Chapter Text
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It was the second day in the Metkayina clan after they arrived and Olo'eyktan Tonowari let them stay with open arms. Tsahik Ronal? Not so much. Still, he was happy that they can at least be safe, far from the Sky people.
Sun was shining brightly into their marui, Neteyam felt annoyed and stretched his arm infront of him to shield him from the unbearable light. He heard his brother groan and angrily put his pillow over his head. Their mother on the other side was happily humming something while turning fish rolled in leaf on a flat stone above little fire.
He got up from his bed and yawned, he made his way next to Neytiri then smiled softly when her eyes met his. She put her hand on Neteyams cheek and looked deep into his eyes with small smile that he could tell was full of saddnes. He put his hand over his mothers and squeezed her slightly to let her know that he knows.
He knows that she is sad. He knows that she fights so hard everyday to not let it show and be strong for her children. He thinks that she is the strongest person he ever saw or heard of. Of course he heard people praise his father for being Toruk Makto and how he led the clans to victory against the Sky people. But who was there all the time too? His mother. Who saved his father when he was seconds away from meeting Eywa herself? His mother. She lost her sister, her father, her home and the love of her life betrayed her. And yet she was not only standing but leading.
He often felt pride when others acknowledged that Neteyam is Toruk Makto's son but he felt something different when people acknowledged that he is Neytiri's son too. Something bigger that he can not put into words.
He let go of his mothers hand and pulled her into a tight hug. He will not tell her how sad he is to leave his old life behind. No fucking way. He will be strong and adapt to his new life for her. Show her that he gets it and this decision was the best they could do.
She pulled away and gestured with her hand to the leave "take some, you were the only one who didn't eat anyting after we arrived". He nodded and took big flat shell from the stack in the corner and put 3 fishes on it. He sat back on his bed and ate.
Lo'ak then woke up too, but mosty because he couldn't fall back asleep after the sun woke him up.
He looked empty and just looked infront of him with blank stare. He is not sad he is just tired as hell. He is actually the happiest of all of them because of Tsireya, the Olo'eyktan's daughter who smiled at him and kindly showed them everything they needed to know for now.
He snapped out of his blank stare after few minutes and got up to grab a shell too. Neteyam was eating silently and was thinking about what are they gonna do today. Practicing breathing? Maybe. He couldn't remember what Tsireya had said yesterday, he was too tired, he is actually glad that he could even remember her, but then again, it was mostly because Lo'ak wouldn't shut up about her after she left them in their marui. Last thing he heard before he drifted to sleep was how nice and cute was her hair with the little flowers and shells that decorated it.
His thinking was interrupted when Lo'ak fell next to him on his bed. Damn, he didn't even try to be gentle with it.
"What are you thinking about, bro?" he asked with a smirk.
"Tsireya actually" he smiled at him, basically taking the smirk out of Lo'aks face and putting it on himself while Lo'aks face has lost all the dark blue color, he almost looked like Metkayina now.
"Say what?" Lo'ak asked with raised eyebrows.
"Chill brother, just thinking about what are we gonna do today and Tsireya happend to be the one to talk to us yesterday actually" he said.
"The only one to talk to us you mean" said Lo'ak with grimace.
"Yeah" Neteyam said and took a last bite of his food.
"Ao'nung and Rotxo should help us too today" Lo'ak said after a while of silence.
He hated sitting insilence, unlike his brother Neteyam who would die if he didn't get at least 2 hours a day just for himself sitting quietly or just doing something alone.
"Ao'nung and Rotx- who is that?" he asked rubbing his face with one hand and the other rested on his knee.
"Bro ain't no way you don't remember Ao'nung..." he laughed.
"I would understand Rotxo.." he continued
"but Ao'nung?" he laughed even louder now and Neteyam just sat ther with no expression on his face watching and waiting for Lo'ak to stop laughing and actually explain.
After a while Lo'ak slowly stopped laughing and looked at his brother.
"You done?" Neteyam asked with bored face.
"You snapped at him yesterday after he grabbed your tail" he said with a smile and Neteyam just looked at him not knowing what was so funny.
"Brother what, should i just let him touch my tail or what, are u insane?" he asked confused.
"Yeah yeah it would not be such a big deal if Ao'nung wasn't Tsireyas brother" he smiled
"If you don't explain it right now..." Neteyam started
"Do you know who are Tsireya's parents?" he whispered but only to make it dramatic.
"Oh shit..." Neteyam sighed when he realized that his first day and first impression was ruined when he yelled at Olo'eyktan's and Tsahik's son. Lo'ak started to laugh again but this time without noise, just wheezing.
"Why can't i remember it" he asked actually interested how can he forget a whole ass day and whole ass interaction with somebody
"I don't know bro, you should be probably happy that you can't" said Lo'ak and started to get up from his bed. He took Neteyam's shell and put them next to the others.
"I'm gonna wake up Kiri and Tuk, they said they will be waiting for us on the beach when the sun comes up and... well" he said pointing at the sun.
"Lo'ak wait i need to figure out what i'm gonna do or say to Ao'nung or just... what the hell i don't even know, should i just pretend yesterday never happend?" Neteyam said quickly before his brother could get away.
"Nah bro you'll be good" he laughed
"What's so funny" Neteyam asked, annoyed
"You know it's fun to tease you and all that but i should really tell you the whole story" he said after he was done laughing, again.
Neteyam looked confused at his brother and sighed.
"Well... talk, don't be shy now" he said and dropped back on his bed.
"So i guess you don't remember and you ACTUALLY don't remember don't remember.." he started but Neteyam looked fed up.
"Acually brother, i don't even wanna remember when i hear you talk" he said getting up but Lo'ak pulled him back down.
"Alright i'm sorry i'm gonna tell you"
Neteyam nodded.
"So we arrived, we get bullied, yady yady yadda, then Tsireya came out of nowhere, and then i can't remember anyting until i heard you hiss..." he said and Neteyam put his face in his palms.
"...so i looked next to me where you stood and you were facing Ao'nung, you were gripping your tail with one hand and with the other you pointed at him and you said something like "are you stupid, do you know how sensitive tails are" and he looked at you with a smirk... actually i don't know why i didn't punch him when i think about it right now... " he stopped and started visibly thinking.
"Are you serious right now? I called Olo'eyktan's son stupid and you think about why you didn't smack him" he said in disbelief
"Sorry that i wanted to stood up for you bro, what a bad brother you have" he said annoyed.
"You know what i mean" he looked at him annoyed too.
"so..." Lo'ak continued.
"There is more?" his older brother gasped.
"Yeah and it's the worst part actually.." he said hesitantly.
Neteyam looked horrified.
"so...after you called him stupid, dad came and started apologizing that you are tired and hurt that you had to leave your home and just that you are sensitive in general" he said.
Neteyam started pulling on his braids
"Please tell me you are lying, tell me this is just your brother joke" he pleaded and when he looked at Lo'ak he knew he wasn't, if he was he would already be laughing his ass of but he just looked at him with worry.
Neteyam took a deep breath and after few second let the air out.
"You know what, it's actually not that bad when i think about it, everyone is gonna forget that in no time, right?" he forced a smile.
It was now Lo'aks turn to take a deep breath.
"Well that part, yes... but this part... " he sighed.
"... so after what dad said i looked at you and i could tell that you came to your senses so i thought, alright Neteyam is gonna apologize and everything will be alright" he stopped and took another deep breath.
"Did i not apologize?" Neteyam asked with worry.
"You did..." his younger brother answered not looking at him.
"...so you came to you senses and you dropped on your knees, your hands were clasped together and you started crying and apologizing like crazy... and your tail was between you hands actually, i'm sorry it looked so funny" Lo'ak started seriously but ended up laughing again when he pictured the scene.
Neteyam just glared at him in disbelief.
He stod up and witjout ankther word started walking out of their marui towards the water.
Realization hits him. He yelled at Ao'nung and cried and asked for his forgiveness all in the span of 10 minutes, his first day in Metkayina clan. That was the most humiliating thing that ever happend to him in his whole life, everyone thinks he is a joke now, how are they gonna think that he is a strong warrior after that.
He couldn't breathe and just kneeled in the sand with both hands in it. He started to calm down after a while. Then he heard footsteps behind him. He didn't turn because he was not ready to face literally anybody. Then he felt two small hands on his back that slowly found their way around his neck.
He looked up and saw Tuk. He smiled at her softly, all the worry disappearing, he put his hands where Tuks were.
"Piggyback?" Tuk smiled softly.
"Hold on tight" Her brother answered and slowly stod up from the sand and adjusted Tuk on his back and started walking, then running, then jumping while Tuk giggled.
He spotted Lo'ak and Tsireya in the water, next to them Ao'nung and Rotxo, Kiri was nowhere to be found. He turned around immediately but stopped when Tuk started pulling on his braids lightly just to get his attention.
"Teyam! They are there, can't you see?" Tuk laughed and pointed in their direction.
"Oh, you're right" he smiled awkwardly.
He knew they were there and didn't want to face the shame. He knew he would have to, eventually, but not right now, he wanted to absorb it somewhere quiet and then face it.
Guess not
He made his way to them with Tuk still on his back. But not running and giggling, he walked completely stiff.
"Bro!" Lo'ak shouted when he saw him.
Everyone turned to him and he avoided all of their stares
"Neteyam, come with us, we are just getting started on ilus" Tsireya smiled softly and gestured to him to come.
"Bring Tuk with you" she added smiling.
He started to walk slowly into the water, when he was waist deep he let Tuk down into the water.
He still avoided all the eyes and looked at the water.
That's even more embarrassing than just looking at them normally. He made up his mind that he is gonna let that shit in the past, after all that wasn't even him, he couldn't remember, not even Lo'ak expected that so that was not him. This is him. And he is not scared anymore.
He is
He looked up, stared everyone in their eyes. That's not bad at all. He smiled and then he looked at the last person, Ao'nung.
He was smirking holding Ilu with one hand, other hand on his hip, confidence pouring out of him. Suddenly he felt small again, like an ant. He actually don't know what an ant is but his father told him it's like one of the smallest animals on earth.
He pushed past that feeling and just smiled at him too. Ao'nung could somehow see throught that facade and just continued to smirk at him.
"Best way to learn something is when everyone has their own individual trainer, so i will be Lo'ak's, Rotxo said he saw Kiri somewhere and is gonna bring her here and Neteyam..." she looked at him with worry.
"Are you comfortable with Ao'nu-" she started
"I am" "He is" Neteyam and Ao'nung said at the same time.
Neteyam turned to him brows raised.
Ao'nung smirked.
"What, are you not?" he asked, hands in the air with question in them.
"Yes, but if you could stop speaking for me that would be nice" Neteyam smiled kindly.
"Or what, are you gonna cry again?" he smirked, wiping Neteyam's smile from his face.
"I just might" Neteyam quickly shoke it off.
Ao'nung did not expect that answer from a boy that just yesterday made a biggest scene infront of the whole clan.
He didn't expect that answer from absolutely anyone, with his high status of being the son of Olo'yektan and Tsahik, nobody ever dared to speak to him like that.
Ao'nung was really intimidating, he has strong broad shoulders, thick black hair braided and tied into a bun, he looked so mighty, so strong.
He came closer to Neteyam, just few inches away, looking at him.
"Or you could just hop on the Ilu and not make anymore scenes, how about that?" he smiled at him, but it was not kind smile.
"Sounds better actually" he smiled softly at the Metkayna.
Ao'nung stood very, very close to him and it made him feel nervous. He reached behing Ao'nung, who was still looking at him smirking as he watched Neteyam grab something from behind him, not turning away from the individual.
"Could you move please?" Neteyam asked, still holding something behind him.
Ao'nung finally turned around to see what he was grabbing and it was an Ilu. He quickly moved out of the way.
Neteyam positioned himself on the Ilu and looked at Ao'nung.
He was looking back at him. Yeah, he was, but little lower than Neteyam. He was looking at his tights around the Ilu, his hands that he had flexed because he was holding tightly onto the Ilu's handles.
His waist.
"Am i sitting right, what now?" Neteyam asked, nervous again.
Ao'nung snapped from his dreaming and took a few steps back. He squinted his eyes and put one hand under his chin like he was thinking.
"so...?" Neteyam asked after a while, when he felt like Ao'nung should know by now if he was sitting right or wrong
"Will you let me think, forest boy, or are you in hurry?" he snapped.
"Forest boy, really? Couldn't think of something better that that?" Neteyam said with raised eyebrows.
"Nah, i think it suits you just fine" he laughed.
"Can you just tell me if i'm sitting right?" he asked, now serious.
"No, you're not" he simply said and continue to stare at the Omatikaya.
"And... are you gonna correct me or do you think i can see into your head?" Neteyam said annoyed, this is gonna take a looong time.
"I sure hope not" Ao'nung said as he run his hamd throught his hair and made his way to Neteyam. He looked at his posture, thinking deeply, his eyes traveled over his whole body, scaning every single stripe, every single scar, every single bump.
Neteyam saw how his smirk quickly disappeared and he was just looking all over him with no expression. Neteyam could feel his legs stiffened after Ao'nung touched his back without any warning.
"Don't do that" the Metkayina simply said, his hand on his back, going up and down. Sending shivers down his spine.
"Don't do what?" Neteyam asked as he tried to figure out what he was doing wrong.
"Don't arch your back like that" he said carefully looking at his hand that was still moving on his back, but he slowed his pace.
Neteyam quickly fixed his back, Ao'nung's hand was no longer on his back the second he did so.
"That's better" Ao'nung said nodding
He isn't very talkative, not that Neteyam minded. He was actually glad when he remembered how Lo'ak wouldn't shut up for at least 5 minutes. He was saying everything and nothing at the same time. He wondered how could they even be related with such a huge difference in their personalities.
"Now, make tsaheylu and focus only how to breathe, feel his breathing and try to do the same" Ao'nung said as he pulled the ilu's queue and handed it to Neteyam slowly, as he pulled his long braid from behind.
He took it from the Metkayina and connected with it. His pupils dilated and he gasped grabing quickly onto something so he won't fall from the sudden change in emotions.
When he calmed down he opened his eyes only to see Ao'nung staring at him deeply. His pupils dilated just like his but he was not connected to anything. His eyes traveled to his hand, realizing that he was gripping Ao'nung's shoulder, little too much.
"oh shit, i'm so sorry, i just-" he started to apologize as he removed his hand from the boy. Ao'nung just looked at him, head tilting to a side andhis smirk from earlier back on his face.
"What?" he stopped apologizing when he noticed that Ao'nung was not angry, or hurt, just grinning like he didn't just leave marks on his shoulder, because of how much he was digging his nails in to it when he was using him for support.
"Just waiting for you to get on your knees like the last time" he smiled as he watched Neteyam go completely pale.
"I really, really enjoyed that and i was hoping when i will see you like that again... i just didn't expect it to be that soon" he said as he came closer.
"But you can do that later, you know i must teach you and i really don't want Tsireya to be mad that i didn't do my job correctly" he said as he was standing directly infront of Neteyam.
"Now go." he ordered, stepping away