists and had a small lecture from his dad who had forced him to apologize for his behavior. And he had apologized. He was ashamed to have reacted like that, but Max had assured him that they understood his feelings and they would try again another time.

Lo'ak knew he had wanted to give him hope, but he had slowly come to the conclusion that nothing could fix him, and he had to learn how to finally live with this reality. He had lived with this disability half his life; he was strong enough. He needed to.

His fight with Aonung had been also on his mind all the time. He had not found the courage to speak to him again, too ashamed of what he had said and having rejected the person he loved with all his heart. A whole week without hanging with each other or talk to each other had made Lo'ak realized how much he loved Aonung. It hurt him so much not being with him, his heart ached for his touch and his comforting kisses. But it was his fault. He had been avoiding him since their fight. And Aonung, well, he seemed conflicted. Lo'ak could see that he wanted to approach him, but then he froze and never came to him.

Lo'ak wanted to say sorry and tell him how he felt, how he truly felt, but he was too scared to have pushed Aonung too far away already. He felt so miserable and ridiculous.

Aonung was so incredible, he seemed unreachable sometimes. Another thing Lo'ak realized was how much he admired the young Metkayina. He was strong-minded and had a huge sense of adaptability. Lo'ak was also jealous of Aonung's body. He was taller and larger, broader chest and bigger hands that could wrap easily around his smaller waist. He was stronger and a better diver and warrior than him. Most importantly, he had no disability. Lo'ak couldn't help but imagine himself being like this, as strong as Aonung, never having had his accident and being able to hear everyone. It was impossible, however, and it hurt him more than anything…

When he wanted to avoid speaking to Aonung, Lo'ak stayed in their marui. That was where Kiri and Neteyam found him brooding.

"My baby bro, you have to stop being so stubborn," Neteyam signed accusingly. "Go talk to Aonung. Right now."

"No way!" Lo'ak protested, bringing his knees closer to his chest as he was sitting on his bed.

Kiri put her hand on his forearm and Lo'ak peered at her. "He looks miserable without you." She added and then slapped his arm pretty hard. "Make up already!"

Lo'ak winced. "I don't want to face him right now. I said some mean things to him…"

"Well, you should apologize," Neteyam told him. "I don't like to see you like this, it reminds me when—" He didn't finish his signs, stopping midway and then sighed.

Lo'ak knew what he was about to say. The time he was not leaving his bed and avoided any contact with anyone, because his life had been completely robbed from him. And the last time the hearing aids hadn't work on him, Lo'ak had taken it hard. Not talking for a week and leaving their home every day to walk in the forest. His family had been so worried when he had come back after hours.

Accepting his disability had always been the hardest thing for Lo'ak. He still struggled to that day.

"Cheer up, brother!" Neteyam signed more enthusiastically. "You don't need those things anyway! We should accommodate ourselves to you, not the other way around, okay?"

Lo'ak nodded, but slightly pouted, still discouraged. Suddenly he felt Neteyam and Kiri getting close to him. They started kissing his cheeks repeatedly on each side of his face and Lo'ak protested.

"Stop it guys! I hate this!" They were clearly doing this to piss him off.

They had just tried to tease him, probably to distract him, but Lo'ak wasn't in the mood. Kiri sighed and gave up.

"Let's leave him alone, Neteyam," Lo'ak saw her say. And he didn't stop them when they stepped outside.

He was better alone anyway…

Lo'ak had to come out at some point. His dad had asked him to help weave fishing nets. Rotxo soon joined him as he was crouched alone a little farther from the communal area. He had not seen Aonung all day. Apparently, he was not the only one avoiding the other…

When Rotxo squatted down next to him, he seemed as miserable as him. His face looked like he had cried. His eyes were puffy and Lo'ak observed a single dried tear at the side of his cheek.

"Are you okay?" Lo'ak signed to him, intrigued.

"Why does it hurt to love someone?" Rotxo replied. "Does it hurt to love Aonung?"

Just as his name was mentioned, Aonung emerged out of the sea, water dripping from his hair as he untied it and tied it back. Lo'ak's heart clenched at the sight of him. He missed him so much. "Sometimes… Especially today." He watched the Metkayina walk towards his marui, not paying attention to him.  

"I heard you two fought? What happened? Aonung wouldn't tell me." Rotxo signed genuinely worried.

"Aonung was trying to make me feel better when my hearing aids didn't work and I just rejected him…" Lo'ak explained, regret washing over him. He felt so stupid, he wanted to go back in time and fix everything.

"Well, I know something about reject… but you could just talk to him. At least you have someone who loves you." Rotxo answered, sadness shimmering in his eyes.

"Why do you say that? What happened to you?"

Rotxo sighed and then took a deep breath. "I told Spider that I love him, and he rejected me."

"Really?" Lo'ak was shocked. But as he had thought before, he didn't know what Spider felt for Rotxo and now he got his answer.

"It's going to be so awkward between us now," Rotxo added, dropping the net he was holding. "He won't be my friend anymore."

Lo’ak put his hand on Rotxo’s shoulder. "Don't say that… I'm sure he still likes you very much even if it's not the way you wanted. I'll talk to him if you want!"

"No, it's fine…" Rotxo slowly signed, pouting. "But you have to talk to Aonung 'cause he can't stop talking about you and he's starting to be annoying."

Lo'ak blushed at that. "Maybe I will…"

Later that day, he still hesitated to go talk to Aonung even after his chat with Rotxo. He went to the beach. Diving with his ilu would definitely occupy his mind and distract him from Aonung. Seeing Payakan too.

Lo'ak went to see his friend, outside the reef, without his parents' permission because he needed to see the tulkun as soon as possible and he didn't want to wait. Payakan could sense that Lo'ak was troubled. They had linked so he was his soul brother for life, and they could feel each other whenever the other was nearby.

"I don't know what to do Payakan," Lo'ak signed to the tulkun. "I don't know why I acted like that…"

Payakan shook his head and moved it to side as if he was nuzzling Lo'ak. The Omaticaya put his hands on his head and stroked it lightly.

"Yeah, I know. I know I can fix things… I just don't know how." He mumbled, sighing at the end.

You'll find a way. Trust yourself.

Feeling his soul brother’s response right in his core, Lo'ak smiled and nodded.

When he got back to the shore, no one had suspected that he had gone far from the village. His parents didn't notice a thing. It was a relief because Lo'ak didn't want to be scolded again.

He felt a hand on his hand, tugging at it. As he turned his head to see who it was, Tuk was smiling at him, happily showing him something in her hand.

Lo'ak took it curiously. It was a bracelet with different pieces of materials, seashells, pearls and leather. It had a pretty blue stone in the middle, but it was all cracked and uneven.

"I did it myself! Well, Tsireya helped me too, but it was my idea to make a bracelet for everyone!" She signed enthusiastically.

She helped him put it on immediately and Lo'ak didn't know what to say.

"Thanks," he finally mumbled, a little bit surprised by the gift. "Is this your little secret project?"

"Yeah!" Tuck answered happily. "I wanted it to be a surprise. You all had your thing, diving, hunting and stuff and I wanted to do something too. Create something that would last, you know."

Lo'ak was impressed, it wasn't what he expected. He knew it was something involving seashells judging by the quantity she had collected in the past few weeks. But he didn't even imagine she was making bracelets for everyone.

"Each bracelet has something special that reminds me of all of you, so I really wanted it to be special." She added before adjusting the bracelet on Lo'ak's wrist. "I added this stone ‘cause it reminds me of you. It's broken on one edge but it's the most beautiful I've found. It's uneven, but it looks great and has a vibrant color." His sister then signed with a proud smile.

Lo'ak was shocked. It really touched a chord within him. "It looks really good, thank you Tuk."

"You seem weird today, and I mean like sad… Why are you always sad, Lo'ak?" Tuk asked with a worried expression.

Lo'ak's eyes widened. "What? I'm not…"

"You always seem sad, though. Please don't be sad. You have us." His sister signed, her eyes soft and comforting. Lo'ak swallowed the lump in his throat with difficulty. "I know why you're sad, but I don't understand. I've always known you like this. You are perfectly normal to me. You are great just the way you are."

She smiled brightly and Lo'ak fought back tears. Perhaps he was sad but didn't letting himself be all this time. What she had said had the effect of a hurricane on Lo'ak. It blew him away. It felt so nice to hear it from his sister that he was normal and loved just the way he was. With his disability.

He gave her a hug. "This is exactly what I wanted to hear. Thank you, Tuk."

Everything had seemed complicated for Lo'ak. But after talking with Rotxo and Tuk, he knew he had to confront Aonung. It was the most logical thing to do if he wanted to make up with him.

It was with newfound confidence that Lo'ak went to see Aonung at his marui. At first, he stood awkwardly at the entrance, hesitating if he should come in or not.

Aonung's back was turned, so he didn't notice him stepping hesitantly inside. Lo'ak decided to signal his presence, so he wouldn't startle him.

"Aonung," he whispered gently, and the older boy turned to face him, dropping what seemed like flowers on the floor. He looked embarrassed when their gazes met. He immediately hid the flowers behind him, pretending that nothing had happened.

"What?" Aonung signed, averting his eyes, not looking directly at Lo'ak as much as he could.

"I think we need to talk," Lo'ak replied, walking towards him.

Aonung's eyes widened, and he nodded eagerly. Lo'ak supposed that he had wanted to talk to him too but must have been scared as well. The Metkayina was sometimes just as stubborn as him…

Lo'ak sat next to him and opened his mouth to say all the things he wanted to say, without signing, just him bare and vulnerable, because he knew it was okay, and that he felt safe with Aonung.

But then, nothing came out, well at first. A moment of hesitation that quickly turned into determination. He wanted Aonung back, he wanted to be happy again and show him that he trusted him with everything he had.

He had still some work to do with himself, self-acceptance was not an easy thing, but he wanted to evolve.

"I'm sorry I snapped at you the other day and then avoided you. You have no idea how much I missed you, but I had to think and cool off on my own. Obviously, I still have some trouble with my disability and it's going to take time to accept it completely. I want to try, though, and I don't want to push you away, because I trust you and you're important to me. These past months I've been the happiest I've ever been in my life. I feel so lucky to have found someone who likes me just the way I am. Thank you."

Aonung appeared shocked, mouth gaped open, and eyes focused on Lo'ak intensely. Something seemed to click within him, and he got up quickly, forgetting about the flowers he had hardly succeeded to hide. 

The young Metkayina almost jumped on him to hug him, warmth surrounding Lo'ak like a soft blanket. His arms were holding him close until he finally pulled back after a little while. And then, hot lips pressed on his delicately, just like the first time they had kissed.

Lo'ak melted, his skin tingling and the familiar scent of Aonung invading his nostrils. It wasn't the best kiss they'd had, but the more meaningful. It was overwhelming and so, so good.

Aonung smiled through the kiss, as if he had thought the same thing as Lo'ak. When they broke apart, the world seemed so much brighter.

"So… I guess we're good, right?" Lo'ak signed with a light chuckle.

"Of course, fish head!"

Lo'ak frowned but kept chuckling. "What does that mean, 'fish head'? What?"

"No! Shit, I meant to sign 'dumbass'!" Aonung signed back, frustrated by his mistake.

"Oh, that makes sense, though, fish are kinda dumb…" Lo'ak replied with a smirk.

He showed him how he would sign the word and they started to argue which sign made more sense between the two.

They were back being themselves as if nothing had happened and this was what Lo'ak had hoped from the beginning.

Lo'ak looked at the flowers spread on the floor and wondered what they were for. Aonung followed his gaze and immediately grabbed them. He gave them to Lo'ak and waited for a reaction. The flowers were colorful and pretty, but Lo'ak didn't know what to do with them.

"I asked Spider what gift should I give you and he told me a bunch of flowers was the best option," Aonung signed hesitantly.

"Well, my dad told me it was a popular gift among humans but, hm… What is it for?" Lo’ak asked him, curious. A flower in his hair like last time made sense to him as an accessory, but so many flowers, what was he even supposed to use them for?

"I have no idea to be honest," Aonung replied. "I don't know why I followed his advice, he clearly doesn't know shit either!"

Lo'ak chuckled. "Knowing Spider, I think he really thought he helped you with that."

"Yeah well, do you… do you like them at least?" Aonung signed timidly.

"They're nice, thanks!" Lo'ak reassured him. He gave Aonung a kiss on the cheek to emphasize his gratitude.

The older boy's eyes lit up and he wrapped his arms around him. They enjoyed the warmth and the comfort of being close to each other.

Then, Aonung pulled back and signed, "I love you, Lo'ak. I love everything about you. Deaf or not, you're perfect to me just the way you are."

Lo'ak's heart fluttered in his chest. Tuk had said the same thing and he had felt loved then, even more in that moment. He realized that the people close to him really loved him for who he was, and it was so reassuring to actually hear it from them. It was not like he had doubted that his family loved him, but he felt like a burden sometimes, like he was bothering everyone. He had been wrong. They would be there for him always, and he knew that, but he had just needed a reminder; a reminder that he had people who actually cared for him.

They kissed. Lo'ak felt like he was smothered with happiness.

As they joined their family and friends later to have dinner in the communal area, everything seemed perfect for Lo'ak.

He could see that each member of their family had a bracelet made by Tuk. His own was really unique compared to everyone else and that made him even more proud to wear it.

Lo’ak sat next to Spider who looked lost in thought. Aonung followed and sat at his other side.

"You're okay, Spider?" He asked, trying not to be too loud.

Spider seemed to snap out of his daze and turned his head towards Lo’ak. "Wh-what?"

"You seem out of it…" Lo'ak followed his gaze and saw Rotxo opposite them, in front of the bonfire. He was sitting next to other kids. "Is it about what Rotxo said to you?"

The human boy immediately turned red. "Yeah…"

"Why did you reject him if you actually like him?" Lo'ak asked, confused.

"I… It's not going to work as long as I am in this body." Spider explained with a small shrug.

Lo’ak frowned. "What's wrong with your body?"

"I'm human, Lo'ak! I can't live without my exopack, I'm always at risk being out there. There's no future for us. I'm just being realistic!" Spider retorted, exasperated.

Lo’ak sighed and glanced at Aonung. He was staring at Spider empathically but didn't say anything.

"Whether you’re Na’vi or human, if you love each other that's all that count, no?" Lo'ak signed with vigor to show him it was important and that he meant it.

Spider rolled his eyes. "It's not enough. No one would accept us. Rotxo is living in a dream that is not coming true. I'm just wide awake."

"Well, you should talk to him truthfully and tell him exactly that," Lo'ak suggested. "You can figure this out together."

Spider seemed to really think about it this time. He sighed but a small smile appeared on his lips.

There was a short pause. Lo'ak put his hand on Spider's shoulder as comfort.

"Everything would have been so much better if I had been born a Na'vi, though…" he added with sad eyes, letting his hands drop on the ground after he finished signing.

Lo'ak nudged him. "Go talk to Rotxo, right now."

"Are you crazy?" Spider actually exclaimed with wide eyes. Lo'ak had seen his lips move clearly and laughed at his dumbfounded expression.

Spider was about to protest more when his eyes were suddenly focused on Aonung beside Lo'ak. The Omaticaya turned to look at his boyfriend and realized he had said something to Spider.

His best friend got up abruptly and made his way slowly towards Rotxo.

"What did you say?" Lo'ak asked, stunned.

Aonung simply shrugged. "Told him we’re still at war with humans who can come back and anything could happen. His moment is right now or he will regret it."

Lo'ak was pleasantly surprised. It was not a bad advice, and he wouldn't have said it better. Spider needed to take risks if he didn't want to have any regrets. Lo'ak needed to take more risks too and be brave. He was deaf and always would be and he would be the greatest warrior in all Pandora. He would never let his disability get in the way of his purpose. And this time he had to do it for himself and not to prove something to others.

When he properly had a talk with his parents, he felt so much lighter. Usually, he didn't like to talk about his accident or his deafness, and after what happened the other day with the hearing aids, he had felt more broken than ever. However, it was different that night. He had realized a lot of things and had slowly made peace with the fact that he would stay deaf, and for once he was okay with it. He was done being scared.

"I've never actually thanked you for everything you've done for me. When I was hurt and hopeless, you always tried to keep my spirit high and made sure I was okay. Even if you were painfully overbearing, sometimes." He watched them chuckle and then he pursued, "I know it was only to protect me and it made me stronger and I never gave up, so yeah, thank you."

Lo'ak let them embrace him and felt the tears of his mom on his shoulder. He felt like he could cry too but he smiled. It was so simple, happiness when you actually embrace it.

Later that night, Neteyam and Kiri convinced him to go swimming with other Metkayina.

"Come on, baby bro it's not that late," Neteyam told him, and their parents let them go because tonight was special in some ways, but only if they came back in an hour or so.

Kiri jumped immediately in the water, completely in her element while Neteyam stayed on the beach next to Lo'ak.

"So, you and Aonung? All good?" He signed with a teasing smile.

Lo'ak smiled back. "Yeah… we're good."

Spider and Rotxo caught his attention. They also were in the water, Spider in Rotxo's arms as the Metkayina held him tightly. They were laughing again and happy.

Lo'ak couldn't help but smile even more. He felt Aonung's hand on his arm, sliding to finally take his hand in his, interlacing their fingers easily.

He watched their joined hands, proudly admiring the bracelet his sister had given him earlier and then looked at Aonung.

They still held hands when they joined everyone in the water. Tsireya was swimming with Tuk and gave them a hug when she got close to them.

"Having fun?" She signed happily.

Lo'ak nodded. "How's your baby sister by the way?"

"Lively," Tsireya replied with a chuckle.

Aonung beside her, nodded. "She's exhausting our parents, but she's cute so that helps."

Lo'ak laughed wholeheartedly. The dark cloud that was shadowing his life started to fade, and bit by bit the sun would shine on him again.

They swam underwater, him and Aonung close to each other, holding hands. Lo'ak looked at him on a new light, a warm feeling tingling in his belly, happiness, something that was hard to hide in that moment.

He remembered the first time he had met Aonung. It had been so simple. They had come a long way since then, but just at first sight, Lo'ak had known his life was about to change. For better or for the worst, that he had not known at the time, but he had taken a risk, a leap of faith, a new start in this new home that was Awa'atlu.

Lo'ak would never regret coming there. It was his home now; Aonung was his home and he would not have it any other way.

It was so simple in the end.

"I love you, always," Lo'ak signed while they were still underwater. Bioluminescent creatures and sea weeds dancing around them in harmony, as their bodies gravitated towards each other, connecting like magnets.

"Always…" Aonung signed back, capturing Lo'ak's lips, the sea enveloping them like a soft blanket, welcoming them like they were its children. Safe and sound.

Together, always.