Chapter Text
Ao'nung wanted to shoot himself in the head because it was so embarrassing. He glanced at Lo'ak, who glanced back at him, and they both wondered the same thing.
How did it come to this?
Ao'nung was leaving his art class with his mind elsewhere. His teacher, Mrs. Martha, had given as an assignment for the end of the semester the creation of a short film related to love, as Valentine's Day was approaching. This is not the first time Mrs. Martha has given this kind of ambitious assignment, after all he is in his last year of high school. The problem is that Ao'nung had no idea how to interpret love since his girlfriend, the one he thought he would love for the rest of his life, left him a week before. The second small problem was that he didn't have the talent to film a short movie.
While walking down the hallways, he bumped into someone. This someone turned out to be his little sister, Tsireya. She was talking with that insufferable Lo'ak. This idiot who did everything to annoy her. And who most certainly had a crush on his adorable sister who deserves much better than this-
"Ao'nung?" Tsireya's voice brought him back to Earth. He blinked, realizing he had been staring at Lo'ak the whole time. He cleared his throat and then looked at his sister. "what's wrong? He asked her.
His sister looked him up and down, then sighed and took her book from her bag. A math book. "You seem out of it, are you okay?" He felt the idiot's gaze on him. He knew he was about to say something stupid.
"aw, little Ao'nung is all confused. Does he want me to call his mommy?" Lo'ak snickered. Tsireya rolled her eyes and gave him a disapproving look. Ao'nung gritted his teeth and smacked him on the head. Lo'ak cried out in pain, but the taller man did not listen.
"just a complicated art assignment." Tsireya smiled with compassion. She stroked his arm sympathetically. But Lo'ak, of course with his big mouth, added more, as if he wanted Ao'nung to beat him up.
"It's art, you just have to draw pictures. I don't see how it's complicated." This time, it was Tsireya who slapped him on the head, but a little less hard. She returned her gaze to her brother, asking him to explain how his assignment was complicated.
"a movie?" his sister asked him after he answered.
He nodded. Tsireya thought for a moment, then turned to Lo'ak with an innocent, or intended to be innocent, smile. There was something in her eyes that Ao'nung did not immediately understand. Lo'ak, on the other hand, shook his head.
"nope, not even in your dreams!" Tsireya took his hands after locking her math book under her arm. Ao'nung was a little confused. His sister turned to him with a big smile.
"Lo'ak knows about movies, he could help you with the camera shots."
The older boy looked at her for three seconds before saying,
"no."
From there, Lo'ak started to smile, almost reassured. Tsireya pouted. "come on! It could be fun, and maybe this way you'll finally become friends?" The two boys made faces of disgust. Lo'ak even stuck out his tongue.
"Rooh, come on! And you said it was complicated, Ao'nung!" She rolled her eyes and then turned her gaze to Lo'ak. She almost begged him with her eyes. After thirty seconds, he grumbled and gave up.
"Okay, if your stupid brother really needs help then..." He ended up shrugging his shoulders. Ao'nung was about to refuse. Sure, movies were not his domain, but he was not so desperate as to accept help from the person he hated the most. Yet he kept quiet when he saw Tsireya's gaze. He bit the inside of his cheek, then ended up sighing.
"okay" Tsireya's smile dazzled him. He rolled his eyes. Then he turned to the smaller one. "I'll send you a message so we can settle this." Lo'ak nodded, and each of them went their own way. That evening, Lo'ak received a message from Ao'nung. Saturday, 2 p.m., at the park in front of the town hall. Lo'ak rolled his eyes and turned off his phone after sending a quick 'okay'.
Three months had passed since their arrangement. The short movie was moving along at a good pace. In the end, the two boys decided to feature a native music from Neytiri's culture, Lo'ak's mother. The music is about two lovers who love each other with a carnal but impossible love. A love that the Great Mother, Eywa, does not accept. Everything is done to keep these two lovers apart, yet they always end up together. The song ends when the two lovers embrace with carnal passion, after running away from home.
At first, Ao'nung and Lo'ak had no idea who to get as a partner for Ao'nung. The smaller one suggested Marisol, the older one's former girlfriend, without knowing the story. But when Lo'ak saw the look on his face, he didn't take long to change his mind. Honestly, neither of them could remember how they came to the conclusion that Lo'ak would fill the role perfectly.
The end of the semester was fast approaching, in two weeks to be exact. There were only the last few scenes left to film. Especially one where we see a close-up on Ao'nung's face.
And inevitably, it was today that he decided to fight. When he arrived at the Sully's, Lo'ak was the one who opened the door for him. His eyes widened when he saw Ao'nung's black eye. The younger boy grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the upstairs bathroom while grumbling about the irresponsible behavior of the older boy.
Ao'nung sat on the edge of the tub. He watched Lo'ak take out his mother's makeup, then sit down next to him. He took a minute or two to choose a shade of foundation. He frowned. Then he put the makeup away and left the bathroom. He returned five minutes later with another box of makeup. He took out a new bottle of foundation, and applied some on a sponge.
Lo'ak took Ao'nung's face and turned it towards him. He gently applied the sponge around the injured eye. Ao'nung winced as a stinging sensation ran down his face. This made Lo'ak roll his eyes.
"why did you fight, anyway?" He asked.
Ao'nung did not answer immediately. He thought about the events of this morning. It was Saturday, Ao'nung was coming out of his swimming training, he was not paying attention to where he was going, his eyes were riveted on his phone. So he didn't see the person in front of him and bumped into him. He was about to apologize when he saw her, Marisol, his ex-girlfriend. With another guy who was holding her hand.
Honestly Ao'nung didn't really care, he had managed to forget about her during the last three months working with Lo'ak. All the thoughts he had for her, which haunted him, were slowly replaced by the boy he was supposed to hate. His mind was slowly becoming obsessed with the younger boy's lips always stretched into a mocking smile.
Ao'nung had apologized to the two and started to leave, but the boy held him back, probably thinking he was making fun of him or something. The boy, Hector apparently, was trying to provoke a reaction in him, knowing full well that he was Marisol's former boyfriend. Ao'nung wasn't an idiot, so he kept calm, even hearing the evil sneers of that bitch. Ao'nung thought about the scenes he had to film with Lo'ak. The "carnal" scenes, Lo'ak had said he would change them a bit so they wouldn't have to get too close. Ao'nung was a little disappointed, but he couldn't afford to share his opinion on that.
"He's probably thinking about that punk he's been hanging out with for a while." Marisol's voice brought him to his senses. Ao'nung watched them giggle. But before he could say anything, Hector cut him off. "I bet that kid is just his little whore, to get over you, you know?" They laughed. Ao'nung didn't like what they were insinuating, and especially who they were talking about.
"What's his name again? La'ok? Loki?" They looked at each other, then burst out laughing again. Yep, Ao'nung really didn't like what they were up to. So he hit Hector. He hit him again and again. Until a passerby stopped them.
But he couldn't tell Lo'ak that. First of all, he didn't want the youngest to know what people could potentially think of him, knowing that he places a lot of importance on the way people look at him. But also because he did not want to be teased (his ego would be hurt).
"silence is not an answer, skxawng!" The strange word made Ao'nung smile slightly, being used to hearing it since the beginning of their collaboration.
"a guy who used to get on my nerves." Ao'nung answered.
Lo'ak raised an eyebrow with a mocking smile. He took out a small brush and rubbed it against a small palette filled with skin-colored powder. He slipped it under the taller boy's eye. Their faces were only inches away, Ao'nung could feel Lo'ak's breath on his lips. His stomach knotted with envy. With the urge to make the space between their faces disappear. The urge to kiss him.
"and that's it, finished!" Lo'ak exclaimed.
Lo'ak lowered the brush and contemplated his work. The bruise under Ao'nung's eye was no longer visible. Lo'ak realized that the boy's gaze was lowered. To his lips. Lo'ak felt his cheeks heat up. It had to be a misunderstanding, there was no way Ao'nung would look at his lips. Why would he do that?
Their eyes ended up meeting. Ao'nung and Lo'ak were hypnotized. The youngest's heart began to beat so fast that he wouldn't be surprised if Ao'nung heard him. It's true that they hadn't had the best of starts, always arguing over nothing, but these last months of getting along well, working on the same project, made Lo'ak realize a few things about Ao'nung. Like the mimics he makes when he concentrates, or the voice he takes when he talks to his sister or Tuk.
Several seconds passed without either of them moving. Yet, after about fifteen seconds, the two slowly brought their faces together. The tension slowly building between them began to choke them. Lo'ak put his hands on Ao'nung's legs, not knowing where to put them. Their lips were only an inch or two apart when a loud crash startled them. They broke apart, turning their heads away, their cheeks as red as a tomato. Lo'ak took the makeup bag and left the bathroom, followed by Ao'nung. Lo'ak put it away in Kiri's room and went downstairs.
"Nung!" Tuk jumped into her arms with a big smile. Ao'nung blinked a bit surprised and then spun her around like she loves to do every time. She laughed before running to the kitchen.
"What are you doing here Tuk? Isn't Dad with you?" Lo'ak put his hands on his hips and watched his little sister stuff herself with cakes. She looked at him for a few seconds and then answered with her mouth full.
"He was called away to work, he said he'd be back in half an hour!" Lo'ak nodded, then walked back upstairs with Ao'nung on his heels. As he opened the door to his room, Lo'ak turned his head to him, reminding him that they still had scenes to film. The taller man nodded, his mind still a little off. Their faces were so close...
The tension was going to kill him. Ao'nung was sure of it. The scene they had to shoot was the end of the song. A carnal embrace. Lo'ak and Ao'nung had agreed to do the scene without having to be too close. But the plans changed. The way they saw each other too. So here they are. Lo'ak standing in front of him, putting on a coat of pink lipstick. They decided to represent carnal passion with lipstick streaks all over their faces.
"I do two on each cheek, one on the forehead, and one on the upper neck. Is that okay?" Lo'ak asked.
Ao'nung nodded. His heart was pounding, from excitement or something else. He didn't know. Lo'ak took his face and turned his head to the left to gain access to his right cheek. He put his lips delicately, pressed lightly to leave a mark then moved away. He looked at the mark and, satisfied, made another one just a little above the other.
He put lipstick back on and turned Ao'nung's face to the other side, giving him access to his left cheek. He kissed him again. And again. But this time Lo'ak's lips stayed on for a few seconds longer. It took him longer to pull away from his cheek. It was soft, softer than he could have imagined.
He left another kiss on his forehead. One on the bridge of his nose. One under his right eye. And another on his chin. He pulled his face away, and felt his cheeks heat up as he saw the traces of lips elsewhere than on the chosen areas. Ao'nung looked him in the eyes, a small smile on his lips.
"Well then? You can't control yourself anymore?" Lo'ak rolled his eyes to hide his embarrassment. Maybe he let himself go? Too bad. Lo'ak put the lipstick back on.
"blah blah blah. If it helps you sleep at night. Still, you didn't stop me." This time it was Lo'ak who smiled. Ao'nung winced, but Lo'ak knew there was no malice.
"Come on, let's finish up this damn short movie!"
Lo'ak lifted Ao'nung's head to reach his neck. He was bent down uncomfortably, but he didn't care. Ao'nung almost closed his eyes at the shiver he felt. His heart was beating so hard he could feel it in his throat. Ao'nung's hand came to rest on Lo'ak's hip. The younger man did nothing to move it. Instead, his body, his mind, wanted more.
Lo'ak untied his lip from her neck, and slowly pulled away. His gaze locked with Ao'nung's. Lo'ak felt his breath catch in his throat. He placed the lipstick on the bed beside them and put his hand on the free cheek of the boy in front of him.
"Maybe we should add another one, just in case...?" Ao'nung asked softly.
Lo'ak nodded, and kissed the side of his mouth. For a long time. Long enough to drive Ao'nung crazy. And just like in the bathroom, they brought their mouths together. Their eyes closed slowly. Lo'ak could hear his heart beating in his ears. Ao'nung closed his hand lightly on Lo'ak's hip.
Warmth filled their whole being as their lips touched in a shy kiss. They separated their faces a few inches to look into each other's eyes. This proximity released something unknown in them. A strength, a feeling that made them kiss again. But this time with more passion, more intensity. Ao'nung put his free hand on the back of Lo'ak's neck to deepen their kiss.
Lo'ak ended up sitting on Ao'nung's lap, his position becoming too uncomfortable. The taller man's hand on her hip slowly moved down to Lo'ak's ass. Their chests pressed together. Lo'ak's hands slid into Ao'nung's hair.
Their lips discovered the other's. They caressed each other gently. Their curious hands wandered everywhere. But the softness disappeared when Ao'nung gently pinched Lo'ak's hip, making him gasp in surprise. The taller man took the opportunity to stick his tongue in Lo'ak's mouth. The two fought for dominance. Lo'ak wasn't going to let it happen. Even though he was off to a bad start.
Ao'nung ran his hand under his shirt and caressed his back, Lo'ak couldn't hold back a shiver, and a moan that was immediately swallowed by Ao'nung's mouth. The two boys rubbed against each other. The heat was making them lose their minds.
The two boys were so drunk on their kiss that they didn't hear the small footsteps in the hallway approaching. Or the door handle turn and the door open. They didn't see Tuk's little head come through the door. So they didn't see her as she quietly closed the door and ran downstairs to wait for her father to tell him.
This did not stop the two boys from continuing to kiss each other full on the lips. The lack of air forced them to separate. Their breaths were jerky, and their cheeks were redder than embers. They looked at each other for several minutes in silence. Until Lo'ak came back to reality.
"Ao'nung..." The older boy put his lips on the younger boy's neck, licking and sucking tenderly on the skin. Lo'ak barely held back a whimper. He put his hand on Ao'nung's forehead and pushed lightly.
"Wait... We have to finish first..."
Ao'nung knew what he was talking about; the short movie. But honestly, he didn't feel like it, he finally had the person who was driving him crazy little by little at hand. But he couldn't escape it. So he let go of Lo'ak's neck and stepped away without letting go of him. He knew he looked like an idiot with all the lipstick on his face but he didn't care.
Lo'ak tried to get out of this embrace but Ao'nung held him back, smiling like a stupid child. Lo'ak rolled his eyes and placed a quick kiss on his lips. He smiled back as he saw the lipstick smeared all around Ao'nung's mouth. Finally, the taller man let go of him and stood up. Lo'ak stretched and then picked up the camera.
"come on, we've got more work to do!"
Jake hadn't had a good day. He was exhausted from insomnia, then his boss decided to give him a mountain of work, then on the way home he gets stuck in a traffic jam, only to have his boss call him back and he has to go back to work. So when his little princess Tuk ran into his legs the second he walked in the front door and told him that she saw Ao'nung and Lo'ak kissing, you can imagine that this information only made him feel worse.
At first, Jake didn't really understand what was going on. He had picked Tuk up and taken her into the living room. He asked her to repeat softly and calmly what she had just said. He wished she hadn't repeated it.
It's true that Jake doesn't have the best relationship with Lo'ak, always arguing. But if Lo'ak thinks he's going to stand by while Ao'nung puts his lips on his youngest son, he's dead wrong.
"but when you say 'kiss', it's kind of cute like in the movies or..." Jake asked, almost hopeful.
"it was all slobbery!" Tuk winced as she remembered what she had seen. Jake winced too, but more in anger. Oh, how Ao'nung was in trouble. "Nung had lipstick on his face. He even had his hands in Lo'ak's shirt!"
She stuck out her tongue to show her disgust. Jake was about to ask her where her brother was when he heard noise upstairs, then laughter. Two very distinct laughs. His son's. And another he identified as Ao'nung's.
He headed upstairs, walking quickly, even running. He opened the door to Lo'ak's room, but found no one there. He turned his gaze to the half-open bathroom door. He walked into the room, Tuk at his heels, and opened the door, startling the two teenagers. Who were kissing.
Jake looked at the two, slowly moving from one to the other. Tuk poked her head in to see her brother pressed up against Ao'nung. She made a disgusted noise before walking off into the living room. Jake saw red. If Ao'nung didn't let go of his son in the next three seconds, he was sure he was going to do something he would regret.
Now both boys remembered how they got into this mess.
Jake had taken the two boys into the living room, after asking Tuk to go to her room. The two boys were sitting in chairs away from each other at Jake's request. Lo'ak was watching the turned-off TV, his cheeks red with embarrassment. And Ao'nung opted for the floor, his face hotter than a forest fire. The two teenagers thought they were dying of embarrassment. The silence in the room was not helping.
Jake finally decided to speak after several minutes of watching them. Well mostly glaring at the one who had dared to kiss his youngest son, his baby boy.
"boys," Ao'nung and Lo'ak startled, not expecting the silence to be broken. Lo'ak looked at his father, and Ao'nung looked at Mr. Sully. "I'm going to make it very clear, if I ever see you two kissing again, or hear about it in any way," Jake looked Ao'nung in the eye. His gaze was as hard as ever, showing no weakness. "I'm going to kick your ass, even if it means a few years in jail."
"Dad!"
But Jake didn't listen to his son. Ao'nung swallowed hard. He was dead. Ao'nung nodded, but said aloud,
"Yes, sir."
Lo'ak grumbled and slumped in his seat. Jake looked at his son with a raised eyebrow. "Is something wrong, Lo'ak?"
"Yes! If I want to make out with Ao'nung, I'll make out with him. No one says you can't do that to Mom!"
Jake's eyes widened in surprise, as did Ao'nung's. The father of the family rubbed his face, trying to keep his composure.
"We're adults, Lo'ak. You just turned sixteen. Ao'nung is almost eighteen. You can't do that!" Lo'ak rolled his eyes and stood up straight.
"What if I want to? You can't watch me all the time anyway."
Father and son looked each other in the eyes. Insolence in the eyes of one. Annoyance in the eyes of the other. And in the middle of it all, Ao'nung, more uncomfortable than ever.
Ao'nung prayed to Eywa, the goddess Lo'ak's family worships, to give him a chance to get out of there alive, because he had a feeling it was only a matter of time before Mr. Sully snapped and gave Ao'nung the beating of his life.