Work Text:
Neteyam almost never got sick, not really. Sure, he’d get a sore throat if he slept with an open window and he would sniff and sneeze around pollen, but he always got better within the day or just a day after. So he never had any sick days.
But he found that Ao’nung was different.
Ao’nung got fevers and caught coughs easily, one time spending an entire week home sick.
So when he messaged Neteyam on a Monday morning explaining he got sick, Neteyam was not surprised.
They had been going out for about a month by then, so to say Neteyam missed Ao’nung during class was an understatement. He dozed off during the lectures, not really listening to what his professors had to say. He was a few lectures ahead anyways. Instead, he hid his phone behind his pencil case and texted Ao’nung.
The other’s responses were slow, but not unenthusiastic. At first Neteyam felt bad for keeping the other from resting, but upon consideration, he knew his boyfriend wasn’t a fan of keeping still with nothing to do, anyways. He figured if he messaged him he would at least keep the other in one place.
During the day, their classmates would ask Neteyam about Ao’nung, if he was well, what was happening to him and whether Neteyam knew when he was coming back. He kept his responses straightforward, polite but short. He was not his boyfriend’s keeper.
He reluctantly zipped his phone into his bag before swim practice, leaving Ao’nung with a request that the other boy took a nap.
Before he got a response, he was rushed out of the locker room, stumbling to stand in a line with his teammates in front of the coach. The hour and a half moved incredibly slow and the whole time all he could think about was the other boy. The coach pulling him aside and asking about the other didn’t help either.
He was practically buzzing by the time they returned to their belongings and with a dry pair of underwear laying low on his hips and a towel around his neck he pulled out his phone, turning it on to check for responses.
There was none.
He sighed, assuming the other had actually listened to him and fell asleep, putting the phone aside before pulling on the rest of his clothes.
When his father picked him up, Lo’ak was sitting in the backseat scrolling on his phone. He assumed Kiri biked home. Her classes ended earlier than his practice and his brother’s tutoring session.
“What’s up, Sport? Practice go okay?”
Neteyam shrugged, taking his bags off, placing them onto the backseat next to his brother.
“Yeah.”
His dad looked unsure, looking around with searching eyes.
“Where’s Ao’nung? I thought you guys had that movie night planned tonight?”
Neteyam closed the door after sitting down, pulling the seat belt over his chest and clicking it in place.
“Sick.”
His dad chuckled, pulling out of the parking lot.
“Again? That boy has got some rotten luck.” He commented and Neteyam chuckled.
At his arrival home, he took off his shoes, calling out a greeting to his mother. Lo’ak brushed past him towards his room and his father yelled something about homework after him, getting a yeah I got it response. He was suddenly hit by a weight to his hips, smiling at Tuk’s small hands wrapping around his waist.
“Tuk-Tuk...”
She giggled when he ran a hand through her braids, pulling away to excitedly tell him all about her day as she followed him to his room.
She asked him about his own as he was taking out his wet swim trunks and towel, taking them to the backyard to dry. It was February, so the sun was still hot and common.
“Was it a good day?”
He hummed, nodding and taking her hand to walk back inside.
“I guess, yeah.”
“I had a good day, too.”
Neteyam smiled before feeling a buzz in his back pocket.
There was a message.
Tell Lo’ak to hop on the game please
Neteyam felt his eyes roll before he could stop them.
After getting detention together during the first week the Sullys moved, Ao’nung and Lo’ak developed a very unlikely friendship. They always claimed they hated each other, but Neteyam found them spending time together whether it was while playing video games or when Lo’ak joined them when the couple hung out. Sometimes, the unreasonable part of his brain was convinced he had been replaced, but he was glad his brother got along with his boyfriend.
We just got home he has hw to do
The reply was almost instant.
Ughhhhhhhhh fine
Are you feeling any better?
Not really :(
Tuk peeked over the edge of Neteyam’s phone curiously.
“Is it Nung?”
Neteyam nodded, taking an apple from the kitchen counter and taking a seat at the table.
“Can I say hi?”
He chuckled, spreading his arms so his sister could sit on his lap. She was starting to get too big for it, but Neteyam persevered. The slight discomfort didn’t really bother him.
hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii
Hellooooooo
:D
-Tuk
Hi tuk :)
She giggled, passing the phone back to Neteyam and hopping off of his lap when their mum called for her from the living room.
Neteyam saw Ao’nung typing something, so he took a bite out of the apple in his hand, waiting.
I’m bored
You should sleep
Can’t
It’s boring
Neteyam chuckled to himself.
Try anyways
You know you need it
For me? Wink wink wink wink
…
alright
Neteyam stood up, discarding what was left of the apple and going up to his room to change into his home clothes. Of course, his home clothes were Lo’ak’s everywhere clothes, which he never understood. Sometimes their differences made him chuckle.
He sat at his desk and took his headphones from their respective bag, putting them on and connecting them to his phone. A gentle voice sang through them as he took out notebooks from the classes he had that day, aiming to work through the material they discussed in school again.
The minutes ticked by and by the time his playlist started repeating he was done, putting his work away and preparing his bag for the upcoming day.
He was called to dinner soon after and while he ate he wondered what Ao’nung was doing. He knew that if he were awake Neteyam’s phone would be buzzing nonstop, but that was not the case.
His mother asked about his day and he shrugged.
“Ao’nung is sick,” his dad explained.
Neytiri nodded with a small oh .
“I hope he gets better soon.” She said, taking a bite.
Neteyam smiled.
Just as he was brushing his teeth in the evening he thought about what he’d be doing if Ao’nung wasn’t sick.
Around that time they’d be in Neteyam’s bed, his laptop perched on their blanketed thighs. They’d be watching a movie, something Neteyam picked. Despite his love for the other Neteyam could not forgive his taste in cinema. So he was slowly introducing him to movies he knew the other would like. He was correct in his assumptions, of course.
Opening his phone, he saw there were still no messages, other than a classmate of his asking about some homework. He groaned, laying back on his bed on top of the covers.
It was pathetic really, to miss someone that much after just a day apart. What had Neteyam become?
An idea suddenly made its way through his head.
He put on a light hoodie, walking downstairs and into the living room, where his dad was sitting on the couch, watching some reality show with Kiri. He heard his mother ushering Tuk into bed from somewhere upstairs and he assumed Lo’ak was holed up in his room.
He stood awkwardly by the side for a moment, not knowing how to approach.
“What’s up, bud?” His dad asked when he noticed him.
“I um. I was wondering if I could go to Ao’nung’s? I already did all my homework.”
Jake smiled and Neteyam felt a blush creep up on his face, the heat worsening when he heard a chuckle from Kiri.
“Sure thing. Just come back home early enough that your mother can take you to school tomorrow. Otherwise you’re biking.”
Neteyam nodded, grateful.
He hurried to the neighbouring house, relieved at the sight of Tonowari, his principal at the door. Neteyam had developed a respectable reputation with him after just a week of school, and the reputation only improved throughout his relationship with Ao’nung. His wife, Ronal was edging along the end of the third trimester and was irritable, even if understandably so.
“Neteyam. What are you doing here?” He smiled kindly.
“I was worried about Ao’nung. Can I go up to him?”
The taller man chuckled, nodding and moving to the side.
“I think he’s asleep,” Tonowari called after Neteyam, quietly, “He didn’t come down for dinner.”
Neteyam nodded, creeping towards his boyfriend’s room.
At the sound of the door opening, the other burrowed his head in the covers, groaning slightly.
“Not hungry…”
Neteyam smiled, closing the door behind him. He took off his hoodie, sliding under the covers behind the other’s warm back.
“Mm, wha-?” He turned back, brows furrowing at the sight of Neteyam. ‘“Tey? What are you-”
Neteyam chuckled, pressing a gentle kiss against his cheek. It was hot and slightly sweaty. The other was running a fever for sure.
“You’ll get sick, no-” The other protested, a bit more cohesively.
“I won’t.” Neteyam wrapped his hands around Ao’nung from behind.
“I’m all sweaty and gross, man…” Ao’nung sighed, defeated.
Neteyam pressed a kiss on the nape of the other’s neck.
“I don’t mind.”
Ao’nung turned in Neteyam’s hold, burrowing his face into the crook of Neteyam’s neck, the ticklish breaths making him giggle slightly.
“Oh, you big baby…” He cooed, holding the other just a bit tighter.
“Shut up.” Ao’nung complained.
“Love you,” Neteyam whispered.
“Mm,” came the reply.
Neteyam slept warm, like he was held by the sun itself.