Chapter Text
“Huh? You think you are better than us because you are the chief’s son and can decide who I talk to? Who even are you to Neteyam?” said Sr’Atax while glaring at Aonung.
Aonung gave him his signature smirk before holding Neteyam closer to him, then said “I’m his boyfriend, and you?”
Everyone fell silent and Neteyam could feel their eyes darting between the three of them. He mentally smacked himself for agreeing with such a dumb plan.
Now you wonder, how did he end up there?
Neteyam was never one for violence or any type of rudeness, he got his silent anger from his mother, unlike Lo’ak who was hotheaded like their father. He was a kind person, always willing to help anyone, especially after nearly dying in the war. Something about being shot and almost meeting Eywa made him more grateful for his everyday life. But his kindness didn’t mean people could overstep his boundaries or that he couldn’t throw a punch when needed. Especially in a weirdo’s face.
It all started after the war. Once they came back from victory, he had to rest for a lot of eclipses. While everyone was busy preparing the burial ritual for the fallen people and also the celebration of the war’s ending, he was stuck in his medical marui all day and night. Fortunately, his siblings and friends visited him every day but it was still annoying to be stuck in the same room for so much time and be absolutely useless. His mother reprimanded him multiple times for calling himself useless, saying that it was also thanks to him that they had won the war.
Once he got the Tsahik’s approval, he was free to go back to his usual routine. He was a bit stiff but got back to his duties pretty soon, as the bullet wound on his chest was not so deep. His father refused to let him hunt too far or train with the warriors for the time being. Neteyam felt disappointed at that, what else was he supposed to do if not train to be a warrior? He didn’t let it show and accepted what his father had told him, instead busying himself with smaller tasks around the village.
After the war ended, Awa’atlu was one of the few villages that remained untouched by the aggression of the Sky people. Not all the villages were as fortunate, most of them saw their maruis burn or lost a large part of their people. As the Olo’eyktan of the main village, Tonowari immediately accepted to shelter anyone who needed it, offering help in repairing their homes and an accomodation for the time being.
A lot of new Metkayinan Na’vi started living in Awa’atlu, all coming from different villages around the eastern seas. This was not a problem for Neteyam, as he was always glad to help those in need, knowing how it feels to try to fit in with a new village, and, in his case, a new clan. After his wound healed enough and got the adults approval, he started helping around with builinding new maruis, fishing, or the last few preparations for the celebration.
The day of the celebration, he, his siblings, Spider and their friends were eating not too far from the bonfire while chatting about their individual days. He and his siblings found good friends in the months before the war. The chief’s and Tsahik’s children, Aonung and Tsireya, and also Rotxo. Their bond got even stronger after the battle, and were always there for each other. While they were eating, Tsireya pointed out that there were a lot of Na’vi their age and how Tonowari asked her and Aonung to make them feel welcome. She even suggested sitting next to them and maybe do some activities together during the day. They all agreed.
After cleaning up, they made their way to the group of Na’vi their age and started talking to them. Everything was fine, everyone was laughing and enjoying their night. Neteyam got introduced to a lot of new faces and was now talking to a guy, Sr’Atax, who seemed to like talking to him and asking a lot of questions. Neteyam didn’t mind, he thought that the other male was probably happy to meet new people. After a while, the group decided to head back to their maruis and promised to meet in the afternoons to do some activities together.
This is how his nightmare started.
After the night of the celebration, he and his friends started hanging out regularly with a new group of young Na’vi. They decided they would do some of their duties together, such as fishing or nesting. Sometimes they would play games or see who could hold their breath the longest. It was a nice change of pace, and Neteyam was happy to see all of his friends being so carefree and Tuk having more kids around.
Neteyam was liked by everyone in the group, and he often found himself surrounded by one or two people and chatting away. But there was someone who seemed to have taken too much of a liking to him. Sr’Atax, the guy from the celebration night. At first he didn’t mind his attentions, but now it felt suffocating, and he just wanted to punch the guy whenever he wouldn’t leave him alone.
He was always sticking to Neteyam, touching his arms or back too much for his liking, flirting with him in a very awkward way, and sometimes he even found the forest Na’vi in his free time and started following him around, not getting the hint that Neteyam wanted to be left alone. He never said anything rudely, he politely said things like “thank you, now I have to assist my mother with something” or “sorry, I’m in a hurry and need to find my sister” and just ran away, but it started to get way too annoying and he didn’t know what to do before exploding.
It was an early night, there were still some Na’vi walking around the shore or collecting their nets. Neteyam was sitting on the sand, a bit far from the center of the village, watching the waves crashing on the nearby rocks. He was tired, it had been a long day and he needed peace and quiet, something he couldn’t really expect in his family’s marui so he decided to walk and sit in his usual spot.
That same day he had almost punched Sr’Atax and he felt a bit bad. The guy was not doing anything bad but just couldn’t get the hint and Neteyam didn’t want to stir up a fight or cause a scene that might get the other guy excluded, as he was new to the village. That morning, Neteyam, Rotxo, Sr’Atatx and other Na’vi were fishing a few meters from the shore, talking about the upcoming celebration. It was the Tsahik’s birthday, she was still very much pregnant and not in the mood to deal with so many boisterous people, but Tonowari promised her that they could leave at any time so she agreed. The party was the next day, and the young Na’vi were buzzing with excitement. Neteyam wasn’t paying attention to their conversation and that’s when Sr’Atax decided to come up behind him put his hands on his waist, making Neteyam jump and hit him in the stomach with his elbow.
Sr’Atax made a pained grunt and clutched his stomach. “Ouch, what was that for?”
Rotxo turned around looking confused at the scene in front of him. “What’s going on?”
Neteyam hurriedly looked over Sr’Atax to make sure he was fine, then said, “He came up behind me and scared me, so I accidentally elbowed him in the stomach. I’m so sorry Sr’Atax.”
The other Na’vi just laughed and said “It’s fine, you didn’t do it on purpose. But you can help me get better if you want.” with a little smile.
Neteyam just rolled his eyes and checked over him again before leaving his nets to Rotxo saying that he needed to help his father with something and leaving in a hurry. He was mad at Sr’Atax for touching him like that and also at himself for hurting the other Na’vi, but he didn’t want to do something worse, so he just left.
That afternoon, him and the others were sitting on rocks not too far from the shore. Neteyam was just quietly listening to their conversations, still upset about the accident. That’s when Lo’ak spoke a bit louder “Neteyam? What happened? You look constipated bro”. He received a smack on the back of the head by Tsireya.
“Yea, you seem a bit out of this world Forest Boy” added Aonung, while looking intently at him.
Neteyam just sighed “It’s nothing, I’m just tired.”
Rotxo hummed and said “Is it because of this morning?” while munching on some seaweed.
Everyone got curious at that and Lo’ak spoke up. “What happened this morning? I thought you were fishing.”
Neteyam didn’t want to tell them anything, it was just a waste of time anyway, but he knew they would never let it go so he just sighed again and told them what happened. “Me, Rotxo and some others were fishing when Sr’Atax came up behind me and put his hands on my waist. I got surprised and elbowed him in the stomach. That’s it, nothing much.”
Kiri rolled her eyes and said “Him again? He is always leeching on you, I’m surprised you didn’t punch him until now.” making Aonung laugh.
“Oh c’mon, maybe he likes Neteyam so that’s why he is always around him.” said Tsireya giggling.
“My bro is a catch, of course that guy likes him. No wonder we are brothers, we get all the attention.” said Lo’ak while puffing his chest.
Kiri rolled her eyes so hard that Neteyam wondered how they didn’t fall out. “Shut up Lo’ak you look like a wet rat.” Rotxo and Aonung started laughing again.
Lo’ak looked offended and said “How dare you say this about your brother? You deeply hurt me sis.” while putting a hand over his heart.
They kept bickening so Neteyam thought that he was safe and they wouldn’t talk about that guy again, but then Spider had to open his big mouth.
“Well, if he likes Neteyam then what about you? Why not give him a chance?” asked the shorter male. Everyone turned to him again and he mentally cursed his friend.
“I just don’t like him and I feel uncomfortable when he touches me too much. I tried to push him away without fighting but he doesn’t seem to understand.” said Neteyam not looking at any of them but catching Aonung’s eyes for a split second. Why was the Metkayina staring at him so much?
“If it makes you uncomfortable then you should tell your parents or our parents before it gets worse.” said Tsireya worrying for him.
Neteyam started shaking his head “No, this is exactly why I never told you anything. I don’t want to make a big ruckus over something like this. If we argue with him, it could create a fight and involving the Olo’eyktan in something so trivial seems like a waste of time.”
The other girl just hummed and watched him silently. What was going on with the Metkayina siblings and staring at him? Then, after a few seconds, she added “Okay, but if something weird happens just tell us, and especially the adults” while holding his hand in hers.
Neteyam gave her a sincere smile and said “Thank you, but don’t worry, I’m a warrior. I can protect myself just fine” then squeezed her hand.
“Bro we are friends for a reason, we’re always be here for each other.” said Spider.
They all smiled at each other and went on with another conversation. Neteyam felt more at ease than before, he truly loved his friends. He glanced over at Aonung and caught him staring at him, with a calculating gaze. Neteyam felt shy under that stare and just looked away, feeling a slight blush come up. What was wrong with Aonung that day?
So now, sitting in his usual spot on the shore, he tried to clear his mind of everything and just enjoy the sounds of nature around him. He was glad to have such good people around him, when he first moved to Awa’atlu he felt so out of place and alone, but now he had found the best friends he could ever ask for.
He had different relationships with each of them, first there were his siblings, whom he trusted with his life and loved dearly. Then Spider, who has been around since forever and was glad to see him back around. Rotxo was a good guy, always working hard and teaching him new braiding styles which he learned from his grandma. His little crush on Kiri was the cutest thing ever but he was so painfully oblivious to his own feelings.
Then came the Metkayina siblings. Tsireya was one of his closest friends, ever since the battle when she stayed beside him until they made it back to the village. She was the sweetest, purest girl ever and he was happy that his brother and she were finally together. They deserved each other, and were so sickeningly cute that got everyone desperate when they started giving each other nicknames. He hopes he will never be like that with his future mate.
Then there was Aonung. The “Metkayina prince”, his best friend. It was kind of hilarious for him to call him that after everything they’ve been through, especially when Aonung was an asshole to his siblings the first few weeks they met. But he has matured and apologized profusely to them lots of times since then, and little by little they found themselves around each other more and more every day. They found comfort in each other, as they were both the oldest brother and the first son of an Olo’eyktan. They shared thoughts and doubts, made fun of each other and sometimes they had their little moments that even Neteyam couldn’t explain. Moments were they would catch one looking at the other from a distance, little touches or smiles that they shared only between each other. None of them ever commented on it, as they were relatively busy with their duties and also Neteyam didn’t give those things much of a thought.
Speaking of which, he heard someone approach him and was about to cry thinking it was Sr’Atax again, but turning around he met that pair of icy blue eyes looking directly at him. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise under that gaze. Aonung smirked and sat down next to him.
“What’s up Forest Boy? Why are you over here all alone?” asked the boy while stretching his legs in front of him.
Neteyam just shrugged and said “I’m just trying to enjoy some peace and quiet. My family’s marui is not the quietest place as you would imagine.” They both chuckled at that.
Then Aonung turned towards him, catching his eyes “Oh so do you want me to leave and let you alone with your peace and quiet?” he said while tilting his head and smirking.
Neteyam rolled his eyes “You know I don’t mind you here, Nung”. The other smiled a bit more upon hearing that nickname and turned toward the ocean. They started calling each other a shorter version of their names a couple of weeks before. It just casually slipped out of his mouth and that was one of the few times he saw Aonung blush. After that, they started calling each other “Nung” and “Teyam” but only when they were alone, never in front of their friends.
They let a comforting silence fall between them while they stared at the distant horizon and bright stars adorning the night sky. They were always like this, happy in their own bubble, even without any exchange of words.
That’s when Aonung cleared his throat, making Neteyam turn toward him. “Are you still upset about what happened this morning with that guy?” asked the Metkayina looking directly into his eyes.
Neteyam couldn’t lie to him, especially when face to face with those eyes. He sighed “Yes, I just wish he would get the hint and leave me alone.” said Neteyam while playing with the little beads he had in his hair.
Aonung hummed “But why don’t you say it directly to his face? I know you set your boundaries straight and without a problem, so what is holding you back this time?”.
“I don’t want him to get mad, he seems like a pushover. If he gets mad and starts a fight, it will escalate too much and I feel like it will be a burden on the village. I don’t want it to happen because of me, I don’t have the right to cause such a discomfort to your clan.” said Neteyam looking back at Aonung.
Aonung frowned “What? You are part of the clan now, my dad said so weeks ago. And also, it doesn’t matter if you are or not, if you are being harassed or feel uncomfortable you should say it out loud without feeling guilty.” said the Metkayina raising his voice a little bit.
Neteyam felt his his ears flop down. The other was right, but he still didn’t want to cause a scene. “Please, just keep it like this. I will find a way to make it stop or just hope he loses interest in me.”
Aonung sighed and turned his head towards the sea. There was a beat of silence before he started talking again. “I have something in mind that might make him stop, but..” he couldn’t finish before Neteyam interrupted him. “Really? Oh my Eywa, thank you, I can’t think of anything but you are my savior.” said Neteyam while smiling. “What is it?”
Aonung dropped his head between his arms that were leaning on his knees. He mumbled something really fast “Wecouldpretendwearetogether” but Neteyam didn’t understand.
“What?” asked Neteyam while getting closer to Aonung. Why was he so embarrassed?
Aonung took a big breath. “We could pretend we are together. Like, a couple.” Neteyam couldn’t believe what he just heard. Sensing his silence, Aonung started talking again “Of course this is big but it’s the only thing that will keep him away: seeing you with someone else. But of course this is just an idea, you can say no.”
Aonung gazed into Neteyam’s eyes. The latter noticed how the Metkayina had a slight blush on his cheeks, barely visible in the dark. It’s wasn’t a bad idea di per se, but he wondered how the other boy came up with it. They looked into each other’s eyes, until Neteyam broke the contact and bowed his head, thinking about it. It was worth it a try, what did he have to lose? They were friends, and he guessed friends did stuff like this for each other...right?
Neteyam gave him a shy nod. “Okay, we can try.”
“Really?” Aonung sounded surprised.
“Why are you surprised I accepted? I should be the one asking how you came up with this.” said Neteyam while raising an eyebrow.
Aonung diverted his eyes and scratched his neck “I don’t know, I kept thinking about this situation for a week, and today was the last straw I guess.”
“How are we going to do this?”
“I don’t know”
“What do you mean you don’t know? You are the one who came up with this idea.”
“Bro I didn’t think you would’ve said yes to this.”
“Well, bro, I didn’t even think you would’ve come up with this.”
They stared at each other for a few seconds before bursting out laughing.
“Okay, okay, maybe I can start by being closer to you when he annoys you, how does that sound? I’ll just scare him off.” suggested Aonung while still chuckling.
Neteyam nodded “Sounds good.”
“Then, if it’s not enough, we can try to do more couple stuff.” added Aonung.
“Couple stuff?” asked Neteyam.
“Yea, like holding hands and similar things.”
They both blushed thinking of what ‘similar things’ could mean. “Yea, okay, sure. If we run out of ideas let’s just copy Lo’ak and Tsireya.” said Neteyam while looking away.
Aonung made a face “I will never be as disgusting as them. Have you ever seen them? I would rather drown than do that.”
Neteyam laughed at his antics “Oh, trust me, I saw more than enough. I bet we could be even cuter than them.” he said absentmindedly.
Aonung gave him a little smile, not his usual playful smirk “Yea, we could.”
They gazed at each other for a few moments, then averted their eyes just as quickly. The air between them was starting to feel a bit awkward, that’s the feeling Neteyam got from it. Aonung cleared his throat again. “We can start tomorrow, as soon as you feel that he is not leaving you alone just come to me, okay?”
Neteyam gave him a big smile. He appreciated his friend so much. “Of course. Thank you so much for helping me, this will be such a burden for you.” Neteyam knew how busy the other boy was with the preparations for his mother’s birthday and for his coming of age, that was only 4 weeks away.
Aonung shook his head “This is not a burden for me, if it were I wouldn’t have suggested my plan in the first place. I’m always here for you Teyam, we are best friends for a reason.” said while smiling. His genuine smile, which seemed to be reserved only for Neteyam and special occasions.
“You mean boyfriend now, right Nung?” said Neteyam faking innocence.
Aonung rolled his eyes. “Yes, you’re right Tyeam. Now, I must go, I told my parents I would be back soon. I’ll see you tomorrow, boyfriend.” said the Metkayina while rising and waving at Neteyam. He then left towards the maruis, his tail swishing suspiciously faster than usual.
Neteyam kept his eyes on the other boy until he couldn’t see him anymore, the he collapsed on the sand and covered his face. Boyfriend? That sounded so weird, but not in a bad way. He still wondered how Aonung came to the conclusion that it was a good plan for them to fake it.
Copying the other boy, he rose up and brushed all the dried sand off himself, before walking back to his family’s pod. Upon entering, he received a raised eyebrow from Kiri “Why are you so red?” asked the girl.
“From the sun.”
“But it’s night.”
“You must be seeing things then.”
“Are you sure? It looks like you are even more red now. What did you do?” she was smirking now and getting closer to him. Jake was holding Neytiri who was eyeing both of them and probably listening to their conversation while sharpening her tools.
“I don’t know what you are talking about.” said Neteyam, then he faked a yawn “Oh, I’m sooo tired, why don’t we go to sleep? Good night sister.” he then quickly disappeared in their sleeping pod where Tuk was already snoring on her mattress.
He laid down on his mattress, but couldn’t sleep. He kept thinking of what happened earlier and what it meant for them and their near future. Aonung was his closest friend, they shared a lot of funny, sad and embarrassing moments. This would be another funny story to reminisce about with their friends. He then thought of the “couple stuff”. Did it mean they had to hold hands? It wasn’t so bad, Metkayina people were really touchy so he was used to grabbing the other’s hand frequently.
What else could there be? He thought about what his parents did, or even Lo’ak and Tsireya. Hugging, cuddling, and..kissing. He blushed furiously at the thought. He never kissed anybody before, not that he wanted to save himself or anything like that, but he also didn’t want to go around and kiss anyone. That, plus having to train to be the next Olo’eyktan, didn’t leave him much time to hang around Na’vi his age.
He curled on himself trying to hide his face in case his sister decided to burst into the pod out of nowhere and catch him red handed (or well, faced). He needed to stop overthinking, it was just a simple thing, they didn’t need to do any of that..couple stuff, and he was sure it will be over in no time.
He closed his eyes, still thinking of the possible scenarios that could happen in the next few days, unaware of the fact that another young Na’vi was having the same thoughts as him, a couple of maruis down the shore.